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Flickering of Greatness

His voice was a whisper amongst the walls. The footsteps of he echoed around like a ghost that stalks. The darkness that surrounded him, burnt out by the flicker of the candle of which he carried. The only source of light seemed to burn like the sun. He was cautious, looking at every crack and turn in the wall where the shadows laid, making sure not a single part was missed.

His breath was soft, a little of fear in it, for he never knew what laid up ahead. The air was heavy, smelling of mold and dust, making it a little difficult for him to breath. Finally the hallway split into two more, the same darkness eating away at the halls and into nothing. In front of the two hallways stood a golden plank. Fine black cursive words were etched on to it.

'The stones I hold,

Strength and Courage.

One will lead to Greatness,

The other will lead to Darkness.

Make your choice and make it wise,

If you must,

Take your time,

But may your choice lead to no hesitation.'

It read. Above the left hallway on the same golden plank and handwriting, was written 'Strength'. On the right hallway was written 'Courage'.

He left his flickering flame's light a shadow on the golden plant that read 'Courage'.

Finally he drew his dark lit eyes away from the plank along with the ever flickering flame. He brought the lit candle up to the first plank, whispering the words over.

'If I choose wrong…" he had said out loud. "My future will lead to Darkness," his voice was a wisp amongst the walls. "but if I choose right, Greatness is ahead." he looked down both hallways, eyes lingering a little on each one before he moved to the next.

"Strength does nothing in life." he remarked, giving that hallway a quick glance. "But Courage is the true strength." his voice was a little louder, echoing off the walls like his footsteps once had.

He took a deep breath and slowly started walking in the hallway. Soon enough, he and that flickering flame disappeared into the darkness, into his Greatness.

Natsu yawned in boredom and sleepiness. He slumped against the table, putting his head in his arms.

"Listen to when I read!" Lucy screeched, hitting him on the head with a hard covered book. Natsu jumped up, rubbing his head.

"Sorry, but I still don't get it Luce." he complained, followed by another yawn. Lucy sat back down in her seat across from him, closing the book.

"How can you not get it?" Erza asked. She looked at Natsu slightly, eating a slice of her strawberry cake. "I got it quite easily."

"It's because he's a Flame Brain." Gray muttered. Natsu shot out of his seat, fist covered with fire as he glared at the Ice Mage.

"What did you say?" Natsu growled at him. Gray looked up at Natsu, releasing a heavy sigh as he looked back out the window of the guild.

"Shove it Fire Breath, I'm tired." Natsu banged his fist on the table, outraged. How can this Block of Ice be tired? Well he was tired too, but he sure as hell wouldn't let that keep him from a challenge.

"Then stop being tired!" Natsu shouted, only to be hit on the head by Erza. Natsu held his head on the table in pain.

"I'm trying to eat my strawberry cake in piece." she growled out as she sat back down. Natsu huffed, dropping his hands from his head.

"Honestly, Natsu, can't you tell everyone is tired?" Lucy sounded annoyed at him, but Natsu didn't care, he liked annoying her.

"Then why did you read that confusing thing?" he asked as he looked at her from his slumped position on the table. Lucy crossed her arms as she glared at him.

"I thought it was interesting." Natsu just sighed and looked away from her. Not many people where in the guild today for some reason, but the only people that were here was Cana, Master, Mira, Lisanna, Romeo, Macao, Elfman, and Team Natsu. Everyone else was either on a mission or decided to stay at home because it was raining heavily.

Natsu started to drift off to sleep when the guild doors slammed open, lighting and thunder clashing outside. Natsu jolted up to see a cloaked figure walking in.

"Hello, what do you need?" Mira asked him sweetly as she cleaned her glass. The cloaked figure walked up to Mira, its footsteps ringing out through the guild, only to be drowned out by the thunder that clashed against the skies above.

"I'm looking for Natsu Dragneel." the voice sounded of a male around the young Dragon Slayer's age. Natsu stoop up and walked over to him with crossed arms, Lucy, Erza, and Gray following him, curious to what the strange man wants of their fellow Dragon Slayer.

"Yeah?" Natsu asked him. The cloaked man turned around to face Natsu. His face was shadowed by the cloaked, so Natsu couldn't tell what the man looked like, but he could smell him. He smelt of the outside and blood. The last one set Natsu's skin tingling with more curiosity.

"So you're the infamous Salamander." he commented. There was a smirk in his voice as he said that. Natsu nodded, tilting his head a little. "I've been waiting to see you for a long time." the man ripped his cloak off and let it drop to the floor in a wet heap. He had black hair that went to his shoulders with striking dark grey eyes. He wore a black long sleeves shirt with a dark grey vest over it. He had black skinny jeans with black combat boots. He wore black gloves that were missing the fingers and a black choker with small silver spikes coming out of them. On his back, two black swords lay crisscross next to each other.

He sure likes black. Natsu commented in his mind. The man had a crooked smile as he looked up at the Salamander.

"I'm Ridner, and I need your help."