(Edited 22/03/19)
(Edited 24/10/21)
(Edited 10/06/22)
I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.
Off To The Kryden Mountains
/Natsu's POV/
Natsu slowly began to open his eyes, his body still aching from the previous days fight. He could smell a vaguely familiar scent along with that of Makarov's own. Slowly, he opened his eyes and somewhat regretted it as a sharp stabbing pain struck the top of his head.
"Ouch …"
"Finally awake Natsu?"
"Yeah, I'm up gramps," Natsu groaned as he slowly rose into a sitting position. "Shit-!"
"You are an extremely lucky young man you know," Porlyusica added as the two older mages sat down next to his bedside. "I can count on one hand how many mages I've seen live from battle damage like that."
"Well, this isn't my first time," Natsu chuckled darkly to himself as the two older mages shared a look. "Pretty much a weekly occurrence back in Scarlione, even Gildarts got his shit folded in a lot."
"I've heard the stories from Gildarts directly, you don't need to relive those memories Natsu."
"Don't get me wrong gramps, I fucking loathed that place by the end and wanted nothing more than to be back home," Natsu began as he held out his bruised hands, eyeing them with a faraway look. "But something the Queen told me really stuck with me and after getting into all these fights back home … I can't help but agree with them."
"What did she tell you?"
"Well, I was in basically the exact same position as I'm in right now, only instead I was in the Ichor Palace and being tended to by Illy herself."
"The Queen of Scarlione personally attended to you!?"
"Well, I did save her Daughter from being abducted so naturally that earned me quite a good standing, enough to be cared for by an overly Motherly Queen. Anyway, as she was tending to me, she asked me why I just blindly threw myself at the enemy-."
"Like how you were fighting Jose?"
"Yeah, she hadn't seen something like that in a long time and wanted to know why someone as young as me was so willing to discard my own life and wellbeing to save someone else."
"And how did you respond?"
"I told her that I couldn't stand by and watch as scum like the enemy walked all over Scarlione and its people. I wasn't about to let them take people away from me who I'd formed attachments to, not after Lisanna."
Both Porlyusica and Makarov nodded in understanding, remembering the youngest Take Over sibling and her horrific demise.
"Its funny, actually, just how much she understood that sentiment," Natsu chuckled softly as he remembered the Queen's gentle touch that day. "If there was anyone who could have understood me in that moment, it was her."
"How so?"
"I can't exactly tell you the specifics, Gildarts likely mentioned that too at some point, but suffice to say that her magic and position as Queen puts her in a rather unique position to understand the pain of losing bonds."
"Ah, I understand. Gildarts did mention that the two of you had a number of topics you couldn't speak of," Makarov nodded. "Continue."
"Yeah, so basically after she said she understood me, she promptly tore me a new one for being so reckless. Then she started crying, then she started talking about killing some people, then cried again, then ordered me to not die or she'd use Necromancy to revive me and kill me again."
"That's … not what I'd expect from a Queen," Makarov laughed weakly with Natsu chuckling in amusement.
"Illyandra Scarlione was one of the strangest people I've ever known and even though she ordered me not to, I'd die for her I think. But anyway, we're getting off topic!"
"Yes, what did she say that you agreed with?"
"After she'd composed herself, she sat down and we had a discussion. She told me that I was the kind of person who lived for battle, even if I didn't want to admit it. When I asked her why the hell I'd actually like fighting, she slapped me with dozens of examples where I'd deliberately thrown myself into a situation and started fights."
"Well, you technically don't do that now," Makarov replied with a slight frown. "More often than not, you're just doing your duty as a Fairy Tail Mage."
"But that's just it, isn't it? I've forcibly pushed myself into this life," Natsu replied with a shake of his head. "When I ran off with Gildarts that day, I didn't even consider the repercussions of what gaining power like his would be. I didn't even think about the responsibility that came with it."
"The responsibility to those weaker than yourself," Makarov hummed knowingly. "Yes, it is a cursed burden to bear."
"I've accepted it for what it is now, have for a long time," Natsu continued. "Its why I don't actually fight anyone at the Guild Hall anymore because I'm just way stronger than them, certain people excluded, of course."
"Laxus," Makarov sighed as the pink-haired Slayer nodded slowly.
"That aside, I've also come to accept that I'll be forced to fight for the rest of my life. I was raised by a Dragon and they aren't the kind to just keel over and die."
"Speaking of Dragons," Makarov cut in, deciding to end the topic there for the moment. "I figured you should know that Phantom Lord's Dragon Slayer was looking for you."
"Blacksteel? Why?"
"I don't know, but you should go find out," Makarov replied as he and Porlyusica got up out of their seats. "All he said was it was a conversation only the two of you could have."
"I see. I'll go find him now then," Natsu sighed as he slowly got up out of the bed, summoning a set of clothes as he went. "Thank you for treating me, Porlyusica. My apologies for being a burden."
"Being formal like that doesn't suit you," Porlyusica sniffed as she turned to look out the window. "Besides, out of the lot of you S Class Mages, I know that you'll be good for a favour later on down the line if I need it."
"Heh. Rather blunt, but true," Natsu grinned as he made his way toward the door. "You're not as mean as the others say you are, you know?"
"THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU BRAT, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
"Heh, no worries," Natsu waved as he left, making his way down the dirt path toward Magnolia.
As he walked, he noticed that a faint mist had started to seep in and realized that he was being followed. Stopping in place, he looked around and noticed Mystogan standing atop a nearby boulder.
"That the real you or one of the Mist Clones?"
"I figured we should speak face to face this time," the robe clad mage replied calmly as he moved to sit on the boulder. "I must admit that when I first heard you'd been made S Class, I was somewhat sceptical. Truth be told, I actually returned to Fairy Tail the day we met hoping that you'd be there."
"That right? Well, did I pass?"
"You withstood my strongest Sleep Spell so yes, I'd say you certainly passed my test," Mystogan chuckled softly. "But even then, I wondered to myself, just how powerful you were? When I'd heard that the Master had been incapacitated by Jose, I rushed back to help as quickly as I could-."
"How did you hear about that anyway, no one knows how to get a hold of you?"
"Porlyusica," Mystogan replied as he pointed to a small brooch on his coat. "This is linked to Master Makarov directly, a work of her own design. When Master Makarov fell to Jose, I was alerted immediately and sent a Mist Clone to the scene whilst my real self prepared for the fight ahead. Once I had a full idea of the situation, both from the location the Master went down and from your own account, I was able to immediately launch strikes on their sub guilds."
"Is that how Makarov gets a hold of you too," Natsu asked with Mystogan nodding gently. "Makes sense that the Master has a way of getting a hold of you when no one else can."
"Indeed, Porlyusica is a truly talented mage. But anyway, back to what I was saying earlier. I rushed back only to see the sheer scale of destruction left behind by your diversion and it was at that moment I knew you were S Class material."
"Large scale destruction is but one requirement for S Class, you know that."
"Indeed I do, which is why I want to say this face to face."
Mystogan hopped off of the boulder and walked over toward Natsu, extending a hand out to him, his face unreadable thanks to all of the coverings over his face.
"You are a true S Class Mage Natsu, I'm glad to have worked with you on this. Like you said before, this isn't really how I'd envisioned our first cooperative job would go, but all things considered I think it was a resounding success."
"Same here," Natsu grinned as the two firmly shook hands. "You might have that air of mystery about you Mystogan, but you're a good guy."
"Heh. Well, I do try, as we all do," Mystogan chuckled as he turned around to face Magnolia itself. "I waited for you to awaken before leaving, I've already spoken to Master Makarov. Figured it wouldn't be right if we just split after all that happened."
"Yeah, I'd have been pretty shitty with you if you had," Natsu agreed as they both looked out over the city.
"This place came close to being wiped off of the map," Mystogan muttered as he slowly looked up at the sky. "I wonder how long it will be before Magnolia's luck runs out?"
"Huh?"
"Don't mind me," Mystogan replied as he turned to look at Natsu. "I've got another job I need to do, but I'll be sure to speak with you again once I return."
"It's a date!"
"Funny guy," Mystogan chuckled as he turned as started walking down the path leading away from the city and into the vast forest. "Until we meet again, Natsu."
Natsu waved Mystogan off, his mind made up about the mysterious S Class Mage. Sure, he seemed rather cold and calculating, but he did care about the guild just as much as he did. He knew Mystogan would be a good ally for the future.
"Alright, now to find Blacksteel," Natsu sighed as he wandered into town, idly wondering where to start.
/Guild Hall Construction Site/
"I feel like this isn't going to end well," Elise sighed as she watched Erza bark orders at the others, wearing a foreman's outfit complete with a hardhat. "And who made her the leader anyway?"
"Beats me," Cana grinned as the two sat off to the side on a bench they'd built specifically for the purpose of sitting down instead of working. "Just admit it, you're a slacker too."
"And where is the evidence for that?"
"You're sitting on it," Cana grinned as she lightly tapped the table, the two sharing a small fit of giggles.
"Ok, maybe I am a little bit. But really, why do we have do rebuild the place? Can't we just hire ACTUAL builders? Does anyone here even know what a safety standard is!?"
"Haha! I hear ya on that one! Not a single one of us probably knows what safety even means so letting us build a massive Guild Hall is a really dumb idea!"
"Especially when one of the workers is already half drunk," Elise smirked as Cana barely stifled a hiccup.
"Oh yeah, well why don't you join me since we're just a bunch of slackers, eh!?"
"I will, but I can't get drunk so its probably not fair if you wanted to challenge me to a drinking contest."
"HUH!? CAN'T GET DRUNK!?"
"I'm a Slayer, just doesn't really affect me," Elise replied as Cana someone slammed down a massive keg on the table. "Is this … for me?"
"Yep! If you can drink this entire thing and not even get tipsy, I'll … I don't know, we'll figure that out later!"
"Well, guess I'd better secure whatever it is I'll be getting for free," Elise smirked as she stood up and smashed a hole in the top of the keg. "Just watch this!"
As Erza finished barking orders at some of the guild members, her gaze swept over the construction site. Everything seemed to be running smoothly with the various teams broken up to focus on individual tasks.
Her brain seemed to come screeching to a complete halt as it landed on the far corner of the site however as a sizeable crowd were crowded around a rather finely crafted bench, though she had no idea where it came from. Frowning, she marched over and was shocked to see Elise skulling a giant keg of Cana's finest.
"Yeah, feel the burn," Cana whooped as many of the crowd roared in approval.
"Fuck, she's smashing that out like a pro!"
"I couldn't even drink a few mugs of that stuff; Elise is a natural!"
Externally, Erza's face was completely blank. Internally however, she was about to blow as she saw one of the mages who was supposed to be responsible like her being a reckless deviant.
"Look guys, she's about to finish it," one of the mages shouted as Elise lifted the barrel so that it was almost directly above her.
"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"
"What a fucking show," Cana grinned only to notice Erza storming over. "Ah crap …"
Elise finished off the keg and slammed it down on the ground next to her, shattering it in the process with a grin on her face. Turning to Cana, she didn't even bother wiping the excess off her face, not realizing who was behind her.
"See that Cana, not even tipsy at all!"
"Yeah, you seem kinda excited though?"
"I mean of course I am, that was actually pretty fun, especially with everyone else cheering me on!"
"Hey Elise?"
"Yeah?"
Cana looked between Elise and the absolutely furious Erza who would no doubt tear them both a new one, contemplating what to do. There was no outrunning Erza and talking her down never worked since she was far too stubborn.
'Ah screw it! Go big or go home,' the mostly drunk mage smirked as she drained her entire mug before sauntering over toward Elise. "You missed a spot …"
Everyone, Erza included, were floored as Cana licked the alcohol off of Elise's face. One eye lazily looked toward Erza who was now completely red in the face, her brain basically fried as her tongue slowly ran over the God Slayer's lips.
"Mmhm, yum," Cana purred, winking at Elise before spinning on the spot and making a break for it. "Later!"
Naturally, the moment Cana bolted everyone rebooted. Most of the guild started roaring with both cheers and laughter, but Erza was stuck in place looking at the back of Elise's head. Eventually though, her brain rebooted and she slowly walked around to see Elise was as red as a tomato.
"Elise?"
"…"
"You in there?"
"…Maybe I can get drunk?"
"Looks like Cana gets the last laugh for now I suppose," Erza sighed as she waved a hand in front of Elise's face. "You in there?"
"She's in shock, dear. I don't think she was expecting Cana to be so … forward," Eliza said within Erza's mind as she continued to snap her fingers in front of the War God Slayer's face. "Not to be rude to her but Elise isn't very good at handling attention like that, she'll be fine in a little bit. Thoroughly embarrassed, but fine."
Taking Eliza's words at face value, she forcibly sat Elise on the bench before rounding on the rest of the crowd who were cowed into silence.
"All right, get back to work! I want this section of the Guild Hall completed by this afternoon, got it!?"
"YES MAAM," the crowd roared as they scrambled back to their assigned tasks.
Erza sighed and shook her head. Cana always was good at derailing progress when she was bored, she shouldn't have expected anything less. She'd rip into Elise later about drinking on the job but for now, she had more pressing concerns like making sure they had a new home to live in.
At least it kept her mind off of Natsu.
/Natsu's POV/
Having arrived back in town, Natsu started to feel his wounds flaring up which forced him to slow down to a snail's pace. He honestly hated walking at this speed when he had places to be but knew pushing it now would only aggravate his injuries.
And piss off Porlyusica. No one wants that.
It was rather early in the day so at least the streets were still mostly deserted as the people slowly woke up to the rather beautiful morning. Honestly, Natsu couldn't help but envy them and their ability to shrug off the near death they all came to yesterday.
"All right, where is that damn metalhead," Natsu sighed as he slowly made his way into Magnolia Park.
Sniffing the air, Natsu quickly deduced that Gajeel was in the area and started following his trail. He didn't have to walk far to find him though, the Iron Dragon Slayer standing at the foot of the same tree that Levy, Jet and Droy had been strapped to not long ago.
"Feeling a bit of guilt, Blacksteel?"
"Feelin a lot of shit right now, Salamander," Gajeel replied bluntly though he didn't turn around. "Not really sure of much anymore, honestly."
"I don't really know what you want me to say Blacksteel," Natsu replied neutrally as Gajeel finally turned around to face him. "You trashed our Guild Hall, seriously hurt three of our members and backed Jose's attack on the city."
"Yeah …"
"The Guild Hall can be rebuilt; Team Shadow Gear luckily made a pretty quick recovery and you guys lost in the end."
"What's your point?"
"I offered Jose a chance to surrender before we fought, a chance to put aside all the hatred and go our separate ways despite all he'd done."
"Why?"
"Because it was the right thing to do, offering him a chance to change. He didn't accept it and now he's dead, his life snuffed out over petty crap like wanting to be number one."
"Still can't believe you and the old man killed him, though clearly you did most of the work."
"You're not soft, Gajeel. You know exactly why Jose is dead now, don't you?"
"Yeah, he'd have just gone fully toward the Dark Guilds and attacked you guys that way," Gajeel replied eliciting a firm nod from Natsu who motioned for Gajeel to follow him.
"Correct. A man like Jose as a Dark Mage would've been a crisis for Fiore, a massive blow to the Magic Council's rep and cost the lives of who knows how many. He'd stop at nothing for his revenge against us, so we took the bastard out first."
"Honestly, never expected that kind of stuff from you Fairies," Gajeel huffed in reply as Natsu sat down on a nearby bench.
"I heard you've been looking for me Gajeel," Natsu continued as he leant back on the bench and crossed his arms. "Here I am."
"So you are," Gajeel sighed as he ran a hand through his long shaggy hair. "Fuck, where to start?"
"How about the question we both know you're gonna ask first, then work your way down the list?"
"Heh, yeah. Alright then Salamander, I'm lookin for the Dragon that raised me, goes by Metalicana?"
"I can't help you Blacksteel, I can't even find my own Dragon," Natsu laughed bitterly in response. "Igneel, the Fire Dragon King."
"No shit, Metalicana was the Metal Dragon King."
"Interesting, but like I just said, I can't really help you find him since I've got probably about as much of a clue as you do on it."
"Figures," Gajeel sniffed as he sat down on the bench next to Natsu. "Heard though that they disappeared on the same day, date and time so …"
"Ah, the magic number seven," Natsu chuckled softly. "Yeah, that still stumps me, even today. I wonder if there are any other Slayers around since knowing when their parents also left would give us a clue if its just a coincidence or not?"
"Who knows," Gajeel shrugged in response as the pair fell silent, watching the sun slowly climb higher into the sky.
"Gajeel?"
"What?"
"Remember how I said I'm willing to offer second chances?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"You're a Dragon Slayer, just like me. Not only that, the disappearance of your parent lines up perfectly with mine."
"So?"
"I'm gonna ask you something and you can feel free to say no," Natsu began as he leant forward, his eyes narrowed. "Join Fairy Tail."
"Wait … are you serious," Gajeel asked in disbelief. "How the fuck can you even offer me something like that after what I've done!?"
"Jose was a piece of shit, I know he no doubt baited you along," Natsu cut in, silencing the Iron Slayer. "Speaking with you know, you've got a rough edge, but you aren't a piece of scum like Jose was."
"And you think that'll be enough to just let the old man approve me?"
"Master Makarov will accept you, trust me. A lot of us are just gutter trash that washed up at the doors of Fairy Tail, homeless brats with nothing and no one. Over time though, we forge ourselves anew and fight for our guild because it's the only family we've got left, get what I mean?"
"…"
"You can think on it all you want Gajeel, but remember that there's much I can teach you about how to further your own power. I'm assuming you noticed how I matched Jose, right?"
"Yeah," Gajeel muttered quietly as he remembered seeing the opening to the fight. "The Dragon Force …"
"I can teach you a lot Gajeel, but you've got to make the effort to change as well," Natsu continued as he slowly got up and stood before the stunned man. "And don't forget, we can also find our Dragon parents together, two heads are better than one and all that crap."
Gajeel seemed stunned as Natsu offered him his hand, unable to believe the offer sitting before him. His whole life, he'd grown up and experienced nothing but deceit and hardship. Standing here before him now however was something he thought was a mere myth, a chance to actually make something of himself.
"Gihi! Alright then Salamander, if you really wanna keep me around so bad then I suppose I can accept your offer," Gajeel smirked as the two clasped hands with Natsu pulling him to his feet.
"Good choice," Natsu grinned as the two separated. "But just one more thing Gajeel I should probably tell you."
"What's that?"
"I've actually met one other Dragon Slayer before?"
"Really? Did they-?"
"This one was nothing like us," Natsu replied as his eyes seemed to see something Gajeel could not. "This one would shit all over me, has actually done so on several occasions. A level of power completely apart from anything I've seen, save for one man."
"Really? Who are they and where the fuck have they been hiding?"
"I'd rather not go too in depth at the moment, but they were in Scarlione when I was there and, according to the Slayer they said the only one that could probably kill them was Achnologia."
"Holy shit …"
"My desire for you to hone your skills isn't just purely out of the goodness of my heart, but as a means of survival."
"You mean-?"
"Oh yeah, they'll come for Fiore one day and you've seen how pathetic the Council's military is, right?"
"Oh yeah, bunch of whiny little bitches who couldn't even hold their staves straight," Gajeel grunted in reply. "Guess training myself up to your level makes even more sense now."
"Yeah, I can't tell you much more about the Scarlione stuff since its classified," Natsu sighed as he placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "But I want you to know that even if there wasn't a potential threat, I'd still have asked you to join anyway."
"I hear ya," Gajeel replied, brushing off Natsu's hand. "Time to swallow my pride and ask that old man if I can join. If that rain girl could get in then surely he'll let me join?"
"Rain girl?"
"One of the Element Four, Juvia."
"Oh, right. Yeah, if gramps let another from Phantom join, then I don't see why he'd deny you. Tell him I asked you to do it and he should let you in no problem."
"Right," Gajeel grunted as he started walking off toward town. "See ya round, Salamander."
"Later Blacksteel," Natsu said as he felt another familiar presence enter the park. "About time you showed up."
"Just got back like ten minutes ago to see Phantom's Mobile Guild Hall trashed in the port, nice job Natsu."
"I do try," Natsu grinned as he and Gildarts clasped hands. "You speak to gramps yet?"
"Briefly. He said you guys killed Jose and used Makarov's position to get away with it."
"It was either that or the two of us go to jail and Fairy Tail gets disbanded for an illegal Guild War," Natsu snorted in response. "What else could he really do?"
"You know, Makarov said you were a bit hesitant to accept what he said yesterday about what the Master and the Ace do," Gildarts replied curiously. "Yet you seem perfectly fine with it now?"
"I'm basically using the same rationale as what we did in Scarlione for it," Natsu shrugged in reply. "Not like my hands are clean anyway."
"Natsu-."
"I'm guessing he told you I was about to cave his face in?"
"Yeah."
"It was a tough fight, no doubt about it. Jose might have been a scumbag, but he was certainly a powerhouse mage. I had to use the Dragon Force and everything to match him so I'd say even you'd have had a bit of trouble with him."
"Well, he was a Wizard Saint," Gildarts replied as the pair returned to the bench and sat down. "You know that this is gonna cause a lot of trouble, right?"
"Yep."
"The balance has been broken and they'll need to find a replacement for Jose, not saying that person is gonna be you but you'll be on their watchlist now for sure."
"Me, a Wizard Saint, now there's a good joke! Although, I see your point about that. I don't think I'm really a candidate anyway though since gramps was the one who finished Jose off with Fairy Law so officially the victory goes to him."
"Look, regardless of what happens, I'm proud of the way you handled the situation. But I wanted to ask you about how much Crash Magic you used, I can still sense the residual magic left behind."
"Relax Gildarts, I didn't use more than fifty five percent of my Crash Magic capabilities. Seismic was more than enough to negate Jose's magic."
"I'm glad you didn't lose control, you've gotten stronger since we got back though. What you call fifty five percent of your Crash Magic capabilities used to be sixty five percent, it's not an extreme increase but it will help you further hone your Crash Magic."
"So you're telling me that I'm ready for the next phase then?"
"You might be. With the increase in your skills, you should be able to begin harnessing more of your Crash Magic into your attacks. We'll cap your usage at seventy percent just to be safe."
"So what is the fourth stage of Crash Magic like to use?"
"Well kid that's where you start to become like me. Your Crash Magic will become even more potent similar to when you reached the second stage but it's ten times harder to control. To be honest, you might need to use your Dragon Force to begin with just so you don't completely lose control."
"Is it really that powerful?"
"You've seen what I can do when I go all out Natsu, combine that with your already destructive Dragon Slayer magic and you will become much stronger."
"Well that's definitely got me fired up."
"I also heard from the Master that you were planning a training trip with some of your friends; care to fill me in on that?"
"Yeah, I wanna teach Erza how to use the armor and sword I gave her, Elise needs to learn how to use Eliza's power better and Gray just needs a lot of work overall."
"I don't want you trying to access the next phase of Crash Magic, focus on helping your friends, ok?"
"Yeah, I wasn't really planning on accessing the next phase yet anyway. Honestly, I don't think I'm ready for it you know. I want to master my Seismic level Crash Magic first before I even think about jumping up a level."
"Hmm. You know that's actually a good idea. Whilst you're gone I want you to master the Seismic level. When you get back I'll test you and if you pass I'll teach you the next phase."
"Right. Well, we'd better get to the Guild Hall before Erza tears the guild apart thinking I've disappeared or something."
"Actually, Makarov put her to work as the foreman at the construction site so she's probably up to her neck in lazy bastards," Gildarts grinned as Natsu suppressed a chuckle. "By the way, I brought you back something from my last job."
"Really? What is it?"
"Here, I got given this by my client as a reward for exterminating a bunch of Giga Rats," Gildarts said as he handed Natsu a strange looking book.
"Giga Rats? What the hell are they?"
"Rats but really really really big. But enough of that, take a look at this book."
Natsu took the book from Gildarts and examined the cover, noticing that it required a key to even open the thing. Looking the book over, he noticed that no such key had come with it and looked back to Gildarts expectantly.
"It's locked; did you get given a key?"
"Nope. Apparently, there isn't one."
"Did the client say what type of book this is?"
"Supposed to be a Dragon relic, thought you'd want to look at it."
"A Dragon relic, wonder what's inside?"
"Well, I'm gonna give it to you to see if you can't open it for me," Gildarts grinned as the two got to their feet. "Once you crack it open, I'll swoop in and sell it out from under you!"
"Fuck off old man," Natsu laughed as the two playfully shoved each other. "For real though, thanks."
"Look after that book Natsu, it's a relic remember."
"Relax, I'll keep it on me," Natsu said as he placed the book into his Requip Space.
"Now then, let's get going to the guild," Gildarts said as the two left the park and started making their way to the construction site.
/Fairy Tail Guild Hall/
"Owie! Erza, stop hitting me," Elise whined as Erza chased her around with a wooden sword, whacking her over and over.
"This ought to teach you not to be a lazy good for nothing like the others," Erza growled in response as she continued to chase Elise around the front of the site. "I just have to beat the laziness out of you early then you'll be just like me!"
"That isn't how stuff like that works at all!"
This was the scene that Natsu and Gildarts walked into as the rest of the guild just sat around not doing anything. Natsu couldn't help but chuckle at the sight knowing full well that if it were serious that the entire area would probably have blown up by now.
"Oi Gray, what's going on here?"
"Oh, hey Natsu. Yeah, Erza's mad because Elise was slacking off with Cana earlier and when she tried to scold them, Cana pulled a fast one on her and got away."
"Cana got one over on Erza?"
"Yeah," Gray replied as a rare blush tinged his cheeks.
"What the fuck Gray, are you blushing right now!?"
"Listen man, you missed out. Shit was hot, not even gonna lie."
"What happened?"
"Well, Elise drank an entire keg of Cana's finest in one go but had a lot of it on her face afterward and so when Erza came charging over like she always does … Cana licked it off of her face … slowly."
"For real," Natsu muttered as he pictured the sight, though not at all like it had been described to him as there was a distinct lack of clothing involved. "Holy shit …"
"Natsu! SAVE ME," Elise cried as she dived behind him with Erza charging toward them at full force.
"Don't worry Elise, I've got this," Natsu laughed as he stepped up toward Erza. "Hey Erza, I'm-!"
Natsu was silenced as Erza started hitting him with the wooden sword, each strike hurting much more than they really should.
"OW! WHAT THE HELL!?"
"Natsu! Where have you been all morning," Erza snapped as Natsu tried to run away but failed due to his injuries. "I was told by the Master that you left Porlyusica's several hours ago!"
"Yeah, I did," Natsu gasped in reply as the whacking continued. "If you'd stop smacking me for five damn seconds, I'd explain myself!"
"Very well then, I shall return to hitting Elise-."
"NOOO!"
"Leave Elise alone Erza, from what I've been told it was just Cana pulling her usual crap."
"W-wait a sec, you know about what Cana did," Elise gasped as a fierce blush broke out on her face. "SO EMBARRASSING!"
"Yeah, it is. I'll be sure to remind you of it until I forget about it," Natsu grinned in response before turning back to face Erza. "Anyway, I caught up with Mystogan before he left then met with Blacksteel Gajeel and asked him to join the guild-."
"WHAT," was the collective consensus on that as everyone seemed completely floored at Natsu's actions.
"There is a good reason, let gramps deal with it," Natsu replied firmly with a tone that told them all he wasn't going to budge on that issue. "Anyway, after that Gildarts met up with me and we talked for a bit and came here. Just took a bit because I'm still sore."
"Oh …"
"And you made it worse by the way," Natsu continued as Erza avoided his gaze. "I think I might need some more help …"
"Really!? I didn't hit you that hard, did I!?"
"It was pretty hard Erza," Natsu sighed as he dramatically hobbled toward her. "Look at me, I could walk fine before!"
"Oh Natsu, I'm so sorry!"
Natsu silenced her with a quick peck on the lips as he ran a hand through her hair affectionately.
"Don't worry about it though, I don't mind."
"Oh my god that's so adorable," Mira squealed as she jumped up and down on the spot like she was about to explode.
"Eugh, gross," Gildarts teased as he turned around and went to walk off only for someone to start shouting at him.
"That's just like you to run off because of a little romance Gildarts, you disgusting perv!"
"What the hell," Gildarts gasped as he turned around and was face to face with Ur.
"You're not just a regular pervert anymore, now you're an old one!"
"Oi that was uncalled for!"
"Uncalled for you old bastard!? You really forgot about perving on me during the Winter Harvest Festival, you really are the worst!"
Everyone was gathering around as Ur tore Gildarts a new one, the Crash Mage completely cowed and at the Ice Make Mage's mercy. As Gildarts looked for a possible escape route, he noticed both Natsu and Makarov were smirking at his misfortune and scowled.
"You two set this up didn't you!? You bastards are messed up!"
"Those two don't have anything to do with it; this is your own fault!"
Ur stomped away as Natsu and Makarov burst out laughing. Gildarts punched Natsu over the head knocking him face first into a table.
"OW! What was that for, you wanna fight!?"
"You couldn't even scratch me you brat!"
"Enough you two," Makarov sighed as the two stopped butting heads and turned away from each other. "Natsu, I believe now would be a good time to speak to Gray, Erza and Elise about that thing you wanted to do?"
"Thing? What thing is the Master referring to Natsu," Erza asked as Natsu waved both Elise and Gray over toward them.
"What's up Natsu," Gray asked as he sat down next to Erza. "We got another job or something?"
"Nah, I've got something else I want the four of us to do," Natsu replied with a grin as Elise slid in next to him.
"What kind of life-or-death situation are we running into now?"
"The fun kind," Natsu grinned in response. "Training trip!"
"Training trip," the trio parroted prompting Makarov to clear his throat and draw their attention.
"Natsu had discussed the idea of a training trip with me after the Eisenwald incident and after some consideration I approved it. It is clear that the four of you make a great team and so I figured that it would benefit you all to train together so that you can bring out each other's strengths."
"Well, I'll be the one doing most of the training for you guys, but yeah," Natsu grinned cheekily as all three nodded in understanding. "I'm hoping to help you guys get strong like me so we can just steamroll basically everything we have to come across. Also, I want the two of you strong enough to easily make S Class."
"Really," Gray asked excitedly. "You wanna help us reach S Class!?"
"Oh yeah," Natsu nodded as he looked between Elise and Gray. "Both of you will undoubtedly be selected for the trials so I figured I'd help you both along."
"And what about me," Erza asked as Natsu turned toward her. "What will I be doing?"
"Honing your skills with that new armor and sword I gave you since we've had so little time to do it lately."
"Oh wow," Erza muttered as she summoned the sword into her hand. "I'd actually forgotten we've yet to do any sort of training with it, you know?"
"So guys, you all keen for some hardcore Natsu bootcamp!?"
"I'm in."
"Of course!"
"Of course I'm coming along Natsu."
Natsu grinned at the trio before turning back to Makarov who was nodding approvingly at the sight.
"All right gramps, guess that settles it, eh?"
"That it does," Makarov nodded. "So, when can we expect you all back?"
"I can't give a definitive date, but I'll send a message along when we are coming back," Natsu replied prompting the Master to nod.
"I see, well I suppose not coming back until you've worked out the kinks makes sense," Makarov agreed as he turned toward the trio. "Good luck you three, you'll most certainly need it."
"What's that supposed to mean," Gray asked with a slightly concerned look.
"Try not to hit em as hard as you hit me Natsu, ok," Gildarts added with a dark smirk.
"We're dead," Gray sighed.
"This sounds like fun," Elise said with a grin.
"Only you'd see getting beaten up as fun," Gray groaned as the four all shared a short laugh.
"Ok then, I'll see the three of you at the station in thirty minutes. Assuming you plan on letting us skip the reconstruction here gramps" Natsu asked as the old man nodded.
I was going to have you all do something but really we already have plenty of people here, even Nab is doing something for once!"
"I assume you want me to look after the house while the two of you are away," Ur asked as she appeared behind Erza and Gray.
"If it's not too much trouble, just make sure no one breaks in and you can have whatever food you can find around the place though there isn't much at the moment," Natsu said as Ur slowly nodded in response.
"Guess I'll have to do a few jobs and get some cash together for some food. Oh, and good luck by the way Gray. If you thought training under me was hard that man will push you to the breaking point and then break that too," she said with a smile as she walked off again.
"That's some teacher you have there Gray," Erza said in an amused tone.
"I'm gonna die," Gray cried as the three went to collect their belongings.
/Several Hours Later/
The group had caught the last train out of Magnolia and were currently settling into their compartment. Neither Erza, Gray or Elise had any idea where Natsu had planned to take them, nor did they have any idea just what kind of training they were in for.
"So, where are we going Natsu," Elise asked curiously as they all settled into their seats.
"We're going where Gildarts trained me, the Kryden Mountains," Natsu replied as everyone looked between each other with varying degrees of confusion.
"Where the hell is that?"
"Very far away Gray, just getting there will be a task though you all should be able to do it."
"Surely it can't be that bad," Erza asked prompting Natsu to chuckle in amusement.
"You just keep thinking that Erza. When it goes from snowing to temperatures higher than fifty degrees within the same hour, you'll realize its no picnic."
"What the hell did we sign up for," Gray sighed as he looked out the window.
"Oh and Elise, I figured you should know that Eliza won't be helping you during the training I've got planned out," Natsu grinned as the God Slayer tried and failed to stifle her shock.
"What!? How have you been speaking with her without me around!?"
"Simple really, she's always talking to me. Ever since we first met, we've been linked so we can relay information to each other faster, helps out in the field."
"Oh … Well that still doesn't explain how you convinced my Mother not to interfere at all though?"
"It was simple really; we agreed that you need some training. Fact is Elise, she saves you a lot and we both want you to grow. The plan is to make you hone your powers so you don't need to rely on Eliza taking full control and obliterating stronger opponents."
"Well, that sounds fair," Elise admitted before narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "But we still get to speak with her, right?"
"Of course! I mean, who am I gonna train with," Natsu replied with a grin, Elise's jaw dropping only for it to be gently closed by Erza.
"He's got a point. Who else could handle Natsu at a level where he could actually grow," Erza asked with Elise nodding in understanding.
"True, he's on a whole other level than we are right now so Mother is realistically the only one who can fight him at full power without concern."
"My training aside though, the three of you are the main focus of this trip," Natsu cut in sharply as all three snapped their attention back to him. "I'm strong enough to brawl Wizard Saints and stuff so the plan is to at least get you guys started on the path to clobbering most S Class tier mages without trying!"
"So, what are the Kryden Mountains like," Elise asked changing the subject. "I've never heard the Council talk about them before?"
"Hmm. Well, it's hard to describe, but let's see … There's the unnatural weather, there's the mountains themselves which we'll have to climb and the creatures of the mountains will be good training for the three of you. Don't worry I will help you against the creatures to start with but by the end you'll be able to take them easily."
"Well, I'm not gonna say this'll be fun but I am happy you brought me along," Gray said in response, throwing his two Jewel into the conversation.
"Hey, we're a team, the strongest team Fairy Tail's ever had and hopefully, if we're good enough, the strongest of all time. I'm just trying to help my friends reach that goal."
"And we appreciate it Natsu," Erza replied appreciatively as she looked out toward the others. "Right?"
"I certainly do, that Phantom stuff really showed me that I'm not all that strong compared to other mages out there. I'm gonna give it my all Natsu, just you watch!"
"That's the spirit Gray, just what I wanted to hear!"
"Same with me Natsu, I'll prove to you I'm plenty strong on my own merits," Elise added firmly as the group slowly started to fall silent.
"All right then, now that the questions are over, I guess we should get some sleep. Once we get off the train and reach the foot of the mountains, we'll need all our strength
Everyone decided to get some sleep before the nightmarish training Natsu was preparing for them.
/Base of the Kryden Mountains/
The group arrived several hours later at the foot of the Kryden Mountains as Natsu turned to face the group, waving his arms at the mountain as if he were introducing it.
"And here we are guys, the Kryden Mountains! Hope you all had a decent sleep because we're tackling most of this today."
"Wait a minute Natsu, how high exactly are we climbing?"
"Good question Erza, see those clouds up there," Natsu said as he pointed to the top of the mountain. "That's the spot we need to hit."
"So, we're going all the way to the summit then," Gray sighed as he started stretching. "This ought to do wonders for my muscles …"
Natsu could only grin as he turned back to face the trio who all dreaded whatever Natsu had to say next.
"You all think that those clouds are the summit? Oh man, you guys definitely aren't ready for what I've got in store if you think THAT'S the peak!"
"WHAT," the group shouted in unison earning them nothing but amused laughter from the Dragon Slayer.
"If it makes you all feel any better, I climbed this mountain with Gildarts when I was fifteen years old."
"Are you serious!? Is Gildarts even sane, making a kid climb something like that," Gray asked in a mixture of shock and disbelief. "How did you even survive that!?"
"Hard work and determination Gray," Natsu replied as he looked back up to the clouds. "Oh, and of course Gildarts helping me when I got stuck in places."
"Oh, well obviously that just makes everything A ok, doesn't it," Gray snorted back.
"Come on Gray, you of all people should be excited to get stronger?"
"What's that supposed to mean flame brain?"
"Look, I don't wanna start an argument with you now Gray. Also, I should probably tell you now that I'm not gonna be Natsu the friend, or in your case Erza Natsu the boyfriend, while we're training. When we're training it'll be nothing but hard work but I'm not gonna order you all around. I'll be more of a jerk that kicks you out of bed at the crack of dawn and makes you run for an hour than anything else."
"Look, we knew that already Natsu," Elise replied calmly as the group all turned to face the small trail at the base of the mountain. "We're all prepared for you to kick our asses into gear so we can get stronger, even Gray, despite his constant whining."
"Shut up Elise, I'm not whining!"
"You are whining Gray," Erza responded with a small smirk. "But Elise is right, we're all here to grow both as a team and individually. We're ready for this."
"Well, I'm glad that's out of the way," Natsu sighed as they started walking toward the path. "Also, during the day while you're all training, I'll be going around and hunting food for us to eat-."
"Can we just climb the damn mountain Natsu; we get it you're in charge," Gray snapped, eliciting a sigh from the Dragon Slayer.
"I remember when I said that Gray, and man I really wish I hadn't. There are things about this mountain that you don't know; rushing the climb isn't a good idea."
"Well we know about the weather and some of the monsters but what else could there be?"
"Good question Elise, I'll show you. Now the first thing you guys need to know is we are standing at the base of the mountain, the difficulty of the climb gets harder the higher you go."
Natsu jumped up to a ledge and sat down. "Alright now watch this," Natsu said as he leant back and tapped the rock face behind him.
It took a few moments before a giant worm came out from the wall, it immediately went to strike Natsu who sidestepped and kicked it into the air, the others genuinely surprised that something had been right there the whole time.
"See what I mean? Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Natsu struck the worm in the head, seemingly stunning it as he sprinted toward the hole and grabbed onto its midsection. Ripping the body of the worm out of the rock face, he lobbed it out toward the forest where the group lost sight of it.
"What the hell is this place," Gray muttered as he stared at the hole in the rock face.
"This Gray is what I call the perfect place for some training. The climb itself will be good strength training and the various things the mountain will throw at you will keep you on your toes, a good trait to have."
"Is there anything else aside from that we should know before we continue further Natsu," Erza asked as Natsu adopted a thinking pose.
"Hmm. Well, I told you about the weather and I can tell you about what we'll be doing when we reach the top, so no, we can start climbing."
"Yay," Gray cheered sarcastically as the group began to make their way up the mountain.
Several hours later, the group had made decent progress. The base of the mountain was now out of sight and the cloud was closer than ever. After enduring multiple attacks from strange creatures and almost falling dozens of times, they finally found a ledge where they could take a breather.
"This place is messed up," Gray panted as he flopped onto his back. "I don't think I've almost died so many times in one day before!?"
"Come on Gray, it wasn't all THAT bad," Erza replied, though she also sat down, clearly fatigued.
"Yeah Gray, you guys are actually doing great," Natsu added supportively. "We've made it a decent way up the mountain in just a few hours!"
"A decent way up, the top is still ages away!"
"Come on man, if we really hurry, we could reach the top by tonight. Doesn't that sound appealing?"
"Come on man this is absolute-."
Everyone fell silent as a large screech cut Gray off, powerful wingbeats snapping all of them out of their funk as they got to their feet.
"Well, guess the breaks over," Natsu sighed as he looked up above him. "Ah, one of those."
"What the hell is that!?"
A large bird was dive bombing straight towards the group. Natsu jumped off the ledge and sat on a tree growing out of the side of the rock face.
"Get ready everyone," Erza barked firmly as they all prepared to fight.
"What the hell, how big is this thing!?"
"Gray's got a point, how can we fight something so large in a position like this?"
"Don't worry, I've got a plan," Erza said as she started to glow in that familiar golden light. "Requip – Giants Armor!"
Erza emerged from the light in her new armor, a bright yellow suit of armor reminiscent of a Giant. In her right hand was a powerful spear with many ornate markings covering the blade.
"Berserker Impact!"
Erza spun around and smashed a sizeable hole into the rock face behind them, opening up more space for them to manoeuvre around. The trio instantly backed into it with the massive bird screeching in protest.
"We can use this space to avoid its attacks!"
"A good idea in theory Erza however it appears you have already forgotten what I told you," Natsu cut in as the trio looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean Natsu, I don't-?"
It took Erza several moments to consider what Natsu meant and, upon realizing, it was already too late. Several of the large worms smashed through the rock wall behind them, having been attracted by the shockwave that travelled through the mountain thanks to her attack.
Shit! Elise, Gray, distract the bird," Erza snapped as the two pushed forward whilst Erza prepared to take on the three worms. "Requip – Black Wing Armor!"
Changing into an armor more adept at speed, Erza easily blitzed around the worms, slicing them apart with ease before spinning around to see Gray fire off an attack at the massive bird.
"Ice Make – Freeze Lancer!"
Gray fired several large lances made of solid ice at the bird however, to his shock, they simply shattered upon impact.
"What type of bird is this thing; my attack didn't do anything!?"
The bird tried to claw at Gray but missed as both he and Elise retreated back to where Erza was standing. The trio looked between one another before looking over at Natsu who was still sitting comfortably, watching the fight.
"Uh Natsu, what is this thing," Elise asked as the three watched the bird fly back and forth outside their little hollowed out cave.
"That's a Zu Elise. Honestly though, you won't really be seeing many of those until we get higher, but at least it's only one so I guess we can see how you stack up."
"You heard him," Erza said as she pointed a sword at the Zu. "Let's give this thing everything we've got!"
"War God's Elemental Lances!
"Good idea Elise, seeing if the enemy has any potential elemental weaknesses to exploit is something all mages should consider," Natsu chimed in as Elise surrounded herself with dozens of floating lances that each bore a different element upon their bladed edge.
"Midnight Slash!"
"Elemental Flurry!"
"Ice Make – Ice Cannon!"
The three rushed the Zu and began to bombard it with a series of attacks and pushed it back slightly. The Zu however was far from done, screeching loudly as it flapped its wings to blast the trio back to where they had started.
"Gah we can't get close!"
"Hang on, War God's Stalwart Song!"
Erza and Gray were surprised as Elise started to sing in a language none of them even had a clue about as Magic Circles enveloped the trio. All three felt much better because of it prompting Gray to ask her what it was.
"What did you do Elise?"
"Support magic Gray, this spell raises our defense; I'm focusing the spell on creating a barrier against wind."
"You can do that?"
"Well, I can only focus on one type of element at a time but yeah, I can. Just don't ask me to do it on the fly because I doubt the enemy is gonna grant us a reprieve just so I get a chance to sing."
"Hey, we can all move normally again so I'm not complaining," Gray grinned. "Let's kick this thing's ass!"
"Gray's right, let's move!"
"Ice Make - Geyser!"
Gray summoned a solid geyser made of ice from the side of the rock face, impaling the Zu and pinning it in place as Erza came charging in.
"Midnight Razor Wind!"
Erza swung her sword in front of her and sent several slashes made of wind at the Zu which slashed at its face, dealing significant damage.
"War God's Eight Lance Elemental Barrage!"
Elise made a forward motion with her right hand as eight of the lances shot out and started orbiting the pinned down Zu, blasting it with eight different kinds of elements.
The Zu screeched out as the attacks continued to bombard it before breaking the ice holding it in place and took a swing at the group. Natsu, realising enough was enough, appeared in front of the Zu and blocked the strike.
"Fire Dragon King's Crashing Iron Fist!"
Natsu punched the Zu in the face and seemed to shake its head up as it stopped flapping its wings, falling down toward the base of the mountain. Sighing, he turned around only to have Gray practically in his face.
"Why'd you interfere Natsu, we almost had it!?"
"Because I got a decent idea on what you three are capable of Gray, no need to drag out the fight."
Shouldn't we have killed it though?"
"Maybe but we still have a decent climb ahead of us today Elise, you sure you could do that after expending most of your magic power?"
"Wait … We still have to climb more? It's gonna be dark soon Natsu!?"
"Day, night, none of that matters Gray. I'm training you guys to get stronger and learn new skills and gain knowledge."
"Natsu's right Gray. After fighting that bird, it only confirms it. By the way Natsu, how common is that bird? You said it was more common higher up on the mountain so I want to know what we're dealing with as we get higher?"
"When I was here there were a few separate colonies up there, might be more now I mean that was years ago."
"We're so dead you guys," Gray sighed as he flopped onto his back once more.
"Hey, you guys did good Gray, no need to get so down. By the end of this trip the three of you will be able to take one Zu out much faster."
"Just one? And here I thought we were going to reach your level, Natsu," Erza teased.
"That's a pretty big goal, might wanna try Laxus's level first."
"Are you saying he's stronger than us?"
"By a pretty big margin Gray."
"Well, it's a start at any rate," Erza sighed.
"So how much further up the mountain do we have to climb today Natsu?"
"I reckon we'll try and hit that cave up there Elise, sound good to you guys?"
"I'll take it," Gray sighed tiredly as they started making their way up toward it.
They cleared the distance between the spot they'd been attacked and the cave without incident. Upon arriving, none of them were willing to just blindly walk inside which earned them a small smirk from Natsu.
"Wonder what's in this cave?"
"You'll see Erza," Natsu said as he ignited his hand for light.
"Wow," the three said as the cave lit up.
"It's like someone used to live here?"
"That's because someone did used to live here Elise. In fact, people used to live all over this mountain a long time ago."
"What type of people?"
"Well, from what I found out, they were a nomadic tribe that believed in the way of peace. Now you're probably wondering how that was possible considering all the hostile creatures all over this mountain, right?"
"That's just the start, what about the awful weather," Gray asked prompting Natsu to nod in agreement.
"See, this tribe had a special kind of magic, one that would be considered a Lost Magic by today's standards. This magic was called the Mental Adjustment Magic. Supposedly, years ago, when the Council was formed, they had it essentially removed from existence by way of exterminating the people living here."
"Well how would that work, you just said they had that Mental Magic right?"
"That they did Erza but this was around the time that the Etherion Cannon was completed so they needed a target to test it out on."
"Wait … So, you're saying the Council wiped the people here out for a weapons test?"
"Well, yes and no. While yes, they needed to test the weapon's power, this tribe possessed mages who were naturally strong in raw magical power due to the environment in which they were raised in. The Council saw them as a threat to their rule and decided to remove them before they could take a stance against them."
"You know the Council really sound horrible after you learn about all the horrible things they do and have done in the past."
"You're right on that one Elise, the Council have always been shady at even the best of times. But you see, there's a point to why I'm telling you all this. Do any of you get it?"
The three shook their heads as Natsu sighed.
"Look, these people were strong and by all accounts some of the strongest in Fiore during their time. My point with this is to tell you that you can be the strongest mage of all but you can be defeated before even being given a chance to act; Gildarts taught me that a long time ago. Now I'm not saying that there isn't a point being strong, in fact I'm saying the opposite. Power should be used for the sake of others; this nomadic tribe was wiped out before being given a chance to do any good for our world."
"Power for the sake of others … Natsu, we already do that, don't we?"
"I know, but I'm telling you a bit about my journey up the mountain and its history. You guys are always pestering me about my past and I'm telling you about a few things I learnt here."
"Well, I thought that it was quite interesting Natsu," Erza replied with a small smile as the others nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it is nice to hear about something you did for once," Gray added as Natsu returned their smiles with a small one of his own.
"Thanks guys."
"Hey Natsu, what's above the clouds? You said the mountain doesn't stop there so I'm honestly curious?"
"I can't answer that Elise, it'd ruin the story is all I'll say for now."
"Ruin the story? What do you mean by that?"
"That's for you three to decide. Now, I'm going to get some sleep; we're hitting the top tomorrow so get ready for a hard day of climbing."
"Oh great, as if today wasn't hard enough," Gray sighed prompting Natsu to try and cheer him up.
"Hey, you all did great today! When I came up here with Gildarts, the two of us didn't reach this far in half a day so you should be proud of that!"
"Are you being serious when you tell us we're actually doing a great job or are you just saying it for motivational purposes," Gray asked curiously as everyone looked toward him in shock.
"Gray!"
"Leave him Erza, it's a fair question," Natsu said as he placed a hand over hers. "I'm not just saying it to mess with you guys Gray, I genuinely mean what I'm saying. You guys are doing a great job so far and, although the true training hasn't really begun yet, I can tell you'll be able to handle that too. Sure, I am trying to motivate you all, but I'm glad to see my friends are handling it better than I did."
"Listen Natsu, I'm sorry for sounding like a whiny bitch," Gray sighed as he laid down onto his back and looked up at the roof of the cave. "I've just been a bit out of it since Galuna."
"Which part Gray, the Deliora bit, Ur or Lyon?"
"Take your pick," Gray snorted as the others listened to the Ice Make Mage closely. "I spent so long thinking Ur was dead, Deliora was gonna return one day and that I'd have to stop him. I finally got that chance but I was so weak I couldn't even take out Lyon let alone Deliora!"
"Now hold on Gray, you helped fight him alongside us," Erza cut in only for Gray to continue.
"I don't really know how to say this without sounding like a prick, but sometimes I sit there and wonder what the hell I'm supposed to do with my life now, y'know? I spent so long focusing on the past that the future never really mattered …"
"I get what you're saying Gray," Natsu replied gently as he moved to sit down next to the Ice Make Mage. "When I came back from Scarlione and Gildarts got hurt because I was too weak to help him, I questioned the last decade and all I'd done. I wondered what the point was if I still wasn't strong enough to do the one thing I ran away for in the beginning."
"So, how'd you get over it?"
"I got back home, back to Fairy Tail, and I was reminded that I've got a massive family who need me. Even though I was a little shit and ran off, they all worried about me that whole time. When I walked through those doors and everyone celebrated my return, I got that drive back."
"Damn," Gray muttered as Elise and Erza listened with rapt attention at the conversation. "I must sound like a whiny bitch to you, huh?"
"No Gray, stop saying that. You're just as entitled as anyone else to have issues like this, I'm not some special exception and your problems are no less valid than mine. We're all family, we work together to get through the tough times Gray and that's exactly what we're gonna do for you now."
"Huh?"
"You'll find your reason to go on Gray, you just haven't looked hard enough yet. Also, Ur would probably flail us alive if you went and did somethings stupid, so …"
"I get it man," Gray chuckled softly as the two met each other's gaze for a moment. "Thanks Natsu."
"Anytime Gray."
"Isn't this a great first team bonding experience," Elise asked as she completely shattered the moment with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
"I think it was, in a weird way," Erza added with a small giggle as Natsu shuffled on over to the pair.
"I mean half the point of it being a training trip was to work on that," Natsu grinned as he pushed both of them over. "But you two really need to learn to read the mood!"
"Hey, I can read the mood plenty," Elise whined as she started kicking Natsu in the chest, making no move to get up.
"I didn't even do anything," Erza huffed as she sat back up and glared at Natsu. "Why'd you push me over!?"
"Thought it'd be funny."
"Oh really? Well then, I suppose that makes everything ok."
Before Natsu even had a chance to respond, both Elise and Erza tackled him to the ground and started trying to tickle him.
"OI! CUT IT OUT! S-STOP!"
"Get his ribs Elise, he's vulnerable there!"
"You're done for now Natsu," Elise laughed as Natsu was brutally assaulted from both sides. "N-NO MORE! STOOOP!"
After several more minutes of being tickled, they got off of him and allowed Natsu to compose himself. Panting slightly, all four of them started laughing at the silliness of it all.
As they all recovered, Natsu's mind wandered to what lay above the clouds and what kind of training they would need to go through. As he eyed each of their laughing faces, he shook his head.
I wonder if these guys are ready for what's up there, I sure as hell wasn't but it all worked out. Hopefully he doesn't mind me coming back after all these years?'
The group stayed up for a little longer before finally deciding to get some well-earned rest. Come tomorrow, they would most certainly need it.
(Edited 22/03/19)
(Edited 24/10/21)
(Edited 10/06/22)