Chapter 8: It will never being the same

To say that she was desperate was an understandment. She made a mistake after another making bad things to occur. When she saw that explosion, she pull the accelerator and drive towards the explosion. She ignored all the screams and yelling from the people, even the ones from her companions.

Her mind took her back to where she was two years ago, she didn't want to lose him again. They couldn't take it. It wasn't just losing Natsu, they lost two members in a single day. The blow was too much to take. Even if this-

Her thoughts stopped when a second explosion took place in the same spot. Something happen and she needed to hurry!

"Erza-san! Look over there!" Lucy point out a train wagon that was disengaged from the rest of the train. She immediately recognize it, it was the same train that they use. But what surprise her the most were the amount of people who were surrounding it. They were all men and for some reason they didn't seem very happy. As a matter of fact, they look pretty livid.

"Hey! Get off that car, right now!" One of them yell, immediately dozens of magic circle were summon. "Do it and you won't be hurt!" Before they could attack them, an ice blast freeze them where they stand.

"I know that tattoo. Is the Eisenwald logo. These bastards are dark wizards!" Gray said while holding a pure ice bazooka.

"Shit! More fairies!"

"Fuck, I don't wanna die!"

The reactions were mixed for say the least. But Erza found something in every single member of Eisenwald, regardless if they want to fight or not: they were scared.

The question being: of who?

Suddenly they heard music being played. Very badly if you ask them.

"No, no. I can do it better." They heard someone talking from afar. That person starting to play the flute again but he constantly makes mistakes. "Why I never ask Jin to teach how to play the flute?"

All the mages look at a young man wearing a red armor walking towards them. Erza notices that he was wearing his helmet and all his left arm armor was gone. On his right hand was a weird looking flute while on his other hand was pulling someone.

"I-Is that bastard!"

"Natsu-san?!"

"Eh? Odd to see you all here. What are you doing here?"

"The same to you, flame brain! What the hell were you thinking by hijacking a train?!"

"Before we discuss. Eisenwald mages! I will give you this chance to stop and surrender! None of you had the chance of succeed!"

"And why should we do that?!"

*Thud*

He threw whatever he was pulling off to them. And when they saw what it was, they regret to not surrender because the image of the state of Eligor's corpse was nightmare fuel. His body wasn't burned, nor cut into pieces, or destroyed. No…..the best way to describe it was that he look like a mummy. Completely dry of life.

No one was able to talk, not even the other members of fairy Tail. Who were even shocker than the Eisenwald mages.

"So…make a choice, gentlemen."

The rune knights came very fast, when they heard that they secure Lullaby and Eligor was took down, they came faster than a winter storm. Highly ranked officers came to retrieve lullaby and apprehend the remaining members of Eisenwald.

It took them hours but they were about to finish. During all that time, Natsu was being interrogated by them. Their partners didn't know what they were talking about but the only thing that they could thing were the dead bodies he left behind.

The three of them were waiting inside a tent in silence. They wanted to talk but no one dare to speak. Lucy was the one who was taking the worst, she looked like she wanted to throw up. Eligor's dry corpse was hunting her thoughts. She saw bodies in that state on books before, the ones that talk about how ancient civilizations used a process which they conserved the body of their rulers for religious purposes. But to see a human being end up in that state…just what he did to him?

"Hello." Speaking of the devil, Natsu entered the tent and greet him. "Sorry for the delay, the rune knights needed my declaration. Thankfully, they will they care for the damage train. So, don't worry about-"

*POW*

For no one's surprise, Gray punch him in the face. It was very strong but Natsu was still standing. He looked at him but didn't say nothing, he didn't punch him back.

"You fucking murderer!"

"Gray!" Erza run and hold Gray from punching Natsu again. "Calm down!"

"You see the bodies, Erza! He is an animal!" Gray was well known to always get angry at Natsu for anything but….in all her years with these two, Erza has never seen his friend this…livid. "What the fuck?! Why did you do this?!"

Erza and Lucy stare at the pink haired boy. He didn't seem hurt or moved by his screams, he was….calm.

"Gray….have you ever hold a weapon?"

"What?!"

"A weapon…a gun, whatever you call them."

"What the fuck does that have to do with this?!"

"….Ever since I was a child, I only fight with my fist. Well, you of all people should know that the best. I remember that I was running looking for fights."

"Natsu. Please, answer." Erza said with a concern face, swallowing whatever opinion she had on the matter. He look at her eyes for a second and sighed.

"Very well, I will not lie to you. Yes, I kill those people."

"WHY?!"

"Because they were going to kill me?"

"Is that an answer or a question?"

"To be honest, I don't know what you people want me to say. There's no misunderstanding to be found, I voluntarily kill those men."

"Fairy Tail mages don't kill."

"Well, that didn't help me when a dozen of knights tried to kill me and my friends." They know. They know that he had killed people during those two years.

"That was then. Now you are here. There was no need to kill those people, much less how you did it."

"I admit that I overdue, it's a bad habit I have. Back in Londran, you go all out with your enemies or you say goodbye to this world. I won't excuse myself or discuss-"

"Was this your plan from the beginning?" Erza said, now freeing Gray from her grab. "A part of me is thinking that you pretend to be sleep so that we left you behind. Did you ever think of working with us?"

"….You are more perceptive than I thought, Erza."

"Bastard!" Gray punch him again. "Is this how things are now, asshole?! You don't trust your friends anymore?!"

"Of course I do!"

"Then why you leave us behind?!"

"You already know the answer, Gray."

"What the fuck does that mean?!"

"You didn't want us to see this." It was Lucy who answered the ice mage. "You didn't want us to see…"

"Don't force yourself, Lucy…." Natsu stopped the girl. "Erza, I'm being wondering one thing. Why did you choose us?"

"Because we're friends, Natsu."

"No. You choose us because we WERE friends. We grow up together in the guild. I can't imagine what you people went through during these two years, I can't recompense you for all that lost time. Nor can't I go back in time. Erza….my fifteen year old me will die for going in a mission with you and beat the shit of Gray."

"Fuck you."

"What I'm telling is that those days where we three went into fun adventures…are gone and they will never come back. The 'me' that I am today….is not the same. And like hell I want to be back to be a fucking idiot who doesn't know shit about the world." Everyone held back by the sudden change of vocabulary and tone. "The rune knights will take us home, let's go." Natsu left the tent in silence.

They didn't see but Natsu walked outside the camp to be completely alone. He looked very down and in pain. He was holding back something, then he looked at the sky with grim eyes.

"I wonder, if any of you were right now. Would you call me an idiot or punch me in the face like Gray? Yes, you will do both and then help me to do this." He thought. "I'm sorry…I'm really, really sorry…!"