Title: Ashes in the Wind

Summary: In her eagerness to finally shed her loneliness, Lucy missed all the signs that maybe Natsu wasn't quite...right. *based off the crack theory that E.N.D. is masquerading as Natsu*

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Warning: There are so many spoilers for everything after the new timeskip that you will choke.

AN: I hate this theory, it's horribly heart-wrenching, but I can't get this out of my head so I might as well write/post it before Mashima decides to reveal what is under Natsu's bandage and all of it goes completely haywire. Changes will start out small but everything will change pretty quickly so that I'm not just writing the same old chapters. So, welcome to the main reason why I haven't been focusing on my other stories, I hope you like angst.

Lucy stared off to the side, completely uninterested in the fight occurring in the ring below. As much as she tried to adhere to her new motto of greeting each day with a smile and enthusiasm, she just couldn't stop her disappointment from gnawing at her stomach.

Seriously, even she could take out all the mages below her. To think that Fairy Tail was giving up the title of the strongest guild to these farces…

She idly noted Jason-senpai crowing her praises and her lips twitched into the slightest of frowns. It really wasn't that difficult to notice Skull Millione pulling their punches. Not to her, at least. Lucy sighed.

A flicker of cold tingled in her senses and Lucy froze a moment before silence descended upon the arena. She automatically sought out the power source, narrowing her eyes at the lone figure draped in black walking into the arena. She stretched her senses, shivering when she fully examined the mystery figure's magic power. It was...cold but, off. Like the type of cold that burned your senses, numbing your limbs with icy fire. Or was it the other way around, the type of heat that was so hot you shivered as your senses went haywire?

Lucy snapped herself together. What was she doing? She turned to Jason-senpai and shouted, "Get everyone out of here. Now!"

Jason-senpai had opened his mouth to reply but couldn't as a huge blast of heat nearly knocked both of them off their feet. Lucy shuddered as the heat became oppressive, pushing down on her like a stuffy blanket. What was with this heat?

A brilliant burst of flame caught her attention and Lucy gasped as the acrid smell of charred clothing and hair assaulted her nose. She blinked the tears out of her eyes and carefully breathed through her mouth as she peeked over the railing. We need to fight back…

The challenger stood unmoving in the stadium and Lucy could vaguely make out their laughter amongst the crowd's screams and shouts. Sweat trickled down her back before another blast of heat slammed into her.

Her sweat soaked shirt clung to her, the sticky material bunching against her skin uncomfortably. She tugged her collar in hopes of relief and yelped as it gave away instead.

What the hell? This guy's strong enough to melt clothing?

Lucy gulped as she realized just how outclassed she was right now. There was a whole stadium's worth of people to protect and most of the other capable mages in it were throwing themselves at the challenger, only to be knocked away like paper dolls. Not for the first time, Lucy wished some of her friends from the other guilds had come. Memories of the last time she had been outclassed and alone flickered through her head and Lucy's heart plunged as she realized this situation was almost the same. Her knees wobbled and her head spun, making Lucy feel like she was about to throw up.

Not even Natsu…

Wait. Lucy gasped when it hit her. All those rumors of a black cloaked figure, the wanderer she tried to track down in hopes of it being her best friend… But, she had thought she'd recognize her best friend's magic signature...goodness knows they've fought together enough that she knew his signature like the back of her hand…

The fear crawled up her throat, making Lucy choke as the pungent smell of burnt clothing and molten metal burn her eyes. Oh god, please…

"Lucy!"

She would know that voice anywhere. She whipped around, her heart stuttering in her chest. "Happy!"

The little blue cat flew circles around her head, creating a nice breeze, all the while chattering on excitedly. She hoped Happy would forgive her for not paying too much attention to him, rather leaning over the railing in hopes that the heat wasn't making her hallucinate those long pink locks or cheerful battle cries. She gulped.

Natsu's head snapped up, his bottomless eyes meeting hers. She felt everything else melt away as her relief crashed through her, her elbows breifly crashing into the molten metal. Lucy subconsciously jerked back but was otherwise too occupied with Natsu to notice her body's protests, trying to find the same gleam of relief and happiness in his frozen face. Natsu stared back at her, his eyes wide and flat. Flickers of unease crawled through her chest. Did he not want to see her?

But then, his eyes crinkled and his mouth stretched into a toothy grin. The heat doesn't seem oppressive anymore, more like a blanket cocoon rather than an inescapable torment. And Lucy could only smile in response because finally, the ever present chill of loneliness was gone.

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