Book One, Fairy Tail - Outcome

Chapter Four - Forever Family

Let him live, or kill him. You will be the one to choose.

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     Natsu moved fast. Everyone was so shocked at first they didn't even run after him. 

     Natsu...Gray thought...going out to find Zeref? The one he killed? Wait...he's going out to find the all powerful newly roused dark lord...I can't let Natsu die again.

 Gray grit his teeth and took off. 

     "Gray!" Erza called. "What are you doing!?"

     "Protecting Natsu!" The ice devil-slayer shouted back. 

 Erza began to run, but was stopped by a yell.

 She cocked her head and glimpsed at the small man behind her, "Master!"

     "You're not to go after Natsu."

     "What!?" Lucy exclaimed. "Why!?"

     "Gray is capable of protecting him-"

  Erza clenched her fists, "And I am not?!"

     "You are," sighed Makarov. "but, Gray is an ice devil-slayer."

     "What does that have to do with anything!?" 

 Makarov heaved a sigh and turned on his heels, "You will discover that soon enough. Do not pursue after them, I have a good feeling Gray will return Natsu to us safely."

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     "Dang it, Natsu!" Gray hissed, panting hard as he raced after the pinkette. 

He knew that he had been running for hours, Magnolia was far behind him, his legs and the bottoms of his feet ached horribly, and a cramp was stabbing at his side. 

 He had lost sight of Natsu a few times, but he had used his ice-make magic to speed himself up. Throughout the hours he had ran, he always had a small glimpse of Natsu far in front of him. 

     "For a guy who just woke up from the dead," muttered Gray breathlessly. "he sure can run..."

 The afternoon sun had already begun to fall, and the moon was prepared to take it's place. All day, and Gray was exhausted. 

 Finally, he was starting to become groggy. 

 Gray cleared his voice, "Natsu!" 

 From up ahead, Natsu didn't show any signs of stopping.

     "I know you want to find Zeref, but you have to stop! Let me talk to you!"

 Gray barely had the strength to stand, before he knew it Gray was on the ground and loosing consciousness from sheer exhaustion. 

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     Gray blinked a few times before the blurriness of his vision subsided. He pulled himself into a sitting position. A blanket of darkness covered the sky, trees that surrounded Gray swayed slightly in the wind, and an orange glow shined on Gray's face from the small fire near him.