Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. All belongs to Hiro Mashima.
Chapter 7: A Warm Welcome
"Well this sure was sudden." Thought Ultear as she looked to the other purple haired beauty in the room beside her, lifting a brow as she saw Kagura's legs and hands looking jittery. Obvious to the adult that Kagura was struggling to hold back the immense excitement that was coarsing through her being from Natsu's declaration. She had never seen her respond to anything in such a way before. Was that what she was hoping for?
Kagura could not determine what was suddenly coming over her upon hearing Natsu say he'd want to be a member of the Martial Arts Club. It felt though it was as if she wanted to hear him say that her whole life, like it was a dream come true. How could she possibly feel such a way? She had just met the pinkette not even a couple hours, but yet.. it's like she waited forever for him to say it. It truly made no sense. She didn't know if it was the love and passion they both share for the martial arts that made her feel so close.. so connected to Natsu, or if it was something different. She thought now that she should not question it, she found another person who understands the beauty of fighting. Yeah, saying it in such a way sounds scary, but to the eyes of a passionate and dedicated martial artist.. It sounds like the most natural thing in the world to say.
"Well? How about it? Don't tell me there's a deadline for applications to be submitted I missed or something!" Natsu spoke frantically at his last sentence as he dashed in front of Kagura and grabbed her shoulders, bringing his face closer to hers to a couple inches apart. "Please! I'm sure I already proved myself that I have what it takes to join!" He spoke fearfully as tears threatened to shed from his eyes as they began to water.
Kagura's face was blushing up a fierce storm as her eyes were wide and her body was stiff from the sudden closing of distance between her and Natsu to where their faces were almost touching, their lips.. so close to becoming one..
Ultear swears she can see steam coming out of purple haired martial artist's ears from her situation. She sees Kagura becoming a stuttering mess as she rapidly stutters the letter 'I'. With the purple haired teen struggling to get another word out for about five seconds. She had to admit that seeing Kagura in a less than composed state, more specifically a state of being shy and speechless, was a refreshing sight to see as Kagura had always been a calm and too serious for her own good individual the whole time she knew her. She had seen tons of dedicated people, but none such as Kagura, not even the other members of the club keep up with her pace. Well, except for Erza. Kagura was always training, pushing herself beyond her limits to better her art, and hardly giving herself the time to ever kick back to enjoy the other aspects of life.. There's such a thing as too much passion.. There is so much more to life than martial arts.
Ultear always worried that Kagura would never come out of that lonely shell, but looking to Natsu. She smiled at the possibility that this strange, positive pinked haired boy might just break that shell she was in to pieces the more he stuck around.
Natsu was only the verge of hyperventilating at the thought of rejection when he saw Kagura acting though as if she was unsure of how to break it to him that he couldn't. His heart pounding anxiously as he swore he was gonna cry. He then felt a hand place itself on his shoulder and his head shot to look to his side to see Ultear letting out a calm sigh with a smile. "Calm down Natsu." The adult giggled to her amusement at the pinkette's frightened self. Finding the two teens current state to be adorable. She shook her head after her giggle as she took her hand off his shoulder once he calmed down enough. "No, there is no deadline for applicants, so you don't have to worry. As long as you know how to fight and one member thinks you'll be able to keep up with the rest of them, or most of them. Then you should be good. After that, you just sign the necessary forms needed for your acceptance and you're in. Just like that." Ultear finished with the snap of her fingers and wink of her left as she explained the process. "And seeing as how you have defeated Kagura, the president of the club, in a rather no hold bars fight, I think it's safe to say that you are in the clear to apply." She smirked to the pinkette, hoping that she had helped compose the two teens with her explanation.
Natsu felt a wave of relief hit him as he let out a sigh and his hands left Kagura's shoulders. Taking a step back, he leaned forward, his hands holding onto his knees as he chuckled anxiously at how silly he must've looked just now, one hand coming up to wipe his eyes of the tears that nearly came pouring out. "Whew, that's good to hear." He then stood back up straight and looked to Kagura with a guilty look on his face and his throat cleared before he spoke up again. "S-Sorry about that, Kagura, kind of let myself fall off the deep end there for a moment." He apologized in embarassment, with the look on her face, he could only determine he had frightened the purple haired beauty with his sudden mental breakdown.
Kagura somewhat regained her composure when Natsu pulled away, just him being in such a close proximity had her stuttering like a girl who could hardly speak to her crush when she had the chance to be close to him and making an utter fool of herself. But it is not as though Natsu had the right to judge about that because of how he was a few seconds ago. "I-It's fine Natsu." She spoke out with embarassment in her own voice, looking down to her side as she cleared her throat when brushing some of her hair behind her ear, some of her blush remaining on her cheeks. She knew he was eager to join, but seeng Natsu so desperate to join? made her joy sky rocket at that knowledge. "J-Just really got me off guard with the reaction."
"A-Again, sorry for that." Natsu apologized for his guilt once more as he scratched the back of his head, he as well looking down and off to the side slightly as he said. "So.." He then took a glance at the purple haired beauty with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "Your decision of me joining?" Natsu cracked a smile towards Kagura, his heart clenching in anticipation to what she might say next.
that decision was made the moment her and Natsu commenced their match earlier, Kagura felt she knew since then. He showed a lot of skill and obviously did not only master the style she used, but mastered taekwondo as well. She had a hunch that there was still more than meets the eye about him. She was hopeful of that, anyway.
Without futher delay, she looked to Natsu as she restored her confidence to say her decision. She smiled kindly at the pink haired fighter as she then stood straight, brought her arms straight down her sides and gave him a bow of respect. "I believe the Martial Arts Club would be lucky to have you, Natsu." She said before raising herself back up and her eyes meeting his. Her heart skipping a beat when their soul windows met once again.
Natsu's face lit up with excitement as his lips curved into a bright smile. With how excited he currently was, he only had one way of expressing it all in one go. With a butterfly kick, after making sure he was a safe distance away from the two lovely ladies so he would not accidentally kick them, of course. "Woohoo!" He shouted cheerfully while in midair of his kick. After landing, he pumped his fists in the air as his head raised, still not finished with expressing himself.
Both the purple haired beauties eyes widened in surprise at how Natsu chose to express his emotions. But both girls gave a smile to his actions. Kagura's heart only beated faster when noticing his emotions in his eyes, his bright, cute toothy grin and his splendid butterfly kick. Her mind was subconsciously hoping that he was feeling the way he did because they both would be much more closer from this point on. Ultear, recalling her earlier thoughts, it was a guarantee that from now on, things around the Martial Arts Club were going to change around them, all thanks to a boy dawning pink hair with the love for fighting. It's about damn time something new and exciting began to happen.
"Alright, let's get down to my office and we'll get through finishing the last half of the application process." Ultear advised as she walked over to a wooden bench to pick up her purple satchel bag and put the strap over her shoulder before making her way to the exit of the room. "Come along." With that, the three made their way out of the dojo after Natsu hastily got on his tank top.
In Ultear's office, 15 minutes later.
"Now, finally, sign this last form here." Ultear instructed as she put a signature form for Natsu to sign in front of him on the other side of her desk. Tapping the line for his signature.
Natsu looked at the paper with curiousity as he thought he had signed everything he needed to join the club, Kagura sitting in a chair beside him to his right. "What's this one?" He asked as he lifted a brow curiously at the purple haired nurse, wanting the short version of this form as he did not want to be bothered to read the long written sheet of paper.
Ultear giggled at the look he was giving her as she shrugged and she began to explain. "Well basically, signing this form is you agreeing to the terms and conditions that if you are ever injured during anything that happens to be related to the Martial Arts Club. Such as during training or during tournaments. You have no right to sue the school or any of the club members as you joined of your own free will after being made well aware of the risks being in the club can have. So, knowing that. You gonna back out?" Ultear asked as she looked at Natsu with narrowed eyes and slight smirk on her lip, knowing very much what his answer will be already.
Kagura looked worried at Natsu as she saw him still looking to the form with his hair shadowing his eyes, remaining silent after Ultear explained. "Is he having second thoughts?.." She frowned at the possibility of him suddenly changing his mind about joining.
Natsu scoffed after a few seconds of his silent treatment, a confident grin came on his lips as he took the blue ball point pen in his right hand and began to write down his signature and the date right after instantly. "Hell no, I'm not." He said with energetic certainty as he placed the pen on the desk and handed the form back to the club advisor when looking back up at her.
Kagura felt a wave of relief at that as the aching in her heart was replaced with a comforting warmth. "Thank goodness.." She thought out of her relief.
Ultear chuckled softly as she took the form and turned to her computer, her hand guiding her mouse and clicking on a few things before typing rapidly for a few seconds before pressing the enter button. "And the members roster has been updated." Ultear spoke with glee before she turned to Natsu and smiled gently to the pinkette. "And with that, we are finished. Welcome to Fiore Academy's Martial Arts Club, Natsu Dragneel." She formally declared as she nodded her head with a soft smile on her lips.
Natsu's eyes lit up once more as he was tempted to perform another butterfly kick, but he feared he might cause an accident within the nurse's office, and he would not risk troubling Ultear because of his inability to control his emotions. "Alright!" Instead he pumped a fist in the air and grinned as he spoke with enthusiasm in his voice.
The girls both softly giggled at the boy for a moment, both purple haired beauties feeling glad that he was now apart of their little group. Like a new member had just joined their lovely family of fighters.
Natsu than began to wonder as his hand lowered and his head tilted slightly as if he was curious about something. "By the way, is it just me, Kagura and Erza in the club? Or are there others as well?"
Ultear shook her head as she closed her eyes before opening them again to the pinkette. "Nope, normally for a club to remain active and not get shut down here, there has to be at least four members to join before a certain amount of time has passed. Thankfully, the Martial Arts Club already had six members from the start. Would you like to see the roster?" She asked as she prepared to turn the monitor to face Natsu as she looked at him, awaiting his reply.
Natsu quickly nodded as he smiled. "Yes, please!" He spoke, clearly looking forward to seeing who the other names of the people are that he will be training and fighting with for the days to come after today.
"Alright, here you go." Ultear then turned the monitor to Natsu and he began to look at the list of club members on the screen. Seeing his name at the bottom first before looking up from there. "Natsu Dragneel.. Mirajane Strauss.. Cana Alberona.. Millianna Nekojin.. Juvia Lockser.. Erza Scarlet and Kagura Mikazuchi.." Natsu spoke the names in his head, burying them into his memory. Already having Erza's and Kagura's stuck in it. The four other names that were listed were not people he was associated with. But.. one of them sounded somewhat familiar. 'Juvia..' He repeated that one person's name in his head, his eyes narrowing curiously as that name was bugging at the back of his brain. He could swear he had heard that name before, or knew someone with it. But he could not remember who it was, or when he met the person, no matter how hard he tried.
He looked at the list again after pushing those concerns to the back of his mind for now and analyzed the names more, he came upon a sudden realization about them as it showed when his eyes slowly widened and his face went a bright red. "Wait a minute.."
Ultear smirked as she saw the face he made, knowing well enough what the realization could be. "You see it now, don't you, Natsu?" She chuckled internally as she saw the shade of red on the pinkette's face go darker.
"I'm.. the only boy.."
And done! Well I hope this is another chapter you all enjoyed! c: I've officially decided on what fighting styles I'll have Natsu master, there are seven of them.
Natsu's fighting styles:
- Karate
- Taekwondo
- Muay Thai
- Pencak Silat
- Shaolin Kung Fu
- Jeet Kune Do
- Wing Chun
Knowing me, I feel as though I'll eventually add another one in there at some point. XD So don't be surprised if it does happen. and thank you to the one who suggested Jeet Kune Do! I can't believe I forgot to mention one of the kings himself, Bruce Lee. lol My apologies. Thank you to those who have suggested some of the choices for him!
Natsu's Harem:
- Kagura ( Karate )
- Erza ( Muay Thai )
- Juvia ( Taichi )
- Cana ( Drunken Monkey Kung Fu )
- Millianna ( Leopard Kung Fu )
- Mirajane ( Wing Chun )
- Ultear ( None )
You may have noticed the last name with Millianna near the end of the chapter. Well she apparently doesn't have a last name in the canon, or at least not one I could find, and I never noticed it until now! XD So I just put the japanese translation for 'Cat Person' or 'Catgirl' in whichever form of the japanese language it is in, as her last name. I don't know, I decided not to stress about it too much. So I just went with that name. Alrighty, that's all I have to say for now!
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Until next chapter, deuces!
