In which I take one of the biggest predictions for the manga and twist it like a pretzel.

(Just one more chapter after this one...and I'm starting to see why it was only angst "week" and not angst "month". xD)

Even the Devil Was Once an Angel

~Prompt 7: E.N.D.~
.:The One True Magic:.

Etherious. Natsu. Dragneel.

So many assumptions and expectations came with a name like that, as it was saddled with the less-than-desirable title of "Supreme Demon of Lord Zeref". There were so many labels that accompanied it as well- vile, vicious, disgusting disgrace, deplorable demon, bloodthirsty atrocity, soulless beast, heartless cretin, and his oh so absolute favorite term, monster. Those weren't phrases he gave to himself- they just piled up over the extended time of his existence. Nothing he could do about that.

His book was meant to be the final nail in humanity's coffin; a destiny of rebirthing the world in flames prescribed within the withered old pages. Perhaps he would never truly understand what was going through Zeref's head when it came to his creation -the wizard had been so consumed by darkness during their last encounter that he hadn't explained much- but anything relating to Zeref was all but a memory now. Changing the past was out of his grasp, but carving the future? Yeah, that was something he could still do.

It was how he was written, after all.

He'd built the darkest guild the world had ever known and filled it with Cursed demons, he'd killed off the immortal Black Wizard Zeref who once plagued the lands with peril from his presence alone, he was the sole thing feared by the inhumane Acnologia and also had been the one to deal the finishing blow on it, and he'd managed to walk away from a battle with the great Flame Dragon King Igneel and return centuries later to tell the tale!

He was supposed to take all this power that was boiling in his body and unleash it upon any and all who challenged him, engulf the world whole in fire if he had to, and claim his title as the ultimate evil once he was the last one standing…!

He wasn't supposed to be sitting on the ground sniffling miserably to himself, regretting everything he had done.

. . .

Lucy had, technically, listened to E.N.D.'s words and darted off, but it hadn't been very far. She couldn't move very fast with the burns that dressed her skin, and each strain on her exhausted body only made her want to fall on the ground and just stay there. But instead, she had snagged Happy and took refuge out of the demon's sight, even though he would be able to sniff her out eventually. For the moment of safety they had, Lucy held Happy close for both their sakes as her mind raced for something –anything- she could do.

Up and killing him was out of the question- not even the devil slaying Gray could pull it off when it came down to it, and Lucy knew approaching the demon with violent intent would only instigate him into fighting, and that would be the end of her. He had snatched her keys for her "safety" and discarded them (he already demonstrated that he outclassed her spirits in power anyway, and Lucy wouldn't want anyone else to suffer like Loke had), her Star Dress power had worn off, and her failed Urano Metria spell left her dry of energy…

She couldn't not kill him either. If left unchecked, the insane amount of power flooding through him would keep Natsu stuck in his Etherious form, and it would also drive him straight off the island to destroy everything everywhere he went…without a thing he could do about it. Natsu had some self-control. E.N.D. had absolutely none at all.

And Lucy wasn't going to let the world end in such an indecorous way.

The facts being what they were, E.N.D. was a murderous creature whom desolation followed with reckless abandon; nothing but a parade of despair marching along behind him. One day, if he went unopposed, it was only a matter of time before Earthland was bled dry of its life and he would be the sole cause of it all. He was lower than scum, less than garbage, filthier than dirt, and was an abomination that should have never been born-!

"…but I'm not a monster," she heard him wince from wherever he was brooding, and that only made her heart sink lower.

"I really, really wish you were," Lucy sobbed in her head; she couldn't cry on the outside, for she had used all her tears on everyone else and left none for herself. "If you were the cutthroat demon you're supposed to be, this would be so much easier…"

If he had been, she could hate him with ease; despise him for killing friends and family alike and loathe him forever for taking away everything he ever gave to her. Every good thing she had left in this life she had because of him in some way, shape, or form, and he'd gone and swiped it all one fell swoop…

…but even then, had he been a true monster like she once claimed, he wouldn't feel shame for the things he did. He wouldn't be tormented straight to his very soul by his actions that he just couldn't control. He honestly wouldn't have given a second thought about her life, no matter how he felt about her.

If anything, Lucy pitied him –oh, how Natsu would hate that- and she was angrier at herself for being the easily forgiving person she was. She'd been beaten brutally by Gajeel, she cared for her once enemy Coco back in Edolas, she didn't resent Cana in the slightest for ditching her on Tenrou, she hand waved Mary Hughes' actions against her, she was humiliated by Flare, she'd been literally beaten senseless by Minerva, and she harbored no malice towards anyone for abandoning Fairy Tail…

…and while she grieved deeply for her friends' deaths and would most likely be permanently scarred by it, Lucy couldn't find it in her to hate E.N.D. And she was having a lot of trouble deciding whether that was bad or good.

"Lucy…" She felt Happy murmur into her grip as he glanced at her with fear stricken eyes. "What do we do now…?"

Any comforting words she could have used would be a lie, and one thing from these last few weeks that resonated with her were Natsu's speeches on false reassurance. Through him, Lucy came to realize that the harsh events of reality just couldn't be brushed away- bad things happened all the time, yet everyone had the strength to roll with the punches. Everyone could take a bad thing and turn it into an opportunity, no matter how much it hurt.

A wistful smile filled Lucy's face as Juvia appeared in her mind, reminding her that things could only get better if she let them. After that, one by one, visions of her fallen friends popped up, and she could almost hear their ghostly whispers telling her to not stop here. Gray had shown up as well with his cool slanted smirk, teasingly telling her that she was far too stubborn to let it end like this- she had a lot more spunk than him, after all.

And yes, Natsu –her Natsu- was there too, his beaming expression lighting up her mind… He knew she was stronger than she gave herself credit for, and he still believed things could be set right. Maybe not in the way he wanted nor expected, but…perhaps the absolute worst still had yet to come.

What clinched it all was when her mother appeared, her soft and loving disposition cutting straight through how lost and devastated she felt. Lucy could almost feel Layla warmly embracing her in that moment, accompanied by a hushed reminder that she would always have magic…as long as she had love.

Realization crashed over her, and she suddenly gasped like she'd just emerged from being underwater too long.

"Lucy…?" Happy mewled again, waving a paw in front of her face to snap Lucy out of the daze she found herself in. Everything crashed on her at once- she was unbearably hot, her mind was racing, and it was all she could do to focus on the cat in front of her and hastily work out the plan of action that had struck her like lightning.

"Happy," Lucy breathed tensely, bringing him up to eye level with her. "…I need you to listen to me very carefully, and do precisely what I say."

Happy's fur immediately stood on end from the grave tone she swiftly gained, all her sadness and grieving banished for the moment. His flooded eyes met her chocolate ones as he worriedly shook his head. She smiled weakly at his apprehensive reaction, reaching her weakened right arm up to pet him gently behind the ear.

"I need you to stay here until you know it's absolutely safe, Happy-"

"W-wait, what are you going to do?!" He started working himself into a panic. "You heard me promise Natsu- I gotta protect you no matter what, Lucy! S-so, whatever you wanna do, just forget it!"

"And I promised Natsu that I would destroy E.N.D." A watery smile creased her cheeks. "…but I don't think we can both keep our promises. And we both know Natsu definitely wouldn't want us to let him end the world as we know it."

"L-Lucy-!"

"Listen," she said as soothingly as possible, continuing to graze her fingers lightly over his head. "What if I told you I can get rid of E.N.D., and bring Natsu back at the same time…? Isn't that better than killing him, since I can't anyway?"

"But…I don't wanna lose you either- you're my friend! You're all I've got left now! I don't want something to happen to you too-!"

"…I know you're worried, but that's why it's so important that you stay here," Lucy explained, trying her hardest to keep her composure. "Natsu's going to need his best friend to be there for him when this is all over. It's the most important job you're ever going to have…"

Happy's face couldn't be damper as he shuddered in her grip, his paws clutching her arm in a desperate attempt to prevent her from leaving. "B-But Lushi~"

Lucy cut him off when she abruptly scooped him up and hugged him tightly, tears streaming out of her own eyes. Perhaps she did have a few left to drop…

"I love you, cat…you be good, okay?"

"Stop…STOP!" Happy screamed, desperately trying to pull her back as she stood up and attempted to limp away. "Stop talking like you're about to die! Don't go…don't leave me like everyone else…!"

"…wait for Natsu, all right Happy?" Lucy quivered, her voice cracking. "If there's one thing I learned from Aquarius…it's that if there's something I can do, I'm going to do it, especially when there's no other choice."

Happy finally let her go, knowing her mind was set. He shied behind the outcropping of land, but poked his eyes and ears around its edge a final time to watch her walk away with a determined air about her. He missed the look on her face, but Happy was certain it was confident by the words she uttered shortly afterwards.

"I would give my life for another just to prove I'm not a runner...I may not be strong in the physical sense, and maybe I never will...but I'm strong in a different way, and I, too, have a role to play in this life..."

E.N.D. heard her approach, and something in him bristled, but Lucy was frankly the last person he wanted to see. Any moment now he would make his move off the island and get himself as far away as possible from her, lest he be unable to hold himself back again. The smell of death permeated the heated air, and his head was throbbing while his chest ached, like two sides of him were going to war with each other inside him. The mix of deep remorse and desired obliteration was driving him crazy, and he felt like he was going to split in two!

…He had to get out of here.

E.N.D. shuddered where he sat, knowing that as soon as he moved, that would be the point of no return. He was scared to tears of what was to come, and at the same time he wanted to embrace that unknown thrill. Yet the moment he decided to stand back up again, he felt a body plow into him from behind and two lithe yet severely burned arms latched around his abdomen. It was a familiar touch, one Lucy had used many times to calm him down, but this time there was far more conviction behind it. His stare narrowed distastefully and he resisted the urge to ignite himself, instead hastily wiping at his eyes.

"…I thought I told you to run."

"No," Lucy stated adamantly, tightening her hold. "Not now…not ever."

"Don't fight me Lucy," E.N.D. warned as he grew tense. "I could hold back once…I might not be able to do it again. Too much blood has spilt already."

"I don't need to fight you. But I'm going to stop you."

"How?" E.N.D. challenged, as if he himself knew that even trying would be hopeless. "Your spirits are useless against me, you're burned to the bone, and you're all out of magic-!"

"No," she whispered right into his ear, and he went rigid. "You're wrong. And I know that you know you're wrong."

E.N.D. was silent, and not sensing any hostility for the moment, Lucy continued.

"My mother told me something once…she told me all about what she thought the One True Magic to be. And I believe her interpretation came closer than anyone else ever did…" A confident smile wormed on her face, and E.N.D. actually felt her grow warmer. "The One True Magic...it seems quite easy to get, but actually it's very hard. We worry about losing it all the time, and other times we risk everything to obtain it. It has the capability to overcome everything...while just the same, it's very fragile..."

Her smile lightly faded against his back; he could feel every twitch of her face.

"You've used such a magic yourself- you've always used this magic...and that's where Gray went wrong; he refused to use this magic, and it left himself so terribly vulnerable in the end..."

"And what do you think it is?"

"All magic originated from love...so I believe that the One True Magic...is actually what we call love."

"…I knew that," he grunted, suddenly wrenching away from her. The abrupt action surprised her a bit, but at the same time, she'd anticipated such. E.N.D. was fisting his hair and growling angrily, either at nothing in particular or just at himself. "It was Zeref that made me realize that, just after I formed Tartarus. He made me realize that no matter who we are or where we draw our strength from, love is always a constant in our lives; hate is not its opposite…it's apathy. It's not caring at all."

E.N.D. grimaced upon thinking about Gray.

"Yet Zeref's demons thought feeding off of the humans' hate and suffering that Zeref loathed so much was what would make them stronger. Zeref wrote them that way, believing they could absorb the wretched parts of humanity and eliminate it that way, but they and Zeref failed to understand that greed, vengeance, and spite are part of being human. It's obviously not pleasant, but it still stems from the One True Magic. It's still them caring about something…"

"And Zeref wanted to wipe out humanity for its repeated mistakes and glaring flaws…" Lucy whispered. "His immortality left him to witness countless acts of humanity's folly…and as we saw before, he snapped, forwent the sanctity of life, and wanted everything to start anew again. Something you're supposed to do…"

"Yeah, me." E.N.D. sounded internally disgusted. "I was the last book Zeref wrote; I was the last demon he brought to life, and he did something different with me than he did with the other demons before me…"

Lucy walked around him so she could see his face, and she bit her lip when he brushed away more tears before she could see.

"Zeref gave me his once-cherished understanding of the importance of life, and he gave me the ability to comprehend all human emotion; something every other demon lacked completely…" E.N.D.'s empty stare met Lucy's as he shook his head. "…he made me love, Lucy. He made me just like him; loving life for what it was but unable to stop myself from destroying it. He made his blight my own…and that's when I came up with Curses."

He sadly looked at his hand as he ignited it in cobalt flames.

"My idea was to harness the power of the One True Magic without it being magic…so that if the world were to ever lose all its magic, I and the rest of Zeref's demons would still have power- whether through hate or through love. I would still be able to kill him, and I would be able to change the world. I hoped using such a trick would make me unbeatable…and unfortunately, I'm right."

His hand clenched so hard his veins were showing, and he couldn't even look at the girl in front of him at this point.

"So if you think using the One True Magic on me is going to somehow save me, you're the one that's wrong…and I'm sorry, Lucy."

It was clear to see that Lucy had been shaken by his hard-hitting words- he knew what she had planned to do and completely undermined it, leaving her thoroughly dry of options. Just like everything else, E.N.D. had taken her final hope and stripped her of it; she couldn't use the One True Magic to save him if it was the Magic itself that made him like this…

But oh no. It wasn't going to be that easy to shrug her off. She kept a stiff upper lip as she started walking closer to him, not about to back down here. Her lungs felt tight as her heart was beating impossibly fast…but it was clear what needed to be done.

Instead of using the Magic to save him…she would use it and his Curse against him.

And maybe, somehow, she'd already known that.

"Some say that the One True Magic was born from light or darkness, but I don't think it's either… Like regular magic, it's practically our life force, but unlike regular magic, we're able to pour its essence into everything we do, sometimes without us ever realizing it. That's because it's love…"

He eyed Lucy cautiously as she approached him almost like a snake; her sway was determined, but it wasn't venomous at all. Just the opposite- she was nearly glowing with a welcoming golden radiance that seemed to pull him closer to her.

"And it's such a beautiful thing, because it doesn't have just one form…it's everywhere." E.N.D. couldn't tell if she was deliriously happy or lying to herself about the sorrow she felt inside, but he couldn't deny that the smile on her face was genuine, even if it contradicted the tears in her eyes. "It's in the passion we have for the things we value; for the things we get fired up about…"

A bemused smirk teased E.N.D.'s features as she fully approached him, gliding her fingers along his marred arms before intertwining her hands with his gnarly ones. He refused to look at her, but he tightened his grip instinctively.

"It's in the everlasting friendships we create with others, and the unconditional love families have for each other…it's a pure thing that can never be tarnished." Lucy's face then became a little more grave, her eyes darting off to the left for a fleeting moment. "…Gray had so much of that taken away from him, so I understand his pain…but what he never realized until it was too late was that the love itself was always with him…and that's what you tried to tell him, isn't it?"

"…tch, that brooding popsicle would've never listened to me anyway. Was his fault for thinking he could just up and rid himself of it," E.N.D. mumbled, yet his tone took on an edge of sadness. It was briefly driven away when Lucy squeezed his hands and started rocking on her heels.

"That just goes to show that you truly aren't a monster...if you were, you wouldn't care so much..."

"That's Igneel's fault!" he hissed, growing ticked again. "If Igneel had never given me that second chance I definitely didn't deserve –the chance to live and be loved- then I wouldn't feel so freaking horrible. I hate everything I've done and everything I'm going to do…I hate myself for it, and yet there's no way I can get myself to stop…!"

E.N.D. realized Lucy had begun to cry again –man he still couldn't stand seeing her like that- but…they were happy tears? Like she was relieved…? How was any of this relieving?!

"And here I thought you were a Fairy Tail wizard; that's some serious quitter talk come from you!" She was teasing him, and it was enough to cause a growl to bubble in his throat, but he didn't act upon it. "If there's anything you should have learned in the life Igneel generously allowed you to live, it should be that you can do anything, even work your way through this perfect disaster. Igneel knew it, Juvia knew it, everyone who gave their lives for you knew it…and I know it."

Now he was certain that he wasn't imagining that gold glow about her, but she didn't give him a chance to question it; she practically eliminated the distance between them, their entangled hands falling to the sides as she locked eyes with him.

"You believe in the power of love, and anyone who thinks this way...could never fall to true evil...but you've fallen regardless, Natsu...so let it be my turn to catch you this time."

She grabbed him by his broad shoulders and pulled him in close, forcing her mouth upon his and kissing him harder than she expected. E.N.D.'s rumbling groan made her lips tingle before she found herself lifted up off the ground, one of his powerful arms hooked behind her knees and his other hand resting on the small of her back. He ravenously attacked her mouth with his, turning the tables and taking control of the kiss. Lucy assuaged in his arms, letting him have that control as one hand slid passionately into his hair. She loved him, and inside that demon he still loved her too. If anyone were to watch from afar, they would say that such an act would be enough to coax the demon down from his power-hungry high and return back to normal.

…but the wholesome act of love only made him stronger; only made his Flames of Emotion burn even brighter. They billowed in a white-hot intensity around the both of them, licking the air and increasing their thirst for utter desolation. A guttural growl built in E.N.D.'s throat, making him grip Lucy tighter in order to deepen the kiss. He could hear her heart drubbing against her ribcage, feeling her shudder with desire in his rough hands…and all of it only made him even more consumed with despair, evident in his darkening empty eyes.

"Why…" he whispered harshly into her lips, intensifying the sensation. "…why would you do that?"

Lucy finally pulled away, eyes wide as she shook her head, and a bittersweet smile plastered to her expression.

"So I…could do this…"

E.N.D. then realized there had been a tight grip on his wrist the whole time- the wrist of the hand that had been placed firmly on her back. Now that his senses weren't being distracted by her total essence, they all narrowed in on his hand…and only then did he feel the warm blood pooling into his palm.

Lucy's blood, on his palm.

"I can't stand to see you hurt…when you're hurt, it hurts me too…"

The warm feeling in his chest went extinct as his whole body ran cold, afraid to move his hand. He didn't understand what was happening, as a simple showcase of love had turned to tragedy. At an agonizingly slow pace, he brought his head back up to face her- and damn that girl, she was still smiling.

"What did you make me do?" The words were wrestled out of him with immense strength, white eyes growing wide as he kept staring at Lucy, who was practically melting away in his hold. Her gaze was half-lidded and only partially there, but she still managed a shrug and a coy tilt of her head.

"If giving you love would only strengthen your Curse…taking it away would have the opposite effect…right?" she poured out quickly in a hoarse whisper.

Thub-thub.

He could hear his own heartbeat thrumming in his ears; it made the rest of him feel hollow as he focused solely on Lucy. Her eyes smiled sadly, shakily bringing a scorched hand up to cup his cheek. Her touch was barely there.

"It's going to hurt like hell…and I can never apologize enough…"

Thub-thub-thub.

"…but you'll be Natsu again. And that's what I want more than anything."

E.N.D. was mortified as he hastily pulled his claws out of Lucy's back, making her lurch before falling limply backwards. Of course he caught her, but it was with wobbly hands, as it felt like someone had reached into his chest and was trying to squeeze at his heart until it popped. Her once bright eyes were on the verge of being dulled and…it almost seemed like she was happy to see the deathly look on his face. What was she trying to pull?!

Thubthubthubthubthub.

"Lucy…Lucy…" E.N.D. trembled, shaking so badly that he was hardly able to hang onto the girl he loved. The markings on his body were starting to fade while his fiery blue horns began to flicker. "Don't…don't you dare go out on me…!"

THUB.

A sound like shattered glass rang out, and E.N.D. suddenly went numb.

"LUUUUUUUUCY!"

All at once, his whole body twisted like he was being exorcised, Lucy tumbling abruptly to the ground and just barely having the strength to keep her torso from hitting the dirt. She weakly watched with cringing eyes as all that power visibly drained out of him; the flaming blue horns were snuffed out completely, the marks sans the one on his arm all receded, and his dark pupils were restored, accompanied by unabashed terror. Everything seemed to unravel in a single moment, and he felt as though he was being ripped in half.

Lucy appeared sick as the demon bent over backwards before falling completely to the ground, writhing and roaring only a short distance away. Every bit of him jerked about as the Etherious energy that once had a hold on him was forced out of every vein in his body. Already it looked painful enough, but she completely tensed when he managed to roll his head around to face her, emitting another strenuous scream.

With a final contort of his body, Natsu was sent tumbling over himself along the ground, severed from his Etherious form once again and left in a sweaty trembling heap in the dirt, gasping for air like he wouldn't get another breath.

The Book of E.N.D. was discarded not too far away…and just like that, it was done.

"Thank…goodness…" Lucy whispered, finally allowing herself to slip down to the ground completely. Her breathing was slow and shallow, and she didn't dare to move…but she was content as she could be.

Natsu, in all his exhaustion, managed to snap his head up to get a look at Lucy, wondering if everything he'd just gone through had been a horrible nightmare, and it had been…a horrible nightmare that came true. The proof in the pudding being Lucy gracefully taking her final tumble to the ground. His pupils shrunk and his already overly fatigued adrenaline kicked in again.

"D-don't you dare!" he exasperated, using his last burst of energy to shoot himself over there and catch her before she alighted with a thud. He managed to scoop his arms under her, instantly dragging her into his lap and not caring a bit about the blood that was spilling onto him. He carefully flipped her over so he could see her face, then did his best to create a makeshift bandage and hopefully stop her bleeding…but there was just so much…

"Natsu…it's you…" Lucy rasped out, a ghost of a smile on her face. "I'm so happy…"

"…I told you to kill me! What am I doing still alive?!" he hissed, backlashing anger bubbling to the surface. "More importantly, why is everyone else dead?! Why are you dying in my arms?!"

"…he was too strong…sorry…" Lucy susurrated, barely moving her head. "Everyone fought their hardest…Gray gave it everything he had-"

"I KNOW!" he suddenly barked like a nerve was struck, but calmed down immediately. "I know, I know…i-it was me, after all-"

"It wasn't you," she said softly, wanting to put a hand on his cheek but unable to find the strength. Instead, she gestured her gaze toward the smoldering book in the distance. "…it was him."

"But it's me," Natsu winced, so visibly broken but trying to stay strong for Lucy. Lucy shook her head a little more forcefully this time.

"No…at least, not anymore. I…split you off from him…just like Igneel did." Her eyes glistened. "Natsu, you are your own person, and I never want you to associate yourself with E.N.D. again. You are…Igneel's Son…before you are any demon."

"But Lucy…that won't make any of this okay…"

"I'm...a very forgiving person, Natsu…someone has to be…" She did her best to swallow the lump building in her throat. "Even the darkest souls need light in their life…"

"I was supposed to fall at your hands…you weren't supposed to fall by mine!" His cry was ragged and raw. "I promised to protect your future…and I just took it away from you!"

"You didn't have to protect my future…because you're the one that gave me a future." Natsu's bottom lip quaked just from hearing her breathy words. "And if nothing else, maybe…maybe you were my future…"

His head was spinning like a Merry-Go-Round; everything was going way too fast for his liking, while he felt so heavy and slow, incapable of keeping up with events to put a stop to them. His thoughts were jumbled and it was hard to breathe, but all his energy in that moment was focused on Lucy, and out of habit brushed her hair behind her ear. He wanted a clear view of her face, always looking perfect despite the battle scars she now donned.

"Oh Lucy…there's so much I want –need- to tell you, yet I don't have enough time to get my words together…" A dry smirk crossed his face. "But I was never that romantic anyway."

Lucy managed to wring out a laugh from her exhausted lungs, and Natsu could feel her blood soaking through his shoddy bandages afterwards. He didn't know what else to do to stop it. He'd done all this, and there was no taking it back. He never felt so helpless…and now he resorted to begging her to stay.

"Please Luce…come home with me. I swear I won't leave you ever again…!" He wore a quivering smile, although his eyes were telling a different story. "We'll go on jobs again, I'll try not to eat too much of your food…I'll try not to sneak in through your window…I'll even work extra hard and make it so you won't have to pay rent again! We're a team, Luce, and if you'd like we could be even more than that…whatever you'd like…"

She struggled to speak, scarcely able to grasp his hand and clutch it. She hoped that'd be enough to get her point across, but Natsu launched himself further into bargaining and denial, pleading tears streaking his face.

"You can't quit on me now, even if you did this for me! I-it's better when we're together, r-remember?"

Her heart palpably broke at the way Natsu's voice was cracking, and if that wasn't enough, he had remembered the meaningful words she'd once confessed to him. Hearing him say them back made her heart swell happily, but joyous tears were the only indication of any response. Realizing she was fading fast, Natsu was rapidly losing his grip on his own sanity.

"Lucy…please…don't make me watch you die again!"

He fell into wracked sobs after that, creating a garbled sound the more he tried to keep it in. Lucy's wounds consumed most of her senses, trapping her in a world of pain, but nothing stung quite as much as the feeling of Natsu's tortured tears falling onto her stomach. When he was hurt…she hurt too. Wincing a bit, she slowly placed both her hands over one of his, catching his attention again.

"Even if I can't see you..."

He jumped at her words- they were nothing more than the faintest whisper and she was hardly moving her lips, but he heard it easily. He leaned in slightly closer, not wanting to miss any of it.

"No matter how far away you may be...I will always be watching you."

Lucy's big brown eyes blinked a final time, taking one last good look at Natsu before drifting closed.

"I promise…Natsu."

He watched as the light on her face faded away, Lucy smiling right until the end. Natsu egged her on to stay with him and say something else, but the last movement he got out of her was a mouthed "I love you", and the small action alone knocked the wind right out of his lungs, especially since she went impossibly limp afterwards. It took him a few seconds to register what had happened, but when it finally clicked, his shoulders fell in defeat.

"I heard you, Lucy…I love you too…" he choked out, holding her as close as she could possibly get. "…god, I love you too."

The silence that followed was sickly and unnatural, and Natsu felt the unwanted sensation of being truly lonely creep over him. A lifeless Lucy was draped in his arms, Gray was burned to a crisp, and so many others were strewn across the ground of the dark isle…and it was his fault. He'd brought this upon himself, and he didn't know what to do next.

"…Natsu…"

His pupils shrunk when he heard another voice; it both terrified him and gave him hope, but words couldn't describe how he felt when he looked behind him and saw Happy dragging himself over. The cat had clearly seen better days, with his fur matted and frayed in different places and his eyes taking on a reddish tinge from his excessive sobbing…

But he was alive.

"Happy…H-Happy…" Natsu quaked, feeling too many things at once to think straight. At some point he placed Lucy meticulously gently onto the ground, then staggered back to his feet, like he had to get used to standing again. The duo stared at each in their bittersweet reunion as they empathized with one another- E.N.D. was gone, but the price that had to be paid left them in debt of so many things…so many people…

"B-Before you say anything," Happy stated slowly, trying really hard not to cry again. "…you have to fulfill Igneel's promise. You have to seal the Book of E.N.D. so this…this won't happen again."

Natsu froze, having completely forgotten about the tome that had singlehandedly brought on all this calamity. Happy didn't like the look in his eyes, but dared to ask the question anyway.

"…do you know how to do it?"

"…yes," Natsu murmured afterward. "A little ironic, but I do know how to seal my own book…although that's only because I got my memories back…"

Happy seemed content with the answer, but nervously poked his paws together. "U-um…a-are you…you know…also gonna-?"

Natsu turned away from Happy and leered at the dark tome with his initials engraved into it, feeling a sense of dread rising within him. With a hardened look, he shook his head.

"…no, it shouldn't seal me along with it. Lucy, she-" He nearly buckled. It was way too soon, but he continued. "…she cut me off from the book's power. It's separate from me, so if I seal it, I should be fine…"

His eyes fell closed with a touch of distain.

"Not that I deserve it."

"N-Natsu, I know it's really hard right now…but you've gotta do it…" Happy was beside himself, focused solely on the ground. "There'll be plenty of time later to…to…"

"You don't have to say it, buddy," Natsu strained to speak, making his way to the book in three simple strides. "I've got this."

Happy was biting his paw nervously as Natsu lifted up both his hands, pointing two fingers upwards in each hand. The dragon slayer's face was unreadable as a Magic Circle formed beneath the book, and its cover almost flapped in opposition. A ring of orange flames looped around the book, crackling to life in a far less oppressive way than the raging blue flames from before. Natsu chanted something under his breath as the book started hovering in the air, and the fires around it began to spin.

"Invoke Magic: Fire Transference Sealing Spell!"

Happy watched the brilliant display with a little more awe as magic wind whipped up from nowhere, blowing through Natsu's hair and making what was left of his clothes flap against him. The fires grew wilder, and Happy's ears pressed to his head when Natsu released a hoarse scream, something intangible flying out of him and mingling with the building inferno. He then brought his arms down in front of him, and with a snap, the fires all collapsed inwards, enveloping the book in the blink of an eye before spreading out again. The flames spun around in a dramatic whirl as they faded out of existence, and the Magic Circle promptly vanished after serving its use.

The Book of E.N.D. was utterly gone, and the intense look in Natsu's eyes immediately faded.

"…there. I sealed it out of existence with the Flames of Emotion…I sealed it away with my Curse…everything related to E.N.D. is finally gone…" Natsu fell to his knees out of physical and emotional exhaustion, his vision going somewhat hazy afterwards. "…except...for me…"

He slumped over on his side, looking dazed and forlorn with one expression. Happy shrieked fretfully and scrambled over to make sure he was okay…physically, maybe, but emotionally? Not so much.

"…sorry…sorry…Lucy…thank you…sorry…Fairy Tail…sorry…Lucy…"

"Natsu…" Happy mewled, but he went unheard by Natsu in his weary stupor. There was nothing and everything they both needed to do now, but for the moment, Happy made the decision to hug Natsu's head, snuggling gently into his spiky pink locks. The cat felt Natsu shudder uncontrollably…but whether it was out of exhaustion or depression, Happy had yet to see. He was willing to stay this way as long as Natsu needed…

Tears still welled in Happy's eyes when he witnessed the black flame markings encasing Natsu's arm evaporate away, freeing the crimson Fairy Tail mark from under where it had spread.

This was the absolute sign that E.N.D. was finally, at long last, no more…

But the emotional wounds were here to stay.