Tail Of A Fairy

34.

A/N Video is the song Lucy  by Skillet.

Natsu and Nashi stood alone by the grave. The stone was surrounded by flowers; the guild had been taking care of her. Natsu knelt down and placed a small bouquet of lilacs on the stone. Nashi wiped the gravestone free of dirt and dust. Father and son knelt together, and looked at what the gravestone read.

Lucy Heartfilia Dragneel

Beloved Mother, Wife, Guild Mate, and Friend.

We will forever remember you.

Natsu held his son close as he read the words. Lucy was gone, but a piece of her was sitting right next to him. Nashi placed a picture frame on the ground. It was the first, and last, family photo they had taken together. Lucy was sitting by a table at the guild hall, holding tiny Nashi in her arms as he looked curiously at the camera. Natsu stood behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder and the widest smile on his face. They were all happy.

Nashi looked at his mother's face. He was two years old when she died. He knew that was young, and it scared him. It seemed like everyday her face faded from his memory even more. So he looked closely at the picture, and tried to etch every detail of her face in his memory forever.

Natsu looked at the picture. There she was, in her perfect beauty. Her hair was clean, and her face was flushed. Her smile was wide, and she held Nashi with such tender care. Natsu could still feel the fragility of her shoulders. He pushed away the feeling of her limp in his arms.

"Hello, Lu-" Natsu took a breath. "Lucy."

"Hi, mom." Nashi said. He could feel the coolness of the stone grave on his hands. "Dad's finally back."

Natsu chuckled slightly. "Yeah, I took a while. You always said I wasn't a fast learner."

The two stared at the grave and the photo a little more. Each felt a pain in their heart, but for different things. Natsu could still feel her blood, though it was fading fast. Nashi watched her face in the photo, as if it was going to come alive.

"Dad's gonna teach me some of his magic. And Taurus said he can teach me yours. I- I have all your keys still. They all miss you."

"Plue visits almost every day." Natsu sighed. "Nashi can summon him easily. He can summon all the Zodiacs now."

"Heh, heh... I could always summon them. The day I turned three, I tried to summon Taurus. He did appear, but he didn't come in is full form." Nashi confessed. "You would have loved it, he looked like a kid. He was all skinny too."

"What?" Natsu cried. "You've been able to summon them all since you were three??"

Nashi grinned and shrugged under his father's stare. "I always hid it from Uncle Gray."

"Speaking of Gray," Natsu turned to the grave. "Nashi and I have moved back into the house. It's not the same without you, Luce. But Nashi still keeps your lilacs in the garden."

"Dad would kill them if he took care of them." Nashi laughed. "Gael comes over every once in a while and helps with the watering. She has complete control of her water, it never rains anymore."

Natsu stood up, and Nashi stood up with him. They took one last look at the grave, and each said their goodbyes. Natsu had something important to do at the guild. As they walked, father and son were silent. Lucy weighed heavily on their minds, but the weights on their hearts were lifted. As they began to get closer and closer to the guild, they began to joke and toy with each other.

"Better not forget, kid, that I'm still the great dragon king Natsu!"

Nashi laughed and shoulder checked his dad. "But Taurus can take you any day!"

"I doubt that!" Natsu bellowed as he kicked open the guild doors. Everyone chuckled at Natsu, he truly was back. Makarov groaned. He had replaced the hinges too many times.

Natsu took a look at his son. Almost five years old. But he was so mature. It pained Natsu's heart. Lucy didn't want him to have to grow up too fast, but Natsu had made him grow up faster than anything could. So he sighed.

"Nashi, since you're almost five," He started. "You, you can join the guild. You can get your stamp."

Nashi stared at his father. "No kidding?"

"No kidding, Nashi."

Nashi gave a quick hug to his father, then ran up to the front of the guild where Mira was. Her son sat with her behind the bar. He watched as Mira gave Nashi his guild stamp. Natsu waited patiently at the back of the guild. He saw the excitement on Nashi's face. He knew he would want to take a job as soon as he could. After all, that was what he had wanted when he first joined. Natsu waited as Nashi came running up to show him his mark.

"Dad! Look!" Nashi cried, holding his mark up proudly. "Mira gave me the Fairy Tail mark!"

Natsu stared at his son. There it was, a pink mark on the back of his right hand. His smile was so wide and his eyes were shut tight in happiness. His smile was so bright. His hand was so small. Natsu couldn't help it. He pulled his son in to a deep hug.

"That's great for you, kid." He said.

Lucy, he's just like you.

THE END