"speaking"

"thinking"

On with the story

The following exam days were over fast, as Natsu and the group passed successfully without anyone failing

"the result of the sum of your score will be shown by tomorrow morning, remember to check your student id number and class batch" the teacher spoke out on the mic as the exam was over "inform any teacher if there is a problem in finding your score upon the next day"

Now the exam was over and everyone headed out of the school to go back home


"the exam is over, and without another incident like on the first day" Mira said with a grin "looks like it's going to be peaceful for us, huh?"

"seem so" Kagura stated in agreement

After the incident with Kyria, the Dragon Espada disappeared before any of them could question her. Especially Natsu who wanted to know how did they create a clone but the answer was gone from his grasp

"I can't wait to get back to my bed and sleep the whole day" Lucy said stretching her arms up a bit as the exam took a big toll on her body

"don't try to be lazy" Natsu told her while Éclair hugs his right arm and leans her head against his shoulder "or I'll make sure that your next training regime is going to be harder"

"y-yes" Lucy said, her face turning a bit pale when she remembered what Natsu did if she slacks off

Everyone headed out of the hall before they caught sight of Irene walking towards them

"mother" Erza muttered out as Natsu took a glance to her before everyone started walking again

They passed by Irene who walks by them, and as she passes by Erza, she smiled

"congratulations on passing your exam, Erza. I'm proud of you" Irene spoke out as Erza's eyes widen in surprise

Irene started walking away as Erza turns to look at her mother

"she….." Erza said looking at her mother who disappeared into the corner "….praised…me?"

"Erza, What's the hold up?" Kagura called out to Erza who turns to look at her before to where her mother was

"nothing…nothing at all" Erza said as she catches up with the others


Everyone heads out of the school as so did the other students

"so, whose turn's next?" Éclair asked Natsu who hummed while rubbing his chin

During the Nirvana attack, Natsu's apartment was destroyed by some of the flying rubble, Happy was safe, but not his room. So for now, while it gets rebuilt, Natsu's been staying at the girl's home randomly for two days. He could restore it back with Ultear's help but he rather have her relax for the holidays and let things do naturally

"mine!" Cana exclaimed happily while raising a hand up "he promised my house next!"

"alright" Natsu said as Cana hugs his left arm with a big grin on her face "but don't think that I'll buy you some expensive wine like last time"

"eeehh~!? So stingy!" Cana said while puffing her cheeks at him

"blame that on your addiction to drinking" Natsu said sighing as he went nearly broke because of how much Cana drinks alcohol "I swear that you freak out when you can't get to drink"

"but I don't!" Cana exclaimed, whining like a child

"yeah yeah" Natsu said before he took a glance to Erza who was in deep thoughts of something "if you keep up thinking deeply, you'll stumble on something and fall down, Erza"

"huh? Oh yes, sorry" Erza said while snapping out her thoughts

"you ok? You look like you're thinking hard on something" Kagura asked

"nothing, it's just that…." Erza said while scratching her cheek and looks a bit awkward

"It's just that your mother suddenly praised you?" Natsu said as Erza snaps her eyes towards him "I heard her well,"

"you think her words were truth?" Ikaruga asked Natsu who shrugs his shoulders

"who knows, she might have a change of hearts and decided to love her own daughter again" Natsu said while holding a hand up and wave it around a bit "or something else, I don't know"

"I somehow don't think that she would change" Erza said frowning a bit "not after all this time"

"believe in what you want to believe" Natsu told her "the heart isn't something so easy to understand"

Natsu soon started walking ahead as he yawns while stretching his arms up

"come on, I thought you guys wanted to go the karaoke once?" Natsu said

"yes yes~!" Cana exclaimed as she went after Natsu while the others followed behind

Erza thought of Natsu's words as she wanted to believe that her mother might have changed but some part didn't

"come on, Erza" Natsu called out to her as he and the others were almost out of the school grounds

"coming" Erza said following back but not before she looked at the headmistress' office and saw her mother from the window

Irene smiled as she waved at her daughter

Erza felt a smile creep up her lips as Irene just gave her a genuine loving smile

She did a short bow before following the others as they left the school grounds


The day quickly turned to eve as Natsu with the others were walking around the street

"man, that was wicked" Mira said "never thought you could sing so well"

"agreed, even our school's orchestrate club might lose in a competition against you" Erza stated

"where did you learn such singing techniques?" Kagura asked

"from my middle school" Natsu said "I got the short straw and was forced to learn singing; it somehow became a talent of mine"

"isn't that good? You could really become an idol just by singing once" Lucy said "I'm sure you'll be very popular!"

"hell no" Natsu retorted to her sternly "I ain't going through that again"

"again?" Lucy and the others said at the same time as they looked curious

The group soon pass by a magic tool store and they were selling magic tv screens

As they pass by, Cana caught sight of the video recording that it was playing

"look at that, seems like the Lizards are making a comeback" Cana said as the others looks to her before to the tv recording and sees that some sort of idol group were singing and dancing "haven't heard any of their song in a year"

"wow, I remember them" Lucy said looking at the screen and sees the boys group dancing and singing at the same time "I always wondered why they went hiatus"

"is this group popular or something?" Kagura asked curious

"you kidding? They were ranked 1st when they debut to the show gig 2 years back" Mira told her "their songs are too die for"

"agreed" Ikaruga said watching the screen "their romance songs are quite calming to hear"

"but seems like they aren't doing that well for a comeback" Ultear said as she looks at the screen and sees how the group were ranked 10th on the screen before it changed to another dance group

"don't tell me that you hear them too, Ultear?" Mira said as Ultear nodded before showing her a keychain that had a stick name 'Lizards' sticking on it

"I too am a fan of them" Erza said having the same keychain as Ultear

"small world" Cana said before seeing the Lizards perform again on a replay on the screen "can't believe that their group was this bad in shape"

"what do you mean?" Éclair asked curious on the formerly famous singing group

"well, the Lizards used to be a 5 man gig thing, but recently heard that their face, their vocal leader disappeared from the show gig" Cana said "after the leader guy disappeared, the Lizards' popularity went downhill"

"wonder why the guy went away?" Lucy asked curious

"let's start going back, Happy might start meowing loud to the neighbors" Natsu said as he started walking again

"ah! W-wait! Mou!" Lucy exclaimed as she and the others quickly followed behind

"THERE HE IS!" screams were heard from behind as everyone turns and gawked to see a stampede of girls coming at them "HE WAS HERE THE WHOLE TIME! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT WE FOUND HIM!"

"w-what the heck?!" Mira exclaimed

"a s-stampede!?" Lucy exclaimed

"shit!" Natsu shouted as he snaps his fingers and his copies appeared around everyone "move!"

"what's going on!?" Erza exclaimed as she and the other girls got carried up by the copies who quickly jumps up to building's roof and jumps away

"after them!" the stampede of the girls exclaimed as they started chasing after the group


Before long, they arrived at a park that was nearly empty

"finally, got away from them" Natsu said as he looks around the streets for any sign of the girl stampede

"Natsu, mind telling us on what was that all about?" Éclair asked

"yes, it was nice that we got a bridal carry from you. But we are curious of what was that stampede" Ikaruga added in

"their fans" Natsu told them with a sigh as he takes off his glasses and cleans them with his shirt "my fans to be exact"

"fans? Yours?" Lucy said

"maybe they're fans because of the CMC? He did do some pretty badass things there" Mira said "it's not surprising that he'll get some fans from there"

"no" Natsu said as he puts on his glasses again before sighing "their fans from my former gig"

"former gig?" Ikaruga stated in a big confusion "you were once an artist of some sort?"

Natsu sighs as he combs his hair with his hands up before closing one eye and did a pose

Everyone looks at him in confusion, that is until Cana screamed while pointing a finger at him

"don't tell me!" Cana exclaimed "you're the Lizard's vocal group leader that disappeared?!"

"eeeh?!" the others exclaimed in surprise as they look at Cana before to Natsu "REALLY?!"

"I thought that my disguise would work so well" Natsu said before sighing again "guess I should've dyed my hair black back then"

"that pose can't be mistaken!" Cana exclaimed as she took out her lacrima phone and taps a few keys "LOOK HERE!"

Cana showed everyone a picture of the Lizards as they could see Natsu in the picture, doing the same pose as he was right now

"it's true! That is Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, looking at the photo with wide eyes

"my, such resemblance" Ikaruga said while holding a hand to her lips

"no wonder those girls were screaming like 'he was here all along'. They were your fans during your idol days" Erza said looking at Natsu who sighs while looking tired

"and they're the reasons why I quitted" Natsu said

"how?" Éclair asked

"they literally went crazy when they see me perform, they steal my clothes and shreds it like animals, and they stalk me when I want to go home and sleep" Natsu said as Lucy and the others sweatdrop in imagining it "I want nothing like it, having girl fans can be a real bother"

"then what of us?" Ultear asked "we're fans too, you know"

"different, you girls are special to me after all" Natsu said with a smile as the girls smiled as well "anyway, let's get home. I don't want those crazy fan girls on our tail"

"alright" Erza said as the others nodded

Everyone went home as Natsu stayed at Cana's house for the night


The day soon passed as the next day and the morning sun came

Natsu's eyes fluttered open as the man yawns before he sat up

An alarm keeps on ranging as its sound woke him up from sleep before it was snoozed by Natsu's hand

Cana was sleeping beside him, half naked with only an underwear on while he only wears a pair of trunks

"Éclair's home was better, and the bed was nicer" Natsu said as Cana's home looks fine outside but inside was a total mess "does she ever clean up?"

DING DONG!

The doorbell rang as Natsu scratches his back before yawning again

"must be the delivery man," Natsu said as he got up and stretched a bit before grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt nearby the bed while his form transformed back into human "Cana said that she ordered a crate of beer to come early but never thought that it was this early in the morning"

Wearing his clothes on, Natsu made his way to the door before the doorbell keeps on ringing

"jeez, would it kill ya to wait?" Natsu said as he yawns before opening the door "yes?"

Soon, Natsu's eyes were bombarded with camera flashes

"it's him!" "truly him!" "the Salamander is actually the Lizards head leader group!" "truly fate!" "Mr. Salamander! Can we have an interview?! Just a few short words!" "will you return to the Lizards?!"

The news reporter shouted out while pushing their mics forward towards Natsu who looks deadpanned at them

"Natsu…is the beer here yet?" Cana hollered out as she came out of her room with his school uniform shirt on her but no pants or skirt on

The news reporter instantly went wild as they started taking photo shots of Natsu and Cana

"what a news! The Salamander has a girlfriend who is indecent!" a news reporter shouted out as the photographers keep on taking photo shots of them

"so annoying" Natsu thought as he waved his hand up and all the cameras went flying up

"eh?" "what's going on?" "magic?" the crowd thought before gawking as the cameras crushed themselves

"beat it, vultures" Natsu said as he swings his hand down before to the side and a tornado came flying in and blew them all away

Natsu soon sighs while Cana just looks confused

"delivery for Cana Alberona" a delivery man came while carrying up a crate filled with beer bottles

"yes~!" Cana exclaimed going out to take the crate while Natsu just sighs tiredly


That's a wrap!

Bye bye