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shelbyshoe · 4 years

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Fairies After Dark

Chapter 4

Natsu, a Horde vampire, desires nothing more than to find his father and leave his brother behind. Lucy, an immortal Valkyrie, just needs to get this Horde bounty off her head. Doesn’t help the assassin after her is a gorgeous vampire with cherry pink hair.

Rated: M (sexual content, violence, and harsh language)

Words: 10118

FF.net link here.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

NALU set in the Immortals After Dark universe by Kresley Cole. I highly recommend the book series. Check out the wiki for more information. Not required to understand the story, but recommended as the universe is fantastic. Hope you enjoy!

I'm trying to help you find our family! What was that in the basement about trusting me with your life? I want to help him help us!

-Lucy Heartfilia (AKA Lucy the Celestial Valkyrie)

I'm under the firm belief that I'm in charge of my own destiny.

-Natsu Dragneel (AKA Natsu the Salamander)

“Okay, I may have deserved that.” Natsu’s hand pressed against his bleeding nose. Gray’s eyes were dark with rage. He had his hands around his waistband as if he wanted to remove his pants. If Natsu didn’t know that Gray stripped before a fight as an unconscious habit, the action would have appeared lewd. “Just keep your pants on, please.”

“You deserve more than that, but I need you. You’ll live for now.”

“How soft hearted of you,” Natsu said. Gray sneered and moved forward. The snow had piled up and made it hard to trudge through. The old pale castle stood proud surrounded by the vast white blanket.

“What’s the deal with you and that blond Valkyrie?” Gray’s curiosity slipped in his tone.

“I know you’re anxious to get your hands on me, Gray. But alas, I am loyal to one.” Natsu squashed down the nerves that rose at Lucy’s absence, but she was safe with the other Valkyrie. Gray paused in the snow.

“You found your bride?” Gray threw the words at him like an accusation.

“Don’t be jealous. I’m sure there’s a great woman or man out there for you too. Until then, why not snuggle up with that little witch you had your eyes on?” Natsu wiped the blood above his lips. Snuggling was all an un-blooded vampire could do anyway. Gray’s eyes widened at Natsu’s suggestion. Bullseye. He knew there was interest in the witch. He’d save that information for another time.

“I hate you.” Gray continued forward and refused to speak to him until they reached the castle doors. The snow had piled in front of the large entry. Instead of knocking, Gray moved to the far side of the door to a black panel. He pressed a finger against a button and waited.

“State your name and business,” a voice said from the speaker.

“That’s some tech for such an old place. I’m sure it was a bitch to install electricity,” Natsu said. Gray narrowed his eyes at Natsu.

“This is General Fullbuster. I need to speak to Master Fernandes,” Gray said into the com.

“Master? Wow,” Natsu mouthed.

“Who is with you?” the voice asked.

“A recruit,” Gray said. Natsu followed his gaze up to a camera above the panel. He waved at it and posed for the gatekeeper— to Gray’s dismay. A loud click came from the door in reply. Gray pushed past him and entered the front room lit with electric wall fixtures. Natsu whistled low at the grandeur of the interior. The Forebearer castle just as ancient and boring as the Horde’s dark fortress.

“Does Jellal own all this? Rich man. We could make a financial agreement for information. How about that for a plan?” Natsu nudged Gray with his shoulder. “Take the money and run am I right?”

“At least show a little respect. Aren’t you afraid since you’re in the castle of your enemy?” Gray asked.

“The Forebearers aren’t my enemy. That’s all the Horde’s business,” Natsu said.

“You have no sense of loyalty.” Gray led Natsu up the grand staircase, because of course there was one of those, and to an ornate door. He knocked lightly on the filigree that swirled across the wood surface.

“Come in,” a man’s voice called from inside. The room was a spacious study. Books lined the walls that came to a point at a grandiose wooden desk. Bears and wolves carved into the rich brown oak. A man stood behind it wearing a white jacket like the one Gray discarded in the snow. His back turned to them and he stared down a tall window that overlooked the grounds.

“We shouldn’t punch our guests, Gray.” His dark blue hair stuck out at different angles. When he turned, Natsu noticed a crimson tattoo stretched down his cheek. Muscles in Gray’s jaw contracted, but he only nodded to his commander.

“Wow, you give me snide comebacks all the time. As soon as master chews you out, you’re silent?” Natsu said.

“Welcome, Natsu Dragneel.” The man regarded them with a smile. There was power behind that cool voice— a similar sense of power he’d felt when speaking to Zeref. “I’m Jellal Fernandes. What brings you here?”

“Tell him.” Gray gestured toward Jellal with impatience.

“Long story short, I need to find a Valkyrie named Mavis the Fairy Tactician.” Natsu flopped into one of the many leather armchairs. His body bounced on the plush cushion. Jellal’s gaze trailed Natsu. If the name was any significance to him, he didn’t show it on his face. The man was a true diplomat.

“Why does a Horde vampire want to know where a Valkyrie is?” Jellal sat at the desk and leaned back into his own leather chair. His eyes pierced through Natsu. How much did he feel like revealing? Gray stood like a statue with his arms crossed. Natsu was on his own. The first time he’d felt intimidated in enemy territory.

“The Valkyrie sent me and Gray here to ask you that question. They suspect the Black Wizard has her.” Natsu picked at some chipped gold paint on the armrest. When Jellal regarded Gray, he nodded in confirmation.

“Wouldn’t you know better than any of us? He is your brother.” Jellal didn’t sound accusing, in fact, he sat back in his chair with his elbow upon the armrest and cheek resting in his palm. His demeanor was as calm as it was when they first entered the study. Natsu suspected it was all for show.

“Zeref and I aren’t exactly close.”

“In that case, I think we can help each other.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Natsu leaned forward in the chair.

“You’re not seriously going to help him,” Gray said. Jellal shot him a sharp look.

“I happen to know that we have a common enemy. I’m willing to work with the enemy of my enemy.”

“You were in the last Accession war,” Natsu said.

“I was.”

“You must know what happened to the Valkyrie.”

“You can’t just ask for information without coming to some deal!” Gray’s entire body rippled with tension and eyes darkened. His composure, that he worked so hard to keep up, fell apart in front of them.

“Leave us, Gray.” Jellal’s voice was a silky threat.

“I can’t leave you with—”

“That will be all, Fullbuster.” Jellal pointed to the door. Gray clenched his fists at his sides and traced from the room. “I met her on the battlefield, but we didn’t fight. What the Fairy Tactician lacked in fighting ability she made up for in intelligence.”

“Did you kill her?”

“No, Zeref took her.” And there was the truth that he already knew.

“What happened, Jellal?” Natsu asked. Jellal raised a brow.

“Few people address me by my first name.”

“What happened?” Natsu’s body went still. He had no time for word circles and pleasantries. He was no politician.

“I was in the middle of destroying Horde vampires and a few of their demon allies. The Black Wizard traced to the Valkyrie’s camp there. We Forebearers weren’t exactly allies with the Valkyrie, but we weren’t enemies either. Made sure to steer clear.”

“Did he kill her?”

“You believe a mere vampire could kill a Valkyrie so easily? Even Zeref would have had a time with the task. No, I believe he took her with him. They argued on the battlefield. He overpowered her and took her under his arm. Never saw her again.”

“What would they have to argue about?” None of it made sense to Natsu. If Zeref wanted to kill his enemy, he would have. Why go through the trouble to abduct her, and then never say anything to anyone about it? Something was off.

“You ask the same questions I have. I can’t allow Zeref to have what he wants. As his brother, you know better than I do that the Horde king wants to see the world burn.” That’s where Natsu disagreed with him. Zeref appeared a vampire on a mission, a mission that was slowly eating away at him, physically and mentally. He felt purpose, not a blind animalistic need to kill. “I have told you all I know about the Fairy Tactician. I hope it is some help to the Valkyrie. Now, it is my turn to ask questions.” Jellal lay his hands flat on the desktop. His eyes bore into him like blades. This was what the Forebearer leader wanted— an audience with him. “Why stay with the Horde if you have no allegiances to them?”

“Gray didn’t fill you in?”

“He says you’re a fool.”

“What do you think?”

“I think you have more intelligence than you allow others to see. I think you have some greater plan.”

“I’ll always take a compliment, but I have to admit I don’t have an agenda.” Natsu stretched in the chair and pulled his legs over one armrest. “We don’t have to straddle the fence here, Jellal. You’ve had Gray hound me for years. You want me in your ranks.”

“The Accession is upon us. These are dangerous times, Salamander. We must all pick sides in the end. Why stand by the side of someone, who will fall, who you have no allegiance to?”

“We all know the Forebearers are weak without a full-blooded vampire in their ranks. That’s the only reason you want me. Are you suggesting I show allegiance to you?”

“Allegiance to the cause, the collective, not just me. We want you because I believe you’re stronger than Zeref.” His words hung in the air like a thick fog. Natsu sat straight in his armchair. Jellal’s gaze remained unwavering.

“What makes you think that?” Natsu asked. Jellal’s words, not something he expected to hear, nor did he agree.

“You have empathy for others, even if you’d like Gray to believe otherwise.” Jellal pointed to his own frozen heart. “I also happen to know you’ve been blooded, and it adds to your strength.” Natsu’s blood ran cold in his rejuvenated veins. Every blooded vampire had one weakness, and Jellal knew his. Would he use that to his advantage? Take what was Natsu’s to ensure his loyalty?

“Are you threatening me?” When he and Gray had entered the study, he’d discovered two exits counting the secret one behind one of the bookshelves. He scented the dusty air from the next room. He could tear out Jellal’s heart and jump out the fucking window if he had to. No one would lay a hand on him or his bride. If he died here, she’d be in danger. That outcome was unacceptable.

“So, it’s true what they say about blooded vampires. I can feel your power from here, but don’t fear. I don’t plan on hurting you or your new bride.” Jellal held his hands up in front of him. “In fact, you’d both be an asset.”

“If I don’t want a part of your forbearing, then you’d do what? Leave me be?” The possible threat he was under made it hard to concentrate on anything but cutting Jellal’s throat out. He was sure his eyes were as dark as Gray’s were upon leaving the room.

“All I ask is that we help each other to stop Zeref from getting whatever it is he’s looking for. I’m not threatening you, Natsu.”

“You know he’s looking for something?” Natsu had barely figured it out himself, and he was around Zeref a considerable amount compared to the Forebearers.

“I have friends in low places to keep an eye on him. So, what will it be?” Jellal sat with his hands clasped on the desktop. Taking advantage of expedient situations was what Jellal was all about. Not a bad way to live.

“On two conditions. My bride and I have full protection from the Forebearers, and you tell me everything you know about that lead on Igneel’s whereabouts.”

“Now we’re negotiating.” Jellal grinned and stood to walk around his desk. Natsu stood as well, ready to take him on if necessary. “It’s a deal.”

“What?” Having everything fall into his lap so easily was not how Natsu expected this conversation to go. Had he missed something?

“If you work with us, you will have your protection and information.”

“I will have the freedom to come and go, to make my own decisions, and you’ll tell me about Igneel? All that just for helping you with whatever it is Zeref is planning?”

“Correct.”

“Swear on it,” Natsu said. Jellal raised a brow but nodded. Swearing to the Lore was the only true way to keep your promises. Whoever breaks a vow to the Lore, is at the mercy of the merciless gods. Some die a brutal death. Others found their fates toyed with, touched by deities. He’d heard whispers of curses and plague. Whatever happened when one broke a vow to the Lore, it wasn’t good, and everyone knew it.

“I swear to the Lore that the Forebearers will protect you and your bride, and we will divulge all that we know about Igneel, so long as you aid us in finding what Zeref is looking for.” Jellal’s voice firm in his vow.

“Are you not powerful enough to find what Zeref wants yourself?”

“You’re just asking that now?” Jellal said. “Gray, you can come in. I know you’ve been listening at the door.” The door to the study pushed open. Gray stood before Jellal and ignored Natsu’s presence.

“Don’t be sad, Gray. Now we’ll be able to spend more time together.” Natsu patted him on the back and felt his muscles bunch beneath his touch.

“We are done here. I hope to see you soon, Natsu.” Jellal bowed and traced from the room. Gray grabbed the front of Natsu’s shirt roughly and traced them away.

♥♥♥

“Go away, Cana.” The last woman in the world Lucy wanted a discussion with knocked at the door to Levy’s abandoned room. One of the witches had conjured it to look like a guest room. The walls were a dusty gray, the furniture was light wood, and the bedspread and adornments throughout the room were a trendy Himalayan pink. The room aesthetically unlike any other part of the house. After going through Levy’s dungeon, she guessed there would be no rooms alike after the witch got her hands on them. She lay on the bed with her hair fanned out beneath her. One of her arms draped over her face, which muffled her voice.

“I have no idea what you just said.” Cana closed the door behind her and sat at the chair to a dainty vanity. “Wow, this room looks different.”

“What do you want?” Now that Cana let herself into the room, there was no removing her.

“You’re really hard on the poor vampire.” There was a clatter of perfumes falling over on the vanity surface. Lucy sat up and leaned on her elbows.

“The poor vampire? Do you hear yourself?” Cana didn’t even attempt to right the little glass bottles and opened the drawer to fiddle with the makeup inside.

“He’s not so bad. Different than those other vampires we’ve seen. Isn’t raving mad with bloodlust and such.” This conversation was the most lucid Lucy had ever heard from Cana.

“Do you like him or something?” Lucy couldn’t stop the feelings that bubbled at the pit of her stomach. The image of Cana’s hands all over him invaded like a virus. She squashed the reaction down and attempted a passive attitude about anything to do with Natsu.

“And what if I did?” Cana grinned and locked eyes with Lucy.

“Then you can have him.” Even to her own ears, her voice sounded uncertain of that. Cana laughed and uncapped a tube of lipstick. The dark bullet twisted to the top in a lethal deep red. She leaned against the vanity to look closer into the mirror and applied the shade. The color matched her skin tone perfectly. Her long wavy brown hair brushed against the surface of the vanity. At that moment, Cana was a painting from the renaissance. Was this the type of woman Natsu liked? Now, the sickening jealously simmered at the surface. Cana flashed her a knowing look through the mirror and tilted it so that Lucy could see her own face. Her once warm gaze was a turbulent swirling silver.

“I don’t think you believe that.” Cana stood from the vanity, kept the mirror facing Lucy, and chucked the closed tube of lipstick into her pocket. A new lipstick appeared where Cana had taken the other. “And no, Lucy, I don’t. He’s all yours.” She left the room with the door closed behind her. Lucy couldn’t take her eyes off herself. She really did care for the damn vampire. How, in such a brief time, had she formed any kind of attachment to him? Was fate forcing her hand? She knew her body responded to him. He was highly attractive and anything but boring. One thing she knew, she didn’t love him. Their relationship never passed physical. Lucy left the room and entered Levy’s library. Was she hiding away from the mirror? She sat at Levy’s plush armchair and opened a book that had draped across the armrest. Diverting her thoughts with its pages didn’t have the effect she searched for, but it did occupy her time.

The once stillness of the coven house burst into a chaotic sound that flowed up from downstairs. Erza’s was the loudest voice. The vampires had returned, and Cana’s words replayed in her head. Lucy slumped in the chair and stared aimlessly at the ceiling. Her heart slowed in her chest from the peak of envy that Cana elicited from her. She couldn’t show her face when she looked as crazy as she did in that mirror. Damn you, Cana. She stood anyway and placed the book where she had found it. Her feet took her down the stairs toward the noise.

“What do you mean he wants to help us?” Erza had her hands in fists against her shapely hips. Both men stood in the summoning circle. Gray appeared just as peeved as Erza and wore his ever-present scowl. Natsu had fingers pressed against the bridge of his nose.

“I thought you’d be happy to have more support,” Natsu said. Their aggression made their voices rise.

“Can we not yell? The energy in here is going to make me nauseous.” Lucy stood at the end of the stairs leaning against the newel. Natsu’s hand dropped as soon as he heard her voice. This time, she didn’t attempt to shut out her heart jumping at his attention. There was a streak of blood wiped from his upper lip, his hair dripped against his shoulder, and snow melted against his wet boots. He was a mess yet remained as gorgeous as the first time she had seen him.

“I can’t just believe him,” Erza said.

“Are you calling him a liar?” Gray asked.

“Aw I didn’t know you trusted me, Gray,” Natsu said.

“I didn’t mean you, asshole. I meant Jellal.” The grin on Natsu’s face suggested he already knew.

“I need confirmation from Zeref himself.” The room stilled at Erza’s words.

“No.” Natsu shook off the rest of the snow, which flung on Gray, who protested. A slow hiss of steam came off his unnaturally heated skin.

“Excuse me?” Erza said.

“You want me to risk Zeref knowing about Lucy.” Natsu ran his fingers through his hair to fluff it up. “I can’t do that.”

“How else are you supposed to find out if Jellal is telling the truth?” Erza asked.

“Jellal isn’t a liar,” Gray said.

“I actually agree with icicle butt.” Natsu pointed his thumb in Gray’s direction. “And I hate agreeing with him.”

“What makes you so sure?” Lucy asked.

“The Forebearers have wanted me on their side since I joined the Horde,” Natsu said.

“There would be a better balance of power,” Erza agreed. She had a finger pressed against her lips in thought. “That doesn’t change that you need to speak to Zeref to find out what he has done with her.”

“What makes you think the Forebearers are so weak that we need him?” Gray asked. His temper appearing to rise with each comment.

“Forebearers are nothing but mortals playing with immortality.” Erza’s eyes flashed wicked silver. Gray stepped toward Erza with malice in his gaze and a hand at his waistband.

“What would you know about—” Gray began.

“If I have to go to Zeref, at least let me go alone.” Natsu’s eyes were firmly on Lucy as if asking for her permission to risk his life against the Horde king.

“There is no way I can trust you to go alone.” Erza manifested a dagger, her eyes challenging Gray. Lucy tried to see things from Natsu’s point of view. Arguing would interfere in gaining a single thing from this conversation. He knew it. If he went alone, he could avoid bringing Lucy up. He could ask his questions and return with information as he did with the Forebearer leader. Zeref wouldn’t question him alone but accompanied by a Forebearer or Valkyrie would peak his suspicion. She knew his resolve as soon as she met his gaze, yet she felt uncertain with herself. As repulsed as she was by the idea that this vampire wanted to protect her, she still felt the pang in her heart over his prodigious concern.

“I’m not going with him,” Gray protested, “Unlike the Forebearers, who see reason, the Horde wouldn’t hesitate to kill me on sight. Animals.”

“Just say yes and I’ll be gone.” Natsu remained where he was with eyes on her. He ignored the other comments. The only person in this room who could tell him what to do was Lucy. He gave her this power. The control she felt she had lost down in the dungeons came rushing back. He said he’d prove to her he was different. So far, she could say he kept that promise. He returned with information from Jellal, as he said he would, and continued to help the Valkyrie look for Mavis—for nothing but her hand.

“Go then and don’t die,” she said. The grin he gave her could light up a city. He saluted the rest of the room and traced out of existence. Everyone stood silenced.

“Well, that was entertaining,” Cana said from the couch.

♥♥♥

Natsu stood in the darkened study of the Horde castle. The fireplace no longer lit, and the chairs moved from the hearth. The door stood ajar to the long dark hallway. The old-world embellishments lined the hall as much as the study room. Paintings of monsters framed in gold. Bust statues of Horde throughout time. The only sounds in the castle halls were the windows, which took a beating from the harsh wind outside. Where was everybody? Not even a servant rushed down the desolate halls. No lamps lit the space. He relied on his keen vision in the dark, a useful vampire trait. He trotted down the grand staircase as silent and cold as the rest of the rooms. There was a sound from the door beneath the stairs. The same door that made its way to the massive catacombs that winded beneath the castle. When Natsu lived here, he avoided these lower rooms as much as possible. A layer of magic surrounded them and set his nerves on edge. He much preferred the higher places as it was. He was happy to be here alone. Gray would have traced out immediately, and he hoped Lucy never had to see this part of his life. The pure-blood vampires did not share his taste of life and color. He was out to prove to her that he was different from them.

The lower he went down the stairs to the catacombs, the colder the air became. The floors here were a matted layer of dust except the path made by recent shoes. He shivered. The hall widened out to more crumbling stone. The dark cast eerie shadows against the walls. Natsu almost tripped over some debris that had come loose from the ancient ceiling. He passed empty alcoves carved out of the stone walls that once held tombs. The witch would love it here. The whole place reminded Natsu of the dungeons below the coven house. He heard a faint dripping from farther down the tunnels. The shuffling of feet followed, but he couldn’t tell from where the sound came from. Natsu turned to see if someone followed him down, but he sensed no one else with him. They said the dead walked the Horde catacombs, enemies, and allies, but Natsu never believed these stories. A muffled voice arose from down a tunnel at his right. He couldn’t make out what they said, but a small voice replied. He followed the sound and came to a door with soft light emanating from where the door lifted off the ground. The entrance opened a crack and a small face peered out at him. The girl was short with long vibrant blue hair. Her large eyes studied him from the room.

“Let him in.” Zeref’s voice was weaker than Natsu remembered. The door opened wider to allow Natsu in and revealed a small room lit by a torch on the wall. The girl sat at a round wooden table where Zeref sat. The warm light lit her face and cast sinister shadows across her delicate features.

“Are we summoning the devil in here?” Natsu asked, “Maybe turn on a light?” Zeref glared at him but didn’t remark.

“Continue.” Zeref swept his hand over her pile of sticks, stones, and bones scattered across the aged wooden surface. As much as the environment, the creepy girl, and Zeref’s ever crumbling composure put Natsu on edge, it was the deep sigh that passed through Zeref’s lips that chilled him the most.

“You’re blooded,” Natsu said. How long had he been so? Who blooded him? His eyes snapped to the girl in front of him. Too young.

“You finally noticed. Sit down please, Natsu.” Natsu followed his orders, as he felt too disturbed to argue. From his angle, the shadows made out Zeref’s sallow cheeks and dark rimmed eyes. Was he still wearing the same clothes as yesterday?

“Don’t look at me like that.” Zeref hadn’t turned his head. He leaned into the palm of his hand with his elbow propped up on the table. The exhaustion settled into his features and creases in his wrinkled clothes. Natsu glanced at the girl who gazed at her pile of bones. “This is Wendy the Wind Seer, my oracle.” She gazed in Natsu’s direction, but her mind was far away. She didn’t reply right away. In the silence, Natsu heard the dripping water again.

“We’ve met before.” Wendy’s voice was light and feminine. Her frame was small in the wooden chair she sat in. How old was she?

“I highly doubt that. No offense, but I would have remembered you.” Natsu pushed his chair back and kicked his feet up on the table. Zeref shot him another glare. “What’s going on, Zeref? Where is everyone and why are we in the catacombs?” Wendy picked up the items from the table and threw them back down, so they rolled and rattled across the wood.

“I thought you would have already figured it out by now.” Zeref lifted one of the bones that had rolled next to his hand.

“All I know is that you’re looking for something.” Natsu laid his hands against his chest as he leaned back in his chair. Zeref’s hair had grown so long that when a dark strand fell into his eyes, he tucked it behind his ear. He observed him for a minute and eyed Wendy.

“I still can’t see you with my sight, Natsu,” she said.

“What does that even mean?” Natsu asked.

“Could mean many things.” Wendy pointed to two stones that had landed next to each other. “Your destiny is changing too rapidly to track, or you will die by mystical circumstances that block my sight.”

“Probably the former. I’m under the firm belief that I’m in charge of my destiny.” Natsu rocked back in the chair so that it balanced on its two back legs.

“I’m thinking it’s the latter,” Zeref said. His eyes wearily took in the objects on the table.

“Glass half empty much?” Natsu retorted.

“Why are you here, Natsu?” Zeref asked. Natsu observed as Wendy did another toss of her stones. Each one carved and painted with runes. The same pair as last time came together in front of them.

“Interesting,” Wendy said.

“Let’s get to the point. Where is Mavis the Fairy Tactician?” Natsu kept his posture casual, but his muscles tensed.

“I told you that you’d figure it out.” If Zeref felt bothered by this question, he didn’t allow it to show. “She’s in Dacia.” The chair creaked when its legs met the ground again. Natsu glanced between the two of them and laughed. What a joke. Dacia was a fairy tale told to young vampires as bedtime stories. A land ever moving and shrouded in mist. Dacian vampires lived there in peace. No wars reached its walls and no sun cast through the misty clouds during the day. A vampire paradise. The tales spoke of a mystical castle and fountains that ran red with blood. Zeref might as well have told Natsu that Mavis was in Narnia.

“That’s funny. But really, where is she?” Natsu didn’t miss the way Zeref’s jaw tensed and his hands gripped into fists.

“You think I would joke about where my bride is?” Zeref glared at Natsu with eyes glowing red.

“Your what?”

“Mavis is my bride.” He appeared irritated talking about this. “Dacia, as you know, is constantly moving. Once you enter its barrier, you can’t leave without the cloak of mist. If one were to escape from its city walls, an assassin would dispatch. Because no one is to know the true location of the kingdom, all must die if they leave.”

“Huh, so you are serious.” Natsu had to believe so since Zeref didn’t show discomfort from a lie. His mouth would burn as if the sun had scorched his skin. Yet, the only discomfort appeared in his impatience with the conversation.

“Sometimes, Natsu, I wonder how we are related at all.”

“Same actually.” Hearing Zeref this frazzled and speaking so frankly to Natsu put him on edge. Had he fallen into a bizarre dimension where he and Zeref could be this casual around each other?

“I had originally sent the Minstrel out to search for a lead, but you already know how that ended,” Zeref said. His words explained what Gajeel knew. Natsu held back the question at the tip of his tongue. What did Zeref think to find out from Ultear the Queen of Time? If he brought her up, Zeref would know he was looking into him behind his back. Natsu would keep some information to himself. For Lucy’s safety.

“So, what does the oracle have to do with it?” he asked instead.

“My name is Wendy, not oracle, and I’m sitting right here.”

“Tomato, potato, doesn’t matter as long as you answer to both.” Natsu shrugged and eyed the stones that came together again. “What’s going on there?” He pointed to them.

“Another is linked to your destiny.” He regretted asking as soon as the words left her mouth. He feared to see Zeref’s reaction. Would he know he found his bride?

“I need you to help me find her, Natsu.” Zeref eyed him like a jungle cat. A chill ran up Natsu’s spine. Was he not going to ask him?

“Why would I?” Gods, was he going to ask him about Lucy?

“Whoever has her is planning to use her for something that could destroy us all.”

“Dacia is moving again,” Wendy said. Her eyes glowed as she stared down at one of the bones. Her head tilted to one side, eyeing it like prey. The dripping down the tunnels was louder in his ears. Or was that his heart? He hadn’t had enough time with it to tell the difference.

“Where?” Zeref’s attention snapped to Wendy as if he revered her. Her words leading to his salvation, his bride. What would it be like so far away from his bride? What would he do if the Valkyrie did not protect Lucy? If someone had taken her from him? His blood seared at the thought. He took in Zeref’s posture again. He leaned into the table, both palms placed on the cracking wood, his claws digging into the grain. His eyes a crazed obsidian in the dim catacombs. He was losing his mind looking for her. For once since their first meeting, Natsu felt a pang of sympathy for his brother.

“The image is fractured between dimensions,” Wendy said.

“Which ones?” Zeref’s tone rose.

“Gaia and—” She cut off her own words. Her mouth shut in a grim line. Natsu realized the glow in her eyes was a turbulent smoke that swirled within.

“What dimension?” Zeref had come to his feet. The craze in his voice forced Natsu to still. Power emanated off him in waves.

“Pandemonia.” Wendy trembled in her chair and didn’t raise her eyes to meet Zeref. His jaw clenched; a vein protruded from his skin. What little thread of his sanity he had held on to had snapped. He took the table in his grasp. Wood splintered and tore beneath his grip, and he flipped the table over with a roar. The objects the oracle had used to search for Mavis flew into the air and smashed to the ground. A few of the bones fractured against the ancient stone walls. He breathed heavily with hands at his temples. Natsu’s heart raced, but he worked to keep his breathing even enough that no one would notice that air left his lips.

“Nice, brother, now we have to buy a new table.” Natsu slouched in his chair trying to appear calm. Zeref allowed his hands to fall to his sides.

“These emotions are so tiresome.”

“Look, you now have two leads to where she is. Just check both?” Natsu said. Zeref tilted his head back and closed his eyes. A long unsteady breath left his mouth.

“Pandemonia is a hell dimension, Natsu.”

“So?”

“Hell dimensions move faster than Gaia. If done incorrectly, one could be torn to shreds trying to get there,” Wendy said. “None of us have been there before. It’s untraceable.”

“We don’t have the time to look in both places anyway,” Zeref added.

“Not to mention, leaving a hell dimension is harder than entering one,” Wendy continued. Zeref groaned.

“Bummer. Well, I guess I’ll be going.” Natsu didn’t want to spend any more time here than he had to. He got all the information he needed, and as sorry as he felt for Zeref, his bride came first now. He stood and brushed off the wood shavings that had clung to his clothes.

“Natsu.” Zeref’s eyes were a clear deep green and compelling. The green that confirmed their relation. The green of their family line, their blood bond. “Please.” The sound that came out of the man before him was pitiful. Zeref had never been this vulnerable in front of him.

“Why is there no one in the castle?” Natsu hadn’t pushed for the answer before but it gnawed at him now.

“The Dacians know I’m looking for her. They’ve been sending mist assassins. I couldn’t allow Horde deaths over this.” The raw truth struck Natsu.

“Why do you care?”

“I care.” Zeref held his hand clenched to his chest, his clothes creasing beneath his grasp. “I care so much it’s eating away at me.” His brows came together in what looked like pain. From a lie? No. He wasn’t lying. He was simply hurting. Natsu’s own fresh emotions rose to the forefront. After centuries of a desolate existence. No emotion. No pain. He’d been hollow before her. This was a gift, but now it was a curse. He pained for his brother, whether he wanted to or not. His heart gave him away. What had Jellal said? You have empathy for others. He thought this before Natsu’s blooding, and before he could feel. Really feel. It burned worse than the scorching pain of a lie on his tongue.

“I’ll find her,” Natsu said. Zeref’s face softened in benevolence he’d never seen from his brother. “I can get to Pandemonia.”

“How?”

“I’ve walked dimensions before.” Is that your tagline? She’d asked him. Natsu the Dimension Walker. Just as he’d told her. Igneel posed it as a challenge, and Natsu always stepped up to challenges.

“There’s no guarantee you’ll be able to get back, even if you wanted to.” He wasn’t wrong, but Natsu would find a way. The Valkyrie would do anything to get their sister back, and Zeref would do anything for his bride. They would find a way to get him out if they had to. What was he going to do if he did find Mavis there? Would he hand her over to her family, or the brother who would tear the world down for her? A problem for later.

“I’ll find a way.” How much he missed Lucy hit him like a wall. “For now, I have to go.” Zeref nodded and eyed the crumbled table on the floor. Wendy sat with her legs pulled up in her chair. The king of the Horde held out a hand to her.

“I apologize for my outburst.” Her eyes widened at his apology. The vampire before him, the vicious king who had committed so many atrocities, showed a kindness that surprised Natsu. He took that moment to turn to the door to leave the catacombs and trace back to Lucy. “Before I forget, have you found the Minstrel’s killer?” Zeref asked. Natsu’s hand hovered over the door.

“I had someone look into it.” Natsu’s gaze remained on the exit. It wasn’t a lie. Gajeel was the one who discovered Lucy was the killer, not him. This answer satisfied Zeref.

“For now, focus on Pandemonia. We will find the murderer in time. No one can kill one of our own and live.”

“Whatever you say. Just one less thing for me to worry about.” Natsu worked to keep his voice steady. Zeref didn’t know who killed the Minstrel. For now, that was good enough.

“Oh, and Natsu, tell your bride I wish her well.” His fingers shook against the doorknob. Of course, Zeref knew he had a bride. His heart quickened, too loud to have hidden, too full to have fooled his own brother. His emotions laid bare even before the Forebearer leader. He turned the knob and closed the door behind him. He prayed Zeref would never find out that his bride and the murderer was the same.

♥♥♥

Lucy sat on the last step of the coven’s staircase with her legs pulled to her chest, and her forehead pressed against her knees. Erza hadn’t spoken to her since she’d ordered Natsu to go. She spent her time waiting for him to return on the porch. Cana merely patted her on the back and said she had to go. Lucy supposed that was her way of comforting her. Gray sat inside the summoning circle that he found he physically couldn’t leave. The room was silent with only the two of them.

“You shouldn’t trust him,” Gray said. She turned her head, so she leaned on her cheek, sure there was a red mark on her forehead.

“What makes you think I can trust you?” she asked. This vampire was the opposite of Natsu in every way. From his dark hair to his righteous attitude.

“What reasons do I have to lie to you?”

“You hate Natsu.”

“What do you really know about him?”

“I know he’s kept his word so far.”

“Ah, but how long will that last? He’s never been known to stay anywhere. Always about no commitments and looking for his father.” His father? Was that who he was looking for? He’d said he was looking for someone important to him. Whatever reaction she had; Gray noticed. “Oh, he didn’t tell you about his father. Not surprised.”

“What do you know?” Lucy sat up at attention. What did he know about Natsu? The image from the book of Lore flashed through her mind. Gray shrugged and glanced out the window to Erza’s back.

“He wasn’t lying then,” she said. Gray raised a brow. “About the Forebearers wanting him on their side. You were using this information against him. That’s why you won’t tell me.”

“He’d do anything for his father. He’d dump you in the nearest ditch if it meant he would see his father again.”

“How do you even know—”

“He told me he was looking for someone. I investigated it myself after he joined the Horde. His father abandoned him. Poor bastard. Looked for him like a lost puppy before I found him.”

“He has no other family?”

“Other than Zeref? No. I don’t blame him for not caring about the Black Wizard.” Gray spit into the fireplace at the sound of his tagline on his lips. His face scrunched in disgust. “Bastard is responsible for a lot of Forebearer deaths.”

“Doesn’t Zeref care that their father is missing?” Lucy asked. Gray laughed darkly.

“Igneel is not Natsu’s birth father. He adopted him.” Gray’s tone made it sound like Natsu’s adoption was a dirty secret, but Lucy didn’t feel that way. It was no different from her relationship with her own sisters. Other than the gods, they didn’t share the same mothers. Yet they still called each other family. Now she knew his father’s name was Igneel. The name sounded familiar to her, but she couldn’t place where she’d heard it before.

“Well, he’s working for the Forebearer’s now. Aren’t you going to tell him what you know?”

“He has to complete his end of the deal.”

“What deal?” The door to the basement opened and shut. Levy couldn’t be alone as there were too many footsteps. Gray stood, his eyes turned a pitch-black, his fangs sharpened, and their conversation left forgotten.

“What the fuck is he doing here?” Gray said. An edge to his voice that wasn’t there before.

“He’s with Natsu. Chill, leech,” Levy said at the threshold between the living room and the stairs. Behind her was the vampire who traveled with Natsu.

“Natsu would travel with another murderer.” Gray stood with hands pressed to the invisible barrier around the circle. “You’re lucky this barrier is here, witch.”

“That a threat?” Gajeel said. Lucy couldn’t see his face from where she sat, but she could hear the anger in his voice. He was protecting Levy. What went on in the basement? Levy turned her gaze to Lucy. Her eyes lit with excitement. She left Gajeel where he stood and sat beside her.

“You okay, Lu?” she asked. The cheerful note gave her away.

“You were that thirsty, huh?” Lucy said. Levy laughed and took her hand in her smaller ones. She trailed the creases of her palm with her index finger absent-mindedly.

“If you’re thinking of a specific murder, I probably won’t remember,” Gajeel said.

“Lyon Vastia, you bastard. You killed a Forebearer!” Gray seethed in the circle, pacing as much as the space allowed. His hand gripping his pants. What was that about?

“Name doesn’t ring a bell,” Gajeel said.

“During the last Accession!”

“Nope, still nothing.” Gajeel and Gray barked at each other loud enough to gather Erza’s attention. She marched into the living room in full armor.

“Explain, witch!” Erza pointed her spear at Gajeel’s throat. Levy waved her hand in nonchalance.

“He’s under my protection, Valkyrie. He won’t do anything, I promise,” Levy said. She did a double take to Lucy’s palm. Erza remained deathly still. The continued tension in the house wore Lucy down. She just wanted to go back to Val Hall and hide in her bed for a few days.

“Lucy, when was the last time I read your palm?” Levy asked.

“I don’t know. A year ago?”

“Your lifeline forks and breaks here.” Levy lifted her other hand and stared down at it. Gajeel, as if feeling her absence came to stand behind her and leaned over to see Lucy’s palm too. “They both do.”

“Levy, in plain words, please?” Lucy said.

“Your destiny splits, changes, and in a horrible way.”

“How is it different from the last time you read it?”

“Anatomy doesn’t just change randomly, shrimp,” Gajeel said. He peered at Lucy’s hand with interest.

“Is anyone listening to me?” Erza sounded as though a blood vessel was about to pop. Lucy leaned to look around Gajeel’s frame that obstructed her view.

“I’m listening, Erza,” Lucy offered.

“Being ignored doesn’t feel good does it?” Gray said.

“I wouldn’t test her, Gray,” Lucy said.

“I feel like everyone has tested me today,” Erza grumbled.

“You want tea or something? Take a seat on the couch. Loosen up, Erza,” Levy said drawing in the air with her fingers. The words cup and tea appeared and transformed into their meanings. The levitating steaming cup of tea floated over to Erza, which she took with a shocked expression. To Lucy’s surprise, the fierce Valkyrie took the cup and sat on the couch. “You’re in the house of the witches, which favors us. If you wish to destroy something, or kill someone, you might as well leave.” She stood with hands on her hips. “That goes for every one of you.”

“I like a witch in charge,” Gajeel said. His shark grin spread across his face. The little witch looked up at him with a bigger smirk.

“I’m going to hurl,” Gray said. Levy glared at him but chose to sit beside Lucy again.

“Immortals are special,” Levy said, taking Lucy’s hand. “Why can’t their palm readings change?”

“Stop struggling, you fool.” Erza watched Gray fight to break free and sipped her tea. Who knew, all she needed was a firm hand to tell her to calm down for her to do so. Lucy gathered Erza didn’t want to break the relationship they had with the house of witches.

“Where’s Natsu?” Gajeel peered around the room. “I’m used to his loudmouth. And I hate to admit it, but I’d rather hear him than this creep.” He pointed to Gray.

“I sent him to speak to Zeref,” she said. Gajeel’s face fell.

“You did what? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” His voice like a blade against her own restless heart.

“Gajeel, do you need a cup of tea too?” Levy gave him a sharp look and held Lucy’s hand tighter.

“It was the only way to get Erza to trust him. He knew that. We have to know where Mavis is, and the only one who knows that is Zeref.” Lucy could rationalize it out loud for herself all she wanted, but the tightness in her chest would stay. Where was he? As if she summoned him, he appeared in front of her. The room went still. Natsu took in everyone’s startled faces.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” His tone was light and playful, but she knew something wasn’t right. His eyes traveled along her face and down the rest of her body, inspecting her. Did he think something happened to her?

“Yeah, it’s called ugly,” Gajeel said. Levy hit him with the back of her hand.

“Your face is fine, Natsu,” Levy assured.

“I know it is.” Natsu placed his hands beneath his chin playfully.

“I hate all of you,” Gray said.

“I see you’re as cheerful as ever, Gray,” Natsu said.

“Where is she?” Erza had moved without anyone’s notice. The teacup sat abandoned on the side table. She stood beside Gajeel with arms crossed over her chest.

“I’m not sure,” Natsu said. When Erza moved to lunge at his throat, he held a hand up. “She could be in two places.”

“Zeref doesn’t know?” Lucy asked. How could he not know? Didn’t he take her himself?

“Someone took her from him. He says they want to use her for something,” Natsu said. Erza’s face paled.

“Where is she, Natsu?” Lucy asked. At the sound of her voice, Natsu’s shoulders loosened. He spoke directly to her.

“Either she is somewhere on Gaia or Pandemonia,” Natsu said. Erza laughed. The sound started slow and worked up to a full howl. She turned and sat down on the couch.

“Pandemonia?” Lucy had never heard of the place. “Where is that?” Natsu gave her a sympathetic frown.

“It’s another dimension,” Natsu said.

“Don’t play coy now, Natsu Dragneel. Tell her what kind of dimension she’s in.” Erza’s voice was like fire in her throat. Lucy stared up at Natsu, imploring him forward.

“It’s a hell dimension,” he said.

“Excuse me?” Lucy didn’t hear him right.

“Pandemonia is a hell dimension!” Erza spat the words at Natsu. He stood grounded and focused on Lucy’s face. “Lava, fire, dead earth, and lots of dragons. The land is so desolate that only winged demons call it home, and they fight among each other.” Lucy pictured Mavis in a place like that. What would winged demons do to a Valkyrie so far from power, from her family?

“How are we going to get to her?” Lucy asked.

“The question is how are you going to get back?” Levy held fast to Lucy’s hands. There was genuine concern on her face. “You think you can travel there. Don’t you, Natsu?” For once, Natsu had nothing to say.

“Have you been there before?” Erza asked. “Are you thinking to trace there? That’s dangerous.” A vampire could only trace to a place if they’d traveled there before.

“I’d have to walk dimensions to get to it. I haven’t been there to trace.”

“Haven’t you walked dimensions before?” Lucy asked. She hated how hopeful her voice sounded. But at least there was a lead on Mavis, and there was no guarantee that she was in hell. He said she could be on Gaia.

“I have.” Natsu squatted in front of Lucy so they were eye-to-eye, his hands at her knees. His presence was so close that she could feel his heat on her skin. What was he doing to her? She held back from reaching out for him. “But it’s dangerous. If I go, I go alone.” This again? The anxiety she felt when he went to Zeref was nothing compared to what she’d feel when he left for a hell dimension. She shook her head. She would prove that she could take care of herself. Not just for Natsu, or Erza, but for herself.

“If you go, I go with you.”

“Lucy, I don’t think—” Levy began.

“No one is changing my mind.” Lucy pushed as much power into her voice as she could. Natsu sighed loud enough to get everyone’s attention. It wasn’t everyday one heard a vampire sigh. The sound reminded all and sundry that she blooded him, that she was his bride.

“Well, if you’re up for it.” Natsu shook his head, but a smirk pulled up the corners of his lips. She was up for it.

“Lucy, I can’t have you—” Erza said.

“No, Erza. We need to split up. Someone has to look for her here on Gaia.” Lucy took Natsu’s hand when he offered to lift her to her feet. Levy allowed her hands to slip through her fingers.

“Did he say where on Gaia?” Erza asked. Natsu shook his head.

“But, there’s one more thing.” Natsu glanced up at Gajeel, who quirked a brow. “She’s been taken to Dacia.” Gajeel gave a sharp laugh through his nose.

“You’re a riot, Salamander.” Gajeel’s smile faded when Natsu shook his head. He was serious.

“What’s Dacia?” Lucy asked.

“You can’t be serious,” Erza said.

“That’s some made up shit. You can’t believe she’s there,” Gajeel added.

“Natsu, what is Dacia?” Lucy asked.

“Dacia is a vampiric dimension that moves within other dimensions. It’s cloaked in mist, and no one is to leave once they’ve entered,” Natsu said. While everyone continued to believe what he said was a lie, his appearance was grave.

“How can you find it then?” Lucy asked.

“Lucy, Dacia is a fairy tale,” Erza said. She pointed to Natsu—her voice sharper than before. “You better not be pulling us around to help Zeref.”

“I’m telling the truth.”

“Born vampires can’t lie,” Lucy said.

“Finally, someone remembers.” Gajeel nodded in approval.

“You believe Zeref?” Erza asked.

“Yes.” Natsu stood resolute. “If he could just trace to her, he wouldn’t have tried to contact Ultear the Queen of Time to help him.”

“Sorceri, huh?” Erza shook her head. “You lot are the worst.”

“Look, you can find her and ask her.” Natsu shrugged. “I’m the only one in this room who can travel dimensions. Unless anyone would like to try?” The room stilled.

“Yeah, let him go. He’ll be torn to bits,” Gray added from his spot in the living room.

“Lucy, you can’t go,” Erza said as if Gray’s words were a reminder.

“Go find Ultear, Erza,” Lucy said. “If he goes, I go.”

“You’re putting him over your family?”

“I’m trying to help you find our family!” Lucy’s frustration hit the breaking point. Erza constantly questioned her resolve. “What was that in the basement about trusting me with your life? I want to help him help us! I want to make sure he doesn’t just run off with her.” Natsu opened his mouth to retort, but Lucy pressed her hand to his lips to stop him. “I don’t need anything from you too.”

“Then it’s decided,” Levy said. “I can tweak the summoning circle to grab Ultear.”

“Can I go now?” Gray asked.

“No, we need you.” Erza pointed to him. “Go to Jellal. If he wants to help Natsu, then he wants to help us. I need to speak with him. If he can help us in any way to find her, I need to know.” Gray eyed Levy.

“Fine, I’ll let you out.” The witch stood in a huff.

“Then we best be going.” Natsu grinned with cheer in his voice.

“You’re awfully chipper,” Lucy said.

“Bunny, he’s just happy he’s been offered a challenge,” Gajeel said.

“Bunny?” Lucy said.

“Be careful, Lucy,” Erza said. She nodded to her older sister with understanding. The voices in the living room came to a pitch as they all discussed their missing sister. Just as quickly all their voices ceased as she took Natsu’s hand and traced to Pandemonia.

Or what she thought was Pandemonia. The air was thick with humidity. A flock of birds darted out from the immense number of trees that surrounded them. The sound of chirping bugs almost deafening. The whole place smelt of damp earth. They were still on Gaia.

“Where are we?” she asked. Natsu turned her to face him and placed both hands on her face. His lips pressed against hers. She took in a sharp breath with how right they felt. He released her and stepped back.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all day,” he said. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him in again. He groaned when she deepened the kiss. His arms wrapped around her to pull their hips together.

“That was for helping me,” she said, “and keeping your word.” His eyes had blown out in black. The sight of them just made her need rise.

“I like when your eyes do that,” he said.

“Do what?”

“Go all silver.” A bird cawed in the distance, and a prehistoric looking bush rustled behind her. She grabbed his arms and kept him close in a start.

“I’ll ask again. Where are we?” Lucy glanced around her feet for possible giant jungle bugs.

“The Amazon,” he said.

“Why are we not in Pandemonia?” She took a step out of his grasp. Were Erza’s accusations true? Was he pulling them around to help Zeref?

“There’s a portal here.” Natsu pointed up above the tree line. To an ancient structure shrouded in foliage.

“And where is there?”

“A place I came across the last time I went to a different hell dimension.” He stepped forward and began to push through the brush toward it.

“What were you doing in a hell dimension before?” She followed behind him wishing she had brought a knife instead of her whip.

“I was looking for someone there,” he said. Was he talking about his father? It clawed at her that he hadn’t told her about him. She didn’t know why. If she didn’t trust him, why should he trust her?

“Must be someone important to go that far. How does dimension walking work anyway?” she asked. Natsu made a steady stream of fire with his hand to cleanly cut through the brush in front of him without starting an inferno.

“This teleporter travels down a ley line that is parallel to another. The one we need is the other one.”

“So, we’re just going to walk from one to the other?”

“Kind of.” She had no idea what he was talking about, but she surmised it wouldn’t be as simple as that. The structure loomed into view. The dark stone covered in lengthy vines. There was a clearing around the monument where trees didn’t dare to grow. The sight of it had her instincts on high alert. They shouldn’t be here.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Natsu turned with his back to the entrance— opened wide to lure them in. Was she ready for this? Her reply silenced by the sound of the earth opening beneath their feet.

“Lucy!” Natsu grabbed her to him and held her as their bodies plummeted into darkness. She guessed her reply didn’t matter, as she was in this adventure, whether she liked it or not.

#nalu #fairy tail #nalu fan fiction #fairy tail fan fiction #ft fan fiction #fairies after dark #fad ch 4 #reblogging tomorrow as well

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