Author's Note:
Hi everyone! I'm so sorry that this is a little later than I intended. This week has been crazy with classes starting and being in the lab frequently to work on my research. It has been a lot to juggle and I really wanted to change a few things in this chapter before publishing it! I finally had time today to work on it and I'm happy with how it turned out. I hope you enjoy it and I would love to know what you think! I hope to have the last three chapters up sometime next week. Thank-you for your support!
January 2nd
Droplets of blood coated the floor as a rough cough shook my body. My arms were numb, my hands chained above my head to keep me from fighting back. The tips of my toes could just brush the ground, keeping my body from hanging completely. Splotches of purple and blue were spread over my skin, decorating my body underneath the slashes. My memory was hazy and I couldn't really piece together exactly what the past few days consisted of. I remembered the bandana man at Mystic and getting jabbed in the neck. I remember waking up in the trunk of a car before screaming until I passed out. I remember waking up chained to the ceiling with just a thin pink dress on and I remember chewing my lips while fists pounded my flesh and fingers broke various bones in my right arm as different people questioned me about Natsu, Gajeel, Fairy Tail, and my father. I didn't have any answers for them, so they proceeded to use a burning blade to carve into my flesh. I forced out vague answers then, anything to get them to stop, and they still weren't satisfied. I was unable to recall the questions they asked or the answers I gave them. My brain could only focus on my aching limbs and burning flesh as the wounds stretched every time I moved. A few days had passed, I knew that much. They force-fed me some kind of liquid substance every afternoon, probably with enough nutrients to keep me alive and slightly coherent. For the first few days, I was completely alone. The only interaction I had with others consisted of different forms of torture and questioning. When I looked up today though, a young girl was chained to the floor across from me. Her dark blue hair hung in knotted ringlets and she was wearing a tattered yellow and blue striped dress. Her hands were chained in a way that her palms faced one another and she had some sort of intricate symbol carved underneath her. Her frail body was terribly pale and bruised, though it was free of any cuts. The girl was probably half my age and my heart broke for her. She groaned, her eyes fluttering open. They were bloodshot, probably from crying and she gasped when she met my stare.
"You must be Lucy." Her voice was fragile as she whispered matter-of-factly. "I'm so sorry." I was at a loss for words, my mind spinning. How did this girl know me? "My name is Wendy. I'm the sky dragon slayer. Natsu talks about you a lot." She explained further and my jaw went slack.
"You know Natsu?" My voice was shaky and the tone surprised me. It was weak and I realized that I had lost the will to fight back the day prior when they carved through the guild mark on the back of my hand. I bit my lip, disappointed in how quickly I gave up.
"Of course I do! He protects me in the winter when we become dragons every year. Without him and Gajeel, I'd be hunted. I'm so young that I don't pose much of a threat on my own yet." She explained, a small smile on her cracked lips. That explains why he was gone. It was part of the curse and maybe all the dragon slayers lose themselves every winter.
"You were with him this winter?" My head tilted slightly, as much as it could without making me dizzy.
"Mhmm. We are usually dragons the last week of December as the year transitions into a new one. Natsu always experiences it worse than us, so he is always there when I change." Her eyes were bright as she spoke fondly of the fire dragon slayer.
"How'd you end up here Wendy?" She shut her eyes in response to my question, tears welling in the corners of them as she looked away.
"We were attacked. Rogue and Sting got away, but they caught me. Gajeel had already returned to Fairy Tail. He always has the shortest transition. I was with Natsu, having just switched back when they attacked. Rogue, Sting, and Natsu fought them off to the best of their abilities, but the twins gave up and fled. Natsu was stabbed through the chest when I was taken. I don't know what happened to him." She cried, sobs shaking her small body. My heart faltered, the world slowing down around me. I could only focus on my heartbeat. Natsu's toothy grin formed before my eyes.
"Don't worry! I'll protect yah!" It was a promise he made to me before he left and he always kept his promises. I swallowed my next coughing fit down harshly before speaking.
"Wendy, I'm sure Natsu is okay. He's the strongest wizard I know! If he is unable to come get us, I'm sure Fairy Tail is already on their way. Someone will be here." I promised her and in a way, promised myself. That thought was the only thing keeping me going. She studied me through her tears and nodded sternly, sniffling as she did.
"How touching." Bandana man smirked, his body leaning against the entrance way. "Lucy, I really don't enjoy hurting you. I just need information on the dragon slayer's location, the status of your guild, and your father's phone number. It's all straight forward, my love." He insisted, freeing one of his blades from behind his back as he stepped into the room.
"You have a twisted way of showing your love, ass hole." I spat, a scowl on my face.
"My name is Bartron. You know this, sweetheart." He snapped, his grip tightening on the blade. Bartron, that's right. He told me that before. "Now be a good girl and tell me where Natsu Dragneel is." He hissed, blade pressing into my center, already cutting through the thin material of the dress.
"Stop! Bartron, I sense him nearby. He's not alone either." Wendy blurted, her eyes wide with terror and locked on the blade in his hand. Bartron paused, lifting the blade every so slightly as he studied the sky dragon slayer.
"You wouldn't be lying to me Wendy, would you? I'd hate to tell the master that we are down one dragon slayer. It'd be a shame, but we could make do without you." He stepped forward, bending down to cup Wendy's chin with his free hand. He stared into her eyes and she frowned.
"He will be here soon, so I have no reason to fear you anymore." She quipped, her gaze hard. He shoved her chin away with a frown. He turned back towards me, pulling a cloth bag from his back pocket.
"Sorry my love. Looks like there is a change of plans. We can't have Salamander finding you just yet." He yanked the bag over my head in one swift motion, blocking my connection to my surroundings. Wendy yelped and I could only assume he did the same to her. The chains unlatched from above me, a sigh of relief escaping my lips as my arms relaxed at my sides. They were still tingling, numb from being chained above me for an extended period of time. I was forcibly shoved around the room, my hands and ankles locked together to restrict my movement. This lasted a few minutes until I was shoved into a small space, a door swinging shut behind me. Various locks clicked into place before the bag was yanked off my head. It took a moment to process the new surroundings. I was in a cell, within a new room. Runes lined the walls, harboring complex designs similar to those of Freed's enchantments. There was a smaller cell next to me, Wendy having been shoved in it. The entire room was roughly the size of a janitor's closet, my cell the size of a bathroom stall. I dropped to the ground, pulling my knees to my chest while Bartron smiled. "That's a good girl. Now just stay here for a while until the threat passes. Don't miss me too much while I'm gone." He winked and slipped out the door, more locks clicking into place and sealing our fate.
"Lucy, can I see your right hand, please?" Wendy blinked up at me, eyes pleading as she extended her hand. I nodded, threading my fingers through hers as best as I could. Sharp pains shot up my arm and I chewed on my lip to hold in the sobs threatening to escape. Wendy whispered softly, gentle light soothing the pain in my arm as it faded into my skin. I yanked my hand back, staring in awe of the sky dragon slayer. The wound through my guild mark was pulled together, leaving a thin pink line that was hardly noticeable. All of the pain in my arm was alleviated and I locked eyes with Wendy. She took a deep breath, falling back against the wall of her cell. Sweat beaded on her brow as she blinked a few times, seemingly disoriented. "Sorry, that is all I can manage right now. Is there any pain left in your arm?" She whispered softly, sucking in another gulp of air.
"It's perfect. Thank-you so much Wendy." I blinked back tears, extending my hand to her once again. She grasped it tightly, squeezing my fingers. "Why didn't you heal yourself first?"
"You were in more pain. I could sense it." She assured me, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the wall.
"Did you actually sense Natsu nearby?" I whispered, unable to stop the hopeful tone from escaping.
"No. I'm sorry. I can only sense other dragon slayers when I'm in my dragon form. That was the only way I could think of to stop Bartron from hurting you anymore." She frowned, tears escaping the corners of her eyes and dripping down onto the already damp, cement floor.
"Thank-you. I can't thank-you enough for what you did for me." I smiled softly at the young girl, trying to smother my aching heart. She nodded, tears still flowing. We sat in silence for a while. We couldn't hear anything outside our room and that was weighing heavily on me. "Wendy?" I glanced back over at her and her eyes fluttered open. "How does dragon slayer magic work?"
"It's very complicated, but I can try to explain the basics. Natsu, Gajeel, and I were taught this lost magic by the dragons who raised us. Natsu was raised and taught by Igneel, I was raised and taught by Grandeeney, and Gajeel was raised and taught by Metalicana. We each use a specific style of dragon slayer magic. I have sky dragon magic, Natsu has fire, and Gajeel is the iron dragon slayer. To increase our magical power, we can ingest our element and we also have physical characteristics to protect ourselves from the harsh magic we use. When our dragons disappeared, we all received the curse of the dragon. That's what allows us to transform into dragons. Usually anger and anxiety triggers the transformation, but we all learned how to control our emotions to prevent harming anyone. We end up suppressing it so much that at the end of every year, the dragon half takes over. Does that make sense?" She thought for a while before speaking. My brain struggled to keep up with everything, but it worked to piece it together. Then, my thoughts wandered to Bruce, the mirror mage who copied Natsu's magic.
"Yeah, it makes sense, but Natsu was mirrored by a wizard named Bruce Reckiv. How is something like that possible?" It just wasn't adding up for me.
"Natsu told us about that actually. Bruce isn't really a 'mirroring' wizard. He actually steals another wizard's magical energy as well as their physical appearance. In that case, he took Natsu's magic and his physical characteristics, including his dragon lungs and scales. While most people would have no idea how to use another wizard's magic, Bruce had been following Natsu for some time. It's why Natsu told us because he was worried we were being followed by others as well." She frowned before continuing. "Anyway, Bruce was only able to use the attacks that he saw Natsu use before and they weren't at full strength because he still didn't know how to use all that power very well. When he borrowed Natsu's magic, the curse followed and that's why he triggered the transformation the moment he got even slightly angry. He didn't have experience controlling it and that's what led to his downfall. He was a naive wizard and took on more than he could handle." She spoke with a bitter tone, her gaze distant. Her fingers clenched my hand tighter and she took another deep breath. "It's also why I'm so worried about Natsu. He isn't at full strength because his body is slowly rebuilding the magical energy Bruce stole." My eyes widened and I clenched her hand back. "But you're right. Natsu isn't one to give up. We shouldn't lose hope." She gave me a reassuring smile and I did my best to reflect her optimism.
"Why was Bruce following Natsu though? Do you know why dragon slayers are being targeted?" Though I wanted to continue being optimistic, my curiosity got the better of me.
"Yeah, Bartron's boss is the leader of the dark guild, Lunar Eclipse. She's been hunting us to steal our magic. Her father is some king and she wants to overthrow him, so she's been getting desperate. I've only heard bits and pieces of conversation between guild members, but her name is-" The door slammed open, the metal denting as Bartron stomped into the room. He unlocked Wendy's cell, throwing the door open and tangling his hand into her hair. He pulled her up so she was dangling and she squealed, struggling against his grip.
"You lied to me, you pathetic excuse for a dragon slayer! We checked all of our scanners and the entire parameter and Salamander was nowhere in sight! I'm not fond of liars, you know this and yet you still lied to my face." He slammed her body back against the wall and fixed a glare on me, raising his blade with his other hand.
"I'm going to ask one more time Lucy. If you don't answer me, I'm going to slit this pathetic liar's throat!" He pressed the blade to her throat and I was frozen. My lips wouldn't move to form words. My limbs didn't even react when Wendy's hand was torn from my grasp.
"You're a pathetic excuse for a wizard." Wendy squeaked, eyes opening to fix a glare on Bartron.
"I'M A PATHETIC EXCUSE?" He snarled, lifting her to slam her body against the wall once more. The wind was knocked out of her and I pushed myself to my feet.
"You are a pathetic excuse for a wizard because you use your magic to harm innocent people. You are greedy and expect that people will give you anything you want when you flaunt your power. Lunar Eclipse is a sorry excuse for a guild and I hope the other dragon slayers and Fairy Tail takes you down. Even if I die, I don't care, as long as you and your stupid guild never get what you want." I growled through my clenched jaw, tears streaming down my face. I was done rolling over and giving up. Bartron wouldn't get the last laugh, we would. He tossed Wendy into the corner of her cell, her body collapsing after her head smacked off the cement. With complete fury, Bartron ripped the locks off my cell and shoved in, lifting my body off the ground, holding me against the wall with his hand wrapped around my throat. He was crushing my windpipe and I struggled to breathe against the force.
"You are so mistaken and misinformed, my love. We are the superior wizards, we know what this world truly needs to have balance and order. Whether you die or not, the dragon slayers will be captured and their magic will be ours. Tell me where Salamander is and I will let you live and forgive the false accusations that slipped from your beautiful lips." He snarled, grip tightening as I tried to fight against him.
"Sir!" A younger woman stumbled into the doorway, her shoulder gushing blood as she nearly fell into the room. "The fire dragon slayer is here." She cried before crumpling to the ground in agony.
"Looks like he came to you." I spat as the ground shook, explosions sounding from below us. Bartron's grip loosened and my body slipped, hitting the ground. The floor was hot underneath me and I knew then that Natsu wasn't holding back. He would burn the entire building to the ground, even with his magic depleted.
"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy shouted, startling Bartron and I, as a tunnel of wind shot from her mouth. It crashed into Bartron, sending him flying out of the room, his blade clattering to the floor. Her body collapsed on the ground, her arms shaking as she pushed herself to lock eyes with me. I was bewildered by the power from the smaller girl and she grinned at me. "You were right." She stated simply before her eyes fluttered shut once again. The ground tilted and my body swung backwards, smacking against the wall. Natsu must have knocked out a support beam or a wall. Flames shot up from the stairwell across from our room as a body formed in the entrance way. Natsu stood, crimson scales covering his entire body, wings expanded behind his back as spikes stretched down his spine. His feet scorched the ground as he walked, leaving burnt footprints in his wake. Crimson blood dripped from his claws as he stretched them. His fangs were fixed in a snarl as he sniffed the air. His wild eyes fell on me and I couldn't help myself.
"Natsu!" I cried out, struggling against the chains that bound my ankles. His wings expanded behind him, sending his body catapulting towards mine. He settled as close as he could get to me, pressing me against the wall. He tucked his nose against my collarbone, inhaling deeply. His entire body relaxed as he nuzzled against the base of my throat. His hand jolted, his talons effortlessly snapping the chains binding my hands before he bent and snapped the ones around my ankles. I struggled to lift my week arms, letting them fall around his shoulders as he supported me with his own rough arms. He pressed his forehead against mine gently, not wanting to harm me as he breathed deeply again. Tears streamed down my cheeks and he pulled back, licking at them gently with his forked tongue. "I knew you would find me. You promised you would protect me and you kept it." I continued sobbing as he smiled widely. He gently tugged at my hair, swiftly tying it into a mess of a bun with a tattered ribbon. "Natsu, what-" my words trailed off though. A small orb settled between us and Natsu quickly shoved me back, keeping his fingers flexed so his talons wouldn't impale me. His wings expanded and I hit against the wall as the orb exploded, sending Natsu flying to the other side of the room. He shoved himself up, growling as Bartron jumped at him.
"Blades of agony!" He shouted, swiping his swords down before sprinting to grab me. He hauled me over his shoulder after locking chains around my wrists and pulled me from the room. I flailed, screaming and kicking as he tried to bring me through another exit. Natsu roared charging at us, but two figures cut him off. I wiggled until I slid far enough down to sink my teeth into Bartron's shoulder. Coppery blood pooled under my teeth and I bit harder until he slammed my head into the wall. The room spun as he dragged my body towards an elevator. Natsu jolted forward, slamming his talons through Bartron's chest and the man wailed. Both men were thrown backwards as a woman jumped into the elevator. She spat at me as the doors slammed shut. We shot up to the roof and she hauled me onto some sort of plane before latching the door shut.
"Natsu." I whispered weakly, all the energy drained from my body. The woman smirked, narrowing her gaze at me. There was another person in the plane, seated in the back. I met the man's eyes and gasped. "Lyon?" He wore a frown, his brow furrowed as he pulled his gaze from me. I was in shock and very lost as to what was happening. It was then I noticed that I was breathing heavily and that the inside of the plane was spinning. I tried to hold tight to consciousness, but I was slipping away too fast.
"You'll never see dragon boy again." The woman hissed and my vision faded before I could respond.