AU/SPOILER WARNING: One shot inspired by Lorde song (Everyone Wants to Rule the World) and Afterlife prompt on tumblr. This is based around the time in the manga where grey was shot and killed, in an alternate path where Ultear didn't use her time magic. The beasts in this story are the same ones that "killed" Grey. This piece is very tragic and has lots of main character deaths. It was for the prompt my friends, I apologize. Please review, I love to hear what people think of my works!
"If you come tumbling down, I will hold your hand. I'll be right behind you, I swear I will hold your hand until your walls come tumbling down. I will hold you hand until you join me in the place where the light won't find us."
Natsu couldn't breathe.
His hollow form pushed forward, his feet pushing through the crisp debris. He couldn't see where he was advancing, his head to heavy for his shoulders so it hung lame. He pushed himself forward, throwing one side forward and the other soon chasing after it. It reminded him of what he said to her. A simple pattern, easy to speak but seemingly unattainable to achieve. After all, no one seemed able to accomplish it.
"Breathe in, breathe out. Lucy, breathe Luce breathe!"
Irregular chunks of once grand palaces were scattered on the ground. It was funny, all of them seemed to be the same colors. Gray, Black, Brown, Beige. It seemed like a pattern, for every building piece he ascended seemed to follow that exact pattern. He wondered if it was absolute, that fate had planned this. He wondered if life followed this pattern, and if it's rules we're as absolute.
"I'm so glad we almost made it. It's so sad it had to fade, it…"
Everything appeared to be in slow motion. The burning city appeared to be a blur of colorful waves, emitting their own siren song. Everything was just so damn slow, he couldn't get himself to focus, it felt like being trapped in a spinning jar accompanied with a grand piano. The damn piano could not be more annoying, it was like a child's scream. A child's scream beckoning him…
"Even while I sleep, I will find you acting on your best behavior. There is never any turning back, you know you're too good to resort to that." Her voice ran thick, full of thoughts waiting for their turn to be told."
His head went up. He didn't know how, or why. It was like his body went into auto-pilot. He saw Wendy, she was screaming. She was the piano. He felt himself run, his bones smacking together as they carried out their commands. He was far away, but he felt like he was in front of her.
He could see the sweat dripping down her face, her tears mixing in to create a toxic remedy. He could see relief flood her body when she saw him, but it's not okay, he's still too far away. She's not okay, and she didn't know that. He felt his heart decay, slowly slamming into his stomach. His heart was falling, like Wendy. Only Wendy was falling sideways the and and her floor was a wall of cement. The piano's marathon ceased, it's final note stabbing Natsu's spine.
"You helped me make the best of this freedom and pleasure, but nothing ever lasts forever."
Natsu wondered what happened when a piano grew old, did it continue to create orgasmic symphonies and peacefully fade away in whispers, or did it's cords snap and scream, going out in a euphoric blaze of glory? His mind echoed full of thoughts, we're the cords made of copper, or a faultless, pure metal?
Did piano's have gears? He could hear the would-be gears, they were crunching together, the cannibalistic metal annihilating its counterpart. The gears were screaming, tearing apart. He couldn't remember the blissful piano notes if he tried, the metal was breaking, and it's departure could not be ignored.
"Don't cry, it's war. It isn't your fault. Simply, everybody wants to rule world. And, as Fairy Tail, we can't have that, can we?"
It's hard to look away when a tragedy is happening. Natsu knew that now. Natsu could tell pain was a living, breathing thing. She was a dramatic, attracting everyone's attention when she unleashed herself. So he stood, and watched the show, because everyone knows if you mess with pain she comes back seven fold.
Gajeel was falling, but much too slow. Natsu wondered if his mind was breaking again, but he then he understood. Gajeel's body was sliding down some metal poles, they were the only thing keeping him from falling from grace, but it was the reason he was falling to begin with. He saw Gajeel's glance met his, and he felt someone's tears rush down his face. A moment was had between them, and he could feel it. He could feel Gajeel's neutrality and and sense of completion as he slowly was labored to the ground. He could see Gajeel grab her hand, and he could see Gajeel's dissipating stare drinking in her soft blue hues as he joined with her.
"I'll be right behind you, I swear."
Natsu was on his knees now, staring emptily at his fellow slayer, only when a faint spray of water hit him did he break his gaze away. He then saw an orb of water, and inside was Juvia. She was crying, and blood was fleeing from her heart to the exile of her mouth. She was cradling a broken piece of ice. Shot just one to many times to be recognizable.
With a soul-piercing cry, the orb of water burst. The wave hit him within seconds, and he was drenched, drenched in his fallen family members. Frantically he stood and shook himself. He stripped until he was in nothing but pants, and he still felt it. He could still feel them on his skin.
He scratched himself, he scratched until he bleed. Then he scratched some more. Only until after he shed them did he realize he was alone. No one else was standing. As far as the eye could see, he saw fallen family members and friends. Not one familiar heart was beating on this battlefield, he could hear it.
He didn't have to look to know one was behind him. He didn't have to smell to tell it was unscathed and healthy, he didn't have to feel to tell that the hole in his chest was real. He didn't have to think to tell he was alone as he fell.
Only when he was inches from the ground did he feel the embrace, only inches from the ground did he notice her sent, and only then did he hear her say,
"I told you if you come tumbling down, I will hold your hand. I'll be right behind you, I swore I would hold your hand until your walls come tumbling down. I will hold you hand until you join me in the place where the light won't find us. I'm here, Natsu."