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Natsu groaned as he woke up. His head hurt. His entire head.
Hadn't he woken up moments ago and thought the same thing?
Natsu blinked, his eyebrows furrowing. Had he dreamed of the woman? Had he dreamed about the chair too?
He looked down to see that he was tied to a chair with hair.
'It wasn't a dream after all...' Natsu shivered, 'That doesn't make me feel better...'
"You," a female's voice. Natsu suspected it was the same one he saw before. The one who was talking to a lizard. "State your name!"
Did she mean 'Tell me your name!'? Natsu wasn't that sure. English wasn't his strong suit.
"Answer me!" Her voice didn't waver but Natsu sensed the fear between her words. He grinned. It was good to know she was scared - it meant that he held the upper hand.
"Natsu, Natsu Dragneel," he called out, "and I'm thirsty."
A minute passed.
Natsu watched as she came out from the shadows, her hair flowing behind her, never-ending. It snaked through the wooden floor. Her small fingers grabbed a glass from a cupboard. He watched as she poured clear water into the glass. She walked towards him with it, her small steps making no sound. Everything was quiet.
Until Natsu talked.
"I can't drink with my hands tied."
The blonde frowned. "I know I look young and naive but... I'm not that stupid." She rolled her eyes and leaned forward with the glass.
Natsu made a 'tch' sound but tipped his head back with his mouth open. He was thirsty, and she was willing to give him water. He wasn't going to let her kindness go to waste.
The woman poured water slowly into his mouth, small gulps. Once he finished, she walked back and left the glass in the sink.
"Why have tied me up here, lady?" Natsu came straight to the point.
The woman stared at him for a little while before she spoke. "I want you to help me cross the forest. And bring me back here after I finish my business."
Natsu scoffed. "Yeah, no. I don't take people to places."
"You have to!"
"Oh?" Natsu raised his eyebrows, "or else?"
The woman flushed red in rage -- or maybe in embarrassment. She looked around frantically until there was a random grunt. Natsu turned his head to see the lizard pointing at something. He turned back to the woman, who was smiling in triumph. She ran to where the lizard was and grabbed the book he was pointing at. She then held it threateningly at Natsu.
He wasn't even fazed.
"If you don't take me to the end of this forest," she moved closer, clutching the book tightly. "I will kill you with this encyclopedia!"
Natsu stared at her. Then he burst out laughing. "Yeah, right! I'm not stupid--" he could speak no longer as she struck him with the encyclopedia.
"Okay, never mind, you can kill me with that..."
"Take me to the end of the forest!"
Natsu sighed. "Where do you need to go?"
"The castle." She answered without hesitation.
Natsu looked at her curiously. "To see...?"
"That's none of your business!" She huffed, puffing her cheeks out.
"Do you want me to take you or not?" Natsu knew he had her.
"... To see... Gray."
"Gray?" Natsu frowned, "Gray who?"
The woman stared at him, her mouth wide open. "You don't know who Gray is? Which world are you living in? I'm talking about the crown prince!!"
Natsu felt his heart stop. "What? Why do want to meet the crown prince?"
She hesitated. Then she sighed. "I... I'm the princess."
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
Natsu laughed. If his hands weren't tied to the chair, he would've been clutching his stomach. "You? The princess? Don't make me laugh!"
"You're already laughing," she said matter-of-factly, her eyes bored.
"Do you seriously expect me to believe that?" Natsu asked once he had calmed down.
"Yes, because I am the princess."
"And I'm the king!" Natsu laughed again.
The blonde woman rolled her eyes before walking away. Her footsteps were louder than before, Natsu wondered if she was trying to stomp.
"Hey! Where are you-- Untie me! Please?"
No response.
Natsu groaned in despair and tried to get out of the chair using force. Damn it! How strong was this hair anyway? He was about to crash into the ground when he heard footsteps. Small footsteps. She was back.
She looked different than before.
What was it?
Hmm...
Oh.
OH.
OH!!!
It was the tiara! She was wearing a tiara! Wait, what?
"I," she glared at him, "am the princess of Fiore, Lucy Heartfilia. Prince Gray is my brother."
Natsu couldn't do anything but gape at her.
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"Are you sure this is the right way?" Juvia asked for the millionth time.
"Yes!" Gray said, exasperated, "Stop asking me that already."
"Admit it, you don't know where we are."
"..."
"You actually don't know where we are?!!" Juvia yelled.
"..."
"I-- Why on Earth did I even come with you?"
"Hey, don't be mean."
"I'm being mean?" Juvia scoffed, "I was stating my thoughts."
"Shh."
"Don't 'shh' me!"
"No, seriously, be quiet!" Gray whispered, harshly.
Juvia looked at him in disbelief. "I'm a princess. How dare you tell me to be quiet--"
A growl.
"Wh-What was that?" Juvia asked, her hands holding onto Gray's shoulders in fear.
"I told you to be quiet!" Gray whispered back, "And those are wolves, I believe."
"Why are you so calm?" Juvia grasped his shoulders more tightly.
"Because," Gray looked at her, smugly. "I can fight them with my sword."
"Phew."
"I never said I would protect you."
Juvia looked up at him, shocked. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you were being so mean to me, maybe I'll be mean to you too!"
"Are you kidding me? I was mean to you but I wasn't as mean as to physically hurt you!"
"So you accept that you were being mean?"
Another growl.
"You-- Now is not the time to talk about this, please, I'm sorry for being mean. Just kill those wolves. Please."
"Say 'pretty please'." Gray grinned evilly.
"...Pretty please."
"'Pretty please with sugar on top'."
Juvia glared at him. "Pretty please with--"
A wolf had jumped and bit hard into Gray's arm. His face contorted with pain, but no sound escaped his mouth. With a twist he managed to get away from the sharp teeth of the wolf, dragging Juvia with him. Her eyes widened with shock at the wound and his response to it. Why didn't he scream? It had definitely hurt him...
The wolf growled and jumped again. Gray had unsheathed his sword by then and swung it in its direction. The wolf whimpered when the sword clashed against its fur and glared at Gray before running off into the woods.
"It's gone," Juvia said.
"No kidding."
Juvia glared at him and pushed him down on the ground.
"What are you--"Gray started.
"Your wounds. They need treatment."
"...No, they don't."
"Yes, they do."
"No."
"Yes, because otherwise, they will become infected and your arm will eventually fall off." Gray looked so scared that she added: "I'm only kidding, of course, but it will become infected."
"Right..." Gray rolled up his sleeve, letting Juvia view the wound. It was not that bad, but it surely would have hurt. Juvia wondered why he didn't scream -- she would've. Shaking her head, she took out her handkerchief and started wiping the blood with it. After, she washed the wound and tied it with a stray piece of cloth from her white skirt.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome," Juvia answered before looking away. "Let us be on our way, now."
"Alright."
And they continued on their journey. Little did they know that they were going in circles. Gray had no sense of direction whatsoever.
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