Good Meets Bad
Chapter 32 – A Breath of Hope
WARNING: This chapter was not beta read. I only proofread this.
Genre: Romance, Humor, Friendship, Hurt and Comfort, Drama, Action
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.
He experienced pain, excruciating pain.
"Gray!"
Where am I?
"Gray! Don't die on me now, idiot!"
What's happening?
Light blinded his eyes and above him, a familiar redhead hovered over him. She was sweating, blood tainting her shirt and her arms. Her jaw was clenched as she ran, eyeing the raven-haired man with horrified eyes.
What… I'm alive?
"Gray!" Erza barked, her eyes growing wide. She gasped and screamed as she was stopped by a nurse. The said man watched as she argued with the brown-haired woman. The redhead pleaded, begged and besought but none was taken lightly. The nurse stood strong in front of Erza, saying no firmly and strongly.
The redhead's knees shook and she fell to her knees, remaining that way as she watched Gray being rolled in the emergency room. She stared at the floor with unblinking eyes as the doors to the ER slowly closed shut, its sound ringing in her ears while she tried to feel her legs.
She could remember how she heard his bones break. She heard him cry out in pain. She heard his blood splatter everywhere. She saw his eyes roll to the back of his head. She thought that he was dead. He was supposed to be dead. Why was he still alive? How was he still awake?
Why am I still here?
Because of the fact that Jellal was still unable to move around freely due to his injuries, he was to remain in the hospital for another week or so. He could hear the pitter patter of the rain outside the building, the sound of revving engines growing loud and then distant. The drops of rain slid down his window pane while he counted his memories of Lucy in his mind.
They seemed so obscure, so far away. He couldn't recall when was the last time she hugged him, or when she told him her feelings. His memories of her were so vague. How long has it been since she entered the state of coma? He had visited her yesterday, and the day before that, but like always, there was no response. Sometimes, he wished that he was in her shoes, sleeping for who knows how long. He no longer saw mirages of Lucy, but he certainly missed them. They kept him company.
"One, two, three," He mumbled, counting every drip of the water from the faucet in the bathroom. He was starting to get really bored. He wanted to do something.
His sister walked back in the room and smiled. She was starting to get better now. After weeks of depression and lack of nutrition, she started to gain some color and flesh. When she found out that Jellal was in the hospital, she nearly had a heart attack. But somehow, seeing him wrapped in bandages only made her smile and laugh.
As she made her way to sit beside the bluenette, she took out a novel and started to read it, oblivious of the fact that her brother was staring at her with a blank expression on his face. He wanted to tell her that he needed to be acknowledged, but she wouldn't look at him.
After minutes of silence, he decided to speak up, "Hey Reina?"
The said girl looked up from the book she was reading to quirk a brow, "Yes?"
"Can we visit Lucy?"
She blinked and then a smile touched her lips, nodding, "Alright." She then turned back to her book, "Get some rest first though."
"Okay." He closed his eyes and tried to block out the sound of the rain. He wanted to hear her voice and that only. But he couldn't hear it anymore. It died out.
"Good afternoon, Lucy."
The brunette dragged a chair to the side of the woman's bed and she sat down. Once she was comfortable, she gently took the blonde's hand in hers and smiled slightly, her eyes twinkling as she said, "I hope you wake up soon. He's waiting for you."
The sound of the heart monitor was the only sound heard in the room other than Analee's voice. For some time now, she visited Lucy and each time she did, her hope diminished little by little. She wasn't a patient woman, and since the blonde has been sleeping for months now, it got her worried and frightened. Thoughts about her never waking again haunted her, nightmares invading her head every night, scaring her to the core. She never used to be this weak but she was growing old and it was only natural to feel tired every now and then. However, Lucy's lack of improvement only seemed to add to her fatigue.
"He misses you… you know," she whispered, brushing away the strands of hair on the blonde's face. She cupped her chin and rubbed the back of Lucy's hand with her thumb, staring at the woman's lifeless body.
"Even after celebrating his victory… he still doesn't seem happy," Analee said, bemused. She chuckled and closed her eyes, "But of course, that's because of you."
She looked at Lucy's face sadly, "You have to wake up, for Jellal."
Silence once again answered her and she heaved a sigh, scooting closer to the blonde. She folded her arms on the bed and hid her face in them, feeling her heart give out as the tears finally fell.
"Wake up…"
As she walked down the pavement, cars zoomed past her, lifeless and dull. All kinds of sound were blocked from her ears; the only thing she could distinguish was the sound of someone muttering her name.
"Lucy."
Her name was mumbled over and over, unending and continuous. She wondered who was saying her name. Where was it coming from?
"Lucy."
Straight ahead, she could see the grey road slowly fading into a mix of distinct pigments. As she stepped onto the colorful road, an array of colors melted and slid down the sides of the buildings, creating puddles of rainbows on the ground. She didn't see anyone outside on the streets other than her. From this distance, she could see the road just a few more meters away turning into something new.
"I'm sorry…"
Dead eyes darted everywhere in surprise, finding the apology sudden and surprising. She had never heard the words being said to her in such a loving way. She had never felt that much care and affection. Though, she could recall memories of her gang, it was different. They loved her and cared for her because she took care of them. But why was this… person apologizing to her when she didn't even know what he or she did wrong?
"My dearest Lucy…"
Her eyes widened and she stopped walking, looking around.
"My dearest Lucy, Lucy, Lucy."
The blonde crouched on the ground and clutched her head, wide, mortified eyes skimming the area.
"Dearest… dearest Lucy. My dearest Lucy. Lucy."
She tucked her face in her knees and tried to block out the tender voice entering her head. She wasn't used to being loved this much. She wasn't adored this much before.
"Can you see me?"
She curled her fingers in her yellow locks and gritted her teeth, screaming out a muted yell.
No, she couldn't see you. She couldn't see him. She couldn't see her.
Who could she not see?!
"I miss you."
Who was missing her?
"I miss your kisses."
But why?
She cried out in frustration and started to run, her hair sticking to her tear-stained cheeks. She sobbed, feeling lost and confused. She felt abandoned.
"I love you."
Who loved her?
All color vanished as soon as she opened her eyes and she tripped, landing on the floor. There was zero visibility; she could not see a thing. But from afar, she could still hear the same person whispering words laced with devotion and fondness.
She rolled to the side so that she was lying on her back and stared into nothingness. She then heard footsteps approaching her, slow and steady. The person who was walking towards her was breathing heavily, his heartbeat echoing inside the black room. Light flooded her view and she saw a raven-haired man tiredly heading straight towards her.
The blonde blinked and frowned as the man merely lowered his head, ignoring her. However, he stopped walking and stood right behind her, his arms limp and his back hunched. He slowly rolled his fingers into fists and gritted his teeth, feeling tears cascade down his cheeks and vanishing before it could hit the ground.
Are you okay?
Lucy gasped and covered her mouth, eyes wide in surprise. She didn't even mutter a word yet she heard it being said.
What in the world is…
She sat upright to look at the man and found him looking over his shoulder, eyes dull and inert. He was looking at her with piercing blue eyes. She stared at her reflection in his blue orbs, sensing dread creeping up her spine.
I'm dead.
The blonde's eyes widened once again and she found herself looking away, avoiding eye-contact. She couldn't bear to stare at him anymore. She wasn't frightened of him, but he was intimidating. And she never liked being intimidated by someone who looked so familiar to her. Who was this man?
What happened?
The ebony-haired man diverted his eyes away from her and looked up at the endless grey sky. He shrugged and smiled sadly.
Jumped off a building. It hurt.
Lucy stopped thinking about what else to ask and stared at the glass floor instead, seeing a pit of crying souls beneath her. She saw various spirits try to fly up and escape but they ended up being pushed back by a defensive wall. She traced a kanji on the glass and shifted to the side as the man sat down beside her, his back facing her.
She didn't want to speak or anything, just staying quiet was enough for her to be comfortable. She wasn't the type to enjoy noise. Albeit, she liked the sound of rain pelting on the glass loudly, she always found that consoling.
How about you?
Lucy looked at the man.
What happened to you?
She turned back at the pit of souls and shrugged a shoulder, closing her eyes and rubbing the back of her neck. What happened to her? She couldn't remember.
I… I'm in coma, I think.
The man chuckled lowly and smiled wryly. At least you can still live. My heart just stopped beating two minutes ago. They're trying to revive me. My friend was screaming and pounding on the ER earlier. I think she left to get a drink.
Lucy smiled sadly and opened her eyes. That's disheartening to hear. I don't know how I ended up in coma. I think I took a bullet.
You did.
The blonde blinked and she stared at the man's back, tears suddenly falling from her eyes though she didn't know why. She blinked again and gently touched her cheek, wondering why she was crying.
I… How do you know?
He shrugged, lips tightening into a straight line. It was a wild guess.
Lucy nodded and closed her eyes once again, pondering over her thoughts. She honestly missed the colorful road she had entered a while ago. She didn't know who this man was or why he was there with her but she found his presence very much comforting. For minutes, they sat that way, silent and mute. They spoke through their minds and only did when it was something worth asking.
Then, suddenly, she felt something spike through her heart. She coughed out blood and bended over the floor, clutching the fabric of her dress close to her chest as she felt pain run through her body. She cried out in agony and unexpectedly, even the man was howling. He was on the ground, his body arching forward as the anguish surged on. Then their hands and feet started blinking without warning.
Analee's eyes widened and she felt Lucy's finger twitch in her hands, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She covered her mouth in shock and immediately stood up, running out of the room.
She ran past by a redhead who was talking to a nurse, eyes wide and tears streaming down her cheeks just like her.
There was still hope.
Lucy released an ear-splitting scream and wrapped her arms around herself, sobbing uncontrollably. The man was quivering on the glass, arms limp and eyes blank. She tried to regain the feeling of her feet but they were fading away.
What's happening?
She screamed again and reached her hand out to the man.
We're vanishing.
Erza felt her heart pound against her chest in a rush of happiness and excitement. She slowly started to smile, running faster and faster. She knew that he would make it, she knew it. She just had to be patient and wait for results or else everything would go wrong. And she certainly didn't want that.
While running, she passed by a brown-haired woman pushing a bluenette in a wheelchair and she felt her heart skip a beat. She only knew one man with blue hair.
She shook her head to get rid of her thoughts and took a right turn, her eyes lighting up as she saw the emergency room in front of her. She slowly stopped and placed her ear against the door, listening to silence when suddenly, the sound of the heart monitor beeping was heard.
But why?!
The man turned to face her and she watched as a heart-wrenched smile spread across his lips.
We're going to live.
They intertwined their hands together and took one last look at each other before closing their eyes. Once they did, their bodies vanished and the world turned black once again.
A/N: Don't tell me you guys forgot about Gray?! :O Hahahaha, anyway, I apologize for switching the places so much, but I had to do this. Weeell, I decided to post this chapter after all since it's Holy Week here in the Philippines and my cousins are coming over soooo I might not have time to post this later on. But, rest assured for I have started writing the next bit. I don't know why, I expected that it would take a while to get these chapters ready. But just like in SIL, I seemed to be writing them faster when the story's ending! XD
My bad, guys, sorry. However, I'm planning on writing a similar story to this, but in this case, Lucy's a real assassin. I don't know how I would work it out, and it might come out not too soon because I'm going to focus on my other stories after this one is finished, but it'll be out and ready to be read when the time comes. If anyone has seen mistakes, forgive me because I was in a rush, hahaha.
Now, what else? Oh. Since the story's ending, I want you guys to give me full support on this! Such as, review, and tell me the moments you loved the most in this story. Tell me which chapter you felt saddened and happiest the most :) I would really appreciate it, hahaha. And I'll try doing a drawing of Lucy and Jellal in GMB theme once more, if I can.
At any rate, I hope you enjoyed the chapter for this is a gift from me to you - since I might be gone for a week or so but I'll try to update every now and then - and please leave a review!
NOTICE: I am in need of a beta reader. If possible, someone who knows the "Review" in MSWord where you use track changes to edit some things. If there's someone who doesn't know that, well, we'll see.
AND BY THE WAY, I have a chapter ready for ALTLF so for those who like that story, stay tuned!
"At some time I felt like the sky was falling, but now I feel like I'm soaring."
Byee! -Anne :D
- Please support/read my other stories: Celebrity Issues, Forgotten Memories, Fragile, Life's Challenges, Queen of Stars, A Love That Lasts Forever and Going Against The Current.