Demon Departure - Phoenix Dragneel

Celebrations

"Cana your on decorations, Happy you and me are sorting out music, Gajeel and Levy you guys are making the buffet food and Lucy you can create all the invitations!" Natsu commands to his guildmates after telling them about the birthday celebrations for Phoenix. "What about me?" Pouted Erza feeling left out. Gray pushed his way over to the redhead S class wizard and slung his arm over her shoulder. "You, Erza are in charge of the cake because I know your a bit of a conosseure  in that particular area. Just don't eat it before the party starts tonight." Gray smirked after seeing Erza almost jump with joy at his suggestion.

Everything was going to plan for Phoenix's 20th birthday party: Natsu and Gray were running back and forth trying to make sure everything was perfect. Meanwhile, Phoenix was at her and Natsu's shared apartment trying to decide what to wear for the big celebration. "Argh this is so frustrating! I have so many clothes yet I have nothing to wear for my birthday!" She sulked sitting in a pile of discarded clothes. Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Phoenix jumped with shock before heading to the door.

Opening the door, it revealed a figure stood in an all black suit holding a large box and a bouquet of sweet pink roses. "Happy birthday princess. Wear this to the party it will make you look even more beautiful than you already are." Spoke the stranger who sounded suspiciously like Gray. "Your going to make me cry you idiot!" Giggled Phoenix taking the roses and box of clothes from the hands of her devoted boyfriend. "Hey I just want you to enjoy your special day." He laughed kissing her quickly on the lips before waving goodbye and running off to the party. Shaking her head laughing, Phoenix headed up to her room to change into the outfit that Gray had bought her.

(Time skip ~ )

Brightly coloured balloons and banners drowned the guildhall, people talking loudly below the kaleidoscopic shimmer of colour. Everyone was laughing and having fun because recently there has been no time for relaxation or celebration. Phoenix sat at a far table, watching her friends having fun while she couldn't quite pull a smile onto her lips.

Phoenix's POV

"So Nix are you enjoying your party?" Gray asks sliding in next to me. His icy hand curls around my waist in habit. "Yeah. It's just the thing with you and Natsu and the dying incident has me worried about what might happen next." I answer fiddling with my fingers. "Hey it won't get like that again, okay? I'll protect both of you." He promises smiling a big toothy grin. "I know, I just don't want you to get hurt because of me." I say my eyes watering a little bit. Carefully, Gray turns me to face him. "Now now don't go crying, it's your birthday. One of the only days you can eat loads and not apologise for it. Besides, I don't want my beautiful girlfriend to be sad on a day like this." Smiling wide, I look up into his stormy grey eyes seeing all of his emotions at once. "See this is why I love you." I say my forehead pressing against his. "I love you too princess." He reciprocates before giving me a loving kiss on the lips.

As the ice and white lightning mages kissed, Natsu watched from afar with a huge grin on his face. "What's got you so happy?" Asked Happy prodding Natsu in the arm. "I'm just glad Phoenix is back to normal and everyone seems to be having a good time." He smiled starting to walk over to the love birds with a gift in his hands. "Happy birthday Fifi here's your present from me!" Shouted Natsu over the loud boom of the music. Unwrapping the gift, Phoenix couldn't help but show a big toothy grin as she pulled out a purple laced scrapbook full of all her Fairytail memories. "This is adorable, thank you Natsu I love it." She hugged him tightly as the music began to quieten.

All of a sudden, Mirajane and Erza came out of the kitchen holding a beautiful 4 tier cake, decorated with the letters 'Happy birthday Phoenix'. Everyone erupted into a chorus of 'happy birthday' as Phoenix sat with happy tears rolling down her cheeks. "Thank you everybody, this has been the best birthday ever." Phoenix laughs as she is encased in a group hug of all her fellow guild mates. Out of habit, she rolls her platinum bracelet around her arm, the magic in her body increasing. This bracelet was the main source of her power being recharged and whenever she had intense feelings of happiness, she would play with it to increase the rate at which it recharged her magic.

Phoenix's POV

Almost out of nowhere, grey-black smoke filled the main part of the guild hall, quickly clouding everyone in darkness. "What the hell is going on?" Cana exclaims, slamming down her barrel. A strong hand wraps itself around my arm through the smoke, tugging at my silver bracelet. "Hey! Get off me! What are you doing? Get off me, that's mine!" I struggle against the strength of the hand. "You have no chance Phoenix Dragneel." The figure eerily whispers, tugging the bracelet from my wrist, draining me of my magic power. "Who..are.....you?" I get out, dropping to my knees. "You'll know when the time is right!" A feminine voice calls, the voice sounded strangely familiar and melodic. Losing consciousness, the top half of my body falls to the wooden floor with a loud thud.

Natsu's POV

"Is everyone okay?" I shouted as Wendy cleared the smoke with her sky magic. A chorus of 'yes' and nods echoed throughout the hall, but out the corner of my eye I could see Gray and Phoenix on the floor. "G-Gray what's wrong with Phoenix?" I stutter gazing down at my sister who's face was slowly losing its colour. "I'm not sure exactly, but her bracelet is gone and I heard an unfamiliar female voice  talking to her through the smoke." Gray replied slowly picking up his girlfriend in his arms so they could walk upstairs to the infirmary. "Shit this isn't good! Gray the letter had something in it about her 20th birthday." I realised panicking as I pulled out the crumpled letter from my pocket. "They wanted to take something precious from her, something she couldn't live without. Gray that was her parents!" I stuttered, dropping to my knees as a panic attack overcame my entire body.

"Natsu, Natsu calm down please. Fuck somebody get Makarov quick, I don't know what to do!" I couldn't hear properly but Gray was shouting for help as my vision blurred and my senses decreased rapidly. "Wendy please could you cast a calming spell over Natsu so we can find out how to solve this problem." Makarov demanded summoning the young girl over to the shaking dragon slayer.

Third person POV

After several minutes, the pink haired pyro had returned to his usual self and was thanking everybody around him for helping him out. "Natsu, Gray can I speak to you for a moment please. Meet me in the infirmary with Phoenix." Spoke Master Makarov before walking out of the room. Once they had entered the room, Phoenix tucked up into bed, Makarov guided the boys to sit in a chair. "Natsu you should know something about Phoenix's parents that I've been keeping from you." Natsu shot up from his seat staring wide eyed at his Master.

"Phoenix's parents...They are convicted thief's and murderers. Natsu, they were the reason your parents were killed, not the monster! About 8 years ago, I received a visit from a stranger in the street and they told me that no matter how hard we try, we will never be able to protect Phoenix. After some investigation into them, I found they were her parents and the only thing they wanted was to make her suffer for ruining their lives." Spoke Makarov calmly while Gray forcefully held Natsu down who had a deathly fire in his eyes. "That's fucking vile! She has done nothing wrong in her entire life, yet these so called parents of hers want to torture her. I swear on my mothers grave if I ever find them I will rip them apart!" Screamed the fire dragon slayer as Gray sat next to Phoenix on her bed.

Gray's POV

On the outside, I was calm but on the inside I was fuming, ready to fight anyone who taunted me. Her parents will be found and I will destroy them for what they have done to Phoenix. "Natsu, we need to find those bastards and show them no mercy! I'm not letting them get away with what they've done to Nix. It's unforgivable!" I hiss bawling my hand into a fist. He nodded quickly before looking down at Phoenix. "We will protect you, even if that means we get hurt in the process. Although we aren't blood related, you will always be my sister." Spoke Natsu tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.