Chapter Eighteen

Goose Chase

It had been a couple of days since Natsu had awoken, and Lucy, Gray and Erza had returned to the guild alone, albeit with Loke safely returned to the Celestial Spirit world.

Loke being a Spirit had caused waves throughout the guild, but not as much as the constant conversation and chattering about whether or not the Salamander would return, and what Makarov was going to try next to get him into Fairy Tail.

Even the people of Magnolia had been coming past and asking the members of Fairy Tail about him.

Mira walked the path that led to Porlyusica's home, now within throwing distance she wondered what Makarov was thinking, sending her to track him down.

'You may be the only one who can stop him now that Lucy, Erza, and Gray are off doing their new job.' he'd told her. If he wanted to go, then there wasn't a whole lot she'd be able to do to stop him, she didn't feel like she'd be able to fight him off properly. There was still too much she didn't know about his strength.

"You've missed him," she heard Porlyusica's voice call out as she approached. She took a moment to take in the scene before her, it wasn't nearly as collected as it once was. There were a few flags sporting the Phantom Lord insignia still high in the trees.

"What happened here?" Mira asked, "Dear lord, did Natsu… Um, no, there isn't nearly enough charring. Nevermind." Mira decided against it.

"So you know his name?" Porlyusica mused her expression still that of perpetual stone face. "It's been a very long time since he trusted anyone with his name, I was probably the last and that would have been forty years ago when I first came here from my old homeland." her eyes took on a hue of sweet reminiscence.

Mira realized the nature of their dynamic, especially when she saw the first and only smile that Porlyusica had ever sported in front of her.

"Were the two of you… You know?" Mira asked without trying to sound obscene, still infinitely intrigued by the answer.

"That is none of your business!" Porlyusica snapped for a moment before her smile returned, "He's always had people clamouring for his attention, as far back as I remember. He's powerful, not just in the obvious ways with his destructive prowess, but he is at his core one of the physically most powerful individuals in the entire world." Porlyusica explained.

"So you'd place him in standing with the Wizard Saints?" Mira asked curiously, looking at the older woman with a tilted gaze.

"The Wizard Saints? Dear girl, no." Porlyusica genuinely laughed for a moment. Mira couldn't help but feel disappointed. Everything she'd felt and seen of him so far suggested that he'd be well accepted within their ranks, ignoring his alleged status as a dark mage.

"The Wizard Saints couldn't hold a candle to that Dragon, all of them pale in comparison." Porlyusica continued, seeing the look of almost horror cross Mira's face.

"But, in the battle with Phantom Lord, Master Makarov used a spell that put Natsu in a coma, for a week, how could he be that much stronger than the Wizard Saints if that happened from a single spell?" Mira asked, her confusion thick.

"That single spell," Porlyusica sucked her teeth for a moment, "Was Fairy Law. That single spell was modified by the founders of Fairy Tail with one specific type of individual in mind. That single spell will have no greater effect on anyone than it would on him."

"I've seen that… Thing, inside his mind, is that what Fairy Law targeted?" the silver-haired beauty queried.

"Exactly that." Porlyusica nodded, "That thing is one side of Natsu, the other is the idiot that you've come to know. Both of them have different goals, and both with an endless drive to achieve what it is. That darkness inside, that was created for the sole purpose of destroying another." Porlyusica continued, a cold shiver rocketing down her spine at the memory she had of the very brief encounter with Natsu's darkness.

"And what is Natsu's goal?" Mira couldn't help herself. Here she was, hoping to have found him and yet the more she spoke with Porlyusica the more questions she had, it was like a neverending rabbit hole.

"Revenge. He was betrayed by his closest friend, hundreds of years ago. Revenge is what drives him. I can only pray for this world and everyone in it when the time comes that they encounter one another. I see no way that they both walk away." Porlyusica shook her head sadly.

"There's so much more to him than he lets on." Mira said quietly, "He really is a kind man with a bad reputation." she sighed.

"His actions are his own, he was labelled falsely as a dark mage, but he hasn't done anything to help those same allegations. He knew what he was doing, lives have been extinguished without any hesitation. Yes, he is a kind man, but don't forget that he is without a doubt, a dangerous one. But, I suppose…" Porlyusica sighed again, staring off into the distance for a brief moment.

"You ladies of Fairy Tail don't seem to care much about that."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mira gave a challenging smirk, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"Please, you can kid yourself but not me. I know this face doesn't look like it, but I was young once too." Porlyusica laughed again. "As I said before, you're too late, he came and went, only stopping for his spare coat he left here the last time he decided to visit. He's gone to Clover, he's searching for something but wouldn't tell me what, so I'd head there if you're serious about trying to track him down, but I have to warn you, if he doesn't want to be found, you will never catch him."

"No need, Erza has a team not far from Clover on a job, once they're done there they can pick up the trail if that's what Master Makarov still wants. Thank you Porlyusica," she said, giving a gentle nod before walking back to the trail that led to Magnolia.

There wasn't much left for her to do on the way back except be lost in thought about the Dragon Slayer. He'd been through so much heartbreak and pain, that it was a wonder that he was that mentally collected, questionable though that may be.

She knew from a while ago that their paths were intertwined, this was far from the end of the road for them, for all of them. She'd meet their Dragon again, she just couldn't tell when that would be.

He'd become a Fairy Tail mage eventually, she wouldn't give up on him. Master Makarov saw greatness and light inside, and so did she. She wouldn't let him fight against that darkness alone, none of them would.

"Oh Natsu," she sighed wistfully, "What have you done to us." she mused, unable to stop herself from smiling at the thought.

A/N: Quick one, but there will be a few of these shorter chapters spread throughout. Up next? The Tower of Heaven, which I think will be hilarious.

'Dude, that chicken is ripped.'