A/N Reviews and opinions welcome this is my first time writing so please enjoy :)
It is with a heavy heart I must inform you that I do not own Fairy Tail.
It is with a heavy heart I must inform you that I do not own Fairy Tail.
Today was a day just like any other in the wondrous city of Magnolia. The sun was shining, children played in the street while adults busied themselves with their daily duties. All was right in the world but as all this was going on across town an all too familiar scene was about to play out. Fairy Tail a guild known for its boisterous and destructive ways is about to become host to one of the many brawls that it has made legendary across all of, Fiore.
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME FIREFART!?" Ice-Make Mage Gray Fullbuster exclaims across the guild hall.
"YOU HEARD ME FROSTY BOY!" Natsu Dragneel the Fire Dragon Slayer and arch-rival of the ice-mage retorted.
"YOU WANNA GO! LET'S GO!" Gray bellows as he leaps across the table.
Natsu anticipates this move and throws him across the guildhall where he hits Elfman Strauss square across the back sending them both to the floor.
"Gray…that was not…MANLY!" says Elfman.
Elfman picks up Gray by his neck ready to beat him senseless but as he brings his arm back his elbow strikes Gajeel Redfox across the back of his head.
"You bastards what you think you're doing!" he makes eye contact with Natsu who has the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.
"SALAMANDER YOU LITTLE…! I'LL END YOU!" Gajeel sprints forward and punches Natsu sending him across several tables where other guild members are eating sending their food flying everywhere distress soon turns anger. Natsu jumps to his feet.
"GUILDFIGHT" he roars.
Leaping off a table into the heart of the melee knocking down foes assisting others beat down their enemies taking a few hits himself he then finds his target.
"Graaaaay," Natsu says to himself.
charging across the hall at his nemesis seeing this Gray shouts "ICE-MAKE SHIELD" putting his hands together in-formation summoning a wall of ice, a resounding thud was heard as skull meets hard ice, Everyone turns to see as Gray starts getting nervous Natsu gets upright his fists aflame.
"No fair Mr. Whippy! HEY GUYS THIS FOOL IS USING MAGIC!" as Natsu says that everyone starts to power up.
"Round 2 LET'S GET IT DONE!" he cheers.
As the fight resumes the guild doors creep open as a thick almost palpable aura starts to fill the room everyone notices this presence except for Natsu and Gray who are still fighting.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS DISPLAY OF TOMFOOLERY AND UTTER DISGRACE TO THE GUILD, WHOM MAY I ASK IS RESPONSIBLE" a commanding feminine voice beckons.
Everyone was overcome with fear at the sound of the young woman's voice they immediately pointed to Natsu and Gray she sighed resting her hands on her hips.
"I should have known, NATSU, GRAY WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!" she says.
After hearing the voice speak their names they froze they knew this voice it had called upon them before…many times…this voice was death. They immediately put their arms around each other in an attempt to display their affection for each other.
"Oh h-hey Erza where ya been we were just ya know doing what best friends do, hanging out and stuff ya know how it is" Gray stammered out trying to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible.
Natsu merely stared wide-eyed at the scarlet haired girl a light blush permeated his face "Oh h-h-hey E-Er-Erza" was all he could muster.
Erza Scarlett S-Class Re-quip Mage and primary enforcer of all rules and regulations, as well as the primary distributor of PAIN AND BLOOD, SOAKED RETRIBUTION...ahem where were we…she had just returned from a quest to find her beloved guild being ravaged by her fellow guild members during one of their many destructive episodes…she was not pleased.
"Tell me…how many times I must punish you before you will realize the error of your ways," she said.
"—ro -im- erza" Gray mumbled.
She turned her gaze to him "what did you say? Please, I'm sure everyone is most interested to know your opinion on the matter."
Gray clenched his fist trying to summon the courage "I said…uh zero times er-. "
WHAM she punched him so had he hit the back wall of the guild he left an indentation before crumbling to the ground.
"And what about you Natsu what is your opinion?" she said.
Natsu wasn't even listening he was too enthralled by Erza's beauty he merely stared into her deep brown eyes and every so often let his eyes fall from her beautiful red hair down to her curvaceous body. Erza started to become irritated after she realized Natsu was not paying attention.
"NATSU!" she shouted.
Natsu just looked at her quizzically "what?" he said.
She was now even more infuriated, her eye began to twitch.
"I asked…you…a…question," she said through gritted teeth.
"Oh, what do you wanna know Erza? Go ahead shoot" he said as if he did not know.
The rest of the guild sweat dropped at the fact the dragon slayer had forgotten about the imminent doom that was about to rain down upon him.
"Oh no, this might be the day he goes too far and gets himself killed" Lucy whispered.
"How many times must I punish you before you learn the error of your ways?" Erza hated having to repeat herself.
"Oh, that's a hard one…well lets se-" he began.
WHAM "YOU IDIOT DO YOU THINK THIS IS SOME KIND OF JOKE!" he hit the exact same wall as Gray before lying in much the same position beside him.
The next Morning he awoke in his hammock looking around he realized he was at his house in the forest outside Magnolia he wondered how he got there he promptly came to the conclusion that Happy had brought him there after he got knocked out by Erza.
"Erza Scarlett," he thought "What I wouldn't give to make your heart mine" he whispered.
His mind drifted to the time he had first met her upon joining the guild he knew he had a crush on her though he didn't know the exact word for it at the time he could identify the feeling that it gave him to just catch a glimpse of her. As the years progressed, his feelings grew stronger but he never dares tell anyone for fear of how they would react so he merely hid them from the world, sure there were other girls like Lissanna and Lucy but he never felt like their relationships could progress any further than being friends. He always felt like Erza was the only person he could ever love and he didn't know why. Natsu let his mind wander as Happy burst through the door fish hanging out of his mouth.
"Oh hey Natsu you're awake! Ya feeling okay?" he inquired.
"Yeah Happy I'm fine just thinking about stuff" Natsu replied.
"Oh I see thinking about a certain red-headed beauty are we? Oh, Natsu you like her!" Happy taunted.
"Will you cut it out Happy I told you not to talk about it" Natsu scowled at him.
He turned in his hammock away from the blue cat.
"Well maybe you should just tell her how you feel," said happy.
"Now why would I do something like that?" Natsu replied.
"Because if you don't it's gonna eat you up inside and eventually someone else will find her and you'll be stuck in whatever this is, never able to move on because you never told her," said Happy.
Natsu turned back to happy with a pout on his face
"You mean like Jellal?" he said
"Yes but in saying that you can't seriously expect Erza to stay available just because you're gutless" Happy smirked knowingly.
"HEY WHO ARE YOU CALLING GUTLESS IM NATSU DRAGNEEL GODDAMNIT SON OF IGNEEL AND SINCE WHEN DO YOU KNOW SO GODDAMN MUCH ABOUT LOVE!" he roared a hint of flame glowing in the back of his throat.
"Well, are you gonna do it or what?" Happy challenged with a sly grin.
"You know what maybe I will!" Natsu jumped out of bed and put his vest, shorts and sandals on stomping out the front door "IM ALL FIRED UP!" he proclaimed as he headed off toward the guild to find Erza.
As Natsu entered the guildhall, he heard Gray throw out one of his usual insults but paid no mind to whatever drivel that ice-princess was spitting out today. He made eye contact with the ice mage if only for a moment but it was enough to let his rival know he was in no mood for games today to which Gray merely resumed his previous activity in confirmation. Natsu was on a mission, a mission to secure the heart of the most unobtainable woman in all of Fairy Tail if not all of Fiore itself that was when he saw it.
Crimson hair that was so vibrant and flowing he wished that it would never end. Deep brown eyes that hid secrets you weren't sure you wanted to know but you just had to know if it was the last thing you ever did. Pristine porcelain skin that if he were ever blessed to lay his hands upon it, would merely break under the intention, so what if he had witnessed the many battles he had fought alongside her and knew exactly how durable she could be when he looked at her he couldn't help himself. As he thought about all this, he froze just taking her in as she sat there with a slice of her favorite strawberry cheesecake as she prepared to devour it. She tucked a few strands of stray hair behind her ear as she looked around the guild at nothing, in particular, fork in hand she broke off a small portion of cake raising it to her lips.
"KAWAII," he thought as a blush broke out across his face.
Unbeknownst to Natsu a certain Take-Over-mage had been watching the entire scene play out from behind the bar and a devilish grin carved itself across her otherwise angelic features she quickly made her presence known to him.
"Erza hmmm" she whispered to him "Can't say I'm surprised."
His entire body tensed at her words he turned to her "You shut your dirty mouth right now Mirajane Strauss" he demanded "There is nothing going on here you just go back there behind the bar and keep your little notions to yourself you hear me?" he somewhat scolded.
"oh Natsu please jus-" she began to say but he simply raised his eyebrows and made a face that communicated that he had no intentions of telling her anything and pointed to the bar Mira just pouted and returned to her station at the bar arms crossed in mock disappointment.
Natsu took a deep breath to try to calm his nerves "Alright Dragneel this is it" he thought.
His plan was simple enough get her alone and then put it all on the line, at least, it seemed simple with that he made his way to her table "Hey Erza are you busy?" he asked.
Taking a seat across from her she looked up from her cake and politely nodded in acknowledgment that he was there.
"Not at all Natsu how may I help you?" she said.
He looked her in the eyes before closing them to inhale through his nose taking in her scent, which was indescribable to him, but he found it nonetheless enchanting he opened his eyes slowly and gazed at her.
"I have something important to discuss with you and if it's not too much to ask I was wondering if we could meet up later?" he asked.
She ate another piece of cake before she answered "okay I see no reason why not? What did you have in mind?" she replied a smile gracing her lips as she spoke.
"How about we meet Magnolia Park at 2 pm?" Natsu said with his trademark toothy grin.
"Keep it together we're not there yet," he thought to himself.
"Alright sounds wonderful I look forward to it," she said.
"YEAH!" he exclaimed "great I have some things to do before then but I'll see you there?" he asked in confirmation.
"Indeed," she said simply.
After his conversation with Erza, he hurried off toward his home in the forest. Opening the door he went straight to the fridge pulling out a sizable white box. He looked at it with stars in his eyes nobody knew this but Natsu was actually a pretty good cook and he had been trying in secret over the last several years to perfect the ideal strawberry cheesecake in preparation for this moment. The only people to ever know about this endeavor were Happy his best friend and surrogate son and Lissanna Strauss, Mirajane's little sister his dearly departed friend and confidant he paused in remembrance of her.
"Wish me luck Lissanna" he whispered to himself.
He took the box in hand and looked at the clock.
"12.30 huh?" he said, "I better get moving."
He ran as fast as he could navigating through trees and then city streets trying his best to make it to the park on time. Soon enough the tree in the middle of the park came into view and he skidded to a stop taking a few quick breaths and combing his hand through his hand a couple times and patted himself down trying to straighten out his clothes. He closed his eyes and inhaled one last time her scent filling his nostril but there was another smell and he knew it well his eyes shot open he was now fully alert.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me" he cursed before running off to find her.
Natsu's heightened senses had picked up more than he had bargained for he knew for certain that she was there but there was another and he didn't want to see that person not now especially as he was about to confess everything to her. His heart tightened in his chest as he ran.
"please no" he pleaded he rounded the corner and his eyes were met with the last thing he ever wanted to see…Jellal Fernandez Erza's childhood crush no matter what the prick did to her she would always be there to give him her everything Natsu froze he just stood there as he saw the scene unfold before him.
Erza had only been in the park for ten or so minutes and it wasn't even 2pm yet so she wasn't bothered that Natsu hadn't shown up yet she sat down on a bench and let her gaze wander observing her surroundings taking in the summertime air as she saw many families, friends and lovers enjoying the joyful atmosphere of a day at the park and felt content though a part of her did yearn for anything close to the happiness that these people had she'd never had a boyfriend although the concept intrigued her she'd never come across anyone that could compare to him or maybe she just couldn't bring herself to destroy the image she'd created of the azure haired boy she loved all those years ago if she were honest she would admit she loved him still but even so there was one man in all of earthland that could utterly destroy any of the hopes she still clung to from her youth, Natsu Dragneel if anyone could free her from these feelings it was him he had come to surprise her time and again even before the events of her return to the R-system his perseverance and optimism were something she had come to depend on over the years his aura radiant in any memory they shared a smile spread across her lips as she thought of all they had been through. She was stirred from her thoughts by a familiar voice
"It's been a while" said the voice a hooded figure stood in front of her eyes went wide in shock
"Jellal!?" she said "what are you doing here?"
He removed his hood a smirk adorning his features "we were just passing through and I had to see you" he said she just stared at him a blush warming her cheeks.
"m-me!?" she shrieked "whatever for!?" he took her hand and pulled her to her feet and looked at her she felt like he could see her soul "I don't know how to say this but" he paused for what seemed like an eternity "Erza Scarlett, I love you" he said softly so only they could hear "and if you'll let me I'd like to see where this goes, I know I've done a lot of horrible unforgivable things but I feel that I need to seize this with both hands and take hold of you before anyone else does I know how long you've waited to find the me that you knew all those years ago and I may not be that person anymore but as long as you're with me I will strive to be a man you can be proud to stand next you… I'd really like to kiss you" he finished.
To say that she was shocked was a major understatement but before she could understand what was happening their lips met and she melted into him it felt like the world was watching this intimate moment between lovers and she couldn't help but blush but there was an emptiness in this moment the was a word for this feeling she decided that word was…incomplete.
Natsu was beyond pissed he burst out in front of Erza he thrust the white box into her hands knocking her down into a seated position upon the bench she had previously been sitting on she looked up and what she saw shocked her his faced showed no signs of the joy and carefree nature she had come to rely upon but was replaced with a visage of pain she'd seldom seen in all the years she'd known him she was fascinated by it but at the same time she felt a pain in her heart that she was unaccustomed to she merely boiled down to the fact that they were like family and she couldn't bear to see any of her family members suffer. In a flash Natsu swung around and a grabbed Jellal by the collar and pulled him in close and brought his lips forward so they were an inch from Jellal's ear
"Promise me" he whispered in a low growl.
Jellal did not respond he merely looked sideways at the dragon slayer in wait of an explanation
"I heard and saw everything so if you lie to me or you do anything to break her heart I'll know and there will be no place upon earthland where you can hide from me" Natsu's gaze was hard and unmoving as he spoke
"So I'll say it one more time" he said his gaze shifted to meet Jellal's his eyes declaring that the words he spoke were truth.
"Promise me" he said bearing his teeth.
Jellal returned his gaze and replied in a confident even tone
"I promise."
Natsu merely shoved him to the ground as he walked away. "N-Natsu?" Erza grasped his hand and he jerked away and carried on walking "what about this?" she said holding out the box he had passed to her
"Keep it" he grunted "consider it a gift, congratulations"
Bangs covering his face obscuring his eyes his face still ripe with anguish she watched him as he hung his head, put his hands in his pockets, hunched his shoulders and slowly dissolved until he was completely out of sight. This is what she had wanted wasn't it?
Night was fast approaching as Natsu stumbled through the forest drenched in sweat his body was stiff he could swear his heart was being crushed by its own existence as he could feel every beat of the vital organ in every pore, he could feel it in his skull even in the tips of his toes the sensation was so tense and restricted he could barely breathe he had been walking for a few hundred feet before the house he shared with Happy came into focus but his leg locked and his vision started to blur tears streaming down his face he looked to the stars and with the last of his strength he whispered her name "Erza" and his entire body caught alight by his magic he collapsed he had no idea that he was on fire as he slowly closed his eyes and fell into unconsciousness.
Erza had spent much of the afternoon with Jellal after he had confessed to her in the park where they shared a kiss something she still was coming to terms with as they walked they tried to steal glances at each other either one looking away just before the other turned to gaze at them Erza was overcome with a feeling she'd never felt before fuzzy with butterflies that felt like they could leave her mouth at any second but in the middle of all this she couldn't help but wonder about a certain pink haired mage.
"I wonder what's wrong?" she pondered
she'd never seen him look so tense with pain etched so clearly in every line that was sculpted into his face by the expression he held "am I missing something?" she looked to the box she held carefully under her arm but dared not open it until she were alone maybe it held a clue to what was going on.
"Erza? Hey Erza?" she heard Jellal's voice as he tried to get to her attention "oh im so sorry I was just lost in thought what is it?" she asked curiously
"I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner tonight?" he said she thought the idea was perfect maybe she would be able to relax and begin to enjoy this feeling that was forming inside of her.
"I would love to let me just take this back to my place" she said motioning toward the box "I'll take a shower and we can go to the restaurant together"
Happy had decided to leave the guild and return home after there were no signs of Natsu's return
"Erza isn't here either I woooondeeeer?" he giggled to himself
He said goodbye to their friends sprouted his wings and began his ascent for the journey home. As happy flew above the trees of the forest he swore he could smell smoke he kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary and that's when he heard it, a scream of agony so intense it sent a shiver down his spine Happy approached the source of the sound with caution and his eyes grew wide with shock at the scene in front of him. Natsu was writhing in pain, struggling to breathe his entire body engulfed in flame his muscle tense, veins protruding from his skin
"NATSU, NATSU ITS HAPPY ARE YOU OKAY!? WHAT'S WRONG!?" he yelled "I NEED YOU TO CALM DOWN! IM GONNA GO GET HELP" he turned to leave.
"HAPPY!?" Natsu growled.
Happy turned back to see Natsu eyes were completely black and blood trickled from his mouth down his chin but the most horrifying thing Happy laid eyes on where the patches of black scales that could been seen in various places across Natsu's left arm although small they reeked of danger to the little blue feline.
"Please…stay" he whimpered.
With that the flames were extinguished and the Dragon slayer collapsed Happy watched him cautiously step toward Natsu he noticed the patchy black scales were still evident on his skin. "what happened Natsu?" he questioned silently "Erza" Natsu groaned in unconscious reply. Happy moved swiftly he moved Natsu into the house the shared and put him on the couch Natsu was sweating vigorously and his body started to convulse as he body quivering to no end happy quickly gathered the necessary items he deemed necessary for the situation additional pillows and blankets, a damp cloth for his forehead he was sweating so he just assumed Natsu had a fever, a jug of water and a glass just in case when he woke up he was thirsty.
"Erza" Natsu mumbled.
Happy wondered what exactly had transpired this afternoon to leave Natsu in such an awful state but he knew it was nothing good with that he took to the skies once more in search of help
"Wendy" he thought "she'll know what to do."
Erza had just finished a pleasant evening out with her new lover
"LOVER!?" she thought to herself as a blushed grew wild across her face
"I better cut back on reading those goddamn romance novels but they're just sooo good" she thought as she hugged herself. They had spent the evening making conversation about recent developments in his search for justice while she regaled him with various guild stories many of which he found quite amusing but Jellal had to cut their dinner date short much to her disappointment. he informed her that there was a dire situation that required his attention he had apologised profusely and offered to take her home his reason being he would hate to have such a beautiful women sat in such a lovely restaurant alone and was now happily sitting alone in her apartment at Fairy Hills as a result of their early departure from dinner, she had missed dessert and she would be damned if she let a perfectly good opportunity for strawberry cheesecake go a rye that was the exact moment she spied the box Natsu had thrust upon her and she was reminded of the events early that afternoon.
"Is there something I'm missing?" she thought.
She just couldn't figure it out surely there was a fair explanation she reasoned that Natsu held no ill will toward Jellal he had made it known that he had forgiven Jellal and even on occasion fought for his freedom so what else was there could it be her? She had noticed he had become more protective of her following the Tower Of Heaven but that was to be expected she nearly threw her life away for what she thought was the right decision she remembered the last moments of that ordeal fondly as he held her in his arms she felt like the gods themselves had crafted that one moment just for her,
"What am I saying!?" she thought
She didn't have feelings for him? Did she? She couldn't dwell on it she was with Jellal now and she just had to know if this would amount to anything with that she raised herself up from where she was sitting and lifted the lid of the box in an instant her eyes became stars she spied the most delicious looking strawberry cheesecake adorned with the most intricate flourishes and whipped cream embellishments she had ever seen as she lifted it from the box she noticed the round piece of cardboard it sat on was still cold and as she peered in the box she saw a small magic circle denote there was ice magic within the box itself the attention to detail was extraordinary, she was amazed and intrigued all at the same time she hadn't even noticed she had just been staring at it for the longest time as she cut herself a slice and with a fork raised a tiny piece of it to her lips placing it on her tongue her eyes instantly sparkled at this taste to describe it as exquisite was not enough she had to have more before she knew it the only evidence that there was even existence of a cake was the box itself. A cake of this of magnificence whatever he had to say it must have been very important.
"I simply must know the artist behind such a masterpiece" she thought "I will be sure to asked Natsu…shortly after I extract the reason for his odd behaviour this afternoon from his very soul now where did I put that Demon Hunters blade it may prove useful in my investigation".
Wendy had promptly arrived at the Dragneel residence as soon as she possibly could after being summoned by Happy
"Wendy you gotta help him, I don't know what's happening to him you gotta help please Wendy" he pleaded.
"I-I'll t-t-try my b-best Happy p-please make some room" Wendy began shyly "N-now just try to stay calm."
She raised her hands above Natsu's body as her healing abilities started to operate the first thing she noticed were the scales the were she had never come across anything like them and they intrigued her she also noticed a foul scent in the air that seemed to be emanating from Natsu after what seemed like forever but in reality was simply a few minutes Wendy stepped away from Natsu
"i-I've managed to reduce his fever and um get his body to relax but there is a strange scent plaguing Natsu I believe to be the result of an ancient magic that said we really need him to wake up" she tried to reassure him.
Her facial expression then turned serious.
"Happy the moment he wakes up not before not after, the exact moment he wakes up I need you find Gajeel and bring him here to examine him as soon as you possibly could in the meantime I'll keep this between us can you do that?" she said as she walked towards the door
"Aye sir but why may I ask?" He responded.
"Natsu could be dying" she said.