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classysassy9791 · 1 year

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“When you’re ready.” - artwork by me (do not repost)

When a job goes terribly wrong, the Fairy Tail guild is left to pick up the pieces. Mourning the deaths of their guildmates, Lucy can't seem to find the strength to move forward. But she comes to realize one person understands. His madness was her mercy, and she finally began to hope that maybe he could make her heart beat again.

Fandom: Fairy Tail Genre: Adventure/Tragedy Warning: Character Death(s)

Ch. 1 l Ch. 2 l Ch. 3 l Ch. 4 l Ch. 5 l Ch. 6

Chapter 7 Word Count: 5400 Can also be found on AO3 and FFN @ft-reboost

“Levy?” Cana shook her head, her glassy eyes turning back to the barrel she had been clutching since she strolled into the guild just after dawn. “I haven’t seen her all day. I didn’t see her come back to Fairy Hills last night either.”

Gajeel leaned against the bar, steely eyes peering over the expanse of the guildhall. Only a week had passed since the news of Titania and Salamander’s deaths, along with that silly blue cat of his. Things were far from normal at the Fairy Tail guild, but slowly people were beginning to show up for meal times and try to make conversation.

Some people, like Gray and Lucy, hadn’t been seen since the funeral. Gajeel hadn’t been too concerned about them - they had lost their teammates after all - but Levy had always been present. So, it bothered him that she had suddenly disappeared.

Cana shrugged. “She’s been reading books pretty avidly lately, more so than usual anyways. Maybe check out the library?”

Gajeel grumbled a ‘thanks' before pushing off the bar and finding his way to the Fairy Tail library housed beneath the guild. He had never stepped foot inside the book repository. He never had a need to. So it took him a while to search through the maze of shelves.

He found Levy near the back of the library sitting on the floor with a dozen books spread around her. She sat with her knees tucked beneath her, wind-reader glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, and hair pulled back by a headband. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but with Gajeel’s sharpened sight, he could see the bags forming under her eyes. She wasn’t destroyed, but she was getting there.

“Hey, Shrimp,” he called out to grab her attention.

Her brown eyes continued to quickly shift over the words on the page, completely zoned in on whatever had captured her attention.

He crouched down, leaning his arms against his thighs. “Levy.”

She startled, shooting her tired gaze to his. When she realized who he was, she relaxed, a breath of relief passing her lips. “Gajeel. What are you doing down here?”

“Came lookin’ for ya. Cana said she didn’t see you come home last night.”

“Yeah, I was out late and I left pretty early this morning. Wanted to get some reading done.” She marked the page in her book and slipped off her glasses, rubbing her thumb and forefinger over tired eyes. Wisps of stray blue hair framed her face as she smiled up at him.

He watched her carefully, taking note of how lifeless her peppy personality had become. “Your smile isn’t as bright as it used to be,” he off-handedly commented.

Pink dusted her cheeks. “O-Oh, is it now?” She chuckled nervously before shrugging and tilting her head. “Just give me a little while to be said. Someday soon, I promise to come back brighter than ever!” She pumped her fist in the air to emphasize her words.

Nothing could ever scare Gajeel more than the look in her eyes right then - that false bravado, the courageous face she was putting on. But her eyes told it all. Levy was slowly dying inside from the grief, and it terrified him.

The iron-dragon slayer cleared his throat, glancing over the mountain of books she had surrounded herself with. Majority of them were in languages he couldn’t name, but the ones he could make out had the words ‘demons’ and ‘purgatory’ in them. “Uh, what’re you reading about?”

“Well,” she started sheepishly, poking her index fingers together and peering up at him with a hesitant expression - almost like a child waiting to be scolded. He raised a brow, prompting her to continue. “I, uh, I’m researching the demons that attacked Team Natsu.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You serious? Those demons are long gone.” He scoffed and stood up. “Whoever did this will still be out there after we get our feet back under us.”

Pursing her lips, Levy climbed to her feet beside him and shook her head. “I know that,” she murmured, clasping her hands in front of her and looking up at him with determination. “But if I stopped, if I gave up for now, I wouldn’t have anything left driving me forward and grief would consume me.” She released a shuddering breath, her eyes misty as she glanced away. “I-I can’t fix anyone’s pain. I can’t bring Natsu, Erza, or Happy back. I can’t piece together whatever happiness we have left. But this…” She turned and gestured to the towers of books. “Finding the people who did this, no matter how small of a chance - this is something I can do.”

He studied her closely. For as long as Gajeel had known her, Levy had never given up. Not when she fought to forgive him after he brutally attacked her. Not during the battle of Fairy Tail when she rewrote Freed’s spell and released him and Natsu to take on Laxus. Not when they battled Grimroire Heart on Tenrou. Not even during the battle of the dragons as she pushed all the townsfolk to safety. She had always been front and center, doing everything in her power to ensure victory, no matter the cost.

So, as he stared at her, petite yet fierce, he knew no matter what he said, she wasn’t going to let this one go. And part of him didn’t want to. Because the demons who had killed their guildmates were going to pay.

“Tartaros.”

Her brown eyes widened. “Wh-What?”

“It was Tartaros.” Gajeel had overhead Makarov that day in the guildhall, picked up easily with his sensitive hearing. Sleuthing was one of his strong suits. It’s why he was able to play a double-agent so well. However, Makarov’s caution regarding Tartaros was justified, and he wasn’t yet sure if he should question that decision. Makarov wasn’t exactly a man to doubt when it came to his motives. The other dragon slayers hadn’t been nearby, so Gajeel was sure he was the only one who knew.

Levy swallowed thickly, her surprise quickly snuffed out with new resolve. “I-I had a feeling they may have been involved. They’re the only dark guild left that could’ve done something like this. Just hadn’t found proof yet,” she murmured, her eyes sweeping over her research. “Not sure how the demons tie into them though.”

Gajeel smirked. Levy’s actions over the past couple of days and the books piled on the floor at their feet were evidence that she had figured it out. Of course she did. “Well, what did you find?”

They shared a look, one filled with unwavering conviction. The unknown of what laid ahead terrified them - the notion of going up against a dark guild known only as the Gates to the Underworld. But their pain and grief triumphed over everything. Their vengeance would remain strong and true until the bitter end, whenever that would come.

For now, Levy smiled and sat down on the floor again to share what she had learned. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

After another unsettling night in the guildhall - quiet grieving masked by alcohol - Mirajane and Lisanna worked to clean up the aftermath. It had dawned on the elder Strauss sibling that they would run out of booze soon. They hadn’t yet recovered from their most recent celebration after Crocus, which had only been a week ago, but it felt as if a lifetime had passed since then.

Had it only been seven days? Seven days since the end of the Grand Magic Games, the dragon attack, and the parties that followed. Natsu had stolen the king’s crown, an embarrassing yet hilarious end to their time in the capital. He had jubilantly shouted for them to bow down to him, causing Erza to nearly punish him on the spot for mortifying Fairy Tail. Everyone had laughed, including the king and Hisui, the terrifying battle with mythical creatures now behind them. They had been victorious. And now-

A jarring crash stole Mirajane’s attention, the echoes of broken glass filling the empty guildhall. She quickly looked over to see that her younger sister had dropped a plate, causing it to shatter on the floor. “Oh, Lisanna! Are you all right? Here, let me help.”

She knelt down with a towel beside her, attempting to clean up the mess, but as they began picking up the broken pieces, Lisanna cut herself on a shard of glass. “Ouch,” she murmured while recoiling, wincing as a drop of blood appeared on her finger.

“You have to be careful,” Mirajane gently chastised, wrapping her towel around Lisanna’s injury.

Lisanna sighed, averting her gaze. She bit her lower lip until it was almost raw, the sisters remaining quiet as Mirajane put pressure on her finger to stop the blood flow. A few moments passed before Lisanna finally spoke up. “Is there something wrong with me?”

Mirajane was pulled from her thoughts and looked at the younger take-over mage. Ever since her youth, Lisanna had always had this upbeat and positive attitude. It was infectious and often kept Mirajane’s own worries at bay. But now, looking at the deep sadness that reflected in her eyes, Mirajane realized even the most positive people could have their world crushed.

She tilted her head and knitted her brows. “What do you mean?”

Lisanna wouldn’t meet her gaze. “I-I know Lucy is a good person. She’s beautiful, smart, and kind. But…” She paused, swallowing thickly, and curling her uninjured hand into a tight fist. “I-I’ve been jealous of her ever since I met her.”

Mirajane frowned. As far as she could tell, Lucy and Lisanna had been amicable since they met. She had seen no ire from either of them, and Lisanna had never confided in her with such feelings before. Yet, she had an inkling of where these emotions stemmed from.

“But,” Lisanna continued with guilt-ridden eyes. “She was also Natsu’s best friend. I know I shouldn’t be jealous. When I was away, Lucy came along and became a part of Natsu’s life. And part of me is happy about that, because when I was in Edolas, I had been so worried about him - about what would happen to him without me around. Yet..” She paused again, tears filling her eyes.

Shame was not an easy burden to carry. Mirajane rested a gentle hand on her sister’s shoulder. “What is it?”

Lisanna choked out a cry, hurrying to brush away the tears that fell down her cheeks. “I-I just can’t help feeling as if part of me holds Lucy responsible for Natsu and Happy’s deaths,” she confessed quietly, her sin finally out in the open. “She was there - right there - and didn’t save them! That somehow it’s all her fault that they’re gone.”

Realizing the cause of her sister’s affliction, Mirajane’s heart went out to her. “Oh, Lisanna,” she sighed.

“Is there s-something wrong with me?” she asked again, her words broken as whimpers escaped her lips.

Mirajane wrapped her hands around her sister’s, coaxing their gazes to meet. “Yes, but it’s the same thing that’s wrong with all of us. We’re looking for someone to blame - someone tangible right in front of us - because it’s easier than believing this had all been a terrible tragedy at the hands of demons we can’t find.”

Lisanna nodded her head, sniffling. “I just-” She paused, fruitlessly attempting to push away her tears. “I had so many things I wanted to tell him. I wanted to tell him how much I had missed him, and that I was proud of how strong he had become. Just so many unspoken thoughts and words, but I couldn’t say them to him. I couldn’t face him and admit to him that I was jealous, and how hurt I was when I came back and things weren’t the same. It’s because of that fear that I never got the chance to say the one that was important. I never had the chance-” *Hiccup* “To-To tell him I loved him.”

As she broke down crying, Mirajane pulled her to her chest, feeling her own eyes well up with tears. Long ago she had suspected the animal take-over mage had developed feelings for the dragon slayer. Their friendship ran deep and the two were rarely seen without the other. Even though Lisanna had her siblings, and Natsu had the rest of the rowdy bunch of young wizards, the two of them had always shared a special connection.

If she were being honest, Mirajane couldn’t remember Lisanna and Natsu actually sharing a moment alone after she returned from Edolas. The S-Class Trials began only weeks later, and they had all been swept up in the grandeur of friendly skirmishes. After their seven year stasis, they immediately began to train for the Grand Magic Games. Between being declared the victors and the battles with the dragons immediately following, it was amazing that Lisanna had adjusted as well as she did. They really hadn’t been granted the opportunity to immerse her back into their life. The sisters had shared conversations and talked late into the night on plenty of occasions, catching Lisanna up on what she had missed during her time away, but that didn’t account for the memories and emotional attachments she had missed.

Mirajane felt the weight of the world on her shoulders and the weight of Lisanna’s grief in her arms as she contemplated her sister’s predicament. “I know it’s difficult to keep going,” Mirajane soothed quietly, running a hand through her hair. “But just know that you have to.”

“How?” Lisanna cried out, her emotional vexation reminding Mirajane so much of her own when a certain red-head had come to her aid. “How can I, when I feel so bitter, as if I have no direction anymore?”

Mirajane smiled sadly. “I remember that feeling. You’re caught between all that was and all that must be. You feel lost.” She pulled away to look down at her sister, wiping away her tears. “But remember, things will weigh you down, but only if you let them. I get it. It’s hard to pretend that a boulder is a feather. It’s hard to pretend that something difficult is easy. So, just do what I’ve done for years. I just pretend that I’m strong, until I am.”

Lisanna sniffled, her sobs finally beginning to quiet.

The elder take-over mage sighed, memories turning back to when she thought Lisanna had died, and the guilt that nearly killed Elfman. “You may feel bitter toward Lucy, and angry over Natsu. But the truth is,” she said, gently resting her forehead against her sister’s. “Unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself for those feelings, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize the situation is over - you can’t move forward.”

Levy knocked on a familiar door she had walked through many times before. She played with a strand of her hair, brown eyes drawn to the floor boards beneath her feet. It had become her daily ritual when taking a break from the library to walk to the apartment complex not far from the guild hall, her heart aching for a smiling, blonde, celestial wizard to welcome her in. But that moment had yet to come. Not the day after the funeral, or the week that followed. Lucy Heartfilia had become a ghost, locking herself within the same four walls and refusing to see anyone.

The solid-script mage exhaled deeply, feeling terribly helpless during this time of grieving. Her research hadn’t turned up anything worthwhile at the Fairy Tail library, so in between musing over other means of gathering information, she filled her days of attempting to bring some semblance of normalcy back to the guild. She read books in the hall and tried to greet everyone with a cheerful smile. The awkward responses she received indicated she was trying too hard, but she didn’t know what else to do. They needed someone to spur them into action, a speech of hope and faith to give them the final push toward defeating their current adversary.

However, Makarov had said nothing on the subject, instead locking himself within his office for days on end, allowing only Mirajane and Laxus to speak with him on occasion. Levy didn’t know what the master was planning, but she had a sneaking suspicion he was doing his own digging into Tartaros, perhaps pulling strings she herself did not possess.

“Lucy,” she called out desperately for her friend, knocking again in the hopes this time she would let her in. The deep blues of night had descended on Magnolia, snuffing out the last bit of sunlight, and causing Levy to feel that more anxious about Lucy’s well-being. “Please, I just want to talk, make sure you’re okay.” Her eyes filled with frustrated tears, hands curling into fists at her sides. “I’m worried sick, Lu. Open the door.”

The tiny script mage’s voice was stern - demanding - so different from her carefree nature only weeks before. She was tired of fighting against Lucy’s absurd way of shutting out the world. They were a family, dammit, and they needed each other. Couldn’t she see that?

She pushed her blue hair out of her face, setting one last despondent look at Lucy’s apartment door before turning to leave. Just as she began making her way out of the front door, Loke appeared in a glitter of golden light, startling her. His suit was clean-pressed as usual, but his expression twisted into one of concern.

“Levy,” he greeted languidly, slipping his hands into the pockets of his slacks.

“How is she?” Levy asked, hands wrapping around themselves in worry. “Why-Why won’t she let me in?”

“She’s okay,” he soothed, dark circles under his eyes speaking of exhaustion. He readjusted his glasses. “Don’t worry. Her spirits are looking after her. Lucy suffered a terrible loss, and she’s taking it hard.” He sighed, looking over at her door as if he could see right through it. “From what Aquarius told me, when Lucy’s mother died, she tried to do the same thing. But she was young - easily distracted by her estate’s employees and the little attention her father gave her.”

Levy shook her head dismissively. “Then why won’t she let us help her now? Why won’t she come to the guild, or let us in?”

He shrugged. “She just lost her team, and one of her best friends - the person who gave her purpose in life again. Lucy spent years under her father’s thumb until she ran away to find happiness. Natsu gave that to her. He brought her to Fairy Tail. She’s going to need time to heal.”

That wasn’t the explanation Levy wanted to hear, but she could understand what Loke was saying. And seeing as how some of Lucy’s spirits had been with her for far longer than the guild had, she supposed they understood her grieving process better than she. Even so, Loke’s words did little to soothe her concern.

“If she becomes a real concern, I’ll make sure to come find you,” Loke said as a last attempt to pacify her apprehension. “I promise.”

Levy nodded, her gaze holding his. “I’m trusting you,” she murmured, before pushing past him and out the front door.

Loke stood for a moment, rubbing tired eyes, before slipping back into Lucy’s room. Virgo was in the process of running her a warm bath. Although Lucy always loved soaking in her tub, it had been hard to convince her to do so lately.

“Here you go, Princess,” he heard Virgo say from beyond the bathroom door, assisting their mage into the tub. Shortly after, Virgo stepped out into the room, exchanging a look of unease with him.

Lucy sank down into the water, the silver-gray stream curling and dancing through the air, filling the bathroom completely. After a while, a golden light shimmered in the air, and Aquarius appeared, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at Lucy’s indifferent expression.

“Lucy,” she tried, receiving not even a notion that she had been heard. She frowned, her usual bitter attitude and short-lipped responses falling to the wayside. Pathetic didn’t even begin to describe the blonde sitting before her. She sighed. “You can’t blame yourself,” she murmured, watching her carefully. “Not for this.”

The celestial mage turned her head away, eyes staring at moisture accumulating on the tile floor. “How can I not?” she asked quietly. “I survived and they didn’t.”

Aquarius had no real answer for that. Survivor’s guilt was not something that could be overcome easily. It was like the weight of the ocean’s walls were crushing a person, uncontrolled by levis. The mermaid spirit had been around long enough to have seen many of her former key holders experience such a thing. Being a wizard was not always a joyous job to yield.

“It’s okay that you survived,” she spoke softly, looking at Lucy with a pitied gaze. “I’m even happy about it.”

That made Lucy look up at her with a raised brow.

A deep blush settled on Aquarius’s cheeks. “Look, you may be a brat, but you’re Layla’s daughter. Of course I wouldn’t want anything really bad to happen to you.”

For the first time in a long time, Lucy’s lips tugged into a half-hearted smile. “Thanks, Aquarius.” Although their relationship had always been close to volatile, the mermaid spirit spoke her care discreetly.

Aquarius folded her arms over her chest, blue eyes continuing to study Lucy. Her grief this time had upended her life much like Layla’s death had, but this time, Lucy wasn’t an easily distractible child. The celestial mage understood very well what had happened to her friends, and had witnessed the trauma first hand. It wouldn’t be something that she would be able to overcome anytime soon.

“You should talk about it,” Aquarius urged gently.

Lucy’s reaction was instantaneous. She wrapped her arms tighter around her knees and hid her face between them. Aquarius could feel the anxiety coming off the girl in waves. “I-I can’t,” Lucy’s muffled, shaky voice came from the protection of her self-made sheath.

A deep exhale slipped from her lips. With a hand more gentle than ever before, Aquarius ran her fingers through Lucy’s golden tresses before coming to rest comfortably on top. “You’ll have to eventually. When you’re ready.”

Coruscating golden light filled the room and Lucy felt Aquarius’s hand disappear along with her presence. She was left alone in a lukewarm bath. Aquarius always hated bath time. The fact that she had decided to show up now soothed Lucy’s heart.

Moments later, Virgo assisted Lucy into her pajamas and then to the couch, where Virgo set about brushing Lucy’s hair. Silence filled the apartment, Virgo being careful not to pull at Lucy’s tresses. Loke stood by the window, looking down at the street below, stealing glances behind him at his mage.

Loke had lived for a very long time. He had seen the blackest moments grief and tragedy could offer. They could bury a person alive simply by the sheer weight of it all. The darkness would swallow people whole without mercy, even bringing about death. Yet, he had also seen the other side of that coin - the light that shined brightly despite the wickedness life would bring. He witnessed euphoria and triumph, the gleeful laughter of happiness too much to contain.

More than anything, Loke wanted to show Lucy that world - the brilliant sun and the skies. Happiness lived outside of these four walls she had cocooned herself within. It existed all around - in the ice creams that melted quickly; the sandy beaches and waves that tickled ankles; in the little white shells hidden under the sand, their insides still grainy with remnants of sand and iridescence. There was happiness in the fiery red and orange hues that filled the sky when the sun bid farewell; and happiness even in the pale calm of the night with the stars that shone above, reminders of all the things that were greater than the world.

There was so much more to this life than her grief, and he only wished he could help her see past this moment.

“All finished,” Virgo said quietly as she ran her fingers through Lucy’s tresses a final time.

“Thank you.” The mage’s mumbled gratitude was more conversation than the spirits had hoped she would have offered. She hadn’t been up for much talking.

Virgo exchanged a look with Loke before disappearing back to the celestial realm. Still, Lucy didn’t move. Her gaze fixated on a spot on the wall, her fingers fidgeting with the blanket on her lap, her mind obviously elsewhere.

“Are you okay?” Loke asked, quickly chastising himself for asking the question as Lucy scoffed. The blonde didn’t spare him a glance, but did pull her gaze to her lap. He closed the distance between them and stood in front of her so he could meet her eyes. His expression let her know he wasn’t going to leave until she answered him.

She wasn’t able to hold his stare long before she looked away. “I’m just tired, all right?” she finally said to pacify him. It seemed to be her answer every time he asked. And he asked a lot. Over and over and over again, day in and day out, as if waiting for her answer to change. He was sure he was beginning to annoy her, but to be frank, any emotion that Lucy exhibited other than overwhelming sadness was a win in his book.

“Get up.” It was more of a demand than a request, which only seemed to anger Lucy further.

She frowned and ignored him, not even entertaining him with a response. If she had her way, he was sure she would fall asleep on the couch just to spite him.

Loke sighed and knelt down so he was eye-level with her. “Please, Lucy. Do it for me.”

His pleading gaze nearly broke her conviction. He could see it. They had been through so much in such a short time together, he knew she would have a hard time denying his request. Was he playing dirty by waving their trust in her face? Probably. But he was desperate.

The lion spirit reached out a hand and covered hers. “If you do, I promise I’ll give you some space.”

Well, that compromise seemed to peak her interest. “Why?” she asked warily.

He chuckled, picking up on her guarded expression. “We aren’t going far. You’ll like it. Trust me.”

And he knew that was something Lucy could never deny. The trust between them was iron-clad and something she would never dispute. “Fine,” she ultimately conceded with a deep sigh. “Where to?”

“Follow me.”

The Leader of the Zodiac took her hand in his, guiding her carefully to her apartment door. She hesitated as he attempted to direct her into the hallway, panicking about venturing back into the world that still turned without half of Team Natsu. But Loke encouraged her with a gentle tug.

Lucy took a deep breath and followed him up the stairs to the third floor, and then up further still until they happened upon the hatch to the roof. Loke opened it before reaching behind him and helping Lucy out. “What are we doing out here?” she asked once she was standing beside him.

He stayed silent, pulled her with him toward the front end, and sat down near the edge where the shingles began slanting downward. He patted the ground beside him invitingly and she cautiously joined him. Once she settled in he pointed out toward the Magnolia, past the river the boatmen always drifted down.

“Look, Lucy.”

She followed his finger to where the sky met the horizon far beyond the town. The outline of the Fairy Tail guild, shrouded in darkness, could be seen, and just beyond that sat Lake Sciliora. A shimmering of stars lit up the night sky, becoming more visible as the midnight hour approached. The city quietly began to fall asleep as lights faded from windows and people emptied the streets.

Folding her knees and wrapping her arms around them, Lucy wistfully gazed at the heavens. “I wish I was a star,” she said aloud.

Loke reached over and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “But don’t you see,” he murmured, her eyes pulling to his. “You’re already a galaxy. You have universes trapped beneath your skin and stardust shining in your eyes. You are so much more than a star.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “What-What if I don’t want to be more than a star?” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“Oh, Lucy,” Loke soothed, brushing away a tear that slid down her cheek.

“Loke,” she cried out, no longer able to hold back her sobs. “I-I don’t want to feel like this anymore.”

He frowned as she began to cry, her shoulders shaking. “This isn’t the end,” he tried, wanting her to understand that she wouldn’t always feel this way.

“But what if I-I want it to be?”

Her words tore through Loke; the very thought of Lucy feeling so broken as to even consider the idea of no longer existing made his stomach drop. Had she truly fallen so far? Had the beautiful, shining blonde who always smiled become so grief-stricken as to even consider taking her life? The very idea nearly made him snap.

Loke reached out and pulled Lucy into his arms, wrapping her tightly in his embrace as if he could hold her together. She wept into his chest, folding herself within him and hiding from the world. “It’s going to be okay,” he murmured, his repetition glaring, but he wasn’t sure what the right words were to say.

“I-I wish I didn’t need y-you to tell me-e that,” she sputtered through her tears.

He pulled away then, needing to look at her, needing her to understand how serious he was being. Her confession terrified him. “You have me,” he promised sharply, wiping away her tears as quickly as they fell, holding her head between his hands. Her lips wobbled and her eyes were glassy. She reached up and held his hands, leaning into his touch. “You have me,” he repeated in a gentler tone. “Until every last star in the galaxy dies, you have me.”

Loke pulled her back into his arms and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of her ragged breathing. He knew no matter what he said to her, nothing would lessen the impact of her pain. He could only sit there and hold her, offer her whatever she required of him, anything to help her smile again. Because ever since that day, the heavenly bodies didn’t shine as brightly.

Lucy’s cries soon lessened to whimpers, her tears drying up, and she finally settled down to shaky sighs. After a long moment, he pulled away and allowed space between them. He didn’t say anything, allowing her this moment of quiet.

The blonde tucked her hair behind her ears, smoothing it out as if to make herself more presentable. He didn’t know why. She had always been beautiful to him. He reached out and ran his thumb across her jaw, his eyes searching hers. “I’m here with you.”

She nodded silently, her eyes leaving him and searching the horizon again. Darkness had fully descended over Magnolia, and the sky was alight with the stars she loved so much.

Loke followed her gaze and then pointed into the sky. “Which constellation is that?”

Lucy easily found which stars he pointed to. “Saggitarius,” she murmured.

“And that one?” he asked, indicating another point in the sky.

She allowed a small smile. “Capricorn.”

He took her hand. “Every time you start to feel down, every time you begin to think of the end, I want you to look to the stars,” he said. “Name the constellations. Know that this world is so great and beautiful - and would be less-so if you were gone.”

Brown eyes met his, and for the first time since everything went to hell, Loke saw life flicker behind her gaze. Lucy was still there - no longer drowning, but still swimming, trying to get to shore.

#fairy tail #lucy heartfilia #gray fullbuster #graylu #levy mcgarden #gajeel redfox #gajevy #mirajane strauss #lisanna strauss #loke #virgo #aquarius #fanfiction #fairy tail fanfiction #my fanfiction #the last of us #sassy stays classy #fanart #fairy tail fanart

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dadoodler25 · 1 year

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Sonic X Fairy Tail

@ft-reboost

Wendy Marvell has the powers of Sonic the Hedgehog, and with Fairy Tail and Tails, she battles against Doctor Eggman!

This fanfic includes:

- All Sonic characters except Sonic And Shadow (Wendy as Sonic, OC as Shadow)

- And more!

Link to Season 1! (On going):

https://www.wattpad.com/story/314269843-wendy-marvell-fastest-thing-alive-season-1-reboot

Wendy Marvell: The Fastest Thing Alive! (Season 1) (6032 words) by DaDoodler

Chapters: 3/?

Fandom: Fairy Tail, Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Characters: Wendy Marvell, Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Gray Fullbuster, Erza Scarlet, Charle | Carla, Happy (Fairy Tail), Miles "Tails" Prower, Amy Rose (Sonic the Hedgehog), Dr. Eggman | Dr. Robotnik, Fairy Tail Guild, Orbot (Sonic the Hedgehog), Cubot (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Series: Part 1 of Wendy Marvell: The Fastest Thing Alive

Summary:

What if Wendy wasn't just a Dragon Slayer? What if Grandeeny the Sky Dragon gave her the blue chaos emerald and told her to find the rest? It's Fairy Tail, but Wendy has the speed and powers of Sonic The Hedgehog!

#sonic x fairy tail #crossover fanfiction #wendy marvell: fastest thing alive!#fairy tail #sonic #sonic the hedgehog #and more

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spaceflight-insider · 2 years

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SpaceX, NASA looking at potential to reboost Hubble telescope

SpaceX and @NASA are studying the potential to reboost the #Hubble Space Telescope into a higher orbit using #CrewDragon.

A view of the Hubble Space Telescope following its final servicing mission in 2009. NASA is looking at the possibility of using a SpaceX Crew Dragon to potentially boost the observatory’s orbit later this decade. Credit: NASA NASA has signed a contract with SpaceX to study the possibility of reboosting the aging Hubble Space Telescope into a higher orbit using the company’s Crew Dragon…

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#Crew Dragon #Hubble Space Telescope #Jared Isaacman #Lead Stories #NASA #Polaris Program #SpaceX

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hobbyspacer · 3 months

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Space habitat reports – Feb.5.2024

Here is this week's selection of videos and news items about space habitats, living in space, and space settlement. Starts with NASA's latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station: https://youtu.be/g8MrUHwvlLU ** Expedition 70 Northrop Grumman Cygnus Cargo Craft Arrives at Space Station - Feb. 1, 2024 - NASA Video Loaded with food, fuel, and supplies, the unpiloted Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft arrived to the International Space Station Feb. 1 where it was installed to the Earth-facing port of the Unity module. Dubbed the “SS Patricia (Patty) Hilliard Robertson” for the late NASA astronaut who succumbed from injuries sustained from a plane crash, Cygnus launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Jan. 30 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and will remain docked to the space station for approximately six months. The mission is the 20th Northrop Grumman commercial resupply services flight to the space station for NASA. https://youtu.be/fb_pzLQ-ujE ** Expedition 70 Northrop Grumman Cygnus Cargo Craft Secured to Space Station - Feb. 1, 2024 - NASA Video https://youtu.be/Hj2cSf9HG1s ** Expedition 70 Space Station Crew Answers California Student Questions - Feb. 5, 2024 - NASA Video Aboard the International Space Station, NASA Expedition 70 Flight Engineers Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara discussed living and working in space during an in-flight event Feb. 5 with students attending the Emblem Academy in Saugus, California. Moghbeli and O’Hara are in the midst of a science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars. https://youtu.be/b1iq7vQiXS0 ** What happens to astronauts during space station reboosts? Crew demonstrates - VideoFromSpace International Space Station crew members demonstrate their motion during a recent reboost of the oribal outpost. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli explains. https://youtu.be/ClkXSx6_-OM ** Window to the world in 360° | Muninn - European Space Agency, ESA Join ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt inside the seven-windowed cupola, the International Space Station's "window to the world" and and pan around to enjoy the view. The ESA - European Space Agency-built Cupola is the favourite place of many astronauts on the International Space Station. It serves not only as a unique photo spot, but also for observing robotic activities, arriving spacecraft and spacewalks. Marcus was launched to the International Space Station on the Dragon spacecraft as part of Axiom Mission 3 on 18 January 2024. His two-week mission on board is known as Muninn. Follow Marcus’s journey on the Muninn website, check our launch kit in English or Swedish and connect with Marcus on his Instagram and X accounts. Muninn website: https://www.esa.int/Science_Explorati... Marcus Wandt's Instagram: / esaastro_marcus Marcus Wandt's X: / astro_marcus https://youtu.be/jc7psvWue0I ** Hassell and ESA unveil their concept for a permanent base on the moon - New Scientist The European Space Agency has unveiled its Lunar Habitat Master Plan, a conceptual design for a scalable moon base. Commissioned by ESA’s Discovery programme and designed by architectural firm Hassell, the ideas will guide the agency's technological development of such structures, so it can solve some of the issues moon dwellers could face in a future where research, exploration, tourism and prospecting may all form part of a lunar economy. “More people on the moon in a sustainable way. This is a good picture to have in mind,” says ESA advanced manufacturing engineer Advenit Makaya, who was involved in the design process. The concept aims to address problems that might arise from having people on the lunar surface for extended periods. This includes protecting astronauts from the harsh environment, such as radiation and dust, and dealing with extreme temperatures, lack of water, oxygen and power. The habitat is designed around a series of inflatable pods that would make minimal contact with the surface, reducing issues with abrasive dust. These would then be protected by a shell made of blocks, 3D printed using lunar soil, known as regolith, that can be interlocked into place over the pods to absorb radiation. We might also be able to get water or oxygen from the regolith. And to mitigate temperature fluctuations, and maximise solar power efficiency, the base would be built on the edge of Shackleton crater at the moon's south pole where it would face the sun for longer. Both ESA and Hassell admit their design is some way from becoming a reality, but flexibility is at the heart of it. "Is it a case of running before we can walk? I don't think so. These things take a long, long time to plan,” says Xavier De Kestelier, the global head of design for Hassell and the lead architect on the project. “We need to keep on exploring the science.” – Learn more ➤ https://www.newscientist.com/article/... https://youtu.be/9t0kO-mFLfQ ** Ax-3 Mission | On-Orbit Science Briefing - Axiom Space Since arriving at the International Space Station, the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew has been hard at work. Join Dr. Lucie Low, Axiom Space's Chief Scientist, to discuss the various research projects being conducted onboard during this mission. https://youtu.be/nmcIkKKb1y4 ** Expedition 70 Axiom Mission 3 International Space Station Farewell Remarks - Feb. 2, 2024 - NASA Video Aboard the International Space Station, Axiom Mission-3 crewmembers Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Alper Gezeravcı, and Marcus Wandt provided farewell remarks February 2 ahead of their scheduled undocking from the space station February 3. The crew has been living and working on the International Space Station since January 20 following a launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 18. Axiom Mission-3 is the third private astronaut mission to the space station. https://youtu.be/qa9jU0b7Fz4 ** Gravitics - Latest posting on X: On January 5th, NASA announced that the agency will increase its investment in next generation space stations by $99.5 million, in another step towards Low Earth Orbit (LEO) commercialization. Blue Origin and Voyager Space, along with Axiom Space are NASA’s primary partners in… pic.twitter.com/Hc2z4ld8qc — Gravitics (@GraviticsInc) January 27, 2024 ** VAST update on X: We have officially surpassed the 300 employee mark! We recently held our first all hands of 2024. We continue to be full speed ahead on the development of Haven-1, scheduled to launch no earlier than August 25. Check out our careers page for more information on our culture,… pic.twitter.com/9KkCU6ju8j — VΛST (@vast) January 31, 2024 ** Starlab Sizzle Reel - Voyager Space on Vimeo Starlab is a new-era space platform, set to serve a global customer base of space agencies, researchers, and companies. Our space station will ensure a continued human presence in low-Earth orbit and a seamless transition of microgravity science and research from the International Space Station into the new commercial space station era. See latest announcement: Starlab Space Selects SpaceX’s Starship for Historic Launch | Voyager Space - Jan.31.2024. Starlab Space LLC (Starlab Space), the transatlantic joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus, today announced the selection of SpaceX to launch the Starlab commercial space station to low-Earth orbit (LEO). Starship, SpaceX’s fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond, will launch Starlab in a single mission prior to the decommissioning of the International Space Station. “SpaceX’s history of success and reliability led our team to select Starship to orbit Starlab,” said Dylan Taylor, Chairman and CEO, Voyager Space. “SpaceX is the unmatched leader for high-cadence launches and we are proud Starlab will be launched to orbit in a single flight by Starship.” See also: Starlab—with half the volume of the ISS—will fit inside Starship’s payload bay | Ars Technica - Feb.1.2024. https://vimeo.com/889731242 ** Shenzhou-17 Crew Displays Scientific Research Facilities at Tiangong Station - CCTV Video News Agency The Shenzhou-17 crew members displayed various scientific research facilities at China's Tiangong space station recently. https://youtu.be/5zO4I4M8g40 ** Other news and articles: - Ax-3 Nears Departure as Station Crew Picks Up Research | Space Station/NASA - Feb.5.2024 - NASA and Partners Now Target Tuesday for Ax-3 Mission Departure | Space Station/NASA - Feb.4.2024 - Tech for space development: - NASA’s Laser Navigation Tech Enables Commercial Lunar Exploration | NASA - Feb.5.2024 - The First 3D Printer to Use Molten Metal in Space Is Headed to the ISS This Week | Singularity Hub - Jan.31.2024 - NASA is One Step Closer to Deploying Fission Reactors on the Moon | Universe Today - Feb.5.2024 - NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project Energizes Lunar Exploration | NASA - Jan.31.2024 ** Highlight: Winter over Utah - SLC - Provo - Uinta Mtns - Feb 4, 2024 - 11:26 MST - ISS Above NASA EHDC6 Live views of the Earth from the International Space Station https://youtu.be/7-5iorwys8U ** Highlight: Colors of the Sahara - Chad - Egypt Feb 3, 2024 8:12 UTC - ISS Above https://youtu.be/UVpjmdldGiY ** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) - NASA Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed. The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It's a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8 Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov https://www.youtube.com/live/xAieE-QtOeM?feature=share ==== ISS after undocking of STS-132 === Amazon Ads === Lego Ideas International Space Station 21321 Toy Blocks, Present, Space, Boys, Girls, Ages 16 and Up ==== Outpost in Orbit: A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station Read the full article

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spacenutspod · 5 months

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The final quarter of 2023 saw the International Space Station (ISS) celebrate 25 years in orbit, though there was no letup in the ongoing work as the Expedition 70 crew settled into the tasks and experiments that are carried out onboard the orbital laboratory. Cargo spacecraft arrived at the Station carrying supplies and fresh experiments and departed, taking scientific results, redundant equipment, and trash down to Earth. On Oct. 25 at 17:49 UTC, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub began a spacewalk to install a synthetic radar communications system, release a nanosatellite to test solar sail technology, and inspect and photograph an external backup radiator on the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. Kononenko wore an Orlan spacesuit with red stripes; Chub the blue stripes. This was the sixth spacewalk in Kononenko’s career and the first for Chub. It was the 268th spacewalk for Station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades. The spacewalk was successfully completed on Oct. 26th at 01:30 UTC after seven hours and 41 minutes and was designated Russian EVA-61. Today's spacewalk is underway! @AstroJaws (in the spacesuit with red stripes) and @LunarLoral (in the spacesuit with no stripes) will make maintenance upgrades to the @Space_Station for about 6.5 hours. pic.twitter.com/vYsX9RBaLn — NASA (@NASA) November 1, 2023 NASA followed the Russian spacewalk with another spacewalk on Nov. 1 at 12:05 UTC. The spacewalk was designated as US EVA-89 and was the first spacewalk for astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara. Moghbeli served as extravehicular activity (EVA) crew member one and wore a suit with red stripes. O’Hara served as extravehicular crew member two and wore an unmarked suit. They successfully replaced one of 12 trundle bearing assemblies on a solar alpha rotary joint. These bearings enable the station’s solar arrays to rotate to track the Sun as the Station orbits Earth to collect and store electricity for power generation for Station systems. They also removed a handling bar fixture to prepare for the future installation of a roll-out solar array and properly configured a cable that was previously interfering with an external camera. See AlsoExpedition 70 UpdatesISS SectionNSF StoreClick here to Join L2 The astronauts had planned to remove and stow a communications electronics box called the Radio Frequency Group, but there was not enough time during the spacewalk to complete the work. The duo lifted some multilayer insulation to make a better assessment of how to approach the job before replacing the insulation and deferring the task to a future spacewalk. During the spacewalk, one tool bag was inadvertently lost. Flight controllers spotted the tool bag using external Station cameras. Fortunately, the tools were not needed for the remainder of the spacewalk. Mission Control analyzed the bag’s trajectory and determined that the risk of re-contacting the Station was low and that the onboard crew and Station were safe with no action required The spacewalk concluded at 18:47 UTC after 6 hours and 42 minutes. A further busy few days saw several maneuvers and the arrival of CRS-29 at the Station. On Nov. 9 at 21:11 UTC, the ISS performed a nominal reboost using the 85P Aft Progress R&D thrusters on SM Aft. This reboost was one of two planned reboosts in November to set up phasing conditions for the expected arrival of the MS-25 cargo mission via a two-orbit rendezvous on Dec. 1. The burn lasted for 15 minutes 22 seconds with a change in velocity of 1.43 meters per second. CRS-29 on the pad at LC-39A ahead of launch. (Credit: NASA) The launch of SpaceX CRS-29 took place on Nov. 9 from historic Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida at 8:28 PM EST (01:28 UTC on Nov. 10). SpaceX utilized Cargo Dragon capsule C211 for this mission, with CRS-29 being its second flight. This mission was SpaceX’s 29th CRS mission to the ISS and the ninth under CRS phase two. Shortly later, at 15:07 UTC, the ISS performed a successful 0.5 m/A Pre-determined Debris Avoidance Manoeuvre (PDAM) using the Aft Progress R&D thrusters. The purpose of this PDAM was to clear the risk of conjunction with a piece of space debris. The following day, on Nov. 11 at 10:07 UTC, Cargo Dragon docked autonomously with the Station’s Harmony module. Dragon carried supplies for the crew, some holiday treats, and several science experiments, including the ILLUMA-T Laser Communication demonstration — a NASA investigation that tests technology to provide enhanced data communication capabilities on the space station. Other experiments launched on CRS-29 include NASA’s AWE (Atmospheric Wave Experiment) — which uses an infrared imaging instrument to measure the characteristics, distribution, and movement of atmospheric gravity waves — and Gaucho Lung, sponsored by the International Space Station National Lab, which studies how mucus lining the respiratory system affects the delivery of drugs carried in a small amount of injected liquid, known as a liquid plug. Lastly, Aquamembrane-3, an investigation from the European Space Agency (ESA), also launched on CRS-29 and continues the evaluation of replacing the multi-filtration beds used for water recovery on the Station with a type of membrane known as an Aquaporin Inside Membrane. Another busy period for arrivals and departures occurred at the end of November with the departure of Progress MS-23. Progress undocked from MIM2 Poisk on Nov. 29 at 07:55 UTC. The spacecraft performed a deorbit burn at 11:02 UTC and re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere at 11:35 UTC before impacting the Pacific Ocean at 11:43 UTC. The departure of MS-23 made way for the arrival of the next Progress mission: Progress MS-25. Progress MS-25 launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. (Credit: NASA) The launch of Progress MS-25 was Roscosmos’ eighth Soyuz 2.1a mission of 2023 and occurred out of Site 31/6 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday, Dec. 1 at 09:25 UTC. The uncrewed MS-25 Progress 86P spacecraft arrived at the ISS’s Prichal module at 11:18 UTC on Dec. 3. Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko manually docked the spacecraft to the orbital complex after the automated rendezvous system took the Progress spacecraft out of its expected orientation. Progress MS-25 delivered almost three tons of food, fuel, and supplies to the ISS for the Expedition 70 crew. Dec. 6, 2023, marked 25 years since the first two modules of the ISS — Zarya and Unity — were mated during the STS-88 mission. Shuttle Endeavour‘s Canadarm robotic arm reached out and grappled Zarya, which had been in orbit for over two weeks, and attached it to the Unity module stowed inside Endeavour’s payload bay. Endeavour would undock from the young dual-module station one week later, beginning the era of the Station’s assembly. The Expedition 70 crew celebrated with a call to NASA’s Associate Administrator Bob Cabana and ISS Program Manager Joel Montalbano to discuss the orbital outpost’s accomplishments since its assembly began on Dec. 6, 1998. Cabana served as commander on STS-88 when both modules were robotically mated and then outfitted during a series of spacewalks. Montalbano, NASA’s sixth Station leader since the program’s inception, remarked, “We want to celebrate today all the people who designed, built, and operate the International Space Station.” Six crew members, one station. 25 years ago, on December 10, 1998, the STS-88 crew entered the @Space_Station making them the very first crew to enter the orbiting laboratory in space. pic.twitter.com/8CI8un5MxE — NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) December 10, 2023 Two Japanese cubesats, BEAK and Clark, were deployed on Dec. 18th to explore voice and imagery transmissions and test future planetary probe technologies. BEAK and Clark were deployed at 08:35 UTC and 10:16 UTC, respectively. BEAK is a 3u cubesat developed by The University of Tokyo, Nihon University, and JAXA to demonstrate technologies for nano-sized planetary probes in the future. BEAK will demonstrate orbital maneuvering by drag modulation with jettison of aerodynamic decelerator (SAP’s and membrane), deployment of aeroshell supported by shape memory alloy frames, a nano-sized propulsion system (water resistojet), and nano-sized attitude control systems. Clerk-sat1 is a tiny 1u cubesat designed and built by Clark Next Tokyo High School and ArkEdge Space Inc. The satellite will send voice messages and image data recorded by high school students to ground control stations and general amateur stations. This data is expected to encourage organizations and individuals working on environmental issues on Earth and in space. Furthermore, the cubesat will take photos of Earth and downlink them to ground control stations and general amateur stations. The release of BEAK and Clark from the ISS’s Kibo module. (Credit: JAXA/NASA) Wednesday, Dec. 21, saw the undocking of CRS-29 from the ISS at 22:05 UTC. Bad weather in the splashdown zones led to delays with the original schedule, which called for a departure on Dec. 14. Splashdown occurred on the morning of Dec. 22 off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida. Four astronauts packed over 1,588 kilograms of science and hardware inside Dragon for retrieval and analysis back on Earth. Astronaut Moghbeli and Commander Andreas Mogensen from ESA removed science cargo freezers containing research samples from Station EXPRESS racks and stowed them inside Dragon for the ride back to Earth. Astronauts O’Hara and Satoshi Furukawa transferred cargo bags packed with hardware and trash and strapped them inside Dragon, securing them for the descent back to Earth’s surface. The departure of a second U.S. resupply ship is currently set for 13:05 UTC on Friday, Dec. 22nd. The Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft will be released into Earth orbit by the Canadarm2 robotic arm, completing a four-and-a-half-month stay at the ISS. Cygnus will remain in orbit for a few days before reentering the atmosphere and burning up over the Pacific Ocean with its cargo of trash. (Lead image: The Cygnus cargo resupply spacecraft and Soyuz MS-24 docked to the ISS. Credit: NASA) The post ISS Roundup: 25 year anniversary, spacewalks, cargo arrivals and departures appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

#space #astronomy #news #science

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legendoftheotherside · 1 year

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I posted 1,769 times in 2022

That's 216 more posts than 2021!

16 posts created (1%)

1,753 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@wildflowerwoodsworld

@ft-reboost

@fangirlandiknowit101

@definitelynotaminion

@crazedstoryteller

I tagged 857 of my posts in 2022

#fairy tail - 281 posts

#bnha - 129 posts

#one piece - 107 posts

#naruto - 86 posts

#writing tips - 35 posts

#dragon age - 34 posts

#shameless self-promo - 21 posts

#black clover - 17 posts

#mairimashita! iruma kun - 17 posts

#gratsu - 14 posts

Longest Tag: 62 characters

#shameless promo of the fanart my fic for ftrbb2022 is based on

My Top Posts in 2022:

a late submission for Gratsu Weekend 2022 titled Warmth.

Read it on AO3

13 notes - Posted March 17, 2022

another fic for Gratsu Weekend 2022. Read it here

15 notes - Posted March 12, 2022

my new gratsu fic Emergence

18 notes - Posted March 11, 2022

Of Immanence (and how to find the way beyond)

My Fairy Tail Reverse Bang 2022 entry is here. Ekid provided the beautiful and amazing art.

title: Of Immanence (and how to find the way beyond) pairing: Gray x Natsu rating: M (angst, angst, angst hence M) word count: 6k relevant tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort link to full fic on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39128193 link to art: https://ftguildevents.tumblr.com/post/684910663446953984/entry-from-rellanokid-on-instagram-this-art summary:

The foray into the Alvarez Empire leaves Natsu and Gray transfigured and mentally scarred: one exhibiting a horn, a wing, and scales; the other grappling with a murderous voice sweet-talking him into killing his best friend.

While Natsu falls into the darkness of his own making, Gray is left to navigate being the optimistic and cheerful one.

He fails the cheerful part though, and while optimism has never been his forte, he does what he can. The alternative is quite dreadful.

immanence - the state of being within or not going beyond a given domain; existing or remaining within, inherent; restricted entirely to the mind, subjective.

here’s the excerpt, read the rest with the link to ao3

Something is wrong.

The magic aura surrounding E.N.D. suddenly grows stronger, curls tighter around it, and the demon freezes in its tracks. Gray watches with interest brimming under his skin. It’s almost like deep inside he wants a fight; it’s a compulsion stronger than he’s ever felt. That same amalgamation of feelings guided him to Natsu—to E.N.D., and now, as though he has tasted the forbidden fruit, he can’t stop.

The demon’s face clears from the insane anger that was present just a moment ago. It’s just Natsu now, but Gray doesn’t buy it. E.N.D. is the strongest and the most cunning Etherious, the one that hid among them for a long time, and Gray will stop it once and for all.

“Gray,” the demon whispers in a ragged tone that doesn’t really suit it. As though being stoked, the flames of the fiery aura of magical power snap and burn brighter. E.N.D. falls to his knees.

Gray’s pretty sure the demon is acting, but if not he welcomes the opportunity to take the bastard down. In a corner of his mind, something screams at him that it's Natsu making that confused expression, that it's Natsu who's groaning in pain, but he ignores it. He makes himself stay away—at the distance where he won’t be easily overtaken, even if his stomach churns with a dreadful feeling he can’t really name at the moment.

Natsu’s waistcoat is already in tatters, sleeves missing, waist panels uneven, though the black fabric around his back and shoulders seems to have fared much better than the rest. As the demon hunches down, Gray can see something protruding from its back, and the cloth seems to be speared from inward out. A darkish…growth? Gray thinks, shell-shocked. It’s red and pulsing and seemingly growing in front of his eyes. What the hell—

He snaps to attention as E.N.—Natsu lets out a blood-curdling cry, curling into himself as though he’s in pain.

There has been something heavy winding in Gray’s chest for some time now, like a container being constantly being filled and filled and filled, only for the contents to burst out and smother him with a laden weight when he heard his best friend scream in agony.

Fuck it! He’s halfway to Natsu’s side before he registers the thought. He skids to a halt, barely balancing over the dry, rocky landscape, and drops to his knees.

“Pain on the scale from one to five!” he barks.

Despite Natsu’s eyes being unfocused, he does reply weakly, “Three and a half.” A cough wrecks his stooped form. “It’s weird, I never felt something like that.”

And that’s an understatement of the fucking year considering Gray has yet to identify whatever the bloody hell is growing from Natsu’s shoulder blade. Was he hit by some spell? Or is maybe Natsu’s magic acting up?

Before he can even list all the questions he has, Natsu is curling into himself again, groaning and thrashing about. So Gray places his hand on his lower back as though that would help him.

It would be very easy to kill him like this.

The thought is unbidden, foreign—like it doesn't fit his mind. It’s loud as though a voice spoke. Gray recoils. A chill goes down his spine. Can he even trust his own mind? He’s currently somewhere between confused, scared, and horrified, which doesn’t help the agitation rolling through his body for not being able to help Natsu in any way.

Natsu freezes then shouts incoherently, his limbs flail over the ground, and it ends up dislodging his hand—and then there’s a scaly, veined, dark red wing (a wing!) unfurling right in front of Gray’s widened eyes.

Tense seconds crawl by as he looks from the newly formed appendage to Natsu who pants loudly, then back at it. Nothing is normal about what just transpired, but considering Natsu is a dragon slayer mage that wields an ancient type of magical power, unexpected should be expected. Gray cannot explain how exactly it came into existence.

He strokes Natsu’s back in a sort of a soothing manner, though it seems to be more of a reassurance for himself that Natsu is there, alive and breathing, and Gray isn’t sure what to think anymore.

Something feels odd. But then again, this whole situation is peculiar. A soft whimper calls Gray’s attention back to the base of the wing, and he realizes what struck him as odd.

His right hand is perfectly camouflaged against the inky clothing of Natsu's waistcoat because it is still black—scratch that, his whole arm is fucking pitch-dark. He blinks once, twice, and activates his devil slayer powers just to have that same black leathery skin light up with white markings. When he powers it down the markings go but the skin stays the same.

Yeah. Fuck. That officially makes today all kinds of messed up.

He startles when Natsu cries out again, this time clutching his head. Considering Gray’s not in any kind of danger beyond potentially having tough luck trying to match clothing color with his complexion in the future, he ignores his own predicament and ambles around to bring Natsu into a hug.

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22 notes - Posted May 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Legend’s Fairy Tail fics Master list

1. A Sham

Wherein Gray, tired of Juvia's advances, gets Natsu to agree to be his fake boyfriend. As with every ridiculous idea, things don't really go as planned.

Gray x Natsu; rating - T; multi; 17k

I love this story so much because it was the first time I experimented with my writing and finally found the voice that fits me.

2. Fruitful exhibition

Gray is a closeted exhibitionist and gains a voyeur while training in the forest.

Gray x Natsu; rating - E; oneshot; 4,6k

my first gratsu ‘porn without plot’ fic, I was really proud when I wrote it lol

3. Emergence

A Fusion AU written for day 1: prompt create of Gratsu weekend 2022

rating - T; oneshot; 1,6k

Can be read as both gratsu and brotp fic, there’s not much shipping though.

4. On a Dare

“Wyverns are like little brothers to dragons.” “Oh, shut your trap or I’ll shut it for you. Permanently.” “What are you going to do?” Gray asked, barked a short laugh, then shifted to look Natsu directly in his eyes. “Kiss me or something.” Natsu did kiss him. Gray should’ve known better than to challenge him.

Written for day 2: prompt challenge of Gratsu weekend 2022

Gray x Natsu; rating - T; oneshot for now, plan to add one more chapter; 1,8k

5. Warmth

Wherein Gray and Natsu have a tradition of helping each other relax.

Written for day 4: prompt tradition of Gratsu weekend 2022

Gray x Natsu; rating - E; oneshot; 2,1k

6. Of Immanence (and how to find the way beyond)

Written for Fairy Tail Reverse Bang 2022

Gray x Natsu (mostly brotp); rating - M; oneshot; 6k; relevant tags: angst, hurt/comfort

This is one of my favourites, so go ahead and read if you haven’t already.

7. Of Acceptance (and learning to trust completely)

*continuation oneshot of Of Immanence Natsu and Gray take their relationship to the next level. All it takes is a bit of trust, sinful whispers, and sharp teeth.

Gray x Natsu; rating - E; oneshot; 4.6k; relevant tags: porn with feelings, blood, biting

I had so much fun writing this one since from starting Of Immanence I already wanted to tell this part of the story as well.

See the full post

33 notes - Posted May 7, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #this was fun #I guess fandom of the year has been FT #not surprised though

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viralnews-1 · 2 years

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NASA and SpaceX will study the possibility of using a Dragon capsule to boost Hubble's orbit

NASA and SpaceX will study the possibility of using a Dragon capsule to boost Hubble’s orbit

NASA and SpaceX have signed an agreement to study the possibility of using a Dragon spacecraft to lift the Hubble telescope to a higher orbit. The Hubble telescope’s orbit decays over time due to atmospheric drag, and reboosting it to a more stable one could add more years to its life. SpaceX proposed the idea several months ago in partnership with the Polaris Program, the human spaceflight…

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dnewstrending · 2 years

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NASA and SpaceX will study the possibility of using a Dragon capsule to boost Hubble's orbit

NASA and SpaceX will study the possibility of using a Dragon capsule to boost Hubble’s orbit

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factsride · 2 years

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Interesting Facts About International Space Station

"The largest modular space station in low Planet orbit presently is the International Space Station (ISS). The ownership and use of the space station are governed by global treaties as well as arrangements, and also there are five getting involved room companies: NASA (the USA), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). Astrobiology, astronomy, meteorology, physics, as well as other self-controls all do study on the terminal as a microgravity as well as area setting laboratory.The ISS is optimal for checking the equipment and also systems needed for prospective long-duration trips to the Moon and also Mars in the future. The Spaceport station Liberty task, an American strategy to develop a completely manned spaceport station, as well as the concomitant Soviet/Russian Mir-2 strategy, which had similar goals in 1976, were the leaders of the ISS program. Complying with the Soviet as well as later Russian Salyut, Almaz, as well as Mir stations in addition to the American Skylab, the ISS is the seventh spaceport station to have actually had workers residing on board. It is frequently visible to the alone eye from the surface of the Planet and is the biggest artificial object in space and also satellite in low Earth orbit. Reboost maneuvers utilizing the engines of the Zvezda Solution Component or inbound spacecraft are used to keep an orbit with a typical altitude of 400 kilometers (250 miles). The ISS makes one total round of the earth every 15.5 days, taking about 93 minutes." The station is divided right into 2 components: the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS), which is controlled by Russia, and also the USA Orbital Sector (USOS), which is run jointly by the United States and various other states. There are 6 components in the Russian area. 10 modules compose the US section, and 76.6% of their assistance services are supplied by NASA, 12.8% by JAXA, 8.3% by ESA, and also 2.3% by CSA. ROS's procedure with 2024 had already been backed by Roscosmos, which had actually likewise suggested building a brand-new Russian spaceport station referred to as OPSEK utilizing parts of the segment. The 2022 Russian intrusion of Ukraine as well as the following international assents on Russia, that potentially could lower, redirect, or terminate funding from their side of the space station as a result of the assents put on them, have made ongoing partnership vague. The first ISS part was released in 1998, and also the initial long-term occupants, who were introduced from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on October 31, 2000, gotten here on November 2, 2000. Since then, the terminal has actually been constantly inhabited for 21 years as well as 314 days, damaging the previous document of 9 years and 357 days held by the Mir spaceport station as well as becoming the lengthiest continual human presence in low Earth orbit. A little more than 10 years after the installation of the previous considerable development, Leonardo, in 2011, the most recent big pressurized module, Nauka, was added. Pressurized habitaiton devices, assistance trusses, photovoltaic or pv solar arrays, thermal radiators, docking ports, experiment bays, and also robotic arms comprise the ISS. The US Space Capsule as well as Russian Proton rockets have actually both released significant ISS components. The Russian Soyuz as well as Progression, the SpaceX Dragon 2, the Northrop Grumman Room Equipments Cygnus, and also previously the European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), the Japanese H-II Transfer Lorry, as well as SpaceX Dragon 1 all give services to the spaceport station. Pressurized cargo can be reminded Planet using the Dragon spacecraft for objectives such as bringing back scientific experiments for additional study. 251 astronauts, cosmonauts, as well as area travelers from 20 various nations have traveled to the space station as of April 2022. Here are More Amazing Facts about International Space Station

#issfacts internationalspacestation internationalspacestationfacts factsaboutiss

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dragonrebooster · 3 years

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Dragon ReBooster Desktop Wallpaper!

Feel free to use!

#dragon booster #dragon booster reboot #my art #dragon booster remake #dbr #dragon rebooster #db:r #canon character #artha #Artha Penn #Beau #Beau’s redesign was designed by Voidbeast!#HE DID SUCH A GOOD JOB YO; I LOVE THE REDESIGN ;O; <33333 #Penn racing

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ziarre · 3 years

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Heeeere's my rendition of everyone's favorite goat-mouse-dragon, Gunny! Gunny is a canon Dragon Booster character that we never get to see in the show. He's a light green scavenger-class dragon. He's typically bipedal, but can drop onto all fours in a pinch (this trait isn't canon to the OG show, but IS canon to the Dragon Rebooster project being headed up by Neo/@dragonrebooster)!

(As always, click on the pic for a better quality image lol)

#dragon booster #dragon booster art #dragon #watercolor #dragon rebooster

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plazasta · 3 years

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@dragonrebooster @captainneoinu you’re amazing

#db #Dragon Booster #dragon rebooster #word paynn #meme

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classysassy9791 · 2 years

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Fandom: Fairy Tail Genre: Adventure/Tragedy Warning: Character Death(s)

Ch. 1 l Ch. 2 l Ch. 3 l Ch. 4 l

Chapter 5 Word Count: 4,000 Can also be found on AO3 and FFN @ft-reboost

When Lucy finally returned inside the warmth of the guildhall, Lyon found her. Usually dressed in a striking blue, it was strange to see him clothed in black. The color didn’t suit him. Their eyes met, and Lucy knew exactly who he was looking for. “He’s out back.”

Lyon glanced at the back door thoughtfully, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “How is he?”

“How do you think?” She sniffled, wrapping her arms tighter around the damp fabric of her dress.

He placed a gentle hand on her arm, not bothering to hide the affliction in his dark eyes. “I’m sorry about your friends. Natsu and Erza were some of the strongest mages I’ve ever met, and had more heart than anyone I know.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, giving him a shaky smile. He returned the gesture before retreating to where she had just come from, surely on a mission to comfort his old friend.

Lucy walked aimlessly through the guildhall, watching the others drink themselves into a stupor. She briefly overheard Macao and Wakaba attempt to keep the mood cheerful, sharing humorous stories regarding a hot-headed dragon slayer with his flying blue cat and a queen who ruled with an iron fist. But their weak laughter quickly snuffed out, replaced with haunted expressions. Wakaba drew a deep breath in from his cigar and Macao finished off his alcohol in a single gulp. They felt what everyone else did. How could they laugh and be merry when those who had ensured it the most were gone?

Most of the night continued in that fashion. Lucy vaguely recalled people she didn’t recognize coming up to her and giving their condolences since she had been a part of the strongest team in Fairy Tail. Guilds from all over had shown up, everyone feeling the loss of the Salamander and Titania, including those from Sabertooth and their exceeds, who had lost a dear friend.

Drained from answering to others’ sympathies, Lucy found a little corner of the hall to escape to. She leaned her back against a pillar, watching out the window as rain continued to beat relentlessly on the cobblestone path, her unrecognizable reflection peering back at her through the glass.

She studied herself, pulling her lips into a smile. A frightened sob fell from her lips. She had to admit, when she smiled, she looked okay, normal even. Inside, the ache for Natsu gnawed at the very heart that still beat within her chest. But on the outside, anyone could mistake her lackluster grin for real happiness. How was it possible for her reflection to look so ordinarily normal when she had crumbled inside?

“Lucy?” Mirajane’s voice called out to her, causing Lucy to pull her gaze from the window.

She turned to find the barmaid and Makarov staring at her with morose expressions. “What is it?”

Makarov furrowed his brows, peering up at her with a look of sympathy. “I’m so sorry to disturb you, my dear, but Gray isn’t exactly in the most talkative of moods.”

Lucy sighed, averting her eyes. “Do you blame him?”

“No,” Mirajane assured. “We just-” She paused, unable to bring their reasoning for seeking her out to fruition. It wasn’t an easy request to ask of Lucy, especially after everything she had been through in the past few days, but it was something that needed to be done. Their master had given Lucy and Gray adequate space and time to try and process everything that had transpired, but now he needed answers.

“Lucy,” Makarov began in a stern, yet softened tone. “Can you tell us what happened that night?”

Lucy’s breath caught. She felt the panic begin like a cluster of sparks in her abdomen. Tension grew in her face and limbs, her mind replaying fragments of the attack. Her breathing became more rapid and shallow. A wave of nausea came over her as she swallowed past the thick lump in her throat. Squeezing her eyes shut, Lucy shook her head, wisps of blonde hair brushing over her shoulders. “I-I can’t.”

Makarov’s frown deepened. “I understand,” he said. “But, I need you to at least tell me one thing: Who did this?”

The celestial wizard bit her lip, her throat closing up as the faces of those demons flashed through her mind - teeth barred, venomous words, blood-soaked claws. She didn’t know their names. They had never revealed them in the heat of the battle. Both parties had been caught unaware, so pleasantries were never exchanged.

But…

She knew of them. She knew who they belonged to, the dark guild they took refuge in, its name spoken between blows.

With a shaky voice, she whispered, “Tartaros.”

Mirajane gasped as Makarov’s eyes hardened, fury emitting off of him in waves. “Tartaros?!” he seethed. “Tartaros did this to my children?!”

Tears burned Lucy’s eyes as she nodded her head.

Makarov clenched his hands into fists, alcohol mixed with rage blurring his lines of reason. “Master,” Mirajane muttered, causing him to turn his gaze to hers. She shook her head. “Not here.”

Her words heavily reminded him to reel back his vexation as he quickly scanned the rest of the guildhall. It seemed no one else had caught onto their conversation, which was probably for the best. If any of the others had overheard who was responsible for the slaughter of their family - particularly the dragon slayers with their sensitive hearing - it was likely a war would be started based on wild emotions.

No. A war against Tartaros was not something to be taken lightly. They couldn’t run into a fight half-cocked and blinded by grief. The dark guild had evaded even the Magic Council for years. If Fairy Tail was to challenge them, they had to be smart - methodical.

Makarov sighed, relaxing his shoulders as he turned back to Lucy. “It’s okay,” he said in a hushed tone. “Thank you for telling me. Please, don’t say anything to anyone else. We need some time.”

He shuffled away from them with his hands clasped behind his back, head bowed in thought. Mirajane wiped a tear from her cheek and turned back to Lucy. “I have something for you.”

Lucy brought her eyes up to the small, wooden box the barmaid presented to her. “What is it, Mira?”

“It’s Natsu’s scarf,” she explained gently. “Wendy and I managed to get the blood out of it, but since it was so important to him, I figured he’d want you to have it.”

Lucy took the tattered box into her bandaged hands, running her fingers carefully over the splintering wood. Fairy Tail’s emblem had been carved carefully into its lid, the lines blurred by her tears. She didn’t have the vigor to open it, but she thanked Mirajane all the same. “This means a lot.”

Mirajane squeezed her arm affectionately before disappearing into the crowd of mourners, leaving Lucy alone with her empty thoughts. In that moment, Lucy realized that when a person’s heart is shattered into a million pieces, all they could do was try to keep holding onto what was left. She needed to breathe. She needed to try moving forward. She tried not to think about him - about them.

But she also realized that doing all of those things was very, very hard.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, curling her hands tighter around the only piece she had left of her best friend. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

She closed her eyes, her heart crying out to the whispered voice in her ear. “I should’ve saved you.”

She brushed her bloody hair out of her eyes. Clouds of ash streaked the night sky. She stood frozen, lips half open. She tried to cry out, but the words wouldn’t come.

“Nice weather.”

Looking up, Lucy saw Hibiki’s reflection appear in the window beside hers, watching the rain fall outside. Part of her loathed him for interrupting her quiet destruction. “Not really,” she replied forlornly. “But then, sometimes I prefer the rain, especially if it’s from Juvia. Because we’re all sad together, you know?”

“I’m sorry,” he finally said the words she had grown to detest. “I know there isn’t anything that can be said to ease the pain, but I’m here if you ever need me, and I’ll offer any condolence I can. Blue Pegasus’ doors are always open.”

“Thank you.” This time she meant it.

“Words can never describe what those three meant to everyone, but I understand the heartache you’re going through. When Karen died, I didn’t think I’d ever learn how to breathe again.” He laid a hand gently over hers, compelling her to look at him. “But Lucy, listen to me. I want you to hold on. There’s still good left in this world.”

Lucy pulled away, glaring at his reflection with watery eyes, clutching Natsu’s box tighter in her hands. “What good is there to come of this?”

“We don’t have that answer now,” he admitted solemnly. “But someday, today will be a distant memory - a faded scar.”

She knew he was only trying to help, but his words suddenly made the room feel too tight, the murmured voices in the background too deafening. Lucy felt her heartbeat quicken, her fingers fidgeting across the splintering wood. She needed to leave. She couldn’t be there anymore.

“Thank you,” she told him, stepping away from the window. “You’ve always been so kind.”

Dark eyes watched as she turned to take her leave. “Would you like me to walk you home, or at least grab an umbrella for you? It’s still raining pretty hard out.”

Lucy shook her head with a smile. “No, that’s all right. I’ll be fine. I don’t live far.” He opened his mouth to object, but she held up a hand to silence him. “I have my keys on me. I’ll summon one of my spirits if I need to. You’ve always believed in how strong I am, so please, don’t doubt me now.”

Hibiki studied her expression. Her face was stern, a touch of melancholy, but her eyes steadfast. She wasn’t going to budge. Even still, he knew she was a fighter. She always had been. He sighed with resignation, smiling at her words. “You’re right. Get home safe, okay?”

“I will.”

She bid him farewell and left the guildhall, not bothering to say goodbye to any of her guildmates, her precious gift clutched tightly to her chest. The rain soaked her within minutes, small pellets of water sprinkling her hands as the remainder of the drops fell to form scattered puddles decorating the flagstone. Lights from street lamps reflected off the water, causing the street to glisten.

Walking alone toward her apartment, Lucy faintly realized the boatmen who usually occupied the river around this time were nowhere to be seen. She supposed it had something to do with the weather. She reached down to summon Plue, as was her normal routine on her walk home, but as she gazed at his silver key glistening in the rainfall, she realized she wasn’t really up for any company right now. So she returned it to her side and went back to holding the box, Natsu’s scarf safely tucked inside.

Before she knew it, she arrived home. That night, she finally understood why people fear silence. There was a common saying about the calm before the storm, but no one ever talked about the deafening silence after the storm hit. Her door creaked open into the dark apartment beyond, revealing no annoying teammates who had broken in, or a mess to clean up, or food thrown about her room.

It was her first time home since the job and her days spent in the infirmary.

Lucy dropped her celestial keys on her desk, setting Natsu’s box beside them. Levy had dropped off some food earlier in the day, already pre-packaged in the fridge and ready to eat, but Lucy wasn’t hungry. She felt drained, so she closed her door and leaned against it.

There was a lump in her throat and fire in her lungs as her eyes studied the emptiness of her apartment. And finally, after the long grueling days of knowing they were gone, it began to hit her that it was true. Being tucked away in the infirmary. Going to the cemetery. Mourning at the guild. None of it had really felt real. It just felt like a really bad dream.

Now, as she sat in her apartment, where Natsu and Happy always barged in without invitation, hearing the screaming stillness of their deaths fully and completely, without having them to come home to…

Lucy’s vision blurred as she choked out a sob. She slid to her knees, her cries finally releasing the suppressed pain that inescapably tore her heart and soul apart. Memories of Natsu hit her full force, of the dragon slayer who had brought her into this crazy adventure she called her life - needing him to be there. But he wasn’t there, and it hurt so damn much.

As her cries rang through her apartment, she wished Natsu was in the room with her right now. She wished she could put her arms around him, to touch him, because then it would mean that he was real, that he was with her, and wasn’t-wasn’t gone. Out of her reach.

Lucy found it hard to breathe, to feel anything, but the loss of Natsu.

The bar closed down fairly early that night. There was no real reason to keep it open, as everyone had disappeared to separate corners to grieve the events threatening to drown them. The visiting guilds who had come to pay their respects had returned to their hotels for the evening, giving Fairy Tail members a chance to mourn in privacy. Even Cana had retreated to Fairy Hills in a drunken stupor. Mirajane stood in a daze, drying the last glass of the night, her empty eyes gazing at the guildhall doors longingly.

“We made it back alive!”

How often had she heard that phrase? How often did Natsu and Happy come barreling through those doors shouting it to the skies, with Erza, Gray, and Lucy following behind, rolling their eyes and smiling at their boisterous behavior? How often did they take it as a normal greeting, a simple welcome back to their home?

The phrase had become such a natural part of the guild that along the way it had somehow lost its deep-seated meaning and had been taken for granted. Every time a member of Fairy Tail went out on a job, there was always a chance, no matter how small, that they would never walk through those doors again. They had seen it with Lisanna, had almost endured it when Macao had disappeared into Mount Hakobe, and even with Gildarts - their strongest wizard - when he came back two limbs short and with deep wounded scars from a dragon.

So why-why weren’t they more cautious? Why weren’t they more careful?

Droplets fell and hit the glass, causing Mirajane to pause, and only then did she realize she was crying. “Such a fool,” she whimpered.

“Who’re you calling a fool?”

Mirajane snapped her head to attention, wide eyes watching as Laxus stepped behind the bar. “L-Laxus,” she stuttered, quickly setting down the glass and wiping her eyes. “I-I didn’t know anyone else was still here.”

“Just came to check on Gramps before heading out,” he said, but knew she didn’t need an explanation.

“I see.” She casted her eyes down as she fiddled with the towel in her hand. “He hasn’t really been himself lately.”

Amber eyes watched her carefully. She looked half-dead in the pale light of the moon. “None of us have.”

Mirajane studied him out of the corner of her eye. The tragedy that had befallen the guild in recent days was not the only thing that caused Laxus Dreyer to make drastic changes. After the Battle of Fairy Tail - which felt like eons ago - and his expulsion from the guild, Mirajane hadn’t seen much of Laxus. Not until his reappearance on Tenrou Island seven years ago. The transformation in him was almost palpable. The anger and frustration he harbored for so many years of growing up in the shadow of his grandfather had been washed away. He had been reborn as a proper mage of Fairy Tail, of a person who stopped to aid his fellow man, and stood up against a dragon with them.

It wasn’t until they had formed Fairy Tail Team B and competed in the Grand Magic Games did Mirajane finally obtain a glimpse into the true nature of Laxus. He was tenacious and witty, traits that had long been hidden behind his indignation. He felt anger for their comrades, as well as concern, even going so far as to check on Lucy when she had been severely injured. The arrogant, foolhardy Laxus she had grown up with had changed for the better.

It reminded her of another person who she had always been at odds with during her childhood.

Mirajane exhaled deeply as the pair remained quiet, letting the empty silence of the guildhall fill the air between them until it became unbearable. “She was there for me,” Mirajane finally murmured, her words easily picked up by Laxus’ astute hearing.

“Hn?”

“Erza.” She choked back the lump in her throat. “When I thought Lisanna had died in my arms, Elfman had been overwhelmed with guilt. All I could do was try to keep myself together for him.”

He folded his arms over his chest and leaned his hip against the bar.

“I didn’t have the luxury of letting go and grieving openly,” she confessed. “Because if I showed him how sad I was, if I showed him how weak I was in the face of Lisanna’s death, I wasn’t sure what that would do to him. He was the only family I had left, and he was going through something that I couldn’t even imagine. How could I let him hurt more than he already was?”

“The kids fine,” the lightning mage argued softly. “He came out all right.”

“Yeah,” she agreed with a sad smile. “I have Erza to thank for that.”

He raised a brow in question.

“It’s true that she and I fought a lot when we were kids.” He scoffed at that, earning him a playful glare. “We fought about pretty much everything. But when I was at my lowest, when my sister was dead and my brother an emotional wreck, it was Erza who came to me.”

…

Mirajane slipped out of the door toward home, hiding her tear-stricken face from the guild as she left. She couldn’t let Elfman see her like this. She couldn’t let him see her so fragile, especially after what he did to Lisanna.

No. She gasped and quickly chastised herself. It was an accident. He was not to blame and she refused to put that stigma on him. It was all just a terrible, terrible accident.

“Mira?” a voice called, causing her to pause in walking and glance over her shoulder.

Erza stood in the doorway of the guild, wearing her armored chest plate and her scarlet hair woven in its usual braid down her back. “What do you want?” Mirajane snapped, running her good arm quickly over her eyes to wipe away evidence of her tears. “Can’t you see I want to be alone?”

The requip mage didn’t say anything for a moment, until finally she sighed, her expression falling to one of concern.

“I don’t need your sympathy!” Mirajane ordered, seeing the familiar emotion in her eyes. Of all the people to witness her fragility, it just had to be Erza. “Just leave me alone.”

She pivoted on her heel, prepared to stomp back to the place she resided with her siblings, so she could hide in the room she had shared with Lisanna, but arms around her waist stopped her. Erza held her back to her chest, head resting on her shoulder, tightening her hold. “I’m so sorry, Mira,” she mumbled quietly, her breath brushing against her neck.

Mirajane clenched her hand into a fist, knitting her brows as she glared at the ground. “What are you apologizing for?” she demanded, squeezing her eyes shut against the burn of her tears. “You had nothing to do with it!”

Wanting to escape the heavy reminder of her loss, Mirajane pulled against Erza’s tight hold, wanting nothing more than to be safe in her own bed, curled beneath the blankets, where she could shut out the world that kept turning without her little sister. But the scarlet-haired girl refused to release her.

“Let me go!” The takeover mage pulled and pushed against her grip, but Erza didn’t budge.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, causing Mirajane to pause. “You are not weak just because your heart feels so heavy.”

Mirajane didn’t know what it was about those words that cut her so deeply, but she suddenly found tears falling down her cheeks, her struggles ceasing, as Erza circled her so they were eye-to-eye. Erza embraced her again and Mirajane covered her face with her hand.

“I don’t know how to do this,” she sobbed.

Erza held on tighter. “You just do it,” she murmured softly. “You force yourself to get up. You force yourself to put one foot in front of the other, and damn it, you refuse to let it get to you. You fight. You cry. You curse. Then you go about the business of living. That’s how I’ve done it. There’s no other way.”

Mirajane cried out to the endless sky, allowing Erza to slowly lower them to the ground, feeling her fingers rake through her hair to give her some sort of comfort she hopelessly needed. Mirajane wasn’t sure how long they sat there on the cool ground, the loss of her sister weighing on them so heavily she was sure they would be swallowed up by the Earth itself.

But somehow, afterwards, as she collected herself and stood from Erza’s embrace, the nights turned into days. As the guildhall once again filled with laughter and animated voices, understanding glances were exchanged between scarlet and silver, memories shared of a night she had broken so deeply that she would never be the same.

And Mirajane realized even with a broken heart, she learned to live again.

…

“We never fought again after that,” Mirajane concluded, turning to give Laxus a sad smile.

“Tch. Good news for the guild. I don’t think this place could’ve held up against you and Erza fighting on top of Gray and Natsu nowadays.”

She snorted at that. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

And just as quickly as a breath escaped her lips, Mirajane felt a sudden, deep longing for Erza’s company - her frisky remarks, headstrong attitude, and endless orders for strawberry cake. It made her heart ache deep within her chest, taking root so far as to cause her physical pain. She doubled over the bar counter, bracing herself as a wave of emotions hit her and a choked sob fell from her lips.

“Hey,” Laxus soothed gently, stepping over and laying a comforting hand on her back.

“I-I don’t understand,” she cried out. “Why-Why did this happen?”

Wearing a grim and sad expression, Laxus turned his eyes to the guildhall doors which would never burst open with the same spirited cries of return again. “I don’t know,” he said, an image of Natsu’s grinning face coming to mind.

“It’s not fair!” Mirajane wept, clenching her hands so tightly her fingernails dug crescent-shaped indentations into her palms. “It’s just not fair!”

He sighed, vision skewed by tears. “Well, no one ever said life was fair.”

As he tightened his hand around her shoulder, the hush of the guildhall broken only by her quiet sobs, Laxus knew they were facing an uphill climb to being okay again. All of them. But he also knew that when every day was a battle, it was okay to lose some days. After all, a setting sun still whispered a promise for tomorrow.

They just had to keep that in mind every day - survive until tomorrow.

#fairy tail #lucy heartfilia #gray fullbuster #graylu #mirajane strauss #laxus dreyer #miraxus #fanfiction #fairy tail fanfiction #my fanfiction #sassy stays classy #the last of us #natsu dragneel #erza scarlet #makarov dreyer #hibiki lates #lyon vastia

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