Open, Gate of the Star Child, Lucy (A NaLu Fanfiction)

Chapter 1 - Rest, the Celestial Wizard

[Unedited]

<>Natsu<>

‘Duck!’ I yelled.

Obeying my instruction without hesitation, Lucy dropped to a crouch. I jumped over her, pushing off her back and launching myself at our attacker. The man in a black mask tried to sidestep, but my arm shot out to grab. I tackled him and we both went rolling.

‘Natsu!’ Lucy yelled.

‘Get the other ones!’ I shouted back as I sent my opponent flying back into a rock where he lay still.

She nodded determinedly and spun around, snatching up a key from her belt. She faced the other four masked men with a steely gaze that I’d been on the wrong end of too many times.

‘Open, gate of the golden bull!’ she intoned. ‘Taurus!’

A flash of golden light swirled around her and the familiar form of her zodiac spirit took shape.

‘Nice to see you again, Lucy,’ Taurus said, flexing his muscles and tightening his grip on his axe.

‘You too, Taurus, now get them,’ Lucy commanded.

‘Whatever you say,’ Taurus replied, charging.

I barely registered the footsteps behind me before a fist slammed into the side of my head and pushed me back. I tumbled several times before coming to a stop and jumping to my feet. My attacker was standing again, grinning from his blow.

‘Why, you,’ my fist burst to life as fire licked the surrounding air. I pushed off the ground and shot at him. ‘Fire dragon iron fist!’

My flaming fist hit him square in the jaw as I delivered a clean upper cut. He coughed and stumbled back, tripping over himself. I walked forward slowly and scowled at him, but he didn’t move. He appeared to be unconscious.

Squatting down next to him, I reached out to grab his mask. His hand suddenly shot up and locked around my wrist, a smirk stretching across the lower half of his face. He swung his leg around and knocked me off my feet. My back hit the ground and before I knew it, he was on top of me, delivering blow after blow to my face and stunning me. I couldn’t gather my senses long enough to fight back.

‘Natsu!’

The masked man was suddenly forced off me and doubled over, clutching his stomach. Lucy stood over me, her arm still outstretched after her hit to his stomach. The man started to straighten. Lucy jumped over me and swung her fist around into the side of his face, then brought her knee straight up. Her attacks had little force behind them, but the continuous onslaught of blows forced the masked man back. She gave him no time to recover.

Finally, she pushed him right back into the bottom of the cliff and he gagged, sliding to the ground and collapsing face first. Lucy sighed heavily and turned back to me. It was then that I realized I hadn’t moved. She smiled at me, walked over and held out her hand.

‘Honestly, I never thought I’d be saving your worthless butt,’ she joked.

I leant up on my elbows and stared at her hand like it was a foreign object. I didn’t know why I was so reluctant to take it. But I had a feeling there was something worse to come. My dragon sense was on high alert.

Still smiling, Lucy frowned, ‘Come on.’

I nodded, ‘Yeah, right, thanks.’

She laughed and I felt my face relax into a smile, ‘No problem.’

It happened in slow motion.

Lucy gasped, her warm brown eyes widening to the size of saucers. We stared at each other, open mouthed, and slowly, we both looked down to the glistening metal blade protruding violently from her chest, dipped in bright crimson.