Crossroads

Summary: "My heart is waiting there, but can I find it, if I go and I find you, the answers in front of me." – "Tsuioku Merry-go-round" Ending song two. Based off of chapter 416. Natsu and Lucy are at a crossroad but this time he chooses to go another direction.

"Staring at the bottom of your glass
hoping one day you'll make a dream last
but dreams come slow and they go so fast

you see her when you close your eyes
maybe one day you'll understand why
everything you touch surely dies"

"Is that how you say goodbye," she yelled the question to the two in front of her, the tears still in her eyes. She had finally caught up to them. The nerve of that pink haired, pyromaniac, letter leaving, a brief one at that, idiot oh and the flying cat too.

He still hadn't turned around, neither had Happy. He just stood there as frozen as he was when like the first time he encountered Gray's father. He just couldn't look back now…not even if it was for her.

"Look at me, dammit," she yelled louder, he could definitely hear the anger and sorrow…and the need in her voice. Happy spared her a glance the hesitation was there by the look on his face before turning back to Natsu.

"Natsu, Lucy's here," Happy said.

"Yeah, I know little buddy but…I can't look back at her…I just…can't," Natsu replied trying to keep up his neutral expression. He had made up his mind from the moment Igneel had told him to stand up after seeing him brutally killed right in front of him…but he knew only Lucy could make him change his mind.

That is why he couldn't see her….couldn't look at her face…see the tears in her eyes…the beauty that she was…and all the memories that they shared…she's his partner…but he had to do this alone…Happy's an exception...the only one, he reasoned.

"Natsu…Happy," she said again, this time all anger was gone from her voice, "I'd be so lonely if you guys leave."

She said the last part in barely a whisper but he heard every last syllable. This was the only time he cursed his super dragon slaying hearing abilities. Silent tears fell down from her eyes.

Even if he still hadn't looked at her he could still picture exactly how she was standing there. Her hand with her guild mark over her chest, directly were her heart is as she looked at him pleadingly.

Damn.

She had gotten back home earlier than he had expected. He was simply attempting to leave the letter and be on the road long before she got back home to avoid all of this but his plan didn't work out so he and Happy both had to leave quickly before she saw them.

He didn't think she'd catch up to them…or at least hoped she wouldn't is what he told himself.

Happy paused looking at Natsu then Lucy before quickly flying into her arms and giving her a hug before they departed, he felt the tears on his face.

He often teased the blonde celestial mage and sometimes even mocked her but that didn't change how much Happy loved Lucy, when future Lucy had died he couldn't help but cry and try to hold on to her. She comforted him when he had to leave Natsu in the lair of the demons and he often was left with either her or Natsu when they were on missions. He'd miss her and Carla the most.

"Happy," Natsu grumbled.

"…You two, take care of each other," Lucy said as she hugged Happy back, tighter like a mother would hug her child, "promise me that you two will be safe…don't be too reckless, you hear me."

Happy nodded and forced a smile as he flew back to Natsu.

"No…promises," Natsu said as he tried to force a laugh, how could he promise her not to be reckless, anyway? He's him after all.

She was silent still glaring daggers at the back of his spiky pink haired head.

"Don't worry, Lucy," Natsu added, "take care of the guild…we'll be fine…I'm going to get even stronger you'll see…I'll protect everyone…no one else will have to leave for good."

"We're at crossroads…aren't we," Lucy replied, "No matter what we can't go back to what we use to be…too much has changed, huh…and we…are taking different paths."

She thought back to when they were fighting and nearly the one demon that nearly sucked their souls from their body. Natsu said just remember that one thing that would make you want to keep your soul in your body. Happy's was eventually getting to eat fish with Carla. She said her celestial spirits…but she had been forced to break Aquarius' key…her first friend, a celestial spirit, and a memento of her mother. Natsu's was meeting Igneel again only for him to have been dead all along.

Why did bad things happen to good people? Natsu…he just didn't deserve this, okay!

Now he had made up his mind.

A year, huh? She could wait…yeah and she's get stronger too…a lot stronger…for her celestial spirit friends…for everyone back at the guild…well the former guild…for Happy…and most importantly for Natsu.

"There's really nothing I can say to change your mind, is there," Lucy asked, "even if I told you that…I wanted to go with you?"

"Someone has to look after everyone, Lucy," Natsu replied, "and I trust that to you."

"Yeah, I figured you'd say that," Lucy said back as she slowly walked right behind him as she gently hugged him from behind. All the emotions that he tried to bottle inside came pouring down into a single tear from his eye when she did that.

If only he could tell her how much and miss her once she turned back around and he kept going forward.

He felt her tears on his back as she muttered something quickly and quietly under her breath.

He hated seeing her cry, hated seeing any of his friends cry at that but especially her, especially knowing it was because of him.

Happy landed on her head for the last time in a while.

"We love you too, Lucy," Happy told her as she backed away from them, a blush decorated her cheeks.

Natsu and Happy remained were they stood as Lucy looked back at them both, standing there before she began making her way back home.

It was only when Natsu knew for a fact that she had her back turned from him that he gave her a glance.

"We're partners, Lucy," he told her even if she couldn't hear him, "never forget that and I'll never forget what you told me, today or the day Igneel died."

With that the inseparable original team went their separate ways.

If only for a year.

"Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
only hate the road when you're missin' home
only know you love her when you let her go

and you let her go"

-"Let her go" Passenger