**Me no own Fairy Tail. Hiro own Fairy Tail. Me just write story.
A/R (Author Rant)
Ok. So is it just me or is Fairy Tail getting really predictable? I'm almost ready to stop reading the manga till the last chapter comes out so I can pick and choose what I read. I admit Mira last week was pretty badass, but this week felt like nothing more than filler content. I mean... Nothing of any actual significance happened.
Anyway, here's this story. Read and Review as always!**
"Natsu, I know you well enough to know that you didn't mean that the way the princess thinks you did," Wendy said quietly. "But whatever is going on, you need to talk to Hisui about it."
Natsu sighed, looking miserably at the ground. "I can't Wendy. I gave someone my word that I wouldn't say anything to her…"
"But isn't this more important than that?" Wendy said, irritated at her surrogate older brother. "Hisui's really angry at you right now. And if it's allowed to stay this way… She could end up hating you."
"If I'm still around to hate," Natsu muttered quietly, his eyes still on the ground.
Wendy stopped, her eyes instantly snapping to the older dragon slayer. "What was that, Natsu-nii?"
Natsu forced a smile. "It was nothing Wendy. Forget I said anything."
"How can I forget you said it?" Wendy hissed at him, careful not to attract the attention of the guards that were escorting them at a respectful distance. "What did you mean by that?"
"It's nothing," Natsu said. "I can't tell you about it anyway, so please just let it go."
"I can't do that Natsu-nii," Wendy said, tears starting to form in her eyes. "The thought of you being gone forever…"
"Don't cry Wendy," Natsu sighed. "You should just forget I said anything. In all likelihood I'll still be around for a long time, and the princess can decide whether she hates me after the child is born."
"I can't forget what I heard Natsu! I want to help you! Just tell me what's going on…"
"No more talking right now. We're there."
Wendy looked up to see the rest of team Natsu gathered at the train station. They'd all come off the train to meet them, including a new member that had come along. Wendy gasped as she recognized the black-haired girl.
"Katya? What the fuck are you doing here?"
Natsu cringed noticeably at Wendy's choice of words. "Ummm, Wendy? That seems a little… extreme coming from you."
"Wendy," Erza's tone was disapproving. "Katya wanted to accompany us on this mission. She thought it would be a good chance to try out for our team and to meet Prince Natsu. She's shown herself to be capable in combat, so I don't see why she shouldn't join us."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness." Wendy was sure she could hear a hint of sarcasm in the other girl's tone.
If so, Natsu was oblivious to it. "You also, Katya." He said, inclining his head respectfully. "How long have you been a member of Fairy Tail? An why do you smell familiar? Have we met somewhere before?"
"I'm pretty sure we've never met." Katya replied with a smile. "Maybe I just 'smell' like someone you know. Oh, and I joined about six months ago. Ever since I got there I kept hearing your name, so when I found out your old team was going on a mission with you I just had to meet you and see what all the commotion was about."
"Oh," Natsu grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "I had no idea they talked about me that much."
"Don't flatter yourself, flame brain-*OOF*-your highness," Gray spoke up, correcting his manner of addressing the prince after receiving a sharp elbow in the ribs from Erza. "They mostly talk about how destructive and obnoxious you were."
"Oh, now that's not true." Katya said flirtatiously. "I don't know about the guys, but all the girls talked about how amazingly gorgeous your body was and how much you cared about all your friends. And I can see you at least live up to the first part of your reputation."
"Natsu-nii," Wendy said quietly so only Natsu could hear her. "Please ask them to send Katya back…"
"Why?" Natsu responded quietly, with surprise.
"She always treated me horribly at the guild," Wendy said quietly, her mind going back to the day that she left. "Ever since the first day she got there, it was like she hated me no matter how much I tried to be nice to her."
"I don't know Wendy…" Natsu was interrupted when Katya approached them.
"It's great to see you again Wendy," she said enthusiastically. "You know we've really missed you at the guild."
"Umm… thanks…" Wendy stuttered, burying her face in Natsu's shoulder to hide the fact that she wanted to cry. The girl was doing this on purpose, to make her look foolish to her nii-san.
"If it makes you feel better, you can sit next to me on the train," Natsu whispered as he pulled his hood over his head.
It didn't make her feel much better. She still didn't trust Katya and felt like she wasn't being completely honest with them. But it couldn't be helped. Obviously the others didn't see it that way, and she was sure Natsu believed her. Natsu always believed in her, even when other people didn't. That was one of the reasons she looked up to and admired him so much. He had a way of bringing out the best in everyone around him.
Wendy's troia spell actually worked on Natsu, so he was not only awake but pain-free as they rode the train to Caraca, a small village about 2 hours from the capital city by train. As they approached their destination, the dragon slayer pulled his hood about his face so that the shadows made it almost impossible to make out his features. Wendy smiled and shook her head at him. Despite having lived in the castle for a year already, Natsu still didn't want to be recognized as a member of the royal family when he was out on his job requests.
"So what is the job anyway Erza?" Natsu asked with a grin.
"Oh," Erza returned his grin. "I picked one I thought you'd really like. We're hunting down a fire drake that's been attacking caravans in the mountains nearby."
"Yeah! I'm all fired up!" Natsu grinned, his fist pumping the air. As he spoke his signature words, Wendy realized she hadn't heard them her entire time at the palace. She felt a little sadness creep over her when she realized his public duties made him almost an entirely different person. But then, there were good qualities about that Natsu too. He was smarter. More mature. Definitely a lot more polite. And at heart he still remained the same fun, compassionate, and courageous person he'd always been.
Just then the train came to a stop, and the group hurried off the car. Once they were clear of the town and the people who were staring at them, Natsu pulled his hood back a little so he could breathe easier.
"So what are you guys calling the team now that I'm pretty much permanently gone," Natsu asked.
"Oh," Erza shrugged. "I'm actually not technically on the team now. I do solo missions."
Natsu's features saddened a little, hearing this. Wendy smiled as she recognized the change, knowing her nii-san wasn't nearly as dense as most people believed him to be. "You should try to get on a team Erza," he said quietly. "It's good for you."
Erza just shook her head. "I prefer solo jobs," she said. "But you should ask team Gray about that one."
"Team Gray?!" Natsu erupted into sudden laughter. "Seriously Luce, you guys are like the stripper squad now? You guys scare the enemies to death with your underwear?"
"Natsu!" Wendy elbowed him in the ribs. "That wasn't very nice." She was working hard to stifle a laugh.
"Yeah, yeah. Very funny flame brain. You're just jealous that I actually have a team named after me."
"You've got a team named after you in every major city in Fiore," Natsu smirked.
"Really?" Gray said, his eyes widening and his chest puffing out a bit. "I didn't know I was that famous."
"Yeah," Natsu said. "Every 'gentleman's club' in Fiore has a team named after you. Except they actually get paid to strip."
"Oh you're so gonna' get it!"
"Come at me! I've been training hard you know!"
"There will be no fighting amongst ourselves!" Erza said sternly from the front. Then suddenly her tone became meek. "W-with all due respect your highness."
"Erza, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" Natsu sighed.
"I'm sorry!" Erza exclaimed, bowing submissively before the dragon slayer. "Please strike me."
Natsu shook his head and turned his attention back to Gray and Lucy. "So anyway, who else is part of the perv patrol?"
Gray just looked annoyed, but Lucy just answered. "Team Gray is now Gray, Juvia, Cana, and me."
"Wow." Natsu snickered. "You should invite Macao and Wakaba. They'd fit right in."
Lucy blushed a little while Wendy elbowed Natsu again. "Natsu!" She reprimanded.
"Sorry Wendy, it's just been so long since I could do this," Natsu sighed.
"So Katya, how did you come to Fairy Tail?" Natsu turned his attention to the new girl.
"Well, I lost my family a little over a year ago during the great drought. My dad owned a big farm that produced crops for our entire region, and we were raided by marauders. My whole family was killed while I was at the market selling the last of our produce for the year…"
"Oh," Natsu said, looking quietly at the ground. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"It's alright," Katya said, sadness still evident in her voice. "You couldn't have known anyway."
Wendy glared at the dark-haired girl. She couldn't help feeling that everything about her was wrong. Could it be that she was just upset that the girl didn't seem to like her? No way. Wendy wasn't that petty, was she? Katya seemed friendly enough today. And it had been several months since she last saw her in the guild. Maybe the time had just mellowed out whatever… grudge the girl seemed to have against her.
"So what about Team Shadow Gear?" Natsu asked, changing the topic.
"Oh, they've been doing great, I guess." Lucy said. Then she sighed. "Well, actually, Jet and Droy have kind of been left behind because Gajeel and Levy are always doing difficult quests for more money. But Jet and Droy will try to follow them sometimes, which usually ends up with Jet and Droy getting hurt."
"Hah. That doesn't surprise me," Natsu smirked.
"Team Strauss is probably the most popular team, and there are rumors that the Raijinshuu is going to have a member defect to Team Strauss soon." Lucy continued.
"Ah. Elfman and Ever finally gonna' tie the knot?"
Lucy stared at the dragon slayer. "I can't believe you actually noticed that."
Wendy scoffed under her breath, but Natsu just laughed the comment off. "Geez Luce, it was obvious to everyone. How dense do you think I am?"
Lucy just muttered under her breath and looked at the ground.
Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by a loud roar that shook the ground they were standing on. A creature that looked very much like a dragon, only smaller and with a narrower, more serpentine head, plummeted from the sky and landed in front of them, a huge cloud of wind and dust blowing them back as it landed. Wendy was able to stand firm against it, and she could feel from her grasp on Natsu's arm that he also didn't budge. However, as the dust lifted it showed Lucy, Gray, and Katya rising to their feet.
"Great!" Natsu grinned. "I just love it when my reward comes to me."
The drake glared at him and, without warning, launched a huge stream of fire from its mouth at the dragon slayer. Natsu just laughed as he devoured the flames.
"I've gotta' say," he grinned. "These are the best flames I've tasted in a long time. I'm all fired up!"
With a roar, the drake changed its target, directing its flames toward the rest of the group instead this time. Natsu just leapt in front of them and devoured the flames again. "Don't think you can ignore me you giant flaming gecko."
The creature roared at him, and Natsu jumped back as a spiked tail whipped around at incredible speed to smack at him, barely avoiding the tip, which was itself as sharp as a sword.
Meanwhile the others recovered from their shock and were fanning out around the creature, making sure to give it a wide berth. Wendy was to Natsu's right, while Katya stayed pretty close to Natsu on the left side. Wendy couldn't help feeling a little annoyed at this. Gray was to Katya's left, Lucy, along with Taurus, who she'd just summoned, to Gray's left. And finally Erza was between Gray and Wendy. The exceeds were both next to their respective dragon slayers, ready to assist them as soon as they were needed.
The drake roared and shot a huge cone of fire at Natsu again, which the dragon slayer just sighed as he gobbled down. "Man, don't you ever learn? I was hoping a drake would be a little more of a challenge. But I guess you are just a dumb lizard."
He then jumped back as the drake lunged, swiping at him with one of its enormous claws. The talons were each as long as one of Erza's swords, and easily sharp enough to cut through a body with the force the drake was able to put behind its swing. No sooner had his feet touched the ground then he moved to the side, barely avoiding the follow up tail attack from above.
"That all you got?" He taunted the creature, seeing Erza beginning to move in from the right.
With a roar, the fire drake swooped in with its tail again, and this time Natsu wasn't quite fast enough to dodge the strike completely. The spiked appendage struck a glancing blow against his ribs, knocking him back about 20 feet and leaving several deep gashes along his side. Even as the attack struck, Erza, Taurus, Wendy, and Gray all slammed the drake with their attacks. Erza charged in with her sword, scoring a powerful hit on the creature's right flank. Wendy attacked with her breath, which seemed to damage the scaled hide more than any of the other attacks. Gray's attack was a canon. And Taurus, of course, came at the drake with a powerful sweep from his axe.
But despite the power of the other attacks, the drake ignored everyone but Natsu and Wendy. Its black reptilian eyes focused on the pink-haired boy and the smaller, blue-haired girl.
"Well, guess it's up to us Wendy. It's pretty obvious no one else can damage this one." Natsu said with a grin.
The drake roared out a challenge, which Natsu happily responded to, running forward and barely dodging the talon sweep the creature aimed at him. "Fire Dragon's sword horn!"
The creature roared in pain as the attack connected, and Wendy saw some scales crack where the dragon-slayer hit the drake. She quickly focused her own attack, enhancing her speed first to make it easier for her to dodge the creature's great limbs as she came in at it. "Sky Dragon's Talon!" Her blow struck the same spot.
Natsu started in again as she leapt back, but then they both had to start backpedaling as the drake went into full attack mode, charging the pair with a flurry of claw and tail strikes they could barely keep up with. The attacks went on for over a minute before Natsu apparently decided he had enough.
"EVERYONE GET OUT OF THE WAY!" He screamed loudly. His team, knowing the potential for devastation his powerful attacks had, instantly got as clear as they could from the danger zone. "Fire Dragon King Mode!"
Wendy had to create a shield of air around her just to keep the heat from burning her clothes off. With a roar, Natsu used the most powerful distance attack Wendy had seen from him. "Fire Dragon King's Roar!"
A cone of intense, dark red and orange flames shot from his mouth, streaming down at least a quarter mile from the dragon slayer. Thankfully, everyone except Gray and Wendy – Gray who created an ice shield around himself to cool off and Wendy who could manipulate the wind to keep herself cool – had taken shelter from the heat to keep their clothes from burning off their bodies. Lucy especially remembered all too well what happened when the dragon slayer returned from his year long training quest.
The flames didn't let up for almost a full minute, and Natsu finally stopped the attack. When the fire died down, they saw the drake standing there, an almost comical look of mixed confusion and fear on its reptilian face. It stood for only a couple more moments before it fell, its face locked in that final expression forever.
"Wow, that took more out of me than I thought," Natsu said as the heat dissipated. The other members came out of hiding.
"I-I was useless in this battle…" Erza said, staring at the drake. "Please hit me."
Wendy smiled at the older woman's antics, but then the corner of her eye caught Katya behind Natsu. The woman had a dark smirk on her face and Wendy caught the flash of a black blade.
"NATSU-NII! LOOK OUT!" She screamed, watching Natsu twist toward her in confusion before the blade plunged into his back. Katya buried the weapon to the hilt in the dragon slayer, the front protruding out through his chest, but easily missing the heart. Wendy sighed in relief that her warning came soon enough to at least give her brother a chance.
Katya pulled the sword out and tried to bury it again, but the blade was struck aside by Erza's sword. As Natsu slipped to the ground, unconscious, Wendy was instantly at his side, tears streaming from her eyes. She placed her hands over the wound and let the healing magic flow. She could feel the bones and tissue trying to mend themselves, but something was fighting her. There was some kind of dark magic in the blade that pushed back against her healing magic. She fought against it, trying as hard as she could to overcome the barrier. Tears streamed from her eyes. "I have to heal him! He can't die!"
Meanwhile Erza, Gray, and Lucy were surrounding the black-haired girl who did this, fury in their eyes. "What is the meaning of this, Katya?" Erza growled, her bangs shadowing her face.
Katya just started laughing. "This is the whole reason I joined Fairy Tail." She said with a smirk. "Salamander destroyed my life, and now I have my revenge…"
"Destroyed your life? You yourself said he never met you before!" Gray yelled.
"Oh, but I lied." Suddenly the girl's voice changed. It became deep and sinister. The voice of a man and not a woman. With a flash of light 'Katya' disappeared and was replaced by a tall muscular man with black hair and a beard, his narrow eyes and his smirk reminiscent of when they'd first seen him at the Grand Magic Games…
"Jiemma!" Lucy gasped in surprise.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" The black haired man laughed heartily. "You know, when I first woke up alone and beaten, I blamed that idiot Sting for all of this. But when I thought about it I realized that it all started with Salamander. He was the one that turned my guild against me. He was the one that robbed me of my power and position as the head of the number one guild in Fiore. If not for him, Sting and Rogue would never have found the courage to defy me, even in Tartaros!"
"It wasn't easy, learning the magic to keep myself in that form day in and day out. And it wasn't easy becoming a weak little pussy. But I knew it would be enough to get me into Fairy Tail. What better way to slip past the old geezer than become a pretty girl." Jiemma smirked.
"You won't get away with this!" Erza yelled, pulling out a pair of anti-magic handcuffs. "You'll sit in a magic council prison for the rest of your life!"
Jiemma just laughed again. "I was totally prepared for that. It's all worth it since I accomplished my goal."
Just then Wendy's power output changed, and everyone turned toward her in shock. Her hair went from blue to purple, scales appearing on various parts of her body. Erza's eyes opened wide at the sight. The girl was going into dragon force while healing?! This was something new.
"I… won't… fail…" The girl gasped out, and an intense green light glowed around the wound. But there was something dark in there too. It seemed to fight against the green light, lashing out at it and trying to keep it back. But Wendy maintained her pressure. After several moments, the blackness was consumed by her light, and the wound began to close. It was another full minute before the flesh was closed enough for the bleeding to be minimal, and Wendy's dragon force faded as she herself collapsed, descending into unconsciousness over the wounded prince.
Immediately Erza knelt by the duo, checking Natsu's pulse with her hand. She found one, albeit faint, and breathed out a sigh of relief.
"We need to get Natsu to the nearest healer," she said. "Gray, Lucy, you two are going ot have to carry him. Try not to jolt his body too much, since we don't know how much Wendy was able to heal. Carla, Happy, I want you two to carry Wendy. She exhausted her magic power container."
She then turned to Jiemma, grabbing his cuffed wrists roughly. "Looks like you failed." She said with a scowl. "If I were more like you I'd show you the true meaning of pain right here. The council prison is too good for you."
And with that the group headed off, their mood much more somber than it was before.
And that's a wrap (for the chapter). Drop a review if you liked it. My next update will be "Lost," and once that's posted the poll will close. So if you haven't voted for the "Lost" pairing, vote now (after you review, of course).
Ciao