[Re-writen 10-08-21]

Welcome to Fairy Tail's Twin Dragons,my first stab at fanfiction.

This story will *very* loosely follow and be inspired by the characters, events and canon arcs that we know and love, with plenty of new twists and some completely original arcs. This story, (as is the case for many of us fanfic writers out there), grew from things I wished happened, things I simply wanted to play around with and my mild obsession with Fairy Tail. Natsu will be stronger and smarter, though not OP.

This story is M for language, some violence (though not overly graphic), sexual content... all the fun things!

I love constructive feedback, and I'm open to input and ideas, so be sure to leave a review.
Without further rambling...

~Onward!

1

-The New Fairy-

Natsu was one of action.

He wasn't one to be content with scouting and questioning and the general caution that some of his comrades so often preached to him. In his experience, action was often the catalyst for the information his comrades always prioritized anyway.

Sure, he could have done a little more due diligence in locating his target… But he'd bet his next fiery snack that he could locate the target while smashing some teeth in.

So of course, he'd waltzed right in through the front door of the establishment, the guild feared by the town that had posted the job request. He'd entered without the slightest hesitation and strode right into the center of the hall, announcing his arrival as though he owned the place. The stunned reactions of the men and women that lounged about the space had been completely worth it… in his opinion.

Natsu grinned widely as a few individuals postured, eyeing him in distain. He extended an arm in front of him, fire igniting to dance off his fingertips as he dipped into a defensive stance. He scanned his unwelcoming hosts with an appraising eye, the group closing in to form a large circle around him with various pulses of magic flaring up at their disposal.

A smirk tugged at his lips at the challenge the large group presented, "Perfect… I was hoping to have some fun," he said in taunt, "bring it on!"

Natsu jumped from the center of mages, twirling in the air as he released fire to explode outward in a cyclone, forcing his enemies back. Landing softly, he flipped back in time to narrowly dodge a torrent of dark energy. Planting his hand on the ground he dropped, spinning with an outstretched leg and swept the legs of his attacker out from under him. Springing back up, he lunged forward to slam a foot into the downed mage's chest, nailing him back to the ground.

"Tell me where your master is," Natsu commanded in a dangerously calm voice.

He revelled in the immediately paling complexion of his enemy's face, but it did nothing to diminish the menacing energy he fixed on the man. "I have no idea!" the man replied quickly, arms flailing in front of him as he attempted to shield his face.

Further questions died on Natsu's tongue when an unexpected jolt of pain rippled through his back. A shot of lightning taking him unaware. He gritted his teeth as the residual static tingled through his limbs and flexed his fingers to ease the paralytic effects. Glaring over his shoulder, he barked with indiscriminate irritation, "Cheap shot! Alright, which wise guy—" Another bolt of lightning interrupted him, crashing into the middle of his chest before he could react. "Dammit! Leave it to dark guilds to play dirty!"

Launching to his feet again, he slammed a closed fist into his palm, fire swirling up around his fists as he charged a group of attacking mages, "Fire Dragon's iron fist!" he called. His fist connected with the lightning mage's jaw at their center, sending him flying back to bowl over an additional group of dark mages. The destructive power of his fire obliterated the stone wall behind the unlucky dark mages, allowing the midmorning sun to filter in. Natsu took a step toward the heaped group, intent on demanding answers when he suddenly found himself frozen in place.

"What the—" he muttered as his eyes darted wildly, seeking the spell's source. His muscles shook with the effort of overcoming the unseen force until new laughter drew his attention.

"Well, well… I trust you all have been entertaining our guest?" the new presence asked, slowly descending a stone staircase to sounds of cheers from the dark guild. He held an arm outstretched in front of him, manipulating long tendrils of shadow magic. "How do you like my Shadow Manipulation Magic?" the man asked, tone dripping in smugness. Natsu ignored the newcomer in favour of continuing his attempts to break free of the spell. Waves of anxiety swept through him when he realized that in addition to the immobilizing effects of the shadow spell, he'd also lost access to his magic. He hadn't considered that there might be a dark mage capable of cutting off his connection to his spells among their ranks. That was a rare ability after all.

A group of the dark mages advanced on him, their magics swelling around their bodies as they called various attacks. A large stream of mixed magics pulsed together, thrashing as the elements swirled together to be unleashed on him in a vortex of vibrant colour.

"Oh shit!" Natsu cursed, bracing for an inevitable impact that never landed. A large tidal wave cut across the guildhall, and straight through the mixture of magic. Another wide jet of water crashed into the attacking mages a second later, submerging and throwing them harshly into the adjacent wall. Natsu fell forward with a sound of surprise as the shadow spell restraining him broke as well.

"Natsu…"

The addressed mage glanced up at his rescuer from his spot on the floor, a knowing smirk already crossing his face. "How many times have I pleaded with you not to go recklessly running into a situation before we have completed thorough reconnaissance? ...Or at the very least tell me where you're going?!"

No question, Natsu was one of action… And he knew his comrade was more than used to his tendencies toward action first, think later.

A wide smile broke out across his face at the thought as he scratched sheepishly at the back of his head and accepted the offered hand to pull him to his feet. "Why would I need to act so cautiously, when I have you to back me up, Haru?"

Haru rolled his eyes, "Again, that backup requires me to know where you are... It took me an hour to find you!"

Natsu noted the subtle curve of a smile that betrayed his partner's amusement, despite the reprimand. Natsu was more than used to it. "Shall we?" he asked, instead of apologizing for something they both knew he wouldn't be correcting any time soon. Haru gave a curt nod, and they quickly turned away from each other, reducing potential blind spots. The pair examined the remaining members of the dark guild, including the shadow wielder on the stairs, presumably the guild master. "Alright… Looks like this party is winding down…" Natsu snarked. He took a deep inhale, and Haru followed suit, both arching back slightly.

"Fire Dragon's—"

"Water Dragon's—"

"ROAR!" the pair yelled simultaneously, unleashing massive blasts of fire and water that rapidly subdued every rogue mage in the hall. The elements slammed into the walls, effectively taking the little stability that remained of the structure which whined in protest. Natsu glanced around the shifting weight of the guildhall, before catching Haru's eyes over his shoulder. "Time to go," he announced with a wide grin.

They spun on their heels to escape the collapsing building, darting through one of the gaping holes along with a group of some of the less-incapacitated dark mages. Natsu wasted no time in quickly corralling the rogues with walls of fire though, herding them back into a small area caught in a fiery cage.

Behind them, the guild lurched sideways and finally collapsed to a pile of fractured wood and rubble as Natsu and Haru finished securing the dark guild members. It wasn't long after the collapse, that dry fits of coughing reached their ears. Natsu glanced back just in time to see a jet of shadow magic pierce through the rubble, carving a path for the master to dig himself free. He emerged, coughing up debris and looked toward the dragon slayers without really seeing them. His face ghostly pale and pupils so small only the whites of his eyes were visible.

"Hey! Thanks for saving us the effort of digging you up man, so nice of you!" Natsu joked, sauntering forward to snag the back of the master's collar and forcibly dragged him the rest of the way out.

Natsu carelessly dropped the shadow mage at Haru's feet, just as the sound of boots stomping in the distance drew both their attentions. "I got the Rune Knights after evacuating the town!" a winged blue cat called, flying toward them.

"Nice work little buddy!" Natsu praised, raising his hand to meet Happy's high five.

"Aye sir!"

The Rune Knights glided toward them as a singular unit, rhythmic boot-falls thumping across the dirt roads in perfect coordination. Their commander called a halt, and their heads swivelled, unabashedly taking in the expansive damage of the guild hall and surrounding buildings with a collective incredulity. "They overdid it!" the knights chorused.

Haru paled when he finally observed the destruction he and his partner caused, his expression blank. He turned to Natsu and Happy, exacerbated as they chattered animatedly about 'kicking dark guild ass.' Leave it to those two to be completely oblivious to any sign of authority... The pair remained enthralled even as the division captain approached with a calculating gaze.

Bypassing the usual conversational pleasantries, the captain immediately launched into a barrage of questioning. Behind him, his squad had begun carefully picking through the smoking remains of the guildhall, digging out the few dark mages still trapped inside. Haru answered most of the questions with slowly waning patience, while Natsu interjected his own impatience outright, complaining of his growing hunger.

"Well," the captain growled, glaring at Natsu after he interrupted with yet another disrespectful remark. "Once again, you two have caused immense property damage—that you WILL be paying for— but, you have also halted the operations of another branch of the Oración Seis network and liberated this town..."

The Rune Captain paused, his lips pursing as he looked at them thoughtfully, if a little derisively. "Honestly…I find it hard to believe two as young as yourselves, and rather…" he paused again, seemingly searching for the fitting word, "reckless mages, could be responsible for the eradication of four dark guilds in the last couple months."

Haru didn't keep the displeasure from his face at the subtle insult, but he did remain quiet, unlike Natsu. "Well, if Fiore's ever-diligent Magic Council did their job, reckless mages like us—" Haru dug an elbow into his ribs, stopping his rant when he noticed the captain's standard distain being replaced by anger.

"Sir, we would hate to keep you any longer, it appears you have plenty of work to do and us reckless mages would like to be getting home…" Haru stated tonelessly, gesturing to the groups observing them with a wide sweep of an arm. The Knights were awaiting their next instructions and the dark mages had been secured in an anti-magic trailer cell for transport.

"Fine. You can see the mayor for your reward—" Natsu's and Happy's premature celebratory cheers interrupted him again, prompting a quick addition, "—minus the costs of the damage you caused!"

Deflating at the reminder, Natsu and Happy finally fell silent after a combined groan. Haru chuckled lightly, and respectfully thanked the captain, wanting nothing more than to collect the reward and head home. Besides, the firmly set line of the captain's jaw implied he'd rather find a reason to penalize them further than the aforementioned cut to their reward, and Haru didn't want to give him time to come up with one. He turned, tugging Natsu along by the wrist and the trio retreated, moving toward the town hall to debrief the mayor.

Magnolia

A few hours later, Natsu, Happy and Haru were finally back in Magnolia talking contentedly as they make their way toward their guild. Haru absently listened to his companions chattering incessantly, neither slowing long enough to actually allow one another to respond. Natsu was sporadically clapping a loose fist into his palm, relaying his plans to knock Gray's head in extra good, to make up for the few days the mission had kept them away. Happy was soaring lazily between them, anticipating the fish he was sure Mira would be rewarding him with, for putting up with himself and Natsu.
Haru peeled his attention from the pinks and oranges melting together in the sky, and glanced at Happy with a quirked brow. "Putting up with us?" he clarified.

"Aye! We walked four hours because you two babies wouldn't get on the train!" he whined.

"You didn't walk a single step…"

"Yeah Hap! How 'bout next time I ride on your shoulder!" Natsu added, suddenly paying attention again.

"Nay Natsu, you're heavy!

Natsu's mouth opened in retort, his eyes glittering with amusement, but their names being called distracted him. Behind them, Erza was waving as she jogged to catch up with them. The redhead was clad in her casual clothing for a change and her hair was still damp, presumably from a recent shower. "Hey Erza, when did you get home?" Haru asked as she slowed between them and they resumed their relaxed pace through the streets.

"Just a couple hours ago, I went home to clean up and just swung by the cake shop," she explained, presenting the little box containing her treat with a child-like glee, "haven't been by the Guild yet."

"Poor vulcans never stood a chance, eh?" Natsu asked with a toothy grin. Erza nodded returning his enthusiasm.

"What about you guys? Did you take a mission?" she asked. They'd left a few hours after her, but their packs made it obvious they were only now returning from a mission as well.

"Just another dark guild, been terrorizing Hawthorn Town," Natsu shrugged a shoulder, "barely worth the effort, they were no fun at all."

He stopped abruptly, and snagged Erza's arm, fixing her with wild excitement, "Erza, fight me!"

"What?! Are you serious?!" she yelped in shock. She shouldn't have been shocked… This was predictably Natsu. Recovering from her initial reaction, Erza denied his request. "Not today Natsu… We still need to report into Master, it's late, and I'm tired."

"What's wrong Red, scared to lose?" he taunted.

"Last I checked, I'm in the lead…"

"Only by one—and I'm gonna tie that up tonight!"

"Oh, you think so—"

"Haruuu, they're at it again," Happy sang.

Haru had ended up ahead of the group, ignoring his bantering comrades to once again, enjoy the sunset that signalled the end of another day. His eyes flickered across the red tiled roof of the guildhall as he gave them his full attention again. "Oi, we're home, save the spar for tomorrow," he suggested.

Erza released the fistful of Natsu's scarf and he released the grip he held on her blouse, both taking in the building they all called home. "Yeah! It's dinner time!" Natsu cheered, spinning and tearing through the remaining distance to Fairy Tail. Happy was right on his tail, and Haru and Erza exchanged an amused glance over another one of the fire mage's predictable responses and followed after.

"We're home!" Natsu yelled as he kicked the doors open as usual. The affectionate greetings of the Fairy Tail mages followed a second later. Greetings that instantly turned to disquiet and flailing about tasks as soon as Erza and Haru appeared behind him. The redhead launched into her usual list of reprimands as she often did when she'd been away for more than a day. Each member flinched as their names were called, quickly jumping to whatever demand Erza barked. Natsu paid it no mind, heading straight for the bar to order heaping plates of food, with his most recently earned jewel.

. . .

After Erza's housekeeping rampage slowed and she'd disappeared upstairs to report to Makarov, the guild returned to their loud, rambunctious interactions. Natsu and Haru had taken up a table by themselves, scarfing down hearty meals silently. Haru paused, chewing a mouthful as he watched his fellow dragon slayer shovel forkfuls into his mouth, seemingly without breath.

"Natsu, while I was gathering information today, I heard an unrelated rumour," he said, resting his chin on his hand and temporarily forgetting his dinner. Natsu stopped with full cheeks as his eyes flicked up from the plate of meat in interest. Unintelligible words were muffled around the mouthful that the fire mage was still chewing on and though Haru didn't understand a word, he took it as his cue to continue. "I heard there is a Salamander in Hargeon."

Natsu swallowed hard, shooting up to his feet and slammed his hands into the tabletop, "What, really? Why didn't you tell me sooner?! —Haru, do you think it could be Igneel?" Haru flinched at the mention of Igneel. Did his partner ever stop to think before opening his trap?

"OF COURSE NOT!" Haru shouted back incredulously, feeling momentarily guilty when Natsu's expression dropped slightly. "Look…You know I want to find our dragons as much as you, but dragons don't just go waltzing into small towns… Think before you go jumping to conclusions."

Natsu nodded, still looking a little dejected. "The reason I bring it up, is there is only one person that I know, who goes by that alias…" Haru said, waiting for Natsu to catch his train of thought, he was pleased to note the realization dawning in onyx eyes.

"You think there's someone using my name, for who knows what reason," Natsu stated thoughtfully.

"You know we can't let anyone get away with potentially soiling any of our reputations—"

"—It would reflect badly on Fairy Tail's name," Natsu finished with him in unison. A smirk crossed his face and they agreed silently, returning to their meals once more.

Erza returned from the master's office and joined them. "I told Master your mission was successful as well, so if there aren't any additional details you need to share, then you don't need to report in," she told them. She opened the small bakery box she'd had earlier, eyes sparkling when the slice of strawberry cake was revealed. Absentmindedly, she accepted Haru's gratitude as she slipped the first small bite into her mouth, attention fully on the treat now.

"So, when do we leave? Tomorrow morning?" Natsu asked Haru.

"WE?" Haru laughed, "Ohhh no, no way. You are more than capable of handling this on your own and the ocean sounds a hell of a lot better than a damned train ride…"

"WHAT?!" Natsu exclaimed, "after all that big talk about not letting anyone get away with soiling our reputations, and you're going to let me face that monstrosity of a train alone?"

Haru smiled back knowingly and calmly got up to return his plate to the bar. Placing a hand on Natsu's shoulder as he passed, he quipped, "Natsu, I simply have the utmost faith in you. Besides, us both going would be overkill." Chuckling at the look he received in response, Haru turned to leave but paused mid-step, looking over his shoulder and Natsu quirked an eyebrow in question. "Just… try not to destroy the town, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Natsu muttered, slumping forward and dropping his chin onto the tabletop.

"Another mission already, Natsu?" Erza asked. She gestured in the water mage's direction with her fork, "since when do you and Haru split up?"

Natsu clicked his tongue, "'Cause it's not a mission… Just some poser I've gotta track down and teach a lesson to."

"Oh?"

"Somebody goin' by Salamander in Hargeon," he elaborated.

"Well, teach him a lesson for the rest of us too then!" she told him enthusiastically, laughing as he vowed to barbecue the imposter in Fairy Tail's name. "I'm going to head home and get some sleep. Good luck tomorrow, Natsu."

"Yeah, think I'll head out too… Have a good night, Erza—don't forget, you owe me a fight."

She laughed again, dismissing his reminder as she exited the hall, and once she'd disappeared into the night, he sought his friends out across the crowd. Haru was leaning against the bar, chatting with Mira and Gray now and Happy sat between them enjoying his umpteenth fish of the day. "Oi, Haru, Happy! I'm leaving, I'll see you both at home!"

Haru and the others waved in response, and Happy leapt up from his spot on the bar-top with the half-eaten fish in his paws. Wings sprouted from his back, quickly carrying him toward Natsu. "Wait for me Natsu!" Happy called as he soared over and dropped onto his head. Natsu left the hall, waving over his shoulder to their friends.

Glimpsing the blue fur atop his head, Natsu told him, "We're gonna head into Hargeon early tomorrow buddy. You cool with that?"

"Aye sir!"

Hargeon

Natsu stumbled through the cobblestone streets, still feeling the effects of the train ride. He groaned softly as Happy's wings disappeared and the cat took up perch on his shoulder. "So, where should we start?" the blue cat asked as Natsu paused to collapse on to a bench, pulling in deep inhales.

"Well, I can practically hear Haru pushing for recon… And it's not like we have any leads to go storming into anyway. We have no idea what this person looks like, or where they were last seen… So we got no choice but to start asking around," Natsu replied. He received an affirming nod from his companion and so for the next hour, the two wandered through the streets inquiring about a Salamander in town. They had no luck at all though, solidifying Natsu's preference to throwing fire around until answers were presented to him…

"Mavis! This is so frustrating!" Natsu complained after coming up empty for the countless time. He and Happy continued toward the town square and noticed a small group of four or five girls talking excitedly. He blew out a puff of air. Squealing girls were not his idea of good company, but he decided to approach them regardless.

"Hey girls!" he said, boisterously interrupting their conversation. The group turned to him in question, "sorry to interrupt, I was hoping one of you might know of a Salamander passing through town?"

A girl with dark brown hair, placed a finger at her chin, eyeing him appraisingly. "Well sure, but why do you want to know?" she asked haughtily. Natsu felt a brief snap of irritation.

"I am a fan is all…" Natsu started through gritted teeth, feeling the tell-tale vibrating of Happy stifling his laugher on his shoulder. He raised a hand to flick the cat in the back of the head, "I was just hoping to meet him," he added.

The girl clapped her hands together with another squeal, "Oh how cute! He must be like your hero or something?" Natsu's eyebrow twitched, irritation bubbling up further. 'What is with these girls?' he wondered. The brunette leaned in closer with a small smirk as though sharing a secret, "Salamander is holding a party on his yacht tonight, we all have invitations," she told him proudly, gesturing to her friends. "Unfortunately for you, boys aren't invited."

Natsu stared the girl down, clenching his jaw harder, before spinning on his heel and stalking off. Their laughter followed him, but at least he had a lead now.

A lead, but no plan. And wouldn't this ass just have to be on a damned boat? This was clearly not his day.

. . .

Lucy was not one to be quick to trust.

She had far too much history of betrayal and far too few unconditional connections in her life to trust easily. She'd been watching a group of giggling girls with mild distain from a nearby bench, her knee bouncing impatiently as she tried to glean any information she could about the mystery Salamander.

Then an odd pink-haired boy approached the girls, asking after the same target. She'd perked up in curiosity, listening with more intention. The answers he'd offered the girls didn't quite line up for her. Lucy liked to think she had a certain intuition when it came to reading people, and he didn't seem like the fan-boy type. The subtle tension in his muscles showed he was hiding what he truly thought of their interaction.

Curiosity quickly sparked; she couldn't deny it would be helpful to have a partner to back her up in locating the Salamander. She let an appraising eye run over her potential help, rosy pink hair aside, he seemed tough enough, he surely carried himself with a certain confidence. The boy was dressed in a charcoal grey vest, trimmed in gold and open in the front to expose hard planes of muscle. He wore it cinched at the waist with a brown belt, over loose white trousers tucked into dark combat books with gold details. The tails of a scaly white scarf peeked out beneath a black cloak. Her head tilted, he was surprisingly more handsome then her initial impression had her believing.

Nope, scratch that. He was hot.

Lucy shook the spark of attraction from her head, still considering the idea of teaming up. She didn't need to trust him to form a temporary partnership and she could dissolve it as soon as she got what she was after.

Having made her decision, Lucy jumped up to chase him down.

. . .

"Come on Happy, we have a yacht to locate…" Natsu muttered, wandering lazily toward the port.

"Hey! Wait up!" a new voice pleaded. Natsu stopped and turned to find a girl running his way, waving enthusiastically, and shared a sidelong look with Happy. The girl slowed in front of him, looking up with a bright smile. Blonde hair reached just passed her shoulders, and she wore a white and blue Heart Kreuz top, short blue skirt and black boots. There was a whip fastened at her belt that gave Natsu pause, that was a little odd. He found himself prying his eyes off the whip, gaze sliding up her figure to her face, with less subtlety then he should have attempted. She wore an amused look now, clearly used to revelling in male attention. Well Gods, if she wasn't beautiful. Shelving her looks for a second, he refocused when he realized she'd spoken.

"If you're done ogling me, I have a question..." she said, the mirth apparent in her tone.

Natsu grinned back, not the slightest bit embarrassed at having been caught. "Shoot," he said.

"Did I hear you say you were looking for the Salamander?"

That got his undivided attention. Natsu considered her for a moment, realizing she could be another fan, or work for the fake Salamander for all he knew… He decided it would be best to keep his identity hidden for now.

"Yes, that's right…" he replied, suspicion replacing his initial amusement.

"I am too! I'm actually an independent mage, but I do free-lance journalism when I can, because work is hard to come by if you aren't allied with a guild," the blonde explained. She tilted her head to the side, placing a hand on her hip, "why are you looking for him?"

For some unknown reason, Natsu got the feeling he could trust the girl with at least part of the story, but how much was another decision. "Okay, look, the truth is: I have reason to believe that this guy is not Salamander, and I want to know why he's using the alias," Natsu answered, gaging her reaction. She was unreadable, so he quickly continued, "it isn't uncommon for rogue mages and organizations to use famous aliases for shady reasons. That is what I am investigating."

"Wow! Are you a journalist too?" she asked excitedly.

"No, no, nothing like that. Just think of me as a concerned citizen." At that, Happy finally burst out laughing and Natsu glared half-heartedly at him. "My name is Natsu, the laughing furball is Happy," he said, jerking a thumb in the cat's direction.

The blonde smiled, extending her hand toward him, "Lucy!" she said beaming, "what do you say to teaming up on this Natsu? I happen to have an invitation for the party tonight." Lucy pulled a crisp white letter from her bag, flicking it back and forth in front of his face.

"Those girls said the party didn't allow men," Natsu countered.

"They're right, but like you, my research also led me to believe that this guy is not Salamander. Racing into this situation blind, with no back up plan seems a little dumb, so I'd feel better if I had someone giving me some support on the outside." Lucy paused, her eyes dropping and slinking back up his form, a blush coloured her cheeks when her eyes met his again, "you seem capable enough..." she murmured.

He smirked knowingly and she quickly adverted her eyes, turning away from him entirely. "How about we get lunch…? We can go over the details," she suggested.

Chuckling, he briefly considered teasing her back about ogling him, but decided against it. "Sure thing… lead the way Luce."

"Luce?!" she barked, head whipping back to him as she sputtered, "W-who said you could—"

He chuckled again, catching her arm, and guided her across the plaza they'd ended up in. He heard her give a defeated exhale, allowing herself to be led to a little restaurant to claim one of the tables on the patio. Once they'd ordered and placed their menus to the side, Lucy launched directly into their plans to crash Salamander's party.

The blonde slid a small communication lacrima across the table toward him. "If you keep that in your ear, you can listen in… If something goes wrong, you can send Happy to get the Rune Knights?" she finished the statement with a questioning tone directed at the blue cat.

"Aye sir, count on me!"

"Great! Natsu, I'd feel better if you could get close to the yacht, maybe we can find a rowboat for rent?"

Happy burst out laughing, Lucy arched a brow, and Natsu narrowed his eyes at the nuisance he called a partner.

"Uh, I'm missing something funny?"

"Not so funny… I just don't get along with boats all that well."

Lucy stared at him blankly. "Wait, you telling me you get motion sick?!" she drawled, "great… now what?"

Natsu grinned confidently, "Don't worry Luce, I'll figure it out. I've got your back, promise!"

"Right…" her tone didn't project confidence, it was obvious she didn't fully trust him yet. Lucy reached across the table and tapped a finger on the lacrima device, "just be ready to contact the Rune Knights…"

"Sure, sure," Natsu said mirthfully as the waitress came over and placed large plates of food on the table between them. Happy cheered and dug into his fish, and for once, Natsu didn't scarf down his food in an endless train of mouthfuls. The girl in front of him captivated his attention, and he couldn't put a finger on why. It's not like he wasn't entirely used to being around attractive girls, Fairy Tail was full of them! Still, there was something about Lucy... He wasn't ready to tell her about his magic or guild affiliation just yet, as much as he wanted to trust her... He got the distinct impression she was hiding something from him as well. He just wasn't sure how important it was that he know.

Action first. Think later.

Their plan would work despite not having the details all ironed out. Lucy would hit up the party, and he'd be ready to crash (literally), if she got into trouble. Whatever Lucy was hiding, he was confident she would have his back as he planned to have hers.

Once they'd finished their meals, Lucy stood and placed some jewel on the table to cover her portion of the bill. "I'm going to head back to my hotel and get ready… Meet at the port at 8pm?"

Agreeing, Natsu watched her back as she disappeared down the street. He wondered where she lived normally, now that he knew she was staying in a hotel. He wondered if it had been the rumours of Salamander that had brought her to the town, or if that was coincidence. He wondered who this girl called family, considering she somehow found herself hunting down a shady criminal alone.

"Natsu?" Natsu hummed an inattentive response, letting his ponderings go for now. "Shouldn't we prepare too?"

"Yeah Hap, let's go. We should scout out the port"

The Port

As the sky gave way to dark, Natsu found a perch on the roof of a building overlooking the harbour. He had just watched as Lucy, clad in a long, deep maroon dress that hugged her curves to perfection (not that he was looking or anything) walked along the dock with a couple other girls before being taxied away in a little boat to the yacht. Natsu adjusted the lacrimal ear piece, mindless chatter filtered into his ear, none of it the least bit interesting or helpful. That was until Lucy addressed someone as Salamander, adding a perky edge to her voice, presumably fluffing the imposter's ego.

Restless energy bubbled up inside the fire mage, he'd promised Lucy he would keep her safe and he couldn't do that from his current position. They still didn't know much about their target. How dangerous he might be. An intense need to get closer to the boat, now, washed over him. "Happy, you ready to fly?"

"Aye sir!" Without a warning, Natsu jumped into the air over the ocean, trusting that Happy would snag him out of the air. "One of these days, I'm going to miss, you know. Erza is right, you're reckless."

Natsu laughed as Happy flew them over to the boat, making their way as stealthily as possible along the windows to observe the scene inside. The room was filled with a full spread buffet and girls dressed in lavish gowns talking and drinking in small groups. Natsu caught sight of Lucy speaking with a tall man with deep purple hair, wearing a long overcoat in the same colour, and red pants. He reached out and skimmed a hand down her arm. Lucy grimaced. "I'd thank you to keep your hands to yourself…" she admonished, the conversation coming through clearly over the communication lacrima.

"Oh she bites," Salamander retorted, his grip on Lucy's upper arm tightened, "you'll have to check that attitude honey."

"Excuse me?! Take your hand off me now, or I will break it."

Salamander's magic flared, a rope of purply energy snaking around Lucy's arm and waist. "How about you behave and have a drink?" He pressed a champaign flute toward her lips, as other girls started collapsing to the ground around the room. The panicked cries of the girls still unaffected bubbled up around the room. Lucy's face pinched in anger, her free arm drawing back to slap him hard, but he caught her wrist. "There are plenty of buyers who would pay extra to break a spit fire like you…" he said slyly, as his free hand boldly dared to slide up the length of her side now.

"What happened to the girls Natsu?!" Happy wailed, watching the scene unfold.

Natsu was seething. A slaver was using his name to lure unsuspecting girls in?! The only thing outmatching the anger of that revelation, was the anger building at watching the fake grope at Lucy against her will. "He must have drugged the drinks—come on Happy, let's get in there!" Natsu whispered urgently.

Happy quickly flew them to the nose of the ship and along the deck, where they were faced with multiple brutish looking men. "Guess they take this 'no uninvited guests' thing seriously," Natsu snarked while Happy maneuvered them around the men converging on them.

"Careful Natsu, I doubt these guys are mages, don't hurt them too bad!" Happy reasoned. Natsu nodded in affirmative, though he couldn't say he was overly empathetic toward anyone working a slave ring. He let just enough of his magic flare out to knock the men overboard and into the water below. Suddenly, a window exploded when the imposter was violently projected through it, he landed hard on the deck, purple flames licking across his hands as he slid to a stop.

Lucy lunged out after, followed by an imposing man-like cow brandishing a large battle axe. "Yooou dare touch my wooooman!" the bull threatened, Lucy slapped a hand over her face and snapped a rebuttal.

Happy crossed the deck with a couple snaps of his wings, flying over to hover with Natsu next to her. "Lucy! Are you okay?" Natsu asked quickly, "where did that cow come from?"

"That is Taurus, one of my spirits. I guess I never mentioned that I'm a celestial spirit mage," Lucy stated, pride rolling off her as her hands found her hips.

"Woah, cool!" Natsu and Happy replied in unison.

The imposter Salamander dodged the swinging axe with a stream of purple fire that rose him up over the deck. He looked down at Lucy with a wicked grin, "Guess I got a little ambitious trying to bag a mage" he stated coolly, "no matter, you'll fetch a big price once I have you under control—Prominence Typhoon!" A beam of dense purple fire exploded across the deck of the ship, seemingly slicing Taurus in half as he vanished back to the spirit world in a shower of gold light. The front of the ship creaked, and Lucy and Natsu followed the source of the noise just in time to see the deck explode under the shifting pressure. Lucy shrieked as the ground gave way beneath her, sending her plummeting.

"Happy!" Natsu yelled, knowing his partner would answer his unspoken request. Happy immediately dropped him and whipped down to catch Lucy before she could hit the water and splintered wood. At the same time, fire burst from Natsu's feet, propelling him upward to land on the top of the now sinking ship. Happy swooped down with Lucy and dropped her a few feet from the water's surface, safe, but pissed off anyway, "HEY, stupid cat! Don't drop me!" she yelled furiously.

Ignoring her, Happy raced back to lift Natsu away from the ship's surface just as the motion sickness had begun affecting him. As soon as he was back in the air, Natsu felt better immediately, "Thanks, bud! Is Lucy okay?"

"Aye, sir!"

Natsu turned his attention back to the other fire mage. But a massive tidal wave ripping through the previously still waters from nowhere, crashed into the ship before he had a chance to do anything. Another even larger followed it, lifting and throwing the massive yacht clear into the port like little more than a rowboat. Happy flew high enough to not be swept up with the ship, and the pair watched the wave flood the port with a layer of water before receding.

"Woah! What happened, did Haru come after all?" Natsu yelled, searching the beach frantically before catching sight of Lucy lying sprawled out on the beach. He directed Happy toward her, she looked disoriented, but relatively unharmed. A mermaid with long light blue hair floated in front of her, apparently scolding her for something. "Huh, another spirit? Did she just wash herself away WITH the ship? This girl is crazy," Natsu said in wonderment, laughing as Happy agreed.

Happy deposited Natsu on the beach next to Lucy, just as the mermaid disappeared in a shimmery glow. Offering her a hand, the pink-haired boy pulled his new partner to her feet, "Nice work! You okay?"

"Yeah, a little beat up, and my magic is pretty drained, but I am alright," she replied.

Natsu nodded, his grin widening as he cracked his knuckles, "Good, my turn then..."

"Wait, Natsu—he's strong, be careful," Lucy called to his retreating back. Happy floated down to land on her shoulder, joining her in watching Natsu walk toward their enemy with his hands casually laced behind his head.

"Hey, poser, what d'ya think you're doing calling yourself Salamander?!" Natsu fumed. The mage addressed turned, glaring, before launching another stream of fire without bothering to respond.

"How rude! Answer when people ask you something!" Natsu grumbled before greedily inhaling all the flames and relishing the shocked look on the poser's face. The reactions he got when he ate other mage's attacks would never get old. Launching into the air with flames propelling him to where the rogue mage stood on a carpet of fire. Natsu drew both arms back summoning his own fire to swirl around his fists, "Fire Dragon's wing attack!" he yelled, whipping his arms forward to unleash two streams of fire at the slaver.

"Bora!" a few of the men below shouted worriedly upon seeing their boss crash into the beach, hard enough to send up plumes of sand. Natsu released his magic and dropped softly beside the man, frowning at the sprawled criminal.

Natsu reached down and gathered a fist full of Bora's collar, pulling him up to eye level, with his own shadowed by his bangs. He growled warningly, "Weren't you at all worried about what the true Salamander would do to you for dragging his name through the mud?"

Bora met his eyes as a demonic grin spread across his face and then Natsu lit himself on fire, engulfing them both in a column of red. Bora screamed apologies and began begging for forgiveness. "You, are going to give me ALL of your slave trafficking locations, and you will NEVER even speak my name, or Fairy Tail's again, we clear?"

Nodding rapidly as his jaw worked wordlessly, Bora shuttered and attempted to physically shield himself from Natsu's rage. The pink-haired mage glanced to the side, glimpsing the blonde and blue of his companions. Lucy had arrived just in time to hear the tail end of his conversation and Natsu chuckled inwardly at her gaping jaw. Seemed she was realizing the implications of his words. He joined her and dumped Bora between them where he could keep an eye on the slaver, then greeted her, "Heya Luce!"

"F-fairy Tail?! You're Salamander of Fairy Tail?!" her initial awe turned to irritation at the end and she smacked his shoulder, hard, fixing him with a narrowed eyes. "How could you not tell me that earlier? –What was all that about 'having reason to believe he was a fake?'" she repeated his earlier words with air quotes and a mock voice. "You jerk!"

She smacked him again and then just as he was getting worried that he'd already angered his new friend, she burst out laughing. To say he was confused would be an understatement. "Natsu, you are something else…" she told him.

Knowing he was out of trouble, he risked a playful wink, and waved down the Rune Knights he saw filing through the streets toward the beach. He quickly gave them custody of Bora and passed on the slaver's information so that all the girls that had been kidnapped could be freed. Begrudgingly, he also handed over a small sum for the damage caused to the port by Aquarius, though, for once it was kept to a minimum due to the quick battle. "You got it from here?" Natsu asked a Rune Knight.

"Yeah, you two can go, we've got the crew rounded up. Good work you two, Bora's been evading arrest for over a year…"

Natsu gave a dismissive wave, and tossed his arm around Lucy's shoulder, ignoring her embarrassed squeak about personal space. "Let's go Luce."

Seemed that nickname was going to stick.

. . .

As the mages walked through the streets, Lucy vaguely noticed Natsu openly observing her. She had been lost in thought over the events of the day, marvelling at how comfortable she felt around the fire mage and how soon. So, when he called her name to get her attention, she jumped a bit, jolted from her inner dialogue. She met intense but kind onyx eyes, he was looking at her like an unsolvable puzzle.

"Why are you choosing to work as an independent mage?" he asked her. "You're powerful from what I've seen, but there is only so much you can accomplish on your own."

No one had every called her powerful, the sentiment gave her a flicker of pride. Lucy's eyes left his, turning toward a sky now dotted with stars, emotions turning heavy in her chest. Her reflex to share what she would usually give her all to hide, took her by surprise.

"I am a runaway," she stated slowly. Natsu raised an eyebrow, the look he gave her silently asking for her to elaborate. "My full name is Lucy Heartfilia, of one of the most powerful and influential families in Fiore."

The statement caused both Natsu and Happy to gape openly at her. "Didn't see that coming," Happy sang, Lucy eyed the cat, "you're not very lady-like Luuushy!"

Natsu snagged Happy out of the sky and pinched his ear in reprimand. He gave the celestial mage an apologetic look as Happy struggled and whined. Despite the cat's interruption, Natsu remained silent, allowing her to divulge as much as she felt comfortable to share.

She sighed, "Honestly, my father is a major narcissist and I'm little more than a possession to him. He's controlling, he's got a spectacular temper, and he's capable of some terrible things… I never want to be found by him." Lucy trailed off, releasing an elongated breath and remained quiet for a few minutes as they walked. "I just worry that if I joined a guild, he could get word, and he would use his money to try to force me back home. I can't risk getting other people involved in my problems."

"Join Fairy Tail," Natsu suggested as if it was the simplest solution in the world.

"WHAT?! Weren't you listening?" Lucy stopped dead in her tracks, spinning to jab a finger into the his chest, he remained unfazed by the action.

Actually, he looked almost bored as he laced his fingers behind his head.

Lucy sighed, "Look, it isn't that I wouldn't love to join a guild, but it isn't that simple! I could bring down hell on any guild I join. I am a walking time bomb! You can't take my father's greed, cruelty or resources so lightly."

Natsu laughed softly, using a finger to lift her chin to look her straight in the eyes and gave her the brightest smile she may have ever seen. "It is that simple Loonie! Fairy Tail is family, we take care of our own." He appeared to search her face before taking her hand in his own, the warmth of his touch provided immediate comfort. Though the intimate gesture from someone she barely knew still drew heat to her cheeks. He continued, "and anyone who chooses to make an enemy of Fairy Tail will always live to regret it, every day of their lives."

Speechless, and feeling the threat of tears welling up in her eyes, Lucy just nodded back dumbly. 'Are all Fairy Tail mages like him? Inserting themselves into total stranger's problems?' Slowly gaining her wits back, Lucy voiced that exact thought, "Why go this far to help a stranger?"

Natsu looked at her like she was an idiot, and she feels indignation deepen the blush on her cheeks. "What kinda dumb question is that? We aren't strangers, we're friends!" he announced incredulously.

With another bright smile that Lucy would come to know only from him, he tightened his grip on her hand and began running down the street toward the train station, "So let's go!"

Lucy didn't trust easily… but maybe, she could come to trust him.

Blinking some stray tears away, Lucy gave in and let him lead her way for the second time that day, "Right!"

A/N So that's a wrap to the first chapter.

This chapter is as close to canon as it gets, arcs deviate quite a bit from here on out.

'Till next time!

R&R

~LokaMuse