The Aftermath

…An idea, a single thought that turns into a whole story. The adventures of a character who transcends our own realities, existing in our imaginations. An idea isn't only a story of characters, or a story even in itself. An idea can be as simple as a drawing; the frame doesn't move nor does someone speak. The picture exists in its own plane separate from our own world.

An idea can be anything it can be complex thoughts or it could be as simple as a stick figure drawing. No matter how simple it is done if the feelings get across it is a success.

The idea of action, of adventure, of romance…

As the blond haired girl wrote these words she brought the magic pen up to her lips biting on the back end. She wasn't sure of how to continue, time and time again crossed out words unsure of how to say what she thought. Her dream throughout life was to be an author but as of this moment, it felt harder and harder to continue her own story.

The story was similar to her own, a girl taken in by a strange colored haired boy to where he drags her on adventures one after another. They were filled with so much joy the emotions to her were flying off the page. This was to her though to a spectator she wasn't sure how they would react.

She wanted the story to feel relatable but not so similar to life to where you could go live it yourself, but not so far off you can't relate at all.

She took the pen out of her mouth and laid it on the desk; before she tossed her body back and stared at the upward ceiling. As much as she loved to write about her past it was a time filled with regrets. Her times of being dragged on missions one after another; she adored, loving every moment of it.

It wasn't till the story was coming to its resolution that it was filled with regrets. She could still feel him held in her arms as his life drained away. He did something no one else could do but at the cost of his own life. Each and every time the memory went through her mind she felt the tears well up in her eyes. Four days she was locked in her apartment separated from the world around her; having also missed his funeral. She later learned she wasn't the only one, Erza, Gray, and even Gajeel didn't show up.

Erza felt guilty as if there was in some way she could have prevented this from happening. As if he didn't have to lose his life as a sacrifice for everyone else. Lucy has yet to even know if Erza has gone on any missions since that day.

Gray and Gajeel may never admit their feels for the fire dragon slayer but they both believed him to be one of their closest if not their closest friend. They had sworn to one another that they wouldn't let this happen again; doing everything within their respective powers to fix this world.

Natsu being taken from this world was a heartbreaking experience for everyone. He was a friend to everyone and to some they wished he was more. This being Lucy now current problem she wished for a happy ending to her story. An ending that would bring the reader to tears, but she didn't want them to be crying over the main character's death. She wanted the reader to be brought to tears from joy, not sadness.

This closing chapter had been rewritten time and time again even at points going back to the beginning and rewriting the introduction like she had been now.

Lucy could only sit there in thought, having no idea of where to go from where she currently stuck.

His always smiling face, his reckless attitude, and all the words he spoke to everyone. They plagued her mind as she was unable to move past it. She knew she couldn't change it, she knew it would happen, but in the end, it doesn't help the pain in her heart.

The sound of knocking at awoken Lucy from her thoughts. Walking over to the door she is greeted by the sight of Erza in her old heart kreuz armor. Lucy frowned at the sight of the armor as she believed that Erza was finally breaking out of it before Natsu died.

Erza was the first to speak breaking Lucy from her thoughts, "We have finished going through Natsu's place. Something we found though was an old looking photo album." Her words seemed forced as they held a strong sense of regret and sadness. Holding it at her side she indicated to the binder with things sticking out the sides.

Lucy forced herself to smile not letting her frown get worse, as she let Erza in.

As they both sat around a table they flipped through the worn out pages reminiscing on the past memories. The memories made neither of them happy as they flipped page by page. He meant the world to them both. They didn't know how long they sat there flipping page after page, memory after memory before Erza laid across the couch not having enough energy to move. Not even having changed out of her heart kreuz armor.

As she laid on the couch she reminded Lucy of a cold, lonely, scared cat. Her face seemed distorted in pain as she curled up in a ball shivering every so after. The scene didn't help Lucy feel any better, only making the pain in her chest grow stronger. Getting a blanket and laying it overtop Erza, Lucy made her way back to her book.

Rereading the words, she had just previously written she crosses them out. 'What am I supposed to do now?' Flipping to the end of the book Lucy stares at the currently blank page. She wanted to the words to just appear there even if it wasn't all the words but at least some of them to where she had an idea of how to continue. Flipping back a page she reads what she last wrote.

…The battle was over, the hero, in the end, had won. Though in the end, the hero's victory hadn't brought the world joy. He had yet to wake up having been in a coma since the battle's end. The tremors of war had moved from the battlefield to the hero's friends' hearts. The woman who felt the greatest pain was the one who he dragged on every mission, the woman who loved him. She was there as he entered his coma she held him in her arms as she watched his eyelids close. It reminded her of the setting the sun, the insanely bright light held in eyes were dulled with the passing day.

She wasn't sure how long she had been crying, how many tears left her eyes, or many people came to pay their respects. She felt broken unsure of what to do next, the constant beeping beside her being her only reminder of where she sits…

Her past words gave her no inspiration as she closed her book before walking back to the photo album Erza had brought over not long before. Photo after photo, memory after memory, smile after smile things that would have previously brought Lucy great amounts of joy now brought her endless feelings of pain. This feeling of pain though was what gave her the inspiration to write the next words in her story.

Opening to the first page of the book with a heavy and unsteady hand she began to write the opening words.

…Why is that the smiles that shine with the greatest brightness, vanish the quickest?...

A small sad smile made its way onto Lucy's face as she re-read the words. The words may tell how the story ends before it even begins but will it truly take away from its greatness? The words lasted very shortly before she crossed them out once more.

Sighing she tried again.

… We grow attached to our own imaginations. Our dreams of a brighter futures. Yet with each shining morning, the night will forever follow extinguishing that bright morning sun…

Left a sense of mystery a sense of foreboding in what was to come of her own story. Yet it didn't feel like it did his memory justice. His death couldn't be left as simple words.

Opening the story to when he first dragged her away she added a few extra lines. With each passing word, it became harder and harder her hand shaking more and more violently.

…After he had dragged me far enough from the Rune Knights he held my hand in his as the sun setting behind him as for the first time he directed his infamous at me for the first time. The smile was so bright I forgot of the impending darkness not far behind him. As the sun finished setting the brightness of his smile seemed to dull…

Turning to the final page of her book she prepared to finish it all with a few closing lines.

…He use to always tell us that we don't die for our friends but here he was doing exactly that dying for the ones he cares about. Our story wasn't meant to end in tragedy it wasn't supposed to be closing the final chapter in sadness.

As the heard the beeping dull away to a long buzz I fought back to every memory we shared. I sat there knowing he was gone. As I looked upon his pale face I saw peace, and tranquility for even in death he wouldn't dare show pain.

His look of peace didn't mitigate my flowing tears, though.

Characters in a story don't die. Don't ever fade away. Their story is forever told to those that will listen. He may have left my side but in the end, he moved into my heart…

With the final words written away Lucy's head fell into her closed arms as the tears simply flowed with no resistance.

The only other occupant of the house continued to lay across the couch a scaly scarf held in her arms.