Chapter 1: The World Ends not with a Bang, but a Whimper

Lucy felt a empty feeling in her stomach. When the day progressed it only seemed to get heavier, weighing her down. Soon, it began to bother her, so she went to Wendy.

Wendy was a 12 year old Dragon Slayer Mage. She had long blue hair and specialized in healing, which was a lost magic. She had recently joined Fairy Tail (if you hadn't counted the seven year sleep), yet she felt like an old friend to Lucy, as if they've known each other forever.

"Maybe you're hungry?" Wendy asked. Lucy shook her head.

"I'm not in that hungry mood at all, besides I can't even stomach down my pancake." She said, glancing at her pancake. Even thinking about eating made her want to gag.

"Does that mean I can have it?" Natsu said, appearing next to her suddenly. Lucy felt a ping of annoyance. She described an awful stomach ache and all he got out of it was more food? She want to smack the pink haired fire mage. She sighed.

Then suddenly, a silver hand bashed him in the head. He groaned and fell to the ground.

"After all that, that's what you understand?" Erza, a red haired mage, asked in annoyance. Natsu let out a high pitched groan from the floor. Erza looked at him in annoyence, then to Lucy with sympathy.

"I do hope you fell better soon, but Natsu raises a good point." She said.

"What?" Lucy asked in confusion. "What point?"

"You're not going to eat the pancake, I might as well eat it." Erza announced. Lucy was too scared to say no, so she just watched as Erza then sat next to Lucy, scooting her closer to the edge of the booth chair and ate her pancake.

"Come on, I called it!" Natsu said from the floor. Erza gave him a death glare. She kicked him and he groaned again. "Or you can just have it." The stomach feeling began crawling up from the bottom of Lucy's stomach to her chest now. She began to feel trouble breathing. Her head began to hurt and she wanted to throw up.

"I'm just gonna go home, okay guys?" She said. Natsu picked himself up off the floor and dusted himself.

"Are you sure you're not gonna stay, were gonna on a job soon." Lucy frowned. No one had told her. She thought about her rent due at the end of the month. Still, her head was pounding and the feeling was getting worse.

"I don't know, Natsu."

"Come on, Lucy!" Erza said, now finished with Lucy's- er, Erza's- pancake. Lucy thought. She could mope around all day in her apartment or go on a job.

"Alright!" She said. "What's the job?"

"Who's turn is it?" Erza asked. Natsu grinned and Lucy felt fear creep into her soul. Natsu picked the most dangerous, preverted jobs. They did pay well, but still, safety vs money.

"Um, maybe we should let Wendy choose!" Lucy offered.

"Nonsense!" Wendy said happily. "I choose last time!" Which is why I wants you to choose! Lucy thought. Last time consisted of visiting a small town to guard some store from thieves. Just Taurus was enough to drive them away.

It paid low but enough low paying jobs will make of Lucy's rent in just two weeks.

Natsu laughed and marched to the small job post. He scanned them all with Happy. Happy would make suggestions and Natus who shake his head, but they were too at for Lucy to hear.

Finally, Natsu plucked one off the board and marched toward them, his usual grin spread across his face.

He waved the paper at them and smacked it down on the table. The rest of the guild went about the usual things as Natsu sat next to Wendy and across Erza.

"Found one," he said cheerfully as Erza, Lucy, and Wendy examined it.

"Aye, I picked it myself!" Happy said. Lucy actually believed Happy till she saw the picture. She gulped at the large reward but terrifying description.

"I don't know Natsu, I got a bad feeling. . ." Lucy said cautiously. She looked at Natsu and frowned. He didn't seem to had heard them at all.

"Now all we need is Gray," Wendy said, her brown eyes scanning the guild.

"Gray!" Erza called. Lucy looked for him, and finally noticed him as he sulked toward their table. "We're gonna on a job, wanna help?"

"Aw, I don't understand why we need him," Natsu said. "It's not like he helps."

"How rude!" Carla exclaimed. "You should apologize!" She demanded. Natsu smirked, leaning back in his chair.

"You wanna go, flame breath!" Gray asked, pushing Natsu. Natsu fell out of his chair and onto the ground.

He popped up with an angered look. "Let's go, Popsicle, ready when you are."

"Enough!" Erza growled. "Gray, are you coming?" She asked. He looked at her like he didn't care, but Lucy saw his small smile.

"Yeah sure, you guys would be lost without me."

"I wouldn't go saying that around Er-" Lucy began shyly before interrupted

"Are you challenging me?" Erza asked, standing up so abruptly it knocked her chair down.

"What? Not at all! I'm just saying without me, Natsu, will surely get you lost!" Gray said.

"Wow Gray, smooth." Lucy muttered.

"Hey don't pin this on me!" Natsu growled as Erza nodded in agreement.

"So it's settled!" Lucy annouced, trying to settle the trio. "We'll meet here in what, an hour?" She asked. They all nodded before splitting up to get to get packed.

Lucy broke away, too. She walked along the street to her house. Plue danced along side her. Her pain was growing. She didn't mind, though, she was getting bored the last couple of days. A job will sure to get her fired up.

"Carful, miss! Don't fall in!" Called two voices. Lucy smiled at two men who were watching her from the boat in the canal as she walked along the edge.

"Don't worry!" She exclaimed, waving to them. When she reached her apartment she pulled out her suitcase and packed it with clothes. She hung her whip on her belt, and checked to make sure she didn't leave her keys. When she deemed herself to be ready, she said good-bye to her apartment and left for the guild.

The walk was short, but seemed longer since Plue had left her. The feeling now seemed to be more mental than physical. She didn't feel weak or tried, just bad. Bad as in, she had a bad feeling.

When she got to the guild, she saw Erza sitting at the bar with her normal luggage, a cart full, and Natsu leaning over talking to Mira.

"We'll be taking this job!" He announced. She nodded. Lucy looked over the luggage. She wonder if Erza had this already to go or if she had special armor for packing.

She set her suitcase next to Erza's mountain and sat next to Erza and Natsu. She looked over the flyer once more. It asked help for defeating a very strong wizard, who was know to destroy property. Not anything too dangerous , but the fact remainder that no one knew what he looks like, and he could eat almost all magic. Reminded Lucy of Natsu a bit.

She heard he was really dangerous. But she knew that Fairy Tail's strongest team could take him down, especially with Erza. Plus he couldn't very well eat all their attacks at once.

When they finally met up with Gray and Wendy, and through all of Natsu's protesting, they rode the train.

Lucy made the mistake of sitting next to Natsu, who would gag every time the train would hit a bump. She was scared he'd throw up on her. Wendy sat across from Lucy; Carla and Happy beside her. And opposite of the Asile, Erza sat with Gray.

Along the way, Natsu fell into unconsciousness and rolled about in his sleep. Lucy talked with Wendy a bit. She was always interested to find out about dragons. She could hardly keep Natsu down for a minuet to ask him about it.

Wendy explained how her fondest memories of Grandnie were when she found Wendy. Wendy told Lucy that she was barely old enough to remember but wished she could remember everything.

"I was only five when she left, and it seemed so long ago." She said. She squeezed the edge of her booth cushion. Carla watched Wendy as Happy sang about fish.

"Maybe you'll find her again, or maybe you have you just haven't realized." Lucy offered. "Can dragons turn human?" She knew the Grandnie had an Edolas human version, but it still wasn't Wendy's Grandnie.

"Not that I know of." Wendy said, but she seemed to be pondering it in her head. Natsu muttered something and faced planted in Lucy's lap. Lucy shuddered in confusion.

"Natsu! Get off!" She tried pushing him off but then he started to gag when she moved him. She huffed and sat back. Wendy laughed. "Fine, but if you start drooling on me, you're a walking corpse." Lucy warned.

Happy looked up to say something but stopped when Carla took his fish. She sniffed it. "How can you like something so vile?" She asked, giving him the fish back.

"Well, Wendy likes you." Happy exclaimed, but he didn't realize his mistake. Carla looked offended.

"Um, Happy, that's not exactly what you're suppose to say." Lucy said weakly as Wendy laughed nervously. Carla looked murderous as she took the fish again, smacked Happy and flew to the window.

"No!" But Happy's cried weren't heard, if so- ignored- by Carla, who dropped the fish out the window. Happy fell to his hands and knees. "How could you be so cruel?" He whispered.

"How could you be so rude?" She asked with her arms crossed. Lucy laughed.

"Lucy, stop moving!" Natsu croaked, but that just made her laugh harder. That was, until he gaged again. "Ew! No, i'm sorry! Please don't barf! Natsu I swear to all my celestial spirits- Natsu don't do that!" Wendy laughed as Lucy blurted all this out. He gaged again and she froze.

"Keep it down love birds, when can hear you from hear." Gray called. Lucy paled.

"I'd say the same except Juvia isn't here." Lucy snapped back. Gray blushed and murmured something before hiding his face in a newspaper.

That was how the train ride was until they rode to the other town. When the trained stopped, Lucy and Happy had to drag Natsu off, leaving poor Wendy to carry all three of their luggage. Of course, Carla took one, but she took the smallest.

On the platform, Erza dragged her wagon behind her and Gray followed closely behind. They scanned the rush of people.

"So, you guys want to eat first?" Erza asked. Natus's head popped up at the word eat. He stood aburtly, knocking down Lucy.

"Ah!" She screamed a little. She fell to the ground.

"Food? Where? Now? Hey when did the train stop? And why is Lucy on the ground?" Lucy grumbled something very un-lady like and stood up.

"I had to carry you off!" She grumbled, but he was all ready running away toward the smell of food. She sighed. Her stomach still hadn't eased.

"You guys go on," She told Erza, Wendy, and Gray. "I'm gonna go check in the hotel." She said. She expected them to say; "I'll come with you" but instead they said; "Great!"

"Take our stuff will you?"

"Bye, Lucy!"

"Hey, wait!" She protested. But they ran to catch up with Natsu. Lucy murmured something about lousy friends as she piled Gray's, Wendy's, and her own luggage onto Erza's mountian. She tried pulling but within five feet she was bone tired. Passerby's gave her weird looks.

In the end, she called out Virgo, who was happy to help.

"Punishment Ti-"

"No! Virgo, could you please pull that luggage and follow me?" She asked. Virgo nodded and followed Lucy. Lucy was feeling extremely grateful for Virgo's super strength as she came to the hotel they were staying at.

She checked in with a button nosed man at the front desk. He handed her five keys as she handed him the Jewles. After checking in, she groaned; realizing the room was on the eight floor and that the elevator was broken.

She and Virgo pulled the luggage up together. Lucy tried to lighten the load by taking a bunch of suitcases at once. They left the wagon outside and hoisted up all the bags.

Virgo had they said her good-byes, leaving Lucy all alone, on the eight floor, with everyone's keys and luggage.

By the time Lucy had deposited everyone else's luggage, she could hardly pull her's to her room. Still, she unpacked and with a defeated grunt fell face first on her bed. She wanted to take a long bath, then a long nap, but there was a sudden rumble.

She stood abruptly and walked over to her slide doors which opened to a balcony.

She peered into the city and heard another explosion. She looked around and saw smoke streaming it's way into the sky. She looked at it, wide eyed and ran inside.

By the time she was out of the Hotel, she had felt two other explosions. She ran to where she had thought she had seen it.

She was already tired, but she wanted to catch the guy, and she had a sick feeling it was the guy from the flyer. She ran past the gushes of people running to a huge fire.

She looked around. She didn't see Erza or the others. She felt like she should wait for them, but she didn't. She wanted to help, and some part of her also wanted to prove she could be just as useful without depending on others.

"Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!" She rose the key in the air and brought it down in an arch. She twisted it, like she was unlocking a door. A magic circle glowed and smoked. Taurus, a giant man bull with a giant ax, shook his way out of the smoke.

"Moo! You called, Ms.Loooocy?" He said, mooing her name.

"Taurus, help me defend the citizens from attack!" She commanded. She unraveled her whip and charged into the eruption of smoke caused from the explosion.

"Hello?" She called. "Anyone here! I'm here to help you!" She called bravely. A cold laugh combated against the hot smoke. Taurus was right behind her, scanning for the laughter's owner.

"Help? There is no help in chaos! Only strife and pain! Taste your own pain with my chaos!" Lucy whirled around but it was too late. A blue white shot erupted from the dark cloud of smoke and hit her, sending her flying back.

She grunted and tried to pull herself up. A man walked forward toward a stunned Taurus. He had dark hair that smoothed out to one side. His eyes were dark and cold. He wore a dark purple suit and seemed to smile at Lucy's pain.

"Did you do this?" She asked. He smirked at her.

"Anyone can do anything, but not everything can be done by anyone." He smirked. Lucy gritted her teeth. She growled lowly. He took pleasure in the destruction he was causing.

"Taurus, give him a taste of what we can do!" Taurus grinned at her and gave her a thumbs up.

"Yes, Ms.Looocy!" He charged at the man, swinging down his ax. The man smirked and reached his hand forward. It was such a simple move, yet it froze Taurus. Between his pecks, the man placed his hand. Taurus wore a shocked expression as he froze.

"What did you do to Taurus?" Lucy demanded. Taurus looked down at the hand on his chest and dropped his ax. He slumped forward and dropped.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Lucy." His body glowed and returned to the celestial world.

"Taurus!" Lucy exclaimed. She growled at the man. "You'll pay for that!" But she was already exhausted. Her stomach ached worst than ever.

The man smirked again and flipped his hair. His black eyes starred right into Lucy's and she froze. She saw the attack, but she couldn't move. It was the same light blue attack. When she saw it, she felt cold, despite it being a fire attack.

She couldn't move, her body was paralyized, just like what happened to Taurus. She scrunched her eyes and prepared for the blow.

It hit her, sending her flying backwards. She screamed and skidded on her stomach.

"Lucy!" She heard her name being cried. She looked over to see her friends rushing toward her. Wendy was crying her name, but Lucy couldn't watch them, she had to defend against the guy.

"Open, gate of the Lion! Loke!" She cried. She put all her magic energy into Loke. She saw him materialize in front of her.

"Lucy!" He cried, running to her. "No!" She yelled. "Him!" She pointed to the guy. Loke had a set look and he started to the guy.

"Don't let him touch you, and don't look in his eyes!" She warned. "He'll paralyze you!" He looked at her and nodded.

"Wait here for the others." She shook her head. She managed to pull herself up. Three Zodiac spirits in one day could drain anybody, but she wasn't just anybody.

"I told you before, I fight with my spirits, not let them fight for me." She said with a determined expression. She brandished her whip and despite Loke's protesting, he smile at her. She nodded and stood beside him. The others were running to catch up, but the two were already focused in power.

Lucy whipped at the man with her celestial whip. Loke smirked and raised his hand, which began to collect and brandish light.

He nodded at Lucy, who captured the man with her whip. He struggled against it, and Lucy could feel him suck the energy out of it. He looked up from the whip wide eyed.

Loke shot his light and Lucy saw the magic and fear reflected in his eyes. She smiled at his defeat.

"Yes!" She cheered. "Thank you Lo-" She was suddenly shot again. She cried in pain.

"Lucy!" Loke cried. He looked to the man, anger boiling. The man was unscratched.

"I just absorbed your attack," he said with a monotone voice. "And I realized, if I take the girl out, she can't bring anymore reinforcemets." He smiled at the last part. Loke wanted to charge at him, but he felt Lucy's magical energy sweep away. He wished he came on his own for a fair fight, but he began to dissolve.

"I'll get you!" He cried, fastly dissappearing. "I'm sorry Lucy," he said softly. She could hardly stay awake and was struggling to stand up. He dissolved. She cursed. He was prepared for another attack.

She prepared herself. One more hit and she'd be done for. He laughed without mercy as his hand sparked. She saw the attack come and closed her eyes. It never came. She heard a giant explosion, like a giant punching a wall, and looked up.

"Natsu," she whispered. The Mage had used his fire to create a wall that blocked the opposing offensive hit.

"Man, Luce, you must have made him really mad." Natsu said it with a joking humored voice, but she saw the murderous look in his eyes. She nodded.

"Careful, he can-"

"Paralyze his victims with a touch or look in the eye, yeah, or so i've heard." He said. The others appeared by her so fast she thought she had blacked out.

"We're sorry for leaving you!" Wendy cried. "I'll heal you!" She offered.

"No, their are other citizens who need you more than I do." Lucy said. She tried to stand, and Wendy helped her.

"Glad you can finally join on the action," she told Erza and Gray.

"Leave this to us, Lucy." Gray said.

"Yes, get to a safe place." Lucy didn't like being told shoo by Erza, but Wendy dragged her away.

Lucy watched as Erza required in some crazy armor, Natsu light his fist, and Gray chill the air around him; all from the side line. She wanted to help fight. But she couldn't.

Most of the battle was hidden by the dust and ash, but Lucy still cringed at the noises. Flesh punching flesh, sword against sword, fire and the air slicing. Every time she saw her friends thrown out of battle, or cry in pain, she felt even more helpless.

The man was practically undefeatable. By the time he was actually scratched, the others were worn out and injured.

Lucy mentally smacked herself. How had she not thought of this before? She had the perfect spirit to take him down. Wendy was busy attending Gray, so she didn't notice when Lucy got up and limped to the field.

She didn't care what summoning him would do to her. The man was untouchable and she wanted to be useful.

She concentrated on pouring all her strength into her magical energy.

"Open! Gate of the sea-goat! Capricorn!" The magic circle glowed and Capricorn jumped out.

"Ms. Lucy Heartfilla!" He called, looking at her banged and bruised body.

"Don't worry," she barely managed to say. "Please, get him! Avenge me!" He looked at her in the eye. Capricorn was on of her most powerful spirits. Especially since he wore those dark sunglasses, he may be able to look the Man in the eyes and not get paralyzed.

Lucy was hoping her theory of his weakness worked. He could paralyze anyone he touched, yet, when the others battled him, they touched him plenty of times without getting paralyzed, perhaps it was a spell that needed to be turned on and off. Lucy was counting on Capricorn's sped to avoid the Man. The Man's power focused on touch, but by his hands.

Capricorn nodded at her, and she thought he knew what was happening. The man also seemed to suck away magic energy around him.

"Please!" Lucy begged. Capricorn looked at the man and at Lucy's friends.

"You are truly Layla's daughter." Lucy looked down as Capricorn charged. The man didn't seem to notice Capricorn till Capricorn slammed his fist into the man's stomach. The man gasped and looked up at Capricorn. Never had he witnessed the power radiating off Capricorn. It was the power of someone desperately giving everything they had left to protect those they love. It was channeling toward Capricorn from Lucy.

The man looked at Lucy wide eyed. This time, it was her turn to smirk, even though it hurt. Capricorn took the advantage of the man's distraction and punched him hard in the cheek. The man gagged and Capricorn slammed his knee into his stomach. The man doubled over and then, faster than light, Capricorn moved from in front of him to being at his side. He slammed his fists down onto the man's back, smashing him to the floor.

The man was out cold. Capricorn looked at Lucy, and she gave him one last sad smile. He nodded, and not wanting to draw more from her lacking Magical Energy, disappearded.

She steadied herself as the others came too.

"Oh yeah!" Natsu cried. "Lucy you were awesome!"

"Aye," Happy agreed. "You were all, 'Capricorn!' and the other guy was like 'Wha?' then 'bom'! And-" Happy would have gone on if not for Erza, who smacked him away.

"Well done Lucy, " she said. Gray nodded.

"Lucy?" Natsu asked. They looked at her, bent she was staring at the ground. There were tiny wet circles appearing in the ground.

They frowned and looked at her. When she looked up the gasped. She was crying, full on tears.

"I'm so sorry!" She wept. Wendy frowned and sat next to her. She put a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong, you saved us, Lucy, you-" Wendy gasped and Lucy cried harder. Wendy reached forsomething, which was hidden by her thigh. She clutched it. It was gold and glowing, slowly dissolving and flying in the wind. It was Lucy's hand, the one with the guild mark.

"Lucy," Erza whispered. Natsu fell down next to her. The glow was traveling fast up her arm. Natsu, too, had, tears but Lucy refused to let them spil.

"Don't cry," she said gently to him. "All of you stop," she commanded as they all looked to her. Her fingers were gone, but you couldn't notice because the glow was too bright to look at. She wiped Natus's tears with her full hand and he clutched it.

"Lucy, don't, i'll never forgive you-" he cried. She shushed him. Erza collapsed in front of her.

"Lucy," she whispered. She enveloped Lucy in a full embrace, one Lucy could not return because both hands were occupied.

"I'm sorry I was too late. I was so weak. I was stupid and selfish and called on Virgo to help out the luggage away. If I hadn't- if I was stronger-"

"No!" Gray, who was from faced, yelled. "You were strong!" Happy was crying too. He crawled into her lap, hugged her waist as wepted. "We were weak! We left you! It's our fault."

"Please don't blame yourself." She said softly. She hated making her friends hurt more than she had too. "Please." She felt her left hand wet and saw Natsu cry with it pressed to her cheek. Her whole arm was gone now, and the glow was climbing through her body faster now, spreading to her right leg.

She turned to Wendy, who was silently crying, clutching onto Carla. "I know why my stomach was hurting, now." She said to her. Wendy looked up to her and cried harder. "I think it was my body trying to warn me that today was the day I'm gonna die."

"Don't say that Lucy! It could be Edolas! Sucking you in!" Natsu said. She knew it was impossible, they destroyed Anima. Still, she didn't want to destroy his hope. "Possibly, but promise you won't come looking." She let out a ridged cry. "Promise you won't be reckless." She looked to them all. "Promise you won't throw away the lives I just gave mine for." She said sternly. Gray sank to his knees now.

He hugged her too. They all hugged her now that more than half of her body was glowing, and the other half so bright you'd hardly know there was nothing left.

She hugged them back too, or attempted. She felt so weak.

She tried to make them feel better. Even if she was dying, she hated seeing her friends cry. She gave them a small smile and reached into her pocket. "Before I forget, here." And she gave them their rooms keys. The looked at her like she was crazy. Maybe she was. "There are some things that people take to the grave. Fortunatly, your room keys aren't one of them." She grinned at them, even though she wanted to sob and embrace them. But soon she was too weak to do either.

She fell backwards, dropping the room keys, and she finally knew what it felt like to die. Her body felt as if it were made of air, as if her friends could breath her in.

The huddled around her.

"Wendy try healing her!" Gray shouted. Wendy nodded, wiping away some tears. She sniffed and hovered her hands over Lucy's body. She suddenly burst into more tears and wrapped her arms around Lucy's neck, hugging her.

"I'm so sorry! If only I could restore magical energy, I could save you!" She wept.

"I know, but thank you for trying." She looked to the others. "Do not blame Wendy. There is only me. You need to promise. Especially you, Natsu!" She knew how Natsu was gonna be, and she wanted to know she had saved him so he could live safly. "Natsu!" She persisted.

"I promise!" He cried harder. He hugged her. "I love you!" He cried in her ear. She smiled. She knew he hadn't meant romantically, but she still felt happy. Maybe it was better this way, if they hadn't gotten Lucy's wish and became a couple. Now it wouldn't be so hard.

"I love you, all of you." Her body had then completely dissolved. Those were her last words, and the others were left clutching loose air.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled to the sky.

Lucy realized what the feeling in her stomach was. She knew she would have been alive if she had chosen to stay home, but it was better this way. She got to save her friends. She got to have one last time with them. She guessed it was an out of body expirence, but she didn't have a body. She was dead, and all she could do was watch her friends weep. Watch as Wendy cried into Natsu's chest as Erza clutch Gray and they wept silently.

Lucy turned and saw only the sky. She let her body float to it. She couldn't bare to see her friends cry again, so she just let the wind carry her. She closed her eyes as felt nothingness around her. When she opened them she saw all of her spirits staring at her.

"I'm so sorry," she told them. A few of them were crying, and some tried to stay strong. Aquarius tried to look like she didn't care, but Lucy saw her slightly tremble in Scorpio's arms. "I wasn't strong enough. Thank you all, you made me stronger though." Loke stepped out from the rest, he looked strangely normal walking on air. She thought he was going to say something. Instead, he hugged her warmly. She was shocked at first, but returned it. She saw him glow and gasp when she felt herself slip into his body. All the spirit glowed and suddenly, Lucy felt like she was wrenched from her after life.

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Sorry, kind of short. Sad. Lucy used all her magical energy as burned up in a Karen/Lisanna thing. So sad.

Don't worry fans, you can't keep a good girl down for long! Read more to find out what happens!