Our Idiots

Chapter 24 // I'm Coming Too

Chapter 24- I'm Coming Too
Lucy's POV
"We should find the others," I suggested, and Natsu's eyes filled with disappointment.
"He's my best friend, Luce," he pleaded, and my heart wrenched a little. The worst part is, I wasn't only sad for him; I kind of wished he thought I was his best friend too.
"I'm with Lu-chan," Levy pipped up, "We find the others and then we go save them."
"Me too," Gray added.
Wendy and Natsu gave each other desperate looks.
"If you don't hunt them down in the next ten minutes, we're going anyway," Wendy commanded, and Natsu nodded in firm agreement.
"We'll wait here incase anything happens," he sat cross legged on the grass, and stared pointedly at the stone.
"You promise not to go?" I didn't quite trust them not to do something daft- their exceeds meant the world to them.
"I promise, Luce."
"Let's go," Gray muttered, and we left the two of them. Natsu wouldn't break a promise, would he?
"Juvia and I will go towards the maze," Levy decided, grabbing the other bluenettes hand. They sprinted away, kicking up stones with their sandals and no doubt getting dust between their toes. I shared a glance with Gray, and we set off towards the sea in silent agreement.
It seemed to take forever to reach the beach- the seconds dragged out and the world was drowned out by the hammering of my heart. Gray stayed a few paces ahead, and he glanced back every few moments to check I hadn't been left behind.
I'd show him.
Though my legs already ached, I forced them to double their speed, my arms propelling me forward as the wind caught my hair. I wouldn't slow; every extra second we took was a moment the three cats spent terrified and alone.
Another moment they spent in danger.
Finally, my feet smacked down onto sand, and we stopped, breathless, to survey the area. Sure enough, two figures sat side by side gazing out at the sea- Erza and Jellal.
"Erza, Jellal!" I yelled, forcing myself to keep moving towards them, though I wanted desperately to collapse onto my back and never move again.
Titania's head jolted away from Jellal's shoulder, and their fingers sprung apart from where they had rested entwined.
"Gray, Lucy, what happened?" Erza asked as she scrambled to her feet, noting the worry in my eyes.
"The exceeds," I gasped, "they're gone."

Natsu's POV
Each second was a millennium as me and Wendy waited in silence. All I could think of was Happy with fear in his eyes and tears on his cheeks, lonely and afraid.
From the look on Wendy's face, I figured she was thinking the same about Carla.
It probably took about ten seconds for me to notice the noise. A high-pitched scraping sound like claws against stone that had my hairs standing on end and my senses tingling.
The noise wasn't nearby.
Only with my sensitive ears was I able to pick up the blood chilling scratching coming from far below of- perks of being a dragon slayer.
"Wendy, do you hear that?" I muttered, and the bluenette nodded nervously. We sat in silence as the noise grew louder, closer, sending vibrations through the earth and causing the broken grave stone to quiver. I shut my eyes and focused, trying to ignore the heavy thump of my heart.
Closer, closer...
And then suddenly it stopped.
The silence left in the wake of that terrible sound was the kind that presses into you, taunting and empty. I pressed my head against the grass, straining to pick up something- anything- that might tell us what was going on deep underground.
Nothing.
Nothing.

Lucy's POV
"What do you mean, gone?" Erza asked, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Just that! They've been taken and we have to rescue them-" I gasped, still trying to catch my breath.
"Why would anyone take Happy and Carla? Lily can fight but the other two are just cats," Jellal pointed out, sharing a glance with Erza.
"I'm sure they're alright," Erza comforted, "Maybe Carla finally let Happy take her out and Lily's just... Busy."
Gray shook his head.
"Something's off guys. We found this cracked grave and a bunch of fur. They'd never take off without telling anyone- those exceeds adore the dragon slayers and they love them back. I've never seen Wendy so distraught and she's usually a pretty tough girl."
Worry finally spread across Erza's face.
"Take us there."
And we were off again, sprinting across the beach as clouds began to spread across the sky.

Natsu's POV
What came next was so faint I thought for a moment I'd only imagined it. The voice was distant, quavering, but unmistakable.
"N-Natsu..."
Then a little louder, but still so heartbreakingly broken.
"Natsu..."
It was Happy.
My gaze snapped up to Wendy, and from her clenched fists I was certain she hadn't missed Happy's fearful call. An understanding passed between us, she nodded, and I sprung to my feet and leapt into the open grave.
I was only falling for a split second before my sandals smacked down onto rough, damp rock. A tunnel, lit only by the natural light coming in from above me. Not daring to waste time thinking, I began to walk forwards, the sound of my steps echoing a horrible warning of my presence.
I'd taken only five cautious paces when the air behind me whooshed and I spun, my arms up ready in a fighting stance. Wendy hit the ground and fell into a crouch, pressing a palm to the ancient rock as she caught her balance.
"Wait for the others," I instructed, lowering my arms and feeling my adrenaline subside a little.
"Shut up, Natsu," she commanded fiercely, catching me entirely off guard.
She rose from her feral position and closed the short distance between us.
"I'm coming too."