Forever

A/N: WHAT THE FUCK! Hiro! Why you do this? STAWHP! I know I posted yesterday and said I wouldn't post/update this week but fuck that! I needed to post about that last chapter, it was… MAJOR SPOILERS IN THIS FIC ABOUT MANGA CHAPTER 416! So yeah, be ready because here we go. My take on what will happen when Natsu returns and Gray fights END aka Etherious Natsu Dragneel! Ladies and gentlemen this is canon! The theories were right! SO HERE WE GO ENJOY!

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A man walked through the barely reconstructed gates of Magnolia, his head held high. As high as a man who had no home could hold it. Natsu Dragneel may have had a physical home, but his real home was gone. Fairy Tail had disbanded after he had gone on his journey; everyone who he had called family had gone. Except for one person, but the way he had left her probably made her a no-go for staying with.

Or so he had thought, because as he passed the town square, he was pounced on. The culprit? Why one Lucy Heartifilia of course! "Natsu!" She yelled, the voice warming the dragon slayer's heart.

"Luce!" Natsu yelled as he stood up and looked at her; happy she was still here and looking like she had a year ago. "You haven't changed a bit!" He hugged her and squeezed as tightly as possible. While he had trained to get stronger, he had she wouldn't resent him for the letter good-bye he gave her.

"You know I'm still mad at you right?" She said and his heart sank a little, but not too much. He had known she would not be happy, but at least she didn't attack him on the spot. He pulled back enough so she could see him nod his head in response to her question, then she buried her head into the crook of his shoulder. "At least your home." She said; people around them smiling at how sweet of a reunion the duo were having.

Unfortunately it was cut short, a new scent in the air catching Natsu's attention. "Hey Lucy, did Gray decide to stay here too?" Natsu asked, sniffing the air to find where his best friend/rival was. Lucy's eyes went wide, fear gripping her heart.

Gray was not supposed to be here. He was supposed to be searching for END. There should be no way that he knew who END really was, that END was in fact the man she holding tightly only in an etherious form. No one was supposed to know except for herself, she had only found out from the spirit king. He had been around when END was first around and knew his true name. Igneel had known this as well; it was why he had tried to free Natsu from that half by taking in his form. To raise him so he would never reach this point, but he had failed.

"Natsu you need to leave. Now!" She yelled, knowing there was only one chance to save the man she held onto for dear life. The man coming may be her friend, but there was no way she would let him kill Natsu. No way. Even if it meant protecting this demon hybrid, even if it meant protecting a reason her guild had been destroyed. A reason why she was now alone. Levy and Gajeel had left soon after to do their own journey, Wendy had gone off with Doranbolt/Mest who was actually a guild member. Mira and Lisanna had left as well, Elfman and Evergreen going off on their own as well. Laxus had formed his own guild with Freed and Bickslow; Erza had left to find Jellal. Gray and Juvia hadn't been seen since immediately after Tartarus. Lucy had been alone for a very long time, she didn't need the first one to come back dead already. She couldn't handle that.

"What? Why? Wait… no he couldn't know that. Not this quickly, I barely even…" Natsu asked, but the rest of his words were stuck on his lips. He had discovered the truth, that he was END. When he discovered this he immediately sent Happy away for his own safety, he could never risk the safety of Happy. He had even debated coming here, he couldn't bear to hurt Lucy, but he needed to see her. He needed to know that she didn't hate him before he died. Yes, he had decided that for the safety of his friends, he would let Gray kill him without issue. He had just hope to see Gildarts one last time, Master Makarov to ask for an explanation, Gajeel and Laxus and Erza for one last fight, Lisanna to leave Happy in her care. But he knew this was inevitable, so he was ready. "Lucy leave. This needs to happen."

"NO! Natsu, I don't care that you are… well you know. A demon hybrid thing. That you're END." Lucy said, her eyes beginning to water with tears she had thought long since spent. "I can't lose you too. I just… I just can't."

Now Natsu was crying as well, he knew this would always have been the hardest good-bye. He cared for her greatly, loved her if he was honest with himself. He may have been dense, but his discovery had made him realize the truth. He loved Lucy Heartifilia, and would he would never hurt her. NEVER. "Lucy. I'm sorry."

"Oi! Flame Brain!" Came gray's voice as he arrived on the scene, Juvia following behind. She looked sad that this was the scene they had arrived to; she knew how Lucy would feel about this. She did not want her hurting like she would be, but she also knew this was inevitable. "Lucy! You need to get away from him! He's…" Gray warned, but was cut off by Lucy.

"END. I know. But I can't let you hurt him!" Lucy yelled, stepping in front of Natsu. If you were going to have the man that she loved killed, you were going to have to go through her. "Gray, he's still the same Natsu! The one you grew up with, the one you called Nakama!" She pleaded; hoping her pleas would reach him, calm him in some way.

Her pleas fell on icy, deaf ears. "No it makes sense. We always fought, I could barely stand you. We never really saw eye to eye, we needed Erza to make us be friendly. I thought it was because you were my rival, but no. You are no rival, you are the one thing I was destined to destroy. Deliora may have not been my demon, but you are." Gray said, his voice icy and sharp. There was no way he was going to let this demon escape him, it was the last thing his dad had asked of him. What kind of son would he be if he didn't fulfill his final wish?

Natsu sighed and pushed Lucy aside gently. "You're right. And ironically, I agree with you for once. I must die." Natsu then went into his etherious form, becoming the greatest demon ever created: END. "Kill me in this form. This way, you know END will never come back. And don't worry about Zeref or Acnologia; I killed them. I am the last remaining vestige of evil Zeref created in this world. So please, just kill me."

"NOOOO! Natsu! Don't…. please don't leave me…" Lucy cried out, she could not lose him, not again. And this time, it would be for good. Lucy fell to the floor as Natsu looked at her, his eyes solemn, listless, and yet full of sadness. He had already accepted his fate, but it broke his heart to see Lucy like this.

"I'm sorry Luce, but I'm doing so I won't hurt anyone. I care about you guys too much, I can't bear to know you're hurt because of me." He leaned down and placed a kiss on Lucy's forehead, and said his final words, "I love you Lucy."

He stood straight again and nodded at Gray. Gray nodded and went into his demon slayer mode. The last words that Natsu Dragneel ever heard were, "Ice Devil's Zeroth Destruction Bow!" The arrow flew from where Gray stood, the flight it took feeling like it took an eternity. Lucy could only watch, watch as the man he loved more than anything, the man she missed so much she had contemplated suicide because she knew he would never be there for her again, watch as they arrow struck his heart. Natsu grunted, staggering back a few steps before falling on his back taking his last breath. Then as he looked up and saw a storm coming, a fitting ending. The last sensation he felt was a rain-drop hitting his face, as he lay there, bleeding, before he passed on. Natsu's demon form disappeared, now only the true Natsu still there.

Lucy could only look at Natsu, unable to comprehend it. He was dead? No. NO! She couldn't be alone again; she would never go through that again. Then she saw her only hope for not being alone: the arrow that had killed Natsu. It was still there, it had not faded away yet. She would never be alone again. She crawled over to Natsu's now dead body, looking back to see Gray talking to Juvia. He was shaken by what he had done, he had wanted to do this but it still was painful.

Lucy then grabbed the arrow and pulled with all her might. She managed to get out of his chest, and then looked at it. His blood was all over it and, soon enough, so would hers. Juvia saw what Lucy was doing, she began to run towards her, yelling, "Lucy-san! NO!" Gray turned to see what was happening, then he turned and ran at her too.

But both were too slow. Lucy took a deep breath and stabbed herself in the heart. The arrow pierced her heart, yet actually fixed her heart. It had reunited her with the man she loved. Forever.

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A/N: Oh gods! The angst! The sadness! Gah, this needed to be written! I have nothing else to say, ADIOS!