Chapter Text
A week after the war and she was still exhausted. She hadn't been doing well since she had given up Aquarius but she would manage. She always did. She walked up the stairs to her house, sending that someone was in her house. If that fire breathing idiot and his blue cat was in her house again why she would hit them so hard. Haven't they learned their lesson yet? "YOU TWO ARE IN MY ROOM AGAIN!" she yelled angrily, opening her door. What she saw was nothing but an empty room. Then a small white envelope sitting on her coffee table caught her eye and she knew that it wasn't hers. All her letters had been left in a box of drawers. She picked it up gingerly and slowly before opening it. She took the paper out and sighed, shaking her head at the terrible penmanship.
Happy and I will go on a journey while training. And we'll be back in a year or so. So take care everyone at the guild. See ya, Lucy!!
Natsu & Happy
Wha... Wha... WHAT THE HELL! She dropped the note, running out immediately. The tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to fall. Some tears even did. What were they thinking? Taking a trip like that?! If they did something something like that... If they did something... "I'D BE SO LONELY!" She cried out loud, unable to stop the tears any longer. "Stupid..."
She ran until she tripped because of her blurry eye sight, burning lungs, and sore feet. Her knees scraped against the road, bleeding slightly and causing her knees to burn almost as badly as her lungs. She sat on the road, crying. "You idiot," she yelled repeatedly. "I just lost Aquarius and now I have to lose you too?" She could feel pedestrians questioning, and pitying, eyes on her. She ignored them and continued to weep, burying her face into her arms.
Unfortunately, the next day when she went to go tell the guild about Natsu she was met with the news that Fairy Tail was disbanding. And then her entire world completely shattered into pieces. Makarov left right after the disbanding, threatening that if they even utter the name around him that they'd face severe punishment. The second to go was Bisca, Asuka, and Alzack. They had to look for more work because of Asuka.
Lucy sat at the empty crater, staring into the space where the building stood. Her knees were drawn into her and she was hugging them desperately, wanting to be hugging Natsu or Happy. She sensed someone behind her and for a fleeting second she hoped it was Natsu. Hoping that he heard that the guild disbanded and came back to make it reform. Even though in the end she knew that was wishful thinking.
"Are you okay Lucy?" The voice belonged to Cana. Surprisingly, she didn't sound drunk.
"Yeah," she said noncommittal, and with a monotonous tone. "I'm fine."
Cana sat down next to her, frowning. "Are you sure?"
The tears began once again. Lucy hated that she had done nothing but cry over the last week. If it wasn't Aquarius, it was Natsu, and now the guild being gone. Cana glanced over, expecting the tears. "I saw this something in my divination. I hoped it would be wrong."
"Fairy Tail disbanding?" Lucy's voice cracked as she asked.
"No. I didn't see that. I saw loss and heroism in your cards. What exactly did you do out there, Lucy?"
Lucy but her lip and then sighed sadly. "I saved the guild by giving up Aquarius. I broke her key and now I can never summon her again."
"The blue haired bitch you summoned during the trials?" She asked with a huff at the reminder of their fight after defeating Freed and Bixlow.
"That was her," Lucy wiped at her eyes. "I'd appreciate it you don't tell anyone about it."
"Why not?" Cana questioned.
"I just..." Lucy looked over at her. "Don't want to make a big deal about it."
"But Lucy-"
"Cana, please," she begged Cana. "I'll tell the others when the time comes."
"Alright," she gave in, shrugging. "Can you answer a question of mine?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"What do you mean by that you can't summon her anymore? Like how do you break a key?" It was a good question. Had she not done the deed herself she'd have questioned the possibility herself. Alas, she was on the wrong side of fate.
"I opened the gate of the Spirit King." She said simply. "It can only be achieved if you can open three gates of the Zodiac keys and have a high level of trust in the spirit and key owner. Everyone was practically dead. Everyone but me, and I was facing three demons and that didn't include the Master. Aquarius knew she wasn't strong enough and offered her own key as sacrifice. Now, I suppose, I can use her magic."
"You can what?" Cana asked incredulously.
"Yeah. I mean I don't know if I can still but... I can feel her magic inside me. Does that make sense?"
"No. Not one bit."
"I didn't tell you about what happened?" Lucy realized. "So just before the Spirit King left he gave me Aquarius' magic. It was to help me with the battle and it did it's job. We won."
"Do you need a drink?" Cana pulled a barrel out from behind Lucy, presumably where she set it down prior to the conversation. "That's how I feel better."
"No," Lucy shook her head. "Thank you though."
"Suit yourself," Cana said before taking a huge gulp.
The two sat there the rest of the day. Cana tried to make a jokes and Lucy would laugh at them. As soon as the sun set they nodded their farewells and went home. For the first time she was hoping that Natsu would be in her home, waiting for her as he used to. But when she got there and she turned the lights on, she found an empty apartment. She dropped her bag and walked into her room. She crawled into her sheets, took Aquarius' key loop out and cried until she fell asleep. Her life, it seemed, was torn to shreds in a matter of a week.
The next day she went back to the hole and was greeted by Cana, Mira, Juvia, Wendy, Levy and Erza. Nab was there earlier and announced he'd be going of on his own just as the Master and others, they told her. She looked at the ground and sighed. That night she did exactly what she did The previous night; cried.
Two weeks passed and it seemed that everyone was slowly leaving. Everyday at least one person was gone. Moving on is what Makarov had called it. She looked at her friends strained smiled and heard their fake laughter. She knew it was a matter of time before they decided that it was best to leave. Who wanted to stick around a guild that was no longer there and held so many miserable memories? Not many. At that moment Cana walked over, a bag slung over her shoulder, a beer bottle in her other hand, and dressed in decent clothes. Her brown hair was pulled into a tight ponytail.
"I'm going to go find my shit-for-nothing dad." Is all she said before giving the girls a quick hug and walking off. Lucy stared at her retreating figure, watching as the girl every now and then take swigs from her bottle, until she Was gone. Then, together, her and Wendy cried.
Was this really her life? To her it seemed that it was just nothing but goodbyes and despair.
Gray and Juvia didn't show up the next day or the next. Lucy assumed that they left together, not wanting to bother with goodbyes. Gray was never good at goodbye but it didn't stop the betrayal she felt from the ice mage as well.
The third week, Erza came to her house, gave her an un-Erza-like hug, and said, "take care Lucy." That night, Wendy slept over and now she had to stay strong for the both of them. She hugged the twelve year old girl tightly, murmuring soft words. She wouldn't let herself cry.
"Lucy-san," Wendy sobbed, "it feels like Caitshelter again."
"I know," Lucy said, rubbing her back. "I know."
And then the next week she shared a tearful goodbye with Levy and after that saw Wendy and Charle off.
"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Wendy asked her at the train station. They were going to Lamia Scale to be with Chelia.
Lucy had debated it but in the end it didn't feel right. Fairy Tail had been her home since she ran away seven years prior. She couldn't think of any other guild that could beat the love she has for them.
"Yeah I'm sure. Be safe, yeah?"
"I will," Wendy reassured her with a sweet smile. "Write to me, will you?"
"Of course, Wendy." She said before hugging the girl goodbye. She watched as the train leave, waving at the young girl. She was the last one standing. She looked at the crest on her hand as she stood alone, wondering how many people kept their guild mark and how many erased it. She turned and walked out of the train station, heading home. Suddenly the world seemed so much more bigger than she was and that made her feel lonely. She felt as though she was alone.
Natsu, why'd you have to leave me, was her last thought before she fell asleep, crying.