Traveling With a Lonely Immortal

WARNING: This was not beta read; I only proofread this! (Sorry for errors you may find)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.

Lucy admired the night sky pensively, the color of raven and splattered with sparkling silver. The weather was neither warm nor cold, but something in the middle. The air wasn't too strong but it wasn't that weak either. It was a quiet evening. Although to some it could be their last and to others their first, to them it was their peace.

The sensation of his ebony hair slipping between her fingers was her peace. Along with his head on her lap, the strongest mage in the world sound asleep right in front of her. It was a sight to behold, really. But to her it was now always like this. During restless nights and stopovers, he would take naps. Sometimes they would last forever. Sometimes only a few minutes. But either way, it was relaxing, watching him in this serene moment. It was almost hypnotic.

Tenrou Island was tranquil for the first time since they returned, perhaps preparing for the chaos that would ensue for the following days. She was thankful though. Zeref was incredibly drained from talking to his comrades in the other continent and his curse. It was taking a toll on him.

While Zeref was stirring awake, Lucy waited for their eyes to meet. And when they did, they both smiled. "Hey," she whispered, brushing away his bangs from his face. "Had a nice nap?"

"I did," he reassured, staring past her and at the stars.

"Are you excited to meet your brother again?" Lucy questioned gently. She didn't know if it was fine to remind him but she wanted to know. Because if he wasn't ready yet then she would pull him away, right now, at this very moment, and they would resume traveling places they had already visited before.

Zeref sighed sadly. "I think so," he mumbled back, his eyes shining with the reflection of the midnight sky. "I've waited 400 years to meet him again and I can't turn back now."

Puzzled, she asked, "Why?"

"I…" he trailed off, anxious. He couldn't tell her. Not now, when the moment was too perfect for him to ruin. "I can't say yet."

Smiling sadly, she could only nod. She respected whatever secrets he had, as long as they weren't too big. Maybe he wanted Natsu to join them and he didn't want her to be uncomfortable. But truthfully, she was fine with that. She wanted him to be happy after all.

Zeref closed his eyes and turned to his side, whispering an inaudible apology for Lucy. He had never felt this hesitant to tell her that he still wanted to die. It wasn't an easy topic to suddenly mention, but it was important. She needed to know. And yet he couldn't—he didn't want to break her heart.

He loved her too much to do that.

安

The ground thundered with the events of the S-Class Trial. Together they waited for Natsu to stumble upon them, several feet away from each other. The area around Zeref was dark—withered and void of life. While Lucy sat beneath the brightest tree, shadowing herself from the searing heat of the blazing sun. Even without him saying it, she knew he wanted her close to him where he could easily grab onto her and teleport them if things went out of hand.

Listening to the fiery cries of the members of Fairy Tail, she found herself imagining what it would be like if she was with them instead of Zeref. Lucy didn't regret staying with him—she was fond of him in more ways than one, although she would never tell him, but she could tell that the guild had an unbreakable bond. Anyone would be able to tell as much.

"Lucy."

"Yeah?" she replied, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"If ever we get separated… and you're in danger," Zeref started, not breaking eye-contact. "I know you're strong and I trust you, but if you can't move anymore, just say my name and I'll get you out of there. Okay?"

Lucy pressed her lips together and nodded. "Yeah, okay." Unconsciously, her hand reached up to touch the mark on the back of her neck. It was Zeref's. She asked him to give her one so he would always be able to find her. On some days, it felt intimate, like perhaps this was a mark that one would only give to his lover. And to be honest, that didn't sound so bad. To be his, she didn't mind that at all.

She shook her head and cleared her thoughts, swallowing nervously. She couldn't be his. It was impossible—her life was merely a second compared to his endless one. And why would he want to be hers? They weren't anything special. They were only together due to circumstances.

Yeah. What was she even thinking?

Amidst her thoughts, a loud crash resounded and their heads snapped towards the direction. Someone had fallen off the path. After some time, all they could hear was loud bickering.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? That thing from before was a tactic to throw Mira off her guard! An act! I sure hope you didn't start thinking that I had a thing for you!"

"…Not even for a second. But I am thankful. That was one excellent underhanded plan you thought up."

"Don't call it underhanded."

Raising an eyebrow, Lucy nudged her head towards the sound of the voices, gesturing Zeref to move. He sighed, pushing himself to stand. He wanted it to seem like he was surprised to see anyone on the island so he walked into the scene of two Fairy Tail mages sitting in front of each other.

He blinked in confusion. "People? On this island, people?" He felt Lucy approach him. "And I'd thought there wouldn't be anyone at this place."

The man with white hair got into a stance, eyes narrowing angrily. "Who the hell are you?"

"Only the members of our guild can enter here!" the woman added, glaring at Lucy and Zeref.

"We… didn't know," Lucy lied smoothly, hand falling on his shoulder. She didn't know how long they were supposed to keep this ruse up and when Natsu would come, so she had no choice but to back him up. "I didn't think this island would be run by a guild."

The man growled. "Hey, you!" he snapped, moving forward when Zeref suddenly clutched his head in agony.

"Lucy," he rasped in pain. "Stay back!"

Eyes widening, she turned to the two mages in front of them and realized that she couldn't save them. Gritting her teeth, she could only scream, "Both of you, get away from him!"

Frozen stiff, they all watched as a black miasma surrounded the dark mage. It quickly grew—bigger and bigger, crushing the leaves that were falling around him and reaching further towards the Fairy Tail mages.

Lucy closed her eyes in fear, not wanting to see them die.

"Get down!"

Startled, she looked up and saw a familiar pink-haired boy jump down from the path to push his two friends to the ground. The curse went past them and Lucy had to turn back around to hide from it, pulling the hood of her cloak tighter over her face. When the magic deactivated, she jumped out of her hiding spot and stood beside Zeref. Her knees trembled as she held onto his robes.

"Natsu…" he whispered, tears falling down his cheeks.

The said boy glared at him, growling. "Who are you?!"

"Natsu, why are you here?" the woman asked him, and it was immediately followed by the white-haired man who he then called Elfman and Evergreen. Soon enough Lucy saw Happy flying towards them.

"Weren't we going to the top?!"

"I don't really know what's going on, but I've got a creepy feeling…" Natsu muttered, taking a good look at their surroundings and then at Zeref. It looked like a wasteland.

Happy frowned. "His magic did this?"

Evergreen nodded, gulping anxiously. "He doesn't seem to be your run-of-the-mill mage."

Natsu clenched his fists, knuckles turning white and sweat dripping from his temples. "I don't know who you are, but this is our guild's island! Don't get in the way of our exam!"

"You've…" Zeref paused, eyes softening at the sight of his brother. "Really grown. I've been wanting to see you, Natsu."

The dragon slayer's eyes widened and suddenly he was charging at Zeref, fist raised and ready to deliver a blow. Lucy swore beneath her breath, jumping in front of him and raising an arm to keep the black mage behind her. She stared up at Natsu with barely contained rage. His punch landed on her forearm and she hissed, digging her heels into the ground so she wouldn't be pushed back.

"And who the hell are you?!" he roared, ducking his head to look at her face. She used her other hand and pushed her hood back. He saw chocolate-colored eyes staring back at him with fury and determination.

Natsu toppled backwards in shock. "Y-You're that girl from back then!"

"Lucy, not Luigi," she said dryly. "I see you haven't changed at all."

"It's that blondie!" Happy exclaimed from behind him, flying around in circles.

Natsu shook his head. "How did you get here? And who's that guy?" he questioned, pointing at the man she was clearly trying to protect.

Lucy glared at him as she spat, "This guy is your—"

"Don't," Zeref cut off, reaching out to ruffle her head. In an instant her mind cleared and she relaxed under his touch. "It seems he's… not ready yet."

The dragon slayer scowled in return. "Ready for what?"

However, before Zeref could answer, he whimpered in pain, head dropping to his hands. Lucy turned around in alarm. "Oh no," she whispered, glancing at their surroundings. "The curse is activating again. Stand back!"

"What?!" the Fairy Tail mages cried, clearly not expecting this. Elfman and Evergreen were the first to run while Natsu and Happy remained, staring at the crumpling dark mage before them.

Lucy looked back and forth at the two mages and her companion. She fisted her hands and glared at Natsu. "What are you still doing here? Run!"

"Why should I?"

But instead of her, it was Zeref who yelled. "Run, Lucy!"

She stiffened and was ready to turn around when his hand touched her back. She screamed his name, his pained face the last thing she saw before she was teleported away.

迷

Badly injured and almost out of magic, Lucy limped her way deeper into the forest. She was bleeding from a gash on her thigh, soaking wet from the heavy rainstorm, and she didn't know where Zeref was. After Grimoire Heart's arrival, she wasn't able to contact him or call for his help since she didn't want to burden him with her troubles. But now that the battles had escalated and she was in need of treatment, she was beginning to regret her decisions.

Swallowing hard, she clutched the gold key tightly in her hand. Gate of the Goat—another gate key. She didn't know how he ended up with Zoldeo but her mother would be ecstatic if she found out that Capricorn was theirs again. She smiled sadly. If only she could tell her.

The mark on the back of her neck was pulsating with magic. If Zeref was trying to contact her now, she wouldn't be able to answer it. She was drained and if an enemy stumbled upon her now, it would surely be the end of her.

"Damn it," she whispered to herself, vision hazy as she supported herself against a tree. Where were her magic pills when she needed them?

Ah, back in the forests of Pergrande.

She closed her eyes shut and carefully lowered herself onto the grass. Once she was seated, she ripped a strip of cloth from her cloak. She eyed the wound on her thigh. It was a deep cut, and she had miniature versions of it in different parts of her body. If she was going to find Zeref, she had to first find a healer.

With unsteady fingers, she deftly wrapped the cloth around her thigh. She secured it tight, making sure to put pressure on the gash but also to stop it from bleeding any further, biting onto the collar of her cloak so she wouldn't scream. She whimpered as she released the cloth and wiped the sweat on her brow.

Lucy looked up at the pouring sky, blinking away the black dots in her sight and sucked in a deep breath. Wherever Zeref was, she hoped he was safe.

迷

He was being carried away, just stirring into consciousness when the absence of Lucy became known to him. It was blurry, but he could hear a battle occurring behind him. And with an explosion, he was thrown to the floor. The ground scraped his skin but he couldn't stand. The girl carrying him was pleading for mercy and explaining that he was their future.

Zeref wanted to laugh. Him? Their future? He was going to end that if he never found Lucy again.

"Ultear promised… If I can make it to the great world of magic, my town can go back to how it used to be," the girl spoke, her voice right next to him.

There was an amused laughter, shrill and sinful. "But the one who destroyed that town was Ultear-san!"

There was silence, apart from the man's merriment and the pitter-patter of the rain. Right—Ultear. She was the one who rendered him unconscious.

"That is… a lie…"

The god slayer continued to cackle into the storm and Zeref froze, feeling a terrible magic wash over him.

He pushed himself off the ground and breathed in shakily. "Acnologia…"

He was lifted up by the back of his robes and the man shook him. "Ha?" he questioned, brow arched.

Lucy—Lucy was missing. He needed to find her. All of a sudden he was burning with fury, and the urge to kill was growing stronger by the second. He slowly turned his head and stared at the god slayer, eyes narrowed, cold and merciless.

He felt the curse activating, death predation within his grasp. However he didn't suppress it, instead feeding it with hatred. The wave of black magic expanded around him and the Grimoire Heart mage was sucked out of his life, falling to the floor within moments. He shook with rage, his fists clenched and knuckles white. He reached out to Lucy's mark, trying to find her but he couldn't.

He drew in a shuddering breath, the anger slipping away from him. He looked at the god slayer with saddened eyes and whispered an apology.

"I didn't even know your name," he said quietly, crouching down to shut the corpse's eyes close. "One more dark moment to weigh on my conscience."

Zeref straightened and observed his surroundings. The pink-haired girl and the water mage were alive, thankfully. He managed a small smile before it quickly fell—Lucy. He needed to find Lucy.

He swallowed hard. "I had no reason to come to this age," he announced, hoping for anyone to hear. "I am not an ally to anyone. I am not an enemy to anyone. But still…"

He lifted his head and admired the weeping sky. "If an age is about to end right now," he began, eyes fluttering close. "I might awaken once again."

迷

In the midst of December, when the rain had finally ceased to pour and when the battles were already won, was the moment of fleeting happiness and hopeful peace.

"Lucy!"

She heard him.

"Lucy! Where the hell are you?!"

But she couldn't move.

"I'm…" she trailed off, gulping down her nerves as she remained frozen on the ground, gaping at the majestic creature flying before all of them. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was aware that she had to get up. She had to, despite of her aching wound and her worn-out body.

She drew in a shaky breath. "Acno—Acnologia?"

Her words were like a warning, and soon the dragon landed on the ground with a heavy crash. It bellowed so loud, she couldn't hear anything else. Its cry resonated from every corner of the island and from where she sat, she could hear Fairy Tail beginning to recognize its presence.

"No…" Lucy whispered. "Leave… the island…"

"Lucy!"

Zeref. He was calling her, but she couldn't stand, much less scream. She reached out to her mark and put the faintest bit of magic in it—I'm here, she mentally cried. I'm here.

"Run to the island!" she heard one of the fairies yell.

"Hurry! We're all going back to Fairy Tail together!"

"Run!"

A minute. There was only a minute of silence before a barrage of spells began hitting Acnologia. And Lucy swore beneath her breath, tears threatening to fall for people she had no bonds with. Only a second, before she felt Zeref materializing behind her and pulling her towards him. And only a moment of fear, as she saw the dragon take flight, mouth opening to release a blaring roar.

Zeref held her against his chest and hid her face in his robes, whispering into her ear, "Don't look, Lucy."

She could hear nothing but the rapid beating of their hearts—could feel nothing but his arms keeping them together. It was the only sense of security that she had, and yet it wasn't working. Nothing was, for with every beat of her pulse, was every memory of Fairy Tail. The guild she never knew. The guild that used to be her dream.

When he released her from his embrace, her eyes opened and she found themselves back at their campsite in the forest outside of Crocus. Lucy batted her eyelashes, aghast and rigid, her blood continuing to pound relentlessly in her ears.

"I panicked," Zeref breathed, hand pushed into his hair as he slumped against a tree. "I was supposed to teleport us back to Pergrande but—Lucy?"

She slowly raised her head and met his gaze. "They… Fairy Tail…" When he looked away, she finally let herself cry. It was quiet and short, because for some reason, the guild held a place in her heart even though she was never associated with it. The thought of their strong bond fading simply because of Acnologia, because Zeref had somewhat attracted him there—it was heartbreaking.

He pressed his lips into a firm line and said nothing. He also felt the incoming of tears but suppressed it, wanting to grieve in his own time for his brother that he supposed was now dead. Instead he ushered her to sit beside him and she did, desperately trying to overlook the flashes of pain that went up her thigh. His eyes flicked to her wounds and he frowned.

"What happened?" he murmured, reaching out to softly press two of his fingers against the severely stained cloth.

She recoiled, startled and hissing at the pain. "I was fighting one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory," she answered immediately, blinking the dots that were flying in her vision. "But I won and even got a gold key. I… I don't know how Capricorn ended in his hands because he was my mother's, but Zoldeo seemed messed up bad. I think he kind of stole the key and forced Capricorn to form a contract with him."

Zeref heaved a sigh, burying his face in her shoulder. "Sorry… I didn't want you to get hurt."

Her face flushed in embarrassment but she acted normal, running her fingers through his hair in assurance. "I-It's okay," she told him, smiling. "It can't be helped anyway."

He hummed something in reply but she didn't understand him, so she decided to let it be. He remained that way and together, they finally let themselves rest.

愛

Lucy didn't know when she started loving him.

"I think we can travel to Alvarez in a few months," he suggested, going over the maps on the table once more. "What do you say?"

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and hummed. "Sure."

It had been a few months since the disappearance of Fairy Tail. They were the talk of the countries, and they were on the headline of newspapers, spreading the information around that the best members of the strongest guild in Fiore were gone. When the gossip had finally died down and the air turned less suffocating, Lucy and Zeref returned to Pergrande. Thankfully, their campsite was untouched and none of their valuables were stolen.

They rarely talked about the incident, since it was a sensitive topic to Zeref because of Natsu. But sometimes, when she caught him tossing in his sleep from nightmares, she would wake him up and they would talk about it so she could help him cope with the loss.

On some days, Zeref was quiet. Very, very quiet. He would be lost in his thoughts, admiring the sky with a crestfallen look on his face. But it was on these days that Lucy had begun to realize that she cared for him more than a companion, for it was during these days that he sought her the most for reassurance.

"I just realized that I never asked," he announced all of a sudden, making her turn to his direction once more. "But when's your birthday, Lucy?"

She blinked, clearly not expecting the inquiry. "July first…"

Zeref's eyes widened. "That's in a few days!"

"Eh?" Lucy marveled, musingly looking up to recount the days. "Oh, it is."

And it didn't really matter much—to her, at least. The last time she celebrated her birthday was three years ago, or was it four? She wasn't exactly that keen with dates anymore, but she knew that it was a long time ago. Back when she was still a Heartfilia, she was used to grand parties. But now she appreciated the peaceful nights that she spent by herself, thanking the heavens for answering her prayers.

Thus, she didn't pay much notice to Zeref's question. Perhaps it was just a passing thought that occurred. To be fair though, she didn't know when his birthday was either—she never asked and he never told her, so maybe this was just something that would be forgotten in a few days.

It was the first of July, and Lucy wasn't even aware of it. She spent the morning doing her usual chores—making breakfast, checking their food supply, fixing Zeref's workspace (which always seemed to have more papers each day), even visiting the market to buy a new blouse—and completely forgot that it was her birthday.

While she was washing her hands by the lake, she realized that she hadn't seen Zeref all day. Since yesterday, actually. The last time she saw him was last afternoon. He had given her errands to run and promised he would be back by midnight. She had fallen asleep while waiting for him, so she simply assumed that he woke up early to leave without even announcing his arrival.

Lucy frowned and patted her hands dry on her leggings. This wasn't the first time that he went away without notice, so why was she worrying so much?

By nightfall, he was still absent. It was clear that he wouldn't be home anytime soon. She finished the dinner she cooked for the both of them and washed the pots, putting out the fire afterwards. But as she turned her back to head back into her tent, the wood behind her cracked.

She swiftly spun around, eyes widening at the sight of the flame flickering in front of her. However, it wasn't the fire that surprised her so much. It was the sight of him, clad in his usual robes, not looking any different than his accustomed guise, and the warm smile on his face that made every inch of her flush in affection.

"Y-You're home," she stammered nervously. "I, uh, ate all of our dinner already."

Zeref shook his head. "It's okay," he assured, smile widening. "Sorry for being late…"

Lucy furrowed her eyebrows, puzzled. "Why? I mean, i-it's okay, you're late sometimes anyway," she said quietly, trying her best to look at everything but him. Because for some reason, her heart wouldn't calm down.

"Lucy."

And she didn't know what made her meet his eyes—if it was the way he said her name or not—but when she did, she swore time stopped.

"Happy birthday."

Suddenly he was standing behind her once more, his hands brushing past her hair. Something small and cold touched her neck and with an inaudible click, Zeref stepped back.

Swallowing thickly, she brought trembling fingers to trace the outline of the heart-shaped gem, dangling from a silver chain. Her throat tightened with emotion and she stared at him, tears blurring her vision. "W-What is… I d-don't know what—thank you," she breathed, blinking rapidly as he cupped her cheeks to wipe away her cries of joy.

"That pendant will keep you protected from the curse," he explained softly, chuckling when she hiccupped. "This way, even if my black magic somehow reaches you, the pendant will absorb it. It will take a few days for the gem to clear again, but we'll just have to make sure that you're far away from me when I lose control again."

Lucy giggled through her tears, sniffing. "Thank you… so much," she told him, reaching up to brush away the hair on his face. "I—"

Zeref leaned in and captured her lips, bringing her closer to him as she froze. But slowly the shock faded away and she wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him nearer, wanting to feel him as the magic inside him went loose. Miasma expanded around them but he kissed her again and again, the gem turning black as it absorbed the spell.

It was exactly at this moment, when she remembered when she began loving him.

And when it was over, he took a step back to catch his breath, leaning his forehead happily against hers. "I love you," he whispered softly, warm and sincere.

Lucy laughed, disbelieving as she whispered back, "I love you too."

There are three kanjis again in this part.

安 - peace (however if misread, it can mean "cheap")
迷 - lost
愛 - love

A/N: Good news! I have decided to stretch this into five parts, yay! Oh, and I know some people are probably wondering about Zeref and why Lucy isn't dying, but really, she just steps back whenever the curse activates. Oh, and you know, some of the scenes in here are actually from the manga, I just altered it a bit since Lucy's here so they aren't a hundred percent similar. My brother kept pestering me to update, so lucky for you! It may take a while for the next one, since my muse is getting impatient and fussy from focusing on one story for far too long. This was only supposed to be a three-part one-shot!

Oh well, I hope anyways that you liked it, and please wait for the next one :) Um, I don't know what else to say. You know, this story is a bit difficult to write because so many things changed due to the fact that Lucy didn't join FT. I try to make that seem as realistic as possible, but if it doesn't look that way, then I'm sorry! I hope you still leave a review though hehe.

When is a monster not a monster?
Oh, when you love it.
— Caitlyn Siehl, Literary Sexts: A Collection of Short & Sexy Love Poems

Byee! -Anne :D

- Please support/read my other stories: Celebrity Issues, Nyctophilia, The Devil and the Assassin, Fragile, Life's Challenges, Forgotten Memories, Queen of Stars, A Love That Lasts Forever and Going Against The Current.