~3 years later~
Natsu and Lisanna's fingers where intwined as they made their way to the guid.
"so natsu, why don't we go on a date tonight?" Lisanna smiled at him.
"ok, but tomorrow its the anniversary " Natsu replied.
"oh yeah..." lisanna looked away sadly.
tomorrow natsu would disappear, because tomorrow would mean exactly three years since lucy died...
silence filled the space and natsu clenched his fist (not the one in lisanna's hand, ok?)
"natsu..."
Natsu looked up at master makarov with tearing eyes.
"you have to let her go"
sobs shook natsu and he felt like a leaf about to be blown away by the slightest breeze.
"i cant" he choked on his words, and unwillingly the tears fell.
"lucy wouldn't want you to be sad, she'd want you to go on. live a happy life.." Master said wisely. "let her go"
natsu let out heaving sobs, forcefully bunching his hair in his fists, he cried out in anguish and dug his elbows into his knees.
"let go natsu..." master stayed where he stood atop the fairytail building. as natsu's sobs grew in intensity and volume master smiled gently, and patted the boys shoulder.
"good boy natsu... good boy..."
Natsu had let go....
"hey natsu!" the call from cana woke natsu from his memory and he let go of lisanna's hand as they walked over to cana. Her eyes where wide and she seemed to be in shock.
"has master told you?"
Natsu looked at her in confusion.
"what do you mean? talked to me about what?"
"so-"
"Natsu!"
the said mage turned to master who stood atop the railings of the second story.
"master?" natsu questioned him, "what is it cana's talking about?"
master was silent for a moment and the whole guild was looking around edgily.
"there's a new mission natsu, its asking for your team and a few others..."
"and?" natsu raised an eyebrow.
"its a mission that takes place in Marco City, the back allies. so you see theres been a lot of movement from the gangs and their causing trouble, a lot of it..."
"so what? we can deal with them" natsu was confused, what was so important.
"well, the commanders are mages, same with some of the foot soldiers, the leader is also a mage... but thats not the disturbing bit..." Master was silent as the suspense built until it was almost unbearable.
"the second in command is a women... a women with a child... their calling her the Golden Star"
natsu felt a pang at the mention of star and gulped nervously. "So?"
"natsu..." master looked at him, seriousness filled his stern gaze and natsu had to stop himself from flinching.
"her description fits that of lucy's"
Natsu felt his head pounding with the sound of her screaming. it reverberated in his head, filling every corner, every crevice of his being.
"Lucy!"
he sat up instantly, the sound of her screaming echoed away into darkness. he glanced around as the panic in his chest subsided.
he was at home, in his hammock and he had just woken from a nightmare.
"again?" Natsu held his head as he stood up and stumbled into the kitchen, he grabbed a glass and filled it with water. he grabbed a sleeping pill and a depressant one. the ones that levy and mira had made for him, he chucked them into the back of his mouth and swallowed them with the water.
he made his way to the bathroom and leaned over the sink, staring at himself in the mirror, he was pale and sweating heavily from his nightmare.
"i've been having this nightmare for 2 and half years now..." he looked down at his hands, "you'd think they'd be gone.."
he stopped himself from shedding a tear, but when he looked back into the mirror he saw Lucy standing behind him.
he yelped in terror and when he turned around she wasn't there, he looked back at the mirror and she was gone...
"Lucy's?" natsu was frozen and he looked down at his hands, his breaths coming in short shallow gasps. and he soon collapsed from hyperventilation.