** I don't own Fairy Tail... or the characters.
Alright, so with this chapter done, I should really devote some time to my other story before people stop reading it. Anyway, much will be revealed here.
Enjoy, and R&R as always**
As they were leaving the guild to go their separate ways, Natsu suddenly acted on impulse. He grabbed Brandish and kissed her, quickly but passionately, on the lips.
"Where did that come from so suddenly?" Brandish asked as he broke away. She looked surprised and confused, but (thank Mavis) not angry.
"It was stupid…" Natsu said. "I hoped maybe if I kissed you, I would remember."
"Baka." She slapped him playfully on the back of the head. "That stuff only works in fantasies."
Still, it feels right. Even if I don't remember, I somehow know her… "Alright, see you tomorrow, Brandish."
"Yep. See you tomorrow Natsu!"
"Natsu!" He looked up to see Happy flying toward him from town.
"Happy! How was your date with Carla?"
"It was great!" Happy said. "Carla wants to do it again tomorrow!"
"Ok…" Natsu said. "Well, I'm leaving tomorrow on a long journey with Lucy and Brandish. But if you want to stay behind, that's ok."
"Oh…" Happy looked sad. "I don't want to stay behind. I want to go with you Natsu! But I want to be with Carla too…"
"Hmm…" Suddenly Natsu grinned. "Well go ask Wendy if she can come!"
"Really?" Happy grinned.
"Why not?" Natsu replied.
Happy took off in the direction of Wendy and Carla's apartment.
~~~Brandish~~~
She was there when Natsu arrived, about 5 minutes before the appointed time. Right behind him came a short, blue-haired mage who looked to be about 14, and the two flying cats. Happy and Carla, if she remembered right.
"Hi Natsu," she greeted him, not bothering to say a word to the others.
"Hello Brandish." He said. Then he stepped aside so she could see Wendy. "This is Wendy. You haven't officially met her yet, but she's coming with us on our trip."
"Hello Brandish." Wendy said, blushing.
Brandish swept her up and down with her eyes. She was too young to be a romantic rival, but it was certain that she felt something for the dragon slayer.
"What's your relationship with Natsu?" She asked bluntly.
Wendy blushed furiously. "I… He's like an older brother to me," she said after a few moments. "I really love and respect him." Then she blushed again and waved her hands in front of her wildly. "Not in a romantic way, though."
Brandish couldn't help smiling a little at the younger dragon slayer. Who returned the smile shyly.
"Alright!" Lucy came in. "Time to get going."
She then noticed Wendy and Carla. "Oh, Wendy. What are you doing here?"
"Umm… Natsu… well, specifically Happy… asked us to come along. I hope that's alright…"
"Of course it's alright, Wendy." Lucy smiled at the girl. "I'm happy to have you and Natsu along. And Happy and Carla too, of course."
"Oh… Thank you," Wendy said, though she looked over at Brandish.
Brandish just smiled at her. The bluenette had obviously caught the exclusion of her name from the list that Lucy was happy to have along. But it didn't really bother her. She could honestly care less what Lucy thought about her presence.
"So, where should we go first?" Lucy said, pulling a large folder out of her pack. "I've brought maps of all the charted areas of Fiore to start."
"Hm…" They started poring over the maps, but nothing really stuck out to Brandish right away. "You can rule out the areas around the major cities," Lucy said with a smile. "I've had our friends from other guilds keeping an eye out for me."
Brandish pulled a large, thin book of maps from the folder. "So you don't even have a strategy to find this key?"
Lucy glared. "It could be anywhere. A strategy doesn't do much good when you can't even narrow down the area."
Brandish shrugged, opening the booklet of maps. Suddenly a folded up map fell out of the book. Brandish picked it up and unfolded it, looking over the map.
"I think we need to go here," she said, pointing to a small town by the name of Vivicus. The town was in the northwestern area of Fiore.
Natsu was the first to look, and he nodded his head in agreement. "I think so too." He said.
Lucy laughed. "Wow, and here I thought you were supposed to be smart."
"What do you mean?" Brandish asked. The comment was obviously addressed to her, since Lucy clearly didn't think of Natsu as smart.
"This map is over 5 years old," Lucy said. "I was using it as a bookmark because it's obsolete. That town doesn't even exist anymore." She pulled out another map, showing them the blank spot. "It's been abandoned for 2 years."
"We still need to go there," Brandish said.
"You are so… infuriating!" Lucy growled. "Can't you just admit you were wrong?"
Before Brandish could answer, Natsu cut in. "No," he said. "She's right. We need to go there. I don't know why, but I can feel it's the right place to go."
"Does she have you under some mind control spell?!" Lucy practically yelled. "You don't have to agree with every hair-brained idea she has!"
"I'm not agreeing with her because she said it." Natsu said. "Whether you believe it or not, I just know that this town has some importance for our journey."
"Help me out here Wendy," Lucy said. "Tell them there's no point in going to an abandoned village."
Wendy turned red. "I… I'm sorry Lucy…" she stuttered. "But… If it's important to Natsu-san, it's important to me too."
"I don't believe this… Carla, talk some sense into the girl."
The white cat shrugged and said, "I don't see what's wrong with going there, if that's what everyone wants."
"Great," Lucy said. "I get to start this important quest by going to some stupid abandoned village. Is there any other pointless place you think we should visit on the way?"
Brandish just looked at her. "After we visit Vivicus, we can search wherever you want."
Lucy gave a sigh of resignation. "I'm going to hold you to that."
~~~Lucy~~~
Lucy growled as they trudged through the overrun forest path, 2 days after making the decision. It had been a long journey. First a train ride that lasted the better part of a day. Then a coach, a stay in a small inn that barely had anything worthy of being called rooms. Then a day's trek through the forest. She could finally see the first run down building through the trees.
A few minutes later they were in the abandoned town. Small, wooden huts lined the road, with a couple of stone buildings. Everything was covered in vines and weeds. The only thing that sort of stood out was a large stone temple on the far side of the village.
"Well, here we are," she said, mustering all the sarcasm she could into her voice. "Vivicus. The thriving town that everyone's just dying to visit."
It was as if Natsu and Brandish hadn't even heard her. They were staring at the old stone temple at the end of the road. Wordlessly, the two broke into a run, headed for the building.
"Hey!" Lucy ran after them, closely followed by Wendy, Carla, and Happy." Where are you going?!"
When they got to the church they stopped suddenly, and Lucy very nearly ran into them. She scowled. "What's the big idea?"
Natsu and Brandish still seemed to be ignoring her. They looked at each other, then, simultaneously, they walked up to the old building and pushed on the doors. They creaked open slowly.
"Is it even safe to go in there?!" Lucy yelled. But she still followed the pair as they went inside. They seemed to know exactly where they were going, opening a hidden trap-door and going down a staircase into a large vault under the temple. Lucy gasped when she got far enough down to see into the room.
In the center of the room was a large sphere that almost looked like liquid, with red and green lights swirling together. As the two approached the sphere, a voice came, seemingly from the sphere.
"Let what was taken now be restored."
Immediately the light from the sphere seemed to shoot into the two mages, who were immobilized in an upward position. Lucy heard Wendy gasp behind her, and herself gaped as she watched the two enveloped in the swirling light.
"What's going on?" she asked aloud. She tried to approach to find out, but there seemed to be an invisible barrier blocking her.
~~~FLASHBACK START~~~
~~~Brandish~~~
"Great… I just had to volunteer for this scouting mission to Fiore. It'll be easy! What could happen? Sure, Brandish." A 16 year old mage walked through the woods, her hands bound with anti-magic handcuffs.
Ahead of her, the leader of the small group guffawed. "They're gonna' love this one. Got a great ass on 'er, and the boobs are already well developed. Better warn 'em to keep the handcuffs on 'er though. She's got a fair amount of magic power."
"How long till we rendezvous with the others?" Another said.
"We should reach the rendezvous point in another 20 minutes, if we keep walking."
"Maybe we could have a little fun with her before then," suggested another.
"Nobody touches her." The leader growled. "Our clients pay good money for virgin slaves. If she gets defiled before she gets to them, we lose our money, and whoever's responsible loses his life."
"Aaww… She could still suck us off, right?" Said another, his hands going to his pants as he turned toward her with a lewd expression.
Whatever the leader was going to say was interrupted.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!" A large cone of fire burst through their ranks, taking out most of the escort group. Only two remained.
"Who's there?" One of Brandish's captors grabbed her arms, holding her in front of him. The other squared off in the direction of the blast.
A pink-haired teenager emerged from the trees. He looked to be about the same age as Brandish, with a well muscled chest that was partially revealed by his black vest. His hands were wrapped in fire, and he had a fierce expression on his face.
"Heh – it's just a kid!" Her captor quickly tied her to a tree, moving up to face the teenager with the leader. "You're messing with the wrong people, kid. Now turn around and go home to your mama before you get hurt."
But the teenager just looked at them, fire in his eyes. "You people are despicable." He ground out each word. "Making a living by selling your fellow human beings… How can you even call yourself humans?"
"Alright, you just lost your chance to run peaceably. I'm gonna' make you pay for that!"
"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Blade!"
When the finishing attack was over, pink-haired teen looked over the two opponents, who were both knocked out on the ground.
"Well, that was easy," he said as he came over to release Brandish.
"Thanks… What's your name?" Brandish asked, shyly.
"Natsu. I'm a wizard with Fairy Tail!" Natsu offered a toothy grin. "What's your name?"
"I'm Brandish." She said. "Nice to meet you, Natsu."
~~~Natsu, about 3 months later (still in flashback)~~~
"Mmm… I don't ever want to get up." Natsu said.
What had started as a simple rescue had quickly evolved into something much more. The dragon slayer was now laying on a blanket in a makeshift shelter, just on the outskirts of a village. Brandish was snuggled against him with her head on his chest.
She smiled, flipping up to straddle him and leaning down to kiss his lips. "But we have to eventually… We've been out here for 3 months. People will be missing us at home."
"Oh yeah," Natsu said. "There is that."
Still straddling him, she kissed him again, beginning to take off her pants.
Natsu kissed her back, but he reached down and grabbed her arms.
"Natsu…. I want this…" she said, still straddling him.
"I do to. But not like this." Natsu said. He sat up, looking deep into her eyes. "Come back to Fairy Tail with me Brandish. I know they would love you there…"
She looked away. "I already told you I can't do that yet Natsu. There's something I have to take care of first."
Natsu frowned, running his hand gently through her hair. "I understand how you feel… but don't you think you've pursued your grudge long enough?"
Brandish looked down. "I can't let it go, Natsu… But I want to do this before we separate." She reached for his pants, but he pulled her hand away.
"Not like this." He said again, resting his hand against her cheek. "If we really love each other, we'll find each other again someday… If we do, I'll do whatever you want then."
"And when we do, I'll come to Fairy Tail with you," the green-haired mage smiled, nuzzling her cheek into his hand.
After a couple more minutes, the two of them got up. They walked slowly into the village and stopped outside a large, stone temple.
"Do we really have to do this?..." Natsu asked, as they looked at the door.
Brandish looked at him. "I don't want to do it anymore than you do, Natsu. But I'll never have the heart to carry out my mission otherwise… "
Natsu looked at Brandish, feeling like his heart was breaking for her. He wanted so badly to convince her to give up her mission. To come back with him to Fairy Tail. He knew she could be happy there with him and his guild.
But gramps always said you had to let people make their own choices. Even if their choices hurt. But dear Mavis, did it have to hurt so much? Mustering all his strength, and took hold of her hand.
"Let's get it over with then…" And the two walked into the temple, hand in hand.
~~~Brandish~~~
It broke her heart to see the one she loved so torn up, but she couldn't just abandon her mission. She needed to find the daughter of that evil woman Layla and make her suffer for what Layla had done to her mother. But after only 3 months with Natsu, she knew she wouldn't have the resolve to carry out her vengeance when the day arrived. That was why they had to do this.
"So you really are going through with it?" Vivia, the high priestess of the temple in Vivicus, asked them.
Brandish looked at Natsu before they both looked to the priestess. "Yes." They said in unison.
"You won't remember me telling you this afterward, but you should know that this spell is very difficult to reverse. Neither one of you will remember this ritual until you return to this temple together. And you won't return to this temple unless the name of this city is recalled to your mind first, when you're both together. Do you understand this?"
"Yes," they said again in unison.
"Then let us start…" She led them down through a secret trapdoor, into a large, vaulted room under the temple. Once there, she began drawing a magic circle.
"In accordance with the desire of your hearts, I grant you your wish… Brandish and Natsu, step forward."
They did as they were instructed.
"According to the wishes of these two, their love will be forgotten in part. One will carry the memories in her head, the other only in his heart. What one's mind remembers, the other's forgets. What one heart holds onto, the other releases."
She handed each of them one of the sacred blades of the temple. "Now, you must seal the spell."
Looking at each other, each took the knife, pushing it deep into their forearms, and drawing a line down the middle. Then they put their forearms together and held them over the magic circle, allowing their mingled blood to drip down.
"What is offered up here cannot be regained, unless both stand again in this very place." The priestess intoned. Then there was a blinding flash of light, and then unconsciousness.
~~~END FLASHBACK~~~
When the light faded, the two mages collapsed into each others' arms, spent. Brandish started crying into Natsu's chest.
"Forgive me, Natsu… All this time I've been so hard on you for not remembering me… and it's my fault…"
"We both made this decision," Natsu whispered, and she felt his hot tears on her head. "But our hearts found each other again… You can't blame yourself."
"But in the end, my mission was all a big misunderstanding…" She wept, feeling absolutely miserable. "I could've gone with you back then… it would've saved us so much pain…"
"I don't regret a minute of it, since it was for you…" Natsu kissed the top of her head. "We're together now, Brandish. We'll always be together now. What's in the past is done with… we must look toward the future."
"Look toward the future…" She tilted her head up to look into his eyes, searching them. She didn't see any judgment. She didn't see any anger or hurt. Just a deep, profound love and a hint of sadness.
"I don't want you to cry, Brandish," he told her, brushing a strand of tear-stained hair from her face. "I don't ever want to make you cry again…"
"It's not your fault baka," she said as she buried her face in his chest again, clinging tightly to him.
~~~Lucy~~~
Lucy seethed as she watched the pair, knowing there had to be something wrong. That bitch must be controlling Natsu, somehow.
She was surprised to hear Wendy sobbing beside her.
"So you loved him too, eh Wendy?" she said. "Don't worry… I'm sure whatever spell the bitch has him under, Natsu will come out of it eventually."
Wendy shook her head violently. "It's not like that at all." She said. "I don't know why… I think it's because of Grandeeney's sky magic. But… That sphere contained some of Natsu-san's memories, and I was able to see them…"
"His memories?" Lucy gaped, remembering the frequent references Brandish had made to Natsu remembering her.
"I'm just so happy for them, Lucy!" The bluenette smiled through her tears. "After all this time, they've found each other again."
Lucy's heart wasn't ready to admit defeat. Surely the last 2 and a half years that she'd been building her own relationship with the dragon slayer counted for something. Surely she had more sex appeal that that blubbering bimbo in the middle of the room…
~~~Wendy~~~
She couldn't stop crying… even though three months had flashed in her mind – through Natsu's eyes – in only an hour, the memories were packed with intense emotion. There was so much joy. So much love. So much sadness and heartbreak.
She could only imagine what Natsu was feeling now as she watched him, remaining a rock for his woman. On the outside he hadn't changed a bit.
"Natsu, I'm not going to forgive you for making Wendy cry!" Carla yelled.
Natsu didn't seem to hear. Wendy held up her hand before Carla could say anything more. "Carla, don't… Natsu didn't make me cry."
Carla looked at Wendy. "What happened between them?"
Wendy flushed, her tears slowly abating. "I can't tell you that Carla… It was something I wasn't supposed to see. I'm sure Natsu will tell us what he thinks we need to know in his time."
~~~Natsu~~~
Even though he knew why he couldn't remember her now, he was still mad at himself for forgetting Brandish. Even though she put a brave face on it, he could see that it hurt her when she came back and he couldn't remember anything.
But right now there was only one thing that was important, and that was that they were together again. And whole again. It finally made sense to him why, over the last 4 years, he couldn't give his heart to any of his guild mates, even though he was so close to so many of them. Even though his mind couldn't remember, his heart always knew where it belonged. He could find some comfort in that thought, at least.
He could feel the sobs of the other mage slowly receding against his soaked chest. He tilted her face up again so that he could see her.
"You've never looked more beautiful," he whispered to her as he leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss. "I love you, Brandish…"
"And I love you, Natsu Dragneel…" The green-haired mage replied.
