Dear God! I've missed you, Natsu! *glomps* Heheh, ahem. Sorry. I have no right to say that since I've been being pretty mean to him (and this is my first FT story, too), but…I don't care. XD

Alright, well, here's the third chapter. I hope you like it! This is also a breather chapter (of sorts) to cancel out (most of) the tension from the last update.

Please forgive me, Natsu! This had to be done! For the sake of STORYTELLING!

Ch. 3: Understand And Be Understood

Do you know what it feels like to have a vice clamped around your chest? Even if you don't, you know that it would really hurt to have that happen, right? I mean, that's where your heart is; if that place hurts, there's obviously something wrong.

Well, let me tell ya – it hurts like hell.

But despite that, I still felt better than I had in days. I'm still not completely sure I understood what had happened while I was out, but it was as if a heavy fog had finally lifted away from around me, and I could socialize normally again. You have no idea how stifling it was trying to keep away from everyone like the plague. I swear, I probably would've killed myself if it weren't for Jellal, and…whatever the heck he did to me. Ever since I woke up, though, I've been feeling lighter, but I knew that I still wasn't completely cured. Jellal had explained as much that what he'd just done was just a temporary treatment of sorts, and that I shouldn't relax just yet. Reassuring words to hear from your doctor, huh?

"The dark energy may have lessened for now, but I still sense its presence within you," he'd explained before he left. "Don't get too complacent; as long as it remains, you're still in danger from being taken."

Yep. Definitely reassuring.

But at the moment, lounging on Lucy's huge bed with my teammates, I couldn't help but feel at ease. Don't blame me; if you'd been caught in a cloud of depression for a really long time like me, you'd want to savor this feeling, too, no matter how small it is. Besides, it wasn't like we really had any other choice – I'd been banned from jobs until this matter was settled.

Yeah. Just me. Sucks, doesn't it?

Erza, Wendy, and Gray had decided to check out the dark guild that we'd taken down to try and figure out what had happened to me, exactly, while Lucy and Happy decided to stay with me. Also, since I couldn't work and wasn't allowed to be on my own, Lucy had invited me to stay at her place until the whole fiasco had blown over. It was for safety measures, since they had no idea when I'd lose control of myself and…well, you know. I didn't argue too hard, because I didn't want to hurt anybody without meaning to, but it still annoyed me slightly that I wasn't able to do anything to help. A serious drag.

Besides, that whole grabbing-the-cloak-and-crying deal…yeah, I'd prefer not to remember that, and I wasn't exactly eager to bring up that subject either, so…one more reason to stay put for me. It was just embarrassing.

Especially since Lucy and Happy wouldn't stop fussing over me like I was some sick little kid. I know that they mean well, but trust me – it can get really annoying after a while.

"C'mon, you guys," I finally retorted. "I'm fine, really! Don't fuss over me so much."

"Well, you say that now, but we can't be too careful, Natsu," Lucy said worriedly. "That thing could come back any moment, you know!"

Happy clung to my left shoulder. He hadn't let go of me ever since I woke up. "That's right! I don't want you to get all evil again!" he sobbed.

I sighed and scratched my head. "Yeah, but you guys being so overprotective isn't really going to make this thing go away, right? Where'd all that confidence go, huh?"

Lucy still looked nervous. "Natsu, I –"

"Look, I know how you feel. Honest. But it doesn't make too much sense when you're the one more worried about this than I am, you know? You heard Happy; everything will turn out okay, no matter what happens." I smiled. "Besides, even if that thing did take over again, you guys would bust me out, anyway. Stop worrying so much!"

Happy sniffled against my shoulder, getting my sleeve wet. "I was only saying that to make everyone feel better…"

Lucy just stared at me in surprise for a minute (what was so surprising about what I just said?), but then she gave a tentative smile. "Geez, Natsu," she mumbled, wiping her eyes. "To think that I was the one cheering you up earlier. How did it become the other way around?"

"Blame Jellal," I suggested casually.

"Why would I do something like that? He helped you!"

"Well, if he made you cry, that's a good enough reason, right?"

"You're unbelievable."

"That's what I'm famous for."

The two of us laughed. It felt so good having a casual conversation with my friends again. I may have gone a bit overboard, but I didn't care – being quiet for so long had been really hard.

"Say, Natsu," Lucy said suddenly. "Is it alright if I ask you something?"

I looked at her expectantly. "Sure. What is it?"

She folded her hands on her lap and stared at the floor. She looked nervous all over again. "Don't…don't get mad, okay?"

"Why would I get mad at you?" I asked, baffled.

"Well, I was just wondering…" Lucy took a deep breath and went on, "What does it feel like? You know, having that thing inside you? Does it hurt?"

I froze. So this was why she was afraid of getting me mad. She thought she was broaching a dangerous subject.

Granted, it wasn't something I liked to remember. And the feeling it gave me was pretty hard to describe with words. But…she wanted an answer. She wanted to understand what I went through the past few days. Since she was my friend, I couldn't deny her that.

I must've been quiet for a pretty long time, because I heard Happy say out of the blue, "Are you mad, Natsu?"

"Oh, uh…no. I'm okay." I tried to get my bearings back. Man, spacing out like this really wasn't like me. "I'm fine."

"Can you tell us, then?" he pressed. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, but…"

"No, really, it's fine!" I said hurriedly. "I was just wondering how to explain all this, that's all. Honest."

"You sure you weren't just spacing out?"

I knocked Happy on the head. "No, I wasn't!" I snapped.

"Just ignore him, Natsu," Lucy implored me as Happy whimpered and rubbed his head. "So? Can you tell us?"

I crossed my arms. "Well…it's hard to put into words, really," I admitted. "Like, when it first happened, it felt like there was something inside my heart moving around all gross-like. That one hurt pretty bad."

Lucy flinched, but I ignored that.

"After I, um, passed out, this thing started talking to me in my mind. At the beginning, I felt really empty. I couldn't remember anything about myself. But as I was talking to…to that, I started to get some feeling back as it kept talking.

"And well, after all that…I don't really know myself. It was like I was in some constant daze. At least, until today, when I came back to the guild after I left and…" Without meaning to, I moved my left hand up to my right shoulder, where my guild mark had been. The skin around the area still felt raw from when I'd rubbed it off in front of everyone. I still couldn't believe I'd been the one who'd gone and done that. I probably hadn't been thinking straight, which made total sense.

It was weird. I remembered everything I did ever since that strange feeling in my chest came up until now, but thinking back on it, I really couldn't believe that that person had been me. Okay, well, it probably hadn't been me, but you get what I mean.

"Oh yeah…" Lucy stared at my right shoulder somberly. "Your guild mark…you didn't get a chance to put it back on, right?"

"Yeah." I grinned without humor. "I didn't. That was stupid of me, huh? I'm still not officially back in Fairy Tail yet, and you guys are still helping me. I should prepare a huge reward, shouldn't I? Enough to pay for your rent for the rest of the year, maybe?"

"Oh come on, you don't need to do that," Lucy protested. "It doesn't matter if you have the guild mark or not; it's the heart of the person bearing it that is important, right? I thought you knew that."

Yeah, I did know that. But that didn't mean that I still shouldn't do her any favors in payment.

"Well, yeah," I said, "but member of Fairy Tail or not, it wouldn't feel right if I didn't do anything for you to pay you back. It's just not the way I do things, you know?"

You shouldn't need to do anything for these idiots.

I winced and automatically raised my hand to my heart, even though the pain was minimal. Just perfect. This thing had come back to talk smack about my friends again at about the worst time. It pissed me off more than you could believe.

Lucy looked worried again. "Natsu, are you okay?" she asked urgently. "Is that thing coming back?"

"Don't worry about it," I grunted, massaging my chest. "This idiot just doesn't know when to quit, that's all. Hold on for just a minute, okay?"

I focused on that voice without waiting for a response. What the hell are you doing here? I asked it scathingly. I thought you were taking a little break from the real world.

I'm only here to say it like it is, Natsu, it argued. I mean really, you're still willing to trust these guys? They left you stranded and left for dead only a couple days ago.

Yeah, because of you! It wasn't their fault that they couldn't do anything! You wouldn't let me tell them anything and you nearly killed me!

Oh, sure. Blame the malevolent ice worm inside your heart. Yeah, that's fair.

It's totally fair. And you're an ice worm?

No, I'm not an ice worm, it said sarcastically. Seriously. Why do you have to be such an idiot, huh? It would be a whole lot easier for me if you were like Jellal in just that.

Well, what are you then? I demanded. You're obviously a monster, right? But what I want to know is what kind of monster you are!

Well, if you really must know, it said irritably, I'm like a Vulcan. Only I don't turn into a giant hairy ape when I Take Over.

Oh, that's just great, I griped bitterly. Good to know you won't turn me into a perverted monkey. And that still doesn't tell me anything about what you are.

You really are a moron if that's what you're worried about.

Geez, I don't even remember why I'm talking to you anymore. Leave me alone, alright? I was talking to my friends!

I wonder how long it'll stay that way, it mused.

Seriously. Shut UP!

Pfft, fine. I'll keep my deal as promised and wait until sundown tomorrow. You better hope your friends have a solution before then, or else you'll end up being my vessel… it paused. Though I guess you technically are my vessel right now. Just not permanent.

You really don't know what those two words mean, do you?

No, I do. I just choose to ignore them.

You bastard.

At least I keep my end of the bargains, it huffed. Well, see you around.

Good riddance.

…Ah, wait a minute! Forgot to tell you something important.

Ugh, what now?!

Just saying…you know that blondie with you?

Lucy?

Yeah, her. If I were you – and I technically am – well, I'm any guy who I choose to possess, really –

Get to the point! I snapped irritably.

You just have to get more annoying by the second, it grumbled. Anyway, you really scored with that chick. You should totally get together. I really want her!

…You've gotta be kidding me.

C'mon. It's all the easier for me to make her mine if you do it first!

Like hell that'll happen. You're talking like you think you're gonna win!

Best to be an optimist, isn't it? I learned that just by hanging out inside you.

Yeah, here's the thing – that hardly ever works with bad guys. I have experience.

Come on, I just want to play with her, just a little bit. She looks like such an entertaining toy!

If you could make a totally-grossed-out face in your mind, I probably did just then. You're totally disgusting, you know that? I said with chagrin.

You only say that because you wish you knew how to play with her better.

I couldn't believe I was holding this conversation. You know what; I'm leaving now. You're giving me a headache.

Well, take good care of her until tomorrow! it urged. I like my ladies alive and kicking!

Good God, you're sicker than I thought! I growled. There's no way I'm doing any favors for you! You've got another thing coming if you think that you'll win! And there's no way you're laying a finger on Lucy!

Even if they're yours?

Especially if they're mine! I'm getting sick just thinking about it!

You'd better hope she doesn't hear that, it warned, though it sounded like it was teasing. She'll kill you.

That's the least of my worries.

Oh, of course it is. Man, the thought of you and your friends killing each other. That brings serious chills up my spine.

Wha – you don't even have a spine! And I don't know if I've said this already, but you really are messed up!

You did, it assured me. Well, I'm going for real now; you're a chore talking to. You'd better hope we never talk again, Natsu.

I opened my eyes irritably and unintentionally muttered aloud, "The feeling's mutual, jerk."

"Natsu?"

I exhaled. I could feel my own frustration in that breath. "Sorry about that, Lucy," I apologized, still surly from the conversation. "He was just being…real messed up. As usual."

"Wrong how?"

"You don't wanna know." My stomach churned slightly at the thought. "Trust me."

I don't know what my face looked like right then, but Lucy didn't argue too hard once she saw it. "U-um, right. Never mind."

I sighed in relief internally. Not only was I reluctant to tell her about what the crazy thing inside my heart had said about her, but…I also kind of not wanted to let on how terrified I was of it. I mean, think about it – I was Natsu Dragneel, the fiery Dragon Slayer who wasn't afraid of anything. That's half my reputation right there. (The other half was property damage.) I don't ever back down in the face of danger; I punch it in the face. That's the way I do things.

Despite that, even the impulsive side of me knew that this was way more dangerous than anything I've faced before. Fighting off an army of dragons and saving the world? No biggie. Getting my body hijacked by an evil entity that wanted to kill my friends and possibly innocent bystanders? Holy crap; no thank you.

The scariest part? I had a horrible feeling that it would happen, no matter what my friends did. This freak of nature would definitely take my body and cause mass panic and destruction throughout Magnolia – and possibly even the entire Fiore Kingdom. The only reason I didn't freak out completely was that I had faith that my friends would beat the sense into me once that happened. I would probably be an inch from dying, but at least I'd be dying as me and not some monster.

But I couldn't tell my friends that. They were stressed enough as it was over this; I didn't want to give them a heart attack.

Now don't get me wrong; I have no intention of dying or anything. I'm just saying that there was a good chance of me needing to force my friends to come at me with the intent to kill or else they'd never get me back. So…it was just a precautious thought. Jellal was lucky that we'd (well, I'd) been there to knock some sense into him before he slipped too far. I didn't even want to think about what would've happened if I hadn't.

Phew…that was possibly the most pessimistic thought I'd ever had in my life. I really had to get it together.

"Natsu?"

Lucy's voice pulled me back into the present. "Sorry, what was that?"

She sighed wistfully. "Wow, it's rare of you to be so deep in thought," she noted. "What was going on in that head of yours?"

"Oh, just…you know, this and that."

"About that monster inside you, right?"

I couldn't deny feeling a bit surprised at her insight. Most of the time, she was a dense and naïve blond girl, but sometimes she really came through in the intelligence department. Like now.

"I know; it's honestly hard to keep your mind off of that, isn't it?" she continued, folding up her legs at the foot of the bed and curling into a ball of sorts. "It's like that with all of us, and I'm sure you knew that. But I can only imagine how you must be feeling right now about all this, what with that thing being inside you and threatening to steal you away from us."

I didn't say anything.

"But you know what?" she went on as she looked up at me. "I still think that we'll be able to help you in time, Natsu. No, I know that we will." She stared back down at her toes with a small smile. "Remember what I told you before your match in the Grand Magic Games?"

I nodded. I've believed in you ever since I joined the guild. I didn't repeat it out loud, though.

"Well, I still think that," she said. "Nothing so far has gotten me to change my mind about it. You just kept proving me right, and I don't think I'll be disappointed this time around, either."

Okay, this shouldn't have surprised me one bit. She'd always been like this. Her faith rarely wavered, and her pluckiness showed it, even through the tougher times.

Maybe it was just me, but I couldn't believe that she had such confidence that things would turn out okay this time. I mean, it would, but just not in the way she'd want it to. For some reason, I got the strange and irrational feeling that she wasn't taking this situation seriously enough, and I got a bit disgruntled.

"Lucy…"

She turned back to face me, her eyes wide in surprise – whether at my face or tone, I didn't know. "Yeah?"

"Look, I'm…flattered that you have all this confidence in me," I said. "But I have to tell you something about that. You shouldn't brush this off so lightly like those other times."

"Brush this off?" she repeated in shock. "I'm not brushing this off at all! I just have faith that you can –"

"Faith alone won't save me this time, Lucy!" I snapped, cutting her off. I cursed at myself internally for losing my cool like that, but I was getting on edge about Lucy's attitude toward all this. I'd snapped without thinking.

I heard Happy mutter on my shoulder, "Natsu…"

"I need to tell you this while I still have the chance," I said firmly, pulling Happy off my shoulder and setting him on the bed right next to me. "Listen up. You guys won't be able to save me in time."

Lucy looked horrified. She shot to her feet and protested, "Natsu; how could –"

"I'm telling you the truth," I insisted. "I don't know how I know, but I do. So let me tell you this." I shot each of them a firm look. "I don't know what'll happen once this thing takes over, but when it does…come at me to kill."

Lucy covered her mouth with her hands. "Natsu…!"

"It's the only way."

"But we can't kill you; you're our friend! How can you expect us to –"

"You have faith in me, don't you?" I interrupted, prompting Lucy to silence herself. "Come at me like you want to kill me, but I'm not planning on kicking the bucket anytime soon."

"But –"

"We don't have the time to argue about this, Lucy. Either do that and get me back, or go easy on me and I'm gone forever. What would you want to pick?"

I knew I had her at that. If Lucy really knew me, then she'd know what I wanted her to do.

"Natsu…" Happy began. "What if we can't? You're super strong now, and when that evil monster takes you away, he'll be using your magic, right? How can we beat you when –"

"Man, you guys are bringing me down," I sighed as I scratched my neck. "This is pathetic. I mean, really!"

"Natsu, you just told us to try and kill you!" Lucy shouted angrily. "How else are we –"

"You know something – and I'll deny that I ever said this later – I'm not the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail," I reminded her. "If you guys all come at me at once, you'll have a chance."

"You're crazy!"

"And I thought you knew that already. What else is new?"

"I told you; you're crazy!"

"And I told you," I countered irritably, "that we don't have the time to argue! If there was another solution to all this, then I would have told you so! You might lose me and people will live, or you definitely will and this whole country will burn to ashes!" I glared at her and growled to get my point across. "I know that you'll do what's right, but I want to hear it from out of your mouth, Lucy. Now choose!"

I could hear Happy sobbing next to me, but I didn't look at him. My attention was fixed on Lucy, and I wasn't going to look away until she gave me an answer. Now I finally knew what the others meant when they said Lucy was always being too nice. When it came to stuff like this, she would always try to take the easy way out – save everyone without hurting anyone. That's worked before, but not always. And it definitely wouldn't work that way this time.

I'd never held that against her – heck, she's done it several times – but this was different. Nice wasn't an option here. Things were going to get rough – for me, for her…for everybody.

She couldn't be nice to me if she wanted to save me, and I was more than willing to sit here all night glowering straight into Lucy's eyes until she realized that.

Ahem, yeah. I stuck in a (rather morbid) ship tease. Is that a crime? Huh? HUH?

All teasing aside, this chapter was actually pretty challenging as far as Natsu's character went (part of the reason this chapter is short again). I'm still not completely used to him yet (I think I'm getting better, though), and considering what happened last chapter, it was hard writing something believable. I did my best, and I hope it shows, even in something as short as this.

You know, this story is going by pretty quickly. I can't believe how much exactly I'd planned for this. At least this means that I'm doing okay! Right?

In either case, I hope you enjoyed chapter three! Chapter 4 will be out…sometime! Thanks for all your support, and see you guys next time!