Chapter Eight: Crimson Skies

-August 7th X777-

Natsu sat frowning as he stared into the crackling fire. Dark circles were under his eyes, a sign he hadn't slept well in weeks. He gripped his scarf while his mind was in torment over Igneel. It had been a month and yet he couldn't find him anywhere.

Igneel had been acting strange earlier in the year on the first day of spring. On the night when the scarlet burning flames seared and ripped the night sky above. Whenever he thought back to that night, he was in awe at how powerful the flames were to do such a thing. To see it over such a long distance like that. He had seen Igneel obliterate a mountain no problem so there was no way the source of such powerful flames could have been from a human.

While he had been in awe over it, Igneel held a completely different expression. An expression he didn't quite understand.

Even if Igneel didn't disappear until a few months later his mind would always drift back to that night. He was missing something and he knew it and it tied into the night when the flames seared the perfectly clear night.

Then after July the seventh, Natsu started walking towards the direction he once saw the flames.

He looked down at the flower he had been carrying with him since. It was from somewhere or he should say, someone important. He didn't know but he couldn't part with it. Just the same as he couldn't now part with the scarf Igneel had left behind to him.

The flower was unique and unlike anything he had seen before. A deep maroon flower with faintly glowing glittering flame patterns. The glitter was different colors ranging from golds, oranges, and reds.

He laid down onto the grass, laying the flower out next to him. "I guess I should try to sleep and start again tomorrow."


In the distance, a girl with chocolate brown hair flowed in the wind. Her green eyes were empty and her face was devoid of emotion. She weakly walked with no destination, something she had been doing for months on end. The noises of the day or within the night held no interest to her.

All that now remained was an empty pit, devoid of any emotion.

As she slid her feet across the ground, fire was being emitted from her feet leaving behind scorch marks.

Finally, feeling at her limit, the fire spurted out and she collapsed to the ground, welcoming the darkness.


A few hours passed and the girl found herself waking up with no memory of who she was, or what had happened. All she could do was look up to the moon, crying her sorrows away. That was until she remembered a particular name.


Natsu suddenly sat up.

He didn't hear anything but it felt like someone just called out to him. While he knew he didn't hear anyone he looked around none the less.

The sun was starting to rise, painting the morning sky in a similar color like that night on the first day of spring. However, this sunrise was warm, while that night, that flame had been filled with rage and hatred.

He felt hopeful, thinking that today might be the day. He got up, grabbing the flower.

Oddly, he felt more fired up than he had been in awhile. There was just something about this day that he knew was a new beginning.


Rewritten on 10/9/2016