Darkness Unknown

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Natsu was beyond annoyed. Happy wouldn't stop whining about fish and Gray wouldn't stop stripping, causing Erza to yell at him to get dressed. Lucy was doing nothing but gawking at their disorganization. Finally he snapped.

"Please be quiet, I can't think with all your yelling." His voice commanded attention and obedience.

He talked!? They all thought.

"Aye, Natsu! But when we get the flute can I have fish?" Happy asked. His eyes were wide and innocent.

Lucy mentally face palmed. "So which train to we get on and actually, where are we going?"

Everyone looked at Natsu. He sighed and kept walking.

"Okay, look. I know you don't want to be here and we don't want you to be here but this never going to work unless you give us any information you have on the damn flute." Gray grabbed him arm. Gray 's face was stony, daring Natsu to do anything and Happy sucked in a breath. Erza braced herself for an attack.

Natsu turned to look at them. His green eyes swept over the group with judgment. He glanced at Gray 's hand before pulling away and sighing.

"Lullaby is a flute that contains a demon from the book of Zeref. The Dark Guild Eisenwald is currently in possession of it. I heard some of their underlings talking about it on my last mission. When I talked to them, they didn't have much information." Lucy could only image what Natsu meant by "talked to them."

"So what now?" Erza asked. She was taken back by Natsu talking to them as much as he did. It was the most in seven years she had heard his voice. Even at the guild, he only said little to the Master and Gildarts when he was there.

"We go to them." Was all Natsu said.

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying we charge into a dark guild's guild hall?!" Lucy yelled. At this point the people of had gotten used to seeing yelling mages and flying cats. But the new one was the black clad teenager. He was new. Or so they thought anyway.

But Natsu was apparently done talking to them. He had started walking toward the train station.

Gray sighed. "We might as well follow him. It seems he has a plan he's not going to share with us."

Once on the train, something weird happened. Natsu demanded a separate room from them. He actually spoke to the conductor and guard in a respectfully cool and isolated manner. They seemed to be something like friends.

Once Natsu had disappeared into his private coach, Erza asked the conductor about it.

"Oh, Natsu? He's a nice young man. Shy and cold but he has a big heart. Always helps with thieves and any problems we have on the train." The conductor said.

"He's nice to you?" Gray asked, struck dumb.

The conductor laughed. "Nice? No! He just treats us coolly. He always takes our trains do we see him a lot here. We say hi and he nods. That's all there is to it."

"But... What?" Erza said.

The conductor laughed and starts to move one. "I've know him for three years now, the guard even longer. He's not that bad of a person." He walked on yelling about tickets and chatting with the other passengers. Erza frowned.

"So when do we get off?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know. Go ask Natsu." Gray answered.

Lucy sighed. They were clearly confused about Natsu's attitude towards the conductor and guard. Lucy wasn't that surprised though. He treated her the same way as them, with a cool attitude. She wasn't that bothered by it. (Not that she would admit anyways.) He seemed like he didn't necessarily hate people but had a strong distrust of them. Lucy's mind went back to the little she knew about Natsu and his past. Being abandoned at such a young age must have taken a toll on him.

"I want fish!" Happy whined.

"Oh, shut it you cat!"

"Erza, Lucy's being mean!"

"Happy, Lucy, stop fighting. Gray ! Where are your cloths?"

"Ah crap! Not again! Where's my shirt? Hey, give my yours Lucy."

"No way!"

"Ouch! Your heavy Lucy! Get off!"

"Shut it cat!"

"Erza! Lucy's going to eat me! Aha!"

"Will you two shut up! I'm trying to eat my cake in peace!"

Pause.

"Where did she get a cake?"

Natsu turned his head towards the window. His stomach was rolling. He hated trains and liked walking better.

The others were making so much noise that their conversation was clear through the wall. Natsu sighed in annoyance. Master's plan was never going to work. Natsu would always be the outcast.

And Natsu like it that way. It was less trouble. He was free of the obligations of having to care.

When to train finally stopped, the group looked a little worse for wear. Natsu was still a little green, not that anybody noticed or care. Gray was only in a pair of underwear, the rest of his clothes lost along the way. Happy was crying about fish while Lucy was crying about money and how this job was doomed. Erza was defeated over the loss of her cake. (She ate it.)

"So what now?" Lucy asked.

Just the a warning came over the intercom of the train station. "All trains are stopped today. I repeat, all trains are stopped today."

"Hmm..." Natsu walked up to the conductor and asked what it was about.

"It seems the next stop over is surrounded by a wall of wind. No one can get into it. The Dark Guild Eisenwald is taking responsibility for it."

Natsu nodded and started walking toward the other train station.

"Wait! You can't walk that far! It would take to long." Lucy yelled.

But then Natsu disappeared with a faint "pop" leaving the smell of sulfur behind.

"Damn that Natsu! We need a car. Come with me!" Erza yelled, running off leaving the rest to follow.

(Unknown to anyone, except maybe Natsu, Cana had her cards out projecting their mission. "It seems Levy is winning with her prediction that Natsu will leave them behind." There was quite crying in the background as many mages started losing money.)