Glad to see you guys adding my story in your favorites or following it! Hope you like this chapter and leave a review if you have a chance. Hope you have a great day/evening/ night. :)
Regular story line: Fairy Tail Guild
Mira and Kinana are handling each of the mage's request from serving them to answering any questions circulating the guild. However, Gildarts remains quiet as he watches his friends talking or formulating a plan to save or kill Natsu, both of which have their flaws. Gildarts turns his attention to Lisanna trying to comfort Happy while Lucy and Juvia talk. Normally Juvia would sit next to Gray but today she remains at a safe distance from him. Gildarts ponders if Gray will be able to kill one of his closest allies in order to fulfil his father's wish.
Suddenly, the door opens wide as Kaden staggers inside the guild out of breath while holding a slightly burned exceed in his arms. Some of the guild members stand up in utter shock as Kaden looks up and smiles.
"See, I found it even with a concussion." Kaden whispers as he looks at Shawn.
"Don't act all high and mighty just because you found this place." Shawn says as he gets out of Kaden's arms then uses his aera to give Kaden some support.
Juvia and Lucy run towards Kaden to help Shawn with the load. Wendy notices that Shawn has minor burn wounds but she knows Kaden used himself as a shield to protect the exceed. The moment Lucy and Juvia grab a hold of Kaden, Shawn let of his grip then removes his aera and falls down into Wendy's arms. Happy goes to follow Juvia and Lucy to the infirmary.
"When I pictured two women by my side, I didn't mean for it to happen in this situation." Kaden whispers as he gives a sly smile.
Juvia and Lucy make it inside the infirmary then place Kaden gently on the infirmary bed. Kaden winces again from the burn wounds being agitated by the sheet. Wendy walks in with Shawn in her arms then places him at Kaden's lower part of the bed.
"He has more burn marks, Lucy." Juvia mutters sadly as she looks at Lucy's sullen face. Wendy starts healing Shawn as he wonders if this is all Natsu's doing.
"You should see the other guy." Kaden quips as he gives Juvia a smirk.
"Did you find Natsu?" Lucy ask as she looks at Kaden with pleading eyes but Kaden just stares at Juvia.
"You're a sight for sore eyes. Do you have a name?" Kaden ask as Juvia blushes
"Juvia and this is Lucy." Juvia says as she motions her hand towards Lucy.
"He liiiiiiikes you." Happy squeals as Juvia turns bright red. Juvia begins to wonder is she as another person fighting for her love.
"Your friend is going to be alright." Wendy says with a smile as she begins to motion her hands over Kaden's body.
"Don't overdo yourself, Wendy. All I need is some TLC from a certain lovely lady and I'll be fine." Kaden coaxes as he winks at Juvia. Kaden notices that Lucy has a worried look on her face then changes his tone.
"He whispered something to me earlier while we were fighting." Kaden announces as Wendy starts healing him. His words cause Lucy's eyes to sparkle with hope.
"What did he say?" Lucy ask as Kaden glances away to avoid her stares when he says it.
"He said he heard everything and not to worry because he has an idea." Kaden says as he looks back at Lucy.
"What do you mean?" Happy questions
"He didn't say much but he mentioned the book of E.N.D near the end." Kaden answers as he points at the exceed who stares at him with annoyance.
"All I wanted was to take a nap until you and that idiot had to make a ruckus." Shawn retorts
"Well you can sleep now." Kaden says as he winces from his bones popping back into place.
"Lucy, he's still in the forest but be careful." Kaden warns as he see Lucy running out of the infirmary with Happy by her side.
"How was he?" Juvia ask as she looks at Kaden.
"He isn't a human anymore; he's just a vessel holding a demon." Kaden revels as Juvia and Wendy wonder if Natsu can truly be saved.
Regular story line: Forest
The forest is once again quiet and serene once Natsu and Kaden's match ended. While looking at his reflection in river, Natsu feels an overwhelming amount of power surging through his body. Could it be the reason behind his hot body temperature? He looks down to notices the cuts on his ankle and back are healed and wonders if it's because of his new form. Natsu notices that his toes have become like sharp talons and parts of his clothing are shredded from his transformation and previous battles.
He recalls the whole conversation from when he was in the infirmary and hearing unfamiliar voices fighting for and against him. He picks up one particular woman's voice that kept defending him against a man's voice. He knows it wasn't Levy because she spoke once but he doesn't want to dwell on it. As he gets up he smells something in the area, his ears twitch a bit for hearing something from afar. Natsu ignores it as he attempts to walk away but then begins to wonder how he got the scarf around his neck.
He grasps it in his hands and stares at it hoping it will bring back any memories but nothing. Anger builds up inside him as he forcibly removes the scarf around his neck then begins to walk again. The same scent he smelled earlier is now stronger than ever as he turns his head to footsteps from his left side. He sees a blonde woman with a blue exceed flying above her. The blue exceed lands on the ground with a smile on his face.
"Natsu!" Happy shouts as Natsu notice that the exceed isn't either scared or angry at him, but happy. However, when he looks at the blonde woman has a worried look on her face.
"Natsu…." Lucy whispers as she attempts to walk closer but Natsu steps back.
"Come back to the guild, Natsu, please?" Happy pleas but Natsu shakes his head. Happy and Lucy look at Natsu's bare neck then the scarf in his hand.
"That's a death sentence and you know it." Natsu retorts as he looks at the two with anger.
"They're just scared, Natsu. We can calm them down just come back." Lucy begs as she walks closer to him then places her hand on his shoulder while ignoring the burning sensation in her hand.
Natsu tries to avoid her gaze but he looks and notices that she has her hand on his hand. Lucy lifts his hand to let him look at the scarf again. Happy walks over to them hoping his friend can snap out of it.
"That's the scarf Igneel gave you." Happy explains with a smile.
"Who?" Natsu ask as he shrugs Lucy's hand off his shoulder and begins to walk away from them.
"Do yourself a favor and stop following me. You're just going to get hurt and disappointed." Natsu warns as he turns his back towards Lucy and Happy.
"Are you referring to you or us when you mentioned the last part?" Lucy questions as Natsu feels a sting in his chest from her words.
Natsu drops the scarf on the ground then begins to walk way until he feels a small tug on his wings. He looks back to see Happy holding onto Natsu's wings even though his paws are starting to turn red. Natsu looks at Happy's eyes and notices that the exceed is crying.
"No, you're no running away again! You're my friend and I'm not going to lose you." Happy cries.
Suddenly, a sharp pain radiates inside Natsu's head as he recalls from the first moment he saw Happy hatch from his egg to their first mission together. As more memories flood his head, the pain intensifies.
"You may not remember who you are, but you can't ignore the fact that we care for you! You're my friend, Natsu, can you remember that?!" Happy shouts as Natsu kneels on the ground from the constant memories flooding in his head with Happy.
Natsu feels tears forming around his eyes as he hears Happy weeping from his statement. He feels the grip on his wings lessens and hopes that Happy let go from his wings.
"Happy…" Natsu whispers softly then feels a gentle touch on his shoulder.
"Please come home, Natsu, let us show you that we…." Lucy trails off as she realizes what she was going to say.
"Show me what?" Natsu ask as he still has his back towards her. Happy looks at Lucy with confusion in his eyes.
"That we…love you." Lucy mutters as she feels her face getting hot.
Natsu feels the pain in his head returning as he encounters more memories with Lucy from how they met to how he was the first person she showed her guild mark to. He remembers their S-class exam match with Kain then with Hades and remembers how she always believed in him.
"If this is love then I don't want to be loved." Natsu remarks as shrugs Lucy's hand off his shoulder them gets up from the ground then continues to walk.
"What do you have planned for the Book of E.N.D?" Lucy questions
"What's the point of telling if you're going to forget afterwards?" Natsu ask then makes a sharp left turn into the forest.
"What you said back there were you referring to you or the guild members?" Happy ask but Lucy begins to walk away.
"I guess you were talking about you." Happy sighs sadly as he goes to retrieve Natsu's scarf then runs back to Lucy.
Somewhere deep in the forest again, Natsu is hiding among the trees and lets his tears flow down naturally. He knows that the voice in the guild defending him was Lucy.
"Forgive me, Lucy and Happy." Natsu mutters
'Please come home again, let me show you we're good enough for your love.' - Stumbling In Your Footstep by Get Scared
'If this is loved, then I don't want to be loved.' Sarcasm by Get Scared.