H-h-heyyy guys, sorry for just disappearing like that. School happened and drama... oh forget it. I shouldn't bore you with such things. Have a chapter.
Shoutout to @luckybachi for the beta read. Still wonder why you put up with me OTL
Tag Sqaud: @@firedragonroaring @atrailof-whispers @doginshoe @neato-ft @celestialgoddesslucy
Summary: The custom of Fiore is to bestow everyone a dragon when they come of age. It is seen as a passage into adulthood. Lucy was no different, but with her father attempting to control her now more than ever, she finds herself living on her own as travels about Earthland, heading to Pergrande as her final destination. A Fairy Tail Dragon Rider AU.
Word Count: 3857 (arrrggghhh i was so close to 4k)
On FF.net
Parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
Natsu, that damn idiot. What was he doing out here facing against Acnologia?
Igneel gritted his teeth and focused on the blue and black dragon snarling at him and Atlas through the red dragon's blast of fire.
Atlas cut off the blaze as he landed, positioning himself between Acnologia and Valdas.
More trees fell to the thrashing of his tail and Atlas bared his teeth to the image of his sister. Ankhseram had brilliant blue swirls decorating her scales and Atlas' mind paused as he gazed at the snarling beast in front of him. Ankhseram had always been an intimidating dragon to look at, but with Acnologia's red eyes glaring back at him, it became even more surreal. Why couldn't his sister rest?
"Igneel! Answer me dammit!"
Igneel glanced over his shoulder to see Natsu standing on Valdas' back, yelling furiously at him.
That boy is going to be the death of himself… Atlas commented, keeping his eyes fixed on Acnologia. The dragon before him was making a threatening display but was not attacking.
"You know Valdas won't let that happen," Igneel muttered in return.
He turned away from his son and focused on their so-called king.
Acnologia however, thrashed his tail, creating more destruction. The inn crumbled more, trees cracked and splintered, small fires lit the ground, casting an eerie glow in the dark clearing. Growls bounced across the town and Igneel wondered where the villagers were. The commotion was nothing short of distracting.
Natsu, we have to get that dragon away from the inn before they are all crushed. Valdas flicked her eyes to the building; Lucy, Aiu, and the rest of the staff for Blue Pegasus were still trapped inside.
"I know, but Igneel is in the way," Natsu muttered in return. There was nothing he could do if Igneel refused to move.
They had been locked in a stalemate for a few minutes now, the scarlet dragon crouching low was now prepared to attack Acnologia at any moment. He bared his teeth but remained where he was.
The tension vibrated through the air. Every one of them frozen in place, strung tight enough to break at any moment. Igneel and Atlas could feel the pressure from Acnologia trying to assert his dominance over the situation, using Ankhersam's age and size over them. Their combined presence pushed on them, attempting to force them to kneel. Atlas stood strong, but Valdas was struggling.
Igneel tore his eyes away from Acnologia and shouted for Natsu, "You have to leave! Valdas can't fight the King!"
Natsu protested, his disagreement clear, "I ain't leaving you behind again!"
Damn this child was stubborn, even while fully grown. "Natsu now is not the time to argue, get out of here!"
"I can't leave! Neither of you will survive. And what am I supposed to do about her? She's still in there!" He pointed at the rubble behind Acnologia.
Igneel ground his teeth. They had to draw Acnologia away-
The black dragon pounced.
Atlas and Valdas sprang into action. The red dragon met the King of Pergrande violently, their bodies thudding together as snarls and roars echoed around them. Valdas took to the air, choosing to circle above them, out of the fray.
We have to find a way to get Lucy and Aiu out!
Natsu couldn't agree more, but this was not how he imagined bringing Lucy to meet his father. The plan had been to circle around the continent of Ishgar, making stops in cities when they needed to, training Lucy how to fight along the way. They would end their trip with meeting his father at their manor. It was Natsu's own decision to search for other royal dragon riders, rebelling against Acnologia's oppressive rule over Pregrande, which prompted the King to to hunt. Sometimes he would follow Natsu and Valdas, other times choosing to follow the rumors of other royal dragons.
They watched anxiously as Atlas and Acnologia wrestled, Igneel had leaped from his dragon's back a few moments earlier before they rolled into the trees. Both dragons were trying to gain the upper hand, clawing and snarling at each other in their fury.
The young man observed from above as torches were lit throughout the town, the roars of dragons finally waking them up. Sooner or later people will be coming to investigate the commotion and Acnologia could easily turn his attention on them. He watched in vain as Atlas and the king fought. They rolled, crushing more trees and debris from the inn.
The black dragon pinned Atlas to the ground. He roared in triumph and made for the kill, but a jet of flame from Atlas hit him in the face and he was forced off of the red dragon. Atlas roared to his feet and leaped on Acnologia's back. They wrestled again, rolling out of the trees and back into the clearing. With a sickening crunch and a scream of pain, the barn was flattened.
Natsu cringed and looked away, Lucy was going to be devastated. She had told him that she had had the horse since she had been quite young.
The two beasts leaped into the air forcing Valdas to land, there was no way she would be able to hold her own with Natsu on her back without his gear.
As she her claws dug into the ground, Natsu jumped from her back and ran towards the inn. It was in shambles and he hoped everyone that was inside was going to make it.
Whatever is going on out there is worse than we possibly imagined.
Wasn't that the understatement of the night.
The table creaked above her and Lucy prayed that it wouldn't come crashing down on her. She could hear moans from over in the bar area and as much as she wanted to go over and see what she could do, she was pinned underneath the table. Debris surrounded her and large beams were leaning on her little shelter. With each passing second, she was certain that the table would split and she would be crushed.
Claustrophobia set in and Lucy attempted to push against the beams, but she had no luck moving any of them. What if she was crushed here? What would happen to Aiu? He had just hatched and his rider was already in a terrible situation, life threatening even. This wasn't fair to him!
"Aiu, can we get out of here? There has to be a safer place than this!" Lucy craned her head around, looking for any possible escape route as best she could.
A shrill scream cut through the roars outside, cracks and thuds cutting it off. Aiu turned towards the sound, he could feel the loss of Aiuen in the area. There were others nearby, Jenny and Hibiki were the worst off, their Aiuen fading rapidly, Master Bob was already gone. Ren and Eve were safe for the most part, only minorly injured.
He still hadn't answered Lucy and he could hear the other dragons' snarls fading, taking their fight elsewhere.
Refusing to wait any longer, Lucy started to shimmy her way out, finding a hole near where she was. It was a tight fit, and even though Aiu hadn't answered her, she could hear that the threat of being crushed by a dragon had gone down when it suddenly became much quieter, almost silent.
Covered in dust she coughed, finally feeling the fresh air on her face. Her lungs felt heavy after being trapped, she had inadvertently breathed in while she had hidden, and the cool air of the night helped to clear them out.
Lucy's shirt and pants were ripped, leaving scratches on her side and her upper thigh. The sky was flashed with red and blue fire as two large dragons battled in the air. They blasted each other with their flames, the blazes meeting each other in the middle and forming a massive purple fireball. It exploded and they broke away from each other, resorting to alternating bursts of flames. They looked to be evenly matched despite the black and blue dragon's larger size.
"M'lady, are you alright?" A gruff voice sounded from her right.
When she turned to look, she was suddenly faced with a man in deep red leather armor, it was in the same style she had seen Natsu wearing when she first met the man.
Everything about the man was red. Dark crimson hair, his eyes were dark like Natsu's but they flashed scarlet in the flickering fires that lined the clearing. He was holding a hand out to her to help her to her feet.
Aiu poked his head out of the rubble, his gold eyes alighting on the man. He chirped at the man. Still holding his hand out for Lucy, the man smiled down at the dragon. It was a very familiar crooked smile, one that she had grown used to seeing today.
"Sir, who are you?" she asked, still weary.
"Let's get you out of here first."
Lucy carefully took his hand, allowing him to pull her to safer footing. Aiu climbed up her body to wrap himself around her shoulders, watching the man, eyes bright and friendly. She narrowed her eyes and kept her guard up. She had no idea who this man was and considering the situation and the information she was just told not ten minutes before, her trust in people had plummeted. Who knew what lengths the King of Pergrande would go to be able to eliminate all royal dragons on the continent, anywhere from hiring hitmen and assassins were possible. Yet here he was in the sky as a dragon fighting another.
"M'lady? Have you heard anything I have just said?"
Lucy flinched. Cursing herself for spacing out in the middle of a high-tension situation.
"I apologize, no I didn't. What did you say your name was?"
The man chuckled, giving her that crooked grin again. "I am Lord Igneel, of the Dragneel House."
Wait, he was Natsu's father? When did he get here? Lucy's eyes widened and she scrutinized the man before her. This man was Igneel Dragneel. The man was… he was a legend. Natsu revered him, Igneel was his role model for so many things. Finding out about Igneel was the one thing that Lucy didn't have to dig for, Natsu was more than willing to talk about his father. Now that she knew who he was, the similarities were so prominent that she was surprised that she hadn't noticed before.
Aiu chirped again, drawing the man's attention back to him. Igneel lit up and a soft smile playing gently at his mouth.
A scar ran down the side of his face and he looked battle worn. Fires burned brighter as they found more fuel, lighting up the clearing. Lucy could now see that his eyes were the same dark green as Natsu's, but they had more flecks of red. Was it a Dragneel thing to have multi-colored eyes?
Igneel reached out, oblivious to the roars that could still be heard from the skies, and made to ghost his hand over Aiu's head.
"He's beautiful…" he breathed.
Lucy smiled kindly in return. "Thank y-"
A dragon crashed to the ground, wailing in pain. Next thing Lucy knew was that she was being hefted over Igneel's shoulder as he took off in the opposite direction of the wounded dragon. Lucy was too shocked to even yell at the man for carrying her in such away, all she could do was lock eyes with the black dragon that had crash landed. The blue swirls were streaked with blood and its glowing red eyes focused on her. The snarl on its face, the anger… the fear and desperation, it froze the blood in Lucy's veins.
Aiu hadn't moved from her shoulders, frozen in the gaze of the giant black dragon.
Igneel was running as fast as he could. A red dragon landed in between them, breaking the gaze of the other dragon.
Lucy felt her blood begin to move again, but she was still cold. It was as if the stare of that dragon had legitimately frozen her to her core. She was shivering over Igneel's shoulder, clutching at his leather armor.
Was this what her life was going to be like, constantly being hunted?
Igneel leaped off the pile of debris and headed for town. Footsteps followed them and Lucy was afraid the dragon's rider was after them.
"Igneel!"
The shout echoed from her left and she caught the sight of wind-blown pink hair and she couldn't be happier to see it.
"Natsu…" she whispered. Her heart felt lighter and her hands stopped trying to claw at Igneel's back.
"Boy, I thought I told you to leave," Igneel shouted back, clearly angry about Natsu disobeying him.
"I wasn't gonna leave without Lucy and Aiu, they need to get away as much as I do!"
Natsu evened with them and the roars from the black and red dragons were deafening. Lucy's ears were ringing whenever they stopped to growl and snarl at each other.
Natsu caught her wide-eyed stare and gave her a reassuring grin. "Don't worry too much, Luce, this is as close as he ever gets, Valdas out flies him every time."
Igneel scoffed and they kept running, making for the trees that the behemoths had flattened in the beginning of their battle. "Natsu, Valdas has only flown with you and me. This girl hasn't flown a day in her life, there's no way you're going to out fly Acnologia with her."
"Pops, I got that covered. I was gonna have Dassy carry her in her front claws as we fly, as long as Atlas keeps him occupied for another few minutes, we can get enough distance between us and him." Natsu slapped on a cocky grin.
Igneel retorted and both men dissolved into throwing ideas and insults at each other, completely disregarding that Lucy was still on Igneel's shoulder like a sack of potatoes and the giant dragons were crushing where the Blue Pegasus Inn used to stand. There was no way anyone but she had made it out.
Valdas circled above them. The other dragons were spewing raging fire at each other as they continued to fight. Natsu's dragon kept a watchful eye on them as her rider, his father, and most recent additions wound their way through the forest, away from the two giants.
Aiu had scrambled over to Natsu from Lucy's shoulders, no longer finding the sack of flour position that she was in appealing. She was still in shock, her friends from the inn were gone, the two dragons crushing them. And her horse, her horse was gone, flattened by the warring dragons. All of her belongings were in those two buildings and now they might as well be dust in the wind.
Lucy clenched her fists, nails digging furiously into her palms. How could this have happened? Was her father right? Should she have stayed home instead of trying to follow in her mom's footsteps and travel the world with her dragon? Lucy didn't even try to keep her body upright as they made their way through the forest. She folded herself over Igneel's shoulder, tears streaming down her cheeks. Frustration bombarded her mind, she had no money, so no food, lodging, or even transportation. She was left with the clothes on her back and even they were torn and dirty after one day. She didn't have a horse to travel with. Her bow was gone as well, broken like her horse in the barn.
A hiccup racked her frame, and tears were falling off of her face in waves as she bit her lip to stifle her sobs. Her losses weren't important right now, they had to focus on surviving and running away from the madness that destroyed the inn.
Are you ok? Aiu asked, crawling down Natsu's body, winding his tail around the upper part of his arm to keep himself steady.
What was she supposed to say? That she wanted to go back home and never travel again? She just got five people and her horse killed. Two others were still in danger because of her. How was this fair at all?
Lucy wiped furiously at her eyes. She couldn't wallow in self-pity here. There had to be something she could do. Anything. Aiu couldn't die because some king from a different country said he had to. It wasn't fair. Valdas shouldn't die either; no dragon should have to die because of his say. They each had their own lives, they should be allowed to live to their fullest extent as well.
"N-no, I'm not…" she whispered.
Natsu paused from his arguing with Igneel to look at her. Lucy was shaking and trying her best to hold in the sobs. Aiu looked back at him, worried for his rider.
"Luce?"
Igneel slowed to a stop. Lucy was close to sobbing uncontrollably now. He set her gently on her feet, but she fell to her hands and knees, keening.
"I-I… this-this isn't w-what I w-wanted…none o-of this…no- of it w-was…" she managed between sobs.
Aiu dropped to the ground and nuzzled her cheek. Her tears were pouring down her face. Both men looked at each other. They were unsure about what needed to be done. Lucy was close to having a panic attack. Atlas and Acnologia were still fighting in the remains of the inn.
"Why? Why did this happen? I'm not even from the same country and I'm being hunted for something that I had no control over. It's not fair!" Lucy pounded her fists on the ground. How was any of this fair?
Natsu knelt down before her, nudging Aiu out of the way slightly. "Luce, we can't stop here. He might still be able to get us." He placed a hand on her shoulder.
Lucy looked at him sharply, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "We could have left sooner if it weren't for you toying with me," she snapped.
This enigmatic man before her looked shocked. He commanded so much of her attention, even now in the midst of all this danger. The wild pink hair, the kaleidoscope eyes, his constant crooked grin, though gone from his face for the moment, and the way he treated her like a person rather than an object. She was just eighteen and this man was easily in his twenties, she had no business falling for him, not when they were both being hunted by his king.
The fresh out-of-the-city girl, who knew nothing of the outside world, and who would occasionally reply to him with a witty comeback, looked like she was ready to bite his head off. Natsu really was to blame here. If it weren't for him getting ahead of himself and playing hard to get, they would have been in a different location far from Acnologia.
Lucy turned away from him, picking up Aiu. She was still shaking with fear. "If you would have just told me in the morning, we would have been long gone…but you made me wait till supper," she mumbled.
Natsu sighed and looked up at his father. Igneel shrugged and turned to watch the skies, Atlas and Acnologia were still brawling, thuds and grating claws against scales could be heard over the crackles of the fires spreading throughout the forest.
A triumphant roar echoed around them and they all froze. Blue flame erupted into the sky and Igneel looked like he saw a ghost.
Lucy stared wide-eyed at the blue lit sky. From the flames, the black dragon from before emerged, flying straight for them. Its red eyes spotted them through the trees and it dove into the forest.
It landed nearly feet away. Lucy could feel its hot breath and the incredible heat that it radiated. This beast was a pillar of blue and black fire that threatened to burn them to the ground if they moved an inch.
Igneel was trembling in fury, and Natsu had moved in front of Lucy, protecting her as best as he could before the dragon landed. The older Dragneel took a step forward and the King of Pergrande growled at him.
"What have you done to Atlas?"
The king continued to snarl, slobber dripping down from its maw as it breathed heavily. Blood poured out of countless wounds, its breathing was labored, but somehow the dragon was still standing.
"Answer me, Acnologia!" Igneel roared.
Acnologia looked down at him in contempt, stopping his threatening growls. The silence stretched between them, just like moments before when the king broke the inn apart with his tail.
He huffed and suddenly, the giant dragon before them began to change size. Scales disappeared and skin replaced it. His wings folded in on themselves, melting into his back and his tail slithered its way back into a normal tailbone. Within seconds, the king stood before them once more. A man with a wild mane of dark blue hair and unnatural red eyes glared back at them, those electric blue swirls glowed on his dark skin added to the eerie way the man looked.
Lucy quivered where she was on the ground, hugging Aiu closer to her chest, praying this mountain of a man wouldn't come close enough to take him away. She was too shocked and frightened to notice that he was stark naked before them.
"Igneel." His voice was gravelly and cold, nothing of the warmth and tone the Dragneel's had.
"King Acnologia," Igneel responded curtly.
They glared at each for another moment, baiting each other to speak first.
Natsu remained crouched before Lucy, shielding her as best he could. She held her breath, waiting for anything to break the silence that enveloped them once more.
The king shifted his attention to Natsu. "Dragneel boy, hand her over."
Lucy could see the tension in his muscles, how he was ready to spring at any moment. Valdas was still circling the sky, watching and waiting.
"I refuse." Was his curt reply.
Acnologia growled. "Boy, you would do well to obey your king."
The king bared his teeth, much like a dragon would. Lucy was frozen in fear, not knowing if they should try to strike now or not. Both Natsu and Igneel looked ready to throw themselves at their monarch at any moment.
Acnologia stepped forward but was soon bathed in a column of bright red fire. Natsu turned and hugged Lucy close to him, protecting her from the worst of the heat.
Before the flames even stopped, they were scooped up into massive black claws and were buffeted by strong winds.
Over the sudden gale, Lucy heard Igneel roar and charge at Acnologia. She watched in horror as the men locked themselves in battle.
"Natsu, are they going to be ok?" she whimpered. She still hadn't grasped everything that was happening, shocked that she could be hunted down for her dragon.
Natsu never looked away from the ground, his eyes fixed on his father.
"Dad, no…"
Hehe, there you guys have it. Let me know what you think in the tags, comments, what have you. Love you all!
Inspired by @acnomogia's fic FOSAF (Flight of Stars and Fire)!!! IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT PLEASE DO IT!!! IT'S REALLY GOOD AND I RECOMMEND!!! Mogi I know my drawing skills suck and I'm not sure if this is how Valdas really looks!!! I'm sorry! and also I took a lot of time on this since I had to go through a lot of dragon references to make this lol sorry for the wait! I love you!
If Valdas from your story, FOSAF, could dab, how hard would Natsu dab with her, and what crayons would they be coloring with as they colored a picture of them dabbing
Unfortunately, Valdas can’t dab, Natsu prolly would but Valdas is a dragon and she’s too proud for that. and Natsu would use the red crayon because let’s face it, it reminds him of igneel. xD
Oh man, this was another doozy to write. I hope you guys are enjoying the long chapters (they're a bitch to edit btw, hope you all know that!) AANYYWAAYS, enjoy the next part to this tale!
A freaking huge shout out to @luckybachi for betaing this fic for me. I just keep writing these long chapters and somehow you still put up with me. Thank you so much!
Summary: The custom of Fiore is to bestow everyone a dragon when they come of age. It is seen as a passage into adulthood. Lucy was no different, but with her father attempting to control her now more than ever, she finds herself living on her own terms and travels about Earthland, heading to Pergrande as her final destination. A Fairy Tail Dragon Rider AU.
Word Count: 5234 (Hey, it’s shorter than the last one!)
On FF.net
Parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
The man stood up and walked away, leaving Lucy dumbfounded. He said that he wanted to discuss things over dinner, but all he did was evade her questions. She had answered all of his. She ground her teeth in frustration, clenching her fists in her lap. This man. He was impossible, but why did he demand so much of her attention?
Lucy watched as he strode up to Jenny and took the key she offered him. He looked back at her, winked for a final time that night with a sly grin and disappeared up the stairs.
All she wanted to slap that blasted smirk off his face. It felt like he was toying with her.
Her eyebrow twitched and Lucy reached up to smooth her brow. She hadn't expected her journey to end up like this. It was exhausting in the first place, and now she has to deal with this frustrating stranger. She didn't even know his name!
With a heavy sigh she pushed back from the table and stood up. She felt the warmth radiating out of her bag from her egg. It eased some of her frustration, comforting heat washing through her as she shouldered her bag.
She made her way up to Jenny, a yawn escaping her.
"Can… ah, sorry, excuse me. Can I have the key to my room?"
"Sure thing, Lucy!" She ducked behind the counter for a second before reappearing with a key. "You're down the hall from Mister Flirts-A-Lot, but he shouldn't be much of an issue after tonight."
Lucy looked at her quizzically. "Is he leaving in the morning?"
Jenny shook her head and waved her off. "Nothing to worry about. He just needs sleep like you do. Come on, I'll show you to your room."
Lucy smiled at the kind woman, gracious that she hadn't been left to wander the town and pay for an overpriced room.
She followed behind Jenny, dragging her feet as her exhaustion tightened its grip on her once again. She had really wanted to speak with that man for a while longer. She had so many questions. How did he know Mister Makarov and Laxus? How did he know about her egg? Why was he sent to look after her? Didn't he know that it would be years before she and her dragon would be able to fly by themselves? He had to know that he was committing to watch over her for at least three years.
She stumbled out of her thoughts as she bumped into Jenny's shoulder. The other woman caught her before she bounced off and fell to the ground.
"Easy there, don't need you bumping your head."
Lucy nodded, head feeling so fuzzy that she was sure that when she hit the bed, she would be out for the night. Jenny handed her the key and wished her goodnight.
Another jaw-popping yawn crawled out of Lucy's frame as she struggled with fitting the key into the lock. Eventually, she managed to stumble into the room. A bed and armoire made up the furniture of the room. No desk or another room leading to the bathroom. She didn't really bother to think about there being a public bath for Blue Pegasus.
She dropped her bag on the mattress and took out the egg, hugging it to her chest. She didn't waste time before she crawled into bed. Covers be damned, the egg warmed her enough that she didn't need them. Her thoughts about the man from earlier faded to the back of her mind as she drifted off to sleep, a light hum the only sound alongside her gentle breathing. She nuzzled the egg.
"I can't wait to meet you…" she whispered. "I want to meet my friend…"
Lucy swam away into the sleep that conquered her mind, never noticing the light that filled her room.
The sun was pouring directly into her room, landing on her face with no remorse. Lucy scrunched her eyebrows and tried to roll over, but the weight on her stomach made it nearly impossible. Something was digging into her sides and arms.
Groaning, Lucy figured it was time to wake up and face the morning. Last night's sleep was the most satisfying she had gotten in a long time. Sleeping on the ground on the side of the road was torture on her body, the mattress felt like a cloud in comparison.
She cracked her eyes open, blinking them rapidly as she tried to adjust to the brightness of the sun. Tears dampened her eyes, she always looked like she woke up crying but she had no idea why. She reached up to wipe her eyes and tried to sit up.
Again the weight held her down. Grumbling, Lucy looked down at her stomach as best as she could and was greeted with a pair of golden eyes and silver scales.
It's about time you're awake, I've been waiting forever!
She blinked once.
Then a second time. Her brain was short circuiting.
After the third blink, she finally realized she was eye to eye with her dragon.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. He cocked his head to one side, looking at her with concern.
Is something wrong? I thought you wanted to meet me. He said, shifting slightly on top of her. He was really quite heavy, weighing as much as a small dog.
"I…I uh… Sorry, I just w-wasn't expecting to meet you so soon," she managed in her shock. She was positive when the man from last night saw her when she came down, he was going to pounce her with questions. Probably lecture her as well while he was at it.
Her dragon crawled up her body and bumped noses with her.
It's been two weeks, and I've been listening to you the whole time, waiting for you to ask me to meet you.
Lucy blinked at him, meeting his gold reptilian eyes.
"That was why you never hatched before?" she asked.
He nodded and nuzzled her cheek, still not getting off of her.
I had to make sure you really wanted me. Many times I have been handed back after months of not hatching.
She laid her head back on her pillow and stared at the ceiling. It was rare for anyone to return their dragon egg back to Mister Makarov, most of the time he would simply tell people that they had to be patient. It was a sad experience to return an egg and simply exchanging it for another. It wasn't often that Mister Makarov was wrong.
"How many times?" she asked, a quiet note in her voice. This was the first time meeting her dragon and she was already worried about his life before hers.
The small man took me back seven times but had held my egg for the last fifty years.
His eyes were sad, no longer holding the same spark they had before. Her dragon looked away from her, his scales shimmering in the sunlight. The profile he made was regal, spines forming a small crown were laid flat along his neck. They glinted gold, and compared to when she first woke up, he looked like he was expecting her to give him back now that he told her.
Lucy brought her arms up and cuddled the dragon to her chest, he tucked his head into the crook of her neck.
"I'm sorry you had to wait so long to see the world. I promise to keep you close and show you what I can."
He hummed, his whole frame vibrating with happiness. Lucy smiled and hugged him tighter, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth that he provided. His spines perked up and even though they poked her in the cheek slightly, they didn't hurt. His relief was palatable; it weighed heavily on her heart. Why would someone feel the need to turn away a creature that yearned for their companionship? It was cruel and wrong. She hugged him closer, trying to convey her feelings as much as she could.
A loud gurgling noise ruined the moment, and it took a moment for Lucy to realize that it was her stomach that demanded to be taken care of.
Her dragon pulled away from her, careful of his claws. She sat up as soon as he was on the bed beside her. Now that she had a better view of him, he was actually quite beautiful. He has silver scales, but if she moved just right, there was a hint of gold that sparkled. His eyes were molten gold, matching the shade that was hidden in his scales.
He looked up at her, tilting his head like a bird. His eyes were so full of life and joy. She smiled down at him and ran a hand down his neck.
"You're stunning to look at," she mused aloud.
Her dragon preened, closing his eyes in pleasure as she scratched just under his jaw, purring like a house cat.
Lucy stood up and found her pack at the foot of the bed, where she had probably kicked it off the bed in her sleep. She reached into it and pulled out a new shirt. Her leggings were clean enough to wear for another day.
Her dragon bounced around on the bed as she readied herself, waiting impatiently. Lucy threw her hair into a ponytail, not bothering with a braid for the day. It was quite warm in her room, and the was simply from the sun that was pouring in through the window.
She was done dressing and was heading for the door when suddenly, her dragon wrapped itself around her shoulders and perched there like a bird, having flown over from the bed.
He dragon his head against her cheek, causing her to giggle as he nuzzled her. He was quite affectionate for a dragon. Most dragons she had seen were cold and distant with their partners. Did that happen over time or was that simply the way they worked together? Lucy shrugged the thought off as her stomach rumbled again, drawing her attention back to requiring food.
They made their way downstairs, her wrapping his tail around her arm to keep his balance. The rest of him was perched on her shoulder, much like a parrot, which rather amused her. Possibly due to the fact that he had been lying on her diaphragm while she slept, but she thought that he wasn't nearly as heavy as he had been when she had woken up.
When Lucy and her dragon arrived at the foot of the stairs, the three men that had surrounded her last night, before her talk with the pink haired man, appeared out of thin air. Again. Why was it every time she came down these stairs she was confronted by men?
The one in glasses, Hibiki, took her hand and gave it a chaste kiss. Just like he did last night. Her dragon's scales bristled, and he tightened his claws around her shoulder.
Lucy hissed in pain. Snatching her hand away from Hibiki before he could even finish his greeting and pulled her dragon down from her shoulder. She cradled him in her arms.
All three men took a step away from her, looking as if they had just now seen the dragon.
"So, it hatched," Eve, the small blond one announced.
"He did," was Lucy's short reply. Frankly, she had no patience for these men who made it their mission to flirt with any female in their immediate vicinity.
She shoved her way past them, ignoring their calls after her and made her straight for the bar, where Master Bob and Jenny could fend them off for her while she ate. Her dragon hummed in her arms, eyes closed, completely at ease now.
"Does he have a name yet?" Jenny asked as she slid Lucy a plate piled up with food. There was no way she was going to finish this all.
She picked up her fork and shook her head. "Haven't got a clue." Her dragon slithered over to her other shoulder and sniffed at her fork as she raised it to her mouth. She giggled lightly before she ate what was in front of her. "But he is certainly lively," she muttered after swallowing.
The hatchling blinked at her and nuzzled her cheek.
We match energies. You have the same energy level I do.
Lucy hummed as she chewed on her food. Surprisingly, the food was disappearing faster than she thought. When she heard a burp and saw a puff of smoke from the corner of her eye, she figured out why. Her dragon was eating her food too. She watched him go for her food again before she playfully pushed his head away, saving her food.
Jenny laughed from across from her. "You know, we used to have someone here who was versed in the stars. Your dragon reminds me of one of the constellations she always spoke of."
Lucy looked up from her food. The stars? How did jenny know about her love for the stars? And which constellation? Draco?
"Her name was Karen," Jenny continued, leaning on her elbow over the counter of the bar. "She was always going on how the stars were the source of life, calling it Aiuen or something like that. Something to do with stardust and some people have more Aiuen than others."
Lucy vaguely remembered her mother talking about that. She had mentioned that the Heartfilia line had excess stardust in their family. But it was an old family story, something to explain how they came into existence. Lucy hadn't put much stock into it. As far as she knew, her mother had been the only one in Magnolia to talk about old stories in such a way, using the stars.
"Aiuen? I've heard that before." Lucy pushed the plate in front of her dragon, letting him finish off the scraps. "My mother used to tell stories about it."
"Then you know the true meaning, right?"
Lucy shrugged her shoulders. "They were bedtime stories from when I was younger. But Aiuen is essentially the life that courses through us. Not many people believe it anymore. More and more people are believing in the science behind everything. Spirituality doesn't mean anything."
"Karen had a dragon named Leo, after the constellation. She was a firm believer in the stars, despite the way she treated everything." Master Bob appeared next to Jenny, wearing the same outfit from the day before. He was surprisingly solemn.
"What happened to her?" she asked.
Master Bob gave her a firm stare. "Whatever you do, do not mistreat your dragon and steal others."
His warning hung in the air as he walked back into the kitchen. The men that had greeted her at the stairs were circling, waiting for her to get up from the counter.
Lucy was curious to know what happened to Karen and her dragon, or dragons, but she figured that would have to wait for a different time.
After Master Bob had spoken, Jenny had fallen quiet and for the first time looked sad about what had just been said.
"Jenny?" She reached out and covered Jenny's hand with her own. "I'm sorry for your loss, she seemed like she was close to you."
Jenny blinked at her, her blue eyes alarmingly bright, on the verge of tears. Quickly she wiped her eyes before any tears could fall.
"No, no, it's fine. Karen had worked here far longer than I have. She taught me a lot, but like everyone, she had her flaws. Some were harder to ignore than most."
Lucy squeezed her hand. "That doesn't make her passing any easier." She stood up, gathering up her dragon and perching him on her shoulder. "By the way, thanks for mentioning the stars and Aiuen. I think I have a name for him now."
Jenny perked up, the lighter subject getting her mind off of her past friend momentarily. "So what's it going to be?"
"Aiu. Life, light, and love. All in one word, and one dragon." Her dragon, now Aiu, pressed his head to her cheek.
I will honor this name, he purred proudly.
Lucy scratched him underneath his chin, eliciting a louder purr from him as she turned from Jenny's beaming smile. "I'll see you later Jenny! Have to go check on my horse."
"Sure thing, dear! Don't fall asleep in the stall again!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Lucy made her way outside and was greeted with the warmth of the morning sun. She took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air of Clover Town. Aiu chirped from her shoulder and spread his wings. In the sunlight, his scales appeared more golden than silver.
"You really are quite beautiful," she whispered.
I have heard many people call my egg beautiful, I never truly understood why. Aiu quirked his head, almost touching their noses.
She blinked and looked away briefly, glancing at the ground. "The meaning of beautiful or why people called you that?"
Why am I beautiful? All dragons look the same. He lifted his head to sniff the breeze. It lifted her hair and Lucy raised a hand to tuck a wayward lock behind her ear.
"All dragons aren't the same. Many dragons that are here in this town are actually different compared to you," Lucy explained as she walked towards the barn.
The stunning black dragon from the night before was sunning itself, taking up most of the clearing. She raised her head at the sound of the two of them walking by, her red eyes focusing on them. Lucy waved casually at her. The dragon was intimidating, not only in size, however its crimson glare felt like fire. Her scales were charcoal black but they tinted red just like Aiu's tinted gold. She huffed after inspecting and laid her head back down.
Aiu had watched her closely, wanting to reach out and ask her name, but from the cackle that he heard from the barn as Lucy called it, he would find out soon enough.
Lucy's shoulders slumped. Of course, the man from yesterday would be where she wanted to go. Her peace was over. The two weeks she spent traveling to reach Clover Town, those silent days that she swore about every waking moment were gone, and now she found herself wishing they were back.
She looked into the barn and found him. He had removed the flight armor from the night before and stood in front of her horse's stall in loose white pants tied off at the knees, an odd one-sleeved shirt, a white scarf was also wrapped around his neck. Somehow he pulled the outfit off, matching his eccentric hairstyle. He wore some of his hair tied back in a small ponytail which left his bangs out. She saw his ears flash. He had multiple earrings lining the outside of his earlobe. The top most were linked with a small chain that connected with the lowest one. When did they make earrings like that? That wasn't a style she knew of in Fiore.
Her horse reached his head out of his stall and bumped the man in the chest. He laughed again, patting the horse's forehead. It was such a domestic scene, considering this man rode a massive black dragon. Imagining him on a horse seemed a little ridiculous now.
Lucy smirked as she watched her horse nuzzled the man's scarf.
"Oi, Happy you can't have that. It's mine!" he laughed as her horse pulled on the material.
Figuring it was time to say something, Lucy made her way towards the pair at the back of the barn. Before she could even say something, the man turned to her with a wide grin on his face.
"Thought he would hatch last night. Congratulations, you officially own a dragon." He tugged his scarf out of her horse's mouth and rearranged it around his neck.
"Ah, thank you." Lucy bypassed him and went straight for her horse, introducing him to Aiu.
"Hey there, big guy. This is Aiu, he's our new riding companion," she murmured in a low voice, patting the gelding's cheek.
"Aiu, eh? Strange name, perfect for a weirdo."
Lucy glared at the man over her shoulder, letting Aiu cross over to the horse and sit on his back. "I beg your pardon?"
The man crossed his arms and smirked at her. It was like it was a permanent fixture on his face. "You heard me, Weirdo."
Lucy faced him and planted her hands on her hips, scowling at him. "That's not my name and I am not weird."
He snorted and looked behind her. "She's a weirdo, ain't she, Happy?"
"Happy?" she asked incredulously. She watched as her horse nodded his head, nickering in response. Lucy whipped back around to face the man. "You named my horse Happy?"
He shrugged. "He looked happy just standin' there and even happier when I came up to say hi. He's a happy horse."
Lucy sighed, rubbing her brow. This man was impossible. "Okay, fine. The horse is named Happy now. But what is yours?"
His pink bangs swayed as he shook his head. "Not the time yet, Princess."
They both jumped with a roar came from outside. The man cringed and cast a wary glance outside. Suddenly the barn became dark as a red eye glared from the entrance.
"Oh come on, Valdas. It's not like she can get rid of me. Why should I tell her?"
Valdas growled in response, and despite the distance between the two, the man scampered behind her and used her as a shield. Lucy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Valdas' slit pupil narrowed to nothing more than a thin black line. The heat she felt before when she passed the black dragon was oppressive, her anger making her sweat.
The dragon snapped her teeth and the man growled back from behind her.
"My hair is salmon! SALMON! Not pink, you overgrown lizard!" he shouted.
Lucy sighed and stared off into space. "Sure, Pinky. You can't tell me your name, but you can give me the exact color of your hair and give me nicknames," she grumbled sarcastically. "Sounds like a great friendship we have."
"Oi, do not call me Pinky. It's undignified." He huffed and stepped away from her.
Valdas rolled her eye and left the barn, giving the ground an indignant slap with her tail as she walked away.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll tell her eventually," he grumbled after her.
"Tell me what?" Lucy asked. She was so tired of him beating around the bush with her questions. "Are you going to finally answer my questions?"
He looked at her out of the corner of her eye, sobering up from the spat he had with his dragon. After a moment, he sighed and motioned for her to follow and walked out of the barn.
"Aiu." Lucy held out her arm and her dragon came gliding over. The horse, Happy, snorted as he took off.
He has something very important to say. His aiuen is wavering with uncertainty, he said as he situated himself on her shoulder.
Again with that word. Things weren't adding up. "Aiuen? It's an actual thing? Not just from old stories?" What was she missing? This man was sent by Makarov. Aiuen has been mentioned more than once.
He can explain better than I can at the moment, Lucy. Aiu nuzzled her ear in apology.
She stood there, lost in thought, trying to piece everything together with the little information she had. A small roar from Valdas brought her back to reality and Lucy shook herself. Her mind was swimming with questions.
Lucy jogged outside uneasiness settling in her stomach. She had no idea what the outside world was like. The only news she got was when she traveled to the inner city of Magnolia. Even then, the news was weeks old and have no relevance to what was happening in the surrounding countries.
The man was sitting on his dragon's foreleg, lounging against her shoulder.
"Took you long enough, did you get lost in there?" he grumbled, looking up at the sky. His hands were behind his head, again pulling his shirt tight across his chest. The one arm she could see was well muscled and the way the fabric stretched across his middle led her to believe that this man was beyond fit. Almost along the lines of prepared for war.
"Lucy. Get your head of the clouds and stop staring at me. I know I'm pretty but, damn, there's no need to keep ogling." He laughed but it stopped short as Valdas laid her head on top of him, cutting off his air supply.
"Dammit you stupid… dragon! Get- off… get off of me!" He pushed at her head, but she wouldn't budge. Lucy could only smile as he struggled.
"Seems like Valdas doesn't appreciate you being full of yourself," she remarked, a smile playing at her lips.
A rumble came from the black dragon as it chuckled at her rider's predicament.
"You're-You're not help-ing. Get her- off!"
Lucy skipped over to him and leaned over him, a sparkle in her eyes. "I'll consider helping you, if- and only if- you tell me your name."
He narrowed his eyes at her and frowned as he continued to struggle and squirm underneath Valdas' head. "What-makes you-you think… that I wouldn't tell-tell you?"
Lucy stood up straight and put a finger to her lips. "I don't know…maybe you avoiding to introduce yourself like a proper gentleman, or even choosing not to answer me when I asked? Those seem to be valid reasons, yes?"
He gritted his teeth, his pointed canines giving him a feral look. Lucy watched and let him suffer for a few more moments before he finally gave up with a huge huff.
"My name…is Natsu. Natsu Dragneel."
Lucy's eyes widened. "Dragneel?" she gasped.
The Dragneel name was well known for breeding magnificent dragons throughout all of Fiore. It explained why he knew Makarov and the beauty of his own dragon. But what did that have to do with her and her own dragon?
Valdas lifted her head, letting out a billow of smoke on her rider as she did so. He coughed and waved a hand in front of his face, trying to dissipate the smoke. Once it cleared, he gave her a lopsided grin.
"So you know my full name, and seem to know about my family's profession. What's your name and family occupation?" Natsu asked.
She stared at him, contemplating her answer. She didn't know if her family name reached as widely as the Dragneel name did.
Aiu nudged her cheek and looked at her with molten gold eyes. He is genuinely curious; he just wants to know you.
Lucy sighed and looked off into the woods. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia, and my father runs the Magnolia Bank."
Natsu whistled. "Some name there. Luigi Hearts-what's-it? That's a mouthful."
She glared at him, clenching her fists. His jokes about her name were getting quite old. Starting with 'Luce' and 'Princess', then progressing to 'Weirdo'. It was enough to drive her mad. "I know you know my name, use it properly."
"Okay, okay. Lucy. Pretty name, by the way, can't help the joke, though. They're part of the package."
She raised an eyebrow. "Package? Since when did I buy you?"
Natsu leaned back against his dragon, his multicolored eyes alive with mischief. "It's not like that, Princess, but you're stuck with me for the indefinite future."
"E-Excuse me?" she sputtered, aghast with such an idea. No matter how attractive this man was, his personality could certainly use some work. All he did was grate on her nerves, and it was only the beginning of the day. She could already feel a headache coming.
"You heard me. Like I told you last night, the old geezer sent me here to watch over you. And that means you're stuck with me till I say you're fine on your own." He gave her a triumphant grin.
"I refuse," she snapped. The whole idea of traveling with him for the foreseeable future made her stomach twist with knots of apprehension and frustration. There was no way something like this was going to end well.
Lucy turned and began to stomp back to the inn, ignoring his shout for her to stop. She was almost there when she was pulled to a stop by a warm hand around her wrist. Aiu didn't waste time to unwrap himself from her arm and shoulder and transfer himself to Natsu's own shoulder. She looked at him betrayed and hurt that he wouldn't side with her on this. But his eyes were sad and he whined, pleading for her to not leave this man.
She opened her mouth to speak but Natsu hushed her by pressing a finger to her lips. "Please, just listen and trust me about this. Makarov gave me the whole story and you and Aiu are in just as much danger as Valdas and I. You need to stay with me."
His remarkable eyes bored into hers and Lucy felt heat rising to her cheeks. They were surprisingly close, mere inches apart. Natsu was leaning down slightly to meet her gaze, he was almost a full head taller than her. He was still holding onto her wrist, but gently, almost caressing it. She shifted her hand and he let her slide her fingers out of his grasp, but she didn't let go. She held onto his hand. He glanced down at their interlocked fingers and met her eyes once more. The red flecks in his eyes danced in the light, the darker parts lighting them up in and around the forest green. His eyes were concerned, concerned for her. Lucy felt a rush of air leave her as she realized that he actually cared. She hadn't seen eyes like his in years, most were only looking at her with desire, filled with lust for the money that her family had in stock.
She couldn't leave him. He was sent here to protect her, and as much as she didn't want to admit it, there was no way she could protect herself with a newly hatched dragon and a bow and arrow.
"Luce?" he asked, his voice no louder than a whisper.
She came to a decision, one that she had to make for herself and Aiu. She was no longer alone, and as much as this man tested her patience, his heart was in the right place in wanting to help her.
Lucy closed her eyes and nodded. "I'll stay with you, but you have to promise no more secrets. If this is going to work, you have to tell me why Aiu and I are in danger, why Mister Makarov sent you after me, and why you have to protect me when anyone else could do the job. Can you do that?"
Natsu chuckled and leaned forward, letting his forehead rest on hers. Their noses touched and Lucy felt a blush bloom in her cheeks. He smelled like pine wood and dragon-fire. The man closed his eyes and nodded. "You have my word. Partners?"
She smiled and nodded once more. "Partners."
Did y'all make it ok? I know, I know, not much has happened, but trust me, there's a reason for everything! We finally got Natsu's name (I mean c'mon he had to mess with her a little bit, yeah? xD) and next part we will finally get some more information! It'll pick up from here, hope you're ready~ ;)
Omg, you guys are doing great with reviewing, I love it. Keep it up! The more reviews, the faster the updates, it's a proven trend with me. xD
