A/N: Yo! And welcome to my latest story.

This chapter is sort of an introduction to the story, that's why it might seem a bit strange but it'll get better once the story progresses. So there are a few things you need to know before reading this story.

1. About loooove: you might think that there isn't going to be any pairings in this story, but I promise there will be some sweet loving eventually. With that said, there will be evil situations where you might think: "how can you be so evil towards him? Are you a psycho crazy maniac?" Well maybe... but it's all good and something good will come of it eventually. You know what they say, the food taste better when you have to work for it, right? ^^

3. For those of you who have read "The Island" this is a completely different story. As such I'll keep my notes to a minimum to keep the story more dramatic :)

4. About Natsu: He might be slightly more mature in this story so he isn't as reckless as he might be in the manga or anime. Some might argue that he's OOC in some situations, but as they say "Even the toughest cookie crumbles when the fat lady stomps on it".

5. Things written in italic/cursive are thoughts... yeah baby, yeah! Or well the beginning of this chapter isn't because it's an introduction-thingy.

That's it for now. I hope you enjoy the story :)

/Hejmdal

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Chapter 1: Beneath Civilization

… mistake... because of one little mistake something simple became problematic. No, problematic wasn't sufficient to describe his current situation... a situation he was to blame from even occurring... and for that he had to face the consequences... if only he hadn't averted his attention in that fateful moment ... It had been a mistake... yes, a horrible mistake... a mistake he unfortunately couldn't remember but it was because of that, Natsu now found himself engulfed in darkness...

A screech like something from another universe went through the dark cave until it slowly died out and left nothing but silence. The unnatural sound made Natsu flinch as he gained his consciousness. At first he wasn't sure what was going on or where he was. The only thing he knew for certain was that he was laying curled up on his side in a very dark and cold place with both hands restrained behind his back, in what he instantly presumed was handcuffs. Besides that he could feel that there was some cloth covering his eyes and another piece of cloth in his mouth, meaning he was gagged and blindfolded.

For some reason he felt nauseous and dizzy, but he knew it could be fatal vomiting while his mouth was covered with cloth. He soon forgot the nauseating feeling though, as a sharp pain suddenly shot through his head making him clench his teeth firmly against each other.

Why did his head hurt so much? What happened to make him lay in this pitiful state?

He tried taking in a few deep breaths but the amount of oxygen entering his lunges wasn't sufficient because of the cloth in his mouth. This was bad and he knew he had to take care of the cloth right away if he didn't want to die from suffocation. With that in mind he tried igniting his hands but unfortunately nothing happened.

Damn it! Fucking magic restricting handcuffs, he thought while growling in frustration and anger.

He was furious and his confusion about the whole situation didn't lessen that feeling. On the contrary he could feel his blood boiling inside his veins, making him twist and turn as he tried getting out of the handcuffs. But it didn't work and soon he found himself gasping for air.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! Natsu tried taking in a few deep breath to calm himself There had to be something he could do? But what? As the oxygen entered his body he could feel himself calming down. He knew that panicking and getting too hot heated would lead him no where good in this kind of situation, so it was essential he gained his composure.

Once he was calm enough he tried once again to pull his hands through the handcuffs, and as he did he noticed that there was a tiny gap between the handcuffs and his skin.

This is it! A small smirk appeared on his lips as he started pushing his hands against the cold handcuffs. Even if they were a bit loose it would still hurt like hell forcing his hands through them, especially because the uneven and jagged edges of the handcuffs made them sharp as tiny blades. But he didn't really care about the unavoidable pain that this method would bring him. No, he knew that he had to do this if he wanted to get out of this alive. And he would rather pay the price of a few cuts than dying in a place like this! Hell no!

Before starting on his task he took in a deep breath to focus and as he did a flash suddenly appeared in his mind. He wasn't sure what it was but he got the feeling that something terrible was going to happen if he didn't pull his act together immediately. The feeling vanished as quickly as it came and left him puzzled for a second. Maybe it was his instinct kicking in? Whatever it was he didn't want to dwell on it, because if it was true then he didn't have time to be laying there like a helpless idiot thinking about what was going to happen or not.

Clenching his fists he started pushing his hands against the handcuffs a few times to figure out how much pressure was needed to force his hands through them. A lot it would seem a shiver ran down his spine as he felt the cold surface of the handcuffs dig into his flesh, making the skin tear open in small wounds.

Fuck, he took a deep breath and started pushing his hands against the handcuffs again, but this time he used more force, resulting in the edges digging even deeper into his wrists. As they did Natsu could feel how the handcuffs edges ripped his skin apart, making blood flow down his hands in a steady stream. It hurt like fucking hell, especially when the handcuffs got to the meaty part of his hand where it seemed to get stuck in his flesh.

Damn it! He cursed mentally as he tried with more force to pull his hands free, but it only resulted in the handcuffs tearing into the meat, making it bleed more rapidly down his hands. Wait... he tried twisting his hands against the handcuffs. The blood might actually be an advantage as it could function as some sort of lubricant...? A smirk appeared on his lips as he felt a wave of energy rush through him. The adrenaline level was rising, making it easy to ignore the pain from his wounds and thereby making him even more determined on his task.

Let's do this, Natsu let out a muffled roar as he used all of his strength to force his hands through the handcuffs. He could feel the edges cutting even deeper into the meat in his hands, but he ignored it and kept pushing. Fortunately a couple of seconds later the handcuffs seemed to edge over the meaty part of his hand until it finally slipped across his skin making Natsu's hands glide through the holes. As they did he could practically feel how the weight of the handcuffs vanished as they fell to the ground, where he heard them land in something that made a dull splashing sound. He couldn't see it but he instantly knew that they had landed in his blood, that was flowing down his hands in an even stream.

Hell yeah! He praised himself as he removed the cloth from his mouth making him gasp for air for a few seconds, before removing the blindfold covering his eyes.

"Where am I?" he whispered to himself and the darkness surrounding him "It's too fucking dark" a growl of fury escaped his lips as he got into a sitting position where he ignited one off his hands. The flame was extremely small but it was sufficient enough for Natsu to get a quick view of the area around him.

"Mmm" it didn't look like anything much but he did get the feeling that he was being kept in some sort of cave "Mmm, hm... well this is new..." He turned his head a few times before glancing down at the wounds on his wrists.

"He!" He snickered while staring at the blood running down his hands covering his fingers with the sticky substance. To be honest he knew it could have been a lot worse, but he also knew that he had to tend to some of them right away because some of the wounds were than superficial. Well fortunately the flame isn't affected by the blood he thought as he stared at his hands.

"Hmm, well there's no reason just sitting here and... ugh!" he growled as an excruciating headache suddenly shot through his skull making him hive for air. What the fuck?! The headache seemed to pulsate through his skull like a thunderstorm that was trying to electrocute every single cell inside of his head.

"Argh!" he growled while narrowing his eyes. For some reason his surroundings was getting more and more blurry making tears form in the corner of his eyes "Damn it" he moaned as he extinguished his flames and grabbed his head, holding it firmly between his hands.

Why... what happened to make him suffer like this? He thought while gritting his teeth firmly against each other. This is so... hiving for air he kept sitting still in his position as he felt a thin layer of cold sweat starting to spawn across his body making him shiver involuntarily.

Natsu didn't know for how long he just sat there waiting for the pain to go away but eventually it started evaporating, replacing the insufferable headache with an uncomfortable dizziness.

Damn it! he cursed as the world started to get more blurry, making him nauseous Damn it, damn it, damn it! The saliva in his mouth started spawning at a more rapid rate that had a certain metallic taste to it, and of course Natsu knew what that implied, as he leaned forward on his hands where he emptied whatever was left in his stomach. It tasted awful but he didn't care. He was quite experienced when it came to this matter due to his motion sickness. Of course this was a different situation than normal, but nonetheless it was the same procedure.

Once he had emptied his stomach he spat on the ground while taking in a few deep breaths. His head felt numb and his body was aching all over for some unknown reason. With slow movements he got back into a sitting position. Fucking annoying...

Smacking his tongue in his mouth he wished he had something to drink to take away the repelling taste. But he didn't know where he was and he was absolutely sure he didn't have anything with him.

Closing his eyes he could feel how the numbness in his head seemed to spread throughout his body, making his muscles ache and almost hum in anticipation of rest. But why? How...? He wondered as while trying desperately tried to fight the fatigue from conquering his body.

No, I have to go... I have to... what? There was something there... something... creeping. What is this? He wondered as he felt something creeping inside of his mind covering everything like a black blanket that wanted nothing more than to engulf his entire being in the darkness.

What? He quickly wondered as he felt his body suddenly falling, until he eventually hit the ground.

It was cold but it wasn't insufferable just... well unpleasant somehow. His eyelids felt heavy for some reason, but none the less he opened them to stare at the darkness surrounding him.

"Huh?" Natsu whispered in a low voice while turning his head a few times, trying to figure out exactly where he was laying. For some reason it didn't feel like he was in the cave any more. The air around him was... different... colder... more... claustrophobic?

For a split second he thought he saw something through the corner of his eyes and he immediately turned his head to stare in it's direction, but it was gone in an instant. What was that?

"Natsu..."

He froze as he recognised Lucy's voice. It didn't sound like she was in danger or anything... but why would she be calling him in a place like this?

"Lucy!" He yelled as he leapt into a standing position "where are you?" turning around on his feet he tried searching for something, anything that might lead him in her direction. But he couldn't find her scent anywhere. It was as if she wasn't even there. How was that possible? He wondered while calling her name once more. But he still didn't receive an answer.

"Lu..." he started but he didn't get time to finish his sentence, because a sudden freezing wind suddenly spawned hitting him head-on. What the fuck..? he growled mentally as he raised his arms in front of him to protect his face from the sudden outburst.

"Damn it!" he yelled furiously as the wind seemed to escalate, ruffling his hair and making his cloth lash wildly around his body.

Suddenly a deep voice spoke from behind him "Who are you? Are you Natsu?"

Natsu jumped slightly in surprise because he didn't smell nor hear anyone approaching him. Actually he still couldn't sense the other person who was speaking to him. Growling in fury and annoyance he tried turning his head in the voice direction, but it was rather hard with the wind blowing against him.

"Yes I'm Natsu! Who the fuck are you?"

"Good, I speak on behalf of Lucy. She told me to tell you she was running late. You know women right? Haha!"

"What do you mean running late? Where is she?" grunting he succeeded in turning on his feet to glare in the direction he heard the voice, but there was nothing there. No, the only thing was the darkness surrounding him. There was no presence, no smell, nothing...

"God damn it it!" furious and confused he ignited his hands while growling towards the darkness. No matter what, he would figure out what this place was and he sure as hell would make sure nothing happened to Lucy. The wind was still blowing at a fast rate making his flames flare dangerously and menacingly almost as if the flames was trying to portray his current mood.

As if intimidated by Natsu's vile mood the wind suddenly died down making him stand huffing against the emptiness in front of him. This was annoying, and the fact that he didn't know what was going on didn't prevent his anger from growing.

His nerves and instincts was on alert trying to make sense of things. But it was all so confusing. It was almost unnatural...? Clenching his fists tightly he glared in all directions to find something that might explain his situation. As he did, he noticed a presence of someone or perhaps something. Natsu wasn't sure what it was though, because the presence was so small that a normal person wouldn't have noticed it. Actually it didn't even sound or smell like anything he had ever encountered before. What was that? He wondered before roaring furiously "Who are you? Show yourself instead of creeping around like a coward!"

Narrowing his eyes he suddenly noticed a very faint silhouette spawning in front of him.

"Answer me..." grinding his teeth he glared as the silhouette seemed to take the form of something that resembled a human being.

"I said..." he stopped as the thing in front of him opened it's eyes. They were glowing red in his direction shining with something he could only describe as insanity. A shiver involuntarily went down Natsu's spine as he stared into the creature's eyes.

The thing seemed to notice the dragon slayer's hesitation as it grinned wickedly towards him, showing a bright set of teeth with a pair of canines that looked dangerously sharp.

Well whatever this thing is, it might have the answer to all of this, Natsu thought as he got into a fighting position. As he did the silhouette started laughing in a high pitched voice. The sound was so unnatural and demonic, that it felt like his blood had turned cold, making a shiver run down his spine.

Even if his body seemed to respond with a frightening feeling, he wouldn't be intimidated by something like this. No, just because he didn't know what it was he wouldn't fall for the thing's cheap tricks. With that in mind he raised one of his hand while smirking towards the thing.

"I don't know who the fuck you are but I'll make you answer my questions even if I have to beat it out of you!"

The creature started laughing again making Natsu growl in anger.

"I'm not kidding! I will..."

"I know... oh... but you know what?"

"What?"

"You don't have time for this... remember?"

"What do you mean I don't have time for this? Remember what?"

"Tic, toc, tic, toc... the clock is ticking... yes... it'll be too late if you stay here..."

"What the fuck are you talking about...?"

Natsu almost screamed as he suddenly felt a hand grabbing his shoulder and with an incredible force turned him around to face a tall man he didn't recognise.

"Who..."

The man chuckled before opening his mouth revealing a mouth filled with decayed teeth. Natsu almost gagged because of the stench that reeked from the unknown man's mouth but caught himself from doing that as he heard the man in a hoarse voice say " the blonde was screaming like a bitch..."

Natsu stiffened for a second as he looked at the man and instantly knew, that this person had spoken to him just a few seconds ago. It was the same voice that told him that Lucy was running late. He still didn't know who he was, but he knew that this man was implying that something bad had happened with her.

With a growl he tried grabbing the man's throat but for some reason he couldn't get a hold of him. It was like touching air or something with a very slippery surface.

"For fucks sake..." Annoyed and frustrated he started hitting the man with his ignited hands but nothing seemed to work. He heard the man chuckle again as he once again spoke "The scream... makes me shiver... But I suggest you hurry if you want to see the blonde bitch alive again..."

The sentence made his blood boil with rage, as it rushed through his body like a wildfire making the adrenaline pump through his body. This man... he thought as he continued trying to hit the man …there's something dangerous about him.

"Tic, toc... remember... time is of the essence..." the silhouette lured in a high pitched voice.

"Fuck..." Natsu turned his head slightly in the thing's direction and glared menacingly towards the silhouette with the red eyes "... don't fucking interrupt unless you have the answers I need!"

"Mm, hm... you'll know soon enough... yes..." the thing said with eyes glistening madly.

"You're not making any sense"

"No? Ding dong the bitch is dead, haha!"

The silhouette started laughing again in it's high pitched voice making the fury inside of Natsu escalate to a degree where he wasn't sure if he could keep himself in control.

"You son of a..." he said in a vicious tune as he turned around, leaping from his position with one hand raised above his head ready to strike the unknown thing in front of him.

"Tsch! I thought you learned something the last time..." The thing whispered in a gentle voice making Natsu confused for a second as he saw his hand go though the silhouette, making it vaporise instantaneously leaving nothing but thin air.

"What?" he whispered in confusion, before something hit him hard from behind, resulting in his vision getting more blurry as he stumbled on his feet until he suddenly started falling again.

A/N: Muahaha! I know I'm so devious. Well that's it for chapter one. Confused? The next chapter will explain a lot, so wait for it.

Anyhow, I hope you liked it :)