Hot and Cold

Graveyard

~*****~

I kept grumbling irritably as I walked through the dark caverns. "Glory hog, always eating up the battles. I coulda totally decimated that battle if the jerk let me use my dragon force. It's totally exhausting dealing with his attitude, why do I even like that freak?" My face flushes as I recall the many times he's showed me time and time again he's the toughest wizard around. "Oh... Oh yeah." I murmur. "I'm gonna make him regret doing that, but I'm gonna do it while he's doing that cute thing when I kiss him." My face flushes again and I grumble. I snort and shrug, my hand raising and my finger pointing upwards. "I guess I'll let it go. You're facing two tough opponents. Burn them up for hurting our friends." I hear a shrill squeal coming for me until something soft plops onto my head, shouting about dark and scary it is. "Ballad." I say lightly as she continues to wail and call out for me. I pluck her off of my head and hold her up. "You found me. Stop crying." I say irritably. She stops wailing and pops open her eyes before wailing harder.

"Oh, miss! I was so worried after Natsu sent you tumbling down this cavern! Don't worry, we'll get out of here and we'll get even!" She sobs.

I palm at my head as I release her. "I'm totally fine with it, Ballad. I'm gonna continue exploring this cavern, cause I smell something familiar. Just stay with me, got it?" Ballad nods with a sniffle before gluing herself to my front.

We only get a few hours in until Ballad begins whining that she's hungry and scared of the dark. I sigh delicately and palm at her head.

"Just a little longer. We're close to the familiar scent." I explain delicately. Ballad nods sullenly.

But what I find, almost sends me tumbling to my knees. My lip trembles as I stare at all the bones surrounding me. "M-Miss, are these-- these--" Ballad stammers.

"Dragon bones..." I murmur as I palm at one of them, shaking delicately. "It's a graveyard... I've got to tell the others. Hang on, Ballad!""

I set her on my shoulder and find the nearest hole I can fly out of. When I get back to the bar I would usually find everyone, I kick the doors open, my fury reignited with the first sounds of Natsu's voice.

"Oh, there you guys are. Why the hell did you run off during our fight!" Natsu asked as he whirled around.

I grasped him by his hair and slammed him into the ground before stomping on his back. "If you've forgotten," I say in a calm tone. "YOU PUSHED ME DOWN THERE!" I shout at him. "YOU'RE LUCKY I WANTED TO EXPLORE THAT CAVERN, OTHERWISE I'D FREEZE YOU TO A LIGHT POST BUTT NAKED!"

"Right--" Natsu groaned as I continued to kick him like a can on the street. "Sorry, ma'am," He whined.

I grasped at his hair and turned to Wendy and Gajeel who stared at us in both amusement and worry. "I've got something to show you guys." I say softly. "You, too, Natsu." I mention as I drag him along.

"At least let me walk, this is killing me!" Natsu whined as he tried prying my hand from his hair.

"No way, you totally upstaged me again! We decided to do things together and you pull this stunt? You're gonna be hurtin' for a long time because that's not what we agreed on!" I complain angrily.

I finally release Natsu and he sulks after me like a scolded child. "Oh, wait, I almost forgot somethin'," Natsu hummed as he started digging around in his pockets. My brow quirks in confusion as he tugs out a small red crystal and holds it out.

"Awe, how cute, Salamander found a shiny rock for ya," Gajeel teases as he stares down at it.

"I didn't find it!" Natsu barks at him. "I made it! Aria showed me how to do it!"