~The Princess Falls~

Song; Salvation

~I love to read comments from everyone telling how they felt and what's on their mind about these chapters. It makes me so happy and gives me more courage to write when I hear from you all~

"Good morning, Lucy."

Today was the day.

"Good morning,"

The most dreaded day.

"Father."

Today was Lucy Heartfilia's 17th birthday.

"You are growing up, my dear." That was it. There was no, "Happy Birthday, Lucy," from her own Father. But, she supposed, she shouldn't have been hopeful. Why, even on this supposed special day, would her Father be anything except cold towards her? Lucy had stopped wishing and dreaming long ago.

There was nothing happy about this day anyway.

"You are aware of what tomorrow tonight is, do you not?" King Jude asked his only daughter, looking down his nose at her. Lucy silently hoped he would not see how much she shook or how her sweat glistened in the sun's light that the window let in. "Yes, Father." She couldn't meet his cold eyes. She feared, if she did, he would see just how much his daughter hated him at that moment.

Tomorrow night is when I lose everything. That is what my 17th birthday means.

At that moment, Lucy wanted to raise her head and look King Jude straight in his dead eyes. So her Father could see the fire there. Hiding just beneath the submissive surface. She wanted oh so badly to question him about Natsu's Nest Mates.

Do you know of the Dragon Slayers down underground? Why are you hiding them, Father? Why are they so important to you? What are you using them for?

But, Lucy couldn't put her thoughts into words. She couldn't draw in enough air to be able to get them out. She couldn't find enough courage to find that air. Even though she was an adult now, when she was being stared down at her Father, it was like time turned back.

And Lucy found herself as a little girl once again shrinking away from her Father's fierce eyes.

"This will be an most important night for you, my dear. Have you everything prepared?" King Jude questioned his daughter. "Yes, Father, I do." She replied respectively. "Very good, I expect you to arrive on time, and look your best." Lucy's Father waved his hand in the air dismissively, "Leave me now."

Lucy clenched her teeth and balled her hands into fists behind her back as she bowed. When she turned on her heel, her Father's curse of anger made her stop just before she reached the door. "What is the meaning of this?" Lucy slowly turned around to see the King of the Celestial Kingdom looking in the inside of his crown.

He was looking intently inside and shook his head again, as if confused. "Is the gold melted?" Lucy's eyes widened with mirth and she had to pull her lips into a hard line to halt her laughter from spilling through the cracks. Before the King noticed she was still there, Lucy turned, and fled. Once she had ran as far as she could, she released her rich laughter, and leaned against the wall to her left, clutching at her stomach.

At least Natsu could bring her a little happiness on this dark day...

🔥🌟

All day Lucy's servants would give her pitying smiles and even poorer "Happy Birthday, my Lady," each time she shuffled down a hallway. She would smile, a drained smile, at them in gratitude. They knew what today brought as well. Levy came to visit her and she tried her best to make her best friend laugh and forget about the sad future to come.

In the end, it was Levy who held the sobbing Princess in her arms.

Natsu was nowhere to be found on that day. There was no sound of light laughter to fill her ears. No wild pink hair to appear in her eyes. No fanged toothed smile to brighten up her dark world. And no stories of a Dragon rescuing a Princess to lull her to sleep. When Lucy lay down in her bed to walk away from reality and into the land of dreams, she had never felt so lonely without the comforting heat that always accompanied her at night...

🔥🌟

"L...Lu...Luce-Lucy!"

A whispering voice near her ear was the thing that woke Lucy up that night. When she blinked open her brown eyes, she was met with a shadowed face, that did nothing to hide his grin. "Natsu...?" Lucy croaked, rubbing the sleep from her hazy eyes. "Where were you?" Her question went unanswered. Natsu's eyes were glowing green in the darkness that cloaked them and he was bouncing on his heels.

"You didn't tell me it was your B-Day! Get up!" Natsu jumped on the bed, thumping his tail into the mattress, making Lucy bounce in the air. "Get up! Get up! Get up!" The Dragon sang quietly with a silly smile.He was struggling to keep his voice at a whisper. "I hafta show ya something, Luce!"

Lucy groaned and threw the covers over her head. She didn't want to wake up yet. Then she would remember the horror that sleep took away. "Show me...when I'm..." Her soft voice drifted off as sleep comfortably wrapped its tendrils around her. In her state of half awake and half asleep, she heard Natsu's echoing voice sigh, "Guess I have to do this the hard way."

The covers were ripped off her and the cold attacked her without mercy. That is before she was lifted up and encased in warmth. Lucy couldn't find the will to pry open her weighed down eyes as she felt herself being carried away. She curled herself closer to the warmth and wrapped her arms lazily around Natsu's chest.

Her ears picked up the sound of leather rasping against leather as Natsu unfolded his wings. The wind whispered in her ears when he lifted himself and her off the ground. This time, fear didn't visit Lucy.
With the stars as their only witness, the Dragon flew the Princess off into the night, and into the Garden that kept their secret.

By the time Natsu landed and folded his wings, Lucy had blinked open her sleep heavy eyes. When she sleepily took in the Garden, she yawned, "Why did you take me here?" She asked, being set down into the grass that tickled her bare feet. Natsu dropped down beside her with a dissatisfied look etched onto his face.

Lucy's eyebrows furrowed, "Why are you being a pouty Dragon?" Natsu scoffed, "How come you didn't tell me it was your B-Day?" That woke her up with a cringe. She looked up at the winking stars painted against the black backdrop of the sky. "Because," she murmured. "Today is a dreaded day."

Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy saw Natsu tilt his head to the side quizzically. "Do you wanna talk about it?" Lucy giggled when she saw a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Do you want me to punch someone?" Lucy shook her head, "No, I will be just fine. I can handle it myself." She playfully punched his shoulder, "I am a tough one, remember?"
Even though I know that I am not.

Natsu studied her intently for a second before shaking his horned head. "I talked to Levy." Is what he said next. "Your friend is super smart, Luce. She told me all kinds of stuff about those crystals things." He waggled his fingers when he said it. "They are actually called Lacrimas. She told me where to burn them and everything!" Natsu grinned at her. "I can now safely say that I can bust my Nest Mates out."

Lucy couldn't be happier for him, "I am so glad for you." Pride for Levy swelled in her chest. Her friend could find anything out if she set her sharp mind to it. Even though Lucy was more than happy for Natsu, worry began to rear its ugly head. "When are you planning to see this through?" She asked.

The Dragon Slayer, who had been picking at the different colored flowers around them, looked up. "I heard from Mira, who was acting pretty suspicious," a surprise shudder ran down Lucy's spine. "That there was a dance tomorrow night." The pieces clicked in Lucy's mind. "You are going to do it at the night of the ball."

Natsu nodded enthusiastically, "Yep! It's a perfect cover, eh?" He looked back down at the flowers. "All the music will probably drown out any kind of noise I make." Lucy seriously doubted that. It even amazed herself that Natsu hadn't been discovered yet. Dragons were never mentioned for their silence.

Lucy swallowed her nerves and fear, and smiled. "Just," she sighed and placed her hand on his red scaled arm. "Be careful okay?" Lucy noticed how his eyes were locked onto her hand and how he had tensed when she had touched him. She shook her head slightly in exasperation.

"Do not do that." Was all Lucy said. Such small words can also have such a big impact. That is, if you have the courage to say them.
Lucy had that courage.

Natsu tore his eyes aware to look at her. "What?" He muttered, his words may say he knew nothing, but his eyes screamed he knew everything. "Why?" Lucy's voice was small but strong. "Why do you shrink away from my touch when you are in this form?"
Natsu's eyes fell downcast at her sudden question and Lucy frowned at his action.

"Did you think that I would not have noticed?" Lucy raised her hands and waggled her fingers like he had. "Writers see things that most do not," she hissed ominously. Her crack at humor made an amused grin cross the Dragon Slayer's face.

"Writers are scary." He told her, faking a shiver.

A devilish smile came to Lucy's face, "Yes, that we are."

A fit of laughter overtook them. The joyful sound flooded the Garden, making the flowers sway, and for the stars to shine a little brighter. This is why Lucy adored her time with Natsu. After so many years of despair, a magical boy had crashed into her life, bringing with him adventure and light. Now, as she watched waves of laughter take over him, she couldn't stop the flutter that her heart welcomed.

The laughter slowly faded away until the buzzing of insects resumed in their ears. Natsu's chest rose and fell when he breathed out deeply. "I don't want you to be scared of me, Lucy." Natsu said thinly. Lucy's eyes darted to him, the words already spilling out of her mouth. "How can I be afraid of the person who has saved my life?"

In more ways then one.

The end of Natsu's tail thumped against the earth and he curled it around his feet. He drew up his knees to her chest and dropped his chin down onto his drawn up knees. His eyes were locked ahead, watching the swaying golden sea of grass. Lucy looked down at her hands.

How can I show you that I will never be afraid?

Lucy clenched her fists as she thought. As she did this, a stray blossom drifted by her cheek, kissing it gently, before doing a backflip, and flying towards the stars. The Princess held up one of her hands towards the Dragon Slayer, who eyed it.

"Can...can I?" Lucy asked quietly, her eyes shining in the glow of the moon.
Natsu blinked and tilted his head, "Sure." Delighted that he had given her his okay, Lucy carefully leaned forward, and skimmed her fingers against the bone white horns protruding from his head. Red scales wrapped around the base of the deadly weapons in erratic swirls. Beneath her fingers the horns felt strong and smooth.

Lucy removed her fingers and instead went to where his wings were, she hovered her hand over one, waiting.
Without a word, Natsu extended one of his wings to her. When her fingertips brushed against the leathery skin, the extra limb flinched back a bit. For a second, Lucy was afraid she had hurt him, but when she chanced a quick glance at him, she found his eyes were closed. There was no pain taking over his expression. Only peacefulness.

His wings, which fit between his shoulder blades and back, seemed oddly light and heavy all at once. Lucy knew if Natsu ever hit someone with these, it could surely snap someone's bones with ease. Her eyes fell to his swishing tail, unlike his wings, she had actually seen his tail cause damage. The power in just one swing could snap plenty of necks.

After a moment of contemplating, Lucy slowly, hesitantly, brushed her fingers lightly against the red scales that took up his cheeks. Natsu's eyes snapped open, they had become dilated as he watched her. The scales beneath her fingers were hard with a leathery feel to them. Lucy took a breath before she fully cupped his cheek and gently ran her thumb across his cheek. Lucy traced one of his many tear dropped shaped scales with her finger. Marveling at how beautiful they looked.

Lucy had been wrong about how his scales were only a bloody red color. They were many different shades of red. There was crimson red, scarlet red, vermilion red, copper red, and she thought she even saw a flash of ruby red when he shifted. The ones that were gleaming on his chest were the biggest and the most brightest ones. She was glad to see some protected and guarded his heart.

It was then that Lucy looked up to see a soft look had taken over the Dragon Slayer's face. The way he was looking at her made her chest contract almost painfully. Goosebumps pressed their cold lips to her arms when she took note of how light his eyes had become. They were leafy green.

Something out of the cover of his eye made Natsu avert his eyes. Just like that the spell that had been put over her disappeared, Lucy dropped her hand. She didn't know what had caught his attention, but whatever it was made the Dragon Slayer smile.
"I wanted to show you something." Even though he muttered it, his words sounding like thunder in her ears.

It was only then that Lucy recalled what he had said when he came to wake her up. "I hafta show ya something, Luce!" Natsu pushed off the ground and with his body facing forward, he raised his wings, and with a gently flap of his mighty wings, the grass came alive.

Millions of bugs made of light floated up from the grass that had been their hiding place.

Lucy's eyes glowed with the greenish yellow light the small bugs gave off. Fireflies. With their small glow, they slowly lit up the clearing around them. The fireflies flocked toward the two, who watched them in a trance.

The small bugs that shown brilliantly, twirled and danced around them. Lucy followed them with her eyes and a smile that put the fireflies light to shame came to her face. Lucy turned to Natsu, who's eyes reflected the light from the fireflies, making them light up, a radiant smile rested on his lips.

Natsu, you have shown me so many beautiful things. Beautiful, wonderful things that I will always remember fondly. Lucy giggled when one of the bugs decided to rest on his nose. So, one day, I shall vow to repay all that you have done for me.
This, I promise you.

Natsu bounded over to her and dropped down beside her with a laugh. "Did you see that, Lucy?" He asked, bouncing up and down with excitement. "That fire bug liked me! Too bad he had to go so soon." Lucy chuckled as she nodded, "I'm sure that 'fire bug' will always love you." Natsu's grin then froze as he remembered something.

"I almost forgot," he snapped his fingers, turned around, and plucked something off the ground. When he turned around, a flower crown rested in his hands.

Ah, so that is what he had been doing.

With a hearty grin, Natsu placed the crown made of flowers on her head. It was better than any tiara or fine made crown she had ever wore. With fireflies zipping lazily around him, through his hair, and softly casting light onto his smiling face, Natsu cheered a, "Happy 17th, Lucy!"

There was nothing pitying about the smile.

There was no sadness laced into the happy birthday.

There was only true happiness for her.

For the first time that day, Lucy was happy someone had wished her a Happy Birthday. A single tear slipped down her rosy cheeks as she smiled just as brightly back at him.

I love you, Natsu.

🔥🌟

And the Princess fell, with only the Dragon to catch her. That was okay though. The Dragon would not let her fall alone.

Let the Adventure Continue!

This chapter is for
millicant
&
lenik666
I also wanted to personally thank Souldrop for her heart warming words from last chapter. You described my writing as if it were a song that you never wanted to see end. That...that was so kind of you to say...you really warmed my heart. Brought tears to my eyes.
So, I thank you for that, Souldrop, I thank you for making me happy ^,^