Chapter 4: It's raining

GUILDS POV
The guild was still rowdy and carefree as ever with most of the guys in a big brawl and the girls in their own little world chatting. Erza sat at the one of the tables eating her favorite strawberry cake and Gray was punching Gajeel in the face while he got kicked in the stomach.
The guild stopped everything when Happy flew in followed by Wendy and Carla "HEY! We're back!"
The guildmates just smiled and said in unison "WELCOME BACK!"
Then they went back to what they were doing. Happy flew to next to Erza with a smile on his face "Ne Erza have you seen Natsu and Lucy I got this big ol' fish that I want to scare Lucy with!"
Erza looked at the blue flying cat and thought to herself "Actually... I haven't"
Erza faced the center of the guild "HEY GRAY!"
Gray stopped what he was doing instantly "YES MA'AM!"
He yelled as he appeared in front of her trying not to get hit, arms in defensive position, for whatever reason he had to be scared of her. "Have you seen Natsu and Lucy? Or gotten a letter at least because now that I think about it Lucy did say she would write to us every day"
Gray thought to himself and said calmly "No, I don't remember seeing or reading anything from flame brain or Lucy. Why? You think they're still out on that mission?"
Erza looked worried and had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn't shake off since 3 days ago which was the last time she had gotten a letter from them. An omen? No, it couldn't be, but just in case "I feel as though we should check on them?"
Gray eyed her "Come on Erza have some faith in them. They're fairy tail mages after all"
Gray patted her on the back "Yeah I know, but I've had this feeling that something bad happened and I can't shake it off. Can we at least spy on them? I promise on my armor that we-or I won't interfere"
Gray saw how desperate she wanted to go and she never really got like that unless it was urgent. Gray sighed "Fine but let's go tomorrow morning, it's late"
Erza nodded "Oh and gray"
"Yeah?"
She stood firmly and dead panned him "Your clothes"
Gray looked down and panicked "WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?"
-line-
Gray had fallen asleep on the opposite bench that Erza was sitting on because she had literally dragged him from his house at 4am to board the earliest train there. She rested her head on her knuckles that was pressed by the window.
She had been looking intensely out the window and she said whispered softly "I hope you're okay...Lucy, Natsu"
~ANOTHER TIME SKIP (they're now in the town)
Gray and Erza scouted the town and asked the townspeople if they'd seen their nakama and showed them a picture of them that Reedus had drawn. Most people said no and they started to lose faith but then a middle aged man came up to them "Are you looking for something miss?"
Erza nodded with a twinkle in her eyes "YES! We're looking for them," she handed him the pictures "they were out on a mission that happens to be somewhere near"
He looked at both of them for a second and noticed their emblems "Say was it another 2 mages from your guild?"
Erza nodded, the guy started to yell "THAT NO GOOD BRAT ATE ALL MY FOOD! I had just politely offered some, because that young fellow looked half dead on the sidewalk!"
Erza apologized on Natsu's behalf "Yeah sorry about that, but still can you tell us where they went?"
He looked at the old man again "Well," the man huffed "Yeah I know where they went, not a smart idea even for mages like you"
Erza lifted up an eyebrow "Yeah and why not?"
He said apologetically "Well I'm not saying that you guys aren't strong and can't take care of yourself but there are dangerous dark guild members out there in the woods that has terrorized us and abducted some of our women. Though we didn't add in that part in the dad because we were afraid of scaring them off. You know actually we haven't seen them lately. Did they beat them? But then why didn't they take the reward money...strange..."
Erza stepped up and asked seriously "Where can I find them?"
The guy started to sweat like crazy because whether or not Erza knew it, she was giving of this killing aura.
Gray laid a hand on her shoulder "Yo, back off Erza you're scaring him"
She recomposed herself "Yes, I'm sorry. Can you please tell us where they went?" She asked more gently and he complied.
ERZA'S POV
I know we're going in the right direction, I remember his directions specifically. Why does my gut tell me to turn away? Yet it draws me in like a cry for help. I hastily move faster while Gray stays with my pace. I look around to see any sign of Natsu or Lucy. I stop in my tracks, "Why'd you stop? Do you see something?" I start to run in the direction that I see it without answering Gray. It can't be... She would never... I stop dead in my tracks as I reach my destination and I see it. Lucy's gate keys lying on the ground. I pick them up and I see Loke's key grow brighter and dimmer again. So it was him that I saw. I can hear Gray panting beside me "WHAT THE HELL ER-" gray paused for a while and grabbed the keys from my hand "why the hell are Lucy's keys here?"
I release my attention from the keys and I stare at the pile of rubble that the keys were in front of. Gray looks as well and then Loke's key becomes brighter as we press up against the rocks, hoping to find some sort of magical energy. Could they- I mean I sense no magical energy whatsoever.
NO ONES POV
They both eye the pile of rubble and then Loke pops out of nowhere. He looks terrible; his clothes are a wreck and his necktie is loosened and his eyes puffy. "Please! I don't have much time! Natsu and Lucy are down there you have to help them! I don't know their state right now because Lucy and I ran out magic before I could go down there with her! Please!"
Before they were about to ask what happened but Loke disappeared back to the spirit world due to lack of magic power. Even so Erza understood how serious it was and raised her right hand, and punched the boulders making most of them shatter. Gray too understood and made an ice hammer out of his magic continuing the process as the 2 took turns. Erza had taken Lucy's keys in hope of returning them to her when they find them. By this time, Erza's instincts told them they were near so they proceeded with digging with their hands. A little after 10 minutes Erza gasped, but Gray was too busy digging to hear it.

"Gray, do you feel that?"

The now sweating and shirtless Gray eyed Erza "N-no, actually I don't feel anything."

"Exactly, don't you think if we were near we should feel their energy?"

Her voice quivering a bit, Gray's eyes widened a bit "Maybe they're just down deeper, just keep digging Erza! You can't give up now! Come on I know they're down there!"

"Gray!" Erza yelled with her voice shaking a bit "I don't think so."
Gray seemed a more than a bit agitated "What the hell, of course they are Erza! Stop talking like they're dead, and how the hell would you know if they're waiting or not! I've been with you digging this cave for hours! I think I'd know if they updated you about their well beings!"

Erza looked up at Gray with tears in her eye and revealed what looked like people, but they were too covered in dirt. Gray staggered a bit coming closer, not wanting identify the 2 people in Erza's arms. When gray reached her- he fell to his knees and tears that welled up in Erza's eyes too.

"Lucy...Natsu" Gray whispered almost inaudibly as his face started to cringe from the burning in his eyes and nose. They just looked like they were sleeping peacefully together, Lucy was cradled in Natsu's arms. She had little cuts and bruises here and there, but not to make her look any less peaceful. What really broke Erza down more was the smile on Natsu's face, his grip around Lucy still firm even though his body looked the most beat up as there was dried up blood all over him, but mainly on his leg. Erza started to cry hysterically as she rocked them both back and forth trying her best to stop crying. Gray hesitantly brought his hands up to cup Lucy's face and placed his forehead against hers as he cried with a shadow over his eyes. His tears falling on Lucy's pale face as it rolled down her cheeks taking some of the dirt and blood that was on her to fall to the ground.
GRAYS POV
It can't be true...I-I... you're gone, and my little sister too. I'm such an idiot letting them go alone, I should've been there. It's all my fault, I'm sorry Natsu and my little sister Lucy.
~flashback~
"I'm really glad I met you Gray, you're the best big brother that anyone would be lucky to have" Lucy giggled as she smiled at him

Gray's eyes widened a bit as a hint of blush found its way to his cheeks "Where did that come from?"

Lucy looked at Gray again and laughed as she saw his surprised face "Haha, nowhere. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you and what you do for me all the time" Her smile and laughter had dimmed down and so had Gray's blush as he smiled softly.

"I'm grateful for you too, don't forget that. Okay?" Lucy nodded her head as she turned back around and continued to walk to wherever she was needed with a smile on her face.
~Flashback end~

~Flashback 2~

Natsu and Gray panted hard as they tried to finished their daily sparring, Natsu wiped of the sweat from his face and noticed how much damage he had taken and how much he inflicted on Gray too. "You know for an ice princess you aren't half bad" Natsu said sounding sarcastic and a bit half-heartedly as he looked anywhere but Gray.

Gray's face was unemotional, as a matter of fact he whited-out. Natsu looked at Gray for a response, still frozen "Aren't you going to say something ice freak?!"

Gray busted out laughing "Oi! What's so damn funny?" Gray started wheezing as he fell on the floor laughing. Natsu seemed a little bit more than fired up to kick Gray in the face.

Gray finally got up after 10 minutes of non-stop laughter wiping away a tear from his eye "Dude, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be flattered or insulted by the comment you just made or whatever that was!" Gray snickered a bit again, trying to refrain from laughing again.

Natsu growled at Gray "Oh yeah! Well it won't happen again so don't read too much into it!" Gray busted out laughing again as he saw the embarrassment in Natsu's face as it burned red.

~Flashback 2 end~
Tears start to fall uncontrollably from my eyes, why can't I stop crying? I can't stop crying...what do I do? What do I do? What could I have done? What could-...this is my fault...my fault...my fault...my...fault...all my...fault.

"This is all my fault..."