"Lucy, watch out!" The last time he ever spoke my name. I didn't see what happened that moment, but I felt it. His wound, it pained me more than him. It hurt, watching him like that, while being unable to do anything. Staring at his cheeky but tired grin as he stood there, guarding me. His blood was splattered all around him, even on me. And I could feel the blood drip down my cheeks. The blood that once boiled through his veins was now all over my body, my clothes.
"No…" the others stared unbelievingly at the boy that had just gave up everything, his life, the search for his parent, the adventures he was supposed to live through, all for one person that didn't value his friendship as much as she should have.
"Heehee…" he laughed with the last remaining energy he had in his body, all to make me feel not so guilty.
"NATSUUUUUUUUUUUUU"
"Hey, don't cry… no tears are worth unless they are tears of joy." I sobbed and sobbed and all the more when I saw how caring and kind he was to me, encouraging me in the last moments of his life.
"I… I… I'm sorry…"
"No need." He touched my cheek with his fingertips "And remember…" I started to lose my voice from all the screaming and crying. I broke down completely when he finished the sentence "Fairy Tail is family."
I couldn't feel his pulse anymore.
"Miss… we've arrived." A woman with short black hair awkwardly stood next to my seat.
"Oh, I'm sorry." I took my bags and got off the train. I didn't examine my surroundings enough though, so when getting off I stepped and sunk in a pile of snow.
"Kyaa!"
"Miss! Are you okay?!" the passer-bys flocked around me, but neither one of them decided to help me out. And I was sort of thankful for that, because if someone did, I would feel obligated to return the favor and it would bother me throughout the mission.
"I'm fine, thank you." I got out of the snow and proceeded with walking, making a path for myself through the crowd.
"Wasn't that… Lucy Heartfilia?"
"Fairy Tail's strongest?"
"Possibly… What is she doing here?" I heard them whisper behind my back.
"Lucy Heartfilia from Fairy Tail. I want an apartment where I can stay the next few weeks." I told the manager of the hotel.
"We've been expecting you, miss Heartfilia. I'll assign someone to show you to your room." He gave me the keys and rang the bell, after what a tall thin young boy came and took my luggage.
"Thank you very much."
"No prob." I giggled, but the manager didn't seem so joyful about the way the teen behaved. He gave him a glare, at which the boy rolled his eyes. "I mean, you are most certainly welcome, oh lady of the guild Fairy Tail, lovely Lucy Heartfilia-sama~" the manager satisfyingly nodded at the bell boy and instructed me to ring the bell if I need anything before going back in his office. I thanked him for his kind policy and caught up with the boy that already brought my bags to the door and was waiting for me to appear with the key so that he can bring them in.
"Thank you." I said to the boy when I reached him.
"Don't mention it. It's not like I have a choice not to carry your luggage anyway, the old man would kill me."
"Is the manager your father?"
"Sort of. I'm adopted and he forces me to work, unlike his born sons who study in the most expensive schools while with the combined brain power of a walnut." I took a liking to this kid.
"Should I talk to the guy about giving you a chance?"
"No thanks. I don't need help from strangers about my own problems. If I can't solve it, I'll stay a bell-boy for the rest of my life. That's how it works." I completely understood him.
"…have you thought about joining a guild?"
"How'd you know I can use magic?"
"I can feel it. Have you?"
"Not that I can remember of. And why should I? A guild is a group of people that helps you with your problems, which I said before, I don't want."
"You have a really bad way of interpreting the meaning of a guild."
"Deal with it." I smiled.
"What's your name?"
"Why would I tell you?"
"Because if you don't, your old man won't give you your allowance since he would think of not giving your name when asked as being rude to the guest."
"Tch, fine. Natsu." Did he say… Natsu? Natsu?! What are the odds…?
"Natsu…?"
"Yeah." It all started to fall together. I just now noticed how wildly spiky and pink his hair was. Although the character wasn't the same, he resembled Natsu so much. Natsu… our Natsu, that died ten years ago… how?
"You okay?" he stared at me.
"Y-Yes, I'm fine. You just reminded me of a close friend that passed away a few years ago."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"No need. And thanks for the help." I gave him a thousand jewels in bills.
"I-I… My old man is going to punish me if I bring money from the guests…"
"Who said he has to see it…?" I winked at him and he started muttering something.
"Wow… thanks, I… I haven't really met someone this nice. You're… cool."
"Why, thanks~" I laughed and watched him sneak through the hall and tippy-toe up the stairs that probably led to his room.
The apartment was really nice, having in mind that it was the fucking royal suite! It had a water bed, an aquarium, a SINGING TOILET, a kitchen and a dining room that sets itself up, a room service dial, and a really huge storage room. There was even a space in it specified for storing your skis.
"Focus, Lucy, focus. You aren't here as a tourist, you're here on a mission. Keep it toge- IS THAT AN ICE-CREAM MAKING MACHINE?!" I screamed and when I saw it was functional, I hugged the little device of heaven. "Laxus, you'll pay for this! Literally…"
The town linked to the mission was in the far northern region and thanks to the blizzard it took me twice the time I thought was needed to get there. After finally arriving a few days late, I was welcomed by an old lady that brought me inside of one of the small houses.
The house of the chief. Even if nothing compared to the Magnolian houses, it was the biggest in the town, or more like village. In one corner of the smaller wall was carved a vertical hole and in it a fire was lit. Over the fire was hanging a cauldron with boiling liquid and a pleasant scent coming from it. Probably some kind of soup. The house was formed of two small rooms, the other being a bedroom with beds made of dry grass and covers of animal skin sewn together.
We sat in the main kitchen/living/dining room and waited for the man of the house to return from the forest. His wife, the old lady that welcomed me, didn't understand Japanese or English and I didn't understand their language, so we spent the entire time quietly, without talking. She was dusting the poorly made china on what seemed like the only storing item in the house.
There was a knock on the door and in came a man in a fur coat and fish in a basket. He said something to his wife in their language and she took the fish and dumped them all in the boiling water in the cauldron. He satisfyingly sniffed the air and made a pleased face. Whatever was in the cauldron smelled pretty good. He then turned to me and started talking in Japanese. We talked about the problem and I found out that the reason they asked for help was a hoax.
"Oh, I see." I was so mad. Traveling so much and though a blizzard, all for a lie?! I'll bet it was Laxus' doing, to get me to blow off some steam by sending me on a false mission. But, I took the poster myself, so how is it possible that I took the exact one that was fake? Could it be that all of those posters on the board of fake missions that would lead me to some resort? I need to think straight. "And can I ask why you would do such a thing?"
"Well, a blond man…" I knew it. "…came here and asked us to send a fake request. He said he would take all the blame if something happened." I knew it, I knew it, I knew it.
"Oh, that man… Thank you for the help, anyway."
"We're terribly sorry for causing you trouble, but the man seemed like a good person, so I decided to trust him. If you want to sue-"
"Of course not. Besides, I know that man and I'm sure what he did was for my own good. But, do be careful when trusting someone in the future, okay?"
"Yes. Thank you for your concern, madam."
I left the house and the little town and returned a lot quicker than I got there. I decided to stay in the hotel a few days and pamper myself, like Laxus had in mind.
I was lying on the bed in my apartment and blankly staring at the decorated ceiling. The modern style mosaic of a dragon strongly reminded me of our three Dragon Slayers. The peace all through the hotel and outside made me return to the worst memories I ever had.
I left a note to Master Makarov that I was going on a quest alone, to find something that I was seeking. He understood my feelings and let me go without saying a word to anyone else in the guild. But, apparently, the others found out where I was going and why, so they followed me. The finally caught up to me on the island. Starless Island, my destination. The home of the celestial enemies, including the one I wanted to kill, Sutakira (Star killer).
"Lucy!" I heard familiar voices behind my back while the creature was standing in front of me. I recognized them as being Erza's, Natsu's and Gray's.
"What are you guys doing here?!" I asked but didn't turn around to see them, because that way I would create an opening the monster would use to attack.
"That doesn't matter! Forget the wish! You don't need more power! You're strong enough, Lucy!" They tried to reason.
"No, I do need it. To protect my friends, and to be more respected as a mage."
"You don't need strength to be respected! And, as far as protecting your friends goes, the bond is enough. Trust us on this one, Lucy!"
"Leave, you guys! Why are you even here?! It's my choice what I'll strive for!" I turned around to yell at them, completely forgetting the threat Sutakira was.
"Lucy, watch out!" Natsu jumped in front of me, blocking the laser the enemy emitted and having it create a hole through his body instead of mine.
"No…" the others stopped breathing momentously when realizing what they lost that very moment.
I cried and cried and all the more when I saw him smile in that condition. "Fairy Tail is family." He died in my hands, and it was my fault. I screamed his name through my tears and didn't pay attention to the enemy of the spirits I came to kill. The others tried to snap me out and inform me of the danger, but I wouldn't listen.
The beast was too strong. More importantly, it was immortal. A ghost. How ironic was it, that the enemy of the spirits is a spirit himself…
I heard metal clashing, ice disintegrating and wind blowing while mourning over Natsu's dead body.
I don't know how long it took for the tears to stop flowing. Maybe hours, maybe days, maybe weeks…but when I turned around, that's when it hurt the most. A block of ice trapped in an iron cage, and the bodies of my friends lying in a bloody pool. It was so goddamn quiet.
I didn't say a thing. I didn't think it was real. I walked around like a shadow, staring at their faces. Sutakira was trapped. Frozen and locked in an unbreakable iron cage for eternity. The tears were all dried up. I couldn't cry anymore. How cruel was I, unable to cry at the death of my friends. I stared at the bodies of Erza, Gajeel and Wendy, but no Gray. A sudden memory of hearing the words "Iced Shell" on this island came to mind. He was…
"Lucy-san…" I heard a small voice somewhere close to me. I saw Wendy staring directly at me with such a judging look I had never before received from anyone.
"Wendy, I…" I helped her sit up. She couldn't believe what happened as much as me.
"So, are you satisfied?"
"I-"
"Will this get you the respect you wished for?" That was when I started crying. "Ironic. What you thought would help protect your friends killed them all."
"Wendy, stop!" I backed away from her. She wasn't Wendy, was she? She was so different. Her eyes showed a void of darkness and sorrow, pain… The way she talked, it was too dark and, sadly, realistic.
"Don't worry; I'm going to help you. You'll say you killed the monster; that will get you the fame and respect you wanted. The others were killed when they got on the island by another monster. I'll join another guild by a fake name. That way, you will have everything that you wished for and instead of being hated for what you did, you will be proclaimed a hero. The perfect cover story, isn't it?" I slapped her.
"Why did you slap me? Was it because I'm lying? Or is it because the truth hurts?"
"Shut up!" I gritted my teeth and screamed at her.
"Fine. But, don't forget, your lust for power didn't just kill your friends. They were my friends as well. And naturally, as anyone would… I hate you, Lucy Heartfilia. Understand?" She didn't wait for a reply and watched me accusingly as I got on my boat and left the island. Before I left, I hugged her and whispered in her ear "I just want you to know that I'm sorry for hurting you, for destroying the guild, for killing our friends."
"Shut up and leave…" she cried and pushed me away. Without anything else I could do and knowing I don't deserve forgiveness, I left like the coward I was.
I watched her cry over the bodies from the boat and accused myself thousands of times in my head. I deserve to die, don't I?
I returned and told the guild what happened. The truth, and not Wendy's version. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I lied about my friends' deaths. The guild members stared at me in disbelief and anger, yelling at me for how weak and stupid I was. I left the guild crying and didn't return for eight years.
I trained under my spirits on a far away mountain. They were the only ones that didn't hate me, even if they should have. I received a letter one day. It said,
" Lucy, please come back. We know it's not your fault. Return to the guild, we love you.
Laxus Dreyar"
There must have been a reason why Laxus sent the letter. I decided to go back to Magnolia and visit the guild, to see if they were stupid enough to forgive me.
When I entered Magnolia, I got the information from a black haired boy around his twenties that Master Makarov passed away from sickness. The death of his children was too much for his old kind caring heart.
I rushed to the guild and met Laxus there. He was the new master. He told me that half of the members quit in case I would return. I didn't blame them.
The Master's grave was in the backyard of the guild, unlike where it should have been, on Tenrou Island. He chose for his bones to rest near his children. I touched his gravestone with my right hand, where the stamp was located. I didn't remove the mark. I treasured it too much to do so.
Laxus convinced me not to leave the guild.
A week of rest and relaxation passed and I had to return to the guild. I wonder how I'll pay Laxus back for this.
I wish I could laugh with them all once again.
