Whump.

One step forward, two steps back.

Whump.

Why did things have to be so difficult with her?! Natsu could tell she was immensely guilty about the Quest she picked him for. She didn't need to hold him at arms' length out of fear that she wasn't 'worthy' to befriend him again.

Whump.

So… why? Why was she acting so unlike herself? The Erza he knew mighta been socially awkward at times, but at least she tried to make things right whenever she perceived something was wrong. He always liked that about her… even when it meant one-armed hugs to the breastplate for him.

Whump.

It was so infuriating. And the only reason he knew this for certain at all was because that man had to come and visit him. It took Jellal of all people to step up and clear the air…

WHUMP.

Jellal. Natsu had to suppress the urge to snarl at the mere thought of the man's name. In another world, perhaps they could've been friends. Erza used to tell him a few fond memories of the boy before he got 'possessed', and he got the feeling that maybe they would've gotten along… Depends on how 'fair' Erza was being in remembering the boy she fell in love with. Natsu knew all about remembering people fondly and 'ignoring' the negative aspects; Igneel was a great father that Natsu would never regret having, but he could be really tough on him at times during training. It helped him become the man he was today, but at the time it wasn't so great when the Fire Dragon King kept yelling at him to get up and 'try again'.

Whump.

Why did the mere thought of the man turn his stomach? … No, Natsu didn't have to ask himself that. He knew damn well why. If it'd been just a case of Erza being Jellal's redemption, he definitely wouldn't have as huge a problem with the man as he did now. Everyone deserves a second chance; even when they ruled from the top of towers and tortured people… so many people… to death. He knew damn well why Jellal drove him up the wall. After all was said and done, after everything he had done to her… Erza Scarlet still chose him. She entrusted her heart to him.

WHUMP.

Natsu panted as he decided to derail these frustrating thoughts. He also stopped punching the tree he was venting these frustrations on. The Dragon Slayer had been slugging it hard enough to leave marks, as well as get bloody knuckles out of the ordeal. Mira wasn't gonna be happy about that. Still. He just… needed to do it. She wasn't letting him use his Magic until they sorted out how they were going to get him to vent the excess, and Natsu didn't do well when he couldn't let out his anger. He was a Fire Dragon Slayer, damn it. Of course he was prone to anger.

'I seriously gotta stop…' Natsu looked down at his bloody knuckles with a frown on his face. It'd never been this bad before… Sure, he'd been angry at Jellal lots of times, but this time was different. The fury was nigh well untamable now… Was it the excess Fire Magic? END hadn't been very vocal as of late, which put Natsu a little on edge. The pink-head sighed breezily as he turned back to return home to get some bandages. Nobody wanted to see the results of his… 'anger management'. That might raise a few eyebrows. 'No use worrying about it now… I just gotta hope wasting some of this Magic will help…'

At this rate, he'd be speeding for a head-long collision with the blue-haired bastard. … Not that Natsu particularly minded the thought of pounding his face in again. Even so, it all came back to Erza and how it would impact her. As far as he knew, she didn't know about his grudge against Jellal… a small fact that made his blood boil even more, but that led to a line of thought he didn't want to go down… Why did things have to be so complicated with her?

Erza chewed her lower lip as she watched Natsu enter the Guild Hall again and strike up a conversation with Meldy. The Dragon Slayer had been up and about for a few days now; they still had to work out who he was to spar with to get that excess fire out of his system, but he otherwise seemed fine healthwise. … On the surface, anyway. To the casual observer, Natsu bounced right back from the coma he'd been in… but Erza knew him far better than that. Now that she was actively observing the Dragon Slayer again, the scarlet knight could see the stiff shoulders. The clenched fists. The gritted teeth. Hell, she even caught him stealing a glance at her and Jellal when he thought she wasn't looking. Erza didn't know or understand what was eating away at Natsu, but what she did know was his disguised uneasiness was unsettling her.

Mira had been so right… It hurt Erza just thinking about it. Why the hell had she taken Natsu for granted like this? It'd been over a year since their last 'real' conversation? Had she really slipped that much? Reflecting on it, Erza supposed there was nothing to offer up in her defense. Natsu was a person near and dear to her heart that she just grew… complacent. She always believed that if she needed him, he'd be there, but how selfish was that? To just… hold him to a standard of friendship while she buried herself in Guild Master duties and dates with Jellal. And for her to treat Natsu of all people like this… Natsu, who never gave up a fight. Natsu, who would always be there to save her whenever she needed it. Natsu, who always managed to brighten up her day with his endearing personality… She really was the worst.

You can see why Erza delayed in talking to him again… It wasn't so much Erza didn't want to fix things between them. She really, really did. She wanted with all her heart to go back to the way things were. However… where did she even begin to apologize? Erza knew Natsu all too well; in all likelihood, he'd accept her apology with open arms, but part of Erza didn't want Natsu to be so forgiving. She should have to work for it… It was only fair to him.

But as stated, Erza had yet to communicate any of this to Natsu. It was really unlike her to be frozen up like this, but every time she saw him, she just… wilted. All those little tics she noticed in the Dragon Slayer's movements served as searing reminders that she had brought him this pain. It was her fault he was in this state… physically, emotionally, and mentally… No she did not want Natsu to just 'forgive and forget'. Not in this instance. But insisting that at this point might drive a wedge further between them because of Natsu just wanting to repair the bridge between them… hence Erza's dilemma in how to approach Natsu. She had hurt Natsu and she wanted… needed to make it up to him. Her aching heart demanded no less. But until she could clearly convey everything that needed to be said – without upsetting Natsu – Erza would be holding off on their 'talk' just a little bit longer…

Yeah… great. Erza was a coward and she knew it.

Mirajane Strauss was not happy. She'd been 'unhappy' a lot lately, but this? This really pissed her off. Natsu had been nothing but a gentleman to her after getting back into the swing of Guild life – albeit without taking jobs. Sure, he was annoyed that he couldn't even train, but for her sake he tried to be patient. They had a rough time pinning down just who Natsu should spar with to vent his excess Magic; Mira wanted to be the one to do it, since Natsu was pretty much her responsibility, but the Dragon Slayer was sweet in not wanting to hurt her. Granted, any other time she would've been miffed he was 'underestimating' her, but in this instance caution was warranted. One Fire Dragon's Iron Fist had been enough to wreck Porlyusica's place. That wasn't something to brag about…

Gray, Laxus, and Gajeel were a bit eager to take on Natsu all at once, but that was… inadvisable, to put it lightly. Seemed like a good idea on the surface – the more there were, the more they could help one another out and avoid serious injury. But the drawback was Natsu releasing even more Magic to keep up with them. They thought a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist was bad? Mira didn't even want to think what Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame would be like in Natsu's current state. Or even his Fire Dragon's Roar. No… multiple opponents was a bad idea. You'd be hard-pressed to dodge Natsu's attacks as he currently was, and if you got hit… severe burns might be you getting off easy.

Even so, wringing their hands wasn't going to benefit anyone, least of all Natsu. And it wasn't even what Mira was pissed about in the first place. That was more like something to worry about 'on the side.' Natsu's hiatus from training was a side effect of the real problem… venting emotionally. He tried his best to hide it, but it was kind of hard to miss bandaged hands when they went into hug or just have an intimate moment. And why was he a tempest of erratic emotions? It all came back to one fiery redhead he was sitting on the opposite side of the Guild Hall from. It wasn't even his fault… per se. Granted, this time their Guild Master was sitting with her boyfriend, and that turned Natsu off from trying to approach her; Mira couldn't blame him for wanting to avoid more heart-wrenching pain. But still. Mira had explicitly warned Erza to get this the hell fixed, or they would have 'problems'. And lo and behold, Erza froze up as always… Like Natsu, she could see the hesitation – the feelings of 'unworthiness'. And she didn't need Jellal to tell her that was what Erza was feeling below the surface; years of rivalry allowed Mirajane to perceive that all on her own. Mira wasn't asking Tincan to be 'buddy-buddy' with Natsu like the old days… at least not right away. All she was asking for was a visible effort to patch things up. A fresh start.

That was too much to ask for, apparently. But not to worry – Mira was all too happy to force the issue and get the two talking and communicating again. Jellal was even happy to chip in so that the scarlet knight wouldn't get suspicious. Erza deserved everything coming her way…

"Really? You ain't kiddin'?" Natsu asked with a bounce to his step as he and Mira walked the streets of Magnolia, on their way to the outskirts.

"Nope! If all goes well, you'll have someone strong enough to help you waste that excess fire in your belly! Just remember that's why you're out here." Mira smiled a little too sweetly as she said this. Natsu squinted at the strange way she worded that, but ultimately decided to let his girlfriend have her quirks. Hey, if it helped him vent that Magic, who was he to be picky? He was game for just about anything.

… Famous last words.

"Sooo… Who is it?" Natsu probed anxiously as they walked. At her head shake and teasing grin, he started spouting out guesses. "Junkyard? Laxus? Gray? Max? Nab? Bickslow? Lucy? Ooh! Did ya bring in Sting 'n Rogue? Or Jura! Kagura? What about Cobra's old pals? Don't tell me you're forcing Wendy to help out!"

Mira had to sweatdrop at the wide range of guesses. You knew he was too excited to think straight when he made guesses like Nab or Lucy… Like those two could help out with something like this.

"Nope, no hints! We're almost there, but they might take a little time in getting out here. Just be a little patient."

Natsu Dragneel and patience… did not go together. Not well or at all.

"Just tell me! I can't take it!" The Dragon Slayer groaned in exasperation as Mira didn't budge. He pouted childishly and grumbled as his mind ran several miles a minute as he tried puzzling out who Mira was setting him up with. It wasn't fair to get him all Fired Up and not friggin' tell him who his sparring partner was gonna be! As Elfman would say, it was unmanly!

… Never mind that Mira was very much a woman in every sense of the word. Shuuut iiit.

"Hmm… I think this is the spot." Mira remarked as they reached a certain distance outside Magnolia. They couldn't afford to raise too much of a stir in town with moving the citizens around like during Gildarts' Shift – that would alert Natsu's… partner – so they would have to make liberal use of Freed's Enchantments to create a restricted area for this. A large area, mind you, but one that boxed Natsu's destructive Magic in. Sending Natsu into such an area alone might have been for the best, but what if he released too much at once and severely burned himself? Mira would never forgive herself for letting that happen. A sparring partner was the safest option, but it needed to be someone that was on par with him, perhaps even someone that could absorb his attacks to an extent… Hmm. Now, who fit that bill? "… Natsu."

Natsu blinked a bit in surprise as Mira's voice went from chipper to serious in just a few moments. That was… odd.

"Yeah, what's up?" He felt a little more lost when she turned to him with one of the most complicated expressions on her face. Part stern, part sad, part determined… Natsu couldn't even pick out and identify each emotion flitting through her eyes; the stare was that… intense. Natsu wasn't even sure if that was the right word to use here.

And just as abruptly… that look in her eyes was gone and she was chewing on her lower lip as she looked down.

"… No matter what happens, I just wanted you to know now this doesn't have to be permanent. I… I only wanted to try and help. It's not you… Your sparring partner just… frustrates me. Hopefully this will be just as beneficial to them."

Natsu's brow furrowed at Mira's cryptic words. It took him a moment to puzzle it out, but Natsu was by no means stupid. He wasn't no bookworm, but to say he couldn't work out hints like these… Well. That would be plain insulting.

"Mira… tell me you didn't force her into this." At the silver-haired barmaid's soft, sad smile, his eyes widened and he took a step toward Mira in panic. "MIRA!"

"It's only a onetime thing, Natsu. I promise. I hate seeing you hurt like this… You two need to communicate. Badly."

"Mira…" Natsu shook in a mixture of annoyance and anger… Couldn't he deal with this at his own pace? … Their own pace, really. He was more worried about her, after all. The Dragon Slayer tried to approach his girlfriend, but as he found out, she had carefully situated herself outside a wall of runes that he couldn't penetrate, and the way they had come bore similar results. Freed. "MIRA!"

That soft, sad smile remained on Mira's lips as she shook her head at him and moved further back into the trees, where Natsu was pretty sure she'd be watching from. The Dragon Slayer ran his hands through his hair in aggravation as he started pacing back and forth. If Freed was helping Mira out, then they'd really be forcing the issue… Damn it. He wasn't ready for this, and he highly doubted Erza would be either…

While Natsu was in the middle of his own thoughts, he missed how Erza entered the same 'trap' as him, not all too aware herself as she, too, was lost in thought. Surprisingly, it took the scarlet knight to say something to get Natsu to fully realize she'd arrived.

"Natsu…?" Erza whispered as she stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. Natsu ceased pacing and looked directly back at her in the eyes.

Well… shit.

Author's Note: Haaah~… Might've gotten a smidge fast-paced toward the end here, but I wasn't gonna go beyond this scene just yet. Let the abrupt forced meeting soooak in… Yeah… Hands up, who thinks everything's gonna be fine and dandy from the word 'go'? Okay… Show of hands, who thinks a fuse was just lit on a powder keg? *sagely nod* That's what I thought. lol

Sorry this took so long, but frankly I don't think I'm gonna be dragging the progression out anymore. We've had our fun reveling in the 'oh, woe is Natsu' shtick for a while now – now it's time to start on the bumpy road to recovery. There might be a pothole or two, and maybe a flat tire at one point… But we'll get to where we need to go, ja. ^_^ Full steam ahead! :D

On a semi-related note, Tempest35 and I have been exchanging quite a few PMs… 9 pages worth? Well, the ninth page is only like half-filled, but you authors/fans who have ever filled out a whole page or two of this site's messaging system will know how many PMs can fit on one friggin' page. Yeah. That's a lot of exchanges. XD Rambling… Point is, we've talked about this story, canon, hate for Jerza, lots of devious and perverted plot bunnies for tons of unrelated stories, and everything in-between. I'm pretty sure I know where I want to take this NaMiZa story, so there shouldn't be problems related to direction anymore… Those of you shoring up rotten food and other obscene things to throw at Blueberry might be pleased to know things will come to a head between Natsu and Jellal eventually… and that they will duke it out. Rest assured of that. For those more neutral to him (like myself; I'm anti-Jerza, but not necessarily anti-Jellal) – who might even like him – you can be assured he won't get killed off or drop off the map after the resolution of the conflict. Like I told a reader or two, I have a rough plan for who I want to pair him up with… No requests or demands; I'm pretty set on this. Haha.

That all said, last night was amazing in that I was hit hard with inspiration for how I want to cap off this story. I already wrote out a bit of it and kinda came to near-tears just picturing the scene in my head… Perhaps I won't be able to make you guys cry, but it's all about envisioning it in your head. … Some music might help set the mood, too. Look up 'Cipher's Silence: Zero Escape Remixes – 9 Years' on Youtube, 'cause that is precisely what triggered my imagination for the conclusion. There's a saying that I came across while reading fanfiction that basically advises writers to end a story on a wedding or funeral… Well~, listening to that remix will give you a pretty good idea on what I decided on.

As always, all of your support is appreciated! I'm still floored by the massive reaction it's gotten (in my humble opinion, in any case). You're all awesome. Hope you enjoyed this a little!