Chapter 1

This is just a story I wrote on my spare time, it's kind of morbid...but I guess you guys will just have to deal with it.

I don't own Fairy Tail

The pain was blinding, she clutched at her hair screaming and crying in spite of herself. She couldn't move, she could barely breathe; all she could do was scream her lungs out in responds to the pain.

"Don't worry Lucy—" yelled Natsu between his own screams "I'll be over soon, Just hold on a little longer—" he gasped. She could hear the whip slicing through his skin and his muffled screams echoing though the room. Even while he was in so much pain he found the strength to comfort Lucy the best he could. His words really did help her, she repeated them to herself as the hours went by and the pain became more intense and exhausting.

It had been almost 3 months since they had been captured and every other day a masked woman would enter Lucy's cell and without saying anything or moving a figure she would induce such excruciating pain that Lucy would fall to the ground and squeeze her head until she left for the day. The pain started in her head, like a pounding headache and quickly escalated to an almost burning pain that ran through her head and down her spine down her legs and arms until it covered every inch of her body. And the terror that came along with it, she felt so incredibly hopeless and terrified there was no way to describe it.

"Lucy… are you alright?" asked Natsu breathing harshly after the whipping he just endured. "I can't do this anymore" she whispered, silent tears falling down the side of her face onto the ground as she lied on the cold stone floor. "I want to die" she cried desperately. "No Lucy, don't say that, we need to hold on just a little longer. We'll get out of here soon, I promise" he responded holding back his own tears. Day after day of abuse was really getting to her, and she could tell that Natsu was reaching his limit as well.

Lucy had lost track of time a long time ago but the next "morning" she was woke up by the clinging of keys at her door and the bulge of the heavy iron door being pushed open. Her vision was still blurry with sleep but she could faintly make out Natsu's bright pink hair as they dragged him over from his cell into hers and threw him in with her. Finding the strength to sit up Lucy pushed herself off the ground and turned to look at Natsu. His breathing came in short gasps from the pain. His back completely raw with cuts he couldn't even stand on his own. Gathering up some courage she turned to the masked men in the doorway as the turned to leave.

"Please let me clean out his wounds! Please he's in pain he needs some ointment and bandages" she plead

The guards exchanged a look and one of them spoke up "You'll get some bandages and a bucket of water" said one of the men as he closed the door and left down the corridor. Her attention snapped back to Natsu gasp as he used all his strength to sit up. "Natsu, are you alright" said Lucy, holding his arm so he wouldn't fall back down

"I'm fine, What about you" he said looking her over, his eyes trailing over her body trying to find any evidence of her being hurt. "They didn't hurt me physically like you, I'm fine Natsu" she whispered brushing her hair out to look a little more presentable in front of him. "How many lashes did you get yesterday?" she asked cautiously, she didn't want to bring back bad memories but she wanted to know none the less. "I got 30 each week, but the last month it has gone down to 20" he gave a soft laugh before continuing "it doesn't seem like much but after a few weeks even 20 lashes feel like an eternity"

After getting Natsu's back cleaned and bandaged they both waited in silence for something to say. "What did they do to you Lucy?" Natsu asked in a more serious tone. "Nothing really, Nothing compared to you" she whispered looking down at her magic dampening cuffs. "Don't give me that Lucy; I can hear your screams hours after they're done with me, what did they do to you?". She could feel his gaze on her but she didn't dare turn around to face him. "It's…It's hard to describe, it's like I can feel my skin burning off on top of a horrible headache. I feel like I'm dying even though I know it's all in my head. But once it stops it all goes away, but you have to suffer with your wounds days after… I…I" she felt tears start falling down her cheeks and she whipped them away hurriedly. "Don't worry Lucy, we'll get out of here soon, I promise." He said squeezing her shoulder.

As the weeks went on Natsu eventually stopped getting whipped but Lucy's sessions started getting longer. It went from 2 hours to 4, and then to 6 and 8 and eventually her voice would give out and she would be left lying on the ground crying her eyes out and all she could manage to make was a faint croaking sound echoing on for hours. This was Natsu's punishment; he would be tied to a chair and force to watch the whole time and when it was done he would be left to deal with what was left. Eventually Lucy stopped speaking, she wouldn't utter a word, she wouldn't eat, and all she could do was lay defeated on the bed.

"Come on Lucy you have to eat" Natsu whispered moving a few strands of hair from Lucy's face. "you need your strength for when we escape" he said softly putting a spoonful of soup in front of Lucy's mouth to no avail. This was affecting him too, having to sit and watch Lucy get tortured without being able to do anything was emotionally devastating for Natsu. He found himself crying a lot lately, every time Lucy would scream and beg Natsu for help his heart would break a little more until he couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Lucy's dead eyes looked up at him and he could see all the life they had once had had been drained from them. She was but a mere shell of her former self and he could no longer remain composed in front of her. Tears started falling from his eyes "I'm so sorry Lucy… I'm sorry I let this happen… that I can't help you… please forgive me" he sobbed wrinkling the bed sheets and burying his head into the bed to try and keep a bit of his dignity.

They had been captured nearly 6 months ago and they were already at their breaking point. Natsu couldn't fathom what else they would throw at them, what could they possibly do that would be worse than this.

The next morning came and the masked woman came into the room as always with four guards by her side. It took all 4 of them to restrain Natsu as he fought to delay Lucy's unavoidable torture.

As the hours went by Lucy's screams grew louder and louder. It had gone on all day and unlike in the past there were no breaks throughout. "It's been 10 hours leave her alone!" cried Natsu, he couldn't bare to see her is so much pain. "the masked woman exchanged a glance with her guards and one of them pulled out a small dagger from his belt and threw it at Natsu's feet. "If you want us to stop then kill her" said the masked woman in a booming voice. Natsu felt his heart drop; all he could do was looked between the dagger and Lucy and wonder if he could ever bring himself to do it. "If you don't do it the next time we come it will last 20 hours, and then 40, and then 60 hours until she is driven mad" roared the woman with a hint of joy in her voice. "It's your choice Dragon slayer, do you want to end her suffering, or do you want her to suffer through hours, weeks or pain". He felt the rope snap behind him and the guards begin to drag him in front of Lucy and plop the dagger in his hand. His hand shook so much that he had to place another hand on top of the dagger to steady himself. "I can't…" he whispered, his eyes open wide with fear. He couldn't move, his body was frozen in place. His breathing became erratic and he could feel his heart beating faster and faster in his chest. He wanted to scream, to cry, to run away from the unavoidable decision of whether he would end Lucy's suffering or let her continue suffering unimaginable pain because of his selfishness. He let a sob escape his lips, the thought of killing Lucy, his Lucy made him sick to his stomach. "Natsu please…" he heard Lucy whisper. "Please, I can't take this anymore…please" she cried, begging him to end it all.

He could see the masked woman growing inpatient until eventually she spoke up, "time's up, what is your decision?" she asked sounding deeply annoyed for having to wait so long

"…I…I…I'll do it" he said without even realizing it. The guards moved swiftly pulling Lucy roughly up and sitting her against the wall. The tears began to fall again as he approached her, he knew he had to do it, Lucy was already lost to him, he couldn't bare to see her lose her sanity even more. He felt a cold hand on his cheek "Thank you Natsu" she said draping her arms across his shoulders giving him one last hug. "I'm sorry Luce" he whispered into her hair as he lifted the dagger and lunged it into her back.