Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Gray Fullbuster

Genre: Angst

Rating: T+/M

Warning: Mentions of blood, injuries, potential character death and spoilers post chaper 436.

Summary: Gray hears that E.N.D has risen and chases after Natsu. What he finds is far worse than anything he had braced himself against.

Notes: This was for or FT Angst Week on Tumblr, day two: Spellbound. Takes place after 'Some promises are meant to be broken.'

Gray ran.

Despite all the injuries plaguing his body, screaming for him to rest and tend to them, he ran.

Through the ruined city, his bare feet slapping on the cobbled stone, he ran.

And there was enough reason to.

'E.N.D has awoken,' his opponent's final words and maniacal laugh was still ringing in his ears as he headed in the direction he last saw Natsu move towards.

Natsu.

Worry flared up again, as Gray remembered his resolution to ensure he would never have to face Natsu in actual battle. How he would never allow him to make the transformation. And how he would protect Natsu from himself, from E.N.D.

Wiping off the blood threatening to enter his left eye from the gash over his eyebrow, it dawned onto Gray that that promise was now broken, and he may just be forced to keep the one he made his father.

Finally, he reached the ruins of Kardia Cathedral. He made to enter the dilapidated structure, but stopped at the sight of his teammate lying just outside face down on the ground.

"Natsu!" Gray yelled running towards him.

The pink haired boy was clearly struggling, doing his best to prop himself up on his hands, tears streaming down his face as he did. E.N.D or not, he was clearly in pain and didn't seem to be a threat just yet.

"Natsu! Calm down, here.." Gray offered to help him up, scanning his frame carefully. He stifled a sigh of relief, now positive that Natsu hadn't transformed.

But the tears?

"What happened?" the ice-make mage asked, his solace short-lived.

Natsu was barely coherent.

"I..how..I..she..Oh, God..."

"Snap out of it, flame brain!" Gray urged, almost shaking Natsu by the shoulders.

Natsu looked up to Gray's eyes. Never had he seen the dragon slayer so panicked, so hurt, sosad.

"Lucy.." he breathed.

Not sure where he was going with this and his own feeling of trepidation only mounting, Gray was about to ask what he meant, when he felt another presence.

Both mages looked up to the where the Cathedral gates once stood, as she emerged, her slow, deliberate pace stilling as her eyes lazily fixed on the shocked boys.

Lucy looked the same, some small part of Gray noted. Same long hair, same fair skin. Tattered clothes that was typical of any post-fight mage.

And yet everything felt wrong. Her lifeless eyes didn't hold any of the warmth Lucy's were known for. She was covered head to toe in splatters of blood clearly not her own, and exuded a terrifying aura that would rival that of some of the best Spriggans they had faced. Gray's insides churned as he a wave of darkness emanating from her.

"How..?" was all Gray could manage to actually verbalise, his thoughts a mess. He could only wonder what Natsu's were like.

Lucy was still staring at them motionlessly, her face scarily impassive.

"She said she had an idea, a w-way to save me. So I don't turn, so I won't die when Zeref does. S-she and Levy and Freed and oh Go- Gray!"

Lucy had moved in lightning fast speeds and was now standing before them. This close, Gray could note the decidedly dark energy energy shaping itself like a claw on her right hand, and he ducked as she swiped the same at their heads, pulling Natsu with him away from her.

Letting go of the dragon slayer, he quickly activated Silver and braced his arms to summon his magic -

"We can't hurt her, Gray!" called Natsu frantically, distracting him enough to allow Lucy to attack once more.

Both mages dodged successfully, but weren't given much time's rest as Lucy began targeting them relentlessly, seeming to prefer Natsu over Gray as she did. They split up, doing the same to her attention - Natsu now in front her, Gray facing her back.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled, doing his best to dodge her attacks. "Snap out of this! You don't want to hurt me, you don't want to hurt us. This isn't you, Lucy! Fight it!"

Gray took the few moments that she was not paying attention to him to really observe her. He found that the dark energy in her hand had cemented itself there, colouring her skin in a sickening dark grey hue that only seemed to be growing, crawling up her arm.

He had an idea. It was only going to be a temporary solution, and was something he knew Natsu wouldn't like, much less Lucy. He didn't either, but it was the only way he could see to it that she was saved from the regret of hurting her guildmates just then. If it worked.

So while Natsu continued attempting to shout some sense into Lucy, Gray focused his demon slayer magic into a fine lance, promising to make it a one-shot effort and hoping he would eventually be forgiven for the move.

Natsu was still trying to get the warmth back into Lucy's eyes. He couldn't care less for his own safety, but knew that Lucy would never forgive herself if she hurt him, and so did his best to avoid getting wounded by her, managing to sustain only minor injuries in the process.

He was in the middle of retelling a memory they shared, a treasured one of nighttime talks and pranking his exceed, hoping sentiment would feel bring her back. His focus on her prevented him from sensing the oncoming attack.

That is, until, he saw it's effects.

An ice lance flew past, narrowly missing him. The same couldn't be said for Lucy unfortunately, who let out a blood curdling scream, the weapon having cut straight through her upper half of her right arm, severing it cleanly from her body.

There was a lot of blood around suddenly, blood that she was still loosing rapidly, and her painful shrieks were never-ending, as she clutched at her chest as though unable to breathe, eyes with in panic as her body began to writhe in agony.

"Gray!" Natsu roared, catching her as she fell, "Howdareyou!"

Gray cringed, as Natsu began cauterising her injury, the smell of charring flesh making him wince all the more.

"I had to. The curse was spreading through her arm," he spoke, surprised at the clarity in his voice despite having to speak around a lump in his throat.

But Natsu wasn't paying attention anymore. He was far more focused on Lucy who had passed out now, having succumbed to pain and exhaustion.

"Get Freed and Levy, they were with her in the Cathedral," he growled finally, never meeting the ice-mage's eye, as he lifted his prone best friend and headed towards the guild as fast as he could.

The first thing Lucy could sense was pain. Throbbing pain shooting up her right arm, and no matter how much she tried to lift it and change positions she found she could not.

Some part of her realised she was tired - really really tired - and couldn't feel the pool of warmth that was her magic. The thought, though brief, unnerved her.

In time she could sense more around her. She was lying down, on a bed not her own. She felt heavy, particularly around the her throat as though something was holding it down. Soon she could hear and smell too. And from what little she could decipher she was probably somewhere in the guild and seemingly near Natsu.

Natsu!

Her eyes snapped open. And had be shut immediately because of the sheer amount of light in the room.

Groaning she tried again, testing her voice. "Natsu? Natsu are you okay?" she rasped.

" Yeah, I'm here. I'm alright Lucy," came his voice from her left, quiet but reassuring all the same.

Gingerly prying one eye open at a time, she saw him sitting close to her bed (in the infirmary she gathered), his expression laced with mild notes of concern and fatigue, but mostly calm.

Too much calm.

"W-what happened? Why am I here?"

"You..don't remember?" he prodded cautiously.

Lucy frowned as she thought back, which was difficult through all the numbing medicines coursing through her.

"Last thing I remember was going to Kardia Cathedral. Something about it being holy and so, safe?" She paused to shut her eyes against a dizzy spell. "Ugh, Natsu, just tell me."

Natsu seemed to hesitate and Lucy turned to look at him. "Natsu please," she whispered, firm but pleading.

He sighed.

"You tried something with the book," he explained softly, knowing full well she knew which book he meant, "and it backfired. Created some kind of curse that looked like it was eating away at you. Gray had to...step in."

Lucy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, as Natsu's gaze moved to her other side. Following his line of sight, Lucy was surprised to find most of her right arm...not there.

"We're not sure if all of the - um - darkness left you. That's why the magic suppression cuff on your neck," he said apologetically.

But Lucy wasn't listening. Her attention was still on the fact that she could somehow see her arm was gone. Which was weird because she could stillfeel it there. But her eyes didn't lie. It was obvious she was missing almost an entire limb.

She had lost her arm.

Her right arm.

The one she wrote with. The one she used to pen all her letters to her parents, her journal, her novel. The one with her guildmark.

The one the other Lucy..

"Hey, Luce." Natsu's gentle voice snapped her attention back to him.

She hadn't even realised she was crying, staring at the empty space her arm should have been in.

"I'm s-sorry," she whimpered, trying to wipe off her tears with her left hand.

Natsu let her cry, and tried to help by bringing tissues to clean her eyes. As her tears reduced in frequency, he brought one to her nose before wordlessly asking her to blow it clear, prompting a quiet laugh from her before she lifted her head and, as daintily as she could, obliged.

Resting her head back on the pillow a worrisome thought occurred to her, and she voiced it out loud. "Did it affect Levy or Freed too? I remember they were with me."

Natsu hesitated, but shook his head.

"Thank goodness," sighed Lucy, a genuine little smile finally gracing her lips. "I'm glad it was just me. Sucks for Levy though, she'll have to wait a bit longer for the next chapter," she added with a soft giggle, as her medicines caught up to her making her drowsy again.

Natsu couldn't. He tried, but he couldn't.

And before he knew it, Lucy was asleep again. This time a faint smile on her face.

He teared up, not for the first time sitting where he was, wondering for how much longer he would get to see that smile.

He had been glad she hadn't noticed they weren't really in the infirmary. They didn't want her so close to..the others. But he knew she would eventually find out. There's no way it could be hidden from her for very long. Not with all the sadness right outside that very room. Not with her own stake in everything.

'Oh Lucy,' he thought miserably as his face dropped in his palms and he broke down yet again. His heart was bleeding for her, knowing it was something she was bound to see as her fault. Something she was never going to forgive herself for.

'Levy's gone.'

(I actually wanted Lucy to be END, tbh.)

Hello! As you must have realised the themes and ratings for each new drabble may vary, so be sure to check if it's okay with what you want and (especially) don't want to see. I do tag triggers and spoilers, but if you would like me to tag anything in particular you're sensitive to, feel free to let me know!

Also, as a thank you for bearing with two chapters of angst, I promise some cute happy light-hearted Nalu fluff next time! For those who would like more pain, you could check out Red and Gold (Nalu) or An Eye For An Eye (Jerza).

Thanks to sidjr100, FireDragonPhia, Guest, Juliastes, jpage065, FireDragonPhia (again!) and Deboo for your reviews and everyone who followed and favourited!