A/N: Don't have to read "Dragneel Family Drabbles" as it not a direct sequel. Just a look at life before marriage and kids.

The air was thick and reeked of blood. Bodies of fallen comrades decorated the battle ground where Natsu and his team stood. Dressed in tattered clothes, bruises and gashes marring their bodies, they stared at their adversaries with a smirk on their faces. Carla held Happy in her arms, making sure that the exceed stayed conscious after being beaten to a pulp by one of the Zeref's men. Gray although tired and about to collapse stood in front Erza of shielding her from their current threat. After the fight between her and Eileen, the red haired woman won by barely escaping death's grasp. The great Titania was not only feeling weak, but her magic was depleted, yet their was still visible hope in her eyes. Not one to resort to fighting head on, Wendy was in her dragon force mode, ready to take on whatever threat came to their way. Lucy stood by Gray's side dressed in her Aquarius star dress form, with an all knowing smirk. Ripping the tattered strands from his vest, Natsu peels off the vest from his shoulders and begins to make a makeshift bandage and wrapping it around the gaping hole on the side of his torso.

The youngest dragon slayer ran up to him, her palms already facing him, "I could—."

"Save your magic."

Wendy gasps, still in shock she keeps her palms up.

"I got this." He patted her head and gave her a small grin. Something touched his hand. He looked down, Lucy was holding his hand.

With Lucy by his side nothing can go wrong. Not even channeling E.N.D to help him take down his opponents could deter from his light. She was his anchor to humanity, to keep him from becoming a monster. If anything that he had learned from all of this was that life is short and if he managed to get out of this alive he would tell her that he loves her. She was his light, his anchor, his humanity.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. His body began to feel hotter than usual. He could feel something emerging from the sides of his head. His fangs started to grow, becoming more pronounced. than before. Something started to grow from his shoulder blades. His skin felt rough like scales. Natsu slowly opened his eyes and he could see a dark aura around him.

Standing by her side at this very moment was the demon known as E.N. D, Etherious Natsu Dragneel. His arms and torso were covered in tattoos, which looked like some sort of ancient spells. His eyes were pitch black and his fangs were very noticeable, as well as the pink leathery wings on his back, the long claws, the scales adorning his sides, and the two long red horns on each side of his head.

"Natsu?"Lucy cautiously whispers.

E.N.D put his clawed hand on Lucy's chin, giving her a look over, he smirks, "You are the descendant of the celestial mage Anna Heartfillia, are you not?"

Still in shock she didn't answer.

"Answer me!" E.N.D impatiently spat.

Unlike Natsu's childish and impulsive demeanor, before her stood a completely different man. One who's eyes were filled with every kind of evil imaginable. In that instant, her heart sank to her feet. Natsu had fully transformed into E.N.D. Tears began to form in her eyes.

He then shoved her onto the ground and pounced on her. Putting his claws around her neck, he began to strangle her. "Usually I wouldn't use my magic for such affairs, but considering you're her descendant I will make an exception."

"Natsu." Lucy coughs.

"Ice Make—."

"Sky dragon—

"She took away my only purpose!" E.N.D yells. "I, the greatest creation of Zeref never served my master! She is gone, so you will have to pay for her actions!"

"Nat—." Her pulse was beating loudly in her head. Pain and blood ran down her neck. She was to starting to become weaker by the second. He was strong enough to snap her neck like twig, but was prolonging her death to kill her slowly.

"Don't call me that!" His claws sink deeper into her skin. He lowered himself to her ear and whispered, "You look just like her. He cares for you. It disgusts me. And for that I will burn you slowly. You're flesh will fall off your bones before you and afterwards all you will be reduced is to a pile of ashes," He grins, sinking his other clawed hand into her stomach. "I will enjoy your demise Lucy Heartfillia."

The tears make her sight blurry, yet for a second she could see Natsu, her Natsu.

"C'mon." Natsu drags her away from the rune knights.

"Where are you taking me?" She stumbles as she tries to keep up with his pace.

"You said you wanted to join the Fairy Tail guild, right?" He gives her his famous grin. "Then come on."

Her memory takes her to another time.

It was a long way down if she decided to jump out of the tower. That's when she heard a familiar voice in distance. Could it be him? The voice of her partner, Natsu, the one to save her from this nightmare? If he was her only hope in escaping, she would gladly take the risk. Taking a leap of faith she jumped.

"Natsu!" She yelled.

"Lucy!" The voice replied in the distance!"

And then...

Exhaustion took a toll on her body and falls. She had lost. How did it happen, she had broken out of Flares's grasp, called out Gemini and was going to cast Urano Metria...and then nothing?

She lied on the ground as tears streamed down her face. The sounds of booing and cheers for the Raven Tail's, only made her cry even more. She was about to win, but her magic was nullified, no doubt by one of the Raven Tail mages.

Natsu stands in front of her and with a soothing voice he begins, "Hey now. No crying."

She doesn't-can't look up to him, "I—.I" She says in between sobs. "I can't help it. I—it's just not fair."

"No it's not. That's why we'll pay them back," He says optimistically."You were amazing you out there. You proved to them that, that the seven year gap means nothing." He extends a hand to her, "Zero points that sounds great to me. This is our chance to make an epic come back. "

She looks to his hand then to its owner, "Yeah," She smiles. "I'm all fired up now."

Penultimate

The sun was setting. With Zeref and Acnologia killing each before them , those who remained of the Fairy Tail guild gathered on the grounds that was once their guildhall to for a moment of silence to remember their fallen comrades. The newest guild master held up her sword to the sky, then stabbed it into the ground. Falling to her knees, her body shook, Erza held onto to her sword for support. Jellal then came out from the group of those gathered and kneeled by her side, taking the redheaded knight into his arms. Erza buried her face into Jellal's chest and let out a loud cry. Laxus stood in silence, not only had he lost his grandfather in this war but also his team, Freed, Bixlow, and Evergreen.

"Laxus." Mira's voice shook as she spoke.

He didn't respond. He took her small hand into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

She had lost a father figure and her brother all in the same day. Lisanna barely made it alive and that was due to the man holding her hand. In that second that her brother was killed before her eyes, her sister was about to be next, yet, in that same second Laxus threw himself on top of the younger Strauss shielding her from the incoming attack.

Cana stood by her father, hugging his side, as she cried. The Connell's all held each other, while Romeo sat on the ground in silence. Next to him were Gray and Juvia. Rather than her holding onto to him for comfort, he held onto her as he sat there feeling numb. Ur, Ultear, his father, and as of recently Lyon, were gone and once again death had overlooked Gray Fullbuster, leaving him left behind. Next to them were Lucy, Natsu, and Happy. The blue exceed sobbed into Lucy chest, while she hugged Natsu's side as she pressed her forehead to her shoulder, as he stood tall with an arm around her shoulder. Lastly, next to them, were Carla and Wendy who were currently healing Gajeel, while Lily sat on Levy's lap.

After going over each and every name, Erza closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, "Though many have fallen it is our duty to remember them and live for those who have given their lives for us to be standing here today. In the words of our late Master Markavor,"be thankful for those around you my children. Shall we continue living for the joy and happiness of each other, of our fellow guild mates- our families." May we cherish these days that are to come as if they are our last. We may be beaten and hearts filled with sorrow, but like always, let us rise from the ashes like phoenixes." She clears her throat as sobs threaten to become exposed, "To soar into the sky, because we are Fairy Tail." She raises her arm, and smiles optimistically, "And we are number one."

In the midst of the all the cheering, Lucy noticed that Natsu was the only he stayed silent. He had a pensive look on his face. Something very abnormal for the happy-go-lucky and loud dragon slayer. It was probably because he had almost transformed into E.N.D again, had she not stopped him by placing her arms around his waist and repeating, "That everything was going to be alright," he would have gone overboard.

"Natsu?" Lucy asks.

He snaps out of his thoughts and his eyes widen, "Yeah"

"Is everything okay?"

Happy looks in between the two like a serious ping-pong match.

"I-I was just thinking, that's all." He scratches the back of neck.

"Uh oh." Happy teases. "Don't think too much because you're going to start hurting."

"Whatever," Natsu pouts as he blushes. "I am serious."

"Well this is gonna be bad," Happy jumps out of Lucy's arm. "I am going to and see how Carla's doing, don't hurt yourself too much."

"Stupid cat." Natsu says under his breath.

Lucy let's out a small laugh.

He clears his throat, "Anyways. I was wondering if you know what those things are too make the…" he wraps his arms around his stomach. "Boats…. stop in the middle of the ocean called?"

"You mean an anchor?"

"I thought it was called an anchovy…"He says, "Yeah that. I guess what I want to say is thanks Luce for being my anchor."

Her cheeks had started to heat up and as a cliché as it might sound her heart did a small gymnastic routine, "Yeah sure."

"She loooooves you." Happy could be heard from far away.

A minute ago

The clouds that were starting to become clear were turning black. A man dressed in black descended from the sky like an angel in all his glory. Without a second to waste, the man raised his palms up and a black light emitted from his hands.

"Who is that?" Erza asks.

"God Ankherseram." Mavis says in somber.

"Natsu Dragneel." The god said. "You have escaped your fate for far too long. Be prepared to die!"

Natsu cracks his knuckles and gets into a battle stance, with an all-knowing smirk on his face, "Hi to you to," He grins. "Let's fight! Fire Dragon Roar!"

"Fairy Tail!" Erza raises her sword to the sky. "Forward!"

Now

Her pulse was growing slow, her vision fading, with her last breath she said, "Natsu."

E.N.D felt something at the pit of his stomach, fire. There was a flame in his belly, a flame that would not submit, as much as he tried to put it out. It was fighting back. This girl, it was because of her.

She smiled, she showed him her right arm, "Hey Natsu, Mirajane just put the official Fairy Tail Guild mark on me."

Kain Hikaru pulled her head up by her hair, her face covered in bruises and dirt, "I refuse to run away, I won't do it," She smiles. "I'd rather stay here with you, I can't think of anything than could make me happier."

Lucy was dead. He was an empty shell of a man. He fell to the ground, when he felt to arms catch. Lucy. She kneeled next to him, hugging from the back. He could smell her tears. She had never was one to give bone crushing hugs, but this was an exception and if he were to be honest just feeling her body pressed against his back only reminded him that she was alive.

"You sure know how to make a girl to worry."She cried into back of his neck.

"Lucy…."It responded.

"…thanks Luce for being my anchor," It said.

E.N.D dropped the blonde, staggering away from her, he pressed his claws to his temple. These feelings, these memories, Natsu Dragneel was fight back, there was no room for the etherious being.

Natsu dropped to his knees, panting hard. He looks to his side, "Lucy?" He could hear her beating very slowly, if the blood and gashes was any indication of her current condition, Natsu looked at his bloody palms. Her blood. Lucy. He wanted—needed to reach out to her, he stops himself at the last second. "I—I'm sorry!" He yells. He was a monster.

"Natsu." Lucy says in a low voice.

"Lucy." Natsu crawls towards her.

"Y-your…back."

He tries to get her to sit up, "Are you…." He stops himself; he doesn't have the right to ask, after the pain he had caused her.

"I-I'll b-be fine."

She felt cold against his touch, "Okay."

"Hey," She puts her hand on his cheek. "Smile okay. W-we s-still h-have many a-adventures to go on."

"Yeah." He grins as he presses his forehead to hers.

"I-I am all f-fired up." She grins.