Freed laid on the ground with his head shifting from one side to the other. His eyes were hazed from the never ending fog. How he wished it would leave him be, but it stayed.
There were no others around him.
Happy, amiss since they first walked through, Bickslow, who chased after Laxus using his own path, and Evergreen, left in confusion as the others followed their leader.
A sigh escaped his chapped lips. He lifted his finger to the sky and tried to draw pictures with the fog.
Tirelessly running after their leader into the lost plains. What a lovely idea he had. Or was that what others called instinct? He didn't know at the moment but whatever it was, he regretted it.
His calm, cold, and collected countenance was gone.
He, second in command, should have stayed behind and regrouped the others. Instead, he foolishly followed much like Bickslow.
The green haired man ran and ran until his legs could not carry him no more. He felt light-headed as he stared up into the hidden sky.
All of this over a single girl.
He could not help but chuckle.
Like the others, he accepted the others as friends but Natsha was somewhat different. They did not mingle with each other. Their friends were different. Natsha had her Team Natsha (Erza, Lucy, Lisanna, Gray, and Happy), while he had the Thunder God Tribe.
The only two things that connected them were the Fairy Tail symbol and Laxus.
They never bond together after a defeat of an enemy. They never partied whenever there was something to celebrate.
They only knew each other because of their status. They greeted each other, but that was all.
Laxus was the only reason for this whole journey. Finding his crush.
Freed closed his eyes once more. Maybe he will find the others after he taken a nap, or maybe they somehow fell on top of him. Either one.
For now, he did not care.
…
The three of them stood in the clearing with clouds surrounding the rest of the area. As the sun set against the horizon, other colors began to shine on the white fluff. It went from a light pink to a darken blue. A few stars glowed in the night air.
The biggest of the three, as well as the oldest, inclined his head low to the ground where the newcomer stood. His yellow eyes, with deep black slashed pupils, darted from one of them to the other. The red-scale reptile observed the man from the tips of his blonde hair to the soles of his shoes. "Another human…"
After a few blinks, the blonde man took a step forward as he noticed the giant beast. Their eyes, orange and yellow, made contact and held each other gazes.
It wasn't until the third of the bunch came between them that their eye contract was broken. One word was exchange.
Leave.
The girl raced up to the blonde man and pounded him in the chest. He slides a foot backwards and stationed his foot before he could fall off the cliff. The clouds may look like a yard, or clearing, but it will certainly break through as soon as someone stepped on it.
Laxus' eyes turned into slits, much like the dragon, as he sent a death glare at the pink haired. "What the he-" He was interrupted however.
"What are you doing here?!" Her words echoed off the cliff walls.
"Says the person who disappeared without a trace and the others worried about her." He made sure not to say a word about him being worried; which he totally wasn't. He towered over her and none of his earlier concern shown. Whenever he was in her presence, he always resorted to the calm and collected unless taunted.
"Eh?" her eyes lifted off his head as she tried to remember the exact events. The last she could remember was leaving her house and waiting on Happy, and she remembered waking up but nothing in between.
Neither one of them knew that a whole month as passed.
Nor did either one of them care at the moment.
Laxus swiftly turned around, facing the clouds, and without a glance behind him, he said, "Come on then, Pinky."
"My name isn't Pinky!" Natsha uttered with puffed cheeks. "And I'm not going anywhere with you." She bobbed her head in Igneel's direction and took a step forward.
"So…" his voice echoed silently on the rocks, "You are not coming back to Fairy Tail?" The whole guild was searching for her, over a month, without any traces, and now that she was finally found she did not want to leave. His face softens as he gazed onto her foster father. There was a reason why she wanted to stay of course, to embrace with her father that has been missing from her life for years.
"Of course I'm coming back, Lighting Rod!" She growled at him for assuming she wouldn't do so. Fairy Tail was her home, as well as others.
"But when?"
Natsha had no answer. She never thought to that point.
Igneel turned his body away from the pair of humans. His voice, rough, echoed off the walls, "Leave, Human." To him, Laxus has already over welcomed his stay.
She turned around and looked at him with that can be seen as disappointment. "What?" It was strange for Igneel to act as such. She, a human, he was always caring towards. So why he was acting like that to Laxus was beyond her. "What do you mean by that, Igneel?"
"Don't worry, Draco, that's my plan." Laxus faced the pink haired girl. "The question is: are you coming with or not?"
"This is not a place for humans." The dragon stated firmly. His eyes and Laxus made contact once more and tensions flared on both sides. Why else would he build his nest so far away from the nearest village? And hide for over a decade?
"I'm a human!" The pink haired girl waved her hand but she was completely ignored by those two.
Her head lowered as she stared at the dirt on the ground. She did not want to make a choice between her two families. It has been years since she last seen her father, yet during that period, Fairy Tail was her home. She could go without neither, but she been without Igneel for the longest.
Shoving a pair of trunks up Gray's mouth.
Smashing Elfman's face through the window.
Speeding past Gajeel in whatever competition.
Snuggling next to Happy at night and telling tales.
Showing off her skills against Erza's almighty form.
Sneaking around with Wendy, in other words, babysitting.
Stealing from Mirajane's counter but always failing.
Sliding into the guild with a huge outburst.
And, of course, her goal of snatching Laxus' seldom attention whenever she walked into the guild. Whenever she walked inside of the guild, there was always a bang. Everyone would turn their heads and greet her, except the blonde man. Out of all of the guild mates, he always ignored her.
It became one of her habits. Or a game. It was simple, yet hard to get Laxus glance her way for more than a second.
Though, she was oblivious to the fact he always faced her direction, which became casual for him since he returned to the guild, and watched her through the sides of his eyes.
Laxus grunted, breaking her train of thoughts which were leading up to a headache. "Where's the exit then, Nigel?" If there was no point in him being there then it was better to just leave Natsha here.
Natsha shook her head, ridding her of those thoughts, and started to correct him on the dragon's name but Igneel interrupted her.
"I will take you down." Unless if you want to step over the edge to your death.
Without hesitation, Laxus denied the favor. "I rather get eaten by mermaids than ride on you."
"Mutual feeling."
"Then there is no choice."
Natsha lifted her eyebrow as Laxus started walking toward the edge of the plain. "Don't you dare, Fuzzy!"
The blonde glanced down but the clouds blocked his view. With little opinion left, he took a step over the edge.
Natsha darted forward. The dirt under the soles of her shoes lifted into the air.
Igneel watched as the blonde plunged down over the cliff.
And Natsha followed.
His daughter finally decided to follow the human lad after all.
"Mermaids may feast well tonight," he said before turning away.
So much plot within the last few chappies. There was suppose to be a scene with Mira/Rogue but I figured to skip it because in the first draft, I made Igneel too nice.
Danizinhachan: I just love to find those little spots to end on. Keeps the reader waiting (and wanting to kill me). That's basically it. Though for Natsha, it has only been a day since she disappeared. Not a month. Igneel being instead of Natsu does kinda make sense...but what about the others? They got dragons inside of them too? WHY!? You believe in the Evil Natsu Dragneel theory? I'm starting to think it's just like FACE. Sounds like it's for something else, but it's actually just a weapon (or in this case, a book which could be full of demons). It seems like I've been seeing Yours-Truly-Pride a lot lately... I have read some of his stories (we kinda have the same view on stuff, but he actually shows it... I kinda already wrote a scene (with Evergreen noticing his crush). Thanks for the review!
rinpup14: Probably because the plot has finally appeared.
darkhuntressxir: And now Laxus has a death wish... Let's just say, I either try to end with a good oneliner or at least some drama.