deezzers

[deezzers]

I’ve had a few DMs with some questions I didn’t really plan on answering in Over & Over Again, so I thought I’d quickly & briefly go over them here.

Why did you make Gray & Lucy siblings in Vaelhiem?:

The short answer is for the story, it gave me a little bit more lore to work with but the long answer is it gave me an excuse to make them as close as possible whilst killing off their parents.

They’re half siblings, same father different mother. Lucy & Layla lived with sabertooth up until Layla’s death when Lucy was 4. She was brought over to Lucent, to be looked after by silver.

Silver died via the Vayith when Gray was 10 and Lucy was 8. Gramps then took over leadership of lucent until his passing when they were 20, and 18.

Gray was supposed to be the next leader, being the oldest and first of kin but he gave his position to Lucy: knowing she was more careful.

What about the world where Lucy was married?

That world is just called Earth, there’s no magic, just a basic modern au. They’d been married for 7 years, together for 11. It wasn’t really noted in the story but Lucy was around 32. A bit more wise.

I wanted to expand the world by going back, though the story has taken a different direction where I won’t get to bring in their daughter anymore<\3 but they do have one!

What about Natsus dad?

People were a little upset I skipped over Natsus dad and to be honest it was just a way to make Natsu realise just how different this world is. That he had family too.

But since you wanted human igneel.. have a little story I wrote but ran out of time to include.

“ Igneel sat hunched on the edge of a narrow bed, his broad shoulders slumped beneath the weight of years that had worn him down. The mattress beneath him was too thin, too stiff, creased with signs of restless nights spent in exhaustion.

His eyes, once fierce and unyielding, were downcast, staring absently through the window beside him. The dim light lamps of the outside world illuminated the harsh angles of his face, the sharp red of his hair catching the glow like an ember on the verge of burning out. It was still as vibrant as ever, but somehow, it felt like a warning—like the last flicker of a fire before it turned to ash.

The deep-set lines carved into his skin spoke of sleepless nights and burdens carried for far too long. Rough stubble covered his jaw, an uneven layer of neglect that made him look even more distant, as if he had long since stopped caring about anything beyond surviving another day.

Natsu swallowed thickly, his throat tight as he hesitated just inside the doorway. The air in the room was heavy, thick with something unspoken. His fingers curled at his sides, his breath uneven, the weight of the moment pressing into his chest.

“…Hi, Dad.” “

What happens to the other Natsus?

Each and every one of them has the feeling of the vortex pulling them in. The pull of their stomach, the sensation of being ripped apart from the inside.

Earth Natsu mentioned it to Lucy, saying he felt like something was wrong. Vaelhiem Natsu had ran off into Theris to hide his sick feeling from Gray.

High school Natsu fell asleep to calm his aching stomach, too prideful to skip class after Lucy had forced him to go.

But one natsu warps in, it’s almost like the real Natsu’s are in a dream like state. They can’t hear nor see, they can’t feel. It’s like they’re asleep. The pain comes back once the world hopper goes away, but once they open their eyes, it just feels like a long sleep.

And very very last question:

Is natsu finally home?

no , he isn’t.

[deezzers]

I started writing a new nalu fanfiction! Here’s the first chapter as a little teaser and the link for it will be here

please enjoy <3 fair warning this fic is soft, but it includes horror and violence.

—

Natsu groaned, feeling the sharp pain trickle through his lower body leaving him paralysed beneath the rubble. His mind numb In a mixture of fear and shock as he watched helplessly through hazed eyes.

All he could hear was deafening screams as his consciousness began to fade.

It all happened so fast, so incredibly fast.

“I hate to say it natsu,” Lucy laughed, a wicked grin enveloping her face, “but I do believe I’ve won.”

Natsu couldn’t help but chuckle, his own grin mirroring hers. She’d somehow managed to pin him to the floor, arms behind his back and his face pushed into the dirt in a matter of minutes.

She’s definitely gotten stronger.

But still not strong enough.

“Yeah, not happening, Lucy,” he smirked, fighting back a laugh as he felt her grip slip.

Lucy’s eyes widened, and she let out a sharp shriek. “What do you mean ‘not happening’?! You’ve been down for five seconds! You’re tapped out, Dragneel!” She tightened her hold on his arms, practically growling.

He let the silence drag on for a moment, then decided it was time to end this little game. In one swift move, he kicked her ankles out from under her, sending her spinning with a surprised yelp and landing flat on her back. Natsu was there in an instant, pinning her wrists above her head.

Lucy blinked up at him, brain still catching up. “Not fair,” she groaned, her hands squirming uselessly against his grip.

Natsu grinned like a kid in a candy store, his chest puffing out with pride. She’d really stepped up her game. “It’s totally fair! Don’t be a sore loser, Luce,” he teased, letting go of her wrists.

Lucy stayed sprawled on the floor, giggling to herself, catching her breath. “I did better this time,” she said with a grin. “I definitely feel stronger!” Her eyes locked with his, a spark of challenge flickering in them.

When they first started these sparring sessions, it was a little… awkward. Lucy had insisted on not using magic, rambling about how it would be good for both of them to practice hand-to-hand combat. “No flames, no celestial spirits,” she’d said, practically lecturing him. “We need to focus on actual fighting skills, not just relying on magic.”

At first, Natsu had been a little skeptical. It felt strange, not being able to just blast through everything with a well-timed fireball or having Lucy summon a few spirits to back her up. But over time, something clicked. They’d both grown used to it - both of them learning to use the other’s weaknesses to gain the upper hand. It wasn’t just about strength or speed anymore; it was about strategy, and it felt… different. Good different. Almost natural.

Natsu didn’t even mind anymore that they had to leave magic out of it. Well, he kind of minded, because he was always itching to let loose with his flames, especially against Lucy’s celestial spirits. That would be so fun. He could imagine the chaos of unleashing everything he had against her Spirits but for now, he was content.

This was just as fun and, he had to admit, he loved these moments with her. There was something about them—just the two of them, testing each other, pushing each other to be better. It wasn’t about winning or losing; it was about the fight itself, the thrill of the challenge.

As Lucy pulled herself up from the floor, her posture already shifting into an attack stance, Natsu couldn’t help but smile. The flutter in his chest was familiar, like the moment just before a fight when he was fully in the zone. He knew her moves now, knew how she thought. She had improved so much since they’d started these sessions, and even if she was still trying to prove herself, Natsu couldn’t help but feel proud of her.

As the dragon slayer dropped into his defensive stance, the unmistakable, deafening sound of a celestial gate ripping open split the air. The ground seemed to tremble with it, and he froze mid-move, his eyes narrowing.

He glanced at Lucy, who looked just as confused as he felt, clearly caught off guard.

Natsu tilted his head, still holding his position, and raised an eyebrow at her. “We’re using magic now?” His voice was laced with disbelief, and his gaze quickly darted around, half-expecting to see Loke swaggering in, or maybe even Taurus charging in from the side.

Lucy just blinked at him, equally unsure. The celestial gate’s deep, ominous gong rumbled on. “I can’t summon my spirits without my keys.”

The bell tolled once more—one final, bone-rattling time—before a horrific crash sent both mages leaping in surprise.

“Then—what…?” Natsu started, but before he could finish, the ground beneath them erupted in a burst of blinding gold light.

“Natsu!” Lucy cried, scrambling backward as the stone beneath their feet cracked and crumbled away like brittle parchment.

This wasn’t a spirit. This wasn’t anything from the celestial world.

Natsu barely dodged the first shot. A bullet—actual, real, oh-no-we-might-die bullet—whizzed past his ear. “What the heck?!” he yelped, ducking as another one came flying.

And then they saw it.

Tall. Gaunt. Its skin an unnatural, sickly white, marred with patches of red and purple like overripe fruit left to rot in the sun. No eyes. No ears. Just a single, gaping hole where a mouth should be—lined with rows upon rows of jagged teeth, twitching like they wanted to chew something. Or someone.

Lucy gagged as the thing’s grotesque mouth stretched open, then snapped shut with a sickening slap. A wet, sucking noise followed, like raw meat being pulled apart.

“A magical creature?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Natsu inhaled deeply, his nose wrinkling instantly. It smelled *worse* than it looked—like rotting fruit left to fester in a pool of old, clotted blood. His stomach turned.

“It’s… somethin’ alright,” he muttered.

Then, it moved.

The creature sprang upward, hovering in midair as a shriek tore from its throat—inhuman, ear-splitting, the kind of sound that crawled beneath the skin and hollowed out the bones. The floor beneath them shuddered. Stones rattled violently, pulled from the ground as if gripped by invisible hands.

And then it thrust its arm forward.

And the floating rocks obeyed.

They shot through the air with terrifying speed, aiming straight for the dragon slayers skull.

Instinct took over. Natsu wasted no time, throwing up his blazing arms, shielding his face from the barrage of flying debris. Heat rippled around him, scorching the air, but his eyes remained tightly shut—too focused on enduring the assault to notice the far greater danger looming just above.

Lucy saw it.

Her breath hitched, and in an instant, golden light wrapped around her, her Leo Star Dress snapping onto her form.

“Natsu!” she screamed.

Magic surged through her veins, crackling down her arms like liquid fire as she summoned Regulus. Her fingers twitched, ready to strike.

But Natsu didn’t move. He couldn’t. The rocks slammed into his iron-like skin, but he stood his ground, knowing that as long as the creature’s focus was on him, Lucy had a chance to attack unnoticed.

That’s why he stayed still. That’s why he had to stay still.

Lucy gritted her teeth, her hands glowing with celestial power as she aimed directly at the massive rock hovering just feet above him—

Too late.

The rock dropped.

It hit him. Hard.

The impact sent a sickening crack through the air. A thick, suffocating silence settled over the rocky field.

Natsu groaned, but the sound barely left his throat. Pain lanced through his lower body—sharp, searing, relentless. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t even try. The weight of the rubble pinned him down like a corpse in its grave, and with each breath, the agony only grew worse.

His mind swam, teetering between fear and shock, but through the haze of his darkening vision, he saw her.

Lucy.

Frozen in place.

Her body still glowing with celestial magic, golden light flickering like dying embers against the darkness. Her arm was outstretched, lips parted mid-shout, but no sound came. She wasn’t moving. She wasn’t even blinking.

And then the creature—that thing—turned to her.

It grinned. A grotesque, unnatural stretch of its lipless mouth, the rows of needle-like teeth twitching hungrily. Its long, bony fingers reached forward, pressing against Lucy’s chest, and with a sickening squelch, it pulled something out.

A shimmering orb. Pulsing. Warm. Alive.

Natsu's stomach churned. His pulse pounded against his skull, but he couldn't do anything. Couldn't even scream.

The creature turned back to him. Slowly. Mockingly. 

He couldn’t see through the blood seeping into his eyes. Couldn’t hear past the high-pitched ringing in his ears. Could barely even feel anything except the overwhelming cold creeping up his limbs.

But he felt it move closer.

The warmth of its breath ghosted over his skin, thick and rotten. It waved the glowing orb inches from his face—taunting him.

Then, it shrieked.

The sound ripped through him, shattering whatever was left.

And then-

Nothing.

Just black.