A/N:

And the long-awaited GrayLu Weekends 2020 is here! I'm super stoked to be participating in such an event for the first time – I know I'm a late bloomer, but well, it's better late than never, right? I'm so excited to be able to do my part to keep the GrayLu love alive, even in 2020 :)

And here's my submission for Day 4. I've worked with the prompts, which are quotes from the anime, and I hope you enjoy it! I will be posting a story each day based on either one of the prompts. They are all one-shots, and exist independently of each other. The other stories can be found under my alias!

As a side note, I realized that not everyone is aware of this year's GrayLu Weekend 2020 event. GrayLu Weekend 2020 is an event hosted by the Tumblr blog, grayluweekends, and will be running from 6 – 10 November 2020.

For those who are not fans of the GrayLu pairing, I've specifically stated in the story description that it's not for you if you're a hater of this ship. I would really appreciate it if you just avoid reading the story instead of leaving not-so-nice comments. Peace :)

Second-last day, here goes Day 4 :(

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.

Day 4: I'll Give My Soul To Save Yours

[Prompt] Gray: "I'll be as dark and black a villain as I need to in order to protect 'em"
[Prompt] Lucy: "I can't keep crying forever…I have to fight!"

The skies were dark, overcast with ominous clouds, roiling in restlessness and pent-up fury. There were bodies lying everywhere. Lucy looked around aghast, fear and horror evident in her wide eyes.

Wendy laid unconscious to her right, with Carla and Happy incapacitated beside her. Her two ponytails had come undone, and her dress was shredded in more places than she could count with both hands. A large, raw gash on her thigh glared fiercely at Lucy; she could hardly tear her eyes away from the rivulets of blood dripping down Wendy's leg.

The last she remembered, her team had split up to fight several strong enemies individually. Natsu, Erza and Gray had taken on one each, leading them to separate locations. Wendy, herself and the two Exceeds had stayed behind to battle the larger army that consisted of weaker but more numerous foes, that were being controlled by a dark sorceress.

The team had taken up an S-Class mission to defeat an evil witch who had been travelling from village to village, massacring the villagers in order to amass their souls. For what though, that they didn't know. The Magic Council had come to know of her existence after a series of reports had come in from all over Fiore, from travelling mages who had stumbled across the devastated villages. Not a single person was left alive wherever the sorceress went – whether man, woman, young or old.

This had alarmed the Magic Council greatly, and they had sent out several requests to the various guilds in search of mages who would be willing to take on the witch. However, none had responded until Master Makarov decided to step in, and offered the job to Team Natsu. Obviously, the team had taken up the challenge, setting out that same day for the village in which the dark sorceress had set up her latest home base.

That was three days ago. Upon arriving in the village, they had quickly found the sorceress' hideout, and discovered that she was in actual fact a human-turned-banshee. She had been a beautiful but wicked woman, who enslaved children for her own greed. When she had accidentally kidnapped an Earth Spirit, she had angered her so much that she had cast a permanent spell upon her, turning her into a hideous, wailing banshee, and a harbinger of death. That had devastated her to no end, and she had spent the next fifty years roaming the lands in search of a spell that could turn her back.

Finally, the sorceress had stumbled upon a dark mage, who told her that the only way to regain her humanity is to absorb human souls. Because she had been a banshee for such a long time, she needed a vast amount of human souls before she could become human again. However, the more Ethernano a soul contained, the faster the restoration of her own soul. Since then, she had been travelling from village to village, in search of human souls, and hopefully, souls of powerful mages that were rich in Ethernano.

So when Team Natsu delivered themselves to her doorstep, she had rejoiced with evil glee. Once they stepped foot into her menacing castle, she had not hesitated to activate her Magic of Death, summoning forth her three loyal servants – a Grim Reaper, a Vampire and a Hellhound, as well as an undead army, immediately engaging them in a fierce battle.

Fighting the undead army had been an ordeal for both the Sky Dragon Slayer and the Celestial Mage. Fending off such large numbers of soldiers was challenging enough, but fighting off hordes of soldiers that refused to die? Or more like, soldiers that couldn't die because they were already dead. They were empty shells, devoid of feeling and conscience. They had no concept of pain. They had no concept of right and wrong. They were soulless bodies that existed purely to destroy.

Wendy had fought her hardest, unleashing her inner Dragon Force and wiping out a sizeable number of enemies, but they simply kept coming. The undead whose legs were broken crawled and the ones whose arms were cut off trudged along uncaringly – the only ones that stayed on the ground were those whose heads were sliced off. Their lifeless eyes kept their blank gaze upon their intended victims, and Lucy couldn't shake off the deep chill that settled in her bones.

Seeing that Wendy's magic was fast being depleted, and both Happy and Carla were similarly running out of strength, Lucy had desperately tried to think of a solution that would save them all. Her own magic reserves were running severely low, having summoned multiple celestial spirits one after another, and currently keeping both Loke and Virgo out simultaneously.

When she watched one of the undead deal a blow to Wendy that she couldn't have blocked, leaving the raw gash down the poor girl's thigh, her loud cry of pain awoke something in Lucy. Immediately force-closing Loke's and Virgo's gates, she summoned Gemini, and called upon the last of her magic to cast the ancient spell – the Ultimate Magic of the Stars, Urano Metria.

Calling upon the power of the 88 constellations in the sky, Lucy had brought the immense magic power of the celestial bodies upon the undead army, successfully purifying them into oblivion. Seeing the army fall had brought Lucy to her knees in tears, realising how close to death they had been.

But they were still alive. Lucy dragged her battered body over to Wendy, cradling the girl's head in her lap. "Oh Wendy, please stay strong. You have to survive," she whispered weakly, her fingers searching out Wendy's small hand and intertwining their fingers tightly. "I really hope the rest are okay."

She lifted her head, looking around, hoping to catch sight of any of her other teammates – Natsu, Gray, Erza – but they were nowhere to be found. Given her current state, she was hoping hard that no new enemy would suddenly appear, because they would be goners for sure.

Just then, a loud cackle rang through the air, making Lucy jolt upright in fear. She recognised the menacing laughter of the banshee witch, and judging by how loud she sounded, it seemed like she was near.

"Where, oh, where, are my lovely little souls? You know you can run, but you can't hide," she taunted in a high-pitched drawl. Lucy crouched over, trying to make herself look smaller and also hide Wendy from sight. "I will find you, and I will devour every single one of you little fairies."

If she had to die, she wouldn't want her friends to be around. If she had to die, she wanted her friends to remember her smile, and her joy that came from knowing them. Having her friends in her life, her real family – kept her waking up with anticipation every morning, not knowing what each day would bring, but yet choosing to brave whatever comes with the certainty that she wouldn't be alone.

If she had to die, she didn't want her broken and lifeless body to be the last thing they remembered of her. Then, perhaps, it was a blessing in disguise that she was the only one who was awake. Perhaps, it was a good thing that the rest were not there.

"I'm sorry, Natsu… Happy… Erza… Wendy… Carla… Gray. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to protect you, and I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to survive. I just hope," her voice cracked as fat drops of tears fell from her eyes, "that you'll never forget me. Live strong, my friends."

Lucy released Wendy's frail fingers, and shifting to place her unconscious body gently on the floor, she shakily got to her feet. Making up her mind, she gathered whatever strength she had left, and sprinted away from Wendy and the Exceeds, letting out a loud yell at the same time. If she had to die, she would make sure that protecting her friends was the last thing she did.

"Hey, witch! I'm here! Catch me if you can, you old hag!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She willed her legs to move faster, so that she could put more distance between herself and her friends, but her legs wouldn't listen. They felt like lead, weighed down with fatigue and wounds. Her body was screaming at her to stop, but she refused to give in. She couldn't fall.

Suddenly, a blur hurtled into her, slamming her body down to the ground with enough force to knock the wind completely out of her. She wanted to shout, but all she could manage was a desperate gasp for air as the unknown object remained on top of her, pressing its weight onto her lungs and making it incredibly hard for her to catch her breath. She couldn't, for the life of her, make out whatever the heck it was, and she could feel herself start to black out as her vision began swimming. 'Am I dying?' she wondered.

Just as suddenly as the object appeared, it lifted itself away from her body, and the sudden gush of air that entered her lungs made Lucy gasp loudly and cough hard. "Oi, Lucy! Are you okay?" the unknown object that had almost killed her spoke. Weird, she seemed to know that voice.

"G-gray?" she opened her eyes feebly, searching for the face that usually accompanied that familiar baritone. Landing on her target, her gaze locked onto his navy orbs. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes stared back at hers with an intensity she couldn't describe. "Gray, you're okay?" she breathed.

His eyes softened as strong hands came to grasp her shoulders gently, but firmly. "Lucy, thank the stars you're okay. I was so worried," he told her. "And then I saw you running across the courtyard screaming like a mad woman, and I didn't think, I just wanted you to stop, so I threw myself at you, and, I'm sorry," he came to an abrupt stop, and simply pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. "Lucy, that was so dangerous. What were you thinking?! Don't scare me like that, ever again, you hear me?"

If he were any other guild member, she would have fisted her hands in his shirt. But since this was Gray, there was no shirt for her to do that to. Instead, Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck. "I wanted to draw her attention away from Wendy, Happy and Carla. I was afraid she'd harm them while they were hurt. But I'm so glad you're okay."

He held her close, smelling her hair. He didn't say anything – he would probably have done the same. Everyone in Fairy Tail shared the same sacrificial spirit when it came to protecting one of their own. And knowing Lucy, with her heart of pure gold, there wasn't anything she wouldn't have done to save her friends.

Their little reunion didn't last long. They both tensed as they sensed immense magical power approach them – the sorceress. Pulling away, Gray looked at Lucy with a serious expression on his face. "Lucy, stay here. Don't move. You're too low on magic power to fight, I'll take care of her." He made to move, but was quickly stopped by Lucy's hand on his arm.

"Don't be crazy. You're not in any condition to fight either," she shot back, worry creasing her brows. "And look, you're injured too. You're not going to be able to fight her, she's too strong!"

He frowned deeply at her, trying to shrug off her arm. "I don't have a choice. If I don't fight, we'll both die," he growled.

But Lucy knew, even if he did fight her, they'll both probably die anyway. It was no use – they were too weak, and the enemy too strong. As she searched his eyes, she saw that he knew the same. And even though he knew that his fighting would be for nought, he had to die protecting the ones he loved – he had to die protecting her.

"My, oh, my, I actually feel a little bad for interrupting this moment." It was the sorceress, who had found them while they were preoccupied. "Pardon me," she tittered haughtily, sashaying towards them. Her withered face – once beautiful – was now contorted into a grotesque expression, her eyes wide with insanity, and her long, white hair flowing eerily around her.

Gray whirled away from Lucy to face the oncoming witch, quickly getting into a fighting stance. Lucy scrambled to her feet ungracefully behind him, hands immediately going to her keys by reflex, even though she knew it wouldn't be easy even summoning one celestial spirit.

"Stay away from Lucy," Gray snarled angrily at the witch.

She merely raised an eyebrow in amusement, a sinister smile spreading across her face to reveal hideous, rotten teeth. "Is this young love?" she taunted. "Maybe I'll do you both a favour and devour your souls together. Or maybe I should make you, watch me slaughter your girlfriend first, before I tear you apart limb by limb, slowly, while her death plays on repeat in your head."

Gray gritted his teeth in absolute fury, his hands itching to destroy the creature from hell in front of him. "You won't harm even a hair on Lucy's head!" he yelled, frost forming in the air around his hands. "Ice Make: Ice Geyser!"

Ice immediately shot out from beneath his feet, instantly forming a massive carpet of sharp, glinting ice that stretched all the way to where the witch stood, culminating in a tower of ice that burst out of the ground, and which should have impaled any target. However, the witch simply raised her hand, and without as much as a whisper, the ice halted in its advance. "Die," she said airily, and Gray watched as his attack shattered and ceased to exist.

"I am a master of Death Magic, and I bring death upon all who dares to cross my path," she proclaimed. "Whether a living or non-living thing, as long as it has a form wherein it ceases to exist, I can make that happen." The terrifying grin on her face widened further, if even possible at all. "Why don't you try again, Ice Boy?"

As much as he knew that it was part of her plan to get him riled up, he took the bait. "Ice Make: Lance!" As long, curved ice lances shot out at the witch, he took the chance to quickly launch another attack. "Ice Make: Net! Ice Make: Ice Bringer!" He was hoping that while the witch was busy demolishing his ice lances, he would be able to keep her distracted enough to trap her in one spot, before engaging in close-range combat, and hopefully land a blow.

Unfortunately, he didn't cater for her repertoire of spells. With just a single spell – "Death Circle!" – all his ice creations immediately broke into miniscule fragments. Thankfully, she casted the spell right before Gray entered its range, allowing him a split second to react by leaping backwards, saving himself.

Returning to stand in front of Lucy protectively, he dropped his twin swords of ice, panting heavily. Although the battle had lasted for less than five minutes, he was already feeling like it had gone on for at least thirty. His earlier battle with her Hellhound had left him in pretty bad shape, despite emerging victorious. Lucy could see the wheels turning in his head at top speed, trying to think of a possible way to defeat the witch, but at this point in time, it was starting to seem like all efforts would be futile.

Gray was about to charge headfirst once more – he decided that employing Natsu's strategy of, well, no strategy, was worth a shot – when the sorceress raised both her hands, casting, "Death Wraiths!" All around them, translucent forms began taking shape. Ghostly apparitions with gaping holes for eyes and mouths surrounded them, and even Gray himself couldn't suppress the shiver that ran up his spine. Physical cold was one thing, but this creepy cold – of the non-living? Dead? Afterlife? – was something completely out of this world, quite literally.

"Wh-what are these? Gray, be careful," Lucy stammered, her eyes darting from him to the wraiths and back again. She was afraid that it'd be similar to Midnight's Genesis Zero spell, which involved black phantoms that dragged their victim into a pit of nothingness.

"Just stay back, Lucy, I'll be fine," he grunted, sizing up the newcomers warily. This was not a good sign. He had no clue what he could even do.

The sorceress cackled annoyingly again. "My Death Wraiths aren't as bad as you think they are. They are very kind. They simply steal your soul, and leave your physical body untouched. You can continue to live, until your flesh dies, but of course, you will only be an empty shell. If you think positively, at least you'll still be able to spend time with your beloved friends, and guild." Her revolting laughter resounded around them, making them want to retch with disgust. "But I'm feeling generous today. Let me cut you a deal."

That caught their attention.

"What deal?" Gray intoned inscrutably.

"I have almost collected enough souls to restore my humanity. Since there is no benefit for me to collect more souls than I need, I am willing to allow your group of little fairies to go, on one condition: that one of you give up your soul to me." Her eyes glinted with thinly veiled delight.

"Once I have your soul sacrifice, I will free your friends and let the rest leave unscathed… other than the injuries they've already sustained. This, I give you my word." She chuckled heartily to herself, clearly enjoying tormenting them emotionally.

"Never! We don't need your stupid deal. We have our friends, and they will be here any moment now to return you to where you came from!" Lucy shouted.

The witch jeered at Lucy, waving one hand in the air. Lucy flinched, expecting an attack to come at her, but nothing happened. Instead, two misty clouds appeared beside the sorceress, and they seemed to be projecting images from elsewhere.

"Your friends? You mean these weaklings?" She turned to look at the projections, and both Lucy's and Gray's eyes followed suit. One projection showed a badly-beaten up Natsu, who had been facing off with the Grim Reaper. He was lying face-down on the ground, seemingly unconscious, when his head lifted off the ground to look directly at them, as though he could see them watching him. That gave Lucy hope, until she saw that he didn't even have the strength to raise an arm.

The other projection showed Erza, who had been disarmed and captured by the Vampire. He had placed magic sealstone cuffs around her four limbs, preventing her from activating her Requip magic. Her body was covered with patches of discolouration and half of her face was turning blue-black from a particularly bad bruise. There were streaks of blood across her stomach, but they couldn't tell where the blood was from. It looked like she had just come out of an intense fight, and now that she was taken captive, she was helpless. There was no way either of their teammates would be able to come to their aid anytime soon.

"Of course, not forgetting the little dragon lying over there, with the two house cats." As they looked over to where Wendy, Happy and Carla lay, several Death Wraiths materialised beside them, making Lucy panic.

"Don't you dare touch them!" she screamed at the witch, looking like she was ready to charge forward, her emotions on high.

The sorceress merely looked amused. "Child, your wild shrieking will not save any of their souls. I've already offered you a deal. The power to save your friends now lay in your hands. Will you take it up?"

As heavy as her question was, the answer came easily for both Gray and Lucy. Not taking up her deal was not an option – there was no way either of them would choose to keep their own lives over their friends'. However, whose soul was to be sold?

"Take my sou– "

"I'll give my sou– "

Both of them turned to look at each other with wide eyes. Lucy could see the pleading in Gray's navy orbs, begging her to stop whatever she was about to say. But she couldn't let him do it – he had had too hard of a life to have it end here in such a miserable way. Gray deserved so much more, and Lucy couldn't let him lose his future. Not here, not now.

She shook her head, hardening her resolve. It was reflected in her eyes – steely glints of determination well-entrenched in her mahogany irises. She made to step forward, but a sudden gust of icy wind blew around her. Before she could react, she found that her feet and her mouth had been frozen – a solid layer of ice sealed her to the ground, and she was unable move her lower jaw to utter a single word.

'Gray! NO!' Lucy wanted to shout, scream, yell, shriek, anything at all – if only she could stop Gray in his tracks. But nothing could stop the powerful ice mage when he had his mind made up.

"Oh ho ho, what an interesting plot twist. You would harm even your own woman?" The sorceress looked on with interest. It made Lucy sick to know that the vile creature was actually receiving enjoyment at their expense. She did notice however that this was the second time the sorceress had referenced her as Gray's girlfriend, and both times he didn't make an attempt to deny it. Perhaps it was the gravity of their situation – but wasn't there also something about how life and death situations often made you acknowledge hidden truths?

Gray's deep voice rang out, crisp and clear, cutting through the thick tension that hung in the air. "I'll be as dark and black a villain as I need to in order to protect 'em. Take my soul."

"Very well, Ice Prince. Your soul will work just fine. I can feel the Ethernano in your body. And Second Origin! I can almost taste how delicious your soul will be on my tongue!" They could sense the rising excitement of the sorceress as she raised her arms, eager to absorb Gray's soul and regain her humanity as quickly as possible.

Beginning her ancient spell, her lips moved almost invisibly, forming words too soft for anyone to hear. Gradually, her voice rose in volume, as the spell grew in intensity. It was in a language that was too old for them to understand, a powerful spell that was part of the spectrum of Lost Magic.

The Death Wraiths surrounded Gray, with ghostly wisps of white extending from their unearthly bodies to wrap around him. Some swirled around his wrists, while long tendrils curled around his ankles, torso, and neck. Feeling his energy being sapped, he fell to his knees, helpless and paralysed.

Lucy's heart clenched in anguish as she watched her once proud, strong and unyielding friend being brought to his knees. She was screaming inside her head – screaming how stupid he was, how everyone would be devastated to find out what he had done; screaming and asking how she was going to continue living without him as she watched him dying before her eyes – but not a single sound came out from her. Her mouth still frozen in place with Gray's own ice, hot tears streamed down her face.

Years of memories flashed through her mind: the first day she walked into Fairy Tail, and Gray asking to borrow her underwear while flashing her fully in the nude. The countless times she had kicked him out of her house, or yelled at him to put his clothes back on. The many times Gray had selflessly put his own life on the line just to save her from their enemies. The way Gray somehow effortlessly manages to just get her, and their shared conversations about her writing, guild gossip, their pasts, and more. The time they had accidentally swapped bodies and she had almost wanted to put him in a strait jacket just to stop him from wanting to flash her boobs. The time she got the wrong impression and slapped him while he was on an undercover mission in Avatar. The fun times they always had when on missions. The sad times when he was always there to lend a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. Ever since she began her new life in Fairy Tail, there had never been a time without Gray – and she couldn't bear the thought that that would be her new reality, once Gray's soul was taken away.

A brilliant glow enveloped Lucy as she drew newfound strength from the immense love she realised she had for Gray. Her intense feelings and need to save him gave her the magic power she needed to break free from his ice. Without giving any heed to herself, she dashed through the Death Wraiths, skidding to her knees at his side. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. A small sigh of relief escaped her as she felt his faint breathing. He was still holding on.

Gray lifted his head weakly to look at her. "Lucy, why?" he struggled to whisper, the words barely making it out of his mouth. He could feel himself slipping out of consciousness, but he fought hard to hold on for as long as he could – he knew that once he gave in, it would be endless oblivion.

"I can't keep crying forever… I have to fight," she whispered back. "And I can't let you go alone, Gray. She can have both our souls. I don't care what happens to me. I can't let you be lonely. I'll go with you." Her hold tightened around Gray, as though she was afraid he would be snatched away from her.

Such warmth… he felt such warmth emanating from Lucy. Ever since Ur, he had never felt such warmth from another person before… for him. He pulled back, navy meeting brown, and suddenly, an overwhelming sense of peace came over him. With Lucy by his side, he had nothing to fear anymore. In this one moment, as he let himself be held by the celestial mage, he felt he had everything he could ever want in his life. Now, he could let go.

The tendrils of death extended to wrap around Lucy's arms, neck, torso and legs as well. The extra burst of strength that she had just minutes ago had dissipated, and now all she felt was extreme fatigue in her limbs. Her grip loosened around Gray as she felt herself getting weaker, and weaker. As her eyes slowly slid close, her thoughts fluttered to her fallen comrades. She really hoped that the witch would keep her word, and release them. She prayed that they would be able to live strong and move forward.

Remembering her beloved celestial spirits, she sent a message in her head to the celestial realm, hoping that they'd somehow be able to hear her last words. She trusted that her friends would retrieve her keys and protect them until a responsible and kind celestial mage came along. Despite her short life, she was happy that she already had the privilege to join Fairy Tail, and spend as much time as she had with her family. She had enjoyed the ride while it lasted, but as with all good things, her time had to come to an end.

As the spell reached its peak, and the Death Wraiths had fully cloaked the two mages in their soul-sucking tendrils, a soft voice sounded in both their heads – much like telepathy.

"Gray, Lucy, do you believe in fairies?"

It was a familiar voice, but they couldn't immediately place it. It was definitely not a voice belonging to any of their teammates or guild members, but they had a feeling deep in their hearts that it was someone from Fairy Tail.

"Who are you?" Gray asked in his head, wondering if the telepathy was two-way.

"Do you believe in fairies?" the voice asked again.

"…Yes," he replied.

"How about you, Lucy? Do you believe in fairies?"

As confused as she was, she decided to trust her gut feeling, and Gray. "Y-yes, I do. I believe in fairies as long as Fairy Tail exists," she answered.

"Then never lose hope. Always believe in Fairy Tail. I am Zera, the Earth Spirit, and friend of Mavis, and I am the one who turned the witch into a banshee. Because you believe in fairies, I will give you the strength you need to protect your comrades. Turn your will to save your friends into power, and I will grant you my protection."

Realisation dawned upon Gray and Lucy as the voice introduced herself, and they recognised her as the founding master's close childhood friend. Knowing that she was on their side and also a part of Fairy Tail, they felt a renewed sense of determination. Her words replaying in their heads, they dug into their strong feelings for their friends, and focused on gathering as much of their magic power that was left.

A bright, white light surrounded them as they felt a sudden surge of magic in their bodies. The light was incredibly blinding, and the Death Wraiths were immediately obliterated into nothingness. The light was also evidently burning hot as the sorceress screamed in agony, but to Lucy, and Gray, the light was warm, comforting, and felt like home. It was a light of love – love that transcended realms. A love that could only come from family, and a love that could save.

As their strength started to return, Gray found Lucy's hands and held them tightly. It felt like time was being sped up in their little bubble, as their magic continued to build up. The light still shone radiantly around them, making them seem like a blazing ball of fire on Earth. And finally, as their power reached their full capacity, they opened their eyes. Meeting each other's gazes, the only thing they saw was love. And it was this love that called to Zera, and this love that would save their lives, as well as their friends'.

"Fairy Law!"

The light that was around them expanded to envelop the expanse of the surrounding area, bathing the land as far as they could see with a blinding glow. It was completely silent except for the excruciating screams of the witch, and all her other minions of death. They heard a bone-chilling howl as the Grim Reaper and Vampire were similarly vanquished into non-existence.

They didn't know how much time passed, but it felt like time came to a standstill. It felt like an eternity before the light finally faded, and they could see their surroundings once again. Completely out of strength and magic power, Lucy fell forward into Gray's arms. He quickly caught her, holding her tight against his chest before he himself fell backwards onto the ground. They were both absolutely spent.

It seemed like the witch was gone, and so were all the monsters that she had summoned with her Death Magic. At the same time, it seemed like Zera was also gone. As much as they wished they could have found out more about her, the mystery of Zera as an Earth Spirit would probably never be solved – but as long as she was watching over Fairy Tail, they knew they'd be fine.

"Gray! Lucy!" A feminine voice shouted from a distance, and they recognised it to be Wendy. Lucy's eyes opened as she let out a relieved smile – Wendy was okay.

They soon heard the pitter-patter of footsteps as the blue-haired dragon slayer came into view, followed by the two Exceeds flying behind her.

"Lucy!" cried Happy as he barrelled into her. She grunted as the wind was knocked out of her lungs, but her arms came to encircle the little blue cat in happiness at seeing that he was alright.

Just then, she felt a hold tighten around her shoulders. Shifting her gaze up, she met a pair of navy orbs. A rush of emotions went through her, realising that they had both almost died a couple of minutes ago. As she stared into Gray's eyes, spellbound, she remembered everything that went through her head as she was dying – her memories of them together, and the realisation that she wouldn't be able to live without him.

Lucy knew that Gray was searching her own eyes for an answer; for assurance and acknowledgment of the new realisations that they had come to during their shared ordeal. Looking at him with as much love as she could put into her gaze, she smiled in the best way that she could – a Lucy smile.

As his gaze softened and he returned her smile with a charming one of his own, she knew. They'd always have each other.

- End -

Alright, this story is quite different from the other days – bringing some angst, hurt and pain to our dear characters. I worked in both quotes, and hope the entire story wasn't too farfetched/unbelievable! This was my first time writing a fight scene so fingers crossed I did it some justice!

Cough – I'm actually not done with tomorrow's bonus entry yet, so I'm off to churn out the rest of it in time for tomorrow! Cheerios!

x, WinterMaidenMuse