Chapter 11

Solution

It took awhile before Natsu's mother calmed down and he was more than happy that she did. He honestly doesn't know whether he should be worried for his eardrums or for his mom's throat and heart.

"You scared me out of my wits, Natsu!" Grandine said as she slapped her son's arm. She was now taking deep calming breaths while fanning her face with a shaky hand.

In her defense, no one in this household comes home silently. Even she, or her sweet Wendy, is noisy when they enter or when they're in their house; it's like a warning of some sort that she is not alone in the house anymore. So she didn't expect that someone is already home and will appear right in front of her as she decided to go to the living room to relax.

Grandine frowned when her son did not respond. He usually either laughs at her for being too jumpy, or over reacts if it happens that she accidentally hits him.

But right now, he just looked at her blankly. He might have noticed her expression because he smiled a bit at her and decided to continue his walk towards his room.

"Natsu, tell me. What's wrong? And don't tell me it's nothing because it is my first time seeing you like this since you were born." Grandine sternly asked and minutely noticed her son stiffen and turn half way to her.

"But it really is nothing, Mom. I think... just a bad day. Everyone do have days when they like to be left alone, right?" Natsu replied glumly and tiredly ran his hand through his hair.

"Yes, there is. It is when they have a huge problem that's been plaguing their minds. So what's your problem?" She stubbornly asked, watching her son's movements in case he tries to hide something. She wouldn't let her cheerful son continue acting like this.

"Mom, nothing really. Just a small fight… with a friend." He said, his gaze darting to the floor in sadness. The fight wasn't really small.

Natsu flinched when his mom suddenly got close and placed her hand on his cheek.

"Natsu. You can always tell me your problems. I can listen to you all day if you want to. Just don't keep everything to yourself, that will not do you any good." She said, worry and motherly love visible in her eyes as she stared at him, and him at her.

"Look at you now, so out of character. You know, telling someone about your problems will help lessen the burden." Grandine gently said, caressing his son's face.

"Mom, I'm fine. Everything will be fine soon." Natsu said, then kissed his mom's cheek as if assuring her and wasted no time to get into his room.

Grandine only sighed sadly at her child's response.

Natsu felt like skipping dinner too so he just stayed on his bed… until his father came bursting through the door and hauling him to his feet, dragging him all the way to the dining table where his family is waiting for him.

He tried to reason out with his dad but he would have none of it as he sat him down and shove a plate of steaming spicy chicken in front of him.

And he can't resist it.

So he ate.

He heard his dad laugh and tell his wife, "I told you, Grandine. He can't refuse food if it is already in front of him."

But he didn't care, all his attention is concentrated in satisfying his hunger that suddenly hit him at that moment. And oh boy, he ate a lot. All the food that he should have eaten for the whole day, consumed in just one seating at the dinner table.

.

Natsu flopped to the sofa beside Wendy to watch television, feeling a bit energized and fine. His father recently ordered him not to go into his room until it is time for him to sleep. His mom might have told his dad about his problem and won't let him brood over it...

So here he is, flipping through different channels with his sister beside him, reading some book that he didn't bother to read the title.

Then he felt his sister scoot towards him little by little while her eyes are still at the book. So he naturally turned towards her, just in time when she screamed in terror.

"Ugh. How many times do I have to be screamed at my face?" Natsu asked aloud with obvious irritation. His mom, who rushed to the living room with his dad, smiled sheepishly towards him before darting back to her youngest.

"What's wrong, Sweetie?" She asked.

"Nothing mom, I was just really caught up in this horror story. Everything was so detailed here and I can't help but be terrified in this particular scene." Wendy smiled shyly.

"Just try to keep the volume down, honey. You got us worried there." Igneel smiled at his daughter. And with that, their parents went back to their original business.

"I think you just ruptured my eardrums, Wendy. What are you reading anyways?" Natsu found himself asking curiously.

"A horror story about how a group of teens trespassed into an abandoned house and accidentally broke something that is precious to a ghost residing there. The story revolves on how the ghost went after them, killing them one by one in the most gruesome ways until only one was left. The one left was now desperately trying to find ways to appease the ghost." Wendy hurriedly told his older brother, as if remembering the previous chapters still gives her a fright.

"You read things like that and when it is time for you to sleep, you can't because you're too afraid." Natsu said as he turned back to the channel flipping. He glanced at her sideways and shook his head and sighed. Wendy pouted at his statement but still continued reading.

One thing stuck at Natsu's mind though. What could the protagonist in the story Wendy was reading have had done to appease the ghost?

He should borrow the book from her later. He glanced at the book. Nah, he'll just ask Wendy.

.

After a while, Natsu saw Wendy closed the book and sighed. He noticed that her hands were a bit shaking, he chuckled to himself. If he wasn't just problematic right now, then he should be plotting ways to scare her.

Wait, his thoughts are getting out of track. He should think of ways to make Lucy forgive him and not to make his sister scared. And that book Wendy recently read could be of great help.

"So Wendy, how's the book?" He asked, turning slightly to look at his sister.

"It's great! The plot was awesome and the thrill while reading it… It's really awesome, I still have goose bumps after I finished reading and just by thinking about it!" Wendy enthusiastically said.

"You said something about the remaining trespasser trying to appease the angry ghost right? How did he try to appease the ghost?" Natsu tried to act nonchalant about the subject. He wanted to act like he just wanted to have a conversation with her, thankfully Wendy think of it just like that.

"Uhm… Well… At first, he offered foods to the ghost and he arranged it in the abandoned house but that didn't go well since the ghost tried to kill him as he was about to go. His second attempt is to talk to the ghost, with a priest, to say sorry and stuff because he remembered he and his friends never really tried to ask for forgiveness. But like his first attempt, that didn't go as planned- most of the people who came with him even died. And his last desperate attempt, he tried to replace the one they broke but that only enraged the ghost more thus, bringing death upon him. I think there will be a second part for this one since the vengeful ghost killed a relative of one of the trespassers, maybe the ghost is still mad and will continue to hunt their relatives." Wendy stated. She looked up to her onii-chan only to find him in deep thought, which she rarely sees. It's not like she's being mean but he is just the type of person who doesn't think deeply before saying or doing something. Is this somehow related to his problem which made him so out of character lately?

'So a food offering, expressing a sincere apology with a priest and replacing the broken thing huh?' Natsu thought. 'I could try the food offering. Expressing a sincere apology with a priest, cannot be. The first thing I've done is to apologize but she didn't seem to accept it and with a priest? It's not like she is a vengeful and harmful ghost who likes killing people, so there's no need for that. Replacing for a broken thing?' Natsu sighed heavily. 'I really can't replace her life, and that's what made this predicament so hard. If only I can do something about it...'

"Natsu-nii? Onii- chan!" Wendy called out.

"Yeah?" Natsu looked at his sister upon hearing his name.

"Well, you look like you were deep in thoughts... And you rarely think, so I want to know what you are thinking about." Wendy smiled at him innocently but with a hint of playfulness in it.

"Why do people treat my rare times of thinking as if it is a bad omen?" Natsu blurted out, half-annoyed. Even though he rarely does it, he does and he can think. It's just that, why do people seem to think that thinking is important? Acting based on instincts and gut feeling will just make life much easier, thinking is not really needed.

"No. It's not like that. I just want to know what's going through your mind right now." Wendy said, secretly trying to make his brother tell her his problems since everyone in the household knows that it is not simply "a fight with a friend". They know there was still something about it that he was hiding and that's what they are itching to know.

"Nothing important Wendy. I'm going to go and sleep now. You? You want to stay here with no one in your company? Oh, there is. A bloody woman in white with long bla-" Natsu wasn't able to finish what he was saying when he saw his sister zoom away in front of him. She really is a fast runner when she is afraid. He felt a little guilty for scaring her though, he knew she won't be able to sleep well tonight, but it is her fault for reading a horror story.

Natsu kept on turning in his bed, obviously still not able to go to sleep. He keeps on thinking whether what he is planning will be able to make Lucy forgive him or not.

He sighed. He needed to do it even if it will fail. For whatever consequence he'll get, he's done moping around. He needed to do something because he knew that Lucy will not and should not be the first to approach him. He is the one at fault so he needed to exert effort in apologizing.

Soon, he fell asleep with that thought in mind.

A lone ghost was sitting on a swing, gazing up at the sky lit by tiny specks of star.

"Natsu didn't come here today. He didn't even passed by. Is my forgiveness still important to him? Does he still consider me as a friend?" she said, many thoughts running in turmoil through her mind.

"I wish I have mom beside me." Lucy whispered.

She closed her eyes and pictured her mother wearing a warm smile. She's missing her. She felt so cold, lonely and so alone that she even misses her father.

Then tears began to escape her closed eyes.

She can't even remember anymore when was the last time she really had fun with both of her parents by her side. Her sobs grew louder when she realized that her wish can't happen anymore.

She hugged herself tightly as an attempt of self-comfort, but all that the action gave her was more longing and a feeling of deep sadness, added with a bit of despair and betrayal as she remembered a certain pink-haired boy who once made her days happy...

A/N:

Hi Minna~!

How's your day everyone?! I hope your fine, unlike me who's sick for two days already :(

You know what? I heard somewhere that reviews can make authors feel good as new so can you give me reviews to help me get better?

Yes?

Thank you! Hehehehe

Love you all!

Thanks for those who reviewed/followed/favorite this story!

Ah! Wait.. I have a question to you NaLu fans..

I saw this NaLu pic on tumblr and facebook, it is a pic that has a "Did you know" located at the top of pictures of the episode 1 in Fairy Tail (when Bora used his love spell to the girls including Lucy, to be exact), below the pic states that the effect of the spell broke because Lucy spotted the person that would bind her heart and it was confirmed in the manga by a member of the guild that only the intervention of the soul mate can dissipate the spell..

My question is, which chapter did that member of the guild confirmed that?

I really want to know. Please tell me if you know which chapter is it ;)

Ja Ne~!