Kick Forty Two: To Love is to Live
Previously on FPG:

"About that, Lucy's boyfriend was killed in Crocus, and we're flying back to Magnolia in Fiore." Mira's voice struggled to keep all of the emotion she felt out.

"I'm so sorry, please leave my condolences to Lu."

"I will, bye Yukino." Mira hung up the phone, only to dial many more numbers after that.
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After a few days in Magnolia, it was finally the day. The day of the dread, and unfortunately for Lucy, the day of the dead too. To say the Dragneel's were horrified by Lucy's state when she arrived from America would be an extremely correct statement.

Not only were the Dragneel's absolutely terrified, but her parent's were utterly horrified at the sight that came off the plane. It wasn't the fact that her eyes were puffy, her hair was a mess, or her breath was plainly unflattering, but the fact that the person Natsu held so dear was shattered.

Shattered, not as in 'oh my god she's a mess,' kind of way, but in a 'OMG SHE'S A MESS,' kind of way. Her heart wasn't beating emotionally anymore, she was like a zombie, she was brain dead. The emotional attack her heart felt was so difficult for her that she completely shut everyone out of her life, including her best friend.

If you were to ask the Heartfilia a simple question, all you would get is a small movement coming from her head, and even that was confusing for the poor individual's comforting company.

"Lucy, honey." Layla sighed, sitting next to her young daughter.

"Mm." Lucy replied, sounding awfully like a zombie.

"I know this is hard for you, and I understand if you don't want to talk about him, but maybe it's for the best?" Layla smiled slightly, sliding a card to Lucy.

For the first time in days, Lucy's eyebrows rose, and her eyes blinked, at least giving her mom some sort of reassurance her daughter was still alive.

"Mom, I'm not going to a support group for troop's family's." Lucy sighed, shaking her head, her eyes looking dead, "I'm not even family. In case you hadn't noticed, before I could become any part of the Dragneel's family, the love of my life died."

"Lucy, the Dragneel's invited you to go with Wendy and Zeref." Layla argued.

"Mom." Lucy moaned, standing up in her black dress, "I'm not interested in anything right now, my mind is only focused on the part where I'm burying the only man I had ever hoped of marrying."

Layla took a deep breath, exhaling as Lucy's frame walked out of her doorway. Mira then appeared a second or two later, holding her composure as best she could.

"How'd it go?" Mira whispered, her eyes focusing on the oh so fascinating floor.

"Not well dear, not well at all..." Layla swallowed, shaking her head, "Shall we?"

"Yes, we shall." Mira sighed, turning on her heel to make her way down the stairs of the Heartfilia Manor, Lucy's mom accompanying her as she did so.

Everyone from Lucy and Mira's high school was gathered in front of the church, from people who didn't even know him that well other than the fact he played on the football field, to people still attending the highschool.

Lucy's eyes were blurred in tears as she sat in the third row, Mira and Levy on both sides of her. Laxus next to Mira. Juvia, Erza, Aki, and Jellal on the side. The girls had yet to see their favorite men in the whole universe, and as crazy as it sounds, they were willing to wait, not because they were scared of seeing them after so long, but because it was in the best interest of Lucy at the moment.

After a while, the service began, and the priest spoke words, people shared stories, people cried, some laughed, some sighed, and some just hadn't had any emotional relief whatsoever.

But it was when they moved to the burial site, and the Heartfilia-Dragneel family alike were the last one's to say goodbye. Lucy was wailing, her knees planted on the ground, Wendy lightly massaging Lucy's shoulder as Natsu's casket was lowered. Tears escaped everyone's eyes, some even turning the other way, not out of respect, but because the blonde made them hurt even more.

They stood there, Natsu's casket lowered to the maximum depth, when they heard an unexpected sound. A banging? A holler? No, it couldn't be, but could it?

Lucy thought she was hearing things, she looked to Wendy sadly, "Please tell me I'm not crazy," She whimpered, looking back and forth.

"You're not, I hear it to. Lucy-san..." Wendy cried, a stray tear flowing down quickly.

"Wendy, this could be true," Lucy turned to hold Wendy's shoulders, her eyes practically burning.

"Mom, I hear something..." Zeref remarked, leaning down to listen.

'Bang'

'Bang Bang'

"Someone get me outta of here, please!"

"Tell me I'm not crazy, that I'm not hearing something." Lucy added, nodding to what Zeref said.

"I also heard it, Mom, you don't thing he's alive, do you?" Wendy agreed.

"There's only one way to find out," She wept, telling the men to bring the coffin back up.

The undertaker reluctantly agreed, telling the men to bring up the casket.

Once it came up, Lucy lifted the door, seeing a sight she couldn't believe, making her pinch herself only a million times.

"Someone, get me help," Natsu muttered.

He was alive.

She couldn't stop pinching herself.

"Is this a dream?" Lucy wept, her eyes glued to the pink headed man in front of her.

"I don't think so," Natsu slurred, "Please Lucy, help me."