And Onto the Story
"I thought I would find you here," Natsu said as he opened the door to Porlyusica's home, ducking to avoid a broom as he entered, a small smile on his face as he saw Cana by Gildarts bedside. There was an empty tray of food on the table to his right, while Cana sat to his left.
"Natsu, it doesn't count when you could have followed my scent from the other side of town," Cana said with a smirk as Gildarts laughed, waving the kid over as Porlyusica rolled her eyes, disappearing into another room and leaving the mages alone to discuss their business.
"What brings you here anyways, wait, what happened to your arm?" Gildarts said in confusion as he looked at Natsu's arm, the red tattoos so reminiscent of Acnologia's climbing up his arm, sending shivers down his back, his injuries flaring from the memories alone.
"Well, when Igneel scared him off, he used some Ancient Lost magic to give me Acnologia's arm… Even the colour of my magic has changed." Natsu explained, a grimace on his face mirrored by Gildarts as everyone stared at his hand, curious of the implications.
"Well, that's disturbing… But I'm really grateful you were able to get me out of there," Gildarts said, a smile on his face as he raised his left arm, clasping hands with Natsu, who smiled before standing up.
"Natsu, one last thing, do you know why that bastard has a human form?" Gildarts asked, shocking everyone in the room, even prompting Porlyusica to open the door, listening to the conversation with wide eyes.
"Damnit, I'm assuming that's how he broke your arm and knee?" Natsu asked with a sigh as he slumped into his chair, staring at his left arm.
"Oh yeah, bastard could probably crush a diamond with his bare hands," Gildarts commented, prompting Cana to squeeze his hand in comfort.
"Well, I know Igneel is capable of a human form, and Acnologia is one of the strongest Dragon's still roaming this green earth, so maybe he learned how," Natsu commented with a shrug, struggling to remember anything Igneel might have said about him off hand.
"Ah well, it doesn't matter, we made it back alive and that's what counts, I just figured you needed to know." Gildarts explained with a smile, while Cana looked at him in a mixture of surprise and pride as to how well he was taking this whole thing.
"Thanks Ol' man, let's have a drink when you get out of this joint huh? I gotta go do some training with Happy," Natsu said with a grin as he looked at Cana, giving her a wink.
"Hey, don't try and coax him out of bed! No drinking 'til he can walk on his own," Cana said as she glared at Natsu, a blush on her face as he walked out the door, waving at the brunette as he left.
"Hey, you might be cute and all, but you're not the boss of me," Gildarts said with a smile, only to pale slightly when she glared at him.
"Look, you're lucky you still have your intestines, let's not test how much alcohol will leak out," Cana replied as she gestured to his stomach. While everyone was grateful that Natsu stopped the bleeding, it took almost three times longer to properly patch him up and remove the burnt tissue.
"Ah, dammit I guess you're right, I think this is the longest I've gone without a drink in over a decade," Gildarts said with a laugh, ignorant to how Cana's eyes widened in shock, as she put the pieces together.
"Why's that? If you don't mind me asking." Cana asked hesitantly as she attempted to be nonchalant, looking at the wall opposite to her while he stared at his hands.
"Oh man, just thinking about it makes me need another drink. Come to think of it, why are you wasting your youth sitting here anyways, shouldn't you be going on a date or something?" Gildarts asked as he rubbed his eyes, trying to force the tears back.
He didn't regret keeping Fairy Tail relevant and alive, they were, and always will be his family. But she was his happiness and his heart. 'I just hope she's happy,' Gildarts thought as he looked at Cana, her similarities to his beloved Cornelia almost broke him, like she was his curse for breaking her heart.
"Look, um, well…" Cana began as she looked at Gildarts, her hands fidgeting in her lap as she struggled to get the words out. Gildarts looked at the girl, feeling a weird pull in his chest as he looked at the girl.
"Look, Cana, it's alright if you can't say it now. I'll be sticking around a bit more. Did you know I haven't set foot in my apartment for the last two years?" Gildarts said as he looked the girl in the eyes, a small smile on his face.
"Really? Oh, I don't wanna see that fridge," Cana said with a small laugh, feeling happy to be able to talk to Gildarts like this. It almost felt like they were a real family, even if he didn't know it yet.
"Please, the only thing in my fridge is beer and a bottle of ketchup!" Gildarts said as he waved his hand watching Cana sigh in relief, before looking at him, knowing she will never be able to repay Natsu for keeping his promise and bringing her father back alive.
"Yeah... that's kind of sad. Honestly, some of us thought you just stayed with the Master when you came back to town to grab more requests," Cana said, a bead of sweat dripping down her forehead when Gildarts rolled his eyes. Although it wouldn't be unreasonable to think he'd be able to keep his place in one piece.
"Blow up three apartments and suddenly you don't have a home,"
"Are you sure Mama's gonna be okay with this?" Happy asked as he flew around Natsu's head, as they continued into the deep forest surrounding Magnolia, heading towards his and Laxus' sparring clearing, which was enchanted with runes by Laxus' new partner Freed.
It was a beautiful morning, the sun approaching its peak in the clear blue sky. The sounds of birds chirping in the trees echoing around the forest floor, as he stepped on fallen branches and decaying leaves.
"Happy, we're just training you how to protect yourself. Nobody is strong enough buddy, I just, I can't watch anything happen to you." Natsu explained with a strained smile as he rubbed Happy's chin, stepping over a fallen tree along the dirt path.
Natsu was wearing a dark red trench coat, let open revealing his bandaged chest, and brown combat pants, with black boots. His hair was styled back, tied into a small tail. Happy was wearing a black handkerchief, covered in tiny silver skulls, that was tied into a backpack. Clearly, a gift from Mira.
"Natsuuu don't be like that! Mama said it's not your fault," Happy said with a big smile as he hugged Natsu's chest, a smile blooming on the mage's face as he patted Happy on the back.
"I know, but I still don't ever want anything like that to happen again." Natsu said as Happy let go and flew off, an excited cheer rolling off his lips as he flew into a clearing, stopping dead in his tracks.
"Hey, Happy what's wrong?" Natsu asked as he exited the clearing, his eyebrow raising when he saw Erza standing in the clearing, wearing her Hearts Kreuz armor, with her sword planted in the ground. There were a couple of felled trees, and dozens of gouges cut into several other trees.
"I'm surprised to see you out here so soon," Erza said as she fixed a stony glare on Natsu, rolling her eyes when Happy flew behind the Saint in fear, peeking over the Saint's shoulder at the Scarlet Knight.
"I heard you got back from your mission, are you alright?" Natsu asked as he gave her a once over, grateful to see she had no signs of injury, while smelling no medicinal solves or human blood on her.
"I can assure you I am in much better shape than you," Erza said as she rolled her eyes, carefully looking him over as well, her eyes narrowing on the new tattoos on his left arm, committing them to memory.
"That's good, I'm really glad. With everything that was going on I was a little worried about you, especially since you just started taking S-Class requests this year." Natsu said with a smile as he made his way towards one of the fallen trees, taking a seat before requipping a little wicker picnic basket, setting it down for Happy who quickly began to gorge himself on fish.
"Yes, well, unfortunately Master asked that I ensure you don't overexert yourself and told me about your little place here," Erza explained with a grimace as she gestured to the small arena.
It was approximately thirty feet in diameter, with specific trees engraved with runes to prevent any uncontrolled fire from burning down the forest. Luckily, Erza didn't damage any of the runes during her training session. The ground was barren and burnt, damaged from years of Natsu's training.
"Ah, well, I can't say I wasn't expecting something like that, but I never thought you'd be the messenger. Actually, come to think of it, it makes a bit of sense." Natsu said as he reached into the basket, grabbing a canteen of water, smirking at Happy's voracious appetite.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Erza bit out as she glared at the saint, a little surprised to see him meet her eye. She was so used to raising her voice and watching people cringe, let alone glare at them. 'To be fair, he had to learn how to survive that goth bitch somehow.'
"Well, honestly? I thought you didn't like me." Natsu said with a smirk as he crossed his arms over his bandaged chest, daring her to respond while even Happy stopped mid-bite, staring at Natsu in horror.
"I'm surprised you managed to figure that out, but that's irrelevant, Master's orders." Erza replied as she shrugged her shoulders, annoyed to see him smile.
"Look, Erza, you can barely call those orders. Gramps only tells us what to do because he thinks it's best for us. Sure he might be a little frustrated but that's not what Fairy Tail is about. You should know that by now. I think it'd be a bit more obvious if you actually spent time at the guild. Although I do have to admit your success rate is flawless, and you've taken about as many missions as me, " Natsu said with a sigh as he watched Happy continue to devour fish, and by his count he was almost done.
"I love being chastised by a man who almost killed the man he constantly refers to as 'gramps'. I still can't believe you're one of our most trusted mages, let alone being announced a Wizard Saint." Erza commented as she glared at him, daring him to weasel his way out of it.
"Look, you're completely right. I can't even argue with that. But that's why I do everything I can, every day to make our guild better. And I know you're trying to do the same thing too. I just wish you'd realize those people care about you," Natsu said with a smile as he put the basket back into his magic space, while Happy flew to his head for a nap.
Erza stared at Natsu, a frown on her face as she watched him leave the training arena, feeling conflicted about a man she thought she hated. 'What a coincidence, that he was announced a Wizard Saint not even a week before receiving the request with Gildarts. I wonder…'
"You made some really good progress today Elf-ni-san, you got nothing to be embarrassed about!" Lisanna said happily as she skipped along the trail towards the city, her siblings close behind her. Elfman was covered in scrapes and bruises while Mira was practically spotless, having a few tears in her outfit.
They were training in an area just west of Magnolia, in a large open plain, and slowly made their way closer as the day progressed. They were just entering the city limits, from the marketplace district, the sounds of bartering and business echoing gently throughout the streets.
"You too Lisanna! When we had lunch down at the creek, one of the fish agreed to give you their spirit! That's so cool! You can breathe underwater and stuff!" Elfman replied with a large smile as he watched his sister bounce around happily.
"He's right Lis, that's pretty amazing ya know. I'm pretty proud of you! On a side note, I'm glad not even animals can say no to you," Mira said with a sigh, remembering all the times she gave in to her little sister just because Lisanna batted her eyes and said 'please'.
"Mira-nee, there's no way I could ever hurt a cute little animal! That's the way my magic works." Lisanna said with a pout as she turned around, crossing her arms under her chest as they made their way into the city, getting smiles and waves from different vendors as they progressed down the street.
"Lisanna, I'm honestly jealous," Elfman said with a frown as he remembered how hard it was not to lose control of The Beat, the pain of watching him attack his own siblings, making his beloved sisters cry kept him up all night, even though it's been a couple days.
"Elf-nii-chan, if it wasn't for you maybe the beast might have killed us before Natsu came!" Lisanna said as they began walking up to their porch, smiling at her big brother.
"Lis is right Elfman, and it doesn't matter anyways, everyone's okay, and if we train really hard, you should be able to control that damned thing." Mira said as she began to unlock their front door, turning back and smirking when she saw his shocked face.
"Wait what? Come to think of it, once Natsu weakened him… I subdued the Beast King!" Elfman roared as his sisters took off their shoes, before entering and closing the door, the smile slowly fell off his face when he remembered what the consequences were, the pain he caused his family because of his arrogance.
"Yeah, well, you both made some pretty good progress today. Now I want you two to be clean and ready for dinner in thirty minutes. Get to it!" Mira demanded as Lisanna ran up the stairs, a somber Elfman slowly following her as he began to pull off his tank top.
Mira quickly made her way to the kitchen, checking on the pot of Lo Mein on the stove that was set to slow cook, full of rice noodles, and fresh vegetables, cooking in a spiced chicken broth. She lifted the lid with her left hand, grabbing a spoon with her right and going to taste the broth before she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Oh c'mon! I just got home," Mira grumbled as she set the lid down on the stove, before storming towards the door, frustrated that she hadn't been able to finish their meal yet. She opened the door, a frown on her face as she threw the door open.
"Ahem… Is this a bad time?" Erza asked as she coughed into her fist, looking at the frown on her rival's face.
"Uh, what the hell are you doing here?" Mira asked in confusion as she tilted her head, surprised Erza even knew where she lived, let alone be able to understand why she would show up at the door.
"I would like to speak with you about your mission, I was considering going out to scout the area trying to find out where it came from." Erza requested as she lowered her hand to her waist, her posture stiff as a board as she awaited Mira's response.
"Oh, uh, sure? But I gotta make dinner, come in, I guess?" Mira said, a confused look on her face as she scratched the back of her head as she walked towards her kitchen, a question mark practically floating above her head.
"First of all, I am grateful that all of you have returned in one piece, unlike some others. What were the beast's combat abilities? I would rather get it from the horse's mouth, the report did not have enough detail for my liking," Erza questioned as she pulled a clipboard and pen from her magic space, watching as Mira tasted the soup.
"Look, Red, I have no idea what the fuck you are doing here. But if you don't shut up we're gonna have to take this outside. If you think you could have brought Gildarts back in one piece, I'll rip your arm off and shove it up your ass so far you can look for that thing we call a heart. I promise you'll be disappointed, you won't find one." Mira said in a low voice as she opened the oven, pulling out a tray of assorted dumplings and rolls, and setting it on the counter, before grabbing a pot roast and setting on the stove top.
'Ah, yes, my apologies. This is your home, I should hold my tongue. On a serious note, however, I do want to check out the scene." Erza apologized with a nod of her head, even though neither her tone nor facial expression changed.
"Yeah, well, it was a big, zoomorphic beast that was crazy resistant to magic. Unfortunately it's knees were double jointed and it was able to force me out of my Satan Soul, after that Elfman gave him a power up and Natsu cleaned up the mess." Mira said with a glare as she looked at the Knight, as she began to cut some lettuce for Lisanna.
"Zoomorphic? Mira I'm impressed. How did Natsu defeat an empowered beast while injured if you could not in the first place?" Erza asked honestly as she looked at the demon, considering that maybe it had a weakness to fire, but she never phrased her questions properly.
"Look, Red, I know you have trouble talking to people. But I am one second away from skinning you with this knife," Mira said as she looked at the Knight, placing her knife down on the cutting board before grabbing a large bowl and placing the iceberg lettuce in it.
Erza's eyes widened as she looked at Mira, before a small smile appeared on her lips as she watched the demon prepare a meal for her siblings.
"You know, it is sad that you are my best friend." Erza said as she turned around, making her way towards the exit.
"You're lucky I know you don't mean that!" Mira called from the kitchen, the smile on Erza's face growing the slightest amount as she put her boots back on.
"Hiya Erza! How are you doing today?" Lisanna called cheerfully as she bounced down the stairs, surprised to see the Scarlet Knight in their home, even if she was just leaving.
Lisanna was wearing a simple pink long sleeve shirt that was one size too large, the sleeves went past her wrists and the collar was large enough that her left shoulder was bare. She was wearing fluffy blue pajama pants, covered in cartoon animals.
"Ah, Lisanna, I hope you have a good evening," Erza said with a smile as she opened the door.
"Awww, I was hoping we would get to talk," Lisanna said with a pout as she ran down the stairs, catching the door before Erza could close it.
"I appreciate the sentiment Lisanna, but I would not want to intrude. I do not believe Elfman would be able to leave his room," Erza said as she made her way off the porch into the city, prompting Lisanna to look over her shoulder, catching Elfman sticking his head out of the bathroom.
"Hey, Lis, Red wasn't bugging you was she?" Mira asked as she began to set the table, watching as her little sister looked out the window.
"Mira-nee! I knew Erza-chan could be nice!" Lisanna said happily as she walked towards the kitchen to help Mira finish dinner.
"Look, Lis, Erza doesn't really talk to people a lot, so she doesn't know how to explain herself. She's a good person at heart and you know it, even if you have to dig really deep to find it." Mira explained with a sigh as she joined her beloved sister in the kitchen, happy to still have everyone she cared about in her life.
"You know, you two fight all the time, but you probably know her better than the master. I'm just confused why you two fight all the time if you're that close." Lisanna said with an inquisitive look on her face as she began to toss the salad.
"Look, Lis, Erza's had a rough childhood, even worse than ours. She has a really hard time opening up, and a fight just happens to get the ball rolling faster." Mira said with a sigh as she put on her oven mitts, carefully bringing the pot of soup out into the dining room, missing the smile on her sister's face.
"Awwww, you've really opened up ever since we met Natsu," Lisanna said with a smile as she carried the salad bowl into the dining room, happily following behind her big sister.
"Lis, I'm in a good mood, and even Red didn't ruin it, please don't push it." Mira said sternly as she made her way back into the kitchen, grabbing some juice and pouring a glass for Lisanna.
"Sorry Mira-nee, it's just so good to see how far we've all come these past few years! We have a nice big family, and good friends! And someone speci-" Lisanna began to say only to be cut off when Mira placed her hand tightly over her sister's mouth, a dangerous smile on the demon's face.
"Look, Lis, I'm really sorry that I kiss-" Mira began as she took her hand off of Lissana's face, wringing her hands in front of her as she nervously looked at her sister.
"What's for dinner tonight Mira-nee! I'm hungry like a real man after all that training!" Elfman cheered as he thumped down the stairs, interrupting their conversation as they looked at each other wide eyed.
"You're going to eat what I give you, now get your butt down here so we can start. I'm starving," Mira ordered as she squeezed Lisanna's left down before taking her seat, watching Elfman turn the corner and hurry to his seat.
"Master, may I come in?" Natsu asked as he knocked on the door of Makarov's office, watching as the old man looked up from his paperwork.
"What do you want brat? I'm just finishing up for the night before heading home," Makarov said, a grouchy tone to his voice as he waved Natsu in, absently noticing Happy's absence as Natsu closed the door, flaring his magic to activate the sound barrier on the room.
"Two highly dangerous S-Class requests within the same week is almost unheard of. A request like Acnologia's should have been a joint-guild mission as well." Natsu said as he sat down on the wooden chair with bright red upholstery in front of the master's desk.
"Get to the point brat, I'm not in any mood for games," Makarov said, an exhausted expression on his face as he looked at a man he considered a grandson. Natsu's eyes widened at the large dark circles under the man's eyes, his pale skin making them more pronounced.
"Sorry gramps, I can't imagine how hard this week has been for you," Natsu said, a frown on his face as he looked at the old man, knowing how hard he took any injuries to the guild.
"Yeah, well, at least the paperwork is keeping my mind occupied. I never thought I'd say this, but I wish those brats were rowdier this week." Makarov commented as he looked down to his paperwork, signing the sheet before adding it to the completed pile.
"Well, to get to the point, I think the council is trying to sabotage us." Natsu said, watching as Makarov slowly looked up, a furious glare on his face as he stared at Natsu, who took it in stride.
"Look, I find it very, very hard to believe anyone would catch a glimpse of Acnologia and mistake him for anything else. His magic pressure is strong enough to kill a non-mage in his presence." Natsu explained strongly as he looked Makarov in the eye.
"Saying something like that is considered treason, child." Makarov explained, a dangerous tone to his voice as he narrowed his eyes at the young Saint.
"Master, I refuse to back down on this. The beast even, I realize that our guild was closest but if even Mira struggled they should have tried to call on a saint!" Natsu argued as he slammed his hands on the wooden desk, his fiery attitude prompting Makarov to sigh.
"Natsu, I am aware how much you care for the Strauss siblings, but the Council acted as quickly as they could, and the Strauss siblings were still able to successfully evacuate the city as requested. They were never responsible for subduing the beast. Of course that was the best course of action." Makarov explained with a sigh as he looked back to his paperwork, simply letting Natsu rant his frustrations.
"I know Gramps, do you think that the Beast may have awoken because of our battle with The Dragon of Apocalypse?" Natsu asked with a sigh as he fell back into his seat as he looked at the master, a sullen look on his face.
"I considered that, I asked Erza to track where the beast came from, hopefully she's smart enough to observe and not engage if there's anything else like it out there." Makarov grumbled as he continued to finish his paperwork.
"I know you think I'm blowing these things out of proportion, but I'm really worried about this." Natsu pleaded as he looked at the man who took him in all those years ago.
"And what would you propose I do Natsu? Should I storm the magic council? Would you like me to start a protest maybe?" Makarov asked sarcastically as he finished filling out his final form, his experience with paperwork allowing him to complete it much faster than any new hire.
"But maybe there's something we can do with our guild, to make sure we're at least strong enough to get home safely!" Natsu proposed as he watched Makarov place the four inch high stack of papers into a transport box, sealing the container with an enchanted lid.
"Are you suggesting we aren't strong enough? Are you going to tell them that to their faces?" Makarov with a sharp tone as he walked towards his surrogate grandson.
"No Master, I just remember how much both Gildarts and Laxus helped me once I joined the guild. What if we were to do something like that for everyone?" Natsu proposed as he looked at the small man, watching proudly as a smile grew on the elders face.
"And who would have such a responsibility? In a good month we get almost three new mages, are you going to take such a responsibility?" Makarov queried as he stood in front of the Dragon Slayer.
"You're right Gramps, I'm sorry. We only have five S-Class mages right now, And three of them are rarely here. Thanks for talking to me before I did something stupid, again. I guess I just needed someone to talk to." Natsu said, a nervous look on his face as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Yeah, well, beat it. I'm going home." Makarov groaned as he released the spell on the room, making his way out the door only to run into a certain blonde.
"Oh, Laxus! What a surprise, I'll talk to you tomorrow, another idiot already wore me out." Makarov announced as he made his way towards the stairs, walking past his grandson, unable to keep a smile off his face.
"See ya Old man… Well, I can't say I'm surprised to see you out of bed already, you never were one to take it easy," Laxus said, a smirk on his face when he saw Natsu walk out of the office.
Laxus was a tall, well built man with spiky blonde hair, standing straight as if he stuck his finger in an electrical socket. He had a large brown scar over his right eye in the shape of a lightning bolt. He had spiky black headphones covering his ears, and a royal purple dress shirt, the sleeves folded to his elbows and the collar left undone. He was wearing simple black pants and simple black shoes.
"Woah! Laxus! I didn't think I'd see your ugly face around here for another few weeks!" Natsu said, a large smile on his face as he clasped hands with his surrogate brother.
"When we got word from Master, Freed and I decided to head back early," Laxus said with a smile as he followed Natsu down the stairs, heading towards a private table to catch up.
The guild was fairly sparse around this time in the afternoon, going home to have dinner with their families, or run errands and do chores. Gray, Loke and one of their new members Max were eating dinner at a table on the other side of the room while Reedus and Vijiteer were drinking at the bar.
"How's that guy doing anyways? Ever since you brought him back on that one mission it seems like he's been stuck to your side," Natsu asked as the bartender brought them over a couple mugs of beer, quickly taking their order.
"At first it was kind of weird, but he's pretty smart and his magic is really useful. I was thinking about maybe having a team," Laxus explained, a smirk on his face as he took a sip of his mug, watching in amusement as Natsu's jaw dropped in surprise.
"Woooahh! You? I thought you'd be like Gildarts, taking long missions and adventuring around the continent." Natsu exclaimed in surprise as he slammed his mug on the table, the clamor attracting attention from the others before they turned back to their own conversations.
"Yeah, well, it gets boring, and I refuse to waste my life away drinking and flirting like that," Laxus said with a shrug as he leaned back in his chair.
"Oh, yeah. I'm grateful that Happy, and the girls come with me sometimes," Natsu agreed as he took another drink.
"What was he like?" Laxus asked after a brief pause, the conversation taking a serious turn as their meals were delivered.
"Oh, yeah… Man, there are no words to describe how strong that Bastard is," Natsu said with a sigh, internally surprised he wasn't happy to look at the large steak in front of him.
"No words, or no words you know?" Laxus taunted him with a smirk as he cut a piece of chicken and placed it in his mouth.
"Oh, shut it spark plug. I'm torn whether I wished you were there, or glad that you weren't. At most I think we would have made him bleed a bit more, I doubt we'd have been able to take him down. That bastard is so unbelievably powerful, he didn't even need to use any magic, and the pressure of it alone was enough to floor both me and Gildarts." Natsu explained as he slowly ate his meal, a weird light in his eyes as he relived the moment.
"Look, Natsu, it's unheard of to even survive that bastard. And you're only fifteen anyways, you're lucky to be alive," Laxus commented as he continued to eat his meal.
"Part of me hopes I never see that bastard again, but I think we both know I don't get that option." Natsu said with a sigh, taking another swig of beer as he dug into his meal.
"You're one stubborn bastard, you know that? I may not be traditional like you, but it's my responsibility now too." Laxus recited, rolling his eyes as he took another drink.
"I know, but after seeing him I don't want to think about anyone going up against him. The one person I would have thought could have done a thing was just as useless as I was," Natsu groaned as he took another bite of his meal.
"Yeah, I still can't believe the Ol' man got hurt so bad he needed an amputation," Laxus commented as he finished off his meal, wiping his face with a napkin and taking another swig.
"Hey, he hasn't had a drink since and he can still smile like an idiot, clearly he's come to terms with it," Natsu commented with a smile as he polished his plate.
"And what's this I heard about those Strauss', they alright?" Laxus asked as he nodded his head to the door, standing up when Natsu nodded in agreement.
"Thankfully, I understand why they had trouble with that monster, it's like it's aura protected it from magic or something like that," Natsu replied with a shrug as they made their way out of the guild, each playing a wad of jewels on the bar top.
"So, how's it going with the ladies," Laxus said with a smirk as he nudged Natsu with a shoulder, the pinkette erupting in laughter as he nudged the taller man back.
"You know, I should count myself lucky to have so many people I care about, but how do you make that choice!" Natsu exclaimed as he lowered before hopping onto the highest roof of the guild, sitting in front of the bell as he watched the sun begin to set.
"Well, maybe you should just talk to them, the four of you are close friends. But you can't lead them on," Laxus said as he appeared beside Natsu on the roof, lightning dispersing where he stood.
"I know, I just don't see anyway that conversation could go without someone getting hurt." Natsu sighed as he leaned back laying his head on his arms as he looked at the sky.
"Natsu, not even the best people can make it through life without hurting someone, accidentally or otherwise. Just do what you think is right, or, what you'll regret the least," Laxus said with a shrug as he looked at the sky, remembering the nights they did this back when they trained together, sitting in trees, buildings or even the ground.
"Thanks man, I should probably go make sure Happy made it to Lisanna safely before going home." Natsu said with a sigh as he turned his head to look at Laxus, so grateful that Makarov found him that day in the forest, even with everything that happened afterwards. He couldn't imagine a life without his family, A father, Grandfather, Older brother, Best friends, rivals and even a son-like figure.
"Get out of here then! If you're feeling up to it let's spar a bit tomorrow, I wanna see how much stronger you've gotten," Laxus requested with a smile on his face, knowing that Natsu healed faster than him, due to their dragon heritage.
"You do remember that I won our last spar right?" Natsu asked with a smirk on his face as he stood up, ducking out of the way of a bolt of lightning with a chuckle.
"Kids you're age should be so fucking strong, now get out of here you twerp before we move the schedule up," Laxus grumbled with a glare as he laid back down on the roof, unable to keep the smile of excitement off his face, looking forward to tomorrow.
"Lisanna, can I come in?" Mira asked softly as she knocked on her sister's door, which was covered in paintings of cartoon animals, spanning from a cats to a smiling red dragon, which was a birthday gift from Reedus last year, who enjoyed using his art to make the guild smile.
"Come in~" Lisanna called happily, a smile on Mira's face as she walked through the doorway, almost having to take a step back, assaulted by the bright, happy colours.
Lisanna had a bright white wooden canopy bed frame, covered in a large, faux fur arctic blue blanket, with lime green and blue pillows. The baby blue sheer curtains were tied with pink ribbon at all four corners and it was covered in stuffed animals. She had a pink fluffy rug in the middle of the room, and a hand built wooden dresser, desk and make-up table all painted white set around the edge of the room.
"About earlier-" Mira began to ask nervously as she wrung her hands in front of her, watching as her sister turned around in her chair at her desk in front of the window, the gentle light of the rising moon shining in through the window, the few candles spread around the room setting a nice, dim light in the room.
"Mira… Come here," Lisanna said softly, a gentle smile on her face as she stood up, walking towards her bed and taking a seat, while Mira sat beside her.
"Mira-nee, it's okay, I know why you kissed Natsu, honestly you beat me to it!" Lisanna said with a smile on her face, her eyes glistening in the candlelight as she looked at her sister.
"Lis, you know this was more than just a "thank you for saving me kiss", right?" Mira asked worriedly as she gently took Lisanna's hands into her own, surprised she even had the confidence to talk about this.
"Mira-nee… You've always been so important to both Elf and I… It was really hard not to notice how you spent more time with Natsu, blushing, smiling, laughing… I've never seen you this happy, even when Mom and Dad were still around." Lisanna explained gently, trailing off into a laugh when Mira's eyes widened in shock.
"And I thought you were obvious," Mira commented in shock as she stared at her little sister, at least grateful that she was taking this so well.
"Mira-nee~!" Lisanna squealed as she dove into her pillow, pulling a laugh out of Mira as she watched her sister turn as red as a strawberry.
"Oh, Lisanna, that's alright, only everybody but Natsu noticed," Mira commented, a devilish glint in her eyes as Lisanna's head shot up, eyes wide in fear, hands trembling on her pillow, before she threw her pillow across the room, crossing her arms over her chest in a pout.
"Well I think I could say the same to you, so ha!" Lisanna said, the pout quickly falling from her face when she saw a blush erupt on Mira's cheeks.
"But, Lisanna, what are we going to do? I… I-" Mira began to ask, stumbling over her words as she looked at her sister, clutching her hands in front of her chest, knowing that if she asked she'd give the love of her life away to her sister. No matter how much it would break her inside to see them together.
"Well we should probably ask Cana too," Lisanna pondered as she tapped her left index finger on her chin, imitating the 'thinker pose' as she looked at the ceiling.
"What?!" Mira cried out in shock, her jaw dropping in shock as her alabaster skin turned pale as paper.