How Did I Get Into This Situation?
Year;X777
Location; Fiore-Bosco Border, Fiore
The Fiore-Bosco Border set an imposing site if it was your first time seeing it. It had large twenty feet tall metal wire fence that ran along it's entire Guard Towers rose out of the ground every fifty metres, each one manned by five Border Guards at all times, every guard a highly trained soldier in the Fiore Imperial Army and every Tower had enough provisions and weapons to last for weeks without resupplying in the event of an attack.
Now you may be asking why all this is necessary. While Fiore was a peaceful country and got along with most of it's neighbours, Bosco wasn't one of them. And although the two countries weren't openly hostile to each other they maintained an unstable and cautious relationship between them.
This mainly stemmed from one divisive issue.
Slavery.
While Slavery had been completely outlawed in Fiore for over Two Hundred years, in Bosco it was a different matter. Bosco relied heavily on slavery and contained the world's capital for slave trading. Although extremely frowned upon in Fiore, this alone wasn't enough to cause relations between the two to be so bad. No. Relations between the two countries were so bad because of how Bosco got their slaves.
Once Bosco had no more people they could enslave in their own country, they turned to their neighbours. Now, when the slave trade first started this wasn't a problem, seeing as how all countries did the same thing back then. But when the other nations decided that slavery was unacceptable in the modern age, Bosco failed to get the when they could no longer legally buy slaves from other nations. They started to steal their citizens instead.
This undoubtedly caused relations between all of Bosco's neighbours to essentially die overnight. It got so bad at one point that One Hundred and Fifty years ago, Fiore, Iceberg,Seven and Stella all grouped together to invade Bosco in an attempt to completely annihilate the Slave Trade. And they were successful. For over Half a Century the Slave Trade didn't exist.
But within the last Century it had been making a reappearance. While Fiore was distracted with the Second Trade War, and the other nations with similar events. Bosco had seen it as an opportunity to recreate the Slave Trade.
Now the question has to be asked. "Why don't they just invade to destroy it all again?". And they would have, if Bosco hadn't gotten a bit smarter about how they do things.
You see One Hundred and Fifty years ago during the first invasion, Bosco didn't allow any slaves into their Armed Forces. But now, all the low level soldiers were actually slaves. Only the high ranking soldiers like the officers and generals were actually Bosco citizens.
And this was the problem. If the countries were to invade again, they would have to fight an Army of the people they were trying to save, meaning they would have to kill thousands of slaves in the process. This left them in a difficult position. Invade and end up killing those you wanted to save. Or do nothing and let them suffer.
That was why tensions had been so strained for a Hundred years. Although that doesn't mean they did nothing. Every now and then spies were sent into Bosco. Their mission, to locate a group of slaves, free them and bring them through the Fiore Border. Once past the Border Bosco could do nothing. As along as the operative didn't get caught, then Fiore could claim that the slaves got free by themselves and crossed the Border without aid.
It was a perilous edge to be standing on. But it was worth it.
It had taken Natsu ten days to walk to the border from Magnolia. Although he didn't have to walk the entire distance he had rather enjoyed the journey. He had always liked being out among nature, but it wasn't until now that he actually realised just how much. After all, aside from the few missions he had been on to earn the money to buy his house he hadn't really left Magnolia since he had joined the guild.
And even if the final location had been what the locals called,"A cacophony of stuck up pricks and complete bastards", Natsu was quite looking forward to entering another country. It was after all his first time doing so.
As he approached the guards manning the crossing took notice of him and stepped in front of him.
"Halt". Said the soldier as he raised his hand in a stopping motion."What reason do you have to enter Bosco?".
"I'm from the Magic Guild Fairy Tail and am crossing to complete a Mission Request".Replied Natsu as he reached into his bag to remove the Request to show to the guard.
"Hmm…".Said the guard as he inspected the Mission flyer."You sure what wanna do this job boy? Bosco isn't exactly friendly to outsiders even if they're kids. They will just as likely try to make you a slave as anyone else".Warned the guard.
"I'm certain. Beside anyone who tries will find I'm much more trouble than I'm worth"Responded Natsu as he hinted towards his sword tied to his waist.
"Haha, I like your style mate and if you wanna go into that shithole I can't force you not to". Replied the guard as he and his friends had a good laugh at Natsu's words.
"Open the gate boys! Someone wants to go through!".
After these words the large gate that separated Fiore from Bosco slowly started to open.
As Natsu started to move through the gate he heard the guard call after him."Hey kid, the place you're looking for is about Twenty Five Miles from here. Just follow the main road and you'll get there eventually, but be on the lookout for slavers as they commonly patrol the roadways."
"Thanks for the tip". Shouted Natsu in reply as the gate started to close."I guess I better get a move on if I want to get to the village before nightfall".
Year; X777
Location; Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Magnolia, Fiore
As Natsu was moving through the border into Bosco, a different scene was unfolding in the Guild Hall. Erza was currently asking anyone who would listen as to whether or not they had seen Natsu.
"Levy, Cana you wouldn't of seen Natsu around have you?".Asked Erza, as she walked up to the table they had been seated at.
"Sorry Erza, I haven't seen him since he blasted Gray through the wall".Replied Cana.
"Yeah sorry Erza same here".Agreed Levy.
"Where the hell is he then?".Questioned a concerned Erza."Everyone has said the same thing".
"Who cares where he went, we're better off without him".Stated Gray, who still had bandages wrapped around his chest from where Natsu had hit him.
"Gray, if you don't shut up I'm going to make what Natsu did to you look like nothing". Angrily replied Erza as she turned to face Gray with a furious look across her face.
"Erza,Gray enough, I don't want you two fighting".Said Makarov as he moved to stand between the two before anything happened."Gray I think it's best if you don't say anything, after all it was your mouth that got you in trouble before".
Gray didn't reply but instead chose to walk away and take a seat at a table as far away from Erza as possible. After all, she scared him shitless most of the time.
"Now Erza tell me what is wrong". Said Makarov as he turned to face her.
"It's Natsu Master". Replied Erza."No one has seen him he over a week and no one knows where he has gone".
"Hmm… have you been to check his house?Maybe he just wanted to be alone for a while".Theorised Makarov.
"I already checked he isn't there".
"That is strange indeed".
"Hey Gramps". Cut across the voice of Laxus.
"What is it Laxus?".
"What happened to that mission about killing vulcans where the reward was a book on magic?"Laxus Questioned.
"A book on magic? Oh no". Makarov said as he gained a look of dread.
"What's wrong Master?".Asked Erza, even though she had a feeling she wasn't going to like the answer.
"I think Natsu may have taken that mission". Replied Makarov."And that is not good".
"Why wouldn't that be good Master, at least we now know where he is right?".
"That would normally be a good thing, but it's the location of the Mission that has me worried".
"What do you mean Gramps?". Asked Laxus, as the worry in Makarov's voice had garnered the attention of the surrounding members.
"The mission location is a village in Bosco". Stated Makarov."I was going to make it a S-Class request because I didn't want younger members going their but it appears I was too late and Natsu grabbed it before i could".
"Bosco! But there are slavers there".Shouted a bordering on hysterical Erza, as the mention of the place brought up bad memories of her past."We have to stop him!".
"I'm afraid it is mostly likely too late. He has probably already entered Bosco".Replied Makarov. It was easily visible to everyone that this recent development had him deeply worried.
"So what do we do?". Questioned Levy.
"I'm afraid there is nothing we can do for now but wait and hope he comes back alright".
While Natsu made his way to the village the mission was located at he noticed something. While Bosco's people and the way they treated those they considered lower than them was absolutely disgusting, the country itself wasn't. Natsu had heard Bosco was famous for it's never ending forests that were so large and full of life but he had never believed it. But now that he was seeing it with his own eyes he could honestly say that the stories did them no justice. They were astounding.
With Unusually large Oak, Teak and Redwood trees, surrounded by Amaryllis, Aster, Gladiolus and Iris flowers it made for a very vibrant and mesmerising display. Wildlife was just as abundant as Natsu could easily see; Foxes, Rabbits, Owls, Woodpeckers and even some Wolves roaming around going about their business, whilst paying very little attention to him.
Unfortunately Natsu couldn't continue to enjoy the scenery as he could see the village approaching quickly. The village itself, unlike the forest, seemed rather unimpressive. It looked like dozens of other villages he had seen before, with wooden houses of varying size, stone pathways that all lead to the centre of the village, where laid a well and a large building which was obviously the village council building.
As Natsu entered the village he took note of the fact he was being watched. And he didn't mean discreetly either or by a few people. Everyone in the village had essentially stopped to look at him. Were they so unused to seeing a foreigner? But this wasn't what had really caught his attention. What had was the slaves he could see scattered around the village, with a metal collar secured around their necks and with shabby clothes worn away by hard work. They too had stopped to look at him.
When one of the villagers took notice of this he lashed out against a young lady ,around Natsu's age, with the wooden pole he was holding in his hand.
"Why the fuck did ya stop huh!?". Shouted the elderly man, as he whacked the woman across the back.
"Arrrggghhh!". Screamed the woman."I'm sorry sir, it won't happen again".
"You're right it won't". Replied the man, as he raised his arm up again.
"Cause I'm gonna teach you a lesson so you know not to stop until you are told to!". He stated as he swung his arm down, pole in hand.
The pole never reached the woman as before it had even moved close to her it had been sliced in half and the man had a sword pointing at his neck.
"What do you think you're doing?".Asked Natsu as he pressed his sword against the old man's throat."If you or anyone else here tries some shit like that again, I'm gonna cut your arms and legs off. Understand?". Stated Natsu as he flared his Magic Power so everyone around him could sense it.
"Why you little-".Tried to reply the man before Natsu pressed his sword even harder against his throat, as a sliver of blood started to run down its length. "I said, you understand, right?". Repeated Natsu slowly.
"Yes, I understand".Submitted the man as he glared at Natsu angrily, whilst also trying to move away from his sword.
"Good".Replied Natsu as he moved his sword away from the man's throat."As long as you understand".
After this Natsu started moving towards the Village Council Building where he was supposed to meet the Mission's requestor. While doing so he could feel the glare of every Bosco villager glaring at his back for daring to interfere with the beating. Not that any of them had the courage to do anything about it. "Cowards".Thought Natsu.
As he entered the Village Council Building he took note of how much more luxurious it was in comparison to the rest of the village. It had high ceilings and marble flooring. Gold inlays surrounding the door frames and multiple expensive paintings hung up on the wall. Whoever ran this place certainly made sure no expense was spared when building this place. Shame they couldn't do it for the rest of this shit-hole.
As Natsu walked towards the reception the woman manning it took notice of him.
"How can i help you sir?". She asked as a smile adorned her face.
"I'm here in regards to a Mission request that was made". Responded Natsu as he produced the flyer from his bag before passing it to her so she could take a look.
"Oh I see".Replied the woman."Well then I will take you to the Mayor as he's the one who made the request". She stated before standing up and motioning him to follow.
Natsu followed the woman down the hallway before approaching a door which the receptionist quickly opened and ushered him in.
"Excuse me Mayor, we have a man here regarding the Mission Request you posted".
"Oh I see, thank you for bringing him Shimi."Said a large man that was identified as the Mayor.
The man was large, very large. Natsu hadn't thought there could be a man this large, and by large he didn't mean tall or muscular. No, he meant fat. This man was as wide as a whale. The worst part was the man's suit was obviously far too small for him as Natsu could see the shirt straining to stay shut. Apart from this he looked like your everyday person. With brown hair, green eyes. Nothing special.
"My name's Lloyd Jackson, I'm the Mayor of Woodham village". Stated the now known Lloyd, as he moved to stand in front of Natsu.
"I'm Natsu, a mage".Replied Natsu in kind, intentionally leaving out where he was from or what guild he was apart of."I heard you have a problem with vulcans straying a bit to close to the village".
"You heard right". Confirmed the Mayor."They have been causing all kinds of problems recently and we just don't have the manpower to deal with them".
"Well that's why I'm here right".
"Indeed it is".
"Before you give me any details i want to confirm something". Said Natsu."The reward you offered, the book, does it really contain what the request say's it does and if so, why would you give it away?".
"The book has exactly what the flyer stated".Responded the man."And the reason it's the reward is because no one here can use the damn thing. So instead of having to pay with money, why not use the book".
"I see, in that case I will accept the job request". Stated Natsu as he couldn't believe that this guy was willing to part with such an incredible item for a mission as simple as this.
"That's excellent!". Replied the Mayor Happily."The Vulcans have been camped out in the forest west of here. From what I heard there was said to be around about ten of them so be careful and don't let one of them get the jump on ya".
"Thanks for the information. I'll get right on it".
As Natsu approached the forest the Mayor indicated as having contained the Vulcans he thought back to the young woman from the village."I hope she is ok". Natsu said to himself. Although he didn't regret interfering with the beating she was going to receive he was concerned that he may have made things worse for her. After all it wouldn't surprise him if the old man he had threatened tired to take his frustration out on her.
"I'd better check on her when I leave".
Once Natsu had entered the forest it didn't take him long to find the Vulcans as they came straight to him.
Vulcans are large, anthropomorphic monsters that resemble primates. They possess distinctive facial features, elongated chins, prolonged ears, and pointed heads that resemble a single horn on top of their head. Vulcans have gargantuan arms and sequentially large hands that attach to their muscular torsos. In comparison to their upper body, Vulcans possess a pair of smaller-scaled legs that feature a long tail connected to the bottom of their torsos.
There are many different variates of Vulcan. This includes; Mountain Vulcans, Gorians also known as Forest Vulcans and Rose Vulcans. The type that appeared here were Gorians or Forest Vulcans. This species has their fur colored green and their pectorals, abdominals, hands, ears, and facial features colored a bright shade of purple. Unlike Mountain Vulcans, their eyes evidently lack pupils and seemingly glow. The lower half of their body is a darker shade of green and the decorative pattern on their arms consists of five pink hearts on each arm. There were ten as the Mission Request had stated.
Although Vulcans look physically imposing it was not their physical abilities Natsu had to be careful about. It was the type of magic they utilised. Vulcans were very skilled in the use of Take Over Magic.
Take Over is an advanced form of Caster Type Transformation Magic. It essentially allows the caster to "Take Over" the power of an entity and use it to fight, it can also sometimes add special skills or abilities such as flying. Natsu new of Five Main Types of Take Over. The First was "Beast Soul", which he knew Elfman could use, this type of Take Over allowed the caster to transform parts or even their entire body into that of various monsters. The Second Type of Take Over is "Animal Soul", it is very much the same as "Beast Soul" but instead of monsters the caster can transform into various animals,Lisanna could use this type of Magic. The Third Type of Take Over Magic was known as "Satan Soul",this allows the caster to transform into various demons, Mirajane used this type of Take Over. The Fourth was "Machina Soul", this version allows the caster to transform parts of their body into that of machines, Natsu did not know anyone that could use this type. The Fifth Type of Take Over and the most rarest was called "God Soul", this type of Take Over was said to allow the caster to use powers of various God's. Not that it actually put them at a God's level it just allowed them to use similar powers.
This ability to use "Take Over" is what made Vulcans dangerous, specifically because of the manner Vulcans used to fight. Vulcans were rarely seen by themselves. There was always several of them in one place. They would attack in waves and from multiple directions wearing down their opponent until it was weak enough for them to "Take Over".
That was what Natsu had to be careful of. He needed to do whatever was required to ensure that this wasn't a prolonged fight, because if it was the risk of them performing a successful "Take Over" increased.
The Vulcans moved quickly to surround him on all sides, ensuring that he couldn't run away.
"You go no further human!". Spoke the Vulcan standing directly in front of him." Go away before we crush you".
"Go away? I've never heard of a Vulcan trying to convince someone to go, normally they just attack as soon as they spot someone nearby. What's going on here?".Natsu thought to himself, finding the Vulcans behaviour strange.
"That's not gonna happen I'm afraid".Replied Natsu." You've been causing problems for the local villagers and it stops today".
"If you no go then we crush you!". Responded the Vulcan as they all moved into an attacking stance, Natsu doing the same as well.
For a few moments no one moved, the tension in the air being palpable. Suddenly, from Natsu's three o'clock a Vulcan leapt forward at speed, raising his large arm behind him in preparation to strike. As the Vulcan swung his fist down towards him Natsu turned to face it, quickly ducking underneath the blow and stepping forward, as he did so Natsu swung an open palm towards the Vulcan which made contact with its back before casting a spell.
"Raikóhó". Natsu spoke out loud before a massive burst of yellow energy shot forth from his palm straight into the Vulcan, consuming it in an instant. The burst continued onwards and forced the Vulcans behind Natsu to have to jump away to avoid being hit, one of which was to slow and was consumed as well, causing it to be dragged along by the spell as it still moved forward destroying several trees in the process before dying out.
"Two down, Eight to go". Natsu thought to himself as he quickly moved in preparation to strike again.
This time Natsu struck first, quickly casting another spell."Sweep away the Darkness! Rain of Light!". Shouted Natsu as he extended both hands forward and multiple rays of light shot out, all of which quickly locked onto a Vulcan and raced towards them.
All the Vulcans successfully jumped out of the way, but Natsu had anticipated this, in fact it was what he had hoped for as he quickly jumped forward towards the closest Vulcan placing his hand on the hilt of his sword as he did so. As the Vulcan landed and looked up it saw that Natsu was right on top of him. With no time to react it stood helpless as Natsu drew his sword and slashed hard across its waist bisecting it in the process.
Immediately Natsu was forced to turn around and raise his sword in defence as Two Vulcan's fists slammed into the blade. The strength of the blow was too much and Natsu was sent backwards and straight into a tree, grunting in pain as he did so.
Natsu quickly regained his composure and prepared for another attack which came soon after. A Vulcan had jumped into the treetops above before pushing off a branch and quickly started to descend towards Natsu.
With only seconds to spare Natsu coated his sword in Magic before swinging it forward towards the approaching Vulcan, sending out a crescent shaped wave of Light Magic that hit head on killing the Vulcan instantly. Unfortunately the now deceased Vulcan didn't lose it momentum and he was forced to roll to the side to avoid being hit by its corpse as it crashed head first into the tree breaking it in the process.
As he regained his footing and looked up he was forced to roll to the side again as a Vulcan picked up a large boulder and threw it at him. As the boulder landed it carved its way into the ground and caused dirt and dust to fly into the air creating a smokescreen for Natsu to hide in.
Several seconds passed as the six remaining Vulcans waited for the dust to dissipate, but suddenly two more crescent shaped waves of energy flew out from the smokescreen. It missed all the Vulcan but it wasn't them it was being aimed at.
The two energy waves cut straight through some trees causing them to topple down towards the Vulcans. As five of them moved out of the way one hadn't noticed the quickly approaching tree and was summarily crushed by it.
The smokescreen had now gone and Natsu was visible again. The five Vulcans decided to all attack at once this time as two jumped into the air aiming to land directly on Natsu's head, while the other three ran towards him at high speed.
Natsu moved quickly to protect himself from the onslaught as he channeled Magic into his sword before stabbing it into the ground." Shield of Light, Protect Thee From Evil". He chanted as intertwined hexagonal barriers formed a dome around him. The Vulcans quickly slammed into the shield, but as they tried to move away they found themselves unable to.
Natsu quickly added another incantation to his spell."Shield of Light, Reflect Evil From Thy Gaze". After the Secondary chant the shield shone brightly for a moment before a shock wave was emitted from it throwing the Vulcans in Multiple directions.
The Five now remaining Vulcan all stood up once more. They all stood in the same positions as when the fight had first started but this time closer. The perfect distance for Natsu to strike with this next attack.
"Oh God".Natsu chanted as a stream of Light Magic moved down the length of his blade."As Your Child I Beseech Thee. Offer Thee Thy Power To Rend These Vast Defilements From Your Realm!".
As Natsu continued to chant his sword begun to shine brighter and brighter.
"Strike Out! Cut Down! Remove Thee From This World!"Continued Natsu as he moved his sword across his body.
"SLASH OF THE RIGHTEOUS GOD!". Exclaimed Natsu at the top of his voice as he swung his sword out. In doing so a large stream of Light burst out of his sword in all directions and continued on for fifty metres before fading away.
For several seconds nothing happened. But all of a sudden the remaining Vulcans dropped to their knees as their heads fell from their shoulders and roll around on the ground.
Natsu stayed standing completely still for a while before sighing and relaxing his body." Well I'm glad that wasn't too hard". Said a relieved Natsu as he returned his sword to its sheath.
"But still those Vulcans acted strange in the beginning. I've never heard of one trying to get someone to leave voluntarily". Mused Natsu as he rubbed the back of his head.
"They came from that direction".Stated Natsu as he turned to face the place the Vulcans had appeared from.
"I suppose it might be worth a look".
As Natsu moved in the direction the Vulcans appeared from he noticed that the forest was quickly increasing in density. It wasn't just the forest either it was the wildlife as well. Once again they seemed to have no concern with him being in their presence.
After Natsu had moved about Five Hundred Feet from the sight of his battle the forest had become so dense he had trouble moving through it. But all of a sudden he appeared in an open clearing. When he looked out into the field he spotted something.
"That's a…"
Year; X777
Location; Woodham Village,Bosco
As Natsu walked into the Villages Council Building he walked straight past Shimi not even stopping to speak to her even when she called out to him to stop.
He soon found himself outside the Mayor's Office where he could hear screams coming from inside. He quickly ripped the door open and what he saw inside disgusted him. He saw the Mayor and the Old Man from earlier along with several others all pinning the young woman he had saved down on the table as they were trying to remove her clothing.
"N-Natsu my boy, you're back early".Stuttered the Mayor at the shock intrusion of his office.
"What are you doing?".Questioned Natsu in a quiet and calm voice.
"W-what do you mean Natsu?".Lloyd once again stuttered out as sweat began forming on the top of his head.
"I asked you, WHAT THE FUCK YOU ARE DOING!".Shouted Natsu as his voice got louder and louder the more he spoke, veins beginning to becoming visible on his forehead as his anger grew.
"What does it matter to you boy".Replied Lloyd as he started to gather his spine."This has nothing to do with you, you're just here to kill the Vulcans".
"Oh yeah, I killed the Vulcans".Said Natsu."But I found a lot more than just Vulcans in that forest".
"And what do you mean by that".
"I found the true reason you wanted those Vulcans killed."Replied Natsu as the other men in the room moved away from the girl to stand beside their Mayor." You didn't want the Vulcans killed because it threatened your villagers no. You wanted the Vulcans killed so you could get to that building without being attacked!".
"What building?".Questioned Lloyd as his men moved to grab some weapon that were scattered around the room.
"Don't play dumb with me. You know exactly what building I'm talking about".Stated Natsu as his hand slowly moved towards his sword. "The building hidden away in the centre of the forest. When I found it I decided to have a little look around and what I found makes me gag. It's your little "Fun House", where you take slaves when they have either no longer become useful to be killed or were you sexually assault them! And from what I had to guess you used the place pretty often as it's the only way the animals there wouldn't be bothered by my presence because they were already used to being around humans!".
"You fucking idiot you couldn't just do the job you was hired for could you boy!".Seethed Lloyd."Now that you have found out we're gonna have to kill you!".
"You're wrong Lloyd".Replied Natsu as he slowly started to draw his sword.
"The only one dying today… IS GONNA BE YOU!". Screamed Natsu as he launched himself at Lloyd with speed that the other men could barely see.
Lloyd didn't even have a chance to defend himself before Natsu plunged his sword through the man's head, killing him instantly. Blood spraying out the back like a hose covering the wall and flooring in crimson.
The other men moved towards him in a swarm intent on killing the young man. Natsu reacted quickly pulling his sword from Lloyd's head and moved sideways to dodge a wild blow from a club, before moving and slashing the man from shoulder to hip, blood spraying across his face as he did so. He was dead before he hit the ground as well.
Natsu shot his hand out quickly grabbing another man by the neck before squeezing hard and crushing his windpipe. He released him as the man's hand reached up to grab his neck as he gasped for breath, blood dripping out of his mouth.
All that was left now was the old man from earlier.
"Y-You're a Monster!".Screamed the old man as he backed into a corner.
"That's right I am a monster".Replied Natsu."I'm a monster that kills other monsters. Before I told you if you raised a hand towards that woman I would cut your arms and legs off. Guess I should go through with that now right?". Questioned Natsu before he quickly slashed his sword at the man's arms and legs cutting them off.
"AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!".Screamed the man in pain as he fell to the floor. Natsu simply turned around and walked away knowing that he was going to die shortly of blood loss anyway.
Natsu turned his attention to the girl who had crawled away into the corner while Natsu was killing the men. Now that he had a proper look at her he could see she was quite pretty. She was around his age with brown hair, heterochromatic eyes of blue and green and soft facial was thin, but that was no surprise as he doubted she was fed well.
"It's ok, I wouldn't hurt you".Stated Natsu softly as he put his sword away and knelt down to her level whilst remaining a couple feet away.
"Y-You won't?".stuttered the girl. It was obvious she was extremely frightened.
"I promise, I won't hurt you".Reassured Natsu.
"T-Thank you".She said."For stopping them.I didn't want them to…". She stopped mid sentence, struggling to complete what she was saying.
"It's ok you don't need to say anymore".Replied Natsu."What's your name?".
"Elise".She said quickly."My name is Elise".
"That's a very pretty name Elise. Now we need to leave here, someone was bound to hear what happened and it won't be long until they arrive". Stated Natsu as she stood up in preparation to leave."Can you walk?".
"Yes I can walk".Elise responded as she stood up. A little shakily at first but she quickly gained her bearings."What about the others though?When they find out what happened and that I'm missing they will take their anger out of the others".
"Where are the others?".Asked Natsu.
"They are locked in a barn during night time, it's close by". Answered Elise.
"Okay, if you can guide me there then we can get them all out but we will need to be quick". Said Natsu as he quickly grabbed the book that was offered for the reward and made his way to the door.
"Okay follow me".
Natsu and Elise quickly snuck out of the Village Council Building and made their way to the edge of the village. Luckily it was now Midnight and the moon was obscured by clouds making them almost invisible.
As Elise lead him to the edge of the village a large barn quickly came into sight.
"That's where the others are kept".She told Natsu. As they approached he noticed there was a large padlock on the door.
"Step back Elise while I cut the lock off".Said Natsu as he drew his sword and slashed the lock in two before pulling the door open.
The sight inside wasn't a pretty one. Dozens of people were inside all were malnourished, all having chains around their legs to restrict movement in an attempt to stop them from running away even if they did get out of the barn.
"Everyone get up we need to go"Called Elise quietly whilst moving around the barn shaking people awake.
"Elise you're ok".Said one of the men inside as he woke up."And what do you mean go?".
"I mean we are getting out of here, Natsu is going to help us".Responded Elise as she moved towards the door.
A look of shock spread across everyone's face before it quickly turned to one of pure happiness. They all started to get up and move towards the door where Natsu stood ready to cut off their shackles and set them free.
Once the last person was outside and had their shackles removed an elderly woman asked the obvious question. "Where do we go now?".
"We are going to head north to Seven".Replied Natsu.
"Why Seven and not Fiore?".Questioned Elise."It's closer to here then Seven".
"Yeah but once the authorities find out what has happened here they will move to the Fiore border as it is the most obvious place to go to. When they do that we will have little chance of getting through".Replied Natsu.
"But the Seven border is miles from here".said another person.
"Don't worry we will make it, I promise".Responded Natsu."But we need to get a move on if we want to stand a chance at all so move it".
Everyone nodded their heads and started to move north towards Seven.
Year; X777
Location; Bosco-Seven
It had been a long journey but their goal was finally in sight. It had taken a week of travelling to get here and several close calls but they had made it. As Natsu had predicted the authorities quickly moved to block the road to the Fiore border when they discovered what had happened. But even then they were forced to move only at night to avoid the patrols on the main roads.
Natsu was currently carrying one of the elderly slaves on his back as she had tired just several miles from the end.
"What did I tell you guys huh?".Question Natsu."It may have taken a while but we made it. Just a bit more and you will all be free".
"You were right Natsu".Replied Elise as a smile started to spread across everyone's faces at the thought of no longer being slaves."All he have to do is make it past the border and we are free".
"We should make it through without problem".Natsu Declared."The other nations oppose slavery vehemently and will always help those that manage to get away".
Just as Natsu finished speaking a guard shouted at them."Halt! Who are you and what do you want?".
"My name is Natsu and we seek safe passage into Seven away from the slavers".Replied Natsu.
"They are all Slaves? Open the gates! Let's get them through quickly!".Shouted the man as other guards moved to open the gate.
"Come on get through".Said another guard as they ushered them into Seven.
Once everyone was through the guards quickly closed the gates. It was only now that the slaves realised that they were truly free. Many begun to let out cheers of joy while others simply stood there as tears streamed down their faces. All in all Thirty Eight people had been freed in the improv rescue.
As Natsu stood there with a large smile spread across his face the guards started to move around, passing out food and clothing, checking if anyone had any injuries and guiding them all to shelter.
A large man wearing different clothing to everyone else approached Natsu."Are you the one who brought them all here".He questioned.
"I am".Replied Natsu as he turned to face him.
"My name is General Richard Augustine". The man introduced himself as."And I believe I speak for everyone here when I thank you for your incredible actions".
"Thank you but no thanks are required".Replied Natsu."After all I only did what I felt was right".
"Perhaps but they should still be said".Retorted Augustine.
"If you need anything please don't be afraid to ask. It is the least we can do for you. Now if you please excuse me I will need to report what was happened to my superiors". Said Augustine as he turned to walk away.
It was three days later and Natsu had decided it was time for him to depart. Stood in front of him was all the people he had recused, with Elise standing directly in front of him. All of them looking much better than they had just a few days ago.
"Thank you Natsu".She said as tears threatened to escape her eyes."I never imagined I would be free again. We all owe you such a debt of gratitude". Everyone else nodding their head in agreement.
"You all owe me nothing".Replied Natsu."I merely did what I felt was right. I require no reward for that".
"Even when you say that I still feel like we owe you something".
"In that case this is what you can do to repay me".Natsu Said earning everyone's attention.
"Live."
"Live a life with no regrets. Live a life that is worth a reason to live and never let it go, no matter what".
As she heard the words Natsu spoke Elise's tears started to stream down her face. Not being able to contain herself she leapt forward and wrapped Natsu in a large hug.
"Thank you!" She exclaimed while sobbing into his chest.
"Thank you so much! For everything"
"I know. I know what I'm going to live for. I'm going to live, so I can show the same kindness that you have shown us to others".
A large smile spread across his face as he wrapped his arms around the still crying Elise." That sounds like a good reason to live".
They stood there for several minutes before pulling away from each other, smiles adorning their faces.
"Look after yourself Elise". Natsu spoke while placing a kiss on her forehead.
"I will. But you have to promise me you will do the same".Replied Elise as she wiped her tears away.
"You didn't even need to ask".Said Natsu as he turned to walk away."Goodbye Elise".
As he walked down the road he could here everyone shouting "Thank you" and "Goodbye". Although this wasn't what he had expected when he came on this mission he was glad in the end that he did. Even though it meant his hands was now stained in blood, if given the option to redo this mission all over again he would do the exact same thing every time.
But he couldn't help but wonder,
"How Did I Get Into This Situation?".
A/N
And that is chapter four of "Hope From The Past" I hope you enjoyed it.
This chapter has been my longest so far and also the most mature of them. It also contained my first fight scene so please let me know what you think of it and what I could improve on.
I will be attempting to make the following chapters this long but it all depends what the chapter is about.
So please let me know what you think and I will try to take all criticism with an open mind.
Thanks alot, bye.
Techniques/Spells
Raikóhó- A concentrated beam of Light Magic shot out from the palm of the hand and destroys everything in its path. Takes the appearance of a large bolt of lightning.
Rain of Light- Multiply rays of light shoot out of the hands and locks onto targets before causing blunt force or piercing damage.
Light Shield- A Light barrier which can take the shape of a dome. Made up of multiple overlapping hexagonal pieces.
Kojutsu Eishó- A type of incantation that is spoken after performing a spell to increase its strength or to add an effect. Used to add a secondary ability to Light Shield.