Natsu smirked and turned away from Erza, looking at the blonde mage who hadn't said a word since he stepped off the train. He walked over to her and put on his most charming smile, "And who might you be?"
She smiled back at him uncertainly, held out her hand for a handshake, and said "My name is Lucy Heartfilia, pleased to meet you."
"I am Natsu Dragneel, The famed Salamander, pleased to make such a lovely acquaintance." He winked at her as he grabbed her hand and bowed, moving to kiss the back of it. As he was about to, he felt a sharp point under his chin and heard a growl in his ear "I will not let you do indecent things to my guild mate in my presence, is that clear Salamander?"
Natsu felt the tip of the sword start to push into his chin and was forced to straighten up. He let go of Lucy's hand and turned to the Scarlet haired woman who still had her sword at his throat. "If you insist, though she might not mind judging from her blush." He threw a wink at Lucy whose face rivaled the redness of Erzas hair.
Erza scowled and said "Let's just go before we do end up trapped in here, I'll be sure to pay you back for this when we fight later."
The trio headed towards the exit but when they arrived all they saw was a wall of wind swirling around the station faster than the eye could see. Natsu sighed and leaned back against one of the pillars in the entrance hall, "Well it looks like we'll be stuck here for a while, too bad."
Lucy looked confused at this and Lucy said "It's just some wind, sure it'll be hard to walk through but we can get through it."
Natsu just shook his head and replied, "We can't, the wind is infused with magic, if you try walking through the wall you'll be cut to shreds."
Erza scoffed when he said this, "That little breeze, I'll break through the magic in one hit." With this statement she turned and punched at the wind wall. Her gauntleted fist impacted and she was immediately thrown back ten feet.
"I told you it wouldn't work; nothing can get through that wind wall until Erigor releases the magic inside of it."
Erza looked over at him and almost screamed, "Well what do you suggest, we have to figure out a way to get out and catch up to Erigor before he uses Lullaby on the guildmasters."
It was at this moment that the other two Fairy Tail mages decided to make an appearance in the entrance hall. They both came running up, only slightly out of breath. The man seemed slightly worse for wear but the white haired woman didn't have a scratch on her. As they reached the group Erza asked them, "Gray, Mira, no trouble with those dark mages I take it?"
The man, Gray, replied "Nah, he surprised me but he was pretty weak, it didn't take me long." The woman, who was gazing at Natsu with a questioning look on her face said "That guy was so weak even you could beat him Erza."
Upon hearing this, a vein popped out of Erza's forehead and she was abruptly standing face to face with Mira with a threatening look on her face, "You want to fight bitch, I'll beat you down into the dust."
Mira replied with an equally angry look, "You're going down tin can, you can't keep up with me."
Natsu watched all of this with a bemused look on his face before leaning over and whispering to Lucy, "Are they always like this, it doesn't seem like the most appropriate time to be fighting one's teammates, and why is Gray only wearing his boxers…"
Lucy giggled and whispered back, "I've only been in the guild a week, but every time Mirajane and Erza are in the same room they're fighting, and Gray strips subconsciously for some weird reason."
Natsu smirked before clapping his hands loudly and yelling "Titania! Don't you have something a little more important to think about than fighting right now? And stripper, put on some damn clothes!"
All four Fairy Tail mages stared at him in shock at his outburst. Mirajane gave him a death glare and then asked, "Who the hell are you?" Gray followed her saying "Who the hell are you calling a stripper?"
Natsu stepped forward with a grin and bowed, "I am Natsu Dragneel, the Salamander, and I'm calling you a stripper because you're not wearing any clothes."
Gray looked down and screamed "My clothes!" before running off to find them. Mirajane however, looked ready to rip somebodys head off, "How the hell did the Salamander end up here?"
Erza sighed and said to her, "He's with us, for now, he was working with Eisenwald but decided to help us defeat Erigor."
Mirajane looked surprised and said, "Why would he do that, he's a wanted criminal?"
Erza sighed and glanced over at Natsu, "I promised that if he helped us beat Erigor I'd fight him one on one and if he wins he can leave." When he heard this Natsu stepped forward, "Speaking of Erigor, if you want to beat him before he gets a chance to use Lullaby we need to figure out a way to get rid of this wind wall."
Erza glared at the wall of wind that was keeping her from destroying the one who threatened her guild, "If we can't power through it I don't know how we're going to get out."
When she heard this Lucy brightened up considerably, "If we can't power through it, how about we go around it? Erza, do you remember when we were at Duke Everlue's mansion last week? Well when we defeated him his celestial spirit Virgo gave me her key! I haven't made a contract yet but she can use her magic to dig a hole underneath the wind wall!"
When Erza heard this she also brightened up and said, "Hurry up then! We have to catch up with Erigor before he reaches Clover town.
Natsu watched curiously as Lucy pulled out a golden key and cried "Gate of the Maiden, I open Thee! Virgo!" As she said this, the ground started shaking and a pink haired woman wearing a maid's outfit with broken manacles around her wrists popped out of the ground and said "You called, Master?"
Lucy smiled at it and said "I know we don't have a contract yet but would you please dig us a tunnel outside of that wind wall?" The celestial spirit nodded and said "Of course princess." At this Lucy got a delighted look on her face and mumbled "I think I could get used to that."
When the tunnel was completed and Lucy had dismissed her spirit, Erza said "Alright everybody into the tunnel, Salamander first, I don't trust you not to stab me in the back."
Natsu grinned at her as he moved towards the tunnel, "I'm hurt Titania, how could you ever think I'd possibly do something that dastardly." He winked at her and then hopped into the tunnel. As he landed he heard Erza mutter "I'm going to beat the cockiness out of that guy just as soon as were finished here," and then louder, "Gray! Hurry up and put your clothes on, we're leaving!"
When they emerged at the other end of the tunnel the wind was blowing enough to nearly knock everybody off their feet. Natsu had to shout to be heard over the wind "How are we going to catch up with Erigor, I'm sure he's already flown halfway there by now."
He watched as they ignored him and all headed towards a magic four wheeler that was parked a little ways away. Gray got onto the front and put the SE plug around his wrist. The three girls got inside the cabin. He followed them but balked when it was his turn to get in, "Is there any other way to catch up with him, I don't do well with transportation…"
He saw the three girls in the cabin look at him after his revelation, "What, is the big bad salamander scared of a little car?" mocked Erza.
Natsu got an angry look on his face as he got in and said "No I'm not, I just don't like them" He sat down next to Lucy as both Mirajane and Erza scooted away from him.
As the car got underway, the girls realized why Natsu was reluctant to get in. He immediately began looking green in the face and doubled over clutching his stomach. He moaned and said "I told you I don't do well on transportation, I get motion sickness."
Erza laughed and said, "Well at least we know the great Salamander has one weakness, who knew it would be something so trivial as transportation."
Natsu tried to snarl back but it came out as more of a whimper "Transportation isn't going to help you when I beat you like a drum after this, I think I'm going to pass out now, wake me up when we catch him." With that Natsu leaned against the cool glass of the window and was asleep within moments.
Natsu was awakened by the jolting of the car on train tracks but kept his eyes closed. He could hear the girls talking quietly and decided to eavesdrop a bit before they realized he was awake.
He heard Mirajane say "He doesn't seem like such a bad guy, I wonder how he got mixed up with a dark guild in the first place"
Erza replied "He may talk well, but he's very bad, a year or two ago I and a few other mages outside Fairy Tail took a job that involved taking down the dark guild Flaming Wrath. Well we took their compound fairly easily, their foot soldiers were fairly weak. I got caught up fighting the master so I told the others to go on ahead and clear the rest of the compound. It took me a bit to finish the master and when I went to find the rest of the team they'd all been defeated. Most of them had just been knocked out, but one man had exceptionally bad burns on his body. Later when I asked him why, he said that the Salamander had asked them if they'd ever seen a red dragon and he had made a joke about seeing one. The salamander then knocked the entire group out in a few seconds except for the man. He then asked the man where he'd seen the dragon. The man wouldn't tell him so the Salamander beat him and burned him until he finally told him it was a lie."
The girls went silent after Erza said this, and after a few moments Natsu felt he needed to clarify a few things for them. He sat up opened his eyes and said quietly, "Yeah I remember that guy, he shouldn't have joked about that."
The girls looked startled that he'd heard them, and then Erza asked "Why did you beat him like that for just a joke?"
"Seven years ago my father, Igneel disappeared. He wasn't my real father, but he found me when I was little and took me in. He was a red dragon. He taught me my dragon slayer magic and the only things I have left of him are this scarf and my katana. I will do anything necessary to find him, and if I have to beat up a few people, or a few hundred, to find him then I will. I will do anything necessary to find him."
Lucy stuttered out "B-but wouldn't you have more luck in a legal guild, you'd have access to the council's intelligence and wouldn't have to be a fugitive."
Natsu smiled darkly "The council doesn't know anything, I've been in their records and it's blank concerning dragons. Being in a dark guild has given me license to be a bit more, persuasive, than being in a legal guild would give me. Besides, being a fugitive really isn't that hard, the most problematic thing is finding good food."
Natsu laughed bitterly when he saw the angry expressions on Erza and Mirajanes faces, "Relax, it's not like my brand of persuasion has gotten me anywhere. I've been searching for seven years and haven't found a trace."
Erza opened her mouth to say something but before she could, the magic four wheeler slammed to a stop and she was thrown forward into Natsu's lap. He grinned and said "I think you're cute Scarlet but aren't you moving a bit fast?" He earned a ringing slap for his efforts from a blushing Erza, "If you say anything else I will end you!" Before he could say anything that would force her to make good on her threat they heard Gray yelling from outside, "We've caught up to him!"
When Natsu heard this he threw himself out the door, desperate to get away from the vehicle. When he did he stumbled and nearly fell off the side of the bridge that they were on. He quickly moved so that the girls could get out without pushing him off. He turned towards the front of the vehicle and saw Erigor standing ten feet away with his scythe in his hand and a frown on his face.
"So Natsu, you got captured by these Fairy flies? I knew you were weak but damn, that's just sad."
"Nah, I made a deal with them, all I had to do was tell them where you were headed, and I get to beat the crap out of your sorry ass, then fight the Fairy Queen Titania. I think I got the better end of the deal."
Erigor laughed when Natsu said this, "You think you can turn traitor, and then beat me? Bring it you sorry excuse for a dark mage."
Natsu drew the katana off his back and replied, "With pleasure."
He made as if to charge forward but a heavy hand on his shoulder stopped him. "We should fight him together, with the numbers we have there's no way we can lose." said Erza.
Natsu laughed shook her hand off his shoulder, "Please, this guy is a joke, I'll destroy him." Having said this, fire began to appear on his hand and cascade down his katana until it was wreathed in bright orange flames.
Without another word he charged forward and swung his flaming sword overhand at Erigor. Erigor easily parried with his scythe and then said, "You'll have to be faster than that if you hope to hit me."
Natsu smirked but didn't say anything. Suddenly the flames on Natsu's katana seemed to dance and grow. The fire from his sword grew more intense and the metal on Erigor's scythe began to glow a cherry red, and then slowly give way under the pressure of Natsu's sword. Seeing this Erigor disengaged and jumped back.
"So close fighting isn't going to work, I'll just have to destroy you at range" Erigor shouted. He jumped into the air, summoning wind magic to keep him aloft. Erigor shouted "Storm Mail!" and spun his scythe around, generating air currents. After a moment he was surrounded by spinning air that covered him head to toe, the only thing Natsu could see were his eyes, glaring out at the Dragon Slayer. "With my armor of wind, there is no way your flame can reach me; it will be snuffed out before getting within a foot of me."
Natsu looked up at the figure some thirty feet in the air and said to himself, "No way of knowing until I try." He smiled and cried "Flame Strike of the Fire Dragon!" as he swung his sword, generating a crescent shaped burst of flame that sped towards the floating Erigor. As the strike reached Erigor though, it was dissipated by the gusts of wind swirling around him.
Erigor laughed as he shouted "I thought you'd be a little bit stronger, but I think I'll finish this now. This is the flying phoenix magic that will tear anything to ribbons! Emera Baram!" As he said this a multitude of magic circles appeared in front of him.
"Salamander! If you get hit by Emera Baram you'll be torn to shreds!" yelled Erza.
"Scatter to the wind you hotheaded brat!" Erigor shouted.
A violent tornado appeared in front of Natsu and rushed forward, consuming him. The Fairy Tail mages were a bit farther behind him so they didn't feel the brunt of the wind, but they had to shield their faces from flying debris and were pushed backwards. When the wind cleared, Natsu stood calmly where he had been before, his sword held vertically out in front of him.
"Wha-what the hell did you do!" yelled Erigor in shock.
Natsu smiled coldly, "You know nothing about me you fool, now feel the flames of my wrath!"
Flames began to dance around the dragon slayer, and then erupted into a massive pillar of fire that shot hundreds of feet in the air, the intense heat forcing the Fairy Tail mages to move back for fear of being burned. Erigor's storm mail began to behave erratically, and then began to weaken as Erigor thought 'What is happening! How did he go from beaten to this flaming monster?'
As Erigors storm mail dissipated, Natsu saw his chance. He launched himself into the sky with a burst of flame from his feet and rocketed towards Erigor. As he got close enough he screamed "Sword Edge of the Flame Dragon!" and struck Erigor with his sword. Erigor was engulfed in flames and then his body was flung back and sped towards the ground, creating a crater as he impacted.
Natsu dropped down towards the tracks and touched down lightly. He extinguished the flames that wreathed his sword and said "That's what you get for taking me lightly, you arrogant bastard."
He sensed the Fairy Tail mages run up behind him as he sheathed his katana. They skidded to a stop beside him and Lucy said "Wow, that was the biggest display of power I've ever seen! I thought you had lost for sure!"
"Bah, that was nothing, I hadn't actually seen him fight, so dealing with his storm mail was a bit tricky, I had to use the intense heat from my fire to draw the wind away from his body."
Mirajane said "Still though, that was a powerful attack I'm surprised you got off so lightly."
Natsu laughed and said "It was powerful, but I absorbed most of it with my sword."
All four of the mages looked at him with confused looks until he explained, "My sword has the ability to absorb magical attacks so that when I'm fighting one of those long range bastards like Erigor, I can take their attacks as I rush in to bash their faces."
Erza was astonished by this, "So that's how you were able to beat so many mages at once, if they don't attack you physically you can just absorb their attacks."
Natsu smirked and said "Yep, that's why it's generally never a challenge to fight mages, but it could be a lot of fun fighting you, since you use physical weapons."
He turned suddenly and walked over to the defeated and unconscious Erigor. He looked around and spotted Lullaby where it had fallen out of Erigor's pocket. He grabbed it and then walked back to the group, "I believe this is yours, do whatever the hell you want with it."
Mirajane took the flute from him with a smile and said, "Thank you for helping us protect our guild master."
Natsu laughed and replied to her "I didn't do anything for your guild master, I did it because I wanted to fight that prick Erigor, and now I get to have a fair fight with Titania."
Erza glowered at him and said "Well as noble as your intentions are, we should take this to our guild master, and then I will fight you."
Natsu waved his hand nonchalantly, "Whatever, let's get that over with, I'm ready to be off this damn bridge."
Lucy smiled sweetly at him "Alright then Salamander, back into the four wheeler we go."
Natsu looked at the vehicle and felt that familiar nauseous feeling beginning to stir and then said "Fine, fine, I may be a criminal but you don't have to have fun torturing me. Aren't you the good guys?"
Everyone climbed in, with Erza driving this time, wanting to avoid another incident like falling into Natsu's lap.
The four wheeler sped along the track until a few hours later they arrived in Clover Town. Natsu was the first to push his way out of the vehicle and when he did he fell onto the ground saying "I'm never getting on transportation again, ever."
When he stood up he could see all the Fairy Tail mages were laughing at him and he said darkly "You'd do the exact same thing if you had my motion sickness."
The group began making it's way towards the guild meeting hall. As they walked through the forest they encountered a rather small old man sitting on a rock reading a magazine. The Fairy Tail mages were slightly ahead of him so he couldn't see the smiles that broke out on their faces as they ran up to him, Erza saying "Hello Master! What are you doing out here?"
The old man turned and when he was who was calling for him a blush rose up on his face and he quickly attempted to hide the magazine behind his back. He stuttered out, "E-e-erza, Gray, Lucy, Mira, what are you all doing here?"
While the Master was still caught up in the surprise of the event, Natsu snuck around behind him and snatched the magazine out of his hand. The Master turned around sputtering "Hey, give that back, who the hell are you?"
Natsu jumped back slightly out of his reach and said, "Yo, I'm the Salamander." The Master looked stunned at his announcement and Natsu took his silence as an opportunity to look at the page the Master had been on. He was mildly shocked to see a full photo spread of Mirajane in an extremely revealing bikini. He held out the magazine to show the others and said "Damn guys, your Master is kind of a pervert."
Gray saw the magazine and just laughed but all three girls had a dark aura surrounding them and murder in their eyes as they turned on the master and demanded an explanation.
"erm.. well… you see… I was…" Before he could get any further he was interrupted by a bright purple glow from the flute clutched in Mirajane's fist. She dropped it in surprise and purple smoke began flowing out of its three eyes. A voice emanated from it saying "A bunch of cowardly wizards, every last one of you!"
Everyone looked on in surprise as a gigantic magic circle appeared in the sky above their heads and purple lightning began to shoot out.
"I can't stand it anymore, I'll devour them myself!"
With this statement a powerful form appeared beneath the circle, a demon ten stories tall, with three purple glowing eyes in its head.
"Your pitiful souls, that is!"
