12AN: An Nalu prompt for nalu week: secrets. Angst based inspired by Enzo. Self edited. Not sure if it's good but here it is. I think this is my first angst oneshot. First time participating in nalu week. Yay! Sorry. I erased the chapter by an accident.
Summary:Because what is life without one another, For Natsu, that was the end of everything.
Title: Past is the Present
"No." Lucy shaked her head. Was this the truth why the Hearfilia blood continued? Lucy looked at Acnologia's silent eyes. Her hands twitched, not knowing whether to deny the claim or hug herself in pain of what he was saying.
"That's crazy!"
Acnologia just smirked, the same knowing smirk Natsu often used on her. The mischievous one where he knew something and was teasing her before telling her the truth. On Acnologia's cruel face, this was wrong.
"Really Anna? Ooops, nowadays you go by Lucy right?" the black dragon said offhandedly.
"What's with these memories?" Lucy shut her eyes off in denial, hugging herself as she shook, memories of a long time ago flashing into her head one after another.
"It's simply the truth. And you haven't really change, haven't you Anna?" Acnologia had a thoguthful frown as he crossed the distance between the two.
"Don't-"
Any protests Lucy had was done as Acnologia wrapped his arms around Lucy, tucking her under his chin, his hands were just as calloused as Natsu's did, weaving his fingers through her hair way too familiarly.
Lucy's tears stopped, eyes' widening at the very familiar way she was being comforted. The warmth, was it hers that felt the same or the one she and Natsu shared many times? Acnologia waited for a bit of time, waited for Lucy to stop her tears and get her act together. As soon as she did, Acnologia took hold of Lucy's chin so the two could look at one another.
A watery smile filled Lucy's face.
"How is this even possible?" Lucy couldn't help but ask.
"Fate is sick." was his simple answer.
Lucy gave a sigh at his response. "Fate? Huh?"
Confusion marred Acnologia's face for a second. "What about it?"
Lucy pushed Acnologia away. "That's why you gave up?" Lucy asked, sadness marred her face. Lucy knew that the sadness she felt, it was something Acnologia knew because he knew Anna. He knew that the sadness Lucy felt was for Anna's as well as for him.
Though Lucy shared Anna's memories and face, the celestial mage knew something Acnologia didn't.
"I didn't give up. I just understood what needed to be done." Acnologia said with a frown.
Lucy's eyes flared and shined with a knowledge she knew the black dragon wouldn't like. The next words wouldn't bode well for him. Or for her.
"It was unfortunate. And sad. Anna didn't deserve what happened. Neither did you. But this Acky, this Acky, will not solve-" Lucy never finished her sentence as a tight hand wrapped itself to her neck, preventing any words to come out.
For the first time, a wild rage that was unseen showed itself.
"Do not call me by that name!"
Lucy tried to raise her arms feebly, her helpless self trying to claw at him. "It's not…same… Anna… and I…you, it's different!" Lucy gasped.
Acnologia laughed. "Saying all those things. You still haven't changed at all Anna. Still same old Anna. Looking at me with those same fiery sparkling eyes. Still believing in people no matter the lies that you were fed with" He shook his head at her words.
"No…It's not…late…Not Anna, …I'm Lucy…be…lieve in..Nat…su" Lucy struggled to say, hoped marked her eyes. even as the world was turning blurry for her.
"That dragon's kid, END?" Acnologia scoffed. "He's the last thing you would ever hope for. He's the biggest contraction ever. Even more darker and will eventually be more twisted than me. But Lucy, I'll at least ease you of your suffering, just so you don't go through with what Anna experienced."
"Natsu…?" Brown eyes gazed at nothing in particular, her body stilled as Acnologia tore through her stomach.
And this was the sight Natsu came to.
Lucy was bleeding.
A soft thud was all he heard as the girl most precious to him lay on the ground, seem to look at nothing.
Everything was just a blur to Natsu. Everything was supposed to be okay. He had trained so hard to make sure that the guild was safe, to make sure Lucy would be safe. Natsu didn't want to see that ever again. Future Lucy's tearful face as she fell to Lucy's arms without her right arm. Igneel in front of him but unable to do anything. He swore to do everything to make sure that won't happen. She was everything to him. The only thing that mattered was to see her smiling again. He wanted to see Lucy's starry eyes, her shining gold hair, laughing and happy.
The world seem to think differently. Maybe it hated the good things. He didn't care who or what was happening. Lucy needed him. Natsu ran to Lucy's side. All that mattered was Lucy.
Natsu put Lucy to his arms, hoping that this was just a nightmare. "Natsu… everything will be…okay."
"Shhh, No. Lucy. You're not going to die! Don't talk okay? Wendy can fix you!" he said as softly, hands trembling. His body knew how too late it was to save her. Once again, he was late. Too late for everything. Too late to save the person he loved the most. Too late to save the person who mattered the most.
Lucy simply smiled, the lovely brown eyes that sparkled endlessly were now dull.
"Lucy?"
"Lucy?" despite what facts told hims, even as the thud of her heart faded, Natsu hoped that some twist of fate would save Lucy. Tears fell down his cheeks, some landing on Lucy's cheeks.
Then next thing he felt was a strong kick that seem to take all the air out of his lungs. "There are strangely, still, seven dragon slayers left."
Natsu raised his head to see the person who killed his Lucy.
In front of him was a man with wild silver hair, tattoos marking all over his body. He didn't know the man but his scent was one Natsu recognized. It was the scent Natsu couldn't forget. It was a scent darker than Zeref's. It was a scent that emanated death. It was the same scent that ended Igneel's life. This bastard ended Lucy's.
The man looked at him with cold eyes. "I thought one of them died. I guess I'll continue with you."
"So you're the one who killed Lucy?!" Natsu growled to which Acnologia seemed a bit happy.
"I just save your Lucy pain that she never had to experience again." His cryptic words just made Natsu angrier. It didn't matter what Acnologia said. Lucy was dead. Nothing would bring her back. His clenched his fists not noticing the odd darkness covering him. The usual vibrant red was turning a strange dark shade of red, odd black mixing with his flames. Two horns sprouted. A dark red tail tore through the back of his pants. His back aches as wings grew out on his back. His schlera turned black. These changes didn't matter to Natsu. He didn't feel anything but anger and hatred. Maybe Zeref was right. Nothing in this world mattered. Nothing mattered if Lucy was gone. He was never going to hear her voice again. He was never going to see those golden hair shine like the sun again. Natsu will just destroy everything. For the first time, he felt immensely strong. Like he could overpower everything. There was nothing he could not do. It was too bad this power didn't come earlier when he needed it the most. It just goes to show how worthless everything was. This world took Igneel from him. It made countless people cry. It made Lucy suffer so much. He decided then that he will give back all the pain back. It didn't matter who. Whether it was this bastard or Zeref, it didn't matter. Natsu knew another guy would eventually come and cause a problem bigger problem.
Natsu's irises became sharper. It was full of rage to which Acnologia had a twisted smirk on. He flexed his arms, Lucy's blood on them which made Natsu see red.
Everything was a blur. His mind was black. There was nothing. He threw punch after punch. He gave whatever hell he could. Pain was nonexistent. Whatever punch, or kick Acnologia sent him, it didn't hurt. Nothing was worse than the pain of Lucy being gone. He was faster, stronger. His body was more durable. Strength didn't matter. What mattered was he ends everything. They exchanged blow after blow, not caring what they destroyed: forests, lakes, and people's screams of terror went ignored.
Acnologia was nothing compared to him.
"Why are you smiling?" Natsu growls angrily. Both were badly injured. Burns, blood, bruises and cuts all over their body.
"Why?" Acnologia stated as he gave a belowed.
"In the end you proved to Lucy how wrong she was. And I was right all along." Acnologia rasps.
Natsu steps on Acnologia's abdomen. The black dragon coughs as Natsu watches as the black dragon struggle to breath.
"Now, you'll be me! If…your Lucy was alive…, she's going to do everything to stop you, just like Anna did. Now that you've done the deed by having me on death's door, bathed in my blood that killed thousands of dragons, you're something like me but worse. You're beyond a monster, beyond saving. Lucy won't be able to do anything for you Who knows? What if Lucy was alive?"
"What are you talking about!?" Lucy was dead. Life was gone, taken by this dragon's hands.
"You don't know much about her as much as you do. You're forgetting she's a Heartfilia." Acnologia smirks weakly.
Feeling a rage at this, Natsu stabs his hand through the dragon's chest. Acnologia's eyes are the same as always, that tint that Natsu didn't like, like he knew something that the fire dragon slayer didn't. If Lucy was here, she would have known what to say. And that talk of her alive?! Natsu roars in anger. Tears fall his eyes and a loud wailing roar echoes through the sky. She was gone. Lucy was never coming back and all that was left was destruction and a monster.
An unsalvageable monster.
In the distance, a strange golden glow emanated. A golden haired woman sits up, her hands on her flat abdomen that exists. A sad smile forms on her lips and her fists clenches in pain. The sky now had a red hue as if it foretold a tradegy like no other.
"Natsu, I accept this." she whispered to the wind.
She struggles to stand and her hand fingers her keys lightly. Her celestial magic had saved her. Her luck always had rotten timing. She whispers an apology on what she's planning to do, brown eyes turning at the red sky. Her other hand clenches by her chest. Her eyes closes in despair on what's going to happen. Was this what Anna felt when she was at the point that Acnologia had to be stopped?
No matter what happened, Lucy decided a long time ago that Natsu was her future, remembering Natsu's face when he was suffering from tumor. If this was his decision, she will follow through even if it meant destruction for the both of them.
"After all, Natsu, it's always fun if we're together right?"
Fin