Shattered Dreams ||Nalu||

Chapter Thirteen

Lucy shivered as she leaned into Natsu's warmth. Even he looked slightly chilled as they surveyed the destroyed town, grimacing at the destruction. Hargeon didn't look any better than it had when they'd gone to sleep the night before. In fact, it looked even worse, and Lucy had the dark feeling that the Marked had sought them out the night before. Natsu wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she shot him a grateful look.

No wonder Happy had kept between the two the previous night, similar to the day that Cana had died. They'd had shelter, but it had still been freezing cold. His small form must have gotten colder than hers had, even pressed up against the over-heated dragon slayer.

Her breath came out in a small cloud of air and her back twinged with a faint pain. She grimaced. That would be the mark - almost three-quarters of the way filled out - fighting off the disease and keeping it dormant. Or that's what Levy had thought the pain and the strange shimmering of light radiating from the mark meant. She'd decided the solid-script mage was right.

The keys at her hip seared at her hand when she brushed against them while pressing her cold hands against Natsu, and she winced. Sorry, guys, I can't.

"Luce?" Natsu muttered the words in her ear. "You okay?"

"It's cold," she admitted. "And it's going to get colder...we need to set up a fire tonight, or find a properly sealed area to rest in."

Natsu grunted in response and tightened his grip around her. Lucy sighed. The guy had been semi-clingy, refusing to move more than a foot away from her, but she couldn't blame him. She would have been the same way if she thought he was going to die...scratch that. She was just as bad. She'd missed the contact.

"Hey, love-birds," Chelia called as she strode down the street. Her gaze was dark, her eyes serious, and Lucy was startled to discover that her eyes were a mixture of black and red. "We have an issue."

"I can see that," Natsu grumbled, pushing his way between her and Lucy. He watched her suspiciously.

"It's time for you and Juvia," Lucy realized, her voice barely audible. Chelia heard her somehow, however, wincing in pain, and tears gathered in Lucy's eyes. She didn't want to lose either of them, but especially not the water mage. Juvia had just started returning to normal, though she'd been far more quiet without Gray to obsess over. "Okay. We're coming." She moved to step forward, but Natsu didn't, and she glanced at him. "Natsu?"

He shook his head. "We're not," he said tensely.

Anger flashed through her. "What do you mean we're not going?" She tugged sharply on his arm after shrugging it off of her. "We have to, Natsu. Come on, why are you-" She cut off...or was actually cut off by a hand slapping over her mouth, shushing her.

"We need to get out of town," he growled. "Now." His gaze darted this way and that, searching the town around them. His gaze locked onto some motion behind a barely standing building and he swore, shoving her forward. "Go. Now. Chelia, watch our backs."

"Of course," she said seriously. The girl, only about Wendy's age, readied her Sky God's Bellow, ready to defend the two if anything came after them. Lucy felt a flash of guilt for using the young girl as a shield, but she didn't seem to mind, instead flashing Lucy a quick smile before Natsu jerked her forward.

They ran through the streets of what had once been Hargeon, and then skidded to a halt when they turned a corner, only to nearly run straight into a pair of Marked ones. The creatures screeched in excitement and lunged forwards, but Natsu put a stop to them by inhaling sharply and using his Fire Dragon's Roar to incinerate them.

Lucy's hand tightened around his, and she cringed when Chelia stopped to fire an attack behind them, a snarl leaving her lips as she dared the Marked to chase after them. She paused to glance over her shoulder. "Go," she ordered, smiling. "Tell Wendy I said bye, okay?"