I'm sorry for how long it took to get this up, I graduated high school and now I'm in college! Just moved into my dorm two days ago lol. I don't know how often I'll be able to update but I'll try my best!
This story won't be as difficult as others because I have the next few chapters already planned out. Unseeing Slayer rewrite will be posted soon, so look out for that as well if you're a fan!
Hope you enjoy!
Busy, busy, busy…
That was the best way to describe how Natsu's life had been in the weeks since Ayame, his master, had announced his apprenticeship to the kingdom. His life now consisted of working on projects, studying, and learning all he could about chemistry, math, literature, and any other subjects that Ayame deemed necessary for an alchemist in training.
Despite the fact that not very long ago he would have been outraged at the idea of so much work, he found that he was enjoying himself greatly. Ayame's lessons were always interesting, leaving him with the desire to learn even more. Every subject she introduced him to, down to the smallest detail, was easy to understand thanks to her.
She never grew irritated if Natsu didn't understand, and she never told him that he couldn't do something. It made him respect her even more than he already had, if that were even possible. It was surprisingly fun, and helped him keep his mind off of the past.
Not only was Ayame a good teacher, she was also a very thorough one. Books were only the start, his master was a big believer in learning from experience. That belief spread to everything, from Natsu's prosthetic limbs to the sacred magic that the two shared. In fact, her philosophy was the only reason he was finally able to tap into that power.
The power that had been given to him when they officially became Master and Apprentice had been there for months, but Natsu had never been able to unlock it. He tried for months, reading every book about the royal line of alchemists and any books they had published on the topic, but nothing worked… He started to believe that maybe he would never be able to figure out how to use it.
Until one day at the marketplace.
"Whoa…" Natsu whispered underneath his breath, looking over all the objects on the trader's cart. Shining crystals, strange looking plants, and ores that Natsu had only ever seen in books. "Where did you get all this?"
The trader had a smug grin as he replied,"From the Forest of Draíocht, it's filled with all kinds of strange and dangerous things, wasn't easy to find either!"
Ayame gave him a suspicious look. "The forest that people have referred to as 'the most dangerous part of our region'... You went into that forest all by yourself? Really?" She questioned.
Her icy eyes broke through his pride, and the trader sheepishly answered,"No… I had some mages as bodyguards, but I still went in the forest! A-And some of those crystals you mentioned last time I was here."
Ayame's icy gaze melted a bit, and she gave the man a gentle smile. She turned to the cart, picking up a few of the glowing objects. "Well, thank you, Jaq," She said, adding them to the basket of ingredients they had already gotten that day.
"Working on a new project, my lady?" Jaq asked curiously, pulling out his notebook and writing down the total as he spoke.
"In a way," Ayame said, handing him some gold coins. "Actually, these are for Natsu. I haven't gotten new samples in a while, they'll be helpful for our next lessons."
Natsu jerked a little at the mention of his name, having gotten lost in thought staring at the many things at the cart. He looked down at the crystals in her cart, tilting his head. "For my lessons? What are they?" He asked.
"Remember the section you read in my alchemy book, chapter seventeen?" Ayame questioned.
Natsu nodded, recalling every word that had been written down. "Yes I do, it was all about the objects in the Forest of Draíocht, but I don't remember anything about those crystals…" He mentioned.
Ayame gave him a proud smile, and replied,"Very good. The reason they haven't been mentioned is because my research on them hasn't been concluded yet. You already know that I do not publish anything unless I have concluded my research."
"Of course, Master, that's science after all," Natsu said calmly,"And I know that you are very thorough with everything you do!"
The royal alchemist gave a firm nod. "Indeed I am, which is why these crystals have been the bane of my existence for several decades. They have amazing magical properties, but I have never been able to unlock them. Every experiment has ended in failure."
"Really?" Natsu asked, his curiosity only growing. "Well, what do you know about them right now?"
Ayame eagerly grabbed one of the crystals she had just bought. "Well, if you look at the middle of it, you can see that-"
Suddenly, a loud and frantic whinny made both the alchemists jump in fright. They spun around just in time to see Jaq's horse, which had been standing by the cart, frantically thrash and kick his legs hard enough to send the cart crashing to the ground. Natsu quickly moved in front of Ayame as they both backed away from the debris.
Jaq cried out in surprise, desperately reaching out to the horse. "Achilles! Calm down!" He tried, but the horse was too frightened to listen. It whinnied again, and took off past the trader, knocking him to the ground in the process.
Once they were sure the horse was far enough away, Natsu and Ayame hurried forward to Jaq. The old woman knelt down, speaking quietly to him as Natsu turned and looked around the town square. "Is everyone alright?" He demanded,"Did anybody get hurt?!"
After a few seconds, the dazed crowd looked around. Natsu's olive eyes looked around the crowd, thankful to see that he saw no other injuries. He quickly turned his attention back to Jaq, kneeling down by his Master. "Are you okay, sir?" He asked.
Jaq's teeth were gritted, his left arm holding side so hard his knuckles were white. "N-no… My ribs… I think my ribs are- I can't- I can't breath!" He frantically cried as tears of pain tumbled down his dust covered cheeks.
"Shh… Jaq, you need to calm down, panicking won't help anyone," Ayame firmly stated,"It's going to be okay, Natsu will help you."
That caught the dragon slayer off guard. "Wha- Me?" He exclaimed, whipping around to face Ayame. "I don't- I don't know how to do anything like that!"
Ayame fixed her determined gaze on the young man. "Yes you do, or have you forgotten about the power we share?" She asked.
Natsu's eyes widened, recalling the magical blue and red colored lion that Ayame had used when she attached his metal limbs. "But- I- I still don't know how to summon it, I can't do it-"
"Natsu," Ayame interrupted, staring him straight in the eye. "You're my student, I know you well. You can do it, there's nothing you can't do. You just have to believe."
Ayame moved aside and motioned him forward. The dragonslayer turned back to Jaq, swallowing the painful lump in his throat. He stared down at the wheezing man, his own hands shaking nervously.
I- I don't know how to do this… How can I help people if I don't know how to use this power?! He wondered, desperately trying to think of how to call upon the magic. He had to do this, like Ayame wanted him to. Then, out of nowhere, it hit him.
He looked down at Jaq's injured side with his olive eyes, filled with realization. All the times I tried to summon this power before, I wanted to do it for Ayame. That's not the point, I need to do this for myself, and whoever needs the help. He declared to himself.
Unconsciously he reached out, placing his hand above the man's injury, palm up. There was a small gleam of blue and red swirls of magic appearing in his palm. Determination burning within him, he shut his eyes tight. I want to help him!
The sound of a gasp next to him made Natsu open his eyes, just in time to see the magic take form. Beautiful wings rose up and began flapping gently, giving way to the sight of a beautiful butterfly.
Natsu stared at the beautiful shimmering creature in awe, unable to tear his eyes away from the power he had summoned. The butterfly looked towards him, and a gentle voice started speaking to him.
"Hello, Natsu, I am Runa," The butterfly softly said.
The young apprentice couldn't help the smile that climbed onto his face. "Hello Runa, it's nice to meet you," He quietly replied, motioning with his free hand to Jaq. "Do you think you can help my friend?"
"Of course," She replied, fluttering her wings and floating out of his palm and onto Jaq's injured side. The second she touched it, Natsu got an influx of information. He could see everything, every bone, muscle, nerve, and cell within the man.
That combined with the sound of the chattering crowd was overwhelming, he cringed and started to pull his hand away. But Ayame's hand suddenly took possession of his shoulder, giving him a firm squeeze.
The support of his teacher helped him get back on track, he let his eyes shut and focused solely on repairing the damage within the man. Slowly but surely, the injuries were healed, and the shuttered gasps from Jaq finally returned to normal breathing.
Natsu opened his eyes once more and pulled his hand back, Runa now perched on his palm. "How are you feeling?" He asked Jaq gently, even though he knew that the wounds were all gone.
Jaq took a few hesitant breaths, still holding onto his side. He pushed himself into a sitting position, patting at his side still. "I… I feel perfect, like nothing ever happened," He whispered, turning to face Natsu. "Thank you, thank you so much!"
Natsu smiled widely, thankful that the trader was okay. He reached out, helping the man to his feet, and looking at the fallen cart. "What even happened?" He asked aloud, turning to look at his teacher.
Ayame wasn't looking at him, however, and was looking at a child who was standing near where the horse had been. He had a few scrapes on him, and tears were tumbling down his cheeks. As soon as he realized Ayame was staring at him, he tensed up and gasped.
"You had something to do with this, didn't you?" She asked the child, narrowing her inquisitive eyes at him.
The child instantly gave in to her stare. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- I just- I wanted to ride the horsey- And- And I didn't think that- I didn't think it would go bad!" He stuttered out in between blubbers.
"Apparently you weren't thinking at all," Ayame snapped,"That was reckless and stupid, you could have gotten someone killed!"
Natsu saw the tears start to fall even faster, and a hint of pity filled him. It reminded him of a younger Natsu, one with all four limbs and a guild he could call his family.
Moving away from Jaq and Ayame, he knelt down next to the crying child. "Kid," He began,"I know that you wanted to , but there are better and less reckless ways to do that. Not only could you have hurt someone else, but you could have gotten hurt too."
The child bit his lip, nodding sadly, and Natsu continued,"When I was younger, I was the same way. But that often got people hurt, so I've learned to be more careful. I want you to start thinking before you act, okay?"
"Okay, sir…" The child quietly whispered, wiping the slowing tears from his eyes. "I-I will. I promise…"
Natsu gave him a gentle grin, and ruffled the child's hair with his normal hand as he stood up. A sudden thought made him turn around. "Oh, and next time.." He began, gaining the child's attention again. "Try to do horseback riding lessons first?"
This was enough to make the child giggle. "Okay mister Natsu," He said, wringing his hands. He grew a nervous look for a half-second before becoming brave enough to ask. "Can help clean up?"
"I'd appreciate that very much," Jaq said from next to them, making the child grin even wider. He hurried over to the mess by the knocked over cart, joining the three adults that were already helping to clean up while Jaq went to find the horse.
Ayame, who was picking up some of the strange looking roots from the ground, looked towards him with a proud smile. "Good job," She said,"It took me years to learn to summon Runa. You never cease to amaze me." continuing to clean the mess around the cart.
Natsu was quick to join her, unable to keep his own happy grin from climbing on his face. Nothing could top the praise that his Master gave him, nothing in the world.
On their walk back to their home, Natsu had quite a few burning questions about what he had just learned to do.
Carrying the baskets of goods they had bought for his teacher, Natsu asked,"Ayame? Where did Runa come from?"
"I'm not sure…" Ayame replied, staring at the pale blue sky. "Folklore says that Runa herself gave herself to the line of Royal Alchemists and since then they have held her power for thousands of years, passing it onto only those who succeed them. But that's just a myth."
Turning to face her, hesitantly continued,"So, now that I have it, are you not able to use it?"
Ayame shook her head. "I still can, we now share it equally," She explained,"But when the time comes that you succeed me as Royal Alchemist, whether that be because I retire or because I die, Runa's full power will become yours."
Natsu turned away, hiding the pain in his face that appeared when he thought of Ayame dying. Even though he knew very well that death was a part of life, losing Team Tenrou was enough for him. He wanted Ayame to stay around for a long while, even if that meant he wouldn't succeed her for decades.
"You mentioned once that Runa takes on different forms, depending on the person…" The dragonslayer said, trying to change the subject a little bit.
"I did," Ayame said,"Runa is a Lion for me, and for my master she was a dog. It is different for everyone."
Natsu frowned, looking at his hands. "Why is she a Butterfly for me?" He asked aloud.
"Were you expecting something else?" Ayame teasingly asked,"A dragon, perhaps?"
The apprentice blushed, crossing his arms and muttering. "Maybe… I guess…" He shrugged a little. "I mean, I am a dragonslayer."
"Yes you are, that is very true," Ayame began, holding up one finger. "But, that is not the only thing that defines you. You define yourself, Natsu Dragneel."
She reached out, taking his metal hand in her own two. "Runa doesn't just see your dragonslayer powers, she sees you. She can see that not only are you strong and courageous, but you are also a gentle and amazingly kind person. You've gone through so much, and grown with these events. That is exactly why she chose that form for you." She explained.
Natsu listened intently, clinging to her words as he realized the truth of them. "I… I think you're right…" He whispered, placing his normal hand on his chest, a warm feeling overcoming him. "You know, now that I think about it, I don't mind it at all."
Beautiful butterflies...
A couple weeks after unlocking the magic, Natsu found himself sitting with Ayame in the back of a carriage. The scenery drifted past them as they headed towards the country's capital, where the king and queen's castle stood.
He stared down at the book he had brought with him, reading for as long as his curiosity could be contained. After only a half hour, he was unable to hold it in any longer. He shut the book, his thumb nestled between the places to keep his place, and asked,"Ayame? Why are we going to the castle? Is there a ball?"
The woman shook her head, shuffling the papers in her hands. "No, not even close," She said,"We're going to the Court Meeting. There's one every couple months, and all royal court members are supposed to go. It's when we discuss our projects with the royal family and give our opinion about their ideas for the kingdom."
"Every royal court member gets time to discuss their own accomplishments before the King and Queen join the discussion and add their own ideas," Ayame explained,"These meetings are also where we make laws. The Royal Court has to discuss it and vote on it."
Natsu nodded as things fell in place. So, that's why the Royal Court members are so important and well respected. They help keep the kingdom running smoothly. He realized.
"What will we be discussing?" He questioned curiously. Everything they had been doing seemed important to Natsu, especially since the mage was still in the process of learning all of it.
Ayame, to his surprise, replied,"Not much. I have only two projects I've been working on, and of course I need to discuss your apprenticeship. These meetings are one of the only places where I can brag about your progress and get away with it."
The dragonslayer blushed and lowered his eyes, unable to stop the prideful smile from climbing on his face. Ayame didn't compliment easily, and she never bragged. To hear that she wanted to brag about him really meant a lot.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when Ayame set a paper wrapped package in his lap. He set his book aside and lifted it up. "What is this?" He asked.
"This is your first Royal Court meeting," The old woman pointed out. "You need to know the traditions of these meetings if you want to be taken seriously. First impressions are important, after all. Open it."
Natsu pulled the wrapping away, revealing a navy blue cloak with a shiny, large, and circular golden pin holding the front closed like a button would. There was an engraving on the golden pin, it was the Philosopher's Stone symbol. Natsu recognized it well after reading The History of the Royal Alchemists, Volume One.
Looking up at his teacher, he saw her reach out and pull out a matching cloak, fastening it around her with the shiny pin displayed proudly on it. "Every Royal Court member has one of these pins, it shows our status and who we are. Now that you're my apprentice, you get one too. For meetings like this, or any kind of even where you represent our kingdom, it is tradition to wear them,``she explained.
Natsu looked up at her, then back down at the cloak. He wrapped it around, fastening the pin and smoothing out the cloak. When his hands were at his sides, the cloak covered most of his body, only showing his calves and below. The collar was high, reaching up to the top of his neck and giving it an even more regal look. Strangely enough, his scarf fit perfectly, even with the collar up.
With a large smile climbing up his face, he turned to Ayame and declared,"I love it, and I'll wear it with pride."
Natsu looked down at himself, adjusting his scarf so that his pin could be displayed just as proudly as Ayames. He wanted to represent Ayame well, and show the Royal Court just how amazing of a teacher she was.
Looking up at his teacher, he asked,"What else do I need to know, Master?"
With a proud look, she delved into the other things he needed to know. Natsu listened as close as possible with a determined look of his own. After all, this was only the first of many meetings he would be attending, he needed to make a good first impression.
The castle was even more impressive seeing it the second time, and Natsu couldn't help but stare up in awe as they ascended up the steps. They weren't the only ones this time, several other important looking people were headed inside as well. Natsu recognized their faces from the royal ball.
There was an officially dressed man right in the doorway; He looked at them and the pins on their chest, turned to the inside of the castle and yelled,"The Royal Alchemists, Lady Ayame and her apprentice, Lord Natsu!"
Hmm… Fancy… I like it. Natsu thought, following his teacher further inside as the man continued calling the names of people who walked in the door.
"This way to the meeting room," Ayame said, walking through the ballroom that gave Natsu very fond memories and up the stairs within them.
The large doorway up the stairs gave way to a smaller, but still impressive meeting room. There was a large circular table with dozens of chairs around it, many people were already sitting. The walls were a cream color and had blue banners hanging from them, the color of the royal family's crest.
Before the dragonslayer could admire the room any further, something tugged at the side of his cloak. He stopped, turning to look down at the small child who stopped him. It was the young princess Jen.
"Hello, young princess," Natsu said respectfully, kneeling down to her much smaller height with a smile.
Jen's sparkling eyes widened, and a blush overcame her face. She twiddled her thumbs and shuffled her feet for several seconds before finally asking,"You can make butterflies?"
Natsu tilted his head, confused by her statement for a moment. "Butterflies?" He echoed, and then caught on right after he asked. The little girl was talking about Runa. "Oh! Yes, yes I can."
The princess giggled, dropping her hands and letting them swing up and down. "I really like butterflies," She stated.
"Oh, you do?" Natsu questioned in awe, making the girl giggle again.
She nodded eagerly. "Uh-huh! I really really really like them! I like butterflies more than anybody in the whole big big world!" She exclaimed, spreading her hands out for emphasis.
Natsu gave a gentle smile, the little girl reminding him of young Romeo to a painful degree. He pushed those thoughts aside and instead started to focus on his magic. "Would you like to meet my butterflies?" He asked.
"Yes!" Jen exclaimed, to which Ayame cleared her throat. The girl blushed under the woman's gaze, and quickly said,"I mean yes please mister lord Natsu sir."
The dragonslayer chuckled and held out his palm. Out emerged over a dozen little butterflies. They fluttered out of his hands and fluttered over to the girl, flying around her and even landing on her as well. Jen stared up at them in awe, reaching out and letting one land gracefully on her finger.
"This young princess is strong, physically and magically," Runa said, though only Natsu and Ayame could hear her. "In time, I see her becoming a strong ruler."
"Jen!" One of the nearby servants called suddenly, scurrying over to where the three stood. "Young lady, it is time for your lessons! Come now, say goodbye!"
The princess pouted a bit, but nodded all the same. "M'kay…" She muttered, looking up at the butterflies. "Thank you for letting me meet you, Runa"
Natsu could tell that Runa was happy at the acknowledgement, as the largest butterfly gently tapped the girls nose before fluttering back over to Natsu.
The child then followed after the servant, walking backwards to yell,"By miss lady Ayame ma'am and mister lord Natsu sir!"
The two alchemists chuckled to themselves. "Quite a title she's given us," Ayame commented. "Not sure how to handle all that."
"Master, you should be honored!" Natsu teasingly replied,"It's not every day that a miss lady alchemist becomes a miss lady ma'am alchemist!"
Ayame scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Smartass," She muttered as she turned around and headed towards her seat. Natsu went to follow her, but stopped again at the feeling of someone… Staring.
He turned his eyes and saw an old man, perhaps even older than Ayame, who had shoulder length white hair and a scar over his left eye. His yellow eyes narrowed at her looked at Natsu, and his lips curled into a sneer of disgust.
The dragonslayer frowned. Who is he? Why is he looking at me like that? He wondered. Before he could even think to ask, he heard the official looking man announce the arrival of the king and queen and the meeting began.
By the time they escaped the meeting, the moon was already high in the sky. All the Royal Court members had many things to talk about, and there were many important laws that were discussed as well. By the end of it, Natsu had a pretty bad headache.
The mage yawned into his sleeve as they stood on the castle steps, Ayame looking around for their carriage. She grumbled angrily, crossing her arms, and tapping her foot. "Where is he?" She muttered,"I paid him extra to be here early. I swear if he fell asleep-"
She stomped down the steps, turning to point at Natsu. "Stay here, I'll be back with our carriage," She ordered ominously, and then took off towards where she thought the carriage driver had parked.
Natsu watched her go and then stood awkwardly by himself, looking around awkwardly and then focusing on the pin on his cloak. He pushed his scarf aside once more, and shined the pin a little bit with a proud grin.
"Don't get too comfortable wearing those, boy," A gruff, angry voice said. Natsu jolted in surprise, spinning around to find himself facing the same angry man who had been looking at him before. Except this time, Natsu knew who he was.
He had spoken during the meeting, he was none other than the Royal Potions Master, Lord Toulouse.
He frowned at the man, who was giving him the same sneer of disgust as earlier. Confused as to what he meant, Natsu hesitantly asked,"Wha- What?"
The man's sneer curled up even more, and he asked,"Are you deaf as well as stupid? You heard me. Don't get comfortable, those robes don't belong to you."
This time, Natsu frowned. "Yes they do, I'm Ayame's apprentice," He declared,"They're a symbol of my status as a-"
"Your kind do not belong in the Royal Court," Toulouse sneered again. "Outsiders. You are not part of this kingdom, your just some punk who got lucky. Ayame should have let you drown."
Natsu's eyes widened in shock, unconsciously reaching for his metal arm. "W-why are you acting like this!? We're both Royal Court members, we're supposed to work together!"
The man scoffed. "You're not one of us, you don't even compare, and I would never work with the likes of you," He sneered, turning to storm down the stairs. He stopped halfway, and then turned to the side once more. "For the sake of this kingdom, you should just leave now. Our country will be much safer without you."
With that final, hateful jab, the man stormed off into the night, just in time for Natsu and Ayame's carriage to arrive with Ayame inside it.
"Come on!" She called,"We have a long ride home!"
Natsu looked towards where Toulouse had vanished one last time, before quietly joining Ayame in the carriage.
They took off back towards their home, it should have been a relief, but all Natsu could think of was what the man had said to him.
I don't belong? Ayame should have left me to die? Why did he say those things? Natsu wondered, looking down at his metal side and holding it tightly.
"M-master?" He softly whispered, gaining Ayame's attention right away. He quickly continued,"What do you know about the royal Potions Master? Toulouse?"
Ayame's drowsiness faded away, and she opened her eyes wider to stare at him. "Why are you asking? Did he speak to you?" She asked.
Natsu nodded, but didn't say what he said. It still left a bitter taste on his tongue, even though he wasn't even the one who said them.
"Don't pay any mind to him," Ayame firmly ordered,"He… He doesn't like the people of Fiore. He wasn't happy when you were announced as my apprentice."
This didn't make the dragonslayer feel much better. "But why?" He asked,"Why does he hate me? I never did anything to him…"
"Nobody knows," Ayame bluntly said,"All I can suggest you do is avoid him. It's better to not let him get under your skin, okay?"
The dragonslayer frowned and lowered his head. "Okay…" He whispered quietly,"I understand, thank you."
The old woman yawned and nodded. "Good," She said happily,"Now get some rest, okay?"
Ayame fell asleep and remained that way for the rest of the ride, but Natsu never did. All he could feel was the barbs of the words Toulouse that were still stinging him, and the phantom pains of his missing limbs at the thought of drowning alone like the man said Natsu should have...
Two months later, Natsu had all but forgotten about the horrible words Toulouse had said, and buried himself further in his own education and research.
One rainy day, Ayame had been busy working on her own projects while Natsu had been upgrading his metal limbs.
Knowing that Ayame had been shut in her lab all day, Natsu took a break and made them a delicious lunch. He then hurried upstairs and forced his teacher to take a break.
Well… He tried. Eventually Ayame agreed, as long as she was able to bring her documents with the table with her.
They settled down and ate, and Natsu found that he still couldn't help his curiosity. He looked over at the documents, and recognized one of the drawings. It was the crystals they had gotten from Jaq.
"You know," He casually mentioned,"You never told me what your researching those crystals for."
Ayame looked up at him for a moment and then sighed. "Yeah, it's because it's barely research. I've been working on trying to research these crystals for all my career, and my master before me was doing the same things."
"Well, how far have you gotten?" He asked, his interest peaked even more.
The old woman shook her head. "Haven't even taken a step. It's a dead end, sometimes I wonder if it's even worth researching,``she admitted.
Natsu instantly frowned. "Hey, now don't talk like that," He said,"You told me yourself that I shouldn't give up and persevere, so why are you trying to give up? Let's look at it together, I'll help you figure it out."
When Ayame still didn't seem convinced, he added,"And I am your apprentice, I should know about this stuff, right?"
This made the woman smile. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I taught you to argue way too well," She muttered, before raising her head and nodding in determination. "Alright Apprentice, I'll tell you."
Before they could even take another breath, there was violent, frantic knocking on the door. The master and apprentice looked at each other, then back at the door. The knocking continued.
They both quickly got up, hurrying to the still knocking door. Natsu pulled it open with a swish, the rain and wind swirling in his ears.
Behind the door was one of the king and queen's many messengers. He was soaking wet, panting, and shaking.
"Young man!" Ayame exclaimed,"Come inside, quickly, you need to warm up."
The messenger frantically shook his head. "No, I can't. You two have to come with me to the palace, right now! It's an emergency!" He exclaimed.
Ayame exchanged a worried look with Natsu and then quickly hurried out of the house, and into the nearby carriage.
"What's going on?" Natsu asked worriedly, leaping in after the messenger and his teacher.
"It's the queen, and the princess- It's bad-" He stuttered out between panicked breaths. "It's really bad, it's already spreading!"
Ayame's eyes widened, and her face became extremely darkened. Natsu, still lost in the conversation, frustratingly demanded,"What's spreading!? What are you two talking about!?"
The old woman looked at him, a twinge of fear in his eyes. "The Plague..." She whispered,"The Plague has returned…."