Once Upon a Fairy Tail
Chapter 3: Do You Trust Me?
I want adventure in the great, wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell. And for once it might be grand, to have someone understand. I want so much more than they've got planned. - Belle (Disney's Beauty and The Beast)
The mother tucked her daughter into bed, drawing the curtains over the window, blocking the little girl's view of the stars shining brightly in the night sky.
"Mama…" The small girl called before her mother could step out of her bedroom. The green haired woman turned around to her daughter, eyebrows raised in question.
"What is it, Asuka?"
The girl looked down at her hands. "Could you read me a bedtime story?"
Her mother smiled. "Of course, sweetie."
She took one of the many books that laid on top of her daughter's desk and walked over to her bed, sitting down on the edge of it. She began to read the first page, "Once upon a time, in a far away Kingdom, there was a Princess that was sent away to a tower, awaiting her Prince. A large, fearsome Dragon guarded the tower, ready to defeat all those who tried to take the Princess. But the Prince would-"
The woman stopped when her daughter pushed the book down from her hands, so she could stare at her instead. "What if the Dragon isn't bad? Maybe he's protecting the Princess because he really loves her!"
Bisca's eyes widened at her daughter's question and reasoning, her face breaking into a smile as she giggled. "Yeah, you might be right." She patted her daughter's head. "You know, whoever wrote this story should have really brought that up somewhere." She winked and Asuka giggled.
"Yes! I'm sure the Princess felt safe when the Dragon was protecting her with his life! He may have been her Prince in disguise!"
Bisca shook her head with a small smile still plastered on her face. "Well, young lady, I think you could re-write this story and make it a thousand times better."
Asuka smiled and gave her mother a small shrug. "Yeah, maybe." She then took the book from her mother, closing it. "I just thought some stories have the same boring ending. A good twist can be fun as well! The Princess doesn't always have to be saved by a Prince. The Dragon can sometimes be the Hero of the story as well!"
Her mother raised an eyebrow, a little surprised by her daughter's way of thinking. "Really now?"
The little girl nodded her head. "Natsu told me so! So I'm sure of it! He never lies!"
Bisca sighed. She knew that pink haired boy had something to do with this. He had been babysitting Asuka a little too much. She smiled down at her daughter. "I'm sure he doesn't."
Asuka grinned. "Of course. After all, Natsu's dad is a Dragon! So that means he's kinda of a Dragon as well. He'll one day find his Princess that he'll protect with his life!" Bisca giggled at her daughter's words, the little girl giggling along as well.
In a Restaurant in the town of Crocus...
"My name is Lucy." The Princess of Fiore introduced herself. She sat on one side of the booth while the boy she had met before and his cat sat on the other side. Folding her arms on top of the table she continued with a smile, "It's nice to meet you."
"Aye!" The cat answered. Lucy watched the small, blue cat, still very much surprised and amazed that the he could talk.
She patted a napkin against her lips before placing it on her lap. Lucy sweat dropped when she stared at the boy in front of her take a huge bite of his food, his cat chewing on a fish with a content look on his face. It hadn't even been five minutes since their food had been brought to their table and already, plates were stacked on either side of the young, pink haired man. This boy definitely had an appetite!
Lucy scratched her cheek, "Natsu and Happy was it?" She asked, still very impressed at the boy's eating habits as she watched him.
"Mhm!" The boy answered as he munched onto his food. "You're so nice!"
The blonde smiled. "Thanks." She sighed as she watched him slurp down a bowl of soup in seconds. "You can slow down, you know. We're not in a hurry." She sighed.
To express her gratitude for what they had done earlier for her, she had offered them to go out to eat. She had obviously not known of a good place to eat at around Crocus but Happy had suggested the one they now sat at.
"Evidently that Salamander guy was using magic to hypnotize the ladies in town into thinking they were in love with him." She explained as Natsu and Happy continued to devour the food she had ordered. She was glad she had secretly been saving up jewels for the past few years. She had enough jewels for now, but she would have to find a way to make a living soon, that was, if she didn't get caught by the castle's knights by morning. "Charm spells have the power to attract people to you against their own will. However, they've been banned for years. Nobody even sells them any more." Lucy recited the words Levy- her tutor- had taught her and that she'd read countless of times in the books piled under her bed and desk, all teaching her about magic.
She shook her head. "He must have gotten into a lot of trouble to get his hands on it." She smiled at Natsu and Happy. "I had fallen victim to his spell but snapped out of it as soon as you appeared. I really can't thank you two enough."
"Yeah, no problem!" Natsu answered with his mouth full. Lucy looked away, knowing that if she had ever talked with a mouth full like that she would have been scolded back at the castle. But she wasn't in the castle anymore… She looked down at her lap and smiled. It still felt like a dream, like she'd wake up any minute and be back in her bedroom, locked away forever.
She cupped her chin with her hand, leaning over the table as she told them, "I may not look like it, but I'm a mage too."
Natsu's eyes widened. It was a rare occasion to bump into other mages. "Is that so?" He asked.
Lucy nodded enthusiastically, grinning widely. "Yes! I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage!" She stated proudly.
The boy nodded. "Cool. I've never met one before." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But Gran once told me about one. I just can't remember who it was."
Happy stopped chewing onto his fish. He narrowed his eyes at his partner and reminded him, "It was the Queen, Natsu. The Queen of Fiore was a Celestial Spirit Mage."
Natsu's eye brightened as he remembered, grinning as he nodded. "Right! The Queen!"
Lucy's eyes widened, and she looked down, frowning at the mentioning of her mother. Of course they didn't know who she was, or that they were talking about her mother.
Shaking any sad thoughts that clouded her head away, she grinned at them as she showed them the ring that held her keys. "These keys summon a Spirit from the Celestial Spirit world." She explained. "Gold keys are very rare and hard to find, as they open one of the twelve Zodiac Celestial Spirits and there are only twelve of them." She stared at her keys as she continued, "But I got my hands on nine of them. I helped a fellow Celestial Spirit mage find another one of them, and she now has two. There's only one more out there, and I wish to find it." She sighed. "But no one seems to know where it may be. It's like it has completely disappeared."
"Oh. Yeah?" Natsu mumbled as he slurped his ramen.
Happy stared at Lucy and narrowed his eyes at her. "You talk a lot."
Lucy blushed and looked away in embarrassment. It was a bad habit of hers, one she always got scolded for. A Princess was not to be so chatty, she remembered her father scolding her.
Looking back at the boy and his cat, Lucy's eyes widened, "I almost forgot. You two were looking for someone, right?"
The blue cat nodded, "We're looking for Igneel!"
Natsu sighed. "We heard some girls talking about a Salamander and I thought it was Igneel. Turned out it was somebody else."
"Yeah that guy didn't look like a salamander at all!" Happy mumbled as he chewed on his fish.
"No kidding!" Natsu muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "I bet that poser can't even breathe fire like a real Dragon."
Lucy raised an eyebrow, not sure what he meant by that. "I don't understand. Does your friend Igneel look like a Dragon?"
Natsu's eyebrows furrowed and he shook his head. "No, you got it all wrong. He doesn't look like a Dragon, he is one."
"Huh?" Lucy stared wide eyed at the pink haired boy.
"Aye! Igneel is a real life fire Dragon!" Happy exclaimed.
Lucy stared at the two, eyes still wide. "Did you ever stop to wonder why a fire Dragon would stop in the middle of town?" She tried to reason.
Their faces fell then, as if barely realising how absurd the idea was.
"Uh." Natsu rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, shaking his head. "Not really."
She sighed, shaking her head at the dumb boy and his cat. Levy had taught her of Dragons before. They were mythical creatures that were rarely seen by the human eye. And this boy was friends with one of them. She was surprised to say the least.
Glancing at the boy sitting in front of her, she couldn't help smiling. "It would be astounding if a Dragon did show up in the middle of town, though. I've never seen one, after all."
Natsu's eyes widened as he stared at her. He had never met someone quite like her. Every time he'd tell someone about Igneel, they'd get scared, afraid of the existence of Dragons. But she… She honestly seemed quite interested in meeting one.
Crossing his arms over the table, Natsu leaned closer to the blonde girl sitting across from him, eyebrows raising as he stared at her. Lucy blushed a bright red and leaned back. Her hands trembled as she tucked a few strands of her golden hair behind her ear, averting her gaze to the table between them. The blush on her face only reddening as she risked glancing up at him. His dark eyes were intently focused on her, his gaze unfaltering as he studied her features.
"W-What is it? Do I-I have something on my face?" She stuttered, her thin fingers coming up to trace her cheeks, making sure there wasn't anything on them.
Natsu raised an eyebrow and shook his head, but didn't lean back, to Lucy's mortification, he leaned an inch closer. "You're not from around here, are you?" He finally spoke and Lucy's eyes widened in terror. Could he… Did he know or suspect that she was the Princess?
She looked away, her cheeks still a bright red. "Is it that obvious?"
He grinned a grin that made Lucy's cheeks redden and her chest warm. "Well, you do kinda stand out."
Lucy's eyes widened slowly at his words. The boy in front of her shrugged, "You're not like most people around here. It's the first time a complete stranger has offered us to pay for dinner just 'cause we helped them out. I get yelled at for doing things like that daily."
Her eyes softened and she offered him a small smile. "I'm grateful for what you two did for me, even if it wasn't your intention to. I'm still very grateful." She glanced down and played with the napkin that layed on her lap. "You two were hungry, right? I just couldn't let you both starve, and less after the help you had been to me."
Happy stared up at his partner, noticing how his eyes widened just a bit, a small grin taking form on his lips. He then glanced at the girl that sat across from them, her eyes warm and kind as she smiled. "You're very nice." The cat suddenly blurted out.
Lucy stared at him, blinking a few times before she giggled. "You're too kind." Waving a hand in dismissal she then shrugged as she whispered, "I'm just doing what I believe is the right thing to do."
"Nah, Happy's right, Luigi. You're very nice!" Natsu grinned widely and Lucy's cheeks flushed at first, but then she sighed.
"It's Lucy." She muttered.
Natsu chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh, sorry. Lucy, right… I'll remember that."
The Princess stared at him, her cheeks still dusted a soft pink color. Trying to change the subject and calm her heart she asked, "Are you two from around here?"
Happy shook his head. "Nope! We're from Magnolia!"
The pink haired boy nodded. "Yeah. We only came to Crocus to deliver some weapons for the knights of the castle." He shrugged, sighing. "I work for Macao, he's Magnolia's knightsmith. But he's also a stupid drunk who couldn't even stand by himself this morning." He rolled his eyes and Lucy giggled. "So I had to come instead."
Lucy's hands curled on the folds of her skirt, looking around the busy restaurant, watching people walk in and out, waiters and waitresses walking around with trays as they came and went. The people in this restaurant were laughing, enjoying themselves. She turned around to watch Happy tell Natsu something about how good the fish was and the boy grinned down at the cat, taking a bite from a piece of bread. She smiled. She was also enjoying herself here. She was finally free. Free to be herself. To chose what she wanted to do. Who she wanted to be.
"I'm sure Magnolia is a beautiful and very fun town." Lucy whispered to herself, staring out the window near their table. She could see the large castle she had lived in for the past 17 years of her life, the castle she had just ran away from.
"It is." Natsu answered.
Lucy's eyes widened, turning back to stare at the boy that sat across the table. How had he heard that? She was sure she had whispered that faintly, so faintly that she had barely caught her own words.
He turned to stare out the window instead of at the wide eyed girl in front of him. "The castle looks pretty amazing from here." He grinned. "I wonder what it's like to live there. It must be pretty nice."
The blonde frowned, looking to the side as she muttered, "Sure, with people telling you what to do, where to go and how to dress."
Natsu chuckled. "Well, it must still be pretty cool having everyone respect you and look up at you." He frowned down at the table. "Way better than being feared and yelled at for being different." His hands curled over the table, his eyes never leaving the window's view. "I just wish that for one day, someone would see me differently, and not just as a nuisance."
"You haven't been a nuisance to me at all." Lucy whispered without thinking. Her eyes widened as soon as the words left her mouth. She first glanced at Happy, who was munching on his fish without a care of the world around him. He definitely hadn't caught her words. She then reluctantly glanced over at Natsu.
His eyes were wide, his cheeks dusted a light pink color. Lucy's cheeks flushed a bright red and she looked away, scratching her hot cheek as she stuttered, "I-I mean… W-what I'm-meant was…" She didn't even know what to say. Why was she suddenly feeling so nervous? Her heart was beating so hard in her chest and her hands were trembling.
She glanced back at Natsu and noticed that he was grinning. "You mean that?"
Lucy was only able to nod, her cheeks burning.
His grin widened. "You know, this is a first for me. People never have the best first impression of me." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
She smiled sweetly at him and his cheeks flushed, looking away before she noticed. "But, in a way it's my fault. I always go overboard, causing some kind of havoc wherever I go."
The blonde tilted her head in a cute way, making Natsu bite his tongue before he blurted out his thoughts. "Causing havoc?"
Happy nodded, joining the conversation once again. "Aye! You see, Natsu is also a mage, he's a fire Dragon Slayer!"
Lucy's eyes widened, her eyes glistening as she grinned. "You're a Dragon Slayer?!"
Natsu only nodded and her grin widened. "Wow! I've never met one before! My tu-" She stopped, scratching her cheek sheepishly before she gave off her cover. "A friend of mine once told me all about Dragon Slayers. It's an ancient magic, isn't it? Can you light your hand on fire? Does it burn?" Her eyes were shining with curiosity and Natsu couldn't help burst out laughing.
The girl frowned. "What's so funny?"
Natsu was still laughing, choking out, "You are." Lucy's eyes narrowed as the boy rubbed the tears that had gathered in the corners of his eyes away before a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "You're kinda weird, Luce."
Lucy blinked, flushing slightly as she averted her gaze to the table between them. "Luce?" She questioned. She had completely ignored the weird part, because, if she was honest, sometimes she could be a weirdo.
Natsu grinned. "It's my nickname for you."
The blush on Lucy's face only reddened as she risked glancing up at him. He was grinning at her, a grin she had become fond of already, in the short amount of time she had known him. That grin of his, made her feel warm and safe, like she belonged right here, with him.
She quickly shook her head, trying to shake away those thoughts. She needed to get a hold of herself before she did or said something inappropriate. She had just met him! She couldn't be feeling like this… Not so soon.
Natsu looked down at the table, smiling. "You really are weird. No one has ever reacted like you just did after I told them I was a Dragon Slayer. Most people look at me in horror, fearing my magic." He glanced up at Lucy, his head tilting as he grinned. "Not one of them has ever been amazed by my magic. Just you, Luce."
Lucy looked away, pouting as she crossed her arms over her lap. "Well, from what I've read and heard about your magic, it seems pretty amazing. I don't understand how anyone could find it terrifying."
Natsu cupped his chin on his hand as he leaned on the table, staring out the window as he muttered, "If only everyone thought the way you do. People have always feared my magic, since a Dragon taught it to me. Me having this magic means that there are Dragons out there, and that's what people fear. They fear their existence. But not all Dragons are bad. Igneel was a kind, loving, and very strong Dragon. He'd never hurt humans. I'm sure of that!" He frowned and Lucy did as well. "But no one seems to believe or understand that. Sometimes I just feel so-"
"Trapped." Both Natsu and Lucy said at the same time.
Natsu's eyes widened, and so did Lucy's, but she slowly smiled at him. She could understand what he was feeling, as she too had felt trapped between the castle's walls, where she couldn't be herself, where she was told what was best for her, and no one ever tried to understand what she thought was best for herself.
His cheeks flushed, that smile of hers doing something to him that he couldn't describe or understand.
He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck as he changed the topic. "So, uhm, where you from?"
Lucy looked away, smiling softly as she shrugged. "What does it matter? I ran away and I am not going back."
Natsu raised an eyebrow, leaning forward on the table as he stared at the blonde. "Really? How come?"
Lucy frowned. "My father is forcing me to get married to someone I haven't even met."
The Dragon Slayer's eyes widened. "That's… That's awful."
The Princess nodded. "Yeah." She then sighed as she stared out the window, staring at the star filled night. "For once, I want to be free to make my own choices." She grinned as she stared at the castle she used to live in. "I want to go on adventures, to travel to places I've never been to before. To just be free to be myself!"
She glanced down at the small travel bag she had been carrying with her that now sat on the floor. "From today on, I'm going to finally do what I want, and not what my father has planned for me to do."
Lucy smiled then and Natsu stared at her before he smiled back.
Glancing up at the clock that was hung on a wall near the back of the restaurant, Lucy noticed it was already midnight. Reaching for her travel bag and dropping her napkin over the table, she stood up and opened her bag, taking out the jewels necessary to pay for their meal.
Natsu raised an eyebrow as he watched her and she smiled down at him and then at Happy, who had just finished his tenth fish and was reaching for another. "I want to thank you two again." She then grinned, her eyes never leaving Natsu's. "It was very nice meeting you."
She turned to walk away but was stopped by a warm hand holding tightly onto her wrist. Looking back, she saw Natsu holding onto her, his eyes wide and cheeks flushed as he stared at her arm. He glanced up at her and quickly let go. "Sorry. I-I just… Where are you going?" He asked.
Lucy smiled softly at the boy. "I must leave this town before morning." She confessed, knowing that in just hours, everyone in the castle would know that she had ran away. She needed to be far away from here before that happened.
Happy frowned. "You can't stay here with us a little longer?"
Shaking her head, Lucy looked down as she whispered. "I'm afraid not." She reached to path the blue cat's head, making him purr. She giggled. "Enjoy your meal." She then glanced at Natsu. "Thank you for everything."
Without thinking, Natsu held onto her hand again and Lucy turned around, blushing as she stared at him. He didn't let go this time. "Why don't you come to Magnolia with us?"
Her eyes widened as soon as those words left his mouth. "W-What?" She stuttered. She then shook her head. "No, it's okay. I don't want to be a nuisance to you and-"
"You'd never be a nuisance to me, Luce." Lucy's cheeks flushed a hot red, her gaze tearing away from his dark eyes. What was this boy doing to her heart?
She pulled her hand from his grasp, her other hand holding tightly to her bag. His eyes widened and she frowned and looked away. "That's very nice of you, Natsu. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to reject your offer. Though I'm very grateful for your kindness."
She had just met him, she couldn't run off with someone she had just met, even if that someone made her feel safe and at home. She still couldn't accept.
He frowned, and Lucy had to look away, whispering a soft, "Sorry." She rushed out of the restaurant then, her heart pounding hard in her chest.
"Please come again." A waitress told her, smiling kindly as the blonde nodded, pushing the doors open and sighing once she was met with the cold night's breeze.
She stood outside for a few seconds, debating whether or not to go back in there and accept Natsu's offer. The thought of not seeing him again bothered her for some reason. Maybe it was because he hadn't showed her his magic after all? She shook her head. Whatever it was, it was best for her to just leave this town as soon as possible, and forget all about that boy and his blue cat. They had enough problems on their own for her to drag them into hers as well.
Now, she needed to find a carriage. Pulling her hood on, the Princess of Fiore covered her face as much as she could, not wanting to be recognized by any of the castle's workers or knights that may be wondering around town.
Inside the restaurant, the Dragon Slayer watched the now closed doors the blonde had stepped out of. He sighed, turning around to stare at all the empty plates in their table.
Happy looked up at his best friend and frowned. "You really liked her, didn't you?"
Natsu crossed his arms over the table and nodded. "Yeah. She was really nice and she was… She was different."
Sighing, the cat then said, "So why didn't you stop her again? We may never see her again, you know?"
"Stop her again?" Natsu repeated and then shook his head. "She's the weirdo, not me. She said no. I wasn't going to ask again. I would have seemed like a creep. We just met. It's obvious why she said no."
Happy smiled. "But you still feel sad, don't ya?"
Natsu rolled his eyes. "I don't." He muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.
The blue cat grinned. "Yeah right. You liiiiiiiiike her!"
Glaring at his partner, Natsu stood up and turned to leave, barking, "I do not! Now let's get going! I really want to get out of this town already. I'm not planning to cross paths with Gramps or that stupid lightning freak for today."
Sighing, Happy reluctantly stood from his spot on the table, flying after his partner. "Whatever you say." He muttered, earning himself another glare from the boy.
Walking through the streets of Crocus, Lucy tried to look for a carriage that could take her to the farthest town possible. It seemed almost impossible, however, as all the travelers she'd ask, would tell her they were not to travel at such a late hour and with such a late notice.
Blowing out a breath that ruffled her bangs, Lucy drummed her fingers on her travel bag. She was losing hope of leaving this town by morning. If she didn't leave by then, she was sure to be found by the castle's knights. She just couldn't let that happen.
"I hear you're searching for a way out of this town." Lucy turned around at the sound of a masculine voice behind her.
Her eyes widened as she recognized the man. She glared as soon as her eyes locked with his. "Salamander." She crossed her arms under her chest. "Don't waste your time trying to use your charm spells on me, that magic's weakness is awareness." She said confidently, almost reciting Levy's words. "It doesn't work on people who know you're using it."
The tall, dark blue haired man chuckled. "Just as I thought, I knew you were a mage the moment I laid eyes on you."
Lucy raised an eyebrow, taking a step back as she took a defensive stance.
Crossing his arms over his chest, the man then said, "I came after you to offer to take you as far away from this town as you may wish. I'm traveling tonight as well. I'm actually about to leave town. Wouldn't you like to join me?"
Gripping the strap of her bag and pulling it closer to her, Lucy's eyes narrowed as she watched the man before her. She shook her head. "No thank you." The man's grin fell. "I will not accept an offer such as that from a complete stranger and less from someone as creepy as you."
He raised an eyebrow. "Now dear, why must you call me creepy?" He took a step towards her and she took a step back. "Have I done anything to deem myself as a creep before you?"
Lucy scoffed, very unlady like is she so says herself, but she did not care. Who was here to reprimand her about being a lady or not? "Your spell, using it to make yourself popular. That screams creepy to me from miles away."
He waved his hand. "Don't be mad, my dear. It's all in good fun."
Rolling her eyes, Lucy turned to leave. "I still refuse to travel with you. Thanks for the offer, but no thanks."
He grabbed onto her arm harshly, not letting her walk away. Her eyes widened when they fell on his. He smirked maliciously. "I'm sorry, dear. But I can't let such a beautiful girl as yourself decline my offer just like that."
Lucy noticed another man appear from behind Salamander, grinning at her. Her eyes widened in fright, her hands and legs trembling. "What do you want from me?" She gritted, trying to pull her arm from the man's tight grasp.
"Oh, you see," Salamander began with a wicked grin. "I collect beauties like yourself to sell into slavery." He traced one of his fingers across Lucy's cheek and she turned away, not wanting him near hear. She felt disgusted. She reached for her keys but the man standing behind Salamander quickly took hold of her arm.
"Be a sweetheart and don't fight back, there's no way you'll be able to escape." He laughed and Lucy grunted as she continued to fight against the strong grip on her from the other man. She spit in his face then, her face boiling with anger. The bulky man turned around, his eyes wide with anger, and Lucy felt her heart drop when his colossal hand raised in the air, and she winced for the impact.
"Don't!" Salamander yelled, stopping the other man's colossal hand in mid air. He glared at him. "We cannot have her bruised. So just suck it up."
Lucy trembled as the large man's fingers dug into her flesh and she cried out in pain. Salamander only sighed, not stopping the man again.
All she wanted at that moment, was to be back home, to be back in the safety of the castle. Maybe her father had been right, outside of the castle… it was a dangerous world. Not one she could travel all on her own. She wasn't strong enough. She was weak.
Tears streamed down her face. She should have never left the warmth of the restaurant she had been at before. She had felt safe before. She had been safe before… With Natsu.
She struggled in their grasps, trying in vain to escape. Looking at the Salamander, she muttered, "You're the worst mage ever! You're worse than scum!"
Just as she had uttered those words, she saw a fist engulfed in flames strike Salamander's face. He was forced back from the blow, his hand dropping from around Lucy's arm as he flew back. The same happened to the man that had been hurting her.
Lucy turned to stare at them, gripping her upper arm as it still hurt from the pain the man had caused her. They both clutched onto their noses, bleeding as they looked at something behind her. Her eyes widened as soon as she turned around. Natsu was standing there. His fangs were bared in a savage show of his teeth, and his knuckles were still engulfed in flames.
"Natsu…" She whispered, relief flooding through her small body at the sight of him. He glanced her way for a brief second before he stalked towards the two men. She was about to stop him but she felt something flying over her. Looking up, her eyes widened when she noticed Happy's wings.
"You can fly?!" She exclaimed.
The cat sighed. "Yeah. I'll explain later. I should get you as far away from here as possible for now."
As the cat carried her up in the air, the girl asked, "Why? What about Natsu?!"
"He'll be fine, don't worry. He's the one that's going to be doing all the damage in a second, after all. That's why he asked me to take you away before you got hurt." Happy explained and Lucy's cheeks flushed at the cat's words. Natsu had been worried about her safety?
From the sky, Lucy and Happy could see a Natsu being engulfed in a ball of purple flames. The Celestial Spirit mage's eyes widened and she screamed, "Natsu!" She turned to Happy, her eyes filled with worry and terror. "Fly me to him! I can help! We need to help him!"
Happy shook his head. "Don't worry, Lucy. Natsu's fine. He can take those guys without a sweat! Just watch."
Natsu grinned when he heard Lucy calling his name. He stood up tall and smirked at the two men before him. "What the hell are these flames? Are you sure you're really a fire mage?" He asked from within the flames. "Because these are honestly the nastiest flames I've ever tasted!" And with that, he inhaled the flames that surrounded him.
The men's eyes widened and so did Lucy's as she watched from the sky. "He… Did he just…"
"Yep." Happy grinned. "Fire won't work on Natsu."
Natsu's stomach bulged slightly at the amount of flames he had eaten, burping as he wiped the excess flames from his mouth.
"Thanks for the meal!" Natsu grinned smugly as he stared at the wide eyed men.
"What the hell are you?!" Salamander yelled, taking a step back from the boy.
"Bora, I think I've heard of this guy before. He's the real deal! We shouldn't mess with him." The taller and bulkier man said, earning himself a glare.
"Don't call me by my real name, you fool!" Bora scolded.
"I've heard that name before." Happy muttered. "He's Bora of Prominence. He is one of the most wanted criminals in all of Fiore." Happy told Lucy, making her hands come up to cover her mouth, scared and worried for Natsu's safety.
Natsu's fingers curled into fists, his jaw tight, as he snarled, "I don't care who you are, or why the Kingdom wants your ass. But I won't let you hurt Lucy! Don't ever lay one of your nasty hands on her again!"
Bora prepared to strike Natsu again, but the Dragon Slayer was faster. Slamming his fists together, he drew a deep breath, his cheeks puffing up by the action, gathering all the air his lungs could hold before he yelled, "Fire Dragon's Roar!"
He spat a torrent of flames, holding his hands before his mouth to guide the flames to his targets. He could see one of them flying back, tumbling through the street from the impact.
Lucy's eyes widened as she watched the flames. Her hands were still covering her mouth, her eyes wide in amazement. "I've never seen anything like this."
Bora had surprisingly dodged the attack, a spiral of his fire appearing from the ground, the blaze growing larger and larger as it moved in a wide spiral around him, standing on the tip of it as he stared at the destruction the boy had just caused.
His partner laid beaten down on the street, his hands weakly trying to push his body up but failing to do so. "Bora… That guy… He's gotta be the real one. The pink hair and the scaly looking scars. There's no doubt about it!"
Bora's eyes widened in realization. "You're… You're Salamander?!"
Lucy's hands fell to her sides in shock. "Natsu… Natsu is Salamander? It was him this whole time?!"
Happy grinned. "Yeah! I guess we forgot to tell you, huh?" The girl sighed.
Natsu glared up at Bora, his fists engulfing in flames as he charged towards Bora. He dodged Bora's attacks, who aimed balls of purple fire towards him. Natsu jumped in the air and aimed a fist to Bora's face, sending him flying.
Lucy watched the fight, her hand curling up into a fist as she held it close to her chest. "He eats fire and then attacks with it. It must be some kind of spell, right?" She observed.
Happy nodded. "Yeah. He has Dragon lungs that allows him to breath fire. He also has Dragon's scales to dissolve flames and Dragon's claws to wrap in flames. It's magic that transforms your own body parts into those of a Dragon's."
"An ancient spell." Lucy muttered, watching Natsu and Bora going back and forth in their fight. She hadn't read much about it, but the book did mentioned that it was an ancient spell, that was not very common. For all people in this Kingdom knew, Dragon's had gone extinct centuries ago. But still, there were mages like Natsu that used this type of magic, a magic that was only able to be learned and dominated when taught by a Dragon.
"It was magic that was originally used to deal with Dragons. Dragon Slayer magic. Igneel taught it to Natsu." Happy continued explaining.
Lucy remembered Natsu telling her about Igneel. So he had been looking for his mentor. She smiled as she watched him fight.
"Hell Prominence!" Bora yelled, placing his arms before him as a purple energy build up in his hands, releasing it into a large, long and powerful laser-like beam. The spell had been powerful enough to destroy another part of town, but not strong enough to get Natsu.
He glared down at the pink haired boy. "Damn you, kid!"
He then conjured a large sphere of fire in his stretched up hands, throwing it towards Natsu. The Dragon Slayer caught the sphere in his hands with ease, the ground around him splitting and he quickly consumed the flames.
"Keep the meals coming!" Natsu grinned. "You've given me quite a fight, but it's about time I finish this up!"
Slamming his fists together, Natsu cocked his arm back and charged at Bora, his fist aflame with intense heat. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Flinging his fist forward, Natsu punched Bora, causing him to fly off into the distance from the impact, crashing into a building.
Lucy watched the entire fight with wide eyes, amazed by the boy's magic power. "He's amazing." She sweat dropped as she looked around the streets below her. "But he went overboard!"
Happy shrugged. "That's Natsu for you."
Seeing that Natsu was done, Happy flew back towards the street, letting Lucy stand on her own two feet.
The sound of hooves hitting the ground relentlessly caught Lucy's ears and she spinned around to see the castle's knights on the backs of their horses moving towards them. "Oh no…" She whispered, her shaking hands covering her mouth. "Did father send them? Has he realized I've ran away?" He entire body trembled, fearing having to go back to the castle.
"You fool!" One of the knights yelled, "You've done it again! Twice in one day! Do you plan to destroy the entire town?!"
Lucy raised an eyebrow, hiding under her coat again, not wanting any of the knights to recognize her. So they were after Natsu?
A bright light suddenly blinded her and the knights, and Lucy turned around to see Happy's small form start growing in size. Her eyes widened as she watched him transform into a huge looking cat-like figure, large white wings appearing on his back again.
Suddenly, she felt someone dragging her towards Happy. She looked down at the warm, tanned hand that held onto her small wrist, her cheeks flushing when she glanced up and her brown eyes locked with Natsu's dark ones.
"We better get out of here now!" He yelled, pulling Lucy along with him.
Her eyes widened. "W-what are you doing?!"
He raised an eyebrow, very much confused by her question. "Running before they catch us?" He furrowed his eyebrows, hadn't it been obvious?
Lucy sighed and shook her head, pointing at his hand that was securely wrapped around her wrist. He grinned. "Oh! Well, you did say you wanted to leave this town, right?" He shrugged. "I know you said no before, but is seems I'm your only option now."
Pouting, Lucy realized that he was right. If she didn't leave now with him, she'd definitely get caught by the knights.
"So come with me to Magnolia!" Natsu grinned back at her and she couldn't help smiling back, that grin of his was very contagious.
Jumping on top of the now large Happy, Natsu then extended his hand towards her. "Come on Luce! Take my hand!"
Lucy stared at his hand and then glanced back at the knights that were quickly approaching them. She looked back at Natsu, biting her lower lip as she considered her options.
Was she sure about running off with a complete stranger that had just saved her? A little. Was that enough? She supposed it was. Could she really leave the life as a Princess and never look back? Yes. She had made up her mind long ago. This was what her heart desired.
Natsu's voice interrupted her thoughts then. "Do you trust me?" He suddenly asked, his eyes wide and intense as they stared into hers.
The Princess raised an eyebrow and then smiled. "Yes." She didn't stutter as she blurted out her response. She did trust him. After what he had done for her, of course she trusted him.
Natsu flashed her a toothy smile then, one that made Lucy's cheeks turn bright red and made her heart skip a beat. She tentatively took his hand, letting him pull her up onto Happy's back.
She settled on his back, waiting for Happy to take off. Natsu then turned around and told her, "Hold on tight." Lucy rolled her eyes when she noticed the mischievous smile on his lips as he turned back around. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around him, knowing that if she didn't, she'd definitely fall off.
"Let's go Happy!" Natsu yelled and the now large cat spread his wings, leaping into the air with a mighty thrust, just before the knights caught up to them.
Tightening her grip on Natsu, her loose embrace turned into a death grip as a mixture of fear and anticipation gathered within her as Happy shot into the sky. Her eyes closed tightly, fearing to look just how up they were flying. If she fell off, she'd surely die, but a small part of her reassured her, Natsu wouldn't let you fall.
Lucy's cheeks flushed crimson and she tried to shake away those thoughts. She then heard Natsu call over his shoulder, "It's alright, Luce." She felt him chuckle. "Nothing to be afraid of."
She bit her bottom lip and nodded, but still refused to open her eyes. She frowned as the idea of her suffocating him under her death grip came to mind, but Natsu didn't say a word about it.
Her whole body had grown tense and stiff as all the possible risks of flying so high up in the air began to list off in her mind which had made it almost impossible for her to enjoy the actual ride itself. Yet, not quite. She smiled as she cuddled closer to Natsu's back, ignoring the warning alarms in the back of her head. She just couldn't help but appreciate the warmth of Natsu's back pressed up against her, especially with the wind billowing furiously around them, lowering the temperature noticeably. Lucy knew it was quite shameful of a girl of her class to think such thoughts- such that would surely cause great disapproval from her father- however, at the moment, she couldn't bring herself to care much about them.
The wind suddenly calmed, her long, golden hair not flying in all different directions anymore. A cold mist brushed her face and she slowly opened her eyes to see what was happening.
Her eyes shined in amazement and wonder as wispy clouds embraced her in their dewy wet and she felt shivers shoot down her spin, but they were more from pleasure than from the cold night's breeze. She stared at the beauty that surrounded her in wonder, her eyes wide as they tried to take in every single detail to memory.
Natsu glanced back at her, grinning when he saw her looking around, her cheeks flushed and her eyes wide in wonder and amazement. It was like a whole new world, and Lucy was amazed at such beauty. She was entranced by it, the soft warm feeling in her stomach never going away. "So beautiful." She whispered, her head turning to get a full view at her surroundings.
Without thinking, Natsu nodded, answering, "Yeah." But he wasn't looking around them like Lucy was, he was still staring at the blonde girl. His cheeks flushed crimson and he turned around, his eyes wide as he realized what he'd just said and thought.
As they neared a cloud, Lucy raised her hands to feel the substance. It was cold and it felt wet to the touch, but it also sent shocks down her arms, and she enjoyed the rush, giggling as Happy flew through the clouds, making her drop her hands onto Natsu's shoulders.
Her eyes widened when they flew through the clouds until they finally were atop of them. The wind rushed through her hair, leaving a chilled feeling on her nose, lips and cheeks.
Lucy finally glanced down, watching the clouds open. She grinned widely as she realized she could barely make out Crocus below them. It looked so small! This was just so unbelievable! Like she was stuck in a dream that was too good to be true.
Smiling to herself, Lucy slowly slipped her arms back around Natsu's waist, settling her chin on his shoulder, a content sigh escaping her lips as she closed her eyes and leaned against his warm back. "It feels like a dream." She whispered and Natsu turned his head slightly, his cheeks dusting a soft pink color as she cuddled up to him, her head laying comfortably over his scarf. "I'm afraid I'll wake up."
"You're not dreaming, Luce." He assured her, his breath fanning along her cheek, leaving them warm. Lucy's eyes fluttered open and they locked on his. Natsu's eyes widened, but he didn't look away. He was so close, closer than any man had ever been to her. Her heart beat faster and butterflies began to flutter in her stomach when she realized just how close their faces were, and she forced herself to look away. These feelings, they were new too.
Happy lowered them slowly until they were a hundred feet from the ocean waves, and Lucy looked down in amazement. He then slowly weaved his way through abandoned buildings they crossed on their way to Magnolia. They even flew through forests, and towns Lucy had never heard of before, Natsu telling her the names of each town.
The large cat-looking, winged animal would then lift them into the sky, making the wind ripple through Lucy's long hair and Natsu's messy hair. Looking up at the bright stars covering the sky, Lucy gazed in wonder and fascination. The smile on her lips widened. She was glad she had left the Kingdom. Staring at the back of Natsu's pink head, Lucy giggled as his hair tickled her cheek and the nape of her neck. She was also glad her path had crossed with Natsu's.
Being way up here, it was crystal clear, that she was now in a whole new world. She was like a shooting star, she'd come so far, she'd done what she had always deemed impossible. She had escaped the castle's walls, and there was no way she'd go back. Not on her own will.
Author's Note:
Love it, like it, hate it? Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of the chapter!
This chapter was again a long one, but I tried to keep their meeting very similar to that of the Manga's/Anime's but also a little similar to Aladdin and Jasmine's. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! I really have lots of fun writing these chapters, I get to listen to a lot of Disney Movie songs while I'm doing so, lol.
P.S. Happy's transformation is based on deviantart Fan Art by SP-hera! Lovely artist! I wanted him to transform into something that closely resembled Pegasus from Hercules, and this is the closest I could get, since, well, Happy is a cat and not a horse lol. But he's still a winged animal!
A huge thank you to those who took the time to review the last chapter as well as those who followed and favorited the story! It means a lot to me! So again, THANK YOU!
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima! Disney characters, songs, and ideas used in this story are all owned by Walt Disney Studios!
Thanks for reading and until next chapter!
~ Blue ~