Chapter 2: A Year is Not A Lot to the Dead

Natsu's head hung low over the bar. He was especially know not to be messed with on that day. Not by anyone. Not Erza, Gray, Lissana, Wendy, or Master. Not even Happy. This was Natus's shady week. And on that particular day was an awful day to get on his nerves.

It was Lucy's birthday.

It had been and year and a half since she had died and still no one could even breath her name unless they wanted to feel the wrath of Natsu.

Her funeral was especially hard. It was the day after the got back, it didn't take long to organize. Afterall, she had nothing other than Fairy Tail. Not even a body to bury. Her grave was like all the other Fairy Tail graves, obsidian black with the Fairy Tail carved into it, but Lucy wasn't there. Her body had just disappeared. She had two graves. One in Fairy tail, one next to her parents far away.

The guild wasn't exactly the same without Lucy. After the four friends brought back news, they felt the lost a strong base on their pyramid.

Natsu was crabbier more, but less outgoing in fights, like he was timid. But the truth was, he was just being extra cautious. He wanted to live up to his promise of Lucy. He believed that if he stayed alive, then she could live through him.

Gray wasn't the same either. Neither was Erza. After finding out Lucy had spent her magical energy just trying to do something nice and pull Erza's luggage, her load had lightened incredibly. They still needed a wagon, and it hardly looked diffent, but Erza never let anyone else try to carry it.

Wendy had been studying variously on how to help Magic Energy. Despite knowing almost everything to know, she couldn't find any healing spells that restored it. She thought that if she could find a spell, she could somehow gather all Lucy's energy and bring her back.

Levy was as broken as Natsu. She cried just as often. But since she wasn't actually there on the mission, she didn't feel the same pain of the others.

Lisanna cried, too. She felt as if she was gaining a new bestfriend, someone to trust, and suddenly she was swiped away. She wondered if she had caused that much pain when everyone thought she had died.

But still, no one was more effected than Natsu. They thought it had turned him mad. He told them that how she disappeared was similar to Lisanna's and that Lucy couldd come back, too. Lisanna didn't want to tell him that it was impossible to return to Edolas anymore.

So on the dark night of Lucy Heartfilla's birthday, no one bothered Natsu. Candles lined the bar as he watched the guild. He couldn't help but think about Lucy. He missed her smile, her laugh. How she had given her all to save him. Natsu smacked his mug down. If only he hadn't been so damn hungry all the time! Then he could have gone with her, protected her.

"This is Lisanna's death all over again," he whispered to himself, except, this time there were no miricals, no extra worlds to save them. A single tear slid down his cheek. Mirajane noticed. She pulled out a tissue. She handed it to Natsu. He looked at her and took it, wiping his eyes.

"I know it's hard." She said in her soft voice. "When Lisanna had disappeared, I felt awful. Like maybe I should have stopped the monster before Elfman absorbed it. I felt like a horrible excuse of a wizard, much less S-Class." He looked at her. He thought maybe she was the only one who had understand.

"But don't do what I did, Natsu."

"Huh?" He asked.

"I rolled in self-pity and lost everything. She looks so guilty and and it makes me feel ashamed. Grow stronger for her, Natsu. She loved you, just as she loved everyone. Just keep being strong." He smiled at her, grateful.

"Thank you, Mira." She nodded and refilled his mug with hot chocolate. He took a sip.

Suddenly, a loud bang could be heard. Everyone looked to the guild's door. Lightning glowed in the sky while the wind blew it violently. It ripped around someone's cape, someone in the door way. The person stepped inside. The door slammed shut and everyone watched her. It seemed rare that Fairy Tail should get a visitor this late.

The woman from the door walked forward. She had long ink jet black hair that fell like silk around her shoulders. Her eyes were wide and purple. They shinned brightly, like amethyst.

She stalked toward the bar, her eyes set on Mira. She looked around and her eyes looked shaky. Her cape hide her body as she sat down at the bar, next to Natsu. Natsu watched her.

She glanced at him, and with eyes wide looked away. Natsu frowned. Who was this girl anyway?

"Hello, welcome to Fairy Tail!" Mira's cheerful voice said to the newcomer. The girl flinched and gave a small smile.

"I'd like to join Fairy Tail." She said, whispering. Mira nodded. She asked the girl some questions, normal before joining.

"What's your name?" Mira asked.

"Kurai." Mira nodded.

"Where do you want your guild mark? And what color." Mira said, getting out the magical stamp. Kurai moved her cape to show her bare right shoulder.

"Surprise me," she told Mira. Mira picked a random color, amethyst like Kurai's eyes. She stamped it on.

Kurai looked happy. She gave Mira a small smile. "I now welcome you to Fairy Tail, Kurai!" She greeted. She looked to the rest of the guild. "Hey!" She called. No one looked at her.

"Hey! You whims better look over here!" Natsu called. Everyone was shocked to hear him talk. They watched him as he looked to Mira.

"Thank you," she said. "I want you all to give a warm welcome to Kurai! She just joined Fairy Tail!" There was some cheering. Immediately, some people came to greet her.

Kurai looked like she was going to cry, probably from being over whelmed.

"Hello, I'm Levy. It's nice to meet you." Kurai nodded.

"Nice to met you, too Levy." Kurai said. Natsu was staring at her. She reminded him of someone. An enemy? Maybe Ultear, but he didn't think she was hostile anymore.

"I'm Jet-"

"And I'm Droy-"

"Ugh, you guys are scaring her. I'm Gajeel."

When everyone had quieted down, Kurai ordered a lemonade. She drank quietly. She picked up her glass with her right hand, which was black as night. Upon closer inspection, Natsu realized it was a glove, allowing only her slim fingers to be shown.

"So," she said to Natsu, who was looking quiet down. "Who died around here?" She asked jokingly. He looked down. Usually, anyone would have gotten punched into the throat, but he didn't punch her. Probably because she was new but it felt more than that.

He looked away. "Oh, i'm sorry, that was insensitive." Kurai said. Natsu looked at her. "Let me start over, I'm-"

"Kurai. I'm Natus." He tried to be friendly, but some part of him didn't want to be friendly. He looked away, obviously showing he wasn't in a talking mood.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Natsu," she said, taking a sip of her drink. "So what type of magic do you use?" She asked him. He gave her a side glance. Why was she determined to talk to him? Had he not given an obvious enough hint? Could she be a spy?

"I'm a Dragon Slayer." He expected her to bust out the dragon questions, but she didnt. She looked calm, as of it didn't surprise her.

"What type?" She asked. He look at her, suprised. That's not the first question people usually ask him.

"Fire, why?"

"Oh, I've just met a few. I've even met a dragon here and there." Natsu nearly jumped out of his skin.

"What? When? Where? Was he named Igneel? Or Grandniee?" He asked, piling her with questions.

"Hold on!" She said. She saw the eagerness in his eyes and she realized too late that she shouldn't have brought it up. "I didn't exactly talk to one of them because it was trying to kill me. The other-" Kurai stopped herself abruptly.

"Who?" Natsu asked.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot say."

"Who?" She have him a sad look.

"I cannot give a name but it is not the dragon you seek." She turned glumly to her drink. Natsu glared at her. He felt he had the right to know. He was a dragon slayer, he should know where the dragons are.

He was going to get it out of Kurai one way or another. He needed to know. He glanced at her. She had her hood drawn back, and pushed behind her arms. Natsu saw something familiar on her belt. It was like a brown leather box except for it had a strange symbol. A star or moon of some sort. It looked strange. When Kurai saw him staring at it, she whipped her cape quickly and hid it. Natsu glanced at Kurai. Something was completely off about her. He didn't get the feeling she was an enemy, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she was dangerous.

She stood aburtly, laying down some cash. "Thank you for the lemonade, Mira." She said. She stood, and with her cape flapping behind her, walked toward the guild doors and left. Mira had a troubled look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Natsu asked her. "She glanced at him, then at the glass she was cleaning with a white towel. She frowned slightly.

"It's just- I never- never mind, it's nothing." Natsu knew it was more than nothing, and probably would have thought more about it, but he was busy that day. He stood and went over to the table that Erza, Gray, and Wendy were eating at. He nodded at them, and they all stood.

They all walked together, pulling out their gifts. They were visiting Lucy's grave. They did on her birthday, last year, and a couple months before on her death anniversary. Natsu didn't tell them, however, that he visited at least once a week to just talk to the empty grave.

The four walked together to the graveyard. They always went at night so they were alone. Normally, people would get scared, but it felt almost safe around Lucy's grave, like she was still smiling and protecting them.

Erza laid down her flowers first. The each always brought some to remember her by. Erza brought the flowers.

Wendy laid down a book. She stood quickly, wiping her eyes. The books were all copies of the stories Lucy wrote.

Gray bent and set something down. And on her grave, there sat a letter. Just like the one's Lucy sent to her mom. The letter from a few months ago was there but it was now just a shriveled paper. The book was faded and too faded to read.

Natsu was last, but laid down a key. He had one made every year. He read so many books of the Zodiac Keys, he could describe every single one without ever seeing it. They were usually random. Key's were continuous while the book and letter were only for her birthday.

Most recent was Capricorn's key. This year it was Plue's. While the Keys held no magic of their own, they were always enchanted by Levy to make sure they could never be stolen.

Natsu set down the key. He felt a tear slide down his cheek. His friends watch the grave from behind, as if something miraculous were to happen. Like the Keys were to glow and suddenly Lucy would pop out. She never did.

Carla and Happy each brought something. Happy laid down a fish. He looked solemn and despite his name, un-happy. Carla laid down some chocolate, milk chocolate that reminded them of her eyes.

They all stood in the rain. Soon, one by one they left. "Lucy," Natsu whispered. He sat by her grave and sat against the headstone. He imagined Lucy was right next to him.

"When are you coming home, Lucy?" He asked. When no one answered he got up, and let Happy crawl onto his shoulder. They walked home.

Back on the guild, Mira was still troubled. She set down her glass firmly. "When have i ever told her my name?"

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Sorry, short one. Hahaha! Just kidding keep on reading!!

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Kurai looked in the mirror and sighed.

"The day I need him most and I can't call him!" She complained. She could barley find any clothes to match. She had been living in a hotel for the last week, since she joined Fairy Tail.

She wanted to find somewhere to rent, but she knew her stay was only short. Once her mission was finish, her year of training would zip her away.

When she finally was satisfied with her clothes, her hair was a whole different thing. She wanted to do something pretty, but she couldn't. So instead she did a fish tail braid to the side and went to the guild.

Every time she saw Natsu, her heart skipped a beat and then fell. She would see the guild and really wanted to be a true member. One who could laugh with them, but she couldn't. She'd hurt them too much.

She wondered how she had been cursed like this. She always believed her friends would stay and protect her and she returned the favor, but along the way, someone decided that she can't do that. She had to leave unhappily. She couldn't live her happy ending. She didn't get to sit around a poker table with her "friends" and have a drink. She didn't get to run off into the sunset with her true love. She was stuck, chained to the darkness. She was afraid that if she broke out of her shell, someone would get hurt.

Plus, she wasn't there to make friends, she was there to save the Celestial World.

"My last tribute to Lucy," Kurai said, forming a fist with her hand. She looked in the mirror. She stared, not in vain, but as if trying to view herself diffrently. She sighed. "When I wore another's clothes, everything was a lot simple." She whispered.

She left for the guild afterwards. When she walked in, she got re-accustom to the flying chairs, rowdy shots, and fights.

She looked around and sat at an empty table. She had tried her hardest to become independent. She owed the guild that. She looked around. She didn't know what she was looking for, just that it had to be found.

She saw a flash of pink and her heart slipped into a flutter of burns. "Shut up, Kurai!" She cursed herself. "Pink doesn't mean anything." She saw the pink again, coming toward her. She sank in her chair as she saw Natsu walk to her. He had a goofy grin. He wore a plain red t-shirt over a long sleeved white shirt. he wore orange shorts and his scarf fluttered behind him.

He grinned at her. She knew he was thinking about Lucy. She looked down and cursed. He walked toward her. He was putting forward a good front, but Kurai could see through it as if it were transparent. Still, she found out that she had just met him on the worst day of the year. He was acting a lot brighter than when she had met him last week.

He sat across from her. "Kurai!" He greeted.

"Natsu," she said half heartily. He didn't take her hint of "go the hell away" and leaned forward, grinning.

"So about that dragon you saw," he said. She mentally groaned. She should have never mentioned it. She gave him a glare.

"I told you a hundred times-"

"Now, now, don't jump to conclusions." He said. "Now I know I'm not to know anything about the dragon." She nodded. "But what I want to know is how you met it. Tell me your story. Technically, you are breaching your promise, or whatever." She cursed how he saw through that. It took a while, but she still had hoped his dense brain would at least avoid it. He must have been thinking of it a lot.

"Fine," she said, to get him off her back. "I'll answer your questions."

"What?" He asked. His face was plain, like he didn't hear her.

"I said 'fine'." He looked at her.

"Wow, didn't think it'd be the easy. Well, I guess now is the perfect time to think of some questions." He said.

"You mean to tell me you came here, asking for answers when you don't have the questions?" She exclaimed. He groaned. "You're hopeless!"

"Now hold on!" He said, trying to calm down her rant. "I got this!" He thought a moment and Kurai sighed. "How about this? What were you doing looking for a dragon, any in particular," he said before she could protest.

"Please don't kill me," she whispered quietly to the ceiling. She took a deep breath. "I was dying." He gave her a confused. "Are you a dragon slayer?" He exclaimed. She laughed.

"Hardy!" She exclaimed.

"What do you mean, 'dying'?" He asked, arms crossed.

"I know I said i'd answer you're question but that's kind of personal," she warned. He gave her a squinting look.

"Alright. What did you do before you came to Fairy Tail?"

"Rode a train."

"Before that."

"Walked to the station."

"Before that."

"Woke up."

Before that."

"Slept."

"Before that!" He exclaimed getting annoyed.

"Went to bed."

"How long did you sleep?" Natsu meant this as a joke but Kurai stood aburtly. She slammed her first in the table. Everyone looked at her.

"You're crossing the line there!" She growled. She walked toward the Guild's doors and pulled them open.

Natsu stared at her. He didn't know he had struck a sore spot, but he had only asked how long she slept. He frowned as the doors closed themself.

"What'd you do, Pyro?" Gray asked.

"Mentioned your face, or more like pervert popsicle." Gray stood.

"Wanna go? I think you might wanna sit this out though! Your fire might have melted your brain!"

"I don't think so, Ice Princess!" Natsu growled back. Out of the people, he didn't expect Mirajane to growl at them.

"Will you shut up?" She hissed at them. She stared at the doors. "Apologize!" She said pointing to the door. "That was extremely rude, whatever you did!" Natsu remembered when Lucy told him that about Gray. He growled silently. When ever something like this happened, he wanted to punch something. He smashed his fist into a table, breaking it in two.

Mira didn't move, breaking table was normal. "Why don't you keep your nose out of this Mira!" Natsu exclaimed. Mira flinched. Natsu wasn't know to be like this to any I his friends. Especially Mira.

"Natsu," she said softly, resting her hand on his shoulder. He jerked it, an he hand slid off. He sulked toward the door.

"Huh," Mira sighed. Gray looked at her. "If only Lucy were her," she looked up to where the doors closed themself. "She'd go there and comfort him." She said quietly.

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Meanwhile, Kurai slumped against a tree at Magnolia Park. She hung her head low. She traced images into the dirt.

Suddenly thunder shook the sky. Kurai looked up, seeing dark clouds start to pollute the sky. She squinted at it.

"I understand," she said. "But right now?" The sky rumbled again and she sighed. "I guess I could do that. But you're gonna need to set it up." She said, like the sky was listening. Perhaps it was.

It rumbled again and she nodded.

"Two days, that seems like a good time to tell them."

Kurai began to walk home, she crept along the edge of the street, but as far away from the edge as possible. Sometimes, her shoulders would skid against the building, returning bad memories. She would straighten but she didn't stop watching.

"Kurai!" She heard her name. She thought she imagined it at first, or maybe it was the sky again. "Kurai!" She frowned and looked back. She sighed, Natsu again. Then she smiled.

"Actually, this could help, the sooner I finish, the sooner I get back, right?" She asked the sky, which grumbled in return. She stopped and Natsu ran to catch up with her.

"Natsu," she whispered.

"Let me walk you home," he offered. "I came to say I was sorry. About the sleep thing." She stiffened and then relaxed.

"Yeah, of course." She said.

"I still have been wondering, what type of magic do you use?" She looked at the water.

"Is there really labels that can be put onto magic? Magic is everything, but not everything is magic, so you can't put a label on something like that. It's just human concept to basically understand what can't and won't be about to be digested by the brain, therefore, magic is all. But not all is magic." She told Natsu.

"What?" He asked dumbfound. She sighed.

"Nothing, Natsu, nothing."

"But you didn't tell me your magic!" He complained. She looked to the sky, expecting it to rumble. It didn't.

"I did, you just couldn't understand the concept of my explaination."

"Enough with the large words!" He complained. "You make my brain hurt." You make my heart hurt, she wanted to say, but she bite back her tounge.

"Listen, I have something seriously important to tell you and the guild tomorrow. When I do, don't get angry, or I won't tell you. I could seriously help, but I need you to trust me." She said cautiously.

"Trust you?" She thought he would reject her for a moment. "You're part of Fairy Tail! Why would I be angry?"

"Because I have the answers, just not the questions." She said, referring back to his interview of her dragon encounter. "You can't be frustrated because after what I tell you, you'll know all i'll know."

"Is it about that dragon?" He asked. Kurai bit her lip. Then she nodded slowly.

"Somewhat," she said cautiously.

"Awesome!" She looked at him. How could she be doing this? She felt inhuman, but it had to be done. Then, she could be free once more.

After all, a year is not a lot to the dead.

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Sorry for a shortie :( Just really tired. Anyway, don't hate on Kurai, she's doing it for Lucy! I know what you're thinking; if there's no NaLu, then I'm out, but please stay! It revolves around NaLu! you can love the dead, but ohhhh I can't say more!!!!