"One, two, three, four…" Happy counted as he inserted raw fish into one of their bag pockets. Since the trip this time will be a bit long, the pink-blue duo decided to bring a slightly larger carrier of items.
Natsu deadpanned at his partner's actions, observing the current state of that poor pocket. The only good thing about it was everything being wrapped in plastic, which hopefully won't affect the rest.
Moving on from the happy-go-lucky cat, he glanced around the place if there was anything that was still needed. Without noticing, his arm brushed past of the pictures displayed on the table, causing it to fall down.
The sudden noise captured the Exceed's attention. "What happened, Natsu? That sounded like broken glass." Looking down at the picture that was shattered.
"My bad. I accidentally hit one of our pictures." Natsu picked up the frame, consisting of four people and a cat, which brought back memories. "Damn, it really turned ugly with all these cracks."
"You were who broke it in the first place, there's no point in insulting an object."
"Oi."
Happy cheekily laughed while he shrugged, absentmindedly staring at the picture. The blue cat gazed over his shoulder, recognizing the moment.
"The Lullaby Incident, huh? That feels like forever already."
"Yeah, I remember being scared out of my wits when Erza called my name at first."
"Pretty sure you still are."
"Oh, shut up!" Natsu and Happy continued to bicker as they finished packing. Having a genuine heartfelt moment seemed impossible without external interference.
However, for some reason, there was this uneasy feeling that he couldn't quite put a finger on. He unconsciously put a hand on his chest, as if something big will happen. He frowned at the thought as he clenched his hand tighter.
How weird.
"NATSU!"
Happy's scream startled him out of his daydream. He glanced at his trusty Exceed who looked at him with concern.
"You weren't answering me, are you alright?
"Sorry about that, Happy. I was just lost in thought."
"Well, just don't forget to respond next time. It's rare to see you like that, considering that you don't think most of the time."
"Blah, blah. C'mon, we're already done packing." Natsu brushed off this feeling for now, and focused on the task at hand, which was to beat some magic beasts into oblivion! Maybe their meat will taste delicious…
After they were done, they both headed towards the door. "We should drop by the guild first, I'm sure most of them will be there. They still have one day before the trials anyway." Happy said.
"Let's do that, then! Might as well curse ice princess to fail, kuhehehe." The dragon slayer adorned a devious grin full of mischief.
"Aye! That's typical of you, I guess. But you might jinx it, Natsu."
"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side!"
As soon as the door opened, they saw a man with a tattered black coat waiting outside. The man heard their exit and turned around, greeting them in the process.
"Yo! Natsu, Happy."
The duo looked at each other in confusion, then Natsu replied. "Gildarts? Aren't you needed for the trials? I heard gramps gathers all the S-Classes for organizing the entire thing." He tilted his head while looking at the Crash Mage.
"Don't worry about it. That's still later in the day, so I have time to spare." Gildarts chuckled.
"Why are you here, then?" Natsu hummed while using the full capacity of his brain. Before Gildarts could clarify, he formed a bright conclusion. "Oh! Is this the special arrangement!? Hah, fighting you to pass the trials is definitely worth it!" Natsu quickly dropped the bag and activated his magic.
"Here I come!"
"Wait, Natsu. That's not why I'm here-"
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
A blast of fire engulfed his face. It didn't really hurt him. It was simply annoying…
Although this was not the case for the reckless fiery young man. He even looked proud about landing such a blow. "See that, Happy? He couldn't even react to my attacks! I can do this easy peasy!" Preparing himself for another.
The blue Exceed glanced at Gildarts whose expression was twitching. Uh oh. He'll just float a little bit farther, not keen on being collateral damage as a spectator.
"Hm? Happy, you're floating sideways."
"I'm searching for the perfect angle to watch the consequences of your actions."
Before he could ask what the feline meant, he felt similar chills comparable to Erza's outbursts. He slowly turned his head to see a very irritated man with an ugly smile. Sweatdropping at the sight, he tried to back away carefully.
BAM!
A loud hit echoed throughout the peaceful forest, alongside a scream of pain that's enough to give nightmares to regular people. Happy winced at how strong it was, looking at the dragon slayer who was knocked to the ground with a big bump on his head.
He could only facepalm as he went towards his whimpering partner. "You should have waited for him to explain in the first place, Natsu." The pink-haired young man showed a shaky thumbs-up in response, still absorbing the pain in silence.
Gildarts sighed as calmed down, scratching his head afterwards. "Having that much energy makes me quite jealous. What did Igneel feed you, kid? Maybe it will also help me in… different ways." He joked.
Happy stared at the Crash Mage with slight disdain, understanding what he meant. He displayed an expression of wordless judgment, which was quite piercing for the man who knew how to play hooky.
Natsu finally recovered, sitting up as he looked at Gildarts. "He only made me hunt for food. I don't think that's any different from what you're doing, traveling around and all." He replied with an innocent answer, prompting the blue cat to sharpen his gaze to the max.
Gildarts sheepishly laughed, quickly switching the topic. "That's too bad, then." Composing himself as he coughed, looking at the grumbling Natsu with a mildly serious expression.
"Be honest with me, Natsu. Are you still hung up on the Master's decision?" The tone of his voice made the dragon slayer pause.
He let the young man organized his thoughts, patiently waiting for his answer. Gildarts had heard of his accomplishments the moment he returned, exclaiming on how much he improved in terms of strength.
He was proud and happy for the pink-haired young man, speculating that a spot for the trials was already a done deal for Natsu. But, that announcement from Makarov also stunned him.
Denying such efforts because of a mere order from an incompetent council infuriated Gildarts to no end. In fact, wreaking havoc on their main headquarters was tempting to say the least…
However, instead of that, he managed to think of something that will cheer up Natsu. So, he went to his house first thing in the morning, informing him in advance before he leaves for his quest.
"Yeah, I'm still a bit mad about it." Natsu admitted. "Getting pulled into a quest randomly was enough to make me annoyed. Especially when I was so ready to take on the trials." Happy gazed at him with worry, while Gildarts listened quietly.
"Becoming S-Class is one of my goals, and I believe it will help me find Igneel. I'm just, you know… disappointed. But, saving lives is important, even I know that much. So, there's no use in complaining." He gazed at Gildarts with clear eyes, expressing his genuine feelings.
The Crash Mage smiled, rubbing the dragon slayer's hair with gusto. "There you go. I was observing your conversation with the others yesterday, and it was too obvious that you didn't want to worry them."
Natsu only made a sound of acknowledgement, which brought out a chuckle from him.
"Which is why I'm here in the first place!" Gildarts raised his head proudly, making the duo look at him with confusion.
"Don't leave us in suspense, Gildarts. What is it?" Happy had only one thought as he speculated, to obviously get even more fish before leaving.
"I don't have fish, Happy." The cat was completely read like an open book.
"Eh~ Fine, fine. It's solely for Natsu then." Happy rolled his eyes as the man snorted in amusement.
Glancing back at the pink-haired young man, Gildarts said something that surprised them. "Tell you what, kid. As compensation for your denied spot, how about I take you under my wing for a while when I return from Tenrou?"
Natsu's eyes brightened at the offer. "Seriously!? You're not pullin' my leg here, right? Gramps probably planned that special trial thingy already, he won't scold us for this?"
He's never heard of the strongest mage of Fairy Tail taking in students before, courtesy of him traveling around like a ghost. This was an unprecedented offer that might make most jealous.
"I told him in advance, and he gave me the okay." Gildarts smiled even wider, influenced by the dragon slayer's excitement. "You only need to accept it, and it will be a done deal. What do you say, Natsu?" He already knew the answer that he was gonna hear.
"Of course I'm down! Maybe I can beat you afterwards, hehehe!" Natsu rubbed his hands in anticipation, while Happy facepalmed at his intentions.
Gildarts heartily laughed at the young man's ambitions. "I'll need to be careful then! Time to go now, I'll accompany you guys to the guild. Both of you need to notify the others first, considering that this quest might take a few days."
Natsu quickly nodded, showing his improved mood. The blue cat was also happy for his partner.
They passed through the forest, talking about mundane topics and the man's adventures. This is what they always did whenever Gildarts returned to the guild. He either has souvenirs, or fascinating stories to share.
While enjoying the conversation, and in an eerily familiar fashion, Natsu accidentally grazed a sharp branch. Feeling the slight sting, he glanced at the small wound on his arms, frowning again.
Both Gildarts and Happy didn't notice his momentary silence, as they were bickering with one another.
This feeling again... What the hell's going on? He wiped the blood, waiting for it to dry.
Natsu ignored the weird sensation, which he also did last time. Maybe he was simply hungry, so ordering at the guild's bar before going should remove on whatever is happening with his body.
It was nothing to be worried about.