Chapter 10
Nothing feels better than opening my email and being spammed by follows and favorites after publishing a new chapter. Seriously, you guys are the best!
Warning: Umm, fluff. I'm really sorry for putting this right after last chapter (in which we saw our hero, Natsu, confess his love for the princess.) Here's the next chapter.
Disclaimer: yes, I totally own fairy tail. Why do people even write these things? It's obvious that I am NOT Hiro Mashima….Or am I?
Lucy's POV
Music. Drifting through the air, mingling with the scent of roses that seems ever-present in the royal palace. There is no orchestra to be seen, I scan the room to find the source of the music but find none. It's empty, save for a few guards standing watch along the walls. I stand in the center of the throne room. Where is everyone?
I walk over to the two great doors and give them a tug. They don't budge, meaning I'm stuck in this room. I drop the handles with a sigh of resignation. Whoever locked me in doesn't want me to leave.
I return to the center of the room, noticing the itchy tightness of my dress. The gown is made from expensive satin, complete with a stiff corset and embarrassingly low neckline. I squirm; I haven't worn such a restrictive garment in several months because of…because of what? I can't remember.
Suddenly there is another presence in the room. I look up, and there's my father sitting on his golden throne. His aged eyes are cold and calculating, he opens his mouth to speak one harsh, booming word. "Dance."
His voice strikes a small amount of fear in my chest, and I look around, confused. Dance?
That's when I turn to see a third person present: My brother, Malachi. He looks me in the eyes with affection. "Hey sis."
"Dance!" His voice commands again.
My arms move without my instruction, and before I realize what's happening, My brother and I are waltzing across the floor. My legs, my feet, my arms, they no longer obey me. Panic wells in my chest, and I realize that there are strings—tied at my wrists, feet, elbows, fingers, like marionette strings. And my father is the puppet master.
Stop! I cry out in my mind. Stop!
I struggle against it, against our perfect performance. My feet won't stop, my hands won't let go.
Finally, with a shout of victory, I feel it: One of the strings has snapped. I feel my body tumble to the floor, and I am free. I stumbled and fell, but at least I now have some control.
"LUCY!" My father's voice booms. I look up to see him standing over me, hand raised to strike. I close my eyes and wait for the blow, but it doesn't come. Instead, I hear crackling, and intense heat floods the room. I look, and there are flames everywhere, burning the curtains, my clothes, the strings. My father is screaming, slowly turning to ash and blowing away into nothing. I feel nothing. Even as the flames surround me, I am fine.
Just as soon as they came, the flames are gone, whisked away in the blink of an eye. There are no more guards, I look up from the cold floor to see that the ballroom has transformed. The whole place is sparkling white, with open windows and sunlight drifting through. To my amazement, even my clothes have changed—I'm wearing a light sundress, drastically different from the restraining ballgown. I get up from the floor and look around, awestruck. Not a trace of my father is left; no paintings or guards or thrones.
There's my brother, looking out over Fiore through an open window. There's another man there with him, with unusual pink hair, which works surprisingly well for him.
"Natsu?!" I call.
They turn, and he smiles warmly. "Hey Luce!"
"Natsu!" I run toward them, laughing. I'm a few feet away when they both disappear, still smiling. I stop, disappointed, when in their place stands someone new: a grouchy healer who I haven't seen in a long time. Porlyusica.
She opens her mouth to speak one simple command. "STAY AWAY!"
What? Why is she here?
"STAY AWAY!"
I bolt upright in my bed, half-expecting Porlyusica to still be here. Daylight sifts in through the curtains, and the clock reads seven o' clock. As my breathing slows to a normal pace, I sink back into my pillows. What a crazy dream.
I've been having dreams like this for a few days since the ball. It's all because of that stupid promise I made to Porlyusica a few months ago. Stay away from Natsu. And, well, I don't really want to. The more time I spend with him, the happier I am. He's a great friend, maybe more than a great friend.
Stay away from Natsu.
I don't want to…but maybe it's for the best. I don't want him or anyone from Fairy Tail to get hurt because of me. If I get any closer, it will be a lot harder to leave when the time comes. I know I can't stay here once my six months of hiding are up. I'll have to go, maybe become a farmer in some secluded village somewhere. The risks are too high otherwise.
I've made up my mind. I'll have to make good on my promise. It doesn't matter how I feel. In the end, the only thing that matters is keeping everyone safe.
I let out a sigh and close my eyes. It's going to be a long three months.
Natsu is out doing a few things in the town, so I don't have to worry about facing him at the moment. I throw on a pair of pants and a tank top and head downstairs to eat breakfast.
I'm in the process of frying up some eggs when Happy comes flying in. "Hey Lucy! I'm going to Magnolia today! See ya!"
"W-Wait! Happy, hold up a second." I say, turning down the heat on the stove.
"What's up?" He asks, plopping down on the table.
"Take these, I fried em up for you." I say, handing him a lunch sack full of fried trout.
He grins, taking the bag in his paws. "Thanks Lucy! You're the best. Bye!"
"Bye!" I say as he flies away.
Once again, I'm alone in the Kitchen, left to do whatever. I finish breakfast quickly, then wander the castle for a while, bored.
"Jeez, there's nothing to do around here with Natsu and Happy gone." I say to myself, flopping on a couch in the lounge. I want to go outside, run around in the sun, but nooo, it's 'too risky.' Because I'll be spotted by soldiers if I so much as step outside my house.
Finally, after a few hours, I hear the front doors open and shut. Natsu's home!
I immediately scold myself. Remember your promise. A little voice says.
"Hey Luce! I'm back!" He shouts from the entry.
I take a deep breath to calm myself and put on a neutral composure.
"Oh, hey." I greet him casually as I make my way down the stairwell.
Stop it! You're acting like a giddy little girl. You CAN'T have any feelings for him, so stay away. You promised.
"I had an idea today. I mean, it's so hot out and all, at least that's what everyone said, I wouldn't know, but you told me that you've never been to the ocean once, so that's where we're going today." He says, as if we aren't two fugitives from the whole nation.
"Umm, Natsu, I don't know, maybe not today." I say uncomfortably, trying to think of a believable excuse for avoiding Natsu.
"Today's the best day for it! C'mon, it'll be fun." He says, not even bothering to look at my expression, which is good, because my face must tell it all.
"I-It's too dangerous, I'll get caught." I say, trying again.
He stands up straight. "With me around? Like that would ever happen."
"You're just one person." I say.
He meets my eyes. "So are you. But you managed to get half the army looking for you."
"Exactly."
"Hurry up and pack some things, I'll get some food ready to take with us." He says.
Finally I relent. "No cooking, though. Don't forget how bad it was last time."
"Right. No cooking." With a smile, he shoos me up stairs with a spatula.
The sand. The breeze. The waves crashing against the shore. It's all so beautiful, I'm surprised my parents never brought me here as a young girl.
I take in a deep breath of the salty air. "So this is the beach."
Natsu grins, carrying our basket. "Yup. This is what you've been missing out on. Race ya!"
"Wh-Wha?! Wait, Natsu!" I hurry after him, finding it hard to run in the sand.
When I catch up, breathing hard, he is unfolding one large towel and spreading it across the sand. He looks up at me. "There's nobody here. It's perfect."
"What, because nobody will recognize us?" I say, not fully understanding.
He flashes another grin. "Because we get the whole beach to ourselves!"
We break out the food before doing anything else. Natsu packed sandwiches, cookies, and a canteen of water. I give him a quizzical look as I inspect my sandwich, but he just scoffs.
"Relax, I bought them from the bakery." He assures me. We both know his cooking could poison some innocent person.
I take a bite, savoring the flavor of tomatoes, turkey, and lettuce. Natsu just chucks the whole thing in his mouth and swallows, which I find repulsive. "Natsu, really?"
He gulps it down and gives me a grin when he sees my expression. "Lighten up, princess. You've gotta live every now and then."
"I don't see what that's got to do with anything." I protest, before seeing the mischievious twinkle in his eyes. "Natsu…Oh, no you don't, don't even think about it—ack!"
And suddenly I'm upside-down and being carried at a sprint toward the crashing waves. Natsu's laughter is loud in my ear. "Stop it! Are you crazy?! Naaaattttsssuuuuuu!"
His feet splash in the water, and I experience the sudden feeling of being dropped. Cool water engulfs my body, playing with my hair and making it sparkle in the sunlight. The taste of bitter salt fills my mouth, and then my head breaks above the water again. As I stand there spluttering in the waist-high water, I catch Natsu laughing.
"You idiot! All our clothes are wet! We have nothing to change into after this!" I giggle, trying to sound at least a little angry but failing miserably.
"Hah! You should have seen the look on your face." He says, still grinning from ear to ear.
I scowl at him, looking down at my sundress, which is wet and sticking uncomfortably to my body. I'm not going to just let him get away with that.
"Darn it, Natsu!"
I throw myself at him, shoving him playfully onto his rump in the water. His shocked expression is priceless as he resurfaces, and he doesn't hesitate before dunking my head below the waves.
"Ack! Now you're asking for it!" I squeal, splashing water into his face. He chuckles and wades a little further out, where the water is up to his shoulders
"Come and get me then!" He taunts from where he stands.
I sigh and roll my eyes, lifting the soaking wet sundress over me head with difficulty. I'm wearing a swimsuit under it, of course, a white bikini with pink flowers on the top. I toss the sundress back to where our things are and splash further into the water.
Natsu laughs and wades deeper out, to where he's barely able to stand. I manage to get within a few feet before another step nearly submerges my head.
Natsu splashes me playfully. "What's the matter, too short?"
"Darn you! Come back here!" I splutter, as a wave splashes against my mouth. I'm maybe two feet away, and he just crosses his arms, which irritates me even more.
"Come on, Lucy. You can do better than that." He says, and all of a sudden he's no longer there. A moment later something grabs my foot, dragging me away from the shore, and I let out a scream, kicking out at him.
Without warning I go under, and experience a moment of panic when I'm being dragged along and can't breath. It seems like several minutes that I'm flailing under the water, but Natsu lets go and I take a gasp of air as I feel precious air against my skin again.
That's when I realize that my feet aren't touching the ground anymore, and I can't keep my head up. My arms and legs flail for something stable to grab hold of. "Aaaflgh…..Natsuurgh….I(gasp)…cantt (glup)….swrrm!"
He doesn't do anything, just stands there, a little puzzled. "What are you talking about? Everyone knows how to swim!"
I struggle there, and he doesn't do a thing. The thought crosses my mind that I might actually die today. How ironic, I can see the headlines. 'Princess Lucy Heartfilia drowns a few feet from shore while idiot dragon looks on.'
"Natssgh! Heurph!" I scream, feeling water fill my mouth. My head starts to sink under. This is it. This is the end for me.
Suddenly a pair of strong arms wrap around me, and I feel my body lifted so that my head is up out of the water. Natsu rolls his eyes. "Geez, Luce. Quit being so dramatic, you're not gonna drown."
I gasp, breathing in air, tasting sweet oxygen. "I can't swim, you idiot!"
"You were fine. I'm right here."
"How is that supposed to be comforting?" I object.
He sighs. "Princesses."
I let out a humph, and now that my life is no longer in imminent danger, I am suddenly very aware of the warmth of his body and the fact that I am pressed against him in a very compromising situation, neither of us wearing more than our swimming suits.
"L-let me down, Natsu, I'm fine." I say, turning away so he can't see me blushing.
"You just said that you can't swim." He points out.
I huff. "Where I can actually stand."
He shrugs, then lets go of me. The second I feel myself start to sink, I freak out and cling to his bicep as if it is the difference between life and death.
He chuckles. "So much for that, right princess?"
I blush. "Natsu, stop it, I really can't swim."
He looks down at me for a moment, then his green eyes spark as if he has an idea. "You can learn. Come on, I'll show you."
"I don't really think that's a very good ide—whah!"
He pulls me out into the waves, where he treads lightly in the sparkling clear water. "The first step is to figure out how to float. You have to relax your whole body."
I cling on to his arm like a vice as he tries go coax me into relaxation. "Come on. You've got to let go before you can do anything else."
I shake my head, grumbling. "I'll drown."
"No you won't."
"I will."
He groans, lifts me up over his shoulder and chucks me, screaming, a few feet away.
I flail, bobbing up and down, my feet just barely brushing the sand below on occasion. I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't breathe!
"I'm not coming to the rescue until you learn how to relax." Natsu says, folding his arms.
"Are yvvvo cragghlg? I c-(gag) can't!"
"Yes you can." He says confidently. Left with no choice, I let my limbs go limp, fully expecting myself to sink to the bottom.
Instead, the opposite happens: I find myself rising up, resting at the very top of the water. The sun is shining on my face, and for one moment I feel complete bliss.
Just one moment though. I soon realize that I forgot to panic, and begin flailing again.
"You had it for a second! Do it again!" He encourages me from a safe distance away.
"WHY CAN"T YOU SEE THAT I AM DROWNING!?" I wail in response.
He groans, and reaches out to me. "Chill. Just let yourself go limp, I've got you."
I feel his hands just barely touching my back, steadying my body as it relaxes again. I can't help it; I go limp the moment I am safe.
He's barely touching me, but I'm floating. Pretty much on my own, on my back in the ocean. I take a deep, shaky breath, and resist the urge to kick my legs.
"There you go, you're doing it!" Natsu cheers, removing his arms from beneath me. In amazement, I experiment by moving my arms, propelling myself backward.
"I'm doing it!" I echo, giddy with the feeling of triumph. No sooner do I say the words do I stiffen up and start to sink again. "Ack! Natsu!"
He's there in an instant, supporting me so I can keep my head out of the water.
We practice like that for a few hours, until I can paddle around on my own. Finally, we trudge back to the beach, exhausted.
Natsu's POV
The sun seems like a big ball of red fire, low over the water. I'm already starting to dry off, the droplets of water on my chest evaporating in what seems like a few seconds. I rub a towel roughly through my hair, which stands up in wet spikes.
I toss the towel aside and sit down on the blanket next to Lucy, who has put her now dry sundress back on, huddled in a blanket. We sit there in silence for several minutes, letting the fading sunlight dry us off.
I look out over the water, which sparkles cheerfully. Despite the fact that I have fire powers, water has always been one of my favorite things. It's almost as if it balances out the dragon part of me, making me almost human.
"Thanks, Natsu." Lucy murmurs beside me. I turn to meet her warm, tired eyes. "It was a good day."
I smile. I can't help it; making Lucy happy somehow makes me feel like I'm doing okay at life. "Well, every princess should know how to swim."
"And why is that?" She asks.
"Because if you're ever on a boat, and if that boat is taken over by pirates, and if the pirates are mean and try to make you walk the plank, and if you have to walk the plank, then you can swim back home." I tell her, the explanation sounding absurd on my lips.
I am rewarded by a small laugh from my princess. "But I'm not a princess anymore, Natsu. You know that."
"Sure you are. You always will be."
Silence for a few moments. Her eyes are thoughtful, staring out over the ocean. "What about you?"
I look at her, clueless. "Hmm? What do you mean by that?"
The blond girl flushes slightly, avoiding my gaze. "Sorry, it's just that Mira told me about…You know…"
"No, I don't know. What are you talking about, Lucy? Speak English." I say, confused as ever.
She lets out a breath. "She just explained to me who your family was. That your father was King Igneel, which makes you…" She breaks off, leaving the unspoken words hanging between us.
I don't look her in the eyes, aimlessly tossing a small rock across the sand. "it means I used to be a prince."
She nods.
"Well, I'm just a normal person now. Maybe a little on the eccentric side, but everything that ever made my family important is gone." I explain. Some emotion passes through my chest. Whether it's anger, frustration, sadness, or even happiness, it's hard to say. All I know is that I don't want to remember things that I've tried so hard to forget.
She stares at me with soft, warm eyes. "We're in the same boat, then."
"I guess so."
We sit there for a while, watching the waves crash onto the beach. Neither of us talk, we just sit in companionable silence. It's not awkward; I'm glad that I don't feel the need to fill silence with small talk.
After a few minutes I feel a small weight on my shoulder, and look down to find that the princess has fallen asleep—passed out on my shoulder. I look down at her sleeping form, her eyelashes fluttering softly with every breath.
It strikes me that in a few months, she'll be gone, and I'll never see her again. I realize that I really, desperately don't want that to happen. She's the first true friend I've found in a long time; I mean, sure, Erza, Gray, Mira, they're all like family. But she's different from the rest.
She's strong, even though she can't fight or defend herself well at all. She's brave, and she's kind, as opposite as she could be from her c, she's smart, she's everything that I think would make a good princess. And yet here she is, hiding out with someone like me, who never lived up to what everyone expected and couldn't save his kingdom from destruction.
How do you know when you've found the one? The person who you were meant to stay with your whole life?
I remember my father once told me that you know you are in love when you don't want to go to sleep, because reality is finally better than your dreams.
I always thought that was stupid, but now…now I wonder.
I toss most of our things into the basket, very careful not to wake Lucy. The sound of the surf is lulling, and I feel my own eyes begin to shut.
No, wait, I can't sleep. Who'll protect Lucy?
Muffled voices are shouting in the distance. It sounds vaguely like a large group of men. Getting closer…
I jerk myself awake. Men. Shouting. Coming this way.
"Lucy!" I hiss, standing up suddenly.
"hmm…"She complains, jarred awake by my sudden movement.
"Get up now! There's soldiers coming!" I shake her shoulders, hurriedly putting on my vest and grabbing my scarf.
"What?!" She almost shouts, suddenly awake.
"There they are! We found em, men! After them!" A deep, booming male voices orders. The light of torches shines from within a group of thirty or so soldiers.
"Come on Lucy! Run for it!" I shout.
We sprint away from the shore. I make sure I'm behind Lucy; I can't afford to leave her behind.
We dash through the streets, the soldiers close in pursuit, and I realize quickly that we'll never outrun them.
So we'll have to outsmart them.
"Lucy! This way!" I say, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward a back alley.
We run between the two towering buildings, and I smile when we come up against a brick wall.
"Natsu! It's a dead end!" Lucy shrieks.
"Yes it is." I confirm, giving her a reassuring smile. "Up and over!"
Before she can protest, I lift her up over the brick wall, and hear her land with a thump on the other side. I scale the wall quickly, relieved to find her unhurt on the other side.
"Hurry up. Let's get out of her." I whisper, helping her up. The sounds of frustration from the soldiers follows us as we sprint, together, deeper into the town.
Lucy's POV
We're both breathing hard, leaning against the brick wall for support. The sound of footsteps in the distance echoes through the streets, letting us know that we're still not quite safe.
"That was way too close." I pant, running a hand through my damp hair to straighten it.
"Yeah. No kidding." Natsu peers around the corner. "That dad of yours is really starting to annoy me."
"Same. Jeez, why can't he just let me go already?" I groan, slumping against the brick. "He never paid any attention to me before I ran away!"
Natsu stares at me, his eyes thoughtful for a few moments. I notice for the first time the way the green colors flicker like gentle tongues of flame. "Even if you were captured…you wouldn't marry him, would you?"
For some reason I hear a faint hint of jealousy in his voice. It must be his overprotective side kicking in.
"What kind of question is that? Of course I wouldn't. I'd stab him through the heart first, if he had one." I scoff.
Natsu laughs, still sweating from our chase. "Wow. Getting a little violent there, aren't you?"
"I would, if I had to." I say with chin held high.
At this I only earn more chuckles from my pink haired friend. "Whatever you say, princess."
I fix him with my best glare, but he's smiling, and I can never stay mad at him. In a few moments I feel my mouth, against orders, turn up into a smile. "Oh, whatever. Let's get back, I'm cold."
I start to head back out the way we came, when suddenly his hand wraps tight around my wrist.
"Huh—what the he—mmph." He clamps his hand over my mouth, efficiently shutting me up and pulling me deeper into the safety of the shadows. I can feel my heart doing a relay in my chest as the sound of footsteps nears, the sound of even more soldiers than before.
Natsu quickly puts me behind him. I can hear them getting closer. Squished between Natsu and the wall, I'm suddenly glad that he can't see my face, which is probably bright red. The soldiers pass us, and the noise becomes fainter again. Finally Natsu releases me, letting out a breath. I can't help feeling a little bit awkward, but I quickly shake it off. No matter how I feel, Natsu can't possibly feel the same. And besides, I've got my promise to keep.
"Sorry. Dragon hearing, ya know?" He winks and taps his ear.
I cross my arms. "Now can we go?"
He shrugs in response. "Hey, Luce?"
I look at him, exasperated. "What now?"
"Have you ever thought about overthrowing him?' He asks slowly.
For a few moments I gape in surprise, til I remember to close my mouth. "Overthrow…my father? You mean, like murder? Don't be stupid, natsu, I'm not a killer and you know it."
"But what if we were all free of him? Wouldn't it make fiore a better place? No families separated, no children living in constant fear. No one being hunted just for their abilities or their bloodline. Everyone could be equal. Heck, you'd be safe from your father and your could marry whoever you like." He stops here, looking at me with passion in his eyes, a sincerity I've never seen in him before. The boy standing in front of me, with wrinkled clothes and messy hair—he really cares about people. He would make a good king, albeit being a little dense sometimes. "Maybe I'm crazy, but if a new ruler arose in Fiore, one that could write the wrongs done by your father, I'm willing to bet people would follow him. Or her." At this he looks pointedly at me.
I let that sink in. A world like that just…doesn't happen. Besides, this is all anyone has ever known since my mother died. "Natsu…"
"If that bastard wasn't king, I wouldn't have to worry about protecting you." His voice softens a little bit, and he stares down the street with a far-off look in his eyes.
I feel a weight settle in my stomach. He doesn't really mean that, does he? Is it so much trouble having me around? I think about it for a long time, and neither of us speaks. Finally I get it out. "I'm sorry, Natsu, I didn't realize how much of a burden I am."
His head snaps up, surprised. "No, Luce, that's…..that's not what I meant at all."
I take in a shaky breath. "Then what did you mean?"
Those green eyes of his look into mine for a single moment, catching me off guard with the maelstrom of flashing emotions within. Before I can fully comprehend what's happening, his lips are on mine and all logic is erased from my mind. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm thinking: What the heck? But on instinct, I kiss him back, not stopping to think about anything. I have to say, it's the best moment of my day.
Finally my thoughts unfreeze, and I pull away with a gasp. "What the heck, Natsu?"
I feel my face turn red, and try desperately to ignore the butterflies that have been let loose in my stomach. Natsu takes a deep breath, but he doesn't back down. "You're not a burden, Lucy. Don't let anyone tell you that. If anything, meeting you was one of the best things that has ever happened to me."
This turn of events is so sudden I can do nothing but stand there stupidly.
"Look, Lucy. He can't make you do anything you don't want to do. No one can. But I—I don't ever want to loose you, and if that man is going to try and take you away against your will, I'll burn down his whole castle to get you back, because—" He takes a step closer, so that our foreheads are touching. I don't know what to think; all I know is that I desperately hope the words coming out of his mouth aren't some strange hallucination.
"Because I love you, Lucy Heartfilia. That's why." His says softly, his shaking breath tickling my skin, making my heart run a marathon.
I blink rapidly, feeling tears threaten to spill over. Not knowing what else to do, I wrap a hand around his neck and kiss him, trying to convey all my feelings through one single kiss.
And in the light of the setting sun, in a dark and dirty alleyway, I find my happiness.
BOOM. I did it. Idk how that went. I'm sure most of you are saying, "What the heck, DAPC? On chapter 10? Already?" But the thing is, I've reached what I call 'phase 3' which is just my own super cool terminology for the ship sailing. As you may have guessed, this isn't one of those romances where the couple get together in like the last chapter. Nope. Not this one. You'll see why.
Sooo, yay! That's done. I am soooooo sorry that this chapter is so long. I had a lot to do to get ready for chapter 11. I did have a lot of fun writing it though.
I hope you guys realize that I gave up homework time for y'all. Be grateful.
Next chapter to be expected soon, but don't count on an immediate update. Knowing me, I will probably get super caught up in other stuff and if I don't have people actually reminding me to do it, then I forget.
But I read fanfiction too, so I understand the pain of not knowing what happens next for weeks. I shall try my best, fair readers.
Until Next time!