Summary: Natsu hasn't had time to deal with the fact Lucy had been murdered and then tortured not long after….

Pairings: Natsu/Lucy.

YouTube Prompt: Angst tribute for mostly Team Natsu, Loke, Cana, Laxus, Master, and the Strauss siblings (and some other characters of course) to 'Nobody Sees' by Powderfinger.

In the end they returned to Crocus.

Lucy and Yukino had managed to deduce that the cause of their spirits sudden change in personality (and their new found desire to kill them) was the Eclipse Gate, and therefore were in need of information which only an expert can give.

Natsu had insisted on coming with them and was now regretting it as he walked the never-ending corridors while listening to the princess drone on and on about all the boring things about this stupid, evil, gate.

"Oh no!" Lucy broke away from whatever boring celestial thing she walking about to survey the damage of the palace corridor they just turned on to. It was covered in scorch marks, weird brown marks on the floor, as well as cracks on both the floor and walls. "What happened here? Were you attacked?"

"Erm," the Princess sweat-dropped, "this was done by you when you were breaking out. We still haven't mended all the damages."

Lucy sweat-dropped heavily at that. "We're really sorry," she mumbled embarrassed.

"I'm not," Natsu snorted.

"Natsu!"

"What?" Natsu said disgruntled. "They kidnapped you to use you for their own means," he was pleased to see that the Princess looked ashamed at that, "they could deal with the consequences of that on their…." He trailed off when he spotted something.

"Natsu?" Lucy tiled her head at him curiously.

Natsu's eyes seemed rooted to a spot stained by some sort of rusty brown mark. It was rather large and for some reason the sight of it made Lucy shiver. Natsu's nostrils flared out and his eyes dilated in horror.

"We still haven't been able to wash it out," the Princess explained nervously when she realised what they were staring at, "I'm not sure why….we'll probably have to get a rug to cover it. No one wants to look at a blood stain."

Blood stain.

They were looking at a blood stain made by them.

Or, more accurately, by Lucy as she bled to death in her own arms.

I wanted…..to have more adventures…protect the future….

Natsu felt his heart race as he heard Lucy's final words clear as day in his ear. It was instantly replaced by Lucy's own scream, one that had been haunting him for days, a repetitive scream of someone who was being tortured.

Scream for me! Cry! Cry! That's it I want to hear you scream!

Virgo's twisted, uncharacteristic, cackle twisted and changed as did her dominatrix new look, it twisted and twisted before his very eyes until it turned into Future Rogue, and now he was the one telling Lucy to scream before he brutally tore into her flesh with his shadows….

Lucy's limp body seemed lifeless before him as he once again did nothing to save her. Then suddenly, disturbingly, her head moved stiffly as if someone was forcing it to turn, her dead, empty, eyes met his and her voice was nothing more than a whimper as she called out his name.

Natsu!

Natsu!

Natsu!

NATSU!

"…Snap out of it! NATSU!" Lucy, losing all patience and any idea of how to deal with the situation gently, slapped him at this point. Natsu suddenly jerked to life, and then stared at her dazedly. He then blinked and blinked again as he took in Lucy's worried face. "Natsu," Lucy sighed in relief, "are you all right?"

"Lucy…." He choked on his sigh of relief as it almost turned into a sob.

"Natsu?" Lucy blinked at him worriedly. "What's wrong?"

He grabbed her by the shoulders and peered into her face desperately. "Are you alive?" he asked.

"Of course I'm alive!" Lucy cried out. "What the hell is-?"

"Prove it to me," he interrupted.

Lucy blinked. "Huh?"

"Prove to me that you're alive," Natsu said slowly. "Please," he added more brokenly. "Please. I….I need prove."

Lucy's face melted into a look of understanding as she took in the hurt and pain that was in his face. They hadn't talked about it. Perhaps they should, but then they never talked about previous hurts before. They just picked themselves up and carried on, and that's what they had done this time…..but now that's looking to be very stupid if Natsu was suffering like this.

Lucy took his hand off of her shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly before she guided it down to her collarbone, just above her breast. "Feel this," she murmured soothingly, "It's my heartbeat." She explained in reply to his quizzical facial expression. "As long as it still beats, I am al- o-oi!" she stuttered as her face flushed bright pink. "Natsu, what are you doing?!"

Natsu had suddenly swooped down and rested his head above Lucy's heartbeat which suddenly got louder and faster, his arms clung tightly to her waist, and he breathed in that Lucy's scent that he had never been able to quite name.

Hesitatingly, Lucy brought her arms round his shoulders and held him to her. "Everything is going to be all right," she murmured reassuringly. "You'll see."

But how could they be, he thought desperately as he clung to her all the more tightly, when you don't even have your spirits to protect you?

He nuzzled even closer and focused on that soothing rhythm of Lucy's heart breathing as he vowed to protect her from everything and anything until he breathed his last.

And even then, he'll find a way to protect her beyond that.