To Shape Warriors
by xXTheDragonRiderXx
March 2014-November 2014
8 chapters total
23,772 words total
Summary: AU. It was an odd feeling to know everything was about to go to pieces… after all, who thought a choice between Igneel and Fairy Tail would set the final chapter into motion?
A/N: Let me just say that I wrote this back when I was just getting addicted to Fairy Tail, so pretty much everything is relevant up to the Magic Games arc. Also, because I wrote this 18 months ago, I haven't edited it and I do not have the time to do so anyway now, if I want to finish my other stories. Hopefully, my writing style has evolved quite a bit since then. ;)
TO SHAPE WARRIORS
Chapter One
The loud, powerful sound of beating wings was the first thing Natsu heard once his eyes slipped shut. Not again, he groaned in his head, not this one again.
It was both a familiar and terrifying sound, but Natsu wasn't sure if he should run or try to stay back to fight it. Normally, he would choose fight any day, but this was different. This was a dragon, the same dragon that had assaulted Natsu and his friends seven years ago, causing them to slip into a magical coma thing—Archnologia.
Suddenly the temperature seemed to become higher and Natsu could almost taste the tension in the air. Natsu frowned slightly as a new scent invaded his nostrils, drowning out the putrid, deathlike stench of the dragon. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason, a great wave of comfort washed over him. That scent was awfully familiar too...
Natsu began to run toward Archnologia and with mild surprise, he noticed that he could feel the grass under his feet. Perhaps he had no shoes on in this dream? Natsu looked over his shoulder and nearly tripped over his feet, which, he had realized, were bare.
Flying above him was a great red dragon. His wingspan was so wide that he seemed to block out the sun, even though the sun reflected off of his scales. Natsu was sure that this dragon was just as large as Noah's Ark, if not bigger. But what really captivated the Dragon Slayer were his eyes. The large brilliant gold orbs that held so many emotions and his character in their mysterious depths—fear and sadness, wisdom and bravely, courage and nobility, childishness and maturity were just a few. At first, Natsu wasn't sure why those eyes were so familiar, but then an almost forgotten memory rushed into his head.
"W, why did you save me?" a little Natsu asked fearfully as he curled into himself. It still smelled like smoke and the ground was so very hard and cold, charred beyond belief by the fierce fire he had witnessed. The fire that had taken in everything and destroyed it, even his parents—but some part of Natsu, so very deep down, was curious about it. And it scared him, why did he want to know more about this fire that had very nearly killed Natsu himself?
But then the golden eyed dragon had saved him, and now he stood in front of him, proud and magnificent.
"Because I can see something in you, little human child, I can see something in you that tells me that you are meant to do great things."
Of course, how could Natsu even forget for a moment? Natsu should have recognized those eyes anywhere at any time without a pause. The dragon that flew above him, he was his foster father, Igneel.
But, Igneel had been missing for over half a decade—not counting the seven year span when he, Lucy, Happy and the rest of Fairy Tail had been in a magically induced coma. So, why would he show up now, just out of the blue? Was it because of Archnologia?
Igneel suddenly let out a loud roar, causing Natsu to want to cover his ears. But he resisted the urge, he only winced slightly then his eyes hardened with determination as Igneel, with one mighty swipe of his wings, surged forward. The gust of wind nearly blew Natsu back, but he only stopped for a moment, letting the wind pass, before he ran after his foster father.
Adrenaline surged through Natsu and his lit his fists on fire as he ran. His feet were pounding beneath him, but he was long used to these kinds of jog/sprint things. His breathing was labored, coming in rasps and pants, but Natsu knew that he shouldn't stop; otherwise he would be unable to start up again. Natsu was already beginning to feel all fired up, and it didn't help that the air tasted like something had charred and destroyed, by fire.
And Natsu hated that stench; sure he had set things on fire a few times, but this one. It had the smell of decaying or fried bodies within it. He never had very good experience with fire when he was young, and it was somewhat of a miracle that Igneel, had, in fact, convinced Natsu to even learn the basics of Fire Dragon Slayer magic.
"No, mommy!" a childish voice cried as he ran after a salmon colored hair woman. The orange fire was really, really close to her. In fact, it was all around her. Natsu stopped in alarm when he saw that his mommy had tears running down her cheeks and he looked around. Where was daddy?
"Run, Natsu!" his mommy cried, "Please, get out of here! I don't want you to—ARRRRRAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!"
Natsu would always remember that scream, he would never be able to forget it. His mother's scream had haunted his nightmares and on various occasions he remembered waking up to Happy's concerned face. But, for some reason, Lucy seemed to be able to keep the nightmares away. So, he stayed at her house once she was asleep. Sometimes he would just watch her sleep because she looked so, peaceful in her dreams. It soothed him, especially if he had a very vivid nightmare. It had almost become a nightly routine, but he didn't stay past dawn—he knew she would kill him if she ever discovered his rather odd habit.
It wasn't Natsu's fault that she looked so darn cute in her sleep, though!
Cute, cute was the word for how she looked when she was asleep, cute and peaceful.
Natsu was pulled out of his thoughts when Igneel roared and flames went sailing over his head. The Fire Dragon Slayer ducked instinctively even though he knew the fire couldn't hurt him and he watched as Achnologia writhed in pain. Igneel turned to Natsu, who stared up at his foster father, somewhat shocked.
Igneel looked down at him with no emotion for a moment, before a tiny smile spread. Natsu stared up at him, disregarding the disappearing into darkness Archnologia. Now that Natsu was finally here, now when he was finally face-to-face with Igneel for the first time in who knows how long, he wasn't sure just what to do. His heart was thumping wildly under his chest, but Natsu felt an urge to scream and laugh and cry all at the same time.
Finally, he decided to settle on impassive. "What hap, happened?" Natsu nearly cursed out loud when he realized that his voice had cracked. What happened to emotionless?
Igneel's smile disappeared and suddenly, he looked very, very tired. Natsu tilted his head and he took a few steps closer to his foster father, and suddenly, he felt somewhat concerned. Igneel raised his wings and fell into a gentle descent toward the ground, and Natsu stopped walking, allowing him to have room to land. Once Igneel was on the ground, Natsu resumed his original course of action. Why did his foster father leave him in the first place?
Natsu walked so that he was just in front of the dragon, he was so close that, if he wanted to, he could just reach out his arm and hand and touch the dragon. But he didn't, even though he wanted to. Igneel watched him with sad eyes.
"This isn't real," was the first thing that Igneel said, but he was seemed so sad about it that Natsu couldn't be angry at him. "This is the in-between world, the world between dreams and reality. This is place where messages are sent, where seers get their prophecies. And, this was the first time that you were able to stay in it consciously."
Natsu frowned slightly, "Oh." he deadpanned. An awkward silence fell between the two of them and Natsu scratched the back of his head. "Uh, why did you leave in the first place?" he finally asked, landing on the first subject that came to his mind. Then he realized that that may have not been the best subject. Or, perhaps it was, Natsu needed to understand why Igneel left him in the first place, no, why all the dragons had disappeared. Natsu knew their disappearances were connected somehow in some way or other.
Igneel snorted up sparks and smoke furled out of his nostrils. Natsu's eyes left his father's face and he watched the smoke curl in minor fascination. Once it dissipated, Natsu looked back toward Igneel. The dragon was watching him with a sad smile.
"I can't tell you here, Natsu. It's too unstable and unreliable; anyone can get here, whether he has good intentions or evil. Anyone can hear us; this is the world between reality and dreams, after all." Igneel looked sorry as Natsu looked down in disappointment. Igneel gently nudged Natsu's head with his own, causing the Dragon Slayer to look up in surprise. Igneel smiled slightly, "How about we meet face-to-face instead?"
Natsu's eyes widened and he held his breath. "You mean it?" he asked timidly, Igneel smiled widely and he nodded.
"Yes, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner though, son. I wanted too, but I just didn't know how."
Natsu shook his head, dismissing the statement as he wrapped his arms around Igneel the best he could. Igneel let out a tiny huff of laughter and lowered his head, in his own version of a hug. "Can I take Happy and Lucy with me as well? Gray and Erza too, I suppose... maybe even Gajeel and Wendy, but are their dragons with you as well?" Natsu babbled happily, too excited to even comprehend what he was really saying. Igneel pulled away with a curious look in his eyes.
"Who are these, Lucy and Happy and Gray and Erza and Gajeel and Wendy?" he asked, tilting his head. "Are they your friends?"
Natsu nodded in excitement, "Yeah. Happy is an Exceed that me and my friend, Lisanna, raised. Lucy is, well, I'm not sure what exactly she is, other than my best friend." He ran his hand through his hair and a tiny smile went on his face as he thought of the pretty blond, "I always feel weird around her." Igneel raised an eyebrow at Natsu's expression so Natsu hurried on. "Erza is my friend as well, although Popsicle Stick is my rival, while Gajeel and Wendy are also Dragon Slayers, metal and wind."
Igneel watched him for a moment then he smiled slightly and nudged Natsu. Natsu laughed happily when he stumbled but for once, he didn't fall. "I'm glad you've made friends."
Natsu was about to reply when something in the air seemed to shift. He and Igneel looked around at the same time, Natsu frowning because he recognized that scent of death anywhere. He had smelled it so many times. The wind in the peaceful clearing picked up and the temperature seemed to drop. Natsu slid back, sinking into a defensive stance and he lit his hands on fire as his eyes darted from one place to the other.
"What is that awful stench?" Igneel rumbled above him, obviously a little unsettled himself. Natsu opened his mouth and grimaced when he tasted the air, it tasted a lot like death. Too much, Natsu gritted his teeth—he knew the person, and the person would pay for what he had done to his friends.
"Zeref," he growled under his breath. He took off with Igneel calling out to him. "WHERE ARE YOU, ZEREF!?" Natsu roared, he heard a low chuckle and he spun around. Suddenly, the shadows started moving, even Natsu's own, and they connected together to form into the basic shape of a human. Natsu gulped.
"You really thought I was that weak death mage? I am your worst nightmare, Natsu Dragneel." The thing chuckled at Natsu, who began to back up. "Too late, too late, little Dragon Slayer, you've stepped into the game." The mysterious shape cooed happily, Natsu's feet suddenly stopped working, as if he had been glued into place.
Why do I feel so, scared?
Suddenly Natsu heard a loud roar and he looked over his shoulder. "Get out of here, Natsu!" Igneel roared at Natsu. Natsu swallowed hard and he narrowed his eyes at the invisible restraints. Suddenly, his body began to smoke as he tried to light himself on fire. "That man, his name is..."
Natsu didn't hear what Igneel said after that. All he heard was a loud bang, the stench of fire invading his nostrils, and then something soft and cuddly leaning against his stomach as he stared into the dark refines of his room, along with the sound of his heart pounding in his chest.