Finished - April 26, 2022

Word Count - 5249

Music - Two Steps From Hell - Magika

Summary:
Reunited at last, Natsu and Lucy are not out of danger yet. Still aboard an enemy ship, they need to get back to the Fairytail. But will they make it back without confronting an enemy? Who will they meet on their way home?

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Despite the peacefully moment Natsu and Lucy shared, they were still not safe. Even though they reunited, they were still aboard an enemy ship and in the middle of a battle.

Natsu was acutely aware of this fact as he held a very fragile Lucy in his arms. He had to get her off this bloody boat and back to the Fairytail, quickly. Lucy was still loosing a decent amount of blood, even after he cleaned her off. He didn't have anything to wrap her with, plus, it was a very sensitive area and he didn't want to hurt her further.

"You think you can hold on to my back?" He asked.

"Yeah." Lucy answered quietly, still recovering from her tramatic event.

Natsu released her from his embrace and turned around and kneeled in front of the bed. Lucy practically fell onto of him, her energy drained. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hoisted her gently piggyback style.

This method of carrying would be much more maneuverable once he was above deck. He would be able to move faster and more efficiently this way. He just hoped he wouldn't run into anyone looking for a particular fight with him.

Once he found his balance, he started to make his way towards the door, however, Lucy's voice stopped him.

"Wait." She muttered with force.

Natsu paused and turned his attention to the girl on his back.

"My sword." Lucy pointed a finger to the floor where her stiletto sword lay.

Natsu walked over and bent down, allowing her to pick it up from its discarded place. Lucy was very attached to her sword, every pirate was. But her sword was very special to her, Lucy's mother had it made especially for her when she joined the Fairytail crew. Her mother had passed away soon after her going the ranks, but Lucy continued to fight for what she believed in. This was one of the many reasons he loved her.

Because Lucy's mother had made her the sword, the weapon was very expensive and master crafted. Gold detailing enriched the hilt and sheath, making it a high coveted by her enemies. Again, Lucy could care less about its physical value, the sword meant so much more to her because of its sentimental value.

"Once we get above deck I am going to run straight through, hold on tight." Natsu warned her.

"I doubt we'll be able to avoid all the unfriendliness up there." Lucy listened to the commotion happening above them.

"We'll have to try, Im getting you to Fairytail as quickly as possible."

"Hey, I can still-"

"No. You are not." Natsu cut her off.

"But-" She tried to argue, but was once again interrupted.

"No way in hell are you fighting in your condition."

Lucy pouted and puffed out her cheeks. "We'll see."

Not wanting to draw any attention towards them, Natsu snuck quietly up the stairs and peeked his head out the door frame. The entire deck was filled with the sounds of swords clashing and loud yelling. The great chaos was almost overwhelming. Usually Natsu would be eager to jump in and help his comrades, but he currently had a different focus.

He could see Erza, Grey, Gajeel and many of his other crew mates battling bravely. He knew they would clear a path for him, if he could just get their attention without alerting their enemies. As he was coming up with a plan, Grey happened to look his direction and they made eye contact. In that millisecond, Grey understood what he had to do and acted immediately.

Natsu was overjoyed with Grey's action, he could kiss him! And he didn't even swing that way.

Nevertheless, Natsu didn't waste a second of Grey's efforts and charged through the small path Grey had made for them.

Unfortunately, their stealth didn't last them very long and they were spotted by the Tartaros crew. Amongst the chaos, a large man stomped them. Until now, Natsu had been glad that this specific Pirate chose to stay by the sidelines during their first encounter. But now, this giant man threatened them at their most vulnerable.

Franmalth was a force to be reckoned with, notorious for killing over one thousand men and women. He wore a helmet with a thick grating over his face, but beneath the darkness, one yellow eye shined.

"Looks like we have some escapees'." Franmalth mocked, swinging his massive sword to rest on his shoulder.

With no other choice, Lucy slipped off Natsu's back and drew her sword. Natsu reached his arm out in-front of her, praying that she wouldn't actually have to fight. But, nothing ever goes according to plan.

Not only was Lucy in no condition to fight, but she only had Natsu's coat to cover herself. Which she clutched tightly closed, not wanting any more eyes to see her than had already done so.

Nevertheless, she stood, ready for what lay ahead. Natsu was by her side this time and she trusted him with her life. In addition, all of her friends were there to help. The entire Tartaros deck was flooded with her comrades. She was not alone! This is what gave her strength.

"You have caused enough trouble." Franmalth slammed his massive sword against the floor, creating a large gash in the wood below.

Without hesitation, Natsu drew the sword that Grey had given him earlier and started the assault. Lucy followed in unison, helping as much as she could. But her movements were slower and not as precise.

Because of this, Natsu tried so compensate for her stamina, by trying to take most of the hits for her. However, this only frustrated Lucy, knowing that he was trying to keep her out of the way. Thus, making her feel as is she was even more of a burden.

Franmalth could sence the tension between his two advisories, and he took advantage of it. Stepping in-between them and separating their tight link. Forcing each player to attack separately and leaving them open to attacks from behind.

Natsu became extremely annoyed by Franamth's strategy. Natsu's entire goal was to keep Lucy near him, so he could keep her safe. However this man was making that impossible, and he knew it.

Franmalth let his guard down slightly in the amusement, laughing at their frustration. Feeling comfortable enough, he decided to make a risky move. Franmalth pulled out a sword from his mighty collection, a very special sword he only shows to people he knows won't spread word that he has it. Well, of those he knows won't live to tell the tale.

"Is that?" Lucy recognized the blade immediately.

"How do you have that?" Natsu demanded.

"This old thing?" Franmalth swung the blade in a circle, as if it was measly baton, thus ignoring their question.

He held the infamous blade of Captain Hades, a fearsome pirate that Fairytail encountered not too long ago. Natsu himself was the one to finish Hades story, but not without a deadly battle. How did a member of Tartaros end up with his sword?

Not only did this sword have history, its shear mass alone was threatening. Hades sword was of Gladius style. However, a normal Gladius sword is wide and short. This sword spanned 80 inches long and was about 12 inches wide. Making it a very dangerous weapon, no matter the weirder.

Without warning, Franmalth raised the massive sword over his head and swung it down with incredible speed. Because of his size, he was able to maneuver the sword with ease. His broad shoulders and large arms, made it look easy.

On the other hand, Natsu was tired. Tired of that sword, tired of the situation and physically tired of fighting. He just wanted this to be over, he was done.

He risked a quick glance over to Lucy, to visualize her situation. She was breathing deeply, one eye shut in pain as blood dripped down her legs. Her wounds had definetaly opened and her movement was only causing them to bleed more. He cursed, knowing that he needed to get her out of there as soon as possible.

Franmalth took advantage of Natsu's distraction and aimed his attack, Lucy called out him in warning of the oncoming blow. Without even looking, Natsu trusted Lucy and his instincts. Therefore he jumped upwards and tucked himself into a ball, lifting his body just barely out of the path of danger. Franmalth was stunned for a moment by Natsu's impressive reflexes and speed.

While Natsu held Franmalth's attention, Lucy was able to catch a glimpse at something beneath Franmalth's coat. It appeared to be several different types of swords pinned to his side. Why would anyone carry so many weapons into battle?

Lucy wasn't familiar with anyone who carried more than three large swords, simply because the weight of an average sword is immense. Therefore, to carry a collection would only slow them down.

The only person she knew to collect every type of sword possible, was her close friend Erza. She definitely carried more than the average person, but still chose a select few for her person. The rest of them littered her quarters, weighing down the ship by several hundred pounds.

Natsu didn't seem to notice Lucy's revelation, but he was over that sword. He was done with the memories it held and the fact that he was dueling with it again! Therefore he grasped his sword and aimed a steady attack, not at the blade, but the hilt.

In order the attempt to keep his fingers, Franmalth was forced to release the sword, making it fall from his grip. However, because of the momentum of his last strike, the sword swung away from his person. Unable to catch it again caused the mighty sword to fall over the side of the ship and lost into the depths of the sea, never to be seen again.

According to plan, Natsu smirked, having disposed of his weapon. Yet, to Natsu's surprise, Franmalth was unmoved by the loss of his sword. Instead he pulled yet another blade out of (what seemed) thin air.

"What the hell?!" Natsu's grin dropped.

This was not a surprise to Lucy, she had seen a peek at his collection, hidden beneath his cloak. It seemed that no matter now many times Franmalth was disarmed, he would draw another weapon. It seemed impossible.

"Not so tough now, huh boy." Franmalth emphasized the word to annoy Natsu further.

Natsu had no response and clenched his jaw in frustration. He turned his eyes to Lucy, who stood about five feet to his right. He saw her tense expression, then he saw her eyebrows raise and her mouth part slightly. He recognized this look. Lucy had an idea.

This one expression from Lucy gave him hope, she knew how to defeat this enemy! She had figured it out.

Natsu wouldn't know what he would do without her, she always knew exactly what to do in a tight situation. She knew exactly what to say and used her head more than her fists.

While Franmalth focused on Natsu, Lucy charged Franmalth from behind. Without hurting him, she placed her hands on his back and pushed him forwards with all the strength she had. Since the man was not excepting to be pushed, she stumbled forwards several feet. Natsu wasn't quite sure what Lucy's plan was, but he followed suit. He spun around Franmalth and started shoving the great man forwards.

"What do you think you're doing?" Franmalth demanded, almost laughing at their pathetic strategy.

Neither Natsu nor Lucy stopped their assault, slowly overpowering him and inching him closer and closer to the ships railing. Now Natsu understood what they were doing. They needed to push him off the edge, it would at least buy them time. Maybe a chance to escape.

"Get off of me!" Franmalth now seemed to understand the reason for their shoving and started to get more aggressive.

He turned his body around so he was facing them, one arm pushed against each of them. Even the combined effort of Natsu and Lucy, they were barely making any progress. This was a large man, strong too. Nevertheless, neither one of them stopped, even when Franmalth started to beat upon them.

"Stop!" The man started to panic, knowing that he was too heavy to swim and beat mercilessly upon his aggressors.

Blows rained down upon Lucy's already concussioned head, her heart beat sounding louder on her ears than the mans angry protests.

After much struggle, Franmalth was halfway over the railing, they were so close! One more push and he would be gone.

Both Natsu and Lucy made eye contact and collectively took in a deep breath, with one final heave they lifted the mighty man up and over the side. Franmalth cried out in anger as he lost the battle and tumbled over the side. But he was not going down without a fight!

He flailed his hands in the air in an attempt to grasp something, anything. He took hold of Natsu's wrist and pulled him down. Natsu's waist slammed into the railing and over the side. He now carried the entire weight of the man and all of his heavy weapons, with only one had to hold on. The action caused his shoulder to dislocate and he cried out in pain.

"Natsu!" Lucy called out to him, seeing his situation.

She immedietly grabbed hold of him before he could be sent overboard with Franmalth. No doubt the large man would drag Natsu down with him if they both reached the water.

"Let me go!" Natsu clawed at the hand pulling him down. The weight immensely painful on his dislocated arm.

"Not a chance." The man heaved himself up, crawling up Natsu's dead arm.

Lucy looked at her feet, to where her sword had fallen. She had dropped it in reaction to grabbing Natsu from falling. But now she was the only thing keeping Natsu from falling down. Did she risk letting go to grab her sword? If she let go with one hand, would he be able to hold himself up for the few seconds it would take to grab her sword? Did she dare risk it?

She knew that didn't have the strength to jump in after him and help him escape the grip of the giant heavy man. If Natsu fell, he would die.

"Do it Lucy!"

Lucy turn her attention back to Natsu, who and noticed her inner struggle.

"But-" She argued.

"Just do it!" Natsu trusted her and knew she had an idea, plus, he couldn't hang on much longer.

Lucy's eyes welled with tears and she released one of her hands, holding him up with only one arm. She used her free arm to grasp the hilt of her stiletto and readied herself to attack. She knew that Franmalth was well out of reach, since he was below Natsu's body. She knew what she had to do and she did not hesitate.

Natsu watched as Lucy retrieved her sword from her feet and immediately threw it down. Shooting it like an arrow upon Franmalths head. The skinny blade pieced his forehead as if he was made of butter, his eyes wide in shock. The mans grip upon Natsu loosed and he fell unmoving down into the waves.

With the last of their strength, Lucy pulled Natsu back over the railing and back on deck. Both breathing heavily.

"Lucy, your sword." Natsu looked back down into the water.

"It's okay Natsu. I'd rather loose my sword, than loose you." She smiled.

"How absolutely touching." A familiar voice taunted from beside them, causing both Natsu and Lucy to freeze in fear.

Looking up, they saw the last person they needed. Acnologia. Lucy was beyond terrified, she didn't know such a legendary killer would be standing before her.

Natsu realized that she was unconscious when Acnologia revealed himself before and this was her first interaction with him. She was talking it well, being face to face with such a notoriously dangerous individual.

"Hope I'm not interrupting, but it's time we finished out little chat."

Acnologia reached down and grabbed Natsu by his throat and lifted him in the air.

"No!" Lucy screamed, attempting to pull him down.

Lucy had zero strength left in her body as blood coated her legs. She could barely keep herself upright, let alone stop Acnologia from tightening grip on Natsu's throat. She had no sword to fight with and was left with no way to fend off the attacker.

"Please, stop!" She resorted to begging, pleading for him to spare her lovers life.

Acnologia somehow found pleasure in Lucy's groveling, in addition to Natsu's gasps. The vile man laughed as Natsu's breathing hitched and grew softer.

"NO!" Lucy screamed as she saw the life being drained out of him.

Just before his eyes closed, Acnologia's grip slacked, which gave Natsu the opportunity to force himself from his claw. Dropping to the floor, Natsu clutching his neck. He breathes in and out slowly, the air soothing his rapid heart beet. He could feel the blood draining from his head as he coughed violently.

He looked up to see the reason why Acnologia released him. Finally, his comrades had come to their aid. Grey and Erza stood on either side of Acnologia, both looking ready for battle.

They each blocked Acnologia's way to Natsu and Lucy, making a blockade. Grey didn't waste another second and charged immediately after his first attack. He looked extremely angry, more so than usual. Something must have happened.

"Erza!" Lucy called out to her friend and hugged her thankfully.

"Thanks." Natsu choked, his voice rough after almost dying.

"Retreat back to Fairytail." She demanded.

"We can't leave you here!" Lucy protested.

"Wendy has a room ready for you. You need to go. Now!"

This time, it was Natsu's turn not to hesitate. He was getting Lucy out of here. He hastily lifted Lucy up and swung her on his back, much to her chagrin.

Without looking back, he fled the scene. Weaving through multiple battles that scattered themselves across the deck, each fight full of fury and blood.

"Go back!"Lucy banged her fists against his back, however her hits were weak and held no energy.

"Sorry Luce, but we're getting out of here."

"We can't leave them!"

He trusted his comrades to hold their own and do the right thing, however, this didn't stop him from worrying.

He forced the negative thoughts to the back of his mind and focused on the task at hand. Getting Lucy back to the Fairytail and to safety. He had to adjust his grip every few second on her, because the blood covering her legs made it slippery.

Lucy continued to vocalize her disapproval, however her voice was faltering with every passing second. Because her body had stopped moving, she finally noticed how over exhausted she was. Yet she fought against her body's natural instincts. Soon her body stopped moving and she allowed sleep to take over.

This relaxed Natsu, finally she was getting the rest she needed. Now he just needed to get her to Wendy, then she could start healing. On his way through the crowd, he caught glimpses of Gajeel, Romeo and Mira, all fighting against the many members of the Tartaros crew. They collectively worked together to clear their path.

From the work of his comrades, he was able to find the plank that connected the two ships. The rickety wooden bridge was heavily guarded, so that no one unwanted could board their boat. At least not by the plank.

Natsu crossed the platform with ease and rushed down into the lower level of the ship. Even with so many people out fighting, the Fairytail was still full of life. The ship held many people who were essential to the crew, but did not fight or go on missions. These people mostly stayed aboard and helped with other domestic duties.

One of these people was a healer named Porlyusica, a generally grouchy elderly woman. She came and went, hoping from place to place. But she was very loyal to their captain Makarov and always helped whenever she was needed, no matter how much she complained about it.

Wendy was Porlyusica's apprentice and they worked together in mending to their crews many injuries with precision.

Swiftly, Natsu rushed down to the medical bay and called out for help. His throat still ached, but he called nonetheless. "Wendy!"

The petite girl poked her head out of the doorway and saw them approaching, her eyes widened in worry at the amount of blood she saw. Wendy rolled up her sleeves and got to work immediately. Thankfully, Levy had warned her ahead of time, but she was never prepared to see her close friends hurt.

She helped Natsu lay her down on the bed, once his job was finished Natsu himself collapsed on the floor. Taking a moment, she lead Natsu over to a different bed to recover his strength. He didn't look too bad, besides some bruising around his neck, she look mostly fine. Though he did look absolutely mentally exhausted.

On the other hand, Lucy was a wreck. She definitely received a concussion and she was loosing a lot of blood from somewhere under Natsu's coat. Why was she wearing his coat?

Wendy lifted the black material up to get a better look at what she was dealing with, but she immediately dropped it back down. She covered her hand over her mouth as the weight of what happened came upon her.

Lucy was completely naked underneath the coat, plus she was bleeding in a very private place. From the quick look she had, the wound looked messy and very painful. This could only mean one thing.

"N-Natsu..." She stuttered, not wanting to accept the reality.

From his laying position, he opened his eyes, starring blankly at the ceiling. "I know." His voice sounded broken and hopeless.

Two words, the simple phrase confirmed Wendy's theory. It was true. Lucy had been raped.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she set to work. There was no time to lament, she had to do her part and help her friend back to health.

Wendy worked quickly, wiped the blood from her legs and cleaned her wound carefully. Then she took the softest bandages she could find and gently wrapped her up. Thankfully, the bleeding had stopped, but the shear amount she had lost meant she wouldn't gain her strength for a while.

One she was finished, she sat back and took a deep breath, this was when the tears fell. She had stayed focused and motivated before, but now her emotions took over. Lucy was one of her cherished friends.

Wendy knew that Lucy was strong and would be alright. But this was going to be a difficult healing process, you don't just jump back up mentally after something as serious as this.

Once Wendy was able to control her cries, she stood and walked over to Natsu's bed. The man had fallen asleep, not that this surprised her. Natsu could fall asleep anywhere and he needed rest too.

"Natsu, wake up." She gently shook his shoulder.

His eyes squinted as a groan escaped him, he still looked exhausted. But she knew he would rest better once he knew Lucy was alright.

"How is she?" Natsu rubbed his eyes and sat up.

Wendy sat next to him and twiddles her fingers. "Physically, she'll be fine."

Natsu turned his head down to look at his friend, she looked nervous.

"She went through something so horrible." Wendy continued softly. "Things won't be the same for a long time. Plus, we know her. She'll definitely pretend everything is fine, but she won't be. She'll push herself too far without giving herself the time to heal."

It's true, those were all high possibilities. Lucy didn't like people worrying about her and always acted as if nothing bothered her. But this was also dangerous. She was scared that being human, meant that she was a burden.

"I trust you to take care of her." Wendy took Natsu's hand and squeezed it, her voice firm and trusting.

Natsu smiled, knowing exactly what she meant. "You know I will."

Wendy's solid expression softened and her shoulders relaxed a bit, knowing that Lucy was in good hands.

"Wendy?" A soft voice grumbled from the other side of the room.

This voice caught both Natsu and Wendy's attention as they looked over. Natsu saw that Juvia was laying in a bed in the corner, she looked pretty banged up.

Wendy slid off the bed and went over to Juvia to see what she needed. Natsu followed close behind, in worry for his friend.

"What happened?" Natsu asked.

"I'm not sure." Wendy retrieved a glass of water from the counter and helped Juvia drink. "Grey brought her down here a while ago. He didn't say much, but he looked furious."

Natsu made a mental note to ask him about it later. Maybe it had something to do with Silver Fulbuster? Grey had told him about their harsh family history, but he would wait until Grey felt comfortable enough to come to him about it. The last thing he wanted was to push it while it was still raw.

While he was thinking, more people came in with their wounded. The loud commotion from above deck seemed to have quieted down, the battle must have finished while he was sleeping. Soon the infirmary was crowded with people all needing attention.

The room was no longer a quiet place of rest and more of a street market of chaos. He was given the "okay" to move Lucy to their quarters, since all she needed now was sleep.

Learning this, he gently scooped Lucy out of her bed and carried her to their room. Their dorm was small, holding only the essentials. A small book shelf held a few of Lucy's favorite books, she would trade out her books at every library she could find. So her set always stayed small, but never the same. 

The shelf next to it held a collection of Natsu's memorabilia. He would take something from every mission or place they would go, so he could remember the good times he had with his friends.

Already feeling at ease, he set Lucy into bed making sure she looked comfortable. Sitting next to her, he brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. She looked mostly peaceful, hopefully she would stay that way after she woke up.

A high pitched chirp chimed from behind him. Looking back he saw Happy sitting on his perch, looking very happy to see them. The blue parrot cocked his head to the side with wide eyes, expecting something.

"You did amazing today." Natsu reached out his arm and his bird flew immediately to him. Finding his favorite spot on Natsu's shoulder, Happy snuggled into his neck. Lifting his fingers, he scratched Happy's fluffy neck, giving him the love he deserved.

"You are the real hero of the story." Natsu opened a drawer and pulled out some of Happy's favorite treats. The bird squeaked loudly and jumped up and down in excitement. Without waiting, he took the treat from Natsu fingers and flew back to his perch to enjoy his food.

Normally, Natsu would try to correct this bad behavior, but he was too tired.

"Butt head." Natsu flopped down next to Lucy and let his body sink into the bed sheets.

"That butt head saved your ass today." Natsu looked up to see Erza standing in the doorway. "I hope you thanked him before you insulted him."

Happy vocalized and flapped his wings in agreement.

"I did." Natsu sat up, once again not able to rest. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't get all feisty, I'm just here to give you this."

She unclasped something from her belt and held it out. The item caught Natsu's attention and he jumped up to receive it.

"My sword!" He unsheathed it and made sure it was intact.

"Acnologia had it, we were barre able to get it back." Erza folded her arms.

"What happened with him?" Natsu asked, putting his sword away safely.

Erza sighed and leaned against the door frame. "He got away."

Natsu clenched his fists, angry at himself for allowing that evil man to escape. The man responsible for his fathers death and now his partners tragedy. Sooner or later their paths would cross agin and he would get his revenge.

"Anyway, we were able to get all the stolen merchandise off the ship." Erza changed the subject. "We're getting ready to set sail for Era, the Council will know what to do with all the stolen relics."

"Yeah..." Natsu agree, barely listening.

Erza could tell that Natsu was no longer 'present' and sighed.

"You've had a long day, I'll let you rest." She took hold of the door knob. "Tell Lucy Im glad she is okay, when she wakes up."

As Erza closed the door, a revelation came over him. She didn't know, no one knew. How was he going to tell people what had happened to their dear friend?

No wait, this was not Natsu's story to tell. This was Lucy's secret and she would decide who and when she would share her story.

Turning to her, he once again attempted to relax. He made himself comfortable on the bed, trying to move as little as possible, so he wouldn't disturb Lucy.

"I'm awake you know." Lucy's soft voice caught him off guard.

"I'm sorry, I was trying to be quiet."

In a moment of shared silence they made eye contact, Lucy could see how fragile his eyes were. He was probably doing everything in his power to make her feel comfortable. But that is not what she needed right now, she just needed him. To be just as he was, as himself.

He was too nervous to touch her, scared that she might feign away from him. However, that is what she needed. So she took the initiative and turned her body into his. Now laying on her side, she wrapped her arms around his torso and took in his comfort.

Natsu was extremely nervous and didn't quite know what to do. But the moment she confided in him, he knew that she would be alright. Hesitantly he followed Lucy's lead and embraced her tenderly. He tucked his chin into her hair and breathed in her smell. The stench of Mard Geer was completely gone, replaced with Natsu's scent.

Never again would he let someone else stain Lucy with their smell. Never again would he let Lucy be treated in such a dirty fashion. From now on he would show her how much he loved and cherished her.

Finally after hours of relentless conflict and interruptions, they could rest properly. Together they laid, as close as possible. Clinging together in peace they found their well deserved calm.