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Beastly Possession	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 26740 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima. I make no money, I just do this for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
- 8
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Disclaimer: It was an epic battle, with ownership of Fairy Tail on the line. Who knew Hiro Mashima could breathe fire! I lost quite soundly. He still owns Fairy Tail. But one day...one day...!

Chapter 9

The Beast Within

The atmosphere inside the guild was thick. Lucy was still in a meeting with Makarov, but the rest of Fairy Tail had heard enough from Erza.

Cana just shook her head. "It was Natsu?"

"What can we do?" asked Alzack. "If the authorities catch Natsu, they'll kill him."

"Might be for the best," Freed said dispassionately.

"Don't say that!" Gray snapped.

Happy looked so depressed, he was not even interested in the fish sitting before him.

Wendy sobbed quietly, hugging herself, and everyone saw that she looked terrified. Mirajane hugged the girl in comfort. No one blamed Wendy for being terrified. Since Natsu was a dragon slayer who apparently was turning into a dragon, all the dragon slayers, including Laxus, were ordered not to leave the guild hall. After all, authorities still were unsure if it was one attacker or more than one.

A door opened, footsteps clicked, and soon three people stepped forward. Makarov looked grim, Lucy had calmed down although it was obvious she had been crying earlier, and...

"Gajeel!" Levy cried out. "When did you get back?"

Instead of answering, he looked sternly around the hall, sniffing deeply with his red eyes narrowed, searching carefully.

"Do you smell it?" Makarov asked him.

"Only faintly," he mumbled.

Makarov climbed to the top of the bar counter so everyone could see him. "Brats," he addressed, "I'm sure you've heard about Natsu. Currently, his whereabouts are unknown. I have an odd request now for all of you." He bowed his head for a moment, collecting his composure, and when he looked up his eyes burned with utter seriousness. "Do not tell anyone outside of this guild about what has happened!"

He knew there would be concerns about this, maybe even protests, so he let them mutter back and forth for a moment.

"We're going to hide it?" Elfman asked in shock.

"Even from the authorities?" Evergreen gawked.

Romeo glared at them. "We can't let them know about Natsu-nii. They wouldn't understand."

Macao frowned. "If you know who a murderer is and hide it, that makes you an accomplice."

Makarov knew that was true. "I'm going to emphasize this: we do not yet know if Natsu is the attacker."

"But he attacked Lucy!" Gray shouted, looking over to the blonde who was holding her elbows as if half-hugging herself.

Makarov nodded sternly. "Yes, he did, and I will personally hold him accountable for that. However, we don't know if he's also the one killing people in Magnolia. Natsu was out of town the night of the first attack. There's also the issue of what is going on with the dragon slayers."

Everyone looked to Wendy, Gajeel, and Laxus.

"All four of them have reported an odd and highly distinguishable smell. Gajeel has been investigating it on his own, and he has found this odor throughout Magnolia, particularly at the sites of the most vicious attacks. Both Natsu and Wendy reported headaches, upset stomachs, aches in their backs, and loss of memory."

"Not Gajeel or Laxus?" Levy asked, looking worried to her parter.

Laxus frowned, slightly disturbed by all this. "I smell it, but I haven't felt any sickness."

"You were also out of town until just a few days ago," Mira pointed out.

Gajeel still said nothing. Makarov looked over to him and pouted.

"Do you wish to tell them?" the Master asked quietly.

The iron dragon slayer ground his teeth as he debated it, but finally he gave a shrug. "I'm not a hundred percent sure, but what Natsu appears to be going through is something like dragon slayer puberty. I knew the sonuvabitch was immature, but he's seventeen already. He should have already gotten over this."

"It's just a theory of mine," Makarov admitted, "but I believe Natsu's scarf negated the effects of this...coming-of-age," he put delicately. "Gajeel went through this when he was fifteen. The problem is the magic imbued in a dragon slayer can, if left unchecked, corrupt their instincts. Usually, a dragon or another dragon slayer is around to assist them through a ritual of sorts. When Gajeel experienced this while still in Phantom Lord, Master Jose sought out Rogue Cheney."

"That guy from Sabertooth?" Elfman exclaimed.

"He was just a kid," Gajeel said, "but he was enough to do the ritual. He didn't know about it, guess he killed his dragon before he had a chance to learn about this, so I taught him what I knew, took him in as an apprentice. After I cleared up from spazzing out like that, I came into my full abilities. I always wondered why Natsu couldn't do certain things. If he hasn't even gone through puberty, that explains a lot."

Levy thought about this. "But then why did Natsu already have motion sickness, but you just started experiencing that lately?"

Gajeel looked angry at being reminded of that. "I have no idea," he grumbled.

"Then what about Laxus?" asked Bickslow.

Makarov explained, "Since his dragon slayer magic is artificial, either it doesn't apply to him or Iwan created a stop similar to Natsu's scarf. However, the smell around town negated Natsu's stop and prematurely triggered Wendy's coming-of-age. Laxus may also be affected with enough exposure, which is why I must insist that both of you stay under supervision. Gildarts will look after Laxus, and Mira will look after Wendy. Should they transform, they will be suppressed."

Wendy bowed her head sadly. "Understood."

Mirajane hugged her thin shoulders even tighter. "Don't worry about it. Think of me as a bodyguard against the bogeyman."

"So what is this smell that started all this?" Gray asked.

"My guess?" Gajeel said gruffly. "Another dragon slayer gone feral. I believe that is what's killing people. The attacks so far have come in three forms. One is brutal, attacking swiftly and killing its prey in seconds, devouring it on the spot. Another is timid, little to no harm coming to the victim, with the attacker running away at the slightest yell. That's possibly Wendy."

"I'm sorry," she cringed.

Mirajane squeezed her. "You haven't hurt anyone, just spooked a few people."

"Then there was the attack on Lucy. On that occasion, although Lucy was severely injured, the intent of the attacker was not to eat her. That could have been Natsu, but it's impossible to know for sure. The beast Gray saw was also likely Natsu since I was chasing the beast doing the attack. On that occasion, the beast wanted to fight Gray. That was likely Natsu's own instincts. The longer this goes on without treatment, the worse Natsu will be. Lucy said that when he attacked her at the party, he had some awareness. That's normal. The first few times changing come suddenly, and the dragon slayer is unaware that anything happened. Eventually, they learn to control the beast within, at least for a little while. However, over the course of a few weeks, the transformations will happen more and more frequently, lasting longer each time, becoming more violent, until Natsu will end up trapped in that form. When that happens, he'll still have a little of his own mind, but it'll have completely blended with the primal beast. He'll go feral, and not much can be done to bring him back."

"We have two tasks," Makarov announced. "One, track down the feral dragon slayer and capture him if possible; if not, put him down. Two, we must find Natsu at all costs. The longer we wait, the greater the chance that we'll lose him. Natsu mentioned something about the beast having marked Lucy, and she has agreed to be bait for his capture."

"No way!" Gray shouted in protest.

"Master!" Erza also yelled in shock.

"It's okay, guys," Lucy smiled, glad her friends were concerned. "We need to get him fast, and this is the best way. Natsu..." she said quieter. "He's protected me so many times. This time, I want to be the one to protect him. If it's Natsu, he won't hurt me too much."

Gray still shook his head. He vividly recalled how Lucy looked the day after the attack, barely alive, bruised with gashes all over her body. If that truly had been Natsu...how could she forgive him after an attack like that? And then he attacked her again! Lucy had refused to talk about it afterward, and during the whole ride from the ball to Magnolia, she remained quiet, not saying anything more than that Natsu had attacked her. Gray suspected much more happened considering the way Lucy kept silently crying, but he had no clue how to go about asking her.

If it was him—if Natsu had torn apart his gut and left him for dead—Gray wondered if he could be as forgiving as Lucy. Of course, that was simply part of Lucy's character. She was loyal to her friends and forgave everyone. She even forgave her father although he had Fairy Tail attacked, and Lucy was badly hurt in that battle.

Reluctantly, Gray realized he was no better. He managed to forgive Lyon despite the trouble they had on Galuna Island with Deliora, and he forgave Ultear despite all she did to him and his friends. All of them forgave Jellal too, even Erza who was hurt so badly and had a friend killed because of him. He guessed that was part of being in Fairy Tail. They were too stubborn to hold a grudge for long.

"We need to hurry on this," Makarov emphasized. "Every day that passes could mean more deaths and a greater chance that we'll lose Natsu forever. Gray, Erza, and Lucy will go after Natsu. Mira and Wendy will go with them so Wendy can sniff him out."

The little girl looked shocked. "But what if I...I...go bad?"

The Master had a kind smile for her. "All you did was scare a few people and nipped a boy on the arm, didn't even break skin. This condition rouses your instincts, and hurting others simply isn't one of your instincts. It'll be fine, and Mira will be there as well just in case. I want Freed to go with your team, too. His runes will be vital in capturing Natsu unharmed."

Freed moved over to them and blushed a little as he stood next to Mirajane. Although Gray still looked like he wanted to protest, he still patted Wendy's head to calm her worries. Lucy felt much more relieved now that their team had so many strong members.

Makarov continued with the instructions. "Gajeel and Laxus will be in charge of searching for the beast. Gildarts, if Laxus shows even the slightest hint of losing himself, you are to sedate him and bring him here for observation. The rest of you, divide into two equal teams and follow either Laxus or Gajeel. I want this beast brought down tonight!"

With that done, the guild began to buzz, breaking into two teams, while Lucy's team was waved to follow Makarov. Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Charle, Happy, Mira, and Freed went to an office where it was quieter. They stayed close together while Makarov stood a little in front with his back to them. After a solid minute of silence, the old master let out a long, stressed sigh.

"I'd rather send the entire guild after Natsu," he admitted softly, "but the safety of Magnolia outweighs a single mage. I'd rush out there to find him too—my instincts as a father tell me that I should—but I have to keep the authorities from getting too suspicious while a hundred mages go running amok throughout the city. Plus, if we can find the culprit, I'm the only one who knows a good place to keep him locked up until we can determine if a feral dragon slayer is truly lost or if we can bring him back. I'm counting on you to bring Natsu back."

"We'll find him without fail, master," Erza swore.

"You better! Please try to bring him in peacefully, but if you can't, then try your hardest not to kill him. It's not Natsu's fault he's like this. I always wondered why Natsu showed no signs of this coming-of-age, and I foolishly dismissed it as simply him being a bit slow."

"Master," Wendy said worriedly, "when we do find him, what are we going to do? For me too, and for Laxus?"

"Gajeel knows the ritual. He offered to do it right now for you, but it takes a week. I can only rely on the dragon slayers' sense of smell for this task, so I can't have two of you out of commission for a whole week while Natsu slowly slips farther from us and the feral beast continues to murder. I apologize, Wendy. I know you're scared, but like I said, one mage isn't worth the entire town."

"No, I understand," she whispered. "That's okay. I just want to be sure something can be done. I don't wanna go bad." Despite trying to be bravely mature, the little girl sniffed and bit her lip to hold back her fears.

Makarov finally turned back around to them and smiled. "We'll do all we can," he assured her. Then he looked up to Erza, Mira, Freed, Gray, Lucy, and the Exceed. "Bring him back fast and unharmed. We're counting on your nose, Wendy, and your runes, Freed. And Lucy," he added, pouting at the young woman, "be careful! And I don't just mean about Natsu."

She swallowed thickly and nodded. "Understood, master."

"Pack for your journey and leave in the morning. Dismissed."

They turned out and left to see the guild hall empty. Erza and Mira walked Wendy home, Freed went his own way, and in pity Charle offered Happy dinner on the docks. Gray tapped Lucy on the shoulder as she watched them split.

"I'll walk you home," he offered.

She nodded quietly and let him escort her. Neither one said anything, except when she warned him that he was taking off his clothes again. When they got to her house, they both hesitated. Gray knew what she was worrying about, and he also knew Lucy was a proud lady who hated that she was sometimes a bit weak.

"How about I stay on the couch in case that flame-brained bastard shows up again." He tried to say it in his usual joking way, and sure enough it got her to laugh.

"Thanks, Gray," she whispered. "I'm gonna get a bath. Peep in and I'll shove my scrub brush up your ass!"

"I'm not a perv. I'll make dinner. You relax."

Gray was glad her kitchen was so well stocked. Of course, she kept it that way because Natsu and Happy visited so often and ate up all of her food. He got oil heated and chopped vegetables for dinner. When he heard sniffling in the bathroom, he ignored it and chopped harder, angry yet knowing it was not Natsu's fault. No, he was more angry at himself for not noticing anything about his teammate, and for not being there to protect Lucy.

Twice now! Twice, she got hurt and Gray had not been there to help. He was determined to protect her from now on!

On a cliff far away from any city, Natsu watched the sun go down behind distant mountains. The lush valley below him had already grown dark, but his high perch was bathed in crimson light.

"Don't change, don't change," he chanted in desperation.

He looked down to his hand. Normal so far. He had no clue what triggered this problem, but it seemed to happen mostly at night. He now dreaded the coming darkness.

"Lucy," he gnashed, and his hands clenched into fists.

Her face from that night often came to his mind, sadness mixed with fear, tears in her eyes, disheveled hair, a torn dress. He could still smell her blood and feel...her...being inside her...and the sensual aroma of their conjoined bodies. It had only been for an instant before he realized and pulled away, yet he would never forget the feeling. A part of him, a deep instinct threatening to bubble up, wanted to feel her again...

To touch her...

To taste her...

To ravage her...

"No!" he cried. "Not Lucy! Not Lucy!"

He yanked at his pink hair and sobbed as he thrust that darker side of him back down. He had no clue how he could face Lucy again, not after that. She had every right to hate him and want him dead. So he felt like he was being selfish for hoping that maybe she could forgive him and they could go back to being friends. She had said it was all right, but he knew it wasn't!

"After I did that to her?" he asked himself. "I don't deserve to be her friend. A real friend would never do...that!" He closed his eyes as tears of regret and shame tumbled down, then he tried to quickly wipe them away with his scarf. For just a moment, he foolishly feared Gray might see him crying and make fun of him.

Of course, if Gray ever saw him again, he would probably try to kill Natsu for real.

That made him even sadder. How could he return to Fairy Tail after what he did to his nakama? And not just some random guild mate, but Lucy!

He stared out at the horizon, watching the blood-red sunset seep away into darkness. He had picked this location because it was far from civilization. There were a few farmhouses in the valley, but maybe the beast within would be more satisfied with tasty cows and sheep instead of farmers. Or did he even eat in that form? Natsu had no clue. He could only remember bits and pieces. He had never woken up covered in blood, so that was a good sign. Still, he did not want to chance it.

Suddenly, the familiar headache hit him. He grabbed at his hair as it felt like something wanted to pound out of his skull.

"Don't change, don't change, don't change, don't change!"

He roared as the pain spread down to his shoulders, his low back, his face, and to his hands. Panting hard in agony, he looked down at his hands again and saw the nails lengthen and grow thicker.

"Noooooooooooooooooooo!"

He fell to the ground and rolled in the dirt as the painful transformation continued. Soon anything touching his back burned like acid. He threw off his shirt as he tried to itch the searing sensation in his shoulders. His scarf was lost in the maddened thrashing, yet once it fluttered off of his neck, a whole new level of pain sent a shock through Natsu's body. He rose up onto his knees and howled at the sky. It felt like his whole body was being torn apart from the inside as the beast clawed its way out.

Slowly, like rain after a blazing summer, relief trickled through him. Natsu opened his eyes to see the sun still peeking between two snowy mountains. The hands before him were talon-like, and he felt a tail swishing behind him. Tears burned his eyes. He crawled to the edge of the cliff and looked down. It was almost tempting to throw himself off the cliff, but he could never go that far. He refused to give up to this beast inside him. He was Natsu Dragneel! He didn't surrender!

"Erza, Gray," he whispered between ragged breaths. "Find me. Find me and stop me...before I really do lose myself."

Midnight tolled over Magnolia when Lucy jolted awake with a nightmare. It was the same one she had before, flying in the sky when suddenly she realized a dragon was carrying her. She instantly looked to the window, yet there was nothing there, no shadows, no glowing eyes, just a waning moon and starlight.

Something snorted beside her, and she saw Gray's head rise from the side of her bed. She thought he had fallen asleep on the couch, so she was shocked to see him sitting in a chair while resting his head at the foot of her bed.

"Y'kay?" he mumbled half asleep.

"Nightmare," she replied with a little shiver.

Slowly, she got up and pattered barefooted to the kitchen. She must have been panting in her sleep, because her throat felt really dry. After a glass of water and a trip to the bathroom, she returned to see Gray standing by the window, staring out with a bitter expression on his face.

"It wasn't the beast," she assured him. "Only a dream."

"Just being cautious," he answered.

When she sat on the edge of the bed, she flinched at the pain between her thighs. She told only Makarov the whole truth about what Natsu did. If she told anyone else, they would never forgive Natsu. Especially Gray! So she kept that part secret. She truly hoped that once they found Natsu and got him back to normal, they could go back to being friends, a team, and what happened could just be...

What? Be forgotten?

She didn't want to forget it. She knew she never could anyway, not that! So what did she want?

Was she really okay with what he did? Did she want more? Did she love Natsu?

She shook her head to chase away all the questions and doubts. She felt too sleepy to wonder about something as monumentally important as love. She simply wanted a solid night of sleep, especially if they were leaving in the morning.

"Shouldn't you pack?" she asked Gray.

He moved away from the window and sat by her side. "I'm not leaving you, not for a minute."

She laughed and looked down to her cup of water. "That would get annoying really fast."

"Then let me be annoying." He brushed back her hair and saw the worries in her face. "You're hiding something. I can tell when you do that. Natsu, he...he hurt you...more...didn't he?"

She did not want to lie, not to Gray, yet she worried what he would do when he discovered the truth. She could not bring herself to answer him, and she knew she did not need to. Silence was answer enough. She feared Gray would go into a rage, threaten to kill him, and storm out immediately to castrate Natsu.

Instead, he hugged her. Her eyes went wide, and she nearly dropped her drink in surprise. She absolutely had not anticipated this!

"We'll bring him back," Gray swore through clenched teeth.

Yes, he was angry. He was pissed as hell! Yet he had seen the looks in Lucy's face the whole day. They were not eyes wanting vengeance. She worried about Natsu, and she had been hiding this secret to protect him. If she forgave Natsu, so would he. He would fucking castrate the bastard later, but for now he would support her.

"Gray," she whispered. "Can you...stay here? In the bed?"

"I was going to suggest it, but I thought you'd throttle me with the scrub brush."

"Grope me in my sleep and it'll be the lamp up your ass," she threatened, yet with a good-natured smile.

She faced the door while he faced the window. Still their backs touched. He could feel the cotton of the long shirt she wore and the smoothness of her naked legs. She felt the heat from his bare back and the soft hair on his muscular calves. His foot stroked hers for a moment, and she smiled at the reassuring touch.

"Goodnight, Lucy," he said, staring out at the moon. "Try to have some good dreams this time."

"Thanks, Gray." She closed her eyes, and already she felt like her dreams would be much nicer knowing she had a friend beside her. "Goodnight."

End of Chapter 9
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Beastly Possession