It's that time! Mating Season!

Chapter 8

[This will start right before Gajeel, Laxus and Sting burst in.]

Gray's POV:

Levi punched me in the gut and I double over. Before he could strike again I hear a boom and in walks, Laxus, Gajeel and Sting. Gajeel picks up Natsu and runs him outside. Laxus and Sting then run towards Levi, fighting him. I pull harder but still can't break free. I sob as I look at Gajeel.

Gajeel sneaks over to me and begins to free me. I continue to sob at the thought of what happened. "Natsu..." I cry out and try to stand, only to fall.

"I know Gray, calm down, just calm down." He says and tries to help me to my feet.

"No it won't, you don't understand, Levi marked him, I'll never get to be with him now!" I exclaim and cry into my hands.

"We'll find a way to remove it!" He exclaims and pulls me up. Laxus and Sting had just defeated Levi and Sting tied him up to turn him in.

Laxus grabbed me and walked us outside, with Gajeel and Sting, pulling Levi behind us.

-

When we got outside, I began to get the feeling back in my legs and was able to walk on my own. Coincidentally the magic council was nearby so we turned Levi in and left to go home.

I ended up picking up Natsu and holding him close to me, I wasn't losing him again.

-

Time skip to the next day:

Natsu's POV:

Gramps, Lucy, Levy, Gajeel, Erza, Gray and I were walking to Porlyusica's home so that she could brew a special potion for me to remove my mark and bond from that bastard Levi.

We kept walking and I felt Gray slip his hand into mine. He squeezes it protectively and I smile. We continue to walk farther into the dense woods and I begin to feel hot. Like hotter than normal. I don't say anything about it at first, but then it becomes an unbearable heat that even I can't handle.

"Hey are you ok, you're burning up?" Gray ask, worriedly. I nod and we walk on. "Ow shit, what the hell Natsu, why'd you burn me?!" Gray yells, surrounding his now burning hand in ice to cool it off.

"I-I d-didn't do I-it." I stutter as he yells at me. "Oh crap, I didn't mean to yell at you Natsu, I'm sorry." I just nod and continue walking, pulling ahead of everyone else. I cross my arms and feel the burning sensation course throughout my whole body. I double over in pain as I get these terrible cramps in my stomach. The others rush towards me. I drop to my knees and hold my cramping stomach as pain and that burning feeling rushes through my body.

Gray feels my head as Levy looks through the book for any information. I cry out as pain runs through me at Gray's touch. I have to refrain from moving to much or it hurts. I begin to scratch and claw at the mark, hoping it would take away the pain, but it does no good. Gray pulls my arms away, making me stop the clawing. I pull it from his grasp and continue.

"Natsu! Stop doing that, or you'll hurt yourself!" Gray yells and tries to pull my arm away again. this time it falls limp and I whimper in pain. I not only whimper from the pain, but the fact that he was yelling at me, it hurt and scared me.

I begin to sob uncontrollably and long to be held until the pain subsides. Lucy holds my hand and speaks soothing words but I don't listen all I can focus on is the terrible pain I'm feeling.

I feel a hand pull up my face and when it stops, I see Gray in front of me, his face full of worry. "Natsu..." His voice is distant. "Natsu..!" He says again and as he repeats my name over and over it becomes even more distant and soon I black out.

-

Lucy's POV:

Natsu blacks out and we all freak out, especially Gray he picks up Natsu quickly and runs in the direction of Porlyusica's place, leaving the rest of us behind. "Gray... stop!" Levy yells as we sprint after him.

When we reach the place we see him being ushered into the house by Porlyusica. Her face shows worry as she waves a hand so that we will go faster. Porlyusica ask me, Gajeel and Erza to stay outside.

She lets Levy and master inside and slams the door. I begin to worry for my best friend. I can hear his sobbing and cries of pain all the way out here as he'd began writhing and screaming while unconscious.

-

Gray's POV:

I lay a screaming Natsu onto the bed as Levy and gramps run in.

Porlyusica orders us all around. Levy finds the page and gramps helps her gather the ingredients she'd went out and gathered earlier today. She had been informed of our problem this morning, when gramps sent Jet to come out here and deliver the letter.

According to the book we had 32 hours until the mark couldn't be removed. It's been about 30 now and we only have 2 left. Sure we were cutting it short, but when we'd asked if we could come earlier she said we'd have to wait until this afternoon, or now to give her time  to gather the ingredients she needed.

"Now, I would've began brewing this earlier but, given the short notice and the fact that some of these ingredients are very rare, and are almost impossible to find anymore, I was delayed." Porlyusica exclaims.

"We only have two hours, it takes just a little less than that to brew the potion, so we are definitely not being helped by time today." Levy says as she crushes some herbs for the potion.

I look over at Natsu, whose screaming had subsided. He was curled up in a ball on the corner of the bed and was clutching his stomach.

His face, twisted in a painful expression. I felt my stomach lurch and had the sudden to puke. I'd feeling a bit sick all day but I don't know why. "L-levy, can I see the book?" I ask and she shakes her head. "No we need it." I nod and slowly stand. I walk over to a small trash bin and lean over it.

"Gray are you alright?" Gramps asks and I shake my head. "Not really."

"Wait! Are you feeling sick?" Levy asks, worry laced in her voice as she adds the herbs to the cauldron.

"Yeah, why?" I ask and then turn my head to the bin, puking into it. "I knew! This is bad! We have to hurry!" Levy exclaims and mixes a bit quicker than before.

"Levy, what's wrong with me!?"

~~~~~

Hey Lovelies! Sorry 'bout the cliffhanger, but ya know what that means I have an excuse to hide my insomnia from my mom! Woo.... if she found out about it she'd be way to worried, take me to the doctor and make me get on medicine. That would end in me having to tell them about the depression which I'm not willing to do, because more medication. Writing actually helps me though. Even though I go back to school in a few weeks I feel like this is doing me some good. It's helping my depression and I'm increasing my writing skills.

Anyway sorry for my little ongoing rant there, I'll be fine so don't worry. I'll get better, but anyway hope you liked this story so far and comment your favorite part of the chapter. Thanks for reading!

~Em