Harsh breaths escaped the masked figure as she maneuvered through the thick foliage of the enchanted wood. The feminine, black-clad form dodged and jumped over forest debris as she ran full tilt - occasionally glancing up at the sky before urging herself on with an extra spurt of speed.
Run as she might, she could not outstrip the ominous shadow that loomed over her.
With a curse, the young maiden jumped through a particularly thick clump of bushes - only to emerge on the edge of a cliff, the steep drop visible just a few meters away. With a resigned sigh she whirled around - ready to face her chaser - gripping the medallion in her right hand a little tighter.
She would not go down without a fight.
He descended slowly - almost lazily - clearly convinced that his target was cornered. With a triumphant smirk, the dragon man stretched his hand invitingly towards the human maiden, his voice raspy from the thrill of the chase.
"I'm afraid this is the end of the line. Hand it over."
The masked maiden scoffed, drawing out her whip and dagger instead.
The dragon's grin widened.
"Oh, you wish to make this difficult, eh? Lucky me…"
Without warning, he lunged forward, claws raised. The maiden side stepped, catching his claws in her dagger. Her other hand wielded the whip, coiling the wily weapon around his ankle. With a yank she managed to entangle him enough to trip him - the motion proved futile, however, for the dragon man instantly summoned his wings, the whip falling away harmlessly as he hovered a foot off the ground. He grabbed the weapon and threw it to the side. The maiden sheathed her dagger, attacking her foe with a strong kick instead. The dragon didn't miss a beat. He caught her foot a millimeter away from his face, twisting it in his grasp. The woman moved with the motion, executing an impressive mid air flip, as she landed in a neat crouch with her back to her opponent. She scrambled away, whirling around to face her assailant once she had put a few meters between them. Her feet touched the edge of the cliff and she halted, her body tense and expectant as she eyed her opposition.
The pair stood still, gauging each other as they caught their breath.
"You've done great, Luce." The dragon said, his tone fond. "But this really is the end. Hand it over."
Lucy smirked as a flash of blue and white in the sky caught her eye.
"Not yet."
The young maiden let gravity aid her as she leaned back, her body falling gracefully into the void beyond the edge. Natsu's panicked yelp provoked a laugh from her, as she reveled in the feeling of weightlessness in the cool evening air. Barely a few moments into her descent, she felt strong paws grip the back of her shirt in a secure hold. A slight jerk let her know her free fall had ended. The Princess glanced behind her to smile at her accomplice, the mischievous grin returned two fold.
From his spot where he stood frozen on the cliff, Natsu watched the pair, a stupefied expression on his face.
"Happy?! But…"
"There was nothing in the rules about using the aid of a willing friend." Lucy winked at her dragon friend, a triumphant chortle escaping her.
"On to victory, Happy!"
"MAX SPEED!"
The pair disappeared into the blue sky at a rate that not even the Prince of Dragons could hope to match.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"You cheated!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not, you reckless dragon!"
"Did too, ya fluffy human!"
"DID YOU JUST CALL ME FAT?!"
The furious golden-haired maiden stood on her tip-toes, arms crossed over her buxom chest as she leaned forward to glare straight into her dragon friend's eyes. Natsu's own eyes met hers with equal challenge, smoke leaking from the edges of his mouth as he struggled to prevent the amused smirk that threatened to arise on his lips.
"Will you two stop flirting? It's disgusting." Gajeel grunted with a roll of his eyes.
With an embarrassed 'eep' the young princess hastily stepped back, averting her gaze to the wooden floor as a raging blush overcame her. Natsu indulged in the fond smile he had been hiding, the look of longing accompanying it not missed by the other five assembled dragons.
"Shall we be the judges of what is fair and what is not, dear brother?" Wendy's soft voice interrupted, her eyes shining with joy as they darted between the fire dragon Prince and the blushing Princess.
"Please, proceed." Natsu rumbled, his gaze not leaving Lucy's figure, as the young monarch regarded the assembled dragons curiously.
"Err… Before that, may I ask a question your majesties, and noble dragons?"
Wendy smiled encouragingly. "Of course, Lucy."
The young monarch paused, taking in the eclectic group gathered in the shady gazebo. Wendy, Chelia, Gajeel, Sting and Rogue stood in a loose semi-circle around her and Natsu, their looks ranging from amused to sullen. Behind Sting stood a confused-looking Yukino, a brown-furred exceed lounging in her arms, whilst behind Rogue stood a tall and magnificently beautiful human woman, the tips of curling black horns rising from her straight raven locks the only evidence of her demon heritage. Lucy repressed the involuntary shudder that arose the moment her eyes met the demi-demonesse's scrutinizing gaze - the Lady Minerva always had a way of making her feel uncomfortably exposed. Lucy wrenched her eyes away from the dark beauty, turning hastily to Wendy instead.
"What is all this about?"
Wendy giggled. "We are the judges of the test you just participated in!"
Lucy gawked, whirling on Natsu.
"You didn't tell me that you were taking my 'training test' that seriously!"
Natsu raised a brow. "Why wouldn't I? I meant it when I said you had to give it your all - and not cheat like you did at the end there…"
"THAT WASN'T CHEATING!"
"WELL, MY FAITHFUL SUBJECTS WILL BE THE JUDGES OF THAT! DRAGONS! YOUR VERDICTS!"
Chelia stepped up first, an amused smirk on her face.
"Her majesty performed extremely well in the obstacle course you setup for her in the morning, and successfully found your medallion following the clues she collected over the race. She did an excellent job emulating a dragon's stealth by hiding from you for most of the day, and did as well as she could in the spar against you, Prince Natsu. Her retreat was reasonable, and the little 'trick' she employed to keep the medallion safe from your clutches towards the end there was not quite dragon-like but it was infinitely amusing. I've enjoyed observing Lucy in every trial she faced today… She has more than earned my respect. My vote is - she has passed your test with flying colors."
"Hah! Thank you, Chelia." Lucy shot Natsu a smug look.
Natsu rolled his eyes, shooting an expectant glance at his sister.
Wendy stepped forward gracefully, mischief twinkling in her eyes.
"It was indeed a treat to watch Lucy overcome the challenges she faced over the day - you did not make it easy for her, brother. But she persevered. Her mastery of some of our more difficult techniques in hand to hand combat are simply astounding. Especially given the short time frame she learnt them in. Her final victory was… unorthodox, I'll admit, but given how much she has grown in her abilities over the course of not just your training, but the years we have spent apart… I believe she deserves our respect, Natsu. I too, vote that her majesty, Princess Lucy, has passed."
Sting bounced forward, his eyes glistening with fiery determination.
"What Princess Wendy described is all good - but as Prince Natsu has pointed out, her majesty resorted to a trick there at the end to claim a win. Therefore, I have to vote that her majesty, the Princess of Pergrande, did not pass."
He yelped a little as his bonded pulled on his horn, also giving him a glare for good measure.
"That is not a good reason to pass such a judgement, my dragon lord! Princess Lucy was at a handicap from the start, competing against the great dragon Prince - END! She did what she could to secure her victory! Voting in her favor would be what any reasonable being would do…"
"Nay, Yukino." Lucy interjected softly, with a friendly smile directed at Sting. "Every being is entitled to their own opinion. And I know Sir Sting holds Natsu's opinions in far too high favor to ever go against them."
Lucy shot an amused smirk at the dragon Prince.
"Thank you, Sting." Natsu dismissed him with a casual wave of his hand. His gaze fell next on Rogue, his own look intrigued as he took in the shadow dragon's guarded expression.
Rouge cleared his throat, addressing the Princess solemnly.
"I agree with Lady Yukino and Princess Wendy… to a point. You have grown immensely, your majesty, and your skill shows. However… the point of this exercise was to train you in a dragon's method of fighting - and though you have certainly demonstrated the spirit of one throughout the trials you faced today, you veered off track in the end. The little loophole you exploited in our code was clever, but far more reminiscent of your human tactics than the honorable, straight-forward strategies of a dragon. For this reason, I am forced to wish you better luck next time, and conclude that you have not met the bar in this test."
Natsu frowned a bit as he glanced between his subordinate and Lucy. Although he had been heatedly arguing with Lucy, he truthfully wanted the others to vote in her favor - he felt thrilled by her performance, and eager for his brethren to appreciate her strong fighting spirit as much as he did. She truly was a dragon at heart, and he wanted all his subjects to accept that fact. It would certainly make things smoother when he came out with the news of who his bonded was…
His thoughts were interrupted by Lucy's melodious voice as she addressed Rogue with a grateful smile and a curtsey.
"Thank you, Sir Rogue. Your assessment is thorough and fair. As hard as it is for any being to accept defeat, your graceful explanation soothes the blow effortlessly."
All eyes turned to the final dragon man in the group. Gajeel glared back at the curious observers.
"I still don't know how I got roped into doing this…"
"Just pronounce your verdict, iron breath! Your Prince commands you!"
"Hmph. Nah, you're nothing more than a fire-belching moron. That's definitely not why I'm here, or why I'd agreed to pass judgment on this silly test of yours."
"True." A lilting voice behind him interrupted, the underlying menace unmistakeable. "You're helping out in Lucy-dear's test because I asked you too."
All the dragons in the near vicinity unconsciously stood a little straighter, regarding the newest addition to their group with wariness. Despite her diminutive frame, the last spirit fairy exhibited an aura of grumpy menace that had all the dragons in the cozy gazebo cowering in her wake.
"Shouldn't you be resting, shrimp?" Gajeel's gruff words were belied by the soft and concerned tone he delivered them in.
Levy's face softened, a smile hovering over her lips as she took in her bonded's worried look.
"I'm pregnant Gajeel - not an invalid. I don't need any of you fussy dragons coddling me."
Her tone was haughty, but her petite frame took advantage of his proximity as she leaned against him, her head nuzzling his broad forearm. From her comfortable position, Levy glanced around the group to lock her gaze on the human monarch, taking in her look of trepidation with amusement. Lucy smiled back hesitantly.
"Is the morning sickness any better, Levy-dear?"
Levy huffed. "Not really. 'Morning sickness' is such a misnomer - I feel queasy all day long! But of all these pregnancy symptoms, the worst is the craving I've got for all varieties of metal…"
"That's music to my ears, shrimp." Gajeel interrupted. "There's no doubt that you've got a strong little dragon hatchling in there, undoubtedly of my ilk."
Levy let out a blissful sigh. "And since our magic is balanced by our bond, there is no doubt that our hatchling will be born a healthy, normal dragon. He won't have to face the trauma that we had to endure..."
The pair gazed lovingly into each other's eyes, momentarily forgetting their audience. They stood such until an impatient cough broke the tender scene. Levy looked away, slightly embarrassed as she bit her lip, a blush arising on her delicate cheeks. Gajeel pouted in disappointment, directing a vicious glare at the interruptor.
"I've got half a mind to thrash you, Salamander…"
"You can make googly eyes at your beloved all night long if you would just cast your vote and be done with it, you metal moron!" Natsu grinned at the ore dragon, shooting an apologetic look Levy's way.
Gajeel sighed, facing Lucy and fixing her with a scrutinizing gaze that soon had the human woman squirming in place.
"I've seen you fight before, so I'm probably the best amongst this group to judge your progress." He began abruptly a few intense moments later. "And as much as I hate to admit it… The Salamander has done a damn good job training you in our battle tactics. And you've done a damn good job in picking them up. Then again, that's no surprise - you've got the spirit of a dragon. Heck, you're more 'dragon' than some of our Northern brethren!" Gajeel's expression darkened a little as he regarded Lucy critically. "That's why I really didn't appreciate all the times today that you fell back on your old tricks."
Natsu blinked. "What do you mean? The only time she used anything like a trick was when she flew off with Happy…"
Gajeel snorted. "Hmph, compared to some of the stunts she pulled in the morning, that little exhibition was nothing. She knows what I'm talking about."
Natsu frowned as his attention returned to Lucy, whom he was surprised to see was hanging her head with a sheepish expression.
"I-I knew the others wouldn't catch those little points. I forgot my old friend Gajeel here has had more experience with me and my own… err… creative battle tactics. I should have known he would notice…"
"You can guess what my vote is then."
Lucy pouted. "Very well, I understand. You are voting 'nay'..."
"Nah. You passed."
Lucy blinked. And then leveled a very impressive scowl at Gajeel.
"You make absolutely no sense Gajeel, wasn't the point of this test to see how well I've picked up dragon battle techniques?!"
"Aye. And the first rule in a dragon's battle is to play to your strengths. It's just a fact that for full-fledged dragons our might and power is our strength. That's why our tactics are usually so straight-forward - most of our kind have no need for finesse or strategy. You, on the other hand, are human - and therefore suffer from the limitations of your kind. Your strength lies in your cunning mind and the twisted plans you concoct to tide the battle in your favor." Gajeel smirked, throwing a mischievous glance at his bonded that was duly returned. "Similar to what my amazing wife would do. Heck, being the runt that he is, even the Salamander's been known to bend the rules from time to time - it is what made him such a brilliant strategist during the war."
Natsu chuckled. "Why bolts-for-brains, if I ignore that 'runt' jab, it sounds like you think quite highly of me…"
"Don't get used to it." Gajeel grunted with a glare at his cousin. He turned back to Lucy with a rare grin of respect and approval.
"I suppose the point of this long rambling speech of mine is that you may not have obeyed all the laws of dragon battle - but you obeyed the most important one. You're one helluva warrior in your own special way, rabbit."
With a grim nod at the human monarch, Gajeel whirled on his heel, scooping his wife into his arms in one fluid motion.
"Now that all this crap is over, if the rest of you heathens will excuse us - it is close to dinner-time and my beloved needs her rest and my special brand of relaxation."
The males collectively groaned, with the exception of a starry-eyed Rouge, while the females smiled indulgently as they watched the pair's romantic exit. Wendy slipped her arm around Chelia's, sharing an affectionate, chaste peck with her beloved before turning towards the rest of the group.
"We will have to get accustomed to cousin Gajeel being a little extra-doting and protective of Levy for quite a while - their pregnancy announcement ball has been planned for the end of this fortnight, after all."
"Aye." Rogue added. "It's a good thing the King and Queen have decided to combine it with a mating ball for Natsu, I'm sure he would have been even more on edge if the focus had been purely on him and Levy…"
"WHAT?!" Natsu sputtered, rounding on Rogue. "What do you mean by 'mating ball'? I don't remember being told anything of the kind! Why would mother and father plan something as troublesome as that?!"
"Because you haven't found your bonded yet." Chelia interjected, throwing a fleeting glance at Lucy as she spoke. "Or at least, not that we know…"
"I was against it too, brother." Wendy sighed. "But mother and father had no choice. You see, we are expecting a visit from a small group of our Northern brethren soon, and they may insist on hosting one themselves if we did not have one planned soon."
Natsu's expression morphed into one of deadly fury.
"Those nosy Northern bastards better behave themselves or else I'll make them regret ever being hatched… I can't believe mother and father would even entertain those fuckers after all they put us through…"
A comforting hand on his shoulder halted his tirade. Natsu looked down into Lucy's concerned eyes as she rubbed soothing circles into his back.
"I've heard many awful things about your Northern brethren, so I understand your anger, Natsu. But however terrible their transgressions have been, they are still your kin. Shunning them would not befit Grandine's or Igneel's noble natures. Nor would it reflect your own forgiving and loving heart." Lucy paused, her expression darkening. "That being said, I don't expect you to forgive them for the travesties they've committed. I've heard enough stories from Gajeel and Grandine to know just how much they made you suffer… And believe me when I promise you - I, for one, will do everything in my power to make them pay…"
Natsu's anger ebbed away as he watched a fierce, protective light shine in Lucy's eyes, her arresting gaze holding his in its thrall. Her look quickly softened into one far more affectionate the longer they gazed into each other's eyes.
"Leave their comeuppance to me, Natsu." She said quietly, slipping her dainty hand into his and giving his callused appendage a friendly squeeze. "Do not think of the mating ball as one of their attempts to manipulate you - but as an opportunity to look for the being who will love you for the strong, warm-hearted, wonderful dragon-demon that you are…"
The young princess's eyes shone with adoration as she smiled up at him. Natsu's breath caught in his throat, a lump forming as he absorbed the care evident in her gaze.
Maybe his love was not as unrequited as he thought.