Chapter Three: Gone

August 7th, X782.

"Happy birthday, Lucy!"

The guild cheered as the blonde teenager blew out the fifteen candles placed on top of the cake, sending smoke billowing into the air. She smiled as her friends crowded around to hug her, squawking as Erza slammed her head against her chest. "Happy fifteenth, Lucy," she congratulated before moving aside to let Gray by. The raven-haired boy was, as always, without a shirt, but Lucy was used to it by now and eagerly returned his embrace. "Thanks, Erza, Gray!"

"Lucy!" The celestial mage spun around to see one of her best friends, Levy, rushing toward her with a wrapped item in her hand. The girl's dark eyes brightened as she met the blunette, peering curiously at the item. "Here," Levy panted, as she had sprinted across the guildhall to get to her. "Open it."

Lucy obeyed, excitedly tearing into the gift. She was pleased to see a lovely leather-bound journal with floral engravings and a matching pen beside it. "It's beautiful, Levy," she breathed, marveling at the colors of the stitches. Her friend beamed at her, opening her mouth to tell her about the present when she was interrupted by a certain fire mage. The pink-haired teen nearly bowled Lucy over in a bear hug, his signature grin plastered on his face. "Happy birthday, Lucy!"

Groaning, the blonde shoved him off of her, although the smile on her face betrayed her complaints. "Thanks, Natsu," she said before Happy collided with her, also giving his birthday wishes. She hugged the small blue cat to her chest, enormously happy to have such good friends around for a time like this.

Someone cleared their throat to get the guild's attention when the guild doors suddenly swung open, interrupting Makarov's announcement he was planning to make. At the doors stood Mirajane and Elfman, a wild look in their eyes along with tears. The crowd of people fell silent and Lucy had a feeling she wouldn't like what she was about to hear.

Mirajane's words were unintelligible at first. Most likely from shock, Lucy guessed, but the tears raining from her eyes would also be hard to talk over. The two siblings looked a mess, their clothes tattered and their skin covered in scratches and bruises.

"Lisanna…. Lisanna, she… she.."

Lucy's heart clenched in her chest. That's what was wrong. Lisanna wasn't with them. Her breathing was becoming rapid as she began summing everything up in her head.

"Lisanna's dead."

Elfman's words dropped in the guild like a stone, silencing any muttering that had previously been going on. The muscular boy's shoulders were shaking from quiet sobs and he refused to look his guildmates in the eyes. "She… she died on our mission."

Silence continued as everyone stared at the siblings in utter shock, unable to comprehend the fact that the cheery Take Over mage was gone. Lucy's hands were shaking so much that she found it hard to keep a grip on the presents Levy had given her.

"...you're lying," a voice whispered. Natsu was staring at Elfman and Mirajane with wide eyes, entire body frozen beside his shaking hands. "She can't be dead, she promised she would be back soon…"

Lucy didn't realize that she was crying when she suddenly felt something wet roll down her cheek; she wiped the tear away and winced as Happy dug his claws into her shirt.

"It's true," Mirajane choked out. "The beast we were fighting killed her. She- she-"

The girl was unable to finish her sentence as her sobs overtook her words and Elfman had to guide her away from the front door. Disbelieving mutters broke out among the crowd, while Lisanna's closest friends couldn't manage a word at the situation.

"Party's over," Makarov suddenly announced, looking quite grave as he looked down from his perch. "Don't try approaching the Strauss' for now, you can grieve with them later. I need to speak with them first." Without another word, the old man hopped off of the table and followed after the two upset mages who had disappeared into a hallway. Lucy watched after him numbly, unsure of what to do with the news they had just received. She let Happy untangle himself from her arms so he could go comfort Natsu, who was still stiff from shock.

The blonde tentatively approached him, unsure of his reaction but wanting to somehow comfort her best friend. She gently rested a hand on his shoulder and he flinched under her touch. His head snapped around to look at her and she winced at the cold fire in his eyes. "Leave me alone," he growled, shrugging her hand off before racing out of the guildhall and into the pouring rain. Lucy looked after him with round, hurt eyes, before she turned away and let out a loud sob.

It was supposed to be her birthday, a happy day for the entire guild . She didn't notice Levy wrapping her arms around her, nor Cana coming to comfort her as she cried, unable to stop the tears that kept on flowing. Now everyone's day was ruined, especially Lucy's. Why, on all days? Why, out of all people, did Lisanna have to die?

. . .

Mirajane and Elfman sat, hunched over, in Master Makarov's office, the only sound being the rain pattering outdoors. The storm continued to rage on, although its intensity had died down after awhile. The gloom was only putting a bigger damper on their moods even if they weren't entirely aware of it at the moment.

The leader had let the two siblings mourn together for some time before finally asking for their attention. He'd asked them what exactly had happened and it was obviously painful for them to say anything, as they were still quietly getting their thoughts together.

Mirajane, being the eldest and seeing it as a responsibility, was the one to open her mouth to speak. As she did so, she rested her palm on her brother's broad back in silent reassurance. She moved her silvery bangs from her eyes before beginning, "As you know, my siblings and I were taking the job of ridding a town of a monster that was terrorizing and destroying it. The beast was very powerful and difficult for even the three of us to try and take down. T-Things started going south when Elfman tried to use his Take Over magic on it to make it stop." Makarov raised his eyebrows as the white-haired boy flinched at her words.

"...it didn't go as planned. The monster was too powerful and wouldn't succumb to the magic, all the while not letting Elfman break free. I-it wasn't his fault, it really wasn't, he just wasn't able to overcome it-"

"Mirajane," the tiny old man interrupted gently, looking into the girl's eyes.

The snowy-haired girl blinked hastily, making the tears welling up vanish once more as she nodded. "Lisanna thought it would help if he could see something he loved. That it would make Elfman, or the beast, stop. I tried stopping her, but she wouldn't listen to me…" Her voice was beginning to quiver again as she continued. "It didn't work. The creature… it hurled her away with a single sweep of it's claws. I had to find her somewhere in the woods. I thought that maybe, if I was fast, I could have gotten to her in time to save her, but I wasn't quick enough. She… she died in my arms."

The mage broke down once more, a complete mess as the other occupants of the room let her cry. Her younger brother wasn't crying anymore, but Makarov could almost taste the guilt and sadness coming off of him in waves.

Mirajane raised her head once more, sniffling as she wiped her face dry with her arm. "Elfman eventually came back into control, after I had to kill the actual monster," she blubbered, trying to recompose herself. "Then we came back here to deliver the news." Her blue eyes grew round with guilt as she realized, "Sorry for ruining Lucy's birthday, we didn't mean to."

Makarov shook his head at her, almost exasperated with her. "Everyone, including Lucy, doesn't care about the party as much as they care about your sister. Don't feel sorry at all." The brother and sister nodded in unison, feeling relieved that no one was angry with them.

After another moment, the guild master's brow furrowed with confusion. He leaned forward a little bit, glancing at the two tear-stained faces. "If Lisanna is dead, where is the body?"

They each looked a bit taken aback by the question; Elfman actually had no idea. Mirajane and him had left after the monster was gone and his sister hadn't brought back one when she returned. He glanced at the girl, glimpsing at the fresh tears sprouting in her oceanic orbs.

"She disappeared, quite literally," Mirajane whispered as water droplets stained her black mini-skirt. "Dissolved into light as she passed in my arms. I-I honestly don't know why… it just happened that way." Admittedly, she was afraid of what exactly had become of Lisanna's body, since she knew that was definitely not how people die.

The man frowned at her words and decided she was being truthful. Not that he didn't trust the pair, he just was surprised that they hadn't returned with the young girl's body to bury later on. He released a long sigh before smiling weakly at the two, who couldn't even try to return it. "Go get some rest," he instructed, standing in his chair. "We will have a ceremony tonight, if you're up for it."

The siblings thought for a moment before Mirajane gave a miniscule nod. "Don't let too many people come, though," she murmured, barely audible as she spoke. "I don't want to make a spectacle out of my sister's death."

. . .

Later on in the evening found Lucy curled up in her bed, wrapped in blankets and clutching her special keys in her hands. Hot tears rolled down her flushed face as she stroked the warm metal, giving her only the slightest bit of comfort as she grieved. On her bedside table, a picture frame was placed on its face, hiding the photo of the blonde with two of her closest friends, all crowded around a certain blue animal. She normally cherished the item, but now couldn't bear to look at it.

The celestial mage jumped at the sudden crash of thunder; the storm wasn't letting up as they had previously assumed. It was as if the heavens were mourning for Lisanna, too, expressing it by a truly fitting night. Lucy never enjoyed storms, but her disliking was stronger than ever that night. She wished she could just wake up from this bad dream and have things go back to normal, but she knew that was childish of her to wish for.

After Natsu had ran out of the guild, Lucy had taken solace in Levy and Cana, who stayed with her until she needed some alone time. Never in Lucy's life had she experienced loss like this and she hadn't been at all ready to on her birthday. That morning, she had been so excited for the party and had taken time to make herself look extra fancy for the occasion. It wasn't everyday you turn fifteen. She had been surprised by Makarov and Laxus with a breakfast with the two alone, which had been wonderful since she felt like she never got to spend personal time with them anymore. After going out on the town with them until noon, she returned to find Lisanna and her siblings going out on a job. The girl had been disappointed that she was missing Lucy's party, but had already been set to go on the mission and couldn't back out. Understanding completely, Lucy had wished them goodbye before going back to help set up for the celebration. She hadn't been too sad because Lisanna had promised that she would come home as soon as possible. She hadn't anticipated that the snowy haired girl's promise would be unwillingly broken that day.

Lucy let out a sigh as she rolled over in her bed, unable to subdue the tears pooling in her eyes. Oh, how she wanted to see Lisanna again. She couldn't believe that she was gone. It happened so suddenly. Lucy never really considered death at her young age, it was like she believed nothing like that could happen to someone who hadn't properly lived their life out just yet.

She could only imagine how Natsu must feel. The boy might've been even closer to Lisanna than anyone else, excluding her siblings. The blonde used to tease that they would one day be married, which always made them blush and squirm. She had been the first to offer Natsu help in raising Happy, the one that held the group of four together even when they got on each other's nerves. She always encouraged Lucy when she felt badly about her magic and always was willing to help train with her friends. And on Natsu's worst days of missing Igneel, she would do everything to make him feel better and it always worked. No wonder he had lashed out at Lucy when the news first hit him. It had hurt at first, but the female mage understood what he was feeling and needed to be alone. She didn't blame him.

A soft knocking on her door made her jump. "Lucy? May I come in?"

For a moment, the girl hesitated, but she gave the visitor permission to come into her room anyways. The door handle clicked as it was turned and in came Natsu and Happy. The pinkette's eyes were dull with grief as well as the cat's, making Lucy's heart ache. She unraveled herself from the blankets and leaped at the boy, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He tensed briefly before returning the embrace, nearly crushing the blonde to his chest. He could feel something wet against his skin and it took everything in him to not break down, too.

After a moment, Lucy pulled away, rubbing away her tears. She smiled weakly as Happy approached and bent down to lift him up. The small animal purred comfortingly to the blonde, making her feel more at ease.

"Sorry for earlier," Natsu mumbled, his voice sounding almost shaky. Lucy shook her head at him, assuring him that she wasn't upset with him. A look of relief graced his face before his friend beckoned him to sit on her bed with her. The slayer obliged, plopping wearily onto the mattress. His gaze traveled to Lucy's nightstand, his heart sinking when he saw that she had set the picture of him and his best friends on its face. It was obvious that seeing the image of Lisanna was too painful for her right now.

Lucy sat next to him, cuddling Happy close to her as she stared blearily at the floor. "Are you ok, Lucy?" the blue cat asked, blinking up at the blonde. The girl only nodded quietly, but her expression said otherwise. Natsu could see that the fact that her birthday had been ruined was weighing heavily on her. He rested a hand of comfort on her shoulder and she didn't resist, like he had earlier. He felt another pant of guilt but didn't say anything. Lucy had forgiven him and he was grateful for that.

"Lucy, I'm sorry about your birthday," the pinkette said softly. He was trying to help make her feel a little better, but was dismayed to see tears forming in her chocolatey orbs once more. Her lips were trembling as she spoke, "Please don't mention my birthday anymore. I honestly don't care, I only care about what happened to Lisanna. It's… it's not fair." Her voice finally broke and with a sob, she leaned onto Natsu's shoulder, her own shaking as she cried. "Why did she have to go?"

Natsu grimaced and Happy buried himself deeper in Lucy's arms. He glanced over at the window, observing the rain, then at the face-down picture frame on the desk. Even without seeing the real thing, he could picture the moment clearly. It was the day Happy had hatched, and Lucy, Lisanna, Natsu, and Happy had their photo taken to treasure the memory.

"I don't know Lucy, I don't know."

The rain reduced to a drizzle as the sun sank into the forest beyond, sending purple-red hues on the receding clouds. Natsu was growing irritated with the rain, as he only had half of an umbrella that he shared with Lucy. He was more careful of making sure she stayed relatively dry.

At the front of the crowd, he had a perfect view of the gravestone that was prepared for Lisanna. Etched into the stone, it read, "Lisanna, beloved sister and friend to animal souls. X768 ~ X782." Just looking at it made him frown. He shouldn't be reading it in the first place.

Beside the grave stood Mirajane and Elfman, dressed in all black like the rest of the funeral attendees. Mirajane held an umbrella over her hand with her left hand while her right arm was in cast. Elfman shared the same injury, as well as some wrapping covering his left eye. Their physical injuries weren't good, but nothing could compare to the damage to their mental state. Both looked distraught and upset. Natsu felt a stab of pity for the pair, wishing he had been there to stop Lisanna himself.

He had heard the story from Makarov when he made a short announcement on what happened. He didn't go into too much detail, not wanting to upset anyone further. The Strauss siblings had went home after meeting with the master to recuperate and prepare for the small funeral they hastily threw together to honor their fallen sister. After first hearing the news, Natsu had ran off into the woods in utter shock and panic, not knowing how to take it, which he now regretted. He obviously had hurt Lucy's feelings when he got unnecessarily angry at her. He went back and stayed with the blonde to apologize, let her cry to him for comfort and let his own emotions out until it was time to go to the funeral.

Mirajane's uncharacteristically soft voice broke the young mage from his thoughts. "Lisanna will be missed. She was a light to everyone in the guild and wasn't afraid to speak for what she believed in. She loved everyone and everything she met and always found her way through every problem." Lucy and Natsu spotted the silver-haired girl's lip trembling as she continued. "She didn't deserve to pass so soon, but she wouldn't want us to mope around and wishing to turn back time. We must move on and keep her as a positive memory, like she would want us to do."

A quiet murmur of agreement met her final words and Natsu caught Lucy staring at the girl. Was she surprised that the normally aggressive mage had spoken in such a way? He knew he was, but was grateful for it. Mirajane pointed out something very true; Lisanna would not like her friends being so sorrowful about her death. She would want them to live on happily, even with how much it hurt.

Lucy shuffled forwards with her friend to the headstone, smiling softly as tears slipped down her cheeks. "Goodbye, Lisanna," she whispered to the grave, resting a bouquet of white lilies on top of it. "Thank you for the memories." With a final farewell, the blonde stepped away to let others give their condolences, looking to the sky and wondering if a certain white-haired girl was watching from the heavens above.

i'm on a roll with this story. this chapter is a LOT more depressing than it's preceding ones, sorry about that. her death will be important in this story, later on, although i'm hesitant to do an alternate world arc. the edolas arc wasn't my favorite, haha, although i loved that lisanna was brought back.

if you're new or a returning reader, don't forget to follow, favorite, and/or review! thank you for reading!

until next time,

fairlystrange.