TWO
"You can feel the light start to tremble, washing what you know out to sea. You can see your life out of the window tonight."
– If I lose Myself, OneRepublic
"Ughh, no!" Natsu screamed as an immense heat tore through his chest. The book of E.N.D lay open on the floor in front of Zeref. "This isn't me!" Natsu yelled as he felt the darkness spreading through his chest, trying to infect his mind.
Zeref almost had a look of relief on his face, tears streamed from his eyes as he stared at Natsu.
As the pain became too much Natsu crashed to the floor, pain rocketed through his body from the place where his knees hit the concrete. Another scream of pain was wrenched from his lips as he fell sideways and curled into the foetal position. Natsu's hands reached up to the top of his head, either side at the highest point of his forehead two curled horns had started to grow. The skin on his neck began to rise into pearly scales which spread up to his cheeks and down over his shoulders and arms. From his shoulder blades sprouted two fragile wings, they were dark, torn and tattered but they were undoubtedly wings. Natsu slowly stood, uncurling himself to stand straight, with his back to Zeref he faced the small number of guild members who still remained.
"Natsu?" Lucy whispered staring wide eyed at her friend's transformation. Lucy then looked over at Erza and Gray who looked just as shocked at Natsu's new appearance as she did.
As Natsu looked up his eyes snapped open to reveal his irises were an empty black. All life and passion gone. His voice however was normal, albeit a little rough, "yes?"
"Are you alright?" Lucy asked.
Natsu flexed his fingers, watching as the scales on his hands reflected what little light there was left. "Alright enough…" he replied slowly, "the pain has stopped at least." I am not, I am not alright. Gray knows it too, he offered an unconvincing smile, in the hopes of convincing at least one of them. Natsu risked a glance at the Ice-Mage, he felt his heart thud painfully as he realised his friend looked scared.Don't be, Natsu thought, wishing Gray to hear, I may have changed, but I still have my mind. For now…
"You have wings…" Erza trailed off, staring at him in awe, the fear though was still there.
"Do I?"
Natsu's reply was far too calm for Gray's liking; he is not okay at all, there is no way you can hide that from me Flame-Brain, "you do…" Gray replied simply, going along with Natsu's calm act, "and horns."
At that moment Natsu turned back to Zeref, "happy now? I am E.N.D., and I will destroy you."
To everyone's surprise, Zeref smiled, not maliciously, just a small, almost relieved smile. "You will. You are finally ready."
"Ready?" It was then as if a switch had been flicked somewhere in Natsu's mind, he chuckled darkly, "I'm all fired up now!" Natsu's signature line now held none of its original passion and hope, it sounded dark and laced with hatred.
Gray's short intake of breath went unnoticed. This isn't him. "Natsu wait!"
"I need to do this!"
"You do this, the act will take your soul." Or what there is left, Gray cried out frantically, clutching at straws, I can't lose him, not with what I'll have to do if that happens.
"I need to do this! It's Zeref, Dark Wizard Zeref, he needs to die!" Natsu spat the words back at Gray, trying to convince himself as much as anything.
"You don't have to do this yet!" Gray yelled, "Listen to me idiot!"
At this Natsu let out an angry hiss, with a violent flick of his wrist Gray was flung into a nearby pile of crumbling debris. "No. You listen." Natsu spun round, "I am E.N.D.. I will serve my purpose. I will not break my promise to my father." He took a step closer to where Gray trying to push a large chunk of the Cube which had fallen on his leg. Natsu loomed over Gray, staring him down with his empty eyes. "My question is whether or not you'll keep yours…"