Hello everyone and welcome back to Chapter 2 of Slayer's Flames!

And to start off, can I just thank you all real quick? This story has got so much success in only a week and it just makes me so happy to know that I can entertain you guys to any extent so thank you all for that. Anyway, now onto the story and reviewer part. It'll be a while before Natsu get's back and in that time no 'harem stuffs' will happen until he gets back so it gives us a lil' bit to sort out whose there and who isn't. Now... I ain't very good at doing larger harems (to my utter disappointment) so I don't really know if I should limit the harem to a more comfortable number like between 7 and 9 cause those are just the numbers that I like and I am used to dealing with without it being just there for the shits and giggles, not really playing into the plot. But I dunno, maybe I'll make it a larger harem, who knows? Not me... kind of me.

Now to clear a few things up with reviewers.

TreeOfSakuras: I know that she is 100 and am sorry that I didn't say that but she was cursed, at least it says so in the wiki that I double checked before writing that. It says numerous things on the wiki about this such as 'Zeref claims that Mavis is cursed just like him' and 'This caused the effecrs of the curse to grow far more potent in the light of love even able to take away the immortal life it granted' or 'figuring out she was under the Ankseram's curse.' Stuff like that. However, if I missed something and she isn't then hey, its an AU, we can just alter some stuff... Right?

A few people talked about Lucy... One person was... very vocal. In all honesty, I don't really like Lucy all that much and prefer pretty much every other female character cause I feel like she is just shoe-horned into every single arc or main story sequence just because she is the main character as well as main eye candy; its really stupid. But, if people do want it, I will do it cause I don't hate her, just dislike her more then some others. However... don't think I'd agree with some of the stuff that one person said... Um... we'll just continue then... Alright?

Also, if I do a pole it should be up in the next few chapters so put in your votes or whatnot for who should be on there. Like I said, I do have a list of people that I would put on there and I'll put that in next chapter cause... we'll I haven't thought of 9 right now... only like 6.

But now! Onto chapter 2! Enjoy.

Natsu's feet felt like they weighed 10 tons.

As he walked, as he fled his scarred and injured home, scarred and injured friends and family, he could feel his willpower leave him with every step.

Could he really do this? Just abandon everyone in the face of adversity? Could he sprint out into the world which he knew nothing of, seeking power that he didn't even know if it existed? Twisting his head, the pinkette gazed out at Magnolia from the hill he was situated on, the last slivers of the city were to be erased from his eyes if he took even a few steps forward. The lights flowed freely like water, the colours blending together under a midnight sky and twisting spirals of stars that hid the terrors and the fears of the world from the sleeping populous.

And then his eyes caught the Guild Hall.

It was battered. It was broken. It was home. So many fights, so many jobs, so many THINGS happened there that his brain couldn't even work to remember them all but he knew it was there; Hell, it was practically flowing through his veins and bound to his DNA at this point. Like its members, the wooden building of status and magic held many scars and injuries obtained from those that inhabited it but it would always be home…

Always.

Glancing down at the rocky, grass covered earth he started thinking back to his talk with Makarov.

"Then we will all think of this like a job."

"The description; go out and become the strongest mage in the whole damn Guild." Natsu murmured, watching a group of ant's scuttle about on the floor as they weaved in and out of the blades of green that littered the world for miles upon miles.

"The conditions; do not return to the Guild until then."

"The reward; the ability to protect your loved ones for all eternity." With a deep breath, Natsu brushed aside any tears that may have even threatened to fall while he reminisced. "And a Fairy Tail wizard never leaves a job uncompleted."

Conviction and pride spread through his words like a virus that infected his whole body, forcing his feet into a slow jog as he descended down the hill with newly found energy flowing through him.

"I will find a way that protect you all."

Slowly, the jog turned into a run, fire lapping at his heels as he picked up speed which threw the flames all over the grass, scorching the blades black with darkness and fire.

"I will find that power that I seek."

A run morphed into a sprint, testing his muscles and bending them to his minds will as an inferno followed his as he just ran and ran and ran and ran.

"I WILL NOT LET ANYTHING LIKE TENROU HAPPEN TO ANY OF YOU EVER AGAIN!"

A cry of angry, rage, conviction, fury, ambition, pride and faith rang out through the darkened air, flames spreading to sky in a blinding gallery of colours in the shape of the Fairy Tail symbol as Natsu just kept sprinting, passing the Magnolia sign as he scorched the side with fire.

"I will return… I will never abandon you."

Sunlight sank deep into the floor around the slumbering Guild Mates.

As the light danced and slithered around the darkness that was slowly being consumed, the sleeping forms of those in the hospital slowly began to rise with bellowing moans of annoyance or yawns of comfort in this closed off room of white. One by one, each member rose almost mechanically but with their own organic element mixed in until everyone in the room was awake and alive.

"That was a nice rest, wasn't it?" The quite stern voice of beauty Erza Scarlet rang out throughout the environment, drawing all attention onto her. Many of the surrounding members gave her nods or noises of agreement but…

There was something wrong.

Something missing.

No one could tell what, but that presence of emptiness was there and cackling at them for not realising what it had let disappear. However, they all just tried to ignore it, get on with their day like they had done for the past week after the Battle at Tenrou. After all, it was all they could do.

"So, did any of you have some nice dreams?" Fairy Tail's resident barmaid spoke up, Mirajane's bright blue flowing iris' washing over the other members like a flood.

"Kind of… it got a bit weird at the end though…" This time, the light voice emerged from the body of one Lucy Heartfillia, the woman held a quizzical look all over her face.

"Oh? Do tell." The white haired barmaid leaned forward as she tried to pry information out of the mage.

"W-Well, it involved a person."

Still, nobody found the missing piece of the puzzle, the missing cog in their gears but they just pushed forward.

"Really? Just a person? Was it a boy, perhaps?"

"Mira, just cut out your matchmaking schemes for at least the morning, if you don't mind." Another white haired maiden spoke up; the shorter haired Lisanna took up her stance as she stood up from the bed with a satisfying *pop* of her bones.

"Ah… why do you always ruin my fun." With the pout of a child, the older mage buried her head into the duvet as the rest chuckled.

And still, no one noticed.

And no one would for some time.

For hours, the Guild members just talked and chatted while dealing with everything from rent to equipment checks that they could do while in care that didn't require them to do jobs or put up a lot of strenuous effort. Laughter and sarcasm filled the halls these days, but there was one person who was not laughing as loud as he used to.

Makarov sat isolated, flipping through the old pages of a dusty and tattered book. Eventually, everyone took notice.

"Hey Master, what you got there?" Kinana called out, prancing over after handing out lunch.

"Hm? Oh, it's you Kinana. This is an old book that I have kept over the years." The old man told the purple haired teen, turning the book to face her eyes as she stared at the contents.

Displayed on the page was the image of a small boy with bright pink hair and an even wider smile standing by a river. He was wearing a dark crimson shirt with long sleeves and some shorts.

"Natsu…" Kinana said, examining the picture closer. As she examined the page closer, she began to notice that the whole page was filled with pictures of the boy.

"I've had this book from the beginning; when I first became the 3rd Guild Master." Makarov began, drawing the purple haired girl's attention. "I keep a few images of every member of the Guild. Their first days." The old man spoke softly, pointing to a picture of a beat up Natsu and Gray arguing. "To their first jobs." Then to a picture of Natsu with a small bag of money, still smiling. "And generally, just their times at Fairy Tail." He finally gestured to the rest of the images which showed Natsu just growing up.

"Wow that's really- "Before she could finish, Kinana looked up to see the Master holding back tears as he looked at the paper with a smile. "Master! What's wrong?"

Instead of giving her an answer, Makarov got up and walked over to the edge of the bed, wincing with every step. Amidst the noisy hospital room, the Titan's voice still rang out clear.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make." While quiet, his sudden voice held power and wisdom that needed to be listened to. So, every head twisted and every eye met his.

"What's up, Master?" Gray asked, echoed by several others.

"I will try and make this short, and concise." The old man said, looking down to hide his eyes which were brimming with tears. A deep breath left his throat.

"Natsu is gone."

Everyone and everything froze.

"W-What do you mean?" Lisanna asked, her bright blue eyes wide as she stepped forward.

"He has left the Guild on a job…" Makarov's face lifted up to see his children and what they saw were tears freely falling. "The description? To become the strongest mage in the Guild." With bated breath, he waked as those around him started to succumb to the same emotions that he was feeling.

"The conditions? Do not return to the Guild until you do so." And then the tears begun to fall from everyone as the quiet sobs from the Guild started to escape into the morbid air of the hospital, corrupting the once happy atmosphere into one of sadness.

"The reward? To be able to protect his loved ones for all time." Makarov broke down at the last bit, dropping his head into the duvet. The collapse around him was like domino's falling.

First, the ones who didn't interact with him but still liked and talked to him like Laxus and his Thunder Tribe simply looked down at the floor with solemn looks; they understood what he wanted to do perfectly as they had sought that kind of power themselves. Second, his friends, his allies, his brawling buddies all took a step backwards as they tried to judge the situation and explain why he did this. Their answer was simple; it was Natsu. Finally, the girls whose hearts the Dragon Slayer had unwillingly captivated all felt their forms and minds shatter at the information. Natsu… was gone. Just like that, gone over night. No goodbyes, no note, no nothing. Just an old man to relay his disappearance back to them.

"W-W-Wait, N-Natsu's gone?" Happy stuttered out in-between his growing tears. Lisanna slowly picked her 'son' up and snuggled the sad Exceed into her bust as she cried softly into his soft head.

"Y-Yes my boy. He is gone."

And then they all realised what the room, what the city, what FIORE was missing; the smile of Natsu Dragneel.

Sleep invaded the sides of Natsu's eyes as he just trudged on.

The fire inside his body fuelled him but that was running low, forcing his legs and muscles into a relapsing state of moving and completely shutting down. A yawn ripped itself from his throat as he tried to figure out where the fuck he was.

All the boy had on him was his signature outfit and a rucksack full of items from his home and some food… THAT WAS IT!

However, he had been wandering around the past few minutes… and hours… maybe days. All he knows is that the sky became very dark for prolonged periods of time while he wandered North so he could only really guess that night had come and gone many times before he felt the tiredness currently attacking him.

As the crisp, nightly air flowed he began to think. Think about his friends, his family, his home, his life, his decision to leave. It had been roughly about 2 weeks since he left and for all that time he had been travelling or sleeping or fighting a monster or a beats or something but now, in the silent air of the forest his mind began to wander.

He was just trying to avoid thinking of them; not out of disgust or hatred though, but out of love. The pinkette knew that if he thought about any of them for a prolonged period of time, his heart would break and his shell would shatter and he would go screaming back to them in order to spend his whole days with them.

But no.

He wouldn't, couldn't, do that. In order to protect them from the ever growing evil that had grown large enough to encompass the Earth 3 times over, he needed to leave them. They were all just distractions; happy distractions, beautiful distractions, loving distractions but distractions all the same.

Deafening thoughts suddenly reached his mind, relaying messages that he once thought lost back to him. It was Igneel, and he was talking about… Dragon Mating rituals. As Natsu's tired body battled through the sleep and the soft feeling of the earth, he began to think back to those days as well.

That day, Igneel had told him that they would be talking about mates. Of course, young Natsu had no clue what he was talking about so the massive red lizard had to explain the concept of love to him. But even then, the young child didn't know the distinction between family love and romantic love so the dragon, who hadn't had much experience mind you, had to talk about that too.

So, after many years of ignoring everything and just focusing on fighting, the time before Lisanna left just let him relax and think about things properly; think about this feeling that he was feeling around certain people; Lisanna, Mira, Erza. Around them he felt… different. Granted, he was properly fearing for his own life around the latter two but Lisanna made him feel warm and fuzzy when he was around her but he didn't dislike it. And as the years went on, that list only grew with Natsu's age.

Running the tips of his fingers against the rough brown bark of the trees, Natsu once again felt sleep try to claim him. However, it was his willpower that played puppeteer to his body as it sluggishly moved it along. With a long breath, Natsu shook his head as he felt something fall onto it as the crunching beneath his feet grew louder.

With baited breath, he turned down to see the white snow, frozen aqua stuck solid under his feet and falling onto his body like rain. How the Hell did he not notice this sooner? He was in the North, exactly where Gramps told him to train! With a smirk, his energy regenerated and he began to run out into the forest, going deeper and deeper until the darkness consumed him and left nothing but the feeling of wet surround him.

He laughed… he really shouldn't have been.

Soon enough, he breached the other side, bursting out like a missile and sprawling out onto the free land of a field which was coated in layers and layers of snow. As he giggled happily he looked all around him at the pure white snow, completely casing everything it touched in its embrace.

'Snow white…'

With gritted teeth, Natsu pushed himself up and used his remaining power to light himself a flame with his hand as he pressed on into the frozen wastes. After a while of walking, Natsu began to feel his fire fading. Growling, Natsu doubled his efforts but stopped when he saw an approaching blizzard.

Stopping dead in his tracks, the young mage just continued to stare longingly at the snow storm as it whipped and shifted the world around it, dancing like an exotic performer. Planting his exposed toes into the snow, Natsu just let the cold wash over him as he slapped his face to get some feeling back into it.

Taking the whole situation into account made Natsu think again…

"Geez, too many times in one day and I might break something." Natsu's voice spoke softly in the deafening icy skies.

He started thinking about why he was out here, what he was doing out here and how he was going to do it. And all of it lay after this damn head of snow and that stupid fucking snow cloud. Smirking, he readied himself to run, crushing his knuckles together until they made a satisfying crack before taking off into a sprint towards the torrent of cold fire and white clouds.

Cutting through the snow, Natsu just kept going and going, not stopping, not relenting. After all, he was a Fairy Tail mage who had a Job to complete.

And a Fairy Tail mage never abandons a job.

And done! Sorry that it's a bit shorter I was... I was... Okay, the new Destiny expansion came out and its really good okay!? Don't judge me... Anyway, hope you enjoyed and next chapter Natsu will be getting the first look at his new God Slaying abilities with a 1 year time skip and maybe we'll see him try and divulge into his demonic heritage or at least dip his foot into the water-The demonic water. So this is how it will be going for the next 4 or 5 chapters; time skips of each year to show his power increase or how he gains his new abilities before going back to Fairy Tail so that should be fun. But thanks for reading and see ya next time!

-Jack