It happened, and it was heartbreaking…

Death wasn't a simple matter, he knew that. It means losing, disappearing, becoming only a memory… Just like Igneel. How could a word so small, mean something so big? Five innocent letters that combined together brought to "life" the scariest reality of all. Igneel wasn't dead, he was quite sure of it! Call it a Dragon's Slayer intuition if you want. Their bond was too strong, and he hasn't felt something like that. Yes, that. That emptiness in his chest.

How can you react, even better, how should you react to losing one of your closest friends? When said friend is just like family to you… It has happened once, when he was younger.

He lost Lisanna, who was at the time the one person he trusted the most. He remembers Igneel telling him that one day he would find a girl that would mean the world to him. Natsu didn't really believe in that at the time, but when he met Lisanna he thought that maybe this was what Igneel meant. After all, she was always around, changing the way he saw the world. They shared a strong bond, but suddenly she was gone, death had taken her (here's that cursed word again!).

But the Heavens were good to him… Just like a wise man once said "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light".

And light it was! She appeared, out of nowhere! Just like… BAM! I'm here, you just saved me from a love spell, so eat all you want because I'm grateful to you and your little blue friend. She was a good person, and when you find good people it means that there is light in them. So, why not make that light brighter by giving her what she wished the most? Becoming a part of her dream guild, Fairy Tail!

Lucy was quite useful in his mind; he could conjure battle plans using her, her spirits, and her physical features… She grown up on him, how could she not? In such a small amount of time she showed everyone that her feelings for the guild were as strong as the feelings of those who lived in Fairy Tail most of their life. And if Lucy gave everything in her to make everybody happy, then he would do the same for her! And that's what he did… He protected her, he gave her strength when her hope was gone, he caught her when she fell. He did it all, and he would keep doing it.

When Lisanna came back, he was sure some of his guild mates were expecting their relationship to continue as strong as it was before; restarting from the point it was left at the moment of her "death". Maybe even he was expecting it, especially because he remembered what Igneel said… But in the end that didn't happen.

He was always inevitably drawn to Lucy. He stayed by her side, he didn't change their battle strategies, nor did he change the way they always interacted with each other. Why would he stop doing something that actually made him happy? Why would he stop being around the first person he actually wanted to be around all the time? He was happy, he overcame Lisanna's supposed death. And now that she was back he found out that his life could continue the same way it was. He adapted, he was stronger, he liked to invade Lucy's house and sleep in her bed, and he liked the way she could put a smile on his face by being such a weirdo.

They grew closer together; he saw her fighting for her life during de Grand Magic Games. She fought, he suffered. It was a pain watching her endure such cruelty by Minerva. But, being the strong girl she was, she made it. And when she deposited all her trust and feelings on him, he knew he was right all along. She was indeed a light who trusted him from the beginning, allowing him to see the right path even in the hardest moments.

He didn't falter when her future self was accused of destroying everybody's future. He believed she would never do that, how could she? She's Lucy for Mavis sake! Even if she was from the future, nothing could make his Lucy change so much.

Never in his worst nightmare would he imagine the outcome that followed. They say lightning doesn't strike the same spot twice. So, why would he have to suffer for the second time the loss of a dearest friend? She wasn't the Lucy that lived in his time, but she was still Lucy. So, when the fated words came out of his mouth he didn't realize them at first. How could he? He was enraged, blinded by the pain, so similar, yet so different from the one he had when it was Lisanna. Why was that? Well, he would only figure it out later…

He made a vow; he fought for her lost self but mostly to protect her present, in order for her to have a future. He was strong in front of Lucy, but as soon as she was gone, and he wasn't battling, he went crawling to the dead body of his precious friend from the future. And the image of his life without this woman just popped into his mind. And truth is, he was frightened.

As quickly as the battle began, it ended. The gates were destroyed, the future was saved. The Dragons, everyone from the future went back to their own time, leaving the remainings of the battle as a painful memory of what had just happened.

And when he stopped, it all came back to him.

Her falling, her blood, her tears, her cold dead body.

His words to Future Rogue, the person who stole something precious to him right before his eyes.

Precious, that's what she was, that's what she is. His feelings regarding her passing away were painful, a complete despair. Because in this precise moment, after the damned battle, Natsu actually felt like he didn't have Lucy in his life anymore. And he was lost, in the darkness. He was petrified, glued to the ground. Until, he felt it.

Delicate arms hugging him from behind, the sweet smell of his most cherished companion. She was alive, of course she was. The one he kept seeing dying in his mind was the Lucy from the future, and although it was still painful, he knew he had just changed that reality. His Lucy was alive, she was with him! She thanked him through the tears, and he could feel the small smile in her voice. He breathed deeply, feeling relieved for the first time in a long time. The emptiness in his chest was slowly disappearing, being replaced by an overwhelming comfort. He found himself turning his head, making sure Lucy was really there, next to him. And when he saw her he knew… There's no mistaking that feeling. She would always be his to protect, to cherish, to love.

I found her, Igneel.

Hey everyone :) I hope you liked this story... Feel free to give me your opinion and advice ;) It's my first story, and I'm not an English native, so gomen for my mistakes! :)
Small note: Wise man is Dumbledore. Let's just imagine that the magical world from Harry Potter is actually a neighbour of Fairy Tail ^.^

Ja ne! :D

R'Peach*