Stella Histoire

Aftershock

Lucy

Even in the days of my childhood, the rain had never felt so cold. Icy droplets hit my skin and shattered. Like I wished I could. Like I should have. The outfit that lent me Aquarius' powers was gone, Aquarius was gone, and my friends were gone.

In the shadows of my mind, I could see them. To my left, a red headed woman clad in armor. Her warm brown eyes sparkled as she saw the the skies that always reminded her of the man she loved. A man who would never see her again. Never hold her again. Never meet the child she had been bearing.

To my right, a boy with salmon pink hair and  a thousand watt smile. A boy who'd wanted to see his father again. Now he would never reunite with the dragon who'd raised him. Never surpass Erza and Laxus. Never make S Class. Never know how deeply I had loved him.

At my feet stood a blue cat, one who'd just wanted everyone to be happy. Who'd brought so much joy. Now he'd forever be beyond our reach in the world of the living. Forever with Carla and Pantherlily. Forever with Natsu. Forever happy.

When I blinked, they were gone. A hand was placed on my shoulder. Looking back, a man with dark blue hair stood. Rain dripped from his hair, and salt water streamed silently from his eyes. He had lost them too. He would never see them again either.

"I gathered the survivors. They're just waiting for us." His voice was quiet, a sadness weighing him down that I could almost see. It was visible in his posture, audible in his voice. It was so heavy, I could feel it in the air around us.

Nodding, I followed him silently. A few scattered figures waited, I counted nine. With me and Gray, that made eleven. Eleven mages left. The only mages left of Fairy Tail. But without everyone else, how could we be Fairy Tail anymore?

Clearing my throat, everyone brought their eyes to my form, and I realized I was right. We weren't Fairy Tail anymore. But what did that make us? I wasn't sure. But the least I could do was assure them that they weren't alone in their grief.

"Everyone, I'll be as brief as I can . . . we took a heavy blow. We managed to save Fiore from Tartaros. But in saving everyone else, we lost our own. Our friends, our loved ones, our family. And while I understand that it hurts, I have one thing to say."

Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for what I was about to say. For what it would mean. My days as Lucy of Fairy Tail were over. I didn't know who that made me, but I needed to find out.

"Do not. Die. With them. I know that it's painful. Believe me, I do. I lost my family too. But I refuse to lose myself in this grief that's trying to bury me. Because I know that if I do that, I'll just waste away and be gone soon. And I know that's not what they would want for me. For any of us. We're all that's left. And we're not Fairy Tail without everyone else, but we can still carry it with us in our hearts . . . so I'm going to move on. But I will never forget. Not the people, or the memories, or the love that was here. Fairy Tail will always be my home, but I'm a celestial mage. One with the stars. So this must join the history of the stars, and I have to continue to light the way . . . What will you choose to do?"

For a moment, there was silence. And then, a broken sob. The sound tore me apart inside. Even more than I already had been. A girl came running, and she collided with me. I smoothed her hair down, eyes filling with tears. I thought I'd shed them all. But there were more for Wendy. For the grief of a young girl, just barely thirteen, who had lost two families.

"Lucy I'm sorry! I kn-know that they wouldn't want us to be sad! But it hurts so much and I- I don't know how to deal with this . . . You're right. We have to keep moving! But you have to show me Lucy! You have to show me where to go from here! You can't leave me!"