For My Family

A/N: Rewrote this because it needed some fixing. Will probably slowly fix others as I come across them.

It was a perfectly normal day in Magnolia. The bright blue sky had whisps of clouds streaking across it, carried by a soft breeze. It promised to make for a beautiful day and the residents couldn't help but hope that the theme would continue.

For once, Fairy Tail can't be heard throughout the city. Of course all the residents know why, there's only one reason. And they're sure it's thanks to Lucy dragging her team off to pay for her rent.

It shouldn't last long, knowing that powerful group.

Within the guild, there's a soft hum of conversation with only Mira breaking through to call out orders. All was calm until the doors get kicked open.

Hard. They swing on creaky hinges but that isn't what catches the guilds attention.

Because it doesn't come with a familiar burst of fire and joyous shouts. It doesn't come with an argument between two brothers.

It opens with petrified silence, one that stills the air and draws everyone's attention.

Natsu's at the front, he always is - yet he isn't dragging Lucy behind him. No, but his face has been shut off, screwed tightly with muscles twitches, not a smile in sight.

His face, covered in dirt, has streaks through it that have dried on his cheeks. Brown, dark, and his once bright eyes are covered. Haunted, with rims reddened and pupils trembling.

He isn't in his typical outfit, not that anyone can see it behind the bumble of cloth in his arms.

Behind him, Erza and Gray are just as dirty. More so, actually, with reddened skin and angry blisters.

Happy, tips of blue fur singed black, sits cradled in Gray's arms. Not Natsu's.

No, because that bundle of mixed clothing isn't a pile of dirty laundry.

It's Lucy.

Between sheets of fabric they see golden hair and her tattooed hand falls from a slit. Limp, heavy, and bright red in burns with the tips of her fingers almost black.

Natsu doesn't stand there for long, only a few seconds. But a few seconds is all a mage needs to notice how wrong the picture is.

He races for the infirmary without a word, no one stopping him but Wendy's quick to follow. Carla does as well, but not without glancing towards her fellow exceed.

Wendy shouts for Porlyusica and Jet races through the doors without a second thought. She had smelled blood, a lot of it, more than she could be prepared for. Let alone the fact that she isn't as well-versed in burns and she's sure Lucy has enough for the entire team.

With Lucy and Natsu gone, the rest of Team Natsu is stuck standing there. They shift, awkward and twitching, aware that them crowding the infirmary wouldn't do any good. But they can't tear their eyes away from where Lucy had disappeared to.

Then Erza drops her head, heavy and with a sigh that makes her form crumple in on itself. Her aura warns anyone who would dare approach her, anger simmering but she's trembling, armor rattling and her fists tightly clenched.

Makarov's careful in his approach. Silently, he motions for the duo to join him in his office. Erza slinks after but Gray moves rigidly, anger buried in each joint. But he stops, exhales (it shakes as it comes out, rage filters through his teeth,) and in soft words he passes Happy to Lisanna before following after.

They enter the office and flop into the seats across from the desk. And so, as they take a moment to compose themselves, Makarov really looks at them.

They're dirty but they make no movement to fix it. Instead, Erza's head is still down as she leans forward, elbows resting on her knees and chin on her hands. Gray, on the other hand, is sitting back, hands and jaw flexing and twitching, eyes dark and shadowed.

So, Makarov hops onto his desk, folds his hands behind his back, and turns to the mages. To his children.

"What happened?"

Two words, one question, different reactions.

The two mages switch in that instant. Gray falls forward and his face laxes to the point of depression, lids heavy and a sigh rolling from his throat. A hollowness seeping into his joints and his muscles relax. Erza, on the other hand, sits back. Strong and fierce with anger shining behind her eyes. Held back purely by her composure.

"Natsu is leaving the guild," Gray says somberly and shifts to put his head in his hands. He presses a cold hand to his forehead, something Makarov had told him a long time ago.

It'll help ground you, Makarov had said to the young traumatized boy.

To see him do it now sparks worry in the old man's gut. He'd sink if he weren't standing on his desk.

"Wha..." Makarov clears his throat and shakes his head. Erza's eyes are trained on him, waiting for his word. "What happened?"

"He lost control," Erza says and they can hear the scrunch of her fists tightening. "He lost control, hurt Lucy, and," she breathes out and the anger in her dies. She sags, defeated.

"He exploded and he killed them." Gray says and licks his lips, eyes trained on the ground and arms shaking.

They all understand what that sentence means. They're a Light Guild and Fairy Tail, above all else, is not a guild of killers.

No exception.

"He… did not mean to," Erza says but that doesn't really matter. She knows it doesn't and it pulls her down, tugging at her heart and she sinks just a bit further into the chair (it doesn't feel like a chair, more like the muddy Earth and phantom hands pull at her, threatening to drown her in it all. She fights it, but only barely. Enough to keep her head above but her chest constricts and each breath rattles, small and unhelpful.)

"We had to tell him that they were all - that he killed them."

Makarov can't imagine what that conversation must have been like. But that explains it, doesn't it? Because those three already had this conversation. Natsu was leaving.

"If you can, get some rest," Makarov says as he hops off the table. He places a hand on their knees and looks at their torn faces.

They both refuse to make eye contact.

"He really didn't..." Gray says but stops himself. Makarov shakes his head with a heavy sigh.

But he did kill them, none of them need to say it. They've already said it to themselves too many times to count. Makarov included.

It makes Gray wonder, for a short moment, if he would do the same thing. Him and Natsu, they're too similar. And if Natsu could lose control, then he could too, right? (But would he? Was it guaranteed to happen? The thought tugs at the back of his mind, sharp and penetrating. No amount of cold seems to get rid of it and he clenches his teeth so hard he's afraid they'll crack.)

His kids grow up too fast, Makarov thinks. And he doesn't like it. If he could, he would protect them from this sort of thing - from everything. But their world has a bad habit of not letting kids be kids (he can't say he isn't to blame, making these brats S-Class mages or throwing them into battles against Dark Guild alliances. They don't mind, they leave full of smiles and declarations, but Makarov can see a new darkness in their eyes when they return. He'd just hoped, naively, that this wouldn't happen.)

In the infirmary, Natsu won't leave Lucy's side. Both Porlyusica and Wendy are on the blonde, tending to the blisters and wounds from the battle prior.

It was hardly a battle at all, but Natsu can't form those words. Not yet.

She looks much better than she had, Makarov can only assume. There's sweat on the healer's brows and they haven't even slowed in their work.

Beside her, Natsu sits covered only in the wounds of battle - albeit more than his teammates, wounds deep from weapons that he'd fought barehanded - but he doesn't care about them in the slightest. Not the would slowly trickling blood in his side or the purple bruises blossoming on his face.

His eyes won't leave Lucy's face, his hand won't let hers go.

"Natsu," Makarov calls and the pinkette blinks. He's slow in looking at the old man but when he does Makarov doesn't speak.

How can he when Natsu has a sort of calm acceptance for the words to come. None of the anger or frustration, but no fire either.

Those dark eyes had never looked so lifeless (Makarov can't be sure he'd ever seen bags underneath Natsu's eyes in the past, but seeing them now, deep and haunted, he hopes he never will again.)

"You don't have to excommunicate me," Natsu says and Makarov wants to agree, he does, "I'm leaving."

"Natsu?" Wendy jolts and Porlyusica doesn't yell at her for it.

After all, she had already recognized these as burns Gray often receives. She knows the fire that has done this. But it didn't make sense, and Natsu looked so worried that Wendy couldn't be sure (but the smell, it's obvious, it really is. And she knows it deep down, but she ignores that voice in the back of her head.)

"Ah, sorry, Wen," he laughs brokenly and pats her head. Then he looks back at Lucy, eyes dropping to their hands before placing hers on the bed and letting go. Not without hesitation, a brush of her bruised knuckles and he pats the back of her pale hand. "Probably easier if I just leave, right?"

Makarov nods but his mouth had gone dry.

Natsu doesn't cry, doesn't even sniff. He just stands, shoulders sagged and hair too stiff with ash to even bob.

Again, that solemn acceptance flashes across that face in a twitch of a smile and he closes his eyes. He breathes, slow, deliberate, careful - maybe he'd hurt his ribs, Makarov notices the way he'd been ginger with his movements.

"Let's get you healed up first, my boy," Makarov says although his eyes are glossy. He tries to blink away the tears and each sniffle comes harder than the last.

"No I-"

"Sit," Porlyusica, of all people, demands. With an eep Natsu falls onto a nearby bed and at a quick yes ma'am, he salutes her. She just rolls her eyes before looking to Makarov. The old man seems lost, standing by the door and out of his element. He shifts his wait and watches, eyes not quite leaving the young boy.

He clearly doesn't want to lose Natsu. She'd remembered how he'd spoken of Natsu, he'd done it often throughout the years. It had begun without any ranting. Just a mystified acceptance that the boy had, apparently, been raised by a dragon. He was strong but anxious in human society. And as the boy grew, Makarov spoke more about his strength (and destruction,) and of how Natsu, more than anyone else, had so embodied Fairy Tail that Makarov could trust him. Without a doubt, Fairy Tail's legacy would continue (although he prayed no one would make the kid Master. It couldn't end well, but he'd be a great mentor. A wonderful parent, even.)

But Porlyusica has always been aware that there are some rules that can never be broken. It'd be the only way they'd lose this sunshine child.

So she'll heal him one last time.

She heals him quickly, more than aware of how the gossip of Fairy Tail can travel. So she gets the few nasty cuts with Wendy's help before wrapping the minor ones. She's uncharacteristically ginger with her touches, light and softly ordering him to move this way and that.

When he's clearly done, she presses a fresh roll of bandages in his hand and looks into his eyes.

"Don't be such a dumb human," she says but her tone is much softer than it would normally be. It's the sort of interaction she only gives Wendy the time of day for. But then she pats Natsu's hand and lets it rest for a moment. Natsu had annoyed her to no end, as he did everyone, but she'd interacted with him more as a child. When Makarov couldn't explain humanity to the wild kid and she'd had to. She hadn't raised him per se, it was only once or twice, but it was enough. He was hardly human, just annoying. When she pulls her hand away, she lets her gaze travel to the door. "Better go out the window."

Natsu can't help but laugh at that. It's a short sound, one that stops as quickly as it had begun, and his face falls into a small smile.

"Thanks, for everything," he says but she doesn't really respond, only hums and mumbles a quick humans under her breath.

Natsu does as she suggested and leaves through the window with only Wendy to see him off. Makarov had left and Porlyusica falls back to Lucy's side.

"What happened?" She asks as he opens the window. He pauses and turns to her. For some time, they'd been hearing the main hall grow louder - and not entirely in a good way.

Makarov must have said something. And with Wendy's hearing being near the strength of Natsu's, she's heard enough.

"I hurt people. I really hurt people," he says because he can't admit that they died, not to such a pure and open face. He can hardly admit it to himself. He throws his body out the window but holds on to the frame, feet pressed against the wall.

"Will I see you again?" It's too innocent of a question and Natsu won't lie. So he smiles at her, a wide and bright beam, and holds out his pinky.

"You know it!" They loop pinkys and Wendy holds on a bit too long but Natsu doesn't mind.

Then, he leaps backwards.

He lands softly and it just hardly disturbs a ring of grass.

He doesn't look back before sprinting off in the direction of his home. He's already said what he needed and he trusts them for everything else: they're family, after all (but as he packs, he can't help but pause. Had he said everything? Had he hugged Romeo and given him gifts for all the birthdays to come? Had he told Gray how, through everything, he'd been his best friend? Had he hugged Erza one last time and smiled at her, telling the woman she would never, ever be alone so long as his heart kept beating? Had he told Lucy that she'd always hold a special place in his heart? Had he kissed the top of Happy's head and hugged the cat, telling him to be strong and brave and that he'd be taken care of?

(No, he hadn't, but as the thought registers his heart grows heavy and a tingle makes itself known behind his eyes, cold and biting as it shoots through him with a shudder. Silently, tears roll down his face and onto his bag.)

Silently, Natsu Dragneel leaves.

Then the S-Class Trials happened.

When Natsu heard the news, he'd been in a bar and heard it from someone at the other end of the bar. The drink slipped from his hand and crashed on the floor, liquid spilling on the wooden surface and it drew all eyes on him.

Not that he cared.

He stood, harsh, stool jolting as he spun around. His voice cracked as he spoke.

"Fairy Tail's what?"

It took Natsu longer than he wanted to reach Fairy Tail and all the way he was surrounded by rumors.

"Did you hear? Fairy Tail's fallen apart-"

"Did you hear that Fairy Tail doesn't have any S-Class mages?"

"Did you hear-"

Yes, he heard. He heard it all. He was tired of hearing. Wanted to cut off his ears - it was enough to make him take a train.

He hadn't since the mission, and as the motion sickness rolled his stomach and his face grew green, he could almost imagine Erza's fist in his gut or his head on Lucy's lap. Or, even, on days when the other two would be asleep and the groaning had annoyed the ice mage, a cold hand on his forehead.

(He misses it, he finds, and no amount of banging his head gets rid of the discomfort pooling in his gut.)

By the time he reaches Fairy Tail, they've been heavily depressed for a long time. Long enough for people to stop sending them requests, long enough for them to be near bankrupt. Too long. Except it had only been four months.

Was that really all it took?

At the doors, Natsu hesitated. What right did he have, walking right in? But knocking wouldn't do anything and he couldn't not help his old guild.

So, cloaked and more mysterious than will be helpful, he pushes the doors open.

The scent of booze clogs his nose and makes him gag, stomach rolling almost as if he'd been on the train. It burns his senses and he has to blink it away. Only, when he does catch something else, it's his family's salty tears.

"Hey," Macao waves from the bar and Natsu turns to try and spot Romeo. He isn't there.

"What happened here?" He can't help but ask. Although it causes them all to jump, teeth bared and despair on display. It was an honest question, not close to an attack, but Fairy Tail had been through enough. "This isn't Fairy Tail and you know it."

"And, what of it?" Macao growls and Natsu isn't sure what to do. At the rate they're going, it's clear what will happen to Fairy Tail.

So Natsu drops his hood and smiles.

"Well, I don't like seeing you guys hurting."

The response is mixed. Many people had never believed what Natsu had done, none of them wanted to, and easily half of them had loved him regardless.

But not all.

Romeo was distraught, saying he didn't care, which led Macao to be forceful that killing was wrong, it just is. No excuses, no exceptions. He couldn't have his son look up to Natsu knowing the pinkette was a killer.

So seeing Natsu churned a harsher spell in his stomach. It isn't a fight he can lose.

"What are you doing here?" He asks harshly, eyes dark and trained on the pinkettes shoulder. It catches most everyone off guard but Natsu doesn't flinch (but his smile does droop and his head tilts.)

"This is Fairy Tail."

"You aren't supposed to be here," Macao spits and then Natsu flinches. Hard. because he could smell the strength of alcohol on that man's breath, but, more than that, it's the genuine hate for him in those once parental eyes.

Natsu knew they would be upset, but he didn't think Macao would grow to loathe him. Macao had been like a father to him, helping him with his fire and allowing the pinkette to assist with Romeo.

And what of Romeo? Did he feel the same way, was that why Macao looked at him with such disdain, blood boiling and teeth bared?

(Natsu isn't sure he could handle it but he tries, forcing a smile on his face. But it's cracked and chipping at the edges.)

"Hey, calm down," Wakaba says softly and places a hand on his friends arm, "it's Natsu."

Because people don't yell at Natsu, not like this. Not in anger and rage when that pinkette is the kindest, sweetest person they've all ever met. Especially when he looks like that, so broken and confused, and just as hurt as them if not more (he'd lost everyone on that island, everyone except Macao and Romeo. And it hurts to watch him crumple as he realizes that he lost them too.)

Plus, Romeo adores Natsu.

"You aren't supposed to set one foot in here. Not after what you did," Macao growls in a low anger, a short spurt of blue fire curling around his hands.

Natsu blinks at the magic before looking back towards Macao. His eyes grow wide, the hurt clear - but then he shakes it off and takes a deep breath.

"Ah, you're right," and he smiles with a hand behind his head, "but I'll stay around. Even if you don't need me."

A/N: Oops, did I do another rewrite of this? I feel like it might be the last one (fingers crossed.) Chapter 13 is basically done. Thanks so much!