After i made that promise to myself, it was much harder to follow through with it. for the hour i had spent in the celestial world before my spirits took me home, i had missed 3 weeks. then i had to spend another week healing, which annoyed me to no end. when i finally finished healing, it had been 4 weeks, and it was about time to get to the guild and tell them i was alive.

to say they were surprised was the least of it. they were jumping all over me like i was some kids doll the ends up getting the buttons worn off it by love. i joined in their wallowing, and even drank a little bit to numb the pain.

we howled and laughed, trying to forget all the bad stuff that had happened. we played games and made bets, but nothing could fill the holes in our hearts. it just wasn't the same without them.

there was no Gray stripping with Juvia looking at him with lovesick eyes.

there was no Erza to beat someone up when they knocked over her strawberry cake.

there was no Elfman to say everything was a man.

there was no Natsu fighting whenever he got the chance (mostly with Gray).

there was no master to break up a fight or look at pervy photos.

we could make all the noise we wanted, but it would still sound quiet without them here.

the 3rd day i was back macao was made the new guild master. we all thought it was a great idea, and threw another party, but this time we had something good to celebrate. we partied for days, and tried not to be effected when some people decided to leave the guild. we were falling apart and we knew it, but we tried to make the best of it.

a month later, after 3 more people had quit the guild, was the funeral. we stood outside and tried not to scream when they put the empty caskets in their graves. we put flowers and roses over them and mourned for hours. the people who stayed each wrote nice things and memories on the gravestones of our friends and family.

i wrote stuff about how happy would always talk about fish and tease me about liking almost every male we came across. he would say "you liiiiiiike him" and i would always say, "no i don't, and don't roll your tongue like that!" getting angry at him (for the record, i didn't like any of them, honestly!).

Erza could be a litte weird sometimes (that's the understatement of the century! she would look through my lingerie!)and a little overbearing, but she was always loyal to fairy tail and she would do anything to help a friend. she was like an older sister to me, and i always admired her for how strong she was.

Natsu was always happy-go-lucky, and would always have a smile on his face. he may be kind of an idiot and really dense, but he always get back up and he would always believe in his friends and family. and he had that thing he always said, all the time. "I'm all fired up!"

Gray was like and older brother to me, even if he did have a weird stripping habit (weird doesn't even begin to cover it). he would always be there for me when i needed him, and he would always protect me and stay by my side.

i wrote down other memories and thing that reminded me of them on the other one's too. even lissana and laxus, though i didn't know her to well, and even though he wasn't a member of fairy tail and i didn't know him to well either.

after more tears were shed and we mourned some more we returned to the guild. i had planned to stay longer, but just looking at their graves i couldn't hold it off any longer. i walked into the guild and straight to master macao's office. i walked in and shut the door behind me.

"master macao..." i started, not exactly knowing how to say it.

"what is it lucy?" he said, looking at me curiously. gathering up my courage, i took a deep breath and told him.

"I'm going to leave the guild to go train. i will still be part of the guild, it's just more like a leave of absence. i want to be stronger so i can protect my family, i don't want to have to be saved again while my friends and family die. it's just something i need to do. i won't forgive myself if i don't."

he sighed and looked down at his desk. "there's no way i can talk you out of this is there? you know the guild needs you." he said.

"i know, but i have to do this. I'll come back, and when i do, I'll be stronger." i replied, my mind set on this.

"okay, we just have to tell the guild." he said. "if they'll listen to us" he muttered. i nodded and he got out of his chair to walk with me out in front of everyone.

"everyone, i have something to tell you." i said. no one seemed to hear me so tried again a little louder. when that didn't work, i kind of lost me temper and yelled at them. "HEY, EVERYONE SHUT UP AND LOOK UP HERE! CAN YOU JUST BE QUIET FOR ONE SECOND SO I CAN TELL YOU SOMETHING!?"

everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at us, some even cowering a little. "THANK YOU!" i yelled sarcastically, still a little irritated. "now that i have your attention, i have something to tell you." i said

"I'm going to leave the guild for awhile, sort of like a leave of absence so i can train to get stronger" i said loudly so they could hear me clearly. everyone starred at us blankly for a second before the uproar.

"EHHHH!" everyone screamed in confusion. after a while they all calmed down and excepted it, but jet and droy were still set against it. i don't know why, but after i came back they became sort of attached to me, even protecting me from the "perverts" in our guild (which was pretty much just anyone who looked my way).

i think it was because i was best friends with levy and i was sort of like her. it was almost like i was some lifeline to her, and if they believed it enough, she would come back too.

i stayed with the guild for awhile partying before i left. i didn't have to stop at my apartment sense i was already ready for this and i had a small pack with all the essentials for traveling. Virgo was holding on to it in the spirit world.

walking to the guild doors i said my goodbye's to everyone as i passed them. many were crying as their beloved celestial mage left. right before i walked out the guild doors i heard macao yell, "promise you'll come back lucy?"

i turned my back to them and walked out the guild doors with my thumb and pointer finger towards the sky in the fairy tail sign, yelling back to them with a smile on my face, "i give you my promise as a fairy tail mage! I'll come back!"