sea shells | natsu dragneel

chapter forty one

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I stare at Rogue in disbelief, and he stares back. His eyes glow red in the dark, a great contrast to the other man's sapphire ones. It was almost jarring, and I had to look away because I was scared I would get lost in those glowing jewels in the dark. 

Lucy's hand was shaking in my steady one. I could tell she was trying to hide behind me, but at the same time still show her face- I knew she had some sort of fear of Sabertooth, some sort of past interaction that had left her hurt and scarred. Would she have to face it today?

"My name is (y/n)," I start, appearing from next to my blonde friend. This time, I did catch Rogue's intrusive gaze. There was an emotion I saw swirling in his eyes- reluctance? Apathy? I couldn't tell. "and this is Lucy. We're here to retrieve Natsu and bring him back home." 

The other blonde stares at me, incredulous, as if he couldn't believe I just said that. And suddenly, out of nowhere, he bursts out laughing- loud and harsh, shoulders shaking with the movement. With the moonlight, I could make out sharp canines on either side of his mouth. Rogue stayed silent. 

"Oh, I don't know about that," he snickers, and I firmly decide that I do not like him. "I think Rogue and I will take you in instead. How does that sound?" 

My eyes move to Rogue- and yes, there was definite guilt in his eyes then. "Is that right, Rogue?" 

He stares at me and swallows. "Yes." 

I close my eyes, trying hard not to let a sigh of defeat slip past my lips. I had hoped he'd be on our side, after everything we'd been through, from apple pies to locking the other in the bathroom- but I guess not. I'm not sure if it would be called a betrayal, considering he's known Sabertooth a hell lot longer than he's known me. But then again, that text had only given me false hope. 

I walk forward, before feeling hesitant fingers wrap around my arm. 

"Neither of us are fighters, Lucy," I whisper. "we should go." 

"B- but, I can't, I can't face her–" 

"We should go," I repeat, firm. 

Sting's frustrating smirk had not disappeared as the four of us walked through the solemn streets. I was itching to scrape it off his face with my fingernails, but I resisted. That itch grew stronger as he surveyed the two of us, arms folding behind his head, eyes trailing up and down our bodies like we were objects. 

It made my skin prickle. 

Rogue stopped in front of us, and I knew we had reached their lair. 

Actually, it wasn't a lair at all. It was a large clearing- a sunken piece of land, surrounded by low-lying cliffs. The ocean was not far off, and the sand that had appeared under your feet was dark brown and grainy under the moonlight. With an upturn of your stomach, you realized that there were small figures in the pit. 

The two Sabertooth members lead the both of you through the cliff, its walls towering over you on both sides. It was dark and wet, smelling of must. 

"M'lady will be pleased that we retrieved Natsu's girlfriend," Sting started, and I twitch at both of the strange terms. He beamed in a sort of sickly, devoted kind of way. "I can't promise what will happen to you once we reach her though, so don't expect any special treatment from any of us." 

Lucy whimpers behind me. Sting snorts at the noise, arrogant and apathetic. Rogue continued to say nothing, despite the fact that I kept trying to catch his eyes. The sand got wetter and more clumped the longer we walked through the ridge of the cliff,  its long shadows cast over us in a gloomy manner. 

"So, Rogue," I tried again. "are you in on this too? I didn't expect you to be the one to hurt others without reason, you know." 

"There are plenty of reasons," Sting hisses, turning around in one swift motion. "Fairy Tail continues to rival us in strength. Therefore, they need to be removed from their position of power." 

I stare at him, incredulous. Then I turn towards Rogue, to see if he supports the same foolishness. I don't get lucky. "You kill and maim to dominate over all others? A power struggle? What are you, animals? Why can't you live to coincide with each other?" 

He snorts. "We can't coincide with those inferior bastards. What would be the point? Anyway, you shouldn't be running your mouth like this. We are the strongest, and once Fairy Tail has been beaten, both of you are going to have to live under us. And if you're lucky, all you'll become is my footstool." 

I roll my eyes. "Fairy Tail is strong due to our bonds," I glare at him, trying my best to reach Rogue with my words. "our friendship and love are what makes us a powerful enemy. And because you will never have that, you will never be able to beat us." 

And at once, hard and sharp, Sting slams his knuckles in my cheek. The sheer force of the punch sends me reeling back, and I'm lucky that Lucy just managed to catch me before I fell over. Ignoring the significant stinging of my cheek, I continue to glare at the now smirking Sting with hateful eyes.  

"Oh, don't give me that look, sweetheart," he croons. "you had it coming." 

And then we reach the large clearing. 

The moon beams down at us, large and ominous, and I pass unfamiliar faces. There are many Sabertooth members crowded around the edges of the crater, but none look particularly impressive: in fact, among their leering faces, there is a trickle of fear. 

And then we reach the centre of the crater, where I see, with a definite lurch of my stomach, a chained, beaten Natsu hanging from a flagpole. 

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