Summary: The core group of Fairy Tail were stuck in time for seven years. They returned as if only a day had passed and noticed great changes. Where was all this new technology coming from and what is the Magic Council so disturbed about? Join Natsu, Sting and others as they investigate the shady corporation behind everything, Bindweed.
Sting x Natsu.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Contains slight spoilers if you haven't read the manga (but nothing past the frozen village.)
Information: My first story "A Second Chance" is a prologue of sorts to this story. I will fill in all the necessary detail here. Basically, following the Daimatou Enbu, Sting, as guildmaster, invited Natsu to the Sabertooth guild with a request to improve the attitude of the members and during that time took the chance to get closer to his idol. Now together, Natsu has just returned to Fairy Tail with Sting after two months of training to develop "fire drive" and learning equilibrium magic. However they haven't forgotten the strange warning that Mirajane gave them about the corporation "Bindweed" after meeting the CEO, Lokar Bindweed.
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-Bindweed Archive-
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-Chapter 1-
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-Concern-
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Magnolia, Evening
Darkness slowly took its hold on the town of Magnolia. The time came for businesses to close their doors for the night as workers returned home. It was now October and the trees had turned various shades of red and brown as the leaves slowly died. A lone leaf was caught up in a gust of wind as it spun down to Earth before getting caught on a certain white haired girl's face.
Lisanna brushed it off in slight annoyance and trembled slightly as a particularly cold blast of wind caught her unprepared. Despite the cold Autumn weather, she was in high spirits. Natsu had safely returned after two long months and it just seemed like she hardly got any time to spend with him these days. And no, she didn't like him in that way. While she once had a crush on him, she no longer felt that way since returning from Edolas. Back then she'd just assumed that Natsu and Lucy had secretly been dating or something which is why news of Sting had come as such a shock. But she had to admit they made a pretty hot couple. She giggled to herself as she continued walking through the quiet streets on her way home.
Not before long, she could see the house that she shared with her siblings - Elfman and Mirajane. It always gave her a sense of security, being together with her family. The young mage then jumped in fright as she swore she just saw something move in the corner of her eye. What the hell am I so afraid of? It was probably just a cat and if it was someone suspicious I could just beat them up anyway.
She adjusted the clothing around her neck as she took another step. However a cold, firm hand then pressed against her mouth as an arm yanked her back around the waist.
She struggled and tried to scream for help. "Mmmph!" Was all that came out. I'm not going to go down that easily, she thought. She bit down hard on the hand and simultaneously elbowed her attacker in the gut. The blow was forceful enough so that she winded her opponent and was able to escape.
However, just as she thought she was saved, she felt a crushing grip on her wrist. The last thing she felt was a sharp needle piercing her arm as the world faded to black.
Meanwhile, At Fairy Tail
Most of the guild members had already left by now after a quick celebration for Natsu's return. Happy and Lector had gone for a sleep over at Wendy's apartment claiming they were sick of the 'lovey-dovey' couple.
The pink haired Dragon Slayer sighed contentedly as he tucked into a plate of fire chicken. "As always, your cooking is the best, Mira-chan!" Natsu exclaimed, taking a bite.
"I'm glad you like it, Natsu." The barmaid smiled sweetly.
"Hey! You didn't like my guild's food?" Sting pouted.
"But Mira-chan always sets it on fire for me."
"You could try asking." They continued like this for a while, Natsu eventually polishing off his dish.
Mirajane paid little attention to the petty argument as she watched the last guild member leave. She waved goodbye before turning to the two boys.
"Master Makarov and I would like to speak to you two tomorrow morning if that's not too much trouble."
"Is it about..." Natsu started before Mirajane pressed a hand over his mouth.
"Please don't think about it now. Just don't wake up too late." She smiled again.
"But..." Natsu tried to protest before Sting placed his arm around the other's shoulder.
"She's right you know." Sting then leaned in closer and started whispering in Natsu's ear. "Besides, now we can finally not be interrupted by those cats of ours." Sting said suggestively. Natsu realised where this was going and blushed slightly. That seems to have snapped him out of it, the blonde thought.
"Race you home..." Natsu teased.
"I don't know where you live, idiot."
"You'll have to keep up with me. I didn't think you were that slow." He then burst out of the guild doors, grinning manically. Sting growled before taking off in close pursuit.
Mirajane sighed as she began the process of locking all the doors and switching off the lights. When the last switch was flipped, the sound echoed as the grand hall was engulfed in darkness. Mirajane walked out into the moonlit Magnolia streets, locking the main entrance before she left.
At Natsu's House
Sting scrambled up the last stretch of the forest trail leading to Natsu's house on the outskirts of Magnolia. He slowed a bit, passing the sign which read 'Natsu & Happy' as his eyes registered the stone cottage. Natsu was leaning over by the front door, panting.
"Looks like... I... win." He boasted. Sting approached him and hit the back of his head playfully, as he too was trying to catch his breath.
"Just get inside already!"
Oh god, it's gonna be a huge mess! Natsu reluctantly opened the wooden door. It made a loud creaking noise before he slowly poked his head in. To his surprise however, the house was sparkling clean with all of his wares neatly arranged. What? This isn't how I left it. He then noticed the slip of paper that was on the rug. It read: 'Hi Natsu, we heard you were returning so we cleaned up a bit here – the guild.' Natsu tossed the note aside. Guess I'll have to thank those guys later he thought as he pulled on Sting's arm and brought him further into his house, settling by the lounge area.
"I never knew you'd be this eager." Sting smirked as he pushed Natsu onto the couch, straddling him. Natsu gently placed his hand behind Sting's head, sifting his fingers through the blonde spikes to bring their faces closer and began eagerly kissed him. After a while of making out, the blonde then removed himself from the kiss as he began undoing the other's one sleeved vest. Natsu gasped when the cool air hit him, and it was enough for Sting to go further; their tongues now exploring each others' mouths longingly. When the need for air became apparent, Sting pulled back again; breathing heavily and leaving a disappointed looking Natsu before he trailed gentle kisses down his neck and exposed chest. The pink haired Dragon Slayer arched his back as he felt the blonde go lower. Sting smiled as he looked up at the destructive fire mage who only acted this submissive towards him.
Suddenly though, Natsu pushed his hands against Sting's chest. He frowned at the other's actions but Natsu spoke, "I think we should go to the bedroom." His features set in an anxious expression of impatience. He wriggled out from under Sting and scurried off through a side door. Sting huffed and followed, why am I always chasing this idiot around everywhere?
Meanwhile
Mirajane wiped her feet on the doormat as she returned to her house. She closed the door gently behind her and hung her coat on the rack.
"Tadaima!(I'm back)" She called out. No response. She tried again. "Lisanna?" Again no response. She knew that Elfman was away on a request but she had seen her sister leave the guild just over an hour ago and it was unlikely that she would be asleep yet. She started to feel slightly concerned. She slowly walked towards the only lit room in the house, the kitchen.
Mirajane breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the youngest takeover sibling filling a glass at the sink; the water overflowing and spilling over the girl's hand. The girl then turned around to face her older sister.
"Oh hi Mira-nee. Sorry for not responding, I must have had you worried for a minute."
Mirajane beamed at her, "No, no that would just be stupid of me!" Lisanna laughed at her sister's response as she held out her arms for a hug. The two embraced and after a while Mirajane finally suggested, "Let's get some sleep, right?"
The Next Morning
Sting slowly started to stir as he felt an amazing warmth which could only belong to the fire Dragon Slayer. He subconsciously snuggled closer to the source of the heat and when his eyes opened he was satisfied with the sight of his lover. He sat up slowly to avoid waking the sleeping man and began brushing the pink locks off of his face. Natsu lazily opened his eyes as he awoke from his slumber, grumbling something under his breath.
"Oh, sorry I didn't mean to wake you, it's just you look so adorable when you're asleep that I can't resist." Sting apologized.
"Hey! Don't call me adorable!" Natsu retorted.
"Oh but you are Natsu-kun." Sting drew out the last part in a teasing manner.
"If that's all you have to say then I'm heading to the guild for some breakfast." Natsu huffed in mock retaliation. He then tried to get up but was swiftly pulled back to the bed by a strong arm around his waist. Sting forced Natsu's back against his chest and rested his chin on the other's shoulder.
"Do you understand that you're mine Natsu?" Sting whispered menacingly, breathing on Natsu's neck causing him to shiver.
Natsu then turned to face him, looking somewhat thrown by Sting's possessiveness. "Where's this coming from all of a sudden?" When the blonde didn't respond, Natsu just decided to answer. "Okay, but you too understand. And don't say anything you don't mean."
Sting smiled gratefully at those words, "That's all I wanted to hear... and... I want you to know I mean every word I say." He then let Natsu go and stood up. "Alright, let's get dressed and head out."
At Fairy Tail
After enjoying a full fried breakfast, the two Dragon Slayers walked upstairs to Makarov's office where they awaited Mirajane. Sting and Natsu sat at the desk facing the master, listening to the constant rhythm of a clock ticking. No word was spoken as she joined the group, choosing to stand at the side of the desk.
"So are you gonna tell me what the hell this is about?" Sting asked impatiently.
"As I'm sure you've already guessed. It's about Bindweed. The news we are receiving is troubling to say the least." Makarov spoke authoritatively. "The council has upgraded its threat listing to level one."
Sting gasped, "What? That's the same level as a dark guild! It's just a corporation right?!"
"Unfortunately they won't tell us any more. All I know is that they are on the move. In fact the only reason I am aware of this information is because it was leaked to me by a certain member. The council don't want to get the guilds involved; they claim that the situation will just escalate."
A fist pounded hard on the desk. "But those council morons never do anything! It was us who stopped Eisenwald, Nirvana, Grimoire Heart, Eclipse; they almost killed us in the Tower of Heaven!" Natsu was seething. Sting was very interested to hear more about some of the incidents that Natsu had spoken of but that would have to wait for later. Mirajane put a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down a bit.
"You're exactly right, Natsu. The council are naïve fools. They simply do not have enough power to deal with these situations without resorting to drastic measures. That is why we shall take it upon ourselves to investigate. For now it's best you keep this to yourselves. I'll inform you of any new developments. Sting you should probably head back to your guild, you may want to tell someone you trust about this but avoid communication lacrima."
"I understand. But if it's all right with you, I'd like to rest here for at least another day." He smiled and shared eye contact with Natsu.
"Of course, that's fine. Our doors are open to everyone. Stay safe." With that, Natsu, Sting and Mirajane left the office in silence.
"Oh hi Lisanna." Natsu was walking downstairs and spotted the white haired girl sitting on the bottom step. She looked a little flustered as he greeted her. "Asides from last night I haven't seen you in ages!" He continued.
"Oh...ermm, yeah..." She mumbled but was cut off by Sting who held out his hand for her.
"Hey, Lisanna I guess I've never really introduced myself properly to you. I know that you and Natsu are like childhood best friends or something." Mirajane carried on past the trio, regarding the scene with interest.
Lisanna eventually shook his hand and pulled herself up as well. "Aaah, pleased to meet you. Take good care of Natsu for me!" She winked at him but some members of the guild noticed a suppressed frown and even a look of slight worry in her eyes.
Natsu suddenly appeared ecstatic as an idea entered his head, "Why don't we go fishing by the lake, just us three plus Happy and Lector!" He suggested.
Lisanna barely concealed the shock on her face. "No... that's okay. I've, I... ermm I have important things to be doing." She all but ran straight out of the guild doors, looking very uneasy.
This left Natsu feeling very dejected while Sting and Mirajane both looked puzzled.
"Well that wasn't weird at all." the blonde Dragon Slayer said, his voice dripping with sarcasm
"Yeah..." Mirajane finally spoke.
Natsu was now feeling a little bit sad so Sting decided to cheer him up a bit. "Hey Natsu, we can still go fishing. I bet I'm going to catch a much bigger fish than you."
The pink haired Dragon Slayer raised his head and grinned widely, "You're on. I'm all fired up!"
On the other side of the guildhall, Happy's ears perked up at the mention of fish. He turned to the brown exceed who was hovering next to him. "Hey Lector, I bet Natsu's gonna catch way more fish than Sting!" He teased but the other exceed did not appear provoked.
"No way is Sting-kun going to lose at fishing!" He proudly declared. The two exceeds flew over to join their companions and the four left the guild laughing merrily and trying to forget the two concerning events that preceded.
As they left, Mirajane decided to return to her bar duties. Cana was sitting at the bar drinking a mug of beer for her breakfast and Mirajane decided to tap her on the shoulder to gain her attention.
"Have you any idea what got into Lisanna just then?" Everyone in the guild was wondering the same thing.
Cana merely shrugged, "Maybe she's just jealous. I heard she had a massive crush on that idiot." This suggestion seems plausible, Mirajane considered before her thoughts were interrupted.
"No that can't be it, she was totally flirting with Rogue back at that party." Lucy who had previously been typing away on her Lacrima Mini Archive closed the pink device to participate in the gossip.
Levy set aside her Lacrima Tab as she too joined in. "Yeah and I even saw them making out afterwards!" She giggled.
"Well then this just makes the situation even more curious." Mirajane hummed.
At the Lake
The two Dragon Slayers were leaning against a large oak tree, taking in the Autumn colours and the sight of the calming icy blue waters of the lake. Happy and Lector had dozed off by a dying campfire. It had been a few hours since the grim warning from Makarov as well as the awkward incident with Lisanna and since they were here, the small group had cooked up the fish that they had caught. Natsu had really been enjoying himself but the concern was still evident.
Said Dragon Slayer pushed against the tree and crouched over the fire, topping it up with his own flames as he knew that the others present couldn't fight off the oncoming Winter chill like he could. Sting also got up and patted Natsu's shoulder reassuringly.
"You're still anxious about what happened before aren't you?"
Natsu sighed, "Yeah, I've never seen Lisanna act like that around me, or around anyone if I think about it. She's always pretty confident and cheerful."
"What are you going to do?"
"Hmmm, I think I'll give her time, I'm sure Mira-chan will be able to get something out of her anyway." He paused, deep in thought before he continued, "I've actually never been in a situation like this before. I mean, awkward girl situation that is."
"So... this is the first relationship you've been in?" Sting chuckled before his brow furrowed, "unless... unless you've been with another guy? Oh no, please tell me you and that ice stripper didn't..." He was cut off by Natsu rolling on the floor laughing.
He eventually regained control of himself. "What? How could you possibly think that? Damn, my ribs hurt." He then ruffled Sting's hair playfully, "No, you're the first." He assured.
"Good, because I hate the thought of other people touching you."
The Next Morning
Sting and Natsu, along with their exceeds arrived early at the guild. Sting had grumbled and protested a bit but Natsu had insisted that since Sting wouldn't be staying for much longer that the two should take a job together.
When Natsu walked to the back of the hall he was surprised to see Macao behind the counter.
"Morning, Macao, you're here early?"
"Yeah, I just got back."
"Have you seen Mira-chan, she's usually here at the crack of dawn."
"No, she hasn't turned up yet."
"Lisanna too?"
Macao raised an eyebrow quizzically, "No, and before you ask Elfman hasn't returned either."
Natsu then turned back to the entrance. "Right I'm going to go look for her." Macao just shrugged and looked indifferent.
Sting hurried after him. "Hey, wait for me!" The two burst out of the doors and into the slowly awakening town. Their hurried footsteps on the cobbled road causing loud echoes which disrupted the tranquillity.
"What's even the big deal?" Sting panted.
Natsu slowed for a while to respond. "Mira-chan is one of the most reliable people you'll find. Something about her not turning up when she usually does just doesn't sit right and besides that, I've been feeling really concerned since yesterday. About everything." Sting simply nodded in response.
"Okay, if it makes you feel better I'll help, but I'm sure it's nothing."
Happy was next to his companion with his aera magic active. "Natsu, I'll help you, I can search from above."
"I too will help." said Lector as the two cats ascended.
Natsu led Sting at a brisk pace in the direction of the Strauss household.
Suddenly Happy's cry reached the Dragon Slayers' ears. Natsu's heart rate quickened as a million different scenarios crossed his mind. However, nothing would prepare him for what he was about to see.
He honed in on the source of Happy's shout as the exceed came swooping down towards him. He heard the faint sound of muffled whimpering coming from a side street. He froze. What the hell?
.
.
.
Mirajane was being pressed up against the wall, relentlessly struggling as she tried to cry out for help but was unable to do so due to the hands around her neck. Hands that belonged to none other than Lisanna.
Again. What. The. Hell? Natsu thought.
"WHAT THE F*** ARE YOU DOING, LISANNA?!" He screamed.
She turned to him with an icy glare, her hands unmoving.
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-End of Chapter 1-
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-To Be Continued-
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Well, here it is the first chapter. I hope you liked it, please review, it will encourage me to write more. Constructive criticism is appreciated and tell me what you think of the plot so far. Also, I apologise for it being a short first chapter but I just couldn't resist that cliffhanger, or think of a better place to end it. So, in return I will try and update within a week. A cover image is also coming soon.
This chapter has been revised.
Until then, QuatroPuppy out.