My Little Red Riding Hood
By: . .chelia
Summary: AU: Lucy Heartfilia had many things on her schedule when she left her cottage and getting kidnapped by a dragon was not one of them...NALU
Chapter 3
I blinked. It stared right back at me. Pause. Awkward silence. Finally, I couldn't take this anymore. "NATSU! WHO IS THIS?" I yelled across the cave. On the other side of the cave, natsu flinched at the sound of my voice. Serves him right, he should have never brought me here. Natsu finally decided that he was finished his cleaning and popped his head up.
"Oh, that's Happy! My best friend! He's a exceed!" I looked again at the cute furry thingy that was sprawled on the ground twisting around, looking as if it wanted to sleep.
"This is your best friend...best friend. I don't know what to say natsu, you must be really lonely if you made a blue cat your best friend and decide to call it an exceed..." I muttered. Happy's ears perked up and it got up shaking himself. Natsu chuckled nervously backing away.
"I AM A REAL EXCEED! THAT'S MY RACE! AND I'M NOT JUST SOME RANDOM THING THAT NATSU PICKED UP! I AM HIS BEST FRIEND!" declared Happy so loud I plugged my ear drums. I put on a fake smile and got into seating position.
"Of course, I'm very sorry if I insulted you Happy. I'm Lucy Heartfilia, nice to meet you." The little blue cat looked at me in thought. What the hell was he exactly thinking.
"You're weird Lucy..." it laughed at me clutching at his sides. My veins popped. The hell? I introduce myself and this is what I get. I was so tempted to punch him across the room but I had a feeling that Happy would just fly away with his angelic wings on his back. Ha, angelic wings? How ironic considering the fact that he is like a little devil inside.
Before I could protest, natsu called from the 'kitchen.' "Time to eat Happy!"
"Aye sir!" Happy immediately looked away from me and flew to where natsu was standing with fish. Happy grabbed the fished and sat down on a smooth rock. He munched away quickly at the fish. Natsu grinned at me.
"Come on Lucy, aren't you hungry?" My stomach growled a bit. Just a bit. But I guess I was pretty hungry and it was getting late.
"Sure," I replied. Natsu threw me a roasted fish that I caught before it feel onto the ground. I held it in a better position and took a bite. "Not bad for fish."
"Yeah, not bad right? Well, tomorrow, I'm going to have to take you hunting. I can't always cook for you for thirty days. That'd be such a waste of energy that I'm not willing to spend. Don't worry, it'll be easy when you get the hang of it!" exclaimed natsu. I frowned at the idea of running long distances to chase animals.
"I'm guessing that I have no choice?" Natsu laughed.
"Yup! You got the idea Lucy! You don't have a choice unless you're okay with starving to death! I know I couldn't kill you but I wouldn't have any problem letting you starve to death!" I sighed taking another bite of my fish.
"How can you say such evil words with a grinning face," I questioned. Natsu looked at me with that 'I-don't-get-what-you-are-talking-about-so-you're- weird face'
"How am I saying evil words? I'm just telling the truth! After all, Igneel said that honesty was the best policy!"
"Oh shut up natsu!" Natsu gave me 'the face.'
"But I thought you wanted to listen to me talk?"
"Not when you start going into all that 'I don't care if you die' nonsense."
"True I guess. Anyways, tonight, you'll be sleeping in that extra little room over there because me and happy sleep in the usual sleep area! Okay? Okay, let's go sleep now."
"First of all, it's happy and I and secondly, I didn't even agree!" I exclaimed following after natsu. Natsu looked at me with a bored look.
"I told you before didn't I? You don't have a choice."
( ﾟ∀ﾟ) ...
"Faster Lucy! You'll never be able to catch a deer, not even a moose at this rate! You're waaaaaay too slow!" shouted Natsu from the top of a rock. This was my 4th day with natsu. I had already been training with him and boy did he train hard. I already ran seven times faster than I usually did but apparently, my speed is still considered extremely slow in dragon terms.
"I'm not a dragon!" I yelled back and instantly regretted it. I lost a lot of strength and stamina just by yelling back. So much for conserving my strength. "Screw this," I hissed under my breath as I ran faster. "Get back here you rabbit!" I think I forgot to say this but we're currently in a hunt. For rabbits. Seriously, rabbits? I mean, you can barely eat anything in rabbits, they're so scrawny!
Nevertheless, I continued to chase after the rabbit. It was nearing its hole soon which means that I will have lost it. I cannot fail this task otherwise Natsu will have another good laugh tonight. I HATE it when natsu gets a good laugh. Better now or never was the last thought in my mind before I leaped and pounced right on top of my rabbit.
I succeeded. It squirmed in my hands while I grinned. My hands and arms were covered in dirt and so was my face but I didn't care. I caught my first rabbit on day 4. Natsu got down from his rock and instantly was at my side.
"Good job Lucy! I thought that you would never be able to catch one at this rate! We'll have a good rest tonight!" He gave me his signature grin and I smiled tiredly back at him. I ran almost the entire day except for a few breaks and believe me, I was ready to collapse. Natsu took the rabbit and started walking ahead while I dangled behind him.
Ah, I was so tired. I wanted to sleep so badly, if only I could sleep now. But I could couldn't I? I could just drop dead on the ground and sleep! No! I mustn't sleep! Only when I'm at the cave! No! I want to sleep! I have to stay awake! Just sleep already!
Sleep overcame me as I dropped unconscious on the ground. Natsu looked back and started to slightly panic but it soon vanished and became anger when I felt myself being picked up by another person. Natsu growled at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"
( ﾟ∀ﾟ) ...
"Gihihihihi, I'm here for some delicious prey of course! I was really shocked when I smelled such a delicious human come to this world in your area. Of course I didn't interfere since I thought the prey would be dead soon anyway but I was sure mistaken..."
"Give her back to me gajeel, she's in my territory, " Natsu demanded. Gajeel laughed his trademark laugh and grinned evilly.
"But in case you haven't noticed, she went into MY territory when she was chasing that rabbit. She carries my territory smell so I have full right to eat her." Gajeel lifted the body and laughed. "She looks soooo delicious..." And that was the last straw for natsu.
Natsu lunged at Gajeel. "Give her back to me!" Gajeel smirked which only infuriated natsu even more. "Fire dragon's iron fist!" Gajeel dodged to the side and sighed.
"Is this the true power of the fire dragon natsu dragneel? I expected more from one like you but I guess I was mistaken...Well, I guess you can pay the price now by losing this young lady here," said Gajeel pointing to Lucy. Natsu straightened himself and went for another attack but this time, Gajeel stopped him and threw him into a tree.
"You..." growled natsu , fire slowly bathing him. The fire slowly turned more pure and scales started cracking on natsu's skin.
"Y-you...no way! You're only a sixteen year old dragon! We don't start changing form number 2 until we are at least 77 years of age! W-what the..." Gajeel then narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What the hell did you do to yourself Natsu Dragneel?"
Natsu ignored him and stepped forward. "You have committed criminal act #4, trespassing on another dragon's territory without the permission of the owner of land. Therefore, I shall subject you to resolution choice #10, death." Gajeel's eyes widened in horror and he quickly backed away a huge distance as natsu's fire thrashed out at him.
"Ugh! Screw this! I'm retreating! But she's still my prize Natsu Dragneel!" yelled Gajeel running away with Lucy in his hands.
"Get back here Gajeel! You have not been properly punished for your crime!" shouted Natsu. "Fire dragon's roar!" The blast of inferno fire almost struck Gajeel, missing just by an inch.
"Iron dragon's roar!" roared Gajeel. Natsu sent another dragon roar to counter gajeel's. Gajeel felt himself slowly being pushed back towards a cliff. This was getting hard. Gajeel looked at Lucy who was his burden. He couldn't release his true power carrying her. Without a second thought, Gajeel dropped Lucy down into the crevice below and unleashed his true power.
A huge blast erupted from the area. Recovering from the attack first, Gajeel turned around and fled. Natsu's scales slowly smoothed out, becoming skin again. Natsu blinked in confusion and it took him time to register just what had happened. His eyes widened in shock and he quickly ran to the cliff. "Damn it...Lucy..."
( ﾟ∀ﾟ) ...
I groaned slightly as I slowly got up. My first reaction was to get right into a battle mode. But I soon relaxed knowing that there were no creatures in here. I was in a cave. A cool damp cave. Outside was a river. I shivered, it was really cold in here. There was no sun. I got up ignoring the throbbing headache I had and walked out of the cave.
I was thrown back with shock. I was in a crevice! I couldn't really remember what happened, I just knew that a person knocked me out and now I was here!
"Um...Excuse me, but you need to get back into the cave..." came a shy timid voice. I swung around trying to give whoever it was out there a hostile glare.
"Why should I you kidnapper?" The 'kidnapper' sighed.
"As I said before, if you don't get back inside, then your headache will get worst and you might get a concussion. I don't even know what you're doing here, since you're a human but it would be best for you to go back in my cave.
"No, I refuse!" I snapped stubbornly. Oh god, I must be going insane. I'm pretty sure the 'kidnapper' was telling the truth, I was just too annoyed and temperamental right now... I heard a growl that snapped me out of my thoughts.
There was a sharp bang in my head from being kicked by a powerful force and for the second time this day...
I passed out.
( ﾟ∀ﾟ) ...
"Happy, listen. Can you go down into that crevice and look around for Lucy? She fell in there and the crevice is actually the territory area of a dragon who wanted the area for some stupid veggie reasons. I really don't know why but the crevice, as ridiculous as it sounds, is actually owned by another dragon. Seriously, the water's so cold and fast that even the water dragon doesn't want it!" exclaimed natsu.
Happy sighed. "What happened to her Natsu? I was just fishing!" whined happy shaking his tall and bouncing around in the air.
"That bastard gajeel knocked her out and threw her down that cliff when I was trying to get him out of my territory! I'll pay him back one day but...please happy? I'll get you lots of fish!" Happy thought for a bit and grinned.
"Lots of fish! Aye sir! I'll find Lucy for you natsu!" Happy saluted and started to dive down into the crevice. Natsu sighed.
"I hope Happy finds Lucy..."
( ﾟ∀ﾟ) ...
Happy flew down smiling. He was thinking of all the wonderful fish that natsu would reward him when he found Lucy. He didn't doubt his flying nor tracking skills. He was for sure going to find her! A loud voice jerked him out of his thoughts.
"Oi exceed! What the hell are you doing here in my dragon's friend's territory?"
Happy looked up and was rewarded with the image of the most beautiful exceed that he ever saw and always will.
( ﾟ∀ﾟ) ...
I woke up again with a groan. I braced myself for any attacks but I was met with none. I looked up to see a worried girl watching me. She sighed with relief.
"Oh god! I thought that I had given you a really bad injury with that kick! It was hard, but with some of my dragon magic, I healed you!"
"Why would you heal me? You kidnapped me!" I responded. She looked at me with confusion.
"What are you talking about. I found you floating in the river. It's a miracle that you didn't die!" I looked into the eyes and relaxed when I saw no lies in there. I smiled at her.
"I can now see that you didn't lie after all. Sorry, and thank you for saving me. My name is Lucy Heartfilia, nice to meet you." The little girl blushed with embarrassment.
"Y-you're welcome. My name is Wendy Marvell, the Sky Dragon."
And Wendy appears...I hope I get lots of reviews from this chappy! I put a lot of effort in it and it's a lot longer than usual... Please please review :D