Chapter 5: The queen of the fairies
Days passed by quickly, the news about the return of Natsu Dragneel from the death reach every corner of the kingdom. By the end of the week, it was a common fact that he was alive. A bad news for all those imposter that claimed to be him. For dozens of people, it was the end of the days as the dead Salamander.
Speaking of said lizard, he was very active during the past weeks. He went to plenty of missions and complete them with high accuracy. Not a single complain from his clients and cero destruction. He came back and it was currently the most proliferate mage of all Fairy tail, if we speak about good feedback.
It sounded very good on the newspapers and magazine but people didn't know the other side of him. Natsu wasn't the same, which was obvious but that statement went further that what people think. For starters, he never talks about those two years he went missing and when he do it was very short and ambiguous. Every time someone tried to push some answer, he change the subject or went to work. And that deeply hurt all his friends.
He told them that he never forget about Fairy Tail but now that he was back, he merely pass them with them. Not even Happy could join him to mission. The cat accompanied the fire mage in every mission since they were children, but now he was relegated to wait for him.
"I was under the impression you were a cat." Was his answer when he asked why he couldn't join him on his jobs. Happy was sad for his attitude. During these past two years, he was living with Mira and Elfman and when he learn about Natsu, his eyes were full of hope to return to how things were before. Only to stay with the Strauss siblings again.
Mira was angry. She couldn't understand why he was acting like this. Shouldn't he spend more time with those he cherish? He was out of their lives for two years. Everyone thought him dead and he wasn't spending time with this family. The day she return his scarf….he didn't seem exited or nostalgic, it was like he never care! She take care of that scarf like her life depend on it and when she bring it back he only say 'thank you'!
"AAAAHHHH, I'm so tired! And I just work one time!" Lucy was the newest member, who was bring by Natsu. She was a celestial wizard, something that shield her from being hit on by Loki. A very infamous member know for flirting with various women except with celestial wizards. Apparently he dated a celestial wizard and got dumb pretty badly. "I have to pay rent and I have no money!"
"You can take other jobs, Lucy."
"Put they don't pay enough…."
"You know, you can team up with stronger and more experiences members to take harder jobs."
"But Natsu-san isn't here…"
"Tell me about it." At her side was Happy, who was sharing the same down face. "He is being putting on the backside ever since he came back. I'm so bored than I read all of Mira's dirty magazines…"
"W-What did you just say?!"
"C'mon! Don't be such a downer!" Cana hugged the blonde girl. She was drunk again. "If you want we could team up~~~~~!"
"I want the reward money for live not to spend it in beer."
"Huh?! What you mean by that?!"
"You spend at least five hundred jewels per day on alcohol."
"No one speak to you, cat!"
"Can you guys cut it out? Is too early for this shit." Now Gray joined the conversation. "If you need help, I have no problem to help you. I was looking for a job anyways."
"I would like to only if you remember to put on clothes…something that you aren't doing right now."
"WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?"
"Dude, you came like that…"
"You all see very energetic this morning."
"Natsu/Natsu-san!" Suddenly the girl and the cat recovered their mood. The cat was hugging his owner and the celestial wizard was truly happy.
"Hey! You guys always complain about me but he is walking without a shirt."
"Well…we really don't complain about it." Cana added.
"He is right. Why are you always shirtless when you took your armor?" Happy asked why many has been asked during the past days. To be fair, Natsu outfit was very reveling back then. He was always using an open vest, showing his muscles and torso to everybody. So it wasn't as weird as before but they were still curious.
"Because of these things." He pointed at his bandages arms.
"Oh right, I was wondering what was those things. Did you get hurt or something?"
"No. And this aren't bandages, they're seals."
"What?"
"One day a fought a demon but he tried to possess me. Believe or not, I was able to use take over magic on him and turn them into an arm."
"You learn take over?!"
"No. It was more of an accident, I know take over magic as Gray knows about dressing up."
"Hey!"
"So whenever I try to use his power, my shirt gets destroy. Only my armor is capable to handle it without breaking."
"Then why don't you just wear your armor?"
"Because is heavy and unconfutable. Listen, I will get a vest one of this days if I make you feel better. Oh, Before I forget. Miss Lucy, I have something for you." Natsu put his hand inside his pocket and took out something. Something that made the blonde girl squeeze of excitement.
"A CELESTIAL KEY?! VIRGO, NO LESS! HOW DO YOU GET IT?!"
"A bonus from my last mission. I don't know how to use, so figure it out that you could make a better use than its previous master."
"I will! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Calm down, girl. You will have a heart attack."
"Do you guys have any idea how weird is too find one of these keys? The reason why I have mine is because they belong to my mother!"
"Lucy, why don't you show us how you invoke a spirit?"
"Yeah, I wanna see!"
"Me too!"
"I'm curious of how you summon creatures."
"Alright, alright. If you insist….Open up, door of the maiden! Virgo!" Lucy used the key and a magic circle appeared. From it, a young lady appeared. She had short pink hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a maid costume.
"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!" All the men of the guild scream at the same time when they see the girl.
"N-Natsu-san, why is she a maid?"
"She…didn't look like this when I fight her."
"Have you call for me, Master?
"A-Are you Virgo?"
"I am the celestial spirit of loyalty, your mistress. You may call me Virgo."
"Flame brain, how did you met this girl?"
"Her previous Master stole an object from my client and I have to return it. A horrible man, I'm glad that I manage to take her from him."
"I apologize for all the trouble I made for you, sir knight. I'll accept any kind of punishment you want."
"As long you don't attack me or any of my friends, I will do nothing to you." Natsu said to her, who was currently on her knees completely tied up by a rope.
"You're supposed to pierce with that hot and big thing of yours!"
"Natsu-san, what did you do to her?"
"Sir Knight was too tough with me. Punish me for every action he made. The heat he emended…how hard he was…" The way Virgo spoke and how her face blushed the more she talk, made people think that she was referring to…something else.
"Miss Lucy."
"Y-Yeah?"
"Please finish your contract with her or I will fulfill her demands." The dragon slayer said with a ton of venom in his voice.
"Mistress, please take all the time you need."
"You know what? Let's do this later." Lucy returned the spirit to the celestial realm. "Seriously, what did you do to her?"
"Nothing in particular. I defeat her, that's all. Is not my problem that she is a pervert."
"I would like to punish her."
"Me too."
"And that's my cue to leave."
"GUYS!" Suddenly Loki came running from outside. "Natsu! Gray! Erza is coming!" Every single mage flinched in fear and start getting desperate.
"Natsu-san, what's going on?"
"I don't know. Happy, can you explain to us?"
"Don't you remember?! IS ERZA!"
*Thomb* *Thomb*
Outside the building, they could hear the sounds of big footsteps getting stronger. Lucy was starting to shake with fear but for her surprise, Natsu put himself before her. Ready to protect her.
Mira stared at the two of them and somehow felt jealous that Natsu show that attitude to someone he just met. When he was going to act like that with them?
At the entrance door, a shadow appeared. It belonged to a woman knight, but what shocked everybody was the giant horn she was carrying on her shoulder. The female knight was incredible beautiful, a pretty face and long scarlet hair. Her walk was full of confidence and authority, ready to fight.
A warrior in every sense of the word.
*Thud*
"I'm back." She said, even her voice was full of confidence. "Is the master here?"
"Welcome back, Erza." Mira left her place and was the first to talk with the knight. "The Master went to the annual guild reunion. He won't be back for at least two days."
"Is that so?"
"E-Erza-san..w-what's that humongus thing?"
"This? The local townsfolk decorated the horn of the demon I slayed. It was too pretty, so I decide to bring it as a souvenir. Is it a nuisance?"
"No! Is great!"
"Yes a work of art!
"It's looks great!"
"A little ostentatious, If you ask me." Everyone froze at the comment of one young man, who was currently standing beside Scarlet. "But their intentions were good. Not many people are grateful enough to do something like this. You really helped them by slaying that demon."
After she finished her job, she went to a café to drink coffee and have a strawberry cake. It was a habit of hers after every mission. It was the other times, she was always alone but that didn't bother her. Sometimes is fine to just relax in silence.
So there she was, having a good time. She asked for a newspaper to read, mostly to kill time. Maybe she would find something interesting.
"Famous wizard comes from the dead!
Natsu Dragneel Alive"
All of her coffee was spill on the front paper. This couldn't be right. She was aware of all those bastards that used Natsu's name to get fame or escape from the law. Those people didn't get any kind of mercy from her.
Erza keep reading the article: Apparently, he came back to Fiore after two years about three days ago. He defeated one of his imposters that used his identity to lure girls into sex slaves. And accordingly to the rune knights, the claim of the true Natsu was backed by the guild master of Fairy Tail, Makarov Dreyar.
When she read that thing, she grabbed the horn and rushed towards Magnolia.
And there she was right now. Seeing a person that she thought dead for the last two years. He looked the same but different. He wasn't wearing his usual scarf, nor his vest. He was completely shirtless with the exception of the red bandages covering both arms completely. His hair was longer and his eyes looked more mature.
He wasn't like she remember but there was no doubt. Natsu was alive.
"Long time no see, Erza." He was here and talking to her. "Erza?"
*Pow!*
Her fist strike the left side of his face. No one expected that and took them off guard. But what surprised everyone is that Natsu was still standing after getting hit, by Erza no less! He was bleeding but didn't seem to care.
"Honestly, I'm surprise that it took so long to someone to do this. I expected to get beaten the day I came here."
"You remember me?"
"…I remember a little girl who dress as knight. She likes to boss around and beat us up whenever we do something stupid. I remember….her scarlet hair and how she took me into the woods to teach me how to read." What happen next left speechless every single mage on Fairy Tail. Erza was hugging Natsu with an attachment never seen from her.
"I'm glad to see you." People tend to forget that she truly care about her companions. She wasn't an ice queen, she love Fairy Tail. They were her family.
"I'm glad to see you too."