The chemistry between Natsu and Lucy part III

 Original post: February, 2019

If we measure the impact of their moments and the weight of the supporting evidence in their favor, we can see how NaLu stands out as a potent pairing

However, several NaLu shippers still overhype less substantial premises as if those NaLu moments can, at best, lead to Lucy ending up as a partially interested party in their potentially canon relationship, while looking for something else

Implications that don’t convey a positive image for such a bright and lovely character as Lucy, and allow other readers to conclude another girl would be a better match for the dorky Dragon Slayer

But, when analyzing their bonding and their chemistry, we don’t find a partially interested mate. Actually, we find the complete opposite. One of the signs of a solid chemistry is a remarkable emotional attachment. Does NaLu include such a factor in their relationship?

The first special to tease NaLu featured the original Team Natsu having some time off. Lucy didn’t want to take missions with someone else because she felt bound to Natsu. It was small, but it was something that would remain, grow, and form part of her relationship with Natsu in the rest of the author’s works: Lucy becoming more and more attached to Natsu as they went through several adventures.

In another special chapter, which was later retconned as Lucy’s dream, she came to leave a date just to go with a mission with Natsu and Happy… 

…who wanted to take her to an adventure to celebrate her first year as a FT member.

We alread saw how Lucy found comfort, strength, and support in Natsu throughout the Tenrou Island arc and the GMG arc. What was the result? She became more attached to him. Do you want proof? After Natsu and Gray rescued her (this action doesn’t mean she has to date both, that’s not how chemistry works), we get a small moment in the infirmary where Lucy sweetly mentions Natsu’s name (and nobody’s else) as she drifts to sleep.

Who left more of an impact in her character? Who was she feeling more bount to?

If we fastforward to the end of the arc, we get to see how the emotional closure of Future Lucy (who suffered through the death of the entire guild and the end of the world) was brought by Natsu, to the point her feelings transcended time and space and led to this scene:

When Natsu left a letter saying he was going away for a 1-year training. Lucy’s reaction was…

…but when the guild disbanded and everyone went their separate ways, she didn’t run after any cool, sexy, or cute character. The narration after the timeskip would later give us this gem:

…and we could even elaborate how Natsu gave her enough strength and comfort to ignore her worries about the seemingly uncertain future of the guild right until they got to Magnolia

There’s actually a lot more! More moments and evidence that contradicts what several NaLu shippers want to sell: a Lucy that would be partially affectionate with Natsu while ending in someone else’s arms

Narratively and logically speaking the implications brought by shallow shippers make no sense. And no amount of “saving the girl,” overhyped in-universe delusions, nor one single inconsequential “Freudian slip” will change that (In fact, none of those things make a pairing semi-canon)

The weight of those NaLu moments helps to build a strong sense of compromise and loyalty, something that could make the transition from semi-canon to canon easier and more natural if the author takes the chance

All because chemistry is about forming a healthy pair-bonding that results in a feeling of comfort and security, as well as constructing a relationship based on trust and loyalty

In fact, experts stated that the attachment style of a person has an influence in how an individual will behave in an eventual romantic relationship. What can Lucy’s chemistry with Natsu tell us about how her future behavior under a “relationship upgrade” scenario?

If their chemistry makes her feel comfortable and secure with her partner, she would be someone fully invested in their canon relationship, and not just as partially affectionate or partially interested as several shippers would like. That is a lot more consistent with the story unfolded so far as well as the characters involved.