A super long chapter after a super long wait. Oops.

Lucy woke up in her new room, ready to repeat the daily routine she had gotten used to since her arrival. It had been a few days, and she was beginning to feel less like a prisoner and more like a guest as every day passed. Although it had barely been a week, she found herself liking it here. Many of the demons came to visit her in her comfortable prison, whether it was to bring food or just to have a conversation. Thankfully though, Natsu never visited. He still frightened her. But as weird as it sounded, she actually enjoyed being imprisoned here more than being at home, where everyone seemed to live a boring, repetitive cycle of "normal" life. It was as if she had been torn from real life and shoved into one of her fantasy novels.

Only this wasn't fiction. It was her reality.

As the days passed, it became gradually clearer that there was no way she could ever stay here forever. She still had people who cared about her back in town, and how was she supposed to progress in life if she was trapped in a place like this? No matter how she looked at it, there was just no way she could do this. She couldn't afford to stay here much longer.

Forcing these thoughts to the back of her mind, Lucy removed the multiple blankets that covered her form and hopped off the tall bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a folded note resting on a nearby end table. "Lucy" was written in fancy calligraphy on the top. She walked over and carefully unfolded the lavender piece of paper to reveal a short message on the inside.

Good morning! Everything you need to prepare for the day is in the room next door.

See you soon!

Mira

Lucy broke into a grin almost immediately after reading the note. She was quickly starting to feel like royalty here. Everyone she had met (except for Natsu) was courteous and respectful, and Mira constantly went out of her way to make sure the blonde was comfortable. It was great, definitely nothing like home where she would have to go to great lengths just to get her father to look up from his work. Placing the note back on the table, she left her "prison" chamber and took a short walk to the room next door, which was probably one of her favorite rooms in the castle so far.

After the party, Mira had led the blonde back to her room, and showed her where the bathroom was, which was thankfully right beside her room. The demon then proceeded to prepare a bath, and left some clothes on the counter for Lucy to sleep in. The blonde had nearly cried at the woman's kindness. Mira and Lisanna then made an effort the next day to clean it for her, and now it basically served as Lucy's own personal bathroom.

When Lucy thought of restrooms in old castles, she thought of cold, rough stone walls with one small window, an old wooden tub in some random part of the room, and a hole carved into an elevated part of the floor to serve as some sort of toilet.

This one she was staring at now was nothing like that.

Though it wasn't as large as the other rooms she had seen in the castle, it had everything her bathroom had at home, only it looked way better than hers. Everything still looked pretty old-timey, but it was beautiful. It also helped that it had some fairly modern technology for an old castle like this. The stone walls were smooth with warm earthy hues, much like the tiled floors that shined brightly under her. A large circular tub sat on an elevated platform in the far left corner, where a bath had already been prepared. There was a window at the top of the far wall that spanned the length of it, illuminating the entire space. A sink was embedded in the counter on the right wall, which held various toiletries along with a lavender towel and some folded pink cloth that Lucy assumed was clothes for her to wear. On her first day, Lucy was surprised to see all these modern brands of soap and the like, and Mira had explained that recently they made a connection in town. Someone that delivered new shipments of survival essentials every so often. Lucy was too impressed with the room she hadn't thought to ask who the said connection was.

She wasted no time getting out of the night shirt that Mira had provided her and happily sinking into the bath, feeling her troubles melt away almost immediately.

"So, do you have a plan yet?"

"What?"

"How are you gonna get the lady to fall in love with you?"

Gray watched Natsu stare intensely into the fireplace as if he'd find the answer to the question somewhere in the crackling flames.

"... Natsu!"

He jumped slightly at the sudden noise and turned to glare at Gray.

"What?" He asked, annoyed.

Gray facepalmed. The prince returned his attention to the fireplace.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes."

"Are you lying?"

"Yup."

"You're hopeless," Gray sighed.

"Just give me some time to think."

"You don't have time. She could decide to leave any minute."

"She can't leave."

"Oh, come on. Do you really think you can keep her trapped here?"

No answer.

"... Exactly. Now go see her. She's probably terrified of you right now."

Natsu flinched slightly. "... Don't tell me what to do."

"This is going nowhere," Gray sighed once again. "I'm getting Erza."

He turned to leave.

Two steps.

Four steps.

Almost at the door…

"Wait!"

Gray stopped with a smug smirk.

The demon prince sighed in defeat. "Fine! I'll go, just don't call that she-devil."

Gray smirked smugly. "Good."

The raven-haired demon promptly sauntered out of the room, leaving Natsu to stare solemnly at the dying flames.

Let's get this over with.

He stood, immediately missing the heat from the crackling flames of the fireplace, and walked out of the dimly-lit room.

Lucy had just finished putting on the pink dress Mira had set out for her in her room when she heard someone knock on the large door. Another visitor? She hesitantly walked over and opened it wide enough just to see who was on the other side.

Mira's bright, smiling face appeared in the doorway, and Lucy immediately returned it and opened the door to let the kind demon in.

"Oh! You look beautiful!" Mira cried excitedly. "I knew that dress would suit you perfectly!"

Lucy reddened with a smile and looked down at her attire.

It was a simple light pink dress, long sleeves with a low neckline and a small cloth that wrapped around her waist and knotted into a bow tie in the back, the bottom half of the dress flowing loosely down to her ankles. Deciding against the usual half-up style she usually went with, her hair freely cascaded down her back, giving her a sense of elegance that also boosted her confidence. It was all rather plain, but she still felt like a princess.

"Would you like anything? Coffee? Tea?" Mira asked the blonde with a hopeful glint in her eye.

Lucy shook her head. "I couldn't possibly ask more of you, Mira."

Mira merely brushed her off with the wave of a scaled hand. "Please! If it weren't for you, I'd just be counting the ceiling tiles of the library right now."

Lucy's eyes lit up at the mention of a library.

"There's a library?" She asked excitedly.

Mira's nodded with a smile. "Of course! We get new books all the time. I'd be happy to show it to you sometime."

"That would be great! Thank you!"

"It's no problem at all. You're with us now, so don't be afraid to ask for anything you desire."

Lucy's expression faltered at that. Mira didn't seem to notice.

The white-haired demon left shortly after to go help Lisanna with something, leaving Lucy standing in the large room by herself.

They're all so nice…

Conflicting thoughts filled her head as she walked over to the large window and took a seat in front of it, watching bright colorful birds fly around and perch on the dull, dead tree branches in the yard. She almost laughed at the contrast.

"I need to leave…" she uttered quietly, as if trying to convince herself. But they all seemed so happy to have her here, and she was actually enjoying herself without having to stuff her face into another world, for once. They're all worried, she tried to reason, but she knew that was probably a lie. No one ever paid attention to her anymore, including her father.

About five minutes of staring out the window at nothing in particular passed before she heard another knock at the door. Mira again? She hurried over and swung the door open with a bright smile, only for it to immediately drop, along with her stomach.

Standing glumly in the doorframe was Natsu, looking very annoyed and trying his hardest to avoid eye contact.

"N-Natsu? Is something the matter?" She asked apprehensively. She rarely ever left her room now, but her previous encounters with the demon prince had not been pleasant in the least.

At the mention of his name, his eyes immediately shifted to Lucy's. Immediately noticing she looked different, he took a second to look down at her, and for a moment she swore she saw his jaw drop a bit before his stoic face was plastered back on not a second later.

"Luc–" a pause. "... Prisoner," he began. Lucy flinched slightly at the term. "Uhh…"

He went silent for a moment as his gaze shifted somewhere else in the room. He stayed that way for a few moments, and eventually the curious blonde rose a brow and giggled slightly at the weird prince. At the sound, Natsu's eyes shot back to Lucy's, and she immediately silenced.

"Prisoner," he started again. "... Come with me."

He then turned and began to walk away. Lucy figured it was best to not askt questions, and hesitantly moved to follow him into the long, dark hallway.

This place needs a serious dusting, she thought to herself as they made their way down the hall.

"... Where are we going?" Lucy asked after a few moments, trying her best to keep up with his swift movements.

"Prisoners aren't allowed to ask questions."

She huffed impatiently, but complied nonetheless.

Eventually, they had reached the main foyer of the castle. The prince led Lucy down the stairs and into a room on the left.

The room was large, just like any other in the castle, with a long table surrounded by many chairs. Once again, Lucy felt like she had fallen into a fantasy, about to have dinner with the king of vampires or something. The two biggest chairs sat at each end of the table. He led her to one.

"Sit," he demanded. She complied, not having much of a choice. He then made his way to the chair on the other end, and took his seat rather ungracefully.

...

Silence.

… "Gray!" He suddenly called.

In less than five seconds, the raven-haired demon from yesterday appeared at the doorway, looking charming in a full tuxedo with a covered plate in each hand.

He came to Natsu first, placing the plate in front of the prince and uncovering it dramatically, revealing a huge stack of pancakes. Hm. Not sure what what I was expecting, Lucy thought to herself, stifling a giggle at the anticlimactic breakfast food.

Gray then muttered something to Natsu that Lucy was too far away to hear, but judging by the prince's scowl, it wasn't pleasant.

The servant then made his way to Lucy and placed the remaining plate in front of her before uncovering it in the same way he had for Natsu. Both plates had the same thing, a delicious-looking stack of pancakes.

She loved this place.

If only it wasn't run by someone who had a considerably large stick up their ass.

After presenting the food to Lucy, Gray leaned down closer to her ear, taking care to make sure Natsu was out of earshot.

"Listen. He doesn't really know how to talk to people, and he's kind of a hothead, but you should give him a chance," he began. "I throw a lot of insults his way, but I actually think Natsu's an alright guy. Promise."

Natsu? An alright guy? Lucy didn't quite believe those two things could possibly be in the same sentence, but she nodded nonetheless. Huh, so maybe he's not so bad, she thought, relaxing only slightly.

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied with a smile.

Gray seemed pleased with her response. "Cool," he nodded. "Well, see ya."

Gray took his leave through the door where he first entered, leaving Natsu and Lucy alone in the large room. It was silent, minus the sound of Natsu's obnoxious, rushed eating. He does realize the food isn't going anywhere… right? Lucy thought to herself as she watched him with a cringe. She began to eat hers, with more manners, of course, and was immediately blown away at what was probably the best pancakes she's ever had.

They both finished their meals at record speed, leaning back in their chairs in satisfaction when they had finished.

The silence had returned, and Lucy's initial fear was beginning to resurface. They avoided eye contact, both worried about what to say next. Natsu feared he'd say something that would make her even more afraid of him, and Lucy feared he'd get angry the moment she opened her mouth. And what was she supposed to say? So, when are you letting me out of here? didn't seem like a good idea.

"Uh…" She started, worrying they'd be here all day if someone didn't start talking. His eyes shot right to hers, but she refused to be intimidated. "So… when can I go home?" Probably not the best thing to say, she thought, but it was worth a shot.

"You're a prisoner. You can't go home."

"But my father is likely worried sick! Please let me go visit him. He's probably losing his mind," Lucy lied, trying desperately to obtain a sliver of sympathy from the demon prince.

"Not my problem. Maybe he should've taught his daughter not to break into people's houses."

She was immediately hit with a wave of disappointment at his words, as if she had been expecting for him to say something different. But why? Why can't I just go home? It doesn't make any sense! The reason she was even trapped here was ridiculous. If he didn't want people randomly walking into his castle, then maybe he should've locked it, or maybe, just maybe, not leave the door wide open?! Just a thought. The place also looked completely abandoned, and on top of that it was in the middle of the woods, so how could she have possibly known there were people here? It looked completely inhabitable.

"Oh come on! Why can't I leave?! I didn't do anything wrong!" She protested passionately. It seemed all of her rage had all bubbled up to the surface the more she thought about why she was here. She saw his eyes narrow from across the table, and that was when she realized her probable mistake.

"How dare you raise your voice at me? I am a prince. You should treat me with more respect."

Neither of them heard it, but Gray facepalmed from behind the door.

Something in Lucy seemed to snap. Self centered snobby prince! "To hell with that!" She cried, slamming her hands on the table and standing with so much force that the chair slid several feet behind her. "I don't care if you're a prince, a king, or a freaking god! You have no right to keep me trapped here!"

Within a split second, the demon prince was in front of her, his annoyance and anger written all over his face. But despite her surprise, she refused to back down. So there they stayed, staring angrily at each other with neither side showing any sign of letting up.

"... Are you trying to make me angry?" He growled.

"Let me go home, and we'll both be happy," she snarled back. She wasn't sure where all this newfound confidence was coming from, but she did know that she should probably stop, now. She had no idea what this demon was capable of, and she really didn't want to find out.

His expression seemed to falter as his eyes shifted elsewhere. He seemed to lose himself in a daydream in the span of a few seconds, as if remembering something. But judging by the forlorn look on his face, it wasn't pleasant.

"... Happy..." He muttered to himself, his scowl replaced with something more solemn, sad. "Happy..."

Both of their faces lost all signs of rage, her eyes filling with confusion and curiosity while his just seemed resigned and dejected.

"Umm… Are you okay?" She asked finally.

His eyes became shadowed by his shaggy pink locks.

"Go back to your chamber, prisoner."

He turned and disappeared from the room in the blink of an eye, leaving Lucy standing alone in the dining room, confused as ever.

Lucy ended up following Natsu's orders, though that may have just been because there was no where else she could think to go at the moment. It had been several days, but she had rarely ever left her room, so she still wasn't sure where anything was. There was also the fact that the demon prince had yet to leave her thoughts by the time she returned to her chamber. That scene in the dining room earlier only caused even more questions to add to the stack in her head, but still no answers whatsoever.

I guess it can't be helped, she sighed to herself. I should just focus on escaping. But as she looked around the room, she realized how difficult breaking out of a place like this would actually be. There wasn't much she could use to ensure a safe escape, besides the window. But the room was on a high floor, so jumping out of there wouldn't end well for her, likely. But maybe there was something like a rope in the room, an object she could use to make it down safely? She eyed her surroundings once more. There could be something hidden in one of the drawers in the night stands, or even the wardrobe. Her eyes made their way over to the stand where Mira's note was. There were a couple drawers in it, could there be something useful in them? She walked over, but paused as she laid her eyes on the note once more.

Would Mira be upset if she left? She's done so much for her, and she seemed really happy to have Lucy around when they interacted. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. But I need to go home, she reminded herself. Sorry, guys.

She opened one of the drawers, but much to her dismay there was nothing in there but an old, worn book, and a feather pen. Curious, she picked up the book and opened it to the first page. Someone had written some sort of entry in it in neat calligraphy, and she could've sworn she'd seen the style of handwriting somewhere before.

There was a date at the top, September 29th, X490. 100 years ago. Wow. She began to read the contents of the page.

It has been several days since it happened. The King and Queen should be returning soon, and we are beyond frightened. What will happen to the castle? To all of us? I fear that they may attempt to dispose of us in favor of a new, human staff. We are no longer fit to serve guests or the Royal family, therefore we no longer have purpose here. Will they kick us out of the castle gates, to perform at freak shows for the rest of our eternal lives? Or worse, live on the streets where passing town dwellers will likely shriek and throw stones at the sight of us? The thought is enough to wish death would come for me soon. I am writing this so I can look back and remember my sanity, should it leave me. Will report again tomorrow.

The entry ended there, and Lucy wasted no time flipping to the next page to see the next entry.

September 30th, X490

The King and Queen have returned. As I expected, they were hysterical when they saw us. I have never seen them cry as much as they did then. Natsu, as well. I did not think I would ever see a tear leave the eyes of that prince, but I was sorely mistaken today. It greatly distresses me to see us all so miserable. I hope we can all get past this soon.

She skipped to a page somewhere near the middle of the journal.

December 25th, X500

It has been a while since I wrote. Since the death of the King and Queen, keeping everyone hopeful and motivated has become exponentially difficult. Natsu is the worst by far. It does not help that Happy seems to be getting slower every day, that poor old blue cat. I can tell his time is near. Mavis had been right. In the span of ten years, none of us have aged even a day. It frightens me to think of the future of our lives and how we could possibly continue to live this way forever. I am slowly edging toward my wits end. I do not know how long my sanity will last. This is perhaps the most solemn Christmas I have ever had. I will try to report tomorrow.

August 30th, X501

I found Lisanna crying in the garden today.

I had been on my way to check on poor Natsu when I heard her through a window. She is worried. Natsu has become a completely different person, though not in the way that is favorable. It seems only Erza and I are able to keep him in check. He is unforgiving, irrational, and always angry, which is quite frustrating to say the least. Though I suppose it is not entirely his fault. He has lost not only his parents, but the rest of his family, along with his connection to the world as a whole. Happy had also passed away a few months ago. It seems there is nothing we can do to help him, because he continuously pushes us away. I am worried as well. May report tomorrow.

Lucy closed the book and placed it back in its rightful place inside the drawer. She could tell by the handwriting now that the one who had written these journals was none other than Mira. The blonde could feel the demon's distress through her writing, and it broke her heart to find out about the suffering and pain everyone was going through. She had no idea Natsu and the other demons had been suffering this much. It seemed they were more miserable than they had let on. Would leaving them here to continue living in solitude and loneliness be a good idea? She wasn't sure anymore. They treated her like some sort of queen here, and that was probably due to the fact that they finally weren't alone anymore. She never did actually stop to realize how secluded these demons actually were, and now that she finally did, she wasn't sure if she could bring herself to just abandon them like this. Lucy could tell that while she seemed happy and bubbly on the outside, Mira was slowly falling apart on the inside. The thought alone distressed Lucy greatly. Whatever this "curse" was, Mira didn't deserve it. She was too kind of a person.

Lucy really wasn't sure what she wanted to do anymore. They clearly implied days ago that they needed her to break the so-called curse they mentioned on her first day here, or else they would continue to suffer. But on the other hand, she had a life elsewhere, a life that she left without any warning whatsoever. Was her disappearance worrying everyone in town? Has her father realized she hasn't come home yet? Did anyone even care? Thoughts and emotions stormed around in her head as she tried to decide the right thing to do.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her inner conflict, followed by a sweet voice. "Lucy? It's Lisanna, just wanted to let you know your bath is ready," her muffled voice sounded through the large door.

Lucy felt herself smiling again at the sister's kindness. She really didn't deserve their generosity. She had been thinking of abandoning them, for gods' sake. "Thank you," she called back. "I'll be right out."

"Okay! ...Um," she questioned in an unsure tone. "Can I come in for a second?"

"Of course, you're always welcome," Lucy responded easily, walking over to open the door and reveal a timid looking Lisanna. The demon nodded, hesitantly walking into the blondes room.

"Thank you," she smiled gratefully, before her expression turned into something a bit more serious. "I, um, have a question," she stated hesitantly. "What do you think of Natsu?"

Lucy looked a little taken aback at the unexpected question, and Lisanna was about to apologize and take it back, but the blonde responded before she could.

"I think he's self-centered, irrational and rude," she snarled, remembering his treatment of her ever since she arrived. "It's amazing how you guys have been able to put up with him for so long."

Lisanna's gaze shifted to the floor and she nodded after a moment, looking slightly disappointed, as if she'd been expecting a different answer. "I see."

Lucy couldn't help but think she had hurt demon's feelings by the look on her face. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you," she cried frantically at the dejected looking sister, who merely shook her head.

"Don't worry, you didn't offend me. I understand why you would feel that way," Lisanna reassured her. "It's just… nevermind. I should go,"

The demon scurried out of the room before Lucy could say anything, leaving Lucy confused as ever once again. Did she say something wrong? She hadn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, she was just expressing her true opinion. If anything, she figured Lisanna would agree with her, considering the events that went down on her first day here. There was definitely something going on that the demon's weren't telling her. She was almost one hundred percent sure of that now. Whatever they were keeping to themselves had something to do with the "curse" she kept hearing about, though it bothered her that she didn't know what it was. Would it bring harm to her? Were they planning to sacrifice her for the sake of breaking it? Mira hadn't written anything about that in the journal entries, though, unless Lucy had missed something vital while she was reading them. This thought had actually been floating around her head for a while, but there were several reasons why she never truly considered it. First of all, if they really wanted to kill her, then why hadn't they done it already? It didn't seem logical that they would stick around and befriend her if they were going to end her life anyway. Second, it just didn't seem like them to actually go and kill for their own sake. There was no way a kind woman like Mira would even consider harming an innocent soul. Despite her intimidating outward appearance, the white-haired demon was probably the nicest person Lucy had ever met.

But then again it had only been a week, and their gentle personalities could very well just be a facade before they chopped her head off in her sleep or something. But for some reason, Lucy had a feeling in her heart that this wasn't the case at all. And it just wouldn't be right to abandon them like this. For over 100 years, they were forced to live in solitude in this dark, dreary castle in the middle of the woods, with demonic features that would make any normal human being run away screaming. She was actually surprised none of them had gone insane by now, Natsu especially. He seemed to be the main cause of all of this, so Lucy couldn't even begin to imagine how he must feel under that stoic, intimidating exterior. Now that she thought about it, it seemed like he was in pretty bad shape when she saw him last, and she hadn't heard anything from him after what had happened this morning. She couldn't help but feel a little worried.

As if on cue, there was another knock at the door, a bit more forceful than Lisanna's had been. Once again, Lucy made her way toward the door, ready to greet whoever was on the other side.

To her surprise, she was met with a certain demon prince who, much to her surprise, didn't look as angry as he usually did when she saw him. Though he still sported an annoyed expression, it was joined with a hint of sadness in his eyes. She wondered if he was still upset over what happened this morning. She still wasn't sure what she did, but she was smart enough to know that it was her that upsetted him.

"Prisoner," he looked down to make eye contact with the blonde, only to look away after a second. She figured it was best to just stay silent and wait for what he had to say, rather than open her mouth and have him get angry at her for whatever reason.

"... I..."

… She patiently awaited the next words, but they never came. She began to scrape up some courage and ask him why he was here when he finally started to speak again.

"I'm… sorry."

… Sorry?

The declaration threw her off guard, and in turn she could only look at him with wide eyes as she tried to understand. Out of everything he could've said, she wasn't expecting that at all.

"W-what?"

Natsu looked her in the eye again, this time with a slight tinge of annoyance, but looked away once more when he began to explain himself. "I'm sorry, for uh, imprisoning you and stuff,"

He's… Apologizing?

"... Why?"

This time, it was the prince's turn to be confused as he eyed her with furrowed brows. "Why what?"

"Why are you apologizing?"

"... Uh," he couldn't tell her that Erza and Mira had forced him to, though that was exactly what had happened. She'd think he wasn't genuine, which could possibly ruin any possible truce they could've had. But he wasn't sure how to explain himself any other way; he'd never apologized to anyone before, after all.

But he was running out of time to respond, and Lucy had started giving him this weird expression that exposed her waning patience.

"Look, I'm trying to be a better person, okay? So I'm sorry."

Lucy stared at him in deep thought, not sure if he was actually being truthful or if this was all some sort of joke. Judging by the way he'd been treating her up until this point, she wasn't sure if she should believe any form of kindness he seemed to offer.

"Well are you gonna say something or not?" He eyed her in clear annoyance, waiting impatiently for an answer.

Hm, there's the Natsu I know and detest, she thought to herself, getting pretty annoyed herself. So he could take however long he wanted to respond to her, but she needed to reply right away? Selfish prince.

"Thanks for the apology. I appreciate it," she said simply. "Good night."

And with that, she closed the door in his face.

I gotta hand it to him though, at least he apologized.

Lucy never would've guessed he'd even be capable of producing the word "sorry". She still thought he wasn't being completely honest, but the fact that he actually did it was enough for her to see him in a slightly different light... Unless he was actually completely high off some old dead mushrooms in the garden or something and he wasn't aware of his actions at all. Either way, she was a little relieved that he wasn't completely terrible, though that still wasn't enough for her to actually consider becoming friends. He still was pretty rude and pretentious.

But hey, it was a start.

The demon prince walked into his chamber feeling somewhat better about himself, despite having Lucy slam the door right in his face. Though it wasn't his decision, he mustered up the strength to confront the prisoner multiple times today, and only felt the urge to throw her into the dungeon twice. He even apologized. If you were to ask him, he'd say he did pretty well today, despite what had happened in the dining room this morning. Just the mention of happy brought back memories of his poor blue companion, and the past completely engulfed his thoughts. His cat had been the only one keeping him sane after his parents had passed on, and when he lost that… He didn't even want to think about those days.

He knew he still had a long way to go before Lucy even looked in his direction, but he also knew from the start that this wouldn't be easy, and he'd have to work for it. He'd never admit it to anyone, but even though Natsu had courted many princesses back when he was human, Lucy was easily the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Not to mention she was kind, gentle, and patient, the complete opposite of him. With his demonic, inhuman features, paired with his pretentious hotheaded personality that he just couldn't seem to keep in check, even becoming friends could prove difficult.

Curse that damn fairy.

If it wasn't for Mavis, he wouldn't be in this mess, and everyone wouldn't be suffering along with him for something they didn't do. But what was done is done, and there was no point in complaining about it now. His only choice now was to look ahead towards the future. This once endless, dark tunnel now seemed to show a tiny light at the end, and Natsu was determined to reach it.