The Princess and the Commoner

Chapter 18: Drained

The man watched the mages fall asleep one by one in the destroyed train.

"I'm surprised that they decided to sleep there. I could blow it up again. Obviously I don't have anymore explosives on the train but still..." The man aimed his gun at his targets again and memorised their faces. The Salamander and the Sky Maiden. The man ran down the hill to the train and approached the mages cautiously. He threw a gas ball filled with sleeping magic then he grabbed Natsu and Wendy and dragged them far away from the train and all hope of help. Once he got far enough away, he cast a spell and started draining the dragon slayer's magic. The man grinned as they cried out in pain from their magic being pulled from their bodies. His spell wore out on Wendy so he cast it again on Natsu,

"Air Space: Drain!" He aimed his spell at Natsu and started pulling out his magic energy. He didn't make any sounds or even move. The man frowned in confusion and looked back down to the train but still keeping his spell active. There was no sign that the mages were awake. So maybe there was just something wrong with this one. The man looked at Natsu in horror as he thought of something,

"Is he dead? Was he killed by something on the train?!" The man dropped Natsu to the ground and and felt his pulse. Alive. He sighed in relief and continued draining Natsu's magic energy. He dropped Natsu on the ground when he was done.

"Just go! We need to find them!" The man turned quickly to look at the train, the mages were awake and they were searching for their lost comrades.

"I got what I came for..." The man disappeared and left the dragon slayers to die in the forest.

~*~

The man appeared before Jose and bowed before his master,

"I drained the dragon slayer's magic. But I left Gajeel alone." Jose grinned,

"Good work Aria."

~*~

Erza went through the forest, worry clouding her mind,

"Where could they have gone?!" Erza stepped forward and saw pink and blue through the bushes. She ran forward and saw Wendy and Natsu laying on the ground, unconscious. Erza approached them but stopped before she could reach them,

"I can't sense any magic energy from them..." Erza went to Wendy and looked at her closely, "They have no magic energy!" Erza looked at Natsu, he looked like he was in the same condition as Wendy. Erza frowned and looked around,

"Aria...he did this. I would know this drain spell anywhere." She requipped into her flame empress armor and shot a fire ball into the air. Within a minute, everyone in Team Natsu was at the location Erza, Natsu, and Wendy were at. Gajeel looked at the fallen mages and clenched his fist,

"What does Aria want?! Why is he still hurting people? What guild still allows this?!" Erza shook her head,

"I don't know. But he was able to take all Natsu's and Wendy's magical energy. We need to get them some help or they'll die." Lucy put a hand to her mouth and she went up to Wendy,

"Why are they always targeted?!" Levy went down by Natsu and clenched her small fists together in anger,

"Why is Gajeel's past still coming at him...?" Gajeel looked at Levy in surprise, "People from his old guild are hurting people from Fairy Tail again, and for what? To get him to be like he used to be?" Levy walked away from Natsu slightly and looked into the forest. She took a deep breath and screamed as loud as she could, "GAJEEL IS DONE WITH THAT LIFE SO LEAVE HIM AND EVERYONE IN FAIRY TAIL ALONE!" She stomped away leaving everyone shocked into silence. Gajeel looked to the ground and laughed slightly,

"Darn Squirt." He looked back up with a smile on his face, "You took the words right out of my mouth." Erza smiled and watched as Gajeel went to find Levy. Erza snapped her head back over to Natsu when she heard him groan. He coughed and rolled over on his side and started shaking violently. And so was Wendy, Lucy checked on Wendy,

"What is happening to them?" Lucy looked up to Erza with a panicked expression on her face,

"I don't know." Erza picked Natsu up and started running for the next town. Lucy looked down to Wendy and smiled slightly at the young dragon slayer,

"It's ok Wendy. You and Natsu are going to be ok." Lucy bent down, picked Wendy up and ran after Erza. All of the other mages were at the town and Lucy found Erza talking to someone without Natsu on her back. She quickly walked over to her and smiled,

"So, where is Natsu?" Erza smiled and pointed at the building next to her,

"He's in there. And you can put Wendy in there too." Lucy nodded and walked into the building. It was a warm building with a lot of decorations on the walls. She walked up the stairs and into the only room on the floor. Wendy was sitting on the bed and Lucy set Natsu on the bed next to her. She looked down to the two fallen mages and smiled slightly,

"I hope that you guys will be ok. It's already been weird without Natsu for 3 whole years, I don't need him or you gone for that amount of time ever again." Lucy slightly walked away and looked behind her before she walked out of the room, "Please get better soon guys..." She walked out the room and down the stairs. Erza stood there, waiting for her and smiled when she saw Lucy coming down the stairs.

"Lucy, did you put Natsu on one of the beds?" Lucy nodded and smiled, it's going to be lonely without them." Erza nodded and looked to the room,

"Me too Lucy me too..."

"I hope that they'll come back soon,