HERE WE GO.
I do not own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. That's all Hiro Mashima! And it's also his birthday(5/3) today, so I hope he's having a good one!
A fist sparked to life, hitting home on a gruff chin. The target staggered a great distance, collapsing to his knees, struggling to collect himself. Natsu focused his remaining energy into a large grin, pleased his blow landed without fail. His breathing was rushed, and irregular, forming slurred pants that connected together. He felt the surges of magic energy within his chest, which tickled him as he tapped his magic reserves.
Natsu, Gray, and Lucy, were reaching the conclusion of their current mission. It seemed simple enough. Beat the snot out of a mage stealing from houses, create minimal damage, collect the reward to stop Lucy from complaining about her broke ass.
And for the moment, it was simple.
They were currently dealing with a mage that dealt in Earth magic named Forcen. Natsu had more than enough experience with magic like this, both in allies and enemies, so he stayed as close as possible to the caster, where they were most vulnerable.
"Ice Make: Hold!" Grey called, forming a solid ice hand that ensnared Forcen, rendering him immobile.
Lucy glowed, "Record time! And no ruined buildings!"
She extended her hand out for a high-five, and Natsu met it, followed by Grey sharing in the success. The wind carried Lucy's scent to Natsu, and he breathed. It was calming, smelling like lavender and peppermint. He didn't know why, but he felt a familiar turn of his stomach, as if they were on the train. Maybe he was becoming allergic to Lucy's weirdness, though he hoped not.
Natsu beamed in confidence of his new win, and turned to the mage-sickle, but stopped in place. There was no one inside.
"Yo! Where the hell did he go?" He asked, scanning the clearing for the missing rogue, but found nothing. When Grey and Lucy joined him, he felt the tension growing between them. They couldn't fight what they couldn't see, and it made Natsu uncomfortable.
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Lucy, who shoved her entire weight into Natsu, sending him flying a few feet, his face meeting the ground. A high pitched scream ripped through the air, but Natsu couldn't see what was happening. There was a loud boom, followed by the ground shaking.
Natsu lifted his head, and looked back, and felt his blood turned ice cold.
There was a giant boulder where he once stood, and Lucy was no longer there. Grey was trying to push the mass of rock, while Forcen was making a break for it in the distance, riding on a wave of dirt. Natsu couldn't think. Not Lucy. Anything but Lucy.
She needed air.
He lost control. He pounded his fists against the boulder, making dents and cracks. He exerted the remains of his magic power, and sent a rain of flame fists onto the surface, obliterating the mass into mere pebbles. Lucy laid underneath.
Natsu stopped breathing in whole. She was bleeding very rapidly at the crown of her head, her clothes torn in places of everywhere. Her legs were swollen and red, twisting in unhuman positions. Her keys laid on the ground, separated from their crushed master by the fall.
"LUCY" He screamed, picking her body up in her arms, looking over every inch. Her eyelids were covered in the gloss of her blood, and they did not lift. She did not move, twitch, or make a sound.
A punch landed square in his stomach, and Natsu buckled, placing Lucy down. Grey shoved him out of the way, and placed his finger on her neck, and brought his ear to her mouth. He looked down at her, then at Natsu.
"She's not dead." He said, with no readable emotion or panic, "She has a pulse. And she's still breathing, but it's very faint, and slowing. She has lost consciousness."
Grey picked up Lucy in his arms, and walked over to Natsu, who then took her limp body from him.
"You can run faster. Find help, or she won't survive the night. I'll go back into Mongolia and send Wendy to assist."
Natsu didn't say a word, but gave a slight nod, and then ran with the blonde woman in his arms.
He did not stop.