Natsu's POV:

I guess it all started that fateful morning. It was just like any other day when the team decided to go on a mission. I obviously had no problem with that since I enjoy fighting, but for some weird reason I just felt as if something was gonna happen. I just figured it was just my excitement bobbling inside me after reuniting together after a year, with you know, with the guild being disbanded and everything after that, so I just went along. But what I'll forever regret was ignoring my instincts. But you know by now I thought I knew better to NEVER ignore my instincts, since I'm a dragon slayer and all, but people do say I am oblivious. Well anyways the team had no trouble getting there, (if you don't count us dragon slayers barfing from motion sickness), it all started like any type of battle; going to the client and then off to go beat bad guys! When suddenly that werid feeling came back. The feeling that something was gonna happened, but this time I realized it was gonna be bad, VERY bad. And it did. Way, way worser then I could EVER imagine. It felt as if everything went slow-motion, I could replay it in my like an endless loupe. It started with Lucy's magic deflating from exhaustion, then Gray and Erza finishing their last blow with a powerful move, causing them to drop down from exhaustion as well. Wendy, who was in defense, helping us with magic power, went to the wounded to heal their injure's, soon dropped from magic deflation and exhaustion as well. Now the only one standing was me and that dark master. Yeah, I figured it would be. It's always like this. Either me or Erza would end up being the last ones. Stupid Ice Princess couldn't stay grounded to at least do that! But this time it was different. Why you ask? Well that's because I knew it was a one-sided beat down. And no, this time it wouldn't be the enemy, it would be me. Yep! Surprise, surprise! But I couldn't care less as long as my friends are same, I'll stay fighting! With an incredible powerful spell. We both launched an attack at each other before both of us soon blacked out from magic deflation. His words was the last thing before everything turned dark.

"MENTAL MAGIC: UNLEASH THE BEAST WITHIN!"

After what felt as hours of floating in darkness, I finally awoken back in the clearing where it all toke place. The first thing I register was the moon and stars. Then my surroundings. I felt a strange warm liquid behind my back. I shakily got up all sticky, but found my footing in warm water as well. The strange liquid was all over me and my body was aching all over from the last attack. I couldn't see what it was, since my vision was still cloudy and it's dark out, but when it everything became clearer, I realized what the liquid REALLY was. Blood. Actually, it was a river of blood, that was about everywhere. I obviously realized that it wasn't mine. No normal human could have THIS amount of blood inside their body. It was all just so inhuman. I looked around my surroundings and immediacy spotted who's it was. My COMRADES!!! And not only just them, but also the dark mages!!! OH MAVIS!!! Oh My Mavis!!! I saw their shredded body part's everywhere!!! Instantly a flow of terror struck me and I fell down on my hands and knees, getting soaked in more blood, but I didn't care. The horror of it all was too much for me to contain. My friends, my family, (even those dark mages, who know matter what they did, didn't and shouldn't deserve this), the people who I treasured dearly, the ones who I promised to always protect and be their for them are now gone! They believed in me! And I failed them! OH MAVIS I FAILED!!! Without my notice at first I started hyperventilating.

I soon did when I couldn't breath. 'Breath! Relax. Just breath!' I thought.

But I just couldn't. How could I?! HOW?! HOW AM IM SUPPOSED TO RELAX WHEN I KNOW MY COMRADES ARE GONE!!! The images will and would FOREVER stay attach with me! The knowledge that someone, some MONSTER could do this to my precious family! Tears soon escaped upon my despaired face. Ones I couldn't resist stopping. Tears of sorrow, realizing I wouldn't and couldn't EVER see my friends EVER again! The fun times we had together, the hardship we suffered together, the fights we went through just do become stronger to protect each other was all for.... Nothing. Now it's all gone!!! And it won't ever come back! The promises I made to Igneel after his.... Death... That I'll become stronger to protect them is now broken!!! Just like I am now. With a heartbroken roar that descended across the surrounding area, which would've brought anyone into tears. A wail of sorrow, frustration, and a DEEP loneliness that would FOREVER stay with me, escaped my throat. What's even worse was knowing that I have to face the whole guild alone and tell them the truth. The grief and the heartbreaking faces, just imagining it all breaks me even more so. But before that, I have to find out who or what did this. My mussing was interrupted when I suddenly heard a craze laughter from behind me. I turned sharply around to come face to face with that bastard dark master.

'I thought I knocked him out! What the hell?! He shouldn't even be standing!'I thought. 'Wait! Hold up! I bet it was him! He's the only one around here conscious besides me! That FUCKING BASTARD!!! I'll KILL HIM FOR DOING THIS TO MY COMRADES!!!'

A strong urge just to snap and kill him right now went through me, but before I could take even one step, I was interrupted once more.

"Don't give me that look. This is your fault!~" He said as if it was obvious.

"What the hell are you talking about?! This is your fault! All of this is!!!" I shouted in rage. How dare he say it was my fault?! I wasn't the one who killed them! This guys insane!

"You haven't found it out yet? How disappointing. More fun for me though~ I can see how you react to it all~" He said.

I honesty didn't understand what he's going on about. "What you babbling about?!" I shouted, pissed off already with this guy. I just want to get this over with. But.

"Oh nothing really~ Just that it was your doing that lead to this massacre."

"Huh?"

"You don't get it do you? Let me explain then. After I attacked you with that last spell, it was you who killed them all. Mental Magic: Unleash The Beast Within has the ability to well exactly that, to unleash the beast within. Since you're a fire dragon slayer, you were a perfect example to try it on. You basically went berserk and slaughtered everyone near you. That's what happened, my boy." I couldn't believe what he said.

It was my fault? He... He gots to be lying! Right? Right?! "You-You're lying!"

"Oh am I now? If I was lying then please tell me why all these corpses have burnt marks on?" He said in-a-matter-of-fact way.

I couldn't. I couldn't believe him. Looking around I indeed found there was burnt marks. But I just couldn't. I couldn't have killed all this people and my friends, right? I... I just don't know anymore. With that, I dropped to my knees once more. My body shaking with sobs. The guy just looked on with pity. Pity, which I didn't need.

"You really are pathetic, you know that?" With that he left.

His word repeating in my brain like an endless loop. Pathetic. I'm pathetic? Yeah, yeah, I'm pathetic. It's all my fault. I'm pathetic. I'm pathetic. I'M PATHETIC! I'M PATHETIC!!! IT'S ALL MY FAULT! OH GOD IT'S ALL MY FAULT! I'm not strong. I'm... I'm... I'm weak!!! I couldn't... I couldn't protect them... How? How am I'm supposed to tell the others this? How am I supposed to tell them that it was all my fault that their dead. They... They'll hate me! Gramps, no, Master, would kick me out! It's the #1 rule to NEVER kill someone whose a member in Fairy Tail. It's taboo. Killing... Killing wasn't right. It never is. Yet, here I am. They would think I'm a monster, I'll be shun, feared from all, treated differently, look down on, and looked at mostly with hatred and disgust. All because of one big mistake. I wish we didn't go on this mission. Them none of this would've happened. I just wish this was all a big nightmare. One that I would wake up and be surrounded by my comrades, my family, my team, my meaning to live for and to hold on. Without knowing, I soon blacked out from hyperventilating, I didn't even know I was. I was back in that dark room.

After what felt like hours of floating in darkness, I finally gained consciousness.

I awoke with a start, breathing heavily, upright. "NATSU!" Startled, I looked up and saw my teammates. I froze. They were Alive. Looking as if the pass 24 hours didn't happen. I looked to each of them. They were all there. All with a worried and concern look. Even Gray, who rarely shows any concern for me. I looked around and noticed we were in a hotel. What the hell happened? Was all of that a dream? Or is this a dream.

"Natsu?" Happy suddenly said with worry and a bit of hesitation, which I noticed. My little buddy! He's alright. Without knowing tears fell down my face, soaking up the sheets. Without a heart beat, I picked the startled exceed into my arms, clutching tightly, not enough to hurt him, but enough to reassure that THIS wasn't a dream. I started sobbing which alarmed the others more, I didn't really care. I just don't want this to be a dream.

"Ple-please don't tell me I'm dreaming!" A chocked up sob prevented me from speaking anymore then that. Without warning and hesitation, all four of my comrades, my family, attacked me in one big, tight hug. One that I needed to reassure myself that this wasn't all a fake. Gray was holding me by the shoulders, in the middle, with Erza and Lucy by my sides, and Wendy hugging my waist from behind. I cried on Gray's neck, wrapping my arms around his waist, not caring if I'm humiliating myself or not. I wasn't the only one crying though. Lucy, Wendy, and Happy were crying, but not as hard as I was. They never seen me like this before. Well the girls didn't. Happy, well he's a different story. But Erza and Gray, who I known for years, were more shaken up, they had never in their life had seen me like this. I only had once, it was in Tartarous, when Igneel died, did I breakdown, but not as bad as I am now. After what felt like hours had I calm down. I was still crying, but not as hard as before.

I was still clutched in their arms when Wendy suddenly asked me a question. "Are you alright? Do you wanna talk about it?" She asked gently and sweetly.

I slightly nodded in Gray's neck, but they all saw it. And so I told them, well more like I whispered it with a few interruptions from my hiccups. I told them everything that happened, what I went through and what I felt about it.

After finishing it off with a broken wail, they all had a horrified look on their faces. Each and every one of them were sobbing. Even if possible, they held me closer and tighter.

"Don't you EVER blame yourself for our death! And you are not pathetic! Your the most brightest, loyalest, strongest, most fearful person I've EVER known. And I know a lot!"Lucy declared.

"She's right. Got it?" Erza stated. I nodded instantly without missing a heartbeat.

I was buried in their warmness, even if I'm the hottest one here, their warmness felt homey, like family. But there was one question that's been bugging me since I awoke here, in a hotel room. "Hey guys?" They all hummed as an answer.

"Wh...Why are we in a hotel room?" I stuttered out confused and lost in Gray's neck. They all froze a sudden.

They all let go of the hug, to my dismay, but I was still in Gray's arms. It was weird and awkward at first, but it got comfortable when he tighten his hold on me in his strong, protective, caring arms.

"You... You don't remember?"Gray said.

"Um.... No?" I mumbled out. "What exactly am I supposed to remember?" I mumbled a question to them as my face was still pressed against Gray's neck.

"We're on a mission" Happy suddenly said. I froze, hearing that. I felt myself shake violently. Different, terrifying scenarios played in my head. Each becoming worse then before, I didn't realized I was hyperventilating until I heard the others shouting my name and telling me to calm down, until I felt Gray's soothing hands rub against my back and hair to calm me down. Startled at first, I then relaxed, I didn't realized it was working, since I was so deep into the smooth touches, that I jump slightly when Gray spoke up gently. "Feeling better?" I answer with a hum. Not feeling like talking much.

What Erza said next made me breath out in relief. "Don't worry Natsu. We had already finished the mission when we got here. We can take off sometime for you to relax. With a nightmare like that, I would've done the same." With that and the hands still rubbing against me gently, I soon fell asleep near my friends, my family. And in the arms of my crush.

The last thing I heard before slipping into a blissful dream was "When you wake up, we'll be right here. We won't leave you." I didn't know who spoke those words but I held into those words dearly. I won't. I won't be left behind. Not again. Not when their all around me. Surrounding me everywhere. Even in the after life. Cause we'll always meet once more. I couldn't protect them then, but I'll definitely protect them now. In a way it's like a second chance. One I'll definitely keep. Even if this time it means to be in their shoes. I'll gladly do so. But then again, they'll be protecting me as well. So either way, we'll all come out victories.

~Fin~