Marked by Hellfire

Missing Teammates Part 1

Grays POV:

'We lost them.'  I can't believe we were so distracted that we lost track of flame-brain and lucy. Sighing while tending to Juvias injuries I think over everything that we've recently learnt. To think that E.N.D is still alive and lucy knows where the book is, why didn't she tell anyone? Why keep it hidden? Where did they go?

"We'll find them gray darling, I know we will" Juvia pulls me out of my thoughts with a reassuring smile and a gentle look in her eyes, 'why did it take so long for me to notice how much I love her?'

"I know we will, I'm just so confused Lucy hid where the book is from everyone and Natsu.... He didn't seem fazed at all by that guy" I look down trying stop my mind from running a mile a minute. "Why wouldn't she tell us?"

"There's no use contemplating the 'whys' and 'what ifs', Natsu and Lucy are missing and we have no way to find them." Erza stated in an authoritive tone her eyes held anger and frustration, to whom it was directed I don't know.

"And what do you suggest we do?" I asked feeling tired and bit miffed at the whole ordeal.

"We head back to the guild and ask Cana to use her cards to find them" Erza stated matter-of-factly

"What the hell are we meant to tell them 'Oh hey guys the job was ruse to awaken E.N.D, Lucy knows where the book is and both her and Natsu have disappeared' yeah that'll go down well" I yell 'this is ridiculous we should look for them ourselves'

"It's our only option Gray"

"Bullshit it's our only option!"

"Would you prefer we run around like headless chickens trying to find them?!" Erza shouts her arms on her hips face contorted in rage.

"Juvia agrees with Erza, going back and asking Cana for help is our only viable option darling" Juvia says placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, calming me and preventing me from arguing with Erza.

"Fine, but I still don't know how we will explain it to everyone when we don't know everything ourselves" I say with confusion written all over my face.

"I know but it's best we tell them what we know for now. And when we find Natsu and Lucy they can fill us in" Erza says while walking away to the train station, effectively ending the conversation. Juvia and I followed albeit and bit slower.

While walking I slowly seep back into my thoughts thinking what if Lucy is possessed by E.N.D it would explain why she didn't tell anyone about its whereabouts. Did Natsu k ow this would happen? If so for how long? Did he drag Lucy into this unwillingly?

So lost in my sea of questions I didn't notice we were at the station until I heard the final call for the train stepping on and sitting in a five person both with Juvia and Erza I glance outside with one thought on my mind 'What else has Lucy hidden from us?'

Lucys POV:

Groaning I wake up in a small cave, looking around I notice it goes back quite far, the darkness makes it look infinite like a void. Turning to my right I look up and see few stars in the night sky the only constellation I can see fully is Draco the dragon, smiling I think of Natsu and wonder if he is seeing the stars too.

"There's a legend about Draco and the constellation Vulpecula....." startled I look to my right and see loke standing there, the side of his face only partially visible in the dark.

"Well it's more of a love story than a legend. *breathing in* Draco and Nova met and fell in love, Novas father a high ranking angel, angry at his daughter for loving Draco cursed them to be stone, their keys lost forever."

"I know, my mother told me the story when I was young but, why are you telling me this now?" I asked confused on the random telling of the story.

"*sigh* Because it's not a story it's true, Draco was half demon and Nova was half angel, it gave them more freedom than most celestial spirits. They could live on earth for hundreds of years without needing to go the celestial realm, Demoria was the town they lived in"

"Still not seeing the relevance of this" I stated getting frustrated

"*laughs* Course you wouldn't but, their story reminds me of you and Natsu in a way"

"Really? How?" I inquire

"Because just like you're doing Nova did everything to protect Draco, she even went against an angel and started a war with them" he says, with a lost look in his eyes.

"You make sound like you were there"

"I was" surprised I look at him while he looks at me, he eyes hold regret and fear.

"Where's the book lucy?" loke asked all of sudden

"What's with the subject change?"

"Lucy where is it?"

"I don't know what yo-"

"LUCY! where is the damn book?!" he shouted frustration twisted into his features

"I WON'T TELL YOU!!" I shouted back at him

"Why?" he asks after calming himself down

"It's better if only I know" I reply look down at my hands noticing only now that I'm covered head to toe in bandages 'must of been more injured than I thought'

"Lucy *sigh* you putting a target on your back. That book...... It needs to be destroyed."

"What will happen to Natsu though?" I ask looking up at him tears brimming my eyes

"He could be completely unaffected, he may loose himself or...." his sentence ends with the words I dread to hear hanging in the air between us causing the tension already there to build even more.

"He'll die" I finish choking back a sob

"Yeah" Loke replies quietly head hanging low.

"I won't give you the book"

"Lucy i-"

"I know but so what? I'd rather fight E.N.D than let Natsu possibly die" I say the tears finally falling "I love him too much to let him die"

"*sigh* fine I won't ask about it again, but please be careful Lucy, you're the best master any of us have had" Loke says as he pulls me into a hug. Smiling I nod knowing that whatever I decide to do my spirits will always be there for me.

As I slowly drift back to sleep from exhaustion I hear a small whisper 'lucy'

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Hey everyone sorry this is late been busy at work all week. This chapter might be shorter, with a lot of exposition but trust me the story about Draco and Nova is relevant to the story and not just because they remind Loke of Natsu and Lucy.

And thanks for the votes I wasn't expecting it, it was a huge surprise.

Hope you liked it. Till next week Bai.