This theory was posted by peoniespoppiesandowlsohmy on Tumblr and all I could think when I read it was "BRING ON THE ANGST". Now Mashima may take a while, so I brought some instead.

Special thanks to Yuri Hannah for your feedback! ^^
Also, Flame of Recca anyone?

"Natsu you can do this..I believe in you"

Natsu started. He hadn't heard that voice for god knows how long; being stuck in an infinite, dark space does take away one's sense of time. How long had it been, since he felt himself being wrenched away from his own mind and body to wherever he was right now? How long had he run in all random directions seemingly headed nowhere? How long since he'd seen any other living being?

How long since he hadn't been this alone?

Her voice, however, brought him just what he needed. Hope.

Moments after he heard her he felt it - a surge of warmth that brought him strength and rejuvenated his will to fight. Like eating fire, only this feeling - he was sure - was no fire, but Lucy's doing.

"Fight this, Natsu..I know you can.."

There it was again, only now Natsu could discern a direction it came from. With a grin, Natsu silently thanked her as he ran towards where the voice came from, remnants of her voice guiding him.

'Yea, Luce. I'm coming.'

And as he did, golden wisps began swirling around him, breaking through the pitch darkness. They appeared gradually, not hindering his speed in the least. Soon, the gold tendrils had overpowered most of the black, shining so bright he had to close his eyes as he ran. The now familiar warmth returned in full force as he felt himself break through the invisible shackles placed on him.

Natsu blinked as his vision cleared and he opened his eyes to see…himself? No, it was someone - something - that looked an awful lot like him, but clearly wasn't.

The thing stood almost regally, the curled horns emerging from his jet-black hair adding an extra foot to his height, with dark tendril-like tattoos covered most of his skin. Bloodthirsty red eyes were glaring right into his, the demon's expression one of mild surprise.

Images bombarded Natsu's memory in the next instance with such force he physically staggered. Zeref, a book, Happy crying, an engulfing darkness swallowing him, bloodlust -

E.N.D.

He was facing E.N.D.

The demon's expression turned to one of amusement as realisation dawned on Natsu. The dragon slayer internally marvelled on how he looked so much like him and so much unlike him at the same time.

'I see it worked,' the demon mused. Even his voice held traces of him, and not simultaneously. It was deeper. Rawer. It sounded wrong.

'Yea. I'm back. And I'm taking my body back too,' challenged Natsu.

'There's no taking it back,' chuckled E.N.D. 'It is your body. Just as much as it is mine. We are E.N.D, after all.'

Despite his confidence just before, Natsu faltered, self-doubt rearing it's ugly head. And just as it did, he heard her again. Noting her words, he couldn't help the grin that split his face as he looked up at his toughest enemy. He straightened himself to his full height, before bracing himself to fight as he chose to repeat what she had just told him.

'No I'm not. I'm a human. A dragon slayer. I am the son of Igneel, Prince of fire dragons and brother to Zeref. But most of all I am Natsu of Fairy Tail, and you'll never be able to take any of that away from me.'

And with that he charged. He knew his fire won't be able to aid him where he was, but he wasn't going to back down.

E.N.D didn't move, just held his amused smile as Natsu approached. Natsu soon realised that it wasn't him not moving so much as him being unable to move.

Grinning, he put his all into one punch to start and end it all. Right through E.N.D's gut.

Honestly, it felt like punching through a barrier not so much a living being. Natsu felt the sorely missed feeling of triumph wash over him as he looked up to see the now fading demon's face.

He froze, however, as he saw that E.N.D was grinning too, with a glint in his eye that had Natsu holding back a shudder and a feeling of foreboding the likes of which he'd never felt before, as the Etherious relayed his final words.

'You beat me, yes. But was it worth it?' He cackled maniacally at his inside joke as he faded away from existence.

Natsu closed his eyes, breathing deeply, willing his unease away when his senses were bombarded - sounds, smells, textures, all overwhelmed him as he finally took control of his own body.

He opened his eyes to find himself standing in a clearing in a forest. Or what used to be one. Charred debris lay everywhere as the fire that had engulfed the region raged on beyond his sight. He was assaulted by the scent of the fire, burnt foliage and clothes, and worse of all blood.

So much blood.

"You're back." whispered Lucy.

Natsu suddenly realised that she was leaning onto him, her voice weaker than he'd ever heard it. He felt her hands on his chest, he felt her her head resting shoulder and he felt -

No.

No.

His head snapped up to look over her shoulder only to see Gray sprawled out on the ground, looking like he'd taken more than just a serious beating. But what had his heart racing all the more painfully was the look of abject horror on his face.

Natsu looked back at Lucy as she gently leaned away to look at his face. She looked so weak, her face drained of all colour, marred by dirt and fatigue. And yet she was smiling.

"I knew you could do it. I'm so proud of you, Natsu."

Natsu only stared back at her in shock. Somewhere at the back of his head he registered Gray frantically calling for Warren to call Wendy. Against his better judgement, he let his eyes wander below her face, his heart thudding loudly in his ears.

What he saw nearly stopped its beating altogether. His right forearm was embedded into her stomach, his fist having gone right through. Her blood was everywhere.

"Natsu. Natsu look at me." urged Lucy, clear despite her weak voice. He obliged, if only because he still couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"It wasn't you, Natsu. It was him. You hear me? This isn't your fault!" she croaked, weakly but firmly.

He hadn't noticed the tears that were cascading freely down his face until Lucy gently tried wiping them away with shaking hands.

Running out of strength Lucy leaned her head back onto his shoulder.

"Live, Natsu. Promise me you'll live."

That did it.

Natsu brought his left arm around her shoulders bearing her weight and, as gently as he could, lowered her so that her legs didn't have to hold her up anymore, being extremely careful to not dislodge the arm that was in her to prevent any extra bleeding as lay her down. He sat gingerly next to her, cradling her head to his chest.

His tears and whimpers were relentless as he did so.

He finally realised that what E.N.D's final words meant. E.N.D hadn't done this to Lucy. He had.

Lucy's breathing had gotten even shallower than before, causing Natsu's fear to increase multifold.

"You're gonna be okay, Lucy. I'm right here. Nothing's gonna happen to you," he kept telling her, though it was more to reassure himself.

"Wendy and Chelia are on their way". Gray, who had crawled his way to them, said.

Natsu's eyes, however, never left Lucy. Her brows were furrowed and she was panting slightly, her face covered in a layer of sweat, dirt and blood. Natsu recognised - with an angonising clench of the stomach - that she was struggling with breathing, the blood she was coughing out definitely not helping matters.

He smelt Happy and Carla along with Wendy and Chelia as they landed and, for the first time since breaking through his mind prison, did Natsu see a glimmer of hope.

He looked up as Wendy and Chelia sat closer to them, Gray shifting to make room.

Wendy gasped in horror at the sight before her, feeling Chelia next to her stiffen in shock. Her own tears were threatening to fall, when Natsu looked up right into her eyes.

"Wendy! Save her, please!"

The painful crack in her brother-figure's voice snapped Wendy back to the task at hand. She held Chelia's hand and gave her a firm nod.

Seeing Chelia on the same page as her, Wendy turned to Natsu. "Okay, Natsu-san. At the count of three I want you to withdraw your hand as swiftly as you can. Chelia and I will work together then on the bleeding and then the wound."

Natsu nodded, turning to look back at Lucy. Wendy realised that she had never witnessed Natsu so sad, so utterly broken before. It only strengthened her resolve as she began counting out loud.

At three Natsu used all his remaining strength to wrench his arm out of his best friend, the action creating a sickening squishy sound that had him cringing. Lucy let out a quiet gasp as her back arched up in what Natsu was certain was excruciating pain.

Natsu felt her bleeding increase just as Wendy and Chelia together worked on her wound. 'A unison raid,' some distant part of him noted.

And it looked like it was working too. Her wound was visibly closing up at an incredible pace, the colour returning to her cheeks as her breathing began steadying.

Hope bloomed even stronger in Natsu's chest and despite his arm being covered in her blood and the gut-wrenching smell of it all around him, Natsu found a small smile curling his lips.

Until Chelia fainted.

Natsu looked on worriedly as Gray picked her up, Wendy not looking up from her task. "She's exhausted," he stated simply.

Natsu was glad she was okay, though he was now worried for Wendy, who looked like she was struggling.

"I-it's strange," said the healer despite her exertion. "She seems to be rejecting the treatment."

Natsu looked at her wound. "But it's closed now! Shouldn't that mean she's okay?" Natsu asked almost pleadingly.

"Her internal injuries aren't fully treated. She is still bleeding on the inside."

"Why would she reject the treatment?" questioned Gray.

"I can't.." Everyone's eyes snapped up to Lucy who had just spoken. "If I live, he'll be back.." she rasped.

Natsu, initially relived to hear her speak, felt had his blood run cold as her words sunk in.

She didn't want to live.

She wanted to -

"Shut up Lucy!" he yelled, startling everyone. "You're gonna live and no bastard you're worried about will be coming back."

Lucy smiled at him ruefully. "That's..not how the spell works, Natsu. But you're human now. You'll forever be human."

Natsu couldn't believe what he was hearing. It wasn't him who defeated E.N.D. It was Lucy.

'But is it worth the cost?'

"Why?" was all he could manage between his sobs.

"Because you should live. Not as E.N.D, but as Natsu of Fairy Tail. Under your own terms, for a future you want."

"W-without you? A future without you?" he asked, as if begging her to see the flaw in her logic.

"I'll be there Natsu, right there." She placed her hand over his heart, smiling up at him, before squeezing her eyes shut against a fresh wave of intense pain.

Opening her eyes, panting, she turned to Wendy and offered her a smile and nod in thanks. Wendy understood, but said nothing in reply, her tears overwhelming her.

She turned to Gray and gently patted the keys strapped to her. "Yukino, please," she breathed. The ice-mage nodded, silently promising to do so and removed her keys from her belt, visibly holding back tears the whole while.

Glancing at Happy next she saw him hunched over, crying, murmuring her name while Carla gently patted his back. Mustering some of her strength, Lucy raised her hand and scratched the little sad furball behind the ears. Happy leaned into her touch but didn't raise his head, his sobs only increasing. Lucy soon dropped her hand.

Finally, she looked back up at Natsu. It hurt him all the more to see that she too was crying now. Her eyes were serious as she breathed in deeply before struggling to speak again.

"Natsu, there's something I -"

"No!"

"Na-"

"NO! I'm not listening to this. You're not gonna die Lucy. You're gonna get okay and we're gonna go on more adventures."

"Natsu, please - "

The distraught boy raised his voice in an attempt to drown out hers. "And Happy and I are gonna sneak into your house and you're gonna yell at us and be weird."

"Natsu.." sobbed Lucy.

He closed his eyes, and only raised his voice more. "You're not dying on us, Lucy! You're not gonna die on me! This is so unf-"

His eyes opened to see glassy ones staring right back at them. Tears no longer falling, the light in them gone.

He registered Wendy's soft sobbing and Happy's wail - both of them having understood what just happened.

Natsu couldn't. Not even when he felt her body go limp in his hands. Not even when a tearing Gray closed her eyes with quivering fingers.

Lucy was…gone.

Natsu brought her closer to his chest and cried. He didn't know how long he sat there holding her lifeless body as he screamed and bawled his anguish out realising slowly, painfully, that he wouldn't ever see her smile or hear her laugh again.

He was still caught up in memories he would never experience again when he felt him appear.

Loke gently picked up Lucy's hand and brought it to his heart, bowing his head in grief. He then quietly pressed a gentle kiss to her palm before looking up at her.

"You're an idiot, Lucy. But you did it. I wish you'd listened to us, but you did it, you saved him. I hope you're happy now watching the mess you've made."

He took a deep breath before looking up at Natsu. The dragon slayer couldn't ever remember a time he saw the lion spirit so anguished, yet so determined.

"Burn her."

Despite himself, Natsu did a double-take.

"Wha-?"

"I said, burn her. That was what she was going to ask of you. And you didn't let her." His eyes grew steelier.

Natsu's onyx ones widened as he looked back down at Lucy, still in his arms.

"B-burn he- I can't do that!"

"It was her last request you idiot, can't you do that much!" yelled Loke, calming down a notch only when Gray held him back.

Natsu couldn't believe what he had to do. He trusted Loke, but how could he…how could he burn away all that was left of her?

"Please, Natsu," he heard Loke beg, the latter having succumbed to his tears, crying on Gray's shoulder. "She wanted this."

Natsu swallowed.

He gave himself a few moments, as he held Lucy close and steeled his resolve.

He would do it. "For you, Lucy, I'll be all fired up," he declared softly with a teary, rueful smile as he rose to his feet.

The others present stepped back to give the dragon slayer space to fulfill his best friend's final wish. Natsu took a deep breath, focusing all his energy into a ball in his centre, letting it gain momentum. He then held her even closer to himself and whispered something in her ear, before he set himself ablaze.

It was a sight none of those present would ever forget.

A huge, blood red flame stood where Natsu had just been, holding Lucy's body. The blaze over ten feet high, a magnificent sight to behold if it weren't so tragic an event.

Natsu could feel Lucy's body being consumed by his flames, the weight in his arms gradually becoming lighter and lighter.

However, that weight was slowly replaced with…warmth?

How could one feel warm inside a raging inferno?

A gasp from Wendy forced Natsu's eyes open. Nothing remained of Lucy and he nearly cut off his flame, when he saw golden wisps - the very same that had saved him only moments ago, now mingling with his fire.

The gold tendrils, wrapped around Natsu, surrounding him with a feelings of warmth and of safety.

Of love.

Sooner than he would have liked, the red and gold flames dissipated, returning inside him. Natsu, dazed, held a palm over his heart and felt a strength within him he had never felt before.

Intuitively, he raised an arm, as the others watched curiously, not one person quite sure of what they had just witnessed.

He faced his palm upwards and channelised his new-found strength into a flame. A golden flame. Shaped like -

"Lucy?" Natsu choked.

The human-like figure leaned closer to him, a hand made of fire materialising as it gently touched his cheek, before gently nodding a yes.

"You're here, with me?"

A nod.

"And you're not going anywhere? Not dying?"

A shake of her head.

And just like that Natsu was crying again, only these were tears of happiness. He used his free arm to try wiping his tears - a failed endeavour - before grinning at her.

"I can say it to your face now, Luce!" He yelled gleefully. "I love you!"

Lucy grew even brighter, as she seemed to smile right back at him. She placed a hand pressed over his heart, her forehead resting against his. And though she said nothing, Natsu heard her as clear as day.

'I love you too, Natsu.'

Natsu grinned. Their adventures together where nowhere near over.

Thank you for reading! Do let me know what you think (reviews really make my day!). :D