Burning Demon Heart

"YOU HEARD ME RIGHT!" A certain pink-haired boy's scream rang throughout the guild hall of Tartaros. "NOW DO YA ACCEPT OR NOT!?"

Natsu was scarred and bruised, only being left with his white pants. His pink hair was dusty and dirty.

Mard Geer looked down upon Natsu Dragneel with a smirk on his face. "You're willing to stay here if I let your comrades go. What courage you must have. The Fire DragonSlayer is finally submitting to our wishes."

"I ain't submittin to nuthin' yet, not until you swear to let my friends go and leave Fairy Tail ALONE FOR GOOD!" Natsu bellowed.

"I'm not sure I should accept your request," Mard Geer sneered. "Why should I give up an entire guild just for one person? And who knows what you'll try to do. For all I know, you could be plotting something inside that mushy head of yours."

If Natsu wasn't behind bars at this moment, he most certainly would've lunged forward and strangled him. Natsu knew this was hard decision, but he was willing. Mard suddenly reached in and snagged a handful of Natsu's pink hair. With it, he pulled Natsu closer to the bars. Mard crouched so their faces were level.

"If you're lying to me, I ever find that you've been planning your way out... I'll give you torture of the cruelest kind. Is that understood?" Mard said in a sinister tone.

Natsu gulped, nodding his head slowly. Mard Geer let go of Natsu's hair and stood up. He undid lock on the prison door, and opened it.

"I'll let you give your final goodbyes to each other, since you'll never see each other again. Follow me, and I will take you to them." With that, Mard Geer turned and left the room. Natsu leapt up, and although his body was quite sore, he managed to catch up to Mard Geer. They walked down a few hallways until they came to a large room. Mard Geer opened the door, and inside was a large prison cell, much like Natsu's.

Inside the prison cell were Lisanna, Mirajane, Erza, Wendy, Gray, and Happy. The females all wore tattered rags, while Gray only wore black pants. All of them had forlorn expressions on their faces, but at seeing Mard Geer entering the room they changed to hate. Gray was just about to unleash all of his verbal fury upon Mard, but stopped cold seeing Natsu enter with him.

"Natsu, you're ALIVE!" Happy exclaimed with joy.

"N-Natsu, i-is that r-really y-y-you?" Mirajane muttered hopefully. She could hardly even open her eyes.

Mard Geer opened the prison cell, and Erza rushed out. She embraced Natsu so tightly that he thought his eyeballs might pop out of his skull. But he didn't care. He was so happy to be in Erza's embrace. She ran her fingers through his pink hair, while tears escaped her eyes.

"Thank goodness you're alright. I'd thought they'd actually killed you," Erza said through a cracked voice. As for Mard Geer, he left the room and waited in the hallway. He hated mushy reunions.

Erza let go of him, and immediately Happy zoomed past her and collided with Natsu's stomach. Natsu put an arm around his long time buddy.

"Natsu, I didn't know what to believe, whether you were dead or alive! But you're alive! We're all gonna go home together!" At this comment, Natsu's heat sank. He knew he would have to tell them. Next came Lisanna and Wendy. When he saw Wendy's happy expression, it hurt him that we would have to break their hearts all over again.

"Sup Flame Brain," Gray said.

"Sup Popsicle," Natsu grinned.

When he saw that Mira was too weak to even get up, we went to her. He crouched down right beside her.

"Natsu, it's really you," Mira opened one eye at him. She wanted to embrace him so badly, but in her current state it to most to the strength she had to open her eyes.

"It's me, Mira. I'm here," Natsu whispered in the most comforting voice Mira had ever heard. He gave her a small kiss on her forehead, then got up. It was time to deliver the message.

"Wait a minute," Gray said, "Why did that demon bring you in here with us?"

Natsu sighed. "When he brought here, it wasn't to be a reunion, but a final goodbye."

"What do you mean 'final goodbye', Natsu?" Wendy cried.

"Well you see, a deal was made. If Mard Geer let you guys free, I would have stay here for the rest of my life."

"WHAT? NATSU, ARE YOU CRAZY?" Gray shouted.

"NO, NATSU! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? Erza shouted. Wendy crouched in the corner, crying harder that ever before.

"I'm sorry, but it was a hard choice to make. Believe me, I don't wann-"

"WHERE'S THAT MARD GEER PUNK? IMMA CLOBBER HIM RIGHT NOW!" Gray interrupted Natsu.

"No, Natsu. Please don't do it. Please," tears streamed from Mira's eyes.

"You're not serious about this, right? I know you have a plan, but you won't tell us, right? You have a plan. You HAVE TO!" Lisanna cried.

Natsu kept his head down. His hair hid his eyes. Erza collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

"Natsu, don't do it please! Don't break my heart! Just stay! We'll all be fine!" Erza pleaded. She clunged to Natsu's leg as if her life depended on it.

"Why Natsu? Why the hell would you do that?" Gray demanded, a tear rolling down his face.

"I DIDN'T WANNA GO THROUGH LIFE, KNOWING THAT I HAD A CHANCE TO SAVE MY FRIENDS!" Natsu burst out. "I WOULD RATHER DIE THAN LET YOU ALL SUFFER! IT'S JUST THE WAY I AM!"

"But you got so much to live for... You're only 17, Natsu," Erza cried.

"You're saying I have so much to live for? LOOK AT WENDY! SHE'S ONLY 12 FREAKIN YEARS OLD! SHE NOT EVEN A TEENAGER YET! HOW COULD I LET HER BE TRAPPED HERE FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE!" Natsu screamed, tears rolling down his face. "It just isn't fair..."

"Natsu, please! Don't do it. PLEASE don't do it," Erza begged.

Natsu then did something that he never thought he could do. He knelt down beside Erza, and kissed her. Their lips met, and for that brief moment Natsu was happy. He pulled away, and Erza had a shocked look on her face.

"N-Natsu..." She stuttered.

Then Natsu said the three words he never had the courage to say, "I love you."

Erza was too shocked for words. Natsu loves me? She questioned in her mind.

"Ever since I laid eyes on you," Natsu began, "I knew that you were the one. I never told you because I didn't think that you felt the same way. But now I had to tell you."

"Natsu, I don't know what to say..." Erza said.

"Don't. Just know that you'll find someone who you'll make feel the way I do. They'll be the luckiest person in the world." Natsu said responded with a soft voice.

Erza burst into tears once more. Natsu got up and sighed. "I guess this is goodbye."

Just then, Mard Geer returned into the room. "I've set up a portal to transport your friends back to Magnolia." He then beckoned them to follow him. Gray picked up Mira and carried her bridal-style. As they walked through the dark hallways, the group remained silent. Erza was latched onto Natsu's arm, and Natsu hid his face to hide away his tears. Soon, they reached a huge chamber in the castle. In it, a giant blue magic circle covered the floor.

"Step into the center of it," Mard Geer instructed.

"We'll never forget you, Natsu," Happy whispered.

"And I'll never forget you guys," Natsu replied.

As soon as they all reached the center, the magic circle began to glow brightly.

"Happy!" Natsu called. "Keep our house in good condition for me, okay?"

"Sure thing, Natsu!" Happy called back. And in a flash, they were all gone.

Magnolia

Erza and the other suddenly found themselves in the Fairy Tail guild hall.

"YOU'RE BACK!" Makarov cheered. The whole guild began to cheer loudly.

"Wait, where's Natsu," Macao said. This halted everyone's happy cheer.

Gray sighed sadly. "I'll tell them." he muttered.

Tartaros

Natsu was led back to his prison cell. There, Natsu wept quietly for the rest of the night.