This is the last day!

Final prompt is...

Journey!

I'm sad to say this story is coming to

an end guys!

Hope you have enjoyed the very first

CoLu week

and maybe willing to participate

next year, yeah!?

Sorry that it's so late, I was helping my parents

all afternoon before I got a chance to finish this and publish it.

Thanks for your reviews and support!

Enjoy the chapter!

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'On the same old road that brought me here-'

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Day Seven: Journey

~QOoOQ~

'-how foolish I was to deny such things, it was then that
our journey begun where we would face many hardships
some seemingly impossible to face
while others were nothing compared to the ending.'

Cobra stared out into the black abyss, how long had it been since he was brought here? Days? Weeks? Months? The latter was the most likely, he sighed-the small clinking noises of the shackles scraping across the stone floor could be heard, the faint noises of the other children crying themselves softly to sleep was something he never enjoyed. He could hear their souls screaming for help-desperate to escape the palace dungeon but all efforts to escape were futile for the king knew of their plans before they even began-sometimes it made Cobra wonder whether the noble could hear souls much like himself.

Numerous times had they tried to escape, all of them-especially Erza and Jellal, the two young children were always at the front as if to guard the rest of them-Sorano and him being in the back, to afraid to lead the group. He remembered the wishes of his friends, Sorano wanted to be an angel-free and beautiful, Sawyer-someone faster than the speed of light, all of them just wanted to get out of the forsaken dungeon-they were tired of the whips hitting their backs and the numerous lashings they were provided.

It was horrid.

A sudden sound caught the young slayers attention, the sobbing noises of his friends recoiling back into their souls as the room went deadly silent-they all feared what being walked into the room, for anyone who did always had their fate sealed or was sealing another's fate. He could hear the furious beating of his cell mates' heart-Cubellios, even she knew to keep quiet as she coiled around Cobra's body, and slowly he approached the bars that held him captive as he saw a faint candle light, along with the sound of light footsteps.

A curious boy he was, his only usable eye darting from each end of the dungeon, following the light as it crept closer and closer to his cell-he could smell fear off the being holding the small candle, but if they were scared why were they coming into a place like this? Cobra found himself questioning the person sanity as they stopped in front of his cell door to reveal a small blond girl-no older than seven, it was odd, he never knew of a small child being in the castle like this. He sneered at the smaller girl, Cubellios hissing at her as she blinked, "who are you!?"

Her chocolate brown orbs stared into his indigo eye as she pointed toward it, "what happened to your eye?" Her concerned face startled Cobra-when was the last time someone looked at him with a face like that, the last time someone had been concerned for his well being, Cobra couldn't even begin to fathom how this little girl was not staring at him in disgust.

"Why does it matter to you?" He asked rudely, covering his scarred eye with his free hand as he looked away from her penetrating eyes, "it happened a long time ago." Hearing a faint whimper followed by a sniffle he whipped his head around to the crying girl, the candle held limply in her small hands as she rubbed at her teary eyes with the opposite hand, "Oi why are you crying!?"

"B-Because you're hurt," she sniffled weakly and looked at him with sad eyes, "why did they hurt you?" she questioned him quietly as she wordlessly stuck her hand through the cell bars to gently skim her thumb over the scar-Cobra almost let out a tear of his own at the caring touch, his mother hadn't even touched him so gently before and yet here was this total stranger-a little girl, caressing his ugly scar. Her eyes hardened slightly and he almost flinched as she pulled away. "I'll help you and your friends get out..." she whispered quietly-glancing side to side before explaining what she had in mind.

She smiled brightly at him before pulling away and turning around to walk out of the room, Cobra stared at the back of the retreating girl, why was she so willing to help them? Criminals-no less. "Wait!" the maroon haired twelve year old called out to her, "what's your name!?" his voice almost sounded desperate-to get even the tiniest bit of information on his -potentially- new friend. "I'm Erik and this is Cubellios..."

She smiled, "It's nice to meet you and Cubellios, Erik. I'm Lucy!"

'Zeref-he was two men in one,
he had a side to him that every person feared
and a side that only I knew of.
I accepted it-his cruel and intellectual persona as well
as his sweet and caring side.
Either way Zeref was Zeref.'

Cobra blinked, he had no idea why the memory of the night before his friends escaped came to mind but now he remembered something he hadn't before- Lucy had helped him and his friends to attempt freedom, the maroon haired twenty five year old smiled at the memory, how could he have forgotten the only girl that had helped his friends get a life in the real world?

Even back when they were children the young princess was something and even now, she hadn't shed one tear at mention of her big day to be wedded to another man-something that did not sit well with Cobra. He wanted to tell his blonde lover that he wanted to elope with her, escape out of the country, get new names and identity's, but he couldn't ask that of her, to chose between him and her father, it was just as unfair as him choosing between allowing Lucy to marry another man she was disgusted by or being tortured everyday as he had before Lucy.

He remembered her coming back one more time before they made their escape, she had told him about how keys- the ten out twelve zodiac that she owned and how each and every one of them were her friends- but she was sad to say that her father had spread them across the land where she could no longer find them and if she did than she would be punished.

Cobra had never been able to find out what she meant by 'punished', he had hoped it wasn't anything like he had gotten but she just smiled and shook her head to assure him. The night they planned their escape, the maroon haired male made sure all his friends were out safely before glancing back to see Lucy struggling against the king as he held a cloth to her mouth. Cobra could remember smelling the toxins in the cloth, it disgusted him that the male had dampened the cloth he put over the girls mouth with chloroform.

She had been the only girl-besides Cubellios- to see his gentle side but as soon as she left his life in an unconscious state with the kings the harmless Erik had died and in came Cobra. He remembered how Cubellios had formed herself on his arm to look like a snake tattoo but after that she had never come back, to which Cobra was unsure as to why she had done it in the first place but he still looked at the tattoo of the snake longingly at some points in the day.

He shook his head and sighed, pushing himself off the side of the wall he had been leaning on as he waited for his beautiful lover to get ready, he looked down at the floor as he opened the door silently wondering if she would go through with the marriage or stay with him.

'My father had yet to find out about our meetings
as our love continued to grow deeper.
Surely I should have seen the warning signs,
a sign that showed a future tragedy but I was an ignorant child.'

The blonde princess stared at herself in the mirror, it had been exactly three weeks since she and Cobra had confessed to one another- three weeks since they shared their first kiss and three weeks since they spent their first night together. It was something she could never have imagined, sweet kisses and gentle touches-everything about him was perfect to her-including the marred skin created by her father's guards. In front of others they were princess and guard but alone they were two lovers madly in love and Lucy knew nothing would change that, but soon the dreaded date would come where the blonde would be wedded to her intended.

She sighed, she was anything but excited for the wedding-she finally got to meet her fiancé and it turns out he was a total 'dick' as Cobra put it, Lucy could literally hear him growling as he continuously flirted with her and eyed her body up. She wanted nothing more than to tell the perverted male to screw himself but alas, she was a 'lady' and ladies didn't tell people to screw themselves. Lucy licked her dry lips nervously, she still wasn't sure what to do-she wanted to be happy with Cobra for the rest of her life but how was she supposed to escape her fiancé, her father had been watching her more closely as of late and had upped her guards to more than just her maroon haired lover.

She had brought up the subject to Cobra multiple times over the past three weeks they had been together but each time she had he would look away from her pleading eyes or tell her that it was her decision-her life and she should decide on her own. When she tried to argue back and say it was not just her life anymore but both of theirs he would ignore her and turn away, signaling the end of the conversation.

Running her brush through her hair Lucy frowned, she still hadn't decided and the day she would be married off was quickly approaching-something that added to the pressure the blonde princess was feeling. She wasn't sure how she was going to tell him, the big secret she had kept from him for the past few days and though it was hard to do considering the man could see every bit of her pure soul, she knew she needed to do it at some point. Sighing as the door clicked open she turned in her chair to see the man in question, he smiled and approached her.

"You look beautiful, Bright Eyes."

'It was then that the day
July 3rd of X686 had arrived.
Zeref, as futile as it was, protested my arranged marriage
and said he would prevent my happiness from being shattered.
Oh, Zeref-how I wish I could have kept your light from fading.'

The king stood at the end of the aisle as he waited for his daughter and the prisoner to come and meet him, everything was going smoothly and nothing had happened as of yet to disturb the wedding but Jude had a sickly feeling that something was going to happen the moment the ceremony started. He was already nervous as is with Lucy's fiancé standing impatiently at the end of the aisle, the noble guest-half of their names gone unknown to him- were waiting with bored looks on their faces,

Briefly, the king wondered whether his daughter had run off last minute but quickly dismissed the crazed thought, his daughter knew of the consequences that would be brought upon her had she decided to escape her wedding with the duke- it would be a indefinite death wish had she of done what he feared but as he glanced to the side his eyes crinkled in delight to see his daughter-her guard not far behind.

"Lucy I see you have decided to go through with your marriage," his joyful smile did not prod any response from the young princess as she simply looked away with a scowl on her face and looped her arm with his. Jude frowned slightly at her ignorant behavior and nudged her slender side tightly covered with a corset, "will you not say anything to your father before you are a married woman, Lucy?" Finally she turned her hatred-filled brown eyes to look into his dark ones,

"You are not my father," she spat simply to him-shocking him with her malice filled voice, "my father died along with my mother. You are just a monster taking shape of his body." Narrowing his eyes he gripped her chin and turned to fully face her, a hardened look in his eyes as he stared at his defiant daughter,

"I am your father- and must you bring up Layla the day of your wedding!?"

"Why can I not!?" She said in a grating voice, "If anything you should not be speaking the queens name so freely,"

"I was her husband and am the kin-"

"That's exactly it," she told him, a sarcastic smirk on her face, "you were her husband and you married into this family-you were never anything more than a servant boy before Mama fell in love with you but the difference between you and the last king is that he was loving no matter what and allowed his daughter to marry who she pleased."

"And what would you know about a poor life huh!? You were a princess for your whole life and had no worries!?"

"No worries!?" She laughed, her father was being quite amusing today and already she could feel the tenseness radiating off her current lover as she glared at the king, "I had to worry whether my own father loved me or not, whether it was all a lie while my mother was alive or if he was willing to kill me to keep me away from things he wished me not to see or know!"

"You are nothing more than a spoiled brat!" He growled as the organ began to play. She smirked, a devious glint in her eye as she spat on his shoe without a care as to who saw,

"Fuck you."

'Zeref-my love.
If ever were you to find this,
I want you to know that our child shall stay safe with me.
I wish for you to keep me in your heart
and watch over our family for all of eternity.'

Her father's arm was gripping her own tightly as he forcefully dragged her down the aisle to her soon-to-be husband, he disgusted her to the very core of her being as the wrinkled face of the thirty five year old smiled, his tongue slipping out between his lips to lick them and dampen the soft flesh as he stared her up and down. Lucy could hear Cobra growling at his lust-filled gaze, she wasn't the only one who wanted to rip the male's genitals off with a steak knife but she needed to stay come.

Mavis forbid this man to touch her against her will.

Her father smiled against her ear as he whispered, "he'll fuck you enough-don't worry about me my dear daughter..." She almost threw up right then, a small tear slipping from her eyes as she stared up at the sunny sky. She hoped her mother wasn't watching this pitiful moment in her life, Layla had wanted her to be happy. Now she stood before the elder male-soon to be her husband and king of her home, her stomach rolling uncomfortably as she turned her eyes away from the male to look at her love.

The priest speaking words out to both them and the crowd of nobles gathered around them, she could see the fury within Cobra's indigo eye, she loved the man so much but he would have nothing more than bad luck if he were to love her any longer. Maybe this was the best, she decided that she would marry the sick pervert in front of her to set Cobra free, he could find another person to love and cherish more than her because though she was going to become the queen she was not allowed to have a male to act like a mistress like the future king could, she was a lady and they could not have affairs like the men.

A tear trailed down the side of her pale face as the priest finally asked if anyone was against their marriage, a slight silence descending upon the group of nobles and few lucky servants before...

"I'm against this marriage!"

'Do you remember Zeref,
we promised to go on a journey together?
We have a family now and even if you're not with me
you will always be my only.'

Cobra raised his hand high and proudly as he stepped forward, as soon as the tear spilled over Lucy's cheek the maroon haired male couldn't stand by anymore. He smirked as he saw the blonde princess drop the elder males hands and turned to him with a happy smile plastered on his face that did not go unnoticed to any of the present parties at the wedding, each and every noble stared at the pair in shock as they watched the scene unfold-nobody had suspected the ex-prisoner to object to their princess' marriage.

He glared challengingly at the elder man who glared back with just as much intensity, Cobra could hear every sick and twisted though his soul had screamed as he gazed lustfully at his mate and his lover-ignoring Lucy's obviously uncomfortable state of mind as she stood their sweating bullets in front of him. He wanted nothing more than to punch over half of the guests at this wedding but he was more than happy to settle with Jude and the sick fuck in front of him, Cobra's eyes narrowed at the priest,

"Isn't a marriage supposed to be done willingly by both people?" The priest raised a brow at Cobras argument before nodding slowly moments later to confirm his words,

"Yes but both have willingly come here have they not?"

Cobra snorted, how blind were these people, "have you seen the look on her face?" he challenged, "'cuz to me it looks like she's about to blow chunks everywhere if she so much as has so kiss the old fucks cheek, she's crying for fucks sakes!" He threw his hands up in the air as if to prove his pint-earning a small giggle from his blonde beauty.

"She could be crying from joy!"

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah! I'm sure the princess loves to cry with a big frown on her face when she's happy because that fucking makes a lot of sense, thanks pal!" He mocked the male who shouted out the dumb answer. Really all these nobles were ignorant of the wishes of Lucy- was he and Jude the only one who knew what she wanted even if her father refused to answer them and force her to do this at least he acknowledge her will to not get married to any sick perverted fuck he picked out.

"Erik!"

Whipping around he stared in surprise as Lucy pushed him out of the way of an incoming arrow, and he watched in horror as the love of his life took the arrow with a painful cry and fell backwards.

Red, crimson blood staining her white dress.

With blood tears falling from her pain filled face.

His whole world seemed to go blank in that moment.

'I miss you Zeref,
our little boy-yes boy
will be born soon and I will love him for all my life.
I fear I may be leaving this life soon Zeref,
but I stay strong for our son.
He must be born healthy,
he must be.'

Cobra stared wide-eyed at the blonde-slowly falling to the ground as her beautifully white, silk dress slowly shaded into the color of scarlet red blood, as her souls desperate whispers slowly began to fade he could hear another faded whimper come from her stomach- had he heard wrong? Or was the small whimper coming from not the blondes soul-but her womb. The arrow piercing the flesh of her stomach was what made him snap out of his initial shock, the love of his life was laying there on the ground, the life slowly fading form her beautiful brown eyes.

Dropping to his knees, he ignored the screams from the guards to get away from the princess-he didn't care whether he was shot or not as he placed his hand over the spot on her womb-where the faint cry of an extra soul resided. Tears pricked at his eyes at the thought, they had created something beautiful and now, the beautiful something was going to die because of him. The tears spilled over as he let out a pain-filled sob, resting his head against his dying lover's stomach. "Why!?"

His anguished cry resounded around the garden, the love of his life and now his unborn child was dying, he was losing two things that are and would be the most important things in his life, he would give up his life if it meant they could live a happy life, even if it meant with another man or without him being around, for Mavis sake why couldn't have been him!? 'Erik...' he sniffled and turned to look at his beautiful lover, a small trail of crimson liquid spilling from her eyes as she cried-all the while a weak smile on her lips. 'You know I love you Erik,' shakily he brought her knuckles up to his mouth to kiss them lightly, his lower lip trembling the shallower her breaths became.

"P-Please don't leave me Bright Eyes," he whimpered helplessly as he buried his face into her stomach, her now crimson colored dress staining his clothes, "please, not now. I love you so much-think of us, the baby please don't give up!" His heart sunk at the weak cough she gave in response, more blood spilling from her mouth as she did, her shallow breathing sped up as she desperately clung to her slowly fading life. Lucy placed her hand over top of his calloused fingers that lay over her abdomen, it was already too late for her and even though she wanted to stay strong for her baby she was not Mavis and she was not her mother.

'I-I can't Erik,' her internal cries broke her lovers heart as more tear spilled down her face, she wanted nothing more than to stay alive and raise their child with him but she was at the end of her life as she could already hear the slow ticking of the clock that was her life beginning to slow 'The baby, he would want you to be happy'. She gripped his hand tighter and squeezed her eyes tightly as he crawled up to her face and tenderly stroked her cheek, "I-I l-ove you so mu-uch Erik." She leaned into his warm touch as he dipped down to press a salty kiss on her lips as she slowly closed her eyes, the last of her life fading from her as she was held in her lover's arms for the last time.

Cobra's heart stilled as he could no longer hear Lucy's heart beat, no longer feel the warmth in her body, no longer hear her or their unborn child's wavering soul, everything that he had cared for has finally disappeared, the final string that kept him attached to sanity had been severed and now he was left alone in this dreadful world. His sensitive ears picking up the faint sound of arrows being positioned in the bow's. he glanced down at the blonde and slowly closed her eyes that had opened as he cried, he glanced down at her now silent abdomen and kissed it where their baby had been growing, he-as his lover specified- should of had a life where he could be happy and yet he had succumbed to the same tragic fate as his mother.

Standing up wordlessly, his bangs shadowing his fury-filled eyes, Cobra let out a roar sounding much like a dragons filled with pain as he stared at what he considered to be his mates now limp and lifeless body, the sounds of arrows being released and aimed toward him filling his ears in the background as he decided that he would soon follow the fate of his son and lovers. 'I love you Bright Eyes, you and our son both.'

Cobra had been Lucy's antidote for her loneliness and although poisonous she as sure she would never regret a moment of it as she waited in the afterlife for her lover with their son cradled gently in her loving arms.

'I've said my final farewells,
our son is beautiful
he has my hair and your beautiful eyes Zeref.
I'm sure you would have been the best father Zeref,
Remember our promise?
Let's go on a journey together in the afterlife, okay?
Your Love,'
~Mavis Vermillion

The end

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'-it's calling me home.'

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Shattered-Nightmares712: Well, that's it guys! This is the end of CoLu week and the end of this short story, hopefully you enjoyed the updates throughout the week and will try to participate or continue supporting CoLu week next year! I'd like to thank all those who review; Dragon'sHost, Eien ni Touko, GemNika, xXCelestialGodessXx, WordsWithoutFriends and VlPluvFT, thanks to you all for all your wonderful reviews! It made me really happy to see them! The wedding dress is on my account profile if you would like to see-it's nothing grand, just a simple dress which I think would suit Lucy but if you don't like it then picture her in the one she wore at the grand magic games. I was actually planning for Lucy and Cobra to go search for her keys but I decided this would be a good ending, sorry for those of you who hate sad endings but this is what i thought of! But anyway, thanks again guys for supporting this story throughout the week!
Love you!
Bye!

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