Sharp cramps coursed through her chest, each breath she took intensifying the pain. The sound of her heavy breathing and the rush of blood filled her ears while her legs pounded relentlessly against the dusty ground. Each step she took brought on a pain all of it's own but she forged on. She couldn't afford to fall behind and be destroyed by the behemoth dragon giving chase mere yards behind.

A little ahead of her ran Natsu at a pace much slower than his usual, his breath coming out in heavy pants. His pink hair was whipped back from running and beads of sweat rolled down his brow. Just below his Fairy Tail mark along his arm was a deep gash. With each movement he made, more blood pooled out of it and trickled down his arm. This wasn't his only injury however; all over his body were marks and scratches, all of which bleeding to their own varying degree. His clothes were torn and soiled, and even his precious scarf looked like it was fraying, bits of dirt and blood plastered to it. His slouched shoulders gave even more indication of his exhaustion; if anyone were to take a look at him, they'd be surprised he was still able to stand, let alone be running right now.

Not that Lucy was any better off than him. Her golden hair was matted together with dirt and clay, some strands of it sticking to her sweat-laden face. Cuts and bruises covered her arms and legs. Though she didn't have as many as Natsu, each one still stung and bled with every flex of a muscle. The dress she wore was faring much better than Natsu's garments, at least. However it was torn along the hem and one of the sleeves had been ripped off whilst she was trying to avoid an attack from one of the dragons earlier that day.

Having already drained their magic while trying to fend off the hoard of ten thousand dragons that threatened the country, they both had next to no magic left in their worn bodies. Together with their guild they had successfully taken down a few dozen of the immaculate creatures. It had been a mighty feat but did little to dwindle the discouraging numbers of their opponents. Somewhere along the line, Natsu and Lucy had been separated from the others. Now, they were making a mad dash from one of the dragons, its moving form a terrifying harbinger behind them. Its loud, shuddering roar confirmed its presence. The sheer volume of the noise caused all the windows in the vicinity to shatter into tiny pieces of glass, showering down on them like rain. Lucy had to duck her head to avoid any of the fragments from falling into her eyes, all while trying to pay close attention to her footing. One false step and she would be a goner.

"Lucy!" Natsu suddenly rasped out in an attempt at shouting. Lucy didn't even have time to register what was happening as Natsu grabbed onto her hand and slingshoted her forward. Bits of ground and stone scattered into the air behind her, hitting the backs of her legs as her body was painfully thrown to the street. Her eyes widened as she chanced a look back, mouth falling open at the sight of the looming creature. It pulled its mighty claw from the hole it had just made, the very spot where she had been running mere seconds ago.

Before another attack was slammed down to where she was laying, Lucy narrowly rolled her body to the side. Debris and dust swarmed around her from the blow, clouding her vision. If it weren't for Natsu quickly dragging her to her feet and out of the way, she would have been hit by the creatures third attempt to strike her. The dragon wailed in rage and Natsu stood in front of her, sucking in the air around him to ready his own attack. Scorching flames jutted out in his mouth through his cupped hands in one of his signature Fire Dragon Roars. The fire hit the dragon dead on, licking at the creature with an intense heat. The blast wasn't terribly strong and it took what little of Natsu's magic he had left, but the beast recoiled away from the flames all the same.

Without wasting a moment of the time the attack had just bought them, Natsu turned back to Lucy and took her hand. His grip on her was so tight that it almost hurt and forcefully he pulled her into a run again. Lucy stumbled a little but quickly regained her footing and managed to keep pace with him. She tightly held onto Natsu's warm hand in return. Together they sprinted forward, increasing the distance between themselves and the horrid creature.

The dragon's roar sounded again but Lucy didn't look back. She just held onto Natsu's hand even tighter. She knew that as long as their grip on each other never loosened, never faltered, never slipped, that they would be alright. That they could make it through their flight to safety, that they would live to see another day and eventually overcome the living hell of death and destruction that the dragons brought on. That they would live, just as long as they were together.

Just something quick I worked up while my laptop was out for repairs (again), with the help of my friend Anna as my editor (lord it needed help). It's set, as some of you may have guessed, some time after the GMC when the dragons have begun attacking. Not much I can say about it besides apologizing for leaving it open-ended like that. I guess you can make up your own ending. My personal headcanon is that they eventually shake off that particular dragon for good and find their way to safety with the rest of the guild. Let me know your thoughts on how they escaped! I'd love to hear 'em.