Summary: A what-if type of story. What if after Lissana`s "death", Natsu was actually the one to support Mirajane in her loss, and decided to help her return her magic? How does the future change, if instead of pointless search of Igneel, Natsu takes D-rank missions to help Mirajane to build her magic again from scratch and actually starts to think about his own, now that he has time to do so?

FT Belongs to Hiro Mashima!

AN: As you have guessed, this is NaMi type of story at the start. Haremness / Pairing with Ultear and Erza to be decided later (cause I hate Jellal and I don`t want the same fate for Ultear as in the actual manga). Probably will take a poll later in the story for this. I would expect not less than 50,000 words, but I won`t promise regular updates due to my work and the reason below, which slows me down.

Also, I am not native in English (I am actually Russian), so I will probably have lots of grammar mistakes, don`t take it out on me please

And btw, Makarov is a Russian model of pistol, if you didn`t know! And it`s a surname, not a name

Anyways, hope you will like the story!

As per readers requests:

"speech"

[thoughts]

"great beast`s speech"

Arc 1. Return of the Demoness. Chapter 1. Change of fate

"I am back!" – the door slammed the wall from the mighty kick, which you wouldn`t expect from a fifteen-year old. Not unless he was a Dragon slayer.

"What`s wrong?" – Natsu cocked his head, surprised by the silence, definitely not the usual mood around the guild, - "did you guys steal Erza`s monthly supply of cake?"

Looking at his puzzled face, the guildmates` faces turned even darker, as no one wanted to tell him the news.

"Natsu…", - finally, Makarov had to take the duty, he was the head master after all, - "you see, sometimes…"

"I will tell him, master", - Erza rose up from her seat, - "Natsu, we are going out"

"T-they l-like each o-other?" – asked Happy with a horrified expression on his face.

"You and master are going out?!" – Natsu`s shriek scared the pigeons from Magnolia`s Cathedral, his jaw hitting the floor, - "n-not that I j-judge you guys, i-ts j-just so sud…"

An iron fist connected with the Fire Dragon Slayer`s forehead, throwing him out through the still open door of the guild hall. A bright-red Erza stammered the said door behind her and lifted the unconscious body on her shoulder.

[Well, it`s better tell him in his shack, if case he over-reacts] - Erza pushed away the guilty thoughts with her "perfect reasoning and logic".

Not minding the stares from the civilians, she set her foot north to the forest.

An hour later

"Aaahhh" - Natsu slowly regained his consciousness, still seeing stars before his eyes, - "damn, this punch was strong"

"You deserved it!" – he heard a slightly (very slightly!) embarrassed voice of Erza.

"You didn`t have to punch me!" – Natsu tried to jump from his bead, but the sudden motion made him sick and he stumbled on the wooden floor, - "what am I doing at home? Didn`t I go to the guild?"

"I carried you here" - he was gently lifted by a pair of iron fists and put back on the bed, - "do you ever clean this place?"

"I didn`t invite you over" - grumbled Natsu without thinking and then paled, awaiting a second punch in the face.

In his mind, the shack was perfectly fine as it was. Who cares about a little dust here and there?

"Where is Happy by the way? Did he stay over Lissana`s?" – Natsu looked around his plain bedroom, which only had a bed, a closet and a mirror (surprisingly!) in it.

Erza froze at the question, telling him of what had happened was much tougher, than she thought.

"I asked Cana to take care of him" - she said in a small voice, - "Natsu, just listen to me, ok?"

"Is it about you and master go…" - the Dragon Slayer chocked upon seeing her rosen fist and smartly decided not to finish the question.

"Natsu, a week ago an urgent mission came up" - slowly said the crimson-haired beauty, - "a beast was terrorizing the live stock…"

"Yeah, I remember" - Natsu said in a deranged voice, - "I so wanted to go too!"

"Probably you should have" - tears started forming in Erza`s left eye, - "Natsu, the mission didn`t go well…"

"Did they get hurt?" – the fire mage jumped up once again, but didn`t fall this time, - "are they okay?"

"T-the beast was really strong and it hurt Mira. Elfman tried to save her by using his Take Over, but… was possessed instead" - tears started flowing down Erza`s cheek, - "you know that Lissana loved Elfman and Mira very much, right?"

"Of course she did, Lissana loves everyone" - Natsu slowly started to go pale, - "Erza… what`s happened?"

"Lissana tried to break Elfman free from the beast, she stood in his way when he moved to Mira… Natsu, Lissana… she died" - Erza cried out, bringing Natsu in a tight hug. Sometimes, she was just a girl, not Titania.

Erza has expected everything from tears to attempts to burn the city down, but the fire mage actually surprised her – he fainted.

About two hours later. Evening

Natsu suddenly opened his eyes, staring at the familiar ceiling. He looked around, surprised that he was at home and not at the gild, until he saw Erza asleep on his chair, which she brought from the kitchen.

[What is she doing here?] – he thought, until the memories flooded his mind.

Suffocating from the pain in his chest, he fell on the floor, bursting out in tears.

"No! Lissana! Lissanaaa!" – he managed to cry out, and fire erupted from his curled up figure.

"Natsu!" – Erza woke up from the heat and jumped back, re-quiping in her Fire Empress Armor, - "Natsu calm down! You will burn your house!'

"Lissanaaa!" – fire flooded the shack, setting it up on fire, and Erza had to back down even more from the sudden intensity of the heat that for the first time made her feel uncomfortable in her armor.

[He will burn it!] – Erza made her decision quickly. She dashed forward and almost placed another punch on Natsu`s forehead, when the fire around his body exploded, making her draw back and jump out of the window.

"Natsu" - she whispered, clenching her fists and watching the shack quickly turn into ashes. Despite the situation she promptly sweat dropped, imagining what would happen to the guild hall, if she didn`t bring him home.

"Where is Mira and Elfman, Erza?" – a figure slowly walked out of fire, his voice weak and lifeless, - "are they okay?"

"Elfman is at home, he hasn`t showed up at the guild for three days, and Mira is still in the infirmary".

"Ok, I will go see her and then Elfman" - he nodded.

It was already night time, when he reached Porlyusica`s house, but Natsu lit a small fireball above his head to search the way. After an hour or so of walking around the forest, he finally traced the smell of the path to Fairy Tail`s medical advisor`s home. He almost kicked the door out of instinct, but remembered his last visit to Porlyusica and the terrors of her broom, and instead knocked quietly on the door.

"Who`s there?" – asked an elderly woman in her usual attire – a dark green blouse with a tie around the collar, paired with a long matching skirt and simple shoes and a crimson-colored cape, with a wide collar decorated by massive Dragon horn-like decorations. Sometimes a young Dragon Slayer wondered, if they were related, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Good evening, Porlyusica" - Natsu weakly smiled, - "can I see Mira?"

"No" - she answered without a second thought, - "I tolerate this human`s brat presence, because she is too sick to move yet, but I am not allowing another one in my house"

"B-but I am not human!" – Natsu decided to gamble and, seeing the thoughtful frown on medic`s forehead, quickly added, - "I am half dragon!"

"Barbarian like your parent!" – an elderly woman tried to shut the door, but Natsu put a leg in the doorway.

"Yaaaaah!" – the Dragon Slayer groaned, - "I am hurt now too!"

"Due to your stupidity" - she cut him off, - "and it will heal itself in a minute"

"Please, Porlyusica!" – Natsu bowed, - "let me see Mira, I know she is hurt. It won`t be for long, and I swear I will not come back for a year!"

"A year…", - Porlyusica chewed the words dreamily, - "fine, you can stay today, because it`s dark already, but make sure I don`t see you again at least for a year!"

"Thanks!" – he muttered a bit offended, and ran off to the infirmary.

A couple of candles lit the room with five separate beds, the light was just enough to not stumble upon furniture, but nothing else. Heavily bandaged Mira was laying now on the central bed, only her face remained free from white cloth. Natsu sat down quietly on the bed chair, looking at the blond girl and listening to her faltering breath.

"Lissana…" - she muttered in her sleep, shifting on the edge of the bed, and it broke Natsu`s heart, reminding him of his, no, theirs loss again.

He stood up and put Mirajane on her back again and tucked her blanket.

"I guess I will just sleep here for tonight" - the shock finally tired the young Dragon Slayer, and he fell asleep there, laying his head on Mira`s bead.

The next morning at Porlyusica`s house

Mira slowly awakened from her uneasy sleep, she was seeing the same horror dream of Lissana dying on her arms. She suddenly felt unusual warms and weight on her right arm and looked there.

"Natsu" - her eyes widened upon seeing the Dragon Slayer, sleeping soundly with his head on her palm.

A light blush adored her cheeks, but then she paled.

[What am I going to tell him?] – her heart throbbed in pain, but then she realized, - [he knows already or he wouldn`t be here]

"Mira?" – Natsu opened his eyes, - "you are awake? How are you feeling?"

Natsu looked worriedly on her exhausted face and dark shades of heavy, grey bags under her eyes.

"I… I am so sorry, Natsu" - her voice broke whilst tears started flowing down her cheeks, - "I am so… so sorry…"

"It`s… it`s not your fault" - replied Dragon Slayer in a hoarse voice, - "I know you did your best to protect Lissana and Elfman, and even if a strong mage like you.."

Unable to continue, he hugged her, the Demon who he always feared for cruel jokes and constant teasing, somehow, he wasn`t afraid that she will push him away or kick. For the next hour they just cried their eyes out, sharing the pain they suffered and hugging tightly.

"I am so useless now" - finally Mirajane said, still resting her head in Natsu`s shoulder, - "I couldn`t protect my little sister, and now I will not be able to protect anyone"

"W-what do you mean?" – Dragon Slayer`s voice stumbled.

"I lost my magic" - ex-Demon of Fairy Tail backed away and smiled sadly, - "I can`t use Take Over anymore, just simple illusions, which were my second magic, and I didn`t even train them, because Satan Soul always seemed enough…"

"How did this happen?" – asked shocked Natsu, - "does the guild know?"

"Only master and Elfman know this" - Mira shook her head, - "but I will tell them later, when I will come back to the guild. I just couldn`t bring myself to tell them, when they came over to see me. Don`t worry though, I have already talked to master, I will not leave the guild, I will work as bartender from now on. At least, I will be able to support you with food and drinks" - she smiled sadly.

Natsu couldn`t believe his ears – Mira as a bartender? The loss of her sister changed her that much?

"No!" - he growled, frowning, - "I can`t agree to that! You have always been so strong! And proud! Although you always made me cry, I knew you cared about everyone at the guild! I won`t lose another precious nakama!" – he squeezed her hand tightly, not paying much attention to the light tint of pink, which appeared on her cheeks, - "let`s form a team!"

"B-but, Natsu" - Mira was shocked, - "I can`t do anything anymore, I will just be a burden!"

"You will never be a burden to me!" – he looked at her deep blue eyes with unusual seriousness, - "we will start from the scratch and take D-rank missions, hundredth of them, if we have to. And then we will do a thousand C-ranks, and how may B-ranks and A-ranks needed! We will definitely get your powers back, I swear!"

"B-but…" - Mira weakly protested, - "I will hold you back… And you are still searching for Igneel"

"I… I am…" - Natsu lowered his head, - "but I thought about it yesterday and decided to stop. When I entered the guild, I was almost on yours and Erza`s level, and where am I now?" – he clenched his fists, - "if Igneel wanted me to find him, he would show up, but I still lost two years in pointless search, and forgot about the present. I almost didn`t train, lazing around, and was so obsessed with the past that lost my best friend… Don`t worry, Mira, I know, what I will do on this missions – I will be building my magic back with you"

"Natsu, do you blame yourself for Lissana`s…?" – ex-Demon asked sadly, - "you shouldn`t! It is only my fault that she…" - she wasn`t able to say the word.

"I said you are not. It hurts… so much… But I will never blame you. Please, Mira, let`s do this, we will become strong together and never let our nakama suffer" - Natsu begged.

"O-ok, Natsu" - she finally gave up, - "but only on one condition"

"What is it?"

"If I hold you back, we will break the team" - she said in a serious tone, - "the guild needs your strength, now more than ever"

"Deal" - he smiled happily for the first time in two days, - "I even though up a name already!"

"Hah, you have always been fast, I hope you make it really cool" - Mira weakly smiled in return, her previous personality shyly appearing for a second.

"Demon x Dragon! DxD for short! Isn`t it cool?"

" Yeah, sound fine to me" - she caressed his pink hair and let out a small sigh of relief. The weight on her shoulders have just become a little easier thanks to a certain Dragon Slayer.

End of chapter.

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