A/N:

I'm BACK! YES! I have returned to give you the SECOND chapter of this [Lucy: Self-proclaimed] wonderful story. .-.

*whine* Luchie what did you do?

Lucy: *glare*

Me: Huh?

Lucy: Nothing.

Chapter 2: "Can You Save Fairy Tail?"

"That's the end of our meeting."

I got out of my chair, and trotted out with a crestfallen feeling. Last time I came home from a meeting, Lisanna had apparently died. I didn't want the same thing to occur again, and I decided to quickly head home.

"Makarov!" a voice called. I looked back at the source.

"Oh... it's you. Juniper." I tried my best to smile at her. She had recently started a new guild called Brave Crows. It had a dangerous aura to it and it felt strangely... dark, but Juniper was quite diligent in what she did. "How's it going with the new members?"

"Ah... great! Anyway, I'd like you to wait here. I've got something for you," Juniper said cheerfully. I could swear I saw a smirk on her face before she left, but I simply thought nothing of it. After a while, Juniper still hadn't come back. All the other participants in the meeting had left, and it was getting late. "Well, I guess I'll ju-"

Stab.

Pain swept through my body. It was unlike any other. "AGH!" A dart? I thought. What is the meaning of this? No matter, I must get home...

My children... they're waiting for me to come back. They're waiting for me. I have to go back...

I have to go ho-

"AH!" a large rock hit my head, and another dart came for my right leg. I narrowly dodged the dart from hitting a vital part in my leg, and was grateful it was not poisoned. "Must... go... home..."

I trudged as I walked home. As I did, I broke my right arm while I went home due to my condition, and my luck opposing the terrain. Because of this, I also injured my left leg. However, it was not far, so I continued. I walked through Magnolia and went without anyone seeing me hurt thanks to a convenient cloak I had carried with me.

Fairy Tail... my children...

"Lucy! Lucy! Wake up!"

I stirred, and slowly opened my heavy eyes. Natsu was hovering over me with a concerned look on his face. Erza and Gray were also there, and also very much perturbed. What had happened quickly came back to me. Putting the pieces together, my heart began to fall.

"Mira...jane...," I whispered, and my eyes began to moisten. Natsu's face completely darkened, and I felt something warm slide down my cheek. Erza looked away, clearly trying to hide her anguish. Gray stared, and seemed to be out of it. We were all holding vigil for our fallen comrade, friend, and family...

An ominous silence hung in the air in the guild of Fairy Tail, and I quietly remembered the days when they...we... were still... still happy. Elfman yelling, "BE A MAN!" to me, and protesting to his deafening voice. Lisanna giggling at the sight, and watching while smiling full of happiness and love. Mirajane, she too, smiling, watching her younger siblings as they laughed and did so many things that made Fairy Tail full of life. The Strauss all did something to Fairy Tail... making it Fairy Tail. Now that they're all gone, it made things so much more different. Although... one fact remains; they couldn't be saved.

But no one would ever come save them anyway.

Erza broke the silence, "What do we tell Master?" Gray looked at her.

"What we did before. Tell him Mirajane slept. Forever," Gray replied. He tried to act casual, but his voice felt rocky and sadness rode on his words.

Silence. Natsu got up, and looked towards the entrance to our now eerie and miserable guild.

"G-Gramps?" Natsu froze, and I sighed.

I gestured for Natsu to follow me. "Let's go." Natsu nodded, and silently followed whilst looking away.

As I walked toward the entrance of our guild, I noticed Master had a distant and odd feel to him. Not only that, Natsu looked on guard. He probably sensed something out of the ordinary, so I kept my keys ready to go. That aside, why was Master wearing a cloak?

Erza and Gray ran over. Natsu had an alarmed look on his face as he sniffed the air.

"Blood?" Natsu whispered. I silently gasped, ran over, and looked closer at our Master. As I suspected, he was heavily injured, and was close to death. Erza and Gray were already helping Makarov go on his way to the guild building.

"Fairy Tail! Come on! Come here and help Master!" Erza called. No one came. "You're all pathetic! Come on! Come here! He's dying! Do you want him to die?" After a silent, what seemed like forever, moment, Laxus came with a sullen look on his face. Wendy arrived as well, and came down. The traumatizing effects the last few weeks had on her left her in the corner, saddened, with only Carla to be there to comfort her.

"Give it up," he mumbled. Natsu glared.

"Wha-?"

"I said GIVE IT UP!" Erza glared at the grandson of the very injured man that she was carrying. Gray growled.

"Do you have no feeling for the Master of Fairy Tail? Rather, do you have any emotions for your own GRANDFATHER?" Gray yelled. I'm sure I'm the only one who noticed, but I saw Laxus flinch.

"I... ah... It's too late," Laxus replied. Several others of Fairy Tail came out of the entrance with a horrible look on their face. After all, the Strauss were gone, and... I...

Levy too, was gone. Perhaps I never should have tried to forget her.

"Gramps...," Natsu growled. He lit his fist and punched the ground. "Why you too?"

Gray stopped walking, while Erza continued until she too, stopped. "We can save him. I know we can. From what I can tell, his right arm is broken, left leg fractured, and his head and his right leg are bleeding. Gray, Natsu, come with me. Lucy, you watch over Master. Wendy, check his condition before you come with us. Try to heal him. He... ah... never mind." Erza then sprinted off with Gray and a reluctant as well as angered Natsu following.

It was then I noticed that something small yet sharp was inserted in Master's chest. I looked over. A dart? Was he assassinated? I wondered. Swiftly taking it out, I stared. Poison? I wonder why Natsu couldn't sniff this out. Wendy came over.

"Hey... what's this?" I asked. Wendy looked horrified.

"That's... a strong scentless poison. I can't tell what it is, but recently Master was also feeling a bit ill. This and that... all of it... Master... It really is too late. I'll... I'll go get Natsu, Erza, and Gray," Wendy quietly replied, as she ran back. I could hear her sobs from afar as she ran off.

Right after, Master made a faint groan. I looked at him and cried, "Master? MASTER! Please wake up! They're coming! They're coming to save you! You won't die! Like Mira-... I..."

"Lucy... is that you?" Master asked, not opening his eyes. I nodded vigorously, tears forming rapidly.

"Yes, Master!"

"Ah... I... have... a request," Master whispered hoarsely, while doing his best to smile. I grabbed his hand and held it up firmly, not wanting the old man's warmth to fade.

"What is it?" I asked quietly. Master sighed and he tried opening his eyes.

"Can you save Fairy Tail?" he asked.

"Yes. I-I'll tr- I can."

"Thank you..."

His hand slipped away from my hold, and a warm and relieved small smile formed on his gentle face. The tears began to fall, and I began to sob. Erza, Gray, and Natsu arrived just then, and while they all ran to our fallen Master of Fairy Tail, I cried. I cried my heart out. Screaming and crying I blocked all my senses out and the sadness that had slowly been etching into my heart began to surge into my body as newfound power.

I realized I had a new mission:

to... to save Fairy Tail. To become Fairy Tail's savior. To save my family.

Closing Words:

So sad. ;-; So much sad. Sigh.

That aside, I'm sorry it's so late. Though, I did try my best to keep my promise about CHAPTAH TAOW being on the same day, so well, this can't be avoided really.

Ah... I really hope it's sad. (because otherwise it wouldn't match the genres too well)

Anyway, the first part of the italics was kind of like the prologue to chapter 2. It's honestly all I can do to make this longer and have clues in the first place, but of course, our young heroine still doesn't know. .-.

Btw, Juniper is an OC. :3 For those of you who don't know.

And also... um... Gajeel is on a mission so he's not there. He kind of just left to emit his anger about Levy's (oh noes) death.

Also, in the previous chapter, I mentioned family AND friends. See how friends is plural, yet Levy is only other one besides the Strauss before Makarov's death?

Don't worry. I was actually thinking of Wendy's death, but then I would get killed, so ya know. Killing Levy AND Wendy would get you barging into my home and putting me at gunpoint ordering me to change this.

Sooooo yeah. The only reason is to make sure that you don't know that Levy's the only one who's killed, even though she is. Ah. It's to add suspense, but now that I think about it, I didn't really need to.

Sigh.

Oh. And I'd love feedback!

~Nyantas