Chapter 24: The Better Friend

POV: Meredy

I know she needs some time alone to think. I can see how confused and upset she is, about the things happening in her life. She can think better alone, it's her life and I am just here to help her get through it.

I just sat in a branch of one of the thousands of trees in this forest, watching endless counts of stars twinkle against the raven colored sky lighted by the white full moon that shone high above Earthland.

About an hour and a half has passed and I still haven't heard anything from Lucy, I am really getting worried. She would have shouted my name through the forest if she wanted me to come and considering my distance from the bonfire we made, I would have heard it loud and clear. Maybe I should start looking for her, who knows what could have happened to her.

I faced the side and jumped from the branch, landing on my feet easily. I started walking to the direction where the bonfire was supposed to be until I came upon the place, but the problem was, the fire seemed to have been put out and only a pile of ashes from burnt firewood remained. The moonlight shining down on us was the only light source present right now. That's weird, Lucy doesn't like the dark that much, she would've put more wood in it. I looked around searching for anything peculiar that may give me at least a bit of clue on where she had gone to but it was really hard considering the fact that the only light source was the moon and the trees casted shadows against the direction of the moon, making the deep forest dark as pitch black without any white spot in it, not even a single pixel.

"Lucy!" I called out with hope that she might answer back but all that answered me back were the noise made by the inhabitants of the forest-crickets, birds, etc. I sighed in frustration, considering the size this forest and the darkness that envelopes it, it will be impossible to even get at least a trace of her shadow.

As I was deep in my thoughts, trying to figure out where she had gone to, I felt something touch my shoulder which made my body to react on its own, or in short, to reflex. I immediately turned to my back as soon as I felt it and got into my fighting position, just in case this stranger wanted a fight.

"Hold your horses! It's just me, Natsu! Look! Look!" the deep voice who introduced himself as Natsu, immediately said, lighting his right fist with fire to give us some light. Wait, what was he doing in here?

"Natsu? What are you doing in here? I thought you were with Erza and Gray?" I voiced out, confused as to why he was even here.

"Isn't it obvious? I ran away from them. Now tell me, where is Lucy?" he immediately asked, his face determined. I know this isn't the time to think like this but awww he ran away from them just to be with Lucy, he is just as dense as how Lucy told me he was. Wait, what am I thinking, he is looking for Lucy, what am I going to tell him? 'Sorry Natsu, I don't know where Lucy is, maybe she is lost in this massive forest because I left her alone to think about the crap happening in her life and that includes you and your poor excuse of friends who were supposed to make her happy and be with her, not treat her like garbage and an enemy'. No, I can't tell him that.

"Uhm…I…uh…I really don't know," I was at loss of words. Those words were the only ones I managed to croak out. I know how he is when he is angry and upset; it isn't a nice sight to see. His forehead suddenly formed a crease and I saw his jaw clench for a second. Uh-oh.

"You don't know? YOU DON'T KNOW? YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO WATCH OVER HER NOT LET HER GET LOST IN THE WOODS DURING THE FREAKING NIGHT!" He shouted which made my ears go numb for a second. Inside, I was fuming but weighed my choices, I chose to answer him win a calm way as shouting will only worsen the situation, not helping in anything.

"Look Natsu, I am not her babysitter or something, I am her friend, I give her some time alone when I KNOW she needs it. Now don't you dare tell me that, you have no right to lecture me about watching over her when you yourself can't even come to her aid when she needed someone to comfort her, you were out there in that guild of yours laughing and having a great time flirting with that ugly white haired bitch of yours while she was crying her heart out and her eyes red and puffy!," I said harsher than intended, my voice raising as each word passes by, my anger slowly gaining dominance over me. He had no right yelling at me like that, and did he think I didn't know what was happening and what was he always doing with Lisanna? Nuh-uh.

Out of Lucy's knowing, whenever I wasn't with her, I was always watching Natsu, in the guild or somewhere else. I saw how he flirts with her, telling her dirty jokes, whispering at her ear while she giggles like the slut she is. Look, I don't curse or insult as long as I can hold it in, but this is just too much and my anger got the best of me.

"You're wrong; I was always with her whenever she needed a shoulder to cry on, I was always there to comfort her and don't you dare speak about my friend Lisanna like that. She's not a bitch, and I don't flirt with her, I never did," he warned me in that low voice of his. I giggled, mocking him.

"YOU were always there for her?! Don't make me laugh. Oh, and don't you mean your whore Lisanna? And don't deny it, I have a reliable source on how I know the way you flirt with her," I said, mocking him. I was beyond angry right now, how dare he? Yes, I know how he is when he is angry but right now, I could care less. The great liar he is, my reliable sources are my senses, they don't lie.

"I am not trying to make you laugh, I am telling you the truth," he said and I almost choked on my own spit. "And NO I don't flirt with her," he said innocently.

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"No I-. Look can we just stop this and just look for Lucy, this argument is pointless anyways. I came here for her, not to argue with you," he explained, pinching the bridge of his nose to calm himself.

"Fine. Now go! Sniff her scent like the dog you are so that we can get somewhere," I scoffed, still angry but not as much as before, it is already residing. Good thing he is still worried about Lucy after his flirting sessions.

He just glared at me before he started sniffing the air for her scent. At least he knew better than to start another argument again. He then started moving towards a direction while I followed after him.

After a few seconds, we came upon a cliff, a body of water after it. Natsu kept walking until we reached the edge of the cliff. We both stopped, I knowing that continuing will result to me falling from the cliff to the raging water below me. I was also feeling nervous, Natsu stopped, meaning the trail of scent must have stopped there, which meant that Lucy disappeared in that spot. She couldn't have, could she?

I looked at Natsu and his face was filled with fear and shock.

Guess we were thinking the same.

POV: Natsu

The trail of her scent ended here, at the edge of the cliff. My eyes widened in shock and I was filled with fear. Lucy, she-she fell? I stood at the farthest edge and looked down. At first I just saw the seemingly the sea water that was coloured in the darkest shade of blue because of the night. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to see well because of the dark, I sent a fireball falling from the cliff, retaining its fire and light until it reached the water where it was extinguished, lighting its path. But just milliseconds before it was extinguished, I saw a familiar human wearing white vest and blue skirt with long blonde hair.

I stared at the hardly seen body of the girl floating lifelessly on the water in horror. I couldn't move, I can't bring myself to do so, my jaw dropped and my eyes wide. I wouldn't have cared if I didn't know her, but the fact that I did, heck she was even special, froze me in place and made my knees felt weak.

That girl, she wasn't just any girl. She was Lucy.

I then felt a tear sliding down my cheek.

Before I can even comprehend to what I was doing, I was already sliding and hopping down the rigid and rocky cliff, ignoring the physical pain I felt as some of the sharp rocks slice through my skin, heck I could even care less about that.

I was already drowning on my tears, unable to stop it, as I scream her name repeatedly. She can't be gone, not now, not ever.

"LUCY!"