Author's note: This was a story that popped into my head as I listened to the song "Did I not love you" by Secret Garden. I pictured a bright grassy scene, filled with blooming flowers, and the rest took off from there. I hope you enjoy :)
With Fire and Spirit
"...and the young prince courageously fought off the guards standing watch over the beautiful, trapped princess. When the noise of the fighting outside of her prison died down, the princess warily looked up to the barred window of the cell door. At that very instant, the huge metal door began to slowly swing open. Her heart started to race in her chest. Did her hero fail? The light from the outside temporarily blinded her. A figure stepped forward, but all she could make out was only the individual's silhouette. Hope clung weakly to-"
"Lucy."
"Quiet, Happy!"
"...the damsel's being. The unknown figure began to walk towards her, boots clicking along the cold, stone prison floor. With each step, whatever hope remained dwelling in the princess scattered like dust in the wind. She snapped her eyes tightly shut as the mysterious person kneeled down to her. The individual said no words as they drew close to her and cupped her chin in their hand. Tears forced their way out of the corner of the princess' closed eyes-"
"Oi, Lucy! What's that you got there?"
"She's reading some weird book."
" Will you two stop interrupting me? I'm almost at the end of the story!"
"Pfft, what's the big deal about a book? It's just a flimsy item with lots of boring pages filled with lots of boring words..."
"Aye, sir!"
"Will you please can it, you two? I'm trying to finish this!"
"Booooooring! You would have more fun going on a mission with us fighting evil bandits!"
"Or giant alligator monsters!"
"Or giant, evil, bandit alligator monsters!"
"Aye aye!"
"Argh! That's it, I'm moving away from the both of you!" Lucy threw her arms up in the air in defeat. She packed her novel into a brown knapsack and started to head to a more remote, quiet area away from the rambunctious dragon slayer and his blue cat companion.
XXXXXXXXXX
"There," she said as she settled herself down and leaned back against the trunk of a large tree, "I should be able to have some peace and quiet here." She pulled the flap of her knapsack open and took out her book. She held it up, gazing haply at it and smiling ear to ear. "Now I can finish my book without any interruptions!" Placing her finger at the tail of a red fabric bookmark, she opened the book up and began reading where she left off:
"She dared not open them for fear of seeing what she dreaded the most. But a gentle voice softly reached her ears, a familiar voice which swept her core and flamed her spirit back to life. 'Angeline,' it called to her. 'Angeline, I am here.' Her eyes snapped open. Her gaze locked on with the prince's. And at the very moment, two hearts, two destinies, two souls...melted together and become one. The princess cried out in pure glee and fiercely wrapped her arms tightly around her saviors neck for fear that the moment may slip by if she didn't hold on strongly enough. He wrapped his arms equally around her, but gently. He rubbed her back as the princess sobbed with all of her might, letting loose an ocean of tears that had long been pent up inside. 'My love,' the prince whispered reassuringly to her to ease the deep heartache that had ached her so. 'I am here.'"
"Awwww!" Lucy squealed in delight as she slumped back and fell onto the soft grass at the base of the tree. "He really did save her! Aww...I knew the prince loved her! I just knew it!" She couldn't keep herself from making a huge grin on her face. Lucy sighed with content and momentarily closed her eyes. She envisioned in her mind how the prince would next free his princess from her iron shackles and carry her bridal style out of the prison and into freedom, the two riding away on a handsome and magnificent, snow-white horse. A sinking, glowing, golden sun far off in the distance would top off the scene to make it picture-perfect.
A sudden noise from above aroused Lucy out of her fantasy daydream and made her look up into the tree branches above. A face, body camoflauged by the many leaves of the tree, stared wide-eyed back at her.
"ARRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!" Lucy screamed as she bolted up from her spot. As she got up, she tripped on a large tree root jutting out of the ground and humorously tumbled backwards.
"AHAHAAAA!"
Lucy knew that voice anywhere.
"Natsuuuuu!" she yelled at the fire dragon slayer. He paid no mind to her tantrum as he flipped over the branch he was leaning on and hopped down to the ground.
"Aaahahahaa! You should've seen yourself, Lucy!"
"Lucy had a funny expression!" Happy joyfully called out as he flew out of the top of the tree, rattling branches along the way.
"You!" Lucy angrily yelled at the duo. She got up and brushed the dirt off of her dress. Natsu and Happy continued to laugh. Fuming, she walked up to her comrads and confronted them. She pointed a finger in Natsu's chest.
"Why on earth are you guys here anyway?"
Natsu looked down at the celestrial mage and settled down, as did Happy. That didn't stop them from grinning and muffling an escaped chortle every now and then.
"It's because," he wrapped his arms up and behind his head.
"We were bored without you!" Happy chimed in.
"Yeah," Natsu continued. "I mean, I can only fight with that dunderhead Gray for so long before it starts to become stale as heck!"
"Natsu and Gray got into a fight again and wrecked the guild, along with Erza!"
"Happy!" Natsu glared at the feline. "I didn't wreck the guild. It was all Gray and Erza's fault...especially Gray's!"
"Aye," Happy chuckled and dodged a mock punch from Natsu.
Lucy sighed and shook her head in disbelief. "You two will never grow up, will you?"
"Nope! They're immature for life!" Happy called out as he flew by Lucy with Natsu playfully chasing after him.
Lucy chuckled at Happy's remark. In all honesty, the cat was probably right. Despite its drawbacks, Lucy admitted it was bit of a charming and refreshing quality of Natsu's.
"Well hey, I'm done with my book now, so," Lucy said to Natsu. The fire mage stopped in his tracks and turned towards the young female. "Does that mean you'll finally go on a mission with us?" Natsu beamed at her.
"I suppose," Lucy smiled.
"Yay!" Happy flew ahead of the pair.
"But," Natsu ran a few steps towards Happy's direction but paused and looked back at Lucy. He motioned with his hands to the bottom of her dress. "I'd change outfits if I were you." He ran a few more steps. "Because that dress is a bit short. Your panties easily show."
The color suddenly drained from Lucy's face. Aghast, her jaw dropped open.
Natsu gave a cheeky smile and ran several more steps, giving himself enough distance where he had to shout to Lucy in order for her to hear him.
"Yeah! Because they totally showed when you tumbled down a few minutes ago!" With those words said, Natsu did not wait to see his friend's reaction. He took of running after Happy, laughing whole-heartedly along the way.
Lucy could only choke out a few words due to utter embarassment. And then, the truth of Natsu's words finally clicked in her head.
"NATSUUUUUUU! HOW DARE YOU! YOU PERVERT!"
Natsu almost literally fell over from the side pain of laughing too hard. He whipped around, running backwards for a few seconds and called out.
"Bear panties! Bear panties!"
Happy overheard his companion's call and joined in on the fun.
"Aye! Lucy wears bear panties!"
"With a bow!" Natsu barked.
With anger now fueling her inner being and overriding any effects the embarassment of her panties being viewed had, Lucy, bright red with rage, shot off after Natsu and Happy. Oh, when she got her hands on them, they were going to wish they had never been born!
"NATSU! HAPPY! GET BACK HERE!"
As the trio scurried off into the distance, Lucy's knapsack and book laid forgotten at the base of the tree. A quick gust of wind blew by and opened up the book, causing a few pages to turn as a result. When the gust left, the book pages stopped fluttering and settled down. If one were to take a glance at the pages, they would find that there, on the last page of the open book, were these words:
And they lived happily, ever after.
The end.