The feeling of pain was what forced Natsu awake. His olive eyes slowly blinked open, and he found himself staring at the crystal creature. A surprised yelp escaped his mouth, and he quickly jerked into a sitting position, trying to escape from the monster.
Pain shot through him like bolts of lightning, which forced him to stop his frantic scrambles. He looked down and cringed at the sight of his blood soaked pant leg, which was very obviously missing a leg. The only sign that there had been one was the pieces of metal strewn nearby
His mind finally caught up with him, and he remembered the fight, the creature suddenly calming down, and his fall down the sinkhole. He turned his head to the monster next to him, and gave a tired smile. "Well this is a fine mess we're in, isn't it?" He asked
The crystal creature let out a low keening sound, reaching its claw-like hand out and hovering over the missing leg. He let out another strange noise, which made Natsu realize that he felt remorseful for hurting the dragonslayer.
Natsu gave another tired grin, placing his metal hand on the claw. "Hey, it's alright," He said,"I'll be okay, watch."
He moved his hands down to the wound, pulling Runa forward and letting the healing magic swirl around the injury. He found the damage, pulled the skin back together, and closed the wound. There was still a dull throb of pain, but at least he wasn't going to bleed out anymore.
"See?" Natsu asked the crystal creature as he motioned his hands to the leg, and moved his stump to show that the wound was gone.. "No harm done... Well, a lot of harm done, but no hard feelings! You were just protecting your island."
The creature tilted its beak-like head, and leaned closer to the leg. It seemed to examine the stump for almost an uncomfortable amount of time, before nodding its beak and stepping back. It looked like the creature was satisfied with Natsu's job of healing the injury, and decided to reward him with some room
With a thankful grin, the Alchemist took a few seconds to examine their surroundings. He and the creature had fallen into a small, underground cave. But instead of darkness and cold stone, there was grass and the area was illuminated by pink crystals that were scattered around them. Some were gigantic and towered above even the creature, and others were tiny, and were found in small patches.
"Whoa…" He whispered in awe, shocked that such a habitat had been right under their feet. I'm glad I got to see it… Although I would have preferred to find it without losing my leg and falling down a sinkhole. He thought in a grim attempt at humor.
Natsu turned away from the scenery, his olive eyes settling on the crystal creature a few feet away. "Is this your home?" He asked,"It's so beautiful, it's no wonder you attacked us. I wouldn't want anyone else to mess with it either."
The creature clicked it's beak, and the pink hue in that beak almost seemed to brighten more, as if the crystal monster was blushing. He then turned his body around, and stretched one claw above his head.
The dragonslayer's eyes followed the claw, and noticed the small dot of light high above them. Oh, that's where we fell from… He thought with a sigh. Damn, no way we're getting out that way...
He turned back to the creature, who was now looking down at him. "Hey, do you know a way we can get out?" He asked,"I was in the middle of something important before all this happened."
The crystal creature let out a strange keening noise, turned around, and started to trudge away without looking back.
Natsu cried out frantically and clawed at the ground. "W-wait!" He cried, and dragged himself against the ground. "I-I can't… I can't follow you, I can't walk like this!"
The creature turned to look at him, clicking the crystal beak once more, and then trudged over to a pile of dirt that had likely fallen from one of the sinkholes. It dug its claw around for a few seconds, and finally something long. It trudged back over to Natsu, and dropped the stick by his foot.
Natsu stared at it in surprise, and leaned closer to examine it. It was a stick, which looked like it had already been in the caverns for a long time. It had a few crystals embedded in the top, and was scratched in a few places. He held it in his hands, and found that it felt sturdy, it would likely hold him up. He placed it against the ground, and used it to push himself on his one good leg.
Once he was fully standing, he turned back to the crystal creature and gave a wide grin. "Thank you," He said, and motioned in the direction the creature had been walking before. "We can go now, but I might be a little slow."
The creature keened in understanding, turned, and trudged away once again. This time, Natsu limped after him, holding onto the stick as tight as could. He didn't dare stop and look around, too afraid that he would lose sight of the creature and be trapped.
Soon they moved far away from the sinkholes, and the natural light was gone. Instead, the crystals hues of pink illuminated their path. The creature, and the crystals in his stick were also glowing, much to Natsu's interest.
They walked for a long while, and Natsu eventually lost track of time. They went deeper and deeper, which meant that the rocks that made up their caverns were slowly replaced with the crystals.
He flexed his hands against the stick, and took several deep breaths. The air was thick with magic, but he wasn't quite sure where it was coming from… But I swear that I've felt it before, I know this magic...
"Do you feel that, Runa?" He asked curiously.
Runa was strangely silent, and Natsu could feel the confusion and fear she held. She was overwhelmed, but why?
"R-Runa?" He worriedly asked.
"Natsu… Why does this place feel so familiar?" Runa replied,"I've never been here, but it… It feels like I have…"
The alchemist frowned, and eyed one of the crystals as they walked by. "I feel the same way…" He said, and chewed on his lip in thought.
Suddenly, the creature stopped in front of a wall of the magical crystals, and stood up straight. Natsu quickly stabbed his stick into the ground and froze as well, unsure of what would happen next.
The creature reached his claw out, placing it against the wall. The connection let out a harmonious ringing sound, and then the crystals began to sink into the ground with a low rumble.
"Whoa…" Natsu whispered to himself, his olive eyes wide in amazement at what he had just witnessed. He limped closer, eager to see what was hidden beyond the sinking wall.
Hidden behind the wall was a gigantic cavern that had a dome-like ceiling, and the floor was a sheer drop into the darkness. The only ground that remained was a crystal bridge which was cracked and had several missing chunks that led to a gigantic, cracked crystal in the middle of the dome.
Unlike the other crystals, that only had a weak hue of pink, the crystal in front of him was glowing brightly. The magic it released was so strong and so overwhelming that Natsu almost fell over, he had to hold onto the stick tightly in order to keep from losing his footing.
Once he was sure he was stable, he looked around for any sign of the exit, but he saw nothing. Even if there had been one, there was no floor to stand on and walk to one.
A frown climbed onto his scratched face, and he turned to face the creature. "Um… Crystal guy?" He said,"I asked if you knew the way out… But this isn't an exit."
"Oh, but it is," A new voice suddenly declared, the strong and thunderous tone bouncing all around the cavern.
Natsu gasped and jerked around to face the glowing crystal. "Did you… Did you just speak?" He asked.
The crystal's glow brightened. "I did," It declared, and then switched the subject. "And your companion has led you to me because I am the exit. Or rather, I am the only one who can create exits out of this cavern."
Natsu had a billion questions, but he didn't dare ask them. He needed to get out, and he needed to get the cures for the plague, he couldn't waste time on questions. "Then you can let me out, right?" He asked hopefully,"I'm the country's Royal Alchemist, and I need to go back to the surface and get the ingredients for the plague's cure."
The magic in the air suddenly changed, the calmness it held before gone in an instant. The cavern shuddered, and the pink color of the crystal darkened.
"Why should I help you after what you alchemist did to this island?!" It demanded angrily,"After what you did to me?!"
The dragonslayer's eyes widened in surprise, quickly hopping backwards on his leg. "What? What are you talking about?!" He asked,"I-I've never been to this island, neither has my master-"
The room shuddered again, and the crystal flashed dangerously bright. "Don't take me for a fool, Alchemist! I know what your predecessor did, it still haunts me hundreds of years later!"
"You know, but I don't!" Natsu argued back. "Stop being cryptic and just tell me what they took!"
The crystal scoffed. "How dare you insult me, how dare you act like you don't know!" It sneered,"How could you not know, when she is still within you at this very second!"
Natsu's blood ran cold. All of a sudden, it all made sense. The reason the creature had calmed down, the reason the magic felt familiar, it was because he did have something that belonged to the island.
"R-Runa?" He croaked.
The red and blue butterfly appeared on his shoulder at his shocked call, and he could feel the disbelief radiating within her. "Me?" She asked incredulously.
The crystals' anger dimmed the slightest bit. "Oh my, it is you, you're really here. I haven't seen my other half in so long…" It whispered, and suddenly grew even angrier. "Not since they took you away!"
"Took me away?" Runa echoed.
Natsu frowned, his mind whirling. "What do you mean 'took her away'?" He questioned,"My master told me that Runa willingly gave herself to the alchemists… That's what her master told her too..."
The magic in the crystal calmed once more. "Oh… I see..." It whispered,"So… You really don't know?"
The alchemist shook his head, his throat suddenly feeling too tight to speak. He was lost, confused, and desperate to understand.
"Ah… I understand now," It declared,"I forget just how much history can be changed. It is the winners who tell the story after all."
Natsu leaned forward the slightest bit. "What really happened?" He asked.
The crystal didn't respond with words. Instead, the front of it glowed brightly, and the reflection of Natsu and Runa changed into a different scene.
It was a middle aged man, with shaggy black hair, a goatee and sharp blue eyes standing in front of the crystal. Natsu recognized him instantly, it was one of his predecessors, Frederic… The alchemist who supposedly discovered Runa and was granted her powers.
"I have come all this way, and ventured to the far ends of this damned island to find you!" The man declared, a smile on his face. "Now! Give me the power of legend!"
The voice that spoke wasn't Runa's or the crystal, but a version somewhere in the middle. "I commend you for making the trek, Alchemist, but I cannot grant you my power," She declared.
Frederic's happy expression vanished in an instant, and his face twisted in anger. "What?!" He demanded,"What could possibly be the reason?!"
"My power cannot be given to any traveler who finds me, only to those who I deem worthy," Runa answered,"I am afraid you do not fit that category."
"Name one reason!" He angrily sneered, his hands now pressed against the crystal's front.
Runa did not seem phased. "I can sense a darkness within you," She declared,"You would not use my power for good, only for glory."
Frederic reeled back in shock, and his lips curled up in a sneer. "How… Dare you!" He yelled, his hands growing bright as magic swirled around them. "I am Lord Frederic! I have created cures, saved lives, and served the king and queen well! How dare you deny me!"
A dark expression climbed onto his face, and he reared his magic covered hands back. "If you will not give me what is rightfully mine, then I will just have to take it!" He yelled, and thrust his arms forward.
The memory faded away as the sound of a crystal cracking echoed through the cavern. For a long several seconds, all Natsu could do was stare at the crystal in shock.
"I… I never knew…" He whispered,"In the journals and history books, it says he came back from the island with the power willingly given…"
"He lied…" The crystal answered, her voice tired, and pained.
The alchemist turned his eyes to the silent butterfly on his shoulders. "How come Runa never knew? If she's half of you, shouldn't she remember?"
"My only guess is that your predecessor's violent acquisition of our powers damaged her ability to remember, or perhaps she merely forgot as he manipulated our magic further…" The crystal answered,"And without our halves together, our power is waning…"
A small chunk of the crystal bridge broke away from the structure, falling down into the hole underneath it. When he heard it land far below them, a realization popped into Natsu's head.
He looked towards the crystal again. "That's why the island is dying, isn't it?" He asked,"Without your full power, you can't keep this place alive."
It glowed in confirmation. "I have tried… For so long…" It whispered,"I managed for hundreds of years to spread my power out enough, but I have no more to give. It won't be long before this whole island sinks underwater."
Natsu's heart pounded against his chest as he thought about all the dying people on the mainland, which was soon replaced by despair and rage. He was ashamed; His own predecessor was the one who had ripped away their only chance. Because of Frederic's greed, he had doomed them all…
"Unless…" He whispered as he stared at his hand,. "Unless I give Runa back to you…"
"What?!" The crystal and Runa said at the same time.
The alchemist took a hesitant hop forward, standing on the very edge of the bridge. "I can give Runa back, and combine you two together again!" He declared.
The crystal's magic seemed to freeze up in the air. "You would really do that?" She questioned suspiciously. "Why?"
"Because I can't let you die!" Natsu loudly exclaimed,"If the island dies, so does the plague's cure. Lord Frederic, my predecessor is the cause, he is a shame to all the Royal Alchemists! The least I can do, to make up for what he did to you, is to give back what he took."
He stepped further onto the bridge as he spoke, eventually placing his metal hand against the crystal, much like Frederic did hundreds of years ago. "And… If you really are half of Runa, then I owe you my very life," He whispered.
Natsu then turned his eyes down to the red and blue butterfly. "Without you, Ayame wouldn't have been able to keep me alive," He explained,"What kind of person would I be if I didn't return the favor?"
"Natsu…" Runa whispered,"I can't go back, I'm supposed to serve the alchemists…"
The dragonslayer forced the tears back, and placed both hands on the crystal, letting his walking stick fall off the edge. "No, you're not..." He answered,"You were forced to, you shouldn't have to. I can't keep you anymore, Runa, not in good faith. I can't let you or your other half die."
Without another word, Natsu reached deep within himself, and pushed Runa's magic through his hands and into the crystal until she had been completely removed from his body.
The butterfly on his shoulder faded away, and a red and blue magic swirled around the pink one. Through his tired eyes, he watched as the three different colored magics swirled together one last time, and combined into a strong purple. A glow emerged from the crack in the crystal, and when it faded away, the crack was gone.
Runa was whole again.
The crystals around the room started to flow a bright purple, and the cavern started to shake. The bridge underneath him clicked back together, and from the dark hole below him was closed as the rest of the floor returned to where it had been hundreds of years ago.
The whole island seemed to shake for several minutes, and Natsu forced himself to hang onto the crystal the whole time. When the shaking stopped, a wave of emptiness and exhaustion hit Natsu. He fell backwards, panting hard and shaking.
"Ah… It worked…" Natsu whispered, and gave a weak smile. "You're back together…"
He reached out and placed his human hand on the crystal. As soon as he did, a large purple butterfly emerged from it, and crawled onto his hand.
"Natsu, I sense that you are a kind, and selfless person," The butterfly declared,"And that is exactly the person that would be worthy of Runa."
"W-what?" He croaked, his exhaustion gone the second he heard those words. Doubt quickly took its place, and he gave the butterflies a concerned glance. "B-but Runa…"
"No buts!" The butterfly ordered,"You just told me that I was never given a choice. Well, I'm making one now. I want you to have my powers."
He frowned nervously. "A-are you sure?" He asked.
Runa's wings shook as she giggled. "Natsu, just because I have my old memories back doesn't mean I forgot all that we did together!" She reminded him. "You always used my powers to help people. You are trying to cure the plague, and were willing to sacrifice even a part of your power to save the country. In my opinion, that is worthy."
He let a small smile climb onto his face. "I would be honored to be given your power again, Runa…" He whispered.
Those words were all it took. The butterfly disappeared again, and this time Natsu's veins were filled with a large, overwhelming feeling of power. The now purple magic swirled around him, before settling within his body.
He fell backwards again, but was too busy looking towards the crystal. To his relief, there were no cracks, it was still purple. He smiled and lifted his hands, letting the purple butterfly reappear in it.
"Thank you…" He whispered,"For staying with me."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Runa happily declared.
A warm feeling went through him, and he gave a wide grin. "Right!" He said, and up towards the ceiling. "Now, we have a cure to make!"
Katch and Toulouse had waited by the sinkhole for hours, hoping for any sign from Natsu that he was alive. Just when they had been about to give up, the island had started shaking. The sinkholes were filled, the plants came back to life, and the very flowers they had been looking for in the first place exploded out of the ground, creating a giant meadow of them.
Before they could shake off their shock and frantically grab the flowers, a new hole in the ground suddenly opened. But, instead of swallowing up anything, a familiar figure rose out of the depths on top of a purple crystal.
It was Natsu. His injuries were gone, even the horrible leg wound. His long pink hair now had several streaks of purple scattered throughout it, the same purple that now colored all the crystals around them.
He slid down off the purple crystal and onto his one foot, swayed a bit, and quickly set a stick he was holding into the ground to stabilize him. He turned to them, and gave a wide grin. "Hey guys," He calmly said.
"NATSU!" Katch yelled in happiness, rushing forward and tackling the alchemist onto the ground and into the flowers.
The alchemist grunted in surprise, but quickly wrapped his arms around Katch, letting the teenager get the comfort he needed.
Katch had already descended into messy sobbing. "Oh Natsu! Y-you fell! A-and we didn't- We couldn't- We thought you were-" He let out a loud cry. "But you're not! You're alive! Thank goodness!"
Toulouse rolled his eyes, but had a relieved grin on his face. "So, what the hell happened down there?" He asked.
Natsu gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's a… Long story…" He admitted.
"I wanna hear it!" Katch declared, wiping his tear filled eyes.
"Of course, but later!" Natsu said, pointing to the multicolored flowers. "But now, grab as many flowers as you can hold, and let's get back to the ship!"
Several Days Later
The ship practically crashed into the port, and the trio hurried off the boat without even thinking about the crew members. They ran all the way to the stables and grabbed their horses before any of them managed to snap out of their frantic state.
"What do we do now?" Katch questioned the two Royal Court members.
Natsu reached into his bag, pulling out his map. "We need to get to an alchemy lab, any lab, so we can make this cure," He explained,"There's one in my town, but that is two days away."
"The king and queen have one in their castle," Toulouse mentioned,"It would take us about two days to get there."
The Alchemist hesitated, a feeling of fear running through him. "I… Is there anywhere else that's close?" He asked nervously.
Toulouse shook his head. "There are very few alchemists in the country, Natsu, you know that," He reminded the dragonslayer. "I don't know any other labs, these two are our best bet."
He looked at Natsu's map. "We have to make a decision, the longer we wait, the longer it will take to produce the cure," He said, and turned to stare at the alchemist. "Where are we going to go?"
Natsu's heart was pounding against his chest, a painful anxiety flowed through his veins. The king and queen were the first to fall sick, they needed to be cured… But Ayame had hidden her condition for so long that she was much more sick than anyone thought.
But the royal couple are young, they could last longer! He thought, turning to look at the castle on the map.
He bit his lip, and looked at his own village. Ayame… She's old, her immune system isn't the best either, and she's much worse off in that sense.
Once again he looked at the castle. But… But the queen is pregnant, and their daughter's immune system is compromised already. He reminded himself.
He knew he and Toulouse couldn't separate, not when they were the only two who were capable of making the cure. They had to choose a place, one place, and hope that everyone held out.
Natsu's breath became heavy, his body shuddered, and his fr eyes flickered between the two places over and over again.
Who do I choose?
Where do we go?!
What should I do?!