A Nalu Story

Part 7

Natsu POV

After tedious hours of everyone searching the library and researching we found a good place on the south side of town that could lead to where Lucy could be. It was now around 1pm and we had been running for a while now and should almost be there. Thankfully we ran into the sheriff on our way there and he will meet us there after gathering troops.

"Mr. Mulligan, Hello!" Wendy exclaimed, slowing down our pace.

(Fillet)Mignon seemed nervous around her for a second but seemed to get over it. Something didn't seem right though, there was a faint smell of Lucy. My Lucy on or near HIM. I chose to scoul at him making him leave on his horse.

He left and we continued running. But there was something off about that crate. Eh, I might just be hungry.

As we got the the castle thing there was clearly a path and I ignored Erza's plan, surprise attack or whatever. I need to find Lucy. People jumped out and attacked us though, I just fore dragon roared them all and kept running through.

I got to the room on another side of the archway, one side smells like Lucy the other side has a wierd smell that smeells like something I know. The chains have her scent. But it came from somewhere else. I followed the scent. It came from the wall? I moved the curtain and there was a door. I followed the door down and continued to smell. It led me to a cell. This must were Lucy is.

"LUCE!! ... LUCY!!!" I yelled as I melted the bars. This is were she was held but there is no Lucy.

My knees went limp and I just fell to the ground. I was punching the ground. WHY! SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE! We just missed her, how could she not be here.

"Natsu..." Gray said calmly. "We defeated everyone here and got all the girls out. They are all giving their statements to the sheriffs department that's showed up a little bit ago and the traffickers are in custody."

"We'll find Lucy Natsu." Happy said trying to be reassuring. He didn't help.

"I should have been with her. She should still be around. It's all my fault." Was all I could mumble.

"It's not your fault Natsu, nobody would have known." Happy said.

"But what if I HAD been there."

"She could have still been taken or worse." Gray stated. "But there is no way to know so stop dwelling on the past we need to find Lucy." And gray and happy walked off.

They were right I need to focus on Lucy.

After a little time passed I finally got up. I went back the way I came. Past the chains that smelled like Lucy. I walked outside to find out more about who could've taken her.

"Natsu this is Valerie, she says she only wants to speak to you." Erza said before walking away.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I have a list of all the girls that have been sold over the last 3 years." The vinaigrette person said.

"Why didn't you give that to the sheriffs?"

"I did, I told them every name accept the most recent."

I stared at her. Eyes wide. Lucy. Lucy was here for sure. I wanted to ask to make sure, but it seemed like she could read my mind.

"She said her friends would come and save her. Lucy Heartfillia that is. But it seemed like you saved everyone but her." She said it a sorrowful tone. "What type of mage was she? If you don't mind me asking."

"Celestial spirit." I said as my heart skipped in joy. We were on the right path. But that was quickly overshadowed by anger.

"I know who bought her." She said matter of factly.

"James Mulligan..." Wendy said quietly. Looking at the ground.

"Yes. How did you know...?" Valerie asked.

"The smell, the fact that we have ran into each other, among other things." Wendy said still not looking away from the ground.

Everything seemed to fade away. We were so close. She was right there in the cart being pulled by the horse. How could I not notice. I mean I did but how did I not react. I wanted to run after her but there would be close to no scent to trace anymore. Instead I just stood there in shock. Before things went black.

-Lucy POV-

After hours of being numb, I was being dragged out of the crate and into this man's bourse. As we were still outside I noticed we were in the middle of nowhere. Great.

As I was dragged through his house I noticed it was more like a lab. THATS WERE I KNOW THE NAME JAMES MULLIGAN. He's a magical scientist, mainly inventing and studying magic weapons. Shit. I'm doomed.

He pulled latch open that was under the stairs and went down. I'm guessing upstairs was his room, but there was no sign of a downstairs from outside. But I am extremely glad he's pulling from my arms, because I could look around. I was back in a stone hallway with 3 doors. One on the left, the right and the last was at the end of the hall way. He dragged me to the one at the end and turned on the light switch which was on the outside. I'm guessing the other two rooms are a lab and storage. He is a scientist on a very short leash from the council. My guess is that this is for the experiments that they don't know about. I was almost to lost in thought to notice I had been dragged onto a stone table/bed/platform thing that lay in the middle of the room under the light.

"My dear aren't you exited. You get to be my dear tester for my new jewelry." He said with a smirk. I didn't like.

No. I thought, not wanting to find out what this jewelry did. He left the door open and went to the room on the left and grabbed a box and came back. I guess if I can't move there is no use in closing the door.

"Now Lucy my dear. This is the mind jewel." He said opening the box. In it was a necklace with a red jewel in the pendant. It was small but extremely unsettling.

Shit, something about this is so wrong I thought.

Haha. Cliffhanger. Peace out.