The Black Angel [Gratsu]

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

★ Natsu's POV ★

A/N: The moment we've all been waiting for... or not. 

Flying usually came with a euphoric feeling. Soaring through the sky and breaking what is known to be scientific fact, it all felt so magical.

Sometimes I liked to go out when I wasn't doing anything and fly around. I'd find birds in the air too; they'd look at me with peculiar stares but see my wings and accept me as one of their own. I'd fall into their v-shaped formation and we'd coast through the sky together without a care in the world. Everything about flying was so exhilarating; so liberating.

This time was not the case.

The wind that usually felt cool and crisp on my face blew harshly around me, lashing out at my skin like whips. My hair got tangled as the breeze ran through my pink locks, getting it in my eyes. I raised my arm to pull my bangs out of my face and they flew right back down to block my field of vision. I cursed silently and tried to ignore the hindrance.

Instead of feeling free, I felt chained, with the weight of guilt, fear, and fatigue dragging me down. I had already been flying for three hours, trying to get to the Lab as quickly as possible. You can rest when the rescue mission is over, Natsu, I scolded myself when I yawned. Right now, your only job is to save Gray.

According to the time on my watch, it was nearly four thirty in the morning. I had taken off by Gray's house after explaining the situation to his parents (while additionally leaving out the tiny detail that he and I were sort-of dating and he was sneaking out to see me), and had been flying in the most direct route towards the Lab ever since.

As I flew, I couldn't break past thirty miles per hour. I could do thirty-five or forty for short periods of time but it would seriously tire me out, so in order to keep myself going, I kept my speed at about twenty and thanked my lucky stars the wind was blowing in my favor tonight. Still, with every upside came a downside, and the cold air made me freeze.

Already completely ditching my supersuit, I layered up with my usual jacket and heavy hoodie over it to block out the harsh winds. Part of me wished I still had my mask on so my face wouldn't be as cold, but I had left it on some random place a hundred miles back or so.

I sighed, getting bored. Even though I was filled with determination to get to the Lab and save Gray, the trip would take at least twelve hours of flying, and that was with no breaks. After about another two hours of flying, my backpack grew heavier and heavier in my hands, and eventually I felt myself growing drowsy.

I was slipping out of consciousness, fast, and before I knew it my wings had given up and I was falling like a rock, plummeting down into the forest below me. I was so tired, I didn't want to move.

I just wanted to sleep...

So tired...

Well.

I guess this is it, then.

Closing my eyes for the last time, I picked up speed as I fell down. I wasn't thinking about how close the ground was, only that my senses were fading fast and I was dozing off.

The loud screech of an eagle made as a jump start, the noise so loud I immediately woke up. What am I doing? I thought with shock. I looked down, seeing trees only a couple hundred feet below. With only a few seconds' worth of distance between me and the forest, I snapped my wings out and caught a breeze, swooping high into the air again. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I was falling asleep mid-flight? I thought. I've never done something like that before. What had just happened to me there?