Hey everyone. I've got a nice little surprise for you this chapter. I know that a lot of you wanted Marie to end up with Natsu so I decided that instead of that, I'll show you how they first met! And by decided I really mean that I just kinda wrote it on the fly. Anyway, you finally get to see (read about) her! I figured a nice little chapter about meeting her would be fun. Anyway, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Though the shock of Natsu being a father had spread throughout the guild, the wizards were back to their usual selves after only an hour. Erza, Lucy, and Gray all listened to Natsu tell his story of how he met Marie.
"I went on a solo job just over a year ago…"
Natsu strolled into a small village. Happy would usually accompany him on his missions, but today Happy was too busy trying to get Carla's attention. He was tired and hungry from a long walk from Magnolia. Before he left, Lucy had recommended that he take the train, but he ran out of the guild before she could really influence any decision.
As soon as the scent of food reached his nose, he ran to its source, bursting into a tavern that was filled with people. He ran to the counter and demanded whatever it was that smelled so good from an old man who couldn't help but laugh at his excitedness.
He called into the kitchen. "Marie, get me another pork roast!"
A voice responded from the kitchen. "Coming right up, father!"
The old man turned back to Natsu with a smile. "Shouldn't be more than a minute. So, what are you here for, stranger?" He asked.
"I'm here about a job. I'm a wizard from Fairy Tail. You guys called about some type of vulcan problem or something, right?"
"Oh you're from Fairy Tail?!" The old man exclaimed. "In that case, your meal's on the house. Anyway, that's right. The town put out a bounty on some vulcans that have been causing us problems. Stealing cattle, breaking buildings and such things. Think you can help?"
Natsu gave the bartender his signature grin. "You bet I can! I've handled a few vulcans in my time. I'll get them out of here before you even know it." He assured.
"I'm happy to hear it." Suddenly, a beautiful woman with long brown hair came from the kitchen holding a sizable pork roast and set it in front of Natsu. The barkeeper smiled and put his arm around the woman's shoulder. "I'm Samuel, and this is my daughter, Marie. She's our cook. Thank God for that. If she didn't know how to cook so well, we'd be out of business. She'd make a good wife." The old man said, raising his eyebrows with suggestion
The woman blushed and removed her father's hand. "Father, you're embarrassing me!"
Natsu smiled. "My name's Natsu. It's nice to meet you." He took a bite of the pork roast. His mouth exploded with flavor. "WOW!" He yelled, startling several people. "This stuff is amazing! You're an even better cook than Mira back home!"
Samuel smiled. "You don't by chance mean that cute little white haired girl in your guild do you? The really sexy one?"
The last comment earned him a smack from his daughter. "Father!"
Natsu nodded his head. "The one and only! Seriously, you'd make Mira jealous with how awesome this food is!"
A blush found Marie's cheeks. "T-thank you." She said sheepishly. "So you're from Fairy Tail, right? I hope you weren't lying when you said that you've fought them."
"How'd you-"
"I heard you while I was making the pork roast."
"Oh. Well, I have fought vulcans before. One even took hold of my friend Macao's body."
"Really? What happened to him?" She asked with enthusiasm.
"Well, I fought the vulcan for a bit and in the end he turned back into Macao. Then we went home."
Marie had a disappointed look on her face. "Oh. That's all?" She asked.
"For the most part yeah. I mean, we fought for a while and the vulcan threw me off a mountain, but yeah that's it."
"He threw you off a mountain?!" She blurted out.
Natsu lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "Yeah, why?"
"How'd you survive?"
"My friend, Happy grabbed me while I was falling and flew me back up to where the vulcan was."
"He flew you?" Marie asked, confused.
"Yeah. Happy is my best friend. I raised him since he hatched from his egg."
"Oh, so he's a bird?"
Natsu got a confused look on his face. "No, he's a cat."
"But cats don't hatch from eggs…"
"Well Happy did."
Marie stuttered, trying to find something to say, but found nothing. She gave up and returned to the kitchen. Her father smiled at Natsu. "I think she likes you." he said slyly.
Natsu ignored the old man's words though, choosing to eat the pork roast instead. After he finished he asked where the vulcans were coming from and what time they usually attacked. Samuel explained that the vulcans usually attacked the village from the south just before sundown.
Natsu looked outside to see the sun was nearing the horizon. The vulcans would attack soon. He made his way to the south side of the village, near the edge of a forest and awaited the attack. Many of the villagers waited along with Natsu, eager to see a Fairy Tail mage in action. When the sky began burning orange, a large quake shook the ground, its source coming from the forest. More quakes followed as the source got closer to the village. Out from the trees burst a sea of monkey-like beings, halting at the border of the village. Curiously enough, the quakes continued until a vulcan as large as Makarov's giant spell.
Natsu walked up to the giant vulcan and pointed a single finger at it. "Listen up you overgrown flea magnet!" The villagers mouths dropped at Natsu's insult and his calm demeanor. "If you don't leave this place alone, I'm gonna be forced to do something I reaaaaallllllly want to do." Some of the villagers fainted this time. He wants to fight the monster.
The giant vulcan looked confused for a moment, but suddenly began laughing. "You think you can beat me?" Surprisingly enough, the vulcan spoke fairly well.
Natsu crossed his arms and put on a conceited smirk. "I don't think anything. I know I can beat you." The remaining villagers turned white in fear. Natsu was gonna get them killed.
"If you beat me, we'll leave. If I beat you, we'll eat you." The vulcan said.
Natsu cracked his knuckles and looked at the vulcan. "Let's do this then!" Natsu's body was surrounded in fire before he leapt into the air, filtering his power into his fist. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu's flaming hand struck the vulcan's face, forcing a tooth to fly out of its mouth and land in the forest.
The vulcan grabbed Natsu from the air in his giant hands. "Haha! Got you now!"
From inside his closed hand he could hear a muffled noise. "Fr drgns rr"
The vulcan opened his hand. "What was that?"
"I said... FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Flames burst from Natsu's mouth, hitting the vulcan and sending him to the ground, causing a large storm of dust to form as his body finally landed.
The smaller vulcans in the village looked at the forest with a dumbstruck suddenly broke out into a sprint, retreating back into the trees. They knew the outcome of this fight. The villagers were still pale as snow, not because of fear anymore, but rather out of shock. Suddenly, Natsu could be seen walking away from the forest with a smug look on his face. Almost as if it were planned ahead of time, the villagers all cheered in unison, running towards Natsu and lifting him above them. They all headed for the tavern, bursting through the doors and nearly giving Samuel a heart attack.
The tavern was soon bursting with sounds of merriment and music. Natsu sat at the same spot he did when he first entered the tavern. Samuel sat there happily, cleaning out a mug with a small cloth. "So Natsu," He began. "How do you like our village?"
"It's a nice place. Why do you ask?"
"Well you saved us. I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. It feels better paying someone who helped us because they like it here. I know that's not why you helped us, but it's still easier to pretend that's the only reason."
"Well in all fairness, I still would have helped if you didn't pay me."
"Really? That's mighty kind of you."
Samuel went off to tend to another customer and Natsu turned around in his chair, looking through the tavern. He saw Marie looking at all the people dancing in the middle of the tavern with glee. He walked over to her and offered his hand. "Care to dance?"
Marie was taken back for a moment, but still took Natsu's hand. He led her onto the dance floor and began swinging in toon with the fast paced music. Natsu found himself captivated by Marie's smile and she found herself interested in Natsu cheery expression. As the music slowed down Natsu pulled Marie in a little closer. A small blush had appeared on her face which Natsu thought was adorable. Natsu slowly closed the distance between their lips, kissing her softly. She deepened the kiss before pulling away, smiling. "Follow me."
Marie took Natsu's hand and escorted him to the second storey of the tavern, leading him into a bedroom. Her bedroom. She closed the door and the two resumed what they had started. They spent the night together, sharing an experience that neither would ever forget.
The sun rose the next morning, shining its light on Natsu's face, causing him to wake up. He looked over to the woman who slept next to him, clinging to his chest. Her naked frame covered by the bedsheets. He smiled, but his smile wouldn't last long. The door to their room opened to reveal Samuel. "Marie, are you still sleeping. It's nearly- GOOD GOD!" He exclaimed.
Marie woke up to the sound of her father's shocked tone. "Father?! Why are you in my room?"
Samuel pointed his finger angrily at Natsu. "A better question is why is he in bed with you!"
Natsu panicked and quickly grabbed his pillow to cover himself before jumping out of bed and grabbing his clothes and the backpack he came into town with. "Sorry sir!" He yelled before bursting through the window and flying off towards the forest. He could hear both Marie and Samuel calling out to him. One of them telling him to come back so they could kick Natsu's ass and the other calling for him with sadness due to his departure.
Natsu landed somewhere in the forest and put his clothes back on. He was torn at what he should do. Going back wouldn't be the best idea, but he had to at the very least tell Marie goodbye, but her Samuel wouldn't let him get within ten feet of Marie without trying to fight him first. He grabbed his backpack and pulled out some paper and a pencil, hastily writing down a note for Marie. He got back into town and jumped onto the Tavern's roof, navigating his way to Marie's room and jumping in through the window. The room was empty much to his dismay. He grabbed the pillow that he had taken with him and set it down in the center of the bed, along with the note.
He didn't waste anymore time and jumped out of the window once more, heading back for Magnolia.
It was late at night when Marie finally came back into her room. She found the note on top of the pillow in the center of her bed and read it. "Dear Marie, I'm sorry that I bailed like that. I'd talk to you in person, but I'm pretty sure your dad wants to skin me alive right now. I really wish that we could spend more time together, but I need to get back to Magnolia. If you need anything, find me there. Love, Natsu."
A tear escaped Marie's eye, but she couldn't help but smile. Natsu was a sweet boy. She hoped that she'd be able to see him again one day.
"...And that's what happened." Natsu finished.
Lucy clasped her hands together and smiled dreamily. "That is so romantic. You saved her village, but her father wouldn't permit your love."
"I admit, it's more romantic than I imagined." Said Gray.
Erza kept her hand on her chin, deep in thought. Natsu noticed and spoke up. "Something wrong, Erza?"
"I was just wondering, why is it that Samuel seemed to be setting the two of you up, but got mad when you found out you two had… relations."
"Probably cause he wasn't expecting us to go so far so fast, you know?" Natsu said, scratching the back of his head.
Suddenly, the guild sensed a great magic power nearing them. They all stopped and turned to the doors where it seemed it was approaching. Without warning, the doors flew off their hinges, slamming down with enough force to crush the wooden boards beneath them.
The wizards took up defensive stances. Natsu gave Blake to Lucy, telling her to keep him safe. As the dust settled, a tall man with dark blue hair and a tattered black cloak was revealed. Blue marking encircled his arms and surrounded his face. What looked to be dragon teeth dangled from his neck. His expression was completely void of all emotion.
Gildarts was the first to speak. "Who are you?!" He said, keeping his calm tone intact.
The stranger ignored him. "Where is the child of the Fire Dragon King's son?" He asked. The voice was deep and powerful. The malice and evil was palpable in every word he uttered.
Natsu's anger took over and he stepped forward. "What the hell do you want with my son?" Sparks began falling from Natsu's clenched fists.
The black robed man spoke once more. "That is none of your concern. Give me your offspring now, and I will spare you… for now."
Natsu was quick to take action but not as quick as Gildarts. The crash mage ran towards the stranger at such high speed that most of the wizards hadn't yet perceived it until it was revealed that the stranger had caught Gildarts' fist. Everyone looked on in shock. No one in the guild was able to do that, even Makarov.
Gildarts' eyes grew wide. "Y-you…" Gildarts' voice was full of both fear and shock. "It can't be! How are you like this?!" His words confused the wizards around him.
The stranger glanced into Gildarts' eyes. "Begone." Without warning, Gildarts was thrown through a wooden pillar as well as a stone wall. Everyone had turned white with fear. What was this man?
Natsu, however, wasted no time at all, attacking the mysterious mage with his signature attack. "FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"
Flames surrounded the mage, but he remained unphased by the inferno. For a moment, the wizards assumed that the mage was defeated until Natsu's flames suddenly began shrinking more and more until it was revealed that the mage was consuming them. "Another dragon slayer?" Natsu asked himself.
When the fire was gone, the mage took in a deep breath before releasing a maelstrom of pure blue energy from his mouth, blasting Natsu and several other mages across the guild. Lucy hid behind the bar with Blake in her arms. The man followed the sounds of a crying child. Lucy was paralyzed by fear. She held Blake close to her chest, but she knew that this wizards, this monster would take him from her.
The cloaked man stopped when he felt something around his foot. He looked down to reveal Natsu who was clutching tightly to his ankle. "Who… are you?" Natsu managed to say between bouts of pain.
The man didn't respond and kicked Natsu's hand from his being, continuing to approach Lucy. The mage dwarfed Lucy in both size and power. Every fiber of her being wanted to fight him, but she knew she'd die otherwise. He simply grabbed the crying infant from her arms and moved towards the guild's exit. As he passed Natsu's battered body, he uttered a single word. "Acnologia."
With that, the stranger left, leaving the Fairy Tail wizards to stand there, petrified by their fear. In the history of the guild, not a single enemy nor any army has ever been able display this much power or create this much fear. Natsu could hear his son's cries as he reached out for him. "Acnologia… I'm gonna kill you." Those were the last words Natsu could say before darkness took him.
Well… that was a little grim. I hope you liked this chapter guys. This one was actually nearly three times the usual length of these chapters so I hope you enjoyed it. I know I overused words like mage and wizard in this chapter, but I didn't want to say Acnologia until he was officially introduced. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter as well as the backstory. Please review as it helps motivate me to write faster and sooner.
