Author's Note: After two months of going silent, I finally got around to updating the story!

I wanted to make this update a bit longer, but I wouldn't have been able to find a good stopping point. I still think this update is well worth the wait because there's major character tension that unfolds. This chapter is going to lead into the Grand Magic Games, so if you're waiting to see who's going to be on Team Fairy Tail, stick around for the next few chapters to find out!

As always, if you have any feedback I can use to improve, please drop a review so I can take a look! If you're interested in seeing something added to the story, just drop a review! I can't promise it'll be added, but I'll certainly try my best to incorporate it. Without further ado, I hope you guys enjoy the update (:


After Those Seven Years

Chapter four: The Deal

"Did… Did we miss something when we were at Natsu's house yesterday?" Gray deadpanned while scanning the body of water in front of them. It was littered with their guild members swimming across the length of the shoreline.

Lucy scratched her head, "I don't think so. It was a lot to take in, but I think I would have remembered him mentioning something about a morning swim."

A third figure began to approach from behind them. She traced her chin with her fingers and frowned, "Looks like I'm not the only one wondering what's going on; the two of you look just as confused as I am."

Gray and Lucy turned around to greet the familiar voice. "Erza! I guess you saw them earlier or something?"

Erza nodded her head. " I saw them running laps around Magnolia Forest when I woke up, looks like they're swimming laps now. Other than that, I'm just as much in the dark as you two are."

Lucy sighed, "Oh, I assumed you might know what's going on since you got a chance to speak with Natsu alone yesterday."

Erza shook her head, "We talked alone for a few minutes, but it was only about stuff that I thought was in the best interest of Fairy Tail: nothing about what we were planning on doing today."

"What is it you two spoke about?"

"What's been on all our minds: Natsu stepping down so Master Makarov can become Guild Master again."

Gray nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we can all get behind that idea. I'm not sure what the hell has been going on. First, everyone was being hostile towards Laxus when we were on Christina, then they shifted their attention to us when we tried to defend him."

Lucy nodded, "I can understand why they might be a bit iffy about Laxus since he almost killed Natsu during the Battle of Fairy Tail, but they didn't even try to hear the rest of us out. There's something Natsu isn't telling us."

Erza winced and replied, "He tried bringing up their behavior when I spoke to him yesterday."

Lucy bolted her head up in response. "Really?"

Erza closed her eyes and shook her head, she appeared emotionally hurt from Natsu's response from yesterday, "When I recommended that he should step down as Guild Master because of how hostile everyone was acting towards the Tenrou Group… He accused us of ignoring the other guild members who were left behind. It sounded like he was convinced we never really gave them a second thought."

Gray's jaw dropped in disbelief. "What the hell caused that idiot to even assume something like that?! They're in the same damn guild as us, aren't they!"

Erza sighed, "That's what I tried explaining to him. He said that Porlyusica helped him realize that they need to experience that for themselves rather than assume it."

"Puh- Porlyusica told him that?" Lucy began to lower her gaze, "That's the first time anyone's mentioned that. Natsu's my best friend, but I'm not sure how I can trust him to be Guild Master when he's not even being honest with us."

Erza folded her arms across her breastplate and nodded, "That's exactly why we need Master Makarov as our Guild Master. We need to start focusing on our guild and not these ridiculous notions if we ever want to make up for the time we lost on Tenrou Island."

"Speaking of Master Makarov, have you seen him and Laxus since we were together at Kardia Cathedral? If Natsu refuses to do anything, maybe we can see if the old man would intervene for us," Gray butted in.

Erza sighed, "He took the last few days to travel out of town and visit some of this old team members with Laxus. They should have gotten back into town sometime last night, so I'd expect them to show up once we've settled in for the day," She paused to rub her temples, "Let's not take this the wrong way, but after he realized everyone was still safe, the first thing he prioritized was catching up with the other guild halls. He wanted to put this drama on pause until he returned."

Lucy nodded, "As long as Master Makarov is here to sort this mess out, I'm sure Natsu will come around to listening."

Before anyone could form a response, Erza turned her gaze back towards Lake Sciliora. Her eyes rested on a figure swimming towards the shoreline. The figure belonged to a lean man with a striking hair tone. In a single, swift motion, he lifted himself out of the lake and rose with his back turned towards the water. "Morning, guys. I hope you slept well after yesterday night," He greeted the three mages before cocking his head, "Wendy isn't with you, is she?"

"Does she look like she's with us?" Gray sarcastically replied.

Natsu held up his hands in defense, "I was just making sure she didn't jump in the water to train with us."

Erza eyed the water dripping from Natsu's swim trunks, "Then shouldn't you be hopping back in with them?" She then gestured towards the rest of the guild members still swimming laps.

Natsu snapped his fingers and beamed, "Oh, that reminds me!" He paused to lift his fingers to his mouth before releasing an audible whistle. At a moment's notice, the rest of his guild members stopped their stroke progression and began to tread water in place. "You guys did great today!" Natsu continued, "Feel free to hop on out and get washed up in the bathhouse! We can end early today and move our sparring to tomorrow!"

Many of the guild members cheered in unison before they raced each other back to the shoreline. They began hopping out of the water, prompting Erza, Gray, and Lucy to give them room to gather their belongings.

The final three guild members to walk across the shoreline were Kagura, Eiji, and Reedus. They had towels draped around their necks and were patting down portions of their bathing suits. Natsu signaled the trio and pulled them towards where he was standing with the original Team Natsu members.

Kagura playfully rolled her eyes while folding her arms below her bathing suit top, "You're not gonna make us get back in there while everyone else washes up, are you?" She quipped.

"Not at all," Natsu smiled, "But the reason I cut our training short today was so I could talk to the three of you. How about you guys get washed up, let me make a few announcements, then meet me outside in the courtyard so we can chat."

"Oui, I accept." Reedus bowed.

"Same," Eiji winked, "I'm gonna talk to Sayuki for a bit, and I'll meet you outside when I wrap up," The Holy Devil Slayer gestured for Reedus to follow him away from the lake.

As the duo began to leave, Kagura sweetly smiled, stood on her toes to peck Natsu on the cheek, and spoke, "See you in a bit," before following Eiji and Reedus into the guild hall's back door.

Natsu rubbed his cheek and turned to reface the members of Team Natsu. Erza and Lucy, as much as they resented Natsu for how Fairy Tail was acting towards them, had to admit the duo made a charming couple. At the very least, Natsu and Kagura deserved each other.

Gray, on the other hand, was comically suppressing every urge to gag. He was still in disbelief as to how Natsu was able to win over Kagura in the first place considering how stoic her persona used to be.

Before anyone could react, Natsu waved his arms to snap the three mages out of their trance. "Earth to Team Natsu; is anyone there?" They briskly shook their heads, prompting Natsu to sport a smile, "Whenever you guys feel like coming inside, I'm gonna go over a couple of details for the Grand Magic Games since I let you in on them yesterday."

Erza nodded, "Noted. We're going to wait for some of the other guild members to arrive before coming inside: see you in a bit."


Midday was looming over the Fairy Tail Guild hall, and it was apparent from the livelihood of the main floor. Many of the guild members had ordered brunch at the bar, and others were conversing at tables off to the side.

The members of the Tenrou Group still felt out of place with all the tension, so they grouped away from the majority of the activities and stirred small talk between one another. Many of them were wondering when Master Makarov would return to offer a word of advice for everyone struggling to fit in.

Before anyone could continue with their daily routine, a voice was projected from the second floor of the guild hall. "May I have everyone's attention, please?"

The voice was confident yet calm. The guild members immediately lifted their heads towards the balustrade above their gazes and rested their eyes on the man.

He was wearing his signature, red cloak, and chain mail armor. Resting above his chest was the brooch worn by members of the Wizard Saints, and his charcoal jeans matched the pair of combat boots beneath him. It was Natsu.

After garnering the guild hall's attention, Natsu cleared his throat and began with a series of announcements and clarifications. "Before we settle in for the day, there were a couple of things I wanted to get checked off," He paused to confirm everyone was paying attention, "First… I understand there might be conflicting feelings about the future of Team Natsu. The people who I offered a spot on my team are there for a reason. Nab, Vijeeter, Jet, Droy, Reedus, Laki, Eiji, and Warren are there because they took me up on my offer to continue Team Natsu's legacy. Since some of you have already jumped to the conclusion that I was trying to spite my old teammates, I wanted to clear that up before I continued," Natsu referenced Gray's actions from yesterday and nodded towards him, but others, such as Kinana, sported a menacing glare toward the Maker Mage.

Natsu sighed deeply before continuing, "As for how I've been acting the past few days… A lot has changed during the seven years Tenrou Island went missing. I needed to restructure Fairy Tail without our strongest mages to financially support the guild hall. I was also encouraged to continue as our next Guild Master. I was in charge of leading an alliance to bring down a major Dark Guild. And, up until a few days ago, I needed to accept that the rest of you would probably never return… Only for everyone to show up in my life moments later. I'm not asking for forgiveness, I'm asking everyone to understand where someone in my position was coming from. It was so much to take in, it still is, and I just needed a bit of time to reflect on everything and how to move on. It might seem like I don't care about you and what everyone might think of each other, but that couldn't be further from the truth."

Many of the members of Team Natsu seemed content with this response, prompting the Guild Master to continue, "To prove my sincerity to everyone who's having trouble adjusting, Fiore has an event coming up in a month; it's called the Grand Magic Games. I kinda got the wheels moving seven years ago a little after the majority of you vanished on Tenrou Island. I'd like it if we could all attend it together. It would be a chance for us to compete against other guilds in a series of games designed to test our magic potential. We'd be traveling to Crocus if we attend, so it should be a lot of fun!"

A few smirks began to plaster across many guild members: many of those belonging to members of the Tenrou Group.

"I guess when he puts it that way, it would be pretty cool to see all the new guilds that formed while we were gone," Gray was the first to respond.

Gajeel snickered from a post off to the side of the entrance, "Heh, sounds like my type of party."

Just as an array of murmurs began to generate across the guild floor, Natsu raised his hand and spoke over the growing voices, "Keep in mind the event calls for each guild to be represented by a team of mages. Naturally, I want to have the members who have trained the longest, but no one's ruled out until I submit the finalized list. So, if you were a member of the Tenrou Group looking for a spot, now would be a good time to get some last-minute training."

Erza narrowed her eyes slightly, "That doesn't seem too reassuring. We're behind on seven years worth of training. Would he really consider the rest of us even if we buckled down?"

Before Erza could ponder over her thoughts, Natsu raised his hand and slowly stepped away from the railing, "That's everything I needed to say. Feel free to carry on with your day."

As everyone began to discuss their plans to train for the Grand Magic Games, Laki was the first one to reluctantly approach Erza, Gray, and Lucy. "Hey, guys?" She cautiously spoke.

"Hm?" Lucy turned to face the female Maker Mage.

"Since we're new teammates and everything… I could show you guys around the guild hall. We renovated the bathhouse and even added an extension to the game room."

Lucy beamed, "That would be great, Laki! I could tell how much bigger this place looked since we were last here," She turned to face Gray and Erza, "What do you two think?"

"That's cool with me," Gray shrugged, "Thanks for not having a stick up your butt like some of the other people we've spoken to."

Laki furrowed her brow, "No problem… Even though you kinda just insulted-" She shook her head and cut herself off before she could start building tension, "Nevermind… Follow me, I'll take you guys to the second floor and show you around the bathhouse," She walked ahead of the trio and gestured towards the staircase.

Just before Gray and Lucy could follow behind Laki, they noticed Erza was frozen in place. Unbeknownst to them, she was watching Natsu leave for the courtyard to meet with Kagura, Eiji, and Reedus.

She then narrowed her gaze toward the ledge overlooking the courtyard. It was out of sight and obstructed by the guild's foundation, but well in earshot of whatever they planned on talking about. Before she could react, Lucy snapped her out of her trance. "Erza, are you coming or what?"

Erza shook her head, "You three go on ahead, I'll catch up with guys later," She finished speaking before making a beeline to the ledge resting above the exterior of the courtyard.


The four mages basked in the warmth of the afternoon sun. The heat caressed their skins and was not nearly hot enough to burn them. Eiji was the first to break the comfortable silence between the other guild members.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk to us about?" Eiji propped his hands against his hips.

Natsu sighed, "There's no easy way to approach this. Basically… After our dinner ended for the night, I went to visit Lahar in Era. He let me speak to Flare and Nullpudding."

Kagura, Eiji, and Reedus all cocked their eyebrows in confusion. "What made you want to go see them all of a sudden?" Eiji continued.

Natsu cringed, "The other night… Carla had a vision."

"A vision?"

Natsu nodded, "It wasn't a pleasant one. She dreamt of a future in which the Darkness won and Fairy Tail lost. Seeing as we have no leads on where the hell Alexei or the Darkness are, I thought Flare and Nullpudding may have been able to help us. Turns out, they recommended I give up my search for Ivan."

"Did they say anything else that may have been useful?" Reedus joined in.

Natsu shook his head, "Only for us to give up our search. It hurts to hear, but it's honesty where it matters," He paused because he appeared uncomfortable, "I wanted to make sure this was fine with you guys because you were the three directly involved with the incident… But how would you feel about the two of them joining Fairy Tail?"

A deathly silence loomed over the courtyard. The rustling of the garden in the afternoon wind was the only audible noise. Reedus was the first to respond with a sigh, "While I do find this matter unorthodox, I'm sure you have a reason for wanting them to join, so I'll trust your judgment. May I ask why?"

Natsu rapped his fingers against his forearm, "With the Grand Magic Games coming up, there's gonna be a lot of eyes on Crocus. There's a strong chance Alexei and the Darkness will have their sights set on any and all ties to Fairy Tail. If we have Flare and Nullpudding with us, we might be able to bait him into making a move. I just… needed to make sure the three of you were comfortable with it since Flare and Nullpudding were the ones who were directly involved with the whole Raven Tail incident."

Eiji shrugged, "You know me, as long as those two aren't in a Dark Guild or anything, you can do whatever you want with them."

Natsu then looked toward his girlfriend: Kagura. She seemed unaffected by the conversation. "Kagura," Natsu spoke, "I want your unbiased opinion on this one. You were the one who had to face them head-on. If you're hesitating even the slightest bit… I want you to tell me."

Kagura chuckled in response, "C'mon, Natsu. How many times do we have to say that we trust you? You've gotten us through seven years of hell and you're mulling over two Dark Mages joining Fairy Tail," She paused to grow serious, "As for me… I can never forget what they did to me and all the other humans they tested those Lacrima on, but I've learned to move on. That's the truth."

Natsu's next action took Kagura off guard, causing her eyes to widen. Natsu stepped forward and wrapped her in an embrace. The hug wasn't affectionate or overly constricting. Instead, it was a hug meant to reciprocate gratitude.

Kagura meekly smiled and ruffled Natsu's hair. Before she could wrap her arms around him, Eiji and Reedus comically lurched forward and joined the embrace. "C'mon, you guys get to hug each other whenever you want. We want hugs, also!" Eiji pouted.

"Oui!" Reedus exclaimed.

The two mages caused Natsu and Kagura to burst into an array of laughter. Natsu separated himself from the group hug and bowed in appreciation, "Thank you guys for understanding," He paused to gesture towards the guild hall, "I'm going to head back inside and grab something to eat from the bar. You guys are welcome to join me if you want."

Just as Natsu completed the trek through the courtyard and back towards the entrance of the guild hall, Eiji walked up to Kagura and Reedus before they could leave. "Kagura? Reedus?"

"Oui?" Reedus responded for the two.

"Before we head back inside… Can I have a word with you guys: in private."

Kagura deadpanned, "Well, we're already out here. Let's hear what's on your mind."

"What do you think Carla's vision was about: the exact details?"

Kagura laughed, "If it's to the point where Natsu is resorting to having Dark Mages join Fairy Tail, I think it's better if we DON'T know what the vision was."

Eiji grimaced, "That's exactly what I'm afraid of. Flare and Nullpudding are Dark Mages. All three of us were there when we took them down. We know what they're capable of... I don't think I need to remind you about what happened to Kurohebi," A shiver was sent down the three of their spines, causing Eiji to continue, "How are you guys feeling about Dark Mages that strong joining Fairy Tail?"

Reedus was the first one to reply, "I think we're all shifting our comfort to ensure that of others," Reedus chuckled, "I'm only okay with it as long as Kagura is, and you're only comfortable as long as you trust them. She was the one who was put in direct danger which is why her opinion should be the one that matters over ours."

Kagura warmly smiled, "Guys, please don't think I'm being forced into this. That was the first time I caught an ear about what Natsu was planning. As for how I feel… I've taken Natsu's advice to heart. I've moved on past what happened back then. I've accepted the Lacrima is a part of me and it's even helped us out a lot in battle."

Eiji was the first one to sigh in relief towards Kagura, "I hope I didn't come off as insensitive towards Reedus by questioning if he doubts Master Natsu… And especially you, Kagura, since you're the one who's dating him. I know Natsu would never do something that puts you in danger. I guess I just want to make sure the three of us are on the same page. We can all count on each other to keep us safe if something bad happens. But if Master Natsu trusts them, then we should also trust them."

Kagura sweetly smiled while patting Eijis's shoulder, "You're very thoughtful, Eiji. You're a lot different than the Eiji who we met at the Magic Coalition. If it makes you feel any better, Natsu would have told me what Carla's vision was about if it was important. I'm sure he doesn't want us worrying any more than we need to," She paused to gesture towards the guild hall, "How about we head back inside and grab a bite to eat?"

Eiji and Reedus agreed in unison while following Kagura back through the courtyard. The entire time, none of them noticed the woman at the top of the balcony eavesdropping on the conversation. "Now… Fairy Tail is harboring Dark Mages?" She gritted her teeth in frustration.


Natsu took a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of water. It was too early to drink, and he was still deciding what he wanted to eat. This would tide him over for the time being.

A few members from the Tenrou Group began murmuring and pointing toward him. They were all wondering who should be the first to approach him. A few of them began comically pushing Lisanna toward Natsu, seeing as they shared a close bond throughout their childhood.

The figure who eavesdropped on the conversation managed to sneak back in from the ledge looming over the courtyard. She ignored the commotion, stood in bewilderment, and watched Kagura, Eiji, and Reedus approach the barstool Natsu was sitting at. "Does Natsu not remember that Dark Magic corrupted Jellal: the same Dark Magic leading to Simon's death?! How could Kagura agree to this?" She briskly recalled the events in her head.

Natsu was planning on harboring two Dark Mages under Fairy Tail's name, the other guild members were still resenting the Tenrou Group for ridiculous reasons, and, worst of all, Natsu rubbed salt in her wounds thinking dinner at his home would fix everything. At that moment, the woman let rage course throughout her body.

"REQUIP!" Her voice roared throughout the guild hall. All she needed was an instant to dash towards Natsu with her steel sword raised, ready to give him absolute hell with his back turned towards the rest of the guild hall. She was so blindsided in rage that she never considered the fact she was seven years behind in training.

She lashed at Natsu from behind, and a blinding light emanated throughout the guild hall.

"Kuh- TLANG!" A metallic noise pierced the room as she felt her signature sword forcefully connect with whatever remained in her path.

The woman rapidly blinked as the light began to fade from her vision. She was met with a lone figure halting her attack without effort, causing her to widen her eyes in disbelief; it wasn't Natsu who stood in front of her. She managed to catch a glimpse of the Guild Master through the corner of her eye, and he was visibly frightened. The cup of water he was holding shattered against the countertop, and his back was pressed against the wooden edge.

The woman then lifted her gaze to meet the person standing in front of her. It was a purple-haired woman with her scabbard raised: parrying the opposing sword at the midsection. If it weren't for her, Natsu would have been struck.

"Kuh- Kagura?" Natsu stuttered toward his defender.

Kagura broke the deathly silence by sighing, revealing the attacker's identity, "Y'know, Erza… All my life, I wondered if I'd ever become a Master Sword specialist who would someday rival you. The Titania I knew toppled the Tower of Heaven, she was a beacon of strength and courage for the rest of her guild members; a legend like no other… She's the person my brother died to protect," The woman slowly opened her eyes to reveal a deathly stare, "Not someone who strikes someone with their back turned: ESPECIALLY if that person was the one who saved me from a dark future."

"Shh- TANG!" The sound of their swords made as Kagura ran her blade against Erza's, causing the sword to fly out of Erza's grasp before impaling the nearby wall.

In the blink of an eye, Kagura rammed the hilt of Archenemy into Erza's abdomen. A violent crack echoed throughout the guild hall.

Erza's helpless body ragdolled across the guild's floor and toward the wall before crashing into the area next to her sword. She remained embedded in the formed crack, but gravity released her from the wall, causing her body to slump against the firmly lodged sword.

Kagura slowly widened her eyes in realization at how severe her attack was. Erza's body left multiple craters across the ground, and the remaining skid marks were adorned with patches of fresh blood. All the while, Erza's body remained still. "No…" Kagura whispered while slowly shaking her head, "I got carried away," She breathed while frantically darting her head toward the silent bystanders, "Don't just stand there! Does anyone have a Lacrima?!"

Natsu briskly shook his head to snap himself out of his daze. His hands traced the outline of his cloak before stumbling across the orb inside his pocket. He retracted the Lacrima and tossed it toward Kagura. "Uh- Are you getting ahold of Porlyusica?"

"I'm trying to, "Kagura nodded, "Get her to the infirmary in the meantime! She's going to need medical attention!"


The elderly woman began to tidy up the area around her. As she began to shut the drawers around her, she raised her head and narrowed her gaze to the other guild members, "She suffered some internal bleeding and broken ribs, but I was able to patch her up and stabilize her vitals. Just make sure she gets lots of rest and doesn't try to do anything stupid while she's down."

Mirajane was the first to sigh from next to Lisanna. "I'm going to up to the bar and see if Kinana needs any help. Let's try and give Erza some room so she can get enough sleep."

Lisanna patted Wendy on the shoulder and smiled. "C'mon, Wendy. Let's go get you some juice."

The guild members began to funnel out of the door, including the original members of Team Natsu.

Porlyusica turned around while disposing of a syringe. "I know you're stubborn, but I didn't think you would go as far as trying to start a guild brawl when you're seven years behind in training."

Porlyusica flinched at Erza's lack of reaction.

"Why…" Erza gritted her teeth in pain. Her eyes slowly opened while ignoring Porlyusica's previous comment.

"Why what?" Porlyusica narrowed her gaze.

"Why would you ever tell Natsu something as ridiculous as us not caring for the guild members who were not a part of the Tenrou Group?"

Porlyusica reeled in disbelief, "Where the hell did you hear something as idiotic as that?!"

"Natsu told me," She violently coughed, "It was last night after I ate dinner at his house."

Porlyusica scowled, "I know Master Natsu may be a bit unorthodox at times… But did he accuse you of that with his own words? Or is that what you're assuming?"

Erza became defensive, "Then help us understand what's going on because it sure sounded like he was accusing us."

"Seven years ago," Porlyusica released a heavy sigh, "I was patching up his leg in the infirmary when he started to run his mouth," Porlyusica began to chuckle while recalling the events, "The idiot asked me if I was a member of Fairy Tail. I told him I was."

"And?"

"He assumed I wasn't a guild member because I rarely stopped by the guild hall. I told him 'just because some of your members rarely visit doesn't make them less important than the ones you see on an everyday basis. I think he managed to piece together that the other guild members felt this way: felt less important than the ones who drew all the attention."

Erza widened her mouth in slight horror. "Thuh- That's what he thinks… But is that what they think?"

Porlyusica narrowed her gaze and spoke. "You've seen how they've been behaving since you've returned. What do you think?"

As Porlyusica began to gather her stuff, she spoke one last time toward Erza, "If you ask me… The only reason they haven't been completely hostile is that they respect Master Natsu enough to not worry him. He's the first person who truly understood how they feel."

As Porlyusica began to exit the infirmary, she nodded toward the man on the other side of the door. "She's in there if you need to speak to her. I can't say she'll hear you out, but I told her she needs plenty of rest."

The man nodded in response, "Thank you, Porlyusica," before closing the door between them and entering the infirmary.

Erza wasn't immediately aware of the man's presence; his voice was only a murmur from the other side of the door. Her gaze faced the ceiling while he approached her bedside. After a few moments, she caught the man's figure through her peripherals. She squinted her eyes in resentment before rolling over to her other side: ensuring they were unable to see each other. It was Natsu.

Natsu released a heavy sigh and took a seat in the chair facing her back. A few moments of silence passed between one another before he brought himself to speak. "Can I ask what the hell that was about?"

No response.

Natsu continued, "If that's the case… I want you to participate in the Grand Magic Games."

Erza was in disbelief. How could he even suggest something as ridiculous after the latest conflict? "Wuh- Why the hell would I ever do that after what happened tuh-"

"If you win the Grand Magic Games," Natsu paused for dramatic effect, forcing Erza to roll over to face him, "I'll step down as guild master."

A deathly silence ushered throughout the primary, save for the pulse of Erza's heart monitor. It was the only sound that could be heard over the next few seconds.

"You're serious." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"I am," Natsu continued, "That's what this is all about, right? If you can win the Grand Magic Games, It'll show me you can train, best the other guilds in events, and communicate well with the rest of Fairy Tail. The events won't just be duels, so don't think you can just brute force your way to the end. You'll need to prepare yourself for anything thrown your way. But, if you win… It'll prove to me I don't need to be Guild Master anymore and that my job here will be finished. I won't need to watch over everything you do and hide anything from you ever again. It shows can go support the guild hall again like seven years ago without me there. You can tell whoever you need to, maybe it'll help motivate a few people from the Tenrou Group to join your team if they don't like how I run things."

Erza squinted again in suspicion, "And if we lose."

Natsu leaned in until his hot breath caressed Erza's mouth. His face contorted into that of utmost rage. Multiple veins sprouted throughout his forearm, and his forehead began to pulse in maddened anger. It made Erza even flinch in terror, she couldn't recall a time when Natsu was this upset. Natsu then spoke in a startingly plain monotone. "If you lose, you never speak of this guild drama again. You will apologize to every single guild member who was left behind during the seven years you were gone for not giving them the attention they needed: even if you don't believe that. You will tell them that you will do everything in your power to move past this mistake and actively interact with them more. You will suck up your pride with the rest of the Tenrou Group and give them the apology they deserve for being ignored."

Erza then breathed, "And what if we lose and still refuse?"

Natsu leaned back in his chair. He extended his dominant arm, revealing the red guild mark on his right shoulder. He then proceeded to lift his left hand over half of the emblem, causing half of it to dissipate as particles of Ethernano in the room. Erza's eyes widened. He wouldn't go that far… Would he?

Natsu stood up from his seat without another word. As he turned his back and walked toward the infirmary door, he stopped and gave Erza a final line of advice. "Anyone apart of the Tenrou Group is fair game to be on your team: not anyone else. If you want me to step down as Guild Master, that's the only way you guys are gonna prove how much you can adapt to the changes across Fiore. You can even fill them in on our deal if it motivates them more. Just make sure you keep your team to 5 members," He sighed, "Either way, I wouldn't let the other guild members outside of the Tenrou Group find out about you working together to replace me… For obvious reasons."

Natsu's hand reached for the doorknob, but Erza brought herself to reference the reason she ended up in the infirmary, "And what would happen to those two Dark Mages?"

Natsu paused with this back turned to her. "Is that what this was all about?"

Again, no response. The silence was all Natsu needed to know what the answer would have been.

Natsu continued one last time before exiting the infirmary, "Whatever happens to me will happen to them."


Thank you for your time!