Lucy awoke to a vice around her lungs. The black mist was gone, but the effects lingered. Her breaths came in wheezing bursts, chest heaving shallowly. Though she tried to move her limbs, they were too heavy, like bags of wet sand. Vision was slow to return, blobby shapes fading into focus, color filling in from dark to light. The darkness of the world around her left little variance between one thing and the other. As Lucy lay on the hard stone floor, the unfocused world around her shifted and churned. Her neck twitched as her chin titled, cheek scraping against the rough floor. Out of the corner of her vision, Gray's bare back glistened with a sick sweat, his form trembling and pale. It didn't seem like he was awake yet. Happy was still curled next to her, the small cat huffing pained mews in his fitful sleep. Lucy tried to turn her head to see the others, but with the limited range of her battered body, everyone else was hidden from her.
"Are you sure he will come, Master Konza?" A deep voice, like from the depths of a mountain, crept into Lucy's ears. "Just exactly how long are you planning to keep them here?"
"As long as I have to." Lucy peered up through her lashes, the blurred silhouettes of the girl and her giant companion huddled together. The girl stood before the wall of nonsense scribbles, hands lightly tracing the dripping characters. They hadn't noticed Lucy. "If he wants to see his friends alive, he'll have no choice but to face us."
The man grunted, his gaze distantly staring through Juvia, still lifeless on the floor in front of him. "We've never taken hostages before. I fear we may be in over our heads. What if he brings the wrath of the entire guild down on us?"
"If the entire Fairy Tail guild is what it takes to see my lord's wishes fulfilled, then so be it." The girl – Konza – sneered at her companion. She pressed her chin into her shoulder, voice spilling over with contempt as she glared at him. "When did you become such a coward, Master Marlow?"
Lucy felt her finger twitch, a sense of feeling returning to her nerves. Gritting her teeth, Lucy willed her arm to move. Slowly, in jerking spasms, her hand slid down her body to her hip. The cool leather of her key pouch shocked her fingertips. They hadn't disarmed her, nor had they bound her hands. Either these dark masters were very confident in their abilities, or they didn't know what they were doing. Lucy didn't have time to mull it over. Fingering over each one of her keys at a painstakingly slow pace, Lucy muffled the small notes of metal striking metal with her palm. For the first time, Lucy was forced to choose what she hoped would be the right key from feel alone. Rubbing her thumb over the head of each key, the engravings in the enamel painted a picture of the symbols in her head – one she hoped wasn't wrong. When she was sure she had found the one she was looking for, Lucy gripped it tightly. Her body might have been weak, but her magic was still going strong. She just had to wait for the right moment to strike.
"This one's awake already."
A tight hand gripped her ankle. Lucy yelped as her body scrapped across the floor, the rough stone painful on her skin. Then she was upside down, dangling by her foot as the man with the halberd held her aloft. Konza stepped up to her, arms crossed and her jaw worrying.
"It's only been a few minutes. Does the curse really wear off that quickly?" Konza spoke softly, words to herself. "I suppose it is only have half a spell."
Lucy choked, the pressure on her chest weighing into her throat. Gravity was working against her, constricting her lung capacity even more. Her heart rate spiked, panic coursing like electricity through her veins.
"Put… me down!" Her words came out to barely a whisper, forced to breath out what little air she had. Lucy's vision blurred, the threat of passing out again growing quickly.
Marlow looked to Konza, who flicked her wrist at him. With a surprising amount of ease and care, the man placed Lucy back on the floor. Rolling over onto her back, Lucy lay prone, trying to relax her shocked lungs. Her throat ground against the air, scratching like sandpaper. Her ribs creaked and complained with each small breath she took. A small taste of copper on the back of her tongue sparked a fear in the back of Lucy's mind; whatever was in that black mist might have done some serious damage.
Rolling over after regaining what little breath she could, Lucy heaved herself up on her hands and knees. One hand instinctively went to her holster once more, stopping as Konza's snide laughter cut through the room. The Manticore girl smiled in amusement, like Lucy had done something embarrassing.
"Go ahead and try." Her yellow teeth and pale hair stood out in the darkness. "Marlow will crush you before you could utter one word. Then he'll destroy all your friends – including the one you have hiding in the trees outside."
Lucy huffed, fingers abandoning her pouch. The Manticore was right. She still hadn't mastered the art of summoning spirits through intent alone. Any spirits that were capable of opening the gates themselves could only do so when she was in immediate danger. Unfortunately, this situation did not meet that requirement. But she could stall for time, time for her friends to regain themselves just as she had. Looking over them all, Lucy's heart clenched at the sight of Juvia and Erza. Juvia, who was naturally pale to begin with, looked white as a sheet. Erza's face twitched, stained with streaks of her own blood.
"Don't worry," Marlow grunted, eyes reading her face like a book. "They'll live."
"For now," Konza hissed, casting another glare over her shoulder.
Lucy sat back on her heels. These two had information she needed. She had to play her cards right.
"Who are you? What the hell do you want?"
"Oh, Fairy's got fight." Konza chuckled. "We are the masters of Ruby Manticore. I am Konza Sycorax, the mage Master, and this is Marlow Conrad, the mercenary master. You'll find out what we want soon enough, fairy."
Konza really liked the sound of her own voice, Lucy thought.
Unamused by her playful demeanor, Lucy tried not to roll her eyes. A sudden cough rattled her chest. Something loosened, a wet blob hacked up into her throat. Lucy really hoped it wasn't blood as she quickly swallowed it back down. Her eyes drifted down Konza's form, landing on the large leather tome peeking out of her long black coat. Her eyes widened, heart thudding painful against her sternum.
"That." Lucy raised a finger. "Where did you get that?"
Konza's smile fell. "That's none of your business."
"That doesn't belong to you." Lucy coughed, trying to coax more conviction back into her voice. "I know what that is. It shouldn't even exist."
Konza's smug exterior deteriorated, cracking apart to shock and confusion. Lucy couldn't help but grin, satisfied. Marlow frowned at the two women, a worried glint in his eye.
"I was there when he was defeated. So how about you drop the superiority act and tell me where you found Zeref's book?" Lucy snarled.
"Don't you dare speak his name!" Konza shrieked.
The girl howled, one hand lashing out and striking Lucy across the face. Lucy yelped at the harsh sting in her cheek. Straightening her jaw, Lucy looked up. Marlow restrained Konza, both of his large hands encompassing her arms. With a grunt, Konza wrenched out of his grasp and spun away from Lucy.
"Punishing you for your arrogance would be a waste of time," the girl huffed. "But I'm beginning to grow tired of waiting. I'm not going to let four months of careful planning go to waste over-"
A sudden cough interrupted the mage Master. Everyone looked over to see Wendy stagger, struggling to prop herself up on her elbows. The young dragon slayer blinked her hazy eyes, drawing in wheezing breaths. That cruel smile returned to Konza's face. Lucy shivered.
"Perhaps we should send a message." Konza licked her lips, her teeth hungry for blood. "Isn't that what you do when you take a hostage? Demand for ransom, and send proof of life?"
Marlow stepped forward, grabbing a large fistful of Wendy's hair. Yanking her harshly into the air, Lucy cringed at the audible pop from Wendy's scalp. She screamed, kicking her legs weakly, her hands desperately gripping at the man's arm, trying to relieve the pain in her head. Drawing his halberd, Marlow thrust the sharp tip forward until it just barely floated in front of Wendy's right eye. The girl went absolutely still, tears glistening quietly in the dim light. Lucy gritted her teeth as anger rose in her chest, fire of a guardian as she watched Wendy cry through her strength. But what could she do? If she tried to summon a spirit, he would kill Wendy. Biting her lip, Lucy looked to her friends, all still lifeless on the floor. Please wake up!
"No, no, not an eye, you oaf," Konza sneered, her red rimmed eyes narrowing. "Pick an ear. She doesn't need two of those."
Marlow frowned, but adjusted his weapon to the side of Wendy's head. Wendy whimpered as the sharp edge of the axehead pressed behind the top of her ear. Lucy almost screamed when a small trickle of blood roll down the side of Wendy's jaw to the tip of her chin.
Marlow pulled back suddenly, grunting in confusion as he looked to the floor. In rapid swirls, fractals of ice coiled up his legs, cinching his waist. As the ice reached his torso, Marlow yelped in alarm, dropping Wendy to the ground. Lucy huffed in relief, tracing the trail of ice across the floor to where it flowed from Gray's splayed fingers. His labored breathing echoed alongside hers in the small room, but he righted himself into a crouch with ease. He had been awake and listening the entire time.
"Both of you make me sick," Gray growled. The ice continue to creep up Marlow's body, stopping just above the man's collarbones, leaving only his head untouched. "If you ever touch any of my friends again, I will kill you."
Konza trembled with rage, fists balled at her sides and blue eyes wide with anger. Marlow struggled and strained against his cold prison. The ice held. In a flourish, Konza retrieved the book from her coat and held it before her, finger poised along the edge of the cover. The back cover and half the pages were charred black, Lucy realized, like it had been tossed in a fire and fished back out. Lucy was familiar with the sight, flashes of the ashes of E.N.D.'s book stinging her eyes. But why hadn't the book been destroyed like all the rest?
"How dare you threaten me, welp," Konza growled, glaring at Gray through the thin wisps of her pale hair. "I'll make you apologize with your life. No one can survive a double dose of Hollow!"
Snapping the book open, Konza twisted the pages, the scribbled paper open to Gray. The words were almost completely faded, edges yellow and torn from the years. A single spot of black ink appeared along the cut, blooming in the center of the book. Spreading across the paper in thin trails of black veins, a stream of a thick, vaporous pitch poured from the book. It streamed though the air, focused like a bullet for the wizard's head. Lucy cried out, reaching desperately. The Ice-Make Mage was too weak to move any further, his eyes wide as the curse threatened to overwhelm him.
A loud crash. The ceiling of the room shattered to pieces. Something heavy fell through the cascading light and rubble, hitting the floor with an impact that rocked the room. Konza stumbled, the book falling from her hands. Now prone, the black mist dissipated just shy of Gray's face. Lucy fell back on her butt, evading the flying debris, snatching up Happy as she did. The little exceed mumbled something and coughed as he stirred in Lucy's hands. Looking up, Lucy balked at the sight of a large anchor that had embedded itself into the floor, a thick chain trailing up back through the hole in the ceiling and into the sky. Even more incredible was the single person clinging to the anchor.
Natsu leapt through the air, fists swinging blindly. Konza had no time to react. With a heavy wham, Natsu's knuckles slammed into her cheek. The force of the punch sent her sliding across the floor, until she stopped in a small pile, laying motionless and stunned.
"Konza!" Marlow cried, voice soaked with shock and concern.
Natsu stood straight and blinked, eyes adjusting to the darkness. His gaze alighted on the small girl, crumpled like an old rag. The dragon slayer jerked in surprise.
"Wait - shit!" Natsu grimaced. "A little girl?"
"It's okay, bonehead," Gray grunted, struggling to stand up. His legs wobbled as he drew them beneath him. "She's an enemy."
Natsu spun at the sound of Gray's voice. His friends laid unmoving, Juvia and Erza hardly looked alive. Heart hitching with terror, he rushed over to them, dropping down to his knees beside Lucy. Putting a warm hand on her shoulder, Natsu took in the beaten state of her and the other Fairy Tail mages. Lucy stared at Natsu, relieved and terrified. Slowly, the moans and coughs of their awakening states reached their ears. Wendy cradled Carla in trembling arms as the white exceed whimpered. Rolling onto his stomach, Gajeel fell into a coughing fit. Elfman groaned, slowly rocking his head back and forth. Their raspy breathing filled the quiet of the room. Erza and Juvia didn't move.
"What the hell happened to you guys?" Natsu looked to Lucy. Her cheek bloomed with red, a fresh injury. "Are you okay?"
"It was a trap," Gray responded. He knelt on the floor, Juvia settled in his arms. She was breathing, thankfully, but a large gash on the side of her head still bleed sluggishly. Gray gulped, fingers lightly wiping the wound. "We walked right into it. They've got one of Zeref's books, Natsu."
Natsu stiffened. Searching the room, his eyes locked onto the closed leather book on the floor. So more than one book had survived Zeref's demise? How many more were there? Lost in his thoughts as he was, Natsu didn't notice the deepening look of suspicion on the Ice-Maker's face.
"How are you here, Natsu?" Lucy looked up at him. She was happy to see him, truly she was. But his presence was so sudden and unexpected. Had something happened?
"Blue Pegasus brought me here on Christina." Natsu jerked a thumb over his shoulder, to the anchor. The heavy chain oscillated, swaying like in an ocean current. "I knew you were in Juniper Hills, but Hibiki was the one who landed me here. For someone whose calculations are based on probability, he was pretty spot on. They should be joining us shortly."
"You voluntarily chose to ride in that death trap?" Gajeel huffed as he rested on his knees, Lily curled up in his lap. "You've got some serious guts, Salamander."
Natsu frowned, his face paling. "Actually, I think I lost them somewhere over Fiore as we were going Mach 5." Turning to Lucy, he gave his fiancé a small smile. "Remind me never to do that again."
A small tink rang through the air. Everyone looked up, to the mercenary master frozen and trapped. The slightest, hairline crack splintered through the ice, quickly spider-webbing through the magic. His teeth creaked in deep concentration, sweat breaking out on his brow.
"Natsu!" Gray shouted, instinctively holding Juvia closer.
Natsu shot to his feet, rushing at the man with his fist raised. But he wasn't fast enough.
Shattering the ice with a massive swing of his arms, Marlow raised his halberd. The deadly blade came down upon Natsu, a roar tearing from his lips. Barely dodging the blow, Natsu snuck under the man, within striking distance of his exposed stomach. The air rushed out of Marlow's lungs as Natsu jammed his fist up and under his ribs. But unlike Konza, this Manticore Master knew how to take a hit, recovering quickly. Swinging his arm, Marlow back-handed Natsu across the face. Lucy gasped as Natsu was flung across the room like a ragdoll. Landing heavily on the floor, he rolled through the hit and slammed into the wall. Dazed from the impact, Natsu barely had time to look up to see Marlow directly over him, halberd raised for a devastating blow.
Elfman and Wendy cried out, surging at Marlow. The Manticore looked up in surprise, eyes flaring with hate but too slow to parry. Their attacks landed solidly. Marlow grunted as he slid across the floor, arm raised to block. Dropping to one knee, one hand rose up to nurse his side. His fingers ghosted over a broken rib.
"We can't stay and fight," Wendy said to Natsu, voice husky. "Erza and Juvia are in critical condition. We've already taken out the rest of the guild, so we should retreat while we can."
"As if I would make it that easy."
A shiver ran through the Fairy Tail mages. Konza had recovered herself in the skirmish, her cheek swollen and bruised. She glared up at the Fairy Tail mages, a manic, lopsided grin stretching her lips. On the floor in front of her was another leather bound book, opened to its center. Natsu's eyes widened, the etherious pulsing behind his chest. A single pulse of energy expelled from the book, a ghostly aura that stank of moss and grave dirt. It passed harmlessly through the Manticores and the Fairies, continuing on through the passageway behind Lucy and through the rest of the dark guild. A soft sigh followed it, as if the building had breathed its last breath. A sharp pain shot through Natsu's chest. Grunting, Natsu crumpled, a hand clutching his heart. The touch of a curse felt familiar, an unwelcome sympathy.
Lucy gulped, she and Happy wary and waiting. But there was no immediate effect, no curse of pain or newly manifested demon. Gray blinked at her, wondering the same thing that she was; what had the spell done?
A far off noise bubbled to life, echoes of shouts and cries sounding through the hallway that led back to the main guild hall. Lucy looked over her shoulder, a sense of dread growing in the pit of her stomach. Gray cursed, heaving Juvia into his lap.
"We need to get out of here," Elfman shouted. He rushed over to Erza's still form, gently scooping her up into his arms. "Before this entire damn guild comes crashing down on us!"
A deep rumble echoed down the passage. Squirming in the darkness, the clamoring bodies of the rest of the members of Ruby Manticore sprinted down the hall, grunting and hissing like wild animals. Lucy watched in growing terror as the small army quickly descended upon them. These were not the same uncertain people that they were before. No longer were they timid and hesitant, poised to flee in the face of battle. Now, the Manticore Guild members were ferocious, more beastly somehow as they advanced without fear. Bodies clawed at against one another in their rampage, harming each other and themselves in their fervor to reach the helpless fairies. Their eyes - dear gods, their eyes - bleeding, streaking their cheeks in crimson. Everyone shot to their feet, Gray hoisting up Juvia as he rushed over to Gajeel and Elfman. Lucy stepped forward, stopping only to pick up the burned book that Konza had dropped. The leather was soft to the touch, the handwriting on the cover unpleasantly familiar. Natsu stepped in front of Lucy and Happy, falling into a fighting stance as he waited for the inevitable clash.
"Fear not, dear friends!"
Next to the anchor, a rope ladder dropped into the room, carrying with it Ichiya and the heart throbs of Blue Pegasus.
"We will hold off the foes while you all escape!" Hibiki proclaimed. "Take the wounded up to the ship, we'll be able to treat them! Alzac has already been collected."
Konza stared at the newcomers, hands tightening around the book in her hands. "No, no, no! This is all wrong!"
"Happy, get Lucy out of here now!" Natsu shouted to the exceed, eyes tearing away from the oncoming horde of mages and mercenaries. The men of blue Pegasus rushed at the legion with more bravery than their credit would give. Instead, he settled his glare on the Manticore girl across the room. "I've got some revenge to make up for."
"No, I'm not going to leave you, not like this!" Lucy stepped up next to him. Despite her bold words, her voice was raspy and her breaths were watery. Natsu glanced at her. She looked at bad as she felt.
"I'll be fine, Lucy. I promise." Natsu stepped back, instinctively raising his arms, muscles tight with the need to protect.
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Natsu." Her words hissed with frustration, but the slight crack in her voice betrayed her worry. Natsu looked back to his girl, to his best friend, and grinned.
"When do I ever? I'll be okay. Now go."
Gray handed Juvia over to Gajeel, anger flashing on his teeth. "Take care of her. I can't run away while the man that did this is still breathing."
Gajeel nodded, taking the rain woman's limp form. Swinging her over his shoulder, Gajeel and Lily climbed up the rope ladder below Elfman as he carried Erza. As more and more Ruby Manticore members swarmed into the small room, the rope ladder pulled away back to the sky. Wendy and Lucy, carried by Carla and Happy, followed it. Lucy cast one last look down to Natsu before she lost sight of him.
Stepping up beside his companion, Gray focused on Marlow. The mercenary narrowed his eyes at the two Fairies, stepping in front of Konza. The young girl was seething in frustration, grinding her yellow teeth as she clutched the book to her chest.
"I can't use my magic, Gray," Natsu said, training his eyes on the Manticore masters. His fists itched, twitching for battle. "But don't think for an instant that I'm asking for your help."
Gray coughed, a small laugh behind it. "So what you're saying is that I'm going to be doing all the heavy lifting, as usual."
Natsu smirked. But he could feel his flames tingling beneath his skin, racing through his veins with the beat of his heart. It was going to be hard to resist their burn. He would just have to manage – the risk was too great.
"Marlow, we're leaving," Konza hissed, tucking the book into her coat.
The other master looked at her over his shoulder, nodding. Swinging his weapon in a mighty spiral, Marlow blasted a hole through the wall behind them. The dank air of the small room whooshed out into the forest. Konza retreated through the opening, nimble and quick. Natsu dashed forward, Gray following close behind, his fists crackling with magic. A glint of metal twinkled in the corner of Natsu's eye. Dropping into a crouch, the wicked edge of the halberd swept above Natsu's head. Gray jumped back, spinning away from the blow. Marlow grunted, following the halberd's momentum into a deadly arch. In a single moment, Natsu and Gray shared the same mind. They leapt in tandem, moving through the miniscule opening only they could see. Their fists rose up together, nailing the Manticore Master under the jaw. Marlow didn't stand a chance, his eyes blinding in pain as his teeth shattered against each other. Falling backwards, the mercenary's eyes rolled up. Konza dashed through the trees without looking back. Any betrayal he might have felt was lost in the darkness that overtook him.
Natsu and Gray hit the ground running and gave chase. Behind them, a small crowd of Manticores that had managed to get past Ichiya and his men followed them. But they weren't fast enough to keep up with Natsu and Gray's pursuit. As the girl retreated further and further into the woods, the two men found it hard to match her pace. Konza was incredibly fast, much to their chagrin. The idea of overtaking her became out of the question. Natsu cursed as he ran, wishing he could throw a fireball at her, anything to break her retreat. Gray responded instead. With a raspy shout, Gray pressed his hands together. An icy projectile flew from his fingers, soaring through the trees leaving frost in its wake. The spell flew past Konza and exploded against the trunk of a tree. Rapidly spreading across the landscape, the girl lost her footing and fell forward, sliding on her stomach over the frozen ground.
"Gotcha!" Natsu crowed. They quickly caught up with her, the sounds of the pursuing Manticores far behind, but growing louder. Natsu could hear the ragged breathing of Gray next to him, but the immediate concern was the small woman that tossed her gaze over her shoulder, watching them in horror.
Tears brimmed in Konza's wild eyes. She looked so small as Natsu and Gray towered over her, like a rabbit cornered by wolves. Spinning on her elbows, Konza scrambled backwards, away from the advancing mages. Small tears of fear glistened in her eyes. But this rabbit wasn't going down without a fight. Konza shot her hands up as the two men approached her, open palms laid against each other.
"Glass Make Scythe!"
Neither Natsu nor Gray were prepared. The atmosphere shimmered. A large, crystal clear cutter with a wicked blade swung through the air, whistling a tune of death. It was too late to dodge. Natsu squeezed his eyes shut and raised his arms, waiting for the pain.
The sickening sound of the scythe cutting through flesh reached his ears. But he felt nothing.
Natsu opened his eyes, vision blocked by the body in front of him. His heart stopped as Gray dropped to his knees. Choking on pain, small streams of blood fell from his lips into his beard. A large wound sliced under his arm, across his torso and down his hip. At first, there was no blood. Then his flesh separated like a zipper, ruby essence drenching Gray's stomach and pooling on the ground beneath him in a crimson puddle. Blind with agony, Gray tried to breathe, his damaged lungs laboring against his ribs. The scythe shattered into a million pieces, like it had never been.
"Gray!" Natsu dropped next to his friend as Gray collapsed, catching his weight. Natsu steadied Gray, letting him limply lean back against his own shoulder. Konza, being ignored, flung herself to her feet and shot off into forest, living to fight another day.
"Shit, Gray, why the hell did you do that?!" Natsu sputtered. He removed his long jacket, careful not to jostle the Ice-Maker, pressing the fabric to Gray's stomach. The cut had just barely missed the man's heart. Blood trickled into the canals of the scar on Gray's hip – the one that mirrored Natsu's own on his other hip. Gray's eyes, already fading out of focus, met Natsu's.
"Gotta make sure Lucy has a groom for her wedding, right?" His voice trembled. Natsu could feel him shivering, betraying the incredible pain that gripped him. Even so, Gray managed to smile at Natsu. "She would kill me if I let anything happen to you."
Natsu's mouth fell open in shock. He wasn't sure if he should be angry or grateful for Gray's selflessness. This whole scene was not unfamiliar to the dragon slayer. Of all the people in Natsu's life, Gray was one of the few who had repeatedly thrown himself in harm's way to protect him. What's more, Natsu had done the same for him. If that wasn't friendship - or even another form of love - then he didn't know what was. Natsu tried to smile back at him, fighting against the panic that sat like shrapnel in his heart.
"Can't have a wedding without a best man, either."
Gray looked up at Natsu, questioning. "Are you finally asking me to be your best man?"
Natsu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I guess I am. Whadda ya say?"
Gray huffed a pained laugh, his eyes growing heavy. He barely managed to give his answer before he succumbed to his injury.
"Hell no."
Natsu knew Gray's real answer. Shifting the man to the forest floor, Natsu pressed his hands into the ruined jacket, trying to staunch the wound. There was too much blood, too much life seeping out between his fingers. Natsu hissed, frustration tensing through his back and shoulders. His hands came away red.
"If we live through this, you have to get married, too," He whispered, lifting the cloth to inspect the wound. The cut bled like a popped water balloon. "Then I get to be your best man. No questions asked. That's only fair, right?"
Gray didn't respond. Natsu growled.
"You're not the only one who's gonna get killed if you die, you know that?" He was rambling, Natsu was aware of that. In his mind, if he kept talking, then everything would be okay. "So you gotta pull through, and save me from Juvia's wrath, alright?"
His ears pricked. The sounds of the cursed Manticores crashing through the forest creeping closer. Natsu cursed under his breath; there was no time to come up with a plan. One thing he needed to do for certain was stop Gray's bleeding. But as he didn't have healing magic or any kind of aid, that left only one option – he would have to cauterize the wound.
He had no choice, Natsu thought as he shook his head. He would have to use his magic. With a sigh, Natsu removed the jacket from Gray's abdomen. If he was going to risk using it at all, he decided, then he might as well make the most out of it. His flames were ready, focusing into his fingers, a small nova sparking beneath his fingernails. It only took a few seconds for Natsu to seal the wound shut. Gray was far from being okay, but at least he wouldn't bleed to death. He laid the jacket over Gray, hoping the garment could still offer a bit of protection and warmth despite being soaked in blood. Natsu quickly dragged Gray's body to a tree where he would be at least partially hidden. When the dragon slayer stood back up, the first of the enemies had spotted him through the trees.
"Come and get me, you bastards!" Natsu yelled, breaking into a run. His neck spasmed painfully. Gritting his teeth, he focused his mind on running, on getting as far away from Gray and the Ruby Manticore guild as he possibly could.
Natsu's heart pounded with anxiety as he led the crowd of cursed pursuers deeper into the woods. His flames were holding for now. He could get some distance between him and his friends before… All the things that could possibly go wrong rushed through Natsu's head as fire sparked to life on his skin and in his hair. He ran until an arrow whizzed past his head, sinking up to the feathers in the bark of a tree. Natsu spun and firmly planted himself to face the oncoming battle. As his fists flared with bright orange fire, Natsu gulped and readied himself. The dark energy behind his heart shuddered, waiting. The cracked glass wasn't going to hold forever.
Natsu desperately hoped things wouldn't go wrong.
A/N: I have a feeling that this next manga chapter is going to completely shatter the image of E.N.D. that I'm trying to build up. If that happens, can you guys trust me to fill you in on how things went three years ago that lead to these events right now? I'll try my best. But now things are heating up!
Big thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm and support. Remember, if this story gets 100 reviews, I'll do another double chapter!
EDIT: This chapter was edited for content, spelling, and grammar on 10/21.
As always, read, review, and enjoy!