~Gone~

Song; Hymn for the Missing

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~Natsu's P.O.V~

Natsu Dragneel slashed his wings through the air with so much power that it made the wind whistle in his ears. The moon's light shined down upon his scales, making them glitter and glow each time he flapped his wings. Natsu's sharp eyes searched the ground as he circled the castle high up in the sky where no human eye could spot him.

Then he saw it; his target.

Natsu tucked in his wings and dive bombed out of the sky. Wind whipped through his hair and made his scarf do a crazy dance as if to keep up with the fast tempo the wind set. His eyelids lowered to shield his eyes from the harshness the cold element dealt out. Natsu's eyes dilated as the ground got closer and closer...his eyes snapped open and his pupils expanded.

Natsu unleashed his wings just in time to stop himself from scraping his face in the dirt. With a gently flap, he dropped onto the ground, tucked in his wings, and jogged over to the hole he had created a couple of nights before. Along the way, he allowed his Dragon features to fade away in a cloud of ash. Natsu was glad the guards hadn't noticed the melted metal as he slipped through. This time, he was prepared for the darkness that greeted him coldly.

With a snap of his fingers, a flame appeared, and the darkness recoiled. Natsu scanned the area of the cavern where he had landed and when he saw no threat, he continued forward. He had to admit, it was far creepier down here than last time. Well, he had had Lucy and Happy with him at the time. It was just too dangerous to bring them along this time. That didn't stop him from feeling lonely though.

How strange was it that just under a month, if Lucy wasn't with him whenever he went off onto an adventure, Natsu didn't quite enjoy them like he used to?

The Dragon Slayer shook his head as he coaxed his little flame to burn brighter. He would need it to if this plan was going to work. Levy had informed him that if he wanted his Nest Mates to get out safely, he would have to burn the Lacrimas at just the right temperature, at just the right angle. But, after he busted the Lacrimas, Levy had said that alarms would go off, signaling the guards.

Natsu and the rest of the Dragon Slayers would have to be gone by then.

Erza had said that she would handle the alarms if she could get to them in time. The key was timing. They only had until the fireworks show ended and the music stopped. Natsu had roughly eighteen minutes. Eighteen minutes to burn something that could kill him carefully. Eighteen minutes to wake his Nest Mates. Eighteen minutes to avoid capture.

And eighteen minutes to get back to Lucy.

As soon as Natsu skidded into the room with the glowing blue and white Lacrimas that held his family inside of them. He got to work lighting them up. It was a tedious task that had Natsu cursing and snarling. It was so not his style to burn things slowly. He was more the, "Let's light everything on fire and worry about the consequences later," type of Dragon.

After what seemed like an eternity, there was a pop, and a hiss of steam, and a body fell out of the crystal prison. Natsu swiftly caught the small form in his arms with a relieved breath.

First Dragon Slayer to break out; Wendy Marvell, the Sky Dragon Slayer.

Natsu carefully laid her down on the cool ground and got to work on the others.

Second Dragon Slayer; Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer.

Third; Laxus Dreyar; the Lightning Dragon Slayer.

Fourth; Sting Eucliffe, the White Dragon Slayer.

Fifth; Rouge Cheney, the Shadow Dragon Slayer.

The last; Cobra, the Poison Dragon Slayer, and the least one Natsu wanted to save.

Natsu bent over and breathed in heavily, sweat dripping down his face and back. This mission had been more difficult then he had previously thought. At least the alarms hadn't gone off. He knew he had to hurry, time was leaving him faster and faster then he would like. Natsu had to-

"Natsu-San!"

The Dragon only had a second to spin around before something small and blue knocked into him. Little arms wrapped around his waist and held him tightly. A head full of blue hair buried itself against his stomach, Natsu could feel the coldness of tears soaking through his clothes. A tired, but bright smile came across his face.

"Wendy." Natsu breathed, wrapping his arms tightly around his youngest Nest Mate.

"I knew you would find us." Wendy choked out through her tears. "I knew it." Natsu grinned as he ruffled her hair, "Like you had to have any doubt."

"It's about damned time!" A gruff voice rose up, making an immediate scowl come across Natsu's face. "The hell ya been, Salamander?" Gajeel barked, getting right up in Natsu's face with a frown.

"Well, 'scuse me!" Natsu snarled right back. "But I had to break into this place, find a way to get your dumbass out of that thing without killin' ya, and this is the thanks I get?" Natsu smirked, "You haven't changed a bit, Metal Head." Gajeel cracked a rare grin and hit his Nest Mate on the shoulder. "Gihihi, same to ya, Salamander."

"Natsu-San!" A thrilled voice called out. "I missed you!" Once again, Natsu was tackled, but this time by a tall, blond haired boy.

"I-I missed you too, Sting." Natsu choked out, his arms windmilling to keep his balance as the White Dragon Slayer hugged him in gratitude.

"Sting," the Shadow Dragon Slayer, Rouge, called out to his friend, getting up from the ground. "You should know better then to crush the one who saved us." Sting smiled sheepishly as he let go, turning to sling his arm around the normally silent Dragon Slayer. Rouge remained quiet when he faced Natsu, but nodded in appreciation to the Fire Dragon Slayer, even going as far as to offer him a quirk of a grin.

Natsu began to smile back when someone knocked their shoulder into his harshly. The smell of rotting flesh and sickly fumes filled the Fire Dragon Slayer's sensitive nose, his eyes flashed. Cobra.

A young man with a scar sealing his eye closed came into Natsu's vision.
"I could hear your thoughts." Cobra hissed smugly. "Don't expect any gratitude from me." The Poison Dragon Slayer grinned wickedly at Natsu's rumbling growl.

"I didn't expect a thanks from you." The Fire Dragon Slayer growled lowly, warningly. They both had been on shaky ground with each other, ever since that battle that they had had years ago, when Cobra had went rouge. It had been a risk for Natsu to break him out...but he couldn't just leave him to rot.
Cobra had been a friend once.

Before the two Dragon Slayers could have a go at each other's throats, a deep, rumbling voice was heard.
"Thanks, kid."
Natsu looked up to see Laxus, who dropped a heavy hand on his younger Nest Mate's head.

Laxus moved away after a moment and stood with the other Dragon Slayers, who were looking to Natsu expectedly. "Which way is out?" Laxus rumbled, looking around the cave that had been his prison for too long.
Natsu eyed his Nest Mates with a small smile. Mavis, had he missed them all.

Natsu titled his head to the place he had come from, "Over there." With Natsu in the lead, he began to bring his family out of the place that had been hiding them. It wasn't long before a question that the Fire Dragon Slayer feared rose up to his ears.

"Oi, Salamander, what's under the bandage?" Natsu looked over his shoulder to find Gajeel's crimson eyes narrowed on his arm. "Somethin' don't feel right 'bout that arm of yer's." Instinctively Natsu touched the white gauze and grinned mischievously. "It's a secret, don't question your savior, Metal Head."

"Why you little-" Gajeel was cut off when the sound of rushing footsteps drifted into their sharp ears. Natsu sucked in a sharp breath-the guards were coming.
The alarm had been sounding.

"Plan T!" Natsu roared, frantically bolting down the long cavern tunnel.

"What the hell is a plan T?" Laxus grumbled, following after the fire breather at a swift walk.

"Run for it!" Natsu yelled back, his shadowy form getting smaller and smaller.

"Shouldn't it be Plan R?!" Gajeel yelled, high tailing it after the Salamander.

"Natsu-San is so wise!" Sting said giddily as he ran with Rouge by his side.

"I wish I couldn't hear your dumbass thoughts," Cobra hissed, stomping after the other Dragon Slayers.

Wendy let out a puff of air and grinned, she had missed her Nest Mates, and dashed after them.

Natsu was running when he chanced a glance back, and skidded to a stop when he saw his Nest Mates lagging behind. A muscle in his jaw jumped when he saw how exhausted they all were. Even Laxus was gasping for breath. Those Lacrimas must have drained them. Natsu thought as he ran back, and placed himself in front of them all.

Natsu growled, spun, and slammed his flaming fist into the ground, cracking it and sending a shudder through the earth. Fire followed after the cracked earth and shot to where Natsu knew the guards were coming from.

That should halt them for a bit. He thought, straightening to face his Nest Mates...who were all barely able to stand. Their breaths were coming in heavy pants as they all fought for breath. Their bodies shook from the amount of strain the running had taken from them.

Natsu looked to his family with worry shining in his dark eyes, and fixed his gaze over his shoulder where the enemy was coming from. With a deep breath, he turned back to his Nest Mates. "You all need to go, now." He said, much to all of their anger and disagreement.

"No way, Natsu-San!" Wendy called out to him desperately. "We all just got back together! Please don't leave!"

"Yeah, Salamander! Get yer ass back here now!" Gajeel demanded with his red eyes narrowed.

"Go to Lucy!" Natsu told them, swiftly dodging to the side to miss a spear that had been about to chop his head off. He puffed out a bit of smoke, irritated. "Just listen to me, dammit!" He yelled, setting fire to an arrow aimed at his heart.

"Who the hell is Lucy?!" Gajeel grunted, weak with fatigue and out of breath.

Natsu looked over his shoulder and smirked, "She's my partner!"

Natsu got deadpanned looks from at least half of his Next Mates. "Who'd the hell would want to be your partner?" Cobra hissed.

"Shut up and go!" Was the Fire Dragon Slayer's snapped reply.
"No!" Wendy stomped her small foot with defiance. "I am not going- ah!" Sting had scooped her up in his arms and was already turning away.
"Oi!" Gajeel yelled, pointing a weak finger at him. "Ya better be right behind us!"

The Fire Dragon Slayer sent his Nest Mate a cocky grin. "Course!"
Natsu turned around once he was sure his family was far enough away to stay safe. With a smirk on his scaled face he pounded his fist into the palm of his hand. Fire flared up around his arms and face. "Now I'm all fired up!" He roared as he faced off against his enemies...who looked nothing like humans...

Natsu's world went black.

🔥🌟

Lucy was pacing her room.

Her feet led her back and forth in a memorized route. She'd been doing this for so long. Too long.

He should be back by now. Lucy thought, biting her thumbnail, her brown eyes filled with worry. Happy watched her from where he lay curled up on her bed. His coal black eyes were sad and his ears were flattened against his head.
The Exceed missed his Dragon as well.

Natsu was late, oh so very late. Lucy glanced to the annoying clock that seemed to mock her with every tick. An hour late. Natsu's an hour late.

"If I'm not back in twenty...just wait longer."

"Where are you now, Natsu?" Lucy worried her bottom lip, facing the night sky from inside her room. Her stomach seemed hollow and her heart seemed to be the only thing inside of her body. It was the heaviest. It beat so loudly that her bones seemed to vibrate. Her skin had become clammy and cold with sweat. Lucy broke free from her relentless pacing and leaned up against her bed post.

Lucy thought of all the non horrible ways as to why he was so late;

It could take longer than he had previously thought to melt the Lacrimas.

Natsu could be catching up with his Nest Mates.

He could be finding a better place to hide them.

Or, he could be heading back right now, as she thought of this. Lucy looked to the sky and wished for her eyes to take in the small form of Natsu getting closer and closer to her. She yearned to see him flying amongst the stars with the moon at his back, protecting, and guiding him to her.

It did not happen that way.

There was a creak as Lucy's door opened a bit, making Lucy whip her head in that direction, her heart in her throat, hope stirring- Levy poked her head in, making the Princess' heart sink. "Uh, Lu-chan." The jay blue haired Mage whispered. "You should come out to the garden." She gave her Lady a urgent look. "Now."

A cord snaked around the Princess' heart as she grabbed Happy and bolted out the door. Still wearing her dress but not caring in the slightest. She dashed down the empty hallways, kicking off her heels when she leaped down the staircase, and busted out into the open air. Lucy ran into the Royal Garden, fell to her knees to crawl through the secret entrance, and scrambled to her feet.

Right into the eyes of six Dragon Slayers.

She must have been quite a sight.

Her blond hair was a mess, her vermillion dress had been torn, her brown eyes were wild, and a blue kitten was perched on top of her head.
Sting leaned over to Rouge to whisper in his ear, "This is Princess Lucy?" The Shadow Dragon Slayer elbowed him in the gut for his rudeness.
"Holy shit," Gajeel grunted. "She's real." A glare from Laxus shut the Iron Dragon Slayer right up.

Lucy panted, her eyes quickly scanning the faces that she did not recognize, and not locating the one she did.

The cord grew needles.

Lucy spun and set her burning eyes onto the Dragon Slayer in the front of the group. "You," she jabbed a finger at a man with messy black hair, several piercings dotting his face, and wearing a frown that made him look fearsome. Lucy's urgency overloaded the intimidation that he was giving off to her. "Where is Natsu Dragneel?"

Her heart was the only sound in her ears as she waited for his answer.

The Dragon Slayers exchanged looks, eyes filled with worry and failure. The crimson eyed Dragon Slayer crossed his studded arms across his chest and gruffly sighed.
"Salamander didn't make it out."

Lucy's heart faltered and pain shot through her at the words she never wanted to hear. "Liar." The word tumbled out of her mouth on a whisper. The wind picked that moment to come to life. The frigid element smacked into the Dragon Slayers and the Princess harshly.
Even the wind was in denial.

"I ain't lyin', Bunny Girl," the man barked. "We've been waitin' for 'im to return but he hasn't."
"He saved us," A small, timid voice sounded from behind the metal clad Slayer. "Natsu-San told us to run." The voice trailed off brokenly and the largest one of the group with a wicked lightning shaped scar across his eye spoke. "The kid said he would return and we were too weak to argue with him. To fight with him. We would just have held him back."

Now that Lucy was really looking at Natsu's Nest Mates, she saw how exhaustion had taken over them, leaving them brittle and barely breathing. Lucy knew she should not blame them. Natsu was Natsu after all, he was so stubborn, and ready to protect anyone who he deemed worthy of it. Even so, hurt, anger, fear, and worry were four emotions one does not wish to mix together.

And they were all jumbled inside of Lucy.

Rage. Swift and scalding flowed through the Princess' veins, making her lips curl back from her teeth. "He came to rescue you." She hissed, looking at them all now. "All of you. And you just...left him?" Disbelief coursed through her along with her anger. Both emotions clashed together and merged into one. Creating a typhoon ready to drown anyone in her path.

The result was one pissed off Princess.

Without another word, Lucy turned, and stalked off. She was going to find Natsu. She was going to bring him back, like they should have. They better start praying, Lucy seethed, because I am taking them out!

The cord locked around her heart.

It was time for the Princess to save the Dragon!

🔥🌟

Just as the Dragon is reunited with his loved ones, he is forced to leave them! The Dragon faces off against opponents that he didn't see coming! What will become of him?
It is time for the Princess to save the Dragon!

Let the Adventure Continue!

This Chapter is for
_Mad_Man_With_A_Box