A treasure

Fireflies finished their season, the cicadas' season began, followed by that of crickets, then came the time of silence, and then the buzz of bees. Time quickly made its rounds while Natsu and Erza grew rapidly, learning more about using Dragon Slayer magic each day.

Natsu would soon turn eleven, while Erza would turn twelve. Both had grown quite a bit, not just in height: Erza's hair had now become so long that the girl had started to braid it.

They bothered her when she worked with Grandeeney at the mortar because they fell in front of her eyes, but Natsu liked them much more when they were loose, swaying in the wind like a tongue of fire.

The boy was always the more hyperactive of the duo and couldn't wait to train every morning with his father. But at least now Igneel didn't have to force him to take a break.

There was another thing that Natsu looked forward to every day, and that was when the training ended. He would rush to the cave at the base of the mountain, grab Erza, and the two Dragon Slayers would spend the rest of the day exploring the forest, laughing, and joking.

"Ugh! Why didn't you wait for me?" But that day, Natsu was rather disappointed. Right after training, he had run to find Erza, but in the cave, he had only found Grandeeney. The old dragoness had thrown him out with a tail swipe, saying that she didn't even know where her apprentice was.

Natsu had searched everywhere: at the lake, among the trees, even on the beach, but... nothing! Absolutely nothing! He had wasted that beautiful sunny afternoon in vain, wandering aimlessly through the forest. Oh, but Erza would regret leaving him behind! He just had to find her! Then he would challenge her to a duel and show her, once again, who was the strongest Dragon Slayer in the forest!

As Natsu returned to the clearing, he was so busy grumbling that he didn't even notice the familiar scent of strawberries wafting in the air. When he saw Erza, it was already too late to catch her by surprise and attack her from behind, as he had planned.

The Dragon Slayer was right in the middle of the meadow, talking to Igneel, whispering something in his ear. She held something close to her chest, but from that angle, Natsu couldn't see what it was. He had looked for her everywhere, and look where she had hidden herself!

"ERZA!"

At the sound of his name, the girl jumped, hurrying to hide whatever she was holding behind her back. Her cheeks were so red that for a moment, Natsu thought she was sick. "You know I've been looking for you all day? Did you forget we had plans?"

"I forgot! Grandeeney gave me a lot of things to do!"

"But she didn't even know where you were!"

"Exactly because there are so many tasks that it's hard to keep them all in mind! And I still have to finish! Sorry, but I have to go!"

"Erza!" Natsu couldn't reach her in time before she slipped away among the trees. "See you tomorrow?" He tried to shout after her, only to hear an echo in the distance. "I don't think so!"

The boy remained there, with crossed arms and a scowl. "She's strange. I don't understand her."

"It's normal," Igneel chuckled, looking like someone who knows a lot and has lived for centuries. "My son, females are like sunsets."

"Eh?"

"Do you like sunsets, Natsu?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"What I mean is that females shouldn't be understood; you just have to admire them! Just like you do with sunsets!" Igneel puffed out his chest, proud of the piece of wisdom he had just shared with his son and also of the poetic way he had managed to express it. A dragon poet? He must be the first!

"Are you sure you're okay, old man? Didn't I hit you too hard in the head with that Fire Dragon's Iron Fist?"

But why was he talking to Natsu about it? His son's head was too hard to let in concepts like beauty and sunsets! But maybe if he changed the terms...

"Females are like strawberries." This time, Igneel grabbed his son with a paw, pulling him closer and whispering conspiratorially, "Do you like strawberries, Natsu? Well, because females and strawberries shouldn't be understood! You just have to..."

"Eat them? Old man, are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should see Grandeeney!"

And Igneel planted his snout on the ground, defeated.

The next day and the day after that, and the day after that, Erza continued to avoid Natsu. Looking for her in the cave was useless, as well as in the forest, and the more time passed, the angrier the boy felt. He couldn't understand what had happened to his friend and why she no longer wanted to spend time with him.

"How's it going? Is it tight on the shoulders?"

Natsu took a spin to better assess the effect the new shirt had on him. His old clothes were now too small and worn out to continue wearing them, and Igneel had asked Grandeeney to make something new. The boy had gone all the way to the cave to try them on, but again, this time, he found no trace of Erza.

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