8

Chapter 8 – Mira and Erza Join, A Family Hunt?

"Really? You two are trying to get along now?" Natsu asked Erza and Mira as the two teens sat across from him in the clearing he and Lisanna had constructed their hut in.

"Yes, we've come to understand that we don't hate one another. We simply have different ways of doing things. But we respect each other and we're members of Fairy Tail, so we're family and we should get along better." Erza explained with Mira nodding at Natsu in confirmation.

"We're still rivals though, I'm not letting Erza try and take the spot as strongest from me!" Mira smirked only getting an eyebrow raised in challenge from Erza.

"I'll fight you anytime, Mira." Erza grinned as an air of challenge filled the space between the two mages.

"That's awesome!" Natsu cheered before both girls practically melted at the warm and caring smile he gave them.

'I really like that smile.' Erza thought to herself as her cheeks became red.

'Ahh, Natsu's smile is so cute! I just want to eat him up!' Mira squealed in her mind her body wiggling slightly as her head was filled with lovey dovey thoughts.

"Natsu, Cana has told us that you would be willing to give Lisanna's idea a try if we agreed to it. Is that true?" Erza asked while Mira stared at Natsu in anticipation.

"Well yeah, I care about you two a lot, I don't want anyone else to have you." Natsu stated before rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "That sounded way better in my head. Sorry Mira, sorry Erza."

"It-its fine, Natsu, I feel the same." Mira stuttered out with her cheeks burning, though the wide smile on her face showed her joy.

"Ha-ha-have? Natsu! Th-that soun-sounds so…so…naughty." Erza's face was as red as her hair while her mind took a sharp turn straight into the gutter. She should probably stop sneaking adult novels into her room.

"Sorry…" Natsu started to apologize before Erza interrupted him.

"I accept!" Erza shouted out her face burning red while she leaned forward and got in Natsu's face.

"Ok…" Natsu replied as he leaned back a bit.

"I'll accept too, Natsu. You're not getting away from me so easily, mister." Mira smiled as she leaned forward as well. As if by some unknown signal both girls leaned forward and kissed one of Natsu's cheeks. The Dragon Slayer felt his own face heat up as the two sets of soft lips left his cheeks and Mira and Erza leaned back while looking at him expectantly.

"Erza, Mira will you two be my girlfriends?" Natsu asked before instantly getting tackled by the two teens.

"Yes!" Mira accepted with a smile, wrapping her arms around Natsu.

"Yes, Natsu!" Erza agreed as she wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck and the two girls lay on top of the stunned Dragon Slayer. A few seconds passed before both girls felt Natsu's arms move to wrap them in the most, warm and comforting hug they'd ever experienced.

"You two, I can't tell you how happy you've made me right now. I swear I'll do everything possible to give you all the love and happiness you can take." Natsu promised as he nuzzled into the red and white locks of these two amazing girls. Both Erza and Mira shivered pleasantly as they snuggled further into Natsu's embrace. They knew without a doubt that Natsu would keep his promise to them and they'd never know a day of loneliness or neglect.

"Careful with those promises, Natsu~." Mira teased as she tightened her arms around her new boyfriend. "I might need more loving than you can imagine." She finished with a giggle.

"Don't…don't hog Natsu, Mira!" Erza mumbled as she tightened her hold and nuzzled against Natsu's neck. Natsu pulled both girls tighter against him as he breathed in their scents. Just like with Cana and Lisanna, he was going to burn their unique scents into his memory forever. They were his girlfriends, his loves, his mates.

'Dial it back there instincts, we're still a bit young for that.' Natsu mentally scolded himself as he pushed his hormones aside and focused on giving Mira and Erza all the affection they wanted right now.

"So…how do we become Dragon Slayers like Lisanna?" Mira asked as she pulled back from the hug. Erza pulled away and sat back as well letting Natsu sit up himself. "Lisanna wants us all to be a big, happy family together. Why not make it a family of Dragon Slayers?"

"I wouldn't mind…" Erza trailed off with a smile. "It would bring us closer together." The Requip mage sighed happily getting a warm grin from both Natsu and Mira.

"Right? So how 'bout it Natsu? You want to teach me and Erza too?" Mira questioned her boyfriend with a grin.

"Of course, whatever you want." Natsu smiled before he started explaining the Dragon Soul Ritual to both girls.

"So we get to snuggle with you every day for three weeks?" Mira asked her eyes shining at the thought. Erza had similar stars in her eyes at the thought of all the cuddling she and Natsu would do together.

"Pretty much, it took about that long for Lisanna to make the change. Though I can only do one person at a time. The Dragon Soul Ritual is about family, it's not something that can be done in mass." Natsu explained before an eruption of Magical Power surrounded the two girls in front of him.

"You heard him, Mira, only one at a time." Erza stated as her power spiked.

"Yeah, and we both want to go first. So how about we settle it right now?" Mira responded her own Magical Power rising to match Erza's.

'I probably should have expected this.' Natsu thought to himself as he scooted back several meters to get out of the line of fire.

"Ready?" Mira asked as she took a stance.

"Always." Erza replied as she took her own stance.

'Maybe I should stop this?' Natsu thought to himself but Erza and Mira were already moving.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors! Again! Rock, Paper, Scissors! Again! Rock, Paper, Scissors!" Mira and Erza shouted as they engaged in what had to be the most Magically Powerful game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, in Magnolia's history. Natsu face-planted in shock as he was completely certain that he was about to see another brawl between Mira and Erza.

"Well, at least it's peaceful." Natsu stated before one of the trees closest to the match was toppled over from the Magic being exuded from the two girls. "Mostly peaceful."

Several minutes later a cry of victory rang out through the clearing. Erza stood with her arm raised in triumph her index and middle finger extended in the 'scissors' position. Mira was pouting and had her arms crossed while kicking the dirt.

"I'm first Natsu! Let's begin immediately!" Erza declared only for Mira to dash forward and wrap Natsu in a hug.

"Natsu! I lost! Comfort me!" Mira pouted with tears threatening to spill from her pretty blue eyes. Natsu, who had absolutely no resistance to any of his girlfriends' 'puppy dog eyes', caved immediately and wrapped Mira in a hug and ran his fingers through her platinum hair while whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Mira sighed and snuggled into her boyfriend's embrace while Erza stood in front of them and pouted at Mira for using her loss to get more snuggle time with Natsu. After several minutes of snuggling Mira finally removed herself from Natsu's embrace and winked at Erza playfully before waving and heading back towards the guild. She wanted to tell Cana the news and see what her siblings were up to anyway.

"Ready Erza?" Natsu asked as he stood up and held out his hand to the beautiful redhead.

"Yes, Natsu, let's begin." Erza smiled softly as she took his hand and let him lead her inside the hut he and Lisanna had built. Once they were inside Natsu leaned against the wall of the hut and gestured for Erza to sit with him. With red cheeks Erza sat between Natsu's legs and laid her back against his chest. Natsu gently wrapped his arms around her waist before grimacing at her armor.

"Hey, Erza, can you remove your armor? It's kinda in the way." Natsu requested and after almost a full minute Erza complied requipping her armor away and lying back against Natsu in her normal white button-down blouse. "That's better, thanks Erza." He grinned as he held her softly and initiated the Ritual. Erza gasped as she felt the Magic envelop her and finally understood what Lisanna had tried to explain to them after her own Ritual. This primal, primordial Magic that resided within their boyfriend couldn't be accurately described with words. Erza sank back into the feeling and rested her head on Natsu's shoulder.

It was almost an hour later when Natsu noticed that Erza was fidgeting slightly. Perplexed by his girlfriend's movement Natsu readjusted his arms around her waist. Erza jerked slightly at the motion and Natsu felt the tremor that racked her body. With gentleness one wouldn't normally associate with Natsu, the Dragon Slayer nuzzled Erza's soft scarlet locks and whispered into her ear softly.

"What's wrong Erza?" Natsu whispered wondering why Erza was so fidgety.

"Nothing Natsu, I'm just not used to being out of my armor for this long during the day." Erza replied as she tried to stop her shakes.

"You do only take your armor off every once in a while, I've noticed. Do you want to tell me why?" Natsu asked as he held her. Erza drew in a breath and Natsu could practically hear the internal debate she was having with herself. After a minute Erza nodded to herself before turning around in his embrace so they could look each other in the eye.

"I think I should tell you Natsu, especially if we're going to be together like this." Erza quietly said before looking up and meeting Natsu's gaze.

"Take your time, Erza, I'm not going anywhere." Natsu assured his girlfriend getting a weak smile in return.

"Alright…" Erza sighed before taking a steadying breath. "I was raised in a place called Rosemary Village…"

Almost an hour later Natsu was holding Erza close as he rubbed gentle circles on her back while she cried. So help him if this Jellal guy was still alive out in the world somewhere and he ever ran into him…well…murder wasn't quite strong enough a word to describe what he'd do to the bastard. No one made Erza cry and got away with it, no one! But for now he had a much more important job, comforting Erza and letting her know how much he cared for her. To let her know he wasn't going anywhere and would never leave or betray her. He held her close and poured all the love and affection he had for Erza into his embrace and the Magic he was using for the Ritual.

"Natsu~…" Erza breathed softly with a pleasant tingle going up her spine. She didn't know what her boyfriend had just done, but she was overcome with the feelings of love and acceptance that seemed to be coming from Natsu endlessly.

"I'm here Erza, I'll never leave you." Natsu promised as he held her and nuzzled into her hair breathing in her scent and relaxing at the peace he felt from having her so close.

"Thank you, Natsu. Thank you." Erza mumbled as she dozed off, emotionally exhausted from sharing the terrors of her past with the one who held her in his arms. Natsu continued to hold her pouring all his love for her into the Magic of the Ritual, immersing the sleeping redhead in a feeling of joy even in her dreams.

-Three Weeks Later-

"Oh Natsu~." Erza let out a moan that sounded lewd even to her own ears. The blush that graced her face was at least hidden from Natsu's gaze as she buried her face into his chest.

"I guess you felt your Magic shift?" Natsu chuckled getting a nod against his chest from Erza. "So you still want Earth as your Element?" He asked making the redhead look up at him.

"Yes, I can use it interchangeably for both offense and defense, so it fits with my style of requipping into the most appropriate armor and magic for whatever job I'm on." Erza explained her choice. With her amount of Magic Power if her Requip Magic wasn't enough to defeat an enemy then her Earth Dragon Slayer Magic would finish the job. Though she'd almost never use it against a human opponent if she could help it, this was Magic meant to kill a Dragon! Using it against a human without absolutely proper control would almost assuredly kill them.

"Are you sure you just don't want to taste my Magic like Lisanna?" Natsu teased making Erza shake her head in denial. Lisanna had tried to describe the taste of Natsu's Magic to them before as well, but the younger Strauss girl would often start drooling slightly before going to look for Natsu instead of finishing her explanation.

"Lisanna had a perfectly valid point for choosing a heavily offense oriented Element, Natsu. I'm simply choosing the Element that I feel fits best with my style of Magic." Erza justified her friend's choice, while also trying to get Natsu to stop looking into her own decision.

"Alright, alright, I'm just teasing." Natsu smiled as he helped his girlfriend stand up and they walked out of the hut together. Spending almost eight hours a day here to perform the Ritual made it hard to go on Quests but it was the fastest way to get the Ritual completed. Erza stretched as she loosened up her muscles and prepared to drain her Magic Reserves like Natsu had told her about.

"Stand back a bit, Natsu, I'm going to let loose and try and drain my reserves quickly." Erza warned as she requipped into her Lightning Empress Armor. Quickly jumping into the air Erza unleashed a massive lightning bolt at the ground. Switching to a different armor, Purgatory if Natsu remembered right, Erza came down swinging the massive mace-like weapon and cratered the ground from the force of her strike.

'I should make her re-fill that hole once her Dragon Slayer Magic stabilizes.' Natsu thought with a grin as he watched Erza requip again and again. With each new armor she let loose a powerful strike or spell that had as much Magic as she could put behind it. In less than ten minutes Erza had stopped and requipped into her normal clothing before sinking to her knees in exhaustion.

"So I just eat magic infused Earth now, right?" Erza asked as Natsu walked up to her.

"Yep, I can make you plenty of that!" Natsu grinned fondly at his scarlet-haired girlfriend as his hands filled with dirt and rocks. "It might seem gross for a bit but your new physiology will take care of that."

"Thank you, Natsu." Erza smiled revealing her newly formed Dragon Slayer fangs. With a small bit of hesitance Erza took a bit of the dirt Natsu had made and placed it in her mouth. Chewing slightly made the taste spread in her mouth and she struggled to swallow it. About thirty seconds passed before Erza reached for the next piece and ate it as well. Another dozen seconds and Erza had taken another piece. After that Erza was quickly picking out dirt and small rocks by the handful and eating them almost as fast as her favored strawberry cakes. Natsu chuckled as he continued to produce more Earth for his, apparently, ravenous girlfriend.

'So good~…' Erza moaned internally as she tasted Natsu's Earth Magic for the first time. Like a delicious cake that tantalized the taste buds she couldn't stop eating! This richness, the satisfaction, the outright pleasure~ that came from just the taste of Natsu's Magic was enough to get Erza hooked. 'No wonder Lisanna could never try describing it without going to get more! Will I ever enjoy consuming Earth that isn't Natsu's?' Erza wondered as she practically inhaled the Earth Magic her boyfriend was producing for her.

"Wow, you must have even more Magic than I thought you did." Natsu commented several minutes later. Erza was still eating to replenish her own Magic Reserves and didn't seem inclined to stop. Another few minutes passed before Erza slowed down and eventually stopped eating. With a happy sigh and an almost delirious look of joy, Erza rubbed her full stomach before blinking and smiling up at Natsu.

"That was delicious~." Erza smiled before grabbing Natsu's hand and pulling him down next to her. "Cuddle me." She requested with only a hint of pink on her cheeks.

"Sure thing, Erza." Natsu chuckled before pulling his girlfriend into his lap and holding her close. The two spent almost an hour in that position murmuring sweet things to one another and basking in their affection for each other.

"Hey, it's my turn now!" Mira called out breaking the two apart and making Erza pout at her rival.

"Mira! We were in the middle of something!" Erza grumbled with her arms crossed.

"Yeah, yeah, but your Ritual is done and I want to start mine!" Mira glared back with her own arms crossed. "Plus you haven't been able to take any job outside of Magnolia for three weeks and rent at Fairy Hills is due next week. Do you have the one hundred thousand Jewels or are you a bit short?" She questioned her rival.

"I might need to take a larger job." Erza mumbled while looking away.

"Don't do it until tomorrow at the earliest, Erza." Natsu interjected getting looks from his two girlfriends. "Your Magic will be unstable from the Ritual for several hours. It's best to just sleep it off and see how you're feeling in the morning."

"Alright, Natsu, if you say so." Erza nodded before kissing his cheek with a smile.

"You know where I'll be if you want to talk, hang out, or whatever." Natsu smiled before kissing Erza's cheek making the redhead 'Eep!' cutely before she walked away with her face red.

"Ok, mister, my turn!" Mira stated as she stood in front of her boyfriend. Natsu chuckled before pulling her into his arms and kissing her cheek as well.

"I'm ready if you are, Mira! We've still got a few hours of daylight to get started with." Natsu agreed as Mira smirked before grabbing Natsu's hand and leading him into the little hut. The fact that her face was just as red as Erza's had been was something she was going to ignore!

Over the next few days Lisanna had made it her duty to bring Natsu and Mira lunch every day. While the two took a short break from the Ritual to eat Lisanna would take the opportunity to snuggle with her boyfriend. She would also get him to give her some fire with her 'Puppy Dog Eyes' and Mira couldn't help but laugh at the happy grin Lisanna got whenever she ate Natsu's fire. Sadly Gildarts had taken Cana to an out of the way spot far from any town or village now that she was practicing actually casting Crash Magic. Mostly because Makarov flat out refused to pay for the, inevitable, damages that would occur with such a destructive Magic. They were all hopeful that Cana's latent potential for Magic would see her getting Crash Magic down soon so that she could return to them and go through her own Dragon Soul Ritual.

Natsu also spent these breaks playing with Happy as the kitten was growing and becoming more active. Where the flying cat used to sleep most of the day, now he was up and awake except for a short nap or two during the day. Lisanna had been teaching Happy some words and the blue cat could now say Lisanna, Natsu, Mira, Erza, Cana, fish, hungry, milk, and aye. Natsu chuckled when Happy started pestering the barmaids at the guild with the word 'fish' near constantly.

-The End of Mira's Ritual-

"Mmm, yes~." Mira moaned out as she clutched tightly onto Natsu and buried her face into his neck. Why didn't Lisanna or Erza warn her that the end of the Ritual felt like that?! She'd just moaned into Natsu's ear! She could feel the heat in her cheeks spreading across her face and even down her neck!

"You feel that? Your Magic just shifted." Natsu murmured into her ear softly. How could she NOT have felt THAT! It was euphoric! Why did it feel so good? Whatever, she had a surprise for Natsu. He'd been asking her what Element she'd wanted so that he could prepare it for her but she'd only told him she had it taken care of. She'd been talking to almost every member of Fairy Tail while Erza was going through her own Ritual trying to find something that would balance out with her Take-Over Magic. She was a huge force to be reckoned with but had little in the way of defensive ability. She could take most hits with barely a flinch in her Satan Soul Forms after all. After talking with nearly every member of the guild she'd found what would give her more balance with her style of Magic. Now the two she requested should be here soon enough and she'd surprise Natsu with her choice of Element!

"Natsu? Mira? You two in there?" A voice called from outside the hut.

"Was that Laki?" Natsu asked wondering why the Wood Make Mage would be out here at all.

"Mira did say to be here today, right?" Another voice asked the first one. Natsu's eyebrow quirked up as he looked at Mira confused.

"Droy too? Why are they both here?" Natsu asked as Mira grinned and stood up. The two walked outside and met their guild mates and Mira thanked them for coming.

"Now that you two are here, stand back! I've got to exhaust my Magic Reserves and you don't want to get caught up in it!" Mira smirked as she transformed into her Satan Soul and flew off into the forest. Explosions were heard shortly after as Mira let loose her Magic.

"So why are you two here?" Natsu asked the Wood Make Mage and the Plant Mage confused.

"Mira asked us to come here today…we didn't want to question Mira." Droy replied with a nervous look on his face.

"I like staying on Mira's good side if at all possible." Laki nodded as a large explosion went off deeper in the forest. "On her good side." She nodded again.

"Ok…?" Natsu shrugged and waited for his girlfriend to return. Almost fifteen minutes passed before Mira walked out of the woods looking spent. Natsu pulled her into a hug until her breathing evened out. Once she caught her breath Mira smiled at Natsu before kissing his cheek and leaving his embrace.

"Alright you two! I have a favor to ask!" Mira pointed at the two mages. "Can you grow edible food with your Magics?"

"I can grow almost any plant, but the thing is any vegetable or fruit that I grow with Magic is really bland. It'll fill your stomach but it'll be almost tasteless." Droy explained while Mira nodded.

"I can grow a tree but it'll be about the same as Droy's when it comes to taste. No matter the fruit or nuts that grow they'll be almost tasteless." Laki shrugged while Mira smiled at the purplette.

"That's fine. Just grow as much as you can in this field please, I'm going to need it to finish my Ritual." Mira requested and Droy and Laki looked at each other before shrugging and beginning to cast spells.

"So this is what you chose for your Element, Mira?" Natsu asked his girlfriend. Mira turned and smiled at him before nodding.

"Having Plant and Wood Magic would give me defensive options. I also found out in the guild library that the higher levels of Plant-based Magic can grow fruits and vegetables with mild Healing properties and some of them can even help restore Magic faster when you eat them. So not only do I get some defense to go with my Take-Over, but I get a bit of Support Magic once I learn enough too. Two birds, one stone!" Mira explained with a grin as Natsu nodded along with her explanation.

"Wow, you really thought this out didn't you Mira?" Natsu questioned with an impressed grin. Mira felt her cheeks warm at her boyfriend's praise and she turned away a bit before she responded.

"Of course, I didn't want to have a Magic that did something my Take-Over could already do after all." Mira stated with her hands on her hips. "Though I'm not sure if this will make me a Plant Dragon Slayer or a Wood Dragon Slayer."

"Neither actually." Natsu answered getting Mira to turn and face him with a confused head tilt. "With both Plant Magic and Wood Magic you'd be a Forest Dragon Slayer. Igneel told me about a few different Types of Dragons he'd met in his life. Forest Dragons are somewhat rare as they're usually more docile than other Dragons. Until you piss them off of course, then they'll lay waste to entire regions until they calm down again. Igneel said that the oldest Forest Dragon sleeps on the northern continent, Giltena, and that some people had started to call him a Dragon God or something like that. Supposedly he's so massive you could build a huge city on his back if you wanted to." Natsu grinned at Mira's shocked face.

"That's crazy! How could something that big exist?" Mira questioned as she tried to wrap her mind around the supposed size of this Dragon.

"No idea, I guess Forest Dragons just keep growing?" Natsu shrugged before Laki and Droy called out to them.

"Whoa, that's a lot." Mira stated while Natsu nodded in agreement. Laki and Droy had filled a large section of the field with trees and plants, all bearing something edible on them and looking ripe.

"Is this enough, Mira?" Droy asked while Laki looked on with curious eyes.

"I think so." Mira started only to be interrupted by her stomach growling loudly. "I'm starved. Let's eat!" With that the pretty teen walked over and picked one of the vegetables off the vine. With a grin she took a bite and ate. "I see what you two were talking about, this tastes more like water than anything else." She commented getting shrugs from the two mages. "Thanks for helping me out, you two; I'll return the favor later."

"Sure thing, Mira." Laki nodded as she began to head back to the guild.

"No problem, Mira, just helping a friend." Droy gave a thumbs up before walking back to the guild hall as well.

"Now let's eat until I'm not hungry anymore!" Mira cheered with a laugh as Natsu watched his girlfriend with a smile. Mira ate and ate, picking every fruit, nut, and vegetable from the plants. When they were all gone her stomach had still been growling and so, with a shrug, she started eating the plants themselves. Stalks, leaves, vines, and even the wood of the small trees Laki had grown. It all disappeared into Mira's growling stomach until; at last, the platinum-haired girl sighed contently and let out burp. "Excuse me." She mumbled as she walked over to Natsu with a smile.

"Hungry were you?" Natsu teased only for Mira to stick her tongue out at him.

"You hush, mister. Now, how long do I have to wait before I can start practicing with Dragon Slayer Magic?" Mira asked as she licked one of her new fangs inside her mouth. Thanks to her Take-Over Magic she was at least partially used to having fangs so at least she'd be able to get used to them quickly.

"Wait at least a full day before we start using it. Your Magic should have stabilized by then and I'll be happy to walk you through some spells. Though I'm sure adjustments are going to have to be made for your Forest Dragon Slayer Magic compared to my Magma Dragon Slayer Magic." Natsu responded as Mira sighed at not getting to try out her new Magic yet.

"You doing anything else today?" Mira asked with a small smile.

"Not really, why?" Natsu replied with a tilt of his head.

"Because that means you can take me on a date!" Mira giggled only to gasp when Natsu took her hand in his and started leading her towards Magnolia.

"Great idea, Mira! Let's go!" Natsu cheered as Mira grinned and quickly matched his pace so that she could wrap her arms around his left arm. Needless to say, the two turned quite a few heads as they entered Magnolia proper. It wasn't every day that the townspeople got to see the 'She-Devil' of Fairy Tail acting so giggly and girlish.

-A Week Later-

"Hey Elfman!" Natsu called out as he walked up to the three Strauss siblings. The siblings were all sitting together and chatting when Natsu approached waving a Quest from the board over his head.

"Hey, what's up Natsu?" Elfman greeted with a wave while Mira and Lisanna smiled at their boyfriend. The male of the Strauss siblings had been a little leery of the pink-haired Dragon Slayer when Lisanna and Mira had shown romantic interest in the teen. How could he not be? He was the brother of two pretty girls; he'd done quite a bit of intimidation, something he'd actually picked up by watching Natsu, to keep punks away from his sisters. But he'd known Natsu for a few years now and knew he was a good guy. Truth be told Elfman had only really come out of his own shell by interacting with Natsu through Lisanna and Mira. He wouldn't be the 'Man' he was today if not for the Magma Dragon Slayer.

"Got a quest and you're coming with us to help out!" Natsu proclaimed as he slapped the Quest down on the table so the siblings could read it.

"Wyvern Slaying Request." Elfman read the top of the paper. "A small flock of Wyverns has appeared near Foraoise Village. They've destroyed some of the fields and attacked the livestock of the village. In total seven Wyverns have been counted and the villagers have retreated to Abhainn Village to escape. Reward for elimination of the flock is, whoa, three hundred fifty thousand Jewels!"

"Nice! We'd have the next three months of the house payment taken care of!" Mira exclaimed with a grin. It would be another thing she wouldn't have to worry about when it came to caring for her siblings. "Not to mention the grocery budget would be set for a while too."

"Plus you and Lisanna can get real experience with your Dragon Slayer Magic. Wyverns are Dragonkin after all, even if they are probably the dumbest of the lot." Natsu grinned getting a cheer from Mira while Lisanna got a determined look on her cute face. "Plus," Natsu turned to Elfman. "Wyverns are still considered Beasts, right? Your Take-Over should work on them and you'll get a new form; one that can fly at that!"

"That would be pretty great." Elfman nodded. "All of my forms so far have been land-based Beasts." Elfman turned to Natsu with a confused look. "But why're you inviting me? This seems like a Quest that was made for a Dragon Slayer."

"Why wouldn't I invite you?" Natsu questioned his head tilted to the side slightly. "You're my girlfriend's brother, twice over in fact, that makes you family to me as well." Lisanna and Mira both absolutely beamed at their boyfriend for his words and the fact he considered Elfman family too. They'd have to give him a reward for being such a good boyfriend. The next thing Natsu knew he was being kissed on both cheeks by two happy platinum-haired girls.

"You're so sweet, Natsu." Lisanna smiled as she pulled her lips back.

"You're so kind." Mira cooed into his ear softly. "I'm glad you think of Elfman as family." Natsu just grinned as he wrapped an arm around each of the girl's waists and pulled them into a hug. Both of them quickly snuggling up and enjoying the warm embrace.

"I would've invited Erza, but she's still on her Quest to escort that merchant caravan, so I figured we could make this Quest a Family Hunt! Bring down this flock and Elfman can Take-Over one of the Wyverns then we can all eat the remaining six! I guess we should probably bring some back for the Guild too. I don't want Erza to miss out; or Cana if she and Gildarts come back while we're gone." Natsu explained getting nods from the Strauss siblings. Elfman was smiling at the thought of this Quest now. 'A Family Hunt, huh? I like the sound of that.' The large teen thought to himself as he got excited about the upcoming Quest.

"How big do Wyverns usually get?" Lisanna questioned as the group of four sat down at the table to discuss the details of the Quest.

"Usually not more than about four or five meters from snout to tail." Natsu answered, long having learned about almost all Dragonkin from Igneel. "Unless they're old enough to have reached Alpha status, then they can be around seven or eight. A flock this size might have an Alpha that's trying to establish territory, be careful if you see one that's larger than the rest. Alpha Wyverns are old enough that they've learned how to utilize their Magic. Though the worst we should have to deal with is their bullet-like Breath Attack."

"Bullet-like?" Elfman asked having seen both Lisanna and Mira's Dragon Roar spell. That was just a stream of destruction for whatever it was aimed at.

"Yeah, a Wyvern's body isn't capable of sustaining a long, deep breath. So they can't execute a Breath Attack like a Dragon can. Instead an Alpha Wyvern will fire off a compressed Breath Attack, like a bullet." Natsu replied and Elfman nodded, it seemed logical that a smaller Dragonkin wouldn't be able to output the same attacks as their larger distant relations.

"What kind of Magic are we looking at though?" Mira questioned as she looked at her boyfriend. "What Element is most common among Wyverns?"

"Either Wind or Fire, Wyverns are most commonly known to use those two Elements. Though if it has bright coloration stay further away, it might be a Poison Wyvern and they can poison their prey with their Breath Attack, their fangs, or their claws." Natsu explained.

"Better to limit its attack options by keeping our distance then." Lisanna nodded getting a proud smile from her brother and sister; they were both pleased by Lisanna's quick deduction.

"Exactly!" Natsu grinned as he pulled Lisanna into another hug getting a happy giggle from his girlfriend.

"Well, let's go put our names on the Quest so someone else from another Guild doesn't take it." Mira stated as the group nodded together and headed over to the bar to get the paper stamped with their names.

"Let's meet in the morning, after breakfast, at the train station. The sooner we get there the faster me and Lisanna can try out our Dragon Slayer Magic for real!" Mira grinned excitedly getting quick acceptance from her siblings. Natsu sighed and hung his head, he really hated trains. Mira and Lisanna may not have a problem with them yet, but eventually they'd come to hate them just as much as he did.

"Aye!" Happy chimed in as he floated down onto Natsu's head. Natsu grinned as he petted the small blue kitten.

"Did the barmaids finally stuff you with enough fish and milk, buddy?" Natsu chuckled feeling a slight increase in his little feline friend's weight on his head.

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed as he glided from Natsu's head and into Lisanna's arms. The younger sister smiling beautifully as she held onto the blue kitten. Within a few moments the cat had snuggled into Lisanna's arms and dozed off getting coos from both Strauss sisters about how cute it was.

"Well, I guess we'll see each other in the morning then." Natsu smiled before raising his fist and softly, so he wouldn't wake Happy, proclaiming. "To our first Family Hunt!"

"Yeah!" The Strauss siblings, quietly, cheered as they also raised their fists in agreement.