When will my life begin...

Chapter 10

Natsu slowly stepped downwards, his fingers starting to bleed. The spaces between the rocks had been easier to climb with since he had a knife. But now, that annoying lady claiming to be the princess had confiscated the knife saying how he might use it to harm her. As if Natsu would do that! Mostly because she was a woman (Erza would never forgive him. She might even accidentally kill him) but also because of other things.

The tiara... Natsu had seen it before. It was the real. An exact replica. Unless it wasn't a replica. You see, Natsu didn't believe Lucy was the princess but he didn't believe that she wasn't either. There was a small chance that she was indeed the princess. If she was, then it was good for Natsu. Maybe he could convince her to join the rebellion. 

"Let's go!!!"

Hearing a scream from above, Natsu looked up. Lucy had hooked part of her long hair onto a latch above the window. Taking a deep breath, she jumped.

Natsu watched as she went past him, hanging onto her hair. Within moments she had reached the ground.

'Seriously?' Natsu thought. 'I have to hurt my fingers and move like a snail while she gets to jump down a tall tower and have fun?!'

Sighing, he continued downwards, his fingers swollen.

Meanwhile, Lucy hadn't stepped down to the ground. She was still hanging by her hair, refusing to let her feet step onto the earth. She hung there so long that Natsu had made it and was standing beside her.

Are you going to come or..." Natsu asked.

"I... what's that?" Lucy asked, pointing to the grass.

Natsu looked at where she was pointing. "Umm... grass?"

"No, not that," Lucy rolled her eyes "The thing on top of the flower?"

Now, Natsu knew what she was talking about. Among the tiny flowers strewn actoss the grass, little butterflies were drinking nectar. One of those tiny insects was lying still on tope of a pink flower. It amazed Natsu how it managed to balance on something so weak. 

"It's a butterfly," Natsu waved his little finger over the grass and the insect fluttered away. Inside his brain, Natsu was quite concerned. How could one not know about butterflies?

Now that the butterfly had flown away, Lucy slowly stepped onto the grass. She was barefoot -- living inside the tower with smooth tiles meant she never needed shoes. Even though she had stepped outside now, she wore no shoes. She had decided to experience the world as it is, without any barriers. Besides, the only shoes she owned were high heel ones. Those weren't very comfortable.

"Have you lived in this tower all your life?" That question had been sitting on his tongue for a long time. Natsu wanted to know more about her life, maybe that would help him determine if Lucy was indeed the princess. At least, that's what he told himself. In his heart, he wanted to get to know her better.

"From the age of six, yes." Came the answer.

"How old are you now?"

"I'll turn eighteen in three days. Hang on, doesn't the kingdom celebrate my birthday?" Lucy asked, turning around and looking at Natsu.

"Uh..." Natsu racked his brain for an answer. Was there a festival of some sort coming up in a few days? Natsu rarely spent time in the town as it was dangerous. From what he knew, the only festival around this time was the Floating Lights, where every citizen lighted lanterns and let them float away into the sky. It was one of the few fun things that Acnologia allowed the populace to do. Natsu didn't know why the lanterns were lit, though.