I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters

When I'm Gone

And when I'm gone, just carry on, don't mourn

Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice

Gray clouds loomed over the town of Magnolia, the once bustling city now desolate and grim. Its streets, once filled with happy smiles as its denizens went on about their days walking its cobblestone paths, now lay barren and forgotten. The air, once filled with friendly conversation between neighbors along with the laughter of children as they played amongst themselves, was now silent with the howl of the wind being the only sound flowing through the city. The buildings that once stood proud and tall were now rubble; their remains now intermingled with the lowly rocks of the Earth. Magnolia had truly become a shadow of its former self.

However, amid all of the changes the town had undergone, one piece had been left relatively unscathed save for a few bumps and bruises. South Gate Park, sitting at the heart of the town, was just as recognizable as it was before, a stark contrast to the rest of its surroundings. The lone tree in the center of the park stood tall and resolute. Dwarfing all in its vicinity, the tree stood as a symbol, a reminder of better, happier times. Of when the only things one had to worry about was paying next month's rent on time or invoking the wrath of a beautiful, yet equally terrifying red head. Those were the times a certain busty blonde wished she could go back to. Barely eighteen years old and she has already seen and experienced more in her short life than most would in several lifetimes. Taking a seat, her back against the thick trunk of the tree, she looked down at the bundled scarf cradled in her hands. The scarf and the memory of its former owner brought forth a deluge of tears, one of many she had suffered through over the past few weeks.

It isn't fair. None of it is!

She shouldn't have to deal with such sadness. Such pain. Such heartache.

"I'm sorry," a voice spoke, its owner tone melancholy yet at the same time calm and relaxed.

"I heard you the first hundred times, and it still doesn't change a damn thing," another voice responded, its owner irritated by his companion's unyielding repetitive and ultimately useless apologizing.

"I know. Nothing I can say or do can ever make up for my actions. What I did…who I became…is completely unforgiveable."

"Heh, for once we finally agree on something."

"Indeed."

"…Seriously though, was this what you wanted. All of this destruction, carnage and despair? And for what, just to make the world pay for 'rejecting' you?" He turned to his companion, incredulity etched across his face. Sure, there were times where he wanted to make those who crossed him pay for it but they were always solved with a fire fist to the face; declaring war on humanity was nothing short of overkill in his eyes.

Black eyes looked up into the sky as if hoping for its grey clouds to open up and bestow upon them an answer. After several seconds, which felt like years, they finally spoke.

"…No. I never wanted this. Not all of it. Not really anyway. I thought destroying humanity and obtaining Fairy Heart would bring some form of satisfaction, but now I know that such depraved thoughts were in fact the curse infecting my mind. Purely the machinations of a mad man. In hindsight, I should have known what was happening to me given the nature of my curse." Pensive eyes continued to stare up into the sky. "Such devastation was never my intention. It's just that…with all the years I've lived and the things I've seen humanity has done out of selfish desires and misplaced fear, combined that burdensome curse…over time the recesses of my mind had become-"

"Fucked up," their companion so eloquently finished.

"For all intents and purposes, yes. I wasn't thinking clearly and I guess I hadn't been for the last 400 years."

"Dumbass." Swiping their hand through spikes of pink hair, the person sighed in exhaustion. Then they chuckled which soon turned into a hearty laugh. The person next to them looked on in confusion, wondering what he had missed. "Hehe, wow, if I had a jewel every time somebody said that to me. Guess that settles it, you really are my brother."

"I guess you're right," the dark haired individual chuckled, finding the humor in the two's familial ties of being thickheaded.

Silence fell over the group. The pitter-patter of the rain against the ground was the only audible sound. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his white shorts, the pink haired man looked down at the blond, her lithe form curled in on itself under the tree. She sat against the trunk with her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. With each passing second his eyes watched her, the man felt his heart drop. Blonde hair that used to shine as brightly as a field of gold, its texture putting even the finest silk to shame, was now tattered and messy. Simply just looking at it, he surmised that neither a comb nor a brush had touched it in weeks. Instead of clothes that were a part of the latest fashion trend, the woman's attire consisted of a sweatshirt and sweat pants, both of which looked two sizes too big. It wasn't until he saw her face that his stomach twisted itself into a painful knot. Chocolate brown eyes, that at one point held boundless hope and cheer, were hollow and devoid of feeling. Her skin was ghostly pale, the natural pink to her supple skin gone. If there was ever a being that could be the personification of its surroundings, she definitely fit the bill.

Just know that I'm looking down on you smiling

"I should be punching you right now for what you did to her," the pink haired man stated angrily, glaring at the man to his left. His hands balled themselves into fists in his pockets, a furious debate going on his mind on whether he should wallop the asshole or not.

"I'm sorry, Natsu."

"Whatever, Zeref." Stepping away from the black wizard, the fire mage leaned against the trunk of the tree beside the seated female, his eyes never leaving the dejected blond. "Doesn't really matter now. What's done is done and there's no reversing it. You finally got what you wanted and what you truly deserved. But as bad as things are now, they'll get better."

"What-How do you know?" The epic battle between good and evil razed the town, and most of the country, to the ground. The Alvarez army and the Spriggan 12 had carved a path of destruction through nearly every square mile of the Fiore countryside. Any town or city that had the misfortune of being in their path had been decimated; lives were lost and countless others were irreparably changed. The war between the two countries was and will be remembered as one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history. Yet, standing before him was a victim of the war stating with full, indelible confidence that times would get better; that every atrocity he and his subordinates had committed during the war would be expunged.

Staring at his younger brother, who continued to look upon the blond, Zeref spoke his mind.

"What proof do you have of this?"

"Because Lucy's still alive." Natsu took his eyes off his former partner to glance up at the black wizard with a smirk. With a slight nod of his head, he motioned to Lucy.

"The celestial mage? What could she do? She's broken; she has been since your passing."

"She'll get over it. Yeah, it may take a while but if I know Lucy like I think I do, she'll be back to her old self in no time. And when she does, I know she'll work her ass off to bring light back to Magnolia and all of Fiore." The smile he wore along with the passion in his eyes spoke volumes for Zeref. He truly believed that she could change things. Zeref took notice of the female, and though he saw the similarities between her and Anna, both physically and characteristically, he doubted her potential.

"You may not see it but I do." Natsu spoke as if reading his brother's thoughts. "She'll do it. And she won't be alone along the way. I may be dead but that doesn't I'm going to give up on the promise I made. I, along with everybody else, will stand with her and watch as she works her magic and changes everything for the better."

Bewildered wouldn't be accurate enough to describe what Zeref was feeling.

"How can you have so much confidence in her?"

"Easy, she's a Fairy Tail wizard." Natsu kneeled down in front of Lucy, his eyes focused on her deep brown orbs. Lucy's blank expression broke Natsu's heart; however, it didn't impede the smile growing on his face. "But above that…she's Lucy and she never gives up. No matter how impossible things might seem."

Like countless times before, Natsu leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Lucy's. She couldn't see him and if she did she might have blushed and pushed him away for invading her personal space for what was likely the zillionth time, but Natsu knew, deep in his heart, that she could feel him. Death couldn't separate their bond no matter how hard it tried. He hated himself for dying on her and leaving her alone. He broke the promise he made to her but he took solace in knowing it was all to save her. To ensure her future, a future he promised himself that he would protect. And he'd be damned if he broke that pledge.

"I'll never understand such sentimentalities," said Zeref.

"What are you talking about, idiot." Natsu didn't move his head to look at him but Zeref noticed his smile, a knowing smile, and he couldn't help but feel it was directed at him. "You brought me back to life didn't you?"

Seeing his point, Zeref smiled. Once again, Natsu had him beat.

"You're right."

"No shit."

Having had enough of looking at his friend's despondent state, Natsu decided it was time to act. He was an avid advocate for letting his actions speak louder than his words, and if what he was planning worked, to even the smallest degree, he had something to brag about to the others if and when he crossed to the other side.

"She might kill me if she finds out I did this, but..." Placing on hand on her chin and the other on his scarf, the clothe still nestled in her hands, Natsu leaned forward.

Tenderly, he placed his lips over hers. Despite possessing an ethereal form that held no physical link to this world, the jolt that passed through Natsu's body was all too real. He had heard about such a thing before but he disregarded it as pure nonsense. Guess those mushy books Luce liked so much were right. After several pleasurable seconds, he pulled away. What he saw when he did made his heart soar and his brother gape in awe.

It was a fleeting touch, almost nonexistent given how short it was, but she felt it. She felt him. A familiar warmth she thought was snuffed out forever. A warmth she thought she would never have the chance to feel again. Yet, for the briefest of time, she did. Touching her lips, her dirty fingers grazing the chapped flesh, Lucy's eyes began to sting. Before she knew it, tears streaked down her pale cheeks before falling to the ground and joining the rain. Lifting her head up at a speed that would give most a bad case of whiplash, Lucy searched in desperation for him. She knew he was gone but what she felt could have only been his doing.

"N-Natsu…"

"I'm right here Luce." He smiled broadly in spite of the fact that she could neither hear nor see him.

And I didn't feel a thing

"I take it you're staying?"

Looking up at his estranged brother, Natsu nodded.

"Yep. I still have a promise to keep and to do that…" Natsu took a seat beside Lucy and draped his semi-transparent arm around her shoulders. "…I need to stay right here."

Giving his little brother a smile, Zeref nodded his head in understanding and turned around. Glancing over his shoulder at the two, he felt an odd yet familiar sensation spread throughout his chest. Something he hadn't experienced in close to a century, not since a small girl with big green eyes and bigger dreams came to him in the pursuit of learning magic. There was so much more he had wanted to discuss with his brother. With their respective deaths, they had all the time in the universe to converse and connect in the way he had always envisioned they would. But the sight of Natsu beside the celestial mage, how happy he looked just being next to her knowing full well she couldn't sense his presence, Zeref understood he was not wanted. Not as if he ever was to begin with unless you were to count the numerous cults created in his honor.

Having no words left to give, Zeref took his leave, his form disappearing as he walked deeper into the dense fog that fell over the town. Watching his brother leave, Natsu gave a slight wave of his hand in good-bye.

I'll see you later Zeref Dragneel. I promise.

So baby don't feel no pain

Just smile back

Focusing his attention back on Lucy, he noticed that her features had brighten exponentially. Her cold, dead eyes now held some semblance of life in them that was reminiscent of his old partner. The sight made his chest swell with emotions he regretted not having the guts to express before his untimely demise.

Glad she kept my scarf for me.

Feeling something warm over her hand, Lucy let a smile spread over her face; something she thought was no longer possible. She tightened her grip on his scarf. The item gave her mixed feelings of depression but also hope. While serving as a reminder of her friend's passing it also served as a symbol that he was always with her. That she will never be alone. It was his support and belief in her that got her through the toughest of times and it will be through him that she will rise out of this depression. He'd be ashamed to see her now, the mere thought of him being disappointed in her igniting a flame in her soul.

"Thank you, Natsu Dragneel. For everything."

"You're welcome, Lucy Heartfilia."

XxX

Back from the dead assholes!

Sorry, just a little excited and nervous since this is the first story I've posted in about…shit, over six months! Honestly, I never intended to be gone for this long. I hope my skills as a writer haven't diminished as much as I think they have. The ending of this story has me upset because my writer's block is still there.

Now I know since I've posted a new story, everyone is wondering when I will update my others. I won't lie, I'm wondering that myself but rest assured I will post them. The updated first chapter of Model Behavior is already up and I'm working on the revised chapters of Our Little Secret, chapter two of Model Behavior and the new story that will take the place of Surviving Senior Year. The final chapter of Rub a Dub Dub is in the works as well. That's right you heard it. The final chapter! But not the last.

Glad to be back and hopefully you guys won't have to wait long for another story to be uploaded.

Blaccdragon out!