"speaking"

"thinking"

On with the story

The Mayor was bandaged up and placed on a stretcher that Kagura and Mira carried as the two brought the injured man into the train cart with the other passengers inside

Natsu was talking on the phone as he chatted with the police at Magnolia and telling them to be on standby with the ambulance

"thank you" Natsu said on the call as he hanged it up before he turns towards the girls, everyone had gathered up "I called the ambulance to be ready at Magnolia Station, I need a few of you to get in with the others"

"I'll go" Lucy said as she volunteered to help the passengers and the injured mayor in the train

Natsu nodded before Ultear, Irene, and Kamika volunteered too to join; as well as bringing Meredy away from possible harm

"stay with Mama, alright? once this is all over, Papa promise to bring you to the barn. Ok?" Natsu said to Meredy who nodded while being carried by Ultear before they all went in the train cart

As everyone had settled in the train cart, Natsu whistled with his fingers as Hyrus and North who were in their original large size while biting down chains connected with the train, growls in response before they started pulling the train carts and away

Natsu waved them off as he turns to the rest of the girls

"you should've joined them, Éclair" Mira told Éclair as she was not the combat type

"I can help in healing the injured" Éclair said "I can't stand by and watch someone being injured"

"and what happens if you got injured? What happens if Natsu can't help you?" Erza stated as she tried to reason with Éclair to stand by

"enough, what's done is done" Natsu told them before looking at Éclair "stay close to me, alright?"

Éclair nodded before Natsu holds her hand and everyone heads off to Natsu's mansion


Arriving at his barn and mansion. Everything was charred and burned as nothing was left

The crops burned, the barn slowly crumbling down, and the mansion in shreds

"whoever attacked the town, had fun in wrecking the place up" Cana said looking at the damage

"strange, the destruction of the town was done recently but the damage here was done slowly" Ikaruga said while cupping her chin

"guys, I'm really thinking that this is the work of Grimoire Heart" Mira said looking to the ground

"what makes you think that?" Minerva asked as Mira replied by pointing to the ground where there was a charred mark that looks to be a heart with a skull

"that's Grimoire Heart symbol" Erza said looking at the symbol

"and they must be after Natsu or something else" Kagura stated before everyone turns to look at Natsu and Éclair who had come out of his broken-down mansion

"no one is here" Natsu said as he and Éclair went to the others "no person nor any of my pets"

Ash and Happy let out their cries to Natsu as the two were biting and pulling on Natsu's pants

"I think they want to show us something" Cana said as Natsu and the others started following Happy and Ash who are leading them to the forest near the barn


Entering the forest, Happy and Ash lead forward as Natsu followed them before he went into a sudden sprint

"Natsu?" Éclair called out before she gasped in shock as she and the others see Flaze on the ground with arrows, swords, and blood all over its body "Flaze!?"

Natsu went to Flaze as he checks the Valcaraka's pulse and he found it, but it was a weak pulse

Flaze weakly opens its eyes as Natsu pets its head a few times getting Flaze to growl weakly

"it's alright, just rest" Natsu told the giant Valcaraka before he started taking out the swords and arrows on its body

"my god, what..is he?" Minerva asked as her Licom Mouse came out of her shirt and jumped to the ground and looks at the injured Flaze

"he's Flaze, he's a Valcaraka from Corona Town near Hixs Town" Erza explained as she and the others started helping Natsu in taking off the swords and arrows on Flaze's body

"but what happened to him?" Kagura said taking out an arrow before throwing it away "who could've done such a thing to him?"

"Natsu, look" Éclair called out as Natsu stands beside her and sees that she was pointing at what looks to be some sort of white chain around Flaze's left hind legs "is that some sort of chain?"

Natsu checks the chain as he touched it before he got zapped by electricity

"you ok?" Mira who was nearby asked as she saw how Natsu got zapped by touching the chain

"I'm fine" Natsu replied as he lifts his right hand up before Drac equips on him "this chain is imbued with Subjugation Magic. And a very high leveled one too"

Natsu grabs the chain as the magic in the chain activates and started zapping Natsu's hand but Drac glowed red before the chain soon breaks and shatters

"Natsu, he needs to get healed up quick" Cana said kneeling by Flaze's head while patting the Valcaraka's head as Flaze was breathing slowly "I don't think he'll be strong enough any minute more"

"I know" Natsu said before looking at Minerva "do you think your Territory's boundary can help you reach Corona Town with Flaze?"

"I'll try" Minerva said with a nod

"once you get to Corona Town, go and find Mayaka in the Corona Shrine. She knows how to get to the Hidden Lava spring that can cure Flaze and heal him fast" Natsu explained as Minerva nodded before she place a hand on Flaze's body and she disappeared with Flaze

"if Grimoire Heart is the one responsible, they're going too far this time" Mira said as Natsu nodded before hearing Happy meowing to him from a far

"could there be other injured?" Éclair asked as Natsu nodded

"let's go and find out" Natsu said leading the way as the others followed


Hyrus and North were running along the ground as they pulled the train carriages by the chain attached to it

The passengers sat inside as they were going back to Magnolia where authorities were waiting for them

"do you think that Natsu and the others will be alright?" Lucy asked as Kamika nodded

"have faith. Master isn't someone to be messed with" Kamika told Lucy

Irene sat by in the front as she watched the view outside before she hears Meredy's loud cries which made her turn to look at Ultear who was patting her back few times

"what's wrong?" Irene asked the Time mage who was just trying to calm Meredy's cries

"I don't know, she just suddenly cried" Ultear said patting Meredy's head and caressed it "what's wrong, Meredy? It's alright"

Meredy continued crying as she looks to be afraid

The sky soon turned dark as Irene looks outside and sees that they were under the shadow of something giant

"what on earth?" Irene said as above them was a large black ship that flied above them

Natsu and the others were in the forest as they ventured in while following Happy and Ash

"how far are we now?" Mira asked while pushing away a tree branch

"nearly a few km from the barn. Don't worry I know my ways around here" Natsu said leading forward as Éclair sticks close to him

"getting lost here is not what I'm worried about" Mira said as she steps over a dead log "I'm worried on those Lizardmen the mayor said. you think that it might be the townsfolk who accidently ate the Metamo?"

"it's possible" Natsu said as he pushed away a tree branch and walks pass it

"maybe we should contact the Magnolia Police on it, ask them to make the antidote again" Erza said behind Mira

"I'm with her" Cana said "if there's Lizardmen here, we might need help"

"I know, I already told Officer Macao on the phone already" Natsu stated before they find themselves near the entrance of a cave "for now, we need to focus on finding the townsfolks and my pets"

"a cave?" Ikaruga asked with a raised eyebrow as everyone looks at the cave

"seems like a perfect place to set a trap" Kagura stated as Natsu stepped forward and looks around

Natsu looks around before he whistles

Silence flied into the air as everyone couldn't hear anything before, they felt the ground shaking a bit

"enemy?!" Mira exclaimed as she looks around with everyone doing the same

"just relax" Natsu said as from the cave came out his pets from the barn who all jumped at Natsu and started licking and rubbing their face against him "its just them"

"geez, these guys can give someone a scare" Cana said before a Twist Weasel jumped to her shoulder and squeaked "but no one can be afraid of someone so cute"

Soon, people came out of the cave as they were the townsfolks

"it's Natsu-chan and his mates!" "they're back!" "such a relief!" the townsfolks exclaimed as they went to Natsu and the others

"everyone is here" Erza said as she greeted some of them

"is everyone alright?" Natsu asked some of his friends of the town

"yes, everyone is alright but some of us are a bit injured inside" an old woman said while looking worried

"lead us in" Natsu said as the old woman nodded before everyone went in the cave without knowing that they were being watched


Entering in the cave, Natsu and the girls find many injured people inside all being tended to the best

"so cruel" Cana said as even children were injured

"tend to them" Natsu said as he started tending to a wounded man who had a cast around his right arm that seems to have been amputated

Éclair looks at Natsu as she could feel the raging anger and sadness in his body

"I won't forgive them…" Natsu muttered out as his eyes glowed red menacingly in anger "…not ever!"


That's a wrap!

Bye bye