The E.N.D. is near

Their struggles

My feet were sore, my eyes stinging from the constant wind lashing against my face, and my heart was thumping wildly inside of my chest. I slowed down to a walk as I approached Natsu and the king of hades.

"Ahh another insect to be crushed underneath my foot," Mard Geer drawled.

Natsu whipped his head around and stared at me in shock but then turned his attention towards Mard Geer again.

"I saw him first Lucy! It's my job to fight him you can't steal him from me!" Natsu hollered at me.

I starred at him with exasperation on my face. Seriously, is that really what he thought I was doing here. Sometimes I wondered if he even had a brain.

"Don't worry Natsu I'm not here to fight him but if you need help I can always join,"I offered.

"No worries, I won't be needing any helping defeating this old man. You saved everyone's asses earlier its my time to help out now," he grinned.

I looked down at my feet and blushed. Even though he is a idiot he somehow always makes everything okay.

Mard Geer was still standing there quietly observing us cocking his head to the side. His eyes landed on mine and I felt a sudden chill go throughout my body.

"Aw so you are the celestial wizard who survived here in tartarus by yourself for so long. I would say I am impressed but vermin doesn't impress me. Awhile ago I knew of another celestial mage that reminds me of you but she died because of her stupidity. I have to admit though a celestial wizard is a much easier way for my plan then what I was planning." Mard Geer said more to himself then Natsu and me.

The king of hades was deep in thought and his ramblings made no sense to me. I glanced over at Natsu who looked just as confused as I was. He saw me looking and he shrugged.

"Fire dragon fist!!" Natsu roared as he quickly attempted to attack Mard Geer. The king of Hades easily side stepped Natsu then swept his leg out and knocked natsu over onto the ground.

"How much stronger you will be soon," he cooed.

"What the hell! Stop saying things that no one understands!" Natsu yelled as he pushed himself up and tried attacking Mard again.

This time though Natsu wasn't so lucky the king of hades quickly deflected his attack then made vines with thorns come out of the earth and entrap Natsu onto the floor.

"Natsu!" I exclaimed as I pulled out leo's key and started running towards him.

Before I could even call my spirit out though Mard Geer sent some of his vines and they snatched Leo's key from my hand. I reached down to pull another key from my belt but my hand only meet air instead of the inside of my key holder. My blood ran cold as the realization hit me and I slowly looked up at the king of hades. He was dangling my key pouch from one finger and looking at me smugly. Natsu was still struggling to get free from the vines but the more he struggled the more the vines tightened and the more the thorns sunk into his skin. He tried to light the vines on fire but they weren't even affected by his fire.

"It seems to me like the two of you might be struggling." Mard Geer sneered at us.

"YOU BASTARD LET ME OUT AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN!" Natsu bellowed.

Mard Geer just continued standing there looking down at us with much distaste and amusement in his eyes. He thought that there was no way that either of them could fight back now, but he was dead wrong. I slowed down my breathing and took a breath in and then out as I closed my eyes. In my mind I pictured Aquarius with her water basin sitting on a rock sunbathing, one of her eyes opened up and she yelled at me while she made a giant wave that crashed into me and sent me flying.

"Thank you Aquarius." I whispered as I could feel the marks on my chest appear again.

"Did you say something girl?" Mard Geer questioned.

My eyes snapped open and I smiled.

"Yes."

I sent a huge wave crashing down onto Mard Geer that made him lose grip of my keys and swept him far away from where me and Natsu were. I grabbed the keys out of the air and immediately called out Cancer.

"Can you cut those vines around Natsu?" I asked hopefully.

Cancer dashed over to Natsu and in a few snips Natsu was standing there free of the vines Mard Geer had casted upon him. I sent Cancer back to the celestial realm and ran over to Natsu.

"Are you okay, do your injuries hurt to much?" I questioned.

I ripped off some of my sleeve and wrapped it around one of the bigger gashes on Natsu's arm.

"Mard Geer will be back soon and when he comes we have to be ready to fight." I finally looked up at Natsu's face and I blushed. He was looking at me with wide eyes and just starring intently.

"Lucy, you are so cool."

My face heated up even more and I looked down at my feet.

"I am not, I just did what I needed to do so we wouldn't die." I looked back up at his face.

He was looking at me with his notorious grin. He lifted one of his hands and placed it on the top of my head.

"Thanks for saving my ass again." He smiled.

My face broke out into a smile and my cheeks tinted pink. I would always be here for him even when no one else was. I don't know when I decided that but I knew now that I would never be able to leave him.

"I guess I underestimated you."

I spun around and saw Mard Geer starring sharply at me and Natsu. Natsu stepped out in front of me and hid me behind his back.

"Well I have had fun but it is time for me to get to business."

With one swipe of his hand a huge vine came out and knocked Natsu over and with another swipe of his hand a huge thorn cage formed around me. Natsu jumped back up and threw a punch at Mard Geer who easily side stepped it.

"Let Lucy go!" Natsu snarled.

"See if I did that she would only get in my way and I would have to kill her and I need her for later. Now Natsu shall we begin?" he grinned as he grasped the book of E.N.D even tighter. "Finally everything is in place. One seal is opened and the other one is soon to be too."

"What the hell are you talking about? I have no clue what you are saying!? Natsu yelled.

"Don't worry Natsu Dragneel you will find out soon enough. The E.N.D is near."