disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

enjoy

day five

It is the fifth day and the rain turns red and begins to melt.

The rain goes on.

Lucy watches hollowly, in her blanket fort with Natsu, as the first raindrop bores through her window and sizzles on the floor. The stray homeless man on the street explodes in a shower of blood and gore and Lucy has to cover her eyes so she won't throw up.

Happy flies to the window and peers outside, then flies back. The window has melted through. It's too late though, the rain has touched him. It's different with him. Maybe because he's an Exceed or that he's not even from this world. His body begins to melt away on the carpet. "Stop, stop Happy!" Lucy screams at him, and big fat tears of disbelief begin to roll down Natsu's face. "You're not allowed to die!" Lucy shrieks, taking a shaky step towards him.

"Don't…don't go any closer," Natsu rasps. "You're the only thing I have left. Don't you dare die on me." Lucy wails big, loud, desperate sobs that cause her whole body to shake.

"And where will we go when we're all dead? Where will we go when we are all like Happy?" she yells, throwing the keys on her belt onto the floor. What can they do for her now? Let her stay in the spirit realm? When she comes out, everything will be the same. She doesn't want to return to a world with nothing.

Happy's weak and frail voice interrupts, "Please…don't fight. Before I die, I want to see…you…be happy…" his voice dies off. "Aye…good bye, Natsu…Lucy…I'll see you in a while." Then his features fade and melt and his melted body steams off into the air. Lucy thinks that she can feel his warm presence still in the air, but it turns cold soon enough. She might be hurting now but she knows Natsu is hurting a hundred times over. Still, he gives up his own comfort to soothe her.

Natsu rocks her back and forth and whispers into her ear, comforting her. Lucy thinks his voice sounds awfully shaky. They spend the dawn watching the rain-death creep closer and closer.

What is the rest of the world doing? Hiding, like them, most likely. All they can do is sit, numbly, and wait for their deaths. Lucy lets her mind wander as she sits on her bed with her arms around her knees. At least it's warm. At least there is still light. The flame lights up the room as it dances in Natsu's palm.

The rain has long since killed the electricity. The television can no longer make the boredom go away. The lights won't turn on. The stove stopped working. The food can no longer be cooked except by the heat of Natsu's fire. She supposes she is lucky that she has Natsu nearby…even a bit of warmth and flame can bring a little more hope.

Natsu jumps off the bed and heads toward the kitchen, "I'll get something to eat for both of us," he smiles weakly. Lucy watches his retreating back, and for some reason, her vision blanks out.

All she knows is that she doesn't want Natsu to leave. "No, Natsu! COME BACK. Don't leave me," she cries. "Stay. You promised you would stay. You can't leave!" she is nearly hysterical now. Tears flow down her face, and she grasps at his vest. She pulls him back into her.

He rubs her back and runs a hand through her hair, crying himself. It's so hopeless that neither one of them knows what to do anymore. "I won't leave, Luce. There's…nowhere to go," he sobs. "Don't be scared. Don't be afraid. I'm by your side," he weeps into her shoulder. Because when the end of the world is nearing, nothing feels better than crying. There's no world to look strong for, no one left to fight for. Everything from then on is meaningless.

"When we meet next time I won't let this happen again," Lucy swears. "I'll change it. We'll have our happy ending." She wipes at her tears and grins through them.

"I'm glad I get to watch the end with you," Natsu smiles and the room seems brighter. "I'm glad I'm with you," he says, clutching her hand. "Even if we only have awhile left…I'm happy that it's with you."

"Me too," she whispers. "So let's treasure our time together."

The rest of the day is spent in silence in memory of Happy.

'Hey, if I die, I'm glad it's with you.'

and so the fifth day ends