Ch. Seven

I open my eyes with a groan. What happened? Why am I so sore? The last thing I remember is Jack, Titan, and Renny fighting over me and then I felt a sharp pain then I must have passed out from the pain. What happened?

I suddenly hear the sounds of happy yips and purrs from atop my chest. I look down to find Shayshay and Maymay wiggling joyfully at me. I also notice that the wolves surrounding me are wagging their tails energetically as they scoot closer to me.

Mother! I glance over and see Nezera rush over towards me with an expression of relief on his face. Or as relief as a reptilian face can express.

"What happened?" I question as I sit up. Shayshay and Maymay curl upon my lap and huddle close to me as they can.

You take our wounds. So when our new brother got stabbed... He looks over at this monstrous wolf covered in horns that is being held back by the others. Damn. He made another one in my sleep. This one is aggressive.

The wound ended up on you and you passed out. Shayshay and Maymay have been healing you while the wolves kept close. Nezera sayed.

I look around and notice that a few are missing. "Where are the others?"

Nezera instantly gets nervous. Um… others? What others?

I give him a suspicious look with a raised eyebrow. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Jack, Titan, Renny, Sunny, Ember, Essana, and Lasber. Where are they?"

He got all fidgety and nervous. Something is up. Something I'm not going to like it most likely. Suddenly, a soft crack sounds that can only be heard in this kind of silence. I look up as I see Lasber flying towards us with something in his claw. It was struggling and hard to make out what it is until an all too familiar sound cries out, "Stupid bird! Fire dragon roar!"

Could it be? Could it really be him? I watch as Lasber drops the person he was holding. I watch as the falling person – hopping it is who it is – comes closer and closer to the trees that he uses to land safely on the ground. He sees the demons and prepares for a fight but I whisper his name, knowing that he can hear me, "Natsu?"

The pink hair fire dragon slayer looks at me with his onyx eyes filled with surprise and happiness. A smile spreads across his face. "Luce?"

A smile spreads across mine as I run to him and jump into his arms that he instantly wraps tightly around me. Tears rolled down my face and I felt my shoulder get wet as he sniffles. "You're okay. You're okay. You're okay." he keeps whispering as a way to reassure himself that I'm not a dream. I squeeze him tight to me and dig my hands into him to remind me that he is here. I know I should beat him up. Give him a Lucy Kick and a lecture for leaving me. But… Mavis… I missed him.

We pulled back just enough to look at each other. We both have some water in our eyes but we don't care. We're both too happy seeing each other again to care about anything else.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? I swear to Mavis if any of them touched you they are dead!" he roars, his worry and protective sides coming out. "Are these demons keeping you here? Are they why you haven't come back to me? Who took you? Where are they so I can kill them?!"

I could see his anger rising so I jumped in, "Natsu! Natsu, calm down. I'm okay. No, I'm not hurt anymore. Yes, the demons are keeping me here but not for the reasons you think. I don't know who took me but they are already dead so they can't come for me again."

His breathing slows as he calms down but then confusion sets in. "What do you mean you aren't hurt anymore?"

Oh. I can't believe I said that. I sigh. I was going to have to tell him except now it looks sooner rather than later. "Let's sit down. I have a lot to explain to you."

I pull him to a nearby tree where we sit. Natsu instantly pulls me into his lap, refusing to let me leave his arms for more than that moment. My body tensed up. How would you feel if your best friend and the man you love with your very heart and soul refuses to let you go because he doesn't want you to disappear from his sight again? Except, I wasn't the one who left. I can't forgive him that easily or quickly and I really shouldn't let him have his way. He'll take advantage of me again. I scratched his hands hard enough to hurt but not enough to leave marks. He let's go yelling, "Ouch!" I get off his lap and sit across from him. He looks hurt but I try my best to not let it get to me.

The demons gather around us. I'm not sure why but this is the first time they're seeing someone from my past so maybe they're curious about him. Then again, the last humans they've met tried to kill them so they're probably being cautious. I take a deep breath as I begin to tell my tale. "They took me in the night in an ambush. I woke up with a headache in a place I didn't know. They take me to this magic circle where all six of them surround me and chat a spell. I'm suddenly surrounded by shadows and transported me to a dark place where I saw the eyes of the creature that forced this new type of magic on me."

"A new magic? What magic?" Natsu asks. Hmm… the best way would be to just show him and I do need a demon who can help gather information. I felt that familiar surge of power pulse through me. I look to my left and we watch as another demon is born. Dark shadows twist and dance around until it creates a creature unlike any other. It has the face of a wolf but the body of a fox with the tail of a reptile. On its face it wore the skull of a bull making its silver eyes stand out. Its tongue drops out when it lays its eyes on me and happily wags its tail.

Mama! Mama mama! He yips. Interesting creature. I smile at him and rub his ear. "Hello Thanatos." I look over at Natsu with his wide shocked eyes. I take a deep shaky breath before I announce, "I can create demons now." I take another breath before I continue. "When I create them while I'm awake they have a soul and it makes them kind and gentle." At that Jack flies over and snuggles into my neck while Thanatos curls up on my lap. "But when I'm asleep, the creature I met in that dark place forces me to create demons without me knowing it. They are evil and beastly. I was only able to make a connection with one of them but we haven't come across any of the others which worries me. I have no control over the ones that dark creature creates but since I am their link to this world I still get their wounds. I'm hoping if I find the other demons I can make a connection with them too."

I pull him with me as I stand and I lead him to where the beast is being held inside a cage with some of my good demons on high alert.

"Hey! That's that monster Erza, Ice Princess, Happy and I fought. But I thought the Ice Princess stabbed that thing." Natsu states. All of the demons start snarling ferociously at him. I know they would attack if he wasn't close to me. He squeezes me tight to him and growls back at them just as ferociously. Jack flew right up to his face and shouts, "So it was your fault Mother was hurt!"

This snaps Natsu out of it. "Hurt? What do you mean Lucy was hurt? Who hurt My Lucy?!"

I ignore the fact that he called me 'his' (since when was he possessive?) and explain, "I have a connection with them. When they get hurt, I get their wounds. So when the beast over there was stabbed, I was the one that the wound appeared on."

The shock on his face morphs into sorrow. He buries his face into my neck as he squeezes me tight, again, and whispers, "I'm sorry Luce, I'm so sorry."

I run my fingers through his hair and massage his scalp in order to calm him. "I don't blame you Natsu. Everything's okay." I point over to Shasha and Maymay. "They healed me. That's what they do." His eyes move over the rabbits fluttering nearby. A small smile appears on his lips and he says, "Thank you." He nuzzles his nose into my neck, taking a deep breath, before pulling back.

He looks over at the beast and asks, "So what do we do with that dog?"

"I'll see if he wants a connection." I smile and walk towards it with Natsu close behind me. He watches as the beast stops fighting and focuses his attention on me. I know Natsu wants to move me behind him and protect me but I yank myself out of his grasp before he can try. I place my hand on his and say, "Just watch me. Everything will be okay. I promise."

That seems to help calm him since he knows I never break my promises. I cautiously approach the beast and reach my hand out. The beast continues to growl as he slowly moves towards me. I think he wants a connection but when he gets right in front of me, he attacks! His howls are a sonic blast that sends us flying back. Looks like this one doesn't want a connection. Natsu helps me up while the other demons keep it busy. I can tell that they're being very careful to not hurt the demon just so I wouldn't get hurt.

This demon is too dangerous to be left alone. Hmm… if it gets hurt, I get the wounds but what if I get hurt. Will the demon get my wounds? Would they all get my wounds? Hmm…. maybe if I think about the dog while I hurt myself maybe my wound will show up on the dog. Let's try it. I pull out a blade from my boot and without hesitation I slice my throat while thinking hard about that dog.

"LUCY!" Natsu panics and inspects my neck… but… I'm not bleeding. We look over and the dog is on the ground with its throat slashed and blood pooling out. My theory worked. The link works both ways. I have to be careful though. I have a feeling that if I hurt myself without thinking of a demon, all of the demons will get hurt.

I need some serious help. I look over at Natsu. "I need a favor."