Jay Bird (aBoE)

Chapter 6: Welcome to Hell

It was strange flying down instead of up, breaking though the ground instead of the sky. The further they went the heavier the air felt and the heat began nipping at his skin. Ever since he had been a child, since he was raised by Igneel at least, heat had never really effected him, but now with each passing second he could feel his skin bristle at the overwhelming fieriness of Hell. It was a strange feeling. Sweat formed at his brow and his body felt oddly heavy, his wings struggling to move through the thick wave of heat. He did his best to ignore it, flying close to Uriel letting the older angel lead the way.

Natsu felt like there was a weight of uncertainty in stomach. A foreboding feeling of dread and bitter anticipation. Hell he knew would terrify him to the very core, however there was also a part of him that was excited.

Ever since he died for the second time the realms of the after life fascinated him. There wasn't just Heaven and Hell either. Every religion had been right in their own way. Whatever you believed in held true to you and when you passed you'd go to the after life you believed in, wether that be Heaven or Hell, being reincarnated, or otherwise. Of course that doesn't mean that twisted and evil souls were scot free if they didn't believe in life after death normally those people would just be passed to Hell because they were simply the most adequate at dealing with sinners.

He had seen Heaven in all its glory but he had not seen Hell. He had a feeling that the little bit of demon blood in his veins was what excited him for the prospect of what was to come, for what horrors he could see.

The heat worsened and he falter when the stench of death struck him full force.

He wasn't a fool to death, not only had he encountered it himself twice before but he had witnessed it befall others as well. However he had never encounter a scent of death so vile, so strong, and so thick that he hung in the air like a blanket. His mind in recent days had fabricated the stench of death but this made him realize that he had been spared a great deal in those dreams.

Natsu gagged, the smell so thick he could taste it on his tongue only making it worse. Uriel hovered beside him, sharing an apologetic look with his brother and steadying him.

They paused for a moment, jays wings and wings of fiery red and gold beating gently behind them as Natsu struggled to fight off bile building in his throat.

"Easy now," Uriel soothed "the first trip to Hell is always the hardest."

Natsu nodded roughly, trying to breath through the horrid scent that invaded his enhanced senses.

"Okay," he chocked "I'm fine let's keep going."

Uriel studied him unsure, then with out a word fluttered his wings and took back the lead. Natsu struggled for a moment before gaining enough speed to keep up.

The further they went down the worse it got. Not only did both the heat and scent worsen, but a heavy curtain of ash fall was now present in the air.

Natsu grunted in discomfort as the ash imbedded itself beneath his feathers, rubbing irritatingly against the sensitive skin beneath. He choked slightly as he breathed some of it into his lungs, as if he he wasn't already having enough problems breathing.

Panicking slightly the younger angel reached out and grab the back of Uriel's robes, causing his brother to stop and look back at him.

Natsu wasn't really good with ash and smoke. Fire he had gotten used to, even if in certain scenarios it still frighten him, but the feeling of being choked to death by smoke crawling down his throat had never left him.

"You're all right," Uriel soothed resting a hand on his shoulder "take it easy, just breathe."

Natsu was being blind sided by memories he much rather forget, he should of expected this with the nature of Hell but it didn't change the fact that what he was feeling so closely resembled the instance which had caused his first death.