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Dance of the Dragon King

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two

AUGUST 17TH, 2022

Lucy awoke to a stifling heat draped over her, and she could feel sweat building up on her brow. With a groan, she attempted to roll over and found her legs pinned under unmistakably male hips. A muscled chest pressed into hers, strong arms snared once around her waist and once around her hips. She attempted a wriggle, purposefully driving her knee into the stomach of her newly-found partner.

Natsu didn't move except to squirm a little, and Lucy sneezed when pink locks tickled her nose. Her arms were easy enough to release and she shoved at his shoulders helplessly, cursing his weight and her inability to push him off.

Lucy gave up after two minutes of unrewarded effort, stiffly lying beneath her newly-made partner. She knew Honeybelle would arrive soon with a breakfast platter, given the time, and conceded herself to wait for the scent of food to hopefully stir Natsu into wakefulness.

She decided to spend the minutes until then by properly examining Natsu, eyes curiously raking over his features and committing them to memory.

The man was scarred; a small line at his left brow, another by his top lip, most likely gained from a split lip courtesy of Gray. There was a particularly nasty one on his neck, the skin slightly raised and starkly pale against the rest of his sun-kissed flesh. The urge to trace it arose, but Lucy shook off the desire, focusing instead on his hair. Sadly, she could not find any regrowth at the root which could suggest his natural colour, but she decided that he seemed like the type to have rich, bronzed-blonde hair, not quite brunette but too dark for traditional blonde like hers. Perhaps there would even be hints of red and wheat, highlights naturally brought out by the sun. He seemed like the type of person to prefer to spend their time outside, a willing tribute to the elements. Lucy could picture it even now:

Scraped knees and red cheeks, a bright smile; slightly slanted, carelessly so. Summer and spring spent swimming in lakes and sprinting down hills, catching fireflies in jars come nightfall and releasing them soon thereafter. Autumn would be the season of hiking and early-morning fishing, foraging dinner from the land. Even winter would be a fun affair — collecting buckets of rainwater and building snowmen come snow. Skiing, sledding, snowball fights, running amok knowing pillows of frost would always be there to cushion the inevitable fall. Pretending to be a fire-breathing dragon with each crystallised breath, and later telling the story that fuelled his youth to the neighbourhood children. Once upon a time, there lived an awesome, mighty dragon — the king of all dragons!

Like clockwork, Honeybelle fluttered in from the door keyhole, a new occurrence. From beneath the door followed the tray, sliding through the crack and precariously floating towards Lucy. The pixie seemed to watch her with curiosity, and Lucy's cheeks puffed with a sigh.

"It's not my fault," she muttered, and she could have sworn that Honeybelle giggled.

The pixie fluttered about Lucy's face and Natsu snorted when pixie dust somehow ended up his nose. "Gross," she whined, limbs flapping about. That seemed to do the trick, for Natsu shot up out of bed with a groan. Lucy laughed as he collapsed in a boneless heap on the floor, and couldn't help childishly poking her tongue out at him.

"What as that for?" he grumbled in a hoarse voice.

"That was for sneaking in my bed like some perverted creep."

"It got cold outside."

"And why should I care?"

"Because, if I get frostbite, I'll be the biggest pain in your ass there ever was."

Honeybelle interrupted their small tiff with a teasing waggle of her tiny hips, wings tinkling with the movement. If she could speak, Lucy would like to think that the pixie would be teasing them relentlessly, sly glances never going astray.

"Hey," Natsu suddenly said, "they changed the house pixie here."

Lucy's brows furrowed, turning around to flash him a confused look. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah," he nodded, stretching under the sun's early-morning warmth. "In the beta, the pixie was pink and yellow and had a weird name. Something like Mavey, I think."

"Strange," Lucy wondered aloud, "I wonder why Zeref changed the pixies like that? Surely it couldn't have been that much of an issue compared to the other features he's yet to tweak?"

Unbeknownst to Lucy, a hush had settled over the room at the utterance of the game designer's name, and she looked up curiously to find Natsu staring intently at Honeybelle. The pixie's glow had dulled considerably, and when Lucy peeked closer, she could see the small creature's shoulders shaking violently.

"Oh, Honeybelle," she whispered, reaching out one careful hand to cradle the pixie. As soon as the tips of her fingers brushed across the pixie's back, the creature suddenly surged backwards. The breakfast tray was forgotten as Honeybelle escaped under the door in a blur of gold, and the trail left behind seemed to pulsate anxiously as it slowly faded.

The two partners were still in the wake of the strange event, neither daring to make a move for fear of shattering whatever tension had settled in the small room, previously so full of wonder and lazy grins.

It was Natsu who spoke first. "That wasn't normal," he declared, and Lucy saw that his gaze was worried as he glared at the closed door. "That bastard's done something. I can feel it."

Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it, knowing that no words she said could change the situation or offer any explanation. She was still so new to this world; there was still much to see and learn. She couldn't possibly solve this mystery without experiencing more of the DoDK world.

And so, though it left her heavy-hearted to do so, she dropped the subject but swore to never forget what happened here. Lucy would find out exactly what Zeref had done to the pixies, and she would do her best to help the creatures. Perhaps she could even find a way to take back what had transpired. After all, in a world so full of magic, surely the impossible wasn't so unattainable?

The rest of the day was spent touring Oak Town with her team. Luckily for them, the weather was pleasant, and soon enough they were laughing and conversing naturally as if they had been a team for years. Natsu, Gray and Erza sure had, going by their close connections and mentions of a childhood spent in each other's company. For Lucy though, things were slightly different. She had only known the trio for a handful of days, and already she had fought beside them in battle, dined with them and even shared a bed with one of them. For a girl who had spent most of her life caged in an empty mansion and then on the run from a vengeful father, she believed she was doing quite well for herself.

If only the circumstances were different, and she wasn't trapped in a death game. Perhaps then her new friendships would feel a little more wholesome, and less translucent. Temporary, almost. She refused the notion that they might not all survive their ordeal. She focused instead on their life after. What were the chances of waking up in the same exact apartment complex as her friends, in the same part of Tokyo or even in the same region of Japan?

They were slim.

A hand flapping in her face dragged Lucy's attention back to the moment, and she flashed an apologetic smile at her new friends, who appeared worried in varying degrees.

"Lucy? Is everything okay?" Erza fretted, and Lucy waved off the woman's concern.

"Yes, sorry. I daydream a lot, is all. Where are we going next?"

Erza looked slightly sheepish then, but the change in her schooled features was so minimal that Lucy knew she wouldn't have noticed had she not spent a considerable amount of the last few days with the woman.

"Well, actually, Gray and I were about to take our leave."

Lucy frowned, not understanding. "Oh, okay. Perhaps I will see you tomorrow?"

"No, Luce," Natsu laughed, bumping her shoulder playfully, "they're leaving town."

"Oh! I understand. May I ask why?"

Gray spoke up next, expression wistful. "We have to head to Magnolia and get the guild started up again. We promised our friends that we would bring it back."

"The guild?"

"Fairy Tail," the man explained as if those two words could provide all the answers needed. When he saw that Lucy's expression had grown more confused, though, he elaborated. "Fairy Tail is the resident guild in Magnolia. There are guilds all over Fiore; there's even one here."

"Phantom Lord," she recalled aloud, and Natsu shot her a proud look.

"Exactly. Right now, Fairy Tail is being led by an NPC character. Erza and I are going to Magnolia now so that we can challenge the leadership and then Erza can establish herself as Guild Master."

"This guild must be important to you all," she pondered, and Erza's smile turned soft.

"It is," the woman said, "during the beta, we were a force to be reckoned with. Our guild is only one of few that truly care for each other. Most others treat guilds as a temporary place; where they can share in the spoils of war and leave once they've gained all they can."

"But our guild is different," Natsu amended, "we're a family. Once you join Fairy Tail, you're stuck with us."

The information excited Lucy; just being in a team with the three beta testers had been the best thing to happen to her in a while. But for an entire guild to be just as pleasant? Lucy was looking forward to seeing Fairy Tail for herself — if they would have her, of course. After all, she was still relatively new to the entire concept of gaming, and her only experience was found in years of reading fiction. Relying on such methods of coping while trapped in a game where just strolling through the woods could quickly turn lethal was fruitless.

Her worries were unfounded though, for Erza brightened suddenly and placed a gentle hand upon Lucy's shoulder. "You are always welcome in our hall, Lucy. You certainly have proved yourself in the time we've partied together. Your knowledge and comforting presence would not go astray."

"I'll have to take you up on that offer. Thank you," she beamed and was almost drowned out by Natsu's celebratory cheer.

"That settles it!" he declared. "While Ice Queen and Erza get the guild going, Lucy and I will stay here so she can train up a bit."

Erza nodded thoughtfully. "That would be most wise. I have decided to set the application level at thirty. Hopefully, that will dissuade any who would rather join the guild for the levelling benefits."

"Don't you think that's a bit… I don't know, harsh?" Gray drawled.

"Not in the slightest. From what I've managed to gather, other guild leaders from the beta are deciding upon the same means. There are plenty of other guilds for players solely wishing to grind. Our mission is the frontline; I've no time to pander the players not willing to commit to our cause."

"You guys should probably think about going before someone else jumps in and takes leadership," Natsu interrupted, waving in the direction of the train station.

Farewells were then said, well wishes on Lucy's part and vague threats from Natsu; you better make me second-in-command or I'll set fire to the bar, get out of my face you stripper — no-one wants to see your junk, put some pants on.

Their team was disbanded, but Lucy's screen quickly gained Natsu's name when his party invite was approved. He shot her an infectious, slanted grin, but Lucy's smile quickly dropped when his eyes blazed with mischief.

"Off to bed with you," he mocked like a disapproving parent, "we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

For some reason, Lucy was beginning to dread what training with Natsu would entail.

Lucy swallowed another tired yawn, shooting her new partner a nasty look.

When the man promised they would 'train', he really meant that Lucy would be rudely awakened at half-four in the morning, dragged over her balcony and pulled into the woods. Currently, she was trudging noisily behind Natsu as he attempted to hunt for breakfast — unnecessarily if you asked her, she did after all have the foresight to pack enough meals for the two of them after seeing off Erza and Gray.

"Natsu, this is ridiculous," she huffed. "I brought food for both of us."

He hushed her, not even bothering to turn around. "That's not the point," he whispered.

"Then, what is?"

Lucy wasn't afforded a reply, as the man suddenly lunged for her. They fell in a tangle of limbs, fall cushioned by dried leaves and moss. Her quick protest was swallowed by Natsu's rough palm, eyes daring her to utter even a peep.

The silence was dense, and Lucy quelled the desire to squirm away. Surely there was a highly logical reason for his sudden attack. If they were to make their partnership work, she would have to learn how to trust him — even if that meant being tackled into woodland waste.

"That was close," he breathed.

Lucy watched him expectantly, and Natsu moved off from atop her, extending a hand to help her up.

"What is wrong with you?"

The man was different from this morning, and even from when she first met him. His eyes had lost the mischievous glint so characteristically Natsu, hardened instead. The way he carried himself had changed; the careless gait widened, knees bent, each step slight, ghosting across the forest floor. There was something predatory about him now — something that Lucy couldn't help but fear.

His answer was almost guttural.

"I'm teaching you to fear the predator."

"What?" she stammered, frozen.

Natsu's eyes were those of a wolf. "There are things bigger than you and me here, things that are programmed to maim. They won't hesitate like a human."

Twigs breaking, a low hum.

"Fear is what kills, not inexperience or being an idiot."

A tremble, a roar like thunder.

"Learn how to turn your fear into power. Let your feelings become your greatest strength. That is the only way you'll survive in a generated world; by being human."

They broke through the foliage and straight into the clutch of a monster.

"NATSU! This was a stupid idea!"

"It's training," the man corrected, fluidly dodging a boulder three times the size of him.

Lucy scrambled from the Vulcan's line of sight, looping around its shorter legs to study its back. While brute strength may be Natsu's area of expertise, it certainly wasn't hers.

"Natsu, keep it busy for a bit!" she called, and was surprised when he didn't question her — merely flashed her a thumbs up and resumed the fight.

There was a small pond to her left, but Lucy was sceptical of summoning Aquarius from it. The siren may just drown her for even entertaining the thought of using such filthy water to tether her to Earthland.

However, there was a cave. And Lucy was sure that she would find something in there that could distract the Vulcan enough for Natsu to land one final, lethal hit. Lucy scrambled into the cave, just big enough for a Vulcan to squeeze through. The sounds from outside came to a hush, replaced by gentle tinkling, like windchimes caught in a breeze.

Or, perhaps a key.

Lucy hurried quickly through the cave, hand clapped over her nose and mouth to keep the horrid stench of the beast from her airways. The Vulcan, it seemed, had a fascination with anything that glittered. From the piles of items, she found a few precious gems, hair pins and silver coins — worthless now, but evidently priceless to overgrown apes.

The tinkling sound had grown louder, and Lucy rushed forth with renewed vigour. She found the key wedged between a copper statue of a busty woman and a worn music box, and she quickly grabbed it before sprinting from the cave. While doing so she swiped her finger by the key to appraise it and learned she had found Taurus, the Golden Bull.

She hoped that her new key would be a combat-type, unlike her only other key which seemed more like the homicidal support-type. Natsu met her eye briefly as she stumbled from the dark cave into bright sunlight, blinking away spots from her vision. She made sure to keep quiet, hoping that the advantage of surprise was still on her side. Slowly, she crept around the beast's legs, dodging fireballs and boulders alike as she went.

How different things had become, she allowed herself to ponder. A month ago she could be found hunting boar, not taking down a Boss and dealing with a Vulcan — both only days apart.

She spied a mound of disturbed earth, perhaps from where her partner may have slipped or been pushed backwards by the beast. She dug the rust-spotted key into the soil, twisting it deep. An eager hum seemed to dance up her arm, unlike when she had first summoned Aquarius.

With a deep breath, she began the first part of her short incantation: "I am the person who connects the road to the stellar spirit world…"

Natsu cast her a sidelong glance, obviously not believing that thrusting a key into a bit of dirt and mumbling some mumbo-jumbo could possibly help them in the slightest. "Luce?"

She chose to ignore her partner, shutting her eyes tight as golden sparks flew from the buried key. "Thou shalt respond to the calling and pass through the gate…"

A drumming began, slow like a resting heartbeat.

"Open, Gate of the Golden Bull…"

The Vulcan had turned its attention to her now, attracted by the bright radiance encompassing the battleground. It growled something low, shuffling irritated steps towards her.

"Taurus!"

The familiar sound of a key unlocking an old, creaking door sounded, before light exploded directly in Lucy's face. She shielded her eyes with both arms, key gripped in one fist.

"What the hell is that?!" Natsu yelled, at a better vantage point than she and able to clearly see her new spirit.

She resisted the urge to quip something back, forcing herself to step through the light so she could become briefly acquainted with Taurus. Unsurprisingly, she was met by a bull — Lucy liked to think that she at least knew some things about the Zodiac, including what each sign depicted. She was not, however, prepared to be greeted by a rather humanoid steer.

Standing at well over eight feet tall was Taurus, and she was glad to see that he was most certainly a heavy assault-type. Unlike the Vulcan, her spirit seemed to be more evenly proportioned; for balance, she assumed, as he would certainly need plenty to wield the hulking axe held tight in his two-handed grip. His eyes were harsh, as if already sensing the danger, and something passed between summoner and spirit then. An agreement of sorts, a promise that introductions could be had later. There were larger things at play here.

With one curious comment about her outfit, he took thundering steps towards her partner and the beast, grip on his axe tightening and loosening sporadically.

"Taurus can take over for you, Natsu!" she called to her partner, abandoning the pretence of staying hidden. Surely the battle was almost finished with the addition of Taurus?

"I'll just hang back, in case something goes wrong," he said instead, not bothering to even cast a glance at her. He was eyeing the spirit strangely, that same wolf-like gaze returning.

Lucy brushed off his behaviour, already used to his mood swings, and instead observed the fight between spirit and beast. The blood was repulsive; each strike drew more, and soon the battleground was slick with rusty blood, the scent of coppery iron strong on the air.

The fighting style of her spirit was as she suspected, though she had been hoping that he would act as a brawler, too. As it was, Taurus preferred to dodge and block attacks with his axe rather than attempt to parry them. He also restrained from simply swinging his axe blindly — instead, each swing was calculated and built up towards by drawing the weapon across his body, until the blade rested just over the right-side of his back. Power attacks came from above, by drawing the blade over his right shoulder and using the muscles in his triceps to expel the blade downwards, explosively.

Lucy was impressed and rather excited to set up their contract. The Vulcan was downed in two more, savage strikes from Taurus. With ruby shards that glittered in the midday sun, the beast shattered.

"Good work, Taurus!" she gushed, applauding her spirit.

The bull grinned at her, gaze playful. "Anything for that hot body!"

Lucy felt a brow raise — of course, she had forgotten that most things in Japanese game and entertainment culture was overtly sexualised. She wasn't planning to put up with it, though.

Summoner and spirit quickly set up a contract, and Natsu had gone to raid the Vulcan's lair. In his words, they would make a killing off the treasure stashed there. She met up with him in the cave once Taurus had gone on his way, grateful to see he had lit the sconces and had started to carelessly peruse the piles of items.

"What we want to keep are all the jewel and gems, and anything that has a high price," he began to explain, urging Lucy to step through some of the scattered treasures before leading her to where he had begun sorting piles. "Put everything we don't want against the far wall," to demonstrate, he picked up a rust-spotted lamp and threw it towards the steadily growing pile of rejects.

"Got it," she hummed, and decided to peruse the piles directly opposite him. They would cover more ground that way.

It was quiet for some time, metallic shuffling and the jingling of jewel the only sounds between them. Natsu broke it first, questioning her. "So what was that back there, with the bull?"

His voice was blank, movements lazy, but she saw the furrow of his brow and the shadow cast over his eyes. Again she felt like he knew something she didn't, and though it frustrated her, she let it be. Unless the habit of carefully keeping the other misinformed came to be a threat to both their lives, she was content to leave things be. Partners didn't necessarily need to know every detail about each other, after all.

"I thought magic was common here? Why are you so surprised?"

She saw him roll his eyes. "Stop avoiding my question."

"I'm not," she defended, "I just don't understand why you're so curious. I'm sure you could find something in the manual."

"I'm curious because it's rare for lower-levelled players to be able to use magic this early."

Curiosity piqued, she dropped the hostility. "I thought everyone could do it?"

"They can, but not as early as you. It took me three months real-time to learn how to use Dragon Slaying magic."

"Strange," she murmured. Briefly, she entertained the thought of telling him she had been using magic since the first week, but decided against it.

"I hope that bastard isn't planning something."

Lucy knew Natsu hadn't intended for her to overhear that last part of his sentence, but the cave's acoustics were working against him.

Her partner walked off to the other side of the cave, deeming their short conversation over. Lucy didn't mind; there would be time for talking later. It had been almost three hours since they had defeated the Vulcan, and the sun was slowly starting to crest the sky. She wasn't keen to see just what came out when the sun went down, nor was she prepared. The battle against dusk had finally begun.

When they finally made it back to town, the two partners were horrified to learn that an entire party had been killed.

The news shook the town, which had previously been so full of energy and positivity after the success on the first floor. Now the mood had dampened, the harsh facts of what was their reality rushing back with a vengeance.

"What do you mean, they were just killed? How many of them were there?" Lucy questioned frantically, annoyed that no one was answering her.

Natsu reached out and snagged her arm, gently pulling her close so they wouldn't be separated. It seemed that all the players still in Oak Town had migrated to the town square, which made getting around difficult due to the heavy crowds.

"I heard there was seven of them," she overheard someone shout, which was quickly followed by a denial. Now there were apparently ten dead players, and the number steadily kept rising the more that was shouted.

"This is ridiculous," Lucy huffed, and Natsu agreed with a nod.

"Well, why don't we ask her!"

The crowd came to a hush, all eyes turning to the sword-type player and the girl squeezed in his grip. She wore a mighty scowl, though it was obvious her limbs were trembling. Lucy frowned at the sight; perhaps she was a witness?

"You're all being completely stupid," she shouted to the crowd, an angry blush dusting her cheeks.

"Are we really? After all, it's your fault that those players died," the boy hissed, and was accompanied by a few hearty cheers.

Lucy was disgusted by now. Had they already began turning on each other? How pitiful.

"It wasn't my fault!" the girl yelled, ripping her arm from the boy. "There was nothing I could do!"

"You were a beta tester, as well as a healer! Surely there was something you could have done!"

Natsu had begun to push his way through the crowd, determined to not let a bunch of idiots pick on a girl who was clearly struggling. Lucy followed in his wake, dodging elbows and smiling gratefully when Natsu took her wrist in his, helping her through the heavy crowd.

All the while, the argument continued.

"There were only seven of us! How was I supposed to heal the wounded, as well as fight, at the same time?"

"You shouldn't have taken them there in the first place if you knew they couldn't handle it!"

"How would I have known? I wasn't a party member, I couldn't see their levels!"

"That's a stupid excuse, and you know it."

"You're being such a—"

"All right!" Natsu shouted, having finally reached the two younger players. "That's enough!"

Lucy went straight for the younger girl, pulling her against her side and shooting the younger boy a scathing glare.

"What are you doing? She's a killer!"

"How could you say that?" Lucy rebutted, ashamed by his careless words.

"It's true!"

"And who are you to make such decisions? You know nothing of what happened, only skewed rumours."

"I don't need to know what really happened! She's a mage, a beta tester and she came back alive. That's reason enough!"

Natsu spoke before Lucy could, "I bet not even one of you has asked for the full story from her."

Some of the watching players had the decency to avert their gazes, and Natsu nodded, as if pleased.

Lucy rubbed the girl's arm comfortingly, smiling at the pink-haired girl. "Would you mind telling us, Miss…"

"Sheria," she supplied, and nodded enthusiastically, "and I wouldn't mind."

Natsu beckoned Sherria towards him, and the girl stood beside him as she began to recount what had happened. Per her version of events, the party she had been grinding with had hidden their levels from her, ashamed that she wouldn't hunt with them if she knew how low-levelled they were. It had been Sherria's idea to head further into the forest than they usually would, and it was there that high-levelled goblins ambushed them.

Even with magic on their side, they had still been outnumbered, drastically so. There was nothing she could do, and was forced to flee once she was the last one left standing.

"I ran out of magic," she declared in an ashamed whisper, "I drained myself by healing them every time they got a scratch. If I had saved up my energy, maybe I could have attempted a Roar attack. They might still be here…"

It was Lucy who stepped forward and rubbed the girl's back comfortingly, reassuring her that she tried all she could and she couldn't put the blame on herself.

"You've all heard what happened, now piss off," Natsu yelled at the gathered crowd, and it took a few threats before the area was fully cleared.

"Thank you for the help," Sherria whispered with a forced smile. It was obvious she was still shaken up, and Lucy purposefully pulled Natsu closer towards them so that some of his body heat could warm Sherria.

"It wasn't an issue," Lucy said with a smile. "I'm just glad that you're okay. Dealing with childish idiots should be the last thing on your mind right now."

"Have you got somewhere to stay?" Natsu asked, arms lazily clasped behind his head.

Sherria nodded her affirmation and Lucy was surprised to find out that they were across the hall from each other. She sent Natsu to sell both their shares of the Vulcan's spoils so she could walk Sherria back and get her settled, and for once he didn't try to argue.

It was a quiet walk back to the inn, but Lucy kept a firm arm wrapped around Sherria's small shoulders, offering comfort through actions. She could only assume it was working; the shivering had not quite settled, but Sherria's guilty tears had stopped entirely. Replaced instead with a blazing strength, an affirmation Lucy was not privy to. She asked the girl such when they stood outside both their doors.

"You've come to a realisation, haven't you?" Lucy asked softly.

"Yeah," Sherria nodded. "It's time I go home."

Lucy felt her heart stop, pulse quickening at the ramifications of Sherria's words. In the back of her mind, she had always feared that the mentality of players would spiral — that the ensnaring arms of depression would drag some to self-slaughter. To hear such words from Sherria left Lucy feeling mortally wounded; almost sick, physically incapable of accepting it.

"You can't!" she said quickly, voice rising with her alarm. "Sherria, there are other ways to deal with this, I can promise you that!"

The girl's brow furrowed, confusion evident in her girlish features before realisation struck. "Oh! No, I don't mean that!"

Relief coursed through Lucy's buzzing veins, evening her breathing and lightening her heart. "I'm so glad…"

"I meant to say that I should go back to my guild from the beta," Sherria amended, taking Lucy's hand between both of hers. "I'm so sorry to startle you like that, I really need to think about what I say before I say it."

"You definitely should," Lucy chuckled with intoxicating relief. "Where is your guild?"

Sherria's entire manner seemed to brighten, a childish charm that belied none of her inner turmoil. Lucy could almost believe that the slaughter had never occurred.

"It's in Magaret Town. Lamia Scale," she tacked on. "My cousin is there right now with our friends challenging the leadership."

"That's exciting! Natsu and I are actually on our way to Magnolia — would you like to travel together?"

Sherria considered it for a moment, before an apologetic smile pulled at her lips. "After everything you two have already done, I couldn't bring myself to ask any more from you. I'll be fine!" she added, noticing Lucy's prepared rebuttal. "Really, Lucy. We'll see each other again, I just know it!"

Lucy found herself smiling along with the girl, their shared embrace warm and tight. "Then I will look forward to that day."

When she finally made it back into her room, she wasn't surprised to find Natsu already there, reclining on her bed like he had paid the rent and service fees. Lucy had no qualms shooing him off, banishing him instead to the wingback armchair in the corner.

"So Sherria is leaving, huh?" he queried, thumbing through the lonely guide book out of boredom rather than curiosity. He gave up soon enough, using the pages instead to fold paper aeroplanes.

Lucy had to swat one away from her face before answering. "She sure is. I don't blame her at all, really. She needs to be with her family right now." A realisation came over her then, and she rolled over onto her stomach to watch him intently. "How in the world did you know that?"

He didn't afford her an answer, merely pointing to his ears with a vacant gesture.

"Excuse me?" Lucy pressed, close to leaving the confines of her warm bed to stalk over to him.

"Perks of being a Dragon Slayer. Enhanced senses and strength and all that."

"Huh," Lucy hummed. "That's convenient."

Natsu snorted. "Tell me about it."

"So," Lucy ventured, after some moments of silence. "Will we be going to Magnolia soon?"

She was expecting a firm no, but his nod had her sitting back down on the bed excitedly, bouncing a little. "Really?"

"Yup. We can get in some training on the way."

"On the way? I thought we were taking the train."

Natsu shuddered, and Lucy raised one curious brow. "No way in hell am I getting on that thing. I highly doubt Zeref fixed the engine for instant travel since the beta."

"So how else can we get to Magnolia?"

"On foot, of course," Natsu looked at her like she had two heads, and Lucy stared back like he had three.

"Isn't it dangerous? Would we not be safer taking a carriage, or anything similar?"

Now her partner paled, arms coming around his torso to clench his stomach. "No way! Gods, I can feel the rocking now."

It didn't take long for Lucy to connect the dots. "Don't tell me you have motion sickness." Just her luck, really.

"Shut up, you're making me sick!" he moaned. Lucy was quick to back up when he leaned forward on his chair.

"Whatever," Lucy conceded. "Did you buy some travelling necessities while you were at the markets?"

That seemed to perk him up. "You betcha. I got jerky, some bed rolls, grain and oats, health and stamina potions. There's a couple of others, too."

"As long as we have enough to get through the trip." Lucy rose with a yawn and made her way to the ensuite, where she began the process of getting ready for bed.

She agreed that Natsu could share the room, as long as he slept on the couch. Lucy sacrificed a pillow and made sure to keep the balcony closed, though she did not draw the curtains. She enjoyed the moonlight creeping in, the sounds of the night sneaking through the open window above her bed. She fell asleep to Natsu's heavy breathing, the scent of woodfire and stardust lulling her to dreamscape.

They left at the crack of dawn. Lucy equipped her light travelling armour, and threw a dense cloak over her ensemble. She wrapped it tight around her shoulders, shivering violently in the neck of the woods. Natsu was taking his sweet time organising their route, she noted sullenly. Could he not have done it before they left the warmth of the inn?

Lucy supposed it wasn't all that bad though. The forestry here was purely magical. The trees seemed ancient, woodland creatures resting within knots in the bark. Pixies were wild too, delicate little things radiating warm auburns and fiery clementine. One settled into the crook of her neck, away from the chilly wind.

"Let's head off," Natsu finally announced, exiting out of his player menu. "Should only take us a day or two, depending on how often we stop."

Lucy at first struggled to keep up with the Slayer, but by midmorning and after a quick meal break she was walking in stride with him. The woodland seemed to gradually morph into a dense mountain range to their right, chalky rocks rising like bone from the uneven landscape. They stuck to the forest path, following the pine as they stretched into the clear sky. Lucy had to take off her cloak once the sun reached its highest point, the heat in the damp woods almost humid.

Natsu tracked a small spring, and Lucy gratefully unequipped her boots and paddled in a little way. The water tasted crisp on her tongue, and she had to force herself to slow down lest she get cramps. Natsu didn't seem to care about cramps at all, for he was scooping water with both hands as fast as he could. She had to move away from him, not wanting to get completely soaked.

"Good a time as any to get in some training," he declared once nourished, and to her horror, he exquipped down to his smalls.

"What are you doing?" Lucy shrieked, avoiding eye contact.

"Your turn," was all he said, and he stared at her unnervingly until she begrudgingly equipped into her smalls — bike shorts and a constricting sports bra.

"What now?" she whined, standing in the middle of the spring with her arms crossed over her chest.

"We do this!" he declared, and his blurring figure was all the warning Lucy got before she was tackled to the mud.

"Hey!" she shrieked, slamming his back with her clenched fists. Lucy managed to squirm away to the bank, where she found refuge behind a boulder. "Just what are you thinking?"

Natsu stalked closer, that predatory glint in his eyes back again. "You can't always rely on your spells or your swords. You need to be prepared for anything."

He lunged for her foot and dragged her through the mud, using his knees to trap her hands at her sides. "I'm being easy on you, but the cutthroat after your armour won't be," he held her throat in a loose hold, accentuating his point.

Something primal came over Lucy then. She couldn't explain it, wouldn't know if it was the game's engine programming her reactions or something naturally primitive. Using her knees, Lucy dug them into Natsu's bare and mud-splattered chest. She aimed for his ribs, knowing somehow that it would buy her a few seconds. Using that gained advantage, she scrambled to her feet and angled her body much the same as Natsu had yesterday — knees bent slightly, legs spread at shoulder-width apart. She didn't quite know what to do with her hands, settling on leaving them open and free to claw or punch if need be.

"You got me there," he admitted, rising to his full height slowly. He wiped at the mud obscuring his vision, distracting her with the motion.

She was tackled to the mud again, though this time Lucy managed to evade his hold before he could find purchase on her slippery skin. She didn't bounce back to her feet, instead flinging herself onto his back. They struggled for a moment, Lucy with her legs clamped around his waist and arms holding him in a clumsy chokehold, Natsu attempting to buck her off. He settled with flattening her in the mud, and she was forced to let him go lest she be crushed by his bulk.

"Two-one, my way," he panted, flexing his shoulders while she gained her breath again.

It didn't take her any time at all to lash out with her foot and trip him up, a tingly pressure building up in her wrist. It felt much like the first time she killed a boar, and she let the game's engine guide her. Her fist seemed to pulse a pale blue light, almost silver. She drove it into Natsu's side with no provocation, just knowing somehow that it was right.

"Shit," Natsu hissed, doing a good job at ignoring the pain. Lucy almost wondered if he'd even felt her strike. "I didn't think you'd figure it out that quick."

"Figure what out?" she pressed, keeping a safe distance between them. She wasn't letting her guard down for a second.

"Power attack," he huffed. "Kind of like the bonuses you get with weapons."

Lucy was glad that her intuition had been right. "Two all now," she teased.

The snarl behind his grinning lips sent shivers across her skin. He stalked closer, teasing her with feigned lunges. She backed up a full step with each feign until she had reached the tree line. Tumbling now would hurt, she realised, and made to sprint around him. His arms snaked around her waist easily, their muddied skin slick where they touched. The more she struggled the tighter his hold became, until she swore she could feel her ribs creaking. Lucy managed to free one foot, and she hooked it around Natsu's ankle as he stepped back towards the mud.

There was a moment of free fall. Lucy felt her stomach drop as the mud rushed up to meet her. From her peripheral, she saw Natsu roll over towards her, entirely covered in mud now. He snagged her closer so that she toppled across his stomach, his torso twisting to trap her. His fangs peeked from his top lip, blinding against his mud-caked face.

Lucy knew then for sure that her stint of good luck had completely run out.

It took two long hours to wash the last of the mud from her hair. Lucy shivered and cursed in the spring that had started it all, glaring at Natsu as he soaked in his own self-made onsen.

"Champion's prize," he grinned, feeding the greedy spring with more of his fire magic. Lucy wondered how he didn't shrivel up with the heat.

"You'll get heatstroke," she cautioned, playfully flicking him with icy water as she passed.

"No way," he sighed, the steam bringing a flush to his cheeks. "Fire Dragon Slayer, duh."

"Which also means that you're not immortal," she chastised, dipping a toe into the roiling water by his shoulder. "Natsu, that's boiling!"

The bubbles died off slightly, steam still thick over the spring. Natsu snagged her ankle and pulled her into the small pond, and the rush of warmth brought a pleased gasp from Lucy. She reclined back against the warmed rocks, the sensation of floating relieving for her tired limbs. She could feel Natsu's calloused hand resting on the back of her calf, guiding her away from the edge of the pond and to the centre, where the bubbles seemed fiercest.

"This is bliss," she sighed, before dunking below the surface briefly.

When she emerged she caught Natsu's stare, the wide smile and peeking fangs. Despite the looming death and the possibility that they could never make it out, she felt content. Happy, elated, lighter than air. Better than she had ever felt in the real world, and the revelation shook her to the core. She banished those thoughts as quickly as they came and forced herself from the comfort of the makeshift onsen, a distracted smile attempting to soothe the sudden concern on Natsu's face.

"It'll be dark soon. Don't big things with teeth look for water at sunset?"

"Probably would be best to find a secluded spot to camp at. The denser the better," Natsu nodded, rising to his full height. Lucy embarrassedly averted her eyes from his naked torso, as if she hadn't spent hours mud wrestling with the man.

She equipped back into her travelling gear, the weight of her weapons welcome at her hip and wrist. Lucy checked her backpack for provisions, forcing stamina potions down Natsu's throat after his third refusal. He begrudgingly took them, muttering all the while about their worthlessness. Lucy sipped on hers as they hiked further into the East Forest that boarded Magnolia, which they had reached mere minutes after leaving the spring. If Natsu's calculations were correct, they would make it to the town by tomorrow's noon.

It was Lucy who spied the perfect camping spot, and she left Natsu to setting it up while she gathered firewood for the cold night ahead of them. Without her partner by her side like he had been for the whole trip, the forest seemed disconcerting. She found herself jumping at little noises, awareness heightened. With each shudder, she chastised herself for relying so heavily on Natsu after less than a week in his company. Before she would avidly explore the forest around Oak Town, senses trained for boar and the odd goblin. And yet now she could hardly collect firewood without feeling the absence of her goofball partner.

She could easily put it down to being in new territory. Who knew what creatures had claimed the springs? How many goblins had laid waste to the caves? What of the bandit NPC's engineered to maim the unsuspecting traveller?

Such thoughts did not bode well, and so Lucy forced them away and focused her all on her surroundings. The woods were thankfully not silent, the trees teeming with birdsong and the odd squirrel, and so the threat of a predator was low. Feeling less ill at ease, Lucy picked around the pine grove until she had an armful of firewood. She transferred the load to her inventory and began on the short walk back, gathering extra tree limbs as she went.

Lucy had just reached the tree line when she felt it — the sensation of being watched. She did not stop or let her step falter, knowing that any sign of weakness would be reason enough for her stalker to attack.

With all her stomping around, she hadn't noticed the fall of the birdsong, how instead it was replaced with an eerie silence. Her fingers twitched to her dagger, and she drew it slowly, angling her body so that the action was invisible. She must not have been slight enough, for a deep growl sounded to her left. Abandoning all notions of subtlety, Lucy whipped around and faced her opponent, stance widening for an offence.

The trees seemed to waver, the trunks blending into each other. It wasn't until she spied a flash of fangs that the wolf made itself known, slinking away from the tree line to stalk towards her. Its coat was a mottled grey, the perfect camouflage against the grove, and she almost forgave herself for not noticing the beast sooner.

Swallowing her rising fear, she joined its dance as it circled her, trying to wean out a weakness. She gave the beast none. A wolf could very well kill her. She had to be cunning, sly, a step ahead of its every move.

"I don't want to hurt you," she whispered to its snarling maw, almost lost in the gold of its feral gaze. "But if you make me, please understand that I never wanted to."

Lucy ducked low as the wolf lunged with a menacing growl. She swung on it, using her whip-coiled arm as a makeshift shield. Despite knowing that the creature was completely fabricated, Lucy could not bring herself to land the first strike. She would resist until the very last moment. Sensing this, the beast brought the full force of its bite down on her arm.

There was a wince of pressure as the enchanted leather faltered, but then it seemed to throw the beast's strength back at it, forcing the yellowed maw to snap closed. Its powerful claws, however, were free to tear, and shred they did. She felt the burn of ripping flesh, the slow trickle of warm blood down her arm. Lucy barely had time to mutter a blood coagulating incantation before the wolf lunged around her blockaded arm, using each powerful forepaw to pin her shoulders to the pine-needled undergrowth.

"Lucy!" Natsu's frantic voice bellowed through the wood, and Lucy felt her blood run cold. She had to end this before the wolf rounded on her partner, before the beast disappeared into the trees again and toyed with them both.

The edge of her blade bit into her flesh as Lucy pushed against the wolf's maw, the glistening teeth closing in for her neck.

"I commit this soul to the everlasting heavens," she struggled to whisper, and drove the dagger into the wolf's side. The yelp it loosed broke her heart, and as selfish as it was, she was glad it was not her attack that stole its last breath.

That act belonged to the arcing fireball launched from the tree line, and her rampaging partner readying a flaming hook as he approached. She could feel the heat of his blazing fist as he stepped around her, figure almost blocking the display of garnet crystals of the wolf's final moments. Natsu seemed to bristle, senses extending to the forest for more predators before deeming it safe. He dropped to her side, warm arms taking hold of her and pulling her upright.

"I'm okay," she insisted. "Just a scratch. I already cast a spell to clot the wound."

His nostrils flared, narrowed eyes seeking out the wound. "Is that the only one?" his voice was guttural, battle hardened.

"Yes," Lucy confirmed, and laid a hand on his tensed shoulder. "I am completely fine."

Her partner nodded, wrapping an arm around her so that her injured arm was cradled against his warm side. "Let's get out of here before any of its mates show up — not that I wouldn't mind a scuffle, but I'm starved."

"I couldn't agree more," Lucy sighed, eyes flicking back to the scorched patch of earth marking the spot of the beast's demise. She brought both herself and Natsu to a jarring halt when she spotted a glint of silver amongst the charred leaves.

If she focused enough, she could just make out a hushed tinkling, and yet her heart soared at the chiming. Lucy had come to recognise the touch of magic, and she knew that there was something her heart needed, a gaping chasm that needed to be filled by these spirits. She slipped out of Natsu's hold and sprinted back to where the scuffle had ensued, the silver a beacon.

"Oi," Natsu protested, jogging after her. "We're meant to be going the other way."

Lucy squatted and dug through the brambles, earth still warm from the remnants of Natsu's attack. Dirt caked under nails as she turned the earth over, frantic and yearning for the spirit calling to her. Her fingers brushed something cool and she dived for it, unearthing a starlight-bright key. She brushed her earth-crusted fingers over the cool metal, savouring the tingling of each stroke. Behind her closed eyes, words flowed like water, images of another time. A gem-studded sky, the moon full and warm. The pounding of paws upon dewy grass, each breath strong and quick. A wondrous beast of old, birthed from the Night Mother, Nyx, to prey upon the worst of her children.

"Lupus," she whispered reverently, and the key warmed in her clutch. She didn't need her guide book to recall the summoning incantation, the verse burned into her recollection. The words rolled from her tongue eagerly, like her body ached to call the spirit, to bring it home to her heart.

Stardust gathered at the key's teeth, spreading to the forest air and forming a shape vaguely reminiscent of a wolf. Lucy stepped back as the lights seemed to focus around the central figure, the radiance almost blinding.

"Shit," she heard Natsu hiss over the dull roar of her heart, and she chanced a look at him to find her partner awestruck, wide eyes soaking in every detail of her summoning.

A small whine alerted her, and Lucy whipped around to find Lupus crouched on the forest floor, golden eyes lowered to her feet and slate-grey ears flattened.

"Hey…" she whispered, and slowly crawled across the undergrowth towards the familiar Spirit. "It's okay."

Lupus rolled to his side, exposing the tender skin of his underbelly. His whining continued, reaching a heart-wrenching pitch. Lucy laid her hand upon his ribs, marvelling at the softness of the fur beneath her fingers. She gently guided his head to meet her warm gaze. The emotion behind the Spirit's eyes almost floored her. As timeless and wise as the creature seemed, the concern for her and their bond going forward was humbling. She accepted his submission, laying her cheek atop his head.

"I'm not mad," she hushed, and a choked laugh left her lips when the wolf laid an eager lick against her cheek, and with a pitiful whine he began to bathe the nasty cut on her arm, the one gouged into her flesh by his own claws.

"Lucy, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Natsu warned, moving forward with his fists clenched. Lupus' lips raised in a snarl, slipping from Lucy's loose embrace to stand protectively over her.

"Natsu, stop it," she hissed, "he thinks you're trying to hurt me."

"And did he not just try to rip your damn throat out?" he growled right back, summoning his flames. Lupus bristled, hackles raising and a snarl coming from a deeper, guttural place. Lucy couldn't help the shiver, realising suddenly that the wolf would give its own life for hers.

"He won't anymore," she argued, voice full of a determined indignation, "although I won't chance that he might still do that to you."

It took her partner a moment to let the idea sit before he relaxed his stance, flames sizzling out. "So, what? You summon him and now you're both best buds for life?"

"That's how it works," she confirmed with a light smile, hand returning to her beast's back. She felt the muscles shimmer as he continued his pacing, eyes regarding her partner warily. "It may take some time for you two to become the 'best of buds', by the looks of it."

Natsu scoffed, and says dryly, "How tragic."

An idea suddenly formed, and she had to restrain her wicked smile at the thought of it. "You know… there's no better team bonding exercise than hunting for dinner."

Now her partner openly snorted. "As if! This thing will just take it for itself."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"Oh, yeah?"

Lucy let a tiny smirk through with her next words: "You're not going to let a wolf show you up, are you, Mister Dragon Slayer?"

She whispered her command to Lupus, delighted with the surge of excitement she felt through their shared connection as Spirit and Mistress. Lupus bolted into the wood, hide blending with the tightly packed spruce and birch. Natsu's glare was almost scandalised, and Lucy broke into laughter as he raced after her spirit. Once both boys were gone, she made her way back to camp, sipping on a health potion for her wound as she did so.

Natsu had already set a small fire, and Lucy fed it eagerly with her gathered firewood. The warmth spread across her cheeks and chest, welcome as the sun began its descent and left the woods to the coolness of night. The tea she brewed from foraged herbs further warmed her, hibiscus and chrysanthemum calming her while also warding off any infection she may have contracted through her slash. As for wound care, there wasn't much she could do without a healer. The medicinal arts were finicky and laborious to study; she could only commit to learning the basics while also practising her own Celestial magic. The blood had coagulated on its own, and so the charm for it was unnecessary.

She must have dozed off to sleep, for when she awoke it was to the crackling of firewood and the scent of a roasted boar. Lupus had left — that much she could tell from the burst of energy her Spirit's absence gifted her. Holding open gates for prolonged periods of time was difficult upon her magic reserves, especially so after sustaining an injury.

"Look who's finally awake," Natsu chuckled to her right, and she looked over to find him feasting on the boar.

"How long was I asleep?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. You were out when I got back. Must be the drain to your reserves."

"And Lupus?"

Now his eyes twinkled, a wicked grin splitting his greasy lips. "Gotta admit, he's got some spunk. Wouldn't mind fighting him again some other time."

"Not happening," Lucy groused, and forced herself from the warmth of her bedroll. "How close are we to Magnolia?"

Natsu moved over on the log bench, allowing her to squeeze in next to the warmth of him and the roaring fire. He grinned at her pleased sigh, affectionately bumping her shoulder with his own. "We should be there by noon tomorrow, earlier if we leave before dawn."

"Let's do that, then," she hummed in thought, "that way we'll be closer to sorting out the front lines for the second boss."

"Look at you," he chuckled. "Already acting like a general after one boss fight."

"Well, sitting around and speculating won't get us home any faster," she argued, unaware of the sudden dullness to his eyes, the drop of his smirk.

"Yeah, home…"

They settled into an easy silence, Lucy gorging her fill before taking another potion for her wound. Natsu had slathered a salve over it, claiming it to work miracles. The pungent smell had her cursing the poultice, but she dealt with it, trusting her partner's intuition. And, despite the drain on her reserves she knew it would bring, she summoned Lupus again to patrol as they slept. With all her training with Aquarius, she knew she could handle sustaining a silver key at least until first light. Lucy would not risk her or Natsu's life by leaving them unguarded as they slept in such unfamiliar woods. Even Natsu admitted to the increased danger, often comparing the beta to child's play.

"Goodnight, Natsu," she whispered, watching him through slitted eyelids as he kicked a leg out of his bedroll.

"Night, Luce," he said simply.

She fell asleep to the thrum of the fire as it died off slowly, firebugs dancing over the pine needles far above her and into the star-scattered sky.

And we're back! I'm so glad that you're enjoying DoDK enough to come back for another taste. You can expect chapter 3 on the 20th of September.

Thank you so much to my beta noseinabook145 for her advice and dedication to this fic! I'm sure these 10K chapters are a nightmare to edit, so big props for that, hun!

A warm, loud thank you to my reviewers! I'll be giving out sneak peeks IF WE HIT REVIEW MILESTONES. So this chapter's goal is 25 reviews for an excerpt of chapter 3, which I will post in a week's time on this chapter!

Review Replies:
Wiinter, I love you too!

narutoyaoifan, thank you! I've always thought there was so much potential for an SAO plot in an FT world. Can you guess which of Zeref's demons will make an appearance in the chapters to come?

endailles, GIIIIRL I'M IN LOVE WITH YOUR ENTHUSIASM. I hope these chapter sneak peeks will help tide you over!

LavenderMoonRose, thank you! Let's just say, there's more than what meets the eye...

4evrDorkly17, hey stranger, it's been a minute! I'm so glad you're enjoying DODK! As always my lovely, THANK YOU for your kind words!

Lily, thank you! I'll definitely be expanding on this lil project of mine.

T-tawny, 10/10 love seeing reviews like yours!

fpinheiro96, thank you! Hopefully I'll keep hitting you guys with new and improved writing!

LSH, your wish is my command!

Forbidden-Hanyou, thenyou'll definitely pick up on my slip-ups before I do! Hopefully, I'll blow you away as much as SAO did!

SleepinBeautyK, Erza could never die, it would be a sin! I'm so thankful that you're enjoying this so much. I'll be looking forward to hearing your theories as we keep getting closer to the finale. Happy's presence will be a sweet little surprise, so stay tuned for that!

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