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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Yay! Here is another chapter for tonight! I'm at my dad's too, which is extra chaotic, yet I update for you guys. c; This chapter is dedicated to Imagine0139! Thank you for all the kind comments, I look forward to reading them every time I update! Song is to fit the entire mood of the chapter, I think...I hope you all enjoy it! The title is "Come Sail Away" by composers J2 and Seth Bowser! Well, until the next chapter, guys! Oh! don't forget to comment and vote. c; Lol, I'd really appreciate it! Love you all, enjoy this nice long chapter!!
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Lucy woke up with a smile on her face.
Once she had finished swimming with Natsu, they had retired, and he had carried her up into the hammock. Now, sitting up, the blonde looked at her hand she had touched Natsu's chest with, blushing slightly though the secretive smile stayed on her face.
When her feet hit the deck, she went straight to the navigation room, Levy and Wendy already inside. It was a small room, big enough for a few people and a large table. A circular window that showed the sky was on the right side of the room, a drawer with a lamp in the corner. Lucy stopped, however, when she saw that Natsu wasn't there yet.
"Ah! Good morning Lucy!" Levy exclaimed, smiling. "Natsu overslept, could you wake him up for me?"
Lucy wondered if him oversleeping was her fault. "Yeah, sure."
Feeling guilty and wondering if the dragon slayer would be annoyed, Lucy exited the navigation room and went towards his quarters, reaching for the door handle.
However, she stopped, her handing hovering over it.
Steam started to come out of the top of her head, her face reddening. What if he was changing? What if he was in the bath? How was she supposed to tell him to hurry up if he was there?! What if he was sleeping, that would be awkward--
"Lucy?"
The blonde jumped, jerking around to see Gray standing there with his hands in his pockets, an eyebrow raised.
"Oh, Gray..."
"What are you going?" he asked, amused.
Lucy's expression was worried. "Levy told me Natsu overslept, and I came to wake him up, but..."
"Ah, just go in there and wake the bastard up. He oversleeps every once in awhile and I usually go in there and dump a bucket of water on 'im."
"O-Okay..." she muttered, grabbing the door handle.
Gray turned, waving. "I'll grab Erza and we'll meet you in the navigation room."
Lucy nodded, watching him leave. Then she turned back to face Natsu's door, deciding to knock first.
There was no answer.
Sighing, Lucy slowly let the door creak open, her eyes adjusting to the darkness inside. It was pretty dim in here, but not complete darkness.
When her eyes adjusted, Lucy looked across the room and spotted Natsu on his bed, still asleep. Snoring slightly, the covers were tangled around his legs and he had one arm by his side and another covering his eyes. Laying on his back, he was shirtless again, only in his white trousers. Happy was still resting on the edge of the bed, but as Lucy let the door close behind her, the blue cat raised his head and meowed.
"Shhh!" Lucy ordered, walking towards the bed.
Wait a minute, why am I telling Happy to be quiet? I need to wake Natsu up anyways!
Lucy walked up to the edge of the bed, biting her cheek in annoyance. But as she saw him sleeping, her expression relaxed, her cheeks tinting lightly. Natsu's snoring had died down, and he had moved his arm, revealing his closed eyes. The captain's lips were slightly parted, his hair messy.
Lucy felt her heart skip a beat.
Happy meowed again, and she shook herself mentally, reaching a hand out to wake him.
"Natsu," Lucy replied loudly, shaking his shoulder. "Natsu!"
When he didn't emerge from his sleep, Lucy sat down next to him, the mattress dipping under both of their weight. She sighed, shaking him again, but to no avail.
"Lucy..." Natsu murmured, still in his sleep.
The blonde halted, her heart skipping a beat again. H-He's dreaming...about me?
Natsu turned over, and Lucy couldn't help but lean in and listen hard to the other things he was mumbling. But before she could make anything out, the dragon slayer wrapped his arms around her waist in his sleep, pinning her against him. Lucy's breath stopped completely, and her head blew steam out of her ears. Shivers ran down her spine when Natsu nuzzled her neck, somehow still asleep.
Happy meowed again.
W-W-W-What do I do?! she thought wildly, feeling like her heart was going to explode.
She moved her hands to his arms, determined to pry herself from him, but the warmth of his body caught her off guard.
"I'm a fire dragon slayer remember? I can generate a lot of heat."
Lucy's eyes softened, surprisingly comfortable. Almost unknown to her, her arms relaxed, stopping their process of pulling herself free. She would barely admit it to herself, but she wouldn't mind going back to sleep, and she closed her eyes as a testament to that.
But the others were waiting, and the waters were dangerous in this area. She needed to talk to the others and Natsu about what her plans were for the upcoming battle, so laying here wasn't an option. She pulled herself free, sitting up again. Trying to calm down her racing heart, she bit her cheek, grabbing Natsu's ear and pulling, hard.
"Natsu, wake up!" she exclaimed, blushing madly.
"Ow ow ow!" the pinkette exclaimed, flinching as he came to.
Lucy released her hold, resting her hands in her lap. "You're too much of a deep sleeper, idiot."
"Oi, what was that for Luce?" he exclaimed, sitting up.
"You wouldn't wake up!"
Lucy looked away and tried to ignore the way she felt at hearing her captain's sleepy voice, how his bed head and shirtless torso seemed to make her heart race all over again.
She stood, petting Happy quickly. "We're all meeting, remember? You overslept, and I came to wake you..." she paused. "Oh, if that was because of me...I'm sorry..."
Natsu shrugged. "Nah, don't worry about it Luce. I'll get ready then."
"I-I'll meet you there!" she replied, needing to get out of that room.
Natsu watched her go, smiling slightly when the door was shut behind her; his eyes showed tenderness. He hadn't really been sleeping all that time, but he had been when she'd first shaken him. But...Natsu had been curious. So, he'd seen what she would do if he...embraced her.
And that feeling in his chest grew as he realized that, at first, Lucy was reluctant to pull away.
"There's a sea serpent that goes around the perimeter of the Horizon," Lucy began, looking at the map set out on the table in front of them. "It's destroyed countless parts of my father's home, but only when it can get through our barriers. It's a rival of my people."
"We've faced worse," Gray stated, and Erza nodded in agreement.
They were all gathered in the navigation room, Lucy at the head of the table. Natsu and Erza were next to her, Wendy, Gray and Levy spread around the rest of the table.
"This one is different..." Lucy muttered, remembering how scared she'd been with the last attack when she'd been small. "But, if you use the cannons you have, we should be able to defeat it."
Lucy dived into her plan about how she and Plue were going to draw it away, just far enough so that the cannons could strike it perfectly. There was a spot on the serpent's body, however, that Lucy had to find and strike with one of her arrows, because that was their weak spot. It was a green jewel somewhere on their bodies.
"That isn't all," she continued. "This serpent can get inside your head. He can talk to you and try to manipulate. Please, be careful about that."
"If you think we're gonna get easily manipulated," Natsu began, smirking, "than ye got no faith in us, Luce!"
"How do you intend to draw it away, Lucy?" Erza asked, intrigued.
Plue jumped up onto the table, and she scratched his head. "The serpent will know me, and take an interest in me. Mermaids are their food, their favorite things to hunt. We've been enemies for as long as we've existed."
"Will you be okay?" Wendy asked, concerned.
Lucy nodded, smiling reassuringly. "Yes. If I can do anything to help you all, I'll do it."
"You've already done a lot for us," Gray replied, smirking.
The blonde smiled. "Thank you."
Natsu and Erza informed the crew of the new danger, and the plan. From there, Elfman and Gajeel set up the cannons, and Wendy volunteered to climb to the top of the crow's nest to look out for anything serpent-like. With her excellent eyesight, Lucy didn't have to worry, and instead she practiced target shooting.
"Here," Alzack replied, setting up the target for her.
"Thank you Alzack," she replied, loading her first arrow.
Taking a deep breath, she grasped the bow Natsu had given her tightly, aiming for the bullseye. With a silent snap, the arrow released, landing right in the middle of the target.
"Nice!" Warren exclaimed, impressed.
Lucy loaded another, firing it after a few more seconds of concentration. This one sailed not into the bullseye, but the other arrow, splitting it right down the middle.
Warren and Alzack's jaws dropped.
"Lucy!!" Wendy exclaimed loudly, though she was high above. "Something dived through the surface of the water...and it's coming straight for us!"
The ship suddenly was knocked sideways, and everyone fell to the ground. Wendy was knocked over the railing, the force of the blow too quick and surprising for her to secure herself all the way up there.
Lucy gasped. "Plue!"
Plue jumped from his cat form to his white wolf form, catching Wendy and landing on the deck next to Lucy.
"Thank you, Plue..." the blue-haired girl replied, and the shapeshifter growled.
"Get ready!" Natsu exclaimed, still up there at the wheel.
A loud splash was heard as something exploded from the water, the silhouette climbing high enough to block out the sun.
Water fell onto the crew, and Lucy looked up, her teeth clenched. "It's here."
Everyone halted as the serpent stopped, the sun's glare leaving to reveal the detailed body of the creature. It was as tall as the crow's nest, its scales green and a darker shade of the same color on its belly. White fins spiked all the way down its spine, and it roared, the force of its breath causing Lucy to cover her face.
"And I was getting hungry, too..." the serpent spoke, the voice male and low.
"Plue..." Lucy muttered, waiting for him to change.
The serpent inspected the deck, its eyes landing on Natsu, who had his sword drawn as fire circled the blade. "Ah, your smell is familiar, human. The seas have told me you've become well known on the waves."
Lucy saw Plue change into his eagle Faelee form, and she drew an arrow, clipping it to her bow. The serpent leaned close to Natsu, who watched the monster with a hard and angered expression.
"Natsu!" Erza exclaimed.
Lucy let her arrow fly, right into the eye of the serpent.
It screeched, flying back as its tail came out of the water and sliced one of the sails in its reaction. Plue picked Lucy up by the shoulders and with two strong gusts was into the air, carrying Lucy underneath him. The serpent slid back from the ship, far enough that Lucy stood in between the Fairy Tail and the monster. Her expression hard, she drew another arrow, pointing it right at the monster.
Where's its weak spot...weak spot... Lucy searched its body, but saw no jewel marking the place on the creature.
"Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed, running to the edge of the ship.
The serpent stopped its wiggling, the injured eyes clenched shut as blue blood trickled from it. "You...! You are Lucy of the Heartfilia Clan, are you not?!"
"Who's asking?" she retorted, glancing down at the water far below her nervously. If Plue dropped her it'd be deadly; she couldn't swim without her tail.
"Your father killed my mate..." it growled, roaring at her.
"Let's go, Plue, away from the ship!" the blonde shouted, and Plue sailed around the monster as it dove jaw-first for her.
Missing, Lucy sailed through the air as Plue held onto her tightly, and the sun shined against something that glared in Lucy's eyes. Looking back, she got just a glimpse of the jewel she had been looking for on the serpent's back before it turned and started diving after her. They moved at least a half mile from the ship, if not more, and Lucy told Plue to go higher, out of the serpent's reach.
Stopping in mid air, Lucy looked back down, seeing the serpent slowly and creepily coming up out of the water. The sky clear, the sun was hot on her skin, and she was panting from the adrenaline racing through her.
"Mermaid, you have been gone for almost a full cycle, have you not?"
Lucy glanced at the ship, seeing the cannons being loaded. "That is right. It's been about a year."
It hissed, it's own form of laughter. "You have missed much, Mermaid, oh so much."
Lucy's stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"
"That father of yours is dead."
Plue made a cry of dismay, and the world felt like it faded to white to Lucy. She imagined her father, her last words to him being she hated him, and how she had left. Her heart seemed to stop and then restart, and her eyes slowly widened, dismay filling them.
"Y-You're lying!" she yelled, her expression furious. "You're trying to get into my head, and it won't work!"
It hissed again. "Word spreads fast in the sea. You even remember his illness, do you not?"
With dread, Lucy realized that the serpent was actually right. Her father had been ill for a couple of weeks, but so light it was considered a cold. Could it have really escalated so severely? If it did...then who was ruling her people now?
Her last words to him had been cruel.
The serpent took her daze to his advantage, and began to lung for her. However, the echo of four cannons going off sounded through the air, the balls guided by a magic aura around them. They all hit their mark, and the serpent screeched, throwing its head back. Plue dove towards the large purple jewel that was in between the fins on its back, and Lucy shook from her daze and aimed, tears filling her eyes.
Father...
As soon as Lucy released her arrow, the serpent struck Plue and knocked Lucy from his grasp, and her eyes widened. The arrow hit its mark, but Lucy hung suspended for a millisecond before she plunged for the water with a silent gasp.
"Fire!" Natsu yelled into the magic transceiver, which was hooked up to the deck below where the cannons were.
Gajeel lit them, and Elfman covered his ears as the cannon balls exploded from the side of the ship, heading right for the serpent. Wendy guided the bullets straight into the monster, and it screeched, flinging its head back.
"There!" Erza exclaimed, pointing.
Natsu followed the scarlet-haired female's direction, seeing Plue carrying Lucy downwards.
"I think she found the weak spot!" Cana exclaimed, hanging onto the net that led up to the crow's nest.
Natsu watched as Lucy struck the mark, but the breath stalled in his throat when she was struck by the monster's tail.
"Lucy!" he shouted. "Lucy!"
"How are we going to get over there so fast?!" Gray exclaimed, his hands in his hair stressfully.
"The sail is ripped! There's no way we can move until it's fixed!"
Natsu watched as Lucy didn't surface, and Plue was thrown a mile away.
"She can't swim!" Natsu yelled, shedding his coat and not thinking twice as he dived into the water.
"Captain, wait!" Levy exclaimed, but he was in the water by the time she finished.
Lucy held her breath as she watched the serpent submerge, sinking faster than she was. It was already evaporating, turning into dark dust through the current. She held a hand to her mouth and nose, trying to remember not to instinctively breathe, and tried kicking up towards the surface. But that didn't work, and she was running out of air fast. She'd never built up a time for holding her breath, since she'd never needed to.
When she gave up and there wasn't a sign of Plue yet, she closed her eyes, images of her father entering her mind.
He was really gone, wasn't he?
Natsu powered his speed by the fire jetting from his hands and feet, and he spotted Lucy ahead of him. Going to the surface for air, he then dived back down, Plue finally joining him though with a gash on his side. Together, they made their way for Lucy, who was unmoving. Natsu's heart began to race, and Plue dragged her upwards, Natsu not far behind. When they broke the surface, Lucy didn't stir, and the panic in Natsu grew.
"Go, Plue!" he shouted, and the shapeshifter obliged.
When they reached the side of the ship, Natsu wrapped Lucy's arm around his shoulders, keeping them both afloat as Plue changed back into his white eagle form. As Plue lifted them both to the deck, Lucy dropped to the ground, unmoving, and Natsu was dropped to his knees.
"There you are!"
"Lucy!"
"She's not breathing..."
Natsu rushed to her side just as Wendy got there, and the healer lit her hands and pressed firmly down on the blonde's chest.
Seconds later, Lucy began hacking and coughing, and Natsu felt like he could breathe.
Lucy opened her eyes, sitting up with Wendy's help.
"Are you okay, Luce?" the pinkette asked, and she nodded, looking up at him.
"Did...did you jump in for me, Natsu?" she asked, tears filling her eyes.
The captain nodded, smirking. "Yeah."
They were all surprised when the tears in her eyes fell, and she covered her face. Plue dropped down to the ground next to her, making soft noises as he dropped a wing over her.
"Lucy, what is it?" Erza asked, her expression concerned.
"You're okay now..." Elfman replied, lost.
"No...that's not it," Lucy sobbed, keeping her eyes covered. "M-My father...he's dead..."
Everyone's expression became shocked, including Natsu's.
"How?" Wendy asked, a hand over her mouth. "And...you know this for certain?"
"He was really sick..." the blonde muttered. "The serpent...he might have been lying, but...I have a feeling he wasn't."
Erza dismissed everyone, and Natsu was the only one that remained next to her, along with Wendy.
"Lucy..." he murmured, his expression sad.
"Funny..." she murmured, rubbing her eyes. "I never thought I would cry. How horrible am I, Natsu?"
The dragon slayer shook his head, reaching for her hand. "It'll be okay, Luce."
Lucy seemed to go into a daze as the rest of the day ticked away; the crew took down the main sail and began to sew it back together, the process agonizingly slow. Lucy sat by the door to Natsu's quarters, Plue's injury being treated inside. It wasn't fatal, but would take a few days to heal, and Wendy was patching the shapeshifter up now. Mira and Erza had taken the sail downstairs, and the others were finishing up before retiring.
"Lu-chan?"
Her eyes dazed, the blonde lifted her head but didn't say anything.
Levy was there, already in her night clothes. "I just wanted to tell you that...I'm sorry about...your father..."
Lucy watched her, not responding. Turning her head back to look at the ocean, she blinked her swollen eyes. "Uhn. Thanks, Levy-chan."
Levy didn't feel like she had helped as much as she wanted, but there wasn't much she could do to try and make her friend feel better. Instead, she smiled slightly then headed for her room, leaving Lucy to herself again. Natsu was steering still, the sun setting. Lucy didn't feel like swimming, not without Plue, and she wanted to wait till Wendy was done to sleep. Maybe she would sleep all day tomorrow; that sounded nice.
How was she supposed to find the stone now? Once they got to the Horizon, she'd have to look after her people. She was the only princess, and if her father was really gone--mermaids were good at telling when someone was lying, it's how Lucy came to trust the crew--she really wouldn't be able to leave ever again. She'd need to be the new guardian.
Not only that, but her cruelty had been the last thing she had said to her father in her anger. Now Plue was also hurt, because of her. The thought made her curl up into a ball, squeezing her eyes tightly shut in sadness.
Lucy didn't know what to do.
Wendy came out of Natsu's quarters a few minutes later, and the blonde jumped to her feet in eagerness. Charle was on her shoulder, rubbing her muzzle into the healer's cheek, making her giggle.
"How's Plue?" Lucy asked, a hand closed and by her heart in hope.
Wendy smiled brightly. "Don't worry Lucy-san, he'll be fine! I fixed the wound, but I couldn't bring back his energy. He just needs to rest and he'll be as good as new by tomorrow!"
Lucy relaxed, her shoulders slumping as she smiled slightly. "Thank goodness..."
Wendy nodded, excusing herself with a smile. Lucy called a thank you after her, which made the girl blush, then entered Natsu's quarters and saw a makeshift bed of sheets on the ground, Plue curled up into a ball on top of them. He was in his cat form, his favorite now it seemed, and the white shapeshifter lifted his head at the sound of her presence.
"Hey, Plue..." she murmured, kneeling in front of him.
Plue climbed to his paws, a little slowly, then jumped into her lap. Lucy hugged him, shutting her eyes tightly, holding back more tears. She had done enough crying for now.
"I'm sorry you got hurt, Plue..." Lucy murmured, her eyes half-lidded. "You still came to save me even though you were hurt...thank you so much..."
Plue meowed, purring against her chest.
Lucy picked him up, resting him back onto the sheets. "Get some sleep, okay? I'll be careful sleeping tonight on my own." she had meant that to be humorous, but it came out sad, and she tried to correct it with a small smile.
Plue meowed, obeying her suggestion. He closed his eyes quickly, and he fell asleep faster than what Lucy had ever seen him do before. Climbing to her feet, Lucy exited Natsu's quarters, smiling slightly in gratefulness that her friend was alright.
She was caught off guard, however, when Natsu jumped from the top deck, his expression dire and shadowed in his urgency.
"N-Natsu?!" she exclaimed, taking a step back as he headed downwards and right for her.
"Hurry! Get down!!" he yelled, dropping to his feet next to her and tucking the blonde into his side as he made them drop to the deck.
Lucy exclaimed in surprise as she felt the after wind and heat of an explosion, the ship shaking violently. A cannon ball sailed over her head, hitting one of the posts and sending splinters everywhere. Natsu's hair was blowing into his face harshly, one of his eyes shut tight as he covered Lucy's body as much as he could. A few splinters cut his face and ripped his red captain's coat, the sleeves billowing in the wind as well.
When the chaos settled, though Lucy could still feel heat, she jerked her head up and spotted a ship that had came out of nowhere. "W-Who...?!"
Natsu's eyes were fierce, his teeth clenched as a vein popped out from his temple. "Trackers..."
Horror filled Lucy even as Natsu stood, fire engulfing his fists. Erza and the other crew members burst from the door, all of them climbing out onto the deck. As Natsu ordered them to take their positions, Lucy watched the ship, her pupils shrinking in her fear. Though she was strong, she had grown an underlying fear of the Trackers. Their deed on Lucy created a layer of fear in her heart, one she could not get rid of right away. To have been the first humans she had met, they imprinted the reaction to come from her almost naturally.
She looked over the side, shielding her face from the sparks of flame that rose with the smoke. A large hole was in the side of the ship, and her eyes widened, lifting her head to spot the fancy black ship ahead.
"Gajeel!" Natsu exclaimed, turning on his heel.
"Yeah yeah, I got it!" he exclaimed, slamming his hands into the deck.
It was as if he triggered a switch, and iron covered the wood underneath his hands, spreading out to cover the entire ship in a shield of iron. Lucy's mouth agape, she looked around and even saw the posts covered, the hole in the ship now repaired by the iron.
"Prepare the cannons; Elfman, Alzack!" Natsu ordered, yelling into what had been explained to Lucy as a communication lacrima.
"On it!" the blonde heard both of them exclaim, and she could feel the cannons ejecting out of the side of the ship, this time on the opposite side of the one the serpent had appeared on.
Lucy's expression hardened, and she summoned her bow, holding it close. "I'm going to be fighting too!"
"How in Earthland did they catch up to us?" Gray exclaimed, standing next to Natsu.
"They must've followed us?" Wendy suggested, her expression confused.
"No," Erza countered, her feet spread apart in an attack stance. "They couldn't have followed us through the Lost Mist. This must be something different."
"How didn't you see them, Captain?" Gray asked, his teeth clenched.
"They came out of nowhere," Natsu stated, his expression shadowed. "Like they teleported or somethin'."
How is that possible? Lucy wondered, watching the ship as it mysteriously didn't fire anymore cannons.
Plue pushed himself out of Natsu's quarters, slamming the door open with the momentum of his white wolf form.The shapeshifter took his position by Lucy's side, his tail hovering protectively around Lucy's body.
"Plue..." the blonde murmured, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Are you sure you are okay?"
Plue howled in response, and Lucy smiled, nodding to her companion. "Alright!"
A sudden light enveloped the space above Lucy, on top of the railing. She shielded her eyes, and Natsu put a protective arm out in front of her, the five of them stepping back to the other railing at their backs in caution.
A man suddenly appeared, taking the place of the light as it was sucked out of existence. Lucy didn't recognize him, but by the looks of the Fairy Tail crew, they did. His most noticeable feature was the scar running down his neck, though his black hair and eyes were menacing. He wore a black and gold uniform, his arms crossed as he stood suspended in mid air for a second before he dropped onto the railing with perfect balance.
"Heinrik Kane..." Erza muttered, her voice cold.
"What do you want?" Natsu exclaimed, his voice a menacing growl.
Kane scanned the crew of the Fairy Tail until his eyes rested on Lucy, who felt as if a cold shiver went down her spine simply from his gaze. "You've done well to hide from us, Heartfilia. But now, we've come to collect you and set our plan into motion. We've been very patient in our wait for the Obsidian Stone, you understand."
Lucy's eyes widened as Plue, Gray, Erza, Wendy and specifically Natsu stepped in front of her, shielding her from the Tracker's leader. She noticed that the sun was gone now, seeing lanterns being lit on the enemy ship.
"If you think about touching Lucy..." Natsu began, his gaze almost to the point it could kill, "...we'll bury you at the bottom of the sea!"
Natsu...
Kane looked amused. "You lot never change."
With a quick swipe of his hand, Lucy felt a pulse hit her directly in the chest, a strong force that sent her flying backwards. But the railing was the only thing there, not high enough to stop her from beginning to go overboard.
"Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed, spinning around and reaching for her.
He grasped her hand, but only half way, his coat blowing high up past his waist as he lunged for her. His expression was intense, his pupils shrunk, a bead of sweat on his temple. Though he grabbed her hand, it was only a light touch, her hand slipping from his palm. Natsu gasped, the sound deep in his throat, his body slamming into the side of the railing as Lucy sailed towards the water, almost seeming to be a reenactment of earlier that day. But both of their hands were still outstretched, and Natsu's seemed to try and reach farther. Lucy looked down as the water rapidly approached, her legs beginning to change.
She took a deep breath.
.
.
.
How did the Trackers catch up to them, and will they be able to force them away? With the news hitting Lucy hard, she doesn't know what to do, and time she doesn't know she has is running out!
Find out what happens in the next chapter, Chapter 10: A Noble Trade!