This is an old piece that I forgot about, but think it deserves a bit of screen time.. R&R lovers! xx


..:: Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and its Characters are not mine! ::..


NATSU!

Lucy's voice ricochet around his head, abruptly thrusting him out of the darkness. At first, he could only see his knees. He blinked and tilted his head – it felt so heavy he could hardly lift it properly. It took a moment for his scrambled brain to make sense of what he was seeing. But the moment he understood, he saw everything with sharp clarity.

Lucy was tied to a chair opposite him, her ankles bent out at an awkward angle because of the way they were strapped to the chair. Crouched over the top of her, balanced on the seat of her chair, was an enemy. Natsu could hear the blade of the weapon cutting through the air as the enemy stabbed at Lucy's face.

Lucy.

His fire was hot and fierce as it flared through him. Not Lucy.

His bonds tore as he surged from his chair, his flames lighting up the rubble of a room. Yet he saw nothing but the crouched figure in black leaning over Lucy. The blade had slowed but was still moving with intense purpose towards Lucy's face, and the enemy's head turned slowly to look at him with wide, surprised eyes.

"Imposs–"

His arm felt strange and tight as he swung it, but he put all his strength behind it, his flames roaring in his ears. With one arm, he stopped the path of the knife. With his other, he drove his fist, wreathed in flames, into the enemy's side.

Blood sprayed. Lucy's chair collapsed. The enemy hit the wall with an impact that shook the ground. He watched for a moment as the dust settled around the enemy's prone form, to make sure they weren't getting back up again. Then he turned away.

Lucy was sprawled on the ground where her chair had collapsed. She wasn't moving. Fresh blood was on her face, but it didn't smell like hers.

"Lucy."

She didn't respond. He recalled his flames and sank to his knees.

"Lucy." Not even a flicker of her eyelashes. He bent down to pull her up, cradling her head as he lifted her torso off the ground. "Lucy, why aren't you moving?" Not moving. Not breathing.

"Lucy!"

No heartbeat.

"LUCY!"

Nothing. Her head rolled gently in the palm of his hand, completely unresponsive.

Not Lucy. Please, not Lucy.

"Lucy," he whispered, gently lifting her head to touch foreheads with her. His cheeks felt wet. The blood over her eyes wasn't hers, and it wasn't his. He sniffed, cringing at the unpleasant smell. It was the enemy's. The enemy that hurt Lucy. The enemy that insisted on fighting this ridiculous war. The enemy fighting for Zeref.

Zeref.

The darkness inside him swirled and he clenched his eyes shut, pressing his forehead to Lucy's. This was his doing. Lucy was … because of him.

Zeref.

Gently, he lowered her back down. He braced his hands on either side of her shoulders as he hung his head, bent over her. He had failed her. He had let someone steal away her future.

Zeref.

And without Lucy, what purpose did his future have?

Zeref.

None. His future was Lucy's.

If you kill me, Natsu, you will die as well.

So be it. He would avenge the future he had lost with her.

He lowered himself over her, bending until his nose gently brushed against hers. Then he stood and let his flames burn as he stalked out of the room, leaving his future where it lay.

As he left the room, time began moving again.