Love Against All Odds

Prologue

March 18th, X524 (noon)
Dragneel Manor, Crocus, the main city of Sabertooth Kingdom

'Where am I? I can't see clearly.' He opened his mouth to speak, but still no word came out from his voice. 'Why can't I talk? Is it a dream? Where am I? I felt like I'm floating in the air. What happened?' Many lingering questions appeared in this young guy's mind.

      The pink-haired young man wearing a brown shirt and black pants was floating in the dark space, the surrounding was all black. His name was Natsu Dragneel, an 18-year-old young master of Dragneel Clan, and one of the four dragon slayers of Sabertooth. He used fire dragon slaying magic.

"Wake up, Natsu, wake up!" He heard a very familiar voice echoing the dark surrounding.

'Happy?' Natsu thought. He wanted to shout out where Happy was. Happy was his loyal exceed, a magical flying cat.

"Natsu, wake up. Lushi is in danger," a weak voice pleading him to wake up. He knew it wasn't that simple.

'What happened? I remembered the soldiers from the Redfox clan attacking us. Is Luce got captured? I need to get out of here. No no. This must be a dream.'

"FLAMEBRAIN, WAKE UP! DO YOU HEAR ME?"

'Why is Ironhead's voice in my dream?' Ironhead was the nickname given to Gajeel Redfox, his iron dragon slayer friend.

      Suddenly Natsu felt that his body became heavy. His shoulders were shaken before his belly got punched hard. 'Ahhh,' He screamed loudly in reality and opened his eyes immediately.

      He realized that he was lying on his bed before. Beside him, two small exceeds, Happy and Panther Lily, were sitting. His best friend Gajeel was standing near the bed. His long black-haired was kept in slicked back. The iron dragon slayer's attire was as usual; black long-sleeved shirt, black coat, black loose pants attached by a black belt, and black boots. Gajeel Redfox was one year older than him.

"Natsu, you're awake," Happy, his blue exceed, said happily, "I'm so worried."

"Natsu, you're under a sleeping spell. You slept for two days," Gajeel's black exceed Lily commented, crosding his little arms as his usual pose.

"See, my method worked!" Gajeel smirked proudly. Of course, waking someone by punching his stomach hard was the fastest way to wake him up.

       Natsu put his left hand on his abdomen, "Ahh. It hurts!" Then he stood up quickly, "Iron Head, what are you doing here? Your father's guards attacked us on that day."

"This is an urgent matter. I want to tell you-"

"I'm hungry," Natsu said weakly after his stomach was making some noise. Sleeping for two days straight made a foodie like him vulnerable. He was terrrifyingly hungry.

"Where is Luce? Is she cooking in the kitchen?"

"Lushi is... not here," Happy said, tears started forming in his eyes.

"What do you mean she is not here?"

"Flamebrain, Listen to me! Bunnygirl is sent to Fairy Tail as a fake princess. She is going to marry the prince there."

"Haha, don't be a joke like this, Ironhead. It's not funny."

"TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. Bunnygirl and Raingirl left Crocus this morning. You know that the royal marriage between two kingdoms is important as our peace depends on this marriage. However, the King doesn't send the real princess."

      Natsu listened to Gajeel silently, he remained silent even after Gajeel had finished talking.

"Natsu! Natsu!" Happy shook Natsu's arm, "Are you okay?"

"I- I need to stop Luce. I need to stop her," The pink-haired guy whispered in panic before running towards the nearest window. He jumped out of the window and landed the ground skillfully.

      Unfortunately, just before reaching to the gate, several guards came and surrounded him. Natsu saw his father, Igneel Dragneel who was the Prime Minister, and Gajeel's father, Metalicana Redfox, who was the Minister of Military Affairs in the Sabertooth kingdom. The two elders stood in front of the youths.

"Natsu Dragneel, you're not allowed to leave this manor for two days," Igneel Dragneel ordered his son in a cold tone.

"Father, it is your suggestion, isn't it? You don't like Luce. You tell His Majesty to send Luce away. Why did you do that?" Natsu fisted his hand tightly, "you know that Luce means so much to me."

"Lucy Heart lived in this Manor for twelve years. I don't deny that she is a kind child," the red-haired man said, "However, you're too attached to her. She is just a servant girl. She is not qualified to be my daughter-in-law. What a lucky girl, she now got a chance to become the princess consort."

"SHE IS GOING TO MARRY THE PRINCE FROM OUR ENEMY COUNTRY."

"This is her fate, Natsu. Just give up. The magic she was born with is the celestial spirit magic which is the same with Princess Lucelia's," the black-haired man explained, "Although there are so many spirit mages in this kingdom, the golden-keys holders are only two. Princess Lucelia has three golden keys and Lucy Heart has four golden keys. We don't have a choice except we send Lucy Heart to Fairy Tail."

"Stop using excuses, you old men," Natsu claimed angrily. "Luce needs my help, now. You can't stop me." The red flames started igniting in his hand.

"Guards! If you can't stop this brat, you will be severely punished. Understood?" the prime minister ordered.

"Yes, sir," the guards said in unison, as they were ready to fight the fire dragon slayer.

"Uncle Igneel, violence is not the right solution. Please let Natsu go. This will be the last time he meets Lucy. You have my words, uncle. I'll make sure that Natsu won't cause any problem."

      After a moment of silence, Igneel replied, "Okay. I agreed."

"Happy. Lily," Gajeel shouted, "Carry us and head to the south. Hurry up."

      The two exceeds, both of them with a pair of white wings, carried their dragon slayers and flew faster to the south direction to meet their friends Lucy Heart and Juvia Lockser.

'Luce. Wait for me.'
^_^