And so, I realize it's been a long time. Major life change(s) have restructured my priorities, though I had not forgotten about my final chapters. Subconsciously, I think I avoided finishing it, as it's been a chunk of years in my life, now. I am extremely grateful to all who have PM'd me and continued to review despite my absence. I'll keep this brief. Here is the next to last chapter. When I upload the final chapter (it won't be years, as I've had it done since I started this story), I'll put back the Natsu/Lucy sexy time scene in its full glory. I have had a TON of requests to have it sent to people; literally dozens. You perverts ;)
With that said, here is the next to final chapter!
Disclaimer: No ownership of FT, OCs are all mine, thankyouverymuch.
"I hope she knew what she was talkin' about," Adie muttered carefully as the key fell from her fingers, disappearing before it hit the earth.
The conjured spirit appeared before them, her presence unmistakable. Her raven hair was long, the silken strands floating in the air as if she was suspended beneath water, some of it tangled around her fingers. Her skin was smooth and pale, and her eyes were sunken in, dark circles hugging closely beneath them. Her lips were blood red and thin, and she sneered—exposing sharp incisor teeth. She stood two heads taller than Lucy, her yellow irises contrasted by her onyx sclera as she stared past her caller. She was looking at Ultear, seemingly unimpressed by the giggling, half-mad human woman. Her irises slid to the sky above, where Bahamut was building the force behind its annihilating attack. Her eight arms moved fluidly, plucking at her hair as if each strand was a tiny thread to weave.
"Thank you," Lucy cleared her throat, ignoring the growing, raucous laughter behind them. Ultear would eventually bleed to death. Perhaps sooner rather than later—she didn't care.
"What is that you need?" The voice was throaty and dry, as if it were rarely used. Her lips didn't appear to form the words she spoke, though they were parted. She was still eyeing Bahamut.
Lucy straightened, her voice steady. "I need you to open the void between our worlds."
Honey irises snapped to her face, studying her as if seeing her for the first time. This time, the lips did move and the spirit laughed throatily, the noise sounding akin to crackling dry leaves in a crisp autumn wind. Lucy stamped her foot impatiently, her expression set.
"Why? No one survives there! Whatever you are looking for—" her accusing gaze flickered to Ultear, "is long gone."
"I know exactly what I am asking!" Lucy snapped, sucking in a deep breath and collecting herself before adding, "With all due respect, ma'am." She avoided the look of annoyance shot her way from Adie. "And I understand what those consequences are." She did her best to avoid Lilith's gaze.
"So you do…" the Weaver murmured, looking between Adassandra and her sibling. "There will be a toll..." She held out one of her numerous hands, a shiny spindle appearing. She smiled, exposing her razor sharp teeth. "Charon will be quite grateful."
The expression made Lucy uneasy as she studied the object. "A t-toll?" And did she name her spindle?
"Don't!" Veleda suddenly appeared, grabbing Lucy's wrist and pulling her hand down. "That's your one life you're offering!" The spirit hissed at her.
Lucy hadn't realized she was reaching toward the sharp tip of the object. She blinked, looking up at the ruddy-skinned spirit. She shook the cloudiness from her head. "My life?"
She glanced at Natsu, then her friends, then back to Natsu. Though he tried to hide it, she could tell he was terrified of what the Weaver's summoning meant. It was Lucy's ancestor who had sacrificed herself, centuries before. She shielded her eyes as she looked at Bahamut and the Eksheed doing their best at distracting the beast. Bodies were falling from the sky in sacrifice. No one was exempt in this damned war. Hadn't they suffered enough?
This was her destiny! Meaning began to fill her.
"Don't even think about it, girl!" Morpheus interrupted her thoughts, grabbing her other wrist. Lucy rolled her eyes. Morpheus spoke, though less to Lucy and more to the seer. "Let me do it in your place."
"Pheo, no!" Veleda gasped, looking shocked. Her voice wavered slightly, concern evident in her features. Lucy knew it was rare to see her lose her composure.
Morpheus closed his eyes, bowing his head and bringing his right arm over his chest. "I protect the Celestial World. I would gladly die to...to protect you." He held his flexed posture, not catching anyone's surprised looks, though Lucy suspected he was reading them perfectly fine.
Veleda stared at him, her lips slightly parted. Lucy saw the tears shining the Spirit's eyes, and she felt the connection between the two. There was a deep regard that she would never fully understand, yet she could appreciate and respect it. It was their form of love.
"I will fill that role," Adie's voice boomed impatiently, holding an inkling of regality. "You idiots," she grumbled under her breath. She held her head high, her eyes challenging anyone to disobey her.
Which they did, as evidenced by Lucy and the two spirits flanking her yelling "No!" in unplanned unison.
Lucy looked to Lilith for support, but the spirit remained silent, expression unreadable. Her disagreement was borne from a sense of duty; Veleda and Morpheus' were from feelings of guilt. In an expected burst of irritation, Adie turned on them in the first display of royalty Lucy had witnessed.
"You dare argue with me?" She didn't wait for an answer, instead turning to the most recently summoned spirit. "Weaver! Go on." Start the process.
"As you wish," the Weaver bowed, her many arms following her as she looked momentarily perplexed, spindle held out in front of her. Adie reached forward and swiped her fingers along the sharp tip. A few beads of dark red blood glistened before sliding along the silken thread that began to spin from it.
"N-No," Lucy murmured, covering her mouth with both hands. "You'll…you'll—"
"Die?" Adie replied, stoic. "I guess I will."
"Adassandra," Veleda's eyes misted over again, tortured with regret.
Adie touched her shoulder, "You did the right thing." She offered nothing else, and Veleda closed her eyes for a few seconds.
"She never intended to cave," Morpheus replied matter-of-factly of Adie, his feline expression as soft as Lucy had ever seen it. Adie watched him wordlessly for some time. Lucy saw the furred spirit react touchingly as he bowed—a full, regal movement. "You have my word," he promised.
"What? What did she ask you?" Lucy tried to prod him from the corner of her mouth, struggling with the curiosity. Her mind was whirling with ideas of how to help. How to save them. She looked to Leo, hoping he had an answer, but he just stood there, looking defeated, angry, and perhaps frightened. He avoided Lucy's gaze.
"I cannot share that, girl." Morpheus replied, not looking at her, "Yet". He was obviously upset by what he had heard—it affected him in some manner that Lucy did not yet comprehend. He, too, was looking at Leo.
Lucy saw Leo ball his fists as Adie now stood in front of him. She reached out, fingers brushing over his face and touching his hair. She had a faint smile on her face, as if she were unlocking some distant memory from better days. Leo closed his eyes, and Lucy saw the muscle of his jaw twitch. Adie then used the same hand to touch her upper left chest, fingertips pressing into her flesh. Leo turned his head away, lips pressing together as if to prevent him from saying something. Hurt flickered across Adie's expression as she looked down, composing herself and quickly turning away. She hesitated momentarily, catching Lucy's eye, before lifting her head and walking toward the Weaver. Leo watched her leave and Lucy wanted to slap some sense into the spirit, but she knew that their relationship was tumultuous, and it was not the time to repair it. They'd never have that time.
The Weaver was doing as she was bid, seemingly paying no heed to the goings on around her. A pair of golden shears cut at a thread she held. With her other hands, she tugged at the strings, and Lucy could see them fraying. Her tugging continued, her arms moving as if she were dancing to an imaginary song. The area beside her began to flicker—as if it were unraveling.
"Hurry!" Ultear shrieked, standing with the help of a gnarled cane of ice. Her eyes were wide with madness. "Hurry, Spirit! Zeref awaits my release. He will be pleased!"
"Can't we do something about her?" Lucy bit her lip angrily.
"She has a part to play, still," Lilith whispered from beside her. A half smile pulled at the corner of her mouth, though her expression was forlorn.
"Zeref?" The Weaver hissed, her fingers pausing in their work. Adie grabbed Ultear's arm, shaking her head at the Weaver, who gnashed her teeth but added nothing more.
"Uh oh," Happy interrupted Ultear's mad ranting, pointing. "It's coming closer."
"You're going to have to work faster!" Adie informed the weaving spirit.
"Patience, child. You cannot rush my work; it could offset the balance between our worlds." She breathed throatily. Crackling leaves, again.
"There won't be a damned balance if you don't hurry up!" Adie roared, impatience getting the best of her. Bahamut's attack was now matured, and there was nowhere for it to go. With a loud string of profanity that would have made a sailor proud, Adie quickly enshrouded herself in her black armor, arms coated Barsky's final gift.
Lucy had to wonder if this was all part of Freya's plan. Had Barsky known exactly what to make for Adassandra? For this exact moment? Lucy looked up reflexively as the sky grew a darker shade of violet against Bahamut's Flare.
Happy became noticeably agitated, unlike Lucy had ever seen him. He looked as if he was resisting being summoned to…something. He pointed. "That one in the front, with one wing…that's Charle's mother."
"Oh," she murmured, wondering if he were trying to distract her. She noticed Panterlily had landed next to Adie. As suddenly as he appeared, the sleek black Eksheed lifted off after a respectful nod of his head.
"Happy, where are you going?" Natsu yelled as the feline quickly sprang into flight. He sounded panicked.
"We have to go!" Happy called back, looking upset. Tears were in his eyes as he departed. "I'm sorry, Natsu…I can't help it!" Charle was beside him, her beautiful wings gracefully flapping.
"What about me?" Natsu waved his arms frantically. Lucy reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder. "What's gotten into him?" He looked devastated that Happy had left him.
"He has a role to play in this as well," she told him quietly, stroking his arm to calm him as he balled his hands into fists. "He'll be OK."
"Yeah…" Natsu muttered, doing his best to smile as he caught her eye. "So will we. And so will Adie!"
"Yeah…" Lucy echoed, not feeling as hopeful for the latter part of his blind faith. She was certain that was an impossible feat. She was certain she was going to lose another friend today. But was it really the only way?
She would never forget her most recent adventures; her past missions. She would never ever forget the pain and sorrow that was aching at her heart at this moment that her friends were fighting for their lives and world. Not for the rest of her remaining days.
Would you really have given your life? Given up Natsu and a chance at love? She viciously chastised herself. It was easily spoken, sure, but would she really have been brave enough to go through with sacrificing herself? She didn't know. The answer, she suspected, was no.
Her eyes slid toward Leo, who was beside her, face pale and eyes red-rimmed. She had never seen him so frozen—so unable to say anything. She reached out and grabbed his hand. Without returning her look of sympathy, he squeezed her fingers tightly, his grip shaking. They stood there for one more moment, until Lucy felt the brush at her other arm. She raised her eyes to the Lilith, expecting to see her wallowing in her own pity at losing her beloved sister.
Surprisingly, she wasn't. She was watching the Eksheed, lips pressed together and a small crease in her brow. They were creating a cloud around Bahamut, the monster roaring in frustration. Lucy could barely watch, her stomach turning with the knowledge of their sacrifices. She glanced at the growing void that the Weaver was creating, her limbs moving in beautiful synchronization, grasping at the nothingness around her, pulling at the filmy threads that held Lucy's world together yet separate from the other two. The giant sucking emptiness that was growing from her work threw a chill over Lucy's skin. She saw Adie half-dragging Ultear to it, the latter looking triumphant. That, too, sickened Lucy. The two women stood there, Adie looking over her shoulder at the cloud of Eksheed, her frame gaunt from her spiritual exertion. The Weaver hesitated, as if to prevent the void from growing any more. She stood there, a mannequin, looking at Ultear with guarded amusement.
"What's going on?" Lucy croaked, her mouth dry.
Lilith narrowed her eyes as the Eksheed parted, the black inky flare from Bahamut hanging idly in the air. The world was silent for a moment. Everything stood still in momentary peace.
For just a second, all was right with the world.
Then the flare expanded, shrunk, and exploded toward them with the crash of a million thunders. The Weaver, grasping the threads in her many hands, violently careened backward at Adie's commend, the void expanding in all directions like a quickly unraveling sweater after the one seemingly innocent thread had been pulled.
"Move it!" Adie screamed as people dropped to the ground, ran, or stood frozen. Adie's armor glowed a pure white as she held up her arms as the flare blasted toward them, roaring. Her face was pale, wasted, and coated brow coated in sweat as she controlled the power from her armor. It began to flake off—Lucy wasn't sure. Maybe it was also her imagination, but she felt as if the flare had been pulled in Adie's direction. The spirit's face was filled with determination as she yelled, "I-I got this!"
The subsequent events happened so quickly, Lucy could barely follow what had occurred.
The Flare curved slightly, and Adie ducked as the momentum pushed it into the void the Weaver had created by detangling the dimension. Adie and Ultear fell to the ground, Adie's arms smoking and badly burned by the use of the lacryma in the armor. It was useless at this point. Tears of pain were streaming down her face as Ultear scrambled to her feet.
"NOOO! Zeref!" The dark haired mage screamed, wide-eyed, as she wildly staggered toward the void. It lit up with an intense purple-white energy from the explosion of Bahamut's flare. Energy was reaching out to them, pulling anything nearby into the void.
The roar of the monster reminded Lucy that there was still a lingering threat, both in the void and outside. Bahamut!
The Eksheed wasted no time and, in an unexpected arousal of their determination, surrounded the beast. Bahamut's wings flapped, jaws clamping onto the nearest of its pests as its spiked tail impaled more. The Eksheed were unrelenting as Bahamut dodged low, mouth open and a glow forming deep in its jowls.
No! Lucy thought. Not again. Her head snapped to the void, which successfully sucking in everything close to it. The Weaver was continuing to work, now at the borders of the void. She was unaffected by gravity pull, moving easily around it. Ezra, Mirajane and Jellal were commanding people to run away, in expectation for the growing pull of Giga Flare.
"It still has to be sealed!" Lilith howled, looking panicked. "Bahamut was supposed to be in there with its attack!"
Realization froze Lucy. Lilith's plan had not been fulfilled. She saw the spirit look frantically at Morpheus, who disappeared. Lucy had a more pressing question. "What's going to happen to Bahamut now?" When Lilith didn't immediately answer, Lucy grabbed her shoulders, screaming! "Can it create another one?" Another Flare?
"Let us handle that, Luce!" Natsu yelled, his skin a medley of dragon scales and his fists aflame with resolve. Lucy did a double take. Beside him were all of the dragon slayers: Gajeel, O'Onani, Wendy, and Juvia. They looked foreboding as the determination shone through their features. They were dirtied and weary, but not willing to admit defeat as they formed a scaled shield for their comrades.
"Natsu—" Lucy began, sweat running down the small of her back.
The dragon slayers stood there, bodies touching—whether it was a hand on a shoulder, or an arm around a waist—they were all connected in their dragon slayer-hood. It was as if Destiny had culminated in this one moment. Lucy did something she had never done before: she trusted blindly in Fate.
Bahamut roared as it spun angrily, impaling the Eksheed within its grasp. Mangled bodies were flung aside as if they were meaningless beings. Charle and Happy returned to be beside their companions, loyal until death. Panterlily and Bastet landed beside Gajeel and Juvia, respectively. O'Onani was flanked by Charle and Shagotte, her wing beautifully creating the final blanket of protection to the right of the dragon slayers. In that moment, something inexplicable happened.
"They're summoning the power of their mentors!" Lucy breathed excitedly, hands covering her lips as she sighed, relieved. Tears slipped down her cheeks as the vague outlines of massive dragons appeared around the slayers, each formidable in his/her own sense. Wendy's was the most majestic, but Igneel's transparent form was fearsome. The dragons roared together, the dragon slayers joining them as they met Bahamut in an earth-shattering impact. Lucy toppled backward.
"Peony! Please help those injured Eksheed!" Lucy shouted. The spirit physician bowed her head and disappeared as quickly as she was summoned.
Lucy rolled to her knees, noticing that Lilith was undeterred by the turbulence around them. She was watching Adie, the two locked in a silent exchange that Lucy would have given her life to understand. The flare shone as a backdrop behind Ultear and Adie, barely being restrained through the doorway of the void. Ultear watched it, eyes bulging as she mumbled Zeref's name over and over again, looking distraught.
"There is no Zeref, is there?" Lucy wondered aloud.
The Spirit's laugh was a raspy wheeze in her ear. "There is nothing in there."
The chill returned, running up Lucy's spine. "Then how does it exist?"
She watched the spirit's hands moved slightly, pulling the invisible threads taut, speaking without moving her lips, Lucy hearing without being nearby. "There is a balance to everything, girl. It is simply the space between our three worlds. The Chaos must be maintained for Harmony. Undoing that balance requires sacrifice…."
Something pulled Lucy's attention away, and she saw the flicker of the weapon in Ultear's hand. She must have deduced exactly what the Weaver had shared. That or she figured the Flare had killed Zeref—as no living being could survive it. Lucy's mouth opened to scream a warning, but the blur of black that barreled toward Ultear beat her. Adie stepped forward, shield on her oozing, burned forearm, as she swung and connected with the Amarok with a cry of pain. The beast brayed as its body limply slid along the ground, unmoving yet not disappearing. Adie fell to the earth, shield disappearing as a second Amarok leaped over the first. It turned sharply, leaping at Ultear, jaw closing around her wrist. The weapon fell, and the beast jerked its head. A sickening crunch signified the breaking of the bones in her forearm. She screamed as a black inkiness snaked up her arm and over her shoulder. Her body shuddered from the venom coursing through her veins. She toppled backward over the threshold and into the void, the Amarok going with her.
Adie pushed herself up, pain and triumph on her face. Lilith made a noise that sounded like a combination of a squeal and moan. As Adie met her sister's eyes, something shot out of the void and penetrated Adie's left shoulder and right stomach. It snaked out of her body and wrapped around her torso. Icy thorns grew, puncturing her skin as she screamed. At the threshold of the void, Ultear staggered, her expression half-mad and half-transformed. Her skin was a sickening shade of gray and her teeth were sharp and elongating. The suction of Bahamut's attack was growing, and it was becoming difficult to avoid its pull. It was glowing brightly, and was very likely going to take out the Human World if they didn't seal it.
"You're coming with me!" Ultear screeched as her icy vines were slowly snaking around Adie, who was bloodied.
"NO!" Lilith took a step toward her sister. The roar of Giga Flare was becoming deafening. Lilith screamed, and the fallen Amarok that Adie bested began to move.
Adie held up her hand, a calm overcoming her. She made a crude gesture with her middle finger at the Amarok that was climbing to its feet, a smirk on her face for the briefest of moments. She looked at her sister, then to Lucy. She mouthed one last thing.
Thank you.
She turned, rushed toward Ultear, crashed into the woman and fell into the void as Lilith and Lucy screamed. The Weaver jerked violently as her arms danced. The chasm closed, reverberating from the explosion within, threatening to make its way out. The spirit slumped forward when she was completed. Her expression was oddly not triumphant, but morose.
Lucy hadn't even realized that Bahamut had been defeated. It barely made it into the periphery of her mind as she dropped to her knees, numb from realization of what had just passed. Lilith sobbed into her hands. The Amarok Adie had injured began to change shape, leaving Morpheus to push himself up from the earth, looking worse for wear. Lucy realized what Adie had also: that Morpheus was attempting to take her place.
And still, the Spirit has refused.
Morpheus suddenly looked wearier than Lucy had ever seen him. His eyes shone with regret as she knelt in front of Lilith. "That second Amarok wasn't you," he said matter-of-factly. Lilith shook her head, wiping tears from her cheeks. She sat back on her knees, rocking back and forth, looking distraught. "She had known it was me. I realized it at the last moment. Damn clever, that girl," he spat, chuckling out of regret.
Lucy's mind was whirling from what had happened. Ultear managed one last trump card, and Adie could have allowed Morpheus to take her place, but she refused. Lucy felt so numb.
So much so, she didn't notice Leo standing behind her, hand over his heart.
"I have failed you, Princess," Morpheus bowed his head to Lilith.
"No," Lilith whispered, clearing her throat. "I have failed you. All of you. I have put you in this position to begin with. If anyone is to feel guilty, it is I."
Lucy tuned out of their conversation, noticing Bahamut's lifeless body was surrounded by Eksheed and dragon slayers. Lucy could see Natsu hugging Happy and Peony helping with the wounded. Panterlily was shaking hands—or was it a paw?—with Gajeel. Lucy's weariness spilled over as tears flooded her eyes and her vision went blurry.
She looked up at the Weaver, who watched her with unblinking eyes and startling irises, hands busy with the nothingness around them. Her voice was raspy, "I don't know what to make of you, Human Girl."
"Mother," Faux warned from where he was kneeling beside Lilith, hand on her shoulder. "It is done."
With one last sweeping look at the world around her, the Weaver disappeared. Lucy thought she caught a glimpse of sadness in the spirit's features, but she couldn't be sure. She turned her head toward Faux, staring wordlessly while being surprised by the by the relatedness of her spirits. How had she not known more about them? She wondered briefly what her mother was like as a summoner.
Faux helped Lilith to her feet, murmuring in her ear. He was gentle with the spirit, respecting the loss that Lilith had suffered.
Lucy struggled with something—a thought. "Wait," she was reaching, and she knew it. "Why did Adie summon the Amarok?"
"I don't know—" Lilith shook her head. "I should have known that she would recognize Morpheus. I-I don't know why I let him talk me into it."
"Because you wanted to save her," Faux answered honestly. Lucy was surprised by the tenderness that he displayed when interacting with Lilith. "If he went, and Ultear, then there would be no need for her."
"But," Lucy considered her thoughts. There are three worlds! She repeated that phrase aloud. "Spirits, Humans….Other…"
She met Lilith's surprised look. That was it! You need two to seal, and the thing being sealed. She looked at Bahamut's carcass. It was supposed to be sealed using Morpheus and Ultear—that was Lilith's plan. But it hadn't gone accordingly. "What was Adie's plan, do you think?"
"She was sealing Ultear, using an Amarok—" Lucy was grappling at straws.
"And herself," Lilith finished Lucy's thoughts.
Faux narrowed his eyes as Lilith's head shot up as if she had realized something. Lucy noticed that Leo was behind her only because he swore loudly before disappearing with a soft plop. Faux followed, then Lilith.
"What? What did I do?" she wondered to herself, heart racing with hope. She was so very weary. And sore. And hungry. Spirits, Eksheed and humans alike were helping the wounded. And she was suddenly alone. She leaned forward, holding her face in her hands and weeping.
Lucy jumped when a cool hand touched her bare, scraped shoulder. "It's just me, Luce."
She looked up at him, face streaked with tears and dirt. Her hair was a tangled mess, she knew. She felt a twinge of relief as he sat next to her. They stared at one another, saying nothing, yet conveying everything. He held her hand as she cried, bringing her fingers to his lips and holding them there. His breath was hot on her flesh. He wrapped an arm around her and held her as her body rocked against him with each heaving sob. Minutes turned into hours, and the wounded were being tended to, bodies were being readied for transport, and allies were shedding tears of joy, sorry, and remembrance. She sat for some time, head against Natsu's chest, his chin resting on her head as she listened to his heart beat. They said nothing for a long time. She felt him stiffen, and she pulled away, looking up at him. She sensed it, too, and she turned to look at Lilith, who had reappeared. Lucy stood, eyes shining with hope.
Lilith's face relayed more than words, and Lucy was awash in fresh tears as the spirit shook her head, voice low. "I thought—maybe—" She looked haggard as tears silently streaked her cheeks. She didn't say anything further—she didn't have to.
Adie had not survived.
Lucy had known that was the likely scenario, as had Adie. Yet, they had all hoped. The mage stood there, tears spilling over as Natsu remained beside her. He raised his right hand over his heart. "For Adie."
Adassandra had saved Lucy's life. More than once, to be exact. And Natsu would not forget it. Through watery eyes, she saw that the other mages had taken notice of their exchange. Silence lingered and slowly, everyone followed Natsu's lead. Lilith was touched by the gesture, eyes falling to Lucy.
"You did your best, Lilith, erm, Lil. It's what Adie wanted," Natsu was the one who answered in Lucy's silence. "Don't blame yourself so much."
"He's right," Lucy chimed in. "You can't beat yourself up about it! Ultear would have found a way, right?"
She smiled at him, a sad tight smile. Her fingertips found her trembling lower lip, and tears flowed over. Human and spirit looked at each other for some time.
"I'm going to miss her, too, you know!" Lucy added, to some agreement from those closest. The tears were hot on her skin, burning her dry eyes. She could taste the saltiness as they slid over her lips. She lifted her shirt to her face, wiping her nose on it.
"You're something else, Lucy Heartfilia," Lilith whispered. "Now, I know why she respected you."
Behind her, spirits were slowly disappearing into their world as the humans picked up the scattered remains of their own. Lucy's heart was heavy. She heard Levy sniffling nearby. She thought about the friends she had lost and a piece of her heart died, even when Natsu grabbed her hand-his rough palm slick with sweat and blood.
"It's what she wanted," Lucy whispered, more for her own benefit. Lilith nodded, staring at the ground. Lucy watched her for a moment. Then a small smile pulled at her mouth as a memory crept forth. "So act like you know that, dammit!" Lucy barked.
Surprise crossed Lilith's face, followed by a vague familiarity. She very nearly smiled as well. Faux appeared next to her, dropping into a low bow. "His Majesty would like to see you, now."
Lilith looked between him and Lucy. Lucy waved, "We're fine here. Really. Take care of yourself."
Lilith fumbled with something in her lap, before holding it out to Lucy. The intricate key with the onyx stone. Lucy gasped as Lilith took a few steps, grabbed Lucy's wrist, and put it in her palm. "You keep it."
Lucy's brow furrowed in surprise at the gift. "I-I can't!"
"For the first time in my life, I want to do something my sister would approve of. She trusted you—and for good reason. So, I must trust you, too. It's the closest I can come—" she stopped, shaking her head and biting her lip before she disappeared behind Faux to face the Spirit King. To being more like Dee.
Lucy smiled, the key disappearing from where it sat in her hand. The warm expression stayed on her face as she bade farewell to her spirits, offering their keys back to them. Some took them, though not without debate, others looked embarrassed at such a thought and left their control with Lucy. She felt lighter by the end of the exchanges. She stood there for a moment, Natsu watching her carefully as she envisioned the key with the ruby in it. She imagined it, wished for it, but was unable to summon it. She had hoped they had all been wrong, that she somehow survived. Her stomach sank when she was unable to bring forth Adie's key. She stared at her empty palms when she felt Natsu's arm slide over her shoulders as she waited for one last spirit to appear. He still hadn't shown himself since his disappearance an hour earlier. His key was in the periphery of her mind. She rested her head on Natsu's shoulder, closing her eyes. Around her, people were saying goodbye and making promises to see one another in the future. Some were planning funerals. Others were trying to reestablish a sense of belonging.
"Ready to go, Luce?" Natsu asked, his voice gruff.
"Hm?" Lucy looked up at him, her mind wandering. He was staring at her intently. She saw grief flash across his face as he reached up and touched her cheek. "What are you doing, stupid?"
"I'm g-going to kiss you," he breathed. And he did exactly just that.
Lucy smiled against his lips as she heard people whistling and shouting remarks to them. Happy flew by them, "Get a room, you two!"
"I plan on it when we get back," Natsu murmured in her ear as he kissed her hair. Lucy's breath caught in her throat at his boldness. She recalled the night they shared—it seemed so long ago. Her cheeks grew hot at the memory.
"You never answered me," Natsu pulled away, concern in his features as he looked at her, hands on her shoulders.
"About what?" She ignored Gray giving her a thumbs up.
"Home? Ready to go home?" Natsu grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling.
"Let's go!" Happy flew by, trying to drag Natsu with him. The dragon slayer cursed at him, even taking a few steps and waving his fist at his friend. Happy flew in circles, before landing and waiting for them. Natsu turned and held out his hand to Lucy. She laughed at their silliness.
"Ready?" he repeated, still awaiting an answer.
Lucy looked at the outstretched palm, then to Natsu. She looked over her shoulder, realizing that Leo was not going to return. He, too, was mourning the loss of someone he loved dearly—much more dearly than he had been able to admit. As she looked at Natsu, she wondered how she would feel if she were to lose him.
That consideration made her stomach drop and her fear must have shown on her face because Natsu noticed. "What's wrong, Luce?"
"N-Nothing!" she quickly responded as he studied her carefully. Lucy pushed that fear away as she reminded herself they had survived. She looked into his eyes and smiled a big goofy grin. She didn't care if she looked ridiculous. Natsu smirked, and grabbed her, lifting her over his shoulder.
"W-What are you doing? Natsu!" she hissed, fist pounding his back.
"I'm carrying you home," he remarked easily, falling into stride next to Happy who was flying next to them.
"This is romantic, isn't it Lucy?" Happy asked her. "You dreamed of this moment."
"No! This is embarrassing. I have a rip in my pants!" she yowled. "Natsu, put me down right now!"
"Nope!" he replied. "Not until we set foot in your room and I can put you in your bed."
She knew he had not intended to be vulgar, but she was warming to the idea, even if he didn't comprehend the innuendo of his words.
"Lucy, can I sleep in your bed?" Happy asked innocently.
"Who said anything about either of you coming to my place?" She pushed herself up and looked at them as she propped herself on Natsu's shoulder, staring at the hundreds of mages following them.
"We have nowhere else to go," Happy pointed out. "Besides, we always stay at your place."
She smiled at the memories she had with them. My place. She was going home. With her friends. With the man she loved. Her heart ached for those they lost, and there would be time to cry and mourn later. But, for right now, they were going home.
Home to rebuild.
Home to hope.
They were going home.