The Elf and The Dragon (Fairy Tail AU)

Chapter Ten- Fleeing His Own

Does anyone else hear it? The endless screams? I can hear them clearly yet no one else seems to notice?

Am I going insane? I can't help but wonder... will I ever find a way to escape this torturing humanity? Unlikely.

•••

Natsu strode through the halls, fury written over his expression. Rogue easily caught up to him, a question inscribed into his red eyes. "Why are you so upset? We lost the princess, so what? The Demon Kingdom will grow stronger."

It was an excellent question. An amazing question that Natsu didn't have an answer for. "I don't need to answer to you." He snapped, his expression clouded in anger.

She escaped. He growled under his breath. A fire within him was begging to be released, trembling in pleasure at the thought of destruction. He snuffed it out, it wasn't need at that time. He didn't want to burn his kingdom to ash. Not when his enemies still lay before him. He bit the inside of his cheek as he began to apply his armor.

Rogue narrowed his eyes. "If I may ask," He began. "What are you doing?"

Another excellent question. Another answer he couldn't obtain. "Why is this any of your business?" His voice turned to ice as he glared out the window.

"Because I am your guard." He stated. "I'd be happy to accompany you, wherever you are going." He raised a dark eyebrow. "Please allow me to apply my own armor."

Natsu gave Rogue a leveled look. "Very well," He crossed his arms. "I'll be at the stables if you need me." He informed his guard.

Rogue nodded, turning on his heel and stalking out.

Natsu didn't plan on allowing Rogue to come with him. He easily left his chambers without being noticed. He ignored a few servants as they dipped their heads to him. He held up a hand in a wave as he stalked past them.

His smug look faded when he got to the stables. "Stable boy!" He shouted, taking the arm of the small boy who attended the horses. "Where is my steed?" He demanded.

The boy shook, pointing to the white horse that was covered in blue spots. "Th-There... Highness." He quickly bowed.

Natsu nodded, striding to his horse. "Hi, Happy!" He exclaimed, rubbing a hand over the horse.

Happy was the only horse Natsu could stand riding on. Any other horse and he would pass out after two minutes. "You ready, Bud?"

The horse snorted as if to say, yep. Natsu grinned, throwing the saddle onto Happy's back. Natsu climbed on, pausing to look at the stable boy. "If Sir Rogue comes searching for me, tell him not to follow." And with that Natsu was barreling out of the palace's range and into the Forbidden Nature. The place that haunted him as a child. The place that led him to Lucy.

"I'm coming, Luce." He whispered.

His confidence fizzled away when he saw what waited for him.

"Oh no..."

***

Loke bit the inside of his cheek, drawing blood. "Please wake up." He begged as he sat beside the still unconscious Princess Lucy.

Gray lounged against a tree, his arms crossed. "Stop trying, Loke." His voice as gruff and bitter. "Natsu must have given her something."

Loke had gotten Gray out, but now he regretted trying to save him at all. "Stop it, Gray. You need to be more positive if you want Lucy to wake up at all."

Gray glared. "You can't be serious..." He muttered, looking off into the distance.

Loke swiveled around to look behind him. "A-Aries?!" His eyes widened in complete and utter shock. "What are you doing here? What happened to the palace."

"I'm so sorry, but-but Sagittarius was looking for you guys and-and I followed him out here, not my better judgement but-" Aries was caught off by Loke.

"Where's Sagittarius?" He asked, a deep frown cutting into his usual casual and flirtatious demeanor.

Aries knotted her fingers together, a nervous habit he saw her having constantly. "I don't know... I found you after the sun went down. I-I started to panic and that's when I saw the smoke from the fire and-and... I'm sorry." She apologized, another nervous habit Loke knew she had.

Loke took her lightly by the shoulders. "How is the kingdom?"

"Aquarius-no-everyone ran the Demons out of the palace. Levy came back with a Demon loyal to the elves. But-But Romeo and Wendy are still missing. They fled here last time Aquarius saw them. I'm sorry." She nibbled on her bottom lip, pink hair bobbing on her shoulder with every fidget.

Loke sighed. "At least Levy has returned."

A scream rang out somewhere in the distance.

"Was that from the palace?" Aries wondered aloud.

Gray sat up. "Shit."