The Princess's Protector

Chapter Six: The Terrors of the Darkness

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On with the story.

The blackness.

It was all around him, inside of him, covering the world in darkness and eternal agony and this darkness....was not normal.

It was the black fire. Zeref's black fire. Seemingly out of thin air, Zeref appeared from the blaze that was progressively growing warmer and warmer around Natsu.

"I killed him.." Zeref whispered in a voice like a sad child. But not remorseful.

The room was so hot.

"I killed...." Zeref said

The black, empty but very full heat; it suffocated Natsu and he fell to his knees, not even realizing he'd been standing.

"I Killed Our Father!" He suddenly yelled, looking deep into Natsu's eyes, Natsu's soul.

And then, quietly, Zeref whispered, inches from Natsu's tear streaked face:

"And I will kill the princess, too."

Natsu woke up with a jolt of fear. It was a bitter taste on his tongue; he didn't like the hollowed-out feeling it left in his stomach.

This was...a nightmare. His nightmare. His personal hell. Natsu's body gleamed with sweat and he felt the flush in his cheeks. The dried blood on his back made the comforter of the bed stick to his back, and Natsu finally realized that he was still holding a sleeping girl in his arms.

Her face had regained much of its color after the previous night, and Natsu noticed how naturally beautiful she was without all the fancy dresses and hairstyles.
Simple. Plain.

And staring right back at him.

"C-could you please..let go of me?" She asked In a raspy, quivering voice.

Natsu...never actually thought about how awkward this could be for her. Yeah....

Natsu moved to the right side of the bed and began to rise when he suddenly stopped. The comforter had been virtually glued to his skin, and he could hear the tear of flesh, every inch, as he tried to leave the bed.

"Damn.." He whispered, reaching his arm up at an awkward angle, trying to peel the blanket off. But he couldn't...quite...reach.

He shifted and the corner of the blanked ripped off, causing Natsu to cry out. It was red and blue bruised underneath, and blood oozed from the wound.

"N-Natsu?" Are you allright?"

"I- um.."

Lucy shifted into her knees behind him until she was positioned on her knees, behind Natsu.

"Oh my god..are you going to be alright?"

Natsu's breathing was slightly ragged.
"I'll be fine. Just help me get the blanket off. Please."

Natsu could hear the frown in her voice as she said, "Okay."

She got out of the bed, still wearing the shore white dress, and went to Natsu's side. He figured the flush to her cheeks was from his body warmth.

"How do...um..water?"

Natsu nodded, eyes gently closed and he listened to her feet pad into the bathroom, get a wet rag, and walk back over.

Without warning she placed the warm dampness on the cut. Natsu hissed through clenched teeth.

Lucy recoiled slightly.

"It's okay, keep going." He said, then remembered her wrists. "How are your wrists, by the way?"

Natsu saw the blonde mass of hair, slightly covering her face from his view. She had very...beautiful hair.

Natsu, what's happening to you!?

"Fine, actually. Only a little bruised," she murmured, brows drawn in concentration. Her brown eyes looked up for a second.
"Of course, my faerie heritage has endowed me with certain healing capabilities, too, so my body heals faster and more completely than normal."

Natsu was astonished. He'd forgotten she was a Fae princess.

"And," she continued, "aren't you a Demi-dragon? Why didn't this heal right up?"

Natsu stiffened. The topic of his heritage...had always been a sore topic for him. Natsu's knuckles clenched in the sheets of the bed.

"I don't know" he finally whispered.

Lucy paused, just a second, before returning to slowly moistening and then peeling away the bedspread from the gash in Natsu's back.

"Done." She finally said. "Now wait."

She went over to the bowl of assorted ointment and selected one before dipping in her slender hand and gently applying it to the would.

Natsu sighed as the cooling sensation contrasted with his inflamed skin. Lucy then wrapped the gauze around his back and torso.

Natsu noticed her breathing becoming more ragged while dealing with the gauze.
Huh.
Strange.

"Thank you, princess."

Her smile was small, and full of sadness. "I'm sorry I'm such a burden. I caused-"

Natsu stood over her, towered over her, and took her jaw in one of his large hands, forcing her eyes to his.

"You are not a burden, Princess."