He wasn't quite sure what made him do it.
Natsu was a coward. This was a fact that he had never disputed. He had known he was a coward for years and years.
When he was small he would have argued about it. But now? Now he knew better.
Natsu thought he had handled the realization rather well. He hadn't fought it or tried to deny it. It was an undeniable fact. And as far as the facts stood it wasn't something he could change.
He'd run away one too many times. Begged for mercy from his enemies one time too often. And he had let the people important to him down every time they needed him.
Even on this job he had screwed up way too much.
First he failed to get Lucy up in time to see the rat outside the tavern. All because he was too scared to do something about it himself. Then he had failed to convince her of his suspicions because he was afraid she would hate him. He had even managed to screw up when his temporary partner had actually been counting on him. His clumsy hands had failed to pull her out of that god forsaken hole before she got hurt.
But Lucy's instructions had worried him. After telling him what he had to do she had told him to wait for her on the outskirts of the town until sunrise.
Until sunrise.
Lucy hadn't said she would meet him at sunrise, she had told him to wait until sunrise. Wait until sunrise and then what? Why had she said it like that?
It almost felt like Lucy wasn't sure if she was coming back.
And he hated that.
Especially when he once again began to feel those foreboding prickles on the back of his neck.
Natsu pulled up behind the house where he could see a dim light shining through one of the back windows. He turned off the engine and lights to avoid attracting attention. From his position, he couldn't see far into the room. Only the desk next to the window.
He sat there, his eyes transfixed on the house. A man he had never seen before appeared. The prickles on the back of his neck suddenly flared up the moment he appeared.
Every bit of his instincts screamed that the shadowy figure in the window was dangerous. They told him to forget Lucy and flee. She had said herself that she didn't need help. And it was clear to both of them that Natsu would only get in her way.
Still looking at the window his hands toyed with the ignition. Ready to start it up and take off into the night at the slightest hint of a danger.
And then he saw Lucy Ashley.
His blood froze in his veins. She was behind the man that he knew was dangerous. Held by a huge man he recognized as the tavern keeper.
Natsu couldn't tell what was going on. They were doing nothing but talking yet he somehow knew Lucy was in danger. The dangerous man leaned down towards her for a moment before abruptly turning back.. And then the tavern keeper wrapped his fingers around her throat.
They were killing her. Any imbecile could see that. But there was nothing he could do. Natsu couldn't fight them. He wasn't strong enough to take on two full grown men on his own.
He was a weakling. A coward. He had no chance of saving her. He would just die too.
But if he did nothing Lucy was going to die.
Natsu felt something in him break.
His body began to move on its own. Turning the ignition he felt the engine vibrate under the hood, he twisted the wheel and floored the gas. The four-wheeler, his beloved car, flew forward and crashed through the window.
Lucy's ears were ringing.
Everything around her was a blur but she didn't concern herself with that. The Much needed air was finally flowing into her lungs. Coughing and gasping, Lucy nursed the bruises forming on her neck. She didn't know or care what had happened to Bora or the tavern keeper. All that mattered was that she got that sweet air into her lungs.
As the ringing in her ears began to fade Lucy could just pick up on a voice calling her name.
"L..cy… Lucy… LUCY?!"
Her eyes opened slowly to see Natsu leaning over her and shaking her shoulders.
"Lucy! Are you okay?" his voice was shaky, afraid, and filled with concern.
She blinked at him confused. "Na..tsu?"
Reaching up, she brushed the side of his face with the tips of her fingers. Just to see if he was real. If he was really there.
"I-I don't…" her usually strong voice was shaky. "Wh-why?... Why're you… here?"
There was a sound of crunching glass on the other side of the room. Natsu looked over in that direction and Lucy could see the fear grow on his face.
"W-We have to go!" Natsu stood up and tried to pull her to her feet. "They're getting up."
Even as he pulled on her arms Lucy knew she wouldn't be able to stand on her own. She wasn't sure if it was shock or a delayed effect of all the blood loss from earlier. Maybe even both. Sitting up was all Lucy could manage.
Looking over, she could see the tavern keeper already getting Bora to his feet. The car plowing through the window had thrown them for a loop but they were already recovering. That stack of muscle that was the tavern keeper would be on them in a matter of seconds.
"Run.. away…" She told Natsu.
He blinked at her dumbly.
"I'm dead weight! RUN. AWAY."
Natsu's face seemed conflicted as though he was fighting some inner battle. He seemed to make some decision and opened his mouth, to say something.
But it was too late.
Natsu's arms were jerked away leaving Lucy to crash to the ground. Scattered glass dug into her bare skin but she ignored the small stings of pain as she stared up in horror. The tavern keeper pinned one of Natsu's arms behind his back. With a sudden movement, he cruelly twisted the other arm at a sickening angle.
Lucy heard a crack as Natsu screamed in agony.
The tavern keeper's face contorted in rage. "I'm going to break you one piece at a time," he hissed into the crying boys ear. Pulling on the arm, there was another crack. Lucy knew from experience what those sounds meant. She could only guess that the sadistic man had first broken and then dislocated Natsu's arm.
Then Bora appeared.
Blood streamed down his face from a cut on his forehead. A blackish blue mark on his nose showed it was broken. His eyes were no longer condescending or confident. Instead, they were blazing with some sick rage.
He grabbed a wad of Natsu's hair and pulled his head up so Lucy could see his agonized expression. "So," he hissed as he wiped some blood from his lip. "You didn't leave him to die after all."
The tavern keeper gave Natsu's arm another twist. Something in Natsu's hand clattered to the floor. Bora glared down at the magic sword he had dropped.
"Somebody's been digging around in your basement. Why don't you show him how that makes you feel?"
The big man roared in anger as he twisted Natsu's arm again causing his scream to reach a high pitch. "Now now," Bora hissed. "Don't let him die now! Don't forget he also drove that ugly car into my office!"
His grip on the hair tightened as his other fist balled and plowed itself into Natsu's stomach. The boy's breath was knocked out of his body as he began gasping for air between sobs. But Bora wasn't done. He hit him this time in the face busting open a lip and causing blood to dribble down Natsu's chin.
Lucy could feel something inside of her being torn apart every time Natsu screamed. Anger burned inside of her. Though her limbs felt like jelly she grasped Bora by the ankle and rasped out, "Let him go!"
Bora seemed unwilling to deal with her as he gave her a quick kick in the stomach. "Out of the way bitch." He returned his attention to Natsu. "We'll kill you in a minute."
The kick sent Lucy rolling over until she hit one of the wheels of the car. Wrapping her arms around her abdomen, she curled up in pain. The taste of blood filled her mouth.
Lucy forced her eyes open and struggled to push herself up. She bit her tongue causing more blood to flow into her mouth. Despite her tears, Lucy wasn't depressed or crushed. Something burned in her chest.
The silvery glint of the sword hilt attracted her eye. It was laying on the floor between her and Bora.
If she could just get to it.
Natsu's right arm was now hanging limp at his side and the two couldn't seem to agree on what to break next. The tavern keeper wanted to break his legs next. But the blue haired man seemed to like the idea of breaking his fingers and toes first then moving on to his arms and legs. He also had another suggestion.
"Just paralyze him! Then we can kill the girl in front of him."
It was strange how that scared him more than the idea of being paralyzed. He wasn't sure why. Of course, he wasn't sure why he was even there. It wasn't in his nature.
He was a coward by fate. Why had he charged in like he had? If he was going to save Lucy he should have had a plan of some kind.
But he hadn't had a plan. He had driven through that god forsaken window and made things worse. Not only had he failed to save Lucy, because of him they were both going to die horribly.
He managed to crack his eyes open to see Lucy using the car to push herself up to a standing position. Bora didn't seem to notice and he was clearly too busy enjoying Natsu's pain to catch him staring at her. Her eyes were transfixed on the sword lying on the floor. He could already tell what she likely had in mind.
The tavern keeper's hand moved to cover Natsu's mouth to quiet his screams. Apparently the two of them had made up their mind. He could already feel his other arm begin to twist painfully behind his back.
Despite the pain, Natsu glanced down at the sword lying on the floor. He began to kick his legs violently. Bora laughed at his struggles. His eyes remained focused on the sword as he kicked his legs around wildly.
Finally, by sheer chance, Natsu's toe caught on the hilt of the sword and flung it across the floor. It didn't go far, but it went far enough.
Lucy grabbed the hilt of the sword and lunged forward.
Natsu squeezed his eyes shut in fear.
Bora spun around but was too slow. The point of the blade dug itself into his shoulder. Lucy couldn't help but be filled with satisfaction as he screamed at the sight of his own blood. It was an almost disgusting irony seeing how much joy he had gotten from both her and Natsu's pain.
She pulled the blade to the side slashing through his flesh. Lucy had never held a sword before in her life. Whips and daggers were all she had ever used.
Yet even if she had never held a sword before in her life the attack was enough to take Bora down for good. As for the tavern keeper…
"You bitch!" he shoved Natsu to the side slamming him against the side of the car. He slid down the side of the car and crumpled to the floor.
Lucy stumbled to the side as the hulking man's fist barely missed her. She swung wildly at his leg successfully landing a hit. Roaring in pain he swung at her again, this time only missing because she happened to slip and fall to the floor.
For just a moment the tavern keeper's hands raised over his head ready to crush her with both of his massive hands. It was a small opening. But Lucy took it.
Pressing the switch on the hilt, Lucy swung the magic weapon as it was instantly engulfed in flames.
The weapon tore through the man's shirt leaving a gash on his chest and setting his clothing ablaze. With a scream, the tavern keeper began running around the room in a panic. Inadvertently setting the curtains and rugs in the room on fire as he did so.
Natsu was already pulling himself into the driver's seat of his car. Lucy scrambled into the passenger side. She had only just shut the door when Natsu shifted the car into reverse. Pulling away just as the fire climbed the walls. Shifting gears into drive the car took off down the road. Past the houses and the fields, and finally out of the village.
Looking back, Lucy could see the big manor house set ablaze on the hill. The silhouettes of the citizens scrambled out of their houses in a panic. They were all carrying bags and bags of lacrima. And despite everything, Lucy couldn't help but feel sorry for them.
At least somewhat.
((Likely my most violent chapter to date.
Are Bora and the tavern keeper dead? I have no clue. I think I'll leave it vague for now. Just in case they rise again as zombies or something.
Anyway this chapter was originally going to be a lot longer but in the end I decided to split this chapter up with the next one. I know last time I said I'd finish up the story with this chapter but instead it'll likely wrap up next chapter.
Oh that doesnt mean this fic is done. Not by a long shot.
I dont have any concrete ideas for the next "story arc" of sorts. Instead I might try to write a small one shot chapter or something. In the meantime you guys can keep sending me your headcanons and ideas!
Now I got some requests for things you guys would like to see included in the future story. One is more awkward fluff between Natsu and Lucy. Which I will try to do. The only downside is that their relationship development is kind of slow so the most fluff your gonna get is going to be friendship fluff. At least until I finally start getting into the romance aspects.
The next was to hear more about edo!Natsu's past. Sadly while I have a few ideas here and there, I have no real story thought up yet. I might try to drop hints and maybe a bit of information here or there though. But hang in there! I'll get to his past eventually!
Finally one of my reviewers would love to see Natsu and Lucy face off against edolas counterparts of Earthlands villains! Which is definitely doable. However there's a catch. I dont have many ideas or theories about what kind of flopped personalities this guys would have.
As a result, I'm going to let YOU guys decide who is going to be the next villain for the next major story in this fic! You just go to my page and do the poll there to pick between the three villains listed. For now I'm going with a few of the earlier villains. So if you want to have a say in which villain appears first in the series just vote in the poll and I'll be sure to do my best for you guys!
As always please review with any input you may have on the story, share any headcanons you may have about Edolas in general, share anything you'd like to see in the story, or just point out any old typo you find!
Thanks for reading!))