Warning: Lots of depressing feels

Her vision was blurred and she could only make out simple shapes within the smoke which had engulfed her. She spluttered, unable to breathe properly due to the unwelcomed particles in the air. She had nothing to cover her mouth with due to the fact that she was wearing a bikini type outfit because of her previous transformation with Aquarius.

The memory of her recently broken key and departed friend caused the tears that prickled at the corner of her eyes to come forth and trickle down her blood stained cheeks. Lucy continued to stumble forward, trying to get herself away from all of the smoke and rubble. She'd lost all of her friends amongst the fight; once Zeref arrived, all chaos broke loose and she seemed to have been separated from everyone.

"Natsu, Happy!" She called desperately, her voice sounding rough and scratchy due to the excess smoke which she'd inhaled. "Please, I need help," she said, her voice now a horse whisper as her eyes began to flutter shut and everything began to fade away. She began to fall forward, her feet slipping from below her after she'd tripped over a large piece of wreckage.

Just before she hit the ground, familiar paws grabbed at her back and the blonde mage felt herself being hoisted into the air.

"Happy…" she said weakly, trying to turn her head and give the exceed a thankful smile.

"It's okay Lucy, we've just got to find Natsu and I'm sure everything will be alright!" The blue cat assured her, yet she could still hear the hesitance in his voice.

"You lost Natsu?" She asked, her eyes widening with worry. Happy nodded in response, trying to blink back the tears that threatened to fall. They'd flown quite a way from the cube of which was engulfed in flames and smoke in the area they'd exited to reorientate themselves. Both the mage and cat feared for the life of their comrades and decided that they needed to get back as quickly as possible.

"Do you know what was going on over there?" Lucy asked once they'd landed, Happy having burrowed himself safely in her arms to rest.

"I don't know Lucy, I just want to find Natsu and Carla," He replied, his eyes wide and glossy as he looked up at the blonde. She began to stroke his fur soothingly and squeezed him against her chest.

"I know, I do as well. But Natsu has to be alright! He's probably one of the strongest and bravest people I know!" She said reassuringly, not only to him but also to herself.

"Hey Lucy, what's that?" Happy asked, pointing to something fluttering in the wind just behind the two. Said mage turned around and her eyes widened in horror as she could feel the tears begin to build up once again around her eyes. She began to sprint over to the white piece of fabric, stumbling every once in a while due to her magic drained form.

"It's Natsu's scarf…" She whispered, grasping the item ever so carefully in her arms as Happy turned to look as well.

"Natsu…" He muttered, voice cracking as the tears began to cascade down his small muzzle.

"We have to find him!" Lucy yelled in desperation as she began to sprint back in the way of the smoking cube, wrapping the scarf tightly around her neck as she did so with her free arm.

Happy clung on tightly, not wanting to let Lucy go in case she left him like Natsu had. He eventually released himself from her grasp and hauled her up into the air, back towards the cube and where the rest of the guild was.

Lucy brought the scarf up to her face, preventing herself from breathing in too much smoke. They eventually landed after having found Juvia and Gray hopelessly wandering around a fire-free area. They too had cloth held up against their mouths and parts of their clothing seemed to have been singed by the flames they must have previously encountered. They both looked exceptionally relieved to have found the cat and the blonde.

"Lucy, Happy!" They both cried in unison, welcoming the newcomers as they landed. Lucy immediately pulled the both of them into a shaky hug as Happy sat atop her head.

"Natsu's gone!" She sobbed, clinging onto them for dear life. Gray sighed and hugged tighter while Juvia began to rub circles around her bare back.

"Juvia knows it'll be okay, Lucy, Natsu's strong you know," Juvia said reassuringly while Gray nodded in agreement.

"There's no way that idiot will give up on us, if he does I'm gonna have to beat his godforsaken ass to a pulp!" Gray added fiercely, causing Lucy to giggle weakly.

"I suppose you're right," She muttered, pulling away and wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.

"Now, let's go find the others!" Juvia said, taking the blonde's hand in her own as they began to walk down the hallway.

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed, flying on ahead to try and get a glimpse of their comrades. A few minutes later, loud crashes and yelling could be heard. The group picked up their pace and began to run towards where the commotion was taking place. Blood stains began to surround the walls around them and the tension grew thick as the four continued on their way.

They all stopped in place however when they laid their eyes upon a site that they never even fathomed they'd ever see. Seven of their guild members lay strewn across the floor among that of the Tartaros soldiers; their bodies were beaten and bloodied and their expressions were dull as their lifeless eyes stared on blankly.

Juvia began to sink to her knees, her eyes wide with shock as her mind reeled with the images of the torn and mangled bodies in front of her. Happy buried his face into the crook of Lucy's neck and she just stared, with Gray at the sight in front of them.

"…No…" Gray finally muttered, walking over to one of the bodies. "No, this has to be some kind of sick joke!" He spat, his fists clenching at his sides as he trembled with either anger or fear, he wasn't entirely sure. "It's a joke! This can't be real!" He growled, bringing one of his fists up and sending it towards one of the walls beside them as his bangs fell to cover his eyes.

"Gray…" Lucy whispered shakily, "We have to go, the others may be in trouble," Gray turned to his two female companions, his eyes portraying an array of emotions of which whirled around inside of him. He finally nodded and walked over to help Juvia up, clenching her hand in his as Lucy gently took her other to prepare herself for the horror they were no doubt going to see next.

The yelling and crashing eventually became louder and the dead bodies became more frequent, causing Lucy to feel completely and utterly sick. The main person on her mind however was Natsu Dragneel; she hated turning the corners as she was afraid that she'd see his torn up body lying amongst that of the deceased, and she couldn't handle that thought. Not Natsu, not her Natsu.

The salamander was the reason she'd been truly happy for the first time in her life since her Mother died all those years ago. He was the one who lead her to this wonderful guild and taught her what it was really like to have friends. He was always there for her and never gave up on her, he was the sole purpose she had such a great life now.

She stopped dead in her tracks when they turned the next corner, her breathing growing ragged as she let go of the exceed and bluenette.

"Levy-Chan!" She screamed, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. The shorter girl was slumped up against the wall, but to Lucy's utter relief she turned her head in response to her name being yelled.

"Lu-Chan…" she croaked, giving the blonde a weak smile as she kneeled down next to her.

"What happened?!" Lucy demanded, pulling her friend in for a bone crushing hug, her tears spilling over onto the girl's small shoulders. Levy winced in pain and pushed her friend off, clutching her side. Lucy's eyes widened as she spied the crimson stain expanding on the girl's orange dress.

Gray and Juvia soon knelt with Lucy as she looked at her friend in horror, silent tears still making their way down her cheeks.

"Everyone… Everyone is fighting… Kyōka and… and a few of the other… demon gates…" Levy explained, the pain evident in her tone. "They've got… Natsu and we don't… don't know what's going on," She added, causing Juvia and Gray to exchange a look as Lucy dug her nails into her palms.

"Juvia, Gray, Happy, please look after Levy-Chan, I need to go and find Natsu," Lucy said after a few seconds, her head lowered and her eyes covered by her golden locks.

"Lucy, I don't think that's a good idea, we'll get Natsu you stay here…" Gray opposed, a frown crossing his face.

"No!" Lucy hissed, "I need to get Natsu, you don't understand!" She yelled, her eyes squeezed shut as her heart hammered against her chest.

"But I need to see Natsu as well," Happy whined, his eyes wide with fright.

"No, I don't want you getting hurt, Happy," Lucy sighed, turning to gently stroke his soft fur.

"Lucy, Juvia still doesn't think it's a good idea…" Juvia began wearily, causing Lucy to glare ahead.

"I'm going, I have to go. You don't understand." With that she was off, sprinting down the corridor and eventually out of sight.

"I'm going after her, please stay here you two," Gray muttered, indicating to Juvia and Happy.

"Be careful Gray-Sama," Juvia said with blue eyes full of worry. Gray nodded and sped off in the direction Lucy ran. "He'll come back with help, don't worry Levy-san," Juvia reassured as she squeezed the girl's pale hand.

"Lucy!" Gray yelled, shortly catching up with the Celestial Mage. He reached out to grab her wrist, stopping her in her path.

"It's too dangerous for you to go alone, idiot," He growled, however she quickly snatched her arm away and continued running.

"I need to get to Natsu, I have a feeling something isn't right," She said simply as he began to run to catch up again. He sighed but followed her anyway, knowing that there was no way he'd be able to persuade her to stop, so he might as well go with her in case she ran into any trouble.

They eventually stopped; the guild was in an enormous hall fighting Kyōka, along with hundreds of Tartaros soldiers. Lucy and Gray looked on in shock as Makarov lay unconscious, along with countless other members, in one of the corners of the hall being healed by Porlyusica and Wendy while being protected by a barrier, obviously put in place by Freed's runes. Erza and Mira appeared to be almost at their limit as they were locked in combat with Kyōka herself.

"What the hell is going on?!" Gray breathed as they watched members of Fairy Tail dropping like flies. "I've gotta help, but Levy's still back there…" he growled as Lucy breathed through her teeth in frustration.

"We've got to get her to Porlyusica. Gate of the Maiden, I open thee! Virgo!" She yelled, summoning her spirit.

"Princess, you called?" Virgo said in her usual monotone, awaiting her key holder's wishes.

"Virgo, Levy-Chan is wounded just down this hallway; please bring her here to be healed by Porlyusica." Virgo nodded and ran off obediently. "Now we can help," Lucy added, glancing at Gray who was watching her worriedly.

"Look, I'll head up to Mira and Erza and see if they know what's happened to Natsu, in the mean time, don't get killed," he stated, heading into the fray and not awaiting any consent from the blonde.

"Lucy!" She heard Juvia yell a few seconds later. The water mage was running down through the corridor as Happy flew next to her with Virgo just behind, an injured Levy in her arms.

"Follow me, we've got to get to Porlyusica," Lucy said as they arrived, indicating to the pinkette who was at the left of the large room. The group pushed their way through the battle, Juvia and Lucy taking out the soldiers who attempted to block their path.

"Members of Fairy tail are free to enter," The older mage said hurriedly as they arrived, indicating for them to hand Levy over for her to examine. Lucy and Juvia performed this feat as Virgo was not able to get through the runes herself and Lucy had closed her gate beforehand.

"Come on, Lucy, we've got to go and help," Juvia said softly once their work had been completed. Lucy nodded and followed her fellow guild member into the battle, instantly getting locked in combat as one of the Tartaros soldiers attacked her.

After a while, the two managed to make their way over to Gray who was surrounded by at least ten of the soldiers.

"Did you find where Natsu was?" Lucy asked as she swung the whip which had been gifted to her by Virgo.

"Nothing, although I have a feeling he may be somewhere over there, the only problem is they seem to be guarding it pretty well," Gray replied, indicating to a small archway of which the walls around glowed orange as if a fire had been lit on the inside. Soldiers of what seemed a higher level to the lackeys who were battling the fairies did indeed stand guarding the outside of the entrance, and Lucy furrowed her brows in frustration.

"I've got a plan, don't worry about me I'll be fine, you two just keep battling over here," Lucy instructed, dashing over to where the door was.

"But-" Gray began, reaching out a hand to try and stop her. Juvia however stepped in the way, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry Gray-Sama, Lucy will be okay, nothing can stop a woman in love!" She said enthusiastically, pumping her fist up into the air. Gray was silent for a few seconds before he burst into a fit of laughter, despite the situation they were currently in.

"I don't really understand what you just said Juvia, but you're right, Lucy will be fine!"

With that, the two exchanged grins of determination and began to plough through the underlings together, making their way over to assist in the defeat of Kyōka.

By this time, Lucy had summoned both Loke and Taurus, despite how weak she was now feeling due to her lack of magic.

"Lucy, you should have only summoned one of us, your body can't handle it!" Loke exclaimed after seeing his key holder's drained state as Taurus mooed in agreement.

"I can… I can tell something is wrong… with Natsu and… I need to find him," the celestial mage puffed, her breathing now completely uneven. "Please… take out the guards… over there," she instructed, pointing towards the arch covered in the flickering oranges and reds. Both spirits exchanged worried glances yet obeyed anyway, putting their all into their attacks and making the way clear for their beloved master.

Lucy was quick to close the gates in order to prevent her magic from being drained any further, however Loke appeared at her side once again a second later, causing her to jump.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned as she ran through the entrance and down a long, narrow passage way.

"I came of my own accord so as not to weaken you more," he explained. "I want to stay and keep an eye on you." Lucy gave her spirit and warm smile and if they weren't running at that moment, she would have hugged him.

"Thank you, Loke," she said with a sigh. The walls around the corridor were too surrounded in the orange glow, however the peculiar thing was, that there was no fire to provide this dancing light.

At the end of the hallway, a large door with big, brass handles blocked their way to the next room. Loke heaved them open for his friend, and the sight they were both met with caused coal and chocolate coloured eyes to widen. A dark chuckle erupted from the oddly familiar figure lounging on a large, golden throne at the back of the room. The magical aura surrounding him was immense.

"Fancy meeting you here, celestial mage," he stated in a seemingly amused yet malicious manner. Gnarled horns protruded from the mane of sakura hair while black swirls seemed to have crawled up the left side of his body and licked the edges as his once perfect face. Red, scaled dragon wings extended from his shoulder blades and his hands had transformed into talons, the skin red and scaly.

Lucy brought her hands to her mouth as tears collected near the bottom of her eyes. Natsu smirked, his now blood red eyes narrowing and seemingly stared right through her.

"Natsu…" Loke muttered, laying a protective hand on Lucy's shoulder. "What did they do to you…?"

"Whatever do you mean, Leo? I have always been like this, for I am E.N.D, master of Tartaros and most powerful demon from the books of Zeref." He stated matter-of- factly, standing from his throne and making his way down the few steps of which lead to the platform where the throne was situated.

"Don't be an idiot; you're Natsu Dragneel, member of Fairy Tail and my best friend!" Lucy yelled, her hands bawled up into fists at her sides. In a flash, Natsu was mere meters away from the mage and spirit, and Loke was quick to protectively stand in front of his master. The pinkette's speed had drastically increased and the heat of which now radiated off of him caused droplets to form on the duo's foreheads.

The only reply was a malevolent laugh as they found him standing much closer that before, a hungry look in his eyes. Loke braced himself; his stance widening as his arms lifted and his hands formed fists. In an attempt to gain the upper hand, Loke brought his right fist, surrounded in a glowing, yellow light, thundering towards the demon's face.

Natsu however was gone a second later; he was now standing atop his throne. Lucy gulped; his movements were too quick for her eyes to follow and she cast a worried glance towards her spirit, realising their chance of success was slim at best.

All of a sudden, Loke was thrown against the back wall, his back hitting the hard surface with a sickening thwack. Scorch marks covered his now exposed stomach from where the fire had burned away his suit.

"Loke!" Lucy screamed, running over to help her spirit up. She hadn't even seen the attack and the Lion was already in a bad shape, despite being hit only once. Natsu cackled from the left side of the room. He was lazily watching the scene unfold, his arms crossed as he carelessly leaned against the wall. "Natsu, stop it!" She begged, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. A look of what seemed to be confusion crossed his face and his brows furrowed, however he quickly recovered and glared at the blonde once again.

He was now standing in front of the mage, looking down at her with his superior height as she stepped back, only to be stopped by the wall. Lucy reached down and took out the Fleuve d'étoiles, causing the flow of water like celestial energy to come fourth.

"Regulus impact!" Loke hollered, as destructive light in the form of a lion came crashing into the unsuspecting pinkette. The boy was knocked into the wall on the other side of the room, allowing Lucy to escape without having to fight.

"Thanks Loke," she breathed, while he nodded in return. Natsu let out a noise of which sounded eerily like a dragon's growl. His eyes flashed as he glared at Loke, blood trickling from the side of his head which had smacked into the wall.

With a flash of red fire, Loke was thrown up into the air and smacked back down to the floor, a painful crack echoing through the room as he landed on his arm which was twisted awkwardly beneath him.

Lucy was there by his side in an instant, her celestial whip at the ready, preparing to protect her spirit from further harm. Natsu was circling above the two, his dragon like wings flapping rhythmically as he did so. Lucy flicked the whip, managing to catch the boy by his foot and slam him down onto the ground with tears trickling down her cheeks.

Lucy hated seeing him like this; it was painful for her and she really didn't want to fight him herself, however she had no choice as she couldn't hide behind Loke the entire time. Natsu was supposed to be fighting along side her, a big grin on his face yelling, 'I'm all fired up!' before running at full speed towards the enemy, fists ablaze. He wasn't supposed to be the dangerously powerful foe she was up against.

A scaly fist slammed painfully into her abdomen, sending her across the room as she gasped for air, the blow winding her.

"Lucy!" Loke yelled, standing up despite the pain. The two males began to receive punch after punch, the lion forcing the dragon to leave the girl alone. Lucy grit her teeth and stood back up, only to witness the downfall of her spirit as he was, once again, slammed across the room.

"No!" She cried, as blood seeped out of a deep wound in his chest, his eyes closed as he lay unconscious on the floor. A second later he disappeared in a flash of gold, automatically being sent back to the Celestial Spirit world.

Never had she felt so scared and alone in the presents of her best friend. He turned to face her, a smirk plastered to his face as he made his way over to her.

"Natsu, stop this!" She pleaded desperately, retreating as he advanced. "Come back to me and to Happy as well. No not just to us, but to all of Fairy Tail!" At her words, the boy stopped, a pained expression appearing on his face. "Fight it Natsu, I know you can!"

"Lu..cy." He stated, his eyes widening as he fell to the ground, grasping his head in seemingly excruciating pain. The blonde took this moment to run forward, throwing her arms around him as she too sunk to the ground.

"It's okay, I'm here," she soothed, running a hand through his soft, pink hair. He buried his head in her chest, clinging onto her as if his life depended on in, his breathing becoming laboured. He was quick to break free of her grasp a second later, a panicked look in his now onyx eyes.

"Lucy, you have to get out of here!" He said hurriedly, retreating to the opposite side of the room. "I don't want to hurt you again," He said, a pained look coming across his face. "I don't know what I do if I lost you, especially at my hand."

"But you're fine now," Lucy replied with a tilt of her head. Natsu shook his mane of hair, no.

"I might loose control again,"

"I don't care, I won't leave you!"

"Lucy, get out of here!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!" She yelled again with a stubborn, stamp of her foot. "I refuse to leave you! You'd not leave me if I were in this situation!"

There was no reply from the dragon slayer as he slumped to the ground curled up into a ball, his fits clenching the sides of his head and his expression contorted with pain. Lucy sprinted back over to him, gently lifting his head up and laying it in her lap as she sat on her knees. She stroked his rosy hair, avoiding the dirt coloured horns of which protruded from his skull.

"Get away…" Natsu muttered faintly, his eyes beginning to flicker shut.

"I can't," she whispered back, planting a soft kiss on his exposed forehead. After a few moments, a low growl erupted from the back of his throat and Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, her hands beginning to tremble as she continued to run her slender fingers through his hair.

She felt the figure rise, pulling away from her touch and standing to tower over her.

"Pathetic…" the cruel tone of which wasn't Natsu's scoffed. "The feelings managed to reach me before, but that will not happen again!"

"Leave him alone!" Lucy yelled, her fists clenching on her lap as she glared up at the form of her possessed friend.

"Whatever do you mean? I am 'Natsu,' this is my true form. Etherious Natsu Dragneel; or E.N.D." Lucy was standing at this point; her fists still clenched along with her teeth, head down and bangs covering her eyes.

"How dare you call yourself the real Natsu. How DARE you use his voice and body as your own, he will overcome this because I'll be here to make sure he does!" The celestial mage snarled, now glaring fiercely at her foe, body shaking with rage. "You're causing him pain, and for that, I cannot forgive you!"

She rushed at the dragon slayer, eyes flashing with fury, fists at the ready. She sent one hard punch to his face, causing it to jerk backwards with the force. Another one and yet another one as well as a few kicks came forth, forcing the dragon slayer back. Once he'd had enough, slammed his palm into her chin, causing her frail body to lift and then fall to the floor. Lucy shook it off, ignoring the fuzziness of her vision and ringing in her ears; she then yelled her battle cry and ran at Natsu once again.

He seemed a little off guard at her immediate revival, but soon sneered and blocked each and every one of her attacks with ease. Lucy gritted her teeth in frustration, she could feel herself tiering very quickly and she wasn't getting anywhere at all. A smirk suddenly settled across Natsu's face, and he began to corner Lucy against the back wall. His scaled arm lashed out, gripping her small neck and lifting her off the ground, slamming her into the wall.

Lucy gasped, her airway being blocked almost instantly as the world began to spin due to the powerful hit her head had taken. The blood red orbs of the dragon slayer pierced her now dull, brown ones. Just as everything was beginning to fade and she'd given up clawing at her captor's hands, she was dropped to the ground.

She sprawled out on the floor, gasping for breath as the ceiling span, refusing to steady itself. She could hear Natsu cackling, however it felt like he was miles away, just like everything else around her. Her neck throbbed, along with every other part of her body. She shakily got to her feet, moving her head ever so gently from side to side to try and reduce her dizziness.

It was at that moment that she fell forward, collapsing into the arms of her attacker, much to his surprise. Tears began to slip from her eyes and she buried her head in his chest, despite everything. She just didn't care anymore.

"Luce…" She heard Natsu, her Natsu, mutter as he buried his face in her hair, wrapping his arms around her small body. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so, so sorry," Lucy sighed at this, nuzzling in closer.

"I missed you," She heaved as he pulled away, keeping her at arms length. She continued to sniffle as he gently wiped her tears away with his warm, yet scaly thumbs. He bent down, bringing his forehead to Lucy's and breathed in her familiar scent.

"You have to leave, I don't know how long I can hold this back," he whispered, stroking her soft, pink tinted cheeks.

"I don't want to leave you though," Lucy whispered back, looking longingly into the dark orbs opposite her. Surprisingly soft lips were then pressed to hers as strong arms pulled her in closer. She melted into the kiss, bringing her arms up to wrap them around his neck, her eyes fluttering shut.

The moment of bliss seemed to last forever to Lucy, and she was thankful for it. Her legs were beginning to give way again, but for different reasons this time. Natsu's strong embrace held her steady, and they soon broke away, and Natsu nuzzled his head into her shoulder.

The young man before her stiffened suddenly, his grip tightened and the celestial mage's almond eyes widened in fright as she whimpered.

"Fight it, Natsu," she pleaded, gripping onto his torn jacket desperately, searching his eyes for any remnants of her newly addressed lover. The next few moments happened in a blur, and Lucy didn't know what had happened immediately. Blood trickled from the corners of her mouth and she gasped in pain, her vision becoming increasingly fuzzy.

She looked down at her abdomen, the demon's dragon like arm piercing her stomach, blood oozing over his limb and falling to the floor in a steady beat.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Lucy spluttered, her legs wobbling from below her, finding it harder and harder to keep her seemingly lead eyelids open. She felt herself collapse, along with Natsu who'd removed himself from her stomach. The crimson blood was gushing out, causing her skin to become paler by the second.

"No…" She heard someone whimper quietly, as gentle hands tried frantically to cover up the wound in her abdomen.

"Na-tsu?" She questioned, her face contorted in pain as she tried desperately to focus on the familiar tanned face and head of cherry blossom coloured hair.

"Yes, yes Lucy! It's me!" He sobbed, rocking her back and fourth in his lap as he brushed her golden bangs away from her eyes. Tears dripped off of his cheeks and onto her own.

"Natsu, I- I" She tried, groaning in pain, her breathing becoming shallow.

"Shh," the pinkette hushed, closing the distance between them and gently brushing his lips against hers. He then looked down at her once again, the grief evident on his face as he gazed at her weak form.

"It'll be… okay…" She managed, bringing her hand up to cup his cheek, smiling softly through the pain. "Just… just remember that-that I… I love you so… so much," She added, her breathing becoming increasingly laboured as she wiped away the tears that refused to stop flowing from his eyes.

"I love you too!" Natsu hiccuped, placing his larger hand gently over hers. A ghost of a smile spread across her face as her eyes glazed over and her hand fell limp in his.

"LUUUCY!" Was the last thing she ever heard before the blackness took over.

Hope you enjoyed my first and certainly not last Fairy Tail fic!
I've been meaning to write something for so long now cause Fairy Tail has played such a big part of my life for years now.

Anyway, I'm so, so sorry for the sad feels... It pained me so much to write it but I couldn't see it ending any other way heh.
I just love the concept of Natsu turning into a demon thing for E.N.D so yeah, this is my view on everything.

Once again, I really hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!

~Platinax