A/N: Erm, I guess this is about a strong-weak Lucy? Like, physically strong, but not emotionally. XD, help my descriptions. Welp, my depressive take on Lucy. Hope you enjoy!

Natsu's POV

Back then, all it had taken was a few words, an exaggerated wave of the hands, and Lucy would laugh. It was a sweet, beautiful, thing. It's funny, though, how people change so much.

This was when her mother was still alive. I'm sure that her parents would bounce her on one knee, while telling extravagant stories of lions, of princesses and dragons, and she would giggle, and maybe add some little comments here and there.

Maybe Lucy would point to the page, and say, "Hey, Mama, Papa! Look! It breathes fire!".

So carefree, joyful.

Then Layla died. Jude grew bitter, and worked. Worked so he didn't have to see Lucy, so she couldn't remind him what should have been. Worked so maybe, the money could replace the hole in both of their hearts. That work and money filled Jude's for the time being, but dolls and toys weren't really big enough for Lucy.

All it could have taken was few steps forward, and three warm words.

Lucy then ran away, and came here to Fairy Tail. Where we always asked if fairies really have tails. Of course, she really didn't know what that question mean to us. I didn't really know either.

Then the whole chaos thing of Fairy Tail got to her. Gray's past, Zeref, Tartaros, Edolas, Tenrou, all the fighting, introduced oh-so suddenly.

"Are you alright, Lucy?"

"Yes Mira, just thinking.."

The time after Edolas was when I just barely realized Lucy was so, so, broken. Of course, I ignored it. The seemingly burdened gait, why she never locked her windows though complained and gave me one hell of a kick and lecture every morning, why Lucy only took team jobs. It all made sense. But back then, it didn't.

After Tartaros and when Fairy Tail was disbanded, everyone left so suddenly. I ran to train, only leaving a quickly scrawled note. Really, only Gray stayed with Lucy for a little while, before having to leave; Erza and Avatar was coming. At least he told her when he left. I didn't.

So Lucy trained. I didn't know why; she was already pretty strong…

Zeref and the Alvarez Empire was when everything had been taken. A glimpse of her old spirit, Aquarius, and that was what probably broke her the most. One she had been unable to save.

Now, this is the normal day with Lucy.

She walks to the guild, while everyone greets her. Everyday, she orders a strawberry milkshake. Everyday, people try to make her feel needed. I didn't. We still took team jobs, and Lucy only took team jobs. We still made her laugh with our antics, but Erza and Gray would always glance at her for an extra moment. Everyday, she seemed a little more tired, a little more burdened. I joked to myself, 'Maybe, one day Lucy will get so tired, she won't get up the next day!'. Lucy always got up at eight, and got to the guild at nine.

...And so I guess it really shouldn't have been a surprise when her body was found limp in her bed. She was always tired. So, so tired. Just like Igneel. Still sleeping to this day. One of them four hundred years in the past, one still in the present.

Now I know why that question is so important, why she only took team jobs, why she still trained, why she seemed so tired.

Because that question is what glued Fairy Tail together in the first place. Because she was lonely, and wanted some company. Because we couldn't fill the hole that Jude and Layla left.

And what used to be a few motions, turned into a whole chase. Happy tears, she told me, were happy. But Lucy never cried happy tears. Every little movement was haunted.

And back then, all it could have taken was a few steps forward, and three warm words.