Hey there, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas! :) Or yknow, a couple of nice days. B)
The next chapter will most likely be the last of this little adventure! Then I'll be back to writing the devil's advocate! ...and to working on another, new collab fic with my girls from the eviltrinity account here on ff B))) If you liked Trial By Fire, you should keep your eyes out for this one too, hehe.
You would absolutely make my day if you would drop a review to let me know what you thought of the chapter/fic! :3
Something was pressing against Lucy's chest, something soft and warm and furry.
First she thought it was just Natsu's hair, but as she slowly opened her eyes and blinked away sleep, she realized that she was staring at Natsu's chest, and that she was curled up against him with the blanket covering them both.
No, what was pressing against her chest was… a small cat. She realized this as she took a closer look – and listened. The dim light made her surroundings seem contourless and shadowy, but the little thing was purring.
Craning her neck, she tried to find out if Natsu was still asleep. The thread of drool that connected his face to the ground served as an answer, the accompanying snore becoming mere emphasis.
It was loud enough to wake the little furball, though, and two blue ears jerked curiously as it lifted its head. Clever, bright eyes fixed themselves on Lucy, who smiled hesitantly.
Unwinding itself, the cat rolled onto its back and rubbed its head against her contently.
The cool, moist muzzle tickling her skin sent the last bit of fatigue running, and Lucy carefully lifted a hand to stroke over soft fur. Like the ears, the rest of the animal was a bright blue. A spirit, probably.
It must have stumbled across their little cocoon of light in its flight of the dark, curiosity leading it to investigate what lay beneath.
It must have liked what it had found.
Maybe sometimes, curiosity didn't kill the cat. Maybe sometimes, it saved it.
Who it did not save, however, was Natsu. Because now the animal's attention diverted to the snoring mountain of a man, and it diligently scaled his chest on its quest to reach his face.
It was so very small, its paws soft and the claws barely hard enough to pull itself along the thick skin. Such a young kitten, all alone in the forest.
What a cruel world it had been born into. And what a brave cat it was.
The brave cat finally reached its intended destination, decidedly – and quite happily – placing its behind right on Natsu's face. It began purring again, so loud Lucy thought it might have swallowed a bumblebee.
This, at last, was disturbance enough to wake even Natsu.
He sniffed, his arm shifting forward until it touched her waist, where it lingered for a moment before moving up and placing a hand on the cat that had made his face its bed.
"Waff diff," was all she could make out until he dragged the cat off his face. It refused to leave him though, and clung to his throat instead. His eyes were as large as her soup plates as he stared at the little creature.
"A cat?" he mumbled, a small smile spreading across his face as he automatically started massaging the purring little furball between its ears.
He looked up at Lucy, eyes shining with childlike joy, silently asking the unavoidable question that always arose when one found a lonely cat: can we keep it?
"It must have snuck in while we were asleep," Lucy stated the obvious, touched by the sight of the two, and how well they seemed to get along instantaneously.
"I like him!" Natsu declared happily. "He wants to stay with us, right? He can, right?"
Lucy chuckled. "For as long as he wishes."
"I wonder if he has a name," he went on, elated by Lucy's approval.
"He's a young spirit," Lucy informed him as she gently picked up the cat, smiling at its confused little face. Her gaze moved to Natsu, eyes turning soft. "Like you."
His lips formed a curious little circle. "Like me…" he repeated, watching closely as the little cat climbed Lucy's shoulder. It did not seem scared at all, but all the more adventurous and… happy.
"It would be only fitting for you to name him," Lucy said with an encouraging smile, and Natsu beamed. It didn't take him long.
"Happy," he answered without missing a beat, and the blue cat turned his head towards him, clever eyes twinkling.
Some might call it a coincidence, but the two of them knew better.
"Happy. I like it," Lucy approved, and for the first time, Happy the cat meowed. It was a low, squealing sound, still untrained and unbefitting of a grown cat, but positively content.
His tail, with a white tip as if he had dipped it into a can of paint, stroked the side of her face, and as she laughed, she thought the choice of name had been very fitting indeed. This little cat really did bring happiness.
"Still, we should keep going," she decided.
Nodding, Natsu got up alongside her. Their campfire had long since burned out, leaving only a heap of ash. Natsu's fire was the only thing shedding light into the darkness now.
They were on their way promptly, as there was not much to pack up. Happy followed them as if it were the natural thing to do, soft paws digging into even softer ground as he tiptoed along beside them in an effort to keep up.
"It's about half a day's march from here," Lucy informed Natsu as they left their former camp behind, "Maybe a little less."
"We can do that easily!" Natsu proclaimed with his usual cheer, his steps bounding with energy.
And so the party of three walked on and on, through a forest of darkness and watchful eyes, as Natsu lit the way that Lucy led.
They grew quieter the further they entruded, the darkness smothering them until they huddled together closely. Every step they took echoed loudly around them, as if the forest was devoid of any other sound, as if they were the only living thing. And indeed, it was too quiet: the treetops weren't rustling, there were no birds to cry or sing above them, no snapping of branches as small animals scurried through the undergrowth. They were alone.
But at the same time, they felt they weren't.
The eyes were back, the feeling of something watching them no matter where they went.
Lucy kept her eyes straight forward, fixed on the path she had to find.
So concentrated was she that it took her a while until she noticed something peculiar: it was just a miniscule difference, one you did not notice right away, but now that she glanced sidewards at Natsu, she found that he was about her height.
She could have sworn he had been taller than her.
No – she was sure. But now, he was not. And that meant…
Lucy slowed to a halt as the thought, and the implications it brought with it, festered in her mind. His powers were draining. His magic, like all, was not infinite.
"Natsu, are you okay?" she asked, causing him to turn around curiously, confusion on his face as he took in her worry.
"Of course I'm okay, Lucy!" he declared as a matter of fact, cocking his head. "Why would I not be?"
"It's just…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "Nevermind. Must be my imagination…Are you sure you're okay?"
He smiled at her again, completely careless, and Lucy found herself wondering if maybe her mind had been playing a trick on her after all. He seemed absolutely fine. And yet…
For a while, they walked on in despondent silence.
At some point, Lucy unconsciously reached for Natsu's hand, lacing her fingers through his. He responded with a squeeze that was meant to reassure them both.
Fear lingered in the air all around, reaching out for them with long, bony, pitch-back fingers that graced their hair and grasped for their ankles. This darkness had driven all joy away, and now it was preying on them, ready to pounce if they showed any signs of weakness.
"Natsu, I'm scared," Lucy admitted, lips trembling.
"Me too," he told her quietly, to her surprise (shock even – because if he was scared too then how could they have any hope left?), but then he smiled. "But that's okay. We'll win anyways."
His amber eyes shone reassuringly, and for a moment she almost lost herself in them.
Yes, it was okay to be scared. Being scared did not mean giving up.
His face quite literally lit up with the combined effort of his magic and determination, and Lucy regarded it fondly as she once again found herself impossibly grateful for the boy at her side.
He seemed almost like a young boy, less like the man she had seen before, and she wondered if it was just his smile or if there was something else changing his appearance.
But before she could delve deeper into her worries, something stroked along her calf, and she jumped with a quiet gasp. Happy meowed almost apologetically from his spot on the ground, and Lucy was so relieved she let out a short laugh. The poor cat.
He, too, must be scared. He was pressing closely against her leg, and she crouched down to pick the trembling creature up.
Immediately, he snuggled against her neck, pushing his dirty paws against her coat rhythmically. She soothed him as best as she could, and soon Happy started purring lowly.
Concentrating on the little cat alone had taken her mind of the lingering threat, and to her surprise she found it helped. Maybe the trick was not to think of it. To not let it into your heart and mind. Of course, that was easier said than done.
Darkness had its ways of creeping in.
"Lucy…" Natsu's voice ripped her from her train of thought, his tone jerking her back to reality forcefully and making her blood freeze as she brought her attention from Happy to him. "I feel a little…"
It took her a moment to process what she was seeing.
It looked like he was… dissolving. He was reverting back to his fire form, similar to when she had first seen him. Bu now he also seemed like a young boy, much smaller, as surprised eyes stared at her out of a fery face. Lucy didn't know what to do.
Her mind had not been fooling her at all. Natsu was shrinking.
Natsu was going out.
No.
"Natsu!" she yelped, stumbling towards him with Happy clutched to her chest.
He was shrinking still, the surprised look etched onto his face, and with the strength fear lent her, Lucy let her magic spill as she knelt down beside him. Golden light filled the space around them, not much, but enough to drive away the closest of the malicious darkness that was feeding off him. Even now, as her light illuminated him, it seemed as if the darkness was clinging to him with hungry teeth. As if it had sunk them deep into him and refused to let go.
But darkness always had to yield to light.
Both of them were panting as Lucy threw her arms around him, hugging him as close as Happy, who was squished between their bodies. Natsu was flickering, trying to hold on to his form, but it cost him a lot of power.
Groaning, he let his head drop against her shoulder.
"Don't worry Lucy," he mumbled, "Even if I look differently, it's still me."
First, she didn't quite understand his words, but then she felt his touch fading, the cold lack of his body heat, and when she opened her eyes in panic she found a small flame sitting on the forest floor.
"N-Natsu?" she asked, hands trembling as she reached for him.
The little flame moved its mouth (or what probably was a mouth, she wasn't really sure) and coughed out a cloud of smoke. She laughed, with tears in her eyes, and gently reached out a hand. He promptly crawled onto her palm, and as she stood back up carefully, he croaked again. The sound he produced sounded a lot like Lucy.
"Oh my stars, Natsu, I'm so sorry," Lucy whimpered, cradling him against her much like she had done to Happy moments ago. The cat had crawled onto her back, where he rested safely in the hood of her cloak, curiously peeking over her shoulder.
The fire that was Natsu managed a smile, and this time when it attempted speaking it worked out a lot better.
"Just saving some energy, Lucy, it's no big deal," he chuckled weakly, with a voice that was Natsu's and at the same time wasn't. Of course, he was telling a bold lie, and they both knew it. Still, Lucy smiled back despite the tears brimming in her eyes.
"Idiot," she whispered, "You're such an idiot. Pretending like everything's alright…"
Natsu blazed up in protest.
"But it is! I'm all fired up!" he cried, and it seemed almost comically as he sat in her hand, "We ain't giving up now! I'm fine, really! Let's go!"
"You said that before," Lucy reprimanded, "And look at you now!"
"But I am fine!" Lucy wasn't sure if a fire had the ability to pout, but this was exactly what it looked like. "I'm fine because of you. You protected me."
"Natsu, I'm not going to play with your life! I'm not going to put you in danger because of this!" she called, even if his words had given her new hope.
"We can't really go back now, can we?" Natsu dead-panned, and the truth hit Lucy like a branch to the face.
He was right. Even if the did turn around now, the way back was longer than the one before them, and just as dangerous. There was no way…
There was no way.
Oh, what was she supposed to do?
Lucy clenched her teeth, forcing the tears from falling by sheer willpower.
"Let's go find the spirit king, right?" Natsu prompted, setting her mind back on track like he always seemed to do. The spirit king could help them.
That was why they had set out in the first place, was it not?
They were so close now.
"Be strong, Natsu," she whispered with new determination, "I'll save you, so don't worry. I'llprotect you. Because that's what I do."
"Now that's much better!" Natsu declared happily.
And then he flickered out of existence.
