Protecting the Future
Those once bright brown eyes grew wide as everything around her turned white in a flash. Ten thousand dragons ravaged the land as she could hear the castle behind her crumbling. The crimson sky and the charred lands was all that was left of the once lively and mighty Fiore kingdom. Ancient beasts from the past, now flying freely in the future, laying waste to her home. One fiery behemoth took notice and took it upon itself to be her executioner. Bruised and battered, those same tearful filled eyes saw the rain of fire coming down as she simply glanced outward to a discarded arm. One with a hand that had a pink guild emblem on the back of it. Her very own.
Accepting that death had finally come to take her, she shut her eyes one last time trying to remember all her friends and adventures she had gotten to go on in this life. The temperature sky rocketed around her as the ferocious ball of fire landed on its target...only to be weakened as its size grew weaker. The fire around her was bright as it flew from all sides and was greedily absorbed. There, standing before her, was somebody she never thought she would see again after becoming separated. Void of all hope at this point, suddenly that spark became reignited after one glimpse. The spiky pink hair, the scaly checkered scarf, the mark on the side of his right shoulder. She couldn't believe it!
"Sorry to keep ya waiting Lucy...cocky lizards."
Not knowing it was still possible, a small smile graced itself upon her lips. Natsu...
The dragon, now filled with curiosity at this newcomer who managed to swallow his fire, touched down sending shock waves through the earth.
"Listen up ugly!" Natsu began pointing at the dragon who watched on, tilting its head amused. "You just picked a fight with the wrong guy!" He shouted directing the beast's crimson eyes to his shoulder which proudly displayed a red insignia.
"I'm Natsu Dragneel of the Fairy Tail guild!" Lucy's teary filled orbs couldn't help but look up to his shoulder where the guild mark lay.
"I'm a dragon slayer!" He revealed punching a fist into his palm. Growling dangerously he declared, "and I'm here to do just that!"
"They would still end up stopping Eclipse, fate has stolen that choice from them. Their future is set in stone. The one who closed the gate before will always do the same." He closed his eyes. "As long as they are alive, it is bound to happen again."
"I don't have a clue what you're going on about pal. Spill it, who's this person you're after anyway?" Natsu asked nonchalantly, but couldn't help wonder why everything seemed so off about the man.
The eerie chuckles coming from the future Rogue caught the group off-guard as they awaited a response to Natsu's question. Abruptly, his singular visible red eye opened as dark black shadows warped around his fist in a spiral.
"It's you! Lucy Heartfilia!" He shouted as he stepped forth and threw the magic blade full of dark magic towards his target. Taken back by the sudden motion, Natsu watched as the shadow dagger raced out of Rogue's hand and towards his blonde haired partner.
"Lucy!" Natsu called out in worry, finally snapping himself out of his trance, as he leaped towards the blade and tried to snatch it. By just inches, his hand missed the tip as he fell through the shadows.
Frozen in her own trance-like state, Lucy was trapped in place as she rapidly watched the blade speed towards her. Eyes as wide as saucers, she waited for the inevitable strike through her body. To her surprise, and horror, a blur of blonde hair in a black cloak jumped in front of her and took the dagger fully. Dark red spew out sloppily in front of her as Lucy watched her future self land painfully against the palace floor.
Rogue looked at the scene confused while Natsu caught his fall and turned sharply around to stare back at his friend. Wendy was in shock alongside Happy, Carla, Pantherlily, and Loke.
The crash was one of the loudest things they had ever heard, besides the black dragon Acnologia's own roar, as Lucy of the future began feeling the consequences of what she had done.
"Oh no are you okay!" Lucy yelled out, free from her daze, as she rushed to the blonde's aid.
"No!" Happy added as he began running towards the two as fast as he could. Natsu's arm hung limply at his side as his mind was trying to process everything that had happened. His face completely blank of all emotion as his figure trembled, visibly shaken at the ordeal.
"What? There are two of them? How could this be?" Rogue asked bewildered.
Lucy and Happy both reached her at the same time, as black smoke began billowing out of the wound. Lucy used her arm to prop her future self forward. "Just hang on!"
"I didn't do it. I didn't close the gate." Future Lucy stated. "I would never do that..."
"I know you didn't!" Lucy eagerly said trying to support her future self as she looked at her with worry. "I promise, I won't either no matter what! But, why? Why didn't you protect yourself!" Lucy chastised not understanding why the girl sacrificed herself.
Future Lucy smiled weakly at her present self. "You're part of my past. If you were to die, then I would die too." She explained. "In a way, dying is the only way I could live."
"Lucy..." Happy mumbled sadly as he tried to fight back the tears.
"It's so strange...I never thought I would die in my own arms you know? It's kind of comforting."
"Stop! Stop talking like that! You're gonna be okay, you're going to make it! I promise, I won't let you die!"
The stunned group really began to take notice of the situation at hand. Wendy began lightly crying as she knew that future Lucy would die.
"Can't we save her?" Pantherlily asked. "We can use healing magic!"
"I'm afraid that wound is to severe. There is nothing we can do." Carla answered dejectedly.
Future Lucy, despite the excruciating pain in her side, continued to be strong. "Don't cry, it's okay. I thought that I would never get to see my friends again, but I did one last time and that's enough to make up for the hell I've been through."
"Lucy..." Happy reached over the end of her cloak and placed his paws over her concealed arm. "Just try to hang in there, we need you." She couldn't help but smile lovingly down at him, as a mother would towards her child.
"I'm not the Lucy you know, I'm from a different time. A whole other world, there is no reason for you to cry." She reached her lone hand out, placing it on the side of his cheek. Happy grabbed it as if it were a lifeline and began sobbing against it. "The me that lives in this time, she gets to keep on living with her friends, so you don't need to be sad."
"But we are sad!" Happy's voice began growing louder as his emotions poured out of his small little body. "We don't care what world you come from, because no matter what anybody says you're still our Lucy!" Tears ran down his face, as the temperature around them began to gradually increase. "You're our friend and we love you! We don't ever want to lose you, so of course we're sad how could we not be!" He finished as he fully enveloped her arm with his paws while future Lucy consoled him as best as she could. Behind them, Natsu's fidgets became less and less from shock, and more from anger. His bangs shadowed his eyes as he stood there like a statue.
"Hey, could you let me see your guild mark?" Lucy looked down at her dying future self and was surprised at the request. Bringing her hand in front of her eyes, she showed off the pink Fairy Tail emblem. Future Lucy's own hand came up, placing her fingers on it as a forever ago memory resurfaced before her. The thought causing waterworks to begin themselves uncontrollably.
"Where's yours? What happen?" Lucy asked with her own tears ready to fall as she tried imagining what had happened to her future self in her own time. In a cruel twist of fate, simultaneously Lucy, future Lucy, and Natsu all experienced the exact same memory.
"Hey Natsu, look!" A much younger looking Lucy Heartfilia excitedly called out to her friend. "Mirajane just put the official Fairy Tail mark on my hand!"
Eyes still hidden from view, the increasing built up temperature was beginning to leak out as the fire dragon slayer was about to blow. Holding her comfortably in her arms, Lucy could only look at her own self in shock.
"I just wish..." Future Lucy's lessening voice expressed before she lost all feeling and her head rolled off to the side. Finally, those unshed tears Lucy had been holding back burst through the gate as they continued to fall endlessly. As if signifying the end of a challenging journey, future Lucy's hand slipped to the floor, still.
Both Lucy and Happy wailed over her body as Wendy hugged Carla and Pantherlily, while Loke stood angrily. Her final words continued to repeat itself within all of them.
"Please...protect the future."
The grieving duo continued on, while Wendy and Loke turned and watched their, now adversary, closely.
"How could she have forgotten she closed the gate?" Rogue questioned aloud incredulously.
"I don't care about your gate!" Lucy denied looking up. "I would never shut it, but you still, how could you!" She accused, her own anger revealing itself.
"You say that now, but you will. You have done it before and I know you will do it again." Rogue countered.
"I'm not going to shut the damn gate! Why do you keep accusing me? Cut it out, I haven't done anything to you!" Lucy shouted trying to defend her self.
"The gate will be closed, there is no way to prevent it! Not while you are still alive!"
"You heard my future self say that she did no such thing! Tell me, why would I lie to myself?"
Fed up with her existence, Rogue lashed out. "Her delusions are irrelvant! Every choice you think you have has been decided by fate!" Summoning the same shadowy blade that took her future self's life, he prepared to throw it, aiming to end the Heartfilia line in its tracks.
Reaching his boiling point, Natsu spun around in fury. "And I'm going to turn fate, into a pile of ashes!" Darting like a bolt of lightning, Natsu lit his fist ablaze and slammed it into Rogue. The power of the flames so intense that it forced the corrupted dragon slayer to slide backwards down the hall.
"I ain't letting anybody steal Lucy's future...not while I'm alive!" Natsu declared enraged. He couldn't help but shed a tear for his lost friend as he remembered her final statement.
Please...protect the future.
"I will, I promise!" He swore as he put himself fully between his friends and Rogue. His bangs overshadowing his right eye that began glowing a bright red, promising revenge.
As if sensing the threat, the airborne beasts began circling around and towards the fire dragon slayer. Flying wing to wing, three dragons opened their mouths and fired jet streams of flames down at Natsu. He simply smirked. Taking flight, courtesy of a rock that exploded beneath him, he jumped up while lighting himself on fire. He began shooting off different spells in his arsenal.
FIRE DRAGON's BRILLIANT FLAME! He slammed the double spheres of fire into the first dragon, doing massive damage and sending it plummeting into the earth below.
ROAR! He responded with his own breath attack just narrowly missing the second dragon. His next mark landed, however.
FIRE DRAGON's CRUSHING FANG! Coming down right on top of him, the dragon opened its jaws wide prepared to consume the pest only for Natsu to right himself mid-air, and in perfect timing, as he delivered a crushing blow that sent it flying away. He continued to duke it out, dragon after dragon, as Lucy watched on helplessly, the only sign of her friend being the explosive wakes of fire left in his path.
"Natsu! It's no use!" She called out despairingly. "Please, stop!"
Hearing her with his enhanced dragon slayer hearing abilities, he chuckled to himself after completely taking down another monster. "I ain't giving up that easily Luce! You know me better then anyone else."
Eyes tracking another dragon, Natsu was fired on from behind and engulfed in a large fireball that caught him by surprise, sending him careening into the destroyed land. "Ahh!"
"Natsu!" Lucy shouted trying to find her friend's location.
"I ain't quitting." She heard the determination written clearly in his voice. The strength and power of the Fairy Tail guild. The refusal to back down, the never ending hope. "I refuse." He picked himself up as the wind settled back down fully revealing himself. The same dragon that had nearly killed his friend and looked down on him as if he were an insect was soaring high above, then it began to charge down at him. He accepted the challenge.
"I won't run." He stated while fully standing up, glaring up at the monstrosity before him. "And I won't turn back."
Something was telling him this was it as he lit his fist ablaze. Something he had done so simply whether it was dealing with a dark mage on a job or taking down a dark guild master himself. This was the end. The ferocious roar of the fire dragon king, Igneel, could be faintly heard as Natsu set himself fully on fire. Using his flames as a boost, he once again fired himself into the sky one last time.
"Do you hear me? You're done for bastard!"
FIRE DRAGON's...
"NATSU!" Lucy cried out, tears in the corner of her eyes, as she reached out for the one closest to her despite him feeling so far away. Shining like a star in front of her, she watched in horror as the golden ball of fire disappeared in all its glory. The dragon chomped down on the heart of Fairy Tail, before it too exploded from the inside leaving neither combatant the victor.
Growling, Natsu watched Rogue shoot backwards giving him the opening he needed. Turning his head lightly to the side he glanced back at Lucy and the rest of his friends. "Lucy, get out of here right now." He demanded.
Lucy looked at him sadly. "I can't." She looked down at her future self's body, no longer moving. She was truly gone.
Knowing she needed support, Loke came up behind her offering his hand to her. "Natsu's got this, let's go." She continued to battle herself, before Loke decided for her and grabbed her hand taking her with him. Seeing Happy, Wendy and the rest of their gang departing, Lucy and Loke followed them leaving Natsu to face off against Rogue alone.
Gathering his bearings, Rogue marched off after them. "You're not going anywhere!" He ordered. Once more he was met with a fiery punch from a hateful Natsu who slammed into him head on, sending Rogue into the floor.
"Natsu Dragneel-" Rogue was unable to finish his speech as once again the fire dragon slayer's fists rammed through him catching on fire as they slid further back. His full intentions, were to gain ground between them and the rest of their group. The decreasing distance he saw of Lucy and the rest caused him to lightly smile.
Looking back to their former location, Lucy whimpered for both her deceased future self and lively fiery comrade. Please, be safe Natsu.
Natsu's smirk widened as he held his fists out in front of him wanting to pound the murder in. He hurt Lucy, and for that he is going to pay!
"I never once doubted you'd try to stop me." An echoey voice spoke, which quickly revealed itself to be Rogue's. Rising back up, now lit entirely with shadows around him, he shrugged. "Oh well. It doesn't really matter, because your fate is already sealed." Turning completely into a shadow, he shot towards the palace wall and begin using the ceiling as his pathway to get by Natsu.
"Even if you manage to defeat me, the dragons will still kill you." He ominously added as his shadow passed above Natsu.
"Bastard, I didn't pay you for a butcher." He stated as he watched the shadow switch to the side of the wall.
"Time changes a person." Rogue revealed as he shot off the wall and was behind Natsu back in his human flesh. "Unfortunately for you...time is limited!"
Shadows began surrounding Natsu who crossed his arms and forced his stance up, as he began fueling off all the rage inside of him. The shadows vanished as he stared at the floor. "Your mistake Rogue...was taking something very precious to me...right before my eyes."
"What?" Rogue asked uncertain still surrounded in his own shadows. Natsu continued looking down, the wrath in his voice increasing by every word.
"I don't like the way you do things. I promised her. I'm going to protect the future." He finally looked up, glaring the man down. "And I'll do it my way!" Natsu proclaimed as fire shot off him.
"A duel between dragon slayers, what is this round two? It doesn't matter I am sure to win!" Rogue smirked evilly.
"Just shut up and fight." Natsu growled.
Fire and shadows clashed, one led by rage, and the other guided by determination. Both dragon slayers were sent backwards, neither one able to become the dominant force. Flaring up with his shadow powers, Rogue disappeared back into the floor, before shooting back up the wall and onto the ceiling. Natsu looked around trying to pinpoint where Rogue would pop out from, only to be shocked as underneath him became a cloak of darkness. He tried to shield himself like earlier, but the point black range was proving too much for even him to fight off. Laughing to himself, Rogue sent a shadow attack and blasted the dragon slayer backwards giving him a little taste of his own medicine.
"Question for ya...did you really come here to save the future?" Natsu gasped out while on his knees trying to recover his magical power. Rogue flinched back on instinct at the man's smile. He stood back up. "My nose is telling me you're nothing but evil!" Rogue responded with a grin of his own, this one being more sinister.
The ground began rumbling as parts of the walls and ceiling began collapsing in on itself. "What's that sound?" Natsu asked looking around trying to figure out what causing such a massive commotion.
"The Eclipse..." Rogue began darkly laughing in front of him. "IT IS FINALLY OPENING!" Righting his mind, Natsu watched as Rogue flashed at him in a spiral. "Even without killing Lucy Heartfilia, time moves forward!"
Quickly raising his arms to block, Natsu summoned enough fire to shield most of himself from the attack. However, it wasn't enough to dispel it, forcing him to have to try and withstand it.
"But still, she will get in the way of things without fail!" With added fire, Natsu finally broke the barrier and sent them both away from one another. "She will close the gate! It's set in stone!" Rogue, now in his own anger, sent bullet like projectiles made of his shadows directly at the dragon slayer.
"No way she would ever do something like that! I know Lucy, a hell of a lot better then you! I know she would never destroy our future!" Lighting his hands on fire again, he blocked the shadow bullets and went after Rogue.
"Move aside!" Rogue ordered, flaring up a shadow like shuriken in his palm before launching it at his opponent. With no where to dodge, Natsu was forced to take it in full force as he roared in pain. "I will end her life, and you can't stop me!" He smugly grinned.
Breaking out, Natsu back flipped himself onto the ceiling before throwing himself off it and back onto Rogue. "No you won't touch her!" Spreading his arms wide, suddenly both fire and lightning began bursting off the dragon slayer. "Change mode..."
LIGHTNING FIRE DRAGON! Exploding in both fire and sparks, Natsu bolted right towards Rogue harshly. The dragon inside...it was wanting out. Backed by a swirling amount of flames, a bolt of lightning electrocuted Rogue as if it were a missile. Only, using his forearm to block it...Rogue was unscathed!
"Is this the power you have hidden from me all those years ago?" He questioned amazed as his right shoulder sleeve was torn completely off. Seeing Natsu's other hand about to deliver a devastating blow, his revealed eye began glowing a dark bluish black. Natsu jumped back sensing the change in power, as half of Rogue's black hair turned white.
WHITE SHADOW DRAGON! Natsu's eyes went wide at the familiarly of that spell. He didn't have much time to think on how Rogue had ability to use that type of power, however as he took a shot to the chest from the future man in his new form.
"At last...light and dark working together as one." The new and improved Rogue spread his own arms wide mimicking Natsu's former movements as he shot fourth his hand.
WHITE SHADOW DRAGON's SILK! Thin projectiles of light and darkness bombarded the dragon slayer who had no time to avoid and roared out from the hits. Pieces of the wall and ceiling began being destroyed by the velocity of the spell as Natsu continued to take blow after blow. He was finally thrown back as he landed with a small thud against the palace floor.
"White...shadow?" Natsu asked fighting through the pain. His adrenaline was all over the place and he could barely think straight.
Rogue darkly chuckled as he rose his now blackened right arm. "I took Sting's powers when I ended his life." He ignored the glare he was receiving in that moment. "It wasn't easy, but it was absolutely necessary. In retrospect, I should of honestly done it sooner."
"Amazing, I knew you were all about darkness, but I had no idea you cared so little about life!" Natsu accused as he began feeling some of his fire rekindling before it snuffed itself forcefully. Another powerful combined light and shadow attack had him on the verge of unconsciousness as he fought to stay awake. It was a losing battle, as he slowly started losing his vision, the last of his sight being a smug looking Rogue.
"Well, now you know...and you can take that with you to the grave!" Rogue evilly revealed his plan as he once more lit himself up in his white-shadow mode. Only, his eyes began to grow wider as he realized some sort of new transformation taking place and his mode access had been closed off.
"Sorry pal, I just got word you've already received a free trip there. I'm just the one who is going to aid you and help make it happen!" Natsu's figure became engulfed in an inferno of crimson flames as Rogue listened to the fire dragon slayer's voice change. Not a change in tone, but more, personality.
"Who the hell are you!" Rogue shouted keeping himself on high alert at the extraordinary boost of power.
"Just somebody trying to keep my vessel alive. I want to thank you personally by the way." Natsu's new form stated as he walked out of the dying inferno and now had bright red eyes and two small horns sticking out of his spiky pink hair.
"Thank me for what?" Rogue asked slowly dropping his guard.
"For bringing him so close to death, that I could take control and end your life myself." They replied as in a flash of fire, Rogue was sent hurdling into the castle walls brutally. Not even giving the white-shadow mage time to recover, they once again buried him in a sphere of fire as Rogue had to put everything into his magic to not be burnt into a crisp.
"See how bad you're struggling?" They darkly chuckled. "This isn't even a fourth of my power, human."
Rogue took notice of that jab and fired back with his own. "Human?" He laughed at the insult.
"Are you implying that you aren't human? What are you then?"
"That's none of your concern."
"That must be why Natsu Dragneel is so strong then, he's not even human!" Rogue greedily began speaking to himself aloud. "We're close in magical strength, I would even say I am stronger then him now. If I can beat you and kill him, then I can control both of your powers!"
Before he could comprehend it, the full might of whatever was controlling the former fire dragon slayer, had him by the throat with a fire sword in his hand. "How dare you compare yourself to us. You dare believe you can kill me and take my power, mortal?"
Despite the increasing amount of doom, Rogue hastily nodded. "I know I can, nothing in this world is unbeatable! Natsu Dragneel has proven that! I will discard you and him and-"
"Then I will end your fantasies here and now!"
Raising the flaming sword for the fatal strike, the mysterious power that held command over the dragon slayer began wavering.
"What's happening?" Rogue asked curiously.
"She draws near..." The monster holding him growled before throwing Rogue through the castle wall as he went flying into the night sky. "You lucked out human...you better hope I don't gain control again against you." The dark voice lessened before it finally succumbed into its dormant state as Natsu fell onto his back unmoving.
The castle was caving in on itself, but she didn't care. She had to reach him! Reaching the corridor they had ran away from, she returned to it determined to make sure her friend was alright. She refused to lose both of them!
"NATSU!" Lucy called out as she spotted him still in the center of the blast zone. Dodging falling debris, she and Loke dragged him away to safety. Certain it was okay, they propped him against the wall as Lucy tended to him. She began straining herself as she fought to urge to fall asleep. Loke easily noticed it and planted a hand on her shoulder in support.
"Let me head back Lucy so you can regain some of your power." Lucy wanted to shake her head disapprovingly, but knew she needed him to go back to the Celestial Spirit realm. "Fix him up then meet with the rest of us at the gate. We don't know what to expect at this point and hopefully Princess Hisui and Arcadios will listen to us this time."
"Alright." Lucy agreed, although stubbornly. "See you soon."
"Be safe Lucy."
"I will." With a flash, Loke disappeared leaving her alone with the battle beaten fire dragon slayer. As she tended to his bruised face, she couldn't help but notice two small horns protruding from his hair. She blinked her eyes, and when she looked at that same spot, the two horns had vanished.
Did I imagine that?
Lucy continued patching her boneheaded friend up as she tried healing his chest wound. It would leave a big scar, but she was sure he wouldn't mind to much. He had plenty of them and she was certain he would continue to gather them as if they were his own personal collection. It corresponded rather well with his room full of memorabilia to be honest. "What did you go through back there Natsu?" She asked sadly while wrapping the bandage around him.
"Nothing to worry about." A raspy voice caught her attention as she looked up and was shocking to see bright onyx orbs staring back at her. "I'm glad you're alright Lucy." Unable to prevent it, Lucy tightly wrapped her arms around his torso as she squeezed him, making sure she was gentle with his injuries.
"Thank you..." She whispered against him before pulling away and seeing his conflicted state.
"I thought I told you to run away though?" He looked at her quizzically. "Lucy..."
"I couldn't help it okay! Future me's death gave me crazy thoughts and so I came back to make sure you were alright dummy!" She pouted in protest smacking him on top of his head.
"Well I'm as good as new now, thanks to you!" He cheered causing her to smile.
"So, did you beat him?" Lucy asked wondering if he had been successful or not. She was a little put off as Natsu seemed to look at her distantly. "Natsu?"
"Well...not exactly. In truth, I don't really know where he went." Or how the fight ended for that matter.
"WHAT?" Lucy asked standing up and then looking down at him accusingly. "Natsu what did you do with him!"
"Nothing-I swear, at least I don't think I did anything?" He jumped up and countered her stare with one of his own. A few seconds passed and the duo burst into laughter despite the uncertainty building around them and their future.
"I think we should get back with the others." Lucy stated before she began to lightly blush at the intense stare the dragon slayer was giving her. "W-What Natsu?"
His expression lightened as he gave her his signature grin and chuckled. "I want you to know that I meant what I said back there. Every single word." Shocked, she allowed him to draw her close as she rest her head against his shoulder. "As long as I am alive, not a single thing will be stealing your future before it can be completed. Kind of like that story you've been trying to write, ya know?"
Lucy wondered if the dragon slayer had more to say, the tension between them was so tight...
"Well, let's go regroup with the others!" Natsu cheerily decided as he grabbed her hand and dragged her along with him. Lucy whined in frustration as she cutely pouted.
Why do you always play with my heart like you do, but at the same time...I don't mind. I'm just so glad you're still here with me. I can't imagine having to go through a future without you, Natsu.
Her eyes slowly opened, as if they had been closed for an eternity. The golden grasslands, much brighter then her blonde hair, expanded in every direction and went out to almost anywhere. The sky was blue, vastly different then the blood red she had been forced to endure. She slowly rose up, realizing she had been resting on a hill.
"What was that?" She wondered to herself surprised. "A dream?"
She finally took notice of her right hand as she instantly brought it close towards her. She turned it around and saw the pink insignia of the Fairy Tail guild stamped on it and lovingly cherished it once more as she closed her eyes. Taking a few breaths, she reopened them expecting to be in another nightmare, only to be astonished as she continued seeing the golden fields around her and the beautiful blue sky above. Standing up, she looked around at the vast open area around her and could only wonder where she was. She took a few steps looking for a place to a go, when a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Hey, Lucy!" They called out to her. She turned around wondering who had said her name and noticed the many silhouettes before her. "Would you get over here already?"
"Everyone's been waiting on you!" Another voice cheered happily as Lucy continued looking back at them. Suddenly, she took notice of their appearance as she gasped. Tears began to build themselves in the corner of her eyes as she couldn't believe what she was seeing. With a chuckle, Natsu in his full colorful glory ran down the hill and held out his hand to her.
"Come on, we still have adventures to go on!" He explained as his scarf flew behind him mightily in the wind. Lucy finally blinked her eyes as long tearful nights and hellish nightmares were finally over. She was free.
"Yea!" Lucy dazedly nodded, continuing to cry at seeing her lovable dragon slayer, the one from her timeline, alive and well. She grabbed his hand and he took it as if she were a princess, his princess, pulling her behind him and smiling back at her all the way. Happy flew next to them as the original gang had formed back together and they ran up to an awaiting and lively Fairy Tail.