Natsu and Lucy have been friends since the middle of kindergarten when Lucy moved into the town of Magnolia with her mother. They had always been in the same class and knew that someday, they would grow up and go to the most known wizard school in t...
But confusion still raced in my mind. "Wendy, who is Grandine?"
This brought a small smile to her lips, "Grandine was my dragon that raised me when I was little. She loved me and taught me sky dragon slaying magic."
I felt surprise coarse through me. "You're a dragon slayer?" She simply nodded and rubbed her now puffy eyes. Poor thing. She wasn't more than fourteen and she was already wanted and she probably didn't even know why. An idea suddenly popped into my head.
"Hey Wendy, I think Natsu would know how you feel; why don't we go talk to him?" I smiled and she met me with excited eyes.
"Yes! Can you take me to him?" Her sudden bright attitude made me just a bit more happy.
I giggled, "Sure, let me just... Oh wait..." My mind suddenly went back to this morning. His tears, the window, his lips, his words. Wanting me to stay away and to trust him. "Maybe later, Wendy. I don't think he's available right now." I forced a smile onto my face and tried to stay positive for the shaken freshman. She didn't seem to buy it, but she didn't question it either.
"Okay! Let's go before they wake up!" she smiled, but a rustle in the grass made us both turn around.
"Too late."
Natsu POV
I can't be like this anymore. I won't let them control me. They've had control of me and my life and everyone I care about for too long. I will not let them ruin my choices any longer. If I want to tear down a village with my magic, I will tear down a village with my magic. If I want to use my fire to light the way in a dark cave, I will use my fire to light the way in a dark cave.
These thoughts continued on in my brain while I walked deeper into the woods, following the faint scent of an old friend who just might be willing to help my cause. Or a couple old friends actually. I trusted them with my life, and we had helped each other multiple times in the past. Now I needed another favor.
I could feel my phone vibrating violently in my pocket. Texts and calls from Lucy, Gray, Gildarts, Mira, Lisanna and Gramps. I'm sure they were all desperately tapping at their phones, trying to get in touch with the now MIA Natsu. Frankly, I didn't care though. When I come back without this belt and without fear of the government, they'll understand... Or beat me upside the head with a stick and throw me in a locked cage so I'll never walk - or jump out - a window and disappear again.
The scent of the young couple was getting stronger and I could tell they were home by the strong magical presence given off even a few hundred yards away. I smiled, and picked up my pace a bit.
Reaching the door, I knocked softly in a weird pattern, so they would know it wasn't some military idiot. A slot in the door flew open and a pair of brown eyes were visible. A woman's voice spoke through the door, "Oh, it's just you. I'll open the door; hang on." Locks clicked and clanked behind the wooden door of the large disguised tree house, until finally the door creaked open, revealing a woman with long, dark red hair and chocolate eyes. She stood tall with a small smile on her face as she held the door open for me, and gestured for me to come in with graceful movements.
"Natsu, it's been a while! How are you and Gray getting along?" she asked quietly, shutting the door and moving into the small den area.
It suddenly got hotter in the room - or maybe I suddenly just remembered why I was so scared to come here. "Good... Yeah, good. Actually, better than usual, Erza." I "truthfully" answered the question and plopped myself down on the old sofa.
Erza laughed, "Well, I guess that's good. You seem a bit better yourself, especially since your... sophomore year? Was that when all that happened?"
"Close enough." I grumbled. Erza is a close friend of Mirajane's and actually graduated from FTA in the same class as her. She was around a lot during that whole situation and helped me train and get through it along side Gildarts and everybody else. She was a powerful re-quip mage, one of the strongest, if not the strongest, I've ever met. She was also a great friend.
"But you didn't come her to make small talk, did you?" she spoke and sat on the chair opposite of me, smoothing out her skirt and fixing her white blouse as she sat. Straight to the point, just like old times.
I sighed, "Unfortunately not. I need help. Again."
"What'd you do this time? Burn down a building or "accidentally" make Gildarts mad at you?"
"I wish it was that simple," I said, darkening the mood in the room, "but it's not. I'm wanted. We all know that. And if I wasn't under the watch of so many people, I would be in a cage right now getting the life sucked out of me or the needles of weird liquids stuck in me. The military wants me. Bad. They're starting to threaten my friends and I can't protect them with this monstrosity on." I lifted up my shirt to reveal the little belt. "I need help getting them off my tail, getting my friends safe, and getting this little shit off my waist."
"You need Jellal."
"I need his criminal abilities to escape and fight the police. And I also need your extensive military training," Erza glared at me, "... Ya know before you harbored a fugitive... And your skills to help me win this seemingly impossible fight."
She stared at me for the longest time, deciding whether or not it was worth coming out of hiding to help a friend in need. She had herself and Jellal to protect now. Not to mention their relationship and the family they want to eventually have. If she gets caught trying to help me bring down this scheme, she could potentially end up never seeing her beloved again. Or worse.
A deep sigh filled the room. "Alright. I'll help. But only because you're my friend. I'll do whatever it takes to help a friend in need." She smiled at me.
Joy rose in my chest and I could feel my load lighten with her answer. "Oh thank you so much, Erza! You won't regret this! You know what these guys can do and we need to take them down! We need more help first though. And I have the perfect idea for the perfect team."
"Well obviously me, you, Gildarts... Who else? That's not enough to stop an entire top secret operation by any means."
"No... No it's not. Which is why-" I finally pulled out my phone to call my closest friends and get them in on this, but a surprise greeted me when I went to my text messages.
From: blocked number
Wanna see her again?
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
