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*Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail and all the characters*
*I own the OC*
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"I finally found you…Aria."
Natsu held onto his dear friend as if his life depended on it, arms trembling as they tightened around her. All their childhood memories, all their fights, all their laughter rang through his head nonstop, each one causing him to shudder more. He rested his head in the crook of her neck inhaling her familiar scent as if it were the one thing that made everything right in the world.
Those words. I've wanted to hear those words for years. Hell, I've wanted to be able to say those words. Aria focused forward with a nostalgic expression, remembering all the years she had spent looking for him. Natsu…I…I can't bring you into everything…Not now… She sighed, longing to put everything aside and reunite with her best friend. I won't bring you into this...but knowing you, you won't let go so easily, will you? Oh Natsu, what am I going to do with you?
"It's good to see you again…Natsu." Aria whispered, a pleasant smile gracing her face.
She felt the pressure around her waist increase. Yet, she waited there savoring every minute, every second, every moment that they were together, knowing that the minute she broke it apart, there'd be no going back.
"Come on Natsu, let go." Aria tilted her head towards his, ever so slightly nudging it. She sighed hopelessly as she looked at him.
Protect.
"Let go, Natsu. I won't be able to breathe at this rate." Aria continued while she brought her hands up to his arms, trying to loosen his grip.
However, it was to no avail as he tightened his grip on her more, arms and body shaking with every breath.
"Natsu, when I said, 'let go' that doesn't mean tighten your grip, you idiot! Are you trying to kill me?" Aria reprimanded as she attempted to wiggle out of his hold.
An almost undistinguishable noise echoed out which caused Aria to freeze immediately. Sobs? Natsu, please…please don't cry.
"I lost you before. I'm not losing you again." Natsu murmured, almost sinking into Aria further.
Aria glanced at the pink hair to her right and then down to the arms wrapped around her, caging her in. She released a shaky breath she had been holding in for who knows how long and began to wiggle her way so that she was facing him.
"You know, Natsu, you can't use magic if you hold onto me forever. That means you'll never find out who's stronger out of the two of us." Aria stated, a soft smirk growing on her face.
Almost immediately, Natsu jumped back, eyes wide with shock and brimming with tears, which slowly melted to a look of pure determination. Aria heartily laughed as she watched the man before her mirror the kid she knew all those years ago.
"You haven't changed one bit…Dragon Boy." With a gentle smile, she slowly brought her hands up to the hood of her cloak and lowered it down to reveal her face.
Natsu's eyes widened as he saw the same girl he knew back then. However, he could tell that time and fighting had taken a toll on her. Her usually calm, wavy dirty blonde hair was now pulled up into a curly, confusing ponytail, with multiple strands hanging down, framing her face. She had nearly unnoticeable cuts, bruises, and scars decorating her face. Her once bright Caribbean blue eyes, full of life and vigor, seemed ever-so-slightly faded, with dark makeup smeared around and dark sunken bags below her eyes. Her whole essence was that of an untamed beast. Dangerous yet alluring. Beautiful and deadly.
Aria stood there gazing quizzically yet amused at Natsu as he analyzed her. She swiftly took her hand and waved it in front of Natsu's eyes, as if to pull him out of a trance.
"Yoo hoo! Natsuuuu! You still there?" Aria teased.
Natsu blinked. Then once more, before a big toothy grin spread across his face. He lurched out and snatched Aria's wrist. He swiftly turned around and started to run off past his teammates, dragging a stunned Aria behind him.
"Come on you guys! Let's go!" Natsu cheered.
Erza, Gray, Lucy, and Happy all exchanged confused and slightly cautious looks before chasing after the two.
"Wait! Natsu! Where are you going? Slow down!" Lucy screeched as she ran as fast as she could to keep up with the maniac.
"Dammit, flame brain. Slow down, will you? Where the hell are you going?" Gray hollered.
"Let's just follow him," Erza added, keeping up with Lucy and Gray. "I'm sure he's got something in mind. Especially since it seems like he knows her."
"NATSU! What the hell are you doing? Where are you dragging me, which by the way I can run on my own! Natsu!" Aria shrieked as she struggled to keep up with his fast pace and hurdle over fallen stands.
"There are some people that I want you to meet! Come on! Another adventure like always, right?" Natsu grinned before speeding up.
What did I get myself into? Oh, Natsu…what am I going to do with you? Aria thought as a soft smirk appeared on her face.
Protect.
Yeah, yeah. I know. I promised, didn't I? She looked back at the man dragging her along, running with a newfound burst of energy. Protect, huh? With that thought, Aria heartily followed the pink haired boy to their unknown destination.
"What the hell is that?" Aria questioned as she gazed upon the massive building in the distance.
"That's our guild, Fairy Tail! I want you to meet my friends and guildmates!" Natsu exclaimed as his grin widened.
"Huh?! I thought I told you Natsu? I don't do guilds. Guilds and I just…don't get along, okay?" Aria fretted as she tried to twist her wrist out of his grip.
"Come on! It won't be that bad! Besides, there's someone that has to meet you!" Natsu continued, getting closer and closer to the said guild.
With one swift kick to the doors, they slammed open with Natsu still running, directly towards the person he wanted to see. All the guild members would have barely glanced, considering it was Natsu, except a lovely woman who trailed behind caught their attention. Someone that no one had ever seen before.
"Gramps!" Natsu announced as he waved at him with one hand while pulling Aria along with the other.
"Natsu, my boy! How was the job? You didn't destroy everything like always, did you?" Makarov smiled as he glanced behind Natsu at the beautiful woman in tow. "Hmmm? Who's this Natsu? Found another one to join the guild?"
Meanwhile, that said woman was looking around at the guild known as Fairy Tail. No metal…no chains…people are smiling? Aria's eyes darted about, jumping from person to person. There's light in here…It feels welcoming, not like death, gloom and power-hungry men...What the hell kind of guild is this? Her gaze landed on the short elderly man sitting on what looked like a bar. She analyzed him and, from what she could tell, he was concealing a great deal of magic power. Her eyes fell to the medallion pinned to his coat. That…that medallion…he's a wizard saint? She focused back on the two men talking in front of her yet again to hear the older man ask Natsu about her.
"I finally found her, Gramps! I found Aria!" Natsu exclaimed proudly as he pulled Aria beside him and draped his arms over her shoulders.
And in that one moment, the guild went silent after a large cup hit the floor, leaving a shocked Makarov sitting there, eyes flicking between the two mages in front of him.
"You…you found her? So, this is the Aria you talked about?" Makarov could barely form words, as this was, quite frankly, the last thing he expected to hear. He glanced back towards Aria, whose expression of initial shock slowly faded to one of confusion. "Well, I'm glad you found her, Natsu! And I'm glad to finally meet you, my child." Makarov stated, a large grin gracing his face.
Aria, on the other hand, just stood there and blinked. This guild…regardless if it does seem different, I've got things to do. I'm sorry Natsu. "Umm, yeah. Nice to meet you too, I guess." After releasing a breath that she had been holding for a long time, she brushed her hair away from her face. Turning back to Natsu, she smiled and ruffled his hair before turning back around to face the doors.
"Anyways, it's nice to see you've got friends and what seems like a pretty good life, Natsu. And, as always, it was great seeing you again. But, like I said, I've got some things to do. So, see ya later, Dragon Boy." She began walking away, thoughts running a mile a minute.
Protect.
She closed her eyes and grit her teeth as if to send away the thought. She continued walking until a voice stopped her dead in her tracks with six words. Six pointed words.
"So, you're just gonna leave again?" Natsu growled as he clenched his fists by his side, bangs covering his eyes as he looked straight at the floor. "After all this time of us looking, we finally found each other, and now you're just leaving like back then."
Enough.
"Do. Not. Blame. Me." Aria snarled, as she stood shaking, with her eyes, fists and teeth clenched shut.
The guild members were now dead silent; the quietest they had ever been. Their eyes darted between the anger resonating from their goofy dragon slayer to the intense woman fighting back.
"I did not leave you. I went out to get food like I did every morning. When I got back, both Igneel and you were gone. I searched for you for days, weeks, months, years; nonstop. Do not tell me that I left you, Natsu. Never say that I deserted you." Aria enunciated intensely.
Everyone stared, wide-eyed at the brunette as she criticized Natsu. Just who was she to Natsu?
"Natsu, you don't know how much I would love to stay, to catch up, to go on more adventures, but I have things that I have to do. These things…they're too dangerous and complicated to pull you into them. I can't. I won't risk bringing you into them." Aria stated sternly.
A long pause filled the room until all that was heard was footsteps as Natsu slowly approached Aria. With a gentle tug on her arm, Natsu spun her around and held both her arms, essentially keeping her in place.
"We can help. Let Fairy Tail help you." Natsu pleaded.
"Did you not hear what I just said Natsu? It's dangerous. I don't care if you and your friends are willing to throw your lives away so easily, but I'm not going to let any of you do that." Aria snapped back, clenching her fists once again.
The guild watched as the two stood still battling each other's glares until a small voice broke them out of their glaring match.
"U-Um. Aria-san, you said that you knew Natsu-san and Igneel. How did you meet them?" squeaked a timid blue haired girl.
Aria smiled softly before facing the girl. "Hmmm. Well, I got caught up with a dark guild and, Natsu, he came across us and basically saved me. So, he took me back to where he and Igneel were living and we just kind of grew up together."
"So, you two are like brother and sister then?" Wendy asked, this time with a little more confidence.
Aria giggled causing a large smile to appear on her face. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Why do you ask?"
After a moment of silence, Wendy spoke up, this time more confident than ever, as she moved to stand beside Natsu. "Let us help you, Aria-san. Anyone that needs help, Fairy Tail can do it, especially for our friends and family."
The rest of the guild including Natsu looked at Wendy with proud smiles adorning their faces. Aria, on the other hand, stood absolutely still. What…What's with this guild? They don't even know me and now they're offering to help even though I've told them multiple times that it's extremely dangerous…Is…Is this really Fairy Tail? Aria thought as her eyes flicked from person to person, seeing the same expression shared on all of their faces.
"Come on Aria! Fairy Tail can help! Trust us." Natsu added encouragingly.
Protect.
SHUT UP! I KNOW, ALRIGHT! ENOUGH!
"Look, I appreciate the offer and all, but this is my issue and I don't need people getting involved. Like I said Natsu, I'm not willing to risk your life…or your friends' lives for that matter. See ya later…Natsu, Fairy Tail." Aria concluded, as she turned away and briskly left the guild, fists clenched, teeth gritted, and body shaking.
I'm so sorry Natsu. But I can't involve you.
The guild stared dumbfounded at the silhouette of Aria as she faded away into the distance. No one took their eyes off the doors until a loud crash was heard from the center of the guild hall. All eyes turned their attention to an outraged Natsu and the pile of wood and ash that was once one of the guild's tables.
"Happy, c'mon. We're leaving." Natsu growled as he began to march away towards the guild door.
"Where are we going Natsu?" Happy cautiously asked, flying up beside his partner.
Natsu stopped, turned back to look at the table he crushed and then scanned the guild looking at all of his guildmates, his friends, his family. He clenched his fist, which instantaneously caught on fire.
"We're gonna help Aria whether she likes it or not. I don't care how dangerous it is. I don't care what happens. But we're a part of Fairy Tail, and Fairy Tail protects their friends and family, including Aria." Natsu declared as he gave the guild one last look with his signature toothy grin before turning around and running out the door.
"C'mon Happy! Time to save Aria, just like the old times!" Natsu cheered.
"Aye sir!" Happy added as he flew to Natsu's side.
The remainder of the guild watched Natsu leave before looking around at each other looking for any reason to stay. Thus, with grins, smirks, and smiles of all kinds, the guild charged out after Natsu, hoping to help and/or save a fellow mage and possible friend.
"Let's do this, Fairy Tail!" Makarov exclaimed as they followed close behind Natsu and Happy, unaware of what was to come.