Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail is a beautiful work of art that belongs to the great Hiro Mashima and Konami.

A/N: Okay guys, this is the first actual fanfiction I have written in quite a long time, not counting the parody I recently did. I am hoping that my writing skills have improved since my horrid attempts from Jr. High and High School. I am just going to write this one shot for now but if people like it I may explore a few other ideas in my head. Please don't be shy about leaving me a review, in fact I encourage you to leave me something.

It wasn't real. It couldn't be real. Not when he had just got him back. He had spent so many years searching for him and had finally saw him again. Now he saw him falling from the sky. His father the great Flame Dragon King Igneel, was falling from the sky with a large portion of his body ripped away by the monster known as Acnologia.

He couldn't think clearly. He couldn't feel the world around him. There was only this horrible twisting in his gut. He couldn't breath. It was like someone had punched him hard enough to take the wind out of him. The sound of his heart beat was the only thing he could hear though the sound didn't register with his mind. There was nothing else in the world but what he was witnessing. 'Dad…' the word ran through his mind as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

Light flashed through the sky as his father's enemy hit him with a blast of magic energy, sending a blast wave over the area. His pink hair and scaled scarf whipped about in the wind but he didn't seem to notice. His eyes were focused on one thing.

"IGNEEL!" he shouted in grief.

Natsu bolted up from this bed, panting heavily. It had been three weeks since the battle with Tartaros. Three weeks since he watched his father die. Every detail was still fresh in his mind as if it had happened yesterday. He tried hard to put on a brave face every day, for Happy, but inside… inside he was still empty. This was the ninth time he'd had this dream. The memories were replaying in his mind, keeping the pain fresh in his heart.

Looking around him he first eyed his little blue buddy, Happy, and saw him still fast asleep. Not wanting to wake him, Natsu silently pushed himself up to go over to the second thing that caught his attention. It was the gravestone he had put up for Igneel. After traveling all aimlessly around Fiore, Happy suggested they go to Tenrou Island to see the First Master's grave. But on the way there, Natsu wanted to go back to where he first met Igneel. It was in that spot that he placed this marker.

Kneeling down in front of it he put a hand to the top as he tried to stop the tears that were already beginning to flood down his face. If only he'd quit having the dream. How could he move on when it always hurt like this. Choking back a sob he used his arm to wipe his face. Igneel wouldn't want him to be sad. He'd said as much in his final words. He had promised Igneel that he would look to the future. He would live life… grow stronger… he would show Igneel what he could become.

But how? How could he show his dad anything at all?! He was gone! He didn't even to get to say a proper good bye to him. It wasn't fair! He wanted more time with him! He had wanted Igneel to meet all of his friends. Grey, Erza, Lucy, and Wendy… and Happy of course. He wanted to share with him all the stories of what he'd done with the guild.

"Come back Igneel…" he said in a hushed whisper. "You can't leave me… not yet…" he then added as a fresh tear trailed down his cheek. His heart was twisted again. At some point Happy had woken up and walked over to him, a worried look in the Exceed's eyes.

"Natsu…." He said not sure of what to do. He had never seen his best friend so down.

Looking over Natsu quickly put on that brave face he'd been wearing the past three weeks. "Hey… I didn't wake you up did I?"

"No.." came Happy's reply. It was a lie but he didn't want Natsu to feel any worse.

There was silence between them for a while before Happy walked forward and put a paw on Natsu's knee. "I got an idea…" he said "Let's put Fairy Tail's guild emblem on Igneel's gravestone. Make him an honorary part of the guild!" The Exceed said.

Natsu looked to his friend with a smirk "Yeah, that's a great idea happy." Using his fire magic, Natsu scorched the guild's symbol into the stone. That one act somehow helped relieve a heavy amount of the pain he was feeling "There you go Old Man." He said he said as he sat back and crossed his arms to look at his handy work. "An official member of the guild." He said with a smile which in turn made Happy smiled.

The smile faded soon enough as Natsu's expression got serious. "I wish you could have met everyone…" he said to the Igneels marker. "I know you were always there… inside me… but somehow it's not the same. Everyone would have loved you…" Natsu then trailed off to tell Igneels marker all about his friends and what they were like.

After a while, he looked up toward the stars "I miss you Dad…" he said feeling that ache in his heart but this time he didn't let it take over. He stood up, like Igneel taught him to do when he was sad, and formed a fists with his hands. Still looking up he spoke but this time to Igneels spirit, something he was sure he could feel surrounding him

'Speak of the future. That's where the power of life lies.'

Those were Igneels last words.

"The future." Natsu repeated as those words played in his mind "Alright! You may not be here physically but you ARE here…" he said hitting his chest with his fist, knowing that his father was in his heart and always would be. "That ain't ever gonna change. I didn't get much time with you and there's nothing I can do to change that but I'm gonna live for you Igneel. So long as I'm breathing I'll never stop. I gonna get strong… strong enough to take down Acnologia. I'ma make him regret the day he was ever born!" he shouted.

Nearby Happy was getting motivated by Natsu's words and jumped up, fist pumping the air and shouting "Aye!"

Natsu took in a deep breath before he kept going "And most importantly." He said in a calmer tone "I am gonna make you proud… Dad." He said as a gust of wind picked up and surrounded him. It was warm… as if Igneel were surrounding him. "I promise."