Song: World's Most Beautiful Music
By: Danny Olson

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~Natsu~

"This isn't Lucy's fault," Hades concluded after he finished explaining everything to me. All I could do was just lie there, contemplate what he just told me. I'm speaking to the man that created my soulmate, the person that actually helped Lucy to exist. Yet, I hated him even more because of the connection I could not understand at the time. "She only confided Gray because she knew there would come a time for something like this to transpire. Lucy believed that it would be safer if you were kept in the dark about this."

"She didn't tell me...but she told him?" Now I was furious at Gray. He's known for two months. Two months...and didn't reckon of telling me. "So, my I suppose ex-girlfriend is actually a being that has never existed, accidentally made a Souls Connection to me because I'm an innocent soul in the Gods's eyes which she is trying to break. Not only that but she was adopted by the Heartfilia family. Am I missing anything else?" Hades fidgeted in his seat. "You forgot to mention you and Lucy are immortal."

"Oh yeah, how could I have skipped that?" My sarcastic voice implied when I rolled my head the other direction. Still being bound to the bed, I felt like I couldn't move either way. There were too many secrets Lucy kept from me, too many that I was actually thinking if our relationship meant anything at this point. "If Lucy is in this weird comatose state, then where is she? How can we bring her back?" I also knew about the Gods actual reason as to why they want to eradicate Lucy, which also meant my hatred towards Daniel grew even more. The morning rolled into the early afternoon based on the clear weather outside. A piece of me could somewhat feel a tug, like being attached to a rope, somewhere outside. What this feeling was I had no clue, but I desperately wanted to relieve the tension that was tugging and yanking me. "I don't know where she could be. My best guess would be the Abyss as where all souls go when they become lost. But it doesn't make sense either. Through my powers I can feel Lucy in every realm, sitting, and lingering. I suppose the shards of her soul have gone to every Realm that exists. How we get to each of them I don't know."

"Can't you get to them?" Hades's eyes grew darker. "I can no longer pass through the Abyss. You could say I'm, well, stranded." Stranded? This powerful Bringer can no longer pass through the Realms any more? "What's going to happen to the souls then? Won't they be lost to the Abyss?" My questions were only sinking a deeper hole to the man beside me. "I don't know what will happen to the souls, Natsu. A part of me believes the Gods turned their eyes away on purpose, and that they may be the reason I am trapped here. They knew I would try to see Lucy, and they knew what I would do for her..." The power in me, which I knew now was the Balance, grew a spark in my very core. "Lucy didn't talk to me as much as she used to when we returned to Aria. But on the day of Adroath's memorial, Daniel visited Lucy again. Based on what I saw it looked like he may have fought Lucy because of how dirty she looked. Perhaps he told her something..." Hades gasped. "No...they wouldn't dare."

"What?" My restraints suppressed my urge to sit up. All I could do was just turn my face back to the Bringer in hopes he would actually talk. "What wouldn't they dare?" I asked louder this time. Hades rubbed his hands together whilst biting his lower lip. "My suspicions were correct. The Gods tricked Lucy and me to see each other on the night of the wedding. Somehow, they figured out that Lucy would plead for death despite being immortal. Without your soul, Lucy is left defenseless against the might of the Gods." The Bringer slammed his fist on the metal-framed bed. "Dammit! Damn the Gods!" Hades yelled punching the frame once more. "They allowed me to visit her dream, and only acted like they didn't see me depart."

"This is so stupid," I said, feeling something I never felt before. It was defeat. "I'm so tired of all these situations between everything and Lucy. Just because Lucy's different doesn't mean she's bad! It's getting to the point where I'm questioning if we are even soulmates. If she was never meant to exist in this life, then are we even meant to be together?"

"Don't you ever speak that way again." The tone is Hades's voice actually made me cower for a moment. His violet eyes were gone only to now show dark grey irises. This is a side of Hades that I have never witnessed before. "That girl loves you more than anything. To Lucy, you were everything she could have ever wanted. No one, no man, could ever take her heart. She gave it to you to keep for eternity. Even now I can promise she still loves you and only you. Lucy battled against fate to be who she is now. I knew the time would come that she would have to fight. I never expected it to happen so soon..."

"Natsu, you weren't there to watch what I saw. It was something otherworldly, and breathtaking to actually see someone defy their very meaning of life. Lucy, my creation...she ruled out her destiny and made her own path. In a way, she was striving to be with Fairy Tail. Lucy climbed through hell and back so she could become human, and to be with you, Natsu." Hades rubbed his hands once more together. "I have what you could say a gift. When I...end a life, I can experience their deepest desires. I relive memories along with them, and feel emotions they have felt." The Bringer bowed his head away from me. I didn't need to see that he was tearing up. "As she was dying, I've never felt so much love in a person. It was so intense that I believed for a moment that I felt the same way as I witnessed her past. She loves this guild beyond her life. And she still loves you more than anything. I don't know how else I can explain to you that Lucy is still in love with you." Deep down I wanted to believe Hades. To know that Lucy still loves me made me grow stronger and hopeful that we can still find a way to save her. Even if she hadn't loved me I would still fight to save her life and soul. Because I love her despite everything that has happened. "Would she had said yes if things turned out differently?" I asked as my heart was still torn over the fact she said no to me. Hades without a doubt nodded. "Believe me Natsu, Lucy wanted nothing more than to say yes."

What I did next made me feel like a child. I closed my eyes, fighting yet struggling against my emotions. Tears escaped my eyes and landed on the pillow. I then let out a cry before curling away from Hades's direction. "Why must fate be so cruel to her? What did she ever do to deserve this?!" I bawled like a baby. Just when I think we've passed through the worst of it, fate comes forward and throws our entire lives through another life or death situation to overcome. "The Gods control our fate. To know that besides them, a being like Lucy to control her own destiny, frightens them. She has an unstoppable power that the Gods have been deluded by this to even think about the fact Lucy has never intended in overthrowing them. The Gods love their children, but they don't see Lucy as their child. She's a threat to everything they have built."

"What would happen if they find Lucy? What would they do to her?" My voice was shaking in fear. I felt one of the restraints on my left wrist become loose until I realized Hades undid them. "They will erase her. Not kill, but simply erase. Most people know that souls will either go to Heaven, Hell or become lost in the Abyss. But there are some that will be removed from existence. All memories of them...wiped." One of my worst fears is losing my family. I've already lost my father years ago, so losing my guild would only bring back suppressed memories I don't want to think about. But losing memories...that's just too cruel. "We would forget Lucy?"

"If they intend to go that far...yes." Before I could stop myself, my heart gave way that I had to clutch my chest. A terrible throb coursed through me as Hades had to help me from collapsing. A gasp tore out of me even while more tears streamed down my eyes. "Natsu! Natsu it's going to be alright! There's still time, we can still find the shards of Lucy's soul and return them home." Hades did the other restraint so I could sit up. It took me a moment to calm myself down and stop any more tears that needed to be shed. After I knew I was done acting like a toddler, I sat up with my back sore that I moved to sit and pop my back to relive my tense muscles. "Do you even know how to fix this? I thought this has never happened before!" I moved myself to sit on the ledge of the mattress while Hades stared out the window. "Natsu, can you tell me what happened after I ended Lucy's life?" Hearing Hades say that almost made me want to throw punches, but I reminded myself that he was helping us save her. After I took a deep breath, I shrugged my shoulders. "I was in pain. It felt like my soul was trying to leave me."

"That was Lucy's soul trying to tear away from you. Souls Connection as I've witnessed, when one of the two dies, the other piece of their soul leaves the second party, making them a Half-Soul. It's a very painful process they must endure until the soul leaves them." Hades looked in my direction. "But she's still there. I can sense a shard of her soul somehow still connected to you. It's most likely because she hasn't died yet. Her soul is torn, but she is still clinging to life just by a thread. It's thanks to her immortality that life still clings onto her." Hades ushered his hand. "Continue, please."

"Well, while I felt like I was dying, I heard something. At the time I thought it was my imagination, but I heard two heartbeats. The first one was very erratic and quick whereas the other one was slow-moving and sluggish."

"Those are your heartbeats. Yours and Lucy's heart to be exact. That night your heart was going out of control but Lucy's heart is slowly coming to a stop. She's not breathing, but her heart still beats." The Bringer kept his eyes out the window to avoid my fiery gaze. He sighed in deeply, gently exhaling afterward. "Her physical body is dead. Spiritually, however, she is still alive. The timer is her heart. Once her heart is finished beating, then we were too late."

"Is all of this true? I just find it hard of how a heart can continue beating without oxygen. Breathing, for example, is very important for the heart to pump blood." I said crossing my arms. Hades agreed with a hint of maliciousness in his voice. "I know that. Her spirit is what's keeping her heart to carry on pulsating. If you saw her body right now, it's not in decent condition. She's pale, cold, and stiff; like a corpse." Hades apologized after he said that. "I'm trying, Natsu. This is all new to me. How we're going to find her I don't have the slightest clue. All I can tell you is that her heart is the hourglass to this and her being erased." I continued to speak. "You didn't let me finish." Hades again apologized and gestured me to keep talking. "After I woke up, restraint to the bed and mad as hell," I glared at the Bringer. "I felt something. I still feel it in fact." Hades perked his head up. "Can you describe it?"

"It's like something is trying to tug me someplace. You know when you lost something so you retrace your steps of where you last saw it. It's like that, but only I have an imagined string pulling me to whatever is trying to take me." Hades turned his entire body to me. "You just figured out the key." My eyebrows perked. "I did?" Hades nodded. "You're the key, Natsu!"

"I'm the key?" Hades groaned nodding repeatedly. "Yes! Natsu, you're the one that can find her! You must be feeling the shard of Lucy's soul in this Realm!" I just sat there, dumbfounded by Hades's accusation. "How do we know if that's true?" I asked becoming more concerned about what the Bringer was telling me. If Hades was at a lost, then who knows if this was going to truly work. I could be searching for the end of this strange tether for who-knows-how-long. There may not even be an ending point. "What you said earlier, that we have very little time to save Lucy from being erased, I don't know how I feel that we just have to go with a gut-feeling and hope this is correct." Hades stared back at me. "Then do you propose a better plan? As far as I can tell we have no other strategy or a single idea of what to do." Again, that was true. If that was the only plan we could follow then at least we have some sort of a plan! "No, I can't think of anything," I admitted stretching my arms out. After a reliving crack and pop of my shoulders and tense elbows, I threw the sheets off me. "Then I guess this is where we start. Just, all of us following my invisible thread to the other end and pray that this works."

"That's the spirit!" Said Hades with an overreacting hint of enthusiasm. I gave him a blank look with only my eyes boring a hole into his skull that Hades uncomfortably coughed into his fist. "Get ready to go, we're going where your Souls Connection is taking you." The Bringer got to his feet preparing to leave until I stopped him. "Wait," I spoke halting him in front of the door. "Can I see her? I...I want to see her before we leave."

"Is it the best idea for you to see Lucy in this condition?" Asked Hades, his eyes now being a deep violet. "I don't think it would be wise to see Lucy right now. Not until we mend her soul." After standing on my feet, ankles cracking and joints popping once more, I walked to stand next to the Bringer. "That isn't your decision, pal. It's not like I can already hate you more than I do now. I need to see her before we depart." Hades just stood there, jaw clenching and tightening as he was thinking only to himself. "Again, I don't believe it would be wise to see Lucy yet." I only shrugged. "Not my problem," I exclaimed in return moving past the Bringer to find Lucy.

It wasn't too hard since I needed to find the only other door closed that was being 'occupied' by a patient. I pushed the door open without even knocking to find a doctor and Wendy standing side by side as they were checking any vital signs. "Natsu-san!" The Sky Dragon Slayer announced while she used her body and the white-coat doctor to hide Lucy. "It's alright Wendy, I've been informed about everything." Wendy's tense posture relaxed somewhat. Her soft doe-like eyes fell to the ground when she stepped out of the way for me. "Sorry Natsu, about everything really, and about the news of everything as well." She tried to say whilst not wanting to mention the facts I was immortal and that Lucy was not a human but an entity that has never existed before. I just gave Wendy a gentle nod. "Thanks, Wendy. It's been so hectic, but now everything has spiraled out of control." My feet took me to the bed that was being used. At first, I had to look away now knowing why Hades wanted me to wait so badly. She really did look like a corpse. Her blonde hair seemed to have grown dim, or dull to glance at. Her porcelain skin was like wax, lifeless as her chest wasn't even moving. There were many IV's all around the bed to keep her body healthy as well as many monitors to make sure her heart was still beating. It was much slower than I remember, but there was still a heartbeat. I unconsciously caressed my hand across her cheek, noting that she was ice cold. "I wish you were here," I whispered feeling my throat becoming constricted. "But, just hang in there. We'll help you, Luce. We'll find a way to fix this." I grasped her stiff hand to mine. While I tried to warm the tips of her fingers, Wendy talked once more. "Hades-kun said Lucy was still alive. It's just that she left her physical body and that she's lost. It's true what he said right? All we have to do is find Lucy-chan and we will save her."

"Yeah, it sounds easier than you think." Wendy focused herself on Lucy, either ignoring what I said or was soaking it all in. The doctor, who remained silent the entire time, finally spoke. "Sir Natsu, I don't understand why our Light Goddess is in such condition, but it isn't my place to know." The doctor frowned. "All I can say is whatever is happening, time is running short. Her heart does beat, but not for long. I cannot give you a time limit of when her heart will stop; if I could I would. Her heartbeat is slowing more and more every passing day."

"How long have I been asleep?" Wendy perked her head up, about to speak. "Three days." Another person answered. I know the voice very well, and I was gonna find him after this and beat him to a pulp. "Gray..." I spat quickly turning around. As usual, he was shirtless, wearing black pants with a chain loosely hanging on the side of the pants. His arms were crossed as his hair was out of place. "Look, can we just tal-" Gray couldn't finish when I landed a blow onto his face. Gray flew out into the corridor landing on his back. "Natsu!" Wendy screamed as I felt her trying to pull me away from the Ice Mage. "Stop Natsu! It isn't Gray's fault he was only doing what he was asked!" Power surged through me that I began to think I was another person. A new form of magic I have never felt before expanded inside me, growing and empowering my very core. "Let go of me, Wendy." What wasn't my voice, ordered the Sky Maiden to let me go. "He deserves more than a little punch to the face. He needs to be punished, perhaps even slaughtered!"

"It's okay Wendy." Gray was back on his feet wiping away the blood that was streaming out of his nose. "Just let him have this. I knew this was going to happen when Natsu found out." He put his arms up as if surrendering to me. Gray's nose was still pouring out blood when he looked at me. "This is a one time chance I allow you to kick my ass. Make it count you dumb Hot Head." Here he was about to lay down his life so I can feel better. It sickened me that Gray was willing to do this. "No," I shook my head still struggling to fall into this unendurable power. "It's not right that I hurt you. I'm furious...but you're still my Nakama."

"Amazing." Hades was standing a few feet away in awe. Gray had an irritated mark on his head. "Where you standing there the entire time? I might've been killed since he shifted himself to the Balance!" Hades, completely ignoring Gray, continue to stare at me. "Amazing." He let out again. "You were able to pull yourself out of the Balance without much complication. I wonder..." the Ice Mage nudged Hades with his palm breaking the Bringer out of his thoughts. "I don't know if you heard me or not, but you're an asshole if you allowed this moron to actually whip my ass!"

"You said I could!" I retorted pointing at him accusingly. "I didn't mean it Hot Breath!" Hades cleared his throat before speaking. "That's enough flirtation, boys. I have an idea on how we can bring Lucy back." Both of our heads veered to Hades while he had a big grin on his face. His lavender eyes were maintained on me, like some prize that he was about to claim. "Natsu, we're going to follow this invisible pull of yours and see where it leads us. If I'm right, we'll have Love back in no time."

"First of all, quiet calling Lucy, Love." I cleared my throat. "Secondly, I'm still going to beat your stupid ass." I pointed at Gray when he gave me an are-you-kidding-me expression. "And finally, how do we know my invisible pull will lead us to Luce?" Hades rubbed the back of his neck, only sighing. "I don't know if it'll work. However, that's the only plan we have in bringing Lucy back. We leave as soon as possible with a small company whilst the remainder of the guild takes Lucy's body back to Magnolia tonight. I'm sure Miss Porlyusica and little Wendy can concoct a way, to...preserving Lucy." I frowned with a scowl. "Why did you say it like that? Lucy isn't dead they don't need to preserve her."

"If you want her to wake up with a deteriorating body then be my guest! I know her spirit is very much alive but her body is a different story. Besides preserving Lucy might also help her heart to continue beating. It may work, but then again I don't really know." I glared at the Bringer for saying such a thing. He was helpful and yet didn't have a clue if anything he's saying is true or not. I wanted to burn that stupid pretty face of his. "Fine, let them preserve Lucy's body. And before we leave I have to make sure Aria is taken care of while their Light Goddess is away. Speaking of which, how are the Arians doing of what's happened to Lucy?"

"Fairy Tail and I manage to convince Lucy had just fallen ill. The citizens who were at the party were a different story, so we had to erase their memories of the party that night."

"You erased their memories? What the hell is wrong with you?!" Gray cleared his throat. "Natsu, we really didn't have a choice. Lucy isn't with us, and you've been unconscious. We didn't know what else to do since the reincarnation of Seraphina and Talon couldn't help us. We did what was best that way Aria wouldn't fall to chaos." The Ice Mage crossed his arms. While both two guys were looking at me I leaned on the wall for support. I felt tired and was just ready to go back to sleep. I wonder if this is what Lucy felt for the entirety of finding out what she was. Exhausted, and restless. It didn't make sense to me until now of how that felt. "Okay, okay I get it. Before Adroath passed away he told Lucy she needed to find a second hand who will watch over Aria while she's absent. I have to take care of that before we do anything else. If Aria doesn't have a leader to follow then who knows what'll happen." Wendy stepped forward with her arms behind her like a schoolgirl. "Natsu-san, I think I can help you with who to choose. If you're okay with that, that is?" I smiled, messing Wendy's hair up by rubbing my hand on top of her head. "Of course Wendy. I'll be happy to have your help."

"If I may also speak," the Arian doctor said walking out into the corridor. "Lady Lucy should be kept here. This is her home and we as her people deserve to know what the meaning of this is! What has happened to our dear Light Goddess?" Hades came forward, smiling like a consultant with bad news. "You are most certainly right. Here, allow me." The Bringer placed his index finger on the temple of the doctor when out of nowhere the Arian went limp and lost consciousness. "What the hell!?" I screamed as Wendy and Gray just looked down. Hades caught the man before he fell. "He's fine, Natsu. I just erased his memories from the last three days till' now. He will be told of Lucy's illness and she will be taken care of in Magnolia." Hades and Gray dragged him back to the room where another bed was. They lied him down after putting the covers over him and turned back to me. "Wendy, gather a few of your comrades to help move Lucy. We must subtly get her out of the city. Gray and I will retrieve a few more for our party to go now. And Natsu," Hades sternly looked at me. "prepare yourself to leave. We're departing now."

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Hmmm, wonder what's happening? Oh wait, I'm the author, of course, I know what's gonna happen. Silly Bella. X3

As always...love you all!❤️