"Your knights in shining armour are coming, but I think the ending will be a bit boring if I don't give a tiny bit of assistance" he hummed tapping his lip with his index finger/claw.
He then leaned in real close to Erza before whispering four words.
Once Upon a Time~
Jacob disappeared and Erza sat up panting, trying to get her energy back. After a few minutes she heard fast-paced footsteps heading her way "Erza! Are you okay?" Gray called out.
Natsu and Gray ran to Erza's side, Gray inspected the damage while Natsu looked around "Where did the other guy go?" he asked before glancing at Erza.
"H-He… He was too strong… I don't know how… But… He managed to dodge all my attacks and his were too fast to dodge… I hope you had better luck" she sighed, slowly recovering but still looking beat up.
"Yeah, we imprisoned the other one, the guards are taking him to prison now" Gray confirmed. They both helped Erza to her feet, then Natsu finally realised, through all the chaos how could he forget?!
"Um… Erza where is Lucy?" he asked, but panic arose inside of him as Erza's face dropped, she tensed up and began to shake from anger "E-Erza?" Natsu asked again with a bit more caution and worry in his tone.
She turned and looked over her shoulder, towards the bench on the other side of the courtyard "She over there…" Erza spoke quietly, as if ashamed. Natsu turned around and looked at the blonde mage lying unconscious on the bench, his eyes widened as he ran towards her, trying to see movement of her lungs or hear a flutter of her heart.
When Natsu got to the bench he knelt beside the celestial wizard, Gray and Erza just behind him "What happened?" Natsu asked, brushing Lucy's fringe from her face. "Hey… come on Lucy… Wake up…"
"It's no use…" Erza said sorrowfully.
"What are you talking about, she looks relatively unharmed" Gray spoke, confused as he assessed his teammates condition, Erza shook her head.
"That brother… Jacob… He did this to her… and to the other girls too" she spoke, then it clicked, the boys both looked at Erza with shocked and dreaded expressions, more so Natsu.
"W-What?! You mean she'll never wake up!" Natsu exclaimed loudly. He didn't know what to do or say… The one that was supposed to be his mate might never wake up… He may never see her smile again… Her beautiful eyes… Her large heart when being with her friends… He may never have the chance to tell her how he feels…
"N-No… It cant…" Natsu began to shiver, rage filling his very core.
He began to growl and self-combust.
"Natsu! What are you-"
The other didn't have a chance before Natsu dashed away "I smell you" he growled in a low gravelled voice, he then looked to where he could smell Jacob, hiding on a roof. Natsu didn't waste any time, he consumed all the flames from the street lamps and any fire that was in the immediate area.
"No one hurt's my mate and lives to tell the tale!" He yelled before taking in a large breath, "DRAGON FORCE! FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" he yelled at the top of his lungs before condensing his attack to have more force.
Jacob was watching the scene, enjoying and feeding of Natsu's sorrow, so much so that he hadn't realised the attack that was coming towards him "Oh shit!" his expression changed from enjoyment to dread, he couldn't move in time! Trying to jump away he only exposed himself, before he knew it he was hit "AHH!"
The flames were huge, almost like a nuclear bomb in the sky; luckily the attack hadn't caused major damage to the surrounding building as it was focused on one target. Said target fell from the sky, completely charred and burnt.
Gray had left Erza's side, letting her watch over Lucy, the ice wizard then had to hold Natsu back "Stop! Natsu! Don't kill him!"
"No! Gray! He hurt Lucy! And Erza! I can't let him get away with that!" Natsu shouted trying to struggle out of Gray's grasp.
"I know! But we need him to tell us how to wake the girls up! That includes Lucy! If you kill him they might all die!" And with those final words, Natsu calmed down and fell to his knees, his head hung, obviously fighting tears. Gray smiled sadly before calling the guards over to the town square, having the second brother taken into custody "Be sure to keep him in Magic nullifying cuffs at all times… try and get some answer from him too… It was his doing that comatosed those girls…" Gray told the soldier, they all nodded before taking the Grimm brothers away.
The night lit up into morning, the sun was peaking over the horizon with a golden glow. The team from Fairy Tail had gone back to their hotel room, in the girls room both Erza and Lucy lay in their beds, Erza was quickly recovering, but Lucy was still in a coma and paling as the hours went on. Natsu had never left her side, holding her hand and keeping a regular eye on her vitals. He looked exhausted but to be honest, the exhaustion was out of worry, rather than power depletion.
Gray stood by the window, Happy by his side, though his name suggests otherwise, he was not happy at all… he cried for his teammate and was furious he couldn't help… Again… He felt so helpless at this moment…
There was a knock at the door; Gray took the liberty of answering it. It was a royal soldier "Excuse me, I have news on the prisoners"
Gray nodded "Did he talk?"
The soldier rubbed the back of his head nervously "Well… sort of… But it doesn't make much sense"
"Let's hear it anyway"
"Okay… All the prisoner said, was… And I quote…" he cleared he throat "Happily ever after" he spoke and shrugged at the blank expressions he got in return.
Gray sighed, "Alright… Thank you for your help" with that he closed the door.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Happy complained, Gray took a seat and shrugged "I have no idea"
"He said 'Once upon a time' earlier" Erza spoke, sitting up a little. Gray moved to her side
"You're awake, you should still rest, you were badly hurt" but Erza refused.
"If we don't hurry and figure out this riddle then Lucy and the girls will perish forever…" she spoke making Natsu flinch. Though he was listening, he kept his eyes on his most prized possession, his back to the others.
Happy tapped his paw on his lips "Once upon a time… And happily ever after?" Happy recognised those words, they were words from children's fairy-tale books, but then it came to him, he suddenly got over excited causing everyone to look at him.
"Happy? You okay over there?" Erza asked, Happy smiled widely with tears pouring down his face.
"I-I figured it out" he spoke, trying to contain his excitement and self-pride.
Everyone faced Happy, even Natsu "You did!? Then tell us!" They exclaimed, eager to try anything at this point, even if the idea was crazy and from Happy.
Happy took a few breaths to calm down before hovering and looking at everyone "Ummm well… Once upon a time and Happily ever after are words from children books" Happy began, the others nodded "Well yes we know that too" Gray and Erza both said not getting the point but waiting for Happy to continue.
"Yeah, and in the stories many of the female leads are ummm… put under a spell… or more specifically, a sleeping curse" Happy finished, the others widened their eyes as they realised the blue cat was right.
"Sleeping Beauty" Erza spoke, shocked that this hadn't come to her sooner.
"Snow white" Gray listed off another before looking at Natsu. The latter still didn't get it however "What? So the girls were cursed, how does that help us?" he said, his fangs gritting together.
"Natsu have you never read a fairy-tale book?" Erza asked astonished. Gray just face-palmed "Are you kidding me… Its Natsu, I'll be surprised if he's EVER read a book"
"I have too!" Natsu argued back but before a brawl could break out Erza stopped it "Zip it!"
"Yes ma'am…" They spoke in unison.
"Natsu, in these stories, young girls were put under sleeping curses to sleep forever, this caused suffering of others which the curser fed off, sound familiar?"
Natsu listened to Erza before nodding, clearly pissed off remembering that jackass.
"Okay… So in the stories how was it that the girl's woke up?" Natsu asked, that was when his eyes widened, every person in the room, save himself and Lucy, were giving off a dark vibe matched with evil grins like hungry wolves surrounding their prey.
"At the end of the story, the only way to break the spell is with true loves first kiss" Happy spoke, making the others chuckle in anticipation.
Natsu blinked and blushed deeply "U-Uh… I mean… If kissing Lucy is what saves her then I'm all for it but… wouldn't 'true love' mean she has to love me that much in return?" Natsu asked, his head hung like a puppy with its ears flopped.
Natsu's comment shocked the three in the room
"Natsu" Gray spoke, before Erza held out a hand to stop him, shaking her head, she then took over.
"Natsu, kiss her~" She smiled "Your doubt's are so very wrong, kiss her and it will be proven, I spoke to her last night, and from what we talked about, I know that you are someone special in her heart" The scarlet haired wizard explained all with a soft and caring smile.
Natsu glanced at Lucy and held her cold hand once again "I love you Lucy… Please wake up… I can't live without you" He spoke quietly, hesitating for a moment before leaning down slowly, his lip brushed over hers softly before locking a soft and romantic kiss. It held for a few seconds before Natsu raised his head and watched Lucy's face closely for any movement or improvement of her health.
Suddenly Lucy's eyes fluttered open, confused and still a little drowsy she rubbed them and saw Natsu's face close to hers. Flustered, she shimmied away a bit "E-Erm… Natsu… Why are you so close?"
But before she got any answer everyone had jumped at her, excited to see their teammate awake and healthy.
"LUCY!~"
A few weeks had passed; The Girls that were in a coma had woken up when kissed by their loved one, Lucy was brought up to speed on what had happened, though not every little detail was revealed so not to ruin Natsu's surprise. Erza had healed completely and all were well in Magnolia's Fairy Tail Guild.
Everything was happy and calm.
Under the blossom tree in the Magnolia garden stood Lucy, dressed nicely as instructed by Mirajane, her heart was beating fast out of nervousness. She wasn't told why she was here but as soon as she saw the pink haired mage walking towards her, in somewhat formal attire, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest 'whoa, he looks so handsome' she couldn't help but think.
"H-Hi Lucy~" Natsu smiled with his big grin, but wait! Was that a blush on his cheeks? It was just like Déjà vu.
Lucy didn't know what to make of this "Natsu? What's going on?" she had to know or else her heart would explode from the stress, she wasn't one for surprises. Natsu cleared his throat 'come on man! You've rehearsed this!' he thought to himself, playing with his scarf a bit.
"Um.. Lucy, I know that you have seen a change in my behaviour lately, and that I have become more protective of you… not to mention wanting to be close to you" He began to which Lucy could just nod, knowing where this was going but again, not willing to believe it. "This is because… well… It's hard to explain but… you're the one I love Lucy" The words widened Lucy's eyes as large as they could go, some tears resting on her lower lash threatening to fall. She never thought she'd ever hear Natsu say those words to her, the bumbling idiot who was oblivious to everything, even feelings! But here he was, confessing to her. "As a dragon slayer myself and others like me have dragon instincts deep inside us, and much like Gajeel… I also have a sworn mate… and of course, who else would it be but you, Lucy~ You're the reason I get up in the morning, the reason I fight my very hardest, the reason I feel sad and protective when you fall ill" he spoke with such purity and honesty, Lucy could no longer hold back, as the tears of happiness fell. Natsu chewed his lip, his hands shaking as he looked in to Lucy's glistening eyes and fiddling with his shirt "If you'll have me, Lucy Heartfelia, would you be my sworn mate, my other half, my Lucy?" he asked, waiting on the edge of his seat, hypothetically, for a reply, trying to read Lucy's expressions. Natsu was about to collapse from anxiety if he didn't get an answer soon.
"L-Lucy?" He asked, Lucy blinked out of her trance, those beautiful words Natsu had spoken were taking their time to sink in so she could always remember them "Y-Yes" she whispered before letting out a giggled sob, she then through her arms around him "Yes! I love you Natsu! I'm just so happy and overwhelmed" she spoke laughing softly and crying out of pure happiness.
Of course, the Fairy Tail Guild are nosey and were watching from a far out of sight, but when she said yes they all jumped and put their fists in the air "YAY! CONGRATUALATIONS!"
The party celebrating Natsu and Lucy's relationship lasted weeks, but this was only the beginning for the new found couple, what more awaits and tests their love?
(A/N: The end~ I hope you enjoyed, I personally think I lacked spirit during the battles and I think I could have done a lot better … But that can just be a get-going force for my next story ^.^ I love NaLu and have lots of one-shots and two-shots planned to stay tuned!
Don't forget to Review! I love those comments, even critical ones~ all to improve a writer and bring along the motivation to do more and better ^.^ Go Fairy tail!