Decades Gone By Series: Insanity Takes All - Book 1 (Fairy Tail)

Prologue - The Meeting of Zeref & Lucy

Two Weeks After Tartaros Battle/Fairy Tail Disbandment - X791

     She couldn't stop the voices that rushed through her head. It was like endless banging on a drum, going on and on even when she screamed in terror or frustration. The voices always rambling on, about things Lucy Heartfilia could never forget. Even as the steaming water from the shower head rained down on her bare back, making her pale skin burn red, the voices still remained.

     Her palms laid flat on the tiled walls as her head bent and her soaking blonde hair fell in her face, making the water gain contact with her neck. Her eyes were clamped closed, for she was terrified when she opened them she'd discover she was truly alone. No one came barging in from the window to eat or just chat. And she already knew that when she left the bathroom, there would be no one there waiting.

       Lucy's breathing picked up, gaining speed each time a voice spoke. She heard all of them. All of her friends laughing, calling her name, telling her what jobs they picked. She heard their continuous goodbyes as they disappeared from her grasp only two weeks ago. She was truly alone.

      Retracting her hand from the wall, Lucy grasped the handle and slowly turned off the water. She was left standing there, biting her lip from the pain the steaming water had inflicted. But she liked the way it burned into her bare back. Even the way it hurt when she wrapped a towel around herself. Even the way long red marks lined her skin.

   Lucy turned and headed out into the living room, where she had been right, no one was there. She slowly pulled on a white dress, where her shoulders were bare and her knees down were exposed. Her hair fell around her shoulders, making dark spots where the water seeped into the fabric.

    She kept her feet bare as she walked to the corner of the room and sat down. All the windows in the apartment were covered, blocking the light that Lucy didn't want to see. It was too early in the morning and the bright sun made her chocolate brown eyes burn.

     She pulled her knees up and twined her fingers through the strands of damp hair. Her fingernails dug deep into her skull and she began to rock back and forth. It didn't help the voices, it didn't help her loneliness, but it did distract her from doing something she'd regret.

  "Mother. Father. Michelle. Aquarius. Fairy Tail. Natsu." Lucy's voice was raspy and low, for these were the only words she ever spoke. A small list of everything that she ever loved that had left. It hurt her to say this, so she had no power over the tears that began to slide from her eyes.

   She didn't know how many minutes had passed, for she never looked at the clock. Lucy heard the small creak of a floorboard behind her but she didn't want to look. It'd most likely be something of her imagination, something that'd terrify her. But the more it got closer, the more urge she had to turn and look.

"Don't be afraid," the person said and the calm voice sent shivers up Lucy's spine. Her eyes widened in realization and she couldn't help but turn, to only reveal Zeref.

She spun around, her hair whipping across her face as her back hit the wall, right in the corner, and her hands flew back up to her head, digging in. The tears streaming down her cheeks came faster and she didn't know if it was from the pain or terror in seeing Zeref standing before her.

"You can't be here," she whispered, though it was louder than she had intended. Her voice shook when she spoke, making him give the small smile that always crossed his face. "You can't be here. Get out."

"I'm not here to hurt you, Lucy. I'm here to help." His voice was kind, soft. It made Lucy's insides churn with fear, for she knew what he was capable of, even if he didn't seem like much.

She shook her head rapidly, that it hurt her afterwards. She clenched her eyes shut in pain as the voices of her comrades grew louder by each second. "Get out. Get out. Get out." She kept repeating those words over and over, hoping he'd just disappear. But all Zeref did was take steps closer and closer.

"GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!" Her voice caught when he knelt down in front of her and watched as she trembled, crying silently. "It hurts."

"I can make that pain go away," he stated, his soft voice, reaching Lucy's ears. He was close, way too close but she didn't have any strength to say it. Her eyes slowly opened and was met by his deep black ones. "I can make the voices, go away."

Lucy shook her head lightly, the tears continuing to fall. Moonlight spilled into the room, indicating she had been sitting here for awhile, and it made his dark eyes glow, his pale skin paler and his smile kinder. "No, you're just trying to trick me."

But for the first time, Zeref's smile disappeared and was replaced by a more serious expression. "No, I'm not. I'm truly, trying to help you Lucy. For two weeks you've been alone and that's taken a toll on you. I can help with that." He reached out his hand, so it loomed in front of her vision, inviting.

She watched it. His fingers were slender and the lines along his palm were barely noticeable. The paleness of his skin brightened in the moonlight and Lucy couldn't help but feel the tug. The tug to take his hand and intertwine their fingers together, hoping he would take her someplace where she wouldn't be able to lose everything she's ever loved.

"How do I know you aren't tricking me?" She asked, her eyes trailing back up to meet his. "That you aren't going to pull me in just too disappear like everyone else?"

Zeref's signature smile began to quirk up again. "Because you're not the only one who's lost tons of loved ones." Lucy's breathing steadied and her tears stopped flowing. Her eyes dragged back down to his hand and she couldn't stop herself from raising her own.

As their hands touched and they intertwined their fingers, Zeref said, "repeat the list." Lucy swallowed, feeling her tears drying on her cheeks, which left the trails the tears had made.

"Mother." Zeref used their twined hands to pull Lucy forward. "Father." She couldn't help but lightly rest her pounding head on his shoulder. "Michelle." His free hand trailed up her back to make contact with her damp hair. "Aquarius." She wrapped her free arm around his shoulders. "Fairy Tail." She closed her eyes lightly, feeling one last tear drop to the ground. "Natsu."

Lucy fell into darkness, going limp in Zeref's arms. He rubbed the back of her head lightly as he let go of her hand and carefully picked her up in his arms. Her head rested gently on his shoulder, her bare legs hanging over his arms and her arm still wrapped around his shoulder with the other hanging limply at her side.

Zeref turned and walked out the door, closing it silently behind him with a sleeping Lucy in his arms.