A/N: Is this chapter severely late? Yes, yes it is.
Has it been finished since I started posting this fic? Also yes, BUT it was not edited, and I have been having a hell of a time focusing on editing for awhile.
Should only have one last chapter to go, and then Episode One will be complete!
I have started Episode Two, but I have been going different ways with it. Not sure which way I will end up going, though. And if we want things done quickly...editing might be out of the cards for now, lol.
RE:Script
Episode One: Hargeon
By Genavere
Chapter Six
Another fist swung just passed Natsu's face as he pulled back his own and smashed it into the face of his would-be attacker. Flesh and bones gave way under the force of it and flames shot forward to engulf the slave trader. Screams and incoherent babbling filled the air as the man ran flailing about, colliding with others.
Several others began panicking as their clothes caught on fire, or the burning fingers caught their skin and left red burns. The chaos that swept through the mass of sailors added to the pile of bloody, burnt bodies around him. Still, more continued to file in from the stairs and the darkness of the hull. The ship had not looked that large on the outside.
"Dammit, where'd you all keep comin' from?!"
Another swung a plank of wood embedded with nails at him. A wave of fire turned it to ash and consumed the slaver. Natsu silently acknowledged the man's self-preservation as he watched him drop to the ground and rolled around while screeching.
A quick glance around gave him the status he needed on the current situation. Most of the women who had not been thrown into the cages yet had been set to the side. Some of them just unconscious heaps on the floor while others were leaned against others. They were far enough away from the flames and fighting to stay safe. That was one problem he could worry about later.
Around him, though, were still a decently sized group of slavers. Bulky men who lived on the sea and were used to hauling around human-shaped goods. Some were eyeing the destruction around them in disquiet, while the rest resembled beasts whose territory you stumbled into. And what is a lone wizard if not something that stumbled where he shouldn't have? "Whatcha all waitin' for? Thought you were gonna to take me down?"
That got most of them of them going. Some still eyed the literal charred corpses that had been their shipmates, but they all had a joke to do and cargo to put away. All of them against one wizard had to favor the force with the larger numbers!
With a shout, they stepped forward together and charged.
Natsu grinned and took in a deep breath. Lungs and diaphragm expanding outward, and his hands came up to focus the core of his attack at the group coming at him. A burning hot stream of raging flames billowed out in a straight line, expanding out just past his pinkie finger.
The flames roared unhindered toward the stairs, consuming the men who had tried to sneak away while the others fought. Their screams filled the air with the smell of burning flesh and melting metal.
What the…Natsu blinked in confusion.
None of the men who had been charging at him mere seconds before remained. Not their shoes, bodies, or their ashes. He stepped forward to look for any sign of the missing men, ignoring the burning men.
Down one of the rows of cages, a large, imposing shadow slowly straightened up to tower over a pile of bodies and limbs gathered at his feet. Blood pooled on the ground beneath them, and some still twitched or groaned in pain. Without a care, the creature stomped on the pile and turned back to fix a glare at Natsu.
A shiver of fear actually crawled down his spine at the power he felt from the—beast? In better lighting, he noticed the stature, the weapon attached to his back, the height of him—at least seven feet tall, if not taller—and were those horns coming out of his head?
"Taurus!"
Natsu jumped at the shout behind him. Ninja-swinging his arms around, he relaxed when he saw Happy flying toward him carrying Lucy. He grinned, "Happy! Lucy!"
Dark, bloodshot eyes met his and filled with tears even as she smiled, "Natsu!"
Moving forward a step, his smile fell when he noticed the blood and bruises that covered her, and even noticed some poking out from under her clothes. Worse, from the scent alone he was certain that those were not the clothes she had been wearing before. His nose coiled up, and smoke seeped through clenched fangs. "Did these bastards do this to you?"
"W-what?" Lucy recoiled inward at the tone of his voice. It took a moment, then she remembered how she must have looked and wrapped her arms around herself, wishing for her sweatshirt. "Oh, y-yea. That Salamander guy…he is the one in charge of all of this."
"You mean the fake Salamander," he growled, fists clenched.
"Fake?"
Taurus stepped out of the dimly light section he had stampeded the men into and rolled his shoulders. They looked up at him, noticing the gore and remains left on his clothing and hooves. "Explanations later, we need to focus getting Miss Lucy to safety first. Her magic power is waning, and I am only able to supply so much of my own."
"Right!" Natsu punched his fist against his palm, "I'm ready to kick more ass and teach that bastard a lesson!"
He led the way up the stairs, silently glad that Happy still carried Lucy over the heated metal where several fires still lingered, and listened to the loud clonks of Taurus taking up the rear behind them. The stairs led to one of the back hallways, a similar look to all the other ones he had run through earlier, and began maneuvering them to the outside area based off smell alone.
"Don't worry, Lucy," he called behind, finding a door that smelled strongly of the sea air outside, "we'll get you off this boat!" Pressing against the metal door—Taurus' loud clopping lagging behind due to his size, Natsu shoved it wide open and stumbled out of the hallway onto the deck of the ship.
Waiting for them, several more slave traders held various types of weapons from chains to clubs. Nothing designed to kill, but could inflict maximum damage.
"Dammit! How many of these bastards does this guy have?" Taking up a stance in front of Lucy and Happy, Natsu felt a flicker of satisfaction when Taurus stepped up beside him, axe at the ready.
"Not enough for my axe," the bull snorted, steeling himself for the fight. "They will all perish for harming my mistress!"
Laughter cracked over the sound of waves, pulling everyone's attention up to the deck in front of the wheelhouse. Standing in front of a large, blue Lacrima that hung on the wall between the wheelhouse windows was the very man who had caused all of their problems. Blood seeped from the bandages covering the mid-section of his face making the laughter sound more like a dolphin.
"I had heard that the real Salamander of Fairy Tail might come after me if I used his name," Bora yelled down, voice a nasally pitch compared to the bass register he hit before. "Seems those rumors were correct! Come now, Salamander, let's see your mark!"
Eyes narrowed, Natsu kept his attention on Bora and shrugged his shoulders, letting the straps of his bag slip. A heavy thunk filled the air with a somber feel and soon his coat fluttered down to cover the bag.
Using his name for slave trading, kidnapping Lucy, being complete scum…a list of crimes committed that filled pages of legal books. He refused to let him get away with more and cause more damage.
With both arms bare, only those to his right were able to see the crimson proof of the guild mark on his shoulder. An undisputable truth. One that made Lucy worried her lower lip and take Natsu in with a different light.
Not once had the salmon-haired man next to her seem like a typical 'bad guy.' Not like the man above them or those she had met before. Really, he had treated her well, with a sense of welcoming that not many offered those down on their luck. "You really are Salamander."
"You didn't know?" Bora's voice sneered and he leaned forward over the railing. "Renown around the land after some good PR. But," he lifted a crowbar up and grinned around the bandages, "he does have one simple weakness."
Lacrima shards shattered and littered the deck as the metal bar slammed into it with enough force to crack the windows on either side. The once smooth sailing of the ship dipped and waves began to rock it back and forth—gently, but enough to feel a difference. Many of the men around them grew pale and green, but kept their stomachs.
Unfortunately for Natsu, no amount of peppermint covered cloth would help the sudden onslaught of motion sickness. Stomach rebelling, everything he had eaten early came up and splashed on the deck. A cold sweat broke out over his face and he fell to his knees as he hugged his stomach.
Lucy stared down at him as he withered around like a pathetic creature instead of the man she had meet earlier. Happy cried out in alarm.
"Oh no! Without that stabilizer, Natsu won't be able to do anything!"
Below them, the growing hum of the engines began to rev up. They were preparing to move the ship again! Quickly, she took in the situation, the crumpled-up form of Natsu, the dissipating stores of her magic, and the men closing in around them. Drastic situations called for drastic measures.
"Taurus!" she called out to her spirit. "I need you to go back. Happy! I need you to get me to the water."
"The water?"
"Yes, please!"
"Aye, sir!" Without explanation or more questions, Taurus closed his gate as Happy flew them up into the air above the heads of the men below. Some switched at Lucy's bare feet while others rushed at Natsu and began kicking and punching him without remorse.
"Hurry, Happy!"
Purple flames slammed into Happy's back like a whip. The poor cat cried out in pain and his paws loosened. Lucy screamed as her body fell onto several shoulders and then the hard deck of the ship. Pain erupted through her body and was reminded vividly of all of her previous injuries.
Just briefly, she watched as Happy's continued momentum of flying and being stuck sent him falling over the other side of the railing. From the noise of the sailors, the rocking of the ship, and the roaring in her own ears, she couldn't tell if he had hit the water or not.
"Happy!" she cried out, pushing herself up and away from the mass of people. No hands grabbed at her, and the stuttered rumbling below sounded like the ship still struggled to move. If the propellers weren't functioning, that meant she could get into the water and grab Happy. They wouldn't have to worry about getting pulled in by the propellers or chopped up.
No matter what, she had to get to the water!
A pair of hands grabbed her. The straps of her pack ripped loudly and it was thrown somewhere else. Those same hands frisked over her body and a familiar weight fell with a jingle to the deck.
Her keys!
Crying out in pain, one of her arms were pulled up behind her back, forcing her up onto her toes to try to relieve the building pressure. The arm that wrapped around her chest and reached up to grip its hand around her neck didn't help, either.
"Where do you think you were going?" Bora's breath blew over her ear and he bent her arm up further. A chuckle mingled with her cries. "I still need to show you mygratitude—" A loud pop sounded before her scream of pain from her shoulder, "—of your little stunt earlier."
"Lucy!" Natsu's voice called through the blows of the men around him. With the stabilizer gone, and the crew attacking him, he could do nothing to help himself or her. And Happy had fallen limp over the side of the ship.
Heated shame and anger flushed over his skin. They had come to save her, dammit!
Hot tears stained Lucy's cheeks. Nothing around her registered—the rapid beating of her heart, the sound of waves in her ears, the constant rolling of the ship and her stomach…only the burning feel of Bora's hand slipping from her neck down her chest broke through what panic had taken over. Desperate to escape, to find a way back to safety.
Since finding herself on the streets, all of her spirits had sought to ensure she could manage in the real world alone. No servants would be there to bring her food or clothes. Tutors would not teach her lessons that would prepare her for running her father's business. Guards would not be there to keep her safe. They stepped up and took over her teachings.
The grip on her wrist released and moved to her hip.
It was time to put it all to use.
Pressing her tongue to the top of her mouth, she snapped her head back. Flesh and bone slammed against the back of her head. Reflexes took over, and even barefooted, she raised her leg up and stomped her heel down on the top of his foot.
Bora's hands pulled back, gripping his bloody bandages with a muffled cry of pain, and released her from his grip. Scrambling over the deck, Lucy grabbed for her keys and did not stop her movement as the delicate metal pressed against the skin of her palm or when the cold railing of the ship pressed against her stomach as she tumbled over the edge.
A sense of weightlessness overcame her. Air brushed her hair upwards with her tears and stole the breath from her lungs. It made taking a deep breath difficult as the water surface of the ocean engulfed her completely.
Cold.
It was so cold!
Toes curled inward and her limbs pulled inward to keep what warmth she had in her core and biting the inside of her cheeks, Lucy struggled desperately to keep her hand over her nose and mouth. To keep them closed and not take the desperate gasp of air her lungs ached for.
Salt burned her eyes the moment she tried to take a glance around her, hoping to catch a glimpse of Happy or figure out which way was up. Desperation clutched her chest tighter, an ache blooming into an open wound that seeped bubbles instead of blood. Then a realization dawned on her, one that sent bile racing up her esophagus and irritation.
Her arm was useless.
Out of socket and blinding when moved, Lucy had willingly sentenced herself to drown by way of barely being able to handle the ocean depths. Of all the ways to die, this would be the most pathetic, the worst to live with.
Good thing if she did die, she wouldn't have to live with it long.
A blurred shimmer caught her attention. Something near the bottom, just a small way from her. Whatever it was, she needed to make sure it wasn't Happy. They had risked their lives to save her, and she wouldn't fail them when it was her turn.
Pushing past the pain and the claws ripping apart her chest cavity, she pushed herself forward with a few good kicks of her legs and used her good arm to steer towards it. There, the poor cat bobbed near the bottom of the ocean, tangled up in old fishing line. Metal hooks and weights cut dances of light through the water.
Another set of icy fingers gripped her lungs. Happy looked so still! How long had he been wrapped up in the netting? How would she get him out?
There was one of her spirits she knew could cut the lines easily, but her magic reserves only allowed for one more summons.
Pursing her lips together, she kicked harder to get down to him and began to pull at the litter. One arm slipped out, but his left arm remained tangled. Bubbles rose up from her lips. Gathering him in her injured arm, she pulled the coral and vegetation from the sea floor up with the tangled mess.
Lungs burning, she gathered all the netting together and used the sea floor to push herself toward the surface. More bubbles rose up from her blue-tinted lips that begged for a touch of fresh air. The added weight of Happy and the fishing line around him dragged her downward. Each limb desperately wished for a break to rest; her body exhausted.
Air greeted her fingertips. Her head broke the surface and she gasped desperately for each lungful. Waves splashed against her face, and her legs struggled to keep her above the waves.
Stretching out her good arm, she let out a deep breath, focusing her magic. Wisps of power poured from her hand and swirled around the key in her grasp. A light similar to that of the sun enveloped her and she shouted, "Aquarius!"
A/N: As mentioned above, should only have ONE MORE CHAPTER and this will be finished. I just need to edit it (and I would post it without editing, but many things changed during the edits, and continuity errors are my biggest pet peeves, lol).
I am also hoping to get a Fraxus story out before the end of this month. Just need to finish editing it a bit more, and then write up the smut!