[Re-Writen 10-09-21]
Welcome back!
Shorter chapters (around 4-5000 words) will be uploaded twice a week, occasionally a longer chapter will be uploaded if there isn't an obvious spot to break a chapter. Here we see Lucy joining Fairy Tail, and we get the first half of the flashback that see's how Haru ended up joining as well.
As always, I hope you enjoy, and I appreciate any ideas, comments and feedback.
~Onward
2
-The Partnership, Part 1-
Arriving out front of the guild hall, Lucy held a closed fist in front of her chest shivering with nervous energy and anticipation. "Are you ready, Lucy?" Natsu asked placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Natsu, are you sure about this, what if I just bring trouble to your guild?" the blonde asked, glancing at him with concern.
"Oh, that's unavoidable," he replied through laughter, "pretty sure that's in the nature of Fairy Tail wizards! But you will bring a lot more than just trouble Luce, so stop worrying about what the future might, or might not hold, we live in the moment!" Natsu thrust his fist into the air enthusiastically, and flashed her his toothy grin. The apprehension clinging to her form melted away significantly as she watched him, though she still seemed a little unsure. He watched as she released a long breath, nodding at whatever decision she'd come to.
"Okay. I'm ready," she declared. Chocolate eyes left his, crawling over the bold emblem on the front of the guild, and then to the crimson-red emblem now proudly exposed on his right shoulder. But she hesitated again, catching his wrist as he reached for the door. Natsu let her pause their entry without a hint of his usual impatience, and glanced at her over his shoulder with a quirked brow. "Just... can you keep my family to yourself for now?"
Natsu looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, wondering, not for the first time since meeting her, just how much damage her father had done emotionally. She could be so withdrawn and it was clear she struggled with trust or allowing herself to be vulnerable. However, if anything could help her heal from whatever emotional trauma she'd escaped, it was Fairy Tail. Natsu had the utmost confidence in that. She was about to be family, and he would make it his personal mission to bring that bright, genuine smile she'd gifted him with once, to her face as often as possible.
He gave her a soft smile, "Fairy Tail will accept you regardless of your history Lucy. But it is your story to tell when you are ready, you have my word that no one will hear it from me." Lucy released a breath and the tension in her form eased subconsciously. This time though, Natsu wasn't about to give her any idle time for more doubt to seep into her fragile resolve. With a mischievous grin, he abruptly kicked open the doors of the guild.
"We made it back alive!" Natsu shouted boisturously as Happy flew passed him, making a beeline for the bar. Natsu looked back, snagging Lucy's hand and coaxed her into the hall before she could seemingly process what he'd done and attempt to retreat from the foreign welcoming energy.
"Everyone, meet Lucy!"
Lucy shrieked in surprise as every eye in the guild turned in unison to take in the new presence. "Damn pyro!" she yelped in alarm, "couldn't you give me a minute—"
Of course, there was no going back now. Most of the strangers she was now surrounded with were already calling welcomes to her, approaching her with exuberant energy as they flooded her with questions and compliments on her looks. She seemed caught off guard by the enthusiasm and warmth as she glanced sidelong at him. Natsu stood grinning back at her, then with a confident nod, he released her hand and let Levy take it in both of hers. She chirped a cheerful greeting and immediately began tugging the stunned blonde toward a table.
Natsu observed for a moment as some of his over-friendly guildmates, including the bluenette's dual shadows followed after the pair in obvious curiosity of the new girl. Levy was one of the warmest and most easy-going personalities in Fairy Tail, so Lucy would be in good hands. So Natsu left her to get acquainted and disappeared into the crowd. Weaving through his family, he followed in the direction Happy had gone earlier.
"Hey Haru! Mira!" Natsu greeted, upon spotting his partner chatting with the Guild's white-haired barmaid. He slapped his hand over Haru's shoulder as he claimed the stool next to him at the bar. Happy was seated on the bar-top nearby as well, already chowing down on a fish.
"So, one less Salamander to contend with?" Haru asked expectantly.
"You know it! Turned that poser to charcoal!"
Mira giggled at his child-like enthusiasm as she turned to pour him a beer, predicting his usual post-mission order. When he'd finished relaying the details for them, she welcomed him back cheerfully and passed him the beer. "Thank's Mira!" he said happily as she leaned her elbows onto the bar-top to relax back into their conversation.
"So Natsu, who's this new girl you brought home to us?" she asked with a teasing smile, Natsu's mouth opened to reply but not before Haru beat him to it.
"Yeah, I knew you'd crush the mission, but I didn't expect you to bring back a girlfriend," Haru said, gesturing to where Lucy was still seated at a table surrounded by their guildmates. Natsu didn't miss the way Happy's ears twitched at his best friend's implication, or the way the blue cat suddenly perked up. He could practically see the gears in his mind spinning with all the potential teases the concept provided him. Rolling his eyes, Natsu swung around on his barstool, casting his attention in the direction Haru had waved. Lucy's head swivelled amongst her companions as she presumably answered various questions being rapidly fired at her.
"Well what can I say Haru? She's strong and super smart, not to mention beautiful. Though... She might be crazy," he added with a pondering finger tapping at his chin. Shrugging, Natsu took another gulp of his beer and watched as Mira perked up in the same fashion Happy had a moment earlier. She exchanged a look with the blue cat who was now giggling behind his paws.
Natsu eyed them both warily, but decided to dismiss whatever antics they might dish out as harmless fun.
Haru was also observing him with apparent interest, it seemed likely he hadn't expected that response. To be fair, Natsu wasn't sure where it had come from himself. It wasn't like he was oblivious to the opposite sex, hell, Fairy Tail boasted many beautiful, and strong, women among their ranks. It was just that such indulgences weren't really high on his list of priorities. He had his reasons, and his current company happened to be the only three, aside from their Master, who were fully aware of those reasons. Fortunately, none of them pressed him on his uncharacteristic comment.
"Great..." Haru drawled, mercifully breaking the quiet curiosity that had settled over them, "I get my full share of crazy with you around. Please don't tell me she's as reckless as you."
Natsu considered the sentiment, gaze sweeping over his three friends who were watching with brimmed anticipation. "Well, she did approach me to team up because she didn't want to go into a potentially risky situation blind, so she can't be that reckless," he decided.
Haru breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived when Natsu burst out laughing, "Then again, she also had a spirit summon a tidal wave that swept up both the targeted ship and herself into the port... Don't think she even gave it a second thought!"
Haru's expression went totally blank, blue eyes catching Mira's in silent conversation that seemed to scream, 'God's help us... They might be perfect for each other.'
Having been mostly silent during the majority of their exchange, Mira began bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet. Signs of dangerous things, Natsu knew. He'd inadvertently managed to get himself on Mira's matchmaking radar... As predicted, she cooed at him, "Our Natsu, gone and found himself a girlfriend!"
"It isn't like that Mira," Natsu denied, "just got the feeling she needed a family." The trio of friends looked back at Lucy again collectively, she was laughing with Levy and some others across the room still. With a fond smile, Natsu asked them, "who better to offer family than Fairy Tail?"
"Cheers to that," Haru said, raising his beer. Natsu followed suit and Mira raised her glass as well, the glasses clicked together and they dissolved into shared laughter and stories.
. . .
"You're a journalist Lu?" the bluenette asked excitedly.
"Uh, yeah," Lucy confirmed, her cheeks flushed under all the attention. It had taken this perky girl, Levy, she'd said, all of two minutes to fit her with a nickname. Lucy decided it must be a Fairy Tail thing, the people she was now surrounded with didn't seem overly concerned with the usual etiquette of getting to know someone new. It was like the second these Fairies decided they liked you, you were treated as though you'd been family for years. "I'm not anything special though, writing has always just been a way for me to escape reality, you know?"
"Wait, wait, do you write stories?!" Lucy nodded shyly, but admitted that she had never let anyone read one before. Turned out Levy was as big a book worm as she was, possibly bigger, the girl immediately leapt to her feet and pulled Lucy with her. "Lu you gotta see Fairy Tail's library!"
"There's a library?" she couldn't keep the tone of excitement from her voice.
"Yeah! It's nothing compared to Magnolia's main library though, we'll have to check that out as well, you'll love it!" Levy led the way down a set of stairs, that opened into a surprisingly quaint library beneath the main hall. Lucy's anticipation got the better of her right away as she skipped over to the walls that were lined with books from floor to ceiling and began pawing through the various titles.
She pulled a few books from the shelves, running her fingers over the covers, "wow! Fairy Tail has so many books on Ishgar's magical history," she gushed.
"You like history Lu?"
Lucy nodded absently, smiling softly at the book she held in her hands, a book detailing the history of Celestial Magics. "History, and myths of the creation of magic, especially the ones about the Zodiac and constellations... my Mom and I used to star gaze in the garden, she'd tell me all sorts of stories."
Her eyes flicked up to Levy's once more, her new friend had a curious smile but didn't press her. Lucy found herself surprised she was so quick to share again, she never spoke about her mom to strangers... but as Natsu would probably be quick to remind her, Fairy Tail didn't feel like strangers, they were friends already. "Think I could borrow this?" she asked, holding up the book.
"Of course you can! I happen to have a copy of Tales of the Zodiac too, if you're interested." she offered. Lucy's eyes shone as she nodded ecstatically.
The girls left the basement library to rejoin the others, and more members Lucy hadn't met yet ran over as soon as they'd summited the stairs. "Levy, how can you keep the new girl all to yourself!" various people asked. A middle aged man with curly blondish hair piled atop his head, grinned at her, "another hottie in the Fairy Tail ranks!" he announced. Lucy blinked owlishly, as Levy admonished the man's inappropriate comment.
"Wakuba, what would your wife have to say about you pestering the poor girl?!"
Lucy turned to the new voice, finding none other than Sorcerer's top model approaching with a disapproving look. She snagged the man's ear in an obviously practiced motion had him whining apologies in a split second. Clearly pleased with herself, she turned a sweet smile Lucy's way and released Wakuba's reddened ear. "Sorry about that, it's Lucy right? My name's Mirajane, but you can call me Mira."
"T-thanks Mira," Lucy replied. Mira stepped toward her and looped her arm through hers, "so I heard little a rumour you're here to join Fairy Tail?"
Lucy still wasn't entirely convinced the internal tug to join them wasn't a little selfish on her part... she didn't want to tell them about her father, and the man posed a real threat to the Guild if she did join. But Natsu had been certain it wouldn't matter to Fairy Tail, and she'd never experienced a sense of belonging like this, not since her mother had passed. So even if it was a little selfish, she really wanted to let herself accept the warmth this family offered, Lucy nodded, "Yes."
A short moment later, Lucy was running fingertips over the pink emblem marking her hand, the residual tingling from the magic forming it slowly fading. Such a deceptively simple symbol, solidifying something she'd never had, bonding her as a member of this rambunctious family. After offering her official welcome, Mira excused herself to return to her station at the bar. Lucy trailed her gaze after her, leading her to catch sight of a head of pink hair.
Lucy walked over to join them and pulled up the stool next to Natsu. "Well, this sure is a lively guild," she commented.
Natsu let out a bark of laughter and the boy beside him laughed as well before leaning around the fire mage and introducing himself as Haru. Lucy recalled his name from her journey to Magnolia with the fire mage, though Natsu had mentioned a few people in passing, so she couldn't remember anything about him. She returned the greeting just as a fight broke out across the hall behind them between a large white-haired man and a smaller raven-haired man.
"So Luce, didja join Fairy Tail-" Natsu started before a stool slamming into the back of his head had his question dissolving into a shout of pain.
Lucy's eyes bulged in shock as Natsu's hands found the back of his head, soothing the sore spot. Without turning to look at the fire mage, Haru started counting down, "3, 2, and–"
Natsu recovered, launching to his feet in outrage with embers crawling over the arms he threw into the air over his head. "Alright, which one of you jerks threw that?" he exclaimed. Not waiting for a clear answer, he ran off in the direction of the brawl.
Lucy gaped as Natsu threw a fire-coated fist into one of other mage's faces. She was simultaneously fascinated and stupefied by the scene in front of her. Somehow, the members not directly involved in the fight moved around as though completely oblivious to the scene. Of course, this only proved to be the case until an innocent bystander was inevitably struck, as was Natsu's misfortune. And just like Natsu, the victim never calmly analyzed who was at fault, they simply threw themselves into the mix, doling out payback indiscriminately. Lucy had to wonder just how common this type of occurrence was around here, given how nonchalantly everyone was acting.
This guild's members weren't just rambunctious, they were insane!
She gave her attention back to Haru who had swivelled on his stool, leaning against the bar as he took a swallow of his beer. He observed the fight with no real interest, but there was no distain either. Haru wore a fitted, steel-blue sleeveless top that did little to hide the defined muscle beneath. A gold buckle on his belt held Lucy's eye for a moment in curiosity, it matched the one Natsu wore, the form of a dragon wrapped around its edges. He lazily swung one leg, clad in dark pants that he wore tucked into simple brown combat boots.
Lucy didn't ask about the belt buckle, despite the question being on her tongue. "You knew he was going to fight?" she asked instead.
"It's a typical Natsu response," Haru droned, "that Flame-Brain doesn't let an excuse to brawl go to waste." He laughed, turning away from the fight as he met her eye with piercing blue. His dark hair was tossed to the side, bangs reaching just past his forehead above his left eye, messy, though nothing like the wild spikes of Natsu's. His gaze dropped to her hand, noticing for the first time, her fresh guild mark. He pointed a finger at the emblem, a smile on his face, "welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy. I won't lie and say it isn't usually this noisy, but it is also, always full of unconditional love and support."
Mira returned from filling a couple orders and smiled as she stood in front of them again. "He's right, this guild has gotten a lot of us through more than you could imagine," she added.
"True..." Haru mumbled, his words carried the edge of an emotion that Lucy couldn't quite place, but it was gone before she could really ponder it. "Fairy Tail is home, for all of us." His resulting smile and obvious affection for the Guild eclipsed whatever had been there, and Lucy felt an unfamiliar warmth bubble up in her own chest in response. It had been a very long time since she felt like she could belong anywhere, and in less then 24 hours she felt like she might have found just that...Just possibly.
"Who knew you could say such cheesy things Haru?" Natsu said through laughter, returning from the fight that was rapidly expanding to encompass more and more members. Haru flushed having been caught, and looked away from the pink-haired boy, clicking his tongue in annoyance. That only caused Natsu to laugh even harder, "what are you bringing out in him Lucy? Haru is normally all cool and quiet, I've never heard something so mushy from him!"
"Oh, shut up Natsu," Haru said still grumbling, "I was just trying to make your girlfriend feel welcome after you went and ditched her."
Natsu laughed again in response as Lucy went beet red, waving her hands frantically in front of her, "What?! Haru, no, it isn't like that, you got it all wrong, we're just friends, I mean we just met!" Lucy screeched, throwing out broken sentences continuously. Her eyes darted between Haru who was watching her thoughtfully, Mira who looked oddly calculating and Natsu who continued to look totally smug.
"She looooooves him!" Happy sang, and Lucy's eyes bulged more, swiping for the cat who bounced into the air to dodge her efforts while laughing at her expense.
"Oh, chill out Loonie, Haru's actually trying to get a rise out of me," Natsu said, ending her rambling, he poked a finger at her flushed cheek, "but that adorable reaction was well worth it."
She blushed even more as she swatted his hand away. "The name is LUCY!" she shouted, trying to sound angry. She lasted barely a thirty seconds before dissolving into a fit of giggles with her new friends anyway.
Later that week
Over the next couple weeks, Lucy met and bonded with many of the Fairy Tail mages, though her closest ties remained with those she'd spent the most time with during her first day. She was still elated to have such a close friend in Levy who shared her love for reading and history, she'd never had someone to share that passion with. Of course there was Mira, who'd taken it upon herself to ensure she was settling in well, showing her all around Magnolia on shopping trips for essentials she'd need for her new place. If she were being honest, it was a little strange getting used to not living in hotels.
Natsu and Haru had insisted she stay with them while she searched for an apartment within her budget. The mornings they'd spent sharing breakfast, or training in the field behind the house before heading to the guild, fishing at the nearby creek to satisfy Happy's demands, quick local jobs the guys had coaxed her out for... All the little mundane moments had made her even more certain she'd made the right choice. Yesterday she'd finally located the perfect apartment and signed the lease, securing her first home in years. Magnolia. It was a quaint little place close to the guild, right on the canal, and she'd snagged it at a very affordable price. She hadn't been this happy in years.
Lucy hummed as she finished fixing her breakfast, she was just making herself a tea when a knock sounded at the door. Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, she moved to answer it, opening the door to reveal the guys and Happy hovering over their shoulders. The trio chorused out a variety of greetings, before Natsu brushed passed her with Happy right behind him. Haru must have noticed the irritation blooming on her face because he was apologizing for their rudeness before she even opened her mouth.
Sighing in defeat, Lucy side stepped and gestured for Haru to come in as well. She returned to her kitchen and busied herself in making a few additional mugs of tea for her unannounced guests. The guys made themselves comfortable at her table as Happy flew around exploring. Setting the steaming mugs down in front of them, Lucy apologized for not having extra food to offer. She hadn't expected to be entertaining quite so soon, but how could she possibly turn them away when they had welcomed her into their home so freely while she got herself settled in Magnolia? They waved off her apologies anyway.
Joining them at the table to eat her now cooling breakfast, she listened to the guys (mostly Natsu) talk, while she finished eating. Over the past couple weeks of living with them, the stark differences in their personalities had become very apparent to her. Natsu was as fiery, unpredictable and untameable as his magic, Haru, on the other hand, always seemed so calm, cool and collected. He was the ration to Natsu's reckless. Considering they seemed to be polar opposites, they never seemed to be at odds, not like Natsu and Gray who were constantly arguing or fighting over one thing or another.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Lucy asked them sarcastically, "So, to what do I owe this uninvited pleasure?"
Natsu promptly ignored her sarcasm and presented a flyer to dangle in front of her face as though that should answer all her questions. "It's time to get back to work!" he said with barely contained excitement. Lucy frowned at the paper. The jobs they'd taken so far had been simple local tasks, helping out the townspeople with one thing or another so that Lucy could earn some jewel for moving expenses. The request Natsu held in front of her now, was the first magically-inclined mission that would take them out of town for a day or two.
"I just moved in, what makes you think I'd want to go on a mission so soon?" Lucy asked, not bothering to hide her distain so early in the morning.
Haru looked at her perplexed, like he couldn't understand her question, "Rent money, experience, learning to work on a wizarding team..." he listed matter-of-fact.
Natsu leaned forward on his elbows and pointed between himself and Haru, "And we are just so much fun to hang out with!"
"Natshuuu, what about me?" the blue cat whined, gliding toward the table with eyes full of crocodile tears. His dramatics finally drew a laugh, pushing away some of Lucy's grumpiness as the guy's expectant looks remained on her. She caved, agreeing through giggles and finally inquired as to the details of the mission.
"A town has requested help with what they believe to be an unnatural drought, it's perfect for Water-Log here" Natsu added, grinning as he jabbed a thumb in Haru's direction. The raven-haired boy glared at him through the corner of his eye without shifting his attention from Lucy. Getting up from the table, the water mage told them he would let Mira know they were formally accepting the request and began moving toward her door.
"Great, let's meet at the train station in one hour," Natsu suggested. Lucy didn't miss the falter in Haru's step or visible shudder go through his body as he turned and nodded at them before waving goodbye.
Lucy placed the dishes in the sink before heading for her closet to pull out a travel pack which she tossed on her bed along with some clothes. She began filling the bag with mission essentials, and asked Natsu if Haru also suffered from motion sickness, he hadn't seemed too keen when the train was mentioned. 'Maybe he and Natsu aren't such polar opposites after all,' she thought with an inner giggle.
Natsu had sprawled himself on her bed as she packed, his eyes on the ceiling. "It's a Dragon Slayer thing," he grumbled, blowing out a puff of fire in irritation, "guess there has to be some draw-backs to the most awesome magic there is!"
Lucy skimmed over his cockiness, instead asking with genuine interest, "Wait, Haru is a Dragon Slayer as well?"
"Who did you think 'Fairy Tail's Twin Dragons' referred to?" Natsu asked amusedly, shifting to his side and leaning on an elbow to watch her. Happy curled up into ball and proceeded to pass out on her pillow. Lucy hadn't seen Haru use his magic yet, aside from some simple manipulations of water at the creek, so the revelation came as total surprise.
"Oh wow! I honestly never really considered... I mean, the Twin Dragons of Fairy Tail are famous of course, but I had never heard of either of you by name, just monikers. Not even your magic is known to the public," Lucy replied as she zipped up her travel pack.
"Haru isn't a big fan of the spotlight, so we generally avoid Sorcerer's Weekly and other media sources as much as possible," Natsu explained, "and besides, that Jason guy is a jerk! Always makin' it sound like we just go around blowin' up buildings..."
Lucy slung her bag across her shoulder, the corner of lip pulling upward in a subtle smirk. "Based on what i've seen over the last couple weeks... That probably isn't so off the mark, Fairy Tail seems pretty destructive to me!" she said laughing.
Pursing his lips in a pout, Natsu gave in, "Well maybe a liiittle," he acquiesced, before hastily adding, "he's still a jerk." He reached out to pull the slumbering cat into his arms as she giggled over his apparent dislike for Sorcerer's top reporter. "Ya ready to go?" he asked.
"Yep!" Lucy chirped, adjusting the pack on her shoulder as she led Natsu back across her apartment. "You and Haru seem really close, but I only started hearing about the Twin Dragons these last couple years. Before that, the Thunder God Tribe was Fairy Tail's only really famous team... Have you guys known each other long?" she asked as they descended the stairs to the street level.
The early-morning sun greeted them as they existed the building and began making their way along the canal toward the guild, and the train station. "A few years now," Natsu started, looking lost in thought, "seems much longer actually..." he added absently.
"We met on a job, he was actually working as an independent mage as well, at the time—Hm, converting you 'independents' is turning in to my thing huh?"
Lucy laughed in response and Natsu began to elaborate a bit on how Haru had ended up in Fairy Tail.
3 years ago
Natsu ducked a punch aimed at his nose, bent his knees and slammed his head straight up into his opponent's chin. Gray's head snapped backwards with the impact, "What the hell Flame Brain! Is your head made of rock?" he whined, rubbing his chin, that would be sure to bruise... The fire mage smirked as Gray planted his fist into an open palm and ice magic chilled the space around them. The raven-haired mage threw an ice-enhanced punch into the side of Natsu's head and sent him flying into a group of onlookers.
"Hey! It isn't MANLY to interrupt breakfast!" Elfman shouted, he leaped to his feet and grabbed Natsu by the back of his scarf. Natsu scoffed and kicked back into his gut, causing Elfman to buckle forward and lose grip on the scarf. The pink-haired boy charged forward again, aiming a fiery kick at Gray without even sparing a glance at the take-over mage.
Just before his foot could make contact with Gray's chest, a metal clad fist wrapped around his ankle, and another around Gray's wrist, and suddenly, both boys were flying into opposite walls.
"You will stop your foolish fighting NOW! It is far too early for this nonsense!" the intimidating, scarlet-haired woman yelled. Erza cocked her hip to the side and rested a hand there as she turned her attention to Natsu. "Natsu, Master wants to see you," she alerted him.
From his spot, flat on his back across the hall, Natsu rolled onto his stomach and propped himself up on an elbow. Drumming his fingers on the floor, he looked at Erza in agitation for interrupting his fight. "NOW, NATSU!"
Paling significantly, Natsu was on his feet the next second. He darted toward the master's office, passing the still downed and dizzy looking ice mage. Knocking on the closed door, Natsu announced his arrival and invited himself in before the master could answer. "Hey Gramps! What's up," he asked carelessly as he dropped into a chair.
The small, elderly guild master was sitting cross legged on top of his desk, his chin propped on his hand. Natsu shifted uneasily under the appraising look Makarov cast his way. He had an arm slung over the back of his chair, legs stretched out in front of him in a lazy posture and suddenly he felt anything but comfortable. "Uh gramps... everything okay?" he asked slowly. Was he in trouble...Again?
Makarov answered by presenting him with a mission flyer, which Natsu accepted with a curious expression. He read the page before his carefree demeanour faded. He sat up, sobering quickly and turned to face the master properly, his eyebrows rising further in question.
"That job request came in just this morning... A small village in the North has specifically requested a dragon slayer to help eradicate a pair of wyverns that have been hunting their livestock and," he paused gravely, exhaling a sigh, "and, the occasional villager." At the master's explanation, Natsu got the barest understanding, but was still confused as to why he'd been summoned. The mission was out of his scope and the master had been strict with mission levels since... he forcibly pushed that thought from his mind.
Eyes dropping back to the flyer, 'a pair… probably mates then, this could be harder than Gramps realizes, they will be more dangerous than the usual,' he thought.
"Natsu, this is a dangerous mission, are you up to it?" Makarov asked, Natsu's head whipped his way, lips parting in confusion. What could possibly have the master making this decision, the elderly man never put his self-proclaimed children in potentially life-threatening situations if he had any say in it...
"Gramps, this is an S-Class mission," Natsu began, his usual rambunctious nature hidden beneath a layer of nerves.
"Erza will be accompanying you, that's not up for discussion," Makarov countered, "and Natsu, I believe your strength is on par with Erza's..." Natsu's eyes shot open at the words, a mix of shock and gratitude washed through him. His jaw dropped again with a flood of silent questions. "You have so much potential, my boy. The only thing holding you back is your reckless behaviour. But hear me now Natsu, this is NOT a job you can rush into without thinking, it could mean your life, and Erza's."
Another knock and the door opened to reveal Erza herself, looking seriously focused and prepared for action. She nodded at him as she took the vacant chair next to his. Makarov glanced between them both, two of his most capable mages, despite their young ages and mustered a confident smile for them. "Take care of each other, do your best and do Fairy Tail proud," he paused, watching as matching determined grins appeared on their faces. "But above all, you both make it back alive!"
"Yeah! I'm fired up NOW!" Natsu shouted, thrusting a fist into the air, he grabbed Erza's wrist, "let's DO this Erza!" He spun and raced down the stairs, towing the redhead behind him. Natsu got Happy's attention and ignored the requip mage's protests as he dragged her out of the guild hall. Happy soared out the doors just behind them and settled onto Natsu's head, asking what was going on as the fire mage continued to pull Erza through the streets.
"Natsu! Will you chill out!" she snapped, finally digging her heels in. Natsu could tell by the look on her face she was unsure of his maturity for a mission like this, and she was fully aware of the details of the one and only S-Class mission he'd been on prior... He gave in, Makarov was right, if he didn't rein in his hasty tendencies, it could spell disaster for both of them. Letting out an exacerbated sigh, he released her wrist, turned with a raised eyebrow and threw a fist into his hip, allowing her to take point as the senior mage.
"Let's get our supplies ready and meet at the train station in an hour, we will need to head to Hargeon and take a ship up North from there." Erza laughed a little as Natsu grumbled a response about death-traps and stalked off toward his house with Happy to gather his equipment.
. . .
Erza approached the platform dragging her usual large trailer of luggage and waved in greeting when she located her comrade already waiting. He asked her teasingly if she'd remembered her kitchen sink as they boarded the train shortly after depositing her extra stuff with the luggage car. His teasing dwindled as soon as the train departed, the rocking of the cars throwing Natsu into a nauseous state almost instantly. Erza empathized as he folded in on himself, allowing his head to drop against the glass and began focusing on his breathing.
They had a long day of travel ahead, so it certainly wasn't going to be a good day for him. She sipped a mug of tea across from him, letting herself ponder the mission and the boy in front of her, just now wondering where his constant blue shadow was. Happy was with them when they left the guild hall earlier, and Natsu rarely went anywhere without the cat, let alone a mission. 'Did he leave Happy behind? Maybe he is taking the dangers of this mission seriously after all,' she contemplated. Erza was fully aware of the high potential that her seemingly empty-headed guildmate possessed, if only he could bring out his true power.
She sweat-dropped, and take things a little more seriously...
Nearly a full day of travel found Erza walking down the snow covered streets of a small port town in Northern Fiore, an arm wrapped around the waist of her travel companion. Natsu's head lulled slightly side to side as he lumbered forward on shaky steps.
'Poor guy, I had no idea how bad his motion sickness was. But considering that, it's rather impressive he's still on his feet after a full day on trains and boats... Even if that's barely the case,' she added with an internal giggle as they arrived in front of a small inn. Thankfully, a hired porter had already gotten her cart to the specified inn, she passed her tower of luggage in the foyer and got herself and Natsu checked in.
Dragging the half-conscious body of the dragon slayer up the stairs to their room, she deposited him on one of the two small beds, eliciting an audible groan from the fire mage. Natsu rolled over and fished through his pack for his water canteen, downing its contents in one go before murmuring a genuine thanks. Dropping the empty canteen on the floor he slumped back onto the pillows, continuing to recover from the vehicle induced symptoms. Erza simply smiled and nodded her acceptance as she disappeared into the bathroom to get cleaned up for bed.
When she returns, Natsu was sitting in the middle of his bed, scarfing down some food that she was unsure of where it all came from. He put a hand up with a 'yo,' around a mouthful of food as she took a seat on the adjacent bed. 'Good to see he's made a full recovery,' Erza thought as she snatched a piece of fruit from Natsu's bed. Enjoying a satisfying bite, she suggested that they get to sleep early, so they could hire a carriage to the village that put in the job request, at dawn. Natsu groaned at the mention of the carriage, but agreed none the less, almost immediately dropping back onto his pillow and falling into a deep sleep.
Erza felt a twinge of jealousy at her fellow mage's uncanny ability to sleep anywhere, he looked totally at peace, an assortment of food still around him. Rolling her eyes, she removed the clutter from his bed as he snored softly, before crawling into her own to get some rest. 'Sleep well, Natsu. We will need our wits about us tomorrow.'
. . .
After a short carriage ride and a subsequent hike on snowshoes through the treacherous mountain trails, the Fairy Tail mages finally reached the tiny village hidden in a dense ring of conifers. Peeling their snowshoes off, Erza requipped them away, and Natsu followed her toward the village center so they could meet with the elder that put in the request. Entering the modest building, they are welcomed with steaming mugs of tea, which they both accept gratefully. His armour clad companion handed their official acceptance letter with Fairy Tail's stamp of approval in the bottom corner, to the chief, and offered their introduction. "Greetings, I am Erza Scarlett of Fairy Tail, and this," she said, gesturing his way, "is Natsu Dragneel, the fire dragon slayer, we are here to answer your request."
The elderly man ushered them into a small room with a fire burning in a pit at the center. "Thank you Natsu, Erza, for responding so quickly, it means the world to us that Fairy Tail has come to assist us..." he trailed off as his welcoming expression faltered and he looked at his hands clasped in his lap. "Our village is suffering, we depend on the milk products and occasional meat from our livestock, and of course, most devastating, we have lost loved ones to those awful beasts." Unshed tears filled his eyes as he looked back at the mages across from him, "please... Please, you are the only ones who can help us!"
"Don't worry, Fairy Tail mages always come through! We will protect your village, you can count on it!" Natsu vowed enthusiastically, a contagious grin spread across his face as he slammed a closed fist to his heart, "we will take down those wyverns!" Erza simply smiled and nodded along with his confidence, her eyes locked on the elder, whose head bobbed back through tears that finally spilled down his cheeks. He murmured barely audible sentiments of gratitude as the pair stood to take their leave.
. . .
A couple hours after gathering some additional information from the villagers, Natsu and Erza met back up at the villages community centre to share information. Erza picked at a hearty stew in front of her, and even Natsu's appetite was diminished after hearing stories about the villagers' losses. They'd learned the wyverns are usually seen flying down from the mountains to the West in the early morning and just that morning one of the wyverns made off a couple sheep, so it would be likely that they would be back in their cave for the day. Erza and Natsu planned to scout out signs of the beasts after an energizing meal and a quick reprieve from the frigid temperatures. Natsu of course, was unaffected, but Erza's cheeks had become a permanent match to the colour of her hair.
When they departed the village on snow shoes again, and found their way picking their way up the mountain side cautiously, Natsu noticed the increasing shiver of his comrade's muscles. He'd begun allowing his magic to spill out slightly in attempts to keep Erza from freezing in the brutal cold while they searched for evidence of the wyverns. She was freezing, no matter how much she denied it, but he knew she was too stubborn to stay in the village while he did the recon.
"Natsu, you need to conserve your magic power, we don't really know what we are heading into, I will be fine," she said, requipping another thick wool coat. Natsu stopped in his tracks, looking back at her skeptically, but hesitantly closed off his flow of magic for now.
"Fine, but if I see you turning blue—" he left the ultimatum open-ended, as they continued through the deep snow. They were actually in luck, the afternoon skies were clear today even though blizzards blew through the mountains more often than not. The atmosphere was almost peaceful, if not for the circumstances of their trip, looming over them. An ear-splitting screech filled the air to banish that precarious peace anyway and a large grey wyvern dropped out of the sky, crashing through the tree line, talons outstretched and heading straight for Erza.
"ERZA!" Natsu screamed, but his warning call was unneeded. The redhead flipped out of the way, a blinding glow surrounding her body mid-air, she landed in her black wing armour, sword drawn and ready above her head. Natsu ignited his fists, the flames wrapping around them like gloves as he leapt at the wyvern now planted solidly on the ground and roaring at the knight. A fiery fist connected with the wyvern's jaw, barely phasing it except to gain its attention. The beast turned toward him as it inhaled deeply, ribcage expanding with potential before roaring out a wild blizzard that forced Natsu back. Shards of ice shredded his body and he heard Erza's muffled call over the wind as he released a pained scream. Natsu flipped in the air, feet planting on a tree behind him and sprang back toward the beast, "Fire Dragon's sword horn!" Still undaunted, the wyvern completely ignored the fire mage, spinning and whipping its tail around to connect right into Erza's gut, tearing a scream from her throat.
"NO, ERZA!" Natsu jumped off the wyvern, snatching Erza out of the air before slamming into a tree, knocking the wind from his lungs. "Erza, tell me you're okay!" he rasped.
"I'm fine Natsu, let's do this!"
Wasting no time, Erza requiped into her Flame Empress Armour and quickly sent a flash of magic-replenishing fire toward Natsu. Then she launched into action, shooting a stream of fire toward the wyvern and Natsu copied her action just behind her, unleashing a powerful breath attack. The two attacks combined in a torrent of flames that engulfed the beast before them. For the first time, the wyvern screeched out an agonized cry. It flapped its wings to take to the sky and put distance between itself and the mages. Beating its wings, it stirred the snows into a raging whiteout.
Erza called his name over the pounding winds and reached out blindly for his hand to keep them together. Catching her hand in a strong grip, Natsu guided her out of harm's way, inhaling deeply as did. "Fire Dragon's ROAR!" he screamed, loosing another stream of fire straight up into the air. The torrent of fire blew the storm apart, revealing the wyvern again.
"Well done, Natsu, that was quick thinking!" Erza praised. "My turn!" She sprinted forward, leaping to spring off a tree, and landed on the wyvern's back, stabbing her sword down between its shoulder blades. The wyvern flailed but Erza hung on, calling multiple swords into the air around her, "dance, my swords!" she commanded. The swords surged forward, piercing the beast's most vulnerable areas with deadly precision. Natsu cheered and immediately took advantage, propelling himself forward with a blast of fire and connecting a kick to a sword hilt, driving it further between the wyvern's ribs.
The wailing of the beast filled the air, but just as the two mages were resigning themselves to a victory over the first, a second announced its arrival with an enraged roar.
Natsu felt a cold fear wash over him as he saw the second wyvern crash into the unsuspecting Titania, a claw found its way clear through her armour and torso like tissue. Her body fell limp from the back of the first wyvern, landing in the deep snow and staining it a light pink. Momentarily frozen, Natsu hyperventilated in panic, his eyes wide, body numb.
'No… Erza, this isn't happening.'
Shaking himself out of his stupor at the sound of twin roars ripping through the brief silence. Natsu darted forward, pulling Erza out of the way of a tail whipping down to crush her, just in time. A cold sweat coated her forehead and she seemed delirious already as she slipped in and out of consciousness. Another roar alerted Natsu to the fact that there were still two wyverns behind him.
'What do you I do? I have to get Erza to safety! She needs a doctor! DAMMIT!'
The second wyvern pulled in a deep inhale, preparing for another blizzard attack, and Natsu could only watch it helplessly. Now pinned between the two beasts, he could see no chance of escape. Tightening his grip, he curled himself over his friend in attempt to shield her and braced for the unavoidable impact.
"Water Dragon's raging whirlpools!" a voice cut through the sudden silence, and spinning torrents of water crash into each of the wyverns, temporarily trapping them in a watery vortexes. Natsu looked around wildly for the source, finding the back of a dark-haired mage a couple meters in front of them.
'Did he say... Water Dragon's...?'
The new arrival turned and ran toward them, concerned blue eyes scanning over Erza before meeting his. "She looks bad," he stated and Natsu could only nod wordlessly in agreement. "We need to get out of here, my spell won't hold them for long," the mystery mage urged. Natsu nodded again, and the other boy helped situate Erza onto his back before they both turned and began making their way down the mountain.
Later
Natsu signed, leaning back in his chair at the side of Erza's bed. According to the village healer, the wyvern had broken multiple rips, her arm, and caused some severe internal bleeding. They had been exceedingly lucky that the healer happened to wield healing magic because medicine alone wouldn't have saved her... Damp bangs clung to her forehead, her breathing was laboured, and she still hadn't stirred, much less woken.
'Not that surprising after taking a talon clear through her side,' Natsu thought bitterly.
He felt like a failure, here he was, a dragon slayer, and he couldn't even take out a damn wyvern. Hell, he almost let one of his closest friends get killed—she would have died, if it hadn't been for that second dragon slayer showing up. Natsu glanced to the corner of the room, the dark-haired slayer was discussing something quietly with the healer in the corner. 'Where did this guy come from? I've never met another dragon slayer aside from Laxus... I wonder if he's also lacrima enhanced.'
The other mage noticed his gaze, and his conversation cut off as he turned to approach Natsu. "Hey, the healer tells me Erza should make a full recovery, but she won't be back on her feet for a while yet." Natsu nodded slowly, feeling nauseous over the whole situation, despite the need for revenge bubbling beneath the surface, he was furious.
Furious with the wyverns. Furious that the mission was a failure. Furious with himself for being weak.
Natsu pushed those thoughts away for now, and addressed their rescuer, "Erza would be dead right now, if it hadn't been for you..." He hung his head for a moment, the words heavier in his gut than he'd expected. "I'm grateful, thank you."
"Don't mention it," he replied simply. "I wasn't expecting to run into anyone else up there..."
Natsu considered the other boy standing over them, wondering how strong he was, if he had taken the same job he and Erza had just failed, alone. Had his friend not been laid out bleeding and unconscious, Natsu would have already brashly challenged the boy, just to find out where he stacked up. Adverting his attention, Natsu draped an arm over his eyes and leaned back in his chair, momentarily getting lost in his thoughts and curiosities. After a minute he let his arm slide down his face after a minute and refocused on the other dragon slayer. "I never caught your name," he stated.
"Haru," the water mage answered, extending his hand.
"Natsu," he said, taking the offered hand, "so you're a dragon slayer as well?"
Haru nodded in confirmation. "Lacrima implant?" Natsu asked skeptically, true dragon slayer magic was lost, after all.
"Excuse me?! Don't insult me!"
"So you're the real deal? No joke?" Haru's irritation seemed to soften at the awe in his tone. "Sorry, I've just... I've never met another dragon slayer. That means you were raised by a dragon?"
"Don't worry about it, I shouldn't have snapped. I've never met another either..." Silence followed as they both pondered the implications of finding another true dragon slayer. Now wasn't the time to discuss their pasts though, or the origins of the magic they shared. "What do you think about teaming up for this job Natsu?" Haru suggested.
That caught Natsu off guard and it didn't slip his attention that the Water Slayer left the question of his parentage unanswered. Suspicion pricked at him again as they locked eyes. "How did you even end up here? It shouldn't be possible for more than one guild to accept a job request," he pointed out.
"I don't belong to a guild," the raven-haired boy stated calmly, offering a dismissive shrug, as though it should be obvious.
"What do you mean?!" Natsu burst out. A groan from Erza reminded him of the fact that he was shouting. With a steadying sigh, he calmed himself before continuing, "how did you end up on this job then?"
"I live in the town a couple hours east; you would have passed through it on your way here. I had heard about the trouble with the wyverns and thought I should try to help these people." Haru shrugged again, "I didn't realize the job had already been accepted by a guild, but I guess you should count yourself lucky I didn't."
Natsu felt his brow twitch at the cocky-sounding comment, even if he couldn't deny it. "Alright then, if you fancy yourself strong enough to take on two wyverns alone, what do you need my help for? I just want to get Erza home safe."
Haru glanced at the redhead, wrapped in layers of bandages, cuts and bruises littering her skin. Then he looked over Natsu more closely for the first time. Natsu knew he didn't look much better then his bed-bound friend so Haru's attention had him bristling. "Don't get offended... I am not stupid enough to think that I am a match for two wyverns without help... I was only up there to try to find out where they were, gather information to see what I'd be up against. But if we team up…" he trailed off, looking at Natsu expectantly.
Erza's raspy breathing was the only sound as the minutes stretched between them. Natsu stared unfocused at his guildmate, a pink stain had already started colouring the bandages around her torso again. Natsu grumbled inwardly at her state before his grimace gave way to a bright grin, albeit somewhat forced. "Alright, you have yourself a partner. Let's show these overgrown lizards not to mess with true dragon slayers!" Haru returned the smirk, extending his hand and Natsu slapped his own into his new companion's grip with a firm shake.
The healer insisted the boys rest up overnight and offered her guest room to them. Natsu was beyond thankful for the opportunity to stay close to Erza during the acute hours of her recovery. Besides, it was already getting dark, and consequently more dangerous, so there wasn't anything he and Haru could really do this night anyway. The old woman provided bowls of thick stew, as seemed to be the norm for the village, and warm beds.
When they'd finished dinner, Natsu cozied up in front of the fireplace, lighting a stick and absentmindedly slurped at the flames. Haru joined him eventually and they chatted back and forth as they wound down for the night, both hyperaware of the dangers that would face them again the next day.
A/N: Natsu will be slightly stronger than his canon-self, and as you've probably picked up on, Lucy is not going to be the fan-service ditz that she is often portrayed as, especially prior to the GMG arc. She is also slightly stronger, and definitely mentally tougher than her canon-self, you won't see my Lucy sweating over a scary mission, or hiding in Horologium because of some mud or cold.
This will also not be a OC-centric story, Natsu is the true MC, though plenty of characters will be seeing their fair share of the spot light, Haru included.
'Till next time.
R&R
~LokaMuse