Hello, everyone~! ♥ Here is the next chapter, I hope you all like it!  The Volleyball game went great!  We beat the other team by quite a few points and won the game! ♥ I did really good, so I'm really proud, haha. c:  We all have been working hard for this first game; but we still have more to go. c;  Haha, I'm excited~!  School hasn't started for us yet, thank god! -.-  I don't wanna go back! :P

A song is in the multimedia to go with this chapter!  I think it fits really well~!  Please enjoy, ne? c:

I dedicate this chapter to FlamesxKeys. c:  She has some good NaLu fan fictions, so go check them out!♥  I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and remember; feedback is very much appreciated! Until next time, minna~!

--я y - c н α η ;

❤ т н є   и α ℓ υ   ω я ι т є я ❤

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"How is she, Natsu?"  Makarov asked.

Everyone listened in as Natsu scootched out the chair, sitting down in it.

He shook his head.

Everyone sighed, and the exceeds' tails drooped as they stood on the table everyone was gathering around.

"It'll take time for Lucy to recover from this."  Erza replied, her arms crossed.

"But Lucy's been sleeping on-and-off for two days already!"  Happy exclaimed.

Everyone looked solemn, as Erza turned to Happy.  "If you put yourself in Lucy's position, I think it'll make more sense."

"Poor Lu-chan..."  Levy murmured, looking down at the ground sadly.

Natsu was staring off into space, his expression pained.  The whole thing was explained by Lucy, from the riddle's meaning to Mai's ancestry and her purpose in Earthland.  By the time Erza, Gray, and Wendy had arrived, Lucy had been an unconscious wreck.  Natsu had to explain what had happened for her, and the rest of them had been shocked.  Natsu was pretty beaten up from his battle with Renold, who had ended up disappearing after he fell through all the floors of his headquaters in result of Natsu's magic.

"And when she isn't sleeping, she's barely responsive."  Gray added, and Natsu returned back to the conversation.

"Lucy might be too far gone."

Everyone turned to look at Master in surprise.

Makarov continued without lifting his head.  "When you all came back to the guild, and I looked into Lucy's eyes, I saw a sorrow there not even I have experienced."

"She just lost a loved one."  Gajeel replied gruffly.  "Haven't you lost a loved one too, Old Man?"

Levy scolded him.

Makarov opened one eyelid.  "Of course I have.  But it isn't Lucy's sorrow for loosing Mai that I haven't experienced.  It's the loneliness she feels right now."

"Which I don't get!"  Carla replied.  "Lucy knows that we're all here for her!"

Makarov turned to Carla.  "That may be true, but Lucy is in too deep of a depression not even we can lift her from.  Until she cheers up, we can't do anything."

"Can't do anything..."  Natsu muttered, frustrated.

Everyone turned to him.

Natsu clenched his hand tightly as it rested on the table.  "I hate it!  Lucy's going through this, and I can't do anything to help her!"

"Natsu..."  Happy murmured, his expression sad.

Everyone looked at Natsu with sad expressions.

Natsu abruptly stood from his chair, making it slide backwards.  Walking towards the door, his shoulders were slumped.

"I need some air..."  Natsu mumbled, shoving the guild doors open and letting them slam behind him with a bang.

"It must be hard for Natsu, too."  Levy replied as they all stared after him.  "Knowing how he feels about Lucy, he must feel in turmoil right now."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

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Lucy laid in bed, not bothering to brush away the hair that laid slightly over and off to the side of her eyes.  She was laying on her side, her back facing the window.  Lucy's arms were out in front of her, and one leg was raised higher than the other; her hair was sprawled out all over the pillow, covering it with blonde locks.  Her exposed arm showed that she didn't even bother to change, and was still in the torn clothes she had on from the battle with Renold.

The last two days had been numb and cold; Lucy didn't care about time right now.  Lucy had fallen into a routine; she would wake up, get a glass of water and some food, and then right back to bed.  She couldn't describe the feeling she felt all the time; it was like she was empty, but at the same time as focused as possible.  But that all changed when Lucy replayed everything that had happened from that day, three days ago.  Lucy felt a pain in her chest so great it hurt to swallow; all the while remembering Mai's childish expression.  

Was this what it was like to grieve?

Was this what Lucy had felt when her mother had died?

No...it was more emotional, since Lucy had been small then.  But now that she was as old as she was, Lucy could understand more.  It was like a knife to the chest; over and over.

She wanted Mai back.

Clenching her hand tighter, Lucy held something in it that resided right next to her body.

Mai's dress.

It was the dress that Mai had arrived in, and it was dirt stained and ripped from the quarrels from Venom Strike.  Natsu had found it in the room, and given it to Lucy in the beginning of her depressed-state.  He hadn't said where he had found it, and Lucy didn't ask.

She hadn't let go of it since.

Lucy's eyes were cloudy, and no light shined through them.  There was no reflection; just dull brown orbs as Lucy was locked in a furocious battle with her thoughts.  Her eyes were slightly narrowed, but that was because Lucy was beginning to wonder if she should close them.  All Lucy wanted to do was sleep.  She could see Mai in her dreams, and wouldn't have to face the horror of reality as she slept.  It was what Lucy wanted; she didn't care about anything else.

However, the old Lucy remained in the far back of her consciousness and behind a fog.  In the back of her mind Lucy wondered if she would stay like this for who knows how long.

Lucy thought so.

Feeling a cold chill run up her spine, Lucy buried herself deeper into the covers, making them rustle in the silence.  Without knowing it, Lucy had been crying, but without sobs or sniffles.  Her tears had fell sideways down her face, and landed on her pillow silently.  It was as if Lucy was now mechanic; she didn't react to anything.  Life was going on outside Lucy's apartment, yet Lucy was stuck in the past.  People moved through the hours, and even her friends at the guild were continuing to move forward.

However, Lucy didn't think she could.

Would she go through this forever, making it through the day but being so grief stricken she wouldn't return back to her normal self?  Lucy didn't even know what her normal self was anymore; and she didn't care.  If she was going to stay in this state, Lucy didn't mind.

Whatever it took to make the pain go away.

She didn't want to feel anything anymore, because all she felt now was pain.

Lucy curled into a ball, pressing Mai's dress to her chest.  However, as Lucy drifted off once more to try and sleep the numbness away, she didn't have any dreams.

None about Mai.

None about happiness.

Just dreamless; black.

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Natsu was going to try again; it was the third day back, and Lucy was still unresponsive.  

Natsu wanted to get through to Lucy, and he wanted to see her smile again.  He wanted to see her fussing over the fact he and Happy intruded in her room, and he wanted to hear Lucy's laugh again.  Natsu wanted to go on missions with her again, and have fun just like they did before this whole mess started.  He wanted Lucy to be happy again.

But most of all, Natsu just wanted his Lucy back.

As he stared up at Lucy's apartment window from outside, Natsu's expression was neutral as the wind blew, moving his hair and clothing.  Jumping up onto the window sill, Natsu quietly slid in and peaked down at Lucy, who was in bed.

Sleeping.

Again.

Sighing, Natsu jumped over Lucy and landed on the floor on his feet next to the bed.  He barely made a sound, and he turned to look back at Lucy.  The evening sunlight reflect off her features, but it didn't bring back the happiness that used to exist on Lucy's face.  Even in her sleep, Natsu saw Lucy's expression was dull and sorrowed.

Natsu looked her over, and saw she was still holding onto Mai's dress, and in a death-grip.  Seeing that, Natsu realized she had been in the same position since he visited her this morning, which meant she had been sleeping her feelings away all day and hadn't done anything.  Knowing that, Natsu's heart sunk in helplessness.

Dropping down to his knees, Natsu was eye level with Lucy's sleeping figure, which was breathing slowly and shallowly under the covers.  Natsu reached over, moving the hair away from her eyes and tucking it behind her ear.  Was she so much in this state that she didn't bother with the little things to make herself comfortable?  Natsu already knew that Lucy hadn't changed from her clothes yet, despite a few bandages already healing her wounds.

"You're cold, Lucy..."  Natsu murmured, his eyes shaking slightly as he brushed his fingers against her cheek.

She indeed was cold.  Which was odd, since she was under the double sheets of her bed spread.  Natsu would bet even Lucy's skin under the covers was cold, too.  Feeling conflicted, Natsu rested his hand over Lucy's; on the one that was hanging onto Mai's tattered dress.  Sighing, Natsu's expression was strained as he looked at Lucy's sleeping face.

"Even though you're sleepin' Luce, I feel like I need to tell you this now."  Natsu murmured, looking out the window.  "When you disappeared back at the ruins, I thought you were dead."  His voice faltered when he said 'dead'.  

"I thought I had lost something I would never get back,"  Natsu continued.  "Something I would never see again.  I realized then that you mean too much to me to lose; not now, not ever.  So when Loren told me you were able to be safed, I never felt more determined than then."

Natsu swallowed, taking Lucy's hand in both of his, trying to warm her up with his heat.

"I never felt a decrease in energy, because I needed to save you.  Because...If I didn't I would never let myself live it down.  Not only that, but I realized back then I couldn't live without you in my life as the idiot Luce I know."  Natsu grinned slightly, still talking lowly.  "Oi; you remember when I found you?  I felt intense relief to see my Lucy okay.  I was so happy to see that you weren't gone, and that I could protect you forever.  So..."  Natsu wandered off, his expression tightening in strain.

"...Know that I'm not going to leave you too, Lucy.  I didn't know you had been so lonely.  I'm sorry for being so oblivious...just..."  Natsu paused, his hands shaking.  "...let me know that you'll make it through this.  I couldn't bear to see you like this for the rest of your life.  I want to see you laughing again; I want to see the crazy Luce I know; back, safe and sound."

After a moment of silence, Natsu stood, letting his hand linger on Lucy's a split second longer before removing it.

"One more thing,"  Natsu replied, looking down into space.  "I love you, Lucy."

Moving back to the window, Natsu didn't turn back as he spoke again.  "Get better soon, Luce..."

As he jumped out the window, Natsu didn't notice as Lucy's hand was warmer than before; her body was no longer as cold as it was before.

Her body was warming up again.

.

.

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Stay tuned for the next chapter, Chapter 27: The Letter~!