It was a simple recon mission - that’s it. Or at least, that’s what it was suppose to be.
But then chaos ensued, and if Natsu was being honest, he’d lost track of what was going on a long time ago. All he knew was he practically saw red, his body was beyond exhausted and Lucy and Happy were too far away for him to reach. Happy was safe, Natsu knew. The cat had been long knocked out since he’d tried to help Natsu, and been smacked away. But he was in a space where no one could find or hurt him.
It was Lucy Natsu was worried about. She was just as exhausted as he, laying on her stomach as she desperately tried to crawl over to Natsu. Through his limited and hazed vision, Natsu saw her big, chocolate brown eyes stained with tears and blood looking back at himself. She had that look on her face - the expression Natsu hated.
She looked so vulnerable, so scared and because of that, Natsu felt his own body violently shake with fear. He didn’t have the strength to fight - hell, he didn’t even have the strength to get up on his two feet.
Kuro stood above Lucy, hovering over her figure - threateningly. Lucy was all too aware of the looming figure that stood above her, and it made her heart race. She tried to find solace in Natsu’s eyes, as she always did. Between the two of them, he was the one who had the courage, the bravery and never lost hope. But in this moment, staring in Natsu’s frightened gaze only made her feel worse.
“It’s funny,” Kuro spoke up, a bright, cocky smirk upon his lips. “Just a minute ago, you were so confident you’d beat me.”
Natsu grimaced, clenching his fists tightly in the dirt as he desperately tried to push himself up. He only pathetically collapsed back down.
“Where’d that fire go?”
“Natsu,” Lucy called weakly, using her chance. Pulling her head up, Lucy gazed straight into Natus’s eyes, never wavering, and nodded. “Go…” She whispered, “get out of here! I’ll be fin-”
Lucy was interrupted by a shrill scream leaving her lips as Kuro leaned down, grabbed a handful of Lucy’s hair and tugged aggressively. He held Lucy’s body at a bent angle before him, straining her neck awkwardly. Natsu’s jaw clenched painfully, a fire burning within him that couldn’t be lit.
“How sweet,” Kuro taunted, pulling Lucy’s head so far back so that he could meet her gaze. Raising his other hand, he wiped at stray tear that had fallen from her eyes off her cheek, and grinned. “Almost makes me want to be forgiving.”
Lucy looked hopeful, even for a second.
“Now,” Kuro continued, “don’t get me wrong, I will kill you.” Natsu felt his heart plummet, “but maybe not your friend.”
Lucy’s eyes widened and she felt contentment flood her - she could handle dying, it was Natsu she couldn’t.
“Like hell i’d ever let you kill her!” Natsu yelled, voice hoarse from the amount of yelling he’d already done. Lucy felt her head dip forward, almost as if she was going to fall but she never did. Picking up her head, Lucy glance back at Kuro, finding his hand back by his side, but her own body still propped up.
“There’s that fire!” Kuro exclaimed, chuckling. “But, it’s misused. I’ll kill her,” he nodded, “and now you’ve just pissed me off-”
“Please!” Lucy cried, violently shaking her head. Just let him go!”
“Lucy,” Natsu whispered, eyes widening.
“It’s okay,” Lucy nodded, sending a reassuring look Natsu’s way. “I’ll be okay.”
Natsu felt his fingernails dig into the palm of his hand, and he’s not sure where the strength came from, but that burning fire inside him raged and within seconds Natsu was on his feet, lunging towards Kuro. Lucy let out a gasp, watching as a fire emerged from Natsu’s hands and he let out a roar, ready to knock Kuro into the next town.
But before he could, Natsu felt his body freeze, unable to move. He let out a gasp, eyes narrowing as he met Kuro’s gaze.
“I thought you would’ve learned by now.” Kuro tsked, shaking his head. Raising his hand, Natsu felt his feet come off the ground, now floating in mid-air. “I can control you - you have no chance against me.” And within seconds, Natsu felt his body fly backwards, until he stopped, right above the cliff, a massive drop awaiting him.
“Wait!” Lucy cried, immediately becoming panicked. “Please, wait! Don-”
Her words fell short the moment Kuro shot his hand down, Natsu’s body mimicking his actions. Silence echoed around for a moment, and it almost felt as if time slowed as Lucy watched Natsu disappear from her vision. Her eyes widened, her lips parting as a scream tore through her lips.
Kuro only laughed, again grabbing a handful of Lucy’s hair and tugging her back. Lucy desperately fought his grip, lunging at the chance to try and catch Natsu, even if she knew it was futile.
Kuro yanked Lucy back, her body folding over itself as she begun crying hysterically. She felt, more than saw, the kicks delivered at her body, cries leaving her lips with each hit. But yet, her gaze remained on that cliff, almost willing Natsu to come back.
-
It was his last thought before he fell; “you were suppose to protect her.”
Natsu felt the wind rush around him, his stomach drop as he watched the edge of the cliff grow farther and farther. He didn’t scream, or cry, too stunned to say anything really. All noise drowned out as he felt himself free falling. Natsu almost forgot who he was for a moment, the realization that he was going to die, plaguing his mind.
But then there was this scream. Lucy’s scream. And it tore at Natsu’s heart, twisting it and pulling at it. Natsu had long ago sworn he never wanted to hear Lucy cry like that again, but yet here she was, crying. Crying for him. Crying in pain.
And something in that gave Natsu the strength. He let out a groan, almost like a dragon’s roar, his body contorting before he felt himself still in the air, now floating. Natsu half expected to find Happy above him, but it was himself flying - no one else.
But Natsu didn’t have time to think about that. About the wings and the scales that had just grown over his body. Because the next thing he knew he was soaring back up, racing through the sky the second he heard Lucy cry out in pain. Natsu reached the top of the cliff in seconds, and the red he saw before darkened when he saw Lucy curled on the ground, obviously in pain with blood pooling around her.
Natsu’s eyes then snapped to Kuro, who stared in bafflement at Natsu.
“Bu-But how-”
Natsu didn’t let him finish before he was flying forward, fire emitting from his fist as he smacked Kuro across the cheek. Natsu had moved so quick, Kuro hadn’t even had the time to think about stopping him. The moment Kuro was on the ground, Natsu lunged forward, repeatedly smacking Kuro across the cheek, ruthless.
Lucy looked up in shock, the pain seizing as she eyed Natsu. Though, Natsu didn’t completely look like Natsu, Lucy knew in her heart who it was. She watched with wide eyes as Natsu gave no mercy, and she felt her heart plummet at the unfamiliar feral attitude that Natsu was displaying.
Natsu could be ruthless, aggressive and all the more - but this wasn’t Natsu. There was something different…
Lucy pushed herself up to her feet, running towards Natsu and without thinking about the flames, wrapped her arms around his waist. Almost instantly, Natsu’s fire seized and his body slowly, but surely grew back into himself. Lucy buried her head into Natsu’s back, softly crying as she held on tight, willing to never let him go.
“Lucy…” Natsu softly whispered, one torn hand coming up to clasp her own hands.
Lucy didn’t say anything, just held on tighter. Natsu felt himself raggedly breathing, trying to understand what had just happened. He’d lost control, and in his own rage, forgotten who he was.
“I’m sorry.” Natsu whispered, his eyes narrowing in distress.
Lucy shook her head; “you saved me.” She replied, laying her head against his forehead. “Like always.”
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A/n
After months of not updating, i am finally back!!
