Chapter 2
When they arrived to their home in the ruins, they all sat in the livingroom. Home they lived in was pretty big, and since Metalicana was able to fix roof and all the walls, so it looked like decent home. Patched, but decent. The furniture was old, grabed from the rest proves of the civilization which a long ago lived in this forest. Some drawers or handles were missing, but Lucy keep everything clean. Dried herbs hanged on every wall. On the table in the middle of the room was light crystal which shinned a little dimm, but Natsu would be able to see everything even without the ligh.
He took a seat on the sofa infront of fireplace. Lucy was still resting in his arms. He put her closer in his lap and let her lean to his chest, so her head was resting on his collarbone under his chin. Even in her human state, she was absolutely beautiful.
She look so peacefull and unreal like she was only illusion. He couldnt help but smile at her, which made Gajeel growling.
„So, can you explain us some things now?" – Gray sit in his chair, shirtless.
„Why are you stripping you freak?" – Natsu raised eybrow whe he saw Grays shorts fell on the floor.
„Dont mind him, he do it all the time, ... anyway, - what were you doing here, and why you tried to kidnapp Lucy?" – Gajeel stepped in.
"I didnt kidnapp her!" - he snarled and bare his teeth on Gajeel, his eyes glitched into slits.
„I was returning from the job in Hargeon. I wanted to take bath and a nap before I go back to Magnolia."
"Why here? Specificly..." - Gray asked and watched Natsu as he pushed some hair out of Lucy's face.
"It is on the way, but too far from human hunters to bother ya, so I could be in my other form."
„What happened before we arrived?" - Gajeels voice wasnt friendly. He standed on the right side from the sofa, leaning on the wall, near the doors, so he will be in the way, if the pink haired bastard try to run with Bunny girl. Not that he thougt it would be possible, but still... One lection was enough, so no more mistakes this time.
"I got some questions for ya too." - Natsu stopped him before Gajeel could say more.
"Why is she afraid of fire?" - it wasnt the best question, but it was the most unsettling thing in his head which come forth every time he looked at her.
The two of them were quiet for some time, but than Gray stood up from his chair and looked at him, still holding Lucy in his arms.
"Few year ago, some piece of shit come here..."
Natsu was aware of the space. He noticed Gray moved and came closer to his left side, now standing so he was surrounded. Normaly it would be easy to take them, but now he had Lucy in his arms.
"The Fuckers tortured her with the fire for so long, she was no longer sane."
Another wave of the power surge through Natsu. His eyes now pernamently in slits, his cannies longer and his hands push Lucy's body even more to his chest. It took every ounce of his mind not to loose control again to his dragon. Gray saw that as danger for Lucy, so he started to summon his magic, but Gajeel stopped him.
"No! He wont hurt her Gray, ... he is trying to keep it at bay." - he yelled at him with his arm stretched to Gray.
When Natsu heard Gajeel, he turned his head to him and almost roared with deep voice.
"Drake must protect his nest!"
With this somethin snapped again inside of Gajeel, and he was forced to get down, but this time he managed to stay on his feet, just with his head down and strangely bowed.
"I wasnt there!" - Gajeel roared and bare his teeth.
"And what the fuck are you doing to me?!" - he spitted and forced himself into more straight pozition.
Natsu took a deep breath, which seemed to calm him a little bit. His eyes went back to normal, though they were darker than usual.
He needed to sort this situation. To his nose it was obvious that she really lives with them in this house. Their smels were mixed together in everything. But he will still wait, till the blonde woke up, to tell him the thruth. Meanwhile he could tell them what happened in the woods.
After another deep breath he started talking, his voice still little messed up from before.
„I arrived to the lake at the dawn. I washed myself there, and layed at the shore to dry out and wait till morning, so I could continue on my way. When the moon was high, something woke me up. When I looked what was that I saw her. She came into the lake, undress and walked into the water. I wanted to check who is she, but before I could stand, she was calling her magic and everything around her was shining. I didnt want to interrupt so I stayed on my spot and watch her, but when she went back from the water I shouted on her to wait but she got scared."
Natsu shifted a little bit on sofa.
"She tried to run but she fell'n hit her head, so I runned to her and checked if she was ok. Her face was bloody, and she was confused, so I helped her wash it off when you two showed. I thought that you are hunters that must go after her, so I wanted to fight you, but then she goes on full panic..."
„As I will take that! And what bout that other shit - Why she was glowing? She burnd my hand? And why you called her Fee, what is it?" – Gray waved his arms and stare at the pink haired guy frustrated, pissed and almost naked.
„Fay, That is what she is... " – Natsu was looking on Lucy´s face looking for any sign from her, that would show she is waking up. But when he looked back at them he realized that those guys didnt KNOW what he was talking about, and make his stomach unpleasantly twist.
„You are telling me you dont know that she is a FAY?"
Gray nodded and Gajeel added.
"The hell? We dont even know what is it!"
Natsu looked at them still thinking they are trying to mess with him, but he can tell, it wasnt that.
„Do you know what halfborn is?"
„Yea, - we know that we are halfbreeds – Metalicana and Silver make us that way. – But what has to do with all of this shit? Lucy was always just a human."
It was a hard time to process those information, but there was more when Gray started talking...
„We live here alone since we were kids, - and our elders dissapeared more than ten years ago. Nobody explained a shit to us."
"Ya, we live here so we dont meet anyone." -Gajeel grunted.
„Silver and Metalicana took us here and taught us their magic, when our mothers were killed. But after two years they dissapeared. Since then we were here alone – only with Lucy." – Gray explained.
Natsu wanted to say something, but he stopped himself whe he sensed Lucy to started move.
„Hmm,.. guys…"- She slowly open her eyes and first thing she saw was the worried face of the pink haired stranger.
„Na- tsu?"
„Yeah, sorry for scaring you earlier." – he grinned at her and Lucy smile at his childish tone.
„Bunny girl,.." „Lucy!" – Gray and Gajeel rushed to her.
„Are you okay?"
„You scared the hell outta us!"
„I am sorry guys! Really, - I just dont know whats gotten into me. I know I shouldnt go there, but I couldnt help myself. I am really sorry."
„Does your head hurt?" – Natsu asked.
„My head is fine." and as she finish her sentence she winced a little.
"But my leg hurts, I thing I messed up my ankle pretty bad." – She told and raised her leg a little, where there was forming a large dark bruise.
„Im on it .. „ – Gray put his hand on her ankle and Lucy shivered under the chill of his magic. It felt better almost immediately.
„Thank you Gray." – Lucy smiled and wanted to try to stand, but she noticed that she can´t move.
Not that she was unable to move at all, but she was dulled with the warmth which were supporting her back. And even the chair was warmer than she remembered. She slowly look around her and all the heavyness in the world hit her with the speed of train when she realized that it is not chair she is sitting in…
„Eeek!" – Lucy started to freek out and tried to get of Natsu as soon as possible. In the end of her effort she was falling on the ground. When she closed her eyes and expect and impact, again two strong arms catch her put her on the sofa beside him.
„You are really strange – Ya know it? Is your normal reaction?" – Natsu shook his head at her behaviour and looked to other guys again.
„Well this was pretty much how she fell the first time at the lake. Is she always this clumsy?"
„Hey! I am not clumsy! And what about you?! Is it normal for you to sneak at woman when she baths?! Pervert!" - she yelled and start to push herself up to the Gray.
„What the fuck Salamander?!" – Gajeel started to lift his fist, when Natsu lifted his arms protecting himself.
„Hey! I was not my fault! I was there before she came and started enchanting!"
Gajeel froze in the middle of his move.
„Started what?!" – all three asked unisono.
Natsu doesnt seems to catch up with them. Normally he is that dumbass without any clue.
„You are telling me, that you dont remember what you have been doing in the lake?"
„If you say it like that…. No, I was just there, and... than I know that I hear scary sound and I got scared, you chase me, I fell, than Gray and Gajeel appeared and I black out. I dont remember the path to the lake….."
„What does it mean Salamander? What is happening with her?" – Gajeel grit his teeth pissed of that he doesnt know anything. The more answers they got, even more question showed up.
„I dont know, - I am not exactly expert in this. If we could speak with Levy – I quess she would know, but I never saw something like this. And I never lost my control this fast and for so long…. It doesnt make sence to me."
„Do you remember something from that time?" – Gajeel asked Natsu.
„I start to remember, - but it is hazy." – He scratched his head and look back at Lucy.
„I am sure that she is Fay, as sure as I am that you two are halfbreeds."
„Fay? Halfbreeds? " – Lucy asked not sure if she is still dreaming.
Natsu let out a loud breath and pitch his nose with his fingers. I look like it will be hell long night.
„There are many species, - mostly humans, but also other magic races called Fay as dracons, deamons, fairies, orcs, direwolfs…. Most of them went extict due to war. Humans holds the biggest number right now – even if they have only small amount of magic they are still trying to finish the job and hunt down all the remaining Fay and Halfbreeds. Those are the ofsprings of the Fay and humans – Halfbreeds. I can tell you are the dragonborn." – he nodded to Gajeel.
„The child of the dragons. As well as you are tiefling, - child of the demon race." – Natsu turned to Gray.
„I am also from the Dragonborns, so I can feel the bond in him and I know others from the demon race to know their smell. But I have never met someone like her. I could swear that she is pureblooded Fay, - but I dont know why she is like human right now."
Lucy felt like it was just a dream, just watching them as they talked.
„She called you Natsu…." - Gray said, waiting for his reply.
„Thats my name – Natsu Dragneel. Salamander from Fairy Tail."
„So what were ya talking about when the two of you were shining ya asses off?" – Gajeel sits his chair and looked closer at Lucy. She was close to Gray, and he was helping her with her feet.
„She called me her Draco. It means the leader dragon – the king, the one in charge of the nest." – Natsu scratched his head and look after Lucy.
„Draga means..."
Lucys eyes widened.
„His mate. The queen of the dragons." – she whispered.
„How is that you know what it means?! And how long are you able to use magic?! Why didnt you tell us?" – Gray asked her question after question.
„I dont know! I dont understand any of this! I dont have any magic! I was trying every day, but I never called even bit of magic!"
All of them talked about what happened without getting on some point. After an our of shouting Lucy had enough.
„Shut it! All of you!" – sudden silence was really nice for her headache. She stand up carefully due to her injured leg. But when she wanted to take one step the pain shot into her ankle really bad and she start to fall. Natsu immediately stand up and raised his hand to support her, but instead of catching her and pressing her against his chest, - she took Grays hand and let him hold her, so she could stand with the most of her waight on the uninjured leg. Natsu felt something strange that clenched in his chest. He was certain it was because she refused his help. It didnt make sence, but he still feel uneasy about it.
„Right now its useless... We dont know what is going on, and all the arguing isnt going to help!"
„But I.." – Natsu started but Lucy stopped him before he could finish.
„Thank you Natsu, for your help, but now please go, - and dont ever go back." – she didnt know why but her all body hurt when she told him that.
As for Natsu, if he felt uneasy before, now it was like someone ripped something from his insides.
„Why?" – was all he could muster.
„Because we dont believe you." - she didnt want to hurt him, but the word were cold.
And true.
„But I ... I just wanted to know you. Tried to help..."
„Yea, I know, and thanks, but It doesnt mean that you wont try to kill us few hours later." – She wasnt happy about it. Hell, she didnt want him to go! He seemed like a nice guy, but Bora was also nice. Her life teach her hard way, that you cannot trust someone you dont know. No matter how much you want to like them.
The first tear started to fall down on her cheek.
„I just want to know…" – Natsu tried again.
„Please, - … just go." – the tears were streaming from her eyes and her body started to shake. Natsu looked on the ground and tighed his fists. Hopeless, - that was how he felt. He stepped to the door. He opened them and turn to them one last time. Lucy looked after him, but she didnt saw anything in them, - mostly because of her own tears.
„Farewell…." Natsu said and the door closed. Lucy exhale the air she didnt know she was holding.
„Gray, - can you please help me to my room?"
„Yea, sure. Whatever you need."
Both brothers nod on each other, and Gray took Lucy´s hand around her neck.
Gajeel stayed on the watch, in case Salamander would want to go back and try something.
When Lucy lay down into her bed, she fell a sleep immediately. She didnt know how much she was exhausted. She was dreeming about silver and golden lights and red dragon.