This is a sequel of sorts to 'Two Birds. One Stone.'. I am going to give you fair warning, it is very dark. Very Dark. But read if you like, it occurred because I did too much thinking on my nine and a half hour train ride today. Ughhh. So much thinking time - and when I am stuck in a confined space like that for so long I get anxiety. Anxiety = Angsty writing. Thank you so much for all the reviews on the first part of this story! I am so sorry for making you all cry!

Again this is for gray-x-natsus-matching-hip-scars on tumblr, her theories and headcanons give my writing life. Plus she is lovely! :)

Sorry, I digress…

Warnings: blood, angst, feels

I am Stone.

I am stone.

Cold, hard, cruel.

I didn't think. I didn't listen, not to my instincts, not to him.

Now he's gone, and it's all my fault.

All. My. Fault.

One foot after the other, Gray walked, a steady rhythm.

One, two, one, two, one, two.

The weight of his actions never leaving his chest. The thought of what he did never leaving his mind.

With every step a jolt of pain shot through his body, and the ache in his heart grew stronger.

Tears slowly dripped off his chin, soaking one end of Natsu's scarf.

The half hour walk felt like it had taken days.

When he reached the edge of the pile of rubble which had guild hall Gray stopped. He could here the rumble of voices, no one in particular, but it was enough to stir a jolt of realisation in his chest under his guild mark.

Gray took another step closer, a pile of rubble dislodged itself, scattering itself across his path as he lay Natsu's still body on the ground. The voices stopped. Someone must have heard.

"I'll go have a look," Happy's voice broke the silence.

Gray was still kneeling by Natsu's body when Happy flew over. After placing a gentle kiss on Natsu's forehead, Gray stood. Not quite able to meet the Exceed's eyes, he turned to go.

"Gray." Happy said quietly, "don't go. Please."

"I have to, I can't stay, not after what I did."

"It's not your fault."

"It is."

"Natsu wouldn't wan-"

"Natsu's gone." Gray whispered, "because of me. I can't come back. Not now. Not when he should have survived. I am so, so sorry Happy. This is all my fault."

Gray took another step before he felt a length of material fall around his shoulders. Natsu's scarf.

"He would have wanted you to have it."

Gray lifted the soft material to his face, breathing in the familiar smell. Log fires and cinnamon. Natsu. "Thank you Happy. I- I'm sorry." Gray spun back round as he heard Lucy's voice.

"What is it Happy?"

Gray gave Happy a meaningful look. I was never here.

"It's Natsu!" Happy called back.

"And Gray?"

"No, just Natsu." Happy's voice broke as Lucy clambered over the rubble towards them. He looked up at Lucy with a tears streaming from his eyes.

Gray was well out of eyeshot when Lucy's scream rang through the valley.

Lucy sobbed uncontrollably as other members of the guild followed her over the rubble and stood dotted around where Natsu lay. There was no sound apart from that of Lucy's sobs, which soon enough were joined by those from the rest of the guild.

Then Erza voiced what they were all thinking. "Where's Gray? Where the hell is Gray!"

"Gray must have brought him here, something could have gone wrong. Or Zeref did, if it didn't work and they both-" Mira stopped, "no, it was Gray. I know it."

"Then where the hell is he?" Erza growled.

"I don't know." Mira sniffed, "Happy? Are you sure he wasn't here?"

"I'm sure." Happy replied, his voice lacking it's usual spring.

No one else spoke until Gajeel suggested they move him somewhere else. No one argued with him as he gently lifted Natsu's body and headed towards the clearer side of the guild hall. However Lucy's quiet rose above the low bustle of voices.

"Where's his scarf?"

Gray wasn't one hundred percent sure how long he walked after leaving the guild. All he knew was that he had kept putting one foot in front of the other until his body completely shut down from emotional and physical exhaustion, and a lack of food, water and sleep. He'd collapsed to the ground at the edge of a forest, unable to move more than half a metre to sit up against the foot of a large oak tree. Gray closed his eyes as the rain started, it blended with the tears on his cheeks, both falling thick and fast. It rinsed away the last of Natsu's blood which had coated his hands, face and chest. Though he left his eyes closed, no real sleep came. Gray would doze but always woke with a scream on his lips and the feeling of Natsu's hand leaving his still etched into his fingers.

As the rain stopped, a dull ache set into Gray's body and he realised what he really needed to do. What he wanted to do. It would be easy. Or so he thought. I'll be able to see him again. The idea almost sounded absurd. Something so unlike him. The last time he'd been ready to die he'd been ready to do it to save the people he cared about. This time it was for a much more selfish reason.

"It's all my fault. I can't go back. I just can't." Gray lowered his head between his knees, "but I can't live without you either…Natsu."

Gray whispered the name, savouring it, holding it on his tongue for just a moment longer than usual.

"Ice Make: Dagger."

A small, shiny knife fell into Gray's hands. He twirled it in his fingers, before clasping it in his right hand. The blade ran smoothly down the length of his left wrist and almost instantly angry red blood rose to the surface and leaked out onto the ground. Gray watched in fascination, and was about to swap the dagger into his other hand when a painfully familiar voice echoed in his head.

How is dying going to settle things? Huh? Cause it sounds a lot like running away to me…

"I'm not running away Natsu. I don't deserve to go back." Gray gritted his teeth against the stinging pain in his arm.

They deserve to know the truth, and we both know know Happy won't tell them.

"I can't go back."

Well you can't stay here.

"They hate me."

How do you know?

Gray paused. "I don't."

Then live. Please Gray. If not for yourself, then for them. For me. Live because I can't.

"Natsu I…"

GRAY!

Within moments of Natsu's yell echoing through his mind, Gray felt the dagger slip through his fingers. It hit the ground, bounced once, then shattered and melted into the earth. Gray used his right hand to freeze the wound he'd made. It stung, but as soon as the ice hit his arm began to numb slightly. Gray could feel hot tears on his cheeks as Natsu spoke again.

Thank you Gray.

"Don't go!" Tears dropped off Gray's chin and into Natsu's scarf.

Go? I'm not going anywhere…but you are going back to the guild.

"Sleep first." Gray mumbled, feeling a little light headed.

Fine.

When Gray finally woke around midnight, his arm throbbing and eyes sore, Natsu's voice wasn't there to greet him. "Natsu?" Gray had called out though he knew it couldn't have been real. Could it? There was no response, but Gray wanted to believe it it had really been Natsu. So he did. Trust Natsu to fight his way back here just to save me.

With a small smile on his face, Gray headed back slowly in the direction of the guild. When he finally made it back a blonde blur hit him straight on and he felt small, but strong arms around him.

"You're okay!" Lucy sniffled, "we all thought…but you're okay." She kept clinging on to Gray who was just about ready to pass out.

"You…you don't hate me?" Gray whispered in shock.

"How could we?"

"But Natsu-"

"Natsu didn't tell us either," Lucy cut him off. "It wasn't your fault Gray."

"Happy explained?"

"To an extent," Lucy replied, "we coaxed it out of him."

"Oh…" Gray stumbled back when Lucy finally let go, "you really don't hate me?"

"How could we?" Mavis echoed Lucy's words.

"…but I came back and not him an-"

"Is your self worth really that much lower than Natsu's worth in your mind?" Erza asked. Walking over to where he stood, she manoeuvred Gray onto a large piece of wall and sat him down. She then knelt so her face was level with Gray's.

"When you put it that way…" Gray sighed, "he was just such an important person in the guild and I- I-"

"Why the past tense?" She asked simply.

"I-" Gray paused, "I see. There isn't any past tense, though Natsu is gone, he's still here. Always will be." Gray brought Natsu's scarf up to his face, and took in a deep breath. "So that's what he meant…" He whispered thoughtfully.

"Exactly," Erza replied with a satisfied smile, "but what did who say?"

"Oh…" Gray had started to feel dizzy again, "nothing."

Erza nodded. "Okay."

"I have to ask though," Mavis spoke up, "did you manage to kill Zeref?"

"We did, somehow we did it…the first and last 'Fire and Ice' Unison Raid." Gray grinned, he couldn't help it, the feeling of his and Natsu's melding magic had been incredible. He had felt so strong. Will I ever feel that strong again? There was a moments silence before Lucy's voice broke through it.

"Gray!" Lucy exclaimed as she knelt next to Gray as well, "your arm…you didn't?" Her eyes were wide with shock, "I'll get Wendy!" She kept a hand firmly on Gray's own as she turned to call out for Wendy but she felt a hand on her arm.

"Don't, it will heal."

"The scar though?"

"I need it to remind me…" Gray trailed off.

"Of what?" Lucy and Erza whispered in unison.

"Something an old friend once told me. He saved my life, so many times over, I don't think he'll ever stop." With a small, sad smile, Gray left it at that. Thank you, Natsu.