Hey there!
Sorry this chapter took so long, to be quite honest, I'm struggling a bit with this story right now.
Chapter ten:
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It was nice and quiet in his house. Natsu really appreciated the fact, he'd chosen to live outside of Magnolia back when he'd joined the guild. The city had seemed way to loud and hectic for him back then, and with all his lately aquired, enhanced senses, this had only worsened.
Out here, he could only make out the sounds of nature. Rustling leaves, rushing water and the occasional shriek of a bird, that was all. No humans, carts, music or anything else that could irritate his sensitive ears.
Also, there was the smell. The odor of sweat, waste and rotten food had almost made him gag when he'd gotten to the city earlier today. Flying off with Happy the way he had had surely attracted some attention, but he didn't mind that at all. It would be best if they all just accepted things how they were now better sooner then later, because he didn't have any intention of changing back at all. Not that he knew how to do that of course anyways.
He just hoped Gramps and the others wouldn't try to find a spell that would rob him of his current form. He knew they were all still a little uncomfortable with him like this, especially after what had happened with Elfman earlier, and he was actually regretting overreacting like that, but he couldn't change what happened, could he?
He'd just apologize to the man tomorrow. Until then though, he'd have to face another dilemma.
With the way his body was now, he couldn't leave his house the way it was. He wouldn't be able to sleep in his hammock anymore due to his huge wings.
"Natsu?" His little blue companion looked at him a little bit lost. "What are we going to do mow?"
"Hmmm, first of all, I think I would like to go grab something to eat."
"Aye! Would you like to go fishing?"
Fish sure sounded nice, so he nodded. He would take care of the house later. Also, making Happy happy was something, he enjoyed no matter what. The Exceed seemed a bit insecure right now, and calming him down and lifting his spirits a bit sounded good.
Quietly, they made their way towards their usual fishing pond. Happy seemed relieved. Doing this, for them, completely normal activity was relaxing to the both of them. Right now, they were just Natsu and Happy, heading out for some dinner, completely forgetting everything that had happened during the last week.
When the sun started to set, they had managed to catch enough for now. Warily, Happy eyed his part of their catch.
"You're not going to roast mine, got it Natsu?!"
The half dragon only cocked his head to one side. "Why would I want to roast them?"
The blue Exeed looked at him wide eyed. "But… but you always…"
He only shook his head. "Don't worry, I won't ever do that again. They taste better raw anyways."
"Aye, that's what I told ya all along!"
Grinning, they both dug in to their meal, unaware that someone was watching them from behind a tree about a hundred meters away.
It had been silent for quite some time now. Happy had fallen asleep, curled up on his side, just like a real cat. Natsu smiled and lightly scratched his friends ears, all while being mindful of his sharp claws. He didn't want to hurt his friend after all.
It was so peaceful out here. No one was judging him, no one was staring. It was only the two of them, just like old times. The only difference was, that Lisanna wasn't with them.
Since the albino had gotten back home from Edolas, she'd spend less and less time with the two of them. On the outside, Natsu had of course acted as if it didn't bother him. After all, Mira and Elfman had missed her probably even more then he had. But on the inside, he really didn't understand, why she was distancing herself from him.
Thinking about her… made him angry somehow. How dare she just leave?
He wasn't sure if this were his dragon instincts talking or, if he'd secretly felt like this all the time. Shaking his head, he decided to concentrate on the quiet fores around him again. Happy's soft purring soothed his nerves and the warm breeze on his skin relaxed his muscles. He really didn't feel like sleeping though.
He was completely contempt with watching the sun set and feeling his friend beside him. Time passed and before he knew it, evening had become night. The moon had already climbed high into the sky, bathing everything in it's soft, silver light.
He could make out every leave, every single plant. Not for the first time, he felt a sort of awareness, that he'd only come to know since his transformation. From his current position, his combined senses covered everything surrounding them.
How much he would love to fly…
Just fly straight into the moon light, until his wings couldn't carry him any longer. He yearned for a chance to really test out his limits. How far could he fly? How strong had his magic become? Of course, Master wouldn't simply allow him to try this out. He'd smelled the old man's doubt clearly earlier.
It wasn't that Gramps didn't trust him anymore, no, that really wasn't it. It was more like… he didn't really know what to do with him, what he was capable of, or if he was still completely trustworthy.
Balling his fists, he did his best to suppress a quiet growl. Would Master try to keep him from going out on jobs from now on?
Of course, Natsu could understand the position Master was in, but still… To keep him confined to the guild like that really wouldn't help. Natsu was sure he'd lose his mind eventually if he wouldn't be allowed to leave anymore. Not to mention his finances. How was he supposed to afford anything he might need if he wasn't allowed to work?
Sure, he could hunt for food, but there were still things he and Happy would need eventually. Had Gramps thought about that?
One thing was for sure. Once morning came, he would have to have a serious conversation with the old man.
Yawning widely, he curled up around his furry friend. Even if he didn't feel like it, he knew his body still needed rest. He hadn't completely recovered from his ordeal yet after all.
He carefully wrapped his tale around Happy in order to keep him warm and comfy. After covering them with his wings, he closed his flaming eyes and tried his best to drift off to sleep.
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Back at the Guild, Gildarts was looking at the retreating back of the Dragon Slayer, that had almost become a son to him over the years. Just when he was about to say something, the boy and the cat both spread their wings and flew off.
So much for keeping a low profile.
Sighing, he turned towards the Master. "So then, Master. What do you make of all this?"
The old man only shook his head. "I have no idea how this is going to play out in the end."
Gildarts had feared as much. Of course, it was understandable to be worried after the incident just now. Natsu had attacked a fellow guild mate without hesitation. Sure, the kid hadn't hurt Elfman, but the fact remained that he had surely done so, hadn't it been for Erza holding him back.
"Yeah, I think we'll have to come up with a proper way of handling him. It won't be possible to keep him here if there is always a risk of someone getting hurt. Not to mention sending him on jobs…" Now, Gildarts understood why people with children tended to get gray very early on.
"Only time will tell. Maybe he just needs some time to settle in after everything." It sounded more like a wish then anything else. It was clearly visible, that their master was fighting an internal battle. Obviously, he didn't want to kick Natsu out or keep him chained to the guildhall. On the other hand though, there was no way things could just go on like before.
"Don't worry too much Master, It's not good for your health. We'll figure this out just like we always do. We're family after all."
Silently, they watched the other members of fairy Tail. Once the sun started to set, most had left for the day. Just when they were about to call it a day, the doors opened, revealing an old, pink haired lady wearing a dark red cloak.
"Ah, there you are Makarov."
"Purlyusaka, To what do we owe the pleasure?"
She sighed forcefully. "Don't take me for a fool. I just went to see what you brought back from that so called rescue mission. I think there are a few things we need to discuss concerning that." Her strict expression didn't leave much room for argument. "I want to know everything that has happened."
"Why, do you think you could help him?"
Sadly, she shook her head. "No. From what I saw just now, there is no way to turn him back into a human. The changes that were made are way to complex to revert again. Honestly, I'm surprised he survived this transformation in the first place."
Defeated, they explained the situation to her as detailed as possible. The old healer silently listened, a frown on her face.
After they had finished, she only nodded. "I see. I observed him for a bit earlier and what I saw matches what you told me just now. His changes aren't purely physical, that much is certain. I would very much like to take a closer look at him if possible. I need to make sure that brat won't suffer any secondary effects from all this."
"What do you mean?!" Gildarts couldn't quite hide the fear in his voice. Hadn't the kid suffered enough already?
"Oh come on, do you really believe something like this won't leave any traces? Most people wouldn't even have survived an ordeal like this in the first place! I would be highly surprised if I won't find anything wrong with him."
Turning on her heel, she started walking towards the door. Once she had opened it and was on her way out, she turned around again. "I'll come by tomorrow at noon. Make sure the brat's here by then." Without another word, she slammed the door shut behind her, leaving a Stunned mage and a worried Master behind.
"So uhhm, what exactly just happened?"
Makarov only sighed and looked at Gildarts, who was staring at the closed door as if it could start attacking at any second.
"Well, it seems as if this is going to be even more difficult the I initially thought."
Even if he was Fairy Tail's strongest, right now Gildarts felt as weak and helpless as a newborn, unable to do anything to help the kid he'd come to adore like he was his own flesh and blood.
Before he'd been informed about Cana's heritage, he'd never even dreamed about having any kids, but now that he knew how it felt like to be an actual father, he was certain, that Natsu was just as much his child, as Cana was.
"Don't worry Master, we'll get him through this, even if it's going to be difficult."
He could see a contempt smile on the old man's face.
"Of course my boy, after all, family never abandons it's own."
There it was. No one needed to say anything else to that. Natsu was part of their dysfunctional family, and nothing, not even a dragon obsessed madman would ever be able to change that.
He and Master continued to sit at the bar, watching their comrades milling around for a little more time until everyone started clearing out one after the other until finally, it was only the two of them left.
"I think I should start heading home now as well, tomorrow is going to be pretty exhausting."
Master only nodded in response and Gildarts got up from his previous position on one of the bar stools and started walking towards the exit.
"Gildarts?"
Surprised, he turned around and looked at the lonely old man behind him. "What is it Master?"
"I want you here for this tomorrow, got it? I've yet to determine Natsu's current strength and state of mind completely. I just don't want anyone getting hurt in case he reacts badly to the examination."
Of course, Fairy Tail's strongest understood his master's demand very well. Having witnessed Natsu attacking Elfman earlier had made it quite clear to everyone that things could start getting out of and with the kid pretty fast if they were not careful. "Of course Sir, I'll be there."
With those parting words, he finally stepped out into the warm night, sighing. He wasn't used to so much worry and to feeling as insecure as he did right now. What Master had asked of him wasn't only to be there for Natsu. That much was clear. Even if he and the young Dragon Slayer were pretty close and any other person would maybe have thought that he was supposed to offer emotional support, they would be wrong. What Master had asked of him was simply to make sure the kid didn't accidentally injure or kill any of his guild mates, and if need be, Gildarts was supposed to use force in order to defend them and to stop Natsu.
But how was he supposed to do that? Buried under all those scales, horns and teeth was still the Natsu he'd watched grow up, he was sure of it! He just knew, he couldn't bring himself to hurt Natsu for real, especially not after everything his young friend had gone through recently.
On the other hand, he couldn't allow anyone else to be hurt just because he had a soft spot for the salmon haired teen. He just wished Master would have given this particular task to anybody else. Laxus surely wouldn't have had a problem with it, and as the Master's grandson, he would certainly be powerful enough to manage the job, right? Also, the blond would probably have no problem when it came to fighting Natsu for real. As far as he knew, flame and lightening had duked it out once already, so why don't simply have them do it again?
Groaning, he shook his head. Technically, Natsu had won the fight back then and there was no telling, how strong the boy was now, not to mention that he didn't seem to have any problem with right out killing people if he had to. They couldn't risk something like this happening. If Natsu really were to kill one of their own, he would be beyond saving. There would be no way for them to hide his current state from the Magic Council anymore either.
Having him be the one to fight the brat in case anything went wrong really might be the smartest thing for them to do if they really intended avoiding any of those horrible things happening.
As a member of Fairy Tail, it was his most sacret duty to ensure the safety of all the members of their crazy family. He would definitely try his best not to hurt the kid, but that was the only thing he could promise. If things got out of hand too much, he wouldn't have a choice but to get serious.
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Some time during the night, Natsu had noticed Happy starting to shiver slightly. After picking the little blue cat up, he'd brought him home.
Now, the sun's first rays were starting to shine through the windows of their shared house.
In order not to wake his friend, the dragon slayer choose to exit the building as quiet as possible to move and fly around a bit. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something had seemed off last night. He was sure, Happy hadn't noticed anything, but the presence of another person had been quite obvious from his point of view.
Shaking his head, he spread his wings and took off towards the forest. The faint rustling of leaves and the sound of the area's other occupants starting their day filled the air around him. Inhaling deeply, he let the earthy smell of the forest flow through his nose. This had never failed to relax him. Even after Igneel had left all those years ago, the forest had been the only place, he'd managed to feel some semblance of peace.
He couldn't remember living with humans before he'd met Igneel, The red fire dragon had always been the only family he needed. After meeting the Guild, this had changes somewhat. Sure, it had taken quite some time and effort to learn how to fit in with humans, but it had payed off eventually.
They had become his new family, his new safe place to be… And now, Igor had taken this away as well.
Everything that had happened the day before had made it quite clear to the young dragon that he'd either have to start all over again, or leave.
Natsu was well aware of the fact that he didn't really fit in with them anymore. After returning, he'd smelled their fear and confusion, had seen the weariness in their eyes and had heard them whisper and abruptly shut up whenever he came near any of them.
The little incident with Elfman had just been the last piece of evidence he'd needed in order to know that this wasn't his home anymore. Hus guild mates had beef scared of him.
They'd not only been careful or a little bit frightened or surprised, they had literally and honestly been scared of him.
If he was honest with himself, he had to admit that leaving them all behind scared him. He'd lost everything once already. Would he be able to live through that again? Shaking his head, he growled angrily. It wasn't their fault. A few weeks ago, he might have reacted similar to them, if he'd seen one of his family members act like he had yesterday.
At first, he hadn't understood what Igor had meant by saying there wouldn't be a place for him like this. Not now, not ever. He was neither human, nor dragon. There was no place for him anywhere any longer. Maybe it would be for the best if he just left. Now, he understood those dark and hateful words perfectly.
All of his senses, his instincts and every fiber of his being told him to just continue flying. It wasn't the first time he'd felt like this. On their way back to Magnolia, he'd almost given in to this feeling once already. And now, the need to just continue flying had become even stronger.
But could he really do that? Simply leave without saying anything to anyone? Happy would surely be sad. His companion had once before lost one of his parental figures. Thankfully, Lisanna had returned, but the memories of her death were surely still haunting the Exceed just as much as they haunted him to this day.
But Happy wasn't a kitten anymore. He had other people to care for him now and would surely be able to simply keep on living, maybe even go back to his own kind and start a new life there. Or he would simply stay close to Lily and Carla…
His friend would be fine. Maybe even better off without him. Staying together would only mean loneliness for his best friend. He didn't want that for his companion.
Natsu wasn't completely sure he'd be able to control his instincts completely just yet. Attacking Elfman had felt like the right thing to do at the moment. Honestly, he felt as if he'd held back quite a bit that time. He hadn't even injured the man, so why did everyone freak out like that?
He could feel his instincts kicking in again. It had been his good right to defend himself, right? Growling, he sped up the movement of his wings. The cool wind was doing wonders for his confused state of mind. Breathing in deeply, he closed his eyes and simply let the wind carry him for a few minutes.
Yes, Happy would be sad, maybe Lisanna as well, but still, for everyone else it would be the best if he simply left. Looking at his shoulder sadly, he sighed. Where his guild mark had once been, were now only bright red scales. Officially, he wasn't a member right now anyways, so he could go and do whatever he wanted.
Tearing his eyes away from the spot, he looked ahead. He hadn't noticed how for he'd flown already. He'd left the forest far behind and was now right in front of a group of mountains, As a guild mage, he'd seen a lot of different places in Fiore already, but he'd almost never left the country. There was so much he still needed to see and do. And with his new found mobility and abilities, it would be a lot more easy and fun to get from one place to the other.
How long would he be able to fly before needing a break? How powerful were his flames at this point? This were all things, he couldn't figure out while living close to a big city. He wanted to go, find a place that felt more like home, something a bit more familiar…
Back with Igneel, he'd lived in a huge cave that was hidden by dense forests and high mountains. Never had any human managed to find this particular spot. It had been their very own sanctuary. It was the one place he'd ever, truly felt at home. The guild had only taken that cave's place because of the camaraderie and the connection between him and his friends. But if that connection was lost so easily, nothing was keeping him here any longer.
Sure, leaving would hurt at first, but he was sure he'd feel better once the first few days were over and he'd put some distance between himself and Magnolia. Maybe he'd even return someday, he wasn't sure about that quite yet.
Flapping his majestic wings a few more times rapidly, he gained even more altitude and speed and finally disappeared into the clouds and over the nearest mountaintop, unaware of the small blue creature starting to wake up miles away in an empty and cold house.
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When Erza entered the guild hall the next morning, she knew that something was up. Master looked quite tense and Gildarts was here already. Usually, their strongest wouldn't show up before midday. Also, the two of them seemed quite tense.
Maybe they'd fought?
Shaking her head, she dismissed that idea. Both men weren't ones to pick fights like that.
"Good morning Master." Bowing slightly, she halted in front of them. "Is everything alright?"
Master nodded, a forced smile on his lips. "Good morning my dear, yes, everything's as well as can be, don't worry."
"You sure master? You seem tense."
Sighing, the old man nodded. "Well, we're just a bit worried about our dear Natsu. Last night, Purlyusaca was here and told us she'd like to examine him today."
"What for?" Of course, she had a pretty good idea why, but letting the master clarify this for her couldn't hurt.
"Well, she told me she'd observed him yesterday and wanted to make sure, he'll suffer no ill effects from everything that's happened."
"I see. And you're worried about how he'll react, looking at what happened yesterday with Elfman, right?"
The old man simply nodded without another word, then went back to darkly staring at the entrance.
Erza decided to join him in his efforts and sat down next to him. Natsu was like a younger brother to her after all. Knowing if he was okay was very important to her as well.
They sat in silence and watched people come and go, return from jobs, leave for work or simply enjoying a nice meal together or alone. All things considered, it was a fairly normal day and if one didn't look to close, the dark look on everybody's faces could easily be missed.
Still though, the atmosphere was tense and everyone seemed on edge. The red haired knight couldn't blame them. After the stunt her teammate had pulled yesterday, people were bound to be anxious. She was very happy, they didn't know about the bandits Natsu had basically slaughtered an their way back.
Just as she was about to head to the bar to get a piece of cake after waiting for a couple of hours, the front door flew open, revealing a hectic little blue fur ball.
"Someone, HELP! Please!" Happy sounded absolutely desperate.
Sprinting over to him, She noticed the tears in his eyes and a few leaves and some dirt tangled into his fur. She could hear feet running behind her. By the sound of it, Gray and Lucy. However, those two weren't the ones to reach him first.
Before Erza was even anywhere near Happy, Lisanna had knelt down in front of him and was kindly patting his head, speaking soothingly in order to calm him down.
After a few minutes of crying and a stuttered explanation no one was able to understand, the Exceed finally calmed down.
When his breathing had evened out a bit, Erza finally knelt down next to Lisanna. "So Happy, why don't you tell me, what exactly happened?"
"I… I don't know, when I woke up, he was gone!"
"Who was Happy,?" Dread filled her chest and she really hoped she was wrong about this.
"NATSU! I've tried looking for him, but I couldn't find him."
Damn it, why hadn't they sent anyone to keep Natsu company? It had been completely reckless to have no one there to make sure everything was fine!
"Okay, why don't you start from the beginning? What exactly happened?"
After sniffling loudly, Happy nodded and started talking, his voice quiet and trembling slightly. "W-we were out fishing yesterday evening and after eating, I fell asleep. When I woke up in the morning, I was in our house and in my bed, although I can't remember how I got there. I wanted to go and make some breakfast, but when I wanted to wake Natsu, he… he was g-gone…"
That really didn't sound good at all. "What did you do then?"
"I went into the forest to look for him of course! But… I couldn't find him."
The pure desperation in those wide and scared eyes was almost to much to bare. Of course Erza was aware of the deep connection between Natsu and Happy, and for the boy to simply leave without telling his buddy about it surely was strange.
"Are you sure he didn't just go for a walk?"
"N-no, It's just… after everything that's happened…"
Nodding, she got back to her feet. "I understand."
Turning around, she looked at the Master. The old man had the same worried look on his face, she was sure to have herself by now. But to her surprise, he shook his head. "As long as we don't know if something happened or if he simply is taking a long walk, we can't do anything but keep our eyes open."
Sadly, she had to agree with the Master. If Natsu hadn't turned up again in a day or two, she'd start worrying, but until then, she'd just assume he needed some time to himself.
"B-but Master…"
"Listen Happy, I know this is hard, but for Natsu, a lot has changed. Don't you think it would be best to allow him some time to work through this by himself?"
Tail hanging low and head bowed, the blue cat simply nodded before curling up next to Lisanna, who'd remained silent until now, only whispering comforting words to her adopted son every once in a while.
Erza hadn't noticed how much time had passed since she'd gotten here this morning. But when the door slammed open, revealing one pink haired old woman, she remembered what had been supposed to happen today.
"So Makarov, where's the brat?"
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So then, another one done!
Please tell me what you think or maybe what you want to happen next.
See you guys next time!
nahesa