FAIRY TAIL: NATSU'S ELEVEN
Or How To Get A Harem
Without Working For It
Chapter 001
The Storm Before The Storm
It all started on what seemed to be a normal day for Fairy Tail: normal as in chaos and calamity rampant.
"What did you say to me Flame-brain?"
"You heard, icy pervert!"
"You wanna fight?"
"Bring it on!"
Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail's fire dragon slayer and Gray Fulbuster, ice maker extraordinaire, were at it again. That is until Erza Scarlet walked into the room with the Guild's master, Makarov Dreyar, caught site of them and bellowed, "GRAY! NATSU! We're having guests any minute! Cease this!"
"Hai, Erza!" they both squeaked, leaping back from their confrontational position, looks of terror etched on their faces. As powerful as they were, they had learned through long experience that you didn't mess with Erza the Titania.
"Oh yeah, who is it that's coming?" asked Natsu.
"You weren't listening yesterday, were you Natsu?' replied another of Natsu's friends, Lucy Heartfillia, who had wandered over from the bar now that there was no danger of being caught up in another of Natsu and Gray's constant brawls.
"Some of those Blue Pegasus guys are coming to talk shop with Master," added Gray. Abruptly, identical shivers rippled across Erza and Lucy.
"Just so long…" began Lucy, wrapping her arms around herself.
"As it's not them," finished Erza woodenly. Unfortunately, their fears were realized as the doors to the main hall of the guild were thrown open and a voice boomed, "MY HONEY!"
"Oh bugger," mumbled Erza.
In the entranceway, four people were posing, three being young men in dark suits and the fourth a comically proportioned, orange-haired man in a white suit. His dark eyes locked on to Erza.
"Men," he said, and suddenly he was across the room, kneeling at Erza's feet, hands clasping one of hers.
"My Honey, your parfum is as beautiful as…" Erza didn't let him finish as she clenched her teeth, reared back and kicked the little man across the hall.
"MEEeeeenn!"
His friends didn't notice his plight as they had surrounded Lucy.
"Lucy, it's so wonderful to see you again."
"Let's sit down over here and…"
"we'll get you a drink."
Lucy looked like she was about to pull the same thing that Erza had just done so Master Makarov hurriedly cleared his throat.
"Ichiya-san, I'm a little pressed for time today, so why don't you and the Trimens come up to my office and we'll get down to it?"
"Men…" groaned Ichiya in acknowledgment as he levered himself out of the pile of debris that had been a table.
"Until next time Lucy-chan," said Hibiki, one of the Trimens, winking and flashing her a killer smile.
As soon as they were gone, Erza and Lucy snapped around to face Gray and Natsu, causing them to recoil at the intense expression on the girls' faces.
"Please tell us we have a mission," said Lucy.
"Something, anything, as long as we're not here when they leave," added Erza.
"Uh yeah, Happy found a bill for getting rid of this gang of robbers who've been hanging around the forest outside of town. Apparently they're pretty hard to find," replied Natsu.
"Good," said Erza, "Go get Wendy, this will be a good mission for her experience." With that, Erza peeled off for the front door, triple time, with Lucy in hot pursuit. Gray and Natsu glanced at each other, shrugged and went off to find Wendy Marvell, the youngest of Fairy Tail's three dragon slayers. Unfortunately for them, this job wouldn't last as long as Erza and Lucy were hoping.
Just slightly over an hour later, Team Natsu returned to the Guild. Erza and Lucy ran up to the bar counter where Mirajane and Lisanna were washing an assortment of flagons, tankards, steins, glasses and cups.
"Are they gone yet?" they both cried.
"My my, you two seem to certainly dislike the Trimens and Ichiya-san," Mirajane said, smiling at them.
"You don't know what that man tried to do to me," Erza hissed back, eyes ablaze.
"Actually Erza, I don't think you ever told us what happened between you and Ichiya," Lucy said as she watched Natsu and Gray getting into another fight with poor Wendy caught in the middle, with Charla and Happy watching from the sidelines.
"I don't like to talk about it," Erza replied, a dark cloud settling over her features.
Suddenly, Ichiya's voice echoed across the hall.
"MY HONEY!"
Erza turned to see the strange little man hurtling towards her, a tray with some odd-shaped bottles with neon-colored liquids held in one hand, like a waiter at a restaurant.
"Nice parfum…" Ichiya began but was violently interrupted as Erza slammed a gauntleted fist into his large face.
"GO BACK TO YOUR OWN GUILD!" she bellowed as Ichiya flew back in the direction of the front door with a cry of "MEEEEEEENNNN!"
Things began to happen in rapid succession. The Trimens, who were following Master Makarov down the stairs cried, "Aniki!" and leapt after him. Lucy noticed that Ichiya was heading straight for Natsu, Gray, Happy, Wendy and Charla and screamed for them to duck. They did, just barely getting out of the way of the hurtling figure. Unfortunately for Natsu, Ichiya's plate of bottles had taken on a trajectory of its own. Wendy saw this and cried out, "Natsu-kun, watch out!"
Since he had just barely dodged Ichiya, Natsu turned in the direction he sensed the new threat but he was too late. The plate and the bottles atop it smacked him straight in the chest, breaking on impact and covering Natsu with foul-smelling liquids.
Ichiya continued out the door with the Trimens following close behind, Erza, Lucy, Lisanna and Mirajane gasped and Gray, Happy, Charla and Wendy recoiled from the now pungent Natsu.
"Naaaaannii? What the hell is this stuff?" bellowed Natsu as his sensitive nose began to run from the stink.
Makarov, who had watched the whole seen with jaw hanging open suddenly rounded on Erza.
"Erza! That was completely… never mind, we need to get Natsu to the infirmary, immediately!"
"Of course Master, I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit later. NATSU!" she said as she leapt towards Natsu, probably to drag the poor guy up to the infirmary by his scarf but she recoiled from the smell of the potions. Natsu, who was now coughing violently, managed to hack out, "I don't… feel so… good." With a deep, guttural groan, his eyes rolled up and he unceremoniously crashed to the ground, the yells of his friends accompanying him down into the darkness.
Slowly, Natsu's eyes cracked open. The first thing he realized was that he could no longer smell that horrible stink, which was absolutely awesome as far as he was concerned.
"Master, he's awake." Mirajane's gorgeous face came into focus as Natsu blinked to clear his vision. Another woman with long brown hair and wearing a nurse's outfit appeared next to Mirajane.
"I think we're through the worst of it. The fact that he's awake now is a great sign," she said.
"Here Natsu," said Mira as she helped him into a sitting position, "Drink this," she added as she handed him a glass of water.
"What about any long-term affects of the potions?" asked Makarov, who was standing off to the side. The nurse turned over to him and frowned.
"I'll have to run some tests. You told me what those potions were for but I very much doubt that they were meant to be mixed like that. But Natsu doesn't seem to be suffering from any ill effects at the present. If that changes however," she said, turning to Natsu, "You come to me immediately."
"Sure thing Misa-san!" he replied with a grin. Natsu hopped of the bed he'd been lying on and he and Mirajane left the infirmary. Right outside, his friends were waiting, including an overjoyed Happy, who latched on to the side of Natsu's head in a fierce hug. The only one who wasn't joining in the festivities as much was Erza, who stood off to the side with a serious expression on her face. But even though she didn't seem to be as concerned as the others, her eyes never once left Natsu as they made their way back to the main hall.
A short time later, back in the main hall where Natsu and Gray were about to get into another of their fights, with Lucy, Wendy, Happy and Charla looking on in annoyance, Erza strode up to them and broke it up.
"Natsu," she said, looking directly at him and causing him to snap into the attention posture.
"Aye, sir!" he squeaked. Erza's mouth turned upwards into a thin grin.
"I need to speak to you… alone," she said and then without further ceremony, grabbed hold of Natsu's left hand and began to haul him off. Natsu glanced back at his comrades despairingly.
"Tasukete!" he moaned. Unfortunately none of them rose to his defense. After all, Never Interfere With Titania.
"What do you suppose that was all about?" asked Gray. Everybody else just shrugged but Lucy continued to stare off at the hallway that Natsu and Erza had left through, her hands slowly clenching into fists, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.
Once Erza had dragged Natsu into a courtyard of the Guildhall, she finally let him go. Rubbing his wrist he asked, "So what did you need to talk about Erza?"
She didn't answer for several minutes, but Natsu wasn't fool enough to just walk off.
"Natsu… do you know why I wear armor?" she finally asked.
"Um, didn't you say it's because you just like it?" he fumbled, somewhat put off by the question.
"No, I wear armor because I'm weak."
"What are ya talking about Erza? You're not weak, you're one of the strongest mages in the guild!" retorted Natsu, angry that his friend was demeaning herself.
"No, I am weak. Even with my power, there have been times when I haven't been able to protect those I care about. Not like you Natsu. You never seem to give up even in the face of impossible odds. Remember the Tower of Heaven? I was ready to sacrifice my life because I thought I had no other choice. But you saved me."
Natsu carefully regarded Erza as she finally turned to face him with a gentle smile on her face. Something was slightly off about Erza here. Never let it be said that Natsu Dragneel didn't have good instincts.
"I've never told anyone this, but when I thought I was dead, I saw a vision of my funeral. Everyone was there, mourning for me, but not you. You were the only one who refused to accept my death. I saw that and how much everyone was sad that I was gone and then I woke up in your arms. Do you remember what you told me?"
"Yeah, something like 'don't do that again' and 'keep living.'" Erza chuckled.
"Yes, something like that. My point is that you are… you are a source of strength to me Natsu. I see so much potential in you and I know that one day you will surpass me."
Erza began to slowly walk towards him until they were standing just an arm's length apart.
"But more than that, I have come to realize that I… care for you… a great deal. I want to do whatever I can to help youbecome the best mage in Fairy Tail. And to that end…" Erza, to Natsu's immense shock, summoned one of her swords and actually got down on one knee before him, sword poised vertically between them, "I offer you all that I am. My sword, my skill…" at this, she rose, actually dropping the sword to the side. She closed the distance between them, clasping his shoulders with her gauntleted hands. Natsu began to feel distinctly hot under the collar. Erza had NEVER been this… personal with him.
"My body," she murmured as she snaked her hands around him, embracing him, "and my heart."
And then Erza Scarlet did the very last thing that Natsu would ever expect her to do to him. She kissed him.
