The Rosafelt [Fairy Tail/Nalu AU Fanfic]

Chapter 13: The Memories That Hurt

-Natsu P.O.V-
My eyes opened slowly. My vision was blurry and my hearing was muffled. There was someone by my side, holding my hand. I turned my head to the side, to see faint colours of a girl with long blonde hair in a white dress.
The lady in white...
However, when my eyes adjusted, I realised she wasn't in white. She was only dressed in normal attire.
Only when I sat up did she realise I was awake.
She stared at me with teary eyes, and I returned it with a confused glance.
"W-What..." I muttered. Her eyes grew even wider at the sound of my voice. I gazed carefully into those eyes. I saw the world in them.
"N...Natsu..." She sobbed, as a smile grew on her face.
That voice...
"You..." I said, unable to take me eyes off of her. I reached close to her, and took hold of her hand. "You spoke to me."
She nodded, laughing with overjoy. "Yes," she replied. "I did."
She pulled me close to her chest, and wrapped her arms around me.
"I've missed you, Natsu," she muttered.
This warmth...this comfort...
Very slowly, memories began to return to me. She was Lucy. It puzzled me, the way two pasts were blending inside my head. I struggled to figure out which one was real.
"Wait..." I began, pushing her away from me. "What about Nova?"
Her smile faded instantly.
"I was with her," I continued, panic already growing inside of me. "Where is she?"
"I didn't...want to tell you this..." Lucy muttered. "Natsu, you were in an illusion. Everything in that world...was never real."

"I want to stay with you forever, Nii-San."
"Forever."
"You're lying," I said quickly. "That couldn't have been fake. She was just as real as you are!"
"I know, it must hurt to hear," she replied. "But the longer you deny it-"
"Tell me where she is!" I shouted. "Tell me where my sister is!"
"Natsu! She was an illusion! She never existed in the first place!" Lucy cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Do you not remember? That day when you faced Akari!"
That? But that was a dream...that happened years ago...
"You've been asleep for six days, Natsu," Lucy continued. "We've been waiting for you to wake up so we can head to Ferloin."
"We've?" I repeated, trying to piece everything together. My memories were all jumbled...I just wanted to know what was real!
"I have spent every single day of my life with my family," I began to explain. "I remember every single moment, every minute I had with her..." I was close to tears now. "Nova had long, chestnut hair, and big green eyes that glistened in the sun...she loved the sunset because she found it fascinating! She's fifteen and-"
I suddenly felt for my necklace around my neck. But there was nothing there.
"N-No..." I whispered. "It can't be..."
Lucy placed her hand in mine. "Natsu-"
"Get out," I told her.
"I can help-"
"Get out!" I shouted. She flinched her hand away, and swallowed hard. Then she quickly stood up and walked out of the room.

-Lucy P.O.V-
Akari...
"I'll kill you!" I screamed. I charged into my own hotel room, and ran onto the balcony.
"Libra!" I called out, as I threw myself off of the edge. "Gravity change!"
With the power of Libra, I lowered the gravity of my body just enough so my body fell lightly to the ground. Then I ran forward, ready for anything.
"AKARI!"

-Erza P.O.V-
"I'm worried," I began, looking up at the ceiling. "Can we go and check on them?"
"Of course. I'll come," Wendy said cheerfully, sliding off of her chair.

We made our way upstairs slowly.
"Wendy...if Natsu doesn't wake up tomorrow, I think we should leave without him," I began.
"W-What? Why?!" Wendy replied, shocked. "Natsu's our friend! We can't just leave him!"
"But Makarov said the country's future is in our hands! The longer we wait, the less time we have!" I replied. "Uh, I don't know. I'm just trying to make the best decision for everyone. I mean, maybe this journey is too much for him. He's the only one who can't use magic, you know."
"But he'll grow stronger. Lucy said so herself," Wendy replied. "And anyway, Makarov said that Natsu is needed in Crocus. So there's not really much point in leaving without him, is there?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right," I said, laughing. We both stopped outside Natsu's door, and I knocked twice.
"Lucy? You okay in there?" I called out. There was no reply, so I opened the door.