Her ≫ Fairy Tail Fanfic

*** Chapter 26: Photograph ***

"For you, I was a chapter. For me, you were the entire book."

- Anonymous

Natsu sighed as he trudged through the Fairy Tail guild hall for the first time in a year. The reason? Today was an anniversary.

One year, twelve months, fifty-two weeks, three hundred sixty and five days later, the pain was still as evident. The wound still as fresh. And the memory -- oh, the painful memory -- ever so present.

On that fateful day one year and one day ago, Lucy had died. Murdered. The love of his life killed in cold blood, by the assassin -- or so they had presumed -- known as 'E.D.'.

He grabbed a fistful of his hair, glaring at the white-haired barmaid who had just set down a mug of water on his table. She quickly scurried away, hiding behind the wooden bar that her sister used to manage.

He followed the gaze of the blonde haired dragon slayer sitting a few feet away, and immediately knew that he was reminiscing his lost mate. Natsu sighed again. They all were.

Even after they'd trained so hard, mastered much magic -- new, undiscovered, forbidden, lost -- the dragon slayers had found and gained access to it all -- and were learning more, they still couldn't find out just who 'E.D.' was.

'Useless,' the pink haired dragon slayer reprimanded himself. 'Even if you can't find it now, one day you will. If you don't try, that one day will never come. If you try, you at least have a chance. Stop sitting around.'

As he finished mentally scolding himself and came out of his reverie, he realized that he was alone at the table. Or was about to be.

The agonized gazes of the five sitting at the table all were lingering on a single board. One that they had made together, oh so long ago.

Displayed proudly on the Wall of Memories, the bulletin board containing Fairy Tail's most important -- or what he members deemed most important -- memories was shining the all it's wooden glory. The multitude of happy photos on there seemed almost mock them, as it it were saying, 'This is the happiness you ruined.' or 'This is the future you destroyed.'

Despite the guilt churning in his stomach, Natsu stood up and briskly walked over, keen to inspect what was left of Lucy.

Her smile, her joy, her laughter -- all those were present in the pictures displayed. Her expressions were full of mirth, and bore no resemblance to reality.

Frowning, he clenched his fists as the reason of that reality came and punched him in the face.

'I'm the reason. The reason her smile's gone, the reason her presence is no longer among us, the reason she no longer has a future.'

As the pink haired dragon slayer turned away from the board, he found himself face to face with four others. Nodding with silent consent, they all teleported to the cathedral, where Lucy, Levy, Mira, Kagura, and Yukino were buried. Where their caskets were placed, actually.

--

After a heartbreaking moment at the graves, Natsu dragged four sobbing dragon slayers back their guild hall. It was situated not far from the Fairy Tail guild hall, and it was similar... like an elephant is similar to a mouse.

It wasn't that Natsu wasn't just as hurt, just as in pain, grieving just as much, and wanting revenge just as much as his brothers. He too, wanted to break down and cry like a baby, to vent all his frustrations through a heartfelt rant, to have someone hold on to him and soothing tell him it's okay and this horrifying reality was just a terrible nightmare.

But there wasn't anyone stronger, so Natsu had to be the strong one. Crying could come later, when his brothers had recovered and he could let it all out. For now, he had to hold on and stay strong.

Just like Lucy.