Distraught noises came from the ocarina as Natsu tried to play it, making Lucy feel bad for the poor thing. Natsu, however, thought that his playing was one of his greatest accomplishments. So, she let him continue, even though her ears begged for him to stop.

However, her positive attitude about it quickly turned sour when a high-pitched, blood-curdling noise sounded from it. She snatched it from his mouth, pretty sure her eardrum burst.

"How about this. You just blow air into it, and I'll place my fingers over the holes?" The two sat down on a tree root that protruded from the ground.

Natsu sat in the dip of it, so Lucy could sit comfortably behind him. This way, her hands weren't at a weird angle when she tried to finger the notes. When the instrument was in his mouth, she placed her fingers delicately over the openings, instructing him to blow.

With this, she was able to teach him a few pretty notes, and when she was sure he was getting the hang of it, she gently placed his hands on it, letting him play it for himself. Of course, he only played the notes he taught her over and over again, but it was much better then the sounds of a dying elephant from before.

Making sure no Bonies were in sight, Lucy leaned back against the tree, closing her eyes as she listened to the beautiful notes. As the notes became sharper, Natsu tried to add a few more of his own notes in, making a shrill noise come out. A shiver ran down her spine at the horrible noise.

"Can you do it, Luce?" She peeked open an eye to see him looking at her with puppy-dog eyes. How can I say no to that?

Sighing, she took the emerald from his hands, pressing her lips on the slobbery mouthpiece. She leaned back against the tree, not caring that the rough bark dug into her wings and back. Her eyes slid shut as she began to play a melody that she had never heard before (A/N: I like to imagine the Fairy Tail theme song).

A small breeze blew through the warm jungle air, and it felt like they were in the woods that surrounded Magnolia instead of in some far away land. She felt Natsu sit next to her, leaning against the tree himself. His arm brushed hers, his warmth seeping into her very soul, and somehow, the music sounded more melodic than it had before.

Once her song ended, Lucy hesitantly opened her eyes, peering over at Natsu. His own eyes were closed, a look of blissful peace on his face. She couldn't help but think about how soft he looked. Not his skin, but rather, his demeanor. Like he wasn't some terrifying dragon slayer, but a fragile being. One that she didn't want to see break.

Without realizing it, her hand had reached out, brushing a strand of hair from his face. His eyes peeked open, looking at her with curiosity. He didn't move at all, but just stared up at her. Finally realizing what she had just done, she pulled her hand away quickly, adverting her gaze. A flaming red pinched her cheeks as she desperately tried to come up with an excuse, but she didn't have time.

Several moss-plagued bonies began to come closer, and she just groaned, stringing the beautiful emerald around her porcelain neck. Natsu's warmth left as he stood up, drawing his sword. She stood up too, getting ready to charge the enemy. When Lucy caught wind of their rotting stench, she gagged inwardly a little. These things were absolutely disgusting.

What happened a few moments before nagged at her as she mustered up a ball of blue magic, making her nervous. Would things be awkward now? Would he try to talk about it? All of these scary thoughts made her magic become erratic, a blue ball slamming into a nearby tree instead of her target.

This, of course, only frustrated her more. She watched as Natsu cut through them easily, leaving behind only ash to gently fall in the breeze. Her partner turned to her with a crooked smile.

"I guess the game wants us to continue on, huh?" He sheathed his sword, throwing an arm around her shoulders. So, Lucy assumed she was freaking out over nothing, since Natsu seemed so cool about it.

~Later~

Feeling better about the situation before, Lucy had been able to regain control over her magic bursts, so they weren't as erratic. However, that toothy smile always had her heart skip a beat, dusting her cheeks a pink color. Once she began to accept her feelings for Natsu, however, she became more skilled with her magic.

She didn't miss a single shot.

It got to the point where she could summon a small ball of brilliant blue, studying it. It looked like brilliant blue flames. After fighting numerous bonies, fatigue consumed Lucy's body. She knew it was from magic use, and that she needed to rest for a few minutes before they continued.

"Luce? You okay?" She had sat down on root, leaning against a tree. She had to admit, it was kind of hard to breathe. Her lungs burned with the need of oxygen.

"Yeah. Just... tired." Her eyes fluttered shut, her wings drooping tiredly. "I wish I had my cozy bed..." At this point, though, she'd sleep on rocks. After a few seconds of regaining control over her breath, Lucy opened her eyes, almost screeching when a face was just centimeters in front of her.

"Natsu?" She breathed, staring into his mesmerizing onyx eyes. His hot breath fanned her face as he continued to stare at her. What was he doing?

"Luce... you look... like shit." Lucy's face dropped at that last word. And here I thought he was going to say something nice.

"Baka!" She yelled, dealing a firm Lucy Kick to his butt. "That's not how you talk to a lady!" Forgetting her fatigue, she stepped over the pink-haired rag doll and trudged forward, steam practically coming from her ears.

Natsu caught up to her, wondering why she was so upset. All he had said was that she didn't look good! She looked exhausted, and he could see it plastered all over her face. Maybe he shouldn't have said shit?

"Luce, I-" But he was cut off by a loud roar.

"What the?" The two took a few steps back, glancing at each other.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." The blonde mumbled, staring ahead of her. Through the trees, she could see a clearing. "I thought that those flowers from earlier were the threat for this level?"

"I guess not." Natsu frowned, unsheathing his sword. They had to continue onward, and both knew it. So, with a big breath, they continued on, stepping out of the jungle and into the bright sunlight.

Lucy didn't have time to bask in the warmth, for a large flower stood before them. It was a deep purple color, walking on its thick, brown roots. When it saw them, saliva foamed at its mouth. Behind it was a red glow, and they understood what was going on. In order to get the shard, they had to defeat the flower.

"This'll be a piece of cake!" Natsu exclaimed. "Just play your orca!"

"Ocarina." Lucy corrected. She went to grab the ocarina from her neck, but before she could grab it, a root shot forward, ripping it away from her delicate fingers. The flower slammed it into a tree, breaking it into hundreds of glittering pieces.

The two stared in shock as the monster before them roared once again, seemingly making fun of them.

"C-crap..." Lucy muttered, getting her palms ready to use her magic. Natsu slightly raised his sword, getting into a battle stance.

"We've got this, Luce." His crooked smile made her crack one of her own.

"Aye sir!" She shouted as they charged, ready to hit this thing with all they had.

Natsu slashed at the enlarged plant with his sword, but it didn't seem to have any effect on it. A root slammed into his torso, sending him flying back and into a tree. Lucy watched in horror as his body made contact with the trunk of it, but soon sighed in relief when her partner stood back up, charging once more.

She tried to summon her magic, but the fatigue from earlier came rushing back full force. Her wings drooped again as she managed to form a shaky ball of blue, sending it flying towards the mouth of the creature. It cried out in pain as it flailed backwards.

Natsu stood by her side, giving her a concerned look. "You okay, Luce?" He furrowed his brow in concern.

"Yeah!" The truth is, she didn't know how she was going to survive this battle.

Natsu's sword had no affect on the flower, but her magic did. However, her energy was mostly drained, and using the magic just made her more tired. She felt like dropping to the ground in a heap, but she knew she couldn't. Not since she might be the only one who could defeat this thing. She eyed the monster as it stood back up. It didn't have a face, but it definitely looked angry at the blonde.

"Yosh! I'm all fired up!" Natsu bellowed as he charged, sword raised and ready to strike.

"Aye!" Lucy charged along with him, pigtails flowing in the wind.

Natsu's sword struck the base of the flower, but had no affect. He just cursed loudly and kept trying to slash it as it reared its head back, ready to strike.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out, willing herself to run faster.

The salmon-haired man looked at her, then back to the head of the plant, which was quickly approaching him, saliva covering its lips. Panic filled her as her partner raised his sword, not seeming to realize that it wouldn't work on this foe. The plant was so close to him, that she could see its thick saliva drip onto his shoes.

"No!" She shouted, jumping in front of her partner and the plant.

"Luce?!" A voice cried out from behind her.

She didn't look as she was practically in the monster's mouth. Before it could eat her, a bright blue energy surrounded her, and with it, her energy fell to zero. The blue aura pulsed, making Natsu close his eyes due to the intensity of it. All he could hear was a determined battle cry from Lucy, and a horrible shriek from the monster.

When the blue faded, he opened his eyes, only to see the plant gone, along with his partner.

"Lucy?!" He shouted, frantically looking around. The crimson shard fell into his palm, and he was soon encompassed in a bright light, slowly fading into the next level. "No! Not without Luce!" He shouted up at the sky. No response came as the princess thanked him before he disappeared.

(A/N)

I know, I know, it's been a really long time. I'm so sorry! But, here you go! Another chapter for your enjoyment!

Leave a review!

~StarCrusader~