Heya! 'Tis a Thursday!
This one's a bit short, but the previous couple have been longer than normal, so I guess this one's average?
Anyways, I hope you like this one. We have the long-awaited battle, and tell me if I did it justice.
Thanks to reviewers AwareArabian, taboadayvonne, o0vicarious-living0o, Meawy, UnderratedOver, Starry Blonde, ashcator2002, NaluLuva23, KkMarie9005, Phiafairy, Fallenxes, Stavroula99, ghostbones, misssbehavin,ToastedWeirdBrain, little-flame1, MarSofTheGalaxies, sthokatrina, Sanspree, The 0bservanc3, Helenezahl, FlameDragonHime, and Guest! 23 reviews! It's a new record, and all I can say is that you are amazing! Humongous thanks to those who keep reviewing!
If you guys ask big questions, I'll PM the answers (assuming I have them)!
Big reminder, cause I've got questions about it. I UPDATE EVERY THURSDAY!
Cheers!
~BrennaCoris
Natsu wasn't prepared for Sting to drop the dominant stare so quickly. It was customary for dominant shifters to try and stare their opponent into submission during a challenge, and willingly losing the first part of the fight was unheard of. So when Sting's eyes suddenly shifted down and he lunged forward, Natsu was forced to take up a defensive stance.
Jaws snapped at his throat and face. There was little aiming in Sting's attack, only quick repetition that left no openings. Natsu jerked back to avoid loosing an eye and swiped at the commander's cheek. His paw curled to let the claws rip through soft flesh. Sting snarled and drew back, momentarily pausing to deal with the pain no doubt coursing through his jaw. A mauled cheek hurt and a single shift wouldn't be enough to heal it.
Natsu used the moment to shift into offensive, rearing up and slamming his front paws onto Sting's shoulders, but the yellow wolf anticipated the move. Sting managed to catch Natsu's shoulder in this teeth and used it to shove off one of his paws. They stumbled in a tight circle, trying to outmuscle and dislodge each other's grip.
"Why haven't you mated?" Sting forced out through clenched teeth. The words were torn up by harsh breaths.
"Because," Natsu began, gaining another small step, "she asked for time."
Sting scoffed, jerking his head to the side in a very human gesture that left his neck exposed for a short moment. Natsu lunged forward, quickly overpowering a surprised Sting, and bit down on the side of his neck. Sting pulled back and the skin tore, but the time it took Natsu to spit out the skin caught on his teeth was enough to for him to drag his claws across Natsu's forehead. Blood dripped into his eyes.
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Lucy bit back a panicked whine as Sting landed a blow above the eyes. It wouldn't be overly painful, but blood in the eye was one of the worst distractions. Natsu didn't appear affected by the mating bond, remaining completely focused on his opponent and the shifting of the fight. He shook his head every so often to clear his vision. Sting continued to push forward, nicking Natsu's shoulder and side more than once, but he wasn't able to force Natsu into a completely defensive position. The russet wolf rammed into Sting's ribcage and they went into a messy roll. Lucy could hear the snap as their jaws slammed shut with devastating force.
She had a hard time staying in place. The mating bond was working hard to convince her to go and tear the yellow wolf apart for placing her and Natsu's partnership in danger. Each hit that landed made her want to wince. Her eyes remained glued to her bonded mate, and she didn't miss the confident smirk he sent in her direction before forcing Sting into another roll. Natsu ended on top, his claws sinking into Sting's chest. A muscle in Sting's neck strained enough to be visible through his fur as he fought to shove Natsu off. Beside her, Levy tensed in shock
"No way..." Levy murmured. Nervousness saturated her scent and dripped from her voice.
"What?" Lucy asked.
"Something Minerva said, if I heard correctly. Do you know about the half-form?" Levy's eyes were wide and her canines caught her lower lip as she stared at Sabertooth's beta. Lucy felt her worry increase to a point it hadn't reached in months.
A half-form was a shift caught perfectly in the middle, when the body was still working on rearranging its features from one form to another. It differed for each shifter, but most ended up more humanoid in shape. Half-forms were always grotesque and terrifying, the different part of the body refusing to fit together proportionally. They also bit out chunks of energy and required tremendous amounts of focus and power to maintain. If Sting used a half-form during the battle, it would speak volumes about his capabilities. Natsu wouldn't be expected to win unless he could hold one too.
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As the fight progressed, Natsu's wariness increased. Sting began slowing down, choosing to pull back to avoid most attacks rather than blocking them. It was too early for him to be tired, which left very few options. He could be saving his strength. He could aim to surprise with a sudden burst of energy. Natsu had a hard time coming up with anything else.
Sting pushed him into a third roll. Natsu grunted as the yellow wolf's weight crashed against his side and flattened him. The muscles in his hind legs burned as he shoved him off. Sting overbalanced and fell, much like Lucy had during their spar. Natsu moved to pin the challenger on his back, his strides long and confident. The mass of yellow fur convulsed. His limbs jerked, rearranging themselves into a humanoid form. Fur shrank back and the paws extended. Natsu bared his teeth and leaped, hoping to get a strong hold before Sting managed to get himself together.
Sting cut the shift off and rolled to the side. Natsu snapped at empty air, his claws leaving tracks in the dirt as he skidded. A furry, misshapen fist slammed into his ribs and he flew to the side. A couple wolves from Blue Pegasus scrambled out of the way. He crashed to the ground outside of the clearing and hauled himself to his feet. Pain flooded his side.
The half-form that was Sting leered at him, a triumphant grin curling thin black lips. Fangs too big for his mouth distorted the expression. His facial features were that of a wolf, his eyes were human. Short yellow fur covered his body. Too-wide shoulders jutted out and dwarfed narrow hips, his arms bent and clawed fingers reaching almost to his knees. His spine was bent, letting his upper body hang. His legs refused to straighten and his knees turned outwards, lining up with large feet that were an ugly cross of a human heel and a wolf paw. Corded muscles bulged, thickening his limbs and concealing his neck. Long claws scraped at the dirt.
Sting resembled a nightmarish version of the bipedal wolf Natsu had seen on the cover of a children's book in the human town.
The audience had become silent. Natsu was aware of Lucy's stare on him, and if she kept it up, she was going to burn holes in his pelt. He could also sense the expectation coming from Erza and Makarov. They both knew he could hold a half-form, but his ribs throbbed and he doubted the shift would be fast enough. Any hits that landed while his body was rearranging itself would guarantee his loss while forcing the shift to speed up would take too much energy.
At least, in theory, he should be faster and more agile than Sting's half-form.
Sting lumbered towards him, moving into a heavy trot. His lips drew back in an ugly snarl and a low growl rolled between them. He was at least twice the height of his normal wolf form. Natsu waited for him to near before darting around, planning to attack from behind. Another fist rammed into his shoulder, Sting having spun around with unexpected speed and coordination. Natsu swore as a dull crack reached his ears and pain flared in his upper back. Porlyusica would skin him alive, because there was no way a couple of shifts would be able to heal more than one broken bone on their own.
Sting laughed, a ragged, torn up snarl leaving his throat. He spread his furry hand on the ground and lashed out with a crooked leg, angling up at the last moment to catch Natsu's injured shoulder as he tried to leap clear of the attack. Lengthened claws shredded his neck and Sting's heel dug into his shoulder joint. The leg didn't support his landing. His jaw slammed against a rock and the world spun. More pain curled in his chest as he forced himself to his feet, balancing on three legs. Raw anger laced with desperation flooded his control and he found himself shifting, his mind focused on a single thought.
Lucy was being threatened, and he would keep finding the power to fight until she was safe.
The half-form he took on was as much of a surprise to him as it was to his alpha and beta. Standing on four paws, his body was larger than usual and he reached to Sting's stomach, but if he reared up, he would have no problem swiping at the face. The pain in the shoulder lessened to a dull, bearable throb. His jaw didn't close properly, much like a regular half-form, and his hips didn't like moving on four legs, but he was still shaped like a wolf.
He lunged, his claws tearing through the soft skin of Sting's abdomen. The half-form snarled in pain and dealt a blow to the lower spine that should've been crippling, but Natsu barely felt it. He darted around, his longer legs increasing his speed, and bit the back of Sting's knee. The joint buckled as he ripped out a large chunk and Sting was forced to move his weight to the other leg. Natsu leaped at his chest and forced him to the ground, his paw on the throat. Sting's claws scraped at his back and sides, leaving long, stinging gashes. A sudden punch aimed at the injured shoulder gave him a pause as pain flared to life, but Natsu didn't stop applying pressure to Sting's throat until his movements softened. He moved his hind leg until the claws touched Sting's chest and the yellow wolf stilled. If Natsu chose to, he could rip the half-form apart.
Sting flattened his ears and gave a soft, barely audible whine.
"The battle goes to Natsu Dragneel, first commander of Fairy Tail," Makarov announced, "and Lucy Heartfilia is now an official member of Fairy Tail."
Natsu's packmates howled in celebration, joined by a few members from other packs, while Sabertooth stayed silent. Jiemma's scowl was on par with Mirajane's when she was furious. Sting released his half-form and limped towards his pack before curling up and licking his wounds. Only his twin moved to help him. The rest of Sabertooth watched in cold, detached contempt, as if they couldn't believe someone who lost was part of their pack. Natsu would've limped away too if he hadn't been dragged off by a snarling Lucy, his half-form fading as she pulled him away. When the shift was over, he swayed from exhaustion.
She let him lean on her shoulder for support as he kept his injured leg above ground, steering him towards a slightly more secluded corner. Choice words were growled under her breath, ranging from insults to death threats. He would have to keep her away from Sting in the near future.
"Did you have fun? You seemed to be enjoying yourself," she muttered.
"Yep! Sting really packs a punch."
"I can see that. You look like you got dragged through hell backwards," she said.
He winced as his bad paw hit the ground. "Do you think shifting will be enough?"
"Oh, no." Her eyes held an amused gleam and he swallowed. "You'll be spending plenty of quality time with Porlyusica."
"Lucy! Your pack mark?" Levy called.
"Coming!" Lucy bumped her nose against his. "You. Stay here and don't manage to die before I get back. Got it?"
"Yes ma'am!"
She snorted and trotted over to the alpha, her tail high. All five alphas waited for her in the clearing, their betas forming a line behind them.
"Lucy Heartfilia, claimed by Natsu Dragneel, you are accepted by Fairy Tail. As a member of a pack, you must uphold shapeshifter law. Your loyalty must be, first and foremost, to your pack. You may not conspire with other packs, groups, or individuals to harm your pack in any way. You must be willing to fight for your pack, even at the cost of your life. Do you accept the terms?"
"I do," Lucy said.
"Where would you like your pack mark?"
She held out her paw and Erza applied the seal. It burned away her fur and left a light pink imprint of the mark on her skin. The fur would heal, but shifting would not erase the mark.
"You are now Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail," Makarov annouced. The wolves let loose howls of celebration and Lucy joined them, her head tipped back and eyes closed.
Natsu watched her with pride and a slight longing. She looked beautiful, with some of his blood smeared on her side, her head thrown back as she howled with her new packmates, and the setting sun turning her fur a shade of gold. Now that Concourse was over, he had all the time she needed.
She cut off her howl and padded over to him, her eyes warm. "You still in one piece?"
He scoffed. "Of course. Are you waiting for me to fall apart?"
"You look ready to hibernate."
"Only Elfman does that," he protested.
"Uh-huh, sure. If I didn't drag you out in the morning, you wouldn't leave camp."
"Told you I've got you to manage me."
It took her a moment to remember the moment he was talking about, and when she did, she rolled her eyes. "Please. I think that's Erza's job."
"Really?" He leaned closer, choosing to ignore that pain in his shoulder and ribs. She didn't miss the barely suppressed wince and closed the distance for him.
"Really. Now, clean youself up before Wendy comes over." She licked his muzzle.
"Is that the kiss you promised me?" he asked. She blinked at him.
"Maybe?"
He released a growly laugh. She would give him a real kiss, he would make sure of that, just a bit later. First he had to see what Wendy could save before Porlyusica flayed him alive.
Reviewer's Corner:
Helenezahl: I like to consider myself mean, curveballs or no. :)
sthokatrina: I live to be evil. It's pretty fun. :)
misssbehavin: Let's see how high that desperation meter can go, shall we?
ghostbones: Thank you thank you thank you!
NaluLuva23: Every Thursday!
ashcator2002: *blushes*
Starry Blonde: I wish they were more frequent too, but I have a habit of never catching up on late work. If I don't have a reasonable deadline, it'll never happen. Maybe once jail (school) is out I'll post more often. *crosses fingers*
Meawy: So long as you don't ambush me, I'm all for a partnership!
See ya'll next Thursday!