Disclaimer: Guess what!? I don't own Fairy Tail, jeez, how many times...
Hey! Thanks for all the really nice reviews!
Because of that, I was like...hm, why not update?
So REVIEWS mean updates! :D And If I get 200 reviews on this...I will jump for joy!
And, after this is finished, I had already planned it, but I was going to basically do the after story.
But I don't want to copy my friend Ladyfire-Azula, ):
Maybe...you wouldn't mind if after this is done, I would post the afterness?, lol
Thanks!
Enjoy...
NO FlAmInG oR cRiTiCs PLEASEEEE!
Zeref sighed, and leaned against a tree. Of course, it didn't take more then one moment before it withered and died.
"I'm so sorry..." Zeref closed his eyes.
His hands curled into fists, and his body shook.
"This curse...this...life...it has to end..."
"I'm so sorry..." Zeref re-opened his eyes. "...you have to kill me...Natsu..."
Everyone had noticed that Natsu was being kind of sticky.
In that, it meant, whoever he was with, he stayed very close too.
No one knew exactly why, but they decided it best to stay close too, even Gajeel and Gray.
Natsu still had bandages on under his clothes, but anyone could tell he was doing a lot better then before.
He had been trying to keep up his smiling look, but everyone had caught him with a sad look on his face.
The guild was as usual, everyone was talking loudly, a few people were bickering, members were drinking.
But what wasn't usual, was that Gray and Natsu hadn't picked a fight in five weeks.
The reason this was so bad was because, still, Natsu hadn't been acting himself. And maybe if they did fight, it would prove he's more like himself.
Finally, Lucy watched as Gray approched Natsu, and sat down. She wanted to get closer to hear what they were saying, but she figured that was an invasion.
The two were whispering, until Natsu stood up, and kicked his chair out from behind himself.
"SHUT UP!" Natsu shouted. "Why can't you stay in your own buisness!? Keep your nose out of mine!"
Gray growled, and also stood. "Well you're one to talk! You seem to always have your nose in other peoples buisness'!"
"At least I don't strip!"
"At least I don't stock blondes!"
"Pervert!"
"Fire Face!"
"Walking blizzard!"
"Scale skin!"
"SNOWMAN!"
"FLAME BRAIN!"
"I HATE YOU!"
"COULD SAY THE SAME TO YOU!"
Natsu squeezed his fists.
"AREYOU ASKING TO GET YOUR BUTT KICKED!?"
"Leave me alone." Natsu finally said, and turned on his heels.
Gray frowned. "Wimp."
Natsu stopped in his tracks. "Shut the hell up. I'm stronger, and definatly more brave then you are."
"You're making strong assumtions idiot."
"Yeah, strong assumtions." Natsu growled. "But they're strong true assumtions."
And with that, he stormed out of the guild, holding his bandaged chest.
Gray sighed. "...what's wrong with him..."
This time Lucy stood. "That's what you say!?"
Gray raised his eyebrow at Lucy.
"I hope you realize he was tortured Gray!" Lucy stomped her foot down. "Everyone wanted you two...to fight a little. Just to see if Natsu was back to normal. It was starting to look that way, but when he said: '"Leave Me Alone'", you should've! He'll go head-on with you once he's fully healed, I'm sure. But since he's reabilitating, you just should have stopped. And now you're asking what's wrong with him!?"
"Lucy..." Lisanna put her hand on Lucy's shoulder.
"I..." Lucy sighed. "I'm going to talk to him."
"Stay close to him, you know you will." Lisanna smiled.
Lucy blushed, and then left.
It probably wasn't such a good idea to go out alone, but...he needed too.
Natsu wanted to be alone, but on the other hand, he didn't.
"I found you," A voice came.
Natsu grunted, and didn't look up, instead keeping his legs dangled over the side of the steep hill.
The water glinted in the sunset.
Natsu sighed, as a certain blonde celestial mage sat next to him. "Listen...I know you have a lot on your mind. I do too. But, I am really happy to have you back. You look like you need to let out to someone, so know...that I'm right here."
"Lucy..." Natsu sighed, and then shook his head, looking at Lucy sternly. "...there are a lot of things on my mind. And there are a lot of things that I want to tell you...but I can't."
"...Why not?"
"I...I just..." Natsu took a shakey breath. "...you wouldn't understand. I can't tell you."
Lucy sighed. "Alright. I understand. I won't push."
Natsu turned his attention back to the sunset. And the two sat in silence for a moment.
"H-hey Lucy?"
"Mm?"
"Can I tell...you something?"
She smiled. "Anything."
"When...when I was alone, and didn't have anyone...no one close to me...when they were hurting me...draining me. Forcing me to hurt you guys...I-I...I felt so scared." Natsu's shoulders shook. "There was no one I could turn to, and no one came to help me...I was all alone. And hurting all of you...it tore me apart...I...I felt so weak! So useless..."
(A/N:Listen to the sad Fairy Tail theme while reading this guys!)
Lucy stared at him, feeling tears coming to her eyes.
"I know...Igneel is dead. My parents are dead. They made me realize that." Natsu took in a breath. "The people who raised me, except one...they are gone. All of them. I have no one..."
Natsu stood up, and Lucy as well.
"But, I realize one thing! I'm not alone!" Natsu shouted. "I have fairy Tail! I have all of you! And...I won't let any of you go through the same things as I did! Ever! That's a promise Lucy! I won't ever let you or any of them go through that! I will protect you! Because I know that I have family here! I have the guild! I have Happy! And I have you! I may have none of them left. But...I have fairy Tail. And you guys won't leave...and...I swear Lucy...I will never go back on my promise..." Natsu looked at Lucy. "...and that is a promise."
"Natsu!" Lucy jumped at Natsu, hugging him tightly. "I know you've gone through so much!"
Natsu hugged her back.
"You are so brave!" She cried. "And there isn't anyone who I'd trust more then you! And my promise to you, is that I will never ever let you die! You've endured things unspeakable! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I couldn't ever understand! But no matter what, I will be there for you! Always!"
The two cried in silence for a while, actually, for approximantly forty minutes.
"Thank you..." Lucy muttered.
"No...thank you." Natsu answered. "You say I'm brave. But you need to look at yourself. Thank you...Lucy Heartfilia. I couldn't do anything without you."
"Natsu...I-I need to tell you something." Lucy said, after a moment of silence.
"Yes...?"
"I-I...need to tell you that...I-I...I lo-"
"Aw, look at this."
Both mages looked over immedietly, and saw a figure in a dark cloak, standing there.
"You!" Natsu stepped in front of Lucy, making sure not to go dark on his promise.
"Who are you?" Lucy demanded.
"It's too bad you didn't regonize me, Natsu." The man said. "Frankly, I'm dissapointed."
Natsu sniffed the air, and his hands curled into fists. "No..."
The man laughed. "You know it!"
Then he threw off his cloak.
"Acnologia!" Natsu hissed.
Lucy gasped.
"I'm here...to take you down, master." Acnologia laughed. "Scratch that..."
"Lucy." Natsu said.
Lucy looked up.
"Go back to the guild." Natsu advised.
Lucy stared at Natsu. "I-I...I can't! I can't leave you here!"
"Go," Natsu smiled at her.
Lucy bit her lip, but nodded. Lucy took off running.
"Ah, ah, ah." Acnologia laughed, and used his magic, and knocked Lucy off her feet. "If I wanted this, then I'd do...this!"
He kicked Lucy in the side.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Natsu yelled, and jumped to punch Acnologia with a flaming fist.
Acnologia laughed, and stepped aside. "Idiot!"
Natsu growled, and kicked the back of his leg.
"How...how is he here!?"
"He's in dragon form!" Natsu answered Lucy.
Acnologia took in a breath, and then roared at Natsu and Lucy. Natsu quickly grabbed Lucy, and the two were shot back together, but Natsu took the worst of the fall, as they fell off the side of the steep hill, and onto the rocky beach.
Acnologia jumped down, as Natsu stood up.
"Lucy..." Natsu looked at her. "I need you to go back to the guild."
He removed his scarf, and handed it to her.
"I want you to protect this, just as I am protecting you. If I die...then I know the rest of the guild will take it upon themselves to protect you. Please. Go."
"I-I-"
"I trust you. Please...keep youreself safe."
"I promise! I'll keep this safe...and myself."
Lucy squeezed the scarf, but then ran off again.
Natsu knew he wouldn't be speaking to his best friend for a while. But at least he could protect her.
Lucy cried as she ran, holding the white scarf close to her face. Her side had started bleeding, and she was slightly dirty, but she had to get back to the guild. He promised to protect her, but she would help. He never said she couldn't help protect him. And to help that, she would get everyone to come.
Lucy ran as fast as she could go, and finally saw the guild. She rammed into the door, crying her eyes out.
Everyone stopped to look at her.
"Lucy...?"
"What-" Then Gray saw the scarf in her arms. "What's happened? Where's Natsu!?"
Lucy fell to her knees. "Help! I promised to keep this safe! But...Natsu! Natsu is in danger! Help me! Please!"
"You don't have to beg, Lucy." Erza said. "We will always help."
Natsu fought Acnologia. He fought to protect himself. He fought to protect his city. He fought to protect the guild, his friends. And he fought to avenge Igneel.
But Natsu knew he wasn't at full, and his wounds were starting to re-open, which meant a lot of bleeding.
Already, blood started soaking through the snow white bandages.
Acnologia kicked Natsu in the gut, where one deep cut was, and sent Natsu hitting the ground very hard. He was in shin high deep water, and he watched as blood started changing the color of the water.
Acnologia stepped on his back, forcing him to slam into the ground. Acnologia repeated this, slamming his foot onto Natsu's back. Natsu's eyes began to close, he was starting to loose concionsness.
He couldn't though. He had to fight him. If he didn't...the guild...everyone he cared about, Zeref, they could all perish.
Natsu's eyes opened immedietly at that thought, and he turned himself over, and caught Acnologia's foot.
"Y-you bastard..." Natsu spattered, ignoring the blood dripping from his mouth.
Acnologia kicked Natsu's face with his other foot. "You are the bastard E.N.D.."
"NATSUUUUU!" Acnologia looked up just in time to see wizard jumping at them, using their magic to attack Acnologia.
Acnologia stumbled a little in surprise. No, he wasn't expecting that. Acnologia growled, and grabbed Natsu Dragneel, holding him tight, as the vexatious Fairy Tail Wizard attacked him.
"YOU DON'T HAVE PIRMISSION!" Erza yelled, attacking with her requip magic.
"YOU CAN'T TOUCH HIM!" Gray barked.
"YOU THINK THAT WE WOULD JUST LEAVE HIM!?" Lucy shouted, in one of her star dresses, standing next to Leo the Lion. "YOU HAVE SOME NERVE DRAGON! THIS IS FAIRY TAIL! AND WE WILL PROTECT THE ONES WE LOVE!"
Lucy had wrapped Natsu's scarf around her neck, just to keep it even more safe.
Lucy jumped and kicked Acnologia's arm, and he dropped Natsu into the water.
Then all of Fairy Tail, used a magnificent combo, to attack Acnologia.
Natsu opened his eyes a little. And watched, as his friends attacked. They all cared for him...
After the smoke cleared, everyone gasped, to see Acnologia still standing there. He was actually a little scratched, and banged up, but alive, and still ready to fight.
"You'll have to do better then that, Fairy Tail!" Acnologia laughed.
Natsu got on his knees, and threw his fist at the water, making a very loud: SPLASH, and causing water to be thrown everywhere.
Acnologia glanced down.
"You are a bastard...you would try to hurt my friends...right in front of me..." Natsu looked up and made a growling sound in the back of his throat. "DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH!?"
Natsu stood, and stared Acnologia in the eyes, and they both started growling.
"What's he doing...?" Freed wondered.
"He's challenging Acnologia." Gajeel explained. "This means a full on battle..."
"And with Acnologia and Natsu's power combined..." Wendy added.
"It's gonna be distructive." Gray finished.
"We'll support Natsu, none-the-less!" Lucy pumped her fist in the air.
The fight was indeed amazing. Unfortuantly, it lasted for quite a long time. And the dragon and the dragon-slayer fought hard, and they actually veered away from Magnolia, but the Fairy Tail wizards followed, assisting Natsu when needed, and finally they were in a long feild, and it was dark at night.
A feild...
Except, that it wasn't just a little far away from Magnolia, it was a lot. With Natsu and Acnologia's strength, they kept hitting each other farther and farther away.
There was a building at the top of a hill, that looked abandoned. No one went over to it, because they were all watching the battle intently.
Natsu ducked, dodged, punched, kicked, roared...and Acnologia the same.
"Is it possible this fight could ever end?!"
"No...it will." Erza stated. "One of them will eventually get tired, and unfortunatly, Natsu has the worst injuries..."
"Are you saying he is going to loose!?"
"No...but I am saying he will tire out, and soon. Unless he somehow get's a very strong burst of magic energy."
Natsu sucked in some air as he jumped back. He had noticed himself, that his movements were starting to get sluggish, and that wasn't a good thing.
"What's wrong, Salamander, you look tired."
Natsu growled, and continued fighting.
"Enough already!" Acnologia rolled his eyes.
"Never!"
Acnologia grinned, and grabbed the bandages on Natsu's chest, ripping them off, and then he punched the deep re-opened wound on Natsu's chest.
Natsu let out a loud yell of pain, and it echoed...
Zeref kept trying to control his curse. But it never worked out the right way.
He sighed, sinking back to the ground, and watching as the living around him, withered and died.
"Natsu..." Zeref muttered to himself. "...my curse...i-it's getting stronger...that is why I left. There is also a reason for that...and so I am travling to my old school...I need information. I can't come to you empty handed. I'm sorry...brother."
Suddenly, he heard a yell. A pained yell.
"Natsu!" Zeref could regonize it from anywhere.
Panic rose in his chest, remembering how defeated, tired, scared, and hurt that Natsu looked, and the screams of pain.
Zeref started running, trying to find the source of the yell.
Finally, he came to a very large clearing, and saw it...two figures...
Natsu Dragneel, his younger, dear brother, and the other...Acnologia, the dark dragon.
He saw Acnologia kick Natsu, and his brother flew over to the building on the hill. And Zeref regonized it as his old academy. The Mildian Magic Academy.
Outraged, Zeref started running towards it. He had to protect his brother...
Natsu gasped as he hit the roof of a large building.
"ACNOLOGIA!" A voice boomed.
Natsu glanced up to see his big brother coming...
"...Zeref-nii..."
Zeref jumped onto the top of the building, and growled at Acnologia, his body shaking. Acnologia took a breath. "I knew you'd show up eventually..."
A book appeared in Acnologia's hand.
"I have your brother's power right here. And I think that maybe I should return to my dragon form...to get rid of this pest."
Natsu stood up, holding his chest. Acnologia threw the book of E.N.D hard at Natsu, hitting him square in the face, and Natsu stumbled off the edge of the building.
"Natsu!" Zeref yelled, trying to reach over to grab Natsu's arm...
but it was too late.
Natsu had already slipped over.
"NO!"
Gray had started running the moment he saw Zeref.
Team Natsu started off running as well, but Gray was far ahead of them.
The ice mage jumped, seeing his friend falling. He caught Natsu in mid air, and the boys landed on their backs.
But...then Gray saw the book.
The rest of Fairy Tail had also tried to run, but apparently, Acnologia had the magic power of "force feilds".
"How do we get past!?" Lisanna stomped her foot on the ground.
"We can't." Levy replied. "But...I have an idea. We need to all go back to the guild, our power source is with each other, and the place to find the most of that, is at the guild. If we all focase our magic energy there, then we can help out Natsu and the others."
Gray stared at the book of E.N.D., his hand reaching for it...
and he was astounded, at what he found...
I know, I know...cliffhanger!
I'm sad to...lol.
Anyways, please leave a nice reveiw! :D
Thanks for reading!
-Roxkey-San, A.