This is it, guys! The final (and the longest, thankfully) chapter! :D I want to thank you all right now for all your support! I'm really glad you guys have enjoyed this story! :D Let me know if you catch any major errors in this chapter; I think I proof-read it pretty good, but at the same time, sometimes you need multiple pairs of eyes to catch everything. :)
Thank you all sssooooooo much! I love you and I hope you enjoy the final chapter! :D
Title: The Dragon's Dungeon
Summary: Lucy and the rest of Fairy Tail infiltrate a Dark Guild to save Natsu, who was captured while taking a solo job with Happy.
"Everythin's spinnin', Lucy," Natsu moaned miserably, swaying sideways; Lucy nearly toppled over from his sudden weight against her. "Spinnin'...like a merry-go-round…" He turned a pale shade of green and swallowed. "I don' like it," he slurred.
"Just close your eyes," Lucy instructed, forcing herself onwards, practically dragging her best friend beside her. "The room won't spin as much if you do."
Natsu nodded mutely, eyes sliding shut.
"Just don't fall asleep, alright?" Lucy told him as an afterthought. "I can't carry you."
"Got it," said Natsu quietly, but Lucy wasn't sure if he'd taken her words to heart. He was so disoriented it wouldn't have surprised her if he didn't hear her at all.
Either way, she kept walking. Every time she took a step, Natsu leaned against her more. He was either losing what strength he had left, or she was.
"We've got to be almost there," said Lucy under her breath, letting Natsu's head rest on her shoulder. "I think I feel a draft blowing this way…"
She really hoped it was a draft and not her desperate mind thinking one up.
"Lucy…" Natsu said, his voice even quieter than it had been before, "I don't...I don't think I can…" His knees buckled, and Lucy tightened her grip on his arm and his waist before he could collapse.
"Natsu, come on, we're almost there," she pleaded, shaking him only slightly. "Just one more effort, that's all. You can do it." She pulled him up again, supporting more of his weight than ever, and quickened her pace. The sooner they got out of here, the better. Natsu was in serious need of some medical treatment.
He wasn't even trying to talk to her anymore, and she didn't push him to keep up a conversation. If he fell passed out on her now, well, she wouldn't blame him. He'd really strained himself this time; she was surprised he found the strength to remain conscious.
After what felt like another eternity (time passes rather slowly when one is dragging their semi-conscious friend through a long and nearly pitch-black tunnel), Lucy finally saw something up ahead.
An archway. The same archway Lucy had entered the dungeon from.
"Natsu, look!" Lucy cried, her face lighting up in a wild grin. "We made it!"
Natsu moaned a low, half-hearted, "Cool," and then fell silent again. Lucy didn't waste any more time. She picked up the pace again, longing to leave this murky, smelly prison. Beyond the archway, she saw a night sky and bright stars. She'd never been so happy to see the sky as she was now.
They were getting closer by the second. The cool, refreshing breeze blew stronger and stronger, until finally, finally, at long last, Lucy and Natsu stepped out of the tunnel and into the fresh air.
They'de made it.
Lucy took a long, deep, relaxing breath, halting in her tracks and giving her aching legs a bit of a break. "We made it, Natsu," she said, squeezing Natsu in a somewhat side-hug.
"Yay…" Natsu rasped.
The peace and quiet didn't last long.
"NAAAATTSUUUUUU!"
Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin at the long shout, called by multiple voices. An instant later, Lucy realized that she recognized every single voice that had shouted, and her worry vanished.
A little over ten seconds later, Lucy and Natsu were surrounded by what appeared to be every single one of Fairy Tail's members, and each of them looked like they'd just come back from a battle - which, Lucy thought, they probably did. But despite that, each of them were smiling, their faces covered in both relief and joy.
Natsu perked up quite drastically at the sight of his friends, a faint but honest smile gracing his face. "...You guys…" he said softly. "You're...you're all here."
"Natsu!" Erza said suddenly, stepping forward with purpose. She pulled Natsu off of Lucy and yanked him into a firm but careful embrace. Natsu yipped at first, not expecting it, but then, he relaxed into the hug.
"I missed you guys…" Natsu said quietly.
"Oy, Flames-For-Brains!"
"I'll beat you up later, Gray," Natsu muttered.
Gray stepped up beside Erza and Natsu, half-naked and scowl owning his face. However, the scowl was half-hearted, and Lucy could see relief hidden behind the hard expression.
"I'm glad you're alright, Natsu," Gray said.
"I'm glad I'm alright too, Frost Butt," Natsu said back, but even his jeer was not without mirth.
"We were so worried about you!" Mirajane gushed, moving forward with Lisanna and Wendy running in her wake. Erza pulled away from Natsu, letting Mira, Lisanna, and Wendy take her place.
"The guild's never the same without you," Wendy said.
"NATSU!"
Lucy raised her head, as did Natsu, and they watched as a tiny blur of blue shot through the sky and pummeled Natsu in the chest. Natsu stumbled just slightly, but quickly regained his balance, smiling softly.
"Hey, Happy…"
The Exceed, in response, let out a wailing sob and hugged Natsu around the neck. "I-I-I'm so sorry I left you!" Happy cried. "I-I should h-have stayed and h-helped you!"
"It's okay, lil' buddy," Natsu said, scratching Happy behind the ears. "If you hadn't left and gotten help when you did, I'd still be in that dungeon."
When Happy finally calmed down, each of Fairy Tail's members took turns, greeting the precious part of their nakama that had been missing for what seemed like forever. Lucy smiled, folding her hands together, warmth flooding her heart. After all those weeks of aimless searching, they had finally done it. They'd found Natsu, and though he was injured and exhausted, he wasn't beyond medical treatment.
It was going to be okay. Everything was going to be okay now.
"I'm glad…" Natsu whispered, smiling, but Lucy noticed that his eyes were a lot glassier than they'd been before, and he swayed slightly on his feet. Without warning, his eyes rolled up in his head, and he fell forward.
"Natsu!" Erza, Lucy and Gray shouted in unison, and Gray and Erza surged forward, catching the dragon slayer just before he hit the ground.
"He's really disoriented and tired right now," Lucy told the now frantic members of her guild, kneeling by her friend's side as Erza ran her hand over Natsu's ribs, searching for broken bones; Gray bit his lip, trying not to look as worried as he felt. "His leg's broken," Lucy went on, "and I think he might have some sort of concussion, but, I think he's okay otherwise…"
"Oh, I should have started healing him earlier!" Wendy cried, throwing herself down, letting her hands hover over Natsu's unmoving form. "Sorry, I just got caught up…" She closed her eyes, concentrated, and her hands began glowing a light shade of aquamarine.
"This should make the ride home a little easier on him," said Wendy. Lucy shifted her gaze from the young girl to Natsu and quickly noticed a change in the latter's breathing. Instead of being short and labored as it had been before, his breaths now came in easily and evenly.
Lucy sighed in relief. "What spell are you using?" she asked Wendy as an afterthought.
"Just something to keep him sleeping until I can heal the rest of his injuries," Wendy answered. "And it should counter his motion sickness on the ride home as well."
Lucy nodded; she and the rest of Fairy Tail had arrived via two ships, as the Dark Guild was located on an island west of Magnolia. Boat rides were hard enough on Natsu on his best days, let alone when he was in this state.
"Elfman, can you please take Natsu to one of the ships?" Wendy inquired softly, once the glow faded from her hands, the spell completed.
Elfman nodded and stepped forward, scooping Natsu into his arms like he was a damsel in distress. Wendy rose to her feet, dusted herself off, and she followed Elfman towards the shore with numerous other Fairy Tail members in tow.
Lucy, however, stayed behind. She got to her feet and watched, a lump forming in her throat.
"You did good, Lucy," said Erza, coming to stand beside her blonde friend. "We were just about to go in the dungeon after you, but there was no need. I knew we could count on you."
"Yeah, it took a lot longer than I thought it would, though," Lucy said, ducking her head, rubbing her arm absentmindedly.
Erza watched her carefully. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Lucy answered, "it's just…" She raised her head, watching as Elfman carried the unconscious Natsu away. Natsu looked so much younger in this state, and much more helpless. He was still unbelievably pale, dry blood crusted on his forehead, and he was entirely limp in Elfman's arms.
"...It's hard," Lucy said quietly, "...seeing him like this…"
Erza followed her gaze, and then nodded, suddenly solemn. "Yes," she agreed, "it is. But he'll be alright, Lucy, don't worry."
Lucy nodded mutely. "The members of the Dark Guild," she said, "what happened to them?"
"We tied them up and left them unconscious," answered Erza. "We're planning on locking them up in their own dungeons and letting the Magic Council know where they are. Normally, we would take them back to Magnolia ourselves, but getting Natsu home is our top priority. We don't have time to deal with scum like them."
"We ran into a few of them in the dungeons," Lucy said, suddenly remembering. "Natsu charcoaled them, but-"
"We'll take care of all the mages from the guild," said Erza reassuringly, laying a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "For now, you should go to the ship with Natsu. Help Wendy take care of him."
"You're staying?" Lucy asked, and Erza nodded firmly. They had taken two Fairy Tail sea vessels with them for one reason: so one party could take Natsu home right away on one ship while a second party finished dealing with the Dark Wizards, then returned on the second ship.
"Master, Gajeel, Jet, Droy, Levy, myself, and a few others will remain here," said Erza, "but you should go with Natsu. He needs you there with him."
Lucy nodded. "You're right," she said, "I'll go. Be careful with the Dark Wizards, Erza."
"Don't worry about me," said Erza with a slightly twisted grin. "It's the Dark Wizards you should be worried about."
Lucy laughed, a little hysterically at the image of a psychotic-Erza, and hurried off after Elfman and Wendy without saying another word.
…
Wendy sat back on the balls of her feet, wiping beads of sweat off her forehead, the last of the magical glow fading from her hands. She, Natsu, and Lucy were in the lower deck of the Fairy Tail ship, Natsu resting on some blankets while Lucy and Wendy knelt by his side.
"Well, I've taken care of his leg and his head," said Wendy, slightly breathless from the amount of healing power she had used, "but he has moderate Magic Deficiency Syndrome, and there's nothing I can do about that. He'll just have to rest and let his magic power replenish."
Lucy nodded.
"I'm back with the water, Wendy!" Happy cried, soaring down the steps leading below, a bucket of sloshing water clutched in his paws. He lowered the bucket to the ground beside Wendy, and with a pop, his wings vanished, and he stood beside his best friend, looking at him worriedly.
"He's okay, Happy," Wendy said with a reassuring smile, soaking a rag in the water, wringing it out, and laying it over Natsu's forehead. "The sleeping spell I put on him shouldn't last much longer, but he's really tired. Let him rest, and don't worry."
"Yeah, I know…" Happy said quietly, plunking to the ground, his ears drooping. "I don't like it when he gets hurt."
"No one does, Happy," said Lucy softly.
Wendy rose to her feet abruptly, swaying slightly. "I should go lay down for a bit," she told Lucy, stepping away from her patient and towards the stairs. "Carla's going to be mad at me for using so much healing magic…"
Lucy smiled. "You did great, Wendy," said Lucy. "I'll watch Natsu for you."
"I will, too!" said Happy with purpose, suddenly perking up.
"Thanks, you guys," said Wendy. "Let me know if his condition changes." And with one final, tired smile, Wendy headed up the steps to the upper deck of the ship, leaving Lucy and Happy to continue their silent vigil.
…
Natsu's journey into awareness was a long, painfully slow one. When he finally came to himself, his eyelids were heavy, and there was a dull ache in his leg and head. He cracked his eyes open, blinking to clear his blurry vision; the light of an oil lantern showed him the wooden walls and floors of the below decks of a ship.
A ship. Huh. He felt a little nauseated, but it wasn't as bad as his motion sickness usually was. Maybe he'd been given some sort of spell, stronger than Troia, to counter his transportation sickness?
It took him another few minutes before he remembered just what had happened. He still felt the ghosts of his shackles, binding his wrists and ankle, but the only thing left behind by them was red, abraded skin. The shackles were gone.
He was safe. His family had come for him. Not that he ever doubted they would, but being alone in the dark for so long was a lot scarier than he wished to admit.
He moistened his chapped lips and groaned, his head throbbing. Everything felt strangely...hot.
"Natsu! You're awake!"
Natsu turned his head, blinking up as Lucy's face came into view. She was sitting by his side, leaning over him, her blonde hair all over the place in disarray. Her expression was laced with concern.
"...More or less," Natsu croaked. "Where are we…?"
Lucy took the now humid rag from his forehead, re-wet it, and settled it down on his brow again. "A Fairy Tail ship," she answered, "below the decks. How do you feel?"
"...A little better," Natsu replied quietly. "My head doesn't hurt as much as it did before...and neither does my leg…"
"Wendy did a great job healing you," said Lucy. "Your wrists are still scratched up, but she was more focused on your head and your leg while she was healing you. She probably didn't even notice anything else…"
"S'fine," Natsu said. "She got the important stuff…" He looked around, suddenly realizing something. "Where's Happy?" he rasped.
"He went to get some more water," said Lucy, flicking the edge of the bucket. "This water's lukewarm now. When you get a fever, it really is no laughing matter."
Natsu shook his head with a small smile. "...I don't feel too motion sick," he said. "There a reason?"
"Oh, Wendy put you under a sleeping spell while she healed you," said Lucy. "She said it would help with your motion sickness too, at least until we get to shore. It shouldn't be long now, actually. We'll be home before you know it."
Natsu was relieved, and that was the understatement of the year. The motion sickness wasn't gone, but it was far, far milder than it usually was. He could deal with a stomach ache and a little dizziness. He made a mental note to thank Wendy big time as soon as he started feeling like his normal self again.
"But," Lucy went on, pointlessly adjusting the rag on his forehead, "you've got some Magic Deficiency Syndrome, and that isn't something Wendy can heal. You're gonna have to take it easy for a week or two."
Natsu sighed. A week or two without going on any jobs or doing anything reckless. Considering what he'd been through, this was a small price to pay. He was surprised it wouldn't take longer for him to recover.
"D-Do you need anything?" Lucy asked, and he turned his gaze back towards her. "Is there anything I can get for you?"
Natsu shook his head slightly. "It's...it's a little hot," he admitted after a moment.
"That would be your fever," Lucy said, frowning; he was still quite flushed, but the rest of his face wasn't deathly pale as it had been before, so she took it as an improvement. "It's going down some, but it's going to take time."
"Alright," Natsu said, closing his eyes. He felt Lucy remove the cloth from his head, and when she returned it, it was slightly cooler than it'd been a moment ago. He never thought he'd say it, but the cold felt nice against his burning forehead.
"You should rest," said Lucy, smoothing a few errant locks of hair out of his face. "I'll be here if you need me, okay?"
"Okay." He nodded, not bothering to open his eyes. He heard Lucy lean back against the wall of the deck with a sigh; she had been, no doubt, worried about him ever since he was kidnapped. He felt bad for worrying her, but really, there was nothing he could do.
He tried to fall asleep again - and he was very, very exhausted - but for some reason, sleep didn't come. He kept imagining himself back in that lonely cell in that lonely dungeon, feeling more alone than he'd ever been in his life, unable to use magic and unable to defend himself about the Dark Wizards who'd imprisoned him, not knowing whether or not Happy made it back to Fairy Tail safely, not knowing if he'd ever see any of his precious family again…
Lucy's eyes flew open when she felt a sudden weight against her shoulder, and she turned her head in confusion, staring at the trespasser of her personal space.
"What are you doing, Natsu?" she asked, frowning; he'd somehow sat up without her knowledge and was now leaning against her, his head on her shoulder. "You should be laying down."
He opened his eyes and stared straight into hers. There was a pleading look in them that she'd never seen up until now. "Sorry," Natsu said quietly. "I just...need some physical contact right now."
She blinked once, and then it clicked, and she wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer, resting her cheek against the top of his head. "Alright," Lucy said, and that was all. There were no words left to be spoken.
Lucy knew Natsu had been through a lot. She didn't know the extent of it, but she knew it'd been scary, even for him, and if he needed a shoulder to lean on, or even cry on, she'd jinx herself before she refused him.
Besides, he'd do the same for her if their roles were reversed.
All at once, all her stress from constant worrying and nights lost to staying up trying to track down the Dark Guild caught up with her, and a wave of exhaustion swept what adrenaline remained in her veins. She sighed heavily and shut her eyes, finally able to rest peacefully.
"I'm back, Lucy!" Happy called suddenly, once again flying down the stairs and into the deck below, carrying a second bucket of fresh water.
Lucy opened her eyes and waved one hand at the flying cat, and Happy froze mid-air, watching her curiously. Wordlessly, Lucy gestured to Natsu, who hadn't woken up despite Happy's yelling, and Happy mouthed "Oooooh," while setting the bucket carefully on the floor.
Happy then soared over, landing gently on Natsu's shoulder, his wings disappearing. The cat curled up, right there, and shut his eyes in contentment. Lucy smiled, realizing the Exceed had suffered just as much worry as she.
Lucy closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and let restful slumber pull her under.
…
"Hey, Lucy, we're here," Gray said as he climbed down the steps of the ship, half-naked as usual. "We're docking the ship now, but-"
He stopped mid-sentence and stared at the sight before him.
Lucy and Natsu were sleeping soundly, leaning against each other with looks of contentment on their faces. Lucy had her arms around Natsu, almost protectively, and Natsu looked more relaxed than Gray had ever seen him. Happy was sleeping as well, nestled on Natsu's shoulder.
Gray smiled, putting his hands on his hips. "Well, whadda you know?" he said to himself. "So Flames-For-Brains and Lucy really have fallen for each other. Looks like I owe Cana five jewel…"
He crossed the lower deck, took a blanket from the floor, and carefully draped it over the sleeping Natsu, Lucy and Happy. Satisfied with that, he turned and headed silently to the upper deck of the ship.
There was no rush. Natsu, Lucy and Happy could rest while the others unloaded the ship. They'd definitely earned it.
Author's Notes:
Cheesy ending is cheesy. I think this ship makes it obvious that I ship NaLu. I ship NaLu...a LOT, okay, A LOT. But I can respect other people's ships; I shipped Natsu and Erza during the Tower of Heaven arc and Natsu and Lisanna during that one flashback episode with them, and I shipped Lucy with Loke/Loki for a little while (I've seen a lot of different spellings for Loke's name), and I also shipped Lucy and Gray for a bit, and I know all those ships are really common in the fandom.
But in the end NaLu won out. I'll still always have a soft spot for those other ships I mentioned, tho. I definitely understand why shippers of those ships ship what they ship. :)
Anyways, thank you all so much for all your support on this story! It means a whole lot to me! If you like what you see and want to see more like this or something similar, I'd love to hear your thoughts! I'm considering writing a Wendy and Natsu brotherly/sisterly centric multi-chap fanfic, but I ain't writin' it if no one's interested in it. :)
Let me know what you think! I love you all and thank you for reading! :D
Cheers!
-BeyondTheClouds777