A/N: No, you're not seeing things. After a lengthy hiatus, I decided to return to fanfiction and reprise a fan favourite: Journey's End! It's about time I finished this story, eh? We're starting over from the beginning! The plot will be slightly different but follow along the same path!

This is an early release to celebrate my blog reaching 9000 followers!

CHAPTER ONE: A NEW JOURNEY

As long as I can breathe I can't let go of you again.
We'll be together for every moment.
Beside me, all the truths I believed covered me in falsehoods.
In the midst of the darkness,
like a ray of light, you took my hand.
I follow you.

A lot can change in two years.

Lucy watched the landscape roll by, lulled into reverie by the train's steady motion. Puffy clouds streaked the horizon, faded like strokes of paint on a pale blue canvas. Beneath them, buildings turned to trees, and those trees waved Lucy on her way, green leaves rippling with winks of fading sunlight. Magnolia truly was beautiful. She pressed her face to the glass and watched her guild disappear.

Fairy Tail hadn't been the same since their war with Alvarez. Makarov's powers weren't what they used to be, and he worked tirelessly to choose their next master. Laxus spent most of his days training Wendy—when she wasn't visiting Lamia Scale or joining Team Natsu on random quests. The two were surprisingly good for each other, with Laxus emboldening Wendy, and Wendy softening the ornery man's heart.

Erza and Mirajane spent most of their time travelling between guilds and assisting the council, with both taking on much more of Fairy Tail's paper work. Meanwhile, Lisanna teamed up with Bickslow and Freed to take on a few jobs of their own, and all while planning Evergreen's wedding. The guild was quiet without them.

Gray and Juvia were off somewhere in the mountains again, training hard to prepare for the S-Class exam. It was rare to see them in the guild anymore. According to Juvia's letters, Gray and Lyon were spending more time together, and she'd grown quite fond of the cold weather.

Levy had given birth to two very healthy, beautiful twins, with Bisca expecting a second child in the summer. Asuka had taken quite a liking to Levy's children, already fancying herself a perfect big sister.

Despite releasing a second novel, Lucy was still better known for her photo-shoots in Sorcerer Weekly than her stories, but the guild supported her anyway. Even if that meant secluding herself when inspiration took hold.

And Natsu…

Well, Natsu was Natsu.

Lucy's hand moved to the chain around her neck, fingers curling around Aquarius's broken key. She twirled the delicate links around her finger. After discovering the key in Lucy's drawer, Natsu had gifted her both the chain and a promise—an oath to reunite them for good.

Lucy stole a quick glance at his face. He slept peacefully in her lap, his silence a pleasant change from his usual display of night terrors. Just last night he'd screamed and thrashed so loudly Lucy thought he might burst into flames and burn down her apartment.

She still remembered coming home to find him sitting on the floor of her apartment, his face streaked with tears, Aquarius's key set like a dark omen on the floor.

'Why didn't you tell me?' he'd asked her.

She'd wanted to. For years. And after the war, she'd thought maybe she would. That maybe she could finally confide her feelings in him; the hurt when he'd abandoned her, the pain of living alone in Crocus, the anguish of losing Aquarius. She'd wanted to tell him everything. But then the nightmares started, and Lucy couldn't bring herself to do it. He suffered enough.

She didn't regret breaking Aquarius's key. Of course she didn't. But Lucy's heart ached with a longing to be reunited with her old friend. He knew this. And like always, he'd known exactly what to say. He'd taken her hand and she'd let him pull her towards a new dream.

Leaning against the cool window, Lucy watched the tracks disappear beneath the carriage. She combed Natsu's hair with her fingers, listening to the train's rhythmic thrum. Happy moved in Natsu's arms, mumbling something about ninjas. Lucy smiled. Honestly, those two were so alike it made her wonder if they weren't brothers in a past life. Both had fallen asleep within seconds of the train departing.

Awash in a purpling sunset, the horizon silhouetted like portraits from old storybooks, an ink of outlines vanishing in the distance. Pale fingers of sunlight tucked passing cities into bed for the night. Tomorrow would be a new day. And it would be the mark of their brand new journey.

Natsu grumbled in his sleep. Lucy caressed his cheek, wishing away the bad dreams. Happy's voice echoed Natsu's somniloquy. Their voices grew louder. She surveyed neighbouring seats, sensing no unease in fellow passengers. If she didn't know any better, Lucy would swear they were talking loud on purpose.

Maybe she did know better.

Leaning forward, Lucy blew on Natsu's cheek, grinning as hair fluttered across his eyes. Big mistake. Natsu jolted awake, smacking her forehead with his entire face. Lucy yelped, and Happy leapt off their seat, screaming about fish. One of the passengers shushed them.

Natsu rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What happened to your forehead, Lucy?"

"Something huge must have hit it," she jibed.

He grinned, saying nothing as he returned to her lap. He rubbed his face against her thighs like a kitten demanding attention. Happy dropped on Lucy's other side, snuggling against her waist. Pleased with himself, Natsu rolled onto his back, lidded eyes watching patterns of light zoom across the ceiling.

"Wendy said you'd be fine until we arrived," Lucy reminded him. "There's really no need for you to stay like this."

Natsu didn't speak. Wendy had promised Lucy he wouldn't get sick this time around. Her magic had improved so much. While hidden away writing books and searching for Aquarius, Lucy had neglected her training. Had she already fallen behind?

"You better not ruin my new outfit," she said. "Virgo made it especially for this journey."

Natsu traced a finger across the arm guard on Lucy's left forearm. Golden keys glittered in the pockets, easier to retrieve during battle. A smaller band wrapped around her right thigh, where the remainder of her keys had been organized. Aside from the guards and matching black boots, the rest of Lucy's bodysuit shimmered a starlight silver, flexible enough that she could move with ease.

"You look like the other one," Natsu said, and she knew he meant Lucy Ashley. Lucy had cropped her hair short before departing on their new journey, though not quite as short as her Edolas counterpart.

His fingers moved across the keys, stopping at a single empty pocket. Reserved for Aquarius. Lucy's finger danced across the broken key hanging low in the open V of her suit.

"We'll find her, Lucy," he said.

She hated when he did that—plucked the thoughts straight from her mind, like his smile alone granted him the power to read her thoughts.

"And then we'll celebrate with a huge bowl of salmon!" Happy exclaimed.

Lucy stifled a laugh. "I was thinking of something a little sweeter."

"How much longer 'til we reach Onibus Town? I'm hungry," Natsu said.

"You're always hungry," she griped.

Natsu's stomach growled in answer.

"Seriously, though." Lucy nudged his shoulder. "My legs are starting to hurt. It's no use faking motion sickness, either. You don't have to lay here like this."

He fixed her with limpid eyes. "I know. But I want to."

A hot shiver tickled Lucy's spine. She blew out a breath and, to her amusement, the train slowed to a stop.

"Looks like we're here," she said.

Onibus Town bustled with drunken crowds and tourists. The theater and its recent productions about the Alvarez War were quite alluring, though Lucy would rather not relive those days as entertainment. Plays such as these were supposed to honour the guilds and the mages in the fight, she knew, but there was something twisted and strange about profiting from another's suffering.

"Whoa." Happy's voice carried through the sky behind them. "This place sure is brighter than I remembered."

Somebody had embedded crescents of lacrima in the ground, the crystals oozing controlled light that illuminated the cobbled pathways. They followed these paths until they reached their inn, where Lucy had to bargain the prices down to afford their stay.

Their room was smaller than expected. A lone bed with amiss lush cushions sat between a narrow closet and a crooked chest of drawers. A wall-mounted desk consumed the entire wall leading into the adjoining restroom. The restroom didn't have a bath like she'd wanted. She'd have to visit the public baths after all.

Lucy sighed. "Is it too much to ask for a nice tub?"

Natsu plucked a chunk of bread from his pack and swallowed it whole. "Or a welcoming snack."

Drawing the curtains, Lucy gazed down at Onibus Town in all its illuminated glory. She mapped her destination in her mind, memorising the quickest route to Onibus Bar, where mages gathered in great clusters, spilling ale and secrets.

"I hear Gildarts passed through here recently," Natsu said, adjusting his scarf. He hadn't gotten used to Virgo's garments yet, the sheer silver of his shirt not quite as freeing as his usual vest. At least he'd gotten to keep his casual black pants. Kind of. Virgo had sewn a pattern of stars into the left leg, giving him a jacket to match.

"He's travelling with Cana, isn't he?" Lucy said.

Natsu flopped onto the bed. Happy sprawled over the back of his head. The two let out a collective sigh.

"It's no fair. I want to train with Gildarts too," Natsu groaned.

"Me too."

"Can't you just be happy that Cana is spending time with her father?" Lucy scolded.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Aye," Happy agreed.

"If you're lucky, they might still be here," Lucy said. "And then you can share in some of Cana's spoils."

Natsu sprang upright, his eyes glittering with renewed excitement. His mouth opened and clamped shut again. Something odd shadowed his face. Dread, or something deeper. Darker. He winced as if struck, and then retched.

"Not on the bed!" Lucy rushed to help, but before she could reach him Natsu was already standing, Happy frantic beside him.

"I'm fine. Just a little motion sickness," he said.

This wasn't motion sickness. Lucy shouldn't have let him sleep on the train. Natsu had been suffering nightmares for weeks now. He never talked to her about them, and she indulged him with ignorance. He didn't want her to know, and Lucy wasn't ready to confront him just yet, so she simply let him be.

Though he didn't talk directly about the nightmares, he had confided other things in her. He'd told her about the weird things Zeref had told him. He'd told her all about his connection to E.N.D.'s book, and how Zeref could hurt him by simply damaging the object. It made him feel inadequate. Inhuman.

Lucy didn't even have the stomach to comfort him. Not sincerely. She'd been hiding something, too. Natsu wasn't the only person suffering terrors after the war. Zeref visited her too. And not always in her sleep. She saw him at every corner, a ghost at the edge of time, waiting to punish her for what she'd done.

Rewriting the book had changed something in Lucy's DNA. The magic wasn't always prevalent, but when it was, she and Natsu were connected—his pain was her pain, his smiles her joys.

And he had no idea.

In order to rewrite the book, Lucy had poured her soul into those words. She'd woven her heart into the parchment and linked herself to Natsu, given his power a new outlet. She'd thought it would be temporary. That Zeref's defeat would change things. She was wrong. Since then, Lucy felt tethered to that moment, as though she were still bound in that book's power.

Lucy's stomach twisted with a wave of nausea as Natsu vomited all over the wooden floor, chest heaving, hands clutching at air. Overriding such powerful magic had its consequences. It was foolish to presume otherwise. But she had presumed, and hoped, and prayed that nothing bad would come of her actions.

"Why don't you stay here and I'll visit the bar?" Lucy offered.

"No." He straightened. "You can't go alone."

"Oh, please. I'll be back faster than you can miss me."

"I'll come too, Lucy," Happy said.

"No, I need you to take care of Natsu. He needs you more than I do right now. Besides, how can I surprise you guys with a bunch of yummy food if you're right beside me?"

"But Lucy..." Happy hesitated, all moues and anxious pacing.

Lucy smiled, and it was the most genuine smile she'd mustered in weeks. Natsu's nausea had settled, unraveling the knots in Lucy's own stomach. She released a calming breath.

"I'm going to be just fine," she promised.

Natsu clambered onto the bed and hugged one of the large cushions to his face. "I'll be right behind you," he said.

Not a chance, she thought. But instead all she said was, "Of course. I'll see you there."

"I swear, Lucy" He raised his head to look at her. "I'll come find you."

Not in that state, he wouldn't.

There was something eerie about traversing empty streets alone. Groups of people began to disperse and thin, their numbers lost to inebriety and fatigue. Those who remained were barely coherent, wobbling merrily from one tavern to another, or hobbling back to their inns.

Despite the full moon and surrounding floor lights, there was a darkness here that couldn't be missed, like a long shadow cast by some invisible monster. The creature swallowed everything in nightly doldrums. Lucy's hand skated to her whip.

Maybe it was the loneliness that got to her. She'd been glued to Natsu since the war. He would break into her apartment so often that she'd given him a key, and he'd come and gone as he pleased. Sometimes he'd sleep there for weeks without going home. She'd gotten used to sleeping beside him.

She wondered how he was feeling.

She was long past the stage of becoming an innocent bride. At this rate, with the amount of times he'd seen her naked, Natsu would have to marry her instead. Lucy's heart fluttered and a familiar heat spread to her face. She fanned her cheeks, and despite the cold spring air, her body grew all the hotter.

Customers left the mage's bar in droves, flooding the street in a wild ruckus of magic and booze. Some brawled their way into nearby alleys.

A quick glimpse through the opening door told her that plenty of patrons were still inside. She threaded her way into the knot of people and made her way through.

The sickly scent of booze hit before the comber of body heat finally reached her. Lucy checked the whip at her waist and moved through the remaining crowd until she reached the bar. Loud music boomed from lacrimas on either side of the room. She sat on the only available stool and sorely wished it was Natsu sitting beside her.

A female tender greeted her, and Lucy ordered their cheapest drink.

"You visiting for the play?" the tender asked.

Lucy smiled, stirring the pink umbrella in her flute glass. A sweet, bubbling liquid spit over the rim. She'd never tasted anything like it. Dreams and bubblegum and rainbows fizzed on her tongue.

"Just passing through," she confessed. "Heard this is a good place to verify rumours."

"More like create them," the woman laughed. The bartender gazed at Lucy a long while before adding, "Wait, aren't you Lucy Heartfilia? I'm a huge fan of your books."

Lucy's eyes widened. "You are?"

The genuine shock must have shown, because the woman barked a hearty laugh. "Of course! It makes me feel like I'm really out there on a huge journey. I'm sure you Fairy Tail mages have all kinds of exciting adventures. I'm a little jealous."

"I'm sorry, did I just hear right? Are you really Lucy Heartfilia?" another voice asked.

Lucy turned to find an older man standing behind her. He held out a recent edition of Sorcerer Weekly, spread open to a poster of Lucy and Mirajane from the Prepare for Summer spread they'd done.

And just like that her glamorous bubble popped into soapy drops that stung her eyes. She leaned back on her stool and forced a polite smile.

"I am," she said.

"I'm sorry to be rude," the man said, "but my daughter is a huge fan. She'll be so jealous that I met you."

His daughter?

"Actually, she practices holder magic just like you. She wants to be a Fairy Tail mage when she's older. You're a great inspiration to her." His cheeks flushed and he glanced at the spread of photos. "This is all I have, but I'd be honoured if you'd sign it."

The bubble might have burst, but there was something else sparkling in Lucy's heart now. She'd once been like this man's daughter, yearning to be a part of Fairy Tail.

"I'd be happy to."

"What brings you to Onibus Town?" he asked, returning the signed magazine to his pack.

"I'm looking for a key," she said. It was as honest an answer as she could muster.

"A key?" His gaze ticked to the band of keys on her arm. "Ah, well, you might be in luck. As it so happens, I just spent a number of days in Clover Town."

"Why Clover Town?"

"Since the Guild Master's meeting place was destroyed, merchants have flocked to the small town to do their business. It's quite exciting."

Lucy bit her lip to suppress a frown. Even now, Fairy Tail was a destructive force, leaving chaos and debris in their wake. She almost felt the need to apologise.

"And you saw keys there?" she asked.

"As it so happens, yes! Lots of them! I'm always on the hunt for rare magical items. It's a hobby as much as a career."

Lucy smiled at that. "Thank you! I'll head there right away."

"Happy to help."

Before she could offer to buy the man a drink in gratitude, the bar door swung open, and a familiar, wobbly brunette walked in. Cana stopped dead when she saw Lucy sitting at the bar.

Her mouth opened, a string of words bubbling out so fast Lucy couldn't understand them. And then, with a big breath, she yelled, "Lucy!"

"So you really are here," Lucy said, mostly to herself. Natsu would be sad he'd missed out.

"Come, come. Let's walk and drink," Cana sang.

"How about we just talk?" Lucy asked, snaking an arm around Cana's waist. "Outside. In the fresh air."

Though she reeked of ale, Cana glowed with more than just her drunken stupor. She looked happy. Strong. Knots of muscle tensed in her toned arms. She was noticeably heavier.

"Where's Gildarts?" Lucy asked, helping Cana sit on a nearby bench.

"My old man? He disappeared, o'course. Ain't that what he's good at?"

Lucy sucked her bottom lip as she sat beside her friend. "He didn't say goodbye?"

"No, he did. I'm just mad I couldn't go with him. What's up with all these Hundred Year Quests, anyway?" Cana snorted. "Like he's going to live that long."

"I'm sorry, Cana."

"Don't be. He cried during the whole goodbye."

Despite the gloom in Cana's voice, Lucy laughed. "You two get along well. I'm happy for you."

Cana grinned. "I'm going to be S-Class, Lucy. This time I won't fail. I know it's a while away now, but I want to be ready."

Lucy placed a hand on Cana's shoulder. "I know you will. I have every faith in you."

"That being said, c'mere. I learned a new trick."

Without warning, Cana snatched Lucy's face in her hands, booze-repleted breath so strong it made Lucy's eyes water.

"What're you doing?"

"I can read your future," she said, and so seriously Lucy almost believed her.

"You're drunk, Cana."

"It's my last day. I swear. Tomorrow I'll be a brand new, sober me. Gotta stay focused for that dream, ya know?"

Come to think of it, Cana had been drinking less at the guild. In fact, in the bitterness of Lucy's memories, she recalled Cana being rather snappy as she suffered withdrawals.

"Whatever you do, I'll support you. You know that. But would you please let go of my face."

Cana obliged, taking Lucy's hands instead.

"Look into my eyes," she said.

"You know, I don't think I really want my fortune telling."

"Shhh."

Lucy winced, and Cana's gaze widened. Her pupils expanded, absorbing light until they bled into the sclera, colouring everything black. She squeezed Lucy's hands tighter, tighter, tighter. Lucy yelped.

"Ow, Cana! You're hurting me."

A single tear rolled down Cana's empty black eyes.

"Cana?"

"I see nothing," she said.

"S-so it didn't work. It's nothing to cry about," Lucy said.

Cana blinked away the fearsome magic. She rubbed her eyes and wiped away more tears.

"I don't understand," she said.

"What's wrong?" Lucy didn't really want to know, but the words erupted like old habits, curiosity killing every damn cat in town. "Cana, are you okay?"

It wasn't Cana who answered, but the phantom of a voice so familiar it raised the hairs on Lucy's neck.

"You have no future," Zeref whispered.

Lucy stood. "No! That's not…"

"What did you do to Lucy?" a voice asked.

Both girls turned to find Natsu leaning against a nearby post. He rubbed his ashen face and moved closer. Happy floated along cautiously behind him.

"Do you want to try too?" Cana teased, returning to her drunken visage.

Lucy wiped the sweat from her hands, a fearful warmth gripping her in a white hot fist. Zeref's voice lingered.

"What are you doing here, Natsu?" she asked.

"I promised, didn't I?" His stomach audibly growled. "And I'm hungry."

Lucy expelled a quick breath. "Of course you are."

"Let's grab food and go back to our room, Lucy. It's late."

"Don't tell me…" Cana stood with a dramatic gasp. "You two are finally at that stage in your relationship?!"

"Cana!" Lucy squeaked.

"What stage?" Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "We just sleep together is all."

Cana's face reddened so much Lucy thought she might burst. "I can't wait to tell everyone back at the guild! I totally called it this time!"

"You absolutely will not tell everyone at the guild!" Lucy warned.

Natsu glanced between them. "What's the big deal? We've been doing it for over a year now anyway."

Humiliated, Lucy sank onto the bench in defeat, but Natsu was already standing in front of her, his hand extended.

"Come on, Lucy. Let's go."

She quivered in frustration. "You really are something, aren't you?"

He beamed at her. How could she say no to that smile? It was the smile that brought her here to this moment, closer to her dreams than sleep ever could.

You have no future.

No. Zeref was wrong. Cana's magic was wrong. Lucy did have a future. And he was standing right before her.

Lucy took his hand like she always did.

And always would.

Chapter two will be released on Friday because I fly home to England on Saturday!

Future chapters will be uploaded every Wednesday and Saturday unless something changes. The full schedule is available on the right side of my blog, with dates for every completed chapter. You'll also find the next release date at the end of each chapter

Song: Deja Vu -Dreamcatcher.

AVAILABLE MARCH 6th—
CHAPTER TWO: IN HER EYES