Magic Of The Stars

Chapter XV

Erza sat on the train going to Crocus, Gray sitting next to her and Natsu and Happy across from them on the other seats.

To their surprise, Natsu wasn't curled up on the floor moaning and groaning about his motion sickness. While his face was still tinged green and he had to occasionally lean out the window to throw up the contents of his stomach, he was able to sit upright in his seat and stare determinedly out the window, lost in thought.

No one has utter a word since they boarded the train. Even Happy, the normally bright and energetic exceed with a grin on his face and an "Aye Sir!" at the tip of his tongue, had a solemn look on his face.

However, after a while, Gray couldn't take the silence anymore. "What are you going to say to Lucy if she's still there?" he asked Natsu.

Natsu glanced at him before replying. "What do you think? I'm gonna ask her to come home!" he exclaimed before clamping a hand over his mouth.

"That's it?" Gray asked incredulously.

Natsu glared at him but didn't say anything with the fear of throwing up still present.

Gray glowered at him and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's not a good enough reason," he stated.

Natsu's glare became slightly feral. "What do you mean 'that's not a good enough reason'?" he snarled. "She's nakama! She should be with friends!"

"Baka! She is with friends!" Gray yelled. "Wendy and Carla are with her!"

"Then why are you on this trip?!" Natsu hissed out. "Why are you coming along if she's supposedly fine with her friends?"

"Because she's like a little sister to me ash-for-brains!" Gray exclaimed. "I'm just going to ask if she needs my help! If she does then I'll help her but if she doesn't then I'll leave her alone like she wants!"

"Bullshit! You want her to come back just as much as I do!"

"What I want and what she wants are not the same thing!"

"ENOUGH! BOTH of you!" Erza yelled, shouting both of them a glare.

Natsu and Gray stopped their shouting match but still glared at each other with annoyance.

"Natsu," she said sharply, "why are you so determined to bring Lucy back?"

Natsu stared at her incredulously. "How can you ask me that Erza?! She's my best friend!" he exclaimed.

"But she's also her own person Natsu," she countered softly. "You can't always be with her."

"Watch me," he muttered mutinously.

"What is your problem baka?!" Gray asked furiously. "You're acting as if you think she's weak! And that makes you a damn hypocrite since you yelled at Lisanna when she said the same thing your insinuating!"

Natsu glared at him hatefully. Happy's head whipped back and forward as if he was watching a tennis match as he watched them bicker back and forth.

And then, Natsu did something that shocked everyone.

He covered his face with his hands and burst into tears, sobs tearing from his mouth without a dam to stop them.

Gray's anger melted away only to be replaced with shock and confusion along with everyone else.

"Natsu?" Happy questioned anxiously.

It was only then that they realized he was repeating something over and over again.

"Can't let it happen again can't let it happen again can't let it happen again..."

"Natsu!" Gray called out.