Disclaimer: The following story is a fan made work of fiction. Fairy Tail and Mahou Sensei Negima! are owned and written by Hiro Mashima and Ken Akamatsu respectively. Please support their official releases.
Chapter 5
Welcome to Mahora
"Good afternoon passengers. This is your five minute announcement that the train will be arriving shortly at our next destination, Mahora City Train Station. Please make sure that your bags are properly stowed away, and please vacate the aisle as we pull in so as to ensure a safe and orderly disembarkation. We would like to thank you for traveling with us and hope that you have had a pleasant ride."
As he listened to the woman's sugary, saccharine voice come over some kind of hidden audio system, Natsu responded in the only way possible. He gave a gurgle and groan, his utter hatred of her statement overflowing in his currently limited vocals. The dragon-slayer's usual nausea from traveling on a vehicle had set in with a vengeance the moment the demonic vehicle had left Kyoto.
Another gurgle left his lips as the train's choppy movement began to slow. If Natsu had known that going back with Negi and his friends would involve train travel then he would have elected to walk to Mahora on foot. It didn't matter that he was wearing a red t-shirt and tan shorts with sandals that looked like they may have come out of Loki's old closet. He would have done it out of principle if he he had been given the choice.
After his initial outburst upon realizing that he was once again in a reality other than his own, and after subsequently being subdued by those around him, Natsu had calmed enough to rationally deal with the situation. For the second time in his life Natsu had found himself trapped in another reality. For the second time he was separated from his guild mates in a strange new world.
It was something he had done before, and he should have felt calmer about it. But this time there were two things which made all the difference.
The first was that he had no one by his side this time. Neither Happy nor Lucy, nor even that idiot Gray, had come to the same place Natsu had appeared. He had looked for them after had calmed down, but the dragon-slayer had found no clues as to where they might have appeared. There had been no sighting or scent trail for the dragon-slayer to follow.
To make matters worse, this time there was no Mystogan around to tell Natsu what needed to be done. Not even a hidden spell or message from that old coot Warrod. This time there was only a young boy, no older than Romeo's age, and a bunch of young girls who seemed to be the kid's students. None of them filled Natsu with much confidence either. Except for the one named Mana, but the way she stared at him reminded him a little too much of Erza at times.
Natsu wasn't scared of her, but the events of the forest had given the young man a healthy respect for her skills. Someday he would need to fight her properly, but that was currently low on his list of priorities. Something which would probably shock Elfman and the others at the guild if they were to hear about it.
Yet the thing was that, without any of his guild mates at his side, the kids were the only ones he could depend upon other than himself. They knew this world and had both skills and knowledge Natsu did not. And after the initially explosive meeting between their group and Natsu, the dragon-slayer knew that he had ground to make up with them.
It had taken some persuasion in the beginning but after talking with Negi and the others Natsu was able to get the magical bindings they had used to restrain him taken off of his body. He had not really apologized for his actions, but he had also avoided rubbing their faces in the fact that his initial explosion had caught most of them completely by surprise. Their singed hair and soot covered faces as they scrambled for cover would have amused him if he had been in a better mood. As far as Natsu was concerned it made him even with everyone except for Mana, who had been the only one to react in a competent manner.
The girl's bullets had stopped his initial burst and, much to Natsu's pain and utter annoyance, proved just as effective at knocking him out for a second time as they had in the forest. Three point-blank rounds to his forehead had left him feeling woozy, and when he woke back up he could swear that there was an indentation on the back of his head shaped like the butt of her gun.
After Natsu had woken up once again Negi and the others had eventually told him what little they knew. It basically boiled down to three things.
First, the place Natsu now located was on a planet called Earth in a country called Japan. Second, that Negi and his companions had been in the middle of a pleasure trip gone wrong and that Natsu had barged into the middle of their battle against a group of unknown enemies.
That part was the most normal aspect of the entire situation. As well as the part which bothered Natsu the least. Having unknown enemies attack you while you were doing something totally unrelated to them was a usual happenstance for the dragon-slayer.
The third and final bit of information they were able to give him nearly shattered one of his nascent hopes. No one in the group had ever heard of Natsu's world. Nor did they have any idea how the dragon slayer might go about returning to it.
That last part had been particularly bitter to learn, and in truth Natsu still had not fully accepted it. Being told that there was no known way for him to do what he wanted was fine. As a member of Fairy Tail, making the impossible possible was an occupational requirement. Someone telling them no was just a normal part of any job. It only meant that they needed to push harder to complete the objective.
It was just that, for the first time in his life, Natsu had no idea how he might go about shoving his usual rejection of society down the world's collective throat. There was no enemy in front of him in need of a good clobbering. No magic council to flip off or yell at, and no reality bending magic for him to focus on obtaining.
All of his brainy friends were missing and Natsu well and truly had no idea as to how he should go about finding them. He was many things – a skilled tracker, an expert martial artist, and a powerful mage – but an expert on space-time magic he was not. Nor did he plan on ever becoming skilled in that area like Mystogan had been as it did not suit Natsu's explosive talents.
So it was in the desperate hope of finding any kind of a path that Natsu had decided to accompany Negi and the others back to their home. The kid had offered to help the dragon-slayer out, and until a better option presented itself the boy represented Natsu's single best chance at finding a way home.
Yet as the train neared its destination Natsu thought that he may have made a mistake in deciding to go with them. A horrible mistake. With his hands on his belly and shivers going down his spine, Natsu wondered if it was possible that Warrod's spell had transferred him to some kind of personal hell. A hell complete with a devilish tour guide who went by the name of Haruna Saotome.
"And this, Mr. Pinky, is my favorite manga," Haruna told Natsu with glee. The black haired, bespectacled girl flipped through the book's pages as she sat next to him, taking care to hold each one close to his face before each turn of the page. Just as she had been doing for nearly the entire ride.
The girl looked like a harmless geek but it was just an act. A sham specifically designed to lower one's guard and lure in the unwary. For underneath her innocent disguise lay the heart of a sadistic, seasoned veteran of torture. And she was currently plying her trade on Natsu's defenseless self with a savage glee.
"You can see how the artist drew the body proportions of each character with extreme care. The muscle lines and skin shading are superb, displaying a detailed yet incredibly minimalist style. I mean, just look at his abs! They just pop right off of the page. Don't they look gorgeous? Mm, tasty too right?"
Haruna shifted in the seat next to Natsu as two other girls, Yue and Nodoka, looked on from the seats across from them in silence. Natsu had begged them to intervene with his eyes shortly after the torture had begun, but other than an initial offer of juice from blue haired Yue neither girl had lifted so much as a finger in his defense. Instead, both girls kept casually looking away whenever their gaze met his own, determinedly keeping themselves out of the conversation.
Natsu did not know them very well but he was certain of one thing. For abandoning him to hours of torment at the hands of their fiendish friend, neither of the two girls rated very high on his list of great human beings.
"Okay now, look at this chapter here and at this scene in particular. The two main characters share a passionate kiss as they hold one another tenderly in their arms. The detail is incredible. Just incredible! If you look into their eyes you can feel the emotion, the passion, that both men are experiencing. Gah! You don't get to see this kind of steamy, forbidden love between two people in just any manga. No, this is a limited edition Sahoto Ashisu original, and you should count yourself lucky to see it. I have an in with her teacher you see, the great Yuki Aito, and thanks to him I was able to get it before anyone else. Ha ha ha!"
Staring at the page with eyes blurred from pain, Natsu could only manage a single pained moan in the hopes of finally conveying his complete and utter disinterest in the subject. He did not care about some stupid doodles or whoever it was that drew them. He just wanted her to shut up and leave him alone.
His attempt at communication was an utter failure. "Right? I knew that you would agree, Mr Pinky. A manga of this high level crosses all boundaries and touches something deep inside of you. The forbidden love between a teacher and his student is incredible. Someday I too will be capable of this level and higher. As I grow in fame my fans will spread across the globe and usher in a new era for all humankind! Mwa ha ha ha! Fear me, o' powerless masses! Adore your future queen."
As the girl continued her mad rant Natsu closed his eyes and pressed his face harder against the cool, hard surface of the train's glass window. Unfortunately, it failed to comfort him like Lucy's soft lap. Nor did it knock him into blissful sleep like Erza's mailed fist.
What made the experience worse was that Natsu could understand every single word of the never-ending flow coming from Haruna's mouth. Thanks to a small charm tied around his right wrist, Natsu was able to understand any language spoken.
It had seemed like a good idea to wear it at the time. But at this moment Natsu wanted nothing more than to rip it off of his arm, light it on fire, and laugh as he watched it burn.
He made a weak motion with his left arm and tried to reach it. Another wave of nausea hit just as he managed to get his fingers on the charm. His fingers slid off of it as the nausea weakened their grasp, failing him in his hour of need.
Being unable to fight back was horrible. The dragon-slayer had not even done enough damage to the girl's classmates or the structures in this world deserve this sort of punishment. He had only been able to burn down a couple meters of forest and singe part of the house before Mana and the others had taken him down. That was damn light by Fairy Tail standards.
Then Natsu remembered something from when they had all boarded the train.
Thinking back to just before he had stepped onto the train, it had been Mana who had had tied the charm onto his arm. She had even done it while wearing a smile as she directed him to his seat.
This was all her fault!
Now Natsu knew why she had been smiling. Since the moment he had told them that he didn't do well with vehicles, the dark-skinned girl must have known that this was going to happen to him and had planned on how to make it worse. Damn her!
This train ride was easily in the top 10 of the worst trips Natsu had ever taken. Haruna had been asking him all sorts of weird things since the train ride began. Questions about the color of his hair and how far down it went, why he had such a muscled physique with so many small scars, and if he could give her an option on those books she kept shoving into his face. Neither his silent screaming, his nauseated face, nor his inability to coherently respond to her questions seemed to bother the girl as she just kept dialing up the levels of torture on the helpless dragon-slayer.
At one point during the journey Natsu was certain that the little she-devil beside him had wrapped some sort of yellow tape with weird markings around his waist and other parts of his body, all while she had called out numbers to a classmate elsewhere in the carriage. He couldn't be certain because he had been going in and out of consciousness at that point. Dreams of an invisible dragon and a giant, white-haired warrior flying in and out of a chaotic battle had also passed through his head at that time, and Natsu was sure as hell that that had been either a dream or a hallucination. Because there was no way something that fun could have happened while he was trapped next to the she-witch known as Haruna Saotome of Class 3-A.
"Now, Natsu, I know that you're sensei's cousin – should I refer to him as Negi around you? Eh, no, I'll just keep calling him sensei. You'll get used to it from the other girls. Anyway, back on point I was really hoping to get your opinion on this one doujinshi that I'm working on. It's a super secret project, the first Haruna special that I might send in for publication."
Haruna shuffled her hands around in some sort of handbag before shoving another pile of paper into his face. The pages swam in and out of his vision as Natsu fought against a rising tide of bile within his throat.
"It's my greatest and most ambitious effort to date. I haven't even shown this to Yue or Nodoka yet and I usually show them everything. But you know Natsu, I really feel like you and I have bonded on this trip. It just feels so good to find an older boy like you who can understand the amazing love between two men." The girl gave a joyous giggle which caused a shiver to run down Natsu's spine. "And with your insider knowledge of the two subjects I don't think that there is anyone more qualified to critique it. So, please, tell me what you think of it. Don't you hold anything back either."
Natsu blinked his eyes as he tried to make out the details on the paper shoved into his face. Resistance against her had been useless so far. So maybe, just maybe, if he could actually make a comment on something Haruna shoved into his face, then it was possible that the girl would leave him alone.
The dragon-slayer bent every ounce of his mind and will towards the goal. He pushed his body to the limits as he stared at the sheaf of loose-leaf paper in front of his eyes. Natsu had never before managed to overcome this sickness, but there was always a first.
Yet when the pictures began to come into focus, Natsu almost wished they had just stayed as blurry dots. The rising tide of bile started forming a tsunami in the pit of his stomach.
"See, Natsu? Look at its glory. It's a what-if story involving sensei and our class' old teacher, Takahata – you know him too, right? Of course you do, since you're sensei's cousin. I came up with the idea one night after listening to Asuna and Iinchou – she's the foreign looking girl with blonde hair that you'll probably see drooling over sensei, by the way – have another one of their fights over them. You see, Asuna likes Takahata and Iinchou likes sensei, and the two girls are constantly arguing over which guy is hotter. Although between you and me, Natsu, I like bad boys around your age more."
Natsu felt a surge of horror rush through him as the girl batted her eyes at him and blew him a kiss before laughing. "But, more importantly to me, rumor has it that sensei and Takahata have known each other for years! Takahata must be like some sort of mentor or older brother figure for sensei. Or maybe even a father figure! All of which makes a relationship between them the ultimate in taboo love. Just thinking about it sets my heart afire with their flames of passion."
Haruna took the sheaf of papers away as she flipped through a few pages. Natsu was unable to really see any of them in detail until she stopped and pointed to one page in particular.
"I'd really like to get your opinion on this scene in particular. I feel like I went out on a limb with it. Do you think that it's plausible in ten years? Takahata is already all grown up, but I really had to scratch my brain hard when trying to think of what sensei might look like in ten years. Because as great as a forbidden love between them might be today I really don't think that Takahata would go for the ten year old sensei. He doesn't strike me as the lolita or shota type, no matter what Asuna says."
Haruna paused as she spoke, taking the first breath since she had taken out her strange book of pictures. Natsu saw her flick her eyes towards several of her classmates as she breathed deeply. Her gaze lingered longest on a tall, busty blonde who was seated next to Asuna. "That's the style of... other individuals, if you get my drift. But hey, I'm not one to judge whose love is wrong and whose love is right. Isn't that right, Nodoka? Yue? All I can do for now is hope, dream, and scheme to make it all come true. But one day I, Haruna, shall rule the world and force all of humanity to serve me as we embark on a new chapter of love and equality. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha!"
Across from him Natsu saw the girl named Nodoka blush redder than the sun as Haruna laughed. Yue buried her head into a book as she too blushed. Natsu felt no empathy for the two of them as he saw their reactions. Unlike him the two girls must have known what they were getting into when they had sat down on the train.
Then a particularly hard jolt then ran through the compartment as the train pulled into the Mahora station. The impact crashed Natsu's head against the train's metal bulkhead and fate finally decided to smile on him. Natsu's body decided to give out on him and the sweet relief of darkness stole him away.
Negi stood up as the train pulled into the station. With his class roster book in hand, he called out to the boisterous class of girls who filled the compartment around him. Their eager faces brought a smile to his features. "Okay everyone, I hope that you all had a wonderful time in Kyoto. I'm glad to say that we all made it back without any injuries. Please exit the car safely and remember that school begins on Monday. All assignments, including your written report on the trip, must be finished before the start of class. Thank you, and have a nice remainder of the day."
As if his words were a magic spell, everyone around him leaped into motion. The girls disembarked in a flurry of activity that left him feeling dazed. They twisted and pulled each others hair and clothes as they competed to see who could reach their dorm the quickest. The girls laughed and yelled at one another as they moved past him, with some trying to grab a hold of their young teacher as though he were a piece of luggage that they had almost forgotten.
It was something Negi had been expecting.
The young boy moved through their attempts with a polished ease, avoiding their prying hands as he spoke with each in turn. Fuuma and Fuuka, the small twins, were easily distracted with sweets he pressed into their hands. Red haired Misa and her two friends were appeased by a promise from him to let them open the next class with a cheer. Others were content with a wave and a smile.
Then there were the troublesome ones.
Evangeline, despite having saved his life and touring all of Kyoto with him as payment, gave him a stare that made the boy feel like he was a bug she was thinking of squashing. Chisame gave him a look which clearly said that he was incompetent in her eyes. Then poor Ayaka had to be dragged off the train kicking and screaming by an irate Asuna as the blonde proclaimed her eternal love for him. She was such a nice student to think that way about him. It almost reminded Negi of his adoptive sister Akane.
He could only stare at the pair of squabbling friends while rubbing the back of his head at their antics. The two of them constantly confused him with their never ending fights over the same silly subjects but he could tell that the two truly cared for one another. Someday, if he were lucky, he might learn just what it was they kept fighting about.
Lost in his own thoughts as he watched the two of them go off, Negi had failed to notice the approach of another dangerous member of his class.
"Seeensssseeeeeeiii-kuuuuun!" Kazumi Asakura called out to him, her brilliant red hair shaking as she shoved some sort of metallic device into his face. "Is there any way I could get an exclusive interview regarding the events at the hotel before we leave the train? Specifically, could you please explain the kissing craze that broke out on one of the nights we were there? I have eyewitnesses who claim that you were able to kiss more than half-a-dozen of your students in a single night."
The young boy continued to rub back of his neck as he laughed and did his best to dodge the girl's questions. "Sorry Asakura-san, but there is nothing to say. Nothing like that actually happened."
He then tried to make his escape but the reporter-in-training refused to let him get away so easily. Her slim arms shot out to each side, boxing him in place as she pinned him with a determined stare. A wry grin twisted her lips and put a twinkle in her eyes as she replied.
"Riiiight. Sure it didn't happen, Negi-sensei. I'll believe that flimsy excuse the day pigs fly. Is that the company line someone's got you spouting to cover things up? Did the powers that be get to you and break your angelic will to their thorny will? Are they now stopping you from realizing your forbidden love with your own students and becoming the world's youngest harem king?"
"Um, uh, I'm not really sure what you mean by that Asakura-san," Negi said as he tried to push his way around her. He didn't want to use magic on her, but for an untrained civilian she was making it rather difficult to escape.
"I've heard that line before. Next thing I know you'll be asking for a lawyer and pleading your innocence before a jury of your peers. And in case that ever happens, just know that I'd be happy to work on your media perspective." Asakura leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "Give me the juicy details before you tell anyone else and I promise that I'll be all yours, my adorable sensei-kun."
A bead of sweat formed at the base of Negi's neck at her words and tone of voice. He knew that she and Chamo had spent some time together during the school trip, and while this sounded just like the type of nonsense the ermine was always spouting Asakura seemed to be taking it one step further than usual. Negi didn't even know what a harem king was but judging from the context it was nothing that he wanted.
He tried to stutter out a response to that effect – he wanted none of the usual misunderstandings which followed Chamo's meddling – but Asakura cut his words off with a swift poke to his forehead. "Shh. you don't need to answer me now, sensei. I was just messing with you. Just remember that I still need to get a real pactio card from you one of these days. A mutual acquaintance of ours told me all about them, and if you really want my help – or my silence – in the future, then that will be my price. Am I understood?"
The boy blushed a deep, deep red as he merely nodded his head in reply. Finding it satisfactory, the girl released him and backed away. She gave another laugh as she moved towards the train's exit.
"See you around then, Negi-sensei."
As Negi watched Asakura walk away, her hips moving in a saucy saunter, his mind went blank for a moment. Then he took a black pen from out of his suit's inner pocket and opened class 3-A's roster book in order to write a new entry in the margins.
Girls are confusing. And Chamo only makes it worse.
He wrote it in bold across the top of the class page. Then underlined it for good measure.
That important notation added, the young boy closed the book and started looking for Natsu. Asakura had been the last girl left on the train, and he had not seen the pink-haired man leave. The two of them needed to see the elderly principal of Mahora Academy before they got Natsu settled in Mahora. Negi didn't know of a way for the older boy to return home, but it was possible that Konoka's grandfather knew of one.
As Negi thought to himself about the upcoming meeting and searched for Natsu throughout the compartment he noticed an odd smell. It was acrid and biting, and for some reason it made him feel nauseous. He paused as he tried to place it.
When he finally did place the smell Negi covered his nose with one hand. Someone had definitely thrown up on the ride back from Kyoto and they had done it right at the end of the trip too.
"Play the video again Chachamaru. I wish to see Boya's expression once more."
With a soft noise of whirring gears the robotic girl standing beside Eva moved to comply. Her green hair and school-girl outfit made for a stark contrast with the Greek themed décor of the vampire's lair.
"As you wish, my Master," the robot stated with calm precision. "But you have already seen it twenty-four times. I would recommend archiving the video for a later date and concentrating on your bath before the bubbles disappear."
Eva splashed the robot with water. When she gave an order, it was to be followed to the letter with no backtalk.
"Once more," Evangeline commanded imperiously as the water dripped down Chachamaru's face, "then you may go. Now play the video of the pink idiot once again. Only start it from the moment he sets Boya's hair on fire this time."
Chachamaru turned her head back to the wall. Beams of light shone from her eyes and a picture of the previous day's events came to life on the floor by Evangeline's tub.
Evangeline sighed, groaning in ecstasy as she dipped lower into the steaming hot bath. Watching the video again for the twenty-fifth time still caused a shiver of delight to run up Evangeline's spine. Few things in the world felt better after releasing her full power than a nice, hot, bubbly bath drawn by Chachamaru with a new video for entertainment.
Thinking back on the events of the past few days as the video played was rather pleasant for the small vampire. Eva had been able to truly stretch her wings for the first time in a decade. Powering up during the festival had been fun, but this time she had been able to actually use her power.
Dispatching a demon older than herself, terrifying Boya and his group of little ministra, all while seeing the greatest display of idiocy since Boya's father the Thousand Master himself... well, that was indeed cause for amusement and quiet celebration.
She giggled at the thought. Boya's class of girls was mildly entertaining the more she learned of them, but not enough to hold her attention for very long. Too many years spent with girls their age had dulled Eva's interest. Years of listening to little girls squeal over the latest heart throb or gossip about some shocking action committed by a one of their friends had driven her already low opinion of children deeper than the deepest of caves.
It was only with the arrival of the little Springfield, Asuna Kagurazaka, Setsuna Sakurazaki and this new idiot from another world that things had started to improve. The ancient vampire might actually be able to have more enjoyment since Nagi sealed her into the damn academy ten years ago.
As the hologram flickered to an end the tiny woman cupped her hands together beneath the water and slowly brought them above the surface. Bubbles glittered on her palms, refracting light in a glittering cascade of rainbows.
They were beautiful in a fragile sort of way. Just like the young boy whom came to mind as she gazed at them, shining with iridescent beauty as they danced in the palm of her hand.
The vampire blew them apart and smiled.
"Aah... this really is hitting the spot," she hissed to herself as she waved for Chachamaru to leave the room. Still smiling to herself, Eva leaned against the bath's wall and closed her eyes.
The vampire lost track of time while she soaked in a world of heat and bubbles. Dreams ran through her head. Dreams of men and boys with red and pink hair, of screams and fire, and of herself returned to her full and terrible majesty
When she awoke from her impromptu nap sometime later Eva was alone within the room.
Wrapping herself in a soft, blue-white robe placed at the edge of the massive bath, Evangeline slowly made her way out of the bathing area. She appreciated both the towel the absence of any of her servants. Efficient use of time and energy on their part was pleasing to their master.
A great yawn split Eva's face as she walked to her bedroom. It exposed two pairs of needle sharp fangs that glinted in the soft light.
After sipping an exceptional vintage of Syrah from a glass left in an alcove near her room, Evangeline turned the lights off with a quick mental command. Such an excellent day deserved to be topped off with an equally great rest, she thought to herself as she made her way through the dark.
The petite vampire gratefully climbed into her mussed up bed and let a pleasurable sigh escape her lips.
It was only when a warm, muscular arm made its way around her waist that Evangeline knew she was not alone.
"Ooh, what's that Negi? Can I eat it? I'm starving!"
"No you cannot Natsu. You threw up all over the train compartment only half an hour ago!"
"Aw. But I'm all better now. See?" Natsu said as he gave his toned stomach a hard slap. "Now I just need to get something inside of it to replace what went out."
"No means no, Natsu."
"Bah! My friends Lucy and Happy would support me."
"I don't know who they are, Natsu, but I still seriously doubt that they would do so. No normal person would."
"Exactly! They're better than normal. They're in Fairy Tail! But fine, whatever. There'll be more food wherever we're going, right?"
"I'm sure that there will, Natsu," replied a scraggly bearded man in a white suit. "Our destination's host is quite hospitable."
Natsu shot him a quick look, snorted, and considered the other man quietly.
Takamichi Takahata was a big man. He was around the same size and build as Gildarts and had the same type of scraggly beard too. The two men had a similar twinkle in their eyes although Takamichi's was somewhat magnified by the pair of glasses he wore.
More important to the dragon-slayer, though, was another trait Takamichi shared with Gildarts.
The man was a powerhouse. He concealed it well, but Natsu could feel the enormous amount of magic power hiding within the older man's body. His movements were smooth and controlled and hinted at long decades of training. The way his eyes moved around, analyzing everything, hinted at years of experience with fighting as well.
Every time Natsu looked at the other man the dragon-slayer could feel his fighting instincts welling up within his body. Being off of the train had rejuvenated Natsu's mind and body, and he felt like his usual self.
When Natsu had come to after Negi had removed him from the train, the dragon-slayer had found himself in a strange room. It had reminded him somewhat of the Magic Council's offices, only smaller. The other difference which had ruined the comparison had been the old man lying on a nearby futon with a bag of ice on his forehead.
Apparently it had something to do with the boy's trip to Kyoto, but Natsu had let his mind wander when they resumed talking. He had only just been able to start looking around when Negi had tugged on his sleeve and motioned towards the door. Figuring that there was no reason to stay in a room with a seemingly exhausted old man, Natsu had followed the young boy out of the room and into the hall.
There they had met Takamichi who had introduced himself to Natsu with a smile. Then the man said something which had instantly captured Natsu's attention. Takamichi claimed to have some information about the magic which had brought the dragon slayer to this strange new world.
He had used some big words to describe it, laying out a complicated analysis of what he and others had learned after Negi had alerted him from Kyoto.
All Natsu remembered was the gist of it. That he was not supposed to be in this world and that apparently some kind of weird resonance that was changing the planet's field of magic had been centered in Kyoto at the time and place that he had first arrived. The man had expressed a belief that such a change was unlikely to be a coincidence, and even someone like Natsu who did not pay attention to fancy things like theories had to agree.
But more importantly Takamichi then mentioned that another resonance had just happened in Mahora and Takamichi was on his way to investigate. Excitement had raced through Natsu's body at those words.
Finally, a lead as to how he might find his friends had appeared!
With an emphatic slap to the big man's shoulder Natsu had declared that he and Negi would accompany Takamichi on his mission. The older man had shaken his head in amusement at Natsu's words, given his consent, and then they were off. And with no vehicles, and no Mana or Haruna around to torment him, Natsu was now enjoying himself immensely.
Negi's town was amazing!
People were walking around everywhere in greater volume than even the capital of Fiore. They had all sorts of really cool gadgets in their hands that Natsu had never before seen. Every street brought a new sight to see and kept the dragon-slayer's head on a constant swivel.
To make things even cooler there was a ridiculously huge tree in the town's center. It reminded Natsu of the giant tree on Tenrou Island. It pulsed with a magic that put Natsu at ease for the first time since his arrival in this new world, and Natsu promised himself that he would have to get around to climbing it at some point in the future.
The various new scents and smells that came from the stores they passed kept tempting the dragon-slayer. Natsu could not help but try to go into them, and without Lucy or Erza to around to stop him, or Gray around to distract him, the dragon-slayer was almost able to satisfy his curiosity to his heart's content.
What Takamichi had referred to as a thirty minute trip had already taken them over an hour, with Natsu constantly wandering off and the other two mages having to constantly reel him back onto the street.
However, Natsu didn't really care for how they felt. After begging him not to use magic due to it being illegal in public, the two of them were watching Natsu like a hawk for any signs that he was going to let loose and disobey.
Doing it just to spite them was tempting – so very, very tempting – but Natsu still needed their help to find his friends. He had also given them his word, and his word reflected the honor of Fairy Tail. So unless another way forward were to present itself the dragon-slayer was stuck obeying their silly rule.
As they passed one particularly fragrant area, Natsu's nose twitched in curiosity. "Hey Negi, what's that shop over there do?" He asked, pointing at a small store which had just opened its shutters. "Let's go in it. It smells really good."
The trio of mages stopped and looked where Natsu had pointed. Takamichi shrugged his shoulders and pulled out a cigarette while Negi pinched his nose. Natsu could smell him light it, but paid more attention to the young boy.
The dragon-slayer was taking pleasure in seeing Negi's annoyance. Seeing it gave Natsu an idea of just how far Natsu could push the young boy in the future before he snapped. That was always a good thing to know about a comrade when you might have to trust your life to them. As well as serving as a way to repay some of the annoyance he felt with the kid's two students, Mana and Haruna.
"It makes pastries, Natsu." Negi said tiredly as he and Takamichi kept walking. "And before you ask, the one next door is ice cream, the one after that is a clothing store, and the one beyond that sells shoes."
"Ooh! So you guys have ice cream over here as well? That's awesome! I can't wait to show this place to Lucy and Wendy. Can we go in and try some out?" Natsu thought about it for a moment. "Ya think they have dragonberry flavor? That's my favorite."
Negi sighed again. Oh yes, Natsu was definitely working a nerve right now. "Could you please ask questions later, Natsu? After we get to Evangeline's house?" The boy replied. "We are on an important mission which could be time sensitive."
"So?"
"No means no, Natsu."
"Bah! You guys suck." Natsu huffed as he crossed his arms. "First I can't use magic according to some stupid rule of yours. Now I can't even get a bite to eat. Bah!"
Besides being genuinely interested in the ice cream – dragonberry was the best ice cream flavor in this or any other world which might happen to exist – Natsu was trying to match and catalog all of the various scents. It was why he kept going into stores, so that he could see and touch the things that his nose was smelling. The dragon slayer had to constantly ask the two other mages about the places they encountered and then try to figure which scents went to which objects by using their information and his own general knowledge.
But wait, did Negi just say Evangeline? As in that crazy child who had just sat and laughed as Natsu had been pummeled by Mana and the others. That was where they were going?
Yes! If that was where they were going, then maybe he would get a chance to duke it out with her after finding one of his friends.
According to what Negi had said back in Kyoto, Evangeline was supposed to be some sort of ancient badass vampire mage in this world. What with Negi being too weak and Takamichi ignoring the challenging looks Natsu kept sending his way as they walked, the childlike vampire was probably Natsu's best bet for a good fight outside of Mana.
But if he were going to be fighting against a badass, then Natsu would really need to get some food in his belly. He had not replaced the food he had thrown up earlier. If he didn't get some food then there was no way he would be at peak fighting ability.
But it seemed that Negi was determined to keep him from eating any of the normal food they kept walking past. That left Natsu with only one other way to get the energy he was after.
"Fine!" Natsu yelled loudly. "Then point me towards the nearest forge or bonfire, 'cause I seriously need to eat something. If I don't get anything in me then I might seriously die. I'm starving!"
Negi and Takamichi stopped in their tracks and simultaneously asked the dragon-slayer the same question. "Natsu, do you mean to say that you can eat fire?"
Natsu nodded his head in reply. "Duh. I already told you two that I'm the dragon-slayer of fire. The title isn't just for show. Don't you guys know what that means?"
Negi shook his head. Then the young boy looked up at Takamichi to see if the older man knew. Takamichi shrugged his shoulders and shook his head as well.
Seeing their looks of confusion ticked Natsu off. "Damn alternate worlds," he muttered. "You guys don't have dragon-slayers here? Bah!"
He was seriously tempted to give them a demonstration on what it meant to be a dragon-slayer, but settled for glaring at them from the corner of his eye. He laced his fingers together and place both hands behind his head in annoyance.
Thankfully it seemed that Takamichi also did not want to delve too deeply into a discussion on magic styles. The big man placed a hand on top of Negi's shoulder just as the kid opened his mouth to say something.
"As interesting as seeing that might be, Natsu," Takamichi said seriously, "I think that we can wait to see you eat fire some other time. Doing that where non-magic users could see you would be illegal. We will just have to take your word on it for the moment."
The tall, bespectacled man pulled another cigarette out of his pocket as he spoke, lighting it with some sort of strange metallic device he pulled out from another pocket.
Natsu's eyes were drawn by the thing's flame and followed it as Takamichi continued to speak.
"So how about we stop for some food right now. If we are going to be meeting Evangeline then it would be best if we were all in a calm and relaxed state of mind. Besides, unless my nose is deceiving me, I think that there is a truly excellent source of food nearby."
Natsu's ears perked up at that bit of information and he let his arms fall to his side. If that nose-blind man could smell the aroma of cooking food well enough to roughly judge its distance, then Natsu could pinpoint the place's exact location and lead everyone to it.
The fact that Natsu did not actually know either the restaurant or the smell of its food was of no importance. Upon his pride as a dragon slayer there was no way that Natsu would let a little details like that get in his way.
He took in a deep breath to scent the air. His brain started to process all of the information that came in. There were at least ten restaurants within a one mile radius of their current position. Of those restaurants three were close enough for a normal human to smell, and only one of them smelled like the food they were cooking was even half-way edible.
That had to be the place. Smiling in victory, Natsu pointed a hand in the direction his nose told him was right. "That place over there, right?"
The big man raised an eyebrow in surprise at Natsu's words. "Natsu, unless you are also a mind reader, I don't think that it's possible for you to know - "
"Nah, not a mind reader," Natsu said with a toothy smile, "But like I said earlier, being a dragon-slayer is more than just a title. I've got a dragon's nose, and it's never been wrong yet."
Natsu began walking in the direction he had picked, lengthening his stride to force the other two to keep up with him or get left behind.
The footsteps of the other two mages soon joined his own, and the three of them made their way quickly through the crowded streets of Mahora. As soon as the place Natsu's nose had detected came into sight, the dragon-slayer heard Takamichi give a sigh.
Natsu shot him a shark toothed grin in reply. "See? See? Ha! I was right, wasn't I?"
"Yes, you were right indeed, Natsu." The big man said as he rolled his eyes. "Your nose is truly not to be underestimated."
"Called it! And hell yeah Takamichi. You should never underestimate a dragon's nose. Especially not this one's!"
"As you say, Natsu. But your humble attitude could certainly use a little more work."
Natsu cocked his head in confusion. He knew that he had heard that word before, but he couldn't remember what it meant since no one had ever called him that.
"What's humble mean?" He asked innocently.
The bespectacled man opened his mouth to respond but closed it as a loud rumble sounded from Natsu's stomach.
"I suppose that's a lesson for another time," Takamichi said with a shake of his head. He took a long puff of his cigarette before he resumed speaking. "Let's get some food in us before we talk any further."
The big man pulled an item from his pocket, made from leather by the smell of it. He then took out some stamped pieces of paper and handed them over to Negi.
"Here Negi, use this to pay for three orders of Baozi and make the order to go. I'll move ahead and take some preliminary readings while the two of you get the food and make your way after me."
Takamichi then turned to leave only to pause before he had gone more than a few steps. "Oh. I almost forgot to mention, but I think that the restaurant's owner and chef will be a surprise to both of you. Please be sure to give them my regards."
"Of course I will Takamichi. We will see you soon."
With Negi's reply registered, the bearded man placed his hands into his pockets and walked back to the main street. His large frame disappeared into the night, leaving Natsu and Negi standing next to the restaurant.
The crackle of coals in a nearby brazier broke the silence.
"Alright. Time for food!" Natsu cried out as he made a beeline for the brazier. The fire was cracking merrily and was a beautiful cherry red over a white hot bottom. Whoever had lit the brazier had used quality coal. The smell of it made Natsu lick his lips in anticipation while Negi squeaked out some kind of warning.
Unfortunately, Natsu's plans for a fiery snack were foiled when the young girl standing next to the brazier called out to them. Grabbing tight to Natsu's shirt, Negi brought the older boy along with him to speak with the girl.
"Ah, bouzu, how nice to see you frequent our establishment-ne." The young black-haired girl said as they got near. She smiled charmingly, her perfumed lips glistening in the evening as a red dress hugged her lithe curves. "I didn't realize you knew tonight was the test run of Chao Bao Zi's new menu ahead of the festival. But as expected of my honored bouzu, you did-ne."
Negi put a hand behind his head and moved it through his hair nervously as he responded to the girl's words. "No, no, it's nothing like that, Chao. Takamichi, Natsu and I were walking nearby when Takamichi smelled your restaurant's cooking. He was the one who said we should come here, not me."
"Aha. Mr. Takahata always did like the food served here. He was one of our most frequent customers back when he was our teacher."
"Really? Then your cooking must be really good! Takamichi only eats at the best places."
Natsu saw the girl's eyes sparkle at Negi's words. Something about the way they sparkled didn't seem quite right to the dragon-slayer and caused him to be on his guard. He wasn't the sharpest person when it came to making conversation, but his instincts were yelling at him to be on his guard around this girl and Natsu always trusted his instincts.
Something Negi had just said had an underlying meaning to the girl that the childlike teacher had not intended. The boy seemed to catch the change in the girl's eyes, too, as his own gaze sharpened. But when the girl's gaze briefly met Natsu's, the dragon-slayer knew that their own reactions had also been noticed.
The girl beckoned them closer, her lips quirked upwards as she did. "Indeed, bouzu. Now, please, come closer so we can converse more easily. Will you be dining here or do you want your orders to go?" Her eyes moved to study Natsu. "And I don't think that I have been properly introduced to your friend either."
She gave a short curtsy. "My name is Chao Lingshen. While you are named Natsu, correct?"
Natsu glanced down at Negi before staring back at the girl and giving her a shrug. "Eh... hey there. The name is Natsu, Natsu Dragneel. I'm a distant cousin of Negi's." The dragon-slayer tried to end his part of the conversation as quickly as possible. He was not very good at small talk. Unless it involved fighting, eating, or something awesome like ninjas then it did not matter to him.
For a short period of time the three of them stood in silence. Natsu had locked gazes with the young girl. She gave him a rather blunt look over and he returned the favor.
Luckily for Natsu, Negi was there to pick up the slack and seemed to know how to make small talk. "Of course," the boy said cheerily, his sharpened gaze disappearing like mist on a hot summer day. "But I'm afraid that I – I mean, we – can't stay for very long. Natsu is new to Mahora and the three of us are walking around as we introduce him to the city."
The little mage walked up to the counter as Natsu followed behind, gazing longingly at the fire as he moved. The girl had a sharp gaze, but surely she wouldn't notice if one coal went missing.
The other two continued to speak with each other as Natsu planned how he might be able to swipe a coal unnoticed.
"This should be enough to pay for our meals, miss Lingshen." Negi said as he placed the paper notes on top of the counter. "Three order of Baozi, please."
Behind the counter another girl raised her head. She nodded and began placing ingredients into a frying pan. Her hands moved with quick, practiced gestures, and the smell of frying food filled the air.
The girl named Chao, however, waved her teacher's payment away. "I'm afraid not, bouzu. If you are purchasing it to go then that is not nearly enough-ne for three bowls of Chao Bao Zi's special dish."
Her words caught the child teacher by surprise. They caught Natsu by surprise as well. He wanted his food and he wanted it right then, dammit. What more could the girl want of them.
Stepping lightly in her red silk dress as she spoke the girl leaned down so she could whisper into the ear of her much shorter teacher. She seemed to be trying to keep her next words between the kid and herself. Thanks to Natsu's dragon hearing, though, he heard every word she whispered.
"But I would consider doing it for a magical kiss from you."
"A m-m-magic k-k-kiss?" Negi stuttered as his face became panicked. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, miss Lingshen. And besides, it-it really wouldn't be proper. I'm too young, an-and you're my, well, you're my student and -"
The girl scooted closer to her teacher as her eyes shone with amusement. "Ne, ne, don't worry about it sensei. I promise that I'll be gentle."
"No – I mean, that's not really the problem. I mean - "
"Oh? Then is it that I am unattractive to you, bouzu?"
Negi's face flushed a bright red. "N-n-n-o, no, I didn't mean that either!" The kid yelled. "Argh, stop being mean to me!"
"Ha ha! I apologize, but seeing the normally calm and collected bouzu panicking over something as small as giving me a kiss is quite amusing-ne." The mysterious sparkle in the girl's eyes brightened as her quirked lips gave birth to a light laugh. "Besides, I am still waiting for your reply. And before you deny me again, remember that the fate of your meal may rest in the balance-ne."
Off to the side, Natsu scratched his head in confusion as he watched the exchange. The girl was obviously toying with the now stuttering Negi, but Natsu felt like he was missing something. Sure the kid was young, but it wasn't as though there was anything wrong with it. The girl had four or five years on the kid at most, which would probably put her two or three years under Natsu's own age.
Besides, if it got Natsu some grub to go along with his fire, then Natsu was all for it.
He nudged the still stammering wizard with his right hand. Healed from its earlier injuries by the kid, Natsu's hand didn't feel so much as a tinge of pain in it as he used it to apply pressure to the young boy.
"C'mon Negi, just hurry up and kiss her already. S'alright by me. It's not anything all that weird, right?"
The young boy's flush deepened, making its way from his face and down his neck. He continued to stammer as he responded in broken sentences. "N-n-no... I mean, well, Asuna says that I shouldn't do something like that unless I really mean it, and uh, um, Asuna would be really mad at me if I did something like this when she wasn't around, so, uh, I-I really shouldn't do it with Chao, otherwise I might get her pregnant, and uh..."
The kid's voice began to dwindle as he tapped his forefinger against the other in a nervous tic. By the time his voice reached the point where even Natsu couldn't hear it, the kid's words had become completely incoherent.
Kissing someone could get them pregnant? Natsu was not certain how things worked in this world, but that was definitely not how things worked back in Earthland. He had gotten the talk from both Gildarts and Mirajane, and neither one of them had mentioned something like pregnancy happening from a kiss. Mirajane had said that would only happen with what came after kissing and that he would need to use some kind of armor on his body in order to prevent it. Gildarts had just skimmed over it, saying that it involved some sort of fun activity while a boy and girl were naked with each other.
At the kid's side, Natsu saw Chao's devious smile widen as she watched her stricken teacher descend into a babbling mess. The girl lifted her eyes to meet the dragon-slayer's own.
Natsu knew what was coming before she even opened her mouth. She was going to try doing to him what she had just done to her teacher. He cocked his head and studied her as she approached in a measured saunter, curious as to how she would try to mess with him.
Walking a slow circle around the fire mage, Chao lifted a slim finger to her lips as she spoke mischievously. "You know, Natsu, a kiss from you might do nicely as well."
The spark within her eyes nearly glowed as she spoke, lending her delicate features the look of a bird of prey. "Since you're sensei's cousin, I'm sure that you are a wonderful gentleman as well. A strong, experienced man like yourself would probably know –" Chao's voice cut off as Natsu made his move.
The dragon-slayer had seen Negi's passive strategy fail miserably, and his pride as the son of Igneel refused to let him go down as easily as the kid. Natsu was a man of action, and in a situation like this there he had two viable options available to him in his arsenal of tactics.
Option one was to punch Chao in the face, set the surrounding area on fire, and then run away with the food. He had done that more than once back in Fiore whenever an older woman or man had tried to push things too far with either him or Lucy. It was fun, flashy, and one hundred percent effective in all instances he had employed it.
However, since it was likely that Natsu would be seeing her again in the near future, that option was probably not the right one to follow. Which was too bad since it was one of his personal favorites.
With no other choice available, Natsu chose to follow the advice Gildarts had given to him many years ago that he had never found an opportunity to put into practice.
In one smooth motion the dragon-slayer placed both hands on Chao's waist, pulled her into his body and met her lips with his own.
After a moment of shock and resistance, Natsu felt the girl's smaller body begin to melt into his own. Chao's arms snaked around his neck with surprising force, dragging him closer as she deepened the kiss between them.
Rational thought began to flee from Natsu's mind as the kiss went on. The kiss was hot and fiery, like the warmth of a freshly kindled flame. It felt nothing like the kisses Lisanna had given him when the two Fairies had been young. Those had been sweet and innocent, and had ended in a flash as they both stared at each other, trying to figure out why adults did it so often.
This kiss, though, was making Natsu start to realize why Gildarts and the older guys kept talking about doing it so often. He wasn't certain what it was. He did not have the words. But he now found himself enjoying the situation greatly.
"Here you go sensei. I finished your orders," Natsu dimly heard another girl say as Chao began to push her face upwards, driving him back towards the restaurant's wall. His body thumped into it as she tightened her grip around his neck. "I hope that the three of you enjoy the meal, and that you stop by the restaurant when we open during the school festival."
Natsu paid the words little heed. Chao had just flicked her tongue along his lips, and the feeling sent a thrill down his spine. The dragon-slayer tightened his grip on her tiny waist as he lifted her off of the ground and onto his body.
It was only when a sharp, tingling pain in his side broke through the haze in which he found himself that Natsu remembered what he was supposed to be doing.
It was being caused by Negi as he poked the tip of his large staff into Natsu's side and twisted it. And if the smell coming from the bag he held was any indication then the kid also had their food.
Food!
Reminded of his overwhelming desire for food, Natsu broke the kiss and started to separate himself from the girl. When he went to let go of her waist, Natsu realized that he was actually supporting the young girl's entire weight. If he just let go then the young woman would probably fall to the ground.
For a moment Natsu was stricken dumb. He had no idea how to respond in this sort of situation. Kissing Lisanna when they had been young had never resulted in something like this, and Gildart's advice had only covered the events leading up to a kiss.
After wracking his brain for a few seconds and coming up with nothing, Natsu decided to give Chao's body a slight shake.
"Oi, you alright?" he asked gruffly.
She didn't respond as she continued to cling tightly to his neck. Her face was buried deep into his shoulder. Natsu gave her another shake and called her name.
Still no response.
Feeling panic begin to well up as she remained unresponsive, Natsu turned to face Negi. "Oi, uh, Negi, come over here. I think I did something wrong when I kissed her."
"Um, Natsu," Negi said hesitantly, "I think that she might be pregnant now."
"No! That's not how things work!" Then Natsu paused as a thought occurred to him. "Crap. At least, it doesn't work that way back where I'm from. And it's got to be the same here, right?"
Negi didn't respond. The kid's face looked to be deep in thought as he considered Natsu's reply.
The dragon-slayer felt his stomach sink as he saw the kid's pensive expression. "Right Negi? Right? Please tell me that I'm not wrong."
Gray would never stop making fun of him if he was wrong. Happy would probably be the same, along with a smart ass comment followed by a giggle. Lucy and Wendy would just stare at him with disappointed eyes. While Erza would… oh no. Erza would not be happy about this. She would either lecture him for a week, kill him, or force him to serve some sort of punishment for the rest of his life.
If Natsu were to guess, then he would place even odds on the second and third options happening after option one ended.
"I don't know, Natsu. But you need to take responsibility for your actions."
"What the hell does that even mean? I always take responsibility for my actions!"
Negi's eyes widened. "Yo-you mean, you mean to say that you've gotten more girls pregnant than just Chao?"
Natsu opened his mouth to shout out a denial when he felt Chao's head shift on his should. The girl pulled back and stared at him, her dark eyes soft and confused pools of light within the night air. Well, Natsu couldn't really blame her for looking like that, not after the short argument which had just taken place over her supposed pregnancy. He was pretty worried and confused himself.
"Um, never mind Negi. I think that she's okay." Natsu said as he grinned sheepishly. He tried to cover up his embarrassment over the boy's line of questioning by changing the tone of the discussion.
"Sorry about that," he said sincerely, "but, um, with the kid not paying up and all I decided to pay instead. I, uh, hope I didn't step over any boundaries or somethin'. I mean, it was really good! I definitely enjoyed myself and hope that you did too."
Chao's dark eyes glittered in the brazier's firelight. The girl's soft eyes turned into a hard stare as she looked at him, and seeing her gaze made Natsu recall his earlier instinctual feeling. He had let his guard down when he kissed her, forgetting the dangerous sparkle he had seen within her eyes.
The dragon-slayer's nervousness grew further as he recalled one of Mirajane's lessons from his youth. 'Never kiss a girl that didn't ask for it,' the white haired S mage had said to Gray and Natsu after the two young boys had listened to Gildart's talk about how to deal with women. After a moment's thought Mirajane had also added, 'and even if she did, make sure she actually meant it'.
It was that part of the woman's advice which Natsu found himself remembering most vividly, as it most likely applied to his current situation.
His thoughts on the subject were broken off when Chao stopped her piercing stare and instead began to smile at him once again.
"Ne, it's quite okay, Natsu," the girl said as she disentangled herself from his arms. "Even if it was somewhat in jest, the offer was honestly made. I have no regrets for the way things turned out."
Chao reached out a hand and patted his cheek. "Besides, I enjoyed myself as well. You have quite the unique," she seemed to search for the words she wanted to say, "flavor-ne, and someone has taught you how to use your body quite well."
The dark-eyed girl then bowed her head slightly and clasped her hands over her slightly wrinkled silk dress. "May the two of you have a pleasant evening and enjoy your food. It was good to see you, bouzu.."
Negi bowed his head to her in return. "It was my pleasure, miss Lingshen. I will see you in class."
Chao's eyes turned to Natsu, and her sparkling gaze raised the hair on the back of his neck. "It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Natsu. I hope that you can visit my restaurant in the future. Tonight truly was an unexpected surprise."
Unsure of how to reply to her, and suddenly feeling as though he may have gotten himself in over his head, Natsu merely gave her a thumbs up and a hurried answer that yes, he would visit her restaurant again. Every instinct in his body was screaming that he needed to get out of the area as fast as he could. Natsu had no idea why it was screaming at him, but when his instincts went off Natsu knew better than to disregard them.
Besides, he had been able to fish a hot coal out of the nearby brazier while Chao and Negi had bowed their heads to one another. The longer he stayed still, the more likely it was that someone would notice he had it hidden in his left hand.
Yet as they left the restaurant, Natsu heard Chao whisper under her breath. "You I did not plan for at all, dear cousin Natsu. Oh no, not at all."
Puzzled by her words, Natsu tried to think of why a restaurant owner would make plans for him. He came up with nothing and decided to put it to the side for the time being. Instead, he concentrated on more important things, such as taking a bite out of the hot coal the moment he thought himself out Chao's line of sight.
"Mm." Natsu said aloud as the coal's heat worked its way down into his stomach. The uncertainty caused by kissing her had definitely been worth it to get a bite of fresh fire.
There was nothing else like the feeling of eating a good flame.
A/N: An early update and it's the longest chapter since Chapter 1 of this story. It was also one of the most enjoyable to do in the rewrite thanks to one character in particular.
I honestly think that Chao is my favorite character in this fic. In Negima canon, Evangeline and Jack Rakan are absolutely my favorites (followed closely by Chisame). In Fairy Tail my favorite characters are Erza and Natsu. But for this fic Chao is definitely the most enjoyable to write and the most fun to include within a scene. She just makes everything come alive to me. The scenes I place her in almost seem to write themselves, to the point that I nearly wish that I could drop every other character and make it a story about Natsu and Chao alone.
But that would be dumb, so I won't be doing that. But if someone ever feels like writing a one-shot or anything using my take on them as a base, then I would be more than happy to help see it happen.
Next chapter will see the biggest divergence from my previous story. After looking the chapter over for a while I decided to scrap the layout and separate it into two. In hindsight I was trying to do too much too quickly in it and the chapter suffered for it. But more on that next week.
On to the comments!
The Mahora Crew: One of the challenges that I set myself when I first started writing this fic is that I wouldn't completely drop any of the characters in Negima. I might not use some of them as prominently, and I may not even use some of them the way they were intended to within canon, but I won't drop them entirely. Characters like Haruna, who played a small background role in canon, will still be around. This chapter was a first stab at using them within the new dynamic.
The hard part will be figuring out how to strike a balance between inserting them into scenes and leaving them out, and I would appreciate any thoughts all of you might have on the matter. Feel free to leave a review (both now and in future chapters) if you feel that I am swinging to one extreme or another.
Haruna Saotome: She won't be a major player, but expect chaos to break out whenever she does make an appearance. I love her over the top, wreaking ball approach to things in Negima canon and plan to use it in my own plots.
She also serves another specific role in this scene and it will not be the last time I cast her in it. If you can figure out what it is, then kudos! Let me know in a PM and I will acknowledge you in a future A/N.
Chao Lingshen: In this fic, Chao will be one of the girls who is paired with Natsu. I did this for a few reasons. 1) I'm not a fan of the Japanese (and fan fiction) trope/stereotype of hinting at incestuous pairings (I'm looking at you, NarutoxKushina and HarryxLily fans). The only real exception being LelouchxEuphemia from Code Geass (it just works, dammit, and Suzaku definitely does not deserve Euphemia), and even there I prefer LelouchxKallen. I'm sorry to disappoint some of you but Chao's playful teasing of Negi will be as close as that gets for them in my story. 2) Because it will help me setup some things in both the Magic Festival arc and beyond. 3) Because, as I started writing this so many years ago, it just seemed to happen naturally. It's here to stay.
Natsu Dragneel: With this chapter I have begun to introduce a few changes to Natsu. In canon, Natsu showed a complete disregard for societal norms when it came to physical intimacy (see bathing with Erza, or his multiple gropes of Lucy's naked chest throughout the series), but he never kissed anyone that I can recall.
But as you can see I have already changed that, and I have no plans to stop. My take on Natsu when it comes to this area is that the young dragon-slayer, due to his initial raising by Igneel and his haphazard childhood in the guild, is not sure about how to express feelings of love or even lust. The pink-haired dragon slayer is a virile, straight young adult male who is interested in the opposite sex but has never tried to find out more about it. His kiss with Chao will serve as a bit of a wake up call, awakening him to both his human hormones and his dragon instincts – and perhaps something else too. All because Natsu himself is not a normal human being.
He is human/demon hybrid brought back to life by Zeref's magic. Who was then trained and raised by a dragon that further messed with his biology and biochemistry. He was then 'abandoned' and raised by a group of caring but crazy adults who constantly drank and fought one another in brawls to express their affection for one another. None of that makes for an ideal child-rearing environment… but dem's da breaks. I plan to explore each of those various aspects. Especially as they relate to Negi's own messed up childhood.
Recommended Reading: This time I would like to recommend Tough Love by Racke. It's a just under 10k Negima fic based on an intriguing "what if" premise where Eva ends up raising Negi once Nagi disappears.
Until next time,
Elsil