Chapter Text
Warmth. A breath eased passed her lips and into her lungs.
“I found this in the other cell.”
Voices floated around her, the energetic feel of magic flowing around and into her core brought life and energy trickling through her veins. It would take an enormous amount to get her back on her feet and moving on her own, but death’s door seemed shuttered to her now. Just a chanced meeting, not a certainty.
Still, a faint, slow quivering throbbed in the pit of her stomach and ebbed away at what little energy she felt. It made her feel sick even with her eyes closed and she wondered if motion sickness felt like that.
Pressure pulsed one by one inside her fingers and toes before relief brought her closer to the surface. Even the shifting of bones in her hands brought a respite to the pain that throbbed with her heartbeat.
“Judging by everything here, I think she broke her own hands to try to escape.”
“Lucy is tough.” A shiver of serenity brought a pause to her breathing at the sound of his voice. He had escaped and had come for her. “She’d fight with everythin’ she had and then some.”
A soft sigh left her lips. “Natsu…”
His eyes widened. “Lucy!”
Dressed in his coat again, several of the worst wounds she had were hidden from sight. Carefully, he had taken the needles out from under her nails and wrapped each hand and foot gently with the bandages Wendy brought. When he heard his name, he barely managed to restrain himself from taking her into his arms and holding her to him. While it would make him feel better, Wendy still worked to heal the serious injuries.
Instead, he took her bandaged hand in his and rubbed his thumb against the back of hers. “We’re here, Luce. We’re gonna get you out of here and get you home.”
Relief flooded him as her eyes twitched under her lids. “Don’t try doin’ anything yet. Just let Wendy heal you,” he said softly, kissing her head. “Just need to know one thing, Luce, and you can just squeeze my hand once for yes, twice for no. Did they take your keys?”
A soft, barely there pressure from her four main fingers pressed against his palm once. It had been the answer he had been expecting, but had to confirm. Lifting his head up, he met Wendy and Erza’s eyes, they both nodded in agreement.
“Once she is in a safe and away from here, we will search for her keys,” Erza said, her eyes hardened. “No one will be left behind.”
“There,” Wendy let out a tired sigh. “I have healed what I can so we can move her. She should be out of the woods now. I am sorry I can’t do more.” She pressed her fingers together, looking down at the woman who had become like an older sister to her.
Natsu reached out and ruffled her hair with a tight smile. “You did good, I owe ya one!”
Picking Lucy up gently, he eased her head into the crook of his neck. The short bristles of the chopped hair against his skin fueled the fire of rage inside him. As shallow as it might seem to others, he knew how meticulous she cared for her looks and hair. Frowning, he set her back down gently.
“Hold on, guys.” With her leaning against his chest, he unwrapped his scarf from his neck and wrapped it around her head and neck like a hood. Only the front bangs of her hair showed then, and he nodded in satisfaction. Picking her up again, he held her close to his chest. “’Kay, let’s get goin’.”
Erza led the charge back down the way they came with Natsu behind her and Wendy taking the rear. More cries filled the silence of the hallway, but they pushed on even against the urge to help those they could. Once more reinforcements came, they would ensure everyone would be freed.
Loud screams of steam forced through the pipes of metal filled the streets as they exited the building. Natsu looked to the noise and then to Erza.
“Don’t worry, that would be our reinforcements,” she said. “Gray really pulled through.”
“How’d they get here so fast?”
“From what I heard, the military and council have been funding research on a faster train. This protype uses magnet lacrimas to propel the train forward at a faster speed and a smoother ride.”
Wendy and his face both paled at the thought of a new mode of transportation to make them hurl on. Nothing good would ever come from any transportation unless it came from their own two feet or their Exceed friends.
Natsu stiffened. A new scent mixed with that of Lucy caught his attention. Next to him, he noticed Wendy had a similar reaction as him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a figure approach them with what looked like an army behind them. A glint of silver and gold and red shimmered at his hip. Gate keys.
Flames caught around his feet, wind from the flames billowed his hair and the clothes he gave Lucy around. It was that man’s scent that had been all over the old dungeons and the new. That had been all over Lucy.
His grip on his partner tightened even as he spoke. “Erza, I need you and Wendy to take Lucy to safety.”
“Are you certain?” She looked at the sheer amount of cult members following the man and frowned. “While the ones we fought before were easy to deal with, the same might not apply to these.”
“Don’t worry ‘bout me. I got this, besides,” a sniff of the air brought a smirk to his lip, “once you get to the train, I doubt I’ll be alone long.”
“As long as you are certain.” Requipping into her Clear Heart armor, she stepped closer to take Lucy in her arms.
Before he passed her over, Natsu laid a kiss on Lucy’s forehead. “Don’t worry, Luce, you’ll have your keys back soon.”
“I want to stay and help you fight.” Wendy stepped forward as Erza gathered her charge. Fists in the air, the pose she struck reminded Erza of when they were younger and sought to prove themselves. Even though she already had, many times over. “I can be useful to you!”
“I know you can,” Natsu said, not taking his eyes off his target. “But like I told Happy and Carla, there are a lot of hurt people, and Lucy will need more attention. Besides, take a whiff of the air. I’ll be fine!”
“Just…don’t get hurt. Lucy wouldn’t like that!”
“Don’t plan on it!” With his arms free, fire sprang to life in both fists as his target approached. Normally, when facing an opponent, the thrill he felt in proving his strength would charge him up. A smile and challenge set on his lips.
This time, only a snarl graced his lips, and with the footsteps of his companions fading behind him, he allowed his rage to pulse through him. Flames erupted around him in a blaze. The ground around him dried immediately and he took off straight into the thick of the group. Away from the still standing buildings, away from those still trapped in the cells they found Lucy.
Scales spread up his arms, around his eyes and face, and over parts of his exposed chest. His eyes glowed red as he drew his arm back. “Fire Dragon’s Wing Attack!”
The explosion that hit the ground shook the city. Buildings that barely hung on collapsed inward, debris from buildings shot back away from the attack. The large mass of bodies flew back into one another, some on fire, some burnt. Ash blew in the wind as many scrambled around trying to figure out how a single attack caused so much damage.
Natsu jumped back and lit his hands again, glaring at the man with a energy shield lacrima in hand. It had protected him completely from the attack, but it cracked in several places.
“My, my,” Abex said and threw the damaged item away. “I did not realize there were more wizards here. You must have been the one she hid from me.”
“You shut your mouth,” he growled. “You don’t get to talk about my Lucy!”
“How rich!” The man chuckled, holding his stomach in his glee. When the laughter began to settle, he laid and unsettling look at Natsu and licked his lips. “I have done much more than just talk about her.”
“Bastard!” Flamed fists moved through the air as his target continued to jump and dodge out of the way. Both were fast, but one played the defensive game while the other offensive.
“Celestial mages are rare, did you know that?” A fist just barely missed his face, but the heat of the flames left his skin red and leathery. Hissing, he pushed off the ground to create space between himself and the dragon slayer. Claws dug into his skin and clothes, hauling him in the opposite direction he wanted to go.
Another fist aimed for his face, covered in flames and ready to send him flying. Gold tattoos erupted up his arms and he sent a pulse wave between them. Even prepared for it, he found himself with his back on the ground several yards away from where he had been, and the same for kid.
Winded, he lifted his arms, the tattoos slowly growing upwards. “Their magic is key to ruling this country, the world, and even the universe. That girl, she will be a husk soon. Drained of all her magic power. Her power and her keys will be mine!”
“Neither of them will be yours,” Natsu said, grunting as he pushed himself up and glared at the tattoos. If Lucy’s life was still threatened, then he would eliminant the threat. “And you won’t get your chance to have either.”
“Oh?” Abex seemed humored by the sense of confidence in the boy. “And why do you say that?”
“Cause you have to go through me to get to her, and I will kill you before you can take her from me.” He stepped forward, then, as if sensing something, he let out a smirk. Eyes darkening, he stepped forward and lit his hands again. “Scratch that. The both of us will kill you before you can touch either of our partners.”
“Yeah,” a new form stepped up through the dust clouds still settling around the streets and Sting took a stand by Natsu. “What he said.”
