One Night in the Forest: Epilogue

Natsu and the others made it to Wendy and Lucy's location at around the same time, all of them anxious and worried about what had happened to the young girl.
"Lucy what happened?" Gray yelled, Juvia appearing from behind him. "We heard Wendy scream."
Gajeel had arrived soon after and looked at Levy slightly annoyed when he stopped moving. "You can get off now."
Levy blushed, "Oh…you're right. I'm sorry." She slowly got off his back.
"I don't know." Lucy said worriedly, "I think she's still in the trees."
With all of them gathered, Natsu walked over to the trees where Lucy had pointed and looked for Wendy. He saw the young girl frozen in fear as he approached her. He reached out his hand and lifted a small snake from Wendy's shoulder, he then picked her up and brought her back to the others in the clearing.
"Here she's fine." He said as he placed Wendy on her feet. "She screamed because of this." He held up the small snake and began to laugh, "Wow, I didn't know you were such a scaredy cat Wendy."
Lucy looked at him annoyed as she held Wendy's shoulders to comfort her. "Knock it of Nat…" she froze as her face turned white with fear, the words no longer able to come out of her mouth.
"What? I was just joking, what's wrong Lucy?" He said with a confused look
He then looked at the rest of his friends, they too were captured by fear. All of their faces had gone pale.
"Uh N…Natsu." Levy said nervously as she moved behind Gajeel.
"Hmm? What is it?" He said, his eyes widened.
Juvia dashed behind Gray, holding on to his arm for dear life.
"What is up with you guys? Gajeel? Gray?" He asked looking at the two. Gray's mouth was wide open while Gajeel's was twisted in slight fright.
"huff huff huff." Natsu felt a warm breath moving across his neck, but he initially shrugged it off. He reached his hand behind his head laughing softly, "Ok Happy, you can stop…." He froze when he felt what was behind him.
It wasn't short cat's fur. It was long, coarse, warm, and slightly wet. He moved his hand up further and felt a set of razor sharp teeth, teeth so sharp that if bitten he would be in pieces. He continued to moving his hand up and felt a moist air from what felt like a nose.
"Huff Huff Huff Huff." The sound almost made his heart stop. He slowly turned around and saw this face of abject terror. It was a bear, but this was no ordinary bear; it had to be at least 12 feet tall, weigh over 600 hundred pounds…and it was hungry.
"ROOOAAARRRR!" The mighty creature's roar pierced the very heavens, as it covered the land. Natsu slowly stepped back, his face as white as his friends. Then without a moment's hesitation he yelled.
"RUN!"
He grabbed Wendy and Lucy by the hips, carrying them at his side as the group raced back to the campsite. Levy found herself once again attached to Gajeel's back, and Juvia found herself on Gray's back as well.
As they rocketed back through the forest, the bear was closing in behind them.
"This is all your fault girl!" Gajeel yelled at Wendy as they ran.
"What?! How is it her fault?" Lucy yelled back at him.
"If she hadn't screamed so loud that bear wouldn't have found us and we wouldn't be running for our lives!"
"I'm sorry." Wendy apologized, light tears coming from her eyes due to the fear caused by the bear.
"Guys, I don't think now is the time to be fighting!" Gray said as they continued to run.
Levy could see a small light ahead of them, "There it is. That must be the campsite!" She said with a smile as she pointed, "We're almost there!"
"ROAR!" the bear continued to bellow as it chased after them.
They made their way through the trees, Natsu leading the escape, but what he saw at the campsite was more terrifying than 100 bears.
It was Erza, now fully awake; and she was not happy. Natsu however did not notice her anger and smiled as they ran toward her.
"Hey Erza you're-ACKKK!"
Natsu dropped Wendy & Lucy as he flew into a nearby tree. Erza had extended her arm out to her side and it caught Natsu's neck clotheslining him. She then turned around and angrily stared at the group. "What is the meaning of all this running around the forest? You are making too much noise!"
Everyone was too scared to answer Erza on account of the monstrous bear standing directly behind her.
Erza didn't notice however and kept scolding the group. "Don't sit there with your mouths gaping, what do you have to say for yourselves?"
Gray raised his hand out of fear for Erza's punishment and the bear.
"Yes, Gray."
"Ummm…Erza." He pointed behind her, his arm shaking.
Erza's eyes narrowed in irritation, "What?" She turned around to see the bear standing behind her.
"ROAAARRR!" The bear roared mightily, but this didn't faze Erza. A look of rage took hold of her as her eyes met the bears. She inhaled deeply and let out a mighty yell of her own.
"RAAAAAGHHHHH!"
The bear gradually began losing its intimidating look as it saw Erza's even more frightening visage. It back away slowly and then quickly ran back the way it came. No one was relieved at the bears departure however, as they now had the more frightening Erza to deal with.
She turned around and faced her friends, her eyes still filled with anger. "Now, why don't you all explain what happened." Everyone cowered in fear as she moved closer to them, save for Happy and Carla who just touched down from flying, and Natsu…who was knocked out with his mouth wide open as he lied upside down at the root of a tree.
The next morning everyone awoke sore from last night, save Erza who woke up with a bright smile on her face.
"Is everyone ready to go?" she said with a smile.
Everyone nodded groggily, groaning as they gathered their things. Lucy looked around, searching for something.
"What's wrong Lucy?" Wendy asked looking up at her.
"Where's Natsu?"
Erza's eyes opened wide as she remembered what happened the previous night. "Oh don't worry I'll go get him. You all can start walking. We still have about half a day until we reach Lumina."
"You heard her guys let's go." Gray motioned as they all started walking through the trees. "Wait for me Gray." Juvia shouted as she ran to him.
"Let's go shrimp." Gajeel said extending his hand towards Levy who was still on the ground. She grabbed it and he helped her up. She started walking next to him, a small blush appearing on her face. Lucy and Wendy followed soon after with Happy & Carla. The two girls smiling at one another as they followed Gray's lead.
Erza however took a short path to the left of where the other's were going. She walked a small ways until she came across Natsu, who was still upside down at the base of tree. He was snoring peacefully, his drool falling upside down from his mouth. Erza smiled at him, as she watched him sleep for a few more moments. She then kicked him in the head, waking him up.
"Huh…Erza?" he said weakly as he turned himself right round and stood up. "What's going on?" He looked at the tree he slept against and cranked his neck. "What happened last night?"
"You were attacked by that bear." Erza said to him, obviously lying, but Natsu bought into it.
"Oh yea, that's what happened…I think. Where's everybody else?"
"They've continued towards Lumina. We need to catch up to them, so hurry up and gather your things."
"Alright then." He walked back to the campsite and packed up everything that was scattered. When finished he stood and put his backpack on, but when he felt his neck he began to panic.
"What's wrong?" Erza asked.
"My scarf, I can't find it anywhere." He said as he frantically searched the campsite.
"Your scarf?" she moved her hand down her neck and felt something soft. She blushed slightly when she realized that she had wrapped Natsu's scarf around her neck when she woke up last night. It felt so warm and soft that she had forgot she had it on.
She hurriedly untied it from herself and extended her hand to Natsu.
"Here." She said quickly looking away from him so he couldn't see her red face.
"Oh, there it is, thanks Erza." He said with a wide smiled.
She blushed even more. "Thank you." She said anxiously
"For what?"
"For letting me use it when I fell asleep."
"Oh," he said as he wrapped around his neck in this usual fashion, "Don't worry about it. Anytime." He smiled wide again.
"Well, let's catch up to the others." She said.
"You're right. Let's go."
They began to walk side by side as they followed their friends out of the forest. Erza looked at Natsu's smiling face as it gleamed in the morning sunlight.
She couldn't help but find his attitude contagious whenever she was near him.