Fairy Tail: Black Blood [Book 2/2]

Chapter Forty-Seven: Starry Nights

     Natsu

     I sat on the top of a tree besides our camp, looking up at the star spangled night skies. The night was a dark blue, almost black if not for the illuminating silver of the moon. I knew I had to sleep because we were planning on going after Acnologia tomorrow, but I just couldn't. This night sky kept me up, and I didn't know if it was because it was familiar to me or that it reminded me of that day....

     You know, today's the day I died, Mini-me said suddenly and I tilted my head.

    "Yeah, I got the feeling it was that," I mumbled.

     Natsu-nii, remember how we went to the underworld and we got to see hell and heaven?

    "It's kind of hard to forget."

     Do you think, after everything we've done, that we would even get to see our families again? I sat up at attention to that remark and narrowed my eyes at the remark.

    "What makes you say that?" I asked him and the kid sighed.

     We're about to commit murder-suicide, Natsu-nii, and not to mention that Crocus-san killed a lot of people during his time in control of this body... Even if we do get ridda Acnologia and Zeref, would we even be considered good enough to be with our families? I wanna see papa and mama again, onii-chan, too,  and I don't wanna be alone after I die....

    "It wasn't your fault, Natsu, and neither is it mine. Listen, you'll see your family again, and I'll beat the living shit out of that Hades guy if he even thinks about separating you from your parents again, ya hear?"

     But.... I'm scared.

    "... So am I," I admitted and it felt weird having an apparent one-sided conversation with myself, but I knew everyone was asleep so I didn't care at the moment. "I don't want to die. I want to see my kids grow up and call me dad some more. I want to fight with Gray and argue with Lucy, too. Go on more adventures with them all. But how am I supposed to do that when my entire life was written in stone for me?" I reached into my tunic and pulled the book of E.N.D out of my pocket. I looked at it before scrolling through the pages, my eyes briefly scanning the words. I did live a happy life. And when I finally stopped on a page that had a drawing of me, Lucy, Happy, Nashi and Taiyo on it, I began wondering what was so bad about me wanting more. "Sometimes I just wish that I could rewrite my own story, or burn this damned book so that I could live carefree about my identity."

     We'll be with you, Natsu-nii, and so will your friends. None of us are going anywhere, Mini-me said and I felt so happy in that moment. After a long, comfortable silence, I heard grunting from under me and what could be boots skittering over bark. I looked over the side and saw Lucy trying to climb up. I laughed at her and she pouted at me as I reached my hand out to her and she took hold, I began heaving her up and waited until she had balanced herself on the branch before asking, "Lucy, what are you doing up?"

    "I could ask the same thing about you, you moron," Lucy said with gentle playfulness but I pouted regardless.

    "The sky's pretty tonight," was all I could say and Lucy laughed behind her hand at me. We sat in a comfortable silence for a while, just watching the stars. I didn't notice we had entwined our fingers until she squeezed my hand.

    "Why do you always talk to yourself?" She asked suddenly and my face heat up from embarrassment.

    "You heard that?!" I yelped and she nodded. "You even do it in your sleep," She said and I groaned inwardly.