Prologue: Death
The battle was finally over. Zeref's corpse lay cooling in a pool of his own blood while Natsu stood over him, triumphant. Exhausted and bloody, he turned, still grinning, to face his equally exhausted team. Erza and Gray gave small, tired smiles from where they were slumped on the ground, too depleted to even move. Wendy gave a half-hearted grimace, on the verge of passing out. Natsu turned his gaze on Lucy, only to draw back in horror. Lucy lay face down, surrounded by a slowly growing pool of her own blood. Her magic too was all but gone, and she lay unnaturally still.
"Lucy!" The alarm in Natsu's voice gave Erza and Gray the energy to move toward her, freezing a moment in shock at the Celestial Mage's injuries. Wendy was at once alert and by Lucy's side, doing what she could to repair the broken girl. Lucy raised tired eyes, glazed with pain, to the Sky Dragon Slayer.
"Don't." she croaked out, a feeble hand reaching out to stop her. "It's too late." "How can you say that?!" Gray exclaimed, not wanting to believe that the vibrant mage would soon be gone. Erza said nothing, tears glistening in her eyes as she saw that nothing could be done, Lucy had only minutes.
"I don't regret, anything." Lucy choked out, tears spilling from her eyes and down her cheeks. "Fairy Tail was the best thing to ever happen to me." She gave a brilliant smile, half blind from her tears.
"We will never forget you, Lucy." Erza choked out through the lump in her throat. Natsu and Gray stayed silent, too in shock at this turn of events. "Please don't go Lucy!" Wendy begged, heartbroken sobs wracking her frame. Lucy gave a weak smile and gently patted her trembling hand.
"Lucy." Loki appeared, grave expression on his face. "Loki." The lion spirit reverently took her hand and held on tight. "Lucy." He repeated. "Listen to me. Death is not the end. We will see each other again. Please, don't forget us." "I won't." Lucy promised, but Loki only gave a sad smile, knowing it was a promise that couldn't be kept.
"Lucy." Natsu finally spoke up, determination blazing in his eyes. "We will meet again." "Sure." The dying girl agreed, unable to deny such unwavering conviction. "See you later." With those final words, her eyes closed, and the girl known as Lucy Heartfilia was no more.
Loki bowed his head over the hand still in his grasp, tears threatening in the corners of his eyes. The rest of Lucy's celestial spirits appeared, desolate at the loss of their kind wielder. Their expressions turned from sorrow to shock as their bodies began to dissolve.
"What's happening?" Aquarius demanded, turning to Loki as he was the only one unafraid. "I'm afraid I cannot say." The Zodiac leader replied. "Lucy has been chosen. We are now bound to her in both life, and death." With that cryptic comment Leo faded completely, his key also fading out of existence along with all the others.