Natsu slammed into the ground, rolling a few more feet from the point of impact due to the force of the throw. Shooting his eyes open, he rolled to the side and flipped to a fighting stance as the monster in front of him slammed its fist right where Natsu had been laying previously. Grinning, Natsu lit his palm up and prepared to attack the beasts open backside, when he spotted what was crushed in the monsters attack; a person in a black, one-sleeved long coat, white pants and sandals. But what had really caught his attention was the mop of pink hair atop the figures head; dirty and unkempt, caked with blood and sweat, some his and some the monsters. Shocked, Natsu just sat and stared at the scene before him as the beast picked his limp figure up and slammed it back into the ground. Turning at the distant sound of a yell, he looked over at the rest of his team, who were dealing with their own problems. Gray was running over to the monster currently beating his apparent corpse senseless as Erza moved to cover Gray's original target. Looking around for the source of the continual white noise he kept hearing, he saw Lucy, leaning against a tree a couple yards away from him. Natsu opened his mouth, intending to yell for her to get away, but suddenly something took his breath away, making him drop to his knees and start choking and gasping for breath. He saw her yell something again, and pull out a key. Seconds later, a flash of light appeared and Loke jumped out of the gate and kicked the monster across the jaw. Lighting his hands up with Regulous, he charged at the beast and started beating the crap out of the creature. After its fight with Natsu, it didn't exactly have much strength, but it still had enough energy to keep the Leader of the Zodiacs busy. Gray ducked under a blow and headed straight for Natsu's body. But Natsu didn't see any of this. He only saw Lucy, sobbing and trying to call out to him. He could hear now, albeit it was a little fuzzy, and trying to stand up and stagger over to him, watching her try and fail over again. He suddenly felt a presence behind him, and glancing over brought him to the sight that would end up making everything happening to him VERY real. Gray, with Natsu in his arms, walked right past him, where he was still clawing for air, shuddering on the ground for lack of oxygen. It was like he didn't even see him; and that was when Natsu realized something.
He wasn't even alive. He couldn't even say he wasn't going to make it out of this one.
From the moment he'd hit the ground, he already had.
And as his eyes closed and he lost consciousness, all he could think was that Gray was next to Lucy now. And for some reason that bothered him a lot…
Eyes half lidded, Natsu walked into the throne room. Greeting the guards with a simple nod, he pushed open the doors and strolled right up to the center of the room. Bowing low to the ground in an exaggerated bow, he stood up and smirked at the man atop the throne. Looking increasingly uninterested, the man just rested his chin on his fist and stared at the fiery dragon beneath him.
"So, Mr. Dragneel. To what do we owe the illustrious honor of your presence?" The man spoke in a rather interested tone, completely opposite to his appearance.
Natsu just stood there, smirking at him. The man just there, staring back at him.
"If you're trying to make me guess, it's not going to work. I've already spent far too much energy on you, and all you're really doing is giving me something lazy to do. I can do this literally all day. I'm in no rush."
Natsu deflated a bit at that. Then, gathering up his posture, he glared right at the man.
"I found it." And those three words suddenly made the man on the throne do a complete one-eighty.
Eyes flashing, he suddenly jerked to his feet. Descending the stairs at a rapid pace, he appeared to be rather angry at whatever Natsu had found.
"Oh really? I assume you have complete proof? It's really there, just waiting for me to go and see it?" The man spoke rapidly, trying to get a grip on his anger.
Natsu rolled his eyes. "Of course it's there. If I came to you without proof, you'd just make me start all over again."
"You really found a single name in the Book, the same book that I have read over a thousand times, and yet I still have no memory of its ever being there?"
"Exactly. I found it very close to the end of the Book. You told me yourself it was a living book, always being added to. And it hasn't left that room since you first let me start reading it over two years ago."
Gritting his teeth, the man sighed and came to a complete stop right in front of Natsu.
"You know what this means right? It means that should you wish, you would no longer be a Titan. No longer have access to the knowledge of this world, or its power, or anything you have gained here?"
"I would be put back in my own world, where my friends, no, my family, are. Where you yourself said that I was supposed to be, until someone decided to mess with my life." Glaring at one of the seven seats in the throne room, he stated, "I don't know which one you sit in Greed, but I swear if you come down here right now I will kick your sorry ass all the way to Earthland and back."
"Well, ignoring that last jab at my sister, I'll continue." Said the man in front of Natsu. Turning he glared at the seat next to his. Bringing his focus back to Natsu, the man spoke. "Yes, you will be back in your own world, but as a completely different person. You won't be the same. You'll look different, you'll act different. You'll have a completely different life, different memories other than your own. You may not even remember anything at all. Are you sure you want that?" The man actually looked genuinely concerned for him.
Natsu brought his gaze back to the man and nodded firmly.
"Yes, I'm certain. I've wanted this for a long time, Sloth. I understand what might happen, and I am willing to take the chance."
The man, now revealed as Sloth, sighed and waved lazily at him. "Fine then, have it your way. Greed will show you the way out." Turning back around and climbing the stairs to his throne again, he remarked, "Try not to kill him."
And two voices, one determined and proud, the other humorous and smooth, replied as one. "Yes sir."
Natsu glared at the throne that the voice came from as a collective sigh came from the other six thrones. Laughing, a figure moved from the shadows of the chair to the left of the main throne. As there were no stairs to any of the other chairs, even though they were a good thirty to forty feet off the ground, the figure just dropped to the ground. Looking up, there was a head of lower back length hair, held back by a wide light black bandanna. A long silver waistcoat with one sleeve, belted about the waist and flaring out into a skirt, and a pair of black pants tusked into calf length combat boots of the same color. The figure was a young looking girl, though her age seemed to be a bit hazy, as no one really knew how old any of the people in the throne room were, excluding Natsu. He at least knew the whereabouts of his age was. Her eyes were a deep charcoal color, and she had a wide smile with pronounced canines.
"I must say Natsu, thanks for the body. I knew it would look good with a feminine flair to it. And the power you hold… delicious. Pity you won't be getting it back, eh?" The eyes took more of a feral glint as they opened wider. A curious light flickered in them though as Greed tilted her head to the side and asked with the most innocent voice in the world, "Unless you'd like to challenge me for it?"
Natsu narrowed his eyes at the girl. Two years ago, he wouldn't have hesitated to accept a challenge from anyone, but the past years had not been kind ones to him. He knew to pick a fight with any of the Seven Sins was a suicide wish. They didn't fight fair, or in Sloth's case, not at all. He'd just dust Natsu with an attack that he has YET to be able to even see, and he's out. The others at least made the fight interesting, even though they all knew they were going to win. So Natsu just glared at her, and scowled when she smiled at him, and shook his head no.
"Aww, you take the fun out of everything. Whatever, let's just get going. The sooner you're out of here the sooner you're back." Smiling at him again, Greed started walking towards him. When she got level with him she looked at him out of the sides of her eyes and said, "For a more, permanent stay, too. I am looking forward to it, love." Winking, she walked off out of the room, with Natsu growling and following closely behind.
This was it. He was going back; back to Earthland and Lucy, and even Gray and Erza. He wondered how much Fairy Tail had changed, if at all. He was going back, and nothing was going to keep him from getting home. Not even the Greed everyone suffered because of, that was ironically leading him back to his world, was going to keep him from this. Not even the Seven Sins as a whole could stop him. They'd tried…..
And failed.
AUTHORS NOTE!
So, this is probably really crappy, and I wouldn't be surprised if no one read it, but this has been bouncing around in my head for a few days now. So here it is, either the stand alone one shot or the start of a series of them for my Seven Sins arc….that only Natsu is a real part of. There will be inclusions of other Fairy Tail members, like the ones who I think would struggle the most with Pride, Sloth, Wrath, etc. Just a thought. Well, later!