With collective sighs of relief, the members of Fairy Tail lowered their weapons and fists. The battle was over. Zeref was defeated. Makarov had sealed the book of END in lacrima, much to many people protests.

"We should just destroy it!" Gray yelled, earning a glare from the guild master.

"The matter is final. We will not destroy this book." He said, silencing everyone's complaints.

Then, in a much more cheerful tone he said, "Now, let's go home, kids! The war is over! You all fought well! It's party time!"

That statement was met with cheers as they all followed their master back home. Only Natsu didn't move. He was lying on the ground, staring up at the cloudless sky.

I guess he knew all along. He thought. Thanks, Gramps.

"What're you doing Natsu?" He heard Lucy say as she crouched over him. Happy was perched on her shoulder.

"The war is over…" He breathed, feeling the need to say it, to confirm it.

Lucy laughed, "Yeah, dummy. You ended it."

He hummed thoughtfully.

"Come on, Natsu! I wanna eat some fish!" Happy said, flying off Lucy's shoulder.

"Let's go home, Natsu." Lucy said, rising and extending a hand to help Natsu up. Natsu took it, and didn't let go even after he'd risen to his feet.

"Wait a moment." A small, childish voice commanded. The trio turned to see Mavis Vermilion with an uncharacteristically sad expression on her face.

"First-" Natsu began but Mavis raised a hand, silencing him.

"So, Zeref is dead?" She asked.

"We-"

"I know." She cut him off. "But, it's better this way. This is what he wanted."

None of them knew how to reply. Mavis had loved the black mage once, they knew that, but they couldn't understand it. They felt sorry for her, but they couldn't comprehend how she could fall in love with someone who wanted to annihilate humanity.

Natsu, maybe because he felt nothing but hatred for Zeref, or maybe because delicacy just wasn't one of his strong points, spoke up. "First, why did you love him? How could you have fallen for him? He's evil!"

"Natsu-" Lucy and Happy scolded at the same time, but Mavis cut her off,

"'The more the cursed cares about life the more he will kill'" She said as if repeating something she'd heard before. "I don't blame him… this world rejected him, and it became too much for him to handle. If only circumstances had been different… As for why I loved him, his eyes… were very kind." The first master spoke with a very wistful, nostalgic tone. After a long silence, Mavis took a deep breath. She looked up at the sky, as if she was looking for something.

"This era has come to an end." She said. She glanced at Lucy and Natsu's connected hands and smiled. "I'm sure you two will be the beginning of a new one."

As she walked away, Lucy shouted,

"First!"

Mavis turned and saw the the trio, each of them holding their hand up in the Fairy Tail salute.

She smiled and walked away.

"What a great guild it's become, huh, Zeref?"

"Hey, Natsu? Wasn't there something you wanted to do once the war was over?" Happy said as they made their way back to the guild.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I remember! Yo, Lucy!" He called to Lucy, who was several yards ahead of them.

"Yeah?" She turned to them.

"I love you!"

That's the E.N.D of Nalu week (I'm not even sorry)! I wrote for the whole week! I'm so proud of myself! I'm thinking of writing another fic were Zeref doesn't die. Or maybe a sequel where him and Mavis' ghosts live on Tenrou Island together. Let me know which one you guys want!

Please review!

With love and Nalu,

Dolly