Author's Note: Hello! I apologize for the one-day hiatus, but I was celebrating Thanksgiving with my family. That being said...
It's now Black Friday (which I hate), but more importantly it is officially time for Christmas! (Which I love!)
I am very excited for the holiday season, and I am also excited to announce that I plan on releasing a 12-part Fairy Tail Christmas special story starting on December 13th (conveniently the day after my classes end) This means the 12 days will run right to Christmas eve, so I won't have to post anything on the actual 25th of December (because I will probably not be on the computer that day, lol.) So keep an eye out for that! Now...back to this story!
Natsu vs. Ivan. Showtime.
Also, I do not own Fairy Tail.
Chapter Six - A Rising Star
Natsu and Ivan took their places in the empty streets of Acalypha. The whole town cleared out and waited on the fringes of the buildings and porches as the two men sat in wait.
The other members of Raven Tail stopped and laughed as they stood behind their leader, and Bisca and Alzack stayed standing right in front of the door way of the bank.
Bisca spoke up first. "Man, I hope the idiot knows what he's doing."
Alzack then let out a smirk. "Ah, he's Gildarts's boy. He'll be fine."
The whole crowd waited in anticipation as the two gunslingers stood in dead silence.
Ivan was the first to break it. "I hope you're ready, you little brat!"
Natsu smiled. "Don't worry about me; I'm all fired up."
They continued to stare blankly at each other before Natsu progressed first.
Then Natsu smirked as he made his move, and quickly grabbed his pistol while smiling as he pulled the trigger.
"BAM! I GOT…"
He stopped as he heard another dry-fire noise coming from his gun, and as it happened he gasped. "MAN, WHAT THE HELL!?"
Bisca and Alzack both collectively shouted with anger. "HE NEVER GOT ANY AMMO!"
Ivan nearly fell over while laughing. "AHhahahaha! This little punk shows up for a gun fight and can't even bring his bullets! AHahahahaha!"
He then grinned as he drew his gun and clicked back the lever. "Say your prayers, kid."
Natsu looked on with anger before he stopped to smile, and clicked is barrel over one notch. "Oh wait, wrong chamber."
*BANG*
Natsu let off the fastest shot he had ever released and sent it right into the gun hand of Ivan Dreyor.
"AGHHH!" The Raven Tail leader let out a painful yell as he dropped his gun and held his now bloody mess of a hand while falling to the ground in defeat.
"YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!" He then snapped at his Raven cronies to join in, but not before Bisca let off a warning shot right before they all stepped forward.
"Just stay put guys, we don't want you goin' nowhere."
Alzack then pulled out his pistols and stood right behind the other Ravens. "Now, let's go to the Acalypha Sheriff's Office and have us a little chat…"
Later, after a quick meeting with both the press and sheriff's offices Natsu, Bisca and Alzack all road back to Magnolia together on three horses as they left Acalypha.
As they road Alzack let out a large laugh.
"I can't believe you shot the wrong chamber, Natsu!" He slapped his knee as Bisca joined in with a giggle of her own.
Natsu frowned and turned away. "Yea well, it wasn't my fault you guys were too cheap to wait until after the bank trip to buy me more ammo."
Bisca waved it off. "Ah don't worry about it. The local papers won't even mention it after they go on about that little "hero" stunt you just pulled."
Alzack then continued to laugh. "Yea, I imagine Magnolia will have a little party for you after your second save in a row. You may even make a big name for yourself."
Natsu smiled and shook his hands. "Nah, I'm just some rail worker who knows how to shoot."
Bisca then laughed too. "I don't know, with that kinda record under your belt you may be able to bring in all the fame, especially with the ladies…"
Alzack then grinned at that comment. "Oh yea, there's no doubt you have a girl on your mind back in Magnolia."
Natsu scowled and fell behind in the ride. "Eh, I wouldn't say that…"
Bisca giggled. "Ah, he's lying. Well whoever the lucky lady is she'll be head over heels after she hears about this."
Nasu then sighed as he looked off into the distance and noticed an empty rail road track heading west. "Ha, yea whatever…"
After a day had passed it turns out that Bisca and Alzack were right. The Town of Magnolia had heard about Natsu's heroic bravery in Acalypha, and they all decided to hold a little banquet ball in his honor.
The Town Hall was roaring and everyone cheered the name of "Salamander" as they all danced and drank the night away.
Natsu sat at a table with Gray and Gajeel as they both laughed and patted him on the back.
Gray spoke first. "Wow, it looks like we have a hero in our group, now. Maybe you can go to the rail office and get use all new wages!"
Gajeel rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Yea, whatever. Salamander just want's a little glamor for himself, is all."
Natsu waved it off. "Ah, shut up guys. Bisca and Alzack were just tryin' to teach me how to shoot, and we just happened to be in Acalypha during the robbery."
He then went to take a drink, but realized it cup was once again empty. "Ugh, I'll be right back."
Natsu stood up and left for the bar, but as he did he was greeted by both the Mayor and Sheriff of Magnolia.
He then laughed after having a few drinks. "Oh, so now the big guy's wanna say congrats?"
Laxus rolled his eyes as his grandfather Makarov continued. "Natsu, we heard the gang you faced in Acalyha was Raven Tail."
Natsu thought about that for a moment. "Yea? So what?"
Laxus spat out an answer before his grandfather could reply. "So what? Their leader used to be this town's Sheriff, you idiot."
Laxus never forgave his father for what he did. After trying to fix the local bank to favor his wallet, the people of Magnolia decided it was time for a new Sheriff, and Laxus seemed to be there guy.
Despite this, the son of the Raven Tail leader still felt uneasy when it came time to perform his Sheriff Duties. He didn't really have a steady grasp on the whole "protection" thing, and didn't like how Natsu stole the show the other day.
Natsu then rolled his eyes and walked away. "Ah, that doesn't matter now! He's locked up in Acalypha!" He then walked off with a care free expression as Laxus looked down at his grandfather.
"Tsk, I hope you know what you're doing gramps. You're rail road workers seem to be stepping out of bounds."
Natsu ignored their follow up and stumbled over to the make shift bar at the back of the room, and right then he noticed they were really busy.
"Ugh, hey Mira can't I get a little help, here?" He laughed as he showed her a drunken toothy grin.
Mira giggled. "Natsu! Just go back in the back and help yourself! All the kegs are tapped in the storage room."
Natsu nodded with a cocky grin and walked around the bar. "Well alright then!"
He then busted through the doors and came across 12 whole wooden barrels full of a variety of different choices of alcoholic beverages.
He scratched his head in wonder. "Geeze, we may not have a lot gold or anything, but this town sure is rich when it comes to booze…"
Natsu then began to pace back and forth between the barrels as he made his decision, and just as he found a nice red ale sitting at the back corner, the door to the tap room opened up.
"Natsu!"
He jumped up and noticed Mira's younger sister Lisanna had just come through with a great big smile on her face.
Despite being younger than Mira she was actually the same age as Natsu, 17; and she had become very close to the rail worker over his seven year tenure in Magnolia.
He smiled and jumped up with enthusiasm. "Oh, hey Lisanna! I was wondering where you went off to!"
Lisanna giggled and showed a little blush. "Awe, well aren't you sweet. Listen, I never got to tell you congrats on your big rescue in Acalypha! That whole story sounded really scary!"
Natsu laughed aloud and waved his hand. "Ah, it was nothing; those losers didn't know what was coming to 'em."
Lisanna then smiled again and leaned up against one of the barrels. "Oh, quit being modest, Natsu."
She went to continue but noticed an odd marking through the sleeve of his right shirt. "Hey, what's that on your arm? I didn't know you had tattoos?"
Natsu looked puzzled, but then grabbed his right arm and remembered his old brand mark from when he was a kid. "Oh, this?"
He then unraveled his muffler from his neck and unbuttoned his shirt and rolled down the right side to show her the burned piece of skin on his upper right arm. "I uh, had a bad run in with some nasties as a kid…don't worry they didn't do anything else to me. Hehe."
Although Lisanna assumed she knew everything about Natsu, it seems that she had never noticed his old brand marking before. The white haired beauty first looked horrified at the thought of a little Natsu being roughed up by bandits, but quickly blushed as she then noticed her close friend was now shirtless.
"Oh, well that's good…say, you're friends with Gray and Gajeel right?"
"Yea sure, you can call those guys friends." Natsu finished putting his shirt and scarf back on and took a sip from his ale, and as he did the pink haired fool tried to gain focus in his blurry vision.
Lisanna smiled as she continued. "Just wondering. I always see them with Levy and Juvia, but you don't really seem bothered to be with them…"
Natsu then became slightly uncomfortable. "What's you point…?"
Lisanna then stepped up and grabbed both of his hands. "Natsu, you're a good looking guy! I just figured you might get a little lonely once in a while…"
Natsu was now very confused with the whole situation, and Lisanna's beauty didn't help him out of it. She had large blue eyes that looked like the night's sky, and her female figure was highlighted in her beautiful blue gown with white laces all over.
He also knew her since he was ten years old, and he'd be lying if he never once thought about her. That being said he was now 17, and he had other interests and other people on his mind…
Natsu then gulped and continued. "Lisanna, I don't know…" He stopped as the white haired girl leaned in to give him a closer hug, but he back away in an awkward state of confusion.
"Natsu…?" Lisanna was now confused with him.
Natsu stood there and paused as he set his glass down. "Look, it's not you…I just have something else goin' on up here…" He frowned as he gestured towards his head.
Lisanna would have been offended, but she knew him better than most people. She then leaned back and smiled with a sly grin. "Oh Natsu, you like someone else don't you…?"
Natsu immediately turned away. "Agh, that's not it at all!"
Lisanna giggled. "Come on, who is it!? I mean I work at the saloon so I'm bound to know them if they live in town…"
He paused and could answer, and right then she caught the hint.
"Not in town...wait a minute...NATSU!" Lisanna jumped over and gave him a big hug, which really made him angry.
"Gyah! I shoulda never went looking for more booze!" He sighed as Lisanna continued to tease him.
"Awe, why didn't you just say so!? I thought I saw you talking to her at that party. I never knew you had a thing for fancy rich girls?" She gave him another wink as he moaned with embarrassment.
Before he could defend his thoughts, Lisanna leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You're so adorable, Natsu!" She turned to leave but gave him one last word for thought.
"You should know that she'll be back in town any day now. Her father is on his way home from the tour, and their train comes right through town."
As Lisanna left, Natsu stood there with pure rage.
"Man, can't everyone just leave me alone…?"
Whoa, long chapter. Let's recap.
1.) Natsu saves the day again! Whooo
2.) So I love Natsu's whole story, but I also really like how I was able to create this little mini-story arc for Laxus's character as well. Tell me what you think as his story get's released.
3.) Okay, I imagine all the true NaLu fans probably had a mini-heart attack with the cheeky NaLi scene...but it was funny! Speaking of which...
4.) NaLu...Na-Lu...Na-stu...Lu-cy...LUCY! Lisanna said Lucy's coming back to town! I hope she'll be okay with Natsu's "rough" new lifestyle.
Chapter 7 tomorrow!