Fairy Tail; The Sequel

Chapter One ; Sensory Link

It started with his smile, taunting and power-hungry. His gleaming eyes, his jagged scar, and his looming figure. His hands outstretched like claws.

"You poor Fairy," he had laughed.

Tears, sweat, and blood...it had all surrounded me that cold and lonely night. Shadows of my friends, the roar of a battle not yet won...

"You poor Fairy," his voice echoed. "Poor, poor Fairy..." His murderous eyes turned to me, his large claws swinging towards me. Screams...

Screams surrounded me that cold and lonely night.

"Lucy!" Natsu shook her already trembling form. "Lucy, wake up!" The darkness faded from her eyes, blue fur and salmon hair slowly replacing it.

Lucy sat up hurriedly, still feeling the scarred man's twisted claws pierce her side. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus on the blob of salmon hair. "N-Natsu?"

Letting out a small sigh of relief, he held her hand, tightly. "Thank god..." he muttered. "Don't scare me like that!" he told her in a firm voice. The memories from last night flooded her mind and tears began to brim her bright eyes.

"Is Erza back?" she whispered anxiously. She stopped and shook her head, "No, wait... is she okay?"

Natsu's hand dropped from hers, the warmth fading from their precious touch, and his gaze fell to the ground. "She's in the other room..." he mumbled, nodding towards the door. "She's unconscious... in critical condition."

Desperately, Happy tried to lighten the mood, "Hah, I didn't think you knew big words, Natsu!" The Exceed let out a strained laugh, but Natsu just shook his head sadly.

"Not now, Happy..." Happy nodded solemnly. Lucy's eyes widened suddenly as she swung her bruised legs over the bed.

"Why aren't you over there? Why aren't you being the Natsu I know?" she said, her voice rising, upset and confused. Natsu's eyes clouded with a fierce anger.

"Of course I want to be over there! How could you not know that?" he shouted back at the celestial mage. His voice shook with desperation. "Don't you think I want to help? I can't, Lucy!" his eyes teared up. "I can't! I can't! I can't!" he repeated, over and over again. He felt so useless. So broken.

Lucy reached over to the trembling dragon slayer, wrapping her arms around him in a futile attempt to calm him. "I'm sorry..." she whispered.

His voice shook as he choked out the words he could. "It's okay..." He paused and looked at the blonde mage's determined brown eyes, a tiny bit of his old fire rekindling. "Let's go see Erza." 

Lucy tried to stand, but her knees were too wobbly to hold her. Natsu laughed softly as she fell into his arms. "I got ya." He picked her up, her boobs in his face.

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed, hitting his back. "Put me down!" she protested, squirming in his arms. "Or at least reposition me!"

Natsu laughed carelessly. "Why, what's wrong?" he asked, absolutely oblivious.

Lucy squealed with frustration as he started running to Erza's room, her face a brilliant red. "Natsu!" she screamed. She felt something brush against her leg.

"No! My fish!" Happy wailed. "It's been touched by Lucy!" He screamed as if it was poisoned.

Gray could hear all the commotion coming from outside the red haired mage's room. He grumbled and opened the door. "Shut up, Lucy!" Lucy glared at him and screamed back, but before Gray could answer, someone screamed.