With each agonizing puff of desperate, salty air that scraped against his throat, a pitiful whine eeked between the cracks in his teeth. Natsu didn't care, couldn't find the strength or the pride to heed to anything other than trying to stop the howling rage burning through his veins. The itching instinct that screamed from the back of his mind tore through his thoughts, casting the shackles of his inhibitions and morals aside like shreds of paper in the wind. Cracked char splintered through his fingers, shifting like tectonic plates as magma dripped down his knuckles. Black flame, small tongues of pitch, rose up from his skin and flickering out into dark smoke, shrouding his form in ethereal darkness.
His only tether was his fear - a lifeline of forlorn hope that he clung to with the fervency of a man with absolutely everything to lose. Natsu was lost in a sea of dark water and malice, tossed through the storm of fire and hate.
Lucy didn't know what to do. Happy lingered by her shoulder, trembling against her back - or maybe it was her that was trembling. The soft pads of his wet paws dug into the space between her shoulder blades, anchoring her through the sand shifting beneath her feet and the despair thrumming in her heart. She watched as Natsu's body seized violently, watched him cringe and bite down on his lip, watched more blood drip down his chin, shining dimly with ethernano.
Mavis help her... he was in so much pain.
"I told you… to run!"
A small roar threaded through Natsu's voice, choking on the strained words. Screaming through his teeth, Natsu twisted on himself. His hair singed against his fingers, gripped tight in his fists as he squeezed his eyes shut and curled under a weight Lucy couldn't see.
Sweat dripped down her temple. Heat radiated through the air and the water, beating from the exploding core of Natsu's being. Despite the stifling heat and her own hot blood rushing through her, goosebumps dotted her skin. Lucy couldn't breathe, her throat sore and tight with sorrow. She wanted to run, her soul begging her to escape this torrent of bristling danger before it consumed her. But she couldn't leave him, Lucy realized, not like this. Not when he needed her most. Water sloshed around her thigh as she stepped forward. Happy's paws slipped down her back, his breath hitching a warning at the nape of her neck. She wasn't listening, wading through the steamy atmosphere, a ghost of who she was earlier that same day. The small cat hissed her name - she could hear his despondence, his urgent desperation a small stone of guilt in her stomach. But she couldn't live with herself if she didn't try.
Natsu tossed himself away from her, grunting through the pressure fraying the threads of his will. Lucy paused, and for a small moment, she almost turned back. With each step that drew her nearer, the scar on her hip stung a little more, as if remembering.
She stepped within his reach, his white scarf clutched like a talisman in her hands. She shook as she reached out to him, afraid he would break at the slightest touch. Her fingers parted his hair, small pinpricks of searing heat biting her skin. Natsu flinched at her touch, surging to his full height. The dark pinpoints of his eyes drilled into Lucy, shifting in and out of focus. A growl rumbled from low in his chest, his lips curled back over his teeth in a feral frown. His face twitched, demon and man struggling for control.
If Natsu wasn't already lost, he would be soon.
Lucy gasped as Natsu lurched toward her, teeth shining and red as he snarled. The ocean screeched and boiled as he swung his hand through the water, claws trailing neon paths of lava and sparks. Lucy jerked back, the sand shifting once more, leaving her balance to nothing. As she fell, Natsu's tainted fire arched past her eyes. The branding heat of his claws kissed her chin, a searing splinter in her jaw. She tumbled into the sea.
"Lucy!"
"I'm okay, Happy." Lucy touched her chin, fingers stinging against the nick of split, cauterized skin. "I'm okay."
Splashing and grunting. Lucy looked up as Natsu stumbled, leering above her. His blood dripped down his face, coalescing on his chin and falling into the sea before her - drops of red-tattered dreams dissipating into the blue of anonymity. But he just stared at her, eyes wide and luminous like shrouded lighthouses warning her of hidden perils. When she stood, and the ocean flowed over her skin, he did nothing. They were so close - his ardent breath washed over her face, bristling against her lips. She could see the faint trails of dry tears through the soot on his face, streaks of failing strength and fears realized.
"Natsu." He growled at the word. Lucy hated how she flinched. "It's okay. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
Her fingers touched the line of his jaw.
Dark fire flashed in her peripherals, explosions of pitch. She heard Happy cry, her name blubbered from his mouth in a plea. The inferno never came, though. Lucy blinked the glare from her eyes, her breath leaving her in a shaky sigh. She could feel the heat of Natsu's hands by her head, claws curved like deadly hooks and etherious fire blazing brightly as they hovered next to her ears. The sour smell of singed hair reached her nose. Natsu shook, straining against himself. She could hear him choking on his own drudge, see the indominable defiance weighted into the steep angle of his brow.
He was still with her. Somehow, someway, he was in there somewhere, fighting with every fiber of his being. He needed her help.
His scarf unraveled in her fingers. She had gotten it wet, the drenched fabric heavier in her hands. Natsu would scold her for being so careless with Igneel's last gift. She would give anything to hear him say something.
The scarf sizzled across his shoulders, hissing against his fervid skin as she laid it around his neck. The other end she looped around herself, connected even now, as they should be. As they always had been.
"Come back to me, my love," Lucy said softly. Taking a deep breath, Lucy could taste his heat on her tongue; something forgotten, something familiar. "You promised you would."
New tears, nascent and promising, sparkled quietly in Natsu's eyes. As they fell, they washed away the ash and darkness and terror, and a little more of the man beneath the monster was revealed.
"I will never leave you." Those words choked in her throat, tightening against the weight of their truth. "I love you, Natsu."
Natsu howled. His flames flickered out, the char on his hands cracking and fracturing like stained glass before shedding from his knuckles. Each hot fragment shrieked and bubbled as they fell into the sea. All at once, his body and strength gave out, leaving him in a shattered gasp. Natsu sagged into Lucy, the full weight of his struggle crashing into her. She wasn't ready. They dropped into the shallow waves together, a tangle of clutching hands and colliding hearts. His breath washed over her chest as he swallowed air, his back heaving under her hands as he coughed. Shivering, Natsu lifted his gaze to Lucy, the scattered pieces of himself patching themselves back together little by little.
"I could have killed you."
His eyes were green, his blood was dark - all of him human and whole once again.
Lucy closed the gap between them, falling into the curves of his lips like a fitted puzzle piece. Relief, a thousand pounds of answered prayers and captured hopes, filled in the cracks of her battered resolve. Natsu pulled her closer, his arms cloaking her in the comforting warmth of old intimacy. Feathers fluttered closer. Happy wailed as he crashed into Natsu's shoulder, burying his face into his neck as tears wetted the fur on his cheeks. Natsu broke the kiss far too soon for Lucy, the lingering traces of his lips aching.
"If anything ever happened to you… because of me." Natsu's calloused, secure hands cradled Lucy's face. His thumb grazed the nick in her chin. "Please, Lucy. Don't ever do that again."
"You know I will," Lucy breathed, her fingers wrapping around his. "You're too important."
"Aye, sir." Happy whimpered.
But Natsu shook his head, dark drops of soot-stained sweat catching on the old scar on his neck.
"No, I'm serious. Promise me. Promise me you'll save yourself, Happy too."
Lucy's smile faltered. Happy peeked up at her from his shoulder, the slightest shake of his head.
"Only if you can promise me," she answered. "That this will never happen again."
Natsu gazed down at her, his words lost against her conviction. Lucy and Happy were the most important things in his life. He would demolish mountains, dry up seas to keep them safe, hunt down anyone or anything that caused them harm to the ends of the earth. But what was he supposed to do when it had been him who had done the damage? Happy's paws tightened around his neck. Lucy stared at him, the quiet beginnings of tears in her eyes. No words were sufficient enough to answer her. Natsu pushed her to his chest, planting a kiss to Lucy's hair. His other hand scratched behind Happy's ears. The small cat leaned into his touch, still shivering with fear.
The truth of the matter was that Natsu was scared, too. He couldn't do what Lucy had asked. He couldn't guarantee that this would never happen again. That same morning, he hadn't even known that any trace of the etherious still lingered within him, hidden from him through the blaze of his magic and humanity. He thought it was gone, truly – but now…
Natsu could feel it. A weak stain on his soul, a prowling beast behind a plane of cracked glass, waiting in his heart.
He released a shuddering sigh as his arms closed tighter over Lucy and Happy. For a long while, the three of them sat in the cooling waters of the sea. The steam dissipated, letting the sun shine through in streaks of dim, golden hope. A new kind of warmth touched Lucy's skin, healing and auspicious. No one spoke as their tears dried, thoughts filled with the events of the past hour, and a silent pondering as to what it all meant.
They found Captain Kobe on shore, the poor man shivering like a wet dog. He was apprehensive of them, at first - never before had he seen such an immense display of power - but after they had assured him that everything was "ship shape", the four of them walked along the beach back to town. Kobe thanked them to capacity, an impossible feat accomplished despite the odds and bumps. Apart from that, the way home was a silent journey. They were farther from Gladrindale than Lucy would have liked, a distance through rural meadows and forests. Lucy was glad to be away from the water, though.
The trek took up the better part of the day. When they finally returned to the small fishing village, the sun was an hour or so from setting. They apologized to Kobe for the destruction of the Light Chaser, knowing full well that it meant that the fisherman was semi-permanently out of work. Kobe was good-natured about it, though, insisting that it wasn't their fault and that he had even considered something like this happening when he had volunteered to help with the job. It was the nature of the beast, he had said, a casualty he would suffer to see his family and home safe. This did little to dissuade the guilt that sat like a sharp stone in Lucy's gut. They parted ways with the boatless captain, no doubt eager to return home to his worried wife.
Lucy looked to Natsu, Happy still hanging from his shoulder. Without speaking a word, they both nodded at her, agreeing with her unspoken decision.
They quickly cleaned and dressed before meeting with the Mayor of Gladrindale, stumbling into their rented room at the brink of dusk. Lucy was relieved to wash the sea from her shoulders as she stepped into the shower after Natsu. The dark streaks of ash and soot spiraling around the drain didn't sit well with her, and she quickly rinsed them away. Natsu sat silently on the bed as Lucy patched gauze onto the wounds on his face. When he taped a small bandage into her chin, Lucy laughed, and he finally smiled.
The Mayor, a tall fat man, was beside himself with gratitude, congratulating them on such a difficult accomplishment and even offering to double their reward money. Lucy smiled and thanked him in return for the generous offer, but insisted that the Mayor give the money to Kobe, so that he may buy materials to build a new boat. The man had been unspeakably brave after all, and he deserved to continue his life unhindered now that things would be returning to normal. Lucy was happy to give up the reward - she didn't have to pay rent anymore, after all. The Mayor grinned and accepted her terms. They left with a lighter load on their shoulders, a small comfort against their worries.
They decided not to stay in Gladrindale, and took the night train back to Magnolia. Natsu's usual reluctance towards transportation was over powered, the more compelling urge to return home and sleep in his own bed bettering his motivations. He sprawled out on the seat bench for the five-hour train ride, pressing his face into the cushion. Lucy and Happy sat in silence, watching him doze through sickness and exhaustion. Lucy could feel her own fatigue teasing at the edges of her consciousness... but she knew she couldn't sleep even if she tried. Her solicitude wouldn't let her.
"I'm taking him to see Porlyusica tomorrow." Lucy finally murmured.
Happy sighed and nodded. "I think that's a good idea."
There was a lull of silence before Lucy spoke again.
"What happened, Happy?" Her voice was low in secrecy, though the train was nearly empty and Natsu didn't seem to be listening. "I thought E.N.D.'s book was burned?"
Happy blinked and took a deep breath, pulling himself from his own thought to consider her words. He nodded, remembering.
"It was. We were all there. We saw Zeref go down, and the book crumbled to ashes. And then…" The exceed shuddered. "I don't know, Lucy. Maybe the book wasn't the only thing making him a demon?"
Lucy shook her head. "It doesn't seem likely. Mavis told us that the books Zeref created were the physical manifestation of the etherious' power. All the demons he made are pure ethernano, except for Natsu. It's their life force... so destroying the book destroys the demon." Lucy bit her lip. "And as far as I know there are only two ways to destroy Zeref's books; defeat the demon, or defeat Zeref."
A span of silence filled the train car, the dark landscape rolling by outside the window. Happy frowned. He looked up at Lucy, his eyes bright with dread.
"Lucy…" He was almost too afraid to say his mind out loud, as if that might somehow make his thoughts true. "You don't think that Zeref could still be… alive, somehow, do you?"
Lucy sighed, letting the silence fall once more, leaving Happy without an answer. She had tried not to think about that, but five hours on a train was a long time of nothing but idle seconds passing into eternity - she could do nothing but think. If the black wizard was still alive after all these years, then he would have made himself known, right? The Leviathan had appeared four months ago, a devastating attack in the southern sea striking with the randomness of a lightning bolt. Zeref's demons don't just pop up, especially after their maker was presumed dead. So what had happened? Why now? And what did it mean for Natsu? These questions and countless more swirled in Lucy's head as she stared at the man on the bench across from her. Something itched at the back of her mind, a quiet warning for things yet to come.
The train pulled into Magnolia Station about a quarter to midnight. The streets were quiet, empty under the crescent glow of lampposts lit long before they arrived. As they made their way through the city and out to the rural path to their house, Natsu and Lucy walked hand in hand, his thumb gently stroking circles on top of her knuckles. The sight of their house in the quiet of the night was a vision of home and hearth, a capstone to everything Lucy held dear.
Lucy had officially moved in with Natsu and Happy about a year ago, combining his house with her furniture. They had expanded it slightly, adding another compartment to the back side of the house that would become their bedroom so they wouldn't have to sleep in the living room. They had built it together, a ramshackle structure of bent nails and poorly laid wood, but they were proud of something they had accomplished together in the name if their love. A small yellow wooden star with her name on it was added to the sign hanging in front of the house. Living together had started off rather rocky, admittedly, what with Lucy having a lot of stuff for a small house and Natsu having a loose understanding of the word 'tidy'.
Fortunately, both of them had similar methods of conflict resolution. Unfortunately, those methods involved throwing things and shouting, which devolved into wrestling on the floor.
Which then turned into make-up coition, and resulted in compromise. They made it work.
Lucy had given up a few things to make room, and Natsu began to pick up after himself more. The house became a home, and they grew up together. The final step of the plan was to grow old together.
As hungry as they were, nobody was willing to cook. They all went to bed with empty stomachs, the fatigue of the day hindering the strength in their bones. Natsu and Lucy shuffled through the kitchen to their bedroom while Happy fluttered up to his roost among the branches of the tree that grew through the house. The small blue cat was out before he could completely curl up in his nest.
As they entered their room, Lucy waved her hand. The small lacrima resting on the bed side table flickered to life, lighting up the small space with a homey glow. Sighing, Lucy eased onto the bed and stretched her arms over her head. Her bones were weary, the abnormally long and unexpected day seeping into her marrow. Exhausted – physically and emotionally – all Lucy wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep for half a day. As tired as she was - her mind already starting to meander as she pulled the covers back from the bed - Natsu's absence did not go unnoticed. He stood in the doorway, lingering like a small shadow. His eyes studied the floor boards, but his sight was locked inward, stuck in his own head where only he knew what was happening. Lucy crossed her legs and waited, letting him settle with her presence. His troubles were clear on his face, she knew he needed time to gather himself before he spoke. Several moments of silence came and went before he did.
"I wouldn't blame you if you preferred I sleep on the couch tonight," he mumbled, his dark eyes looking up to her.
She didn't know what she was expecting, but it wasn't that. "I guess that's up to you, but… I don't want to be alone right now. I don't want you to be alone either."
A tense weight left Natsu's shoulder, lifting from him as he blew a breath of solace. Lucy cocked her head as Natsu shed his coat, joining her on the bed, mimicking her posture. He trembled a little as he moved, still suffering the aftermath of his one-man war. How tired he looked right now, loose bandages on his jaw and shadows hanging beneath his eyes - it was foreign to Lucy. An allowing weakness that she rarely saw, but she only wished it weren't from such harrowing circumstances. Natsu scrubbed a hand through his hair, huffing a laugh through his nose.
"Nice to know I haven't scared you away."
"Do you really think you can scare me off so easily?" Lucy scoffed. "You know I'm not going anywhere. Not till after we get married."
Natsu smirked. It didn't stick.
"It's all I've been thinking about," Natsu spoke softly. "Today, I mean. Why it happened, what it means… none of the answers I could think of point to anything good."
Lucy reached out him, her fingers resting on his knee. Her skin was soft and cool against his.
"I think it would be best if we wait to think about those things till morning. Besides, you seem okay now." She felt him shift beneath her hand, the slightest tense of his muscles. "Right?"
Natsu sighed, that smallest hesitation ringing like an alarm bell in Lucy's head. She wanted to say something, but Natsu just beamed at her, clasping her hand in his.
"I'll be okay for now, I promise." With that, he yawned widely, his pointed teeth glinting in the dim light. "Besides, we took care of the Leviathan, and that feels pretty good to me."
She touched the bandage on his cheek, small specks of old seeping blood staining the white. "I hope that doesn't scar. You don't need a matching one." Her eyes drifted to the old scar clipping his jaw.
Natsu stuck his tongue in his cheek, mushing against her finger. Laughing at the irked sneer of her lips, Natsu flopped over and stretched, nuzzling his head against his pillow.
"I'll have Wendy make it like new when we stop by the guild tomorrow. Let's go to bed." He patted the spot on the mattress next to him invitingly. Lucy shook her head, but couldn't deny his contagious nonchalance.
They settled under the blankets. Lucy reached over and tapped the lacrima, and the small crystal dimmed into nothing. Darkness enveloped the room, the dim starlight shining through the window a subtle illumination in the pitch. Natsu and Lucy easily shifted into each other like a practiced habit. He looped his arm around her as she curled against his side, resting her ear to his chest. The steady beat of his heart lulled Lucy further into the oblivion of sleep. It wasn't long before their breathing was in sync and their hearts beat in tandem.
"Hey, Lucy?" Natsu's gruff voice cut through the silence. "Did I ever tell you that Igneel used to sing me to sleep?"
He felt Lucy nod against his chest. "On the nights that you couldn't sleep. What made you think of that?"
Natsu shrugged under her chin. "I don't know." Lucy sighed as he ghosted a kiss into her hair. Sleep was quick to come, like an old friend she could easily fall into. "Just popped into my head all of a sudden."
They slept in well past dawn the next morning. Lucy woke up in a fog, her head tight and packed full of budding illness. She sniffed as she sat up, wincing against the ache in her stuffed nose. She slipped out of bed, quietly padding across the floor as Natsu flopped over in bed, still sawing logs.
One shower and beauty routine later, Lucy was feeling much better, but the rundown laggard of lingering intensities left her stiff. The bed was empty, the sounds and smells of cooking drifting in from the kitchen. She wandered out of the bedroom, blinking at the bright sunlight streaming through the kitchen window. Natsu stood at the stove, tossing a pan full of delicacies. Lucy's mouth watered at the peppery taste in the air, her neglected stomach reminding her it was still there. Happy had climbed down from his perch and was setting the table, pouring out three glasses of orange juice. By his wet nose and small sniffles, the cat had felt the need for some extra vitamins as well.
Lucy stepped up behind Natsu, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her chin on his shoulder.
"Good morning."
Natsu hummed, cradling her hold while carefully manipulating the spatula in the pan. He craned his neck over his shoulder, pecking a kiss on her cheek and a mumbled "good morning" in her ear. Lucy disentangled herself to prepare their usual bowl of fruit.
It was a sunny day in Magnolia, the spring air just a touch above cool at the perfect temperature for light clothing. As they walked through the busy streets, bustling with the bodies of everyday life, Lucy told Natsu about going to see Porlyusica. She had expected retaliation - her fiancé and the old witch got along about as well as oil on water - but Natsu simply groaned and nodded.
They returned to Fairy Tail, a chorus of greetings and familiar belonging welcoming them home. It felt good to be back, a sanctuary over all the years that remained steadfast and true.
"Welcome back!" Mirajane called from behind the bar. She twirled, her braided hair falling down her shoulder. She smiled brightly, a smile that spread to the faint wrinkles at the edges of her pale blue eyes. "How was Gladrindale? Did the job go well?"
The look Natsu and Lucy shared was enough of an answer for Mira. Her smile faltered.
"What happened?"
"Actually Mira, we were hoping to speak to the master. Is he in?" Lucy leaned across the bar, her voice low. "It's kind of urgent."
Mira nodded. "Yes, he's here. He's in his office. Freed? Can you watch the bar for me?"
Freed raised his chin at the woman, his hands busy polishing a glass. Mira lead them through the hall, away from the bustle and noise of their guildmates in the throws of their daily revelry. The quiet of authority lurked in the corners of the corridor, hanging from the hinges of a large, ornate wooden door. Mirajane knocked on the door. A gruff, muffled voice resonated behind the wood.
"Master?" They entered the office, a spacious room lined with shelves of books and glass cases of arcane curios. A large map of Ishgar hung on the wall, dotted with towns and caricatured with every river, forest, and mountain. "Natsu, Lucy, and Happy are back."
Lucy looked across the desk cluttered with paperwork to the high-backed chair, turned away from them to look out the tall, arched windows onto the blue expanse of the lake. Mira closed the door and took her place by the Master's side.
"So, Natsu, I guess you managed not to destroy half a town this time, due to the lack of complaints I've received." The chair turned. Laxus smirked at the other dragon slayer, resting his chin on his fist. "I gotta say, I'm almost disappointed."
A/N: I'm afraid I'm going to get some dirt for having Laxus as master. But you know what? The poor guy has been through so much and come so far from the douche bag he was, I honestly think he would make a great master. Also, I'm a firm supporter of the idea that Natsu is actually a really good cook. Just saying. And everybody else will get reintroduced in the next chapter.
Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed, it always boosts my spirits to know my writing is appreciated. I know not much happened in this chapter, but a review would still be greatly appreciated. If this fic reaches 20 reviews, my heart might explode and I'll post double chapters!
As always, read, review, and enjoy!