The Lost Dragon (A Fairytail Fanfiction)

Chapter 62: The What-Fruit?

Gray's pov

I tried to keep Tsubaki awake, but she had fallen unconscious again. I sat against the wall, watching the opening to see if the monster was lurking around where we were. Wendy told me to keep an eye out for him, "Gray," I turned my head, seeing Tsubaki on her left side and curled up like a ball. I decided that we needed to get out of here, so I made a larger opening and picked her up. I crawled out of the opening I made, and heard distant footsteps.

When Erza set up the three way communication lacrima, Wendy said they were separated from Gajeel so I had to be on the lookout for him, they said that he was around our area. I started walking away from the hole, keeping my guard up as I looked around hoping that the beast wasn't lurking around here. I heard groaning and looked down, seeing Tsubaki open her eyes.

"Tsu, are you alright?" I asked and she groaned again, so I stopped walking and set her down on a rock, "Come on, Tsu give me something." I smacked her face lightly, hoping she wouldn't punch me for it. "Gray, what are you doing?" She opened her eyes and looked straight at me, before turning completely red. "What's wrong?" I asked and she started stammering, "Too close." She muttered and I moved back, "I'm sorry." I sat down in front of her, to make sure she was alright.

"It's alright." She looked down at the floor, "Are you okay?" I asked, "Yeah, I think so. The burning stopped, but I'm aching all over and I feel sick." She said, "Do you think you can walk?" I stood up, hoping that she could stand to her feet. "I think so," She stood up, at first she was a little wobbly but managed to keep her balance.

"Alright, try to walk to me." I gestured and she nodded. She moved her foot forward but as soon as she did her, legs buckled from under her. I acted quickly and rushed forward to catch her, "Are you feeling okay?" I helped her stand up, keeping an arm around her waist.

"Yeah, let's keep moving. We need to find Gajeel." She said, "You heard them?" I looked at her, "Yeah, I did." She started feeling hot, as we started walking.

"You're burning up," I put a hand on her forehead, seeing sweat drip down the side of her temple. "Tsu, climb on my back." I stopped walking, and set her on a boulder. She climbed onto my back and I could feel the heat emanating off of her body, something isn't right.

I pulled out the lacrima, "Guys, how far are you?" I saw Lucy turn her head towards me, "We should be there in another four minutes." Erza said, "Well you might wanna hurry. Tsu, isn't holding up too well and it might be because of the gas. Please hurry. She's burning up with a fever." I said with concern, "Stay put, Gray. We'll be there in a bit. We need to go back to chief Koen to report all of this." Erza said. I put the lacrima away and used my ice, to help cool her off.

"Tsu, I need you stay awake just until Wendy gets here." I pleaded and I could hear her faintly say okay. I waited a few more minutes before I heard rushing footsteps, I looked up seeing shadows. "Gray?!!" I heard Erza yell out, "Over here!" I waved and finally saw them coming towards us. "Tsu, they're here." I wasn't getting a response, which made me worry a lot more. "Is she okay?" Natsu asked, concern etched in his face. "No, and she's not responding." I set her down and laid her on the ground, but I could feel that she was a lot hotter than before. Beads of sweat, rolled down her temples.

"She looks so pale. And she's burning up." Wendy said, "We need to get her out of that jacket!" I rushed to her side, quickly taking her jacket off. But once I did her breathing became heavier, patches of green on her skin were covering her skin.

"What is that?" Lucy asked, scrunching her eyebrows. "It must have been from the monster's mist or whatever it released." I said, this has gotten a lot worse than I originally thought. "We need to get her out of here now, I'm not sure what I can do to help her. Chief Koen will know." I picked her up, "Alright. Ezra, Wendy and I will go with Gray to Chief Koen, the rest of you figure out what that thing is." Erza said, "Right," We broke off and I started running, I need to get her out of here.

"Gray don't worry about us, we'll catch up. Just get her to Koen!" I nodded and ran faster, having to keep moving Tsubaki up as I ran. "Hang in there, Tsu." I didn't slow my pace, as I finally made it to the village.

"Hairi!!!" I shouted, catching villagers attention.

"Hairi!! Koen!!" I yelled again, this time they both ran out of a building a few meters ahead. "What happened?" Koen yelled, once he saw Tsubaki's unconscious body in my arms.

"We found another monster in that cave. It released some sort of mist, she breathed it in. It didn't affect me. But it did to her." Koen and Hairi and had reached me and Tsubaki, Koen saw the green spots on her arm.

"Listen, you need to grab a certain fruit that is growing in the mountains. That beast, I never thought it would show up ever again." Koen said, shaking his head. I furrowed my eyebrows, angry at the fact he never told us about this other monster before we left.

"Come on inside, I'll explain every thing." Erza, Wendy and Ezra got here and came inside with me. "Lucy has the three way lacrima." Erza said, "What's happening to her?" Ezra asked, he looked pissed and concerned.

"This beast, it basically showed up a year after Hairi left. At first, I didn't think that it was a threat until it attacked one of the villagers, who was picking harvest at the time. We had to turn to a nearby guild that made the antidote. They showed us how to make it, but the fruit grows very rarely in winter. The fruit is called the Krobana fruit, it resembles much of a strawberry but it's much sweeter, it is Purple on the outside. This fruit grows towards the back of the cove. But she can't eat it just like that. It has to be mixed into a juice, eating it just like that can make you even more sick." Koen explained,

"Why the hell did you never tell us this before we left?!" Ethan shouted, taking the lacrima from Lucy. "I didn't think this thing would show up again. It hasn't been active for more than a few years." Koen stated, he looked very upset.

"You should have told us this before we went in that cave, man! We're helping you! If my sister dies, I'm coming after you Koen. You better pray, she gets better." Ethan threatened, the lacrima was snatched away from him by Ezra.

"Sorry about that Koen, but he is right. You should have told us." Ezra shook his head, he was upset but calmer than Ethan at the moment.

"Listen, I know I should have told you this. But we don't have time for this. I'm sorry, I didn't tell you. But you have to hurry and find that fruit."

"Don't worry, we'll find that fruit." Natsu pounded his fists together, he looked ready to kill that thing. "Yeah and you better hurry. Tsu, is depending on it." Lucy said as I looked at her.