Learning How To Live [E.N.D. | NaLu]

13

NATSU

I launched myself up into the air to avoid his sword, using my newly formed wings to hover high above the crowd. Through the golden haze that lowered across the world, I could see they were all staring up at me, completely ignoring Gray who was standing where I was only a second ago. He was staring at me too, surprise evident in his face. I recollected myself, staring up at the bright sun for a few seconds to try to calm my raging mind. My tail swept through the air anxiously, and I could barely control the flames swirling around me in my distress.

I figured I was safe up here, out of Gray's reach. I was wrong. I was always wrong. Whenever I think I'm finally safe, I'm wrong. There was always a danger. There was always something that could sneak up on you any minute. In this case, that something was a large arrow made of ice.

I glanced down, but I couldn't do anything before the arrow pierced one of my wings. I roared in pain, sailing through the air, headed straight down. I landed with a loud crash, cringing heavily at the burning pain in my wing.

Gray was staring at me, seeming a bit surprised, as if he hadn't meant to hurt me as badly as he had. "Are you okay?" he asked cautiously, stepping towards me. In my terror, I couldn't answer, folding my wing behind me to stay out of harm's way as I took a step back, nervous flames coating my fists.

I guess he took that as a 'yes' because he immediately shot the bow made of ice at me again. This time, the arrow pierced through my stomach. I'd tried to cover the spot with scales before it could land a blow, but it had cut right through the scales as if they were nothing.

Gray looked at my blood stained torso in shock. "Why aren't you defending yourself?" he asked confused.

I didn't answer, instead opting to try to fix my wounds before they got serious. I focused on closing the hole in my wing first, forcing warm energy through my veins as the skin began to knit back together. When I was about halfway through closing the hole in my stomach, I felt a hard punch to my face. His fist felt as hard as a rock, and it sent me flying through the air.

He walked up to me, his pace suggesting frustration. "Why aren't you fighting back, Natsu?" he asked. "Come on, hit me," he ordered sternly. I did as he said, sending a firm punch flying straight at his stomach. He flew backwards, crashing into a wall across from me. He wiped a bit of blood from his mouth as we both stood up. "That's more like it." He activated his magic again, and fear slammed into me harder than any fist.

I charged forward almost without thought, knowing if he activated his magic again, I wouldn't be able to defend against it. And at that moment, the reason why hit me. Gray was a demon slayer. And I was a demon. He was meant to kill me.

Whether either of us liked it or not.

I was so caught up in my thoughts, I didn't notice Gray preparing another ice blade until it had hit me. I was sure he didn't mean to stab me as badly as he did, but he wasn't aware of his innate advantage over me, and he didn't know that he needed to hold back.

The demon part of me that was E.N.D. didn't realize that though. I retaliated quickly, standing despite the wound that must have been fatal without attention. I punched him hard with a fist of flames despite the pain, adrenaline fueling me, but my vision was fading.

Gray was looking at me in undisguised concern, despite having been hit seconds ago. He started walking towards me, and I could see others from the crowd coming towards me too.

I lost my grip on reality.

The world slipped from under me, and I stumbled back onto my butt, sitting on a dusty, dirt floor, with a dirt ceiling above me. The crowd in the stands was louder than I ever remembered, and the monster stalking towards me had nothing but bloodlust in its eyes.