midnightstar | (no subject)

"N-Natsu? Wait a second--!" Lucy called after him. Ergh, follow, stay, follow or stay - don't you know you don't split the party in adventures, Natsu! It's like, Adventuring 101. But he'll hear her running after him after that short hesitation, trusting in the Other Natsu to watch his daughter's back.

Luna was tempted to run after Lucy as well, but she stayed put, trying to examping the condition her friends were in. She did call out a, "Mo-- Lucy! Come back!" when the other headstrong girl dashed off though.

The barking dog isn't all that far, thankfully, and it might look VERY familiar when Natsu catches up. No, it'll definitely look familiar since the dog was in the company of two children just a few hours ago. Neither of the children are about, but more importantly, the thing the dog is barking at?

A large knotted mass of those inky black 'vines', like a bramble bush, rustling as if it were laughing. A few tendrils occasionally reach forward as if to grab the dog, sometimes yanking a paw or a tail, keeping the poor creature on an aggressive defense as he barked and bit at the vines when they got near.

The moment Natsu got closes enough to recognize the scent, Natsu's hands were already ignited with lightning and fire. Since that damn pixie had been made immune to fire that meant he couldn't just use his core magic. At least that was his preumption. However the moment he burst onto the scene the closest bush like creature was immediately assaulted by a blast of the two elemental magics as Natsu threw his fist forward.

It seemed the fairy they initially encountered was the only one immune to fire - but the bushlike thing was still pretty hardy. Even more weird, it seemed to .. Scream.. when the flames and lightning. Just this unholy godless shriek that seemed echoed around the area. The black wispy tendrils ignited from the flames, crackling from the lightning, and it immediately started to withdraw, more and more of the dark shadow covering the ground pulling back.

The dog, now that Natsu could see him, was definitely Herb, and when the black shadowy mass started to back off, he ran forward a little bit to bark angrily at the thing, fur all ruffled up.

"Herb! Come back!" Natsu snapped sternly before throwing another couple of magical blasts at the shrub to force it back even further than before if not outright destroy it. Now that they'd found one part of their new family, Natsu was not going to let anything happen to the dear dog.

Herb lets out a small whine, growling as the creature withdraws further, shuddering and still making those slower pitched screeches. When he's called back though, Herb wheels around and bolts back over towards Natsu, his tail wagging fit to come clean off his hindquarters, whimpering happily with his ears going down in a 'OH MY GOD THANK GOD FAMILIAR PERSON LET ME LICK YOUR FACE' fashion.

But let's not celebrate too much yet.

There's something important to note:

Lucy's scent is gone.

Lucy's scent is gone and there's an angry angry dragon roaring up a storm, setting the area on fire.

Natsu immediately bent down to catch herb in his arms only to suddenly tense up when he realized something very wrong had happened. His eyes widened and he turned around then the other way before feeling his blood run cold. He quickly started running back the way he came, chanting in his head over and over again Lucy's name, rushing closer to the place where the dragon him had dropped them off.

SO MANY PUPPY KISSES.

Until Natsu turns and starts running in the opposite direction, and Herb, not wanting to lose sight of family, is hot on his heels, letting out anxious little puppy barks now and then.

Back where Luna and the other Natsu are, everything, EVERYTHING is on fire. Thankfully it doesn't really seem to affect the statues, but Luna looks rather distressed between trying to figure out how to break the spell on the petrified/frozen people, and trying to figure out what got Natsu to lose his shit so badly.

On the one hand, that darkness was back and getting thicker, creeping up even faster over the trees and extending outwards. Wherever there was fire, however, it would not touch so there was a nice swath of flame in a circle around the area to keep it at bay.

Luna glanced over her shoulder when Natsu rushed in, glanced past him to the dog, then past the dog - then back to Natsu, "... where's Lucy?"

"What do you mean? I left her with you!" Natsu exclaimed his face losing a lot of its color. Natsu looked around fiercely for signs of Lucy. Immediately he started pushing all of his senses to the absolute limit, to the point that he could feel his body start to protest with how hard he was pushing his innate magical power. A dangerous process but one he started without a single moment of hesitation as both lightning and fire erupted around him in a dome of energy that radiated outwards, burning and zapping the darkness with impunity.

Herb wasn't sure about the source of agitation, though he gave the dragon a wide birth - Natsu-dragon's flames were burning white hot, his head swiveling back and forth and scanning the area. THe dragon lunged forward suddenly, heading down the same path Lucy had taken earlier - and at the same time, as you extend every single one of your senses, you can pick up Lucy's sent following in the same direction, back the way you came. Only oddly before you would come to that clearing you found Herb, the scent just _stops_. And goes... left. But towards the left there's a thich cavern wall covered, absoltuely COVERED by vegetation, bramble and - actually you can smell Justine and Nev too, much more faintly.

The instant he caught even the faintest scent, Natsu's magic retracted back inside of him only not to the point of being dispelled. Instead it was being contained for a maximum burst as he barked his command to Herb.

"Herb stay RIGHT here. The dragon me and Luna will keep you safe!" With that Natsu disappeared once again in a flash of fire and LIghtning materializing at the point where the scent seemed to divert into what he presumed had to be a cave of some sorts. But with the brambles and vegetation in the way he had no way of seeing what's inside.

However the scents he could pick up were enough for him to restrain his magic from hurting those people specifically. Everything else however was an obstacle and would soon face a full power fire lightning dragon roar as it blasted into the cave, TEARING through everything in its path and then exploding out the wall at the furthest back.

"Wha-- Hey wait a minute -!" Apparently she doesn't get a say in this! ... That's her mom too kind of. Except she and her dad have a little more to worry about with the shadowy vines getting more aggressive, some even trying to climb their way up the statues - one covers up a statue of a deer, and starts to tighten until the stone begins to crack and blood starts to seep out. "Oh god.. Dad keep that stuff away from the others..!" She would LIKE to run after Natsu but this is taking priority.

Herb started to follow after Natsu but the 'stay' superceded that. The roar was more than enough to tear into the thick rockface of the cave, ripping open an opening and utterly disintegrating the vegetation that was unfortunate enough to be close to the opening he made. Inside it was cold, though Natsu probably couldn't even feel since the opening was still burning and crackling, practically reducing the stone to a liquid mess. There are a few bats that scatter at the rude intrusion, and though the tunnels seemed to go down a long ways, the voices were still clear as day thanks to those senses.

"..ere... so cold.."

"...ed.. can't we sleep..?

"u sleep and you die. Stay awake."

"I want to go home."

Using those voices Natsu charged down the tunnel, breathing another blast of fire and lightning every now and again scorching the stone tunnel clean of any of the growth in the way. "Get the hell out of my way!" Natsu snapped eventually before another attack was launched from his mouth.

"We can't go home, Nev... not anymore. Now be quiet or that thing will come back."

"But he took her..."

"She said we'd be safe here, now Shh! Hide!"

Scampering footsteps as you draw nearer to the sound of the voices. The fire and lightning did a wonderful job at clearing the way when the shadow and even ice started creeping in. Growls follow, as the tunnel soon opens into a cavern in which there were several creatures patrolling the area, a mix of ice and shadow, clearly searching for something.

There was a thick thick armor around their bodies, some of which was already on fire - some of which had arrows sticking out of the bodies.

Oh good. Things that might actually try to fight back. Not that it will avail them any as the first creature to enter his vision gets immediately pounced on and has its head instantly obliterated by a demolition fist.

"Luuuucy! Nev!? JUSTINE!?" he roars, his voice booming through the entire cave.

"Natsu?"

"Natsu!?"

Both children pop up from where they had wedged themselves into a hiding spot - but they don't come out fully yet. Not till allt he beasties are dealt with, and there were still four left. .... ... not that they're going to last long as angry as he was. But yes, those mooks were more than eager to try to be an obstruction for Natsu - two of them snarl and lunge towards Natsu, while the remaining two turn towards where the children are hiding.

And even more faintly, there's a presence, a muffled voice that's ... not heard so much as felt.

..at..su..

The rush him and yet the instant they come within reach he grabs them both by the heads and outright detonates them with fire and lightning before launching them as makeshift firelightning balls at the remaining two.

But that's when he hears the faintest voice. So stifled. Immediately his blood runs cold.

"LUUUCYYYY!"

I'm... so tired...

There's a pair of shrieks from Nev and Justine, about to shrink back into hiding - then they definitely do so when that explosion of fire and lightning engulfs the creatures. Natsu you're being really scary right now. Awesome, but scary! The entire time that quiet voice continues, struggling the entire time, to continue speaking - to stay awake - to hold onto that sense that the person she wanted to see most was so close, so close she could see him if she just held on just a little longer. But she was so -tired-.

want to sleep...

The death screams from the creatures --w ell the first two don't even GET death screams considering they are -detonated-, shards of ice scattering everyone in bits - the things had little to no mass, but each time one is destroyed, the shadowy mist quickly retreats down a side path, leaving the constructs empty soulless husks once they've outlived their usefulness.

want to see you...

Nev and Justine peek out warily, though Nev is the one that emerges first, rushing out towards Natsu who proves time and time again that he is his idol and hero. Scary? No, not even a little. Justine on the other hand, is a TINY bit reluctant to come out of hiding, surprisingly.

"Stay close and keep up! Justine we're leaving!" Natsu barked sharply before starting off in the direction of the voice barely restraining himself from dahing off ahead and leaving the two kids behind.

Yes, please don't leave the kids behind. Justine jumps a bit, pulling out of her hiding spot and moving follow after her brother. She didn't want to be left behind either, scary as he was. He was obviously worried about Lucy, but she's never seen him like that before. And once Natsu follows those shadowy shapes down the tunnel, he'll hear the voice much more strongly.

"Natsu, where are you?"

Thump thump.

Thump Thump.

"Let me out! I can't breathe..!"

The next chamber is not empty either, but the ice is even thicker, shadowy shapes swirling around the snow and ice, and that sensation of giggling is even more present.

'Where aaaaaRRE yooou?'

'I can't breaathe..!'

Sssstupid.

Just die~! It's our turn in the light.

Just past THAT is the sound of voices arguing..well, no, that's not true. One voice is arguing, and rather angrily and passionately, while the other is responding - a deep timbre, apathetic enough that the arguing voice is infuriated. But both the voice pleading to be let out, and the one arguing just beyond this chamber are identical. And the thumping noise is loud - someone's in here, but the taunting shadowy shapes don't appear inclined to allow anyone past the area, if the barrier that springs up behind them is any indication.

So what if it's thicker? So what if there's more soldiers in teh way. Scorched earth, shattered steel. That is all that Natsu can see in his path as he blasts through with his breath and fists always marching forward only barely being slowed down a little from time to time and the more he hears from the voice fading away, the more ferocious his magic becomes to the point that every flame he now releases is in an overbearing shade of blue.

This could be exactly what was wanted - wear any do-gooder's down and out so they're too tired to do anything. In fact that does seem to be the plan, no matter how many of the mooks and creatures Natsu destroys, there are more to take it's place. Though progress is definitely being made - after a point, fewer creatures are available to replace the ones destroyed. Or maybe Natsu's starting to destroy them faster than they can replace the fallen.

By the time the last one has fallen, the voices have stopped - but the scents are still there. In fact there's one very clear scent - straight down about twelve feet, where he'll fine a heavy, thick coffin made of ice buried beneath the ground. And there was someone inside. That's where the thumping had been coming from. Before where the thumping had been constant, it's only once every few minutes now.

After destroying so many of hte creatures, Natsu had started to learn instinctively where they were the weakest, his kills growing startlingly more efficient despite the numbers. Which was why he had even stopped screaming and calling out at this point.

The moment he burst into the room where the voices had been, Natsu realized he was close. But since his target was actually below him now, he quickly summoned Lucy's gift, the gauntlet and proceeded to tear up the ground fighting the very earth and stone and ice itself as he tunneled downwards, reaching the coffin and not stopping until it was sitting in a dug out crater.

It's gleeeeeeeeeeeaming crystal ice! So pretty! So deadly! There's so much ice enchanted around it you can't even see who's inside. The scent is undeniable though - that's definitely a Lucy inside that coffin. No more thumping or voices from there though, it's just quiet. It also seems to be the kind of enchanted ice to be resistant to magic in general - whoever made it did not want the ice to be melted easily, if at all. Physically breaking it though - pff, surely no one's strong enough to do THAT. That's almost a foot of ice!

Given there's a Lucy in there and she's now incredibly quiet, that impossibility becomes very much possible and natsu trusts the gauntlets into the ice, chipping and ripping chunks of it away until he finally broke thought the lid part of the coffin and ripped it open to pieces since it became structurally unsound.

SHE'S DEAD!!

Might be running through your head right now, but no, her heart is still beating and she's still breathing, albeit slowly. It was a close call. There's a bit of a pale chill to her complexion and ... that is definitely not your Lucy. She's at least twenty years older This is definitely Luna's mother, and other Natsu's wife. It takes her a long moment to open her eyes, coughing harshly and gasping for air, "Nah... Na...natsu...?"