The Black Angel [Gratsu]

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty One

The Backstory; Part 2.

October, 2010

Natsu found out about one year later that he'd never be able to keep his promise to Lisanna, because her expiration date, her twelfth birthday, was coming soon. Still, Lisanna refused to give up hope, and acted like everything was fine.

How can you sit there and act like everything's okay? Natsu wanted to scream at her. She knew that she'd die within the next twelve hours, and yet, she was sitting there and babbling incessantly about a dream she had about rabbits.

"...And then, the bunny started to run away, and I chased it, until I lost my footing and slipped down a hole! I remember falling, falling for a long time to the point where I got bored of falling down this bottomless pit, until I suddenly landed on a soft ground... suddenly I was in another world!"

Natsu tuned her out, lost in his own thoughts. He wanted nothing more than for Lisanna to get her dying wish, to experience summer. The idea that she'd die without feeling the warmth of the sun on her face, to stick her feet in the shore of the sea, and to never see flowers bloom disheartened him to no end.

"Natsu? Are you okay?" She stopped her tale and studied him, looking worried.

Natsu was blunt. He decided not to beat around the bush; there was no time. "I'm worried for you, Lisanna," He admitted. "Tomorrow's your twelfth birthday."

An unknown emotion flashed in Lisanna's eyes, impossible to comprehend by Natsu. "I've already seen my own fate, Natsu," She looked away, staring off dreamily into space. I watched sadly as tears sprung to her eyes. "It may not be pretty, but I've made peace with it. I'm fine."

"Why should you be?" Natsu was getting angry. "Why do you have to accept your death now, so early? You have so much potential, and yet you're stuck here, trapped in a cage. Literally."

"There are just some things you can't control," She explained to him. "I know it's hard to wrap your head around, but when you have clairvoyance like me, that hint of the future is enough to prepare myself. I have time to accept whatever's coming to me."

Natsu wasn't satisfied with that answer, but it seemed to be the only one Lisanna had given. For a twelve-year-old, she truly had matured early on. Natsu wished she would be able to grow up and live an entire lifetime, and he wished the same for himself.

Was that really too much to ask?

Natsu could never shake off the feeling of hopelessness at times like this. It built up in his stomach, clawing and eating away at his insides, destroying him from the inside out.

"It's getting late," Lisanna commented. "We should probably get to sleep."

Natsu murmured an agreement, laying down on the cold, uncomfortable floor. He tried to sleep, but the sounds of Lisanna's breathing made his heart jittery. After a moment of silence, Lisanna spoke. "This messed up world needs you to live on, Natsu," She told him.

What about you? Natsu yelled in his mind. He felt drowsy, but his body fought with all it's will to stay awake, to be with Lisanna with just a few moments longer. You're the kind one, the smart one, the one who forgives everyone no matter what...

"Live on, Natsu," Lisanna repeated. "Stay strong. Someday, you're going to save the world."

- - - -

Natsu was ripped out of a dreamless sleep by the sounds of screams.

Lisanna's screams, he realized in his half-conscious state. He sat up like a shot, looking around him frantically. It was still dark; it was still nighttime. Natsu saw the fragile girl being pulled out of her crate by force, but she begged for him to keep his hands off her. The guard slapped her across the face, yelling at her to shut up.