Natsu could barely keep his jaw from dropping in awe as their carriage pulled into the entrance of the most luxurious castle he had ever seen.
The large brick pathway that their carriage traveled on led up to a castle was lined with rose bushes that displayed many different colors. The actual castle had to be at least five stories tall. The castle walls and the wall surrounding it were a shining white color, while the roofs were teal and in a gable style. The windows all glowed with the lights from inside and illuminated the many cherry trees that surrounded the wall.
"Whoa…" Natsu whispered, looking over to Ayame with excitement in his eyes. The old woman smiled back, and then returned to fixing her hair. The dragonslayer quickly got up and sat on her side, helping her finish braiding the front of her gray hair.
They were both dressed in very fancy clothes. Ayame was wearing a floor length black ball gown that was sleeveless and lined with white. Around the waist was a white fabric wrapped around and tied into a bow in the back and black gloves that went to her elbows to match.
Natsu's outfit consisted of a poet's shirt with large frills on the front and the edges of sleeves, and over that was a suit jacket that was a black lined with white just like Ayame's dress and that went to his waist, and matching suit pants and dress shoes. His now shoulder length hair was in a high ponytail held by a black ribbon.
"I never thought I would see you wear something so fancy," Natsu teased as he moved back to his own side of the carriage, tugging at the frills on his sleeves.
Ayame laughed, waving her hand at him dismissively. "This isn't just any ball, it's quite a special occasion, Natsu," She told him,"The royal family and all my colleagues will be here, we have to dress to impress."
Yes, Natsu was going to a royal ball. He hadn't planned on it; Ayame had simply barged into his room one day and threw a suitcase on his bed, ordering him to pack for the trip. He had to admit it, he was extremely nervous. Natsu wasn't blind to the fact he was an outsider in this land… What if they didn't like him?
As the carriage came to a stop, he felt his heart speed up a little more. "I-I just don't know why you wanted me to come," He stuttered out,"There really is no reason for me to be here…"
Ayame, of course, didn't give him a straight answer. She merely smiled at him and declared,"There is a reason, you'll find out soon enough."
She got to her feet just as the door was opened, and the footmen greeted them. They took Ayame's hand with a smile and helped her step out of the carriage, Natsu quickly followed after her. Although Natsu was trying to keep his focus on Ayame, he wasn't blind to the curious stares he received from the footmen.
They walked through the large doors of the castle and were taken right into the grand ballroom. Natsu once again had to stop his jaw from dropping in awe, and made sure to take it all in as fast as he could.
The room had to be at least fifty feet long and just as wide. The floors were black and white checkered pattern and the walls were white just like the castle's exterior. The arch windows were in the middle of the walls and showed the beautiful sunset outside. At the end of thee room were two sets of staircases that were white with siena wood railing, but with a long red rug going all the way up on both sides and the upstairs was visible to all. There was a large chandelier above, which shined due to the hundreds of crystals it was made of.
There were tables of food on the left side, making Natsu's stomach growl as he hadn't eaten all day. Near the middle in between the staircases, was a small band that was playing; their music was upbeat and happy, and had many people dressed similarly to Natsu and Ayame dancing in the middle of the room.
The dragonslayer jumped when he felt someone nudge him, and quickly whipped around to face who it was. Ayame chuckled at his reaction, and then motioned back to the room. "Why are you just standing here?" She questioned,"Go mingle, have fun! I'll be back in a moment."
Ayame then went past him, and up the stairs and out of sight. Natsu watched her go, and then examined the room once more. To his relief, by the food table he saw someone that he recognized. Makera was by the bowl of what looked like wine, chatting excitedly with a couple other people. After their initial meeting Natsu learned that Makera was the royal blacksmith, so he wasn't surprised to see him or his apprentice at the ball.
Sure enough, a few feet away nibbling on some shrimp, was the tan girl who Natsu had come to learn was Makera's apprentice, Maleah. She was wearing a long red dress that reached the floor and hugged her figure, and some matching gloves. Decorating her hair was a crown of red and white flowers, she seemed to shine in the room.
Natsu made his way over to her, giving a small greeting. "Hey, Maleah," He said, grabbing himself some of the spread of shrimp as well.
Maleah smiled towards him, shuffling whispered,"Hey, Natsu. How are you liking the party so far?"
"Eh, it's okay," Natsu said with a shrug. "I don't even know why Ayame brought me here, but I have to say, the food is pretty good."
Maleah giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Yeah, the food is pretty good," She said,"But I have no idea what else I would do anyways. I didn't even want to come, but the masters and apprentices have to go."
Natsu hummed, shoving a few more pieces of shrimp in his mouth. "So I guess they get boring after a while?" He asked.
"Oh I wouldn't know very well, this is actually my second one," She admitted,"I've only been Makera's apprentice for about a year and a half now. I was announced as his apprentice at the last one, and it's such a big event so I was more anxious about that the whole time."
Natsu gave her a nod of understanding. "Well, you don't have to worry about that now!" He exclaimed,"It already happened, so you can enjoy this one!"
Maleah's brown eyes filled with glee, and she put down her plate. "You know what, you're right!" She said excitedly.
The dragonslayer was glad to see she was feeling better, and then held his hand out. "If that's the case, would you care to dance?" He asked with a playful voice.
The girl's tan skin grew a light shade of pink over her cheeks. "I'd be honored, Natsu," She declared back, taking his hand.
They moved to the middle of the dance floor together. Natsu placed his hand on her waist, while she took her hand and intertwined it with his other free hand. Her hand then lifted the side of her dress like the other dancing women were.
The two glided across the dance floor along with the music, simply laughing and enjoying each other's company as the ball went on.
Natsu had no idea how long they danced, he was having so much fun that he wasn't paying attention to the time that passed by.
Eventually, the music stopped and so did the dancing. Maleah finished their dance and gave him a smile. "Thank you for the dance, Natsu," She said, pulling one of the white flowers from her crown and then slipping it into Natsu's hair. She then turned and hurried to Makera's side.
Natsu returned to Ayame, grinning ear to ear. The woman looked at him, a smirk of her own on her face. She placed her hands on her hips, and raised her eyebrows.
The dragonslayer noticed her look and frowned. "What?" He questioned, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Nice flower," Ayame stated, as the grin returned to her face.
Natsu's eyes widened, a blush overcoming his face. He quickly turned away from her and muttered,"Sh-shut up."
The old woman laughed, but she was cut off as a trumpet rang through the room. The chatter and bustle in the room stopped, as everyone turned their attention to the end of the room. A man came into view at the railing of the second story, in between the two staircases.
He cleared his throat, and then yelled,"Announcing the arrival of our devoted rulers. King Chamberlain and Queen Kira, along with their daughter, Princess Jen!"
The room erupted in applause as from the rightmost staircase emerged the royal family. The king was a tall man with a clean shaven face and curly black hair that was tied back in a ponytail over his shoulder, and a golden crown atop his head. He wore a long green cape that matched with his royal attire underneath.
The queen had straight pink hair that was pulled up in a fancy bun with a matching crown. Her dress was light blue and filled with ruffles, and she had white gloves and necklaces to match.
The princess was a little girl who could only be three. She had her father's dark hair color but her mother's straight hair and wide brown eyes. Her outfit was much simpler, a simple green dress with a smaller version of the family's crown.
They came all the way down the staircase, and the king raised his hand to stop the commotion.
"My friends and colleagues," He began,"We are pleased that you were all able to join us on this gracious night. And although I know you all have many things you'd like to share, I first want to start off with my own announcement. The kingdom of Agurah has grown even larger thanks to all your devotion to it, and I thank you all for your hard work."
A small applause went through the room, and the many masters around it beamed with pride.
The queen then stepped forward, and the King stepped back and took hold of their daughter. "We hope to continue letting our country grow and keep all our civilians happy and safe, and we hope you all will keep up with your hard work! We could never have grown so strong without you all!" She declared, her voice ringing through the air like a bell.
Another small applause rang through the room before the king and queen smiled towards each other.
"We would now like to turn our attention to our Royal Court," The king declared,"It is your time to shine. Share your achievements, both known and unknown, and tell us what else you have been working on. Any announcements you'd like to make are welcome."
The announcer returned once more, and began calling up members of the Royal Court. As Natsu soon discovered, the royal court was made up of many people with different expertise. There was a Royal seamstress, a Royal herbalist, a Royal linguist, and many more.
The announcements were quite ranged, but Natsu found himself interested in all of them. Some reported on new projects they had finished, and how soon they would be available to the public. Others spoke about their new discoveries and what they thought would be possible with them. And one even announced a new apprentice.
Natsu knew that was very rare, since an apprentice was usually chosen to take over after the old one died and were trained for many years before that. So, when the royal historian announced their apprentice, the room exploded with celebration.
The apprentice joined the historian in front of the king and queen and then began to make an oath. As they did, the room seemed to begin to pulse with magic; Magic that Natsu had never felt before.
"What are they doing?" Natsu questioned as quietly as he could.
"The oath is one of powerful magic," Ayame whispered back. "It bonds the apprenticeship, and gives the master the ability to share their power with their apprentice. Each master has a special ability, one of ancient magic that will be passed down from one to the next after they pass."
Soon, the oath was finished, and a seal swirled around the Royal Historian and their apprentice's hands, completely sealing their apprenticeship. The room exploded with cheers again, and a few more members of the royal court went up.
Then, the announcer boomed,"Our next member of the Royal Court is Ayame Dantes, the Royal Alchemist of Augurah!"
The claps were much more firm as Ayame made her way to the front of the room. Natsu was still amazed at how the woman could command respect from dozens of people at once.
When she got to the front of the room, Ayame waited for a moment for the applause to stop before she spoke. "My work on prosthetics has progressed very much," She began,"I predict that I will be have the necessary tools to provide them at reasonable costs to the public within the next ten years."
A cheerful clap went through the room, and Natsu couldn't stop himself from clapping as well. After all, he was using the very thing Ayame had talked about.
Then, a smile emerged on the woman's face. "Of course, my research and the progress I've made would never have been possible without the help I've gotten," She said,"And that is why I finally have a major announcement. I have chosen my apprentice."
Natsu's eyes widened, and many gasps of shock and awe went through the room along with whispers. People began looking all over the room, frantically searching for the person that Ayame was speaking for. Natsu looked with them, wondering who she could have chosen.
Then, she pointed. "Natsu Dragneel," She declared,"Please step forward."
The dragonslayer felt his throat go dry, his heart pounding, and blood rushing past his ears as all eyes in the room turn towards him. Every step forward felt like a mile, every second felt like an hour, until he finally reached Ayame.
"Natsu," She began,"In the months I have know you, you have shown me how you strive to become stronger and learn more, how you are kind and willing to accept judgement, and most importantly, that you don't let any limits stand in your way. Would you give me the honor teaching you, training you, and having you as my apprentice?"
Natsu knew very well that what Ayame was saying was the oath. If he said yes, he'd take on a responsibility much bigger than anything he had ever done before. He would be tied to this land in one of the strongest ways… But, for some reason Natsu wasn't afraid. It almost felt like this was what he was meant to do all along.
A smile came over his face, and the fire within him seemed to glow brighter with determination as he took Ayame's outstretched hand. "I accept your apprenticeship, Ayame," He replied.
A strong and powerful magic flew through every nerve and cell in Natsu's body, it was so strong that he nearly fell over. But as soon as it settled within him, Natsu knew he had made the right choice.
The room erupted in cheers mouth louder than ever before, but they didn't matter to Natsu. What mattered was Ayame, and the prideful smile she was giving him.
I'm an apprentice. Natsu realized, and that made him tear up all over again. Unable to control himself, Natsu pulled Ayame into another hug.
"I'll make you proud, master!" He declared, his arms tight around her.
Ayame's arms wrapped around him just as tightly. "I know you will, apprentice."
As soon as they got back to home, Natsu practically leapt onto his desk. He grabbed his pen and some parchment paper and began to scribble out a latter.
Dear Fairy Tail,
He couldn't wait to tell them! Oh, they were going to be so excited! He couldn't wait to tell them everything!
But then, Natsu's hand froze. He couldn't write on, he couldn't figure out any other words to say. What do I say? What do I say?
He stared at the paper for what felt like hours, but he couldn't get the pen to move. Then, he growled, and forced himself to write.
Sorry I abandoned you guys-
No! That's not what he meant to write! How did that end up on the paper!? He quickly scribbled it out.
I'm sorry that I haven't spoken in a while. I was too busy getting my friends killed and forgetting about them-
Natsu gasped again, and grabbed the paper. He tore it into six pieces, crumbled them up, and threw them in the trash can. Why do I keep writing that? That's not what I mean!
He grabbed a new paper and positioned his pen, taking several deep breaths as he did. "Okay, take it slow this time," He began.
Dear Fairy Tail, I'm sorry-
"And what makes you think we even want a letter from you?" A voice sneered.
Natsu jolted out of his chair and whipped around. Standing in the middle of his room was none other than Romeo.
His heart began pounding, and he frantically tried to calm the situation. "It's just… It's been so long and I never reached out to you- I'm doing much better now and-"
"Do you think we care?!" Another familiar voice snapped, and Natsu turned towards his door and found Jet and Droy standing there.
The dragonslayer felt like he was going to start panicking. "B-But Jet, we're guild mates! We're family…" He meekly whispered.
"You're not one of us, you don't even have our mark anymore!" Jet fires back, motioning to Natsu's bare metal arm.
Droy then snarled at him. "Besides, our family doesn't have room for murderers," He declared.
Natsu felt his heart constrict, and it suddenly felt hard to breath. Images flashed across his head of his friends, his family burning in Acnologia's blast, Happy and Carla clutching to each other desperately, Gray on the ground unmoving, Ezra's burned armor all that was left, and a burnt corpse of Lucy staring right at him.
"Why did you let us die, Natsu!?" She cried,"Why did you get to live?! You're selfish and stupid, if you are so good at protecting your family, then why did you let us die!?"
The tears tumbled down his cheeks as he desperately reached out to her. "Lucy!" He cried,"I tried, I really did! I wanted us to all make it out, I never meant to-"
"You should have tried harder!" Makarov's voice echoed, but on the remains of Tenrou that Natsu now stood on, the only sign of the old man was his torn clothes. "You are a disgrace to Fairy Tail, I should have never let you in."
Natsu broke out into sobs, clutching at his hair and falling to his knees. "I can fix it!" He cried,"I'll help everyone else! I'll give everything to the guild! I'll- I'll."
"Don't bother," Romeo sneered, and Natsu realized he was on his feet outside of the Fairy Tail guild hall.
Macao and Wakaba stood in front of the open doors, staring down at Natsu in disgust. "You were too selfish to save our family and too selfish to come back and face the consequences of your actions," He sneered,"Just stay away, we don't need a monster like you here." They each grabbed a door, and began to pull them closed.
"NO!" Natsu cried,"Guys! Please! Wait!" He got to his feet and tried to run for the door, but they slammed shut with a resounding thud.
Suddenly, Natsu's eyes snapped open once more. He took huge gulps of breath, looking around frantically. He was… Back in his room. The pencil was still in his hand, and there was a paper in front of him.
Tears had stained the words, barley any of it was legible. All he could see was two simple words: I'm sorry.
The dragonslayer sniffed, wiping his eyes clear of the tears they held, throwing the pencil down, and sweeping the papers off the desk.
He leaned forward, burying his face in his hands and sobbing quietly to himself. They're right… I am a monster. If it wasn't for me, everyone would still be alive…
Natsu looked back down at the unfinished letter for several minutes before he leaned down, picked it up, and tore it into pieces.
It's better if I stay away… They're better off without me…