Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Those rights belong to Hiro Mashima and their proper owners.

Those we love don't go away; they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near, so loved, so missed, so very dear.

10:46 p.m. July 6, X777

Within the gardens of an elaborate mansion was a lone woman of untold beauty. Her blonde hair resting in a tight bun at the top of her head as the wind was blowing against the stray locks that framed her face. She patted her dress down to remove the ruffles that were or were not there. Looking to the sky, the blonde women could see the countless stars that blanketed the darkness. This woman is known to everyone as Layla Heartfilia.

Moving her head from the endless sky back to the ground, she could see that a lone man was walking towards her. The grass below his feet was beginning to gray with each step that he took. Even the air was beginning to chill and grow heavy around Layla's body. Bringing her hands to her chest to calm her mind and began to breath as slow as possible. "It has been quite some time since we had last met like this, hasn't it, Zeref" Layla said as she gazed at the black haired man. The only response that she got from him was a menacing glare towards her. She smiles sadly and closes her eyes at the last memory she had at that time; an endless war that spread across the country, Dragons flying around attacking humans and vise versa, and a giant door opening with the help of her old friend.

Layla's Memory

"You're out of time Layla, take him and go! The others have already gone ahead of you" her friend roared as he pried the door just wide enough for her and the sleeping child to enter while a battle was ongoing around them. She had tears running down her face while holding the sleeping child with salmon colored hair. Her hands were already trembling from the fear of leaving her home. Clutching her keys in her left hand and holding the boy in her right, she made her way to the glowing gate before her. She was only feet away from entering.

"That's far enough, treacherous human." a voice resonated throughout the area as magic engulfed the entire area. The magic was sinister that Layla's knees buckled under her own weight and her friend was using all his strength to keep the gate open .the fifteen year old was scared of the magic that had flooded the area that she couldn't use her own magic to defend herself. 'Time is running out and Layla is so close. Just a few more steps and they'll both be safe' he thought while moving his long tail to slam into the only obstacle left. Zeref flipped backwards, easily avoiding the attack.

Layla looked behind her to see who it was only to have her vision blocked by her friend's giant red tail. The next thing she knew was that the tail had slammed into her, making her fly off the ground and into the gate. Everything was moving so fast that she could only see a black haired teen screaming curses and her friend giving her a scaly smile. More tears were falling from her as the gate was closing and she yelled out. "IGGNNEEEEELLLL!"

Layla's Memory (End)

Layla thought through the memory of when she had passed through the gate and waking up to find that the child she was charged with wasn't with her. She had spent weeks going from town to town trying to find him, but came up with nothing. She took up residence near a merchant's guild and did some trading to earn a living in this era, while researching on what could have happened to the child. She met and fell in love with a local merchant a year after arriving in this time period. Years had passed before she knew it and was already pregnant with her first child. She couldn't have been any happier that she was going to have a child. Layla remembered each and every memory that she had spent with her husband and daughter, and cherished every one of them.

Opening her eyes once more, she stares at the wizard before her. Zeref had not let up on his glare for even a moment. She maintains her stance, not moving from her position, knowing full well that she only had a few hours at best to live before her illness claimed her. She wanted to at least stand up to the person who had given her nightmares for so long. This would be her last and only chance.

"Where is he, human?" Zeref asked out loud. He cast his gaze to the surrounding area in hopes that he could feel the child's magic. Nothing. There was no ounce of magic similar to the child anywhere. Glaring back at Layla, who was oddly smiling kindly at him? He raised his eyebrow at the expression that she was showing him instead of the usual fear at meeting him.

"I don't know. I have been looking for him for so long that it has become my one of the only regret in these final hours of my life" she said clearly while smiling at Zeref. He looked at her with a far less glare at her statement. He moved his hand into the out in front of him and began a long series of chants. A pitch black magic circle had enveloped around him as he continued to chant. Layla seeing this brings her hands together in prayer as she uses what is left of her magic. A gold magic circle surrounds the ground where she is currently standing.

Zeref: "Crumble before the path…let the desire for rest come to your restless being."

Layla: "Survey the Heaven, Open the Heaven... All the stars, far and wide... Show me thy appearance... With such shine."

The area around them began to be filled with high concentrations of magic. Black wind was spiraling around Zeref as small colorful orbs of light surrounded Layla.

Zeref: "take hold of what lies before thee… never allow any to question thy self."

Layla: "O Tetrabiblos... I am the ruler of the stars...Aspect became complete... Open thy malevolent gate."

The entire mansion was now surrounded in both of their magic's with the black wind and light orbs occasionally colliding with one another.

Zeref: "Curse the Fate that was handed to thee… bring forth the sin of our Salvation!"

Layla: "O 88 Stars of the heaven... Shine!"

They both opened their eyes as they moved their hands into the final formation. Zeref brought his hands together in the direction of Layla while she had spread her arms out wide.

Zeref: "DEATH PILLAR!"

Layla: "URANO METRIA!"

The black wind exploded from Zeref and headed straight for Layla. The garden had begun to decay where the wind touched the ground. The attack had made its way towards Layla when it just stopped. Zeref did not remove his gaze from Layla, even when his attack started to vanish. Layla was panting at this point, at seeing how much her magic was used. She dropped to her knees before her spell was about to attack. Layla started coughing soon afterwards. From Zeref's viewpoint, he could see that a good portion of her hand was covered in her own blood.

"Why…why did you use that spell, knowing full well that it would accelerate you to your own demise?" he said with a confused tone at the humans actions. Layla was still on the ground trying to maintain what strength she had left to stand.

"Huff…huff…cough cough…blec… huff… because…huff…I want...to…huff…follow my… own path…huff…and not…the one laid…before me." She said between breaths. Zeref didn't know whether to respond to her with an attack or a comment, so he remained quiet. They both stay there in silence before he turned around to walk away. Layla seeing this was about to get up but fell to the ground with her body going numb. 'So, this is how I'll die, with my face in the ground outside of my own home.' She thought before her train of thought being interrupted.

"Allow me to foretell you the one event that will happen sometime in the distant future…" Layla looked up to see that Zeref was looking at her with what looked like a sad look on his face. "Your daughter will die on this night fourteen years from now…no one can stop it." He said while looking at her. Again she had this oddly kind smile while looking at him. She spoke, "You're wrong…If anyone can stop it, it will be Natsu. Call it a mother's intuition, but I know that he will find a way to change that future. I believe in both in both my daughter and that child. There is no doubt in my mind that they will change it" with her smile growing bigger with each sentence.

Zeref only looked at her with a stoic face before turning around to walk away. "Let's hope that you are right about you're… 'Mother's intuition'. We will never meet again after this night. Goodbye, Layla" he said before vanishing in with the darkness. Layla stayed in the position that she was in. her body was beginning to feel heavy and her mind felt dull. Exhaustion was starting to overtake her but she didn't do anything to fight against it. She already knew that this day would come, as she had already said her goodbyes that day. Looking over the many goodbyes from her memories, she couldn't help but start to cry.

"I knew… I knew that this day would come but…*hick*… I don't want to go. I want to go on more train rides with Jude…*hick*… I want read more books to Lucy. I want to go on more picnics with my family…*hick*…*hick*…I want to see my daughter become a wonderful mage. And also…*hick*… I want to see Lucy fall in love." Layla said out loud with her tears still falling in streams from her face.

"Please…please protect her" she said in a whisper to no one. 'I know you'll be fine, Lucy. You're a strong girl with a good head on your shoulders. You will a way, I know this because you are Jude's and my daughter' she thought as a smile reappeared on her face. Everything to her felt heavy and darkness was clouding her sight. "I love…you…Lucy…" were the final words she had spoken before she entered her eternal slumber.

11:54 p.m. July 6, X777

Layla Heartfilia

Deceased

A Strong Wife and Caring Mother