Chapter Thirty-One
Let's Talk
Natsu had a big dumb grin on his face from the moment that Porlyusica had entered the infirmary of the Fairy Tail guild.
He was, of course, unconscious, as he had been for half a day since the fight with Laxus in Magnolia's cathedral..
Gajeel had been just as banged up from the battle but hadn't been hit with the effects of Fairy Law, so had been lucky enough to be bandaged and sent on his way.
Makarov grumbled at Natsu's antics, availing to the closest woman even in a comatose state.
"Will he take another week to recover?" Makarov asked as she gave the Fire Dragon a once over.
"I doubt it, look at him, idiot," she sucked her teeth as she passed the bed and attended to the master.
"Usa, my… Usa." He uttered, knowing the scent like the back of his hand.
"Either wake up or shut up," she replied, scowling at him. He didn't muster, nor did he offer any kind of response from within whatever dream he was having.
"I understand that he was hit by your nasty spell, again," Porlyusica said as she took a seat and poised herself a few feet away from Makarov.
"He was," the master confirmed, "Laxus…" Makarov sighed heavily, the actions of the grandson had weighed heavily in his heart, "the scope of the spell should have completely destroyed all of Magnolia, and all of us with it, yet not a single person was injured, aside from Natsu. It just wasn't in Laxus' heart to kill or hurt us, Natsu on the other hand is like a beacon to holy magic,"
"You know, Makarov," Porlyusica said, being one of the few who would so openly use his name without 'master' as a prefix, "he's been hit by Fairy Law before you, though I doubt he'd remember as it wasn't fully developed, but he was the reason that the spell was crafted into what it is today. To put it simply, if he wasn't so damn indestructible then Fairy Law would break him down to nothing," she explained, sparing a single worried glance at him.
"You care for him," Makarov said, voicing his observation.
"I do. Only once was there ever a fight that he didn't win, at least, one that wasn't against his father that he didn't win. Hundreds of years old, all that abuse to his body and he still carries on. He will never stop fighting, it's what he was made for, but eventually, one day his mind will crack, unless you and the rest of those brats are there to support him." Porlyusica told him, a glint of a tear briefly appearing in the corner of her eyes.
"When I came to fetch him and deal with Jose Porla, there was a moment where he used a kind of magic that I've never felt before." Makarov looked disturbed, even by the memory.
"It was… Evil. Pure, unrestrained evil. I felt no aggression or intent to cause me harm, but I knew straight away that he was hiding darkness the likes of which I have never seen before, but there's light in there too, he is a good man, and he needs all the support we can give him." Makarov said, giving Natsu his own look of worry.
It was hard for him to remember that Natsu was four hundred years old, he acted like one of the brats, he blended with them so expertly, and yet, he was an immortal that had well over three centuries on him.
A comfortable silence fell upon them before Porlyusica spoke up, "I observed their interactions when you first brought him to me, and I've seen the way those brats have been looking at me when I came here. He's made some interesting bonds with certain members of the guild, hasn't he?" She raised an inquisitive brow.
"Ah, I take it you read the article from Sorcerer Magazine," Makarov coughed, "Well, I haven't spoken to Gray about it yet but I am fairly confident that it was Natsu's idea of a prank." Makarov glared.
"I was referring to the three women who have been coming in and out of here with irritating regularity. What are you talking about?" She asked in confusion.
"Oh, never mind, it isn't important. What was it you were saying, the girls?" Makarov prompted, hoping that Porlyusica wouldn't pursue what he'd said about the magazine. The quicker that one was buried the better.
"The three that you had… Guarding him at my home not long ago, they've been finding asinine reasons to be in here. I was just voicing my observation that he's made quite the impact." Porlyusica said slowly.
"Quite," Makarov grumbled again before another cough took him back. "Erza was the one who fought him back when he came here to destroy the guild. I think she was the first person in a very long time to provide him with any kind of challenge." The master explained.
"I'm sure you heard that Mirajane has got her magic back, that too was a direct result of Natsu's interference, something that had caused great damage to several streets and buildings, I might add." Makarov continued.
"And then there's Lucy." He sighed heavily.
"Mmm, Lily," Natsu muttered in his sleep.
"As far as I can tell, she's a descendant of someone important to him a long time ago, the likeness being remarkable enough that Natsu thought it was her." Makarov finished, folding his arms.
"It is as I'd thought, but one question remains…" Porlyusica stated, her eyes full of mischief that he'd never seen before, it was a perfect reflection of the look that was almost constantly donned on Natsu's face.
"What about him and Gray?"
Out in the main hall, it was business as usual, the hustle and bustle had never stopped they were even busier organizing the final details of the Fairy Tail parade, as per the master's wishes.
"Lucy?" Levy's soft voice called out as the blue-haired woman approached the Celestial mage who had propped herself up at the table in the corner, wooden constructs perfectly hiding it from immediate view. It had become Natsu's little book, but now he wasn't there to occupy the space.
"Hey, what's up?" The blonde asked brightly, not paying much attention to the ongoings around her. She'd been absent-mindedly stroking Happy for the past twenty minutes to try and calm him down. He'd been getting increasingly upset at the fact that he'd been turned away repeatedly from getting into the infirmary, mostly to sleep on Natsu and enjoy his warmth.
"How much do you know about Natsu?" The scholarly woman asked as she took a seat opposite.
"Not much more than everyone else," Lucy shrugged honestly, "if you want to know something specific you're probably better off asking Erza, or possibly Mira."
"It's just that, I caught up to Natsu and Gajeel right at the end of their fight, right when Laxus used that huge spell. Natsu was the only one who was hurt, and when he got back up again, it was like he was someone else, or, something else. He even said that he wasn't Natsu before he collapsed." Levy let out an involuntary shiver at the memory. It sent a cold chill running down her spine.
"I heard the quiver in your voice when you said his name," Laki made her presence known, slinging an arm around Levy's shoulders as she sat down.
"He scares me," she admitted with a shy shrug.
"I'm talking about the Iron Dragon, I can feel the heat coming off your cheeks already," Laki grinned ear to ear, already seeing the possibilities before her.
"Stop it, you utter witch," Lucy chimed in, trying to defend Levy but finding herself unable to stop the smile from spreading across her lips.
"I didn't come over to cause trouble, I swear!" Laki said, throwing her hands up in defence, even though the other two could see right through it.
"Speaking of trouble," Lucy nodded to the doors of the guild. They'd all fallen silent as Laxus approached. Nobody said a single word as he came through.
No one, except Gajeel.
The Iron Dragon got in Laxus' way, crossing his arms and simply staring at the taller man.
"If you've come back to take another shot at Salamander while he's down then you'll have to go through me first." He said, unsure of whether or not this was the right choice. He half hoped that Natsu would wake up from the feeling of Laxus' power and come barrelling out and into the fight.
"I came to see the old man," Laxus said simply, showing no emotion or remorse for what he'd done only a day prior.
Porlyusica had come out of the infirmary, seeing Laxus standing amid the guildhall.
"He's in there," she nodded to the door she'd come from, "don't do anything stupid, nothing will save you if you wake the wrong one up." She warned him cryptically before leaving.
Laxus had taken note of Porlyusica's warning but returned his gaze to Gajeel. They'd held the stare briefly before Gajeel stood aside, allowing Laxus free passage.
The click of the door made Makarov look up in surprise. He'd been hopeful that it would have been someone nice to look at, probably coming in to check on Natsu, but it was a change of pace either way.
He hadn't been expecting to see Laxus stride in, pulling up the chair that Porlyusica had been sat in only moments prior.
Their silence was long, uncomfortable, and awkward, neither of them knowing what to say.
"Do you understand what you've done?" Makarov asked at last.
Laxus nodded slowly, his eyes still firmly planted on the ground, "It's hazy, but I know that everything happened because of me," he admitted, guilt and shame falling on him.
"People were hurt because of this stunt of yours, good people. Your friends, your family, pitted against each other like animals, and for what? Some mad grab for power, an attempt to take over a guild that you know so little about." Makarov was hurting from what was to come, he could feel it like history repeating itself.
"One of your guildmates is lying five feet away from you in a coma. If it had been anyone else, you would have a death on your conscience!" Makarov's voice went hoarse.
"Your actions, whether influenced or your own, are inexcusable, I have no choice, Laxus!" Makarov had stood from his bed, taking every ounce of respect and dignity he could while tears were welling in his eyes.
"I'm hereby expelling you from Fairy Tail." His voice came out as nothing more than a whisper yet was heard like a deafening roar. Makarov had tears streaming down his face.
"I understand," Laxus nodded, closing his eyes as he stood.
"When he wakes, tell him I'm sorry, and that he packs one hell of a punch." Laxus subconsciously rubbed the largely bruised part of his neck before turning and leaving Fairy Tail behind him.
Makarov knew it was going to be tough to explain to the others but it was unavoidable now.
Aside from the master's explanation of Laxus' expulsion, the rest of the day had been uneventful, even as everyone made the last-minute preparations for the parade.
Lucy and Happy had found themselves watching the parade from the highest balcony in the guild. Someone needed to stay behind in case Natsu woke up, and she'd volunteered. As much as she'd been looking forward to the parade, she wanted to see him wake more.
Gray and Juvia were the next ones to roll through the open gap in the streets that Lucy was watching so avidly.
"Cold." Happy said with a deep scowl of discomfort. They could feel the magic even from that distance.
Heat began to brush up Lucy's legs, rising like a blanket over her.
"Warrmm" Happy purred in pure content, curling up right where he'd been stood on the balcony.
A thick muscled arm casually slung itself over her shoulders, pulling her into an immensely warm body. It was like being hugged by a furnace.
"Is this that harvest parade Gray was yapping on about?" Natsu asked, holding Lucy tight with one arm, leaning against the balcony with the other.
Lucy silently looked up at him, not realizing straight away that he'd asked her something.
"Yeah," she said at last after recognizing the questioning glance he'd given her, "the master was determined that we should do it, despite what happened yesterday. Everyone is down there, all on their floats showing the city that we're still here." Lucy explained, no longer having any interest in breaking away from him. She was too comfortable in his arms.
"But you're not there, that's not… I was going to say that's not everyone but I was distracted by that giant snake with Mira's cute little hair tie on top. That is horrific." Natsu grimaced, internally fighting against his mental depictions of what Mirajane normally looked like.
"You can't deny that while she has some seriously scary power, she's just a sweetheart most of the time. Kinda like you," Lucy mused for a moment before her smile faded.
Both of them had split sides, like two faces of a coin. It was poetic. What did she and Natsu have, other than a tie to an ancestor?
"Yeah, kinda like me." His smile faded, remembering the last moments of his battle with Laxus. He'd pushed himself so far beyond what was sensible that for a fleeting moment, E.N.D. was holding the reins.
"I felt Titania's power when I woke up, and I saw that ugly snake, don't ever tell Mira I said that, but this parade isn't going to be complete for me if you aren't in it," Natsu told her, hoisting her up by the waist and poising her so that she sat with him on the balcony edge.
"Let's make our own float," he said, looking at her with gentle eyes and a bright smile that made her feel like fireworks were going off inside her chest.
"Leo!" He yelled.
A moment later, Loke stepped into existence behind them. "You're not going to try fighting me again, are you?" He asked with a weary look.
"No," Natsu said, shaking his head. He stopped mid-way and pondered it for a moment before confirming his answer, "No. We're taking part in this parade, I want you to act as a conduit for her magic, we'll work in tandem. You better light up those skies with Celestial sparks." Natsu told him, once again sporting that bright smile.
"Now that, that I can do! I'll be ready on your signal," Loke smiled as he vanished.
"You've just woken up, do you have enough magic for this? We're so far away, that you'll exhaust what little you've recovered." Lucy reasoned, staring at him through worried eyes.
"I recover strength faster than you normal mages, and this is only going to be a light show, I'll be fine, trust me." He assured her, taking her hand in his.
She felt power surge through her body and for the second time, her senses had become that of the Dragon by her side.
"Let's show the world what we can do," he whispered to her, sending a slight shiver down her spine.
Raising his hand, fire flew from his fingertips and swirled around the air in front of them until it took shape and formed a mighty Dragon that rose and soared across the sky, occasionally spitting out balls of fire that glided away a short distance before exploding into the shape of the Fairy Tail emblem.
Lucy mirrored his action, raising her free hand as she poured her magic out. Loke had recognized the signal and materialized on top of Natsu's fire, able to keep himself aloft the flames with his Regulus magic. He covered everything around him in swathes of Celestial magic, the two casters reminding everyone that they were there, watching from the guildhall.
"That Dragon is beautiful," she whispered, her breath almost hitched at the sight. "Is that what you look like?" She asked, unable to stop herself.
"No," he gave a gentle shake, "I can't remember what I look like, it's been so long, but that…" his smile turned to one of reminiscence, "That's my father, Igneel."
"Natsu?" She asked after a moment where the two had simply been focused on letting their magic create a work of art in the sky above Magnolia.
He tilted his head to her but said nothing.
"I can't explain why, but when I see you with the others, Mirajane and Erza, I'm feeling… Jealous," she said, turning away in shame and embarrassment.
"It feels like a race that I'm constantly losing. You're always either away or hurt and injured. Then you come along and do this-" she held up their intertwined hands, "like it's the most natural thing in the world. Even being this close to you is making my heart almost break my ribs," she explained, looking back at him with cheeks so red they could have been mistaken for roses.
"You helped save Loke's life, and then you walked away. Do you have any idea how that feels?" She asked, tears welling in her eyes.
"Hey, Happy, I need you to do something for me," Natsu said, waking the sleeping cat.
"Is it eat some fish?" The feline asked hopefully, yawning away with a long stretch.
"Not this time, buddy. No, Gray is falling asleep on his float, he'll crash and get hurt unless you go down there and wake him up. You've got to bite him on the ears, it's the only thing that will wake him, can you do that for me?" Natsu asked, badly hiding the grin.
"Aye, sir!" Happy saluted before taking to the air and flying towards the parade.
"Your blood," he replied without missing a beat now that Happy was preoccupied, "I'm drawn to you, a Celestial mage as powerful as you looking almost identical to Anna. The Gods only know why you feel that way about me though," he let out a slight laugh. They both let their magic fade and the Dragon disappeared, Loke alongside it.
"And to answer your question, yes, I do know what it's like to have someone important walk away." He added, his eyes fixed on the ground below them.
"But I haven't walked away, I came back when you called me. I've joined your guild and I'm not leaving you or any of the others behind." His features softened when he saw just how deeply conflicted Lucy was.
"Give me a day or two to rest, and then you and I will find a job together, you can get whatever you need to get off your chest." His soft charming smile warped into a childish grin and she knew what was coming next.
"Hopefully your clothes."
A/N: The first original arc starts in the next chapter, it will be funny, it will be sad. Someone is probably going to die, we'll see. It'll be 10-12 chapters long. Review?