Fairy Tail Nightmares
Author's Notes: So, what happens when you're an aspiring artist and you can't get to sleep? Why you write of course! (Obviously.) Anyway, hope you enjoy the story. If not, well, that's your problem, not mine. It is kind of my problem though. Don't forget constructive criticisms. Those are always useful. Especially when it comes to characterization mishaps and other miscellaneous details. And when outlining a story.
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is not owned by me. Although, you knew that already. Don't own the characters either.
"Aaaand..." The blonder-haired woman said, pencil in hand. "Done!" She then wiped her arm across her forehead. The Celestial Spirit Mage had just finished another chapter in her novel.
It was the final battle between the male hero and his faithful companions against the leader of an insidious group of people who used their magical abilities flagrantly and without heed for anyone's safety.
The leader had just knocked the main character's best friend unconscious. They would never admit to it though. They settled for antagonizing each other. The man was currently being tended to by his blue-haired love interest. It was painfully one-sided on the girl's part, but that never put a damper on her optimistic spirit. The novelist knew though that the person of her affection would eventually return her feelings.
The main character was now properly enraged. Once you harmed one of them, grievously or otherwise, you would be guaranteed to see them fight for them while they recovered. The male's scarlet-haired best friend had her sword drawn. The silver of it and her suit of armor glinted off the male's flames.
His blonde-haired best friend had a golden key drawn and at the ready. Inscribed on it was a crimson tail. While the rose-haired man was oblivious to it in its entirety, the blond-haired woman slowly grew to love him. Even if he could act like an idiot.
She grudgingly admitted to herself that that was part of his appeal. A blue-colored cat hovered behind them. A white-colored cat was standing next to her blue-haired best friend. The human's hair was drawn up into two pigtails. She was expertly trying to heal their fallen friend as his love interest knelled next to his unconscious body.
She affectionately played with his black hair with a solemn face. Even she knew when to fawn over her beloved if the time allowed for it. Now was not one of those times.
The blonde-haired novelist admitted that she felt herself faintly crying when writing the character worrying about their unconscious friend. She supposed she felt sentimental about how sincere and deep her feelings ran for him.
"Man, that was exhausting." The Celestial Spirit Mage said as she rested her head on her desk. "I wonder how long I've been writing for anyway."
She then turned her head on the desk to see the darkness outside her window. The stars shone in the sky, gleaming softly like whispers of the night.
"Huh?" I've been writing for that long?" Lucy wondered as she stretched her arms above her head. "I must've really been into it." When she had started writing the chapter, it had been around four o'clock. Now it looked to be about ten o'clock. As she finished stretching, she heard her stomach grumble. She also felt herself flush a little from embarrassment.
"I guess I didn't eat anything for a while, have I?" Lucy Heartfilia then pushed herself away from the desk as she got up from the chair.
"Now, what do I have to eat?" Lucy wondered as she walked around her room. She then spotted a brown and circular bowl containing crimson and viridian apples, interspersed here and there with ripening bananas.
She licked her lips hungrily before sighing. "I guess Natsu and Happy are rubbing off on me." Walking over to the bowl, she took out a crimson apple and rubbed it on her shirt until she could see a vague reflection of herself. She smiled before taking a bite of it. Taking a quick and crisp taste of it, she hastily downed the rest of the apple until only the apple core and its seeds remained.
"I guess mainly Natsu." Lucy amended as she disposed of the fruit.
Dusting her hands against each other, she walked to her bathroom to brush her teeth. "Where are those two anyway?"
Her question was soon answered as she stepped into her bedroom.
"Figures they would be here." Lucy commented, a hint of exasperation in her voice. Natsu Dragneel and Happy were sprawled across Lucy's bed. The sheets had been tossed a strewn. Some of it was even falling onto the floor. Natsu and Happy were inattentive of that as they were sleeping soudly.
"Aye, sir!" Happy murmured in his sleep. His paws were up to his face as if he was dreaming about fish. Knowing the Exceed, there was a possibility he was.
Seeing Natsu sleeping so contently, his mouth open wide as a strand of drool was coming out the side, this caused a few feelings of warmth to rise up in her abdomen. Warmth in how much she cared for him and how much he cared for her. It was touching whether or not it was platonic. She also derived warmth from knowing what a kind and devoted friend he was. Honestly, if it wasn't for a chance meeting in the port town of Hargeon so long ago, Lucy wondered where she would even be right now.
She wanted to reach out and perhaps ruffle his rose-colored hair a little, but discouraged herself from doing that. The last time she had admired him was when he slept at the Fairy Tail Guild Hall after everyone had tired themselves out.
When she got close to him, she ended up being on the receiving end of a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist attack. Unfortunately, there had been flames on his left fist. She was sent flying into the nearby river that ran through town afterward.
"I wonder what he's dreaming about." Lucy then went to put her pajamas on in the bathroom. When she came back, she was putting her hair down as she saw that Natsu looked disturbed.
"He must be having that dream again." Lucy guessed. While Fairy Tail was a family, he tended to keep his nightmares to himself. No one, not even Happy, knew what was going on in that head of his. Nobody except for one person. Lucy.
When Lucy was sleeping peacefully, Natsu had decided to break into her house. Although, it was more like he let himself in. At first, Natsu and Happy – and sometimes Erza Scarlet and Gray Fullbuster – would barge into her home unannounced. Erza and Gray seemed to stop doing that though.
Natsu on the other hand had managed to somehow get her house key and made a duplicate. When she found out, she promptly gave him a Lucy Kick. She was furious and exasperated that he had done that, but she hadn't done anything about it either.
Besides. Lucy had relented. If he did it once, he could do it again. And have no qualms about it either.
Fuming that Natsu had encroached upon her room, and at midnight too, she was ready to chew him out and perhaps deliver a Lucy Kick for good measure. It was then, when he walked closer to her, she saw the look of fear on his face. He seemed to also have broken out into a cold sweat.
"Natsu?" Lucy asked. She had seen a lot of emotions play across his face, but never a look of fear. Apprehension perhaps, but never fear. The emotion looked almost foreign on his visage. "What's wrong and..." She trailed off, wondering where a certain blue Exceed was. "Where's Happy?"
"Sleeping." Natsu replied. "Didn't want to both him with this."
"With what?" Lucy knew it must've been important if he had come in the middle of the night. But informing Lucy about it instead of Happy? That was weird. Fairly weird. While Natsu and Lucy were closer than most in the guild, she figured he would talk to Happy before anyone else. Perhaps even with Lisanna. They had been close before she was whisked away to Edolas after all. To come to her first, something must be troubling him.
She saw him standing there awkwardly, pulling absently on his white scarf.
She smiled. While it was strange to see the Fire Dragon Slay look so unsure, she had to admit it. He was...adorable.
"Come here." Lucy said, sitting up in her bed. She was patting the middle of the bed close to her. "What's bothering you?"
Natsu let go of his white scarf as he went off to sit on the bed. "It's just that...it was horrible."
"What are horrible?" Lucy put a comforting hand on his right shoulder.
"I'd be the first person to say that I don't scare easily." Natsu began. "Except for when we were on Tenrou Island and me and Happy had to face off against Gildarts. I don't think I had ever felt so scard before."
"And?" Lucy prompted.
"What I had seen tonight Luce, it terrified me." Natsu answered. When he turned to her, she sucked in a breath. The rose-haired mage looked to be almost traumatized. His eyes were also a little redy and puffy. It was as if whatever he saw had done more than just scare him.
"Natsu." Lucy inquired gently. There was a tinge of fear in her voice. "What happened?"
"As ridiculous as it sounds, it was a nightmare." Natsu had said.
"It isn't ridiculous." Lucy interjected.
"Either way, I know it isn't real, but still." Natsu continued before shaking his head. "It felt real."
"Why don't you tell me about it?" Lucy asked. "It might prove to be cathartic."
Natsu took a deep breath before exhaling it.
"Okay." Natsu said, his voice shaking. "It started off as a normal mission. I was going to the destination of it with you and Happy."
"Just us?" Lucy piped up.
"No, Popsi-Gray was there along with Erza and Juvia."
Lucy noticed that he had been about to insult Gray, but stopped as if that would be in poor taste. Lucy had known that Natsu would be picking a fight with the Ice-Make Mage the next day. The Fire Dragon Slayer always seemed to bounce back quickly from anything unpleasant. It was one of the things she respected about him.
She remained out of the rest of the conversation as he spoke though.
"Wendy and Carla were there too." We were apparently tasked with dealing with a vicious Dark Guild hidden away in a decaying black forest. The Magic Council found them to be becoming more erratic than usual."
"It was supposed to be a routine mission." Lucy heard the implications underneath the sentence and it filled her with a sense of faint trepidation.
"Arrive at the location and find and deal with the Dark Guild before returning to Fairy Tail." Natsu said, interlocking his fingers over his hands as he looked down. "If only it was that simple."
"After we arrived, I started to feel tired and my magic seemed colder, weaker. Short bouts of uncontrollable aggression and hatred soon overtook me." Natsu continued. "The images are indistinct though. Gray, his forehead bruised and bleeding. Erza's silver armor showed scorch marks. Wendy, holding her right arm in pain. Tears streaming down her face as Carla glared at me. Happy looking at me as if I was a total stranger. That, however terrible, isn't even the worst part..."
The rose-haired mage then turned to Lucy, pushing her hand off his shoulder. Lucy noticed that he seemed to do it hastily. As if he didn't want to do it, but needed to do it. The Celestial Spirit Mage then saw the hollowness of Natsu's eyes.
"Natsu, what happened?" Lucy echoed.
"Aside from hurting my friends Lucy," Natsu replied. "I hurt you."
It seemed this had a toll on him as the novelist noticed a vague tear rolling down his cheek from his right eye.
"You were covered in bruises and I think a few of your bones were broken." Natsu sounded rattled, but continued nonetheless. "Blood came from several cuts in your skin and your hair looked to be covered in dirt. Your eyes were pleading as you begged for mercy. It isn't long before that that I unleash my Fire Dragon's Roar. Before it hits though, I'm always jolted awake."
Always jolted awake? Lucy thought.
"How long have you been having this dream Natsu?"
"A few months." Natsu admitted. "Occasionally."
"Well, I don't know much about dreams, but yours is crazy." Lucy said.
"It just seemed so real though. As if I had actually done it." Natsu then clenched his fists on his knees. "And the fact that I did that..."
"Natsu, stop." Lucy interrupted, her features stern. "Do you honestly believe yourself capable of harming your Nakama?"
"Let me answer that for you." Lucy continued, not giving Natsu room to speak. "It would be a resounding no."
Lucy then went to give Natsu a comforting hug. However, before she could, he held up his arms to stop her. "That may be so, but still..."
"Natsu." Lucy settled for putting her hands on his shoulders. "The only way that I think you would even think to do that would be if someone was trying to control you."
Lucy then smirked as amusement glinted in her brown eyes. "And besides, Natsu Dragneel wouldn't allow anyone to control him. Least of all to hurt his Nakama."
The hollowness faded marginally from his eyes as the Fire Dragon Slayer smirked back. "Yeah, you're right."
Natsu then punched his fists together. "The thought of someone controlling me...that gets me all fired up!"
Lucy's smirk turned into a smile. While Natsu seemed distracted, she hugged him. "That's the Natsu I know and love."
"I love you too Lucy." Natsu said cheerfully. A big grin was on his face. "I'm glad we had this conversation." Natsu then put his arms around Lucy. To him, it was just a friendly hug between good friends.
Lucy felt herself flush. While she was shaking her head at Natsu's thickheadedness, she smiled. After all, to her one of his most charming qualities was his childlike naïveté. It was kind of strange though, given how many Dark Guilds they ran into.
"I am too Natsu." Lucy said.
After that, Natsu left for his home while Lucy fell back asleep. Lucy feeling a bit uplifted while Natsu felt much better than when he arrived.
Lucy saw how Natsu seemed to be restless in her bed, grimacing. Her heart out to the rose-colored mage and against her better judgment, Lucy reached down and ruffled his hair a little. Lucy had a small smile on her face when she saw his features relax considerably. His previously closed mouth opened wide again, drool soon coming out the side. However, what he did next would be belie his appearance.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu shouted, almost punching Lucy in the face. Luckily Lucy was able to dodge his fist.
"I had a feeling that that would happy." Lucy grumbled. "Must be either facing off against a Dark Guild or fighting against Gray."
"Wanna...share...a fish...with me?" Happy murmured in his sleep.
Lucy shook her head. "Stupid cat." The small smile on her face took any bite of the comment though. "Must be dreaming about Carla."
While the white Exceed wasn't in a relationship with Happy, with each passing day Carla grew fonder of him. She still tended to give him the cold shoulder though. Lucy had thought, a bit sardonically, that the cat was having better luck in the Romance and Endearment Department than her. She was happy for him though and it didn't weigh on her mind. Besides, Natsu and Happy would most likely call her weird to be jealous of a cat's relationship if she told them.
A yawn then escaped from Lucy. "I better be going to sleep." She rubbed her eyes. "Good night Happy."
She then slipped into the bed, pulling the remaining of the covers over herself. Her back to Natsu as she started to drift off to the Realm of Sleep. As she was though, she felt someone move on the bed. Lucy then felt someone peering down at her.
"Hey Luce," The Fire Dragon Slayer began, apparently having woken up from her getting into the bed. "You sleeping?"
"I was trying to." Lucy replied, turning over to look up at him. "What do you want?"
"Well," Natsu began, laying down beside her as he propped himself up with his left arm against his head. "I just wanted to thank you. Y'know, for helping me out with that nightmare."
"Don't mention it." Lucy said, her eyes growing tired. "You know I'd do anything for you."
In truth, anyone in Fairy Tail would do the same. People, mainly the Magic Council at times, could say that they were a bunch of destructive and raucous mages, but even the most cynical of them couldn't deny the deep and unbreakable bonds between them all. Even the bonds they had with Juvia Lockser and Gajeel Redfox ran pretty far. Although, the Water Mage was significantly more friendly and open to the guild, especially towards Gray. While he had picked up on her devotion for him, he said that he did not feel that for her. At the time anyway. The guild members wouldn't say much, expect for Cana, who usually said what was on her mind, but they saw that Gray and Juvia had started hanging out a lot more. While that wasn't necessarily suspect in itself, Gray seemed a lot more friendly towards her and they had caught the fact that Gray's face seemed to flush slightly when she was around. And while it was no secret that Juvia loved Gray, steam seemed to fill the guild hall more often.
As for Gajeel, he was a lot less approachable than the other Ex-Phantom Lord Member. Aside from Pantherlily though, he seemed to remain solitary and aloof. Well, aside from almost everyone. A certain Solid Script Mage seemed to pierce through that wall of reclusiveness. While he didn't show much emotion, around Levy McGarden people saw him smirk and have the coloring of crimson a lot more. Sometimes they even saw him crack a smile. It was a rare occasion to see.
"And I'd do anything for you too Lucy." Natsu said, grinning. Lucy thought that it might be sleep deprivation or an active imagination from being a writer, but see thought she thought she saw something flicker in his eyes as a faint shade of crimson graced his features. "As well as for the rest of my Nakama."
They then sat there in a comfortable silence, staring at each other. As several minutes passed, a certain blue Exceed broke the silence.
"They liiike each other." Happy said, his paws at the bottom of his mouth.
Before Lucy turned to glare at Happy, she thought she might've seen the imaginary blush on his face increase.
"What did you say cat?" Lucy growled.
"Lucy's scary." Happy commented, backing up a step.
Natsu seemed to recover from his absentmindedness before he commented. "You got that right Happy. Lucy can be even scarier than Erza."
While not saying anything, Lucy turned her baleful glance on the rose-colored mage.
The top of his forehead seemed to darken as several blue light appears. "Yeah, definitely scary."
"Would you like a demonstration?" Lucy asked mischieveously.
"Uh, no thanks." Natsu said as he got off the bed.
"I think we should leave now Natsu." Happy said as he hovered next to him, having activated his wings.
"Aye." Natsu said before they ran out of the room.
"And just where do you think you two are going?" Lucy shouted after them.
"Run Happy!" Natsu said as there running down the street.
"Aye Sir!" Happy exclaimed.
"You two aren't getting away from me!" Lucy called after them.
The two quickened their pace, soon laughing into the night. Lucy's shouts soon turned to laughter as well as they joined them as she calmed down.
Author's Notes: My first one-shot. So, how was it? Honestly, I think it has vague enough potential for me to turn it into something more. Only time will tell I guess.
Cover image found by searching in Google "Natsu and Lucy Fairy Tail".