Wow.. just... wow. Do you guy's have any idea how special you're making me feel right now? Just five chapters, FIVE, and you have given me a TON of reviews. Chapter four was only at 80 something! The amount of appreciation and JOY I feel at this is insurmountable. I can't explain it. In fact, it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you. THANK YOU. ALL OF YOU.
I notice a lot of you loved the Myth I had Lucy speak of, and I wanted to answer a few questions with it. I love Legends and Myths. I read a lot of them, and I know that the legend of the sun and the moon is an interesting one and you can find it in a few different cultures. (Or not, as some of you hadn't heard of it before.) This version was not based off any of those. I completely made it myself to fit the story. However- if it's any foreshadowing for this story- I leave that for you all to speculate!
Anyway, if you're not interested in long author notes (it's getting pretty long already, isn't it? Oops!) then I would suggest you just scroll down to read the chapter. However, I wanted to get this out. You guys are making this story worth it to me. I love the story and I want to share it, but seeing everything you guys feel about it and how you love it has sparked a fire in me and I WANT to deliver. I wish I could talk with all of you, message every single one of you. I had hoped I could respond to every single review, but I ended up losing track after receiving so many. So... some of you may have received responses and others may not have. If you were skipped, I apologize.
Skipped or not though, I give a GIGANTIC THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO REVIEWED BELOW! Thank you, thank you, again and again, thank you.
Richgirl555cub. Skydog14. Naimena. Fireshifter. Water Tribe Wolf. HolyChihuahua. Suzuke. Gibbers. AbsentAngel. Guest. Claiternaiter. Fairytaillover2404. Blessed Unrest. Amichaelala. Ftx777x. . Guest. Guest. . Weirdblondi. OmegaSage037. XxxLucyxharemfanxxx. Guest. Dark Shining Light. Pentastic. CupcakeKvara. Sharkarella. Listening-to-the-Roar. Cruxcrusis. . Footster26. Guest. The-clumsy-one. LovingmyOTP's. . Poxxy. Monkeywahl. EgyptianSoul.88. Guest. . . .Jaystardeamon. . . . . Wysteria Fox. Kitty-Ray. Guest. -Nakamura. 13. fairychime-diamond47. kaycha. luna22x. 2357 . mini moon. Mary Eliza Von Teese . tkitty23. AnonymousStalkerFriend. kisstheskyx. guest. midnighthnb. jexthedork. nalu2015. guest. Bemer2001. rora371. . guest. ScarletRoseAngel.
If I could hug all of you, I would, but I can't. Please accept this instead. You all are AMAZING!
I noticed that there was quite a few spelling/grammar mistakes in the last chapter and yet you all loved it nonetheless. I will be editing that chapter as soon as I can, but for now, I'll just try my best to keep the errors to a minimum in Chapter 6.
And with that being said, I still don't own a darned thing except for my never ending gratitude. Please Enjoy!
-CGP
Lucy….?
Why have you been ignoring us?
We're still here- …. and we're waiting.
Voices rang in her head from a distant echo and it left a hollow feeling in the pit of Lucy's stomach. It was strange, but she felt as if something important had happened, but the memory was lost like a butterfly- just out of her reach. Dreams always had that effect on her, especially this one.
The day was young, though, and she worked through the nagging in the back of her brain as if it was never there. Four more days had passed and the pain of horseback riding had yet to get any easier. She had been told -by Mirajane and Wendy both- that it would get harder before her muscles were finally used to the strain again. However, the pain in her muscles, coupled with her knee and the emotions she woke to had almost brought the Romni to tears that morning.
Not to mention the rain. The sky had been gushing its deluge for three of the four days. Almost as if the last vestiges of fall were trying to get the last word in before Winter reigned. It was gloomy and did nothing to boost Lucy's spirit.
The rest of the caravan was much the same, but their stubbornness kept positivity high. They moved as if the rain were nothing, unflinching when wagons were caught in the mud and uncaring to the dirt and grime that drenched their clothes. It was uncomfortable, but Lucy found strength with them and continued forward as well.
It may have also helped that a certain Draconis had covered her in a wool blanket, recently warmed by his own hands.
"Thank you." She had told him, face red at his care. Had he always been this way or had she only just noticed?
Natsu kept his eyes off in the distance when he had answered her, and she almost suspected he avoided her gaze to hide his own pink cheeks from her gratitude. "Can't have ya' gettin' sick, can we? Just tell me if it gets too drenched, I'll dry it for ya." He had then moved on from her, to do who knows what with the others, but Lucy had long grown used to his inability to stay in one place for very long.
Instead, she just marveled at how he could move so freely even as his vest and pants clung to him like a second skin. Any thought towards the way her eyes followed the rivulets of water as they trailed down his hip lines was quickly quashed. Goodness, how was he not cold? The physiology of a Draconis was truly a mystery to her.
The rest of the day was routine, with only the few minor issues caused by the weather to slow them down. They continued onward through the forests and had been steadily travelling up an incline of high hills that contained drop offs to the lower woods below. Discussing locations with Gray and Macao (Romeo's father, Gray told her.), she learned the trip to the Magnolia Forests was almost over. In fact, they had already reached the edges of it, but their true home was farther, hidden from the outside world in a basin that took trekking dangerous paths to reach.
The path they traveled was one of those dangerous ones, zigzagging up the sides of a small mountain. The rains made it a tricky slope, but the Fairies with Tails didn't worry. They knew the way, even as the skies slowly began to rumble in the angry beginnings of a rolling storm.
"How is your leg?" Wendy asked Lucy, huddled under her own blanket with a similar discomfitted face. Her brown eyes watched Lucy walk in concern- even as Lucy led her horse calmly with even strides. Her cane still scraped the Earth, but had hardly been used since she'd begun riding.
"It's much better." Lucy tried to assure her, though it was far from the truth. She still had to ride the horse if her leg grew tired and often, others offered to have her ride in the wagons again, but she had denied them. "I think the cane can become kindling real soon."
"Are you sure?" It was obvious, the Healer didn't believe her.
Grimacing, Lucy sighed, "Well.. that's what I keep telling myself at least."
Another rumbling of thunder reverberated through the skies so much that even the ground shook and both girls frowned. "...is that normal?"
"I don't think so…" Wendy said, looking towards the sky nervously. "The air tastes odd here…"
This distracted Lucy from the sky long enough to arch a delicate brow in the small girls direction. "Tastes?"
"Oh!" Eyes wide, Wendy answered in a rush of breath, "I thought you knew already, but I can taste the air and read its currents pretty well."
Still confused, Lucy pressed further, "but.. aren't you a healer?"
"Well, yes," Wendy explained, smiling softly, "but my healing comes from my bloodline. I'm a Draconis like Natsu. Only my affinity is the sky, while his is fire! I'm sorry I hadn't told you sooner, I thought you knew already…"
Lucy stumbled then, mouth agape as she stared at Wendy in shock. There's more than one Draconis here? How is that possible?! "...but that's… Wendy.. how in the world could tw-"
It was then that the rumbling turned into such a crash that cattle and horses whinnied in terror and almost escaped in their crazed attempt to dart off. Wagons shook while many boxes and other tools fell from their supports. Others lost their footing and when a particular rumble shook the ground violently, Wendy tripped into Lucy and the two girls crashed into the mud. The blonde hissed as her knee stung from the assault, but as the sky roared its anger, she held the small healer against her and ignored it.
"That's not a thunder storm!" Wendy cried out in Lucy's ear, clinging to her as they tried to regain balance. The caravan stopped its trek as the rest fell upon the same conclusion. Shouts bounced back and forth from one end of the train to the other, until those still standing had better hold of their animals and the quaking finally subsided.
The low growl was still there, tapering off into a silent echo that left the caravan in dead silence when it was over. Nervous, Lucy looked around them, seeing the trees rustling in the chilled wind and the cliff-face, but nothing to give body or evidence towards the sound that had halted their progress.
"What… was that?" Lucy wondered, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
Don't be afraid, Lucy…
"Well, that gives me a bad feeling." Cana said, securing the many kegs of ale that had toppled over during the quake. "Anyone else worried about the booze, or is that just me?"
A few laughed, including Wendy who was still snug in Lucy's arms. The Romni couldn't spare the attention towards the fortune-teller however as a voice from her dreams rang in her mind. Where had that come from?
She was further confused when warm arms grasped her and Wendy both, lifting them from the wet Earth and patting them down. Heat soaked through the damp fabric and sent a rush of chills across Lucy's skin, effectively drawing her thoughts back to the the world around her. Wendy was staring at her curiously and Natsu, with eyes narrowed dangerously, was holding them up as he scanned them for damages.
"Are ya' doing okay?" He asked, waving a hand in front of the blonde's face when she didn't respond. Snapping out of it, she nodded dumbly and finally released the smaller draconis from her clutches.
"Yes...yes, I'm fine." She answered, staring at him with wide eyes, "Natsu, what was that?"
Wendy voiced the same concern and Natsu gave the caravan his own once over before his shoulders shrugged and a fanged, upbeat grin split his face. "I haven't the slightest clue, but it looks like we're safe, right?"
Lucy wasn't sure if she should agree or groan in exasperation. The man responsible for her seemed rather naive at times and it was hard for her to keep up. Wendy merely giggled, used to his antics.
The world around them was quiet once the caravan started off once more. An almost eerie silence caused by a lack of wildlife. The rain still fell, and the wagons rolled along, but Lucy felt as if there was something nagging at her senses. Voices whispering, warnings, maybe? The quake must have meant something more, but what?
Wendy and Natsu stayed near, neither one willing to leave Lucy's side. It made Lucy feel self-conscious if not a little annoyed. She'd been doing much better the last few days, one quake was not going to make her fall over again. Glancing between the two Draconis, preparing to reprimand them, she was surprised to see their eyes narrowed with a focus that was intense.
"Natsu…? Wendy?" She prodded even as both of them sniffed the air and frowned.
"It still doesn't smell right." The healer said after a few seconds and Natsu grunted his agreement.
"Yeah, I know what you mean."The fire-user muttered before his coal-eyes met Lucy's. "That rumbling did something, not sure what, but I can practically taste dirt in the air. It's kind of gross."
"That's an understatement." Wendy sighed before bowing her head, "I need to go see the Chief, please watch your knee, Lucy!"
She only sighed, "Yes Wendy, I'll watch out." Really, one would think she was an invalid. "Are you going to say something, too, Natsu?"
The Roma wasn't listening to her, once more sniffing the air and circling about her horse not unlike a dog on a hunt would. She chose to just hold her peace and leave him to his own devices after that.
Watch out!
The voice was loud- as if it had come from her own head and it gave Lucy a start. Looking this way and that- the Romni froze in her spot- seeing nothing to fit the voice she had heard and a sudden chill ran down her spine. "..N-natsu, did you- say something?"
"Eh? I haven't said anyth-"
His voice died in his throat as he turned to face her, shocked to see the Romni's feet give away as the ground beneath her shifted and shook, breaking away from the trail they walked on. Realizing what looked to be the beginning of a landslide, Lucy dropped her cane and quickly tried to leap forward, but was unable to gain her footing in the mud.
"Lucy!" The Draconis wasted no time in reaching towards her, strong hands clasping her small ones even as he felt the ground begin to shift beneath his own feet while the horses neighed and startled all over again. He thought he heard shouts from the rest of the group- but a sudden roaring as everything gave way overtook his senses even as he managed to grasp the girl against him and hold tight.
It was all so sudden: too sudden and before either of them knew it, they were tumbling down.
Screaming and being tossed about, Natsu held fast to the girl as he lost all track of his directions. At some point, the waves of dirt and underbrush they struck up against had knocked the girl out and still- they survived. At some point, he was certain they should have died- suffocated, crushed, all manner of things, and if he had not been so frantic and reacting with his instincts, he made have took note of the strange fact that they were, in fact, alive.
Instead, he braced them, kept her head up with his, and waited for the tumbling to end.
We will aid…
"-huh?" Opening his eyes, he blinked as he heard it inside his head. Was this what Lucy had been talking about? Jaw dropping- Natsu stared in amazement as a a golden light surrounded them. It held them as if in a bubble, keeping the angry earth at bay and held them aloft to see the sky. Tensing up, he held her closer still and growled lowly in his throat. What- was going on?
Sleep- we'll take care of this…
All she saw was darkness when her eyes opened. Blinking back the exhaustion, the Romni sat up in a rush, confused to her surroundings, but a wave of dizziness struck her back down again. Groaning, the girl sighed and curled her legs into herself. What- what had happened? Silent, she allowed the memories of the mudslide surface and glanced around her again.
Where was she and why couldn't she see anything?
"H-hello?" Lucy called out, voice shakey from anxiety and lack of use. When nothing, but her own voice echoed back, her stomach twisted into knots. Had she some how survived by being wrapped in a small pocket in the dirt? Was she buried even now?
Was she running out of air? Panic began to set in.
Was she alone? That thought was far worse than the last one and it forced a sob out of the Romni's throat. Hadn't- hadn't someone been with her? Hadn't she seen someone reach for her when she fell?
"- Natsu?!" Yes- it had been him. She remembered his hands outstretched and grasping a hold of her, but why couldn't' she remember anything else? Lucy, for the life of her, couldn't bring up a memory of passing out- or even suffering a head injury. Hoping for a response, she raised a shaking hand to check this assumption and sighed in relief. No damages whatsoever.
-but how was that possible? Preparing to shout again, the girl jumped when a sudden growl echoed through the area and light began to spill out from a crack that was slowly moving. Shifting, ignoring her how light headed she was, Lucy scrambled to her feet in time to what looked to be a large rock formation move, allowing the light of the Setting Sun to bathe the area with a gentle heat.
Lucy hardly noticed that, instead, her brown eyes landed on Pink Head standing in the opening and relief flooded into her much as the mudslide had.
"- you're here." She mumbled, slumping back to the stone -was it stone?- floor.
In turn, the Draconis stared, dumbfounded at her far longer than necessary before he shot towards her. Kneeling beside her, the boy grabbed her shoulders, fingers far tighter than he realized, and shook her.
"Lucy! You're awake! I thought you'd sleep until tomorrow or somethin!" It was clear he was just as relieved as she was, but his zealousness was starting to jar her brain even more.
"Will-you, stop- STOP- shaking me, please?!"
Pausing, the Roma released her with a sheepish, fanged grin. "Ah- oops, err, do you hurt anywhere?"
"-Just my head, that you violently shook," She replied, though Lucy followed up with a small smile. "I'm just glad we're both okay, where are we?"
"In a cave. I brought you here after the slide stopped to keep us out of the rain, but it's done now." He screwed his nose up as he sniffed the air and a low rumble exited his throat. ".. I had left to get kindling and stuff, but I didn't think you'd wake up so soon. Sorry 'bout that."
"No- no, you're fine." Really, as much as she didn't want to admit it, just the sight of him was already making her feel better. "But Natsu, how did.. I mean, how did that not kill us?"
"I dunno- I must have done a pretty good job holding us over the dirt! Pretty amazing right?"
"You what?!"
Instead of answering, Natsu rose to his feet again and rushed back out the entrance had had blocked earlier. Lucy was still struggling with this information when he returned, arms full of logs, sticks and other things perfect for setting a fire. She'd never been the best at them, but the fact he was a Fire Draconis alone gave her enough faith that he could handle it.
Narrowing her eyes, she watched him as he worked, "You honestly want me to believe you saved us on your own strength?"
"Well I did, so why not?" He asked calmly, grinning when when he released a small plume of heat into the kindling, causing it to burn. "It's not the first time I've saved you, shouldn't be so hard to believe."
Thinking back to the first night she had seen him, Lucy shook her head. "That was more believable…"
By then, he'd managed to get a small fire going and seemed far more invested in that than answering her questions. Settling back against the wall, the Romni assumed that meant he was done defending his claims and that she'd better just accept them: for now.
Once night had fallen, Lucy had to bless his nose. Not only had the Roma made a fire large enough to warm the small enclosure he'd put them in, he'd also been able to find two small rabbits to cook as well. How he managed to catch them without any weapons and skin them- she didn't ask and nor did she want to know.
When food had been ate and silence covered the area- mostly from exhaustion, Natsu was plenty noisy, Lucy realized she had no idea how to find the others or where they were. When she voiced this concern, the Draconis grinned widely.
"We're in the Magnolia Forests now," He explained, "there's no way I wont be able to find them come tomorrow- I bet gramps will keep them all headed towards home, so as long as we head that same direction, we'll meet up!"
"- but can we? We were following a trail before- "
"Lucy." His voice, suddenly serious gave her pause and he fixed her with his hard eyes. "I know these woods. Trust me. We'll find them."
Like the last topic of conversation, that was the end of that. Letting the fire burn slowly, the Roma moved himself to sit next Lucy and promptly wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Before she could protest, he grumbled low in his throat and placed her head on his shoulder.
"Go to sleep- we can get goin' in the morning and then you'll see, everything will be just fine!"
"-I'm not on a horse, y'know." She pointed out, wondering why he was still getting so close. Though it would have been a lie if she denied her enjoyment of the heat that seeped off of him and settled on her bones.
"So? It's cold. Best we stick together." Could he feel the cold? Certain his body temperature kept him comfortable at all seasons, Lucy realized he was doing this for her benefit and sighed. How could she deny him that? "You should stop complaining every time I get near you and just accept it. I'm not stopping for awhile."
That made her heart stutter as her eyes shot open, "what do you mean by that, Natsu?"
"It means I'm taking care of you: end of story. Now go to sleep." The stare he fixed her with brooked no arguments and she sighed.
"You've been strangely happy and suddenly serious a lot today-" She mumbled, finally allowing herself to settle against his side and get comfortable. If she noticed how well she fit against him or how nice it was to feel him holding her, she didn't dwell on it or think about it. It was purely a necessity they were like this anyway.
"- nah, I'm how I always am." She snorted at that. "What? I am!"
"I don't believe that for a second." She huffed, though the rumble of his chest as he chuckled was enough to make her softly smile. "- sleep well, Natsu."
Unfortunately, for the both of them, it would be a long time before either of them slept, no matter how hard they tried. For Lucy- voices continued to echo in her head, words she couldn't understand and her skin tingled as if something was just beneath it, begging to be spoke no word of this and tried to ignore it-opting instead to feign sleep with her eyes closed and body comfortable.
As for the Draconis… his mind sifted through the events of the day. Over and over again he considered the strange light. The voice and how they had been saved and still, he could make no sense of it. Telling her it had been by his strength alone that they had survived was the best option, at least until he could figure out what had happened. She herself didn't seem to notice and the thought of worrying her annoyed him.
Hadn't she said she'd not used her power before? Could this be it surfacing? Natsu wasn't sure- but at the same time,it made his gut twist as a strange sense of danger hung in the back of his mind. There was a warning in this somewhere.
Figuring out where was going to be difficult.
End of Chapter and allow me to state here that I can't believe I took so long with this. First it was just writer's block and then some personal issues compounded by personal issues and then even MORE writers block and then… more personal issues. Sorry, I've been having a really issue-filled year it seems. I'm so sorry that this took me so long, but remember, I will NEVER STOP writing this story. I want it finish it and I want to share it with all of you.
The extent of my appreciation towards every last one of you is too great for me to stop this story. So please- enjoy and look forward to the next update!
