XXX
March 14th, X779
Lucy fully expected to be told it was time to go when Natsu came back from whatever the hell was happening. She and Virgo were both on high alert. Wendy remained asleep with the cats. Biting her lip, Lucy tangled her fingers nervously together, hoping nothing was too wrong. They'd had enough of that to last them a lifetime.
When Natsu finally returned, he practically glowed in the dark room. "Up!" he demanded, heading straight over to Wendy. He gently shook her. She shot upright with a grunt, hair mussed from sleep as she clutched her stuffed cat to her chest in confusion. Natsu didn't bother to explain anything as he spun to face Virgo.
"Stay here," he told Virgo, eyes blazing, "and keep an eye on Wendy while she helps the guy in the kitchen out."
"What?" muttered LUcy, clambering to her feet. Natsu hardly seemed to struggle in the darkness as he crouched beside their packed bags, fishing through them. He threw things out with much care for what he was doing, only focused on finding their medical supplies, which he split into two neat piles. He shoved one pile back into a bag once he'd emptied it.
"Natsu!" Lucy snapped when he threw clothes at her and told her to get dressed. She grabbed his wrist before he could duck out of the room. "What's happening?"
"I'll tell you in a minute," Natsu promised.
His tone sent her bustling for the next door bathroom.
When Lucy emerged, dressed and ready for whatever was going on, she found that her group had already moved downstairs. She thumped down the steps to join them, following the sound of voices. Virgo, Natsu, Wendy, and even the cats were all there in the kitchen, accompanied by an exhausted, pained man Lucy had never seen before. Wendy tended to a particularly nasty injury punched through his side, as if he'd been stabbed. Lucy's heart leapt into her throat at the thought.
Natsu was moving the second he noticed her. "Come on, Luce," he said, nudging her towards the front door. "Wendy," he added over his shoulder, "come find us when you're might need more help than Lucy and I are used to."
"Okay." Wendy remained focused on what she was doing, but waved to show she'd heard.
"Where are we going?" Lucy asked as Natsu yanked the front door open.
Natsu ignored her question for the time being, pausing in the doorway. He looked back over his shoulder. The strange man was watching after them with distress written all over his features, and Natsu flashed him a grin that was nearly wicked. "We'll find them and bring them back to you, Alzack."
"Thank you," he said softly.
"Bring who back?" hissed Lucy as she was hauled outside.
Natsu finally deigned to give her a proper answer as he swiftly started down the street. "The little girl you guys told me about is his daughter. The lady with the gun is his wife. The earthquake earlier…" He faltered, clearly feeling some guilt about it. Dread crept up Lucy's throat. "Your modern buildings…they're so flimsy, Luce. It weakened the structure and it collapsed with all three of them inside. He got out and couldn't find them."
Lucy felt ill. She didn't know anything about search and rescue. She supposed it didn't really matter though. A little girl who'd already been through so much was imprisoned by a place that ought to have been relatively safe for her. "Well, what are we waiting for then, Natsu? Let's go."
The scene they came upon was more difficult to look at then Lucy had clearly expected, and Natsu heard the soft hitch in her breath when she took in the devastation. Natsu didn't take the time to comfort her, though he certainly wanted to. He wondered when he'd lost his ability to be so horrified by something as simple as a house buckling beneath the weight of itself. Somewhere along the same time he'd lost Lucy, he supposed. Back when he'd decided only two humans mattered to him.
Maybe even when he'd felt the pressure of that old, cracked building buckling beneath the wall of ash that had buried him.
Natsu dumped the bag he'd brought in a spot he was sure to remember, never taking his eyes off the house. Half of the structure remained standing, but even that was creaking and moaning, as if it intended to finish the job. This wasn't going to be a safe process. He'd have rather used as much power as it took to slowly burn away the dangerous area, but for all they knew, it might be where Asuka or her mother – Bisca, Alzack had told him – was.
"Where do we even start, Natsu?" Lucy asked. "Do we need to worry about Vhalis?"
"Maybe." They were attracted to destruction. More difficult would be the fact that it was still the earliest hours of the morning. They'd not be seeing properly, which could lead to bad situations if they stepped wrong somewhere. Natsu was like a beacon in that darkness, muted sunlight slowly tracing the veins beneath his skin, but it wouldn't do much to help them search the debris. Pressing his lips together, Natsu decided their best bet would have to be to simply start at all.
"Start at the edges," he told her, pointing to the safest area. He stooped to dig a flashlight out of their bag, passing it to her. "He didn't know where they were when the place went down, so we don't have a good idea of where to start. Bisca had gone to put Asuka to sleep or something like that."
"Okay, then there's equal chances they'll be in one spot together or separate." Lucy took a deep breath that she let out in a rush. "Be careful," she threw over her shoulder as she began picking her way over to the spot he'd indicated. Natsu watched her go. He could see her flashlight guiding each cautious step she took.
The search began. Natsu kept a sharp eye and ear out for any sign of Vhalis, but the area seemed to be surprisingly empty of them. It worried him, seeing as they were always seeming to be drawn by the power of the gods. Perhaps when the gods were at full strength like he was, it did the opposite…but then, Levy hadn't done much to dispel them when her diale had been returned to her.
Regardless, he'd keep watch.
It was nearly an hour into their search, the barest touches of dawn gliding across the sky, when Lucy shouted, "Natsu! Natsu, over here!"
He abandoned the heap of debris he'd been picking apart and was quick to track her down. Lucy was covered in grime and ichor, where sharp things had poked her. She hardly seemed to care as she pried at a particularly difficult section of tile with torn fingers. Natsu eyed it thoughtfully, then used his shoulder to prop it up. "Careful," he warned as she squeezed beneath it.
She simultaneously ignored him and listened. Her voice was muffled when she called, "It's her – Asuka's mother!" She began tugging the unconscious woman free. She had to stop after a moment to free Bisca's leg, but with a grunt of effort, she was dragging her out. The second Bisca was clear, Natsu released the debris he'd held up with care, not wanting to just drop it in case little Asuka had been nearby.
Lucy checked over Bisca, who didn't stir. Blood slicked her leg where it had been pinned, and there was a gash atop her head, where she'd been struck by something. Her breathing remained steady, however, and there seemed to be minimal damage outside of that, so he rocked to his feet. "Stay with her, Luce, I'm gonna go try and find the kid."
"Be careful," Lucy pleaded, "and take the flashlight! I know you're like a walking, talking glow-in-the-dark star sticker, but you might need it."
"Glow-in-the-dark what?" he muttered. "Luce, I'm the sun god. I don't glow in the dark."
Lucy waved him off. "Yes, yes, you glow radiantly, now please be careful."
Natsu wandered off to start looking again, puzzled. He eyed the debris, realizing they'd hardly covered any of the wreckage of the home.
This was going to be a long night.
"Lucy!" Lucy instinctively looked over her shoulder at the call of her name. She was relieved to see Wendy sprinting towards her. Virgo and Alzack weren't far behind. Alzack was clearly straining himself to keep up, but he hurtled forward when he saw Lucy knelt beside his unconscious wife.
"Bisca!" he rasped as he hit the ground on his knees.
"We're still looking for Asuka," Lucy told him, and he touched a trembling hand to Bisca's cheek as he whispered, "Thank you."
"I'll take a look at her," said Wendy, clicking her tongue unhappily at the gash on Bisca's head. "You should go help Natsu, Lucy! Virgo, too."
Lucy hummed her agreement, gesturing for Virgo as she hopped to her feet again. She paused just once to touch Happy's head when he purred, crouching beside Bisca with a flicking tail. Charle remained close, too.
Dawn had begun to brush over the world as Lucy picked her way towards where she could see Natsu searching, casting more light for them to see by. Lucy was grateful for it. She called for Natsu to warn him she was on her way over, Virgo following closely.
"Wendy's here," she reported. "If Wendy can get her up and moving, maybe Bisca can give us a better idea of where to focus on."
Natsu grunted his agreement.
As the sun began its ascent, Lucy couldn't help but admire Natsu out of the corner of her eye. He practically glowed with the light of the sun as it brushed over him, that golden glow dancing beautifully beneath his skin. His hair, muted at night beneath the moonlight's touch, seemed far more vibrant at the moment, and his eyes glowed brightly. Lucy did take note of a few minor differences from the morning before, as if changing into a giant fire chicken had lessened the amount of power he held.
"Miss Lucy," called a voice, and Lucy glanced over her shoulder. Virgo, who'd gone to check on Bisca and Alzack, was making her way over. Had she just called her miss? Wondered Lucy, eyebrows lifting. Deciding that was not in her best interest to focus on at the moment, Lucy cocked her head to show she was listening. Virgo stopped, blue eyes serious. "The girl's mother woke up. She was in bed when the building collapsed." She pointed.
Naturally, she pointed at the most dangerous section: the bit still standing, which seemed to sway as Lucy looked at it.
"Upstairs or down?" checked Lucy.
"Down. There was a basement, they said."
"Right." Natsu put his hands on his hips, surveying the structure cautiously. "Luce–"
She ignored him, immediately beginning to move towards it. Lucy had a good feeling he was going to suggest she wait with the others, and like hell she'd let that poor girl sit in the scary situation longer than necessary. Cursing under his breath, Natsu was quick to follow behind her. He waved for Virgo to come, too.
They began searching for a way down to the basement, and it wasn't long before Lucy thought she heard something. "Natsu!" she barked, shushing Virgo when Virgo went to ask what was wrong. Virgo pursed her lips, almost amused. Natsu frowned, but kept quiet as Lucy threw him a sharp look before calling, "Asuka?"
She could have shrieked with delight when there was a sobbed, "Help!"
Lucy scrambled, stealing the flashlight from Natsu. "Hold on!" she called. "Keep talking so we can find you, okay?"
"Okay!"
Asuka's sniffles were so close, it was driving Lucy crazy as she began furiously trying to figure out where she was. Natsu and Virgo darted this way and that, too, reminding Lucy of worker ants as they tried to find the young girl. At last, Natsu called Lucy over, realizing where she was, and it wasn't very encouraging. Standing in the midst of the building that remained standing, he'd found a staircase that descended into the dark below. Standing beside him, Lucy could see the second floor up above her head. At least there were no pipes pouring running water into the spaces Asuka might be trapped. The pipes had run dry for a long, long time before this.
"Look." Natsu pointed. He'd shoved aside a particularly large side of debris to reveal a staircase that seemed relatively untouched, so without waiting for the others, Lucy began cautiously descending. Natsu was only a step behind her, calling over his shoulder, "Virgo, stay up here in case there's trouble!"
What they found in the basement wasn't encouraging. While it was whole and untouched on one side, the other, it appeared, was caved in. A wall of debris met their flashlight, and Lucy knew without asking where Asuka was going to be. They didn't have the luck to find her in the open areas, naturally.
"Asuka!" called Lucy, and Asuka called back, "Here!"
"This isn't good, Luce." Natsu eyed the debris uncertainly, and Lucy realized he'd not moved from the stairs, his lips pressed into a hard line. It was clear he didn't want to enter the basement. She thought there might be a hitch to his breath when she retreated back to where he stood. When he noticed her concern, he gave a rueful grin, and Lucy almost slapped herself.
Natsu didn't like spaces like this, where he could so easily be trapped beneath the earth, and this was even more precarious than Ophiuchus's tunnels had been.
Lucy touched his arm comfortingly, even as she scolded, "Don't say that where Asuka might hear you." She put her hands on her hips, shouting into the wreck, "Are you hurt, Asuka?"
"No!" Asuka sounded near tears. "Where's my mama?"
"She's with your dad," soothed Lucy, eyeing the wall. She left Natsu despite a huff of disapproval on his part in favor of starting to inspect it, seeing if there was any way through. She stopped when she found an opening, peering through it. There was another wide open space behind it. "Asuka, can you say something again?"
"I'm here!" Her voice seemed louder through that space.
"No," said Natsu bluntly the second she looked over his shoulder at him. His eyes seared into hers, even as he refused to move from his place of safety in the stairway. He wouldn't go further unless he absolutely had to. "No way, Luce."
"I can fit through," she protested. "She's a little girl, Natsu. She's scared, and she needs help. It won't take more than a few moments."
"You're my Favored. You come first."
"Not over a child." Lucy's stomach twisted. "Never over a little kid, Natsu."
He didn't like his own decision. Something uneasy flickered over his face. But he said nothing. He remained firm in his decision, lifting his chin pointedly, so Lucy decided to hell with it. Asking forgiveness was always easier than permission anyways, wasn't that the saying? She darted for the little entrance she'd found, ignoring the low swear Natsu uttered as he darted after her. She'd already squeezed through by the time he'd managed to try and snag her. "Lucy!" he snapped, peering through it at her with a dark look. He was too big to get through.
"Five minutes tops," she promised over her shoulder, refusing to turn back.
"Lucy!" She didn't think he'd ever sounded so angry with her in particular than he did at that moment. Lucy ignored it, pushing onwards. She ignored a sharp jab into her hip from something that had broken. She wiggled through a tighter space, ignoring the feeling of claustrophobia threatening to swallow her whole. She didn't usually struggle in tight spaces. It was a little scarier when there was a roof above to cave in though. This was far more frightening than the caves they'd wandered, or even the innards of the Borealis.
"Lucy!" Natsu shouted again. "Come back!"
"Asuka!" she called. "Do you see my light?"
"Yes! Here, here!"
She crawled in the direction of Asuka's voice.
After what seemed like ages, Lucy saw a small face peering at her from beneath a half-broken bed. "Hi!" Lucy laughed breathlessly as she crawled out from her hiding place – a smart one, in Lucy's opinion. The bed would protect her from a lot of the debris that would fall if this part fully collapsed. "I'm lucy. We met earlier, remember? I'm the one with the cats. My friend Natsu's waiting for us." Angrily, if the hum she could hear was anything to go by. She'd get an earful, she was sure.
Despite not knowing Lucy, Asuka was more than happy to fold herself into Lucy's arms. Lucy hugged her as best as she could, offering what little reassurance she could. "We'll get you out," promised Lucy in her ear.
Asuka sniffled, hastily wiping her tears away. "Okay."
Lucy opened her mouth to suggest that they get out, but paused when inexplicable dread surged through her. She stilled, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. Lucy was reminded once more of that unease that had been lingering over the last few hours. Her eyes narrowed warily, and something told her to shove Asuka back under her broken bed.
"Miss Lucy?" whispered Asuka, confused. "Aren't we getting out?"
"LUCY!" Natsu bellowed, and something told her he'd felt the same thing.
The world above her head moaned in warning, something striking the top of Lucy's head, and she was quick to shove her larger frame under the bed with Asuka as the world crashed in around her with a roar.
Between one moment and the next, Natsu was abruptly slammed to the ground beneath him, heavy weight pressing in on him from all sides. He wheezed, too stunned to shout, but within moments, a frantic hum burst from his lungs. His chest heaved beneath the weight on it, and panic began to swelter and boil to life, threatening to catch the debris atop him on fire.
He couldn't move.
He couldn't move.
–buried beneath the scorching ash, right alongside those he'd tried to protect. His chest fought to rise and fall, but the movement only allowed the ash to crush in harder, constricting his breath as he choked on ash and dust, screaming–
Natsu erupted, body twisting and writhing into something larger and stronger. He screamed his rage and fear, using it to free himself in a way he'd not been able to do the first time he'd been buried. He furiously clawed his way out, ignoring the alarmed shouts nearby as he thrashed his tail violently, beak snapping at the early morning sun–
He stilled.
Happy purred, unafraid, as he perched at their feet. The sight made sunlight burn hotter beneath his skin. Feathers bristled in seething rage, scattering embers. Small fires sprang to life against his better judgement, and Happy sprang forward to playfully bat them out. Natsu's entire body heaved with each strangled gasp, even as he screamed a vicious, warning hum.
Natsu would not let Death take his Lucy from him again.
LOOK WHO'S BACK!
Back when Bubbles and I were first plotting some aspects of Starfall, Lucy was actually supposed to initially die in a collapsed building. I decided to keep the idea in. Seemed like a fun way to trigger some fun things for everyone.
I'm stupidly proud of the glow-in-the-dark sticker comment.
Thanks to reviewers (VSabo, InWonderl4nd, gabyrbrts, BurstingDragons, Meow Orbit, & nerdalertwarning!) as well as those who favorited and followed!