Runner Runner

Chapter 11

Lucy P.O.V

"NATSU!!" I screamed as they tumbled over the edge. Despite what he ssid, I ran to the edge he had tumbled over and peered down. I could see where they had smashed through the window of the abandoned building and the hole inside where they continued to fall, vanishing beneath the building. "Natsu!!" I called out, hoping he would shout back. Hoping he would stick that ridiculously pink haired head of his out the window and grin at me. But nothing. Instead, that beast limped into view from somewhere in the room and I scrambled back, hoping it wouldn't see me. I fought the lump in my throat as I ran, wanting to get as far away from it as possible. Natsu can't be dead! He's alive, I know it! Iv got to get help!! With this knew thought in mind, I made a bee line for Miras bar.

Natsu P.O.V

The last thing I heard was Lucys scream before the force of the beast threw us through the window of the closest building. We continued to fall into the wooden floor, the rotten thing giving way as I landed hard. Luckily it dislodged the thing from my shoulder, but I couldn't help the cry of pain that ripped through my throat. I reached out my hand to try and stop my free fall, but the chunk of rock i managed to get a hold of only crumbled beneath my fingers and soon, I landed in a crumbled heap on the cold ground.

I was pretty sure I blacked out, and I thought I heard Lucy calling my name but my head was fuzzy. With a groan I tried to push myself up, hissing in pain as pain shot through my sides and shoulder. I did a quick assessment of my injuries, and along with the puncture wounds in my shoulder,  the beasts claws had raked into my sides, and I had a broken wrist from the fall. I got.of pretty lucky considering the fall could have killed me. I took a deep breath and tried to pull myself up right again, hissing in pain but managing to get to my feet. Wherever I was it was pitch black and almost perfectly silent. The only thing that broke the silence was a soft howling sound that was the wind and what sounded like water trickling over stone. I followed the sound at a slow pace, my leg throbbing with a new discovered pain from the fall.

A soft light slow appeared at the end of the tunnel, and as I got closer, so did the sound of water. What I found made me speechless.

The cave was large enough to fit the whole of the slums in it, the ceiling stretching high above. The soft light came from glowing fungi that clung to the walls and stalagmites that hung from the ceiling. The water that I heard was trickling from a far wall and slowly grew into a tiny stream that flowed across the cave and disappeared under the opposite wall. Scattered across the ground were flowers of all shapes, sizes and colors that I hadn't seen in all my twenty five years. Another thing occurred to me as I took in the beautiful scene. The air down here smelled fresh, smelled clean. Above, the air was stale and seemed to have almost a chemical taste to it. But not here. Down here it was pure.

" Iv gotta tell Gildarts about this place. " I muttered to myself as I made my way to another opening across the cave.

Lucy P.O.V

I burst through the doors of Miras, completely out of breath and I'm sure I looked like hell. It was early in the morning, so there was actually no one there. " Mira! Gildarts!" I was practically screaming as I ran through the empty bar. Mira came running from upstairs while Gildarts drug himself through a side door. "Lucy it's too early." He grumbled angrily. " I know but... it's Natsu..." i panted as I finally stopped. " What happened Lucy?" He said, his face serious. I told him what had happened and he looked down with a hard look on his face. " Lucy, you don't know if he's alive." He said as he sat at the table we stood beside.

" Gildarts we have to try! If he is alive he's gonna need help!" I nearly shouted. " And what if he's not Lucy? It's been nearly three hours, if that thing didn't kill him the fall would have. Face it Lucy... Natsus gone." He said softly, his voice cracking. I slammed my hands on the table, fighting to keep the tears in. " Damn it Gildarts, when did you give up?! When did you let go of hope and become a coward?!" I shouted. " Lucy!" Mirajane shouted at me but I held up my hand. " The old Gildarts would have been out the door as soon as I told him. If Natsu was dead, the old Gildarts would have brought him back just to kill him himself for being stupid." I said harshly.

I ignored the red haired doctor as he simply looked at his feet and ran to the back room. I grabbed his kit plus anything I would need to save Natsu before heading to the door. I threw open the door and gasped. " Natsu!" The pink haired idiot was grinning at me weakly, blood dripping down his shoulder and sides. " Hey Luce..." He said weakly. I dropped the kit in my hands as he started to fall forward, catching him before he could fall to the floor. I ducked under his shoulder and half dragged, half carried him inside. Gildarts was in full doctor mode as he came around and grabbed Natsus other shoulder and together we drug him to the back.

" Natsu what happened?" I asked as we laid him on the cot in the back and Gildarts began examining his wounds. " Well, after I fell through the floor... I came across this tunnel... Inside there was the most beautiful cave... It was huge and was so clean..." He suddenly grinned sheepishly. " I knew you'd be mad at me... So I got this for you while I was down there..." He used his good hand and dug in one of his belt pouches, pulling out a bright pink flower. I stared at it wide eyed, its fragrance was sweet like honey, it's petals flaring out like an orchid and yet not an orchid. Before I could take it Gildarts snatched it out of his hand. " You found this in the cave?" He asked, staring in shock out the flower as he ignored Natsus complaints. " Yeah there were dozens of them. Why?"

Suddenly a grin broke across his face. " Natsu, where is the cave?" He said, nearly shaking him. " Near the radioactive zone. I don't get it, it's just a flower." He shook his head and handed the flower to me. " Lucy take that to Droy right away." I frowned as I took it. "Why?"

"It's the cure."