Blue.

It was startling at first. Lucy had just been facing a mage – some woman who could temporarily drain the power and energy of her enemies and use it as fuel for her own strength – when she realized she was at a vast disadvantage.

She was able to hold her own while Natsu, Erza and Gray all battled their own opponents, but not without consequence. The spirits she summoned already drained enough of her energy, but the woman showed no hesitation in taking more from the girl.

It was a struggle to even stand upright.

But Lucy refused to back down. With her legs wobbling and vision hazy, she managed to summon Taurus. The last thing Lucy registered was Taurus overcoming the mage and her friends still caught in battle.

Then, her aching body finally succumbed to the weight of gravity and she collapsed. Yet her unfortunate positioning on the crumbling mansion they fought on left her body falling from the edge and spiraling through the air, and time seemed to slow.

That's when she saw blue. The vast sky filled her vision as she plummeted further and further from it.

The whirling of the wind was deafening, and Lucy could just barely hear the faint shrieks of her friends.

She tried to muster up the energy to summon another key, but her exhausted body betrayed her and refused to move. Even if she had been able to, Lucy recognized that calling out another spirit may well kill her at this rate.

So, as she tumbled through the air and more and more of that porcelain blue came into sight, Lucy resigned herself to fate.

Her eyes blurred and the blue became less sharp as she felt tears gather in her eyes, but she smiled nonetheless.

She was content with the life she lived and proud with all of her achievements. She managed to escape her old mansion and made a new home for herself in Magnolia (she doesn't refer to her previous living arrangements as a home since Lucy realized she felt uncomfortable there after her mother's passing. And a person should never feel uncomfortable in their own home).

She took great pride in her little apartment, and the fact that she worked for it herself. Despite being so small, it could accommodate a large number of people.

And Lucy's body grew rigid for a moment.

The people.

Fairy Tail.

The tears now fully overtook her vision, but Lucy's smile somehow grew wider.

She'd miss Levy.

Lucy absolutely adored the small girl, and enjoyed squealing and theorizing over their favorite books together. She was one of the first people Lucy felt able to bond with, and she grew strongly attached to the girl as they ranted about recent releases or just sat and read together in silence.

And Erza and Gray.

Lucy never had the happiest family life, but with them she felt like part of a unit. She knew that they were fiercely protective of her, and without fail they would make her feel wanted and comfortable in strange spaces. Lucy had always dreamed of siblings, and Erza and Gray were a dream come true for her.

And Natsu.

Oh god, Natsu.

While he relentlessly teased and mocked her, his boyish charm and loving personality wormed its way into her heart. He never failed to comfort her when she fell into those deep pits of loneliness and self-doubt, and would refuse to leave until she returned to her normal state of mind. He managed to make her laugh and smile in her darkest hours, and his mere presence would make her heart rate speed up and her stomach to excited flips and contortions. She knew that Natsu was more than just a friend to her, but now she realized she would never get to share that.

She didn't want to say goodbye.

She was too attached to everyone, every single guild member and friend she met along the way. She wasn't ready to give it all up.

Yet a brief glance down at the ground that was growing closer and closer at an alarming rate told her that she might never be.

Lucy just shut her eyes and whispered a soft thank you, as if the people around her would hear her over the howling wind and know she was grateful for all they had done. She focused on the mental image of her nakama as she plunged towards the earth.

Sudden impact drew the breath from her.

Yet instead of rough pebbles and various debris from the house, Lucy felt herself wrapped in a safe pair of arms. Lucy opened her eyes to her partner's chest, and she was overwhelmed with relief when she felt his voice rumble throughout his chest.

"Jeez, Luce. Next time give me a heads up!"

And limp in his arms, Lucy felt herself smile wider than ever as she unashamedly cried into his vest. Of course he caught her.

She should've remembered that she could always trust the fall when Natsu was around.

Xxxxxxxx

Congratulations on making it to the end! I apologize for Lucy being a bit OOC in this, but that's just kinda how it turned out. Also, sorry for taking a really long break from writing. Even after I could stop using school as an excuse, I was just having trouble creating something and putting it out there. Then I figured screw it, wrote this in an hour, and here we are. Please feel welcome to comment and share your opinions, I love reading through them! And also feel free to notify me if you see any errors or have any critiques, I'm open to constructive criticism (lord knows I have a lot I can improve on).

This was inspired by the song "The Fall" by half alive. You should really check it out (it's a real bop).

Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day!

-AwkwardHumanBeanThing