Here is part two! I hope you enjoy!

Summary: Lucy Heartfilia is excited about the Halloween party tonight thrown at everyone's favorite restaurant, Fairy Tail. That is, until something strange happens, causing her and her friends to fight for their lives for fear of being hunted down and attacked. Somewhat based on a part of the movie, "Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge". Modern AU. I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. Two-shot!

Pairing: Natsu/Lucy

Rated: T for cussing, slightly suggestive themes and violence.

Genre: Humor, Suspense

Word Count: 7,758

The Nightmare Before Halloween Part 2 of 2

"Your face!"

"What's wrong with it?" Natsu asked, worried about his best friend's reactions. A second ago she was fine... but now...

Lucy couldn't form the words to describe to Natsu what she was seeing. His fake red eyes were now darker, his pupils were now slits. His canine teeth were always sharp, but now every tooth in his mouth had a pointy edge. The horns that were attached to his head by a headband were now longer, twisting at odd angles. They looked heavier, thicker, and more spaced out from before. Black marks adorned his cheeks and jaw, looking like a dark fire licked at his face.

Her eyes flitted down, seeing the black paint on his arms had shifted. Now they went up past his elbows. The dull claws on his hands were now larger, sharper, longer, and extremely intimidating. She nearly gasped when she saw the fake wings on his back spread out, the webbing between the bones looking authentic.

Daringly, she reached out and touched the edge of his wing. "Whoa!" Natsu flinched when he felt the weird sensation. His eyes snapped to his side, seeing the wings looking different. "Those aren't mine!"

"Yes... they are," Lucy inspected, eyes tracing the wings to his back. His vest was burning away around the part where his wings attached to his body. She glanced down, seeing the swinging tail behind him. "Holy crap!"

"What!?" Natsu asked, but his voice was soon drowned out by the sound of screams. Natsu and Lucy looked around them, seeing people running and yelling for their lives. "What the hell is going on?!"

"I don't know," Lucy took a step closer to Natsu, fearing the reactions of the people around them.

It seemed for a moment that no one had noticed the blonde haired 'water-bearer' and the pink haired 'demon'. That was, until the clown from earlier stepped in front of Lucy, wearing a feral grin. Her pulse increased when she saw its bloodshot eyes staring at her while its white-gloved hands reached out. It jumped for her, causing her to shriek.

"Look out!" Natsu shouted, grabbing Lucy's arm to jerk her away from the evil clown.

Lucy heard a honk come from the clown when it bonked its nose against the food table. Any other time she would have laughed, but she couldn't now... Not with the pained scream tearing from her throat.

They both looked down, seeing Natsu's claws had pierced her skin, red streaks of blood dripping down her arm and soaking into the sleeves on her arm.

"Oh fuck!" Natsu let go of her immediately, horrified with what he did. "I'm so sorry! It was an accident!"

Lucy couldn't be bothered with the details now. She needed to figure out what the hell was happening. She looked around, seeing the bizarre scene unfold right before her eyes. She couldn't believe what she was seeing...

Vampires chased after people, screaming that they wanted to suck their blood. Werewolves howled, then clawed at anyone nearby, trying to rip them to shreds. Zombies slowly walked towards groups of people, probably trying to eat their brains, but they couldn't speak. Only grunts and groans left their mouths as they languidly moved around.

Lucy's eyes scanned the room, finally landing on her best female friend, Levy! Ignoring the pain in her arm, she grabbed Natsu's wrist, avoiding his sharp claws at all cost as she jerked him towards the blue haired girl. When they got within earshot, they both cringed at the horrific thing they heard.

"You're such a naughty boy," Levy said, her voice low and sultry. In other words, it was nothing like her actual voice. The 'sexy librarian' was talking to Gajeel, who looked to be covered in actual metal. "There's some overdue fees you need to pay for."

Natsu and Lucy watched with dropped jaws as Levy wrapped an arm around Gajeel's arm, then pulled him towards the exits. The 'iron dragon slayer' only gave a grunt in response, allowing himself to be led away. It was clear what Levy was implying.

Lucy started, "what..."

"...The actual fuck..." Natsu finished, stunned by what they saw. There was no way their shy bookworm of a friend would ever be so forward, even with the boy she liked.

Before Lucy could say anything else on the matter, she felt something weird rub against her leg. She squealed at the foreign sensation, scaring the ram that had ventured towards her.

"Why is there a sheep here!" Lucy screamed, startling the poor animal again.

"I think it's a ram," Natsu said, though he didn't know why he bothered correcting her. His head was spinning, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Does that really matter?" Lucy bent down, seeing the frightened creature. She saw a faint pink tint to the wool on its head, giving her a shuttering thought. "...Aries?"

"What?" Natsu tried to bend down, but the bottoms of his wings prevented him from doing so, resulting in the boy standing up instead.

"I think this is Aries," Lucy said, though she didn't sound very convinced.

"Well if that's Aries..." Natsu started, "then where's...?"

A loud roar came from behind them, jolting Lucy up in an instant. They turned around, seeing a massive lion standing proud in the middle of Fairy Tail.

"Holy fucking shit!" Natsu took a step back, never coming face to face with a lion in his life. "The hell is a lion doing here!"

"Loke?" Lucy tried, but the lion didn't seem to register her word. "I think that's Loke..."

"What are we supposed to do?" Natsu looked at Aries, realizing something horrible. "It wants to eat her!"

"What?!" Lucy quickly spun around, trying to grab the ram but failing since it was too heavy. She ended up pushing it, successfully moving it away. "I'll take care of her! You handle him!"

"Why do I gotta do it?" Natsu yelled back, but Lucy was already gone. He cringed when he heard the lion again. "Well... This might get messy."

It was indeed messy.

Natsu wrestled with the lion after it tried to pounce on him. The 'demon' was shocked by his newfound strength. He grabbed the lion, hoisting it up to carry it to the kitchen where he released it. He accidentally clawed up the lion in the process, but the wounds didn't look too bad. After locking the door and securing it with a chair 'just to be safe', he went back to the main area to look for Lucy.

Natsu found the girl leaving the bar, closing the little door behind her. He rushed over, seeing she locked Aries behind the bar.

"She should be safe there," Lucy frowned, looking back at the ram. "For now..."

Natsu glanced around, seeing that most of the people had left Fairy Tail. He could still hear screaming, though it now came from outside. "Okay, what the hell is going on?"

"I have no idea," Lucy's eyebrows furrowed together as she tried to think. "I've never seen something like this happen before."

"Me either..."

"Let's get out of here," Lucy started walking to the exit.

"Good idea."

They took two steps before stopping when water splashed up on them. Lucy looked down, screaming when she saw a large puddle of water on the floor.

"What's wrong?" Natsu quickly looked down, wondering what she was freaking out over.

"It's Juvia!"

Natsu took a closer look, seeing their friend's eyes reflecting in the water. Her umbrella she brought to go along with her costume was also there, resting by the puddle.

"Gray! My darling Gray! Where have you gone!"

Both Natsu and Lucy screamed when they heard the puddle talk, using the same voice as Juvia. "Oh my gosh! It really is her!"

"What do we do?!" Lucy asked, frantically trying to come up with a plan but failing to do so under the stress.

"Juvia!" Natsu yelled down at the puddle. Those blue eyes moved, now looking up at the pink haired 'demon'. He flinched when he saw her stare. "We... We're gonna go find Gray for you! He... He might know what to do."

Truthfully both of them doubted Gray would know anymore than they did, but it was worth a shot. If anything it might at least calm down the... the puddle...

"Please! Bring me my darling!" Juvia's voice came from the water again, still freaking out the two standing teens.

"We will," Lucy promised, then moved around the puddle. "Sorry for stepping in you!"

"Just don't touch Gray and I will forgive you!"

Lucy could barely groan in frustration before Natsu told her to follow him. He led the way outside, seeing it just as chaotic as Fairy Tail had been. People screamed, fires were started, and somehow someone had turned a car upside down. It looked like a riot just took place.

They ran through the town, searching for anyone familiar. Lucy's heart clenched when she saw a group of zombies devouring a screaming child. She already knew it was too late to save him, just like it was too late to save the woman being ripped apart by a werewolf.

The only silver lining was a few people dressed as superheros were trying to save the day, but even they weren't enough to stop the carnage. The evil now lurking in Magnolia was too much for the good guys to defeat. It was looking hopeless...

Until...

"There!" Lucy pointed, seeing a head of red hair she'd recognize anywhere. "It's Erza!"

Natsu looked, seeing their friend with her back turned to them down the road. They both ran harder, trying to get to her as fast as they could despite the burning in their lungs. If anyone could figure out what was going on, it was her! She always had a 'take charge' attitude, which was exactly what they needed right now.

"Erza!" Natsu shouted, trying to get her attention.

They both slowed down when they saw their friend draw her sword, lifting it high in the air. Her back was still facing them as she said, "I will kill you for what you did to Simon!"

Natsu and Lucy stopped, then looked at each other. They seemed to have the same question on their minds. 'Who's Simon?'

They never got an answer, because all they heard was a loud scream of pain when her sword came down. Natsu ran, trying to find out what happened. He gasped when he saw Jellal kneeling in front of Erza, a bloody gash in his shoulder.

Before Natsu could do anything to stop Erza, she struck Jellal again. The screams stopped.

"What the hell did you do?!" Natsu growled, seeing his blue haired friend's lifeless body fall to the ground.

The redhead snapped her attention to Natsu, snarling as she raised her sword again. "I shall slay you demon!" She appeared to have forgotten all about Jellal as she lunged for Natsu.

He jumped back, surprised once again by the strength that seemed to come with his weird transformation. Deciding he didn't want to challenge Erza -he had lost enough times to her in the past, he quickly ran, scooping up Lucy in the process before high tailing it out of there.

They both heard Erza screaming, running after them, but Natsu was faster. The wind blew violently against her face. Lucy almost felt like they were flying from how fast he ran. She glanced down, seeing his feet were no longer on the ground. Her eyes widened.

"Natsu!"

He looked down, but didn't stop. It was only then that she saw his giant wings flapping, keeping them afloat. "What the heck is going on!"

"I honestly have no idea," Natsu said, though his voice started to grow deeper for a moment. He coughed, trying to clear his throat. Lucy would have commented on it, but she didn't get a chance as Natsu abruptly stopped. "I see Gray!"

Natsu set Lucy on the ground, luckily not stabbing her with his vicious claws while doing so. She watched as the pink haired 'demon' rushed over to their friend. Gray was crouched down, staring at his hands.

Lucy looked around, seeing the area they were in was mostly deserted. She still heard screams in the distance, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before. She just hoped whatever hell they stepped into would be ending soon. She had seen Jellal's body hit the ground, but fortunately didn't see Erza striking him with her sword. She didn't know what got into their red haired friend, but it seemed like she wasn't in the right mind to explain things even if they had decided to stick around.

Gray was always level-headed, keeping a cool personality despite his struggles. If anyone could solve this, it would be him... She hoped.

"Gray! Juvia's looking for you!" Natsu called out, his voice not sounding quite the same. It changed between normal and weird at the most bizarre times.

Lucy flinched a little, a strange fear washing over her from the darkness that seemed to be present in his tone. "Natsu..." She murmured, but he didn't seem to notice since he was now shaking Gray's shoulders.

"Snap out of it! Hey! Look at me!" Natsu tried to get his friend's attention, but Gray's face was absent emotions. His icy blue eyes were dull, still staring down at his hands. "She's... She's dead..."

"What?" Natsu cocked his head. "Who's dead?"

"Juvia..."

Both Natsu and Lucy tensed. 'Does... Does he think she died?' Lucy was about to tell Gray that she was alive, just in the form of a puddle on the ground in Fairy Tail, but no words escaped her when she saw the black marks on Gray's body grow, covering more of his pale skin.

"SHE'S DEAD!" Gray screamed, hands coming up to tug at his raven hair. "YOU KILLED HER!"

Natsu recoiled, "what?"

"YOU KILLED HER!" Gray slammed his hands together, purple and blue mist surrounding his hand in an instant. "I'll make you pay, END!"

"What the hell are you-" Natsu didn't get to finish, because a blast of ice shot out from Gray's hands, nailing the 'demon' right in the stomach to send him backwards.

Natsu snarled, his clawed hands grabbing at his stomach where it burned cold. "You fucking stripper!" The 'demon' stood up, the whites around his eyes turning black just as flames erupted from his body. "I'll kill you for touching me!"

Lucy stumbled back, her eyes wide and her mouth open. Natsu's voice sounded harsh, deep, almost demonic. She shook her head, trying to get rid of his words still echoing in her head. The Natsu she knew was a little violent, but he certainly wasn't a killer!

The Natsu she loved was slowly fading, disappearing as a demonic force took control of his body. The flames increased, encasing him in the brilliant light. Flickers of black fire danced with the red, until soon it was consuming the lighter flames until all that remained was the darkness.

Natsu growled, his wings expanding, his tail swinging, and his claws growing in size. He was ready for a fight.

Both males lunged at each other, punching wherever their fists could strike. Lucy had to dodge a few stray arrows made of ice and a ball or two of fire that came too close. Blood began to drip from their bodies the longer the fight went on, neither giving up for even a moment.

Lucy tried screaming for them to stop, but it was as if she was mute. The males fought, Natsu's demonic claws ripping at Gray's flesh while he used his newfound ice magic to seal up the wounds and attack back.

Deciding she'd seen enough, the 'water-bearer' started running towards them, hoping she could break them up. Instead, she got hit by a blast of ice on one side and a searing hot fist of fire on the other side. She screamed in agonizing pain, feeling her body throb from the horrible sensation.

"LUCY!" Natsu roared, his voice striking fear in her down to her bones despite his caring undertone.

She couldn't take it anymore. She had to get out of there and away from the danger, even if that meant getting away from her friends.

With no destination in mind, Lucy took off, running as fast as her legs would take her until she could no longer hear the vicious growls from the pink haired 'demon'.

Lucy barely saw where she was going, her vision blurred from her stinging tears. When she finally stopped to catch her breath, she realized she was in front of Magnolia's high school.

She looked around, seeing a large group of zombies coming her way. They were still down the block, but they moved faster than they did earlier. Deciding she'd be safer inside, she crashed through the double doors of the school, not looking back as she ran down a hall.

It was quiet inside the building, aside from the sound of her footsteps. She ran to the Astrology classroom since it always made her feel better being in that class. She locked the door behind her, but it didn't seem to matter in the end.

"Well hello Lulu!"

Lucy shivered when she heard Dan's voice. She turned around, seeing the brown haired 'vampire' walking towards her from the corner of the classroom.

"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked, still a little breathless from the run over. Her heart pounded in her chest, her legs throbbed with a dull ache. She was in no mood to deal with Dan and his horrible flirting. She made an attempt to reach for the door when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Not so fast," he laughed, arms coming around her to hold her tight. In the worst 'Dracula' voice he could muster, Dan said, "I want to suck your blood."

Despite being held against her will, Lucy couldn't help but laugh at the stupid accent he used. "You have got to be kidding me!"

Without skipping a beat, she felt teeth graze her neck, "I'm not!"

Lucy let out a piercing scream, struggling against the hold he had on her with all her strength. She pulled her leg forward, then slammed it backwards, hitting him hard in the knee.

"Fuck!" Dan shouted, still using that terrible accent.

With his arms loosened, she wiggled away from him easily. Lucy unlocked the door, racing down the halls to put as much distance between her and Dan as possible. She heard his footsteps behind her, heard the sound of him calling her name, but she ignored it all in favor of escaping.

She came across the double doors leading outside, but to her surprise, they were chained up and locked. "What the heck?" She didn't have time to mull over it as she heard Dan approaching faster than before.

Lucy ducked into the nearest room to her, shocked to find it was the school's gym. With the lights off, she couldn't see a thing. With any luck, that meant Dan couldn't see her either if he happened to stumble upon the room.

Running in a random direction, Lucy crashed against a wall. "Ouch!" She rubbed her sore nose, convinced it was probably bleeding from the impact.

Before she could attempt to find out, she saw light shine in the gym when Dan opened the door. She saw his dark figure enter before the door closed, surrounding her in the pitch black scenery.

"I can smell your blood, Lulu!"

Lucy cringed, realizing she was bleeding. She had nothing to defend herself with as he closed in on her. She'd have to fight him with her fists and her legs. Hopefully a good 'Lucy Kick' would take him out so she could escape, but she was at a disadvantage since she couldn't see anything.

Just as she felt hands grab her arms, she screamed. She felt something powerful well up inside her, then release around her body. Dan yelled as a blast of water shot out from Lucy, sending him backwards.

"What the hell was that?" Dan wasn't the only one confused. Lucy had no idea what happened. She felt the burst of energy, but she had no logical explanation for it.

That didn't stop her from using it again when she heard Dan walking towards her again. The water seemed to know where to attack, trying to keep her body safe. It worked for the most part, but in the end, it was only water.

"Gotcha!" The 'vampire' laughed maniacally when he grabbed her arms again, this time holding on tight despite the next round of water. "You're not getting away from me!"

Lucy was about to scream for help, but she doubted anyone would be able to hear her over the dangerous roar that came from beyond the gym.

Both Lucy and Dan froze from the noise, scared of whatever made that sound. The moment flashed by in the blink of an eye, the door to the gym slammed open, then fell off the door frame and onto the floor.

The only thing they could make out was a body standing where the door once stood. However, it didn't look like a normal person since it clearly had wings and horns. The light from the hall shined behind them, masking the person's face, but Lucy could tell who it was. Her heart always beat differently when he was around.

"Natsu!"

Despite being scared of him, she knew deep down he would never hurt her. She could trust him! Especially when it came to taking care of Dan.

Red eyes flickered, zeroing in on the blonde teenager and the guy holding her arms.

"YOU!" Natsu's voice was almost unrecognizable.

"Nat...su..." Lucy muttered, her body trembling as a new wave of fear took over.

Whoever was at the door was not Natsu.

It was a true demon.

"I'll fucking murder you!" The demon's wings flapped as he jumped forward, flying through the air at a speed Lucy couldn't fathom. She could barely see with the low lighting, but she distinctly saw Natsu's clawed hands grip Dan's throat before ripping him away from Lucy.

The demon threw Dan's body across the gym, his form smacking against the wall with a sickening splat sound. Lucy's stomach twisted as she thought, 'is he dead?'

Lucy didn't want the answer.

She didn't want to know if Natsu was in fact a murderer. Even if Dan was attacking her, that didn't warrant him a death sentence. She looked at the demon standing in front of her, watching as blood dripped from his claws, only to pool on the gym's floor.

She didn't want to, but Lucy's mouth opened, a single word slipping past her tongue.

"Natsu?"

The demon spun around in an instant, causing her to recoil in surprise. His red eyes glowed, but that wasn't what frightened her. It was the sharp teeth that showed when he gave her a toothy grin. Any other day that would have made her heart leap in happiness, but now all it did was make her want to vomit.

Staining those pearly whites was a crimson liquid. It didn't take long for Lucy to realize that he hadn't bitten Dan... So the blood was from someone else.

"Natsu?" She tried again, her voice strained as she fought off tears. Her bottom lip quivered as she tried to move past her new sickness. "Wh... What happened to Gray?"

The demon cocked his head, his tail swaying languidly behind him. That toothy grin vanished as his eyebrows furrowed together. "Gray?" He looked as if he didn't know what the word meant.

"Our friend..."

The curious expression on his face grew as he examined the word in his head. "No more Gray," he finally said, though his voice sounded distant. He took a step closer to her, causing her to step back. She pressed against the wall, no longer able to escape his gaze.

"Just Lucy."

A tear finally escaped her watery eyes. "What did y-you do to Gr-Gray?"

The demon's lips stretched into a feral smile. Instead of answering her, he leaned in, taking a deep inhale to collect her scent. "You smell good," he growled, his hot breath fanning over her face. "I'm glad he didn't get to taste you."

Lucy felt her heart beating like a drum, her throat going dry as she tried to say, "w-why?"

He answered by moving his lips to the right side of her neck, his tongue coming out to taste her skin. She tensed when she felt that hot tongue slide up her throat. Natsu's clawed hands grabbed her waist gently, though she had to fight off a cringe when she felt that wetness touch her stomach.

There was no use denying what was touching her.

It was blood.

Probably the blood of Gray or Dan, but she couldn't be certain.

Despite her twisting stomach, she felt warm from the way he touched her. Even though they'd never touched like this before, it somehow felt familiar, as if her body knew all along this was how Natsu would touch her.

Her mind blanked when she felt him kiss her sensitive skin. Her resolve crumbled under his fiery touches. She didn't know what was coming over her, because all she knew was she didn't want it to end.

He sucked at her neck, drawing out an odd sensation in her. Forgetting about how terrifying he was for a moment, she indulged, actually humming as she received her very first hickey.

Natsu growled, his sharp teeth scrapping along her neck. He finally answered the question she'd asked moments before. "Because," he opened his mouth wide. "I want to taste you!"

And just like that, Lucy cried out in agony as she felt Natsu's teeth pierce her skin. She thrashed, trying to get away from the demon, but it was pointless. He held her against the wall, not letting her go for anything.

Lucy felt the warm liquid pouring from her neck. She was bleeding, badly. She screamed for him to stop, but it only spurred him on to bite her harder. She swore she felt her skin rip, but she didn't know for sure because she couldn't see.

Her vision blurred as she lost blood, her body already feeling weak as he drained her. She guessed that he hit an artery, but there was no telling. She'd be surprised if she walked away from this alive.

Lucy stopped screaming, her throat sore on the inside and outside.

The demon pulled away, licking his lips clean, though his chin was still smeared with the red liquid. He looked down at her, smiling at the trembling girl. "Mine!"

Summoning her strength, Lucy lifted her arm and slapped him hard. He merely laughed, taunting her as he said, "you'll have to do better than that!"

He stepped away from her, giving her the opportunity to run. She hobbled instead, her body feeling light and heavy at the same time. She had a bad sense of direction as she tried to go to the door. It felt like the room spinning, but it was only her body swaying as she tried to walk in a straight line.

Lucy grabbed at the bite wound, feeling her blood seep through her fingers. As if getting some sort of enjoyment out of this, Natsu laughed again.

Lucy turned her head, trying to see where he was. She let out a surprised sound when she saw he was right behind her, even though she hadn't heard him heading her way. It made sense, seeing as her hearing was fading, just like her consciousness.

"Come here, Lucy," the demon grinned, blood dripping from his sharp teeth. "I want another bite! The first one wasn't enough."

Lucy stumbled back in shock, falling to the ground and landing hard on her butt. Her hand was still on her neck, trying to stop the bleeding. It was no use, her right side was covered in the crimson liquid, staining her fair skin and costume.

She wondered why that water magic wasn't working on Natsu like it worked on Dan. She tried to summon it again, but it was no use. Deep down she felt like maybe it wasn't working because Natsu was still her best friend... He was still the person he loved. Maybe that was enough to keep the magic at bay, but only hindered her right now.

In a last-ditch effort, she started begging for him to stop. "Please! Get back Natsu! This isn't you!"

"Oh, but it is," the demon hovered over her, eyes raking over her body before his tongue came out to flicker over his lips. "You look so tasty! I could eat you up!"

Lucy's cheeks blushed on their own accord. She knew the demon meant it in a malicious way, but her mind jumped straight to a lewd thought. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the ridiculous idea.

It was easier than she thought it would be when she felt his hands grabbing her arms, forcibly shaking her as he laughed. "Lucy! What's going on?!"

Everything turned fuzzy as he continued to jostle her body like a rag doll. "Lucy! Are you okay?! Wake up!"

"Wh-what?" She didn't know if she asked the question or not, her mind was already slipping away. She had lost a lot of blood, her head falling back as she gave up. He could kill her if he wanted to. She had no strength to fight anymore.

If she had to die by someone's hands, she figured it'd be best to die by his. Murder was a crime of passion after all. She just wished she could have told him she loved him before he turned into a demon.

"Na...atsu... I... ove... y-" She passed out as Natsu screamed her name.

"Lucy!"

Lucy's hazy eyes snapped open, blinking them until her vision cleared. Natsu hovered over her, red eyes gazing down at her with his sharp teeth exposed. "AHHHH!" She screamed, kicking at him to get away from her. "Don't bite me!"

"Huh?" Natsu pulled back, barely avoiding one of her feet. "Who's trying to bite you?"

Lucy scooted away, not aware that everyone was staring at her. Her hand came up to her neck, covering where he just bit her a moment ago. "You are!"

"What?" He blinked at her, a blush forming over his cheeks. "I'm not tryin' ta bite ya..."

"Yes you are! You already did, see!" She held out her hand, shocked when she saw it wasn't covered in blood. "Wait a minute... It was just..." She looked up, seeing the confused faces of everyone around her. "What's going on?"

"That's what I wanna know!" Natsu said, gaining her attention once more. "I left to go get you something to drink and Dan here says you fell on the ground. Said you hit your head pretty hard. Are you okay?"

Lucy glanced over at Dan, seeing he was no longer the vicious vampire from earlier. Instead he was just the dumb kid with fake fangs in his mouth. Behind him stood Loke and Aries, no longer in their animal forms.

"I... I don't know..."

"Come on," Natsu held out his hand, waiting for her to accept it.

She was hesitant. Natsu had turned into a demon, he had bit her, but now there was no evidence of that. He was just offering her help. She took his hand, letting him lift her to her feet.

"Let's get you over to Porlyusica." Fairy Tail hired her in case anyone got injured. Natsu ignored the many stares they received, instead bringing her over to the older lady to get checked out.

While the woman looked over Lucy, the music started up again, filling the air with the loud noise. A chill ran down Lucy's spine when "Thriller" came on. She felt déjà vu in the worst way.

After a checkup from the woman, she was cleared. There didn't appear to be anything wrong with her, so there was no reason to keep her away from the party.

Lucy and Natsu walked a few feet away before Lucy shook her head. "I think I need some fresh air..."

"Okay, yeah," he nodded, wanting to do whatever it took to get her feeling better. They got their tickets stamped for reentry, then went outside to the parking lot.

When Lucy asked what happened, Natsu explained. "I came back and found you on the ground. Dan said someone bumped into you and you hit your head on the ground. Shortly after that, they cut off the music and called for help. You were only out for a minute or so."

He let her soak in the information, then asked, "are you really okay? You had me worried."

"I feel fine," she said, feeling a lot better now. Seeing everyone in their costumes and not as the actual creatures they dressed up as helped a lot. She didn't know how much more she could handle in that nightmare. "I guess that's what it was..."

"What?"

Lucy looked into his red eyes, wishing she could see his green orbs again. At first the contacts looked cool, but now she missed how he actually looked. "I had a nightmare..."

"Must've been a pretty bad one..." He blushed, looking at the ground. "Thinkin' I was tryin' to bite ya and stuff..."

She giggled, realizing how silly she must have looked. "It was a little scary. Everyone turned into what they were dressed as."

"How so?" Natsu's eyes flitted up to her, seeing the blonde was still laughing.

"Well, you see..." She explained what happened in her nightmare, everything from how she elbowed Dan until Natsu was about to bite her for a second time. She left out some parts, not wanting to admit just how graphic her dream became towards the end. When she was finished, she took a deep breath. Her throat was dry, making her wish she had gotten that drink after all.

"Wow... That's pretty crazy," he smiled at her, "you're really weird."

"Am not!"

"Oh you're the weirdest! Who else dreams of stuff like that!"

She puffed out her cheeks, but she couldn't deny his accusations for very long. It had been a bizarre dream, filled with stuff she'd never think of in real life. The blonde wanted to laugh again. She felt her creative juices flowing, wanting to write out everything from the dream before her mind forgot it.

However, as she started trying to remember more about it, she found herself already forgetting some parts. She was glad she told Natsu, hoping he could remember for her and help her out if she needed it.

"So," Natsu cupped the back of his neck, chewing on his bottom lip for a moment before asking, "you said this all happened at midnight?"

"That's when the magic or curse or whatever it was started. Right at midnight everyone started changing." She sighed, glad it was all just a nightmare. "Why do you ask?"

The pink haired boy clenched his fist, then released them. "I uh... Kinda had something planned... for midnight." He couldn't hold her gaze, terrified of her reaction. "I was gonna ask you something..."

"Ask me what?" Lucy cocked her head, trying to find his eyes, but they were blocked by his bangs. "Natsu?"

He took a deep breath, then reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small, black velvet box. "I... I had something I wanted to tell ya, but I'm nervous as hell. You know I'm no good with words."

Lucy's eyes were trained on the box in his hand, her heartbeat picking up speed as she wondered what the hell was inside it. She wanted to be patient, but her curiosity was winning the internal battle with herself. "What is it?"

He sighed, thumb rubbing over the box to try to sooth his nerves. "I'm gonna tell you something, but you gotta promise not to freak out." Natsu finally looked up, locking eyes with her. "This is yours to keep no matter what happens. I got it for you," he held out the box, waiting for her to accept it.

'He got me something?' A shaky hand came out to gently pluck the box from his warm hands. Her fingers traced over the velvet, afraid to open it but excited to see what was inside. She decided to wait, wanting to hear what he had to say first.

Seeing that she wasn't going to open it, he nodded, understanding what she wanted. "So, I was just thinkin' that tonight would be a good night to do it. We met two years ago on Halloween, so I was gonna wait until midnight to tell ya so it would be exactly two years..." He was rambling, stalling the inevitable.

Natsu ground his teeth together before finally saying, "I wanted to tell you that I like ya."

Lucy took in a quick inhale, staring at her best friend. "You... like me?"

"Yeah..." He felt the heat swirl in his cheeks, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. He was laying it all out, putting himself out there for potential rejection. He'd never liked a girl before Lucy, so he wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to confess.

"As... a friend?" She hoped he would say no. Lucy didn't know if she could take it if he said he just liked her as a friend. She could easily see herself running away from him, escaping the embarrassment.

Slowly, he shook his head. "No... As m-more than a fr-friend..." He stammered, unsure of himself. He didn't realize confessing would be so nerve wrecking. Usually he was confident in himself, but now... Under Lucy's gaze he felt so small. He'd never felt this way about a person before, so he was terrified of admitting his feelings.

"You like like me?" She asked. Even in the cold air she started sweating. 'Stupid nerves!'

"Yeah," he breathed out. Natsu wanted to tell her more, but he held back. The truth was that he loved her. He had loved her for longer than he could remember. His heart was drawn to her like a magnet, wanting to be closer to the golden haired goddess.

"D-do you..." His voice tapered off, terrified of her rejection.

"Yes!" Lucy answered, not giving him much time to doubt. "I mean," she choked up, embarrassed for her outburst. "I like you too! I have for a while now." She decided not to tell him she loved him just yet.

"You do?" He looked surprised by her answer.

"Of course! I thought I was being obvious!" She glanced down at her hand, seeing the box. "Should I open it?"

"Unless you wanna just display the box?" It was meant as a joke, but his nervous tone shined through. He was excited that Lucy liked him too, but for some reason that made him panic a little. He never thought he'd get this far. He never thought he'd fall in love.

Lucy giggled, feeling her heart leaping in her chest. 'He likes me too!' She couldn't believe how happy it made her! She carefully opened the box, gasping when she saw what was inside.

"Oh, Natsu! It's beautiful!"

She slowly pulled out a gold necklace. At the end was a golden key with the symbol of Aquarius carved into it in blue. "It's, whoa," she marveled at its beauty.

Natsu cupped the back of his neck, feeling the beads of sweat clinging to his skin despite the cold October air. "I-I wanted to get ya something that matched your costume. I didn't know if you wanted gold or silver... It's real gold by the way... I know that doesn't matter, but in case you wanted to know..."

When Lucy smiled up at him, he felt his heart slam against his chest. He was winded from the feeling. "Wanted to... I mean, I wanted to get ya a ring, but I didn't know the size... of your finger that is," he gnawed on his bottom lip for a second.

"Plus a ring would be kinda soon," his eyes widened when he realized what he implied, "not sayin' I'm planning on anything like that! I mean, I'd like to see how things go between us, only if you're interested that is... But I wouldn't be opposed to that, in the future... with you..."

During his stammering his tan face had changed from a pale pink, to the color of his hair, then to a red that rivaled even Erza's hair. Lucy couldn't help but think he was adorable. Natsu was always so carefree, so to see him this worked up over her was interesting.

"Thank you, Natsu," Lucy's brown eyes softened as she gazed at the nervous teen.

He gulped, feeling a strain in his throat. "Can I ask you something..."

Lucy cocked her head a bit. "What is it?" She was so happy that he returned her feelings, even if it was just liking her. She could ease in to telling him that she loved him later.

Natsu took a deep breath before finally asking, "Lucy, will you be my girlfr-" He was cut off when she placed a finger over his lips. Natsu looked down at her with a dumbfound expression.

Lucy smiled, "Wait until midnight to ask me."

He cocked his head, "why?"

"Because," the blonde held back a giggle as her face flushed. "I know I'll say yes to that question, but I'd rather you ask on Halloween..."

"Because?"

"Because," she started, "then our anniversary will really be on Halloween."

Natsu found himself grinning, his sharp teeth exposed before nodding. "I can do that."

"Good," she took his hand, leading him back inside. "Until then, let's go party!"

"Alright! I'm all fired up now!"

The two teens entered Fairy Tail once again, this time closer than before. They met up with their friends, telling everyone that Lucy was okay and there was nothing to worry about. Lucy decided to hold off on telling them about her dream, not wanting to make things weirder than they already were for the night.

When Lucy said she was thirsty, Natsu led her to the food tables so she could get some punch. Lucy tried to ignore the way her heart jolted when she saw a single 'kiss' candy laying under the table. 'It's just a coincidence!'

At least that's what she hoped.

After she got her drink, Natsu and Lucy went to dance. It was a little difficult maneuvering with his wings and tail, but he made it work. Lucy helped out a lot, having learned how to dance at a young age. She realized Natsu's earlier dance moves were just from her dream. That should have been her first clue that things weren't right, since the Natsu she knew and loved had two left feet.

They stayed wrapped up in each other's arms for the next hour, excited and nervous for when the clock struck midnight. Lucy was glad it was a woman announcing the countdown since it showed that already things weren't repeating themselves. Natsu had an arm around Lucy's shoulder as everyone began to count.

"FIVE!"

Natsu looked down at the gorgeous girl under his arm, feeling lucky as hell that they were about to officially become a couple.

"FOUR!"

Lucy's head tipped up, smiling wide at the pink haired boy. Her heart fluttered while her stomach flipped, but it was all worth it for what was about to happen.

"THREE!"

Natsu began leaning in, red eyes closing and grip on her shoulder tightening.

"TWO!"

When Natsu's eyes were closed, he looked normal. The red eyes scared her, but like this, he looked so peaceful. She leaned in too.

"ONE!"

Natsu and Lucy were already kissing, hands coming up to hold the other while their lips pressed against each other. Lucy noted how hot the 'demon's' lips were, while Natsu noticed how soft and plump the 'water-bearer's' lips felt against his own.

Even when they heard people cheering and the music starting up again, the two continued to kiss, oblivious to the world around them. All that mattered in that moment was being together. Lucy was just glad to be in Natsu's arms and not the demon's arms who tried to devour her from her nightmare. Everything seemed normal, and that was more than all right with her.

When someone bumped into Natsu's fake wings, he jolted away from the kiss. He checked his costume, making sure nothing had been knocked loose. Feeling confident that his costume was alright, he turned to look down at Lucy.

"Luce," he started, feeling himself already sweating from nerves. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

The blonde teen smiled, nodding her head as she said, "yes!"

They both leaned in again, sealing the deal with a kiss. As they pulled away, they heard a round of applause. Natsu and Lucy's heads snapped to the sound, seeing all their friends gathered around them.

"About time," Gray said, one hand on his hip.

"Juvia is glad that love rival will no longer be after her darling Gray."

"Natsu," Erza warned in a threatening tone, "you better be good to her... Or else."

"I'm so happy for you Lu!" Levy cheered, clutching her books to her chest.

"I guess congrats," Gajeel muttered with only mild interest in the new development.

Jellal only nodded, not speaking a word.

Natsu and Lucy didn't know who to respond to, so they looked at each other, then laughed. "Guess that works," Natsu grinned, wrapping an arm around Lucy's waist. "Who wants to party!"

They all cheered, getting back into the groove of things to dance again. Natsu kept a close eye on Lucy, not wanting her to fall again and have another crazy nightmare. Lucy couldn't complain, loving how attentive he was to her. The rest of the night went by without any more incidents.

They danced, ate, laughed, talked, and of course kissed some more. It was the perfect Halloween night for the new couple. Lucy didn't even wish they'd gotten together sooner. Tonight just seemed oddly perfect. But that's how she liked things with Natsu.

It would be weird if things were normal between them.

She wouldn't their relationship any other way.

THE END.

Yay! Another NALU story! This one was way longer than my last one, so it had to be a two-shot! I'll be posting another Halloween story next. (It's actually connected to this story. :) Sorta like an epilogue.)

Let me know what you thought of this two-shot! I love hearing from you!