Man I really need a better update schedule. Then again, I'm too lazy for that.

Enjoy!

Pain.

Overwhelming pain.

Did you think you could fool yourself?!

A handful of pink hair was ripped out of her head and tossed aside.

That you where really who they wanted after all of this?!

Another handful was ripped out, but the pain didn't register in her head.

Luna wanted to breathe, but all that came were laboured gasps. She'd long since lost track of where she was. As long as it was far away from them, where she couldn't cause anymore damage, she'd be fine with that. All she saw were tears in her eyes. She tripped on something nearby, hitting the ground hard. She curled into a ball as the voices assaulted her, causing her to whimper.

"She didn't feel that way!"

"Who're you to mimic someone's loved one?!"

"You're a disgrace!"

545 hadn't asked for this. She hadn't wanted this.

"They're all going to die, and it'll be your fault!"

Another laboured cry escaped her, and she pounded her hands against her own head in an attempt to dull the voices. It only angered them.

"Shut up!" She whimpered, grabbing at her hair again. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"They risked their lives, and all they got was you! You're a fucking waste!"

"SHUT UP!"

"How many people have already died because of you?! Rocky was first, who will be next, do you think?! Zeus is dead, Poseidon is dead, and the God of Death is waking up! And it's all because of you!"

All because of her.

It was her fault.

If she hadn't been born, if she didn't exist, then humanity might've seen another day. But it wouldn't. Zomrus would rise.

Because of her...

...

...But who even was she really?

"Has anyone found her yet?"

"No yet Lucy. You'll be the first to know." Lucy frowned at this, her eyes on Luke as he played on the floor in front of her. He seemed preoccupied with his toys, which was good, seeing as she'd been worried Nashi's episode would've scared him. It had sure as hell scared her.

"Don't you dare try and console me! How dare you imply my worthless life is worth more than yours! Or Mom's, or your fucking son's!" Lucy flinched as her daughter's words replayed in her mind, driving themselves into her like knives. She had seen many faces of her daughter over the years. And yet, none of them were even close to what she had seen back at the guild hall. Nashi looked lost, but not even that word described it, she found. It was like watching too many different thoughts and feelings trying to spill out all at once.

"I'm not even really your daughter! I'm some fucked up creation from the Demon Lords that's taunted by memories and feelings she shouldn't even have!"

Lucy closed her eyes and tried to discern the meaning of those words. Unfortunately, she found little success. As far as she knew, the recombination of Nashi and Luna had succeeded, and she'd seen little sign to the contrary. But with the way Nashi had spoken, it was like it hadn't. Had she been hiding something from them? Something she didn't want them to know?

Sighing, she looked back down at Luke, who seemed to have slowed down playing and yawned. She forced out a smile for him.

"It's time for your afternoon nap, isn't it?" She asked him. She got another yawn from him, so she got up from her seat and picked him up, walking towards her bedroom. Entering it, she turned and placed Luke inside of his crib, where he immediately grabbed a dragon plushy and snuggled up next to it, a smile on his face. Lucy wished she could be that indifferent to what was going on. To not have a clue as to what was coming. Sadly, her brain was a tad too developed for that. Sighing again, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving the door ajar slightly to hear if Luke needed her. She was wrapped up in her mind as she walked back to the living room, trying to figure out where Nashi might have been hiding.

This nearly caused her to jump out of her skin when she realised her daughter was standing in the living room, near the hallway to the front door.

"Na-" She started, but her breathe caught in her throat when she actually focused on her daughter. Massive clumps of her hair was missing, and whatever wasn't was dishevelled and hanging across the left side of her face. What part of her face she could see was streaked in tears and stained with blood, but she couldn't tell where the blood had come from. Her scarf wasn't around her neck, instead gripped in her left hand so hard she was shaking.

"Nashi?" She asked weakly, "sweetheart, what happened to-"

"Don't call me that!" She shouted abruptly, startling her. "Don't call me by that name! Please!" Lucy cast a wayward eye behind her at her bedroom door, but she didn't hear Luke cry.

"O-Okay," she said quietly, "Please don't shout, your brother is napping." This seemed to register with her, making her nod quickly. Lucy backed up a little bit and gestured to the couch. Her daughter didn't move at first, so Lucy sat own first in hopes of coercing her.

"Please sit down," she asked softly, "tell me what's wrong."

"I can't," Nashi breathed, "you'll hate me."

"I can't hate you, sweetheart. You're my daughter."

"No I'm not." Lucy frowned at this.

"What happened to your hair?" She asked. Nashi barely seemed to notice.

"I pulled it out," she answered simply.

"Why?"

Another beat of silence fell over the home, neither saying a word. Finally, Nashi grimaced.

"I shouldn't have come here," she said, "I'm sorry, I have to go. I have to get out of-"

"Nashi wait!" Lucy exclaimed, standing from the couch. She winced when she realised she'd said the name again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you that. Please stay. Please." Regardless of being called the 'wrong' name, Nashi still stayed where she was.

"The memories say you love her," Nashi said weakly, "but her, not me. You'll hate me."

"Sweetie please," Lucy pleaded, trying to keep her voice level. "Tell me what's happening. I promise, I swear to everything I could never hate you." She heard her daughter sniffle at this.

"Promise?" She asked weakly. Lucy felt her heart breaking when she asked. Her daughter sounded lost, broken. Like a child who'd just been hurt.

"I promise," she said. "Cross my heart, hope to die. Nothing in this world could make me hate you." Nashi didn't move for a few seconds, making Lucy nervous she was about to bolt. Her fears were quelled when she turned around and edged closer to the couch. Lucy sat down slowly on one side, and Nashi sat down as far away from her as possible, playing with her pants. There was more nearly unbearable silence, but Lucy held her tongue, not wanting to lose this chance.

"I'm not your daughter," Nashi eventually said.

"Why do you think that?" Lucy asked softly.

"I don't think it, I know it!" Nashi said, gripping the fabric of her pants tightly between her fingers. "If it wasn't true, I wouldn't have these thoughts! These feelings! I wouldn't want to tear my hair out or throw up because I know I'm not who you people risked your lives for! I-!"

A cry from down the hall startled them both. Lucy cast a glance in that direction, but didn't risk moving. Nashi sniffled and wiped at her nose.

"You should go and see your real kid," she said, "he needs you."

"He needs me less than you do," Lucy replied. "He'll have to wait." She could hear her daughter grit her teeth.

"Now I woke him up," she hissed. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Lucy watched in shock as Nashi raised her fists and began pounding at her temples, her voice increasing in volume. She moved on instinct.

She closed the gap between her and Nashi, grabbing her arms and lowering them away from her head.

"Please don't do that," she said, "I can't bear to see you like this."

"Great, Now I've upset you! I can't do anything right! Why did this have to happen?! Why do I have-?!"

Lucy gently pressed her daughter's head into her shoulder, hugging her close. She fought initially, but Lucy was deceptively strong. Besides, Nashi wasn't fighting all that much anyway. She held her closely, using her free hand to rub circles on her back.

"Just breathe, baby girl," she said softly. "Breathe and take as long as you need." There was a moment of silence after Nashi stopped fighting, then her body began to shake.

Laboured sobs were muffled by Lucy's shoulder, Nashi melting into her and grabbing her tightly. She held back her own tears as she rocked her daughter slowly, whispering what affirmations she could come up with into her ear as she did so. Nashi cried and cried. Lucy didn't keep track of how long they were there, nor did she care. She'd hold her daughter as long as she needed too. As long as it took to get the story out of her. And even then she wouldn't let go.

"Take your time, sweetheart," she whispered as Nashi cried. "We've got all the time in the world." She still got no words out of her, but she didn't mind. She'd get them eventually. She held her tighter, turning her head to kiss the side of her head. She wanted to help in any way she could, and this was all she could think of.

Eventually, Nashi's crying began to quiet. Her body was still shaking, but her sobs had turned into weak hyperventilating. She held her through all of it, refusing to let go. Nashi didn't try to escape even once, burying herself deeper into Lucy's shoulder. That made her happy. Finally, after what felt like years, Nashi put up a little resistance, pushing against her. Lucy let her free, pushing her away just enough for her daughter to wipe at her eyes with her hand.

"Better?" She asked. Nashi gave a weak nod.

"Yeah," she said curtly, "better." Lucy leaned over to grab the scarf, which had been discarded during their hug. Grabbing it, she wrapped it around Nashi's neck, who then buried her face into it. Just like she always did.

"Now," Lucy said, "tell me what's going on. Please." Nashi winced at this, looking away.

"I can't do that," she said. "You'll hate me."

"How do you know that."

"I just do." Lucy frowned at this.

"Sweetheart," she said, careful to avoid using her name. Reaching forward, she cupped her daughters face and made her look at her. Nashi eyes were wide with terror, but there was something else there. Sadness. Lucy stroked her cheek with her thumb, which Nashi leaned into. "Please, tell me what's happening. I want to help you." Nashi bit her lip at this, clearly still resisting. Finally, she reached up and held Lucy's hand for a moment, before removing it.

"I-I'm not your daughter," Nashi said.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, "you have to give me more to work on than that." Nashi exhaled weakly, clearly adverse to that idea.

"Before," she said, "when we chased after those Demon Lords to put me and...Nashi back together, it only half worked. Nashi was fatally wounded by Drake's Shade and...And...She died before we were recombined."

"I know that," Lucy replied, "but it still worked, didn't it?" Nashi scoffed, wiping at her eyes again.

"Not really," she said, voice cracking. "it only half worked."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I have all of Nashi's memories, her powers, everything that made her, her...But I'm not Nashi. I...I'm Luna."

Realisation spread through Lucy like an electric shock. It made sense. Tears began escaping Luna's eyes again.

"I-I know everything that she did and everything she remembered, b-but..." Luna hiccuped. "It's not my memories! I-It's like I'm watching them behind a screen! I'm not taking part in those memories, I'm watching them! None of those things she did or felt are me, it's still her...A-And I hid it all. I hid it from everyone and pretended everything was okay. I acted like it worked flawlessly because I c-couldn't bare the idea of disappointing everyone after everything you went through and...and..."

She hiccuped again.

"I tried to act like I was her, but I-I can't! I can't because I feel things, I do things that she wouldn't! Every time I'm viciously reminded that I'm living a lie and I...I...I can't go any further! I can't pretend I'm the girl everyone risked their lives for anymore! Especially when the fate of the world is on the line! It isn't fair to anyone!" Lucy watched quietly, trying to figure out exactly what she wanted to say.

"What things?" She asked.

"H-Huh?" Luna asked.

"What things do you feel aren't things Nashi would feel?" Luna looked pained at this, looking down at her lap.

"Nashi was in a relationship with Michael," she said. "I-I don't like him like that. I-I mean he's cool and a great guy, but I don't feel that way about him! Every time I'm around him I'm assaulted by the realisation he thinks I'm back to normal and the girl he was with, b-but I'm not who that girl was, and I never will be. I know he wants to talk about what he and Nashi were, but I can't bring myself to do it. I-I can't go through that and disappoint him.

"As if that wasn't bad enough, I...I..." Luna hiccuped again. "I'm in love with her best friend!" Lucy made a face.

"What?" She asked weakly.

"You heard me," Luna whimpered. "I'm in love with Drake. Her best friend. She didn't feel that way. Well, maybe she would've one day, but she sure didn't when we combined again! And now I have to sit here pretending I'm only best friends with him and now he's gone, who knows if he'll ever be back, and as if all of that wasn't bad enough, I'm surrounded by people who keep implying they'd die for the girl they think I am! I can't do it anymore! I can't keep acting like I know who I am! Because I don't!"

Luna started hyperventilating again.

"I-I don't know who I'm supposed to be!" She cried, "there's so many conflicting voices and thoughts. It's like I'm just a collection of different personalities and thoughts and not a real person. I-I don't know who or what I really am!"

She expression somehow managed to get darker.

"I'm nothing but an amalgamation of thoughts and powers created by those God damn Demon Lords. It would've been better if I'd really died back on Mt. Olympus. At least then I wouldn't be causing the end of the-!"

Lucy interrupted her by hugging her again. Luna seemed surprised by this, as she barely reacted at first.

"Why?" She finally choked out, "why are you hugging me?"

"Because by little girl needs to be reassured," Lucy answered.

"D-Didn't you hear me? I'm not your daughter! It's me, Luna! At least, I think it is...I don't even really know who I am..."

"Luna, listen to me very carefully," Lucy replied. She moved back and cupped her daughters face in her hands, forcing her to look directly into her eyes. "I know that's what you think, but that is not the truth. It just isn't. Did you forget that the Demon Lords created you by separating you and Nashi? You are my daughter. There's no doubt."

"B-But-!"

"And even if any of what you think was true, it wouldn't matter to me in the slightest," she continued, "nor would it matter to anyone else. Because as far as we're concerned, you are my daughter. You are they're close friend. You are the person they love and would risk their lives for. Just because you think you're not worth it does not mean you it's true. Do you want to know what else?"

"...W-What?"

"Pretending to be the 'real' girl and making everyone feel they're sacrifice was worth it is exactly what my daughter would do," she said. "Refusing to let anyone else die in her place is exactly what my daughter would do. Worrying that she wasn't good enough and that she was letting everyone down, no matter how untrue it may be, is exactly what my daughter would do. You think you aren't Nashi? I disagree. You are Nashi. There's no doubt in my mind that you're my baby girl."

Luna's lower lip was trembling, and tears were silently streaming out of her eyes. Lucy could feel streaks of tears falling down her own cheeks, but she smiled at her daughter all the same.

"And even if you weren't my daughter, I wouldn't care. Do you know why? Because being able to sit here, across from you, holding you tight and reassuring you is all I could've asked for. My baby being alive is all I could've wished for a year ago. Because no matter what happens, no matter how much you change or what happens, you're still my baby girl, Nashi. You're still my first-born, and I love you so much. Do you understand me? Take that in. I love you. More than the sun and the moon combined. I'd give it all up to keep you, your father and Luke next to me."

The clouds in her eyes seemed to part a bit, making her look a fraction like her normal self.

"I can't imagine how confused all of this has made you, and I'm sorry for not noticing until it blew up in our faces. But you need to know this; No one is going to think any different of you. No one is going to decide it's not worth risking it all for you. Because they all think the same way I do. They love you, Nashi. And yes, that is your name. Because no matter what you think, what you feel, I know it in my heart. You are my daughter. You are Nashi. They know it too. Of course we wouldn't just give you up to the Demon Lords. That isn't who we are, it isn't what we do."

Nashi looked stunned, but the tears hadn't stopped flowing yet.

"B-But the world will-"

"End? Then it ends, but it'll end and we can go knowing we stayed true to ourselves and didn't give up on our family. You're apart of our family, Nashi. We wouldn't give you up for anything or anyone." Nashi gritted her teeth at this, clearly upset by this.

"I-I thought everyone would hate me..." she whispered, "I thought they'd want me gone if I-I wasn't exactly who they risked their lives for..."

"You are who they risked their lives for," Lucy replied. "Even if you don't know it, believe it, or want it. You are the girl they love. You are my baby girl. Nothing and no one will ever be able to change that." Nashi stared at her a little longer, wide-eyed. Eventually, she collapsed back into her arms, and Lucy obliged by holding her close, squeezing as hard as she could without strangling her.

"C-Can you hold me longer?" Nashi whimpered. Lucy smiled and wiped at her own eyes.

"I'll hold you until the world ends, if that's what it takes to make you feel any better," she replied. "I love you, Nashi. I really do." She got no response for this, but she didn't want or expect one.

All she wanted was to hold her daughter in her arms, and tell her everything would be okay.

Natsu hadn't seen hide or hair of Nashi since she'd run out of the guild hall, which meant he was returning to Lucy with no progress. He hated that she'd managed to allude them, but she was faster than she appeared to be. Sighing, he opened the door to the house and walked inside, prepared to face his wife with the news that he hadn't found their daughter.

He was greeted with a surprising sight.

As he entered the living room, he saw the daughter in question curled up with her mother, sleeping soundly in her arms. Lucy was awake still, running a hand through the remnants of Nashi's hair and humming quietly into her ear. She looked up as Natsu approached, smiling.

"She came to you," he breathed quietly. She nodded slowly.

"Sometimes you just need your Mom to hold you close and tell you everything will be fine," she said. "I would know." Natsu nodded with a smile, happy to know Nashi hadn't escaped them.

"Where's Luke?" He asked.

"Still napping," Lucy answered, "can you check on him? I don't want to wake her." Natsu nodded and moved slowly across the room, careful to not step on floorboards he knew would creak. He opened their bedroom door and looked towards Luke's crib, but the little boy was still sound asleep. He moved back to the living room and sat down in the arm chair across from the couch, watching the two most important women in his life.

"How is she?" He asked.

"Broken," Lucy answered. "I hope it's not beyond repair, but...She's struggling." Natsu nodded solemnly.

"We should have noticed," he said. "It's our job to know her." Lucy nodded back.

"We failed her in that regard," she agreed. "But we won't fail her again, right?"

"Right," Natsu replied. "I don't care how many Gods or Demon Lords I have to punch a hole through to fix this. I won't let her suffer anymore."

"Agreed," Lucy said. "She doesn't deserve this. None of the kids do. We've been letting them bear the brunt of this for too long. We need to step in and help them."

"We will," Natsu said. "Laxus made sure of it."

"Did he saw who the team was comprised of?"

"I made it with him. Gray, Sting and I are leading. We always contacted Neptu and let him know what was going on, hopefully he's able to help. Even still, some of the kids will have to come with us if we stand a chance." Lucy didn't seem happy about that, but she nodded.

"One way or another, it ends soon, huh?" She asked, looking over at Nashi. Natsu nodded.

One way or another," he agreed. They sat in silence for a few more seconds, before Natsu stood up and walked closer to them. He leaned down and kissed Nashi's forehead, and thankfully she didn't wake up. He then kissed Lucy, moving just far enough back to look her in the eyes.

"I'll make sure she can live the rest of her life as normally as possible," he said. "I swear." Lucy smiled.

"Try not to get yourself killed in the process," she said.

"When have I ever not done that?"

Lucy just raised an eyebrow at him.

"...When have I ever not done that and actually died?" He corrected.

"That doesn't make it better."

Before anyone asks, this isn't a one chapter cure-all for Nashi. But it was about time we addressed it. I hope you enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try and get five!