Chapter 16: Chapter 16
Natsu's POV
I feel something dark as Lucy re-enters the guild hall and I shoot up and grab her hiding her behind my back. The guild hall freezes when I do. Lucy also immediately goes into a defensive position following my lead. The rest of the dragon slayers follow suit surrounding the guild members who had drank too much to protect them from our unknown foe. I'm searching the area looking for the darkness, the evil.
"Everyone hold absolutely still!" I growl my order and Lucy and I extinguish all the light in the guild and blanket everything in our Celestial magic. We could feel as any one person took a breath of air. The darkness was our friend so whoever thought they could use it against us were very poorly informed.
"There," I here Luce whisper and we light the area on fire. Luce and I both blowing out dragon slayer roars, hers celestial and mine fire. The intruder screamed finally showing themselves to the rest of the guild. It was a black shadow that was shaped like a human although it did not seem to have an actual human body.
We heard a nails on chalkboard kind of scream as we burned it. Lucy having seen it was made of darkness switched from celestial to fire barely taking a breath in between. We lit a ring of fire around it trapping it before releasing our fire dragon roars. Lucy stood beside me and slowly started walking one way around the fire and I went the other way. We circled our prey like dragons waiting for it to move before we pounced.
"Who are you and what do you want from us?" I demanded. My angry glare more than capable of burning the shadow figure on its own.
When they're was no answer Lucy chimed in, "If you do not answer us we will believe you are nothing more than an animal and end your suffering... Permanently."
We could smell that it understood us perfectly the fear leaking off of it like a noxious gas. I glance at Lucy and find that the other dragon slayers had posted themselves outside of our perimeter both protecting the others and ready to jump in if needed. Lucy and I crossed paths repeatedly the circle we created after all was quite small.
"Can you speak?" I ask giving it one last chance to communicate before we roast it. When nothing happens Lucy and I start again. This time we have no intention of stopping. Suddenly I'm breathless and I can't take my eyes off of Lucy. Her fire was turning blue.
I watch in amazement as she singlehandedly incinerated it with seemingly minimum effort. Until I notice the rage seething off her. Even I flinched away from the firery inferno that was her wrath. I tried to see what was causing it but Lucy's mind was closed off. Which scared me more than anything else in that moment.
Lucy's POV
I felt it the moment I entered the hall my laughter died as a snarl replaced it. Levy froze and I gently slid myself in front of her as Natsu took his place in front of me trying to shield me from the unwelcome intruder. I could feel the hate the sheer anguish from the darkness that it took it's form from.
The snarl never left my face as Natsu and I shielded the room in our celestial magic. "There," I snarl before we lit it ablaze. The inhuman screeching making me believe that my ears were bleeding.
"If you do not answer us we will believe you are nothing more than an animal and end your suffering... Permanently." Something was wrong I could feel it. This thing was causing it and it had every one of my nerve endings on high alert.
I knew it could understand us. I could smell the reek of it's fear even through my fire. Something is not right, not right at all. I know Natsu is trying to talk to it but even as his words are being spoken I feel the dread of knowing what this thing was.
The name for it was right on the tip of my tongue but I knew what it was even without it. It was an evil that should have died off a long time ago. A Wraith, the consumer of souls; once it had its target it would never stop not until either the target had died or it did. It was uncontrollably and would wipe out entire countries in search of it's one target. When Natsu and I started roasting it I felt my fear feeding my fire dragon's roar. The power steadily increasing the longer we went.
I had no idea when Natsu stopped but I kept going. I couldn't allow this monstrosity to survive. My fear preventing me from noticing that my fire was blue. A color I had never before achieved and I'm unsure of if Natsu had either. But at this moment I didn't notice or care. My fire kept coming rushing as if it couldn't escape from me fast enough.
I hadn't noticed the blue flames but I did however notice when they turned green and then I realized that my flames were not holding any one color but all of them. My fire was a fucking rainbow and then suddenly it wasn't. I swear my flames turned black, which scared me even more than the Wraith had. My flames finally coming to an end I look up at Natsu to find fear written all over his face making me spin around to tackle the new threat. But there wasn't anything there.
"Natsu?" I turn back around facing my mate. He was too far away so I reached for him with my mind as I walked closer to him. I saw as he flinched taking a step back I spin around again to find that there was still nothing there. 'Natsu?' This time only using my mind. Then I finally felt his comforting presence again. My fear had blocked all other sensations including my mate's mind. It feels so nice to feel it again, like a warm hug that I could disappear into.
Without thinking about it I was suddenly wrapped tightly in Natsu's arms. My ears were failing me as my mind melded to his my fears being erased by his mere presence, but not before he saw what they had been. I could feel his need to protect me grow and his flames covered us eventually turning the same black color as mine had after first becoming a rainbow.
Even through all of that I could still smell the fear our guild mates were giving off even the dragon slayers had a thin cold sweat going on. "What to do?" I sigh.
"The Wraith is gone now, thanks to you," I hear Natsu say loud enough that Master heard him.
"WRAITH!" Master screeched before toppling over. He crashed on the floor near us, the scorch mark large and black still surrounded by our flames. I still didn't trust it to let them go quite yet. "Child tell me that was a bad joke?" Master was almost grey in his fear.
Natsu and I look at each other and answered him together, "No."
I turn and face the other dragon slayers, "If anyone comes into contact with one of these you must call for Natsu and I. They can only be killed by the fire of a dragon. Nothing else will work, do you all understand?" I waited as I heard each of them growl before nodding. They were frustrated and I couldn't blame them. They swore loyalty to us, they felt a need to at least try and protect us and instead they were being ordered to come get us mere hours after their oaths.
In truth I would have been all to happy to let them take care of this threat themselves. When all things were said and done they really were not that powerful but the fact they could withstand anything but a dragon's fire made them terrifying. I could feel myself calming down, the oasis that was my mates fire soothed me. I didn't even feel my legs give out before I was safely in Natsu's arms again. I felt my flames join his turning the flames into a solid blue color again and then back down to the yellow orange color that they normally were. I almost feel like I was guiding him back down from the panicking flames to the sweet comforting ones.
"I love you," I whisper low enough for him to hear but high enough that the other dragon slayers quickly made space for us. I'm sure they feel like they are being sucker punched over and over again by the lows and highs of the day.
"I love you Lucy," He pulled me in for a sweet kiss that gradually grew deeper. "Let's go home?" He asked and I was painfully aware of the fact that we still had the rest of the tournament to go, today was after all just the first day.
"Stop, just wait;" Gray called out. I could see that he was starting to let his frustrations get the best of him.
"What do you want ice princess?" Natsu asked his voice betraying just how tired he truly was.
"We need more than just that. We need answers!" He had slowly been raising his voice until he finally was practically screaming the word answers.
"Do you have any idea what your asking for?" I say in a low voice my eyes shadowed as I remove myself from Natsu's grip. Natsu slowly backed away and so did every single dragon slayer in the room, sensing the power welling up inside of me. I'm tired and cranky and fighting Flair had only irritated me, then while we are supposed to be celebrating a fucking Wraith shows up. I'm pissed.
Natsu's POV
Nope just nope; Gray got himself into this mess he can try to get out. Besides watching my mate power up; well to be honest was a huge turn on. I motion for Happy to come to me quickly because Mavis knows she would be devastated if anything happened to him.
As he flew by I saw Lucy's eyes light up if only a fraction as she acknowledged I had him safe.
"We just need a few answers Lucy. I really don't see how that could be a problem?" His voice had started to shake before he could finish as we all watched Lucy go from her normal happy cheerful self to a she demon that was by far scarier than anything that Mira had ever done.
Her golden hair started to raise up as she started to release her hold on her magic. I said a quick pray for Gray's soul, rival or not, no one should ever piss off my queen. Even if it wasn't entirely his fault. I kept backing away and whether the other dragon slayers knew why or not they followed my lead. We were a few meters away by now.
I look down at Happy and realize we are still not safe. "Come on buddy we should head home now," I didn't want to leave Lucy behind but I also didn't want to face her wrath if Happy got hurt.
"What about Lushie?" He asked his eyes big and a little watery.
"Luce can take care of everything here, I'm more worried what will happen to us if we stay." I try to laugh it off.
"Is she truly that strong now?" Erza seemed to appear out of nowhere making me jump slightly.
I gulp a little before answering her, "Stronger." I then walked away motioning for the other slayers to go outside as well. "She will not be happy if any of you get hurt because of her." They nodded and went their septate ways. "Happy do you want to spend the night with Wendy and Carla? I think the girls could use a little extra protection tonight." Happy gave me a small smile and left with them. Time to save Gray's dumbass as much as I would enjoy seeing him get it handed to him by my mate.
Lucy's POV
I am completely focused on Gray I barely even register that Natsu had taken Happy and the other slayers outside. The building now void of all dragon slayers, their potential mates and the Exceed.
My celestial magic was begging to be released and had slowly been leaking out. My body was covered with it much like Natsu had done with his flames so very often. I know I'm far to angry but when everything is said and done I just really need to hit something... Hard.
"Lucy can't you just tell us, please?" He asked and my anger started to fade. "It can't be that big of a deal can it?" and just like that my anger flaired up all over again.
"Not a big deal?" My voice cracked at the absurdity. I could see as not only Gray but many others flinched. My magic power making it hard for many to stand at all and several had gone to the far side of the room still hoping to see what happened next.
"Not a big deal, no. It's not like a supposedly extinct monster that could cripple entire kingdoms was just here or anything! It's not like I can't hear each and every one of your heartbeats or the fact that your breathing in particular sounds like an echo off a fucking ice mountain. It's not like I have to deal with all these new sights, sounds, smells and sensations that make me wish that someone, anyone would just please knock me out already it hurts so fucking bad! It's not like I didn't have to learn how to focus all my power into a single point on my body just so I didn't have to worry about accidentally hurting one of my friends or worse! No it's not a big fucking deal!" By the time I was done my voice was shrill and cracking. Several of our guild mates had passed out and if Gray was honest he was barely conscious now holding his ground.
"Lucy, I just meant..." He started and couldn't seem to find the words to finish.
"You meant what?" My anger was washing over me in waves. My magic freely coating my body as I tried desperately to reign it in.
But Gray couldn't answer it had gotten to hard for him to breathe and the thought of talking was out of the question.
"He just couldn't understand how you seemed to be just taking everything in stride. As if you already knew and understood all the answers," Natsu seemed to appear out of nowhere gently pulling me into his arms. "It's not like they can see the amount of pain we are in from having our senses heightened and you." He stopped to take a breath before he kissed me; my rage slowly ebbing away as he talked and all but extinguished with his kiss. "You have had to adjust so rapidly and it's insane even to me." even though he whispered the whole guild heard him, at least the ones that were awake still.
"Natsu," my voice weak and my body feels as if all my energy had been sucked out of me.
"Ssshhh, it's okay Luce. We will go on a nice little vacation after the tournament what do you say?" His voice still a whisper, I could feel the light purr as if it were me instead of Natsu. I nodded slightly and dipped my head down into the crook of his neck sighing a little in relief.
"It's okay, I have you." The next thing I know Natsu is carrying me again and I am starting to nod off his very presence enough to soothe all the pain and hurt from me.
Natsu's POV
I had coated her in my own celestial magic to try and calm her down and it seems to have worked. Lucy had relaxed to the point of her knees actually giving out but I was kind of expecting that so it was easy to catch her. Her magic power had increased immensely but her stamina had a long ways to go.
I looked at Gray who was covered in sweat and frowned, "Do you want to die?" I ask him in a hushed tone trying not to disturb her any more than I had to.
"No I just..." Gray couldn't finish.
I groaned a little, "Do you have any idea how painful it is to have all of your senses doubled in a single moment? Or how it feels to not be able to turn it off?" I ask him.
"Do you?" he questioned curiously.
"Yes, when Celeste blessed us she doubled my already high dragon senses at the same time." I wanted to punch him but I would probably kill him if I did right now. So I don't, "Now think, if it's painful for me a dragon slayer how would it feel to Lucy who was still adjusting from normal human levels to dragon slayer levels and then to double a dragon slayers? It is crazy painful it feels like most days I don't even want to open my eyes because the once soft morning light is just to bright for me. I am only dealing with double, Luce... So much more."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone