•••

"W-What?"

However, Ignia didn't give her a second more, instead grabbing her hand and pulling her close.

Lucy yelped, startled and shocked beyond what words could express, despite Natsu doing the exact same thing frequently. Ignia's actions were similar to the pink haired dragon slayer's, but his touch and intentions were clearly nowhere near as gentle.

"Hold on tight."

These exact words had filled her with anticipation and immeasurable warmth the night before, them holding more meaning than just instructions. They had filled her with a sense of promise and love, but now, these words just echoed, like a mere instruction, leaving her cold and empty.

They filled her with dread.

She shook her head, lifting up her hands to put some distance between them. Her eyes hardened, when she stared, directly into his deep red ones.

Despite them being a fiery shade of red, all she could feel was chill of the black.

"Wait-What do you think you're—!"

Her pleas dissolved into a nothingness, when Ignia smirked and took off, high up in the sky. Her screams fell short in comparison to the howling wind, which slapped her face painfully while he took her to who knows where.

Everything around was a blur, the swirling colours making her nauseous. However, as soon as it had started, it stopped too.

He let her go, jerking her off of him. Lucy, already dizzy from moments before, fell to the ground painfully, scraping her knee and palms in the process. Pain soared in her left arm and she gasped, clutching it with her right one.

"So weak." Ignia chuckled. "You'd be fun."

She glared at him, her hardened dark eyes boring into his amused, red ones. She got up, and stood straight and poised, showing that she wasn't scared.

She will never show that she was scared.

She was not weak.

"Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?"

Ignia stopped chuckling and raised his eyebrows at her, surprised at her behaviour.

"Tsk..I thought you were easy. Guess not..."

And then he laughed, sending chills down her spine, not in a good way.

"That's what'll make it more satisfying."

"Why did you bring me here?" She repeated, and it took everything in her not to break down from the fear and the unknown. She kept up her façade of the tough, hoping, praying that it'll all be alright.

He strutted over to a broken bench, leaving his footprints on the light snow, while Lucy took in her surroundings. Gone was the sparkling, frozen lake of Magnolia and the beautiful, light snow, for now, debris and darkness surrounded them. However, it not that dark to hide the fact that they were on the terrace of an abandoned building.

Tears formed in her eyes and she could feel panic building up, something in her chest constricting and twisting painfully.

Lucy recognised this place.

"Place bringing back memories?"

She stared wide eyed at his smirking face, unable to believe what he said.

"How do you know about this?"

"I told you I have my ways. Now.."

He raised his hand, directing it towards her. Fire erupted and charged straight for Lucy and she was so frozen in shock, that all she could do was stare at the approaching attack.

It hit her, burning away at her side. She yelled and gasped from the pain, tears trickling down from her eyes.

"Oh imagine how tragic it'll be.." he began. "When the beloved writer Lucy Heartfilia is found dead in the same place where her entire world was torn apart in an instant."

Lucy eyed him with hatred, clutching her bleeding and burnt side and trying to take deep breaths. Ignia smiled evilly, before raising his hand up again, ready to attack.

But this time she was ready. If she has survived fire once, she can survive it again.

Though wounded, she dodged his attack, landing painfully to her injured side. A painful gasp escaped her while she tried to even her breathing and control the surging pain. But, it all soon went to a waste when she felt her right calf burning and stinging, causing her to yelp.

"Tsk tsk tsk..hurts doesn't it?"

She kept quiet, ignoring his teasing remarks. She don't know why he was doing this, and what she could've possibly done to make him to do this to her. But all that mattered right now was to survive all of this.

He stood over her heavily breathing petite figure, casting a dark shadow all over her body. She glanced at him again, only to see that he had his hand up again.

And this time, she couldn't help but scream.

"Now you must be wondering why I'm doing this." He laughed while she grasped her new wound with a bloody hand.

"It's just that, our realm had been so unstable ever since my dear brother left, you know."

Another attack. Lucy didn't know how much longer she'd last. Even if she dodged, she was still not fast enough with the injuries.

"And why has he left? Do you want to guess?"

He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her answer. But all that he got were painful gasps.

This time, she didn't even see it coming. All she knew was that her other side was burning away now.

"When I ask you to answer, you answer." He demanded darkly. "Now, why did you think he left and did not come back?"

"M-Me."

She somehow answered, despite it causing her a lot of strain. There was no other explanation anyway. Natsu had been with her ever since she helped him that day, and maybe she was the reason for his realm's trouble.

"My brother dearest defeated the Dragon King, but never came back after that. This created such a huge power vacuum, and naturally let to instability."

Another burn.

"When I set out to find him, what do I find?" He laughed. "You. And him. And I knew that was what kept him."

She doubled over, unable to take the pain anymore.

"So I thought, if I eliminate the reason, he'd come back. That idiot will have nothing to stay here for."

She sobbed, from the pain, and from her mistake. She shouldn't have helped him, she shouldn't have had listened to him. She shouldn't have let him stay, to grow attacked to him. She was the reason his world was falling apart.

But she was selfish. She still cried not from the regrets, but from the realisation that she might never see him again. Never get to love him again.

She cried because she needed him.

Ignia just stood over her, unfazed by her sufferings. He raised his hand yet again, ready to deliver a final blow.

Lucy looked up to him with a tear stained face, and closed her eyes, ready to fall into the eternal slumber. She thought about her friends, Fairy Tail, her parents and everyone close to her, reminiscing about all the wonderful memories they've shared.

"Goodbye Lucy Heartfilia. You brought this upon yourself."

Natsu clouded her mind now, him just consuming her thoughts. She remembers about his contagious smile, and his childish behaviour, and his care and how he brightened up her world.

Despite it all ending this way, she knew she never regretted any moment that led up to it.

She was ready to die smiling.

•••

Okay so I realise it had been a while. I'm sorry for the late update I just had to get my shit together in real life.

Oh well.

Anyway, Ik this story just kinda did a 180 turn and I hope it wasn't too abrupt? I hope that it was consistent? It was tough..writing this chapter.

Anyway, tysm for your love and support. Idfk but this book is getting longer by one more chapter..

*sighs*

Oh well, I don't want to give you guys a rushed ending. You guys deserve better.

Tell me if there are any typos. I didn't really edit it thoroughly. Please vote, comment and share so that the word about this book spreads!

Until then!
Belle🌸
🔥❤️🔑