Lucy and the book of END

Caught

Time skip 2 weeks!

Gray's POV:

Gloves were Lucy's new fashion trend, every outfit every day. And as a guy who wears no clothes he was not about to question her fashion choices, but something was definitely amiss. In all honesty she seemed tired, Natsu seemed worried but not to the same extent, maybe Lucy had confided in him. Gray had felt really tense recently anyway, with all the dark guild business and many more dangerous mission flyers popping up. It wasn't just the missions though, the dark feeling lingered around the guild.

Maybe Lucy was just feeling the same tenseness that he was experiencing. But she just seemed to radiate the darkness, he felt suspicious of her but why would he ever, it's Lucy.

"Gray-sama" his thoughts were interrupted by the beautiful water mage.

"Ah Juvia sorry I was thinking too hard, are you okay?" Gray questioned looking her straight in the eyes which were constantly shaped like hearts around him.

"Juvia is okay, she was sat with Love rival but she left as she wasn't feeling well. She seems tired, everyone does." Juvia sat beside him, her eyes moving to observe the guild as they talked. A weight felt lifted off his shoulders, it tended to happen around Juvia but it felt physical.

His mind wandered to the incident with Lucy several weeks ago, the large dark magic interruption. He had never asked what happened, presumably Erza asked. Yet it was like the dark feeling was being carried by Lucy, the air in the hall felt 'cleaner', after she left he guessed. He wouldn't know how to describe it.

Maybe tonight he'd go check on her...

Lucy's POV:

The pain from rewriting was becoming constant. She was tired, the dark magic burned at her day and night. She had accomplished so much of the book though, soon she would have the opportunity to tell Natsu his real identity and him be protected from it. The distance between the guild and herself was growing, the secrets and effects being so hard to hide.

The dark veins crawled up past her elbows on both sides now. She was to complete the biggest part tonight, so she feigned to Juvia that she was sick, nobody would question her absence for a little while, a few days maybe a week. The effects would be evident after tonight, so she needed to face the guild, face Natsu, either next week or disappear for a little while in the hopes the effects vanish.

Her last big obstacle would be Natsu's ability to willingly take on the form, and not forcibly by the book or by Zeref. And on top of this to keep a sane mind once in the demonic form, he would still be Natsu however he looked.

She believed Natsu was starting to feel affected by her tampering with the book, he would complain about hot flushes, the dark feeling she most certainly felt and just a change in demeanour. He had been quiet at the moment, as if he was trying to figure out why he had felt so weird recently. He apologised to Lucy a lot, wanting some space at the moment. But she knew why, why he felt weird and why he wanted to be alone. The space helped her get so much of the book done.

Happy had been floating between their houses at the moment, confused about the atmosphere but both her and Natsu showing him the same affection as usual. As well as their affection for each other, she couldn't wait to be held by him every night once this passed.

Lucy began her usual routine, pulling out the box, off the gloves, out the pen. And finally closing her greying eyes to write out another short paragraph. She had persevered through the pain and was managing to stay awake after writing now. Her pen curved at each letter.

"The only trigger for the END form is the willingness of Natsu Dragneel."

"No alterations of the psych will take place upon the transformation into END"

Closing off the final few words she dropped the pen to the ground.

BANG,
She slammed the book closed.

Panting and panting, she had done two big transformations quickly.

She heavily picked up her eyes to meet a dull return in the mirror. Her eyes were now more grey than brown, and the darkness had rapidly grown enveloping all her arms and beginning to crawl up her neck.

Tears dropped down her cheeks, she couldn't feel them, she was so exhausted.

"LUCY, hey Juvia said you were ill, I brought you some dinner!" Lucy's eyes shot open wide, her face paled.

"Gray I'll errr I'll be right out" she called out but so weakly, she truly did sound ill.

"Lucy you sound terrible, are you okay, I'm coming in." 

"GRAY NO."

Her shouts could not prevent the inevitable. Her form was in full view, as was the book, as was the pen, as was the tears, as was the veins, as was the grey eyes.

His look was indescribable, shock, fear, anger.

Gray's POV:

"WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT BOOK LUCY! WHATS GOING ON" he demanded to know, all along, she carried the dark magic. Had she been working with the dark guilds? she had been the first to encounter them.

Not only that, this was the book that he'd been looking for. The worst Demon that Zeref had, the one that he was going to kill. Yet here Lucy was protecting it. She was like his sister, what could possibly make her want to protect this Demon?

"Gray please listen to me." Her eyes darted up to meet his, pools of grey, what had happened to her, was she possessed. Her eye started towards the book back-and-forth, she was planning to grab it.

Seeing as she was so weak, he took the opportunity to dive towards the book, grasping it in his cold hands, applying pressure under his fingers. His knuckles turned white under the hard grip.

"LET GO!" She shot back aggressively, quickly but wobbly jumping to her feet and assuming a star dress form, Leo's.

Cold began to form round his hands, fight Lucy, he couldn't but he'd have to.

"Why do you have this, kill the pathetic creature, or do you do Zeref's bidding nowadays, I've felt weird around you for weeks. And now I can see why you've been covering up. Is someone forcing you, controlling you, or is this really your doing?" Gray sneered at her threateningly. He loved Lucy but they were fighting over the world's most powerful demon right now. He would do what he needed for the guild, for Fiore, for Juvia's safety.

Their eyes were locked but Lucy's began to run tears, splashing onto the bathroom floor. Her anger still evident.

"Please Gray hear me out, do not kill END, listen to me first I'm begging you." Lucy pleaded.

Without breaking eye contact, he replied "You get one minute."

"I don't need a minute, just three words, Etherious Natsu Dragneel."