"Dialogue"

"Thoughts"

Magic

Shooting out of bed, or more aptly put the couch, Natsu would look around the dark interior of the living room, his body caked in sweat, his breathing labored and heavy. He felt his hand instinctively moving to his chest, feeling around as if he was searching for a wound, though he never felt the unmistakable warmth of blood, much to his relief, as a heavy sigh escaped from his mouth.

"Must've been another nightmare." Natsu muttered to himself, as his breathing slowly returned to normal. "Man, if only Wendy was here to cast that spell on me, again." Natsu said, as he leaned back down on the couch, though he already knew sleep would evade him for the remainder of the night.

Turning his head to the side, he'd look out one of the small windows, noting the darkness that enveloped the city, with a sense of familiarity. "Yep. Still got a few hours till daylight.. tomorrow will be a long one." Natsu muttered, as he turned his head back towards the ceiling. Natsu would lay there silently, looking up to the ceiling in the dark home, as he felt his mind race with thought after thought.

After stewing in his own thoughts for a few minutes, Natsu inevitably found himself thinking back to his encounter with Conway, and his upcoming raid on Kings Citadel, unsure of what exactly he'll do. "Why exactly do I even care so much?" Natsu asked himself internally, as he thought about the situation. "Sure, I was attacked once or twice, but never seriously harmed. Hell, Conway only came after me because I was poking my nose in the whole situation, to begin with." Natsu thought, with trace amounts of frustration. Though he soon found his mind wandering back to the Wolf Spider den, and the mangled, bloodied corpses of everyone inside.

He sighed once again, sticking his hand upwards, as he held it above his head, staring at the back of his palm, as he continued thinking. "I'll have to kill. There's no avoiding it. Between Conway, Cobra, and who knows what else… I won't be able to win if I worry about keeping the morale high-ground." Natsu finally acknowledged, as he clenched his hand into a fist.

A shaky sigh escaped his lips, this time much more audible than before, as he leaned up, no longer laying down on the couch, as he stared at his clenched hand, now resting in front of his chest. "I'm sorry, Igneel. I doubt you wanted me to have so much blood on my hands, huh?" Natsu spoke aloud, his voice shaky, as if it was on the cusp of breaking. He knew he had to do it, that Cobra was too dangerous to be left alive, that Conway was.. he even knew King was too dangerous to be left alive, despite his supposed lack of fighting capabilities.

"It's not like I've never killed before… I just - " Natsu found himself speaking aloud, only to cut off as he heard the subtle sounds of floorboards creaking. With his head snapping to the side quickly, he easily made out the unmistakable visage of Wendy leaning around the hallway corner, seeing half of her round face, as her one eye widened at being seen, before she quickly vanished behind the corner completely.

After a few moments of silence, Natsu would hear the soft voice of Wendy, as she began to speak, without looking around the corner of the hall - trusting in Natsu's heightened hearing to pick up her words, now that he was fully aware she was there.

"I- I'm sorry, Natsu… I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything - I just thought I heard talking, and came out.." Wendy said, as her voice was filled with what was most certainly regret, at eavesdropping on her guest.

Natsu would hear this, although faintly, as a small smile formed on his face, especially so once he saw the you g lady step out from around the corner, fidgeting her two index fingers against one another, as she did. Letting out a small laugh, Natsu simply shook his head.

"It's okay, Wendy. I'm not used to keeping company with other dragonslayers - at least, not ones who are light sleepers. I'm sorry if my muttering woke you up." Natsu said apologetically, as he tried his best to give the lady a reassuring smile.

To his credit, it seemed to work - as Wendy instantly brightened up a bit, her worry seemingly wiped away quickly. Though the bluenette would quickly shake her head, as she slowly approached Natsu on the couch.

"No, you didn't wake me! I've been up for a little bit now. I had a bad dream.." Wendy spoke, enthusiastically at first, before alternating to a much quieter tone - as she realized how loud she was being at first.

Hearing this, Natsu perked up a little more, as he turned his body a bit, his feet now on the floor, making room on the couch for Wendy, as he patted the cushion next to him. "A bad dream? I suppose you can't use that one spell if you're sleeping.. do you want to talk about it?" He asked, with an understanding smile.

Wendy would make her way to the other side of the couch, as she saw Natsu's invitation to sit down - which she took. She'd sit down next to the dragonslayer, as her fingers fidgeted against one another again, a look of embarrassment seemingly present on her face, as she started to blush lightly.

"It's nothing serious..! I just had a dream about Grandeeney, that's all.." she said softly, with a small frown. "I dreamt that I had found her, but that she wasn't proud of me, and was disappointed.." Wendy said softly, that frown still present. "I know it's childish, but…" She started, before stopping herself - as she felt Natsu's hand on her head, ruffling her hair a little bit.

"Nah, it's not childish." Natsu simply said, as he rubbed the girls head. "I used to have the same dream, when I was younger. Well, about Igneel, at least." Natsu chuckled a little. "Though I think you're fine. Grandeeney isn't like Igneel - she wouldn't care remotely about that. I'm sure she'll be more than proud of you and what you've accomplished.. even if you stumbled upon her tomorrow." Natsu said, with a small smile.

Wendy, while relieved to hear Natsu say what he did - didn't feel too reassured, not quite. Though with a curious look, she'd speak up. "What makes you say that though, Natsu?" She asked softly, though with a much calmer facial expression - like Natsu's head patting had calmed her down, a little.

Natsu just smiled, as he looked deep in thought, for a few moments, before speaking. "Well, one of the days I was with Grandeeney, we were talking about her getting a student. She asked if I wanted to learn Sky Dragon Magic, alongside my Fire Dragon Magic. While I thought it'd be super cool - I said no." Natsu explained, his smile growing a little bigger.

Wendy would nod her head in response to this, before asking the first thing that came to mind. "Why did you say no?" Her head titled in a slight angle, curiosity dancing in her brown eyes.

"I was such a weirdo back then - still am, honestly. But I said no, cause I didn't want to make Igneel jealous, HAH. But also cause I didn't think I was a good fit. Grandeeney was really smart and kind - I thought her student should've been, too. I… wasn't the brightest back then, honestly." Natsu sweatdropped, as he recalled some of his less than intelligent ideas. "Grandeeney did agree with me, though. So, the reason I think she'd be proud of you is because you're just that. You're a smart and kind young lady, Wendy. You're exactly what Grandeeney would want you to be." Natsu said, with a smile.

Though his smile would be wiped off of his face, as he felt the young lady's head slam into his chest, her arms wrapping around his torso, as she pulled him into a hug. At first he was worried, afraid he had accidentally upset the blue-haired lady - but he was able to just barely make out the sight of a smile on the woman's face, as she buried it deeper in his chest. With a smile of his own, he'd wrap his left arm around the lady as well, returning the kind embrace.

The hug would continue this way, in silence, for a few moments, before Wendy finally spoke up herself. "What did you mean by what you said earlier? About.. about killing someone?" Wendy asked softly, referring back to when she had first been caught eavesdropping.

Natsu's smile turned to a small frown, as his arm would slowly ease up on the hug, simply being around the lady's body gently, as she stayed buried in his chest. "It's.. Mira and I were ambushed by a guy at Twin Rock. He works for the person creating all the amalgamations - and was pretty strong. I'll have to fight him soon. Alongside - Cobra, again.. I'll probably have to kill one, or both of them, if I want to survive and stop the person making the Amalgamations." Natsu explained softly, feeling Wendy tense up at the mention of Cobra's name.

"You… Cobra? I thought he was.." Wendy started off, as memories of the poison dragon slayer flooded her mind, for the first time in a while.

"He was broken out. Or, at least - that's what I've been told, by a reliable source." Natsu explained, softly. "Sorry if I ruined your image of me, Wendy. I know killing isn't what the good guys are meant to do." Natsu muttered, softly. Though as he said this, Wendy suddenly looked up at his face, her own contorted in an almost childish pout, as she gave him a tiny glare.

"I'm not a kid, Natsuuu! I know the world isn't black and white…" she whined, before transitioning into a softer tone. Though she'd speak again, after a few seconds. "But.. I do wish you didn't have to.." she finally said, with a little sniffle.

Natsu would stare, his eyes widened a little at this, before his features relaxed, and a smile spread across his face. "... Yeah, Grandeeney would be proud of you." He said softly, before giving the girl another brief hug. "You're not gonna insist on coming with me though, right?" Natsu asked, with a narrowed look.

"Huh? Uh - no…" Wendy responded, with embarrassment. "I'm sorry for not being brave - but -" she was suddenly cut off, by a laugh from Natsu.

"No, no, don't apologize! I'm glad. I don't want you there - it's dangerous, and risky. Heroics get people killed." Natsu said, softly. "Mira is already adamant about going - so I'll have to convince her otherwise." Natsu groaned, unsure how he was going to do so.

Hearing this, Wendy perked up a little, as she looked at Natsu, with an almost hopeful expression. "So.. it's okay to be scared?" She asked, quietly.

"Of course it is. Honestly? I'm terrified." Natsu replied, with a smile. "You're smart to be scared - they're no joke. I'm sure I'll be fine - but that doesn't mean I'm not scared." Natsu said, with a laugh.

Wendy would let out a sigh of relief, as she was told it was okay. She'd even nod her head in understanding at Natsu's words, before finally breaking the hug, just realizing how long it was going, with an awkward blush. She'd sit on her cushion of the couch, fidgeting nervously and awkwardly, as she did so. Though suddenly she'd take a deep breathe, as if she was trying to calm her nerves.

"Hey, Natsu… do you think you could tell me some stories, until I'm able to sleep again..?" She asked, with a nervous fidget. "He probably thinks I'm such a kid.." Wendy internally whined, after asking her question.

The Dragonslayer in question would simply quirk and eyebrow, as he was asked this - a small smile on his lips. "I mean, sure. I probably won't be able to sleep, for a while, anyways. Though wouldn't Carla be better for this sorta thing?" Natsu asked, curiously.

Wendy's eyes lit up in excitement, as she heard Natsu say yes. Though she would gently shake her head, at the mention of Carla. "Carla is my closest friend… but she can be a bit rough, sometimes. She'd probably say to just not think about it." Wendy giggled a little bit, as she thought of how her friend would respond.

Natsu nodded his head, a smile still present. "That makes sense… well, what do you want to hear?" He asked, with no hint of judgment.

The blue-haired dragonslayer would ponder for a moment, before her eyes lit up, and she features seemed to brighten as a whole. "Can you tell me about your journeys? You must've seen all sorts of places.. I'd like to hear all about it!" Wendy exclaimed, happily.

Natsu only smiled brighter at this, the woman's excitement and cheerfully bubbly energy rubbing off on him, as he nodded his head. "Alright, I can do that." He said softly, before he began telling his stories.

Wendy would listen with rapt attention, giggling whenever something funny was mentioned, or waiting with bated breath at a tense moment. She'd even find herself resting with her side against Natsu, comfortably, like a sister would their older brother, after having a bad dream. And thus, the two stayed like this, Natsu, ever the storyteller, and Wendy, his excited audience. Though Wendy would eventually find herself asleep, having been able to find rest once again, as she leaned against the dragonslayer, and listened to his stories.

"And then -" Natsu was saying, before being cut off by the gentle breathing of the sleeping Wendy, causing him to pause mid sentence - only to smile. He'd not open his mouth again, instead simply sitting there, letting the blue-haired lady sleep against his side, peacefully. He'd notice that it must've been at least an hour since he woke up, yet the sky grew no brighter, as his own eyes grew heavy, and he too found himself drifting off to sleep, one arm comfortably around the younger dragonslayer, as she snuggled against his side - both with content smiles on their faces.

The Sky Sisters Household, Morning.

Natsu found himself waking up to the sounds of birds chirping outside, with rays of sunlight illuminating the small household interior, as well. Groggily looking around, he'd notice the lack of Wendy - only to spot the blue-haired lady in question sitting at the dining table, in conversation with Carla. With a pleasant smile on his own face, Natsu's nose would pick up the smell of various different herbs and spices, as he briefly saw a glimpse of Chelia's amaranth hair - realizing she was in the midst of making breakfast, once again.

With a yawn, Natsu would stand up from the couch, twisting his upper body a little bit, as he stretched out any kinks and soreness he had in his body from his sleep.

"Good morning, Natsu!" Wendy called out cheerfully from the table, a pleasant smile on her face as she noticed the pink-haired man standing from the couch.

"Yes, good morning." Carla said, as well - albeit with a much more reserved and polite tone, compared to Wendy's more excited tone.

"Yo." Natsu simply responded, as his left hand covered his mouth, mid yawn, while his right hand raised up and did a simple wave.

After a few more moments of stretching, Natsu made his way over to the table, sitting down with Wendy and Carla on his right, and Chelia on his left - once the amaranth-haired lady would take her seat, that is.

"Did you sleep well, Natsu?" Wendy asked, with a happy smile, as looked over to the dragonslayer in question.

"Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Better than I usually do, so that's a plus." Natsu responded, with a chuckle. "What about you, you little hairball? Did you get some good rest?" Natsu questioned, as he teased Carla.

"I'm not a hairball, you ruffian!" Carla huffed, in annoyance. "Though yes, my sleep was quite fine." She finally replied, with a shake of her head, as she muttered something under her breath.

"I slept quite well, too! Though, I always do.. hehe." Chelia giggled, as she walked out towards the table, placing plates of food down before everyone, as she then took her own seat.

The trio of mages, plus Carla, would then eat their breakfast in an amiable silence, with the occasional bit of conversation here and there. One such topic would eventually arise, as Chelia eventually questioned Natsu about his plans for the day.

"My plans? Hmmm… I don't honestly know." Natsu responded, with a sheepish smile. "I suppose I'll do some training, but other than that, I don't know." Natsu finally admitted, after taking another bite of his food.

Chelia nodded her head, as she took a few bites from her own food, before speaking. "That makes sense. I'd offer to help you train - but Wendy and I are taking a job in Crocus, and are leaving today. We'll probably be gone for a day or two." Chelia explained, between bites of food.

It was at this point that Wendy would jump into the conversation as well, with a smile. "You're still welcome to sleep here, though!" She said, cheerfully.

Natsu simply smiled, nodding his head in appreciation as he did so. "Thanks. I hope the job goes well for you two, though." Natsu said, as he finished his plate.

He wouldn't waste too much time, however. Standing up from the table, he did another quick stretch, before taking his plate to the sink, with a smile. "I'll probably head out now." He simply said, before going towards the door, and putting his boots on. He'd say his goodbyes, before heading out of the house and into the streets of Gracia, with a smile on his face, as he looked up to the sky. "Nice day out." He simply said, with a content tone to his voice.

After basking in the glow of the morning sun for a few moments, Natsu would let out a content and happy sigh, as he decided to go about with his plans, or lack thereof, for the day.

Walking down the street, he'd take in the early morning sights of Gracia, watching as vendors opened up, and people went about their own life - while he was stuck in thought, as to what to do.

"Hmm… I guess I could practice with my sword - it has been a while.." Natsu mused aloud, as he walked through the streets of Gracia.

"Natsu?"

Natsu would stop in his tracks, looking up from the floor, with a surprised expression on his face, as he heard his name being called out. Not far from him, he would see an equally surprised looking Kagura, wearing her signature blazer, with her sword in hand. It was when he saw her, that an idea suddenly formed in Natsu's head.

"Oh, Kagura! Perfect timing! Do you have a minute?" Natsu suddenly asked, with a smile.

Kagura simply nodded her head, a small smile forming on her usually stoic face, as she heard Natsu's words. "Mhm. I wasn't aware you and Mira had got back." She responded, with a polite tone.

"Yeah, we got back pretty late last night. But about that favor! Do you think you could show me somewhere quiet to train? I want to practice with my sword a bit." Natsu explained.

Kagura simply nodded her head, in understanding. "Of course. I know a glade, not far from here - that should do." She explained, before she started walking forwards and past Natsu, leading him back in the direction he came from.

"Sweet, you're the best!" Natsu cheered, happily, as he followed the purple-haired woman.

Kagura's face lit up at the compliment, her steps faltering for a minute, before she regained her composure - hoping Natsu hadn't noticed, as she led him to the training spot in question.

It would only take ten or so minutes for the duo to arrive in a small clearing in the nearby woods, with a few training dummies set up. Upon closer examination, Natsu would notice the dummies were clearly bruised and battered, like they were used fairly often.

"This is where I come to train. When I want to be alone, that is." Kagura explained, as she noticed Natsu eyeing the straw dummies. "You're more than free to use the space, while you're here. Just - please don't cause any destruction, like you do in your own training grounds." Kagura said, with a sweatdrop.

Natsu would blush in embarrassment, at Kagura's comment, as he deflated comically, blue lines going across his face as he did. "Yeaaaah… but don't worry, I won't destroy anything! I'm just practicing with my sword, basic stuff." Natsu explained, his left hand sheepishly scratching his head, while his right hand was enveloped in a golden light - his sword reappearing in his grasp, as it vanished.

Kagura would nod her head in understanding, before examining the blade, for a moment. It wasn't sheathed like usual, instead just out in the open - with a reddish-maroon tint to it, very much like Erza's Flame Empress Armor.

"Natsu. Does that blade have a name?" She asked, simply, with curiosity.

Natsu looked down at his sword for a moment, before shrugging. "I dunno. I got it as a quest reward, a little less than three years ago, now. The old man who gave it to me said it belonged to his late son - but that's all I know about it." Natsu said, as he lifted his sword, examining the blunt side of his blade, as he did. "I was taught how to use it by an old geezer - and he encouraged me to name it, but I never thought of anything I liked." He said, with a chuckle. "I'm sure you've noticed, but I'm not quite the genius when it comes to naming things." He lamented, with a sheepish laugh.

Kagura nodded her head, as she listened to Natsu's story. Something about the sword felt off to Kagura, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. It felt wrong, tainted - like the blade itself was corrupted, a notion that struck Kagura deeply. Though she wouldn't ponder for too much longer, as she was brought out of her thoughts by Natsu.

"What about your sword? Looks pretty fancy - and I've noticed you never draw it. Hell, it looks taped shut." Natsu commented, as he leaned down and looked at the woman's sword, noticing the several layers of wrapping around the sheath and hilt of the blade.

"Oh." She responded simply, as she was questioned. "Its name is Archenemy - and has been my trusty companion, for just as long as Onee-sama has been." Kagura said, with a small smile - which quickly vanished, as she recalled her slightly strained relationship with Erza, at the moment.

"Archenemy? Dope name." Natsu commented, his eyes too busy examining the blade to notice Kagura's mood change.

"Mm. As for why it's sheathed - the blade is far too strong, to be used recklessly. So I utilize the Way of The Unsheathed Long Sword, while keeping it scabbard." Kagura explained, matter of fact, almost like how a teacher would their student.

"Oh! I get it. I think the old man who taught me said something about that fighting style - I think. I'm not too sure, he said a lot of wacky things, honestly." Natsu sheepishly said, as he looked to visibly struggle recalling any information he could have possibly been told.

At that, Kagura let out one of her rare, yet increasingly more common, laughs - a cheerful little giggle, at Natsu's silly behavior. "You're silly, Natsu." She simply said, with a small smile.

"And you're a meanie." Natsu fake pouted, as he huffed and backed away from the purple-haired swordswomen.

Though while he stood opposite of the Mermaid Heel mage, an idea would suddenly strike him - as his pout turned into a little grin.

"Hey, Kagura…" he called out, before raising his blade, pointing the tip towards Kagura's direction. "Wanna help me get some practice in? I could use a decent swordswoman to help." He said, with a little grin.

While Kagura would be smiling at the man's childish behavior, finding enjoyment in his fake pouting - she couldn't help but to quirk an eyebrow, as her own little grin formulated, at the challenge she was issued. Backing up a few steps, she'd draw her own blade as well, as she simply nodded her head. "Sure. I'd be happy to assist, Natsu." Kagura finally replied, as her stance lowered lightly, and she got ready to strike.

"How about we make a wager, Natsu?" Kagura asked, as she stared at her friend, soon to be opponent.

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" He asked curiously, his head tilted, and an eyebrow quirked.

"There's some information I'd like to know about you.. if I win, you answer my questions. And if you win - then I'll do whatever it is you ask of me." Kagura responded, a confident glint in her eyes, despite the outcome of their previous fight.

This served to only confuse Natsu further, as he listened to her wager. "What does she want to know about me?" He mused internally, before his face went back to his standard grin. "Sure, works for me. Just don't try to back out when you lose, Kay?" He taunted, with a smile.

"My honor wouldn't let me." Kagura responded, as the world around them faded out of focus. To Kagura, at this very moment, the rest of the world was as if it never even existed - an empty void, revolving around Natsu and Kagura.

Suddenly and simultaneously, the two mages dashed inwards towards one another, Natsu's Unsheathed blade clashing against Kagura's, as they entered a blade lock - round two starting officially.