Natsu didn't know how much time had passed, and he had no way to tell. He had no idea where he was, and the constant panic that gripped at his heart kept him from trying to figure it out. All he could focus on was finding home.
"I'll get back to Fairy Tail, everyone's probably waiting for me! Then, Porlyusica can heal my eyes and everything will go back to normal!" He would constantly tell himself, clinging to his own words for any semblance of hope.
For what felt like an eternity he walked around in the darkness of his unknown surroundings. He could feel the rugged ground underneath his blistered feet and hands, the beating sun on him, and hear the noises of creatures around him.
But he never heard people, not even a simple traveler. He was completely alone, and that only made him feel worse. He wanted to stop and wait for his guildmates to find him (surely he had to have landed close to Tenrou Island, right?) but there was a constant niggling in the back of his mind that he would be waiting in vain.
So he kept going, even when his mouth grew dry and his stomach started to growl. Even though his body screamed at him to stop, he refused to listen to its pleas. I have to get home, I have to! Everyone is probably worried sick, I can't keep them waiting any longer than I already have!
And how do you expect to get back if you die before then? A voice asked him… A voice that sounded suspiciously like Lucy. Which is the only reason he froze, and listened. You need to rest, just for a little while, and then you can keep going.
Natsu sighed, but he knew he couldn't argue with those points. He flopped down on the ground, cringing at the hard rocks that pressed uncomfortably against his back. He sat back up and patted around him, shoving the painful chunks away from his sleeping spot.
He lied back down, using his aching arms as a pillow for his throbbing head. He closed his unseeing eyes, and fell asleep almost instantly. But his slumber didn't last long, his mind was quickly overwhelmed with nightmares.
He heard the screams of screams of his guildmates, telling him to stop and come back. He would hear the final words he said to Acnologia, as the roar of a blast heading towards him reached his ears. The only color in his nightmare was the approaching bright blue light.
With a horrified cry, Natsu jerked awake and lurched into a sitting position. He heaved in labored breaths, while his shaking hand went to cover his teary eyes. His heart hurt, as if drowning in sadness and remorse.
"No, no, no… Stop it!" He snapped aloud. "There's no reason to be sad! Everything is going to be fine! Everyone is waiting for me, they have to be, they HAVE to be!"
He tried to stand up, but his head spun and his feet stumbled, sending him back onto the ground. The mage sighed in frustration, tilting his head backwards and digging his toes into his sandals. His stomach then growled audibly, which made him cringe and grab his middle.
Natsu sighed sadly, wishing that he was already back at the Fairy Tail guild hall and eating Mirajane's delicious food as fast and as viciously as a hungry dragon.
But you're not there. A voice that sounded suspiciously like Erza's snapped in his mind. So get up, and find some food and water. You can't get back to the guild if you starve or die of dehydration.
The dragonslayer knew that his mind had a point, and he forced himself to not immediately continue wandering aimlessly. He needed food… But where was he supposed to find that?
As if the world wanted to answer the question, his ears picked up the sound of a nearby creature chattering. It sounded small, but his mouth was already watering at the prospect of catching it.
He listened intently, trying to figure out exactly where the animal was. When he thought he knew, he started to crawl forward. His hands reaching out in front of him before he moved closer.
After several long seconds of crawling, the chattering noise sounded like it was right next to him. He stayed completely still, waiting until the sound moved in front of him. Then, he threw himself toward the noise. "You're dinner!"
But Natsu's hands hit sharp rocks instead of a delicious meal. He cried out, shaking his hands and letting out a frustrated growl. "Damn it!"
The chattering creature started to hurry away, the sound becoming fainter. Growing more frustrated, Natsu forced himself to his feet, lit his hands on fire, and chased after it. He was too stubborn and angry to care that he couldn't see where he was going.
"Come back here you stupid animal!" He yelled, waving his flaming hands. "You're going to be my dinner and you cannot esc- AH!"
The ground underneath his feet suddenly became a steep incline, and Natsu was too slow to react. He crashed to the ground and tumbled down the hill in a flurry of flames and limbs, sharp rocks stabbing at various parts of his body until he finally came to a painful stop when the ground flattened out again.
Natsu felt dizzy all over again, and was too shocked to move for several seconds. Eventually, he managed to push himself back onto his feet and started walking back towards the direction he fell.
He dug his hands into the hill, cringing at the feeling of loose mud. But he forced himself to climb, digging his feet in as well and clinging the best he could to not slide back down. He needed to get back up and catch that stupid soon-to-be-dinner animal.
After a painful eternity of climbing, the world decided to mess with him even more. His wet sandal slid against a sharp rock, catching on it and making him slip. With a cry of pain, Natsu tumbled down the hill and crashed into the ditch again.
When he recovered a second time, he let out a frustrated yell and grabbed his sandals, ripping them off and tossing them aside. He stormed back towards the muddy incline and tried again, but failed a third time and ended up with deep scratches on his body for trying.
"No, no, no!" He yelled at nothing in particular. "I didn't come all this way to get stuck in a fucking ditch!"
He reached out, waiting until he felt the muddy incline again. Then he started to walk, trying to find a place that wasn't as steep so he could climb out there. But as he circled the entire area, he found that he was trapped.
When his fingers made contact with where his trail had started, he realized that there was no way he could climb out of the ditch. Not when he was starving and dehydrated, but he couldn't get food when he was stuck in a hole he couldn't climb out of.
His legs gave out underneath him, hitting the rough ground as his hands dropped to his sides. Then, with a frustrated scream, he slammed his flaming fists into the ground and cracked the rough terrain.
His energy spent, Natsu flopped over on his stomach, his cheek pressed into the dirt. He didn't have enough strength to even yell anymore. "What's the point in trying?" He asked himself. "I'm going to die out here… Why couldn't Acnologia have just killed me?"
He cringed, tears building up in his blind eyes. "I-I'm such an idiot!" He slammed his fist weakly against the dirt. "Why did I have to try and fight him all alone?! I should have listened to Gramps and ran. I'm blind, and my guild might be dead, and IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"
Natsu burst into loud, pained sobs and curled into himself. He lied on the ground as tears tumbled down his blind cheeks, and wondered how long it would take him to finally die.
Then, after what felt like hours, he heard the sound of movement next to him. He froze, fearful of what or who may have found him. But before he could get too terrified, he heard the familiar chattering noise that he had tried to chase earlier.
"Oh… It's you…" A sardonic grin climbed up the dragonslayer's face. "Why are you here? Have you come to mock me?"
The creature's chattering voice moved closer to him, but Natsu didn't have the energy to start a surprise attack on it. It continued to chatter at him, moving closer and closer until it was right by Natsu's ear.
Then, something was placed against Natsu's cheek roughly. He jerked back in surprise, but the chattering creature followed him and did it again. "Eh?" Natsu slowly moved to bring his hand to his cheek, grabbing at the item at the same time the creature let go.
Spherical, squishy… He took a whiff of the object and then gasped. "Fruit!" He exclaimed, and then frantically began to chomp on the plant. The first taste of the juice on his tongue was heavenly, it was the best meal that Natsu had ever had in his whole life.
He nearly devoured the whole fruit before he managed to calm himself down. He could feel his stomach churning, shocked by the sudden influx of nutrients. Maybe it's better to slow down…
The chattering sound was still there, so he ripped a piece of the fruit off and held it out. "Here, you can have some too." He offered the piece to the animal.
The creature's noises stopped, and Natsu could hear the shuffling of movement. A few seconds later the chunk was ripped out of his hand and he heard the sound of tiny chomping noises.
Natsu chuckled as he moved to sit with his legs crossed, it seemed like the animal had the same appetite as him. He took another bite of the fruit, and then offered another piece to the animal.
Once the fruit was finished, he sighed in relief. "Thank you," He said to the animal. "And… I'm sorry for trying to eat you too. I was desperate, and I had no idea there was any fruit out here. Thank you for bringing me some."
The creature let out a few chirps, and then Natsu jumped at the feeling of a cold nose nudging his hand. He hesitated, and then reached out. His hand made contact with soft, fluffy fur and the animal let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like purring.
"Even if I'm still lost and afraid, at least I'm not alone anymore…" Natsu whispered, letting a tiny grin climb up onto his face.
The animal moved forward, draping over Natsu's lap and letting out happy chattering noises. Natsu chuckled and let his hand run down the creature's back, he didn't mind petting it. After all, it did feed him, and it helped him feel less lonely.
Eventually the purring noise stopped, and the creature seemed to fall asleep. Natsu let out a small snort of amusement. "That's a good idea, I might try that too."
But the memories of his nightmare came back to his mind and he hesitated. He didn't want to go back to sleep just yet, he was afraid of seeing that horrifying blue light again. SO instead, he closed his eyes, sat up straight, and took deep breaths.
Slowly but surely he started to relax into the position, letting the world around him fade away. Then, without knowing, Natsu fell into a meditative state.
When Natsu finally opened his eyes again, things seemed strange. He didn't feel the painful ground below him, the creature in his lap, the mud on his skin, or the heat of the sun. It felt like he was in an empty void.
He wanted to stand up and walk around, curious about the strange place he seemed to find himself in, but he felt like he was cemented in place. Then, a feeling started to surround him, like a thick and heavy blanket. It felt suffocating, and he couldn't get away.
A twinge of panic returned to him, but being unable to move stopped him from thrashing or fighting against the feeling. The only thing he could really do was breathe, so that was exactly what he did.
Natsu took long, deep breaths in, and then exhaled out. With every exhale, he could feel the strange presence around him starting to spread itself out. Encouraged, Natsu continued his breathing, and focused on making the strange feeling move further and further away.
As he did, the dragonslayer found that he was suddenly aware of things around him. He still didn't feel the creature in his lap, and yet he knew exactly where it was, he could feel the plants surrounding him, and even the bugs scurrying across the ground.
His head throbbed in pain, the sudden influx of awareness making him feel sick and his mind whirling with questions. It came out of nowhere… I don't understand… The pain in his head grew worse, and he felt like his brain might explode. Why is this happening?! What's going on?!
The second that Natsu woke up, he could feel that something had changed.
He tilted his head and rose to his feet, planting them firmly on the rough terrain. Keeping his eyes closed, he looked around at his surroundings.
He still couldn't see, not in the slightest… And yet, at the same time, he swore that he could feel the things around him. He gasped as realization hit him.
It wasn't a dream, whatever that place was… It was real… He exhaled, and felt that strange blanket expand further again, but he now recognized that it was a blanket of magic, his magic.
Natsu scrunched his face together, and concentrated hard. A burst of excitement filled him at the feeling of something large and tall nearby. He wasn't sure exactly what it was… Maybe a tree?
Eager to find out, the mage ran on sore feet over to the feeling with a hand outstretched. He could feel himself getting closer and closer to the object.
Finally, his hand made contact. He could feel the strong bark under his fingertips, and his magic could sense the life flowing through it.
His excitement mingled with an emotion he hadn't felt in many long days: happiness. "I was right!" He exclaimed,"It's a tree! I can feel it! I can feel it!"
The sound of curious chatter nearby had Natsu turn, noticing that he felt something several feet away on the ground. It started coming towards him, but he quickly held up his hands.
"Wait! Don't move! I'll come to you!" He ordered, even though he didn't even know it the creature could understand him.
It seemed like it could, because the movement stopped. He slowly walked toward until he was in front of the animal and then knelt down, his hand resting above the animal's head.
The creature purred happily, and then shoved his fuzzy head into Natsu's waiting palm. Natsu giggled both from the feeling, and the realization that he had gotten it right again.
He grinned wider and lifted up the creature, petting him gently. "I don't know exactly what I did," He admitted,"But maybe with this, I can find my way back to Fairy Tail!"
The animal in his arms chattered again, and then something was pressed against Natsu's cheek. He shifted the creature in one arm, and grabbed the item. More fruit, much to his growling stomach's relief.
He bit into the fruit eagerly. "Mm! This is good! Where are you finding these?" He asked the animal.
With a happy noise, the creature hopped out of the dragonslayer's arms. Natsu closed his eyes and followed the feeling of the creature as he moved towards the tree, and climbed up it.
Instantly, Natsu felt embarrassment crawl up his spine. "There were fruit trees around here this whole time?" He whined, walking towards the feeling of the tree and placing his hand on the bark again.
He scrunched his eyes shut tighter and concentrated as hard as he could, focusing on the feeling of the tree. With his new ability, he found that he could feel the shape of the tree, and sense some hanging fruits.
With a well placed kick, Natsu heard the thumps of fruit hitting the ground. Then, with a surprised squeak, the animal crashed on top of his head and made Natsu cry out in surprise.
He scrambled to catch the creature before it fell onto the ground, and then held the animal again. "I'm sorry! I'll warn you before I do something like that again!" He promised, and slid down to sit against the tree and eat the fruits, putting two aside for the little animal.
They ate in silence for a while, before an idea popped into his head. "I know! I'll name you Tree!" He declared to the world.
The newly named Tree let out a curious chirp from his left side, which made it sound like he wasn't sure what to think of the name.
"Hey," Natsu firmly replied,"I can't see what you look like, and you found me fruit in a tree. I was either going to call you Fruit or Tree, okay? I think Tree is better."
Tree let out another unimpressed chirp, and Natsu sighed and crossed his arms. "Okay, I'll admit it. I'm bad with names. Hell, I named my best friend Happy." He rubbed his chin with one hand. "I guess Happy is still better than Tree…"
But Natsu wasn't able to come up with a better name, so he shrugged. "Eh, we'll workshop the name. Lucy can probably help me when I get back to the guild."
Mentioning his close friends and guild members made Natsu feel awful all over again. He sighed, pulling his legs up to his chest. "Lucy… Happy… Erza… Gray… Gramps… Everyone…" He whispered, pressing his forehead against his knees. "Did you guys get away from Acnologia? Or… Or did he…"
He threw his head up and yelled, shaking his head back and forth quickly. "No! No! They couldn't have died! They're strong, they would have fought him off… Right?" He bit his lip. "But he was so strong. He almost killed me without trying, and he took on Gramps easily…"
Determination filled the mage, and he jumped to his feet again. "I have to get back to Fairy Tail! They need me! If Acnologia is giving them trouble still, if that guy who turned my muffler black is hurting any of them… I'll kick their asses!"
He turned and ran forward, fully prepared to use his newfound senses to run all the way to Fairy Tail, whether it be on Tenrou or in Magnolia, and join the fight. But after a few strides, he skidded to a stop.
Next to him, the dragonslayer could feel Tree come to a stop as well, and chirp in confusion. For a long time he didn't respond, afraid to admit the truth.
Eventually he found his voice, and softly whispered,"The reason I'm like this now, is because I was reckless… I didn't listen, I didn't think. I rushed into a fight I couldn't win."
Natsu's hand moved up and covered his eyes. "I have this new ability, but I don't even know how to use it…" He shuddered in fear. "If I go back now, and rush into things again… I could get people hurt…"
"A-and who knows… Maybe I already have! Maybe everyone is dead and it's all my fault!" He frantically whispered, and then shook his head again. "No! I can't be like that anymore! I won't let anyone get hurt because I was reckless and stupid!"
The mage could feel his heart pounding against his chest, so he forced himself to take a few deep breaths. Once Natsu was calm, he clenched his fists and stood tall.
"I can't go back. Not until I know how to control myself and this… Whatever this is." He decided despite the pain that staying away would leave him with. "And when I get home, I'll be able to protect my guild with all my heart!"
Tree let out an excited chirp and jumped, crawling up Natsu's arm and perching on the mage's shoulder to chatter in his ear. A large grin climbed into his face, and he scratched the animal behind it's fluffy ear.
He walked towards what he believed was the center of the ditch that he was in, and sat down with his legs crossed. "There's no better time to start than now, right? The sooner I get this stuff under control, the sooner I can go home."
Natsu closed his eyes and started to take deep breaths, focusing on the new magical awareness he had somehow acquired. He wouldn't go back to his guild until he knew for sure that he could use his abilities properly.
Don't worry you guys, I'll come back with the power to protect you. No matter how long it takes, I will find my way home. So please…
Wait for me.
Author's Note: Question time! Do you guys want Tree to stay? Or once Natsu goes back to Fairy Tail, should he leave Tree behind? Lemme know in the reviews, and I hope you enjoyed!