Her knife slashed across the throat of her pinned enemy before she let them drop to the ground to bleed out. Lucy did not flinch or blink and the blood flowed out. Did not retch or faint. She had no reaction at all, merely stepping over the fresh corpse to engage her next victim.
It hadn't always been like this. None of them had ever wanted to kill, yet eventually they had been left with no other option. The first time she had taken a life was still seared into her mind - and brand she would never be rid of. Wendy's first time had been worse. The child of the sky tried to send herself to the depths of the ocean. They had been lucky to save her. Others had fared better, but not a single one was free of the taint of blood.
Those that couldn't do it had left the guild to find safe shelter, but it was impossible to know whether they were still alive. Lord knew that even most of those that stayed, weren't.
Their lives had changed when the Darkness had come and war had taken over their home. The innocent did not exist in this new land. If they hadn't lost their lives then they had been changed forever. They say the purest lose their minds first. If they had known that then maybe they would have seen it coming.
Natsu had been the first to Fall.
Lucy had been the catalyst. She had nearly died. Natsu had been held back from intervening by the laws that held Angels in place. In a fit of desperation, he had torn his own wings off, coming to her aid and slaughtering those that threatened her. He was forsaken by Heaven. He became a Demon.
But this Demon loved her and was loyal to his friends so Lucy did not hesitate. She followed him, like she always said she would, to the very doors of Hell. She gave him her soul so she could defend him as he had defended her. They would not be separated this time.
One by one, the core members of their guild Fell with them. They did it for family, for friendship, for love ... for survival. The committed the gravest of sins all in the name of protecting their own. It didn't matter whether human, Angel or Demon stood in their way, they would cut down any threat that appeared before them.
And so the Darkness crashed on their doorstep and surrounded them. Armies of every race met in the once happy town and Fairy Tail fought. Fought and killed to keep their place in this world - to keep their home.
They had been trust into this new world that didn't allow for innocence. But they would do what Fairy Tail always did; they would endure and survive.
They had been Reborn and they would never give in. Not even as the world crumbled beneath their feet and the world surrounded to the horrors of eternal night.