Chapter 2: Recollections

That night, they decided to camp in the forest. It was still another day's journey to the next town where they could catch a train back to Magnolia. Naruto sat by the fire contentedly feeling the warmth it gave. Erza sat across from him, double checking the map she carried with her to make sure they were on the right track. They had just finished eating their dinner which consisted of some grilled fish that Naruto had caught by a small stream earlier and some delicacies Erza bought before leaving town.

Erza finally put the map down and broke the silence. "If my estimations are correct, we should be back home by early morning the day after tomorrow." She stretched into a more comfortable position and continued eating the other half of her strawberry cake. One of her very favorites, Naruto noticed.

He continued to stare at the tongues of flame that provided them heat, one word kept echoing through his head: Home.

Before the confrontation with the mages, Naruto had woken that morning in a small clearing in the forest near the town.

But that wasn't the disturbing part. Naruto had no idea how he ended up there, and more importantly, had no memories of before waking up.

He wandered through the town, asking random people where he was and how did he get there. The only thing he had on him was a forehead protector with a strange insignia on it, a small pouch filled with scrolls and some shuriken, and a kunai was hidden in his right sleeve. Naruto felt helpless, confused and alone. That's when the mages showed up.

Naruto still couldn't get over the fact that the girl sitting across from him took out twenty mages without even trying. He was shaken out of his thoughts when Erza gave a wide yawn and laid down to look at the stars. Naruto found himself staring at the girl. She was definitely beautiful, no doubt about that. Her long red hair spread across the ground as she looks towards the sky. Her brown eyes were fierce, but Naruto also saw kindness in them. He questioned her fashion choice, though: armor that covered her upper body and a blue skirt. An odd choice of clothing, but the woman was beautiful none the less. Only Erza could make an upper half of armor and skirt look attractive.

"Erza-chan, can I ask you something?" Naruto inquired. She turned to look at him. "What's Fairy tail like?"

She smiled. "Well for a start it's a family. Unlike the other mage's guilds, we treat each other as family. Second, it's a place that you can call home. Where you feel safe and you can be yourself." She began to recount her past experiences with the guild. There was the time when a boy named Natsu thought he found a real dragon egg, but turned out to be a flying cat when it hatched, the time when she taught Natsu how to read, her constant rivalry with a girl called Mirajane, and a bunch of other crazy adventures.

Naruto sighed. "That sounds nice"

Erza sat up and looked at him. "Do you remember what your home was like?"

Naruto frowned and shook his head, "I can't for some reason."

"You don't remember anything?" Erza asked. Naruto shook his head again. No matter how hard he tried to remember, the memory slipped away.

"You ever forget something that it's on the tip of your tongue but you still forget? It's just like that, but with my whole life." Naruto said. Erza bit her lip in thought. Then she snapped her fingers as if she had an idea. "I know! Maybe master Makarov can help you."

"Who's that?" Naruto asked.

"He's the guild master of Fairy tail. He is very powerful and wise; maybe he can solve your memory problem."

Naruto pondered that and shrugged, "It's worth a shot, at least. If it doesn't work, then I'm no worse off than I already am, and it means I get to spend more time with you."

"Then it's settled." Erza said. Even in the firelight, Naruto could see a small blush on her cheeks. They sat in silence for a while when Erza spoke again. "I just hope whatever Eisenwald is planning isn't too dangerous."

Naruto remembered the earth mage raving about Lullaby and someone named Erigor. He may not have liked it, but there were always men who wanted to be superior to others, men who craved power and would do anything to achieve it. He had a feeling the worst was yet to come and they weren't finished with Eisenwald yet. "What is Lullaby exactly?"

"I'm not sure myself, but it is a dark and evil magic. In the wrong hands, who knows what it could do." Erza explained.

"Nothing good" Naruto guessed. Erza nodded.

"Well, if you're thinking of another crack at them then I want in." Naruto claimed. He slammed his fist into his palm. "I've got a score to settle with them for ruining my day."

Erza couldn't help but smile at his antics. "You remind me of Natsu, always charging into things without thinking."

Naruto pondered at this, maybe he'd get to meet this person sometime, then. She repositioned herself to lay on her side. "We should get some sleep. Good night."

"Good night, Erza-chan." Naruto said as he laid his head against a log and closed his eyes. Within a few minutes, sleep overcame him.

He stood in a large clearing, surrounded by trees. Behind him was a small lake. He felt younger. Beside him two other kids were with him, a raven haired boy with an arrogant look and a cute pink haired girl. Standing in front of them was an older man.

He wore some kind of flack jacket and a mask that covered most of his face. His silver white hair shot upward as if it defied gravity. They all wore the similar forehead protectors.

The man held out two silver bells. "I have two silver bells in my hand. Your task today is simple: take these bells from me before noon or you won't get lunch. In which case if all three of you fail you will be tied to these posts" He gestured to three wooden posts to their right-"In which case all of you watch as I eat my lunch." The three kids felt their stomachs growling.

"If you fail to get a bell, then I will send you back to the academy for some more training." He continued. "You can use any method you want to get a bell."

"But sensei there are only two bells!" the girl protested.

The man only grinned as the meaning sunk in. "That's right, one of you will be going back to the academy no matter what."

"That's not fair!" Naruto exclaimed loudly.

The man pressed the timer on the clock and set it for noon. Naruto felt impatient. "I don't have time for this, let's go!"

He drew a kunai and was ready to charge but was stopped when their sensei appeared behind him and held his wrist, pointing the weapon he was holding directly behind his head. The three kids didn't even get the chance to react. He was so fast.

"Now, don't get impatient." Their sensei said. "I didn't say start yet."

The three young trainees tensed. "Ready...start."

The following morning, they decided to head out early. They reached the next town just as the sun was rising and bought two train tickets. The train gave a loud whistle signaling its departure before pulling out of the station.

Naruto stared at the rolling landscape as the train sped by. Erza sat opposite to him, doing the same.

"You know, Naruto, I've been thinking," Erza said pulling Naruto's attention away from the window. "maybe you shouldn't come with me to help deal with Eisenwald."

"What made you say that?" Naruto asked.

"Well, seeing as you're not a part of any guild, I don't know how the council will reflect on this." Erza admitted.

Naruto gave her a confident grin. "Then I'll just have to keep from get noticed by the council then, huh? How hard could that be?"