Sorry again for the late update. I think I'll be having to move back updating to every other week, because of my busy schedule. Anyway, thank you to everyone that reviewed, faved, and followed. We have officially made it through Act I, though! It only goes downhill from here XD. I apologize for any grammar mistakes. Enjoy!
"Get him off!"
Hands grappled and pulled at his arms and coat — someone even going for his legs, but none dared tug at his scarf to force him away. Everyone knew the scarf was sacred to Natsu and, therefore, off limits. But Natsu held firm until the combined strength of Gajeel, Laxus, and Gray forcibly detached him from the blonde. Breaking the contact where his lips had been molded to Lucy's. The trio dragged the struggling male through the snow and pinned him to the ground. Gajeel and Laxus held down both his arms — the latter of which dug his elbow in between his shoulder blades, and Gray seated himself on his calves.
Wendy was a flurry of motion above the unconscious woman: checking for her heartbeat every other second and working to heal the bite mark on her neck. Her blue hair twirled above her shoulders as a result of using her healing magic and Wendy's brow furrowed in deep concentration. The rest of Fairy Tail watched anxiously from around the scene, Master Makarov and Erza on Lucy's other side. The old master frowned down at the sight of Natsu's blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.
"I'm losing her!" Wendy cried, sweat pouring down her face. Everyone tensed at the young healer's cry and looked to each other for a hopeful solution.
"Maybe if someone goes back to get Porlyusica?" A hopeful voice inquired.
"No, the girl'd be dead before the old witch could get here."
"We have to do something!"
"But what if-"
"Everyone, SHUT UP!" Erza shouted. The area immediately quieted and Erza turned back to the young healer. "How bad is it, Wendy?"
"I don't know how long I can keep the venom from reaching her heart. It's too ingrained in her system." Wendy looked up at where Natsu was being held down, tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Natsu." She choked out.
Natsu jerked against the muscled arms restraining him but the boys held firm, refusing to let him go. Each thump of Lucy's heart was like a ticking time bomb — one that left Natsu anxious and scared that each beat that sounded would be her last. It was obvious his blood wasn't able to counteract the venom in Jackal's bite like he had hoped. He dug his forehead into the cold snow and released a muffled, dry sob. From above, Laxus and Gajeel looked down at the hybrid in pity.
"Stop your magic, Wendy."
The young witch looked up in shock. "What?" Never before had she been told to not try to help heal someone. There were instances where she ran out of magic power, but the situation had always been out of her control. Master Makarov was a kind-hearted man. He would never deny help to anyone who needed it. That was the basis of Fairy Tail's principles: to hold out their hands to those who lacked the strength to pull themselves up.
Everyone, too, appeared shocked at the Master's request. Many gaped and few shouted words of disapproval, including Natsu. "Gramps, what the hell?! Wendy, don't stop! Please! Heal her!" He pleaded, desperately and renewed his struggles.
"Master?" Erza questioned at Makarov's side. The protest on her tongue died off at the grave and determined look on the elder man's face and she reluctantly returned her gaze to the young healer. "Wendy, cease your healing magic."
Wendy immediately shook her head in protest. "I can save her! I can! Please, just….just send someone to get Ms. Porlyusica. She can cure her better than I can. I can hold on for at least that much." She pushed more power into her magic and her hands shook with the exertion. A soft hand gently placed itself on top of Wendy's shaking ones, and Erza lowered their hands to rest lightly on Wendy's lap. The blue light fading from her fingertips as her magic ceased. Natsu released a pained yell at the scene and Wendy lowered her chin down to her chest — her hair curtaining her face and cutting off Natsu's betrayed expression from her peripheral view.
Wendy's eyes burned with tears and her shoulders shook as Erza pulled her into a side-hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She rasped. Wendy didn't know Lucy, hadn't even had the chance to properly talk to the woman but from Natsu's thoughts and words alone, Wendy knew her to be a woman of a loving nature and with an equally fierce determination. What really enraptured Wendy's attention, was learning that Lucy was a veterinarian. A healer like herself, in a sense. Even without having ever talked to her, Wendy still felt that undeniable bond between themselves.
Erza gently pulled the young healer to her feet and helped her limp to the rest of the Fairy Tail crowd, Wendy's knees shaking with exhaustion the entire way. From where he was still sitting at Lucy's side, the furrow in Makarov's brow loosened and his eyes softened with worry and slight regret. Lucy's breathing had become reduced to long, shaky breaths as her airways began to constrict within her throat and whimpers of pain escaped her as the poison made its way through her system. Laying his hand on Lucy's forehead, Makarov smoothed the hair from her brow in a fatherly gesture and released a heavy sigh. "Mavis, forgive me."
Closing his eyes in concentration, Makarov guided his magic to build up at the center point of his hand and, with one last shuddering breath, sent a magic pulse through Lucy's body.
"You've suffered enough. Rest now." From within her chest, Lucy's heart gave one last quivering beat before it relaxed and stopped.
Natsu felt like his heart had stopped right along with Lucy's. He couldn't have. Gramps wasn't a murderer. He knew Natsu's blood couldn't be used to turn people into werewolf-vampire hybrids. He knew! Master Makarov had been the one and only person he had told his secret to. He was an anomaly. They still didn't understand the extent of how his vampiric-side affected his werewolf genes, but one thing was certain: Natsu no longer possessed the ability to turn people, despite what the rest of his guild members thought.
And, despite knowing that, Makarov had killed her.
"GRAMPS!" He roared. The three men holding him down were startled at his yelling and Natsu felt them loosen their hold on his body. Roaring, Natsu threw them off and was clutching at the collar Master Makarov's white coat before Gray, Gajeel, or Laxus could hit the floor. Makarov barely blinked up at the pink-haired hybrid and Natsu felt his temper rise at his impassiveness.
"You knew. You knew that my blood couldn't turn her and you still…" Natsu rasped, his throat began to constrict and he pushed down on the sob that threatened to crush his chest with its vice-grip.
"...you still…" A sharp metal point dug into his back, conveniently placed where he knew his heart to be. He'd been stabbed in the back enough times to know.
"Let the master go, Natsu." Erza commanded. "I know a wound like this won't kill you, but I swear I'll make it painful. Let him go." The sword's tip dug in a little deeper, cutting through the material of his vest. "Now."
Natsu clenched his jaw and lowered Makarov back to the ground, grudgingly releasing the master's coat from his fisted hands.
"H-Hey! She moved!" Wakaba yelled. Excited murmuring began to raise in volume as a crowd gathered around the body in the snow.
Natsu's body went rigid. Master Makarov released a subtle sigh of relief, and Erza and the rest of their tiny formed group each tried to peer around the hovering bodies in surprised interest before making their way over — Natsu at the helm. He didn't care if he was being rough as he pushed people out of his way, stumbling to the floor next to Lucy when he finally broke through. Natsu gazed down at Lucy's inert form in subdued excitement and felt the heavy weight lift from his chest when one of her fingers twitched.
Lifting his head to the crowd he yelled, "Wendy! Wendy, she's alive!" A tiny form attempted to push through the large bodies in the circle, blue hair bobbing in the crowd.
"Please, let me through!"
Natsu laughed in relief, smiling wide. "You hear that, Lucy?" He turned to the blonde. "Wendy's going to fix you right up. So, hang in there for a little longer. Okay?"
Gently turning her head to the side, Natsu felt his elation grow to see that the bite had been reduced to two slightly raised scars; the putrid smell and dark veins that had been crawling beneath her skin had withdrawn.
Dark crimson traveled down her chin — the droplet stopping at the hollow of her throat. Natsu followed the red drop's path with his eyes all the way back to Lucy's face, where the trail seeped from the corner of her mouth. That wasn't his blood. Frowning, Natsu attempted to rub the blood away with his thumb and winced when he smeared it across her cheek into a bloody half-smile.
"...Lucy?" He breathed.
Lucy's eyes flung open and she released an abnormal hiss as she tackled Natsu, wrapping her hands around his neck. Natsu let out a surprised yell as they wrestled in the snow. From around them, panicked screams rang out as some moved to help the pink-haired hybrid while others tried moving as far away as possible.
When they came to a rolling halt - Natsu on his back - Lucy hissed in his face, fangs poking out from where they had forcefully burst from her gums. Her once warm and inviting eyes were now a soulless black, a daunting ring of gold replacing her brown irises. Natsu wrapped one arm on top of her forearms and pushed down on her arms in an attempt to keep her hands from choking him. The forearm of his other appendage pushed futility against the hollow of her throat as she hissed and snarled in his face, saliva and blood dripping down and hitting Natsu's cheek.
"L-Lucy… please, stop. This isn't… you! He grunted. This wasn't possible. She shouldn't have turned. As much as he loathed to admit, Lucy should have been dead. She couldn't have…
A rough piece of cloth swung from over Lucy's head and was tugged back, hooking into the edges of her mouth. His throat was released from her grip as Lucy reached up to rip at the gag pulling her back like makeshift reins. The person, who Natsu identified as Erza, flung her body back, pulling Lucy's body off his own. The crazed blonde struggled on top of the red-head and others rushed to hold down her flailing appendages when Lucy wildly threw her hands back to scratch at Erza's face with black, elongated nails.
Natsu was too shocked to move and he stared at the scene unfolding in front of him numbly. "Don't let her drink any of your blood!" Master Makarov yelled. The sound echoed in Natsu's ear and barely registered within his mind.
He hadn't saved her. Lucy was alive, yes, but Natsu hadn't saved her. Bodies tackled the blonde, four people holding down her legs to tie them together as Erza secured her gag. And, as Natsu watched his family retie Lucy's once chafed wrists together, he felt the truth click within his mind. He hadn't saved her. He had doomed her to a fate much worse.
"We turn her into the Council."
Makarov wearily pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "That isn't an option, Gray."
"Why the hell not?!" He yelled, slamming his hand down. The sound reverberated throughout the small room that was Makarov's office and rattled the walls. "You've seen how dangerous she can be! It took ten of us to take her down. Don't tell me you're actually considering letting her join the guild?!"
Erza immediately interjected. "That's not fair, Gray. You know the process of a turning is an unstable process. There are many factors involved that continue to elude us. She is not the first to go feral and will most definitely not be the last."
Gray roughly pushed back from the table they were all gathered at. His chair scraped against the floor and the joints creaked in protest. "This is stupid."
She raised a speculating eyebrow at Gray's angered form. "You seem very vehement against her joining, Gray. Care to share why?"
Gray quieted at having the spotlight directed on him. Golden hair and a gentle smile flashed in his mind before he pushed them down into the darkest recess of his mind. He wasn't about to be tricked into giving up his heart again. It'd already been butchered one too many times and he wouldn't allow her a chance to break it once more. Instead, he said, "I just don't trust her. She already has Natsu at her beck-and-call. Are you guys saying you're equally weak-minded?"
Protests rang throughout the room at his comment. Gajeel seemed ready to leap across the table to throttle Gray's throat if not for the petite blue-haired woman pulling on his arm. The large vampire opted to instead yell obscenities back at the black werewolf. Others rose from their spots at the table, Erza soon joining to quiet the growing hostilities.
"ENOUGH!" Silence swept across the room, everyone's attention directing themselves towards the head of the table. "Take. Your. Seats." Makarov seethed. One-by-one, the members of the room returned to their chairs until only Gray was left standing, staring down the master. "Now, Gray." Magic flared from Makarov's body and Gray slowly lowered himself to his chair, effectively intimidated by the master's magical prowess.
Master Makarov released a slow breath and the pressure bearing down on the room lifted. "The Council will not hear of this incident." He said, pointedly looking into Gray's eyes until the werewolf dropped eye contact. Satisfied, Makarov nodded across the table at the blue-haired witch. "Levy."
The tiny witch nervously rose to her feet. Waving her hand in the air, a thin file materialized, levitating above the table. Levy plucked it from the air and flipped it open. "Lucy Heartfilia. Age: 26. Graduated from Hargeon University with high honors before moving shortly to Magnolia. Occupation: Magnolia's Head Veterinarian. No recorded family or distant relatives. No crime records. She's basically a blank slate; no outside connections." Levy reported, frowning. "Looks like we won't have to be doing any clean-up. As far as we know, Jackal and Mard Geer eradicated the entire town. No reports of any survivors."
Makarov and a few others in the room fell into a solemn silence at the thought that no one would miss the blonde's disappearance. Tragedies in Magnolia's surrounding forest areas weren't uncommon, but there was always someone to mourn the dead. Lucy didn't even have a family to return to, much less a home.
"Then it's decided." Makarov finally said. "Lucy will be staying here at Fairy Tail until a proper solution arises. Treat her as you would any other Fairy Tail member."
Everyone nodded and moved to leave when Gray finally spoke up once more. "How bout' Natsu?"
"As far as the Council is concerned Natsu is-"
"I could care less what the Council thinks" Gray interrupted. "What he said before — about not being able to turn her. What did he mean? He's a hybrid, why shouldn't he be able to?"
Makarov looked Gray straight in the eyes when he answered him. "What Natsu decides to unveil about himself is his decision to make. You would do well to respect your pack brother's privacy, Gray."
Gray looked like he got slapped in the face before his expression evened out into restrained agitation. "Great. Everyone's keeping damn secrets now." He left, slamming the door behind him with a resonating bang that rattled the walls.
"Stupid hypocrite." Gajeel grumbled. He grunted when Levy jabbed her elbow into his side, glaring up at him for his unnecessary commentary.
"He's not the only one." Erza sighed, eyeing the head of the table. "What's going on, Master? Fairy Tail and the Magic Council are already aware that Natsu was turned into a hybrid when under Zeref's captivity. Please, Master Makarov. If Natsu's in trouble, he shouldn't shoulder his problems alone; that isn't the Fairy Tail way."
If only it was that simple, Makarov thought. "I'm sorry, but for Natsu's safety — and your own — I ask that you speak no more on the subject." The finality in his tone deflated Erza's desire for answers and she stood from her seat and left the room after Gray. The rest of the room's residents slowly began to trickle out.
"Mira." The barmaid halted at Makarov's calling and lingered as everyone else left. "Could you please check on Ms. Heartfilia?"
It felt like she was being torn in two. Something… something wild — uncontrollable — wanted to be let out. It clawed at her ribcage and struggled to come up her throat in a guttural roar. Instead, a pained cry wrenched itself from Lucy's throat and she thrashed against the restraints pinning her to the bed. She wanted to cry for somebody — anybody — to help her, but the pain silenced any audible words she could attempt to form.
Even in her pain-induced state, the sound of a frantic heartbeat and pounding feet reached her ears. Hands rattled the handrails of what she assumed to be the medical bed she lies in and calls worriedly, "Ms. Porlyusica! Come quick!"
The voice is young and Lucy doesn't feel courageous enough to brave the glaring lights overhead with what she can tell are overly sensitive eyes. The girl's hands attempt to push down on Lucy's shoulders as she struggles harder against the medical restraints. A calm, but still perturbed, heartbeat joins the first and Lucy's heart spikes in fear when it seems to edge closer towards her. As if sensing her fear, the… thing inside her slips into a more panicked frenzy and Lucy feels her control slip through her fingers.
Muscles shift in ways they were never designed to and Lucy feels her feet and arms break free with a loud 'snap' of leather and metal. A soft hand rests itself on Lucy's shoulder and her unrestrained hand flails out to clutch at the sides of her head. She hears the sound of skin slapping against skin and the pained yelp of the young girl sends a sliver of guilt through Lucy's heart, but is quickly stamped out.
An older voice calls out something in a language Lucy does not recognize and a soft chill like a cooling balm washes over her, but the beast is close to the freedom it desires and will not be denied. The pain worsens and Lucy screams louder as she pulls at the strands of her hair and rolls across the bed and to the floor, hunching over. The medical gown she's been put in crinkles and tears as what feels like her entire spinal cord flexes and rearranges itself, something bursting from the small of her back in an excruciating arc. The bones in her arms and legs collapse on themselves and Lucy's forced to release her hair when the bones in her fingers feel like their simultaneously breaking and shrinking into her palms. She lays her hands flat out in front of her and watches in horror as the digits mutilate and sprout claws over her nails. Her scream this time is one of horror, but that soon dies out into a choked gasp as her throat closes up and elongates and the bones in her face push out into a shape no longer suited for human dialect.
By now her gown has been ripped to shreds and what she knows to be a new blanket of fur covers her nudity. She takes a moment and simply remains in her hunched position, breathing in deep, ragged breaths. Then the voices start.
"Wendy—!"
"What was he thinking—?"
'What was up with Natsu—?'
"-him be, Juvia."
'Stupid, Flame-brain!'
Voices, too many voices. She whimpered and pawed at her ears, gritting her too-sharp teeth at the ensuing headache. It was too much all at once. People's voices echoed in her ears and other...foreign sounds echoed in her mind. She just wanted it all to stop! She wanted freedom!
Answering her call, the entity Lucy had been warring with took over and she rose on unfamiliar legs. While unconventional, it felt so natural standing on four legs rather than two, and Lucy finally got her first glimpse of the world around her, wincing at the light with a shake of her head. Looking around, the old lady she heard from before was squatting over a young-blue haired girl, fussing over the blood dripping from her cheek. Whining in dismay, her ears and tail drooped and she momentarily ignored the voices plaguing her mind in favor of inching slowly closer towards the pair, not necessarily knowing what she could do to help but wanting to nonetheless.
'I'm sorry.' They didn't hear her silent apology, but many of the voices within her mind paused in unrestrained curiosity at the new mind among them.
The flaps at the end of the room were thrown open in a flourish and a white-haired women ran in. "Wendy! Porlyusica!" The yell startled her and before anyone could say anything she was bolting out of the tent into the unknown.
She squinted at the sunlight that momentarily blinded her and many individuals that caught her appearance paused to stare and walk closer, closing in on her.
Safe. Need somewhere safe. Hide.
Swiveling her head around in a panic, she instinctively hunched and bore her teeth in a warning to those who came too close.
"Hey—" A hand reached out for her head and she lunged, snapping at his hand, but only caught air. Surprised screams rang and she whimpered once more at the volume. She just wanted somewhere safe to hide.
"Romeo!" The boy's father, she assumed, pulled him away with a look of anger.
The white-haired woman came back out and Lucy bolted. "Someone get Natsu!"
Lucy ran. Twisting around people's legs and jumping away from other wandering wolves, all sorts of scents bombarded her nose. But nothing smelled safe! Nowhere to hide. And then she caught it. A smell. A safe smell. Somewhere she could hide, hide away from this unfamiliar world. She followed it, ignoring surprised gasps and yells directed after her. Weaving her way around tents and yurts to try and lose the people chasing after her.
Her nose led her to a red yurt, flames decorating the sides in a beautiful pattern. The dominant smell of its owner barely fazed her. It was safe. Lunging across the walkway and through the opening. The smell of campfire smoke greeted her and the entity sharing her mind breathed a sigh of relief. She would be safe her. Her safe haven.
A light blue cat hissed at her from where it was perched upon a wooden drawer. She reared back at the threat. A part of her mind urged her to attack and eat the tiny being, but voices sounded from outside her safe haven and frightened her, eradicating thoughts of indulging on the cat's bones. They were going to take her away!
She was torn. She wanted to stand and fight! Prove she was strong enough to defend what she had deemed to be her new sanctuary. A larger part of her was too scared to face the enemy and she dove for the furs in the middle of the floor, hiding herself within their warm embrace. She was surrounded by the safe smell now. It was a familiar smell. A smell that poked at the edges of her mind but continued to elude her. She would be safe here. The cat continued to hiss from his perch.
An argument erupted from outside the yurt and she curled herself into a tighter ball beneath the furs, taking in a deep breath of the firewood scent when the sound of someone encroaching her sanctuary broke her reverie. Slow steps made their way across the floor to her huddle of blankets and a voice nervously called, "...Lucy?"
Her ears pricked at the name. Lucy. That was her… wasn't it? She couldn't remember. The stranger smelled safe, much like the scent she surrounded herself with now, and images of a dark wolf flashed in her mind. Excited at having found a familiar companion, she poked her head out from under her nest of furs and panted happily only to frown in confusion at the sight before her. The large, dark-furred wolf of her thoughts was nowhere to be found; instead, a pink-haired man stood before her, hands out in a placating gesture.
Confusion. She was so confused. The human— no, he wasn't human. She didn't know what he was. Regardless, he smelled safe, but his form did not match the one she had expected and unfamiliarity meant danger. Two sides of her mind quarreled and she whimpered when she couldn't decide whether to pant in happiness or growl in anger.
His face morphed into one of deep regret and he looked like he was tempting the idea of throwing-up. "I… I'm so sorry." He rasped, staggering forward.
She growled at his closing proximity, but he continued forward, stumbling at the last remaining feet to throw his arms around her. She attacked.
The bite didn't hurt as much as he wanted to admit, and Natsu let Lucy clench her teeth harder around his wrist, drawing more blood. Natsu didn't allow himself the luxury of struggling to break her hold. He already knew Lucy would be too nice to bother inflicting him with pain for his actions. If anything, she'd probably beat herself up over doing this much to him in her confused state. The thought made him wince guiltily.
Instead, he wrapped his right arm around her furred body in a one-armed hug, burying his face into her furred neck. "I'm so sorry." He sobbed. Reaching up, he patted the top of her head between her ears in constant, soothing strokes.
Lucy's ears drooped and the angry haze lifted from her eyes as she released his wrist, whimpering sadly. In an attempt to lament for her actions, Lucy licked at the puncture marks in his wrist, peering up at him with sad, questioning eyes. Natsu released a choked laugh and wiped at the corners of his eyes.
"It's fine. Doesn't even hurt. See?" He lifted his arm for her to see the wounds closing up on their own already. "I'm not that easy to kill."
She peered back at him with skeptical eyes and Natsu found himself missing her natural brown irises. While this was Lucy, this was the wolf taking over. Natsu had seen it enough times to know she wasn't exactly in control of her thoughts or actions at the moment and he quickly sobered.
Rubbing the top of her head, he scratched her once more behind the ears (to Lucy's delight if the way she practically purred was any indication) before lowering his hand to rest lightly on her neck. No resistance. "You've had a long day. Rest now, okay, Lucy? I'll be right here when you wake up. It's my turn to take care of you." He smiled assuredly.
She tilted her golden head to the side in confusion, not understanding his words, before he pinched down hard on a bundle of nerves at her neck. The golden irises boring into his own onyx ones disappeared behind closed lids and the wolf slumped against his chest, unconscious. Natsu pulled one of the fur bed linens closer to himself and swaddled the wolf in his arms with it as she slowly morphed back into her human form.
Releasing a deep sigh, Natsu gently hooked a golden lock behind Lucy's ear from where it had been dangling in front of her face. Not liking that his keeper was ignoring him, Happy hopped down from his perch of safety and inched closer to the pair cautiously, sniffing at the blonde.
"She's not going to eat you, Happy." Natsu jokes. Not appreciating his humor, the cat sniffed and made his way to resume his nap in the hammock, having had enough excitement for the day.
"You never know. She could." Heavy, booted feet thumped across the wooden flooring of the yurt and Natsu released a low growl, pulling the blonde in his arms into a tighter embrace.
Of everyone in the guild, Gray should have known better than to trespass on another werewolf's territory. Especially when they weren't welcomed. "She's not a threat." Natsu shot back.
Gray stopped right behind him. "That's not really for you to decide, Natsu."
"Oh, and I suppose it's your decision?"
"She hurt Wendy!" Gray pointed accusingly.
"Lucy wasn't in her right mind. It was her first transformation. She was just defending herself." Natsu growled, making a mental note to check on Wendy later.
"You don't know what she's done. What she and her mother..." Gray paused.
"Her mother?" Natsu asked in confusion, urging the other werewolf to continue. He wasn't awarded an answer. Gray huffed and stomped out of Natsu's yurt without another word, leaving Natsu with more questions and fewer answers.
Gazing down at the unconscious blonde, Natsu immediately brushed off Gray's warning. He had already committed to watching over Lucy. No matter what anyone else said, she was his responsibility now. He couldn't change what had occurred in the past. But she was here now: alive, and he would be damned sure she stayed that way. He'd protect her from anything that came their way. Even if she needed it from his own pack-brother.