(A/N: First of all, I want to sincerely thank you for the 20 reviews and for all the comments so far. Truly, every word of support, feedback, or excitement makes a huge difference and is what keeps this story alive.
This is the bonus chapter that was promised.
I know that, for some readers, this type of chapter may seem a bit boring — and I understand that, since many people don't really like chapters like this. However, in my view, it is important to the story, because it simply brings Fairy Tail back to its original essence: the interactions, the guild atmosphere, the bonds, and that feeling of "home" that has defined Fairy Tail from the very beginning.
Sometimes, before moving forward, it's necessary to remember who we are and where we came from — and that's exactly what this chapter does.
If we reach 30 five-star reviews, I'll bring another bonus chapter 👀🔥
With that said, enjoy the chapter.
See you next time!
________________________
In the Fairy Tail Guild, the morning progressed with its usual chaotic rhythm: exaggerated cries for help, loud laughter, accidental magical clashes, arguments that started over nothing and ended with someone crashing through a table.
It was the familiar disorder that everyone called home.
Something many members had missed, as it had been "seven years" since the guild had been this lively.
Behind the bar, Mirajane Strauss was drying a glass with slow, distracted movements, very different from her customary efficiency. The soft light streaming through the windows highlighted her long, well-gared silver hair, falling in waves over her shoulder. Her light pink dress, always impeccable, gave her the same warm aura as ever, the kind that made anyone feel welcome just by looking at her. But her blue eyes were distant, unfocused, carrying a worry that did not match her usual smile.
It had been two weeks since Natsu and Juvia had left for Lunareth. Even accounting for the journey there, the mission, and the return, they should have been back days ago. Natsu did not always stick to deadlines—no one in the guild expected that of him—but he also did not usually vanish without giving any sign, especially after... everything.
Could something have happened?
The thought weighed gently on her chest. She knew Natsu well, that "troublesome little brother" who always got into trouble but never hesitated to put himself in front to protect others. He had been one of the few who truly understood the change she went through after losing Lisanna...
And more than anyone, she understood what Natsu was going through. Perhaps not in the details, not for the specific reasons, but in the feeling; that silent spiral where everything around you keeps existing, keeps smiling, keeps moving... while something inside you remains still, trapped, crushed by an absence that no one else sees.
She was intimately familiar with the feeling of losing someone who was part of your own heart. She knew the kind of pain that does not scream but consumes in silence. After losing Lisanna, she had learned what it was like to wake up every day with the impression that the world was gray, as if your very soul had been drained at the edges. She knew what it was like to put a smile on your face so that others would not collapse along with you. She knew what it was to pretend to be okay because you could not bear for someone to carry your sadness for you...
And precisely because she had lived through it, the way Natsu had isolated himself, gone quiet, let his flames dim—it was all painfully familiar. He did not need to explain; she recognized the pattern, the hesitation, the way he tried to exist without taking up space. That emptiness that darkens the chest, that silent guilt that takes root even when you know rationally that you should not feel it.
She knew he was not just sad: he was fighting to move forward without leaving behind the part of himself that had been torn away. And that fight—she knew it all too well.
Because the guild had given her exactly what she needed most as a child—a family—while she cared for her siblings, she had always held a special affection for everyone in Fairy Tail. But Natsu, with his contagious energy and chaotic innocence, occupied a different place in her heart. She had the impulse to protect him in an intimate way, almost maternal, and at the same time deeply fraternal. He represented everything that made the guild feel alive. Seeing him depressed awakened in her a silent fear: what if one day no one could bring him back?
She had never dared to pressure him or ask directly about his grief over Happy. Not for lack of desire to help, but out of fear of crossing an emotional boundary that perhaps even he had not yet recognized. The mere possibility of becoming a "nuisance" by bringing it up, especially to someone who always carried the world with a smile, was unbearable to her.
When she learned that he had agreed to take a mission with Juvia, a timid hope had been born within her. Juvia had not returned saying he had rejected her, and that alone was a sign. If Natsu was willing to take a step out of his own silence, perhaps there was still room for healing...
She clung to that idea like someone holding a thread of light in a dark corridor. Still, the insecurity kept growing: what if the guild was placing too many expectations on him? What if he was just forcing himself to distract himself without really improving?
Despite her nature, always inclined to believe the best, there was a truth she feared to admit: Natsu, for the first time, seemed distant. Inaccessible. And that unexpected emotional space, something he had never created before, left a void in her that she did not know how to fill.
Perhaps that was why every small step forward he took meant so much. That was why she observed every detail, every expression, every slightest variation in his gaze. Because, to her, Natsu was not just a guildmate; he was an essential piece of Fairy Tail's soul. And as long as he did not fully regain the shine he had always carried, a part of her could never truly rest.
But what worried her most at that moment was that it was strange for Natsu and Juvia to be taking so long. Strange enough to leave her restless.
Missions involving long journeys were nothing new for Fairy Tail, and Natsu, in particular, had an almost absurd knack for turning any simple task into a prolonged adventure. However, even within his chaotic adventures, there was a pattern. He did not disappear without leaving traces, without sending some message, without passing through the guild at least once, even if only to proudly announce that he had accidentally blown something up. And Juvia, as dedicated as she was attentive, would never remain out of contact for so long if she could avoid it...
Mirajane sighed softly, setting the glass down on the bar as she continued thinking. Perhaps she should ask someone to go check. Perhaps—
A solid thud echoed as a firm hand slammed down on the bar, snapping her out of her reverie.
"I'll take this mission."
The voice full of determination was unmistakable.
Erza Scarlet stood before her, impeccable and imposing as always. Her scarlet hair fell in a brilliant cascade to her waist, slightly wavy. Her intense brown eyes held that resolute gleam that no one dared question; she wore her usual armor with a blue skirt.
She held a mission poster between her fingers, the paper crinkling under the pressure.
Mirajane blinked, slowly returning to the present.
"Ah... Erza." She smiled gently, still a bit slow from the distraction. "Are you going out alone this time?"
Erza nodded, placing the poster firmly on the bar.
"Yes! But before I go, there's something I'd like to ask..."
"About what?" Mirajane asked, frowning.
Erza took a deep breath before continuing, as if organizing thoughts she had been carrying silently.
"Lately, I've been too busy with missions..." she admitted in a lower but still firm tone. "Since we returned... I've been going out constantly. I need to train, I need to regain the reputation lost over the past years. So, I've only returned to Fairy Tail twice since then. And counting today... this is the third."
She gripped the poster tighter, but the tension there had little to do with the paper.
"That's why I haven't had time to properly go look for him. I don't know if Natsu is okay?" Her eyes gleamed with that silent, firm worry only Erza could have: "Has he... at least left the house?"
She had always trusted in Natsu's strength. Trusted in his impulsiveness, his courage, the "fire" that seemed incapable of going out. That was why the version of him that returned after all the recent events had struck her with an impact hard to admit. Seeing that diminished gleam, that almost absent enthusiasm, that flame which once set the world ablaze now weakened... it all hit her like an unexpected cut.
She did not like thinking about it. Did not like accepting his fragility, because deep down, it reminded her of her own fragility—something she usually hid behind armor, both literally and emotionally.
The delay in the mission, therefore, triggered in her a kind of silent, rigid worry. It was not the explicit fear that something physical had happened, though that possibility was never dismissed. It was the discomfort of imagining Natsu facing any kind of emotional weight without someone trustworthy nearby. She knew Juvia was sensitive, kind, attentive, but she also knew that both carried wounds too recent, each in their own way, for that pair to be emotionally stable.
Part of her felt guilty. In recent days, busy with responsibilities and missions, she realized she had stopped watching Natsu as closely as she should have. She had missed signs, let moments pass, allowed him to isolate himself without noticing. The prolonged mission was, to her, almost an uncomfortable reminder that her absence in critical moments had created small cracks—cracks where the shadow of grief and guilt could grow.
Natsu was not just a guildmate. He was one of the few people who had taught her to believe in bonds. He was someone who, without realizing it, illuminated the darkness she had carried since childhood.
That was why the worry would not leave her body, even as she maintained her rigid, confident posture.
Mirajane let out a long, almost weary sigh, but above all, sad.
"Yes. He left. He went on a mission with Juvia about two weeks ago..."
Erza relaxed her shoulders slightly, but the barmaid's expression said that the answer came with something not exactly reassuring.
Mirajane rested her hands on the bar, glancing for a moment at the noisy hall that seemed almost to contrast with what she felt inside.
"Though we only saw him briefly when he came to pick up the mission. Natsu was very different... As if his joy had... died." She furrowed her brow, pressing her lips together: "And I haven't been able to stop thinking about it these past few days... it's been hammering in my head."
Erza listened in absolute silence. No interruption, no diversion.
Then, she straightened her posture and spoke with her typical unwavering resolve:
"Good. If he hadn't left the house... I would have dragged him with me on this mission, whether he wanted to or not. At least that way I could keep an eye on him. As for him having 'changed,' it's Natsu we're talking about—he'll snap back to normal when we least expect it..."
Mirajane gave a small smile that was not exactly relieved, but grateful, in the face of Erza's firmness. There was something comforting in the redhead's conviction, something that reminded everyone in Fairy Tail that when Erza said someone would be okay, it was because she would do everything to ensure it.
Still, the fear in the depths of the barmaid's eyes did not fully disappear. She knew people, knew how to read their silences... and both hers and Erza's said more than any optimistic phrase could cover.
Before she could respond, hurried footsteps echoed toward the bar.
Lucy Heartfilia appeared beside them, a bit out of breath, a bit frustrated, and above all, visibly worried.
Levy McGarden followed right behind, trying to keep up with her friend's pace but clearly sensing the anxiety driving her.
Lucy stopped in front of them, clutching the strap of her bag tightly against her body.
"Sorry to interrupt. Have you seen Natsu?"
Mirajane and Erza exchanged a quick glance, a silent recognition that the worry was spreading, reaching everyone who mattered to him.
Mirajane was the first to nod, with a light sigh that carried more than words could explain.
Lucy bit her lower lip, restless.
"I went to his house this morning." Her voice came out lower, as if she were repeating something she was still trying to process. "He wasn't there. I got worried."
Lucy took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts before the anxiety spilled over into disjointed words.
"I got worried because... well... our mission took much longer than it should have." She ran a hand through her hair in a nervous gesture. "It was supposed to last three days at most. But when we arrived at the village, we discovered that the magical monster infestation was coming from an underground labyrinth."
Levy nodded energetically, confirming.
"There was all the work of deciphering ancient inscriptions, sealing the tunnels, finding all the monsters... and then we still had to wait a few days to confirm there were none left to attack the village. That alone took almost a week."
Lucy huffed, exhausted just remembering. "And to make it worse, we missed the last train to Magnolia and had to spend one more night in the city near the village. In other words: completely out of our control."
Mirajane and Erza listened to everything in silence, absorbing every detail.
Lucy continued, her brow slightly furrowed:
"So... when we finally got back, I went straight to Natsu's house. I thought maybe he had stopped by there, or... I don't know. Maybe left some sign." She lowered her head a bit, staring at the floor. "I thought there would be some trace of him, you know? Some new mess, some mark on the wall, anything that showed he was trying... to keep going. I was worried about him in that state..."
Mirajane felt her chest weigh heavier again, but she said nothing.
Lucy raised her gaze, now more anxious:
"Do you know where Natsu is? Or if he came back to the guild during these days? I really thought he had stayed in the city..."
Erza raised one hand.
"Lucy," she began, with that determined calm that seemed to cut through any uncertainty, "there's no need to worry. Natsu went on a mission with Juvia. It's been almost two weeks."
Lucy blinked. Once, twice. The relief was immediate; her body relaxed a few inches, as if she had been holding her breath since the night before.
"Ah... so he wasn't alone." The relief was real. But it came accompanied by another emotion hard to hide. "So... he managed... to go out."
Mirajane saw the subtle change on her face: the relief dissolved into a sting of silent frustration.
After Lisanna in her childhood and then Erza, Gray, and a few very close members of Fairy Tail, no one knew Natsu as well as Lucy. She understood his chaotic rhythm, his impulsive disappearances, his complete inability to follow any plan, and that unstable energy that seemed to jump from one extreme to another. But she also knew his emotional patterns. She knew when he was pretending to be okay, when something was bothering him, when his silence said more than any shout.
And after what he had been through... it was impossible to ignore the difference. Natsu's eyes had lost part of that familiar gleam, the light that accompanied him even in the worst moments. That change worried her in a way that no danger faced during adventures with Fairy Tail ever had.
Lucy had always been someone who valued connections. And Natsu was, to her, a unique connection: someone who had entered her life by knocking down doors, walls, and fears, rebuilding everything with warmth and loyalty. That was why his withdrawal affected her in a way that went far beyond ordinary concern among companions.
It was fear.
Fear that he was suffering alone.
Fear that he was pulling away.
Fear that he was losing himself.
And, more deeply, though she would never confess it aloud, there was a sting of silent hurt. A discreet, uncomfortable pain that she tried to push to the back of her chest: the feeling that Natsu had not sought her out. That he had not gone to her house. That he had not asked for her help. That he had not shared his pain with her, even knowing she would do anything to be by his side.
She was frustrated.
An intimate frustration, almost shameful, born from the realization that Natsu had found the strength to move... but not alongside her. That he had managed to act, but not with the person who had always been willing to confront him, calm him, pull him, or even yell at him if necessary.
It was like being left outside something important, even if he had not intended it.
And she hated feeling that way. Hated it because it seemed selfish in such a delicate moment. But feelings do not follow logic, and part of her did feel excluded.
Still, above all, there was genuine worry. Natsu was never hard to find; one way or another, he always ended up coming back to her. But now, the uncertainty about his safety and emotional state created a void that seemed to open inside her.
Knowing he was not alone brought immediate, almost physical relief. But that relief came with sharp edges. Because, while it comforted her, it cruelly reminded her how much she cared for him—perhaps more than she was ready to admit...
Not noticing the girl's feelings, Erza, always direct, completed her earlier words:
"He should be fine. If he were in danger, we would have received some warning by now. And Juvia is reliable."
Lucy nodded slowly, but her expression revealed the internal conflict: relief because he was not locked in his pain... subtle frustration because he had gone with someone else and not her... and worry nonetheless because two weeks was too long.
"Right..." she murmured, gripping the bag strap with renewed force. "So he really... left."
Lucy took a deep breath, regaining some of her composure, though a shadow still lingered in her gaze.
Levy, on the other hand, furrowed her brow and asked: "But two weeks is a long time even for Natsu... don't you think? Is the mission somewhere very far away by any chance?"
Mirajane took a few seconds before answering Levy's question, as if mentally calculating the distance while trying to calm her own worry and that of the others.
"Lunareth is far away," she explained, her voice soft but carrying that worried timbre that had not faded since the morning. "Following the normal route, it's almost a week of travel there and back. And that's without delays, without detours, and without Natsu's... peculiarities along the way."
She offered a light, somewhat weary smile, clearly trying to bring comfort to the room. Her eyes, however, held more uncertainty than she let show.
"But it's Natsu we're talking about. As Erza said... he'll be fine. He always is."
There was a kind of soft hope in her words, that silent faith Mirajane had in what she loved, even when she was worried enough to think of nothing else.
As soon as she finished speaking, hurried footsteps echoed through the hall. Gray Fullbuster appeared from the side corridor, wearing only his usual dark pants, having stripped off his upper clothes while returning from his mission. He seemed to sense the tension gathered around the bar before even getting close.
"Hey," he called, already frowning: "Are you talking about Natsu? I went to his house to look for him, but he wasn't there. People said he went on a mission. Is the flame-head in danger or what?"
Gray would never admit it, but his brusque, direct manner was the most honest form of worry he had. The question came out like a taunt, but the involuntary tightness in his jaw betrayed him. He knew Natsu as a rival, mission partner, friend—and though he would almost never say it, like a brother.
Barely had Gray finished approaching when a crash echoed near the tables at the back. Gajeel Redfox shoved Elfman away with a rough movement, his earlier argument interrupted the moment he heard the name that mattered.
The Iron Dragon Slayer raised his voice, irritated but with poorly hidden worry:
"You talking about Salamander? Did he disappear or what?"
For Gajeel, admitting worry was almost impossible, but the fact that he had stopped a fight mid-swing to come ask already said everything. Natsu was, to him, a rival, colleague, and in Fairy Tail's strange logic, a distorted version of family.
The restlessness that had previously been contained among Mirajane, Erza, and Lucy was now beginning to spread to the closest members, like a small flame feeding on each new worried glance.
Lucy's sudden movement to the bar, and even more so the distressed expression she carried, had already drawn the attention of some guild members. Fairy Tail might live immersed in chaos, but any change in the atmosphere was perceived like a clarion call. And now, with Gray and Gajeel joining the conversation, the mood shifted like a sudden gust of wind spreading through the room.
Wendy Marvell, who until then had been eating quietly beside Carla at a nearby table, immediately raised her head. Her large, sensitive eyes, always attuned to others' feelings, caught the accumulated tension around Mirajane and Erza. She knew how to recognize when something was wrong—and there, clearly, it was.
The little Dragon Slayer slid off her chair gracefully, adjusting her mage outfit before approaching. Carla followed right behind, with her usual stern yet anxious gaze.
"If... if you're worried about Natsu-san..." Wendy did not need to finish the sentence. Her naturally soft voice carried worried nervousness. She knew Natsu as a mentor, a model of what it meant to be strong, persevere, and protect. Seeing everyone so restless made her stomach twist. "Maybe... I can help when the time comes."
Carla, more reserved, narrowed her eyes.
"It's unusual for Natsu to disappear for so long without notice..." she observed firmly, crossing her arms. It was her way of showing she was as worried as everyone there, only refusing to let panic show in her voice. "Juvia is responsible, yes, but even so... two weeks is abnormal."
Before anyone could respond, a broad shadow fell over the group, accompanied by the heavy beat of wings.
Panther Lily landed beside Gajeel, his serious expression and instinctively military posture assuming an air of readiness.
"If there's risk involved," he declared, more firmly than worriedly, "we need to assess the situation. Natsu is reckless, but not irresponsible. If he hasn't returned, there may be a bigger reason."
Even in his reduced form, Lily exuded authority. And the simple fact that he was taking the matter with such seriousness made some members around exchange uneasy glances.
Romeo Conbolt, who had been near the stairs talking with some younger members, abruptly stopped speaking upon hearing Natsu's name repeated among the elders. He did not hesitate: he crossed the hall with hurried steps, his face revealing the mix of apprehension and faith he always felt for the Fire Dragon Slayer.
"Natsu-nii... he hasn't come back yet?" he asked, his voice firm but clearly shaken. To him, Natsu was not just a veteran; he was a personal hero, someone who had influenced his own path as a mage. Any news involving danger related to him affected him deeply.
By this point, even some less close members, like Jet, Droy, and Alzack along with his wife Bisca, who was holding their daughter, began looking toward the bar with evident unease. Cana raised an eyebrow, her glass halfway to her lips, sensing the heavy mood growing. Even Macao and Wakaba ceased their banal discussions—which had reappeared since Macao handed the guild master position back to Makarov, as before he was always buried in pressure—exchanging a glance more worried than they were willing to admit.
That was what made Fairy Tail what it was: chaos, noise, fights... but at its core, a single heart divided among dozens of bodies. And that heart reacted instantly when one of its own seemed in danger.
As everyone gathered around the bar, Mirajane watched the scene with a knot tightening her emotions.
The growing commotion in the hall did not go unnoticed by the one with the sharpest ears in all of Fairy Tail.
The door to the Master's room on the first floor opened with a light creak, and Makarov Dreyar emerged from the room where he had spent the last few days dealing with paperwork. His small body, but always carrying presence, advanced calmly.
The entire guild was gathered around the bar as if awaiting life-or-death news. It was not shouts, not panic—it was the tense silence of a collective heart worried. Fairy Tail rarely went quiet. When it did, it was a sign that something serious was happening.
Makarov narrowed his eyes.
"What's going on here?"
His voice echoed strongly enough to cut through the heavy air.
Immediately, all eyes turned to him. Lucy stopped her automatic fidgeting, Gray straightened up, Wendy and Carla stepped back half a pace, Gajeel looked away as if caught doing something illegal, and even Mirajane tried to compose a smile.
But it was Erza who stepped forward, posture firm, expression serious.
"Master..." she began with the clarity and strength she always used when speaking of something important: "We're worried about Natsu. It's been almost two weeks since he left with Juvia. They should have been back days ago and—"
Makarov raised his hand in a simple gesture that silenced even the noisiest thoughts.
"Erza," he said in a calm tone, yet solid as stone, "Natsu is fine."
A murmur ran through the group—surprise, contained relief, confusion.
Lucy took an involuntary step forward.
"He's... fine?" she repeated, almost unable to believe it.
Makarov descended the last steps, approaching the center of the forming circle.
"The mission he took with Juvia has already been reported as completed..." he explained, crossing his hands behind his back. "The notice arrived at the guild a few days ago. They fulfilled the task without serious incidents."
Mirajane blinked, surprised.
Erza furrowed her brows, tense.
Gray let out the air as if he had been holding it from the start.
And some members let out an almost synchronized "phew."
But the master was not finished.
He took a deep breath and continued, his voice now lower, carrying the painful wisdom that only someone who had seen generations grow and suffer could have.
"Since the mission ended days ago, your worry makes sense. But Natsu is not delaying because he's injured. He's delaying because he's... breathing."
He looked around the hall, gazing especially at Lucy, Erza, and Mirajane—the three who had been consuming themselves most silently.
"He just lost his partner," he continued, in a tone both serious and gentle. "He lost someone who grew up with him, fought beside him, accompanied him on nearly every mission since childhood. No matter how strong someone is... losing a friend like that leaves a hole that no fire can fill so soon."
No one dared interrupt.
"It's natural that he needs time," Makarov said. "Time to think. To accept. To feel. He's not one to run away—you know that better than anyone. If he didn't return immediately, it's because he's trying to find his own path after such a great loss..."
The master raised his eyebrows, looking around, almost challenging anyone to disagree.
Lucy lowered her gaze for a moment. There was no frustration now, only a silent understanding that came with a sweet sting of pain.
Mirajane breathed deeply, allowing some of the tension built up over the last hours to dissolve.
Erza, even serious, relaxed her posture minimally and imperceptibly.
Gray scratched the back of his neck, trying to disguise his obvious relief.
Wendy pressed her hands to her chest, visibly less distressed.
And Makarov concluded, with the gentle firmness of a leader who does not give orders but guides hearts:
"They'll return. And when they do... Natsu will be a little more whole than when he left. Trust him. Trust the bond you have with him. This time is necessary."
There was a heavy silence, but not somber.
It was a silence of understanding.
A silence of acceptance.
A silence that, at last, began to replace restlessness with trust in their companion.
______________________
(A/N: Did you enjoy the chapter? Then you should know that over on my Patreon you can read up to 15 chapters ahead for just 5USD! And yes—for that price, you also get full access to all of my content. That's right: cheaper than a snack… and with way more drama, action, and guaranteed emotional damage.
The link is right below. See you there!
My Patreon: patreon.com/Adam_Kadmon
Thank you so much for your support — you make all of this worthwhile.)