Authors Note:

Thank you to all who follow and like this story! I really want you to enjoy this story as much as I enjoy bringing it to life. Your support is wonderful and appreciated.

Also, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope this year is more fruitful then the last for each of you.


Fairy Tail Fanfic

Disclaimer: I won this story.

Chapter 2: At First Light

Sleep didn't come easy for either of them.

Both trying to find solace in each other's presence, but even with it, sleep was restless. And no matter how they borrowed into one another it wasn't enough to scare away the dark thoughts that hallowed out their subconscious minds. The ifs, buts, and maybe's that something will change and will wake to only remember a bad dream.

When Lucy slept, the blonde remembered the days before the wall grew around them in a protective embrace. The openness of wilderness and oblivion. The beauty of open fields, small town, long winding roads … and now, the thought of being in an open space and so bare and exposed sent a spike of fear down her spin. Towns were threats, death hiding around a corner or winding path. The uncertainty to explore and investigate churned her insides.

No one knew when the Outbreak started, but once it begun to spread the infection was ravenous amongst a dense population. It was a rumour at the beginning. Starting somewhere faraway and insignificant like a bad folktale, told like a campfire story to small children had grown into a powerful nightmare. It had taken small towns and villages. The disease had begun to take on larger cities before defences were put in places.

Everyone fought them. Mages as their best defence and quickly their worst when they realised how magic attracted them. Lucy visualises Magic like it's a lightbulb. The more power it had, the brighter it was, the more flesh-eating moths were drawn to it.

When Natsu dreamt. He remembers his adoptive father, somewhere far and safe. Maybe on top of a high mountain that hid in the clouds. He thought of Lucy, far away and out of reach his reach. She was like a phantom limb that was no longer at his side.

When dawn was close to breaking over the sky, the dragon slayer carefully untangled himself from his companion and lifted slowly off the bed. Eyeing Lucy carefully, the pinkette listened to steadiness of her breathing.

Yes, she is still asleep. He thought. Moving around the room, he pulled his vest on and left the apartment. Light on the verge of bleeding over the sky, he jumped from the window.

When Lucy woke, she was alone. Patting besides her she felt the residual warmth leaving the bed. Blaringly, Lucy looked around.

"Natsu?"

Silence was stiff in the room.

Wordlessly, Lucy moved around the room and grabbed her mission go-bag that was now stuck far under the bed. A pang of pain beat in her chest.

Lucy turned to look at her room. It looked alien at this time, unfamiliar. Lucy made her way to the Guild. The soft tumble of water in the cannel was comforting as it guided her to towards Fairy Tail. Erza, Gray, Master, and Mirajane all stood out front of the Guild.

Gray grinned at her arrival, "I'm surprised you made it here, Lucy. I honestly thought Natsu would have tried to trap you inside your house like Rapunzel."

"Of course, Natsu being a dragon would want to protect his treasure." Erza smirked as Lucy's face grew red.

Mira played coy; a slender finger pressed to her lower lip. "That would make some great role play!"

"Guys!"

Laughing at her expense Lucy huffed and looked away, her cheeks growing red.

"What are we waiting for?"

"The horse drawn carriage to arrive at the gates – magical vehicles are out. Something I'm sure squinty eyes won't miss." The ice-mage studied her, taking in her rumpled appearance. Freshly rolled out of bed.

The Take-over mage stepped towards Lucy, reaching to adjust the younger mages scarf around her neck. Lowly she spoke. "Natsu is in the Guild, I don't think he wants to miss you leaving." Without elaborating she stepped back into her former spot.

"Huh?" But Mira's eyes only twinkled back. "I'll be right back guys." And darted in the Guild.

Inside Natsu was just a few feet behind the door. Immediately Lucy smacked him in the shoulder.

"Why did you leave me?" she hissed, smacking him again. "I thought you weren't going to say goodbye to me."

"Ow! A little uncalled for don't ya think? No need to smack. I had to do something." Lucy just noticed he was gently protecting something under his vest.

"I woke up alone what did you think I was going to think?"

His lips twitched upwards. "Have some faith in me."

Crossing her arms, she eyed his chest. "What have you got there?"

"I have something," Pulling out one small Lacrima he handed it to Lucy, it wasn't as good as the bigger versions, so the quality lacked more then he would have liked, but it was the best he could find.

Lucy gasped, "These could get you in trouble, Natsu!" she didn't sound mad, but impressed, "No one is allowed Lacrima's anymore, magic items in use attract the Inflicted."

Natsu nodded, "I have two. One for you, and one for me. This way I can know if everyone is okay, and you can call me if you ever need help. Promise me that."

"I promise. Where did you find some? Have you been hiding some in secret?"

Natsu smirked, "Mira has been hiding some in the guild. Remember when the outbreak started and the guards had been ordered to take away anything that had magic, because they realized it attracted the Inflicted? Well, Mira managed to hide some from them, for reasons like this."

"That's smart of her," Lucy said in awe. Lucy almost lost her keys that day as well, since it was external sense of magic, it could be physically taken off her. Lucy had to appeal to keep them to the small city council. Lucy had never been so envious of body-holder magic in life, people who had magic internally.

"But these are cheap ones. So, don't use it unless you really have to. Your Lacrima can only call mine and the guild. So, someone will always be there to answer your call."

Tears gathered in the blonde's eyes, and she leaned forward and embraced Natsu in a hug, thanking Mavis for the friends she had.

"We should head to the gates." Natsu looked at her sternly, his jaw clenched, it was an effort to restrain himself. From what he wasn't sure.

Lucy understood why Natsu had to give them to her out of sight. Not because of their guildmates, but from watchful civilian eyes.

Makarov nodded to the two approaching figures, a knowing look in his eye. Mira had told him what she did, and was glad she had done it, too. "Are you ready Lucy?"

Lucy didn't nod but gave a small smile. It was the best he would get.

Natsu looked at Lucy, grabbed her around the shoulders and brought in for another hug, for all her knew this could be the last one they could share for some time. "Remember what I said."

Lucy nodded, "Please have it with you at all times."

"I'll have it with me always."

Breaking away from each other Lucy ignored the side-eyes she was getting. Smug looks she called them, like they knew something she didn't. They headed for the gates.

Gray fell into stride with Natsu just behind the group. "Didn't think of nailing the door shut and baring the windows?"

"What do you mean?"

The Ice-maker glanced over. "To keep Lucy here, instead of out there in the dangerous world. Be her shinning white dragon –"

"You're not even making sense right now, did you trip over and hit your head?"

"Oh, you're not that dense. This must be hard for you, staying behind, especially when Lucy is doing this without you."

Natsu stopped walking. Gray knew he hit a mark and stopped to face his male rival.

"It kills that I can't be out there, I want to be out there. But if I am out there, and my magic brings down a horde on everyone …" his words drew lower. "I can't just do that."

For the first time Gray realised Natsu was trying to be sensible. Trying to think about the consequences. He had to admit, he was surprised Natsu had submitted so fast to Master yesterday. He was dubious the Fire Mage actually intended to stay behind.

Natsu continued. "And Lucy doesn't need me to feel safe. She's strong, and she has you guys. That's the best I could ask for."

Gray felt a twinge of guilt for goading his rival.

"I suppose your right. Just make sure we can return to an intact city, please. The walls took long enough to build the first time."

The Salamander gave his signature grin. "No promises!"

The carriage sat in front of closed Gate.

"Well children, this is the end of the line. And I need you all to promise me to be on your best behaviour – and I'm not saying that because you represent the guild, or because a King asked for you to all escort him around the country. I'm asking you as grandfather who wants to see all of his children to come home in one piece. We are lucky we haven't lost any of our own to the Inflicted and I don't want to start today. Be safe and look out for one another. You are Nakama."

Despite his small statute his feelings reached them all, touching them deeply. He was never just a Master to them. This was family, and family look after one another.

Erza face softened, "I promise you that we will all come back safely. We won't fail you."

"I have to come back, who else is going to make sure Natsu doesn't cause too much trouble –"Gray promised, lightening the mood.

"Hey!" Natsu snipped back.

Master chuckled. "But you are also my brats so trying not to destroy anything … too much."

Mirajane pulled the young writer into her embrace, "I'll keep an eye on Natsu while your away. I give you my word." Pulling back slightly, Lucy wished she had a sister like Mirajane growing up who radiated a sense of comfort and safety.

"Don't let him burn now my house while I'm gone!"

"I can hear you two …" Natsu huffed.

They broke away and settled into the carriage. Gramps, Master, and Mirajane waiting for the carriage to depart. When it took off to a gentle start all the mages stomachs launched and tightened. Their first year outside the walls and all felt equally unprepared for their expedition.


The carriage sped off as fast as the horses would take them. The front of the carriage, which was usually out in the open for the driver, had a built wall around the front, protecting the driver from the elements of nature, and the Inflicted.

It started in silence, as if their words would float out of the carriage, along the glades and into the ears of their enemies. The curtains pulled back and let the small windows draw in the sunlight. The only sound that resonated was the gallop of the horse's hooves on the fresh earth.

The horses sped across the open country. They avoided any signs of populations. The small travelling bag at her feet, Lucy pulled out a thick woolly shawl Aries had made for Lucy the year before for her birthday, and wrapped the Lacrima ball inside, not wanting the rattling of the carriage to shatter it.

Erza and Gray spied the Lacrima considerately but said nothing.

Watching the scenery, the blonde released a sigh when they hit a soft grass area. The carriage stopped bumping and jerking around and smoothed out to a gentle ride. They were on a glad, Lucy realised. A long grassy area with no trees in their path.

With Mother Nature's tree line pushed back, thoughts of Inflicted jumping out from the shadows and latching onto the vehicle eased. Realising quickly that there was a drag to the carriage, Lucy slide open the window between herself and the driver, looking in front of them. There were two horses pulling the carriage.

The driver turned to look at her, "The ground seems to be softer here. The path here has been unused for a very long time. It must have rained earlier, too, it all feels soggy." The blades of grass were high and wild, the small gas light that was in the front gave little foresight in front of them.

Swallowing saliva, the celestial summoner, looked at the tree line, waiting for that spring of a body to leap out and chase them.

Lucy's anxiety showed through no matter how she tried to smooth out her features. By opposite Gray and Erza looked stoic but alert. Leaned back in the spots, their eyes watchful through their respective windows in ease. They weren't afraid of the dead. Without magic they were equally capable of standing their own.

Celestial summoners own keys and Fleuve d'étoiles whip hanged useless from her hip.

"Will we have to stop for the horses?" How long was their running duration?

"Soon. Maybe, I don't know … I'm not actually a professional coachman or whatever. I was just paid a shit load of money to do this by some council member."

It must be hard to find someone will to transport them, to brave the Inflicted. Gray thought.

Out of silence, Lucy spoke. "How much more active are the Inflicted at night?"

"Well," begun Erza. "based on our knowledge, they do appear to be more active at night but it's hard getting concrete evidence on them. They all seems to have different degrees of intellect and behaviours. Some can speak-ish. Some can observe and learn habits …"

Lucy thought of the one that had mimicked her yesterday while she patrolled.

"They fall into, like a, hyper-frenzy sort of thing. In the day, they are calmer. It's weird. And fucking creepy." Gray said, "My personal experience was earlier on, before they were this massive revelation, on a mission and came across some at night. They saw me and went berserk and the more magic I used to finish them off the crazier the others had become. I wish I had known then that Magic was a trigger."

Gray's words sent a chill down her spine. Outside, Lucy watched the world begin to go dark. Her clothes weren't enough to keep her warm. The cold latched onto her skin with icy fingers.

Lucy pulled on a thicker jumper she had rolled up in her bag.

"I bet you wished Natsu was here." The ice-mage smiled at the petite mage, "I'm sure he would be helpful right now."

Lucy levelled her eyes to Gray. "I wonder how Juvia is surviving without you, probably stalking this carriage right now to make sure her beloved Gray-sama is well and alive." She taunted back.

Gray squinted back, a ghost of a smirk on his face.

At least she didn't deny that she wished he were here. Gray inwardly grinned. It was hard watching the two pine over each other without anything coming from it.

The carriage seemed to go even slower, dragged down by the ground. "Crap!" Hissed the driver. Lucy leaned into the front of the carriage, looking ahead for a sign, a body, something with a snarling mouth.

"What is it?" Tongue like sandpaper against the roof of her mouth, and air like sawdust filling her lungs constricted her breath.

"It must have rained here recently, or more likely, flooded! Wait, look over there! A river! Curse this land, it must have flooded! The ground is almost too soft to drive through. We're sitting ducks if we don't get out of here!"

Heart thumping dangerously in her chest, Lucy put herself on patrol from the inside of the carriage, glancing out every window fretfully – as if she hadn't been doing that already.

The horses continued to pull the carriage, whining as they did so.

Travelling across the glad, it was agonisingly slow. The ground got mushier and not harder. The land in front of them seemed to stretch with no ending.


Natsu sat at the Guild. The night was still early but he couldn't return to the house on Strawberry Street, not without his friend. It was too empty of a space to fill on his own.

The Guild was always full. There was always laughter. And it was home.

"Natsu," Chirped Happy. "Has Lucy called?"

"Not yet."

"Do you think will call us soon?"

To Natsu's knowledge Lucy had never directly fought them herself.

"She will eventually, Happy."

Happy still restlessly nibbled on the bones of a fish. The blue feline was stress eating down to the bone.

But the fire mages brow furrowed. In his pocket the small Lacrima was hidden, the weight of it calling to him to pick it up and call his team. But doing so could put them in mortal danger if it signalled attention towards them.

At the bar, Lisanna sat talking with her older sister, a glum expression on her face.

"I don't know what else will work between those two, Mirajane! I've tried locking them in a room together by 'accident', I've inquired about who their interested in while their hanging out together, I've tried to set Lucy up on dates to make Natsu jealous …"

The oldest Take-over mage smiled kindly.

"They'll realise their feelings sooner or later. If one of them doesn't show some bigger intentions soon even I may give up the fantasy of the two of them together … but we just need to wait out this time."

"And now I'm trying to make Lucy jealous! The biggest reaction I've gotten is teeth grating and irritated eyebrow twitching." Clearly frustrated, "Admittedly, its better then the next-to-nothing reactions Natsu has given."

Cana sat nearby listening, grinning mischievously. "Oh, my little innocent one. Rubbing up on Natsu isn't going to cause Lucy to break. A will of steel in that fiery little heiress. I think you need a new angle."

Both sisters paused to stare at the resident drunk.

"Have suggestions, Alberona?" huffed Lisanna.

"I have a few. Simple to devious ideas. Are you willing to participate?"

Their gleaming eyes and pleased smiles were their answer.


"We can't continue on this path." Erza surveyed the land and more importantly the earth. The long grass acted as weeds in the soft ground, tangling in the wheels, and slowing the carriage down. "We're in more danger here. My map shows that if we take the right at the fork ahead we will near a town."

"We c-can't do that!" Sputtered the coachman. "We're meant to avoid towns!"

The S-class mage nodded. "I understand your concern. But I am concerned that if we get bogged overnight in a recluse location, we will be in more harms way then speedily passing a town."

Gray and Lucy looked at each other uncertainly.

"But I believe this will be the better action. We won't stop. And by morning, we will be close to the meeting point where the Kings guards will escort us the rest of the way to the capital."

The coachman weighed the two options in his head. But between the dead and the formidable woman behind him, the choice was made for him. "Fine! But if anything goes wrong –"

"Shut up and drive." Gray snapped, glaring frostily at the driver.

Snapping the reigns, the horses picked up speed and headed for the town. And in no time they seemed to arrive, all sitting rigidly in their seats.

There was a small tap on the wall between them, the coachman didn't look back to see her. "Where coming to town. Be on your guard." He didn't say anything else.

The whole way towards the town, Lucy leaned forward in her seat. Sure enough, after a little amount of time, silhouettes of building came into view. Different shades of blackness against the night sky. There was one beautiful thing Lucy found solace in the decaying nation: Stars.

The sky held more then she had ever remembered seeing. Even away from Magnolia, there seemed to be that little bit more. No lights to take away the vibrancy that the Milky way held.

"Seems …." Looking for any light sources, "Abandoned." She muttered, looking out her own window now. Checking the doors on either side of her were locked, Lucy drew the curtains almost closed, leaving a small gap in them to peak out.

Gray snuffed the small oil light out in the carriage, and routinely watched between both windows. Erza who kept at least one sword on her in the physical world gripped tightly at the hilt. She made not a sound,

The driver drifted around the edges of the town, not wanting to run into any life … or the lack of it. The sound of crickets and frogs were vaguely distinctive in the abandoned town. It was a small town, and there was no wall around it. Nothing to shield them from the dangerous infection. The people here had either escaped, or worse, turned.

The ground was harder here, thankfully, and were able to move swiftly. Even the horses were quiet.

Biting her bottom lip, Lucy fingered her keys, moving her hands around their familiar shapes. They felt warm. They were aware of her feelings, her stress.

The last time Lucy had called a spirit out, it had been Loke, explaining what was happening. The day after she almost lost her keys. Loke had understood the dangers of Lucy calling them out, and passed on the message to the other spirits. Not one had come out on their own magic. Though that was relieving, it meant they were all safe. But it was saddening.

And there was the first sign they were not alone in this town.

An unhuman screech ripped through the air.

The high-pitched wail begun a choir of others. This town was far from abandoned.


Hours to write and seconds to write a review.

Footnote:

I wanted to reveal early in the story that Lisanna is not a dating candidate for Natsu in this story. And I don't want to project a 'Evil Lisanna Narrative' on her either, especially when she is so kind spirited character. But I want to present Lisanna as a pro Nalu supporter instead. As I want to avoid bashing of her character.

Ideally a slow burn so buckle in people.

And thank you to reviewers! I loved reading them, they warm my little heart!