A/N: As always, I'm sorry to keep you waiting! This is a little shorter than the others, but it's so I could leave it where I did... See notes at the end and enjoy!
"You honestly think such measly trinkets can protect you?" Lady Sinara hissed, retrieving her whip with a toss of her head. Her pink hair, which was worn up the previous night, was down and coiled in loose waves that bobbed with her movements. She appeared deceptively innocent and seductive, wearing a dark blue dress that glittered in the dim light with a slit high up the left leg, but her daring blue eyes told a different story.
Natsu, recovered from the shock of Lady Sinara's attack, pushed himself to his feet. It only took one breath for him to catch the scent of Lucy's blood in the air, and it infuriated him. Did they break her charm too?! He silently panicked at the thought but didn't dare turn to look at her – it was too risky to take his eyes off the enemies in front of them. "Leave her alone," he snarled, no longer bothering to hide his magic as his hands burst into flames. His fury fueled the fire and even Lucy felt the increased heat radiating from him. He was like an active volcano, smoldering before it erupted into sheer violent chaos.
"Ah, so here's his magic!" Estobar cheered, clapping his hands together joyfully like a child. "I certainly was wondering when you would use it!"
"Put that out, there's no need to hurt us." Linkin's calm and soothing voice rang through the air around them, making Lucy gasp with the power behind it. He remained in the shadows, his white hair the only thing visually indicating where he was to Lucy. Regardless, the power of his magic as it burst forth with his words shocked her. Was he holding back before? An even greater fear shot through her as she sucked in a breath. Could he turn Natsu?!
"Natsu?" she breathed, wide, terrified eyes making their way to her partner's back. He was tense, his whole body actually shaking as he partially hunched over. His hands had curled into resistant fists, his flames still engulfing them even as they flickered with indecision – something completely uncharacteristic for the Fire Dragon Slayer. "You have to fight him!" she cried, lurching to her feet.
"Stop right there, Miss Ashley," Linkin commanded, and Lucy stopped, even though he hadn't used his magic. Something in his voice was a warning, and it wasn't directed towards her. She couldn't let him hurt Natsu.
"I told you to leave her alone!" Natsu roared, his flames bursting back to life as he threw his head back in his rage. Before any of the other three could react, he launched forward, lips pulled back in a snarl, aiming for Linkin. "Dragon Slayer's Secret Art! Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist!"
The moment Linkin's spell was broken, he uttered a quiet gasp – the only one who could hear it was Natsu – and took a small step back. Lucy likewise gasped as the immense heat of one of Natsu's strongest attacks washed over her. He's going straight to that?! The realization was both a relief and terrifying. Regardless, she couldn't help but feel proud of Natsu for striking such stark fear into one of their enemies.
Linkin's surprise and Lucy's moment of relief were short-lived as Lady Sinara's thick whip lashed out, wrapping around Natsu's neck and driving him to the ground with a sickening crunch. "Down!" she commanded.
Lucy, her eyes wide in shock, witnessed in horror as Natsu was brought to the ground with just one hit from Lady Sinara's whip. Her mouth fell open as Natsu's flames grew weak, flickering faintly around his now relaxed fingertips. "Natsu!" she shrieked, releasing her whip out of reflex. She couldn't let him fight this battle alone!
Estobar sensed her attack coming before anyone else did and smirked, pulling a mirror from behind his back. The whip entered the realm of the mirrors, striking nothing, and fell slack. "What," Lucy breathed in confusion before quickly pulling her whip back. Natsu still hadn't moved and her fear for him was growing by the second as his flames continued to dwindle. Throwing all caution to the wind (since Natsu already had), she reached for Virgo's key, intent on rescuing her prone teammate. "Open! Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" she cried, whipping the key in front of her. She waited for the flood of light that would come from opening any of the Celestial Spirit gates, waited to see a flash of Virgo's pink hair, but nothing came. What?! Despair filled her as she looked at the key in astonishment.
"Oh, so you are a Celestial Wizard?" Estobar teased, bringing Lucy's eyes up from the key. Tears shone in their depths, but she refused to let them fall. How could she lose her spirits at such a critical time?! Almost as though he could read the question on her face, Estobar raised his arms to the side, spinning in a slow circle, as he indicated the heavy air around them. "Look around you, Miss Ashley. Your spirits can't help you here." His sneer was chill-inducing as Lucy saw nothing but malice in his eyes. "You're in our world now!"
Despite her rising hatred for the man, Lucy did as instructed. The mist was surrounding them, enveloping them in its cold, gray, writhing blanket. Was it the mist that was keeping her from accessing her spirits? But just how many powers could this mist have? It defied logic! "I don't believe you," she snapped, and pulled out Loke's key. "Open! Gate of the Lion! Leo!" She repeated the motion from before, whipping Loke's key in front of her just like she did every other time she summoned him. Just like before, nothing happened. "Loke!" she cried in despair as tears welled in her eyes. Her knees felt ready to collapse, her legs shaking as they struggled to continue to support her through the weight of her concern and her grief. All she could do was hope that maybe if he couldn't come through the key, he could come to her aid on his own.
"Are you not listening?" Estobar sneered, and Lucy jumped when she looked down to find him suddenly right in front of her. "All you're going to do trying to call your spirits is exhaust your magic." He brushed her cheek with the back of his knuckles, making her shudder with disgust. "And you're going to need your magic."
"What do you want?" she snapped, flicking his hand away with disgust. The strength was returning to her legs as her despair turned into anger.
Before he answered, Lucy suddenly found herself ensnared by Lady Sinara's magic. While there was no definitive shape to it, she felt the energy snake around her only an instant before it tightened, pinning her arms uselessly to her sides. With a sneer, Lady Sinara constricted it even more, so that Lucy could scarcely take a deep breath. Even though her own situation was bad, her eyes fell to Natsu, still motionless on the ground except for the steady rise and fall of his chest. She still found it hard to believe he could have been taken out with just one hit – it didn't make sense. Am I already under their spell?! She panicked at the thought, terrified that what she was seeing wasn't real while at the same time praying that it wasn't.
Linkin stepped forward then, his orange eyes all but glowing in the darkness. "What do you want to do with him?" he asked, looking down at Natsu with disdain. He wiggled the toes of his boot under Natsu's arm and flicked up, Natsu's arm falling limply back to the ground with a thud. "Do you need to learn his fear?"
Estobar looked toward Natsu's immobile form with a soft smile. "I don't need to know what he fears to know what's important to him." His eyes returned to Lucy and she felt a cold shiver travel through her as the pools of blood seemed to look right into her soul. Fear gripped her heart so fiercely it hurt, before pooling and coiling in her belly to the point she thought she might be sick. "Bring the girl."
The words had no sooner left his mouth than he was thrown to the side with such force Lucy's hair blew back in the resulting wind. Heat kissed her face and she smiled, realizing the blur was Natsu, attacking quickly and silently before his flames roared back to life, surrounding his entire being. Estobar, who was thrown through the side of the tent wall and into the space under the stadium-style seats, crashed through several support beams before rolling to a stop in the dirt. "I told you not to touch her!" he bellowed, his voice reverberating through the tent with such force even Linkin cringed.
To her credit, although taken by surprise, Lady Sinara did not loosen Lucy's restraints. If anything, they tightened, as she brought her closer, causing Lucy to writhe as she tried uselessly to free herself. Suddenly spurred into action, Linkin bolted around them, a soft white light glowing in front of him. "Natsu!" Lucy shouted, desperately trying to bring his attention from the man on the ground to the man charging him.
Natsu looked up as Linkin approached, his irises black in his rage and his lips pulled back in a menacing snarl. His elongated canines made him look downright feral as he launched himself at the approaching wizard. With a snap of Lady Sinara's fingers, Lucy suddenly found herself before him, struggling against her restraints, until she brought her eyes up and gasped. By the time Natsu realized what Lady Sinara had done, it was too late to stop himself, and he had just the presence of mind to quench his flames before crashing headlong into Lucy. In an attempt to soften the blow on her, he wrapped his arms around her and placed a protective hand at the back of her head, cursing the sickening feeling of the lady's restraints between them, as they rolled across the ground. It wasn't until they came to a stop that he realized he'd squeezed his eyes tightly shut, and slowly opened them to see Lucy's blonde hair splayed before him. "Luce?!" he croaked, his heart falling into his stomach at the thought of hurting her.
Bleary chocolate eyes met his from under a fringe of bangs. "N-Natsu?" Lucy whispered, blinking in confusion as her eyes took in the blood smeared across the side of his face.
"I'm sorry!" he whispered, hugging her briefly so that his cheek rested on the side of her head. He couldn't imagine what he'd do if he'd actually hurt her…
"So touching," Lady Sinara snapped, "but I think I caught the wrong prey."
Lucy's eyes widened a fraction of a second before Natsu's as they comprehended her words. Although he hated to do it, Natsu pushed Lucy away from him, rolling backwards and to his feet in the same movement. He threw a ball of fire at the Confinement Wizard right before her restraints coiled around him instead. It was as though metallic snakes slithered across his skin, and even as he tried to evade, ducking and dodging, they simply latched onto his limbs and moved their way toward his core. "Lucy! Run!" he cried, for the second time in a matter of minutes.
He should have known his words would go unheeded, as Lucy leapt at the pink-haired wizard, latching onto the woman's head and forcibly throwing her to the ground with a grunt. His restraints loosened but did not come free. Focusing his energy on his magic, he tried to bring flames to his body, but nothing happened. "What the hell?!"
Estobar chuckled just as Lady Sinara spun on the ground, kicking Lucy's legs out from under her. His shirt was faintly smoking, he was covered in dirt, and tendrils of hair had been knocked free from his ponytail, but otherwise the only other sign of Natsu's attack was a trickle of blood oozing from the corner of his mouth as he stepped through the tattered hole in the circus tent. He should be out cold, Lucy mused, puzzled by his barely frazzled appearance. "Ah! So, you've discovered our secret ability, have you?" He spit the blood from his mouth and sneered, his teeth sickeningly white. "Nullification magic."
Lucy's heart stopped at Estobar's words, her eyes wide as they searched out Natsu's. Despite what he'd just been told, Natsu grit his teeth and resumed his struggle. How did we get caught so easily?! If Natsu can't use his magic… Her thoughts ran wild as she watched Natsu struggle uselessly. The muscles in his neck and shoulders flexed and bulged as he tried to free himself, but he might as well have been encased in concrete. It was then that Lucy noticed the mist coiling around him, curling and shifting with his movements. "Natsu! It's the mist!" she shouted, the words rushed from her mouth before Lady Sinara silenced her with a slap.
At the sound of Lucy's voice, Natsu's eyes snapped up and he ceased his useless struggle. The mist?! His mind raced trying to think of what he could do to combat something so intangible. If he could use his magic, it would be easy… It wasn't until Lady Sinara slapped Lucy, the sound strangely muffled in the silence the mist provided, that he released the snarl bubbling up from his chest. Lucy was still trapped on the ground beneath Lady Sinara, but her plight wasn't hopeless since the lady had to allocate one arm to maintaining the spell on Natsu. Although they were separated, Natsu could see the gears turning in Lucy's head as her hands gripped Lady Sinara's arm that pinned her to the ground by her throat. He could hear her gritting her teeth and sense the blood pounding in her veins indignantly. Linkin's approach snapped him from his thoughts. "Lucy!"
Her eyes darted up just in time for Linkin to stop above her. He towered over her, his white hair falling around his face as he gazed at her with an expression Natsu wasn't able to see. "Stop this nonsense," he uttered softly, and to Natsu's horror, Lucy's arms relaxed their hold on Lady Sinara and fell limply to the ground, sprawled to either side of her as though she were an offering. Linkin extended his hand down as Lady Sinara stood up and stepped away, her focus returning to her current prisoner. "Come," he beckoned with a gentle curling of his fingers. "I have something to show you." He spoke directly to Lucy, his gaze piercing through the shocked confusion cluttering her mind from his sudden appearance. She had no choice but to follow him, her body seemingly moving on its own accord, without her permission. She tried to struggle against it, and thought she did, but when she looked down at herself, she was dismayed to see her hand in his as he gently pulled her to her feet and led her away. Is this the extent of his magic?!
Natsu, successfully restrained, had no choice but to watch as Lucy became a puppet to Linkin's voice; her eyes glazed as she followed without question. A tick of her shoulders or her head every so often told him she was trying to fight it but couldn't. That knowledge only made the pit in his stomach grow to the size of a gaping hole. A moment later and he realized he was moving too, Lady Sinara transporting him with her restraint. He immediately felt sick, his eyes rolling back in his head as his stomach turned and flipped. "Don't you dare!" Lady Sinara snapped, hearing his not-so-subtle dry heave.
"I can't help it!" he snapped, only to urp once more.
Ahead of them, Lucy was vaguely aware of Natsu bickering with Lady Sinara. The sound of his voice at least reassured her that he was okay, despite the heavy hit from the lady. She didn't know where Linkin was leading her, only that she had to follow and it made her sick to her stomach. It can't end like this! She wanted to scream, wanted to cry. We're Fairy Tail, damn it! We're not taken down so easily! While she wasn't admitting defeat, she was wise enough to admit that they certainly were in a bind. With Linkin's "Controlling Magic", the lady's Confinement Magic, and Estobar's Nullification Magic – they were certainly against some difficult foes; and that's just the abilities that they knew about! Clearly one of them was also responsible for altering their perceptions, but who? And what part did the mist play in all of this? Her mind swirled over the possibilities until she was practically dizzy, and it wasn't until Linkin stopped walking in front of her that she realized she was in the middle of a field.
"Where am I?" she breathed, looking around in awe. She had to blink, her eyes squinting slightly as though assaulted by the bright light of the sun for the first time in hours. When did I shut my eyes, she mused, then her brow furrowed, struggling to recall something that had seemed very important, but now lay just beyond her grasp. What was I so worried about? She was surrounded by a lush green field dotted with wild flowers. Off to her left, she could make out the profile of what appeared to be the Domas Flau Coliseum. Why is that there? Startled, she looked around, her hair fluttering around her shoulders. How did I get here?! Out of instinct and perhaps habit, she looked for Natsu for an explanation, but he was gone.
Stifling a gasp, she turned in a circle, her eyes frantically scanning her surroundings. She was completely alone.
Natsu found himself with nothing else to do but stare at Lucy's retreating back. As Linkin led her down one of the side pathways, her luxurious blonde hair swaying back and forth with her steps, he was gripped with the very real and paralyzing fear of something happening to her. What would he do if he didn't have her to come back to? What would he do if he didn't have her bed to crawl into late at night, regardless of whether or not she kicked him out upon discovering him? Worst of all, what would he do it he couldn't see her or touch her ever again? "Luce..." he breathed, his voice choking over the emotions that tightened his throat. She was too far away to hear him, whether under Linkin's spell or not.
"You say something?" Lady Sinara snapped, her eyes flashing as she continued their trek through the tents. Estobar was nowhere to be seen, but Natsu suspected he was close by based on the amount of mist they were traveling through.
"I said I'm gonna vomit all over you," he snarked back with a haughty grin. Unamused, Lady Sinara flicked her wrist to make his confinement wave through the air even more. This time Natsu did get sick, and he did vomit all over her magic, but his apparent weakened state only made her smile.
"I'd save your strength. Estobar has a game for you."
Feeling awfully green, Natsu's head slumped onto his chest. How can he be done in by something as silly as this?! Would this be the reason Lucy got hurt? Where was she?! "I'm not interested," he grumbled.
They'd arrived at their destination – Natsu was too weary from motion sickness to notice that they had climbed up quite a way and were walking along the platforms used by the trapeze artists. Only they weren't under the big top, so where were they?! He sniffed, testing the air, only to receive nothing. NOTHING?! True fear gripped Natsu's chest, making his heart feel like it was going to be smothered, as he looked at Lady Sinara with distrust evident in his dark gaze. He'd never met people so truly evil… "Where's Lucy?" he snapped, forgetting about the fake name.
"Lucy?" Lady Sinara put a finger to her chin in mock thought. "I don't know a Lucy." When he growled and struggled against his restraints, small flickers of flame catching at the tips of his fingers, she amended her story. "Ah, you mean the girl?" She smiled smugly, cocking her hip out to the side when Natsu's eyes changed – a slight orange burning from within as his gaze grew even more heated and intense. "I do believe she is part of the game," she began, cocking her head slightly to the side. "And you'll be allowed to play in just a minute."
Natsu could feel traces of his magical power being restored, trickling back as though whatever was blocking him wasn't strong enough anymore. When he looked down, he could see that the mist was nowhere near as dense as it had been; he could scarcely feel it through Lady Sinara's cold restraints. "Tell me where she is!" he snapped.
Lady Sinara took a step forward, dancing her fingers along Natsu's exposed shoulder. Had Lucy done it, he would have shuddered pleasantly and leaned closer. With Lady Sinara's touch, he wanted to gag. "That's part of the game, I can't tell you that," she whispered, her voice low and seductive as her fingers trailed up his neck (which was darkening into a red and purled bruise thanks to her earlier attack), to run through his hair.
Grinding his teeth together to hold back his revulsion, Natsu squeezed his eyes shut. I don't have time for this! I have to find Lucy! "If you hurt her," he threatened as his eyes snapped back open.
Hands slowly fell from his scalp to trail fingers along his face. Natsu could barely feel them in his rage, his eyes now boring into Lady Sinara's as though he could set her very soul aflame with a look. She took it in stride, toying with his sleeve. "Whether she gets hurt or not is completely up to her."
"Bullshit," he spat.
A smirk curled across Lady Sinara's lips, the expression making Natsu shiver with worry. "You'll just have to play the game to find that out." Her head cocked to the side as though she were listening before she dropped her hands from him. Natsu hadn't noticed the mist growing stronger. "And the game has just begun."
The moment Natsu felt Lady Sinara's restraints slip from his body, he took a deep breath, closing his eyes in an attempt to clear his senses. Like before, he felt like he had to work harder for his breath, the mist thicker than the normal atmosphere. When his eyes opened, he wasn't surprised to find himself suddenly alone. If they wanted a game, he'd give them a game they wouldn't forget – and for once he wouldn't mind getting bloody in the process! As he sucked in another breath, his very being searching for any sign of Lucy, dread wormed into his gut like a tightly coiled snake. The mist was thick, obliterating his sense of smell. His! But he couldn't and wouldn't let that stop him as he rushed forward, plunging headlong down the tent tunnels that spread throughout the circus "city", still trying to smell her out, listening for her, looking for her, and even shouting for her. Nothing.
A/N: I wanted to give a special shout-out to those of you that have favorited, followed, and reviewed this story. This has been one of the most fun stories I've written to date (and don't worry, there's more to come that for once I actually have a plan for. Haha. But your comments and reviews have really made this even better. You motivate me to keep writing and trying things out when I'm feeling stuck on how to do something in particular, and you make me want to sit and write, write, write so I don't keep you waiting. So cheers to you: Crazy004 (your review today literally MADE MY DAY; Halfway-to-Heaven - you always put a smile on my face; Snowy Analia - I hope you keep enjoying what you're reading; waiting-for-you-443 - I can't begin to explain how happy I was that I literally made you gasp out loud - goal! Justreading28 - I hope you keep that same excitement with each chapter; skydancer121 - your "subtle motivation" was very sweet and touching. Thank you! kittenkat04 - Natsu hasn't totally freaked the fuck out yet, but it's coming! Hehe; legman7861 - thanks for the suggestions for helping with my summary and your critical, well thought out and worded review. It really was truly helpful. Kakashi500, I hope you're still interested! And finally, Kirinah - I'm so happy it's freaking you out too since I also have a fear of clowns! And also, thank you for your kind words about my characters. That really does mean a lot and I hope I continue to do them justice as this story plays out.
That's all I have for now. Sorry for the long after-post, but I needed you guys to be recognized because you're awesome! As always, I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters. They all belong to Hiro Mashima. Thanks and I hope you enjoyed!