Summary: Getting lost in the woods is the least of their worries when Natsu and Lucy blunder their way into a cursed village and a prophecy that leads them to understand something about themselves.
Big thanks to Snogfairy for taking a look at this and giving me the shove I needed to actually fix a bunch of stuff I was waffling on!
Author's Notes: Mostly pretty PG-13, but there's a bit of violence, cursing, off screen death of OCs that happened long in the past, and a really NSFW scene towards the end. I'll admit this is a little weird and definitely darker in tone than my fluffy stuff. Nothing too bleak, I promise. I should probably warn everyone now that I have some strange kinks, though. It only seems fair to alert you all going into this.
For anyone reading this on FF net the NSFW section was primarily cut, so if it feels like there's something missing, there actually is. If you'd like to read that redacted part, hop on over to my Archive of Our Own account (there's a link in my profile) and you can find it there once we get to that section. It's not exactly important for the story, so you're not missing anything if you'd rather skip the naughtiest bits.
The time frame also got a bit messed up thanks to some things that happened during the Tartarus manga arc. I had originally planned this to take place in that ambiguous post-Tartarus future, but, well, Mashima had certain people show up...
Author's Note Chapter Addition: I have a really hard time writing combat scenes, so hopefully this one isn't too awful to read. And hopefully the bad guy dialogue isn't too painfully cheesy either. For some reason villains really like to monologue in my head space. Can't seem to help it.
Lucy stared down at her chest with one eyebrow spasming violently. Normally, looking at her own breasts in the morning wouldn't be cause for anger, but this time Natsu's pink head was pillowed on them with a blissful smile curving his mouth. The idiot had managed to wind himself completely around her in the middle of the night, still clutching her right hand like a lifeline.
His other arm had snaked under her, and she could feel the flat of his warm palm against the skin of her back where her top didn't cover. There was even a small slick of drool right on top of her cleavage. Those onyx eyes were still shut, and he was sound asleep. At least he'd better be.
If she was honest with herself, though, he did look pretty adorable. She just wished he could do it in a less awkward way. Maybe she could just twist herself out of his embrace…
Or maybe if she shifted that way…?
Those coal dark eyes snapped open, and he stared up at her. "Lucy…" A jaw cracking yawn stretched his mouth, chin digging into her soft mounds, after which he smacked his lips loudly. "Man, you're the best pillow. I slept so good."
Her blush was like a raging wildfire, rising from her neck to the roots of her hair. "I swear, if you don't move right now -"
"Don't be like that," he cajoled, voice husky from sleep. It did terrible, glorious thing to her insides when he sounded like that. The half lidded eyes that gazed down at her when he lifted his head didn't help either. He hovered over her for a much too long moment.
And she noticed his smile had fallen away.
"What?" she said softly, rolling over just a bit so she was half on her back. His arms were supporting him and just happened to be positioned in a way that caged her. Something about this posture made heat unfurl in her belly.
"What what?" he whispered back, watching her intently.
Lucy pressed her lips together before replying. "You're staring at me. Does my hair look really weird or something?"
That drew a gentle sigh out of him. "Nah. You look… perfect. I was just thinking…" There was a strange sort of reticence in his manner that tickled her curiosity. It bloomed into full anticipation when he started to lean towards her. "About what you said last night. That maybe… you wanted…"
Her heart seized up in her throat, making it hard to swallow and keeping her perfectly still. The way he searched her face for a sign of something while his head kept getting closer made all sorts of conflicting things leap and shout in her mind. She resisted the urge to pinch herself in case she might be dreaming. If that was the case, Lucy did not want to wake up and miss the rest of this.
Parted lips hung over hers, and her hands haltingly reached for him, hovering awkwardly in the space between them. The warm breath that drifted over her mouth when he spoke made sparks shoot everywhere in her body like a flint being struck. "I know I'm not the best at saying things - you're better with words - but I should tell you that I don't want things to always stay the same."
"W-what?" she croaked. The celestial wizard desperately needed clarification right now. If this was real, she didn't want to blow yet another chance.
The girl felt the blankets under her tighten as his fingers clutched the material. He looked so intense. "I think I want more." The sentence tumbled out of his mouth like he was afraid it would escape before he could say it, and she suddenly couldn't find enough oxygen to supply her brain. "I don't know what exactly, but I just know that I -"
"Good morning!"
Llamalla's cheerful greeting had Lucy sitting up so fast she bashed the crown of her head on Natsu's chin. The dragon slayer fell back, groaning as much from the shocking pain as the interrupted moment. He'd thought he'd had the perfect, private occasion where they weren't either in mortal danger or exhausted to finally have that serious-enough-to-freak-him-out discussion about the future with his partner.
Apparently he was wrong.
"Oh dear," the old woman trilled. "It seems I really should have waited. I did not mean to disturb such a tender scene. I can return later."
"It's… okay," Lucy sighed, rubbing the top of her head and carefully not looking her friend in the eyes. Her heart was still thundering under her rib cage while her thoughts tried to all cram themselves into the limited space in the forefront of her mind. That deplorable block of embarrassment had wedged itself right into the space between her mouth and her feelings again. She crawled out of their bedding and quickly put on her shoes.
The dragon slayer's growling stomach gave him the momentum to roll to his feet and pull on his discarded clothing. "We can talk about it later," was all he said, and the set of his features promised things when he caught the blonde's gaze.
"As you wish," Llamalla shrugged and led them out towards the village square. "There is a very nice porridge if you like. I made far too much for just myself this morning, so I would be grateful if you two would eat the rest. Of course, there is fresh fruit to go with it."
Lucy nodded and accepted a bowl topped with what looked like sliced peaches. There was not the slightest hesitation from the fire wizard as he started to gobble his own portion down, barely using his spoon. His teammate attempted to make up for his lack of manners with her excellent ones. "Thank you very much. This is delicious."
"Your dragon prince seems to have quite the appetite," the elder woman said. Her mouth pulled up at the edges, making the skin around her eyes crinkle even more. "Reminds me of my son."
"Your son?" Lucy asked. "Have we met him yet?"
"Oh no, my lady. He and my husband were killed in a dragon attack many years ago." Llamalla waved her hand as if to dismiss the event, but her eyes looked far away for a few seconds.
Natsu froze with his bowl tipped up to drain the dregs. He should've expected something like this considering how the villagers spoke about their dragon problems, but it still felt a bit like being slapped upside the head with a painful realization. Stiffly, he set his bowl down and watched the old woman warily.
"I'm so very sorry," Lucy said for the both of them.
The woman's smile turned soft and kind. "There's no reason for you to be sorry, maiden. That is the world we live in, fraught with danger as much as reward."
"Yeah," Natsu muttered. "I guess so."
"Oh, but such rewards!" Llamalla's chuckle sounded a bit devious. "And to have someone so fit and true by your side to share the pleasures with. Ah, to be young and in love."
Lucy's face burned, and she noticed a number of other villagers smirking at the two guests. She couldn't help but wonder what sort of gossip the old lady was spreading. "I'm going to go study Loke's translation," she said abruptly. "In private. Where people can't see me."
"But what'm I gonna do?" the dragon slayer whined. "It's boring without -"
The look she shot him stomped his complaint into the ground. "We'll finish our talk later, but right now I can't afford that kind of… distraction. I'm sure you'll find something to do. Why don't you ask the chieftain if you could help them somehow?"
"I guess." He scuffed his sandal against the dirt petulantly. Watching her walk back to the tent killed the rest of his previously good mood. As much as he realized he'd only be in the way while she worked, Natsu was itching to hear her response to what he'd been about to say earlier.
"Ahem…" The noise of Daun clearing his throat grabbed the wizard's notice. The old man had a small smile on his mouth, and the pink haired boy had a sneaking suspicion he'd overheard Llamalla's teasing. "Master Natsu, if you would consent, perhaps you could assist us with removing some stones that are blocking our efforts to expand our vegetable fields."
"Sure thing!" the fire mage said, rubbing his hands together eagerly. A bit of good old fashioned hard work was just the thing to distract himself.
Rather than joining the group of people using precisely placed levers and well planned teamwork to roll a boulder, Natsu dug his fingers into the earth under another one and lifted it with a grunt and minimal strain. Brute force was really more his style anyway.
A quick jerk and heft had it secured in his arms, and he carefully picked his way over to the area the chieftain had designated. Making sure his feet were out of the way, the dragon slayer let the stone drop with a deep, reverberating thunk and dusted his hands in a satisfied gesture. "Piece o' cake," he declared.
"A-amazing!" Natsu turned and saw the squad of villagers were gaping at him. "You could move that by yourself?" Radi asked incredulously.
"He is the son of a dragon king and a master wizard as well," Maulin reminded them. "We should not be surprised if he is capable of more than an ordinary man."
Swelling up with pride, Natsu gave the most casual shrug he could manage. "Hey, it's no big deal. Just a rock."
He grinned toothily, but it frayed a bit at the edges when he took a good look at the people staring at him. Though the two friendly hunters seemed more in awe of him than anything else, the dragon slayer picked up the subtle, acrid notes of fear and apprehension from the others in their team. Their eyes were wide and while they were trying to hide it, he could see the faintest traces of horror in their expressions.
The looks were starting to prickle at his self-consciousness, and Natsu coughed nervously. "I'll… just go grab that other rock over there…"
Physical labor always helped take his mind off anything troubling him, but as he shifted stones, hammered in fence posts, and helped clear out brush and old logs, the blatant stares and murmured words grated on his nerves.
"How do you think a dragon and a celestial maiden become lovers?" one woman whispered to her friend.
"The legend says she saw a warrior and not a monster. He is rather handsome for a beast," the friend answered with a titter. "Perhaps a gentle maiden such as she did not understand that a savage creature could be dangerous in close quarters."
"I wager he seduced her with his wild ways," a third woman put in. "That does not seem so bad a fate, even if his manner is barbaric compared to a human."
Rolling his eyes, Natsu muttered under his breath, "Gentle maiden?" Only someone who'd never gotten hit in the head with a 'Lucy Kick' or smacked with her whip would be stupid enough to call her a 'gentle' anything. The rest of it was just ridiculous.
Though, the 'seducing with his wild ways' part sounded like it could be fun.
Dropping a large pile of freshly chopped wood near the village square's cook fire, the dragon slayer glanced up and spotted the pack of children that had spent the morning watching his every move while trying to hide behind the adults that were going about their routines. "Hey, guys. Wanna see something cool?"
With a grin and a flourish, Natsu produced three small spheres of fire and started to juggle them. HIs broad smile faltered when they all gasped and scattered in different directions before he could even get to his favorite tricks. "Huh…" Letting the flames flicker and die, he scratched at the back of his head. "Maybe I should've tried breathing fire instead?"
"It is your powers." Natsu's head whipped to the side, spotting a calm looking Tarsk with his tattooed face and well groomed hair. "They are frighteningly similar to those of a dragon, so I am sure you are not surprised by their reaction."
The fire wizard compressed his lips into a firm line. "I haven't done anything to them, and they're all asking me to break this dumb curse too," he grumbled. Their oscillating behavior was bugging him, swinging from treating him like some kind of divine hero one moment and then calling him a beast the next. It's not like he was scary… usually.
Tarsk raised a shoulder in a lackadaisical shrug. "We have spent our lives being terrorized by those creatures. If we are truthful, this land has been something of a blessed reprieve. To have a monster in human form stumble into our midst after enjoying peace -" He broke off the thought as Natsu's expression soured from disgruntled to angry.
"I'm not a monster, and Igneel isn't either," the dragon slayer said vehemently. "Besides, if you guys are so happy here, then why was everyone throwing a big party when they thought we might be able to get rid of this curse, huh?"
"You do not aspire to be a dragon yourself, then? You said that your magic allows you to take on their aspects, so it would seem that is your ultimate goal." Tarsk's chin took a superior tilt that made the wizard want to smash it with his fist.
"That's not the same!"
"I fail to see how your desire to follow in their beastial ways would make you anything less than a dragon with a flimsy human facade. Underneath you would be just as much a monster, beholden to your instincts and devoid of the compassion of humanity."
Natsu froze, an image of Acnologia snapping into full color in his mind. Was that truly what it was to become a dragon? Was it impossible to hold on to yourself with the transformation, or would he be able to cling fast to his personality and the things that made him him? How high could the price for the strength to protect those he cared about get?
"That's not… I don't want…" He grit his teeth, finding he didn't have the words to explain himself. He knew full well that not all dragons were so brutal and malicious, but after what he'd seen in Crocus, it was foolish to deny the calamity they could cause. The thought of becoming like the behemoth that assaulted them on Tenrou terrified him, but if it would save the ones he loved…
The shaman raised an open palm placatingly. "Forgive me, master wizard. I have let my unruly tongue get the best of me. You and the maiden have been so… generous in offering your aid to us."
Natsu let out a snort of steam, vindictively pleased when the creepy Tarsk took a step back. "Whatever. I'm gonna grab some grub and take it to Lucy." Without waiting for the shaman to comment, he spun on his heel and strode towards the tent. He only paused to request a plate of food the villagers were preparing for the afternoon break.
Pushing aside the tent flap, Natsu entered and found Lucy sitting cross-legged with papers strewn around her in a semi-circle. She looked up and smiled at the sight of him, taking off her Gale-Force Reading Glasses. "Oh, wow, lunch already? I lost track of time!"
He dropped down to sit in front of her as she made space by collecting the torn out pages of her notebook and stacked them neatly off to the side. The girl quickly snatched up a piece of tasty fruit from the plate her partner set between them and crammed it in her mouth hungrily. His silence and intense expression quickly clued her in to his bad mood. "Did something happen?" she asked cautiously.
He said nothing for a moment, taking the time to chew and swallow a piece of bread first. "You don't think I'm a monster, do you?"
"What? Maybe sometimes when you -" she started to joke, but his eyes darkened in a way that surprised her. "Where did this come from?"
Taking another, overly large bite to finish off his bread, he mumbled around the mouthful, "Something that shady guy said…"
She carefully considered her next words, wanting to clear up whatever this uncharacteristic doubt was. "I definitely don't think you're a monster, Natsu. You're one of the best people I've ever known, and I trust you with my life. Don't let that guy get to you."
This seemed to satisfy him, and he started digging into the rest of the food with his normal obnoxious appetite. "So, what'd you find out from those notes?"
"Oh, right!' She brushed a few crumbs from her lap and swallowed the food in her mouth. "The first part is actually a story, and I think it explains a lot about what's going on here. If it's true, then… Well."
"Go on," Natsu prompted with a piece of jerky. He always liked it when Lucy told him stories.
"It's about a dragon and a celestial wizard who… fell in love." She didn't meet his eyes, looking at one of the pages instead with a fine pink blush staining her cheeks.
The fire wizard stopped gnawing on his dried meat momentarily. "For real? Oh wait! That legend…"
"Exactly," she agreed. "The whole 'celestial maiden and her dragon' thing probably came from this story. It could have something to do with why the two of us got caught up in the curse too since our powers are similar. What's more, I think this dragon might've been the forest guardian Daun and Llamalla told us about."
"Wow."
"Yeah. Apparently this dragon could change his shape into a human, and he used that to keep an eye on all the beings that live in the forest."
Natsu's eyes widened. "A shape shifting dragon? I think Wendy once said Grandeeney could do something like that but only into a ball of light or whatever, not a human."
"It sounds like a pretty rare ability," Lucy stated, shuffling through the pages next to her. "But I guess he met this woman while he looked human, and she mistook him for a hunter from a neighboring village when he saved her from some bandits. They struck up a friendship, and every day she would bring food to the clearing and have her lunch with him."
"Huh," the fire wizard grunted, starting to get wrapped in the tale.
"Eventually," she continued, "they fell in love, and he showed her his true form. He was sure it would scare her away, but she told him that she loved who he was, not what he was."
"She seriously didn't care?" he asked, leaning in.
Lucy shook her head with a soft smile. "She loved him, and that was enough for her." The warm expression faded a bit as she scanned the words on the notepaper. "But she was supposed to marry a man from her village, so she tried get her father to break the engagement. Her father, the chieftain, was horrified that his daughter could fall in love with someone he saw as a monster, and her fiance said that her wanting to be with the dragon was a sign she'd been corrupted by dark magic."
Natsu shifted, picking up another hunk of dehydrated meat. "So, she gave up, right? She… broke the dragon's heart?"
"Nope. She told them it didn't matter if they approved, that she'd be with the one she loved and intended to leave with him to see the rest of the world."
"Wow," he said, and his eyes studied her face. Lucy had an odd look of determination, as if she was living in the other celestial wizard's shoes and was making the same difficult choice. "She sounds like a tough girl."
"Doesn't she?" His partner's smile was more grim now, and he sensed that whatever was coming wouldn't be kind to the people in the story. "Unfortunately for her, her fiance was also a powerful wizard and was known for defending the village from danger. He convinced the others that the only way to appease the forest spirit and keep the black sorcery that he claimed had corrupted the woman from spreading to the whole village was by sacrificing her."
Sitting up straight, the fire wizard frowned. "Wait. I thought the dragon was the forest spirit. So this guy lied to get them to… kill her?" Lucy's stern nod made him grit his teeth. "Why?! Because she wanted to be with someone else instead? He couldn't just be happy for them?"
"I really don't know, Natsu. The story doesn't say," she admitted, "but he apparently cornered her in the forest at the altar, and they fought."
"W-what happened?"
"She lost," Lucy whispered. "The fiance killed her, and the dragon was so hurt and angry that he attacked the village."
Pressing the back of his fist to his grimacing mouth briefly, Natsu shook his head. "That's… I don't…"
"The dragon did a lot of damage, but couldn't bring himself to wipe out his lover's people. In the end, the fiance drove the dragon away with his spells and potions. It looks like the person who actually started the curse was the celestial wizard, as her dying wish, but she didn't have the strength to finish it. The dragon couldn't just let her death go unavenged, so he used the last of his power to make it work, cursing the village to be divided from others… never changing until they learned to accept the love between two different beings."
"Man, no wonder this curse is so strong." The fire wizard rubbed the back of his head and hissed. "Dragon magic. But I thought Loke said the curse was broken by… you know."
Lucy pointed a finger at him, mouth puckering and nose scrunching in irritation. "I know! The part after the story is where the wording for the curse begins, and it's… weird."
"Weird?"
"Yes, weird!" she exclaimed. "The dragon's story sounds more like a cautionary fable, and most of the curse - the part that Loke got translated anyway - is written in the same kind of tone. But there's some parts of it that are just more crude. There's even a chunk where it was talking about acceptance and then suddenly goes on to state the villagers wouldn't remember anything until the maiden and the dragon return."
"Return? I thought they were dead."
"It doesn't make any sense! Like two separate sentences mashed together with the words shuffled around. It's like someone rewrote -" Lucy stopped, staring blankly at her partner.
"What -"
"Oh."
"Oh?" He blinked, confused by the revelatory, open mouthed look on her face.
"Oh!" Lucy jumped to her feet, and Natsu scrambled to join her. "Someone else did rewrite that, and I think I know who! If that's true, then why -"
Throwing up his hands, the dragon slayer cried, "What are you talking about?! Hey, wait for me!" He chased after her as she strode out of the tent, face set with conviction. She paused for a half a step, eyes scanning the village grounds before she spotted who she was looking for.
"Chieftain Daun!" she called, making a beeline for the older man with Natsu following in her wake. "I need to speak to you immediately."
The elder tilted his head and waited for the girl to approach. "What is it I can do for you, Lady Lucy? You look quite -"
"What was your daughter's name?" she demanded.
"My… daughter?" His worn face read of confusion. "Please excuse me, but I do not understand. I don't have a daughter."
"What about your wife?"
He blinked. "She died during… childbirth…" His eyes widened and then narrowed. "But how can that be -"
Lucy leaned in, face just inches away. "Think back. Before the curse struck, who did you live with? Think of her mother. Think of the happiest days of your life. Who did you spend them with?"
Daun shook his head, distraught. "I cannot… Why can I not remember?!"
"Try!" she insisted, giving his arm a little shake. "Fight the magic! You can do this."
A crowd was starting to gather, muttering to one another and witnessing the way their chieftain's expression slowly slipped from befuddlement to anguish. "You loved her, didn't you?" Lucy pressed, stepping forward and laying a gentle hand on the man's shoulder.
"Cyra!" he gasped, leaning weakly on his staff. "How could I… How could I forget? What have I done?!"
Nearby, Radi's face lit up with recognition and then slid from confusion to horror. "S-she was like my big sister, but I did not stand up for her!" Maulin laid an arm across his shoulders comfortingly. All around, others were having the same kinds of reactions.
"The curse made you forget. It's why no one remembers how long you've really been here. It's like every day resets the clock." The celestial wizard let her eyes rove the mob of villagers. "Are you starting to remember now? Do you remember Cyra and the dragon she fell in love with?" Her gaze skewered the scowling shaman standing behind the others. "Do you remember how Tarsk told you the only way to save your village was to kill her?"
"Whoa, what?" Natsu blurted out.
Lucy was in full blown instruction mode when she turned to him. "The dragon did curse the village, but his was much kinder than whoever changed it. Part of the curse was that the village remains unchanging, and what's more, everyone here remembers what life was like before the curse struck. I realized that the people here had to be the same people from the story!"
Her lips twitched into that slightly self-satisfied smile she got when she had solved an important puzzle. "It would take a skilled wizard to be able to modify a curse like that too. The story on the guardian's altar says that the only other wizard in the village was Cyra's fiance, and the only wizard here now is… Tarsk."
Lucy pointed her finger at the shaman who was being given a growing amount of space by his fellow villagers. "He's the one who changed the curse and made you forget what had happened. It was just a stroke of luck that we came here and things started to unravel. Even if I hadn't figured it out, you would've started to remember on your own. Nine hundred years trapped in this place without any memory of why you were here, all because one man couldn't accept it. The dragon only wanted you to understand that he and Cyra truly loved each other."
Sharp, grating laughter greeted her proclamation. "Loved each other, you say?" Tarsk sneered. "Does anyone here truly believe that one of those beasts is capable of such a thing?"
"Is what Lady Lucy says true?" Daun demanded, clinging desperately to his staff. "You changed the curse?"
"Of course it is true!" the shaman barked. "I am the one who protected this village from the dragons that wanted to wipe us out, not some false forest guardian. I used that monster's curse as a way of protecting us! I came across the creature as it was dying and stole the last of its magic to change the foul hex. We would have been trapped and forced to acknowledge that disgusting, unnatural relationship, but I made it so we are safe here instead. No outsider or monster can reach us, and you do not have to suffer through the memory of her betrayal." His beady eyes shifted to Natsu's angry face. "Or so I thought."
"Who would have expected that there would be two foolish women that would let their hearts be stolen by animals? It is quite revolting to say the least, but…" Tarsk paused, an ugly smirk twisting his mouth. "I cannot imagine that even Lady Lucy would be willing to consummate a relationship with a filthy creature parading around in human skin, whether it is to undo my hard work or no."
Natsu snarled at him but heeded Lucy's simple gesture to halt. Her face was serious, and it amused the arrogant shaman. "Oh, what is this? Perhaps obedience is something bred into the mongrel child of a dragon after all."
"Shut up," the celestial wizard snapped. "Someone like you has no call disparaging a person as good as Natsu. No wonder Cyra rejected you. You aren't even half the man that her dragon was, and -"
The ground buckled under her feet, sending Lucy stumbling. Roots burst out of the ground, guided by Tarsk's magic, and attempted to snarl around her feet. A precise stream of fire sheared off the tendrils, and Natsu tugged his partner safely to the side.
"Bring it on, you bastard!" he growled, rushing towards the other wizard with a flaming arm. He was going to be more than happy to bash the smug look off this guy's face.
Reacting quickly, Tarsk brought his hands together, fists stacked on top of one another, and sharply drew them apart. Dirt spewed in all directions as a wall of thorns surged upwards and intercepted Natsu's iron fist, abrading his knuckles and driving him back a few steps.
Shouting and running, the villagers scrambled to get out of the way of the sudden combat zone, but Natsu was focused on his enemy. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the friendly hunters being wrapped up in sheets of vines that crawled out of the garden. Radi was awkwardly sawing at Maulin's bonds with his hunting knife even as he hung in the creeping plant himself. There'd be no help from them.
Natsu charged forward, grabbing an edge of the impromptu wall and ignoring the prickling thorns. Using his momentum, the dragon slayer sung around to the other side, performing a scything kick that, while it didn't connect, sent Tarsk scurrying backwards. The shaman waited until the fire wizard threw himself forward again to uncork a vial with his thumb and expertly splashed a vibrant purple concoction into his opponent's face.
The liquid burned, and for an anxious moment Natsu thought that it was acid eating into his skin. His rough hands swiped at his face, coming to the swift conclusion that, while it hurt, it wasn't badly damaging his flesh. Maddening stinging in his sinuses from the stench made his eyes water profusely and had him sucking in air through his mouth instead. The smell was strong and heavy enough to settle on the back of his tongue, making him gag.
Practically spitting in rage, the dragon slayer was effectively incapacitated by his extraordinary senses. He couldn't even pull a full breath into his burning lungs and only belatedly resisted when Tarsk kicked him in the chest, sending the pink haired boy tumbling into the dirt.
The shaman laughed, watching him writhe on the ground in pain, reduced to coughing and incoherent snarling. "Ah, look at you now! So confident in yourself, but you really are more beast than boy in the end. That formula is meant to disable full sized dragons. It's more than enough for you."
Tarsk planted a vicious kick into the young man's ribs, crooked grin warping his face. "Did you really think that your pure little maiden would ever let her touch her how you want? That she would give herself to you?"
He cackled in wretched mirth, snapping his foot into Natsu's side again. "No human could ever love something like you. Cyra would have come to her senses and regretted such a choice eventually. Perhaps I shall be kind and put you out of your misery before she leaves you alone and broken!" Shifting his hands both low near his left hip, he raised them quickly up and to his right, and his magic pulled more sharp roots out of the ground.
"Open, gate of the lion! Leo!" Lucy shouted, throwing the full weight of her magic and anger against the resisting barrier. Her limbs shook from the strain, shining key extended, but the gate tore open and sent the materializing form of Loke barreling straight for her enemy. "Get 'em!"
Driving his hands downwards, Tarsk sent the roots plunging towards Natsu's vulnerable form only to be intercepted by a splash of bright light. The roots shattered, splinters peppering the combatants, as Loke's fist connected. "With pleasure, Lucy!" the lion answered.
"Y-you… You are a -" the shaman stammered, backing up.
"Indeed I am," Loke responded flippantly. He adjusted his darkened glasses with a cocky smirk. "I don't have a lot of time here, so let's make this quick." Lunging forward with startling speed, the spirit quickly crossed the distance between himself and his enemy. The ground heaved under his feet as Tarsk made a shoving motion with his hands, and Loke stumbled just enough for his powerful swing to miss.
"Natsu, are you okay?" Lucy asked desperately. "What was that stuff he threw at you?" She got no answer as he wheezed and clawed at his watering eyes and burning nose. Seeing him in such obvious pain made her stomach roll over, and Lucy glanced around hastily until her eyes landed on a damp clay pot near one of the tents.
Sprinting towards it, she tried to ignore the way her legs were starting to wobble. Loke's fist was swallowed by light, firing a beam of energy into another wall of roots the shaman had raised. The sound of wood splintering reached her at the same time she felt the drain of energy from keeping the lion's gate open.
With a grunt, Lucy lifted the water filled pottery and staggered back to her teammate. She upended the vessel over his head, pouring the contents onto the dragon slayer and fumbling to keep from dropping the pot on his face.
Natsu sputtered, coughing as he inhaled some of the water, and scrubbed rapidly at his face. "Lucy," he rasped," you're the best!"
She smiled tiredly, sinking to her knees as her legs buckled. "Yeah, well, I think I'm out of magic now, so I really hope you've got something up your sleeve."
"Natsu!" Loke called, "I need you to kick this guy's ass." His form started to dissolve into particles of light. "Sorry I couldn't do more."
He faded away as the dragon slayer swayed to his feet, eyes red rimmed and full of ferocious rage. "You did enough. Now it's my turn to -"
A shriek snapped his focus to the side as Lucy was dragged upwards, vines snaring around her ankles and pulling her into the air. She grabbed for the tendrils to avoid being dangled upside down and managed to keep herself more or less horizontal. "Damn it! Natsu, don't worry about me!" As much as she hated being useless, she was now completely drained of energy and stuck.
Chest expanding as he sucked in a large volume of air, Natsu breathed out a violent blast of fire that withered the grass underfoot from the intense heat. Tarsk's eyes widened, and he hurled himself to the ground with his hands covering his head before the deafening roar of flames scorched above his back and set fire to the broken roots that littered the battlefield.
The silence that seemed to rush into the area after the fiery burst ended felt somehow just as loud.
Scrambling to his feet, the shaman only made it to a clumsy crouch by the time Natsu descended on him. The dragon slayer's flaming iron fist connected solidly with his jaw, and Lucy could hear the sound of knuckles impacting flesh even from the distance of her position. Tarsk slumped to the dirt in an undignified heap, completely still other than his breathing.
Natsu stared down at him for a long moment, attempting to let the tension and anger drain out of himself. He blew out a sigh and suddenly sneezed. "Ugh," he muttered, wiping at his running nose with his sleeve.
"Don't do that!" Lucy scolded. "That's just disgus… You know what? Never mind. Just get me down from here, please." Her fingers were starting to ache from digging into the vines, and she wasn't sure how much longer her grip would last.
"Yeah, sorry!" Her partner scurried over and climbed the wall of vegetation quickly. It took him a few minutes of study and careful prying to begin to loosen her trapped feet.
It gave her enough time to inspect his curiously closed off features. Normally, the dragon slayer would be crowing after such a victory, but Lucy noticed the furrowed brows and clenched jaw. "Natsu… Are you -"
Her inquiry was interrupted by a squawk as she started to tumble, legs finally free. It was only his grip on her ankle that kept her from dropping painfully to the ground. "Ack! My skirt!" Lucy's fingers flailed to help the material fight gravity.
Hefting her easily into the crook of his arm, Natsu jumped down and set her back on her feet. She leaned on him gratefully when he didn't pull away, looking up to see Daun, face taught and grave, hurrying towards them. The man looked even older now as the weight of grief settled over his being like a shroud.
"I… I…" he started, voice clogged with emotion. "Please… forgive me! All of this, it is my own fault." The chieftain sobbed. "I did not protect Cyra, and I did not even remember the terrible thing I had done!"
By now the villagers were tentatively gathering around and whispering to themselves. Lucy sighed softly, taking in their apprehension, expressions betraying fear and pain and realization. She glanced at Natsu and noted how tense he still was. It would be up to her to resolve this. "I think most of the blame can be put on Tarsk. He was able to convince you all to turn on her by manipulating your trust in him. He's the one who killed her in the end, and if he hadn't you might've had time to realize what you were doing."
She paused, lips pursing as she mulled over what to say next. There was only one thing that resounded in her heart. "It's not my place to forgive you, Daun, but I have a feeling your daughter would. I think she just wanted you to understand that her feelings were real."
"I do!" Daun stressed, fingers tight against the wood of his staff. "I think I knew that even then. I was just so afraid of losing her to… to…" He stopped speaking, rheumy eyes drifting to Natsu's deliberately impassive face. "To someone who loved her so much."
Mocking laughter jolted everyone. Tarsk was lying on his stomach on the ground, hands being tied behind his back by a ruthless looking Radi, but he had regained consciousness. "What a shame! Your revelation is centuries too late, not to mention grotesque. To accept these things as people is to bring about the very destruction of ourselves."
Lucy shook her head. "You just don't give up, do you?" Looking at the savage grin on the man's face made her nauseous. "You lost. We beat you."
"It does not matter," Tarsk cooed, voice absurdly sweet. "Back then such an admittance might have been enough to break the monster's curse, but now…" He laughed again, shoulders shaking with his perverse amusement. "Just how much are you willing to sacrifice to save us, girl? Will your feed yourself to his beastly appetite? Or perhaps someone like you would enjoy -"
Natsu's sandal shod foot set against his jaw stopped him cold. "You've said enough." The dragon slayer's face was atypically grim, and Lucy felt a momentary patter of concern that her friend might actually do something cruel. She breathed a small sigh of relief when he simply stepped back looking disgusted.
"I am afraid he does have some point as defeating him has brought us no closer to solving our troubles," Daun said. The man sagged slightly, folding in on himself. "The curse still remains. My foolishness and confidence in a man I should never have trusted has trapped us all."
"It's okay." Lucy drew herself up straight as a pin in contrast to the chieftain's deflated posture. There was no need to let the beleaguered villagers know how perturbed she actually was. Right now they needed heroes. "There was more writing on the altar, and I bet if we go back I can finish translating it. I'm sure there's something in there that will fix things."
Gazing at her in disbelief, the elder allowed himself a fragile smile. "You would continue to help us despite all that has happened here? All that I have done?"
"It was not just you," Maulin put in. "None of us protested when Tarsk said sacrificing Cyra was the only way to save ourselves. I remember…" The hunter shook his head harshly. "I am as much to blame."
"You guys can work out who's fault it was later," Natsu announced. "Lucy and I are gonna try to figure this out. Just make sure this jerk stays tied up… and maybe gag him too. And tie that a little tighter." Gesturing to Radi, he smirked when Tarsk groaned at the young hunter's hard tug on his bonds. "That should work."
Lucy exchanged a nod with her partner and then with Daun. "Right. Leave everything to us."