Alright everyone, ONWARD!

12

The Most Dangerous Game

"I will not lose my nerve. I will not."

― Richard Connell, The Most Dangerous Game

Natsu looked up lazily as Lucy and the others trooped out of the old man's office. The fight had petered out a little while back, mostly thanks to Mirajane transforming and cheerfully announcing that if they didn't take it outside she would put a stop to the fight.

Honestly, it had put a bit of a chill up his spine. She reminded him of some of the demonesses he'd run across. They were almost as terrifying as Erza.

Still, he didn't know what they'd been taking so long in there for. The old man had some kind of magic in place that prevented even him from hearing beyond the door. So he had no idea what they'd been talking about, and being out here alone for so long had left him on edge. Though he did feel a bit better now that he'd had a chance to fight Gray and the rest of these guys. Even in this form he was difficult to beat, and they hadn't been fighting for keeps anyway.

It had felt...good. Like a nest brawl instead of a real fight. He could barely even remember the last time he'd experienced one of those.

So he flashed Lucy a toothy smirk when she walked up, "You all done in there?" He drawled, and crossed his arms, "Not that I care anyway, but what were you doing in there all that time?"

Lucy rolled her eyes at him, "Figuring out quite a bit." She replied primly in that way that never failed to get under his skin, and gave him a smirk so very like the kind he was used to giving that he felt a much bigger chill down his spine. As if frostbite had nailed him in the back with his demon slaying ice or something.

"And you should care Natsu." She continued sweetly, seemingly unaware of the way she'd drawn the attention of the entire guild, "Because I've decided to join Fairy Tail."

Her grin widened, "And since we're currently bound together...that means you do too. At least unofficially. Though Master Makarov says you can take the mark if you want to."

He gaped at her, his brain having shut down somewhere between joining Fairy Tail and he could too. The only thing that registered was that she was clearly enjoying this way too much.

He could hear the confused shouting of the guild behind him, his eyes still locked on Lucy as if something had finally fried in his brain. Which, if he were being honest, was long overdue.

What purpose would he even have for joining a weird guild like Fairy Tail? There was no way they could ever get along. It was impossible. Natsu grit his teeth, an eye twitching and lips quivering around his stiffening smile.

Of all the bratty things to do... This woman had to go ahead and ...

He didn't want to join their stupid guild. Natsu had a nest before and that hadn't worked out well for him at all so there was no point in trying again. Gears snapping back into place in his head, Natsu could hear the protests of the guild members already.

Rolling his eyes, he crossed his arms and gave Lucy a sour look, "Yeah. No thanks. I'm more of a solo act."

"Oh come on," Lucy huffed at him, and Natsu swatted at her foot as she lifted it to nudge his leg, "Think of this as a chance to bury the hatchet with these guys and make friends!"

Gray began to laugh hysterically in the background.

"As if I'd ever be friends with these wimps!" Natsu shouted back, temper flaring hotly at Gray's laughter.

The Devil slayer's chuckles cut off at once and he shouted back, standing up with his foot on the table, "What did you say flamebrain!?"

"You heard me Dairy Queen!"

"Get over here Cherry Head!"

"Why don't you make me snowflake?!"

"See?" Lucy interrupted dropping a slender hand down onto his arm. Natsu felt a new chill run down his spine at the claw-like grip she had on his shoulder and creaked his head over to look at her.

"You're making friends already!" Her voice was sweet, but the icy look in her eyes was deadly.

Was he about to die?

He cringed back, eyes going wide at the sight of her looming over head.

"You're going to join the guild," Lucy insisted, hand relaxing on his right shoulder, thumb drawing a small circle in what she probably thought was an attempt to soothe his rage. It made a curious jolt slide through his veins and made him feel uncomfortably warm.

"At least as long as we're stuck together, alright Natsu?" She forced his gaze up to meet hers, and Natsu felt the stubbornness in himself caving under that soft brown stare.

What. How stupid.

Did she really think he was going to say-

"Fine," his traitorous mouth grumbled before he could stop himself.

Holy shit.

Natsu very nearly gave into the urge to slap a hand over his mouth in horror. What kind of idiot was he? A flicker of surprise flashed over Lucy's eyes, giving evidence to the complete shock she no doubt felt over his easy compliance.

And the guild itself had fallen totally silent.

"You...what?" Gray choked into the complete silence, though judging by the look on his face he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

He wasn't the only one.

He didn't mind Lucy joining them. Hell, he thought it was a great idea. She was obviously powerful, and with the kind of magic she could do she would definitely need a strong guild to watch her back while she mastered her own.

Just...firebreath joining as well had not entered even his wildest imaginations.

Erza, predictably, looked absolutely thrilled once she got over being stunned at Natsu's quick compliance. It was enough to terrify him and make him wonder just what had the redhead so happy. It couldn't be Natsu joining. Could it?

It scared him even more that Jellal had a similar expression on his face. Did those two know something the rest of them didn't?

For her part, Lucy broke into a wide, happy, smile once she got over her own shock and actually leaned over to hug the horrified looking dragon for a moment, "Wonderful!" She exclaimed and tugged on his arm, "C'mon! Let's get our marks!"

The guild collectively could not believe their eyes. Lucy had just hugged End. The most violent dragon seen since Acnologia. And she'd gotten away with it without a scratch.

Surely she had to be some kind of angel to be able to do that?

They watched numbly as she actually managed to tug Natsu, mostly unresisting, over to Mirajane to be stamped.

Times had definitely gotten strange.

Natsu himself didn't know how to feel when he suddenly found himself shoved in front of Mira, the Fairy Tail insignia stamp being lifted. He resisted the urge to cringe from it like it was some sort of holy weapon. Especially with all the damn gawking coming from the guild.

"Quit grinning like that you weirdo," Natsu growled at Lucy, grumpy and embarrassed by how he was being shoved center stage like this, "This is only temporary you got that?"

His shoulder tingled where Lucy had gripped it earlier, his tongue darting out to moisten his lips. Heart stuttering at the sight of the calmly smiling Mira and her stamp, he decided that would be where his mark would be.

He turned his right shoulder to Mira and looked away, almost like a child refusing to look at the needle when they were getting a shot.

Mira, much to Natsu's gratitude, decided not to comment on his hesitation. It was too much for him to hold out onto the hope that she hadn't noticed.

"What color would you like?" She asked, bending forward to apply the mark to his shoulder. Natsu grit his fangs at the sensation of the strange magic saturating his skin over the point of contact. She didn't remove it, instead waiting for him to finish the mark himself.

Color.

Licking his lips again, he wedged a fist under his chin as he thought. Temporary though he said it was, Natsu applied careful thinking to what he was going to mark himself with.

Dark red scales flashed in his mind's eye, the bellowing laugh of a dragon long since gone whispering in the back of his head.

That color was unique. Strange even to dragons, and it was a color that Natsu himself couldn't match in his dragon form.

Igneel.

When the stamp was removed, the Fairy Tail mark remained on his arm, but it was a deep shade of red. Almost a jewel-like ruby. A perfect match for Igneel's scales.

Lucy watched with fascination. Applying the guild mark was something she'd read about, but reading it and seeing it were two different things.

When it pulled away from Natsu's arm, leaving the beautiful ruby red, her eyes widened, "Wow." She breathed, and wondered what the color signified to Natsu. It wasn't his own color. He'd been a brighter, more vivid, red in his dragon form. Like the most perfect red rose.

This color was dark enough it would stand out even on his scales.

"Alright, your turn." Mirajane said cheerfully, snapping Lucy out of her fascinated study of Natsu's mark. She held up the stamp with a smile that Lucy just couldn't help returning.

She thought for a moment and held out her hand. This was a momentous decision for her. She wanted to be able to see the proof of it whenever she wanted. It would help remind her of why she'd made her decision in the first place.

Mirajane nodded and gently, but firmly, pressed the stamp to the back of her hand. The magic seeped in, almost tickling, and she felt something within her sing with excitement.

"What color?"

The question startled her for a moment, though it shouldn't have, and she frowned as she thought about it. What color did she want? She thought about the colors that meant the most to her, but the only one that stuck out was her mother's love of pink. It was her favorite too, but not like the way her mother had loved it.

She fondly remembered her mother's pink dresses, and playing dress up, or reading with her while she was in a pink nightgown. It was a color she associated with her happier memories despite the painful ending.

How ironic that her current nemesis had pink hair.

She glanced over at the sulking dragon as the stamp was lifted and rolled her eyes a little before looking down at her new mark.

"Perfect." She murmured with a soft smile.

Hand to eye level, she inspected it closely. The mark looked perfectly at home right there on the top of her hand, stamped and proud with the Fairy Tail symbol.

An amused smile crossed her face as she glanced over at Natsu. He was running a hand over his own mark, looking a little confused over the sudden, new brand to his skin. But she knew she didn't imagine when his curious gaze slid to her, trying to see her guild mark too.

It turned out he was very inquisitive despite himself, but the moment he realized she was staring at him, he childishly huffed and looked away.

Still, Lucy caught him peeking over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of her mark. Lucy subtly hid her hands in her pockets.

Of course she wouldn't be able to hide it forever, but she would be able to annoy Natsu for a few more minutes at the very least.

Laughing at his sour look, she squeaked when she was suddenly lifted up onto Mira's younger brother's shoulders. The tall, burly man Natsu fought with early was a strange fellow. With his penchant for yelling out what made something a 'man,' it at least made him memorable.

Elfman, her brain supplied, taking in the scar on his face and his unruly white hair.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" He bellowed, hoisting her up as if she weighed nothing and laughing boisterously, "Lets party!"

Lucy laughed as she was set down and swept away into the crowd. It was fun, and peaceful, and made her feel right at home. As if she had never felt such a thing in a truer sense before in her life.

So enthralled was Lucy, she didn't notice the way Natsu slipped outside, just as the party began to swing into real life.

Natsu picked his way up to the roof, grateful the bond let him do that at least, and tried not to growl at the sound of the party inside. He knew it wasn't for him. He wasn't part of this nest. Not really. It was Lucy they were so glad to have, and he didn't need that rubbed in his face.

He already knew he would be rejected, and was only being tolerated because he was bound to Lucy. And why not? He was their most prominent enemy. And even if he wasn't he knew it wouldn't matter. No one wanted a mixed up freak like him. Still…

He slid trembling fingers over his new mark, something painful, like a sharp stab of hope trying to prick at him.

"It's still weird to see you brood instead of screaming for a fight." A voice said chuckled behind him. He stiffened in surprise for a moment, not having expected to hear that voice directed at him, and looked over at the owner with a slight scowl. Him.

What an unexpected visit.

"What do you want Leo?"

His scowl intensified for a moment, "Shouldn't you be down there where the party is?" He growled resentfully.

"Maybe later." Leo smirked, a slightly wicked glint appearing in his eyes, but moved over to sit down next to Natsu anyway, "I wanted to see you first brat." He reached over and ruffled Natsu's hair affectionately, "I missed this form. Much easier to talk to than your other one."

Natsu snorted, "I didn't miss it." He grumbled, not willing to admit even to himself that he kind of liked the head ruffle. It had been a long time, and before everything had gone to pieces for him Leo had been a little like a big brother to him. He was a companion from before the war. Not quite nest, but close.

It had been a long time since the lion had come to visit. He'd tried, in the beginning, to argue against Natsu acting like the monster he was, and for a while it had worked, but then that day had happened and the lion had not been back since. It made him wonder what had changed that Leo was willing to talk to him again.

It wasn't like he was any different. He was just bonded to Lucy. Sure he understood the spirit being interested in her, but that didn't change him.

He had purposefully ignored the spirit every time he made an appearance and Leo had done the same. Natsu had been just awake enough to know Leo hesitated in trying to heal him. Their paths had diverted so wildly from what they had been in the past, they were almost enemies. Not that he really minded. If Natsu was in his place, he was certain he would have just let the orange haired bastard croak.

Back on the beach, with a sluggish wound oozing blood with every hot pump of his heart. Lucy, foolish to this world, was the one to make that call. Natsu hadn't forgotten that.

He just didn't care she saved him.

"Perhaps you didn't," Leo allowed, "But this is your natural form Natsu, you should be more comfortable in it."

Natsu hated the lion was right, but not finding any way to dispute him, he just fell silent. He was right. Monster or not, this was what he truly looked like when the demonic and draconic magics were all stripped away.

"If you've come here to convince me to walk the path of good and be a nice little boy, you should know we've had this conversation before," He grunted.

Silence fell between them, hanging heavy with unspoken words. Each tense second that beat between them was filled with regrets and bitter words from the past neither wanted to broach.

Leo shifted his weight, his cunning eyes locking on Natsu's face. His attention was hard and unyielding, enough so the dragon looked away into the night sky.

"I've been your companion for some time, despite how we have not spoken to one another in over a century," Leo's words were stilted, but each one was spoken with a harshness Natsu had trouble ignoring.

"You've been struggling with yourself," Leo gave him a haughty look, one Natsu wanted badly to tear from his stupid face.

"Leave it alone furball," He growled back at him, fingers flexing in warning. Natsu didn't want to hear what he had left to say. His stomach was flipping already with nausea.

"I won't," Leo refused, standing up to hook a heel against the rooftop, his hands sliding down to his sides. He towered over Natsu in his position.

Not one to be stood over and intimidated, Natsu also jumped to his feet, growling. He pressed in closer to Leo, his eyes nearly black with anger.

"You fought against Zeref in the Celestial war!" Leo exclaimed, "Even though Zeref brought life to all demons, you fought against him. You befriended the spirits and dragons, and helped to destroy Zeref!"

Natsu nearly bit through his tongue at the direction the conversation was going. Legitimate sickness curdled in his stomach and revolted against his insides. Throwing up on Leo was a possibility at this point, "I told you to leave it alone."

"And I told you I wouldn't," Leo snapped back at him.

"You've been struggling with yourself forever. Not just because you're a demon or a dragon, but because you're human too!" Leo snapped, "And try as you might, pretend to be a monster all you like - you can't hide the fact your human heart beats stronger than ever."

Natsu bared his fangs in warning at Leo.

"Watch it cat, Lucy hasn't stopped me from tearing out a stripe of you yet. I can slash you back to the celestial realm," Natsu snarled, anger boiling over as Leo not only jammed one of his buttons, but held it down.

Leo bared his fangs right back at Natsu, "You think that's going to stop me for long?" He demanded, "In case you've forgotten, you hold my key!"

He narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to Natsu, "It's past time you faced the truth Natsu." He growled, "Despite what you've been told you're not a monster! Igneel didn't raise you to be one, and until those narrow minded pigs with scales pushed you from your nest you never even considered acting like one!"

He jabbed Natsu's chest where his heart was, "The feeling that has been tearing your heart apart all this time is guilt! You know this is wrong, and now that you finally have a chance to pull your head out of your ass I'm not going to let you squander it! I won't let you disrespect Igneel's memory that way!"

Natsu, who had been momentarily startled by Leo's vehemence, burst into flame at that, "What the hell do you know?!" He roared furiously, lashing out to deck Leo, "Igneel's dead." He snarled darkly, "And I am a monster!"

That had been proved many times since Igneel's death. The stupid cat was wrong.

"If you really believe that." Leo grunted as he rubbed his face where the bruise was forming, "Then Igneel must be rolling in his grave over the fact you've become what you hate most."

Natsu's flames died down, bitter fury blackening his mood. He advanced on Leo and dragged him up by his breastplate, his fingers melting hot prints into the bronze.

"I didn't become a monster, I always was one," He snarled, dragging him to the ledge of the roof. Natsu's eyes flashed with warning and Leo scowled up at him, "You only bothered to come out the moment you thought you saw me waver."

A smirk flashed over his face and he nodded to the mark on his shoulder. A brand of Fairy Tail, "You gave up on me long ago Leo. There's not a damn thing you can do to make me listen to you now." He dragged him close to his face

"Lucy isn't getting your key," He hissed warningly, the steely light entering his eyes, "And I'm going to kill her the moment we're not locked together anymore."

His smirk grew at the flicker of anger in the feline's eyes, the icy fury pushing to the forefront. The spirit's mouth opened, but closed a moment later.

"I told you Leo, I'm a monster," Natsu laughed, the sound coming out a little strained. There was a pitch to his voice, he didn't like, but Leo didn't seem to notice it, "And if I have to prove that to you-..."

"Well I can't wait," He purred.

Natsu shoved the spirit off the roof, watching as he burst into sparkles of light before he hit the ground. His lips twitched downward as Leo disappeared, Natsu's voice carrying softly. Though it was drowned out by the party going on the guild below him.

"I am what I am."

There was nothing left in him to be saved. And nothing would change that. Not even strange blonds from other worlds.

Pfft. Sure.

Ahhhh! Guys you are all so nice! A few of you came really close to guessing why we named the last chapter 'The Odyssey' - I'm so proud of you all. The Odyssey is a story about returning Home. Way to go thesirenserenity for coming the closest!

SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! - thesirenserenity - Etrinity - bluebirdeyes - Marie Allen - Animallover - Pixelbow - Compucles - CodenameMise - MonKking - Snavej - Chouxes - Cora-DragonSoul - Wonderwomanbatmanfan - kirby42280 - Guest - Poxxy - fanficlove2014 - owlcity2013 - SakuraPetal91 - HalfBlackWolfDemon - Weepingwillowfairy - The-Rosette-Wolf - Twishadowhunter - Avengerika - bakafangirl - Lkityan - DancesWithSeatbelts - oreobark - eternalstarrlight - LovelyLuna1002

No replies this time guys! Sorry, I'm in a bit of a hurry!