Chapter 4: A Line Drawn
Disclaimer: At this point it should be obvious that I don't own Fairy Tail
"Please! Someone help!" a young sounding voice screams out in fear. The voice belonged to a young girl with short blue hair and brown eyes. She's wearing a white button up shirt with a red collar, blue shorts, and brown shoes. Currently is being chased by three Forest Vulcans.
"Come here tiny human" one of the Vulcans yells out.
The young girl couldn't keep running away forever, these Vulcans have been chasing her for over half an hour and she is quickly losing what little strength she has. The poor girl was only able to run for a few more minutes before tripping over a branch. Seeing this, the Vulcans start to slow down as they approach her. "No more run tiny human" one of the vulcans said with a sinister grin on its face.
Seeing the vulcans approach her, the young girl starts to back away, hoping to buy herself a few more seconds. What she would do with those seconds, she didn't know but anything is better than what these vulcans had planned for her. "Please no" she says with tears starting to build up in the corners of her eyes. Feeling a tree against her back, she realizes there is nothing left for her to do. The poor girl closes her eyes and crosses her arms over head, hoping something, anything will happen for her to get out of this situation.
She sat there on the ground, with her back against a tree, hearing the vulcans laughing to themselves as they made their way towards her. As she hears the vulcans closing in, the temperature in the area skyrocketed before returning to normal only a second later. She couldn't hear the vulcans, or anything for that matter. The area around her became eerily quiet. As much as the young girl wanted to open her eyes to see what is happening she couldn't, she is still far too scared.
"Hey, you're safe now, are you ok?" she hears someone ask. The girl hesitantly opens her eyes and sees a boy with pink hair kneeling in front of her. No signs of the vulcans could be found. There was a scorched trench where she knew they were at.
"Did… did you get rid of those vulcans?" she asks.
"Yes, are you ok? Did those vulcans hurt you?" The ask again, concerned for the young girl's well being
"Thank you!" the young girl shouts as she wraps her arms around him in a hug with tears streaming down her face.
The boy, though he was slightly shocked, wrapped his arms around her and just let her cry. After a few minutes, girl stops crying and let's go of the boy that saved her. "Feel better?" he asks softly.
"Yes, thank you for saving me" she says while wiping away some of her tears.
"It's ok, you don't have to thank me. I was just doing what I was taught to do. What's your name?"
"It's Wendy, Wendy Marvell"
"It's good to meet you Wendy, I'm Natsu. You know it's not safe for someone as young as you to be out in the middle of the forest by yourself, what are you doing out here?"
At hearing his question, Wendy was reminded of the event that led to her being by herself and couldn't stop the tears that started to build up. "I… I am trying to find my mother, she disappeared three months ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that. So you've been on your own looking for her this whole time?"
"I was for a while then I met this boy and traveled with for a little bit. He left me at a guild and went to do something important. I joined the guild but I can't stay there anymore."
"Why? Did you not like it there, were they mean to you or something like that?"
"No not at all. Everyone there was been nothing but nice to me."
"Then why leave? Wouldn't they miss you?"
"No, not anymore."
"Why, did something happen?"
"Yes, everyone that was part of the guild was an illusion created by the master so that I wouldn't be lonely. But he couldn't keep the illusion up anymore and passed away a few days ago." Wendy said as she started crying. Natsu wrapped his arms around her and brought her in for a big hug. He couldn't help feeling sorry for the young girl because everything she has been through.
"I'm sorry that you had to go through that. How long ago did they all disappear?"
"A week."
"So, what have you been doing since then?"
"I went back to looking for my mother. But when I asked people in a town that I was in a few days ago, everyone thought I was lying about her."
"Why wouldn't they believe you?"
"Well, never mind, you won't believe me either."
"Hey, you don't know that. Why don't you tell, maybe I can help you find her."
"They thought I was lying because… because I my mother is a dragon."
"Oh; so you were raised by a dragon too."
Wendy's eyes shot open when she heard what Natsu said. She couldn't believe it, not only did he believe her but he was also raised by a dragon too. "You were also raised by a dragon? You're a dragon slayer like me."
"Sure am, I was raised by Igneel, the Fire Dragon King" Natsu said with a big grin on his face as he engulfed his hand in his dragon slayer flames. "Who were you raised by?"
"Grandeeney, the Sky Dragon." Wendy said as she brought up some wind that is circling her hand.
"Grandeeney? I've heard of her. From what I hear, she's great at healing."
"She is, that is her specialty. How did you hear about her? Do you know where she is?" Wendy asked. She couldn't believe her luck; not only has she met another dragon slayer but one that also has heard of her mother.
"I heard about her from some of my dad's friends, they all said she was a great healer and I think my dad was scared of her or something"
"Why would he be scared of her, she's very kind and gentle."
"From what I've heard she didn't like how Igneel was training me and wasn't shy about getting her point across. Apparently she was even willing to beat her point into his thick skull if she had to."
"Wow, what was your training like if Grandeeney didn't like it?"
"That's… not important right now."
"OK" Wendy said, not really understanding. "So, do you know where my mother is?"
"Sorry, but I don't. I don't even know where Igneel is."
"Oh, did he disappear too?"
"Yeah, one day he was there and the next he was gone. Weirdly enough he also disappeared three months ago, on July 7th"
"Wait he disappeared on July 7th. That's the same day Grandeeney disappeared."
"That's… weird, maybe there was a reason they disappeared."
"Do you really think so?" Wendy asked, hoping that mother had to leave for a reason and didn't just abandon her.
"Yeah, there has to be, it wouldn't make sense for them to just disappear for no reason."
Wendy couldn't help but smile at that in hope. What started out as one of the scariest days in her short life turned into one of the most exciting and hopeful ones. "Do you think I'll see her again someday?"
"Sure you will" Natsu, with his voice filled with confidence. "Anyways, what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know, I'll probably keep looking for Grandeeney. I don't have any other plans and I really don't know what else I can do."
"I have an idea, why don't you come with me to my guild, Fairy Tail, and join it. It'll give you something to do and we can help each other find our dragons."
"Really, that sounds great. But would they really let me join?"
"Of course they would, they let me in after all." Natsu said with a chuckle before looking towards the sun to see what time of the day it is. Seeing that the sun is about set, the two would have to camp out for the night. Natsu didn't mind walking through the night but Wendy was another case. He could tell that after all the running she had to do really did take its toll on her. "We'll head there first thing in the morning, it's only a half a day's walk from here." He said before looking for wood to use for a camp fire.
After Natsu set up a fire for them and caught couple fish from a nearby stream, the sat by the fire and talked for quite some time. Wendy learned a little more about Natsu's training and that he is on his way back to the guild from a job where he had to eliminate a group of wyverns. Natsu learned that Wendy, despite being raised by a dragon, didn't know how to fight. When he asked her why, Wendy said that her mother focused more on healing spells and never got around to any offensive ones. Though surprising, it did explain why Wendy ran from the vulcans instead of taking care of them right away. Natsu offered to teach her how to fight when they got back to guild which Wendy quickly agreed, excited that she can learn more about her magic.
The two eventually fell asleep by the camp fire. When morning came the two dragon slayers made their way to Fairy Tail. Throughout their trip Natsu would tell Wendy about the things he has done since joining the guild a month ago. With every story Wendy became more excited, not only because of all the crazy things that Natsu has done but in anticipation for when she could do a few of those things herself.
It was early in the afternoon when the duo arrived in Magnolia. As they were making their way through the town Natsu couldn't help but chuckle at the younger dragon slayers actions. As they were making walking through town Wendy just had to take in all the sights. There were even a few times that she had trouble keeping up with the pinkette. Natsu wondered if gramps felt the same way when the two did the same thing when he first came to Magnolia. At least he could understand why the old man couldn't stop chuckling to himself through their trip.
"So, are you ready to meet your new family?" Natsu ask Wendy as they finally reach the guild.
Wendy for her part could only stare in awe as her eyes fell on the guild hall. "I don't know. What if they won't let me join or they don't like me." She said, feeling more nervous than anything else about joining a new guild so soon after losing her old one.
"Hey, I promised that everyone was going to like you, didn't I. Besides, there's no way the master won't let you join the guild."
"I know you promised, but what if they still don't like me?"
"Then I'll just have to kick their asses. Come on let's go in so everyone can meet you." Natsu said reassuringly. He approaches the door and opens it his usual way, by kicking it open. The older dragon slayer has kicked the poor door open enough times to leave a perfect indention of his foot in it. When the doors were kicked open, everyone turned to look at the usual culprit.
"Damnit Natsu, how many times do I have to tell you to open the doors like a normal person?!" Makarov yelled from the bar.
"Come on gramps, you know it's more fun my way" Natsu said as he started to make his way towards the bar.
"Natsu, fight me!" Gray yelled as he dashed towards the Dragon Slayer.
"Not now Gray, I got something to take care of with Gramps." Natsu said as he punched the Ice Make Mage in the face, knocking him out instantly while also launching him across the guild.
"You really need to stop punching him in the head; he's bound to get brain damage if you keep it up" Makarov said with a sigh, knowing that this was going to continue until something serious finally happens.
"I will, when he either stops trying to fight me or pissing me off."
"So what's this business that you have with me?"
"Simple, I found someone that want's to join the guild."
"Really? That's great. So where is this new member of our family?"
"What are you talking about? She's right h… wait a minute, where'd she go? She was right next to me." Natsu said while looking side to side.
"Would you be referring to the young girl that's trying to hide behind you by chance?" Makarov said while tilting his head to the side to catch a glimpse of the young girl that's trying to hide herself behind the dragon slayer.
"What?" Natsu said as he turned his upper body to see Wendy trying to hide herself from the guild. "Hey Wendy, its ok. There's no reason to be scared of anyone here." He said, trying to reassure the young slayer.
Deciding to trust him, Wendy steps out from behind Natsu. "Hello, it's good to meet you. My name is Wendy Marvell; I would like to join your guild please."
"Then welcome to Fairy Tail my dear, just tell me where you want your guild mark and what color you want it in." Makarov said with a huge smile on face as he made his way to get the guild stamp.
"Wait that's it? I'm in just like that?"
"Of course, Fairy Tail would never turn away anyone that wishes to join. Now tell me where you want your guild mark."
"Thank you, I want it on my right shoulder in blue please."
And with that Wendy officially became part of the guild and every member is doing what they do best, throw a massive party.
While the party is going on, Natsu shows Wendy around the guild and introduces her to everyone; much like what Cana did for him when he joined. After showing her around the guild he brings her to the table full of the younger members. And much to Wendy's joy, everyone was as friendly as Natsu said. Granted they are a bit weirder than the older slayer said, but nice none the less.
"Hey Wendy, what kind of magic do you use?" Lisanna asked since, weirdly enough, no one asked her since she came to the guild. This question seemed to gather the attention of everyone one in the guild.
"We… well; I use Sky Dragon Slayer magic." Wendy said shyly, not liking being the center of attention, while encasing her hand in some wind. To say everyone is shocked would have been justifiable. After seeing how strong Natsu is, they are all curious if she's another power house amongst the younger generation of the guild.
"Wait, you're a dragon slayer too?" this time Cana asked. "Does that mean you're freakishly strong like Natsu?"
"No, not at all. My magic is more for healing and I don't know any of the fighting spells yet. Or how to fight for that matter." Wendy said, embarrassed that she knows so little about her magic
While most of the guild is relieved that they don't have to worry about another destructive member from the younger generation, they are also confused. Aren't all dragon slayers supposed to know how to fight? Based off of what they've seen from Natsu everyone just assumed that fighting was basic knowledge. Then again, maybe the dragon that trained her is more peaceful than the one that trained that trained Natsu and didn't care for conflict enough to teach the younger slayer.
"Wait, you don't know how to fight at all?" Mira asked, before turning to Natsu. "Is it common for dragon slayers to not know how to fight at Wendy's age?" It's a fair question, maybe dragons wait until their slayers are just a little bit older before teaching them how to use their very destructive magic's.
"Not really, every slayer I know knew how to fight by the time we were about her age." Natsu said which resulted in Wendy lowering her head in slight shame. "But that doesn't matter since I'll be taking her under my wing and train her myself" Natsu said with a big smile across his face as he wrapped an arm around Wendy's shoulder and gave everyone a thumbs up.
That's just what everyone wanted, another unstoppable little monster running around the guild and causing havoc. It seems like their future became even more terrifying at the prospect.
"Please tell me that you're not going to put her through the same training that you went through." Erza asked, now fearing for the young girl's safety. A sentiment shared by everyone in the guild.
"Of course not, what do you think I am, crazy?" Natsu said as he looked at the faces of everyone in the guild and realizes that's exactly what they're thinking. "You know what, don't answer that."
"Anyways, are you sure that you want to be trained by Natsu, Wendy? I believe that he is capable of helping you expand your magic, but it might be a little too much for you right now." Erza asked. She does by no means doubt either of the slayer capabilities, but Wendy has admitted that she doesn't know how to fight which is something that Natsu is an expert in. And the only healing spells that Natsu knows are ones that should only be used as a last resort. In her mind, she isn't sure whether Natsu is the best person to train the younger dragon slayer or not.
"Of course, I want to learn as much as about my magic as possible. Since Grandeeney disappeared, Natsu is the only dragon slayer I've met and with as much as he knows about our magic he's the only person that can teach me. I can't imagine how much I'll learn from him."
"Well, if that's what you want and you're committed to learning more, than I see nothing wrong with it." Erza said, now feeling more relieved.
"Thanks for giving us your permission, we really needed it." Natsu said sarcastically, earning him a glare from Erza and a snicker from Mira. "Don't worry; I'm not going to put Wendy through the same training I went through. At least I won't until she's ready to handle it."
The party continued until it was starting to get dark. As people started to either leave or pass out on the floor or tables, as is tradition in Fairy Tail, Wendy let out a yawn. The kids around her took notice.
"Oh right, we forgot that you need a place. I'm pretty sure there's a room available at Fairy Hills." Cana said. She isn't the only one that forgot about Wendy's living situation. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time this has happened.
"You can also stay in the infirmary if you want to. The beds are actually pretty comfortable and Gramps won't have a problem with it." Natsu said.
"Um Natsu, would… would it be ok… if I stay with you." Wendy said shyly.
"Sure, if you want to, but why do you want to stay with me?"
"I… Just feel more comfortable with you around." Wendy said, now looking slightly embarrassed.
"If that's the case then I really can't say no. Not that I would anyways." Natsu said while slightly chuckling and rubbing the back of his head.
"Thank you" Wendy said as she hugged the older dragon slayer. Natsu couldn't resist the urge to chuckle at the young girl as he returned her hug. Everyone watched with warm smiles on their faces, finding the moment rather cute.
"As much as I don't want to ruin the moment, and I really don't want to, isn't your house a little small for two people?" Mira asked Natsu. It's a fair question, especially since she knew how big it is. Instead of buying or renting a house in town, Natsu decided to build his own out in the forest outside of Magnolia. Since he never been inside a house before deciding to build one, having always either lived outside or in caves, Mira insisted that Natsu come over to her house to get a better idea of everything that he would have to either make or buy. Thanks to that visit, Natsu had changed his plans from simply putting up four walls and a roof, along with buying a bed, to building a house that's suitable for people to live in. luckily he was able to afford the supplies after only a couple weeks of taking quest.
"Then I'll just build another bedroom when I get enough time for it. Till then Wendy can just sleep in my room."
"Then where are you going to sleep?" Erza asked, curious as to what his answer would be.
"The couch" was Natsu's simple reply
"Ah, look at that. The big bad dragon slayer is giving up his bed for a little girl. You're just a big softie, aren't you?" Cana teased, though she did find it sweet that he would give up his bed for the young girl.
"Yep, it's hidden under my awesome exterior" Natsu shot back in a joking manner.
"I can sleep on the couch instead Natsu; it's not a big deal." Wendy chimed in, not wanting to be a burden.
"Don't worry about it Wendy, my couch is actually pretty comfortable. I've probably fallen asleep on it as much as I have in my bed." Natsu said. Deciding to just go along with it Wendy just agreed and the two said their goodbyes to their guild mates and left.
After a half hour walk the two dragon slayers arrived at Natsu's house. It's a small house that seems cozy. It has a single floor to it and has a single bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room. Out back is small pond which Natsu explained that he likes to just sit at and fish when he wants to relax.
As they made their way inside Wendy saw how cozy the house is. Just from taking one look at the house she could see why Mira asked if Natsu's house was big enough for the two of them. It seemed as though it was just barely big enough for one person to live in comfortably. Then again the older dragon slayer did build it for that purpose.
"Are you sure it's okay for me to stay with?" Wendy asked, wanting to make sure that she isn't being a burden.
"Like I said at the guild, of course it is." Natsu said trying to reassure her. "Come on, let's go to sleep, I'm pretty tired."
"Thank you again, for everything." Wendy said quietly as she made her way to Natsu's room. "Good night"
"Good night and don't worry about it."
Time Skip: Next morning
The two dragon slayers woke up pretty early in the morning, a habit Natsu wanted Wendy to get into when they start her training. After eating a quick breakfast that Natsu made, the two made their way to the guild. When they arrived they saw most of the kids sitting at their usual table as well as most of the people who passed out at the guild either just waking up or trying to get over their hangovers.
"Ah it's good to see you two this morning. Tell me Wendy, how do you like our guild so far?" Makarov asked as he approached the two dragon slayers.
"It's great, everyone has been very nice and friendly to me." Wendy answered with a massive smile.
"That's good to hear; Natsu can you come with me to my office for a moment?"
"Sure, but what's it about?" Natsu asked curiously, the only time he gets called to into the master's office is when he destroys something while on a job. "I'm not in trouble or something, am I?" he asked, ready to run like hell should the need arise.
"No it's nothing like that; a very serious situation has come up and I would like to discuss it with you in private." Makarov finished with a more serious expression on his face. Natsu knew right away that this must be important since the old man never looked this serious even when the dragon slayer was in trouble for something.
"Sure, Wendy, why don't you go hang out with every while I go talk to Gramps."
"Ok" Wendy said as she left to spend time with her new friends.
The two mages made their way to Makarov's office. After the two entered the office, the old man locked the door and put up a sound proof barrier to give them some privacy.
"Wow, this must be serious." Natsu said as he looked at Makarov, who is now sitting behind his desk.
"Well if my time as master has taught me anything, it's that most of my brats can resist the urge to ease drop when something like this comes."
"Ok, so what's this situation you wanted to talk about?"
"Before we get to that there is something that I need to ask you."
"Ok, what do you need to know?"
"I heard that you are going to be training Wendy, is that correct?"
"Yes, she wants to learn more about her magic and expand on it. So what's this about, I know you heard about it last night."
"I guess what I'm trying to ask is, are you going to train her to the same extent that you were?"
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is; are you going to teach Wendy how to kill?" Makarov asked sternly. He has no problem with Natsu training Wendy. He would never discourage his children from training or from spending time with each other. But there are some things he won't allow, and if Natsu is planning to teach Wendy how to take a life, then he'll have no choice but to intervene.
Natsu for his part isn't surprised by this question. In fact since he joined the old guild he learned early on that master doesn't agree with his stance on killing. It became obvious when the two had a long talk on the subject one night after everyone had left. While Makarov wasn't able to change the dragon slayer's mind, they were at least able to understand each other's stance on the matter.
"If that's what you wanted to know then why didn't you just ask that from the start?" The dragon slayer said. "Don't worry I'm not going to train her to kill."
"That's good to hear, but I must why? Didn't you tell me that killing is part of both of your magics?" Makarov asked. Words couldn't accurately describe how relieved he is at this moment. By no means did he have any doubt in the slayer before him, but this is a time where he needed the confirmation.
"It's simple, whether Wendy wants to learn how to kill or not is entirely her decision. I can't and won't make that decision for her. Regardless of which she chooses; I'll support her decision either way and continue to teach her." Natsu said, sounding more mature than someone his age should.
Makarov is astounded by how mature Natsu sound at this moment. It's a rare and welcome sight for the old man to see someone so young act more mature than some adults he has met over the years. However; there was something that Natsu said that caught his attention. "That's good to hear, but I'm curious. Did Igneel give you the same choice that you're giving Wendy?"
"Yes, why?"
"If you don't mind me asking, why did you make the decision to learn how to kill?"
"Sorry Gramps, but that's a story for another time." Natsu said with a chuckle. Out of all the things that Gramps could have asked, that was one thing he wasn't expecting to hear.
Makarov decided to leave that question for a later time; he has already learned what he needed to and there is still the situation that needed to be taken care of. "Then we can pick this up at a later time. For now we need to get back to the business at hand. I have a very serious mission that was handed to me by the council and it needs to be taken care as soon as possible."
"Ok, so what's the mission?"
"The mission is apprehending a rogue dark mage known as Serov the Executioner."
"A rogue dark mage?" Natsu ask, thinking that it sounded a little redundant.
"Yes, apparently he was kicked out of his former dark guild for his violent tendencies and attracting too much attention; not only to himself but to his former guild as well. His former guild mates have already been apprehended and now the council is after him."
"I think I already know the answer, but why is he known as 'The Executioner'."
"That's because of his apparent love of holding public executions. He's become known for performing mass executions in public. Civilians, public servants, politicians, rune knights, mages both legal and dark; no one is safe from him."
"If he's so dangerous, then how come he hasn't been taken care of sooner?"
"He's only started making a name for himself over the past month. From what we have learned from his former guild mates, is that while he isn't too strong in comparison to the rest his guild. But what he lacks in strength, he makes up for in speed and precision."
"That could be a problem, do you know what type of magic he uses."
"I do. He uses both Requip, or more specifically Requip: The Gunner, and Gun Magic."
"Well, that might be a little troublesome, but nothing I can't handle. Do you have a lead where I can find him?"
"Yes, well, more like a very possible theory. A member of the council who specializes in Archive magic has looked at the Locations of his last few executions and determined that he will arrive in Roselake sometime today. It shouldn't take long for you to determine whether he is in fact in town or not."
"What makes this town so special? What if he goes to a different town?"
"The Council has already thought of that and has contacted various guilds and ordered them to send teams to other towns, should he arrive somewhere else."
"At least they have a back-up plan. So, is there anything else I need to know before I go?"
"Yes, the Council wants him captured alive."
"Wait a minute. Alive? You're sending me after someone who kills whoever he wants and expect me to capture him alive?" Natsu said, thinking that the old man is starting to become senile.
"I did and there is no room for argument on this." Makarov said sternly.
"Then why send me?"
"Don't get me wrong, I know we have plenty of mages that are more than capable of capturing Serov alive. But the reason I am sending you is because I'm not entirely confidant this job can be accomplished without innocent people being killed. Out of everyone currently in the guild you're the most capable of apprehending him without any civilians being killed. Not only that, but if, and god forbid, any innocent lives are lost, you are the least likely to be psychologically harmed by their deaths."
Natsu couldn't blame the old man for his reasoning, and the dragon slayer definitely couldn't turn down this job if innocent lives are on the line. However; he isn't happy about going through the trouble of having to spare this murderer. "Guess I don't have a choice, I'll do my best to not kill him, let me find someone to watch over Wendy and I'll go."
"Then I wish you good luck on this mission, and thank you."
"For what? I haven't completed the mission yet."
"For agreeing to capture Serov alive instead of killing him; I know you're not particularly happy about it. But believe me, it's for the best."
"Don't know if it's actually for the best, but I'll trust you on this one." Natsu said as the two made their way to leave the office. Natsu heading over to table where Wendy is at while Makarov makes his way to the bar.
"Hey Wendy, I'm going to have to leave for a little bit. A very important mission came up and I have to leave right away." Natsu said as he reached the table the younger dragon slayer was at. At the news that Natsu is leaving, Wendy stopped the game that she was playing with Cana and turned to the pinkette.
"You… you're leaving" fear already filling the young girl. Memories of the last few people she became close to disappearing suddenly flooding her mind.
"Yes, but don't worry I should be back before the end of day." Natsu said, try his best to reassure the young bluenette. "Hey Cana, would you mind looking after Wendy while I'm gone."
"Of course I don't mind, good luck on your mission."
"Thanks"
"Please be safe." Wendy said, hoping not lose another person she became close to.
"Don't worry Wendy; I'm way too awesome to lose to some dark mage." Natsu said, doing his best to comfort her. "Try not to get into too much trouble, that's my job."
"Ok, I'll try." Wendy said with a small smile on her face.
As Natsu turned to leave he is confronted by Erza. "Natsu, if you don't mind me asking what is this job you're going on?" she asks in her usual demanding tone.
"I'm going to catch a murderer." Natsu answered, having learned that sometimes it's better to humor the knight unless he wants to get a lecture from her. Not that he listens to those lectures, but he rather avoids them if he can.
"Catching a murderer, are you sure you want take such a dangerous job?"
"Don't have much choice, Gramps asked me to the job and it's important this bastard gets caught."
"Good point, would you like me to go with you to help? If you're going after a murderer it may be better to bring someone as back-up" Ordinarily, Erza would never ask for permission for anything she views as necessary. But this is different; she knows how stubborn Natsu can be. So much so that it's almost impossible to make him do anything that he doesn't want to.
"No I'm good. From what Gramps told me, it's nothing I can't handle."
"But you're going after a murderer; surely it would be better to bring someone."
"Erza has a point Natsu. It may prove beneficial to bring her along" Makarov said as he approached the arguing mages. After Natsu, the master believed that Erza was the next most qualified person to take the job. Not only because of her skill as a mage but because of his knowledge of her past. Thinking that out of everyone currently in the guild, she would be the least effect by the sight of someone being killed, after Natsu of course.
"Are you sure that'll be necessary Gramps?" Natsu ask.
"Necessary, maybe. Given the job, I would much rather play it safe. Plus Erza can be of great help in avoiding what may happen."
"Fine, if you think it's for the best. Come on Erza, I'll tell you more about the job on the way to the train station." Natsu finishes with a loud groan. Of course the realization that he would be forced to take a train would hit him hard.
"What's wrong?" Erza ask, not sure why Natsu would groan for seemingly no reason.
"My motion sickness"
"You have motion sickness?" Erza asks incredulously, having never heard that the pinkette had such a lame weakness.
"Don't remind me"
"I can help you with that. I know a spell that will temporarily heal your motion sickness." Wendy chimed in.
"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU" Natsu shouted as he picked Wendy up and gave her the biggest hug he could. "Quick, use that spell we really need to go."
"Troia" Wendy said as a light blue light surrounded her hands and pushed them towards Natsu's chest. "That should take care of your motion sickness for a while."
"Thanks Wendy, you're the best. Come on Erza we got to go. I'll explain everything on the train." Natsu yelled as he grabbed Erza by the wrist and dragged her to the train station. A feat that the pinkette never thought he would do.
Scene Change: Roselake train station, two hours later
After a short train ride, the two Fairy Tail mages arrived in Roselake. When they departed the train they were met by a Rune Knight.
"Are you two the mages from Fairy Tail?" the Rune knight asked.
"We are" Natsu answered
"Thank god, we need to go now, Serov showed up much sooner than anticipated and has started executing civilians in the town square."
"Shit, how many people has he killed so far?" Natsu asks while trying to contain his rage. The temperature around him started rising; however, no one noticed since their focus is stopping Serov as fast as possible.
"Three so far, but there is something else that we have recently learned of that is going to make this more difficult." The Rune Knight answered.
"And what would that be?" Erza asks
"Somewhere along the line, Serov has picked up a small group of followers. He's having them threaten to kill hostages to keep us from taking any kind counter measures."
"Do you know how many followers he has?" Erza ask, not liking how this mission has become more complicated.
"Only five, but as it stands, we can't get a clear view of the town square since every time one of my knights try to see what the situation is, they get shot at. Our knowledge of the situation is coming from the announcements that Serov is making himself."
"Why would he announce he's doing for everyone to hear?" Natsu asks
"We think he's doing it to inflate his own ego. Reports say that Serov loves to "be the center of 'attention' so his announcements do fall in line with that. We also believe that he his announcing everything to antagonize us since he knows we won't do anything that will endanger the hostages."
"At least we'll stay updated on the status of the hostages" Erza said, still not liking the situation. "We need a plan and fast. The more time we waste, the more likely we are to lose more hostages." She said while turning to her partner.
"You're right, and I think I have just the plan for it." The pinkette stated
"And what would that be?"
"Since it seems like Serov likes to put on a show, I'll walk into the square and keep him distracted. While I'm doing this, Erza you get into a position to take out his followers as quickly as possible." Natsu said before turning to the Rune Knight. "Make sure you and your men don't do anything stupid, we'll yell for you once we're done."
"What kind of plan is that? Just walking out into the line of fire of marksman who likes to execute people! What's to stop him from shooting you the second he sees you?!" the redhead screams at the dragon slayer.
"Absolutely nothing, that's why I'm counting on the fact that he likes to put on a show. Besides, worst case scenario, he shoots me, I take him down, you take out his followers, and I heal right after. All I have to do is hope he doesn't shoot me anywhere important." Natsu explains casually.
"You're forgetting that he could also shoot a hostage." Erza yells, immediately hating the plan that has way to many risks for her liking.
"Then I'll still take down Serov and just heal whoever he shoots. Again, I just have to hope he doesn't shoot anywhere important."
"Surely there must be a better plan."
"There probably is, but we're short on time, and I don't want to give him more time to kill someone."
Erza gritted her teeth, but couldn't think of a good counter argument or a better plan. Deciding to put her trust in her friend, she requips into her Flight Armor. "You're right about time, I still don't like this plan, but I don't see a better option at this moment. I'll try to find a good vantage spot to get the drop on his followers. You better stay safe."
"If I was going to do that, then I wouldn't walk into a square full of people that want to shoot me."
"Then you better not get hurt, otherwise I'll personally punish you when we get back to the guild."
"I have a feeling you won't be the only one that will." Natsu said as he watches Erza run off to find her vantage spot. As he turns to make his way to the square, he is confronted by the Rune Knight that had been escorting him.
"Sorry, but I cannot sit back and watch as a kid walks out to his death. I won't allow it." The knight yells. He knows that they're in a tough spot but he won't allow two children risk their lives while him and his men sit back and let it happen.
"Well, luckily for me, there's nothing you can do to stop me." Natsu said as he walks right past the knight. "I know I don't look like it, but I'm faster and stronger than I look. Trust me; I know what I'm doing."
After a minute of walking, Natsu arrived in the town square. Off to the right he could see the group of twelve hostages, five of which had the followers behind them with guns trained to back of their head. Not to farm from them Natsu caught a glimpse of a narrow alley. 'That'll be perfect for Erza; it'll give a clear view of what's happening. All she has to do is keep a low profile and wait.' Natsu thought before turning his attention to who he could only assume is Serov. Serov is tall, lanky man with slicked back black hair, and brown eyes, and outfit consist of his consist of a white long sleeve shirt, blue pants, and black shoes. Natsu also notices that right in front of Serov is a woman kneeling on the ground with Serov's pistol trained on her back.
"What's this, those pathetic rune knights become so desperate that they've sent some snot nosed brat to do their job." Serov said before he started laughing manically. "Do they seriously think that I wouldn't kill some stupid kid?"
"Actually, the one I talked to tried to stop me from coming here because he thought it would be too dangerous." Natsu said as he discreetly took a sniff of the area around him to try to figure out where Erza is.
Serov broke out into another laughing fit; he couldn't believe someone could be this dumb. "Man, you must be some special kind of stupid kid. You should've listened to that knight then. You might have lived a little longer, not that it matters now."
"Trust me; I'm not planning on dying today."
"You know what they say about the best laid plans, right?" Serov said while sinister smile made appeared on his face. This is his favorite type of person to kill, someone with more bravado than common sense. Just one look in the boy's onyx eyes and he could see that this kid is filled with confidence. The gunman just can't wait until that look is replaced with one of fear a mere moment before he puts a bullet in the kids head. Maybe he'll see how many times the kid can be shot before begging for death.
Taking another sniff of the air, Natsu could now tell that Erza is in position and thankfully she is in the alley closest to the hostages. Now all he has to do is take care of the homicidal idiot in front of him.
"I'm only going to give you one chance to give up now." Natsu said as he stares into Serov's eyes.
"Or what?" Serov asked, staring right back into the pinkette's eyes.
"I'll beat you within an inch of your life."
"Oh my GOD I fucking love that bravado of yours. Goddamn I'm going to miss you after I put a bullet between your eyes you cocky little shit."
"I take it that you aren't going to take me up on my offer." Natsu asked.
"How's this for an answer" Serov said before shooting the woman kneeling in front of him in the back
"NO" Natsu shouted, his anger on verge of exploding out of him
"No, Emily" one of the hostages yelled out with tears running down his face.
Serov kneeled down to the woman, who is slowly bleeding out on the ground, and grabs her by the hair to make her look at the pinkette. "Looky here, I want you to know that it is because of this pink haired little shit's cockiness that you're going to die." He said while never breaking eye contact with Natsu. "How does it feel knowing that someone you could have saved is now going to die because you wanted to play hero. She has couple minutes left before she bleeds out. Do you think she'll forgive you for your stupidity or use her last few breaths to curse your existence?" Serov said in a slow and sinister tone, never breaking eye contact with Natsu
"God dammit Gramps" Natsu mutters to himself, his hair shadowing his eyes. He was told to capture Serov alive, but right now there is nothing more that the young dragon slayer would like to do than to rip this man apart, limb by limp. "I take back what I said; I'm not going to give you a chance to surrender. I'm just going to take something important of yours."
"Still with the bravado, holy shit are you slow. Oh well it's not like you'll live long enough to regret it, or maybe you will. I don't know what I want to do with you yet, I just know it's going to be fun." Serov said, now pointing his gun at the pinkette.
Serov pulls the trigger, excited to hear the pain filled scream escape the kid, but nothing happens. He pulls the trigger again and still nothing happens. That's when his brain starts to catch up with what has happened. He looks down at his gun, trying to figure out what is wrong with it. It took a second but he realizes his pistol is missing, but that wasn't the only thing missing. Serov didn't only lose his pistol, but the hand that was holding the gun and the arm it was connected to. His arm has been ripped off just below the elbow. He looks at the stump and notices that it was already cauterized.
What happened, when did this happen, how did it happen, why did it take so long to process everything? These were the questions that filled his mind. Before he could find the answers, he felt a presence behind him. The presence is quite possibly the most terrifying thing that he has felt. Curiosity getting the better of him, Serov slowly turned to see what was there.
He saw Natsu standing behind him, holding his severed arm in his hand. But that wasn't the only thing that caught his attention. The pinkette's hands were engulfed in flames and his nails looked more like claws. He finally pieced together what happened, but he is stilled confused as to how it happened. "How?" he asks in a low voice, but everyone could hear it.
"Simple, you're too slow." Natsu answered, his voice sounding much colder than it did before.
At that statement, Serov looked Natsu in the eyes and was confused once again. He could have sworn that the kid's eyes were onyx. Now, they're golden with black sclera. He felt like the kid was staring straight into the depths of his soul.
"You should've taken me up on my offer." Natsu said as he tossed the arm in his hand off to the side.
"You… you little shit. I'll fucking kill you" Serov screams out as he requips another pistol. At this moment there is nothing he wants more than this kid dead. No, he didn't want this kid dead; he needed him to die for what he has done.
Before he could point his gun at the pinkette, Natsu was already in front of him holding the marksman's weapon and hand in his own hand.
"I said I'd take something important of yours. And what's more important to a marksman than his arm..." Natsu said with the same cold tone before squeezing the contents in his hand with more force than necessary. Both Serov's hand and gun crumbled like a piece of paper from the force. The bones in his hand snapped like they were nothing more than twigs. The now broken pistol was stabbing through his completely shattered hand. Serov couldn't hold back the pain filled scream that escaped him. "…Or his hand for that matter." Natsu finishes with the same coldness.
"You fucking bastard, I'll kill you I'll kill you I swear I'll fucking kill you!" Serov screams out.
"You're lucky that I was told to capture you alive." Natsu said as he grabbed Serov by his head and slams it into the pavement, knocking him out as well as slightly cratering the ground.
Natsu turns his attention to Serov's follower who, up till now, we're frozen in fear. "My job was to capture Serov alive and as you can see, I've already done that. However, nowhere was it mention that I need to capture any of you in the same condition." The seriousness in his voice easily scared the followers. "Either surrender now or I won't hesitate to slaughter each one of you." Natsu finishes, the air around him filled with so much killing intent and bloodlust that the followers could almost choke on it.
Each one of the followers felt fear that they have never felt before. Not a single one them able to look at the pinkette and think of him as a child. To them, he's more like a dangerous predator ready to kill its prey. They know that if this so called child was able to take out their leader with no effort then they have no chance in a fight. They could try using the hostages to give them some sort of edge, but if that fails it would just ensure their demise. Deciding that it would be better to be arrested than killed, each of the followers get on the ground and surrender.
"Good choice" Natsu said as the killing intent disappears and his eyes revert to their onyx color. He could see the fear in their eyes and knew they would give up. Turning his attention towards the hostages and he could see that all of them are now scared of him. He couldn't blame them for it though, it's not every day someone sees a kid rip a man's arm off with incredible ease. However, the one thing Natsu couldn't see was how Erza is reacting.
Erza is in complete shock by what has happened. She knew that there was a high chance that a hostage would be harmed. But that isn't what had her shocked. No, it was how Natsu had reacted that shocked her to her core. Out of all the things she's known him to be, vicious was not one of them until now. Prior to this she never imagined that the kind hearted boy could change so fast. The violent act causes some of her worst memories to resurface in her mind. There has only been one time when she has someone change so quick. Looking at Natsu, all she can think of… his him.
"Erza" Natsu shouts, breaking the redhead out of her trance. "Go get the Rune Knights, I'll watch over the hostages." She runs off to get the knight to take the criminals into custody.
Natsu makes his way over to the injured hostage, only to be beaten there by the hostage that yelled out when she was shot.
"Please, there has to be something you can do to save her?" the hostage pleaded.
"Don't worry, I can save her. If I remember correctly her name is Emily, right?" Natsu asked the now former hostage who nodded in response. "Alright Emily, I need you to listen ok. First off, you're not going to die so don't worry about that. I know a spell that will save you, but the catch is that it's going to hurt, a lot. But physically, you'll be as good as new." Natsu said as he looked Emily in the eyes, his voice sounding upset and apologetic.
"Please" is all she could say as she had tears were pooling in the corner of eyes.
"Alright" Natsu said as he took her hands into one of his own. "This is probably going to be the most painful thing you've ever felt so go ahead and squeeze my hand as much as you need to, it'll help. And I'm sorry for getting you shot." Natsu said as his free hand is engulfed in green and white flames "Fire Dragons Rejuvenating Flame." He says as he presses his hand against the exit wound on her front side
Emily screams out in pain, never expecting how much pain she would feel. Although it only lasted for few second in real time, for her it felt like hours. She passed out as soon as the flames had dissipated.
"Emily?!" the former hostage shouted "Is she ok? What happened?" he asks frantically.
"Don't worry she's fine, she just passed out from the pain, the downside of that spell but you can't argue with the results. When she wakes she'll be completely fine, sore, but fine." Natsu said, rubbing his now sore hand.
"Thank you so much" he said, no longer able to contain his tears.
"Don't thank me; it's my fault she got hurt in the first place." Natsu said solemnly. If he had taken a little more time, he might have been able to think of a better plan. Not that it matters now, it's just as he was taught. Make a plan and stick to it, for better or worse.
Erza came back to the square with the rune knights who proceeded to arrest Serov and his followers. The rune knights could believe that one kid was to take down Serov and his followers in such a short amount of time, a feat they couldn't do the in the time the marksman arrived and started killing people. However; they weren't expecting to find Serov in the condition that he is in. Not wanting to take a chance of enraging the pinkette they all gave them as much distance as possible while checking on the hostages and escorting the prisoners.
"Good job, you can head back to your guild, we'll take care of everything from here. The council will send you both your reward once everything is sorted out" the Rune Knight from before told both Fairy Tail mages before getting back to work.
Now that the job is done, both mages start to make their way to the train station. Erza, who is still shocked by what she saw, needed answers. There has to be some sort of explanation for what her partner did. Not being one to wait patiently, she will get her answers sooner than later. Seeing a perfect opportunity, Erza threw Natsu against a wall in alley that they were passing.
"What the hell was that for Erza?!" Natsu ask angrily. Feeling frustrated from having to deal with Serov in way that he didn't want to, this is the last thing that he needs.
"I should be asking you that. What the hell happened back there!?" Erza yells back
"Which part? A lot happened." He asked in slightly sarcastic tone, though he assumed he knew what she was asking about.
"Which part? How about the part where you ripped Serov's arm then completely crushed his other hand. Or, how about the part where you threatened to kill each one of his followers? Hell, you looked like you we're ready to go through it if they so much as flinched. That isn't what we do as Fairy Tail mages. That isn't right!" She yells, while glaring angrily at the dragon slayer. The look that she is getting from him unsettled her slightly but she held firm, this isn't the time for that. She isn't scared for her safety, especially from Natsu, but there was something in his eyes that doesn't sit right with her.
Natsu looked ready to blow up after she started yelling at him. But he held it all in, he knew that the knight hasn't seen this side of him before so this kind of reaction was expected on his part. "Isn't right, all I did was bring Serov down, ensure that he couldn't harm anyone else, and 'convince' his followers to give up without a fight. What part of that isn't right?"
"You ripped a man's arm off, threatened to kill people, and got an innocent person shot!"
"Getting Emily shot is not only my biggest regret of the day but my only one." Natsu replied. He hated being in this position, some innocent person getting hurt because of a bad judgement call that he made is a feeling that he doesn't want to experience again.
"What, so you don't regret everything else that happened? What you did was going too far!"
"Too far?!" Natsu says; reaching his boiling point, the temperature in the alley starts rising. "Why don't you talk to all the families of the people that bastard killed and tell me I went too far. As far as I'm concerned he got the least of what he deserved." He yells angrily.
"What are you saying, that you would've killed him and his men?!" Erza retorts. Natsu didn't answer but instead shoved passed her to make his way to the train station, not before the redhead caught a familiar look in his eyes. "Natsu" she says her eyes widen in realization at that look, disturbed that the pinkette didn't attempt to make an argument that he wouldn't do such a thing.
Natsu stops for a moment, not bothering to look at his friend. "Erza, let's just say that if Gramps didn't specifically tell me to capture Serov alive, this day would have gone differently." He says as he resumes walking to the train station. "Come on; let's get back to the guild. We're done here"
Erza didn't follow right away, still in shock of what she had learned. But standing here isn't going to do her any good. She picks up the pace and reaches the station with the dragon slayer. This is going to be a long trip for the two mages.
Scene Change
It's now night time in Magnolia and as such everyone in the guild had left to go home for the night. The only person left in the guild hall was Makarov. The old man is sitting at the bar, drinking a beer, and thinking of the events that happened that day. A few hours earlier Natsu had arrived back from the mission alone. Concerned, the master asks the pinkette where Erza was only to be informed that she needed some time to herself after the mission. After getting the report from Natsu, he was happy that the dragon slayer had done as he was told but still didn't like the results. Makarov didn't know why he was surprised, the first time he met Natsu should have been an indicator that something like this would happen if he didn't kill Serov. Sure he got an ear full from the council, but what bothered him now is Erza. In the time that she has been in the guild, she has always arrived at the guild right away to report how her jobs had gone. But now, he couldn't help but feel worried for her.
"M…master, you're still here. Can we speak?" Erza ask, bringing the old man out of his thoughts.
"Oh Erza, I didn't hear you come in. Of course we can speak my dear." Makarov said as he turned around on the barstool to give the young girl his full attention. "Ordinarily I would ask what is bothering you, but this time I believe I know what it is. It's about Natsu isn't it?" He asks in a gentle tone.
"Yes, it is. Can I assume he has already informed you on how the mission had gone?"
"He has told me all about the mission, he even told me about you confronting him after everything was."
"He did?" Erza ask in genuine shock. She assumed that the pinkette would have left that part out. "What exactly did he say?"
"He told me why you had confronted him and all about the argument, he included everything that was said."
"Master, if I may. He said that if you hadn't told him to capture Serov alive that this day 'would have gone differently'; do you believe that he would have killed Serov if you hadn't said to take him alive."
Makarov couldn't hold back the deep sigh that he released. He knew that this was bound to be conversation that he would need to have with someone from his guild. He just hoped that it would have happened much later. "Erza, I can safely say that Natsu would have killed him in a heartbeat if it wasn't for what I told him. And from what I've seen him do, I believe he could have done so quite literally."
"What do you mean, Master?" Erza asks, as much as she doesn't want to hear the answer, she knew that she had to hear it for herself.
"When I first met Natsu, he had just finished killing six men that were trying to kill him." Makarov said as he saw the shocked expression appear on the young knight's face.
"Why were they trying to kill Natsu?" Erza asks, not believing that Natsu had killed multiple people before joining the guild. Other questions started to form in her mind. None of those questions were pleasant, to say the least.
"From what Natsu told me, they were a group of mages that enjoyed torturing and killing people and were planning to do the same thing to him. Natsu gave them a chance to leave with their lives, but they refused and they paid for that mistake."
"Why would he offer to let them go if he just ended up killing them anyways?"
"It's because that is how he was taught. Natsu's father didn't only teach him his magic, but also how to take a life. Natsu told me that while his father taught him to kill; he was also taught how important, valuable, and beautiful life is and how important it is to protect. And as such he will do anything to protect it from those who have no regard for life. That is why told him to capture Serov. I knew if I hadn't than Natsu would have killed him at the first chance he had because that is what he was taught to do and raised to believe." Makarov explained, wanting to make sure that Erza knew that Natsu is not some mindless killer
"But that isn't what we do in this guild. How could you let someone so willing to kill join the guild?"
"There are a few reasons behind my reasoning. First off, the Fairy Tail will never turn away a mage, despite what they have done in the past. Secondly, when I met Natsu he had so much potential that I was amazed and immediately wanted him to join our family. The last time I met a mage with that much potential was Gildarts. The last reason is that as Fairy Tail mages, when we see someone going down a dark path, it is our responsibility to bring them back to the light." There were other reasons that the master could have said, but he decided that those could be left for another time.
"So you brought him here because you thought he was going to become a dark mage?" Erza interrupts.
"Not at all. From what Natsu has told me about what he was taught, I don't believe he is capable of being a dark mage. That being said; I wouldn't describe him as a legal one either."
"Why, not?" the knight asked, confused as to how someone who uses magic couldn't be described as a legal or dark mage.
"First off let me ask you something, in magic do you believe that light and dark are two completely different things?" Makarov asked only to get a nod from the redhead. "What if I told you that two were in fact two sides of the same coin?" he said only to get a confused look from the knight.
"What do you mean?" Erza asks. From what she knows, light and dark couldn't be more different from each other.
"What I mean is that within everyone exist both light and dark. Whichever is more dominant varies from person to person based on the events in their life. This is the case for even you; your past has left a dark mark on you internally. However; it's your desire to overcome that darkness that aligns you with the light side of magic."
Erza takes a second to process everything, and she couldn't argue with Makarov. She's fully aware of how her past has affected her and how much it influences her decisions. It's why she is the way she is. It's why she is always striving to becoming stronger, to protect everyone and never lose anyone again. "So what side does Natsu align with?"
"Both. You see, Natsu is of the rare few who could walk the line between light and dark and not give way to either side. It's not an easy thing to do and most of those who try more often than not never do so successfully."
"Do you know why he is that way?"
"That I do not. Natsu is quite reluctant about giving out information from his life before Fairy Tail. From what I have figured out, there are things that have happened in his past that he doesn't talk about; whether it is because some are not memories he is particularly fond of or it's simply something that he does not want to talk about them I do not know." Makarov said as he thought back to all the conversations he has with the pinkette, wanting to learn more about his training, past events, etc.
Understanding about not wanting to talk about the past, Erza couldn't help but wonder what events lead Natsu to being who he is. Was there some traumatic event that psychologically scarred him, is it because of the nature of his magic? If so, then is Wendy bound to go down the same route? "Master, what about Wendy, Natsu has said that he is going to be training her. What if he teaches her to kill like he was?" Erza ask, not believing that she forgot that the newest member of their family is a dragon slayer and is going to be trained in magic by Natsu.
"I have already asked Natsu about that very thing this morning, and you can relax, he won't be teaching her how to kill." Makarov said as reassuringly as possible. He deliberately decided to leave out the rest of that conversation; she didn't need to know about it until it became necessary.
"How can you be so sure? For all you know, he could have been lying to earlier."
"Simple, I have faith in the boy, so should you. You are part of the same family after all. Besides, Natsu's not much of a liar."
Erza couldn't help but feel jealous of Makarov, as much as she wants to have faith in Natsu, she couldn't. There is something that keeps her from having complete faith in him. The knight has seen the softer and kind side that dragon slayer has, but it's his darker side that keeps her from wanting to believe in him.
"Do you have any more questions?" Makarov asked. He could see the internal dilemma that Erza is having. As much as he would like to help her get past it, this is something that the knight has to overcome on her own.
"Yes Master, has Natsu killed anyone since he came to the guild?"
"Thankfully he has not. Hopefully I can change his mind on killing before that day comes." Even though the way he said made it seems that he is confident, Makarov would be lying if he said that he didn't have any doubts. He knew how stubborn and hard headed Natsu is.
"And what if you can't?"
"Then I want to teach him that giving people a chance to change is a far better option than out right killing them." The master knew that he has a challenge ahead of him with this. Luckily, convincing Natsu to give people a chance to change seems for more possible than convincing him to completely change his stance on killing. "Is there anything else you would like to ask?"
"No Master, that is all for now. I'm sorry for taking up your time?" Erza says, while she still has her doubts this conversation did help a bit.
"There is no need for apologies Erza." Makarov said as Erza left the guild. 'Well, that went better than I anticipated. Hopefully it will be sometime before I have to have another one of these conversations' he thought as he returned to his drink.
And there it is, the end of the new the chapter. Holy shit, I didn't think that this chapter would be this long. So first off I want to apologize, I know last chapter I said that I would update by Christmas and clearly didn't happen. I overestimated how much free time I had that week. Hopefully this extra-long chapter makes up for that. Originally the Wendy part of the chapter and the Serov/Erza part were planned to be two different chapters but I put them together because, by themselves, both parts were too short to get their own chapter. Hopefully it doesn't seem too weird or out of place. Thank you to everyone that read, followed, favorited since the last chapter as well to everyone that left a review.
Not much news to cover this time. First off I would like to say that I'm changing my update schedule slightly. Instead of updating every two weeks, it'll be every 2-3 weeks. It will be far more manageable for me and give me more time to write longer chapters like this. The next thing is that I will start posting chapter progress updates in my bio to give everyone a better idea when the next chapter will be out. And the last piece of news is that I'm going to be setting up a pole on whether Juvia should be a Water Dragon Slayer or not. Regardless of how results turn out the OC is still a Dragon Slayer and is still part of the harem.
Speaking of which, time for Harem news. Feel free to skip ahead if you're not interested. Its official the last spot in the harem goes to Hisui. Well, she is still in the harem but I'm making a small change to the number of girls in the harem by adding two more spots. If you're wondering why, well, I couldn't help it. I saw some recommendations that I put a little too much thought into. I'm still trying to keep harem size relatively small. So keep voting for who you want. Here are the suggestions that I think would be the easiest to add that also seem the most interesting or most asked for: Bisca, Dimaria, Irene, and Brandish. Additionally I would also like to suggest a different OC than the Velvet Crowe one and this new one would be Laxus' sister. The idea for this OC came from talking to princenjgv. If she does end up becoming a character she'll have her own magic and won't be a lightning mage or a dragon slayer. I want to make her a unique character instead of a just a Laxus clone, she'll only be a part of the story if she becomes a part of the harem. I already have enough characters added to this fic and don't want to add characters with recurring roles that will be only be relevant as side characters at best.
Now onto the Reviews
GreekfanFT: Chapters like this, or the previous, where characters learn about Natsu's stance on death/killing will happen sporadically as those characters grow closer to him. In regards to Natsu needing motivation to get stronger, don't worry I got that covered.
Xervo LotCN: First off let me explain that opinions and feedback will always be welcomed. The reason why there is a limit on how many girls are in the harem is because is of pacing and wanting to keep it manageable. Since I want to take time to set up everyone's feelings and adding to many girls will slow down the pace by a lot. Also I know at some point I will get lazy with everyone's motivation if I add too many girls. It was a very close decision between the OC and Juvia and the only reason why I picked the OC is because I liked her character a little more. That being said I did put a lot of thought into making Juvia a dragon slayer and still have plans for her if she becomes one. The reason why Mavis is in the harem is because of a suggestion that I got carried away with and just decided, screw it she's in. Also with giving Natsu magic based on some of Killua's nen abilities, I'm going to have to pass on that idea because honestly Natsu is already really powerful as it is and I don't want to make him godlike or untouchable this early in the story.
Pmwms94: The OC will be introduced as an independent mage. If Juvia becomes a Water Dragon Slayer, she'll still be a Phantom before joining Fairy Tail.
Carmelo Hernandez: The only people that will know about Natsu's stance on death/killing will be the people he's closest too. The rest of the guild will just hear rumors and run with it. Whether they try to change Natsu or not is still up in the air at the moment because everyone will have their own opinions on it.
The-real-dragon-rider: …Holy shit, you just gave me a great idea on how to get Hisui and Natsu to start interacting with each other. Also, Goddammit, you gave me a great idea for what to do with the Velvet OC and now I have to choose which I like better, your idea or my original one.
Smeagole: Love your reasoning behind adding Chelia.
Omni-Creator Kami of Anime: Like I mentioned earlier, Mavis is in the harem because I got carried away and couldn't help it. I get carried away with things pretty easily. Also, this story is AU and there are a lot of things that I'm changing. Mavis and Zeref's relationship is that they are close friends but that's it. August mother will be someone else just for the sake of it. And Mavis still has the Contradiction Curse and because of that she will be the last girl to officially join the harem. I do have plans for dealing with the curse but those plans won't be seen until much later on. As for adding one of the Alvarez girls, I'm actually really close to saying screw it and just adding Dimaria because she's my favorite of the Alvarez girls. Also I'm not opposed to adding Irene because she's a MILF. The reason why I'm hesitant to add her is because of her relationship with Erza, which will be handled differently in this, and I'm not sure if I want to have a mother and daughter chasing after the same guy in this fic.
And that's it; I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter. And quick question, does anyone know why guest reviews don't show up until much later after they are posted. I'm just curious because I notice that they usually don't show up until a few days later at least.
Anyways, have a question, then either leave a review or send me a PM.
Till next time
Mreh