Author's note: This is my first ever fanfiction so please read and tell me what you think. I'm new to this so I haven't got a beta reader yet and English is my second language so sorry if there are any grammar and/or spelling mistakes.

While writing this fanfiction, I listened to the song 'in my arms' by Plumb and I cried while writing this because the song (for me) just matches this story perfectly.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail (sadly). Also the image(s) that I use or will be using are not mine, all credits go to the artists.

Everything happened in slow motion. The curse he had fired zoomed past Natsu who was too slow to stop it or change directions. Lucy was looking as the curse came straight towards her while she stood nailed to the ground, too petrified to move.

"LUCY!" Natsu yelled with all he had.

But he was too late. While running to her, still trying to stop the curse, he saw her fall towards the ground, a shocked expression on her face.

He knelt beside her and gathered her in his arms, trying to keep her awake. To keep her alive. Happy doing the exact same thing while future-Lucy just looked at the scene in bewilderment.

They didn't know what to do or how to react.

Future-Lucy sat there in shock, realising that when Lucy died, she too would disappear and that everyone who had died in her future would remain dead. She realised it would be impossible to reverse what was going to happen. She had come back just for it all to happen again.

Happy was by her side, holding one of her hands and just full out sobbing.

But worst of all was the reaction of Natsu. He was crying like never before while still desperately trying to say that everything would be okay.

"Come on Luce, stay with me. Everything's gonna be all right. Just keep your eyes open and everything's gonna be okay."

"Natsu," Lucy said with a small smile on her face, "it's okay, it'll be all right."

"Of course it's gonna be all right because you're not going anywhere. You will stay here with us, with me and you're gonna be just fine." he said in a manner that showed how desperate he was for her to live.

"I don't think that's quite true." Lucy said with tears in her eyes but still with that little smile on her face.

"Natsu, I'm scared." she said, now starting to cry.

"There's nothing to be scared of, Luce. I'm right here and you're not going anywhere. I will not allow you to go anywhere!" Natsu said hurriedly, trying to stay strong while the tears streamed down his cheeks.

Lucy felt herself becoming weaker and weaker, she began to feel tired.

"Okay," she said, fighting to keep her eyes open. She looked from Natsu to Happy and saw the blue exceed crying. With the strength she had left, she lifted the hand he was holding and started to pet the crying exceed. The only thing she could do to try and comfort him somehow.

"Happy, it's gonna be okay. Don't cry, I'll be just fine."

"Of course I'll cry! You're my friend, Lucy!" the blue exceed cried loudly.

"But if you cry, who will watch over Natsu?"

She looked back at Natsu while keeping her hand on Happy's head.

"Natsu," she said, trying to get Natsu to look in her eyes, "I'm tired."

"I know but you can't give up! Stay awake!"

"Natsu, you need to stop him or else it'll be too late to save the future." She said, her breathing becoming shallow.

"Don't talk like that, Luce. You're gonna help me stop him."

"Will you tell everyone that I love them and that I'll miss them?" she asked, her breathing becoming more shallow by the second.

"Stop it, Luce! You can tell them yourself!" he said frantically.

"Will you tell them, Natsu? Please?" she asked while crying.

The little smile she had had on her face had vanished some time ago. She could only think about how little time she had left and about how she wanted to hear Natsu say that he would tell everyone what she just told him.

"Natsu, please."

Natsu looked her in the eyes and saw the desperation they held. Seeing this, he could do nothing but say that he would.

"Okay, I'll tell them"

"Promise me, Natsu"

"I promise, I promise." he said hurriedly and with little patience, becoming more frantic by the second.

"Thank you." she said.

She felt so tired and it was becoming harder to keep her eyes open. She closed her eyes, just wanting to rest for a few minutes.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried.

"Lucy, open your eyes! Stay awake, stay with me!"

"Only a few minutes, Natsu. I'm tired."

"I know you're tired but you can't go to sleep just yet. Come on, Luce, open your eyes!"

She opened her eyes and looked straight into his. She gave him a small smile.

"I can't keep them open, Natsu. I'm just going to rest for a bit. Will you stay with me?" she asked, still that small smile on her face but you could clearly hear the quiver in her voice.

"Yeah, of course I'll stay. I'm not going anywhere." He said as he wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

She closed her eyes knowing that he would stay with her, knowing that she wouldn't wake up. Her breath still becoming more shallow than before.

And after a few more moments she stopped breathing and went completely silent.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried, shaking her to try and get her to open up her eyes. But she remained silent in his arms.

"Lucy, wake up! You can't leave me! Lucyyyyyy!"

He cried out, knowing he was too late and she was gone. Next to him sat Happy, crying his eyes out while still holding the hand with which Lucy had petted him. A little further away of them future-Lucy started to disappear.

"No! Not you too! Please!" screamed Natsu while looking desperately at her.

"If you're gone, she'll never come back!"

"I was happy I got to see you one more time before I had to go." future-Lucy said with a fond little smile on her face while the tears fell down her cheeks.

And then she too disappeared.

"NOOOO! LUCYYYYY!"

Natsu and Happy stayed with her crying and holding her until something snapped within Natsu.

He had just lost his best friend, his teammate, his partner, his nakama. Someone was going to pay and that someone was future-Rogue.