In Secrecy -Natsu Dragneel-

Chapter 29

"Ah, what a relief!"

Her bare body completely submerged in the refreshing water of the hot springs, cleansing her body of the stress from the mission she had just taken. Her golden blonde locks of hair are tied up in a loose bun, a few strands falling free from the tie.

"Lyra-san why do you always go on missions?" A petite blue haired girl brought up, she as well dipping into the hot spring.

A redhead swords-woman, an albino bartender, and blue headed book worm soon joined the dragon slayers in the hot spring. All females simply looking for silence, away from the battles of the guild and the missions. Being a mage is not as easy as everyone believes it is. The constant over use of magic takes a large toll on the person, even to the point of blanking out.

"It's nice not hearing all the fights" Mirajane Strauss mumbled as she tied her long pearl white hair.

"But it's just not the same without them" Levy McGarden stated, covering her assets with her slender arms. She is the conservative type of girl, unlike most of the females at the hot spring who don't mind being naked.

Lyra sighed as she submerged more into the water, only revealing the top half of her face. Well there goes the silence she had been dying to have since she had finished the mission with Natsu. It is partially her fault for expecting silence from the loudest guild she had ever encountered. They continued with their conversation, random topics popping up, always keeping the discussion alive and never a bore. The blonde noticed from the corner of her eye Erza standing from the water. The redhead grabbed a towel, covering her voluptuous body. Her brown eyes glanced into the eyes of Lyra, the single look showed it all. Erza wanted to talk with her, something that cannot be simply told to everyone.

"You should tell your sister to leave"

"I would if I could...but I just can't seem to find her. I know she is near the guild but I also know she is in hiding...They are all in hiding"

Two females, both bearing the Heart Kreuz symbol, leaned against the very brick wall of the Fairy Tail guild building. The redhead and blonde made sure their conversation is not near the hearing range of a single person, be it a mage or spy.

"I encountered your sister just yesterday, the leaders seem to be watching your every move" The redhead busty female stated, crossing her arms as her eyebrows furrowed.

The blonde, much smaller, bit her lip in frustration as her nails dug deep into the palm of her hand. Her sister was near the entire time and not once did she sense their presence. She began to think that her abilities are over estimated. Is she really worthy of the S-Class title? It's been quite a while since Lyra had used her powers full out, and that honestly scares her. What if her endurance had gone done immensely?

"Lyra something about you is different since the day you left" Erza turned her head to the right, staring straight at her blonde comrade, "You should get rid of that bracelet."

With that, the powerful mage pushed her body off the wall and headed back inside the guild. Lyra slowly glided down the wall, to the point where she sat on the ground. She held her knees against her chest, a sob escaping her lips. The blonde instantly held in the tears she had been wanting to shed for so long.

What's the point of crying?

Crying is a sign of weakness, so why has she been shedding so many tears?

The answer is simple.

She is weak.

Erza believes that the bracelet does so much more than Lyra would've thought. Her red eyebrows furrowed as those chocolate angular eyes stared hard at the ground. She is clearly deep in thought, no one ever interrupts her in this state. Erza Scarlet sat alone at a table, her elbows resting on the wood as her hands folded under her chin. Maybe the way the bracelet cancels out her abilities is slowly taking away her magic. She remembers the very day Lyra had returned to the guild after many years of absence. Just from her aura, you could sense the magic surging through her limbs. But something seems different, the familiar aura is gone. Instead it is replaced with emptiness, you would've never guessed she was a mage by simply looking at her. Erza Scarlet needs to get that Canceling Brace away from the blonde, both for her safety and her magic.

Lyra instantly collected herself, bolting to a standing position and gently dusting her shorts. Her hands wiped her cheeks, making any signs of tears untraceable. She suddenly felt an impact on both her shoulders, her back harshly slamming against the brick wall. Lyra's head snapped up, her eyes staring at the person grasping her body. She instantly recognized this person just by their unique and distinct hair colour.

"Natsu what are you doing?" She panicked, wondering if he caught her sudden break down.

The expression on his face gave her a clear answer, no. No he did not because of his large grin. Natsu is characterized as a protective person, if someone he cared about is upset, he would instantly want to know why. Before she knew it, his head instantly lowered down to her level. Their lips connected within milliseconds, longing clear in his actions. But even with his rushed behaviour, he still managed to kiss her with such gentleness, she assumed he was teasing. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her body against the wall. Many many minutes later, the duo finally separated, their foreheads resting against each others.

"What was that for?" She whispered softly, her tone of voice completely different.

"I haven't seen you in hours" His response caused a large smile to spread onto her lips.

"Yo, flame-brain! Stop smooching your girlfriend and fight me!" Gray yelled from the door of the guild, his words made his smirk obvious.

Natsu rolled his eyes, but decided to fight his rival anyways. With a light kiss to her forehead, he sped off towards the guild.

"Ice Princess I'll beat you within seconds!"