Finished - March 8, 2020

Word Count - 3103

Music - The Witch's House - Memories of the Witch - (Best if played at speed 0.75)

Summary:

Same plot, different perspectives. Read Natsu's point of view of the events of the last chapter titled "Still Doll - Lucy".

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He should be happy, he was going on a Mission with his two best friends. Yet, Natsu still couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Nothing was out of the ordinary. He was doing his favorite thing with his favorite people, still, he couldn't shake the feeling. The feeling that he was being watched, or that something bad was going to happen. As a Dragon Slayer, he learned not to doubt his instincts. they were there for a reason and usually they were right. Therefore, Natsu subconsciously decided to stay alert.

Lucy, Happy and himself were walking through the woods just on the outskirts of Magnolia. This was one of the reason they had picked out this mission. It was close to home and Natsu wouldn't have to ride in the train. Which, of corse, he was very thankful for.

As they walked, Natsu started to notice how the forest was changing. Some of the trees looked much different than others. Curious, he walked up to one and poked its odd texture.

"Hey, Luce. Look at this!" He called to his partner in awe.

"Found something?" She asked from a few feet away.

"Yeah! Look at this tree!" Natsu wiggled the branches on the air and hooted loudly. His face scrunched up in a silly expression and he attempted amuse her. "Im the ghooOOoost tree!"

"Really?" Lucy laughed at his foolishness, her giggle lifting his mood immensely. "That was a bad joke."

"Hey, you are the one who laughed."

"This tree seems to be just as the Request said." Lucy swerved his previous comment and moved on to examining the bizarre tree. "Its turned into cloth, as if it was sewn together like a quilt."

"Thats what makes it so bendy." Natsu continued to flail the branches up and down.

"I wonder what kind of Magic this witch holds." Lucy wasn't paying attention to him anymore, now lost in her own thoughts.

Natsu shook his head at her funny behavior and simply followed her as she walked deeper into the woods.

The further they walked, the more fabric trees appeared. Soon enough there were less real trees than fake. The forest transformed into a clothen woodland. Scattered randomly on the grass were random picture frames. Painted on the canvases were pictures of animals, dozens of different types of creatures. Oil depictions of deer, squirrels and even birds.

As fantastic as it seemed, these ominous signs made Natsu's uneasiness grow.

Out of nowhere, Natsu felt a strong force knock him off his feet. Like a harsh wind, he rolled backwards.

Once the wind died down, he found his balance and sat up to see what had hit him. sitting up he saw a small girl, she looked no older than twelve years old. She looked disheveled and dirty, her long black hair covering most of her face. However Natsu could see the girl's demonic eyes peeking out from her unkept mane.

Natsu swallowed in almost fear of the sight of this person. He then rushed over to where Lucy had fallen and helped her stand. Natsu made sure she was not injured before moving his attention elsewhere.

"Are you both alright?" A familiar voice called. Natsu looked up to see Happy flying towards them.

"Im okay buddy." He answered and stretched out his arm.

"She came out of nowhere." Lucy commented from her spot on the grass.

Lucy was correct. Natsu hadn't noticed her presence at all! Surely he should have detected her by her scent, or heard her walking. But no, he hd no idea she was there at all!

This was when Natsu realized something was off. He took in the smells of the forest, only to realize this girl didn't have a scent at all! It was impossible, everyone had a smell. He had never met anyone who didn't have a fragrance.

After further inspection, he saw that the girl was surrounded by a large red bubble. This force field must had kept her aroma hidden. Plus this sphere was floating just above the ground, making her moves silent.

"I'm gunna beat this little girl to a pulp!" Natsu was angered by her sneaky approach, he didn't like being snuck up on. Therefor he was filled with a new determination to defeat this small witch.

"Wait." Lucy stuck out her arm to stop Natsu's actions. Hesitantly, he lowered his fists and listened to her.

Lucy turned her back to him and slowly walked up to the Witch. Natsu immediately didn't like where this was going.

"Luce. What are you doing?" His tone darkened.

However Lucy didn't respond to him and simply kept walking towards the deadly girl.

"I don't want to fight you." Lucy held out her hands calmly.

What was she thinking? The witch attacked them first!

"We don't want to hurt you, I just want to talk." Lucy inched forward with complete composure, her voice unwavering.

However, Natsu was very tense. His mind playing out dozens of possible scenarios of what could happen next. He needed to make sure that nothing bad was about to happen. That no matter what, Lucy would be safe.

For the first time, the Witch spoke. "I DON'T WANT TO TALK!" Her voice deafeningly loud as it bounced around Natsu's skull. The girl was obviously upset by something and Lucy was now inches away from bearing that burden.

As Lucy and the Witch continued to talk Natsu took slow steps forward. Not wanting to agitate her any further, yet still wanting to be close to Lucy. Soon, he stood directly behind her and watched the scene from over her head.

"NO! Thats not what I meant!" Another vocal wail ripped through his ears.

"Then what do you mean?" Lucy held her hand out defensively.

The girl lifted a single finger aimed directly at Lucy and laughed.  "I want you to be my dolly."

Natsu's eyes widened as he saw what was going to happen. Everything became a blur, he barely saw the attack. He only knew that it was coming and Lucy would be hit. Therefore he had no other choice, he had to remove her from its path.

He immediately shoved her aside, ensuring that she was safe from the blast. However, as he pushed her, his body replaced her position. As he was hit Natsu felt all his strength leave him and he sunk to his knees. Oddly enough, the attack was not painful, not at all. Instead he simply felt drained and suddenly over exhausted.

He lifted his head with immense effort in an attempt to look back at Lucy. Her face was horrified as she stared at him in disbelief. She shouldn't look so troubled, she was safe.

"Luce..." Natsu attempted to tell her not to worry. But after the one word his eyes rolled back and he slipped away.

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Natsu's head felt cloudy and his hearing muffled. Everything was fuzzy and his body was stiff.

"Turn him back." Natsu heard Lucy's voice, but it sounded different. It wasn't the same soft and gentle voice he was used to. Instead her voice was harsh and direct. It gave him chills, he hardly ever saw this side of Lucy.

Natsu focused his eyes, he was laying on his back and looking up into the trees. He couldn't see her, he needed to see her! Natsu tried to roll over and stand up, however, he found himself unable to move. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not.

Natsu mentally thrashed his arms, legs, anything. But nothing. He couldn't even move his eyes. He was stuck starring at the canopy, motionless. He felt like a camera, only able to see what was directly in front of it.

"Turn him back now!" Lucy's voice entered his ears again. She sounded extremely angry. Why?

"I-I can't!" He heard a second voice, this one small and fearful. What was happening?!

"What do you mean you can't?!"

Natsu desperately wished he could see what was going on. He attempted again to turn his head, but once again failed. As he was doing this, something came into his view.

It was Happy, but he was huge! Happy looked to be much taller Natsu! The giant blue cat picked Natsu up with ease and held him at arms length.

What the heck was going on?! How had Happy grown so much?

Happy turned Natsu around and hugged him tightly. But Natsu was more interested in his new vantage point. He was now facing Lucy, he could see her.

She was sitting pitifully in the grass on her knees, her expression distant. Lucy seemed deep in thought, until she turned her head horridly over to them. She stood and carefully made her way over to him and Happy.

However, Natsu didn't expect her to grow in size as she advanced. Lucy's far off perspective looked normal, but the closer she walked, the larger she became. Soon enough she was standing in front of Happy, tears in her eyes.

Lucy knelt down and pick them up easily. What happened? Now Lucy was a giant too? Natsu's mind spun, trying to figure it out. He was the one hit by the spell, so why were they affected?

Natsu froze. He understood. For it was not Happy and Lucy that had grown, he, Natsu had shrunk. He was the one hit, he was the one affected. Happy and Lucy looked ginormous because he was small.

Lucy brought Natsu close to her and held him tightly. However, Natsu could not feel her touch. In fact he couldn't feel anything, he was completely numb. Natsu had become a lifeless pare of eyes.

But he could hear her cries, Lucy attempting to hold in her tears. The sound broke his heart. Natsu had heard Lucy cry like this only once before. After she lost the battle at the magic games, he went to visit her in her room. She was so overcome with self disappointment that she hid in her room. She didn't want anyone else to hear her cry, so she attempted to hold in her emotions. Feeling guilty for loosing, plus feeling weak for crying.

Luckily, Natsu was there for her. But now, he was only a spectator. Watching and listening to her choked sobs.

She shouldn't be so sad, there must be a way for him to return to normal size. He wasn't stuck like this forever, it had to be temporary. But how?

"...you can..." Natsu heard a distant voice. He focused his attention into the forest beyond Lucy. There he could see the Witch. She looked different from the last time he saw her. Much more timid and cautious. She quickly turned and disappeared into the woods.

What did she mean? You can? Who can? Who can what?

Natsu then realized what he was thinking about just before he heard the voice. He was wondering how to break the spell. Or more specifically...who.

The Witch answered that question with the two words, "you can". Natsu assumed that she was not talking to him, but to Lucy. Lucy could break the spell. But only Lucy? Was she the only one with the ability to set him free?

"Come on, we need to get Natsu to the Guild. Maybe they can do something about this curse." Lucy addressed Happy and climbed to her feet.

Happy nodded and took hold of the back of Lucy's shirt. Together they flew over the tree tops and towards the direction of the Guild.

As he was lifted up, Natsu viewed the ground. Spectating the immense distance between them and the ground below. He could see Lucy's arms wrapped tightly around him, but this was also the first time he saw his own body.

Natsu examined his lower half in awe. Not only had he shrunk, his appearance had completely changed. His hand and feet were replaced with nubs, flapping limply in the wind. He looked like he was made out of cloth. Natsu was a doll!

By the time he had processed this information, they had arrived at the Guild. Lucy landed gracefully on the ground and immediately sprinted straight up the stairs and into the Masters office.

Lucy knocked impatiently at the door, his view wiggled up and down. Even if he couldn't see her feet, Natsu knew she was bouncing on her toes. A tick Lucy always had when she was nervous.

When the door opened, she shot inside. Lucy landed heavily in a chair and started to ramble. Her words quick, sloppy and emotional. However he clearly made out the words "it was supposed to be me".

Natsu's heart cracked. How could she say something like that? Natsu willingly pushed her out of the way. He never blamed her, not even for a second. How could she feel guilty about something she had no control over?

Now Natsu started to feel guilty. Lucy felt responsible for his actions and he put that weight on her shoulders. Natsu thought she would feel grateful for saving her, instead she looked heartbroken.

He was taken out of his thoughts when the Master picked him up gently. He could feel his eyes gaze over Natsu cotton features. "I know of this curse."

"Really?" Lucy's voice sounded much brighter.

"Unfortunately..." Oh no... "This is not a curse I can reverse."

Natsu heard the scrapping of a chair sledding back and a bang. "What?! That can't be right!"

"I am afraid it is true. This is a strong spell neither I, nor anyone downstairs can break."

The Master was telling the truth, yet Natsu caught the loop hole in his statement. He was right, Makarov could not break the spell. Also, no one downstairs had the ability. But there was someone else upstairs who could. Lucy was upstairs and she could break the curse.

If the Master knew the answer, why didn't he just tell her how?

Then Natsu remembered that certain spells could only be broken by accident. Spells such as; incantations, silly charms and transformation. For example; if a person knew exactly how to break the spell, it would no longe be broken in that manner.

Natsu's curse must be that of love. The reason Lucy was the only one able to break it is because he loved her. Therefore the master couldn't tell Lucy that she could break the spell. Because then she would never be able to save him!

Natsu felt himself be lifted gently from the desk and he returned to his place in Lucy's arms. Silently Lucy left the Master and Happy in the office and walked slowly out. Lucy's pace was sluggish and obviously sad. Natsu watched as people pressed around her, asking her multitudes of questions. However, Lucy continued without a word and walked out of there Guild.

She continued her solum trudge to her apartment, not a sound coming from her. Natsu was scared and nervous, he didn't know how Lucy would react to this and so far she wasn't giving him any signs. She was quiet and it annoyed him to no end that he couldn't see her face!

Lucy didn't bother changing her clothes or putting away her things, instead she fell straight on her bed. Natsu was turned around, he could see her sorrowful face starring back at him.

He tried to yell and scream, desperate to tell he was still alive. Begging her not to give up on him! It killed him that he knew how to break the spell, but he had no way of communicating to her. He wanted nothing more that to reach out and comfort her. Seeing Lucy sad was one of the most heartbreaking things he had ever seen.

When Lucy normally gets sad, he would do everything in his power to make her happy again. But now, he could only watch and hope she could out how to bring him back.

"I am so sorry Natsu." Tears suddenly burst from her eyes as her emotions erupted. "I'm sorry! I know you can never forgive me!"

What?! Natsu couldn't believe his ears, was this really how Lucy felt?

"Please, let this be a dream! I can't loose you, not you too. Why did you do that? It should have been me to take that spell, not you. I deserve it, my life has already been a mess of the ones I love leaving! You of all people said that we would always be together! I believed you...I believed you..."

Natsu was speechless, now feeling more guilty than ever. He didn't realize this was how Lucy would have reacted. She was blaming herself.

Lucy folded her arms in and tucked Natsu into her neck. Lucy sobbed, a loud, broken wail. Natsu's heart tore as he heard Lucy grieve for him. She cried so hard that she had to take large gasps of air in-between sobs. Her body physically shook through the ugly blubber of emotions.

She calmed down for just a moment and whispered something. A simple, but powerful sentence.

"I love you." Her voice timid and wistful.

He couldn't feel it, but it looked like Lucy kissed the top go his forehead. Her chin resting in the upper register of his camera vision. He yearned to be able to feel her kiss him! Then suddenly, he could! The feeling randomly came back to his body, able to perceive the touch of her lips and even softness of her hands upon his small body.

As this sensation spread, he noticed Lucy's eyes widen and she dropped him on her floor. The weirdest feeling wafted over his bones as the room became smaller. His perspective floated up and he regained control of his limbs.

finally able to move his vision, he looked down at himself. Everything seemed to be back to normal! He stretched his sore arms and wiggled his fingers.

Smiling wide he looked up to Lucy, but she simply starred terror-stricken at him. Her eyes wide with tears and mouth dropped open. She was breathing heavily, not believing what she was seeing.

Natsu slacked his excited shoulders and approached her gently. He took her hand and noticed she was violently shaking. He prepared his voice for use and said two words.

"Thanks Luce."