Natsu's New Rival
Chapter 4
Black. That's all I could see. I hear someone panting. Breathing heavily. The smell of alcohol lingered in the air. Someone was behind me. I could feel them there. Feel their breath on my neck. Fear consumes me. This seems too familiar. I hear a snap. Pain consumes me. I can feel the blood running down my back. I fall to my knees. Trying to crawl away. Someone grabs my ankle. Pulls me back towards them. Another snap. More pain. I tried to scream but nothing came out.
Tears burned behind my eyes. I wanted to plead. To beg for it to stop. It seems I have lost my voice. A third snap. The pain is too much. Falling flat. I lay there. Motionless. Why me? What did I do wrong?
"It's all your fault!" Someone shouts. The voice is familiar. Cold and accusing. I tremble. Why is this happening? What have I done? The questions repeat. Over and over again. Like a broken record. Snap. The pain intensifies. My eyes grew heavy. I was losing consciousness.
I shot up in my bed. Panting and sweating heavily. There is something warm on my shoulders. I try to focus but my eyes are blurred. I could feel the bed under me. The blanket on my lap. My vision clears. I see that I am in my room. Taking a deep breath, I realize that it was just that dream again. The nightmare.
"Lucy!" A worried voice says as warm hands shake me. I turned to meet deep charcoal eyes. My mind is still hazy. Who is this person? Their warmth makes me want to move closer. It's comforting. Inviting. My heart finally slows. My mind clears. I realize that I am staring into the face of Natsu. Who happens to be in my room. In my apartment. Uninvited.
"KYAA!" I shouted, giving him a strong kick. He flies into my pink wall making the frame above him fall and shatter.
"What the hell was that for?!" He shouted. He rubbed his cheek where my foot had connected.
"What the hell are you doing in my room? How did you even get in?!" I clearly remember locking my door.
"The window," he answered. He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. As if it were natural to visit someone that way.
"Have you never heard of a door?" I was towering over him. Pissed that he broke in. "You know that's considered breaking and entering. Which is illegal."
"Whats eelegul?" He asked pronouncing it wrong. Taking a deep breath, I rubbed my temples. It was too early to be dealing with such frustrations.
"Why are you here Natsu?"
"I was sent to get you. Mirajane told me where you lived. Nice place you got here," he added. I felt bad for kicking him like that now but I was still pissed about his entry. In all honesty, he deserved it for scaring me like that.
"Who sent you? And why?" Crossing my arms over my chest, I waited for his answer.
"Erza."
"Erza?" Why would she send for me when I have never met her?
"She wants to meet you." He stood up brushing away any dust that may have littered his clothes. I remember the stories I was told. How I was warned to never go against her. I know that she is considered the strongest female mage in Fairy Tail. So that was probably good advise.
"Fine, I'll be there soon, you can leave now." I picked up the frame that fell and placed it on my desk after picking up the broken pieces of glass. He nodded before turning and propping himself on the window.
"Use the door!" I shouted, but it was too late. He was already out the window and running off. Man that guy is weird. Why did she send Natsu to get me? Out of all people, she sends him? Lifting my arm, I felt the scars that lay across my back. Puckered, they felt disgusting. Reminding me of a past that's best left forgotten. I grabbed out my clothes and quickly bathed. I didn't want to get on this woman's bad side before I even met her. Grabbing my keys, I made my way out the door.
I balanced myself along the wall of the canal as the sound of the water trickling by comforted me. I was still a little shaken from the nightmare. I should have been used to it. It's the same one I have been having for years. Repeating over and over, torturing me in my sleep. People cluttered the streets, walking every which way. Boats passed by, using the canal to get back and forth. One boat passed me on the opposite side as one of the boatmen shouted towards me.
"Be careful miss, you don't want to fall in. It's dangerous." I quickly thanked him. I felt good to be in a place that cared about the people they lived around. My stomach growled. I realized that I had yet to eat. I have only been here a week and everything seemed so perfect. The guild and all the members were amazing. The people that lived here were so kind and caring. I even managed to find a nice apartment for a cheap price. And it was really close to the guild.
Pushing open the large doors to the guild, I was greeted as if I had been a member for years. I was always welcomed like this and I wouldn't wish it any other way. The smell of beer wasn't as strong today, it was mixed with the different perfumes of the members that were currently here. Looking around, I spotted one person that I did not recognize, so it's safe to assume that she was Erza. I approached the seat next to her. Her crimson hair shone with low lights, as perfect, not a single hair out of place, cascading in layers upon her heavy armor. Its weight didn't seem to bother her. She turned as I approached, her eyes narrowed as mine widened. Deep brown eyes and gorgeous features, lips pulled thin, she looked at me. She was clearly not one to deal with nonsense.
"Hi, are you Erza Scarlet?" I asked.
"Yes, and you must be Lucy. It's nice to meet you." She raised her armor clad hand as I took it in mine. She had a firm grip that showed strength behind it. Her eyes changed. They now held a warmth, no longer stern and judging like I first thought.
"It's nice to meet you too," I could see Natsu and Gray, both trembling in a corner with a few lumps on their heads. They were watching her movements with fear in their eyes. So this is the famous Titania. She definitely suits her reputation.
"I heard that you kept the boys in line while I was gone and I would like to thank you for that. They can be very troublesome." She motioned for me to take the seat next to her.
"It's no problem, really." I joined her at the bar as Mirajane set down my regular drink in front of me. The same one she made me on the first day. Erza had a plate of cake sitting in front of her that looked amazing. I am going to have to try that some time.
"I have heard nothing but great things about you. I wondered if you were interested in taking a mission with me?" I was surprised at her offer. Why would she want to go one a job with me?
"Well Gray and I had planned on taking one today."
"That's great. He can come too," she said as more of a demand than anything. This woman is really intimidating. We talked lightly about normal things when Natsu approached her. He seemed to have gotten over his initial fear with a look of new found determination set in his eyes.
"Erza, fight me," he demanded. My eyes widened at the courage this man possessed. It was either that, or he was just plain stupid. I was leaning more towards the latter. Erza turned in her seat, facing the pink haired male. Her features were hard, like she was deep in thought.
"No."
"WHAT? But why?" Natsu questioned. He whined and stomped his foot, not one to cope well with rejection.
"You're not ready yet. You need to get stronger. Then I will fight you." What she said had made sense. There was no way that this man could be strong enough to take her on. His attempt was cute, including the pout that was now on his face.
"But I am strong," he protested. I snorted, there was no way he was that strong. His eyes narrowed on me before quickly facing the red head again.
"Alright, come on this mission with us and prove just how strong you are." Natsu's face lit up with the challenge she presented. Now I was the one upset, I really didn't want to go on a mission with this idiot. Gray had now approached, taking the seat next to me as he noticed my sullen expression.
"What's up Lucy?"
"You and I are going on a mission with Erza," I paused as I saw his eyes widen. "And Natsu is joining."
"What? Erza, come on. Does he really have to go with us?" Gray asked leaning forward to see passed me.
"Are you questioning my judgment?" Gray gulped and quickly shook his head. No, there was no defying this woman, she was truly scary. I was going to have to try my best not to upset her, if I planned to live passed my next birthday.
"Lucy go pick a mission," she ordered. I quickly nodded and strode towards the request board. I have yet to take a mission since I have been here but I was told of what to do. Looking at the requests, none of them seemed that great. And they didn't seem to have a big enough reward to split four ways. My eyes landed on one that didn't seem that bad. The reward was decent and it didn't seem like it was that much work. Pulling it down, I walked back over to the group.
Erza quickly scanned the sheet and readily agreed. Next the boys looked at it and Gray approved but Natsu laughed.
"This is easy. Where is the challenge in that?" I glared at him, as Erza apparently did the same. His eyes shifted from me to Erza and back again as he started to sweat. "Alright, fine. We will go on this one."
"Go get ready. We meet at the train station in an hour," she ordered once more. I nodded as we all followed suit. Natsu's head lowered and I could have sworn that it turned green just slightly but I must have been imagining it. My suitcase was already packed and ready to go just waiting for me to get it.
Unlocking the door to my apartment, I slammed it shut before leaning against it. I was hoping that my first mission wouldn't be like this. I was hoping for a simple mission, just Gray and I. Erza coming along didn't bother me much but it's that pinkette of an idiot. The mission will be far from simple if he comes. I pushed myself off the door and walked into my small but cozy kitchen. Fumbling around in the fridge, I managed to find something to eat. The people in this guild still intrigue me, even after being here for a week. Gray was quiet and mostly kept to himself, it seemed like Cana and I were the only ones who he really spoke with other than small talk. Natsu was hyper, and ran on his emotions, was always easy to read. Erza was stern and serious, not one to break the rules.
Cana was a drunk but she wasn't like any other drunks that I have met previously. Mirajane was so sweet and kind, while Levy was a bookworm. She was smart and polite, very well read. Even the master was weird. Perverted yet loving and he treated his guild members as his children. It was a nice feeling. As if I was coming home for the first time. Rinsing off my plate, I noticed that it was about time for me to leave. So I grabbed my luggage and left out, heading towards the trains. It was still early, maybe ten at the latest. The streets were even busier than when I left for the guild. Making it hard to move freely.
I arrived at the train station just a short while later. It was just as busy as the streets were but the walkways were a lot smaller. I could see the flash of red, standing near the train. I was surprised to see that she was pulling a large wagon full of boxes and suitcases filled with only she knows what.
"Glad to see that you are on time. Now we just have to wait for those two. They better not be late." I stood next to her as the minutes ticked by. Gray arrived just five minutes before our departure. Now there was two minutes left. No Natsu. Erza's foot began to tap against the pavement, her arms crossed over her chest. One minute left. The tapping became worse. Her eyes closed tightly shut as she listened to the warning they were giving about boarding the train.
Thirty seconds. Finally a flash of pink was seen through the crowd, and it was coming this way at an alarming speed. He finally emerged, but he was moving too quickly. He couldn't stop. He smashed right into me. Causing us to fall to the pavement. My head was spinning. It was hard to breath. Grabbing my head, I tried to calm the dizziness. No luck. The tapping increased once more. I opened my eyes to see a nothing but pink. His soft hair rubbed against my nose. His smell reached me. I felt my body giving off the same reaction as before.
The small flame that I had felt the last time now felt more like a wildfire. This man ignited something in me that I couldn't explain. My heart was pounding. Our eyes locked when he shifted his head, my face became crimson. His warm body pressed against mine, caused intense sensations to ripple through me. Every where he touched felt like it was on fire.
This man. This annoying, impulsive, and thick headed man could make my body react in ways that I couldn't even describe. The whistle blew, pulling me from my thoughts. Natsu bolted off me, and I was finally able to breath again. I wasn't sure if it was his weight that effected my breathing or if it was having him so close to me. He extended his hand and muttered an apology. A blush coated his cheeks. Cute.
Pulling me up, Erza then grabbed us by the collars and threw us on board. She took a seat next to Gray as the train started to move. I could still feel the burn on my cheeks as I glanced in Natsu's direction. He was hanging half way out the window, looking like he was about to fall. I stood up, ready to help him when Gray stopped me.
"Don't worry about it Lucy. He gets motion sickness."
"Motion sickness? Really?" The all mighty dragon slayer gets sick on transportation? Gray nodded as I started to laugh. Natsu turned to face me. His cheeks puffed out, his face a sickly shade of green. It just made me laugh harder. How can someone be so cute yet so lame, at the same time?
"H-hey, it's not f-funny, ugh," he turned back around and threw himself out the window almost falling in the process. I grabbed him right before he fell, but still my laughter did not die down. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
A/N: Edited. Sorry it's taking so long for chapter 5, but it's almost done. So the wait shouldn't be too much longer. Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review letting me know what you think. The more reviews, the more motivated I am. Thanks! Angel.