{A/N} For those of you who've read my stories before, this is a rewrite of my first story Taming the Wild Dragon. I haven't updated in about two years, and its disappointing, but I decided to forgo updating in favor of rewriting. When I go back to read the story I want to cringe about the cliche and poor writing that I put into it. It was the first story I ever wrote so I'm pretty proud of how much I wrote and how far I got, but I think that I've gotten better as a writer so I'm going to try rewriting it. The story revolves around the same concept, but slightly tweaked to make Natsu more than a one-dimensional character (Hopefully). The NatsuxErza pairing in the original story spawned from my supreme distaste for NaLu and the fact that I hate the shonen trope of stupid main characters that can do anything because of the power of friendship. The power of friendship is important, but it's not the end all be all of everything. Anyways, I haven't decided on the pairing for this story yet, but it'll come. I just have to let the characters develop as they will. I hope you enjoy this story, and I hope you review because every review is just more motivation to write and update.

Time passes and the winds of change blow across the land but fate always stays the same. Some fates are immutable but the path leading towards them is winding and every turn could lead down a different spiraling path. There are some that believe that for every path taken a new world is spawned, parallel universes where one different step can change the world by magnitudes greater than human comprehending. Grand thoughts such as these tumbled around the head of Natsu Dragneel as he bemoaned his own fate. One shrouded in a darkness not of his making, but one forced upon him by circumstance and quite possibly design. The main hall of the Eisenwald guild was not the place for such weighty thoughts though, and he was interrupted by a heavy hand clapping his shoulder, "Natsu. You know what we're doing tomorrow."

The Dragon Slayer glanced over his shoulder at Erigor, the de-facto guild leader and Ace of the Dark Guild he was hiding in. The man was perpetually shirtless to show off the intricate blue tattoo that twined along his chest and shoulders and wore tattered hakama pants, a crude imitation of the Shinigami he purported himself to be. Erigor's silver hair did nothing to distract from the insane gleam in his eye. Natsu roughly shrugged his current leaders hand from his shoulder, "You don't have to remind me. I know the plan."

The smile that spread over Erigor's face was anything but comforting, "You think too much Natsu. Once we've killed the local guild leaders, their guilds will be in such disarray that we'll be able to take control of the region. Once we're in control, even the council won't be able to stop us, and you can finally have your revenge."

Natsu stood up and stalked away without another word or a backwards glance. His rage a simmering ball of lead that lay heavy in his gut. He stormed through the halls of the guild to his room, a small one with barely enough space for a bed and a dresser. Fire involuntarily bloomed in his hand and when he clenched his fist it coated the closed appendage, and when he punched the wall it left a scorch mark in the middle of a spiderweb of cracks. Natsu glared at his fist before throwing himself down onto his bed and closing his eyes in an effort to get some a few hours of tossing and turning he was finally able to nod off.

His sleep was not restful though. Faces from his past invaded his dreams. The great scaled snout of his departed father and the scars that adorned it. A red tattoo and mad brown eyes under messy blue hair. Pouty red lips twisting between a smouldering smile and a cruel smirk. Luminescent amber eyes framed by dark purple hair that seemed almost black in flickering candlelight. Harsh feminine laughter echoed in his ears as he bolted upright.

The cold, sterile walls of his room provided little comfort from his troubled dreams.

"Damnit."

Natsu stood up and ran a hand through his messy pink hair, groaning, "Idiot. It's your own stupid fault."

Natsu's mistakes weighed heavily on him. Bitterness had driven him forward from the day his father abandoned him, and that was his first mistake. He'd let his father's abandonment of him poison his spirit, and it had only grown with time. When he'd reached the areas inhabited by humans after leaving the cave he'd grown up in he'd been crushed by his lack of knowledge. He didn't know many of the words people were speaking around him and he could barely read the signs for shops. He'd spent weeks loitering around alleys and backstreets just listening to people talk, trying to pick up more of the language. He'd watched as a tiny old man with a funny hat and a cool looking blue medallion with a silver cross had walked through town visiting different stands. The older man had looked at him, and looked like he'd perhaps liked to speak with Natsu, but the pink haired boy had turned and hurried away, already losing interest.

Months passed and Natsu finally had a handle on the language and culture of Fiore, and he could finally get to work on what he really wanted to do, learn his own magic. If Igneel didn't want him, then he didn't want Igneel's magic. He'd skulked around mage's guilds and even gone to a library or two to learn about what other kinds of magic there were. Eventually he'd decided to learn Maker Magic. He hadn't found anything specific about it, only the basics on how all Maker Magic worked. Natsu was going to make his own brand of Maker Magic, and using his bodies attunement to fire he created his Flame Make magic.

Natsu knew that he'd have to start working to earn money, and initially thought about joining a guild, but soon decided that he'd gotten by just fine on his own in the months after Igneel had left, and he was going to get along fine on his own as an Independent Mage. He started small at first, simple monster extermination quests to test out his new magic. As he tested and refined his new form of magic he began to take harder jobs, and slowly made a name for himself. Natsu Dragneel, the Living Flame. After a few years he'd been certified as an independent S-Class mage by the Magic Council and started taking requests from them. It was the last request he'd taken from them two years ago that had led to his diminished circumstances though.

"Enough with heavy thoughts."

With a sigh Natsu shook his head, internally embarrassed that he'd given in to the bad habit of talking to himself. He hurriedly dressed himself, a black waist wrap trimmed in gold over white knee length trousers with a black vest also trimmed in gold. He took the scale patterned scarf that was his only physical memento from Igneel and tied it around his waist so that it wouldn't get in his way. He grabbed his worn backpack and packed his belongings; two extra sets of cloths, a nest egg of 45,000 jewels he'd managed to save up, and a thick folder with all of the job posters he'd ever taken, right back to the first one. Finally, he grabbed a snow white strip of cloth and tied it around his forehead, the long tails hanging down to tickle his neck.

Natsu exited the room and made his way to the main hall. He was one of the first there, but it soon filled up. Dark mages murmured excitedly to each other and a nervous tension filled the air. Natsu sat off to the side with his arms folded, taking in the scene. The last to arrive was Erigor, and upon entering the entire hall quieted. He made his way purposefully to the front of the hall and shouted, "Now is the time! The time to take back our freedom from the legal guilds that decided we weren't worthy of having any. The time to show our power to the guild masters and crush them like the flies they are!"

A great cheer resounded throughout the hall and when Erigor turned to stride through the front doors of the guild the rest eagerly followed him. Natsu followed laconically, hitching his pack securely and not looking back at the grim building he knew he'd be seeing for the last time.

After a long overland trek they intercepted a train enroute to Oshibana station and forcefully disembarked the passengers. Erigor was in his element, shouting threats and shoving the terrified civilians around with a manic grin. The train was cleared in short order and the Eisenwald mages began to embark. Natsu grimaced, and waited until the last moment to get on. He was glad though, because he was able to see and overhear Erigor and Kageyama, the man who had retrieved Lullaby.

"What do you mean they saw you?"

"It was just a few Fairy flies. They don't even know what they saw."

Erigor scoffed, "You'd better be right, or it's your head."

Kageyama nodded nervously but didn't say anything else as he followed Erigor aboard the train. Natsu groaned, half at the thought of getting on the train and half at the fact that the plan was already messed up, and then got on the train. He claimed a compartment for himself and locked it, pulling down the shade to give himself some privacy. Privacy to pass out as soon as the train started moving. The constant motion sickness from transportation was Just another thing to be bitter about.

Natsu awoke a few hours later to the sound of clashing swords and cries of pain, 'Are we fighting already? And nobody woke me up."

He groggily sat up and rubbed his head muttering, "Those bastards. They're always too hasty."

Natsu peered out the window and was surprised to see that the majority of Eisenwald was down for the count. Only a few were left and as he watched a red haired woman in silver armor hacked them down. It was the most elaborate piece of armor he'd ever seen. Plate armor covered her impressive chest but left her taut stomach bare and she had a long armored skirt as well as a headpiece with two small wings on either side, but the most impressive part of her armor were the wings made up of individual shining silver blades. He quirked an eyebrow, "Oh? This might be interesting."

Natsu quickly disembarked, stepping off the train and over a pile of unconscious dark mages. The redhead, who had turned away to talk to a blonde haired woman, seemed to sense him, and turned. She exclaimed in strong alto voice, "So, there was another one of you hiding on the train?"

Natsu grinned and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly while looking around, "Not hiding. Nobody woke me up from my nap though. So, did you beat Erigor? I don't see him here."

She shook her head with a grimace, "No. He fled, but our other team members are after him."

Natsu deflated, "Really? Well that's unfortunate. If you'd beaten Erigor I could have let you leave, but since he's still out there the plan is still in motion, and I owe Erigor a favor. So, I guess we fight."

The redhead pointed a sword at him with a grim smile, "I will defeat you quickly just like the rest of your guild."

Natsu cracked his neck, "Oh? I'm far above these fools in terms of strength. The only one in Eisenwald that could give me a workout is Erigor."

She seemed surprised, "I thought Erigor was the strongest mage in Eisenwald after the guild master was arrested."

Natsu shrugged, "I'm not actually a part of Eisenwald. Erigor has just been kind enough to provide me sanctuary and in return I lend him my power."

The woman stepped forward snarling, "That makes you even worse! You'll just sit by and let Erigor use Lullaby on this entire town!"

Natsu raised an eyebrow, "That's what he told you he was going to do? Oh no. His plan is much bigger than that. He's going to play the Demon Death Flute for the guild masters of this region."

For the first time the blonde spoke, exclaiming with shock, "He's going to kill all of the guild masters?"

"That's the plan."

The redhead was shaking with outrage as she stated bluntly, "And you're going to let him."

Natsu shrugged again, "I've no reason to stop him. With the guild masters gone the Magic Council will be too busy putting the guilds to rights to search for me. I'm just a guy trying to survive, and this is the best way I see to do it."

"Despicable."

With that one word the redhead charged him and an instant later a sword slashed through the space his head had been. Natsu rolled forward and did a front handspring, spinning around to kick away the armored fist that would have nailed him in the stomach. He sprang forward and put his hands together, calling out, "Flame Make: Tyrfing!"

A reddish white magic circle sprang to life and bright white flames surrounded his hand and quickly coalesced into a shining white sword that flickered like fire around the edges. With a dull thud the redheads sword slammed into his. She seemed surprised and muttered, "Flame Make?"

Natsu used her distraction to move her sword out of the way, grab her arm, and throw her back towards her friend. She did a flip and landed on her feet, not even breathing heavily. She grimaced, "There's only one mage I know of that uses Flame Make magic."

"Natsu Dragneel. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The blonde squealed, "Natsu Dragneel? He's one of the most wanted criminals in Fiore!"

With a grimace Natsu replied, "That is also true."

He continued, "Since you know me, it's only polite to introduce yourselves."

The redhead, who'd never stopped pointing a sword at him, said brusquely, "I am Erza Scarlet."

The blonde followed a moment behind her in a breathy voice, "Lucy Heartfilia."

A smile slowly spread over Natsu's face, "I've never heard of Lucy Heartfilia, but everybody's heard of Titania Erza Scarlet. This might be even more fun than I thought. I haven't dueled someone as strong as you in… two years. "

Erza groaned in frustration, "I don't have time to fight you. I must stop Erigor before he can reach the guild masters!"

Natsu smirked, "It's too late for that. Even if you did defeat me you'd never catch up to him."

Lucy said swiftly, "You're not even part of Eisenwald! You shouldn't be helping them!"

The pink haired mage shrugged, "Normally I wouldn't, but like I said, I owe Erigor for giving me a place to hide."

Erza said stoutly, "Favors owed to evil men are not favors that should be repaid by those wishing to keep a clear conscience."

Natsu frowned and then spat, "Hunted men don't have the luxury of righteousness, Titania! The Magic Council would execute me on the spot if they found me!"

"Then you should not have committed the crime."

Natsu laughed bitterly, "Committed the crime? The only crime I committed was being young, stupid, and trusting the wrong person. I was betrayed by someone I trusted, and she set me up to take the fall for the destruction of that town."

Erza cocked her head, "So, you say you're innocent?"

"Of course I am!"

The point of her sword never wavered as she said baldly, "Then let us pass. If you are innocent then I have no quarrel with you."

She added on in a quieter voice, "And an innocent man would let us pass, to stop a great evil against more innocents."

Natsu gave her a hard look, "My own honor won't let you pass, but you have a point. Very well, a compromise. You have three moves to impress me. Impress me and I let you pass, if not, we fight here."

Erza nodded, and a visible aura of golden magical power began to surround her. A feral smile spread over Natsu's face as a similar red aura surrounded him. Both of them tensed. Erza slowly held out her other hand in preparation to requip and Natsu brought his hands together in front of him.

"Wait!"

Both of them were startled and glanced over at the blonde who was cowering behind Erza, "What?"

Lucy now had both of their attentions and said timidly, "Well, you said you wanted to fight Erza right? Why don't you let us stop Erigor, and then you and Erza can have a real fight."

Natsu looked mildly surprised, and then brought a hand up to rub his chin, "Hmm. Now there's an idea. If you're not good enough to beat Erigor it wouldn't be a fight for me anyways, and if you do beat him then I can avenge him by beating you. That's close enough for me."

Erza's jaw dropped, "What?!"

A smirk worked its way onto Natsu's face, "Well? Aren't you going to go after him?"

"You changed your mind in a very short amount of time."

Natsu shrugged, "It's not like I want to let Erigor kill the guild masters, but he did do me a big favor. I do however, want to fight you. So, I won't directly fight against him, nor will I aid him. The price for that though, is one full on fight with you, Titania."

After another hard look Erza sent her sword and armor back into her requip space, requipping into a plain blue skirt, black knee high boots, and a breastplate with a heart-kreuz emblem, "Very well. We must hurry then, if we're to catch Erigor."

"Lead on then."

She turned and strode quickly towards the outer parts of the station. Lucy and Natsu followed her, picking their way over unconscious dark mages. The trio walked through a few hallways before they reached a large entranceway. Waiting in the foyer were two more Fairy Tail members, along with a bound and gagged first was a dark haired man wearing black pants and a long white overcoat trimmed in blue. The second was a white haired woman in her late teens. She wore a dark purple leather halter top that stopped just short of her stomach and black leather shorts that stopped halfway down her thighs with thigh high black socks. Her hair was held back by a ponytail that left two long bangs to frame her face and one spike of hair curved down between her eyes.

She was the first to speak when Erza, Natsu, and Lucy arrived, "Who's the tagalong?"

Erza grunted, "Natsu Dragneel."

The white haired girl got a curious gleam in her eye, "Oh? The famous criminal? He's pretty sexy."

Erza scowled, "Enough, Mirajane. We've got more pressing issues right now. Erigor isn't going to broadcast Lullaby to the town. He's going to use it on the guild masters at their regional meeting!"

Mirajane gasped, "Where Master is? In Clover town?"

Erza nodded grimly, "Yes. And if he's made his escape we have to catch up to him quickly."

With a sigh Mirajane pointed at the howling wall of wind a short way off that blocked the large entrance, "We've been trying to get out for a while now, but nothing we do can break that barrier."

Natsu inspected the barrier and after a moment said, "Yep. That's Erigor's Wind Wall."

Erza quickly asked, "Do you know how to counter it?"

With a laugh Natsu replied, "Nope. I use fire magic remember? If I made a big enough fire to suck all of the oxygen out of the air and break the Wind Wall everyone in the city would asphyxiate or burn to death. It's almost impossible to batter through as well, the wall itself is made up of millions of tiny blades of wind that will shred you to pieces if you try and pass through it."

Erza almost screamed in frustration, "Then what are we going to do!"

Lucy suddenly exclaimed, "I know! Remember that job you took me on Gray? Everlue had a golden key that I took from him and Virgo used Earth Magic!"

The man named Gray nodded, "Right, right. That creepy gorilla maid."

With a shiver Lucy said uneasily, "Yeah… But I have her key! If I can convince her to she might be able to dig under the wall!"

Mirajane and Erza both said at the same time, "Then hurry up and do it!"

At their shared declaration they both glared at each other before turning away in a huff. Lucy took their words as a command though and immediately drew a golden key from a loop on her belt and shouted, "Open, Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!"

A golden magic circle appeared in the middle of their group and with the chime of a bell a pink haired girl dressed in a maids outfit with chains wrapped around each wrist rose out of it, "You called. Princess."

Lucy pointed at the Celestial Spirit and shouted, "What! What happened to the gorilla maid?"

The Spirit quirked her head to the side and said in a bland voice, "You did not like that appearance, so I changed it to suit your preferences."

Lucy looked like she was about to question the spirit again when Natsu said, "Tick tock. Erigor is getting away."

The blonde nodded determinedly, "Right. Virgo, I know we don't have a contract yet but do you think you could help us out by digging a tunnel underneath this wall of wind?"

The Spirit nodded and said, "Of course."

She put her hands on the ground and in short order there was a large tunnel leading outside for them to escape through. All five of them clustered around it and Natsu grinned, "Well. Ladies first."

Mirajane gave him a scary smile, "You're not just saying that so you have a chance to ogle my butt are you?"

Erza frowned, "Regardless, I still don't trust him that much. He can go first and we'll follow."

"Drats, my master plan is foiled again."

With that he jumped into the hole but before he could get too far along it he heard from behind him, "Damn. I think I'm starting to like him."