Note: 2020
Hey...how ya'll doin'?
So, it's been a minute. I am twenty, now. It's a bit mad, you know? It has been years since I began this and years since I posted last. I knew I had to finish this and thought why not now at 3 AM? Most of this was written like 3 years ago but I did spend some time rewriting and everything. About 3 hours worth. I hope everyone who has been asking about this and staying with this story until now enjoys this monster of an ending. Seriously, thank you for everything. Come talk to me in the comments when you're done.
^.^

~The E.N.D~

Song; Snow Fairy

Lucy blinked open her burning eyes.

There was no battlefield. No death or destruction. Only darkness in every direction. There was nothing underneath her feet yet she was walking, her steps echoing into the unknown. Her pastel pink dress trailing after her like wings from a magnificent bird.

Lucy came across a mirror so large that it started from the ceiling and ending at the floor. Behind the mirror, and reaching for her desperately, was Natsu in his Dragon form. Lucy rushed forward and slammed into the glass that was blocking her from him. She pounding on the glass with her fist, screaming his name with tears in her eyes, lips quivering.

So close.

The glass did not give.

Lucy slid down the glass with a broken sob. She leaned her shoulder up against the clear surface and looked to Natsu with watery eyes. The Dragon shook his horned head and offered her a smile in the hopes that she would return it. When she didn't, Natsu lifted his scaly hand, and pressed it to the glass beside her cheek. Lucy raised her own hand and placed it against the cool glass over his own.

She could almost feel the roughness of his palm against her own soft one.

Lucy's tears overflowed and rushed down her cheeks in rivers. She just wanted to touch him. To hold him and take care of him. But she could do none of those things. She was trapped on one side while he was on the other. Lucy couldn't even talk to him or hear his voice, his mouth moving, but he was completely muted.

They were both stuck on the wrong side.

CRACK!

Lucy screamed, jerking back when the mirror gave a shudder, and Natsu melted away with wide eyes that showed horror in them. Lucy cried out, banging her fist against the cracking glass, wanting him to come back to her- Her reflection suddenly showed.

Lucy's reflection was frowning at her and so was she. Lucy gasped when her reflection began to move, brown eyes locked on the glass as she raised her hand, and touched the mirror on her side with the tip of her finger. Lucy hesitated, staring down at the hand that was undoubtedly a perfect copy of her own, and raised her hand to do the same.

Instantly, the mirror shattered completely, and Lucy jerked her hand away, but her reflection did not.

She only remained standing there, staring, with a wide, crazed smile on her face. "Doesn't it feel good to be empty?" She giggled, placing her arm around her stomach, bending over some with wide eyes, other hand in her hair, tugging at the golden locks until they were torn free. "Doesn't it?!"

This was not her.

This was not Lucy. It couldn't be. It was the corrupt magic that she thought she needed. She had been wrong. She herself was enough. She had always had been.

Lucy had finally found someone to fight for and keep her breathing.

With a scream, Lucy spun on her heel, and smashed her foot into her reflection's stomach-breaking through the mirror and falling into the other side. She was caught by strong arms speckled with red scales that shifted and glittered. She closed her eyes, feeling the weight lift from her shoulders as she tipped her head up, and smiled softly with a tear running down her cheek.

Lucy reached out and curled her arms around Natsu. Warm, kind, lovely, magical Natsu.

"I missed you..."

She felt a talon trail down her spine and a taloned hand folded around her throat.

"I missed you, too."

Lucy stiffened and looked up-

E.N.D smiled down at her, his eyes swathed in Hell's fire, and his sharp teeth bared.

"Hello, Luce," his psychopathic expression turned into one of fondness. "I hoped you would come back to me."

~

Natsu was facing off against a faceless enemy. He could feel it crawling beneath his skin, trying to tear him apart. A white flash fluttered in the corner of his eye. He glanced up the same time E.N.D did, and they were both held tight as the sky rolled with black clouds, parting slightly to allow some light through. There, floating gently down on still air, was his scarf.

Mesmerized, Natsu watched it come to him, his hand rising to catch it. The scalding heat from E.N.D burned his skin, made it bubble, and pop. The demon roared, opening his wings, and lunging, claws reaching- Natsu's fingers brushed the ends of the scaly material. 

A blinding flash went off behind his eyes and he was simply nonexistent.

Natsu clutched onto his treasure. It was all he had. All he knew as he floated in nothingness. There wasn't a sound. A breeze. H couldn't hear his heart. Was it still beating? Was his blood still rushing? Was he even something?

Sorrow cut through him.

He curled in on himself.

I don't want to be alone.

"Natsu."

A booming voice echoed through the darkness, pushed aside the nothingness, and filled him with a glorious something.

"Igneel?"

Fire erupted around him, lighting up the dark, warming his chilled bones. Natsu blinked, breath stalled in his lungs, staring up-up-up into the eyes of his father. The Great Dragon of Brimstone and Fire. The colossal creature's rumbling growl formed words.

"Do not shed tears, my boy. What do you do when you are saddened? When you are too afraid to move? I taught you, did I not? So, follow my teachings. Stand up. Lift your chin. Feel the fire in your veins and turn it to lava. I am with you...now and always... Show me more of how you've grown. Show me the way you live your life. Show me how much of you is apart of me. Speak of your future and that shall become your will to live."

And Natsu Dragneel began to fight.

He forced his eyes open, slashing at the darkness, searching for the glow of E.N.D's eyes. Within the gloom, he could hear laughter, calling for him, wanting him to come ever closer. Natsu stopped, his chest rising and falling harshly, pupils thinning as his thoughts raged. E.N.D was smart. So smart that he used his opponents as if they were chess peices.

Natsu was not a piece to be moved around.

He inhaled, exhaled steam, veins pulsing with golden light across his skin. He lifted his arms, hands high above his head, horns alighting with fire. Lava in the veins...

Shadows parted and E.N.D was there, a terrible snarl on his face, claws curling as he rushed forward. Natsu grinned. Game set...he roared, plummeting his hands down, a river of skin melting fire washing outward in a cresting wave. The wall of liquid flame rose high and crashed down on top of E.N.D, his screams of anguish drowned out by the hissing of the flames. It ate him alive, tore him apart, melted him down to nothing.

Natsu listened until silence ruled.

"Match."

Glitter.

Natsu turned his head towards the slight shine. It was so close to him...and getting closer with every beat of his heart. He lifted his arm, fingers outstretched, palm turned upward, and waited. Waited patiently as the small globe of light glided to him.

When it did make it to him, it stopped just shy of touching his skin. It hovered over his fingers, washing its golden glow over his face and hand. Natsu did not know what to do... So he just watched the little orb slightly bob and weave.

It was almost as if it were waiting for something. A word. A command. Something. Natsu's lips parted and the glob of gold brightened. The Dragon took a shuddering breath and whispered, "Take me to her...please."

The orb flashed twice, getting brighter and brighter until it was all Natsu could see. There was no more blackness for the golden light had vanquished the dark.

Natsu's eyes opened up slowly against the brightness of the sun. He blinked his dark eyes once before carefully sitting up in the golden grass that tickled his skin.

"Natsu."

Glowing petals danced in his vision until the breeze led them down a new path. Natsu's eyes could finally take in the soft voice that had been calling him.

Golden hair lazily flew in the wind and kissed the cheeks of a girl standing underneath a cheery tree that was crying blossoms. The pink petals floated down to her and brushed against her pale skin in feather light touches. The sun's warm rays smiled down upon the girl and lit up her profile. A flowing white dress fluttered around her ankles. Her brown eyes with hits of gold flecks in them were settled on him.

"Natsu." she called again, her voice like a siren's song.

"Lucy..." Natsu breathed, his eyes wide. He pushed himself up and stumbled forward, towards the girl that looked like that glowed like starlight.

Lucy with her hair made out of sunlight and her body made out of stars beckoned to him with a smile that blinded him. And that's how Natsu saw her, with the golden sun shining behind her. Looking like a goddess herself.

Natsu reached out toward her, a single tear falling cooly down his cheek, his hand a pale comparison to her own. She was glowing from the inside out, almost like a lantern, her eyes infinitely bright. Had he become a shape in the shadows? Was she the only thing that could trace him and fill him in? He felt cold when he was far from her. He needed her touch to keep warm. To feel alive. So, he reached for her, wisps of black and grey coming off his fingers that her's seemed to chase away.

His fingers grasped her's and she linked them. Intertwined like they were always meant to.

He pulled her close, enveloped her completely, burying his face into the golden coils of her hair. He could breathe easier here. With her. Beside her. He closed his eyes for just a second before pulling away. He had to see her face. To gaze into her eyes. She was here. She was. She was the one who kissed him, then.

Her lips were as soft as a newly bloomed flower.

Lucy was Natsu's fire, and it was as if some of her light entered himself.

Lucy looked up at him as she pushed away. She floated in the space between them and offered him a sad smile. A light zipped around her cheek and twirled around her head. Lucy began to glow brighter and brighter until the light was too much, and erupted out of her chest.

A horrified expression twisted Natsu's features as he stared with wide, terrified eyes.

"Lucy!" He screamed, reaching out for her. Lucy looked at him and smiled softly, the light slowly taking her away piece by piece.

Then the light took her from him.

Natsu's eyes snapped open.

In his arms was Lucy, safe, and whole.

She was shaking. Her arms wrapped around him, supporting him, her lungs rattling in her heaving chest. His vision blurred, cheeks wet, bones frigid with ice. Spots drifted over his head and he began to slowly realize it was snow.

Pain rippled through his body and he rasped in wordless discomfort. The Tartaros symbol cracked and slowly faded away. A bright flash of red lit up his shoulder, drowning the battlefield in its flare. When the light dimmed, the Fairy Tail Emblem was proudly displayed on his skin. Where it belonged.

"You asked me when a monster was not a monster." Lucy breathed, making Natsu lift his eyes to her, every slight movement a battle within itself.

"When he's around the one who makes him not want to be one." Lucy choked, lifting her head so he could see her. Beautiful. Bruises and all. She gave him a smile that shook on her lips. "That's the answer."

She collapsed in the snow, then, her head resting beside his own. He opened his mouth to ask if she was cold, but only a wheeze came out, the snow stained red near his mouth. Oh, he wasn't well, was he? Natsu sighed, fingers twitching on their own, everything now becoming numb. I won, didn't I? He strained to keep his eyes on her. Didn't we?

Didn't we?

His vision gave out, Lucy's face a blur of color, and the world faded away as his eyes fluttered shut. 

Lucy's gasping breaths became white clouds in the frigid air. "Don't leave me." She murmured, reaching out, grasping his hand. She gave a tug, a squeeze, but there was no touch back. "Don't leave me..." The last thing she took in was the mess of her dragon's bloodied face.

~One Year Later~

In the time that Natsu had been gone, more cherry blossom trees had been born. Now they towered over the lonely Princess, protecting her, and giving her some company in this Garden that she had shared with her Dragon.

Staring at the tree that no longer glowed. It seemed that the trees, like Lucy herself, had no reason to glow anymore. Why muster up the energy to light up when the person you glow for can no longer see the glow? She could only watch them and wish them upon herself.

Natsu;

You set my curtains on fire

You stole the King's crown

You sneaked off to the kitchen and almost gave me a heart attack whoever you did

You left your mark on my life

Too bad it was a scar

The castle is filled with the echoes of your laughter

My world has turned grey without your smile to bring color to it

All the cherry trees I pass are colorless

Natsu,

I am waiting

For you to come back to me.

Lucy pushed off the ground and sat up. She made to stand when a harsh wind came soaring to her, crashing into her, littering leaves around her in a dance.

She heard him in the gale of the wind.

"Lucy!"

Lucy slowly turned around.

Cherry blossom petals danced and twirled in her vision, blurring the face in front of her. She knew, though, she would always know.

Hair the color of the blossoms that enticed her to dance. A fanged tooth smile that made her own lips tilt up. Skin that the sun adored to touch. A presence that beckoned to her.

"Lucy!"

Natsu Dragneel extended his hand to her, smiling brightly, and it was if all the colors in the world had painted him. "Sorry I took so long. Let's go, Lucy!"

Tears drowned the brown in her eyes and suddenly Lucy was running. Her heart beat strong against her ribs, making her fly, the distance feeling like nothing at all until she could throw herself at him. He caught her, he always did, and she unleashed a sob as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. He laughed in her ear, swinging her around, holding her in a hug that no one else could give her.

"I missed you." Lucy breathed, fingers in his hair, cupping his head, touching him to make sure he was real. He was so warm. "I missed you, oh, how I've missed you."

Natsu pulled back just enough to see her, to give her his smile-that quickly vanished as she hooked her foot behind his own and pulled. They went down in a heap, Lucy yelling incoherently, Natsu rambling around a cough asking what that was for?

"No, no, no." She muttered angrily, rolling onto her side, and looking at him with eyes of filled with anger. "You know what, you lizard!" Lucy shouted, shoving a finger into his shocked face, ignoring his mutter of 'lizard'? "I have been waiting for a year! A whole year," she gritted out, "waiting for you to heal! And I know how much it takes to heal someone like you-but-I was! I was so!" She huffed, exasperated. "To tell you how much I-" Lucy swallowed hard and her cheeks blazed red as she yelled.

"I love you!"

Lucy Heartfilia, proud Princess, and stunning wizard, kissed her dragon with as much fire as she could while crying.

They stayed like that for some time, holding one another, learning how the other's lips felt when there was passion behind them. When the leaves stopped their dancing and their hearts calmed, Natsu was the first to speak.

"I didn't come alone."

Lucy looked up and as if on cue, the golden hill revealed several silhouettes not far off, waving with thin arms. She could even hear a few shouts and whistles. For once, embarrassment did not come, but pure joy did. Natsu had brought the whole of Fairy Tail with him. He helped her up, waved back at his Guild, and extended his hand to her and smiled so widely that it forced his eyes closed.

"You wanna join Fairy Tail, right? Come with me, Luce!"

Lucy did not pause when she immediately placed her hand in his. They were off, running across the wide golden plane to reach that hill, sparkling so grandly it must have been made out of gold.

Lucy interlaced her fingers with Natsu's own. Hand and hand, they ran, joining Fairy Tail. Their friends. Family. Natsu looked over his shoulder at her, smile glowing.

"Now, let's continue on our adventure!"

Lucy smile was brimming with love.

"Okay!" 

The Princess knew a boy once
He wasn't a prince
Nor was he a knight
He didn't have much
Only a broken past
And a heavy heart
But, what he did have was a heart of fire
A smile brighter than the
sun
The will to fight for the ones he loved
The courage to die for the ones he held close to his
fiery heart
The unbreakable bond he had with his family
The unshakable love he held for the ones who deserved it
He was the kindest, funniest, strongest, person the Princess had ever had the pleasure of meeting
It is true that the boy wasn't a Prince
He was a Dragon, actually
A Dragon that fought for her
Protected her
Could stop her tears
And take her on
adventures
The Princess met a boy once
He didn't have much
But he had everything
She
needed
And that was
Him

~And so the Princess' and the Dragon's tale comes to an end. However, their adventures will never cease. They shall be never ending and eternally exciting~

~The E.N.D.~
.
.
.

~Deep Within the Walls of Tartaros~

A Fairy with pale, wispy hair stood silently in the eerie darkness. Her head was tilted up, her dull green eyes gazed up at a tall clear crystal thrumming with Magic.

"How long do you think she will be caged in there?" The Fairy whispered, her voice a melody that no one could ever hope to copy.

"I do not know," a second voice rose up from the darkness. This one was airy but heavy with an invisible heavy burden. "Mavis."

The petite Fairy turned to face the sorrowful young man that never aged, like herself with an even sadder expression. "I should never have told her to attempt "One Magic", Zeref."

Zeref, the dark Fairy, shook his head. "You had no way of knowing that it would have such an affect on her." He forced a small smile to come across his pale face. "It is not your fault, Mavis." The good Fairy nodded, turning to look back at the young lady encased in the crystal. "I wish I could think as you do. I will never not blame myself..." Mavis' eyes flashed with the first shred of life yet to be seen, she whirled around, and locked her eyes upon the thing hidden in the shadows.

"And I will never stop blaming you as well..." The shadows moved and a creature came slithering out that welcomed him as one. "E.N.D." Mavis hissed as the Great Demon Lord came into view.

E.N.D did not say a word as he glided past the Fairy who stared after him with rage in her eyes. The Demon glanced at his brother only once before fixing his pulsing eyes upon the woman inside the crystal prison. His tail twitched and he lowered his horned head slightly. Something within him roared at the sight of the silent lady while something else roared with triumphant.

For E.N.D had won and Lucy Heartfilia had fallen.

Yet... The Demon was not happy. Why wasn't he happy? Why did he even care? There was no reason to feel such an inferior emotion like happiness and disappointment. He had won the battle between the Fairies. He had won against the very woman who had tried to send him back into that damned book that had imprisoned him for four hundred years!

So

          why

                     wasn't

                                     he

                                                 satisfied?

"She will awaken." E.N.D's eyes flashed towards Zeref and locked on him. "We do not know how long she will stay in a comatose state," he continued. "But she will one day come back."

E.N.D stayed silent for a moment. "What is she dreaming about?" He asked, turning to rest his eyes on her peaceful face.

"She might be dreaming of what she most desires in this world." The dark Fairy suggested to his demonic brother.

"What could that be?" The Demon Lord wondered aloud, placing a taloned hand to the cool, silk surface of the crystal.

"The life that you took from her." Mavis hissed softly. "Of her family. Of her dragon. Of adventure. All the things that you stole, E.N.D."

The Demon bowed his head, horns scraping along the crystal, bathing his eyes in movibg shadows.

All the things I stole...?

E.N.D's fangs sunk into his bottom lip, drawing blood when he gritted his teeth.

At least she is happy.

He thought quietly to himself as he pulled away to stalk swiftly out of the room. Leaving behind the light Fairy and the dark Fairy.

E.N.D was a patient Demon, though. He would wait for her to awaken. No matter how long it took. He had waited centuries for himself to be unleashed. He could wait until his princess stopped her dreaming.

Etherious Natsu Dragneel had a Kingdom to rule...and a world to burn with his hell fire.

"Dream on, Luce," E.N.D purred. "I'll be here when you wake..."

The E.N.D
.
.
.

Sometimes, you may keep someone in your heart, but not in your life.