Natsu's Last Proposal

Chapter 6: "Malice"

He walked up to the large, ominous cave and looked into it's dark depths.

"Oi! Akui! Where are you? Come out and fight me!" Natsu yelled, but all that answered was the echo of his own voice as it bounced off the cavern walls. "Jeez, with a name like that, it's no wonder he became a dark mage," Natsu muttered.

"Maybe he's not home," Happy suggested.

"Then we'll wait," and Natsu sat down on a rock several feet into the the cave.

"Natsu, that was a long walk," Happy complained, "I want fiiiish."

Natsu dug into his bag. "All I have is the cooked kind Happy," suddenly, Natsu felt his hair stand on end and he jumped up from his seat on the rock, his defenses raised. "Hap-"

Natsu didn't even get to finish his sentence when a dark shadow materialized into a tall, brooding young man, standing outside the mouth of the cave.

"How rude of you to just barge into someone's living spaces like that and then have the nerve to criticize the owner's name," The villain shook his head, making his spiky black hair shake. "For that you must be punished," He lifted his head, revealing sea green eyes that glittered with malevolence.

Natsu smirked, "I'm guessing you're Akui then huh? You really should fix this place, it's not welcoming at all."

"Tch, you're ruder than I thought, doesn't matter though, you'll be dead by the time I'm done with you, Natsu Dragneel."

"I highly doubt that."

Akui jumped up and shot smoky black chains at Natsu that he narrowly evaded with Happy's help.

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Natsu shot out his signature red hot flames and was confident that he hit his target.

Akui seemed to sense Natsu's moves and jumped out of the way and turned into smoke that flew up and enveloped Happy, choking him.

Natsu was too late to defend his little blue friend and Happy fainted, thus dropping Natsu in the process.

"Happy!" Natsu yelled, holding his friend. Please, please tell me he's still alive, Natsu thought. He checked for a pulse and sighed in relief, Happy was alive but just barely.

Natsu, remembering where he was, whirled around to the dark figure standing at the opening of the cave, and burst into flames of rage. "YOU BASTARD! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO HAPPY?!"

Akui smirked, "Aww how sweet, stop it, you're making me tear up," Akui wiped fake tears from his eyes. Then he made a gesture and beckoned the young dragonslayer, "Why don't you come fight me?"

"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!" Natsu hollered, and he barreled towards Akui.

Akui's dark aura absorbed his magic and sent Natsu flying backwards. "That all you got Fairy Tail wizard?"

Natsu stumbled as he got up. "Not a chance."

"Good, because I'm just getting warmed up," A shadowy sword made of a dark black metal appeared in his hands. The rubies embedded in the hilt glittering like fresh blood. The blade seemed to absorb all the light and warmth from the air around it, making Natsu tremble.

"AHHHHHH!" Akui let out a blood-curdling war cry as he charged at Natsu, the evil sword clutched in his fists.

Natsu lept up to avoid the attack but felt shadowy hands erupt from the earth and pull him back down. "What the-"

The flat side of the blade struck it's target before the words could leave his mouth and Natsu felt pain explode in his side as all his energy and magic seemed to drain from his body where the sword made contact with his skin. He looked down, expecting to see a gaping bloody wound but was even more horrified to see horrible black marks spread from his side, and the more the strange marks dispersed through his body, the weaker he felt.

"Wh-what did you do to me?" Natsu croaked, he could barely muster up the energy to turn his head to his attacker, and the dark arms holding him down felt like they were getting stronger and stronger by the second.

Akui smiled, his green eyes glittering with devilish glee. "This sword simply absorbs all your energy upon contact with your skin; both magic and physical. Then, it's own dark poison fills the empty space where your energy once resided. I assume you can barely even stand."

Natsu couldn't even talk, much less fight.

"I pity you, Salamander, you are so, so weak."

The unearthly hands released their vise-like grip on Natsu, allowing Akui to grip Natsu's neck and heft him up into the air. He pierced Natsu's chin with the tip of his sword, making him wince as more wispy black marks erupted across his body.

"I have no use for a pitiful creature like you except as a sacrifice for the Underworld."

Natsu mustered up all his strength to choke, "I can't leave-not now, I can't let my comrades-let Lucy, down."

"Lucy? Hm? Is Lucy your lover, Natsu Dragneel?Well that just makes this whole thing even better. " Akui's grip tightened.

"Agh-agh" Natsu choked.

Meanwhile, the dark marks had spread to engulf nearly all of his body, and he was surprised he could even make any sounds. The pain coursing through his veins was like nothing he had ever felt before; it was even worse then unlocking Second Origin.

Akui stomped his foot, opening up a pit in the ground that seemed to go on forever, the torturous sound of a thousand damned souls escaping from it.

The dark mage pulled Natsu towards him so that he could whisper into the dragonslayer's ear. "I'll make sure your Lucy knows of your...bravery." he hissed.

Natsu struggled to fight back, but his body wouldn't obey him as his vision darkened.

"Goodbye Natsu Dragneel, have fun in Hell," and he released his grip, dropping Natsu into the swirling pit that quickly swallowed him up.

A couple seconds later, the pit spit out Natsu's smoking scarf, which floated to the ground.

"Tch, I guess even the Underworld wouldn't take that piece of trash."

"Natsu..."

Akui turned to see Happy, feebly attempting to crawl towards the spot of dirt where Natsu last stood.

"Ugh, stupid blue rat," he sauntered over to Happy and gave him a good kick that sent the Exceed flying across the cave.

He clapped his hands together and smiled.

"My work here is done," he said gleefully, and the man of darkness turned into smoke and wafted out of the cave, leaving behind an air of finality.

*Note*

Akui roughly translates to "malice" in Japanese

(At least, according to Google)

Sorry for the delay on this chapter! (And the sucky writing, it's hard to kill someone that refuses to die) I was having a hard time thinking up Natsu's death and have been pretty busy lately. But I did have fun writing this chapter tbh.

It's all feels from here on out! hehehe.... >:)