A/N DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. i own the plot though :)

Hi people! i updated early! Anyways this is a REALLY long chapter... well for me it is. Thanks for the people that reviewed for Chapter 3 cause I really appreciate it.

Editor/s: Pecha Pichu

Well... Happy reading :D

Chapter 4- Laflower Town

It was four days later that the train finally arrived at its destination - White Meadow Kingdom.

….

There was a platform in the middle of tall lush forests and greenery. Loud beeps and discerning yells filled that platform as the grand train rolled in with a flourish before halting neatly as a huge bundle of steam followed in its wake. Over the large amount of noise, the speakers were heard loud and clear, cutting through the noise like scissors on paper. As the crowds rushed out, the only people seemingly standing in the way was a pink head, a raven head and a blue cat.

"Thank-you for boarding the F.T Trains. Please watch your steps on your way out and we hope you have a nice day!"

Natsu staggered after Happy out of the vehicle before collapsing onto the floor of the platform. Vomit trails streamed out, leaving lumpy liquids on the platform, which passengers struggled to avoid as they rushed for the exit. Raising his arm half-heartedly in a 'save me' gesture, Natsu peered up unhappily to meet Gray's dark-blue eyes.

"Get up Slanty-eyes. We don't have time." Gray kicked playfully at his rival who was still wriggling helplessly on the ground. "We need to find somewhere to live and some food as soon as possible. Ok? So hurry up."

Food. Natsu's head jerked up at the mention of food, wiping away the drools of vomit that was lingering on his jaw. He then lolled his tongue in a comical manner.

"Food?" In a flash, Natsu sprung to his feet, his motion-sickness seemingly forgotten. He then fingered his own pack before strutting off towards the nearest town. "Let's go! I'm all fired up!"

"Aye!"

Gray smirked before following in his footsteps. Birds chirped. Leaves rustled. It was a comfortable silence. The only things heard on that rocky trail were the grunts and trudging steps of two rivals as they made their way to the nearest town accompanied by the occasional wings-beats from Happy.

….

"Mmmph, I'm so full…" Natsu collapsed onto the nearest bedding, his limbs splayed out in different directions. His pink-haired was tousled whilst a dreamy smile lit up his face.

Taking the other bedding next to a window, Gray smiled lazily at their good luck as he lay on the bed with his chest bared for the world to see, a thin memory trickling through his mind as he ran his fingers through his dark hair.

It was an early evening when they stumbled into Laflower Town, a town famous for its blooming flowers in the Spring and for its vast magic markets (Markets set up just to sell and buy pieces of magic equipment) which are renowned to be the largest in all the kingdoms. All was silent, save for the chirping of crickets while a warm wind blew, rustling the trees. It was when they trudged across an abandoned alley, exhausted and worn-out, something happened. A shrill scream had sliced through the peaceful night like a knife, its voice cracking several octaves, before dying to a low whimper.

After a shocked silence, Gray and Natsu turned to one another while Happy decided to search from the air. Expressions of understanding flashed briefly on their darkened faces as they both nodded once in unison, the moon outlining the seriousness of their faces. At a speedy pace, both mages sprinted into the alley, their once worn-out looks replaced by determination as they ran towards the piecing scream with the agility and grace of twin leopards.

It was an old lady. Her wrinkled skin shone in the dim moonlight while her face contorted into an expression of fear. A masked figure loomed over her, a sharp piece of metal placed threateningly at her throat as he extracted and examined the contents of her bag which lay wide open on the ground. Natsu's eyes widened in recognition at the gesture.

A robbery.

"Hey! Leave that old woman alone!" Natsu's accusation echoed into the night as the masked figure startled and dropped his equipment in shock, watching the fire mage bear down on him without mercy.

Crack. Natsu felt the robber's jaw break on contact as his punch landed. Weak. He was just a normal person, not a mage. Letting out a sigh of relief, Natsu watched carefully, eyeing the body with a scrutinised glare as it scampered away, still clutching its broken jaw until the figure disappeared into the darkness. Facing Gray again, he watched, feeling useless, as Gray applied treatment to the old lady's wounds.

"Th-th-ank-y-you." The elderly woman stuttered, still in shock of what just happened. Staring at their faces, the lady rewarded them with a shaky grin, eyes flittering around as though trying to memorise their features.

"You're welcome!" Natsu grinned at her with his toothy-grin, waiting anxiously for her response.

Gray just shrugged one shoulder before helping her up. "It was nothing." He paused. "What happened to you?"

"I-I was tak-king th-the s-short c-cut like I usually d-did when I w-was a-attacked."

"Aahh…"

Blinking slowly, the woman suddenly seemed doubtful of the newcomers as the shock seemed to wear off. "You two aren't from around here, right? Travellers maybe?"

"Yeah. You see, we just got here and were trying to look for a place to stay for a few days." It was Gray that answered.

The lady nodded her white head of curls in understanding. "Aahh… I see. Well it's late already and you two might as well stay at my cottage tonight. I'm sure my husband won't mind."

"Really?!" Natsu's loud voice interrupted the peacefulness of the conversation, "Then we accept! But there is also one more. You see-"

"Natsu! Did you two forget about me? You're so mean!" A childish voice joined the circle as a flutter of wings signalled the arrival of the Exceed.

"Wai-"

"So this was the other one you were talking about." She observed the blue cat intently before speaking. "Very well. Please follow me." In a calm manner, as if she had not just witnessed a talking cat with blue fur, she picked up her bag and its contents. With a swish of her long skirt as she dusted herself, she then walked with her back straight towards the end of the alley. It was a long walk as they stopped every now and then to avoid abnormally large, dead cockroaches and scampering rodents. When it seemed like an eternal walk, the path finally gave way to a lighter path which ended in a… dead end.

She stopped abruptly, the stray strands of white hair from her bun swayed in a sudden breeze. "Please do not be shocked." She said calmly to her audience before placing her dry hand onto the paved wall where a doorknob would usually be on a door. Settling her hand over its carved surface, she paused slightly before pulling it towards her as if in great effort. A low humming sound gradually filled the air. Slowly, the wall cracked into a door-like shape opening outwardly as her hand held a sort of force over it. It then finally swung outwards, leaving a gaping hole in the wall. She stepped aside, offering her audience to go in before her.

The mages' faces were of almost-complete amazement and a titbit of suspicion as they stepped cautiously into the inky blackness of the hole, treading onto grass before recognising the dark mass in front of them as a small cottage. Eyes still wide with amazement, Natsu turned to the old lady as though expecting a kind of explanation.

She spoke under his gaze, amusement evident as a wide grin graced her wrinkled face. "That was our back door." She said simply. " And this," She gestured at the wide expanse of grass lying at their feet. "This is our garden, while the that is our cottage." She then pointed a bony hand at the cottage.

Immediately after the last word had left her mouth, the veranda brightened, as a light, lit up by a lacrima, turned on, illuminating the beauty of the cottage. It was a small cottage, its roof hanging over the house gave the slight impression of a mushroom. A short chimney sat on top of the scarlet roof as the veranda's railing was composed of beaten silver metal with vines which twirled intricately into the decorative gaps. A dark shadow stirred within as the door slammed open with a loud bang followed by an old man tumbling out the door, his cane in hand.

"Maria! Where have you been? I've been waiting for my dinner! How co-" He cried, a long wispy white beard covering his chin. His head was as bald as though it had been waxed beforehand. He suddenly stopped short after seeing two strangers and a cat standing on his lawn. "Maria…Who are these people?"

Long story short, Natsu, Gray and Happy introduced themselves, then were invited in after being eyed suspiciously by the old man. The old woman's name was Maria Coopelt while her husband's name was James Coopelt. Remarkably, the cottage was a lot larger than it actually looked containing five rooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room and a rather large living room. After eating with the elderly couple, Natsu, Gray and Happy were given one of the spare guest rooms to stay for the night. It was one of the better days of the month.

"Huururugpup…" Gray frowned slightly as Natsu's deafening snores filled the room. How was he going to sleep tonight? He gave a short huff before turning out the lights, his tired eyes closed rapidly by themselves. Stupid Squinty-eyes and his snores. Always so de- his body betrayed his thoughts as Gray lost consciousness before his head hit the soft feather-light clutches of the pillow. Instinctively, he inhaled the scent deeply. It was a mixture of musty cloth and icy scent of mint… like the smell of home.

…..

"MORE FOOD PLEASE!"

Freezing in the middle of his bite, Gray looked up at Natsu in disgust as he watched the blue cat and his friend/rival simultaneously inhaling the food as though it was air. It was morning, and they had discovered a cheap café near the town-edge for breakfast after leaving Maria's house at dawn. It was a small cottage like café made of walls of wooden strips, criss-crossed over to form a lattice structure. Laki's Café, it was called.

Feeling the disgusted gaze of the ice mage, Natsu looked up, a piece of noodle dangling from his wide open mouth to meet the disgusted looks of Gray's with a look of his own. "Wha' ya 'ookin' at?"

Gray swallowed noticeably before answering. "Nothing. So what are you going to do?"

"Mmmm..?"

"We arrived already so we might as well start doing some stuff instead of lazing around. Besides we also need some cash."

"Mmmh. 'unno…'aybe I'll try do comp'ete my promis' 'oday" A blob of chewed meat and saliva landed slickly onto the surface of the table.

"About your promise? How are you gonna find her?"

He swallowed. "Maybe I'll go around town looking at girls … and figure out if they're pretty or not. They have to be between the ages of 15- 25. I'm not marrying anyone older or younger than that." He reached for the next dish, his oily hands leaving a smear on the edge of the plate.

"Wouldn't that be rude? You can't just go around staring at girls you know? You'll be labelled as a pervert."

"Like you are?" He glanced briefly at Gray whose shirt seemed to have disappeared after leaving the cottage, his chest bared for the world to see. Natsu groaned in frustration as he heard yet another girlish giggle erupt from a nearby table as they set eyes on Gray's bare chest. Why oh why couldn't his rival put on more clothes like a normal person? Why…..? Drawn back into reality, Natsu answered. "What other choice do I have?" Stabbing into a chicken, he had gone back to chomping on his food like a wild animal. Food sprayed everywhere.

Gray sighed inwardly, cringing slightly from the mess that Natsu was making. This boy really was dense.

As Gray managed to turn his face away from the disgusting sight, a girl donned in a waitress uniform had arrived daintily at their table. A bright red ribbon held up her long violet tresses in a ponytail that swished as she tilted her head slightly to the side. A small smile lit up her face while her sweet voice was heard over the hustle of the kitchens. "Good evening sirs. Did you ask for more food?"

Gray, Natsu and Happy simultaneously sought for the sound of the high-pitched voice, finally landing their eyes on the purple-haired teenage girl.

Redoing her ponytail, she continued in the same bubbly voice that she first used to address them. "Would you like to choose from the book of meals, or should I read out some of the famous dishes that Laki's Café has to offer?"

Natsu and Gray faced each other with puzzled looks. Book of meals?

"There is the Lemon Rind Pork, a special pork dish made from lemon rinds. Oh! The Tangly-Rusted Soup would also fill your tummies really nicely. For desserts, there is also-"

"I want a fish." Happy interrupted as he munched onto his fifteenth fish.

"'ive me a'oth'r 'icken. Prefably burnt."Natsu commented through a mouthful of food, stabbing his oily fork into a half-eaten chicken.

Gray stared incredulously at his friends as they gobbled up the remaining dishes remaining on the table. After deeming himself full, he sat back and observed while Natsu turned his head to the waitress once again.

Natsu swallowed his mouthful of chicken with a loud gulp before ticking off the foods he wanted with the tips of his fingers. "Get me one full roasted chicken, preferably burnt, another Lime n' Spicy Pork Ribs and-"He stopped abruptly as a sudden look of realization hit him, peering at her as if it was the first time he saw her in a while. "Hey, are you between 15-25 years old?

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I'm guessing you are." Putting down his fork, Natsu stared intently at her, as if trying to memorise each and every feature of her face and body.

A light blush settled on her cheeks as she shifted nervously under his heavy gaze. As she followed the trail of his gaze, a sudden emotion welled up inside of her. The waitress cringed visibly as she felt him eye her assets before feeling a boiling rage simmer inside of her. How dare this young man eye her?

"Hmmm… Nah. You're not pretty enough. Maybe if you b-"

Erupting like a volcano, she held onto her notebook while bringing one hand across his face in a hard slap. The pink- haired mage didn't know what hit him.

"H-hey!" Natsu waved frantically to her, clutching the red mark on his right cheek as she walked furiously back to the kitchens, her notebook in hand and long ponytail swishing angrily behind her. Just as she stepped into the kitchens, they heard three distinct words from her mouth.

"I hate perverts."

A huge look of confusion crossed Natsu's face as he looked to Gray for answers before shifting his puzzled gaze to Happy, who was still munching happily on his fish as though nothing had just happened.

"W-what did I do wrong?"

"I told you. Girls like her would become offended if you do that." Gray said as he sipped his iced water.

"But why?"

"Don't ask me. It's just girl stuff"

"Oh... Oh well. It's probably just her."

"Mmm. Whatever"

"Aye!"

….

It had been a two weeks since then. They had found a small, cheap hotel to stay for the few nights, spending everyday searching through the town for marriage candidates and earning extra money through small jobs.

"Ow…" Natsu sat cross-legged on top of a dull navy bed, its sheets decorated simply with green stripes while he gingerly rubbed the newest handprint on his face, trying to tone down the angry scarlet hue as Happy lay snoring away next to him.

Gray sat opposite him, amusement evident in his eyes as he smirked knowingly. "Can't really say that I haven't told you so."

"Why…? I was just looking at her. What else am I supposed to do?" Natsu whined, touching his red cheek before flinching as it stung.

"As I said before, you can't exactly go around and expect girls to just let you stare at them, Moron. Of course they would retaliate."

"Ah… Oh well. But I think that's about all the girls in town. They're not pretty enough so we'll move onto the next town?" Satisfied with his face colour, Natsu ran his hand through his hair before peering curiously around the room. It was a small, dingy room with two single beds pushed against the wall. The swinging lacrima overhead cast an eerie light over the room causing deep shadows to spring up. Apart from the furniture, the room was bare, covered in mossy wallpaper while a gaping hole led to the small bathroom. The bathroom walls were painted a dull blue while a single crack ran across the ceiling. It contained your everyday bathroom needs but easily the most beautiful object in that room was the mirror which was covered in tiny scratches. In other words: A cheap room for a cheap rent.

"Yeah. But first we need new supplies 'cause we're running low. And we'll need them since we're walking there. So we need to go to the magic market again tomorrow and then we can set out." Gray followed Natsu's gaze, frowning at the swinging lacrima.

"Sure." Natsu shifted his body into a lying position, scratching his head. Minutes later, a snore was heard.

…..

It was a sunny day at the Laflower Magic Markets as people bustled amongst others. There was loud to music to be heard whilst strings of banners flew into the air, and the occasional hooded-figure in the crowd. A mess of clashing voices could be heard as sellers yelled out their wares, each trying to outdo the other. All in all, it was a typical, sunny market day for mages and civilians alike.

Standing goofily in front of a particular magic store was Natsu who stared longingly at the items on display while Gray and Happy went off in search of other items. It was a dragon's talon and scale that caught his attention, resting in velvet boxes behind glass cabinets and glittering in the moving lights. It was said that they possessed great powers and were able to boost the powers of Dragon Slayers seven-fold.

Inching closer still, Natsu's forehead came closer and closer until his breath was close enough to fog up the cool glass, vaguely listening to the seller's persuasive tactics to sell his products. 8,000,000,000 jewels… He could never afford that. Still awestruck by the goods on display, a sudden shout startled him causing him to bump his head ungracefully into the glass wall, leaving a large bump.

"Thief!"

Natsu whipped his head around, still grumbling about his sore head, just in time to see a hooded figure sprint from a magic stall, its hand clasping onto a silver key-like object. As the hood billowed from the wind, the stranger turned abruptly, as if sensing his presence, to face him. Startled, Natsu watched as a strand of blonde hair caught his eye followed by a set of deep hazel eyes. Frozen in its gaze, he couldn't help but gape wordlessly as he watched the retreating back of the hooded stranger until it disappeared around the corner.

The figure was small. Even with the large tattered hood and cloak covering its body, it was still obvious that the stranger was tiny. A child, Natsu decided. Frowning at his conclusion, he thought back to when their eyes met, the stranger's eyes seemingly betraying the person, as the look of hunger etched across its eyes screamed the need of food.

The feeling that ran through his veins was pity. Natsu's eyes widened in realization at the feeling of hunger, thinking back to the large meals he had devoured that morning. He decided. He would chase after this stranger.

All around him was chaos as the shopkeeper tried to chase after the stolen goods. Just as crowds formed, Natsu bolted after the trail of the stranger, determined to catch the thief as he pushed his way through the crowd of civilians and mages alike whom were all wondering about the commotion.

Rushing head first into an alleyway, the sun immediately dimmed. The clean air was replaced with the musty smell of dust while a thick scent of rotting carcasses drifted into his nose. Running blinding through alleyway after alleyway, he decided to give up after the thirtieth turn. He slowed down as he groped his way through the awful stench, determined to find the exit while keeping his hand firmly on top of his sensitive nose. All the while he was hoping that he'll bump miraculously into the thief by chance in a few minutes as he had lost all sense of direction.

But the few minutes turned into a few hours as Natsu slumped onto the filthy pavement after searching through different alleyways for the exit. Sadly, he hadn't found any. What the hell is with this maze of alleyways? Peering up, he realized how long he had been here, stuck in this never-ending circle of alleyways.

Shit. It was probably mid-afternoon, judging from the sun's direction."

I wonder if Happy is searching from the sky for me yet? Natsu wondered as he came across yet another alleyway which bisected the one he was just in. He was about to skip it and keep walking when a blinding glint of metal caught his attention.

It was a piece of cracked mirror hanging lopsidedly off the grubby wall in the middle of the alleyway. Its surface was smudged with bits of debris clinging onto it as if someone had been trying to clean it with a dirty piece of cloth.

What the hell? Flicking his eyes to the space next to it, he was amazed to see articles of ragged clothing, piled up in a dirty mound. Intrigued, Natsu continued his walk to the end of the usually short alleyway, slowly turning the corner as the passage bent at a turn. Just as he caught glimpse of a large rat-nest like area at the end of the turn, he was attacked.

Without warning, he was suddenly forced backwards into the wall as a flurry of arms lashed out at him, a clanking sound accompanying every jerk, tearing his hand away from his numbing nose. He responded instantly in a defence stance, a frown settling on his sweaty forehead as a pink figure flew at him seemingly from within a cloud of swirling dust.

As the dust settled, a young woman was drawn into sight dressed simply in a maid's uniform. Her short pink hair was loose, her fringe hung lightly, framing her small face while the typical maid's head gear sat in her head. Clinking sounds drew attention to the loose shackles that decorated her wrists as she twirled unnecessarily in front of him as if to finish a pose. She then glared at him. With her mouth set in a firm line, her blue eyes glared menacingly at him as if daring him to come any closer.

Natsu, startled that the attacker was a girl, looked around at his surroundings, finally noticing a deep hole (When was that there…?) which lay next to her as she held out her hand in a 'come at me' gesture. Her legs took on the typical defence stance.

"You cannot proceed any further. My princess won't let you." Her voice was at a comfortable pitch while a sort of possessive emphasis was put on the words 'My Princess' in her speech.

Natsu wasn't deterred in the slightest. "Who are you? Why are you stopping me? And who is this princess?" He yelled at her rather childishly, his hand unconsciously balling into lumps of flame as he tried uselessly to peer behind her.

"You'll have to fight me if you want to proceed."

"Fine. If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get!" Natsu launched suddenly at her, drawing back his right hand as he sailed swiftly through the short distance between them. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" He shouted as he forced his burning fist to reach her. But just before he made contact, she was gone. Disappeared as if into thin air. Natsu stopped abruptly, whipping his entire body around as if he was expecting an attack from behind. There was none. Cursing, Natsu observed, scanning the area for any signs of a pink-haired lady in a maid's outfit. Left. Right. Behind. In front. From above. There was none.

Grinning, he pierced together the clues as he sprinted along the side of the alleyway walls. His shoulder occasionally rubbed against the rough and scarred surface of the plastered wall as he rushed toward the bending corner of the alleyway as it bent into another street. His intent being to force her out of hiding. Smirking in triumph, he peered around the corner.

Expecting the attacker to lash out at him the moment his salmon-pink head popped out, he was awfully surprised when there was no one there. Slumping his posture, Natsu decided against waiting and was about to walk to ahead when a sudden painful tackle to his waist took him completely by surprise as he arched backwards painfully before collapsing heavily onto the floor.

"Ooff…" Grunting in pain, his eyes widened as he saw where it came from: next to him… from the grubby wall. With his mouth gaping open, he picked himself up from the filthy ground of dead cockroaches and thin lines of putrid smelling liquids, watching as the maiden twirled gracefully out of the wall as if it was water. Plaster and concrete rubble sprayed out around her like confetti as she straightened her stance and dusted her skirt.

Natsu was stunned. How could a person just… pop out of a wall..?

Watching in alarm as the maiden took another stance, he hurried to dodge as she seemed to teleport in front of him, attacking with only her fists. Standing up, he avoided her dangerous uppercut before receiving a rather painful punch to the jaw whose force pushed him sprawling down the alleyway, increasing the distance between them. Natsu wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth before taking on his usual attacking position. He eyed her combat techniques warily. A mage? Possibly.

The next few minutes were tense, as both sides exchanged and parried the blows of the other as if in a wild dance before separating again, both sides exhausted and panting for breath.

The maiden's pretty hair was tousled and singed in several places while a large bruise restricted the movements of her arm. Scratches decorated her limbs (she was thrown into the wall a few times) while blood seemed to be gushing out of a reopened wound on her leg, painting her skin in scarlet. Nasty burns took up her entire shoulder-back and lower neck like a disease. Her face, strangely enough, was completely free of scratches or blemishes in contrast to the rest of her body. Only a thin cut ruined the beauty of her face, marking its territory on the right side of her mouth.

Natsu wasn't in any better shape however, was noticeably less damaged than the maiden. Bruises covered his left arm (from deflecting her blows) while some parts of his clothing were stained mildly with clotted blood. Dents and small burns littered themselves over his exposed shoulders caused by the maiden's swinging chains as she attacked him.

Watching her sprint towards him again, though sluggishly, Natsu resorted to the last option and clasped his hands together directly in front of his face while a thick stream of fire cascaded onto the pink-haired maiden. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" Panting in exhaustion, he leaned into the wall, watching as the flames licked at the plastered walls while the middle was consumed in a dark inferno. It was only after a few minutes that the enormous fireball disappeared leaving several toasted cockroaches in its wake. Peering curiously, his heart sank at what he saw. A gaping hole lay charred on the ground in front of him, the body of the maiden nowhere to be seen.

Thinking quickly, Natsu prepared himself for another barrel of flying punches as the maiden rushed at him.

Doesn't she ever get tired? Natsu wondered to himself but he knew deep inside that she was putting up a strong front, to hide her actual pain.

He picked up enough energy to dodge her attacks. He was tired and felt as if he wouldn't be able to dodge anymore. Dodging the flurry of fists and legs, he perked up suddenly at what he saw. Just what he needed the most right now. It was small but…

An opening.

Without further ado, Natsu took advantage of that minor opening, drawing his fists back in order to gain momentum before releasing it with a burst of scorching flames. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" He knew that it was probably the last attack she can take before fainting and she probably knew that too.

The pink-haired maiden froze in surprise; her spine tingled in protest as she tried to avoid the on-coming ball of solid fire coming at her as though in slow motion. She realised it was in vain. Bracing herself, she waited…and waited.

It never came.

Natsu was moments away from victory when a sudden bright blue light caught his eye. Still in the middle of his possible victory, he turned his head a fraction to see a glowing piece of rope struggling to dig its way around his exposed ankle as if to pull him back.

And it did.

With an indignant cry, Natsu was pulled from his goal by his ankle; his punch fell short as he fell heavily onto the pavement, face planted onto the floor while the thin rope retracted itself away from his stinging ankle.

"Virgo!" It was a dull high-pitched voice, raspy as though it hadn't been used in a long time.

Natsu shuffled a bit on the ground as an inward confusion took place in his brain. Virgo? Isn't that a star symbol thing? Who the hell names their child Virgo nowadays anyway?

Facing up, Natsu noticed a dark figure for the first time: the figure that had hurdled over to reach the maiden on the other side. A short whip like weapon hung loosely over a single arm as the stranger held the pink-haired maiden in a protective embrace.

As if sensing his gaze, it turned to him, its voice screaming octaves before cracking at the end of its speech. "Stop hurting her!" There were no more sounds after that as her thin voice echoed through the alley.

At this point a harsh wind blew, ruffling Natsu's hair and raising shivers down his spine. The washed out hood of the stranger was blown off in that sudden blast of cold wind as its cloak fluttered angrily.

It wasn't a child, like Natsu had originally thought but a skinny teenage girl with a shock of filthy hair that used to be blond. He cringed slightly as he saw the scattered leaves and debris tangled up in that long mop of dull hair. Patches of dirt and greasy junk seemed to cover her skin causing the thin bony structures of her jaw to be even more prominent. As Natsu stared slightly in disgust, the same set of deep hazel eyes stared into his. The expression of hunger was now replaced by outrage and worry.

Natsu broke the silence with a blunt accusation. "You're that thief… From this morning."

It wasn't a question.

Thanks for reading! This chapter was really rushed. And yeah... i'm making up the names of the towns and stuff cause i didn't want to use Fairy Tail's anymore- feel like i'm copying too much.

Err... to be honest, i actually have no planning and i am just writing with the flow so i hope you don't mind if some things doesn't add up with the last few chapters.

Another thing: This story is going too fast right? I'm asking this because someone told me that this story is going too fast and i kinda need some tips on how to not make the story go too fast. So PLEASE can you post some tips in the reviews so i can make this story better.

If there's any questions, feel free to ask :)

ONE MORE: Could you guys please review and tell me some stuff i need to change or some stuff that i need to improve on. You don't have to cover up whatever you're thinking with nice words and just basically say what's on your mind. I won't get offended. :)

So... PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW -i hope i'm not asking for too much!