Lucy POV
I was walking on my way to Magnolia. It was starting to get dark and I remembered what Erza said to me before I left.
Flashback
"Now Hargeon is just a day's walk from here, you should be there by the time it gets dark. Find somewhere to stay for the night then head off to Magnolia in the morning, you should take the train since it will get you there faster. Once you're in Magnolia go to Fairy Tail, I have friends there who will help you."
Flashback over
As I walked a sudden new smell hit my nose. My eyes widened and I started running until finally the source came into view.
"So that's the ocean!" I gasped a wide smile stretching it's way across my lips.
"Did you hear? I heard that Salamander was going to be in town today!" I over heard a girl say as her and her friend walked past me. Salamander? Like the one that Erza mentioned? Probably not... But it can't hurt to check it out! I thought. I ran up to the girls and said,
"I couldn't help but over hear you mention that Salamander was said to be in town here, any idea where?" The first girl grinned and squealed,
"Yeah I heard he was going to be in the main square! He's so dreamy right?!" I made a fake lovestruck expression and replied,
"Totally!" Ha! My plan to find out who this guy is is totally working. I thought as I started walking with them towards the town.
(Time skip)
Ba-dump
I-I know I said that I had a crush on him but....
Ba-dump
H-he's a dragon right? I'm still kinda scared by dragons...
Ba-dump
T-that's why my heart's pounding.... Isn't it?
Just then the man in the middle of the square turned his head to look at me and winked.
AH!!! HE LOOKED AT ME!!! I thought as I started jumping to get a better look at him again.
Ba-dump
I-is this....a-am I.... I-I think I'm in lo-
"IGNEEL THAT YOU?!"
Ba-crash
My train of thought was broken as a young man about my age burst through the crowd and into the square. He had onyx eyes that held mine so strongly that it was almost like they were pulling me in. Once I was able to tear my eyes away the first thing I saw was...........
"P-pink hair.........?" I murmured my mouth hanging open slightly.
"Who the hell are you?" He asked Salamander who flung his hands out grandly saying,
"I'm sure you've heard of Salamander, right?" The man nodded slowly looking bored.
"Well then look no further from yours truly!" Tch... So fake.... What was wrong with me? Was I really falling for a flamboyant, arrogant, self absorbed jackass like that?! I thought in disgust.
"Oh I know! How about an autograph!" Salamander shouted holding out a sheet of paper with his signature on it. The young man deadpanned and started to reply,
"No thanks I'm-" his eyes flicked over to me and his eyebrows furrowed into an angry frown "There you are!" He shouted marching towards me.
"Eh?" I asked totally confused. He continued marching right past me and grabbed my wrist and started to drag me away.
"I told you not to wander off!" He yelled glaring straight ahead as he dragged me through the crowd.
"Ehhh?!" I said again utterly baffled. He groaned and in a quieter but clearly annoyed tone asked,
"How in the hell did I get stuck with a younger sister as useless as you?"
"EHHHHHHH?!"
(Time skip)
Once we were far away from the square and we started to slow down I timidly said,
"U-um... Sir? I think you have the wrong girl-" suddenly in a blur of motion he slammed me against a nearby wall and pinned the wrist he was holding over my head. His dark eyes bored into my own and I vaguely noticed that up close they were more of a olive green. My thoughts were sluggish as my legs seemed to root themselves to the spot where I stood. Then he spoke,
"You know.... You should be thanking me." I didn't know what it was but something about his voice caused my entire being to relax and feel at ease.
"If I hadn't shown up and gotten you away when I had you'd still be under that fraud's charm spell." This struck a chord with me.
"Wait....charm...isn't that an illegal spell...?" I asked trying, unsuccessfully, to shake off my stupor.
"That's right, lucky for you I got you out of there just in time, a minute longer and you'd just be a mindless fangirl. Who knows what he has planned for all those other girls." He stated calmly. Dispite all things my eyes found their way to his lips which, to my shocking pleasure, seemed to be nearing my own. That's weird... WAIT IS HE GOING TO KISS ME?! NONONONONONONONONONONONO THAT CANNOT HAPPEN! I thought as panic seemed to build up inside me as his face loomed closer. But seeming to notice my shift in focus he placed a finger under my chin and raised my head so we were once again making eye contact. My thoughts once again scattered as he smoothly stated,
"If you ask me I think I deserve a reward." By this point my senses were completely dulled but even though something at the back of my mind was screaming at me that this was not, in fact, a good thing I wasn't bothered by it. Instead I merely asked,
"What.... Do you want....?" I faintly registered the fact that my voice sounded rather wrong even to my own ears, like how while his voice was loud and present my own seemed like it was coming from a mile away. He smirked and cooly replied,
"Oh... Nothing much..." As he said this I very vaguely noticed his free hand beginning to grasp my scarf. The second his fingers brushed against my neck I suddenly became hyper aware. It was like electricity had filled my body. Just as he was about to remove the scarf, with me still standing there like an idiot, a blue cat flew up to where we were standing and shouted,
"NATSU!" Natsu....? That's a nice name... I thought as he turned away from me to look at the cat. In the moments when his back was to me my consciousness came flooding back to me and I ripped my wrist free from his grasp and took off running.
Natsu POV
"Shit! She got away!" I shouted angrily as I watched the blonde run off.
"Natsu! I found out what that fake was after!" Happy yelled at me getting my attention.
"Really? What's his deal?" I asked raising an eyebrow.
"Him and his friends are slave traders from Bosco! They plan on selling all the girls who fell under his charm spell!" Happy replied distressedly.
"Well at least that Blondie is gonna be alright, no way in hell am I letting that scarf get away." I said as I started to walk off.
(Meanwhile Lucy POV)
I was sitting on a bench thinking about what had just happened.
"No matter how I look at it it just doesn't add up..." I mused to myself. I shook my head to forget it and turned my attention to something else: my plans for when I got to Mongolia.
"So Erza told me to head straight to Fairy Tail but... What if they don't like me.... I mean she did tell me that the second they find out that I'm with her they'll accept me immediately but how could anyone have that kind of pull with a group of people? UGH!! I can't think! What am I going to do?!" I shouted pulling at my hair.
"Did I hear you mention Fairy Tail by chance?" A chillingly familiar voice said as Salamander stepped out of the shadows.
"What the hell are you doing here you creep?" I asked glaring at him.
"You wound me madam, I was merely coming to personally invite you to a little soirée I'm having tonight." He said dramatically. I glared at him and simply turned to leave without a word when I heard him call out,
"I can help you get into Fairy Tail!" I rushed back to his side and in a gigglely, flirtatious tone I asked,
"So where's this party happening Salamander-sama?" He chuckled and told me all the information I needed before leaving.
(Time skip)
I sat on a couch that was on the boat where the party was taking place fidgeting uncomfortably. I was wearing a red dress as well as my scarf. How did I get roped into this?! I thought exasperatedly as I glared slightly at Salamander who was seated across from me smirking arrogantly. He held up his hand and the juice that was in front of us rose out of his glass in bubbles and began to move towards me after he gestured at me.
"Now open your mouth and revel in the taste as each drop of juice enters." He said in a dramatic and slightly sinister tone. I stood up and raked my arm through the air in front of me bursting all of the bubbles.
"What the hell do you think you're trying to pull?!" I asked angrily. He made a clueless face and asked,
"Why my dear whatever do you mean?" I growled and replied,
"You know exactly what I'm talking about! That was sleeping magic! Whatever you may think I'm just trying to get to Fairy Tail that's the only reason why I'm here." He started laughing maniacally and said,
"You're not going anywhere but Bosco Blondie, it's too damn bad you had to see through me otherwise this would have been much more enjoyable for you." At this point there were men coming out from behind curtains that had been placed all around the ship. One of them approached me with an iron brand while two others grabbed me from behind. I felt tears well up as he came towards me and I screamed at the top of my lungs,
"HELP ME! ANYBODY! PLEASE HELP!"
(Meanwhile 3rd POV)
Back in Hargeon a certain pink haired fire dragon and blue cat were walking through town on their way out of town when Natsu suddenly froze.
"Natsu?" Happy asked concerned. Natsu didn't reply, instead he turned towards the harbor, spread his wings and flew off in the direction of the ocean Happy immediately started to follow him shouting at him to slow down.
(Back with Lucy her POV)
Just as the brand was about to press into my leg the roof crashed down and I saw Natsu standing there right in the wreckage. I grinned and I was starting to think I was saved when the boat rolled and he fell over looking green. Wait.... Don't tell me he's....
"Blurgh!.... Why didn't anyone say anything about this being on a boat...?" He groaned weakly from the floor.
"USELESS!" I shouted as hopelessness filled me up inside. Just then I heard a small voice shouting,
"I told you to slow down! What were you thinking Natsu?!" The blue cat from earlier flew through the hole in the roof that Natsu made.
"I....wasn't...." Natsu replied feeblely the cat laughed a little and said
"well, that's Natsu for ya!" I noticed that the man who was holding the brand and the two who were holding me's grips were loosening. Natsu and that cat are distracting them! If they keep it up I might just be able to get help! I thought my hope starting to return. Just then Natsu groaned loudly pulling me out of my thoughts. He was slowly getting to his feet. Once he was standing unsteadily he said,
"Let the girl go." I felt myself blushing slightly but shook it off. All of the men started laughing and jeering at him. While they were doing that my captors loosened their grips enough for me to move and the one holding the brand turned around to join in. In a split second decision I lashed out with my foot and kicked the iron rod out of his hands and onto the deck. Then I wrenched my hands free of the other two and ran to the edge of the boat just as the fire that the red hot brand lit was starting. The cat flew over to me and picked me up so that we were flying away from the ship. I looked back and saw girls jumping off. Thank goodness they're alright. I thought relieved. Then something dawned on me.
"Wait! Shouldn't we go back for Natsu?!" I yelled panicking. I looked up to see a strange look on the cat's face and he said,
"Fire won't work on Natsu."
(Meanwhile Bora POV)
I looked at the monster before me as he inhaled the flames that were engulfing my boat.
"Bora the Prominence of the Titan Nose slave traders. Tsk, tsk, tsk hasn't anyone ever told you not to try to steal from a dragon?" His voice deepened as his shape changed.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"