Phoenix Fire || Fairy Tail [1]

𝐱𝐱𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫

Rose's questions were answered not by words, nor actions, but the lack thereof. She froze. No words escaped her. Her arms wouldn't budge. The headache worsened into a migraine which consumed rationality. Was that why she couldn't move? She hadn't recalled this being a side effect of ethernano exhaustion...

As she searched for a resolution, Rogue spoke with her friends. For a split second, she noticed his eyes flicker in her direction, and a small smirk dance across his features.

'That piece of—'

"So... why did you come back?" Carla questioned. "Just what do you want?" Rose felt pretty glad that the logical exceed was around at that moment, despite how snarky she was. At least there was someone in this group who didn't automatically trust every stranger they came across. 'I'm beginning to wonder what these kids were taught by their parents...'

In the meanwhile, Rogue grinned. "All I want... is to use the Eclipse."

"What's that gonna do?"

"It can save us all," Rogue lied, "If we tap into its hidden power."

Rose zoned out after that, knowing that anything he said was bound to be garbage. She focused on escaping the strange spell instead; at that point it was clear that 'future Rogue' had used some kind of magic to keep her under control. He must have planned for this moment.

"So then it's really possible..." Future Lucy murmured. "We can still win."

"That sounds pretty simple. Glad we've got you on our side," Natsu smiled. Rose would have groaned if she could. Why were none of these people in the least bit suspicious? Even Carla had stopped giving her opinion on the situation. 

"Aw, yeah! Let's go kill some dragons!" Happy cheered.

Wendy spoke up hesitantly. "Does... does this mean everything is going to be okay?"

"I'm afraid not. You see, I come from seven years in the future... a time, where the world as you know it will have ceased to exist."

Ninety per cent of the human population had their lives extinguished, Rogue explained; they had died because the Gate had been closed. And the one who had closed it?

"It's you, Lucy Heartfilia!"

Time slowed as though everyone in the vicinity was trapped in syrup. An arc of darkness cut through the air, aimed for Lucy. The girl stood, eyes wide with shock. She was unable to comprehend the situation.

"Lucy!" A hoarse scream tore itself from Natsu's throat. The dragon slayer lunged forward a moment too late, fingers swiping through empty air.

Crimson arced through the air, and then time resumed.

Lucy lay crumpled on the ground like a broken ragdoll. Rose felt her mind slowly filling in the gaps; Future Lucy had taken the hit for her past self.

'Shit.'

Static buzzed in Rose's mind, and suddenly the rest of the world sounded muted. Like she had a pillow over her head.

Happy was at the fallen wizard's side in an instant, tears trickling from his eyes as he wailed, "No!"

Lucy knelt by her side, eyes darting for something to block the wound. "Just hang on!"

"I didn't do it..." Future Lucy coughed, "... I didn't do it. I didn't close the gate... I would never do that..."

"I know you didn't... I promise I won't either. No matter what." Lucy had begun to cry, and her voice broke mid-sentence. "But... why? Why didn't you protect yourself?!"

Future Lucy said something more, but Rose couldn't hear the words which came from her lips.

Ba-dump.

What was that?

Ba-dump.

Her heart?

Ba-dump.

Lucy went limp, and her hand fell weakly to the floor. This... this was all just another nightmare, right?

Ba-dump.

Lucy... Lucy wasn't really dead, was she?

Ba-dump.

When the final heartbeat rang, Rose found herself being elsewhere.

Blood coated the ground, and broken bodies littered the burning remnants of the village. Despite the desolate area, she could hear threats being whispered in her ears. The hair on the back of her neck prickled, but when she turned, there was nothing.

"You killed us."

"Stop,"

"You didn't even try to save us..."

"No... I did..."

"We were your family."

"...I know..."

"You failed us."

"I'm sorry."

"...you don't deserve redemption."

Rose's eyes fell upon the prone corpse of her friend – the friend who had just been murdered in front of her. The friend who'd been murdered, whom she'd been powerless to save. The spell unravelled in an instant.

Again.

She'd failed again.

A memory of a day not too long ago, a lazy afternoon spent laughing and training at the beach, resurfaced in Rose's mind. Lucy had been like a ray of sunshine then; for Rose it had been just weeks since then, but for the Lucy from the future... the one who'd had her friends stolen from her...

How long had it been since she'd last felt happy?

How long had she lived a life without hope?

"... you—!"

She moved without thinking, and suddenly Rose was kicking the culprit to the ground and fire was in her eyes; suddenly she was hitting him, over and over, and she wasn't pulling her punches. It was a blur to her, but she faintly recalled a grim sense of satisfaction. She only stopped when she could feel the intensity of the gazes concentrated on her back, when she remembered that her friends were watching.

Lucy... she had to be traumatised. Rose backed up slowly, and felt Natsu push past her with his fists aflame.

"Thanks," he'd gritted, anger barely contained. "I'll take care of this, so... look after her."

A sinister sensation lurked in the corner of Rose's mind, flitting about, but she quickly drowned the poisonous thoughts with a violent shake of her head. She rubbed a knuckle against her lower lip, realising that there was blood too late. A vivid smear of crimson ran across her cheek.

It wasn't her blood.

"... Lucy." Rose wiped her bloodied hand on her skirt. "Let's go."

Lucy's face was paler than a sheet of paper, but Rose managed to coax her into standing. The phoenix slayer escorted her from the hallway with a hand on her back, not sparing a glance back to the empty cloak on the ground. Future Lucy's corpse had disappeared, but Rose's anger was very much still present.

Lucy pretended not to notice that Rose's hands were shaking. 

Published: 03/12/2017

Edited: 19/08/2018