Bandit

A scream rose up over the music and the music stopped abruptly. My eyes flashed open and Natsu let go of me. I instantly missed his warmth. My face fell and my heart gave another throb.

I spun around before he could see my fallen and frustrated face. Instead, I touched my necklace and called for my daggers. My necklace glowed blue and my twin daggers appeared in front of me. I grabbed them and ran toward the scream.

I knew Natsu was right behind me but I didn't look back. I couldn't. People moved out of my way as I ran. I skidded to a halt, my dress flapping around me, when my eyes locked onto the dark wizard bandit. He was using his dark magic to break into a case made out of glass.

Inside that case was a beautiful white diamond that Natsu and I where supposed to keep safe. Before I could hurl one of my daggers at him the glass shattered. His greedy hands shot into the case and he snatched the diamond from inside.

"Oi!" I screamed at him as I threw my dagger. He spun around with the diamond in his hand. He wasn't quick enough to dodge. My dagger sank into his leg. The cloaked man was trapped now. He grunted and bent down to get the dagger out.

"Stay."

I muttered to my dagger.

The unidentifiable man tried to yank my dagger out. However my dagger didn't budge. "That's not going to work, darling." I told him as I stalked toward him with my high heels clicking loudly against the tiled floor of the ball room. He glared at me from underneath his hood and raised his hand out toward me.

Black tendrils of magic shot straight at me. I raised my remaining dagger and the magic hit my blade. The blow was powerful and the force of it made me take a staggering step back. I deflected the blow with a flick of my wrist.

"Fire Dragon's: Iron Fist!"

I heard Natsu yell as he ran toward the bandit. He brought his fist up and hit the dark wizard in the chest. The Dark Wizard fell back and then I was there. I kicked him in the back while Natsu delivered another flaming punch.

I kicked off the ground and did a spinning kick to his face. My foot connected with his nose and I heard a loud crack! as his nose shattered. He cursed loudly as I landed on my feet and dodged out of the way as more Black Magic raced at me.

I risked a glance at Natsu to see how he was fairing. He was burning and throwing flaming punches at the tendrils of Dark Magic that was being thrown at him. Suddenly he looked up and his gaze found mine.

"Freya!" The Fire Mage yelled as his flaming green eyes grew wide at something behind me. I looked to him questionable and saw him running towards me. I spun back around and slashed my dagger straight through another tendril of black magic.

I spun out of the way of another blow and my eyes darted back to my partner. Natsu was slowing making his way back to me. His body was almost completely consumed in flames as he burned and deflected the black Magic that was targeting him. I turned my attention back to the Bandit. He still had the diamond clutched firmly in his hand as he sent another wave at Natsu and I.

I leapt over the black magic and struck out with my foot, kicking it away. I landed back on my feet and sucked in a sharp breath as several inky black tendrils came at me from all sides. I did several backflips using my hand and rolled away. The black magic slammed into the floor, making dust, and gravel fly everywhere.

I shut my eyes tight against the grit and when I opened them again, I lost sight of Natsu. I could barely see his flames now. I listened quietly for anything. A sound. A whisper of footsteps. Anything to tip me off where the bandit had gone or where his next attack was going to come from.

It came from my right.

My eyes snapped open and I leaped away. I twisted in the air and I finally caught a glimpse of the Fire Dragon Slayer. My heart got stuck in my throat. Natsu couldn't see and he was struggling to find his way out of the thickness of the cloud of the dust and grit. He was unaware of the the danger that lurked behind him.

I opened my mouth and screamed, "Natsu!"

Then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. I drew my dagger as Natsu whipped his head around toward my voice. I began to slowly fall back to the ground. The bandit crept closer with his magic swirling around him. I cocked back my arm. Natsu's eyes widened as I aimed.

I flung my dagger as I screamed, "Duck!" Natsu dropped to the floor as my dagger whirled over his head and sank into the bandit's shoulder. The bandit staggered back from my blow with a low scream. I twisted in the air and landed on my feet. Just as I straightened my body unexpectedly jerked forward.

Something slammed into my back harshly.

I staggered again. I gasped and slowly lifted my head. Natsu was staring at me in horror and he was screaming something. But there was a type of ringing in my ears. I couldn't hear anything expect for my own pounding heartbeat...that was slowly getting quieter.

Then I began to fall.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. One moment I was standing and the next I was falling. My hair flew slowly in front of my face, obscuring most of my sight. But I did make out black shoes racing toward me. I hit the ground face first. The pain from my fall didn't even register in my hazed filled mind. Suddenly I felt tired for some reason.

Black magic...There had to be something else in the bandits magic...something else.

"Freya!" Warmth. Natsu. His warm, calloused hands gently grabbed my shoulders and turned me over. I found that I couldn't move. It was like I was paralyzed.

"No! No, no, no!" Natsu kept repeating the word over and over again in disbelief as he stared down at me with a look of complete panic on his face. Wha...? Why is he looking at me like that? I tried to open my mouth to tell him I was fine. I just felt...strange.

My mouth didn't move. It didn't even open. I couldn't even blink. Was I even breathing? I had too be. Natsu... To my surprise tears appeared in his green eyes. "F-Freya. Don't leave me! Please, keep breathing." His voice quivered with the words. He put me in his lap and hugged me to his chest. "Fey, I want you to stay. Please stay. Please keep breathing." I'm not going anywhere! I wanted to scream the words at him. I could never leave you... Natsu buried his face in my hair.

Natsu...he thought I was dead. I'm still here! He hugged me tighter and lifted his head. To my horror his eyes were glowing red. With me still in his arms he stood up to face the Dark Wizard. My head lolled to the side and I caught sight of the Bandit Wizard as he flew through a shattered window, diamond flashing in his hand. One of my bloody daggers lay a few feet away. He had gotten the dagger out.

I could feel the Dragon Slayer's body start to grow hot. Natsu...! I tried to say his name again. Nothing. My mouth stayed firmly shut. His body started to shake and he lowered his head. His eyes were closed and silent tears were streaming down his face.

I'm alive! I screamed in my head. With a cry he fell to his knees once more. My hair fluttered with the movement along with the end of my dress. Natsu, please, don't cry. I thought sadly. I hate it when your sad.

He brought me closer to him and we touched foreheads. Then he whispered words that could bring me to my knees and stop my heart.

"I'll stop breathing if I don't see you anymore." He sobbed.

My world seemed to stop with his words. Tears welled up in my still eyes.
They fell.
Natsu blinked and looked at my face. "Freya?!" He said with his glistening eyes opened wide. See me! I yelled in my head.

He was looking down at me with such despair in his eyes that it broke my heart. But...hope was also shining dully in his eyes too. I'm still here, Natsu. That damn Dark Wizard must have used a paralyzing spell on me!

That type of spell was forbidden and it left its victim unable to move until it wore off... If it ever did. It also left the victim with barely a heart beat. So many people have been buried alive because others had thought that they were dead...when they really weren't.

Thank the Dragons that Natsu now knew that I wasn't dead. The pink haired boy blinked his eyes and more of his tears fell onto my cheek. He slowly lifted me closer to him and closed his eyes. He laid his head on my chest, right above my heart, and listened for a moment.

If I was in control of my body I would probably be blushing madly and I would shiver at how close he was. But I couldn't...not entirely sure if that was a good or bad thing at the moment. Thanks to his advanced dragon hearing he could faintly hear my heartbeat. He lifted his head up and his green eyes shown with such relief that it warmed my heart.

The Fire Mage ran his hand through my hair as he whispered, "I'm sorry...I couldn't protect you." He choked out. I wanted to scream that it wasn't his fault. But my mouth remained firmly shut.

Natsu lifted me up in his arms and pivoted around. "Don't worry, Fey. I'm gonna get you help." I know you will. I felt safe in his arms...and that frightened me to no end. I was getting to attached, hell I was already to attached, and I knew that I was already in way to deep to ever consider even going back to my life before I joined Fairy Tail. This...this was going to be a problem.

I dedicate this chapter to @Lullaby52! Who has been voting for my story not stop! Thank you so much for that!