AN: 5/6/18 - I'm trying to be less of a weeb and not use honorifics. TBH it was kinda hard...
Hey guys! So for this oneshot, it takes place in F!Lucy's timeline. Chapter 337 gave me major F!NaLu feels and I thought, "You know what this series of mine need? F!NaLu AAAAAAAANNNNNNNGGGGSSSSSTTT!" So hopefully I did good with it (I was making myself depressed writing it, so hopefully that means something).
Also since the whole time travel and future stuff is still iffy in canon, I took it upon myself to place what I figure happened in F!Lucy's time. For example, F!Rogue does not exist in this time (in the manga, F!Lucy does not know who he is or where he came from, and the timeline from 333 explained that the two are indeed from different timelines), so instead of seven dragons coming out of the eclipse gate, i assumed the whole ten thousand dragons came as an army on their own (possibly led by Acnologia, but again, it is all iffy). Just kind of my own headcanons that might be way off base.
Really, this is just me playing around, so if you don't think anything here is accurate, I apologize. Because in all honesty, I just wrote this for the angst.
Without further ado, I present you NaLu week prompt four, "Protect."
Disclaimer: Mashima isn't American and isn't bummed that it is raining on a day that should be used for fireworks like I am!
"I'll always be here for you."
He would tell her that. Every time some dramatic moment happened in her life where all she wanted to do was curl up and cry, he would pat her head, give her a grin, and say those words that managed to cheer her up—even for a little while.
He was her rock, her best friend, and her protector. Ever since the day they met, the boy with a knack for destruction and an affinity for fire was with her, giving her encouraging words and saving her from certain threats.
She took him for granted.
The words in her mind never take effect until that fateful day. They day they believed in their victory of the Grand Magic Games took a devastating turn when a swarm of ten thousand dragons invaded Crocus. Everyone tried their best to fight back, but there were too many and they were strong. It seemed hopeless.
Despite the Celestial Mage losing hope, Natsu showed up next to her battered and bruised but sporting a reassuring grin.
"Don't worry, Lucy. We'll defeat these guys! That's what Dragon Slaying magic is for!"
Lucy knew better though. There were ten thousand of them and only one of him! How could he possibly think they'd get out of this alive?
But she believed anyway because this was Natsu. He had gotten out of hopeless situations before. He protected his friends and gave hope in the hopeless. Everything would be fine…
But then it wasn't.
Everything is a blur after he showed up by her side. She vaguely remembered her right arm being in excruciating pain; Levy crying for help as she cradled the large and lifeless body of Gajeel; and Natsu's outraged roar before everything went black. When she came to, the world around her was in a state of devastation and chaos. Dragons ruled the demolished city, roaring their cries of victory. However, Lucy couldn't focus on them…
Instead, she focused on the body lying a few feet away from her—the lifeless body of her best friend to be exact.
She couldn't tell how long she stared at his corpse, his pink hair soaked with his blood and staining his beloved scarf. She wasn't even aware of the dull ache of what was left of her right limb. All that mattered was the boy who died protecting her.
"You're an idiot." She whispered, hoping in vain he would give that obnoxious grin and call her a weirdo, "Dying trying to protect useless, little me. You should have been selfish and let me die."
It wasn't raining but for some reason there are droplets of water falling on Natsu's face. If Lucy were in her right mind, she would have realized it was her own tears.
"But that's just like you, Natsu." She continued, "You wouldn't have forgiven yourself if you let one of your friends die. You probably didn't even think about what your actions would do to the people you were leaving behind."
She could feel the sobs rising up in her throat now, but she couldn't find it in her to care. After all, in situations like these it was okay to cry, right?
So why did she feel so useless?!
"Lu…"
She whipped her face around to find an equally distraught Levy, wounds that were never there before marring her pretty face. In her hands was what looked like a headband that didn't belong to the petite girl. Lucy suddenly recalled the Iron Dragon Slayer wearing it on the last day of the games and when the dragons attacked. Just like Lucy, Levy had lost her beloved as well…
Shakily, Lucy tried to raise herself off the ground with one hand only to stumble back down and on Natsu's lifeless body. Levy quickly rushed to her best friend's side. Once there, she helped Lucy up and quickly embraced her.
"L-Lu," she sobbed into her best girl friend's arms, "it-it's awful! Jet… Droy… The Master… Even Erza, Gray, and Gaj…" another strangled sob, "They're all—"
"I know, I know." She said, not quite knowing what else to say to her. She couldn't say, "It'll be alright," because frankly, nothing right now was "alright"! She highly doubted anything ever would be again.
"Wh-What'll we do now?"
Lucy didn't know the answer to that. What could they do now except wait for death to take them back to their family? No, that'd be a coward's way out, as Natsu would tell her. There had to be something they could do.
In the light of the moon, something caught Lucy's eyes. It was large and, surprisingly, still standing despite all that had happened. And it was the most beautiful thing Lucy had seen since she came back from unconsciousness.
The Eclipse Gate.
She recalled what Arcadios told her and the rest of her friends before getting arrested not even twenty-four hours ago (Or was it longer than that? She couldn't seem to care at the moment.). With the power of the Zodiac Gate Keys, you could go back in time. Could this be their answer to everything? Could she be able to prevent all of this?
Could she save him?
"Lu?" Lucy turned back to Levy who was giving her a curious expression. She gave her blue haired friend a bitter smile.
"Come, Levy. We have a lot of work to do."
Lucy stared at the door that would lead to the past. She turned her gaze to her key ring. Once upon a time she would have been thrilled to obtain all thirteen gate keys, but now it just left a bitter taste in her mouth. She kissed each one, asking for strength and thanking them for all they had done for her.
"Are you ready?" Levy asked. The wounds on her face had healed, leaving nasty scars in their place. Gajeel's old headband was tied to her arm, as if in remembrance of him.
Lucy nodded, "I don't quite know what I'm doing, but I promises I will go to the past and warn everybody before the dragons appear. I swear it."
Levy nodded back and looked down, whispering, "You may not come back."
Lucy felt the familiar burning of unshed tears. Swallowing, she looked Levy in the eyes and said, "Maybe not, but if everything goes according to plan, then this whole world won't exist. We can be with everyone again."
Levy looked doubtful, but gave a defeated sigh as she quickly hugged Lucy, "Please be careful."
"I will."
With that, Lucy pulled the hood of her cloak over her head with her left hand. Staring down the Eclipse Gate, she used all her magic to summon all twelve Zodiac Keys. Thankfully it worked, causing the gate to open and reveal a vortex to—hopefully—the past.
"Good luck, Lu."
She nodded and gave Levy one last smile, "Goodbye, Levy."
She entered the gate. As she felt the push and pull of time traveling backwards, she allowed her thoughts to wander.
'I promise I will fix thing.'
'I won't let this hell of a future exist.'
'I will save everyone.'
'I will save you, Natsu.'
'Because it is about time I returned the favor…'
'And protect you.'
When she opened her eyes, she was in front of the coliseum where the Games were being held. Walking inside, she spotted a calendar and almost collapsed from pure relief.
It was July 4th x791, three days before ten thousand dragons assault the country.
She succeeded.
Now all she needed to do was think of how to warn her friends…
The cheering of the crowd grabbed her attention. Curious as to what part of the games she arrived at, she made her way to the stands and stare are the lacrima-vision.
She was suddenly hit with overwhelming emotion when she saw the match before her.
'Natsu.'
He was fighting. She remembered now that this was the day of his tag battle with the Sabertooth Dragons. He had promised to get revenge for her after Minerva ruthlessly beat her in the Naval Battle. Natsu had a look of determination in his eyes, his stance never backing down even when Sting or Rogue tried to counter attack. Her lost friend then gave a speech on how he would teach them a lesson for laughing at his friends—for laughing at her.
Lucy couldn't stop the tears form flowing from her eyes. Even when she wasn't in his fight, he still looked out for her. Her feelings for her Dragon Slayer made her resolve even stronger.
'I will fight too!'
'I promise, Natsu, I will protect you and give you the future you rightfully deserve!'
'A future where you and me can live and go on many more adventures.'
AN: I don't know, I think I was rambling with this toward the end. I just didn't know how to wrap everything up. Hopefully it didn't suck too bad.
Leave me a review and tell me what you think, okay? And to my American readers: HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY 8D
Revised 4/27/18