Hi guys! Yeah I know I promised an update on Monday, unfortunately I realised I didn't have enough content stuck in so it took me two more days to figure things out. Thank you guys again for your support in this story. Ps, you've already read the chapter title, so you know this is going to be a very upsetting and slightly confusing chapter. Anyways, hope you guys like it c:

Chapter 29 (Love But Not Lucky and Bitter Goodbyes)

Lucy's POV,

"I know I've already said this before, but.. I love you, Lucy."

My mind went numb as Natsu finished speaking, I wasn't even completely sure what he had just said at that point. All I heard was 'I love you' and 'Lucy'. The rest practically flew over my head.

And even now, my own name didn't sound like mine either.

Slowly the initial shock of those four words slowly faded leaving me feeling exposed and self-conscious. This wasn't right, this wasn't how it was suppose to be.

Why couldn't he have said this to me six months ago, damn it?!

"Natsu isn't it a bit late?" I whispered tiredly, looking behind me impatiently. I couldn't deal with this, not right now. Not when I'm questioning Sting's innocence.

Natsu stared at me, his shocked expression slowly morphing into a scowl. I could tell he had expected a whole different reaction from me but then I could have said the same thing. I expected a whole different reaction from myself too.

Sighting I started to leave, trying to hold down my urge to run.

Don't cry Lucy, don't cry.

But before I could even make it out of the Domus Flau's grounds, Natsu was behind me. "Is that all your going to say?" He whispered, his voice torn with beaten down pride and anger.

I turned around to meet his stormy gaze. "Yes, because I don't think you actually get it." I answered tonelessly, too busy trying not to think about the one question.

What do I do now?

"What do you mean I don't get it? I'm not stupid Lucy, whatever it is you have with that Saber isn't what you call 'love'."

He replied harshly, grabbing both my shoulders as if to shake sense into me. I scowled at the new nickname he had for Sting. Was that what they called us? Saber people?

"Just cause we spent one drunk night together doesn't mean we're in love Natsu, whatever we had before is over. I've made my own promises to other people, I'm sure you have yours." I snapped, shaking him off me.

Natsu was silent for a few minutes, but his pained gaze was enough to tell me that I had said enough.

I sighed and opened my mouth to start apologising when Natsu cut me off by pressing his lips onto mine.

I froze shocked at the intrusion but he was persistent, no amount of trying to stay still was putting him off at all.

Damn you Natsu Dragneel.

His desperate lips caught mine whipping all thoughts of escape from my mind.

Part of me had already given up to his kiss, happy to accept whatever faith awaited us tomorrow, it was so easy. So disturbingly easy. And I hated that it was. I hated that I couldn't leave him, no matter what I do.

We were bound, both by animal instincts and fate. There was nothing we could do, because the moment I met him all those years ago... I knew I wouldn't be able to leave.

Slowly my mind gave out under the heat and pressure, completely collapsing into Natsu's familiar-ness. Somehow I knew I was safe here, I knew here I was free to forget about commitment, about the promises and the problems I had. It was horrible and I loved it.

I was trapped, like a moth to a flame. Funny, considering how ironic that was.

How many time have I been burnt by this man?

Slowly he used his free hand to push my closer to his, as if he wanted me to melt into him so he could keep me there forever. I didn't argue with his advances, even going so far as to help him pull me closer to him.

It was that moment when I knew the part of me that wanted this-wanted him-had taken over.

Suddenly Natsu's husky voice was talking to me, whispering into my ear like he was telling me a secret we both already knew. "Your right Luce, I do have my own promises. But you know what?"

He chuckled as he said it as if he couldn't quiet believe what he was saying himself, "I don't give a shit." I felt my already flying heart skip a beat at Natsu's breathless tone, surprised that Natsu was going through the same thing I was.

Maybe this wasn't so bad, maybe we could be together, if there was anything I had done when I was wandering around Fiore, was grow up. And if Natsu can forget about his own promises, then maybe I can too. We could abandon our life here, run away, get married, live in the countryside like the exceeds and-

You will never have a normal life.

Your a Dragon Slayer, your the reason Saberooth changes for the better, what would happen if you leave? And even then how are you going to pay for anything? Your both broke.

And worst of all, your the only one who can save Fiore from Zeref.

Do you actually think Jellal can do it? Do you actually think these people, even with all of their strength can fight against Zeref? You heard Acnologia, Zeref isn't just coming to Crocus by himself.

He's coming with a whole hoard of demons, all of them as strong as the demons that were part of Tartarus. The nine demon gates multiplied by a hundred, maybe even a thousand.

Reject me, reject the world.

Are you really going to let the magical word crumble because of your petty love life.

Get it together Lucy Heartfilia, you will never have a normal life.

You've chosen power over normality a long time ago, there is no going back, no matter how much you regret it, no matter how much you wish for it. It will never come true.

This is your fate, this is who you are.

"Natsu... Stop." I whispered, slowly pushing him away. He froze, not moving. "We can't do this anymore. I can't do this anymore."

Silence replied.

I was about to say it again when Natsu let go of me abruptly, I stumbled at the sudden movement but I stayed standing. Quietly, I looked up to meet his eyes only to be met with another one of his blank gazes.

I tried to turn away, feeling more and more uncomfortable under his gaze when he spoke. Whispered really, but it was enough for me to hear it. "Why not?"

The questions echoed in my ears as he said it, it bounced across's the streets, repeating over and over again.

Why not?

Because I can't be selfish, because I can't be a lier or traitor, because the world's fate is resting on my shoulders.

Because I am the useless human being that deserves to risk her life, to die for the fate of humanity.

Can't he understand that?

Of course he can't, he doesn't know anything about Zeref.

I sighed inwardly at the thought, why couldn't people read minds? I opened my mouth hesitantly, trying desperately to find a way to tell Natsu about Zeref without him panicking when a voice broke through the silence that had settled between us.

And it didn't belong to me or Natsu.

"Lucy?"

Normal POV,

Lucy froze terrified when she realised that she and Natsu had been caught. Reluctantly she turned towards where the voice had come from, only to be met by a pair of terrified blue eyes.

Sting.

Lucy realising the how the situation was going to play out between the two Dragon Slayer started to tell Sting to get back to his room but was quickly cut off. "What is he doing here?!" Sting hissed as he turned his angry gaze towards Natsu who was returning his gaze with equal hostility.

"I thought I knocked you out, Saber?" Natsu answered with a mocking tone. Sting laughed bitterly, "So you could have more time to steal my mate?" Natsu smirk grew wider. "Yours? You mean mine."

An annoyed growl erupted from the back of Sting's throat as he glanced at Lucy with betrayed look in his eyes before directing his attention back to Natsu. "What I said earlier this morning goes the same now, she's moved on." Sting snarled, trying his best to sound certain.

He wasn't doing very well.

"Then why is she here with me now and not you?" Natsu asked slyly as he glared at Sting mockingly.

The blonde Dragon Slayer was silent for a few minutes, his angry gaze turning blank as his eyes met with Lucy's guilty ones. "Lucy?" He asked dryly. Lucy held his gaze for a few minutes, her eyes slowly filling up with tears.

Lucy couldn't help but feel her name become heavier and heavier the more Sting said it. She knew what he was asking-what they both had been asking for a very long time-even though it was only one word.

It was one of those words always held thousands of questions, it almost felt like he was questioning her very existence.

What is going on? What is he talking about? Who do you want?

Lucy swallowed as she thought about everything that was at stake here, what she could possibly do to save what little she could. Only to come to one conclusion,

She had to tell him the truth as well.

Lucy couldn't help but flinch inwardly at the terrible word, she had been dreading that word for months now, trying desperately to avoid it.

She had never thought of herself as being very secretive, but recently with the Zeref fiasco looming just around the corner and having just found her new family that knew most of her past deeds and have accepted her with them.

Well, lies kinda came with the package.

When she had first met Sting she had thought of him as ignorant, egotistical, naive even, but as time went by she began to notice how many qualities she had missed when she had first met him, he was ignorant but he cared about his teammates more than he could say, he was egotistical but that was only because he was fiercely proud of his own guild and his magic, he was naive because he didn't like thinking about the bad in people.

He was like Natsu in so many ways, Lucy couldn't help but feel attached to him. Which later she mistook for love.

You couldn't blame her, she had been closed off from her own feelings for so long after the Fairy Tail incident and the death of Acnologia. When she finally felt something again, she held on for dear life. Hoping, for something finally permanent in her life.

But Fairy Tail never left her mind, it wasn't until the first day of the GMG when she saw Natsu again did she finally realise...

The reason she cared about Sting so much to the point of 'love' was because of Natsu. Natsu was the real person she wanted.

She had been using Sting as a replacement all this time.

It had all been a lie. A lie to the people around her, a lie to herself.

Slowly she opened her mouth, her heart racing away in her chest.

If she really cared about Sting-in anyway at all-she would stop all the question, stop the doubts. If she really was the person that she had always thought she was, then she would do it.

"Sting, I..." She drifted off, as the words got stuck in her throat. "I..." She tried again, forcing them up out to the world. "I-"

"Stop, Lucy." Sting said tonelessly cutting her off. "But-" "I get it, I'll leave. It's already taken you this long to figure this out." He laughed bitterly as he turned around towards the Domus Flau again.

"Somehow... I think I ended up on the other end of the spectrum anyway." He finished, walking off into the darkness. Lucy tried to run after him, only to be grabbed by Natsu, stopping her in her tracks.

"What?!" Lucy demanded glaring at the Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu glared at her stonily. "Why are you going after him?!" He snapped, his grip tightening on her wrist.

Lucy growled in between her teeth and ripped her wrist out of his hand. "Because he's..." She drifted off again. Natsu's gaze darkened at her hesitation. "Because he's what?!" He snarled.

In a midst of adrenaline and frustration Lucy smiled coldly, "Because he's my mate." She whispered, coating the word with as much poison as possible. Natsu taken aback at what she had said, lost it. "Fine, go after you precious boyfriend. See if I care?!" He hissed before stalking off into the night.

A few minutes after Natsu disappeared Lucy collapsed in a heap in front of the Domus Flau as the night grew colder and colder. As it finally dawned on her on how alone she was, with nothing but her mind to entertain her.

She closed her eyes while pulling her legs closer to her chest as she waited for the onslaught of memories from the night's events. She knew her mind was going to replay those events over and over again, forcing her to watch every detail play out minute by minute as her already unstable life fall to pieces before her eyes again and again.

It was like her own personal hell and there was nothing she could do about it.

It wasn't the first time either, it had already happened to her millions of times. But the problem was, all those times she had told herself everything would be alright, everything was going to be fine. How'd you think she got past all this times?

This time though, she knew-nothing was going to be alright ever again.

"You have been watching, haven't you?" A soft voice whispered, as a girl of 12 walked up behind a man sitting under the shade of a pine tree. The man smiled softly as he noticed the girl.

"I can't see you or hear you, yet I can now? How many strings have you pulled Mavis?" The man asked almost playfully. The first guild master of Fairy Tail grimaced at the other mage's accusations. "How long have you been here?" She answered, slowly stepping beside the young man.

The man glanced at Mavis for a few minutes before looking away again, his soft smile still gracing his handsome features. "I'm sure you know, you found me here didn't you?" He answered.

Mavis's eyes darkened as she sat down next to the man. "Why are you here? I thought you had made up your mind to stay at Tenrou?"

The man looked up into the night sky above them, avoiding her gaze completely. "I had. But there are things that I have decided I will have to do before I find my final resting place." Mavis followed the man's gaze towards the sky, "What do you mean?"

"We have both lived countless lifetimes already, we've seen the downfall of billions of societies and the uprising of the others. We constantly see humans making the same mistakes over and over again and all we can do is watch. We've seen more death than any other human can ever see in their lifetime."

"I always sit there on our little island dreaming of an ideal world where old mistakes don't happen, where innocent lives aren't taken. But it still hasn't come yet."

"Five centuries and still hasn't come yet."

Mavis shook her head as the man finished speaking before heaving a deep sigh. "You and I both know that's a silly dream, mistakes happen and human life isn't worth very much in their eyes. Sometimes, I believe they are trying to kill themselves."

Mavis laughed gently, her laugh tinkling in the wind like a wind chime.

"Buts that's how the humans have survived this long. Without their stupidity and constant disregard for their own life, they just wouldn't be the same. You and I have both been human before, we are nothing more but hypocrites."

The man laughed. "I am hardly what you would call, a human." Suddenly he got up, looking over his shoulder as he went. "Its almost time for what I have to do, my children are shaking in excitement for the day."

"And are you as excited?" Mavis asked as she got up as well. The man turned around to face her, smiling slightly. "I will be happy to know that I will die in my ideal world."

Mavis' scowled as if she was irritated at the man's mocking smile. "I thought you despised wars, this thing you think you have to do... You will regret it, just like the humans have."

"If it is what it takes to obtain the world I want to die in, then so be it."

"Fairy Tail will stop you, no matter the cost."

The man laughed again, "I know. But I am no longer intimidated by your followers. Rest assured, it will the final battle to decide the fate of humanity." The man whispered as he returned Mavis' gaze.

"We aren't afraid of you either, we destroy the people that hurt one of own." Mavis answered softly, her tone as heavy as tension in the air.

The man looked behind her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Layla Heartfilia, the woman Acnologia killed. Her daughter has grown up."

"She does not know of either me or my creation's involvement, Jude had covered it up well."

"She has been training under Acnologia as the Chaos Dragon Slayer. You already know of Acnologia's recent death?" The man's gaze turned stormy as he glared at the blonde spirit. "We share a biological link, of course I know of his death."

"Then you know who killed him then?" She asked tonelessly. The man looked surprised as he realised what Mavis was hinting. "Impossible, the girl killed one of my finest creations?!"

Mavis smiled, victorious. "It seems, you have underestimate my followers." The man scowled, genuinely furious. "Where is she?" "In Crocus, it seems she senses your presence as well."

The man hearing this forced his own temper down, he refused to show weakness to the first guild master and not just that. He refused to be afraid of this girl.

Suddenly Mavis spoke, "We were close 7 years ago." She spoke sadly as if it was a long forgotten memory she wanted to relive. "Time is time Mavis, neither I or you can change it."

Mavis nodded before starting towards the main streets of Crocus. "I cannot change your motivations, neither will I try any longer... But rest assured, I-we will stop you."

The man sighed disappointedly, "It seems you have rejected me like the rest. You already know what happens to the people who reject me."

Mavis' eyes turned cold. "Reject me, reject the world."

He chuckled before getting up himself. "Farewell Mavis, be well."

"As to you, Zeref."

Zeref is finally coming into the picture XD If this scene sounds somewhat familiar to you it's cause some of it's dialogue is from chapter 340 in the manga, but if you haven't read it, it shouldn't have spoiled much. Anyways, I hope this chapter wasn't too cheesy, my bets is still on holiday (I think) and I haven't contacted her yet, so the chapter has only been edited and read over by me ^.^" Read and review!