Song: Nothingness
By: Nights Amore

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Erza

"I admit defeat. You win." Sting was on his knees looking down. It was nighttime as the stars shined brightly with the moon being the brightest energy above us. Sting was our last opponent to defeat, and Fairy Tail stood together as one. Sting forfeited, giving my guild the perfect win. "Ladies and gentlemen, Ka-boo," I grinned as I looked up the sky. "We did it minna." I confided when Gray gave a high-five to the Iron Dragon Slayer. "we have our winners! Fairy Tail has made their way to the top and won The Grand Magic Games!" My guildmates cheered as the crowd of Crocus echoed the atmosphere with their merriments also. Fairy Tail pulled through, and we're back on top.

"Lucy, you would be so happy right now." I said when Juvia pulled me into a hug. "We did it Titania!" Juvia exclaimed soon going to Gray and pull him into a hug. I again smiled before closing my eyes. "That we did." I said knowing she couldn't hear me but still felt undefinable joy. 'I hope you can see us, Jellal. You would be so proud of us.' My eyes went to Sting that still hung his head in defeat. I moved my legs over to him and kneeled to his side. "Sting?"

"Can't you leave me alone?! You've already won so leave me be!" Sting's jaw clenched in anger when I hummed to reply. "I could do that," I began looking up to the Mermaid Heel guildmate holding a sleeping Exceed in her arms. "but who would tell you that your Exceed is back?" Sting's head snapped up, to see his little Exceed waking up. "Lector?" Sting whispered, tears deliberately trailing down his face. "Sting!" Lector cried jumping out of the arms he slept in and ran to Sting. Sting, nearly falling over, sprinted to the Exceed he dearly missed. "Lector! You're back!" The Dragon Slayer slid on his knees and pulled the Exceed in his arms. With Sting and Lector reunited, I went back to my teammates. "Let's get back to the guild." I said watching my nakamas follow alongside me to get back to the remainder of our family. Hopefully, Natsu and the others have returned with one of our own.

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~Lucy~

"Are we lost? I think we somehow lost our way to leave a freaking castle." Happy said flying with Carla and Patherlily as we trudged through a long, never-ending hallway. My hand still held Future Natsu's when he shook his head. "No. This is the way. I'm sure of it."

"Being 'sure of it' doesn't cut it Future Me." My Natsu walked beside me, but he seemed distant because of my attention on the Future Natsu. After this is over I will definitely have to apologize to Natsu for not being a good girlfriend. We kept pace, but the hallways never seemed to have an end to it. I glanced at Future Natsu observing his focus intently in front of him. I was about to speak again, but he suddenly halted. "What is it Natsu?" I asked when he rubbed his head. "Something isn't right. The Executioners should have been here by now." My heart dropped from his reply. "The Executioners?! Wait what're you talking about Natsu?"

"The Executioners should be here-" An explosion echoed the hallway when debris hit all of us. By instinct I unveiled my wings and turned around to cover everyone so the remaining debris wouldn't land on anyone else. "I spoke to soon." Future Natsu grunted wiping the dust out of his eyes. There, where the wall was busted through, stood the Executioners. "You've gotta be kidding me!" Happy cried out. "We're not finished yet." The masked man muttered pulling his scythes out from behind his back. I took a step forward calling my Goddess Sword before me. "All of you go on ahead! I'll keep the Executioners busy." I felt a familiar calloused hand reach my wrist. "No Lucy!" My Natsu asserted pulling me to his side. "I won't allow you to do this! Not when I just got you back, am I willing to take the risk of losing you again!" I felt Natsu's chest against my wings and back when he took the Goddess Sword from my hands."We do this together, as a team!"

"Natsu..." I said when the rest of my nakamas followed suit. "You have to remember Lucy, you aren't alone. You will always have Fairy Tail to turn to for help. So don't turn away from us... please Lucy." MiraJane whispered standing beside me. Gwen took my hand and gripped tightly. "You will also have me and Solantir, Cub. You will never be alone even through the darkest times. I'll always be with you." I returned my acknowledgement by giving Gwen's hand a quick squeeze. Lastly, Future Natsu stepped forward. "I lost you once Lucy. I don't plan on losing you again."

"How touching," The flower girl sarcastically spat. "to bad we're going to have to rip your heads off before you step foot out of this castle." My wings vanished as I turned around to face them once again. "Together?" I whispered locking eyes on my enemies. "Together." My Family, my Light replied at the same time. The masked Executioner scoffed. "Kill every last one of them!" He decreed, sending his fiends after us.

I took a step forward, ready to battle for my family until my blood became cold. A dark, deadly force appeared behind the Executioners. The shadows grew to life and shot down to the floor, right under the Executioner's feet. "Wait!" I put my arms out stopping my teammates from running into the shadowed trap. "W-What is the meaning of this!?" The bald man shouted as they were being devoured by the shades. "What the hell!" Gwen exclaimed as we witnessed the Executioners were now being pulled into the floor. Their cries and screams echoed the hallways, until they no longer existed. The Executioners were gone when the shadows withdrew back to where they belonged. My heart quickened in my chest when my head began to hurt. "No, no, no..." I muttered holding myself until my knees gave out. "Lucy!" Both Natsu's screamed running to my aid.

Footsteps were heard moving towards us. I glanced up, and what seemed to be a living shadow came out from the darkness before us strolled closer. "Well, well." The Shadow spoke reaching ever so closer. Natsu put the sword in front of us. "And who the hell are you?" His voice asked with poison dripping from his tone. The Shadow stopped, soon melting off the stranger until he revealed himself. "Now that isn't nice to say Natsu." The unknown man looked so...unrealistic. Black hair in a ponytail, with white hair covering one side of his face. He wore robes that I have never seen before in my life, it looked to be from another time. The man snickered, showing fangs for teeth.

Dragon Slayer.

"I've been trying to find you all. Because I too am from the future." Future Natsu became tense. "What?" He whispered looking down. "How is that possible?"

"You have no need to worry. I only seek to save the present. I have endured through the seven years of EarthLand becoming a wasteland. The Dragons truly eradicated our Realm." I glared at the stranger when I noticed what he said. He just said the Dragons destroyed EarthLand, but Future Natsu said a white light was the cause. This person just lied to us... "If you're here to save the present, then why are you here with us? Shouldn't you go talk to Princess Hisui?" The She-Demon asked crossing her arms. The man sighed. "I have already spoken to her. The Princess has heeded my orders and will open the Gate as we speak. You have been lost in this castle quite some time."

"We've been lost this entire time?! Dammit! What the hell is wrong with me!" The man again snickered from my words. "Lucy Heartfilia, you are not so bright and quick-thinking when pressured. You are not a promising leader from what I can see." I put my arm out to stop my Natsu from taking a step forward. My eyes glared into the evil mage. "Alright, I may not know my way, but I sure can put up a fight if you keep pushing my buttons." I needed to remember to control, I don't want to fall into the Balanced Form like the last time I lost my control. "Oh, I didn't come here to fight, Lucy Heartfilia." The man said uncrossing his arms from his chest. "I have only come here to take care of something I should have finished." I looked closer to his eyes, the eyes of someone I have met before. But who is he? "Who are you?"

The man smiled maliciously. "I'm Rogue. Ring a bell?" Now that he said his name, he does resemble the present Rouge, but this one was far darker, far eviler. The present Rogue wasn't even a bad guy, so what changed him? Rogue clenched his jaw. "I came back from the future, a future which you destroyed Lucy Heartfilia!" Future Natsu tched. "That's not true! Lucy would never do that to any of us!" Future Natsu screamed as he heaved in anger.

"Dear Natsu, she did destroy our future. That creature is the cause of our suffering Natsu! Your BEAST killed everyone I loved! She took my guild, my brother, and my Exceed from me!" I backed away, my heart hammering against my chest. 'No...No, I would never. Why is he blaming me?! Natsu only heard me scream! That doesn't mean I was the one that caused the light to consume EarthLand!' I held my head when I felt Gwen beside me. "Lucy!" She warned holding my head. "Look at me!" She ordered as she shook me to look into her eyes. "Don't listen to him! This villain is lying to make you collapse, you didn't cause the destruction, you're a good person Lucy!"

"She is a LIAR!" Rogue put his hand up. "That monster doesn't even deserve to breathe, I should have killed her while she was still weak. I should have just broken her neck when I had the chance!" A memory suddenly crashed into my mind when I discovered what he meant. There really was someone that tried to kill me in my sleep. A man told me before I even inferred what he meant said I was the downfall of this Realm. "No! No, I'm not evil! I'm not a monster!" I cried putting my hands up to my head. My knees were turning into jelly, but I couldn't do anything. I was frozen, and not a single part of me had the ability to even move. Rouge clenched his teeth. "I have had enough of this! Your fate has been decided Heartfilia!"

Shadows flew down and snatched my comrades away from me. They were thrown into the wall until they became attached to the shadows that held them. My comrades screamed, and roared with anger. "Let me go dammit! I'll kill you if you even think of touching her!" My Natsu barked as he fought violently against the shadows. I moved my head to face my comrades. "N-Natsu..." I cried for, but I was completely alone. In a hallway with my friends, my love, I have never felt more alone. "NOW," Rouge shouted bringing me to turn and see his arm out in front of him. "TIME TO GO TO HELL, DEMON!" A black makeshift dagger flew out of Rogue's hand, moving fast in my direction.

"LUCY!!!" My Natsu cried out, somehow breaking free of the shadows, and moved as fast as he could to stop the blow. Natsu reached his hand out to stop the dagger, but he was too late. His fingers caressed the shadowy trail the blade left when he turned to my direction. I could look into Natsu's eyes. His gorgeous onyx eyes that could scare my dark thoughts away. I hated to see his eyes filled with fear. If Natsu was scared, then because it was my fault. Tears welled in my eyes from Natsu's expression. He looked to be in distress, guilt, grief, and desperate at the moment.

I started to shut my eyes. If this would be my resting place, then I at least didn't want to watch Natsu's reaction. I was terrified to even see my Natsu cry. When Natsu cries, it made me want to cry. I don't want to weep, not when I'm about to die...

Before my lids closed, a shadow of a cloak entered my field of vision, and then I heard the dagger. The blade dug into the flesh of my savior when I listened to the cry of anguish.

No...

No please don't let it be...

My eyes were open again. There, in front of me, was Natsu. But not my Natsu, it was Natsu from the future. Future Natsu gazed into my eyes and soon fell to the ground with a thud. His collapse rang the hallways and engulfed it with death. Nothing, that was all I could hear. And then, my screams filled the void of silence.

"NATSU~~~!!!"

I fell to my knees bracing him to lie in my arms. His blood was already on my hands, my arms. No, it can't be, the premonition can't come true again! "Please! Please don't leave me!" My Goddess and Dark One voice begged as I put my head on his chest. He was barely breathing, he was losing time. "L-Lucy.." he called putting his hand on my head. I picked my head up to look at him.

Why was he smiling? Why were his eyes almost grey?

"Someone, please save him!" I begged to anyone. I was begging Wendy, Porlyusica, even to the Gods that hated me. I couldn't lose Natsu. I don't care if he came from the future, he was still Natsu! The man that I fell in love, the reason why I still have a beating heart! "You always had..." Natsu coughed, blood dripping down the side of his lips. "the most beautiful smile." I bent my head down. This was my premonition. The one that I couldn't accept living through again...and here I am reliving this nightmare. I put my forehead over his. "I am so sorry! Please, Natsu don't leave me here alone! Don't go without me!" It was my fault he was dying. Everything I do, everything I touch, perishes in time.

It was all...my...fault.

"Luce," Natsu croaked, his skin deathly pale. I rose my head up one last time, stopping my tears so Natsu wouldn't see them. The last thing I wished for him to see, was my tears. "thank you for everything. I love you...so much." Natsu pulled my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckle. His blood stained my skin, and he released his last breath. Natsu's hand fell from mine when it landed on his chest. His eyes rolled back and a moment later his eyelids came to a close. Natsu's head came to be heavy in my arm that kept it up. "No! Natsu no!" I cried, tears now descending from my cheeks.

"Pity, I missed." Rouge let out. I didn't bring my head up. My only attention was Natsu's deceased body in front of me. The way he still smiled even after death, and his eyes which gave me the delusion that he was only sleeping. He was beautiful, angel-like. I caressed his cold cheek, a choked sob forced me to conceal my face in his chest that will never breathe again. I didn't even know what to feel. The only emotion that I felt was pure anguish, fear, and loss. The death of this Natsu made me forget that he was even from the future. This was Natsu, my soulmate that I lost. Was there even a point to live anymore? After what Natsu has done for me, sacrificed to make me happy...the very thought of breathing without him in my life made me wail in his cloak. "Come back." I sobbed. "Come back to me!"

"Very well, the second time I won't miss." I slung my head up facing Rogue with his arm out again. I wasn't afraid this time to catch sight of the blade. The very idea that I could be reunited with Natsu made me want to open my arms and offer Rogue the opportunity to end my suffering once and for all. "He may have delayed your death by a second, but your fate has been sealed Lucy Heartfilia! Your destiny is to die by my hands!"

"LEAVE HER ALONE~~~!!!" I heard his voice. My eyes trailed to Natsu after he was bathed in flames. He punched Rogue into the wall resulting in him smashing through the wall. The hallway was proceeding to catch on fire, but Natsu didn't appear to care. I watched his skin switch into scales and eyes glinting a dark red. "I'LL BURN FATE INTO A PILE OF ASHES IF IT EVEN TRIES TO TAKE LUCY! I SWORE TO PROTECT HER!" Natsu looked back with tears trailing down his cheek.

"LUCY GET OUT OF HERE!!!"

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I have been waiting so long to write this chapter! Two days in a row! I'm on fire this week! Anyway Lovelies, I hope you liked the chapter and as always...love you all!❤️