*Chapter starts with a flashback.
*Chapter Twelve: Memories
(July 2nd, 2017, Sunday Morning)
Natsu woke up early so he could take a shower before everyone else. He didn't go to the men's bathroom, seeing as they hadn't improved since last year. If anything, they were worse. Not only did they still house a family of wasps, but they seemed to have collected spiders and beetles as well.
Natsu filled the solar shower with a jug of clean water before he pulled the rope, hoisting it up on a tree branch so it would work better. Despite the water being cold, Natsu took his shower. He didn't bother washing his hair, seeing as it was extremely short, but he did spend a good amount of time scrubbing the rest of his body, trying to wash the river water off his skin from yesterday's swim.
After rinsing and drying himself, Natsu got dressed. He bundled his dirty clothes into a ball before heading back to his tent, putting them in the bag to be washed when he got home.
A few of Natsu's friends were awake by the time he got back, some of them heading to the showers while others prepared breakfast. Levy was the first to greet him, her shower stuff in her arms as she walked past him.
"Happy birthday."
"Thanks," he said with a grin. He was now twenty years old. He didn't feel any older, but he was still happy nonetheless.
"We gotta drink to celebrate tonight!" Cana cheered from her tent, raising a bottle of rum in the air.
Natsu snorted, thinking to himself, 'Celebrate huh? What was the excuse for the other nights?' The group had been drinking every night since they arrived, so he doubted it would feel any different.
'At least my dad's coming today,' he thought, his smile widening.
"You're up already?" Natsu asked when he saw Gray emerge from his tent, his black hair going in every direction.
Gray grunted as he rubbed his eyes, wiping the sleep away. "I guess."
Natsu nodded as he headed over to the line tied between two trees. He hung his damp towel on it so it could dry properly, not wanting it to collect mildew. He loved camping, but he couldn't deny how much better life was with modern technology. If only the campsite had washers and dryers.
"When's your dad getting here?" Gray asked, shrugging on a shirt.
"Shouldn't be too long."
The two continued talking while everyone else woke up. Erza and Jellal were the last to leave their tent, their hair a mess and a few hickeys peeking out from the collar of Jellal's shirt.
Natsu had to fight back a snicker as he greeted them, not wanting to piss off Erza if he pointed out the marks on Jellal's neck. Of course, Natsu's urge to hold back resolved itself when he remembered the night before. He had to use his headphones in order to drown out the sound of his friends having sex.
If they were trying to be quiet, they failed miserably. The worst part was they probably weren't really that loud. Natsu's hearing was too sharp for his own good.
Lyon walked past Natsu, barely acknowledging any of them as he headed towards the restrooms. Gray warned him about the infestation, but Lyon said he'd risk it. "There's no way I'm showering from a bag."
Natsu shrugged, talking more to himself than Lyon since he was walking away. "It wasn't that bad. I'm sure it's better if it's warmer though."
"I know what ya mean," Gray said, glancing over at the solar shower where Jellal was currently heading. "My shower yesterday wasn't the worst I've ever had."
Natsu didn't try to hold back his laughter as he asked, "Are you talking about the time you showered at that married woman's house?"
Gray narrowed his eyes, as if trying to mentally tell Natsu to cut it out, but he wasn't listening. If anything, it just spurred him on.
"Didn't you have to jump out of a window naked 'cause her husband came home early?"
Gray's pale face flushed crimson instantly. "Hey! I told you I didn't know she was married! She said she was single!"
Natsu almost fell forward as he laughed. "I bet that excuse didn't work on her husband!"
Gray's response was a quick punch to Natsu's gut before jumping away to dodge a kick.
"Icy Bastard!"
"Flaming Idiot!"
"Natsu! Gray! Quiet!" Erza ordered, her hands on her hips as she glared at the two men.
They stopped yelling, jumping into each other's arms as they forced smiles on their faces. "Sorry!"
As soon as Erza turned her back to them, they were sneering at each other, silently letting the other know the fight wasn't over, just postponed. They stayed that way for ten minutes, going about their routines but occasionally glaring at the other. However, Natsu's irritation faded as soon as he got a text from his dad, saying he was entering the campsite. He grinned, announcing the news.
"Are we still going on that hike?" Cana asked, earning a nod.
"Yup!" Natsu couldn't contain his excitement. He loved going on hikes, and he was happy his dad could join them.
Natsu packed a light bag, then placed Happy on his shoulder. He hoped his cat would take the hint and not run off. It seemed safe enough, seeing as Happy clung to his owner, nails digging into Natsu's shirt.
After Igneel arrived, they all filled their water bottles, applied bug spray, and used sunscreen. Natsu and Igneel even used some, even though they never seemed to burn. It was more of a precaution than anything.
The group started their journey, heading up the trail. It would be a seven mile hike, but with all the twists and turns, it would take up a good chunk of their day. Natsu wasn't worried. The weather was great, all his friends were around him, and it was his birthday. Everything seemed perfect.
(October 7th, 2017, Saturday Morning)
'If only it could've stayed that way,' Natsu thought as he took his post after patrolling. Reliving those memories was always bittersweet. He wished he could go back and change things, but there was nothing he could do. Honestly, he didn't even know what he would do differently besides go get his dad before shit went down.
'I could've tried to save Ur too.' Natsu's heart hurt for Gray and his family. They had to watch the infection or virus or whatever the hell it was destroy their mom from the inside out. He felt the most pain towards Ultear, who delivered the kill shot to put their mom down.
Natsu shivered, his hands rubbing his arms as he tried shaking the ill feeling that was steadily growing in his chest. There was nothing he could do. He had to remind himself that, even if he felt guilty sometimes for living. It wasn't his fault the outbreak happened.
'Well, I don't think it is...' Without knowing what caused it, he couldn't be sure. If Gray was right, it definitely wasn't his fault, but Gray's theory was silly and probably wrong. There was a slim chance Gray was right. In which case, Natsu was glad none of his friends made the same mistake Ur and countless others did.
'This has to end eventually,' Natsu reminded himself as he grabbed his binoculars. He scanned the area, once again making sure there were no approaching zombies or humans that didn't belong. Despite Makarov accepting survivors, they were always more cautious when people just stumbled upon the base.
Natsu's thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps. He turned, seeing Mira walking towards him. He blinked, wondering how he didn't hear her getting on the roof, but the question died as soon as he saw the brown paper bags in her hands.
'Breakfast.'
His stomach growled, needlessly reminding him that he was hungry. With the way the world was now, everyone was always hungry.
"Morning!" Mira greeted when she was a few feet away. She stopped in front of him, setting down the bags to sort through them. She pulled out one labeled 'N. Dragneel' before handing it to him.
"Thanks," Natsu said as he opened the bag. "Oh, and morning." He looked inside, wondering what he was going to eat for breakfast. He saw one Pop-Tart inside, as well as what appeared to be about two cups worth of Frosted Flakes.
He squinted his eyes when he saw something white mixed in with them, realizing a second later they were marshmallows. He thought it looked weird, but he wouldn't dare complain, especially with Mira standing in front of him.
Shoving half of the Pop-Tart in his mouth, Natsu savored the flavor on his tongue a little longer than usual before chewing. With food still in his mouth, Natsu said, "Did Lucy show up for breakfast?"
Mira shook her head, looking through a few bags until she found one marked 'L. Dragneel'. She showed it to him while saying, "No, she didn't."
"Damn," he muttered before swallowing his food. Natsu realized he was wrong, clearly overestimating Lucy. He thought food would be enough to motivate the girl to leave the room on her own, but that wasn't the case. 'I need her to learn to leave that room.'
"I'm going to stop by and drop it off," Mira said as she started gathering the bags again. "She should get hers soon. I was going to swing by there before heading to the gates."
"I can drop it off for you," Natsu offered without hesitation, holding out his hand.
Mira raised a brow before cocking her head. "When?"
"During my break."
She didn't seem to like that answer. "Are you sure it's okay to make her wait that long? I can drop it off in a minute or two."
"I'm sure," Natsu said, thinking it would be better to make Lucy wait than to have someone drop it off. He didn't know what state of mind Lucy was currently in, and he didn't want anyone startling her. Besides, he doubted Lucy would even open the door for anyone.
"It's going to get stale, but okay." Mira set the bag on the ground beside him. She paused, fingers still curled around the top. "Are you sure you don't want me to just—" She stopped talking as soon as Natsu shook his head.
"I'll take care of it. It'll be better that way." He flinched when Mira's brows furrowed, realizing that wasn't the best choice of words. He didn't want her getting suspicious of his motives and start asking questions.
Mira stood up straight, her lips parting as she tried to say something. Natsu feared she would ask for a better explanation, and that made him panic. Before she got the chance to ask, Natsu cut her off once again. If he wasn't so determined to keep new people away from Lucy, he would have been more terrified of interrupting Mira.
"I had an idea I wanted to run by you!"
Mira blinked, clearly startled by his outburst. "What's what?"
"Well," Natsu started, feeling beads of sweat forming on the base of his neck despite the fall air. He didn't know what he was going to say, so he raced through his thoughts, trying to pick out one that sounded good. His mind went to the dream he had last night, the one he had after Lucy woke him up the first time with her screams.
In his dream, kids were dressed up as little monsters, terrorizing their parents. He didn't think much of it at the time, but there was a good chance it would save him now. He didn't want Mira to think he was trying to distract her, which he was.
"I was just thinking... Halloween is coming up."
Mira cocked her head, prompting him to continue.
"I know we haven't really celebrated any holidays since all this happened, but I was thinking we could, I dunno, talk to Gramps or someone and try to set something up?" It didn't take long before Natsu's brain was working, piecing together the random idea.
"We could see if we can save some of the candy we get for dessert so the kids can go trick-or-treating? We could help them make some masks for costumes. We did that one year in elementary school, so I'm sure we can figure it out now. Just need some paper plates and construction paper."
More to himself, Natsu added, "And glue... Maybe some paint too. Crayons could work... Hmm... String would also help." He looked back at Mira, realizing he had started to mumble. "We can have the kids go to a few classrooms to get candy. It's kinda silly, but it might make them feel better? Distract them for a bit."
Natsu inwardly flinched at that last sentence, thinking it was ironic since he was trying to distract Mira now.
She was silent for a moment, causing Natsu's anxiety to build. He thought she was going to see through his little charade, but once the lights sparkled in her blue eyes, he knew he had her.
"That sounds like a great idea!"
Natsu almost sighed in relief, thankful Mira bought it. He could practically see the gears turning in her head as she started to plan. "I'll talk to Makarov about it today. I'm sure he'll love it too. And so will the kids." She paused, her smile waning. "It'll give them something normal."
Natsu nodded, thankful his idea had two good outcomes. Mira was no longer concerned over delivering breakfast to Lucy, and he would get to work on a cool project with the kids soon.
He glanced down at his watch, realizing he took more of Mira's time than he should. "Well, I gotta get back to work. We'll talk about this later?"
"Definitely." After saying their goodbyes, Mira left the roof, leaving Natsu alone with his thoughts.
He ate the rest of his breakfast, discovering that he liked the marshmallow addition to his cereal. He savored every last bite, but once it was finished, his smile started to fade. Boredom quickly consumed him as he stared, keeping watch. It was definitely the most dull job he had, but someone had to do it, and he gave others a chance to have a day off.
Natsu looked at his watch, frowning at the time. He still had a long way to go until his break. In the meantime, he decided to think back to his last birthday, all while keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.
(July 2nd, 2017, Sunday Noon)
Halfway through the hike, Natsu's group settled down to take a break.
Natsu was feeling ecstatic. His blood pumped faster than normal, his muscles were being exercised, and he was surrounded by the people who mattered most to him. Nothing was getting him down!
"What are you doing?" Gray asked when he saw Natsu plucking something off a nearby tree.
"Hmm?" Natsu glanced back before popping a cluster of berries in his mouth.
Gray cringed, turning his head slightly as he asked, "What the hell did you just eat?"
Natsu grabbed a few more before heading over to Gray, holding them out to show his friend. "They're Mulberries. Go ahead, try one."
"Pass," Gray immediately said, shaking his head. "You didn't even wash them!"
"So?" Natsu asked, shoving two clusters in his mouth before chewing. The green ones were his favorite since they were more sour, but it wasn't healthy to eat too many of the green ones. That was why he grabbed a few while the majority were darker berries.
"I'll try one."
Natsu turned to see Jellal's hand out, ready to accept some. He smiled as he handed him a cluster, watching as Jellal tried it.
"Hmm, they're pretty good."
"See?"
Gray finally held out his hand after seeing Jellal's approval, but Natsu was already walking away to sit by his dad. "Pick your own, Ice Princess!"
Gray growled, narrowing his eyes. "I dressed up as Elsa one time as a joke! Suddenly I'm Ice Princess forever!"
"I don't make the rules. Besides, you keep calling me a pyro even though I only burned down that picnic table once."
"It was twice!"
Natsu furrowed his brows as he ate another berry, feigning innocence. "Was it?"
"It was," Igneel cut in. "Don't you remember paying off the damages?"
Natsu shook his head, even though the memory was clear in his head, but he didn't want them to have the satisfaction. "Guess not."
"What other kinds of plants can you eat?" Levy asked, changing the subject. She was standing beside the tree Natsu was at earlier, collecting a few berries of her own.
"All kinds!" Natsu beamed. He pulled out his phone to click on an app. He held it out to show his friend.
Levy accepted the phone, looking through the different edible and medicinal plants. "Wow... That's a lot..."
"You gotta be careful though," Natsu said, handing his dad a few berries. "Too much of some stuff can make it act as a laxative."
Igneel froze, berries two inches away from his mouth. "Are you telling me these are gonna make me sh—"
Natsu started laughing. "A few won't hurt. But if you ate, I dunno... like a handful or two you might need to search for a bathroom. I've never eaten more than a few at a time. But—"
"Whoa," Levy interrupted him, but Natsu didn't mind. "You can eat Dandelions? I never would have thought."
Erza furrowed her brows. "I wonder what Dandelions even taste like. Are they nutritional?"
"They taste gross," Natsu mumbled, but no one seemed to hear him. He wouldn't let them know that they also temporarily stained his teeth and lips a yellow-orange color after eating one.
Levy read a little more on the screen. "They're high in vitamin A, C, and calcium."
Cana cocked her head. "I thought vitamin C was calcium?"
Lyon shook his head, arms crossed over his bare chest. "A common mistake, but no. The easiest way to remember it is calcium is for your teeth and bones, while vitamin C is for tissue growth and repair."
Jellal nodded. "There's a lot more to it, but that's the simple explanation."
Cana shrugged before pulling a small airplane bottle of vodka from her pocket. "Are there any plants I can make alcohol with?"
Levy tapped her chin. "I'm not sure..." She handed Natsu his phone before grabbing her own, frowning when she realized it was dead. "Oh man..."
"Did it die?" Natsu asked, smirking at Gray after she nodded. "See? Told ya a solar powered charger would come in handy!"
He grabbed it from his backpack before handing it to Levy. "It'll probably take a while, but it'll work. Just clip this end to your backpack so the sun can shine on it."
"Thanks."
While she did that, Natsu googled how to make alcohol from plants. "It says potatoes can make vodka and schnapps..."
"Really?" Cana asked, pulling out her own phone to do some research. She had the same idea as Natsu when it came to being prepared. She had her own solar powered charger, but it was due to a more unconventional reason.
More often than not, she ended up wasted, passed out in a random location and needed to use her phone to call a cab. After a few times, she realized she needed a portable power source so she didn't have to walk around until she found a working phone or way to charge her device. Now she carried her own solar powered charger around with her everywhere she went.
"Whoa! There's so many!" Cana scrolled through her phone to see the different crops that could be turned into alcohol. "When we get back home I need to make a garden!"
"Gardening can be very relaxing," Erza commented, probably daydreaming about a garden full of strawberries. She turned to look at Jellal, smiling as she said, "We should build a garden when we move to Crocus."
While Jellal agreed, Natsu frowned. He was once again reminded that everyone was going to be parting soon. His shoulders fell, causing Happy to jump down to his lap. He held his cat close for comfort, but he didn't say anything, not wanting to ruin everyone's good mood.
If only he knew those plans would never come to pass.
(October 7th, 2017, Saturday Morning)
Natsu jogged to his room once his break started. His feet were killing him from standing all morning, but thankfully he had thirty minutes to relax. Normally he didn't go back to his room during watch, preferring to sit where he was stationed that day, but he had a mission, and that mission was to feed Lucy.
'And ask why she didn't go to breakfast.'
He knew she had difficulties going to the bathroom on her own, but he thought getting food would be enough to get her to leave the room. He was wrong, and he blamed himself for that one. 'If she can't even go across the hall, why'd I think she could leave the building and enter another one?'
Deciding he couldn't do anything to change what happened that morning, Natsu continued making his way to the classroom.
As he expected, the door was locked. Natsu made sure to open it a little slower than usual, giving Lucy enough time to anticipate his entrance. He hadn't come home during the day so far, and he didn't want to freak her out.
When Natsu entered, he found Lucy sitting on her bed, huddled in the corner. Her eyes were wide as she looked at him, only returning to normal after a second. He guessed she thought it wasn't going to be him, but he didn't bother asking. He only had twenty-eight minutes until he had to be back at his post, and he didn't want to waste a second.
"Bathroom break?"
Lucy looked relieved when she stood up, grabbing her roll of toilet paper as she followed him outside. He already set her bag of food on the desk, knowing it could wait until after she went. He frowned, wondering if Lucy realized she was acting like a pet, waiting for her owner to come let her outside so she wouldn't have an accident inside.
He didn't dare say anything about it, not wanting to upset her. The next thought that crossed his mind also remained a secret he would take to his grave. Lucy didn't need to know he imagined a metal collar around her neck, attached to a chain that acted like a leash.
He didn't know her very well, but he assumed that wouldn't go over well.
Instead of going to the men's restroom, Natsu stood outside of the woman's. He handed her his headlamp, taking a deep breath before saying, "Go on."
Lucy's eyes went wide, her head turning to look at the entrance to the restrooms, then back at him. She shook her head as she pointed a finger towards him.
"No," he said firmly, knowing some tough love might do Lucy good. "You gotta learn how to go by yourself. Go on. I'll be right out here." As he spoke, he realized she was sounding more like a pet every second. 'It's like I'm trying to potty train her.' That thought didn't amuse him in the slightest.
He watched as Lucy gulped before taking a step backwards, away from the bathrooms. If he had to guess, she was debating running back into the classroom.
"Lucy," Natsu started, trying to make his voice as calm as possible. "I can't be with you every time you need to go, and you can't keep peeing in the cup. It's... It's not how we do things around here." He hoped she was listening to him, because she needed to hear it.
"You gotta learn how to leave the room without me. How are you gonna get a job if you can't?" His voice softened as he said, "No one's gonna hurt you here. You're safe."
The look on Lucy's face suggested she didn't believe him, but she did turn back towards the restroom. Her grip tightened around the toilet paper and headlamp. "You'll be here?" she whispered, causing him to nod.
"I'll be right out here. Promise."
Lucy hesitated before turning on his light, taking her time as she walked into the woman's restroom. Once she was out of his view, Natsu sat down on the tile floor, his legs thanking him for giving them a break. He had to use the bathroom too, but he would wait until he was on his way back to work. He didn't want Lucy thinking he abandoned her.
Natsu found himself smiling when he heard Lucy peeing. He knew it was a weird thing to do, but he couldn't help it. He was proud of her for going to the bathroom by herself. Even if she was a grown woman, that was progress for her. He hoped it was also a sign that she could function on her own when she got a job.
She just needed to know it was safe.
A minute later, Lucy was coming out of the bathroom. Her eyes were more dull than before, but they were dry, meaning she hadn't started crying. They walked back to the room, Natsu giving Lucy her breakfast before sitting on his mattress, resting his head on his pillow.
He laid sideways so he could watch her, but most of his attention was on Happy. The cat decided to lay beside him, so he pet him as he occasionally watched Lucy eat.
"Remember to take your medication," Natsu said. She was almost finished with them. He hoped when they reached the better sections, they would be more generous with medication. There was a small pharmacy in Magnolia Mart, but the real prize was in section two. Two large pharmacies were located there, but they had a while to go before they could reach them. It was too risky to go now.
Lucy didn't complain about her food being stale, not that he thought she would. Besides fearing for her safety, Lucy didn't really complain about anything. Even the wounds on her feet didn't get brought up, but he knew they had to be feeling better now that they were properly cleaned.
When Lucy finished eating, he asked if he could see her leg again. It was only then that he realized she wasn't wearing his sweatpants anymore, instead just wearing the shorts Yukino gave her.
As he inspected the healing wound, he asked, "Why'd you take the sweatpants off?"
Lucy didn't jump at his voice, but she did avoid his gaze. "They wouldn't stay up," she mumbled, causing Natsu to inwardly smile.
He wasn't happy that the sweatpants kept falling over her wound. He was happy because she was getting better at talking to him, even if it was just short sentences. Every day he saw little improvements, further confirming his theory that she would get better at Fairy Tail.
'She just needs more time.'
Speaking of time, Natsu looked at his watch. He had fourteen minutes until he had to be back at his post, so he tried to make the most of it. He went back to laying on his bed, facing the ceiling. "How's your morning going?" he asked, trying to start a conversation.
He honestly didn't expect her to respond, so she when said, "Okay," he was a little excited.
Natsu turned to face her, seeing she was still sitting on her bed, but her body was more relaxed than when he first came in. He thought of what he could talk to her about without getting her to freak out. The conversation he had with Mira popped into his head, so he decided to go with that.
"Did you dress up for Halloween last year?"
Lucy's brows pinched together before she looked at him, confusion in her brown eyes. "Huh?"
"Halloween," he repeated, shifting his head on his pillow to get more comfortable. "Did you dress up last year?"
She blinked at him twice before her eyes went down to her lap. He thought she was done 'talking' to him, but he was once again surprised. "A lioness," she confessed, swallowing thickly.
Natsu found himself smiling, trying to picture Lucy with whiskers and furry ears. "Did you do anything? Hand out candy?"
She nodded, the corners of her lips curving into the smallest smile. "I went to a p-party."
Her stutter returned, but she was still talking, so Natsu counting it as progress. "That's cool. I did too." He knew it wasn't likely, but he asked anyway. "Was yours in Magnolia?"
Lucy shook her head, saying. "No. Cro—" She stopped herself, sealing her lips as she frowned.
Natsu frowned with her, sitting up as he tried to figure out what went wrong. She seemed fine just a second ago. "Are you okay?"
Lucy nodded, but she didn't part her lips. He wasn't convinced, but he didn't know if he was supposed to push her or not. Sighing, he realized it really didn't matter where her party was. Besides, he was smart enough to guess.
It sounded like she was about to say 'Crocus', though he didn't know why that would make her silent. His eyes widened as he realized something. 'Maybe she's from Crocus, but she doesn't want me to know?' It was the only logical reason he could come up with. Lucy was probably upset at herself for almost revealing it to him.
Natsu looked at his watch again, realizing he had to get going soon in order to make it back to his post on time. He stood up, stretching his body before going and getting a drink of water. He had to force himself not to gulp it all down in one go. Instead he sipped at it until the cup was empty.
As Natsu put his cup back in its place and grabbed a few cigarettes, he hoped the rest of the day would go by quickly. He still had about five hours and forty-five minutes until he was off and could relax.
Before leaving to go back to work, Natsu got an idea. He decided to try something with Lucy, hoping it would be another step in the right direction.
"I'll be off at five," he started, grabbing her attention. "Then I'll be back. Can you do me a favor while I'm gone?"
Lucy's shoulders lowered as she attempted to curl up on herself. She held his stare as she chewed on her lower lip. Natsu's eyes flitted to the action, seeing the wound on her lip had finally scabbed over. He smiled, thankful for the little recovery. She still had a long way to go before she was healthy, but every little bit counted.
"At, I dunno... two or three, can you try going to the bathroom on your own?" Just as Lucy's eyes went wide, Natsu kept talking, hoping to keep her calm. "It's really easy. I promise. You're right across the hall from it. Plus, most people are still at work anyways around that time. You'll most likely be by yourself."
He wondered if he was getting through to her. It was hard for him to tell, the emotions flashing in her eyes nearly unreadable. "Just... try to do that, please? I need to know you can leave this room on your own."
In his mind, he added, 'Otherwise I dunno how you'll be able to leave for work.'
He watched as Lucy gulped, her hands reaching out to grab Happy, who was curled by her feet. She brought the feline close to her chest, taking a moment to pet him before she nodded. "I'll try."
Natsu sighed, hoping she meant that. "Thanks." He left the room without another word, locking the door before heading to the bathroom. He had to hurry or else he would be late.
As he left the bathroom and headed towards the roof, he hoped Lucy would be successful with the task he gave her.
(July 2nd, 2017, Sunday Afternoon)
Natsu dried off the river water from his face. Everyone was dripping with sweat after their hike, so they decided to cool off with some swimming. The sun hung low in the sky, letting them know it would be dark soon.
Igneel left for thirty minutes to go grab a cake for Natsu's birthday, as well as a few other items for dinner. When he returned, they started the grill, cooking Spicy BBQ chicken, one of Natsu's favorites.
After pigging out on chicken and cake, the group gathered around the campfire Natsu started. By that time it was getting late, so they started giving Natsu his birthday gifts before Igneel had to leave. He wanted his dad to stay, but he knew he had to work early in the morning, so he didn't pester him.
Igneel grinned before handing his son his present. "Open this last."
Natsu nodded before setting it on the ground. He picked up the first present, feeling the thick, heavy, rectangular item wrapped in paper. He snorted when he read the tag saying it was from Levy. "Let me guess... A book?"
Levy huffed, annoyed he figured it out. "Just open it!"
Natsu chuckled before tearing at the paper. Sure enough, it was a book. Natsu spent a minute admiring the hardback cover, loving the picture of a dragon on it. "Thanks a lot!" He absolutely loved dragons, and all of his friends knew it.
Levy nodded as she shuffled closer to the fire. "It was no trouble. Glad you like it."
"I love it," Natsu corrected, setting it on his lap before grabbing the next present. It was a box wrapped in red paper with Erza and Jellal's name written on the tag. He opened the box, eyes growing wide as he peeked inside. "No way!"
"What is it?" Gray asked, trying to see the bottle Natsu pulled out.
He held it up so everyone could see before pulling it back to his lap. "They got me 'Emperor's Hot Sauce'!"
Lyon cocked his head as he asked, "Is that special?"
Igneel was the one to nod. "You can't buy that in Fiore. You have to get it shipped from Alvarez."
Supposedly it was the hottest hot sauce ever made, but Natsu would be the judge of that. "Thank you!" He ignored the twinge of pain he felt in his heart when he ran his thumb over the bottle's label. He didn't like thinking about Alvarez, knowing his brother might be there. With no contact well before the outbreak, he had no idea where his brother lived.
Not wanting to bring the mood down, Natsu pushed those thoughts away. If his brother didn't care about him, there wasn't anything he could do about it.
Natsu looked over the bottle one last time before setting it on the ground. He would put the book down too, but it had a higher chance of getting damaged.
"I'm glad you like it," Erza said, dipping her head for a second.
Jellal nodded as he wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders. "I hope it's truly as hot as they say."
Natsu hoped so too. He loved all things spicy. He looked down at the three presents left. "Which should I open next?"
"Mine!" Cana cheered, lifting her flask into the air.
Natsu didn't have to ask which one was Cana's. It was obvious the one wrapped in a paper bag with the top twisted around the neck of a bottle was hers. Once he grabbed it, he heard the liquid swishing.
"Did you get my son alcohol?" Igneel asked before Natsu was able to remove the bottle.
Cana's shit-eating grin vanished. "Sorry. I didn't think you'd be mad."
Igneel paused before shaking his head. "I guess I can turn a blind eye, just this once."
With his dad's blessing, Natsu opened the bag. Inside was a bottle of 'Fireball', a cinnamon flavored whiskey. Natsu hadn't tried it before, but he knew he loved cinnamon, so he figured he would like it as well.
Just as Natsu started slipping it back into the bag, he felt the bottom of the bottle hit something. Curious, he handed the whiskey to his dad before pulling out what appeared to be a flask. It was silver with dark red leather slipped over it. On the bottom, right-hand corner were his initials.
N.D.
"Whoa," Natsu murmured, holding the flask with both hands. "Did you custom order this or something?"
Cana snorted, her voice sarcastic. "Nah! They just had one lying around like that." Before Natsu could open his mouth, she said, "Of course I had it customized."
"Thank you," Natsu said, finger tracing over the two letters. "This is really cool." He laughed as he handed it to his father to hold. "I might have to pick up drinking as a hobby now."
While the others snickered, Igneel gave him a concerned look. Alcohol had even a sensitive subject throughout Natsu's life. He didn't think he would have any problems, but considering his birth parents struggled with addiction, he understood Igneel's concern.
Cana broke Natsu's focus as she shouted, "Hey! That's my thing!"
"Then why'd you give me a flask if you didn't want me drinking?!"
She blinked, clearly looking for a good comeback. When she found none, she resorted to crossing her arms over her chest. "I change my mind! Give it back!" Despite her protests, Cana made no effort to move from her spot.
"No way! I'm filling it up tonight with that whiskey!" Natsu laughed as he looked at the last two presents. One said it was from Gray and Lyon, which meant it was really just from Gray, but Lyon wanted credit. Natsu didn't mind, doubting Lyon would get him a good gift even if he tried. They weren't the best of friends, only having their connection with Gray in common.
Natsu had to clear off his lap before grabbing the large box. He already knew he would like it. Not only was it from his best friend, Gray usually got great gifts even if he pretended like he didn't care about Natsu's birthday.
Natsu ripped away the blue paper, revealing a box containing a stone dragon statue. "Are... are you kidding me?" He eagerly tore away the rest of the paper, green eyes brightening as he looked at his gift.
It was the dragon statue he was looking at the last time he went to the mall with Gray. He said he wanted to buy it, but Gray convinced him to wait. As he stared at the mythical creature's picture on the box, he realized why Gray wanted him to wait. He was getting it for Natsu himself.
"This is really fucking cool!" Natsu leaned over to give Gray a half-hug. Even if they fought often, he knew Gray was truly his friend.
"Glad you like it. Do you know where you're gonna put it?" Gray asked, smiling when he saw Natsu's eyes trained on the dragon again.
It was about two feet tall, its body red and black with pink paint flickering over the scales. Every little detail was put into it with purpose and care. Natsu thought it was worth the high price tag since each one was individually crated and hand-painted, or at least that was what the box said.
"I dunno," Natsu said, smiling at the possibilities. "Probably in the living room." He turned to his dad, asking, "If that's okay?"
"I don't mind." Igneel offered him a smile. "You know I love dragons too."
"Sounds great," Natsu said before carefully putting the box on the ground. He was going to have fun opening it when he got home. "And last but not least."
"Here's hoping," Igneel joked, earning a chuckle from his son.
Natsu picked up the last box, looking over the red and black wrapping paper before placing it in his lap. His father had done so much for him. He couldn't imagine what else he could give.
Carefully unwrapping the box, he noted the weight and size. 'Here goes nothing,' Natsu thought as he finally ripped the paper. Once off, he saw a white box. Slowly, he lifted the lid, not noticing how hard his other friends were staring as he moved.
His eyes widened when he saw the two items resting in the box, his heart pounding as he gasped. "Wha— Really?" He turned his head to look at Igneel, his expression wild. "Are you sure?"
"I am." Igneel smiled. "You deserve them."
"B-but..." He couldn't finish the sentence, too stunned to speak.
"What is it?" Gray and Jellal asked at the same time.
Natsu said nothing as he picked up the two items, making sure to be delicate with them as he lifted them. He didn't think they'd break, but he felt unworthy to be holding them. It was the first time they were in his hands, previously in a display case. His friends took in the gifts, then nodded. They had recognized them from when they went to Natsu's house, knowing how important they were to Igneel.
In Natsu's left hand was a black and grey Ka-Bar, tucked into a grey hard plastic sheath. In his right hand was a brown and black Ka-Bar, tucked into a brown leather sheath. The one on the left was Igneel's from when he served in the military, and the one on the right belonged to Igneel's father who was killed in action.
Natsu didn't feel like he deserved to be holding them, let alone owning them. "I-I can't accept these," he said with a heavy heart.
"Of course you can," Igneel urged. "I wouldn't give them to you if I thought you couldn't handle the responsibility."
Natsu had heard of passing down family heirlooms, but he never thought he'd receive one considering his parents had given him up. If Igneel was really giving Natsu the knives, that had to mean he considered Natsu to be his true son, not just his adopted son.
With tears lining his eyes, he brought the knives close to his chest. "Th-thank y-you," he mumbled, barely holding back an oncoming sniffle. He was thankful no one made fun of him for getting emotional. His friends knew how sentimental he could be.
Igneel set the book on the dragon statue box and the whiskey on the ground. "Come here," he said with open arms.
Natsu didn't hesitate to scoot closer to his dad, accepting the hug as a few tears finally broke loose. Natsu knew he would treasure the knives. He had no intentions on letting them get dirty or worn. Hell, he wouldn't even use them. His plan was to display them so they got the proper recognition they deserved.
Natsu never met Igneel's father, but he heard enough stories to get a good idea of the type of man he was. He was similar to Igneel, but a little more of a hardass. Of course, Igneel said that was part of his charm. Natsu would honor his grandpa's memory by taking care of his knife.
They stayed like that for another minute before Natsu finally pulled away. His green eyes were watery, but tears no longer spilled down his cheeks. "Thank you. I'll protect them with my life," Natsu vowed, not realizing the weight of his words. If anything, the knives would protect his life.
"I know you will," Igneel said, sounding just as confident as he looked. "I trust you'll take care of them."
Natsu nodded, then looked at his friends. "And thank you guys too. I love everything!"
"You're welcome," some of them said, while the others went with, "No problem!"
Now that Natsu's eyes had dried, they continued their celebration. He spent a few minutes packing the gifts away in the backseat of his truck. He didn't see any use in keeping them out for now.
When he went back to the campfire, he saw Erza had started passing out the ingredients necessary to make s'mores. They roasted marshmallows, ate, then talked. The conversation stayed around old memories rather than the future.
A few hours passed before Natsu knew it, time flying by as they all had fun.
"So what's your plans for the rest of the week?" Igneel asked after yawning.
Natsu shrugged. "We're gonna try to go rafting down the river, maybe another hike."
"Excited to set off fireworks this year?"
That put a frown on Natsu's face. "We can't..."
Igneel raised a curious brow just as Gray started snickering. "Why not?"
"Natsu didn't check with the campsite first. They banned fireworks this year!"
Natsu shot Gray a glare before growling. "Why would I check with them first? They've let us set them off in the past!"
"Well that's a bummer," Igneel said, drawing Natsu's attention again.
"Yeah," he sighed. "I dunno what to do with all the stuff I already bought." He had a box full of them in the truck.
"Tell ya what," Igneel said with a grin. "When you come back, we'll go out to a field and set them off."
Natsu's eyes lit up just thinking about it. "Really?"
Igneel laughed as he nodded. "I don't see why not. I don't work Friday night. You?"
Natsu groaned. "I don't work Friday, but I gotta work the next morning." He grumbled to himself, wishing he had taken an extra day off work to relax before going back to his normal routine. "But I can stay up late. I don't mind."
"I wish I was still that young," Igneel laughed. "It was nice staying up late and still be functional in the morning."
Natsu laughed with him. "It is pretty nice."
"Speaking of staying up late," Igneel said before looking at his phone. After checking the time, he sighed. "I should get going."
"Alright," Natsu said, standing up as well. He didn't want his dad to go, but he knew he had responsibilities. He gave his dad a hug as he said, "Thanks for coming out here today."
"You know I wouldn't miss it."
Natsu pulled away from his father, flashing the man a big grin. "Drive safe! I'll see you in a few days."
"See you later to set off those fireworks," Igneel said before patting his son on the back. "Happy birthday again."
Natsu walked his father to his vehicle, then watched as Igneel drove away. He didn't turn immediately, even when he saw the taillights of his father's pickup fade into the distance. He had a weird feeling in his gut, but he ignored it, figuring it was the plants he ate earlier messing with his stomach.
After a minute, he went to sit with his friends by the campfire. Natsu spent the rest of the night talking and joking with his friends, his heart light and his mind at ease after dismissing his slight wary feeling. He was good at pushing away bad feelings. It was a trait he picked up while at the orphanage.
"Who wants to get drunk?!" Cana asked, raising a beer bottle into the air.
She was met with a round of cheers as they each grabbed a beer, even Levy despite her cringing face everytime she sipped the alcohol. She liked the effects but hated the taste.
They celebrated until dawn, never letting the mood dip. Tonight was a night for smiles and laughter. There was no room for the heartache and pain they would soon be facing when some of their friends left Magnolia.
They enjoyed the rest of their camping trip, blissfully ignorant to the grim future that awaited them.
(October 7th, 2017, Saturday Afternoon)
While Natsu walked down the halls towards his room, he got stopped by Mavis. The girl told him to follow her to the office because Makarov wanted to talk to him. He knew what it was about, but that didn't make him any more prepared.
He knocked twice before entering the principal's office, finding Makarov writing something down. The older man looked up, motioning for Natsu to take a seat while he finished.
"I'm sure you know why I had you come here," Makarov said, setting down his pen. He flipped to a page in his notebook, the one he kept everyone's records in. "Is Lucy ready to pick a job? She needs to start tomorrow morning."
"... Not yet," Natsu forced out, feeling a bit of anxiety build in his chest. "She's kinda having troubles being on her own..."
"What do you mean?"
Fidgeting in his seat, Natsu said, "I don't think she's ready to work right now." He wanted to lie, but he couldn't. It wouldn't benefit Fairy Tail if he lied. Then again, he had already lied plenty of times just to keep Lucy on base, though he felt better about that one. Lucy hadn't harmed anyone -aside from the justified slap she gave to Cana- since she arrived, and he was seeing every day that she wasn't a violent person.
What happened in that basement seemed to be a one-time thing. At least, that was what he hoped.
"Are her injuries causing her more problems?" Makarov asked. The way he asked sounded as if he talked to Grandeeney about it. Honestly, Natsu wouldn't have been surprised. It wasn't as if confidentiality was the highest concern anymore.
"Not exactly," Natsu admitted, wishing he knew how to explain it. "She can physically move around and stuff... It's just—" He paused, hoping he made sense when he said, "I think her mind is injured."
Makarov raised a brow as he sat back in his chair. "Do you think she has a brain injury or learning disability."
Natsu shook his head, knowing what wasn't what he meant. "I think it's her actual mind." He knew Lucy was hurt by someone before he found her, but honestly, that wasn't all of it. Lucy didn't seem all there when he met her in the gas station either. She was reserved for the most part, or maybe he was just remembering wrong. It was three months ago.
Not wanting to tell Makarov someone hurt Lucy, he said, "I think she needs more time to adjust."
Makarov furrowed his brows as he started shaking his head. "If she's physically able she should be working. We can give her a simple job if that helps? It doesn't take much thought to wash laundry."
Before Natsu could say he didn't want Lucy working off base, Makarov tapped his pen on his desk, muttering to himself. "Though, I have been thinking about scrapping that job. We have more clothes now. It seems like a waste to be washing the same old clothes when we can just use the clothes we find..."
Makarov looked up at Natsu, his eyes widening a bit as if surprised he was still there. "Sorry about that," he mumbled, clearing his throat. "Look, Lucy needs to do something. It's not fair to everyone else if she gets to eat without pulling her weight."
Natsu bit his tongue, resisting the urge to tell Makarov that she didn't have a lot of weight to pull. She was too skinny, which was one of the main reasons he brought her to Fairy Tail in the first place. She didn't look like she could survive on her own.
"The only people who don't work are kids or the elderly. Every able-bodied person needs to contribute. Lucy's no exception." Before Natsu could protest, Makarov added, "There's a lot of us who are suffering mentally. We've all seen too much death and been through too much pain. I feel for Lucy, I really do, but she can't receive special treatment. If she doesn't work then she can't eat. I'm sorry to say it, but I have to be fair to everyone else."
Natsu lowered his head, knowing Makarov was right, but still hating the decision. There were a lot of others who would randomly cry or freak out over what happened to them, though to Natsu, they weren't nearly as bad as what he saw Lucy going through. Still, it wasn't his base. Everyone voted and put Makarov in charge. Him included. He trusted Makarov's judgement, even if it wasn't in his favor.
"Okay."
Makarov nodded before giving Natsu a wane smile. "Tell you what. You can have her come by tomorrow morning to get her job. The only jobs that are full are receiving, kitchen detail, and being a guard. Anything else she can try to do."
Natsu couldn't met his gaze as he stood, heading for the door. "What time?"
"Let's say half an hour before breakfast." As Natsu opened the door to leave, he heard Makarov say, "Remember. If she doesn't get a job, she can't eat."
"Got it," Natsu muttered without looking back. He didn't want to be mad at Gramps, but he was. He didn't want to agree with his decision, even if he could see the logic behind it. Lucy was able to walk around and lift some stuff, meaning she should be put to work to help the base.
Natsu just didn't think her mind was able to let her do that just yet. He hoped she used the bathroom on her own while he was gone to show she was capable of doing it by herself, but once he entered his room and saw Lucy's cheeks marred with tears, he knew she didn't do it.
Still, he opened his mouth, preparing himself for the bad news. "Were you able to go?"
Lucy shook her head, burying her face in her knees. He sighed, taking a seat on his bed before gently saying, "It's okay. You'll get there."
He waited a few minutes, allowing Lucy to calm herself down and dry her tears. As much as he wanted to lay down, he knew he should bring her to the bathroom. "Is your UTI getting any better?"
Lucy nodded, whispering, "Yeah."
"That's good. Do you need to go now?"
She nodded again, but didn't get up. He cocked his head, wondering why she wouldn't meet his gaze now. "What's up?"
Without looking his way, she held up her index and middle finger, showing him the number 'two'. His eyes widened immediately, realizing what she meant.
"Gotcha," he mumbled, standing up. "Follow me. You'll need to put those sweatpants and your jacket on first. It's cold outside."
When she was dressed in warmer clothes, Natsu brought her outside, showing her their makeshift bathrooms. He walked around with Happy while she went, giving her privacy. After she finished, he asked if she minded if they went on a walk. As much as he wanted to go relax, he figured a tour of the school would probably do her some good.
"You've already seen the graveyard," Natsu said as they passed the buried bodies. They went around the perimeter of the school, Natsu pointing out things so Lucy could get familiar with the area. "That's where receiving takes the stuff we find. I'm sure you remember if from the other day?"
Lucy nodded, so he continued. "That's the garden. We're not allowed near it unless we get permission." An idea popped in his head, so he decided to go with it. "Have you ever gardened before?"
Lucy kept her head down as they walked, her hands deep in the jacket's pocket. She looked cold, so Natsu knew he needed to wrap up the tour soon.
"Kinda..."
Natsu perked up, wondering if she could join the gardeners. That was a really safe job. They were working on expanding the garden to grow more crops, so there was a chance she could work on that. "Really? How'd it go?"
"I killed everything," she whispered, pulling out her hand to show him her extended thumb. "Black thumb." She put her hand back in her pocket before shivering, her teeth starting to chatter.
'Well, there goes the gardening idea.'
"Let's get inside," Natsu said, pointing to one of the doors to the building. He didn't get a chance to show her the rest of the school, but it could wait. Lucy catching a cold would only make things worse.
He spent a few minutes walking her around the school. The work day was coming to an end, so the halls were filled with more people. Natsu worried Lucy was going to have a difficult time with everyone around, but she managed. Granted, she walked closer to him and looked more tense, but she didn't freak out.
Once again, Natsu couldn't help but think, 'She just needs more time to adjust.'
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In case anyone is wondering, yes... I have eaten Mulberries and a Dandelion. I recommend Mulberries, but not Dandelions. There are many apps you can download that let you know which plants you can eat. (I ate Mulberries as a kid from a nearby tree, but I ate a Dandelion for the sake of this story. It was gross)
What do you think of the Halloween idea? While planning this story I accounted for holidays, so some of the major ones will be brought up throughout the story.
What did you think of the flashbacks? I promise there won't be that many flashbacks in one chapter for a while, just small snippets. Later we'll have whole chapters of flashbacks for Lucy's story before Natsu found her, but that's gonna be a long while.
Thank you for reading! Let me know what you thought of this chapter! :) Oh, and can anyone guess why Lucy was dressed as a lioness last year? 0.o Somewhat important to the story. :P Anyone thinking Lucy's making some progress? Is it realistic or not?
Up next, Chapter Thirteen: Time's up
Once again, this story does not have an updating schedule.
A guest left a review that confused me. If you were the person who left it, could you explain what you meant when you said, "i really wish that you could leave the identity politics out of this story in particular. As an American that stuff is all i hear about on media"? I'm an American too, but honestly I'm not sure what you mean by your review. Please explain.
To everyone: I stated in the opening notes of chapter one that I will not change how I write this story and that it's not meant to be a fluffy piece. If it gets to be too much, feel free to stop reading this story. I'm not trying to be rude/mean, I'm honestly just trying to make sure no one reads something that makes them uncomfortable. I'm sorry if anything offends you, but I stated a lot of warnings before the story started, one of them being: controversial topics. I absolutely meant that when I wrote it.
You are free to leave if things get out of your comfort zone. I don't want anyone feeling like they're obligated to stay. You're well-being is more important than this story, but I will still be writing it for the people who are okay with darker themes, even if it ends up with only me reading what I write.
Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate the support! Thank you for every favorite, follow, and review! Shout out to those who reviewed last time: Rubybird2329, StardragonXX, Nightside14, Tenma360Warrior, FlameDragonHime, Emoelmo41212, baybewes, Screeney, ElementalMiko12, FairyglitterXD, Terra of Life, PrincessSarahDragneel, Guest, Meow Orbit, turtle3334, LoveroftheWord, Nalu-Nerd13, Lodemai04, FairyLover01, stranger1999, An Amber Pen, thecelestialchick, LynsieTheBraveShadowHuntress, Ashnmarley, samurai of sunflowers, lili3346, Guest, Vio, Mistwing, cOokIe-MOnzTa, Sam, AgiaJorda, AgiaJorda, Guest, caslspirit15, TheTrinityAngel, Guest, NashiX777, Charlotte621, BloodRedRubies(x2), Tohka123, Guest, NaluLuva23, ThayetJade, Aria-M, Guest, Meetrie, Serthrek871, izzys5977, and MeteorWars!