Firefall || Fairy Tail

65 : w a r m t h

"And you believe you know him to his very core, do you?"

Lucy puffed out her cheeks some, "I know him way better than you ever will, I can guarantee you that."

"How naive. You can never truly know a person. Even so-called 'friends' have things they keep hidden away from each other." Dimaria turned her gaze to the green-haired female in the room, "Right, Randi?"

Brandish was surprised by the personal tone that dwelled in some of the Warrior Queen's words. In a way, it had even caught some of the others off guard.

But Lucy was determined to defend the unconscious Dragon Slayer before her, "I mean, Natsu... he has outbursts, and he's kinda hard to work with sometimes, but I have no doubt that he's been honest about who he really is deep down."

Evergreen leaned over closer to Brandish as she muttered, "She's totally fallen for him."

"Seems like it."

And the blonde was immediately flustered, "Oh, grow up, would ya?" It was so reminiscent of how Happy would pick on the two all of the time, but now was not the time to be making jokes like that. Her demeanor calmed as she let her eyes fall to the male in question, "He's practically the reason I was able to join Fairy Tail in the first place. I'm grateful."

But as all of them found themselves looking in Natsu's direction, he started to visibly let off steam.

A panic fell over everyone as they shifted closer to him.

"What's happening?"

"I've never seen someone just give off smoke."

Happy was at his best friend's side, "Natsu, no!"

"I'm afraid it might be related to that strange mass growing inside him." Porlyusica could come up with no other reason for what was happening.

"Wake up, Natsu!" Lucy reached down to shake him, but quickly pulled her hand back. 'He's cold!' It was something she had never felt come from him before. Even when she had held him back on Grimoire Heart's ship and he had run himself completely empty of magic, he still had that comforting warmth that always radiated from his skin. "Natsu, come on! Say something!"

Happy pleaded at his side, "Please!"

"Natsu!"

"Open your eyes!"

"He's not responding! Natsu! Natsu!"

The added commotion reached the Phoenix Slayer's ears. She wasn't sure if it was the noise that woke her or that someone was frantically calling out for her brother to answer them. She tried to force her eyes open to see what was going on, but she didn't have the strength. Her entire being was nothing but layers of exhaustion. Continuing into everything head first without having even fully recovered from her escape back to Fairy Tail had finally caught up with her.

'Whatever it is, you stay strong, blockhead.' She willed her thoughts to reach him as she pulled at the power in her chest. The warmth of her curse flowed through her as she let it refuel her magic and body. Brandish and Porlyusica had taken care of the dozens of holes throughout her body; the rest would be up to her.

||~x~||

"Where the hell am I?" Natsu looked around in wonder. The land was flat for as far as he could see, but that was being obscured by a white fog. It had a mystical feeling to it that he couldn't quite shake. That was when he realized there was something behind him.

"Wait," he turned, "is somebody there?"

"It's just me, Natsu."

The fog seemed to part some as none other than Zeref was standing there with a soft smile on his face.