REVISION 10/07/2021: Some grammar and sentence revision. Moved author notes to the first chapter.
Chapter 7: Isolation…
The dragon slayers had crashed through the surface of the river, feeling the water slap them on impact. Air was forced out of Wendy's lungs as she sank slowly into the dark, icy water around her. The water's temperature was too tough for Wendy to handle. She felt her strength draining. She felt her body was freezing over… but something else passed through her mind. She frantically clenched her fists, expecting to hold the hand of the other dragon slayer. Instead, she was holding on to water and nothingness. She looked around, panic and dread rising in her chest. Natsu! She was holding on to him as they fell, but now she couldn't find him anywhere. She tried to stay afloat and keep her head above the surface, but she couldn't. None of her limbs moved, no matter how much she pushed herself. Her mind was too fixated on Natsu. She darted her eyes everywhere, hoping to see his pink hair anywhere. She was too worried about him to notice the river was carrying her with its powerful current. She felt helpless and powerless, unable to do anything.
I need to snap out of it! I need air!
Wendy gasped for air, taking in as much as her lungs could contain. Slowly, she felt energy return to her body. She willed her body into motion. Slowly, her limbs began responding faintly. Wendy sighed in relief. With the newfound strength, she pushed herself upwards and opened her eyes, trying to figure out where she was. There was no sunlight illuminating her surroundings. The environment was shrouded in an ominous black. Darkness had enveloped the icy waters surrounding her.
It was already nighttime.
She couldn't make sense of her surroundings. She couldn't even tell which direction the river was flowing. The current was too powerful, rendering her efforts to move useless. She surrendered herself to the river's wrath, hoping it wouldn't be that bad. She turned her head around, trying to see where the river flowed. Moments later, her eyes widened. The river was carrying her to a path filled with rocks. Rocks of varying sizes were spread throughout the river. Painful anticipation rose in her chest. She mustered every ounce of her energy into her legs and tried to push herself against the raging current, but it was futile. The distance between her and the rocks was closing in. The current was too strong to fight against. She shut her eyes and braced herself for impact.
Her body crashed against one of the rocks, forcing the air out of her lungs. She gasped for air, but the current continued on its violent course. Immediately, her legs slammed against a rock underneath her. She felt the bone in her left leg snap in half, sending her an excruciating wave of pain. She screamed and breathed rapidly, trying to avoid the rocks, but the violent current pulled her in to another one. Her head smashed against the rock, nearly knocking her out unconscious.
I need to… stay awake.
Wendy knew she couldn't close her eyes or else the river was going to claim her life soon. She forced herself to keep on fighting. To keep on moving. To keep on breathing. Again, the river violently pulled her into another rock, sending her entire body an intense wave of pain.
I can't… keep going…can't take much more.
She was afraid. If she collided with another rock, she feared she would slip into darkness permanently.
I'm not… going to make it…
Her vision was starting to get blurry, her head starting to be filled with silence. Her body stopped showing any signs of movement, sinking her into the dark surface. She couldn't bear the continuous waves of pain any longer. Her vision started fading into black.
Natsu… please… save me…
Before her vision caved in, she caught a glimpse of a faint outline of a hand reaching out to her through the surface.
…
..
.
Wendy's eyes shot open. She reflexively took big gasps of air, renewing the life in her body. She felt the wet soil behind her back, the grass rustling against her palms as she squeezed her hands.
Where… am I?
She raised her body up by pushing the ground with her palms, shifting into a sitting position. She looked around and noticed only long and dark trees surrounding her. Surrounding the ground were grasses. She looked up into the sky, devoid of light. It was nighttime.
She stood up but immediately stumbled over, clutching her left leg. It sent her a wave of pain throughout her body. She grunted in agony. She rolled over onto her back to reduce stress on her legs. Soon, she heard the sounds of a crashing river nearby, triggering her memory. She took time to recollect her thoughts.
That's right. I was in the river… did I lose consciousness?
Slowly, her memory came piece by piece. She remembered she had crashed against multiple rocks as the river carried her. She became even more aware of her surroundings, especially the waterfall that brought her here. How did I survive?
The chilly winds of the night blew through her, sending a shiver down her spine. It's cold. It had been nighttime for a while, and the temperature was dropping considerably. Wendy wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her shoulders.
I need to find shelter quick.
She turned her attention to her broken leg. She moved her palms to it and activated her magic power. Her hands glowed faintly and were flickering. I don't have enough magic power? She guessed fighting against the current must have taken everything out of her. After a few moments of trying, she gave up trying to heal herself.
The winds blew once again, causing her to shiver. She rolled on to her front, careful not to exert pressure on her left leg. She pushed herself upward, using her elbows, raising her upper body with surprising ease. She dragged herself forward through the ground. She had little choice if her legs ceased to function at the moment. Her left knee scraped against the soil and grass, sometimes sending her a sting. She groaned in pain every now and then, but kept on dragging herself forward. As she dragged herself towards the dark trees, an all too familiar and comforting scent swept through her nose.
"Natsu!" Wendy cried out and felt a tinge of happiness in her heart. He's here! She increased her pace and followed his scent. She moved past the leaves obstructing her view, using her hands to push them away.
She soon saw a figure lying on the ground. Her eyes caught his pink hair she recognized too easily, causing her to smile a little. "Natsu!" She called out to him eagerly… but there was no response from his lifeless body.
"Natsu?" Not being able to hear his voice, anxiety started filling her chest. She quickly dragged herself forward towards his body, worries pushing her forward. "Natsu!"
Wendy's eyes widened in shock as she approached his body. Multiple bruises and cuts covered his body from head to toe. Smears of blood covered his attire. His scarf was miraculously intact. His abdomen's wounds were the worst, spanning to his back. Remains of Gray's ice magic could be seen within. Even in the darkness of the night, Wendy could tell he was even in a worse state than she was.
"NATSU!" Tears welled up in her eyes. She crawled next to him. She tucked her arm under his head, bringing his face closer to her. "Natsu!" Why isn't he saying anything? Wendy's mind and heart were filled with countless worries. Is he… Wendy shook her head at the thought, scared to finish it. There's no way! She rested her ear on his chest, feeling it rising up and down faintly. He's breathing! She sensed multiple fractures through his body. She could still hear his heartbeat luckily, sending her some relief. "Natsu…" She said softly, tears now streaming down her cheeks. "What happened to you?"
Wendy closed her eyes, trying to remember what happened after she lost consciousness. She did remember seeing a hand reach out to her, though the image was very weak in her mind. Did he… keep me safe? But how? The fact Wendy was breathing right here and now is proof that Natsu had managed to save her. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a cough.
"Argh, hack!" Natsu coughed up water multiple times, regaining consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes, which were met with Wendy's.
"NATSU!" Wendy hugged him tightly. "Natsu, you're okay!" Wendy suddenly bawled to his chest, clutching the back of his clothes.
"W-Wendy… You're awake, eh? Good to see you…" Natsu said with a pained voice and sighed in relief. "Guess we got swept away by the river, huh…"
"Natsu, did you… save me?" Wendy looked at him teary-eyed.
Natsu closed his eyes. Slowly, his memories came returning. He had grabbed Wendy and cradled her in his arms, keeping her safe from the rocks. He used his body as a shield to protect Wendy as they were carried by the violent current. Many rocks had crashed into him, but he kept Wendy safe in his arms as best as he could. Eventually, they fell down a waterfall, but he didn't remember what happened after that. He guessed he must have lost consciousness too.
"Yeah, I managed to find you in the river. I'm really glad you're safe. I was worried about you." He weakly grinned.
"Natsu!" Wendy's tears kept going harder. Her tears contained a mixture of both happiness and sadness. She was glad he was at least still alive. The reason she's here right now is because Natsu protected her. He sacrificed himself to keep her safe. She couldn't bear to see him in this state. She raised herself into a sitting position, focusing her magic into her palms.
"Wendy…?" Natsu asked.
"Let me heal you." Wendy didn't have any magic power left to properly heal herself, but she couldn't care less. She forced her magic power into her palms. They faintly glowed a calming light blue, but soon vanished. "Why…?" She tried again, forcing her magic power to activate, but it was futile. Wendy cursed her own powerlessness. Please, I need to heal him! Wendy began sobbing uncontrollably. Why am I so weak?
Seeing her cry, Natsu forced his upper body upwards using his elbows, now sitting straight. He gently wrapped his right arm around Wendy's head and slowly pulled her to his chest, caressing her hair. Wendy clutched his clothes and snuggled to his chest, desiring his warmth in this chilly night.
"It's okay, Wendy." Natsu softy said. "Please don't cry." He stroked her long and silky blue hair. "A smile suits you better, remember?" He grinned weakly at her. "You're fine, and that's all that matters to me right now."
"I'm so sorry, Natsu." Wendy cried out softly between her tears. "If only I was stronger… if only I could heal you…"
"Hey, it's okay." Natsu softly held her left hand with his, gently rubbing it with his thumb using circular motions. "We're both alive and breathing right now, aren't we? That's more than enough for me."
"Natsu…" Wendy lifted her head up to look at Natsu's face. She could tell Natsu was straining his voice. She sensed pain in his voice, even his whole body was such a mess. She wondered how Natsu could remain positive and all-smiles in a situation like this. Is he… doing this for me?
Natsu gently stroked her back. Wendy felt a warm feeling spread through her from the touch of his hand. She dearly loved his gentle and caring side. Slowly, she felt her spirits being uplifted. Her crying came to a halt. She slowly wiped the tears off her face.
They both suddenly felt drops of water coming from above. They both looked upwards, noticing it was beginning to rain. Natsu breathed heavily. He didn't have much strength left in his body. He struggled standing up, first raising himself on one knee. "That's our queue. We need to get out of this rain. Wendy, can you stand?" He asked weakly.
Wendy shook her head, her lips curving downwards. "My left leg… I think I broke it when I was in the river."
"I see." Natsu nodded lightly. "Let me carry yo-argh!" Natsu extended his left arm, but immediately retracted it in pain. He momentarily forgot his left arm was still injured.
Wendy's heart ached seeing him push himself for her sake. "Don't worry about it. I can use my hands instead." Wendy smiled and assured him. She didn't want him to push himself, considering his injuries. She was sure he could pass out anytime soon. She wouldn't mind crawling her way for his sake.
Natsu hanged his head in guilt, feeling powerless having to see Wendy drag herself through the ground. "Sorry. Could we move over there?" He said softly. He dragged his feet as best as he could towards a nearby tree with wide leaves. Wendy followed beside him, dragging herself by her hands on the cold, wet grass.
He rested his right arm on the tree for support. "Over here." He motioned for Wendy to come. They both were now under a tree with leaves wide enough that shielded them from the rain. Natsu ripped off a few of the leaves and gathered other leaves of similar shapes from the ground. This gained a curious glance from Wendy.
"Natsu, what are you doing?"
"Making us some beds." Natsu ignited his right hand in flames. Wendy was surprised he still had magic power within him, even for a small flame. He used his flames to lightly dry the leaves and make them warm. The two leaves were then laid on the floor, one for him and one for Wendy. He then mashed the remaining leaves together to the best of his ability to create a soft surface to lay their heads on. He placed these makeshift pillows on their respective leaves and removed his scarf and spread it across the makeshift pillows to add to its softness.
"And there you go! Two beds to sleep in for the night." Natsu weakly grinned at Wendy. He dropped down on to his bed. "Probably not comfortable to sleep in." Natsu chuckled. "Get over here." He patted to her bed.
Wendy simply giggled at him. "Thank you, Natsu." She dragged herself to the questionable bed Natsu made for her. It definitely wasn't ideal for sleeping, but honestly? It was the best she could lie down on compared to the ground she was dragging herself on before. The surface was smooth enough. She laid her head on Natsu's scarf. This is… surprisingly comfortable. She inhaled deeply, taking in the comforting scent from his scarf. It smells nice… just like him.
"You're pretty tired, aren't you? Get some rest." Natsu said. He slowly lied down on his bed.
"You seem even more tired than I am." Wendy said in a playful tone, turning over to Natsu's side.
"Ahah, don't worry about me. I'm sure I'll be better in the morning." He gazed at the stars in the sky.
Wendy's attention was drawn to his profile. His spiky hair, his onyx eyes, his wet lips… Wendy unconsciously licked her lips and felt her cheeks tingle. In this moment, it was just her and Natsu alone together. It was the two of them against the harsh world. Even in this situation, being with him filled her heart with a sense of safety and calm. With him by her side, there was nothing to worry about. Somehow, she believed everything would be okay.
"Natsu?" Wendy softly called him.
"Yeah?" He turned to her.
"I'll heal you in the morning, okay?" Wendy asked plainly.
Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry about me, Wendy. This is nothing I can't handl-"
"You're… in so much pain now, aren't you? You're pushing yourself too much… and you're even looking out for me." Saying this, Wendy felt her heart tear apart. "Please."
Natsu turned his attention to the sky. He deeply sighed. He sensed Wendy was about to cry any moment if he rejected her help. He was also worried about her pushing herself. She wasn't in any state to use her healing powers. Getting a nagging from Carla was also the last thing he needed.
"You also promised I could heal you after the battle." Wendy continued. "You haven't forgotten, have you?" She smirked playfully. "Or does the great fire dragon slayer not keep his promises to his friends?"
"Jeez, okay, okay." Natsu answered with a smile, feeling defeated. "But on one condition."
Now Wendy raised an eyebrow. "A condition?"
Natsu pointed at her leg. "You gotta heal yourself first, alright? Then you can heal me. Worry about yourself, then you can worry about me."
"Mhmm, but- Ouch! Natsu!" Natsu poked her left leg, causing her to flinch in pain.
"Haha… sorry, you're in much pain yourself, too. I want you to take care of yourself first." He said with a laugh. "Otherwise, I'm gonna poke ya again!" He put on an evil smile.
"Hey, that's unfair! Stop that!" Wendy giggled. How was he able to still joke around like this? For a moment, it seems the harsh reality of their situation was the least of their worries. Oh, Natsu…
"Well, what do you say?"
Feeling Natsu had already made his mind, Wendy smiled and nodded at him. "Promise?"
"Promise." Natsu forced a smile back. "Now, get some rest, okay?" He turned to the other side, facing away from her. "Good night, Wendy."
"…Good night, Natsu." Wendy… was dejected to say the least. His back was facing her. She would prefer if she could see his face instead. Her bed and Natsu's were just a few inches away, but Wendy felt they were many miles apart. She frowned, puffing her cheeks.
"I want to see your face, Natsu…" She softly whispered.
"You want to see my face?" Natsu questioned, turning his neck to her.
"Huh?" It took a few seconds for Wendy to realize what she just said. She didn't realize she said what she was thinking out loud. Her face instantly flushed a deep red. Her cheeks rose up in heat. She frantically turned away from Natsu, trying to hide her embarrassment. She wanted to bury her face deep in the ground. W-Why did I say that out loud? Dumb Wendy!
"Wendy?" Natsu called out to her.
"I-I-It's nothing! Good night!" Wendy hastily replied.
She heard sounds of leaves rustling behind her. She turned back to Natsu, confirming he had turned away. She took a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief. A wind softly blew through them, sending Wendy shivers down her shoulders. She stared at Natsu's back for a moment, getting an idea in her head which sent blood rushing to her cheeks…
Wendy rolled on to her front and inched closer towards Natsu's bed. "Natsu?" She called out to him. There was no response. Is he asleep already? "Natsu… could I sleep with you?" Wendy asked weakly, causing her cheeks to rise in heat again. As if to respond, Natsu silently turned to Wendy and shifted his body away, giving her some space beside him. Wendy's lips curved into a smile.
Wendy laid down beside Natsu and cuddled against him, making sure not to touch his left arm. She rested her head on to his chest. She wrapped the remaining length of the scarf around them to protect them from the cold, but his body warmth was more than enough for her. Natsu gently wrapped his right arm around Wendy's delicate body, softly bringing her closer. He tucked her head under his chin.
Wendy felt his warmth envelope her entire body and heart. Hearing his faint breathes as his chest slowly rose and sank, hearing his heartbeats as they thumped against her ear… it felt calming, helping to soothe her mind. It was in his arms she felt the safest and most comfortable in. It was only in his arms where she wanted to belong. For now, she forgot the pain and injuries she had, simply desiring his embrace. She couldn't be any happier at this moment. Slowly, her eyes closed, drifting her into a night of resting darkness.
Good night, Natsu.
