Welcome to What Makes Us chapter four!

So... I know you guys are probably more than a little frustrated with me for not updating for like a week... I'm sorry... just know that, from now on, you can expect at least one update per week. Or maybe two. Sorry, guys!

You're also probably frustrating with me for leaving you on TWO cliffies in a row! *evil smirk* Buuuuuut dat's how I roll. And this chapter will be one you all love, I promise!

I thought I'd add that this whole story takes place after the GMG/Eclipse arc.

And, finally... one last thing... some people are asking where's all the NaLu. Well, don't worry, it'll be there, I promise! And there will be LOTS of it. It'll just take a little while to develop. ;) It'll show up soon, I promise - and if ya squint, you can see it's already there.

.

.

.

Chapter Four

In Which Donations Are Made

.

.

.

Natsu's dreams were haunting.

And they all involved Lucy - every one of them.

He saw her being tortured. He heard her screaming, crying out his name. He saw her dead on the ground. He heard her sobbing. He felt her warm embrace, then felt her violently ripped away from him.

All of them were horrible, but the worst one was, by far, the one where Lucy was badly burned. Her clothes singed, hair sooty, parts of her skin burned beyond repair.

She was crying.

And the worst part, Natsu realized with horror, was that this was his fault.

He had burned her.

He had done this to her.

Natsu felt tears rolling down his cheeks as he came to the horrible realization. The fact that it was a dream, only a memory of something that never really happened, never occurred to him. He reached out to touch her, but she flinched away from him.

"I-I'm sorry, Luce..."

... ... ...

Levy pushed open the door, and Gajeel raced in behind her, Natsu's limp body in his arms.

The reactions from the guild were immediate. Most had returned from their lookout spots, so almost everyone was there, and almost everyone was able to see the horrible sight of Natsu, bloody and motionless, eyes half-shut and dull, sagging in Gajeel's arms.

Their voices rose from near-silence to a cacophony, and Gajeel felt Levy's hand on his arm - an attempt at comforting him, or perhaps seeking comfort. Whatever the case, Gajeel glanced down, casting her a grateful, though barely visible smile.

Gildarts was the first one there. His hands trembled as he reached out, gently touching Natsu's face. His voice was shaking as he took in the body of his "son".

"Wh-who did this to him?" the man choked out.

"Hell if I know, but they're gonna wish they were never born once I get to 'em," Gajeel said, his voice heavy and serious. "I need to get through. Salamander ain't dead yet, but that could change in a half-second."

He felt a sharp pang in his chest as he said that, but tried to ignore it. "Is Porlyusica here?" he continued.

"Sh-she'll be here any minute," Warren spoke up, obviously trying desperately to keep a level head. "Master's in his office. I'll go get him now."

Lisanna could hardly speak as she gazed at Natsu, eyes wide, tears forming.

"W-We should p-put him... in the infirmary," she choked out, but Gajeel was one step ahead of her. He and Levy were already on their way, Levy only pausing to set the Exceeds down at one of the tables.

Lisanna's lower lip trembled. It was true that she'd once held feelings for Natsu that were beyond just friendship. It was also true that those feelings were gone now. But he was still one of her very best friends, whom she'd known since childhood, and seeing him hurt like that...

His wounds were so terrible, Lisanna knew that if she hadn't been told he was alive, she would have thought him dead at the sight of him. A cold fist gripped her heart when she realized he could be dead any second now.

Please, Natsu, she begged. Please hold on...

Less than a minute later, Pantherlily was there, holding Porlyusica. He dropped the woman, who gazed around at all of them, said not a word, and stalked off to the infirmary. Mirajane showed up soon after.

Juvia rushed in barely five minutes later. Gray was with her, and behind them, Erza, with a bloody and beaten Lucy in her arms.

Lisanna gasped sharply at the sight of her blond friend. Most wouldn't know it, but she and Lucy were actually pretty close. Seeing two of her friends hurt like that... nearly to the point of death...

It was just...

Horrible.

Lisanna buried her face in her hands and let out a choked sob.

They just had to be okay...

... ... ...

Cana drummed her fingers on the table anxiously.

They'd be fine, they'd be fine, they'd be fine, they'd be fine...

She had to keep repeating this to herself, over and over, because she knew that if she didn't, she was going to break down and cry right there.

There weren't many people in the guild who didn't see Natsu and Lucy as a little brother and sister. They were two of the younger people in the guild, both barely 18 years old, and they were both close to many members of the guild.

Cana knew that Lucy was the closest thing to a younger sister she'd ever had. The blond was supportive, encouraging, and sweet, and she looked up to Cana as an older sister.

The brunette glanced around. Erza's face was unreadable. Gray refused to lift his head from the table. Juvia looked ready to cry. Mirajane's face was already streaked with tears, as was Lisanna's. Gildarts was pale and stony-faced. Wendy hugged herself and cried silently.

Nobody spoke a word.

Cana gritted her teeth. Lucy had been the one to break the silence earlier that day. Now, as the sun set outside, that silence had settled back upon the guild, and no one could bear to lift it. Because, unlike earlier that day, this wasn't just some unexplained feeling. They had a reason for being depressed now.

Cana looked up sharply at the sound of a door open in and closing. And out of the infirmary walked Porlyusica, head bowed.

Everyone looked up immediately. Cana's heart pounded. Porlyusica's expression was dark, her eyes downcast.

No...

"Fairy Tail," the pink-haired woman addressed the guild. "I'm sure you're all wondering about the condition of your two friends. I..." She broke off and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry."

Cana swore her heart nearly stopped.

"I've given them some of my strongest painkillers, and tried to stabilize them, but I don't believe either of them will survive the night." Porlyusica looked up, and her eyes landed on Wendy. "Wendy's healing magic is the reason they're still alive now. Without her, they'd have died before they got here. But I'm afraid... it just wasn't enough."

She looked away. "If you want to say your goodbyes, do it now. Neither of them are conscious, but if you wanted to see them..."

Nobody said a word as the news settled in.

Gray suddenly stood up, but instead of walking towards the infirmary, he turned to stalk out of the guild. Turning back to them, he snarled at Porlyusica, "don't you ever say that again about my friends. Natsu and Lucy will be fine. They're stronger than you think. I am not saying any goodbyes tonight!"

With that, he left, slamming the wide double doors behind him.

Porlyusica didn't respond.

Immediately, the guild was a cacophony of voices and yelling and some crying. Cana sat, rooted to the spot.

Natsu and Lucy... were going to die?

No.

She wasn't about to believe it any more than Gray was.

Cana stood up, walking to the infirmary, feeling completely numb. That couldn't be true. They weren't going to die. They couldn't die.

She pushed open the door and bit back tears.

There they were, lying on beds beside each other, breathing shallow and ragged. The sheets were soaked with blood already, and they were heavily bandaged.

Gildarts was kneeling at Natsu's bedside, clutching the boy's hand like a lifeline.

"Natsu," the man choked out hoarsely. "I-I'm sorry... maybe if I could have been there, I..." Suddenly he broke down, laying his forehead on Natsu's chest, and let out great, heaving sobs that wracked his body.

"Hold on a little longer, Natsu," the man begged. He cast Lucy a glance. "You too, Lucy. I-I know you'll both be okay... I'm sure you can pull through..."

Cana stood over Lucy's bedside, gently reaching out to brush some golden hair out of her face.

"Hey, Lucy," she mumbled, trying to choke back tears. "How ya doin'? Still not confessed to Natsu, eh?"

She glanced between the two mages, trembling. "You know, once you get out of this, you need to promise me something." Cana leaned down to whisper the next part. "Make sure you tell Natsu, okay? I know you aren't sure about your feelings, but..."

She clenched her fists. "But you never know when you might lose the chance forever."

With that, the brown-haired girl hurried out of the room to try and drink her problems away.

... ... ...

"Luce?"

Natsu's eyes cracked open. Where was he? Where was Lucy? Was she okay? Was he okay? Why did he feel so groggy? Who was that pink-haired lady over there? Hold on, was that Porlyusica? Why did she seem so shocked? Was it because of him? And why was everything starting to go black again?

"L-Lucy..." he coughed out, just before he lost consciousness once more.

... ... ...

"I have good news," Porlyusica announced as she exited the infirmary. It was late at night, but not a single member of the guild had left since Gray - they were all waiting for more news on their nakama.

Everyone in the guild looked up sharply, eyes wide, expressions hardly daring to hope.

"Natsu reagained consciousness, if for only a few seconds," she continued, "and they both seem to be in a more stable condition. Their heart rates and breathing are back to normal. However," she added, "it seems they've both lost quite a lot of blood at this point. If they're to survive, we need donors."

"I'll do it!" Gildarts was the first to step up. Not that it surprised anyone; after all, Natsu was like a son to him.

"Me too," Gray admitted grudgingly. He'd returned to the guild about an hour ago, needing to be around someone, or else he might have fallen apart. "That idiot better not die."

Erza and Levy stepped up as well, as did a timid Wendy, and Master Makarov.

"Now, hold on just a moment," Porlyusica chastised. "You need to be of the same blood type. And we'll need multiple donors, because they each need at least two quarts, and it would be dangerous for anyone to give up that much blood at once."

There were several nods from around the room, as everyone stepped up and volunteered. Porlyusica asked for volunteers of the blood type O, because that was Lucy and Natsu's blood type, and she specifically asked Wendy, Gajeel, and Laxus to donate for Natsu, with them being dragonslayers and all.

Soon, everything had been taken care of, and everyone seemed to be in a much better mood than before.

"They're going to make it," Levy breathed, finding herself close to tears. "Oh, Mavis - they're going to make it!"

... ... ...

Oi! I hope you all like me more now! See you next chapter - sometime later this week, hopefully - and remember, I love you all!