Chapter 1 Reasons
3 months later
Natsu Dragneel was shocked to learn that when he came home after going on a job, even though he hadn't been feeling well lately, he would have to go on another one.
"I don't have all my rent money!" Lucy said in despair to Mirajane, whom she had been talking to before even walked into the guild. She laid her head down, imagining having to be kicked out of her beautiful apartment by her strict landlady, all because she couldn't pay for it.
"Why don't you and I just go on a job together then? How much do you lack in your rent?" asked Natsu, walking toward where she sat at the Natsu still didn't feel well, he kept his signature smile on and pretended to feel 100% for Lucy's sake.
"I still need 10,000 jewel! I know it's not a lot compared to how much the rent's total is, but still that money isn't going to just fall out of nowhere and into my hand!" she answered sadly, her head still on the bar.
"Okay, well come on Luce, let's go find a job."
Together Natsu and Lucy walked to the job request board. "Let's see…" mumbled Lucy. Something easy... thought Natsu, he just felt like laying down somewhere quiet and resting.
"Ah-hah! This one is perfect! See Natsu, it says 'Help wanted! Get rid of bandits, for 50,000 jewel'! That way you and I can split the reward equally and still have a little money left to hold onto." said Lucy excitedly.
Natsu looked at the paper and sighed, this wasn't what he called easy. But, "Okay Luce, go tell Mirajane." Lucy nodded and ran to where Mirajane stood behind the bar, cleaning out a glass, and told her that they would be taking the job.
"Okay, Natsu meet back here in a hour! Then we can make it to the train." Lucy hollered over her shoulder, while running out of the guild to go pack for the journey.
'Great' thought Natsu 'I'm already sick and now I have to deal with my motion sickness on the train too. Natsu sat heavily down at the bar and sighed, putting his head on his arms lying on the bar. Natsu would have like to talk to Happy, his blue flying companion, in hopes that the conversation would raise his spirits, but Happy had gone on a job with Wendy and Gajeel with their exceeds, two weeks ago. That's when I had started feeling bad.
"Why didn't you tell her that you weren't feeling well? Everybody sees it you know? You don't fight with people as much anymore, and you always have shadows under your eyes." Mirajane commented, causing Natsu to jump, not knowing she had been standing there.
"Because, she needs help getting her rent money. I didn't know that she would pick that kind of job." Natsu replied without raising his head.
"I think you have something wrong with you, Natsu, you-" Mirajane began, but instead of listening Natsu got up and walked to the booth farthest from anyone so he would be left alone. He didn't need to pack anyway, he had just got back an already had his things with him.
"Natsu, wake up! C'mon we have to leave in 10 minutes if we are going to catch the train!" 'Someone is shaking me' thought Natsu. "Natsu! Wake up!" Natsu looked up from where his head laid on the booths table, Lucy was looking down at him from where she stood above him, looking annoyed.
Natsu hadn't even realized he had fallen asleep, until Lucy had woken him up. He woke up the same way he had since Happy had left, in a cold sweat.
"C'mon! My rent money awaits us!" Lucy shouted, walking quickly out of the guild and into the streets of Magnolia. Natsu got up and followed Lucy slowly, 'I feel worse' thought Natsu. When he reached the doors of the guild he looked back inside, catching Mirajane stare at him with concern in her eyes. Natsu put on his best fake smile and waved to try and reassure her that he was fine before hurrying to catch up to Lucy.
By the time Natsu and Lucy made it to the jobs location Natsu was almost completely at his limit. They did the job with success, mostly Lucy's doing, and made it back to the guild within a day of leaving it, now having Lucy's rent money.
"You wanna fight, hot-head?" yelled Gray from across the guild hall. 'I've only been back a few minutes' thought Natsu annoyed. He could still feel the mixture of his motion sickness and the un-known sickness throughout his whole body.
"No thanks, Gray, find someone else to pummel you…" mumbled Natsu, walking to the farthest wall to lean against.
"Huh? You scared!?" asked Gray back. But when Natsu didn't answer he walked up to where the pink-hair mage stood looking miserable. "You okay, man?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Natsu stared at the ground, 'Probably wishing I would leave.' thought Gray. Gray looked closely at the dragonslayer, and saw that he had very dark shadows uner his eyes, they almost looked like bruises against his sickeningly pale skin.
"Man, you look awful!" Gray said looking at his friend. But before he could say anything else Erza walked up, stomping any farther talk on the conversation, if you could count it as such, Gray had done most of the talking!
"Hey, Natsu you okay? Mirajane is worried about you." asked Erza, clearly she did too by the look on her face though she didn't say. "Yeah,tell her it just the motion sickness from the train, I mean I did just get back." Natsu said dismissively. He said it like he had expected the question and had already thought of an answer before-hand.
"Well, that's good, I'll tell her." said Erza. " Also that's another reason why you are going with me and Lucy to the new beach resort, and of course you too Gray. Master gave me the tickets for getting a good review from the poster of my last S-class job."
"Yeah, okay, I could use some rest and relaxation." answered Natsu, even though Erza hadn't phrased the comment as a question, walking away.
"Yeah, I'm coming too." said Gray watching the pink-haired mage walk away. "Something's wrong. I know there is." said Gray, looking back at Erza. She didn't reply though her face clearly said she thought so too. "He just needs to relax." She said trying to convince Gray just as much as herself. "Okay, meet back here tomorrow at noon and we can head to the resort."