All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.
Lucy opened her eyes a bit later than usual on Saturday morning, and couldn't help but feel a cold chill run down her spine, even though she was wrapped tightly in blankets. The loneliness of her house still bothered her, and her heart felt nothing more than sorrow and dread.
It had been a little more than three weeks since Natsu had left, and things started to return back to the way they were before he came around. But the feeling she got was completely different. Before, she didn't mind the silence in her house. She convinced herself that she was content just living alone without having to burden anyone else, and the one thing she would have to focus on would be her job. After Natsu came, she started to see more in people, good and bad. Natsu's ignorance and naivety made her reflect on her own life, and society in general.
Now she found herself wishing that there were more people like Natsu. People who would be good listeners and not have a separate agenda, people who cherished and respected others who were not familiar to them, not based on wealth, but based on kindness and love. Lucy didn't believe that she would ever see the world the same again.
Yukino wasn't with her anymore because she was having maternity leave, which made her pain all the more unbearable. It wasn't like she could talk about her situation with Natsu to her, but at least she would know that someone was there for her. She knew she had her mother and brother, but they are focused on their lives right now, and she didn't believe that they had time to bother with her. Lucy wanted to scream, cry, and whine like the little brat that she knew she was, but what good would that do her?
It wouldn't bring Natsu back.
Everything in Lucy's life just seemed to be falling apart. And now, with her restaurant gaining popularity, it would be hard managing everything by herself. It was a good distraction, though. It would keep the pain out of her heart and her mind on her work for the time being. Said mind kept relaying the last moments she had with Natsu over and over again. The worst part was that she did not even know how she was going to end her last sentence. The words just somehow flew out of her mouth, without her thinking about them. They didn't sound like they were coming from her mind, but somewhere else. My heart, maybe? Lucy scowled as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. How much more cliche can I get?
Lucy prepared her kitchen, almost in a robot-like fashion. Her face neither held sadness nor excitement. Like a zombie with a metal pole for a spine walking aimlessly through the night, just waiting for something to happen. However, when you are dead, what do you expect to happen? That would imply that joy came from living, but why was living so great? Lucy definitely did not want to die, and she knew the people she would affect if she did, yet she couldn't help but feel like that walking corpse. She did not expect anything else to happen.
Lucy shook her head to bring her out of her unfocused state. She would just have to live with the fact that Natsu was gone, and he wasn't coming back.
"Chef! We need two Hosomaki specials and a bowl of miso ramen!" One of the waiters said from the counter that led to the kitchen.
"On it's way!" Lucy responded as she tied up her hair and got to work.
"I must say, this restaurant is turning out to be one of the finest in Fiore." An old woman said gleefully as Lucy stood at her side. Lucy smiled thankfully down at her. The woman had asked her waiter to see Lucy to give her that review. Since it was much past lunch time, the woman was the last in the restaurant. Lucy thought that she would feel lonely being the only person there, but the woman seemed unaffected.
"Thank you so much ma'am. I am glad that it was to your satisfaction." Lucy said as she bowed. The woman put her hands up to stop her action.
"Oh, no thanks needed, child. I am the one that is to be thankful." The woman said as she paid the bill and got up. Lucy, who was already standing up, retrieved her cane from the ground and carefully handed it to her. "Thank you." The woman said cheerily once again. "Would you mind walking me to the door?" The woman asked, knowing that she would not have any more plates to make, considering she was the only one there.
"Of course, ma'am." Lucy said as she helped the woman stand up and slowly glided her towards the door.
"There is one critique that I would like to make, child, if I may say so." The woman said just as they reached the door.
"Anything that will make my food better will be beneficial. I urge you to speak your mind, if you please." Lucy said as she opened the door for the woman.
"Oh, how polite! I wish my son was like you." The woman laughed as she walked out the door. She then turned around to face Lucy and give her a big smile, one that made her already tiny eyes squint. "I think you should throw in some more sweet cabbage, maybe that will help." The woman said as she bowed. "Have a good day."
"Um...you as well." Lucy replied before she closed her door.
Sweet cabbage? That would only take a bit of the salty taste away, wouldn't it? No, she guessed that she could put some sweet cabbage in her miso, but too much would ruin the taste. The fact of the matter was that the woman ordered sushi, so how did sweet cabbage fit into that? Lucy disregarded her confused thoughts. Perhaps the woman just liked sweet cabbage, and it was a personal preference. But by the way she initiated that sentence, it was almost as if she meant something completely different.
Cheers filled the streets of the village as many of its inhabitants met in front of the central bonfire. People played music and danced and everything was much more bright and colorful than the last six months have been since they had started the war.
Surrounding the people on the outskirts were the warriors, all kneeling down and looking at the celebration with blank faces. However, they were happy as well. They all felt a sense of pride in their heart for their accomplishments, even though they knew that the war was far from over.
"Hear ye! The Master shall speak!" A loud voice boomed over the rest. Once Gildarts had taken his seat again, Master Makarov, with his tiny body, stood up on a podium that made him visible to most of the townspeople.
"Settle down, settle down." He said to try to calm his audience. "I am pleased to announce that we were able to drive the Alvarez army back to their own territory!" Many cheers erupted from the crowd. "Though they have not been defeated, they have been forced to retreat. The only people we can thank are our brave warriors who have fought in battle! People of Magnolia! A toast!" He said as he raised his glass. "To the brave warriors of Fiore!"
"To the brave warriors of Fiore!" Everyone repeated with their glasses raised as well.
"Rise, all of you." Makarov commanded, looking at his soldiers. Everyone stood without complaint, paying full attention to their master. "You have triumphed greatly today. I hope that you enjoy yourselves at this celebration. You are the ones to thank most for this great feat." The master bowed to them. "The rest of the village and I are greatly appreciative." He then stood again. "Now, without further ado, let the celebration commence!" The villagers cheered, and if you squinted, you could almost see the shoulders of the warriors relax, but just a little.
Natsu felt a metal hand on his shoulder. "Very well done, Natsu. It is good to have you back with us." The woman said. It was none other than Natsu's good friend, and the only woman on the regime, Erza Scarlet. Natsu nodded and the red-headed beauty went to join Laxus to discuss some things.
Natsu stayed frozen where he was, not wanting to move at the moment. It was hard to believe that they had claimed victory over Alvarez, even if it was only for a short time. Alvarez was known to have an abundance of shaman and mages, while Fiore was down to their last few. Cornelia was the only shaman within reach of Magnolia if something concerning magic were to happen.
He then felt someone take his hand. He looked up to find his brother, who had a small smile on his face. He remembered a few weeks ago when Zeref looked so broken, in a dungeon below the village. Natsu never found the answer as to why he was there. Frankly, Natsu did not know the answer to many things. He just remembered walking into Magnolia after a long battle and then everyone jumping him, asking him where he had been all this time. His own brother looked like he didn't even believe that he was alive.
Natsu was led by Gray and Gildarts down to the cellar below the village. After he entered, everyone in the village stood still, but in the next moment, they surrounded him. Asking all kinds of weird questions that would make one believe that he was gone for months, maybe years. Even Gildarts, a man known for not showing emotion, looked surprised. If one thought that the regular warriors were stoic, they had not seen the extent of Gildarts's disposition.
Confused as to what was going on, he consulted the larger man, but he was immediately whisked away and led elsewhere, with Gray following close behind. That was how he ended up about fifteen feet below the ground.
Gildarts led him straight to one of the cages, where he saw his brother in a meditative position with a quill, ink, and a piece of paper in front of him, his usual materials when he was strategizing. Next to him laid Natsu's sword, which made Natsu confused as to why he had it.
"Whoever it is, please come back later, I am in the middle of an important decision right now." Zeref said without opening his eyes.
"I believe that you will find this situation to be more important." Gildarts said as he pushed Natsu forward a bit. Zeref opened his eyes irritably, but once he saw Natsu, his expression morphed into one of pure shock and disbelief.
"Hello brother." Natsu greeted, his eyes softening to his brother whom was obviously stressed out about something. "How did this predicament befall you, brother?" Natsu said as he kneeled on the other side of the cell to look his brother straight in the eye, which was starting to become glossy because of tears. Zeref tried to formulate words, but all that came out were heavy sobs. Natsu clenched his fist as he turned towards his commanding officer. "Why is my brother here? What has he done wrong?" Natsu asked, even though his voice sounded as stoic as always, his eyes were narrowed just enough to be glaring at Gildarts.
"Zeref has missed you, Natsu." Gildarts said softly as he turned around a little to face another guard. "Let him out." He ordered. Immediately, the guard went to release Zeref from the cage. Once the door was opened, Zeref shot out like a bolt of lightning and tackled Natsu. Luckily, Natsu had enough balance to keep them both steady. It wasn't uncommon for his brother to cry, for he was not trained as a warrior like he was, but he had never seen Zeref in this state.
"What happened, dear brother?" Natsu asked as he patted his brother's back soothingly. Zeref pulled away from Natsu a little to look at him.
"I have missed you so much Natsu!" Zeref said through his sobs.
"Missed me? I have not been gone for too long." More tears started to spring out of Zeref's eyes.
"Three months, brother! Three months, and not a word of your whereabouts! Why did you not write to me? Had someone taken you into captivity? How did you escape them?" Zeref asked quickly. Natsu tightened his grip on Zeref's shoulders.
"Calm thyself, Zeref. I have not been gone for more than a day, not three months." Natsu tried to reason. Zeref looked frantically at Gildarts, who looked like he did not have any answers to Natsu's reply either.
"I came as soon as I heard he had returned." A new voice said. Natsu turned to find Cornelia coming down the stairs towards them. Zeref turned towards her.
"How did you accomplish this, Cornelia?" Zeref asked, referring to his brothers return. Cornelia just shrugged.
"I had to use a lot of my magic, and now I am very drained. However, I am happy that Natsu is home safe now." Cornelia said as she smiled.
"Lady Cornelia, I do not understand. Why would I not be home safe?" Natsu asked.
"What do you mean, boy? You have been gone for so long, everyone thought you were dead." Cornelia said. Natsu allowed his eyes to widen, not expecting that kind of information.
"There seems to be a problem, Cornelia. Natsu does not seem to remember anything." Zeref explained. Cornelia walked over to Natsu and looked into his eyes. Natsu stayed incredibly still.
"I will try to find the source of the problem. Come with me, Natsu." Cornelia said, and Natsu followed obediently.
To this day, Natsu did not completely understand the problem. It seemed that to everyone else, he had been gone for three months, whereas he remembers it only being a day. No one knows why this is, but Cornelia thinks that it might be a side effect of some magic that was cast upon him.
"Natsu." His brother called out to him. Natsu snapped his head up, giving his brother full attention after realizing that he had been stuck in his own thoughts. "Are you alright?" He asked.
"Yes, I am fine." Natsu said as he drew in a breath. Zeref motioned for them to walk, and they started to walk around the party, with no particular destination. "I must say, Zeref, you were absolutely brilliant in our last battle. Your strategy was flawless." Natsu said. He could see his brother's pale face turn a little pink. He never did do well with praise.
"Well, it was your team that did all of the work. I am so proud of you, little brother." Zeref said as he hugged his brother. Zeref was the only person in Natsu's life who he would accept hugs from, and mostly because he did it a lot.
"As I am proud of you." Natsu replied. This reminded him of the days when they were young and without parents. Two boys with nothing but each other. Truthfully, that was all they needed. But now, they were two of the most respected figures in Magnolia, and even Fiore.
"Zeref!" A man yelled, breaking the two brothers apart. Zeref sighed agitatedly.
"I must see to him, so do not be burdened by my absence. Feel free to walk around. This is your celebration, after all." Zeref advised his brother. Natsu nodded as he watched Zeref walk off, wondering what he was going to do. Deciding to see if there was anything in the village that he could help with, he set off towards the women's house, where all of the food for the celebration was being cooked.
Natsu knocked on the big wooden door, and his short acquaintance came to answer it. "Hello Natsu. What brings you here?" Levy asked.
"I was wondering if there was anything that I could help you with." Natsu politely said.
"Maybe there is. I shall check for you. Please, come inside." Levy said as she ushered him in.
"Mirajane!" Levy called to the woman across the room who was busy washing rice. "Is there any extra work that must be done?"
Mira looked up to see Natsu in the corner of the house with Levy, immediately knowing that the work was meant for him. "Why yes, there is a fish that needs to be cut. The fishermen have made a big catch today." Mira said as she pointed to a large white bass laying on the table next to her, a rare delicacy.
"But it requires a great deal of skill to cut that." Levy mumbled to herself. "I guess I will teach you how to cut it." Levy said as she looked to Natsu, who had just finished washing his hands with a small pot of water that was to the side. She gave him a knife and led him over to the sea bass. "Wait for a moment, Natsu. I must get something." Levy said as she left the room.
Natsu stared down at the fish he was supposed to cut. He had never had any prior cooking experience, but for some reason, staring at a dead fish on a chopping board seemed...natural, as if he had seen it many times before. Without thinking, Natsu picked up his knife and skewered the fish, making even and sharp cuts across its body until perfectly symmetrical fillets were the result.
Mira just stared at his work in awe, wondering where he could have learned such technique. It was unlike anything that she had ever seen before. Levy came in just as Natsu was finished, and her eyes widened to find Natsu already done with the fish.
"You are already done?" Levy questioned. Natsu nodded his head. Levy looked at his work, and was astounded to find perfectly-cut fillets, better than she could ever do. "Did you help him Mira?"
"I did not advise him. He did it all on his own." Mira said smiling.
Levy looked at Natsu and patted him on the shoulder. "Well done, Natsu! Where did you learn how to cut a fish?" Levy asked. Natsu closed his eyes slowly, trying to remember who he learned from. No matter how much he racked his brain, he could not come up with a stable answer.
Just then, a white flash entered his mind, almost making Natsu flinch, even though it wasn't real light.
"No Natsu, you have to hold the knife like this. See?" He heard a woman ask. The voice was not familiar to him, and he could not remember who it was. However, he was sure of one thing. That woman, whoever it was, was the one to teach him how to cook. However, he felt disgraced to know that he remembered the skill that she taught him and not the woman herself. He did not even remember what she looked like, so he knew that she could not be anyone from the village.
"Natsu?" Levy asked, snapping him out of his daze. He realized that he had been in a lot of those lately. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, Miss Levy, everything is fine..." Natsu said softly.
"Well, if you say so." Levy said skeptically as she walked to the wooden board next to Natsu to chop some vegetables. He was fine, he convinced himself. That woman might have been just a delusion of the brain, because he has remembered almost everyone that he had become acquainted with. So, he just decided to try and brush off the thought.
Little did Natsu know that his internal conflict would plague his mind endlessly.
Well, that is it for this chapter! I know that nothing completely interesting happened, but I just wanted to give you guys some insight to their lives now that they are separated from each other. Poor Lucy. Not only has she lost Natsu, but Yukino is gone also and she has to manage the restaurant on her own. I feel kind of bad of writing her in this predicament, but I wanted to show how much the loneliness was effecting her.
Thank you all so much for the 20,000 views! I never knew that this story would be so successful, but I am more than appreciative to all of you, so thank you all so much! And a special thanks to all of those who reviewed!
As always, I hope that everyone is having an absolutely fantastic day wherever you are. And if you're not, hopefully my story made you feel a little better? Yes? No? Well, I don't want to push it to that extent, but I hope you all enjoyed it. I'll see you all next time!