8 days had passed since Natsu and Happy had left for the town of Primrose. It wasn't unusual for their disappearances to last for awhile, considering last time they disappeared for a year. However they almost never overran their deadlines.
"jeez where are you two" Lucy mumbled, mainly to herself and no one else.
She was sitting at a table with Erza, Gray, Gajeel, and Levy. The bluenette noticed her bestfriend excitedly look towards the guild's doors everytime it opened, only to be dissapointed in not finding a pink-haired dragon slayer walk in.
"I'm sure they're fine Lu, they did say it would take a week or so." Lucy didn't notice Levy was watching her and blushed in embarassment. "I-It's not like I'm worried or anything." "Yeah sure blondie" Gray teased. "Natsu is a very capable mage, I'm sure he's fine." Erza mentioned. That's so like you to say that Erza.
They all saw the dejected look on her face, and nodded in unison. "Alright we're going on a job!" Gray exclaimed. "W-what?! What about Natsu and Happy?" Lucy asked in bewilderment. "I don't think they'll mind if we went on one while they were gone." Erza stated. "Well, it is pretty boring without the firecacker here" Gray quipped. Lucy looked at him surprised and smiled a little when he was looking away with a tiny blush.
"Juvia will replace him while he's gone!" The water mage squealed as she grabbed Gray's arm.
"Jeez okay, but get off me will ya!"
They decided on an easy job to hunt down some thieves in a town not far from Magnolia. "We'll be back in 3 days, they should be back by then" The requip mage spoke. I hope they are, she thought to herself.
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"Is that everyone?" The man asked, yelling down from the cliff. "Yes! We searched all the cars and found everyone!" Another replied from the bottom.
Recovery efforts went fairly smoothly as they found the passengers of the train. Most had broken bokes, concussions, bruises and scrapes, although not everyone made it through. 9 people were killed in the crash, most from blunt force trauma. The mayor of Primrose made a declaration for the townfolk to care for the injured in their own home due to only having a small hospital outpost near them.
Word was sent to Magnolia where the train originated from, although it would take several more days by horseback to reach the distant city.
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A few days later*
The four mages had finished their job with little trouble and were heading back into Magnolia. The travelling took a toll on them, so they all decided to meet up at the guild later.
Lucy stopped by the market and got a new perfume and bought some makeup. She head into her apartment where she set the items down and decided to freshen up and change before heading to the guild.
An hour passed and she spritzed some perfume on her neck and wrists, look around to see if she was forgetting anything, and exited her place. The walk to Fairy Tail would take around 10 minutes so she watched families and visitors as she strode through the street.
She was feeling anxious, going over the words in her head. Natsu... I like you.. like? Should I say like? love?? Her face blushed at that last word. Do I love him?... I-I think... I do... but does he love me?
She could now see the guild and the nearer she got, the faster her heart beat, her breathing became ragged. Oh god am I gonna be able to do this? Mom... please give me strength, she prayed.
The blonde opened the doors and walked in, preparing to be mauled by the blue feline, but she was only met with the rowdy guild fighting over something unimportant. Looking in the fight, she couldn't catch his signature pink hair anywhere. She walked towards the bar and sat at a stool. "Hey Mira, is Natsu back?" The Take-Over mage looked up from her duties, "I don't think so, why?" Lucy's determination wavered and she thought how long it'd been since they left. Where the hell are they? How long has it been? 11 days. It's been too long. "It's been 11 days! Shouldn't they be back already!" She said wide-eyed. "You're righ, they shou-"
"TERRIBLE NEWS!" Wakaba yelled as he ran through the doors. Everyone stopped their fighting when he got their attention. "What happened?" A few mages asked.
"A train near Primrose crashed! A bunch of people died!" Primrose? Wasn't that wher- Lucy's heart sunk. Is he okay? Is Happy okay? Oh shit oh shit I have to go to them. The blonde abruptly stood up, startling Mira. "Oh god... Natsu..." Lucy whispered with tears in her eyes. Makarov leaned over the rail. "Everyone! Natsu was near the town of Primrose doing a favor for the mayor. They should be fine with him there!" That did little to comfort Lucy's heart.
She ran out of the guild as Erza and Mira called after her, confused. Please tell me he didn't take the train... please. She ran towards the train station where she ran up to the ticket booth. "Did a pink-haired man and blue talking cat buy tickets here over a week ago?" The attendant looked up, "Oh Natsu and Happy? Yeah, they did, although I thought Natsu hated trains." Lucy hadn't heard the last part because everything around her drowned out when she heard they took it.
Lucy ran back to the guild where she barged in, getting surprised looks.
"Th-they took the train..." She whimpered with tears in her eyes "Natsu and Happy took the train." "WHAT? Are they okay?!" The whole guild asked simultaneously. Makarov was talking to Mira when he heard Lucy and his heart stopped. His child was possibly hurt. "FAIRY TAIL! WE'RE HEADING TO PRIMROSE. WE LEAVE IN ONE HOUR!" The members were tearing up at the though of Natsu and Happy being gone.
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A few members stayed back in Magnolia to watch over the guildhall, but they sent their regards. Gray, Erza Gajeel, Levy, Master, Lisanna, Elfman, Romeo, Wendy, and multiple other members were travelling as a group. The overall mood of the group was somber, most walked with their heads down.
Lucy had cried all the tears her eyes could produce. Empty sobs racked her body as Lisanna and Levy did their best to whisper encouraging words to her and rub the blonde's back.
It would be awhile before they arrived.
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2 days passed as the group travelled from Magnolia to Primrose. When they could see the town in the distance, they picked up the pace. Some were anxious, some were nervous, others depressed. But they all were hoping for the best.
They reached the mayor's building and Makarov walked into his office. "Where is he?" The mayor of Primrose looked up, "Who? Who are you? I can't tell you with the proper authentication." Makarov began to raise his voice and transform as his impatience grew when Erza stepped in. "The man with pink hair, where is he? We're his guild." "Oh you mean him. Very well. I'll show you where he is."
The mayor led them to a small house a few minutes from his office. "That man is in here, but he's not in good condition. I'll let you see for yourself. My condolences." He said as he walked away, leaving the group there, a cloak of depression covering them.
The first person to break the silence was Lucy. "I'm going in first." They all nodded in agreement.
She walked up too the door while her body trembled. What would she find inside? Will you be the same Natsu I've come to love? With shaky hands, she knocked on the door and waited a few seconds until an elderly lady opened the door. "Hello, I'm Lucy Heartfilia." She held out a hand, "that man in there is my teammate and these are his guildmates." She pointed out the group hanging around behind her. "Ah I see, why don't you come in darling." The old woman said as she shook her hand. "He's in the other room." She led Lucy to a back room where the door was closed, their hands still together.
When they reached the door, the lady turned and mentioned, "We've done our best to care for your handsome boyfriend. He's inside. My names Lilith." The old woman squeezed Lucy's shoulder as she walked away to leave the two alone.
Lucy's heart was pounding out of her chest and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. Oh god Natsu, Happy, please be okay, she thought as he hand grabbed the knob and turned it, walking inside the candle-lit room.