A/N: I really need to stop making new stories when I have so many others to finish but I can't help it. Anyways this is my first Fairy Tail story so if anything seems off let me know.

I don't own the image used for this story

Moving Forward

The sun rose on Magnolia on a crisp clear morning. The sound of birds chirping filled the air. The long peace the city had earned remained undisturbed. Just another beautiful day.

"This place makes me sick." A short dark-haired woman wearing a short skirted, no sleeve, dark red kimono stated in disgust. There was an emblem of a black tilted rosebud on her right arm.

"What's wrong, Yorokobi?" A large muscular man asked in a humorous tone. He was wearing only black pants and boots, scars where all over his torsos. His emblem was a dark blue on the right of his chest. "The happiness resonating from this town to much for you?"

"Shut it, Toprak! The woman glared at him. "Why did I even agree to come here?"

"Because you wanted to see him." A blond-haired man wearing light armor stated calmly. The white emblem he had hidden on his back. He had been dealing with the two bickering back and forth the whole way to Magnolia and he couldn't wait to get away from them even for just a moment. "Even though I told you I would be the only one directly involved in making contact."

"So why is Muerte here." Yorokobi pointed to a bald tan skinned man wearing dark robes. He was sitting cross legged against a tree while spreading white face paint all over his head, covering the red emblem on the back of his head.

"If the first stage of this mission succeeds then we will be treading on sacred ground next." The man said in a deep voice as he moved on to put black face paint around his eyes. "I came to make sure no disrespect is conducted."

"If all you are going to do is complain, Yorokobi, then go home." The blond said as he rubbed his temple. The woman glared at him. "I have a mission from King to complete. I only needed Toprak for this assignment."

"Fine!" The woman growled. "I'll just stand over here 'soaking' in the joy of this place."

"So, let's run through the plan again." The blond said as stood next to the shirtless man. As he did so he took out a small bead, the size of pin-needle head from a pouch that contained many more. He examined the bead and the swirling mass within it.

"The plan is from me to cause enough of a disturbance to draw attention with you at the heart of it." Toprak stated nonchalantly. "If the target shows up you stick him with one of those bead things."

"A simplistic way of putting it." The blond said with a sigh. He started to walk towards Magnolia. "I'll be back when I complete the task."

"And if you don't come back." Yorokobi asked with no hint of concern in her voice.

"Then you continue the mission." He stated as he continued to walk. "If you can't then just head back to the base."

"Now focus, Happy." A back cat stated firmly. He was looking at the sitting blue cat along with a white cat standing next to him. "You must concentrate on your magic."

"You must feel the flow of your magical energy." The white cat said in calmer tone. "You must be able to control you magic to transform."

"I'm trying." The blue cat said in a strained voice. His eyes contorted as he tried to focus.

Lucy watched on from a distance from where she sat with a small smile as Lily and Carla went on with their lesson with Happy. It was rare for her to see the blue exceed take things so seriously. Happy had approached his fellow exceeds the other day begging them to teach him how to transform like they could. He wanted to be able to do more in fights other than his usual supporting role. Carla and Lily were more then happy to help their comrade. So today was the first lesson for the blue cat in the forest at the edge of town.

"You got this, Happy!" A pink haired boy yelled. "Show them what you can do!"

"Hush, Natsu." She said as Carla shot a glare in their direction. "This isn't a competition. It's only his first day. Carla and Lily are only just starting him on focusing his magic before they even get to teaching him the basics of transformation."

"Whatever." Her partner said with a huff. "I bet Happy will gain the ability to transform faster than they did."

Lucy rolled her eyes at his usual impatience. But that was Natsu being Natsu. And she loved that about him. Yes loved. The blonde didn't really know when it happened but she only recent came to the realization that her feelings for her best friend were more than friendship. There were moments when Lucy wanted to tell him how she felt but she was to content with her current relation with Natsu. She returned her attention to the exceeds just as Happy let out an exacerbated cry before he fell onto his back.

"I can't do it!" He cried.

"It is only your first day." Carla said while giving him a reassuring pat on the head. "It took me nearly a year before I could transform."

"Don't worry, Happy." Lucy said as she and Natsu walked up to the exceeds. "You'll get there eventually no problem."

"And when I do," there was a devious smile that she didn't like on the blue cat's face, "I might just be able to lift you."

"You stupid cat!" She growled. He never missed an opportunity. "I should rip those whiskers off your-"

Her rant was interrupted as the ground beneath her began to rumble. It was shaking so hard that Lucy and the others couldn't keep their balance. Lucy fell back hard on her backside.

"Ow." She said wincing from the slight pain. "Since when did Magnolia have earthquakes?"

"It doesn't." Carla stated as she picked herself off the ground.

Just as she said that another earthquake hit them. This one much stronger than the last.

"Okay," Lily stated once when it stopped. "That wasn't normal."

"Aya." Happy said appearing a little dazed from the shaking.

"What do you think, Natsu?" Lucy asked turned to her friend.

"I have no idea." Was all he said.

There was a distant rumbling sound coming from within the town. Then the screaming started.

"Happy!" Natsu yelled urgently.

"Aya, sir!" Blue said as his wings appeared and he flew up and grabbed onto the dragon-slayers back taking him into the air towards Magnolia.

"I'll go find Windy." Carla flew into the air.

"I'll get Gajeel." Lily quickly followed suit.

"Wait a minute." Lucy called out but they were already gone. She let out a frustrated sigh. "I guess I'll just run from here."

Natsu and Happy flew over Magnolia looking for any disturbances. It wasn't hard to find. The center of the town was in near ruins. The dragon-slayer felt his anger rise as he saw the various people who had been hurt and or were running from the destruction. At the heart it Natsu saw a blond-haired armored man.

"Take us down, Happy." He growled. Once they land Natsu glared at then man who only seemed to smile smugly at his presence.

"Well, well. Just the man I was looking for." The blond stated. "Natsu Dragneel. It's an honor to meet you."

"Who the hell are you?" The dragon slayer demanded to know. He threw his hand to the destruction around him. "Is this your doing?"

"I am Mystiker Rolf Gutermuth." The man said with a bow. "I guess you could say I had some hand in all of this."

"That's a long name." Happy stated before Natsu could make a retort.

"Mystiker is simply my title." Rolf said a hint of pride in his voice.

"Yeah, don't think I will be using that." Natsu said offhandedly. This only seemed to anger the blond.

"Have some respect, boy." He exacerbated. "I earned that title."

"It's too similar to a guy I knew." The dragon slayer stated. Then he clenched his fist as they started to smoke. "Besides you've pissed me off. And now I'm all fired up."

Natsu lunged forward his fist bursting into flames. Rolf jumped back as he reached into a pouch at his side and pulled something out. Whatever it was it was to small for the pink-haired man to tell what it was. Suddenly a faint dagger made of ethernano appeared at his fingertips; holding onto the point of the blade. The blond threw the blade but Natsu dodged it and continued forward pulling his arm back. Rolf shoved his hand back to his pouch and pulled it out forming another dagger. He quickly rearranged his hold to the handle. Natsu noticed something being held within the point of the dagger but chose to ignore it as he threw a punch at the man.

Rolf dodge his attack and slashed his ethernano blade across the dragon slayer's chest and the dagger dissipated. Natsu kicked the blond in the torso using the momentum to push himself away. Once the pink head landed a good distance away he grabbed on to his chest filling a slight stinging sensation but it quickly went way. When he looked down to see the damage Natsu saw that he didn't have a wound.

"What the hell was that?" The dragon slayer asked as he looked back at his assailant. However, Rolf seemed to be just as baffled as he was.

"Why didn't it work?" He heard Rolf say under his breath.

"What didn't work?" Natsu demanded to know. "What was that supposed to do?"

The blonde's response was repeating his attack. Rolf lunged forward with his ethernano dagger in hand. The dragon slayer responded with his fist ignited. Natsu dodged the first attack and threw his fist forward. However, Rolf flip into the air and got behind him. The pink-haired man felt the slight sting sensation again in his back. Natsu quickly sent his foot back kicking the man square in the chest sending him flying back. His momentum was only stopped when fell into some rubble.

"Damnit!" Rolf groaned with a wince on his face. "What the hell is going on?"

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu yell before releasing a breath of fire. The blond quickly jumped out of the way of his attack before throwing another dagger at him. He tried to catch it but it passed through his fingers and stabbed him in the shoulder. Just like before there was a stinging sensation and the dagger dissipated. It was starting to annoy the dragon-slayer. "I don't know what you ae trying to do but I'm putting an end to this."

He lunged forward, his fist igniting in both fire and lighting. Natsu set fire through his feet propelling him faster towards his target.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu struck Rolf in the face before he could dodge or block the attack sending the man crashing into the ground. It appeared he wouldn't be getting up from that attack.

"Natsu!" He heard a familiar voice call out to him. He turned to see his partner running towards him.

"Hey, Luce." He greeted her once she was by him. She must have been running for a while as she was panting. "Where have you been?"

"Where have I been?" She let out an annoyed huff. "I got left behind. The only reason I didn't have to run all over town to find you was because of your shouting."

"Sorry, Lucy." Happy said flying down from where he had been watching the fight. "I can only carry one person and you're so-"

"Don't even start!" She yelled. The blue cat just giggled at her frustration.

"Everything is alright anyways." Natsu said before point behind him. "Got the bastard that caused this mess."

"We better helping the injured then." Lucy pointed out before looking behind him. "Once we deal with him first."

"Natsu, Lucy!" A familiar voice called out to them. They turned to see Erza and Gray running towards them.

"Hey." The dragon-slayer called back to them. "You're late. Already took care of the problem."

"And he did it in typical Natsu-" Lucy began to say but suddenly stopped. As he was turning to why he saw her widened brown eyes just as the blonde's hands latched onto his shoulder pushing him to the side. "Look out!"

Natsu spun around just in time to see an ethernano dagger fly past him. He saw Rolf on his knees with his hand extended. Erza was there in an instant, her armored fist colliding into the man's face knocking him out cold.

"Wow. Good reflexes Lu-" He started to say but stopped when he saw his partners shocked face and the dagger in her chest. She started to fall forward and Natsu caught her before lowering her to the ground. "Lucy!"

The others quickly joined them, fear gripping their faces. Natsu could feel Lucy shaking in his arms. Her face clenched in pain. The ethernano dagger still in her chest. Why was it still there? Why was it causing her so much pain? It wasn't disappearing like the ones that he had been struck with. Natsu made a move to pull it out but his hand passed through it.

"Lucy, hang in there!" Erza's voice was filled with desperation.

"Happy, go find Wendy!" Gray yelled and the exceed quickly flew into the air.

"It- It hurts." Lucy struggled to say. Her breathing was growing raspier.

"You're going to pull through this." Natsu stated trying to reassure his best friend. However, Lucy began to violently cough and he felt something wet hit his face. He didn't need to check to see what it was. The metallic smell and the bit of red now on Lucy's lips was enough to tell him. The transparent blade was showing no visible wound but it was clearing causing some kind of damage to her.

"I- don't think- I'm going to make it." The blonde stated.

"Don't talk like that." Gray demanded in a shaky voice. "Of course you're going to make it."

"Wendy will be here any moment now and she heal you." Erza said clearing trying to sound confident but her voice was shaky as well.

"You're strong enough to make it, Luce." Natsu said while tightening his grip on her.

"Sorry, guys." She said while taking shallow breaths. Her eyes locked on to the dragon slayer. "Natsu, thank you."

"Luce?"

"Meeting you was the greatest thing to ever happen to me." The blonde stated a small smile forming on her face. "Because of you I became a member of Fairy Tail."

"Because of Fairy Tail I made lasting friendships." Lucy said as she looked at Gray and Erza before returning her attention to Natsu. "Because of them I became part of a great family. All because I met you."

"That's probably why I fell-" She started to say before she let out a groan of pain.

"Lucy, save you strength. You can tell him when you're healed." Erza said coming to some kind of realization that Natsu hadn't. He could see a slight buildup of tears in the scarlet-haired woman's eyes.

"Please, I know I'm being selfish right now." Lucy said while raising her hand to Natsu's cheek. He raised his own hand to lightly hold hers which still had some warmth to it. "But- I need to say this."

"You've- You've given me so much." Her voice was becoming more strained as tears began to form in her eyes. "That's why I- I- I lo-"

Lucy didn't finish what she was clearly trying to tell him. Natsu watched has her eyes went dull. Her hand slipped out of his light grasp and fell to the ground. Her head fell back. The ethernano dagger in her chest finally disappeared.

"Lucy." Natsu called to her quietly giving her a small shake. He didn't want to believe what was in front of him. "Come on wake up."

"Natsu." Gray called to him quietly but the dragon slayer ignored him.

"Come on, Luce." He said giving her another light shake.

"Natsu." He heard Erza's shaky voice but he ignored her as well.

"Lucy, please." His voice nearly broke.

"Natsu!" Erza's yell made his head snap up to look at her. Tears were flowing down her face. "She's gone, Natsu."

That was it. Those words. That was all it took to break the damn and let his own tears flow.

She was halfway back to the guild hall with the others when she noticed that he wasn't with them. So Lisanna turned around and head back to where she knew Natsu would still be. It had just been a couple of days since the death of their close friend and the whole guild was taking it hard but she knew Natsu was taking it the hardest. How could he not?

He and Lucy had been so close with one another. Always going on missions with ever since the blonde had joined Fairy Tail. They were almost always at each other's side. Lisanna would be lying if she said she wasn't jealous at times. She had had that same kind of relationship with Natsu once. But her time away in Edolas had damaged that bond. Natsu and her were still close friends but not like they once were. So Lisanna accepted that and let go of the torch she had for him. But she would still be there for him when he needed it.

She let out a sigh as she tilted her umbrella back enough for her to look up at the cloudy sky without getting wet.

Why does it have to rain on days like today? She thought.

Lisanna approached the entrance to the graveyard when she noticed someone leaving it. The blue-eyed girl had to take a double take as she thought she saw a ghost for a moment. Then she realized who it was.

"Oh," Anna Heartfilia said upon seeing her. "Miss Strauss is it?"

"Yes. My condolences for your loss Miss Heartfilia."

"The same to you." The woman from the past said in return.

"Is Natsu still there?" Lisanna asked hesitantly looking past the blonde.

"Yes." Anna said solemnly. "He could use a friend right now."

They went their separate ways after that. Lisanna walked through the graveyard until she saw him. Still standing in front of Lucy's gravestone. Right next to her parents. The rain drenching the dragon slayer.

"Hey, Lisanna." He said quietly when she was only a few yards away, never looking up from the gravestone.

"Natsu." She said back to him. "I noticed that you didn't come back with us."

She wanted to ask if he was alright but she knew he was still in pain.

"I just need time to think things through." He stated. "I needed to sort out my emotions."

"I'm so angry and hurt." Natsu said before she could say anything. "I want to do something. Anything to get my anger out. I want to go to that prison with that man who took her way from us and beat him into oblivion."

Lisanna was taken aback when she noticed his clenched hands were smoking.

"And it hurts." He said as he unclenched his hands. "It hurts now to know how she felt about me and I never noticed."

Lisanna brought up her hand to her chest. She could feel the pain in her friend's voice as he let out his grieve. She wanted to do something to help him but was at a lost at what to say. So, she opted to just be there and listen.

"But," Natsu looked up into the sky, "Lucy wouldn't want that. She wouldn't want me to wallow in my anger and grieve. She would want me to stay strong."

He turned to look at Lisanna with a small smile on his face.

"So that's what I'm going to do." Natsu said firmly. "To honor her memory."

"Come on." He said as he walked towards her. "Let's head back to the guild."

"Yeah." Lisanna said with a small smile. Everything was going to be alright.

The loss of there friend wasn't going to keep them down. They were going to keep moving forward.

A/N: So that was the first chapter but there is more to come. Lets just say its going to be a bumpy ride. Feedback is appreciated.