Sorry for the long wait but I wanted this chapter to be the longest of them all since it's gonna be the finale. I hope you will be satisfied with it and potentially give me ideas for a new and completely different story. So please enjoy the chapter!
Lucy didn't move. She didn't even break her eye contact when Haru told the story. She kept her composure, her magic aura not fading and her stare still piercing. Fairy Tail stared about the story they had just heard. It was amazing to them, that Lucy had a power to see lost and fractured souls and even revive them.
However, it was all an act on Lucy's part.
She was trying her hardest to not let tears flow. She knew. Lucy knew that it was all her fault. She considered it her fault ever since she had that falling out with Haru long ago. She couldn't blame him for hating her or Fairy Tail. But yet she was still mad. Mad at herself and continued to blame herself.
The light in Lucy's eyes faded, having to be clouded by what she thought was guilt. She was trembling. But no one noticed it. The pressure of what she should do was getting to her. Lucy could not bear to actually take Haru's life. Even though he was Shadow now, she couldn't bear to get rid of him.
It hurt. It hurt her heart. Lyra and Suri was sure of that. The 2 sisters could feel it as their bodies were connected with whatever pain or other emotion their master held. They looked at Lucy worryingly, but then turned to see the Fairy Tail mages' faces. Full of confusion and shock.
They could tell that none of them heard of such a magic to revive souls and the information finally sunk in.
Then, Levy turned to the 2 sisters. She had a shocked expression on her face. Lucy had told them in letters that Levy was one of the smartest people in Fairy Tail. Levy wouldn't have believed that dead souls could be given a new physical body and be born anew. To her and maybe plenty others, it would've been black magic.
"Is it... Is it true?" Levy asked with an unreadable look. "You're really... revived souls?"
Lyra and Suri looked at the bluenette and looked away in shame. "We're sorry..." They simply replied.
Levy's eyes widened in shock and the others either clenched their fists, looking at the ground or staring at the back of Lucy's head before looking at Shadow and then back at Lucy. Lyra and Suri unable to tell what the fairies thought of Shadow, them and importantly Lucy.
Lucy, Lyra and Suri had been trying so hard to hide the truth. Lyra and Suri had been telling stories about reviving souls and giving them physical bodies to other travelers and all had said the same thing; 'That kind of magic is unbelievable, it would be considered black magic if anything.'
Lucy on the other hand, had created a small picture book of about a small child who had that power and made friends by reviving the lost souls of others and gave them a second chance at life. When some clients or travelers asked her what she was reading and she replied, they had also said that the child shouldn't have magic like it because it was scary.
All their hard work... now ruined.
"So Fairy Tail? How does it feel to know your beloved nakama has such taboo magic?" Shadow asked with a smirk on his face.
"Luce... is it true?" Natsu asked. "You can see, hear and revive souls?"
Lucy twitched a bit as Natsu asked the question. Her aura still surrounded her and her hair floated softly above her shoulders. Then, she looked back at her friends with her bright gold eyes of no light and stared at them in the eye. "Yes. I have taboo magic and I am the one who revived these souls." She said in a monotone voice.
Everybody's eyes widened and they could only stare at Lucy with shocked eyes. A little part of them wished that Shadow was lying. That is was all a lie to provoke them to turn against Lucy. But now they could see it beyond her golden soulless eyes. That Lucy was being serious and that she was not lying.
They said nothing after her statement and Lucy turned back to face Shadow with her narrowed, cold, soulless eyes.
"I'm amazed 'Master'. You told them the straight truth after all the hiding you've done." Shadow teased.
"Stop talking. It's time I got rid of you." Lucy said still in a monotone voice.
The fairies were surprised by her words. Lucy never ever told anyone, not even her enemies, that she had to get rid of them. Not even if they tortured or humiliated her. Lucy never told anyone that she was going to kill them. Team Natsu, Gajeel, Levy and Lily didn't know who they were looking at anymore.
Lucy's necklace, that held the blue glowing white pearl, then started to shine even brightly and something appeared in Lucy's right hand. A sword, one that shined bright and had a blade sharper than any of Erza's swords. Lucy got in a stance, holding her sword in one hand and a celestial key in the other.
Shadow smirked and he got in a stance too. But instead had black shadow orbs form in his hands. "Agreed. I believe it's time I killed you off as well."
Lyra then looked at Suri and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do you still have your shadow magic? Can you still summon your scythe?"
Suri looked at her older sister with worried eyes and then nodded. She stood up and summoned that shadow scythe and wondered why Lyra didn't do the same. "What about you, Onee-chan?"
Lyra looked away and placed a hand on her chest. "I don't have the necklace anymore. I can't fully use my power."
But then, Suri and Lyra spotted something hanging off Erza's belt from her armor(If she has a belt) and it caught their eyes really quick. It was the silver teardrop shaped pendant that she and Gray got after they completed the mission before they got dragged into this mess.
"Erza... that pendant..." Lyra said pointing at it.
"Oh right..." Erza said snapping out of her shock momentarily. "We got it at a village after completing a mission and asking about Lucy's whereabouts. They gave it to us as a wish of good luck..."
"Give it to me!" Lyra said as she held her hand out.
Before Erza could reply, the necklace flew from her belt to Lyra's hand and a sword of light appeared in her hand. The power radiating with light and power. The fairies were surprised at the gesture as Lyra and Suri rushed to Lucy's side. Leaving the rest to watch what happens next.
"Let's do this." Lucy simply said as she dashed for Shadow with Lyra and Suri as her backup.
Lucy slashed her sword, attempting to hit Shadow, but he only jumped away from her and shot a one of the dark orbs in his hands. Lucy turned around and blocked the attack with her sword, which dismissed the entire blast and surprised the fairies. Suri was the closest to Shadow and attempted to hit him with her scythe. Which he dodged yet again.
Then Shadow shot a dark blast of magic towards Lyra, but the girl was quick and slashed her sword horizontally. Making a slash of light leave the sword and clashed with Shadow's blast. Suri then appeared, once the small dust cloud the clash created subsided, and slashed her scythe again in attempt to hit Shadow, which it did.
Lucy then dashed for Shadow again while Lyra and Suri parted. Lucy jumped and was about to hit Shadow upfront, but the boy only made a his own staff of darkness and blocked Lucy's sword as they were now face to face. Lucy gnashing her teeth while Shadow just stared at her with no emotion.
"This isn't right..." Natsu mumbled loud enough for the others to hear.
"Huh?" Happy asked. "What?"
"This isn't right." Natsu repeated louder. "We have to do something."
"But what can we do?" Gray asked, crossing his arms.
"There has to be something..." Gajeel replied, with Lily on his shoulder.
Suddenly, the fairies were brought out of their thoughts as Lyra and Suri skidded on the ground towards them. They all gasped at the sudden scratches and bruises the 2 girls now had and helped get them to a sitting and comfortable position. Then they looked at Lucy who jumped back to dodge Shadow's attack.
"Lyra! Suri!" Lucy said before she clashed with Shadow yet again.
"Lucy..." Lyra said in a bit of pain.
"Master... Lucy..." Suri said as well.
"Stay back for now! I can fight him on my own!" Lucy said, before being totally concentrated on the battle.
Lyra and Suri only watched as their master fought on her own. They knew that Lucy didn't have it in her heart to kill Shadow. Nor did she have the will in the first place to fight him. They could tell she was hurting. They could feel it and Lyra knew that also Suri didn't want to see Lucy in pain anymore than once.
"Please..." Lyra whispered.
"Onee-chan...?" Suri asked as she placed a hand on Lyra's shoulder.
The fairies turned around and was surprised and startled to see Lyra start crying. Huge tears streaming down her face and onto the floor. They didn't know what to do. They didn't know what they could do. Suri only looked at her sister with a worried mournful look and placed her other hand on Lyra's other shoulder.
"PLEASE STOP!" Lyra suddenly screamed.
"Huh?" Lucy asked as she stopped to look at the crying blonde.
But Shadow took advantage of that and kicked Lucy in her stomach and held her by the neck against the wall. "Heh."
"SHADOW-! NO... HARU PLEASE! STOP THIS! YOU, LUCY, SURI AND I CAN STILL BE HAPPY! WE CAN STILL BE A FAMILY! THERE'S NO NEED TO KILL HER!" Lyra yelled.
"Stop talking Lyra..." Shadow said as he continued to choke Lucy.
"Shadow... Haru..." Lucy said as she tried to breath. "It's okay..."
"What?"
"Eh?" The others asked as they heard Lucy.
"It's okay... Haru..." Lucy repeated. "You... can kill... me..."
"What are you saying Lucy!?" Carla asked.
"Yeah! We're supposed to bring you back to Fairy Tail!" Lily added.
"What kind of game are you playing?" Shadow asked.
Lucy gasped for air again, Shadow tightening his fist a bit more. "I'm not... playing... anything..."
"Master Lucy... you can't be serious!?" Suri asked.
Lucy looked at Suri, Lyra and her nakama right in front of them. "I'm... sorry..."
"Cut the crap, Bunny Girl!" Gajeel suddenly shouted.
"Gajeel...?" Levy asked.
"I hate to agree... but Gajeel is right, Lucy." Erza added.
"We didn't come here to just lose you after we've found you, y'know." Gray said. "We came so we can bring you home!"
"We've been looking all over for you, for an entire year!" Wendy said.
"We tried so hard to find you!" Happy asked.
"There's no way in hell are we gonna just let you go like that!" Natsu shouted.
"You humans are so stupid..." Shadow said. "She's a witch! She has a magic that is unknown and can be considered a taboo! She revives souls and could possibly get a curse for such magic!"
"So what she's got some taboo magic!?" Levy suddenly shouted. "Lucy is still Lucy!"
"Le...Levy..." Lucy said as she gasped for more air.
That's when the blonde celestial mage saw Lyra telling Suri something. Suri had a shocked expression and Lyra could only nod in confirmation at whatever she was telling Suri. That's when both girls looked at their master with determination in their eyes along with the sense they made a resolve.
"Haru..." Lyra started. "There's no way Lucy can get rid of you."
"What? Lyra-"
"And it's because she loves us too much." Suri interrupted Natsu.
"What are you both saying now?" Shadow asked.
"So, we've decided to become souls again." They both replied. "So Lucy... please turn us back."
"What...?" Lucy asked as her magic aura disappeared and her eyes back to brown. But she knew what they meant. "No... No no no! I refuse to! I don't want to! There's no way!"
"Lucy... turn us back before it's too late." Lyra and Suri said in sync with a smile.
"No! There's no way I'm going to! I'm not going to lose you!"
Suddenly, Lucy stopped. She froze and Shadow looked at the blonde girl who was just struggling to breath. He could tell that she was alive. They all knew she was alive. But she just froze. Suddenly, Lyra and Suri felt a terrible pain in their chest. It felt like it was suffocating them.
"What the!? Lyra! Suri!" Levy, Wendy and Carla shouted, going next to the girls.
Then, Shadow fell to the ground too. Feel an unbearable pain in his chest that he never felt before. But he knew that it was coming from Lucy. Even though Shadow was able to ward off the other times he was supposed to feel Lucy's physical and mental pain, this was beyond what he could handle.
"What!? Even you!?" Erza asked looking at Shadow who let go of Lucy and the girl fell to her knees.
"What's going on!?" Gray asked, narrowing his eyes.
"What do you think...?" Shadow asked with an evil glare. "This is Lucy's doing."
"Lucy's doing?" Happy asked.
"She's lost it..." Shadow said as he gasped in pain. "From the pressure, the sadness... she's being consumed by it."
"We feel... her pain. Both physically... and emotionally. That's why... we too... are... in pain..." Suri added.
"Lucy felt pressure... from wondering... how you fairies... would react to her... having taboo magic... and the sadness... from knowing... she would...have to kill us..." Lyra explained.
"What!?" Carla asked. "Why would she kill you!?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Gajeel asked crossing his arms. "Because Bunny Girl can't maintain their physical forms anymore."
"Exactly..." Shadow said.
"I..." Lucy suddenly spoke, catching everyone's attention. "I never... wanted this to happen..."
"Lucy..." Wendy said as she could smell the salty tears fall from Lucy's eyes.
"I wanted us to be happy... for all of us... to be happy." Lucy continued to say. "That's... all... I ever wanted..."
Shadow, Lyra and Suri's pain became stronger and they gnashed their teeth and clenched their fists. They've felt Lucy hurt before, but they've never felt her hurt this much at all. It hurt so much, that it could've been a stampede of bulls running over their bodies.
"Lucy... you can still be happy... with your new family..." Lyra said.
The blonde celestial girl was surprised and looked at the golden brunette. Then, Lyra took out something from her pocket. It was Lucy's white pearl. Shadow's eyes widened as the fairies were confused. They wondered why Lyra even took the pearl in the first place.
"No... Lyra please..." Lucy said with a mournful cry.
"There's no other way... for you to actually... live happily otherwise... Master Lucy!" Suri said as she smiled.
"Suri... please... stop Lyra..."
"What are you going to do?" Lily asked as he looked down at the girl's who were in pain.
"Not us... you." Suri spoke again as Lyra threw the pearl to Natsu.
"Huh?" Happy asked.
"You're bluffing!" Shadow suddenly spoke. "You would never do that!"
Lyra and Suri ignored the boy and looked at Natsu with pleading eyes. "Please." They both said. "We want Lucy to be happy and this is our only request. Burn the pearl."
"Burn it?" Erza asked.
"No! Please! Don't listen to them! Don't burn it!" Lucy cried as she couldn't stand from the pain.
"What will happen?" Gray asked.
"That is not important... just burn it." Suri said, smiling.
Natsu looked at the pearl, at Lucy and Shadow then to Lyra and Suri. "Is it really going to be okay?" He asked.
Lyra and Suri nodded. "It's what's best for Lucy. She'll be happy once it's burned."
Natsu nodded at the 2 girls and then to the others and then lit his hand, that held the pearl, on fire. Not knowing that once that pearl becomes ashes, that Lyra, Suri and Shadow will disappear and that Lucy will not be able to revive anymore souls once it's burned.
"I won't let you burn that pearl!" Shadow said as he ran to Natsu, but it was too late. He fell halfway there and the pearl was gone in ashes.
"NOOO! LYRA! SURI!" Lucy yelled in tears. "HARU!"
Lyra and Suri started to fade and they looked at each other before smiling. The fairies' eyes widened at the scene and realized why the 3 were fading. Natsu dropped the ashes of the pearl on the ground and looked to Lyra and Suri with wide eyes of confusion and shock.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because we knew she wouldn't do it." Lyra said.
"Lucy can't kill any of us with out burning the pearl." Suri added.
"Please take care of her for us, Fairy Tail!" The 2 sisters said together smiling as they faded more.
Tears started to form in the corner of the mages' eyes, except for Gajeel and Lily but they still felt bad about the entire situation. Then, Lyra and Suri turned to Lucy who was trying to get up to go to them in hopes of stopping them from fading. But they still smiled happily.
"Thank you Lucy for giving us a second go at life!" Lyra said.
"I had fun playing with you! Master Lucy!" Suri agreed.
"No... please don't go..." Lucy begged as she watched the 2 fade away completely.
"We will meet again one day!" They both said. "We both know it!" Then, they were gone.
Lucy's eyes widened as 2 of her family members disappeared before her eyes and she regained some of her strength. Lucy yelled their names in agony. Crying her eyes out. That's when she noticed that Shadow had yet to go. Despite all that he'd done to her, Lucy ran up to him and hugged onto Shadow for dear life.
"NO! DON'T DIE HARU! DON'T LEAVE ME TOO!" Lucy begged.
"Lucy..." Levy said quietly.
"Stop crying over me already." Shadow said. "I don't need your pity after all this."
"Huh?" Lucy asked as her tears fell.
"Stop pretending you still care already." He said. "I know you don't, so stop."
"Stop huh?' Lucy asked as she pulled back from the hug.
Shadow expected Lucy to keep on crying and say otherwise, but instead, he received a very hard slap from her. It surprised him and the Fairy Tail mages. Lucy had an angered look on her face and the tears continued to fall from her face like waterfalls.
"IF YOU WANT ME TO STOP, THEN YOU STOP BEING AN IDIOT HARU!" Lucy yelled, before hugging him again. "Stop thinking that I forgot you for even a second! Stop thinking that I don't care about you because I do care! I care, Haru!"
"Lucy..." Haru said as he was becoming more transparent.
"I don't pity you! I care! I'm going to miss you just as much as Lyra and Suri! YOU ARE A PART OF MY FAMILY, HARU!"
Haru's eyes widened at her yelling. Tears started to form in the corner of Haru's eyes as his hair turned back to white and memories of the good times he had with Lucy, Lyra and Suri flooded his brain. Haru sat up properly and hugged Lucy back with realization at what he'd done wrong.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... Lucy..." Haru said.
Lucy hugged tighter and shook her head. "I forgive you... I'm going to miss all 3 of you."
"Don't worry..." Haru said as he smiled a sad smile. "We'll surely... meet again..."
At that moment, Haru's body completely faded and Lucy's eyes widened. Lucy's tears flowed even more and she screamed at the top of her lungs as she covered her face. Natsu, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Gajeel, Levy and Lily all walked to Lucy and hugged her comfortingly.
'I promise you guys... I will never forget you and we will surely meet again.'
Back at Fairy Tail, it had been 6 hours since the others and Lyra left to go get Lucy and Suri back from Shadow and they were getting impatient and worried. Until suddenly, Happy zoomed out of the portal followed by Gajeel, Levy and Lily. All 4 with sad smiles on their faces.
"There you are! We were getting worried about you guys." Mira said.
"Where are Natsu and the others?" Romeo asked.
But before any of them could answer, Team Natsu stepped out of the portal with Lucy in the middle of them. She was looking down for a second and then looked up to smile at her nakama. She was home and she wouldn't let Lyra, Suri or Haru's sacrifice be in vain.
"L-Lucy...?" Makarov asked.
Lucy didn't say anything until she tilted her head and small tears formed in her eyes. "Hi guys. I'm home!"
After that, Lucy was engulfed in hugs and she couldn't have been glad to be back at her home. She had been gone for so long, there was no way she was going to leave it again anytime soon. They held a party for her and she even revealed the story about Haru, Lyra, Suri and her taboo magic. Which the guild accepted whole heartedly and understood her secrecy.
A few months passed from Lucy's return and she decided to go on a small solo mission to avoid just being in the guild all day. Her job was pretty simple, just go play with kids at an orphanage in Magnolia. She wouldn't have to worry about Natsu and the others looking for her and she wouldn't have to go very far.
When Lucy got to the orphanage, she talked with the owner of the orphanage and then they led her to the outside gardens, where the children played. It was gorgeous in Lucy's opinion and it reminded her of the garden meadows where she, Haru, Lyra and Suri played when Lucy was sad or bored.
The owner then left Lucy to meet the kids on her own and Lucy began to walk around. Admiring how cute the children looked and how small they were. All looked so different and some reminded her of people in the guild. It was nice and she felt relaxed.
That was when she saw them.
3 kids playing around near the trees. A boy and 2 girls. The boy was sitting on the tree while the girls only sat at on the ground in the tree's shade. The boy had white hair and grey eyes while one girl had golden brown hair braided and dark blue with a hint of green eyes and the other girl had pale blonde hair and pink eyes.
Lucy smiled and walked up to them. "Hello there." She greeted.
"Um... hi..." The pale blonde greeted.
"Hi!" The golden brunette waved.
"Hello." The boy said looking down from the tree.
"I'm Lucy Heartfilia from Fairy Tail."
"Really? You're from Fairy Tail?" The boy asked coming down from the tree.
Lucy nodded before sitting beside the girls. "What are your names?"
"I'm Lyra!" The golden brunette said.
"My name... is Suri..." The pale blonde replied.
"The name's Haru!" The boy smiled.
"Lyra, Suri and Haru huh?" Lucy asked smiling. "Do you want to play?"
"You're gonna play with us?" Lyra asked.
Lucy nodded and the 3 children smiled. They played all sorts of things and Lucy couldn't have been more at peace than right then and there. She enjoyed it and the other kids soon took a liking to her as well. The owner was so please by how well Lucy treated the kids, that she got paid extra. Which Lucy happily accepted.
"Are you going to leave now?" Suri whined.
"Mhm. I have to go now, it's really late." Lucy replied.
"Will you come back again?" Lyra asked.
Lucy was taken aback by that question just a bit but still smiled. "You know what? I will! I enjoyed playing with all of you!"
"You'll really come back? You won't forget?" Haru asked.
Lucy smiled again and patted Haru's head as she couched down. The boy blinked twice and Lucy giggled.
"There's no way I would forget you guys for the world."
Well there we go! This story is officially done! I hope you liked it and I'm so happy that I actually finished a story after a long long time. Anyway, I hope you guys give me any suggestions for any story ideas. I wanna start writing another story starting August so please send in your ideas^^
Ja ne~