Fire, Blood and Stars

Chapter 11

Natsu was mad. Lucy had been taken to the infirmary, and they wouldn't let him near her. He had no doubt that he could move past them, but what if he somehow hurt her again? Was he really a monster?

Well, he thought darkly. This will either prove my suspicions, or burn them to the ground.

He felt multiple gazes on him. What disturbed him the most was that the gazes weren't even disappointed. They had fully expected him to do something like that.

Natsu saw Porlyusica beside him and glanced at her. She offered him a smile. He offered one in return.

Porlyusica hated all human beings. But she and Natsu had an unlikely friendship. She had been the one to find him in the forest. After he had broken Mira's jaw when she had commented upon his illiteracy, she had been the one to teach him to read and write. When Lisanna had died, he had spent several months at her cottage.

They must have brought her to heal Lucy, thought Natsu, as Porlyusica went into the infirmary. Natsu sat there for what seemed like eternity. Then, Gray came and sat beside him. Natsu contemplated whether he should punch Gray or not, but eventually decided to ask, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I said I'm sorry, dumbass. I shouldn't have complained to the master. I just had her best interests at heart."

"Why are you saying this?"

Gray shrugged. "Well, after the incident this morning, I'm pretty sure you're not going to punch me. Anyway, Porlyusica wants you there. She says that Lucy's asking for you, and that there is something you have to see."

Natsu got up so fast that Gray tripped backwards on his own feet. All he could see was a pink blur, and then Natsu was gone.

"Is she okay?", he asked as soon as he entered the room.

"Surprisingly, yes."

Natsu tilted his face up, closed his eyes, and let out the breath he had been holding. He gripped Lucy's fingers, and she responded by tightening them.

"But there is something I was hoping you could tell me."

"Yes?"

"She's more okay than possible. How come she doesn't have a single burn?"

"I don't know."

He was lying. He did know. But how did he announce that the person whom he could have killed, was the perfect one for him?

His mate.

He remembered his talk with his surrogate parents about this very feature of life.

"Natsu, we think that you should know what we are about to tell you. You already know that you aren't a normal human. When you finally settle down, it won't be a simple marriage. Because of your unique characteristics, you two will be bound in the deepest way possible. She (or he, interjected Sanguinia) will be your mate."

"Dragons choose mates? That's so cool! Like kidnapping princesses and the whole she-bang?!"

Igneel smiled indulgently. "No, Natsu. That has nothing to do with you being a Dragon Slayer. It's because you drink blood. Blood binds people."

"So does Sangy have a mate?"

Sangy choked on the blood he was drinking, and Igneel laughed. "No, but not due to lack of trying. Grandeeney has threatened to castrate him if he delivers another one of his classic lines."

Sanguinia interjected, "It won't be completely your choice, though. There are some people who are so wrong for you that the bond won't even hold."

"Wait, so how do I figure out who the potential candidates are?"

Sanguinia chuckled. "Well, for starters, if you feed them your blood, you can try and feel them. I mean, what they are feeling, and all that. Your soul will be bound to her."

Natsu frowned. "Didn't you guys tell me never, ever to give my blood to someone else?"

"Try it when they are injured. Your blood can heal wounds, Natsu. People would kill to have it. Only give it to people you trust. But remember, take their blood first."

"Why do I have to do that?"

"Because if you don't mix their blood with yours, inside you, they will either explode, or if they have a really strong will, they will turn into dragons. Not worth the risk, I tell you."

"Do you want to know anything else?"

"Yes, actually. You said that I'll take a mate because I drink blood. But how do you know that? Isn't Sangy the only other blood drinker?" Natsu lowered his voice. "Do vampires actually exist?"

The two dragons had laughed off his questions, but something about their eyes confused him till date. What would make two male dragons anxious?

Jolted back to the present by a small tug on his wrist, Natsu looked with open eyes at Lucy.

"Natsu, I'm really sorry for being useless on your missions. I shouldn't have been so terrible that you had to report me. I know you wouldn't do that without cause-"

Lucy's throat choked off, which was just as well, as whatever she would have said after that would have no doubt embarrassed her further. There was also the fact that they would've been mumbled into his chest. Oh God, his chest! He wasn't wearing a shirt! Lucy's face went red, and she hid it in his chest.

Natsu normally roamed around cloaked or with a light jacket, no shirt. It wasn't weird for him, but he could feel a weirdness coming from her. Then he realized what she had said.

She thought he was the one to report her. He immediately got rid of that misconception. "It was Erza." He figured that he would cut Gray some slack. The poor boy deserved it. Maybe.

"Ahem", said the Master. "Whatever has happened, has happened. We are fortunate that there were no consequences. But the fact remains that a report was lodged. An examination needs to be carried out."

Natsu grew mad again. "Are you being serious right now? She survived my fire with no burns, which is more than what any of you can do!"

The Master sighed. "Natsu, it's for her own safety as well! What if someday, she goes on a job she can't handle? We need to know, Natsu. And it's just an assessment."

"And would this be those assessments where there are no evil guys trying to destroy the world? Or worse, trying to kill her?"

No comments.

"We all will be there, Natsu. Don't worry. If there is any trouble, we can handle it."

Natsu's grin looked too much like Katsuki from My Hero Academia as he asked, "Can you?"

"Yes, Natsu", said the Master, who had somehow not lost his patience.

Natsu knew it when he lost an argument. He asked, "So, what exactly does this test involve?"

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