Be Careful What You Wish For

Out of the Woods

3 person's POV

Natsu's eyes fluttered open. His head was bounding and his whole body ached. He sat up and looked around. He was in the back of a wagon. His head was rested on Lucy's lap. Happy was asleep on Natsu's chest. He looked at the front of the wagon and saw Erza at the reigns and Gray next to her. He slowly sat up. 

"Natsu? How are you feeling?"

He looked over at Lucy. She showed concern for her friend. He gave her a smile.

"I feel fine."

He then looked confused. When was the last time he smiled? A real one? Imitations and mimicking smiles, he did all the time, but this was real. Wait, where was he? He looked around. 

"Where are we?"

"We are in a wagon that we barrowed from a small farm from some people a couple miles back. We took a wrong turn somewhere and are farther from Magnolia than we thought."

Lucy saw that look Natsu was giving her. He wasn't understanding what she was saying.

"Natsu....."

She puts a hand on his shoulder.

"..... You aren't trapped in that forest anymore."

His eyes widened with realization. Lucy called out to Erza and Gray.

"Guys! He's up!"

Erza pulled the reigns, and had the horses come to a stop. 

"So, he's okay?"

The raven-haired wizard asked.

Lucy nodded.

"For the most part, he seems to be fine."

"What are you talking about? Why wouldn't I be fine?"

The look over at the pink haired male that was a bundle of different emotions. The main one was confusion. The ice wizard and celestial wizard exchange a glance. Erza made her way to the confused Natsu.

"We got you out, but you slipped unconscious for a while. That was a bit concerning. Other than that, everything is fine."

She gave Natsu a reassuring look and he relaxed and smiled at her.

"I.... I really can't thank you enough. I thought I was gonna die in those woods and never see what was beyond them." 

"Well, it was the least we could do. You helped us when we were attacked by that........ creature, and you helped Gray."

Natsu looked at Gray. Gray was holding his arm. It wasn't in as much pain because of Natsu's help, but it still hurt to a point. Gray kept his hand to the wound to keep a steady flow of thin ice to help numb it a little. Natsu gave a look of sympathy. He was confused again. He didn't follow what was happening to him. Was something wrong with him again? 

"What's wrong with me? I shouldn't be feeling these..... these..... feelings."

He gave a look of distress and put a hand to his head. Lucy took his hands and held them. This surprises him and he looks at her. 

"Nothing is wrong with you. We just..... helped you. Returning the favor."

He stayed silent for a little bit. Erza continued to drive the wagon. Natsu did feel a bit sick, but not as much as he had been from what the group had seen. Natsu's lifted his head when he started to hear more voices and new smells he hasn't smelled before. He scampers up to the front of the wagon and kinda pushes Gray forward to look ahead, causing Gray to grunt. It was a town. He went from shock to pure amazement and joy. Erza chuckled at his behavior. When they got into the town they were passing through, Natsu jumped off the wagon. He kept looking at everything. He suddenly wasn't the same person they met in the woods, to the others, he was like an overgrown child. A child that has the excitement when Christmas rolls around. Happy giggled and flew over to Natsu. Natsu gaped at everything. It was kinda adorable. Natsu suddenly grabbed Happy by his hand and went off running through the town. He knew he my get lost, so that's why he took the blue cat. Erza, Gray, and Lucy were taken back by this. They didn't expect him to run like this. 

"Natsu!! Wait up!"

Lucy called out to her friend. They tied pulled the wagon over and proceeded to go look for their friend as if he was a lost puppy. When they caught up to him, Natsu tackled Gray to the ground. 

"Natsu! You idiot, get off-"

It took Gray a second to realize that Natsu was hugging him. 

"uhhhh, Natsu?"

Natsu quickly got off Gray and proceeded to hug Erza and Lucy. 

Happy flew next to Gray. 

"He is surprisingly happy and full of energy that I don't even know where it came from."

For the next hour, Natsu dragged them all throughout the town. For the next hour everything seemed right. For the next hour, they all forgot where they had just came from. For the next hour, it was peaceful, wonderful and the best moments of Natsu's life. How long would that last? Natsu wondered that himself. He knew he should be fearful of the future for something doesn't feel right to him. He wanted to be normal. He wanted this to never end. He wanted to stay with these people who saved him from his imprisonment, but he knew that was not to be. 

A/N: Don't worry, you didn't miss a chapter, I did this on purpose. keeping the mystery together until the last possible moment. Sorry, not sorry. Not much to say here. Have any questions? I'll answer them(if I can). Anyway, see ya in the next chapter.

~Zolf

Posted: 9/22/2020