In a peaceful plain, there lay a village, and in the village, there were rules.
1) You must avoid any possible conflict with other villages
2) All classified information must never be told to outsiders
3) You must never venture past the horizon
Lucy's village did have its fights once in a while, but it had been peaceful for the last fifty years. With the exception of a few, no one had ever thought, left alone left the village without the intent of coming back immediately. The villagers rarely visited places out of their settlement. It was the third rule that many had fallen victim to.
Their curiosity led them to their deaths. Well, nobody knew for sure if the villagers died. Perhaps they found another village, or a forest, but nobody could ever know, for people who ventured beyond the horizon never come back.
Although every year there were people who strayed, every generation was taught to be cautious of the horizon. The villager straying rate was very low now, with only about three each year.
Lucy sat on one of the hills, staring at the setting sun. She had been resting there for an hour, deep in thought. She didn't notice someone walk up to her and quietly watch the sun as well. It was only the loud thump from the figure sitting down next to her that caused her to leave her thoughts.
"Oh, Natsu. Hey," she smiled sadly, staring at her best friend for a reaction.
"Hey." A short response devoid of emotion. "What are you thinking about?"
"About how pretty the sun looks," she replied and he hummed an okay. They sat there in silence, wind blowing a gentle breeze. "Hey, have you ever wondered of what's beyond the horizon?"
"Plenty of times."
"What do you think is over there?" When Natsu didn't reply, Lucy realized that she had been insensitive.
"Sorry." She looked at the ground beneath her and plucked a nearby flower, twirling it.
"It's fine." Although, he said that, she knew that those questions had reminded him of their past, though they shared the same feelings after the incident.
"Gray! Where are you going?" Lucy asked. Her friend was walking farther and farther away from the village. It was clear he had something in mind.
"Past the horizon."
"What?!" Lucy stopped right in front of him, arms crossed over her chest. "Explain."
"Past the horizon, Lucy! There can be tons of cool stuff over there, things we've never seen before, people we've never met, adventures we've yet to have. I'm sick of being stuck here with a limit of where we can roam."
"Gray, I know what' you're saying, how you feel, but don't go beyond the limit. You know what happened to the people who went past. I understand that you feel trapped, but that doesn't mean you can run freely." Lucy tried to reason, but Gray didn't care. His mind was made up, he was going to go. Seeing the resolve in his eyes, Lucy became desperate.
"Natsu!" She called to him. He was a distance away, but came as soon as he heard her. He sprinted over to the duo.
"What's wrong, Luce?"
"Natsu, help me convince Gray not to go!" She desperately clung onto Gray, acting like a weight chaining him down to the ground. Everyone knew that wasn't going to be effective for a long duration of time.
A look of concern flashed on Natsu's face. He knew what Lucy was talking about. For the past three months, Gray had been rambling on about how he would someday leave the village. He would complain to Natsu that the village felt like a cage and that he didn't deserve to be treated like a prisoner.
"You don't too. None of us do. Not you, Lucy, Juvia, not me!" Gray vented out his frustration. Natsu had just stayed silent, not daring to speak. Maybe he should've said something, because now his friend was leaving, walking towards death, and nothing would stop him.
"You're not going to back away, are you?" When Gray shook his head, Natsu sighed. "Well, as long as you're happy, do what you want." Lucy looked at him in disbelief, shock and betrayal present in her expression. Gray looked relaxed, he gave a smile to his friend as thanks for supporting his decisions. Gently, he pried Lucy off his arm.
"Sorry Lucy, but this is what I want to do. Nothing will stop me."
"What about the people you're leaving behind? What about Juvia? What do you think she'll do when she finds out you've left her? How do you think she'll feel? Negativity isn't good for anyone, especially when they're sick."
"Tell her I'm sorry." Gray looked regretful.
"An apology won't cut it! Especially if it's not from the original offender."
"What else do you want me to do?!" Rage filled his eyes. At this point, Lucy gave up.
"I'm not stopping you! I'm not stopping you, but I think everyone deserves an apology and goodbye." Lucy felt tears form at the corner of her eyes.
Natsu started walking towards her, but Gray beat him to the punch. He hugged Lucy before pulling away and wiping her tears. "Even if I never come back, even if I die, I won't forget any of you. Don't worry Lucy, I'll be fine. Maybe I'll come back and visit once in a while." Lucy smiled.
"You better come back and visit. Juvia will need to see your face." Natsu grinned. Lucy giggled and Gray paled slightly.
"W-well, I have to say goodbye to the others now. See you!" With that, Gray zoomed off. Once he was out of hearing distance, Lucy sighed, forlorn.
"We won't see him again, will we?" Natsu didn't say anything, the truth was very dark. "We won't see him again, yet we acted like we will. Like every little girl's dream to be a princess, happy and hopeful." Lucy started shaking. Natsu took a step forward and hugged her. She leaned into his embrace and started crying.
That was the last time anyone had seen Gray. A week passed, then a month. Six months later, Juvia couldn't take it anymore. She had cried everyday, hoping her beloved Gray would come back. Six months later, losing all hope, Juvia too, had ventured beyond the horizon, looking for the love of her life. She never came back.
It had been a year since Gray's disappearance, six months since Juvia's. Natsu thought that a grave for the both of them should be made. "Maybe they aren't dead, he had said, "but I'd like to see something that'll remind me of them."
Nobody wanted to do it though. To wander beyond was a sin, why should they honor sinners? In the end, Lucy had helped Natsu build the memorials.
It was located by a lake. That lake was a secret to everyone but the duo's generation, so they didn't need to worry about it being destroyed by the elders. It was also the lake that brought everyone together.
"You're thinking about them, aren't you?" Natsu asked. Lucy nodded. How could she not? Gray had been the older brother she never had. Although their friendship started roughly, she and Juvia became great friends, even if Juvia had called her a lover rival for Gray.
Natsu embraced Lucy. "You're. . .thinking of going past the border, aren't you?" She nodded again.
"Yeah." Natsu let her go and stood up. Lucy rose as well, albeit confusingly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." He grimaced.
"Nobody's going to make a grave for you."
"What do you mean?" He sighed.
"Are you that slow? I'm saying I'm coming with you." Lucy gasped but then smiled. Natsu was someone who respected others' decisions, even if they might not be the best. That's why he let Gray go, even when it pained him. He held out his hand and she took it happily. That was their final sighting.
"You're here again?" A boy walked up to a girl making two graves.
"Yep, they had nobody to make them a memorial, but even then, they made some for their friends." She sighed, wiping sweat off her brow. "I really looked up to them, you know? They were strong, kind, understanding. I have to visit the lake later, to tend to the other ones." The bluenette girl was making an agonizingly slow progress. The boy sighed.
"I'll help."
Minutes later, the graves were complete. "Let's go. Dinner's soon." The boy and girl left.
A strong breeze blew by, scattering a few flowers off the graves. The once beautiful hill seemed empty, as if it was missing something. But the two graves, though seemingly dark of a presence, looked like they belonged there. Another breeze, this time gentler, sounded like the enchanting giggle of a girl, followed by a louder bellow of a boy.