*A/N- In honor of the countdown to Face reaching 0 at last, and all of our theorizing about who is E.N.D. is about to either be realized or replaced by what is canon, I have decided to write TWO fanfics, one where Natsu is E.N.D. and one where Lucy is E.N.D (just because I want to.) Well any way, here we go, Natsu Is E.N.D. (Also this is a present for my receiver on the LFT Secret Santa! Merry Christmas tumblr user tinsel-babe!)
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*Lucy's POV
It can't be, it wasn't possible. We had failed. Failed to stop the countdown, failed to stop E.N.D. All the magic in the world was going to be drained away, and there was nothing we could do about it, unless, we were somehow able to stop E.N.D., but how would we do that? Maybe we could do it, if we knew how, but we didn't, at least, I didn't. I glanced around, looking at the terrified faces of my nakama, and wondered how Natsu was doing. We had been separated, and I didn't know how he was doing. I was really worried, though, because although Natsu could take care of himself, but he was probably still in battle right now, and how would he survive without his magic?
Just then, I heard a scream. A loud, long, piercing cry that chilled my spine, and stopped my heart cold. I knew that scream. I knew it, and it called to me, telling me I needed to go help him. Everyone around me was looking around for the source of the scream, of course all of our nakama recognized his scream as well, but it was bouncing off the rubble surrounding us, and we- they couldn't tell which direction it was coming from. I didn't need to be able to hear where the sound was coming from, I could feel where he was.
Slowly, I stepped in the direction that I knew he was in- inexplicably- but still I knew if I went in that direction, I would find him. I broke into a desperate run, pushing my exhausted legs as fast as they would take me.
"Lucy where are you going?" The others cried out to me, "Master said to go back to the guild hall!"
"I have to help Natsu!" I cried, not bothering to look back.
I vaulted over piles of rubble, not bothering to go around. I didn't have time to go around. Once I underestimated the height of a pile, and my foot caught on a chunk of rock, sending me crashing to the ground. I slid for several feet, before slamming into a fallen gargoyle. Not bothering to check myself for injuries, I pushed myself to my feet and continued running. My vision was blurring, and I couldn't see for a haze of red. I kept bumping into things, and when I reached up to wipe my eyes, my hand came away scarlet. I must have cut my face on something when I fell. I wiped the blood away without slowing down.
Natsu's screams were getting closer, I could tell I was almost there. Then, as I climbed to the top of a large pile of rubble, I saw him. It was worse than I ever could have imagined.
Natsu was standing there, with his back arched and his face contorted with pain. The air around him was permeated with a dark aura. With a start I realized the aura was coming from him.
His eyes glowed with the evil of whatever was taking over his body. There was something under his skin, writhing and trying to get out. He clutched at his head, though I couldn't see what was happening there.
Gray was there, on the ground, and half of his body was pure black. I couldn't even begin to fathom how that had happened, but he was stirring gently and seemed to be fine. I didn't have the time to worry about his transformation right now though, because Natsu's was still underway.
Just when my eyes turned back to Natsu, his back split open, and blood sprayed from his back, except that, it wasn't blood.
"Natsu!" I cried out, beginning to descend the pile of rubble, but he screamed my name.
"Lucy! No! Stay where you are! Get away!" He cried.
What I thought had been Natsu's blood was actually, wings. Great, red, dragon wings. As I watched, horns began to emerge from between his fingers, growing right out of his head. He cried out in agony, and I screamed too. What was happening to Natsu? His skin began taking on a scaly appearance, and a red hue.
He looked like a demon with his face contorted in pain and his eyes glowing red, not to mention the horns and wings. His appearance was something out of nightmares. I watched, weak kneed and helpless as my best friend turned into a monster, then it hit me. Natsu is E.N.D.
No, I told myself, it can't be Natsu. Natsu can't be E.N.D he just can't! But the evidence was right in front of my eyes and I couldn't deny it for much longer. Natsu was still writhing and screaming. I have to do something! I thought, But what?
"Natsu!" I cried, "Natsu can you hear me? You have to fight it!" He screamed loudly and lashed out at the nearest piece of rubble to him. It turned to dust when his fist struck it. Gray stirred at the sound and looked up, his jaw dropped.
"Natsu!" He cried, trying to push himself up off the ground.
"Stay away!" Natsu growled, "I can't control my body, Gray! Get Lucy outta here!" Just then, the aura around Natsu seemed to explode. It drew itself up into an orb around him, then shot into the sky in a column of darkness. The column dissipated, leaving just Natsu, with the air around him glowing faintly. Except that it wasn't Natsu anymore. I felt the link that attached us snap, and I felt my heart break as I realized he was lost to me. No, I thought, I won't give up. Not yet.
E.N.D. looked down at Gray, and laughed at the sight of him, struggling to get up off the ground, covered in blood and bruises. He walked over and stepped on Gray's back, pushing him back down to the ground, laughing maniacally. Gray cried out in pain, and I knew I had to save him.
"Gray!" I cried, and I was surprised when my voice broke. A sob racked my body, and I realized that I was crying. I reached for my belt, and then stopped. Who could I call to fight Natsu, I mean E.N.D.? I had already used Loke, and Virgo, and they needed time to recover in the celestial spirit world. Taurus was still recovering as well. All of my power houses were out of the picture for now. Then it occurred to me. What if I didn't defeat Nat-E.N.D., but instead I saved Natsu? But how could I do that? So I summoned the wisest spirit I know, Old Crux.
"Crux, I need you to figure out how to defeat E.N.D. and save Natsu!" I told him, reaching for the key of the second smartest spirit I know, who also happened to be pretty good at fighting. "Open, gate of the Goat, Capricorn!"
"How may I help you, Lady Lucy?" He asked.
"Capricorn, I need you to help me stall Na-E.N.D. while Old Crux searches for a way to save Natsu!" Capricorn nodded, and we both took a step forward, but my vision blacked out briefly, and one of my knees collapsed. I fell to the ground, and Capricorn gave me a worried look. I hadn't regained enough magical energy to maintain two gates, even if one of them was a silver gate.
"Perhaps you should wait here for Master Crux, while I stall E.N.D.," He suggested. I shook my head and he helped me to my feet. My vision blurred, but I ignored that. Now was not the time to rest, it was the time to fight.
"No, I won't leave you alone to fight E.N.D., not even for a second." Capricorn helped me down the pile of rubble so that I wouldn't fall. When we reached the bottom I thanked him quietly and prepared for battle. I slowly pulled my whip from my belt, and opened my mouth to shout at E.N.D. and get his attention.
Meanwhile, Gray wasn't doing well. E.N.D. was beating him badly. He was kicking, punching, and blasting Gray without even leaving enough space in between attacks for Gray to even cry out in pain. It was horrible to watch, Gray was helpless, he had used up all of his magic, not to mention whatever was going on with his skin changing colors. I was reminded forcibly of the brawls Natsu and Gray used to have all the time in the Guild Hall, but this was nothing like those fights, and that's not Natsu, I reminded myself.
"Hey, E.N.D.! Why don't you stop beating up on that weakling who can't even stand, and come and fight a real wizard?" I asked, hoping he would rise to the challenge.
"Oh, so you think you're a match for me?" He asked. It was Natsu's face and mouth, but it wasn't his voice that spoke. This voice was horrible and terrifying, it sounded evil.
"Lucy, what do you think that you're doing?" Gray croaked, struggling to get up, "You're too tired, you're no match for him! That's not Nat- AH!" He screamed when E.N.D. turned around and kicked him in the gut, sending Gray flying.
"I was talking to the girl, Gray," he spit out the words mockingly, and I knew from that that E.N.D. had access to all of Natsu's memories, and he planned on using them against us. He turned back to me.
"Anyway, pretty lady, do you think that you can take me? Because it looks to me like you are barely any better off than that boy over there." He gestured over his shoulder at Gray, who was now laying motionless on his stomach. I pushed away my worry for him, focusing on the task at hand, I had to make it until Old Crux figured out how to save Natsu.
"Oh, definitely," I said, trying my best to sound cocky, and I think I pulled it off, because E.N.D. raised Natsu's eyes brows appraisingly. "I'm not as weak as that pathetic whelp over there!" I'm sorry Gray, I thought. When all of this was over and done with, if we both made it out alive, he was going to kill me, that is if he could hear me right now. I prayed he couldn't. "I'm the most powerful celestial spirit mage there ever was!" I said inventing wildly.
"Is that so?" E.N.D. asked, approaching me slowly, but I held my ground, looking defiantly into the glowing eyes that looked nothing like Natsu's playful black ones.
"Yes, you weren't here yet," I said, thinking hard, doing my best to keep up my cocky act. "Just a while ago, I opened three Golden Gates at once, not to mention that I summoned the Celestial Spirit King," I said, emphasizing the last part, trying to make it sound like a big deal, which I suppose it was.
"Hmmm," E.N.D. said, placing his hand on his chin and thinking. "That is a big deal, but this Natsu who I'm possessing doesn't know anything about it."
"That's because he, and the rest of the guild, were unconscious, I fought off all of Tartarus by myself," I said. I knew I was stretching the truth, but hopefully Natsu didn't.
"That seems to fit in with the boy's memories," E.N.D. said, and I breathed a sigh of relief internally. "So go ahead," he said.
"Go ahead and what?" I asked earnestly.
"Summon three Golden Gates, or the Celestial Spirit King, I don't see why I shouldn't have a little fun before fulfilling my duties." Crap, I thought. My plan backfired, now he wants to fight the Celestial Spirit King! I'm all out of power, I couldn't open another Gate if I wanted too! How do I get out of this one? In order to buy myself some time, I laughed out loud, my brain still working madly. E.N.D. looked affronted, like I had insulted him or something.
"Why should I?" I asked, struggling to keep up my front, "I can defeat you on my own power!" Good one! I congratulated myself.
"Yeah, right," He replied, laughing, "You can barely stand, much less defeat me!" he said. I glanced briefly at Capricorn, who was awaiting my instructions, and lashed out with Flueve d'etoiles. E.N.D. raised his arm and blocked the attack, which I had been expecting. He looked rather surprised when it wrapped around his arm. I pulled hard on the handle, which yanked a startled E.N.D. to the side, leaving him wide open for Capricorn's hard kick to his side, but at the last moment, he spun, yanking me along by the whip, and punched Capricorn in the face, sending us flying in opposite directions. I grinded to a halt about 30 feet away from E.N.D.
As I struggled to stand I looked up to see E.N.D. advancing on Capricorn, who was laying on the ground. He had been slammed into a large piece of rubble by the looks of it. He was winded, but he stood up, facing down E.N.D. valiantly. I shouldn't have summoned him, I thought desperately, as I watched E.N.D. close in on Capricorn, he's not cut out for this. He's not one for fighting, he's not a battle oriented spirit. If I sent him home right now, maybe I could summon Loke. But I knew that was out of the question. Loke would be in no shape to fight anymore, and if I sent Capricorn home, I wouldn't be able to summon anyone else anyway.
As I watched, trying to stand, E.N.D. pulled his leg back for a kick, and I knew I had to act. I summoned forth all of my strength, pushed myself onto my knees, and lashed out with my whip again, this time catching E.N.D. around the ankles, and pulling as hard as I could. He wasn't expecting that, he probably assumed that last attack had done me in, so when my whip wrapped around his ankle and yanked his foot out from underneath him, he fell face first onto the ground. Capricorn took advantage of his helplessness, and kicked him ferociously in the head. I winced, when we saved him, it was Natsu that would feel that, not E.N.D. Capricorn bent over and lifted up E.N.D. by Natsu's scarf, when did he get that back? I wondered briefly.
I struggled to my feet as Capricorn punched E.N.D. in the stomach, hard. I could hear his ribs cracking from where I stood, and I almost threw up. Maybe I underestimated him, and Capricorn really is cut out for battle. I began to limp over to where they were, determined to help Capricorn subdue him in some way, but Capricorn's face changed from determination to fear as E.N.D. flared up with black flames. I had never seen them in person, Natsu had told me about the flame god slayer, but I could never picture them until now. E.N.D. pulled back his fist in a move I recognized at once.
"Capricorn, get out of there!" I cried, running as fast as I could with my hurt leg, but I didn't make it.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist," E.N.D. said sarcastically. Capricorn was sent flying back, and he slammed into a crumbling wall.
"I'm sorry, Lucy," he said, as he vanished into a glow of warm light. My last hope had been defeated. I was alone. All of my spirits were worn out, I had none left to help me, except, maybe. Maybe I could summon Gemini, but did I have enough power for that, and did Gemini? Were either of us fit for what I had planned?
I reached slowly for my keys as E.N.D. turned around and said, "Is that all you got? Is that your strongest spirit? Or are all of the others too tired to join us?" He was mocking me now, and I could no longer pretend to be fit for fighting. My vision was blurring again, and I could barely stand up. I could perform the spell without Gemini, but I doubt I had the energy for even that.
He approached me slowly, knowing that he could take his time killing me, that I had no fight left, but a cry from our left startled both of us. Old Crux seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, because he didn't go on one of his long explanations, he merely shouted one phrase.
"Miss Lucy, USE THE ONE MAGIC!" And then E.N.D. attacked him, sending him back to the Celestial Spirit world. The one magic, the one magic, that's it! Why didn't I think of it before? Since E.N.D. was a force summoned by evil, the One Magic should be able to defeat him.E.N.D. seemed to be following my thought patterns, because he scoffed.
"The one magic! What useless advice. Lucy, do all your spirits hate you, or are they as stupid as you are?" E.N.D. asked.
"What do you mean?" I asked, with as much venom as I could muster.
"I'll admit, I'm rather impressed that you are still on your feet. I can see why my vessel has such great respect and faith in you, even now, he continues to fight me, and he is cheering for you, 'You can do this Lucy, just use that thing Gii-chan Crux said!' What a fool," he scoffed again. So Natsu has been aware this whole time, I thought. I raised my voice so I could be sure Natsu would hear me.
"Natsu, keep fighting this creep! I'm going to use the One Magic to save you!"
"Don't be stupid," E.N.D. said, "The One Magic is a myth, a fairy tale told to children, it doesn't exist, and even if it did, no one would know what it is." He struck out, hitting me in the stomach, and sending me flying backwards. I hit some piece of rubble and slid to the ground, but I struggled back up, only managing to get on my knees. "'Stop hitting Lucy you bastard!' He's shouting now."
"Have you ever met Horologium, perchance?" I asked, still on the ground. The way he parroted what Natsu was saying reminded me of him. I coughed, and a spray of red splattered across the dusty ground.
"What?"
"Never mind," I forced out. My voice sounded strained, weak. "But you're wrong."
"What? What do you mean?" He asked, looking confused, and his expression was so Natsu-ish, that I actually laughed, well to be precise I laughed once, then coughed up more blood.
"I mean you're wrong. I know what the one magic is," I was trying to sound impressive, but my low, strained voice made that pretty much impossible.
"Don't be ridiculous," He snorted, but I noticed he was eyeing me more suspiciously now. I pushed up to my feet, and straightened to the best of my abilities. I took a step forward, and almost fell again, which is when it happened. A flash of worry flitted across Natsu's face, it was there and gone in an instant. I wouldn't have noticed it if I didn't know Natsu's face so well. The sight gave me the energy to stand completely straight, and even flash a cocky grin, although the effect probably wasn't too great, because my teeth were undoubtedly stained red with my own blood. Natsu was fighting, and if his worry for me was showing on his face, he was gaining ground.
"I know what the one magic is!" I taunted. The sudden change in my demeanor seemed to alarm him.
"Then what is it?" He asked, and he sounded surprisingly like a small child arguing with his friend. I giggled, which proved to be a mistake, as I just ended up hacking up more blood.
"I'm not going to tell you!" I said as I wiped the blood off of my mouth and chin, "It's what I'm going to defeat you and save Natsu with." I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what I was going to do next. E.N.D. was talking, and didn't notice.
I ran at E.N.D. full throttle, slinging my arm back and striking with my whip. He blocked with his arm which I grabbed as I slammed into his chest. Without giving him time to react, I stood on the tips of my toes, and kissed him.
The One Magic, love.
At first E.N.D. was so surprised he didn't know what to do. If the situation wasn't so dire I might've laughed, the poor thing, trying to kill a girl only to have her kiss him. Talk about weird.
E.N.D. didn't stay surprised for long, though. He took his long, sharp claws and dug them into my back. I cried out, but didn't move from where I was. I let go of his wrist and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, and refused to let go, even as he raked his claws up my back, tearing the flesh into ribbons.
My vision was blurring, my strength evaporating, but I still didn't let it was from blood loss, exhaustion, or pain, or more likely a mixture of all three, I was about to pass out, but I refused to let go. This was going to work, it had to. I felt E.N.D. stiffen, and his hand began to slow down, which wasn't a necessarily good thing, it made the cutting seem so much more painful, but I almost cried in relief. It was working! Natsu was gaining ground! He was fighting back, and he had a chance of winning! I tightened my grip on Natsu, not E.N.D. and his claws stopped cutting into me, which was a very good thing.
Something wet hit my face, and I realized Natsu was crying, and I felt him pulling his claws slowly out of my back, like he was having a hard time doing it. He placed his hands gently on my shoulders, like he was consciously trying not to cause me anymore pain. I peeked out of one eye, and saw that his eyes were flicking between his own playful black ones, the red glow of E.N.D. and back again. I slid one of my hands into his hair and kissed him harder. Come on Natsu! I thought hard, trying to somehow tell him telepathically that he could do it. I heard a great cry over head, and I looked up to see Igneel deal a fatal blow to Acnologia, who plummeted to the ground, and didn't stir. (I wrote this before the chapter where Acnologia was defeated was published) Igneel let out a great shout of triumph, and Natsu stiffened. I saw his black eye, looking up at his Dad, with tears in his eye, and the red eye of E.N.D. looking to the sky with rage.
Igneel glanced down at us, and his eyes widened. Whether it was because his son now had horns and wings or because I was kissing him I wasn't sure maybe both. He flapped down to the ground, and landed near us on a large pile of rubble. We made eye contact, and he nodded his massive head. I looked back at Natsu, who was obviously winning the fight. The sight of his father had strengthened his resolve, and the red eyes were only flashing now. The scaly flesh was fading away back to Natsu's normal, human skin, and the wings and horns were crumbling. I looked back at his eyes, and realized he was looking at me, with an unreadable expression in his black eyes. I felt the heat rush to my face, and closed my eyes. I felt like I had to keep kissing him until E.N.D. was gone completely, but I was not about to look the old Natsu right in the face right now. I would probably never look him in the face again. My senses were becoming duller, and I realized my blood loss was catching up with me. I felt what might have been Natsu's hand in my hair, and I felt a pressure on my lips that hadn't been there before.
The whole thing probably only took a minute, but it felt like an eternity. That's it, I thought hazily, I'm quitting the guild, I can never show my face there again, not after this. I felt my legs give out from underneath me, but Natsu caught me. I opened my eyes to see if we had done it, if Natsu and I had beaten E.N.D. but my vision was so dark I might as well have kept them closed. Vaguely I heard Natsu's voice calling out, "Lucy," before I slipped into oblivion.
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*A/N- Hey, tinsel-babe, if you're reading this you're probably thinking, "This isn't romantic at all!" Well don't worry, It will be, there will be more chapters to come, I was going to do it in one big long one-shot, but then I thought, why not make it chapters? I may or may not have another chappie up by Christmas, but I wanted to have this up before the new chapter released. I'll do the Lucy one after I finish this one! Merry Christmas!