Title: Of Slayers and Dragon Tails

Couple: Natsu X Lucy (NaLu)

Genre: Romance/Adventure/Fantasy

World: AU

Summary:For what love can be more forbidden than one with a dragon? Born to a long line of successful dragon slayers, and as the only child born to her father, Lucy is the heir that will continue the slayer tradition. But there is another: Gray, a rising young dragon slayer that pursues her place as heir and if she can't prove herself worthy of her throne, she will lose it.

Of Slayers and Dragon Tails

ZiraUzu

Chapter 1: Raids and Titles

(May 21, 2014)

xXx

Why is my son never easy to find?

At this point he was seriously considering locking him away in a box and shoving it into the back of his closet. It would make locating him so much easier. The man shook his head as he trudged through the dimly lit tunnels of his mountain home, knowing he couldn't' possible do such a thing to his only son. No matter how tempting.

His metal-toed boots clanked through the halls, echoing off the stones because of his quickened footsteps, which grew hasty as the minutes ticked by. He hurried around corners, almost tripping a number of times because of the loose grave floors. A frustrated grumble left his throat and he ran his hand through his graying hair, he was getting to old for this.

The man turned on his heel, deciding to back track in case he had missed his boy in his haste, which nearly led him into a head on collision with a young messenger, who had been hurrying around the same corner in order to deliver his message on time.

"Master Igneel!" The messenger screeched as the elder man quickly sidestepped the clumsy teen, causing him to crash into the opposite wall.

"Careful lad," Igneel chortled as he helped the young man, who was cradling his bumped nose in his hands, back to his feet. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

"I was looking for you actually," The messenger muttered as he slowly removed his hands from his face and began twitching his nose, checking to see if it was broken or simply bruised. "The Grand Lord has summoned you to the throne room. He seemed to be in quite the mood and made it very clear that the meeting was mandatory and would be held immediately."

Igneel paled slightly. Running a large hand over his face, he thanked the messenger before heading towards the throne room in a great haste. His red cape billowed behind him as he thrust the doors open upon his arrival. The metal groaned in protest, but gave way under his shove. He stepped into the room, only the sound of his boots echoing throughout the room.

Before him sat an elderly man in a golden throne. It glistened, the sunlight slipping through the cracks of the cavern walls reflecting of the golden metal. The man in the throne frowned down at Igneel.

He stared. His eyes were hard, and as black as the ebony sky. There was a darkness in them that chilled a person to the bone.

"The plans?" His voice hissed through the room, whispering through the air like a snake. The servants that lingered in the shadows shivered at the sound, fighting the urge to cover their ears. The sound of the Grand Lord's voice was something to fear, and with good reason.

Igneel dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "Close to completion, my lord." He did not glance up, eye contact was considered disrespectful and punishable by death.

Igneels fingers began to twitch, an action he tried to hide within the folds of his cloak. Fear was weakness within the Grand Lord's mountain tunnels, yet even those who had been in his service for years, still had trouble concealing what many were so commonly punished for. If you survived long enough to serve for years, it was only because you were useful. He did not kill those who were useful to him.

The twitch did not go unnoticed by the Grand Lord. He noticed everything.

"You're son?"

"My son," The younger man began. He returned to his feet, yet considered to stare at the floor. "He will be ready. He is ready. Ready to serve you and prove himself useful to your service, the search will be conducted without mistake and swiftly."

"And the raid."

"Sir—"

"And the raid."

This was his punishment. Weakness was always punished, if not with death then in other ways. Now his son was paying for it, because of his fear, his son could lose his life. The Grand Lord's lips pulled into a cruel smile, if there was one thing he enjoyed it was disrupting the lives of his subjects and sending Igneel's only son into enemy territory was a source of high enjoyment. It gave him such a high.

"You're dismissed." Igneel bowed and headed for the door.

However.

The doors to the throne room crashed shut, the metal screeching as they slid into place. The Grand Lord slumped back into his seat, once alone he was able to contemplate his current predicament: Igneel's son.

The boy was brilliant. He frowned, his thin lips pulling into an ugly, broken shape at the idea of losing such brilliance on something as trivial as a village raid. A simple task really, but he had lost soldiers to the human village before, and this boy was not one he was willing to lose. If only his father wasn't such a fool.

If only the boy had been born to him.

xXx

"Well, this is quite the surprise."

Igneel was pleasantly surprised, the sight before him one he thought he would never see. His son sat before him in the center of the giant table in the tunnel's war room, books opened and spread all around him. Natsu was many things, but a bookworm was not one of them. He was far from it in fact; he found much more interest in swinging a sword around and impaling a dummy with the pointed object, unless skills but skills the young man had deemed necessary in his life, unlike a number of the Great Lord's soldiers, who much preferred brute strength and fire to swordplay. Not that Natsu didn't appreciate those skills as well, his had quite a way with fire.

Natsu glanced up at his father with bored curiosity before returned his attention back to the map he was studying. "Hello to you too, Dad."

Igneel nodded to the map in Natsu's lap, "Studying the area?" He picked up a book that was perched by Natsu's knee, War Tactics: Human Barbarians and How to Defeat them, flipping through the thick volume before setting it back in its place.

"Something like that." He muttered. Natsu reached behind him for another map of the same area so he could compare the two.

"You worried?"

Natsu glanced towards another, larger map that hung on the wall to his left before rolling his eyes at his father's question. "Hardly. Leading a search party is hardly difficult work. I consider it to be more of a boring chore than anything else."

"Just your luck then I suppose," Igneel muttered under his breath. Natsu raised an eyebrow at his father in question. The elder many paused for another moment before sighing through his nose. "You're leading the next raid."

"So I've been told, a brilliant idea if me opinion is valued." Natsu smirked and hopped off the table, only to pick up a sword and begin poking it towards to human dummy in the corner. "I've been waiting for something exciting such as this to happen. I'm perfectly capable of leading a raid."

"Brilliant he says, that incompetence will get him killed," Igneel muttered under his breath, which didn't go unheard by Natsu. Ignoring his father's jab at his incapability he focused on his blade, swiveling and moving expertly until finally severing the dummy's head in one sweep.

Laying the sword against the table, he turned back to his father, noticing the worry on his face for the first time. "You don't think I can handle it."

"It's not that, son."

"Than what is?" The young man questioned, leaning his hip against the table. He spun his sword in a circle at his feet, tip to the ground. "If you have something to say than I'd love to hear it." He said, though it sounded bitter and resentful.

"I'm only concerned for your safety—"

"Why?" Natsu interrupted as he began swinging his sword again, "It's just a village raid. I'm in no real danger. It's not like my life is on the line. Worst case scenario I'll be chased with a child's slingshot and I'll get a few bruises."

"There's always a danger when humans are involved." It donned on Igneel then, that his son had not been told where he was to be leading the raid, a simple observation considering his son was only concerned about bruises and child play things. "You were not told were you?"

Natsu raised a brow, silently asking his father what it was he hadn't been told.

Igneel shook his head. "Always jumping into things head on will result in your death. Next time know your place, know your enemy." The elder man clamped a strong hand on his son's shoulder, causing him to lose his grip on his blade, and turned him towards the map infested table. He grabbed one of the larger maps, pulling it towards him he scanned the layout until he found the area he was looking for.

Natsu glanced over the map his father was examining. It was a mountainous area, an advantage for somebody like him, until the layout flattened out into a vast plain and a number of scattered forests that merged together around a lake. His father pointed to a hilly clearing near the lake, tapping a few times to indicate it was what he was looking for.

Magnolia City, home to the Slayers and Lord Hearfilia the Rash.

Oh.

Well his father's concern made sense now, didn't it?

Natsu pursed his lips as he stared at the map. He could feel his father's eyes on him, watching him for any sort of reaction. The young man sighed and continued to stare at the map, silent for a moment before he said, "I'm being sent on a suicide mission."

It wasn't a question.

Igneel said nothing, not even when Natsu turned to him, his eyes full of panic and looking for any form of reassurance that wouldn't come. He pulling his son to him, hugging him for a long moment and sad when he had to let go, for both knew this may be last moments that they would spend together.

Because sending a young teenager, no matter how skilled, into the home of Lord Hearfilia the Rash was no laughing matter. His name came from the past, from his once brash antics as a young leader, but now he was anything but. He was a calculating and ruthless leader that led his people with a power that many of their kind had lost their lives too. This man, this man that would possibly kill his son, was no rash man of judgment.

Natsu pulled away from his father, picked up his blade and began hacking at the dummy in the corner again. Igneel watched his movements, which were once smooth and calculated but had turned jerky and nervous. His son was scared.

"Natsu."

The young man's shoulders slumped, the blade dangling loosely from his grip as it slid across the floor. His son didn't look at him when he spoke. "I don't want to die, papa."

Papa. The name once used by his son as a young child and which was now reserved for when Natsu hit at his lowest points. It was used when he was sad, lonely, and terrified. And the worst part about it now was that Igneel could do nothing to help his son, because he was being punished, and Natsu, his strong, loyal son, which was so full of life, was paying for his mistakes.

Facing death was not easy, and there's no way to prepare yourself for it.

Igneel moved towards his son, tugging at his shoulder the younger man had to choice but to turn towards him but he kept his gaze on the floor. The older man loosened his son's fingers from around the hilt of his sword and placed it on the table to their right. Then he looked at his son, with his strong hands on his young shoulders Igneel looked at the man that his son had become. Then he did something he swore he would never do to his only child.

He lied.

"Be strong my boy. You will be alright. I believe in you, in your skills. There has never been a warrior fiercer than the man who stands before me, a man who is my flesh and blood and who I raised to be a proud, strong fighter. Natsu, you will return here a victor and the kingdom will celebrate your victory like it hasn't celebrated for a thousand years.

Meer seconds after that the Grand Lord's highest ranking officers came for Natsu. They ushered him out of the room, giving him not even a moment to say goodbye to his father. All they had was a shared glance over the younger man's shoulder and then he was gone.

And Igneel, in that moment when his son was taken from him, had never felt more ashamed. Had never felt the sting of guilt and betrayal like this, for, even if Natsu didn't know it, he had betrayed his son's trust. So, consumed by his emotions, the once proud man fell to his knees and wept.

xXx

Quick, jerky breathe came from her throat and sweat covered her forehead, causing her dirt infested blonde locks to stick to her skin. Her body shook as she dug her nails into the ground as he stood over her with the blade of his sword stuck in the dirt between her shoulder and chin.

"You're such a fool." He said as he twisted the blade in the dirt.

She slowly shifted to her back. How had this happened? How had she become the one covered in blood and dirt on the ground with his blade at her throat instead of the other way around? Where had her mistake been made…had there been one to begin with?

No, she supposed there hadn't been.

So when did she become the fool?

She took one last breath as he removed his blade from the dirt beside her so he could reposition it above her once again. Then she waited for the sharp tip of his sword to pierce her throat, the killing blow.

It stopped an inch from her jugular, just as she knew it would. Lucy huffed a breath as Gray removed his blade from her throat, smirking at her and giving her a suggestive wink as he sheathed the blade. "You know, I rather like the idea of you being beneath me, Lucy though I imagined it differently from the current situation." The blonde rolled her eyes and scoffed in disgust, shoving away his hand when he offered it to her. In the distance they heard Gildart's holler for lunch break. Lucy trudged ahead, leaving the raven haired male to bask in his victory over the chief's only heir.

Levy squeaked, surprised by the loud banging made by the blonde's mug as she slammed it onto the table. Lucy stared at the amber liquid, apple cider, and felt her stomach squeeze in hunger, but decided against drinking the sweet drink and chose to run her index finer around the rim of the cup.

"Rough session, Lu?" Levy quipped as she returned to her book. Lucy rolled her eyes at her best friend and remained silent. Levy, as Lucy often put it, had it quite easy. The bluenette wasn't enrolled in training sessions like herself, but instead often came to keep Lucy company during her lunch breaks. She claimed that a life of training and fighting wasn't suited to her lifestyle and instead chose to help run her family's bookshop, which held anything and everything on printed paper.

"It'd be better if that pig would stop making references about wanting me in his bed."

Levy glanced quickly towards Gray, who was surrounded by a number of other young slayers, before returning her gaze to her book. He was Mr. Popular, a favorite of the elders and the ladies. Most looked up to him, which meant that many often questioned Lucy's strong distaste for the young man.

"Ignore him. Starting something will do you no good, Lu."

Lucy scoffed, taking a sip of her drink before pushing it away. "As if I'd be so foolish."

"Smart decision." Levy glanced over the top of her book, cracked a smile, and pushed her glasses up her nose with her index finger. "You have a visitor, Lu."

The blonde raised a brow and turned just as a man of middle age was about to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. He was a messenger and one of higher standards according to his uniform and the crest that rested over his heart.

"Miss. Lucy, your father has summoned you."

Confusion crossed her blonde's face at such a piece of information. Her father viewed her training sessions with great eminent, and always made sure she was never interrupted during them.

"I'm not to be disturbed during training."

"I'm sorry Miss. Lucy, but he has made it quite clear that you are to be summoned, despite the fact that you are in the middle of a session. Follow up training has already been scheduled for after the meeting to make up for the lost time. Now, if you will please follow me."

Without any other choice, Lucy rose from her seat and followed the man.

xXx

Deeps breaths, everything is fine.

Or so she told herself as she walked through the halls of her home, headed towards her father's throne room. There were many reasons that she could have been summon, and many reason that she tried to convince herself were the reasons, though none of them were of a positive outcome. Reality was, there was only one reason her father would summon her in the middle of a session.

She had failed him. Again.

Her heart was in her throat when she reached the throne room. The large doors loomed over her, more intimidating now than they had ever been, even when she was small. She loved her father, and he her, but she knew nothing good waiting for her on the other side of metal and wood.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy knocked. She waited a moment and then heard the faint "enter" from the other side of the door. With both hands she gripped the handle to the vast door and shoved it open with her shoulder.

Inside her father sat on his throne, making small talk with a servant girl who scurried off towards the kitchen when Lucy entered the room. Her father turned his gaze on her at her entry, and though it was kind and held love, it also held a great sense of disappointment, which, sadly, didn't surprise her.

"Good afternoon, daughter. I understand you must be wondering why I pulled you from your session today."

"Afternoon, father," Lucy greeted as she gave a slight bow of her head. They weren't normally so formal with each other, however under the current circumstances she felt to need to be so, perhaps it would stale is anger. "Yes, it was rather unexpected."

"Lucy," Her father started as he leaned forward in his chair before motioning her forward. "I understand that your results in your training sessions have been less than adequate. I'm growing tired of the failures, daughter. As well as your excuses."

"Father when I—,"

"There lies the problem, Lucy. You always talk about when. I'll understand when you kill a dragon, the city will accept you when you've finally tamed one of the beasts and mounted his head on a plaque for all the world to see. I need now, daughter! It's high time you know that more than your lack of ability at dragon slaying is at stake here; it's your ability to lead. To be somebody your people can look to for guidance. The time has come for you to start doing, to accomplish what it is you were born to do."

"Father I'm trying I—,"

"If you can't slay a dragon by midsummer you will be relinquished of your title."

Lucy froze. Her muscles tightened and turned stiff, as if she had had ice water poured into her veins. Her father's eyes turned soft as he watched the war that raged within his daughter, he loved her, for no father had loved his daughter more than he loved his, but he had to push her.

"Most of your peers have either succeeded in their first kill or they have assisted in one." Lucy almost collapsed from shock when her father's strong hand clamped down on her shoulder. "I do this for you, daughter. Perhaps in order to succeed you must be pushed, but my threat stands firm, do not think this it null and void."

"Father, please, I—,"

"Fall is ending and the beginning of winter is fast upon us. You have till midsummer. If you don't prove your worth by then I'll have no choice but to relinquish you of your title as heir. Now I haven't another child to pass on the title too, but that is a problem easily fixed." Lucy watched as her father returned to his throne. Though high and mighty he was, he was aging, something that she could see clearly in his desperation, which he hid well, but couldn't hide from her.

"You wouldn't possibly."

"Come now, Lucy. Marriage is not the end of the world; it is how a society like ours survives. Don't think harshly of me, daughter, I do what I believe is in your best interest. A number of suitors have already asked for your hand, though I have been clear that you are not yet ready for such a commitment. Perhaps the time has come."

Lucy stared at her father, dumbfounded, before composing herself enough to ask, "Suitors?"

"Loki of the Celestial Village in the north has expressed interest, as have a number from Sabertooth in the south. I, however, prefer for our tires to stay within the village. Gray Fullbuster would suit you nicely."

"I would rather gut myself alive than lie with a swine like Gray Fullbuster."

"Come now, Lucy. He is a capable young man, and one I would be proud to call my son-in-law. He would care for you and your children splendidly, build you a fine home with his own two hands, provide food for you to live happily."

"He would harass me into breeding for him! That's the only use I would have for him. The man knows nothing or respect or morals!"

"Enough, daughter!" Lucy flinched as her father brought his large hand down on his chair, causing the goblet that had been placed on the arm to fall, and the wine to spread across the floor. "I am trying to be civil with you, Lucy but you will not hear of it. You will marry Gray Fullbuster come midsummer."

"I refuse."

"Then prove you are still worth something! Prove you deserve your title as my heir!" He bellowed as he stood from his throne once again. Lucy said nothing as he strode past her, taking the hallway that would lead him to his chambers and the war room.

The sound of slamming doors indicated she was alone. Lucy crumbled to the ground.

xXx

To be continued : Chapter 2: Scales and Daggers

AN: Hi lovelies! Another Fairy Tail story! Yay! This thing has been brewing in my stories folder for months so if parts of it seem rushed that's because it's a combination of old and new pieces smashed together. It might even be older than War Pawn. Haha shows how lazy I am.

Same old, same old. I apologize for my lazy editing.

Read and Review! I love feedback!

Love dearies,

ZiraUzu