[Re-Writen 10-21]
Thank you so much to those of you following along on this journey, I appreciate the support so much!
Natsu and Haru take on the wyverns for the majority of this chapter, so hopefully it's a fun read. I also just finished editing chapter 10, and I am so excited to share some longer upcoming chapters with you, and the first major arc. Things to look forward to.
~Onward
3
-The Partnership, Part 2-
The next morning, frantic banging at the door tore Natsu from his sleep, he rolled, scanned the room groggily and glimpsed Haru exiting the guest room to investigate the disruption. Anguished cries filtered into the room rousing his attention further. He threw the blankets back, quickly leapt out of bed and stumbled out of the small room, pulling his pants on as he did so. He found the elderly healer crouched on the floor at the front door, the crumpled form of a middle-aged woman in her arms.
Sobs bubbled from the woman's throat, her white knuckled grip clung to the healer's forearm as she craned her neck to look at Haru with bloodshot eyes and tear stained cheeks. "Please! You have to help me!" she begged, addressing Haru who hovered above the women, her pleas continued but the words were lost between her cries. Natsu crossed the gap between them, stopping behind the water mage to look over his shoulder.
"Slow down," the healer encouraged, getting her to regulate her breathing enough to work coherence back into her words. "Good... now tell us what happened."
"My daughter, sh-she was trying to surprise us by milking the cows by herself—she—those beasts—they took her! Please, you have to do something, you have to bring my daughter home!"
Natsu sucked in a sharp breath, his hand reflexively gripping Haru's shoulder as he pushed passed the other boy, "We will sav—" Haru cut him off, pulling him back roughly by the arm. Natsu whirled, jaw dropping with disbelief.
But Haru caught his eye sidelong and had him pausing. "We will do everything we can to bring your daughter back ma'am, but please, prepare yourself for the worst," he implored.
"What? Haru!" Natsu choked out under his breath, his snap of anger fading only when he became aware of the way his partner's muscles were bunched in his own obvious upset. The woman nodded, fisting the front of her apron in her hands as she sobbed harder. The healer ushered her inside to the couch, covered her with a warm blanket and lowered herself next to her, continuing to offer what comfort she could. Her kind eyes drifted over to Natsu, her look as powerful as any desperate plea could have been.
Natsu adverted his eyes and followed Haru toward the guest room at his behest. Haru pulled on a thick sweater, "Put a shirt on Natsu... we should get moving, we have a girl to rescue." Natsu fixed a surprised, questioning look on his new partner. "I just wanted her to be realistic, we don't know anything of the wyvern's habits, the sad truth is, that girl may already be gone," Haru explained.
Grinning widely, Natsu darted into the room and snagged a long sleeved shirt. "Well then, we will just have to get up there faster!" he shouted, departing the room a second later. They each threw on a heavy wool cloak before Natsu burst out the door at a quick pace, he raced through the village with Haru right on his heels.
It wasn't too long before they found themselves in the middle of the same clearing from the day before. Only their enhanced senses helped them locate it, the signs of yesterday's battle were already covered by last night's snow fall. Unlike yesterday, the winds were blowing hard today, and visibility was minimal. Scanning their surroundings didn't give them much to go on either. There were no noticeable signs of either of the wyverns, so they continued winding further into the mountain.
Natsu held an arm up against the winds, squinting his eyes to search the white world around them for any clue to direct their path. Haru stopped dead in his tracks ahead of him, just as a subtly metallic scent hit Natsu's nostrils. "Hey, you smell that?" his companion asked, head tipped back in search of the same scent Natsu was trying to pin point.
"Blood, no doubt..." Natsu trailed off quietly. As good as their noses were, sniffing out a wyvern in the middle of a blizzard was impossible, the beasts smelled like the snow itself. The dragon slayers met one another's eyes, coming to the same conclusion silently, they must have caught the little girl's scent and she was bleeding.
'Not a good sign,' Natsu worried internally, he redoubled his speed without discussion, following the scent they'd locked on to. The boys came to the foot of the first mountain in the range, the scent's origin somewhere far above them. Upon closer examination, Natsu saw what he thought might be a cave half-way up the cliff face, though the blizzard made it hard to be sure.
Again, he shared a glance and a curt nod with the water slayer. They began carefully maneuvering up the treacherous cliff, making slow progress as the winds jostled them around. A rock gave way under Haru's hand and his startled gasp broke the silence as he scrambled for a new handhold. Reacting instantly, Natsu swung back and to the side just in time to lock Haru's wrist in a strong grip and wrestled him back to the rock.
"That was close," he breathed out from where he hung off the mountain with a precarious grip, "you good?" he questioned. Haru looked up at him, signs of adrenaline from his near fall still apparent. Nodding determinedly, he tested a new hand hold and restarting his climb, passing Natsu quickly for good measure. Watching for a brief moment, the fire mage chucked under his breath before starting after his partner again.
Haru pulled himself up and onto the edge that led to the cave, and Natsu copied the action a second later. The pair crawled up to the the opening and peered into the thick shadow that hid anything within, even to dragon sight. Despite this, Natsu strained his eyes, trying to get a glimpse of the wyverns or the girl but the deep black remained unrelenting to his vision. His other senses though... A soft crying, pitiful against his ears and the much stronger scent of blood, wafted from deeper inside the cave.
"Let's go," Haru whispered, urgency edging his tone as he began slinking into the cave. He hugged the rock wall as he advanced and Natsu followed after, mimicking his fellow slayer's movements. Winding into the cave cautiously, Haru slowed and crouched down when the cave opened up ahead. Nudging Natsu with his elbow, Haru directed his attention toward the quivering shape of the little girl curled on the ground just ahead. Relief washed over the fire mage at finding her alive, the determination to get her home and reunited with her mother burning even hotter.
Taking a brief moment to recheck the cave with every enhanced sense at his disposal, Natsu ensured no wyvern could be hidden in the recesses... He dropped to his belly, eyes flicking back and forth as he crawled across the cave floor to wrap an arm around the child and pulled her back toward Haru at the edge. Gripping his scarf desperately, the girl whimpered into the fabric, refusing to let go as Natsu attempted to set her against the wall. The smell of blood was much heavier in his nose now, forcing his attention to the girl's leg, shredded with gashes of varying depth.
The wounds inflicted on her leg, appeared the be the only ones she'd sustained. The beast must have locked its jaws around the limb when it carried her off... Haru tore off the sleeve of his cloak and began winding it tightly around the injury to stifle the steady bleed. Natsu turned and stooped down, silently offering to carry her so they could make their hasty retreat before the beasts could return. Haru lifted her onto his back as the quiet sobbing faded, prompting Natsu to glance over his shoulder, catching Haru's eye.
"She just passed out..." Haru trailed off. Whether from blood loss or shock, they couldn't be sure, but they did know they would have to get her off this mountain as soon as possible if she is going to have a chance. Muted light had them both blinking to adjust their eyes from the dark, the white-washed world coming back into view as they emerged onto the ledge again. Barely a second later, a familiar screech shattered the quiet to announce the arrival of an angry wyvern. The beast gave them no time to react before it crashed into the cave entrance, wrapping its talons around Haru's body on impact. It was back in the sky with the water mage trapped in its clutches, just as fast.
"HARU!" Natsu yelled, his tone tainted more in fury than panic. No, no way, he was NOT going to watch as another friend is gravely injured. He went to set the girl down against the cave entrance, but was stopped by Haru calling to him.
"NATSU! Don't you dare leave that girl! Get her home, don't worry about me!" Haru shouted from the wyvern's grip. Water pulsed around him, whipping into a vortex that swirled around himself and his captor, limiting the beast's movements.
Natsu glared at the scene, jumping from the cliff with the girl in his arms. Summoning a cushion of fire to his feet, he slowed their fall and landed softly on the ground below. He quickly found a decent pace back from the fight and placed the girl against the base of a tree with his cloak wrapped around her. Then he spun, and charged back toward Haru, "No way! I will not leave you, that isn't how Fairy Tail mages do things, I will save you BOTH!" he shouted up at Haru with conviction.
Bewilderment crossed the water mage's face, as his watery cage continued to rage in an airborne whirlpool around the beast preventing any escape. Natsu sprinted across the narrow clearing at the foot of the mountain, and straight up a tree. He sped to the end of a branch, and sprung off the end high into the air soaring right for the wyvern. Locking eyes with Haru as he appeared at the lip of the whirlpool, he channelled another burst of fire to his feet and launched himself straight down the center of the water spell. Flipping in the air and gaining momentum from his fire, Natsu called a talon attack and landed a brutal kick on the wyvern's ankle, shattering a bone to release Haru.
Both dragon slayers dropped from the middle of the whirlpool as it burst apart. They landed in the deep snow, just as the second wyvern appeared in the sky, roaring its displeasure. Natsu postured from the half kneel of his landing and shifted back to back with his partner. Their magic swelled until fire and water spun around them at the ready and they both began unleashing an onslaught of spells. Though their combined attacks continued to have little effect, much to Natsu's growing anger... he peaked sidelong at the girl, the pressure of time felt suffocating.
"Any ideas?" Haru asked, panting. His blue eyes followed the wyverns flying in purposeful circles around them, clearly sizing them up for a meal.
'Wait, I've got it,' Natsu thought suddenly, he looked over his shoulder at the boy behind him. "Haru, create another whirlpool, aim for the smaller wyvern in front of the cliff face, but don't trap it, yet," he commanded cryptically.
Haru considered him with a thoughtful look, but whatever curiosity bloomed in his mind, time constraints kept him focused. He quickly conjured streams of water, doing as Natsu requested. Dipping into a stable battle stance, Haru thrusted his hands out in front of him, "Water Dragon's raging whirlpool!" he shouted. His magical pressure spiked as he poured a significant amount into the spell. As the water spell hurtled toward the smaller wyvern, the second dove, swooping down to intercept the attack on its mate.
Smirking as he reignited his fists, Natsu signalled Haru with a sharp nod. The unspoken plan finally dawning on him, the water mage quickly adjusted the reach of his spell to surround the pair of wyverns. At the same time, Natsu slammed both hands of fire together, combining the separate flames into a huge ball of fire. "Fire Dragon's brilliant flame!" he roared, whipping the massive ball of swirling fire straight through the center of the whirlpool to collide with the trapped beasts.
"NOW, HARU!" Natsu shouted over the winter winds. They leapt back in perfect unison, planting their feet as they inhaled huge breaths of air as mirror images, each building up their magic power to release a devastating roar of opposing elements. Overwhelmed by waves of fire and water, two wyverns release pained shrieks and collapsed to the ground in front of the exhausted slayers.
The beasts weren't even down for a fully minute before the larger of the two was flexing its claws. "It wasn't enough!" Natsu calls out, desperation building as the it struggled to its feet with a furious cry. Suddenly, memories of Erza lying in pink snow, beaten down and broken, flickered unbidden through his mind. Embracing the feeling of hopelessness that washed over him, Natsu relived the previous afternoon in a fleeting moment. His lungs felt restricted, and his limbs heavy again, as though he was waiting for the wyvern's impending attack, all over again. The intensity of the uselessness that settled over him that evening while the healer desperately worked to save his oldest friend, was as fresh as it had been that moment. All these images accompanied by the anguished cries of the woman whose young daughter had been swiped from what should be the safety of their own home...
'No more, this ends here,' Natsu vowed to himself.
. . .
Fire exploded off Natsu's body, melting the deep snow around him in a wide radius. Eyes blowing wide in awe, Haru flinched away from the heat rolling off his partner and skipped back multiple steps to put distance between himself and the scalding flames. The fire slayer's magic pressure continued to expand and grow uncontrolled until the fires extinguished abruptly, though Haru noted Natsu's magic pressure hadn't diminished with it. Patches of crimson scales covered Natsu's cheekbones, rippling down the part of his neck the scarf left exposed. Haru was sure the new scales covered more of the skin hidden beneath his winter clothing. The back of the fist he had cocked for a strike coated in red seemed to suggest that.
"I won't let you hurt ANY of the villagers, or my friends again!" Natsu swore, releasing his flames once more with the same newly intense magic pressure. "Dragon Slayer's secret art: crimson lotus exploding flame blade!"
An incredible amount of power burst off Natsu as deep red flames enveloped him head to toe. He channelled that fire to propel himself toward the wyvern pair in a low arc, closing the gap between himself the beasts with rapid precision. Crashing into the chest of the larger one, Natsu's fire exploded outward violently and the backlash forced Haru to dive at the girl. He just barely managed to wrap them both in a dome of water to protect her from the fire mage's destructive attack.
Huddling over the child, Haru waited for the heat at his back to fade before checking on his partner and was stunned by what he saw when he did. Flames still licked over parts of Natsu's body as well as the scorched ground around him where the snows had been banished. The fire mage stood with his back to him, facing a fresh crater in the mountain side. The rising and falling of Natsu's shoulder alerted Haru to his heavy breathing. He called to Natsu but received no response, the other seemingly transfixed on the extensive damage he'd caused, or the wyverns at his feet, dead and curled into each other.
The scales Haru could see faded away as Natsu wobbled on his feet and collapsed forward. Releasing his water shield to splash down around him, Haru shouted Natsu's name again, dashing toward his comrade to assess him for injuries. He dropped to his knees, carefully rolling the fire mage to his back as he scanned his form. To his relief, he found only minor injuries and concluded he had likely drawn too much power from his magic container. 'How reckless,' Haru thought, chuckling to himself. He glanced between the boy in his arms and the little girl a few meters away and wondered how the hell he was supposed to get them both off the mountain to safety, in the middle of a fucking blizzard no less.
Haru blew out a puff of exacerbation, 'It's okay Natsu, you rest, I will find a way.'
As though summoned by that thought, and without any warning, a flash of red burst from the charred tree line to reveal Erza wearing ferocity like any a second armour. She had one arm still splinted, but that did little to dampen her menacing air, especially with the other holding a sword out in front of her in silent threat. Erza's eyes landed on himself and Natsu, unconscious in his arms, and before he knew it her blade was fixed at his throat. Haru gasped in surprise at the girl's deadly look and the prowess she displayed, even one arm short. The scarlet warrior was demanding to know what he'd done to her comrade, so he quickly raised the hand not supporting the pink-haired boy, in surrender. "Hold up Erza! We aren't enemies, Natsu is okay, he just exhausted his magic power finishing off the wyverns," Haru explained hastily.
Erza seemed momentarily thrown off by him addressing both herself and the fire mage by name. But that reaction was nothing in comparison to the awe that literally dropped her jaw when she noticed the wyverns behind them for the first time. She lowered her sword slowly, "Natsu did that?" she asked skeptically. "He didn't need my help after all..." she murmured, Haru barely caught the words... they hadn't been meant for him, clearly. The redhead's expression looked just the slightest bit saddened by the news, which Haru found interesting. The smile that preceded obvious pride was just as perplexing, given the quick shift in her mood.
Unsure of how to read her, Haru just nodded. "Yeah... he did," he clarified, "but more importantly, we need to get them back to town, to the healer as soon as possible." She followed his gesturing wave to the little girl still wrapped in Natsu's cloak, as Haru added, "and preferably, before we all get hypothermia."
Erza agreed easily, shivering herself at the reminder of the subzero temperatures. "I'll get the girl," she announced, approaching and lifting the unconscious girl into her arms. She paused and turned to watch Haru maneuver Natsu onto his back so they could trek their way back to the village once more.
The two walked with a somewhat tense silence hanging between them and Haru could feel the redhead's eyes boring into him from her periphery. Whether she was suspicious or simply curious of his presence, he wasn't sure. "How do you know Natsu?" she asked abruptly. Suspicious, her protective tone helped him decide.
Without looking at her, he answered, "We only ran into each other shortly after you were injured, I intercepted an attack."
"Saved our butts, more like," came a groggy sounding comment from the fire mage.
"You're okay," Erza breathed, tones of relief replacing the earlier suspicion Haru had picked up.
"O' course, I am! It'll take more than a couple dragon-wannabes to take me down!" Natsu declared, scoffing at her.
Erza was watching her guildmate more than the path in front of them now. Natsu might still be full of the bravado Haru had seen from him over the last day, but the exhaustion in his voice was impossible to miss and it didn't look like Erza was buying his attempt to hide it either. "Glad to hear it," she said instead of voicing any concern.
"Anyway, Haru here is going to be our newest member of Fairy Tail, so you should try'n get along."
"That's wonderful!" Erza said happily, her earlier suspicions melting away immediately, "welcome to Fair—"
"I never agreed to that!" Haru interrupted incredulously, adjusting his grip on the fire mage and craning his neck to try to get a look at his companions.
"He hasn't technically agreed, but he will." Natsu added confidently. Haru tried to glare at him, but was met with a mop of pink hair on his shoulder. Natsu's head was turned away from him to converse with Erza as if he wasn't even there, carrying him no less. Haru internally scoffed and released his grip on the fire mage's legs. Natsu yelped, landing unceremoniously on his butt and looked up at his offender, "Oi! What the hell man?"
Haru hinged forward, meeting his fellow slayer's eyes, "I work alone. I won't be tied down to a guild, I work free or not at all."
Natsu stared back, contemplating, before a grin broke out across his face. "Says the guy who invited ME to work as a team—which we rocked, by the way."
The water mage blinked back slowly, any retort dying in his mouth. "Alright boys, this isn't the time, we still have to get this girl back to her family," Erza stated, leaving no room for discussion. She stalked forward without waiting to see if their idiocy had run its course. Haru gave in, extending a hand to Natsu and pulled him back to his feet, only to catch him again as he stumbled forward on lumbering steps. Still far too weak from the ordeal of weilding new advanced magic, Natus gratefully accepted his help again. Haru slung his arm over his shoulder, and the pair continued after the scarlet mage who was now a fair distance ahead.
The little cabin-style home of the healer came into view as Haru turned toward the village center, hefting Natsu's weight more evenly over his shoulder for the last stretch. Erza, well ahead of them now, let herself into the home, leaving the door open for a patch of light to fall on the slowly darkening streets as dusk approached. As the dragon slayers came up behind the redhead still occupying the doorway, Haru caught the elderly woman's eyes lighting up as she entered the living room and absorbed their presence. "Oh, my dear, you had me so worried running off with injuries like yours, I am so glad you made it back okay," the healer began.
"Yes, how reckless of you," Natsu snarked, gaining the flashing glare of the Knight. Her retort was rendered lost to the loud exclamation of the devastated villager from earlier though. Apparently the girl's mother had planted herself on the healer's couch and hadn't moved since, waiting for their return.
"Maggie!" she cried out, "Oh sweet girl, Maggie! –Is she okay?" Only then did their host seem to notice the small girl in Erza's arms, hidden beneath the wool cloak. The healer quickly moved to pull Maggie from the mage's hold to examine her.
After a superficial assessment, the healer looked back at Maggie's mother, "She is going to be okay, but if I am going to save her leg, I need to get started right away." With that the woman pivoted and disappeared into the next room to begin working.
After being told to prepare for the worst news earlier and likely resigning herself to that fate, the mages now watched the figurative dam of the mother's emotions burst. She stumbled forward, subsequently wrapping her arms around Haru and began mumbling her gratitude through sobs. Looking incredibly uncomfortable, Haru stood stiffly, wide eyed and looking at his fellow mages for rescue.
"How can I ever repay you all?" she asked, turning her attention to Erza and Natsu. They stood to the side, both looking battle worn and she reached to grasp each of their hands in hers.
"Being able to reunite one family, is all the payment we require," Erza assured the woman, who nodded gratefully in response. She turned away and went to join the healer and her very lucky daughter.
Now that they'd been left alone, Natsu wobbled across the room and finally let himself collapse in front of the fireplace. With a drawn out sound of appreciation, he immediately began shovelling handfuls of the fire into his mouth. Sighing contently again, he relit the smouldering logs with a spark off his finger, "Man, that hits the spot!" he half-moaned.
Haru watched as Natsu stretched out on his back and rested his head on his hands before turning the tap at the sink to inhale long pulls of the refreshing liquid. He ran the back of his hand across his mouth, and filled a large glass with more, then moved to join his fellow dragon slayer, "Man, you're telling me..." he agreed. The pair shared a knowing look and a bout of laughter as Erza hung a kettle over the fire to make tea while observing them.
"Whaaat..." Natsu drew the word out, looking slightly uncomfortable under her gaze.
She didn't give voice to her thoughts right away causing Natsu to frown and fidget with the ends of his scarf. "Nothing, it's just... if I didn't know better, I'd think you two had known each other for years, not hours," she finally expressed, passing them each an empty mug to fill when the kettle boiled.
Natus leaned over and nudged Haru with his shoulder, "See? Even Erza thinks you belong in Fairy Tail, you're already one of us!"
"Not happening."
Placing an assortment of teabags down between them, Erza laughed at Natsu's one-sided debate to Haru's single-worded rebuttals and joined them in front of the fire. After filling her mug and absentmindedly plucking at the steeping teabag, she found an opportune moment to interject a question to reroute Natsu's one-tracked mind. Unfazed by her interruption, he answered by launching right into reciting the story of how they took out the wyverns, dramatically retelling the events while Haru occasionally offered missing context. It was a welcome distraction to pass the time as they waited for news of the little girl's recovery.
It was a few hours passed sun down when the healer emerged from her treatment room, she looked worn, but glowed with a certain exhilaration. She gladly announce that minus a slight limp, Maggie was going to make a full recovery and Haru had shared beaming smiles with his new Fairy Tail friends at the news. He laughed with Erza as the woman snagged Natsu by an ear, after he attempted to wave off her medical check, and dragged him off squawking indignantly. They weren't gone too long though, and aside from a few bandaged cuts and a lecture about overtaxing his magic reserves, he'd been cleared with her blessing. The healer followed suit with both himself and Erza before joining the trio in her living room to finally kick up her feet and take a much deserved rest.
Once again, she insisted they spend the night to recover now that it was too late to safely travel the thick forest paths. She also wanted to reassess Erza's injuries one more time before their departure, to ensure the redhead was strong enough for the travel. None of them pointed out that most mage's healing capacities dwarfed the average persons'. The woman had been kind, and if it gave her peace of mind before they embarked on the long trek and carriage ride back to the port town, then they'd just graciously accept. Haru wasn't entirely sure her offer wasn't a demand anyway. He had a feeling if they tried to leave before she cleared them, she'd chase them down the street and drag them all back by their ears.
Haru planned to depart with the Fairy Tail mages in the morning and join them as far as his hometown. He would part ways there, as his new friends continued on to Magnolia.
Plans don't always go to accordance.
. . .
Early the next morning the trio met with the village elder to debrief him on the mission and assure him that his village was safe, his people could finally live their lives without fear. Erza was pleased to note they could receive the entire reward without any deductions for damages, though they did end up splitting it three ways due to Haru's involvement.
During the carriage ride to the North port town, she watched as her travelling companions both succumbed to nausea, each slumping into a wall with arms wrapped around their respective midsections. Amusedly she considered how they appeared to be mirror images of one another.
The trip was short, but it was still already midday when their hired carriage rolled into town and she and Natsu still had an entire day's worth of travel to dread. So when Haru extended an offer to crash at his place for the night, they didn't take long to consider before accepting. It gave her and Natsu the excuse to explore the wintered town, though not before Natsu got in a few more digs at the water mage about just joining Fairy Tail so he wouldn't have to find excuses to avoid saying good bye.
Haru showed them around the town he'd apparently lived most of his life in, after the disappearance of Oceanus anyway. He'd quickly fended off Natsu's questions about that, refusing to elaborate further than the details he'd already inadvertently let slip. When the sun slunk low in the sky, bringing a numbing chill with it, the Fairy Tail mages followed Haru home, and found themselves lounging around a tiny, but well organized living room.
Erza excused herself momentarily to pull her communication lacrima, planning to update Makarov. She was sure he would be beside himself in worry having sent a non-S class and notoriously brash mage on the mission. The orb flickered with static for a minute or two before dispersing to reveal the short guild master, he appeared to be at the bar, the shelves of assorted alcohol just behind him. "Erza!" he greeted cheerfully, "I wasn't expecting you to check in, but I'm glad you did. How is the mission going?"
A white-haired girl pressed herself into view over his shoulder, and then a blue cat bounced around both of them, all three fighting for the limited space. "How is the mission going?" Mira asked, parroting Makarov's earlier question in concern.
"Where's Natsu?! Nashuuu?!" Happy's wailing filled the line and Erza shifted back in her seat, glancing over at the pair of dragon slayers lazing only meters away, their attention drawn by the commotion on the lacrima.
Makarov barked irritably at his unwelcome company about how if they'd just been patient they would already have answers to those questions...
"That Gramps?" Natsu asked, not bothering to move to check properly. At the sound of his voice, the trio of Fairy Tail members all called his name in varying emotive tones. Erza released an exacerbated sigh. She couldn't really fault their reactions, nor their concern, especially Mira's... of course they were distressed. She looked back at Natsu over her shoulder, "Mira and Happy too..." she replied, lifting the orb and swivelling on her stool to allow everyone to chat without her being reduced to an intermediary communication device.
"Mission was a success Gramps!" Natsu announced with his toothy grin, "and we found a new member-"
"NO, he didn't!" Haru retorted for the umpteenth time, cuffing him over the back of the head. His cheeks coloured under the attention of hers and Natsu's guildmates as they ignored his outburst in favour of asking who he was in barrage of questions. Erza stifled giggles behind her hand, Haru's introverted tendencies seemed blatantly obvious in comparison to Natsu's extroversion, she wondered if the water slayer could even handle their rowdy family... but despite Natsu's constant assurances, she didn't think he'd succeed in convincing Haru to leave his home and join the guild anyway.
Though to Erza's surprise, somewhere in the proceeding twelve hour span, Natsu had at least managed to convince Haru to accompany them back to Magnolia... It wasn't an agreement to join the guild, but the fire mage did seem to be making steady progress in wearing down Haru's walls. After breakfast, the group strolled toward the port, the boys trailing behind her, locked in the same discussion Erza had been listening to on repeat for the last day. But honestly, their banter was a significant improvement to the belly aching she could usually expect from Natsu when a vehicle was involved. Apparently, his excitement at Haru caving in to visiting Magnolia had him effectively distracted from the nearing boat trip.
"Just come check it out, no one is going to force you to join," Natsu declared as he punched Haru in the shoulder playfully, "but, I dare you not to love it."
"Gods, I'm coming! Jus' shut up would you?!" Rolling his eyes in response to the widening grin on his friend's face, Haru added for good measure, "I'm not joining Fairy Tail." Erza understood his impulse, she'd noticed Natsu's eyes flashing in triumph as well... he was already considering this his win.
"You say that now."
"I'm NOT!"
"I look forward to seeing you eat those words."
"Screw you Natsu!"
Natsu burst out laughing, much to Haru's chagrin, "Well, shit, you can lose your cool!" he said through bouts of laughter, poking Haru in a now reddening cheek.
Immediately regaining his composure, the water mage clicked his tongue in irritation, and looked away, seemingly embarrassed at losing his cool demeanour. But without missing a beat, Natsu placed a hand on Haru's shoulder, drawing his attention back to him, "You're just too cool Haru, I'm going to light a fire under you."
Blue eyes widened, glancing between Natsu and herself when she stopped to see what was taking them so long. Natsu's expression was overt confidence and a second later Erza offered the same contagious smile to their new friend. Then she turned and walked toward the harbour, drawing Natsu with her to let Haru have a moment with his home town and his thoughts. It was seeming less and less likely he'd be returning here any time soon. She'd bet somewhere in his subconscious Haru was aware of that too, and resigned to the idea, or he'd never have agreed to join them in the first place.
'Well, looks like I'm going to see the world, just like you always wanted, Oceanus,' Haru thought, misty eyes looking out over the glittering ocean waters to his left. He gave himself a physical shake and ran to catch up with the receding forms of his new comrades.
Present day
"So Haru came back with us, swearing the whole way that he was just 'taking the opportunity to see the world,'" Natsu paused, laughing hard at the memory. "Less than a month in and he was wearing our mark," he said, tapping the emblem on his right shoulder. "We began teaming up for missions, and it wasn't long after that Sorcerer's Weekly did a full feature story, deeming us the 'Twin Dragons of Fairy Tail.' And the rest is history!" he joked with a dramatic sweep of his arm.
Lucy listened to the whole story with stars in her eyes, what could she say? She was a sucker for a good story. They were nearing the guild hall just as Haru exited the building and noticed them approaching. He lifted his right hand to wave, and Lucy focused in on the vibrant blue guild mark on his left shoulder, over his deltoid, just like the one Natsu had on his right. She briefly wondered if that was by design, picturing the two locked in battle, standing back to back, magic at the ready and guild marks proudly on display. She shook her head, a dopy smile appearing on her face.
At the sound of their greetings, Happy stirred in Natsu's arms rubbing sleep from his eyes. Wings bloomed from blue fur and lifted him into the sky, he hovered in front of them, his paws finding his hips. "What are you all standing around for? Let's get going you lazy bums!"
The trio sweat dropped, 'Says the cat that's been napping away the last hour,' they think collectively.
Then Lucy skipped passed the cat, turning to jog backwards and called to the guys, "Yeah! Let's show the world what Fairy Tail mages can do!" She threw her marked fist into the air, the pink shining in the light, as the Twin Dragons returned her enthusiasm and chased after.
A/N: So there we have it. First arc starts next chapter, and will deviate a fair amount from actual canon, though enemies will be familiar faces. :D
Hope you all enjoyed the quick little flashback.
'Till next week.
R&R.
xx Loka Muse