Hi and thank you everyone who read, reviewed, added to favorites/alerts, and being patient for updates. Here stands the WildCard555 bringing you chapter number 9. This chapter is mostly a setup showing what Gray, and Natsu will be doing over the next three years. Sorry but this will nowhere be close to being as good as ch 8(I feel I set the bar way to high with that chapter), but it is all necessary for the story to develop.

xXxAddicted2ChocolatexXx, xBluieLovex, Free2lovehate, and uuuuhhhhhhhhh: Then I did my job right writing the last chapter. Guess I should have kept the tissue warning up from the last chapter. My bad.

Rose Tiger: Keep reading to find out.

XoxoFairyTailXoxo: Thank you.

Princess Happy. Glad you continue to like my story. Sorry I'm being inconstant about getting my chapters out.

Lucy Ashley from Fairy Tail: Sorry you were unable to sign in. Yay I had a good feeling I was the first to have Natsu quit the guild. Sadly the showing for the time I tried to watch was sold out, and I wasn't waiting 3 hours for the next one (Finally watched it in IMAX). Never read the comics, but Black Widow was pretty badass in the movie.

Cantabile334: That's what I'm going for. I want you to know/feel how the characters are feeling. I want you to care about the way I'm having the characters being portrayed in this Fanfic.

NatsuXLucy4eva: That twist is what I'm looking for. I'm trying to avoid cliches (might fail in some spots), while at the same time having the characters do things the way I imagine the way they would react after going through what I put them through.

YEAH! Chapter 8 was my first Chapter to get double digit(10) reviews in one week. Thanks again for your reviews/Favs/Alerts.

I own Nothing.


Chapter 9.

On Our Way to the Future?

Part 1?

Gray

On the beach below the cliffs on the edge on Magnolia. One week after Natsu left.

On the beach stood a man with raven black hair who wasn't wearing a shirt. He was looking at the endless ocean. Watching the ebb and flow of the tides. If he choose to stay there much longer the tides would soon cover the beach in several feet of water. He'd been coming down to the beach quite regularly to sort through whatever had been going through his mind. Today there were two main things going through his head.

One was of joy and happiness. This was due to the fact that Porlyusica had taken Juvia off of bed rest thanks to the help of the red pills Samuel had concocted for Juvia. Without the conflicting magic between mother and son Juvia was able to move around more freely than she had been for the last four months. Although still limited in what she could do with a nearly six month pregnant belly, but at least she wasn't being confined to their bed anymore. This had put a great ease in his mind as he had been concerned about her each time he left her side.

The other thoughts in his mind were just how dull and depressing Fairy Tail had become without Natsu. Without Natsu around there was no longer anyone starting the endless brawls at the guild. For the first couple of days he was grateful for the silence. That was until the silence forced everyone to think of the horrors from twenty days ago even more. By then everyone had learned about how Natsu was planning on proposing to Lucy, and that Lucy was expecting. After learning about this combined with the new found silence everyone seemed to be drinking a lot more. The additional drinking didn't bother Gray too much after all he grew up around the bunch of heavy drinkers. What made this additional drinking bad in his eyes was that everyone had been so gloomy while drinking. Besides looking like the people he had grown up with he hardly recognized them anymore.

"Never thought I'd say this but I miss Natsu." Said Gray to himself. He then positioned himself in his signature Ice-Make position. "Ice-Make Floor." He directed his magic towards the ocean as his magic froze the top of the ocean fifty feet out, and nearly four feet across.

The incoming waves quickly submerged and crushed the sheet of ice. The sight made him think of Lucy. In that something can be created only to be wiped away so easily before you can fully understand how much it would soon mean to you. "Ice-Make Floor." This time investing more magic into the spell. This time the spell only froze the ocean twenty feet out, but ended up being nearly thirty feet across.

This time the body of Ice stood its own against the waves of the ocean for a sort while. In under a minute of it's creations the movement of the ocean underneath began to crack the ice above it into chunks before they floated ashore. This time the sight reminded him of Erza. If you try to create a barrier around yourself to hide your true feeling you'd better hope you're fast enough to repair the crack before the armor shatters.

"Can't believe Erza of all people had an emotional breakdown." 'Even more so that she didn't kill anyone while she had it.' No one could get her to talk about what had caused the breakdown. The armor she had put around herself somehow stood its ground despite how badly it was cracked. What had shocked people more than her breakdown was that he was the only one that she aloud to get close enough to comfort her.

That was five days ago, and no one had seen her since. All they knew was that Master said she had gone on a mission that may take an untold amount of time in order to complete it. Three days after the break down they then had a new problem going along with the silence and sadness. Without Erza there to hand out the discipline some members now had a lack of motivation to get things done.

"ICE-MAKE FLOOR!" This time he put almost all of his magic into the spell. The sheet of ice went out seventy feet, and was seven feet across, but unlike the previous two spells he gave this spell depth going just over three feet underwater. The amount of magic used caused a great strain on Gray as he was knelling while trying to catch his breath. He watched the ice for several minutes while he caught his breath. Waves had managed to cover it momentarily, but the ice held form the entire time. The ice this time reminded him of himself.

"Stop looking so depressed droopy eyes." Said a male voice.

"What was that slanty eyes." Gray said out of habit as he turned to face the voice. He was expecting to see Natsu due to the comment made. Instead he saw Gajeel. "Oh its just you Gajeel." Sighed Gray.

"What was that freezer brain?" Asked an irritated Gajeel.

"I'm not in the mood for petty name calling." Said Gray as he turned his back towards Gajeel.

"You may not be, but the guild needs it."

"Hmmm."

"Ever since I got back you, and the rest of the guild have been all depressed, quiet, and keeping to themselves. It's like everyone is crashing on my style."

"You know why everyone has been acting the way they have." Said Gray.

"So you're just fine letting everyone stay in their current state?"

"Since when have you cared?"

"Since everyone else stopped caring." Answered Gajeel. "Incase you didn't catch it when I hit Salamander I can't stand it when people take pity on themselves, and right now you're the worst offender of them all."

"Sorry, but my entire team have in one way or another left the guild." Gray turned to face Gajeel. "Up until a couple of weeks ago I didn't know how Juvia was going to get through her pregnancy, or how our child would come out. Plus in less than three years I have to fight someone who's allied with the man who nearly took down the entire guild by himself, and beat me out with one hit." 'A hit I took willingly.' Gray thought the last part.

"So you plan on mopping around, and not make yourself useful." Gajeel pointed at the sheet of ice that remained unfazed by the continual pounding of the waves. "If you do that you'll stay just like that ice you created. You can't have change with out making change."

"How would you know anything about that. You haven't changed much since joining the guild." Gray said coldly.

Gajeel grabbed Gray by his necklace as he was currently shirtless, and pulled him in close so their foreheads touched. "When I first joined Fairy Tail I was cold and heartless punk who wouldn't give a thought about injuring my allies if it meant I hurt my enemies as well. I'd probably still be that way if it weren't for Master Makarov told me."

"And what did Master tell you that changed your life?"

"There are people in this world that enjoy being alone, but there isn't a single person who can bear solitude." Said the iron mage. "That's what he told me. I took it in and realized just how painful being alone can be."

Gray only looked at Gajeel as he continued to speak.

"In that loneliness all you can feel is self pity as you watch everyone else enjoy themselves as they surround themselves with friends." He let out a sigh. "Right now everyone in the guild is isolating themselves, and allowing the loneliness to engulf them. They need someone to cheer them up, and remind them of what this guild is supposed to be like." Gajeel remembered how everyone in phantom lord only looked out for number one, and never took concern for anyone else. "I don't want Fairy Tail to become a second Phantom Lord."

Gray broke Gajeel's hold on him as he turned to look at his still undamaged sheet of ice. He thought over everything the iron dragon slayer just said. 'You can't have change with out making change, huh?' The sheet of ice finally cracked under the unrelenting pressure of the ocean. "In order for us to cheer up the guild you'll have to become Natsu 2.0" he grinned.

"What was that you Damn Stripper?" Asked an infuriated Gajeel.

"You heard me you guitar hero wannabe." Gray matched Gajeel's intensity.

"You wanna have a go at me?" Gajeel was reading himself for a fight.

"Let's take this inside." Gray pointed at the guild.

Before either mage could make a move they heard a voice. "Are you two really going to start a fight?"

Out of instincts Gray wrapped one arm around Gajeel's neck and started to act cheery. "No sir." He said. He then felt a strong pain surge through his gut as he fell onto the ground.

"You're damn right we're about to start a fight." Said Gajeel as he stood over Gray looking at where the voice came from. "You got a problem with that Loke?"

"Personally no. I like the fact you two are trying to help heal the guild's wounds. Even if it is in a childish manner." Replied the lion adjusting his glasses. "But that only deals with one of our problems."

"What are you even doing here Loke. Lucy isn't even here so how are you even in our world." Asked Gray who was hugging his stomach where Gajeel hit him.

"Don't forget I can open my own gate. As for why I'm here I'm here to start a team with the two of you so we can become stronger." 'After all I have a score to settle with that black-haired bastard.' Loke remembered his last attack against Seyru.

"What?" Asked both Gray and Gajeel.

"Don't forget about me Loke." Said Wendy who appeared next to the lion spirit.

"Sorry about that Wendy. So what do you say guys?"

"Why would I want to join a team with you kitten?" Asked Gajeel.

"Because I have this." Loke pulled out a sheet of paper. "Due to the lack of S-Class level mages Makarov gave out special exceptions to a certain mage in the guild to perform S-Class missions without an S-Class mage in the party. (Over the past Five years only two mages have achieved S-Class status. Cana Alberona, and Freed Justine.)"

"So you just became an S-Class because a piece of paper tells you, you can be one?"

"No this sheet of paper isn't mine. It's Gray's." Loke revealed.

"So I'm considered an S-Class?" Asked Gray who returned to a standing position . Last years S-Class trials ended when Natsu and himself ended up knocking each other out at the same time. They both argued heavily over who won after waking up. Due to how childish they acted Makarov decided not to promote either mage.

"Only if you take a capable team with you on an S-Class mission." Smiled Loke. "What do you say Gray. Wendy and myself are with you. How's about you Gajeel?"

Gajeel took in a deep breath, and released it slowly. "Messed up. But taking on S-Class missions are the only way we can get strong enough to fight those bastards." Pause. "I'm in." Smiling evilly.

All eyes were on Gray as he stood silently thinking of the opportunity that stands before him. The title of S-Class laid only feet away from him. He thought of his other S-Class Nakama. 'Erza is gone for God knows how long. Mira only fights when it's absolutely necessary. Laxus and Freed are only in town for days at a time. Gildarts was off training Natsu. And Cana is probably too wasted right now to help anyone. This is my time to shine.' He knew he had to become stronger to truly protect his Nakama in the upcoming fight, and that Samuel would be his toughest fight ever. 'S-Class may be the only way to redeem myself for my actions'

'If you want to become stronger think about how you were defeated.' Samuel's voice echoed in his mind.

Gray turned his back to his potentially new team as he walked into ocean until it was up to his knee. He remembered how Seyru defeated him. "He beat me by separating my ice into wind and water." He said out loud to himself. Gray bent down and picked up as much water in his right hand as he could. He then extended his left hand up over his head attempting to grab the ocean wind. He then stood himself up right as he reversed the positions of his hands in one fluid motion without dropping any water. "If that's the case I should able to combine the two to make Ice." Gray slammed both hands together in a modified Ice-Make position as he closed his eyes. "Ice-Make Floor." Gray opened his eyes hearing his new team collectively say 'wow' at his handy work. He turned to face his new team. "We start doing S-Class two weeks after Dusk is born Four. Until then I'm not leaving this town. Got it?

"Aye sir." His new team agreed to his terms.

"But for now we have a guild to cheer up." The four mages ran towards Fairy Tail to begin what they hoped to be the biggest brawl in Fairy Tail history.


Natsu

In the middle of the Sangren Desert (made up location, and named a random). One Month after leaving the guild.

Natsu was following Gildarts as he led the way through the barren wasteland. There was sand as far as the eye could see in every direction. The skies above matched the sand below them without a single cloud in the sky to give any hope of shade. There was a constant faint gust of wind blowing sand over the surface, and occasionally picking up enough to get the sand blowing into their faces. Cacti were few and far between. In the six days they had been walking through the desert Natsu had only seen two living creatures, both being snakes that he had killed for dinner on those two nights.

"How much further till we get there?" Complained Natsu. He didn't mind the heat. He was just board of walking through the unchanging scenery.

"I thought I told you to conserve your energy during the day." Replied Gildarts.

"But this is so boring just walking all day in silence."

"Like I told you a month ago you'd have to come into my world for three years. In my world walking in silence to your destination for several weeks, or months is common place. Having a companion with you along the way isn't"

"Never thought I'd say I'm missing the train right now." Over the past few years Natsu had actually somewhat gotten used to ridding the train thanks to Lucy's willingness to comfort him. He could now actually go the entire day on the train without throwing up so long as she was beside him. "There I go thinking about her again."

"Once we get to our destination you're going to need those memories to get you through your ordeal."

"The living hell you promised me?" Natsu asked in a mocking tone.

Gildarts turned around and gave Natsu a serious glare. "Believe me when I say this. You've never experienced anything this physically painful before."

"The new form of fire magic?"

"It's not exactly new. Its actually considered a lost magic."

"Just like my dragon slayer magic?" Natsu's voice became shaky when he brought up his style of magic. He's become so afraid of the rage taking over that he hasn't so much as created a spark since he nearly blew out the hospital window with it.

Gildarts didn't answer his question. He just turned around and started walking again. The two mages continued to walk in silence until the sun began to set behind them. Since entering the desert they had always walked during the day, and set up camp to rest at night. After all both men knew better to walk the desert at night.

After setting up the fire to cook dinner Natsu decided to ask his question again. "How much further until we get there?"

"Give me a minute." Gildarts pulled out the strange silver key from his pocket, and poured a small amount of water out of his canteen into his hand. He then touched the water with the tip of the key. The contact made a weird blue light that lit up the desert around them better than the fire did. "If we keep up our pace it will take us two more days." Gildarts the drank the water in his hand

"Do you think you could train me a little bit tonight?"

Gildarts smiled at Natsu. "Sorry, but there's no point in training you until you obtain the new form of fire magic."

"How long do you think it will take me to learn the new magic?"

"From what I've been told about it you'll pretty much learn it as you go."

"But I trained with Igneel for years learning all he had to teach me."

"Igneel won't be the one teaching you the magic, nor will I. I'll just be the one pushing you to and beyond your limits as you learn to use it." Natsu gave him a puzzled look. "It's hard to explain. You just have to trust me when I say learning it will come easy. Obtaining it though is a whole nother story."

"Will you at least teach me some of your magic?" he asked with a cute kitten face that would make Happy proud (he is coming into the story just be patient).

"Only if I feel you've come to understand the new magic." Gildarts was unfazed by Natsu's kitten face. "For now just eat your dinner and go to sleep."

TWO DAYS LATER:

"So is this it?" Asked Natsu

"Yeah this is it." Said Gildarts.

The two mages stood out side of a door at the base of a mountain that was surrounded by the Sangren Desert on all sides. The door looked to be made of heavy iron, and was covered in chains that weaved in and out of the iron door. The chains themselves were coming out of the mountain and were connected by a single lock in the center of the door.

"Looks like someone doesn't want us to get in."

"No. That someone is testing you to make sure you really want what's inside." Gildarts walked up to the lock while rummaging through his pockets. He pulled out the same silver key from two days ago.

"So you have the key to the lock? That's convenient"

"I consider this more of a skeleton key." Gildarts placed the key into the lock. The Key once again admitted the strange blue light it had two nights ago. "Open!" The lock let out a cracking sound before it unlocked, and the chains pulled themselves into the mountain. The Iron door simply fell backwards causing a load booming sound when it hit the ground.

Behind where the iron door once stood was the entrance of a cave. The only light in the cave was coming from the sun behind the two mages. Other than that you couldn't see any further into the cave.

For some reason the cave was giving off an early and almost evil vibe. Yet for some reason Natsu felt like something was trying to pull him into the darkness. Without realizing it Natsu started to walk into the dark cave

'Come to me Child of Fire.' A female voice in a musical tone in his mind.

'Be careful Natsu.' Thought Gildarts as he watched the young mage disappear into the cave. 'And be prepared to live with the consequences of the decision you're about to make.'

Natsu continued to walk into the dark cave. Despite being unable to see, hear, or smell anything within the cave he felt his legs turn his body in new directions as the cave began to make turns and corners for him to navigate. It felt weird to him, he couldn't even tell where or how far into the cave he was. Yet he felt his legs guiding him through the darkness as if he knew the lay out of the cave like he knew the back of his hand.

'You are getting closer to me Child of Fire. Only a little a little further to go.' The female voice again sung in his mind.

After a couple more minutes of walking Natsu saw the faint glow coming from a bend coming up in the cave. The light gave him a small wave of excitement that turned his walk into a run until he got to the light. Natsu found himself standing in a dimly lit tomb with only an ancient stone coffin in the center of the room. The walls of the room were decorated with hieroglyphs from ancient times that he had no hopes of translating.

"What is this place?" Natsu asked aloud.

'This is my tomb. Child of Fire.'

"And who are you, and what are you doing in my head."

'Who I am is of no importance right now. And it was you who called out to me. I only lead the way.'

"I don't remember calling out to anyone."

'You came seeking my power do you not.'

"I came to find a new source of fire magic." Said Natsu who was now standing in front of the stone coffin with both hands on the lid.

'Then open my coffin so we may begin.'

Natsu pushed the stone lid off of the coffin. When he looked inside he saw it was filled with black ash.

'Place your right hand into the ashes.' The voice commanded.

Without thinking about it Natsu obeyed the voice as he buried his hand into the ash. Before he could even pull his arm away the black ash flew out of the stone coffin and engulfed his entire right arm all the way up past his shoulder. "What's going on?"

'Now the binding can begin.' The female voice sung with a childish laugh.

"What?" Before he knew it his ash covered arm became doused with a new sensation of pain he had never felt before. He remembered one time he asked Gray what if felt like to be burned as fire could never hurt him. Right now his arm felt like what Gray described the pain to be. An immense heat that seared/boil anything that would touch it. "AGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Roared the dragon slayer as the pain continued to build up as he hugged his burning arm to his chest falling on his back

*Outside the cave. *

Gildarts heard Natsu's scream coming out of the cave. Several roars of pain soon followed it. "This is the living hell I promised you Natsu. Now it's just up to you to survive it."

*Back inside the Tomb. *

Despite the fact Natsu was hugging his arm to his chest the burning sensations stayed confined to his right arm. He tried to scratch off the ash from his arm, but he only succeeded in adding a stinging pain from the freshly made cuts. "Fuuuuck." He screamed as he started to slam his burning arm on the stone floor repeatedly. The repeated strikes to the stone floor began to crack it sending the rubble flying in all directions.

'Try to relax. Its about become a lot worse get worse.'

"How can this possibly get any worse?" Asked Natsu in anger towards the voice. After asking his question the burning feeling that had stayed on the surface began to sink down under his skin until he felt the bones in his arm feel like they would begin to melt. "God Fucking Damn It!" Tears of pain began to roll down his checks. 'It just got worse' Natsu rolled over onto his stomach.

"I've got to get out of here." Natsu tried to get to his feet, and would have done so if his right arm didn't feel like it weighed five tons. "I'm I going to die here." Realizing he no longer had the strength to leave the tomb.

'That is up to you, Child of Fire.'

"I can't die yet. I can't die until I see her one more time." Thoughts of Lucy flooded his mind.

*Outside the cave. *

Gildarts heard another wave of screams, and roars of pain coming out of the cave. He then pulled out a pocket watch from the inside of his cloak. "Fifty-three minutes. I wonder how much longer this ritual will take?"

*Inside the Tomb. *

Natsu tried rubbing his arm to try to ease the pain. Sadly no relief would come. The skin on his right arm felt rough like sandpaper. Pain wise it felt like someone went from searing his arm to deep frying it in some demonic oil. "Just end it already." Natsu pleaded. His original thoughts of just toughing out the pain had been overridden by a wave of anger towards whatever it is that was causing the pain. "Show yourself you fucking coward so I can kick your ass." He soon felt draconic scale form over the rest of his skin that wasn't covered in the black ash.

'Oh my. Where ever did those scales come from?'

"I'm a fire dragon slayer." snarled Natsu as his canines began to sharpen.

'A dragon slayer you say. Then why on earth would you want my powers when you already posses the powers of a dragon?'

"Because I lost myself in its rage."

'Just like you are about to do now?'

"No. I lost complete control." Natsu grabbed his head in pain. He could feel his facial features becoming sharper.

'Never thought I'd meet a dragon who would take fear of where it takes step.'

"I almost killed the woman that I love during the fight I lost control." Red flames began to dance around his body.

'So you seek my powers simply to replace that which you posses now? To keep control?'

"Yes and no"

'Explain yourself.'

"After the fight the man I fought ended up taking her. He took my Lucy. I don't know if she still wants me after what I did to her. But I have to save her from him. I have to save Lucy from Seyru." Natsu took a moment to breathe. "I can't save her using my dragon slayer magic the way I am now. I need a new form of fire magic."

'How far are you willing to go to save your Lucy?'

Just like when Gildarts asked him the same question a month ago Natsu didn't hesitate to answer. "There's nothing I wouldn't do to save her." Finally the pain that had been in his arm for an unknown length of time vanished. He felt his body revert back to its usual form. The flames however stayed. Instead a mere red flame dancing around his body the flames became a mixture of red and white and began to look like feathers. "What is this?"

'That is my flame Child of Fire. The flame of the Phoenix.'

"Flame of the Phoenix." Natsu looked at the flames covering his body as he stood up. "Is that what I should call you then, Phoenix?"

'Yes you may call me Phoenix. Child of Fire.'

"Only if you call me Natsu." Breathed Natsu.

'Deal. Now that you passed my trial we may now talk about our pact (Basically a life-long contract between the two saying what each person gets from the other in exchange for a services provided from the other.) we just formed Natsu.'

* Outside the cave. Nighttime. *

Gildarts sitting by a homemade fire looked at his pocket watch. "It's been three hours since I heard Natsu's last scream. I hope he didn't die in there."

"I can't die until I save Lucy." Breathed a weary Natsu.

Gildarts saw Natsu as he exited the cave. He literally looked like Hell. His spiky pink hair was matted down. His clothes torn and covered in dirt. All of his weight was leaning against the cave walls as he walked forward. His face showed pure exhaustion. His eyes nearly shut, and looked as if he would close shut at any second. The scarf Igneel had given him was wrapped around his right arm from the tip of his fingers all the way up to the shoulder. Yet for some reason he had that infectious grin on his face

"I got it Gildarts." He raised his covered right arm up in a triumphed way. "Now what's…" His eyes rolled back as he passed out falling forward.

Luckily Gildarts was quick to catch him before he hit the ground. "Now your training can begin." He smiled at the young man in his arms. "But first you rest up. You've earned it after making a pact with the Phoenix."

'Indeed, you have earned some rest. Natsu Dragneel, bearer of the Phoenix.' The Phoenix sung to its new sleeping master.

End Chapter 9


I apologize for any and all grammar and spelling mistakes I missed before posting this chapter. How will Gray handle his new team and responsibilities? What kind of deal did Natsu agree to with Phoenix, and what will he get in exchange? Keep reading to find out.

I was originally planning on giving Erza and Lucy a section in this chapter, but I ran into a problem. I realized the section I was writing for Erza wouldn't make sense without the Jerza chapter that I was planning to do for chapter 6. So now I'm going to have to write a one-shot for it to make sense in the next chapter. The next chapter will be similar to this one only it will be showing what Erza, and Lucy are going to generally be up to for the next three years.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please look forward to the Jerza one-shot and Chapter 10. The one-shot will come out the Friday before chapter 10, which will come out on that Sunday so don't worry about a delay for the main story.

Now hopefully this time I can watch the Avengers in IMAX 3D (Watched it on Saturday, and had a headache for most of the day afterwards. Worth it).

WildCard555 Out.