A/N: I have had a few people ask if I could make my chapters longer. I really, really, really try, but they just seem to not come out very long. I like to have one POV per chapter, and usually it doesn't take long to get their point across and the events told through their voice. BUT - this entire story so far has taken place in less than 24 hours, so if you think about it, 10 chapters that take place over a DAY is pretty long. Anyway, I really am sorry if the chapters aren't as long as you would like them to be, but that's all that I can give.
With that said, here is a LONG chapter, and I really hope you don't hate me at the end.
"I do not understand how this is still an issue. It has been almost twenty-four hours, and there has still been no word or sight of her?" The King of Magnolia stood at the window behind his regal desk, facing the room that was filled with various different people with a look of boredom. Three of the Royal Guard's captains were kneeling in front of the desk, their heads bowed close to the floor in shame. Two female attendants stood by either side of the door at the other end of the long room, their eyes glued to the floor to hide the look of dismay on their faces. The King's message courier stood to the left side of him, clenching a piece of paper in his hands so tight there would be no way to write upon it later. Several plush chairs were lined along the sides of the room, allowing the many guests that had been present this past day a place to sit and talk about strategy. The King of Crocus was occupying one of them right now, his right leg crossed over his left knee, his elbow resting on the arm of the chair as his fingers rested on his chin. His mouth was drawn down in a frown, but his shrewd eyes showed humor in their depths.
Of course, he was the only one who really noticed each individual facial expression, each individual emotion concerning the matter at hand. The problem...that he caused. Gray stood against the wall, opposite of his father. His arms were crossed across his chest, and he was careful to keep his face as neutral as possible. If he let any one of his emotions show: anger at the King for not showing enough concern that his daughter was missing, disgust at his father for thinking this was a delightful turn of events for his amusement, shame at himself for being the reason this was even happening, then it would create even more chaos and the importance of finding Lucy would be pushed back for even longer.
"We have given the description of the man all over town, asking if it sounds familiar, and no one has come forward with any information." The middle captain spoke quietly, and the King narrowed his gaze at him.
"And you left out that he was kidnapping the Princess, correct?"
"Of course, your majesty."
The King turned around and stared out the window. "Good. The last thing I need is for this to go public. Can you imagine what the other hierarchies would think?"
Gray stared at the King's back, absolutely disgusted that he was more worried about his public image than the safety of Lucy. He couldn't help the scowl that formed on his face, and as he turned to stare straight ahead, he saw his father looking over at him. His eyes were squinted in curiosity, like he couldn't figure out what exactly his son was thinking. Good. He lived for moments that he could confuse or upset his father.
Just then, an urgent sounding knock came upon the study's door, and the King turned around to nod at one of the attendants by it. She hurriedly opened the door, and a knight rushed through. The three captains stood and greeted the solider, who dropped to a knee in front of them.
He was completely out of breath. "Your majesty, my captains, I have word about the cloaked man."
The captains turned to their King, who nodded in return. The middle captain once again spoke for the group. "At ease, and speak true, solider."
The soldier raised his head. "There were sightings of him earlier this day in the markets. I received testimony from a merchant that they saw someone fitting the description wandering the square, and then later crossing back over the bridge with a large pack and a book in his hands."
"A large pack...and a book?" The captains shared a look with each other, and everyone was silent as they contemplated the meaning.
But Gray had had enough. "Your highness, please, allow me to investigate this lead." He stood up off the wall and walked to the middle of the room, still trying to conceal his emotions. Everyone in the room turned to look at him, and after a minute his father chuckled softly.
"It looks as if the deal between our two nations worked out more smoothly than we thought, Jude. He is worried for his bride." Silver stood and joined his son, resting his hand on Gray's shoulder. "You are an excellent tracker and huntsman. Perhaps we should give you the opportunity to use your skills."
Gray stared ahead at King Jude, waiting for his response. Finally, he nodded his head. "Do what needs must. You have permission to use the Royal Guard as you need them." He turned to face the window once more, and Gray shook off the contact from his father. He turned to look at him for a split second, then walked towards the door. The attendants hurriedly opened them for him, and he gave them a small smile of thanks.
He exited the room and immediately turned right, aiming for the stairs that would lead him straight out the palace doors. His own personal attendant, and perpetual best friend who was waiting outside of the study, joined him in silence. Gray knew that the man wanted to know what was going on, but also knew that he was smart enough to wait until they were completely alone to talk freely. They continued on until they were greeted by another set of attendants, who promptly opened the great main doors and let them outside.
"So. The good ol' King still being a self-obsessed ass?"
Gray didn't bother looking over at his old friend, just continued to stare ahead at the gates that would lead them to town. "Of course. Absolutely zero concern for her actual safety, and absolutely obsessed with his personal image. Good news is they left me in charge from now on. So I can do things my way."
"Wasn't it 'your way' that started all of this?" Gray stopped walking and stared at the man's back, until he stopped and turned around. His friend sighed, which was the closest thing to an apology he was going to get from him. "You couldn't have predicted that some random traveler was going to snatch her up five minutes after she left the palace. All she wanted was a little bit of freedom. If anything, it's her father's fault for keeping her contained like an animal. You know this wouldn't have happened if she had been able to be amongst the people like a real Princess."
Gray couldn't help but feel slightly better, which was one of the reasons why he kept Loke around. His knack for seeing the deep truth and logic behind everything was unmatched. He continued walking towards the gates, "I just want to know she's alright. Maybe you should send a message to her. There has to be something she could help us with. "
Loke laughed. "She's a witch, not a seer. There's not much she can do all the way back in Crocus. And I know you don't want to ask your lover to do a locator spell on your fiancé." Gray couldn't argue with that, so he stayed quiet. Loke sighed in response. "What did the guard who came running up the stairs and into the room have to say?"
"He found someone who had seen the cloaked man earlier today. Apparently he was wandering around the markets and then later left with a huge pack and a book."
Loke looked over at Gray, confused. "A book? What the hell does that mean?"
"I'm not sure. But if he didn't have a book when he entered the town, then he must have visited the book stores. I figured that'd be our first stop."
They finally reached the gates, and waited as they were opened to let them out into the town. Gray was already dressed moderately, which allowed him to cross through the streets without much attention. Loke, on the other hand, gained the eyes of almost every female they passed, which was not unusual. His long orange hair was spiked all over his head, with two sections falling over his cheeks and framing his face. His hazel eyes were soft and helped set off his boyish looks. Gray never required him to dress any certain way, but Loke always wore a suit anyway. The black jacket was kept open, his red tie always wrinkle free and kept perfectly in the center of his chest.
It was nothing new for Gray to hear the gasps of women as they passed them, so he pushed through the diminishing crowds, looking for any stores that sold books. The sun was starting to set, its golden rays turning red and orange in the sky, and Gray was desperate to find at least one small lead on Lucy before nightfall.
Finally, they came upon a window that was filled with books, and Gray took one look at Loke before going through the door. A bell sounded off their entrance, and a small blue-haired woman standing behind the counter looked up to greet them. She reminded him slightly of his own blue-haired woman, back home, and he had to fight the urge to feel homesick. Loke, always the smooth and courteous one, spoke first. "Good evening, miss. We were wondering if you could help us. We've seemed to have mislocated a friend of ours, and we were wondering if you had seen him this day."
The woman smiled at him, nothing but courteousness shining out of her eyes. "I'd be happy to help you; what does your friend look like?"
Gray stepped forward, "Actually, he's most recognizable from the clothes he wears. He was donning a large cloak, which most likely covered his entire body, including his face." The woman immediately lost her smile, and Gray was worried that they were going to lose this lead from her panic.
Loke immediately stepped forward, laughing. "He's terribly ashamed of his hair, but refuses to let us help him with it. Anyway, we heard he was last seen carrying a book, so we figured we would check the book stores and see if they could help us figure out where he went off to this time." He was incredibly good at working his charm and making people feel at ease enough to get what they wanted. The woman, however, just stared at the two of them, with confusion and doubt on her face.
"I haven't had any male customers today. There was a woman who came in earlier, dressed in a cloak, who asked for information and then loaned out a book, but that has been all today."
Gray went cold. "A woman? Can you describe her?"
The librarian looked at the both of them for a short time, and then crossed her arms across her chest. "I'm sorry, but I have a feeling that you're lying to me. If you can't tell me the truth, then I can't tell you what I know."
Gray sighed, then ran his hand through his hair. "For your own concern, we can't tell you the truth. But we are looking for a cloaked figure, and any information you can give us will help out exponentially."
She stared at him for a minute longer, then sighed. "I don't know what she looked like; I only know it was a woman based off her voice. The hood was covering her hair and face. She came in carrying a large pack, and asked about...a few things. We talked for a short time, I loaned her a book on the subject, then she-...then she left."
Loke immediately spoke up, obviously picking up on the things she was leaving out. "What kind of information was she looking for?"
The woman began fiddling with the book lying on the counter. "Well...she came asking about dragons."
Gray looked over at Loke, sharing a confused look with his friend. "What exactly about dragons did she want to know?"
"We talked about how they have magic powers, how they would curse dragon slayers, what kinds of curses they would give. She asked if there were any instances where a dragon slayer was cursed with a dragon offspring. Then I loaned her a book that had the most knowledge about dragons, she...gave me a gift, and then left."
He felt as if the air had thickened, and suddenly his heart started beating rapidly in his chest. He knew without looking that Loke was as stock still as he was, the two of them instantly getting a terrifying idea of what had happened. Swallowing an enormous lump in his throat, Gray tried to keep his voice monotone and calm. "This is very important, miss. What kind of gift did she give you?"
The silence weighed heavily between the three of them, but the woman finally answered. "She...she gave me a pouch full of red dragon scales." Loke looked over at Gray, and he nodded. The situation just turned even more dire than it already had been, and there was absolutely no more time to waste.
Loke turned back to the librarian and smiled. "Thank you. You have helped us enormously. Have a good evening, miss."
They both turned and headed towards the door, but a small voice behind them stopped them. "Is she-...is she in danger?"
Gray looked at his best friend, who met his eyes for a second before turning his charm back on the woman. "I assure you, you did a wonderful thing by telling us everything. She will be just fine."
They exited the library and stood silent outside of the shop for a moment. Everything the shop keeper had told them ran through his head, and he turned to Loke. "Send the message. Tell her everything we've just learned. We might need...we're going to need their help."
Loke nodded his head, "What are you going to do?"
His best friend knew him way too well. Gray looked to his left, eyeing the bridge and the trails and woods beyond it. "I'm going to re-search the area. If they were inside the town earlier today after disappearing last night, then he couldn't have gotten far with her."
"Don't even think about engaging, Gray. You know as well as I do what that thing is capable of."
Gray looked over at his best friend, thankful that he had someone like him watching his back. "I'll meet you on the bridge in an hour. Send that message."
They parted ways: Loke towards the palace, Gray towards the bridge, and he only hoped that they weren't too late.
The sun was still peeking over the land when Lucy emerged from the brook, the orange and reds streaking through the sky like fire. Natsu kept himself busy with roasting the meats, not sure whether looking at her would be acceptable anymore. He couldn't believe what he had done, nor could he remove the image from his mind. It had taken him a long time to convince a certain body part to retreat, and he was thankful Lucy decided to stay away long enough so that she didn't see it.
She walked over to the log bench and sat down, and Natsu noticed her playing with her hair. They sat like this awkwardly for a few moments, before finally she sighed.
"I know it was an accident, so you don't have to be ashamed of yourself. Let's just...move on, I don't like awkward silences." Natsu peeked at her from the corner of his eyes, seeing that she was staring at him with no ounce of embarrassment and every bit of frustration. He wasn't sure why she wasn't beating him with a stick, trying to force head trauma so that he couldn't remember what he had seen. But if she wanted to move on, then he would try.
He looked back into the fire, turning the meats over one last time. "I really am sorry. If I had known-"
"I know, you never would have come down there. I accept your apology, can we just move on?" Lucy interrupted him, and he couldn't help looking over at her. She was too good to him, and he didn't really understand it. But the least he could do for her in return was obey her wishes, so he nodded at her and turned back to the fire. The meat was done cooking, and he looked around him for the pieces of metal he used for plates. "Here."
Lucy stood up, holding the plates. He smiled at her as she walked over to him, and he reached in the fire to grab the meats.
"Natsu!" Her shout made him jump, and he rushed to her side, instantly scanning for whatever threat made her scream like that. Instead of finding anything, however, she reached out and grabbed his hand, bringing it to her face and inspecting it carefully.
"What...are you doing?" He watched confused as she continued to turn his hand over and over.
"You just stuck your hand into the fire! How are you not hurt?"
Natsu couldn't help but laugh, and she gave him a stern look. "Lucy, my body randomly produces fire on its own. It doesn't hurt me." Her face instantly changed from stern to realization to slight embarrassment. She released his hand and shoved the plates into his chest. He laughed even harder.
"Well. Ok then." Turning around, she sat back on the bench and folded her hands in her lap. Natsu turned back to the fire, reaching back in and grabbing the meat. He held up his hand to show her that it was still fine, not charred or in flames, and she scowled at him. Laughing, he handed her the plate and sat down next to her.
They ate in silence for a time, and the sun continued to set in the sky. As the last rays were drowned in the landscape, Lucy looked over at Natsu.
"So, that book is supposed to have all the information there is about dragons." Natsu stayed silent, his appetite suddenly gone. He knew that she was staring at him, but he couldn't look at her. He stared at the flames inside the fire pit, hoping she would come to the conclusion that he didn't want to talk about this on her own. Of course, she didn't. "I thought we could go over what was in there together, learn something new. I've always wanted to know about dragons, and I'm sure you want to know more-"
"I don't want to know anything about dragons." He cut her off, knowing that his voice was rough, but unable to change it. He still couldn't look at her, but he knew he had shocked her, probably upset her.
"I just wanted to help you, Natsu." Her voice was soft, and he turned to look at her.
"Help me? How would it help me?"
"I don't know. Help you understand-"
"Understand? Understand what, exactly? That I have been cursed my entire life? That I can't be around people because I look like a monster? That I can't get close to someone because I'm afraid I will hurt them, or they will get looked at as a monster as well? My own father knew that I was ruining his life, and he got rid of me as soon as he could. The only thing I need to understand is how to live the rest of my life without anyone knowing that there are things like me out there." Natsu watched as her eyes glistened and her entire face fell into sorrow. He couldn't take it. He stood and walked to the fire, standing so close to it that he could feel the flames trying to lick him.
Completely mesmerized by the flames, and without thinking, he started talking. "I remember living in a small shack in the woods. Just me and my father. When I was really small, he would leave me alone to go to the town, but only after I had fallen asleep. I only knew he would leave because I would wake up the second he came back. I would hear him running up to the house, then just launching himself into the room. He would stare at me for minutes, catching his breath, then walk through the house. I always just assumed it was because he missed me."
Natsu watched the smoke rise off the flames, caught in his memories. "I was about six. I didn't get to go to town much, but father needed me to help him carry a few extra things for him. My wings and tail were small then, and we could hide them beneath a large a jacket and big pants. He never told me why I had to hide them, but I assumed it was because the other kids would get jealous." He laughed lightly at his ignorance, his innocence. "Anyway, he told me to wait outside the store, and I saw a group of kids across the way sitting in a circle, telling stories. I walked over and listened for a few minutes. They were arguing over who was stronger: who had the biggest arms, who could carry the heaviest items, who can run faster. I said I could run faster than anyone, because of my wings. They started shouting at me, calling me a liar and saying I was strange. I got angry, and took off my jacket and showed my wings."
He closed his eyes, and he could still see everything clearly. The looks of horror on their faces, their screams, the adults gathering around them, the mothers crying. "One man grabbed me, and I watched as my father fought him. He grabbed hold of me, and I heard them shouting about how they didn't care what he used to be, that they would take care of the thing if he didn't. He carried me back home, and then just...isolated himself for hours. Later, he came to me and strapped a bag on my back, dressed me in my least worn clothes, and then we went for a hike. He told me-" Natsu took a deep breath, realizing this is the first time he had ever actually talked about this. "He said that the town wanted me dead. And there was nothing he could do. So I closed my eyes and waited for my father to kill me. I was ready. I didn't want to hurt him anymore. But he didn't. He wrapped his scarf around my neck, and he left."
The night had fallen completely by now, the darkness wrapping around him. Which is exactly how it had felt that day; darkness had consumed his life, forever condemned him to walk in it to avoid everyone else.
He wasn't sure how long he had been standing there, staring into the fire, but after what seemed like ages he felt a small pair of arms wrap around his waist. Lucy pressed her chest into his back, laying her face against his shoulder blades, fitting perfectly in the space between his wings. Her arms wrapped around his stomach tightly. A surge of emotion ran through him, and he had to close his eyes against it.
"It doesn't sound like he was getting rid of you. It sounds like he didn't know how to protect you any longer. Like he loved you so much, he knew the only way to help you was to let you go." Her voice was the anchor he didn't know he needed, and he suddenly felt lighter. Maybe it was finally getting everything off his chest. Maybe it was her never ending goodness and comfort. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, and he placed his hands over hers. They stood there together for another immeasurable amount of time.
Finally, regrettably, they both let go at the same time. Lucy stepped back from him as he turned to face her. Her face was soft, a slight smile on her lips, and he reached out to trace her face with his fingers.
"So, that move you did after you jumped from the tree was pretty neat." Natsu stared at Lucy, amazed at her ability to completely surprise him. She smiled at him innocently, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Are you wanting to learn how to jump out of trees and attack random animals, or are you wanting to know how to attack an innocent person walking by?"
"Well, I've just been thinking. You obviously know how to take care of yourself. And I obviously don't. If I did, I could've at least fought off those men who cornered me in that alley." The memory of the night before flashed before his eyes, and he had to fight himself not to get angry at the thought. Lucy didn't notice a thing, however, and continued on. "I thought maybe...you could show me a few defensive moves. In case I ever need them again."
He stared at her hard, and the thought you will never be in a situation like that again passed through his mind, but he didn't voice it. There was no way he could promise something like that; he didn't even know how much time they had left before she made her way back home. But she was right. Maybe he couldn't protect her, be by her side, for very much longer, but he could teach her enough so that she could protect herself.
Natsu nodded, "Ok. But I'm not going to go easy on you."
Lucy laughed. "I would expect nothing less."
Natsu took her by her shoulders and guided her away from the fire, so that he didn't have to worry about her falling into it. Then, he started circling her, trying to think of her as anything but herself. He knew he wasn't going to strike her, but if he didn't stop thinking of how good she was, how innocent she was, then he would slow his movements and allow her to hit him on purpose, which would ultimately do nothing for her. As he circled her slowly, she kept her position, moving only her head to keep him in her sights. Which would have been good, if there were more than one of him.
He circled around her one more time, and then jumped her back. His arm wrapped around her neck, the other trapping one of hers on her side as it grasped her other to keep it in place. "You're against one opponent right now. Lesson one: never show your back." She huffed, and as she started trying to twist her way out of his hold he jumped back from her. This time, as he circled her, she followed him, turning around and keeping him in front of her. He smiled at her frustrated expression.
He jumped for her again, and this time she was able to keep her arms free. She pulled her arm back far, then turned her fist sideways and aimed for his head. He easily dodged the blow. "You're going to hurt yourself more than you will anyone else trying to punch like that." Natsu let go of her and grabbed her hand, maneuvering her fingers into a fist that wouldn't break her thumb if she ever made contact with something. "When you're in a situation like we just were, don't pull your fist back. Keep it against your chest-" He positioned her fist by her collarbone, then pushed himself against her again, "-and aim up, towards their chin." He helped guide her fist towards his jaw, "They most likely won't see what you're doing, and with enough force you can break their jaw and cause enough pain to escape."
Lucy watched what he was doing with her hand with clinical interest, and when he released her hand she flexed it opened and closed into a fist over and over. "Ok, I think I got it." She backed away from him, waiting for their next session to start.
They continued like this for a while: Natsu showing her new ways to get out of a hold, the best pressure points to hit to incapacitate someone long enough to escape. He had taken his shirt off in the midst of her "training", and she was panting from the exertion. She still hadn't landed a blow on him, but that wasn't through any fault of her own. His reflexes were quicker than an ordinary human, but if she learned how to fight someone like him, then everyone else would seem slow to her.
He was circling her again, trying to give her a minute to catch her breath. She followed his every movement, keeping him at her front and watching the way his feet moved. He jumped towards her, grabbing one of her arms and twisting it behind her back-
A branch broke to his left, and his head shot towards the sound.
"What was-" Suddenly, his jaw was thrust upwards, and pain blossomed in his face as his teeth smashed together. He stumbled back slightly, and then felt a rush as he was pushed to the ground, falling on his back.
"I did it! Oh my Gods, I hit you! Ha!" Natsu looked up at Lucy, who was standing over him, looking absolutely thrilled with herself. He looked back over to the left, trying to see through the darkness into the woods where he heard the sound before. There was nothing there: no rustling of leaves, no shadows moving through the dark. Maybe it had just been his imagination. "I can't believe it, I actually hit you! I didn't think you were ever going to let me land one!" He looked back up at her and tried to smile. His jaw protested immediately.
Natsu winced and rubbed his jaw. She caught the action, and her smile faded into concern. "Oh Gods, I really hit you. Are you ok?"
He laughed, the pain starting to disappear. "I'm fine. That was a good one. You caught me off guard." He picked himself off the ground and spared one more glance into the trees. Still, nothing. "We should call it a night. You did really well today, Lucy." Taking a few steps towards her and closing the distance between them, Natsu grabbed the hand she had hit him with and gently kissed her knuckles. "Shooting a bow, fighting off attacks, almost breaking someone's jaw..."
She smiled, "Getting peaked at while bathing..."
Natsu immediately dropped his smile, his embarrassment and shame surfacing once again. Lucy laughed.
"I'm just teasing. It really is alright. Come on," she threaded her fingers through his, "let's call it a night."
He let her lead him into the cave, and together they extinguished the lanterns and fell into his bed. Within minutes, they were asleep, both of them too exhausted to notice the shadow finally moving from its post in the woods.
His dreams were filled with so many things that night. Lucy was the focus of it all.
Natsu woke up that morning holding her, her back against his chest, his arms wrapped around her waist, her hands holding tightly onto him. He would have been in bliss, but something was not right. It was like he could sense the air trembling, the wind howling in warning as it blew through the halls of the cave.
"Lucy." He shook her lightly, and then began to climb over her until he was squatting on the floor next to the bed. The ominous feeling that woke him was getting stronger, a feeling of dread starting to wash over him. "Lucy." He looked over at her sleeping form, shaking her again. She moaned lightly, and then opened her eyes.
The look on his face must have surprised her, and she sat up immediately. "What's wrong, Natsu?"
"There's something going on. I need you-"
The unmistakable sound of hooves closed in on them, followed by the sound of multiple swords being unsheathed and several shouts of men. Natsu grabbed Lucy forcefully and threw her behind him, just in time to see half a dozen men in armor rush into his bedroom.
They all stopped as soon as they saw him: his wings were spread as wide as they could go, helping his arms to block the view of Lucy behind him, and his tail was flicking back and forth on the ground between them. He knew his eyes were burning, and he could feel his skin warming greatly, the fires threatening to spill forth and start blazing across his body.
"My Gods-"
"It's a dragon-"
"He's cursed-"
"W-wings-"
"His eyes! Look at his eyes!"
Natsu growled, the deep sound reverberating throughout the room. "Get the hell out of here. Now."
The crowd of shocked soldiers parted, and a black haired man with dark blue eyes squinted in anger stepped forward, unsheathing a sword and pointing it straight at Natsu. "I suggest you don't make another move, or I will make sure it is your last."
Anger began to rise inside of him, a feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced, and he couldn't stop the flames from taking over his body. The heat blasted forward, forcing each one of the soldiers to cover their eyes, and then they were illuminated by the oranges and reds that were dancing from Natsu's skin. A small gasp sounded behind him, and one of the soldiers snapped to attention.
"Sir, she is here!"
All at once, they came forward; their swords were aiming straight for his chest, but he didn't care. He grabbed two of the sharp blades and yanked them towards him, forcing their masters to stumble closer. He kicked one with enough force to dent the armor covering his chest, then tossed the other to the other side of his room and against the wall. Two others flanked him, and he tossed the handled-end of one of the swords he had grabbed into the head of one of them, and then turned his head to prepare his attack on the other soldier flanking him.
The move cost him, and he was sliced shallowly across his chest from the front. He fell to his knees, shocked more than hurt from the cut, and that move cost him even more.
"Natsu!" Lucy's voice sounded out behind him, and he whipped his head around just in time to see the dark haired man grabbing her, trying to carry her out of the room with one of the soldiers.
"NO!" His shout echoed in his ears, and he launched at the two soldiers still standing in front of him, tackling them to the ground and knocking them out. He pushed to his feet and ran, following the man carrying Lucy, who was flailing in his arms, continuously shouting Natsu's name.
Another soldier met him before he reached the mouth of the cave, and Natsu spun to avoid his sword. His wings helped his momentum and he ended his spin behind the man, then grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into the cavern wall.
He ran faster, but as the sunshine met him at the mouth of the cave, he watched as Lucy was thrown onto the back of a horse, her hands reaching out to him as an orange-haired man held onto her and guided the horse down the mountain at a run.
"LUCY!" Another half dozen soldiers surrounded him, but the flames dancing on his skin grew hotter, angrier, and they burst outward as he yelled out to her. The soldiers fell back, overwhelmed by his heat, and he started to run towards her-
A searing pain sliced through his abdomen, and he was immediately stopped in his path. The flames on his skin died instantly, and he looked down towards the source of pain.
A dagger was protruding from his stomach, fresh blood surrounding the blade and dropping to the ground. He watched as it was extracted, then looked up to stare at his assailant.
The dark haired man stared straight into his eyes, his face cold and unwavering.
Natsu fell unwillingly to his knees, his vision fading. The last thing he remembered was her name falling off his lips, and then the ground came up to meet him.
...
Please don't hate me.