Sorry it's so late. There's a lot of jumping back and forth in this chapter. ~L.


The sounds of clanking chains echoed in the enclosed chamber. Natsu's eyes dimmed open, weakly peering up at a pale face covered by long blonde hair.

"Don't worry Natsu, I'm gonna get you out of here." Katsugi whispered. He unlocked the shackles on Natsu's hands, dropping his arms to his sides. Natsu's body collapsed forward, finally able to rest his aching neck.

"Katsugi?"

"Yeah, hold on…" He unlocked his ankles, and dragged him to his feet. "We're getting out of here."

Katsugi slung his left arm over his shoulder and guided him to the door when Natsu pulled back.

"Wait,… where's Hannah?"

Katsugi's face scrunched into a sad grimace, "We have to go, Natsu. We only have an hour before the guards wake up." He continued to pull him towards the door. Light poured into the dark room from the small crevice.

"No,… Katsugi,… hold on," Natsu turned his head back to see a small body drifting back and forth in the air when it finally struck him.

They made it out the door and began their way up a long tight staircase.

"They found her healing you…" Katsugi began in a low volume, "She…"

Tears welled up in Natsu's eyes. "Why?... She was just a little girl,…" He growled through his teeth. "Who?"

A moment of contemplation passed before Katsugi sighed, "Reo."

Everything went silent; taking step-by-step up to the final door that was wide open to the lit entrance hall. He looked down to Natsu, passed out again. He took a deep breath and peaked over the steps. His heart racing a million miles an hour.


Loneila awoke to find her bed empty. She rolled out, yawning loudly, and strolled to the center of the room. It was still night, wind blew through the open lanai and curtains. There was a small light emitting from the corner of the room where she recognized the sitting dark figure.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

His golden eyes turned to her with the same look he gave her in Magnolia. "Who am I?"

She was taken aback by his question, "Wh- Who are you?"

He held his glare.

"You're Ifrit." and I'm Loneila," She retorted sarcastically.

"Who am I, Loneila?" His tone was much more serious, closing his fist on the flame as it dispersed.

She sighed, "I thought we went over this. You're my dragon-"

"Then explain why the guild from Magnolia looked like they saw a ghost when they saw me," he practically spat it in her face.

"How should I know?"

In the blink of an eye, he was inches away from her, hands gripped onto her shoulders.

"WHO AM I, LONEILA?!" his eyebrows twitched in frustration as his fingers dug deeper into her arms.

"I… I don't-"

He instantly released her, pushing her away slightly. Flashing her a steely scowl, he turned away and made his way towards the elevator. Her heart felt as if it would stop in shock and couldn't find a word to say as he entered the doors. He slammed his hand on the glowing panel before turning back to her. Their eyes met one last time as the doors closed. He watched as the number above the door slowly went from 99 to one while crushing the railing with one hand.

As the elevator doors opened, there were over thirty guild members storming around in the entrance hall.

"What's going on?!" Ifrit called over the crowd, silencing everyone present.

Tomah stormed out from the mass, "What the hell does it look like?! A prisoner escaped from the chambers below!"

Ifrit gritted his teeth, "Who's responsible for this?"

"Katsugi," A man mumbled, climbing out from the staircase to the dungeon. "He knocked me out and took-"

Reo covered his mouth with his hand, "We'll handle this, go alert the master."

Ifrit's eyes narrowed him out.

"Let's go! Split up!" Reo yelled. The crowd cheered as he led them out of the spire and into the street.

Ifrit watched as they exited before Lucas came to his side.

"Golden boy left behind," Lucas scoffed, "never thought I'd see the day." He wandered after Reo, whistling casually.


Natsu shook his head, fearfully looking around. They were rushing through a forest, though there was barely enough moonlight to even see the floor. The leaves rustled in the wind above, and cracking of sticks below.

"We're almost there," Katsugi panted. Sweat dripped from his brow, fixing his hold on Natsu's body. The wind was cold, blowing over the early morning dew.

"Where are we going?"

"Home. I know you have drama and all, but you need to go home."

Natsu's body began to cooperate with each step, lifting some of his weight off of him.

"Don't push it bro, you're seriously injured. If you open another wound, you won't make it."

Natsu sighed, "I'll be-" He cut off. His ears pulled back slightly and his eyes shifted to his left.

Katsugi looked at him curiously.

"There's… someone approaching us," Natsu's head peered back.

Katsugi saw a large boulder in a small clearing up ahead and rushed to it. As soon as they ducked down, three men with flashlights sprinted by, yelling commands and arguing with each other.

"Great hearing bro," Katsugi flashed him a thumbs up, only to find him unconscious again. As soon as he peeked around the corner, he had to drop back down as two more men ran by. "Damn, they've already caught up…" It's only a five-minute run to Magnolia but they've probably already got it all closed off… "Ugh, things aren't looking good, Natsu." I probably can make a run to Magnolia, but I can't leave him here… He turned back to his sleeping friend, propped up against the stone side.

Natsu, stay with me! Focus! I'm sorry for getting you into this but stay here, I'll be back after I take care of my friends.


This time alone was peaceful for Ifrit as he strolled through the trees, gazing up at the moon. He found himself walking aimlessly; irritably ready to turn around when he felt a weird sensation. The air seemed to be getting warmer when he headed west. He turned and began heading off into an unknown direction. After nearly 30 minutes of nothing but dark trees, and crickets, he approached a large boulder in the middle of nowhere.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," He slammed both hands against the rock, shaking his head.

Meanwhile...

Tomah was stumbling over large roots, and stones, "Where the hell is that punk, Katsugi?!"

"Tomah!" Katsugi stood a few meters ahead of him, blue aura circling around him.

"Katsugi," he sneered, "wipe that smug look off your face. You betrayed us!"

"No, I betrayed Natsu. He trusted me, and we hurt him."

Tomah began laughing, "That little shit is worth your guild?"

"Nope, got it all wrong bro. It's my honor that's worth my life."

"Hah, whatever. That honor bullshit is overrated!"

Katsugi's blue aura grew larger, "Let's get this over with. Natsu's waiting for me."

He drew back his jacket, pulling out two silver guns with long barrels. They were symmetrical, coated with bright chrome, and a bright blue tribal from the nose to the trigger.

Tomah's eyes widened, "I've never seen you fight before, Katsugi. This should be fun." He slipped on two large plated knuckles with spikes. "AAAH!" he screamed as he charged Katsugi.

He raised both barrels, BANG! Tomah stumbled back, staring down at his legs. Blood began rushing down to his feet. He dropped to his knees as Katsugi fired one, two, three more into both his arms. He slid both guns back into his holster, strolled just feet away from Tomah. Even on his knees, he was as tall as Katsugi.

"I never knew you were so strong," Tomah grinned widely. "But I know you exerted tons of your energy just now." He dragged one foot forward, rising to his feet again. "I'VE JUST STARTED THOUGH! HAHAHA!"

An hour later...

The battle pressed on as Tomah charged Katsugi, ramming through trees effortlessly. He could barely get a shot off, dodging Tomah one after another. One second too late, he was sent spiraling back onto the ground. As he scrambled to get up, Tomah stepped on his hand, kicking him onto his back.

"Looks like, you need… a hand!" Tomah turned his foot. Katsugi's hand twisted along with loud snaps.

"AAAAH!" Katsugi screamed as his hand broke under Tomah's weight.

"Don't need an arm if you don't have a hand," Tomah mocked, crushing Katsugi's elbow under his other foot. He cried out another yell, before Tomah's foot rested on his throat. "Any last words?"

Katsugi's eyes shut for a moment, before they shot open, glowing brightly.

"What're you doing?" Tomah began to stumble backwards before crashing to his back.

Katsugi rose and knelt on his chest, staring down into his face with his bright green eyes. His knees dug deep into Tomah's chest.

Blood seeped from Tomah's eyes, and nose. It gurgled out from his mouth as he yelled and his whole body began to shake violently. A moment later, Tomah was still.

Katsugi collapsed to one knee, observing his shattered right hand and elbow. "This is by far, the worst day I've ever had." His nose began to bleed, wiping it with his other hand.

"Katsugi!" Reo yelled angrily, charging out of the forest and into his side, sending him flying.

He grunted as he rolled off of his broken arm and to his feet, "Reo, nice to see you." There were two more members shortly behind him.

"What did I tell you?"

"…"

"It didn't have to come to this. You could surrender."

"I don't do things half-ass." Katsugi shook his head.

Reo's eyes moved to Tomah's bloody corpse, "So this is what you can do…"

"I guess so."

Reo sighed, "Why are you doing this Katsugi? It's just Natsu."

"It's my fault he's here. I shouldn't have messed with his head or his friends. He doesn't deserve to be where he is."

"We all had plans that didn't go right, Katsugi!" Reo began to tear up, "It's my fault my sister's dead! If I hadn't let her choose Loneila…"

"Choose Loneila?" Katsugi's aura began to return faintly, rising up around his feet.

Reo shook the tears away, "Didn't you notice anything different in her?"

Katsugi pulled his jacket aside, exposing his left gun. His green eyes battled to brighten in the dark night. "It ends tonight, Reo."


Meanwhile, further west...

Ifrit slouched down the boulder, staring up at the moon. It must be around midnight, he assumed. He created a small fire in the palm of his hand and tried to compact it with his other. It grew brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding him when he fired it into the air with two fingers. The ball sucked together before exploding in a ring of fire. In that same moment, the forest became pitch black again. He sighed, as he was about to stand and return–

"Hello?" A voice called.

He sprung to his feet, igniting both of his arms. A womanly figure came out from the brushes.

"Ifrit?" she asked.

He lifted one hand to light the scene. There stood a redhead with a distraught look.

"Erza?" he called softly.

She nodded, stepping into the moonlight, "I was wondering if it was you. There were some loud shots earlier, do you know what's going on?" Her head turned to the direction he came from.

He nodded back, "There's an issue at Province. We're handling it now."

She gave him a puzzled look before searching around, "What're you doing way out here?"

"Where am I?"

"Right outside Magnolia."

"Huh?" he had a dumbfounded expression.

A smile formed in the corner of her lips, "You remind me a lot of someone I used to know."

"Me?" he pointed to himself.

"Yes, you. Did you guys need any help?"

He shook his head, "I can handle this."

She turned to leave, "Alright then, I'll be heading back."

"Wait," The word escaped his mouth involuntarily.

"Huh?"

"Fairy Tail,.. is it... " He shook his head, "Never mind." He leaned back against the boulder.

"You'll never know if you don't ask," She persisted.

"I'll ask you later," He slumped down the boulder as she turned back with a crooked expression before disappearing in the direction she came. He exhaled sharply, slouching even lower in his position. There was something about Erza and her friends that he wanted. Something Province couldn't offer. He thought about the decision to leave Province but how could he? Was it that simple to just leave?

Sleep became a temptation as his eyes became heavy... until a still voice jerked him awake.

"Er…za…"

Ifrit leapt from his seat, surveying his surroundings when he heard it again, stronger.

"Erza…"

He turned around, now facing the boulder. He began to circle to the back, finding… nothing. He sighed, I'm losing it… He returned to the front when he saw a man resting against the boulder, staring back at him. The air became warm again, the hairs on his neck stood up. The man was clutching his shoulder, dressed in a rugged waistcoat, dirt caked pants, and sweat dripping from his face. The stranger shook his head, brushing his pink hair from his eyes.

"Who… are you?" the stranger asked in heaves.


Katsugi was laid out on the cold forest floor, leaves rustled as his body settled in. Several knives and daggers lodged in his chest and waist. He lifted his barrel to Reo, now approaching slowly. Click. He pulled the trigger again, click.

"Face it, Katsugi. You've lost. You're out of magic." Reo reached back for his spear.

Katsugi pulled out an old fashioned bullet, encrusted with his gun's tribal crest, quickly loading it into the clip. He slammed it in and aimed at Reo once more.

Reo froze, eyes wide and mouth open.

BANG!


A few hours later…

The sun peaked over the trees, brightening the forest with a flood of yellow light. Ifrit's path came to an end as he reached the back gates of Province. He could hear the roar of the city before he even saw the walls.

Ifrit sighed, "What now?"

In a blast of fire he launched up, landing softly on Province's walls. The guild was wreaking havoc as the people were surging to and fro like the ocean.

A guard who took notice of the strange red haired man scaling the wall effortlessly stood nearby.

"You- You're Ifrit!" he admired.

"Hm?" Ifrit turned slightly. "Did you say something?"

"C-can you sign my shield?" he held out the small wooden shield, hands shaking nervously with an excited grin.

"You're not serious, are you?" Ifrit shook his head. "Knock it off!" he snapped. The soldier immediately jumped into a salute.

"I'm sorry, sir."

"What's going on?"

"Reo, sir!"

"Ow! Shit, not so loud." Ifrit clasped his ears. Sometimes having above average hearing sucked.

"I'm sorry sir… Reo has returned with the traitor."

"Katsugi?"

"Yes, sir. They are arranging for his trial now."

Ifrit shook his head before his eyes went back to the guild's crazy surges. They soon fell to stare at the guild's crest stitched to his jacket.

"Sir?"

Ifrit slipped off the jacket and threw it to the guard. Ifrit's skin had a tropical twist, complimenting his toned abs and chest.

"You wanted an autograph. See ya," he had a slight smile as he stepped over the side of the wall. His hand slid down its smooth surface as he glided down to a crash landing.

"Sir! Wait!" The guard ran to the side, catching a glimpse of the man before he disappeared into the trees. "I'm sorry! I won't yell again!... Master's gonna kill me…"

Ifrit began his trot back down the path he had took, planning to return to the boulder.

Who… are you?

My name is Ifrit, are you the prisoner?

… No,… I'm a wounded traveler.

Ifrit chuckled slightly, remembering his conversation from last night. Really, it was just a few hours ago before the 'traveler' had... He could see the boulder in the distance, a white speck in a mass of green. He strolled around to the back where he had left him but nobody was there. Only the imprint of where he had laid.

"Huh?" Ifrit was completely confused, searching around the forest for the man. "I could have sworn he was…" He shook his head, and returned to the front again. Erza was here last night, maybe she recovered his…

He ambled in the direction he had seen her come from last night. Trees were at both sides, but the path seemed relatively clear. No thorn bushes or other hazards like those near Province. Things already seemed to get better as he emerged from the forest. A cobblestone path led into the city of Magnolia, it was familiar. Not because he had traveled along it before, but a comforting 'normal' to him. As soon as he began to enter the city, people stared at him. He could hear people whispering to each other as he passed them.

"Is that-"

"Noo, that couldn't be…"

"He looks a lot like-"

"GET OUT OF HERE KID!" A man screamed at a child, sending him backwards into the traffic filled road. "If you don't have money, don't stare!" He returned to his post behind his stand, filled with assortments of candy and food.

Ifrit moved to the child's side, seating him up.

"Thanks," the boy's arm covered his glassy green eyes.

"Where are your parents?" Ifrit asked calmly.

The boy saw blurry image of Ifrit's face through his tears, "Big brother?" His vision cleared, as well as his misjudgment when he wiped his face.

"No, I'm not your big brother." Ifrit shook his head.

"Oh, sorry."

"Parents," Ifrit brought up again, now irritated.

"None," the boy turned away.

"You mentioned an older brother."

"He's gone too."

"Any other siblings?"

"I don't know where they are…"

Ifrit rose to his feet with a sharp exhale, turning to the concession stand. He approached the man, resting one hand on a caramelized apple.

"Excuse me, sir? How much are those shirts behind you?" Ifrit asked.

"What? These?" The merchant spun around with a twisted smile, "These are limited edition, Fairy Tail shirts!" Three black shirts hung with a crest printed in blue, white, and pink on them.

Ifrit whipped back one, two, three caramelized apples, "And how much are those?" He whipped back two bars of candy, all of which landed in the boys lap.

"600 jewels a piece! Limited edition though!"

"Wow! That's a pretty good price." Ifrit nodded in agreement while turning to toss two cans of soda.

"I know right!" the vendor had a large smile, believing he had caught another sucker who would purchase three of his counterfeit shirts. "So, you want 'em?" Silence followed. "I said…" he turned around, but Ifrit and the boy had disappeared.


Ifrit and the boy sat in an alley a few blocks from the stand, enjoying their stolen goods.

"So what's your name?" the boy asked, mouth full of candy.

Ifrit sipped his can of soda, "Ifrit."

"Where're you from?"

"I don't know. Province, I guess."

The boy swallowed hard, "I'm Lino!" He grinned widely before biting down into his apple.

A content smile appeared on Ifrit's face, "Can you show me where Fairy Tail is, Lino? I think I'm lost now."

He pulled away from his apple, leaving teeth marks in its caramel. "Sure, you look a lot like my big brother."

"Who's that?"

"His name is Natsu, and he's really STRONG!"

Ifrit's smile disappeared, turning back to take another sip of his soda and setting it on the ground. "So, Fairy Tail?"

Lino climbed to his feet, "Okay, follow me."

Ifrit walked in silence, listening to Lino ramble on about his friends in Fairy Tail. Some of which were 'serious Erza', 'naked Gray', and 'stinky Lucy'. They walked a couple blocks before reaching a large road that led straight through the entire city.

"Just follow this." Lino pointed down the road.

Ifrit could see the familiar structure in the distance and nodded to him. "Here," he held out the bag of 'merchandise.'

"That's alright," he refused, "I feel kinda sick already… I'll see you around."

"You're not gonna come?"

"Hm, no. I'm gonna go find stinky Lucy and see if she'll play with us today." He took off running towards a crowd of children about his size.

Ifrit's eyes turned back to Fairy Tail.


"Erza! Guys!"

A familiar silhouette of a man stood with a bag slung over his shoulder. He came closer, exposing his pink hair to the light. His arms went around her, pulling her into a strong embrace.

"N-Natsu?" she stammered into his chest.

He pulled back, looking into the face. He didn't have the wide grin she remembered, but a serious scowl.

"You're back?" Her hand reached up to touch his face, in which he leaned into. His hand went along her jawline to the back of her head, traveling into her hair.

He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. His hand unraveled his scarf and slung it around both of them as their tongues battled for dominance. He pulled away slightly, but she resisted, pulling him closer by his coat-

"No... Not again."

"No... no..." Erza muttered into her arm.

"You're back? Already?" Mirajane shook Erza awake. She lifted her flushed face from her arms and wiped the bit of drool from her mouth. Mirajane noticed her blush, "Have a nice dream?"

Erza's face reddened further, almost blending in with her hair, "I must have eaten too much cake last night..."

"Riiight," Mirajane winked.

"Where am I?" Erza yawned.

"You must have fallen asleep at the bar last night after I closed up. I could have sworn you left to investigate the loud crashes."

"Oh yeah," Erza stood as her face lightened up. "I came back after that to tell Master Makarov but he's not here."

Mirajane gasped, "I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you, he left for a meeting with the council to discuss Province as a newly legal guild."

"Why's that?" Erza looked around the gloomy, empty guild, listening to her respond.

"Their new member, known as their 'dragon,' has been acting like he's from a former dark guild. Slaughtering large numbers of bandits, and other gruesome acts." A horrified look appeared on Mirajane's face. "His name was Erin, or Ifan, or something…"

Erza's whipped back to her, "Ifrit?"

"That's it! Sorry, I couldn't remember." An embarrassed smile formed on Mira's lips but Erza did not respond well. She had a shocked look in her eyes, flicking between Mira's eyes. "Is there something wrong?"

Just then, the front doors flew open. The morning sun poured in its light, outlining the figure of a man, a bag slung over his shoulder. It was the exact view from her dream.

Erza took an unsteady step forward with one hand blocking the light, "N-Natsu?"

"I've been getting that all day…" the figure responded.

"What?" she replied sheepishly.

He stepped forward, placing his hand on hers and lowering it. "Erza."

She recognized Ifrit, letting out a disappointed sigh.

He heard and looked away embarrassed, "Not who you hoped for I presume."

Erza shook her head, "Sorry, it's not like that." She turned to Mirajane who was laughing quietly to herself. "Mira-"

"You called for Natsu," she mocked.

Erza's face flushed, "I thought- He looked like-" Her face lowered, taking in a deep breath. "Is there something wrong?"

"Uh, no." He scratched the back of his head, "Is it possible to join Fairy tail?"

"Join Fairy Tail?"

"Yeah."

She raised her head, she honestly felt excited for some odd reason. His presence was somewhat positive, though he didn't act it. "I could put in a good word for you." She had a hard time sounding calm, as a sense of happiness seemed to be growing in her. Natsu hadn't returned, but it sure felt like something similar.

"Thanks, but can I talk to your master, Makarov?"

"He's not here," Mirajane responded. "He just went to a council meeting."

"I see." He motioned to one of the tables, "Can I wait for him here?"

"Sure," she smiled invitingly as he set the bag of candies on the table and sat down.

"May I sit with you?" Erza asked politely. He gave her a slight nod before she pulled out a chair and sat across from him. "What happened at Province, Ifrit?"

Mirajane heard the name and dropped a glass that shattered behind the bar. "I'm sorry, you're Ifrit? Province's Dragon?"

His eyes met hers, "Yes, my name is Ifrit… but I am nobody's dragon."

"You're not what I expected…"

"I seem to have that effect on everyone." He responded, making her laugh slightly.

"The rumors have you out there as a vicious, murderer who spares nobody."

He turned away with a shameful scowl. It reminded Erza of her dream, Natsu's serious scowl and Ifrit's were almost identical.

"You remind me so much of our old friend, Natsu."

He remained silent, avoiding their faces that watched him curiously. Mirajane came around, setting two glasses of water down and sat beside him. Her hand gently pulled his glance towards them.

"Wow," she muttered, "You really do look like Natsu."

He whipped his face out of her hand, "I do not! I look like myself!" He crossed his arms, pouting. Maybe Natsu looks like me!

They giggled at him.

"You even act like him," Erza added.

Two figures entered. One of them was slipping his arms into the sleeves of his jacket.

"I can't stop!" Gray yelled angrily, shifting his jacket to a comfortable position. A girl with short blue hair followed shortly behind with an admiring look in her eyes. Gray noticed the girls seated with Ifrit and walked to the table, "What's he doing here?"

"Not stripping down," Ifrit said lowly.

Gray looked down to see his pants around his ankles, and jacket on the floor. I JUST PUT THAT ON! He turned angrily back to Ifrit, "You know, you piss me off!"

Ifrit rose from his seat and into his face, "Don't blame me for you being a nudist!"

"You're one to talk! You're not even wearing a shirt!"

Ifrit realized he had left his jacket behind, and the only articles of clothing he was wearing were black pants, and sandals.

Mirajane laughed, "Hold on, come with me." She led him up the stairs by the ear, as he remained glaring at Gray, and to a small closet. She pulled out a gold trimmed, black waistcoat and handed it to him.

He slipped it on, admiring its style and fit.

"I had a feeling it'd fit," she covered her mouth with one hand, leading him downstairs. As the others noticed, they busted out laughing.

"You've got to be kidding me," Gray cried through his hysterical laughter.

"Oh my," The girl beside Gray added.

Erza giggled slightly, "Mirajane, you are cruel."

"Alright," Ifrit retorted, slipping off the new clothing but Mirajane grabbed it's collar and pushed it back on him.

"You look good, honestly." She grinned.

He shook his head, "I'll be back." He walked pass Erza, and Gray who was rolling on the floor in laughter. He tipped over his glass of water that poured onto Gray's face.

Gray sprung to his feet, "That guy…" A few seconds later, his angry expression melted into a slight smile.


Ifrit returned at nightfall when the guild's bar was packed. Outside, he could hear the laughter and clattering of its members inside. He had 'bought' a new black coat that opened in the front and had a hood. He threw it over, hiding his face and entered the noisy environment. As soon as he did, a tall man bumped into him.

"Huh?" The large man's nose twitched, sniffing the air. He looked down at Ifrit and peeked under the hood with one hand, examining his face before releasing it. "You smell like Salamander." The man had long black hair, and piercings all over his arms and face.

"I don't know what kind of fish that is, but I don't really care anyways." Ifrit stepped around him, heading to Mirajane serving at the bar.

A large hand landed on his shoulder, "You're more like Salamander than I thought."

He whipped his shoulder away from him and continued his stride. The man just stood and watched him with a twitching eyebrow. Ifrit sat at the bar beside Erza, who happily ate away at a strawberry cake. She hadn't noticed him, pulling her hair from her face as she leisurely licked the fork clean and set it down. Ifrit was blushing when she turned to him.

"Oh, Ifrit. What's with the hood?"

"Hood?"

"Are you hiding something?" she asked, peering under the hood. His golden eyes captured the lighting, reflecting it back like a cat in the night.

"Something like that," he muttered under his breath.

Mirajane came to them, "Ifrit? Sorry, I didn't see you. What happened to the waistcoat I gave you?"

"It's underneath, thank you."

"Are you not going to get hot?"

He smiled cockily, "I never have."

"How is that?" Erza questioned. There was only one person she knew who could withstand such heat without a problem.

"Dunno," he replied. Erza held her curious look, examining him closely, which freaked him out slightly.

"Oh! Ifrit," Mirajane saved him, "Makarov returned early. Apparently the meeting has been postponed. He's upstairs." She motioned to the staircase she had taken him up earlier that day.

He immediately left his seat and moved to the front of the staircase before turning back to the two girls.

"Thanks," he said before walking up the stairs.