Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail
Just a short one shot for episode 20 of Fairy Tail 2014 ;)
Enjoy :)
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''Natsu! Hang in there!'' He heard Melody scream, worried. Ultear was steadying him with her arm after he pulled his body up from the shadows with his last strength.
Natsu was panting, trying to catch his breath somehow. Future Rogue was strong that was for sure and that Natsu took quite the beating from him right now didn't surprise him to be honest. And if Ultear and Melody wouldn't have saved him he wouldn't be here right now, he was grateful.
Still, his heart was aching, his body hurt, he felt like was being burned alive though fire was his own magic. He wasn't able to comprehend what happened a few minutes before, it all happened way to fast for him.
Lucy...
His voice sounded weak, sore. He didn't sound like him, not even a bit.
''How is... Lucy?''
He knew very well that she died. He saw it, had to see it. And he wasn't able to move neither to say something. He only listened to Future Lucy's last words and to the crying of the present Lucy, his Lucy.
There was this urge inside of him to get to her and check if there might be a way to get her back to life, though he knew it was to late.
He looked up after Ultear and Melody both didn't say something.
There she was lying. Her head turned away from him, her body sprawled on the floor. She was not breathing.
With a heavy breath Natsu pushed his body on his legs, ignoring the demand from his friend that he wasn't able to move yet and should lay back down. He walked forward slowly, setting one foot for the other, since his legs were wobbling and he was dizzy.
The boy clutched his bleeding side with his one arm when it started to hurt worse after he moved but never did his eyes leave the blond girl lying on the cold ground.
When he reached her he let his bod just fall down like that. It did not even hurt. The only thing that hurt was his heart, pounding way faster than normally in an abnormal painful way.
Why was he feeling like this? When he was honest and looked deep inside he felt even if it was just for a short amount of time, he was relieved that not the Lucy from this time died.
But that thought lost his mind as fast as it came because he still saw how Lucy died. And that left a painful stagger in his heart.
He couldn't protect her.
His body shook again at the bitter thought and he also couldn't quite stop the tears which were running now down his cheeks, leaving the same burning sensation as before when he also wasn't able to hold back his tears.
He fell forward, covering her body with his chest and arms, feeling immediately how cold she was.
''Dammit!''
Natsu felt his own body shake so violently that he wasn't able to hold back his emotions. Rather, he did not want to hold back.
How could he anyway? This was Lucy. His very best friend, the person who changed his life in more than one way after Igneel went missing. She had always been there for him. And he let her die. What more proof did he need that he wasn't worth protecting her?
All his doubts and fears mixed inside of him and he realized that he was confused. He had no idea how this would go on now but he was sure of one thing.
Lucy was still in danger and he wouldn't let her down now. He knew she needed him just as much as he needed her.
And he would voluntarily go into hell and get her out of there if he had to.
Natsu slowly leaned up again and set onto his knees, calming himself with even breaths.
''Who was that guy from before?''
Ultear gave Natsu time, which he appreciated. But she needed to know if it they had to face yet another enemy.
Natsu didn't turn around though, he was still looking at the pale girl in front of him.
''He said he was Rogue was seven years in the future.''
Carefully he brushed the hair strands out of Lucy's face and tugged them behind her ear.
''Is he an enemy?''
There was not even a second after the question when Natsu answered.
''He is.''
His voice was stern, not shaking anymore. What was that for a question? Wasn't it obvious?
His hands rested on his legs again, foisting in the fabric of his torn pants.
''He did this to Lucy...''
Ultear and Melody started to discuss something after that, Natsu wasn't listening anymore only looking at Lucy's cold and limp body. She looked so not Lucy. So far away like he couldn't reach her anymore.
With a yet again shaking hand he turned her head to his side so her face was facing the ceiling. His thump brushed over the side of her mouth, wiping the remaining blood there away.
His one hand closed around her left one, seeing and feeling now for the first time how incredible small her hands were in contrary to his. His thump stroke over the back of her hand, lifting it and placing it on her stomach right above her wound.
The Dragon-Slayer was careful like never before, he acted like he could still hurt her, like she was still alive and feeling something. He wasn't able to let go like that, before he didn't had the time to say a proper goodbye, and he would have never done that in front of everyone, especially not her. If she was about to find out how much it hurt him that her future self died she would probably blame herself again. Something else what could make him go crazy.
His hand gripped hers tightly when he heard that Ultear said something about killing the present Rogue. How was she able to talk about killing someone after they already lost one of their closest friends? And the present Rogue did nothing wrong to begin with. With a deep breath he tried to calm himself though anger was rising up inside of him, his eyes were overshadowed by his hair when he spoke again, his voice back to his normal sound after he slowly came back to reality.
''You can't. I will defeat the future Rogue.''
He had to, not only to avenge Lucy but also to make sure that his Lucy and all the others were safe. What good would it do to go over dead bodies just like he did only to achieve what you want?
''You can't give in to anger!''
Natsu cursed slightly, still holding Lucy's hand.
''I'm not!''
With a slight hesitation he let her hand slip out of his and stood up, still facing Lucy and not the two girls behind him.
''At some point, the future Rogue took the wrong path... But that isn't the Rogue from now.''
Now for the first time he turned around, facing them straight ahead, his eyes full of determination.
''The Rogue from our time hasn't done anything wrong!''
He averted his eyes from them to the ground again, looking at Lucy's now more peaceful looking face.
''Kill him, you say... So you want us to go down the same path as the Rogue from the future?''
When he looked at them again, they both seemed to be in deep thought.
Then Ultear spoke and reassured Natsu that she wouldn't hurt the present Rogue.
She gave him her cloak to wrap his wound, then they left to support the wizards in town.
Natsu wrapped the cloak tightly around his waist so the bleeding would subside. He turned to Lucy and knelt down next to her one more time.
Carefully, shove his arm beneath her upper body and lifted her up, leaning her against his shoulder.
Sighing, he leaned his head onto hers.
''Forgive me, Lucy.''
Fresh tears, though it were not many, were rolling down his cheeks and dropping on her face.
''I wasn't able to protect you.''
He turned his head slightly and looked at her hand which he had placed earlier onto her stomach.
Natsu knew how much Fairy Tail meant for Lucy and how much she must have suffered after she lost her right hand. Not only because of physical pain but also of mental pain. And he hadn't been there.
He promised her to change the future, to protect it. And he would.
He ran his hand through her hair and pressed his lips against the top of her head.
He'd never done that before, to anyone, but it didn't feel wrong. It was helping him, in a way. His lips twitched up slightly when he thought about what face the present Lucy would make if she had seen this now.
Maybe he would try that later with her as well, just to see what she would do.
He laid Future Lucy back on the ground and rested his hand at her head one last time and smiled down at her.
She looked peaceful, free and the most important not in pain.
Natsu slowly stood up and ran down the hallway to where the future Rogue left, hoping that Lucy was safe. But for some reason he just knew that she was safe.
In the end she was just as stubborn as him and would either do something very smart or the most stupid thing in the world.
But she would never leave him. Not after what happened there. He was sure of it. She would try everything in her power to survive and he would be there any moment, and like hell he would let that happen what future Rogue planned.
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END
Hope you liked it:)
I know the end sucks -_-
Maybe I'll write more chapters for this but only when all of you want that xD
Till then ;)
