Lucy ran into the guild hall and over to Natsu she panted and out of breath and put her hands on her knees. "Natsu, We have to do a job my rent is due soon!" She exclaimed to him.

"Really, again?" Natsu sighed. "You really need to get ahead of your game Lucy."

Natsu leaned over a table, looking awfully tired. Happy lay out on Natsu's head, knawing vigorously on a fish.

"You are awfully careless Lucy." Happy said through mouthfuls of fish.

"Shut up you stupid cat." Lucy sighed and glared at the Blue exceed "Anyway can we just pick a job?" She asked mostly to Natsu looking at him.

"Yeah, sure." He said, leaning back and stretching, causing Happy to fall off his head. Happy cried out in surprise as he hit the floor.

"Aw, Natsu, you made me squish my fish." Happy whined sadly looking at his snack that he had landed on.

"Sorry Happy, I'll get you a new one when we get back." Nastu promised, laughing. "But Lucy has a stupid rent to pay."

Lucy ignored his comment running up to the job board she looked up and down it scanning the jobs. "There's no fun jobs." She said continuing to scan the board.

"Hey Lucy!" Mira said to her. "Looking for a job?" She asked glancing at the board.

"Yep. Got more rent to pay." Lucy said and looked at the board again. "But these Job's don't look to fun..."

"OOH THIS ONE!" Happy exclaimed, pointing to one with a picture of a giant squid on it. "I WANNA EAAAT IIIITTT!"

Nastu read it over. "1000 yen for exterminating the large squid demon terorizing local swimmers"

"Let me eat it." Happy said, hugging Lucy's head. "I want it to be mine."

"If you don't get off my head somethings gonna get eaten... And I don't mean the squid!" She said to Happy angrily. As she began scanning again one caught her eye.

Happy released Lucy's head in fear of being eaten, and sat sadly on the ground, crying hungrily.

"Look! Go up into The Northern Mountains and kill a giant that has been terrorizing the area." She read out loud. "It's 100,000 yen so you guys can have half and I'll have half so I can pay my rent!" She explained.

Natsu gave the thumbs up, tearing the sheet of paper off the board. "We're taking this one, alright?!" He yelled, waving the paper at Mira. She nodded and smiled.

"Good luck you three!" She said waving them off.

"Are you coming Happy?" Nastu asked as they started toward the door.

"Aye." Happy sighed, jumping up on his feet.

"Let's go kick that Giant's butt!" Lucy yelled happily.

They arrived in the snowy mountains Lucy was shivering. "So Cold." She mumbled thinking about last time they went there. She smiled at the memory but continued to shiver.

"I feel perfectly fine, I don't see why your so shaky." Natsu said, walking with his hands behind his head.

Happy nodded. "Aye, quit being such a girl Lucy."

"I am a girl!" She exclaimed as she pulled out her keys. "Open gate of the clockwork Horologium!" She yelled while putting her key in front of her.

When Horologium appeared she instantly climbed inside of him. "Thank you The girl said." Horologium said. "I'm warmer already she exlaimes happily."

"That's good I guess but we're almost there you know," He pointed out. "So don't get too cozy."

Happy flew above them, looking at the road ahead. "Natsu, there's a problem up ahead."

"What is it Happy, what do you see?" Nastu asked looking up at his friend.

Happy flew down to their level. "It looks like a big hole in the path."

"She sighs in disappointment. What do we do now? She asked. I would say Happy could fly us but like he would do that. She says quite annoyed. " Lucy rolled her eyes putting her hand on her chin thinking about this. "How big is the hole? She asks."

"It can't be that bad." Natsu said with a cocky tone. "Nothing I can't jump."

"Aye, but it's really big Natsu." Happy stated. "It might be hard to jump."

"PLUS not all of us can jump... She says trailing off. Oh look my time is done!" Horologium said before disappearing. Lucy began to shiver again she stood up. "You can only jump because your Natsu..." She said with a sigh.

"Is that a compliment?" Natsu asked in a hushed, looking at Happy.

Happy shrugged. "I never know what Lucy's thinking, half the time she thinks crazy things."

"True..." Natsu agreed. He looked at Lucy and smiled. "Thank you."

"That was not a compliment..." She looked away. "now for the problem still at hand the hole. We should walk while we think so we can get and idea of the size." She suggested as she began walking.

"Okay, sure." Natsu shrugged, following Lucy.

Happy flew back up so he could see the hole again. "Careful Lucy, it's coming up soon." He warned her as they approached the giant gape.

As Lucy caught sight of the hole her jaw dropped. "Oh wow that is big..." She trailed off looking at it in awe. "I don't think we could get around it fast enough."

"Then we'll have to go over." Natsu said. "Hey Ha-"

Before he could call to his friend for help, Happy's wings expired and he fell onto the snowy floor.

"Ow." Happy rubbed his head after the fall.

"Well this is great." Natsu said with a sigh. "I'm going to have to jump it."

"You won't make it..." Lucy said examining the hole. "There's no way. We could always see if the giant was at the bottom... I mean what else could make a hole this big..."

She looked down into it seeing tiny human figures. "Wait.. It looks like a town down there..." She looked down into the hole again.

"Let's go then!" Natsu exclaimed.

Happy climbed on his head. "Aye!" He exclaimed.

"Ready Lucy?" Natsu asked, but before she could answer, he picked her up and leaped down the hole, heels dug into the narrow sides. He laughed as they quickly descended.

Lucy was too out of breath to scream so she just closed her eyes tightly hoping it would soon be over once they hit the ground she jumped out of Natsu's arms and opened her eyed.

"You could have killed us!" She exclaimed looking at Natsu. "It was oddly fun but we could have died!"

"Relax, I know what I'm doing!" Natsu reassured her.

"You do?" Happy asked him.

"Not really, but hey, might as well make it sound better than it actually is!" He laughed, Happy laughed along.

People from the village all stopped and stared at the strangers who had fallen from the sky and into their village.

The village mayor stepped out from the crowd wearing a black suit and top hat. "Hello wizards. Let me see your guild marks." He said.

Lucy held up her hand her fairy tail mark pointing out to the stranger. Lucy smiled and looked at Natsu and Happy.

Natsu moved his dragon slayer scarf and showed his Fairy Tale mark on his right shoulder. Happy turned and showed his mark which was in the center of his back.

"We came about this job." Natsu said, holding up the sheet of paper that he got from the board back at the guild.

"Yes. You see the village had been being terrorized by this giant and we want you to slay him before it gets to bad." He explained. "If you follow me I can show you were we last saw it today."

He began to walk and Lucy Followed behind him. She looked back at Natsu and happy. "C'mon guys!" She said back to them.

"Come on Happy!" Natsu groaned as Happy stopped to admire some fish he saw being hauled in a cart.

"I want it..." Happy said, sounding almost Zombie like. He held out his arms and began walking to the cart like a zombie.

"We're coming Lucy!" Natsu said, grabbing Happy and running to catch up to them.

"Awwwww" Happy pouted as Natsu pulled him away.

The man brought them to a huge cave and stopped in front of it. "This is as far as I go but the giant was last seem in here this morning." He said motioning to the cave.

Lucy's hand was already on her keys as she took a deep breath standing beside Natsu. "Ready?" She asked looking at him.

Natsu laughed, looking at Lucy. "I'm always ready for a good fight, haven't you learned that by now?"

Happy mumbled to himself. "I want fish so bad I could eat Lucy and pretend she was a fish."

"Let's go then." She said ignoring Happy's side comment and walking into the cave she got grabbed from behind. "Natsu don't touch me." She scolded but it wasn't Natsu or Happy that was touching her.

Natsu heard Lucy say something to him, but he couldn't see her anywhere. "Lucy?! Where'd you go?!" He called out, not able to see well in the dark of the cave. He lit a fireball and held it in his hand fir lighting.

"Maybe the monster ate her " Happy said shaking at the creepiness of his surroundings.

"No, she's just lost. We'll find her." Natsu said looking around for Lucy. "LUCY!"

As they searched, Happy and Natsu reached a spot where the tunnels split. He smelt the air.

"Go look down there Happy, I'll go this way." Natsu said.

"Aye." Happy nodded hesitantly and he went the way he was told to.

As he walked further, Natsu began hearing voices and immediately blew out his light, hiding himself in the shadows.

Someone cupped there hand around Lucy's mouth preventing her from talking. They had tied her hands and feet and taken her keys. Yet she was still struggling she could hear Natsu calling her name.

"This one's fisty." Said one of the men. He had a deeper voice.

They locked Lucy in a tiny cage. "Now it's just the fire brain we have to deal with." Said one of the men.

"Hello Darling... " Said a familiar voice to Lucy. The Mayor. "This was all a plan my dear to slowly eliminate Fairy Tail the other quests on your board the same thing is happening to them too... Now speak what do you think of this?" He asked coldly.

"We're is Natsu?" She asked.

"There are a bunch of strange men in your presence and your worried about him... That's naughty and you will pay for that." He pulled out her knife and cut into Lucy's right arm slowly and deeply Lucy screamed out in pain.

"I'm gonna ask you again What do you think?"

"Where is Natsu?" She asked her bloody arm shaking.

Natsu was furious, thinking about all his friends being hurt. They were his family, he felt his body grow hot and he felt as if he was going to burst into flames.

"You get your filthy hands off of her right now..." He demanded through gritted teeth, hidden out of sight. "Either that, or I will get the honor of burning you alive."

"Natsu!" Lucy said smiling.

The Mayor cut into her again fast and. just as deep as before. "Oops it slipped." He said going deeper faster.

Lucy bit her lip to keep out from screaming after a few seconds she gave in. "You BASTARD!" She yelled.

Natsu kept his head lowered, his eyes were covered by loose strands of his strawberry colored hair. He moved quickly towards the man. "Do you not understand me? I said... Let... Her... Go..." Natsu bit his lip more, trying not to get too angry and lose control completely

"You don't scare me." The may said whipping the knife out of her arm only to stab it back in again. "I'm not standing down I've come to far."

Lucy screeched and squinted her eye's shut when he whipped it back in. "Just fight him Natsu!" Lucy practically begged her whole body shaking in pain.

Natsu couldn't bare to see Lucy so hurt and in pain, he felt as if every bit of fire in his body ripped open his body and forced its way out. Natsu grabbed the man and threw him across the cave.

"You honestly think you can take down Fairy Tale without a fight?!" He yelled. "Well then show me what you got cause I AIN'T BUYING IT!"

The man stood up. "I have magic of my own dear boy." He said. "Shadow Ball of Nowhere!" He yelled as a giant shadow ball shot towards Natsu.

Meanwhile Lucy sat in the corner of her cage holding her arm's tight to her chest she was losing blood fast.

Nastu's whole body seemed to light up in flames and he shot a huge fire ball at the shadow ball. "My friends are my family and if you mess with my family, you will regret it!" He yelled out, fire spewing madly everywhere.

Natsu tried to clean himself up by taking deep breathes. He took off his scarf and threw it in between the bars to Lucy. "Put this on." He said, worried about accidentally burning her.

"Okay." Lucy mumbled quietly she put on the scarf carefully.

"This isn't over." the Mayor said and surrounded Natsu in shadow balls shooting them all at once.

Natsu looked down again, jumping up and spinning, fire shooting all around him in a tornado of burning flames. He landed on the ground with a thud, misplacing rubble around his feet as he stood up straight again.

"Not yet, but pretty soon," Natsu paused and began creating a huge fire ball. "It will be!" He shot it directly at the man, Natsu being thrown slightly aback in exhaustion and due to the force of the flames.

The Mayor had not expected it and got knocked out from the impact.

"Natsu my key's." Lucy called out in a weak voice motioning to the wall. She crawled over to the Bar's using them to steady Herself standing up. The world was spinning around her from blood loss. She had to hang on to the bar's to keep herself up.

Natsu couldn't calm himself down enough to restrain his flames, and all the energy he was using up drove him to the point he was shaking. He walked to the cage and bent the bars open just enough for Lucy to get out. He knew she would be okay with his flames as long as she wore the Dragon Slayers Scarf.

"If I touch them they'll melt..." He said weakly, his flames slightly dying down.

"I can't stay standing I'm so dizzy Natsu..." Lucy stepped out and sat against the bar's everything going black and fading away.

"Lucy?" Natsu called. His flames went out and he collapsed, having no fire left in him. He looked around, and before he blacked out, he saw a group of people rush into the cave and over to him and Lucy, then, he went black.

The last thing Lucy heard was Nastu's voice before she blacked out she looked at him then it all went black.

~~~Meanwhile~~~

After separating from Natsu, Happy's stomach began rumbling louder than before. He groaned. "I'm so hungry..."

Happy pictured the cart of fish, it was calling him, begging him to eat every last one.

"I'm coming fishes!" Happy cried, running as fast as his little feet could take him right out of the cave. He savaged the town until he found the fish man. "Can I eat your fish?!" He asked, drooling over the beauty of his desired meal.

"If you have 500 yen then sure, you can get one." The man said with a smile. Happy's face fell.

"Save me a fish Mr Fish guy, I'll be back for my fish!" Happy yelled, darting back towards the caves in hope that Natsu would have money.

He stopped in front of the cave. "Oh no Natsu will be made at me for leaving Lucy!" Happy cried. "I need to find Natsu and make sure he found her!"

Happy went back into the cave, this time, following the path Natsu had taken. As he walked, he heard voices. He climber up onto a big rock to see if it was Natsu.

Happy gasped when he saw what lied before him. Lucy, and... The Mayor?!

"This was all a plan my dear to slowly eliminate Fairy Tail the other quests on your board the same thing is happening to them too... Now speak what do you think of this?" The Mayor asked Lucy. Happy watched in horror, too afraid to move.

Eliminate... Fairy Tale? Why did this always seem to happen?

"Where's Natsu?" Lucy asked, a serious look on her face. She was unable small cagethat prevented her from moving around too much.

"There are a bunch of men in your presence and your worried about him... That's naughty and you will pay for that." The Mayor scoffed, pulling out a knife and cutting deep into Lucy's right arm.

Happy heard a small noise come from beneath him as Lucy cried out in pain. He looked down to see the silhouette of Natsu, who looked very angry.

Happy could sense dark magic coming from the Mayor, which worried him.

"I need to get help..." Happy whispered, retreating once again and going to get help from the guild, going as fast as he could in order to help his friends.

~~~And Now~~~

Nastu's head was pounding as he peeled open his heavy eyes. He felt a tight cloth squeezing around his forehead and torso, where he must've been injured. The room was brightly lit, causing Natsu to squint his eyes. He looked around the room and saw a familiar blonde, but his vision was slightly blurred.

"Natsu?" He heard Happy above him. He looked up to see his tiny friend sitting on the bed next to him. Happy had tears in his eyes.

At that moment, Lucy's eye's fluttered open and she squinted them as she sat up. Once she did she heard the familiar voice of Levy. "Lu?! Thank the God your awake!" The memories of that night came flooding back

She looked down at her wrists the bandages wrapped tightly around the right arm. "They wouldn't stop bleeding Lu! We all thought you were gonna die." She choked on the last word sltears streaking down her face.

"I'm okay Levy." She sighed. "Natsu you awake?" She asked looking beside her at him.

"Yeah, I'm up..." He replied, sitting up. He felt like something was gagging his insides, he felt so empty.

"You're a real idiot Natsu," Gray said, who was standing against a wall in the corner of the room. "You used up nearly all of your flames."

Natsu glared at Gray. "Shut up droopy eyes."

"I was worried about you Natsu, and you Lucy, I heard what was happening and I went and got Master Makarov tp help you but when we got there you were both unconscious." Happy sobbed. Natsu pat him on the head.

"We're okay now..." Lucy said remembering the stabs. "I still have rent to pay!" She groaned. "Natsu when we both get better we have to go out and get me that money okay?" She asked him smiling.

"How can she be so happy after all of that..." Levy whispered to Gray.

"Dunno... I guess it's just cause she's Lucy." Gray Replied.

"Wait, we didn't get paid for all that?!" Natsu exclaimed.

"No Natsu, it was a trap..." Gray rolled his eyes. "So the money was a lie too..."

"Dammit!" Natsu groaned. "Now I'm hungry and I have no money!"

"Tell me about it..." Lucy said sighing. "Let's go find a simple job." She said standing up.

"No-NO NO!" Levy yelled. "You are staying in your bed!"

"No I'm not I'm hungry and need money let's go Natsu." She said and stretched.

"Alright, fine by me." Natsu said, drawing back the covers and standing up out of bed.

"But Natsu!" Happy cried. "You guys are hurt!"

"I feel fine, I just need to eat something." Natsu stated, still feeling weak but he didn't care. He just wrapped his scarf around his neck and put his vest on over the bandages.

Lucy looked at him. "Awesome Let's go!" She said walking over to the board. "What should we do this time.." She wondered. Out loud. "You. Can choose this time." She said to Natsu.

"Alright, well... How about this one?" He asked taking off one that said something about a missing girl lost in the woods and the reward for her safe return was 50, 000 yen.

Mira peered over at them. "That's a new one that came in while you were gone."

"We should do it! We can split it half and half." SHe said and took it off the board. "We're taking this one Mira."

"Okay Be safe guys!" She yelled as Lucy and Natsu began to walk out of the guild door.

And Happy also followed. "Can we get fish while we're there?" He asked Natsu.

Natsu laughed. "Sure, why not Happy!"

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