Chapter 5: When One Struggles
A/N Thanks for reading so far! I was thinking that I haven't mentioned if there was going to be a pairing of Natsu and Lucy, which there might be later on, but for now I'll leave it. It's not the goal of the story.
Chapter 5: When One Struggles
Lucy…
Lucy…
Lucy…
"Natsu?" a tender voice called back.
Surely he realized being crouched near the floor with his hands over his ears worried her.
Worried who?
"Lucy! Are you alright!" he called out immediately. He must have gone unconscious from a blast.
Was it the book?
His eyes retreated behind his eyelids with full force, but that didn't stop him, he would make sure both Lucy and Happy were alright. It was annoying that he felt like a train had him, even still he scanned the area with his hands.
"Lucy! Happy!" he called
Was that all she could say? Is she hurt?
He could rally a response from either of his guildmates and worry began to wash over him into panic. If I could just see dammit!
"LUCY!" he echoed.
It hadn't occurred to him that his head throbbed until it was too late, bringing his hand up to hair he realized he wasn't in supreme condition. His hands carefully caressed his head and he began to feel a strange aura of magic pouring heat from the wounds. If Natsu could feel hot, this would be the one time he felt it. The area around him was black and hazy, though better than the blinding void, it was bringing him heavily to the ground. He wished nothing more than to stand to reach Lucy.
"Hey Natsu!" chimed a familiar voice
"Mirajane just gave me my guildmark!" she cheered.
Natsu could remember what it was like when she filled the guild with excitement, it was a memory he wouldn't ever forget. He hardly thought it was the time for memories though.
He found himself gaining some breaths that he had lost.
His stance comforted him as he approached the book that laid on the ground in the grass, it seemed sudden and out of place, but he didn't want to hesitate much longer. He hardly had to look twice to know that it read E.N.D on the cover, it practically whispered its name to him. Lucy and Happy probably watched with utter concern for his hesitation moments ago, but now he was ready.
Wasn't he?
The book screamed at him in silence,it was the most threatening thing he ever wanted to beat. He was going to beat E.N.D, he knew it.
"Natsu!" called a voice from a distance. Was it Lucy?
Natsu turned to face the blond to see what the fuss was about. Almost immediately the wind in his hair had returned and the silhouette of where Lucy would be was replaced by shadows.
It was a Nightmare
It felt as if the wind blew harder to unravel the form that was once Lucy, quickly as if to warn Happy, Natsu turned only to see that where Happy's cat like composure should have been, was replaced by the shadow that had taken Lucy.
Rage grew in Natsu's chest, it could've burst,granted he had the strength. He felt a pull toward the ground that caused him to strangle away in protest. Even through his dragon-like perception, he could only see the ground pulling him as the wind grew stronger. It was stronger than that of a dragon's heaving breath.
He could feel the shadows blow away with the wind, and Lucy and Happy were lost.
Strangely, Natsu felt a warmth from the wind that cradled him, and the flooding horror was forgotten.
He felt a sudden relief rather than screaming out in pain. Movement in the wind caught his attention as Natsu stood with subtle stiffness. It was definitely someone.
But who?
From what his eyes could see, a figure running in the opposite direction was all that he could make out.
Suddenly, a echo of despair filled the forest ahead of Natsu, dispersing the shadows and silencing the wind. No, it wasn't that… it was a throb in his forehead. It pulled harder than the wind and all that was left was what the ground offered in his weary fall.
The echo persisted, however. It didn't clarify or buzz in a long string of pain, it was like a melody that made Natsu feel a sense of drive, even if it wasn't his own.
It rang through his very core, one simple sentence.
"I wished to die."
Heat overwhelmed Natsu as the floor seemed like it was either his friend, or well made enemy. He was unclear of which flurry of head pain was real, but he was always on the floor in the end. Something made sense for his vision to continue to cloud, and a feeling of intense energy surging through him to persist.
Perhaps it was adrenaline.
Hopefully he was awake now.
Sweat dripped on his forehead as he struggled to open his eyes again. That couldn't have been real.
Natsu knew now, infact, he had simply imagined the worst of the situation.
But where was he really?
Natsu rolled to the side of the seemly soft ground he had found himself thrown upon, though he couldn't see it, it was roughly the same area at which the book was suppose to be.
So he thought.
Soon he came to the forefront conclusion that it would be best to look, to find Lucy and Happy. Though he might have imagined the worst scenario, he hoped for the best.
Opening his eyes, he found that the void of white that had shined him repeatedly before was not to be found.
Instead a shadow on the grass he was looking at.
"Sleeping in the woods again?"questioned a voice.
Again?
Natsu looked up at the estranged voice in confusion. Didn't he wake up?
The man that stood above him held a strange grin, one that he himself would probably give. He still stood above him awaiting a response. Though Natsu didn't know who he was, he felt he should, especially if he dared to disturb his sleep.
Not that he knew why he was sleeping anyway.
"Yeah?" Natsu answered as if it was really a question to himself. Not knowing what to expect he shifted slightly in a sitting position. The forest appeared to be normal, but what happened?
Was it a dream?
The man crouched in admiration, and for some reason appeared to be at odds with his answer. With the sun beaming down from behind the man, it was hard to tell any facial features. Whoever he was he seemed to be rather slim with a black hair in a pony tail.
"For a guild master, it seems like an odd hobby My Lord." he spoke as a matter of factly.
With a daze of hesitation the man reached out to Natsu to help him up, an unexpected event. He felt drawn to his hand, like his body couldn't refuse the offer. His hand moved with unaffected disloyalty to his brain.
"There is much to discuss about your resurrection in years to come,
E.N.D"
A/N
If you're feeling lost, don't sweat. Natsu is feelng confused as well.
Hang in there until the next chapter.
~icesekki