It took fifteen minutes before footsteps were heard from Erza's ears. Gray, Wendy, Carla, Happy and Lucy came barging in. "Erza! We're here!" Gray exclaimed, walking into the kitchen with a deep frown at the sight before him.

Erza was sitting at the kitchen table, sobbing her heart out. Her tears stained the piece of paper in front of her, clutching her head tightly. Lucy immediately ran over to wrap her arms around her, pulling the knight to her chest as Erza clutched onto her shirt tightly, screaming to the top of her lungs with a never-ending stream of tears. Wendy joined in on the hug, Happy following her with his own set of tears. "We're here Erza," Lucy whispered softly into her ear, holding back her own flood gate, rubbing up and down on her back.

Gray stepped up to the kitchen table, taking a hold of the tear soaked paper. His eyes examined every word with a scowl. When he finished the paper was crumpled into his fist, clenching it tightly. "That damn idiot! What does he think he's doing? Saying we don't want him around anymore? That he's nothing but a burden? Who's spewing this bullshit in his head?!" He threw the paper down to walk to the bathroom, freezing in his tracks. Erza was correct with her description on point. Glass of the shattered mirror was scattered on the floor, blood staining the countertop and the inside of the sink. "What the hell?..."

Wendy sniffed the air to try to catch Natsu's scent, but it was pointless. All she smelled was the overwhelming odor of blood that made her stomach twist into knots. She separated from the hug, walking outside to sniff the air. "Natsu... where did you go?" Her eyes narrowed noticing a dry blood trail from his home into the woods. "Guys! I may of found something!" She shouted inside the home as footsteps were heard running her direction.

"What did you find child?" Carla asked her with a frown. "Something good I hope."

Wendy moved her hand to point at the blood trail from his home to the woods. "Dry blood leading into the woods..."

"I-is he hurt?!" Lucy asked with frightful eyes, feeling a pit form in her stomach. What the hell happened to make this all happen? She had no answers, only more questions to Natsu's whereabouts.

"I-im not sure but we should follow it," The sky dragon slayer replied, feeling a hand on her shoulder that belonged to Gray.

"Lead the way Wendy," he said calmly with a sad smile. "If it's at least a clue where that idiot went, it's our best shot."

Wendy nodded her head as her eyes hardened in resolve. "R-right! Follow me everyone," she sniffed the air, following the dry blood trail away from the slayer's home. Erza and Lucy felt their anxiety sky rocket as the blood trail grow bigger in size. Gray kept his eyes forward, following the little girl in haste, ignoring the need he felt to strip off his shirt.

Carla and Happy floated side by side as she glanced over to the blue feline, frowning at the tears that streamed down his cheeks. "Happy..." she whispered softly.

'Natsu... please be okay!' The blue feline thought, noticing a small clearing coming up in their view.

The group pushed through only to freeze at the sight before them. "What the hell?..."

"W-what happened here?"

"Natsu..."

In front of them the ground in front of them was caved in with spots of blood everywhere. Trees were either broken into splinters, or plainly uprooted from the ground. To Wendy the smell of blood was so overwhelming she had to plug her nose out of fear of vomiting at the scent. Gray was the first to move farther in, moving his hand along the splintered wood with wide eyes. "There's black spots on these trees.. Natsu was here."

Erza dug her nails into her palm, biting her lip tightly as she moved forward to examine the destruction before them. "N-natsu what has happened to you?"

"Did he do this?" Lucy questioned, running her hand along the ground that felt warmer than usual to the touch. "But why?"

Gray narrowed his eyes towards on of the trees. Walking over to it, he bent down on his knees with wide eyes. Out of all of them that were either splintered, or severely charred. This was one was covered in blood, ontop of a dry pool that was right next to it. Squinting his eyes he noticed something glint in the light as he leaned down to grab it. There was no mistaking it now. A small sliver pink hair was in between his fingers with a deep frown. "Natsu was here alright, I found a lock of his hair."

The others immediately trailed behind him, glancing over his shoulder. "Gray, let me see that hair. Maybe I can catch his scent because right now all I smell is blood," Wendy said with a slight gag, shuttering in discomfort.

Gray handed the hair over as the sky dragon slayer took a big whiff of it with a frown. "N-nothing It's been too long since he's been here."

He gritted his teeth, slamming his fist into the tree in front of them with a growl. "Damn it..." he cursed under his breath with a deep scowl on his face. Now they were back at square one with only more questions. 'Natsu what Is going on with you...'

"I got it!" Lucy chimed in with a near jump in her step. "Why didn't I think about this before?!"

"Spit it out already! What do you got?" Gray asked with a slight annoyed tone.

Lucy grinned to herself, pointing at the spot before them. "You know how lacrima technology has advanced by multiple steps? How the council can track down criminals that were long gone from the scene? We need a memory lacrima so we can see exactly what happened here, and at least a clue where Natsu is headed."

Erza beamed with a hopeful smile, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Lucy, you're a genius! I'll call Master, we need him and everyone over here now!" She rushed off to grab her lacrima phone to call Makarov.

Carla looked at the scene in front of her, feeling her body shake. 'Could this be the vision I saw before? But this feels different. We're no where near a Cliffside, and it's not storming, maybe it's a future that has yet to pass.' She thought with wide eyes at this revalation, glancing over at Happy who had a sad smile, at least perked up at the idea Lucy procured.

Wendy watched her feline friend with narrowed eyes. 'Carla knows something we don't, I can feel it. But why doesn't she say anything, especially when we're desperate to find Natsu?'

It took mere minutes before a large group emerged from the woods as the others waited patiently. They gazed in shock at the scene before them.

"What in kami's name happened here?" Makarov analyzed the whole scene before him with pain in his eyes. Something dark was at play here, but he didn't entirely know what.

Mira frowned at the sight, nearly covering her mouth in shock at the amount of blood on the ground. When they were told of Natsu dissapearing, they were shocked. Something was clearly wrong with him, but they couldn't figure out what no matter how many different scenarios they conjured up in their heads. They always came up short on the conclusion of it all.

"Do you have the lacrima master?" Erza asked as the older man nodded, offering it to her. The knight happily took it in her grasp, walking over to the scene before them. With a touch of magic into the crystal, it hovered from her grasp, projecting a holographic scenario in front of them.

Their eyes landed on Natsu who looked distraught, looking all around him like someone was following him with fearful eyes. He started to talk like someone was there with him, before they knew it his fear became anger in a matter of moments.

"Who is he talking to?" Levy asked, studying the scene before her with a frown. "There's nobody there with him."

"We must keep watching to find out," Makarov watched with narrowed eyes. He wouldn't dare blink to miss even a single shred of what they were seeing.

"G-get out of my head!" They watched as Natsu's hand ignited into flames, slamming it into the tree that Gray was standing right next to.

"I don't like where this is going..." Mira stated as her and Lisanna shared the same look.

Natsu's started smacking the top of his head, screaming for a voice to shut up. To them it truly looked like Natsu was slowly losing his mind, and was one step from the brink of insanity. That thought alone scared all of them who continued to watch. The roars coming from them had even the present dragon slayers cover their ears at the high pitch that would make anyone's ears bleed. He fell to the ground, digging his nails into the ground with gritted teeth. "N-no.. she loves me and I know she does! S-she does... I swear..."

Lucy could feel her heart breaking. Natsu sounded so broken, upset, confused. He denied whoever was talking to her as he growled. "You don't know me, you don't know Lucy and you don't know my friends!"

Erza watched with wide eyes as did everyone else at Natsu practically talking to himself. She didn't know what to think, what to feel. So without voicing her own opinion or others they continued to watch. Natsu seemed to grow quiet, his hair shadowing his eyes as he stood up, his fists igniting into flames as he walked forward, passing Wendy and Lucy with a snarl in his voice. "Why?... why?... WHY?!" He roared, slamming his fist into another holographic tree as it cracked and splintered.

"Explains the multiple trees," Laxus stated with narrowed eyed, his arms crossing over his chest.

Nothing could've prepared them for the next sight. Natsu began splintering tree after tree, but some were resilient in his assault. That's when their jaws dropped when he continued to slam his fists into many trunks, blood coating the ground and trees before him. He screamed with each fist, growing faster and faster, punching the trees with everything he had in him. Blood spattered across the ground as the others watched in on shock.

"What the hell Salamander?..." Gajeel muttered with a deep frown, not understanding on what they were even watching at this moment.

"Natsu..." Erza covered her mouth with both hands, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The skin off his knuckles began to peel, blood dripping off of his hands at each assault before the last. Natsu was in a blind fury, his eyes becoming a slit as Gray visibly winced at the mangled sight of his knuckles, his eyes widening when he saw a little bone peaking out. "What the fuck..."

"GRAHHHH!!!!" They watched as Natsu used every bit of force from his fist to send a tree flying into the distance. Natsu seemed to lose the will to keep going, his knees buckling underneath him as he muttered. "L-lucy... w-why..." his body fell forward, colliding with a tree trunk before face planting into the ground unconscious.

The image seemed to move forward as Natsu pulled himself off the ground, blood running down the side of his head, knuckles and clothes. "G-guess I overdid it... Erza is gonna kill me..." he slowly walked towards the group, phasing out as the lacrima fell to the ground with a thud.

"Dear boy... what has happened to you...?" Makarov asked practically breathless at the display they just witnessed.

Erza clenched her fists tightly together at her side, gritting her teeth at the comment he made about her. "Natsu... why...?"

Gray quickly grabbed the lacrima, making a full sprint to Natsu's home as the others followed him in suite. He barged into the home, panting as he channeled his own magic into the lacrima as it floated into the air, lighting up the room. Immediately Natsu's body made his way through the home with slow steps, a blood trail following him. He went into the bathroom to patch up his wounds as they visibly winced, hearing him scream into a cloth. After he finished he stared into the mirror with a frown.

Suddenly he started talking to someone again. Growing more and more irritated. Before he suddenly slammed his fist into the mirror, shattering it on impact. He started sobbing, breaking all of their hearts before he stopped to wipe them. He moved from the bathroom, grabbing his bag as he cleared out his dresser, before he went to the kitchen to sit. They watched as he scribbled onto the paper with tears, gritting his teeth in despair.

They watched as he stood up, throwing on the cloak, and the hood over his head. Natsu slowly walked out of the home as the others followed. He took one last glance at the home. A glow came from his shoulder, some tearing up when they saw his Fairy Tail mark completely dissapear. He moved south into the woods until he was gone out of sight. The lacrima dropped to the ground as everyone now could process their thoughts.

"He... he even removed is mark," Lucy clutched her hand, gritting her teeth with tears. "He's completely left Fairy Tail..."

"What in the world did we even just watch?" Macao asked almost speechless. "I... I didn't even recognize Natsu."

"Better question is who was he talking to? We didn't see anyone there. It's almost like..."

"He's going insane?" Mira asked with a frown. "I don't even know what to say what we saw..."

Gajeel narrowed his eyes towards the direction of where the holographic Natsu left. Even if the two didn't see eye to eye, he was worried about the idiot. This wasn't Natsu anymore, something was playing at his mind, driving him to the brink of insanity.

Makarov thought for a moment, scowling at the display they had to bear witness too. "Something dark is at work here. I must speak to Porlyusica about this. Maybe there was something about that mission that has a play in this."

"It isn't you old fool..."

Everyone whipped their heads in the direction of her voice. There stood Porlyusica who had a deep frown with worried eyes. "I know what is happening to Natsu."

"W-when did you get here?" Erza asked with a shaky breath.

"I had just finished the boy's artificial eye, so I wanted to see him. But it appears there is something more at play here..." A soft glare appeared in her eyes as she scanned over the girls of Fairy Tail. "Who was the one dating Natsu?"

Lucy slowly stepped up with hesitation in her steps. "M-me mam."

"Did he ever mention a thing to you about becoming his mate?" The old woman asked, narrowing her eyes dangerously towards the blond.

"H-he didn't mention that to me at all. Why do you ask?" Lucy raised a brow in confusion of what this had to do with Natsu's condition.

Porlyusica walked up to Lucy, placing a hand on her shoulder with a cold glare that sent shivers down her spine. "Did you break up with Natsu? I suggest you answer truthfully."

"What is this about?" Makarov asked, walking over to the duo with a frown.

"I... I did.. I didn't love him like he wanted me to. I only saw him as a best friend. Now he's hurting and it's all my fault..." The blond lowered her head in shame.

"You have no idea of what you've done girl..." Porlyusica let go of her shoulder with fear in her eyes. "We must find Natsu as quick as possible, before it's too late."

"What do you know that we don't?" Erza stepped up with an intimidating glare, narrowing her eyes towards the old woman. "Speak, now."

Porlyusica turned to the group with a deep frown. "Natsu is slowly losing his mind due to a voice inside his head that's been manifested from his draconic depression. Dragon slayers are not like humans, when they find love, their instincts choose their mate, which his chose you Lucy. When you broke up with him, you in turn shattered his heart. When dragons lose their mate due to rejection they enter a severe depression. But Natsu is in the next steps. There's a voice in his head, saying lies that he will easily believe due to the emotional and mental stress he had taken from that job. If we don't find him soon, I fear Natsu won't be alive much longer..." she finished with sorrow in her voice.

Lucy took a step back, clutching her arm tightly. "N-no, no, no! I-I didn't mean to do this to him... I-I didn't know!"

"Would if someone else could love him?" Erza asked, as everyone turned to her with confused expressions. "Could we fix his broken heart?"

Porlyusica laid her eyes upon the scarlet knight with narrowed eyes, putting a finger to her chin in thought. "It's never been recorded to ever been done. But it could be possible if the slayer shares the same feelings for that person before their mate was chosen. You love him don't you?"

"W-what?!" Mira shot her head towards Erza with wide eyes. "Is this true?!"

Erza touched her chest with a deep blush, simply nodding her head. "I had recently discovered my own feelings for him, and I don't regret them. I love Natsu, and I will find him. That's a promise."

"It's clear your words speak true, Erza. If you find Natsu, bring him back to me. I have something that might just work before his depression grows any worse," the older woman, rubbed her temple. "We don't have much time."

"You heard the woman everyone. The guildhall is closed for the time being. I need all of you to split into teams and scour all of Fiore until we find Natsu. This becomes priority above everything. Show Natsu we do care, and he has a family that loves him!" Makarov roared as everyone matched his energy.

Within seconds teams were split and made up, leaving the group that discovered the scene before them. Erza looked out in the distance, clenching her fist over her heart. A determined glint shined in her eyes as she re-quipped her heart kreuz armor. "You heard Master, we set out now!"

"Let's bring that idiot home," Gray grinned as did everyone else.

The group took off to the direction Natsu left with haste in their steps. With focused eyes, determination in their hearts. They had one goal in mind, especially Erza who had one determined goal.

To mend a dragon's broken heart.

So the hunt begins for Natsu. I know a lot of you are gonna say "You just rehashed chapter 10 into another chapter" In a way yes I did. But I've never seen a fic ever pull this idea off with the lacrima. Plus I love witnessing reactions to things such as this that pushes, motivates the characters to find the person they love. I honestly hope you guys are enjoying this story, and all the work I'm pouring into it. I'm writing damn near everyday, even while I'm at work on break, or lunch, I'm cranking chapters out for y'all. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all in the next one. Later :)