Natsu had been wandering the forest since Igneel had disappeared. He tried to ignore the throbbing pain of being abandoned again.
The forest around him whistled with an icy wind. His eyes closed for a second to lean against a tree.
The young boy had been tracking for days, trying to find his beloved father. He was tired and just about ready to collapse. Tears threatened to fall down his face with the emotional strain that he was under. But a voice broke through his thoughts.
"What's a child like you doing alone in the forest?" the voice asked.
The child looked up to see a short, old man. The man had an orange shirt and black pants, both of which were almost hidden by a creme cloak with an embroidered symbol on the back.
Natsu was never good at guessing ages, but he guessed that this man was in his eighties.
"I'm looking for someone," Natsu replied, "They are gone, and I need to find them."
"What do they look like?"
Natsu narrowed his eyes. This wasn't the first person that he had come across in the forest, and he wasn't a fool. This man would either try to kidnap him, laugh at him, or help him.
"He's big and has red scales with a brownish underbelly. There's a long scar on his snout that looks like a star." He began.
"His wings are kinda a pinkish tint. You can hear him from really far away if he roars."
The old man studied the child, "What is this creature?"
Natsu tilted his head to the side. He was sure that the old man could have inferred what Igneel was by the description itself.
"I mean, they obviously aren't human. But I can tell that they mean a lot to you, so I want to help."
"Igneel is a dragon," The boy deadpanned, "He's my father. I woke up about a month ago in the forest that we were staying in and he was gone. I've been trying to find him since."
His eyes began to sting with unshed tears, but he refused the give into them, "He's the only family that I have left."
The old man sighed and gave Natsu a sympathetic look. The boy glared. He did not want sympathy
"Well, child. Why don't you come and stay with me and my guild until you find him." The old man suggested.
Natsu's glare turned to a look of surprise, "Really?"
"Yes, child. You shouldn't be alone like this. I'd be more than happy."
The surprise turned into a beaming smile, but then fell, "You aren't going to do anything like turn me into a product for other people to use as they please?"
The old man's face turned to disgust, "Of course not. That is just sick."
The smile reappeared on the dragon slayers face, "Thanks old man!"
Then the pinkette called the elder, 'old man,' the old man became irked.
"Who're you calling old!"
"You never told me your name, so what else was I supposed to call you?"
The old man's annoyance faded some. The kid was right, "Name's Makarov. Master Makarov to you."
Natsu nodded, "Ok old man."
Makarov sighed. This child promised to be trouble, and he'd only just met him.
"Come along child. Tell me about yourself while we walk. Also, tell me your name. I don't want to keep calling you kid."
Natsu followed the old man. He told Makarov his name and what he had been doing for the past month. He even went into memories of training with Igneel.
Makarov also told him things. Like how his guild was growing. How the people in it, and what they did.
The pair of them traversed unhindered to the edge of the forest and into the town.
"This place is called Magnolia. It's the town that our guild was built it. In fact, I think I read somewhere that it was the basis for the town. "
Natsu stared at the shops and people of the town with interest and a little trepidation.
The child was raised by a dragon and didn't have all that much experience with other humans. Other than the other dragon slayers and Anna.
As they walked, he stuck close to Makarov, unsure of what everything was used for.
"Are you ok?" Makarov asked.
Natsu replied with a soft voice, "I'm fine. I just haven't ever really seen these many people gathered in one area. I don't ever remember seeing this many people ever! My senses are enhanced, so its a lot to take in."
The guild master felt like smacking his head. He had bypassed entirely the idea that Natsu grew up in a forest.
"It's alright kid. They aren't gonna hurt you. I should have thought everything through before I just shoved you into a new environment." He said as he continued to walk.
"I just have to get used to it."
The old man nodded. He guided their two-person group through the town. Soon, they stood in front of a large building.
It had large windows and a large intricately decorated door. There was a large banner with the same symbol on the cloak on it. Loud noises and strong smells emitted from it.
Natsu wrinkled his nose, "What's that foul smell?"
The old man glanced at him before sniffing the air, "I don't know. Perhaps you smell the boos."
"It terrible!" The dragon slayer said wrinkling his nose even more.
The white-haired mage laughed, "Come along. You're going to join the guild, aren't you? Best to introduce you to the rest of the brats.
He ushered the young boy through the wooden doors. People were talking everywhere. Some were laughing or even fighting. A girl at the bar smiled at the old man.
"Welcome back Master!"
"Hello, Whisp. How was the guild while I was gone?"
"They were very tame. Nothing was destroyed, so I guess that that's good."
The master smiled, "ALRIGHT BRATS listen up." He shouted.
"You have a new member joining today. I want you all to behave around him. Set a good example."
Natsu was still shying into the short man's shadow.
The noise of the guild was making him uncomfortable. It was loud and raucous. Not quiet and peaceful like the forest always seemed to be.
The guild became quiet when the guild master spoke. They looked around for a new face. Suddenly, a fiery-haired girl stomped forwards to the Master. She pulled Natsu out of the old man's shadow.
"You shouldn't be shy." She told him.
The guild stared at the young boy, waiting for him to speak,
"Sorry. Its just-I'm not used to places like this. It's so loud and smelly."
The read head dropped Natsu's wrist and regarded him, "What do you mean."
Natsu looked at her, and the glanced around before replying.
"I lived in the forest. I'm not used to a lot of people or so many new smells that aren't in the forest. Like that foul-smelling liquid."
At that, he pointed to a mug of beer that the master had retrieved from the bartender.
"It smells terrible."
One of the older men in the corners laughed, "Are you against boos?"
Natsu tilted his head, "I don't know what boos are or what they do, so I don't know if I'm against them or not."
The man laughed again, this time joined by another.
"I like this kid." One of them said, "He's great."
Natsu blinked in confusion but didn't say anything. Now that the guild was quieter, it was easier to take everything in. He studied the other guild members. Each one of them had a different scent. Some were more intermingled.
The red-haired girl held out a hand, "Well, my name is Erza. It's nice to meet you. I hope that we can become friends."
Natsu looked at her hand, and the reached out to shake it, "Likewise."
He was beginning to think that joining this guild would be a great idea.
Alright. So this is also a part of the red journal. I'm starting to think that I should just have a book titled the Red Notebook Collection.
I decided that I wanted to go through and transfer all of my completed stories onto my Archives and Fanfiction accounts. So, most of what I'm gonna post, I wrote a long time ago. Some of it is more recent. Anyways, enjoy!
~Bittersweet Treats
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