Lucy heard muffled voices from around her and cracked an eye to see the color-filled sky of the Spirit World smiling down on her. The voices were soon identified as Loke and Aquarius arguing.
"How could you think that?" Aquarius screamed at the orange haired male. "She needs to be kept here so we can make sure she's okay! Do you know what could happen if we don't!?"
Loke's voice was calmer than the blue-haired mermaid's as he countered easily. "She needs to be down there." He said. "They need her. Hell, she needs them, too. We can't keep her here on thoughts of something that may or may not have happened. She needs to be down there!"
"Then why the hell isn't she down there?!" Came the enraged response. "If she needs to be down there then why is she up here?" Lucy's confused exspression was finally noticed by the pair and they ceased their argument to face her.
"Good morning, Lucy-chan!" Loke greeted ecstatically. "How are you feeling?"
Lucy groaned as she sat up, noting how her muscles protested. "I'm fine." She answered, her eyes worried and searching. "What happened to Acnologia, and everyone else?" At this Loke visibly faltered.
"Well, you see, um," He started uncertainly. "Acnologia's gone." He finally said. "But, so is everyone else."
Lucy's eyes widened and her heart stopped. "All that's left of anyone is what's in your hands. At this Lucy looked down, now noting the objects she held in her hands. Natsu's scarf, Erza's right gauntlet, and Gray's cross necklace. How they had ended up in her position she had no clue. And Erza's gauntlet? Was she even near Erza?
"This, this makes no sense." She said, examining the items in her lap. "Why these things? Why am I here, Loke? Why aren't I with eveyone else?" Her eyes filled with tears as she looked back up at the orange haired male before her. "What happened, Loke? What happened at Tenroujima?"
"Well, I'm not sure why, or what happened, but Horologium sensed trouble with the time space and fetched you. From what I gather, your friends reached for you, and you them. That might be where these items came from."
Lucy nodded, thankful to have some understanding. "How long have I been here, Loke?" She finally said quietly, scared to know the answer to the question she had been asking herself throughout the whole ordeal.
"Two days." He finally answered. Two days, six months. A whole six months.
"Do you want to go back to Earthland, Lucy?" Loke asked softly. The blonde did little more than bob her head in answer.
One month later, Lucy Heartphilia tried to hold in the tears that threatened to fall as she gazed at the neat line of gravesites, twenty in all. Each engraved with the name of a well loved nakama and a few words of memory directly beneath it, each one finishing with the same phrase. "Lost to time, but never to our hearts."
Tentatively, she approached the one nearest to her. An elegant dragon was carved at the bottom, spewing flames over the stone. "Natsu Dragneel, may the heavens blaze with his soul." She choked back sobs. She had decided on that phrase, short and sweet.
But now, it didn't feel adequate.
Without warning she pulled out her flame red light pen and began to write. "Natsu Dragneel was my best friend." She wrote. "He was kind to a fault, offering a smile to just vanquished foes. He was strong. He'd fight to say hello and fight to say goodbye. Everything to him revolved around food, fights, and family. He loved his family."
She paused to think and turned her head to see others doing as she was, writing memories and thoughts around the graves. Kinana scribbled teary words around Mira's, Macao and Wakaba penciled drinking songs over Cana's.
She looked back down at her words and smiled. "But Natsu is now gone," She finished. "So I shall take his place. I will become strong, to protect his family in his place. I will become S-class in his stead, and fight for my family... I'm all fired up."
Tears were still shed that day, but many found solace in their words. Things they'd always wanted to say, but never had the chance, fond memories. The road to recovery was in sight. And Lucy was determined to blaze the way.
"Kinana?" She called once they returned to the guild. "Could you change my guild mark location, please?"
The violet haired girl looked up at her and nodded, fetching the mark stamper. "I'm not sure if I can remove that one, but I think Mira did it once to a member who changed marks with outfits. She's gone now, though. Lot's of them are." Lucy nodded slowly at this as she removed the heavy armor gauntlet so Kinana could remove the pink mark from the back of her hand.
Kinana placed the stamper over the mark and pressed it down, chanting 'reverse' as she did so. With a flash and a 'pop' the skin was no longer the rose pink but rather the fleshy tone it was before she joined. "Awesome." The blonde breathed as she examined the now bare hand.
"Where do you want the new one and what color?" The violet haired girl asked as she prepped the stamper. Lucy thought for a bit. Many comitnations struck her ming but she stayed true to the one she'd often come back to. "On my shoulder like Natsu's, and blue like Gray and Erza's."
Kinana smiled sadly at the blonde before fulfilling her wish and pressing the stamper to her shoulder, the color set. With another pop and flash, the new mark was set and the blonde smiled in thanks.
"Thanks bunches, Kinana!" She shouted as she gathered the girl into a giant hug. Kinana reciprocated and the pair parted. Kinana raised her eyes to Lucy's and asked the question that had been wearing on her mind as much as the rumor buzzed in the guild. "Are you really going away to train?"
With a heavy sigh and a pained look, Lucy nodded. "I am." She said. "I want to protect everyone. I want to make Erza, Gray, and Natsu happy. And to do that I need to be stronger. I swear to you I'll be back in a year, maybe sooner, alright?"
"When do you leave?"
"Tomorrow."
Kinana swallowed her tears and smiled. "Good luck," She said. "And be sure to come by the guild before you leave, alright? I'll have a surprise waiting for you."
To this, Lucy smiled. "I wouldn't dream of missing a Kinana surprise. I'll see you then." That said the blonde stepped out the guild, walking down the street to her apartment.
Just... no words... I've got ideas... but I'm not sure if it's enough to make a good story... we'll see..