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Chapter 14: Chapter 13

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Natsu and Romeo had fallen into a part of the island that was surrounded by jungle. There were trees that draped, deep shadows, humid air, and marsh-like rivers. One of which happens to be where the boys had landed. They fell straight down into the nearest river which luckily was very calm and not rapid so they weren't washed away. They pulled themselves out of the river and went somewhere to dry off.

"Are you alright Romeo?" Natsu asked his little brother.

"I think so." He replied with a shiver.

"What a fall." The older boy said looking up toward the sky. "We could've been killed if we had fallen on or in to anything other than this river."

"Where's Juvia?"

"I don't know. I don't think she fell with us."

The two boys looked around to see if their sister was anywhere nearby. But they saw no trace of her or Gray for that matter.

"What do you think happened to her?" Romeo asked.

"I don't know but I'm sure if we look around we'll find her and that weirdo who brought us here." Natsu answered.

"You mean Gray?"

"Yeah him."

"I don't think he's weird. I think he's amazing."

"I guess he's interesting but I don't trust him."

"Why?"

"Well for one thing he just came into our house uninvited, he doesn't where any clothes save for pants, and he just acts so weird. It's like how he talks and moves is always in a mischievous way. Like he's always up to something. And I've seen the way he looks at Juvia."

"What do you mean? How does he look at her?"

"Remember when we met that older boy Bora while  walking home from school?"

"Yeah and you chased him down and beat him with your school books." Romeo said. "Father, Mother, and Aunt Mirajane all agreed that it was the dumbest thing you ever did."

"Well I only did that when the jerk asked Juvia if she would show him her bloomers and Father later told me that he was proud of what I did."

"What does that have to do with Gray?"

"I saw him looking at her the exact same way Bora looked at her."

"What way? I don't understand."

"You wouldn't. You're too little." He sighed. "I don't know why I tell you this stuff because you never get the idea of it."

"Get what idea?"

"Nevermind. Let's try to find them."

So the two boys searched the jungle while calling out for their sister and Gray but their calls were not to be answered. They had searched for about half an hour when suddenly they stepped on to something and found themselves hanging upside down by their feet.

"What just happened?" Romeo asked.

"How humiliating." Natsu said with his shirt covering his face as he hung. "We've walked right into a trap."

"Hey I can see your underwear." Romeo pointed out to the said piece of clothing sticking out from his older brother's pants.

"Aw man. Well at least there are no girls around."

"Uh...Natsu."

"What?"

"I think you spoke too soon."

"What are you talking about?"

Natsu pulled his shirt out of his face and to his horror it allowed him to see that standing across from him was a young girl who's gaze was directed right at his exposed underwear.

"Ahh!" Natsu shouted in an embarrassment as he desperately tried to pull his pants back up.

The little girl couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter at how ridiculous he looked. In fact she laughed so hard that she fell over herself a few times.

"How silly you two look." She said between laughs. "Makes me almost feel sorry for you."

"Ha-ha. Very funny." Natsu said changing from feeling embarrassed to feeling annoyed. "Alright you've had your laugh! Now get us down from here lady!"

She was taken aback by his tone of voice but complied with his request. She quickly pulled a hunting knife out and walked over to where the vines holding them up had been tied to a tree.

"No wait! Hold on! Don't just-"

But she only flashed him a playful grin and cut the vine with her knife causing them both to fall to the ground.

"Ow! Are you crazy?!"  Natsu said picking himself up off the ground. "You could have busted my head open! What are you? Some kind of-"

But became at a loss for words when he finally let himself take a good look at the girl. She was around his age with blonde hair that was kept in braids along with a feather pinned in the back. Her eyes were brown and doe-like, she was very pretty and wore an odd dress that was decorated with beads and shells.

"What a nasty attitude you lost boys have." She said. "You should learn to be more respectful to others."

"Lost what?" Natsu said only hearing bits and pieces of what she said due to being distracted by her appearance.

"Lost boys." She said. "You are always trespassing on my people's territory and causing trouble. We've told you a thousand times to stick to your own land but you refuse to listen. You're lucky I'm a believer in mercy otherwise I would have turned you both over to my tribe."

"Hold on I think there's been a bit of a mix up." Natsu said. "We didn't know this was your territory. We weren't told that and we're not who you think we are."

The blonde girl took another look at the two boys she had freed from her trap. She didn't recognize any of them from Gray's group and she noticed that neither one of them wore animal skins or carried a weapon like the other lost boys did.

"Hmm...Now that you mention it, you don't look anything like the lost boys. Who are you two?"

"I'm Natsu and this is my brother Romeo." Natsu introduced. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"I am Princess Lucy of the Celestial Tribe."

"Of the Celestial who?"

"The Indians. They're my people and I am their leader."

"Leader? But you're just a kid."

"So are you."

"But aren't you a little young to be leading a group of Indians?"

"No and for your information I'm a lot more capable than I appear."

"Well excuse me your majesty but we're not from around here so we didn't get the memo."

"Oh you must be new arrivals then. It's been awhile since Gray has brought any of those here."

"You know Gray?"

"I've seen him around and I know where he and his band of trouble makers live."

"That's great!" Romeo said. "Maybe you could help us find him and our big sister."

"Sister?" Lucy said.

"Our sister Juvia came here with us but we got separated by a cannon that shot us down." Natsu said. "That's how we ended up here."

"I don't believe this. Gray actually brought a girl over here?"

"Yeah. He's never done that before?"

"No. He's only brought boys here. He's not interested in girls. Or at least that's what that pixie of his told me. Huh...Last time I go to a fairy for answers."

"That aside. You know where Gray lives, could you take us there?"

"I would but I have to focus on catching a bear for my people."

"A bear? What are you and your people going to do with a bear?"

"What else? Eat it of course."

"Eat it?!" Romeo said clutching his teddy bear protectively.

"Yes and thanks to you two I have to reset my trap all over again." She said.

"Your trap?" Natsu said. "You mean you built this?"

"Yes." 

"That's pretty incredible."

"You think so?"

"Yeah."

"Oh...In that case thank you. The other Indians think I'm too young to do things like hunting on my own but I'll sometimes sneak away from camp just to show them how wrong they are."

"Wait you mean they don't know you're here?"

"No. As far they know I'm still in my tee pee trying to make beaded necklaces."

"Won't you get into trouble once they find out you're gone?"

"Not if I bring back a hearty bear to eat." She went over to grab a vine. "Then maybe they'll finally let me join them on their hunts and battles against the pirates."

"You fight pirates?"

"I never have but I want to.  As leader of this tribe I must be able to defend it when danger comes yet they refuse to let me try. I'm young not helpless."

"Wow. You hunt, you fight, you build traps. You're a lot different from the girls I know."

"What kind of girls do you know?"

"Actually I don't know that many girls just my sister but she and her classmates don't hunt, fight, or build stuff. They like to read and sew and embroider."

"Sounds boring. What do you boys do? Do you practice hunting and fighting as well?"

"No. Not really. We just go to school and learn. But I do build things. I once made a new and quicker way to start a fire using rocks and metal."

"Really?" She said intrigued. 

"Uh-huh and I bet that I could make this trap of yours more full proof."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I could set up an alarm or something. Like maybe set up a trigger with a bell that'll go off once something is caught. That way you'll be able to hear when you've caught something."

"What an extraordinary idea. The boys on this island aren't nearly as clever as you." She said and then smiled before finishing her sentence with. "Or as cute."

Natsu blushed for a moment but was quickly broken out of it when they heard footsteps coming toward them.

"Uh-oh that's probably my people looking for me." Lucy said. "You better hide. If they find you they'll probably scalp you."

"What?!"

"Just hide."

She ushered them into a nearby bush and went to the source of the footsteps. 

"Hey you're doing it too." Romeo whispered to Natsu.

"Doing what?" He whispered back.

"Looking at her like Gray looks at Juvia."

"I am?" He said.

"Uh-huh. What's that about?"

Before Natsu could answer the owners of the footsteps became visible and they became completely stiff with fear when they saw who they were. It wasn't the Indians, it was the pirates.

"Princess Lucy how nice of you to come to us so we wouldn't have to make the long journey." Hades said.

Lucy attempted to grab her knife but she was quickly restrained by two of his crew members Kain and Azuma. 

"Get your hands off me you swine!" She snapped.

"Calm yourself." The captain said. "I mean you no harm I only have a little proposition for you my dear princess. You tell me the hiding place of Gray Fullbuster and I shall set you free. Am I not a man of my word, Mr. Capricorn?"

"Oh yes." His first mate said with his fingers crossed behind his back. "Always. So your highness why don't you just tell him what you know so things don't get messy. Please?"

"I have nothing to say." She replied without fear.

"You better talk my dear because if not you'll have to go for a little swim and there is no path through water to the happy hunting ground."

"I am not afraid of you!" She retorted still refusing to be scared or intimidated. "And I will not associate with the likes of you! Why should I? You are a life-stealer! You are evil! You smell of bear-poop! You are many moons old and ugly!"

With that said she spat right on to his boots. In response Hades pulled out a dagger and pressed it to Lucy's throat. 

"Very poor choice of words Princess." He hissed.

"Leave her alone you dog!" Natsu called out which earned the attention of the other pirates and before they could run they too were captured which gave Hades a whole new plan.