I know, I know, this is a short chapter. And I know, I know, it's been a while. I've been out of town these past two weekends, so now I'm behind in my fanfictions. Luckily, I had this chapter already made, but for my other story, Crimson Eyes (you should check it out if you haven't already!), I am not quite caught up with that one yet. Hopefully, I'll try my best to be right back on track next week, as long as it doesn't interfere with my Marvel movie marathon. (That's right! I'm trying to watch all of the Marvel movies before Captain Marvel comes out next month! XD) Well, here is one more big thanks to all of those reading, liking, and reviewing my content!

Everyone stood there for a few seconds, perplexed by what happened. That encounter they had with Natsu was not at all what they expected. Gray rubbed his neck, flabbergasted for the most part. "He didn't even acknowledge me… Did anyone notice that?"

Erza had her hand under her chin, contemplating on Natsu's behavior. "It seems that the Natsu in this time dimension has a deceiving personality, where he strikes as someone who is nice, yet has an underlying bloodlust… that can make him spontaneous, so it's good to take note of that."

"To be honest, I don't know what would have happened if you didn't step in with your bravery." Lucy stated, turning to the small girl that hid behind her. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Annabelle," She said, her little fingers holding tight onto Lucy's skirt.

"Let's get you to your parents." Lucy understood that if Annabelle didn't intervene the time she did, then Natsu would not have hesitated to attack. However, in certain parts of the conversation they had with him, it seemed like he was a normal guy they were talking to. Especially when he was leaving, that gaze he held with her… There was no questioning she saw the Natsu she knew within it. And to her, that was comforting… It was as if she fell in love with him all over again. This motivated her to work even harder to get her Natsu back. But that girl… the way she stared at Lucy chilled her to the bone. Automatically, Lucy could tell that Siren wasn't friendly, or at least the way Natsu was acting. She knew to be cautious around her, understanding that Siren was an obstacle that she probably was going to face.

Gray, still not being able to wrap his mind around the situation, shouted to the air in frustration. "Not even a look! He didn't even look in my direction! Does he hate me in this time dimension as well?!"

: : :

The sun was at its peak in the sky, its bright yellow color dominating the cloudless void around it. It was midday, and the gentle breezes and chirping wildlife made it a rather peaceful walk for Natsu and Siren down the forest. They were walking side-by-side, with Siren braiding her hair as she continuously snuck a glance at Natsu. After a while, Natsu sighed, looking over to Siren with an eyebrow raised. "Alright, what is it?" Siren shifted her glance to the other direction the moment Natsu looked at her, but then she gave up her act, laughing. "I can never be stealthy when I'm around you, huh?"

Natsu chuckled, shaking his head. "Come on, I thought you knew this already. I learned from the wisest, you know."

Siren crossed her arms. "You were always good at stealing. You were even better than Ruby when she was giving you lessons."

Natsu playfully shoved Siren with his elbow. "What do you mean? Ruby has always been better than me. She's definitely the queen at stealing."

"Then that makes you the prince…" Siren sneered, envisioning a whole kingdom of thieves in her head.

"And wouldn't that make you the princess?" Natsu grabbed Siren's waist and brought her closer to his body. He leaned forward, brushing his lips on her forehead, causing her to giggle. He gently kissed her as he lifted her chin, slowly moving down to her cheeks. Siren backed up to look at him, her light chocolate eyes meeting his onyx. "Natsu, who were those people you were talking to earlier? And don't tell me they're 'old buddies' when I've known you since we were kids."

Natsu moved away from her, his eyes dilating and his lip curling. "They're from Fairy Tail, you didn't see their symbols?"

Siren shook her head as she dug into her memory. "No… I guess I wasn't looking."

Natsu, with that crazed look evident in his eyes, covered his mouth with his scarf. "Sorry, you know how I get when it comes to that guild."

Siren chuckled, shaking her head. "You always get worked up when you think about them. And it's adorable."

Natsu squeezed his eyes shut before reopening them. His eyes returned to it's normal, causal state as he began to rub them. "You said Master needed me?"

She nodded, yet disappointed that he changed the subject. "It's almost as if you don't want to excited over your rivals. How come you didn't kill them right then and there?"

Natsu shrugged. "I don't know, guess I was already pretty satisfied burning that village."

Siren decided to drop the subject. She did not like that blonde girl in the least, and that connection she shared with Natsu has been nagging at the back of her mind the whole trip. However, Siren didn't want it to seem to Natsu that she was on to something, so she decided to pick up with his conversation. "You know, whatever mission Master tells you to do, you better bring me along this time."

: : :

They arrived at the guild, which looked like a tall, black building within the outskirts of the forest. Civilization was a good distance away from Dark Sparrow, with Magnolia being the closest town. Natsu opened the door to the place, revealing a dimly-lit hall with wooden floors and luxurious black furniture. Men hung around the bar, chanting and rooting as two of them arm-wrested. On a couch, ladies and guys were laughing with champagne bottles, as they took turns throwing knives onto a dartboard across the room. The rest of the guild members were chatting, spread throughout the guild as they were involved in their own little groups. As the two walked in, greetings came from across the room to welcome Natsu and Siren.

"Ah, Natsu, Siren! Done making out?" Someone sneered.

"It's Mr. Prodigy! Back so soon?" Another one jested.

"Anyone seen Rube?" Natsu asked, to no one in particular.

One of the girls throwing the knives responded, without shifting her focus from the dartboard. "She's at her house with Diesel. Bet Seph's with em' too."

Natsu nodded, before turning to Siren. "Let's head there when I'm finished with master." He looked around for a second, realizing something was off. "Where's Happy? I thought I left him with you."

"I left him at the bar." Siren pointed to the bar, where Natsu saw Happy arm wrestling the muscular giant, Maxim, with a large crowd around them. "Said he wanted to 'prove his strength'".

Natsu watched as Happy didn't even last for second before his hand (or paw…?) was slammed onto the table. Happy spotted Natsu and Siren behind the crowd and cried his way into Siren's arms.

"He's such a wimp."

"Come on, Happy, I betted money on you."

"I never liked that cat."

Natsu sighed, as Siren struggled to remove the cat from her arms.

"Rennie, they're making fun of meeee!" Happy whined, squeezing his eyes shut as tears flowed down.

"Happy, you can't go around embarrassing me like that," Natsu stated. "You gotta start acting like a real man."

Siren laughed, as she stroked the cat. "Come on Natsu, remember that he's only a cat."

Natsu rolled his eyes, before walking towards the Master's office. "I'll be back in a few."

Servants opened the big doors for Natsu, allowing him to enter the Master's room. A massive chandelier hung in the center of the high ceiling, and a velvet rug adorned the floor. A middle-aged, well-fed man was seated behind a great rosewood desk, with a large portrait of his face hanging right above him. He was dining on an array of appetizers that was covering his desk, with servants continuously switching out the food for different selections. When he saw Natsu walk in, he gestured for him to a seat. "Ah, Natsu, my favorite pupil. Please, take a seat."

Natsu did as he was told.

"It's good to see you, Natsu. Do you want anything to eat at all? Or to drink?" With a snap of his fingers, a servant ran to his side, ready to follow any commands. Natsu was all too familiar with the vacant look in his eyes, something that all the servants in the room held. It reminded him of Master's power: mind manipulation, and as well as the fates of those who deny his rules. All of the mindless servants there were former guild members, but they did something to upset the Master. "Remind me not to get on his bad side…" Something Siren would always tell him.

Natsu shook his head politely. "No, I'm fine, thank you."

"Very well, let's get to business, then." The master said. He leaned forward, his hands folded on the table. "Natsu, you very well know that I only come to you in regards to… complex tasks. I can always trust in you to carry out the most difficult missions. You have supplemented me with indefinite amounts of wealth through your excellent stealing skills and stealth. Without you, I wouldn't have the luxury to have this magnificent office, or much less let our guild be in this impressive guild hall. You are a strong asset to this team, along with my other S-class mages. In fact, after you did your latest scheme, stealing the kings' crown, you have very well exceeded my expectations!" He bellowed a hardy laugh as he proudly gazed at the king's crown being displayed in a glass case on his desk. "I must say, that was a very nice birthday present."

Natsu rubbed his neck, searching to find a clock in the room. When is he going to end all of this rambling? "Look, Sir, I am very flattered and all… but, what is your point exactly?"

"Ah yes. You see, I have a new request, and I think you're going to like this one. Remember Fairy Tail?"

Natsu held his breath. His eyes widened, and his pupils dilated into a crazed stare.

"Ah, I knew you'd be interested. You've never said no when it comes to our rivals." Master scooted his chair forward, his eyes attracted to Natsu's bloodthirsty ones. "So, I'm sure you wouldn't mind doing this small favor for me…" His eyes averted to the massive food platter in front of him, his hand searching for what to grab. "Don't you agree that this quarrel… we have with them… must come to an end?"

Natsu didn't say a word, seemingly too intent to what Master was saying.

Master picked up a cracker, lifting it up to examine it. "So, I was wondering, how can we do that? How can we end the fairies? Well, it's easy, really. All we have to do is look at the foundations, the person who holds them all together." He pressed his fingers together, crushing the cracker into pieces. "I want you to kill their Guild Master."

This ignited a fire inside of Natsu, a burning sensation that he knew and loved. His eyes lit up in excitement, with his mouth forming a vicious smile. Natsu closed his eyes and took a breath, pulling his scarf higher up, to the point it was covering his nose. You have to calm down. "That's all? You could've just said that." He replied. He tried to suppress his excitement, but it was overwhelming. The mentioning of fairy tail, especially to harm them, was like a drug to Natsu, one that he couldn't get enough of. He never felt more alive fighting against them during their war 2 years ago, and the taste of another brawl with them was too much to bear. As much as Natsu loved the thrill, he hated it. It made him feel too… inhumane. He couldn't let anyone know that, though, because it would be equivalent to showing them his weak side. "Consider it done." He said, his voice laced with restrained delight.