Hi guys! So this is Broken Princess from Natsu's POV, because a guest wished for it and I live to make wishes come true! (And I felt like writing but didn't feel like thinking up a new plot.)

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! Your reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside ^-^

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, it belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Read, review and tell me what you think!

-x-

Natsu burst through the heavy guild doors, an exhilarated grin on his face "We're home!" The few guild members who had not joined the rampage against Raven Tail cheered and quickly surrounded Natsu and the others. Exaggerated tales of the speedy defeat were told with glee. Alcohol flowed freely and for that night, the guild was happier than it had ever been.

-x-

The next morning, Natsu woke with a groan. He sat up and glanced around groggily - the guild was in shambles. Destroyed tables and chairs littered the floor, spread among the many members of the guild still passed out on the floor. Levy was curled up in Gajeel's lap, clutched tightly in his muscled arms. Mirajane was sleeping on the floor behind the bar, wisps of white hair decorating her angelic face. Cana and Bixlow were cuddled together, in various states of undress. Natsu grimaced and hoped sincerely that they hadn't done... IT... In front of everyone. Spying Happy sprawled across the entrance to the guild, Natsu half-staggered, half-crawled to the sleeping Exceed. He tapped Happy on the shoulder and shook him, to no avail. Natsu leaned down and whispered softly into Happy's twitching ear: "Happy, want some fish?" Happy shot up and flew in wonky circles around Natsu's head. "Fiiiiiiisssssshhhhhhhhh!" He exclaimed happily. His joyful cries woke Mirajane, who sat up with a delicate yawn and stretch. She stood up and placed her hands on her tiny hips. "This is going to take a while to clean." She sighed resignedly. Natsu walked over and said, "I'll help, Mira."

Mira's sweet smile warmed Natsu's heart. They set about dragging splintered planks of wood to the junk pile outside. As they worked, they talked about everything and anything. Natsu confessed his love for Lucy, and Mira's eyes sparkled with the prospect of future matchmaking. She offered Natsu hints and tips for the day that he decides to confess to Lucy. Speaking of Lucy... Natsu poked his head into the guild and scanned the faces of every visible member he could see. No Lucy... Maybe she got back to Magnolia late and went home?

"Mira! I'm going to get food at Lucy's house. I'll see you later!" Natsu skipped off in the direction of Lucy's house and clambered up to the open window. He dived in, yelling, "Lucyyyyy!" He clattered through the window and landed with a thump on the floor, twisting into a perfect ninja roll. Natsu popped up and glanced around expectantly, waiting for Lucy to shout at him for not using the door. He took a deep breath and frowned - Lucy's vanilla-cinnamon scent was old, at least a week old. That meant that she hadn't been back home since they had left for the huge raid on Raven Tail. Confusion was plastered across Natsu's face as he considered where she could be.

Natsu trudged dejectedly back to the guild, his face hanging and his shoulders slumped. He shifted into a barstool and ordered a hot chocolate from Mira. Mira slid his drink towards him and, upon noticing his depression, asked: "Did Lucy not like you back, Natsu? I was so sure she did. Cheer up!" Natsu sighed and shook his head, murmuring, "It isn't that, Mira. Lucy wasn't at home. She hasn't been home since we left for Raven Tail. I'm just worried." Mira scrunched her face up in thought, and suggested, "Why don't you check her friends' houses? Maybe she slept there last night!" Natsu brightened and downed his drink. Yelling a speedy "Thank you!" to Mira, he raced out of the guild and through the city towards Gray's house.

-x-

Natsu and Gray staggered towards the Fairy Hills dormitory, exhausted by the long journey up the hill. Standing on the porch, Gray yelled: "Heeeeyyyyyy! Erza! Is Lucy there? We can't find her!" Erza's head popped out of a second-floor window, her fiery scarlet hair blowing in the wind. "You idiots, have you lost her? She isn't here!" Levy's head poked out of a window a few rooms down from Erza's and yelled, "I'll help you find Lu-chan, Gray!" A few moments later, the door swung open and Levy stepped outside, her delicate orange dress fluttering in the breeze. "Solid Script: Map!" Levy produced a map, upon which the locations of all guild members were marked. "That's neat, Levy!" Natsu gushed, his ecstatic grin breaking through the sullen concern on his face. Levy blushed and pointed to Lisanna's house, which was closest. "I think we should try Lisanna first. Lucy and Lisanna have been getting closer lately." Natsu nodded in affirmation, and the trio walked off to Lisanna's house.

Levy knocked delicately on Lisanna's mahogany door, smiling as the door swung open. "Hi, Levy! Can I help you with something?" Lisanna's sweet voice, accompanied by her warm smile, relaxed the trio. Lisanna's short white hair fluttered in the breeze and filled the air with apple scents. Lisanna's eyes scanned the trio, lingering longer on Natsu than on Levy or Gray. She smiled brightly at Natsu, waiting for a reply. "Is Lucy here? We can't find her and she hasn't been home since before the raid." Gray stated bluntly, shooting a frustrated glare at Natsu. Lisanna gasped and covered her mouth with her dainty hands. She said softly, "I haven't seen her. I'll warn the rest of the guild to keep a look out for her, okay?" She locked the door behind her, hugged Natsu and ran off in the direction of the guild. Gray gazed thoughtfully after her, his mind racing and whirring in circles. Natsu spoke sadly: "It's okay. We'll find her soon."

-x-

Natsu, Gray and Levy had visited every member of Fairy Tail, and not a single one had seen any sign of Lucy since the raid yesterday. They had all promised to keep an eye out, and were even starting to make posters to stick up around the town. Natsu stared at the crumpled flyer in his hand. Lucy's enthusiastic grin beamed out at him from the pale, wrinkled paper. Her hair flew out behind her as she twirled in circles. Natsu's heart panged as he recalled the day this photo had been taken – Lucy had come fishing with Natsu and Happy and caught her very first fish. It was only a small baby, but she was ecstatic nonetheless. She'd twirled gleefully, holding the fish in outstretched hands, before offering it shyly to Happy. Happy stared at it with wide eyes and took it with trembling hands, overcome with shock that Lucy would give her first catch to him

Natsu shook his head and tried to focus on the task at hand. He stared blankly at the street around him, noting the posters plastered on every possible surface. Happy was flying morosely above, tossing flyers haphazardly into the air. As Natsu watched the flyers floating to the ground, he felt an uncontrollable bubble of fury in his chest. It grew and grew, until it burst from him in a vicious whirlwind of flames. Natsu howled, the flames coursing along his body and spinning away from him in eddies of heat. He collapsed limply to his knees, his roars tapering off to an agonised whimper. Natsu glared at the delicate feathers of ash floating around him, as if it were their fault that his best friend was missing.

He pounded a fist furiously against the hard stone ground and, with tears streaking down his pale face, whispered, "Lucy…"

-x-

That night, Natsu tossed and turned in his bed. His bed was too cold, and he didn't have an extra blanket. Natsu stood and sullenly glanced around the room. He picked Happy up and draped him gently over his shoulder, and headed for the door of his small cottage.

Natsu walked glumly along the path out of the forest, stopping every few minutes to sniff the air for some sign of Lucy. His sharp ears picked up the myriad sounds of nocturnal forest life – the elated hooting of owls, the oblivious chirping of crickets and soft twigs snapping as animals further off wandered the dark forest. No unusual smells reached him – only the musty smell of damp twigs and wild animals. The path veered off to the right and Natsu followed it, treading the familiar path and kicking stones far off into the forest. Natsu exited the forest and stood for a moment, appreciating the peaceful silence of Magnolia Town. Natsu broke into a slow jog and headed toward his favourite place in the world – Lucy's house. Entering the small bedroom window that was his own private portal to paradise, Natsu curled up on Lucy's pale pink bed and wrapped himself in the warm comforter. Lucy's vanilla-cinnamon scent ensconced him, wrapping him in its heated sweet embrace. Natsu snuggled into the blankets and inhaled Lucy's scent deeply, almost imagining that she was there with him again. It had been over a week since Natsu had last seen her – the longest he had been apart from her since her arrival at Fairy Tail over eight years ago. She had brightened the guild, working in tandem with Mira to make the guild a happier, friendlier place. Her appearance at the guild had been a miracle for Natsu, who had been speeding towards a black hole of depressed resignation. Igneel's disappearance had become harder to bear every year that flew by, and Lisanna's 'death' had only worsened the ordeal. Natsu had grown more destructive as the years went by, simply because it was a way for him to subconsciously vent the rage and desolation he felt. Every area he razed to the ground was the anger he felt at Igneel's disappearance; every explosion was the earth-shattering loneliness he felt at not having Lisanna to partner with him.

And then… Lucy. She blew in like a sailboat on a breeze, in awe of the destructive whirlwind that was Natsu. Her calm acceptance of his flaws was the soothing balm he needed to feel in sync with the world again. When he felt pure rage roiling and swirling within him, all he had to do was look at Lucy to know that everything would be okay. Her enthusiastic belief that he could overcome any obstacle was a drug to Natsu – he lived to hear her cheer his name on. At first, Natsu didn't understand the feelings he harboured for Lucy. All he knew was that he enjoyed her company and that he could trust her with anything. At the Grand Magic Games, when she grasped his hand in hers and told him she believed in him, a flip was switched. Her smile lit up the room and his soul in one swift motion. He could see everything and nothing; the room was monochrome and she was the sole burst of rainbow effervescence; her life was his life. Natsu – oblivious even then – hid the feelings from her, not knowing that they were natural pure emotions. He watched her from a distance, and from up close, and any time she was anywhere near him. Her youthful glee spread smiles to everyone she met. At night, Natsu would crawl into her bed and cuddle her close, acting confused when she would yell at him for 'invading her privacy' and 'breaking and entering'. Nakama can do that. Nakama can spend nights in each other's arms and spend every waking minute together… can't they? Until recently, Natsu was sure they could.

Natsu spent a restless night in Lucy's bed, alternating between helpless howls and blank staring. Her white roof had started to crack in one corner, sending tiny trickles of dust and chipped paint streaming down onto Lucy's pillow. Natsu clambered to his feet on Lucy's bed and walked unsteadily over the soft surface to where the crack was. He inspected the flaw in the roof and deduced that, even if the roof was not about to collapse on Lucy's head, the dust could cause her allergies. The rest of Natsu's night was spent running between his cottage and Lucy's small apartment, gathering hardware and repair materials. After Natsu had cleaned, plastered and blasted the roof to perfection, he could not help but notice the chipped paint on the wall in the kitchen. Natsu re-plastered the wall and painted the entire kitchen with ivory paint he found under the sink. Then he moved back to the bedroom and repainted those walls too. And the bathroom. And her sitting room. By the time the birds began to tweet and the sun began to cast a hazy golden glow over the world, Lucy's house looked as if it had come straight from a magazine catalogue. Happy stirred and sniffed the air – the smell of paint pervaded the air. Throughout the clattering paint cans and dropped plaster bottles, he had slept peacefully on Lucy's bed. He glanced around in awe, until his eyes rested on the exhausted figure of Natsu, whose dark sunken eyes stared blankly out from his face. He had collapsed onto the fluffy rug in the middle of Lucy's room and lay staring at the newly-painted white roof.

"Where is she, Happy?" Natsu whispered hoarsely in despair. Happy's eyes widened, and he scrambled to comfort Natsu. "She's probably just late, Natsu. She'll be back today." Natsu turned his head to face Happy, and the blue cat flinched back in terror. Where Natsu's eyes had one been filled with sparkle and life, they now gazed lifelessly at Happy, drowning in despair and horror. Happy backed away, terrified by the change in Natsu. "I'll be back, Natsu. Don't move." Happy spread his wings and swooped out of Lucy's window, shooting for the guild. He burst through the heavy doors and thumped to a stop in front of Mira. "Hello Happy! Where's Natsu this morning? Would you like a fish?" Her sugary voice reached Happy's ears, and he stared pleadingly into her eyes. He grasped her dainty hand in his paws as a tear slid down his face.

"Please help Natsu." He whispered. Mira gazed thoughtfully into Happy's eyes and nodded solemnly. "Take me to him." She replied. Happy flew directly to Lucy's house, Mira trailing him in her Satan Soul form. They streaked swiftly through the air, shooting through clouds and flocks of birds. They flew into Lucy's apartment through the window, and Mira reverted to her usual appearance once her feet had landed on the floor. She glanced around, appreciating the freshly painted walls and roof. Her eyes widened in shock as she spotted Natsu's unmoving body on the rug. She rushed to him and knelt down beside him, taking his heated hand into her own. She passed a hand over his eyes, and was relieved to note the spark of recognition that entered his dead eyes as he spotted her. "Mira?" His voice was as dead as his eyes – flat, emotionless. She nodded as a lump formed in her throat. She whispered heartbrokenly, "What happened, Natsu?" He didn't reply, but shifted his head to stare at the ceiling. Mira's face had gone pale, and she whipped around to stare at Happy. "Tell me what happened!" She whispered desperately, in shock from seeing the strong Dragon Slayer like this. Happy replied morosely, "I woke up this morning and he was lying on the floor like this. He painted Lucy's whole house last night, I don't think he slept. He asked where Lucy was, and I was scared so I came to fetch you." Happy ended breathlessly, shuddering from the memory of Natsu's empty eyes. Mira nodded slowly and looked down at Natsu again. She transformed to her Satan Soul form in a blinding flash of violet light and hoisted Natsu into her arms. "We're going to the guild. Follow us there, Happy." She whispered, and headed to the door. Once Mira was back on the street, she ignored the civilians' stares and shot into the sky, streaking back to the guild as fast as she could.

-x-

Natsu shifted on the bed. It was wrong. It was too hard, too soft, too hot, too cold, too big and too small. It wasn't Lucy's bed. He blinked languidly and stared at the ceiling of the new room. He recognised it at the guild's medical room – he knew it was this room because he could still see the permanent soot marks on the walls from his younger days. Natsu didn't try to move, or sit up. He remained lying down in the bed that wasn't Lucy's, seeing no point in moving. Lucy wasn't there to make him smile, and he would be damned if he stood up without Lucy to smile and laugh with him. A dull throb pulsed in his head and he frowned. The room was different; it had changed since his last visit. The monochrome walls blended in with the monochrome beds and floors. There was no colour, no light. There was no Lucy.

Faint footsteps reached his ears and he instantly identified them as Gray's – the Ice Princess trod very differently to everyone else, with shuffling stomping feet that dragged and echoed in Natsu's head. Gray sat in the creaky chair next to Natsu's bed and glared at him with folded arms. Natsu could sense Gray staring at him, but felt no inclination to turn his head and look at Gray. If the Ice Princess wanted to stare, he could. An exasperated exhalation sounded from Gray. "Listen, Flamehead, are you seriously going to lie here and mope around?" Gray's icy voice penetrated Natsu's shell of pain. Rage swirled inside him and he lunged for Gray, wrapping his hands tightly around the Ice Bastard's slender throat. "I'm not moping, bastard. Lucy is gone! How can you be so cold and indifferent? Our nakama is GONE!" Natsu roared at Gray, fury dancing in his eyes. Gray rolled his eyes and punched Natsu's jaw, forcing Natsu to relinquish his hold on the Ice Mage. "No, idiot. I meant, how can you lie here moping like some baby when we could be out there looking for Lucy?" Gray spat at Natsu, glaring furiously at the Dragon Slayer. Natsu blinked as Gray's words registered in his sluggish brain. The fire drained from his eyes and he held a hand out for Gray to grasp, hoisting him into a standing position. He gazed firmly into Gray's eyes and muttered an apology. With a nod, Gray continued: "We've searched all of Magnolia Town, and she hasn't been here since before the raid, Gajeel says. We're leaving in ten minutes to trace our steps back to Raven Tail. Meet us at the station." Gray turned on his heel and stormed out of the door. Natsu picked his scarf up off the floor where it had fallen during his tussle with Gray, and looped it around his neck. He beckoned to a speechless Happy, who followed him all the way to the station.

Throughout the train ride, Natsu's rage overpowered his motion sickness, and he was able to sit normally on a train for the first time in his whole life. His mind raced in circles, considering every place they might find Lucy. Names of forests, stations, towns, guilds and notable landmarks flicked through his mind. They had last seen her in the dark forest outside Raven Tail's decimated mansion. They were going to split up into smaller groups and explore every possible route, mapped and unmapped, that Lucy could possibly have taken. The entire guild, once informed of Lucy's absence, had immediately dropped their jobs and grouped together as one large search party. Once Fairy Tail had reached the station, Mira separated people into groups. Erza's group would comb the forests; Laxus' group would explore the dangerous bandit territories; Reedus' group would split up and each take one of the possible mapped routes; Gray's group would search every town and hospital; The Dragon Slayers would travel to each guild nearby and ask for any signs of Lucy. The first guild on the list – Sabertooth.

Natsu and Gajeel hiked the steep, rocky mountains, with Wendy riding on Gajeel's shoulders. The Exceeds flew above them, alerting them to dangerous footholds or precariously perched rocks. After several hours of hiking, the trio reached the top of the mountain. Once they had had a moment to regain their breath, they strode confidently through the thick iron doors. All heads turned to face them, expressions of shock, awe and fear plastering their faces. The trio marched indifferently through the crowd, heading for Master Jiemma. Once they had reached him, Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy bowed in greeting. Master Jiemma eyed them suspiciously and beckoned for Sting and Rogue to join him. They stood stiffly next to him, as suspicious as he was. Wendy stepped forward, as the group's designated speaker. "Master Jiemma, we apologise for the disturbance. One of our guild has gone missing, and we're searching the surrounding area for her. Have you perhaps seen Lucy Heartfilia anywhere?" Wendy's timid voice filled the silent guildhall. She stood unthreateningly with her hands clasped in front of her, a pleadingly hopeful glimmer in her eyes. Master Jiemma peered thoughtfully down at Wendy, taking in her miniature height and delicacy. A Dragon Slayer of an unknown element. She could be a useful addition to the ranks of his guild. Master Jiemma clasped his hands before him, glancing over them at his guests. He spoke, "Dragon Slayers of Fairy Tail, welcome to Sabertooth. I invite you to stay the afternoon and regain your energy – the hike up our mountain must have been exhausting – and over dinner I will impart to you the information I have. Sting and Rogue will show you to a room." Recognising the harsh authority in Master Jiemma's voice, the trio made no attempt to argue, but simply nodded respectfully. Master Jiemma smirked and leaned back in his throne-like chair. A flick of his fingers indicated to Sting and Rogue that they should lead the guests away, and the third-generation Light and Shadow Dragon Slayers complied immediately.

The trio followed Sting and Rogue through a maze of dark, shadowy hallways. They reached a vivid red door and entered, appearing in a large sitting room. Black carpets and walls, crimson couches and armchairs. A table in the centre of the room held an assortment of food, desserts and drinks. Sting sprawled across a long couch, assuming a 'cool' pose. Rogue perched primly on a small armchair. The trio assumed positions on a long couch opposite Sting. Sting glanced around quickly and relaxed, allowing a grin to sneak its way onto his face. "So, Natsu, now that we're all here, let's have a fight! I'm stronger than I was, I know I can beat you!" Natsu sighed and shook his head, declining the offer to fight. "Not now, Sting. Maybe some other time." Sting frowned and said, "You're a guest here, Natsu. You have to fight me." Natsu simply rolled his eyes and looked away, thinking about Master Jiemma's promise for information. Sting leaped to his feet and marched to Natsu, shoving a slim finger into Natsu's face. "Are you really such a coward, first-gen? Are you really so scared of me? Fight me, Natsu!" Natsu ignored Sting's attempts to rile him up. Sting broke into a wicked grin again, as he crowed, "It's your fault, isn't it? You weren't strong enough to protect that blonde bimbo! I understand now! It's your fault she's missing!" Natsu winced, but otherwise didn't react. He already knew that it was his fault Lucy had disappeared. "So tell me, how is the blonde anyway? Still as curvy and busty as before? Man, the things I'd like to do to that girl! She wouldn't be able to walk after I'm through wi-" A flaming fist slammed into Sting's nose, propelling him across the room and into the wall on the far side of the room. Sting slumped to the ground unconscious, a gleaming trickle of blood tracking its way slowly down his face. Rogue glanced at his unconscious friend and shook his head. "Idiot." He muttered, and leaned back into the chair, closing his eyes. Natsu shook his throbbing hand and allowed Wendy to heal the minor injuries scattered across the knuckles. He rubbed his temples and leaned back against the chair, dropping off into a restless sleep. Several hours later, he woke to find Sting still passed out against the wall. Rogue was shaking Gajeel's shoulder, trying to wake him up. The trio silently stood and marched towards the door, following Rogue back through the maze of hallways. They entered another large double door into an extravagant dining room.

Master Jiemma stood at the head of the table and motioned for them to sit alongside him – the table was otherwise empty. Natsu and Gajeel sat to either side of Master Jiemma, Wendy next to Gajeel and Rogue opposite her. Master Jiemma frowned and looked at Rogue. Rogue replied, without prompting, "He provoked Natsu." Master Jiemma nodded in understanding and beckoned to the food on the table. "Eat, honoured guests. Eat and I will tell you what I know." Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy helped themselves to tiny portions of each dish. Master Jiemma ate, and in between mouthfuls he explained the events of the day of the raid. "You fought and successfully defeated Raven Tail ten days ago." He sipped his wine. "You destroyed their mansion and incapacitated every member of the guild, except Master Ivan. That was your mistake." A mouthful of food was chewed agonisingly slowly. "Ivan breaks those who try to break him. His guild members are trash, expendable and easily replaceable. With the exception of Flare, Kurohebi and Nullpudding, he would happily leave every member of his guild to die. Which he did," a gulp of wine, "when you raided his mansion. What most people do not know is that Ivan has a secret guildhall. It is where he and his trusted guild members reside." Gajeel's eyes lit up and he asked gruffly, "Where is this guildhall? Tell us!" Master Jiemma shook his head and replied, "I don't know. Before my spies had a chance to discover its location, a group of idiots burst in and destroyed the mansion and any hopes I had of finding the secret guildhall." Master Jiemma glowered at the three Dragon Slayers. Wendy blushed and looked away, embarrassed by their mistake. Natsu's head was filled with dark clouds and little voices telling him that it was his fault that Lucy had been taken. He looked up just in time to see a small smirk appear on Master Jiemma's face. "I'll make a deal with you weaklings. I'll give you all the data we collected on the guildhall's location – but you'll take Sting and Rogue with you. Once you find it, they will report back to me to inform me of its location." Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy shared a brief glance before nodding in unison. Master Jiemma's grin widened to show all of his teeth, and a maniacal glint entered his eyes.

"Excellent…"

-x-

Two weeks later, each member of Fairy Tail had regrouped at the remains of the old mansion – with the exception of Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy. Erza and Mira quickly called the group to order and gathered the information that each group had to offer. Nobody had seen any sign of Lucy. Laxus and the Raijinshuu had followed a possible lead in the bandit territory, but it turned out that the bandits had been abducting women to sell to passing Vulcans. Extremely grudgingly, and with a promise that no harm would come to them, the bandits had admitted that they had not seen Lucy. And then Laxus knocked them out and sent them to the nearest town's prison. Erza ordered the guild to scout the surrounding area for any sign of Lucy, but the smoky ash floating in the breeze made it difficult to find any definite proof that Lucy was there. Beyond Fairy Tail's camp lay the crumbled remains of Raven Tail's mansion – a gigantic heap of broken stone, splintered wood and smashed rubble.

Hearing a snapping sound from behind her, Erza dropped into a crouched position and loosed multiple swords. "Try not to kill us, Titania." Gajeel grumbled as he emerged from the woods with Wendy on his shoulders. Erza's face remained stoic, taking in Natsu's exhausted gait and the deep black circles under his eyes. Erza's face crumpled in concern, but quickly morphed into a frown when she saw Sting and Rogue following Natsu. "What do you think you two are doing here?" She demanded sternly, arms folding menacingly across her chest. Natsu gazed blankly at Erza and muttered, "We'll explain later when everyone's here." Erza nodded and said, "Everyone's here. We've been waiting for you guys to arrive." Natsu ignored Erza and walked straight through to the camp, his shoulders slumped and his face forlorn. Erza followed behind Sting and Rogue, keeping a sharp eye on the Dragon Slayers of Sabertooth.

Later that night, as the guild sat in a circle around a large bonfire eating the food Mira had made them, Gajeel began to explain what they had found. Fairy Tail sat in silence, listening with rapt attention when Gajeel mentioned the secret guildhall. Their eyes lit with hope as they realised that Lucy could still be alive. An excited chatter spread through the group as they considered the possibilities of the secret guildhall's location. Gray cleared his throat and stood. "Now that they're back, I can share our news. We were in the same town as Natsu for a few hours, and we bumped into Yukino, that other Celestial Mage. She said that her spirits have been sharing information with her about Lucy's disappearance. Apparently Lucy's spirits can't sense her." An eerie silence descended over the group as they realised the possible meanings of that sentence. Gray continued. "She's not dead, or their keys would reappear in the celestial world. But she's in a place where even the celestial spirits are blocked from finding her. They get twinges of her emotions, and it isn't good. Only very strong pain and emotions would be able to penetrate that block." Natsu glared at the ground, half wishing that he could just run off and set everything on fire again. He brought his hands to his head and started yanking thick tufts of his pink hair. His eyes were wide with the horrors that he imagined Lucy must be experiencing, and his mind swum with macabre images: Lucy, dead; Lucy, lying in a pool of blood; Lucy, dead, eyes staring accusingly into Natsu's; Lucy, alive, blaming Natsu for leaving her there to suffer while he partied and moped around. He let out a savage howl of rage, pain, fury and anguish. He knelt on the ground and screamed. His nakama surrounded him and he felt his body burst into vivid white flames, pushing them all back. Natsu didn't know how long he stayed like that, but by the time he had come back to himself, every member of the guild was staring at him in fear and horror. Once the flames had died down, Mira ran forward and held Natsu, sobbing into his shoulder. "We'll find her, Natsu, I promise! We won't leave our nakama behind!" Mira's emotional words prompted Lisanna to run and join the hug, followed by Gray, Wendy, Levy, Erza and Elfman. Soon enough, the entire guild was huddled around Natsu, hugging and supporting each other – even Laxus, Bickslow and Evergreen. They remained that way until just after midnight, when Master said sadly, "It's time for bed, brats. We need to be well-rested to find our Lucy."

The group slowly separated and wandered off until only Natsu remained. He stalked off to the rubble of the old mansion and started setting fire to everything he could see, relishing in the destruction he was causing. Alternating between vicious punches and kicks, Natsu cleared quite a lot of rubble from the junk heap. A snapping sound reached his ears and he sniffed the air – metal, blood and an old undercurrent of vanilla-cinnamon. Gajeel and Lucy's presence of a few weeks ago, taunting him. Gajeel stepped up beside Natsu and sat down on a large ornate piece of stone – a piece of the roof. "You love her, don't you?" Gajeel said quietly. "I can see it in the way you act. But you never told her. Why, Salamander?" Natsu sat on another piece of roof and stared at the ground, his head in his rough, bleeding hands. "I didn't know I loved her until a few days before she left. Before that, I thought she was just nakama. But I think I've loved her since I met her, it just took this long for me to understand it." Gajeel nodded thoughtfully and said, "I know what you mean, Salamander. I feel the same about Shrimp. But I don't deserve her. Not after… Not after what I did to her." Gajeel gazed thoughtfully into the distance. Natsu sighed and replied, "Levy doesn't care about that anymore. She loves you too, and you're only hurting both of you by not telling her how you feel." Gajeel chuckled morosely and muttered, "When did you get so romantic, Salamander?" Natsu smiled weakly and said, "I feel closer to Lucy when I speak like that. It sounds like something she would say. I miss her so much, Gajeel." A tear slid down Natsu's face, the first one in weeks, and he wiped it away furiously. "Don't worry, Salamander, I won't laugh at you for crying. Mavis knows I feel like crying sometimes too. Why does love have to hurt so much, huh?" Gajeel said awkwardly. He stood and patted Natsu roughly on the shoulder. "Maybe you're right about confessing to Shrimp." And with that acknowledgement of Natsu's advice, he disappeared into the darkness. Natsu curled into a ball on the hard, rough roof and dropped into sleep.

-x-

It was exactly three days later when Rogue suggested something that nobody had thought of yet. "If we uncover some of this rubble and look for Ivan's office, maybe we can find something to tell us where the guildhall is." Everyone stared at Rogue, unaccustomed to hearing him speak such long sentences. He shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny. Natsu, Gajeel, Laxus and Bickslow used their strength and determination to shift the majority of the rubble away from the ruined building. Much of the rubble had already been blasted away by Natsu every night, in his attempts to vent his anger. It didn't take long for the guild to find the ruins of Master Ivan's office – there were burnt swaths of opulent purple cloth and splinters of gold-leafed wood littered around the area. Sting and Rogue examined the area quickly, pulling out all papers they could find. Natsu pulled out a map and, after a moment of quick scrutiny, handed it to Master Makarov. "This map shows the location, Gramps. Go to where the 'X' is." Natsu muttered to Master Makarov. Master examined Natsu's face and, seeming to find something hidden, nodded slowly. "Brats! Natsu has found the secret guildhall. We're going there now. Pack up and be ready to move in ten minutes." Natsu nodded to the Master and headed towards Sting and Rogue.

"The secret guildhall is under this mansion. Go with Gramps until you get a chance to slip back to Sabertooth. Don't come back here until tomorrow." Sting and Rogue nodded sombrely, until Sting piped up. "You can't go in there alone, Natsu." Natsu's face darkened and a dark aura surrounded him. "I'm not. I'm calling the one other person who cares for Luce as much as I do." Sting and Rogue glanced at each other and scurried to pack their travel kits, eager to be away from Natsu's murderous aura. Gajeel walked casually back to Natsu and said, "Good luck, Salamander. I'll send Wendy and Erza back here with a Magic Four Wheel Vehicle." Natsu nodded appreciatively and replied, "Thanks, Gajeel. Now go." Gajeel walked away, but turned back and muttered so that only Natsu could hear: "You better hurry, Salamander. I'm confessing to Shrimp when you and Bunnygirl get back, so you better hurry." Natsu nodded again and watched as the members of his guild trailed away from the ruined mansion. When Natsu was sure that they were far enough away, he screamed, "Lokeeeeeeeeeeee!" Natsu screamed for Loke at the top of his lungs until, with a weak flash of light, Loke appeared before him. "We have to hurry, Natsu. Lucy's strength is fading, so mine is too. Where is she?" Natsu didn't bother with replying, only heading to the concealed trap door he had found near the basement. Loke followed him silently, indifferent to the strength that was being sapped from his immortal veins with every step he took. He would do anything to help Lucy, even if it meant losing his life.

-x-

With a violent whirlwind of white flames, the guards were wiped out. Loke and Natsu followed the bone-chilling sounds of Lucy's screams all the way to the dungeon, dispatching guards as they went along. The opulent room beside the dungeon entrance was burned to a crisp, with Master Ivan, Flare and Nullpudding restrained inside. Resistance was negligible against the power of Natsu and Loke's unmatched fury. Their hatred burned and propelled outwards in the form of magical power. Natsu and Loke burst like a tornado into the dungeon, glaring in pure hatred, fury and rage at the snake bastard that was manhandling their princess. As they glared at the snake monster, they heard Lucy's soft, pained voice whisper, "Natsu… Loke…"

With dual roars, Loke and Natsu ran towards Kurohebi. Thick scales had formed on Natsu's arms and forehead; his teeth had elongated to form fangs; his nails had stretched to form razor-sharp claws. Whipping his arms in a scissoring motion, Natsu shredded the skin on Kurohebi's face. Loke's Regulus Punch shattered every rib in Kurohebi's chest. With a wheezing breath, Kurohebi hissed, "You're too late. She's not… pure… anymore. She's ruined." Natsu ripped Kurohebi's stomach open with his razor-claws, while Loke smashed his skull. Blood splattered in thick, arcing sprays around the small cell. Natsu and Loke each took a step back in horror at the violent murder they had just committed, but a glance at their princess made them wish they could do it again. Smashed bones, vivid bruises and cuts littered Lucy's pale, undernourished body. Natsu barely took notice of her nakedness, choosing instead to focus on what was evidently blood on her inner thighs. Natsu's eyes scanned her body hurriedly, searching for any wound that could have caused the blood on her thighs… Anything but what he thought it was…

"Natsu!" Loke's desperate cry penetrated Natsu's haze of horror, and Natsu looked back just in time to see Loke's glowing form fade into the air. His final whisper reached Natsu's sensitive ears: "Save her…" Natsu knelt beside Lucy and lifted her gingerly into his scaled arms, supporting her head as best he could. He raced towards the trap door, following the mixed trails of blood, ash and corpses. Reaching the trap door, Natsu wrestled with a dilemma. Should he climb through first and somehow get Lucy up after him? Or push her through first and follow after to make sure she doesn't fall? Natsu had a sudden flashback to a previous fight with a Wind Mage… Erigor? Egrigor? Eri-something... Where he used his flames to propel himself like a rocket. Cuddling Lucy tighter into his arms, Natsu funnelled a small trickle of power to his feet, willing his flames to respond. He almost cried in relief when a burst of flame pushed him upwards. He cradled his upper body over Lucy's to protect her from the sharp corners of the trap door. He winced as they smashed into his spine, but refused to relinquish his hold on the fragile woman in his arms. He flew her through the door and bent his knees to brace for the impact. His knee buckled as he landed, and he flinched at the sharp rocks slicing into his knee. Natsu stood up shakily and ran to the Fairy Tail camp, gasping in relief as he saw Erza and Wendy with the Magic Four Wheel Vehicle. He ran to it as speedily as he could, laying Lucy gently down on one of the benches in the back of the vehicle and covering her nakedness with his ripped vest. He ran to the front of the vehicle and almost pushed Wendy over in his hurry to get her to the back of the car. He panted to Erza, "Drive! Now!" Erza nodded and attached the magic pump to her arm, pushing it as fast as she could. Wendy knelt by Lucy's side and started pumping as much Healing magic into her as she could. Several of Lucy's larger injuries knitted together and healed as Natsu watched. Natsu spent the majority of the eight-hour journey staring at Lucy and Wendy, begging, praying and pleading that Lucy would survive until they got to the guild. Wendy passed out from magic fatigue five hours into the drive, and the last three hours were a torturous nightmare for Natsu. Now that the stress of searching for Lucy had disappeared, so (it seemed) had his immunity to motion sickness. Refusing to be helpless while vomiting over the side of the vehicle, Natsu let himself fall asleep. His dreams were riddled with visions of bloody Lucy, disembowelled Kurohebi and lifeless corpses littering shadowy expanses of hallways. He jerked awake multiple times, startling Erza every time. The last time he woke, they were right outside Magnolia Town. He awoke screaming.

-x-

Lucy had been unconscious for over a week now. Porlyusica had said it was something called a coma. Natsu didn't care what it was called – he wanted his Lucy back. He sat at her bedside every moment of every day, and on the brief occasions that he had to leave, Loke came to replace him. They had both agreed that she would not be alone at any time in case she woke up. Porlyusica checked in on Lucy daily, checking her vitals and ensuring that she wasn't permanently damaged. Most of Lucy's smaller injuries had healed, and only the deeper cuts remained. These had been bandaged in cloths infused with healing roots by Porlyusica, who had not grumbled or complained in the last week. She seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation.

Natsu left Lucy's bedside for an hour so that he could shower and change into fresh clothes. Happy was ecstatic to see him, as he had not seen Natsu in over a month. Natsu showered and changed as quickly as he could, but it was nowhere near fast enough for him. He packed spare clothes into a bag and ran back to the guild with the bag slung over his back. Approaching the guild, Natsu sensed a different atmosphere to the one that had hovered over the building in the past month. It seemed happier, more alive. He strode briskly through the guild, heading straight for the infirmary. He heard shrill screams from the medical room and dropped his bag, rushing to Lucy's room. He burst in and stopped breathless at the scene before him. Lucy was clutching Loke's shirt, sobbing into his chest. But she was awake! Natsu said warily, "Lucy?" in case it was a dream or a hallucination. Lucy turned to stare at him, her tear-filled eyes analysing his face. He knew what she could see – depression, moroseness and self-loathing. Lucy turned to Loke and whispered, asking if he could give her and Natsu some time alone. Natsu acquiesced and walked up to Natsu, clapping him on the shoulder. Loke leans closer and mutters, "Be gentle – she was raped." Natsu's face distorts into an anguished mask of pain. Natsu mutters back, "Is that why she screamed? You touched her?" Loke nods regretfully, and vanishes through the door

Natsu walked up to her bed and sat in the chair that Loke had only moments ago vacated. He had unshed tears in his eyes, and as he reached for her hand, Lucy could see them threatening to fall. "What is it, Natsu? Why do you look so unhappy? I'm right here." Lucy whispered and tried to smile, but failed and let loose a few tears instead. Natsu grimaced and stood up, running his hands furiously though his hair, messing it up even more than it already was. He started pacing, and spoke. Natsu didn't know if he was talking to her, or to himself, but he knew that he was furious. "I should have been able to find you. I should have been able to tell that something had happened to you but I couldn't. I let you down. It's my fault you got so hurt. If I'd only been able to find you sooner, if I'd only been able to take your pain away… I FAILED YOU! And then you sit there and you try to smile for me! You should hate me! You should be throwing stuff and hitting me and screaming at me but you're smiling at me! Lucy!" Natsu dropped to his knees, grasping his head tightly. He looked up at Lucy again, and he was sobbing. He was sobbing and howling and dragging his sharp fingernails down his cheeks, the blood mixing with his tears. He put his forehead to the ground and screamed, hitting the ground with his clenched fists. He stopped screaming when he felt a small hand stroking his back, and he looked up in disbelief. Lucy was standing beside him in nothing but a thin white hospital gown.

Her knees trembled and she collapsed to the ground, kneeling beside Natsu with her hand still on his shoulder. She turned to face him, tears streaming down her bruised face. "Natsu, I don't blame you. How could I? You and Loke saved me." She whispered softly, staring pleadingly into his bloodshot eyes. "But I'm your partner! It's my job to protect you! How can you still not blame me when I didn't do my job? I couldn't protect you! If anything, you should hate me, you should…" His ranting was cut off abruptly as Lucy pressed her soft lips to his, her hands on his shoulders. His eyes remained wide open as she kissed him, his head racing with self-loathing and love and hatred and joy and sadness. He pushed her shoulders gently, forcing her to break away from his lips. "Luce… Please don't. I love you but I don't want you to feel you have to do that to make me feel better. Please don't, I'm begging you." Natsu was horrified – how could she kiss him after what he had done to her? It was his fault that she had suffered so long. If only he hadn't partied that night… If only he hadn't wasted time looking for her in Magnolia Town… If only he hadn't left her outside Raven Tail in the first place. "I love you, Natsu. Thinking of you was the only thing that got me through. I love you, Natsu." Natsu stared at her, searching her eyes for any signs of falsehood. Finding none, he drew her into his arms and carried her back to the bed.

He tucked her in and kissed her forehead, settling back into his chair. He held her hand as she starting getting sleepy. As she drifted off into a deep sleep, he leaned over and whispered, "I love you. I will always love you. I will never let you down again." Lucy snuggled into his arms and Natsu thought to himself, "I hope we can heal together."

-x-

So that's Natsu's POV. The last part is mostly the same as the last chapter. Let me know what you think in a review, or drop me a PM. I love hearing from you guys!

EDIT (13/4/2014): Please understand that I know that rape victims generally hate contact and become distant. However, I also know that not every case is the same. Not every rape victim distances themselves after a tragedy such as this. I have a friend who was raped, and less than 3 days after the rape, she had told our grade and didn't mind hugs. Therefore, my thought process for this story was that Lucy is one of the strong ones that can handle contact with her close loved ones, but not strangers.

EDIT: I read through this story a few days ago and I was horrified at how many mistakes I found. It's been properly edited now, so please forgive me for the mistakes if you saw them!