"Dialogue"
"Thoughts"
Magic
"So, let me get this straight.." Natsu said, as he was now rubbing his temples in a mixture of confusion and frustration. "You want me to judge a cooking competition at Mermaid Heel?" He asked, skeptically.
"Mhm!" Ultear replied, with an enthusiastic smile. "Well, it won't just be Mermaid Heel mages. There'll be mages from all over!" Ultear replied, as she sealed an envelope, and pushed it off to the side of her desk.
The two had since made their way to the Mermaid Heel Guildhall, now residing in Ultear's office as she wrote out invitations to countless guilds about the upcoming competition. Natsu, on the other hand, was just trying to wrap his head around the situation at hand, still at a loss.
"but like - why me?" He finally asked, sigh confusion.
"Well not just you, Natsu." Ultear said, her eyes never leaving the piece of paper in front of her; her hand never not writing words. "There'll be two other judges, as well. Though I'm not sure who, yet." Ultear giggled, as she finished writing another letter, sealing the envelope for that one as well.
Natsu just shook his head, in disbelief. He had decided to remain quiet for a moment, weighing his options. "I could always just not show up… but then again, it's free food - and likely good food at that…" Natsu pondered, for a moment. Though while he was, he did have a sudden revelation - as his mind wandered back to his encounter with Conway, and what he'll be soon undertaking.
"Hey, Ultear." He said simply, with an almost monotonous tone to his voice.
"Yeah?" She replied, not taking her eyes off her newest letter.
"What if I'm dead by then?" Natsu asked, with an almost casual tone.
The sounds of Ultear's pen gliding across the paper abruptly stopped, as Natsu's words sank in. "What do you mean by that, Natsu?" She suddenly asked, a steely cold to her voice. Rather than looking up to Natsu, she I stead opted to keep her head down towards her newest letter, only flicking her eyes towards him.
"Scary.." Natsu thought, with a shiver, as he noticed Ultear's sudden change in demeanor. "Well - just that. You know where I'm going, and what I'm doing, in a few days time. No saying I won't kick the bucket, is all." Natsu said, a slight quiver to his voice. "I mean, it's not like I'm scared of dying or anything." he added in, at the end.
"You're really bad at making jokes, Natsu. Good thing you're a super strong mage, instead of a comedian." Ultear simply said, her voice still having that same dagger-like edge.
"I'm being serious, Ultear." Natsu said, still with a somewhat casual aloofness. "I'm not gonna promise I'll live this - I know what I'm getting myself into." He finished.
"Then I'll go along with you, to make sure you don't die." Ultear stated, like it were a matter of fact.
At this, Natsu suddenly groaned, as he rubbed the temple of his head. "First Mira, now you? I really don't want anyone accompanying me. It's not like I'll just keel over and die, anyways. I've got enough firepower to blow that Sunless Citadel or whatever off the map, I'm sure." Natsu reasoned, as he leaned up in his chair a little bit.
"Mira? What about her?" Ultear questioned, as her eyes narrowed a little bit, finally deciding to look Natsu head on.
"When we went to Twin Rock, or whatever that place was - we were ambushed by someone working for King, the due making the Amalgamations. He was pretty strong - but reaked arrogance. Afterwards, Mira was dead set on coming with me." Natsu groaned, massaging the bridge of his nose with his thumbs, now. "So you better tell her no." He finally said, with a bit more assertiveness than usual for the pink-haired man.
Ultear stayed silent for a minute, before sighing. "... Then it's settled. Mira and I will accompany you." She finally said. Before even waiting for a response, she took her pen once again and started working on the letter, she had stopped midway through.
Natsu stood up, a bit hastily, after hearing this. "Ultear you're being unreasonable-"
"Do NOT tell me I'm being unreasonable, Natsu." Ultear snapped, the air in the room growing to an uncomfortable chill, as the desk and surrounding furniture around Ultear began to be covered in a thin layer of frost. "We will be accompanying you, end of story." The black haired woman said, as she finally cut off the flow of magic, that began to leak out of her.
"Ice magic? I thought I read somewhere about her having time magic..?" Natsu thought for a moment, before shaking his head. "Fine, if you insist. Just know that Fairy Tail will likely be present, as well. They were issued a formal request by the council, after all." Natsu said, as he plopped right back down in his chair.
"Fairy Tail? How do you know that?" Ultear asked, having been caught by surprise by this revelation.
"I have connections to the guild, to an extent. He informed me of their upcoming raid, which is going to be timed alongside mine." Natsu explained, as he threw his head back exasperatedly. "If only that damn geezer would just listen, and not send a whole damn cavalry." Natsu groaned. "I was hoping to surprise them - but with Fairy Tail? I'd be lucky if they weren't waiting at the door for us." Natsu bemoaned.
"Then there shouldn't be any talk of you dying. Fairy Tail has plenty of strong mages - and with Mira and myself, you'll be just fine." Ultear huffed.
Natsu just shook his head, an almost amused smile on his face. "Yeah yeah. I had asked for only one person from their guild as backup - but I doubt Makarov will listen to me." Natsu muttered, with an annoyed tone.
As Natsu finished his sentence, he was suddenly caught off-guard by the sound of Ultear's palm slamming against her desk, causing the wood to rattle surprisingly violently, as the thud echoed around the room.
"Why are you so insistent on a suicide mission, Natsu!?" Ultear exclaimed, as she looked right back up at Natsu.
Annoyance began to bubble up inside of Natsu, at Ultear's outburst. "Why does it even matter!?" He thought to himself, with an almost dejected bitterness. Yet, as he was about to open his mouth to retort, he caught a glimpse of Ultear's eyes. They aren't the pointed glare she had given before, nor were they sharp like daggers. Ultear's eyes looked to be on the verge of widening, as if she was holding them back for composure sake. More than this, Natsu could see the worry dancing across her red eyes, the look of fear and terror, a look he remembered seeing in the eyes of a child who had just lost their parents.
Before his words even had a chance to leave his lips, he felt them dissolving in his throat, unable to bring himself to retort back with the woman. "She's just.. concerned for me." Natsu thought to himself, as he felt his body involuntarily slumping against his chair.
"Look, Ultear…" Natsu started, before halting in his own words, for a moment. "It's.. not like I want to die, or anything. As.. deserving of death that I am - there's still a lot I've got to do." Natsu began to explain, gently.
"Then why are you so dead set on going alone!? And what do you mean you're deserving of death!?" Ultear exclaimed, once again - her anger not quite settling.
"It's.. complicated." Natsu said, sigh a sigh. "Look, I know I can take these fuckers out. Like I said, I've got enough firepower to blow their base right off the map - or, at least, I'm pretty confident I do. But I wouldn't be able to guarantee anyone's survival. One of my strongest spells - if I don't execute it perfectly, it could seriously injure me, and I'm resistant to fire and explosions as is." Natsu explained, his tone still on the gentler side. "That's why I don't want any of you tagging along. I.. I've already got friends killed in the past. I don't want to be the reason more promising mages die." Natsu finished, with a much softer tone than when he had started.
Ultear would have calmed down, too - her head cooling off as she listened to Natsu's reasoning. "Oh Natsu.." she thought momentarily, remembering the story him and Ophelia told her, back in Sacchia. "Natsu.." she finally said, her voice taking an equal softness to the pink-haired dragonslayers. "You're not the reason they died.. and you wouldn't be the reason anyone else died. You're one of the strongest mages I've met, Natsu. You have amazing control, and strength. You shouldn't waste that, by throwing yourself away. Let us help you, Natsu. Please. That's.. I just want to help you." Ultear finished, with sincerity in her voice.
Natsu just sat in his chair, quietly, without saying any other word. "I.. don't understand. Why does she want to help me so badly? We barely know each other. So why?" Natsu questioned himself internally, his mind being torn to pieces by the onslaught of questions and confusion that was bombarding him. Finally, he released a sigh, before speaking. "...is there no way I can convince you otherwise?" He asked.
"Nope! I've made up my mind. We're gonna kick this guy's ass, and then you're going to come back and judge my cooking competition!" Ultear chirped, her demeanor returning back to her more playful and normal attitude.
At Ultear's sudden swap in personality and behavior, Natsu simply chuckled, as he shook his head a little bit. "And people say I'm the crazy one." He remarked, more to himself. "Alright, fine. But if I say to retreat, you retreat - got that?" He asked, his tone firmer and more assertive than usual.
"Ooo, I like when you speak to me like that…. Do it more~" Ultear giggled, as she gave Natsu a teasing, yet sultry, look.
Natsu immediately coughed into his hand, trying to hide his embarrassment. After a moment, he'd stop - and begin to speak. "I'm going to kill you." Natsu deadpanned, as a faint blush crept up his cheeks at the woman's remark.
"You're so hot when assertive, and so cute when bashful.. my my, you really are the full package aren't you?" Ultear teased once again with a sultry tone.
It was at this moment that Natsu's slight blush turned into a much more serious one, as he suddenly became well aware of Ultear's Kimono, and how revealing it was. "Has it been like that the entire time!?" He internally screamed, before quickly turning his gaze away from Ultear. "..and here I was thinking we were having a genuine moment, for once." He muttered out, embarrassment still evident.
"Oh, we most certainly were! I was just hoping for a moment of… well, genuine passion too~" Ultear purred, watching as Natsu's body lit up red in embarrassment. Though she'd eventually burst out into a fit of giggles, as she watched Natsu turn into a blushing and stuttering mess.
"Y-you're… you're the worst, you know that?" Natsu finally stuttered out, a sigh escaping his lips alongside his words. Standing up from his seat, he'd shake his head vigorously, as if trying to clear it of any thoughts he didn't want. "Well, I'm gonna head out. I need to talk to Mira, see if she's feeling better than she was last night. I also have to make sure she knows what she's really getting herself into." Natsu said, as he turned his body towards the door, and made his way to it. Though as he grabbed the door handle, he'd stop for a moment, looking back towards Ultear over his shoulder. "Any idea where she may be?" He'd ask.
Ultear giggled at Natsu's little comment, a smile still plastered on her face - him calling her the worst having no impact on her mood, whatsoever. "She should be out back training. If not.. you'll probably have to ask around." Ultear responded.
Hearing this, Natsu nodded his head in thanks, before opening up the door and heading out, just like that.
Ultear would take this time to seal another envelope, placing it in a neat pile off to the side, as she grabbed another piece of paper, only to start writing again. "... Annnd I'm already bored." Ultear sighed, her body slumping over. "Who knew his presence alone would make writing all these letters bearable?" Ultear mused, with a small smile, as she got right back to work writing the letters.
Mermaid Heel Training Grounds
Natsu stepped out of the Mermaid Heel Guildhall, finding himself staring into the increasingly familiar training grounds, once again. As he did a quick scan of the surrounding area, he'd notice a number of mages using the various stations positioned all throughout the place - each one working diligently in their own ways.
"Well, I'll give it to Ultear. She knows how to pick dedicated mages." Natsu mused, with a little smile, as he watched the mages training.
After a few more minutes however, he found himself not noticing the familiar head of white hair that he was looking for. With a dejected sigh, he'd run a hand through his hair, not really wanting to talk to anyone else. "Knowing where I am - I'd probably get skewered." Natsu mused to himself.
"What was that, mister?"
Natsu suddenly jumped, a startled yelp escaping from his lips, as he suddenly whirled around, his head shooting to the side of him as he saw the person who spoke to him.
Standing a few feet away was a slender, well-endowed, and brown eyed young woman with short, light blue, almost silver, hair - which had fringes framing her face. She was wearing a dark blue rose ornament on the left side of her head. Around her shoulders, the lady dons a cloak, clasped together by a star-shaped clip, with feathery protrusions that cover her chest, shoulders, and mid-back, over her blouse and shorts. The cloak, other than the white feathery portions, was a dark blue, much like her hair ornament, that transitioned into a silvery- light blue, before it flared at her feet, where it is divided into flowing sections secured by ribbons. She wears a white pair of socks, that stopped at her mid-thighs with a dark blue circle pattern. She also wore a white pair of boots, that laced up towards a bit below her knees.
Natsu couldn't help but stare at the woman's face for a minute, almost as if he was transfixed. "She looks so… familiar?" The dragonslayer thought internally, for a moment.
"Oh, I'm sorry for scaring you, mister! I was told you had really good senses… so I figured you knew I was approaching you." The lady said in response to Natsu's small yelp, followed up by her taking a step backwards, with a small smile. She couldn't help but I get a little flustered, her face heating up, as she noticed Natsu's intensely scrutinizing gaze.
"Gah- yeah, I usually would have known.." Natsu replied sheepishly, as he rubbed the back of his head, a smile that was equally sheepish to his tone present on his face. "Man, what's wrong with me? I'm getting too sloppy - these people sneak up on me left and right." Natsu thought to himself, before clearing his head.
"Oh! Uh- what did you ask, again? I'm Natsu, by the way." The pink-haired dragonslayer said, rather lamely.
"I know who you are!" The lady replied, with a beaming smile. "Wait.. that sounds weird-! I mean, I know of you! But not you! You know..?" She replied, her cheeks growing coated in a thin layer of pink dust. "Ah- I'm um- I'm Yukino! A Mermaid Heel mage - I was just wondering what you had said to yourself, is all." She laughed awkwardly, having finally introduced herself, as well as restated her question.
Seeing Yukino's own awkwardness, Natsu would feel less embarrassed himself, his smile taking on a slightly more relaxed form. "Yukino? That's… a nice name." Natsu complimented, absentmindedly. Though on the inside, he couldn't help but feel like he's heard that name before - combined with the woman's distinctly familiar appearance, he could only wonder why it felt like he knew her. "I was just saying how - er - it doesn't really matter." Natsu said, much to the confusion of Yukino, as he shrug off the statement - not wanting to mention how he thought he'd get skewered. "Though - how do you know about me?" He questioned, curiously.
While Yukino was embarrassed at first, due to the compliment regarding her name - that embarrassment quickly turned to confusion, as Natsu tried to brush past his statement. While she wasn't going to let him do so, at first, and was going to ask him to elaborate - his own question caught her off guard for a moment, eliciting a response from the silvery-blue haired mage almost out of instinct. "How do I know about you? That's a silly question - I mean, it's not every day that a pink-haired guy comes around and beats two of our strongest mages. Then goes on a mission with Kagura and Mira.. then just Mira… and is also seemingly well-liked by our guildmaster… AND who is, supposedly, training Wendy? I don't know if that last part is true though.." Yukino began to list off different indicators, with a finger held to her chin, much to the embarrassment of Natsu.
"I mean.. yeah, that's all true - so fair enough." Natsu responded, lamely. "Well, all but one part… Though you seem nice, so I'll let you off with a warning. My hair is salmon, not pink, got that?" Natsu asked, with a surprisingly ominous aura around him.
"Y-yeah, got it.." Yukino said nervously, as she sweatdropped at the man's reaction to his hair being called pink. "Wait! So - does that mean you actually beat Erza and Kagura? And that you're training Wendy?" Yukino asked, in disbelief. "I thought people were simply exaggerating… I mean, he has an impressive physique, but it's not like I sense much magic power from him-" Yukino commented internally, as she did a quick scan over Natsu's body.
Natsu simply sighed, as he raised his hand and scratched the back of his head, while slouched over lightly. "Yeaaaah. Those two were feisty, though. Especially Erza - she could've sliced me to pieces." Natsu shuddered, as he remembered his fight with the redhead. "As for Wendy… I don't feel right saying I'm training her. I'm only showing her the ropes, honestly. While I'm here, at least." Natsu explained. "Man, word really does travel fast around this place, doesn't it? I only just agreed to help train Wendy." Natsu remarked.
Yukino nodded her head, as Natsu pointed out his observation. "A lot of the girls here like to gossip - so it's no surprise. But if you're able to beat Kagura and Erza.. Wendy has one heck of a teacher." Yukino commented, with a kind smile.
Natsu smiled back, as he scoffed at the woman's response. "Please. I'm doing nothing, basically. Wendy just lacks proper training and experience - she'll be S-Class material in less than a year, I can tell. Honestly? I give it ten years tops until she's getting offered a station in the 10 Wizard Saints." Natsu remarked casually.
At hearing this, Yukinos eyes widened a little bit, at Natsu's confidence in Wendy's abilities. "But - haven't you two just met? How can you be so sure?" She asked, skeptically. "Wendy has potential, sure.. but that much?" Yukino thought to herself.
"To be honest, I'm kinda biased." Natsu responded, followed up by him sporting a cheeky grin, accompanied by a laugh. "She's a dragonslayer, and a First Generation one at that - so I'm a bit biased, because of that. Then there's the fact that I've actually met her dragon, before she, alongside my own, vanished." Natsu stated.
"Oh, wow!" Yukino exclaimed, surprised by this revelation as well. "That's crazy.. so you knew her dragon? And what do you mean by you two being First Generation dragonslayers?" Yukino questioned.
Natsu nodded his head briefly, as he heard Yukino's response. "Mhm. I did!" Natsu answered cheerfully. "Ah, right. It's probably not common knowledge. A dragonslayers generation is determined by how they got their power. For example, First Generation dragonslayers were taught their magic by dragons." Natsu explained.
Yukino nodded her head slowly in understanding, though she couldn't fully wrap her head around the implications his words had. "So… there's more ways to become a dragonslayer?" Yukino asked.
"Yeah. From what I know, there's three generations of dragonslayers - but only two methods." Natsu said, as his hand was suddenly engulfed in a golden light. After a few seconds, he held a pen in his hand - which he proceeded to use to draw out a small diagram, in the air. "I've already mentioned First Generation dragonslayers. But Second Generation are dragonslayers who learned their magic through dragon Lacrima - Cobra, from the Oracion Seis, was a Second Generation." Natsu said, as he drew out a T-Table in the air.
"And Third Generation?" Yukino asked.
"They're a special case. As far as I'm aware - there's only two. Sting and Rogue, the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth. A Third Generation is just being trained by a dragon AND having a Lacrima in you." Natsu explained, as he expanded the drawing. Though after leaving it up for a few moments, he'd let it vanish, once he knew Yukino had understood the gist of it.
"I didn't know dragonslayer magic was so complicated." Yukino said, as she laughed a little. "Well, thanks for informing me. But I have one more question… how come you're standing by our training grounds?" The silvery-blue haired mage asked, with an inquisitive tilt of her head.
Natsu immediately remembered his reasoning for being here, as he let out a little laugh in embarrassment. "Damn, I completely forgot! I was looking for Mira, and was hoping she'd be here. Have you seen her at all?" Natsu asked, still a little embarrassed about forgetting his reason for being there.
"Mira? Hmm… last I was aware, I think she was inside eating. How come you're looking for her?" Yukino questioned innocently, as she finished answering Natsu's question.
"Oh, no reason in particular. Just running an errand for Ultear." Natsu effortlessly lied, before bowing in appreciation. "Thanks for letting me know. It was nice meeting you, Yukino!" The mage said with a smile, before taking his leave, heading right back into the guildhall.
Yukino simply smiled and nodded her head, as she watched Natsu leave. Though before he shut the door, she made sure to speak up once more. "It was nice meeting you too, Natsu! Thanks for the lecture on dragonslaying magic!" She said, with a smile. After a few moments, she'd turn towards the training grounds, with a curious look on her face, as she made her way over. "I wonder what errands Ultear is having Natsu run?" She pondered curiously.
Thirty Minutes Later
Natsu just about had it. His conversation with Yukino had seemed promising at first, leading him towards the guilds dining hall - but his hopes of finding Mira there quickly diminished, as he entered the near empty room. Not being one to give up easily, he continued looking around the guild, until it was evident to him that Mira simply wasn't there. He finally caught wind of Mira supposedly being out on the town, though he had no concrete direction as to where she may be. Reluctantly, the pink-haired dragonslayer eventually found himself wandering through the streets again, his agitation growing more by the minute.
"Damn it. I gave her a piggyback ride for an entire day - you'd think I'd have her damn scent." Natsu scoffed in annoyance and agitation, at the situation he found himself in. With his search for Mira not proving too fruitful, Natsu found himself thinking back to his conversation with Yukino, and that sense of familiarity he had gotten from her.
"Why did she seem so familiar? It's like I've met her before.. I even recognized the name." Natsu spoke absentmindedly, not paying too much attention to the world around him, besides for keeping his eyes out for Mira.
Suddenly, as if he were about to walk into a wall, Natsu stopped - his body going rigid, as he finally realized why Yukino had seemed so familiar to him. In his mind, the image of a woman not too dissimilar to Yukino appeared - a woman nearly identical to Yukino, albeit with longer hair, and more mature and womanly features. As soon as the realization dawned on Natsu, he immediately brought a hand to his head, massaging his temple in clear annoyance. "Fucking hell.." Natsu groaned in annoyance, as he contemplated his next move.
"I need to speak to Mira about the raid, and how it'll be handled.. but I also need to confirm that Yukino is who I think she is." Natsu thought to himself, torn about how to proceed. "I know where Yukino is, but I'm still hunting for Mira.. but what will I even say to Yukino? 'Hey Yukino, I think I know your sister, who happens to be a deranged mass murderer turned good!' she'll think I'm insane." Natsu audibly groaned, garnering the attention of a few people, as he began to pace back and forth in the sidewalk, not even paying attention to the people trying to walk around him.
Natsu eventually just threw his head back in frustration, before continuing to stomp down the street, in the direction he was originally going. "I don't have time for this. I need to talk to Mira, first. Yukino… I'm not even sure if she and Sorano are related… could be a complete coincidence that they look nearly identical." Natsu thought to himself, despite knowing that the possibility of it being a coincidence was next to zero.
Natsu would thankfully be pulled out of his inner turmoil, as the familiar sight of white hair caught his attention, as he turned a street corner. Not far away from him, maybe thirty or so feet, he saw Mira - wearing her usual Gothic attire, with a few shopping bags in hand. "Oh thank whoever's up there." Natsu groaned thankfully, as he caught sight of Mira - who stopped in her tracks, having noticed Natsu as well.
"Natsu? What are you doing here?" Mira called out, there still being a bit of distance between the two.
"It's a public street - am I not allowed?" Natsu joked, as he sported a sly half-grin.
"Smart ass." Mira thought to herself, a tick mark forming on her head as she was ready to give Natsu a piece of her mind for his wise comment - until she saw the hints of tiredness in his eyes, the sagging of his skin, like he was exhausted. "Natsu? Are you okay? You look… stressed." Mira asked tentatively, as she got over her surprise and walked over towards the pink-haired man.
"You could say that." Natsu said, with a breathy sigh. "But that's neither here nor there. I was looking for you! For like - almost an hour, now." Natsu said, meeting Mira halfway.
Mira felt her cheeks flustered a little bit, as she heard Natsu's words. "He was.. why was he looking for me?" She thought, before trying to shake the thoughts out of her head. "Oh- sorry, I went shopping.. heh." Mira laughed awkwardly. "How come you wanted to see me?" She asked, hopefully.
"It's about Conway and King." Natsu said, much to the annoyance of Mira - at first. "Look, I can't force you to not join me - especially since Ultear is forcing her way with me - but it will be dangerous, even with Fairy Tail there. You understand that, right?" Natsu asked, with urgency to his voice.
"Of course I understand that - but I don't care. I need to give that bastard a piece of my mind." Mira stated through gritted teeth, as she remembered their encounter with Conway. "Wait - why is Ultear going?" She finally asked, as she realized what he said.
"I don't really know - something about making sure I live so I can judge a cooking competition?" Natsu said exasperatedly, as well as with a hint of confusion, as if he himself really wasn't too sure why. "She confuses me." He simply said.
Mira's face grew more incredulous by the second, as she listened to Natsu's explanation. "I… what?" She asked dumbly, completely lost.
"Look, I really don't know." Natsu sighed, as he shook his head. "Either way.. If you're dead set on going, then I need you to realize how dangerous this will be. Mages from Fairy Tail will be there too - but these guys are no joke." Natsu said, his face serious.
Mira simply shrugged her shoulders, a cocky expression forming on her face as she did. "Pfft, I'm sure we'll be fine. I'll be there after all - and I'm the strongest mage of Mermaid Heel for a reason!" Mira boasted, with a devilish grin.
"Mira, in being serious. You've already fought Conway, and saw what he's about. There are going to be plenty of people as strong as him, if not stronger there - I'm certain of it." Natsu stated gravely. "How can she be so light-hearted about this?" He thought to himself, in confusion.
Mira simply shook her head, before giving Natsu a playful punch on his shoulder, that grin never leaving her face. "Oh please. I can take that misogynist with no issues! He just surprised me last time - but it's not like I was going all out or anything." Mira stated, with that same cocky grin.
Letting out a sigh, Natsu hung his head. "It's pointless, she won't listen to me." Natsu thought, with a groan. Despite his anxiety about the situation, Natsu wouldn't be able to help himself from admitting just how reassuring her confidence was - even if Mira's confidence wasn't exactly warranted, with the fight they'll be heading into. "Alright, if you say so. But I'm telling you the same thing I told Ultear - I'm in charge, got that? If I say retreat - you retreat." Natsu said, his voice firm, lacking any room for debate.
Mira stared at Natsu for a moment, with a blank face, as she contemplated his words. Though she'd eventually let out an almost bored sigh, as she shrugged her shoulders. "Fine, fine. So long as I get to deck that annoying ass butler, I'm chill with that." Mira eventually said, with a smile. "Anyways.. tell me about this cooking competition?"
Natsu nodded his head in understanding, having a small smile of his own at her not putting up an argument about the matter. "Yeaaaah- I guess it's Ultear's idea for the Rising Star Festival? Wants me to judge it, for reasons unbeknownst to me." Natsu said, with a shrug. "Why? Thinking of entering?" He questioned.
Mira's eyes shot open in realization. "SHIT- it's that time of year already!?" She burst out, surprised. "I forgot it was so soon… well, yeah, I have to participate - all S-Class mages of Mermaid Heel are required to participate in the Rising Star Festival." Mira said, with an overly dramatic sigh.
"All S-Class mages? Why's that?" Natsu asked, curiously.
Mira would start to walk again, having found it awkward for the two of them to stay in the middle of the sidewalk for the entirety of their conversation, without moving. "Just Ultear's rules. Though that includes herself too, obviously. Any other mage can participate as well, if they so choose - and it's not uncommon for female mages from other guilds to participate either." Mira explained casually. "Though all Mermaid Heel mages are required to participate in the dance - but that isn't too bad, usually." Mira finished, with a shrug.
Natsu nodded along. "Sounds like something Ultear would do." He said, sigh a small smile. Though Miras words about a dance stuck out to him, confusing the dragonslayer. "Wait - a dance? Ultear didn't mention anything about that to me." Natsu asked.
"Oh, really? That's sorta the main thing." Mira said, a surprised expression. "The festival goes on for a
week - almost like a carnival. There's a parade the first day, which is pretty fun actually." Mira smiled fondly, as if she was recalling events from the past. "But then it's mostly small things, the rest of the week. Vendors with food, games - mostly stuff for the younger kids, but it's a good time. Then, on the final day - a dance! The plaza gets decorated, and the festivities go all throughout the night." Mira sighed happily, once again taking a moment to daydream.
"That does sound nice.. the whole festivities." Natsu responded, with his own small smile - which quickly turned sly. "Though I wouldn't figure you, the Great Demon herself, to be into fancy dances." Natsu teased, earning a glare from Mira in response.
"Hey! Don't think I won't hit you!" She growled, a tick mark forming on her head comically. "Ahem. Anyways." She said, clearing her throat. "I just happen to enjoy dressing up to impress, is all." She said lamely, a light blush covering her cheeks.
Natsu just chuckled, holding his hands up in mock defeat. "Really? Mira, the number one model in Fiore, likes to dress to impress? Never would e guessed." Natsu teased, with a playful snicker.
Mira's face only grew a brighter shade of pink at Natsu's teasing, though she quickly shook it off, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder. "Watch it! Don't make me kick your ass. There's a reason why people say I'm the strongest out of the Four Empresses!" Mira boasted, proudly.
"People say that? Are you sure it's not YOU who says it?" Natsu teased, watching as Miras proud smirk quickly vanished into a look of shock and annoyance.
"You little-! I thought you were meant to be nice!" Mira growled, as she got right up in Natsu's face. "How about you fight me, then!? You and me, let's duke it out!" Mira challenged, as she took a step back, her face returning to a smug, arrogant grin, as she slammed a fist into her palm - her shopping bags rustling due to the motion.
Natsu just stared at her blankly, before smiling and nodding his head. "Sure. I'll take you on." He said, giving the white-haired beauty his own cocky grin.
Mira pumped her fist in excitement, clearly ready and eager to throw down. "Perfect! I've been waiting to get revenge for the thrashing you gave Kagura and Erza, Natsu!" Mira said, with a grin. "Don't think I'll go easy on you, just cause we're friend though!" She finally finished.
"I wouldn't dream of you taking it easy." Natsu said, returning her grin.
"Alright, alright.. man, I'm getting pumped!" Mira said, with a cheerful little glee. "Alright - meet me at the training grounds behind Mermaid Heel, in one hour - got that?" Mira said, before instantly beelining it for the guildhall, before Natsu could even reply.
Watching the woman run off into the distance, Natsu would shake his head, his smile turning softer as he did. "I didn't know she was this much of a brute.. hah." Natsu laughed, as he shook his head. "Well, I guess I better get ready." He spoke to himself, before following in the same direction as Mira. Unlike the Take-Over mage, however, he did not run at a full sprint - deciding to just take his time and walk, instead.
Sorry for the rather abrupt ending, to this one. I didn't want to push the chapter back further (as I had intended on uploading it yesterday) and I intend to try and make the Natsu Vs. Mira fight a little more drawn out than his ones with Kagura and Erza. I appreciate all the reviews I get, and thank you all for following and favoriting - it means a lot to me! Until next time!