"I wish I had some music to listen to…" Natsu muttered to himself as he sat in the dining room with all of his firearms spread out across the large table. He was in the process of inspected each one, mainly out of habit as they had been sitting in his magical pocket dimension and since objects under effect of Requip aren't exposed to the elements, they wouldn't deteriorate from poor maintenance and care. But regardless of that, he was dutifully working through them and had only the SR32 DMR and the SPSR-14.5 left.

"Natsu?" A soft voiced woman called out from the doorway, causing the man to shift in his chair and look over his shoulder as Lelyanna entered the room. "Oh my…" Her eyes roamed the collection of deadly weapons with both shock and awe. "These are all from your world?"

"Yeah." Natsu finished reassembling the M18 Shotgun in his hands and placed it onto the table. "I'm just doing some routine maintenance. I took your advice and took a break from writing to work on the guns."

"Could you run me through them?" Lelyanna asked quietly placed a while leather bag down on the table and she fiddled with her unusual clothes. It was a little off-putting wearing something so… not her usual style. But she since she was taking her training seriously, she took Natsu's words from the other day to heart and asked Ceres to get her some clothes suitable for the training. The goddess had given her 'sportswear' from Natsu's world which she had thoroughly cleaned them so there wasn't any danger to her. It was a pair of form-fitting black garments, a small pair of shorts and a light sports bra, both of which clung to her slender figure and emphasised her lithe body. Of course, it was too embarrassing wearing something like this out in public, especially since it felt better without undergarments, so she brought it to his manor in a bag and got changed up in the spare bedroom she had claimed for herself.

"Maybe some other time. But that big rifle is the one I used in the last mission I was on." Natsu nodded to the large rifle at the end of the table. "It's my SPSR-14.5, an anti-materiel rifle." He walked near to the end and grabbed the SR32 DMR and returned to his seat. "When I wasn't using that, I'd be using this, though not this one in particular as this what Lucy as using when she died. It's called a SR32 Designated Marksman's Rifle."

"What on earth did you fire this big thing at?" The woman's pale-turquoise eyes widened first at the weight of the weapon as she struggled to lift the large rifle that was longer than she was tall and tried to shoulder it, then even further when a pair of cartridges appeared in Natsu's hands, one substantially larger than the other. She instantly recognised the smaller of the two, it was the 10mm she had been training with. "You've got to be kidding me…?"

"People though it isn't meant for them unless they're in Juggernaut Armoured Exosuits, light armoured fighting vehicles, and other vehicles like troop transports and Surface-to-Air Missile trucks." Natsu explained but he was met with a puzzled expression from the priestess. "What are you stuck on?"

"Mainly the Exosuit, the second thing I can guess is just something like a motorcar with armour plating, and the third I guess fires things into the air."

"Eh, close enough. The best way I could describe an Armoured Exosuit is… you know how knights had full plate armour?"

"Yeah?"

"It's like that but the armour is fully sealed, powered and capable of stopping most common rounds. Which is one of the reasons. Which is why armour-penetrating ammunition had become standard among all militaries. Even that rifle you're holding, which is classed as an anti-material rifle has specialised ammunition; Semi-Armour-Piercing-High-Explosive-Incendiary. They also come in a tracer variant which leaves a trail of light in the wake of the bullet." Noticing that Lelyanna's arms were shaking, Natsu reached out and grabbed the large rifle off the woman as if it weighed nothing and he placed it down on the table.

"Thank you, I was starting to worry that I would drop it…" Lelyanna rubbed her arms. She carefully pushed herself up onto the table, making sure to not upset any of the weapons as she sat beside the man. She was a little surprised at how quickly he was disassembling the rifle in his hands but considering it was one of his weapons, she knew he was just used to doing it. "And the one you've got there is the SR32, right?"

"Yeah. Depending on the target, I'd most likely be using this to take things out at range. Bigger bastards get the big one." He placed all the parts down on the wooden tabletop and then placed down the respective cartridge. "It's not as big as the other one, but it's more suitable for dealing with people. Feel free to take a look at them all, but once I'm done with the next rifle, they'll all be going away. We can get down to your training after that."

"Alright." Lelyanna replied but she decided to just watch the man work on his weapons. "You make this look easy."

"They're all reasonably easy to maintain when you're used to them. I've got to be very careful with all of them though as I don't have any replacement parts for any weapon here, and if that grenade launcher's computer system dies then there goes the smart grenade functionality. Same with the optical sights with their built-in rangefinders and other bells and whistles." Natsu cleaned and reassembled the rifle and placed it on the table, replacing it with the SPSR and pulling it apart, falling silent while he worked with deft speed.

"I'd hate to say it again, but…" Lelyanna murmured, leaving the sentence hanging as she slumped down on the table lightly, resting her head on her arms while she watched the man work. "Say, could you teach me how to use some of those?"

"This baby would break your shoulder, but I can teach you how to use some of the other weapons."

"Thank you."

"The SR32 and the MG80 would be good from a bipod though the machine gun would take you for a ride on the pain train if you hold down the trigger too much and it digs into your shoulder, even with the padded stock. The M7 would probably be the easiest even though it fires the same rounds as the machine gun, you'd have to learn to properly handle something of that calibre from various firing positions." Natsu let out a dejected sigh as he leaned back in the chair, his eyes sweeping across the disassembled rifle. "The main thing is, unlike the pistols and knives, I only have one of each. I didn't think to grab extras since these are all the weapons my squad had, minus the shotgun. If Gray's weapons didn't get fucked up when he got vaporised, I would have had a second battle rifle." His eyes drifted along the polished wood until they met Lelyanna's pale-turquoise eyes and he gazed at her for almost ten full seconds before finally speaking again. "If you're serious about wanting to learn how to shoot these, I can scavenge some from my world. Though, I probably should do that anyway, just in case I need extra parts."

"Is there anything you could find that would be a little more usable for someone like me?"

"Maybe a short-barrelled variant of the M7 or an M5 Assault Rifle since it fires a shorter version of the 8.6 cartridge in the battle rifle, plus, I can get you the heavier subsonic ammo for it so it'll be as quiet as the pistol but really fuck things up"

"How short is it?" Lelyanna asked as she hopped off the table and hurried down it, grabbing the weapon she thought was the M7 and bringing it back. "This is the right one, right?"

"Yeah. From the breach to the muzzle, it's an 18.5-inch barrel and the suppressor adds another few inches on top of that. Thankfully, it's a bullpup so it can use a longer barrel in a shorter overall length. An M5 is a little bit shorter at a 16-inch barrel." Natsu gently took the weapon from the woman and shouldered it but pointed to the magazine with his left hand. "A bullpup is when the all the mechanics and the magazine are put behind the firing hand instead of in front which is a more traditional layout." He handed the rifle back to the woman and watched her cradle it to her chest, she was definitely a cute little woman who seemed very innocent and sheltered, and that made things easier when it came to giving her weapons as no one would expect a cute priestess to be packing firearms that could wipe out an entire room full of people in a few short seconds. He would have to teach her requip magic so she could store her weapons when not in use.

"Natsu, are you thinking lewd things about me?" Lelyanna tilted her head curiously, a sly, playful glimmer flickering in her pale eyes as she glanced down at her outfit. "I know these clothes leave little to the imagination but…"

"While it wasn't what was going through my mind, I'll admit that you do look nice in it." Natsu replied, chuckling quickly as he shook his head. "It should keep everything together while you move about."

"Yeah… I'm just not used to clothes like this." Lelyanna carefully placed the rifle down and looked down at her sportswear. "I did have a pair of cotton shorts and a singlet lined up but they didn't seem suitable and I felt like I was going to spill out of the top, and aside from those I really only have nightwear like nightgowns and some negligee that the older sisters bought me for my last birthday. And that definitely wouldn't be suitable for training."

"Well, that depends on the training." The flirtatious remark had already slipped from Natsu's lips before he realised it and he slapped a hand to his face and groaned, "Oh, fuck me… I'm sorry about that, Lelyanna, it's an old habit from when my wife was still around."

"Hehe, that's alright." Lelyanna giggled softly and she gave the man a genuine smile. "I want you to feel comfortable enough to speak without hesitation around me, even if those little flirty comments slip out here and there. It's nice to know that you see me as a woman instead of Her Grace. And I'd much prefer it come from you than those grimy gutter rats who'll throw obscene remarks at you whenever you pass by, at any woman really. But they get especially vile to priestesses like me, always saying something about defiling the sanctity of our bodies…"

"Sounds like want me to complement you more or something?"

"Hm, well the occasional lewd remark or complement wouldn't be unwelcomed since I know you're, well, not some grubby guy off the street who comes into my cathedral just to hit on every single priestess they come across in the building. But please do keep the more promiscuous flirts to private settings, where it is just us two." She blushed and scratched the right corner of her lips bashfully, turning her gaze away from the man as she brought her thighs a little closer together. "And maybe the occasional grazing touch too... It embarrasses me to admit it but your warm hands have left distracting thoughts in my mind."

"I'll think about it." Natsu reassembled his rifle and cycled the bolt a few times to check the smoothness before requiping all of the weapons away. Once complete, he turned to the woman with a serious expression. "Lelyanna, I just want to make something clear; If anyone starts causing you trouble and is hassling you then I want you to let me know. I'll deal with it."

Lelyanna smiled and looked away for a moment but she turned back to the man moments later. "There is one nobleman who has been giving me trouble… but I've been talking to the guards and constables about him. If things get worse, then I'll let you know right away."

"Good." Natsu gave the woman a gentle smile before turning to the doll-like automaton standing nearby. "Sorry about the mess, Henrietta. I tried to keep it as clean as I could."

"It's only a few specks of oil, Master. Nothing to worry about." Henrietta gave the man a courteous bow of her head as she crossed the room while pulling a cloth from her apron's pouch.

"Let's head outside." Natsu glanced at Lelyanna and waved for her to follow as he left the room. As the woman hurried after him and met his pace, he asked, "You want me to be transparent with you?"

"Yes. I'm really the only person you know here, besides Saiko but she's only seen you twice, so I want you to be upfront with me and speak your mind, whatever it may be that crosses it. Be it lewd or just an off-handed thought, anything you have to say, just say it."

"So be it, I'll speak my mind, whatever may be going on at the time. But don't cry if I say something you don't agree with or get angry with you." As Natsu walked outside, he used requip to remove his waistcoat, shirt, boots, and socks, baring his scarred upper body for the woman to see. He stopped in a clear stretch of lawn and turned to Lelyanna, letting out a soft breath. "I want you to know, I won't ever be using my full speed or strength against you and you won't be in any danger of getting seriously hurt. But that doesn't mean I will be going easy on you. But first, I'm just going to run you through the basic movements at a slow pace so you can get used to them. Can you stand about five or more metres in front of me."

"Right." Lelyanna glanced down then stepped back one step then another half step before looking back up at the man. Her heart was racing, both from the excitement of learning out to defend herself but also from the raw power and authority that Natsu was now exuding from his body and eyes. It was a little terrifying to see but in the back of her mind, it reassured her, knowing he could protect her out in the field.

"You're too stiff." Natsu observed, his eyes roaming the woman's body. "Get a hold of yourself and bring your body back in line, I can hear your racing heart." He watched as she quickly nodded and bounced on the balls of her feet, shaking her arms and body to rid herself of the heebie-jeebies. "Good. Now bring your hands up. Don't close them into fists but furl them into an open claw." He instructed, bringing his hands up to demonstrate what he meant. "This allows you to flow into punches, parries, or grapples seamlessly. Or at least that was what I found in combat."

Lelyanna mirrored the Shock Trooper, her eyes darting from left hand to right hand as she slowly flexed her hands into fists then back to an open claw. But her focus was destroyed when a sudden clap fried her concentration. "Wha…?"

"You're still stiff, mentally. What, need to go rub one out to calm down?" Natsu growled, snarling slightly as his hollow onyx eyes narrowed further and bored into the woman's soul through her eyes. "We have time, just make it quick. Either find a bush or go back inside."

"Wha…?" The woman couldn't help but repeat herself in shock as her cheeks flushed with an embarrassed blush. "N-no. I'm fine, I don't need that to calm down."

"Then calm yourself down already, relax, seriously. You're tunnelling too hard onto my hands and you won't see anything other than a punch coming like that. Pull your vision back, look at me as a whole, watch my body sway and shift as I move." Natsu shifted and twisted his body in the movements he would use to put more force behind his attacks but without actually throwing a fist forward. "The body telegraphs what the limbs will do, so watch how they move not how they are attacking."

"Ok." Lelyanna dropped her hands, leaning back as she looked to the sky and took a deep breath and slowly released it. She repeated it a few times before she felt settled and focused back on the man, bringing her hands back up into the ready position. "How's this?"

"Better. Now stay put." Natsu moved to the woman and walked around her, checking her stance. "You're a woman so you can't copy my stance completely, our bodies are just too different. However, you can use what you see me doing to base your own stance on, one that's more comfortable for a female's body." He gently moved her body like a posable doll to put her into a better stance and then let adjust herself into a comfortable position. "Your feet are too far apart, bring your leading foot back a little. There we go. Now bring both hands just above your chin and tuck your elbows and your chin in, it'll allow you to respond quickly in attack and defence while also protecting the vital organs within your chest. Now you're squared up, it's important to stay relatively square on with your opponent so you can respond effectively to incoming attacks and openings."

"I feel like a boxer…"

"I'm not teaching you boxing, I'm teaching you hand-to-hand combat. The first is a competition for points, the second is a fight for life or death. As I said before, I'd rather teach you how to kill and then teach you how not to kill." He came to a stop just out of arms reach of her and looked her in the eyes. "Extend your right arm with your hand in a fist. Slowly." As the woman thrust out her right fist, he guided it with one hand at the elbow and the other rotating the fist into the proper position. "You want to land the strike with your first two knuckles, that allows the force to go right down your arm and not break your hand like it would if you landed one flat on the fist. Now, pull that back and do the same with your left."

"Have you ever considered participating in the underground fights?" Lelyanna asked curiously while she slowly moved her left fist forward, then her right, and then left again.

"Ceres mentioned something about it, I just hadn't snooped around enough to find them. I probably will in due time. Why?"

"I just think it would be interesting to see you fight another person in a contest."

"Lelyanna… You saw me fight those thugs; do you really think anyone in an underground fighting tournament will stand a chance against me? Maybe if they were a mage, then they'd have the passive resistances that comes with being one, but even then, it won't take much effort to wipe the floor with them." Natsu sighed and caught the woman's fist with her arm at full extension. "That's enough for now. Just throwing your arm out like that isn't going to give you enough power, so you're going to need to put your body behind it to do something. So, I want you to watch what I do and then emulate it once I give you the go-ahead."

"Alright." Lelyanna backed up a little and moved to the man's side, watching him closely as he began to throw slow punches but was twisting his body with the movements, transferring the power from his legs and torso into each strike that cut through the air. She sat down on the grass and closed her eyes, channelling her mind through the ring on her right hand and into the man's head. 'This should help me get a better feel of things.'

"I guess it would, I didn't even think of using it this way." Natsu remarked before picking up the pace. He tried to keep his mind empty while he ran through the motions but he slowly became more ferocious, his anger swelling, and the man bared his fangs in a snarl. Flashes of Pergrandian soldiers appeared before his eyes, stood before a dead white-haired woman, robbed of her beauty by a hail of high-calibre bullets as she tried to protect civilians. Soon, he was stood above the dead member of his family among a sea of red; guts and gore from the soldiers strewn across the battlefield.

'Natsu?' Lelyanna called out from within the man's head. She felt his body temperature soar and his rage begin to boil over as the markings on his arms turned a menacing red. She pulled back from his mind and opened her eyes, calling out once more, "Natsu?!"

"Shit." Natsu grunted and he immediately cooled himself down, turning his red eyes to the priestess. "Sorry, some shitty memories came to mind while I was trying to block shit out."

"It's fine. Can we continue or would you like a little break?" Lelyanna asked softly as she rose to her feet. "I think I got a good enough understanding from watching and feeling."

"Try punching me using both just the arm then with your body behind it." Natsu walked to the woman and pat his abs, showing her where to hit. "Just be careful, you might hurt your hand."

The slivery-haired woman nodded and brought her hands up to get herself ready, then threw a punch at the man's stomach. It felt solid but didn't get a reaction from the man, so she brought her arm back and put her weight behind it which caused the punch to thwack against his abs. Lelyanna pulled her hand back and shook it gently. "Ow… what on earth are those made out of?"

"Chemically enhanced high-density muscle which has been rigorously trained. You made good contact and I felt you land it with your first two knuckles instead of the full fist so most of the force should have gone up your arm. However, there is one thing you should remember, never use your bare fist on the head, you'll break your hand that way, opt for a tougher part like using your elbow or if you have one available, a weapon – even if it is a makeshift one."

"It did, felt like a jolt ran up it. I'll keep that in mind." She shook her arm then looked at her knuckles, her usually pale white skin had taken on a pink tint around them, so she flexed her fingers a few times but it felt normal. "I'm good, we can continue."

"Alright, keep copying me." Natsu stepped back and brought his hands up once more, waiting for Lelyanna to be ready before he started swinging; a right straight, left, right hook. He went through the basic motions with her to get her used to the movements.

After a little over an hour of basic movements, they moved into very light combat where he taught her how to deliver punches and kicks, blocks and parries, as well as counters and grapples against another person. It looked like the priestess would be ready for a proper practice fighting sooner than he though. But first she would need a break to recover. Natsu had told her to slowly walk to and from the gazebo while she wound down, and after her third lap, he handed her his canteen.

"Drink slowly so you don't bring it back up. And don't drink too much because you will bring it back up if you get hit in the stomach."

"What's next?" Lelyanna asked softly, taking small sips of water as she caught her breath. She sat down and handed the canteen back before lying down on her back, her chest rising and falling freely.

"I had you train the moves against me, but now you're going to fight me with everything you have. This will be the main form of training from now on as there is no point in having you swing your arms and legs around without anything to hit, plus it allows me to stay sharp too." Natsu put his hands on his hips and leaned over the woman, towering above her with a small grin. "So, when you're ready, come at me with everything you have."

"You won't be using Reflex?"

"No, there is no reason for me to use it. I'll be putting myself at your level so don't expect me moving faster than you can react to, but that doesn't mean I won't be throwing you around. If I get to a point where I get you into a critical position, say I force your elbow to full extension then I'll call a stop to the round because if I am able to put you in that situation then I can fuck your entire arm in an instant. Likewise, if I put you on the ground and you can't prevent me from delivering a finishing blow in time."

"Alright." Lelyanna rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself up onto her feet. She took a few deep breaths then turned to Natsu with her hands ready. "Let's go."

Natsu straightened and gave her a look-over before dropping his hands from his hips and slowly stalking around her. He kept the woman to his left and stayed just out of her reach but due to his height advantage, she was well within his. He smiled slightly, she keeping her relatively square on him and was turning with him to keep him in a defensible position. Suddenly, he shifted his weight to his left foot but instead of coming toward her, he pivoted on the ball of his foot, bringing his right foot whipping back through the air on a direct line to her head.

Lelyanna ducked under his leg and was about to move forward into an attack but the man's quick footwork had brought him back around and he now towered over her with his left leg near vertical above her, his eyes glowing red and full of lethal intent. She moved back just in time as the foot came racing down, barely missing her nose and chest by only a few short centimetres. Her heart was racing faster than ever and her eyes were as wide as dinnerplates, her whole body tingled and she stumbled back. "Wait!" She called out as the man's right fist surged forward, stopping right before her eyes and causing her to fall flat on her arse.

"There is no waiting in a fight to the death, Lelyanna. Get up." Natsu snarled softly but his hand was held out for her to grab a hold of, the red in his eyes no longer there. "What you just felt was primal fear, the kind prey feels when they see a predator."

"You said you would be at my level…" The woman murmured as she let herself be pulled to her feet.

"And I was at your level, you're just not used to mortal combat yet." The soldier replied as he took a step back. "Are you ready for another round, or do you want me to show you the level I usually fight at when I aim to kill?"

"Like in the alleyway?" Lelyanna dusted herself off and steadied her breath, willing the tingles away as the man paced back and forth in front of her.

"Not fully, no. That was more me trying to get them to run away, I only got completely serious when you were in imminent danger and I crushed that man's head against the wall. At which point, you had looked away out of fear.

"Then I guess I'll see what you're really capable of in due time." Lelyanna let out a huff and brought up her arms once more. "Alright. I'm ready to go again."

"Does it rain often here?" Natsu grumbled a quiet question to the priestess next to him as they stood under the glass roof of the Magnolia Train Station. He was looking up at the dark clouds that let loose a torrent of rain down on the building.

"Yeah." Lelyanna looked up at the man from under her hood and lowered her voice to a murmur. "Was it different with you?"

"Mhm. Never rained this much where I'm from, I guess the environment is better here. Maybe someone pissed off Juvia or whoever her counterpart is here."

"Well, things may have also developed differently there." The bluish-silver-haired woman let out a small sigh and hugged herself, trying to fight off the cold made worse by her damp garb. A fairly heavy weight draped itself over her shoulders and she was enclosed in a warm embrace. She glanced at her shoulder then to the coat-less man as the sword that he had been carrying returned to his back in a flash of light. "Are you sure this is fine?"

"Worrying about someone seeing what I'm carrying comes below the welfare of a companion. I'd rather you not catch a cold right as we're starting a job." Natsu placed a hand on her shoulder underneath the coat and ran his magic down over her body; quickly drying her clothes. Since his pistol was out in the open, he decided he might as well carry it the way he had been for years before coming to this new world. So, he quickly requiped away the magazines and holster as he drew the pistol, transferring it to his right thigh where a new holster was already waiting. His magazines appeared in front of his left hip, stacked two-on-three like a topless pyramid. Strangely, with his knife on his left thigh and his pistol on his right, he felt more like himself, like how he was before coming here. His demeanour must have physically changed too, as he sensed worry and curiosity coming from the woman next to him. "Nothing, just thinking about something." He reassured her, taking his hand off the grip and closing it into a fist a few times before letting it hang by his side.

"Hmm… the train is behind schedule." Lelyanna muttered as she looked over her shoulder at the large clock behind her. "It should have been here four minutes ago."

"It's about a minute out." Natsu informed the woman, glancing down at her then looking along the train tracks. "I can sense the thrum of magic and hear the steam driving the pistons."

"Oh, good." Lelyanna smiled and lightly grasped the coat, pulling it tighter around her body to trap the warmth inside. "How can you stand wearing something so heavy every day?"

"It's heavy?"

"You're telling me that you seriously didn't notice?"

"I knew it had a little bit of weight to it, but it didn't seem heavy to me." Natsu shrugged and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Though, I suppose it would be heavy due to having some kind of monster hide between the Arachne silk inner and outer layers."

"Yeah, it'll be a monster's hide for sure. There are some monsters that are known for having supple yet very tough hide that can soak up a tonne of damage, some from physical attacks and others from magical. Those are very valuable so people skin them whenever they kill them." Lelyanna's head flicked left as the tracks began to rattle lightly. The train's steam whistle blew as it glided into the station and came to a gentle stop, the doors opening with a faint ticking. They hurried aboard the last carriage and waited in the corner of the walkway as people entered their compartments. "There were too many people on the platform… We were meant to be up in the second carriage."

"Is there a guard that comes through to check tickets?"

"Yes." Lelyanna nodded lightly. She slipped the heavy coat off her and held it up for Natsu with slightly shaking arms. "This really is heavy, you know…"

Natsu took the coat from the woman and effortlessly swung it around his body as his sword vanished, slipping his arms through the sleeves and flicking it up into position and returning the sword to his back, complete with scabbard and harness. "I'll have to take your word for it."

"Show off." Lelyanna giggled quietly and rolled her eyes. She folded her hands in front of her hips as she turned and began walking down the narrow corridor, not looking through the glass windows on the doors to her right as she passed by. She could feel eyes on her as she walked through the corridor, it was likely that they all recognised her due to her archbishop clothes. Though what probably drew even more attention was that this delicate and innocent priestess was accompanied by a stone-faced man who was thick with the air of a battle-hardened veteran.

"People are talking about us." Natsu growled quietly, looking into the cabins out of the corner of his abyssal onyx eye. "Nothing malicious, just curiosity."

"Then there isn't anything to worry about." Lelyanna replied with a glance over her shoulder. She opened the door at the end of the carriage and crossed over into the next carriage. "Besides, I'm sure you're more than intimidating enough to dissuade most people."

"Yeah, yeah." He shook his head lightly and gazed at the back of the woman's hood. "Run this job by me again."

"We've got to investigate missing persons in a rural farming town about thirty minutes west of Dianthus. It's a place called Papaver with a population of one-and-a-half-thousand, mostly localised within the town itself but some live in houses on the farmland."

"Then why do they need a Jaeger for a missing persons case?"

"Because there have been reports of monsters near the town. Footprints and some eye witness accounts, though those could be of questionable quality."

"Sounds like someone saw Big Foot…" Natsu murmured to himself. He ran his hands through his long hair, drying and sweeping the spikes back and keeping them out of his eyes. It still needed to be cut but hadn't bothered searching around for a good barber. "So, it sounds like they believe that monsters have been kidnapping them? Has it been only women?"

"Some men and children too, but the males are sometimes found out in the fields a few days later, or in the nearby woods."

"Dead by the sound of it." Natsu growled softly, the corners of his mouth tugging back and revealing his fangs. "So, they think it's monsters. Humans are also capable of such atrocities. We can't rule out coincidental occurrences."

Lelyanna spun slowly, walking backwards with her hand on the wall to keep her in the middle of the corridor. "It could also be both, too." Her pale eyes shimmered with sadness as she held her left hand in a fist over her heart. "We would have to work out which one has the missing people then."

"Yes. But we'll have to remove both from existence, both are a plague on that town. And both would move onto the next once they've plundered it enough."

"I suppose you're right…" Lelyanna sighed softly and turned back around, opening the door and crossing the small gap between the carriages. "How do you want to handle it?"

"Ask around first, even a small town like that would have a pub, inn, or tavern, somewhere everyone gathers and where travellers can get rest. Barkeep would hear all the gossip." Natsu looked over the woman's head just as a man in a blue suit stepped out of the closest cabin, he had a baton hanging from his belt on one side and a handgun on the other. This must have been the train's guard and he was doing his routine ticket check. Natsu focused on the man's handgun and noticed that it was a top-break single-action revolver, and only a six-shot at that. It wasn't exactly a quick weapon unless in skilled hands… His eyes narrowed as he took in the man's general physique, he was fit but not honed for battle, and since the hammer of the revolver was forward, if the guard tried anything then he would lose the draw.

"Hmm?" The guard turned to the two passengers, but his sight was more drawn to the woman in front as he offered her a quick bow. "Ah, good evening, Your Grace. You don't have the usual veil?"

"I've decided it isn't polite to hide away behind it when travelling with a trusted companion." Lelyanna informed the kind-looking man as she returned the bow, keeping her hands folded against the front of her hips. "Would you like to see our tickets?"

"Yes." The man replied, stepping forward as the young woman fished two slips of paper from a pouch attached to the belt on her waist. He gently took them from her and inspected them before placing them into small clamp-like device and pressing down, stamping them with the train company's insignia. "Thank you. Enjoy your trip, Your Grace."

"One more thing; are there any empty cabins in the second carriage?" Lelyanna asked softly as she placed the two tickets back into her pouch. "I'm accompanied by a Jaeger and we were looking for a cabin where we could talk about the job in private."

"Ah, yes." The man lifted his eyes from the woman's adorable features and looked at the man behind her. He took a slight step back at the sight of the cold black eyes staring right into his soul, something within those eyes made his skin prickle and a cold shiver ran down his spine. "Yes, there is an empty cabin two down from the front."

"Thanks!" The priestess chirped softly and moved to the side to allow the guard to pass by. Natsu mirrored her movements but his eyes never left the man as he passed by and disappeared beyond the door. Lelyanna struggled to control her expression as a giggle burst through her sealed lips and she lightly slapped the man's chest with the back of her hand. "You're a big meanie, you had the poor man shaking in his boots!"

"Wasn't intentional, my mind was just on the job. Risk assessment, so-to-speak."

"I know." Lelyanna gave him a small grin and tugged at his sleeve. "Come, let's get to this cabin." The woman started back down the corridor. "I wonder what you looked like back then, were you just like this?"

"Depends on the situation."

"Is that all?"

"It's all I plan on saying on the matter, I don't want to dredge up old painful memories. It's not like I'm walking around in my full suit of armour."

"Yet you carry these around, a painful reminder of what once was." Lelyanna turned and placed the tip of her forefinger against the man's sternum, right where she knew his dog-tags and ring lie. She kept the finger there as she opened the door at the end of the third carriage with her other hand, not taking her eyes off the man. "I understand that they signify who you are, in more ways than just having your name and rank. But don't you think that carrying hers around is like dragging her body along with you."

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Natsu growled quietly, bearing his fangs angrily as he grabbed the woman by the front of her dress and drew her in closer. "Do you expect me to throw it all away? To forget everything I've been through, everything I have lost?"

"No." The priestess whispered softly, defiantly staring into the void that was the pinkette's dark eyes as she offered no resistance to his iron grip. "No, I do not think you should cast it all aside." She placed her palm over his sternum, feeling the mementoes hidden under his shirt. "But carrying it all around weighs on you more than you realise. The weight of her absence is hanging around your neck like a noose. I believe you should create a memorial, just a small inconspicuous one, but keep the memories of your old life there so they don't distract you when it really matters. You came here to start all over again, you specifically chose a world where you didn't exist so you had your own life to live. So, you need to choose; do you remain trapped in that hell you left behind or you fully commit to being here."

Natsu fell silent, his nostrils flaring with every breath as he stared into the bold pale-turquoise eyes. Not once during the two-minute-long staring contest did the woman break eye contact. And in those two long minutes, Natsu considered her words carefully. Finally, his gaze slid down. Down her face, past her thin pale neck, over her chest that was threatening to spill out due to his grip on her dress, and along her arm until it finally came to rest at her hand, pressing gently against the dog-tags at his sternum. It was still almost another two minutes before he finally broke the silence between them, the edge in his voice gone, replaced by a soft murmur. "I'll… consider it."

"Good." Lelyanna lips stretched into a gentle smile and she took her hand off his chest, letting it fall to her side. "Now, could you please wait until we're in a private cabin before you try and rip my dress off." She whispered with an embarrassed playfulness as she shot a glance down at her chest. "If you pull on it any more, I feel like I'm going to end up exposing myself in the middle of a public train."

Natsu released his grip and watched as she tugged her dress back up to where it should normally sit but murmured quietly to herself about the fitment. He reached past her and opened the door once more, letting her pass through first before following her into the second carriage. They walked in silence as they glanced into each cabin until they came across the empty one and Lelyanna opened it, locking it behind him and closing the blind so they had privacy.

"I think you might have stretched my dress…" Lelyanna murmured as she unfastened the capelet from around her neck and tossed it onto the plush leather bench. She ran her hands through her bluish-silver hair and leaned from side to side, looking down her sides to check how the normally form-fitting dress sat on her. "Yeah…" She sighed. "I hope it will tighten back up in the wash." A pair of fingers pressed against her back, with her spine resting between them, so she looked over her shoulder with a faint blush and a small playful smile. "Oh? First you grab me and almost rip my clothes off, now you're going to feel me up?"

"Don't let your imagination run wild." Natsu replied flatly as he drew his fingers down her spine until they reached to top of her arse.

The action caused stretched dress to return to its former state, tightening back up around the woman's midsection and hugging her chest snugly. "Oh!" Lelyanna gasped softly and carefully readjusted the dress before turning to the man with a grateful smile. "Thank you. How did you do that?"

"I used my Enhancement curse to adjust the properties of the fabric and make it become tighter again. Does it feel off?"

"No, it feels as good as new." Lelyanna glanced down at the dress and lightly tugged at the fabric below her breasts. "This was actually how well it fitted when it was made for me, almost like a second skin but not too tight that I felt restricted. I wonder if you could make it feel even softer than it was when I bought it?" She pinched the top hem of the dress, tugging it upward gently and causing her breasts to bounce lightly. "Yep, they don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Thanks again for fixing it, I was thinking I'd have to put up with it until I got back to the city and have a new one made up."

"If you did, then I would've paid for it." Natsu slipped the sword off his back and rested it in the corner of the room, right next to the outer window as he sat down and gazed out at the rain. "Have I ever told you that I hate the rain, or why I hate it?"

"No. But you do seem different when it rains, more morose, and easier to set off." Lelyanna replied, her naturally soft and gentle voice laced with compassion as she sat down next to the man and followed his gaze outside. "I figured that it had something to do with how it all ended."

"The last few days of the war were fought in a heavy storm. Needless to say, when we were deployed from the All Under Heaven at Phanagoria, we dropped through the storm clouds. They were depressingly dark, lit sporadically by explosions, gunfire, lightning… It was pouring with rain right up until the warheads went off, the shear heat evaporated the rain and clouds along with any unlucky fucker caught off-guard on the ground." Natsu tilted his head a little higher, gazing up through the glass ceiling of the terminal. "Sometimes I wonder if those holes will appear in these skies, the heavens ripped asunder by humanity's insatiable need to kill whoever isn't like them or doesn't agree with them." He sighed softly and put his back against the outer wall so he faced the priestess. "Anyway, how are we getting from Dianthus to Papaver? I doubt you meant a thirty-minute walk."

"I was thinking that we either hire a taxicab or travel with a farmworker who was heading that way. Maybe we could find a ride on a motorbus?" Lelyanna shifted on the seat and faced the man, curling her legs up beside her and leaning her body against the back of the seat while resting her head atop her arms. "Maybe you could carry me there, after all you can move really quickly. Do you think you have the stamina for that?"

"I can easily run the distance, but I don't want to do it in the rain. If I slip, I'll come down on top of you and do some decent damage, whether we ending up taking a tumble on the road or compacted dirt wouldn't matter when you have someone the size and weight of me falling on you at high speeds." The train lurched and both of them were pressed into the plush bench lightly as they began to pull away from the station. "So, we'll have to travel by vehicle."

"Hmm… Could you give me my bag, I have a map book in it." She watched the man hold out his hands and her rucksack appeared between them. She immediately unbuckled the top and pulled it closer so she could stick an arm inside. After a few moments of rummaging, she pulled out the book she was after and closed up the bag. "Thanks."

"Do you want it kept out?"

"No, it's easier if you hold onto it and just bring it out when it is needed. And it also prevents people from trying to pickpocket things from it." Lelyanna waved the man off, keeping her eyes on the book as she flicked through the pages until she found the map for Dianthus. "Dianthus has an agriculture and horticulture store that supplies the surrounding farming towns. If we head there, we can ask if there are any deliveries to Papaver scheduled for today and if we can hitch a ride with one."

The rucksack disappeared from Natsu's grasp as he leaned in and gazed down at the map. "Hmm, quite detailed… I'm surprised you can get maps like this in a world like this."

"What did you have?"

"We had extremely detailed digital maps. It was all computer-based and accurate down to the millimetre. Very useful for planning where to deploy and how to attack or infiltrate. It was also updated in real-time with traffic, construction, detours. All projected from a device smaller than the wristwatch I'm wearing"

"I can't even begin to imagine what that would look like…"

"Wouldn't be any point trying anyway. It would be no use here, not without proper scanning equipment." Natsu sighed softly and leaned back against the window once more. He closed his eyes and shut out all the ambient noise except for the sound of the rain thumping against the train carriage, hoping to grow able to enjoy its tranquillity once more.

"Hmm. It looks like that store is a short walk from the station, somewhere fifteen to twenty minutes maybe."

"Lelyanna, I have a question." Natsu slowly opened his eyes and looked into the pale-turquoise pair not even a metre away. "I know this isn't an area that you're overly experienced in, but what do you think bandits would likely be using?"

"Generally anything they've managed to steal. Swords, shotguns, revolvers, rifles… nothing like what you have though."

"I'll need to be careful with how I deal with them, I don't want to put you into too great of danger but I'm still going to need you there in case people need medical attention." Natsu sighed and he ran a hand through his hair. "I'll decide how we go about it once we learn more about what's going on in our investigation."

"Do you think it is going to be dangerous?" Lelyanna asked softly, looking at the man with worried eyes.

"Everything has a degree of danger to it." Natsu replied softly and he placed a reassuring hand on her head. "I'll look into getting you some form of armour that would be inconspicuous and won't be too heavy for you."

"That would be a good idea… I don't wish to tarnish my appearance as a priestess by wearing visible armour." The woman murmured softly, lowering her head and turning it away slightly. She raised her eyes and looked at the man through her eyelashes. "Would you be able to use that Enhancement thing to protect me?"

"Yes and no. I can make it so things can't damage the dress, but say you take a bullet, it won't penetrate since that's considered damaging it, but that won't stop it from punching into you and most likely through you. That kinetic energy has to go somewhere and that somewhere is either into or through you; broken bones and bruising at best, full penetration and destruction of vital organs causing death at worst." Natsu gently pressed his forefinger into Lelyanna's slim stomach and narrowed his eyes, gravely. "So, say my finger is the bullet. If I did that, the bullet will carry the dress through you and out the other side of the wound channel." He pulled his hand back slightly then placed it flat against the same spot. "I can make it so it stops penetration and disperses the impact along the dress instead of into you like how normal ballistic body armour works but even then, you'll still have it transfer into your body which leaves you with bruising and cracked or broken bones. And that doesn't account for an impact to these." Natsu lifted his hand off her and pointed at the woman's breasts. "I can tell you now, I always copped a massive earful from the girls during training when they took paint-filled bullets to the tits, so I have no doubt that it's very painful. And they were wearing padded vests, you only have a thin dress on. See what I'm getting at?"

"Then what do you suggest?" Lelyanna asked as she instinctively brought her hands up to cover her chest, squeezing them gently. "These clothes are the garb of my sisterhood…"

"And it's all good and well wearing it outside of jobs, but with your life in danger, you need to make compromises." Natsu replied while running his eyes up and down her dress, boots, and then across to the capelet discarded on the other bench. "I'm sure we can work out something that would be seen as suitably for a priestess' travelling clothes, and make it subtly armoured. Granted, it won't stop someone getting you through the head…" Natsu threw his hands up and sighed. "Right now, I've got no ideas. Maybe we can con Ceres into giving you another one of those divine treasure things so her favourite priestess doesn't get killed because some fucking bastard has been dragging her along on dangerous jobs."

"I can ask her now?" The priestess chirped as she brought her hands together in front of her but didn't close her eyes, waiting for the man's go-ahead.

"No." Natsu shook his head. "We've already asked for something recently, at least give it a few days to a week after we have returned before contacting her about means of protection. And… make sure you clarify that it is protection against ballistic weapons… I have the feeling she'd give you the kind of reply that you wouldn't be after."

"Hmm…? Oh!" Lelyanna's cheeks exploded with a crimson hue and she immediately broke eye-contact, preferring to look out the window than at the man next to her. "I-you… um… don't have worry about that other meaning…" She curled in on herself a little as her blush started running down her neck and tinted her shoulders a light pink. "M…most women, and girls, capable of magic use a spell to protect themselves. Just in case we get taken captive by unruly men or monsters seeking the pleasures of flesh… But thankfully, I haven't been tainted by either, but I still make sure to use it just in case the worst happens."

"Lelyanna."

The young woman slowly brought her gaze back to the man when he took her right hand and raised it, lightly tapping the ornate golden ring that sat on her ring finger. She glanced at his eyes and shivered slightly at the violent, aggressive red eyes that were narrowed at her. "Yes…?"

"If something feels off to you, if someone might be following you, or you find yourself in a bad situation. Then use this, tell me right away. I'll come to you, and I'll massacre anyone and anything that tries to harm you. I'm very familiar with your scent now, I could track you down easily, hell I could probably sense something is wrong thanks to my demonic side." Natsu growled and bared his fangs, his brow furled. "I'm serious, I'm not going to lose someone again just because I stood by and didn't act. If you need help, tell me, and I'll come as quickly as I'm capable of."

Lelyanna opened her mouth but closed it quickly and gave the man a warm smile. "Thank you." She murmured softly and she shifted on the seat. "For everything you're doing for me… teaching me, training me, keeping me safe…"

"Like I said, I'm not about to lose anyone else." Natsu turned his gaze back out the window, his eyes returning to their natural onyx state as he watched trees whip past the window through the thick curtain of rain. "You should probably get some rest. I've been pushing you pretty hard over the last few days." He shifted and sat normally on the bench, leaving a gap between him and the outer wall as he brought out his acoustic electric guitar.

"You're going to play something?" The silver-haired woman asked, softly, as she rose off the leather bench seat and switched the lights off at the door. She carefully walked back in the dark and laid down beside the man, glancing up at him before wiggling her way up the seat and resting her head on his thigh, near his knee.

"Yes." Natsu looked down at her then closed his eyes as he checked the tune of all six nylon strings of his guitar. "You sure you want to use me as a pillow? I'm not exactly anything close to what I'd consider comfortable, hard muscle and not much cushioning from fat…"

"I've slept on worse. Plus, when you're relaxed, your muscles aren't hard, just firm."

"Suit yourself." Natsu's fingers slowly danced across the frets as he picked the strings and after a minute, he began to hum the words to the song he was playing, bobbing and turning his head slowly with the beat. "So close, no matter how far; couldn't be much more from the heart; forever trusting who we are; and nothing else matters…"

He felt the woman turn her head and sensed her eyes on him, but he paid her no mind as he softly sung alongside the music he was playing. After a few minutes, he heard her heart slow and felt her body fully relax and give into sleep.

He closed out the song and opened his eyes slowly, glancing at her peaceful cute face before turning his attention outside, letting his hands play whatever they felt like while he contemplated her words. He felt a little bad for reacting aggressively to her statement, but it was because she was right and he just didn't want to see it. Her boldness must have stemmed from knowing he wouldn't have hurt her even though he had pulled her close and snarled at her, it must have fuelled her to push her point rather obstinately.

Moving the guitar aside, Natsu took out his dog-tags and let them dangle in front of his eyes. Lelyanna was right, he shouldn't allow this weight to drag him down. There were other ways of remembering Lucy, like creating a small memorial as she had said. He carefully removed his wife's tags and their wedding rings and used Requip to safely store them out of harms way. A gentle sigh slipped through his lips and he let his own dog-tags fall to his chest over his clothing. "I'm sorry, Lucy. It's hard living my life without you but I know you would want me to move on, to live on. I'm going to start trying to move forward with my life, one step at a time. Once I'm settled in here, I'll try and come up with a way to integrate myself into this world's Fairy Tail. I'm still uncertain on how they'll take it but all I can do is try; I can't allow myself to waste away in self-pity. If there is a life after death, I hope you're doing well, living a happy life with our friends… Maybe I'll see you all again one day, or maybe my spirit will remain here. I miss you."

This chapter ended up shorter than the original by about 1k words as there was a lot of irrelevant information that needed to be removed or adjusted. Just to mention it once more, the guitar resembles an Ibanez TOD10N, and that song Natsu was playing was Nothing Else Matters by Metallica.

A little warning about the upcoming job, it's messy with dark themes and isn't overly pleasant so steel yourself.

I hope you have enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the following chapter.