I'm just so excited about this arc. So so excited.
Well, not excited at the moment of course. My poor little Natsu and Lucy. I'll make it up to them, I promise.
As always, thanks for all the love and happy reading!
Natsu woke up slowly, his limbs stiff and sore and his mouth dry. He stretched out, the fabric beneath him crinkling slightly as it always did. When he relaxed on his back, he allowed his limbs to fall where they wanted and tried to fall back asleep.
It took him a minute, but when he finally realized something was wrong, his eyes shot open and he bolted up. His bed at Lucy's, and Lucy's bed for that matter, did not crinkle- his nest did.
Natsu couldn't understand why he was surrounded by the red rocks of his home instead of the shadowed comfort of Lucy's bedroom. He'd fallen asleep there, hadn't he? Of course he had, after they'd finally been together without his dragon interfering.
He'd even admitted out loud that he loved her.
Pain, hot and sharp, shot through him as he realized he couldn't feel anything through their bond. In the time since he'd finally laid with Lucy, he'd noticed an increase in his ability to feel her emotions. She no longer had to feel them strongly for him to sense them, he had been able to feel each and every one if he concentrated hard enough. Right now, though, he felt nothing.
He yanked his shirt off and found that her mark was no longer on his body. His torso was bare of all except his scar. As he ran his hand over where his mark should be, he wondered what had happened to erase it. Had Lucy cancelled their contract?
Fear and pain filled him at the thought that she might have chosen to be separated from him, but he pushed it aside, refusing to accept it.
"Natsu?"
Natsu jumped and turned to see Grandeeney landing on the cliff near his nest. "Grandeeney?" What if he was just visiting home like he had last time? "Can you see me? Like, really see me?"
"Yes, dear. I can." She looked sad as she sat down and sighed. "I am so sorry, Natsu."
I'm sorry, Natsu.
He remembered hearing that sometime during the night. Who had it been?
"Erza…" Natsu looked around frantically. "Where is Erza? I heard her, I know she was there! Did she take me away from Lucy?"
Grandeeney flinched before she answered. "It was… a group effort, Natsu."
Natsu fell back against the pillows behind him. "What do you mean a group effort? Why did you guys take me, you had no right! I haven't broken any laws, angel, dragon, demon, any!" Natsu shot to his feet. "Put me back!"
"She can't." Erza appeared much as she had the last time Natsu summoned her, but this time her defenses were raised against him. "I am sorry, Natsu, but this is how it has to be."
"What does that even mean?!" Natsu braced his feet. "You guys nullified my contract with no warning or explanation! You are the one breaking the rules, Erza, not me! I demand you put me back right now!"
"I can't do that."
"I'm serious, Erza." Natsu felt no fear as he faced the other demon. His scales erupted from his skin, as well as his tail and wings. That they came out in an instant, and with no pain, completely escaped his notice as he left his nest and stalked toward Erza. "I don't care if you are in charge of the demon's contracts, mine was not violated in any form. You had no right to take me-"
"It was an order, Natsu," she yelled. "I had no choice."
"An order? From who? And why?!"
"Because your bond with your master threatened the stability of the realms, Natsu." Natsu glared up at Grandeeney as she spoke. "They couldn't risk you bonding with Lucy and allowing the prophecy to not be completed."
Natsu turned, understanding beginning to dawn on him. "You said it was a group effort," he accused. "You were involved, weren't you? You helped break my contract and take me away from Lucy."
"I had to, Natsu." Grandeeney's eyes filled with tears as she watched him step away from her. "Natsu, I understand what you're going through-"
"You don't," he said harshly, cutting her off. "Your mate died. Igneel's mate, died. Mine is being kept away from me by people I trusted."
Erza stepped forward. "Natsu-"
"Who else?" he hissed, rounding on the other demon. "Who else was involved?"
"Leo," Erza answered, "and the angel king."
"Leo?!" Natsu roared and fire blasted out of his mouth, more than he'd ever produced before. "That bastard took me away from her?! How dare he! I want to talk to him!" He rounded on Grandeeney. "I know you can make portals to the human world without a contract or being summoned. Send me there."
"I can't," Grandeeney said, regret clear in her voice and expression. "I'm sorry."
Natsu turned back to Erza. "Let me go talk to him."
"You can't, Natsu." Erza braced herself as she spoke again. "You are banned from the human world for the foreseeable future."
"WHAT?!" Natsu's form exploded and he nearly knocked both Grandeeney and Erza over as he expanded. Oily black mixed with the usual red of his scales, and his eyes burned with a golden fire that leapt from the sockets. His claws dug into the rocks beneath him and his tail whipped back and forth furiously. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN I AM BANNED FROM THE HUMAN WORLD?" he roared.
Erza's blade appeared in her hand as she took a cautious step back, her wings primed and ready. "By order of the demon kings, you, Natsu Dragneel, are hereby banned from the human realm until Lucy Hearfilia has passed onto the next life and completed the prophecy."
Natsu growled, his fangs elongated and dripping. "And who is going to keep me here? You?"
"Natsu-"
"That is enough!" Grandeeney moved to stand between the demon and hybrid and glared at Natsu. Even in his current form, one larger than he'd ever managed before, she was still bigger than he was.
"Natsu, you knew that this was a possibility. As soon as you figured Lucy was your mate, I am certain you realized that with her role in the prophecy, you would not be able to stay with her indefinitely. Leo said he had warned you to keep from bonding with her before you even realized you would want to, so I know that you understand what is at stake here.
"Erza is only doing her job. Once the kings ruled in favor of terminating your contract, she and Leo went to retrieve you and clean up the mess. Both of them were only following their orders. You and Erza are friends, so do not allow your anger to control you, do you hear me? Your father would not want you to lash out like this."
"What mess?" Natsu asked, his voice calm and level, but his eyes glowing with barely suppressed anger. He looked down at Erza. "What mess?"
Erza lifted her chin, even as her eyes betrayed her upset. "It was decided that Lucy should be left with no memories of your involvement in her life, which included the things you left behind, the existence of magic…" She faltered, but finished with a sigh. "And her memories and feelings for you."
"You… you erased me?" Stunned, Natsu didn't realize he was changing back. He stared passed Erza, the hurt so intense he actually dug his claws into his chest in an effort to reach it. "You erased me?" he whispered.
"I'm sorry, Natsu," Erza said, her own eyes shiny with unshed tears.
They had erased him. Natsu no longer existed to his mate, the person perfectly matched to his personality and desires. The person he cared for more than life itself. The person he would sacrifice anything, everything, for. If he were to see her tomorrow, she wouldn't even recognize him. She's smile politely and walk right passed him.
How could this have happened?
What did he do to deserve this?
"Zeref…" Natsu's wings unfolded from his back once more and snapped wide as he shot into the sky.
"Natsu, wait!" Erza raised a hand to try and catch him, but she missed.
"Let him go," Grandeeney said.
"But where is he going?"
"To speak with Zeref."
Erza raised an eyebrow at the dragon. "What will that accomplish? The kings already voted to terminate the contract and contain him here until Lucy dies. No one can change that."
Grandeeney nodded. "I understand, but Natsu needs time. He's just found and then lost his mate, and dragons would do anything to get them back," she said with a small smile.
"You know he's right," she mused. "I don't know what he's going through. When I lost my mate, he was dead, and there was no bringing him back. I imagine it must be worse for him, knowing she is still out there, living a life without him. I do not wish that kind of pain on anyone, least of all him."
"That doesn't explain why he's seeking out Zeref," Erza said.
"Well wouldn't you seek out family in this situation?" Grandeeney asked.
"Ah." Erza nodded. "I had forgotten the Nightmare King was his brother."
"And what good is having a king for a brother if you can not ask him for help in times such as this?" Grandeeney said. "At least he might be able to comfort him, since I am unable to."
"Perhaps." Erza looked away when she saw the tears flowing from the dragon's eyes. "Do you need anything?"
"No, I'll be alright." Grandeeney smiled despite her tears. "He needs to grieve in his own way. I will be here when he is ready. Go on," she said as she nudged the demon. "You have a job to do. Do not waste your time here."
"If you are certain."
"I am."
With a final nod, Erza poofed away, leaving the white dragon alone on the tallest cliff face of the dragon's home. Grandeeney looked down at her dear friends' nest and noticed the small sculpture that had been brought back with Natsu. Erza hadn't said anything when she'd left it in the nest with Natsu, but Leo had said plenty with his eyes.
Grandeeney carefully picked it up with her claws and lifted it so she could study the visage of her former friend. It was beautifully made, and captured Igneel's essence and smile perfectly.
Tears flowed more freely as she set it back down and looked towards the sky.
I am so sorry, Igneel.
Enqiorbviowbv
Lucy returned to work two days after Natsu disappeared, just as she was supposed to. Her friends had called and messaged, seeking details of her adventures, and asking to get together, but Lucy had said no.
It was obvious from her conversations with them that they didn't remember Natsu. They knew she'd gone on a trip with some friend that had visited town, but they didn't remember the name. She'd spent the better part of the last two days going over her apartment and checking anywhere she could think to for Natsu, completely confused about where he would go or why he would leave.
She'd visited her mom's clearing the night before, finding nothing out of the ordinary except for a few small piles of melted wax.
That had been all the reassurance she'd needed that he had been real. Wherever he had gone, whatever kind of memory magic had been used on her friends to forget him, he had existed. She wasn't crazy. He wasn't some figment of her imagination.
He had been there.
They had laughed together.
They had played together
They had cooked together.
They had lived and explored together.
They had touched and tasted each other.
They had been together… loved together.
Lucy quickly wiped the tears from her eyes before she entered her work. She'd been careful with her make up, to try and hide how much crying she'd done, but if she started up again, it would all be for naught.
She made it through the lobby, through the elevator ride, and to her desk without finding anyone she spoke to regularly, so she took a deep breath as she sat in her desk chair and set aside her purse, allowing herself a moment to try and pull herself together.
The physical exhaustion from all her crying and angry cleaning had taken a lot out of her, but the emotional pain was draining as well. She'd tried, time and time again, to resummon Natsu. She didn't have the copy of Happy's summoning circle or Natsu's anymore, but she had tried to recreate it, over and over again. Nothing she had done had worked, and after a while, she'd just had to hope Natsu would come on his own. When that hadn't happen, she'd gone back to crying herself to sleep, alone in her too big bed.
She pulled the pile of papers across her desk so she could look at them, but stopped as a flash caught her eye. Lucy slid the papers to the side, not noticing when some of them fell to the floor as she leaned forward with a shaky hand and picked up what she had uncovered.
The little glass dragon Natsu had gotten her from Japan was still there. Whoever had cleaned up had clearly not checked her work place, and she had never been so grateful for anything in her life.
She nearly dropped the fragile figurine as she picked it up and brought it to her face to study it. Even in the harsh fluorescents, the glass threw colored shapes across her hands in red, orange and yellow.
Lucy couldn't stop the tears that filled her eyes again, and in a haste that left her office in disarray, she grabbed her bag and that little dragon and left the building to return home.
She could go back later.
For now, she needed more time.
Time to mourn the magical dragon hybrid that had shown up in a flurry, thrown her life into disarray, and after getting her to fall in love with him, had disappeared without a trace.
Well I've got tears in my eyes after that. Anyone else?
