Chapter 4 Siblings:

Natsu opened his eyes and saw Erza sitting in a chair next to his bed.

"I see you finally woke up," the redhead said.

Natsu rubbed his eyes. "Where's Wendy?" he asked.

"She's right over there," Erza pointed to the bed across from Natsu. He looked over and saw the younger dragon slayer sleeping on another bed. They were in the guild infirmary. Natsu pushed himself to his feet.

"Is she okay?" he asked walking over to Wendy.

"She's fine, just used up a bit too much magic power healing us," Erza said. "She needs a little rest."

She seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Natsu smiled at the sight.

"Okay."

He felt Erza touch his shoulder.

"That was a good fight you put up. Though if you hadn't tapped into your hidden strength you would have lost for sure."

"Oh yeah?" Natsu challenged.

"Don't bother trying to argue," Erza said. "You'd already lost twice before Wendy encouraged you. It seems she makes you stronger somehow."

Natsu was silent, then looked back at the younger dragon slayer still asleep. Natsu had managed to defeat Gray easily after Gray punched Wendy. When she encouraged him, Natsu managed to duel Erza to a draw.

"What exactly is your relationship to her?" Erza asked.

Natsu looked at her. "Relationship?"

"Is she your best friend?" Erza asked.

Natsu put his hand to his chin. "I don't know… maybe. Well, she is a dragon slayer like me and she's been separated from her parent."

"Sure, she's not your sister?" Erza asked.

"Sister?" Natsu repeated.

"I mean, you both use a form of lost magic and both of you were raised by dragons."

"But our dragon parents weren't… what's the word?"

"Married?" Erza asked.

"Yeah. If dragons can do that."

Erza was silent for a moment. Then Wendy suddenly opened her eyes.

"Natsu?" she asked.

The Fire Dragon Slayer looked at the Sky one, he grinned. "Hey Wendy! You finally woke up!"

"She's only been asleep a little longer than us!" Erza stated. "Well, we should probably clean up huh? We're all sweaty from the fight."

Natsu felt the sweat still on his body.

"Where do we do that?" he asked.

"There's a kid bath in the hot springs area, come on," she said.

(The Next Day)

Covered in her cloak, Mirajane lead her younger siblings through Magnolia. They didn't know where to go, so they wandered aimlessly. Eventually they came to a tall building with a feather emblem at the top. Looking through its windows, they saw a group of kids standing inside talking and laughing.

"I wonder what this place is?" her brother Elfman asked.

"Looks nice doesn't it?" a voice asked. They looked and saw the speaker was a small old man. "Why don't you come inside?"

"Who are you?" the youngest sibling Lisanna asked.

"Makarov Dreyer!" the old man said. "I sensed an usual magic power entering Magnolia just a little while ago and it seemed to be coming from you!"

He pointed at Mirajane. She could guess what the power he sensed was. She raised her demonic right arm out from under the cloak, which seemed to make everyone run in terror from her the moment they saw it. It practically gave off an evil energy.

Makarov led them inside where Mirajane told him her tale. How a demon had decided to haunt the church in her village, she'd tried to fight it to protect her siblings and the villagers. She had absorbed the demon, and her arm had become like this ever since. The villagers shunned her, thinking she was possessed because of her arm.

"Looks like a Take Over Spell," Makarov said. "You're not really possessed by a demon. I imagine you must have been frightened to death of that. It just means that you now have the power of a demon"

Mirajane looked at her ugly demonic arm. "So, it's kind of a good thing?" she asked.

I still don't want it. She thought.

"Why don't you play with the other kids a little bit?" Makarov suggested. "We just got two new members not long ago. Natsu and Wendy."

He pointed to a boy about Lisanna's age, and a younger girl about five.

"I'd love too!" Lisanna said.

"Me too! Come on Mira!" Elfman said.

Mirajane shook her head. "No, you guys go on. I don't want to spoil your fun."

"But-

"Go!" she said firmly.

Lisanna took Elfman's hand. "Let's just give her some space for now big brother."

Elfman looked at his eldest sibling sadly but then turned away, leaving her to sulk.

….

Natsu and Wendy noticed the three new kids come in as they were playing with Levi, Gray, and Cana. Erza wasn't there today as she'd been allowed to go on a job with one of the adults to gain experience as a wizard. The three new kids sat with Gramps at the kitchen for a while, then the two smaller ones came over and joined them.

"Hi!" the younger sister said. "I'm Lisanna!"

"Elfman!" the boy said.

"Hi, are you going to join the guild?" Gray asked.

"We're not sure yet," Elfman said. "But we could definitely learn magic. Maybe we could learn how to use Take Over Magic like Mira does. That way maybe she won't feel so alone."

He looked over at his sister as he said that. She sat by herself, not joining their group. The two younger siblings stayed with the other kids. They played various games like tag and checkers. The day went by quickly.

"Elfman, Lisanna!" Mira called to her siblings. "It's time to go!"

Elfman and Lisanna looked at the other kids.

"Well, it was fun playing with all of you!" Lisanna said.

Natsu sat with Wendy as they watched the two run off toward their elder sister.

"Guess we got some new friends huh?" he said.

She nodded with a smile, but then looked sad.

"What's wrong?" Natsu asked noticing her change of demeanor.

"I wonder what it feels like?" Wendy asked.

"Huh?"

"Having a sibling," Wendy explained. "I only had Grandeena. I-I never knew my other family. My human parents-"

She broke off, then started sobbing. Natsu could guess what she was thinking of. Her human family that she could not remember. Something had happened to them and she'd likely never know. Same with him, he didn't have any memory of his human parents or family either. He might have had a brother or a sister or two, but he would never know. He had no recollection of them whatsoever. It felt awful, like there was always going to be something you would be missing. A person that you had a connection with but would never truly know, a family you had lost before you'd even had a chance to feel their love. True he'd had Igneel, but now that dragon was gone now too!

"I wish… I wish I had a big brother like Lisanna has!" Wendy cried through her tears.

Natsu looked at her sadly. Then he put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. She looked up at him with an open mouth and teary eyes.

"I can be your brother!" he said as he too began crying, thinking of what he had lost. The parents he would never know as well as Igneel.

Wendy looked at him. "Really?"

"Yes," he said. "You are a dragon slayer like me. I'd be happy to call you my sister."

Wendy smiled and wiped her tears. "Natsu!"

She hugged him and he hugged her. They had lost their parents, both dragon and human. But they had each other, and one day they would find their dragons together. Igneel and Grandeena… their parents were somewhere out there.

"Someday, we'll see them again!" Natsu promised.

Author's Notes: Well, the Strauss siblings have arrived. Didn't really kick off too much in Nali here but that will build up later over the course of the story. Mirajane was pretty much the focus as it was her demon stuff that brought them to Fairy Tail in the first place. Ah well, got Natsu and Wendy becoming full siblings here. Kind of made me tear up a little bit when I talked about family members one could never know, it really hurts with that. Well, I'll probably be doing some training for Natsu, Wendy and Lisanna next time. Natsu will pretty much be the same in his abilities, though Wendy (and eventually Lisanna) will learn something else.