Hello readers! While I haven't finished watching the Fairy Tail series yet, I have been shipping NaLu almost since the beginning. Hopefully this spin on their relationship will entertain you.

I really appreciate any favorites, follows, and reviews. Don't be afraid to share any constructive criticism - it makes us better writers after all!

I own only the plot of this story.

It was dark, even though his eyes were open. He could hear sounds around him… chains?

There were chains on his wrists and ankles. In front of him somewhere was a voice, chanting quietly. He didn't understand the words, but the tone made him wary. He was so tired…

Had he fallen asleep? It was still dark, but the ground beneath him felt different. Rougher. Before it had felt like smooth bricks; now it was uneven stone and there were smaller rocks digging into his side. The chains were still on him, but there was no voice. Slowly, he rolled so that he was on his knees. Lowering his head, he grabbed at the hood obscuring his vision and pulled it off. After blinking a few times, he realized he was in a cave, with a small fire going in the center of the space.

Someone was leaning over the fire with their back to him. It was a small figure, perhaps a woman?

"Where am I?" he croaked, his throat dry as sandpaper.

The person looked over their shoulder at him. As they sat up, they pulled down their hood, and everything went black.

Then he was floating above the fire, watching as someone who looked just like him crawled awkwardly towards the opening of the cave. Even though he was watching, he suddenly felt terrified. Why was he so scared?

The cloaked figure had their hood up again. Had he even seen their face? They reached for the man, hand outstretched, but not touching. He watched his body be pulled back towards the fire.

HIS body, he realized. Was he dead, then?

The figure made him float back over to the fire. His body was crying, he realized, begging to be let go.

"I am so, so sorry," the voice whispered. It was soft, feminine. A dainty hand reached for a poker that was sitting in the fire. Suddenly, he was next to his body. He realized it wasn't just a poker, it was a branding iron, with a fire symbol on it. What was she going to do with that?

She took his hand in her free one, chanting again. Suddenly realizing what she was going to do, he tried to move, tried to reach for his body, but his incorporeal hands just passed through his body's arm.

Move! He tried to reach out to himself, tried to tell his body to move, but nothing happened. He could see fear in his body's eyes, but his body was still. Perhaps she was using her magic to hold him?

As she finished her chant, she pressed the brand into the pad of flesh below his left thumb. Suddenly, he was yanked back into his body as he began to scream.

His body was frozen, refusing to move no matter how much he fought to run away. The pain in his hand was intense, greater than any other he had ever felt. He could feel the burn throughout his entire arm. Unable to do anything else, he continued to scream.

After a few moments, she pulled the brand away, leaving the symbol of fire on his hand. His throat even more hoarse, he stared at her pleadingly. "Please," he whispered… begging. As he looked up, he could see a sad smile on her pixie-like face. "Please, let me leave."

"I can't," she said. A tear slid from her eye, soaking into a strand of blue hair that had fallen into her face. "I must do this, but I promise it will get better. Some day."

Suddenly, his entire body felt like it was on fire. A raging furnace, his blood chugged, through his body like lava, scorching him from the inside out. The mage stood as his body writhed, finally able to move again. He felt the shackles loosen, then realized they were melting off his body. He didn't know why, but he looked at the mage again. She gave him a small smile.

"Some day," she repeated. "You will find each other again."

Natsu roared as he woke from his dream. Almost immediately he realized where he was, and shut his mouth. Growling quietly, he pressed his head into the cool stone wall of his cave. He hated that dream. Hated the feelings it created within him. He was a fire dragon for gods' sake. He was one of the most ferocious beings on the planet; he had no reason to feel scared and helpless. And yet, it still took some time to shake off the dream. He'd been having it on and off for centuries now, so he knew the feelings would pass soon enough.

It continued to bother him that he was always so certain that the man he saw in the dream was himself. He was a big, fearsome dragon, not a small, pitiful human. Where would such dreams even come from? He huffed, growing more angry as he thought about it.

He stood and started walking towards the mouth of his cave, hoping it was night time so that he could get out of the cramped space and shake off the feelings still plaguing him. The trip took a little while, but it gave him a chance to stretch out his body. Careful to keep his head and wings from hitting the ceiling, he followed the twists and turns in the dark, his vision perfect despite there being no light. As he reached the end of the tunnel, he could see the moonlight shining in and he smiled.

The sun had set, which meant he could finally leave.

The rumble in his stomach confirmed that it was time to eat. He ducked down and carefully left the small entrance to his cave. As soon as he exited, he unfolded his wings and stretched out his neck as far as it could go, reveling in the feeling of being free. Atop his mountain, he moved to stand at the cliff's edge, feeling the wind sliding along his body and wings.

Natsu could see for miles in every direction from up here. The silence of the landscape comforted him, as it always did. There was no wildlife up here, no towns or roads near this mountain, nothing but him and his home. His scales shimmered in the moonlight, looking more pink than red. His eyes glowed yellow, and smoke lazily drifted out of his nostrils. He took a deep breath, then stood motionless, listening.

He could hear the wind in the trees. Heard the river on his mountain running and then falling into the lake at the bottom. Heard an owl hoot from its perch in a tree. Heard the bugs sing their chorus into the night.

Suddenly, he heard it. Miles away, he heard the sound of hooves, weighted down by at least one rider.

He grinned, his razor sharp teeth glistening in the moonlight. His whole body tensed as he zeroed in on the location of his target.

It was time to hunt.