Okay then, well. To start of, I love you guys so much for all the positive reviews, and the favorites (and follows).

And you have requested a sequel.

Well.

I was unsure how to proceed, and with me rewriting HTTYC, and writing up 15 or so other fics, I was swamped.

But I now have the idea!

Hope you don't hate it.

And this isn't going to be much of a happy ending, but it ends on a better note than the last chapter.

Too Late

Part II

Lucy was scared.

She was undoubtedly, irrevocably, and not too irrationally frightened.

Her vision was blurry, and she was getting a pounding migraine in her head that built up by the second.

Not only that, but she was currently being killed, her to-be murderer mocking her- and Natsu too, she realized. But even that small thought was drowned out and forgotten by her increasing pain, Kain's fingers digging and pushing into her skull and- Gods, she felt the bone crack under the force of his strength.

She barely heard a loud roar before the blood rushing through her ears was all that she heard, quickly followed by unimaginable pain-

And then nothing.

TLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTL

Her eyes cracked open slightly, her surroundings blurry, as if someone smudged a painting and couldn't bother fixing it.

Blinking rapidly, she waited for her vision to clear, and then gasped in surprise, sitting up fast, causing her head to spin briefly, the world tilting in color of green, blue and brown.

Groaning, she clutched her head, lifting it up slowly to gaze at the person in front of her.

A little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes sat in front of her, barefoot, and smiling- at her.

"Um . . ." the Heartfilia began, unsure what to do. She felt too weak to take on another enemy. After all, the last one she faced had killed her.

Wait.

"Am I dead?" She rushed out, fearfully gripping at the short stalks of grass beneath her.

The girl laughed. "Kind of."

Lucy blinked, waiting for the girl to specify.

"Because you are a member of Fairy Tail, and are on Fairy Tail island, Tenroujima, your soul has not passed on despite your body having done so. Essentially, you are a ghost, like me! However, due to the . . . unique," her mouth twisted into an odd smile."Circumstances of my death, and my body, I am able to be seen, but only by members of Fairy Tail."

The girl raised a hand, cutting off Lucy as she was about to speak.

"You cannot . . . interact with them in the way you wish to, and they cannot see nor sense you, but you can follow them off this island, and maybe give them a bit of a ghostly helping hand, you know, and help them later . . . it's hard to explain, really." She laughed again, settling into a smile afterwards.

Staring, Lucy filed the information away for later. "Uh, who are you . . . exactly?"

"Oh!" She slapped her hands on her cheeks. "Oh my, I'm so sorry! I can be really forgetful sometimes!" She stuck her hand out to Lucy, who shook it hesitantly."My name is Mavis Vermillion, and I was the first Guild Master of Fairy Tail."

Lucy gaped.

Mavis continued on, not seeming to notice Lucy's shock.

"I placed your body near the heart of Tenrou, and you can only truly pass over once your body is buried, but I didn't think that you'd want that, so I kept it preserved." She wrinkled her nose. "Okay, no. Wrong word, but you get it, I bet."

The Celestial Mage nodded dumbly.

A sudden realization washed over the blonde, then.

"What about my keys?"

Mavis blinked slowly.

"Oh, um, they will slowly start to fade with time, and appear in a different part of the world for someone else to find. But you can still summon them, oddly enough, despite the fact that you're dead."

Lucy nodded, the entire being dead thing not having sunk in yet.

"Oh dear," she heard Mavis mumble after a minute of silence.

"What?"

"Oh," Mavis waved airily."A dragon is about to kill everyone on the island, so I have to protect them by putting them in a bubble for who knows how long."

Lucy choked, and Mavis disappeared.

Looking up, she saw the imposing sight of Acnologia, blue and black scales seeming to draw in the light. A veritable black hole of darkness.

And suddenly, all by herself, a dragon looming overhead, and her death- and possibly her friends- crashed down on her.

Letting out a heartbreaking wail, similar to Natsu's- not that she'd ever know- she collapsed to her elbows and knees, sobbing into her dirt-stained hands.

She cried for her friends.

For Natsu, who had to watch her death, and had to continue on with his life, an empty hole to forever be there.

For Happy, who she cared for beyond reason.

For Erza, who may have been strict, but was always there when needed.

For Gray, who was practically her brother in all but blood.

For Wendy, who was so young and so brave and so bright, and she was her little sister of whom she adored.

For Carla, who always had Wendy's interests at heart.

For Gajeel, who would never admit he cared, too stubborn to admit his feelings for Levy, and too brash to hold the truth for too long.

For Pantherlily, whose strength and will made up for his size.

For Juvia, who was a dear friend despite the other womans belief as a Love Rival.

For Mira, who was a wonderful role model despite her meddling and her sudden, and dangerous, mood changes.

For Levy, who would always know when Lucy was at her worst.

For Cana, whose drunk habits made her all the more endearing, and her father issues all the more relatable.

For Laxus, who she never got to truly know, but appreciated him, and his redeemable efforts.

For Freed and Bixlow and Evergreen, and their unwavering loyalty.

For Lisanna, who was always so nice, and understanding despite her years missed.

For Elfman, who cared deeply for everyone more than others may know.

For Gildarts, whose loyalty to the guild was staggering, along with his power.

For Makarov, who was a grandfather to her through every step of the way.

She cried for her family. For her Father.

And she cried for herself.

For her short life, her missed opportunities, wishing for a do over, and feeling selfish for crying over herself.

And she continued to weep as the world turned black again.

TLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTL

Timeskip: Seven Years

Lucy stood in a corner of the new guild as the members of Fairy Tail came home, none smiling as bright as they would've- as they should've.

"Natsu-nii! Natsu-nii!" Romeo screamed, pushing his way to the front of the crowd. "Natsu-nii, you're back!" He hugged the dragonslayer, who responded halfheartedly.

Romeo pulled back, craning his neck around the pink haired mage.

"Um, Natsu-nii . . . where's Lucy-nee?"

Natsu refused to look him in the eyes.

"Natsu-nii?"

The dragonslayer clenched his fists.

"Natsu-nii?"

No response.

"Nat . . . Natsu-nii?"

Romeo began to cry.

"Natsu-nii! Please! Where is she!" He screamed.

The flame mage looked up, revealing the tears streaming down his face.

That was all the confirmation Romeo needed, and he let out a wail-quite like Lucy's, yet they'd never know.

He collapsed.

Lucy, with tears in her eyes, walked over to the boy, kneeling beside him. Hesitantly, she hugged his shaking form.

Romeo gasped, head shooting up, and she stumbled back, shocked.

On shaky legs, he stood up, head lifted high despite his trembling lower lip. "L-Lucy-nee may be go-gone," he began, slowly, but picked up speed as he went along. "But that doesn't mean that she isn't with us! She'll always be in our hearts, and our minds, and in this guild! She will never be forgotten, and I know she's watching us, and she's proud of us! Lucy-nee is proud of us!" He sniffed, letting out a choking sob. "And I wouldn't have it any other way!"

A sudden silence erupted in the guild, only broken by the sobs of Romeo.

Suddenly, Natsu was there, standing in front of the boy, his hand messing up the purple mop even more so than it was.

He was smiling-genuinely.

And Lucy smiled back, just as bright as Romeo and Natsu, and everyone else who was slowly doing just as they were.

And suddenly she knew, knew that Romeo had felt her, known that she was there.

And she smiled wider, laughing as she joined the group hug that was steadily growing larger.

Romeo was right, she decided. I may not be there in body, but I will always be here in spirit, to guide you all on to happier tomorrows.

And on to forever.

The End!

For real this time.

I really hope I did well, because I did this in an hour and a half (the idea sprung up on me, and couldn't just let it lie!)

PLEASE REVIEW! I LIVE ON THEM! THEY GIVE ME THE MOTIVATION TO WRITE FURTHER AND oh do i need it.

My inspiration bug hits me at the worst of times (whenever I'm in a place without my computer), and the urge disappears WAY too soon.

So the fact I got it while reading you guys' reviews over again is pretty much and indicator that reviews are my new muse.

SO PLEASE REVIEW FOR MY POOR SOUL!

I love you all, honestly.

And yes, I DID change my name, AGAIN.

Ta~

Aelin