Family Reunion In A Crisis [One piece x Fairy tail]

Chapter 10: Just Dream

She saw them leaving.

"You're going to die anyway. Why should we be friends?"

"What's the use? You're going to die anyway."

Those, echoing, cold words — it hurt. It hurt! She was hurt.

She heard this before. She heard it all by her father. She was just some person who was going to die. That was probably why he distanced himself from her; not to get attached to her.

She was afraid — afraid that Natsu and the others would do the same. So, she kept it a secret.

Then, it happened. They heard her secret that she wanted to carry to her grave. Hearing those words from them, it hurt the most. Her hopes were raised again and again as she thought that, everytime she wanted to tell them, they would accept her. They wouldn't abandon her.

What happened? They said it all over again and broke her heart.

"Why?" She cried, and she couldn't hear herself due to that. She looked up at her friends. "Why!?" she screamed louder.

It was no use, their backs were turned and they never looked back. They didn't give a glance.

Hopeless, she turned to the person who she knew would never leave her. "Natsu, why? I thought they would-" she said, but everything was on mute. He looked down, a shadow casted over his eyes. Maybe, through those gritted teeth, he was angry at the Fairy Tail guild for being like this.

Her knees had hit the ground pathetically — maybe leaving a graze. She tried keeping her crying to a minimum. Her throat hurt; felt like it would burn her throat if she didn't let it out. Afraid of him hearing her cries and for the sake of Natsu being beside me, she had to keep it in.

All those thoughts and the resolve she had was thrown away when she heard laughter. A sickening, dark, laugh.

She peered over her shoulder only to see Natsu laughing. Her eyes widened to the point that they shook. Frozen, she watched Natsu laugh in such an uncharacterized way. It was different.

She couldn't bring herself to move as he bent down to eye-level. His hand was placed on her head. He reached down and whispered in her ear: "I'm so glad I stayed this long; I was mad that the others left me with you. Though, it's worth it. I got to see that expression on your face. Well..."

He got up and walked off. "Bye, then." And, he left her broken. Traumatized, broken and her heart broken to pieces. Why was she so foolish to believe that she could live? Why? Why am I so foolish to believe all this?

Stupid.

Stupid!

Pathetic!

Then, she woke up.

She woke up from that horrible dream. She was sweating and breathing heavily, but she woke up — free of that nightmare! Her heartbeat was rapid, which felt like tiny pricks from needles. The feeling wasn't too far off in her condition.

She couldn't stand being in bed anymore, so she got up. Lucy went to cool herself down with an shower of cold droplets. The warmth if a shower didn't sound too satisfying at the time.

All she felt was pain. Pain that burned every fibre in her body. It was too hot. The feeling subsided after the cold shower.

The blonde wasn't in the mood, but had to go back to sleep. As she had only slept an hour and there was an hour left.

What was that feeling? It wasn't just because of that dream — it couldn't be. This symptom was new; it never happened to her mother. Is it because she didn't sleep earlier?