(2 months later)

"Come on Luce," Natsu said tapping his foot impatiently. He and happy stood at the base of her stairwell. Happy wore a suit as did Natsu.

"You've been taking forever!" Happy sighed.

"Sorry guys," Lucy smile walking down, she wore a beautiful golden dress that seemed rather simple, yet it was gorgeous on her, her hair was loose and curled around her face, "so how do I look?"

"Nice," Happy said giving her the thumbs up.

"Now come on, you don't want to be late to your own book party right?" Natsu laughed grabbing her hand and leading her out the door and to the magnolia cathedral.

The cathedral was alive with activity. Lights were strung all around and a large poster hung above the doors celebrating Lucy's newly published book. Natsu pushed open the doors and immediately everyone cheered for the blonde.

"Congrats Lucy!" Cana called, very much drunk.

"Lu-Chan!" Levy cheered in happiness running up to the blonde, "I just finished it, and I absolutely loved it!"

"You read it?" Lucy cried, "I was just released a day ago."

"First copy," Levy said proudly.

"Good job bunny girl," Gajeel said giving Lucy a pat on the back.

Everyone was dressed nicely, well except Cana, but she thought the yellow bra constituted as nice. The drinking and laughing went on for a few hours. Everyone from Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Quatro Cerberus, Sabertooth, and Crime Sorciere was there.

Lucy settled down at a table, soon Yukino joined her.

"Good job Lucy, I can't wait to read it," Yukino smiled.

"Thanks, I think I could have been better on some character development for-" Lucy began.

"Bring it on Natsu!" Gray yelled, his suit was gone.

"Let's go!" Natsu laughed as the two went at each other.

"Some things never change huh?" Yukino laughed as Sting joined the fray.

"Yeah... but then again some things change a whole lot," Lucy smiled.

"What do you mean?" Yukino asked.

"Well... I was worried that after word got out about Natsu being E.N.D that people would stop trusting him, I was really worried about Gray and Natsu. For a while there, the guild changed a whole lot."

"But they're fine now right?" Yukino asked.

"I think so, they don't seem to hold animosity for each other," Lucy said as she watched Gray go flying, she smiled, "well, no more than usual."

"I kinda understand what you mean, Crime Sorciere became a legal guild after Alvarez was defeated, now my sister's back so I understand the whole life-changing thing," Yukino nodded as she looked over to where Sorano was talking with Minerva.

"Yeah, I still can't really believe all that happened, it's only been two months and the world is just back to normal... kinda," Lucy chuckled.

"It's a good normal," Yukino smiled.

"Yeah," Lucy nodded.

There was a knock at the door.

"Who's that?" Meredy wondered.

The door flew open to reveal Jackal, Seilah, Larcade, Zeref, Mavis, and a small baby August.

"You guys started the party without us!" Jackal yelled, "I'm personally hurt."

"Heeyy Jackal!" Bickslow laughed.

"Hey, how you doing Bickslow?" Jackal asked fist-bumping the soul mage. He had received some new curse blocking gloves.

"Hello guys," Seilah said sweetly.

"Hi Seilah," Levy greeted hugging her friend.

Larcade smiled as he sat down next to Cana and Bacchus, he had some strange friendship with them that usually ended with him being drunk and everyone laughing.

"Where's my brother!" Natsu laughed as Zeref gave him a hug.

"How are you doing Natsu?" Zeref asked.

"Alright, I suppose," Natsu laughed.

Mavis made her way over to where Lucy and Yukino were, "Hey girls," she greeted putting young August on the ground. The boy wobbled a few seconds before remembering how to walk, with confidence he strode over to where Larcade was a demanded that he be picked up. Larcade smiled and picked up the child bouncing him on his leg.

"You've become a babysitter," Cana laughed.

"He seems to like me... I suppose," Larcade laughed as August tried to play with his hair.

"It's still hard to believe that he's the same guy that we fought two months ago," Bacchus chuckled.

"Well, the spell reversed his age and wiped his memory so he's really not the same guy... but he is... it's hard to explain," Larcade sighed.

"You alright Larcade?" Mavis called.

"Yeah mom, I've got August!" Larcade yelled back.

"Good, don't let him drink anything!" Mavis called.

"What do you take me for, an alcoholic?" Larcade yelled back.

"Larcade Dragneel do not speak to your mother with that tone!" Zeref called from across the room making Larcade shrink.

"I'm going be stuck with an immortal dad and mom for the rest of my immortal life," he breathed, he looked down at August, "You have it, lucky kid."

Both Cana and Bacchus broke into fits of infectious laughter.

"So have you heard from Brandish?" Yukino asked Lucy.

"Yeah, she's off rebuilding the Alvarez empire... under the new leadership I think it'll flourish."

"That's wonderful!" Yukino grinned.

Acnologia smiled at the spectacle. Meredy and Lyon were dancing together to the duet of Ur and Ultear on the piano. Sorano had picked up the microphone and began to sing, Mirajane and Lisanna being her harmony. Gajeel picked up his guitar and began to strum a few chords that matched the song nicely. Natsu, Sting, and Gray brawled but it was a fight full of smiles. Everyone was happy, everyone was content... and so was Acnologia. This was how the world should be.

The earth around Natsu was burning. The smoke-filled sky was stained scarlet like the blood that puddled on the ground sinking into the earth. Natsu could only look at it in horror; he tried to block his nose from the horrid smell of death and decay.

When he turned he recognized Gray lying on the ground.

"Hey Gray," Natsu yelled running over. He stopped when he was a few feet away. Gray was face down in the dirt; his back torn up ... claw marks covered it.

"Gray-" Natsu began to panic, he reached out to his friend, then he saw his hands... Blood; Gray's blood.

"He stood against us." A voice stated, it was rough and cruel much like nails on a chalkboard, but at the same time, it was all too familiar.

Natsu ran; he left Gray's body behind him and ran further into the battlefield passing thousands of dead; he could not recognize any of them. He continued running until he smelled someone else; Zeref. Natsu followed his nose until he found him; he was propped up against a scorched tree, his chest bleeding.

"Zeref!" Natsu cried in horror running up to his brother, instead of smiling Zeref looked up at him in horror.

"No," he wheezed trying to get away, "please, I don't want to die!"

Natsu froze and questioned why Zeref would say such a thing.

"Don't kill him yet, we have so much more to do," the voice hissed.

"Go away," Natsu whimpered closing his eyes and covering his ears. It was as if a fire had started because suddenly Natsu's back felt very warm. When he opened his eyes Zeref was gone and there was a burning town behind Natsu. In horror, the fire mage ran over a hill to his left trying to block out the screams that filled the air. He ran past ravens, crows, and vultures all who were feeding on the burning carcasses.

As Natsu reached the top of the hill and then his heart stopped. Below him lay the bodies of seven dragon slayers. He ran to the first two, Erik and Wendy. Erik was covered in blood, his arms around the limp Wendy; he had tried to protect her in his final moments and had failed. Laxus was further away, his eyes staring into the scarlet sky without emotion, claw marks raked in his chest. Gajeel lay face down in a puddle of blood; his side had been torn away leaving bits of metal and flesh around the deceased dragon slayer. Serena lay a few feet away in a puddle of blood that came from a wound in his neck. The final two lay close to each other, Rogue looked like a rag doll, his spine had been broken and he laid in an abnormal position his eyes blank and glazed. Sting had claw marks on his chest, but he was still breathing.

"Sting!" Natsu cried running over, he cradled the blonde's head in his arms, "Sting," he choked.

Sting was crying, blood dripped down from his mouth and his eyes were unfocused. His weak hand found Natsu's scarf and gripped it. Slowly Sting pulled Natsu down, "you did this," he wheezed into Natsu's ear. He coughed weakly and then went limp his eyes staring into space.

"Sting," Natsu choked rocking his dead brother's body.

"You awakened me," the voice hissed, it was louder this time; it echoed across the empty landscape filling Natsu's mind. Natsu stood up backing away from Sting's body; he looked around wildly for the voice.

"Leave me alone," Natsu pleaded, he backed into something. Fear clutched his heart and terror went rampant in his eyes, he knew who was behind him and yet he couldn't bring himself to look back. A strong arm reached around and put him into a chokehold constricting just enough to make Natsu scared. Still, Natsu stared forward at the carnage, he didn't dare move.

"You know who I am," a voice hissed in his ear.

Natsu's throat was dry; he couldn't bring himself to speak.

"You know where to find me," the voice hissed again, Natsu could imagine the smile of the demon and he shivered.

He tried to struggle against the chokehold, but he was weak compared to the vice grip of his opponent. He felt like a mouse unable to break free of a cat's claws, his struggles were futile.

"And now," the voice hissed again. The other clawed hand reached around and covered Natsu's eyes immersing him into absolute darkness. The sounds of fires and screaming died away leaving an eerie silence, "You can never escape me," the voice hissed in glee.

Natsu awoke.

He was in the newly built guildhall, his siblings slept soundly beside him; it had only been a dream. Still, Natsu checked his hands; there was no blood on them, nor did he have claws. He gingerly touched his neck where the vice-like grip had held him, nothing. He had those dreams for two months, each night they got increasingly worse, he tried to tell himself that he was okay, but his mind would never release that absolute terror that filled it.

"You okay?" Erik said sitting up.

"Where's uncle," Natsu asked trying to sound calm.

"He went out for the night, said he went to go get some more jewel... what happened?" Erik asked again trying to listen to Natsu's conflicting mind.

"Just... I just had a dream," Natsu said trying to calm down.

"Natsu," Erik said sitting, he looked at the dragon slayer, "what happened?"

Natsu couldn't stop himself, he began to cry. Erik had dealt with the younger sister tears... but Laxus had always dealt with the boy's tears... so Erik did what Wendy would have wanted. Erik wrapped his arms around the salmon haired man and held him close, Natsu never cried anymore.... "what's going on?"

Natsu cried into Erik for a few minutes until he could breathe again, "Erik, please promise me something," he sobbed quietly.

"What?" Erik asked.

"If he ever gets me-"

"If who gets you?"

"Him... me, I don't know anymore. If he ever comes back, please... if Lucy or Uncle can't break me out of it... please," he was sobbing but it so quiet that no one could hear except Erik who heard everything in his heart and soul and mind.

"You can't make me promise that Natsu," Erik said in horror after hearing his soul.

"Please kill me before I hurt anyone," Natsu sobbed.

"No, Natsu you can't expect me to-"

"Don't let him win," Natsu wept, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I... if I hurt... I couldn't-" Natsu couldn't make himself speak, his throat closed every time he tried.

Erik took a shaky breath, he knew he had to calm Natsu down even if it meant agreeing to something he could never do, "alright... but that's the absolute last resort."

"Thank you," Natsu breathed.

"Come on, you still need to sleep," Erik smiled laying his exhausted brother down.

"Erik," Natsu whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell Uncle about this... I don't want him to worry."

"Alright," Erik nodded.

Erik never told Acnologia, but he didn't need to because Natsu didn't dream about E.N.D until a year later.