Sorry it took so long to put this up, I wanted to take a longer break and do some research. I am currently coming up with matchups for Tenrou Arc, along with other important stuff and man, I think you all are gonna love it. There are two major battles that have been altered by yours truly, so stay tuned for that.
This chapter is slightly slower, since it's the "meantime" between two major arcs, so do bear with me if it slightly bores you. I've also decided to keep non-battle oriented chapters to 7-9,000 words - I'm pretty sure you all got tired of my 12,000 long bricks.
I also tried to draw Natsu, based on his appearance from this chapter. Here's the link (imgurdotcom/921978Ndotjpg)
I hope you enjoy the chapter and leave them reviews and PM's!
December 1st, Fairy Tail Guild
The first day of December came with a bang, with the snow strongly hitting against the windows of the guild.
The building was almost full, with every present member trying to warm themselves up in the building, the pleasant addition of liquor that decorated each table greatly boosting the sensation, all of them crowded. However, there was a slight problem with those tables. They were all full on only one side of the hall.
On the other sat a lone man, clad in his brown military pants, black combat shoes, a black jacket with a small spot cut out on his right shoulder where his red guild mark was placed, his white scarf lazily wrapped around his neck, and his messy hair as always sticking out in each direction.
Natsu lazily lifted his glass and took a sip, at the same time trying not to wet his bandages that covered the majority of his face. He put the glass down and looked around the guild. It felt weird being here. He was used to scruffy, dark taverns and pubs, where he stayed only when there was a job available. The constant presence of people made him feel uneasy, suffocated him even. He knew exactly why people avoided him, but he was glad they did. Still, he couldn't shake off the feeling of someone's eyes glued to his back, which slightly irritated him.
Lucy, who was sitting on the other side of the hall along with her team and the Strauss siblings continued to stare at the Slayer. She then turned back to her friends.
Erza, who was currently drinking her cup of tea, had her eyes closed and looked relatively relaxed. Ever since they came back from the Tower, she wasn't seen in her armor even once, which shocked the whole guild. She was clad in a white, sleeveless shirt and a blue skirt, with her usual high black boots covering her feet. Although she felt slightly awkward at first, she came to like her new outfit and made it her new, civil look. However, despite this change, her hands were covered by white gloves, which in comparison to the rest of her clothes, looked slightly weird. Although she showed her scars to Gray and Lucy, she didn't want others to know about them, mostly to avoid questions. The scars she received from Natsu, however, were out for everyone to see, both of her forearms covered in pink, short lines.
"Are you fine with him being all alone like that?" Lucy asked Erza, nodding at Natsu at the same time..
The knight gently put down her cup and looked at the blonde. "I've already told him that he is more than welcome to sit with us. If he wishes to be alone, so be it. I am not his babysitter, Lucy." she replied calmly.
Gray, who was reading his magazine, looked up from behind the paper. "You say that, but you can barely sit in your chair." he said to Erza, watching her trembling figure with slight amusement. He looked back to his lecture just in time to avoid daggers sent his way by her eyes.
It was obvious to everyone at the table, that Erza was struggling to not walk up to Natsu, but no one was brave or stupid enough to say it out loud.
Lucy sighed. "Fine, I'll go. I have to talk to him anyway."
With that said, she stood up from her seat and crossed the guild, finding herself right by Natsu's table. He didn't even look at her, his eyes glued to his glass.
"Hey." she smiled at him.
"Hey." he replied after a long pause, mostly not to leave her hanging.
"I just wanted to talk to you, and this is the first time I could approach you since we got back." she continued, not discouraged by his lack of interest.
"Okay." he mumbled and took a sip from his glass.
"I wanted to thank you for what you did back in the tower, for me and Juvia. You didn't have to, but you saved our lives." said Lucy. "If there's anything I can do to repay the debt, feel free to ask."
Natsu froze for a moment after receiving the girl's gratitude. He then slowly put down his glass and looked at her.
"Don't thank me." he growled. He then looked away and added "You can pay the debt back by leaving me alone."
Lucy looked at him, slightly shocked at his cold response. Her smile faded away, now replaced with a small frown. "Okay, then. Sorry for disturbing you."
She went back to her table and sat down in her spot, her good mood gone.
"What a jerk." murmured Wakaba from a nearby table.
"Did he really have to treat her that way? She didn't do anything wrong." added Macao.
"Why did Master even let this guy in?" threw in someone else in the back.
Gray listened to the whispers and without looking at Lucy, said "Well, now you know why no one wants to be around him."
Lucy looked at the Slayer one more time. "Did I do something to upset him?" she asked in a low voice.
Erza couldn't help but wonder herself. Although he kept his distance from everyone, Lucy's case was much more serious, even when she wasn't around.
Elfman continued to stare at Natsu, his eyes narrowed. "A man should never treat a lady this way. I still haven't forgiven him what he did to Sis."
"Enough, Elfman." said harshly Mira. "I never asked you to worry about my own battles. I knew what I was getting into, and I've already dealt with what happened."
The Demon reached out to her cup and lifted it, only to have it slip out of her grip, as it crashed into the table and rolled onto the floor, spilling its remains. Cursing, Mira grabbed her jammed hand and forcefully moved her fingers to close her fist, before relaxing her fingers and moving them around. This was the procedure she adapted and followed ever since her recovery. Elfman scowled at the sight.
"It's his fault your hand will never be as good as it used to be." he growled. "I think I should teach him a lesson."
"The flames were his, but he didn't force me to purposely stick my hand into them." she replied. "I don't blame him for this," she raised her hand "so why should you?"
That did not convince the giant, but he remained silent.
Lisanna looked at the Dragon Slayer and frowned. "I think it's sad." This earned her confused looks from her friends. She looked at them and finished her thought. "I really think we're being too harsh on him, ever since day one. I don't think he's as bad as we make him to be, he's just lost."
Erza sighed at these words, as she couldn't help but remember the events that happened few days earlier.
Late afternoon of November 28th, Fairy Tail Guild
"We're back!" yelled Makarov from the entrance, with Erza standing by his side.
The guild loudly acknowledged the return of their Master, who immediately raised his hand in the air.
"Silence! There's something I have to announce!"
The laughter and ruckus quickly died down, as silence fell in the hall. Pleased, Makarov cleared his throat and exlaimed. "I have two things to announce. Some of you might be upset with the second one, however, it is a risk I am willing to take."
He cleared his throat and yelled out. "First of all, Fairy Tail will not be disbanded!"
This exclamation earned him cheers from everyone in the guild. He let them celebrate for a moment, before raising his hand to silence them. "Now, for the other part."
He then turned around and extended his right hand towards the entrance to the guild. "Please welcome our newest member, Natsu Dragneel!"
A figure appeared from behind the door, with Natsu, covered in bandages from head to toe entering the guild. At his sight, a lot of people stood up from their seats, some of them terrified, some of them displeased.
"What the hell is he doing here?!" asked someone at the back.
"Master, you can't be serious!" yelled Elfman. "This guy hurt our friends, he's a criminal!"
"Just like Gajeel in the past, he was pardoned by the Council and allowed to join us on special terms. He's no longer who he used to be." Erza defended Natsu.
"Gajeel was one thing, but no way in hell am I willing to give this guy a chance." added Jet, with Droy nodding beside him.
"Aren't you guys a little too uptight? We don't even know him." asked Cana.
"And we don't want to."
"Isn't he known for destroying guilds?" threw in another member in the back.
The voices echoes across the guild, all of them getting louder with each second. Makarov slowly closed his eyes, sadness filling his heart. If only he could reveal the events that happened in the Tower...
Erza wanted to speak out, but she knew that if she did, she'd have said something she might come to regret. She looked at Natsu, whose eyes were glued on the floor, an unreadable expression on his face. He might have seemed fine, but deep down, she knew he was hurt. This was not how he wanted to start his new life.
"I don't want anything to do with this guy." said Macao.
"Aren't you guys a little too harsh?" asked Levy, the first person to defend the Dragon Slayer. "We don't even know him, reputation alone doesn't speak for a person."
"Levy, our first impression of this guy was when he kicked our door down, covered in blood from head to toes." replied calmly Wakaba. "I really don't think..."
"Knock it off."
Mira's voice shot through the guild like a whip, immediately silencing the ruckus. She looked at her guildmates one by one, an angry, slightly disgusted frown on her face. "None of you were there, none of you have seen what he's done. It's thanks to him Lucy and Juvia are still with us right now. Stop pointing your fingers and do not speak out on matters you know nothing about. You sound pathetic."
Her harsh words effectively gagged the guild. Erza couldn't help but send her rival a grateful look.
"Your reaction from few days ago wasn't that different from ours!" said Warren.
"That's because back then we didn't know anything about him." replied Gray, who joined the conversation. "Now we know that he's trustworthy. Stop treating him like shit, especially when none of you had anything to do with him. Did you forget he's the one who busted us out of that barrier?"
His words completely shut down all protests.
"Even if it's true, he's still dangerous." said Jet, not as confident as before.
"Which is why he will be strictly under my and Erza's supervision." replied Makarov. "What you have heard of him is true, however, there's a lot you haven't heard as well. We've accepted our past enemies into our family on few occasions, we can do it this time as well. I trust you will give it your all and help him get acquainted. Believe me, before you know it, you will treat him as if he was an old member."
This did not convince the guild what so ever. Seeing that it was pointless to continue, he turned over to Natsu. "You must be tired, my boy, and I presume you do not have a place to stay in. For the time being, make full use of our infirmary, there are lots of beds to choose from. Lisanna will show you the way."
Natsu nodded weakly, exhausted and sore from his wounds. He started to walk into the guild, before feeling a small tug on his sleeve. He looked back to see a smiling Erza.
"Don't worry, everything will be alright." she assured him. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"
Once again, he nodded weakly and made his way through the hall, with Lisanna walking in front of him. She couldn't help but frown at the state he was in. During their travel to Magnolia, he was hit with a powerful attack of motion sickness, which rendered him unable to move, and forced him to use all his strength to focus on not passing out. That, combined with his barely treated injuries resulted in him collapsing on the station. Makarov immediately ordered to take him to Porlyusica, who was beyond shocked and angry at the state he was in. No matter whether controlled or not, the Council did everything in its power to make itself completely unlikeable.
She watched him drag his feet behind Lisanna, her guildmates sending him weird looks on his way. She bit her lip in worry, which did not pass unnoticed by Makarov.
"Go." he said. "Check up on him."
She didn't have to be told twice. Quickly picking up the pace, Erza crossed the guild and made her way upstairs. She walked up just in time to see the pair disappear behind the door. Not wanting to overwhelm Natsu, she gently walked up to the door and stood by the wall, listening.
"Well, here we are." said Lisanna and turned on the lights. "You can choose whichever bed you want, nobody is staying here anyway."
Natsu frowned and walked up to the nearest bed. He put his hand on the mattress and gently slid his hand on the material, caressing it. He then applied some pressure onto the bed and pushed it a few times with his hand, as if checking up the firmness. Lisanna, who was currently closing the curtains, turned around and noticed him awkwardly sitting down on the bed. He then frowned and jumped in his spot, bouncing on the mattress.
"Is something wrong?" asked him the barmaid, slightly confused by his behavior.
Natsu, who was currently standing on the bed looked at her, his face relaxing. "Oh, no, not at all." he said, before jumping down onto the floor. "It's just, I haven't slept in a bed in years, I actually forgot what they look like."
Lisanna felt her eyes widen in slight shock. She couldn't help but feel bad for him.
"Well, it's yours for the time being." she said. "I'll leave you to it. If there's anything you need, Master is just across the floor. I'll be downstairs for a while longer."
Natsu gave her a quick nod and got back to checking out his bed. Lisanna walked out of the door and closed the door behind her, a sad frown glued to her face. She then spotted Erza, who was standing against the wall just behind the door, her face not looking good either. Neither of women spoke out, both of them feeling the same way. Lisanna walked down the stairs, with Erza following her a moment after. This was going to be a long journey.
"Nobody is going to trust him right off the bat." said Gray. "Give him few weeks and he'll prove himself. We have to take some jobs anyway, that will be his chance."
Lucy blinked and looked at him. "You're oddly calm about the idea of him joining our team."
"Not like I have a say in the matter anyway." he sighed. Lucy had to agree with him on that.
"Speaking of jobs." threw in Cana. She walked up to the table with a chair in one hand, and her bottle in the other. She placed the chair right next to Lucy and plopped onto it. "I've wanted to ask you something ever since you came back." she said, directing her words to Erza and her team. "How does he stand in terms of strength?" she asked, pointing at Natsu with her thumb.
Suddenly, everyone went quiet, as if dying to find out the answer to that question. Erza looked at the brunette, slightly surprised that she was the one who asked this question. She put down her cup and grabbed her chin with her fingers, genuinely wondering what to answer with.
"Well," she said after a long while "these are only my own calculations that are highly possible to be wrong, so don't take my word for granted." she warned them."I've seen him that way for only a moment, but if you ask me, I'd say that at his best, he is around three times stronger than me."
Gasps of shock echoed across the guild, everyone's jaws dropping in awe and shock. Elfman spat out his drink to the side, much to the annoyance of his big sister.
"A-at his best?" stuttered Macao. "You mean that when he showed up and almost burned us, that wasn't his best?"
"No." Erza shook her head. "On a daily basis, I'd say he's as strong as Laxus. But I may be wrong." she said, looking at Mira for some confirmation.
"Sounds about right." shrugged Mirajane. This only made them feel more unsettled.
"Doesn't that make him second strongest in the guild?!" asked shocked Elfman.
"Of course not, have you forgotten about Gildarts?" answered Warren.
"I wasn't counting Master."
"Great, another beast to the collection." sighed Macao.
Whispers reached Natsu's ears, much to his annoyance. He knew damn well what, or who they were talking about.
"So, third strongest in the guild, eh?" asked Cana with raised eyebrows, her eyes stuck on Natsu's figure. "You've found yourself quite a monster, haven't you, Erza?" she asked the knight with a mischievous smirk.
Erza arched an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting?"
"Oh, don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about." chuckled the brunette. "Lucy told me how you guys act around each other. The Knight and her Dragon, sounds quite-"
Cana's teasing was stopped by Lucy forcefully putting her hand on her mouth. Feeling cold creeping up her neck from Erza's glare, Lucy laughed awkwardly and tried to change the subject. "Now that I think about it, didn't you ask me to remind you that you have to visit Porlyusica today?"
Erza's face relaxed. That's right, it was time for his results and physical checkup.
"I did. Thank you, Lucy." she said and finished her tea. Lucy sighed in relief, as she watched Erza leave the table and walk up to Natsu.
"Natsu." the knight called out to him.
He turned around and looked at her. "What's up?"
"It's time for your checkup." she said with a smile.
"Oh, right." he said, not looking forward to the upcoming visit, before gulping the remains of his drink. He put down the glass and stood up from his chair. He then walked up to Lisanna, who was still sitting with Lucy and the others and reached out to his pocket, about to pay for his drink.
Seeing what he was about to do, the girl quickly put up her hand and gently laughed. "You really don't have to pay, we're not really a pub-"
Before she could finish, Natsu threw a large stack of cash in front of her. No matter how she looked at it, this was way too much for what he was given.
"Um." she started awkwardly. "What is this?"
Natsu raised his eyebrows. "I'm paying for my drink." he said, confused.
"Dude, you've just overpaid at least twentyfold." said Gray with a shocked voice, Lucy dumbly staring at the stash right next to him.
Now it was Natsu's turn to be shocked. "Really? I always pay this much for a drink."
It wasn't long before realisation hit the group, with Mira loudly expressing it by almost falling off her chair from laughter. Natsu looked at her, annoyed. "The hell are you laughing about?"
His tone sent shivers down the spines of everyone who was not sitting by her table. Mira took a couple deep breaths and wiped her eyes. "Seriously, for someone like you to be this naive." she breathed out. "They've been scamming you for years. For something like this, you pay with two zeros less on the bill."
Confused, Natsu was about to argue with the Demon, however, this was prevented by Erza, who grabbed his sleeve and dragged him towards the exit.
"We'll talk about it later. For now, we have to get your results. I'll see you guys later." she threw in farewell, with Natsu trying to free himself from her iron grip.
Gray continued to stare at his back, still surprised. "You know, I'm starting to believe this guy has no idea how life works."
Lucy looked at the Dragon Slayer as well and sighed. "I think you might be right."
"Sometimes I can't help but wonder what sort of a life he had up until now." said Lisanna. "I can't imagine what he's been through."
Gray, who knew the answer to that, gently sighed through his nose. "Let's try our best and lend him a hand. That's the only thing we can do for now." he said.
Mira, who didn't miss his reaction gently narrowed her eyes. She's been suspecting it for a while now, but now she was getting more and more certain - there was something major in their newest member, that some of her friends knew about. Feeling that it was not the time or place to pry, she stood up from her seat.
"Mira, where are you going?" asked her Lisanna.
Mira raised her hand and squeezed it a couple times. "Rehab." she replied shortly before walking out of the guild as well. Although what she said was true, her thoughts were somewhere else.
An hour later, Erza found herself standing in Porlyusica's house. Her brown eyes continuously searched all over Natsu's almost naked figure, as he stood in the middle of the room only in his underwear, with the lady unwrapping him off bandages. Although he was already healed, Erza couldn't help but feel her eyes narrow, sadness filling her heart. He looked terrible.
His entire torso was covered in burn marks he received from taken explosions. Although they were bound to fade away at some point, their freshness and color were simply repulsive. His left arm from fingers up to his elbow was covered in long, thin pink and white lines, which in combination with the scar that ran around his wrist gave an illusion of his arm being simply pink and white in color. However, the most noticeable change in his appearance was a long scar that ran across 80% of his face. It started just above his left eyebrow, continued down his nose and ended on his right cheek, at the level of his lips. It was irregular and deep, giving him an intimidating, but crippled look.
Porlyusica carefully checked out various areas of his body, giving them a light squeeze and paying attention to Natsu's reactions. The Dragon Slayer was calm, but displeased with the procedure.
After few more minutes, the woman straightened up and turned around. "That's all, you can put on your clothes."
Natsu was more than happy to get back into his outfit. Just when he was done pulling up his pants, Porlyusica spoke up, with a book in her hand.
"Your outside wounds have more or less healed, they no longer require my attention. I've tried to keep the scars to the minimum, but preventing them entirely was impossible. If you feel any further discomfort, talk to that little Dragon Slayer of yours, she can handle something of this degree on her own."
Natsu tied up his shoes and stood up. "Sure."
"The damage caused inside, however, is a different matter." continued Porlyusica. "Because of how you've pushed your body past its absolute limits, you were one step away from killing yourself. The strain put on your body crippled your ability to absorb Ethernano from the air, and it will take a long while to heal that."
Erza frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Mages have a container, that stores magic power inside of their bodies. It's responsible for absorbing Ethernano from the air, which is necessary to replenish any lost reserves of magic. By straining himself, he nearly torn up this container, and in result, he now requires a lot longer to replenish his magic than you, for example."
Natsu stopped putting on his jacket. He now knew the reason behind this awful feeling that accompanied him for the past few days.
Porlyusica closed the book and looked into Natsu's eyes. "I'll be blunt. If you continue to put this sort of strain on your body, you will lose the ability to use magic, or in the worst case, die. I suggest you keep low and not reach out to your second element: it is the culprit behind your current condition."
Natsu snorted gently under his nose and wrapped his scarf around his neck. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on using it ever again anyway."
Erza quickly looked at him. She picked up something in his tone that didn't sit right. Not wanting to talk about it in here, she spoke out to the older woman instead. "Will he recover from it? If so, how long would it take?"
"If he does not put himself in danger, it should calm down and return to normal on its own. It might take a week, a month, two, or maybe even a year, it all depends on his lifestyle. Come by once in a month for a checkup, I doubt he will be able to tell the difference on his own." replied the woman.
Erza nodded. Natsu zipped his jacket and walked up to Erza, his hands in his pockets. "Thanks, grandma." he said, without looking at his savior.
"Thank you for taking care of him." Erza bowed gently, expressing her gratitude.
Porlyusica looked at the girl one last time and turned around. "If that's all you wanted, leave."
Erza bowed once again and the pair left the house.
They walked through the forest towards the town, with Natsu in the front, and Erza walking right behind him. She kept staring at his back, questions circling in her mind. Feeling that she won't get anywhere by simply wondering, she stopped and called out to him.
"Natsu, stop."
The Dragon Slayer stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "What?"
"Is everything okay?" she asked him.
Natsu frowned. "Yeah. Why?"
"You've been acting weird ever since we got back." she said with a frown of her own. She relaxed her face, replacing it with a concerned look. "Is something in the guild not to your liking?"
He stared at her for a moment, before resuming walking. "Nope, it's all fine."
Not buying it, Erza pressed harder. "Did Lucy do something to you that upset you? You've been treating her like air."
He stopped once again. "No." he replied quietly.
Erza walked up to him and overtook him, catching his face with her eyes. "She really wanted to thank you for saving her back in the Tower. Why can't you just hear her out?"
Natsu looked to the side, a small scowl forming on his face. "Because I don't deserve it."
The knight felt her eyes widen in surprise. Did she hear him right?
"What do you mean?"
Natsu looked her deep in the eyes, finally willing to talk. "I've put her in that position. My lack of control and care for my surroundings caused that situation to happen. It was because of me she was stuck under that rock. I didn't save her, I saved myself. Silva knew what he was doing when he targetted them, he knew I'd jump in the way, because I'd feel guilty. Well, he was right." He then looked at Erza's hands. "This isn't the first time I've hurt someone who didn't deserve it anyway."
Erza listened to him with a stoic expression. Glad that she got him to spill the beans, she smiled. "You're being too harsh on yourself. Nobody blames you for what happened, they never did. You might have put them in that situation, but you've also saved them. You've fixed your own mistake. As for me, I've forgiven you a long time ago."
She reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "When we get back, talk to Lucy. She will tell you exactly what I've just told you. Maybe that will convince you."
Seeing that he was still puzzled and not entirely convinced, Erza turned around and started to walk towards the town. "Tomorrow, I'd like to go on a job. Make sure you sleep well today!" she hummed.
Natsu stared at her back, a weird feeling building in his chest, a feeling he couldn't even describe. He shook his head and ran after her, willing to catch up.
"Hey, can I pick it?"
Late afternoon of December 1st, Fairy Tail Guild, Makarov's office
Couple hours after her return, Erza found herself in Makarov's office, both of them with a fresh cup of tea in their hands. It was time for her usual report.
Makarov laid down his cup before asking. "So, what did Porlyusica say?"
Erza took a sip of her tea and replied. "His life is not in danger, but he has to stay low for the time being. His body is still hurt, and he might lose his ability to use magic if he pushes himself any further."
The elder sighed. He knew that the boy was far from being okay, but it was still unpleasant to hear something like this.
"I've decided to make him join my team, and attend jobs with me, Gray and Lucy." said Erza. "I think we should make him used to legal, regular jobs and slowly, but surely push him away from his old habits."
Makarov nodded. "I agree. We have to start working on him as soon as possible." he took a sip from his cup. "Tell me, how is his situation with the guild?"
Erza frowned. "Not good. Everyone except those present in the Tower, Cana, Levy and Lisanna treats him like an enemy. I think they are all still blinded by his appearance from before we took off."
"I knew it'd be bad, but not to this extent." muttered Makarov, as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Sometimes he couldn't figure out what was going through the thick skulls of his kids. "And how is he?"
"It's complicated." sighed Erza. "Due to years of living in isolation, he's more like an animal than a human. He only speaks to me and avoids everyone else, and when combined with their hostile approach to his person, the tension is unbearable. It's only a matter of time before he loses his temper." She then gave him a wide smile. "However, despite all that, I believe he will change for the better. If I could be brought onto the right path, so can he.
The elder tapped his finger on the desk. He had no idea what to do, his ideas not living up to the task. The images he's seen three days prior still haunted him, but he couldn't find it in his heart to tell Erza about them. It would break her.
"For the time being, try to get him acquainted with your team. We'll start with steady baby steps. We have five years to help him live like a normal human being, there's plenty of time left." he said after a while.
"Very well." said the knight.
She put down her cup and stood up from her chair. "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready for tomorrow. We're going on a job."
Makarov nodded. "Good night. Make sure you choose a good one."
Erza turned around in the door and grinned at the elder. "I'm not the one choosing."
Makarov chuckled to himself and watched Erza disappear behind the door. As soon as she left the room, he frowned to himself, the memories still overwhelmingly bright.
Three days earlier, November 28th, Magic Council HQ
Natsu dropped to the floor after being freed from his shackles by the guard. He panted heavily, single drops of blood falling onto his hands from his face. Makarov quickly turned around to the guard.
"Give him your jacket, quickly."
Although hesitant, the guard gave up under the weight of Makarov's eyes and took off his uniform, before wrapping it around the wounded Dragon Slayer. Natsu slowly stood up and limped towards the cell door.
"Now then, let's head upstairs and get you patched up." said the tiny mage.
Natsu nodded and took couple of steps, but halted after a moment. He started to aggressively sniff the air, which alarmed Makarov.
"Come on, we better go." he pressed, knowing full well what was about to happen.
Unfortunately for him, his plan failed, with a scowling Natsu limping his way deeper into the dungeon. Cursing under his nose, the elder chased after the Dragon Slayer, with the guard behind him. He found him standing in front of a cell few meters away from his. Before he could react, he witnessed as Natsu put his hand on the doorknob and forcefully opened the door, breaking the lock in the process. He slowly entered the cell, with Makarov right behind him.
"Don't you remember what I've just said, don't do anything reckless!" yelled Makarov before entering the cell.
His old eyes were met with a tall man with long silver hair, his figure hanging on the back wall of the cell. His entire body except his head was in bounds, his limbs positioned so that he was giving an illusion of being crucified. Before him stood Natsu, his onyx eyes glued to the man's face.
Silva slowly lifted his head and looked at his visitor, a small chuckle escaping his mouth.
"What an unexpected visit. Did you come here to boast, or perhaps you're here to admire my current disgraceful state?"
Natsu did not reply. Makarov stood on his guard in the entrance. He knew that he should be stopping the lad, drag him away by force if needed, but a part of him wanted to see this. He wanted to see, whether the gamble he's taken was a gamble he could turn into a victory.
Natsu took a slow step towards Silva. He stopped just 1 meter away from the man and finally spoke up.
"I came here to confirm something." he said quietly.
"And what that be? Your victory, my pathetic condition, or perhaps something slightly deeper than that?" mocked Silva.
Natsu's eyes narrowed dangerously. He walked up to Silva so that his face was mere centimeters away from his. "My own desires. And now that I look at you, I really want to kill you. Every single fiber of my being wants to tear you limb from limb, right here, right now."
Makarov tensed up. His biggest fears were about to become reality.
"Then why don't you?" asked Silva. "I can't even move, this is your best chance. All it takes is one, good blow. But you can't, can you?" taunted The God. "Your pathetic sense of morality is holding you back. Deep down, you want to change, and this makes you weak."
Natsu grinned. "You really love to believe your own bullshit, don't you?"
Silva blinked in confusion.
"I want to kill you, I really do. But I won't do it." continued Natsu. "Not because I can't, but because I gave it a thought. Even if you die, it will be nowhere near sufficient enough to pay for everything you've done. When compared to what you deserve, death is like mercy."
"Is that how you're planning on lying to yourself?" asked Silva.
"No, this is the truth. Even if I tortured you, after couple of days you'd give in. That's way too fast. I'm aiming for years, decades even."
Silva frowned. He had slight trouble with following the Dragon Slayer.
"That's why I will leave you right here, in this place." said Natsu quietly. "You, someone with a god complex will live out his last days in an underground cell, kept by people you consider to be worse than vermin. You will be fed, watched and kept under lock every single day by the very people you swore to destroy. This will be your life until the day you die, alone and forgotten. You will meet the same fate you've sent thousands of people through."
The God smirked. "Do you honestly believe I will stay here for long? You must be more delusional than I expected. It won't be long until I leave this place and drown you in a sea of despair."
Natsu grinned and couldn't help the laughter that escaped his mouth.
"Truth to be told, this is exactly what I'm hoping for." he said with an excited, merciless tone.
Without a warning, Natsu's body was covered by a cloak of fire and lightning, the temperature in the cell reaching unbearable temperatures. Makarov had to cover his face in order to prevent them it being burned. The guard behind him growled and tried to forcefully enter the cell, only to be stopped by Makarov. He knew this was wrong, but deep inside, he wanted to see for himself. Despite the tension he felt, he had trust that the boy in front of him would make the right decision.
Silva started to sweat, his face paling from fear. Natsu's form triggered memories that haunted him ever since his defeat. Seeing this, Natsu stepped even closer, his forehead touching Silva's.
"If you ever get out of this place, I will personally hunt you down. I will break every single bone in your limbs, but not kill you. I will forcefully drag you back down here and lock you up. I will repeat this process every time you step outside of this cell, and when you finally break and beg me to kill you, I will look you in the eye and refuse." whispered Natsu.
Silva was now white, his face twisted in horror. His voice was stuck in his throat, Natsu's words sinking in deep into his soul.
"Then again, it's a different matter if someone else gets to you first, and I'm sure there are lots of people who'd love to have a meeting with you." continued the Dragon Slayer. "Hell, I'm pretty sure you have some friends in here who'd love to have a word with you."
Silva did not respond, his eyes wide, his pupils barely existent. He was too traumatized to form a proper sentence. Seeing that his work was done, Natsu stepped away and canceled his magic. He then put his hand on Silva's shoulder and leaned in towards his ear to speak out one more time.
"You were right about one thing, you know. I do want to change. I will start anew, while you will remain here, broken and alone. I promised to someone that I'd try to change, and I'm going to fulfill this promise. But to achieve that, I have to stay away from you as far as possible, so make it easy for me and make sure I won't have to visit you ever again. It really is hard to fight the temptation."
Natsu turned away from Silva and faced Makarov. The elder was disturbed, his old ears picking up every single word that was said in the cell. Seeing his horrified look, Natsu felt a slight sense of shame, so to mask it, he addressed Silva one more time.
"Consider yourself warned. This is the only way you can make up for all the atrocities you've committed. After all," he turned around to look at the man one last time. "you hate unfinished business, do you not?"
With that said, Natsu turned back around and walked out of the cell, Makarov and the guard following him in suit. Natsu closed the door and melted the lock with his flames, securing the cell. After that, he dropped to his knees, panting heavily.
"I really shouldn't have used my magic back there." he chuckled to himself, throbbing pain taking over his chest.
Makarov did not say a word. He simply watched the young man before him, his fists clenching on their own. He knew it was going to be tough, but this event confirmed it - he was up for a ride of his life. This might have been the toughest challenge in his life.
"Do not say a word about what happened here." he said to the guard, not leaving any room for protest. "Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir." replied the guard, not willing to oppose the Wizard Saint.
"Is there a chance...you could not mention this to Erza?" Natsu wheezed out from the floor, his voice back to its normal tone.
Makarov's eyes narrowed. He walked up to the boy and looked him deep in the eyes.
"This will be the first lesson I'll give you as your Master." he said quietly, his voice sharp. "Fairy Tail does not resolve their problems with unnecessary violence and threats. Make sure this is the last time I warn you."
Natsu smiled weakly at the elder. "I got your message loud and clear."
Not entirely convinced, Makarov decided to drop the subject. "Come on, let's get you upstairs. We need to patch you up."
With the guard's aid, they helped Natsu get back on his feet, and then escorted him out of the dungeon. As they passed by nearby cells, an amused chuckle found its way into their ears.
"I didn't know it was Christmas." said a male voice, which Makarov immediately recognized. "This has to be the best gift I've ever received. You have my utmost gratitude, Salamander."
Natsu turned around in the direction of the voice. "Make sure you enjoy it, Erik."
Cobra laughed out loud, his voice echoing throughout the prison. "You too, old man! I hope you haven't forgotten our promise!"
"I'm working on it." replied Makarov. He received a satisfied laughter in response.
The trio continued on their way through the hall, when suddenly, Makarov felt a light squeeze on his shoulder.
"Gramps." said Natsu in a quiet voice.
The Master looked at the Dragon Slayer. His eyes were half open, his little stunt and weakened state rendering him barely able to stay conscious.
"Yes, what is it?"
There was a small pause, as if he was wondering what to say. Then, after what felt like a minute, Natsu spoke up, his eyes glued to Makarov's. There was no trace of previous hostility or cruelty - now, they were hopeful, maybe even wamr. This change put an uneasy feeling in the elder's chest.
"I really want to change, believe it or not."
Makarov gently exhaled through his nose. He didn't know too much about this boy, so it was hard to judge him. However, the display he showed few minutes ago left a lot of questions. Still, he decided to put his trust in his newest member and mark the beginning of a long journey.
"You will, my boy. You will."
End of Chapter 15. To be continued in Chapter 16: In Action
This chapter was a lot slower than the previous ones. I wanted to take it down a notch and relax before Tenrou.
The scars Erza received from Natsu come from Chapter 2, when he destroyed her Adamantine Armor and blew up her hands. In case you didn't remember.
There will be a three chapter break between SC Arc and Tenrou Arc, so excluding this one, there will be two more chapters. I can't wait to get into it!