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Gray struggled to his knees. The wounds on his body protesting with every move he made. He glanced around him to see the bodies of his guild mates littering the ground like discarded toys. He released the breath he didn’t know that he was holding when he felt his family’s magic still pulsating through the air like a heartbeat. Quiet, but steady. Constant enough to prove signs of life.
They knew that Acnologia would be strong even if he was in his human form. After all, he bathed in the blood of dragons and became a dragon himself. But he never expected this . How naive of them to think otherwise. Even Igneel, the strongest of all dragons, only managed to take the monster’s arm while the monster took his life. That should have been evidence enough.
Ishgar…The Battle against Tartaros…
Everyone had lost something that day. No one was spared from the devastation that the Tartaros guild had wrought. Natsu had also lost a father that day. That day he had killed his own. He knew how much Natsu was affected by the events of that day. Hell, he had disappeared for an entire year in an effort to get strong enough to avenge his father.
Gray wasn’t any different.
He would do anything in his power to find E.N.D. To finish the mission that his father had given his life to complete. He understood why Natsu would want to go after Acnologia. He just wouldn’t let the hot head face him on his own. Unfortunately, Acnologia was just as eager to find Natsu and where else would he find the fire dragon slayer than at the Fairy Tail Guild Hall itself.
He cursed under his breath as he pushed himself shakily to his feet and felt as blood dripped down his arm from a wound in his shoulder. As his gaze swept across the luckily evacuated, but completely destroyed guild hall and ravaged Magnolia town he noticed a distinct lack of pink hair and flames.
He should have realized that Natsu would go off on his own once his family members were taken down. If Gray were in his position, he would’ve done the same thing; he would’ve done anything he could to make sure that his family wouldn’t get hurt any more than they already had. But he was awake now, and there was no way he was going to let Natsu fight this shithead alone.
He called his magic to his hands, as much as he dared, and formed a dome made of ice over his family members to keep them safe for as long as he was gone. After all, he had no idea if Acnologia had anyone on his side. Who knows, maybe Zeref himself would show up and the dark wizard did have a habit of appearing where the Dragon of the Apocalypse did; a minimal defense would be better than none. It may even just buy Erza and the others time to recuperate and join in when they’re ready.
Gray placed his hand on the dome and created a small opening so that the others could easily leave the dome. He gave the fortress one last glance before turning on his heel and making his way towards the forest. Why did the dragon slayer always insist on being so damn reckless? Especially when the dumbass has the audacity to get mad whenever anyone else is reckless.
Natsu Dragneel was a walking conundrum that spewed fire at any given point during the day. In fact, Gray would probably say that he was a full blown hypocrite. But he had a good heart. He burned so brightly that even the coldest of souls could be melted by his warmth. There was no doubt that Natsu would be able to take care of himself. He’s more than proved it in the past. He had saved so many people with that fire. He had saved Gray from himself.
But there’s no telling what would happen if the hot head lost it because he was facing his father’s killer. At least with this, Gray knew what Natsu would be facing and he wouldn’t let the dragon slayer face it alone. Natsu didn’t leave him on Galuna Island. Natsu never lost faith in him when he heard he was with Avatar. Gray wouldn’t abandon him now. He believed in Natsu and he damn well was going to prove it.
He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath so he could try and pick out Natsu or Acnologia’s magic; he felt as the demon slaying magic reached out to him and danced across his skin. Even if neither of them practiced demon magic, he was sure he’d be able to find some trace of them. He had to find some trace of them. Failing was not an option here. Natsu was relying on him; even if the fire breather didn’t want to admit it.
The tension that he didn’t realise was starting to gather in his shoulders drained slightly as his stomach churned and the warmth of Natsu’s magic flooded his senses. He could almost smell the comforting embers of the dragon slayer’s magic. Not only that, but it meant that the idiot was still alive.
He chuckled under his breath,
“That sounds about right.”
He rotated his sore shoulder tenderly before heading in the direction that he could sense Natsu. He found another smirk making its way onto his face as he finally saw the tell-tale stream of smoke rising from the trees. The ice mage broke into a run through the trees as his heart thudded in his chest; a loud roar reached his ears prompting him to run even faster.
Natsu was the light of Fairy Tail. If he were to be put out...
Gray didn’t even want to think about it.
Over the last two years, nine if you counted the time they spent on Tenrou Island, he and Natsu’s bond had grown into something that he never thought that they would be able to have. Instead of fighting every second of every day, they had somehow become friends . Of course that term had to be used loosely because honestly Natsu annoyed him more than 85% of the time and he knows that the flame head feels the same way, but Natsu is also the only one that he feels that he needs to prove himself to. Natsu was the reason why he continued moving forward.
He was the figure that he was constantly having to chase. And this time, he had to be quick enough to catch up with him to ensure that the pink haired mage would continue to be that unattainable goal that he strived for.
Or at least, that’s what he told himself. That’s all he’d let himself listen to. For this, logic had to come first.
Just as he was about to question where the hell Natsu and Acnologia were, Gray came to break in the trees and slowed down to a stop as the sound of voices reached his ears. One of the voices was most definitely the flame brain and the other was one he had just heard moments ago when Acnologia appeared in front of them in human form.
He concealed himself in the bushes as best as he could so that he could have the element of surprise. While Natsu was known for running head first into situations, Gray was known for thinking things through and that was something that he knew he had to capitalise on here. He glanced at Natsu and noticed that he was breathing heavily; he could probably keel over at any given second.
His face was cut and his extremities had burns on them from Acnologia’s attacks. The proud stature of the fire dragon slayer was all but absent as he had to struggle to stay on his feet. The mark that he kept hidden beneath the bandages on his arm was on display, but any magic that had once been tied to it was gone. Natsu’s ace in the hole was null and void.
As much faith as he had in the dragon slayer, he knew that the pinkette probably wouldn’t last too much longer; even if he seemed pretty damn near invincible sometimes.
“Natsu Dragneel,” Acnologia stated flatly; his red gaze flat as he took in the pitiful state of his opponent, “You are far weaker than I expected.”
“Sh-Shut up you bastard,” Natsu spat at the ground and wiped his chin, “I’m going to take you down!”
The fair haired dragon slayer raised an unimpressed eyebrow,
“I highly doubt that, you’re nothing like you father and you’re nothing like your brother; you’re useless.”
Gray’s own eyebrows furrowed as the implications of the intended insult came to mind. After all the years he spent with the pinkette in Fairy Tail he never said anything about having a brother, or any other family except for Igneel. He, along with many others in the guild, just thought that Natsu was an orphan like the rest of them. It didn’t matter where he came from, or if they didn’t believe where he came from, Natsu was part of their family. The flame head himself didn’t argue the point either.
The only thing that Natsu ever talked or cared about finding was Igneel, so he guessed that was the only family that he ever had. But, if he thought about it there was no way that the dragon slayer could have always been with Igneel, he had to have had some sort of family before the dragon found him. Maybe his brother was some sort of great mage or something; that would make sense considering all the mad power that Natsu seemed to possess.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Natsu growled deep in his throat; his hands curling into tight fists, “But I’m still going to kick your ass for killing Igneel and for attacking my family!”
Acnologia then seemed to look at Natsu with something akin to sympathy,
“Do you honestly not know the truth Natsu Dragneel?”
A shiver travelled down Gray’s spine as the pure anger and hatred on Natsu’s face contorted him into something much more terrifying than a dragon. As the ice mage watched him, a dark feeling churned inside him and could feel his slaying magic struggling to break onto the surface.
“Ah,” Acnologia licked his lips, “So you do know the truth; have you told your Fairy Tail family your true identity yet?”
A tense silence swallowed the clearing causing Gray’s heart to pound in his chest as the oppressive atmosphere pressed down upon him. He raised his head to look at the two mages again to see that Acnologia’s searing red gaze were burning into his own. All his muscles stiffened as the fair haired dragon’s deadly gaze stayed locked on him.
“Why the silence Natsu Dragneel?” Acnologia mocked him, “Is it because you can smell one of your friends nearby?”
Natsu tensed as he glared at the dragon mage,
“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about; so shut your mouth and fight me properly!”
“Now Natsu, I can call you that right?” Acnologia raised a teasing eyebrow prompting a growl to escape Natsu’s lips.
Gray couldn’t help but shift his weight restlessly as he took in Natsu’s discomfort. His hands itched to cast magic, but he forced it down. It wasn’t time yet. Soon, but not yet.
“This isn’t like you at all young dragon slayer. Aren’t you the one who goes around saying you should be true to yourself?” The dark slayer rubbed his chin, “Why the sudden change in philosophy?”
Natsu’s nostrils flared and smoke started to rise from his hands,
“I told you to--”
“Are you worried about the demon slayer?” Acnologia ignored him as his eyes seemed to settle on Gray once more, “You don’t need to worry over that; he’s your friend, or am I mistaken?”
Gray gulped as he shifted his gaze over to Natsu whose honey coloured eyes stared at him with a mixture of anger, hatred and worry.
“Leave him--”
“--out of this? alone?” Acnologia rolled his eyes, “Now I can’t possibly do that; I mean he came all this way to help you...although, he’d probably do a better job if he came out of those bushes.”
Gray felt as though all the life had been sucked out of him as he noticed the renewed tension sweeping through Natsu’s frame. He had seen the dragon slayer tense before, but it was always in preparation for an upcoming battle. This tension… this tension was fear . The ice mage cracked his knuckles and straightened up to make himself known. He could feel Acnologia’s red eyes on him as he moved.
He was about a meter away from Natsu when his demon slaying magic urged him to stop. He frowned to himself as he noticed the inky darkness of his demonic side peering through his pale skin; they haven’t done something like this in over six months. Especially not without his command.
Just what the hell was going on?
“So, you must be Gray Fullbuster; the demon slayer of Fairy Tail.” Acnologia addressed him with a smirk, “It’s nice to formally meet you, sorry I couldn’t play with you a little earlier, I had more pressing needs at hand.”
“Clearly,” Gray scowled at the fair haired man; he crossed his arms over his chest, “Just what do you want with Natsu anyway? He’s a dumbass with the same amount of brain cells as a plant; not exactly someone of use to you.”
Surprisingly enough, not a single quip or shout of annoyance reached his ears. He raised an eyebrow expectantly at his comrade only to see that the bastard was avoiding his gaze. His forehead furrowed in confusion as Acnologia’s laugh filled the air. He turned his deep blue eyes towards the dark dragon and noticed a full-blown smile on the man’s face.
“I can’t help but wonder, how long have you known Natsu Dragneel?”
The raven scoffed and rolled his eyes,
“That’s not any of your business now is it.”
“Oh I find it very much my business,” He smiled darkly, “Considering the fact that as a demon slayer you’re not fulfilling your duties; your father would be very disappointed in you.”
Gray’s magic swirled dangerously as he glared hellfire at the man,
“Don’t you dare talk about my father as if you know him.”
“Gray.”
The ice mage turned to glare at the nervous dragon slayer,
“And you, what the hell is wrong with you?! Did this asshole cut out your tongue or something?!”
“No,” Natsu denied without hesitation, “But Gray, there’s nothing you can do here; I don’t need your help, so get lost.”
Gray bristled at the outright insult and clenched his fists at his sides. How dare the dragon slayer say something like that to him?! They had spent years fighting alongside each other, fighting with each other, and the bastard was pulling this shit with him. He glared at the pink haired mage as he resolutely kept his eyes on Acnologia and refused to make eye contact with the ice mage himself.
Where did the hot head get off on treating him this way; he thought that they were past this bullshit.
“I think it’s a little late for that Natsu,” Acnologia smirked in amusement, “Plus, what type of friend would you be if you stood in the way of your closest ally accomplishing the task handed to him by his father with his dying breath?”
Gray clenched his fists at his sides; his magic swirling dangerously in his palms,
“What does my father have to do with any of this?”
Acnologia smiled sardonically as he reached into the folds of his cloak and pulled out a heavily bound book. The ice mage immediately recognised the intricate designs on the cover. He had seen the book once. He held it in his hands once, only for it to slip through his fingers.
The dark slayer tapped his long fingers along the spine of the book rhythmically,
“Gray Fullbuster what if I were to tell you that the only living relative of Zeref and his strongest creation, E.N.D. was standing right in front of you and you didn’t even know it?”
He stared at the dragon in disbelief. He had to be lying. There was no way that E.N.D. was standing in front of him. Was Acnologia more important than anyone ever could have realized? Was he actually a demon rather than a dragon slayer turned dragon?
“Gray,” Natsu hissed.
The raven opened his mouth to demand what the hell Natsu’s issue was, only for Acnologia to cut him off before he had the chance to make a comment.
“You’re not looking in the right place demon slayer,” The fair haired dragon rolled his eyes, “Have you ever wondered what E.N.D. stood for?”
Gray’s attention shifted from Acnologia to look at Natsu who growled irritably and allowed his fire magic to consume him even more. His slaying magic only seemed to grow even more restless the longer that he stared at the dragon slayer. Natsu’s eyes met his almost on instinct and Gray flinched back as he noticed the pinkette’s familiar honey eyes giving way to a bright red.
“Natsu, what...”
Acnologia laughed loudly as he held the book aloft,
“E.N.D. is an acronym for the strongest demon of all time; the one demon who is able to stand against Zeref.”
“Don’t!” Natsu shouted furiously; his entire body lit by his flames as he dashed towards the dark dragon.”
“E.N.D.,” Acnologia muttered distortedly as his body began to shift shape, “is none other than Etherious Natsu Dragneel.”
Gray felt his world, his very existence, stop at that very moment.
All the fight, all the annoyance and anger, that he felt just seconds before left him in a blink of an eye. There was no way that this asshat was telling him the truth; he had to be lying. The dragon would’ve seen Natsu and him fighting Mard Geer that day Ishgar. Maybe the coward was trying to put a wedge between them so that they’d fight each other instead of him.
It was no secret how much he hated E.N.D., he was sure that all of Earthland knew of his mission by now; especially after his stint with the Avatar guild. That had to be what this was, there was just no way that Natsu was actually...
But as he stared at Natsu, the enraged and powerful dragon slayer, launch an attack at the dark dragon; he knew in his heart that Acnologia wasn’t lying. Everything that has happened in the past ten minutes was starting to make sense. Being able to latch onto Natsu’s magic so quickly, his demon slaying magic becoming so restless and finally Natsu’s red eyes; it was all becoming too clear.
The final nail in the coffin was when Acnologia threw the book and it landed at his feet. The letters on the cover spelling out what Gray wanted so desperately to ignore out for him.
Gray sunk down to his knees; his legs no longer being able to support his weight. His heart was thudding painfully against his ribcage and his chest heaving from the harsh pants that escaped his throat.
His rival.
His unattainable goal.
His best, and most trusted friend.
His most important person.
The sound of battle rushed his ears in a cacophony of noise as he watched Natsu fight Acnologia. Flames of red and blue were being fired in every direction and all he could do was watch. Watch as two demons tore through a forest. Gray lowered his hands and shakily dropped them to his side and clenched the grass that tickled his fingertips; he would get their attention.
The ice mage gathered his slayer magic within his chest and set his frozen deep blue eyes on the fighting mages as he inhaled through his mouth,
“Ice Demon’s Rage!”
Shards of ice and snow immediately came forth and rocketed towards the oblivious mages. He screamed until he was sure that his throat would go raw and bloody. He would make that flame bastard hear him loud and clear. Gray watched as both the dragon slayers dove away from the ice attack mere moments before it struck either of them.
The battleground was silenced to only leave Gray’s harsh breaths as he fought to gather his wits and his words.
“What the hell ice princess?!” Natsu roared at him furiously, “Watch where you’re aiming that thing, you almost hit me!”
The raven ignored his outburst and stared at him,
“How long…”
The pinkette stiffened slightly,
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Gray smashed his fists into the ground causing icicles to shoot up from the grass in quick succession. Natsu was once again forced to jump out of the way or else risk getting skewered by a stray chunk of ice. The ice mage slowly pushed himself to his feet and raised himself to full height; his sharp, frozen gaze hidden by his raven coloured hair.
“Don’t you dare lie to me.” He spat, “How long have you known you were E.N.D.?!”
Natsu flinched as if Gray had struck him, but he could honestly care less at the moment. He would glare at the dragon slayer all day if he had to. He was pulled out of his one sided glaring contest when an amused snort reached his ears. His gaze shifted from Natsu to Acnologia who was now leaning against a tree with his arms folded across his chest.
“It seems as though you’ll be busy,” Acnologia smirked, “So how about we pick this up another time Natsu Dragneel; that is, if you can survive this.”
“No!” Natsu snapped out of his thoughts, “You’re not going anywhere!”
Rage consumed Gray’s body as the pinkette continued to run away from what was happening in front of him. Without thought, the raven’s legs started to move; a stumble that turned into a walk, then into a jog, then finally until a full out sprint as he ran over to Natsu and sent a fist flying into the dragon slayer’s cheek. Gray didn’t notice when Acnologia transformed into his dragon form and he didn’t notice when the dark mage flew away; his eyes were only for Natsu.
“Gray!” The pinkette shouted furiously, “You let him get away, damn it! We could have dealt with this later; this might have been our only chance!”
“Don’t feed me that bullshit!” Gray shouted back; his hand fisted into the front of Natsu’s white scarf, “You and I both know that you’d continue to avoid this until the bitter end! Now answer me; how long have you known the truth?!”
The ice mage regarded his counterpart as the dragon slayer looked up at him; the back of one of his hands brushing against his now bruised cheek. When Natsu looked like this, he looked like he did when Gray had punched him on Galuna Island.
The moment he had said that he was going to use his fire to melt the ice surrounding Deliora. Things were simpler back then; they were barely friends. They tolerated each other for the sake of Lucy and so that they could escape a beat down from Erza.
But, now everything was different.
“I’ve…” Natsu sighed loudly as he rubbed the back of his neck, “I’ve known for about a year now; I found out on my travels with Happy…when I was trying to get stronger.”
Gray blinked at him for a moment before a sardonic laugh bubbled forth from his chest. He could feel Natsu looking at him, but he couldn’t find himself caring. He pressed the palms of his hands to his forehead and laughed until he couldn’t breathe anymore. When he finally felt his laughter subside, he glanced at Natsu through his fingers and forced himself to breathe deeply.
“To think,” He chuckled brokenly, “I’ve been with E.N.D. the entire time.”
The pinkette pushed himself to his feet and reached out to him,
“Gray…”
“Don’t,” His heart thudded painfully, “Just don’t…”
He watched Natsu’s hand drop to his side and then forced himself to look away. He looked down at his unsurprisingly bare chest; his eyes landing on the navy blue guild mark that rested over his pectoral. It was almost hidden beneath his growing slayer markings, but it was still stubborn enough to burn brightly. He pressed a hand against the mark and closed his eyes; taking a deep breath.
Natsu was his most important person. He was the light of Fairy Tail. He was Gray’s light. Being E.N.D wasn’t going to change that.
Gray loved his father. He wanted to avenge him and finish his mission. But not at the cost of Natsu. Not at the cost of his best friend.
Suddenly, a fiery fist landed against his cheek sending him skidding across the grass and into a nearby tree trunk. He gasped as his back dug into the bark and he fell on his side heaving as he tried to get the air back into his lungs.
“Wh-what the hell flame brain?” He raised his head to look at the dragon slayer incredulously.
His eyes widened as he took in the appearance of the mage standing in front of him; in a matter of moments the Natsu standing in front of him was no longer the Natsu he knew. Natsu was replaced by a being with burning red eyes and hair as white as snow. His once tanned skin was covered in black and red scales; steam emanating from every part of his body.
“Thank you,” A distorted voice reached Gray’s ears, “You helped free me from my prison demon slayer.”
“E.N.D.,” He propped himself on his elbows and stared at the demon , “You’re, you’re E.N.D.?”
The demon cackled ominously and clapped his clawed hands slowly,
“Look at that, it seems as though the slayer is a genius; give the runt a prize!”
Gray couldn’t help but shudder as he took in Natsu’s true form; was this really the monster that Natsu had been hiding all this time. He pushed himself to his feet as his back protested his movement. He leaned against the very tree he was thrown against as he tried to gather his bearings. His attention was pulled towards the demon once more as another laugh reached his ears.
“What’s wrong demon slayer?” He clicked his tongue, “Have you never faced an actual demon before?”
His mind immediately jumped to Deliora and then to Doriarte before finally Mard Geer,
“Yeah, but you would know that wouldn’t you?”
E.N.D. smiled at him broadly,
“Perhaps you have, but not on your own. You were always too weak and defenseless ; instead other people had to lose their lives for you.”
Gray frowned darkly,
“Shut up, you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
The demon swiped his tongue against his lips,
“I’m not sure about that; it haunts you at night doesn’t it? Your mother’s death, your teacher’s death, the death of her daughter, and your father’s death. You’re weak demon slayer, you’ll never be able to defeat me; at least not before another one of your loved ones loses their life.”
The air immediately frosted over as ice sprouted from around Gray’s feet,
“SHUT UP!”
Before the demon could even make a move, the ice mage dashed towards the demon and brought his hands together rapidly. The demon’s destruction being the only thing on his mind as he called forth the demon slaying magic that was granted to him by his father; he would avenge his father if it was the last thing that he ever did.
No matter the cost. This thing wasn’t his best friend. Not anymore.
“Ice Devil’s Zeroth Long Sword!”
Gray grasped the ornate sword tightly in his hands as he swung at E.N.D. with all his might; a trail of ice following it as he followed through. The demon ducked under his first blow with the same damn smirk on his face before grabbing onto the sword when Gray went to strike him again. The slayer scowled as he noticed the steam rising from his weapon from the mere touch of the demon.
“Come now demon slayer,” E.N.D. tittered, “Is that seriously all you have? How pathetic are you?!”
The raven cursed as he wrench the blade out of the demon’s grip and inhaled,
“I won’t let you defeat me! I promised my father that I would put an end to you! Ice Devil’s Rage!”
Gray couldn’t help but smirk as he noticed the amusement had slipped off the demon’s face. However, he realized that it wasn’t for the reason that he thought for the demon merely shifted his stance so that his feet were a shoulder width apart. His eyes widened as the demon took the form for a spell that he had witnessed all too often in his childhood.
“Fire Dragon’s Roar!”
He moved from his position just as the two magic’s met on a head-on collision causing an explosion to erupt. Nearby trees were ripped from the ground and thrown haphazardly to the side as if they were rocks. Gray’s eyes narrowed at the cloud of smoke that erupted in the middle of the battlefield before running right into the middle of it. He closed his eyes and reached out to Natsu’s magic so that he could better pinpoint his location.
“Did you honestly think you could defeat me demon slayer,” The distorted voice echoed around him, “I was created in order to stop Zeref; do you honestly think a measly mage like you could be powerful enough to destroy me?”
Gray tried to ignore him and push what the monster was saying to the back of his mind; he couldn’t lose focus. He could still faintly hear the demon picking him apart as he struggled to grab onto the loose tangent of power that was emanating from it. He had to defeat E.N.D.! He had to protect his family, his friends, he had to prove that his father’s sacrifice was worth something! But most of all, it was his duty as a Fairy Tail wizard to protect the innocent even if it was at the cost of his most important person…
His deep blue eyes shot open as he sprinted through the steam and swung to his left with all his might. A guttural scream of pain nearly shattered his eardrums as the sword managed to cut the demon across the chest from shoulder to hip. Gray was met with glowing red eyes as the steam started to finally dissipate, but he didn’t hold back anymore; even if it was Natsu, he would not hold back!
Gray poured every ounce of demon slaying magic into his sword and attacked E.N.D. relentlessly. For the first time in his life, he was going to protect everyone he cared about; no one was going to die because of his weakness. Each attack he landed caused another roar of pain to erupt from the demon’s throat; the black blood was splattering the ground with every hit it took.
Gray felt the sword beginning to crack in his hands; it wouldn’t be able to hold up against the demon’s skin that much longer; but he’d keep going until the sword shattered. He would win this battle; he could feel it, the demon wasn’t even fighting back anymore.
He paused in his attacks.
He stared at the demon and it stared back at him; its red eyes blank and looking through him. It was clear that E.N.D. was on its last legs, just one blow would be enough to finish it and his father’s dream would be completed. Gray raised his sword to attack, but found that his body wouldn’t move; something was stopping him from finishing the job. He glanced around the clearing; checking to see if there was anything physically stopping him from attacking.
“What’s the matter demon slayer?” E.N.D.’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts, “Are you too weak hearted to finish me off? I could always find your family members and fight them if you wish; I could always go for more entertainment.”
The ice mage felt the simmering rage in his chest swirl once more when his eyes landed on the book that Acnologia threw to his feet. E.N.D’s book. Natsu’s book .
It was closed.
Gray’s hand clenched tightly around his cracking sword; tears brimming in his eyes as he realised what Natsu had done,
“No, you won’t do that.”
“Oh?” The demon cackled before spitting blood onto the ground, “And what makes you so confident of that?”
The ice mage stared evenly into the demon’s eyes,
“Because you’re not E.N.D., you’re a fire breathing idiot.”
E.N.D.’s sharp toothed smile seemed to widen a moment before the blood-red gaze quickly morphed into a familiar honey-gold colour. Slowly, like a mirage, the black and red scales along with the white hair disappeared to reveal the familiar characteristics of the hot headed dragon slayer of his childhood.
Gray’s hands shook as he stared at the idiot that took up a quarter of his heart. Natsu’s blood slid down the blade of the ice sword as the tears brimming in Gray’s eyes started to slide down his cheeks,
“What the hell are you doing Natsu?”
Natsu choked on a laugh and smiled brokenly at the ice mage,
“Isn’t it obvious ice princess, I was letting you kill me.”
“You,” Gray glared at him, “You were what? Are you a dumbass?!”
The pinkette shook his head tiredly,
“It was the only way Gray and you know it. Killing E.N.D. was your father’s final request to you before he died and you wouldn’t have been able to do it if you had to fight me as the Natsu Dragneel from Fairy Tail.”
The ice mage had to do everything in his power to stop his mouth from dropping open in shock. Natsu was willing to give his life so that he could fulfill his promise to his father? What the hell is the idiot thinking; even if he is E.N.D. there was absolutely no way Gray would be able to kill him if he wasn’t fighting back.
“And you’re right,” Natsu looked down at his hand, “E.N.D. is dangerous and it is deadly. One day, someone will open my book and that’s the last thing I want to happen. In fact, I was going to pull this stunt after my fight with Acnologia was handled so that I could die without regrets.”
Another crack erupted across his sword at the statement,
“You…you what?”
The dragon slayer rubbed the back of his neck,
“And I knew that once the demon took over, it would have no qualms about killing you Gray and I didn’t want the moment to come where it woke up and you weren’t strong enough to defeat it.”
“It’s my father’s magic Natsu,” Gray ground out angrily, “He chose it because he knew it was the only thing that could defeat a fire demon like E.N.D.”
Natsu shook his head adamantly,
“That’s not what I’m saying at all; your father was a great wizard Gray and I have faith that he, and you, would be strong enough to defeat E.N.D., but E.N.D. is me . It has my memories, so it would only make sense that it could kill you before you killed it and I can’t let that happen…”
The ice mage opened his mouth to argue only for Natsu to shut him up indefinitely,
“I care about you too much and it would destroy me if you were killed by my hand; I had to ensure that you killed me first, before I slaughtered everyone in Fairy Tail.”
He cares about me?
“So that’s why I’m telling you,” Natsu smiled brightly at him and tilted his head to the side, “Kill E.N.D., kill me, before I’m too strong for you to do so.”.
Gray shook his head slightly, not willing to accept what he was hearing. As much as he wanted to argue with Natsu, he knew he was right. Just moments ago, Natsu was pretending to be E.N.D. and was barely able to keep up.
The ice mage hoisted his sword one more time; the minute cracks glistening in the mid-afternoon sunlight. He watched as Natsu stood just meters in front of him with his hands resting at his sides. The dragon slayer was the epitome of relaxed given what was about to happen to him. Gray closed his eyes and took a deep breath before walking slowly towards Natsu. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears the closer he got to the fire mage.
When he decided on his goal to defeat E.N.D. he never imagined that it would be like this. He never thought that he would be fighting his rival to the death. He never thought that he would have to say goodbye to his rock and his best friend. Just when he thought he got strong enough to protect his family from the threats of death and destruction, the darkness that insisted on following him continued to rear its ugly head.
He was jogging.
He thought that after he defeated E.N.D. he would get bandaged by Wendy, get scolded by Erza, get fussed over by Lucy and smothered by Juvia. He thought that after he defeated E.N.D. he would be able to revisit his parents’ grave and tell them about the battle and how he used his father’s magic to save Earthland from the menace of the demon he set his existence on defeating. He thought that after he defeated E.N.D. he would sit in the Fairy Tail guild hall with his family and celebrate for a whole week straight.
He was running.
He thought that after he defeated E.N.D. things would go back to normal. Zeref and Acnologia would hopefully be destroyed and the threat of Zeref’s demons would no longer plague the world. He thought that after he defeated E.N.D. he could maybe travel with Lyon and get to know him as a brother again. He thought that after he defeated E.N.D. Natsu Dragneel would be standing right there beside him with his annoyingly goofy smile and obnoxious laugh. He thought that after he defeated E.N.D. he and Natsu would go on more missions with Lucy, Erza, Happy, Wendy and Carla as a team.
He swung.
He thought that after he defeated E.N.D. he would finally have a chance to be happy.
He cares about you…
Natsu Dragneel cares about you...
All was silent except for Gray’s heavy breathing as he collapsed to his knees in front of his most important person; his rival, his comrade, his best friend, his everything. Silent tears ran down his cheeks as his bloodied sword disappeared into icy crystals. He clenched his now empty hands into the blades of grass and choked back a sob.
So he couldn’t bear to see you die...
“Ironic, I spend an entire year training myself to become strong enough to defeat E.N.D., while you trained an entire year to become it.” He chuckled once more before mumbling, “It’s as if I’m destined to kill anyone who has ever been important to me…”
A warm wind brushed through his raven locks as tanned, bleeding arms wrapped around his upper torso and buried his nose into a familiar burning neck. His arms shook as he slowly raised his arms and returned the embrace of the one person who reminded him that running away wasn’t the answer to solving his problems. He inhaled the familiar smell of campfire as he allowed himself to relax into the warmth.
“I guess we’re similar in that regard,” Natsu chuckled jovially though it was somewhat strained, “We’re Fire and Ice--we need each other.”
And you can’t bear to let him die.