There's a story behind this.

I saw a picture on DeviantArt, and it got me into writing this fan fiction.

Just so you know, yes, this is a NaLu fan fiction. I usually don't write romance, but this gave me a chance to try it out. I just hope I don't make it cheesy or anything like that. I just had an idea I wanted to explore. So I'll just have to see where my pen takes me.

As for the story, this is based on a picture I saw of Lucy trying to free Natsu from his "E.N.D. form". I would imagine this would be pretty emotional and Lucy would have to speak her true feelings, or else risk losing her best friend, either to the dark side or by having him slain.

So this is more of a prediction story about what MIGHT happen. I don't claim to know what will happen in the actual canon story. I'm just going off of what I know, and what I would personally like to see happen.

Ah, that's the great thing of being a fan fiction writer. You can make any story you want. ;)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail; I am merely exploring a possible story.

With that said, let's begin.

I Won't Let Go

"STOP!"

Breathless, limps shaking from fatigue and fear, Lucy stood at the entrance of the Lumen Historie Chamber. Her face was whiter than paper and her eyes were brimmed with tears that were braced to fall.

A few yards in front of her, standing in front of the giant crystal, was a human who looked like he was half demon, half human.

It was the fire demon from the Book of Zeref's: E.N.D. But that wasn't the thing that frightened Lucy the most.

When he heard Lucy call out to him, he stopped for a brief moment before slowly turning around. His dead crimson eyes met her chocolate brown ones and made her shiver.

"Natsu," she whispered, her voice now weak and fearful.

Natsu Dragneel, who turned out to be E.N.D. himself, was almost completely transformed. His jacket was torn right down the middle, exposing his torso. Hideous flaming black tattoos were slowly making their way up his chest and neck, continuing onto his face. His ears had become longer and pointed. His hair stuck up straight in a menacing fashion, and was accented by two large, jagged horns growing straight out of his head. Out of his back were two enormous, wicked red wings that had a disgusting look to them.

But it was his eyes that made Lucy feel sick with fear and worry. They were blood red and completely devoid of all life. It was like something had reached into Natsu and ripped his soul clean out of him.

For a moment or two, the two just stood where they were, staring at each other. Natsu didn't show much of an emotion, but Lucy clearly showed that she was frightened. But it wasn't her own safety she was afraid of.

"Natsu's almost transformed!" her mind thought franticly. "I can feel it! He's slipping away! I've got to do something! If I don't, then Grey will have to…!"

Lucy couldn't even bring her thoughts to say it.

No! This couldn't be Natsu's fate! He couldn't die like that! And he certainly couldn't become some monster!

She had to do something to save him! But what?!

"I must admit," Natsu said, his voice dry and detached, "I'm surprised you came to face me by yourself. You must be pretty brave, or just plain foolish. Do you think you can fight against me? I'm the most powerful of the Etherious. But if you wish to challenge me, then I accept."

Lucy swallowed the lump in the throat. She would have to summon all of her courage for this. She forced her legs to move, and she cautiously began to walk forward.

"Natsu," she whimpered, "please."

When she spoke his name, Natsu gave an almost-unnoticable expression of confusion.

"Natsu?" he questioned, as if that name was foreign to him.

"Yes." Lucy's voice trembled. "Natsu, Natsu Dragneel. That's who you are. You're a wizard of Fairy Tail. Please, Natsu, you have to try to remember."

Natsu then raised his hand and a ball of harsh orange and red flames appeared. Lucy stopped dead in her tracks when he aimed it at her. His fingers curved around the fire, his long, claw-like fingernails pointing in her direction.

"This is just a fraction of my power," he said with a growl. "If you wish to fight me, then I promise you I won't hold back."

Lucy stood where she was, trembling in fear. That fire was no joke.

"I must admit," Natsu continued, "you're a lot braver than I expected. Most people wouldn't even dare to come within three feet of me. Yet you do so of your own free will," he then narrowed his eyes. "But I can see you're shaking. And you should be afraid. All I gotta do is release this ball of fire, and you'll be sent into a blazing oblivion."

"I can't move!" Lucy's mind said in a panic. "Natsu, he's…!"

It was only now that Lucy realized that Natsu was going to kill her. That fire in his hand was growing more and more intense. Any second he would release it and she would be burned alive.

"Natsu stop, please!" she screamed. "This isn't you! You'd never hurt anyone from Fairy Tail! You'd never hurt me!"

Natsu face hardened viciously.

"I grow weary of this idle talk," he snarled.

He was about to release the fiery orb when Lucy shouted: "Natsu, it's me, Lucy!"

At the sound of that name, Natsu stopped his expression changed dramatically to surprise, like a club had just struck him from behind. The orb in his hand flickered for a moment before extinguishing.

"Lu…Lucy?" he whispered, his voice filled with a shaky confusion.

Suddenly, Natsu shut his eyes and gripped his head in pain. Lucy stopped and watched in terror as he writhed about, moaning and straining in agony. Were his memories returning, or was the transformation starting again? She was really hoping that it was his memories.

However, to her absolute horror, the transformation began to speed up. The tattoos were snaking up across his body at an accelerating rate; his hair was growing longer and spikier; and his horns were beginning to grow again. As the transformation was reaching its peak, Natsu let out an agonizing howl.

"Natsu!" Lucy shrieked.

As if triggered by something she had never felt before, Lucy soon found herself dashing towards the transforming Demon. She didn't know what she would do when she reached him, but she didn't care. The only thing she could think of at that moment was saving her friend.

As Natsu looked up, Lucy rammed herself against him. A cry of pain escaped her mouth as she did. Natsu's whole body was burning hot, almost like it was a heated iron. It hurt horribly just to touch it. Lucy's first instinct was to pull away, but she resisted the urge. Instead, she tightly clung to the remains of Natsu's coat and pressed her forehead to his. The pain she was feeling was almost unbearable. She couldn't hold back her tears anymore. The moment she looked into Natsu's eyes, her tears streamed down her face.

She just had to save him. Even if there was just a sliver of a chance, she had to take it.

"What are you…doing?!" Natsu growled. "You know I could…easily kill you now!"

That remark seemed to strike Lucy in the heart like a metal stake. It wasn't the phrase itself that pained her, but it was the fact that it came from the voice of someone who would never threaten her like that. She couldn't bare it. She just couldn't.

This wasn't Natsu. This was a Curse that had taken over her best friend. And Lucy just had to set him free somehow.

"Natsu!" Lucy tearfully cried. "It's me, Lucy! I'm right here! Don't you remember me?! Please remember me! Just look into my eyes! We met in Hargeon and you saved me! You brought me to Fairy Tail and made me part of your team!"

Natsu fell silent. He just stood where he was, looking down on the young woman who clung to him. His dead crimson eyes looked straight into tear-blurred ones and he didn't blink.

"You also saved me from Phantom Lord!" Lucy continued to cry. "You were always there for me! Whenever I lost hope or was afraid, you gave me the strength to carry on! You were also the first person to believe in me! You gave me courage when I needed it the most! Please, Natsu, you have to remember!"

Natsu clenched, baring his teeth a little as he did. His tattoos were becoming more intense than before.

Lucy realized with a horrible shock that the transformation was almost complete. If she didn't do something soon, she would lose Natsu forever.

No! She couldn't lose someone so precious to her! Not again! She already lost her mother, father, and Aquarius! If she lost Natsu like this…!

Never! It didn't matter if he was an Etherious or not! He was still Natsu! He would always be Natsu to her!

She couldn't lose him! She wouldn't!

When Lucy opened her mouth again, she spoke more passionately than ever before. This time, her hesitation and doubt was shoved aside, and her heart spoke the true feelings that she had been holding deep inside.

"Natsu, you have to come back! I know you're in there! Please, hear my voice and fight this Curse! Please, I'm begging you! Fairy Tail needs you! Happy, Grey, Erza, Wendy, Carla, we all need you! I need you! I can't imagine my life without you! You're the best thing that ever happened to me! That's why I need you to stay with me! Because…I…I LOVE YOU, NATSU!"

The moment Lucy said that confession; she shut her eyes and hoisted herself up towards Natsu's face.

Their lips met.

In that split second, time itself seemed to stop.

For a moment, Lucy just pressed her lips to Natsu's. They were burning hot like the rest of him, but she didn't pull away. She just hoped and prayed that this would be enough to bring him back.

Then she felt something change. Natsu's body heat was going down. It wasn't slowly either. He was getting cooler by every second and millisecond. At the same time, there was the sound of sand being blown in the wind and across the floor.

For a while, Lucy was afraid to open her eyes and see what was happening. Finally, she gathered up the last of her courage and slowly pulled away.

She caught her breath when she saw that Natsu was transforming again. Only this time it was in reverse and at a much faster rate. His tattoos were fading away to reveal his naturally tanned skin and his hair was becoming less tattered. His horns and wings were disintegrating and vanishing into thin air, and his fingernails were returning back to normal.

As for his eyes, they had closed. But his face clearly showed that he was relaxed, like he was at peace. This transformation wasn't painful at all.

"Natsu?" Lucy whispered softly.

At last, Natsu slowly opened his eyes. To Lucy's heart-leaping joy, they were the honest black color they were always meant to be.

He was himself again. No doubt about it.

"Lucy?" Natsu said. His voice was low and just a little shaken.

"Natsu." Lucy replied. "Are you okay now?"

Natsu didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Lucy and his faced turned to worried. Lucy could see in his eyes that Natsu remembered what happened just moments ago. Not to mention, he could see the light burn marks on her forehead and hands. The guilt on his face was very noticeable.

"I'm…" Natsu hesitated. "I'm so sorry, Lucy. I hurt you, didn't I?"

"No, it's alright," the blonde-hair girl did her best to give him a reassuring smile. "It wasn't your fault. You weren't yourself and I know that."

Lucy's legs, which had been trembling the whole time, finally gave out from underneath her. She swayed for a moment and then fell.

"Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed.

The young man fell to his knees and caught the young woman in his arms. Lucy's shivered a little from the adrenaline that had increased over time and took in deep breaths to calm her bounding heart. The moment of terror had passed, and her energy was nearly drained. Her limbs felt numb and were quivering uncontrollably.

Her eyes then widened when she realized something.

Natsu was holding her close to him. His strong arms were wrapped around her back and waist. He held onto her as if he was afraid she would be wrenched away from him at any moment. She could feel him trembling from the force of it. She blushed when she noticed he was pressing her head up against his bare chest. She felt it rise and fall unsteadily as he breathed in and out shaky breaths.

Then something wet dripped onto her face. She looked up, and was surprised to see that tears were streaming down Natsu's face.

"What were you thinking, Loony?!" he said, his voice cracking from the emotion of it all. "I…I could've killed you!"

"Yeah," Lucy said gently, "I know you could've. But I also knew you wouldn't. You'd never hurt me."

Lucy then lifted her right arm up to embrace the Dragon Slayer. She closed her eyes and rested her cheek against Natsu's chest again. She heard and felt a thump against her ear that was quickly followed by several more in even intervals. She soon recognized that it was Natsu's heartbeat. It was strong like the fire that flowed though his veins, but also so soothing to listen to. It was such a wonderful thing to hear. Lucy felt as if she could listen to it forever.

The warmth of Natsu's body, the strong and steady beat of his heart, and the strength and gentleness of his arms; it all made Lucy feel safe. It was if nothing could harm her. And in that moment, it was something that she wanted to cherish for the rest of her life.

"Lucy," Natsu finally said, "I am sorry. I'm truly sorry."

Lucy opened her eyes and looked up at Natsu. She then smiled and placed her hand on the side of his face. Using her thumb, she wiped some of his tears away.

"I know you are," she replied. "But that wasn't you. That was E.N.D. taking over. You and that Demon are two different people. I don't care what anyone says, you're still Natsu to me."

Natsu looked at Lucy with astonishment. His eyes seemed to light up at the small speech she gave.

"And…" Lucy continued, a blush beginning to come over her cheeks. "I never told you this before because…I guess was too scared of my own feelings. But when I thought I was going to lose you forever, I…I couldn't lie to myself anymore. I don't know if you remember what I said, but I promise you it was the truth. Natsu, I love you, with all my heart."

There was a long silence.

Slowly but surely, a smile began to spread across Natsu's face. He closed his eyes and bent his head down until his forehead touched Lucy's. She winced a bit as the burn on her forehead stung for a second. But she quickly ignored the pain and smiled back.

"I'm sort of glad you waited until now to tell me." Natsu whispered, his voice full of honesty. "Cause if you hadn't, I'm not sure I would've been able to break the Curse on my own. I was lost in the darkness. I almost forgot who I was and everyone I held dear. But then I heard your voice, and it guided me back to the light. You brought me back."

He moved in a little closer.

"Thank you, Lucy," he said. "You saved my life. And…I've got something to confess. Lucy, I love you, too."

Finally, Natsu closed the gap between their faces and kissed Lucy on the lips. Lucy tensed and her eyes widened for a moment as a brand new wave of an unfelt emotion rushed through her. She then closed her eyes, hugged him around the neck, and returned the kiss. The feeling she had was so different from any she had felt before, and it was so overwhelming. But she didn't resent it in the slightest. She treasured it.

For a moment, both Natsu and Lucy's hearts, pressed up against each other, began to beat together in perfect time.

This would be something they would cherish for the rest of their lives.

After for what seemed like forever, the two gently pulled away from each other. The memory of the moment still lingered fresh in their minds and they still held onto each other.

Natsu then let out a sigh and looked into Lucy's eyes.

"We still have work to do," he said. "We still have to stop Zeref and Acnologia. And there are the others. Well, as far as they know, I'm still E.N.D."

"Yes." Lucy replied. "But you don't have to be afraid. I'll be by your side the whole time."

Natsu gave a gracious nod. He then began to stand up, supporting Lucy at the same time as she got to her feet, too. Once they were both standing, they looked at each other as an unspoken promise passed between them.

We'll do this together as one!

Natsu then took Lucy's hand in his and they two ran out of the Lumen Historie Chamber.

Lucy wasn't sure of what they would do once they found the others, but she wasn't afraid of the unforeseen outcome. She had a newfound courage glowing deep inside. And she knew that she would stay by Natsu no matter what happened. She would never let him go again. If anyone was going to hurt him, they would have to go through her first. Natsu had protected her so many times in the past, and now it was her turn to protect him.

No, they would protect each other. Natsu would always have her back, and she would always have his.

Nothing was going to tear them apart. Nothing was going to break the bond that they shared. For what they had was stronger than fear; than darkness; than all of the power of Acnologia and Zeref combined.

And now that they had confessed their love for each other, their bond was even stronger than ever before.

Well, that's it!

Geez, who know writing romance would be so hard. Especially when someone like me is not used to writing it. I guess there was a reason for that though. Still, I am a bit of a sap when comes to good shipping.

And Natsu and Lucy are my favorite ship in Fairy Tail. As the series goes on, I have a feeling that something like this is going to happen. Of course, that's up to the creator of the story. I just had fun coming up with a theory.

This story is a one-shot, and it was told from Lucy's perspective. I am considering writing this situation again from Natsu's perceptive though. I think it would be interesting to see what was going on through his mind when he was transforming and when Lucy brought him back.

Let me know in the comments if you would like me to do write that.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading this. I hope to bring more entertainment in the future.

Have a Good Day!