MY TAKE ON NALU THIS ARC (Tartaros)

Original post: July, 2014

Made by jhayni-in-the-rain

…so far.

Nalu shippers, we are really lucky because we get to see our OTP interact so much. Shipping moments aside, I love seeing Natsu and Lucy together.

Like at the beginning of this arc, as they’re on a team with Wendy and two Exceeds:

Look at how Mashima drew Natsu and Lucy standing so close together. It’s like he knows that Nalu shippers will edit that mangacap and squee over it, or something. ;)

But, in all seriousness, this is a team of competent, determined mages facing a big threat. Gray and Erza, being powerhouses, have split off to be on other teams. Lucy and Wendy, not being as combat-experienced or skilled, are with Natsu. It’s not a shipping moment, but teamwork is a big part of Natsu and Lucy’s overall relationship.

But we’re here to talk about Nalu.

Let’s start from Lucy’s side.

There is no doubt in my mind that Lucy was angry and upset when Jackal’s curse took Natsu down, and that she was concerned and determined to rescue him when he was captured by Tartaros.

But there have been some moments that Mashima could’ve used to advance Nalu the ship, but he declined to do so.

First is when Natsu is captured by Tartaros. Lucy is worried, but her reaction is more… muted than one would expect from someone with romantic feelings. Think about how Juvia would’ve responded had Gray been the one captured. Even accounting for differences in personalities, I think Lucy would’ve been more agitated if she was thinking of Natsu in a romantic light.

Second is when Natsu tells Lucy and Happy to think of what’s important to them, to keep Franmalth from absorbing their souls. Notice how Lucy picks groups, not individuals: the guild, her friends, the Celestial Spirits. She doesn’t single anyone out, unlike Happy who goes for, “Charle and fish. Charle and fish.”

Third is when Lucy is fighting off demons right, left, and center, during Alegria. When she fights, she’s again, not thinking of anyone in particular. She’s fighting for all her friends. Everyone keeps saving her in a pinch, so now it’s her turn to save them. 

Let me add a little bit of contrast. In two other battles this arc, we’ve had characters think particularly about Natsu and his influence on them. Read Wendy’s battle with Ezel and take note of how many times she thinks of Natsu. He’s her role model of what a dragon slayer should be like.

Then there’s Gray, who’s reminded of Natsu stopping him from using Iced Shell at Galuna. Natsu is Gray’s friend, his rival, his team mate, an almost-brother.

(Before anyone can point this out, yes, I did notice Lucy’s thought about Jackal: “Even Natsu had his hands full fighting him.” But that was a statement of fact rather than her being motivated by him.)

Let’s move on to Natsu’s side.

When Natsu thinks about what’s most important to him, it’s seeing Igneel again. That’s entirely appropriate. His search for Igneel is what brought him to Hargeon and into Lucy’s path in the first place. This is unfinished business from the past he needs to take care of before he can look toward the future.

Lucy and Natsu’s other relationships are very important. That’s one of the things I love about them!

Natsu is not over-protective of Lucy. He will leave her side to do other things (like go after Mira and Erza). Mashima is fond of bringing them together again, often in unlikely ways. WHAT A COINCIDENCE that Kain sent Lucy flying right into the middle of Natsu’s confrontation with Ultear! WHAT A COINCIDENCE that a dragon threw Lucy right into Natsu from across the city!

But this arc I sense that Natsu is intentionally tracking with Lucy.

After Wendy healed him, he went right after Lucy and Jackal.

While on his way to find Mira, he detoured to rescue Lucy and Happy from Franmalth. Chances are he smelled them and came to get them *first*.

During Alegria, he and Lucy tried so hard to catch each other’s hands and stay together.

And once Natsu was free of Alegria, the first thing he did was find Lucy.

Since then, Natsu’s been nothing but considerate and caring of Lucy:

He doesn’t need to make flowery speeches. Just a few words from him, and Lucy’s all soft and blushing. (Admit it, girl, he makes you melt into a gooey puddle, doesn’t he?). His praise and care mean A LOT to her. And note how everyone else feels it’s Natsu’s responsibility to say those things to her.

Lucy’s generally softened attitude towards Natsu is on display throughout this arc. She teased him about going overboard in the town when he was fighting Jackal. She was delighted when he showed up in the nick of time. And while she was upset over him hitting Taurus, she didn’t screech at him. Even when Natsu went off on the tangent about Wendy and Charle not being rats, she wasn’t impatient with him.

So, this is where we are.

In the last two big arcs (GMG/Eclipse and Tenrou), Nalu has started off small to non-existent and then intensified toward the end. Crossing my fingers for Tartaros to be the same.

However, I don’t see Mashima pushing Nalu development as hard as he did Gruvia’s. When I saw all those Gruvia moments from Gray’s side–like the hand-on-shoulder at the GMG and hand-clasp earlier this arc–I knew he was preparing Gruvia for something big soon.

And that was in the Father and Son mini-arc.

I don’t get the same sense of urgency for Nalu, though I fear bad things are going to happen to Natsu–and maybe even Lucy if I’m right about Marde’s interest in the summoner capable of calling the Celestial Spirit King.

So, my thought is that we’ll see more Nalu moments, bringing Lucy and Natsu closer together, but we’re not going to hit the peak of the Nalu relationship this arc.

Thoughts? Comments? A different interpretation of these events?