Vermillion's Cub

Chapter 27: What I'm Meant to Be

Chapter 27: What I'm Meant to Be

Natsu's POV:

It felt so comforting, nothing hurt anymore. It was warm and bright. All that pain I felt was gone, washed away and I was filled with a new found energy.

"...Gramma...?" I stared at her, I couldn't believe it, she was standing there as if nothing happened.

She dropped her hands, dusting my hair to get rid of the straw that was stuck in it. "Look at you, you're filthy." She pulled me to my feet. "Why in tarnation would you sleep in the barn when you have a perfectly good bed inside?" she forced me around and started patting down my back, not noticing my shocked expression nor the trembling of my bottom lip. She turned me around again, holding my shoulders and finally seeing my face.

"Sue. you look like you've seen a ghost," she commented brushing my fringe to the side, cupping my face. I continued staring at her seeing her annoyed face turn worried, feeling her hand. It all felt so real. Bolting forward I push my face into her stomach, 'She's here, she's really here.' Not caring that I was getting her dress wet she ran her hand through my hair again.

"I thou- There was- You were." I hiccuped, holding her dress tighter. Not understanding how it was possible, it was confirmed that she and Gramps were gone. However, if that was true then how was she standing here? I didn't understand it. "How... How-"

"Common now, no need for tears. Tell me what has you down." she pulled away, continuing to whip away the stream of tears running down my cheeks.

"There- was a fire, y-y-you were– You were." I choked on my sob. Recalling the heat from inside the house before I was pulled out. I remember the numbing pain from my hands. Speaking of, I noticed the feeling of my hands or rather the lack of a certain fabric. Pulling my hand from her skirt, there were no gloves, turning them around....there were also no burns, just smooth skin.

"Mary, what's taking so long." A voice called out to them, I paid it no mind as I was mesmerized by the lack of scares. " their not gonna harvest themselves."

"I can see that. Sue's going on about fires. I think she had a bad dream." Mary told the voice, hugging me to her side. That caught my attention, a dream? It couldn't be. Was everything a dream, if felt too real, more real than now.

"That's what happens when she sleeps in the barn, told ya we should have brought her in last night."

"Charles," Gramma in a warning tone, causing me to look up. It was Gramps, with the same tired eyes he always had and his dusty cap still perched on his head, covering his balding spot.

Could I have imagined it all, the kidnapping? The events that led to me meeting Fuegoleon, Aunt Mereoleona, and even Uncle Leo? If this was all just my mind playing tricks, that would be a cruel joke. "No... it happened," I said quietly. It had to have happened. I couldn't remember much but there was a a woman, blond, her name...I couldn't remember it, but I definitely remember a monster. It was big and scary after that I remember it was hard to breathe.

"Now Sue, remember last year when you lit your blanket on fire cause you had a "real dream"," Gramps used air quotes, "About a bug trying to eat the horse." He brought up while nudging his shoulder towards the horse that was casually eating its hay. It was an event that caused a lot of embarrassment for me. It was the day after I found out about the praying mantis and how it killed other bugs, by eating the head first. I always found the bug to be kinda creepy. The dream was of that very bug eating the family horse, I wanted to protect it so I used my magic. Only the magic wasn't exclusive to my dream.

"But what about Fuegoleon-?"

"Fuegoleon..?" Gramps asked, looking just as confused as I was.

"Common now," Gramma interrupted. "It's okay, you seemed really upset about this, why don't you go play for a bit. I'll help you gramps with the fields." Gramma pulled away and handed me a shiny red apple, claiming I missed breakfast. Holding the apple I could see my reflection in its shiny red coat, and it confused me further, my hair was shorter not by a lot but it was there and I looked just like I did before everything.