9 Chapter 9

She awoke to a roar.

The sound flooded the building, shaking the walls, filling the rooms and corridors with such intense heat, that she wanted to flinch away, yet found herself unable to. She was only able to lay there, sprawled out painfully on her stomach, to try and push past the pain that filled her muddled mind in favor of trying to figure out what was happening. Lucy wet her lips, grimacing to herself at the coppery taste.

The sound of an explosion rocked the air, and she moaned when the floor shook beneath her, jostling her. A shout followed the explosion, just barely heard, and she blinked, gaze hazy when she realized smoke was beginning to leak under the shut door and into the room.

...the hell? she wondered silently, gaze slowly shifting to the blood that had pooled around her now chilled body. ...not good. No wonder she felt numb for the most part…

She panted softly for breath, trying not to move too much. But it was getting hard with the smoke filling the room. She needed to move, try and get out, but she just...couldn't.

Lucy gave a soft groan of desperation, wondering if there was any part of her that wasn't bruised, bleeding, or broken. Her blonde hair had long since been completely soaked in her own blood, and she was sure she had no clothing left to cover her. So the heat that threatened to cook her alive wasn't so bad…

A scream. Another roar. Silence. A second shout. A surprising blast of cold to contrast with the heat that threatened to melt the floor. Frost creeping along the floor before being immediately melted by another wave of heat.

Suddenly, a blast of wind blew the door open, and smoke billowed in worse than ever. The noises, no longer muffled, shadows dancing as people darted this way and that. Flames flickered dangerously, steam erupting when water met it. The ground shuddered, and then twisted, rising, and lightning cackled along the ceilings, tracing the iron shards left. Gunshots filled the air, followed by another shriek.

Lucy followed the movement with her eyes distantly, able to come up with a simple explanation.

Fairy Tail had arrived.

Suddenly, a shadow filled the doorway. Weakly, she let her eyes flutter shut, trembling just slightly in fear. Was Jose back? She forced herself to stop panting desperately for air that was slowly but surely going away, taken over by smoke. She needed to be "dead". She'd rather truly die than be hauled off, fixed up, and then forced to suffer as she had again.

The person approached and she fought the urge to whimper. Warm calloused fingers brushed her face gently, heat trailing behind them as the hair was pushed out of her face, and it took her a moment to realize that this wasn't someone who was going to hurt her. This was someone there to help. She let her eyes flutter open - and then lock on soot-covered pink hair. "Natsu," she croaked, her voice barely audible to even her ears.

Onyx eyes snapped wide. "Lucy?" Immediately, he was jerking his head around, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Happy! Get Wendy here! Now!"

"Aye, sir!" a voice she didn't recognize shouted back.

Natsu turned his attention back on her. "The hell are you doing here, Luce?" he growled, gritting his teeth as he tried to figure out how to move her without making things worse or hurting her more. He let his fingers gingerly trail a gash that was deep enough to show the white of bone. "What happened?"

Lucy closed her eyes, slurring out, "Magic." It seemed like a simple enough answer to explain it all. It was both the reason why she was here and what had happened.

"Damn it," he groaned, then reassured, "Hold on, Happy's bringing Wendy. She, uh, uses sky dragon slayer magic. She'll heal you. Or try," he muttered, pressing his lips into a hard line. "She might not be able to heal all of it. She'll have to do the worst of the injuries so we can move you. My nakama should be able to handle them now… Managed to take care of that weird crying dude. They should be able to handle the other two stronger ones and the rest of the weaklings and Gramps will get Jose."

Lucy whimpered at the name, shuddering - and then groaning in pain. "Kay," she mumbled, closing her eyes again. The smoke wasn't as thick now, and she weakly gulped down oxygen. "Levy…?"

"Safe," Natsu told her. "Alzack and Bisca - uh, two of my nakama got her out with Iron Breath's help. She'll be fine."

"Good," Lucy mumbled, then fell silent. Her breaths came in weak little pants that had Natsu leaning closer, ignoring the blood that already stained his hands and knees from kneeling beside her in the sticky liquid that surrounded her. Onyx eyes danced with anxiety and concern for the young blonde, and the second the sound of wings filled his ears, he was calling, "Wendy!"

"I'm here," a girl with long dark blue hair and serious brown eyes reassured as she darted into the room. Lucy couldn't find herself to be startled by the fact that she was followed by two flying cats, one white and the other blue. She threw herself down beside him without question, her small face determined - and then anxious when she saw the amount of blood. "U-um, I don't know if...if I c-can heal her, Natsu. This...there's so much-" One sharp look, however, had her holding her hands quickly over Lucy, a soft glow appearing. "But I'll try!"

"Don't push yourself, child," the white flying cat warned.

"Happy," Natsu gritted out, glancing up at the blue one. Lucy listened, the voices strangely muffled, black beginning to line her vision again. "How are we doing?"

The blue cat - Happy - gave a little salute, as if reporting to some powerful war general - and then immediately broke character in his little act. "Erza and Gray are working on the weird one. Juvia and Gajeel are dealing with the fire one."

"Good," he muttered under his breath. "Wendy?"

Wendy glanced at him, her gaze troubled. "She's in bad shape, Natsu...really bad shape. Jose must have forced G-Gajeel to do this...please don't go after him," she pleaded when Natsu's gaze darkened with rage. "You...you know that Master asked him to do this, and he couldn't spare her as much when Jose was watching."

"Doesn't matter," he growled darkly, "I'm going to kill him for this."

Happy snickered, muttering something under his breath, and Natsu gave him a mortified look. Lucy was too out of it to hear the rest of what they said, instead giving into the darkness that welcomed her with open arms.

When her eyes opened again, Lucy found herself sick to her stomach. She retched, and there was a sound of surprise from the one carefully carrying her as she successfully tumbled out of their arms to vomit blood on the ground, pain racing up and down her body in a violent flash. She coughed and choked and vomited again before she was able to weakly lift her gaze.

She recognized him immediately - though it was more because he was half-naked with his Fairy Tail emblem on display for everyone and anyone to see. He was one of the two that had been with Natsu when she'd nearly run him over. He looked shocked by her sudden movement and swore softly. "Uh...you okay?"

"No," she moaned, resting her face on the ground. She ignored the grass that tickled her face. Where am I…?

He rubbed the back of his head, looking nervous now. "I need to, err, get you back to our guildhall...s'not too far, you were out for most of the trip back. Gramps gave me permission to steal - I mean, borrow a car to get you back quickly. Ditched it behind the guild, about half a mile back. Ashes for Brains and Wendy are already waitin' on us...Charle and Happy got 'em back. Wendy was resting so she could help ya out some more."

She opened her mouth to respond, then retched again, grimacing when more blood came up. His dark eyes filled with even more concern. "Hey, the guildhall isn't that much farther away...do you think you can make it? Or do you want me to go get Natsu and Wendy?"

Lucy carefully sucked in a breath. "I...not sure." She weakly swiped at her lips, brow slowly furrowing.

"Here," he offered, carefully picking the blonde up again. He shifted her gently, frowning when she mumbled a soft sound of pain. "Sorry. Trying not to make it worse."

"S'okay," she answered dully, swallowing painfully. "Thanks…"

"Gray." He flashed her a small smile, offering his name.

"Gray," Lucy repeated.

"Don't mention it." Gray started forward carefully, the chain with the cross he wore around his neck bouncing lightly against his chest with each step. "Gramps didn't trust the idiot to bring you back and make sure you weren't hurting in the process. Gets too excited or stupid to think things through."

Lucy let a slight smile flash across her face as she closed her eyes again, picturing it. "I can...I can see it," she admitted, opening her eyes again.

It didn't take long for Gray to arrive at a building - she knew immediately it was the one they were heading to by the look of relief that passed over his face - and within moments of entering it, none other than Natsu was aggressively shoving his way into Gray's personal bubble to peer anxiously down at her. Upon seeing that her eyes were open and that she was awake, he gave a huge grin. "Hey, Luce!"

"Natsu," she greeted faintly.

"Move, moron," Gray snapped, balancing easily on one leg and using his foot to shove Natsu back a few feet. "Need to get her to Wendy...she was puking up blood on our way here."

"What?" Natsu's gaze snapped to Gray's face and then he was swearing loudly into the large empty room as he waved them after him. "She's in the infirmary," he muttered before furiously kicking at a table in his path. It promptly burst into flames and he made a face, hurrying to put it out, muttering about how Mira was going to kill him when the others got back.

Gray made his way past a bar, headed down a small hallway, and then turned into what turned out to be a large hospital-like room with surprisingly modern technology. A mini-hospital, Lucy mused silently. Wendy was already there, the white cat - Charle, she guessed - and Happy nowhere to be found. Wendy smiled brightly at her in greeting. "Hello, Lucy!"

"Hi," she croaked.

Gray reported what had happened to the small girl, then told Lucy, "I'm gonna make sure Flame Brain doesn't burn the place down...Erza needs to hurry up and get here so she can keep him in line. Let me know if you two need help, got it?"

"I might need help getting home later," Wendy admitted. "Her wounds are still bad enough that I'm going to use up most of my magic healing them, and even then they're still going to be bad…"

Gray gave a low whistle. "Gajeel really did a number on her...just give me a shout. I'll hear ya, and if I don't, Natsu will." And then he was slipping back out of the infirmary.

Lucy gave it a moment, then came to a realization. "He...he lost his pants?"

Wendy blinked, then burst into a series of giggles as her hands came to rest gently on Lucy's stomach, a soft blue glow emanating from them. "The one who taught Gray his magic - or at least I've been told - somehow accidentally gave him a habit of stripping. Both he and the other man he trained alongside have the issue…"

Lucy let a smile cross her face. "I don't think anything's going to surprise me ever again."

They fell into a comfortable silence, Wendy chatting softly about nothing in particular or humming softly under her breath as she worked, not seeming the least bit bothered that she had to heal someone who was a complete and total stranger. When Lucy asked why she was so willing, the young dragon slayer answered, "Fairy Tail helps other people, even if they are strangers. Besides." She beamed. "Natsu likes you. And so do Mira and Levy and I'm pretty sure Gray likes you, too."

Lucy wanted to cry at that. Out of happiness, of course. How long had it been since someone had thought to make sure she was alright? Even those of lower ranking had rarely questioned if she was okay when her clumsy self had toppled over somehow…

So as soon as she had the physical capabilities, she reached over and somehow managed to give now exhausted Wendy a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered into her ear, the tears threatening to fall.

Wendy looked bewildered as she yawned, "You're welcome, Lucy. I'm going to, um, take a nap in that bed over there..." She swayed on her feet as she stood, stumbling over to it. "Don't...don't get up and walk around just yet. You should take a nap, too." She gave a final smile.

And then Wendy was passed out, curled up happily on the bed right beside Lucy's. Lucy gave her a small smile, amused, carefully shifting so that she could lay beneath the blankets on the neat hospital bed. Sore - though not in pain that threatened to knock her unconscious - she tiredly closed her eyes...and then opened them again with a heavy sigh as the door opened.

Naturally, there was a broadly grinning Natsu there. He tugged the scarf wrapped around his neck away from his face, and silently offered a steaming cup of tea. "Mira just got back," he admitted quietly as he made his way over, noting the sleeping Wendy. "The others are going to take a while, and she said you would want it."

Lucy carefully sat up, her brown eyes flooding with tears again. She really needed to learn how to get those in check! "Thanks," she mumbled, taking the tea and sipping at it. She grinned at the taste, ignoring the twinge of pain from the bruise that had begun to decorate most of her face. It was amazing! She set the teacup aside on a table stood beside the bed, noting the restless fidgeting of the mage beside her. His gaze darted this way and that, pausing to linger on her before turning elsewhere, and Lucy tucked some - disgusting - hair behind her ear. "Thank you," she murmured suddenly. "For finding me. I guessed you guys had shown up - Gajeel and Levy and Juvia said you would - but after what had happened, I didn't think anyone would find me."

Natsu blinked, looking bewildered. "What makes you think nobody wouldn't find you?" He wrinkled his nose. "You absolutely reeked of blood...still do," he mused, ignoring the gaping look of horror she gave him. "Even if I had found ya then, would have found ya later...just wouldn't have been, uh, ya know…"

"Alive," she said bluntly. "I would have been dead." A surprising amount of rage filled her, rage towards both Jose and Gajeel, and she scowled. "What happened after…?"

Natsu shrugged. "Not much. Kicked Phantom Lord's ass, got you out of there, and now everyone else is gonna deal with clean up and the Magic Council." He sighed. "They're gonna be pissed with us...even more so than usual…"

Lucy gave him a curious look but didn't say anything else. She reached for her tea, sipping at it. "...you're the third dragon slayer of Fairy Tail, right?"

"Yeah." His eyes flashed happily, as if he was excited she knew. He shoved his hand near her face, not seeming to notice her jolt of fear when flames leaped to life on his hand, licking at his flesh yet never burning. "My dad taught me."

Lucy's gaze darted to his scarf. Realization struck her as her mind went over the information she'd read on dragon slaying magic. "Wait a second. That means you were raised-"

"By a dragon," Natsu interrupted happily. "Yep! Igneel's a dragon." He wrinkled his nose in thought, a habit of his, Lucy realized. She opened her mouth to question how a dragon had managed to hide from the attention of those unaware of magic, but was interrupted when there was a soft knock, followed by Mirajane stepping inside. Her gaze was nervous despite the warm smile on her face as she spoke.

"Hi, Natsu, Lucy...sorry to bother you, but Master just got back. And he'd like to speak with Lucy…"

And we officially got to see Gray and Wendy! :D I know most people were probably expecting a huge thing with Phantom Lord, but it was kind of a stepping stone. Phantom Lord isn't that important. Trust me, that kind of stuff is sure to come. Natsu's officially here! No more reintroductions now! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!

NOTE!: I kept forgetting to mention this! Silly me. Everyone in BTL is two years older than when they were first introduced in the actual series. Natsu is nineteen, Lucy's nineteen, etc.

Reviews:

Whatstoknow: Thanks! There will be plenty more for you to read.

silver light of dawn: I'm glad! I like when people say things like that, makes me feel like I'm doing what I need to. ;)

AngelEmCuti: Yeah...Gajeel's definitely not happy about what he had to do. Natsu finally showed up to help, so that's a plus, yes?

Drooblesisafunnyword: I apologize, my computer refused to accept your true username...but...I agree with your user. Droobles is a funny word. ANYWAYS. XD Thank you so much!

dreaming-about-dragons: Ah, they did so long ago. Can't promise when Juvia shows back up, but Gajeel's a bit more common than she is for the time being. Thanks!

Kinsutenekochan: I hope Natsu's reaction was to everyone's liking. I will agree with you though. Poor Gajeel.

serioushugsies: Thank you! I hope you enjoy those future chapters!

ArisuPandora: I hope you got your fluff moment! Not quite as fluffy as I'm sure you were hoping for, but...the two barely know each other at the moment, so you know. Can't have it too fluffy just yet. Believe me, that fluff is to come eventually. :D

LavenderMoonRose: Ooh, I like that. I may have Lucy say that somewhere if that's alright with you?

Annabelle Flynn: They certainly did come quick and I can promise you that (though I didn't write out the ten chapters required) they did beat the hell out of Jose and the others. ;)

fanficlove2014: Our poor Gajeel. His suffering has ended for the time being, I promise. On the bright side...Natsu will (for the most part) be in every chapter from here on. :D

Anon6: Thank you! I will!