Chapter One
It's Only A Matter Of Time
The guild was its regular bustle of activity; people eating and drinking, chatting, and looking at the request board. Gray and Lucy sat at a table, enjoying a day off with Erza as well. Gray sipped at his water, listening to the girls speak to one another about magic and more feminine topics like hair. The ice wizard grinned at how girly Erza could be, finding it secretly amusing since she was such a masculine woman. The redhead sat up straighter suddenly, brown eyes scanning the room.
"What's the matter Erza?" Gray asked, Lucy giving the older woman a curious look as well.
"Where is Natsu?" she asked, glancing at Gray and Lucy in turn. Lucy looked around the guild hall, brows furrowing as she could not spot her loud mouth friend anywhere.
"The idiot probably got lost or something." Gray snorted, drinking more of his water.
"It's not like him to not be here. Should we look for him?" Lucy asked, eyes worried. Gray sighed when Erza nodded, standing up and stretching his arms above his head.
"Gray, your clothes!" Kana shouted from the bar. With a slew of curses, Gray quickly redressed, making Lucy and Erza laugh softly. The three headed out of the hall, walking down the street toward the forest that their pink haired friend loved to wander in. As soon as they walked passed the first few trees, they could see a few wisps of smoke, signaling that Natsu was, in fact, nearby. They continued walking until they reached a small clearing, where they saw their friend laying on the ground, asleep. Happy was curled up under a tree a couple meters away, also asleep. Lucy quietly ran over looking down at Natsu. As he slept, smoke was coming from his mouth and his nose, drifting through the forest.
Gray stayed a short distance away, watching Erza also walk to Natsu and gaze down at him.
"Natsu?" the redhead asked loudly, causing the sleeping boy to flinch and open his eyes. The smoke clear and Natsu sat up abruptly.
"What? Can't a guy sleep around here without getting yelled at?" he demanded, rubbing his eyes and yawning.
"Why weren't you at the guild?" Lucy asked, watching Natsu stand up and walk toward Happy. The blue cat yawned and opened his eyes as Natsu picked him up, cradling him in his arms. The fire wizard shrugged and turned to look at his friends. They were all quiet for a long moment before Erza spoke.
"We are going back to the guild, you should come." She said before turning, and walking away. Lucy smiled hopefully at Natsu, reaching to grab his arm and pull him with them. As soon as her hand touched Natsu's arm, she jerked it back, gasping.
"Natsu! Why are you so hot?" she asked, shaking her burning hand. Happy leapt from Natsu's arms and onto Lucy's head, sitting there happily. The dragon slayer shrugged, crossing his arms and staring at Lucy until she sighed and walked away toward where Erza had gone. Gray was left, looking at his friend.
"You coming?" he asked, his voice cool. Natsu's demeanor relaxed slightly, his face softening slightly.
"Yeah," he replied, dropping his arms and walking toward Gray. The boys walked together, silently.
Something is off about him. Gray thought, casting a sideways glance at his friend. Natsu seemed tired, but only physically. As if he had not slept in a few days. But his eyes, they were different. Gray couldn't exactly place it, but there was definitely something strange.
/
They had only been back at the guild hall for ten minutes when things started going out of control. Erza had made an off-handed comment about something, probably fire, which sparked something in Natsu. Now, they both stood in the middle of the guild hall, anger prevalent in Natsu's eyes.
"Why do you have to act like you know everything?" the boy spat, glaring at the S-class wizard in front of him. The rest of the guild had fallen silent, watching the two. Gray felt a twinge of fear, not at Natsu's anger, but at the possibility of a fight. Regardless of what he would say aloud, Gray never really liked seeing Natsu hurt.
"Will you shut up, you stupid child." Erza lifted her hand. In a second, Erza moved to slap Natsu across the face, but felt something catch her arm. Everyone gasped as Natsu held onto her wrist, his eyes glaring into hers. Erza looked stunned, genuinely surprised at Natsu's speed, and the fact that this had never happened before. The fire wizard gripped Erza's wrist tighter, and the sound of cracking metal from her causal armor seemed to reverberate through the hall. Natsu's voice came out as a growl, a language that was unknown to anyone else in the guild. He spat few words of the dragon language before giving Erza's armor one final squeeze, and feeling it break fully in his hands. Throwing fragments of metal onto the ground, Natsu turned and walked out of the hall.
Not a word was spoken as everyone stared at Erza. Her face, usually composed and serious, was overtaken by fear.
/
Gray lay in his bed that night, finding that his thoughts often drifted to Natsu. Was he okay? What had happened at the guild? How in the world did he scare Erza? Gray sighed, rolling onto his side and staring at the wall. Gray closed his eyes, wondering and thinking until he fell asleep.
It's only a matter of time…before he snaps.