Free (2)

"And one day, I'll become an even better dragon slayer! The strongest in the world! Hey, Erza, let's fight when you learn magic too! Do you promise?"

"I don't know if I want to fight you..."

"Come on! It'll be fun; I always have fun when I fight with Igneel! But while you learn magic, what fun things can we do... Hmm..." Natsu remained still for a moment, thinking. It was then that the boy realized that lately, he had been thinking more than usual and that maybe it was the effect of Erza. But that thought lasted only a moment before another light bulb lit up in his head - "Let's have a race!"

"A race?"

"Come on! Let's see who gets to the other side of the meadow first! On my count! One, two, and three!"

"Wait!" Erza didn't even have time to get into position before Natsu had already dashed off, forcing her to chase him. She was barefoot, but running through the tall grass didn't hurt her, even if the stems whipped at her with every step.

"You're slow!"

"It's your fault! You didn't give me time to get ready!"

Natsu could barely be seen in the middle of the tall grass, and Erza was forced to follow in his wake to move better through the vegetation. With the blue sky above her and the wind tousling her hair, she had never felt so free in her life.

"I won!" When Natsu finally stopped, touching the nearest trunk, Erza couldn't stop in time and hit him head-on. Both rolled on the ground and found themselves lying on the grass, laughing.

"Did you see?" Natsu asked, turning on his side - "Do you like the forest? Isn't it fantastic?"

"I like it very much!" Erza also smiled broadly - "I've never been in such a beautiful place! I want to stay here forever!"

It was at that moment that a powerful gust of wind forced the two children to cover their faces with dust. The next moment, something landed in the clearing with a thud and a cavernous roar - "NATSU! Do you know I've been looking for you for hours?" Erza uncovered her eyes with some fear. Standing a few steps from her was a colossal red dragon with large wings and shining scales. But when she heard her new friend call out Igneel's name, fear immediately gave way to curiosity.

"You were sleeping, and I was getting tired of waiting!" Natsu protested - "So I went alone to get Erza!"

Only then did Igneel turn an alarmed look at her. The dragon immediately realized that if the girl was there, Natsu must have gone to get her without even Grandeeney's permission. Oh, Igneel didn't even want to imagine what would happen when the dragoness found out!

"Erza..." Igneel ventured with a worried smile - "You look much better... How do you feel? Are you all in one piece? Did Natsu make you do something dangerous?"

Erza shook her head, getting up and shaking off the dust - "He showed me a bit of the forest and its magic. He also told me what to be careful of."

On this, Igneel had some more doubts: Natsu didn't even know what to be careful of, and he behaved literally like a magnet for trouble. But in the end, the dragon hoped that it was true and that Erza's presence would push him to improve and become more mature.

"How beautiful you are!" The dragon jumped when the girl placed a hand on his paw, running it over the scales - "They look like rubies..."

"Oh... Uh... I've been told that a lot." This time, Igneel blushed, even though his scales were already red, and dragons didn't have the ability to blush. Natsu never complimented him, and the old dragon had forgotten what effect they had. Meanwhile, Erza was continuing to look at him, walking around him and touching the tip of his tail. The girl felt speechless, just like Natsu when he had seen Grandeeney for the first time.

"Oh, Igneel!" Erza suddenly stopped, clapping her hands - "I forgot! I still have to thank you for saving me with Natsu! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!"

And that smile was the coup de grâce! Igneel brought a paw behind his head, scratching it embarrassedly - "Nooo! You don't have to thank me! It's the least I could do for a lady like you! You know, dragons love all beautiful princesses?"

Erza laughed, remembering that Natsu had behaved the same way, and Igneel laughed too, thinking that the girl was really too cute to be true. To hell with Grandeeney; Erza could stay in her den as long as she wanted! But the old dragon didn't even have time to formulate that thought before a white bullet hit him, forcing him to jump to the side to avoid being bitten on the paws.

"I should have realized right away that you were involved in this story!" That white bullet was nothing more than a worried and furious Grandeeney - "How did you dare to take her into the forest? It's dangerous without knowing any magic! And she can't strain herself yet! And she can't go out without telling me!"

Igneel had no idea where to start to tell the story to Grandeeney, but fortunately, Erza took the initiative to pull him and Natsu out of trouble. The girl didn't want her guardian to get angry, and she didn't want her to blame the other two either. "I'm sorry for going out without telling you, Grandeeney! But I was curious to see the forest! I swear neither Natsu nor Igneel did anything to harm me!"

At those words, the dragoness let out a sigh and turned her head, nudging Erza closer with her snout - "Climb on my back and hold on tight; I'll take you back." The girl immediately understood that Grandeeney wasn't angry anymore, but also that her little escapade was over, and it was time to go home. Erza immediately did as she was told and climbed onto Grandeeney's neck, grabbing onto the fur. The next moment, the dragoness took off, flapping her large wings and scattering some white feathers here and there. For a moment, Erza felt a void in her stomach; this was certainly one of the most exciting days of her life – she was flying!

"Erza!" Natsu's voice called her from below, forcing her to look out - "Next time, I'll show you the rest too! There are still the lake, the river, the spring, the beach, and the hot springs!"

"There are hot springs in the forest?" The girl chuckled.

"Of course! They're beautiful!" He assured her, waving a hand to say goodbye - "I'll come get you again!"

"Is that a promise?"

"Promise!"

But at that point, Grandeeney wasted no time turning around and flying in the direction of the cave.

-—-

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