Natsu heard the whistling of a teakettle long before he reached Lucy's front door. He'd left the guild at a dead sprint when he heard about Levy and Team Shadowgear, the news causing a fire to burn in his belly. He made the mistake of going to see the three unconscious members of his guild before calling Lucy, wasting precious time in hindsight. What he saw made smoke curl from his lips and a rumbling growl echo in his chest. Anything he touched burned with the fires of his anger. Levy, Jet, and Droy were covered in blood and cuts and bruises. The curving shape of Phantom Lord guild's symbol carved in their chests. It was when Erza, who was helping carry the wounded back to Fairy Tail, suggested calling in every member of the guild that Natsu remembered how far Lucy lived from the safety of Fairy Tail.
"Lucy!" He screamed, kicking down her door and storming into her apartment. His heart sank the moment he passed through the doorway. Her fancy new apartment that she loved so much was completely empty. Natsu cursed profusely, mainly at himself for taking so long to get to her, and punched the wall closest to him. The plaster cracked under the force of his fist, and he made a mental reminder to fix the new hole in her wall before she came back. He knew she'd be furious with him for messing up her home.
Luckily, he had visited before, when he and Gray helped her move in. The sound of the teakettle whistling incessantly grew louder as he entered the kitchen, and Natsu haphazardly pushed the boiling hot kettle to the side with his bare hand. The high-pitched sound subsided and he stepped forwards, a crack sounding from underneath the drakon's foot. He looked down and saw the scattered shards of a broken mug, and a half-filled dustpan sitting off to the side along with the broom. Eyes narrowing, the drakon took a whiff of the air to try and scent his partner or the intruder. Her scent was faint, there was only a faint echo of strawberries and vanilla from her shampoo. Natsu followed the scent down the hallway, stepping over the scattered pages of a large leather-bound book and pausing to push open her bedroom door.
Her bedroom was tragically empty, save for a full-sized bed and a dresser. Natsu's brow furrowed when he sensed that someone had gone snooping in Lucy's room, the scent of the intruder coating the night stand and dresser. He knew the blonde was sensitive about her privacy, having "accidentally" broken into her apartment to hang out and suffering the dire consequences, i.e. a vicious Lucy Kick.
He continued down the hallway, where he could smell the residual traces of a fight, the stench of fear and sweat leading him down to the end of the hall. He paused in the doorway of the last room on the left, his shoes soaking up the water puddled on the floor. He saw her phone, cracked and discarded on the floor near the bookcase. Natsu stepped over the puddles of water scattered throughout the room and picked it up with shaking fist and stared at his disjointed reflection in the shattered glass.
He allowed himself thirty seconds. Thirty seconds to focus on his breathing and try to weather the waves of emotions crashing through him. Once those thirty seconds were up, he pocketed the phone in his pocket and turned and ran out of the silent, empty apartment.
iiiii
She woke with a scratch crawling in her throat and a pounding in her head. Cold leeched through her clothes and deep into her skin. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking away the black spots dotting her vision and let her eyes adjust to the darkness surrounding her.
The black spots faded and revealed concrete walls and iron bars. Lucy winced and held her head as she sat up, leaning against the nearest wall with a curse. Memories of the strange woman who broke into her apartment and attacked her and then, apparently, abducted her and put her in this cell ran through her mind. She unconsciously reached down and into her shorts pocket for the familiar weight of her Zodiac keys, only to find pocket lint instead.
She cursed and slammed her fist against the cold concrete, wincing at the pain. Clutching her hand to her chest, she peered out past the bars and tried to find any clue to her whereabouts in the darkness. When she heard the pitter patter of footsteps coming down the hall and saw the soft yellow glow of a lantern bobbing towards her cell, Lucy curled into the closest corner and slowed her breathing. She figured pretending to still be unconscious and eavesdropping on her captors to try and learn more about what was happening was the best option, even if the chances of her jailer revealing a way for her to escape like any movie heroine were slim.
The light and the footsteps stopped at the bars of her cell, and a low sigh echoed in the empty air.
"You can get up, there's no need to pretend," A male voice purred. Lucy tried not to move a muscle at his words. "I mean, really, Ms. Heartfilia, there's no need for such a ridiculous act."
Groaning, she pushed herself up to her feet and glared over at the man standing outside her cell. His black lips curled into a devious smile when she stared down at him, his villainous black moustache twitching above his lips. He had long, greasy black hair pulled back in a tight ponytail and wore a deep blue uniform with yellow stripes. A floating yellow light bobbed next to his left shoulder, casting dark shadows across her cell.
"Where are my keys?" She asked stiffly, crossing her arms across her chest and staring at the man in defiance. The man's smile widened.
"Don't worry, they're safe," He said, patting his breast. The metallic clinking of her keys was muffled by the layers of fabric, but Lucy still felt a bone chilling shiver slide down her spine at the sound. Scalding hot rage boiled through her veins and she felt her magic rising to the surface of her skin in response. She took a few deep breaths and focused on keeping her magic from turning her into a living glow-stick.
"Give them to me," She growled. The man just chuckled and folded his hands behind his back. "My name is Jose, and I'm the master of Phantom Lord. Your father sent me," He said, his yellowed teeth bared in a feral smile.
"My father-" Lucy muttered, taking an involuntary step back. Suddenly, the attack and subsequent abduction made a lot more sense. Her bastard of a father sent some mercenary after her to bring her home.
"Well, you can tell my father to leave me the hell alone." Lucy's hand fisted at her side. She watched the man, Jose, step closer to the bars of her cell and tilt his head.
"No worries, Ms. Heartfilia. Your father paid me a hefty sum to retrieve you, but, I am a flexible man," He said smoothly. Lucy stared at him in confusion.
"I was going to take you straight on over to your father, but then I heard through the rabbit hole that there was a newcomer among the fairies with celestial magic and I had to get my hands on you and see for myself," he placed a hand one of the bars and pushed his face into the opening. "I must say, I am very surprised. Your aura, it's intoxicating. So, I've decided to keep the first half of your father's payment and tell him I was unable to find you."
Gooseflesh speckled down her arms and legs and Lucy took an involuntary step back from the man across the bars, grateful for the barrier now that his black beady eyes stared at her with unconcealed lust. Jose jolted back upright, turning his face to the side, as though someone was whispering in his ear. A soft rush of air wafted through the hall and the cell, ruffling Lucy's clothes and the shining medallions on Jose's uniform.
"Unfortunately, I must cut our meeting short. But, when I get back, the two of us will begin our…work." He laughed. Lucy snarled and bared her teeth, but Jose just laughed and waved goodbye as he turned and walked back the same way he came, the little magic light bobbing after him.
Encased in darkness once more, Lucy leaned against the wall and let her body slowly slide down until she was seated on the floor. The icy air stung her exposed skin, and she wished she had something other than the tank top and shorts she was wearing to keep her warm. Lucy sniffled, drawing her knees up to her chest and folding her head in her arms with a soft exhale. The cold of the concrete leeched away her body heat until she was left shivering in the cold, dark cell.
iiiii
Natsu threw the guild doors open hard enough for the ancient wood to snap back against the walls and close with a loud, echoing crack. All heads turned to the seething drakon as he stalked over to where Makarov was conversing with Mirajane and the old healer, Porly-something, he couldn't remember her name. It hadn't been important enough for him to store away the first time he met the surly woman, and it wasn't relevant now. He ignored the scent of fae blood leeching from behind the closed infirmary door, choosing to focus on those he could help: Lucy.
"Master, they took Lucy," He growled out, his voice rumbling low in his chest. The goblin's frowned deepened and Mirajane wiped her eyes with a napkin and sniffled. Natsu could hear the rest of the guild's angry mumbling, all waiting to hear what they would do to the scum that had attacked Levy and her team. Retaliation was the only option to such a vile, ruthless attack on their own. Erza was sitting in the far corner of the tavern, polishing one of her deadly blades with absolute focus and calm. Gray was talking with Nab and Elfman, already shirtless and his fingers nervously fiddling with the waistband of his pants. Even Wakaba was angry, his enchanted pipe smoke circling around the mage and curling through the air.
"Could you tell who it was?" Makarov asked Natsu, who scowled and shook his head. "I've never met the creature behind the scent, but there was leftover water and residual traces of a fight. Whoever took her was a water mage, that's all I know."
"Might've been one of the Element Four," Makarov mused, twirling his moustache with his fingers. The healer woman huffed and crossed her arms. "My work here is done. Those three will be right as rain in a few days. I got to them just in time, too. Just keep an eye out for any signs of curses or hexes, but otherwise, I'm going back home."
"Thank you Porlyusica, we are in your debt yet again," Makarov said, bowing his head in respect and gratitude. The woman just grumbled under her breath and stalked out of the guild, activating the portal with a wave of her hands.
"Gramps, we have to get Lucy back," Natsu implored, smoke curling out from his nostrils. The guild master eyed Natsu carefully, but nodded.
"Don't worry, we'll get her back. She's part Fairy Tail now, which means she's family," He said, patting Natsu's arm. The master sighed, then, with a big inhale, hopped up onto the bar and then leapt to the balcony above the first floor of the guild and shouted, "Listen here, brats!"
Everyone milling around in the guild immediately turned their attention to Makarov. The man stared down at his family, making eye contact with every member, for a few silent moments.
"Earlier tonight, some scoundrel attacked our own. Three of us were almost killed tonight," He curled a hand into a tight fist, "-and now another has been abducted. I will not stand for this. We know that Phantom Lord has been out to get us for years, but now they've gone too far. Their actions tonight leave us with only one option for retaliation. Get ready, my children, for now, we go to war!"
Cheers and shouts filled the air and all those whose magic was combat worthy started gathering necessary supplies and focusing on summoning their powers. Natsu grumbled and paced next to the edge of the bar top, drawing concerned gazes from those around him. With each step he made, another scorch mark scarred the wooden floorboards. The air around him was ten times hotter than the rest of the building. Mirajane and Erza glanced at each other, concern mirrored in their eyes, and nodded. They would keep an eye on Natsu. Drakonic magic was volatile in the best of hands, but Natsu had always run hotter than most.
"Natsu, we'll get her back," Erza said, standing a few feet from the pacing mage. He just shot the Valkyrie a glare and continued. He squeezed his hands in and out of fists, his nails biting into his skin.
"I was on the phone with her when it happened," Natsu growled, drawing the scarlet haired woman's attention. "I told her to stay where she was. I did. Maybe if she met me halfway, she'd still be here, she'd still be safe."
Erza nodded in understanding. Now she understood why Natsu was so on edge.
"It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known who was being targeted. Based on what you told us, it sounds like Phantom Lord deliberately went after Lucy, and I bet if they wanted her bad enough, not even you would have been able to stop them." She crossed her arms. Erza's words seemed to calm Natsu, at least a little bit. He stopped pacing, and instead glared out towards the front door, fire burning in his dark eyes.
"They'll pay for this," he said, "they'll pay for what they did to Levy and for taking Lucy."
iiiii
Lucy sat in the farthest corner of the cell, her eyes locked on the hallway beyond the metal bars. She estimated that it had been a couple of hours since Jose spoke with her. The shivers wracking her body subsided after a while, when she could feel the vestiges of her magic returning. Something about the cell prevented her from using her magic. She could feel the golden ichor flowing through her body, but it was just out of her reach. Every time she tried to summon the netting that enhanced her physical abilities the magic she'd regenerated was sucked out of her, leaving her shaking from exhaustion on the hard floor.
Lucy's eyes started to drift closed as the ever-present temptation of sleep pawed at her. Right as she was about to succumb to her body's desire for rest, there was a loud crash from below her cell, and the entire building shook. Cracks shot up the walls of her cell and pieces of the ceiling fell, covering the blonde in dust and debris.
Lucy shot up and grabbed at the bars of her cell, poking her face through the spaces to try and see what was going on. Another crash echoed, and more cracks appeared in the cell. She heard shouts of alarm from down the hall, and saw a doorway open in the darkness, letting in a flash of light as the two guards stationed on either side disappeared down the staircase. She cried out and reached for the lit stairwell, but the guards paid no attention to her and the door closed with a dull thud that Lucy felt echoed in her bones.
She cursed and kicked at the bars of her cell, ignoring the pain in her toes. She bared her teeth and gripped the cool metal and summoned her newfound strength to try and pry the bars apart. A few seconds after she started, an electric shock sizzled off the bars and sent Lucy flying across the cell and crashing into the back wall.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," A voice purred. Lucy looked up at Jose, who had appeared outside her cell out of the shadows. The magical light bobbing around his shoulder grew in both size and intensity and floated into the middle of her cell. Lucy grimaced and brought her hand up to shield her eyes.
"Our plans have changed, my dear. I'm afraid we're experiencing a problem with some pesky vermin. No worries, I'll just transport you to the secondary location," Jose said. He waved his hand and the metal bars of her cell dissolved away, letting him walk into her cell.
Despite the absence of the bars and the possibility of escape, Lucy only felt panic rise in her throat as Jose approached her. His menacing aura was suffocating. She thought about trying to outrun the older man and slide past him to the exit, but before she could make a move the metal bars returned.
"Now, come with me quietly," He said, reaching out a thin hand for her to grab. Lucy just spat at him and backed up against the wall behind her. Jose just wiped his hand on his cloak and glared at her with a disgusted sneer. Lucy crept along the wall, her fingers scratching at the concrete to look for any escape.
Another resounding boom shook the building, sending Lucy stumbling. Jose sneered, glancing back to the stairwell, where screams and shouts echoed from the lower levels.
"No more games, you're coming with me," Jose said darkly, taking a few steps forward. Lucy thrust her hand out defensively and growled, "Don't you fucking dare. I'd rather die than go with you."
"I don't have time for this ridiculousness!" Jose paced across the cell, then paused and gave Lucy a chilling smile. His moustache curled on his upper lip and he stared at the wall right behind her.
"If you are true to your word, go ahead and jump," he said menacingly. Eerie purple shadows erupted from Jose's outstretched hand and slammed into the wall to her right, punching a hole in the concrete. Lucy jumped back and gasped. Fresh air and light from the setting sun flooded the cell. She ran over to the edge of the hole, careful of the cracks and crumbling concrete to peer out at the horizon.
Instead of relief, she felt only cold fear and her heart dropped out of her chest. The cell was at the top of a towering pillar of dark stone and metal that rose high above the earth, close to the clouds. They were so high in the air, Lucy swore she could reach out and touch the fluffy white vapor before her. She made the mistake of looking down, and nausea and vertigo overtook her senses. Her vision blurred and she stumbled back from the edge of the window.
"Like I said, you can jump or come with me," Jose said, his tone laced with arrogance. Lucy glared back over at the guild master. She felt the wind flowing through the cell wrap around her and caress her skin. The sunlight glinted against the metal cell bars, reflecting in Lucy's dark irises. Time slowed, and it seemed like she could feel the sun setting on the horizon behind her, each and every inch.
The thought of going with Jose to be tortured and forced into using her magic, and possibly put her spirits in danger, made her stomach twist in disgust. It was in that moment, when the thought of jumping to her death flitted through her mind, that she felt a strangely familiar kernel of warmth bloom in her chest. Lucy placed a hand between her breast, where she felt a droplet of power thrum with heat. Her heartbeat slowed and her breathing evened out. She could tell that her body was trying to tell her something, and she decided to go with her gut instinct, to trust that familiar magic burning inside of her.
She lowered her gaze and took a few timid steps forward, curling her arms around her waist to look as weak and vulnerable as she could. A deep chuckle rumbled from Jose and he met Lucy halfway, placing both his hands on her shoulders.
"You've made the right decision, my dear," He purred. The little orb of strange magic burning within her pulsed angrily when Jose's hands touched her skin, and Lucy glowered up at the man through her lashes, a confident gleam in her eyes. She snarled and thrust her knee into Jose's groin, all her anger and frustration powering the kick. The man stumbled back with a choked gasp, his eyes bulging from his head and sweat beading on his forehead. His hands covered his groin and he fell to his knees with an agonized groan. She reached into his jacket pocket and grabbed her keys, latching the keychain through her beltloop.
Lucy thrust her chin up in defiance and said, "you will never have me." She took a deep breath, and quickly turned towards the shattered wall. That droplet of magic inside her urged her forwards, and she listened. With a slight shake of her head, she pushed off the floor and leapt out of the tower and into empty air and nothingness.
iiiii
"Lucy, remember to trust your instincts. We Heartfilia's are gifted with blessings from the heavens, and the stars will guide you always. I love you, mi Tesoro," Her mother's voice said from above her bed.
Natsu was leaning over her, calling her by the name of that stupid video game character. She'd just met Leo and she could feel her consciousness slipping away. It was in that moment her perspective shifted, and suddenly she could see what was happening from above. Looking down at her pale, shaking body was something she never wanted to see again. Her hair was dull and her skin sallow and white. She saw her brown eyes fluttering and felt her mind sliding into unconsciousness. Wendy was still turning toward her, but Natsu was right next to her, one hand curling around her waist. Lucy saw him shudder and his free hand started to glow with magical energy.
She felt the heat from his magic even in her astral form, and saw him press his hand against her skin. The light drained from his hand and into her body, and suddenly she was thrust back into her body and a flood of warmth traveled from Natsu's hand and down to the tips of her toes. He'd gifted her a piece of his magic power to keep her from passing out from magic exhaustion. It was then that Wendy appeared at her side and started to administer her healing magic.
Now the confusion from the sky drakon made sense, and Natsu's strange behavior after that incident.
They say your life flashes before your eyes right before you die, but Lucy only saw that memory of Natsu saving her as she tumbled through the air, the wind whipping through her hair and clothes. He seemed to have a habit of doing that, not that she was complaining. Maybe that was why she knew jumping off the tower wouldn't be what killed her, or maybe it was blind luck. She would never know.
All she knew was that after a brief flash of fear right as gravity started to pull her down and she felt herself plummeting down towards the earth in an uncontrollable spiral, was serenity. She saw a flash of pink near the ground, and felt his magic expand in her chest, and heard him scream her name.
Lucy knew she would be fine, and that Natsu would always catch her.
iiiii
All hell broke loose the moment the guild teleported to the foot of Phantom Lord's stronghold. Alarms sounded from within the stone structure, and bolts of dark magic shot out of the openings in the towers. The stronghold was built from warded stone, and had three spires, the middle rising above the others. Small windows were carved in the stone, barely big enough for anyone to look through. It was an impressive castle, but it would now fall to the might of Fairy Tail.
"Remember my children, we fight to protect our family! No killing!" Makarov's voice rang out above the sounds of battle, signaling the mages of Fairy Tail to attack. Natsu was the first through the gates of Phantom Lord, his fellow mages hot on his heels. Erza summoned her thousand blades and started wiping out a corner of the crowd, and ice exploded from his left as Gray began his assault.
Natsu bellowed out a fiery roar, charring a good half of the room and yelled, "Where is Lucy?"
Unfortunately for him, the creatures he asked were now unconscious and he had no answers. With a growl, he unleashed his fury out on Phantom Lord and started to climb the nearest staircase, pummeling any enemies that came his way, and asking the same question to anyone who had the ill-fated pleasure of being in his path.
Soon the sounds of his friends as they fought faded away as he ascended to the top of the smaller tower, disappointed to find nothing but an empty set of cells lining the top floor. Natsu climbed over the bodies of his victims, paying to attention to the creatures in his way except to quickly dispatch them like the others.
When he returned to the lower floor, where the majority of the fighting was taking place, most of Phantom Lord's members were already cowering and hiding from the wrath of Fairy Tail. Natsu ignored his friends battle cries and was focused only on finding Lucy. He paused to try and catch her scent, but the sweat and blood from the battle clouded his senses. Cursing, Natsu turned to start climbing the next stairwell when he felt a distant hum from above. He turned, quickly punching the overzealous demi-fae that charged towards him, and looked up at the ceiling. He ducked a spear thrust at his head and caught the wooden mast mid-air, spinning around and heaving the weapon back towards its owner.
He felt his magic pulsing and writhing, drawing him to leave the castle. His brows furrowed in confusion, but Natsu learned long ago to trust his draconic instincts. He ran out of the guild the same way he came in, drawing confused shouts from Nab and Elfman. Makarov quelled their concern, knowing to trust Natsu's decisions, as strange as they may be.
Natsu followed the pull of his magic to the outer edge of the castle, near the tallest spire. He saw chunks of stone fall from the top of the tower, and he smiled. That had to be Lucy. He knew that spitfire would cause trouble, even after being kidnapped.
Smiling, Natsu kept running, the setting sun coating the earth in an orange glow. His smile faded when he saw her golden hair shining in the sunlight, as she leapt from the top of the tower. She started to plummet, along with his stomach, and Natsu screamed her name. He pushed his legs to move faster and his eyes followed her as she fell. He knew he would reach her too late at the pace he was going. Natsu saw an outcropping of rock ahead and he summoned another burst of speed and pushed off the rocks to soar through the air with outstretched arms.
For a moment, he thought he was too late and that Lucy had just slipped right through his fingers, but then her body crashed into his. Natsu curled around her and gripped her as tight as he could, protecting her from their impact against the hard ground. They bounced and slid through the dirt, grass coating their clothes and hair and twigs snapping against their skin. When the couple finally stopped rolling from the momentum, Natsu felt Lucy's shoulders shaking.
"I've got ya," He murmured in her ear, keeping his arms wrapped around the back of her head and her waist. Lucy was laying on top of his chest, her head tucked in the crook of his neck, and her legs tangled with his. Her hands gripped the back of his shirt, her fingers curling in the fabric and her nails scratching his skin. Natsu stroked the small of her back with his thumb and nuzzled his face in her hair, relishing in the familiar floral scent of her conditioner.
A laugh bubbled from her throat and Natsu pulled away to look down at the blonde in his arms. Instead of crying or shaking from shock, she was laughing. He huffed and tilted her head up to meet her eyes, and saw tears falling down her cheeks. She smiled, and another fit of giggling fell from her parted lips. Natsu shook his head, but felt his own chest rumble with laughter.
"I know it-it's not f-funny-" She said in between laughs, "but I can't help it. I jumped from a tower! And you caught me!" She lowered her head onto his shoulder, and tried to stop her uncontrollable laughter, to no avail.
"Well, when you say it like that," Natsu said, a smile on his lips. Her body shook against his and he felt her tears soak the fabric of his shirt. Soon he was laughing along with her, the two lying tangled together in the grass.
When Lucy finally calmed down and stopped giggling, she rolled off him and looked up into his dark eyes. He kept one arm wrapped around her waist and she stayed tucked into his side and leaning her weight against his shoulder. Her hand curled in the hair at the nape of his neck, drawing a shiver from him. Natsu grinned down at her, and leaned his head down until their foreheads touched. His hair tickled her nose and she chuckled. Their noses brushed against each other, and Lucy felt his hot breath fan across her cheeks.
"Thank you," She whispered, closing her eyes and relishing in the closeness of his body. Natsu only hummed, and his fingers curled against her side. They stayed like that for a few moments, sharing each other's breath and warmth.
I hope you guys enjoyed this update! Sorry for being so late, I had a lot of trouble with this chapter and tbh I'm not the happiest about how it turned out. Oh well, I figured I owed you an update.
As always, please review and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you readers out there!
Hope you enjoyed, thanks!
