Poisoned Fire | Gratsu

Chapter 1 ♡

"Now all I can do is lay in my room, fall asleep, dream of you, then wake up and do nothing about it."

-A Part of Me, Neck Deep

Natsu's POV

"Oi! Ice Princess, get over here and help me choose the next job!" I yell as I study the request board. There are too many choices. I mean, I appreciate that people trust our guild to get their jobs finished successfully.... But sometimes it just gets to be too much. Then again, most jobs are always really enjoyable!!!!

"Don't order me around Flame Brain!" Gray walks over to join me and we both scan the board for a job.

"Just pick one already. It can't be that hard. How about this one? 200,000 Jewel to catch some thieves." Lucy suggests and takes it off the board, Happy flying over to see it in the air above her.

"But that's easy!" I complain. Way too easy. I mean. I want to at least choose something that's a little difficult to do.

"Exactly! So its easy money." Gray turns to face me.

"Aye!" Happy agrees.

I ignore the two and turn around. They can just decide it then.

The guild's really quiet today... A lot of people are on jobs so there aren't many wizards here. Even the master had a meeting with the other guilds. I look out the rain spotted window, watching the Fairy Tail flag flutter restlessly in the wind. A flash of lightning strikes across the gray sky. A wave of nausea hits me and I drop my head to look at the floor, leaning against a wooden pillar. Something doesn't feel right. Wind pounds harshly at the walls of the guild and thunder sounds from within dark clouds. For a moment the guild shakes. After a moment, the shaking stops and I try dismiss my worries. The thunder just caused it.

No big deal I suppose.

But still, everything feels....off.

I glance up at Gray and Lucy who are still deciding what job we should do. The air chills and at first I think Gray is making it happen but I glance over and immediately know he isn't doing it. Suddenly the ground starts to tremble once again, more ferociously than the last time and the guild doors burst open. Erza, panting, motions for us.

"Erza are you alright?" Lucy asks worriedly.

"I'm fine. There's a situation and I don't have any time to explain. Come on!" And with that she runs back out the doors, not waiting for us to follow.

No one else in the guild moves an inch, slight confusion and a tad bit of fear evident on their face. Its understandable. Anyone who can make the earth shift like it did just now could be a strong opponent. Not that this person will likely stand any chance at all against Erza, me, Gray, and Lucy. Oh! And Happy!

Gray looks at me, shrugs his shoulders and we dart after Erza, not really knowing what we're getting ourselves into.

"Happy!" I yell when we're outside.

"Aye sir!" He spreads his wings and lifts me into the air. We fly higher and higher and from the air I can see a crater, a dark figure standing in the middle. Houses around the area have crumbled to the ground leaving debris littered all over. The council is probably gonna blame us for that. I spot Erza far ahead of us, sprinting towards the area.

Happy rushes me over there and drops me on the ground next to her. Gray and Lucy catch up within a minute and we slowly approach the figure. He's on his knees. He has short midnight black hair and his aura crawls with immense magic power.