Burning Heart Re:Write (NaLu/E.N.DLu)

Ba-Bump... Ba-Bump... Ba-Bump...

A moment ago, Lucy Heartfilia was rewriting the missing letters that disappeared from the swirling lines of words emerging from the book of E.N.D, having memorized them. She saw the words disappearing as a sign that Natsu had been injured in his fight with Zeref and, as such, she didn't hesitate to take action. To ensure Natsu's safety.

Ba-Bump... Ba-Bump... Ba-Bump...

Gray and Happy were beside Lucy, watching in awe with Happy in particular in a celebratory mood. She was about finished writing the last missing word.

And that was when it happened.

Her body suddenly froze up and began shaking as sweat started to take form and dripped downward. Her eyes widened and her breath seemingly began to come out in small gasps. Before she could say anything, she felt it.

BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP!

The painful pounding of her heart as vein-like and molten liquid-like markings began to spread on and inside her body. On her arm. On her chest. On her neck. On her face.

On her pounding heart.

BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP!

"Hey Lucy! What happened?!"

"Lucy! Stay with us!"

Gray and Happy's concerned voices briefly made themselves heard in Lucy's ears, only to be drowned out by the erratic pounding of her heart.

BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP!

The burning sensation that accompanied the markings was one that Lucy never felt before. And it was starting to become too much for her. She hunched over, clutching her chest in pain, struggling to breathe.

Not hesitating, Gray immediately rushed to her side. "Hang on!" He says in a deeply concerned tone. But he placed his hand on her shoulder, he immediately removed it when he felt the intense heat that was consuming her. "You're burning up!"

BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP!

Lucy's heart was practically overworking itself against her ribcage from the markings that were spreading on it, just to keep her alive. The sweat on her body had increased. Her lungs were heaving so hard that it's a mystery how they haven't imploded inside her chest yet. Her hands still clutched to her chest as she tried to calm down, trying to fight off the demonic energy flowing into her physical heart.

BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP!

"I... I feel hot," Lucy says, her words coming out in the form of shaky breaths. "Something's burning inside my body... Urgh..." She was definitely feeling the markings on her heart spreading more and more, causing her body to heat up even more. Gray and Happy looked on in concern.

"Natsu's fire," the blue cat said. "The flame of the demon..." Gray continued, undoubtedly worried about Lucy's current condition.

"But this...could be another clue..." Lucy says, struggling to breathe properly "if I can understand this magic, maybe I could...help Natsu."

"You could rewrite the demon within Natsu?" Happy said in a worried tone, knowing just as well as Gray does that nothing would stop her from keeping Natsu safe, even at the cost of her own life if need be. "But Lucy, you'll..." "I'm fine," Lucy replied, trying to reassure Happy that she was alright despite the fact that she wasn't.

BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP!

The red-hot markings continued to spread, latching themselves onto the violently pulsating organ in Lucy's chest. Without hesitation, Gray used some of his ice magic to create a blizzard-like mini-storm, allowing Lucy's body to cool down somewhat. "So cold," she whispered as she felt the cold of Gray's magic collide with her overheating body. "Let's save Natsu together," Gray says as he turns his attention to Lucy. The ice mage wanted make sure that she would come out of this unscathed. "Yeah," the celestial mage replied, giving a reassuring smile.