Chapter 5

"Do check your pockets after waking up."

The demon had said. And Natsu found a blade in his pocket after he had woken up and checked them. A blade similar to the one that was thrown at him, and that he used to almost let Etherious completely out by stabbing his chest and his right shoulder.

Was this how desperate the demon was to get out? And what would the demon do after getting out? Somehow, Natsu didn't believe his words. He didn't believe that the demon would help him fight his enemies. Somehow, Natsu knew that the demon would just destroy everything that it saw, innocent or not. Just like the last time.

Particles of snow landed on his body, stinging his bare skin with their stark coolness. He sat over a boulder by the river, the water of which had frozen. But when Natsu gazed deep into it, he could see fish swimming under the thick layer of ice, dizzying around in the transparency, as if floating in the air trapped beneath the ice.

He sighed and looked at his right arm. His skin was pinkish red against the white snowy background, the surface of his arm filled with cuts and burns and calluses—all the hazards of his job. There was a time when he remembered where each of his old scars had come from. Every enemy that he had slain, every weapon that they had used. But now, with his mind so confused and foggy and his memories feeling like surreal dreams of a long gone past, all his recollections were jumbled. He mixed and merged the details of each of them. His past self that was sharp and precise and street smart was… gone. Now all that he was was a shell. A shell… that's what Etherious had called him as well.

He looked at his left arm. It was black. Made up of what looked like a black shiny stone, reflecting the whiteness of snow around him.

He studied that arm deeply. Snow particles that fell over it speckled its black surface with white dots. Soon, those snow particles melted away. Natsu had known that that new arm was unusually warmer than the rest of his body. He turned his hand around and studied his elbows, his veins, his muscles that almost seemed to slightly expand and contract–as if his left arm was breathing by itself. He wondered what kind of a god Ankhseram must have been. People agreed that he was a ruthless ruler of the world, always ready for battle and warfare. He relished in bloodshed. He relished in chaos. In destruction and death. If Natsu wasn't aware of Ankhseram's immense spiritual following and devotion across the world, he would have believed that worshipping Ankhseram was bad news. A God whose name should never even be recited, lest the reciter ask for misfortune. But Ankhseram was a greatly revered figure. Called upon as the protector of families and households, the giver of boons, the benevolent god, easy and simple to please. Natsu didn't know what to believe.

So what exactly were the consequences of Natsu gaining his special blessing? That left arm? His mysterious flames and his magic? Was it good news for Natsu? Or was it not?

Natsu remembered the black flames he had seen erupting out of his left hand. The flames that the priests had exclaimed belonged to Ankhseram. He really wanted to test that power again. The limits of that power. The capabilities.

He bent over and dusted a layer of snow off a half buried stone on the ground. He picked it up with his left, black hand, and turned it around in his palm, studying it. He was about to use a god's power on that stone. An ancient and powerful god. A God of death, uncanny rituals, destruction and warfare. A God whose one second was probably more than Natsu's entire lifetime. What did Natsu do to deserve that God's powers? Or even a fraction of it? And… What were the consequences of using it? Was he free to use it? Or did he have to make a payment of some sort for each bit that he used up?

He took a deep breath. He felt the winds rustle around him, the leaves clattering and the snowy breeze whistling. Everytime he would come close to making a decision, his will would catapult back to zero due to apprehension and indecision.

"Go ahead."

He heard a feminine voice, and quickly stood up on his feet, dropping the stone.

He looked to his right, towards the snowy pathway that led downhill to the town of Magnolia. Standing there, amongst the trees was a tall and slender woman in a clean white robe, almost merging into the surroundings. Her hood was undone, and her black long hair silkily flowed in the mildly strong snowy winds, and her fair and beautiful face almost glowed in the whiteness. Natsu had never seen someone as beautiful as her. He had to blink for a moment, to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. She smiled wider, and slowly took a step forward towards Natsu.

"Don't worry, Natsu. I am not an enemy. I know that you have been taught to suspect strangers in the upcoming war against Zeref, even animals."

Natsu narrowed his eyes, feeling as if he had seen her somewhere before. But… where? It was a confusing ordeal to be in. He felt like he had seen her before and yet felt like he hadn't.

As if reading his mind, the woman said. "We have seen each other before. Remember? That day at Ankhseram's temple? When you were called from outside to try and light the candles again for some priests that had visited from a faraway temple? I am one of them. My name is Liana. I am a priestess of One—a goddess signifying creation and birth, as opposed to Ankhseram who signifies death and destruction. You can think of us as the inverse of the priests of Ankhseram."

Natsu narrowed his eyes as he turned his brain over, thinking back to that day. Even though his memory was a bit foggy due to everything that had happened in the days following—his possession, mostly—he was able to pinpoint the day in his memory. He remembered the group of priests that stood at a distance, dressed in all white inside the black temple. The head priest of Ankhseram mentioned that they wanted to see Natsu try and light the candle. Once he had that memory picked, it got only clearer in his mind.

He had never heard of One, the goddess that this woman claimed she worshipped. She must have been very obscure, or maybe Natsuu was just not aware enough.

"I… I remember." Natsu muttered. "I hadn't seen your face though. You're… beautiful."

Natsu mentally hit himself in the head. Why did he say that? It was as if that last sentence just rolled off his tongue.

Liana seemed a bit taken aback from that, but also seemed happier. She hid her surprise with a bright smile. "Thank you, Natsu. It makes me happy that you think so."

She walked ahead and stopped inches before Natsu's face, their noses almost touching. Natsu's heart leapt. This unnaturally beautiful woman was standing so close to him that he could almost scent the distinct and subtle fragrance of lilies that came off her. He didn't know what to do.

"I am very glad that you haven't forgotten me, Natsu."

She spoke, piercing into his eyes.

Natsu's confused eyes widened, and before he could step away from her, absolutely flustered, she giggled and passed by him. She sat down over the boulder that Natsu had been sitting over, and patted the space next to her.

"Come, Natsu. Sit with me. I wish to speak."

Natsu stared at her welcoming smile, and gulped. What did she want to talk about? The two were strangers to each other, but yet, they had a lot to talk about. Natsu's inability to light the candles, which was the foremost reason this woman was in Fiorre in the first place. Then came Natsu's possession, and then Natsu's new arm. Did she want to talk about one of those things? Or all of them? Or… something else?

Natsu slid closer to the boulder and sat down by her, leaving a small space in between them. He glanced at her, and was met with a small smile, after which he looked away again, flustered.

A moment of silence passed between them, only taken up by the distinct and subtle sounds of the nature around them. Some snow dropped down from a tree nearby, and the disturbance sent some birds perched atop that tree flying. A squirrel rustled in the snow and the shrubbery somewhere.

Liana slowly looked at Natsu, and Natsu looked at her. She smiled sadly, looking into his eyes. She caressed his cheek with her fingertips, her warm skin almost tickling Natsu in the stark cold.

"Ever since I first saw you, in that temple of Ankhseram a few months ago, I had known something was different about you. Your inability to light the candle… your possession by that demon… and then this–"

She brought her fingers over his new arm, and caressed his black shiny skin gently. "This blessing by Ankhseram. A blessing that he has never bestowed upon anyone else before. You are… special, Natsu. You are different. As the high priest of Ankhseram already said, you've been chosen by him to put an end to this war. But… there's more to you than that, isn't there?"

Natsu stared at her, lost in her words. "And… what is that?"

Liana smiled wider and shook her head. "I am not sure yet. I am still figuring it out myself. I… I wish I had met you sooner, Natsu."

Natsu furrowed his brows. What did she mean by that? What did she mean by anything she had yet said? What was special about Natsu? What was in him that was more than just this war? What did her words mean? It all had Natsu more confused than already.

Liana giggled. "Nevermind me. I just like to speak senselessly sometimes."

She got off the boulder and knelt on the snow. She picked up the stone that Natsu had dropped when she had alarmed him. She turned around and knelt before Natsu's figure sitting on the boulder. She extended her empty right hand to him, to which Natsu responded by giving her his left, new arm. She packed the stone she had picked up in that arm, and circled her fingers around his fist to firmly bind the stone in it. She then looked at Natsu.

"Go on. Use your new powers on this."

Natsu stared at the stone in his new hand, and then at Liana. "What… what if it's dangerous?"

Liana shook her head. "Trust me. It won't be. Ankhseram was a benevolent god, no matter how he is described in old folklore. His blessing is a blessing. Not a curse."

Natsu stared at her for a moment, then dropped his gaze down to the stone in his hand. Liana's fingers curled tighter around his fist, filling him up with confidence and determination that he yet lacked. He gulped and sighed. He then grabbed the stone tightly in his hand and pulsed a weak fire energy through his hand into his fist. The wet and snow covered stone started to sizzle and steam rose off from it. Winds around Natsu picked up pace, and trees and plants started to sway in it. Birds chirped and flew away at what they thought was a storm approaching. Natsu squeezed tighter around the stone, and soon the stone crumpled under the enormous pressure that the new stronger arm applied to it. After that came the flames. They danced brilliantly around Natsu's hand, and even though they were black, they emanated a heat and brilliance that was unmatched by Natsu's old flames. Natsu's face started to glow as he stared into the flurry of the black fire. He felt a surge of happiness and excitement run through his body, and his skin rolled up in goosebumps, which was an experience he had never had with his old fire.

He turned the flames off not long after he had burst them out, and the eerie black glow vanished back into his fingers. The disturbance of the winds vanished, and the subtle rumbling of the black fire silenced. There was quiet and peace around Natsu.

Liana slowly uncurled her fingers from around Natsu's hand, and looked up at him. "Great job, Natsu. Now, open your hand."

Natsu did so, and found that he was holding nothing at all. Residual smoke left his skin, but apart from that, nothing was in his closed fist. He had seen the stone crumble, and he had expected to still be holding the powdered remains of it in his hand, but he was surprised to see that he held absolutely nothing. The stone had completely burnt away. He could have never completely burnt away a stone with his original flames. Even in his dragon force, the ash would remain. He could understand that these flames were vastly superior to his own. And how wouldn't they be? He was holding a fraction of a great god's might within his left hand.

"Isn't it brilliant?" Liana asked Natsu.

"Yeah…" Natsu replied, still gawking at his hand.

He may not need the demon's power afterall to defeat Zeref and Acnologia.

Liana stared at Natsu's shocked and surprised expressions as he examined his new hand. She found it adorable, to say the least. She found him… beautiful. Every bit of him was gorgeous. His deep ash-coloured eyes, his brilliant tanned skin, his hair like the cherry blossom trees… his wonderful and endearing smiles.

Natsu looked up at her, and waved his hand before her face.

She broke out of her daze, and blinked her eyes a few times. She smiled and grabbed Natsu's hands.

"Natsu. Say 'xych'."

Natsu narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Xych?"

As soon as he said that, a splitting pain gripped his head. His eyes blurred and teared, his ears tingled with an overwhelming ringing, and all his directions fused. He quickly shut his eyes, and felt wetness run down the left side of his face. That wasn't tears. Natsu was sure of that. He dabbed his fingertips over the liquid marring the left side of his face, and looked at his fingers afterwards.

It was blood. His left eye was bleeding. In quite the same way when the demon within him had taken over, and his left eye had transformed. Levy had told him everything that had happened during his transformation.

He looked up at Liana for answers.

She watched him concernedly. "It's okay, Natsu. The demon isn't gone from your body. It still resides within you. Say 'xych' again. It's the Zerefian word for 'eye'."

Natsu repeated the obscure word, and found his headache receding, and his vision coming back to normal. Had his demon eye popped up when he had said that word the first time? He didn't know he could exert that control over Etherious.

He looked at Liana. How did she know he still had the demon within him? Why did she ask him to repeat that Zerefian word? She must know that the demon was still inside Natsu. There was no other explanation. How much further did she know? Did she know Natsu was Etherious? Or did she only believe that the demon that had possessed Natsu still hadn't gone from his body?

Liana produced a handkerchief from her robe and gently dabbed the left side of Natsu's face with it, wiping away the blood. She then stood up and pulled Natsu's head into her chest, embracing him. Natsu felt the remnant of the blood on his face stain her white clean robe, but she for one didn't seem bothered by it. All that she seemed worried about was Natsu.

Natsu didn't understand what was going on, and before he could ask, Liana intervened. "This… shouldn't have happened to you, Natsu. All this… it wasn't a part of your destiny. You didn't deserve this. I am sorry."

She let go of Natsu's head and held his face at a distance from her body. She then knelt, so that Natsu's and her face were at the same level. She stared desperately and determinedly into his eyes. "I need to correct this. I can't leave you like this. I would like to invite you to our temple across the sea. There, we can correct a few things that can't be done here. Your left eye needs replacing. As long as you have it, the demon has better control over you. There is still a chance that it can emerge from you. Will you come with me?"

Natsu had less than no idea what she was saying. His eye needed replacing? Just like his hand? There was still the risk that the demon could come out? But how come? Natsu thought that for the demon to come out he needed to pierce his chest with that knife that the demon had given him.

His heart beat faster. He slowly nodded.

Liana forced a small smile as she caressed Natsu's cheek. "I will take care of this, Natsu. I promise. Just… be with me."

The ship moved up and down with the waves. Seagulls chirped and the winds whistled. Salt water washed against the hull of the ship, crashing with an ominous force, making loud washing noises. Sun gleamed bright.

Natsu shivered as the feeling of something launching out of his mouth gripped him. He smashed the guardrails of the ship lightly and pressed his forehead against the warm steel as he tried to gulp in his nausea. He hadn't eaten anything that morning in preparation for the journey, but that didn't seem to have helped much.

"This was a bad idea…" he muttered through a sigh.

Erza pressed in a smile as she caressed Natsu's back. "Told you. But you wouldn't listen."

Natsu trembled again. "You shouldn't have come along, Erza… I don't want you to see me pelt everything I have eaten outside."

"You look like you could use some help. It's a good thing I came along."

Natsu nodded slowly. "...yeah…"

Erza looked at the back of his head, his face burrowed against the guardrail, and his fists holding the steel bars tightly, turning white.

Natsu had been acting a bit suspiciously. Erza had the feeling that he had been hiding something from her. She had seen him talking in whispers to Liana quite a bit since she had visited. Erza didn't like the fact that rumours about the two of them had started to fly around the guildhall. Liana was quite odd in her own way. She seemed to be a bit too interested in Natsu–going around the guildhall asking about him and wanting to talk to him. Of course the rumours would start to be created amongst those that watched.

Were Natsu and Liana… getting a bit too close to each other? Why else would Natsu want to go with Liana to her temple alone and leave Erza behind? She still didn't know why he was travelling to the temple. He wouldn't tell her, and Liana had only told her that she wanted Natsu to get One's blessings after everything that had happened with him. She had every right to be suspicious.

"Natsu…"

Erza heard Liana's voice. She turned her head around and found her standing on the other side of Natsu, looking at him concernedly.

Liana looked up at Erza. "Is he okay?"

Erza shook her head. "Uh… yeah. He just has a bit of motion sickness."

Liana looked back down at Natsu. "I… See. I didn't know. I wouldn't have brought him along otherwise."

"It's okay…" Natsu grumbled. "I forgot to mention. It's not your fault… you couldn't have known."

"But… I can't see you suffering like this, Natsu…" Liana retorted. She looked back at Erza. "Should I cast a sleep spell? We can wake him up after we make the coast."

Erza glanced at Natsu's side profile that was half hidden from her. "Sure. I thought this would have been enough punishment for jumping into journeys like this without thinking… but I think he has suffered enough."

Liana smiled and nodded. She stood behind Natsu, and placed both her index finger against the back of his head. She whispered a few words, and then Natsu started to go limp.

Erza and Liana quickly supported his sleeping figure one on either side, his arms going over their shoulders.

Liana looked at Erza over Natsu's hanging head. "He is surprisingly light."

Erza smiled slightly. "The idiot is rushing around everywhere. Of course he is light."

Liana giggled. "Okay. Let's take him to the resting quarters on the ship."

They turned Natsu around and slowly dragged him gently to the quarters on the ship. They took him into one of the rooms and laid him gently over the bed. Liana and Erza then took chairs on either side of the bed and watched Natsu lightly snoring under the sheets, a content smile on his face.

"He is enjoying himself right now. My sleep spell put him in a very content sleep." Liana said, smiling wide.

Erza gazed at Natsu's face, his mouth open in a subtle smile. She felt that he looked absolutely adorable. She smiled to herself.

Silence pervaded in the air between the three, only broken at times by Natsu's snores. Erza felt a bit awkward sitting there with the strange priestess. She knew that the priestess was a kind and gentle person, but Erza may have been a bit prejudiced against her, given her suspicious closeness to Natsu. She found the priestess's exceptionally gentle and good manners slightly unnerving, as if she was hiding something behind it. And Erza found Liana's stark, almost otherworldly beauty and gorgeousness almost… shocking. The more she thought about this woman, the more confused she got. She appeared to be a good person, bright, kind and caring, but Erza couldn't get it out of her head that Liana was trying to pry Natsu away from her.

"So… how has Natsu been doing?" Liana asked Erza, breaking the awkward silence. "I mean, after everything that has happened? It's… sometimes hard to get a read on him. I feel like he hides his pain away behind his cheery and silly behaviour."

Erza stared at Liana at a loss for words. She had read Natsu perfectly. It had taken Erza years to get to know that his silly and goofy exterior was a mask hiding his pains and worries… and this woman who had gotten it right had only known Natsu a few weeks. She was bereft of any answers to her question.

"He's… he's been fine. I mean… yes, it's sometimes hard to tell." Erza mumbled.

She sighed. "Yes. You're correct. He does hide his own worries behind his silliness. But… I think it's not because he is afraid to face them. It's so that he can successfully look others in the eye and tell them that everything is okay. He is a beacon of strength and hope in our guild, and even in all of Magnolia. He has this …effect on people. Whenever they see him, they can't help but smile. Join in with his laughter and joy. Even strangers. He can bring out the sun on a gloomy day. And… the only way he can successfully do that… is to hide his own pain and fears away. Even unknowingly, he thinks of the others. He is just that selfless."

Liana watched Erza in wonder at her answer. She then smiled. "I can tell that you are extremely fond of him."

Erza got flustered. Her cheeks turned red. "I… I mean yeah… I do like him. And also…"

Liana started to giggle. Erza broke a smile too.

"Stop doing that!"

Liana pursed her giggles. "I am sorry. You are very sweet. I had to tease you a little."

The two laughed for a moment, leading up to silence. But this silence had the previously mixed in awkwardness removed. It was as if the ice had been broken. They both stared at Natsu's sleeping form, wondering their own thoughts.

Erza beamed to herself. This woman wasn't as bad as Erza had thought. She was genuine.

"So… I have heard a lot of stories of Natsu defeating great wizards all by himself. He must be very strong." Liana asked.

"Yes." Erza nodded. "He is definitely very strong. One of the strongest in our guild. Maybe only behind Master Makarov and Gildarts. When he first joined our guild… I used to see him as just a silly little kid that needed a lot of guidance and support. But… as he grew… learnt everything he knows today, as he started to go beyond any perceivable limit to help those that were weak and in need of help… he became what he is today. If only his magic wasn't as unstable, he could have been so much more."

Liana nodded. "I… understand. Fire mages usually have a very unstable magic buildup. It takes a lot of patience and practise to be a good fire mage. Most live their entire lives without realising their full potential. And something tells me that Natsu has yet to grow a lot more. He has unforeseen potential that hasn't yet been tapped into. He is already amazing and unique… but he can be so much more."

Liana beamed for a while, thinking. "He… reminds me of Ankhseram."

Erza narrowed her eyes as she looked at the priestess. Natsu… and Ankhseram? The god that presided over war and death? Erza couldn't believe Liana was making that comparison. She knew that the priestess was well versed in theology, but it was still a weird comparison to make.

"What… do you mean by that?" Erza asked.

Liana looked at her, breaking away from her thoughts. She smiled apologetically.

"I am sorry. I was being vague again. Wasn't I? What I meant was, Ankhseram was a fire magician as well, just like Natsu. He was the user of the strongest flames known to mankind, and even amongst all gods–his black flames that his priests still worship. He grew up to be very erratic and impulsive due to his fire magic. He behaved very roughly even in his adulthood. His clan was worried that he wouldn't be able to uphold his duties as a god if he continued to have that explosive temperament. So they had him married to One, our goddess. She was the symbol of grace, mannerisms and elegance. Weeks passed, and she and Ankhseram fell in deep love. Ankhseram learnt manners and elegance from her, and she learnt ferocity and intensity from Ankhseram. That's what made each of them complete. A goddess of creation complete with a god of destruction. That's how our world hangs in balance. Destruction and creation working together. It's an old story."

Erza stared at her, lost in the story. She finally understood what she had meant. She stared at the priestess in wonder. She had heard of both Ankhseram and One separately, never knowing that the two had been in a union. The story was… strangely beautiful.

She looked at Natsu. She had definitely learnt defiance and intensity from Natsu. He had almost imprinted on her with thise qualities. And if she were to consider the many lessons of grace and manners that she had given Natsu when they were younger, the two would become quite similar to Ankhseram and One. She smiled to herself.

Liana continued. "I think even Ankhseram has realised that he and Natsu are similar. That arm that Natsu posessess, it's… it's not an ordinary blessing. Many in the world would spend an eternity hoping for that. Such a blessing has never been bestowed on anyone ever before. Natsu is… special."

Erza nodded slowly, looking at Natsu. "He definitely is something…"

Liana slowly stole a glance at Erza. She appeared… happy. She was happy with Natsu. And Liana knew that Natsu was happy with her.

Liana smiled sadly. It wouldn't be correct for her to get in between the two of them. No matter how much…

She sighed uncomfortably. No matter how much she desired it. No matter how much she was fond of Natsu… no matter how much she adored and admired him. Natsu was already spoken for, and by this beautiful and kind woman. Liana wouldn't want to hurt either of them. They were both special to her. She should rather be happy for the two of them. So… why wasn't she? Why did she feel there was a thorn pricking into her heart painfully? Why did she unfalteringly believe that she should be in Erza's place? Why did she believe that... she should be with Natsu instead? What was this ugly temptation in her heart?

She took in a deep breath and stood up. Her eyes watered, and her heart felt… cracked.

Erza looked at her, and at the tears in her eyes. She stood up as well.

"Hey… are you alright? Liana?"

Liana shook her head. "It's… nothing."

She walked upto Erza and held her hands. "Erza… you must promise me to always look after Natsu. He needs you. He will face a lot of challenges in the battles coming up ahead. Some will test his courage and strength heavily. I… want you to share in his burdens and responsibilities. I know that you love him beyond words. And… I want you to continue doing that. He is lucky to have found you. And… you are lucky to have found him. You two are perfect for each other. Please… protect him. Love him. Care for him. And… I know for a fact that he will return all your care and affection many folds over. My goddess blesses you. And… I wish the best for the both of you."

Liana then swiftly walked out of the room, leaving Erza behind, confused and lost.

What did Liana mean by any of that? Erza just stared at the doorway.

Liana quickly walked to the edge of the ship and held the guardrails tightly, looking over the edge. The ocean water was calm and peaceful. Tranquil. A few tears left her eyes and merged with the ocean, becoming whole. It was said that when Ankhseram and One were forcibly separated, One cried for nine whole days. Her tears made up the oceans of the world.

"Natsu… good luck." Liana muttered.