"Ow, ow… Everything hurts!" After the unexpected fight with that mutated drake, both of them returned to the village to recover. Natsu basically toughed it out on the way back, since Happy wasn't really knowledgeable in proper patching of injuries.
The blue cat also sustained some mild burns, which healed after being softly treated with ice for a while. Right now, they were in a guest room that was offered by the residents, who were grateful to them for solving the issue.
"That's not surprising, considering that drake was going crazy while you were latching onto him." He munched on some fish as his tail wagged. Then he gazed back at the dragon slayer who was grumbling, since he was still stuck on the bed for the moment.
"Well, it all worked in the end, anyway." Natsu stared at the ceiling, "I've also gained a lot from that fight." He started to giggle like some third-rate dark mage. "With this new awesome flame of mine, I can finally beat Erza with no sweat!"
Happy sweatdropped at his eagerness, even with all those wounds on him. But, he was also curious about that new flame. "Where did you get a strong flame like that? There's no drawbacks for using it, is there?"
Since the beginning, he only ever saw his partner use flames that matched the color of ordinary fire. So discovering that he had another flame in his arsenal definitely surprised the Exceed who knew him the longest.
Natsu slowly nodded his head at that. "I got it from Jellal during my fight against Zero. This was created through his sins, which helped me win that battle. Although admitting it is annoying, that guy was truly different when he's not brainwashed." He clicked his tongue.
Natsu adjusted his posture as he continued, opening and closing his had in the process. "And I don't think there were any drawbacks. I just ran out of gas after using it against that drake. But other than that, nothing really weird happened." Assuring Happy that he was okay.
Listening to that, the feline reluctantly ended the topic there. "Fine, I won't press you any longer. Pushing yourself to the limit recklessly is ingrained in that head of yours. Just make sure that you know when to take a step back, Natsu." Narrowing his eyes as he lightly scolded the dragon slayer.
Natsu could only sheepishly scratch his hair. "Yeah, sorry for worrying you. Besides, I have a strong body anyway, look--!" He tried to pat his chest, but winced instead. It looked like his injuries affected him more than he realized.
"That's deserved. Who hits themselves while recovering from a big fight like that." Happy deadpanned at his antics, while Natsu simply chuckled.
After they conversed, silence fell like a curtain on the whole room. These moments of peace and quiet were also a form of bonding for them, as they always had each others backs. Even if Happy didn't have that much individual strength, he still won't hesitate to accompany his partner no matter how dangerous it was.
Happy sat on the chair in a lazy manner, finally full from eating his daily stock of fish. They were here for at least a few hours now, and planned to stay until the next morning. He was about to take a nap, but a sudden slam from the door startled him and Natsu.
"Sir Natsu, Sir Happy, you have to see this news!" A slightly elderly man panted as he entered, holding a piece of paper tightly. Yet even with his wrinkles, his energy excluded a bout of youthfulness.
This was their guide who introduced them to the area, Village Chief Dan.
"What's wrong, old man? You're very worked up." Natsu tried to calm him down, but that didn't stop the chief from shoving the newspaper onto his hands. He frowned as that eerie feeling from last time returned, currently stronger than ever.
The dragon slayer's instincts flared, as if he felt nauseous. For some reason, he trembled fiercely while his chest rioted from pain that came out of nowhere. He put his hand on it, wondering as to why it hurts. Natsu just knew that it wasn't anything physical.
Is it because of this right here? This spooky feeling is even more obvious now, I just can't ignore it.
"Sir Natsu!"
"Natsu! You alright?"
The calls from Happy and Dan snapped him out of his reverie. Natsu looked at them with a smile. "Don't worry, I'm okay. I'll read this paper now." His hand was already unfolding it, but his trembling got even worse.
Its gotten to the point where he simply paused, as his mind screamed to not open it. A fear of the unknown could affect even the strongest of wills, and it got to the dragon slayer who went through many tribulations.
Happy never saw Natsu like this, prompting him to smoothly snatch it from him. "Let me do it." He glanced at Natsu who nodded at him to open it, as his trembling weakened after not holding the newspaper.
The Exceed floated beside the pink-haired young man, opening the piece of paper in the process. The duo's eyes were glued on the contents, curious as to why the old man looked distraught.
Then, they both noticed a certain headline concerning their guild. But after one scan, stunned expressions appeared on their features. The words that were displayed on it felt like a cruel joke.
[Tenrou Island Destroyed, taking along Fairy Tail's core members in its wake. The culprit was the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse, Acnologia. Citizens or Mages who might potentially spot the being at any part of Fiore, please exercise extreme caution.]
"What type of fake news is this…? Did it come from those rigid council bastards!?" Natsu clenched his teeth in anger, gaining the energy to get it back from Happy, crumpling the paper as he burned it.
"Maybe it's an elaborate prank? I think someone bribed a journalist to publish this stuff for a dare." Happy added, although his face was uncharacteristically serious.
Dan observed their reactions, gazing at them with a soft sigh. He probably expected these responses from the young lads, as he understood that this information was beyond ridiculous. Most within the kingdom has heard of the guild's notorious reputation.
Additionally, one of the main traits that everyone knew about the guild, is their unrivaled strength. There are prominent individuals within that elevated it to its current height at this point in time.
So, the possibility that most of their strongest members would just die like that? Anyone who knew them will not believe such absurdity.
"Please listen to me for a moment, young sirs." Dan requested for the duo's attention, who were both gloomy at reading such a thing. They looked at him afterwards, which prompted him to share the situation.
"Since the village is located in a rural area, news is delayed by at least a few days due to the distance. You both can still inquire about it when you return to Hargeon, because validating truly important information like this needs substance. Meaning that there is a big chance that it could be fake." He explained, as he was also not sure about it. Only receiving it after the duo arrived for recuperating.
Natsu calmed down, shrugging off the uneasiness. "Thanks for clarifying, old man. But I still don't believe it… Gramps and Gildarts are with the rest of them." He said in an exasperated tone.
"Aye sir! The same goes for me. It's like saying that all fish vanished from the face of the earth." Happy was also of the same opinion. Although his analogy openly displayed his current emotions.
The Village Chief chuckled, as he joined in the banter. Only laughter and joy filled the room, as the pink-haired duo moved on from this so-called news. They obviously expected the usual welcome party when they will return.
…
Three Days Later. Hargeon Port.
"Finally, we're almost back. It felt like forever!" Natsu walked sluggishly, as they entered the port from the west side. People were going about their day, making the town lively as always.
"Yeah, and that stench of vomit almost sent me to the skies above. Where's Erza when you need her? I couldn't even my newly bought fish in peace." The blue cat beside him complained.
"Oh, c'mon! Just let it go, Happy. I'll buy you more fish, the special kind."
"Deal!"
"...You're too easy to please."
The duo made their way through the streets, soaking in the familiar environment. But, Natsu noticed a different air coming from the residents. Given that his senses are sharper than a normal human due to the nature of his magic, it was not hard to detect the change.
Gazes bore into them like needles. He didn't sense any hostility from it, yet it unnerved him all the same. Natsu glanced at Happy, who also noticed the stares. There was definitely something wrong, and that feeling came back like a chain around his neck.
"Natsu… Should we ask about it?" Happy asked, his tone faltering.
Ba-dump!
"You can't be serious, it's not real. I'm one hundred percent sure that it's definitely the work of some weirdos from the council." The dragon slayer tried to brush it off like usual, denying such a notion. However, he bit his lip so hard that it bled.
More people looked at them as they passed through, while conversations flowed like a river. Natsu didn't like this one bit, and he can't brute his way out of it. Or else the guild's bill might skyrocket again.
Ba-dump!
He rested his hand on his beating chest again. Glancing around as he met a few gazes who quickly stopped observing them. This gut-feeling was getting too clear, and he wanted to burn these things to a crisp so much it if was physical.
Their conversations chilled him to the bone, as he tried to understand what they were talking about.
"I wonder if he will be okay?"
"To think Fairy Tail will fall from grace like that."
"Can he bounce back from this?"
"He's THE Salamander, maybe he'll use it as fuel."
Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!
Natsu picked up his pace, deciding to not ask around at all. Because why would he? The others already finished the trial, and he'll expect the stripper to not pass. He would gloat like usual, and duke it out.
He closed his eyes as he took deep breaths, then glanced at Happy again.
"Let's go, buddy. We're almost home."