Land of the Ashen: A Dark Fairy Tail

Bandage of Thanks

I love this new update for the pictures! I am updating all my old chapter pictures to new edited ones, really hope you like them. I really enjoy making them and the look so cool!

I dedicate this chapter to Anime_Heart_101!

This will have an epic picture too!

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Lucy had suffered the worst injuries of the two, but neither of them had any serious casualties. After the battle they were gathered back by the base by a truck and back to Fairy Tail. Obviously Natsu immediately got motion sickness and leaned over the edge of the flat-bed-truck, using all of his left over strength to keep in his lunch. The tractor sputtered and stat black smoke as it jiggled across the rocky ground.

Lucy sat on the rickety, wooden bench in the back of the truck, wind blowing her hair into a ratted mess. Currently she didn't care, she was more concerned about her bleeding arm and her gurgling partner. As the truck continued on they passed several more battles, she recognized many of her companions and other people she had fought before in past battles. Some were winning, some were loosing, some were both knocked out in a tie match. As the truck stopped at the Fairy Tail Camp Base, Lucy climbed off the back of the platform, gathering Natsu's pathetic form and dragging him to their room.

She placed him on the bed with a "thud", as the shock from the hard landing shook threw his body his shot straight up.

"Lucy!" He yelled.

Lucy turned to him, sitting herself at the table with a sigh. Natsu examined his surroundings,

"We are already back at the base." He said to himself in awe, then he turned to Lucy who was resting in her chair. He noticed her arm was still injured and bleeding everywhere. "Luce, your arm."

"What?" She asked, then looked down at her limb. "Oh, its fine. I'll get the First Aid Kit."

"You need more than a First Aid Kit for that!" He argued.

"Thats all we have. Besides everyone is responsible for their own injuries here, you got it, you deal with it." She stated the rule.

"Thats a stupid rule! What if you are too hurt to take care of yourself?" He yelled.

"Its okay Natsu, its not that bad. Just get some rest, we have another battle tomorrow." She tried to smile.

Another battle? They just had one, and now they had to fight again, gain new injuries and fight with the old ones! That was impossible, yet Lucy had been doing this since she was little. The whole system was messed up. But how could Lucy be thinking of him when she was the one that got hurt the most? She was making sure he didn't push himself, when she obviously was pushing herself much too far. Just the thought made him sick to his stomach.

Lucy strode into the bathroom and retrieved a small red box, opening it she drew a roll of cloth and tape.

"I'm going to need your help with this." She said simply.

Nodding he stood from the bed. Lucy wet a washcloth and wiped away all the excess blood from her shoulder, but he could clearly see blood still coming from the wound.

Lucy took the cloth and unrolled it, rapping it tightly around her arm. Obviously failing with the use of only one of her arms.

"Here, let me do it." Natsu took the cloth and started to copy her earlier motions. Gently, but yet still firmly pulling the bandage into place her arm was fully patched up. "There you go."

"Thanks." She rubbed the sore spot over the cloth.

"No problem!"

"No, really. Thank you Natsu, for everything. I didn't get a proper time to thank you, you stuck with me! No one has ever done that willingly, you are different, or just plain stupid. But I want to believe that you are and that you wont leave." Lucy smiled, her eyes becoming a bit glassy.

"Wow, please don't cry!" He searched frantically for nothing. "I am glad your happy, but please don't cry!"

"I'm not crying, I'm just happy."

"I can see that!"

"Well, I was just trying to thank you, you don't have to get all fussy over it!" She exclaimed.

"I'm not!" He defended himself.

There was a pause as neither of them knew what to say, or what they were even arguing about in the first place. So at the exact same time they burst into a fit of laughter, bellies aching, throats burning from not being able to stop. Nothing was even funny, they just couldn't seem to stop laughing. Then it would die down, and a silence would appear, only to bring up the hysterical giggling once more.

"Come on, we better rest up. We have another day of that again tomorrow." Lucy sighed, gasping as her stomach ached.

"Yeah..." Natsu panted, finally excepting his new reality.

"Who is sleeping in the bed tonight?" Lucy asked.

"You can, you are hurt." Natsu offered.

"But I know you really like it."

"Yeah, well you are more important."

"Thanks, Natsu." She smiled, this time a true smile. Not a fake, forced smile she was putting on for the others around her.

Natsu laid the pillows on the floor, making himself a small bed and took the extra blanket from the closet. Lucy made herself comfortable in the moth eaten sheets of the spring-lacked mattress and instantly fell asleep . However Natsu had something else on his mind, they had to fight again tomorrow, no day of rest or break just straight fighting besides the sleep they got here. This was going to be tougher than he had first thought.