A/N: I know I'm a day behind, okay maybe I'm not 100% better, I have days where I literally can't get up due to lack of energy (Yesterday) I will try to keep up to date, but if a chapter isn't released that's why.
"We won!" Erza announce loudly hitting the table with her palm to fully exercise her point.
"Well actually, we all beat one of the element four and then we beat Jose and Gajeel in pairs." Raken argued.
"Yes, but we are cuter therefore we always win." Erza shot back.
Natsu just rolled his eyes and walked away.
"What kind of logic is that?!" He heard Raken shout "Your cuteness doesn't win you arguments! Me and Natsu beat one of the ten wizard saints you beat Gajeel it isn't even a contest."
Natsu continued to half listen to the conversation that more or less affected him as he picked up another large stack of wooden beams before carting them up to the second floor of the slowly-being-rebuilt fairy tail, of course it would be going faster if a set of three wasn't doing nothing but arguing over who beat more of Phantoms elite.
"Working hard?" Natsu recognized the voice of Makarov pretty easily, and just nodded to indicate to the man that he heard as he continued placing and nailing in planks.
"It'll be nice when this place is finished again," Makarov continued looking around him "But I think you and your team have earned a little time off."
Natsu raised his eyebrows at the old man "What did you have in mind? Surely it would be better if we went after we finished."
Makarov waved his hands around for a moment "We are almost finished as is, no the guild won't miss the four of you for a few days, go have some fun," He finished as he held out a small stack of tickets to Akane resort "I could order you to go as the guild master but I don't think I need too."
Natsu sighed and nodded, he could use a break and at the very least it meant Erza and Raken would stop arguing as he made his way back over to the group and their conversation reentered his ears he sighed.
"Why don't we just decide on something we all want to do so everyone's happy?" Wendy suggested
"I might be able to help with that," Natsu smiled as he held up the tickets "Of course we would have to call it a draw and be done with it, or I could take Wendy and leave you two to argue since you seem to be having so much fun."
"Yeah a draw!" Raken shouted as he snatched a ticket out of Natsu's hand, Natsu ruffled his hair slightly and turned to Erza, who after a minute agreed on a draw.
A little more than hour later the group was on a train headed for the temporary holiday home, Natsu leaned his head back and closed his eyes sighing deeply as he began to nod off.
Raken looked out the window at rolling hills a small frown stuck on his face as they moved.
"Something wrong?" Wendy asked after around five minutes of watching him.
"I just have a bad feeling," Raken answered before cracking a smile "I'm sure it's nothing I mean we are the strongest wizards in Fairy Tail."
Erza nodded "Yeah, there's nothing we can't handle."
Natsu smiled with his eyes still closed, although a feeling of doubt set in and he couldn't shake it no matter what he thought about.
"So what are we going to do first?" Raken asked the group as they reentered the hallways outside their rooms, it was pretty late at night so the beach was off the list for the time being.
"This place it pretty famous for its casino, I might try my hand at some cards." Natsu said simply, he glowed gold for a moment before the light blinked out and he stood in simple black tux, a small red rose affixed on the pocket on his chest, he turned around and examined himself "How do I look?"
"Good," Erza said simply "Let's go then, I want to win some money!"
Natsu smirked and rolled his eyes "Enthusiastic as always."
"Well someone's gotta be because you are so dreadfully boring," Erza retorted "I mean you never have any fun do you?"
"Ah, so you chose the dreadfully boring boyfriend did you?" Natsu purred almost seductively as they rounded the corner he caught her wrist and spun her once, she landed against his chest with a soft thud her hands were balled into two fists on his chest, he leant forward and pressed his lips against hers slowly before pulling away "Still boring?" He asked with a smile.
Her cheeks puffed out cutely as she pouted "Don't do stuff like that."
"Why cause you love it?" Natsu shot back evilly, he bowed in front of her before taking the rose from his pocket and threading it over her ear, "I ask your forgiveness my lady." He said dramatically.
"Let's just go." She couldn't contain the smile on her face though. as the pair walked towards the elevators, Natsu eyed her up and down taking in her appearance, She wore a long red dress, it had a cut up one side and exposed a considerable amount of her leg, she had white gloves on the came up well past her elbows working almost like sleeves and of course the rose he had just threaded into her hair a moment before.
She noticed his stare "Checkin me out?"
"Of course," Natsu answered "You look beautiful."
She blushed slightly but kept walking.
As they stepped of the elevator on the casino floor, Erza spotted something that apparently interested her and went to check it out, leaving Natsu to find the black-jack table in relative silence, he sat down and gave the dealer a small smile as he dealt in, he noticed it was a card game he was relatively familiar with as two card were thrown in front of him, he lifted them carefully and looked down he had a 1 and a 2, he wanted to punch a wall. He kept his face impassive and watched the three other people at the table.
An unknown amount of time went by and Erza eventually found him at the table, she sat down next to him and kindly rejected when she was offered to be dealt in, opting to just watch what Natsu was doing. Natsu looked at the cards he was dealt, two aces 'Finally a bit of luck.' Again keeping his 'poker face' on he watched the rest of his opponents, he threw a few chips into the pot and waited. The dealer's swapped out, and Natsu's' eyes narrowed as he eyed the newcomer.
"Erza, go find Raken and tell him to come join me." Natsu said flatly.
Erza being bored just nodded and hoped off the table walking away.
Natsu felt the shadow of a large man to his left, he continued to stare down the blonde in front of him.
"Hello Brother," The blonde almost growled.
"Been a long time Sho," Natsu said flatly, he turned his head and looked up at the monster of a man beside him "same to you Simon."
The man just nodded.
"Your big brother send's his regards," Sho said flatly, Natsu raised his leg and locked it against the table before kicking back, the chair slid for a few meter's before toppling, Natsu rolled back with it and bounced to his feet, as he requipped to his standard cuirass the sword strapped across his back, he drew it quickly. And eyes the pair in front of him.
"You should have come quietly brother," Sho said threateningly "Wally you over there?"
The block man emerged after a minute, Shoving Erza along with him, Natsu gritted his teeth and dropped the sword, it clattered to the ground and he raised his hands above his head "Let her go, I will do whatever you say."
"Natsu who are these people?" Erza demanded.
"We are old friends of his," Sho half explained "We have missed him, all his time away."
Erza eyed the blonde before her hand's ignited and she growled "You aren't taking him anywhere!"
The man behind her brought up his arm, and Erza whirled around slamming her elbow into his stomach, he slid back and she charged him slamming her fist into his head.
"Erza stop!" Natsu shouted she paused and looked at him confused "You can't beat all five of them on your own! Just get out of here!"
"What about you?!" She demanded as she tossed Wally across the room, he got up slowly as Simon and Sho moved beside him.
"I told you to get Raken didn't I? He'll know what to do." Natsu slid beside her and spoke so only she could hear "Just trust me."
"Remember your promise Natsu." Erza whispered back before running out of the room.
"Yeah I know, I won't die." Natsu told nobody.
"I should have just killed the damn broad," Wally complained as he reset his jaw "That hurt."
"Only three of you?" Natsu asked, he felt something coil around his arms and bind them to his sides, he grunted as they tightened.
"Four," A girl landed lightly beside the three men from Natsu's childhood as she corrected him "Long time no see Natsu."
"Millianna," Natsu nodded "So you all became wizards?"
The four nodded as Simon began dragging Natsu into the centre of the wide room, a magic circle appeared above them, they blinked out of the room as Raken, Wendy and Erza rounded the corner.
"Why did you leave him to fight them alone?!" Raken snapped at Erza who looked at him in surprise.
"He said go to you, that you'd have a plan," Erza started "He told me to trust him."
Raken took a deep breath and closed his eyes "Same old Natsu, he wants to make sure we are all safe and try to do everything on his own…Again."
Erza just frowned "So, have you got a plan?"
Raken just sighed "I don't know! I can't track them through a teleport spell, maybe if-" He trailed off and looked at the pair of Dragon slayer's.
"I may not be able to track their physical forms, but you guys might be able to track their scent's…or Natsu's." Raken finished.
Erza's eyes narrowed on the sword Natsu had left when he surrendered, she ran forward and took in his scent then ran out of the room "I hope they are still renting boat's out!" she called to the pair that followed.
"She's right they have a considerable lead on us." Wendy said with a frown "I think we are going to have to have a stern talking to with Natsu when we find him."
Raken nodded his agreement as they followed Erza.
Natsu continued to glare at his captors as they tied him to a post in the holding of the boat they were on "Jellal corrupted you that easily, You are all happy to listen to the ravings of a mad man? He can't become a god! He can't lead you into a new world!"
Simon was the only one that didn't just ignore him and walk away, after the other three had left the room he just continued to stare down at Natsu before walking over and making a small incisions on the rope's that bound him.
"Wait until we are in the tower then snap them." Simon said quietly
"Glad to see you still have your mind intact." Natsu whispered with a smile.
Simon just nodded "Don't be too harsh with the other's, they have no reason to doubt what Jellal has told them, I believed him too…For a time."
Natsu just nodded before leaning his head back against the rough wood of the post.
"Hey Simon what took you?" Natsu heard Wally ask.
"Just checking his ropes, wouldn't want for him to escape." Simon answered.
"I made the ropes with my magic, have a little more faith." Millianna complained.
"Still as paranoid as ever I guess." Simon laughed.
"They've stopped," Erza announced flatly "Can't this thing go any faster?!"
Wendy moved to the back of the boat, she placed her hands into the water and focused the air around her hands making it spin, the boat lurched suddenly before shooting forward.
Raken placed his hand on Wendy's shoulder his face held a bit of concern "We are going to need to fight, are you sure you can spare the energy for this?"
She nodded "I can fuel this by eating the air around us easily, don't worry I won't be weakened when we arrive."
Raken nodded, he knew whether it weakened Wendy or not she wouldn't stop anyway.
'Just hold on Natsu were coming.' Erza thought desperately as she watched the horizon in front of them.
A/N: I know I am evil cutting it here, but I am struggling to stay upright so I am going to cut it and release a chapter, rather than not release and make you wait a week. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I tried to put in a little bit of everything so it may not have been as good. But eh, can't really do anything about it….Peace!