Natsu and Gray: Another Love Story

Chapter Four: Search for Clues

Natsu and Gray quickly finish up and meet with Erza and Lucy at the top of the hill. Happy is still laying on the ground, stunned by his earlier exposure to Erza's body. "Well I feel a lot better!" Natsu exclaims as he pulls on his shirt and tosses the scarf around his neck.

"Good. We'll reach the estate soon." Erza says picking up happy and walking off, everyone following her lead. Once they reach the edge of the estate, they stare in awe. The walls are white with a gold leafy design across the top and seems to stretch on forever, standing over thirty five feet high.

"Where's the entrance?" Lucy asks craning her neck looking left and right. Suddenly part of the wall in front of them started rising, forming a large archway to reveal an enormous open garden. "I guess that means we're invited?" Lucy asks as everyone cautiously crosses the threshold.

"Welcome! Welcome!" A voice shouted. "You finally made it!" Mr. Bazdo stepped out from behind a tall bush and quickly walked up to the group. "If there is anything I can do to help you, please let me know!"

"Actually, could you point out the servant who spotted your daughter leave?" Erza asks.

"Ah yes! Ms. Rosada. She's right over there!" He points to a middle aged woman wearing a blue bonnet who is trimming the hedges. Erza nods to show her thanks and sets down her ginormous cart before marching off to interrogate her.

"Do you have anything of your daughters'?" Natsu suddenly asks.

"Yes. What for?" Mr. Bazdo asks puzzled.

"I want to sniff it." Mr. Bazdo gives Natsu a slightly disgusted look. "To get her scent." Natsu says rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. "I'm not some creep."

"Oh, yes. Here you go." Mr. Bazdo reaches into his coat and produces a tattered doll that looks fairly old and home made. Natsu takes it and presses the doll against his nose and inhales deeply and slowly, trying to capture as much of her smell as possible before handing it back. "Anything?"

"Yeah. The scent is weak, but she definitely went this way." Natsu holds out his hand and points towards the North-East.

"That's the direction Ms. Rosada said she saw my daughter leaving."

"What's in that direction?" Lucy asks.

"A small town. Only a few hundred people. We talked to them and they don't remember anyone matching her description passing through."

"What about tracks. Were any found?" Lucy asks, searching the ground for any sign of horse tracks.

"Yes, but they suddenly just stop just outside the gate. The last investigator says it's because the garden's ground is soft while outside it's much harder." Mr. Bazdo gives a tired-defeated look and rubs his temples. "I should get back to work. If you need me, just ask one of the servants to find me."

"Thank you." Lucy says to Mr. Bazdo, who is already making his way to the mansion deeper in the garden. "Where should we begin?"

Natsu takes his belongings off of the cart starts walking towards the direction he had pointed to earlier. "I'm going to see how far I can follow her scent."

"I'll join you." Gray says, grabbing his stuff and following Natsu.

"We'll follow our lead." Erza states, returning from interrogating the servant. "Lucy and happy are with me. We're going to double check all the horse stables and see if we can find anything that may have been over looked."

"Sounds good to me." Natsu waves as he and Gray make their way across the garden toward the North-East wall. It takes quite a while for them to make it all the way to the wall due to the sheer size of the garden. Once again, the wall rises up to form an archway in order for the two to pass through.

"Why do you think she left?" Natsu asks Gray suddenly as he sniffs the air.

"I don't know. Doesn't matter neither. We're being paid to find her. Not figure out the inner workings of her mind."

"Yeah, but she had to have some reason right?"

"Everybody always has their own reasons for doing things. It doesn't have to make sense to us." Gray states, noticing the hoof prints on the ground and that the scent they were following coincided with them. I thought they were supposed to stop inside the garden? Must mean we're headed in the right direction.

Natsu stops suddenly and takes his bag off of his back and places it on the ground, kneeling down and opening it up. He pulls out a big red fluffy coat and puts it on. The temperature had changed rapidly and was now freezing and getting colder by the minute.

"What's wrong? Can't handle a little cold?" Gray teases.

Natsu gives Gray a sideways glances as he keeps walking. "I can handle it just fine. I just prefer the heat is all."

"You're literally a walking furnace. How much more heat could you possibly need?" Gray asks as he watches a flake of snow fall to the ground. The weather changed really quickly.

"I don't. Like I said, I just prefer the heat. What about you? Don't you ever get cold?" Natsu asks as he turns around to face Gray and starts walking backwards.

"No. Ur made us train in the snow in only our underwear."

"Still, you've got to get cold sometimes?"

"Hasn't happened yet." Gray says with a smug look, glancing around at the rapidly falling snow. "Uh. I think we should probably make camp and wait out the storm."

A smile spreads across Natsu's face. "Afraid of a little storm?" He mocks.

"If you want to get lost, then be my guest." Gray says as he sets down his bag and starts pulling out the tent.

"I was kidding. I can hardly see anyways." Natsu bends down and helps Gray set up the tent. They both climb into the large tent, glad to be out of the raging storm. "How long is this supposed to last? Natsu asks as he rolls out his sleeping bag at the back of the tent.

"Does it look like I'm on a personal level with Mother Nature?" Gray asks sarcastically as he starts a fire in a pot in the middle of the tent.

Natsu crawls over to the fire and sits down next to gray, his eyes starting to droop. "That feels good." He raises his hands and places them close to the fire.

"Mhmm." Gray says, watching Natsu who's eyes have closed. Natsu suddenly starts starts snoring and leans towards Gray. Gray puts his arm around Natsu and pulls him close, letting Natsu's head fall onto his shoulder. You're so cute when you're sleeping. Gray kisses Natsu's forehead before picking him up and placing him inside his sleeping bag. "Goodnight." Gray says looking down at Natsu longingly.