Immediately after Savina left, the two mages had been motivated to find a way to escape. The threat of death hanging over their heads, they needed to leave.

Neither body stopped in search of a crack, rust or weakness in their small cell. They wouldn't stop, they could not stop.

Lucy and Natsu separately agreed that they would hunt all through the night. Not that they would be able to sleep in the first place.

Exhaustion overtook Natsu when he finally sat down. He had inspected every nook and cranny of the enclosure. Not one screw was loose and no moldy hinges, the space was spotless.

"Find anything?" Lucy slumped next to him.

"Not even a dent." He sighed.

"Me neither."

They sat in silence, their heads spinning, trying to think of a way out. However they both came up empty and the quiet continued. Until Lucy finally broke the tense calm.

"I think this is only the second time we've been in the same cell." She forced a small laugh.

"Really? No way!" Natsu thought back to the various jails he'd been in, amussed by the fact. "We've been in so many, how is that possible?"

"I know! You'd think it would happen more." Lucy's smile had returned, lifting Natsu's spirits. "The first time we were placed together was underneath the dark guild Black Heart."

"No way that was the first time." Natsu scratches his head in thought. Then he jumped up eagerly and asked. "How many times have you been locked up?"

"Currently on my tenth." She stated proudly.

"No way! Double digits!" Natsu reported, jealous.

"And you?"

"This is the fifth." He shrugged.

"Ha!" Lucy jeered. "I've got you beat!"

"Oh yeah? I've been beaten up way more than you." His eyebrows met with a sassy smirk.

"You got me there." Lucy hands rose in defense.

The banter continued, comparing scars and battles from long ago. Each remembering the events exactly, proving how close they truly were. Sounds of laughter flooded the halls, the foreign sound out of place for the dark and dreary cages. For the first time, a new light expanded through the cold halls. Walls having never heard the pleasant giggles and chuckles of two friends.

No matter where they were or what lay ahead, Natsu and Lucy would always be Natsu and Lucy. Nothing could break their bond, not even the confines of prison.

Nevertheless, after the haughty fun subsided, the reality crept back in. It was the evening of the Equinox and Lucy's supposed execution. She didn't have to guess what Natsu was thinking, for the same thought filled her mind.

Was she really going to die tonight? Lucy couldn't die, she had been through too much to die now! She refused to die! She needed to be strong and prepare for the unexpected. But over all, she was going to give Savina a hell of a fight before she did anything.

Meanwhile, Natsu felt as if he was suffocating, tightly gripping Lucy's slim fingers. The possibility of her leaving physically hurt him. He would not let Lucy open the gate. Too many times had he lost her, too many times had she been taken from him. Too many times had he watched her die.

A deep rage started to broil inside Natsu's brain, a deep intense hatred. It burned and itched to be released, he couldn't hold it back any longer!

Natsu charged furiously to the barred doors, yelling and pounding the metal cage. He screamed with ferocity unlike any before.

His rash behavior shocked Lucy, he had exploded. A complete contrast in a second! Running to him, she grabbed his arm and held it back. Teary eyed, she shouted at him to stop.

The soft presence enveloped his upper limb, restricting his advance on nothing. Snapping his head back, he smelled Lucy's tears. These small salted water drops made his heart ache. More than anything else, he hated when Lucy cried. Her face was made for joy and happiness, not sorrow.

Stunned by his own actions, his body receded and slumped to the floor. Lucy didn't dare release Natsu's hand, hugging it firmly. She kissed his bleeding knuckles as her tears fell into his wrist.

"Please, let us enjoy our time now." She pleaded. "I am also barely keeping it together, but let us savor these few moments."

Natsu froze, not believing what he was hearing. Had Lucy given up? Did she truly think she would die?

Natsu nodded and obliged. There was nothing they could do that they hadn't already tried. Lucy was right and he needed to support her.

He walked Lucy to the back solid wall and sat down. Lucy positioned herself comfortably in his lap and leaned her head in the crook of his shoulder. He hugged her snuggly and they sat in peaceful silence. Simply one another's presence was enough to get them through the last few hours.