Chapter Text
Natsu didn’t get sick often. However, when he did, he became severely ill. When Natsu was a young kid and still relatively new to the guild, he had come down with a fever, and the fever coursed through his body, boiling him alive to where his little body couldn’t take much more. However, that was part of the problem. Natsu had a high body temperature to begin with. Whatever virus could survive in Natsu’s body had to be sturdy, and Natsu’s body would overreact, giving Natsu a life-threatening fever. Last time, his temperature reached 204 degrees. Porlyusica had to plunge him into ice water until his fever broke, all while he screamed bloody murder. To say the least, Natsu picking up any illness required immediate medical attention.
Also, this meant Porlyusica would force Natsu to take it easy for a few weeks. No exceptions. Even if that meant he’d miss the S-class exam.
Natsu spent a lot of time outside in the cold December snow. He and Happy devised epic snow forts and snowball fights, and Natsu liked snow. The cold never bothered him, and he didn’t tend to bother with coats as he didn’t need them. He was a fire dragon slayer. What was snow to him? All he needed to do was raise his body temperature.
This time, it proved him wrong.
Happy saw the warning signs that morning. Natsu had a slight sniffle, wiping the snot on what was around and warmer than usual. Happy brought him, dragging Natsu every step of the way, to the guild immediately to get checked out, and Gramps had Porlyusica check him over. Like Happy suspected, Natsu was sick.
Natsu groaned under the covers in the med ward on the second level of the guild, which they added when the guild had to be rebuilt. Porlyusica hated bringing the sick into her own home and didn’t have much room for more than one person. Thus, Natsu would stay in the guild for the next two weeks until Porlyusica allowed him to go home.
Snot clogged up Natsu’s nose and coated his throat, making it nearly impossible to breathe. Because of his clogged nose, Natsu couldn’t smell either. A dragon slayer’s sense of smell was everything to his kind. It was one of the most important senses to a dragonslayer. Natsu always noticed a person’s scent before anything else about a person. He recognized people by scent. Natsu was terrible with names to begin with, and this way, he didn’t need to put a name to the smell.
Fluid clogged his ears, muffling the world. His sense of hearing was his second most important sense. He could hear for miles away, and as overwhelming as it was, Natsu had lived that way for years. He could barely tell how many were in the guild downstairs, making him anxious. Even when wounded, he had his senses to back him up. Not now. Was this what it was like to be normal? If it was, Natsu hated it. He was no better than a wounded animal, exposed to the world.
Flem began to move in his throat, causing a series of coughs to rack through him. His throat stung like needles pricking the soft tissue, and his lungs burned, not drawing enough air into his chest. However, Porlyusica pounded her hand against his back. “Cough it up.”
Natsu couldn’t respond to her, though, coughing his lungs out until finally part of it came out. Thick green mucus fell into his lap. He couldn’t breathe still, but breathing became a tad easier. Porlyusica cleaned the mess, and Natsu fell back on the bed, wearily. Coughing took too much energy from him.
“I hate this,” he croaked out in a grumble.
Porlyusica didn’t say anything and went back to the workstation in the corner, mixing herbs. Natsu knew what she was making: medicine to help him clear his lungs and another thing. His fever would climb higher, and she would need to start him on magic suppressants. Natsu was a dragon slayer. They could heat themselves to any temperature, which was the problem. Porlyusica would give him magic suppressants to control his fever, but this also meant that no one could heal Natsu with magic, much to Wendy’s dismay.
Wendy didn’t want to go to the S-class exams, wanting to help Natsu, and the master gently allowed her to stay if she obeyed Porlyusica’s orders. This was a “magic-based fever.” More magic in his system would only fan the flame. However, she could still learn about medicine. Wendy had been told to grind herbs and stay quiet. She did so timidly, sparing Natsu worried glances. Natsu practically took the girl under his wing, and they cared about each other deeply in the short time they spent together.
Natsu wished Happy could stay with him, but Gramps couldn’t allow it because Natsu could burn Happy if he weren’t careful. Natsu understood the reasoning, but it still sucked. He drifted off into uneasy sleep, listening to Porlyusica and Wendy work on his medicine.
Fire.
Blistering, raging fire was the first thing Natsu could remember before he met Igneel. Billowing black smoke choked his young lungs and throat, causing him to gasp with each breath, helplessly and hopelessly. Sweat poured down his face in veins, and towering flames that climbed trees and homes surrounded him, like a forest of fire.
The only home he had known in his mere few years of life was gone. There was nothing left of it but ash and black cinders in its place, engulfed in greedy roaring flames. The fire had eaten away the small one-room house just as it had eaten his parents. Soon, the fire would eat him too. His heart pounded in his chest, and his lungs ached as much as his head.
Most would have been terrified if they saw a massive red dragon stepping toward them. At first, Natsu assumed it was passing by, but it stopped right before him. It craned its giant head close to him and let out a snort, mussing Natsu’s hair.
The fire already made him dizzy, and his cheeks reddened in the dragon’s presence. The fire was bad enough, but the dragon also radiated heat. Natsu couldn’t scream or cry, staring up in awe of the majestic beast. Instead of fear gripping his throat, he felt at peace. Natsu accepted death. The dragon would eat him or the fire. The dragon may be quicker.
The dragon’s eyes were large and terrifying, drawing Natsu’s full attention.
“A child?” the dragon rumbled above the roar of the flames. Natsu thought his ears would pop. “You have my apologies, young human hatchling. I cannot bring your family back, but I will look after you in their stead as compensation from my kind. You will have me as your new father. I am known as Igneel. What is yours?”
The words climbed out of his throat, and Natsu croaked his name through a raw windpipe. “Natsu, Natsu Dragneel.”
Makarov knocked on the door before entering. His wrinkles scrunched out of concern for the boy lying ill on the bed inside. There was nothing more defeating than knowing that your child was hurt and you could do nothing about it. “How’s Natsu?”
The room was barren of people except for Porlyusica and Natsu. Wendy got sent out to comfort Happy, who was growing more distressed about Natsu.
“His fever is climbing quicker than I thought.” Porlyusica stood up from the workbench and around to Natsu’s bedside, whose eyes fluttered open. Makarov noted the evident glassy appearance in Natsu’s eyes. Natsu twisted away from the woman at the sight of medicine in her hands. However, her fingers caught his jaw and pried his mouth open with her finger and forced him to swallow the apparent yucky medicine if Natsu’s face was anything to go by.
“It hasn’t even been four hours since he started showing symptoms.” Makarov shook his head sadly.
Happy being paired with Natsu brought Makarov much relief as he could notice any abnormal spike in Natsu’s temperature. In some ways, Happy was a service animal. Natsu, being a dragon slayer, required special needs to function in his daily life. Happy helped Natsu out of trains and other vehicles. He still struggled with that aspect sometimes, but Happy was only six years old. Makarov didn’t expect perfection, nor was Happy being paid to assist Natsu in any way. However, Natsu struggled with his enhanced senses from time to time, and Happy would sit with Natsu until his sensory overload passed because they were friends. Happy would have gotten Natsu out of difficult situations if needed, because he loved Natsu, and Natsu would have done the same if the roles were reversed. Happy couldn’t help Natsu here, though.
With Natsu’s temperature rising, it was a risk to the blue exceed. Natsu would never forgive himself if he hurt his beloved friend. Despite Porlyusica sending Wendy to comfort the cat, he knew Happy was waiting for the moment Porlyusica gave Natsu a magic suppressant so he could stay with the sick boy.
“Don’t you have an S-class exam to manage?” Porlyusica questioned.
“I sent them ahead,” he answered. Makarov would feel better leaving Natsu, knowing he was alright. “I’ll meet them shortly.”
The medicine slowly took effect, and Natsu’s head nodded, and his eyes began to fall once again under the influence of the meds, shivering under the covers.
“You gave him a magic suppressant?” Makarov questioned. He wasn’t surprised, of course. It was more of a rhetorical question than anything else. However, the medical woman nodded regardless.
“I want to nip this in the bud before he grows delirious from fever. He’s easier to manage at the current moment.”
Makarov nodded in agreement. A delirious Natsu was a dangerous Natsu. It wasn’t the child’s fault, but his magic was one of the most dangerous magics there was. Despite what people thought, Natsu had extreme control over his magic. Fire means to burn, but Natsu had never once had an accident with his magic. Never once had he burned his guildmates worse than minor first-degree burns. Natsu was fireproof himself, but he could hurt others. Even at a young age, Natsu understood the concept that fire burns.
However, Natsu’s control was slipping by the minute as the fever climbed. In his state, he could throw a fit that could burn the skin off their bones, and while Natsu had a small stature, he was still well-built. Natsu began curling into the covers more, burying himself under them, pulling them up to his chin. Makarov could only describe it as a dragon looking for warmth.
“That may be wise,” Makarov agreed.
Natsu coughed again, but not as hard as before. Snot dripped from his reddening nose, and Makarov grimaced. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the snot away. “Blow.”
Natsu did with a honk.
“This sucks.” His voice came out in a hoarse grumble.
“Sorry, child,” Makarov murmured gently, and brushed the sweaty hair out of Natsu’s face. “Please rest. I’ll see you again when we return.”
But they didn’t return, and Gramps broke his promise. They would never return; Tenrou Island was demolished without a trace, and no trace of any wizard could be found, having been destroyed along with the island. A whole month had passed, and Natsu had given up hope. He should have been there with them, but he wasn’t. The guilt weighed on his conscience. Would he have made a difference if he were there? They raced to get there when they found out, but there wasn’t anything to find, only open sea.
Other guilds gave their condolences, while others tried to help look for survivors. Even though they hadn’t found anyone, they continued the search. However, the chances were slim, and they were aware of it. At least they could find their bodies to give the poor Fairy Tail Guild some closure.
The sun wasn’t out since it was cloudy. Natsu could smell the change in the weather, and it would likely snow again soon. Dormant trees rustled in the large gust of wind, and he pulled his scarf tighter around his neck, though not because of the cold. The weather matched his mood perfectly. The sky was mourning the loss of the beloved Fairy Tail members, just as he was.
Natsu took his time walking to the guild that day, ignoring the townspeople’s somber glances and hushed whispers. Not that it would do them any good. His hearing was so well attuned that the whispers might as well have been told to him directly. Didn’t they know he could hear them? Some villagers even came up to Natsu to offer condolences and recounted to him how Fairy Tail had helped them. It softened his heart a little.
The guild doors creaked as he opened them. Macao and the other guild members were all sitting together, deep in discussion. Wendy sat quietly with Happy and Carla. If he hadn’t gotten sick, she would have gone. She shouldn’t have gone. Wendy, at twelve years old, became their youngest member. A member asked her to join, but Natsu struggled to remember who. Would she be dead now if she had gone? Did his being sick save three lives, not including his own skin? Would no one have died if he were there?
The Magic Council said they were killed by a dragon called Acnologia, but why was the council there at all? Natsu had heard the name of Acnologia once before from Gildarts, who had warned him not to go looking for it, fearing Natsu would get killed. Did the dragon come back for Gildarts? Did the council do something to summon him? They wouldn’t say why they were there at all. Only what the dragon had done. The older wizard barely made it out alive from the first battle with the dragon. This time, he didn’t. Even with Gramps and several S-class wizards with Gildarts, they still lost. The Ethernano levels spiked higher than any living thing could withstand. It was no wonder the island wasn’t there.
“Natsu, just who we were talking about.” Macao stood up, motioning Natsu to join them in their little group. A little purple-haired girl, whom Natsu knew had recently joined the guild, gave him a drink. He was beginning to think he would need some before this conversation he had been dreading.
Natsu thanked the girl, but he couldn’t quite remember the girl’s name. It started with a K, he thought. She had been apprenticing under Mira for just a month, helping behind the bar. Now she was in charge of the bar, with no one else to operate it.
“Yeah, sorry I’m late,” Natsu mumbled, taking a big swing of his drink. He hoped that whatever he was drinking would work fast. He had overheard what they wanted to talk about. A new master. “Didn’t know we had a meeting or anything today.”
“We were just discussing who should be the next guild master,” Macao explained lightly. Even though he knew what they were planning, Natsu balled his fists, wanting to scream. The guild wanted to replace Gramps, so soon? Granted, the guild needed a new guild master. The guild would start losing money if they didn’t start missions again. People like Macao had families to take care of. The guild was being reasonable, but Natsu didn’t want to be reasonable. This hurt them just as much as it did him, but it wasn’t fair. They would need someone to replace Gramps, at least until they found him.
“Have you decided yet?” The words were heavy on his tongue. With a new master, they would be accepting their loss; their friends may not be coming back after all.
“We decided you should,” Macao admitted, scratching the back of his neck, and Natsu jumped out of his chair in an outburst.
“What, me!” Natsu waved his hands comically in front of him. He knew they wanted a new guild master, but not that they wanted him to fill the impossibly giant shoes of Makarov Dreyar.
“No, I can’t be a guild master. If anyone should be guild master, that would be you.” Natsu pointed back at Macao. “You’re like the oldest one here now, other than Wakaba.”
“That is true, but you are stronger than I, and you’ll continue to grow stronger,” Macao said, but Natsu cut him off.
“Yeah, I’m strong, but I get into fights all the time because I can’t control my temper-”
“Natsu, would you do anything to hurt this guild?” Macao asked sternly, and his tone took Natsu by surprise.
“No, of course not!” Natsu retorted. He would never hurt the guild. Not on purpose, anyway. The guild was his home. When Igneel left him, the guild accepted him into their fold. Gramps, despite all his gripes, took good care of all his small members. Natsu had no idea what would have happened if Gramps hadn’t found him.
“We know that,” Wakaba added gently, “but you are the strongest in the guild right now. Whenever we’ve had a problem, you’ve always been there for us. You always know what to say and how to keep us going. We’re asking you, Natsu, to help us keep this guild alive.”
Natsu felt a lump in his throat. He was eighteen and barely an adult. He could take care of Happy and himself. Erza took charge of the team. “I’m not Gramps. When I screw up, it’ll affect all you guys.”
“And we’ll all be with you when you do,” Max laughed and slapped his hand down hard on Natsu’s back, causing him to stumble. Natsu had to admit that their words did lift his spirits a bit.
The guild stared at him with fleeting hope in their eyes, waiting, waiting for his answer. They wanted him to lead them, and they needed him to lead. He straightened, and his next words changed the fate of Fairy Tail forever.
“I accept.”