Angelica, the giant rat, holding the giant bucket of poison jelly, all of a sudden threw the in a circular motion onto the village, letting go of the bucket in the process.
"How are we gonna protect ourselves from acid jelly?!" Lucy shouted, tears gathering in her eyes.
Natsu turned to Erza, whispering something that only she could hear as, "Get everyone to the center of the village."
Erza gasped and watched as Natsu started to run toward the jelly. Her eyes widening in shock, then realizing what he was up to.
She then shouted, "Everyone! Get into the center of the village! Now!" She demanded, pulling Lucy and happy with her to the mid part of the village. All the villagers following behind, screaming.
The chief of the village stayed where he was, kneeling beside his son's grave. "I'm not going! I won't leave Bobo's grave," he shouted.
One of the villagers yelled to the insane chief, "But chief, the jelly will get ya!"
Natsu teleported up to where the jelly was about half way to the small town and huffed in air. A giant roar erupted from his mouth, not without three little words, "Chaos Dragon Roar."
The jelly dispersed into different around the center of the small village.
"He dispersed it?!" Yuka exclaimed, followed by Sherry saying, "What kind of magic is that?!"
A huge drop of jelly was heading straight toward the chief of the village, luckily Virgo saved the poor man before it hit him.
The village had been completely destroyed and smoke steamed off the poor, destroyed village. The villagers of now destroyed village said,
"The village has been completely destroyed."
"This is terrible."
"Is anyone hurt?"
The villagers were staring at their deceased home, asking questions the same as the latter. The chief of the village seemed to notice one thing, "Bobo's grave is still standing!"
Just as he had spoke those few words, the grave was temporarily knocked over. The chief, of the now destroyed village, gasped, angry that his deceased son's grave was knocked over so rudely.
"I can't believe this, a wizard was able to divert a huge bucket of poison jelly. What kind of magic even was that? It didn't look like any normal kind of spell," the bushy eyebrowed man spoke, arms crossed delicately behind his back.
Sherry shook her head in disbelief, "We thought we could give you a favor and make your deaths quick, but you left us no choice. We'll have to get rid of you ourselves," she spoke in a mocking manner, a gentle smile, seeming eerie, planted on her face. Toby growled in response, as usual.
Erza growled, summoning a sword, "You won't terrorize this village anymore!" Erza shouted, dashing toward Sherry at full speed.
"Let me help!" Lucy shouted, grabbing her keys. Happy laughed and pointed at Lucy with a hand covering his mouth. "I don't think the "Great and Powerful Erza" needs help from you," he laughed causing Lucy to punch the poor cat over the head. "Shut up stupid cat!"
"Attack!" Yuka shouted to Toby, who stood there with a smirk.
"Let's do this!" Toby shouted, summoning his claws while standing in front of the dragon slayer in a confident battle position. Natsu raised an eyebrow, mentally smirking.
"Angelica!" Sherry shouted. The giant rat responded with standing behind her in an eerie glow.
Erza sweat-dropped at the eighth go the, somehow, intimidating blue rat.
The swordswoman started to glow a bright light, appearing in her Black Winged Armor. "Prepare yourself!" The knight shouted, flying toward the rat with immense power.
"Lead the villagers to safety," Natsu demanded the celestial mage, causing her to squeak in response.
"Yes sir, should I bring happy?" She questioned looking at the blue floating cat.
The dragon prince nodded in response, "Lead them away and don't have them return until Erza or I say."
"Understood," she stated, yelling at the villagers and waving her hand for them to follow her. Natsu looked back at the lion eared man and narrowed his big eyes.
"Let's do this, once I'm done with you, I'll paralyze the villagers!" The animal eared man shouted and raced toward the Pinkette.
Natsu disappeared from their sight in the blink of an eye. Toby stopped his movement and looked around confused; Yuka looked around for the dragon slayer with squinting eyes.
All of a sudden, the two wizards were smashed together and knocked out due to the force of the slam.
Natsu stock above them, looking down at them with amused eyes, something you wouldn't normally see. Realizing the look in his eyes, Natsu shook his head, mentally scolding himself for not keeping his guard up.
He looked at the fallen grove stone, strutting toward it, picking it up and placing it back on its stand.
Once he stood back up, he glanced at the red-head, looking for any sign of her needing help. He didn't need a second glance to know that the knight had already knocked out the giant rat and pink-haired female with a single blow, just like him.
Erza walked back over to Natsu, a grin of victory in her face. Natsu found the look amusing.
"Let's go, I bet Lucy and happy have already gotten the villagers to somewhere safe," Erza stated, looking into the Dragon slayer's Eyes.
Natsu nodded, a small smile planted on his lips, causing Erza to widen her eyes. Natsu immediately teleported the two of them to another small village.
"What is this?" Erza looked around at the small tents, walking toward one, surrounded by people. "What is going on?" Erza asked, causing the villagers to look at the swordswoman in surprise.
"Oh, miss Erza! We're glad you and your Sir Natsu are ok!" A blue haired woman stated.
Natsu walked over to the two of them, glancing around for his blue furred companion.
"Where's Happy?" Natsu asked, staring at the village chief, who was sobbing his heart out. Forgetting about his best friend for a second, the dragon prince walked over to the poor old man, placing a hand on his shoulder earning a surprise gasp from Erza.
"We will stop this, I promise, we will avenge your son," Natsu smiled gently at the man with surprisingly soft eyes. Erza marveled the look in the dragon slayer's eyes for a moment. Not once had she seen that look in his eyes before.
The village chief let out a small smile, thanking the young man for his kindness. The Pinkette looked back at the villagers, once again asking where the blue cat was. The villagers pointed to a blue tent which.
Natsu and Erza walked toward it and saw Happy and Lucy inside with a bunch of weapons around them. Natsu raised an eyebrow, Erza just shook her head with her hands on her hips. "What is this?" Erza asked, eyes closed in a scolding manner.
Lucy and happy looked at the tent entrance in surprise. "When did you two get back?!" Lucy shouted and stood up with her hands on fists by her side, a scared gracing her features.
Happy flew over to Natsu and laid on his head. "We were getting weapons ready, just in case for another attack. We just wanted to make sure that Ice Guy wasn't gonna send anymore of his lackeys after us," Happy explained, a smile on his face and he rested on natsu's fluffy hair. The Pinkette sighed but he couldn't deny that he loved Happy to pieces.
"Why do you need weapons? You have magic," Erza raised an eyebrow with a confused look on her face. Lucy shrugged, "Just in case, Erza, Just in case," Lucy laughed evilly causing the swordswoman to sweat-drop.
"Where are they keeping Gray?" Natsu questioned, arms crossed over his chest. Erza looked at the dragon prince and nodded in agreement, "Yes, where is he?"
"He's in the tent right next to us, we left him there to rest, you can go see him if you want. But, Natsu, I didn't think you would care," Lucy stated matter-of-factly, a finger raised.
Natsu scoffed and walked out of the tent toward Gray's, Erza following suit. Once they got inside they saw Gray laying on a mat, a blanket covering his bandaged chest.
Natsu sat down next to the still knocked out Gray. Erza watched the dragon slayer in surprise, but snapping out of her faze and following the Pinkette, but sitting on the opposite side. Natsu sighed. This wasn't how things were supposed to turn out.
Erza glanced at the dragon prince with a curious gaze. "What's up with you. You seem different, what's happening to you. This isn't the Natsu I grew up with. The Natsu I knew wouldn't care for the people around him."
Natsu looked up at the swordswoman in surprise. He looked down at his hands with sad eyes. He didn't like where this conversation was going and it barely started. Erza's eyes softened at the look in Natsu's large eyes. She sighed and looked back at Gray. "You care for him, huh?"
Natsu looked at Erza with a soft eyes. "I feel like this is my fault. I was supposed to bring you three home. Not join you, now look what we're dealing with. We could have avoided this whole thing," Natsu spoke softly, closing his eyes in shame.
The red-head stared at Natsu with wide eyes, studying his features for any signs of just kidding. She didn't see anything. Erza smiled gently, glancing at Gray for a moment then back at the Dragon prince. Natsu and have always had a good bond. She could tell he cared for him, and Gray cared for Natsu too. No doubt they are almost the same. Yet, Natsu doesn't know how to express his emotions.
Natsu left them just to get Gray back to them. If that's not caring, then I don't know what is. "This ain't your fault either. They shouldn't have took the request and I shouldn't have joined them. We're all at fault, not just you. And, I know you care for all of us," Erza kindly commented, causing the Pinkette to blush.
"I don't know what I'm doing..." Natsu sighed, looking to the side. The knight smiled and watched every movement of the dragon slayer, studying the way his fingers twitched or how his eyes would soften and harder every now and a then, as if he was remembering something amazing then it turned horrible in an instant.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Erza asked, a kind smile on her face with a hand on her cheek. Natsu looked at Erza in surprise. 'No one has ever asked me that'
Natsu, somehow, smiled slightly at Erza, causing the red-head looked shocked. The dragon prince shook his head and glanced up at the top of the tent, avoiding Erza's surprised gaze.
Erza chuckled nervously. "Sorry, forgot your not the talking type. You've just been so different lately. I like this Natsu," Erza states.
Natsu looked at Erza surprised. "W-What?" Natsu stuttered and blinked in surprise. Erza chuckled. "You have more talkative and is showing more emotion lately. It's a better version of you. I like it," Erza smiled.
Natsu's cheeks flushed slightly from ten compliment. Natsu shook his head to the side to hide his flushed cheeks. "Whatever."
Gray groaned and his eyes opened slowly, causing the two in the tent to look at the ice mage in surprise. "What?" Gray asked dumbly, groggy from the current dreamless sleep. "Good to see your awake Gray," the swordsman said with a smile, causing Gray to smile back and sit up.
Gray then looked at the dragon prince who was staring at him with an emotionless face. Gray smiled at the Pinkette, "Thanks for ten save back there, I wouldn't have been able to make it back to the village on my own," Gray commented. Natsu's eyes widened and he smiled back slightly. "No problem."
Gray was taken aback by the gentle smile, but soon regained his senses. Erza looked at the two and decided it was time for her to leave to allow the two to have some alone time.
"Be right back, gonna tell Lucy, Happy and the villagers that your awake and thank them for their help," Erza said, standing up and walking out the tent.
Natsu watched the knight in surprise. He couldn't believe she would leave him alone with someone. Gray looked at Natsu nervously. "You're not gonna beat me up for being an idiot right?" Gray asked sheepishly. Natsu frowned at Gray. "Why would I do that?" Natsu asked with a disappointed frown.
"Because you uh... Because Erza would," he said with a stutter. Natsu sighed. "I'm not Erza," the dragon slayer said standing up. Gray felt kind of bad for assuming something he probably shouldn't have; the ice mage stood up with the dragon slayer and looked at the slightly shorter mage.
"I didn't mean to assume things. I just thought that you would, also thanks again for helping me," Gray smiled.
Natsu's eyes widened again at the apology and thanks. Natsu looked down and smiled. "Natsu."
The dragon prince looked up when he heard his name being called. "I like this version of you, you seem so kind and sweet. You smiled! You talk more and you have been showing more emotion. I like you like this, promise me you will stay like this. Your smile is kind of cute," Gray said gently, then realized what he said and flushed and waved his hands defensively. "I didn't mean it like that, it's not like that!" Gray shouted in embarrassment.
Natsu had a blush on his face, as he stared at the slightly taller male with a shocked expression. "No, it's ok. But, thanks anyways. I appreciate that your giving me your compliments, you and Erza both, I just never had anyone tell me that before. At least I don't remember," Natsu said with his eyes close, head down, and a soft smile on his face.
Gray calmed down at the statement and smiled at the Pinkette, ruffling his hair. "No problem," he stated with a grin.
"Oh yeah, but there is one thing," the dragon slayer said. Gray looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"
"Don't touch my hair ever again!" Natsu said with his hands on his hips and a dark aura around him, Gray shrunk back from the gaze he was receiving. "Yeah, Alright," he chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.
Natsu sighed, "Sorry," he apologized, "also, let's get outside and see if Erza got everyone together," Natsu said and walked out to the tent.
"Okay," Gray stated, following the dragon prince, a goofy grin on his face. He finally had made up with the Dragon slayer.
xXx
A/N:
O
M
G
I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY FOR NOT POSTING A PART FOR SO LONG!!
Finally I made one, and it's one of my longest. Thank you guys so much for waiting.
School started and I've been so busy. But, I will try to update as much as possible. Also, a bit of Gratsu in the last few parts. I love Gratsu also this story has been made to be part Gratsu.
Hehehehe– Sorry! And hope to see ya'll in the next part.
To be continued...
~Rin