Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Lucy was happy that in the end she wasn't alone. She was always happy with her friends though, she was never alone, after all they simply refused to let her do anything alone, even if it meant dying.
Natsu, died on the field to protect her, when she died it was years later, but Natsu never left her mind. Still the young, bold, rash, unthinking boy he used to be. Loke told her that Natsu wanted to talk with her; he said he could even make it happen if she allowed him to do it. But thinking he meant using the great taboo of resurrection magic, she said no. Loke hated it, he knew she would die and then she would meet up again, but she still had twenty or more years to go… but out of her entire Guild Generation, she'd live the longest.
The second to go was Gray, his death was one of many though, the Guild was attacked by a younger, smarter Guild. Erza though, Erza died only the week before she did. Levy was dead long after the battle, Blue hair still haunter her, along with pink, black, red, brown, yellow, white and a darker blue. The entire Guild would die at some point, but never her. She was the one who they babied, the one they wanted to protect, the one they wanted to live.
And boy, did she live… She had all the keys of the Celestial spirits, never failing to find one if Loke informed her of a new arrival. Her name was like Thunder in the World of Mages. She took Markov's place in the Seven Magical Saints, she helped Fairy Tail grow back again, she worked exceedingly well with Laxus to make the guild resemble its former glory under the old man. Laxus, to would die, he died while Lucy had him help move some of the older books Levy kept hidden around the Guild secretly, he inhaled to much of a Guardian mist in the book pages, it put him to sleep, eternally. Soon Lucy was even more famous, she had mages knocking at her doorstep almost daily, and if they didn't want an autograph they wanted her cherished friends, her keys…
Finding them all a new Master was difficult, she had to wait until almost a century and a decade before she could be sure. Romeo and Wendy's Daughter had Lucy's abilities. Wendy was shocked the time she asked the blue haired woman for permission to tutor her daughter. Wendy never once declined Lucy of anything she needed or wanted. In fact Wendy's Daughter wanted Lucy to be safe as well, learning the hard aesthetic beliefs Lucy was taught by her Mother,
"Spirits aren't your shields child, they are equals, they are your cherished friends!"
That belief was pounded into that little girl so well; she might have been a copy of Lucy. When the day came that Cana passed, it wasn't much of a shock, honestly the shock had been that the liver of that drinking beauty hadn't given out. Cana lived to be one hundred and five. One of the longest living drinkers ever in Fiore. Lucy was interviewed one week before her death, on the day Erza died. The reporter asked a question that had even her baffled.
"Miss Lucy, Lucy Heartfilia, how is it that you lived so long?"
The oldest Celestial Spirit Mage sighs and shrugs wearily.
"I honestly have no clue. But I almost regret living this long, almost you see because all my beloved friends have died either before me in real life young, or they died before I pass old and still wishing for me to live. I am old, and I hate to be alone, here in Fairy Tail, I watched my Spirits stay young, Leo, himself even jokes with me, 'hey Princess, when are you finally gonna push over daisies?' we could joke like that for hours, and I want the public to know one last thing. Before I go, Wendy and Romeo Conbalt's child will have all my keys! That is right everyone, I, upon death, leave my Keys, and wealth to the one remaining member of the' Original' Fairy Tail! Juliet Conbolt, will get my keys all of them. She will carry on my long, long legacy, and I am sure that one day that eleven year old will surpass me! One day she will! But remember the heroes who died to continue this Guild, Gajeel, you all should remember him, he and my late fellow Authoress Levy McGarden have a son, and he is in the Guild with his Father. Lisanna and the Late Natsu D-Dragneel's twins will be there as well. And of course Juvia and her late Husband Gray Fullbuster will leave their children to carry on all the legacies their parents left them and so forth! I am the Last 'Original' Guildling! I will perish someday, but these books, I have written, these articles, these interviews, they never let the world forget the Baby of Fairy Tail, Lucy Heartfilia, the one that almost lived forever…"
And one week later, Wendy Conbolt came in to see her beloved friend, and only sisterly figure in the world she knew, still asleep on her bed almost resting. But her rest that was Eternal… she, the Great Lucy Heartfilia was dead along with her bloodline, she had finally perished. But death isn't always an end, sometimes, just sometimes, it is a beginning… and for Lucy that beginning was something to be waiting for.
Lucy woke up in a bed somewhere familiar. She looked around and saw why; the Celestial spirit realm was where her spirit drifted off to in the end. Looking down she realized she wasn't old, shriveled, dark aged marred skin. No she was young, almost scar less again, she was forever young. Walking around she was able to get outside the small home with her name in front of it. Lucy smiled; years of planning can make you happy. She smiles sadly though; no one was in sight, not Team Natsu members, not even Loke.
When she thought that though a hand gently touched her shoulder, and a voice she hadn't in years finally spoke to her, like he hadn't been dead for over eighty years. It made her cry.
"Hey there, Luce, I missed you, we all did, but I am pissed because you wouldn't talk to me. Were you mad at me do you hate me? I am sorry. I am sorry I never was able to tell you goodbye before I left. Truly Gray gave me an update when he came to us. He about ripped my head off, heh, he then proceeded to smack me while he had Virgo tie my hands together with flame proof rope. I am sorry I made you wait so long, but that ball, it was heading straight for you, I knew you wouldn't know to move if I shouted, so in the end I died for you, but I am happy you got to see me off. In the end I never regretted anything. I love you to Luce."
I could have laughed. So with a cracking voice I speak to him as I turn around.
"Natsu, I have never hated you, I never could, you are my best friend, and I see you all managed to get a small Guild reunion going ne?"
Every detail of him is exactly as I remembered it to be, pink hair stylishly spiked, that blasted-ly cute scarf that he always wears, an infectious and fanged grin, tan skin, and the finer more attuned details that your memory fuzzes as you grow old. Like the crinkle around his eyes that he gets when he truly smiles.
I hug him as the tears pour down freely.
"Natsu, I honestly never thought we would meet again, I grew old, watched your children grow up, I watched as people slowly kept waiting for me to die, so they could get their greedy hands on my keys, but I refused to let them get it, Wendy and Romeo's Daughter has my powers so I left them all to her. Wendy will make sure they all reach her. Good god I missed this feeling!" I openly sob into his chest with the open vest and feel his arms wrap around me comfortingly. He sighs. Then he smiles. Grabbing my hand like the day we first met.
"Come on Luce, you have made us wait and play poker for an entire century! You need to beat that damn iced stripper before he wipes us all clean! Besides we have been waiting for you, the Guild just isn't the same without you in it!"
I smile and race through the Celestial Plain smiling at all my other Spirits who wave and some even cry at my return Plue being one, he jumps up and hugs me as he smiles. Opening the door to the hugest place I have ever seen, I then smile as I see Natsu walk directly in front of me, blocking off my entire sight of everyone I remember. Gray smirks at Natsu.
"Whoa there Flame Brain, what spooked you now, another falling star?"
"No, just that Lucy is back, not much why?"
Natsu says it so calmly that it takes Gray a moment before registering his words, the rest of them process it slower until Gray throws down his hand of cards and slams the table chair back as Natsu steps to the side. Gray, his hair no longer matches his name as he wraps me up in a loving hug.
"L-Lucy, it really is you! Oh god, Lucy I missed you!"
He clings to me as I murmur in his ear sweet things that he missed hearing. I smirk happy at this reception and missing the feel of him.
"Gray, I missed you to, good God! It has been to long stupid ice box, you left me way too early! What were you thinking? It never would got to me anyway Aries was about to protect me!"
I lightly beat him on his arm as I remember the mission that killed the second man I ever loved.
"Way to go telling me now, I missed the way you felt, so warm, not like Juvia, she was always cold. I am sorry I left you without another love. Although Loke would have gladly taken my place… I missed you… 'Lucy I am sorry I never told you I loved you, until it was too late, hell Natsu was none the wiser… and so how was the life of fame and fortune, as good as you thought it would have been?"
"Gray it would have been better with the Guild there, and Laxus, I need to beat the shit out of, he needs to learn that you don't just go around smelling book paper enchanted by Levy!"
I growl as his head pops up from the poker table. He yells in his defense.
"Not my fault if you didn't warn me she did that! And Gray you sneaky bastard how did you get a goddamn R-O-Y-A-L flush! Sneaky little fucker!"
I smirk, at him and to Gray.
"Gray one on one poker later, as for you, Laxus, I never thought it was necessary tell a grown and age wizened man that he shouldn't sniff paper on books!"
Levy Laughs and hugs me with a voice I missed.
"Lu-chan, I think I will pay to see you and Gray go at it, honestly. And Laxus, she has a point, that is kind of stupid on your part! Lu-chan, how are our books selling last time you checked?"
"Well Levy, mine will be selling like candy and so will yours I am sure. After all I made sure we would be able to fund the Guild after death… Gajeel helped me with that." Her face dampened a bit at that. She sighs.
"And how is my loving husband?"
"Crude, annoying, and still missing you in his old age."
She smiles again slightly as I smirk. And sit at a one on one Poker Table. Erza strolls in from the bathrooms.
"Hey everyone what did I mi- Lucy!" She actually squeals, and runs into me, her long scarlet hair as if she never aged to be as old as I. I smirk as I look at the entire Guild, exactly as they used to be in life they are in eternal youth-ed death.
"Hey Erza. Not much of a wait for you eh? And I have one question, what happened to Loke, I haven't seen him…" I watch as gray deals the cards, we begin to play and I smirk when I see what I have, he on the other hand pales, and exchanges three cards. I only have to exchange one.
"Well, we honestly don't know but I am sure he will be hear any min-"
"Lucy, My Princess! Your Knight is here!"
Erza never got to finish her word as my Lion hugs me from the back seeing the important game I am playing. He smiles evilly at Gray.
"Well stripping, cheating, hustler, I can only say that Lucy will hand you your as on a silver platter." He claps me on the back crying out of joy of seeing me back and happy for the first time in over eighty years of missing my valued friends.
"Oh please Lion, I have now gotten the qualifications to win yet again." He puts his money all in as I switch out my card and smirk, putting all my money in the pile as well. By the next round we show, we both gasp, after all we both have royal flushes in the exact same suit. Cana who was watching the game spits out her beer. And claps and hugs me. Well done, she and everyone else shout to me. I smirk at Gray and split the money back into equal halves as he smirks taking his. In the End, Death was just the Beginning to her Happiness, but as the years went by, more and more of her younger generation finds it way in to the world, and the final remaining friends of the Guild. Gajeel, Juvia and Lisanna all came in one big group, I refused to ask as I was glomped by the two girls. Gajeel showed his respect with a brotherly hair ruffle. And thus Gajeel , Gray and I all play one on one poker and we always get stuck in these mass games that the other cherish.
Then came Wendy, and after Wendy came Romeo, and so forth till all the children were here, and they all got to meet the Team I was missing from so long ago… thus we finally lived, happily.
As was said before and shall be said again, only a select few in the World get Death as a Beginning, but for Lucy Death wasn't just a beginning, it was a long sought after reunion.