Promise Light
Chapter 1: Goodbye

'It was overwhelming! Acnologia was too strong. Even Natsu couldn't land a hit!' Lucy's mind screamed. Brown eyes darted to the pink haired boy. Attack after attack was pounding down on the dragon slayer. Lucy could see the toll it was taking on his body. He was growing weaker, and they were getting nowhere. Why? Why did it have to come back? Wasn't it satisfied after Tenrou. If it wasn't for Mavis they all would have died. But they lived, and Acnologia was back. Maybe the master saved their life in vain. Tears washed down over her cheeks. Natsu had always been so strong, it was destroying her seeing him like this. Worst of all, there was nothing she could do.

All of Fairy Tail had given it their best shot. Now all that remains are their weak and hurt bodies scattered all around her. That was after one shot. One. Natsu was the last one standing.

Lucy made a quick assessment of herself. All her magic energy had depleted. Her strength was barely considerable. She couldn't give anything to stop it. Still, Lucy struggled to her feet, finding her balance. All the muscles in her body ached, her head pounded and her skin burned. But, she could stand. If she could do that much, maybe she could do something.

Anger began to rise inside Natsu's chest, like the burning flames lighting his fists. It was teasing him, Natsu knew, treating him like he was nothing. All his friends had been hurt, laying unconscious and hurt around him. Even Happy was lying weakly by a big tree. The small cat shaped hole that buried into the bark made his heart squeeze. He didn't let anyone or anything get away with hurting the people he cared about. Not even a dragon. If he couldn't beat it, he'd sure as hell die trying.

Gathering all his strength, he pumped it all into his fist, ignoring the protest of his muscles aching. Natsu ran straight at the dragon, screaming in fury. "IRON FIST OF THE FIRE DRAGON!" The fist came down with crushing force against Acnologia's face. A shrill roar shrieked from the dragon's jaws as it recoiled in pain, swinging its head around desperately. It's left eye squeezed tightly shut, a long red tear trickling down its face.

A relief overwhelmed Natsu, but he kept it down. He got a hit! He finally got a hit! He contained his excitement. It wasn't over, not yet. But maybe, he still had a chance.

A big black eyes locked onto the dragon slayer, a big black head whirling on him. A rumbled growl shook the Earth at his feet. Pure rage was bubbling out of the dark dragon. It's eyes now looked at Natsu with blinding rage. Natsu was a threat. An even bigger one than Guildarts. And now, it was going to destroy him.

It's feet buried into the ground. Black jaws opened wide, razor-sharp teeth glinting in the light. Dark energy began to grow inside it's mouth, collecting into a big black ball. It's head lowered, aiming directly at Natsu. Natsu just stood still. Warm skin turning pale. Dark eyes staring at the dragon with shock.

"No, no, no." Lucy muttered to herself in fright. Fear raced through her veins, pumping adrenalin into every cell of her body, causing her to shake with energy. A horrible feeling sunk in her stomach. Her chest squeezed tight, making it hard to breathe. "NATSU MOVE!" She screamed. He didn't move. It was like he couldn't hear her at all. Empty shock was obvious in his eyes. He couldn't move. He wouldn't be able to dodge the attack. He was going to die. Lucy wouldn't let that happen.

She didn't realize her feet were already sprinting towards him. They were numb, pounding against the torn up ground, desperately moving towards him. Light was bubbling, almost beating like a heart from the ball. There was no time to push him out the way, she was too late. Lucy sucked in her breath, pushing her body to the limit. She had to get to him. She had to save him. There was no way she could live without him.

With a horrifying scream, dark light blasted out of the dragons mouth, heading straight towards Natsu. Dark light exploded into white, consuming the everything in a blank sheet. The world, bleached of color, went deadly silent.

A few moments later, Natsu's dark eyes cracked open. He was crouched down low on the ground, his head in his arms, curled up in a protective ball. Acnologia was gone? Onyx irises stared down at his hands in disbelief. "That should have killed me?" Natsu uttered dubiously. At that point, Natsu noticed his hands were a darker shade. A shadow cast over his body, folding neatly over him and stretching across the floor at his feet in the mid-afternoon sun. Something heavy began to pound in his stomach, weighing a thousand tons, making him sick to his bones. He didn't want to, but he dared.

Slowly, his head creeped up the edges of the shadow. It traced back to a pair of broken sandals, long, pale legs, ripped and torn skirt and shirt, and flowing golden hair. Lucy. Her body faced away from him. Her fists clenched at her sides into tight balls. They shook, as did her whole body, but she stood stiff, almost unmoving. Past her, Natsu caught sight on the deep ditch that was burnt at the edges. It ran all the way to the edge of her toes. It was like a sucker punch to his gut, as it dreadfully dawned on him.

Suddenly, Lucy's legs buckled and her teetered backwards towards the earth. Natsu's arms were around her in a split second, pulling her towards his chest. "LUCY!" Natsu wailed. The dragon slayer dropped to his knees, clasping her face between his hands. "Lucy? Lucy?" Natsu called, his fingers moving the strands of hair back from her cheeks.

Big brown eyes flickered open, looking calmly upwards. Eyes filled with a mix of shock, horror and fear stared back at her in disbelief. Lucy could feel Natsu's arms shaking against her as he held her tightly. "Lucy..." Natsu whimpered, as if that was the only word he knew.

Why? Why was he so sad?, Lucy thought, feeling there was something she was missing, What is he so upset about? Oh, that was why, she remembered. She saw Natsu, he was gonna be killed. Her mind couldn't recall it, but all of a sudden, she was standing in front of him, and Acnologia was gone. And now, she was dying. "It's okay, Natsu." Lucy whispered, trying to stop the despair and pain on his soft, kind face. She was surprised at the quiet, softness of her voice. It was like listening to herself from far away.

"You're gonna be alright Lucy, I promise!" Natsu vowed, his hands cupping her small cheek.

"I wish I could keep that promise." Lucy murmured. She was surprised at the quiet, softness of her voice. It was like listening to herself from far away.

"But you're a celestial wizard. Celestial wizards always keep their promises, remember?" Natsu's voice cracked. A lump in his throat betrayed his voice, as he forced to keep the tears down.

"It's no use." Lucy reluctantly replied. She could see his eyes, the dark, mysterious color of coal. They always looked so beautiful to her. Natsu had always been beautiful. But, what she found most beautiful of all, was his heart. It was so big, that it would take the ocean to fill it, maybe not even that. But, of course, she knew, she would never get to find out.

"Natsu," A soft, tearful voice called. Natsu looked up to see Levy standing behind him. Half her clothes had been shredded, but lucky nothing that showed too much, for her own dignity. Her arm was bleeding and she clutched her other hand around it. It didn't stop the blood. Traces of it began to push through the gaps in her fingers. Tears were pouring from her eyes, rising down over her cheeks. The hair around the edges of her face stuck to her damp skin, caught by the tears that rushed down her face. "You should...say goodbye." Levy choked.

"What?" Natsu blinked in surprise.

"Natsu." Levy's voice growled in a low tone, the sound her voice turned when she tried to hold back her tears. She was trying to be strong, Lucy thought. "Say goodbye." Levy commanded sharply.

"What the hell are you talk-" Natsu began, looking at her as if she was crazy.

"She's dying!" She snapped. Tears rushed faster down her face. Her small hands gripped tightly onto her shoulder, letting blood seep faster through.

Onyx eyes jumped between the faces of the Fairy Tail mages gathered around them. They were all crying. Natsu didn't understand. Why were they all crying? Lucy's fine, she's gonna be fine. "No. She's no-"

"It's true." Gajeel's rough, cool voice interrupted. He looked bad, Lucy thought idly. Cuts and bruises caked his skin, his metal attachments were a charred back. Some had even deformed.

Natsu's face whirled on him like an aggressive dog. "What do you mean?" Natsu snapped.

Acnologia's gone because he used up all his energy to use a spell called 'Dark Beam'. It's fatal. Being hit means...death." Gajeel said, keeping his tone level and his emotion neutral. Natsu stared at him dumbfounded. Dark eyes skipped from him to Levy. All she could do was turn away. Faint muffled sounds of sobbing were the only things that came from her.

"What?" Natsu mouthed, the thought, painstaking sinking in like a dagger in the chest. Something hit him like a shovel in the face, freezing his expression. Natsu's head whipped round back down to Lucy, looked softly up at him. "Lucy did you know this would happen?" He demanded, his eyes burning, like her answer could change the world. All she could bring herself to do, was nod. Natsu was frozen, his dark eyes completely unreadable. Still, they pierced her heart like a sword.

"Natsu, I'm so sorry. I wouldn't- I couldn't let you die. I couldn't live without you." Lucy whispered hoarsely. That unreadable emotion sank into despair, swallowing him whole.

"And you think I can live without you," Natsu cried, pulling her close, burying his head into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Lucy mumbled, taking in the softness of his pink hair on her neck. Lucy's eyes felt hot and her vision blurred. She was crying. Tears were racing down her cheeks, carrying the dirt that smudged her skin.

"I'm the sorry one, this is all my fault. I'm so stupid; I should have moved!" Natsu hissed self-critically into her neck. Warmth tingled and rushed through her body, making everything tingle. Although she knew her body was numb since a while ago, she could still feel all that was Natsu.

"No Natsu, it isn't!" She snapped weakly. "Don't ever think that. You should leave. Don't feel burdened by me." To her surprise, she managed to lift her arm, wrapping around Natsu's neck. She squeezed lightly, using her strength to keep him as close to her as possible.

"Lucy, please don't die." Natsu whispered. Lucy realized why he was holding her so close. Her shoulder was wet, and the sensation of a drop running down her spine was a chilling tingling. Natsu was crying.

"I hope you find Igneel one day." Lucy said faintly, her eyes squeezing shut. When she, in that unconscious second, decided to save Natsu, she was peaceful and calm. Nothing else mattered. But suddenly, she realized everything did. Everything she wanted, her future, was all going to die with her. She wanted to live, to see the world, to grow old. Maybe have kids one day. That was her dream. She wanted to live it all. Everything...with Natsu. It hurt so much to leave him behind. But she was dying, and that was that.

"I will see him and you'll be right there with me." Natsu cried out, his voice smothered by her close. Natsu's grip squeezed her so tight that she wouldn't be able to breath. But that was okay. Even if it hurt, she wanted to feel Natsu by her side, even as the colors of the world slowly faded. All her friends were gone into the darkness, and there was just Natsu. His smell of burning, his strong arms around her, his gentle voice.

"I'll always be with you Natsu," Lucy's eyes closed shut, letting a final tear fall down her cheek. "always." she whispered, letting her voice echo into the darkness that swept her away.

"No, Lucy you can't go!" Natsu wailed desperately, shaking his head. Lucy's arm went limp, slipping from around his shoulders. His head sprung back, blurry eyes staring down at Lucy. Brown eyes were closed forever. The mud and blood that were on her cheeks had disappeared. Her face, damp with tears that sparkled like diamonds in moonlight. So peaceful. So calm. Just like she was sleeping.

A blue paw crept into the corner of his vision. Happy extended a paw, pressing gently but firmly against her lifeless arm. "Lucy...Lucy, wake up." Happy whimpered. Bursts of tears and cries began to fall into sound around him. Fairy Tail's eyes bled with tears and pain, turning or staring with grief. Natsu couldn't help but stare. A nagging of his eyes, turned him back to the body in his arms. Was her skin always that pale? Natsu thought. Lucy looked so fragile in his arms, like she could break at any second. But that didn't really matter. Lucy was dead. Even though he said it, he sounded like he was a stranger. The lifeless body of Lucy was so distant, so strange. It was like Lucy wasn't there anymore. It was just an empty shell in his arms.

Wendy and Carla's sullen and empty faces appeared next to the dragon slayer. They both seemed on the verge of emotion, not sure which was they should turn. "Save her!" Natsu said before realising it. A prickle of hope, followed by dread crossed the girl's face. Carla reached to stop her, but hesitated, considering it herself. Blue light emanated from her small hand's, hovering over the body's still chest. Wendy's hands slowly recoiled back into her torso, wrapping them up protectively. Hungry onyx eyes were locked on her, glaring at her like she was dinner, staggering up and backwards. Heavy tears ran off her still face, trickling off her cheeks. She stared at them in surprise, as if it was the first time she'd ever seen something like them.

Natsu's heart began to pound in his chest like a jack hammer. All his senses hit him at once, adrenalin bursting into his veins. Heat burned on his skin like summer, urging him to layer down. But the will to put something on to fight of the freezing cold inside of him, fought back. The dragon slayer was at the force of a maelstrom of emotion. Dark eyes looked down at Lucy. 'She's sleeping, she'll wake up soon.' Natsu's head repeated over and over again. "She's not dead." Natsu heard himself mutter. He sounded frantic, distant, in a world so far away. "Wake up, Lucy, wake up!" His face filled with frustration, staring down at the girl in his arms. "Why won't she wake up?" Natsu asked, his calm voice sounding alien. His arm's calmly laid the girl down on the dirt at his knees, leaning over her perceptively.

"Natsu," Erza stepped forward. More tears were flowing down her right and left cheek, trickling of her chin. Why are they crying? Natsu thought. They look like someone died.

"SHE'S NOT DEAD! STOP CRYING!" Natsu spontaneously snapped. A shell had cocooned around him, his voice echoing off the impenetrable walls. It seemed like everything was happening a mile away, and he was just a bystander, disconnected from the body that was screaming in fright.

"NATSU!" Erza snapped sharply, trying to snap him out. Natsu bit back, sending a fist full throttle towards her. It hit her palm weakly, her grasp tightening painfully around it. But, Natsu didn't even flinch, all he could feel was cold. Everything else was numb.

Gray and Elfman, their own body's bruised and abused, leapt forwards, dragging the struggling Natsu back from Erza. Natsu fought furiously, throwing his body left, right and center, but he couldn't break free. Hot tears burnt his eyes, running down his face. All his strength sapped out of his body, dropping him limply in Gray and Elfman's grasp. Natsu dropped to the ground, and just cried. Gray and Elfman helped lift him up, and carry him back to the guild.

In the guild infirmary, Poryluscia emerged from behind a pale curtain. Makarov and Guildarts were bandaged up, sat anxiously on two plush chairs. They propelled to their feet at the sight of the pink-haired physician. Poryluscia gave them a sympathetic glance, and closed the curtain behind her. "Her body's stuck in a paralytic state, she's not dead, but not alive either."

"What does that mean?" Guildarts asked, looking between Makarov, who looked mildly understanding, and Poryluscia.

Poryluscia paused and gave both a long, pitiful gaze. "Her body's fine, but she won't ever wake up."

Makarov contemplated for a long moment, the shadow over his face shading his still, calm eyes. Until he finally spoke, looking back at the medic woman. "Thank you, Poryluscia, I appreciate it." Poryluscia nodded lightly, turning to leave. "No one must hear of Lucy's...condition." he added after a thought. Poryluscia glanced over her shoulder, said nothing, and left. Guildarts knew she understood.

"What are we going to do about Lucy?" The S-class wizard asked, turning to his sullen master.

"There's a small cabin at the edge of Magnolia woods. We can hide her there." Makarov suggested, looking distantly out the small window that looked down over the bakery and butchers that were buzzing with people.

Guildarts felt hesitantly spoke, a thought that had troubled him since he caught Makarov calling over Poryluscia. "What about-" he began. It wasn't only him was thinking the same thing.

"It's okay; I know. We'll have to keep Natsu in the dark about this. If Natsu knows Lucy's alive he won't give up on trying to wake her. She might not ever wake up. It'll be better, for now, if Lucy died after today." Makarov decided. Guildarts nodded reluctantly. The S-class moved the white curtain gentle aside, stepping behind it. "You'll have to keep an eye on him." Makarov added, opening the back door that led out the back of the guild to a bare entrance to the woods. Guildarts nodded, accepting his task, and picking up the blonde girl carefully, like the most delicate thing in the world. Makarov moved aside as the S-class man passed him. The door shut silently behind them as they moved into the forest.

As Erza entered the guild, her sore, dry eyes scanned the room, looking for the pink haired dragon slayer. He wasn't there. didn't The ice mage half-heatedly comforted the crying Juvia, trying to figure out his own feelings about what happened. Even though Lucy seemed like a threat to Gray's affection, Juvia really did like her. There wasn't anyone in the guild who didn't. Levy was a mess, her hair a mess, still in her torn clothes, thrown against Gajeel's chest. Anger randomly took of the girl and she'd chuck her fists at Gajeel in frustration. The dragon slayer just brought her close and tried his best to sooth her. Carla sat with Happy, holding his small paws in hers, occasionally wiping away his tears with a silk handkerchief. Carla tried every now and then to tempt him with a fish that would cheer him up, but he wouldn't take it. Erza's heart sank under the weight of the grief in the guild. Lucy was loved by every single person in Fairy Tail. She made her mark on all of them. They wouldn't forget her so easily.

Erza walked over towards Happy and Carla, pausing hesitantly by their table. "Happy," Erza's voice sounded roar and hoarse. "do you know where Natsu is?" she asked gently. Big black eyes turned up towards her, watching her silently for a long few moments before he answered finally, trying to choke back the tears.

"He's at Lucy's place." Happy tried. All the tears burst out in an explosion, as Happy buried his nose into Carla's fur. A white paw stroked the back of his head, trying to calm him down, letting him cry on her shoulder. Erza could tell that Carla was upset too over Lucy, but for Happy and Wendy's sake, she was being strong. Erza didn't think she could take anymore. Seeing her friends so hurt in a place that couldn't be healed with any medicine or magic, was even more painful. The mage left in a hurry, bolting through the doors. Her feet carried her away from the guild towards Lucy's apartment, before own sorrow broke from its steel jar, locked away in her heart. Everyone missed her so much.

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-A-ccentric