I do not own Fairy Tail.

Chapter 7

It has been three days since Twilight Ogre's mages were arrested. The town of Magnolia went back to its daily everyday life again. Construction mages were brought back to renovate the destroyed Guild House of Twilight Ogre. Natsu and the mayor of the town had a meeting and reached an agreement with the costs and taxes. The mayor agreed to pay 35% of the renovations while Natsu would have to pay the leftover unpaid taxes left by the former representing Guild of Magnolia. Apparently, Banaboster had left a huge debt. Natsu only agreed to pay half of them while the mayor would pay half of the reconstruction fees. It took a while but they agreed on the deal. It was basically a win-win situation for both sides.

The brightness of the sun gracefully presented itself at the start of a new day. The residents in the Dragneel mansion were having a nice slumber, save for the Guild Master of Fairy Tail himself. Natsu enjoyed the huge mug of coffee while making his way towards the guild house. It would take one more week before they can relocate their base. However, the atmosphere around Fairy Tail was lively after the thorn they had to deal with for the past couple of years were finally gone. As he made his entrance, the Wizards put a stop to their actions and greeted their master.

"Good morning, Master," Laki addressed while waking up to the man.

"Good morning to you too," Natsu greeted back after taking a sip.

"Are the others still sleeping?" the Wood Make Mage questioned. The pink-haired male nodded at her assumption.

"I figured they needed some rest. They can take an extra hour nap," he reasoned before continuing.

"Is Macao here already?" Natsu asked.

"Yes, he's with Wakaba at the bar," Natsu then walked towards the two veteran mages, who were chuckling while having a conversation.

"Good morning! Nat- I mean Master!" Kinana's loud exclamation alerted the other two wizards.

"Good morning, Kinana. You don't have to bring me anything for breakfast. And good morning to you too, Macao and Wakaba," the Dragon Slayer said as he set his now empty mug on the countertop and began pulling out papers from inside his cloak.

"It's good to see ya, Master. By the way, what's with the documents?" the Fire Mage inquired.

"I'll be out on an errand right now. I came here to give these to you," after realizing what Natsu was implying, a look of horror appeared on the old man's face.

"Not again!" he whined.

"Make sure they are finished. I need to bring them to the Magic Council's meeting tomorrow," he ordered before picking up his empty mug and leaving the guild.

Natsu was also greeted by the citizens of Magnolia. After hearing about the whole Twilight Ogre's kidnapping and assault, his reputation in town rose tremendously. He returned their gestures with small nods and short 'Good Mornings'. He quickly walked back to his home and slowly moved up the stairs. On the second floor, he turned right after reaching the hall split in the middle by the stairs and walked until reaching the third room to his left. There was a total of 20 rooms in the mansion. 12 of them were on the upper level while 8 were on the first floor. He quietly knocked on the door and after a few seconds, it opened. He was greeted with the groggy eyes of a certain swordswoman.

"N-Natsu dear, is everything alright?" she asked in concern.

"No worries. Everything is fine. Can you get ready by ten minutes or so? I'll be waiting outside," his request only managed to bring more confusion to her.

"I'll gladly do it, but may I know why?" the grogginess from her eyes was completely gone due to the surprise she just received.

"We'll be...going on a date. Make sure you're out by the time limit I gave you. Also, don't make any noises," Natsu explained before leaving the shell-shocked woman. Her expression of shock slowly turned into a beam as a wave of happiness breezed through her. She then quietly closed her door and soon started preparing for her leave.

Natsu didn't take much time to get dressed. He had a simple light blue shirt under his dark-colored vest and slim slacks. The top button of the shirt was left open. The left-arm sleeve of his shirt was just hanging. It looked kind of ridiculous in his opinion but Natsu had no choice left. His hair was obscured with the black flat cap on top of his head. The last piece of his outfit was his scarf, which he used to cover up the lower portion of his face. Natsu's attention was taken away by the shuffling behind the door, which he heard due to his enhanced hearing.

Ikaruga slowly walked out of the house and approached him. She had put on a black kimono with cherry blossoms all over it. The edges were pink, which just added to the beauty of the dress, The wide sleeves only reached her elbows. Natsu was however surprised by the fact that the kimono only reached a little over her knees. She also had pink stockings that reached right below her knees. She also put on a red pair of heels, which was why she took caution in her movements. Her hair was tied into a knot that was held by a pin. She also put light makeup over her face.

"H-H-How do I look?" she had a blush while asking that.

"You look beautiful," Natsu said with a small smile. He was impressed by the effort she put into this in such a short time.

"T-T-Thank you very much! You also look very pleasing as always! P-Please, take care of me!" while she showed her gratitude, she took a wrong step and tripped. Before she could meet the ground and ruin her appearance, Natsu caught her instantly. As they made eye contact, her blush grew at the serene expression he held. She slowly stood back up and grabbed his arm with both of hers. Natsu didn't stop her and began walking out of the forest and into the town.

"I made sure to leave a note on the table that I'll be out to visit the Capital," Ikaruga started off.

"Oh, yes. I forgot to tell you to do that. Good work. We'll actually be going to Crocus for our date," he informed the pink-haired woman, who had a huge smile on her face.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you hiding your face?" the former Assassin questioned.

"I don't wish to draw any sort of attention towards myself today. If concealing my identity can accomplish that, then so be it," he told Ikaruga, who bobbed her head up and down in understanding. Then a frown grew on her face.

"I forgot to bring my Mugetsu-Ryu with me. I hope we'll have a great time together, but what if-" she was interrupted by Natsu's next words.

"I'm strong. I'll protect you if you're in any sort of trouble," her frown changed into a very warm smile and she responded to his assurance by hugging his arm tighter.

The two then made a bit of small talk as they reached the Train Station. Both of the mages booked a cabin to Crocus and didn't have to wait long enough for the train to arrive. As Natsu calmly sat down, his date looked at him in worry.

"Dear, I heard from Wendy that you suffer from motion sickness. Would you like to lie down on my lap and sleep for the ride?" she offered but Natsu declined.

"That'll be fine. I admit I did have a lot of trouble with this right after I got released, but I've been getting used to this due to all the travels I've been in ever since I joined the Magic Council. I do appreciate your thoughtfulness, as always," the Dragon Slayer replied. Ikaruga then proceeded to gently lay her head on his shoulder when the train started. There was slight discomfort but with how many times he's been using the train for his meetings, it wasn't an issue to the Wizard Saint anymore. He noticed that Ikaruga's eyelids were already about to shut off, indicating that she was gonna take a nap soon.

'Welp here goes nothing,' thought the pink-haired man before taking a deep breath and going into his meditation.

Natsu's Mindscape:

"Short time no see, King!" his counterpart greeted him with a silly grin.

"I could say the same to you," Natsu countered disinterestedly.

"So, I see you going on a date," the Demon's eyebrows wiggled as he looked into Natsu's eyes, who just sighed at his antics.

"I will say, that training regiment that you had for me to lose my motion sickness was very useful," Natsu started to change the subject while E.N.D. snickered.

"What did I tell ya? Man, thinking about that still cracks me up sometimes! Especially when you screamed like a little bitch while that air train went round and round!" the Demon laughed at the end of his speech while his human half just grumbled in annoyance.

"So the plan will be almost like Take-Over Magic, right?" Natsu asked. E.N.D. ceased his laughter and an expression of seriousness plastered on his face.

"That's right. You'll use that Vardefullt Lacrima, Tungsten, and Titanium and attach it to the nerves on the stump of your left shoulder using Rune Magic. Make sure not to make any mistakes while using the instructions I gave you. If you go wrong in this even a bit, it's boom boom for both of us," Natsu nodded at his warning before making his reply.

"However we do not know if it will be successful yet. We really need to find a demon to test out our theory and see if there are any issues," E.N.D. just rolled his eyes at that comment. Natsu already knew what was coming out of the Demon's mouth next so he went ahead and said it himself.

"I can't guarantee that I'll be able to wipe out Tartaros by myself yet. Even if I do manage to achieve that, the Council will be very suspicious of me. We need to wait for an opportunity," E.N.D.'s face grew a frown and a grumble escaped his throat even though he knew that the previous statement was nothing but the truth.

"Why don't we go to Galaxy Island and grab one of 'em that lives there?" suggested the demonic being. He realized his mistake and spoke again before his human half could.

"Never mind. They weren't created by Zeref, so it ain't gonna work," Natsu shook his head with a sigh at the follow-up.

"And it's Galuna Island by the way. So even if we find a test subject soon, and that's huge if, we still have to wait around a month for the materials to be delivered. And I still have to study and comprehend the right steps fully before I attempt this," Natsu voiced.

"And you do know the consequences can't be avoided if you're successful. And we still stand by our original goal, which was to kill Acnologia," the Demon reminded the pink-haired man. Natsu paused to think for a moment before giving a response.

"I don't give a shit about the consequences. As long as Acnologia is wiped off of this universe, I'll be satisfied. If separating ourselves is the answer to utilizing your full power, then so be it," E.N.D. chuckled before sharing his own thoughts.

"And as the deal says, I get to taste blood and after Acnologia is gone for good, you free me," demanded the Demon.

"Freedom, huh?" Natsu quietly murmured.

"That's enough for today! Go back and enjoy the date with your woman, King!" E.N.D. yelled before darkness appeared in Natsu's eyes.

Back in the Real World:

The train was still moving at the same pace as it started with. Ikaruga was still in her nap with a very peaceful expression on her beautiful face. He realized that his bit of discomfort from motion sickness immediately returned but it was manageable. He looked at the time and discovered that almost two hours passed since they entered the train. Natsu then yawned and began closing his eyes for a quick rest.

When his eyelids slowly parted themselves, he noticed that he was looking at the ceiling of the cabin. He also felt something on his head. He shifted his vision to the right, only to be greeted by the smiling face of Ikaruga, who put his head in her lap and gently ran her hands through the neck-length pink locks on his head. He slowly got up and sat on the seat and put the hat back on his head before looking back at his date for the day.

"We're getting off at the next stop. It should only take a couple of minutes now," she informed him.

"I see. When did you wake up?" he questioned.

"Only around half an hour ago or so. I'm really excited about the day. I never imagined you would be asking me to accompany you. It's as if a dream of mine became a reality!" the Sword Mage proclaimed with a blissful look on her face.

"I'm glad that you're happy," Natsu gave her a genuine smile along with his response, which caused her cheeks to redden a bit. The two then spent the rest of the time in peaceful silence until the train stopped. They got off at Crocus Train Station and began walking into the beautiful Capital City of Fiore. There were many luxurious items being sold in the market with unlimited varieties. They passed by the Mercurius Castle and Domas Flau before ceasing their movement in front of a restaurant named Giglio's Eatery.

"Would you like to go in or stay outside?" Ikaruga shook her head before answering.

"Let's enjoy nature's beauty as we spend our lovely time together," she suggested, to which Natsu nodded and took a seat on one of the empty tables. Ikaruga followed the same course of action and took the lone chair right across his own. It didn't take long for a maid to appear by their sides. The maid seemed to recognize the Wizard Saint and both partners ordered their meals with satisfaction.

"It seemed as if that woman is familiar with you," the woman asked with a slight frown.

"During my travels, I come here sometimes when I'm in Crocus. She takes my orders most of the time," Natsu calmly explained, to which Ikaruga nodded in understanding.

"I see. Well, may I ask why you requested, no, DEMANDED a date with me for the day?" she asked with a sly smile while putting heavy emphasis on the word "Demanded".

"I'll be honest with you. I was never gonna do anything like this until Ultear recently asked for a date," he sighed. The former assassin's eyes widened at his words.

"Truly? Did you decline her offer?" she interrogated. A look of confusion formed on her visage when Natsu shook his head.

"I'll be going out with her this upcoming Wednesday. She more or less demanded it as a payback for what I made her go through. If I take her out on a date before you, I feel as if I'm just not giving a shit about how much you cared about me for all this time, which is not true. I really appreciate you always thinking of my well-being" Ikaruga was really touched with not only his explanation but the fact that he was actually sharing these honest words despite how uncomfortable he looked. She saw in his eyes that he fully meant what he said. A few tears of happiness escaped her eyes as she covered her mouth.

"Come on. Save those tears for later," the Guild Master grumbled.

"I-I-I am just so happy! Your thoughtfulness behind my feelings makes me very happy," a few more tears flowed down her cheeks. Natsu then decided to use the handkerchief he had on him and wipe off his date's tears.

"Now, here is the problem. I don't know how to explain this to Ultear when we go out in a couple of days," he voiced.

"It's ok," Ikaruga said with a smile.

"Hmm?" Natsu was confused at her statement.

"As long as Ultear agrees to both of us being with you at the same time, I don't mind. I'll always be grateful to you for saving me all those years ago. My love for you will never go away, not even until after the day I take my last in," she professed with all her heart in a very determined expression. For the first time in years, Natsu's face had a blush even though it was a small one.

"That is...very touching. Your words mean a lot. Thank you very much," he murmured in a quiet tone after taking the scarf off of his face.

"I'm glad that's the case. By the way, have you noticed how Meredy and Wendy admire you so much? Those two girls are very fond of you. Also, Laki sometimes speaks of her affections for you as well. Although, only I'm aware of that," Natsu gained a look of surprise when he heard about the Wood Make mage.

"I was already somewhat aware of Meredy's and Wendy's case. Ultear surprised me a bit the other day when she asked me to go on a date with but Laki's case is a lot more surprising if I am being honest," Natsu spoke with a sincere tone.

"Is this why you've never looked for a partner before and you were adamant about no one being aware of our date today?" Natsu nodded his head at her assumption.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt and affect the bonds you guys may have formed in these past few years. Anyone getting their feelings hurt and it having an influence over how they interact with everyone in the guild would be very bad for Fairy Tail," Natsu explained to her. She took a moment to think before giving him a reply.

"I'll talk with the ladies. I'll make sure that you'll have no issues making a decision soon regarding this matter," she assured her partner. He gave her a nod of appreciation right before the maid came back with their meals.

The two spent time talking about how the guild was going in Natsu's absence. He already knew that it definitely wasn't good but he wanted specific details. Whenever Bisca and Alzack went on missions, they would leave Asuka and Peony to Wendy if she was available or else Kinana. Ikaruga stated that she wanted to be someone Peony could look up to as a mother figure but the child was too interested in playing with Asuka and the figures Ultear made using her Ice Magic. Natsu was glad to learn how much the guild treasured his daughter when she was left all alone.

Amidst their conversation, Natsu suddenly looked behind him. Ikaruga was caught off guard but she looked in the same direction as the pink-haired male. She noticed that two individuals were approaching them. The one at the front with blonde hair looked really excited while the raven-haired one behind him looked a bit anxious. Once they got closer, it became clear that they were in their late teens and the blonde male, garbed in an unbuttoned black vest with furs and black pants, was hopping up and down in excitement, which caused his lone earring on his left ear to sway. The one behind him was walking at a slower pace with his dark-colored cloak enveloping his upper body and normal gray pants with a sword on his hip.

Ikaruga noticed that Natsu let a small gasp escape once he caught sight of what was behind the two individuals. Intrigued, she looked behind him and couldn't help but do the same. Two cats were also following the teens. The one with dark brown fur had only a blue vest and the one with green fur had a pink frog's outfit on. The two males got closer to Natsu and the blonde one let out a yell of excitement, getting some stares from the surrounding people. His partner just groaned in embarrassment and hid his face with his hands.

"Hey! You're Mr. Salamander, right?" the blonde teen enthusiastically asked.

"That...would be correct. And I would appreciate it if you didn't draw any attention towards our location," Natsu replied to the teen.

"O-Oh! Sorry about that! Well, I'm Sting Eucliffe from Sabertooth! I'm a Third-Generation White Dragon Slayer and I've been a huge fan of you since I was a kid!" his statement gained interest from Natsu.

"A Dragon Slayer, you say? It's rare to find one of us nowadays. By the way, how did you even recognize me?" Natsu questioned Sting.

"Well, I've heard rumors that you visited around this place. And I know that you only have one arm now. So when I saw the empty left sleeve of your shirt, I put two and two together. And I confirmed it when I say your goatee," Sting clarified. Natsu internally cursed at himself for not having an extra coat besides the one given from the Magic Council.

"I almost forgot to mention! The guy behind me is also a Dragon Slayer, a Third-Generation Shadow Dragon Slayer to be precise. The little guy you see to my left is my partner, Lecter, while the other little fella is his," the White Dragon Slayer continued. The other teen awkwardly stepped up to Natsu and offered his left hand for a shake.

"I-I'm Rogue Cheney, also from Sabertooth. And this is my partner Frosch. W-We are honored to meet you. Also, I apologize for our sudden intrusion," Rogue greeted the Wizard Saint.

"You are correct on intruding during our DATE. Also, please use your other hand if you want to shake hands with my beloved," Ikaruga's sweet smile had an aura of intimidation, which put a bit of fear into the four guests. Rogue seemed to realize his mistake and blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry for being so inconsiderate!" the older Dragon Slayer waved it off with a sigh and shook his right hand.

"You know, I also had an Exceed partner back in the day," Natsu told the Sabertooth mages.

"Oh, really? Where is he now? Or she?" Sting inquired. Ikaruga glared at the blonde mage for asking that question.

"He's in a better place now," Natsu surprised everyone by crouching down and patting both Lecter and Frosch on their heads, who didn't refrain from his touch.

"I apologize if that made you feel uncomfortable," Natsu spoke with a quiet one.

"N-No! I'm sorry for asking such a question!" Sting gave his own apology, which Natsu waved off.

"No worries. By the way, do you want an autograph or something like that? Or is there another reason for you coming here?" Sting gained a serious demeanor right after Natsu finished.

"I wanted to ask how I can become strong like you?" his request caused Natsu to be silent for a moment before he gave his answer.

"You can become strong, but don't be like me. That'll just hold you back. I've been asked the same thing before and I will give you the same response that I gave to that other person. Become strong in your own ways. What do you desire? How do you want to accomplish your goal? How far are you willing to go for that? Do you have the resolve for it? For example, I want to prevent those who are close to me from being harmed and I'll do whatever I can in order to do that. Does that answer your question?" the teen hummed for a moment before a grin showed up on his face.

"Thanks, Mr. Salamander! And I'll let you know this! One day, I'll surpass you and become the strongest Dragon Slayer, no, the strongest Mage on Earthland!" the young man declared with absolute determination.

"That's right! Sting will be the strongest! I believe in him!" Lector cheered. Their behavior brought a bit of nostalgia to Fairy Tail's master, reminding him of himself before everything fell apart.

"I wish you nothing but the best of luck, kid," the pink-haired man gave them a nod of respect.

"Now, would you be kind enough to let us enjoy our time together?" Ikaruga demanded the teens in with a smile.

"O-Of course! Thank you for your time! Have a great day!" Rouge scurried off with Sting right away along with the Exceeds. Ikaruga then looked at Natsu with a look of confusion.

"Dear, I'm surprised you never asked them about their Dragons," she commented.

"Ah, I guess it slipped my mind," he replied. This only made her frown. She knew how obsessed he was with his searches for Igneel all the time back in the day. Everyone in the guild knew about it. She also knew that he changed a lot since back then, but if he didn't pay much mind to anything related to that matter. The change in him was much bigger than she thought. And for some reason, this response from him gave her a very bad feeling.

The two left the restaurant around 30 minutes later. Natsu took her to the market and let the Sword Mage buy outfits of her liking. The Dragon Slayer then also decided to purchase souvenirs for Peony, which mostly included items of clothing and toys. Natsu also went inside a blacksmith's shop and brought out a cloth-wrapped package from there, which intrigued the pink-haired woman. They also visited the park and walked around the entire city after shopping. This continued until the afternoon when the two went to a cafe and got themselves some coffee and tea in Ikaruga's case. The two didn't waste much time after that to head back to the station and buy a ticket back to Magnolia.

The train moved at a faster speed than it did in the morning. They did however realize that by the time they're back home, it'll already be dark out. Just like before, Ikaruga sat next to Natsu and put their stuff on the seats across from them. They made sure to separate Peony's stuff so Natsu would be able to go into the town after her and no one would start any rumors. She didn't waste any time to strike up a conversation.

"What is it in that package?" she questioned.

"It's just some souvenirs I bought for display in my office and also a weapon for myself," he calmly answered.

"That seems like a sword. I never knew you were interested in them," she shared her thoughts with a smile.

"I figured that using a sword instead of using Magic when I don't really need to could prove to be very useful. It would save up the Etherano in my container," he confessed. She nodded in understanding before a frown took over her visage.

"That is very smart indeed. Although with only one arm, it'll be very tough for you to utilize that at its full strength. Would you mind if I give you some pointers?" she offered with a hint of excitement.

"I'll make sure to get your advice when the time comes," he agreed, which caused the smile on Ikaruga's face to widen even more.

"A-And also, thank you very much for your time today. It meant a lot to me that you went out of your way to spend the day together," she gave her gratitude with a slight blush.

"No worries. If I didn't, it would've been very unfair of me," Natsu replied.

The rest of the ride was spent with small talk between Ikaruga and Natsu. She basically relayed the summary of their date with a joyous tone as Natsu listened. They realized that ride back to Magnolia didn't feel that long as they approached Magnolia's Train Station. It was already dark out and the number of people that were there in the morning lessened. The two got off and Natsu gestured to the pink-haired woman to go before him. She squirmed with her position for a bit before speaking.

"A-Again, thank you for the day. I'll also talk with the others about the issue that you shared with me. By the way, is it okay for me to assume that we'll be going on another date in the future?" she hesitantly questioned Natsu. His face was void of any emotions for a moment before words came out of his mouth.

"Sure. When time offers me an opportunity, I'll definitely keep that in mind," he responded. Ikaruga's lips curved upwards and she suddenly got on her tip-toes before softly meeting his lips with her own. She then slowly backed down with crimson cheeks.

"T-That concludes our date. See you at dinner!" she hurried out of the station with her stuff. Natsu's eyes had widened at what just happened. From his knowledge, this was the first time someone kissed him. He didn't remember if Peony's mother had done it so he considered this one his first. His parted lips shut themselves and they stretched into a gentle smile. He then shook his head and started wandering around the station to buy some time before heading out of the station.

A few days later:

"So...you took Ikaruga out on a date the other day?" Ultear huffed as a frown appeared on her pale face.

As promised, the two were out on a date in Balsam Village. Natsu had on a pair of red pants tucked into black boots and a short-sleeved black shirt under his gray knee-length coat. His fit was completed with the scarf wrapped around his neck, covering the lower part of his face. Ultear put on a knee-length blue dress with golden swirls designs all over it and no sleeves. It was parted right below her thighs. She styled her hair in a bun and put on some make-up.

"I did. I felt it would be unfair to her after all of the affection she has shown me," he explained to the Time Mage. He realized that ever since the day after his date with Ikaruga, Wendy, Meredy, Laki, and the woman across from him has been very tense in his presence. They also tried to keep their conversations with him only business-related and as short as possible.

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," Ultear whispered but Natsu still heard it due to his enhanced hearing.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he stated. Her eyebrows rose at his speech.

"Ikaruga confessed to me 5 years ago, so I know why she wants to have a relationship with me. I was also aware of Wendy and Meredy having feelings for me. I was very taken back when you asked me out in my office last week. And Laki's case is even more surprising, to be honest," Natsu continued.

"F-Fine! I'll say why! I've had feelings for you ever since the day you covered up for me after the Tenrou incident. No one had ever helped me out like that before or tried to encourage me positively. I tried to suppress them since I consider myself a woman with way too many sins to count. I felt as if I never deserved any happiness. But after you saved Meredy, they continued to grow. I was able to hold my feelings back to a degree over the last few years. But since you came back into my life, they've escaped the cage I trapped them in. I found the perfect opportunity to spend time with you by myself after that Twilight Ogre business and I took it. Are you happy now?" the former dark mage spoke with nothing but honesty.

"I...see. Do you want to add anything else?" Natsu asked while his eyes portrayed that he was indeed surprised by her words.

"Yes. Ikaruga told me why you haven't entered a relationship yet. You wish to not hurt anyone's feelings over this matter so the Guild can function normally. Meredy having feelings for you would've been a huge issue for me in the past but now, she considers me more of an older sister rather than viewing me as a maternal figure. Ikaruga also declared that she is willing to let others besides herself join in the relationship. Before I can think over this, I want to ask one question. Are you really doing this for the sake of our feelings or for the guild?" Ultear intensely stared at the pink-haired man. Natsu took a sip of water from the glass before giving his response.

"To be honest, it's a bit of both. It's my responsibility as the Master to make sure that all of the issues, internal and external, concerning the guild are taken care of. I also do not want to cause a rift between the bonds that you all have created in my absence. Many of you have had a very dark past and now you are all willing to move forward from that while also relying on people you can trust. I don't want to take that away from you with any of my selfish decisions," the guild master spoke his words.

"I-I see…" the purple-haired woman spoke her mind. A silence grew between the couple. Ultear's face was tense in concentration while Natsu looked calm as ever.

"Can I have some time to think about this? I'm sorry but I can't give you a clear answer with all the things that are running in my mind right now," she requested, to which the Dragon Slayer gave a nod.

"Of course. Take as much time as you would like," Natsu answered with a soft voice.

"So how about we go back to Magnolia after finishing the meal?" the question slightly surprised the Wizard.

"If you would like that then I have no objections. Although we have a lot of time on our hands, I wouldn't mind if you want to go shopping. I'll even pay for the purchases," Ultear gave him a small smile at his offer.

"How about we get dinner for everyone?" she recommended. The pink-haired man made a sound of agreement at her statement.

"That is a very good idea. Peony would sure like the Grilled Chicken and Steaks from here," he gave a dry chuckle.

One Month Later:

It was yet another tiring meeting with the Council. The 23-year-old father sighed as he kept walking through the empty road to the train station. Ikaruga had gotten a lot closer to him over the past month, even sleeping together on an occasion, due to Natsu drinking the special alcohol he purchased from Fiore. The other occupants in the mansion save for the former prisoners were not happy about that. They even refused to speak to him for a couple of days, even guild-related stuff was not prohibited.

They did however warm up to him a few days later. Ultear agreed to join the polyamorous relationship with Ikaruga and Natsu. Laki also took the same course of action a couple of days later. Wendy and Meredy hadn't decided yet, but there was no awkward energy between them and Natsu. The whole guild was surprised when they learned of the situation. Most were happy for their Master since he'd been so lonely for the last couple of years while a few jealous mages were disgusted and left Fairy Tail immediately. This didn't faze the Guild Master whatsoever and he even took Laki on a date in the previous week.

His training with a wooden sword was also a routine in the morning for him. Although he could only swing using his right arm, he was able to do it with both inside his mindscape, courtesy of E.N.D. He wanted to preserve as much Etherano as he could while also expanding his container. Using a sword in battles without any Magic enhancement against fodders would definitely help with that cause.

His preparation for the experiment was also almost complete. Now all he needed was a test subject to confirm the validity of his theory. Natsu knew that he had to infiltrate or wipe out Tartaros soon. However, he didn't want the Magic Council to have any suspicion on him either. Now was not the time to have them investigate his actions. Plus he knew that they were willing to utilize underhanded tactics to get their results, which would put Fairy Tail and especially his daughter in danger.

"Give me a damn break," the Wizard Saint mentally complained as he dragged his feet on the road.

He noticed that he had some company on the same path he was walking on, although the said company was moving in the opposite direction of his own. Her appearance and attire were very eye-catching. She was dressed in a very revealing blue kimono with leopard designs and had thigh-high stock with heels. It showed off much of her large bosom. Her long and dark purple hair was separated with a white band. She had a few novels in her hands as well. However, the thing that caught Natsu's attention was the two large horns protruding out of the top of her head.

"Horns? Wait...is she a demon from the Books of Zeref? Perhaps a member of Tartaros?" he mentally questioned himself as he passed the female. He was trying to wrap his head around that information when suddenly he felt a weight on his back and two arms wrapping around his torso.

"M-Master…" the woman spoke with a quiet voice and a soft gaze.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

I'll be honest. I no longer possess the fiery motivation to write Fairy Tail fics like I used to. But I will NOT abandon the story. There will most likely be sporadic updates. I might post chapters on a monthly basis. I thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for the support and kindness I've received from the reviews.

I started writing FT fics since it was enjoyable for me and I wanted to grow as a writer with the help received from the reviews. However, I do not find that joy that I used to anymore. I'm sorry and I apologize to those of you who are disappointed with this development.

I do however want to continue writing fics. Currently, I want to write an Attack on Titan fic or an Oregairu (My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected) fic. I can do a crossover between one of them or a crossover between those two. I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Stay safe and take care!