Natsu faltered ever so slightly before shouting, "Roar of the fire dragon!" A huge jet of fire shot out of the dragon-slayer's mouth, and hit a large, scaly, clawed beast square in the chest.
"RAURGH!" it shouted, rearing up onto its hind legs.
"Natsu!" Lucy shouted nervously, eyeing her salmon-haired comrade. "Watch out!" she saw him view her our of the corner of his eye and he grinned, flashing his partner a wide, toothy grin, revealing his two fangs.
Although Natsu Dragneel looked fine, his mind was in utter turmoil. He was facing a horde of dragons, and although he hated to admit to it, he was terrified of the scaly beasts.
"Natsu!" Lucy screeched again, keeping an eye on his distinct, salmon-hued hair.
"Luce," he groaned, "other than you scaring me to death-" he slashed through thick, scaly skin, "I'm absolutely fine!"
Lucy shouted once more, and gasped as Wendy was knocked aside by a large, fearsome, onyx-scaled dragon.
"Wendy!" she rushed to her small friend's side.
"Wendy! Wendy! Please, wake up! I'll do anything! Please!" she cried, tears streaming down her flushed, grimy cheeks.
One. One of her friends had been brutally murdered.
"Stop it!" she cried in anguish, watching the dragon stampede, squashing various members.
She marched over to the dragon, and almost gagged and screamed simultaneously. Erza's body lay in a heap, mangled and mutilated, and Lucy was not able to differentiate between her long, scarlet hair and her hot, sticky blood.
She saw yet another body, and was able to recognize Gray.
Three. The comrades brutally murdered.
She saw a lush, tangled mane atop a hulking heap, and marked in her head yet another fallen comrade. Gray, Erza, Wendy, and Gajeel.
The dragon was walking towards her, Lucy realized. She stood, shaking, eyes watering and lip trembling.
"Fine," she whispered hoarsely. "At least I'll have died for my guild."
She opened her arms and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for a searing pain and then darkness, but they never arrived.
"No." A voice stated firmly, straining to keep an air of tranquility.
"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, overjoyed yet terrified to see her best friend.
And then, breaking the thick silence, Natsu attacked.
"How-" slash, "dare-" punch, "you-" roar, "hurt-" kick, "my-" stab, "FRIENDS!" he launched himself at the dragons, running them through with claws and blasting them with beams of searing fire. He was evidently winning. An onyx dragon with gleaming scales and elongated fangs reared up and struck Natsu from behind, catching him by surprise. He went flying.
"NO!" Lucy chased after him and heard a sickening crunch as he hit the dirt. She slipped, and landed on the bloody terrain. Natsu was a few meters away, and she crawled towards him, her pale kneecaps tinted crimson. She cradled his head in her arms.
"We lost to destiny..." he croaked softly.
Lucy sobbed into him, her salty tears dripping onto his heavy lids.
"Hey, don't cry. I love you, Luce. I always have. If we ever meet again, Luce, I'll stay with you forever. I'll never let you go." He brushed her tears away, his calloused thumb caressing her prominent cheekbones.
"No!" Lucy screamed. "Natsu, you'll see me now! Don't gimme that 'I'll see you again someday' crap! I'll see you now!" she bawled, clutching the dragon-slayer's shirt.
He leaned upwards and his lips brushed against hers lightly.
"Bye, Luce. I'll love you forever. Just wait for me, wherever you are." And he was gone, the life blown out of him.
That was what flashed through Lucy's mind as a dagger made contact with her creamy skin and her blood, sticky and hot, rolled down her firm stomach.
"I'm waiting, Natsu. I promise." She staggered, spluttering and coughing violently.
She saw her present self yelling and consoling her, and she saw a sliver of wetness roll down present Natsu's tanned cheek.
A brilliant light filtered through her thick eyelashes, and she saw the guild, rambunctious and lively as ever, teeming with love and joy.
"Everyone!" she shouted. "I'm home!"