I am weak...
She clenched her head as her injured body shook violently. Warm tears rolled down her dirt covered cheeks. As she laid sprawled out on the earth.
Her usual sunny blond hair was messy with dried blood at the roots and ends.
Lucy Heartfilia tried to stop the thought that has been crossing her mind too often. She was aware that she wasn't as strong or capable as her former teammates.
She was always aware of her disadvantages but never did she thought that she was weak. She was one of the strongest celestial mages in the entire Earthland.
She had almost all of the Zodiac Keys in her possession.
But then Edolas happened and Lisanna came back. She was happy that Lisanna was not dead but sometimes at the dead of night or when the loneliness creeps back, she wished that Lisanna never came back, that she was still in Edolas.
She hated herself for wishing that but she couldn't help it. After they returned, Fairy Tail welcomed Lisanna back with open arms... and a huge celebration party. If their behaviour changed that night, Lucy couldn't remember. She was honestly too drunk too remember.
But the next few weeks, Lucy was left alone because Lisanna was like the sun. Everything, and I mean everything revolved around her.
It continued like that for weeks and finally that which Lucy feared would happen, happened. Her team asked her to leave the team. She had no choice. She found herself teamless and in desperate need for money.
After that she went on various missions to earn the money to pay for her rent but due to her lack of power and stamina , she could only take easy jobs.
And as all know, easy jobs equals little rewards and the train tickets took most of her money.
And about a week ago, the landlady gave an ultimatum. If Lucy does not pay the money she owed before the end of the month, the landlady would seize her apartment with all it's contents as payment. With the end of the month soon approaching, Lucy found herself forced to take a harder mission.
But it didn't go well at all. That was why she was laying in the middle of the forest, badly wounded and with no way of getting back to town any time soon.
How long she had been laying there, Lucy wasn't sure. She had fallen in a restless sleep after she cried all the tears she had.
"Luuucyyyy...how long do you plan on sleeping? You need to wake up, Lucy."
Lucy groaned and shifted slightly.
"Come on sleepy head."
The soft melodious voice continued.
Lucy slowly opened her eyes. The blurry vision came into focus. The moon was glimmering through the canopies. The woods was dark and silent. There was a ghostly white light that was the size of a human.
"Mom?"
"Yes, Lucy dear. It's me. Come, I want to show you something."
"Y-you can't be here...you're dead." Lucy whispered.
Layla smiled.
"Yet, I am here." She reached out a ghostly hand and touched Lucy's face. It felt like a thousand electrical sparks igniting. A sudden energy boost surged trough her body.
It suddenly felt easier to breath.
Lucy slowly stood up. Disbelief was clear in her chocolate brown eyes.
"Why are you here?"
Lucy shakely asked after a few steps. Her mother smiled at her. A sudden look of sorrow in her matching eyes.
"To persuade you..."
Lucy frowned. "About what?"
Layla turned her head slightly to look behind Lucy. Lucy turned around to see what her mother saw. She gasped. She saw herself, laying motionless on the ground.
"To live."
She heard her mother's voice but it seemed so far away. So unreal. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder but she couldn't stop staring at herself.
"Yes, Lucy you are on the verge of death. If you die, you'll come here and join us but you need to fight. You can't die now."
Lucy turned around and looked at her mother, tears in her eyes.
" But what if I want to stay with you?"
Layla slowly wiped the tears away.
"You can when you have lived your life."
Lucy shook her head. "I don't have anything or anyone to live for."
"Then you must find a reason to live. You'll regret not living your life. Not finding the guy and having a family but come we do not have long."
Her mother turned around and started walking. Lucy followed.
"Every celestial spirit who ever lived, is here. Since we use magic that involves another dimension, we are trapped here and can't go to the place where other people go."
People started appearing around them. Some were young and others were old. Their clothing fashion differed and you could see that they were from different timelines.
"The heartfilia clan was famous for their strong celestial spirits and still is if I look at you." Layla smiled proudly at her daughter.
"But about 400 years ago, our ancestor started something. Something our clan had to finish. I had to finish. I can't tell you what it is but it's the reason I died."
Lucy's eyes widened.
Layla nodded and stared at something else. She felt the pain returning. The sadness she had felt when she found out that it would cost her her life.
"I don't regret doing it. I may have saved thousands of people's lives. But I regret not seeing you grow up."
Lucy nodded, biting back the tears she knew that she understood. She understood why her mother did what she did and she knew that she would have done the same.
"But there's another reason why you should live. There is a war coming and you may be the only one to stop it. You need to prepare yourself and get stronger...You need to become the strongest celestial mage who ever lived. We all will teach you everything we know and you need to gather more keys."
The sky turned lighter into a soft red color. It was almost dawn. The celestail mages looked up.
"Quickly we need to get you back to your body." Lucy and Layla ran back to where Lucy's body was laying.
"Lay down Lucy."
"But mom.."
"Hurry Lucy! When the sun rises you'll be trapped here forever."
Lucy did what she was told.
Layla grasped Lucy's hand and hurriedly placed a silver necklace with a red-black crytal on Lucy's palm.
"This will allow you to enter this place. I love you."
"I love you too mom."
Lucy closed her eyes and she could feel the pain coming back. But she fought against the pain.
The sun rised.