Chapter Twenty-Four
Her Rage
King Igneel Dragneel: Is frequently annoyed by the fact his first name and last name rhyme. Proclaims that Natsu was too much trouble and that's why he never had another kid, but in reality, the thought of making sweet, sweet love to a demon has left him with a permanent funny taste in his mouth. Has a childish rivalry with the Thunder Wilderness, because his Kingdom is so much better. Known to play pranks on them, and considers his biggest achievement in creating an equally destructive prank-loving son.
"Would you stop staring at me?" I complained, tugging on the sheer see-through overlay that brushed the skin on my upper thighs. Ultear ignored me entirely, burning a hole into my soul with her intense gaze.
I looked down at my person with a barely controlled wince. The outfit change had been… surprising to say the least. I was expecting some lace, or at least a simple dress like Erza. Instead, I got… this.
"Let me get this straight, the more revealing your clothes are, the less power you have up against this holy light, or whatever." I stated, my eyebrows furrowing as I gazed down at my body.
"Yes." Jackal spoke from beside Zeref who was staring at me, a fascinated gleam in his eyes. I ignored him for the time being, focusing on fingering the mesh around my midsection. I looked past there to check out my thighs, which were partially covered with long roughly textured thigh-highs, which almost met with two thin leather straps that wrapped around each of my legs. Then, by way of pants, I only had a pair of black, tight shorts, which surprisingly didn't do wonders for my thoughts about my hips.
Around my waist was a dark sash, attached to which were two long flowing panels of silk gauze, flowing like water over the front and back of my lower-body. They slid over my skin as I moved, catching on my rough stockings a bit. A top similar to Ultear's cupped my breasts, with netted fabric that covered (if you could call it that) my stomach, shoulders, and back. Black armored epaulets connected to a red standing collar to make up an odd shoulder-piece, while two long (thankfully opaque) sleeves started just above my elbows and had trim that matched the collar.
I fingered the collar around my neck, noticing that my hands were now encased in black fingerless leather gloves as well.
The whole outfit was red and black. My father had told me countless times that I was too pale to wear red - like my mother had worn before me for countless balls-so it was a stunning, and slightly embarrassing outfit. If I had a penny for every time I wished I could wear something red and black, I'd be able to pay off the Star Kingdom's financial debt.
"Well, what does that make me?" I asked, turning to Erza with a helpless look. "I'm showing skin, but I have so many of these unnecessary accessories everywhere that I just don't understand if I'm weak or not."
"You're stunning is what you are," Natsu muttered to himself, unaware that we could all hear him. I smiled a little, turning to him with pleased flush.
"You don't think it looks… strange?"
He gave me a look, and shook his head slowly, eyes flickering to Zeref who watched our discussion silently. Then he sighed, "I will tell you later."
"Don't stop your feelings on my account, Natsu."
"Trust me, I have plenty of feelings that I want to pound into your thick skull," Natsu replied, walking over to me, the tight pants he wore hugging his strong, lean legs. I glanced away, focusing on Erza who skimmed her eyes over my outfit.
"The light isn't supposed to tell you who is weak or not. We are being measured up against a power that is absolute, and incredibly strong. It's difficult to say what level you are though, with how your outfit is staged," she told me, tapping her finger on her chin.
"I wouldn't think too much about it, Lucy. It's a means to an end. The most important thing is that you held up the contract and we are going to be given what we came for," Jellal added, eyes sliding to Zeref with a distrusting look.
I knew what he was thinking, he was looking for assurance that we would get the books now that I declared my power. Ultear came up from behind me, and placed the conical hat on my head, as she spoke, "Isn't that right, Lord Zeref?"
Zeref smiled, "Of course. We made a deal, I will uphold it. Now, please, enter the dining hall. I have organised a feast that befits such royalty."
"Natsu, what is this?" I whispered to him, poking a chopstick at the strange blue-coloured meat. I had no idea what demons ate, or what they classified as 'edible' in the first place.
He glanced over at it.
"It's fish."
"It is not fish. I know fish."
"Just try it. It's actually really nice."
"Is there any pork, or chicken?" I glanced around the table where Erza was also staring down at the food with a sceptical look. Jellal hadn't touched his plate either. However, Ultear, who was seated beside me, was slurping down the noodles on her plate with vigour.
"That's pork." He pointed at a plate, where a big clump of meat sat, with a drizzle of purple sauce dripping off it.
I reached over hesitantly before my hand snapped back when Jackal, who had been standing behind us, not 'allowed' to sit down at the table, collected a few slices and deposited them on the plate for me.
"Thanks." I glanced up at him and he nodded before taking a step back. I tried my hardest to ignore the squirrelly feeling of someone getting my food for me, or waiting on me. Even in my own kingdom, our help wasn't this… controlled.
"You don't appreciate Jackal, Princess Heartfilia?" Zeref asked, from his place opposite me, which was odd since I had assumed he would be at the head of the table. However, when we sat down, he offered that spot to Ultear who went along with it, in her usual fashion.
I flushed at his words. "Of course I do. I just don't find being waited on all that appealing."
"I am aware that the Star Lands follow the code of equality. Even though Royals are higher in every way, you still allow your servants the right of freedom."
"People that have free choice, and still choose to assist royalty, are more loyal than those forced to serve with no freedom," I stated with a small shrug, pushing around a piece of pork as he chuckled softly.
"And yet, you were waited on in your kingdom, were you not? I am surprised to see that only a few weeks out of your castle has made you uncomfortable with the prospect."
"Maybe I'm not the type of royal who needs defenceless servants waiting on me hand and foot to make me feel my station," I replied calmly, despite the shiver of fear that accompanied his attention solely on me.
"If I didn't know you better, Princess Heartfilia, I would assume that was intended as an insult towards me."
I lifted my eyes from my plate, staring into his dark ones, ones that were the same shape as Natsu's before speaking slowly, "Well, Lord Zeref, as it so happens, you don't know me at all."
We stared at each other for a few long seconds, the temperature around the table plummeting with every passing moment. It was obvious that I was not what Zeref was expecting, and he didn't know howto deal with me. I was beginning to see what Natsu had warned me about.
Zeref was used to manipulating people, to making them mentally weak and easy to convince that his way was right.
However, he hadn't met a obstinate Heartfilia before.
A warm brush of fingertips made me look away as Natsu murmured, "Careful. Zeref can worm his way into your head with only his gaze."
I glanced towards Zeref, wondering if he could hear what Natsu was saying before whispering back, "So, if I stare in his eyes long enough, he can read my mind?"
"He can pick it apart. That's why you need walls against his power."
I nodded, taking the advice immediately, before turning back to my plate, picking up a piece pork from my plate and slowly eating it. I found the meat to be tender and perfectly cooked, but the sauce was sticky, and almost sour in a weird way.
"Princess Scarlet, seeing as you are the most eager to leave the lands, could you tell me of your travels?" Zeref asked, and I remained quiet, nibbling on some bread that Jackal had silently offered, as though he had guessed that I wasn't exactly weeping with joy over the strange food served at Zeref's table.
"While I admire, and am thankful for your hospitality, I would like to keep our travel plans quiet."
"Ah, yes. Because Princess Heartfilia is wanted for genocide of the highest order, I suppose," Zeref mused, making my blood go cold, and then my leg. I jumped back, noticing how Jackal snatched his hand back. He winced, realising that he had spilt a few drops of wine on me and I noticed the way his eyes shot to Zeref whose face went completely blank.
"Is that something that shocks you? That someone like Princess Heartfilia could kill?"
Anxiety burned through my senses at the way Jackal winced, his eyes glued to the floor, his shoulders dropping submissively. The air in the room had gone stagnant, everyone waiting, watching with baited breath to see what Zeref would say next.
"Answer me, Jackal." The minute he said Jackal's name, the man beside me dropped to his knees, grunting in pain, hands going to press against his head.
"Stop it!" I shouted, a million angry ants marching up my spine, my skin prickling as my power flared. I shot to my feet, placing myself directly in Zeref's line of sight, blocking Jackal from him.
Zeref barely blinked. "He's only a demon, Princess Heartfilia. I assure you, whatever pain he feels is nothing compared to what he went through to become a demon."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better? People that force pain onto others, especially, when they've led a painful life, deserve to be in one place only."
"Oh? And where is that?" His reply was laced with boredom, ambivalence even, but I saw the hungry gleam in his eyes. Zeref loved reactions. Maybe because he didn't have any humanity left, and wanted to remember a time before he had lost it all.
And did that mean, by my getting angry, he was getting what he wanted?
When I stared into the eyes of Zeref, I saw something that I didn't want to admit was there. But it wasn't scary. In fact, the mere flash of it had seen sent my anger plummeting, sadness and horror filling me like cold water in my veins. He may have been trying to get into my mind, but staring at him for this long, through eyes that I somehow knew were full of stars, I saw something that I didn't think he showed anyone.
Tears of sadness stung my eyes, and I felt Natsu touch my hand. "Lucy, what is it?"
I turned to him, blinking a few times, and for a second I saw the reflection of my eyes in his. Where I normally saw fire, and soul, and life, in Natsu, this was the first time that I saw darkness. And it matched Zeref's.
Did that mean Natsu had the same feelings as Zeref, deep down inside?
A tear fell down my face and I turned away swiftly, crouching down to place my hand tentatively on Jackal's back, whispering, "I'm sorry. I can't protect you this time."
"Don't need protecting, Princess, it barely hurts," he replied through gasping breaths and I wiped my tears away, softly pushing my hand through his cloud soft hair. I let it rest there for a long moment before I stood up, collecting myself with a deep breath.
I turned back to Zeref with a calm, blank smile, my insides tightening in pain, my heart screaming to release everything that I was pushing down. My power, however, remained uncharacteristically quiet. It hovered around the entrance or it's little cave, but didn't flare like it had before when I experienced sadness or any sort of other negative emotion.
It just… loitered.
"I apologize. This is your kingdom, and it's not my business to judge it."
It was the first time I had seen Zeref display a real emotion. His eyes widened at my words, shocked, while I took my seat, seeking Natsu's hand under the table.
He wants to die, I whispered to him, hoping he was listening, remembering how he could talk to me through thoughts previously.
Natsu's hand curled around mine, lacing our fingers as a beat of strength echoed through our link, as if he was willing me to remain strong. But how could I? I had seen something I shouldn't have. Noticed something that, if Zeref was aware I knew, would cut off the strained hospitality we were receiving.
I could feel his eyes on me, but I just returned to my meal, scooping up some rice to distract myself. Jackal's pained noises, which I was trying to ignore, stopped suddenly and I fought the urge to turn around.
"Thank you, my Lord."
"You are excused for tonight. Report to Mard Geer," Zeref stated calmly, clearing getting over his shock. I reached for my glass of wine, sensing Jackal leaving without another word.
It was the third silence of the dinner, and somehow, it felt a lot more dangerous than any of the others.
"You look so good," Natsu muttered, holding the glass which was filled with some sort of alcohol to his lips as his eyes raked over my body. We were in our room - yes, you heard it right, we got our own room - after the dinner of demons, and I was fiddling with Jackal's charm, frowning worriedly.
I turned to Natsu, clutching the pendant, and my heart stuttered in my chest. He was lounging back on the red plush arm chair, and the way he was spread across the dark colour was obscene enough. The darkness in his eyes, and the way his shirt gaped to show muscles, and that inked chest, was overkill.
I looked down at my outfit with a small smile, "I got told once that I shouldn't wear dark colours like this, so the fact you think so...is really something."
"Who told you that? I'll burn them." He smirked when I laughed, as I placed my hands on my hips, looking down at him.
"You're ridiculous."
"If you hold that pose, and tell me you want to be a dragon rider, I wouldn't have it in me to say no."
I felt my cheeks heat up at his words, before shaking my head with a playful pout, "Alas, you rejected me. Left me in the cold. Scrounging for scraps of your lust."
He tilted his head, a hungry, considering look on his face. "I'd never leave you cold, in fact, I like it when you get a little heated."
"That's what does it for you? Watching me throw around demons?"
"Everything you do 'does it for me' at this point. From bad-ass fighting to soft and cuddly."
The blush on my cheeks would not be dying down anytime soon if he kept this up, but I found that I didn't mind. Maybe now that I could wear red, a blush wouldn't look so damned splotchy on my face.
If only...
"Well, I'm feeling ridiculous in this so I'm going to change. I'm allowed to, right?"
"In your own space, yes, but if you want to leave the room, you've got to change back into it. His demons won't hesitate to attack if you haven't declared your magic."
"That sounds horrible," I murmured before turning away from him, fiddling with the ties so I could try and get this thing off.
"Are you going to get changed?" I asked, trying to figure out how to release the sash around my waist before stilling when his warm breath brushed over my back, through the netted fabric that itched at my skin.
"Why would I? You like me in this."
I gulped, my throat suddenly dry, "Those pants can't be comfortable." My voice was weak, and I cleared it to try and gather some semblance of strength, but with his proximity, and the aura of his heat teasing my body, it was a futile effort.
"Princess Heartfilia, my pants are never comfortable around you."
"You are so…" The words dried up when a warm hand touched my hip, sliding his nail along the webbed fabric, causing a shiver to envelope me.
"What? What am I?" His voice was low, positively filthy. I closed my eyes, my body leaning back so I could feel more of him; a solid, hot press of muscles.
"Bold."
"You'd rather I be shy?"
The idea of Natsu being shy made me laugh softly, because whilst he had his moments of pink-eared awe, he could never pull off shy. And that's something I admired about him, he was comfortable in his skin, honest. He didn't bother to change himself for anyone.
Not answering his question - I'm sure he knew the answer - an idea sprang to life and I spun around, gloating with a cheeky smile when he jumped a little. It's not everyday I succeeded in startling Natsu.
He rolled his eyes at my obvious pride, before opening his mouth.
"Let's play a game," I suggested, cutting off whatever he was about to say. His eyebrows furrowed, mouth closing slowly.
"A game?" he repeated,a sceptical, suspicious look on his features. I grinned, amused at how Natsu didn't enjoy having the 'tables' turned on him. After all, every other time I had bargained for information, it was on his terms, not mine.
And by bargained, I mean he mostly told me everything I wanted to know, in exchange for something about me.
"Lucy, out of your head and explain this 'game' to me." Natsu poked my forehead with a claw gently, pulling me from my thoughts about negotiation and how many times Natsu had kept his plan or game from me.
The memory of him purposely provoking my lioness, without actually telling me why came to mind.
Revenge, I thought suitably before cooing to him, "Will you play with me?"
"Explain it, and I might."
"Nope. It's either a 'no' or an 'of course, my golden goddess,'" I giggled at his look and he smirked down at me, leaning over me as it to intimidate me into telling him the game before he accepted.
"I think I'll decide after you tell me how the game works."
There was a moment of musing in my head, trying to figure out how I could goad or persuade him into agreeing without explanation. I was almost positive that the questions I had to ask would make him clam up, or at least, he wouldn't be comfortable answering them, but I had to know. There was so many things that I didn't know, and I couldn't afford to be walking in the dark about certain ones any longer.
Ultear's face flashed through my mind, mixing with my thoughts of learning more about Natsu, and self-sacrifice in all negations. It was like a something lit up inside my head, accompanied by a victorious ding noise.
I felt my own answering smirk slide over my lips, only imaging how cocky I looked, and Natsu's eyes narrowed. I really thought it was adorable how he continued to attempt to intimidate me, even though I could tell he was amused.
I leaned up on the tips of my toes, arching my eyebrow at him, purposely getting into his face.
Then I purred one word, one word that Ultear had told me to only use in emergencies or when I needed to achieve ultimate manipulation.
"Pussy."
I remember how she told me it was extremely powerful and I just watched her doubtfully, not really believing her, but promising that I would stick to her rules.
The reaction from Natsu was immediate, his eyes flared and he huffed through his nose, the silly little word effectively getting under his skin.
"Oh, now you've done it, haven't you?" He muttered under his breath, his voice a low growl that sent a delighted shiver through me as I continued to smirk up at him sweetly.
"I call it like I see it."
"Well, call it something different."
"It's not my fault a certain dragon is being a pussy and won't play with me." I turned away from him with a shrug, flicking my hair over my shoulder, trying to keep my giggles in, "Pity too. This game had especially fun rewards."
The minute I took a step away from him, two strong, steel arms wrapped around my waist and yanked me back, pressing his front against my back. I struggled not to melt, holding my hand up to examine my nails, milking my indifference for all it was worth.
"Mercy. Fine. I'll bite, let's play."
"I don't think I want to play with you any more. You're too rough, bruising me up."
"Oh, I'm sorry Princess. Want me to kiss it better?" Funny, he didn't sound sorry. In fact, he sounded a mixture of turned on and aggressively amused. It felt like he was having trouble with his natural laughter, or his natural, ahem, little dragon.
"That will give me cooties, so I'll pass," I replied primly, my actions contradicting my words as I placed my hands on his, tugging them lightly, gasping in delight when he gave me a tight squeeze.
"You like me rough."
"And you like me in general, so we are even." I patted his hands, before slipping out of them - with much difficulty - padding across the room to the large dresser. I caught my reflection when I bent over to find some way to remove the flowing fabric at least. My cheeks were pink with arousal and pride, a glossy, excited look in my eyes and a indulgent smile on my lips.
"I'm so pretty." I mused to myself, my smile widening when I heard his gruff laughter from behind me.
"Humble too."
I rolled my eyes at his words, before pointing to the chair he was sitting in before, "Have a seat Prince Dragneel, if you are still interested in playing the game."
"I have my honour to uphold, Princess Heartfilia," he replied mock-cordially, and I stifled my giggle at how we were acting. I managed to undo the epaulets, and the top of my shirt, before undoing both clips that held the two long pieces of red fabric falling from my hips, both on the back and front.
Soon, I was barefoot, and relatively undressed - it felt weird just walking around in a pair of high-briefed leather underwear and the strange mesh top - but I persevered, undoing my braid.
"This is a great floor show, but if you keep me in suspense, I might blow."
"One pump chump," I muttered under my breath, focusing on feeding the loops through other loops without creating a menagerie of knots.
"You are saucy tonight. It's hot."
I laughed, this time loudly, unable to keep the joy out of my voice at his words, and I felt a beat of happiness from the companionship that linked us, feeling incredibly loved, and appreciated just by his feelings.
Loved.
I shook my head, ignoring the fluttering in my belly before turning around, crossing my arms with a patient smile, leaning against the dresser with my ass.
He sat in the large armchair once again, sprawled out, the leather of his pants squeaking lightly when he shifted, the flowing, white lace shirt such a contrast to his warm, tanned skin. It was a view that I wanted to save a mental picture of.
He looked every bit the dragon with, I hated to say it, the odd slash of demon.
"What are you thinking so hard about?"
"How handsome you are." I shrugged, giving him a look over. "But, I'll flatter your mountainous ego another time. Right now, you are going to play with me."
"Say that again, and add 'please' to the end."
"Please keep that pretty mouth closed until I finish explaining," I bit my lip, my cheeks beginning to hurt at the plethora of smiles I had given him tonight. We were in a dangerous kingdom, with a dangerous host, and a bunch of questions hovering in the air, but Natsu made me so damn happy that I couldn't be mad even if I wanted too.
He laughed outright before waving his hands out in a 'do continue' motion, an indulging, sinful smirk on his pink lips.
"I'm going to ask you questions." His eyebrows furrowed and I felt my heart seize, suddenly a little nervous, "Questions that you probably don't want me to ask." I clarified, watching his reaction. His smirk remained, but I saw the way his eyes dulled, guarding himself.
"I'll answer any questions you have, Lucy. You know that."
"Not these ones, Natsu. These ones involve you, and I think, you like to avoid any questions about you."
"And why the sudden interest in my life? How can any of the answers, or experiences I can offer, help you in any way?" he asked over-patiently, but I heard a tone of something in his voice. I couldn't pin down. It wasn't friendly, and it definitely wasn't aroused like it had been before.
"Because…" I faltered, not wanting to say it, but knowing he deserved a reason as to why I was going to pry. "Because I need to know who I'm giving my heart too."
His face fell slack at my words, eyes widening and I closed my eyes in an attempt to gather my strength.
"I've been nothing but open and honest with you, Natsu. I didn't have much of a choice, but everything about me, you know. And once we get those books, you'll know even more. I know you have a right to your privacy, but I can't handle the thought of losing you because somewhere along the way, a piece of information about you finds my ears that I can't handle. That's why I want this opportunity, right now, to know everything and not feel blind-sided."
"Okay," he whispered, and my eyes opened. He grimaced, running a hand through his hair. "I get it. I'll do it. Ask me anything, and I'll answer." Anxiety riddled his features, along with a slight tinge of agitation and fear, that riffled through my senses, alerting me that it had taken a lot for him to agree.
I wondered what was so bad that he wanted to keep it a secret from me. What had happened that made him believe I would just walk away and leave him?
And that's when I knew, the best reward for his answers, would be that I didn't run. That I would listen.
No matter what he would tell me.
"Every time you answer, I'm going to take a step towards you." I paused, before adding, "I'm trusting you to be truthful here Natsu." Since he had told the occasional white lie before, I couldn't help but feel slightly guarded about the fact he might lie again.
Natsu nodded quietly, grimacing again as that same shard of fear echoed out of him and into me. I wanted nothing more than to run to him and tell him that he should forget it, that I didn't want to know what haunted him. But I couldn't.
If this was going to work, I needed to understand.
After a few minutes of deliberation, the question that had plagued me from the minute we got here, left my lips like a dead weight slamming straight into the centre of the room, rocking things inside my brain.
"What is your relation to Lord Zeref?"
He closed his eyes before stating, "He's my cousin. His aunt was my mother. She wanted to become the Queen, but Zeref was next in line for the throne because he had royal rights. First born and all that." I closed my eyes also, taking in this information, a small part of me intimately proud that I was right about them being closely related.
I took a step forward.
"Why didn't she just kill Zeref? She would have been next in line."
"She wasn't powerful enough. Zeref now, is nothing compared to Zeref then. He keeps a lot of his magic locked away now, to avoid starting a war."
Another step forward, my mind brewing over what he had told me before I questioned hesitantly.
"Is he really that powerful?"
Natsu lifted his eyes to find mine, "He is. If other Kingdoms knew the power he alone possessed, they would kill him. And burn this place down around him."
A shiver of fear crawled up my spine, and I struggled to take the next step, the air in the room tightening with every movement. I blocked my power away behind that steel wall inside of me, not allowing my emotions to infect its stability.
"Why are you both always on edge around each other? Is it only family rivalry?" I asked quietly, watching his reaction as he shook his head, his fingers and hands rubbing against each other in a nervous, self-conscious movement.
"It's not rivalry, it's survival. He knows that I am the only one who could challenge his right to this land. I'm royal by both counts, he's royal through his mother's line alone. His father was a human, I think. My father is the Dragon King, and my mother was the second princess."
Only three more steps before I was in front of him. I wondered and panicked what I would do when I got to that stage.
"So you could beat him politically, if you wanted to." I summarised, and although it wasn't a question, Natsu still answered.
"Not only that. I… I keep a lot of my power locked away as well."
His statement makes my muscles seize, and I whispered, "What?"
What did that mean? How could he lock away power? Is that a special ability that only people from his royal line could do?
He winced, placing his head in his hands, "We both know that I could beat him politically, and if anything, he should have killed me when I was a kid. But Zeref was going through one of his humane streaks and decided to spare my life. But it was only five years ago that he realised, I had the ability to beat him power-wise as well."
"You could fight him, and win?"
"In theory."
"I don't understand," I breathed, only one inch away from his knees, "If you really are that powerful, why didn't the light cover you like it covers Zeref?"
"I keep a lot of my power locked away Lucy. The light only measures the first container inside of you and it's capability."
I had heard about the theory of containers, a philosopher's way of explaining how magic worked in-tune with a creature's body, but my kingdom didn't practice or take much notice of it. We weren't a fighting kingdom after all, unlike Natsu's, or Erza's, whose lands were known for their warriors.
I closed my eyes, feeling the pressure of tears prickle at my eyes. I was surprisingly emotional, but something about the way Natsu was answering was getting to me. He sounded so full of sorrow, and self-hatred, that it didn't feel right. I hated that he felt this way, and that I was putting him through it.
My power rose up slightly in threat, but I shoved it back down and asked my next question, knowing that this one might be even harder than the Zeref one, "What exactly are you, Natsu?"
He had told me once that the dragon inside him overshadowed the demon, and I hadn't believed him then, dropping it.
Natsu ran his hands through his hair, and stood up suddenly, making me jolt back as he brushed past me and began to pace.
"Natsu?" My heart pounded in my chest at his agitated movements, but he cut me off with a low growl.
"At the beginning of time, there were enemies among the animal world. You know about that right?"
I cleared my throat, nodding, "Yeah, um, the rabbit and the fox, right?"
"Yes. Well, that theory can be tested in regards to mythical creatures as well. Vampires and werewolves. Swan-maidens and gypsies. Fairies and trolls. Everything has a counterpart that they are predestined to dislike, or even hate. I'm not saying it's the case for every single creature out there, but it's still an enemy, or a prey-predator thing in some cases." he grunted, still pacing, the room beginning to grow hot with his movements.
I didn't say anything for a while, I don't think he particularly noticed my silence under his own.
"Sure. We learned about that stuff when we were kids. Everything had an opposite, whether it be prey vs. predator or opposing equals." I eventually stated, hoping to help him along before asking, "Why? Why is that important?"
"Because that's how Igneel explained it to me when I asked why I was messed up."
My heart seized at his firm, angry statement, and I somehow knew it wasn't directed at me, but at himself.
"Messed up? I don't understand…"
"Do you know the enemy of dragons?"
I thought back to what I had learnt before guessing, "Isn't it mankind? Man attacked the dragons, hoping to slay them, because they were almighty and their religions opposed such a god-like species?"
"Man is an enemy in the history books, but it's not the figure that appears in our scripture, in our caves, and our relics. Man is just a weak reproduction of something that we fought long before they even came along to attack."
I was amazed about how much he knew, but then felt stupid because of course, he knew his own literature. Dragons were secretive to a point, so I had never heard any of this. And like always, I was hungry for information about anything that captured my attention.
"Okay. So not man. But something man-like?"
His eyes snapped to mine, the deep red startling me, "Demon. Not man-like at all. Demons are tricksters. Mockery artists. They made humans believe that attacking the dragons were a good idea, and then let them take the fall for it. Millions of people dead, because demons wanted to test the strength of their natural enemy."
"What about angels?" I gasped. "I thought angels were supposed to be the enemy of demons. Light versus dark, good versus evil. That's what most scripture of any religion says."
"The creatures that recorded those images, that scripture, saw an angelic image. A man, with two wings, and a halo of fiery light surrounding his body as he flew through the sky."
The image of Natsu, flying across the sky on the night we met, came flooding back to me and I placed my hands over my mouth in shock, reeling at this discovery.
"Angels never existed, Lucy. They were a figment of olden imagery and mankind's imagination. There is no trustworthy record of an angelic being, even though the stories stretch for miles. And every story…"
I closed my eyes, "Every story paints an angel as a figure of a human in the sky, with wings, always flying towards the sun."
"Dragons go above the clouds when flying, preferrably toward the sun," he said softly. "Always have, to avoid detection, blind pursuers."
"And when these ancient scholars saw these beings flying into the sun, they assumed they were returning to heaven."
Natsu nodded, running another hand through his hair, effectively messing it up even more.
"Dragons have kept this secret since the beginning. If we told anyone outside our kind about it, they wouldn't believe us anyway. They would think we were fools, or our egos were getting to our heads. They wouldn't think for a second that the angelic crap they've been eating this whole time would be a lie. Demons keep it secret because they are amused with the idea of people crying out for angels that will never come."
I felt tears pool in my eyes and I wiped them away quickly, wrapping my arms around my waist as a new sense of dread and hopelessness pressed down on my chest, "People like the idea of an indestructible good. Something that is born from the light and protects them. I understand why you guys kept it a secret. If the world found out, it would destroy religion, and maybe faith all together."
"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I don't understand the appeal of angels because I learned when I was very young that they never existed. I can't…"
"It's okay," I whispered, clutching myself tighter. "They did sound a little too good to be true, if you ask me."
I couldn't believe in such a short time I had had this bomb dropped on me, as well as Natsu's own feelings, that were all dark and all consuming. I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply before turning to face him, noticing how he had stopped pacing, settling on just looking at the door.
I wondered if he wanted to lock it to keep this secret safe between us, or if he wanted to run.
"What are you, Natsu? Just tell me."
I sounded tired. It wasn't that I was tired of Natsu, just shocked. Rough and exhausted with what I had found out in such a short amount of time. I probably should have eaten more of that suspicious fish at dinner if I had plans to interrogate someone.
"I'm a dragon by choice, and a demon by birth."
I closed my eyes, nodding, already expecting that answer even though I didn't know what it really meant. All I knew for sure is that Natsu, my Natsu, held inside him, two strong creatures that knew the other as its enemy. I wondered how it affected him, how he could live with that and if it hurt him daily.
Reading my silence, Natsu began to speak, his voice growing more unsteady with every word, "If I had been born in a volcano, amongst my element, I probably would have been a dragon by birth, but my mother gave birth to me in a cave, surrounded by shadows. It feels stupid that the environment would affect it, but it did. When I was born, the demon attempted to swallow the dragon's power that was inside me, but through training, I adapted. I chose to be a dragon, and because of that, I have complete control of that side of me. I would never worry about hurting someone by accident, or losing an inch of control. I control the beast because I chose the beast."
His voice shook, "But the demon, my demon, is something else entirely. It's all this darkness inside of me, always there, reacting to violence and death, like an animal. And, my control over it is tested every day."
"Have you ever lost control?"
"Yes. I have. Twice. One of those times, I killed twenty-three people. Attackers, from a small poor village that attempted to rob the castle. The other time, I almost killed Erza." He took a staggering breath in and my eyes snapped open, the light flooding them. I remained quiet as he murmured, "I don't remember what set me off, but I remember Jellal almost gutting me. Erza pushed him off."
"That's why Jellal seems like he doesn't want to like you."
"If someone lost control and tried to kill you, I wouldn't want to like them either," he whispered. "It's been five years since my last snap. Do you remember how I said demons don't function on the same level of emotion and empathy that humans do?"
I nodded, listening to him clear his throat weakly. "I don't feel anything. It's like my humanity shuts off completely and I just want to create pain, to attack and rip people to shreds. I'm a monster."
I turned around quickly, and ran into his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist tightly, closing my eyes as tears burned, my heart racing inside me chest. I could feel his shock vibrate down my spine, and knew he had expected me to be disgusted, not react like this. But I didn't care, I couldn't care.
"No more." I breathed, my voice catching as I tried to control my feelings from flooding us both, "You don't have to be strong any more tonight. I'm going to be strong for the both of us."
"Lucy…"
I knew how much talking had cost him, how much he feared I would leave, but in that moment, I wasn't sure I would ever be able to let Natsu go.
I leaned back, letting my tears fall down my cheeks as I looked up at him, sending a current of magic power along my skin, focusing on my hair and skin. His eyes widened, giving me a chance to observe my hair in the reflection of his pupils as it turned black.
I stood in his arms, covered in swirling tattoo's of black and gold, with my hair a tangled mess of dark, tears falling down my face.
"Let me be the monster, for the both of us."
Then I see it. A flash of black, like a blinking, sweeping pool of darkness in his eyes, completely swallowing the white, and red pupil. It lingers there, but instead of coiling away, or flinching like I assumed Natsu was waiting for me to do, I leaned up and pressed my lips against his.
"I love you," he muttered under his breath, his eyes slipping closed, one hand burying in my hair.
Wait…
What?
I stared at the sleeping dragon beside me with a frown, annoyed that he fell asleep so quickly. I mean, yes, I may have forced him to confront his demons - I'm horrible - and then tried to suck out his soul like a demon - once again, I'm a horrible person - but he had not only dropped a historical bomb on my chest, as well as made me swim through the emotional depths of a broken dragon, but he had also used the word.
The important word.
The word above all words.
I began to feel like that word had the same effect on me that 'pussy' did on Natsu.
Well, not the same effect, but enough of one to keep me up.
I poked at Natsu's cheek, grumbling when he snored loudly, mouth open.
"He's useless. I swear," I whispered to myself before sighing, sliding out of bed to try and track down something to eat. Once I got changed, clipping on the flowing fabric, shoulder-piece and the top which Natsu had 'helpfully' offered to remove for me by trial of fire, I left our room and ventured into the small sitting room.
It annoyed me slightly that I was stuck in this outfit just because a couple of demons would try and get frisky if I didn't.
The outfit itself wasn't bad - the pants weren't comfy - but I still felt gross walking around in such a conspicuous get-up. And self-conscious since I was dealing with a slightly bloated belly, for some unknown reason.
I turned my head, surveying the room for some sort of snack before stilling, frowning when the double doors were wide open. I checked the time, it was the middle of the night, why would the doors be open.
This would have been a great time to wake up Erza or Natsu, hell, even Jellal, all of which would tell me to close the doors and return to bed.
Though, I had the feeling Ultear would be up for a little bit of exploring.
However, I did none of these things. I woke none of them up and sneaked over to the door silently, barefoot. I peeked out before glancing back around the room, biting my lip. Then, in a move that was characteristically fantastic of me, I left.
Walking through the echoing, stone halls of a castle wasn't exactly scary to me, but the skulls acting as sconces were slightly unnerving. I had noted Lord Zeref's atrocious decorating skills previously, but once I saw the red and black tapestry, I began to wonder if he was partially colour-blind and only saw red and black.
I continued my journey, trying to remember how to get to the kitchen, contemplating Natsu's confession.
Was it just the heat of the moment?
Or did he really feel that way?
His emotions were all over the place, it would be unfair of me to cling onto words like that, even if they have a true meaning.
Would it be a massive insult to ask his sincerity?
After the brutal interrogation I had just performed, I wondered if Natsu would be willing to answer any questions in the foreseeable future. Especially disrespectful ones.
I grumbled quietly, wrapping my arms around my waist as I came to a door that was slightly ajar, blue light streaming out from it. I pushed on the door, grunting a little when it rested heavily against my muscles.
I slipped through, wiping my hands off on the stockings snug on my legs, my fingers catching on the leather straps, before stilling.
My heart dropped to my stomach, horror curling through my system, with shock and petrification, at the sight before me. A body was being held off the ground by thick, dry branches of some sort, speared through its skin, the barbed branches unnaturally sharp, even in my sight. Blood streamed down the wounds on each of his wrists, three in his stomach, and four in his legs, one for each foot and calf.
Tears pooled my eyes as his head wearily lifted, obviously noticing a visitor, and red eyes widened at the sight of me. Two dark blonde ears twitched before flattening to his scalp.
"Princess Heartfilia," he gargled. "Get out of here."
"Jackal…" I choked, before rushing towards him, touching the thick branches, trying to figure out how he got up there. Tears ran down my face as his blood stained my hands, and I jerked back when he coughed, a splatter of blood touching my cheek and the floor below me.
"Go. Quickly."
"I'm not going to leave you here!" I sobbed, touching his hair, then his face, which was marred with scars, fresh ones.
"Don't worry about me. It won't kill me. Go."
I shook my head, removing my hands so I could test how far the branches were in his body, he jerked and made a vague choking noise when I shook a branch lightly. I opened my mouth to apologize, when a soft, passive voice drawled.
"Try not to move them too much in aiding him. The barbs along them, are designed to rip away muscles."
"Get out," Jackal whispered, his voice fearful as I spun around, locking eyes with the two slanted dark ones opposite me. A man stood by the door I entered, a book in his hand, his dark, matted black hair stiffly falling down his back.
"Who did this to him?" I demanded, wiping my tears away, struggling to pay attention with the smell behind me, the feel of his blood on my hands and the noises Jackal made to warn me.
The man opposite me, smiled, and my own blood turned cold.
"I did."
"And you are?"
"Mard Geer, Princess Heartfilia. It's a pleasure to meet you." He bowed, the movement oddly feminine. I tried to track the name and figure out if I had heard it before.
Something clicked inside of me, "Are you the leader of the Nine Demons?"
"I'm their...Captain, of sorts."
"And you think that gives you the right to torture human beings?"
His head tilted, a calm, placating smile on his lips, and when he spoke, it sounded like he was chiding a small child.
"But he is not a human being. He is a demon."
From my spot below Jackal, blood leaked out from his hand, dripping onto my shoulder, but I ignored it, feeling anger, horror; all those dark, dark emotions begin to pool at my feet.
"Get him down." My voice shook, battling with my anger and my fear at the same time.
"If I do that, he may bleed out."
"If you don't do it, you may bleed out."
"A threat. How delightful." He actually sounded delighted when he said this, and the need to get as far away from this man as possible - with Jackal - increased. Mard Geer waved his pale, bone and skin hand, and the vines vanished, leaving Jackal plummeting to the floor from his suspended torture.
I barely managed to catch him, and the scream of pain he made when his legs knocked the cold concrete made me wince, my stomach swirling in sickness as I looked over his injuries.
"Where's the healer?" I snapped, as Mard Greer tilted his head again.
"We are demons. Why would we need a healer?"
I ignored him, focusing on smoothing my hand over Jackal's hair, tears stinging my eyes. "What happened? Why did he do this to you?"
Jackal gurgled something, blood leaving his mouth and I rested his head in my lap, hands fluttering about, trying to remember how to apply pressure to an open wound. But there were multiple and I didn't have any fabric.
Natsu! Natsu, wake up! I screamed through the link, annoyed when there was no response before I switched targets, focusing on Erza, which took a lot more strength since Erza was only a family link, and that was not as strong as a companionship. Still, I tried.
Erza! Erza, please hear me.
They both woke up at the same time, and I flinched when their muffled voices mixed as one, not use to talking through a link obviously.
Find me! Find me, it's Jackal. He's dying. Some guy named Mard G-
Animosity filled the link, and Natsu's growl echoed not only in my head, but all around me. Mard Greer noticed also.
Stay away from him. We are coming. Don't do anything stupid.
I was about to promise that I wouldn't, when a branch ripped out of Jackal's stomach. I fell back onto my ass in shock, as blood burst from the wound and Jackal's eyes slowly rolled back.
"No! No!" I sobbed, crawling over to him as he whispered.
"Stop caring so much, I'll be fine."
"No. You won't be. I couldn't protect you before and now I failed again." I shook my head, running my hands through my hair, as he smiled, his eyes slipping closed.
"You might be the stupidest, stubbornest princess I've ever met."
Then he died.
And I got angry.
I climbed to my feet, feeling Natsu and Erza's impending approach vaguely, but everything else was quiet. Dead quiet. The only thing I could feel was rage.
Rage, for Jackals death.
Rage, for this demon's attitude. Its sins. Its evil.
It filled me like a hot stormy wind, spinning around inside me, creating a vortex of anger and twisting fury, promising violence, destruction and death.
"Do you see this?" I asked, lifting my hand, so he could observe the blood there.
Mard Geer, the demon, the one without a soul or a shred of humanity, tilted his head, and nodded.
"This blood, that you spilled, is on my hands," I stated, my lips spreading into a sneering smile. The air was so still, so silent as it brushed along my skin, leaving me bare to the deadliest feelings.
"You didn't know Jackal that well, in fact you only met him today. I am surprised you have such compassion. Especially for a demon."
I ignored his words, because they were pointless. He was trying to understand rage. He was trying to understand wrath, an emotion that took over the very core of me and formed it into a tornado of hatred.
"I don't like the idea of the blood of your victim, on my hands," I said, my voice a blank, mindless drone, before I whispered, "That idea, makes me very angry."
I snapped my palm out, sending the wave of what was inside me, my mouth opening immediately. The power followed my hand though, exploding out of my fingertips in an invisible gust, slamming into Mard Greer. It was hard to manage at first, to confine such an angry sound to one person, when all I wanted to do was let it explode and take this castle away.
But I focused, the calm serenity of anger made my focus and control sharper than ever. I understood why this was the Shriek of Wrath; it was pure anger, it was something that you could push out of yourself with no training. It would follow your command because it only came when you needed it. And once you needed it, it knew that it was going to have the chance to destroy.
I was so busy watching Mard Geer fall to his knees, my eyes tracking the current of magic that left my finger tips, and entered his ears, that I didn't notice two separate doors open. Some of my sense swam back into me, as if controlling the Scream like this was allowing some part of my awareness of my surroundings to return.
Or maybe it was the fact that this demon was soulless and I didn't need to cross him over.
The first thing that I noticed was Mard Geer screaming. It sounded nice. Like vengeance. Or judgement for his sins.
The second thing I noticed, was Natsu approaching me from the side.
I didn't like that as much. He looked like he was going to tell me to stop.
I wasn't going to stop until the demon who had tortured and killed Jackal, was pulverised into demon dust at my feet. I kept my hand pointing at Mard Geer, whose screams were breaking into another octave entirely, and glanced at Natsu.
He stopped, immediately sensing the threat I was conveying.
Back off, I was saying, Interfere and I will hurt you.
The screaming, or wailing at this point, was beginning to annoy me now and I turned back to the black-haired demon. I tilted my head, studying him for a second, recognizing exactly how close to death he was, before slowly squeezing my outstretched hand into a fist. The stream of magic stopped, captured inside of him, like an endless loop, rather than a continuous, changing Shriek.
Interesting… I tilted my head the other way, studying my power in a completely different aspect as Mard Greer pressed his hands to his ears, his noises reaching a pitch that I was certain only dogs could hear.
I took a deep breath in, watching my power swirl around inside of him before releasing my fist in a quick motion.
His screams stopped immediately.
Because his body, exploded into nothing.
Nothing but dust, clothes, teeth and a rather interesting-looking book.
I hope the pure savagery and excellence, of this chapter makes up for lost time. I could make a billion excuses, but I'm not, I'll just leave this in your lap, apologize profusely and promise that the updates will now be regular again.
If you've been a reader of mine from the beginning, you'll know that I have pulled this before on other works and previously it had been MONTHS before I updated. But, I told life to go screw itself, pulled my head from my ass and wrote this masterpiece.
I think this might be one of my favourite chapters, to date.
Question Time (there's so many, oh my god)
Why is Jackal adorable, and why do I like that? Because sometimes you need a cute as heck demon ;)
You know, one of these days Natsu and Lucy are going to rip each others clothes off, and you'll have nobody to blame but yourself. heCK YEAH
Is Mavis the light? Nah.
Did he seriously give her his soul?! How much does he like her!? It's a CHARM with only what's left of his soul, and it's use is to call on him as he is on loan as a slave from Zeref for the duration of their stay.
How long do you plan on teasing this? Until you get the chapter titled, "Their Bodies."
How bold is she (Lucy)? What does the lace say about Natsu? It says Fresh wanted a bold Lucy and a lacy, racy Natsu. She isn't sorry.
When Lucy declares her magic how revealing will her clothes be (any question about Lucy's clothes will be answered here as well)? ANSWERED.
And when Mavis shows up will she still love Zeref? Who said Mavis will show up ;)
Will Lucy and Laxus have the chance to see each other? Will Lucy and company see the Strauss siblings again? Yes & yes.
I wonder if Jackal will end up joining them...? I WISH.
Will he (Zeref) turn out to be the two faced man I think he is and ATTEMPT to kill Lucy with out bating an eye? Nah. My cupcake aint like that ;)
You must lose your Authour's Virginity!? *looks at my other works, laughs nervously* It's been gone for years…
Dragon Cry is out already? Yas.
Where did you come up with the idea for Lucy's marks? I pulled it out of thin air and made it real…
Will Lucy keep him (Jackal)?! I WISH.
Will we see a END Natsu? Maybe ;)
Will we see Mavis? Maaaaybe ;)
Will she have a relationship to Zeref? MAYBE.
Will we see the other dragon slayers like Sting and Rogue? No, I don't think so…
Why would you dangle the citrusy goodness like that? Because I can *drops mic*
What did Natsu say in demonic? Wouldn't you like to know ;)
How do the demons classify a defeat? Will be answered in the next chapter ~
Did you just make Natsu resemble Lestat?! YES BITCH YES. YOU GET A BONUS POINT FOR SENSING THE REFERENCE.
Have you watch the Fairy tail dragon cry yet? I have ;)
Why is Lucy using both arms in this chapter, even though in the previous, it was badly burned? I think it's safe to assume, whenever Lucy is injured, a certain somebody will heal that shit immediately.
So gray killed one hundred and twenty six demons? I didnt understand this part. Can you please explain it? Sure. Gray, overrun with anger and grief, wanted to attack the Vapids for killing Juvia. Zeref sent over demons every month as penance and to avoid a war. Gray killed one hundred and twenty one demons - not all at once of course - before stopping, when he realised anger and killing them wouldn't bring Juvia back.
How do you come up with all your ideas? A smoke, some killer music and day dreaming.
Are Lucy and Jackal going to have a closer relationship?! Like brother/sister kinda love? After this chapter, we can assume, like, yes?
When Natsu's POV comes around will we get too know his thoughts on first encountering Lucy in little bits all the way up until now? Possibly, probably, yes.
Have we met a human character? The girl in the stall was human…
Is Ultear technically a human as a witch, or is witch another race as well? She's a witch. No other race. The real question is, what her power is?
Can you explain "links" in depth? In depth will only confuse you more, but I'll give it a try. A link, is a psychic connection between one creatures power, to the others. It's a sign of trust and strong, friendship. It only links the creatures, through their power. It has multiple pros, as well as showing off a faith between the two.
When you have writer's block what helps you get out of it/what helps you think of new ideas? I always have new ideas, so I never run out of them. But the motivation to actually put them to paper (or screen in this case) is always tricky. A cup of tea, a cig and some extreme brain exercises. Or I just eat on the couch, and wish I had a hot Natsu to massage my feet.
When Lucy "touched" Jackal's soul, was he getting turned on or what? Soft touches aren't something demons are used too. He was more uncomfortable with how nice it felt, being soothed with Lucy's fingers.
Wait does that mean that bixlow kissed Jellal to get his soul? LMAO. YES. LET'S GO WITH THAT. ROLL.
Does she even need the book all that much if half of what she is doing is trial and error anyways? That is an excellent point. Have a cookie.
Question was chapter 23 your version of teasing for Natsu and Lucy when I mentioned them doing that in another story of yours and you responded saying that you where using it somewhere else? *blinks* Huh.
Can lucy scream in more than one person's mind? In theory, yes.
Are you going to give natsu some love rivals to compete with? Nah.
WHY DO YOU TORTURE US? BECAUSE I CAN, I'M SO VERY SORRY
Fresh where ya aaaatttt, It's been two weeksss! Where is the update?! etc etc
I just want to say, to all of you that have stuck around, sent me amazing messages that were so sweet and kind, I apologize for making you wait so long! It won't happen again, at least not without a warning!
For my penance, please enjoy the NEW cover. You can find it on my tumblr, and it is Lucy's declaring outfit!
Let me know what you think guys, it's good to be back ;)
Stay fresh darlings!
xo freshprincess