Revenge of the Season

The Bond

Natsu halted in the center of the park. He and Gajeel had been chasing after Lucy, using whatever link was connecting Natsu to her. Out of nowhere, Natsu had to stop as he felt invisible chains pull on his wrists and wouldn't let him move.

"What is it, Salamander? We gotta keep moving," Gajeel gruffed, holding his shoulder, "Levy's in pain, I can feel it. It's like she's being whipped or something,"

Suddenly, Natsu dropped to his knees and started dry heaving, his face a sickly green color. Gajeel started feeling nauseous, but shrugged it off as nothing.

"What's wrong with you, Salamander?!" Gajeel exclaimed.

"It's like Natsu's motion sickness is kicking in," Happy chimed in from above, his wings helping the blue cat float in the air.

"Oh yeah, cat? If that's the case, how come I ain't feeling sick?" Gajeel asked looking at Happy, jabbing a thumb into his chest.

"Well, I dunno, I'm not your cat," Happy shot back, putting his hands on his cat hips and stuck his tongue out at Gajeel. While Natsu suffered his illness, Gajeel and Happy bickered back and forth about what the cause could be.

"You bastard!" Gajeel shouted as the realization struck him. "You completed the bond!"

"Wha-huh?" Natsu groaned.

"The what?" Happy translated.

"The Mate's Bond," Gajeel began, "you mated with Bunny Girl, didn't you?"

"What does that mean?" Happy asked as Natsu gagged.

"It explains how Salamander could know where his mate is," Gajeel explained, "According to Laxus, once the Bond is complete, mates can share and speak telepathically, which would also explain why Salamander is feeling his motion sickness. If Bunny Girl is moving, Salamander would get sick." Gajeel finished, rubbing the nausea in his stomach.

Suddenly, Natsu sat up sitting on his haunches and looked at his hands.

"It stopped," Natsu said, astonished. "I can still feel the chains on my wrists. It's like they're holding me down." Natsu tried to stand, only to feel a tugging at his wrists.

"I had no idea the Bond would be strong enough to hold Salamander down," Gajeel said staring at Natsu's back, watching his invisible struggle.

"So, what do we do if Natsu can't get back up?" Happy asked worriedly. Natsu stared at the ground for a moment before he threw his head back and slammed his forehead on the ground, cracking the pavement below. Steam started billowing out from the cracks in the ground and Natsu slammed his head into the pavement again.

Chips of stone fell into the crater made by Natsu's hard head. When the dust cleared, raven black hair and a naked torso were seen coughing away the dust.

"Gray!" Happy called excitedly as Gajeel clasped hands with Gray and helped him climb out of the gaping pit in front of Natsu.

"Thanks for that, man. I don't know how I would've gotten out of there if it weren't for Natsu," Gray said before taking one look at his pink haired friend, "What's wrong with him?"

"Lucy's chained up again and only Natsu knows where!" Happy quickly explained, showing his concern by flying in Gray's face and waving his stumpy arms in the air.

"Salamander completed the Bond, that's why he's stuck to the ground," Gajeel added to help piece the picture together for Gray.

"So, what if we break the Bond?" Gray asked.

"That's impossible. The Bond isn't just some stick that you can snap in half, you could kill them both if they're not willing, and no Dragon Slayer is going to be willing enough to break their Bond during the Season," Gajeel shot down, crossing his arms. Gray stood silent, thinking.

"I have an idea," Gray said, turning to Natsu. Gray grabbed Natsu's scarf and picked him up off the ground. Natsu was standing, but the most he could move was to put one foot in front of the other, to keep himself steady. Gray kept hold of Natsu's scarf.

"Natsu, let Lucy go," Gray said quietly.

"What?" Natsu scoffed.

"Lucy doesn't love you!" Gray shouted, shocking silence around him, "You're her best friend, she didn't want to hurt your feelings. She loves me, Natsu. Lucy. Loves. Me. She doesn't love you." Gray said coldly, letting go of Natsu's scarf. As soon as Gray let go, Natsu grabbed Gray's chain necklace.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Natsu growled, angry at Gray's words. Red scales started appearing around Natsu's eyes and along his temples.

"Oh yeah? Then how come Lucy said she didn't want to be your mate?" Gray jabbed, which made Natsu growl in response, "If you don't believe me, then let's go find Lucy and ask her." Gray suggested. After a moment's hesitation, Natsu let go of Gray's necklace and started running out of the park and down the street, towards Kardia Cathedral. Gray, Gajeel and Happy chased after Natsu, far enough behind that they could still see where he was heading.

"How'd you get Salamander to break the Bond?" Gajeel asked running beside Gray.

"It's not broken, I just made him question it," Gray confessed.

"Just enough that he could move and still have the Bond....nice," Gajeel complimented.

"I hope so," Gray prayed under his breath as they kept running towards the church.

"We're getting close," Gajeel said as they stopped on the steps of the church, "They're up, at the top,"

"Who else is up there?" Gray asked, unaware.

"He's got Levy, and-" Natsu started to answer before getting cut off.

"JUVIA!!" Gray hollered.

Juvia hung by chains attached to her wrists at the top of one of the two towers, her torso bruised and her clothes tattered. Levy stood on the edge of the opposite tower, her back faced the city with her hands chained behind her back .

Gray rushed passed Natsu with Gajeel close behind. The trio burst through the large cathedral doors and ran to the center of the massive room. They began to look around for a way to climb to the top.

"Over here!" Happy called out to the guys, "I found a set of stairs," The guys came running to the far back of the church. Hidden behind the organ was, indeed, a set of stairs winding it's way up into the ceiling.

Natsu was the first to charge up the stairs, following close behind his furry blue friend with Gray and Gajeel on his heels.