Don't Burn On My Watch

16

I guess you could say I didn't really know what to do. In the moment, at least.

Ignoring her warning, I followed her out the doors, only to find them standing in front of a large, swirling portal. It was spinning so fast on the inside that my hair was being blown wildly around my face stading on the outside. My heart was pounding; My veins coursing with adrenaline.

What... is this? How powerful is Lilith?

Lilith took one step into the portal and fell straight down. Natsu lumbered forward, after her.

"No!" I shouted gutturally, my voice cracking. Natsu stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face me. He looked like a shell of himself. Yes, it was Natsu, but he wasn't there. The lights are on but nobody's home, as they say. "Please." I whispered, reaching out.

Natsu blinked at me.

You might think he'd snap out of it, but this isn't a sci-fi movie. (It's not the climax :/ ) Instead, he grabbed my hands and rubbed my knuckles with his fingers. Surprisingly enough, his body temperature seemed... colder. Colder than it usually was.

He held onto me while he stepped back to the vortex in the middle of the pavement.

He wouldn't... would he?

I tried to pull him away from the edge, but to no avail. He stepped backwards, and fell into the portal. Taking me with him.

__

All I can remember next is waking up drenched in sweat. The good news about my situation is that Natsu was right next to me. The bad news, is that it looks like we're stuck in some sort of... cage?

I poked his shoulder, stirring him.

"Nnnngg..." He grumbled.

"Natsu." I whisper-shouted. "You need to wake up."

"Go hang out with Gray and Holly by yourself;  that ice brain is getting on my nerves."

"Natsu, we're not in Fiore anymore."

His right eye opened hesitantly, squinting and readjusting to the light change. Then, both of his eyes were open and frantically darting around.

Natsu sat up and scratched his head. "This looks like... No... It can't be."

I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "What?"

"We're with Lilith. In Tartarus." He whispered.

I stared at him and moved my hand to his face, stroking his cheek.

"Listen," He said. "We have to get out of here as soon as we can. Or... before Lilith gets back."

"Why, Natsu?"

His breathing was unsteady and his hands were shaky. I've never seen Natsu scared like he is now.

"Trust me, you don't want to be here."

He started shaking the bars that trapped us inside this weird cellar/dungeon thing. I sat quietly on the ground as he rushed around, pounding on the rock walls. He tried melting some of the rock, but it appeared to have made it firmer.

"Dammit!" He yelled, pounding his fist into the wall.

I sighed, resting my head in my knees, watching Natsu pound on the stone. He leaned against the shards and dents he made and slid down the wall, covering his face with his hands.

I stood, shuffling towards him and sitting down. Natsu sobbed quietly into his knees and grabbed fistfulls of his hair, almost trying to pull it out. It hurts to see him like this. Whatever happened here must have really damaged him.

I set my hand on his arms that were shielding his face from me and pulled them away from his head.

He looked up at me, his eyes red and puffy with warm tears streaming down his cheeks. I wiped them away with my thumb and kissed him.

Pulling away, I looked into his eyes and whispered, "Natsu. We're going to get home."

He nodded.

"I love you, Violet."