Black cars parked on the wet pavement in the cemetery.
Raindrops from tree leaves touched the ground, making the only sound that could be heard.
It was raining.
Everyone was in black.
Black suits. Black skirts. Black dresses. Black umbrellas. Black everything. The atmosphere was gloomy.
The only colors were the ones of the flowers that were organized for the dead,
And the white coffin that was laid on a red carpet that touched the surface of the wet green grass.
All the families were there.
Dragneel, Fernandes, Eucliffe and Vastia. But again, no Nura.
Everyone came to pay their respects for the late Jude Heartfilia.
It was his funeral.
Jude was someone dear to all of them. He already knew them since they were still kids who wet their bed in the morning. He was a good uncle to them.
Rakheid walked up to the coffin holding a red rose, letting the rain pour down on him. His face may be drenched in raindrops, but everyone knew some of them were teardrops.
He kissed the flower’s petals and gently placed it on the coffin.
“Rest in peace, father,” he said, a sad smile on his face.
Rakheid turned his head to where his sister stood. The black hat she wore covered her eyes as she stared on the wet ground. He looked at Natsu who was standing next to her, holding an umbrella. He could tell Natsu was looking back at him behind those black shades he wore. Rakheid gave him a small bow, indicating that he was leaving first.
After the older brother left, the others did the same thing.
Placing red roses on the coffin and bowing to the Dragneel family before leaving.
The Dons of the other families offered their condolences to the two before they went ahead. Especially to Lucy.
Now it was just Natsu and his wife standing before the old man’s coffin. He had instructed their people to wait for them at the cars parked only at a short distance away.
.
.
.
Lucy hadn’t cried the entire time. Natsu could tell she was holding back, not letting everyone see her weak.
“You can cry now,” he said.
After he said that, Lucy’s shoulders started to tremble.
Then she turned to him, hugging him. Her hat dropped to the ground by sudden movement.
And then she broke down in his arms.
She cried her heart out, screaming in his chest.
Lucy’s knees went weak, her entire strength being drained by her cries.
Natsu dropped the umbrella on the ground. His firm arms embraced her, supporting her body to keep her from falling on her knees.
“Daddy!” Lucy screamed as she tightened her arms around him. Her delicate fingers gripped Natsu’s shirt, “Why!”
Natsu could only wrap his arms around her more tightly as he listened to her sobs. His right hand rubbed her back to make her feel better. Hoping to make her feel better.
“Why did you go?!” she continued.
“Let it out, baby,” his voice was calm.
“Oh why, daddy, why!”
Everyone waiting by the cars could hear Lucy’s mournful screams. They all had their heads down. Their faces with no trace of joy as they listened to her cry. All sympathized with her.
Even Mirajane was crying in Laxus’ arms.
Levy was trying to stay strong for Lucy. But Gajeel knew better, she was emotionally weaker than the blond. All he could do was hold her hand tightly.
Mavis was in tears as well with Zeref calming her down.
At the other corner, Gray was embracing Juvia.
Erza and Cana were staring at the ground.
Freed and the others had their heads on the ground as well.
After a few minutes, Natsu approached them carrying Lucy who passed out from all the crying.
“What happened?” Erza asked, worried if someone made an attack.
“She fainted. Get everyone ready to leave,” Natsu said calmly as he slid into the backseat of the car.
.
.
.
On their way home, Lucy’s eyes fluttered open. She was leaning on Natsu who was sitting beside her and holding her hand.
“Natsu…” she whispered tiredly, getting his attention.
“What is it, baby?” he answered.
“Take me somewhere…beautiful.”
Natsu didn’t move. After a while, he turned his head to the driver.
“Loki, change course. Head to Green Cliff.”
As instructed, Loki drove away from the direction of the compound. The other cars at the front and at the back followed after them.
.
.
GREEN CLIFF
It was beautiful indeed.
The rain had already subsided, the sun could be seen setting beyond the mountains.
The vast ground on the cliff was surrounded with white flowers sprouting on the grass.
Lucy stared at the blue sky, with Natsu standing beside her.
“I remember one time, it was my sixth birthday,” she started.
He decided to just listen to her.
“It was my birthday, but I decided to make daddy a rice cake,” Lucy giggled, remembering the past as she continued to look into the clouds, “but when I went to his office, he wasn’t there. So I started to cry like the baby that I was. I was a little spoiled. Thinking that daddy abandoned me, I decided to run away. Pretty dramatic really. But the moment I opened the doors of the mansion, daddy was already outside waiting for me. Not just him, but everyone else. They were holding balloons, lots and lots,” she started to smile.
“Daddy was holding a huge cake with my name on it. He looked so happy,” she said and turned her eyes to Natsu, “I was, too.”
“You don’t have to hold back. You can cry if you want to.” Natsu said.
Lucy shook her head sideways.
“I already did. Today is the last time I cry for him,” she said, still with that smile on her face, “daddy wouldn’t like to see me sad because of him.”
“I’ll let him rest in peace now.”
She said as she looked at the sunset before her.
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