author's note:

The manga will probably complicate the plot, but it's worth the shot. Hope you enjoy! MANY SPOILERS FROM THE MANGA IN THIS FANFICTION!

summary:

Two hundred years ago, E.N.D, otherwise known as Etherious Natsu Dragneel, destroyed almost the whole magic world as we know it. Now, without his loved ones, he lives aimlessly in the world of scarce magic with a young boy named Yu. All that changes when one night he meets Lucy again, suffering of amnesia with no recalled past, but the two happen to start each other's life over again.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, nor the plot. Hiro Mashima does, and the credits rightfully go to him.

00. Prologue

Death, death, death, with a hint of shallow breaths and thumping hearts. The idea that love could heal all was, in fact, the dumbest thing she had ever heard. If love could have had saved something, or rather someone, then it wouldn't have had been like this at the moment. Every bone and organ ached in her body, and her surroundings seemed to be in shades of red. The air smelled like burning flesh, and the sound of wood crackling under pressure from debris resonated throughout the forest.

Inked on the no longer green grass was a rusty ruby, and the people around her followed the same pattern. Blood oozed out their bodies, and some had their eyes wide opened while staring up at the ashy sky.

"Everyone," she uttered, but then violently coughed. Blood spat out of her mouth, and landed before her.

"They're all dead," a malicious voice responded, "Except you, huh?"

Someone's bare feet appeared before her face, stomping on her pool of blood, and splashing it on her pale face. This was the end, apparently.

[ present ]

There is no such things as chances anymore. Only luck when it comes for visits, and it barely comes. Everything in the room seems to burn in his hands, so eventually, the room fills up with black and gray ashes and he decides to no longer replace them. There is nothing in his lifetime that was worth replacing anymore, because the things he wants back are impossible to have. Those things are gone, and have been for nearly two hundred years.

"Are you sad, Dragneel-sensei? Why are you always sad in the summer?" A small boy with large green eyes and unkempt black hair asks after staring at him for so long.

"No, Yu, and I told you to call me Natsu, I'm not your teacher," he replies.

That isn't the first time Natsu reminded Yu of that, yet the younger boy never seems to remember. The two sit on wooden stools in the dim house Natsu is force to call home. It could never match to home though, since home is in someone's arms that no longer exists to hold him, and home is laughter bouncing off wooden walls in a guild that he could remember too clearly. "I might take another nap, Yu," he tells him. Home is what he feels only in his dreams most times, so he always likes to sleep.

"Again?" Yu groans, and then rises up, dusting his dirty green shorts. He was in charge of laundry, but he is just as lazy as Natsu sometimes.

"You can go outside and explore some more while I am, I know how much you like to explore," Natsu smiles.

Yu frowns, and stomps his way to the ajar door. "I hate going outside without you though, I like learning from you and hearing your stories, Dragneel-sensei," he mutters. Despite the fact that the two are living together, and have been for the past year, Yu often feels like he doesn't know Natsu very much. Not into depth, at least.

"I can tell you stories when you come back in if you want, then. And what did I say about you calling me that, you little punk?" Natsu half-jokes. 'Punk' is one of his terms of endearment, and they are quite important and nostalgic to him. Whenever he says that he recalls black spiky hair and bored eyes, just like someone he once knew, and despised just almost as much as he loved.

"I'm not that little! I'm eight and a half! And you're not even that much older than me, only twenty, you're like an older brother!" Yu shouts, and his eyes widens, "Wait, oni-san!"

Natsu raises his eyebrows, and his lips part slightly. One, it is because Yu mentions Natsu's age in his blabber, and it isn't right, even though that is what Natsu told him. And secondly, that is the first time Yu has called him that. "Are you calling me that?" He questions, he isn't sure how to respond, though of course a smile grows on his lips. He is always big on being family-oriented, and anything that revolves around love. For a person like him, who has destroyed so much, there is still a lot of love growing in him still. It is what keeps him alive, in a way.

Yu's cheeks are rosy and he nods his head, not saying anything because it appears like Natsu doesn't like it in Yu's perspective.

The smile turns into a smirk instantly on Natsu's face, and he runs his hand through his hair. It takes him a little longer to reach the ends of his hairs, since it is longer than it use to be, reaching at his shoulders. Actually, his whole appearance went under a change. His long pink hair is adorn by white and black streaks now, and his eyes and eyebrows are more delicate, as if he isn't as active anymore. There is a small portion of scales on his left cheek, and his right shoulder is burned, meaning the red Fairy Tail emblem is quite polished.

"I suppose playing outside with you isn't so bad," Natsu chuckles, and then walks over to the door.

"Really? Yay! We can play the frog game!" Yu beams.

The door pushes open with a gentle shove from Natsu, and Yu rushes out, expecting Natsu to chase him. That is the usual routine. Ever since Natsu first rescued him a year ago. Instead, Natsu stands at the doorstep, and stares out at the scenery. Their house is built on a grassy hill, giving access to see the whole town below them. And the sky is a gradient of pink, purple, and blue, reminding him that it is dusk. He never enjoys looking at the sky anymore, especially when it gets dark.

Yu follows the direction of Natsu's eyes, and ends up staring at the same thing. Both of them watch for some time, and Natsu sighs while Yu smiles. For such a strange time, the world sure is beautiful.

"Well," Natsu jumps to the ground, and kicks the dirt with the bottom of his sandals. The surrounding grasses dance to the soft breezes, and he sighs again. "Come on, Yu, if we plan to play Froggies, we got to play before the sun sets," he says. Froggies is a simple game Natsu made a few months back to entertain Yu, where the two would simple capture the frogs.

Right away, Yu runs to the left of him. A little further down the hill from there is a shallow pond where frogs and dragonflies idle around, until the night breaks and the fireflies come out too. That is also part of another game they play, where they capture fireflies in muddy jars instead. Yu usually wants to sleep when it's time to play that, leaving it a rarely played activity, though it is Natsu's favorite game to play with Yu.

Natsu follows Yu and shoves his hands in his shorts, and scans the area for frogs of his own. Yu is already chasing one by the marram grass, and diving down to the ground to grab it. "I got it!" He shouts, still lying on the ground as it squirms in his hands. It croaks many times, seemingly getting slimmer in his hands. Its legs kick the dirt at Yu's face, and he spits it out. "Oh no!" He shrieks, and the frog pries out from his hands.

Just when Yu runs to chase it, Natsu calls out for him to stop. "Let it go, its been tortured enough," Natsu remarks, and walks towards him.

"Why? That ruins the game!" Yu groans, and then plops to the ground. The thick patch of grass under him flatten, becoming a bed to lay on, and he frowns while staring up at the sky. Natsu continues to stand up beside him, and looks down at Yu with a disappointed expression. Yu doesn't look at him. If there is anything Yu should've learned from Natsu, it is that he never likes to inflict much pain on anyone or anything, anymore.

"We can always play it again tomorrow. It's getting dark anyways,"

"What happened to you, oni-san?"

Natsu's eyebrows furrow in confusion at the sudden question. "What do you mean?" He inquires, and then takes a seat beside Yu.

"Like," Yu pauses to collect his thoughts before saying anything, "You told me stories of how you use to be so cool. Breathing fire and doing dangerous missions without a care. Why aren't you the same person anymore?"

"For someone that is only eight, y―"

"Eight and a half!"

"Eight and a half, you sure are observant," Natsu didn't expect Yu to wonder about those things, because Yu never seems to care about them until now. He guesses that despite them living for a year together, neither of them really knew each other, and Natsu didn't like talking in the dark. The sky darkens every moment they spend on the grass talking or not, meaning he didn't have much time. "Pain changes a lot of things, Yu," he answers.

Yu's lips form into an 'O', though he wasn't understanding it exactly, and Natsu could see that. "You'll understand one day," Natsu tells him, and then whispers the next part, "But hopefully not."

The lie is not that Natsu is happy, the lie is that he is not sad. See, the thing is that he isn't happy, but he isn't depressed either. If anything, he is just doing and being enough. He eats with a feeling of fine, runs the field with Yu with an okay smile, and sleeps on a cold bed because everything is fine. And his whole life is an excuse of fines because that is the best it could get, even if it's not even that great. It is just enough, he supposes.

He sighs, and carefully sits up, trying to not disturb Yu. The bedroom door is slightly open, revealing the kitchen connected to the living room, and then the bathroom. He examines around him. The moonlight streams through the thin blue curtains, touching the blankets in lines that reach their toes, and Natsu tries his best to turn Yu's loud snoring into white noise. Yu looks so peaceful, and it made Natsu sort of sad.

There are many things about Yu that reminds Natsu of himself. Such as the way Yu sleeps, how fast and messy he eats, the way his curiosity grows along with his desire to explore, and his past too. There isn't much of a past since Yu is still young, but there is enough to understand for Natsu. Ever since Yu was born, his father was an alcoholic and his mother couldn't stand to look at him, since she had him at such a young age. He came running to Natsu last year with bruises on his skin, coming from almost across the country for a new home. It was nearly impossible to not accept him.

Now, Yu only gets scraps and bruises when he falls. Now, he is safe and happy. Natsu smiles, "At least I got to save a person for once." He whispers.

With so many thoughts on his mind, Natsu decides to take a walk. Yu is great company to have, however not for times like this. He shuffles with stealthily steps until he is out of the room and house. The temperature is a lot cooler outside, and there are stars on the whole sky. Not more than a thumb distance between each star, as it seems, and the wind blows softly against his skin. "The stars are really nice," he speaks to himself. In two hundred years, he has grown to love stars.

"Man, if everyone was back here, it would be so fun," he takes a seat on the grass. "We would drink, and maybe throw a few punches," he chuckles, and falls back on the ground, tucking his hands under his head. "Perhaps Erza will stop us, our seventh master that would lose control over a slice of cheesecake. Happy will fly me away while she attempts to murder everyone, and we would throw fireballs at Gray, then Lu―" He can't bring himself to finish the name, and instead he closes his eyes painfully and shakes his head subtly. Don't do this to yourself, he thinks.

Just by bringing up memories to himself, his chest aches and he does his best to not get any sadder. It is quiet again, and crickets chirp throughout the field.

Just when he thinks he's completely alone, his hyper sense of hearing catches a hum coming from the pond. Not just the hum of water trickling from somewhere, or the wind swaying the leaves, it sounds like a human. The hum sounds harmonious, and a little sad even.

In quiet footsteps, he makes his way down the hill, pushing aside the shrubs and broken branches, until he sees a something, or rather someone illuminating near the water. Their slightly wavy hair is a golden blonde, their skin is pale and glowing, with slender feet and fingers, and for a second, Natsu thinks it's someone he once knew. Someone he loves even up 'til this day, even after two hundred years. He thinks for a moment that they are there right in front of him.

"What?" He gasps, causing their head to snap towards him. Then, it appears as if time has stop. He takes the short time freeze to examine her countenance, large brown eyes widening with eyebrows rising, and plump glossy lips parting. Her cheeks become rosy, and she tucks a single strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She looks more than confused, yet she seems calm at the same time.

"Lucy?" He mutters.

Unexpectedly, she replies, "Yes? I'm sorry," even her voice is just like Lucy's. She gingerly stands up, her figure revealing more, until the point where Natsu is sure it really is her. The only thing stopping him from running to her is how lost she looks, as if they aren't on the same page.

"It can't really be you," Natsu shakes his head, not being able to believe it. This must be a dream. The longer he gazes at her, the more he takes in her appearance. A curvy body in a tight white dress, bare feet, and some flowers in one hand. It is like she is an angel, which is probably what it is. Suddenly, his lips quiver.

"Are you crying? I'm so sorry if I ruined your pond or anything, " she says, and bows down quickly.

"Huh?" And she is right. There is a trail of tears running down his hot cheeks, and he realizes how hard is heart is pounding. Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump. Quickening every second that passes, feeling as if it is going to explode. There are no words in his mouth, well, there are no sounds coming out at least. He doesn't know what to say. Does he run to her also? Hug her after missing her from so long? The real question is, is that the Lucy he knows?

Lucy keeps her head down, until he takes a step closer to her. When she rises and faces him, his watery eyes cause a melancholic sensation waving over her. It doesn't make sense on why, yet a lump forms in her throat and chills run down her spine. "I'm sorry if this is your property, I woke up in a place I don't remember and I was so thirsty from wandering around. I'm sorry," she repeats. She cannot bring herself to look away.

"It's fine, it's not my pond anyways," Natsu informs her while wiping his cheeks dry with his wrists.

"Are you okay?" She asks.

Nastu nods his head, and he isn't lying. Just by merely seeing Lucy, even if it isn't the Lucy he knows, is enough for him to feel better. Not even okay-better, he is happy, and for the moment, it feels like everything is going to be okay. "I think I'm going to be alright," he answers, and then flashes her a toothy grin. Actually, he might be slightly lying, after all, this could be another dream of his. It usually is, meaning he could wake up anytime.

The wide grin baring his white teeth and noticeable fangs, along with the corners of his eyes crinkling, his whole face seems too happy to match his sad tone. Lucy subconsciously frowns, and she plays with her fingers shamefully, "What's your name?" she wonders. Is it her fault that he cried?

"I'm," he inhales through his nostrils loudly, and the grin on his face widens, "Natsu. Natsu Dragneel."

For some reason, when Lucy learns his name, her heart almost stops. It is such a harmonious ring to her ears, and she can't help but resonant it in her mind. Her chest feels warmer, and even her stomach forms butterflies. The grin of his imprints in her mind too, and she feels like she knows the cracks and edges of its mystery. She feels as if that it isn't anything new to her, just buried until now. It is as if he was once a good friend, or lover at one point. "Natsu?" She mumbles, and then something tingles on her skin, giving her goosebumps.

It really is them, this has got to be a dream.

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