a/n: slight plot hole guys, that I've fixed but I just want to make sure everyone's clear on one thing.
I meant for this whole ordeal to take place two years after they met each other at the academy, but it's been changed to one year because I'm a shitty planner. Anyways, it's not totally major—just wanted to let everyone know.
AND THIS IS SO LATE I'M SORRY! My goal is to update as much as I possibly can over the next two weeks, despite me being on vacation. I won't go on another break until the story is finished!
He had been dreaming of a flying blue cat when he was shaken roughly awake by someone that wasn't gentle at all. Natsu's onyx eyes fluttered open sleepily, his body weak. He hadn't quite recovered from his fainting spell, the nurse said he was sick. He hadn't left the infirmary in a week.
"Natsu just wake the hell up already!" the voice was very annoyed, and unfamiliar. Natsu's onyx eyes tried to focus on the figure standing above him, the figure that knew his name—but all he could catch with his blurry vision was a glint of blonde hair.
"Who're you?" he grunted, but the mysterious person didn't answer, instead the harsh light of a flame punctured his retina. He blinked blearily, his hand shaking slightly as he tried to wave away the flame. It wasn't a small match; it was more like a torch, burning ablaze. What were they planning on doing to him?
A hand forcefully gripped his mouth, wrenching it open, and shoved the flame inside.
He fully expected it to burn as the person shut his mouth once more, forcing him to swallow. It didn't taste like anything particularly, but he could feel power, strength returning, as it spread throughout his body. He hadn't realized how cold he had been until the fire raged within, filling him with warmth and energy. He no longer felt sick, or weak in fact he felt… rather fired up.
His eyes flying open, he sat up. The person who had given him the flame was regarding him with wary eyes, as if afraid Natsu might lunge out and wrap his hands around his throat. The boy in question has blonde spiky hair; deliberately gelled in a 'cool' style out of his face, blue eyes glinting oddly at Natsu. His face beared a smirk, but something about him looks ill, as if he's lost a lot of weight in a short period of time.
"Who the hell are you?" Natsu ground out, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and getting to his feet as if he was never sick in the first place.
"My name is Sting Eucliffe," the boy said heartily, although something in his voice sounded almost…sad. "I'm here to help you."
"What did you just give me to eat?" Natsu asked next, staring the boy down. He didn't look too dangerous; he rather figured he could take him if it came down to it.
Sting smirked, "A special sort of potion," his voice lingered on the words potion, his eyes betraying the lie in his words.
"Well thanks!" Natsu shot him a grin, not really caring what the boy had given him, and only then, the most pressing matter pushed to the side, did he notice the screams.
They were coming from outside and inside the school, mixed in with the blaring of alarms and bangs and booms of explosions. He wondered how the hell he could have not noticed until now, but maybe somehow the fire improved his hearing. His sense of smell was certainly stronger, as he could pick out the sweat and smoke that filled the air. Without asking Sting any more questions or waiting to see if he would follow, Natsu shoved past him and into the hall.
The hall outside the infirmary was empty, save a frantic Cana who dashed past him and out of sight, yelling something about lightning. He turned to watch her go, before decidedly following her. She could lead him to the others couldn't she?
As he turned the corner she had just rounded, his mouth fell open. This was normally the lunchroom, but now it had turned into a battle zone. What the hell was going on?
A gaping hole in the left wall exposed the outside of the school, and through that hole swarm odd people. People that were attacking the students and teachers brave enough to put up a fight.
He watched as a white haired girl, her dress feathered like a swan, whipped out a golden key, "Open, gate of the ram, Aries!" she cackled. Natsu thought she was quite mad until a girl did appear out of thin air, quivering with pink hair and a small white wool dress.
"I'm sorry!" the girl whimpered, her small palms moving to cover her ears. She had two golden horns he noticed, sprouting out of her head and curving gently. "I'm still Ms. Lucy's spirit, I don't think I can—" he words were broken off as the woman kicked her.
"You'll do as I say!" But Natsu had said enough. As soon the poor girl had mentioned Lucy's name, he knew he had to act. He couldn't let her continue to be tortured like this.
"She doesn't have to!" he roared, shoving past the various people that were locked in different battles. He didn't really care about them; anyone from Fairy Tail could handle themselves just fine. He pushed the pink haired girl gently out of the way, and she dissolved in a shimmer of golden light.
"You jackass," the woman sneered, her face sweating profusely. "You gave my shield the strength to go back."
"I don't know where she went," Natsu said, "All I know is that you were not being a good comrade."
"Comrade?" the woman laughed, "You honestly think she's my comrade? You're delusional. I think slave would be a better term."
"Well maybe I should knock some sense into ya," Natsu said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Angel!" a man's voice barked. "What the hell are you doing? He's one of the ones the Duchess wants in the back room!"
"Who's the Duckless?" Natsu inquired.
"The Duchess is a very powerful woman," the woman he assumed to be Angel hissed, "You'll do well to respect her."
The man who had yelled at Angel earlier spoke again, but he didn't appear to be anywhere around him, "Angel deliver him to the room."
Angel smiled. "With pleasure."
Natsu grinned, "I'd like to see you try," he said, as she pulled out yet another key. He took several steps forward before she could utter any words and sank his fist into her face. In the last year or so, Erza had ground it into his head that girls were not useless, and you shouldn't pull your punches because of a silly thing like gender. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she hit the floor with a thunk.
"Natsu!" a hand reached out and closed around his wrist, the voice instantly familiar even though he hadn't heard it in years. Lisanna? "Natsu, follow me!"
She had been his childhood best friend; the Strauss's lived at the Headmaster's as well as he. They had a grand time, playing house, or pulling a prank on Elfman. Until about two years ago, when she died in a hit-and-run. He had been with her when it happened, could still remember how she looked afterwards—a bloody pulp without a form.
Now she was quite in front of him, looking cool and determined as if the battle around her didn't faze her for a moment.
Her white hair was ragged, falling in blunt waves around her face, her blue eyes too large for her face, her skin nearly matching her hair. Her grip on his wrist was strong.
"Lisanna?" he asked, his own eyes growing twice their size at the sight of her. Perhaps he would have given her a hug if an explosion didn't go off right next to them, sending them both darting for cover. "What the hell are you doing here?" he instead yelled.
"We got word from Laxus," she coughed, "Saying that enemy forces were closing around the school—something about someone remembering to much."
"Remembering what?" he inquired, dodging another beam of light which exploded inches from his left ear.
"Exactly," she said, shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts. Her fingers slipped into his, and she yanked him from the lunchroom.
"Why are you taking me—some of my friends are back there!"
"They want you," she said, whirling around and jabbing him in the chest. "Not them, they're insignificant."
"Don't say that," he said in a wounded sort of voice, "and how do I know you're not one of them anyways? You are supposed to be dead." She winced.
"It's a long story," she replied vaguely. "Just come with me. I'm taking you back to headquarters."
"Headquarters?" he was extremely confused now. Who was the enemy, and why were they attacking the school?
"Somewhere far away from here," she assured.
"I'm not leaving without Lucy," he bit out, wrenching his hand from her grip. He didn't know who this was, but it wasn't Lisanna.
"Of course you won't," she snarled, her eyes flashing. This most definitely wasn't Lisanna. Not the Lisanna he knew anyways.
He turned back towards the lunchroom—
"Oh look what we have here," the voice was a thin rasp, and a man stepped into the hall, his bare feet making no sound as he approached. He was grotesquely thin, his bones jutting out of his frame in a sick manor, dark blue tattoos wrapping around his chest and face. A black hood was pulled over the top of his head, a cloak framing his silhouette.
"Who the hell are you?" Natsu demanded, really starting to get sick of the whole 'mysterious person' concept.
"My name is Erigor," the man hissed, and flung out his palm. A gust of air sliced it's way towards Natsu, causing Lisanna to shriek and pull him out of the way. "Now I shall kill you."
"It was just air," he said, annoyed with his companion.
"It was going to cut you to pieces Natsu!"
"Erigor," the same deep male voice that had spoken to Angel spoke now, "You are to take the pink-haired boy to the room, and await further instructions."
Erigor hissed, placing his palms to his head as if the words hurt him.
"Yes master," he finally said, "but what about the girl?"
"Dispose of her," the voice snarled.
"I'd like to see you try!" Lisanna shrieked, but Natsu shoved her behind him.
"I don't know who you are," he told her, "I know you're not Lisanna. But let me handle this."
"I am Lisanna! And Natsu you don't even have magic—you can't possibly—"
Natsu turned to argue back with her, unfortunately for him, that was when Erigor decided to send his next wind bomb thing, effectively knocking the pink haired boy out.
Lisanna cried out his name, but he was already collapsed on the ground. Erigor started towards her, and she prepared herself to fight.
"On second thought, leave the girl," the mysterious voice spoke once more. "She might yet be of some use."
Lisanna was too hit with a wind bomb, her body slumping to the ground. Erigor left her there, instead stooping to thrown Natsu over his skimpy shoulder.
"Natsu Dragneel has been collected," he said, to no one in particular.