Mermaid Tail by Cryptic_Eyes, All Rights Reserved, © 2015
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Disclaimer: These characters will be as close to the personalities of the original characters, but some moments will be OOC, to fit the story. I hope you enjoy!
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MAN has it been crazy lately. Well, it's all good because I have just updated, haha! It feels great, too. Here's the thing though--this chapter was going to be too long, so as soon as I literally write a few more pages of the next chapter, it'll be up! In other words, it'll be up tonight as well!! I hope that makes up for the recent silence of this story!
Song is what Lucy is singing. I loved this anime and really enjoyed the song, so yeah! I dedicate this chapter to _SunlightBae_, who has recently made me so happy with all her comments! She's so nice and I really am delighted to see her enjoying this story so much! I hope this makes your day, even if it is just a little thing! Also, please minna, support me by commenting and voting! You all have done AMAZING with that so far, so I thank you~! Well, I hope you all enjoy!! Till the next chapter (which is very very soon, haha!)
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When Lucy awoke, she felt like she had been run over by a stampede of men.
Her side was burning as she woke up, and she cursed the non-deadly poison that sirens bathed the tips of their spears in. She recognized herself to be in Natsu's quarters, remembering the feel of the sheets the first night of her stay. At first, she began to panic when there was no sign of Plue, but then saw him sleeping in his large white wolf form on the floor next to the bed. Relaxing, she realized she could move her limbs, though sore. She just couldn't sit up; her shirt was pulled up just enough to reveal the wound, as if someone had worked on it recently.
Inspecting the wrapping, she saw her healing had been enough to stop the bleeding, and she was on the road to having it heal. It'd be a week, at least, until her wound would be completely healed with the use of her healing properties; siren poison was some tough stuff.
She wanted to talk to Wendy, however; she wanted to tell her not to get down about not being able to use her healing magic on her; siren poison was cursed so that no magic could heal the wounds inflicted upon by the weapons. However, as the rival creature of the sirens, mermaids were strong enough to counteract their poison, even if just a little bit. Lucy didn't know how they enchanted the poison, since they were not magical creatures capable to use spells and curses.
How long had she been out? Judging by the outside, it was the middle of the day, a sunny one too. One that seemed to have erased the night's events away as if they'd never happened.
"Plue..."
The shapeshifter's ears perked, and with a quick rise, the wolf was howling in relief. Careful not to hurt her more, Plue jumped onto the bed and licked her face, making the girl giggle severely. Whining because he was so happy, the white wolf nuzzled her face before changing into a dog, curling up next to her.
Lucy chuckled. "It's good to see you're okay too, buddy. Could you get Natsu--"
The blonde mer-girl flinched when she heard the door slam open, and she looked over to see a heavy breathing Natsu standing there with a hand on the door. His expression was assuming, and when he saw that Lucy indeed was awake, his shoulders sagged in relief.
"Natsu...?" Lucy murmured, surprised. "How'd you know that I was awake already?"
With a relieved expression, Natsu walked over and sat down next to the bed on a nearby stool. He rested his elbows on his knees, his long jacket slung over his shoulders and sword attached to his waist.
"Dragon slayers have a keen sense of hearing. I was above deck steering my ship when I thought I heard Plue's howl."
Lucy smiled, ruffling Plue's ears as he changed into his cat form this time. "Ah, so that's the case..."
They both watched as the cat meowed before jumping from the bed, trotting out the door to find Happy, most likely.
"How are you feeling?" the pinkette asked, his expression slightly concerned.
She smiled. "Much better, I'll say. The magic is working, and so is the salve. How are the others?"
Natsu smiled, but it was strained. "They're all fine; worried about you, of course."
"How long have I been out?"
"Two days."
Lucy blinked in surprise, thinking she had just slept through the remainder of the night. She tried to sit up, but the pain was great; luckily Natsu was there to help her.
"Hey, take it easy..." his voice was low, and for some reason it sent shivers across the blonde's back.
She leaned against the captain's chest, who smelled like the sea, and closed her eyes to try and subside the pain. "It's alright, I'm supposed to do this to work out the injured muscles there."
Natsu watched her, uncertain, but as she began to get more comfortable, he relaxed. The room was silent, and all the pinkette heard was the creaking of the ship and Lucy's breathing. To him, she smelled amazing, despite being without a bath in two days and her injury. In her try to sit up, Lucy had not only rested her head against his chest, but had grabbed one of his hands.
His eyes softened, remembering her courageous feat she had done for him.
"Oi, Lucy..." he squeezed her hand tight, drawing it close to him. "...Thank you for what you did."
She looked up at him in surprise, but then smiled. "I realized something while I was battling the sirens." Natsu's eyebrows rose in question, and the blonde continued. "If my father has the Obsidian Stone like that Tracker claimed, then I would have to get him to give it to you. He is not persuasive, and after me running away, he'll never let me come out of the palace ever again. It is very unlikely he will grant me any favors, especially giving me the Obsidian Stone."
The pinkette watched her, silent.
She leaned back, looking up towards the ceiling. However, her eyes were far away. "It makes me wonder why we have it if we just let it sit there and not help people find happiness. That is the origins of my people, to bring happiness. Yet instead we hide from humans because of the profit they could make from our bodies. If someone should get the stone, it should be for a good cause. No one will wish for world peace, and no one shall wish for the conflict between mermaids and humans to go away. You are, Natsu, the first person to want it for a good cause..." she sighed. "...I admire that, and it's what enforced my need to save the Fairy Tail and everyone on it."
The dragon slayer shook his head. "It's to benefit myself, not others."
"You're wrong, Captain." Lucy smiled. "You may wish for something for yourself, but the stone is for your crew, to show them that these feats are possible. You're going to use that stone's profits to benefit your comrades, not for Igneel. Isn't that right?"
The captain's eyes shook in startlement, but then he smirked, nodding once. "Aye...how did you know?"
"That is the person you are, Natsu. I have had the pleasure to come to know that in such a short period of time."
The captain of the Fairy Tail smiled, this one slightly more soft. "Ah. And we've still got a long journey ahead, yeah?"
Lucy nodded, smiling.
The next four days passed by slowly for Lucy. She had Wendy check in on her periodically, and Natsu ended up sleeping in the hammock that had been made for the blonde. Lucy felt bad when Wendy told her about it on the fifth day, appalled she hadn't even thought about where he'd been sleeping during her recovery.
"He's been sleeping out there?" the blonde asked, shocked.
Wendy helped her stand, this being the second day Lucy was working on walking around again. "Of course, he's been very keen on making sure you get better."
"He'll get a cold out there..." Lucy muttered, watching as Wendy re-wrapped her wound. It was healing much better now, the blonde's healing properties working well against the poison. It was completely close now, her muscles healed, but the incision into her skin was still tender.
"He's a dragon slayer," Wendy giggled, "he doesn't get colds because of the heat he already has in his body."
"I see..." the blonde mermaid replied, aching for the water.
She'd been able to walk around for the last few days, but yesterday and today had been the only day she'd been able to go outside. Everyone had said hello to her, some careful not to hurt her when they embraced her in their relief. Of course Lucy couldn't go back to swimming in the ocean yet because of the danger of her wound reopening; she had to settle with the bath tub instead.
Natsu came and went, busy as the ship's captain. And tonight, Lucy would insist he would sleep in his own bed, letting the blonde go back to her hammock. She was well enough for that, certainly. The poor man was probably sore from sleeping there so much, and the thought of him uncomfortable because of her made Lucy feel guilty.
When the blonde heard Mira shout for dinner, she was amused to hear the loud clambering down to below deck. However, she wasn't hungry, even though she had told Wendy that she'd meet her down there in a few minutes. Instead, Lucy went out to see the stars, wanting some fresh air as if she couldn't get enough. Every time she looked at them they reminded her of her mother.
She took a seat on the side of the ship, looking out over the side and to the waves below. The smell of the sea hit her, and she wished to could enter the cool surface and ride the currents with Plue. It had only been five days since she'd been injured, yet the pull to the water was great. With a sigh, the blonde leaned back, the wind blowing her long hair back and off her back. Instead of doing something with it every day, she had just came outside with all of it down, wearing the silk white gown Erza had given her that day to sleep in.
A memory tickled her mind, and Lucy let a small smile curve her lips. Her mother used to sing a well-known song from her people to her, and she had sang it so beautifully. She hadn't heard it or sang it since her passing seven years ago, but the urge to serenade her past mother and her new journey was a tradition of mermaids to signify their gratefulness to Neptune.
Hey, who are you thinking of now?
Right now I'm thinking of you
As I opened the window, ah, I could feel the night's scent
Right now in your heart who's face do you see?
When I was soaked in the freezing rain
You were the only one who offered me a hand
Why is it that you're the one always supporting me?
Each time you do, I fall in love with you all over again
Hey, no matter what I do, I want to meet you
Being in love is painful isn't it?
The only reason behind my pain and happiness
Is always you
Once again I'm acting cold to you today
Even though you're actually always on my mind
Why is it that I can't be honest to the one I love?
I always end up feeling incredibly lonely
The waves seemed to respond to the magic of the song, and the waters calmed. There were many songs of her people, including this one, and her mother had told her this was the song they sang during weddings of her people. The song had meant a lot to her mother, because it resembled her story with Lucy's father, and would sing it to her many times to tell their story together. Lucy often wondered when she was small if her love story would be like her mothers, but now Lucy figured she wouldn't have such a thing. With a long breath, she added her own spin to the last part of the story, to hope her mother would somehow look down upon her.
Hey, please realize that when I say I'm fine
I'm actually crying inside
Seeing the beautiful stars in the night sky
Makes me wish you were here with me
If only I could have said goodbye..
Hey, who are you thinking of now?
Why can't I see you anymore?
Hey, no matter what I do, I want to see you
Death is painful isn't it?
The only reason behind my pain and happiness
Was always you...
I'm thinking of you now.
Lucy leaned back, looking at the stars again, and spotted a shooting star. Her eyes glowed in the twilight, and she noticed that her tail had changed during the song. With a small curse, she wondered how she would get up to the hammock now.
"Lucy?"
The blonde nearly jumped out of her skin, and she turned to look over her shoulder to see Natsu standing there. "Natsu! Don't scare me like tha--"
She stopped, her eyes widening.
Natsu's expression was awed, an expression so deep it took the mer-girl's breath away. The wind blew his hair, the cloth around his forehead blowing in the breeze. His eyes were shining, but were shaking in the lingering awe he felt from hearing the girl sing so beautifully. His expression was not only awed, but concerned, as if hearing something so enchanting would ruin him. He was in his retire for the night: his white trousers and visible chest which had no top over it. His feet was bare, as well. The stars shined down on him, making him glow in the twilight as mermaids did.
Lucy watched him with wide eyes as they looked at each other in silence. The wind blew her hair into her face, and she tucked it behind her ear as her cheeks began to redden. He must've heard her sing; she was positive! But what was with that expression? It was making her uncomfortable, and was making her heart race out of control.
"Natsu..." Lucy murmured, a hand against her heart. "Did you...hear me sing, just now?"
The pinkette blinked. "Y-Yeah."
"I-I'm sorry, I--"
"What is there to be sorry for?" the dragon slayer replied, folding his arms as he looked away. "It was beautiful."
Was Lucy imagining the blush on the captain's face?
Well, Lucy was for sure blushing.
"Are you planning on swimming tonight?"
Lucy started, surprised by the question only to look down at her tail and see what he meant. "Oh, no, I wasn't. Plue is still with Wendy and her cat Charle, so I was going to go to bed after sitting here for a minute...but I didn't even notice my legs transform..." she sighed, looking down to the water below. "I'll have to swim, then, since I can't get to the hammock like th--"
The blonde froze when she felt herself being lifted off the side of the Fairy Tail, and she looked up to see herself held like a princess in the captain's arms.
"Aye, Luce, but this'll be easier, won't it?" he asked, looking ahead instead of at her.
"I-I suppose..." she muttered, embarrassed. "...but you just can't pick people up like that! You startled me!"
He smirked at her this time. "If I didn't know better, you were giving the orders."
The mermaid rolled her eyes, taking care to not unwrap her bandages. She then remembered that she wouldn't have been able to swim anyways, since she still needed to be gentle with her motions. The thought made her calm in her captain's arms, but it didn't make her cheeks any less pink.
"You don't have to carry me, you kno--"
Of course, with Lucy's luck, she saw this coming. Natsu tripped on one of the steps, his gentlemanly charm gone in an instant. Lucy squeaked as they went down, reaching out as if to try and grab something. But she fell and hit the deck, hard, worried she'd just woken up everyone on the ship. Natsu tried to regain his footing, but tripped over the blonde as he fell, using his quick reflexes to keep himself from landing on the mergirl and injuring her.
However, Lucy did not see how they would land coming.
"Oi, you okay?" the pinkette grunted, shaking his head to get rid of the rattling.
Lucy hastily nodded, rubbing her head. With a push of her right hand, she lifted herself up, turning as she did so. "I think my wound is fine...surprisingly it--"
She didn't get to finish. Of course, in the romance books Lucy had read as a child, these silly things happened. But they would only get close, not even near nose touch. Oh no, not Lucy--she stopped mid-sentence once her and Natsu's noses brushed, not realizing his face had been directly behind her head. Wait a minute...she wasn't comparing herself and Natsu to a couple, was she?!
"--didn't hurt." she finished, looking right at him in shock.
Natsu's eyes widened, and he glanced at her lips and then back up to her eyes. Not only were their faces close, but their bodies were as well from falling.
Lucy quickly drew back, mortified. "S-S-S-Sorry! I didn't...know..." she wandered off as the captain rose to his haunches and then to his feet.
Natsu rubbed the back of his head, biting his lip. "M-My bad...I was tryin' to help ya but I ended up putting you in risk of reopening your wound again."
Lucy shook her head, taking his outstretched hand. He righted her sitting position, grabbing beneath her tail again and moving her to the hammock across the deck.
She gulped. I am in some serious trouble here.
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You sure are, Lucy, haha! Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Stick close for the very soon next one, Chapter Six: Island of Festivities!