"And it is also because of my power that I will be dead in thirty-eight hours."

As soon as those words reached my ears I felt my entire being sink down into the ground and wist away into blank nothingness. I forgot how to speak, how to smell, feel, taste, hear, I was so far gone that I didn't even notice I was hyperventilating. All the while I silently struggled for breath and continued to become paralyzed, even more so than I already was, all I could hold onto was the sound of Lucy's voice in desperation for an explanation.

She looked around the crowd before she continued, appearing to take in the faces of all those she was neglected from interacting with. I could only wonder what she was thinking of in this moment. What would it have been like for her if she was born with weaker powers? Would she have been able to live a normal life with her classmates, eating and laughing, playing games, watching movies and just goofing off? Maybe then she'd have a shot at normal friendships, she and I could have met sooner, become best friends sooner, and I would have fallen in love sooner. As I looked on and wondered these things, I saw her gaze meet mine, and I could see the sorrow that they held. Perhaps she was wishing for the same thing.

Her gaze didn't linger long however, and she soon turned her head away from me, back out the the broad numbers of the crowd.

"I know none of you know me," she began, "but I'm just like you. Born with powers that sent me here when I was younger. Yet, there's something about me that sets me apart. My powers have always been too powerful for me to control, and now they've become too much for my body to even contain. I've been labeled as an imminent threat by the government. For the past five years I've been experimented on by government scientists in the undergrounds of the academy, searching for a way to either destroy my power, or harness it. That's where a machine called the Muta Condensing and Manipulation Unit was created. In order to keep my power level low, I had to be put into the machine every day for a duration of time and have my power transformed into power that fueled everything in the school.

"However, last year I was told that I would detonate from a power burst so great that it would rupture my entire body. Not only that, but it would destroy eighty percent of the planet's surface.-" A wave of gasps sounded from the crowd. "Because of this I have to back into the machine and have all of my power transformed into energy. The result will be no more than the equivalent of a one ton bomb of dynamite. Approximately one-fifth to one-fourth of the school will be reduced to rubble, but from here you should only feel a slight shake and a gust of wind.

"The infiltration of our school by corrupt government agents and the use of mutant testing will have to be announced the Federal Mutant Protection Division. Dean Makarov will see to that. However, due to the explosion, almost all evidence will be lost. Therefore, I will have to create a separate layer covering the evidence in Graphite. The blast should be enough to damage if not crumble she shield, however the evidence will be left mostly untouched.

"All of you will have to report to the FMPD about the corruption that took place during the fourteen day panic a few months back, which was caused by the corrupt agents. I will be leaving in a few hours and will do my best to make sure this spot isn't discovered, but you must stay on edge in case you are. I may not have been directly among you, but I am proud to have attended this school." Lucy bowed her head and went off the makeshift stage, Dean Makarov taking her place and announcing defensive tactics to insure our safety. Although, no one was really paying him attention, for all of their eyes were on Lucy as she made her way back to a tent where the school board had set up. The entire crowd of students around her looked on in confusion, not understanding who she was and what she had gone through. I, myself, was one of them. All this time I had thought I was beginning to know Lucy, that I was the only one who truly understood her. Now I know just how wrong I was, she still kept me in the shadows.

I felt a twinge of pain poke at my heart, saddened by the fact that she still refused to rely on and trust me. But when I saw her face right as she entered the board's tent, the feeling went away and was replaced with understanding. That solid look that her face held told her entire story. A look of fear in the eyes of a face held by determination. She was scared of herself and what she could do, yet she was prepared to use her powers to save the innocent students at the academy.

Gray reappeared at my side, coming out from the crowd and taking a seat at my left side. He didn't say anything at first, but simply stared down at his hands, clenched into fists. I got the gist of what he wanted to say before he even spoke a word.

"I don't blame you." I told him. "Sure you fucked up, but it wasn't an intentional fuck up."

Gray let out a light-hearted chuckle and glanced over at me.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not much at the moment, but I can still move my legs." I say as I flail my feet around to provide emphasis. Gray's eyes only went dark again as he looked away in shame. "You didn't cause this."

"But I aided to it." He muttered through gritted teeth as he shook, trying to keep himself from crying. "If I had known who it was I was sending you to, then this never would have happened. You wouldn't be like this!"

"Yeah you're right-" I say before aiming a kick at his head, hitting him in the cheek and landing me in an awkward position on the ground; which I couldn't get up from since I lost all feeling in both arms.

"What the fuck was that about you flame shit! You're supposed to be comforting me!" Gray yelled at me as he brought a hand to his bruising face.

"Well what do you want me to do? Suddenly get time powers and fix myself? Stop bruiting and look at the bright side, at least I didn't die."

"That still didn't give you reason to hit me!"

"With that ugly mug, how could I resist!"

Gray then proceeded to try and tackle me as I used my legs as my only defense, kneeing him in the chin as he pounded me in the gut. By the end of it I was in an even more uncomfortable position on my side with my arms wildly sprawled about. Gray laid next to me, in a obviously more comfortable position on his back.

"Feel better?" I breathed out an inquiry.

"Physically, no." He shot back sarcastically. "But yeah, thanks Natsu."

"You're welcome my dude. Now could you help be back on my mat? I'd prefer not to be a mutant pretzel."

"Oh shit, yeah, of course." Gray said and got up to help me back into my previous position on my sleeping mat, my back resting against a stack of pillows to keep me somewhat upright.

"Thank you, now I can finally brea-" Suddenly I couldn't breath. The numbness traveling through my body had made its way to my lungs and throat, and I started to suffocate.

"Natsu? Natsu what's wrong?" The ice mutant asked in increasing worry. He tried to shake me, but I failed to mutter a single word to him. Dots were starting to cover my vision as my body shook on its own from lack of oxygen. Realizing that I was somehow choking, and he couldn't do anything to help me, Gray screamed out for help.

A couple of onlookers, saw what was going on, and rushed to help. The tired to do CPR On me, others ran for help, but I knew that only one could save me.

"L-L-Lu-L-Lu-c-cy." I choked out. Gray caught on and immediately ran to find who I was calling for. The others who surrounding me, Erza, Levy, and Gajeel arriving by my side, looked on in horror not knowing what to do.

My vision was nearly completely black, when Lucy came sprinting towards me. I couldn't see my own face, but if I could I bet I was purple by now and quickly becoming white.

"What happened?" Lucy demanded when she finally reached me and fell to her knees by my side.

"I don't know! We were talking then he suddenly began to choke!" Gray exclaimed, standing up behind her. Lucy ran her hands up and down my arm, across my chest, eventually reaching my neck; yet I didn't feel a thing. She searched my energy to see if there was a sudden change in power, if I was losing to much of my muta genes I would surely die. But by the look on her face that probably wasn't the cause.

"The injection of my power reached his throat and is quickly approaching his heart. It's suffocating him." She explained as she removed both of her arm cuffs, settling herself above me, my head now on her lap. Resting her palms on my neck and over my heart she focused all of her attention and the excessive amount of power she needed into rewriting my genetic code, removing the intruding mutation that was turning human. A crowd started to gather around the tent in which I lie, attracted by the commotion and appearance of the student who just revealed herself to all.

The crowd eventually became so overwhelming that Lucy was struggling to concentrate and had to ask Gray to hold them back to give her space. So with the help of Erza and Gajeel, Gray was able to put a good distance between them and the tent; leaving Lucy and I alone together.

Gradually I could feel my strength returning and the numbness leave. My breathing became steady once more, and I was finally able to feel the movement of Lucy's hands over me. Once she saw that she had stopped the spread around my heart, she moved over to my arms, trying to undo her initial mistake along with the infliction caused by the government scientists. The process over all was slow, as the genetic makeup of a mutant was much more delicate and complicated than a human. Hours seemed to pass as Lucy patiently gave me back my ability to move.

When she at last restored my arms she went to fix my left leg, where the power injection continued to disperse and threatened to leak back into the rest of my body. However, before she could start, the Dean entered the tent.

"It's almost time, you have to leave in five minutes if you want to make it by the deadline." He announced to her. Lucy nodded her head, faking confidence, but we both saw her eyes falter. Makarov looked between me and her and gave a light-hearted sigh. "I'll give you some time to talk." He said as he walked out.

For a few moments we both sat in silence, the air tense, with her facing away from me, neither of us know what to say. After half a minute, Lucy turned back and refocused her power on my leg.

"Lucy." I called gently for her.

"What?" She replied back with a sort of cold voice.

"I love you." I whispered, knowing full well that it sounded sappy. But when you're faced with circumstances like mine, one wouldn't really care.

Lucy gasped quietly and stopped healing him out of shock and precaution, as she could no longer focus. She looked to me, her large brown eyes holding back a wave of tears, a fire of obvious anger and regret lighting them.

"I told you not to." She said in a shaky voice through gritted teeth. "I told you that I won't be able to feel the same!" Finally the tears began to fall and she hid her face away from my sight in her hands. "Do you realize what this means for you?" She shuttered. "This can only lead to your remorse and sadness, no joy could ever come out of this!"

"Miss Lucy Heartfilia." I murmur as I push myself up into a sitting position, laying a soft palm on her cheek and bringing her to look at me directly. "I'd rather have fallen in love with you with the chance of losing you, than have never had met you at all."

I wiped a tear away from her eye, but was then met with more. Lucy grasped onto my hand and nuzzled her face into my palm.

"Can you promise something?" I inquired in a small voice, Lucy gave me her attention and asked what it was. "Tell me that you'll try to come back." Lucy's eyes widened before she looked down in melancholy. "Please?"

Lucy didn't give a reply, and Makarov came back in to tell her she had to go before she could. Lucy answered him that she was ready and stood up to leave after him. I watched as she went, fear clutching my heart, afraid that it was true that she would never come back. As she walked out I felt a little piece of me get crushed with every step she took.

She left without saying goodbye; or looking back.

She left at about eight O'clock at night, using the coverage of night as an ally against the government forces. Well into the night, sounds of grenade explosions, gunfire, and indistinguishable use of power echoes through the mountains. Sleep did not come easily to anyone that night, all still puzzled and shock by the news they had heard hours earlier. Many of the student body where not okay with letting one of them sacrifice herself for the rest of them. Some wanted to help find another way to stop what was due to happen, but none knew how. And no one was as plagued by these thoughts like I. I wanted to find a way to stop Lucy from dying, I wanted so bad to go and save her, but I didn't know how to. The night began to pass by as the moon was high in the sky.

I stared at the moon through the entryway of the tent, and gazed at how the moonlight made the grass glitter from the due that began to gather there. I thought about that night where Lucy and I had snuck out to the gardens, the first time she had left the insides of the school in years. I thought back to when she reached out for that flower, and how it turned to water in just a single touch.

Then it dawned on me, there was a way for Lucy to survive this! If she used a large enough amount of energy reconstructing something so large that it took nearly all of her muta to do, she could counteract the growing muta within her.

Lucy could live.

In excitement, I got up from my sleeping mat and silently made my way outside on all fours. Careful not to wake Gray or Gajeel, whom I shared my tent with. Once out I kept low and crawled, for multiple reasons, my way out of camp. Once reaching the border of the forest I stood to my feet and lit up my hand to see. Carefully I took my first step, and nearly fell, but caught myself. I still couldn't walk properly, having a rather large limp; but it was more than enough thanks to Lucy.

Using the trees around me to get around I hurriedly headed back for the academy. I needed time to tell her my plan, and enough time to enact it.

Mavis I hope this works.

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It's been a while I know. I was originally going to kill both of them but enough people asked me not to to change my mind. BUT! that doesn't mean they're going to get off scot free. (Manic Laughter) Welp, see ya in the next update!

The next chapter maybe the last, unless it doesn't work out that way or if y'all want an epilogue. Házmelo saber si ustedes quieren.

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