Not too much action in this chapter. Thank you to those who reviewed and gave feedback. Any feedback you would like to give would be appreciated.
Also, not sure if Italics work properly on mobile devices, may just be my phone. sooo, meh. Well, on with it.
"You feeling any better?"
Lucy nodded slowly. her eyes still red.
How long was I crying for? When was the last time I had done that? I haven't felt someone's arms around me since...
My mother.
Lucy sniffled as she tried to regain her composure.
"Come on, I hear the stream."
She let him lead her through the bushes and trees as she thought.
I did it again. I could have killed the man.
She glanced at Natsu as he gently guided her, his hand lightly resting on her shoulder.
Why is he so calm about this? I just...
"Here we are."
Lucy snapped back to reality.
A camp site, a river running along one side, running off the cliff, becoming a waterfall that threw off tiny water droplets.
She crouched down to the river and dipped her hands in, washing away all the blood sweat and tears.
"I'm going to get some food. I'll be back in a bit." Natsu said cheerfully.
Her heart sank.
He's going to leave me. He's going to run away from me.
Tears burned in her eyes as she bowed her head.
Sadness and Tears.
Natsu was shocked at what he smelled from her.
No one had reacted like that before.
She doesn't want me to leave.
But he had to. He needed to get them food. And ask some questions.
Natsu unravelled the scarf from his neck and gently wraped it around Lucy.
"It's ok, I know you'll be fine. I'm going to get us some food. Hold on to that till I get back, k?" He told her as he dumped his backpack at the base of a nearby tree and walked away.
He smelled...warmth, fuzziness, and more tears from her.
Pfft. Girls.
He walked back to where they fought, the leader collapsed, dazed and bleeding. He looked like he had been through a meat grinder. Natsu grinned.
Lucy has a bit of a mean streak
He would have let her pound him all day. The Black Hand could have taken a lot more punishment, and a lot more pain.
But Lucy was crying and afraid, even as she was standing over the beaten and bleeding Dark Guild leader.
She was the most powerful person there at the time, standing over a beaten enemy and she was still frantic, so terrified...
She looked helpless.
Natsu dragged all the unconscious dark guild members to a tree, and used a rope from one of their bags to tie them all to it.
He dusted off his hands before he walked over to the bruised and bleeding figure.
"Whaaaa, please don't hurt meee..." The man whimpered pathetically.
With a sinister grin he showed off his one scaly and dragonic hand, scratching his talons into the tree behind him, shaving off wood spirals.
"Now, let's talk." Natsu growled.
He wanted to know.
Lucy stroked the scarf around her neck, her knees still weak from relief
He isn't going to leave me.
Tears dripped onto the scarf as Lucy smiled.
She wiped them away and lay down on the packed dirt of the camp site.
It was dusk.
Lucy looked at all the colours in the sky as her breathing returned to normal.
She closed her eyes and drifted in her own thoughts.
Natsu...
Reckless.
Loyal.
Caring.
It was an adventure just being with the Fairy Tail wizard.
I wonder what the rest of Fairy Tail will be like.
"Yo! I got us some food!" Natsu exclaimed as he strolled in to the camp site.
Lucy smiled as she sat up.
He had spat on the ashes and coals of a previous campfire, and it crackled with flames as the embers once again glowed with heat.
"mind if I have that back?" He pointed to the scarf.
Lucy ran her fingers over it one last time before she unwrapped it and handed it back.
"Thanks." He put his scarf on and sat down next to her.
She touched it, a question in her expression.
"It means a lot to me. Dad gave it to me. Igneel. He taught me to read and write and how to use Dragon Slayer Magic."
-Your father taught you that?- Lucy wrote with a flick of her light pen.
What parent in their right mind would teach their kid such dangerous and destructive magic?
"Yeah! I mean who better to teach me Dragon Slayer magic than a Fire Dragon."
-Wa_- Lucy lost control of her penmanship in her surprise
-A real fire dragon?-
"Yeah!"
-Do all dragon slayers turn into dragons?-
He looked away at this.
"I dunno. What about you?"
It was Lucy's turn to look away.
"You're so mysterious." Natsu told her light-heartedly.
Should I tell him? How much could I tell him?
She slowly raised her pen and wrote carefully
-My mother died-
He bowed his head.
"My father disappeared. He left me."
-At least your father could be alive.-
"It just hurts that he isn't here."
-I know-
Lucy woke up, feeling warm, rays of sunlight flickering through the trees.
She looked over her shoulder, and saw they were in the same position, laying on their sides, back to back, cushioned by soft leafs covered by natsu's bedmat.
Lucy wondered why she hadn't seen one of these wonderfully soft, waterproof and compact things before.
It could have saved her many uncomfortable nights of sleep.
Natsu seemed to emit an aura of heat that wrapped around her like a blanket.
She felt even more comfortable than she felt with her cloak.
Next to her Natsu let out a huge snore.
Lucy giggled as she looked at his peacefully sleeping face.
She reached down to her key pouch and touched Plue's key
he appeared in a flash of light and he was holding...
My backpack!
Lucy picked up the little snowman and gave him a hug which he returned.
She ruffled through her backpack-diary, check, latest issue of sorcerer weekly, check, snacks, check.
She mourned her sleeping bag, blanket and her other cloths that she had lost during other kidnapping attempts. It left her backpack very empty and made Lucy ever more resourceful.
Wait, how did Pue even get my bag...
Natsu suddenly sat up with a snort.
Lucy froze and they stared at each other.
"Huh, i was feeling a bit cold." He yawned."It's too early you weirdo."
He promptly flopped down onto the bedmat and started snoring.
That's it? he woke up just to say that?
And how is he asleep already? He's an idiot!
How is he cold? He breaths fire and everything around him is hot!
Lucy gave up trying to figure out the pink haired boy. For now.
She decided to write in her diary, then read her copy of sorcerer weekly, then maybe polish her keys.
Surely he'd be awake by then.
He wasn't.
Lucy was getting a little frustrated by now. she wanted to get back to civilization.
Specifically a bath.
Lucy went to Natsu, about to wake him up, but she stopped mid poke.
His hand was still a hideous mix of human and reptilian with cracked skin, small patches of scales and unusually long and thick nails that covered the fingertip- talons.
It was only half healed.
Is this why he is sleeping so much?
She felt a bit guilty she hadn't thought to heal it last night.
Lucy called up her magic, summoning five stars that floated around in the air around her.
Ok then, FIVE STAR REMEDY!
The stars rushed to Natsu and started revolving around him, emitting a golden glow.
Natsu awoke to a gentle golden glow, with the sweet smell of Lucy's golden magic in the air.
Every muscle in his body felt relaxed. His hand felt soft and wonderful.
He realised his hand was normal again as the light faded.
He was still a little sleepy though.
"Mmmhh, five more minutes." He yawned as he rolled over.
A second later he received a kick to his thigh
He opened his eyes to see her chocolate coloured eyes staring down at him, the rest of her face annoyed.
-UP- she scrawled in the air.
"ok, ok. Jeze. What are you so worked up about?"
-we are going to Fairy Tail. And it's almost midday.-
Natsu instantly perked up. "Oh yeah, I need to get back to happy! Let's go Loony!"
-IT'S LUCY! YOU IDIOT!-
He just chuckled as he quickly packed up.
"Urrp, this wasn't a good idea." Natsu was very green as the carriage bumped along the highway.
Thirty third.
"I think i'm gonna hurl"
fifth.
"I hate carriages."
fifty sixth.
"Lucyyyy, help me."
That's a new one.
-How?- she wrote.
"Urrp, Star thingies..."
Lucy tilted her head, a thoughtful look on her face. As if considering it.
"Pleeeeease" He moaned pathetically.
She chuckled and summoned five stars and let the healing light wash over the Pink haired boy.
"You doing it?" Natsu asked, his head hanging halfway out the carriage.
-Yes-
"It's not doing anything...Lucyyyy...urg...try harder..."
The light shone brighter
"You sure you're doing it right?" Natsu burped.
Lucy let the starlight fade and a smile tugged at her lips, half amusement, half annoyance.
How can someone this powerful be so helpless? From carriages no less?
"Uhhh, I hate carriages"
fifty seventh.
"why did I decide to do this?"
twenty ninth.
"Luuucyyyyyyy."
She sighed and looked out the window, watching the scenery pass by while ignoring the Cookie Tosser next to her.
"We have arrived at Magnolia."
The door on Natsu's side of the carriage opened, and he promptly flopped onto the dirt road.
Then he started Laughing manically as he got to his feet, breathing fire as he screamed "I'm Alive! hahahahaaa!" started racing down the hill.
Lucy quickly paid the driver and ran after him.
She ducked through trees and bushes as she gave chase.
As they came up to a rundown looking house, Natsu called "Happy! I'M BACK!"
Something blue streaked out of the door and into Natsu's waiting arms
"NATSU!" the flying blue cat yelled, joy showing on every inch of his face, tears streaming down his face.
"I missed you buddy." Natsu was crying as well.
"I didn't think you'd be back for weeks" Happy replied as he laughed.
Lucy stood back and watched. The weirdness of a flying blue cat aside, it was a touching reunion.
"Can we go fishing soon?" Happy asked.
"I haven't been on a job in a while, we'll go when we get back. For now, let's go to the guild hall!"
"Aye Sir!"
"Oh yeah Happy, that's Lucy"
"wow, she looks scary."
"Yeah, but she's ok. She even helped me along the way."
Did he just agree that I'm scary?
"Come on Lucy!" Natsu grinned as he started walking towards town with happy walking along side him. "You can finally Join Fairy Tail!"
Lucy grinned as she fell in step with the pink haired boy and the blue cat, on their way to Fairy Tail.