Lucy's first observation was that the wind roaring in her ears was freezing against her bare arms. Shivering, she huddled more into the warm and firm pillow that she was pressed up against. When the pillow moved, though, and begin to wrap itself around her more tightly, she realized it was in fact not a pillow.
Eyes flying open in shock, she discovered that it was Natsu who was carrying her bridal style. His jaw was clenched and his eyes narrowed into mere slits when he realized she had awakened.
She blinked. Was he mad at her or something? She tried to remember exactly what had happened last and why he was carrying her as he flew through the night sky.
Looking past Natsu's stern face, Lucy watched as the stars passed by in white blurs and she cocked her head in confusion. Last she checked, stars didn't move and it wasn't like she and Natsu were going that fast.
She opened her mouth to question Natsu, but the words got caught up in her throat when she met his eyes. They were dark, darker even than the night sky, and she felt as if her soul was being sucked into the two bottomless pits.
A pathetic whimper passed her lips as she tried to say something, say anything, but Natsu rolled his eyes as he returned his frightening gaze back to the sky before him. As soon as his eyes left hers, it was as if a spell was broken and she could breathe again.
"They all will grow scared of me when they find out, you know." His voice was different somehow, more emotionless and yet evil at the same time with the smallest undertone of a sadness so great, she could feel it seeping blackness into her heart. Lucy wondered briefly how she could gather all of that from just one voice uttering such a simple sentence.
"Scared?" Her voice came out as a whisper, and she cleared her throat before trying again. "I think you give yourself too much credit. You aren't scary to me, Natsu."
He chuckled bitterly, and the sound of his harsh laughter made Lucy flinch. "If only you knew, Lucy."
Lucy blinked, surprised as she briefly forgot about his strangeness. 'You… you called me by my name. It's about time, I was beginning to think-!"
As if ignoring that she had even spoken, Natsu continued with his eyes trained unwavering to the unseen path before him. "I'm a monster. A bloodthirsty monster. Every single second that I am with you, I have to fight against this urge to…"
His words ignited something fearful within her and Lucy's heart was pounding in her chest as she whispered breathlessly, "Urge to what, Natsu?"
His hands suddenly tightened around her and Lucy gasped as she felt sharp pain where he was holding onto her. Glancing down, she gave a small cry when she realized he had spawned fearsome claws that had dug their way inch deep into both her left arm and leg. Blood was already pouring from her wounds, making his black claws glisten beneath the starlight. "Natsu! Natsu, you're hurting me!"
The nails dug even deeper in response and Lucy screamed when she felt them scrape against her bones. She thrashed around in his arms, wildly trying to get away, but he was too strong and it only resulted in the nails slicing the entire length of her forearm. Another scream ripped from her throat. "Natsu, stop! Oh Mavis, please!"
His face flashed to hers and it was like time itself stopped as she felt herself get caught up in those dangerously terrifying black orbs that some would call eyes.
They sucked her in further and further, until she could feel everything else in her surroundings but those inky depths disappear. Her world was getting darker and darker and Lucy could feel her body melting into nothingness. It was as if her existence itself was being washed away.
"PAPA!"
There were hands grabbing at her shoulders as she flew up from her bed and Lucy's fists blindly swung out and connected with something hard with a loud crunch. Someone cursed immediately while someone else simultaneously gave out a small feminine cry of surprise.
Her chest heaving, Lucy scooted back from the voices until her back hit the bed's headboard.
She drew her knees to her chest as her hands covered her face, shaking her head wildly to dispel the awful image of Natsu's blank eyes. She willed her heart to stop it's relentless pounding, her heart rate so fast that she almost felt faint.
"Luigi?" His voice came softly, almost hesitantly, and she felt the bed dip beside her.
She peeked in between her fingers and flinched back when their eyes met. They were black.
He frowned deeply in response, his eyebrows knitting together in a hurt confusion. "It was just a dream. You're okay, you're in Fairy Tail."
Lucy glanced around the room briefly, her gaze landing on a small blue haired girl that appeared to be just as petrified as Lucy. When their eyes met, however, the girl offered Lucy a kind smile that seemed to shake away most of Lucy's unease.
When she turned her attention back to Natsu, she breathed out in relief when she noted his eyes were full of emotions- hurt and guilt. They weren't empty and… evil. Lucy shuddered in memory. Calm down, heart!
"Luigi?"
Lucy dropped her hands from her face and rolled her eyes irritatedly at the name, her heart beat gradually slowing down. "Lucy, you dimwit. What happened?" She noted the blood dripping from his nose, and she winced guiltily. She must have whacked him when she woke up.
Natsu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "You slipped on the rocks by the beach. Guess I kinda made you a little mad, and you got pretty clumsy."
At the reminder of her fall, her head began to throb angrily. Her fingers came up to press down on her temples, but it did little to nothing to help.
The girl spoke up at this. "Oh, you hit your head pretty hard! Here, let me help with that."
Lucy nodded gratefully, holding out her hand for whatever pills the girl could give her. But instead of giving her medicine, the girl gently nudged Lucy's hand away from her temple and grasped both sides of her head firmly. Lucy's eyes widened in fear when the girl began to glow slightly but before she could pull away, the girl was done and promptly stepped away herself. And Lucy's headache was… completely gone.
Lucy's eyes widened in surprise and she stared up at the girl in wonder. "How… how did you do that?"
The girl smiled and tugged at her pigtails shyly. "It's a gift, I suppose."
Natsu scoffed. "You're impressed at that? Just wait until you see what else she can do. Better yet, wait until you see my gift!"
Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the boy who still sat close by on her left side. "Oh, and what gift is that? Besides ditching-" Lucy stopped, freezing entirely when she remembered what exactly Natsu had done. Her blood seemed to turn itself into liquid rage.
Without really thinking, her hand darted out to the bedstand beside her, where her shoes rested upon her neatly folded pajamas (when had those been removed?). Grabbing one of the bedroom slippers, she quickly slapped Natsu on the head with it as hard as she could.
Natsu yelped and fell off the bed in shock, tumbling to the ground and landing hard on his butt. "What… what the hell was that for, woman?!"
Lucy's glare intensified at his mock of innocence, and she spiked the slipper directly at his face. It slapped right against his forehead, and Natsu released yet another yelp, covering his face protectively. "YOU LEFT ME WITH THOSE PIRATES!"
Natsu dropped his hands and his mouth formed a surprised 'O' in realization, but before she could make another move, he quickly leaped over the bed and yanked the other shoe out of Lucy's reach. Hiding it behind his back, he rubbed his forehead grudgingly as he pouted. "How was I supposed to know you wouldn't just fly after me?"
Lucy's eye twitched, her hands itching for that slipper. "I'm not like you, idiot! I can't fly without that weird glittery dust."
Natsu rolled his eyes dramatically and Lucy's urge to hit him only intensified. "You only stopped being able to fly because you stopped believing you could."
"That doesn't make any sense. You can't just believe your way into being able to do the impossible."
Natsu grinned, nudging the smiling blue hair girl that stood silently beside him. "And that's exactly why she'll never learn to fly properly, Wendy."
Lucy clenched her fists but before she could respond, the Wendy girl stepped in front of Natsu and grabbed her hand gently. "Do you think you can stand?"
Blinking in surprise, Lucy nodded.
"Well, what do you say you come meet the rest of Fairy Tail?"
Behind Wendy, Natsu gave her his most heartwarming smile, his dark eyes sparkling in the light that creeped through the curtains behind her bed.
Lucy wondered briefly how she could ever be afraid of those beautiful eyes before nodding towards Wendy. "Yeah… Yeah, I'd like that."
—-
Author's note: oops really short but new chapter what what. expect another update next Monday :)
