Guys, let's be real. You all had this coming.

Warning: You'll hate me forever. For the final time, angst as FUCK.

Epilogue

Alternate Ending

He slowly opened his eyes, blinded by sudden brightness of the sun. He felt a slight breeze on his cheek. A mob of pink hair blocked the sun from his eyes and he opened them fully.

"Looks like the ice princess has finally woken up," the dragon slayer smirked at him.

"Shut up, idiot." He said, blinking away the haziness in his vision. "What happened?"

"Oh, it's a long story-"

"Gray!" A ball of blue collided into him. He couldn't help but chuckle lightly, "Happy."

"Natsu screamed and a green thing escaped him and then the basement became blue! He jumped into the hole and BAM! Bitch slap on your face! And then Freed went all 'goodnight everyone' and then KABOOM! And after tha-"

Lucy giggled, grabbing the over-excited exceed. "The runes outside the ruins dissipated when Freed collapsed, so we went in and rescued you all. Believe me, the building collapsed!"

Suddenly, Loke appeared out of nowhere, "Princess is right! And I became your knight in shining armor, rushing in and picking you up," he adjusted his sunglasses and smirked, "You are really a princess, my dear Gray."

"Please, not you too."

"Don't forget about Natsu-san," Wendy muttered, "Erza-san carried him out of the building. Please stop teasing Gray-san," she muttered shyly. Natsu laughed and ruffled her hair.

"But never forget the one and only," Freed said, comically bowing down to Lucy, "You have saved me, brave lady. I can never repay your kindness."

"Hey," Loke protested, "Only I am allowed to do that."

Erza chuckled, "But really, the building collapsed the moment you guys managed to beat Drake. As soon as the explosion subsided, all the runes in the vicinity deactivated, including the ones responsible for the stability of the building."

"Please, Erza," Lucy said, "We can discuss the technicalities later. But now, party!"

Everyone cheered. "Glad you brought up party," Freed sparkled with pride, "I have cooked a special variety of flying fish."

"Uhh…"

"Hey droopy eyes," Natsu frantically shook the ice mage lying on his lap, "Are you acting to be unconscious? You can't escape the Freed-food this way!"

The Emzorde forest lived again with the laughter that resonated throughout.

If only they knew what was coming to them. These mere wizards were so gullible sometimes.

The village was in flames. The inhabitants ran around in panic. An explosion resounded through the forest that morning, blowing up the train station in flames.

"What was that?" Natsu stood up, looking towards the village. He gasped, seeing the blazes visible from the direction of the village. "H-How's this possible? What's-" He was cut off by the scene in front of him. There he was, standing in the middle of the clearing, his back towards the fire mage.

"G-Gray?"

The ice mage chuckled. "Look around you, fire mage," he whispered in a smooth voice. An acute dread originated through the fire mage's heart. He refused to look back. Something told him that if he turned around this time, he would regret his own existence.

The silhouette in front of him chuckled and turned to look at him. "Too bad," he said, with eyes as glowing like embers, "You lost the opportunity to see your precious nakama for the last time.

Golden fire covered the ice mage's arm. If Natsu wasn't frozen in misery, he would have laughed at the irony of the situation. His own magic would be responsible for his death. He closed his eyes.

"I should have known," a new voice muttered from behind him, "the moment I heard of the Book of Emzorde disappearing into thin air, I should have rushed here without a second thought." Natsu opened his eyes to see Drake's eyes widen in dread. "What are you doing here, Vermillion?"

"Your body is destroyed," Mavis murmured, "Your runes have been disabled. The only reason you are alive today is because your final possession scheme is a success. Today you are mortal again and nothing in the world can change that, rune master." Drake gritted his teeth and formed the ice make stance, "I won't let you soil my plans. This is my final chance. I'll not let yo-" Suddenly, he gasped, with blood coming out of his mouth.

"I won't let you contempt my memory of Gray," Natsu whispered, dousing the flames in his blood-covered arm. He saw the rune master fall, "Never again."

In the end, the dragon slayer thought if he should have listened to him, when Gray tried to use the iced shell. At least, Natsu wouldn't have fallen prey to an empty shell of someone who used to be his friend, his rival, his brother.

"I'm sorry, Gray."

THE END

Kudos to the originally planned ending of Possessed.

You're welcome.

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