Chapter 4
Team Natsu was walking though the Forrest of death.
"So what's the mission anyways?" Gray asked Erza. Erza passed Gray the Lacrima which showed the mission sheet.
"Children go missing in these forest. The people who go looking for these children end up dying and there bodies can never be found. Apparently all the kids who live near the Forrest are drawn to the Forrest of death. The reward is over 600,000 jewels" Gray said
"Gray. Your clothes" Juvia said while blushing. She handed Gray his pair of shirt and shorts.
"Thanks" Gray said while blushing.
"Stripper" Natsu whispered under he's breathe.
"What did you say?" Gray yelled. Natsu didn't want to et hit by Erza so he stuck his tongue out at Gray.
"So we have to save these children? How do we even find them?" Lucy asked
"We'll camp here for now. The people are bound to find us" Erza said sternly. Erza summoned everyone's equipment. Natsu made a camp fire for the group with his fire. The group camped near a except Lucy and Natsu fell asleep in their sleeping bags. Gray in his sleep, unintentionally wrapped his arms around Juvia. Happy was being hugged by Wendy and Wendy was sleeping near Erza. Natsu and Lucy sat near the river, they were both looking up into the stars. Lucy grabbed the scarf that Natsu made her and wrapped it around herself. She felt instantly warm.
"Lucy?" Natsu asked softly.
"What's up Natsu?" Lucy asked
"Is the scarf alright? I didn't know what else to get you. If you don't like it I can get you something else" Natsu said nervously.
"Natsu. I love it. It's the best gift that anyone has ever given to me" Lucy said truthfully. Natsu blushed and smiled at her.
"Natsu...I have a question" Lucy said
"What's up?" Natsu asked
"Why did the necklace glow when you put it on me?" Lucy asked
"It runs on battery" Natsu said
"I already asked Levy about that and she said it doesn't run on battery, but she said she couldn't identify the what it really ran on. She also said she'd never seen a power source like that before. Where'd you get it from?" Lucy asked. Natsu blushed slightly.
"It's used to belong to someone very important to me" Natsu said
"Used to be?" Lucy asked
"She's dead. But that's not important. I made a promise to myself that I'll give it to someone that means everything to me" Natsu said. Natsu's instantly realised what he said. Lucy was furiously blushing at this point. Even though she was curious on who the mysterious girl was, but she can't believe that Natsu admitted that she was everything to him.
"What does it run off?" Lucy asked
"It runs off some power source. It glows when the person feels the same way as you do...we're best friends" Natsu said quickly while blushing. Lucy leaned in Natsu's shoulders smiled.
"Thank you Natsu. You mean everything to me too" Lucy said. She fell asleep on Natsu's shoulders. Natsu smiled down at Lucy who was sleeping peacefully on he's shoulders.
Flashback
Natsu who was now 14 years old stood on a hill with a beautiful girl who had long Aqua hair and blue eyes. Natsu and the beautiful girl stood on the hill facing each other. Natsu was hugging the girl from behind. The girl was wearing a blue necklace which glowed brightly.
"Don't go..." Natsu cried silently.
"I don't have a choice" she said softly. Tears were falling slowly.
"You have a choice. You can stay with me and Igneel" Natsu said
"No...I can't. I have a duty and I intend on keeping it" she said softly
"Meika...you'll die" Natsu said angrily.
"I'm not going to die" the girl said, who was now revealed to be Meika
"Your physical form may not but your soul will die the minute he lays eyes on you" Natsu said
"Natsu...he killed my family...i have to at least try to kill him" Meika whispered
"Am I not good enough for you?" Natsu asked while touching Meika's face tenderly.
"I'm sorry Natsu" Meika said. She took off the necklace that Natsu gave to her, Natsu had made it for the girl he loved. The necklace stopped glowing. Natsu gripped the necklace softly.
"Natsu...make me a promise" Meika said softly.
"Anything" Natsu whispered.
"Kill me if I ever turn evil" Meika said
"You can't ask me to do that" Natsu yelled.
"Natsu please...If I don't come back in a year from now...then move on. Find someone who'll treat you better" Meika said. She touched Natsu's face softly. Natsu dropped the necklace on the wet grass and he quickly grabbed her hand.
"I...love you" he said to her. Meika smiled at Natsu.
"I love you too, Natsu Dragneel" Meika said. She grabbed Natsu wrist and forced Natsu to let go of her softly. He let go of her and allowed her to walk away. Tears silently fell down Natsu's face. Natsu crouched down to the wet grass and gabbed the necklace that didn't flow anymore.
"Goodbye...Meika" Natsu said softly
Flashback End
Natsu slowly woke up from his dream. He woke up to see Lucy gone. He began to panic and he began frantically looking for Lucy
"Hey, Natsu. Looking for something?" Lucy asked Natsu. Natsu looked at Lucy with relief.
"What wrong Natsu? Have you been crying?" Lucy asked in concern. Natsu noticed the tear that was falling down he's face. He quickly wiped his tears away.
"I'm starving" Natsu shouted. He went over to the camp. The fire had been extinguished. He grabbed a piece of fish from Happy's bag.
"Give me back my fish" Happy yelled at Natsu.
"You got over a dozen fish in that bag" Natsu yelled back
"Happy share your fish. Natsu will get you another one" Erza said in a motherly voice but her voice was firm.
"Hmph" Happy said stubbornly. Happy helped the rest of the team pack up for the journey while Natsu ate the fish. Erza used her magic to store there luggage.
"Hurry up or else you'll be left behind" Erza yelled at Natsu who was chocking on a fish. Suddenly the team stopped walking as they heard a horrible screeching sound. Natsu finally swallowed he food.
"Do you smell that?" Natsu asked
"Yeh...I don't know what it is though" Wendy said softly.
Suddenly 5 children appeared in front of the team.
"We're here to help you" Erza said
"Help? We do not need help. We are free" the children said simultaneously.
"Free? Free from what?" Juvia asked
"Free from everything and everyone" the children chanted.
"It looks like the children are being possessed" Wendy said to her team. That caught Natsu's attention.
"What are your names?" Gray asked
"Names? We do not wish to have names" the children said
"Wish to have names? You were all born with names" Juvia said
"That was in the past" the children spoke with no emotion
"Who kidnapped you?" Erza asked
"Kidnapped? We were not kidnapped" the children said
"It seems to be that they were brainwashed" Erza said
"Not brainwashed" Natsu said. "Possessed"
"How can you be sure?" Wendy asked
"They remember their pasts. If I were to brain wash someone. I would eliminate all their pasts memories" Lucy said for Natsu
"Okay how do we save them?" Juvia asked
"They can't be saved" Erza said firmly with a hint of sadness
