Pride: This oneshot is dedicated to sapphire dragon slayer alex as apologies for not being able to make my other fic, "Watch the World Burn", a Natsu x Yukino fic. Enjoy, but don't forget to review!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.
Narrator's Perspective
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
"Attacks/Raised Voices"
Settings- Place and Time
Tell Me You'll Never Leave Me
A Fairy Tail original fanfiction.
15th October X791, Cube/ Alegria
Natsu had his hands on his knees, panting hard and greedily and desperately drinking every breath of air like his life depended on it, which, as a matter of fact, it did.
"I've been sensing it for a while. Yeah," Gajeel panted out in between ragged breaths.
"It's them," Natsu finished his sentence.
"The twin dragons of Sabertooth. Looks like we have reinforcements," Gajeel continued, and Juvia looked relieved that they wouldn't be fighting this battle all alone. She was confident that they could win this battle against Tartarus, but it would be drawn out, and she had better things to do – like saving her Gray-sama from that creepy guy who apparently smelled just like him.
"No. It's not just them. I smell Dobengal and the rest of their guild too. And…" he trailed off, feeling relief rush through him, coupled with fear. Fear for that person's safety.
"And?" Gajeel pressed.
"Its her."
"Who?"
"Yukino."
Natsu was not going to let her put her life on the line for them in this fight.
Not after he consoled her when she was kicked out of Sabertooth.
Not after he trashed the Sabertooth guild hall and the master, just for her.
Not after he saved her when she was unconscious and drained of magic after sealing the Eclipse Gate.
Especially not after he told her that she was nakama too, and promised her that he would be there to beat up whoever made her cry.
While Gajeel turned his attention back to his opponent and shrugged off that observation as insignificant, Juvia looked upon Natsu's expression of worry with a knowing smile on her face.
After all, Natsu had become a brother-like figure for her, having helped her to try and impress her Gray-sama every now and then, along with consoling her whenever her advances had been rejected by her Gray-sama.
Indeed, Juvia knew how her brother was feeling at the moment, and she prided herself upon that.
"Water Slicer!"
"Iron Dragon's Wing Slash!"
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
The three Fairy Tail mages advanced upon their adversaries with newfound courage and gusto, pummelling them with attack upon attack.
All of a sudden, Juvia and Gajeel were caught off-guard by their respective opponents who took the chance to slam them to the ground and prepare to deliver the finishing blow.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"A huge fist of fire engulfed the four combatants, courtesy of Natsu. While it burned the two demons, I passed harmlessly through his nakama, leaving warm tingles on their skin.
However, the momentary distraction that it took Natsu to save his comrades left him wide open to Tempesta's attack.
"Curse: Raging Thunder," chanted Tempesta with his usual apathetic attitude, sending a lethal bolt of electricity crackling towards Natsu's unguarded side.
Natsu braced himself for the impact, covering himself in a thin but condensed layer of fire, hoping that it would be enough to keep him alive.
"Celestial Magic: Aegis!" came a soft, melodic voice that reminded Natsu of wind chimes.
He turned to his right to see that he had been saved in the nick of time by a translucent yellow shield that had materialized before him.
"*sigh* Natsu-sama. You are always so reckless, trying to save all your nakama and watching all their backs for them. However, if you do so, who will watch your back?" questioned Yukino Aguria, concern and relief evident in her voice – concern for Natsu's wellbeing, and relief at the fact that she arrived in the nick of time to save him from his impending doom.
"Well, you just did, didn't you?" Natsu responded with a wide grin that threatened to split his face.
"It surprises me how you can smile so freely and sincerely despite being inches away from death just a while ago," stated Tempesta in a voice void of all emotion, contrary to his words.
"I'm smiling because I know that if I trip, my comrades will always be there to catch me and cushion my fall. You wouldn't understand it, because you've lived all this while to kill and destroy. You've never had anything to treasure or protect before. You cannot understand what we humans feel," Natsu told Tempesta earnestly.
"Then teach me."
"The bonds of camaraderie are not something that can be taught, or even expressed adequately in words. You have to experience it to understand it fully."
"Then…will I be able to understand this…camaraderie that you speak of, if I join your guild?"
"Really? You will?" Natsu hopped from foot to foot with the excitement of a five-year old at the prospect of having a new comrade, especially one as strong as Tempesta.
Tempesta's answer to Natsu's question came in the form of two lightning bolts that instantly knocked out Keith and Torafusa.
Natsu ran around the room happily yelling something about a badass friend while Gajeel, Juvia and Yukino stood with their jaws dropped so low that they reached the lower levels of Cube.
With Keith defeated, Mard Geer's plans of activating Face were foiled, and the defeat of Torafusa, Jackal, Kyouka, Sayla, Ezel, Franmalth and Lamy just made Fairy Tail's struggle against Tartarus so much more easier.
Natsu and Yukino aided Sting and Rogue in their battle against Mard Geer, while Gajeel and Juvia helped Gray beat Deliora who was residing in the body of Silver Fullbuster.
Once all the members of Tartarus, save for Tempesta had been defeated, Fairy Tail and Sabertooth rallied together the other guilds who had taken part in the finals of the Grand Magic Tournament to destroy the remaining remnants of Face that were scattered all over the world, for good.
Later on, Tempesta joined Fairy Tail after Natsu, Gajeel and Juvia vouched for him and learned the ways of the humans with Lisanna as a guide.
The murder and complete annihilation of the New Magic Council had devastated the entire magic world. The highest-ranking surviving members of the Old and New Magic Council, Lahar and Doranbolt, felt that this was due to the incompetence of the old Council members in protecting themselves. They then decided that the new Council would consist of the ten Wizard Saints and five representatives from the non-magic community.
Year X800
Due to his overwhelming obligation towards his duties in the Council, the sixth Master of Fairy Tail, Makarov Dreyar, resigned from his position and named Gray Fullbuster as the seventh Master of Fairy Tail.
(A/N: I decided Gray as the seventh Master of Fairy Tail because I felt that giving that position to Laxus or Erza would be too cliché.)
Deciding that he would not lose to his rival, Lyon too strived, and succeeded in becoming the next Master of Lamia Scale.
Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki became the next master of Blue Pegasus, the Fairy Tail's closest comrades, next to Sabertooth, and he surprisingly helped his guild thrive as well as grow in numbers, strength and fame.
Soon after that, Erza Scarlet was offered the position of one of the Ten Wizard Saints due to her strength and contribution to the magic world, coupled with the fact that they were lacking in female representatives, not to mention, Erza was among the top three female mages on the continent.
Laxus Dreyar decided to follow in Gildarts' footsteps by leisurely traveling the world and having adventures of his own. He also took his newly-wed wife, Cana Dreyar, on his adventures.
Speaking of Gildarts, he decided to retire and while away his time at Fairy Tail, taking in apprentices every now and then and relishing in the joy of helping the new generation grow.
The other members of Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus either established families of their own or grew stronger and claimed fame for themselves in the wizarding world.
And Natsu Dragneel, our lovable dragon slayer…well he became an S-Class mage of Fairy Tail. He became much more matured and intelligent due to his experiences on the special missions the seventh Master sent him on.
He had grown slightly taller and more muscular, his hair had longer to form a dark pink mane similar to Gajeel's and he had a small dark pink stubble on his chin. His attire has changed too – now he wears a purple sleeveless shirt and dark blue jeans with a black trench coat over his clothes. Let's see what he's currently doing, shall we?
'I feel so lonely…everyone is growing farther and farther away from me…Gray used to be my brother and best friend, as much as I hate to admit it, and now I'm calling him "Master" like I don't know him on a much more personal level. Erza was my second-best friend, and now she has no time to hang out with me 'cause of her Wizard Saint duties. Luce is almost always going on dates. Wendy and Gajeel are the only ones that hang out with me lately.'
'And Yukino…'
"I am a representative from the New Magic Council, may I see Master Fullbuster and Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Kurogane Redfox?" queried a frog-like ambassador from the council, interrupting Natsu's musings.
Apparently the New Magic Council had wanted to see Natsu and Gajeel regarding something important, and needed to inform the Master of Fairy Tail beforehand. Natsu and Gajeel obliged, following the representative to the Headquarters in Era, that had been rebuilt after the massacre during the Tartarus incident.
Magic Council Headquarters, Era
Upon their arrival in Era, Natsu and Gajeel noticed that several other mages had been assembled and were seated along a long table, including Yukino Aguria, Rogue Cheney, Ren Akatsuki, Hibiki Lates, Yuuka Suzuki, Sherry Blendy, Kagura Mikazuchi, Millianna and Jura Neekis. Natsu seated himself in the empty seat next to Yukino and Gajeel sat next to him.
A wave of nostalgia passed over everyone as they realized; these were their nakama too, and every one of them had worked with the other on certain missions and when their guilds formed alliances.
"Hey, long time no see, huh?" Natsu said, the question seemingly being directed to everyone present.
However, Yukino knew. She knew that the question was actually meant for her. She smiled at Natsu, trying to silently convey her message to him.
'Yeah, it's been too long. I missed you, and I know you missed me too,' was what ran through her mind as her brown eyes locked onto Natsu's black ones.
"I know," Natsu answered her unspoken thought, seemingly reading her mind.
The rest of the mages present looked upon the scene with slight amusement glinting in their eyes and warmth in their hearts.
"Alright. Let's get straight to the point. The reason I have assembled all of you here today, is because the Magic Council has decided to create a new division – the Special Operations Squad. And, all of you present here shall be the members. We will inform your masters of this as soon as possible, if you accept the position. Do you?" boomed Jura in his position as a representative of the Council, cutting to the chase.
Everyone nodded and voiced their consent.
"The Council has decided that it would be more efficient to channel all the ten-year and hundred-year quests to the Special Ops Division instead of splitting them between the guilds, hence the need for us to assemble you, as the elite mages of the magic world, for this purpose."
"And, I have one more thing to say. As is the case with all other organisations and divisions, this division will need a captain as well. Due to support from many of the other Council members and your outstanding track record, Natsu-dono, you will be elected as the captain of the Special Ops Division of the Council."
"Me? But-" Natsu's qualms and complaints were cut off abruptly by Gajeel.
"Aw, cut it with the modesty, Salamander. We all know that you're the best candidate for captain here, so just shut yer trap and accept it."
"He is right, Natsu-san. There is none more deserving for the position than yourself," agreed Rogue, who was usually silent and passive.
"Natsu-sama, we all know how fiercely protective you are of your comrades. Therefore, I have no doubt that we will be in safe hands with you as the captain," urged Yukino.
All around Natsu, everyone else urged their agreement and support for him. His heart grew warm at the show of support and trust that everyone had placed in him.
"So, what do you say, Natsu-dono?" queried Jura.
"I…accept. Thank you for placing so much trust in me, guys. I promise you, I won't let any harm befall you under my watch," Natsu spoke with steel and firm conviction in his voice.
"Now that that is settled, I have to inform you that these missions will be performed in teams of two, for two reasons. First of all, even though you are all aces of your respective guilds, we do not wish to risk your safety. Second, we hope to foster stronger bonds between you, which will in turn translate to stronger bonds between your respective guilds."
"So, here are the groupings: Natsu-dono with Yukino-dono, Ren-dono with Sherry-dono, Yuuka-dono with Kagura-dono, Gajeel-dono with Rogue-dono and Hibiki-dono with Millianna-dono. That is all, you are dismissed."
Natsu and Yukino smiled at each other, both looking forward to working with each other.
Year X807
Natsu and Yukino, officially the Special Ops Division's and the magic world's best two-person tag team, had just completed their third ten-year mission in the last seven years and were back in Magnolia to take a break before embarking on their next mission.
Yukino Aguria was currently shopping with Lisanna, Mira, Lucy and Happy. Or so Natsu thought.
Special Ops Captain Natsu Dragneel, age 34, was currently seated on one of the riverbanks on the outskirts of Magnolia, pondering all the latest happenings within his large circle of friends lately with a melancholic expression on his chiseled and battle-worn face. He now bore many scars on his body, which he wore with pride as trophies. They also served as proof of the strength that he had gained over many battles, wars, life-changing experiences, and after he had seen almost all that had to be seen in the world.
Despite all that he had seen and gone through, he was still a child at heart, even if just a little. He was a child who held on to the belief that there was a happily ever after, that change is not inevitable, and that his friends and family would stay with him forever instead of having families of their own and gradually distancing away from him.
He heard familiar footsteps approach, and soon his wife, Yukino Dragneel sat next to him. Yukino's faint scent of oranges wafted into his nose, teasing his senses.
"Yukino? What are you doing here? I thought you were shopping with Lisanna, Mira, Lucy and Happy? How did you know that I was here?"
"Calm down, fire-boy. I'll answer your questions one by one," Yukino replied teasingly, using her pet name for him.
Natsu smiled. Well, at least she stopped with the "Natsu-sama". Yes, he'd definitely be able to get used to the new nickname, Natsu decided.
"I told them that I didn't feel up to it today. I wanted to spend the rest of today with you," his wife smiled gently.
"As for your second question, I've been with you long enough to know your habits and routines. And you know that I always know when you're sad, right?"
Natsu didn't reply, he just continued to stare at the surface of the water, not finding any words to express what he was truly feeling inside.
However, he doesn't need words to convey what he's feeling. Not to Yukino. There seemed to be an invisible bond between them, that enabled them to sense each other's feelings and concerns.
With a sigh, Yukino realized just what was bothering her husband of two years.
"Natsu, you know very well that you can't expect everyone to stay the same way and be with us forever. They have to move on with their lives too, get families of their own and commit to their own duties. Even you have changed from how you were ten years ago, and you have your own duties with the Magic Council."
"But no matter what, they will always be your nakama and will come running to your side if you need them. They are your family and nothing can change that. Even Gray, your rival, secretly considers you his brother."
Natsu continued to stare at the water, not showing any sign that he had heard.
With another heavy sigh, Yukino continued to console him.
"Hey. If it's any consolation…"
"…I promise you, I'll never leave you."
"No matter what happens, I'll never leave you for anything."
Finally, Natsu turned his head towards Yukino. She saw that his eyes were brimming with tears and there were fresh tear tracks running down his cheeks, every drop of tear expressing an emotion that Natsu couldn't express clearly enough.
Her eyes softened and she enveloped her husband in a hug, laying her head on his chest. The sight of Natsu's tears made tears of her own run down her cheeks.
The two of them sat for a while like that, enjoying each other's warmth and love.
Yukino then raised her head and moved her face closer to Natsu's. The two shared a passionate kiss, relishing the feeling of their lips moving against each other's, tongues darting about, exploring each other's mouths. For a moment they were oblivious to themselves and the world around them, their minds completely focused on each other.
Having finally and fully calmed down, Natsu broke off the kiss and looked into Yukino's mesmerizing brown orbs.
"I know, Yukino. I know. And I promise you too, even if the world came crashing down around us, I would never leave you."
Pride: That was the cheesiest story I've ever written. Though, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction when I finished writing it. I surprised myself with how absorbed I got into the story. However, my OTP will always be Natsu X Erza. And just a heads-up, I might take requests for limited pairings, if and only if I am not entirely against it. By the way, I'm totally against any Lucy pairing. Dunno why. I just don't really like her. So, read and review, thanks for your time.
Yours truly, Pride.