Good News everybody! I made a drawing of Tree! Here's the link to it: post/623570226203820032/tree-the-lemur-from-my-fairy-tail-fanfiction

And also, here's a link to some absolutely amazing fanart by darlingnatsu: post/623591924351352832/appleciderr-tree-the-lemur-from-my-fairy-tail

Check out my tumblr, I will be posting art, drawing commissions, or answering asks about any of my stories!

Okay, self-promotion over! Enjoy the story!

After he made his decision to stay in the forest, Natsu didn't waste any more time thinking about the past. He used his time in the best way he could think of, training as hard as he possibly could.

In the mornings and evenings, Natsu would meditate and try to learn more about the strange ability that allowed him to 'see' his surroundings. After a while, he realized that it wasn't some strange force allowing him to see, it was his own magic.

By taking the power that flowed through his body and pushing it outward, Natsu was able to sense the world around him. The further he pushed his magic out, the more he could see.

There was a trade off for his ability. The further he tried to see, the more magic he used. If he didn't carefully monitor how much magic he used, it was possible for him to run out and be left completely blind once again.

After learning that lesson the hard way, Natsu realized that he would have to be careful with how much magic he used and how far he tried to see. He realized how scary it would be to lose his sight in the middle of a fight. So, Natsu started working extra hard to make sure he would always have his magic sight available to him.

It took a while, but eventually his magic sight became as instinctive as breathing. He didn't have to force his magic outward to see, it naturally did it for him. It was still up to Natsu to make his field of vision bigger or smaller, but he could naturally see to a certain distance.

The way his magic sight worked was very interesting to Natsu as well. When it came to living things, like plants or his animal companion Tree, he was able to feel the magic within them and figure out exactly what they were.

Things that weren't alive or imbued with magic were harder to sense. Instead of feeling them, his magic flowed around them. He had a rough idea of where they were, but not what they were. It led to a lot of tripping or miscalculations during his training, but he didn't let that slow him down.

Natsu kept pushing himself further, testing the limits of his new sight and learning how to use it with his dragonslayer abilities. Day after day, he pushed himself further and tried new combinations or techniques.

He didn't try to keep track of time, because he knew that if he found out how much time had actually passed he would be tempted to go back too soon. When the time actually came to go home, he would know. But until then, he had a job to do.

He had to become powerful enough that he would be able to protect his guild from any threats, with or without his normal eyesight. So he would keep training and learning, until he was ready to return home.

Natsu sighed in relief as he let his legs slide into the river, feeling very sore after his more recent training. He didn't mind the pain too much, because sore muscles were a sign of a good workout.

He reached and threaded his fingers into his shaggy hair. It had grown a lot since he first woke up in the forest, and was now shoulder length. It was still spiky and messy, with some longer strands framing his face and tickling his cheeks.

Even though he had only had one real hairstyle his whole life, Natsu found that he didn't mind the new, longer hair. It just felt right, he still didn't understand exactly why.

Unfortunately it's longer length meant it was harder to take care of. So he spent at least five minutes every day fixing it up and making sure it didn't get matted. He felt his fingers abruptly stop as he hit another one of the annoying tangles.

Once he was believed he had freed himself of the tangles, he ran his hand through the long hair and sighed in relief at the feeling of no resistance. "Perfect!" He declared,"Hah! And it didn't take that long today!"

A loud chirping behind him alerted Natsu to the arrival of his animal companion, Tree. The little creature jumped up and landed elegantly on the dragonslayer's shoulders. He perched on his back legs, and used his front paws to ruffle Natsu's hair around.

The dragonslayer didn't try to stop the animal, he was very used to all of Tree's quirks and welcomed them. The little animal was his only companion in an unfamiliar place. Even when the animal wasn't perched on his shoulder or cuddling with him, Natsu usually felt him close by. Knowing he wasn't completely alone helped the mage stay sane. He appreciated Tree's constant presence more than the creature probably knew.

Natsu was pulled out of his thoughts when Tree's attentive hairs stopped tugging at his hair, and the animal let out a firm chirp, satisfied with the state of Natsu's hair now that he had examined it himself.

The dragonslayer let a crooked grin appear on his face, amused by the animal's attentive care. "Thank you very much, Tree! I bet it looks even better now!" He complimented as he gave him a friendly scratch under his chin, one of Tree's favorite spots to be pet.

"Your turn now, let me fix up your fur!" Natsu said, holding his arm out in front of him and feeling Tree leap onto it. He lowered the arm to set the creature in his lap. Tree, knowing it was his turn, settled down with a relaxed sigh.

Natsu took his time, checking for anything that could be causing Tree discomfort. Usually he would find some thorns or dried grass, but today he was surprised to find that the animal had somehow gotten covered in prickly burs. .

He took special care removing them and flicking them away, and it felt like it took forever. As soon as he finished getting the burs off Tree's back, he realized that there were at least a dozen more in his tail.

"Eh?! Were you trying to climb up that orange tree again? There are pokey bushes all around those trees, you know that!" He lectured the creature.

Tree trilled back at him in what could only be described as an indignant tone, like a misbehaving student caught causing trouble.

Natsu sighed and shook his head good naturedly. "I know, I know, those are your favorite, but you still should be careful before trying to get one." He picked out the final bur from the fluffy tail, burning it to ash in his hand.

He brushed his hands against his torn up pants. "There we go, no more prickly fur!" He dramatically declared.

Tree let out a series of happy chirps and jumped forward, bowling Natsu over and onto the soft grass below. The dragonslayer laughed in surprise, reaching out to ruffle his companion's fur.

The creature chirped again and circled around before settling on Natsu's stomach, letting out one more tiny noise before his breathing evened out. It seemed that Tree decided it was time for a nap.

"Hmm… That's a good idea, it's the perfect weather for a nap." Natsu whispered to himself. He rested the back of his head against his arms, letting the sound of the river and gentle breeze help him settle down for a few hours of relaxation.

Natsu lay in the grass, enjoying the peace that the forest offered. After a few minutes, he found his awareness wandering towards the land around him. The sleepy Tree on his stomach, the fish flowing through the river, and even the caterpillar resting on a branch above them.

As he admired the world that surrounded him, a strange feeling erupted in the Fairy Tail mage's chest. This forest… It's full of life, full of magic… I can see it all, I can see around me without trying… His magic sight, once so hard to control, felt like second nature to him now.

It's time to go home…

Natsu let out a quiet gasp. The thought had popped up in his mind unprompted, he hadn't even thought about his guild in days, it came out of nowhere. He was instantly hit with a wave of homesickness, but it was mixed with confidence.

He frowned, was it really the right time? He tried to come up with a reason to stay, but there was none. His training had progressed as far as it could in his current environment, he was stronger than when Acnologia had blinded him.

This time, he would be able to protect the guild he loved. He wouldn't leave them behind. This time, he wouldn't fail them.

Filled with determination, Natsu declared,"It's time to go back to Fairy Tail!"

The mage started to sit up, but hesitated as the sound of Tree's quiet snoring reached his ears. He froze, and then slowly lowered himself back down onto the grass, trying not to bother his dozing companion. "In a little bit…"

It was several hours later that Natsu was sitting in his makeshift camp, using what was left of his torn up shirt as a bag for some fruits he had picked. It wasn't much, but hopefully it would be enough to get him back to civilization.

"Okay, that's it. It's time for me to leave," He said.

Hanging off his shoulder, Tree let out a chirp that sounded confused.

"I'm going back to my guild, Fairy Tail. Remember them? Lucy, Gray, Erza, Happy, and all the others." Natsu held his arm out to let the creature perch on it. "I stayed here so I could learn how to control my magic sight, and get stronger. Well, that's done now."

He knelt down, letting Tree move onto the ground and slinging his makeshift bag over his shoulder. "So now it's time for me to go home." He scratched the animal under his chin one last time, and smiled. "Thanks for keeping me company, Tree. Goodbye."

Natsu turned and started to walk away, only to hesitate as Tree let out a panicked cry. The animal's form galloped over to him, scurrying up his side, clinging tightly to his arm, and whimpering loudly.

"E-eh? What are you doing?" Natsu questioned, trying to pry the animal off of his arm. "Tree, I'm sorry, but I have to go! The forest is your home, you should stay here."

But the creature refused to let go, his whimpers growing more frantic and his grip tightening. Guilt swelled through Natsu at those noises, and he cursed himself for freaking out his companion.

Of course he doesn't want you to leave him, idiot! His mind insulted him. You spend all this time taking care of each other and you're just going to leave? You're going to abandon him?

The thought of abandoning Tree brought up one of Natsu's most painful memories. Waking up alone to discover that Igneel was gone, he had left Natsu behind. The dragonslayer felt a stab of sadness through his heart and quickly shook his head.

"No, no, no… I won't do that. I won't abandon you, Tree!" He declared, letting the animal hang onto his arm. "I won't leave you. If you really want to, you can come with me."

Natsu started walking again, using his actions to show his companion that everything was okay. Slowly but surely, Tree started to realize that Natsu wasn't going to leave him behind. His grip loosened, and he climbed up to his favorite spot on Natsu's right shoulder.

Even though he hadn't planned on Tree coming with him, the weight on his shoulder was familiar, and felt just right.

A grin climbed up Natsu's face, ruffling his companion's hair as he headed forward with a determined stride. "All right, Tree! Let's go home together! To Fairy Tail!"

Natsu and Tree traveled for four days, following the river downstream, and only stopping to rest or eat. The forest seemed endless, Natsu's senses never picking up anything during their whole journey.

He was thankful that he had spent so much time learning to use his newfound ability. If he hadn't, he doubted he would have had the patience for the rather boring journey.

Then, on the dawn of the fifth day, the duo finally got lucky. During his morning meditation, he spread his field of vision outward and felt something. It wasn't alive, but the shape seemed to be a building.

I can't get my hopes up just yet. He lectured himself as he started walking again. I haven't felt a building using these senses before, it could be just an oddly shaped rock.

After an hour he got close enough to feel that it wasn't an oddly shaped rock, it was a town! He felt a few people walking around, and many more huddled inside the houses. Not surprising, it was pretty early.

"We did it, Tree! Civilization!" He told his companion, scratching Tree's cheek victoriously. "Maybe we can find directions to Fairy Tail!"

He hurried to the town, jolting in surprise as his bare feet landed on rough cobblestone instead of grass. He froze, getting used to the foreign feeling before continuing forward.

The town, as far as Natsu could tell, was small. He could feel less than twenty small structures, and less than forty people walking around.

"Ah, that doesn't matter. We found a town, we'll get directions, and keep going," He said aloud, gaining an agreeing chirp from Tree.

Natsu felt only a few people around, and went to the nearest one. He walked over to them, and softly said,"Excuse me…"

The person let out a high pitched gasp, and they stumbled backwards. They must have turned around, because they relaxed for a moment before seeming to panic all over again.

"You can't be here!" They hissed at Natsu, backing away from him further.

Natsu frowned, taking a single step forward. "What do you mean? I just wanted directions…"

The person backed up even further, and in a tiny voice replied,"You have to leave, they don't like outsiders!"

Natsu scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion, and was about to ask who she was talking about when he felt four people approaching them.

He could tell they were tall and muscular, and moving at a cocky pace towards them. There was something else… Their magic was violent, dark… Everything about them screamed danger.

Before Natsu or the stranger he approached could get away from the four people, they were boxes in. Shit... this isn't good… Natsu thought.

"Well, well, well!" A deep, gruff voice from the one on his left said. "Who do we have here? A stranger?"

The one on his right made an obnoxious gagging sound. "A disgusting stranger! Can you see over all that dirt, creep?" He sneered.

The one directly in front of him spoke in a voice that grated Natsu's eardrums. "Ha! Do you see his eyes? He can't see anything!"

A hand flew out and grabbed Natsu's shaggy bangs, yanking his head forward. The rough grip, after so long without human interaction, was what sent him over the edge. Okay, that's enough! He angrily slapped the arm away, shoving the man backwards several feet.

"Don't touch me!" Natsu growled, planting his feet firmly on the ground and prepared for a fight.

The gruff voice spoke again. "Why you little punk!"

He charged forward, but before either man could throw the first punch, the person behind Natsu suddenly ran in front of him and held out her hands.

"No! Wait! Cadir, I'm sorry! M-my nephew came to visit us without warning, I didn't have a chance to tell him how things work here!" She said in a fast voice. "Please forgive us!"

The gruff man, to his surprise, stopped. He was silent for a while, seemingly trying to decide whether or not to believe the woman's claims. "Your blind nephew came to visit you… alone?" He sneered in disbelief.

Sensing the hostility returning, Natsu quickly pointed at Tree. "Not alone! I have my seeing-eye animal with me, see?"

The men were silent again for an annoyingly long time before the gruff man, Cadir, grabbed Natsu and the woman by their upper arms and dragged them towards one of the small houses.

"Thank you for explaining the misunderstanding, my dear. Unfortunately for you and your nephew, I don't like his attitude," He said in a mocking tone. "So you, your nephew, and his pet rat are under house arrest until further notice."

Cadir leaned forward, his disgusting breath burning Natsu's nose as he whispered,"And if your nephew behaves, maybe I'll let him leave this place alive."

They were shoved into the house, landing on the hard wooden floor. Then shut , Natsu heard the door slam shut, and the sound of something heavy hitting the other side of it. If the dragonslayer had to guess, they were locked in.

Neither him nor the stranger spoke for several awkward seconds, catching their breath after the strange encounter. Once his heart finally calmed down, Natsu quietly asked,"Hey, lady… Are you okay?"

"I- I'm fine…" She whispered in a soft tone. Then, out of nowhere, a sharp fist hit his arm, and her attitude changed. "What were you thinking trying to fight them like that?! They would have killed you!"

Natsu frowned and rubbed where she had hit. "I could have taken 'em!" He growled.

"You're blind!"

"I can still fight!" Natsu bristled, feeling his temper rise up all over again. "And that's apparently more than you've been doing!"

At the feeling of the woman flinching backwards, Natsu realized that he was scaring her. He stopped, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down. "Sorry, I shouldn't yell at you, this isn't your fault." He felt her relax, and decided to broach the topic. "Why are four random assholes able to put you on house arrest? Is it the army or something?"

"Worse…" The woman whispered. "It's a Dark Guild. They have their base somewhere in the forest. I guess they decided our town was an easy target, they've taken the place over. We're like trapped rats. Nothing goes on here without their say."

Her warning now made more sense to Natsu. Of course a dark guild that had acquired so much power would be suspicious of outsiders. If they knew who Natsu really was, they probably would have tried to take him down right where he stood.

Of course, he could take them. He was a Fairy Tail wizard! If he wanted to, he could kick the door down, kick some ass, and then leave the town without looking back. But he knew he couldn't just leave this village to be torn apart by the dark guild.

He focused his senses, and didn't feel any of the dark guild members nearby. They probably think that we're not a threat… He snorted at that. They can keep thinking that, we'll use that to our advantage.

Natsu knelt back down, and scooted closer to the woman. "Hey, don't worry, I'm going to help your village get rid of these Dark Mage guys." He turned his right shoulder to her, brushing Tree's tail away so she could see his guild mark. "My name is Natsu, and I'm a Fairy Tail wizard."

The woman let out a shocked gasp, her calloused hand trailing over where his mark was with shaking fingers. "Natsu Dragneel?" She whispered so quietly that he almost didn't hear her. Then, she quickly pulled her hand away. "No, no it can't be! You're dead!"

"I almost died," Natsu corrected. "But I'm back now, and here to stay!"

"No way…" The stranger whispered in awe. "B-but how is that possible? Everyone said that Team Tenrou died when the island was destroyed!"

His heart skipped several beats, and Natsu's blood ran cold. "W-what…" His body started to shudder in fear. "D-destroyed?"

"Yes, destroyed. Everyone knows about it. A year ago, Acnologia attacked the strongest Fairy Tail members on Tenrou island. He destroyed the island and killed them all… It was a tragedy…" She took a shaky breath. "Did you… Did you really not know?"

"No…" Natsu forced out, his voice strained as his nails dug into his palms hard enough to draw blood.

The woman made an audible wincing sound. "Well… That's what happened…"

"Oh…"

Then, without warning, Natsu fell backwards onto the wooden floor in a dead faint.