A/N: This is going to be a chaptered songfic. More information about this will be in an Author's Note following the first chapter. As such, I strongly recommendthat you play Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-V) as you read this. If you start it now before you read the chapter it should flow through at a comfortable pace.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I - V)
"Look, buddy, I think you've had enough. Now go walk it off." A strong grip forcefully released itself from a leather-clad shoulder, causing a pink-haired male to stumble forward onto the street. Calloused hands reached out from thick sleeves to catch himself on the black cement. I can't believe they cut me off already. I can handle much more than that. His inner-monologue was interrupted by the slamming of the bar door behind him. The tan young man rose to his feet, brushing bits of rock off his dark jeans. Natsu Dragneel was no stranger to being thrown out of bars, but usually he had the advantage of being more intoxicated. After all, he had only had a few shots of whiskey. It usually takes a full bottle of Fireball before he feels the burn of the liquid make it's way through his veins. Then again, maybe this time his mistake wasn't too many shot, but rather starting that fight.
He straightened his posture and ran a hand through his wild rose-colored locks. Now which way is that hotel I checked into... His neck craned in every direction, looking for something familiar. His earlier search had led him on a crazy chase all through the port town of Hargeon. He hadn't bothered to figure out his location when he had stumbled upon the bar. In that moment nothing mattered except the urge to drink away yet another failure. Onyx eyes settled on the ocean in the distance. Water... Yeah, I remember some water.
The twenty-something-year-old male shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket as his worn-down, black Converse lifted his feet in the direction of the dark waves. Seconds later, his hands emerged back into the cold air with a lighter and a pack of cigarettes. He lit one up as he continued his way down the dark street. His eyes settled on the nearest streetlight. From his current position it was nothing but a small point of light in the distance, not unlike the stars that shone above him, reflecting in the dark ocean waves. With burning lungs to soothe his nerves, his thoughts wandered back through the events that led him to this port town.
Natsu sighed, his lips releasing a long cloud of smoke. He had gotten caught up chasing yet another false lead concerning his father. The old man had disappeared, leaving his young adopted son alone with no family, no future- just a scarf. It's been 14 years now and the stubborn pinkette still won't give up the mission he vowed to take up that day. He knew there had to be more to this disappearance than it seemed. Igneel was a good guy. After all, the state wouldn't allow someone to adopt a child if they seemed like the type who would just up and leave. There had to be a damn good reason he left Natsu behind.
Our hero had ended up at that bar as part of a ritual of sorts. When a lead dries up, a certain hot-headed young musician drinks until that town is dry as well. It's not his fault bars in Hargeon have low expectations for how well people handle their liquor. Of course it didn't help that one of the patrons of that particular pub heard a certain Salamander was in town and took it upon himself to impersonate our onyx-eyed friend. Natsu doesn't react well to people pretending to be something they are not, but it is worse when that person is walking around using his name to pick up chicks. Naturally, he gave the guy a broken nose, and props for how many numbers he was able to get. Maybe he would have to give it a try sometime, when he's not too busy working or looking for his dad.
Abandoning these thoughts and the shriveled butt to his cigarette, Natsu paused his pilgrimage. Maybe there is another bar around where I can try my luck. He searched the nearby buildings for any sign of alcohol, but no such luck. In fact, nothing looked familiar to him. It was like he had wandered into a ghost town. On one side of him stood the same ocean he had seen from back at the bar. On the other side was nothing but run down brick buildings, most of which seemed abandoned. The path ahead stretched out onto a bridge that housed the streetlight that had seemed so small before.
He didn't remember crossing a bridge during his earlier search, but most of it was a blur now. Before he could light another cigarette, the pinkette was caught off guard by a sound. Well, not a sound. Sounds, plural. Music. He held his breath, lips clenching around the unlit cancer stick, his mind bent on trying to decipher the notes. Why would anyone be playing music out here at three in the morning? But it was music, and Natsu was Natsu. Before he could think, those same sneakers pulled him straight ahead towards the bridge, following the melody.
Standing a good fifteen feet away from the start of the bridge, Natsu's body froze upon finding the source of the serenade. On the left side of the bridge against the rail stood an old boombox. Just a foot or two away, under the single street lamp, was a figure. A female on her hands and knees. It looked like she was writing or drawing something on the pavement with chalk. Natsu walked a few steps closer, trying to get a better look at the crouching woman.
Long blonde hair fell over her face as she stared down at the pavement. It was hard to tell given her position, but she looked about his age. She was covered in a strapless dress with a black bodice and a white skirt that flowed out below her chest. The hem appeared uneven, shorter in the front and longer in the back. Her feet were bare. Is this girl insane? It's the middle of October. She has to be freezing. The wind shifted and blew on her hair, revealing bare shoulders. Black ink stained her skin, tracing images of what Natsu assumes are constellations. Obsidian eyes fell on her face, despite the concentration in her eyes, her face seemed relaxed. Her lips were pulled together, humming along with the instrumental pouring through the boombox.
Natsu's jaw dropped slightly, his moistened cigarette tumbled to the dirty street below. His body was unable to move as the blonde threw down her chalk and rose to her feet. She rubbed her hands together in a small attempt to rid them of any lingering chalk dust. Running nimble fingers through her golden strands, the young woman made her way to the middle of the bridge, hips swaying with each step. Her arms moved to gather the air around her, as if wrapping herself in a blanket of song. A male voice began to permeate the air:
Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Natsu couldn't peel his eyes off her figure as she began to dance. She was so graceful. The music moved her lightly at first, but before he could register it, she broke into a private ballet. There was passion in every fiber of her body. Her eyes closed as she was lost in movement and sound. Nothing could draw her back. There was a spiritual connection between mind, body, and song. His eyes lit ablaze as he traced her every move. His mind, too, sparked, attempting to decode the message her body was trying to communicate.
You were caught on the crossfire of childhood and stardom,
Blown on the steel breeze.
Come on you target for faraway laughter,
Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!
With last word her body burst, arms reaching out towards the heavens en haut. For a moment the leather clad man grew ashamed. Watching the ecstasy emitting from her choreography was akin to seeing her naked. She was pouring herself through her adagio of movement. It felt wrong to witness such an intimate ceremony, but at the same time he didn't have it in him to look away. She was so beautiful, and her intensity was tantalizing. She's on fire.
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Threatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
She spun around rhythmically, lost in her divine ritual. The skirt of her dress pillowed, making her appear like a top. Her head bowed in reverence, but to what he did not know. There was something supernatural about this whole scene, and it sent a chill down the boy's spine. It was as if this young woman was worshipping the moon and the stars, offering her fervent dance as a sacrifice. She was a saint and every step was a prayer.
Well you wore out your welcome with random precision,
Rode on the steel breeze.
Come on you raver, you seer of visions,
Come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!
Now her step were slow fluid they seemed to move without her control. It was as something possessed her and moved her in ways no one knew the human body could handle. She was a priestess under governance of the gods. A lifeless puppet whose joints were pulled by a string. Never had Natsu witnessed something so bewitching. But as he witnessed her dance approach it's coda, something felt off. Something was very wrong. As the lyrics gave way to the power of the saxophone, her body calmed and swayed, locked in a slow waltz with the universe. She continued this way for a moment, as if basking in the loving embrace of the night.
Without skipping a beat, she danced her way over to the rail of the bridge, looking out over the ocean for no longer than a second. In one swift moment she hoist herself up, pressing her feet into the cold steel rail. Standing, she threw her head back, her arms fell softly down by her sides, remaining open to the cosmos. She was unaware that her audience was inching closer, unable to shake his premonition. The weight on her right heel began to shift, advancing forward into nothingness.
The blonde never got the chance to take her fateful step. Her amber eyes flew open and she found herself being pulled backwards by the wrist, falling into a strong chest. Her mind flew out of its tranquil rapture and into a discord that rivaled the fading sax solo.
A/N: As I mentioned before the chapter, this is going to be a chaptered songfic. In fact, each chapter of this story will feature a song incorporated into it, either being sang by a character or played some other fashion as witnessed here. This is an artist guild AU, so everyone in Fairy Tail will be an artist of some kind and they will complete requests for their various forms of creative talent. I have been working on this story for weeks now, trying to get a good grip on what I want to do with it because I want this to be good. I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you continue to enjoy future chapters. Please review and let me know what you think.
If any of you were reading my first story (Belated) Nalu Fluff Week 2016, I will be updating pretty soon. There has been a lot going on that has had me more in the mood for angst than fluff.