Natsu Is Not Natsu

"You're so annoying, Salamander!"

"At least I'm not a metal eating freak!"

"At least I'm not a fire eating freak!"

"At least I don't have porcupine hair!"

"That's right, ya have pink hair!"

"It's not pink! It's salmon!" Natsu shot back with a look of disgust on his face.

More like cherry blossoms, I thought as I looked at the Fire Dragon Slayer's hair.

"Could've fooled me!" Gajeel smirked with a shrug of his shoulders.

"That's it!" Natsu roared as he lit his fists on fire.

"Ya wanna go?" Gajeel said as he got into a fighting stance.

"Hell yay! I'm all fired up!"

"I'm gonna pound ya!"

I watched the two of them and I face palmed along with Levy. She looked a lot better. Levy had started to lose the grey sheen to her skin and she wasn't so tired looking anymore.

We had rested for the sake of Levy for a few hours and then we had started to head out. I had noticed that Gajeel had stayed close to her and kept glancing back over his shoulder at her every once in a while.

It seemed Levs had noticed too, cause she looked at me, and smiled. I began to smile back when she suddenly let out a sigh and started to fall. "Levy!" I cried and reached out to catch her. Gajeel was faster though and he caught her.

"Damn, Shrimp, are ya alright?" Levy opened up one eye and looked up at him. "Yay, just tired. I can walk." Gajeel shook his head and lifted her up in his arms.

Without a backwards glance he continued to walk forward. I rubbed the back of my neck and smiled. I walked up to Natsu's side and we followed after Gajeel.

Levy had fallen asleep in Gajeel's arms after about the first hour. He didn't seem to mind it at all. After about another hour of walking we heard voices from up ahead.

"We're so lost."

"Fro thinks so, too."

"Your just as bright as ever."

"Mmm."

"I wonder if Natsu-san and the others made it out?"

"I bet they did, Sting-kun."

"Worry about us for a change."

"I am, Rogue!"

Two tall shadows and two smaller ones could be seen coming toward us. Found them.

Sting, Rogue, Fro, and Lector came around the corner. Sting noticed us first. "Yo!" He said while he stuck his hand in the air. "At least we found them, no thanks to you." Rogue said with that same expressionless voice and face.

"Fro thinks so, too." Rogue's Exceed said. Sting shot a glare at both of them. "You're always backing him up, Fro! What about backing me up for once?" Lector raised his paw. "I back you up, Sting-kun!" Sting smiled down at his friend. "I know you do."

Gajeel sighed, "Why, of all the people to find, why did we have to find them?" I covered my mouth with my hand to stop my laughter.

"Oi, Sting! Glad to see your okay." Natsu said with a smile. They made there way to us and Sting's eyes flashed to Levy.

"What's wrong with her?"

Gajeel narrowed his eyes at Sting. "Nothin's wrong with her. She's tired. That's. All." There was warning in his voice. Sting raised his hands in front of him in a gesture of surrender.

Sting backed away and Rogue just blinked at us all. "Your as talkative as ever, Rogue." I said to him with a smirk. Rogue nodded his head at me and that was all I got from him.

"Nice Lady!" Fro said happily. I smiled and crouched down with my arms open to the Exceed. Fro ran into my arms and hugged me. I patted Fro's head, "I'm glad your safe, Fro." Fro smiled up at me, "Fro is happy Nice Lady is safe, too."

I lifted Fro up in my arms and handed the Exceed to Rogue. The Shadow Dragon Slayer took Fro and cracked one of his super rare smiles. It seemed like Rogue only ever smiled at Frosch. It showed how deep their relationship really was. I thought it was cute.

We explained what had happened to us. We explained about the battle we had had with the giant ass spider and how we had won. We also warned them that there could be more of them in the cave and that the stinger had a deadly poison on its tip.

I also added in that I had read about these 'Scorpion Spiders'. However, I didn't know much since there wasn't much written about them. Everything I knew we had already figured out.

We had all decided that the Scorpion Spider was the creature that had been terrorizing the village and the people that lived there.

I was still optimistic about it though. It just seemed too easy and I was afraid for my Guild Mates that we still couldn't locate. We were going to find them though. I had faith that we would see them again unharmed.

We rested for a while and then we started walking again. Levy was still sleeping in Gajeel's arms. I was worried about her and every once in a while I would check on her and her wounds. She was fine. Levy was just sleeping it all off.

After a while I began to notice that Natsu was acting a little strange. For one thing he hadn't said a word in almost an hour and he was walking slowly behind us.

I stopped walking and went back to see what was wrong with him. "Natsu? Oi, are you okay?" I asked him as I came closer to him. He didn't answer me and I couldn't see his face because he was hanging his head.

Now I was really starting to worry. I placed a hand on his shoulder, "Natsu?" He slowly lifted up his head and looked at me with blank blood shot eyes. I gasped and took his face in my hands.

"Natsu! What's wrong? Talk to me!" Natsu took in a shudder breath and collapsed to his knees. I fell with him and yelled over my shoulder. "Help! Something's wrong with-" I never got to finish my sentence before my air was cut off.

A hand wrapped around my throat and yanked me forward. I gagged and then I was inches away from Natsu's face. But when I looked into his eyes...I didn't see my Natsu...I saw a boy with no soul.

I gagged and wrapped my hands around the hand at my throat. "Nat...su." I choked out as I tried to pry his hands off of my throat. He let out a low growl and tightened his hold on me. I heard someone shouting something and then I heard pounding footsteps coming our way.

The first to reach us was Sting. He looked at Natsu with shock and grabbed him by his shoulders. Sting yanked and Natsu's hand slipped a little. I still couldn't breath and I was clawing desperately at his hand.

Then Rouge was there. He placed his hands around Natsu's and yanked. With another low growl Natsu's hand fell away. I jerked back and gasped in air. I took deep breaths, my throat felt raw.

I backed up with wide eyes. What...? What happened to him?!

"Natsu-San! What's wrong?" Sting grunted out as he held the Fire Dragon Slayer at bay. Rogue still had a firm grip on Natsu's hands that were clawing the air around him.

"What the hell, Salamander!" Gajeel suddenly yelled from his position about 7 feet away from me. It was like I couldn't speak. I was...frozen it seemed. Frozen in shock and confusion.

Natsu was fighting against the hold that Sting and Rogue had on him. He was making these horrific sounds that I had never heard any human make before.

It tore at my heart.

Suddenly Natsu gave a roar that shook me to my core. He pulled up his arms and kicked out. He hit Sting in the stomach, then Natsu brought up his knee, and kneed Rouge under the chin. They both loosened their grips just enough for Natsu to break free.

Natsu kicked off the ground and dug his fingers into the cave's walls. He hung there for a moment, looked over his shoulder at us, and for just one moment he and I made eye contact.

His eyes were pure red and they were glowing.

He made another horrific sound, crawled across the cave wall, and then he was gone.

I fell to my knees.

I opened my mouth and a sound came out of my raw throat that I had never made before. "Nice Lady..." Fro said sadly from beside me. I spared the cat a glance and then I pushed myself off of the ground.

"What the hell...?" Sting muttered as he looked to where Natsu had disappeared.

"Mmm." Rogue made the sound in his throat.

As I stalked forward I put my hood up to shield my face. Sting grabbed my shoulder, "Freya, where are you going?" I blinked and glanced at him. "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to get him back!"

"That is not a very smart idea." Rogue said from beside Sting. I bared my teeth at them both and growled out, "I. Don't. Care." I shrugged off Sting's hand and continued on.

"He almost killed you!" Sting called to me. I shrugged my shoulders, "I'm used to it." I muttered.

I exited that small cave and looked around me. I had no idea where he would have gone...I gripped my necklace.

Don't worry, Natsu.

I'll find you.

I'll help you.

I'll bring you home.

I'm not going to leave you behind.

With a breath I stalked forward deeper into the dark cave.

I dedicate this chapter to 0BananaCop0 who had voted and commented on my story plenty of times. Arigato!
What's wrong with Natsu?!
Why did he attack Freya?
See you all soon!