The E.N.D. is near

Their missions

  Lucy gaped at the huge flying figure that had just came out of Natsu. Her eyes widened when she realized just what that figure was and her air whooshed out of her body as she gasped. Igneel, the king of fire dragons, Natsu's father. How could this be, how has Igneel been inside Natsu this whole entire time without Natsu knowing! Natsu couldn't have known right? Lucy looked over at Natsu and all of her feelings of confusion and disbelief where wiped away when she saw the look on Natsu's face. He was standing there looking up at his father who he hadn't seen in so long with tears streaming down his face and pain disbelief confusion and joy all written on his face at once. Lucy didn't know what to do, she knew though that she couldn't begin to comprehend what Natsu was feeling and she also knew that all she had to do was to be there for Natsu like he was for her.

“Salamander! Is that really Igneel? You tellin' me he was inside your body this whole time? Cut the bullshit!” Gajeel yelled roughly.

I sharply turned to look at Gajeel and give him the evil eye. How could he be this insensitive!? I turned me gave to Levy and Juvia expected them to be looking at Gajeel the same way but they both were looking at me with confusion on their faces. Why could no one else see the pain Natsu was in.

“Like I even got a clue...and this whole time...this whole time I was looking for him.” natsu said as he shook.

I began to walk over to him but as soon as I took my first step I saw fire starting to appear under Natsu's feet and the next thing I knew he was flying up towards Igneel and Acnologia yelling at Igneel. Natsu started questioning his father and I couldn't blame him for being so upset. Why would someone do that to their son, dispensary without a word but then show back up all of a sudden out of their son themselves. My body as tight with nerves since Natsu was up their with the dragons and at anytime he could be hurt. Igneel let out a huge blast and I watched in awe as it made its way over to Acnologia engulfing the dragon of despair in a world of red fire. My face heated up from the fire and I stared in amazement at Natsu's father, surely he would be able to stop Acnologia. Unfortunately though when the fire cleared up Acnologia was still there as strong as ever with not even a scratch on him. Natsu please come down before you get hurt I pleaded in my head. It seemed like Igneel could read minds because I saw him say a couple of last words to Natsu then Igneel took him and flung him down to the ground a little bit away from we were. As tired as I was I willed me legs to run over to Natsu as fast as I could. As I got closer I could see someone else standing there with Natsu, he had dark hair up into a ponytail and he was holding close to his chest a book with the letters E.N.D. On it. My heart leaped in my chest as I figured out that the man I saw talking to Natsu was no other then Mard Geer the master of Tartarus. The man that had ordered for my death was a couple of yards away from me but I still kept on running because I knew that Natsu needed someone close by as I was told by Lisanna, Natsu is always stronger with his friends near.

“you are right Natsu is always stronger with his friends close to him, especially a friend that is very precious to him.”

I stopped dead in my tracks and spun around.

“Who is that?” I exclaimed.

“You are a smart girl, I know that you already know the answer to that.”

“Igneel,” I breathed.

The fire dragon chuckled, “the one and only.”

“Why did you leave Natsu all alone, why did you never tell him you were alive and okay?”

“Settle down girly, now is not the time for that you will get your answers eventually but I need you to help me with something for the time being.”

“And what is that,” I questioned.

“You are aware of the book that the master of hades is carrying correct?”

“Yes, the book of E.N.D.”

“Correct, I have given the mission of stealing the book from Mard Geer to Natsu.”

“So what do you want me to do? Help Natsu get the book?”

“I need you to make sure that Natsu does not either open or destroy the book or something terrible will happen, I have already told him this but I know he wasn't listening.”

“What terrible thing will happen?” I questioned.

“Trust me when I tell you nothing good.”

“Why can't you just tell me!?”

“Because I don't know if you would be able to handle it, excpecially you out of anyone here.”

“Then why me! If I can't handle it why not pick someone who can and just to make clear I am strong I am not a little baby like I was when I first joined the guild.”

“I know that you are strong, I have seen you grow with my own eyes. And the answer to why you is because it is you. No one else would be able to do this like you can. I picked you because I know of your importance to my son. While inside him I could feel what his heart felt and I know that you are one of the most precious existences on this earth to my son. I would entrust his life to you and feel safe about it. When your future self died Natsu was in so much pain that he couldn't even speak. You may not know it but this job is only something you can do. So I need to know can you do it?

I was in shock, never had someone believed in me this much besides Natsu. What shocked me even more was Igneel saying that I was a precious existence to Natsu. Natsu never really talks about his feelings so I could never really tell my importance to Natsu. But I knew that I had already decided on what to do.

“Yes, you can count on me.”

“Great, the only other thing I have to say is if E.N.D. Is opened or destroyed and Natsu isn't able to overcome it by himself I need to know that you will do anything in your power to stop him without killing him.”

It was a confusing request but I knew that if Igneel said it it was important.

“Yes, of course.”

“Thank you Lucy Heartfilia my son and I will forever be in your debt.”

I smiled and started running towards Natsu again, the wind howling against me.

“You look even more like Layla then when the first time I saw you.”

Did Igneel just say something? I tried to listen but the wind was to loud and I couldn't hear anything. I guess not I shrugged and continued running to Natsu and Mard Geer. Only if I knew know what was going to happen next, I might have been able to stop it.