Chapter 1
A/N: Here's my first "real" chapter. As I said previously, the main pairings are about to be introduced.
This chapter takes place during the fourth day of the GMG. Be aware, I love angst and I think it will be interesting to see how Lucy and Yukino deal with grief and loss on one hand but also hope to save everyone on the other hand. I put online this chapter quite quickly compared to usual because I'm really inspired and also I'm on vacation so it helps a lot! I case you're lost, the things written in italic are thoughts or flashback, depending on the situation.
A/N: (2020) So I decided to continue this story along with my two other stories (updates coming soon). I rewrote some paragrahs and corrected most of my mistakes from both chapters.
Protect the future by VoieLactee
Chapter One: Late night encounter
Lucy sat down to write their encounter with Crime Sorciere, along with a few of her theories about time travel as well.
Alhough Yukino asked if she would like to write for her, Lucy once again declined, wanting to be able to use her only hand properly by herself. It was stupid, really, but she prided herself in being able to do that, although she had lost her former beautiful and more refined writing.
Waiting for Lucy to finish writing, Yukino asked with hesitation, "Lucy-sama, don't you think we should... Warn our past-selves soon?"
"We should... But we have to wait for the right moment. Telling them too early would distract them from winning the Grand Magic Games."
"Lucy-sama is right..."
As the sun rose, they both took time to think about the whole situation.
Being able to go back into the past was their only chance to save Crocus and Fiore from destruction. But it was also a chance to see their beloved ones alive once again. Although it wasn't really the ones they knew, they wanted to see their faces, empty of all traces of sorrow and fresh scars gained after battling against dragons.
"We could go watch them at the arena, don't you think?" Yukino proposed as their exited the library, where they were looking for books about time travel.
"Y-yeah, I really want to. I really miss him." The blonde mage's voice started to shake at the thought of him.
Natsu, the man who never gave up, even against what were demons, in more ways than one. Natsu, who died while she was still unconscious. Natsu, who gave her the strengh to try to change all of this, so see him alive again.
Yukino, seing her sad put a hand on her shoulder. She and her spirits were all Lucy had left... It was thanks to them she didn't completely crumble after Natsu's death...
"I know. But we can make it," Yukino said with an unusual note of positivity. "We can write another story."
Another story...
These words haunted them. It almost became their leitmotive to keep fighting. Seeing their faces would definitely remind them their happy time. And Lucy would get to see Levy with her former bright smile again.
She bit her lips, trying to stop herself from crying again. "Levy-chan..."
Just saying her name broke her heart.
"I can't help but think about her too. In the middle of all of this, she's the one who suffered the most."
"We've all suffered but you're right. I hope she's okay."
Okay wasn't the right word but Lucy hoped she had found peace, whether she was still alive or not. But deep down, Lucy knew the only way for her friend to find it was to die since she had no one left anymore.
Crowds of excited people filled the arena for the fourth day of the competition.
Yukino remembered why. Although she hadn't seen it herself the first time, she knew that after Minerva's attack, Fairy Tail A team was ready to fight for revenge. Everyone was pretty excited, Sabertooh included.
Sabertooh...
She almost felt an wave of nostalgia at the thought of her former guild.
Although she had been excommunicated, she had spent great moments with some of the members. And during the multiple battles, she had befriended them that time around, instead of merely considering them simply as powerful mages.
In a way, they had become her comarades.
They had saved each other life's countless times until it was too much or too late. Unfortunately, they never had the time to reintroduce her into the guild... Dragons never let them rest for too long anyway, and their guildhall had been utterly destroyed as well as the city itself.
"You miss him too, don't you?" Lucy asked with a small smile.
A faint trace of red appeared on Yukino's cheeks, understanding what she meant... Of who she was talking about.
"Well o-of course. And I miss Rogue-sama too, as well as the rest of them," she answered, trying changing the subject.
Lucy had always found some of the moments Sting and her friend had shared in the past months somehow romantic. But she had never said it outloud, too scared to push out her friend's feelings too far. Yukino remained an extremly shy person although her character inevitably hardened with the battles and the permanant grieving.
It was necessary when people they cared about died every day. Despite that, they had carried on. Yukino was stronger than people would think. The two of them pointedly avoided mentioning one of the persons standing in Sabertooth's corner.
"I know how it feels," was all Lucy could say.
The entrance of the new version of Fairy Tail's sole team was particulary exciting. Natsu, Gray, Erza, Gajeel and Laxus, the strongest mages of the guild apart from Mirajane.
All looking so confident and alive...
The crowd went wild at the announcement of the dragon slayers fight and that time, Lucy was there to see it herself, as well as Yukino. The fight was intense, as expected from these mages. After a surprising turn of events, Natsu sent Gajeel away somewhere under the coliseum. Literally.
Typical Natsu, Lucy thought.
The fight ended with Natsu's glorious victory, smiling at Sting and Rogue and probably challenging them to fight against him again later, according to Lucy. Looking at Yukino, she saw she wasn't the only one who managed to smile and almost feel extatic despite the inevitable tears. Just for that, coming back to the past was worth it.
It almost felt like a dream...
"They were all so impressive..."
"Yeah, especially Natsu," Lucy said with fondness.
After that, they moved out from the arena, just like the rest of the crowd.
"It was refreshing to go back there."
"Absolutly. I couldn't see it the first time but the fight was amazing."
They both walked around the empty streets and avoided the bars, where mages and fans alike celebrated today's fight.
Sleep was something they ran away as much as possible since all they would find there were nightmares and painful memories. And they had nowhere to go anyway, so they kept wandering around the city for hours, trying not to think about the fact that their past selves were getting arrested at the same moment.
"You there... Oi!"
That voice. No...
It was him.
Frozing at that sentence, Yukino knew that Sting, and possibly Rogue since they were inseperable, just spotted her.
No, please not this, not right now.
But it seemed like luck wasn't on her side once again.
"Oi, you two stop here!"
Seeing the two persons immediately cooperating, he asked, "Who the hell are you?"
Lucy and Yukino looked at each other, mentally comtemplating their options before concluding that they were too slow and tired to successfully run away from them. Yukino couldn't stop thinking about what Sting told her the last time they had seen each other. Perhaps meeting them now was better that way.
They turned around to face them and removed their hoods, the two celestial mages left the men in front of them flabbergasted.
What stunned Rogue the most wasn't the fact that they were together. It was all the scars and bruises covering their faces. And most importantly, the eye patch that Yukino was wearing.
"Lucy Heartfilia... And Yukino?! What are you doing here?" Rogue asked.
"Yukino!" Frosch greeted her, extending his paws. Yukino greeted the exceed back with fondness.
Sting silently approached Yukino and touched the scar on her right cheek gently. He felt tears falling on his hand, and immediatly took his hand away, as if he got burned. He looked so similar yet so different to the Sting she knew.
Her Sting, the one from her time. But he wasn't him.
"What's with the ridiculous tears? And what 'bout the scars, uh?" he interroged in a seemingly mocking way, trying to regain his cocky attidude. The smirk he had on his face seemed forced.
It rang wrong in Yukino's ears before realizing only Frosch was with Sting and Rogue at the moment. And the bandages all over their faces made it clear. They weren't just from the fight against Natsu and Gajeel... Sting was bad at hiding heartbreak anyway. Especially when it concerned Lector.
"I'm sorry Sting-sama, Rogue-sama. I'm ashamed of myself for being so weak again," Yukino apologized. She sobbed at the memory of their sacrifice.
Is she reffering to the other day? Rogue thought. No, that's not it, I can feel it.
He could feel in his gut that something bad happened to her. And his instinct was never wrong.
Holding her hand, Lucy tried to cheer her up with a joke, "Come-on Yukino, don't you think we cry too much? Let's leave this for when we win!"
Yukino had heard these words before, from Natsu's mouth. With a little smile, she nodded before bowing. She wiped her tears before explaining, "I apologize for this sudden reaction, I was just too emotional to see you again. I missed Sting-sama and Rogue-sama..."
Sting blushed, bewilwered by Yukino's unusual straightforward display of emotions. "Wh-what do you mean? We saw each other just two days when-"
"We're not who you think we are," Lucy interrupted.
"What are you saying?"
Yukino took a deep breath before replying. "We're from the future."
Minutes passed before one of them blurted out, "What?"
They smelt the sam but they did look slightly different than the ones they used to be.
Apart from the scars, Yukino let her hair grew by a few centimeters and tied it in a ponytail. Sting noted it suited her before shaking off that thought. The whole thing was bizarre at best.
Seeing their puzzled reaction, Lucy had no choice. She showed her right arm, or what was left of it. They gasped after realizing her hand was missing.
"My scars, Yukino's scars... My right hand. Her eye. They are all because of one single war..."
"Dragons. We fought and lost against dragons," the silver-haired woman finished.
They were paralyzed, unable to move at the mention of dragons. "Dr-dragons? But that's impossible, they all disappeared!"
Reluctantly, Yukino lifted up the sleeves of her cape to show traces of dragon's claws on her arms along with purple-ish traces. She carefully avoided Lucy's look, knowing they would have a talk about what she had been hiding to her. "See what it did to me... to us... And to you too soon, if we don't stop it."
"But how?"
"After the end of Daimatou Enbu, they appeared destroying everything and everyone on their way. The palace, the city..."
"And how are you even here?" Sting asked.
"Do you know what is the Eclipse gate?" Lucy asked. The Twin Dragons shook their heads. "It's a gate to travel in time. It finds its energy from the magic used during the past tournaments. It was originally created to destroy Zeref but we used it to go back there and try to prevent part of the invasion."
At the mention of the dark mage, the twin dragons shuddered. They had heard legends about him. "Zeref... But didn't he live four hundreds years ago?"
"He did. But believe us, he's still alive," Yukino revealed in a dark tone, her eyes now full of heat and hatred.
It deeply disturbed the twin dragons. Yukino, despite her blasé exterior and her voice void of emotions, had a good heart.
Unlike most the rest of Sabertooth, she was kind. Too kind. And that was why she didn't have her place in the middle of them, arrogant and merciless wolves.
So what happened to make someone like her hate someone else so much? The intent to harm and even kill the dark mage was clear.
Rogue was the first one to go back to normal and thought about what Lucy had just implied. "You said 'prevent part of the invasion'... Why didn't you just go back to somewhere before now to avoid all of this?" he asked her.
"We couldn't, we think it's mainly because a portion of the door was broken," she replied.
"Some events are written by destiny and we cannot change that anyway. But we thought we could try to change how it is going end... And Eclipse wasn't as powerful as it used to be since-"
"Since everyone is... gone," Lucy ended.
"... Including us?" Sting asked after a moment.
Yukino bit her lips, hesitating. She didn't dare to look up. "W-we don't know actually."
She looked at their friends, knowing it would be the last time she would see them.
Yukino took a deep breath before announcing in a solemn tone, "This is our last chance."
"Are you sure? We can still fight you know," Sting said with fake bravado. It was clearly untrue given his state. The bloodied wound on his forehead was worrying at best, if not critical. Yukino hoped he didn't get a concussion once again, last time had been bad enough.
She firmly nodded. "With Lucy-sama, we must do it. We have to try at least."
"But..."
"Lucy-sama just announced me Natsu-sama passed away two days ago."
Sting and Rogue felt the all too familiar yet atracious sensation of tears prickling in the corner of their eyes.
Yukino felt the same thing but she continued, "We know it's dangerous but if it works, none of this would happen. Grief, death..."
He couldn't find something to say against that.
"We'll help you, no matter what."
"We have to open Eclipse again and then, we'll go back to the past. The only thing is we don't know at when it will lead us," Yukino explained.
Lucy arrived, her face still full of traces of tears mixed with dust.
Rogue, apologetic, tried to find the best thing to say to her. He knew how much Natsu meant to her. "Lucy, we're so so-"
"We have to go. NOW!" she said in a rush, interrupting Rogue.
Running until they reached the Mercurius Palace, they tried immediatly to open the gate, in vain.
Sting sighed. "This is impossible! How are we gonna do?"
"I knew!" Yukino exclaimed. "Lucy-sama, please let out your golden keys! Combined with mine, we'll use them to open the gate!"
Sting was speechless. Was that even possible?
They were all tired, including Yukino and Lucy and that operation would seemingly require an important amount of magic energy. "You want to open the twelve golden keys at the same time?" he asked.
"Not exactly..." Yukino vaguely answered. There was no need to mention Aquarius now, especially after she had just lost Natsu as well.
"We're using the celestial spirits?!" Lucy asked before understanding her idea.
Throwing their keys in the sky, they began to glow. The two men were amazed by all that magic that surrounded them. They looked the constellationniste mages calling all their golden spirits and Ophiuchus.
"Oh celestial spirits of the golden paths, lend us the power to eradicate this evil! Open, gates of the zodiac!"
Feeling hope again, Sting and Rogue watched all the celestial spirits coming at them same time. "That's... Amzing!"
After a tremondous amount of efforts, their celestial spirits succeded. The door started moving.
"It's opening!" Lucy noticed while still holding Yukino's hand. Yukino squeezed it back, pouring more magical power at the same time.
Sting gasped, thrilled they managed to open the gate. "You did it, you really did-"
Dozens of dragons were heading towards them, certainly after having felt the magical aura near the gate. They recognized some of them, such as Zirconis, which had already killed Wendy, Lisanna and countless other mages.
"Oh Mavis, they've already found us!" Lucy cursed. She didn't have enough magic power left to properly fight them without being a burden again...
"Go," Rogue said.
Yukino hated the look he was giving her. It screamed sacrifice.
"But you two can't do this alone, you need help from us," Yukino protested, growing desperate again. She couldn't lose her friends again, not them.
Rogue knew they wanted to help them, but they had to let them to go, even at the cost of his life and Sting's life.
"You're our only chance to stop this, go!" he yelled.
"Rogue, no. COME BACK!" Yukino rarely raised her voice but Rogue was being too reckless there. She didn't even care she just dropped the respectful 'sama' suffix. "How are you going to close the door without us?"
"I SAID GO!" Rogue yelled back from afar as he battled with the fire dragon.
One of the dragons started to spit flames on Rogue, who transformed himself a shadow to escape from it before using the dragon force on it.
"YOU IDIOT!" Yukino screamed before looking alternatively between the gate and the dragons attacking Rogue back.
Seeing their hesitation, Sting went closer to Yukino, enough to have his forehead against hers.
"Don't worry about us, go."
"But-"
"I know you two will save us," he continued in a gentler tone as he closed his eyes. Yukino thought he looked peaceful that way, despite the chaotic atmosphere around them. "And if you find my past-self, let him help you. Tell him about the importance nakamas and family. You changed me once, so you could do it twice. And do the same for Rogue, please. We're both desperate idiots without you."
Still with his eyes closed, he caressed her hair and gently kissed her forehead before joining Rogue into the battle.
She knew it was farewell. But perhaps they could meet again if they ever changed the future... Someday, somewhere.
Hopefully in a more peaceful world.
Yukino followed Lucy who took her hand and went through the gate.
She didn't look back but the last thing they heard before losing consciousness were screams of pain and anger.
Yukino deliberately left out some parts but after hearing how Lucy and she had managed to open the gate, Sting said, "We might have survived!"
Yukino once again chewed her lips, still looking down. "I-I'm not sure. Maybe..."
It was more than obvious that she didn't believe it. Luck was never with her and those around her.
"But we're dragon slayers, it's in our nature to defeat them," Sting continued, trying to be optimistic.
"You're right but it wasn't enough against over ten thousands dragons."
Sting grabbed Yukino, panicking, "Did you just say ten thousands dragons?"
"Y-Yes," she replied. Yukino slightly hissed in pain at his strong grip before he let her go. Some of her scars were still fresh and she had finished the ointment Porlyusica had made. And her fight from that one dragon had left its impact on her body and her health.
"Sorry," Sting mumbled, the intensity in his eyes gone. "But what about Natsu-san?"
"And Gajeel?" Rogue asked.
Silence.
Yukino decided to reply for Lucy. Despite caring about Natsu and Gajeel, she wasn't part of Fairy Tail. Lucy had lost her family while Yukino had lost friends. "Th-they passed away in battle. Although Natsu-sama and Gajeel-sama were able to be on par and even eliminate some of them... It wasn't enough."
They even had a minority of dragons helping them since they were in favor of living peacefully together but it still wasn't enough.
Kneeling on the ground, Rogue whispered with his hands on his face, "No way..."
"But we came here to change things," Yukino announced.
Rogue looked at them, amazed by all the hope they had, even after all their losses. Especially since it came from Yukino, a naturally pessimistic person.
He was also intrigued by Sting's behaviour towards Yukino. For a few instants, his cocky attitude completely disappeared and he was more than woried about their ex-comrade, if he could even use that word when it came to Sabertooth.
Sure, Rogue was worried about future Yukino too, and future Lucy Heartfilia to some extent as well, but Sting...
Maybe he's feeling guilty?
Yukino held out her hand and Rogue gratefully took it to get up.
"Thank you," he murmured.
"Right at this moment, the Lucy-sama from this time is with her friends, and the me from this time is a temporary sergeant for the Eclipse project. Apart from us and three other mages, you're the only ones who know about the future. Your help will be precious to us."
"Anything," Sting answered with earnestness.
"First, we have to find what to do to help Natsu-sama, Wendy-sama, Mirajane-sama and our past-selves."
"Help them for what?"
"We-" Yukino cursed herself for letting out that part now. She thought about the Yukino of the present locked up in that cell with Lucy. She doubted they would care anyway. At least not now. "We'll tell you more about it later," she answered in an even voice to mask her inner torment.
"We'll meet you tomorrow afternoon at 5P.M at the place where you're staying," Lucy proposed. "We have to get a plan and act before Eclipse corrupts our magic."
Sting scoffed in disdain. "How are you going to get in?"
"We will, Sting-sama. You'll see," Yukino answered, in her even yet confident voice. It reminded Sting why he had considered her as a worthy member in the past. Sting began to question his beliefs after experimenting that humiliation from Jiemma. And after seeing Lector vanish a few hours ago... He wasn't powerful in any way but Lector had always been there with Sting and he considered the exceed as a full Sabertooth member as well. His attempt to defend him was still in his mind.
The two celestial mages were about to leave when they stopped their tracks. "Don't hate Fairy Tail," Lucy said. "When the time comes, you'll have to all fight together. I know you feel a need of revenge for today's fight, but they just care about their nakamas... They're good people, though they can be quite stubborn, I must admit."
Rogue had realized that after Yukino's humiliating exclusion and Natsu's irruption at the place where they were staying. He even started envying Fairy Tail. But for once, he wasn't sure how his partner felt on the matter. But it might have changed after tonight.
Yukino remebered her promise to him. She knew he could become a kind and loving person. "Sting-sama, I know you don't understand yet, but think about Lector-sama. Don't you consider him as your nakama?" she asked. She knew the risk but she had to try.
"I..." Sting didn't know what to reply. "But he isn't here anymore, and the only way to get him back is..." He stopped himself from revealing the rest. She probably already knew anyway so why even asking? "Why are you telling that anyway?"
Sting winced at his miserable attempt at sounding threatening. He was so, so tired after tonight.
"Do you trust me?" Yukino asked him with her usual soothing tone.
"What?"
Yukino sadly smiled to herself. All these months with the Sting from her future made her forget the Sting of now didn't do 'friends' or 'comrades'. So trust towards someone other than Rogue or Lector was out of question. They couldn't afford that as Sabertooth members. "Lector-sama will be okay. Do what you have to do the day after tomorrow but I can promise you Lector-sama will return to you."
At least, he still had Rogue. He had a softer heart and he disapproved Sabertooth's radical methods, albeit he remained silent. Even Yukino's past-self knew that.
"I'll have to ask you a favor," Yukino added. "From the moment the Grand Magic Games end, keep an eye on Minerva-sama, please."
"What do you mean-"
"Please. And don't leave her side at any moment," she insisted. Rogue knew there was more about it but something in her eyes stopped himself from asking. Sting was hurting too much to even notice, not to mention Lector's life depended on Minerva.
"Fine, we promise," Rogue replied.
"From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
Yukino deeply bowed, her eyes meeting Rogue's. She could see in him the man he could become, the socially awkward and strong, yet kind hearted man she had come to consider as one of her best friends. Yukino maintained her eyes on him and tried to convey her endless gratefulness. Rogue slightly raised an eyebrow. Why did that mean so much to her?
Yukino bowed one last time before leaving without another word. It was too much for her...
"Goodbye, Sting, Rogue. It was great to see you again," Lucy said on a final note, unsettling the two young men.
How could someone who had been hurt, mocked and humiliated by Sabertooth could be so kind towards them?
They could hear someone's footsteps heading towards them. It was a royal guard.
"Hey you two! This is a no trepassing area," he warned them. Turning their heads, the Twin Dragons saw the two celestial spirit mages already left.
After recognizing who was in front of him, the guard's tone changed radically. That was right, their guild inspired fear after all. Rogue started to hate it. "Ah uh, you're the Sabertooth mages. I'll leave you alone, you can do whatever you want," he said before heading to the opposite direction.
Alone again, the dragon slayers stared at each other, lost after what happened. What happened earlier today between their fight against Natsu and Gajeel and its aftermath was already overwhelming but it seemed ridiculous now compared to what was waiting for the country on July 7th.
"Look, on the ground!"
Sting picked up the little notebook with a leather cover on the ground. The corners were spoiled and the writing looked messier the more he browsed its pages without reading the content but it made him curious.
What was written there?
"It must belong to Lucy Heartfilia or Yukino. I'll give it once we'll see 'em."
A/N : This chapter was slightly longer than the prologue, I got inspired.
I have yet to write more about the alternative future but it will come soon. Don't be shy, comment to share your opinion, and follow this story. This is just the beginning...