I am back with chapter 53 of my wonderful story. Please R&R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.

POV: Natsu, Lucy, Natsu

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

I step into the hospital room with my eyes remaining on the long figure in the room. The beeping machines surrounding the patient's bed is the only noise in the room other than the soft shuffling of my feet as I walk in further into the room.

"Hey old man," I mutter as I walk closer to his bed with a bouquet of roses in my hand, "Sorry I haven't come by in a while. Things have been a bit difficult outside," I say as I remove the old withered flowers from my previous and throw them into the nearest trash, "You remember Erza," I ask even though I know very well that he can't hear me as I take the empty vase with me into the nearby restroom, "She was one of them," I pour out the dirty water from the vase and clean it while placing the roses on the sink.

Once the vase is full of water I place the roses inside and walk back into the room. I place the vase back on the nightstand next to the bed. After I'm done I look around the empty room before looking down at the hospital bed.

Igneel Dragneel, age 40 and in a coma that has lasted for almost two years. He was hurt really badly during a fight against a poltergeist who called himself Acnologia. Both men had gotten seriously hurt, but my dad got most of the damage while Acnologia got away before the rest of us could intervene. To this day we still don't even know where that man is while my dad remains sleeping.

Sighing, I move into the nearby chair while resting my arms on the back rest as I look over at my father whose face is covered with tubes that supposedly help him breathe. A few other needles decorate his arms for the IV and his steady heartbeat can be heard through the heart monitor.

Closing my eyes, I lean my chin down onto my arms so that I can enjoy the silence when something catches my attention.

My eyes shoot open as I sit upright while I sniff at the air from the familiar scent that is almost completely gone. I look around the room again, but this time more closely, in case I might have missed something when I first walked in, but nothing is out of place other than that smell.

Pushing myself out of my chair, I race out of the room after giving my dad one last glance.

It couldn't be.

Staring down at my clasped hands, I sit there not knowing what to do. By now Laxus should probably be going crazy looking for me all over the hospital, but I'm rooted to my seat with so many questions swimming around in my head.

"Here you go," a gruff voice says just as a cup of hot chocolate is placed in front of me.

"Thank you," I whisper as I clasp my hands around the warm cup feeling my cold fingers instantly heat up.

I don't drink my chocolate right away as I continue to stare down at it not knowing what to say as the man who handed me my drink sits down next to me. He grumbles something about coffee being too expensive for such small cups before taking a sip from his cup without even blowing on it. He looks around for a bit before setting his dark coal eyes on me.

"So, Lucy is it," he asks as he takes another sip from his seemingly hot coffee, "How is it that you know my son?"

"We're classmates," I say as I lift up my cup and start lightly blowing on it so that I don't scald my tongue, "We met when I first arrived to Magnolia here in this hospital just a few months ago," I say before taking a small sip.

Igneel nods his head as he looks up to watch a couple walk past us towards the nearby elevators. We're sitting somewhere on the fourth floor far away from prying eyes. He said no one would find us or hear us here so it would be safe for us to talk for a bit. He told me this when I found him in his room just a few minutes ago.

When I had entered the room the first thing I had seen was Igneel sitting in a chair next to the bed that had a similar looking man sleeping on it. It took me a while to understand what was going on before he even noticed me walk into the room looking just about ready to faint.

My shock didn't last that long because somehow it all made sense. Of course Igneel Dragneel would be an astral body. Why else would Natsu come visit the hospital regularly with a grim expression?

"Does the kid know about you," Igneel asks and I shake my head as I place my cup back down on the coffee table, "That's good." He mutters as he chugs down the last of his drink as I stare at him in wonder, "The kid would probably be after your head too."

Staring at the older man, I can't help but feel a bit insulted. I mean sure, Natsu was a hunter that hunted down my kind, but that didn't mean…

"Well, at least I think he would go after you. I'm not all that sure if he would or wouldn't," Igneel says as he sits back and stacks his hands behind his head just like Natsu does when he's trying to get comfortable, "That kid's mind is just so confusing that you never know what he's going to do next."

"That's true," I say while sighing heavily, "I've been contemplating about telling him lately, but I can't seem to come to a proper decision."

Igneel nods and stares at the wall just opposite from where he's sitting seeming to contemplate what I just told him. As I look at him I can see the clear resemblance from Natsu on the man like his wild pink hair, tan complexion, and dark eyes that hold a sort of fire within them. He has a few scars that line his face, but they look as if they were caused a while back.

"Y-you said something about him going after my head as well," I ask as he turns to look at me, "What do you mean about that?"

The older man sighs and gives me a grim smile as he says, "You know about us Lucy, about the hunter association and what we do. You know that no matter how hard it is for us we need to complete our duty in ridding the world from both astral bodies and poltergeists," I nod understanding completely. It's basically the same thing that Kageyama told me when I learned everything for the first time. Hearing it again, though, didn't make me feel any better.

"I understand that," I mutter while looking back down at my empty hands, "Not too long ago I watched him point a gun to my friend and shoot her without hesitation. The funny thing is that instead of seeing her I saw myself in her place," I say as the older man stares at me shocked, "I guess that's what's kept me from telling him anything."

Clearing his throat, Igneel sits closer to the edge of his seat and clasps his hands together while seeming to contemplate his next words, "Natsu does what he thinks is best, and unfortunately the best tends to hurt him far more than it tends to hurt those around you. It's not easy being a hunter, especially when the thing you're going after has the face of your closest friend," Igneel explains with his voice growing solemn when he says friend, "There are no guarantees that once you kill an astral body the original person will wake up from their coma. Sometimes it tends to happen that the body never wakes up."

"Has that happened before," I ask and he nods his head gravely.

"It happened to Natsu's mother," I stare at him in shock unable to believe what he just told me, "She had gotten in an accident when Natsu was three years old and when I found out that she was an astral body I had done what I thought was right," he whispers while clutching his hands tighter, "I was still young at the time and didn't fully understand the consequences that could happen if you don't fully investigate who you're going after. My wife had had a weak connection with her body so without knowing I killed her thinking that in some way I was saving her. I thought she'd be coming back to me and Natsu and that everything from there would be like it used to be, but then… she never woke up."

Silence fills the empty halls that surround us as I stare at the older Dragneel feeling his pain hit me like a freight train. How awful it must have been thinking that the one you loved would wake up and act as if none of that had ever happened, only to learn that they would never wake up again. It made me realize something at that very moment "Is that why you're like that? Is that why you haven't tried to severe your connection with this world," I ask and he smiles that same sad smile that I've seen on Natsu's face.

"That kid has gone through a lot in the short amount of time he's been alive. He lost his mother at a young age and even witnessed the astral body of a close friend of his. Thankfully he's never lost any of the people he's gone after, and hopefully he never does," Igneel says as he sighs and looks up at me with a warm smile, "And as for your question, yes, I'm afraid of leaving that kid without another parent. He already lost his mother; he doesn't need to lose his father as well."

"But then why aren't you with him?"

"Simply because the kid is a hot head and he doesn't understand. I tried explaining it to him once about what happened to his mother, but he wouldn't listen to me. He said I was only saying those things because I didn't want to die just like the other astral bodies even though I was fully aware what I was. The damn kid chased me for weeks until I had to come to the choice that I needed to leave for a while and let him cool down enough so that he'd listen to me. In the meantime I went after the damn bastard that turned me into this," his eyes burn with a fury equal to his son, if not stronger, when he mentions that 'bastard' whoever he is, "It also helps that in this form you can't die unless you get struck in the heart," the man says cheekily as his mood brightens up a bit.

Looking down at my now cold cup of hot chocolate I let this knowledge sink in as I feel a bit happy that I now knew something more about the mysterious pink-haired boy. I also felt sad because of everything that's happened in his life.

And I thought my life was sad.

Slinging on my bag, I stand up from my seat with the intention of going home, "I think I should go now," I say in a small voice to which the man only nods, "Can I ask you one last thing? Is your connection with your body weak? Because if it isn't couldn't you find a way to get back to it?"

He smiles at me the way you usually smile at a little kid when they ask you a really dumb question, "It's not time for me to go back yet," he says, eyes twinkling with mischief, "There's still a few things I need to take care of before I can reunite with my son." I then watch as he stands up and throws both our cups away in the nearby trash bin before he leads me away towards the elevators.

There's silence between us as we wait for one of the four elevators to reach us, but it's not all that uncomfortable. Mostly because my head is still reeling with everything I now know, although, I don't really know how to feel with this new knowledge that I've been given.

I look up when I hear the ding of the empty elevator arrive to our floor and I walk in waiting for Igneel to follow me, but he stays outside in the hall, "Aren't you coming?" I ask as I place my hand on the elevator door so that it won't close.

"I'll take the next one," he says while shaking his head and I nod. He probably doesn't want to be seen with me in case I might get in trouble. I start to move my hand away but his next words stop me, "Tell me Miss Heartfelia, is your connection with your body weak?"

Blinking up at him I can't think of what to say. Sure, Igneel is an astral body, but he's also a bounty hunter and Kageyama did tell me to keep my secret to myself. Then again, Igneel could have attacked me the moment I entered his hospital room earlier.

"I don't think there's a chance in saving me," I whisper with a small smile as I remove my hand from the doorway of the elevator and Igneel's brows scrunch up in confusion, "You see, I'm a poltergeist."

The last thing I see is Igneel reaching for my elevator door, but he's too late. It closes leaving me alone with a suffocating silence.

"Come on you stupid snail of an elevator," I grumble as I continuously jab my finger into the button with the number 4 on it while my stomach churns demonically in my chest, "Hurry!"

The elevator eventually dings with my arrival to the fourth floor and I instantly crash out of the small compartment feeling my head spin uncontrollably from my motion sickness. As I try to calm my upset stomach, I hear the ding of another elevator and when I look up I catch sight of the elevator across from me.

I freeze at the sight of the man standing in the middle of the open elevator as my heart rams itself against my chest. Dark coal eyes watch me with mirth as I stand there, frozen in my spot unable to move a muscle. Even my mouth has gone dry preventing me from saying anything right away.

"D-Dad," I gasp as I blink my eyes hoping that this isn't a trick of the light or something, but the old man continues to stand there with his large arms crossed across his chest and a mocking smile plastered on his face.

"Hey there kid," he says while continuing to stand there seeming to be watching for my next move. I guess I don't react fast enough because next he says, "See ya later kid," and with that the elevator doors close and he's once again gone.

So I'm officially a college Freshman *feigns excitement* and I'll be starting school in the fall. I was stuck on this chapter mostly because I didn't know how to start it. I knew what I wanted with it, but I just didn't know how to lay it out. For one I definitely wanted Igneel to be incorporated into this chapter, but at the same time I also wanted Natsu to have his own point of view. Eventually after two weeks - sorry - I was finally able to finish it!

This chapter wasn't all that planned and just popped out of the blue when I had remembered that at the beginning of the story I had mentioned Igneel being in the hospital so I decided to add it in. I'm fairly satisfied with how it came out and hopefully you all enjoyed it.

Shout Outs

Great thanks for all of my Fantastic Favorites...

- Isabelle94

- lovelyflower5

- Haus of Lexy

- FDsecretart

To my Fabulous Followers...

- lovelyflower5

- Haus of Lexy

- Zuleima

- Isabelle94

- Bringmethekawaiisenpai

And to my Fantabulous Reviewers...

- CelestialWizard = We are perfectly fine and now our weather has decided to go back to the way it was and now we have about 90 degrees of heat outside. I'm glad you liked the last chapter and hopefully you liked this one as well.

- BeastlyTick59 = It's kind of the same here, but mostly with rain not tornadoes. Also, thank you, I'm glad you liked it.

- Snavej = I'm so happy to hear that and I hope I didn't have you waiting too long.

- Splendora Lopez = He's been taken! I read this weeks chapter and I was super shocked! Also, Erza as master, there would have been no better choice. I doubt that Gildarts knows about Fairy Tail being disbanded, Cana had tried to find him during that year without success, and I loved how Natsu dodged Lucy's kick unlike before. I also hope you liked this chapter.

- Guest = I've heard on the news, but how are you guys doing now? I hope things have gotten better over there.

- Bringmethekawaiisenpai = I'm glad to hear that you're starting up your story again, I'll read it when I get the chance and I'm so happy to hear that you are enjoying my story. I didn't add a lot of Natsu's background in this chapter, just basic things, but I might add more later on. Once again thank you for reviewing and also for reading my story.

- FDsecretart = Thank you for reviewing for every single chapter. You didn't have to but you did and I really appreciate that. I'm really happy to hear that you've been enjoying my story and hopefully you enjoyed this chapter as well.

- FanFictionLeon = It feels like I haven't spoken to you in forever and I'm happy to be back... ish... and I'm glad you've been enjoying my small Nalu moments. I hope you liked this chapter as well.

Well that's all the shout outs for today.

If you are enjoying my story so far please Follow, Favorite, and Review - remember, reviews are a writers candy - and if you have any questions or ideas you'd like to see put in the story you can always PM me and I'll gladly add it in.

Until next time my lovelies.