The Lost Ruins
"Run run run run run…" chanted Natsu as he barreled through the street full of people with Happy clinging to the end of his scarf. Behind him was Loke, carrying a grumbling Lucy in his arms as he followed right after the Dragon Slayer. And right behind the spirit were the town's guardsmen chasing right after them due to the 'accidental' destruction of Mayor Burgandy's home that still burned in the distant background.
"Damn it, Natsu! Why does every mission have to end up like this?!" Lucy angrily hollered, "This is all your fault!"
"It wasn't entirely my fault! It was Loke's too!" Natsu retorted as he swerved into an alley. After rebounding off the wall, he pounced on top of a pile of stacked crates to jump onto the roof of the closest building.
The Celestial Spirit was highly offended as he followed the other's lead. "Hey! I did my part flawlessly. You're the one who screwed up, idiot. You didn't have to freak out because of a little cat scratch!"
"That stupid Snugglesbutt nearly took out an eye!" Natsu roared, infuriated by the mere mention of the loathsome animal that dared to claw his face yet again. He had tried to be nice, but that damn feline hated him just as much as he hated it.
He continued to sprint across the sloped, shingled roofs, hopping from building to building with the guards trailing them down below. It didn't take long to lose sight of them and once he was sure he couldn't hear them anymore, he slowed to a stop and leaned against the brick chimney of someone's home to catch his breath. He glanced at the pillar of black smoke that was once the grand manor of Saffarion's mayor, feeling only a little guilty.
Since asking nearly every person in town about the strange boy had yielded no answers and inquiring about the ancient temple in Verloren Woods had only brought confusion, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy wanted to convince one of the townsfolk the ruins existed. They dragged one hapless old man through the forest to the area they had thought was the clearing, but instead found nothing but more trees wherever they looked. Even when flying high above the canopy, Natsu couldn't see the open area where the temple was supposed to be. They had searched for hours before the old man demanded to be taken back to town or else he would have them arrested for kidnapping.
Bewildered by the absence of the temple, Lucy surmised that it was probably hidden by some sort of magic and special requirements were needed to see it. After quickly rushing the innocent geezer back to town, the mages tested if the temple would show itself only to magical beings, but the end result was the same as with a non-magic person. Lucy then came up with the conclusion that the Mayor's dumb cat could 'show' them the way to the temple like it had done so before.
They tried asking Mayor Burgandy if they could borrow the stupid animal but the mayor dismissed them for Adeline would not risk parting with her beloved pet 'ever again'. With the direct approach a failure, Natsu came up with the idea of stealing the tabby. Lucy had rolled her eyes and reluctantly agreed.
They had sneaked into the mansion through an open window and without too much trouble, they found the tabby in the merciless clutches of Adeline within her extravagantly plush room. To separate the human and cat, Lucy's brilliant plan was to have Loke charm the young woman and while she was distracted, Natsu was supposed to grab the cat and flee. Everything was going well until the damn feline decided to retaliate the moment Natsu picked it up. All hell broke loose in the form of an outraged Fire Dragon Slayer and the end result was the near-complete destruction of the manor, a furious mayor and his daughters, and every angry guardsman in town after their heads. The mages even failed at retrieving the stupid Snugglesbutt who was lucky enough to escape the Dragon Slayer's wrath. The only good that came out of the incident was the mayor mistaking them for Raven Tail again so the damage fees were likely going to be charged to that guild and not to Fairy Tail.
Lucy nervously ran a hand through her blonde bangs as she paced around the chimney. "What should we do? We have to get out of here before they decide to lockdown the train station, but we also have no clue where the boy came from."
"It's plain obvious he's not from Saffarion," stated Loke, leaning his back against the same chimney as Natsu. He was staring off towards the burning building with the glare coming from the setting red sun hiding his eyes behind his tinted shades.
"Why don't we ask him?" Happy suggested, sitting atop the chimney. "He might have woken up by now."
Natsu grinned and pushed off the bricks. "Yeah, let's hurry to Wendy."
Carefully and swiftly, they made their way back to the inn. Upon entering, they were greeted by the worried elderly couple who heard stories of arsonists setting the mayor's home on fire.
Happy pointed at Natsu. "It was actually–"
Natsu clamped a hand over the feline's mouth.
"Damn those arsonists. How could they?" said Natsu in a monotone, doing a terrible job at feigning horror.
"Everyone, you're finally back!" Wendy appeared in the lobby. She was glad at first before looking at them in suspicion, most particularly at Natsu. "Did you guys hear that explosion earlier?"
Lucy quickly made her way over and gently pushed Wendy down the hall with her. She cleared her throat and said, "Yeah… We actually witnessed it. Truly devastating. Right, Natsu?" She spoke his name with an accusing undertone.
Natsu pouted to the side as he followed the girls to the small room with the boy. "It was an accident…" he murmured before he entered.
"It was not an accident!" Lucy quietly hissed, glaring at him over her shoulder.
Inside the lamp lit bedroom, they found the kid still sleeping in bed and Carla giving them a pointed look which was mostly directed at Natsu. "Things went well, I assume?" the white Exceed questioned coolly with a hint of sarcasm.
Sheepishly, Natsu averted his gaze from the feline's sharp eyes. "Things didn't actually go as well as planned, okay?" he muttered his reply. "So he hasn't woken up yet?"
Wendy turned to the blond-haired boy, noticeably crestfallen. "He woke up in the afternoon but–"
"Oh! That's great! Did he say anything like where he's from?"
The girl shook her head. "No… because he doesn't remember anything."
Natsu, Happy, and Lucy were suddenly disheartened by that.
"Not even his name?" Happy asked, hopping onto the other bed to stand beside Carla. He peered at the boy with worry.
"No, he doesn't remember anything," Wendy stressed, giving the two older members and the blue feline a sorrowful frown. "He doesn't remember how to eat, how to speak, how to walk… or even how to use the bathroom…" Her face turned slightly red at the last part and she turned away. She picked up a blue egg-shaped object off the bedside table and showed it to the others. It had holes and a mouthpiece so Natsu assumed it was an instrument of some kind. "We tried showing him his things to see if he would remember anything but he didn't recognize any of them."
"Right now his mind is that of an infant," said Carla, her features softening with pity. "He's suffering with a severe case of amnesia. It took some time and patience, but we were able to teach him a few basic things. However, everything else is still new to him. It's best to take him home. Did you have any luck in finding that information?"
"No luck at all…" Natsu grumbled.
"And what was the purpose of destroying the mayor's manor?"
"That? Uh, well…" He went on to briefly explain the events of their afternoon about the disappearing temple site and the sole reason for going back to Mayor Burgandy's for the stupid cat.
Wendy was appalled at the end of his tale. "Did you hurt Mr. Snugglebottoms? Was anyone hurt?" she demanded, dabbing a finger in the older mage's bare chest.
Natsu snorted and crossed his arms in aggravation. "The lucky bastard got away. And the mayor and his crazy daughters are not too happy about us. So we should hurry and get out of here before the guards find us."
"But what about the boy?" asked Lucy, furrowing her brow in concern. "We can't leave him here."
"Oh! He's waking up," exclaimed Happy.
All heads turned to the child stirring in bed, probably having woken up from everyone talking. Blue eyes fluttered open and were quick to notice all the people standing in the room. Wendy approached him while speaking in a soft, assuring tone and his attention flickered between her and the new faces he didn't recognize. He was visibly weak, needing Wendy's help to slowly sit up. All the while, he stared at Lucy and Natsu standing by the doorway with great interest. He was given a clean set of clothes to wear consisting of a plain sky-blue T-shirt with a faded black logo and a baggy pair of beige pants held up by a brown belt.
"Uh, hello!" said Lucy with a small wave and a kind smile. "I'm Lucy."
The boy didn't say anything nor did he move, making Lucy's smile slowly fade.
"He doesn't quite understand," explained Wendy. She put on a friendly face for the boy and introduced Natsu, Lucy, and Happy, slowly pronouncing each name while gesturing respectively to each of them. There was hardly any reaction from the kid until Happy hopped up beside the boy with a wide, cheery grin when Wendy introduced him.
The boy smiled at Happy's eagerness, his eyes shining with curiosity. When the blue cat raised his paw in his usual gesture, the boy was prompted to reach out and grab it. Happy was a little confused but soon giggled, the sound bringing a broader smile on the boy's face.
Carla was right, the kid was nothing more but a baby…
Natsu couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor kid. To lose all the memories of his friends, his family, his life… It was truly heartbreaking. Natsu couldn't imagine how painful it would be to lose all the fond memories of his father and the wonderful time spent with Fairy Tail.
"Let's take him with us back to the guild," Natsu answered Lucy's previous question, "Maybe Master knows a spell to bring back memories or some sort of cure for his uh… am-neesha."
"It's amnesia," Carla corrected with a little smirk.
"Whatever," Natsu snapped, hating to be mocked. "We can get the others to help out too."
Lucy pursed her lips in thought. "We could certainly try asking. Then let's hurry and head to the station before the guards do."
Wendy and both Exceeds soundly agreed. Natsu kneeled on the floor beside the bed, his back towards the boy. "Hop on, kid."
"He doesn't understand, remember?" reminded Wendy with a small sigh.
Natsu shrugged and shortly laughed. "Oh, right." He tried gesturing but it was Wendy who led the boy off the bed and onto the fire mage's back. "Hang on tight."
Of course, Natsu had instantly forgotten the kid didn't understand a single word he said so when he quickly stood up, the boy latched his hands onto Natsu's face out of instinct.
"Hey! Watch the eyes!" the Dragon Slayer growled. He leaned forward and shook his head to loosen the boy's grip, but that resulted in a finger poking into his delicate left eye that still hurt from the stupid scratches he received from Snugglesbutt. "Ow! Ow!"
Lucy groaned. "Natsu, just hold still, alright?" She gently pried the boy's hands away from Natsu's face and shifted them to hold onto the Dragon Slayer's broad shoulders. But the kid chose instead to wrap his arms around Natsu's scarfed neck, slightly choking the mage.
Pouting, Natsu restrained the urge to complain. Choking was a little better than losing an eye.
Wendy slung the boy's quiver of arrows over her shoulder, grabbed his bow, and carried his bags while Lucy picked up his small sword and shield.
"This thing's rather heavy," noted Lucy as she hefted the steel shield off the floor with a grunt of effort. "He's pretty strong for a small kid."
"He's probably a strong swordsman class type," said Happy, sounding quite excited. He flew up above Natsu as they left the room, drawing a surprised gasp from the young boy at the magical display. "With a bow as his secondary weapon! And he goes on fun amazing adventures!"
"Sounds cool, eh, kid? Maybe that's what you are." Chuckling, Natsu peered over his shoulder, seeing the boy transfixed on Happy soaring overhead in the hallway and ignoring the mage completely. Not that Natsu really minded.
Saying a quick goodbye and thank you to the elderly couple, the group left the inn in a hurry without hearing a reply. Once outside, they were greeted by the cool night air and the brilliant full moon high in the starry night sky. The change in scenery brought a quiet sound of awe from the kid as he shifted on Natsu's back, twisting and turning his head at every little thing that caught his attention as they ran down the street populated with open shops and late shoppers. Large, colourful store windows displaying various wares lit up the streets along with the many tall lamp posts powered with Lacrima. There were lots to see for a curious young boy.
Natsu had to adjust and tighten his hold when the kid decided to loosen his grip for a better view of something. "Hey!" the Dragon Slayer barked, shooting a warning glare behind him. The boy only blinked at him once before resuming to looking around with a small smile, seemingly enjoying the ride.
"Natsu! Guards!" Happy suddenly shouted from above, pointing to the end of the road where the train station was located. Up ahead were two patrolling guardsmen that had just approached a group of bystanders to engage in a conversation. By the look of it, it appeared the two men were inquiring about something…
Stifling a curse, Natsu screeched to a halt with the others following suit and dove into the shadows between two buildings. Carefully, he peeked around the corner and whispered, "There's only two. We can take them down and get away, no problem."
Before he could step out, Lucy roughly grabbed his cheek and forced him to look at her disapproving scowl. "Think about it: they're in front of the entrance to the station! If we make a commotion they likely won't let us board the train. Besides, we don't even know what time the train departs. We could get caught waiting for it to leave." She peered around both Natsu and the corner, knitting her brow as she tried to think up a solution.
"How about we walk then?" The mere thought of jumping on the hellish moving contraption stuck on rails was already making him feel queasy. If he had a choice, he'd rather travel on foot than any other vehicle even if the journey took days.
Lucy's scowl deepened. "No, we are unprepared to walk all the way back to Magnolia. It's only a three-hour ride. Wendy's also here, did you forget?" She reached down to her ring of keys by her hip. "All we need is a distraction and I know just what to do." She selected a golden key and twisted it in the air. "Open the Gate of the Twins! Gemini!"
A rift of white light emerged where the key was turned, spreading open to form a large reflective circle that shimmered like a mirror. It only lasted for a few seconds before it vanished in a blink of light. In its place was a floating pair of blue-skinned, short, round-headed, beady-eyed creatures wearing shorts and sashes over their shoulders.
"Gemi," announced the frowning spirit.
"Mini!" announced the smiling one with more enthusiasm.
As one, they both twirled and hovered in the air around Lucy, playfully dancing to unheard music as they awaited their orders, their little antenna swaying with their synchronized movements.
The kid was fidgeting now, greatly entertained by the sudden appearance of the twin spirits. He completely let go, forcing Natsu to lean forward so the boy wouldn't precariously fall backwards. The mage snapped at him and at the sound of Natsu's angry voice, the kid flinched towards him with a look of surprise. Hesitantly, the boy wrapped one arm around Natsu's neck, perhaps finally understanding the Dragon Slayer.
"Gemi, Mini, turn into Natsu and lure those two guards standing at the gate far away."
"Hey! Why me?" Natsu demanded, turning to fully face Lucy.
Lucy ignored him and continued, "Be obnoxious, but don't hurt anyone and don't damage anything! Alright?"
The pair nodded and joined their stubby little arms together after a short twirling dance. Light swallowed them both and within an instant they took on Natsu's form.
Seeing the transformation completely shocked the boy for he was now gaping at the second Natsu, completely fascinated.
"Loud, cocky, annoying, arrogant, stubborn…" In Natsu's monotonous voice, the cloned Dragon Slayer went on to list what it considered to be the original's obnoxious qualities.
The real Natsu was offended and went on to deny most of the qualities listed while Lucy nervously laughed and muttered under her breath, "Well… most of them are kinda true…"
The mages acted normal as they walked down the street while fake Natsu sprinted ahead. The twins immediately got the guards' attention by loudly proclaiming; "I'm Natsu Dragneel and I like to burn things!" He cackled evilly, perfecting the appearance of a fire-breathing maniacal arsonist by showing rows of sharp teeth, puffing out black smoke with each breath, and lighting his flailing hands on fire.
People occupying the streets started to scream and run for their lives.
"A monster!"
"It's the arsonist!"
"Run! We're all going to die!"
"He's going to eat my children!"
The two guards gave chase as the twins dashed erratically around the dispersing crowd before disappearing down another street where more shrill screams could be heard.
Natsu balked at the spirits' performance. "What?! I'm not like–" A hand was slapped over his mouth.
"Shh!" hushed Lucy. "Now's our chance!"
"Everyone knows what I look like now!" And yet the panicking townspeople running past them hardly gave him a second glance.
"Here." Lucy tied a piece of cloth around his head, covering his pink hair and forehead. She then tugged the front of his scarf to loosen it just enough to pull it up to cover the lower half of his face. She stepped back and looked him over with a proud grin. "There. You look like a thug, but it'll do to hide your identity. Let's hurry before Gemini's five minutes are up."
They purchased their tickets and boarded the train with little trouble and anxiously waited for it to leave. With his face still hidden, Natsu sat glumly in his seat, anticipating the dreadful motion sickness that had yet to come. He was silently thankful that he didn't eat anything prior to boarding.
Beside him was Lucy who kept a constant lookout around the car to make sure no one was suspicious of them. It was noisy inside with passengers abuzz from sighting the 'arsonist' so close to the station. A few were panicking, urging the passing conductor checking tickets to hurry it up and go already. It was safe to say that no one really paid much attention to the mages.
Right across from Natsu was the kid. The boy was gazing at the window at his own reflection, touching the glass and sliding his hand across the smooth, flat surface, captivated by the mirrored actions of his own image. Beside him was Wendy, giggling over his shoulder at his childish behaviour before trying to teach him what exactly he was seeing. The two Exceeds were squeezed right beside her at the end of the long, shared seat.
Happy swished his tail in excitement when he asked, "What should we call him? We should give him a name until he gets his memories back. Let's call him 'Tuna'. Tuna are tasty."
Natsu perked up at the idea. "Steak," was his suggestion.
The girls rolled their eyes and gave Happy and Natsu sullen looks. "Don't be ridiculous," said Carla. "Those are such childish names."
"But he is a child," Natsu pointed out.
"That is not what I was implying," Carla retorted with a slight shake of her head. "If he requires a name, it should be more suiting. Wendy?"
The Sky Dragon Slayer pursed her lips in thought, a little habit she had picked up from Lucy. "I don't think he needs a name if he's going to get his memories back once we tell Master," she answered, smiling at the boy who was staring at her in puzzlement. He always turned to her whenever she spoke.
"But we don't know if Master Makarov is capable of getting them back," replied Carla. "In the meantime, we should properly address him with a given name."
"Salmon," said Happy.
"Noodle," said Natsu.
Both received disapproving frowns. The conversation went on and not once did they agree on a name. Meanwhile, the boy was too busy kicking his dangling feet to pay any attention to the mages with the exception of Wendy. He was barefooted since the group had forgotten to grab the boy's boots and his newly washed set of green clothes from the old couple before rushing out the door of the inn. Shortly after the train started moving, Natsu was too occupied with his illness that he could no longer properly contribute to their discussion. But he did like his last suggestion; he wanted to call the kid 'Bacon'.
"Instead of a cat, you five found three million jewels in damages," stated Master Makarov in a stern tone the moment Wendy pushed open the doors to Fairy Tail.
The short old man, with his arms firmly crossed, stood waiting before them, looking none-too-happy. The building was nearly empty since it was very late and most of the guild members have retired for the night.
Wendy and her group tensed and quickly looked away nervously and in shame. In the background behind the bar was Mirajane who gave them all a sympathetic smile and a little welcome back wave. Lisanna was sitting on a stool at the same bar, bearing the same sorry expression as her older sister when she saw the others. Slumped over a table in a corner was Cana, drunk and asleep. Sprawled around her on the floor were a few others who were also too drunk to go home, with one of the bulkier bodies recognizably Elfman.
The soft orange glowing lamps lining the walls set the atmosphere inside for a welcoming, comfortable night while the strong smell of alcohol lingering in the air was evidence of the heavy, rambunctious drinking that, as usual, had taken place over the evening. It was no surprise at how clean everything looked despite the rowdy parties thrown every day with Mirajane always quick to tidy the place up.
Natsu awkwardly shifted his feet and tried to meet the master's unsatisfied frown. "Err, they didn't charge Raven Tail?" Natsu asked.
Makarov waved a finger at him. "That D mission was registered under Fairy Tail, boy. How many times do I have to tell you–" Makarov stopped short and raised an eyebrow when he noticed the extra person on Natsu's back, staring down at him with curious blue eyes. "And what else did you find, hmm? Who is this?"
Lucy stepped forward before Wendy could. Her face somber, Lucy went on to explain the events that transpired in Saffarion with the others occasionally adding their input. Only when she spoke of the incident involving Mayor Burgandy's home did she grow extremely nervous. "Anyway, we brought him back with us because we thought you could help him somehow."
The master of Fairy Tail stood before the blond-haired boy, easily matching the child in height. Wendy had to hold the boy by the arm so he wouldn't wander off on his own like he had done several times during the team's long explanation. Still not accustomed to walking and lacking footwear, he nearly fell over onto the cobblestone floor every time he tried to leave.
Sadly, the old man shook his head while the boy tilted his head in confusion. "Wendy, if you were not able to heal him with your magic, I'm afraid I do not know of any other spell that could heal the mind," he replied in an apologetic tone.
"What about a potion? Or some kind of medication?" asked Natsu.
Makarov rubbed his chin. "That's not my field of expertise. However, I can inquire more on that." He raised his head to look at Natsu. "So you found him in an old temple that you can no longer find? How mysterious."
Natsu snorted. "Super mysterious. No one knows the temple even exists. It's probably just a coincidence that that stupid cat led us to it."
"And his magic feels different from ours. He must be from somewhere far away," added Carla with a curt nod.
"It's possible," answered the old man as he strolled towards Lucy to inspect the metal shield she had resting in front of her feet.
Mirajane and Lisanna, who had both drawn closer to listen to the group's tale, also glanced at the sturdy piece of equipment.
"Perhaps Erza might know the origin of this design," said Mirajane, with a knowing smile.
Makarov nodded in agreement as he turned to Natsu's group. "You should ask her when she returns."
He then stepped up to the boy with a wide friendly smile and offered his right hand. Blinking, the boy placed his free left hand in Makarov's larger palm and smiled in return. The guild master lightly brushed a thumb over the back of the boy's hand, his eyes narrowing inquisitively. "Quite different, indeed," he quietly mused mostly to himself. "Could it really be only a coincidence?"
"What is it, Master?" Wendy questioned, having heard him.
"Oh, nothing, my dear." Makarov shortly laughed. He patted the boy over the head, making the child slightly frown from the touch. In a gentle voice he said, "You poor child. Worry not. You are safe with us now. Until you regain what you have lost you may stay with us. You will be under the protection of Fairy Tail." The old man grinned, showing his pride and honour. "You will be among us Fairies. We are friends and we are family."
A/N: Link needs a name. What should Fairy Tail call him? I was thinking "Fairy" to go with the title. I'd like to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Or should we stick with "Bacon"? Heehee.
Thanks for reading!