Markings: a NaLu/Fairy Tail Fanfic

The End

Guys... I'm so sorry. I am the worst person ever. It's nearly been a year since I last updated, and I know a lot of you have been waiting for this. I... Well, the first part of this chapter I wrote a day or two after I last updated, but the rest I wrote recently. So if the style of the two parts is a bit different please forgive me.

Also... if something doesn't make sense, I'm really sorry. I will go through the story if time allows and mek changes. I'm sorry if I can't, because everything's been so exhausting lately. I literally have maybe half an hour for me time.

Sorryifyoudon'tliketheending.

Well...Anyway, here it is. The last chapter of Markings.

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"NATSU!"

The shrill scream ripped through the sounds of the war, overpowering everything else in one desperate lunge.

That was what it seemed like to Gray.

It sent shivers down his spine and caused goosebumps to rise up on his arms. Immediately Gray knew the unthinkable had occurred. He didn't want to think of it.

He had to, though.

With wide eyes, Gray turned, heart dropping like a stone.

For there was Natsu, standing guard before Lucy, hole ripped through his stomach by Zeref's attack.

Zeref was barely fazed; surprised, slightly, but no where near anything else. Stepping back, the man brushed off the droplets of Natsu's blood that had landed on his cheekbone, and stared down at the salmon haired mage.

"Natsu Dragneel. You astonish me yet."

Natsu grinned through a mouthful of crimson, spitting it to the side. "You okay, Luce?"

Lucy, who had a hand over her mouth from the shock, slowly removed it. "Natsu, you... Why?!" Her eyes shined with tears.

Natsu's grin widened. "Because you're important to me, that's why! And I guess that was enough to snap me out of it."

A small whimper escaped Lucy's lips before she began to sob. Natsu's smile slipped, and he turned with some difficulty to face the one who started it all.

"Zeref." His eyes were hard. "I'm going to kick your ass."

"You're barely managing to hold your internal organs in, Dragneel."

Natsu snorted. "Yeah, that might be so, but if you think that's going to be stopping me, you're dead wrong." Natsu subtly shifted into a stance. "You're the one that started this... My friends are dying around me, now, and I was forced to hurt them. Zeref, if it's the last thing I do, I will take you down!"

Zeref remained straight-faced. "I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the same speech, and how many times they have all been lies."

If you had even blinked, you would have missed it. It happened that quickly. Natsu vanished, reappearing before Zeref, a blazing fist cracking into the black mage's jaw. The dragonslayer growled as Zeref was sent catapulting backwards, legitiment surprise etched onto his features. "Not this time, bastard! I'll defeat you here once and for all!"

Natsu glanced back at Gray. "Gray, take care of Lucy!"

Gray nodded curtly. "Take care of yourself, too, flaming bastard."

Natsu smirked and dashed off, leaving them behind.

Gray's jaw clenched as he watched him leave.