AN: Here's the next chapter. This one might be a little short considering i didn't have much time because of the other stories I'm currently working on as well. But don't worry next time will be longer. I do not own anything or anyone of the characters mentioned here expect my own OC's.
"Hi, how have you been?". Said a familiar voice out of nowhere causing Natsu to woke up from his sleep.
Luckily Happy didn't get startled cause he's too fast asleep. But Natsu was surprised to see the same strange kid he and his exceed partner met the first time they arrived at the dorm.
The Mysterious Boy just smiled. "Hehehe", he chuckle.
"You again...", Natsu said softly without waking Happy up. "Wait, how'd you get in here?".
"I'm always by your side", he spoke in a gentle tone yet giving out a strange creepy vibe. "Soon the end will come. I remembered, so i thought i should tell you".
Natsu narrows his eyebrows. "The end?. End of what?".
"It's the end of everything", the Mysterious Boy answered. "But to be honest, I don't really know much about it. More importantly, it looks like you've awakened to your power, and what an unusual power it is".
Natsu looked confused yet surprised he knew that. "A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none", the Mysterious Boy continue to speak. "It might even prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up".
'Seriously what is it with people being mysterious and creepy with riddles and tough words?', Natsu though criticisms in his mind. 'Why can't they just speak in normal language that's easy to understand?'.
"Do you remember when we first met?", the Mysterious Boy asked and Natsu just nod and shrug. "I expect you to honor your commitment. I'm always watching you, even if you forget about me".
"Kind of making me wish i could", Natsu scoff before rolling his eyes.
The Mysterious Boy just chuckle again before smiling. "Okay then, see you later", he then disappear into thin air leaving Natsu in more confusion.
Was the Kid just a ghost he saw?. Or is he just a figment of his imagination?.
Anyways, Natsu just decided to ignore it and go back to sleep. "Can things get any more weirder from here?", he asked before falling back to bed.
April 19, 2009
"Hey you in there?", Lisanna's voice called out from the other side of the door knocking.
Natsu groaned before waking up and realize today is Sunday. Meaning no day for school today.
"Looks like i slept till nighttime", Natsu said to himself before looking at his bedside to see Happy still sounding sleeping peacefully. "Probably best i don't wake him, after everything he needs it more than i do".
"If you are. Could you come downstairs?", Lisanna's voice was heard again she didn't know if he was already awake yet. "Gajeel and Lily's calling for us".
"Sure no prob", he called out letting her know. "I'll be there in a sec".
Getting up and putting on his clothes Natsu carefully placed the blanket onto Happy letting him sleep more for as long as he want considering he deserved to rest after everything he put him through.
"Sleep tight Buddy", he said softly before patting his excee partner's head gently before leaving his room to meet up downstairs.
...
"Okay", Lisanna said as she and Natsu arrived. "He's here, so what's this about?".
"Thanks for coming, there's someone we want to introduce to", Panther Lily spoke as Gajeel sighed and turns towards the door.
"Hey hurry up over there!", he growled impatiently.
And then. "Just a sec, this thing's freaking heavy", sounding a very familiar voice that Natsu and Lisanna seems to know who it is very well.
"Huh?", Lisanna looked confused.
"You gotta be kidding me...", Natsu gasped when the person entering was none other than.
The weird stripper guy...Aka Gray Fullbuster.
"Yo", he greeted.
Natsu blink and stammers. "Wha-Gray!?", he sounded shock. "Why are you here!?".
"Don't tell me...", Lisanna guessed.
Which Lily nodded as if he knew what she's trying to say. "This is Gray Fullbuster from Class 2-F", he said introducing him even though they already know who he is. "He'll be staying here from now on".
Giving a friendly welcoming Gray just smiled and chuckle awkwardly. "Eheheh...Sup?", he tried sounding cool.
"He's staying here!?", Natsu gasped almost like he couldn't believe it. "Are you sure there wasn't some mistake?".
"Well...I do got something to tell ya.Actually...-".
"Oh wait!, I'm not supposed to spill. Sorry man, forget you heard anything ok?, hehehehehe".
...
"Oh...", was all the reaction Natsu showed as he remembered now. "So that's what it is...".
'Why does he sound so unhappy about it?', Gray though curiously as he wonder about his emotionless reaction to that.
"We bumped into him the other night. He definitely has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently", Gajeel explained as he puts his hands around Gray. "So we told him about us and everything, and he agreed to help out".
"Really?", Natsu asked teasingly almost sounding like he's making fun of him. "You have the potential?".
Gray glared feeling offended. "You got a problem with that?", he said responding to his remark.
"Hehehe, found him crying like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins", Gajeel said snickering as he rubs Gray's hair laughing manically like it's the most funniest thing in the world.
"Could you not!", Gray growled bitterly while blushing embarrassingly.
"And he was...Not wearing his clothes apparently", Panther Lily blushed flusteredly as he almost too embarrassed to say it out loud.
Natsu and Lisanna doesn't look so surprisingly. "Of course...", they both said together.
Gray could only blushed harder while shaking his head. "Oh c-c-come on give me a break with that. Plus i don't even remember a thing", he said denying it while whispering to himself. "But damnit... That's gotta be embarrassing".
"You got that right", Natsu smirked as he snickers.
Gray wanted to punch him for making fun of him but decided to keep his cool for now. "But he said that's you know... Completely normal...In the beginning", he spoke trying to shake it off and sounding cool. "Like being confused and not remembering anything, did you guys know that?".
"Uh...Nope", Lisanna disagree.
"Didn't happen to me", Natsu points honestly.
"Hey!. What's with the tough-guy act?", Gray asked glaring at him. "You should know about it, since you're a Persona user too and all".
But Natsu just shook his head. "Nuh-uh".
Lisanna too. "Nope".
"Seriously?", Gray almost yelled in disbelief before collecting himself to remain calm. "Whatever, but man...I still can't believe it. I had no idea you guys had this stuff going on too. Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one, wouldn't really wanna be doing this on my own. You gotta be really stoked right now?, having me joined?".
"What?", Natsu looked rather pissed.
"Y-Yes, yeah i guess", Lisanna looked hesitant as she's not completely sure about this.
"Well. Enough with the introductions, now that our forces have increased, I think we're about ready", Gajeel said interrupting the moment to get to the serious point.
"Ooh?. We gonna do something?", Gray smirked sounding rather pleased. "Sweet, I'm getting pumped".
"Yes. With this many people, we can start checking out that tower", Panther Lily smiled seems rather pleased with it as well.
Lisanna gasped softly knowing what he meant when he said that. "Oh, you mean Tartarus?", she asked to make sure.
Natsu looked confused. "Tartar sauce?, what?", he says dumbfoldedly as a question mark appear above his head.
"It's a place that holds the key to understanding the Dark Hour, or so we think", Gajeel explained while glaring at Natsu to correct nim. "Tartarus".
"Okay okay I get it, geez", he mutters annoyingly.
"The key, huh...", Lisanna spoke softly.
"The Chairman will give us more details tomorrow night, so be ready", Gajeel sounded very serious to prepare them for when they're ready.
...
April 20, 2009
School again... Just great...Yay...
Natsu was walking and making his way towards school when Gray approach him again.
Which is something he's used to by now.
"Yo!. Ready to kick some ass?. I'm actually glad I was invited to join", Gray said sounding looking excited. "Plus, the dorm's pretty cozy".
"Yeah", Natsu can't help but smirked softly feeling pumped up too. "But the best part is that we're the only ones who can fight these shad-Er... Enemies".
He knew other students might accidentally overheard their loud conversation so he made sure he doesn't say anything that sounded way out of the ordinary to capture suspicion.
But Gray had to admit this is a whole different side of Natsu he never expected to see. "Whoa this is new coming from you. You seem pretty gung-ho man", he points out but liking it as he smiled. "Kinda liking this new version of you".
"Yeah...I guess", Natsu puts his right his hand on head before sighing. "I don't know, but ever since i awaken to my power. I felt something changed within me, don't know if that's a good or bad thing though".
"Are you kidding me?",nGray punches Natsu's shoulder softly before laughing. "You sound way cooler now than you were before. No offense".
"Uh...None taken i guess?", Natsu smiled awkwardly still trying to get used to this whole different feeling.
"Anyways. Who wouldn't be stoked about fighting for justice?", Gray sounding confident when he says that before looking down seriously. "Though to be perfectly honest, I ain't got a single clue what we're supposed to be doing. But I'm sure we'll find out, they did say that they'll explained everything".
...
"Whew, I'm tried...", Lisanna sighed exhaustionly as class was over. "I was about to fall asleep".
She, Natsu and Gray were just hanging out talking and chatting when suddenly Erza walks in.
"Can I have a minute?", she said getting the trios attention. "Come to the room on the fourth floor when you get back to the dorm tonight, I have something to tell you all".
"Oh, are we having that talk already?", Gray taking a wild guess he knew is going to happen.
"Yes I'll save the details for later, see you there", Erza said getting it straight and done before leaving without a second to spare.
Gray blinked. "Damn, she doesn't waste any time", he commented.
"She's not like us, she's busy you know?", Lisanna criticize as she rolled her eyes and scoff. "With the Student Council stuff or whatever".
"Whoa, Lisanna do i sense some hostility?", Gray asked smirking teasingly wondering what's up with that.
But Lisanna just sighed as she looked away. "It's not that i don't like her... it's just...With my sister...", she tried to explain her actions but simply couldn't. "I don't know".
...
"Okay, school's day finally over. They're probably waiting for us back at the dorm, right?", Gray said reminding Natsu.
"Yeah", he agrees. "Let's hurry back".
...
It took longer than expected but Natsu, Gray along with Happy got to where they wanted.
"Whew... Finally made it", Gray exhale in exhausted. "Can't believe the accident delayed our train so much, it's already dark out".
"Aye", Happy agreed before remembering something. "It's scary that accident happens to be the same one Natsu and I heard about before we came here".
"To think it wasn't an "Accident" as we thought it was now that we know about the Dark Hour", Natsu said sounding surprise to know about it as well.
"Yeah. Now that you mentioned it, been happening a lot lately though. People jumpin on the track looking like it's suicide", Gray joins as he too was shocked when he finds out. "If it weren't for knowing about the Dark Hour we might still be thinking it's just a suicide case".
"Apathy Syndrome", Natsu remembers. "That's what Mira and the others called it, it's getting outta control. It's like the whole words falling apart".
'Not that it hasn't been before', he then thought about that.
Suddenly Gray looks at his watch to see the time. "Ah crap!, everyone else is probably already there. We better hurry!".
Unfortunately before they could make with the time they heard a rumbling sound which came from Natsu's stomach.
"Seriously Natsu?", Happy facepalm.
"Oh man...Sorry", Natsu looks down embarrassed. "I'm getting hungry".
"Heh. This mall rocks, so many places to chow down", Gray just smirked. "Plus, they're open late".
"You think they have fishers in any of them!?", Happy asked.
"Is that really all you like?", he said glaring at the exceed before shaking his head. "Speaking of, i heard the ramen joint upstairs has a secret late-night menu".
As tempting as it sounds Natsu decided to refuse since they something more important to do. "Ugh. Maybe next time, we better hurry to the dorm", he said reminding about the meeting.
"Huh?, y-yeah", Gray sounded shock but agreed. "Yeah, I know".
"Natsu turning down food?", Happy comments on that to himself as he followed them. "Now I know he's really having some changes".
AN: Well what do you know Gray made it through this chapter without stripping lmao!
And there you have it. Hope you enjoy it so far.
Next chapter: The gang is introduced to Tartarus.
.