Town of Magnolia.
"Oh, sweet ground, I've missed you!" A pink-haired young man current kissed the pavement like it was a saving grace, which was already a common sight for the residents here.
A blue cat and purple-haired woman followed him out as they exited the train. They could only sigh at the inconvenience it brings. Although Happy was used to it, all those times where he carried the dragon slayer while he's sluggish really strained his arms…
"Alright, time to get up, Natsu-san." Kagura bonked his head with her scabbard, making him whine in pain.
"Ow! I just can't help it! Those things aren't nice to me anyway! I hate trains…" Natsu grumbled while rubbing his head.
Happy cheekily grinned as he discreetly glanced at the swordswoman. "It's a good thing Kagura is here, or else I'd have to work my butt off to even move you." He quietly chuckled while covering his mouth.
"That's true. Your thighs are the best, Kagura!" Natsu said it so loudly that it made heads turn towards their direction. Looks like he'll never stop praising this specific part of hers during their travels from now on, much to the embarrassment of the one in question.
Kagura blushed a little bit at the innocent yet suggestive remark of the dragon slayer. She glared at Happy who was giggling uncontrollably, motioning for a really painful swing.
"Happy. Prepare yourself."
"Uh, oh. Er, mercy?"
A woman and feline began a chase as they bolted into the distance, going straight for the guild. Natsu sweat dropped at Kagura's reaction, wondering if he said anything wrong.
After a few seconds of thought, he gave up and just shrugged. "Hey! Wait up, you guys!" He sprinted as he tried to catch up.
The hustle and bustle of the town soothed Natsu, and he could always relax at the usual sights that it brought. Additionally, it also helped him put aside what he experienced during that fight.
Unconsciously fusing his flames surprised him, feeling the increased strength of his Dragon Slaying Magic. Heck, Natsu was still trying to reign in his magic power even now, because this improved flame of his was a bit rowdy.
Obviously, it wasn't like Gildarts' problem. He was aware that he hasn't reached that level yet. This was a case of adjusting to his new… self? Well, he just got stronger in the most unexpected way possible.
He wasn't gonna complain, he'll simply welcome the change! He is the Ace, so it's better to accept such things to better protect the guild.
Natsu arrived at Fairy Tail's entrance, spotting a Happy who was dangling by the hilt of Kagura's sword. The scary woman nonchalantly rested her weapon on her shoulders, as if the Exceed never existed.
Those who were in the Outdoor Cafe trembled to the aura she was emitting, already understanding that she was in a bad mood.
"Natsu-san, you're here. Let's enter now, shall we?" Kagura's stoic expression softened, while still ignoring the poor victim behind her.
Natsu nodded as he coughed. "Yeah. I'm kinda drained from all the back and forth in that moving nightmare." He mentally saluted his partner for his honorable sacrifice.
Then, he kicked the doors with gusto.
"We're back!"
"Oh? Our guild's strongest team graces us with their presence."
"Big Bro!"
"I bet the quest was easy for them."
"You ain't wrong about that. I feel bad for whoever fought these two combined."
The trio made their way towards their table as the guild hall became even more lively after their return. Wakaba and Romeo joined them as they talked with one another.
"Where's Macao by the way, Wakaba? You guys are usually busy in the office at this time." Natsu inquired while he was leaning on the long bench.
"He's at Clover Town for the frequent meetings over there. Since he's still a new member in the Local Guild Master League, he's becoming more busy with building connections." Wakaba rested his hand on his cheek as he puffed smoke.
"Yeah. I really don't see dad that enthusiastic when it comes to stuff like this. Being the Fourth Master changed him, I think." Romeo added.
"Change? Yeah, right! Your old man will always be the same, kiddo. He only has to keep up appearances when representing the guild." Wakaba scoffed as he understood the purple flame wizard the most, considering they were long-time buddies.
"Alright, alright. Calm down, uncle." Romeo rolled his eyes, he might as well change the topic before the man goes on a random rant again.
"Aye! He's not really wrong, Romeo. Try to imagine it like this instead, would you like to him to be strict and solemn all the time?" The blue cat couldn't help himself, wanting to spook the kid in front of him.
Romeo tried to picture it for a moment, before shaking his head quickly. "Nope! It really doesn't suit him." He even crossed his arms as he cringed.
Everyone in the table chuckled at his comical denial, even Kagura had a small smile. They continued to conversations about mundane daily life afterwards, although one managed to notice the bump still lingering on the Exceed's head.
"Hahaha! You goin' for a new look, Happy? Kagura did a great job on shaping your head!" Wakabe laughed as he pointed at the cat who had a huge bump on his head.
"I don't want to talk about it. People can be truly terrifying." Happy crossed his arms sagely, gaining enlightenment after receiving the appropriate punishment.
Kagura side-eyed him, which cause him to freeze for a moment.
"Everybody understands that annoying Big Sis Kagura is a no-no. Are you just stupid, Happy?" Romeo gazed at the blue cat with a weird expression, his insults flowing smoothly as if he was a natural. Kids can be too blunt sometimes.
All of them could only look at the young boy speechlessly, thinking that he was maturing way too quickly. Although Kagura wasn't amused in the slightest… She instantly stood up and scanned the place.
"Out with it, who's teaching him such words? He is still a growing child." Her magical pressure rose as everybody felt it. Some just looked around in different directions, admiring the interiors.
"It was Wakaba! He always goes on rants about his wife, so he's the most plausible suspect!"
"Are you serious right now!? Who the hell said that! Come out and show yourself so we could fight!"
Kagura's face simply darkened, her eyes piercing the smoke wizard's very soul. "Is that the truth?"
Wakaba shook his head frantically. "I promise it wasn't me!" He glanced at the others to hide his sly smile. They had a bad feeling about on what he was about to do. But before he could rat out some people, a piece of meat accurately hit his pompadour.
"My beautiful hair, you bastards! Alright, let's get to brawling then!" Chaos erupted pretty quickly, which was nothing new for Fairy Tail.
The purple-haired woman observed the scene for a moment, then sighed as she sat back down.
"You're not gonna stop them, Big Sis?" Romeo asked in surprise while sheepishly scratching his head, aware that he was the reason for this particular slug fest this time.
"Just for today. We exterminated a strong dark guild during our quest. So I shall rest my body and mind." She made herself comfortable as she ignored the mayhem.
"Wow! I want to grow up to be like you and Big Bro! It must be amazing to have great strength." The young body said with a bright shine in his eyes.
Happy glanced at Natsu who was acting out of character. The ever-energetic dragon slayer would join any type of fight immediately, so him not even getting up from his seat got his attention.
"Speaking of fights… Natsu, aren't you gonna add yourself to the craziness?" The blue cat floated towards his partner who was slightly dazed. He waved his paws in front of the young man's face. "Kagura is allowing it for once."
Kagura and Romeo were startled at Happy's remark, looking at Natsu with curiosity. That's right, he was the one who reignited the guild's spark for their daily brawls, so seeing him like this was a marvel to them for the most part.
"Hm? Oh, I was thinkin' and stuff." Natsu said before retreating into his own world. His expression was that of contemplation, something that was a rare occurrence for the dragon slayer.
The atmosphere paused for a moment, hearing words that usually doesn't come out from his mouth.
"You? Thinking on a peaceful day other than fighting?" Happy was the first to recover, widening his eyes in disbelief.
"What's that supposed to mean, huh!?" Natsu glanced at his Exceed with annoyance. He sighed afterwards, conjuring up his flames as he simply stared at it. "Anyway, my magic got stronger during those battles with uh, Dork Sky?"
"Dark Sky." Happy corrected him.
"Eh, it sounds the same. But yeah, I'm chalking up ideas on how to go from here." Natsu titled his head as he hummed.
"Maybe I could be of assistance. Do you want to do our usual spars, Natsu-san? It's been also beneficial to me ever since." Kagura suggested as she looked at him.
The dragon slayer lightened up, quickly holding her hand in excitement. "That right! Why didn't I think of that sooner!? Let's go with that, Kagura!" Their faces were inches away from each other as Natsu showed his trademark smile.
The stoic woman's expression melted as she stuttered at the sudden close proximity.
"I-I look forward to it then." Words almost failed her at the moment, but she still can converse properly. "We'll go to the usual spot near the guild, yes?"
"Nope! We're going to a different location this time." Natsu pointed at Happy. "The forest where our house is in!" He wanted to test newly combined flames on a wider space, not worrying about any structures that he might accidentally destroy.
Macao might swoop in and give him the responsibility of paying up compensation again… He'll be careful about it for this time.
"Y-Your house? Wait, I need to prepare myself first." Although Kagura filtered out and reformed what he said, creating all kinds of scenarios in her mind.
"Huh? You alright, Kagura?"
"Don't worry about it, Natsu. She only stopped functioning, but she'll be back to normal after a while." Happy sweat dropped at her ever-changing expressions. Silence is the best answer if you see a woman who's daydreaming.
"Okay…?" Natsu glanced at him then at the swordswoman who was acting weird. Well, we're gonna go after we're done resting here, Romeo." He ignored the confusing scene before him as he informed the young boy in front of him.
Romeo nodded. "You guys go do your thing. We can hang out anytime."
…
After saying their farewells to the guild, the trio made their way through the forest, passing by the greenery tainted by the afternoon rays.
Kagura was a bit surprised that they decided to live on this location, but at the same time, it was definitely something that's aligned with their thinking.
After a while, she saw a house in the distance that was surrounded by dead trees. A simple styled cottage along with their names on a sign right in front of it. Kagura softly smiled as she stared at the peaceful scenery.
"Here we are! It ain't that fancy compared to Fairy Hills, but it's comfy alright!"
"Aye! Just don't mind the mess once you get inside."
The dragon and cat's slightly proud tones brought out a little chuckle out of her. "I am not one to judge a person's residence. I was a wanderer before joining the guild, remember?"
"Ohhhh! Yeah!" They made a sound of realization, prompting her to bonk their heads again.
"Hey! I didn't do anything this time!"
"Yeah, what was that for!?"
"I simply wanted to."
"Boooo! This is tyranny, tyranny I tell you!"
"Oh? I'll show you tyranny, Happy."
Natsu ignored his partner's cry for help as the blue cat was running from the annoyed woman's sword that was ready again to knock him out into lala-land. Once he opened the door, he went towards their modest bulletin board and brought out the same job parchment they picked up.
A fresh memory of his new team's first job together.
"I'll put it here… Then write…" Natsu adjusted its position as he added a description for it. "There! Done! Our first mission with Kagura was definitely fun!" Although his definition of what he considered fun is concerning.
"Is this some sort of memorabilia?" Kagura carefully entered inside the house while carrying an unconscious blue cat with one arm to her chest. She miraculously shrugged off the huge mess all around, because such a clean board attracted her notice first.
"Yep! Me and Happy list all our adventures we've had on the jobs we take. It's something we don't take for granted, you know?" Natsu pointed at the new addition. "Look! I've already placed our first mission together!"
Kagura's expression turned gentle while looking at it, glancing back at Natsu who was smiling brightly at her.
"Well? Whaddya think?"
He truly is pure and honest to a fault… What a devastating charm he has. The woman could only melt internally, her composure at the cusp of a breaking point again.
"Kagura---?"
Chu!
Her feelings spilled out for a moment, kissing Natsu on the cheek. He was a bit stunned and confused at the action, not really understanding what it meant.
"Thank you. I like it." Kagura slightly rubbed her finger on her lips, savoring the feeling. It was her first time doing something that was intimate. And yet, her heart was beating way too fast.
She was also aware of his denseness, considering he was never knowledgeable about matters like these.
A minor obstacle… Teaching him slowly is the only way, for she had trained and developed patience. They will learn the intricacies of romance together.
She'll never let him out of her grasp, never.
"That's good to know!" Oblivious to Kagura's interesting thoughts, Natsu chuckled as he looked at her with excitement. "So, wanna start with our spars now?"
Kagura quickly composed herself, raising an eyebrow as she scanned the abhorrent, dirty, and cluttered house. The strict and scary side of her coming out on the spot, making Natsu stand in attention.
"You think I will ignore this sight and be done with it?"
"It was worth a try…" Natsu muttered as he remembered Erza's reaction during her visit.
"We clean. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"I know you're awake, Happy. You will join us." Kagura patted the Exceed's head as his closed eyes trembled in terror.
"Damn it."
"Oi, that's sneaky, Happy! You were just gonna leave me with an angry Kagura!"
"A sacrifice for the greater good."
"Oh, shut up."
They began to clean the entire abode with Kagura instructing them on how to clean efficiently. She made sure to not leave any area unattended, and since this was a small space, it was a bit easier.
The trio finished by nightfall, then freshened themselves afterwards. They were also hungry from such chores, and Kagura offered to cook dinner, to which the dragon and cat agreed enthusiastically.
During idle days, the swordswoman actually assisted in the bar from time to time, and every member there knew how delicious her cooking was. But she just did it when she was in the mood, much to the disappointment of some.
Either she was out on a quest, or spending time with Natsu and Happy. Though nobody dared to disturb her when she wanted to rest. Who would be stupid enough to try it anyway? A table managed to fly towards her that one time, and all hell broke loose.
Once they were done eating, Kagura told them she'll return tomorrow for the spar. Natsu didn't mind and felt drowsy after eating so much. Happy was of the same sentiment, already sleeping immediately.
The next morning…
"Alright! I'm fired up!" Natsu was ready for the new day and raised both his arms in the air.
"Natsu, tone it down. I still want to sleep." Happy yawned as he opened one eye, looking at his partner with annoyance.
"Sorry, buddy. I'll just go ahead first." The dragon slayer sheepishly scratched his head, going towards the door. But knocks came before him, and he quickly turned the knob.
Kagura was there as she looked at him with a small smile. She also looked forward to their spars every time.
"Good Morning, Natsu-san. Am I too early?"
"Nah, you just came at the right time. C'mon, follow me! There's an open space close by, it's where I train and stuff." Natsu instantly grabbed her hand as he eagerly directed her towards the location.
Kagura's stoic expression simply softened as she let him lead her on. This was a win on her part.
Once they arrived, she saw a training ground without greenery that was probably caused by him. Stumps could be seen as they were probably uprooted by the force of his spells. It was basically a circular arena that was cleared out thanks to his destructive tendencies, while it was surrounded by countless trees all around.
"You have a unique way for creating stuff, Natsu-san."
"There's really nobody here, so I just go crazy whenever I practice anyway."
"But enough of that! Let's get the main show going, shall we?"
KRRRRR!
Natsu activated his magic, smiling as he infused his fists with flames. Kagura was already aware of the difference while observing him when he recovered and continued to fight Argonia, the temperature within the air actually raised due to his presence.
"It truly is incredible. Your magic's properties upgraded by a margin. Can you control the output of its heat?" She went into a stance as she responded with the same enthusiasm.
Natsu dashed as he pulled his right fist back for a punch. "I wasn't sure about it, that's why I need somethin' to fight." He struck quickly afterwards.
BAM!
Kagura blocked it with her sheathed sword, the ground cracking due to their clash. Then, they exchanged blow for blow as the joy on their faces were showing.
The dragon slayer dodged another slash as he retreated a distance. But the swordswoman won't give him any breathing room, instantly arriving before him in a lowered position.
"Archenemy: Crawl Form."
Shing!
"Woah!" Natsu responded by parrying the slashes thoughtlessly, boosting his fists to amplify their speed. Her attacks weren't lethal, yet they definitely hurt. It was like getting bonked countless of times, which was scary as hell.
He narrowed his eyes as he leveraged his senses fully, intercepting a swing as he grabbed it. "Hehe! Gotcha!" Following up by aiming his leg towards her.
Kagura widened her eyes a little bit, angling her left arm for a block.
"Fire Dragon's Talons!"
BAAM!
She skidded across the earth for a while, applying her gravity in the right moment to lessen the hit. Kagura softy laughed as she remarked. "Looks like my advice wasn't truly that useless, you're fighting a bit smarter, Natsu-san." Shaking off the pain from her limb.
"Hey! Didn't you see how I fought with you? I understood some things, I think?" Although it was probably by instinct during that intensity, since a fatal mistake could have threatened their lives.
Kagura knew his fighting style was direct, and it was hard to change one's usual motions. "No, I'm not trying to influence the way you fight, you can simply add my inputs to your arsenal if you want." She shook her head then displayed a stern expression.
"Your recklessness is the one glaring trait that needs to be addressed, Natsu-san."
"But I can take the hits, you know!"
Kagura sighed as she tried to get through that stubborn mindset of his. "I am aware you want to show how great a dragon slayer can be…" The woman swiftly continued as she swung.
They clashed again, the surrounding area rumbling under their might.
"But I must remind you that you are a human!" She lightened her sword to slither across his arm and hit his forehead effortlessly. Natsu comically wailed in pain at the sudden speed of her strike.
"Ow! No, wait, even I understand that I'm a human!" He rubbed his head as he stomped the ground, producing waves of flames in the process.
"And yet, you don't fight like one." Kagura leaped upwards to dodge the incoming flames as she aimed her weapon at him. She fell downwards with strong momentum.
"Archenemy: Strength Form."
BOOOOM!
Natsu boosted sideward to escape the vicinity of the blow, getting blinded by the smoke of its aftermath.
Whoosh!
The cloud of dust parted instantly, showing a flying scabbard heading straight for him. He simply prepared to block it by attempting to deflect it with his flames. Natsu punched it with vigor, engulfing the sword in a curtain of fire.
"You're wide open, Natsu-san." Kagura appeared as she was just trailing quietly along her weapon. She used a palm strike on his torso, making wince in pain. In response, he smashed the ground with unrelenting force.
BOOOOMMM!
The temperature actually increased, and even she noticed the effects were slowly taking effect. Such heat could make normal people and wizards uncomfortable. But her gaze didn't indicate any type of discomfort.
"Damn, that was cheeky, Kagura!" Natsu recovered as he endured the blow, looking at the woman who had her sword again.
Kagura sighed in exasperation, trying to remind him for how many times now. "Like I said, you don't fight like a human."
Natsu wasn't mad, since he knew she was just helping him improve. He was only a bit slow on the uptake… "What do you mean by that? I pummeled bad guys until they go unconscious, doesn't that count?"
"___"
"I mean, you're not wrong…" Kagura sweat dropped since he actually made a simple yet good point. Logic can really go in a lot of ways that makes sense. She tapped her finger on the side of her head. "It's your mindset."
"Mindset?" Natsu tilted his head in confusion, crossing his arms as he relaxed his fighting stance.
Kagura nodded. "I don't want to offend you, Natsu-san. I understand that Sir Igneel taught you a lot in terms of your magic. But! You are not invincible in terms of physique, no matter how you cut it."
"Let me guess…" She hummed in thought. "Up until now, you overwhelmed your enemies with the pure strength, yes?"
"You betcha! I've fought a lot of strong guys and won against all of them in the end, hehehe!" Natsu stated proudly.
"That's the problem."
"Eh?"
Kagura exhaled while glaring at Natsu. "Those aren't the only types of wizards in this world. The ones you have triumph against were probably so strong you had no choice but to brute force your approach."
Natsu's jaw dropped at the accurate hypothesis she formed. "You're so smart, Kagura!" He said in awe.
"Anybody can arrive at the same conclusion because you don't really hide anything." She wryly smiled, not really minding how simple-minded he is.
Kagura continued. "Then, let me put it like this. What if you and your opponent had similar strength, but they had overwhelming skill instead?" She presented him a scenario.
"Uh… I hit them?" Natsu answered in the good ol' fashion way. Kagura could only facepalm at his response.
"There are no cunning tricks or anything like that involved. They will simply use your direct approach as an advantage." She emphasized, walking towards him to bonk his head.
"Ow!" Natsu grumbled while rubbing the part that was smacked. "That's how I do it all the time, and it works always!"
"Your fearlessness gives you a false belief that everything will be fine if you charge in blazing." Kagura gently pinched his cheek. "That battle against Argonia was a good start, since you adjusted your way of thinking, which prompted your body to respond accordingly."
"We were simply unlucky that he could exert such power during his bouts of madness." She recalled that eerie darkness that almost consumed them, if it were not for Natsu's sudden increase in power, they would have been killed.
"We won in the end, though." Natsu muttered as if he followed up with her thoughts.
The stoic woman rolled her eyes and softly laughed. "Yes, I know." She put down her hand while gazing at him with a tender expression. "Am I not allowed to be worried? There are too many unexpected variables in a quest, so it's always best to consider all kinds of situations."
Natsu quickly shook his head in slight fear. "No, I kinda get where you're coming from." He scratched his head sheepishly. "I just don't know how to go about if you explain like that. I mean, I've gotten stronger, and I still feel stifled." The flames he's currently using as a bit wilder compared to his previous ones.
"Hm. That's why I suggest we spar." Kagura nodded. "Although advise from a outsider's perspective is still not enough." She bonked his head again. "Natsu-san, I know that you can be sharp when you need to be."
The dragon slayer pouted while rubbing his head again. "What should I do, then?"
Kagura looked at him with amusement in her stoic features. "We live in a world of magic, meaning that one's ability will depend on one's creativity. You started already with small steps, no? I don't think you've been using your flexibility in mid-air that much before, right?"
Natsu's eyes brightened. "Now that I think about it… It's true!" The last time he did that kind of thing was against Gajeel. Yet for some reason, he uses simple application to boost with bursts of movement in later fights. It really doesn't drain his magic power, so why didn't he think about it more?
"Thanks, Kagura!" He smiled as he looked at her. "Let's spar already, hehe. I just had a few great ideas that popped up." Holding her shoulders in excitement.
Kagura slightly blushed at the contact, but also shared his enthusiasm. "I'm glad I could be of help. And like I said previously, our spars also benefit me."
"We'll get stronger together if that's the case! We're gonna be teammates for a very long time, you know? You better be prepared!" Natsu went back into a fighting stance, infusing his fists with flames.
"Of course. I intend to keep it that way." Kagura chuckled softly.
The dragon slayer found a path to mastering his magic, promising to himself to repay the swordswoman by also helping her with the same problem.
They will definitely encounter all kinds of people in the years to come.