What's up everyone, Tati here! And welcome to another story! I have now jumped on the END fanfic bandwagon with all the Natsu and Lucy fluff I could muster into a serious fic. Enjoy~!
Nightmare
Lucy didn't know where the rest of her guild was. Scattered around her area was her team along with Wendy, Juvia, Gajeel, and the Twin Dragons from Saber. Each had their share of wounds from the battle. Gajeel had replaced a leg with an iron rod. Gray was covered in blood and Juvia was at his side leaning against him. Erza had a blade stabbing the ground to keep herself up. Wendy was bruised and a little bloody but was working on Sting's face as Rogue, bruised and twisted, looked on.
Lucy couldn't say that she was in better condition. Her neck had blood running down from the close encounter with his claws. The left side of her exposed torso had burns coiling on her skin. Her right arm was broken, but fixable. A bloody lip and bruised cheek, Lucy was still standing.
Flames around her scorched the ground. Usually, these flames were warm and welcoming. Those used to be the very flames that protected her in times of need. They used to be the colour of the sun, almost acting like her sun in darkness. But now they were red with hatred and anger. Red, the same colour of her-their-dear family's blood and that he was bathed in.
With ragged breaths, Lucy stood up. She began walking, more like trudging, in the mud towards the direction of the demon taking over her best friend. She would've missed her friends cries if they didn't sound so desperate…So, broken.
"Lucy! Don't!" Gray coughed out.
"He's dangerous now! He's…He's not himself anymore," Erza said.
"I know."
"Then why bother?" Gray yelled. "He's going to kill you and we won't be able to stop him Lucy!"
"He won't kill me Gray." Lucy looked over to where she was heading. "He's still in there and I'm going to save him."
"Lucy, haven't you seen what he's done?" Sting asked. "Look around you!"
The blonde did as the other blond said. There was blood, so much blood. Most of it of her family. Bodies laid about, broken and beaten. Demons that he conjured up were all dead, but so was most of the guild. A white-haired young woman cried over the two bodies of her younger siblings as a large blonde man was behind her for support. The strongest mage in the guild was silent but had a look that said everything in his eyes as he knelt next to a wavy-haired brunette. The more aged members were being covered with blanket provided by a petite bluenette and five flying cats.
"He's not him anymore. He's gone!"
"He's not gone Sting." Lucy turned away, placing her hand on her broken arm. She gently grasped her arm, enough so she wouldn't hurt herself further. "If he was, the entire world would be gone by now. He's fighting for us and I'm not going to let him do it alone."
"Lucy-san, you'll be killed!" Wendy yelled, tears streaming in her eyes. "We lost Natsu but we can't lose you too!"
"We haven't lost Natsu!" Lucy snapped back. The blonde's hard glare immediately softened when she saw the girl flinch and let a few more tears from her eyes. Lucy sighed and whispered, "You're not going to lose us Wendy. I'll be back and will rebuild the guild again, I promise."
The blonde ran ahead of the remaining members of her family, to where her fighting dragon was. Wendy stood up and called out to her, in an attempt to stop her from her self-given suicide mission.
"Leave her," Rogue said. Everyone in turn gave him disgusted and shocked looks. "Let her be."
"She's going to get killed by that demon and you want us to leave her Rogue?!" Erza yelled.
"No, he's right," Gajeel added.
"Gajeel-san, you too?" Wendy asked, her voice shaking.
"If there's a chance that Salamander is still in that thick head of his, Bunny Girl's the only one who could bring him out."
It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.
A lone demon-like man stood among the bodies of soldiers sent by the Magic Council. He was drenched in their blood, nearly making him vomit from the metallic scent. The pink-haired demon was in pain, his head was split in two. Each tried to take over their body, one tried to gain control to cause the destruction of the world while the other was trying to save it and everyone in it. Sadly, the one who wanted destruction was winning.
Natsu's mind was being pushed into a corner, surrounded by his nightmares, trying to snuff out his light. He tried pushing it away, nothing worked. The demon inside of him would push back, and push back harder. END showed him the pain he caused, the pain he put his family through. Natsu's light became smaller and smaller each time the nightmares returned, it was working.
Maybe I should let it take over, he thought. Thinking that, if he was going to cause the ones he dearly loved pain, he might as well not exist to see it. I won't be the one-
He smelt it. The scent that he grew to love dearly because of who it strictly belonged to. It was coming closer to his position, the scent of stardust.
No…No! Lucy!
"Now the fun begins," the demon said through his mouth. His voice was laced with darkness, no longer the cheerful voice that was filled with childish wonder. "I hope you enjoy the show of your love killed by your very hands."
The demon turned around, finding a beaten blonde gripping a limp right arm. Covered in blood and bruises, Lucy stood tall against the darker version of Natsu Dragneel.
"And enters my lover."
"I'm not your lover, END."
That was Natsu's Lucy. Even if she was shaking uncontrollably, she would hold her own until the battle was over.
"But you are, don't you love Natsu Dragneel? He and I are one in the same."
"You'll never be Natsu and Natsu will certainly never be you END!" Lucy yelled. "I'll get you out of him!"
"You can't get rid of me Lucy Heartfilia, I am a part of Natsu Dragneel. To get rid of me means killing him!"
"Natsu…" Lucy's soft voice was timid but it still pulled at Natsu's heart. "Natsu, I know you're in there! I know you're fighting!"
Luce…The light he thought would be diminished a few minutes ago grew stronger. It grew at every one of Lucy's words. Lucy!
"Tch."
"I need you to come back! To come back to the guild, our family. To me Natsu." She began stepping closer to the demon, causing him to back up. "You can't give up on me!"
"Ha," END said, "your words seem to have a positive effect on Natsu Dragneel, no wonder he loves you most."
Lucy ignored END. "Natsu, please come back to me!"
LUCY! Natsu was trying to reach to the light, Lucy's light. She was trying to her best to get his body back, he wasn't just going to leave her hanging. He would get back to her and back to their family.
"GAH!" END grasped at the pink locks on his head. He was being forced out by Natsu with the help of Lucy. "Like hell I'd let you Natsu Dragneel!"
Once he stood up straight, END disappeared in a flash. Lucy gasped, quickly looking around for a safe spot. She knew that Natsu was quick on his feet, but paired with END's demonic speed it would be impossible for her to dodge. She turned to her left, meeting the demon throwing a kick to her bruised and burnt stomach, sending the injured blonde soaring into a pile of rubble.
LUCY!
END gripped his forehead with his claws while piercing his skin and letting blood flow down his cheeks. "Did that hurt Natsu Dragneel? This is what you are! A demon only capable of pain and destruction! You cannot escape your fate of killing that precious guild of yours and your woman!"
Natsu looked at Lucy. She didn't move, blood flowed down her already broken arm and her head. Her breathing was ragged.
What…What have I done?!
"That's right Natsu Dragneel, this is your doing. You are causing your family pain and death. You are the cause of their destruction. You are hurt Lucy."
I'm…I'm hurting everyone…It's…my fault. The light began fading away.
"Yes Natsu Dragneel. Give yourself to the darkness and together we-"
"IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT NATSU!"
END turned to Lucy who was sitting up, attempting to get up to her feet once more. One of her eyes were closed to stop blood from entering it. A large gash ran down her right arm from the middle of her bicep to her wrist, just before her pink guild mark. What remained of her clothes were soaked with blood.
Luce…The light began growing stronger, pushing out the darkness surrounding Natsu as the blonde walked closer to him until she stood in front of him. Lucy! Natsu began pounding against the invisible force keeping him away from controlling his body and will, trying to get back to Lucy. Lucy!
"Everyone's waiting for us Natsu, for you. They're not going to blame you for what's happened, 'cause it's not your fault. Let's end this nightmare Natsu." Lucy held out her hand, waiting for Natsu to take it.
END was struggling to control. The demon began shaking wildly, trying to push Natsu back into the corner of their shared mind. But Natsu was fighting back, hard. This time he wouldn't give himself up to the demon inside.
"Damn you Wench!" END grabbed Lucy's ripped clothes, tearing them even further, and grabbed her neck with his other hand.
NO!
"Gah~" Lucy choked out. "N-Natsu!" Her usable arm reached out to Natsu's face. "Please Natsu…Come out!"
"NATSU IS ME! HE'S THE ONE WHO CALLED THOSE DEMONS!"
"YOU DID THAT END! NOT HIM!"
"NATSU'S THE ONE WHO HURT YOU AND YOUR GUILD! I'LL KILL YOU RIGHT NOW TO SHOW YOU BITCH!"
"You…You won't hurt me."
"AND WHY THE FUCK NOT?!"
"Natsu won't let you." Her fingers grazed his cheek. "He won't ever let himself hurt me or Fairy Tail."
It was then, when Lucy stroked her fingers on his cheek, he realized that tears ran down his cheeks. He clenched his teeth. END had lost, Natsu won. And in turn, Fairy Tail won.
LUCY! With a final punch, the invisible wall broke down. Light flooded Natsu's mind, eradicating END from his body.
Lucy looking at Natsu with pleading eyes saw the darkness fading away from his eyes, replaced by a tired pair of onyx orbs. She felt his hand around her neck loosen and let out a breathy laugh, relived.
Natsu looked at Lucy, scanning his eyes over her battered and now nearly naked body. His breathing became ragged as he slipped his hand away from Lucy's neck and placed her on her feet. He back away from her, falling to his knees. His hands went straight to his pink locks, gripping them tightly in his grasp.
"Oh God I…Lucy…I-" Natsu stumbled on his words, not knowing what the right thing to say was. He had sent hoards of demons to kill his best friends and family. And he nearly killed Lucy just now. "I…I don't know what happened…I just…I…I'm sorry!"
Lucy smiled before kneeling before him. She placed her good hand on his cheek, wiping away his tears. "It's alright Natsu, it was just a nightmare. A bad dream, that's all."
"That's all?" His head shot up. "I nearly killed you and the world, Lucy."
"You had no control over that Natsu, none of us would've if we were in your position."
"But still…" Natsu turned his head away from Lucy, only to be pulled back with both of her hands. "Lucy-"
"Listen here Natsu Dragneel," Lucy said, "no matter what happened, none of it is ever going to be your fault. A demon controlled you and you couldn't stop it. You are you, not END. You won't lose yourself to the darkness again."
"And if I do Lucy?" He gently placed a hand where he-rather, END-kicked her, flinching at the burns on her skin. "What if I lose myself to darkness again and hurt you Lucy? I can't live knowing that I hurt you again…Or ki-"
Lucy placed her forehead against his own. A form of comfort that the two formed before, calming each other's nerves as well as giving them strength and hope. It calmed Natsu's breathing, letting him close his eyes and taking in Lucy's stardust scent.
Tears pricked at Lucy's brown eyes as he inhaled Natsu's burnt woodsy scent. It was his scent, he was back. "I won't let you go Natsu, no matter what happens. I'll stay beside you and bring you back to the guild. Even if I have to enlist Gray and Erza to drag you back with me."
Lucy felt him shake as he letting out a hearty chuckle. It wasn't the same as his usual child-like laughs, but it was a start. It would be a while before he would be back to normal and even more before their world settles down again.
Natsu nodded; these nightmares wouldn't win again. He was a Fairy Tail mage and couldn't let his guild down once more because he couldn't overcome a demon. It wasn't Natsu Dragneel's style.
"Right Luce."
He stood up, looking off to the distance. Fires had been put out, smoke circling into the skies. The sun was poking out through the thinning clouds, shinning on their new beginning. Natsu looked back to Lucy, who was trying to cover herself.
Chuckling, he undid the black cloak around his shoulders and tied it around Lucy before gently pulling her back to her feet. He glanced at her right arm, lingering his eyes specifically on the scar near her guild.
She smiled sadly, grabbing his hand with her other hand and intertwining their fingers together. "It'll heal."
Natsu looked at Lucy before stepping closer to her and raising a hand to stroke her cheek, wiping away dirt caked on near her eye. "Don't leave me…Please."
Lucy gripped her fingers tighter. "I don't ever plan to Natsu. I love you, you know that right?"
Nuzzling his face on her neck, she felt him smile against her skin. "After you came here alone, I figured Luce."
"Then there's no way I'll leave you after all that."
Natsu nodded, "I love you too Luce."
With a final stroke on her lips, Natsu gently pressed his own against hers for a short chaste kiss. Pulling away, Natsu pressed his lips on the temple of her head before they headed back to the others.
Natsu knew that there were going to be challenges ahead, one of them being able to be trusted by his guild again. But Lucy was there, she would be the light beside him in the darkness of his nightmares. When he was lost and scared, Lucy would show him the way and give him the strength he needed to find it. The nightmare of END wouldn't haunt him anymore as Lucy was his forever.
Gah! The manga's getting to me guys! I cried when I read the latest chapter! I can't take it! Anyways, hope you guys liked it. I haven't written a serious Fairy Tail one-shot in a while. I'll make a second part of it so I won't leave you guys completely hanging.
Once again, thanks for reading and don't forget to check out some of my other content. Let me know what ya guys think by leaving me a review or sending me a PM. That's all for now, but I'll see you in the next story! Tati