The Rise of The Flame

\\ BUST STARDUST //

"That's the thing about books. While necessary for every class, they will forever carry the same, limited amount of information. They never grow; they never change," Erza stated. The three partners decided to get actual school work done, situating themselves at a picnic table by a small pond on the corner of campus.

It was a rather chilly day, warranting jackets and boots. As the wind rifted through Natsu's hair, he sighed. The library would be too crammed at this point in the semester, so snagging a big enough table, albeit outside, was no small feat.

While Gray and Erza carried the conversation about textbooks and the logistics behind classes, Natsu was focusing on typing an essay for his art appreciation lecture. He was having a rather difficult time, not one to be absolutely brilliant when writing papers. Wish as hard as he might, Lucy would most likely not be of any help. Despite the fact that she wanted to take things slow, she seemed to disappear altogether from his life. Even in class, she would arrive right on time and bolt for the door when lecture was finished.

Sighing, Natsu continued to block his friends out, figuring they were just talking dirty to each other at this point. Erza adjusted her glasses, an action only performed when she was heavily nerved. "Could you guys tone it down? I have a paper due tomorrow and I've barely started it," Natsu ordered, angrily slamming his hands on the table. Erza's hand reached across, lightly resting on top of his.

"Natsu, we know you've been stressed out, but your body needs you to relax, and I know just the way to do it!" Erza lightly quipped, dark eyes lighting up like the starry night sky. Natsu raised an eyebrow in hesitation. "You do?" he asked. She nodded, glancing a sideways look at Gray. Natsu gagged.

"Barf! I'm not having a one night stand like the two of you!" Natsu whined, recoiling his fingers away from hers. Gray and Erza shared a hearty laugh. "No... no, no. I'm talking about getting a massage. Gray recently had one and it's done wonders for him," she amended, flashing a reassuring smile. Swallowing a thick clump, Natsu was utterly relieved. "Okay, that actually sounds nice," he agreed, "For now, I'll continue with my schoolwork."

"Okay, then," Erza resounded, retiring to her textbook she was supposed to be reading. Gray blinked slowly, realigning his focus to his poster project. A handful of hours had passed when they all decided they needed a dire food break. Collecting their items and packing them up, the lot craved Mexican dishes, making their way to the cafeteria for their fill.

Before any meals could be consumed, there was a loud, artificial crack in the sky. The look and sound was a flash similar to lightening. Gray and Natsu grumbled, knowing this was most likely an evil villain's doing. Right on cue, the alarms rang, alerting everyone to find safety until further notice. "You guys go change in the cafeteria bathroom. I'll meet you both out here as soon as possible, understand?" Erza commanded, seriousness rolling through her dark irises. They nodded, rushing off.

Once near the bathroom, the two boys paused, noticing the boys one room stall was locked. Mumbling in complaints, they had to find another location to get dressed. "We could get dressed in the kitchen, so long as no one's there, right?" Gray supposed. "Yeah, yeah. Let's hurry. I don't wanna keep Erza waiting on us," he explained, getting shivers from the thought of angering the otherwise shy girl. They sprinted, not wasting any time. Rapidly, they yanked on their colored spandex and stripped themselves of their shirts, tugging on their boots and slapping on their masks before making a fast break for the exit to meet up with their comrade.

"What the hell took you so long?" she asked. "Natsu had the runs," Permafrost said. "Hey! No I did not!" The Flame retorted. "Yo! I don't care anymore!" Excalibur interrupted. "I've been catching up on the news in the meantime. Let's talk and run, okay?