Fire, Blood and Stars

Chapter 19

A/N I am really sorry, my exams are over now. But this story won't have that many quick updates. It will be plenty slow. I have a Naruto fanfic that I'm also writing. I haven't posted it on Wattpad yet. Do you want to read it?

EDIT: IMPORTANT- I HAVE CHANGED THE FLASHBACK. READ IT AGAIN. THERE WAS A HUGE MISTAKE IN IT.

It is a universal truth that cats do not like water. It gets caught in their fur and makes their bodies heavier. However, at that moment Happy would have given anything to have a bucket of cold water dropped on him.

Being tied onto a stick above a fire will do that to someone.

Beside the fire, there was a small podium, made in a few hours for the chief. They were to execute Happy 'by the wrath of the fire god' or something like that.

The chief walked onto the stage and cleared his throat.

"Men, women, we are gathered here today to execute a demon. We have been turned into demons for so long, that we have forgotten the true cause of the problem. Who is it that has turned the moon into such a device of torture? Who, indeed? It's demons! Like this one, which we have with us! We shall feast on it's flesh, and send a message to the demons, that we are to be feared-"

Just before the chief could end the speech with an exclamation mark, a voice whispered from behind him, sending a chill throughout his body.

"Let go of the cat, or I'll tear you apart and make pudding with your blood."

Obviously, the chief untied the cat.

Natsu held the chief by the neck and lifted him off the ground. The other villagers watched with wide and fearful eyes.

"Natsu, my mission isn't over yet."

Natsu put the chief down roughly, and bent down to Happy's level. "This is not and never was, your mission."

Happy looked back innocently. "If you came to help me, that makes it your mission."

"I came to get you back, not to help you with this mission. I am not obligated in any way to do the mission." Natsu picked Happy up by the back of his neck. "Never, ever do that again." His eyes softened and became moist. "I was worried." Then he frowned in a comical fashion. "And you worried Lucy!" he said, with a mock glare.

Someone tugged at his cloak, and he turned back. Oddly, there was no glare in his eyes. The only people who dared to pull his cloak were Lucy and Happy. His habit of glaring whenever he was pulled had been snuffed out of him quite easily, simply because he didn't want to glare at Lucy.

However, this wasn't Lucy. One of the tribal girls, who must've been around fifteen, looked at him. Her dress exposed more cleavage than strictly necessary, but Natsu wasn't affected by it. He had a mate, for God's sake! Although, the mate in question didn't know that she was his mate, but still!

The girl in question looked at him with teary eyes. She seemed to be begging as she pleaded, "Please help us, sir! My brother... He was turned into a monster and ran away. Please! I need to find him!"

Natsu really didn't like empathy.

"Fine!" he grunted. "Me and Happy are going to check out this island for anything weird, and if we do, we'll take care of it. If not, you'd better get used to being demons."

The girl gave him a faint but tired smile, like the ones that Lucy gave him when he said that training was over.

Speaking of Lucy, at the moment, she was, at the moment, training with Mira. She was a literal demon. Most trainers, during push-ups, would limit themselves to "Up" and "Down". Mirajane was not like that. She kept on calling out various directions, such as right and left. During push-ups.

Lucy had wanted to ask this for a long time, and this was a chance.

"Mira, why is Natsu so overprotective of me?"

Mira smiled at her sadly. "He used to be a very angry and dark person, you know? I've almost never seen him smile as often as he does when you're around. I think you remind him of Lisanna."

"Lisanna?" Lucy frowned. "Wasn't she your sister? The one who...", Lucy shut her mouth suddenly and looked down.

"Died, yes. You don't have to steer clear of the topic, it happened several years ago." Mirajane's smile stayed on her face, as if a wax mask. "She died on an S-class mission that I shouldn't have let her come to, and since then, Natsu has been a, well, jerk, to most of us. As always with these type of people, he blames himself."

Flashback

After being passed over several times for the S-class exams, Lisanna had decided that she would take the S-class challenge. It was similar to the test that Lucy was going to have, but it was, obviously, for an S-class promotion. It had been introduced into the system after Natsu's entry.

It was the takedown of a large dark guild that had begun mutating monsters and controlling them. It wasn't easy by any means, but an S-class wizard could do it.

Every single guild member was there, ready to jump in at a moment's notice if needed. Not that it was needed. Lisanna ploughed through them like straws.

After thirty minutes or so, when most of them were defeated, apart from the guild master and a few of his cronies, several more people entered the scene. Possibly backup.

Natsu tried to stand up but was reassured by the master that nothing was going to happen. Lisanna engaged in combat with one of the newcomers. She scored a scratch, and he gashed her upper arm. Natsu thought of intervening but decided against it.

That was the worst decision he'd ever made.

The newcomer lifted up his hand and clenched his fist. The blood from her body immediately flowed out in spurts. Natsu jumped at them, but by the time he landed, most of her blood had been lost.

The opponent guild master and his cronies were defeated with ease. The newcomers were not. They were quite strong, and it took three people to stand on an equal footing with them.

Natsu attempted to plough through them but could not. He was still stronger than them, but he had to fight them properly.

Dispatching most of them, they all faced off against the leader, whose face Natsu would never forget.

His hair was white, his eyes were red as blood, and he wore a suit and tie. He grinned and waved his hand, and Lisanna's blood reached his mouth.

Natsu charged at the man but was knocked down with overwhelming force. The white-haired man smiled, showing off his sharp fangs.

"I'll be coming for you one of these days, wannabe bloodsucker. Until then, here's a parting gift." He waved his hand, and Natsu stared in horror as Lisanna's remaining blood burst out of her body exclusively. Natsu felt the pressure on him lift, and he looked to see that the man was gone.

He ran over to Lisanna and split open his wrist. He didn't need to take in her blood, having had it before. His blood dripped into her mouth, but with no effect. He lifted her up.

"Natsu," said the girl in his arms. "I don't think I'll survive. Can you stay with me? Please?"

"Of course, I'll stay with you. You'll be OK, Lisanna!"

The frail girl beside him gave a weak smile. "Guess I am a liability after all... ne, Natsu?"

"No!" cried the dragon slayer as for the first time in years teardrops fell from his face onto the girl he was hugging. He knew the exact moment her eyes lost their sparkle, her wrist went slack, her body went cold, and her spirit moved on.

"Natsu protects us, and he knows some of us more than he knows others, but he protects the guild members equally. He doesn't want to lose anybody close to him, but he can't prevent his natural instincts to protect his family. That's why he's so overprotective."

Lucy couldn't help it. She went and hugged Mirajane tightly.

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