Markings: a NaLu/Fairy Tail Fanfic

Alive

~~~~ Chapter 5 : Alive ~~~~~

P.O.V. Natsu Dragneel

Natsu couldn't remember much after being knocked out. He knew time had passed, but exactly how much he wasn't sure. The first time he had come to, though, that he remembered clear enough.

When he opened his eyes, he had found that he couldn't move. His best guess was that it was some type of paralyzing magic; there wasn't anything keeping him down, otherwise.

Next, he noticed where he was. Well, he didn't know where, because frankly, he didn't have the slightest clue to his location. No familiar scents, sounds, sights, nothing. He sighed mentally. Why did this stuff always happen to him? Not that it wasn't entertaining; he just preferred more of a warning, something more direct.

Natsu tensed as he heard footsteps approaching. He quickly counted them; there seemed to be five, at least.

"Oh, Dragneel's awake already?" said a nasally voice. "I'm surprised, even if it is him. Most people would stay unconcious for at least another twenty-four hours or so."

Another scoffed. "Well you shouldn't be, you heard what Lord Zeref said. We shouldn't underestimate him under any circumstances." he continued. "And that's exactly what it seems like you're doing."

Natsu's eyes widened. Had he heard right?! Zeref was behind this?!

The first voice returned. He let out a snort. "Yeah, whatever. Not everything he says could be correct, you know."

A more feminine voice hissed. "Do you know what he would do if he heard you say that?"

"Sure, he would find it more amusing than anything."

"Man, he has no sense of humor whatsoever. What the hell makes you think that?"

"Whenever my usual group's around him, he acts like he finds everything...amusing."

The woman seemed confused. "When my normal group is around him, he's all... cold and stuff."

A fourth, insanely low voice intervened. "None of that matters now. Are you all forgetting why we're here in the first place?"

The woman sighed. "Yeah, I just wanna go home. Let's get this over with already."

Someone leaned over Natsu, and he was finally able to see one of their faces. The woman had high cheekbones and what seemed to be a permanent frown stuck on her face. She held some sort of bowl in her arms, and as he caught a whiff of it his nose crinkled in disgust. Aw, geez, what was that?

"You might want to shut your eyes if you would prefer to keep your vision." she said, right before tilting the bowl and letting a sort of pitch black liquid pour all over him.

Natsu's eyes widened a fraction before screwing his eyes shut, and he held his breath as the stuff coated him from head-to-toe. He spluttered as the stuff settled on him, soaking into his clothes and hair, and completely overpowering his sensitive nose. The stench this close nearly made him throw up as if he were in a moving vehicle. He decided it was probably not the best time to spew out his innards though, and he just barely managed to suppress it.

The woman drew back into the corners of Natsu's eyes where the others were, which was seriously beginning to annoy him. He couldn't even move his head to see the people!

The five of them shuffled to different spots surrounding Natsu, and raised their arms to the sky (now he could see some part of them) as they began whispering something. It wasn't as if he couldn't hear them; he could hear them clearly enough, it was more of not understanding. What they were saying was certainly not in his language.