A/N: I'll try to limit the use of author's notes to one every other chapter at most, but I thought this was super important to say. 'Canon' events will be vastly different. In all honesty, I have no desire to use most of them, simply because everyone does and after seeing or reading about the same events over and over again, they get boring. I will use the ones that are critical, such as where they get new members, which includes keys, and the ones that involve character backstories, but that's pretty much it. I intend to match original arc content 1:1 with 'canonical' arc content, but all the canon events will be changed. Sometimes the characters involved, sometimes more villains, sometimes a slight plan variation, etc. etc. So, look forward to that, and in the meantime, I will try to work on writing some decent fight scenes, since I don't particularly love the ones I have. If you have any suggestions for how to improve those, please give them to me. I find writing them immensely challenging. With that, I will shut up, and you can read something actually interesting...Hopefully…

"Salamanders?" Natsu asked, walking over to the request board.

It had been a few days since Natsu's legendary bout with Erza and Mirajane, who had now dubbed her 'Jane', because as he had told her, 'giving nicknames is a human custom, isn't it?' and he was now quite popular among guild members. While he didn't enjoy the attention all too much, it was acceptable to have someone to talk to. However, much to his and everyone else's displeasure, the added experience did not help his rambling problem. Most of them could only tolerate it for half an hour at most before abandoning the conversation, tired of having to interrupt every sentence, but he maintained good relations with them nonetheless. Lisanna, Mirajane, and Erza were the only three that were seemingly not bothered by the habit. Lisanna insisted that she would try to help him, since he repeatedly expressed his displeasure at his circular and confusing thoughts, while Erza and Mirajane claimed it didn't bother them. When they were done listening to his rant, they'd just carry on as if he had stopped talking anyway.

Today, however, he had been left mostly by his lonesome. Erza and Mirajane decided to brawl about someone, though he wasn't sure who they were talking about, and Lisanna had left a few days ago on a mission. It was then that he heard muttering by the request board about salamanders. He walked over to investigate; it'd been a long time since he tangled with any dragonkin, and salamanders had been his favorite food since he was a child.

"Excuse me, Nab? Was it? Did you say something about Salamanders?" Natsu asked.

"Oh, hey Natsu! Yeah, new request today. Apparently, some farms a few towns south of here have a problem with them. It's the first sighting of those beasts in a while, but they found two of 'em, and they're eating up all the livestock."

"Were you planning on taking the job, or would you be inclined to allow me?"

"Sure thing! I'm still waiting on a request that's more suited for me," Nab replied, handing the request to Natsu.

"Is that why you've spent almost two weeks in front of the board?"

"Uh…" Nab stuttered, a little embarrassed he had been noticed.

"Well, I'm sure something will come along. Good luck to you," Natsu said, taking the request to his table to read it.

WANTED: Assistance dealing with two wild salamanders

Description: Two extremely large salamanders have been sighted from the mountains near our town, and they have been decimating our livestock population. Please help us to be rid of them! Be warned: These beasts are VERY dangerous and shoot fire from their mouths!
Reward: 500,000

Natsu was reading the request, seemingly very interested, when he was approached by the two previously brawling S-Class wizards.

"Are you going on a job Natsu?" Mira asked him, sitting down on one side.

"Yes, it has been quite some time since you've joined. It's good to see you getting a start," Erza added, sitting on the other side.

"Indeed! Good to see you both, Erza, Jane. Glad you're getting along today," Natsu nodded, greeting both women. "I wasn't planning on going out any time soon, but I happened to notice this request of salamanders down south, and it's been a long time since I've had any."

"What do you mean, 'had any'?" Mira asked him, still not entirely used to the new nickname.

"What exactly is a salamander anyway?" Erza added. "I believe I've heard of them, yet I don't know precisely what they are."

"You don't? Well, salamanders are a type of dragonkin. And by 'had any' I mean eaten or consumed," Natsu explained.

"A DRAGON?" Erza and Mira shouted together.

"No, not a dragon," Natsu sighed. "DragonKIN. Essentially, they are distantly related to dragons, but they themselves aren't dragons. Honestly, those scaly things only wish they were dragons. An interesting theory isn't it? I do wonder if animals think that way. Could one animal-"

"I'm still confused," Mira interrupted. "They're related to dragons, but you eat them? Is that possible?"
"I'm still intrigued at what sort of monster they are. A dragon type monster is definitely strange," Erza added.

"Well for starters, yes. I've eaten salamander a few times, but they are extremely rare. It's been roughly 5 years since I've had any, and honestly, I've never personally hunted one before, so this should be new for me. And to answer your question, Erza," Natsu continued turning to face her. "Salamanders are very large red creatures that look exceedingly lizard-like. They are able to use low-level fire magic and have incredibly powerful claws and teeth. The fire magic they use is similar to a dragon or dragon slayer's breath attack, such as mine, but is much weaker. Maybe that's why I enjoy eating them so much. Funny, isn't it? They both are delicious food and attack with delicious food! Imagine something doing that for a normal human. Attacking with-" and he continued to ramble about a potential monster being both tasty and attacking with human food such as rice or scrambled eggs.

"A fire-breathing lizard, huh?" Mira said, eyeing Erza. "I bet you'll need some help with that," she told him, leaning towards him.

"Indeed he will! I shall volunteer to accompany Natsu on his first mission!" Erza announced standing.

"I appreciate the gesture, however-" Natsu tried to explain.

"What makes you think he wants to go with a weakling like you?" Mira demanded, also standing up and slamming her fist on the table. "I'll go with him! He could use real backup, not a stuck-up priss who he'll have to rescue."
"Take that back, you HARLOT!" Erza shouted, slamming her head together with Mira's.
"IN YOUR DREAMS, GINGER!" Mira retorted, pressing her head against Erza's.

"CEASE THIS NONSENSE!" Natsu shouted, shushing both of them and the entire guild in the process.

"Natsu, I thought we talked about this! No one likes scary Natsu!" Happy told him, fluttering over to him, trying to ease the tension of the trembling guild members.

"I'm not-" he tried to say, before looking at the others who had terrified looks on their faces. "Right...apologies...As I was trying to say, I had planned to go with just Happy, however, since both of you seem very inclined to see a Salamander you may both join me on one condition."

"Of course!" Erza said.
"What is it?" Mira asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"You follow my instructions and get along!"

"That's two things, however, I am quite interested in seeing a salamander," Erza said, pondering his request.
"I don't know, maybe I'll do it for you, Natsu," Mira replied, winking at him.

"Silence, wench!" Erza shouted.

"BRING IT, ARMOR BITCH!" Mira retorted.

"Well, someone's popular," Happy giggled to Natsu.

"It seems as though they are both quite interested in the salamander," Natsu mused. "I charge you with keeping them safe, Happy. It may be more difficult than you expect," he added, gesturing to the brawl that was currently taking progress on the guild floor.

"Aye, sir!" Happy responded, giving a salute.

"Take the backpack, Happy. I shall attend to our two carry-ons," Natsu told him, handing off the backpack and donning his cloak. "Let us depart immediately!" With that, he blocked the attacks from both wizards, hoisted them over his shoulders to their extreme displeasure, and walked out the door.

"Did he just-?"

"Yeah, he just carried those two with him…"

"That guys' something else…"

The guild members had witnessed the display, pleased that Natsu was finally going on a mission, but quite terrified that the newcomer was strong enough to easily subdue and, apparently, capture both of their strongest female members.

2 Hours Later - On The Train

"Ugh..blargh…" Natsu was groaning, nearly passed out on the floor, desperately trying not to vomit.

"Uh, Natsu? Are you ok?" Happy asked.

"Yes, you seem rather...ill…" Erza added, glancing at Mira who just shrugged.

"This...ugh...death machine...blarf...what is it doing to me!" Natsu muttered, holding his stomach.

"It's just a train, what's wrong with a train?" Mira asked, still confused at why the new fire mage, who she definitely did not have a crush on, was currently writhing around on the ground trying not to hurl.

This was the first time Natsu had ever ridden on a vehicle before, so he was not used to the effects of motion sickness, nor did he have any idea what was going on. He had been ok with Happy and on the back of both Igneel and Draco, but this was new. And he'd be damned if he'd do it willingly again.
"It feels….blarf...so awful...argh…" he groaned.

"I think Natsu's dying! Someone do something!" Happy cried, flying in circles.

"Relax, hairball," Mira told him. "It just looks like motion sickness. It's pretty lame, but he's not dying."

"For once the harlot makes a point," Erza said, placing a finger on her chin. "He did mention having enhanced senses, right? Perhaps the train is distorting his sense of balance."
"Never…ugh...again...I'm gonna be sick...hrrrrhgh."

Several Hours Later - Pedaltown

"Never again, I still feel like death…" Natsu muttered, finally allowed off that death trap.

"That's so lame!" Mira groaned. 'I kinda feel bad for him though,' she thought to herself. 'I mean, he's a super-powerful wizard, and incredibly smart, but he steps on a train and all that goes to hell.'

"Sweet, merciful ground! I shall never again go without your sweet embrace!" Natsu cried, laying flat out, his cloak sprawled out around him.

"Right…" Erza said.

"Get a move on, Natsu! We have a job to do!" Happy told him. "If salamander is half as good as a fishie, I can't wait!"

"Indeed it is, I dare say it is far better than a fishie!" Natsu declared, suddenly up and returned to his normal self, that being mysterious, aloof, and difficult to follow.

"Yes! Let us proceed! The client is the mayor, I believe his office is the large one over there," Erza said, gesturing to the large building on the far side of town.

"Why do we need to go to a client's house? That breaks the secrecy code, doesn't it?" Natsu asked.

"What are you talking about?" Mira asked, even more confused than she was when Natsu didn't seem to understand why they were taking a contraption called a train. "What is a secrecy code?"
"Umm...nevermind...I shall follow you three, and wait outside."

"What exactly were you doing before you got to Fairy Tail?" Mira questioned. "If you didn't take quests, where did you get all that money in the first place? Did you steal it?" she drawled sarcastically, eyeing him.

"I did no such thing! I did, uh, other work...That's not important! Onwards!" Natsu declared, hurrying towards the building Erza had gestured towards, leaving the two girls confused.

One Hour Later

"What do you mean you'll wait out here?" Mira questioned. "This is part of a quest, you have to get the information from the client."

"How could I do that! The client shouldn't know who works for him! That's dangerous for both parties!" Natsu declared, turning away.

"So you think it's dangerous, but you're gonna let us go in all by ourselves?" Mira asked with a pout.

"Well, that's not…" Natsu stuttered. He sighed, "Fine. I shall accompany you. However, you are not to give out my name. If he asks, you may call me 'N'."

"What kinda name is 'N', Natsu? Is that the only letter you know?" Happy giggled.

"Quiet, cat! I have no intention in being so forward with my identity to complete strangers!"

"Very well, but you will tell me what you did before joining Fairy Tail when we return!" Erza demanded.

"Me too! Don't leave me out! The ginger queer doesn't deserve to know anyway," Mira whined.

"Silence, harlot!" Erza shouted.

"I thought I made it clear you two were to get along!" Natsu demanded and grabbed each one by the shoulder. "I intend to not be responsible for the downfall of two of the strongest members of Makarov's family. Let us proceed, or you two can return home accompanied by Happy."

"What did I do?" Happy cried.

"Fine…" Erza said.

"Hmmph!" Mira pouted, crossing her arms and turning away.
"What am I going to do with the two of you," Natsu muttered and headed inside.

That Evening - Pedaltown's Farmland

"I still can't believe you told him your name was N, Natsu!" Happy said, laughing. "His face was priceless!"

"I must concur, Happy. His face was quite amusing," Natsu replied.

The three mages and Natsu's furry companion were sat around a fire having dinner and preparing to camp for the night.

"Natsu...why don't you want people to know your name?" Mira questioned. "I know you're a little more...private...than most people, but you wouldn't even show us your face for a week! Do you really not trust us?"
"It's not that at all, Mira! In fact, you two are some of the ones I trust the most as of now," Natsu replied, causing both girls to blush and Happy to giggle. "It's just...very dangerous for me and the guild if I was very forthcoming with who I was…"
"Why is it dangerous?" Erza asked, finishing up her share of the food. "I understand some level of secrecy, even I have my own, but I think we should be aware of something that requires such extreme measures…"

"Oh just tell them, Natsu! What's the worst that could-" Happy tried to say.

"They could be killed, Happy. You could be killed. That is the worst that could happen. I suppose I could be killed as well, but that's if we're lucky."

Both girls were shocked at this, but also a little unnerved. He had said that if people knew who he was, one of three things could happen. Nothing, being the best case, he would die, being his second preference, or they would die, being the worst possible outcome.

"Natsu…" Mira asked, scooting over towards him. "I think you should tell us...It might help to get it off your chest…"

"I must agree with Mira," Erza added, eyeing Mira and scooting over herself placing a hand on his shoulder. "No good comes from struggling alone. If you feel inclined, I shall tell you my story as well…"

Mira gasped. No one knew what had happened to Erza, and she had been at Fairy Tail for several years now. She just beat up anyone who asked her about it.

"I appreciate it, but-"
"Natsu...I already convinced you with Makarov…" Happy told him, angrily. "You don't have to talk about that, but at least tell them what happened after we escaped. That's not too bad."

Erza and Mira both eyed each other. 'How much more is there?'

Natsu scratched his head slightly, looked at the fire, and sighed. He stuck his legs out and laid back, followed on either side by Erza and Mira, and began to speak.

"Stupid cat…" he muttered. "Neither of you may utter a single word of what information is about to come out of my mouth, for ANY reason. Is. That. Understood?" he almost growled, looking at both of them, who each nodded, shaken slightly by his tone.

"Down, boy!" Happy giggled.

"(sigh) I was...a bounty hunter…" Natsu said, pausing for a moment.

"That's it?" Mira asked, shocked that he would be so private for something like that. "There are lots of bounty hunters. As long as you don't go flaunting it, you should-"
"No, there's more to it. I was a very well known bounty hunter. Last I checked, I have a 10 million jewel bounty on my head, and that was a little over 4 months ago…"

Both girls gasped.

"Te-ten…" Erza stuttered.

"M-million?" Mira finished.

"Indeed. I must insist that I never took assassination requests, I spent two years in the business, all told I probably took twenty or thirty requests. I lost count after the first few. It takes a lot of your humanity away…" Natsu whispered, a little shaken remembering. "It's almost like an addiction...I needed something to distract myself, and that was something to do...I was able to just unleash without worrying about any consequences...It was great training too, I might add...Though I suppose none of that would make sense unless you knew why I needed to train."
"Wow, you're going to tell them that too?" Happy asked, shocked he would be so open.

"Yes and no. Not that but everything else. I have chosen four people, a sort of legacy so to speak, not that I consider myself worthy of a legacy or anything, but-"

"I'm honored that you would trust me so highly, Natsu," Erza told him.

"Yeah...it really means a lot.." Mira whispered, slowly scooting closer to him.

"Very well, let us start at the beginning. I do not know when exactly I was born, nor do I know where, but as to what I was told, one of my fathers, Draco, took me from a village that had been destroyed by the black dragon Acnologia to live and train with him and his brother, the White Fire Dragon King Igneel…" Natsu began his story, continuing about what he had learned from his dragons. He described the battle where they'd both been killed and the story of crafting his jewelry. After that part, both were in tears, modesty all but forgotten, as they hugged Natsu fiercely, snuggling up to his warmth. He continued on his story at the village of Rösch, and how he met Happy and found enjoyment in his life again. Until that is, they were taken from him. By a group that worshipped the same being that murdered his fathers in front of him.

"I...lost myself...I pledged that very day to kill Acnologia...I was created on this earth to kill that menace, and I will never stop breathing until that happens...I trained for a year, following that day, before I found out about a way to train and make money without having any requirements or responsibilities, and that was in bounty hunting. It made a lot of money, and I was good at it so I continued...The reason I don't like to tell anyone is because of who I was…"

Erza and Mira were both crying and wrapped around him, Happy laid on his chest tearing up as well, remembering his time with Treya, Parker, Cindy, and Ashley.

"It's my own fault, I just can't help myself from keeping a trophy," Natsu mused. "And if I can't physically take one, I'll mark it as something I claimed...I was known as The White Crown…"

Both girls gasped.

"Y-you're…" Erza started, getting up and eyeing him.

"The White Crown?" Mira was somehow shouting at the volume of a barely audible whisper.

"Indeed," Natsu replied. "The flaming white assassin, who murdered countless dark mages. Those are exaggerated, of course. Not that I deny them, but I was by no means an assassin. Many were killed by my hands, but I never intended to. My goal was capturing live targets, they simply interrupted my information gathering."

"That actually...explains a lot," Mira said, lowering herself back down. "I-I'm sorry, Natsu…"
"Yes...truly…" Erza added.

"Nonsense, it's my own fault." He was a little confused as to why they were both wrapped around him, but he was always tactile anyway, so he enjoyed it. 'I thought humans didn't like this sort of thing,' Natsu thought to himself. "Why don't you two get some sleep, salamanders hunt at daybreak, so I'll wake you guys then…"

So the three dozed off, Natsu keeping to a light sleep as per usual, prepared for any signs of an impending threat, but there seemed to be none. There they lay, dozing off in nature with nothing but a simple orange fire and the clothes on their backs.

The next morning, Natsu arose just before the sun and woke the two girls up. They had a quick breakfast, no one bringing up the topics from the previous night but seemingly staying much closer to Natsu, and prepared to head out. They found a section in the forest overlooking the livestock that the mayor had told them was the salamanders' most common hunting ground.

"Stay extremely quiet," Natsu told them. "Salamanders, while not quite as keen as dragons, still have senses stronger than most animals, and if not for the wind, would be able to smell our presence before even getting close."

They didn't have to wait long before Natsu turned out to be right. Right as the sunrise was coming out of its midway point, two enormous red lizards came crawling out towards the sheep.

"THAT'S A SALAMANDER?" Mira whispered.

"THEY'RE HUGE!" Erza added under her breath.

"Yes, now hush! You two stay here, I'm going to try to set up a pincer," Natsu informed them and quietly headed off. "I'll signal you two when I'm ready, just be very careful. And if I need to use white fire, BACK AWAY!"

Both girls nodded their heads, not particularly wanting to be another victim of the famed 'White Crown', and watched as he left along with Happy.

"I still can't believe that's him," Mira whispered. "I thought the White Crown was like, some serial killer that chose dark guilds so he wouldn't be arrested or something."
"I can't say I knew myself," Erza replied. "He's a bit strange, but you'd never know he had a reputation for brutality by looking at him."

"Didn't Happy mention something they didn't tell us?" Mira questioned.

"Indeed. Honestly, I'm not sure I could handle whatever it is, considering what he was willing to share," Erza replied.

"He also said he chose four, but I think we're the first two. Who else do you think he picked?"

"I can't say I know for sure. I believe Makarov knows his story, so that could be one of them. He seems quite fond of Lisanna, they seem almost like siblings, so maybe her?" Erza guessed.

"Maybe…"

"RAAAGHHHHHH!" The conversation was suddenly cut short as one of the salamanders let loose an enormous roar, and looked directly at where the two were hiding. The two lizards were gigantic and covered in shimmering red scales. The smaller one was 20-feet from snout to tail and the larger one looked to be closer to 25.

"Erza! Jane! GET DOWN!" they heard Natsu yell from across the field. They just barely ducked when a mess of flames was sent crashing above their prone bodies.

"I almost forgot those freaks breathe fire!" Mira groaned.

"REEEEGHHAAA!" The two looked up and watched in shock as Natsu was wrestling with one of the beasts, as it roared and squeaked in pain. His entire body was engulfed in orange fire, while the other one took a moment to process. Happy was flying above taunting all three of them.

"Come on, Natsu! Is that all you've got! These lizards are pathetic!"

"Quiet, Happy! I'm working on it! ARGH!" Natsu suddenly shouted as the other salamander managed to scratch his back slightly, causing him to bleed.

"NATSU!" That broke the trance of the two females hiding, and they prepared to engage.

"NO! BACK UP!" Natsu shouted back, who stopped suddenly confused.

"But-" and that was as far as she got before Natsu jumped off the salamander and kicked the one that had nicked him in the face, forcing the two on opposite sides of him. Natsu inhaled and took a stance, leaving his left-hand flat pointed to the floor and his right flat and pointed to the sky.

"O' flames that burn white with holy light, let yourself be free. White Fire Dragon King's FLAMING TWISTER!" he shouted, releasing a torrent of white fire from each hand. The girls watched in awe as a tornado or shimmering white flames whirled around him, the salamanders screeching and howling in agony. After about 5 seconds, the tornado stopped, and the dust began to settle. Natsu was standing facing them with his eyes closed, maintaining his stance, with the two salamanders on either side of him. The smaller one was dead, it was quite obvious. The larger one was on the verge of death, his scales were covered in burns, but weren't starting to melt off as his friend's were. Natsu calmly walked over to the barely living lizard, and thrust a flaming hand through his chest, ripping out a now cooked heart, killing it instantly. Once again, a bloodless bloodbath.

"Attaboy, Natsu!" Happy shouted, landing on his head after the air had cooled a bit.

Both Erza and Mira stood wide-eyed and in shock. The ground was charred. The smaller reptile, who breathed fire, was melting. They had just watched Natsu rip the heart out of an animal clinging to life.
"That was…" Mira whispered.

"The White Crown…" Erza finished.

Once they broke out of their trance, they ran over to Natsu, scolding him for doing things without them, and bandaged his cut. It wasn't too bad, he insisted, but it was bleeding so they took care of it anyway.
"You two take that one, and I'll carry this one," Natsu said, gesturing for them to take the smaller one while he'd take the larger one. He proceeded to grab the two front legs, sling them over his shoulder, and started to haul it back to the city. The girls looked at each other and shrugged. 'If he can do it, I can do it!' they both thought, and grabbed a leg. This thing was HEAVY! It took all they had just to get that thing moving at all.

"How...can you...LIFT THIS STUPID THING!" Mira finished collapsing in exhaustion. They had been walking for only an hour, and she was past done carrying it.

"I must...agree…" Erza panted, joining Mira on the ground. "This must...weigh...a thousand pounds or more…"

"Indeed," Natsu said, turning to the two of them. "This one I have is the third largest one I've ever seen."

"THEY GET EVEN BIGGER!" They both shouted at the same time.

Natsu sighed and gave them both some water that he had on him, which they both happily guzzled down. "Of course!" Natsu proceeded to tell the stories of all the times he had had salamander, from their sizes to his attempts to lift them, and even how he failed to find one every time he convinced either dragon to let him go hunt, every time swearing he'd get the biggest one they'd ever seen. They carried on like that for a few minutes, before Natsu decided they better get a move on.
It took them 2 more hours, and three more 10-minute breaks, before finally arriving back at Pedaltown. Natsu put his cloak back on during their most recent stop, and both girls collapsed upon reaching the city.

"Finally…" Mira panted. "We're...here…"

"That took...forever…" Erza added. "Did we really...have to bring them...with us?"

"What, and not get to enjoy them? Plus, we can probably double our reward! One salamander is worth a fortune if you know what to do with it, let alone two!" Natsu explained, telling them about how the claws, similar to his own, could be made into necklaces. The scales were often ground to powder for potions, though the smaller ones were mostly melted away and couldn't be used for that anymore. The meat was delicious, though Natsu said he wanted at least one of them for himself, and even the bones were collector's items.

"I thought you said you've never hunted salamander yourself before?" Erza asked him, finally recovering.

"I haven't but I've learned a lot over my years across Ishgar, and I learned a lot about Dragonkin from Igneel," Natsu explained. "I'll go get some items to carve, one of you collect our reward and the other can stay here and guard our merchandise. I doubt very much anyone could carry it away, but people might be a bit concerned or try to steal a claw or two if we just leave it here. Happy! You're with me, lil' buddy!" And with that, he set off.

The rest of the day was spent disassembling their catch, Natsu taking extra precision in showing them exactly how to carve so as to not damage the creature, or as he called it, 'his trophies.'

"So," Natsu began, wiping off a bit of sweat. They had just finished the last bit. The bones were piled high, the scales filled two wheelbarrows, and the meat filled three. Natsu had collected the talons and laid them separately to avoid damage. "You guys get the first pick."

Mira decided to take three talons and a handful of scales, Erza doing the same. Natsu decided to keep five talons, a handful of scales, a bone from each, and a fang from each. They decided one wheelbarrow of meat would be taken back to the guild, and whatever else they couldn't eat they'd sell to the local shop owners. They had a pleasant evening, talking about what each of them were going to do with their trophies, enjoying the meat and each other's company. It'd been the longest Mira and Erza had ever gone without trying to kill each other, and they had a blast.

"I must admit, Natsu," Erza said between bites. "You were quite right. This is one of the best meals I've ever had."

"See? I'm glad you like it though. I can't help but drool just thinking about these delicious creatures."
"Only you look at a thousand-pound fire breathing monster and get hungry, Natsu," Mira informed him, rolling her eyes. "But, I guess it is really good."

"Well, I suppose the She-devil and Titania may have to join me in that regard!" Natsu said laughing.

"We didn't do anything, Mr. Salamander," Erza said. "You took them down before we could even get there!"

"I suppose so."

They decided to stay the night in the forest again and were getting ready to doze off for the night, once again huddled together, Mira on Natsu's left side and Erza on his right, when Natsu spoke.

"I must thank you both...I was a little...nervous...to work with others. Even Happy's never been on a job with me before, but I enjoyed it immensely. Thank you."

"Don't be ridiculous, Natsu!" Mira said. "I had a great time, even if I had to share it with that red-haired mongrel."
"Watch it, wicked witch! Though I must agree, this has been one of my favorite missions that I've completed since joining Fairy Tail. We should continue working together from time to time…" Erza finished.

"I agree…" Natsu whispered, starting to doze off. "I agree…"

The next day, they woke up, had more salamander for breakfast, and headed off to town. They managed to sell a full cart worth of meat before they were asked to leave, and they took the train back, only at the insistence that the meat would spoil if they walked. After spending the entire trip begging someone to kill him, they arrived back at Magnolia with their spoils of war. On the way back, they managed to sell the last of what they weren't going to bring to the guild, that being the bones, the remaining claws and teeth, and a wheelbarrow full of meat. They arrived at Fairy Tail in high spirits and celebrated the success of the mission. Everyone enjoyed the meat and thanked Natsu for sharing, to which he modestly declined the thanks insisting that it was the idea of Mira and Erza. Regardless, they spent the rest of the day and most of the night celebrating, eating salamander meat, and enjoying the company of each other.

Natsu had staked his claim, albeit unofficially, on a plot of land outside of town and started his trophy collection there, arranging his spoils in a pleasing way. He planned to buy the land eventually, but for now, it was enough to just protect it himself. He left the party in the early evening, exhausted not from the haul, but from the immense amount of social interaction he had been forced into that day.

"Remind me to not attend any more parties, Happy," Natsu said falling over on his sleeping mat.

"You loved it, Natsu," Happy told him, curling up on top of him, and the two fell into a slumber.

Meanwhile, back at the guildhall, the members were grilling Erza and Mira for information about the new member.

"What was he like?"

"How strong was he?"

"Did he really take both of them down himself?"

"How much did they weigh again?"

It was question after question, before the fearsome duo decided they'd had enough and scared the curious mages away. They each had their own plans for the night, which may or may not have involved making jewelry that reminded them of a certain fire mage who had lived through hell but came out alright.

'It was a pleasant few days,' Mira thought to herself, settling in her bed for the evening.

'I'll definitely have to spend more time with him,' thought Erza, going to sleep herself.

And that they would. Over the next few years, Natsu's time at Fairy Tail was spent separating the two feuding females, alternating who got to join him on missions, though sometimes he snuck out alone, and enjoying the company of Lisanna and Levi. Lisanna was his little sister, he loved her dearly and always brought her little trinkets or items from his missions. Levi was similar, but she was the only one who he could talk about books to, so that's what they talked about for the most part. He'd bring her any of the books he found that he thought may interest her, and she gave him the ones that she had finished. The two even worked on a book together, about dragons, dragon slayers, mating (much to Levi's embarrassment), and everything else dragon-related they could think of. It took them 2 years, but it was worth it, and Levi decided she would hang onto the copy for a while, not comfortable with having it published. Natsu agreed, and they decided that one day they'd publish it, but that day was certainly far off… Overall, it was a pleasant few years, but of course, not everything was perfect...