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Excitement vibrated in the air. Anticipation making everyone present jittery as the town parted like the red sea and Gildarts stepped into the guild to cheers of greeting and an ecstatic dragon slayer who had yet to launch himself as he tried a new strategy to beat their strongest member once and for all.
Natsu stalked amongst the shadows of tables and walls as Gildarts approached Makarov. Steps so quiet even he couldn’t hear them. Pressing up against a pillar not far from where Gildarts had stopped to chat Natsu readied himself to attack under the amused gazes of his guildmates who had decided not to give him up just yet.
Silent as the grave he slipped out of his cover and dashed for Gildarts, fist lighting up as he launched his body into the air to attack from above.
“Fight me-!” he yelled, bringing his fist down. Gildarts had barely enough time to turn his head and spot Natsu before his magic activated and his face drained of colour. The grid seeping into Natsu’s skin and dicing him up just as it had done in the S Class trials. Natsu vanished in a bloom of white light and for a second there was nothing but devastated silence.
“-Gildaaaaaarts!” finished hundreds of tiny Natsu voices.
He rained down atop Gildarts and their surrounding guildmates. Quick as it came the devastation turned to relief mixed with growing horror as the tiny Natsu’s ran amok. Most of them focusing on attacking Gildarts directly and the few that weren’t were dead set on making an inconvenience of themselves in other ways. Little fires burnt out the floor beneath his feet making him punch holes he barely avoided falling in with every step. Furniture was systematically destroyed and strewn about to trip him up.
It occurred to him as the Natsu’s suddenly reformed and he was solidly booted in the chest, already off balance, and sent flying across the guild to disappear their doors that the little shit had seemingly planned to be split up from the start. Triumphant laughter ticked him off as Natsu danced around celebrating his win. The guild was cheering for him, congratulating the little shit as they breathed sighs of relief that Natsu hadn’t remained in a hundred tiny versions of himself.
Gildarts climbed to his feet, dusted himself of and let his magic leak out menacingly, delighting in the way Natsu froze, smile now pinched as he looked back at him. Gildarts took an abrupt step forward and Natsu jumped body facing away from him like he was ready to bolt. The guild was still chuckling at them, many calling out for Gildarts to let Natsu have his win. Natsu made a minuscule movement towards the side of the guild where an open window was and Gildarts narrowed his eyes at him making him freeze.
“Natsu,” he growled, “we’re not done yet.”
Natsu was shooting nervous looks between him and the window to the amusement of everyone as the tables seemed suddenly reversed in their usual play fighting. Gildarts went to step forward and Natsu was off like a shot, barreling over furniture and laughing guildmates alike with Gildarts hot on his trail. He dove out the window and had a second to think he’d escaped before the wall disintegrated behind him and giant hands grabbed him by the arms and pulled him in.
Natsu squirmed like a restless puppy against his grip fruitlessly. Stuck in a bear hug and sat down whilst Gildarts noogied his hair until Natsu gave in and surrendered. When Gildarts let him go he flopped at the man’s feet and whined about having a headache. Gildarts chuckled and stepped over him to reenter the guild.
“Man, who knew Gildarts was such a sore loser.” Natsu whined, playing pitiful and rubbing his head gingerly when Gildarts turned back to pick on him some more.
“You’re a hundred years too early to call me a loser brat.”
Natsu cheekily poked his tongue out, “Loser, loser-”
“Want to go again brat?” he challenged, and then immediately regretted his words when Natsu jumped to his feet with a ready grin. Gildarts internally slapped himself for falling for Natsu’s tricks twice today. Natsu lunged at him and Gildarts cracked him in the head hard enough for the floor to splinter on impact.
“Ble-hegh!”
Natsu stayed down until Gildarts was happily reporting to Makarov then cragged himself over to Gray to beg him to ice his head.