Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

Seventh day, seventh story.

I'm so incredibly happy that I decided to strive and write these seven stories in the past seven days. There's something about writing stories that just... overwhelms me because I get transported into these worlds as I type the words onto the page.

Thank you to the various people that have taken the time to look at these stories, whether it was one of them or all. I hope that it made for something nice to read in your days~

It was a good time. It's the strange dichotomy, feeling both happy and sad when you see yourself at the end of something you enjoyed.

I hope you enjoy! Thank you again for coming along for the week.

NaLu Week, Day Seven: Future

Eternity

It was the tale of a boy who met a girl.

His father worked as the chef for the manor owned by the Heartfilias. He worked as a stableboy, so that he could earn his keep amongst the employees. The Heartfilias were a wealthy family, and the manor house was large enough to occupy the numerous amount of servants hired for the family.

He didn't often get to see the baron of the manor. Even if he didn't interact with the man, there was one Heartfilia with whom he spent copious amounts of time with. Thinking about her as he raced through the moonlit halls to see her got his heart racing. Of course he was excited! The girl was his best friend, and through and through again, being with her made him undeniably happy. It also helped that he'd gone on a trip the few days beforehand with his dad to help in a deal the baron made, forcing him to go to a seaside town delivering the goods. Commonly, they saw each other daily, so as he ran, he pondered on what her reaction would be at seeing him.

They had met a year beforehand, when his father was first hired. He was standing behind his dad, frightened at the prospect of leaving the quaint village they previously occupied, but the man assured him that all would be fine as they stepped into the baron's office to meet the boss.

She was standing beside her mother, appearing like a miniature copy of the woman. At seeing a girl his age, his nerves relaxed, and he managed to give a wave as his dad was speaking to hers. Seeing the action, she gasped and looked away, flushing profusely. He grinned at seeing her so bashful, and once they were out of the imposing room, he walked up to her and offered his hand.

She took it, and the moment was forever ingrained in Time's memory.

His running slowed as he reached the doors to her bedroom. Most of the other servants had ignored him when he came up to see her, knowing that he was a determined boy who wouldn't let anyone hinder him. Opening the white oak, he peered in, wondering whether she was still awake. There was a flicker of a candle on its wick, casting the room in a dim glow, and right beside the light was the object of his thoughts. However, it appeared that it was to be far from a pleasant meeting.

"Lucy!" he cried out, immediately rushing to her bedside. She looked at him, surprised at his presence, and tried to manage words out. It appeared next to impossible as a bout of violent coughs took her voice away. One of the servants – a maid named Lyra – approached him.

"Natsu… Please… You need to move away from the mistress," she murmured, but Natsu didn't heed her words, moving closer to his friend. He sat by her side and grabbed one of her hands in his. He noted how pale her skin was, and that she felt frailer than she usually did whenever he took her hand and made her venture outside.

"What happened?" he inquired, gazing down at Lucy. She turned to look at him, a wry smile etched on her face.

"The same disease that struck Mama," she murmured, her voice hoarse from the coughs. His heart lurched, remembering the day that she didn't stop crying when they heard the news that her mother passed away. No… It took away her mother; it couldn't take her as well. "It seems that it's hereditary."

"Isn't there anything –" he began furiously, but Lucy merely squeezed her hand and his mouth shut. It wasn't the time for him to get furious, especially if it meant that he would hear less of her words.

"The doctor's said there's nothing that can heal it, just like what he said when Mama had it," she replied, the reassuring smile still on her face. He became furious, trying yet failing to suppress his anger at seeing her state. His Lucy was meant to be strong, and happy, and alive. What kind of sick trick was it to put her in such a state? And why did she just have to smile at him when all he could think about was her death? "Natsu… Please don't get angry, like I know you are. There's nothing we can do…"

He tilted his head away from her, sick in his stomach at seeing her so weak and fragile. Just holding her hand in his, like the first handshake that set off their friendship, made him feel like he was going to break her. "I know… I just… It's unfair."

Not once did her smile waver. Instead, she patted the empty side of her bed, to which he moved over to. He lied down next to her, and the two children indulged in each other's presences, and Lyra courteously stepped out of the room in order for the two to be alone.

"You know…" Lucy began, making Natsu's head tilt to her. She was looking toward the large French window that decorated her room, from where the moonlight and starlight shone brightly upon them. "Mama told me a story before she passed away. She said that all people on the earth are special, and when two people fated to have a special bond meet, it's for eternity."

Her face moved to look at him, and he stared into chocolate-brown eyes wondering if he'd be able to see them again after that night.

"We'll meet again one day."

"You think?" Natsu asked, a casual lilt to her voice that made the girl's smile widen.

"I know."

That night, the young mistress Lucy Heartfilia passed away, her faithful friend keeping vigil by her side.

..O..

The boy took the girl on a whirlwind adventure.

If the Captain found out that he was asleep in the galley, the man would have his head, undoubtedly. He was fortunate enough that Gray was willing to cover his duty and say that he was feeling sick in return if he could manage to sneak them out some rum.

He snuck out with as much silence as he could muster. Rotting floorboards creaked beneath him, opposed to his mission of stealth. He cursed at his rotten luck, but ventured forward. As he persevered to reach the door, there was a sound of movement behind him. While he could admit that he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed – and that was saying something considering the idiots that comprised the Fairy Tail crew – he was aware that he had better senses than most, and that meant that he was quite assured of the presence that made movement behind the barrels he'd passed a moment before.

He pivoted his heel, bare feet moving silently towards the lively barrels. He unsheathed the cutlass that was hitched to his belt, and in a flash he moved the rum cases away. A girlish shriek made him stop the movement of his blade.

Brown eyes peered at him from behind blonde bangs with unrestricted fear evident in the orbs. The metal of his blade was a hair's breadth away from her temple. His heart stuttered at the sight of her. Something in him whispered softly, a small girl's voice from within the darkness. You know her.

"Do I know you?" he asked gruffly, moving the blade to point at her jugular, even though some instinct within him wanted the violent actions to stop. His common sense hindered the instinct, knowing that a stowaway on the ship meant danger.

There was a beat of silence between them, and he wracked his brain to think of where he could have seen her before. No clear answers gave way, and the small shake of her head made him wonder if he was going the tiniest bit insane. "The hell are you on this boat then, lass?"

"I needed to get away," she said firmly, contrary to the fear she depicted earlier. She stood in full form, and he allowed his eyes to rove over her body. She appeared covered in grime, the nobleman's dress she donned in tatters. If the garment didn't signify her status, the necklace clasped around her neck did – a golden key with a jewel imbedded in its centre. "I've heard rumours of the infamous Fairy Tail crew."

He smirked, wondering where their conversation was leading. "And what have you heard about us, lass? We've got a lot of fables based on us, y'know."

He watched her take a deep breath, hands placed firmly at her sides. "Rumours said that you're crew's the strongest out there, but more peculiar is that you're willing to accept anyone on board if they've got enough reason to prove their worth."

"And what reason have you got for us?" he inquired, growing evermore curious about the girl who he appeared to underestimate at first glance.

"I escaped an abusive father who was about to exploit me for the benefit of his company in order to pursue a life of adventure and freedom in which I could discover the reason why my Mama was murdered. My father… he'd do anything for his company, and I have reason to believe that he banded with pirates so that he could get riches, and that ended up killing Mama."

He took a step towards her, bringing down the blade he'd been holding against her neck. She appeared to release a shudder of relief, but still held steady when he glared her down. "So in order to stop your old man, who you think worked with pirates that killed your mother, you're gonna work with pirates yourself? What makes you think that we'll be any different?"

There was no hesitance in her reply. "Because you're Fairy Tail."

The intimidating scowl remained on his face for a moment, before morphing to an impressed grin. "Lemme take you up to Captain Makarov to see what he says. I don't think you'll have any problems though, so lemme unofficially congratulate 'ya. Welcome to Fairy Tail…"

"Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia," she replied, and he nodded, turning on his heel to lead her out to what appeared to be a new beginning.

The crew warmed up to the new addition quickly. It was undeniable that Lucy was intelligent, appearing on par or even more knowledgeable than the resident ship's navigator, Levy, on anything and everything. Such intelligence made her a valuable member on the crew, when Lucy appeared to assist anyone and everyone out if they asked her to.

One day, the majority of the crew were enjoying their time within Hargeon's rowdiest tavern. Their presence didn't help ease the image, but rather enhanced it as more rum was passed around by the women of the tavern. Natsu sat with Gray and Gajeel, arguing over a common topic of strength, when maddening screams made its way to Natsu's acute sense of hearing. Soon enough, Levy ran into the tavern, eyes wide and chest heaving. Gajeel quickly left him and Gray to support her as she began to warn them.

"It's Tartarus. They came out of nowhere and they're bombing the shopping district in town," she said hurriedly, as the Fairy Tail crew began to leave the building and head to the ensuing conflict. "Some of the girls went there earlier. Lisanna, Wendy and Lucy all went to get medical supplies. I… I think they were in direct line of fire."

At hearing her words, Natsu surged forward and left the building before the rest of his crew, unsheathing his cutlass with a speed fuelled by rage. His heart pounded in his chest as he grew closer to the conflict zone, where numerous buildings were caught in flame and enemy pirates ran around in wild abandon, collecting their dues in valuables. From the harbour, a dark ship hurled a flurry of cannonballs into the city, adding fuel to the chaos. He ignored the sense of déjà vu that hit him as he ran, as the little girl in him whispered. Hurry or you will lose her again.

He did his best to ignore the voice, but momentarily wondered what 'again' had meant. He slashed at two of the Tartarus underlings, scanning around the area for heads of blue, white, and especially blonde. Relief snaked through him when he found Lisanna and Wendy, cutlasses wielded, fighting off the outbreak of Tartarus men that attacked. He quickly sprinted to join them, and his held rapidly diminished the number of enemies, to which the two girls smiled gratefully for.

"Where's Lucy?" he asked, trying not to show too much desperation in his voice. Admittedly, he and the girl had become close in the time that she was with them, far quicker than he expected for them to become friends. Many of the crew, especially resident cook Mirajane, insinuated that there was an attraction between them, which he denied profusely. However, he did sometimes believe that there was something that drew them together, but then blamed flimsy thoughts such as those on rum.

"Last time I saw her, she was helping evacuate civilians from one of the burning buildings. We got caught up in the fight with Tartarus to see where she went," Lisanna replied, looking worried as she realised the gravity of the situation.

He cursed and ran away from them to look for any burning buildings that had people escaping, and noted one to his right. He swiftly approached and shouted her name, to which there was no response. He went up to a small child that stood in front of the building, appearing to be wailing. Behind him, the building's flames grew even more intense, and his hearing could pick up the sound of foundation snapping in the fire's wrath.

"Have you seen a blond lass, kid?" he asked, and the small child cried again, pointing at the building.

His eyes widened, and an irregular chill spread through him, opposing the heat of the flames that burned right in front of his eyes. The pain in his chest felt overwhelming, making him stagger slightly. His ears picked up on more of the building's structure breaking apart, and the pain in him worsened. He did his best to approach the flames, but they seemed to fight him off. His voice grew hoarse as he screamed her name, and the only response the Gods gave him was the sound of a small girl crying inside his mind.

The small girl stopped her crying for the briefest of moments. As the world around him appeared to stop, her mouth opened and her voice formed words. We'll meet again.

Days later, he scoured through the debris of the destroyed building, but found no trace of the noblewoman, Lucy Heartfilia.

..O..

Along the way, the boy fell in love with the girl.

A glint of gold caught him by surprise as he looked at the space at the bar previously occupied by the blonde woman whose mysterious nature had him a tad bit besotted. He was even further startled when he took it to look at, seeing a golden key with a jewel imbedded in it. He felt strange, wondering where he'd seen a piece of jewellery like it. Twirling it in his hands, he mulled over the possibility that it was from a store he passed by, but denied the thought when instinct told him that it was from far before that.

He recalled the blonde woman, who only an hour before he was enjoying a pleasant conversation with. When he first saw her, he was stunned by her voluptuous body which was pronounced in the black cocktail dress that she donned. But even more curious to him was how he felt drawn to her eyes – a dark brown that appeared to hold far too much familiarity than he was aware of. He had sat next to her, wondering why the woman looked dejected. She appeared dressed to enjoy her night, but looked far from it given the frown marring her face.

"You okay?" he asked her, and she'd looked up and given him a funny stare.

"Do I know you?" she asked, curiosity dripping in her voice. He tried not to think of how he was posing the same question in his mind.

"Don't think we've ever met. Name's Natsu Dragneel," he lifted his hand, which she shook firmly. Her face appeared to be slowly losing its frown, with an amused tilt to her lips replacing it.

"Lucy Heartfilia," she replied, and his mind began to hit overload, thinking the name so familiar yet one his ears have never heard of in his life. "I know this sounds… a bit strange, but do you think you and I could just… talk for a bit? I think I could really use some company right now, and someone I don't know is perfect."

He nodded, and the girl immediately began her spiel, beginning with a rant of the man named Bora who had been her date for the evening (his skin prickled at the thought of her being with another man, but he quickly snapped to the realisation that he should hold no possessive emotions for the girl, considering their stranger basis) turned out to be a pig, thus leaving her to throw her drink over his head and waste a good dinner while at it. She had ran to the bar, believing that alcohol could be her resolution. She then moved on to talk about her personal life, family and friends that interacted with her daily. He had a passing thought questioning how much she would divulge to him, and he was alarmed when the next words from her mouth appeared to answer him.

"I don't really know why I'm telling you all this," she said, laughing wryly whilst shaking her head. "You're just some odd, pink-haired stranger that was probably vying for the chance to pick up a girl at this place, but then you had to get stuck with me and I had to go off and tell you my life story. You probably weren't expecting this on your typical Friday night."

She looked at him, and he was left speechless by the constant pounding of his heart ringing in his ears. Her sincere smile seemed to resonate in him, and he would never admit to believing in something ridiculous as 'love at first sight', but knew that there was something more between he and Lucy than what was on the surface, and he wanted to discover what that something was.

"I feel like I can trust you. I honestly feel like you and I know each other, but never in this life have I met you," she paused, and her eyes watched him, analysing every aspect to his face as if expecting some form of answer. "Who are you, Natsu Dragneel?"

"I can ask you the same question," he replied back, to which she laughed at, before prying him of his life, to which he replied with ease.

They talked for a little while more, before the enigmatic Lucy gave him a peck on the cheek that left him speechless as a parting farewell. It was in his pondering of whether they'd meet again that he spotted the key, and remembered how it hung from the girl's neck, completing the perfect image of her in his mind's eye. Pocketing it as he exited, he realised that gaining her piece of jewellery meant a reason for him to find her again, and the thought made him happier than it possibly should have.

It was the next morning when he did see her again, but not in the way that he'd expected it to go about. As he passed by the TV well in the midst of his morning routine, the morning news was on, reporting the previous day's incidents. One of the breaking news stories was of a hit-and-run incident a few blocks away from the bar he had gone to only the night before. A foreboding feeing shook him, making him stop in front of the TV to keep watching, an act itself which surprised him considering that he commonly ignored the stories.

He'd experienced it before. Undoubtedly. The lurch of his heart as he saw the name and face of the accident victim was contradictory to him – new and old at the same time. They gave more information on the accident, but by then his knees had given way and he had fallen to the ground, breathing laboured. On his coffee table sat the necklace of the girl whose face was displayed on the screen, the key unlocking a door to false promises and anomalous pain he had never experienced yet felt unforgettable.

"Daughter of corporate mogul Jude Heartfilia, Lucy Heartfilia was victim to the hit-and-run accident on Celestial Road at 11:07 last night…"

..O..

But it always ended with the boy losing the girl.

The rain drenched him to the bone, making the skin suit he wore stick to him even more tightly than it did before. He wouldn't have worn the darn thing had it not signified his position as one of the elite members of the squad that patrolled the futuristic metropolis of Magnolia on a nightly basis.

He drove the hoverbike at a breakneck speed over the seemingly endless fluorescent roads that snaked throughout Magnolia. The 'city of light and speed' they had dubbed it, infamous throughout the whole world, and he couldn't have agreed more.

He tried to ignore the common sense within him that was a painful reminder of how Erza was going to be on his ass about speeding, but he couldn't deny that the reckless action made him feel more at peace than anything settled could ever do. Whilst overlooking that aspect of him, his instinct, which supported the speeds, appeared to be directing him to some location, as he curved his way into the slums of the lighted city.

He made his stop in a place where the luminous roads did no use to stop the shadows that consumed them. It ignited his curiosity, to see what had led him to visit the place. From the corner of his eye, he could see a flickering light battling weakly against the darkness of a side alley. What caught his attention was a humanoid figure under it, collapsed against the metallic wall behind her, and assuming his duty he quickly rushed to the scene.

As he approached, he assessed the body that lay before him. There was small movement in the small fingers, which led him to presume that the person was alive and a child or female. He crouched down, quite startled when his hand touched hers, only to feel the familiar touch of metal on his fingertips. He brushed away the damp blonde hair that hid the figure's face and neck, trying to look for the indicator of his next assumption. His fingers trailed from hair to neck, brushing past the tattoo that marked her metal skin.

LUCY-07

A jolt of movement made him retract his fingers, and his black eyes moved to meet hyper-aware brown orbs of the humanoid robot in front of him. As his hands moved once more to reach out for her, the girl – Lucy – didn't flinch, staring at him blankly with those penetrating eyes of hers.

"How long have you been out here?" he inquired, trying to look for damage on the girl. He was well aware of how hazardous the effects of water were to the internal circuits of the robot. Considering her state as a seventh version, he could imagine that she was one of the new robots that were created to be the most life-like creation mankind has dared to create. The humanoid would've been able to feel pain and emotion, as considerably well as a human. Underneath the white dress that she donned, which was becoming translucent from the rain, he saw a deep gash into her chest; where the area right over where a human heart would be located was shred of its metallic skin, leaving the complex circuitry that created her left to his view.

"I… I do not remember," she replied, in a soft monotonic voice. He recognised a slight tinge of fear in her voice, and held her hand in order to calm her down. Her gaze never left him as he tried to think of some way to salvage her. Considering her weak state, she may have been out there for days, and the continuous onslaught of raindrops that had been ongoing the past week meant that she had very little chances of survival. In his chest was an irregular feeling of grief and from the inner depths of his mind, he felt as if a small girl were calling out to him in desperation.

He continued surveying her as he let his thoughts think of all available means to help her, the options cutting short as he noted every flaw there was in taking the path. He was brought out of his reverie when she spoke to him.

"Do I know you?" she asked, and for the briefest of moments he looked at her, wondering why the words coming from the lips of a robot he'd never seen resounded within him with aching familiarity. He shook his head, as both a reply and a means for him to regain his thoughts. She continued looking at him, and he felt the slightest feeling of self-consciousness as brown orbs pierced into his very soul. "I'm going to die, am I not?"

He couldn't muster the words to reply, and given his silence, she came to a conclusion about her theory. The two remained in silence, continuing to look at each other. He watched her unwavering stare, trying to piece together what was so recognisable about the girl seated in front of him.

Her eyes fluttered, breaking the contact that they maintained for what seemed like an eternity. He jolted forward and pressed his palm against her cheek, trying to keep their eyes locked. It was a losing battle, and the mouth on her face that was carved as a thin line for their interaction curved upward.

"Thank you for staying by my side," she told him, and the words felt as if they meant more than just the brief interaction they shared that rainy night. He watched in desperation as her eyes began to close further, heavy-lidded with exhaustion. "You are far too kind…"

"Natsu," introducing himself too late.

She smiled further, eyes closing for a final time. "I hope we shall meet again one day, Natsu."

In the midst of a rainstorm, underneath a flickering light in a deserted street alley, Natsu Dragneel held the lifeless body of the Lucy android created by the Heartfilia Corporation, weeping for a girl that he'd only known for the barest of moments.

..O..

He stopped in his tracks passing by the park as he watched the interaction between a young blonde girl and an older one – he presumed them to be sisters. The younger girl appeared to be crying, and he discreetly moved to sit on one end of the park bench that the two girls sat on, curious about what the words that would come from their conversation.

"Your story was super bad Lucy!" she cried out, and he watched as a fresh bout of tears erupted from the girl's eyes, and after momentary weeping, she continued. "Why did it have to have a sad ending? All the stories you seem to tell me have bad endings, where the girl and the boy never get together!"

The older sister appeared troubled, trying hard to calm her younger sister down. He noted that there was a brief expression on her face that appeared pensive, as if she were thinking about said stories and knew more about them than she cared to admit. The expression was gone as quick as it came, and he had to wonder what kind of insanity his mind was succumbing to.

"Think about this Michelle," she began, and the younger girl stopped wailing to look at her older sister. "Even though the stories have sad endings, it might not mean that it's the end. There was something that Mama told me a long time ago. All people on the earth are special, and when two people fated to have a special bond meet, it's for eternity."

"What does that mean?" Michelle asked, looking up at her sister with deep curiosity. Lucy smiled at her, and ruffled the young girl's head.

"One day, the boy and the girl will meet again, and even though they've met countless times beforehand, there's going to be one time they meet in which they get to be together forever," she reassured, and the young girl smiled in wonder. After wiping away the remnants of her tears, Michelle leapt off her older sister's lap and ran over to the playground in order to tell other children, who appeared to be her friends, about the magical story that her sister created.

He mulled over the final words that the young woman – Lucy – told her sister, wondering what had him so captivated. Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed the same girl watching him, until a small cough same from his right. His attentions jostled, he turned to face her, frozen when he saw chocolate-brown orbs staring at him curiously.

The world around them changed, and then he was a pirate staring at the huddled form of a young noblewoman with a dress in tatters, a sword in his hand pointed at her throat. The woman spun words of bravery in front of him – a dangerous stranger – showing an attitude only people meant to be in the Fairy Tail crew possessed. He recognised her then, as he would in countless other moments throughout the expanse of Time.

They didn't know how long they were staring at each other, and the words were out of her mouth caught him unaware, but was so expected that he knew what she would say before she said it.

"Do I know you?"

Then he was kneeling in the middle of a downpour, hidden in a shadowy area of the 'city of lights' holding the fragile body of an android so alive yet on the verge of death, and he had only known her for a few short minutes yet there was no denying how much his heart told him that he was in love with her and he always has and always will.

He shook his head but instinct told them that it was a feeble lie. Her mouth curved with an amused tilt and she held her hand out towards him.

"Lucy Heartfilia."

He was sitting on a stool in a small bar in the heart of a big city, and a girl too pretty to be alone was seated next to him. They didn't know each other, the clear definition of strangers. Yet the girl began to speak to him in a way that could only be shared with a significant other and there was the gut instinct that told him not to let her go but he had made the mistake and she'd left with his heart in tow. But even then he knew that she'd held his heart from even before that.

He returned the gesture. "Natsu Dragneel."

She smiled at him, a small but beautiful curve of her lips. He was a young boy that ran to a room where pale light sourced from the moon and the stars shone through the large window. He lay next to her as she spoke about all the adventures they shared in their short time together, the small smile etched on her face never leaving even though the last moments of her life were coming to pass right in front of his eyes.

"I told you we'd meet again."

The words out of her lips came out as a whisper, but he'd always had acute senses, so her voice was crystal clear. What she said resonated through him, and a grin was carved on his face as he moved forward. She had the same idea, as their lips met halfway and the rest of the world stopped and gave way for just the two of them, a stilled moment in Time that was in the making for longer than either had ever expected.

Fate's eccentricities had dealt them a life which was decided to be reborn over and over for as long as Time shaped their universe. In the abundance of eternity they were given, it was merely one instance where they were granted the happy ending. But, for the briefest of moments, their joy was infinite.