It started with whispers—hushed voices carrying through the guild hall when they thought I couldn't hear.
"He's been out there every day… Do you think he's okay?"
"It's weird, right?"
"Do you think we should talk to him?"
I heard it all, but I didn't respond. How could I? They weren't wrong. Ever since I joined Fairy Tail, I'd thrown myself into training. I didn't spend much time at the guild unless it was to eat or rest. While the other kids laughed, played, and sparred, I was outside, pushing myself to the brink. I have to find the dragon slayers. I have to be strong enough.
There were so many people I knew were suffering... But I wasn't Natsu...
It wasn't that I didn't like them. They were good people—better than I deserved, really. But every time I tried to join in, I felt... disconnected.
Maybe it was because I wasn't really Natsu. Or maybe it was because I didn't know how to be a part of something like this—a family.
I could feel Gray's eyes on me, and it didn't take long for him to approach.
"Oi, firehead," Gray called, his tone light but teasing.
I didn't look up from the table. "What do you want, Gray?"
"To knock some sense into you," he said casually, dropping into the seat across from me.
I glared at him. "Not interested."
"Figures," Gray said with a shrug. "Guess you'd rather sit here and mope. Can't blame you, though—makes sense you'd be scared to spar with me."
I froze, narrowing my eyes. "Scared?"
He smirked. "Well, yeah. I mean, after all that training, I'd be embarrassed too if I still couldn't beat someone like me."
The flames in my gut stirred, but I clenched my fists, willing myself to stay calm. "You've got a big mouth, Gray."
"And you've got a lot of excuses," he shot back.
That did it. I stood, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Fine. Let's go."
Gray grinned, pushing to his feet. "Finally. I was starting to think you didn't have it in you.
The training ground buzzed with the anticipation of battle. Some Guildmates crowded around the clearing, eager to witness the clash. Gray stood across from me, arms crossed, his usual smirk in place. I felt the weight of their eyes on me.
But my hands trembled.
The fire magic simmered beneath my skin, waiting to be unleashed, but I couldn't move. My body was frozen—not by ice, but by fear.
Back in my world, I'd never faced anything like this. Physical altercations were rare, distant, sanitized. Here, even among kids, violence wasn't just normal—it was a way of life.
"You backing out already?" Gray called, his tone mocking but not unkind. "Come on, you've been training nonstop. Show me what you've got!"
I clenched my fists, the fire flickering uncertainly around them. This wasn't training. This wasn't controlled. This was different.
"What's the matter?" Gray pressed, stepping closer. "You scared?"
The words stung more than I expected, and something inside me snapped. My heart thudded, the fire within roaring in response.
"No," I muttered, raising my eyes to meet his. "Not scared. Just... getting started."
The weight of my own magic pressed against my chest, a fiery warmth that demanded to be unleashed. But this wasn't just about power—I wanted to prove to myself that I could use what I'd learned, that I could hold my own against someone like Gray. He had 2 years of experience on me. I had only 7 years till canon kickstarted or I could maybe accelerate it somehow by something I didn't know but Its for the best that everyone becomes stronger. I can't rely on plot armor.
"Ready when you are," I said, my voice steady but the fire in my hands flaring with anticipation.
Gray didn't waste time, slamming his hands together.
"Ice-Make: Arrows!"
A rapid volley of crystalline arrows shot toward me, sharp and gleaming. I could feel the chill in the air as they sliced through it. My instincts kicked in, and I threw myself to the side, rolling across the ground as the arrows peppered the spot where I'd been standing.
With a sharp inhale, I exhaled flames in a sweeping arc. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"
The wave of fire blasted forward, incinerating the ice arrows midair and forcing Gray to backpedal, raising an ice wall to shield himself.
The ground hissed as steam rose from where fire met ice.
I shifted my stance, letting my fire magic flow through me more deliberately. It wasn't just about brute force; I'd been practicing how to shape and direct the flames, molding them like an extension of my own body.
Drawing inspiration from the fluidity of other techniques I'd seen in firebending—I spun on my heel, sweeping my arm in a wide arc. The flames followed my movements, forming a whip that lashed out at Gray with a crackling roar.
Gray's eyes widened, but he reacted quickly, forming a shield of ice to block the whip.
"Ice-Make: Shield!"
The whip struck the shield, shattering it into shards, but Gray didn't stop, forming a jagged blade of ice in his hand and rushing toward me.
As he closed the distance, my body stiffened again. The sight of him charging with a weapon aimed directly at me froze me in place. This wasn't just sparring—it felt real, dangerous. My mind raced with thoughts of what could happen if I messed up, if I couldn't keep up.
"Move!" my inner voice screamed, but my feet stayed planted.
The ice blade came within inches of me, and Gray hesitated, his brows furrowing. "What's wrong with you? Fight back!"
The moment of hesitation jolted me awake. My fire flared in response to his words, and I stepped forward, narrowly avoiding a follow-up swing.
"Fire Dragon's Talon!"
My foot ignited as I spun, aiming a kick at Gray's side. He blocked with his blade, the heat melting part of the ice, but the force pushed him back.
The shock of the clash sent vibrations up my leg. My heart pounded, but now it wasn't just fear—it was adrenaline, determination.
Gray moved again first, a quick feint with his left, testing the waters. I saw it, my instincts firing as I stepped back just enough to dodge. His right followed immediately, faster and more precise.
I blocked, forearm meeting his strike with a sharp crack, and countered with a low kick aimed at his shin. He hopped back, avoiding the hit, and surged forward again, this time more aggressive.
His fist came at my face—a straight jab. I ducked low, driving my shoulder into his chest to unbalance him. He staggered slightly but used the momentum to twist his body, bringing his elbow down toward my temple.
I raised my arm, absorbing the blow and sliding to the side to create distance.
"Not bad," Gray muttered, shaking out his arm.
"Same to you," I replied, the corner of my lips quirking up.
This wasn't just sparring; this was a fight, raw and real. I felt alive, weirded but my own instincts and what must be my Natsu side was raring to go. No hesitation at all.
He lunged again, this time aiming for my midsection. I sidestepped, catching his wrist and twisting it, forcing his body to turn. He gritted his teeth and used his free hand to grab my arm, pulling me forward to throw me off balance.
We exchanged a rapid series of blows—punch, block, counter. Each hit came faster than the last, our bodies moving on instinct. I aimed a quick hook at his jaw, but he caught it with his forearm and retaliated with a knee aimed at my stomach.
I twisted, letting his knee graze past, and brought my elbow down toward his shoulder. He rolled with the impact, grabbing my arm and pulling me into a short, sharp headbutt.
The impact left my vision swimming.
Gray smirked "Finally awake, huh?"
He pressed his hands to the ground. "Ice-Make: Geyser!"
The earth beneath me froze instantly, a massive spike of ice erupting from the ground. I jumped back, barely avoiding the sharp edge, but the cold bit into my skin.
By now, we were both breathing heavily, bruised and battered from the relentless exchange. My body ached, but the fire within me burned brighter than ever.
I didn't retreat. Instead, I focused on the fire within me, letting it flow through my arms and legs. This wasn't just about power—I needed to think, to adapt.
I leapt into the air, using the momentum from the spiral to hurl my own attack. FOCUS ON THE HEAT!
"Fire Dragon's Meteor!"
My body became a blazing comet, streaking toward Gray. He barely had time to react, forming a dome of ice around himself. I slammed into it, flames exploding outward and cracking the dome but not breaking it completely. Fuck he's strong!...
no no no no no no no
NO I AM NOT WEAK!
I WON'T LOSE!
The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the training grounds, the heat and cold clashing violently and leaving the air thick with steam.
Lying on the scorched and frozen ground, I stared up at the sky, my chest heaving.
Gray turned his head toward me, his expression somewhere between a grin and a grimace. "Not bad... for a weirdo."
"Same to you... ice popsicle," I shot back, laughing weakly.
For the first time, the tension I'd been carrying eased. The fight hadn't just been about proving myself—it had been about letting go, about facing the fear and uncertainty that had been holding me back.
As we helped each other up and limped back to the guildhall, I felt lighter, freer.
"You're brooding again."
Gray's voice startled me. I looked over to see him standing on the roof, hands in his pockets, his usual smirk nowhere to be seen.
"Didn't realize I had an audience," I muttered.
"You're not exactly subtle. Besides, the old man asked me to check on you."
I snorted. "And you're actually listening to him?"
Gray shrugged. "He's usually right about stuff like this. Plus, you are one of us."
I stayed quiet, unsure how to respond, feeling immensely grateful and all the other emotions I could not properly express.
Gray didn't seem to mind. He sat down beside me, letting the silence stretch.
"You did good today," he finally said, breaking the silence.
I snorted, glancing at him. "You mean getting my ass handed to me for most of it?"
"You held your own," he countered with a shrug. "Not bad for someone who's always so quiet. Didn't think you had that kind of fire in you—pun intended."
I chuckled despite myself. "Guess I surprised you."
Gray grinned. "Yeah, you did. But what's the deal with you anyway? You're... different. Not just quiet-different. It's like you're carrying something heavy all the time."
The question caught me off guard. I turned my gaze back to the stars, unsure how to respond. "I guess... I'm just trying to figure things out," I said eventually. "Who I am, what I'm supposed to do. It's not easy."
Gray was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I get that. I mean, we all have stuff, right? Things we don't talk about."
I glanced at him. "Like what?"
He hesitated, his expression shifting to something more guarded. "Like my family. They're gone." His voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "Lost them when I was a kid."
My chest tightened. I hadn't expected him to open up like that. "I'm... sorry," I said, unsure what else to say.
Gray shrugged, but there was a heaviness to the motion. "It is what it is. I joined Fairy Tail because... well, I didn't want to be alone anymore. The guild's my family now." He paused, then looked at me. "What about you? Why'd you join?"
I hesitated, the words catching in my throat. Could I tell him the truth? That I wasn't even supposed to be here, that I'd been thrown into this world to fight a monster I wasn't sure I could beat?
"I guess..." I started, searching for the right words. "I wanted a place to belong. Somewhere I could... be myself."
Gray studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough. Fairy Tail's good for that. They're a bunch of idiots, but they're good people."
A small smile tugged at my lips. "Yeah, they are."
We sat in silence for a while, the sounds of the guild below faint and distant. It was peaceful, a rare moment of calm in a world that felt like it was always on the brink of chaos.
"Hey," Gray said suddenly, breaking the quiet. "Next time we spar, I'm not holding back."
I laughed, the tension in my chest easing a little. "You mean you were holding back this time?"
He smirked. "You wish."
For the first time in a long while, I felt something close to hope—a flicker of warmth in the cold uncertainty of my new reality.
As I walked back into the guild with Gray, his words replayed in my mind. He was right—I couldn't just burn my way through everything.
I had been acting like Laxus—pushing myself to the brink, shutting everyone out, all because I was afraid of what the future might hold.
But that wasn't how Fairy Tail worked. It wasn't how Natsu worked, either.
Sitting at the bar later, watching Cana and Erza bicker over a card game, I had an epiphany.
The reason Fairy Tail always won wasn't because they were the strongest. It was because they were the closest. The bonds between them—the trust, the loyalty, the love—that was their real power.
Master was right. The Council didn't matter. Rules didn't matter. What mattered was the family you chose and the strength you gained from standing together.
That night, I finally worked up the courage to talk to Makarov. I found him in his office, surrounded by stacks of paperwork.
"Master," I said, hesitating at the door.
He looked up, his expression softening. "Come in, Natsu."
I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. "There's something I need to tell you. I might sound insane but I swear its the truth."
He set down his pen, giving me his full attention
"I'm... not from this era," I began. "I'm from 400 years in the past. The dragons taught me Dragon slayer magic and sent me here to fight Acnologia... And I'm not the only one. There are others—Gajeel, Wendy, Rogue, Sting. They're out there somewhere, and I need to find them."
Makarov look surprised but more than that to my surprise, he looked... relieved.
"I see," he said. "And you've been carrying this alone all this time?"
I nodded, my throat tight as he didn't doubt me one bit. They really are like a family.
I realized why I admired him in anime coming to life in front of me... he really loved all his children-including me...
"You don't have to do that anymore," he said gently. "This is your home now. We're your family. And together, we'll figure this out."
For the first time in what felt like forever, the weight on my chest lightened. I wasn't alone.