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(Natsu's P.O.V)

"Luce! Where are you!" The dark sky was gone seconds later when it appeared, but was now taken over by heavy rain that filled the air with sadness. "This damn rain is tracking off her scent! I can't find her! Any luck with one of you?"

Wendy and Carla landed back down after searching in the sky. "I couldn't see anything down there, she may be in the woods or is by the lake." Erza and Gray came back with heads down. "We couldn't find anything where the woods were, so that must mean she's by the lake. It's our only option at this point." Carla gave an odd expression toward the lake's path. "What is it Carla?" Wendy asked to her white exceed. "Nothing...its just, a feeling I have. And it's not a good one I feel."

"Then that means we have to find Lucy faster! Come on, let's go where most of the battle took place and start there." We all started to run again as the rain grew heavier making it far harder to see what's in front of us. "Jeez to think it can rain so hard!" Gray spoke while rubbing his face to get water off. "It seems strange though, the rain gives off a negative energy...as if someone's in pain."

"I agree with Wendy. This isn't normal rain...hurry! We need to find Lucy!" Erza sprinted faster to catch up with me when I saw sight of the lake. All of us slowly stopped when we saw everything destroyed. "This must of been one heck of a battle." Gray mumbled, shocked to see feathers that were black and white. I went closer to pick one of the white feathers up to smell it. Her scent of strawberries and vanilla took over my nose. "Lucy was here not long ago. I can smell her scent with the feathers." Erza looked around while circling the feathers. "Let's split up so we can try to find her faster. If you see Zelroth, then you know what to do."

The four of us split up into the forest while the exceeds flew to search in the sky again. The rain was still pouring heavily even with the trees stopping so little of the rain. "Luce! Lucy where are you!" A branch snapped quietly making my head turn fast to see nothing. Instincts kicked in when my fists grew alive with fire. "Come out and show yourself!" Birds screeched at my hollering while flying farther away to another tree. A branch again snapped but closer to me this time. I was about to let hell break loose until I saw the blonde hair swaying behind a tree.

My fists shut off as I ran over to find Lucy over in the direction I saw her. "Luce?" I put my hand on the tree while leaning over behind it to see her. Only no one was there. "Huh? But she was-" The blonde hair again appeared farther this time running away from me. "Oi! Lucy where are you going!?" I started to sprint to catch up with her while pulling out the small pendent.

"I see her guys! She's running over to your area Erza. If you can beat her before she jumps over to Ice Freaks, then we can stop her!"

"Good job Natsu! But why is she running away from you?" Wendy replied back through telepathy.

"It might be the curses still. Lucy could've seen something else other than Flame Breath." Gray spoke back.

"Hey if you're lookin for a fight I'll give you one when I find you!"

"Oh yea Squinty Eyes! I'll take you down before you land a punch on me!"

"That's total-"

"ENOUGH WITH YOUR ARGUMENT! Natsu, I'm on my way to help you. Keep up with her and don't lose sight or else I myself will make punish you!" Erza roared in anger scaring me to death.

"A-aye! I almost caught up with her! I'm about to-"

When I grabbed Lucy's shoulder my body become frozen from coldness. I could feel my toes and fingers numbing from the chills flowing in my skin. I accidentally dropped the pendent from my hand no longer having telepathy with my comrades. Lucy was still standing with my hand in her shoulder. "L-Luce, what h-happened?" My teeth chattered together making it hard to talk to her. Lucy gradually turned her head with dark black veins appearing on her cheek. My breathing stopped when I fully saw Lucy's face with the same red eyes and same black veins. "D-Dark Lucy?"

Dark Lucy picked my hand up off her shoulder and stepped away. My body heat started to come back to me as Dark Lucy continued stepping away from me. "How the hell are you here! I thought you were trapped in your prison in the StarLight Realm!"

"She has been awakened from slumber. With the Dark Ones gone, no one can stop her from destroying the Five Realms. All that lives...will die in darkness." Dark Lucy made a run for it again after finishing her speech. "Wha? That didn't make any since idiot!" I sprinted again to try and catch up with her.

What seemed to be miles later of running, came to a full stop. My lungs were heavy and hurting after that long non-stop run to catch Dark Lucy. "What...are you...doing!?" I yelled while taking deep breaths. "You want to find her right? Your friend."

"Lucy? Yea we're all trying to find her, but why are you even here and I guess helping me?" Dark Lucy pointed forward. "She's not that far now. Keep going straight and you'll find her there." Dark Lucy turned and started to walk away. "Wait! How are you even here?" She stopped with her head slightly turned over to face me. "Because I have been freed from my prison. Lucy and I are connected because I am her conscience. As long as Lucy's alive, then so am I. Plus...she needs someone to help her from the state she's in right now."

"State? What happened?" Dark Lucy began to fade like a shadow. "You'll see. Please Natsu, ease her pain. Lucy is in a dark and empty space without any happiness in her." Dark Lucy vanished as lightning thundered in the distance. The rain kept pouring down on the Earth growing far worse than before. I went straight forward as Lucy's conscience told me to do so in order to find her.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~~•~

"Damn tree branches keep scratching my face." I grumbled swatting away another branch away from my face to finally smell Lucy's scent and a lot of blood. "Luce!"

"I'm here, Natsu." I pushed the final branch away being faced with Lucy's back in front of me with her wings spread out behind her like a train on a dress. I saw her wings tattered and covered in dirt and blood with a few spots missing patches of feathers. "Lucy! Thank Mavis you're alive!" I made my way to her with cheerful grin...until seeing what she was holding.

Lucy's face couldn't be seen from her hair covering her as her head was on another head of a dead exceed. "I'm alive, but in turn of that lost Teral." I fell to my knees watching Lucy speaking so...emotionless while she held his tiny paw with her hand. "Luce...I-I'm so sorry!" My voice cracked trying to contain the emotions she must be feeling right now. "It's alright Natsu. You were doing your job while Teral did his." Lucy rocked her body while gently holding a death grip to his little body.

"What do you mean it's alright! I was supposed to watch him but couldn't do it! I failed you because I couldn't protect Teral Lucy! I didn't do my job even though I defeated the Dark One-"

"Your mission was to destroy Nash. You did so you have succeed your duty. Teral was meant to die in order to protect me from Zelroth's death blow. In terms, Teral also succeed his duty. If anyone lost the battle today...that would be me." Lucy picked her head up to face me. My eyes made contact with her to see so much pain and anger all in her dull lifeless eyes. Lucy had busted her lips again with her forehead bleeding on the left side and also had a serious cut across her nose between her eyes. Even with the rain beating down on us, the blood on her wouldn't wash away. My breathing hitched as my hand unconsciously rested on her cheek.

"L-Luce..." Lucy softly took my hand off her face with her eyes closing. "I failed to seal Zelroth away Natsu. When I watched Teral get hit with that spear, I couldn't control the anger that took over me. I tortured Zelroth and laughed as he wailed in agony until eventually cutting his head off. My feelings is what made me fail this battle. What made me lose Teral." Lucy caressed Teral's head. My heart was hurting from seeing Lucy as she is now.

Lucy again made eye contact with mine. "I had to let him go! Wh-when I found him he was already d-dead so... I no choice but to..." Lucy's voice shriveled while she hid her eyes with her right hand. "I need him Natsu! He was my other half and I felt him leave me! It felt like my soul was shredded in half and had no choice but to go... It was worse than being stuck in the StarLight Realm, worse than being blind, worse than being kidnapped and tortured in the Midnight Realm, worse than my own mother and father's death. I felt him leave me! A part of me died when his spirit left me!"

Lucy uncovered her eyes no longer showing anger, instead of anguish. Lucy screamed without any tears running down her face. The rain took that place for her while she broke in front of me. I hated watching her for it was also breaking my heart and sanity while she was breaking. My eyes were covered by the shadows of my hair before I roughly grabbed both her shoulders. Lucy didn't stop screaming and thrashed at my touch. I pulled her into my chest not giving a damn when she clawed me to move away.

"Teral wouldn't want you to be like this! He would want you to be strong and happy that his sacrifice was worth every second for you to keep living. He will never be forgotten Lucy, instead we'll send him off as a proud Mage he was and cherish every day he was with us. No matter how hard it'll be Lucy, Teral will still be with you in yours and our hearts." Lucy's arm became limp as she became silent after her small cries. "You don't know what he wanted."

"I know he wouldn't want you to be like this Lucy." Lucy tried to push herself away to again hold Teral but failed when my arms tightened around her small figure. "I promise I'll always be here for you Lucy. No matter how far away you and I are, I will always protect you like Teral did for you." Lucy was silent until slowly nodding her head in my chest. Somehow, my head leaned into hers feeling how cold she was all over her body. "Come on Luce, we need to find the others and get back to Aria. If you want, we can make a burial for Teral."

"...Thank you." She whispered as she hugged Teral close to her. I put my hand on top of her head as my lips made contact to her hairline. "Anything for you Luce." I helped Lucy up to her feet when she made her wings cover the three of us from the rain. "I keep thinking I have to keep him out of the rain so he won't catch a cold. I'm such an idiot aren't I?" My head slightly faced her emotionless face that looked forward without any life in her eyes. "No. It's your instinct to protect him even though he's gone. That's not stupid Lucy, that's a gift."

Lucy held Teral with one arm as she grabbed my left hand with her right hand. "Is it alright to hold your hand? I just hope to feel something that I know I won't be able to feel again." I felt my blushing face heating awfully while hers was still the same. "S-sure. I don't care."

We began to walk hand-in-hand with a war that is finally over with...Are the others gonna know where me and Luce are, or just come back to Aria and give me a smackdown for not telling them?

"Thank you again, Natsu" Lucy whispered.

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(So much Nalu it hurts!!! TWO MORE CHAPTERS THEN WITH A FINAL EDIT, THE STORY WILL BE COMPLETE! I can't wait to start the second book! Buuuuut, I need sleep! As always my Lovelies...LOVE YOU ALL!❤️)