The sun was high in the sky, peeking out once and a while from behind the clouds. The seven year old sighed, running her palm along the grass, breathing in the small bit of freedom she was given before it would be snatched away from her once again. Lucy's garden was most likely the furthest she would ever get from the castle. Her silk dress was strewn across the grass, and her short, golden hair swayed back and forth in the wind. She watched the leaves tumble across the grass before flying with the wind, up above the gates that trapped her and away. Away from this cursed place.
Don't give her wrong, Lucy was grateful for all the fancy food and pretty clothes, she loved the staff who would make her laugh with their silly antics. She loved her father and she was pretty sure he loved her too, it was amazing but it wasn't what she wanted.
When her mother, deceased Queen Layla Heartfilia had fallen in love with her father, King Jude, they had never expected a child quite like Lucy.
Although she was only seven, she was unlike most humans her age. While they cowered in fear of the outside creatures that weren't like them, Lucy was intrigued. Her father had continuously warned her, how every one of them would kill her if they had the chance. Even so, she really wanted to meet one. She wanted to see a mermaid, a demon or a werewolf. But most of all, she wanted to see a dragon.
Lucy sent out a breath of air, looking at the castle she called home. Guess its about time I head back, she thought. Taking one last look at the bright, blue sky before turning around and skipping towards the mansion.
"Good afternoon Leo! It's really sunny today don't you think?" Lucy asked her butler as she ran through the side entrance of the castle.
"Indeed Princess Lucy. Is there anything I can do for you?" Leo inquired.
"Nothing right now!" Lucy shouted, already halfway up the spiral stair case. Leo smirked as he carried on cleaning, what a bizarre child, he thought.
Now that's what most people said after meeting Lucy. Aside for the fact that she seemed fearless for someone so young, she was incredibly intelligent. Despite her age, she was learning methods and calculations beyond her years. She could read and write fluently in several different languages and had read nearly every book in the kingdom. This intellect, according to Capricorn, had been passed down from Lucy's mother. She smiled when he told her that. Nothing made Lucy happier than hearing about Layla.
A year before, when Lucy was only six, her mother had passed away and her father started ignoring her. During this time, Lucy had realised she was alone. Her mother had given her the one thing she had asked for - love, and now she was gone, Lucy had lost it. She didn't want the money, or riches or toys. She wanted friends of whom she could play with.
She wanted so badly to feel love again. But now, as she stumbled up the stairs, faking the smile she always carried with her, she suddenly asked herself - what's keeping her here? Her father? Certainly not. So, what was it? Lucy stopped abruptly, her seven year old mind finally coming to terms with herself. The answer was so simple: nothing. So, at that moment, she decided. As soon as the opportunity arose, she would leave, and find her own way in life.
Surprisingly, it didn't take long for that opening to reveal itself. Two week later in fact, as she went on her normal morning stroll in the garden, she found the entrance that was once locked and surrounded by guards, swinging opening in the wind. Getting over the initial shock, she shook her head, not now Lucy, and she made a run for it.
Somewhere, hidden in the shadows, stood a fateful butler, swinging the entry key on one finger and the fake message from Jude that cleared the guards out in seconds, still lingering on his lips. "Go on Lucy," smiled Leo. "I look forward to seeing you again."
_._._._._._
It had started to rain. The light pattering of the drops had started shortly after she left the castle. The patter didn't stay long though, soon, the force of the water had been as stronger than a bag of bricks. And, in a pathetic attempt to shield herself, she hovered her hands over her head.
Hours went by before Lucy found shelter. The shelter in question was a large cave tucked in the corner of a mountain. Maybe it wasn't the luxury she was used to, but something was always better than nothing.
When she reached it, her fear of the dark kept her from traveling deeper than the entrance. So, she waited and watched the rain. It was cold, she was tired and as she gazed ahead, Lucy found herself with thoughts of her father. He must have noticed her absence by now. Or maybe not, he wasn't like a normal concerned parent after all.
She sighed, feeling her eyelids getting heavy. And as she drifted off to sleep, Lucy prayed that the night would be bliss. That she could sleep and wake up to her new life. At that moment, she couldn't have known that this was very far from the truth.
Natsu heard it before he saw it. A creature probably, but from the sounds of the footsteps, small. He found himself growling under his breath, it'd been awhile since there had been an intruder. Flames licked from his palms, slowly creeping up his arm towards his shoulder. He didn't need his dragon form to deal with whatever was out there. And with a final burst of energy, he tore towards the cave's entrance.
He wasn't far from his destination and, combined with his speed, he was there in a matter of seconds. The creature who - he presumed - was here to steal Igneel's gold, was sleeping soundly. It had a mane of shining golden hair, a petite nose and dainty figure. Whatever it was, Natsu found himself lowering his guard, carefully studying it. He noticed more details, how short it was, how peaceful it looked, how good it smelled. He was about to sit next to it, when a loud crash was heard from outside.
"Natsu, what are you doing with a human girl?" Came Igneel's voice, rippling through the cave and waking Lucy out of her slumber. The first thing she noticed was Natsu, she smiled, still half dazed, looking around slowly, her eyes landed on the giant dragon staring at her with bloodthirsty intent. Three seconds went by before she started to scream, hiding behind the boy in desperation. "Igneel! Dad! I think it's harmless!" Came Natsu's voice, Igneel halted his attack for a moment.
"You're being ridiculous Natsu, the only human I have ever met who wasn't hostile was-" Igneel turned towards the girl, finally noticing something. "Layla?" Lucy instantly stopped screaming, cocking her head to the side in confusion.
"Excuse me, did you know my mama?" The truth dawned upon Igneel, of course it wasn't Layla, even he had heard the news of the Queen's passing.
"Yes, I did. We were friends a long time ago, long before you were born. My name is Igneel, you're Lucy, I presume?" Lucy nodded eagerly, all previous worries gone. "That's me!" She clambered out from her hiding place behind Natsu, she averted her gaze from the dragon to stare at the boy.
"Lucy, meet my son, Natsu." Lucy smiled, studying his pink hair for a moment before holding out her hand for a shake. Confused, Natsu stared at it with inquiry. "You shake it." Lucy giggled, grasping his hand and held it in her own. She moved it up and down gently, and Natsu found himself smiling along with Lucy. Whoever she was, he liked her.
"Hi Luigi, I'm Natsu!" He yelled, puffing out his chest and blowing a small jet of fire in her direction. It dissolved before meeting her, leaving a small halo of smoke to grace her face. "Nice to know." She coughed, letting go of his hand. "I'm sorry Mr Igneel, Natsu. Is this your cave? I can leave if you want." Igneel was about to decline, when Natsu laughed behind her.
"Leave? You're joking right? You must've come here for a reason, stay. It'll be fun."
Never had anyone but her mother shown so much compassion. It touched Lucy's heart and she found herself wavering between her options. She could make her own choices now, she could stay here. Without even noticing, she was nodding eagerly, her lips moving on their own. "Please, if I could." Igneel stared into the girl's eyes, nodding.
"Of course, make yourself at home."
_._._._._._
The forest was beautiful at night. The moon shimmered behind the array of trees, creating a calming atmosphere. Everything seemed like it was perfect. A great, red dragon lay sleeping, his mind at peace. Although, at the time, Igneel could never have known the horror that was waiting only a few hours away.
Hidden in the depths of the trees, shrouded by darkness, Natsu and Lucy were laughing. It has been three months since she had left home and she was happier than she had ever been. The sun danced in her eyes as Natsu jumped from tree to tree; roaring like a dragon. Lucy loved watching his quick reflexes and body swerve - seemingly on its own - to grab onto each branch.
Natsu was moved so swiftly through the trees that he lost sight of Lucy for a few minutes. It was only when he heard the high-pitched shriek of a girl, did he halt, swinging himself around in the direction he came. It took only a couple of seconds for Natsu to see her again and it definitely was not in the way he wanted.
From the small dot in the distance that was becoming bigger by the second, Natsu could just make out the squirming figure of Lucy and, what looked to be several men dressed in all black.
At that moment, the thought had never occurred that these men had any relation to her. His vision was clouded in crimson, reaching towards Lucy, body coated in flames.
"Whatcha want with her? She's done nothing to you! Let her go!" The men, despite his sudden outburst, paid him no mind, yanking Lucy's wrist so it was held painfully behind her back. She shrieked, stammering for them to stop.
Anger.
Natsu roared; the roar of a dragon, shaking the trees and making the forest tremble to his will. Scales slowly began to creep up his neck, smothering his face as wings errupted from his back. Suddenly, everything was quiet. Only the calm, crackling of fire bled through the silence.
"Fuck! This kid isn't human!" One of them stammered, "Are you fucking crazy or some shit? Drop the bitch and run!"
"But, but the king he-" Another argued, hands still clutching Lucy's arm.
"The king can go fuck himself, I didn't sign up for this." Seeming to silently agree, the men picked off, one by one, running off from whence they came.
"AND DON'T EVEN THINK," the ground trembled, "OF COMING BACK!"
_._._._._._
Around a year and a half after Lucy had first started living with the dragons, she had gotten sick. It's nothing major, Igneel had assured Natsu, just a simple cold, humans get them sometimes.
Despite his reassurance that Lucy was okay, Natsu stayed with her. Keeping her fever down, ensuring she kept hydrated, telling her stories of times before they'd met; tales of wicked adventures involving mermaids and demons and grouchy old trolls. He kept her laughing (although sometimes it hurt to).
Even when the great dragon came to collect him for training, he refused. "Lucy might die if I leave!" He exaggerated, throwing his hands up in distress. "Her fever is getting better but she won't stop-", a sharp hacking cough, "See! She won't stop coughing!". Igneel chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that shook the trees.
"Okay, if that's what you want. But I don't want you neglecting your training." Igneel morphed to his human form, ruffling Natsu's hair before turning to address Lucy. "You keep him outta trouble.", he smiled crouching down to her level and talking her hand, "And get better soon, okay?". Lucy nodded eagerly, golden hair falling in her face as she did so.
Needless to say, Lucy woke up better the next day.
_._._._._._
Something that had become apparent was that Igneel was prone to long hunting trips. He would leave in the middle of the night, not coming back for weeks on end. On these occasions, Natsu and Lucy would have to find their own food. Eating berries and small rodents for survival, huddling together for warmth. Not that she minded, Igneel was a fully grown dragon and he had his own duties to talk care of. Besides, her pink haired companion was surprisingly warm.
She didn't mind, that is, until he didn't come back. It was sometime in the middle of winter, the darkness draped over the sky like a blanket of frost, making her shiver as she slept. Looking back on it, she had never been sure if the cold had woken her or the noise. Rustling and sharp thuds against the stone floor shook the cave as the gigantic creature trudged towards the exit.
Opening her eyes, Lucy smiled, still half asleep "You should say bye to Natsu before you leave Igneel, he'll be sad if you go without-" The dragon morphed into a human before she could finish her sentence, kissing her gently on the forehead. Red hair as fiery as a furnace draping over his eyes. "He probably won't even notice I'm gone, he is an idiot Lucy." Giggling softly, she nodded.
"While that may be true Igneel, I think you should at least tell him you're leaving."
In answer, the now human walked over to his son and roughly shook him awake. "Get up you lazy ass, I'm 'bout to go! Oi, oi kid!" Natsu woke with a jolt,
"Who? What? When? Luce are you oka- Dad?" Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he turned to his father, now seemingly fully awake "Are you going on another trip? Take me! Take me with you! COME ON YOU PROMISED!"
"Natsu." Igneel sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I've told you before, I'm not taking Lucy with me so I can't take you. You have to protect her, remember? The dragon always protects the princess." Although dejected, Natsu nodded.
"I'm always gonna protect Luce! Cause she's my treasure, and a dragon never let's go of their treasure!" He pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her, "Never ever!"
"Good. I'll see you two in a few days, I love you." He smiled, as he said it, hugging them both as he stepped outside. But it was all a lie.
They waited weeks, months, probably a whole year in that cave. They only had each other for company and they became closer than ever. Training was their only pass time, fighting the monsters that dared to wander into their domain. Lucy was pretty sure she would've gone insane without Natsu, both of them hanging onto the hope that Igneel would return.
On Natsu's eleventh birthday, as Lucy sang to him, he finally snapped. "I've had enough of this!" He screamed, making Lucy jump back in surprise. "What is it? What's going on?"
"We are going to find Igneel, we are going to look for him as long as it takes! And then we're going to demand an explanation!" Lucy cheered and grabbed his hand in hers, something that'd become natural during all their time together.
"Pack your things, we leave tonight."
_._._._._._
Hope you enjoyed the prologue of my new story, Thrill of the Hunt. This was mainly to set the scene for Natsu and Lucy's relationship, and where their journey began. Just to add some context, Natsu is a year older than Lucy and, in the next chapter, Lucy will be eighteen, whilst Natsu will, consequently, be nineteen.
Feel free to leave reviews on what you think.