Author's Note: It's great to finally be able to express myself in a form of writing easily accessible to others! My internet name is Legoman7861, and I welcome you to my very first Fanfiction. As of lately, I've been noticing that I have a considerable amount of free time on my hands and want to write something that not only gives me something to do in my free time, but also contributes to an audience.
I intend for my writing to give readers as much imagery, description, and development as possible, as their purposes will be pivotal throughout the plot later on. Please bear in mind that this fanfiction is a split off from the S-Class examination trials, and for that reason, there will inevitably be some parts of my Fanfiction that I will have to describe in depth due to needing to reframe my plot due to this diversion. I already have a foreseeable structure mapped out for a large majority of the Fanfiction that I intend to fulfill.
So if anything seems ambiguous, would like to post CONSTRUCTIVE criticism or would like to supplement me with possible plot interventions as I am reframing a large part of the anime, please feel free to notify me. If my audience members provide me with questions, plot ideas, or criticism, I will attempt to address them ASAP within the author's note of a future chapter and might even consider intertwining them within my plot. I please ask of you to bear with me throughout this little story. As I said before, I've has a lot of free time on my hands lately, however, for me, it takes quite some time to write content that I find worthy to upload. The next chapter could take a few weeks AT LEAST. I will be keeping constant updates, so don't worry about me vanishing!
Lastly, as a disclaimer, the fanfiction cover image belongs to the company Atlus. The image will play an insurmountable role much later in the plot.
I digress from this momentary interlude. Without further waiting, I give you the first chapter of:
A Dragon From Immolation
Chapter one: A Feeble Slayer's Resolve
"Feeble." That was the word running across Natsu Dragneel's mind lately. As he walked through the forest outlining the field upon which his house laid in, Natsu wondered if he would even be as powerful as he is without his guildmates. "Am… Am I only powerful because they help me? How can you I even be called a Dragon Slayer considering the outcomes of my past victories?" Although Natsu has been plagued by these thoughts lately, he knew very well that these thoughts would be considered taboo by his father, Igneel. During Natsu's battle with Zero, Igneel was the one who told Natsu in the void that he should never forget that he is a true Dragon Slayer and that no that no matter what happened, Igneel would always be proud of him.
However, Igneel was not here with Natsu like when he was a child. That was the honest truth that Natsu hated to admit. Ironically, this should have been a rather happy time for Natsu. He was finally reunited with Lisanna after the entire Edolas fiasco, got the courage to ask her to become his girlfriend a year ago, and the S-Class Examinations were only a week away. That would be the perfect opportunity for him to demonstrate his abilities if it weren't for the regulations set forth by Master Makarov. "All S-Class Participants must have an accompaniment to aid them in their journey," Natsu sighed out as he continued walking.
Over the span of his journeys, Natsu's feeling of self doubt and uselessness can mainly be credited towards how the outcomes of his past victories were achieved. Although he didn't realize it then, Natsu's first encounter with questioning his power arose when he stole the S-Class quest for lifting the curse from Galuna Island. He wanted to show Master Makarov that he had the potential to handle quests of S-Class caliber. However, he did not intend for Gray to settle his feud with his lifelong Ice-Make rival along with Erza showing up and solving the riddle to the villager's transformation problem.
Similarly, throughout his battle with Gajeel and the Phantom Lord Guild hall, Natsu was completely outmatched for the majority of the fight due to a lack of magical power. "Although I hate to admit that Pole Head is better than me, if it weren't for Lucy's Sagittarius creating fire from igniting that spark, I can't say Gajeel would have left my body intact." Natsu cringed. Sure, Natsu was the victor of the battle. But he would have easily succumbed to Gajeel if Lucy was rendered unconscious by the time Natsu arrived at the scene.
Another instance was when he confronted Laxus in the battle of Fairy Tail. At this point, Natsu was certain that that moment would have been the opportunity he needed to prove his magical capabilities by taking down Fairy Tail's strongest mage. But of course, the only Fairy Tail members at the time who were physically able to fight Laxus were Natsu AND Gajeel. Without Gajeel redirecting Laxus's Heavenward Halberd spell, Natsu wouldn't have had the magical capability do defend the spell while still being able to continue fighting. "At this point, it's either that the alternative outcome for my past 'victories' proves that I'm too weak to handle a higher level of magic potential or that I only have usefulness when I depend on my team. What's worse?" Natsu sarcastically questioned to himself out loud.
And finally, the most recent and most glaring instance that represented Natsu's lack of power was when he fought the leader of the Oracion Seis, Zero. During this battle, Natsu was able to achieve the most powerful form a Dragon Slayer could, the Dragon Force. However, the only reason he was able to reach this level of power was through Jellal's Flames of Rebuke. This is where Natsu assumed the worst, "If it weren't for those flames that Jellal leant me, Igneel wouldn't have given me that advice on how to escape the void that Zero trapped me inside. That's because… Igneel would have already known at that point that no amount of encouragement would have helped me to escape my death. I'm not even powerful enough to even achieve my full potential by myself." Natsu gritted through his teeth. "Speaking of Jellal," Natsu began again, "I've always wanted to know where he learned such a powerful spell."
None of these instances were a matter of whether or not Natsu's guildmates aided him. In fact, he was grateful in every way possible for them supporting his back. Instead, Natsu had come to terms that he wouldn't have had the magical power to resolve the issues on his own accord. "It's almost as if I feel obligated to prove my worth to not only my guild, but to the ones that I care for the most. That way, I know for certain that I not only have power to handle quests that require a higher level of magic skill, but just as importantly I can prove that I'm capable of providing for my Nakama in return for the countless times they have provided for me! Now THE REAL question is what can I do solve both my problems? "
"GRRRuuuggg," Before Natsu could finish his thoughts, he heard a harsh noise coming from his stomach. "Thinking gets stressful," Natsu huffed, "Maybe Lisanna's down for food at the bar!" He added with a brightened tone.
Feeling slightly satisfied with coming to a resolve for his most troubling issue, the Pinkette attempted to ease the remainder of his problems by taking into account the scenery that he considered part of his property rather than cut straight through the inner field he used for training. The forest he was walking through outlined a sizeable field approximately two acres in area that was used for training. Towards the front middle of the field lay his house with a backdoor leading to the entire area that his property lied upon. In the distance after leaving his house through the backdoor one could see ever so slightly the mist emitted from the waterfalls in the background with Magnolia town residing in the direction his front door faced. Magnolia Town's charter was only a 30 second walk away, yet Natsu's house remained on a raised plateau with a steep inclining leading up to his front door giving any residents of his house a breathtaking view of the town's commerce.
Everything that lied on Natsu's property was built from scratch. Before his house resided on the raised plateau, the forest at one time covered the field that he used for training. "I sure worked my ass off to afford this place." Natsu meekly smiled. The time and dedication it took to clear out the trees in a perfect rectangle was unbelievable which only complemented the hard working nature Natsu had at times. It cost him 500,000 Jewels to purchase the charter from the Magnolia Town mayor which was equivalent to two years of his work when he first joined Fairy Tail as a child. The entire layout wasn't overly massive, but it was definitely something that Natsu was proud to call "home."
As he passed around his home and crossed the boundary into Magnolia Town towards Lisanna's house, Natsu's constant reflections toward his childhood triggered a nostalgia trip that reminded him of when he put himself in the predicament he was in.
Scene Change – X777 (Seven years ago), Fairy Tail Guild hall
"What do you mean I can't leave the guild hall?!" Natsu blurted out. All he came into town for was to ask directions to the nearest port so he could continue his search for his lost father. Now he was somehow entangled in an argument with some old man sitting on top of the hall's bar countertop on whether or not he was able to leave and continue his search.
"You heard me lad. It's obvious to me that you have no guardian to look after you, otherwise you wouldn't be wandering around Magnolia town all alone in the condition you are in." Makarov stated as he viewed the young boy's clothing. The old guild master admitted within his mind that he truly did feel remorse for the poor ragamuffin's state. The pink haired kid who stood in front of him was covered in dirt that was etched into the smallest crevices of his skin. His hair had the consistency of barn hay and his clothes had wrinkles on every piece of fabric. The sandals that he was wearing were tied together with makeshift material as the straps had broken off from strenuous walking. Surprisingly, there remained a white scarf with black thread wrapped around his neck that looked to be in better condition than the boy himself. "Anyways, you should be grateful that I found you wandering around town when I went to purchase my special edition magazines!" Makarov finished with an eager tone in his voice.
"But I have a duty to find my dad!"
"And I have a duty as the master of this guild to ensure you stay safe and out of harms trouble!" Makarov stated as a rebuttal. "I understand that you want to find your father, but you're approaching the situation from the wrong direction! I may be 81 years old, but even I alone don't know the solutions to all the worlds' problems. Young man, I know nothing of your past, where you come from, your name, or any of your background for that matter. Hell, you could have been a part of a dark guild before arriving here. What I do know, however, is that you're standing in front of people willing to give their lives for this guild if it meant the other members could live another day! Believe me when I say that I want you to find your father. However, Fairy Tail mages don't abandon each other when they are in need of help the most. That would be an insult to our guild's legacy! I may be the master of this guild, but first and foremost I a mage of Fairy Tail."
Little do the two know that the entire guild was now tuned in to Master Makarov's pseudo-speech. Many of the guildmates sat in complete awe as moments like these deserved complete silence. One guild member, however, whose back was facing Natsu, took this as an opportunity to join the conversation.
"I know what you're thinking: That you're not a member of our family so how should we be able to help you? I know this because I felt the same way when I first joined Fairy Tail. When I was really little, my parents died in an accident dealing with mixing and experimenting with spells and me and my bigger brother and sister were left homeless. No one would adopt us because my big sister, Mirajane, was with my parents when the accident that killed them happened and got magic that transformed parts of her body into scary monsters. My older brother Elfman and I were the only comfort she had. Everyone who she tried talking to either ran away or screamed for help because they were afraid that she was going to hurt them. The three of us traveled for months until we reached the Fairy Tail Guild hall. Instead of running away like everyone else, Master Makarov along with the rest of the guild members gave us food to eat and even listened to how my sister got her magic. They also made an exception and let Mira, Elfman and I live in the guild hall. However, most importantly, he and the rest of the Fairy Tail Guild members made us their Nakama."
At this point, all the guild members turned their focus towards the new speaker and some of the listeners even had tear streaks running across their faces as they remembered the day this event all occurred. Natsu only felt guilt. This wasn't just because a girl around his age, presumed by the sound of her voice, was spilling her tragic life story. His guilt was primarily caused because he realized that he was being selfish in this situation. How other way could he respond to this situation other than accepting Master Makarov's offer? Natsu at least had the luxury of being raised by a father figure throughout his childhood, unlike this girl. Unknown to him, the girl was sitting on one of the bar benches off to left side of the guild entrance. Although the crowd that gathered around Natsu and Master Makarov turned their attention towards the girl, they continued to hide her figure until she decided to emerge from the crowd. The girl, whose back that was facing Natsu, turned around, stood up, lifted her hanging head, and stared into his brown eyes. As she began to walk towards him, Natsu was immediately able to confirm that the girl who joined the conversation was slightly younger than he was. She had large, innocent blue eyes which complemented the gentle way she talked. The girl also had white hair that was perfectly rounded on top while going down to her cheeks on both sides of her ears. Her cheeks had a slight red flush to them and the girl was wearing a white dress that went slightly past her knees.
"Master and Lisanna are right you know." Another guild member chimed in. This time, Natsu was immediately met with their appearance as the person started walking towards him from the crowd. "You can't just waltz around the world hoping that you'll somehow run into your missing father again, especially considering the condition you are in. You'll have the best chances of finding who you're looking for if you ask for help and think about where he would most likely be at this time." The girl finished. She had red hair which was the same shade as blood which created bangs on both sides of her forehead. Judging from her more sophisticated language, Natsu assumed that this new girl was a couple years older than the one who just finished spilling her life's tragedy. She wore leather combat boots that matched her leather belt which supported a scabbard with a golden sword hilt jetting from the top. Her entire attire consisted of a white tunic that went up to her palms and covered her knees. The finishing touch was a light armored breast plate covering her chest for protection. "The name's Erza Scarlet. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. The person who you were just arguing with is Master Makarov and considering I just mentioned her a second ago, you can probably guess that this little one right here is Lisanna." Erza finished whilst ruffling Lisanna's hair.
"Hey, I'm only three years younger than you, Erza!" Lisanna argued.
"Anyways," Erza snickered, "You're technically not a Fairy Tail member until you get the badge imprinted on your body. However, that doesn't mean that we don't care about you. I think you'd make a great guild member. We could put all that pent up energy into protecting your new guild members." As she finished her statement, a large portion of the guild began to lighten up from Lisanna's original comment and even start to jeer at Erza's remark.
"Know it all." Natsu sneered under his breath. He hated being wrong as his personality stemmed from his father, Igneel. Igneel always had full confidence in his own magic potential and would never back down from a challenge. He would constantly boast about his magical capabilities going as far as saying that no one would survive the true "wrath of Igneel." Igneel and Natsu lived in complete isolation for the majority of Natsu's childhood, so it wasn't abnormal of Natsu to reject help and aid from strangers he didn't know. "Erza and that old man are right. What was his name gain? Was it Wakanose? I'll just stick with Gramps. I've been searching for Igneel for months now and still have no idea where he is. Maybe if I join this guild they can at least help me find him." As Natsu finished coming to a conclusion, another guild mate had a different perspective that they felt needed to be shared with the guild.
"What do you mean he's joining us Erza? He walks into OUR guild hall like he owns the place, talks bad in front of Master Makarov, and now you're suggesting that he joins Fairy Tail like some hot head?" The young boy spat.
In no time at all, the entire guild turned around at breakneck speed to see who challenged their new arrival. The person, who just recently entered the guild hall, was leaning against the guild's entrance with his legs crossed. The bright light only outlined a silhouette of his figure. After a few seconds, the person began to emerge from the blinding light and revealed his physical appearance with every step into the guild hall. The young boy who objected to Natsu joining the guild was around his age judging from their similar height. Natsu noticed that the person's physique was rather lean for his age as he completed his head-to-toe examination. The boy's hair was similar to Natsu's in that it was unkempt albeit being very dark indigo in color and much cleaner than Natsu's at the time. To his surprise, the most glaring feature which Natsu immediately took into account was that his provoker was wearing no shirt at the time. In fact, the only attire that he could be seen wearing was his undergarments which consisted of a pair of blue boxers. Other than that, the only other items he had on his body were the Fairy Tail Guild mark on his upper right chest which matched the color of his hair and a necklace which reassembled a sword with the cross section of its hilt held together by a gemstone.
As the boy was now mere feet away from Natsu, he took this as a time retort. "I thought Fairy Tail members were supposed to help others to stay safe and out of harm's way? Or did the person who stole your clothes scare you to the point you can't think properly?" Natsu said with a flared smirk on his face.
"Fairy Tail members help other people stay out of harm's way. Bad guys like you deserve no help from mages like us. In the end, you'll end up feeling the power of our guild like all our other enemies." The young boy retorted.
"I guess you haven't met many good mages if you're still able to be that mouth of y-."
Without warning, Gray lunged towards Natsu with full intent. Natsu immediately backpedaled and stepped to the side to evade Gray's sucker punch which would have left him reeling had it landed.
"Ice Make: Fist!" Gray followed up with as he continued his onslaught. Natsu was forced to go on defensive in order to evade Gray's spell. Being quick on his feet, Natsu was able to catapult off of the wreckage that Gray destroyed when he first attacked him and intentionally set himself airborne. He took this momentary level advantage to form his hands into a funnel, place it against his mouth and inhale deeply through it. Master Makarov easily predicted where this was going, and before he could activate his spell, Natsu felt a hard surface slam on top of his head which sent him back down to earth putting him out of the fight.
The guild members that witnessed the event unfold surprisingly didn't join the brawl. Instead, they watched Master Makarov break up the fight by stopping Natsu before he was able to activate his spell midair. None of the members were stunned by what had just occurred. Guild brawls were common throughout the guild considering Master Makarov approved of them. If they eventually got out of hand, he had the magical capabilities to stop the participants before the entire guild hall was leveled. This was quite ironic considering how stingy the old guild master could be at times. In the past he even forced the guild members to eat outside the mess hall for an entire month as he couldn't afford to waste water rinsing off the tables. This was largely due to the numerous fires caused by the other guild members spells throughout brawls needing to be doused with water. The possibility of repeating that again was enough for many guild members to decide to not join the brawl.
"What was that for?!" Natsu screamed as Master Makarov released him from being squashed against the ground. Gray was now on his back laughing at the outcome of their fight and at how bad his opponent was beaten.
"Great job on your victory, Champ!" Gray sarcastically stuttered.
"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you, Gray. I was forced to stop Natsu before he activated his spell as we don't know the capabilities he has as a mage just yet." Makarov stated with caution. "For all we know, he could have leveled the entire guild floor with that spell he was about to use."
Erza, having witnessed the entire scene unfold, walked up to gray and picked him up by his armpits and shoved him towards the area that Natsu began resurfacing from. "As you know by now, this is Gray. Don't mind his attitude; he's never been too fond of new arrivals… Graaaaaaayy," Erza implied, "Is there something you would like to say to Natsu?"
Gray immediately straightened his slouched back out of fear and apologized with, "I'msorryforstartingafightwithyou. FairyTailmembersalwayshelpotherpeopleinneed. Pleasejointheguild!" He hurriedly finished as he got to his knees. Gray knew how strict Erza was and if he was the reason that Natsu changed his mind and refused to join the guild, he would never hear the end of the punishment that would follow.
Natsu was at a loss of words. He knew that Gray had no need to beg for him to join the guild as Gramps wasn't going to let him leave until he did. Furthermore, he wasn't about to take advantage of Gray and start making demands of him in order to join the guild. Igneel would have found that dishonorable. Seeing no other option, Natsu eventually succumbed to the guild's desires and muttered, "Fine, what do I have to do to join the stupid family?"
Following this statement, the entirety of the guild roared in approval and began to party like it was heaven on Fiore. Lisanna was so ecstatic that she ran up to Natsu and tackled him onto the ground into a giant bear hug causing Natsu to blush from embarrassment. Erza kneeled down beside him and did her version of a pat on the back which nearly dislocated Natsu's shoulder. Gray was simply grateful to have not been ground to a pulp by Erza. "I guess I now have a new person to beat up in our guild brawls," Gray meekly thought, "I'll just have to show him that he's never going to be a better mage than me."
It wasn't up until this point that Master Makarov realized that he was forgetting one bit of crucial information about the boy. He was at a loss of words for how it went unnoticed for this long. "QUIET DOWN EVERYONE!" Master Makarov boomed with his Giant Magic. In an instant, the entire guild ruckus came to a halt as many believed they took their party out of control and awaited their punishment. Satisfied with the situation, Master Makarov began walking towards their newest member. "I think I would be speaking for everyone when I say we would all like to know your name." It was at that moment the guild realized that the old guild master was right. Embarrassingly enough, not one member knew his name yet.
Natsu took a few seconds to comprehend the situation. "Did I really go this entire time without saying my name?" He thought out loud. He wasn't expecting the rest of the guild to respond with nods and surprised looks. "Can't help what already happened," Natsu smirked and declared, "My name is Natsu. Natsu Dragneel. I see that people have their guild marks in different places on their body. Can I get mine on my right shoulder in red?" He finished with a toothy grin.
Scene Change – Fairy Tail Guild Hall, Same Day
"Hey Lisanna, I can go on a job as long as I get it approved by the master, right?" Natsu was now gazing upon the job board posted in the left corner of the guild. He was only diverting his attention on occasion to speak to Lisanna
"That's how it works." Lisanna chimed.
"If I knew being in Fairy Tail would be this awesome, I would have joined much sooner!" Natsu blurted excitedly. "Being in a guild is just what I needed to find my dad! I can take jobs that allow me to earn money while continuing my journey across Fiore in search of him!"
"Aww is the little baby getting excited?" Mirajane cooed with a patronizing tone.
"You shouldn't make fun of him like that, Mirajane." Elfman said while hiding behind the job board. "Remember when people were scared when you tried talking to them because you couldn't control your Satan Soul? Natsu probably feels the same way every time you tease him."
"Elman's right, Mira, Stop teasing Natsu," Lisanna huffed, "You know he's still a new guild member." Lisanna admitted that Mirajane's personality completely changed when she started mastering her magic. She was no longer shy and meek like she used to be when the two of them were homeless with their middle brother, Elfman. Her Satan Soul magic completely altered her persona. She acted and dressed like a tomboy, constantly picked fights with other guild members to demonstrate her superiority, and teased the smaller members of the guild by scaring them with her demonic side. Elfman was literally the complete opposite. He was always vouching for other guild members and willing to help them whenever they may need aid.
"Whatever." Mirajane sneered as she backed away to lean against the job board's leg. Although she constantly teased many of the guildmates with her newfound power, Mirajane was ready to protect her Nakama at all costs. Just like any other Fairy Tail member. However, there was no way in hell she planned on admitting that.
"So Natsu," Lisanna diverted back to the subject, "You never told me anything about your father or the type of magic that you use. Was he the one to teach you your magic?"
"Lisanna, you know better than to ask the boy such a personal question. Although we are all Nakama a part of the same guild, we come from different backgrounds and history. If he wants to share his past with us, then he will tell us when that time-."
"Don't worry about it, Gramps," Natsu interrupted, "Finding my dad was the entire reason I joined Fairy Tail so it only makes sense for me to tell you about him."
Taking interest in where the conversation was leading, Erza got up from her seat at the far end of the bar and approached Master Makarov's position at the other corner of the bar's countertop to learn about Natsu's personal history.
"My father's name is Igneel and he's King of the Fire Dragons. He taught me Fire Dragon Slayer Magic," Natsu blatantly stated. The few guild members who were tuned into the conversation succumbed to an awkward silence until three seconds into it Mirajane fell onto the ground laughing hysterically. Simultaneously, Gray fell out of his bar stool next to Master Makarov letting off a roar equivalent to a Dragon.
"When did Snow Flake over there tune into the conversation," Natsu asked dumbfounded, "And what's so funny?!"
Around 15 seconds into her laughter, Mirajane mustered the strength to stand back up and say, "For… For a little guy like you, I find it surprising that you were able to lie easier than the demons that created my magic." she said through stuttered speech. Gray, on the other hand, couldn't manage to get up. He was paralyzed by laughter and the farfetched situation at hand.
"It's… It's not a lie!" Natsu's voice quivered.
"Yeah, and Erza's stronger than me." Mirajane stated through her raspy breathing.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Erza boomed while changing her focus from Natsu to Mirajane. Enraged, she charged towards Mirajane ready to unsheathe her sword at a dimes notice. Not wanting anyone else in the guild to see the state he was about to be reduced to, Natsu bolted from the guild before he could be caught up in the guild's brawl. The entire time tears were pouring from his eyes. Although Mirajane's snarky comment became the catalyst to another momentous guild brawl triggered by their fight, Lisanna was sharp enough to have seen Natsu bolt out of the guild before he was caught up in it.
Natsu darted out of the guild hall and made an immediate left turn. He didn't know where he was going as the majority of the time he spent in Magnolia town was inside the Fairy Tail Guild hall. All he wanted was to get as far and as fast away from it as he could. Natsu was already struggling to run considering the guild hall lied upon a hill and he was traveling up the remainder of it towards a plateau. The condition he was currently in didn't help to his benefit him either. His sandals kept hindering the pace he could run at and tears mixed with mucus were clouding his vision. He didn't care if Erza was chasing after him with her sword or even if Elfman wanted to give him company, Natsu just wanted time to himself.
Natsu finally approached the raised plateau that the steep hill incline lead to. Using the remainder of his strength, he powered through the last leg of his journey by lifting his body up onto the level of raised ground that he desired to reach. His back continued to face the Fairy Tail Guild hall as he continued to stare at the seemingly endless forest that lay in front of him on top of the plateau he was on. Natsu briefly looked over his shoulder to see that the guild was roughly a mile away. Satisfied with the distance he put between the guild members who completely ridiculed him and himself, Natsu began to vent his anger and frustration by destroying the trees that outlined the plateau he was on. He was careful enough to not venture into the forest where he would get lost and made sure that the trees he destroyed wouldn't start ablaze. The last thing he needed was to cause unwanted attention or turn the entire forest into an inferno.
After around 15 minutes, he took a moment to marvel at the destruction he caused. Natsu cleared out all the trees in a ten foot radius which gave him a much better view of his surroundings. Around two miles towards the right rear of the plateau and opposite of where he came from was mist from a large waterfall that slowly crept towards where he was standing. Although the mist wasn't nearly able to reach him, it complemented the setting sun in the background by blocking out any additional glare that would have disrupted his field of vision. The plateau that he was on wasn't overly massive by any means. If he had to put a number on it, Natsu would guess that it was around six acres in size. Although it was primarily covered by trees save the area that Natsu cleared in his moment of vexation, it reminded him of the cave where Igneel raised him as his son. "I sure wish I lived here," Natsu said with jealousy, "Maybe if I get Erza to go on some jobs with me, I can afford to build a house on top of this hill." He smiled.
After a few moments, Natsu's thoughts shifted towards something more serious. Something that he wouldn't know would have such an impact on his life. "Mirajane and Gray may have called me a liar," Natsu stated with fact, "But I know that's not true. I'm going to work hard at proving my worth to not only my guild, but to you Igneel. I don't know how long it'll take, but one day, my time will come." He declared while staring over the horizon across Magnolia town.
Natsu's thoughts were interrupted as he heard staggering coming up the path he originally traveled on to arrive at his location. "If you've come to make fun of me, Mira, you don't have to anymore. No one at the guild believed that my dad was a dragon anyways. So much for always being there when I need you to support me the most." Natsu scoffed.
"But I'm not here to make fun of you." Said a small white haired girl as her head popped over the ledge of the plateau.
"Oh, it's you Lisanna. If you're going to make fun of me because you don't think my dad was a dragon, you don't need to, because it's not like any of the other guild members believed me in the fir-." Before he could continue, the white haired girl let out a sharp gasp as her hands covered her mouth. As she looked around, she could see that a good portion of the trees around Natsu had either been cut down or reduced to ash. The surrounding trees still standing had dark scorch marks littered across their trunks which could have only be caused by an unnatural event.
"Did… I mean were… Were you the one to do this?" Lisanna questioned in awe.
"Yeah, what of it?" Natsu asked. Without warning Lisanna tackled him to the ground and enveloped him in another hug. "Is this going to happen often?" Natsu deadpanned.
"Sorry," Lisanna giggled, "It's just that I knew you were really powerful which was why I chased you out here. I didn't care that Mira and Gray were laughing because I wanted to make sure you didn't run off. Now that I saw how powerful a dragon can be, I can't wait to rub it in their faces!"
"Don't worry Lisanna, I wouldn't have run off. In fact, this situation constantly happened on a regular basis when I was searching for Igneel before I even arrived at Fairy Tail. Whenever someone asked me for a description of my dad, they would just laugh and tell me to waste someone else's time"
"Then why did you run away?" Lisanna questioned with relief.
"Because… Because this is the first family I've had since Igneel left me." Natsu stated with the most sincere tone he could muster.
Lisanna couldn't hold it in anymore. Upon hearing that line, she burst into tears and buried her face into Natsu's ripped shirt. All that mattered was that Natsu didn't hate her.
Scene Change – Present day time
"I never even considered it back then because I just joined the guild, but what Gramps said applies to what I'm facing today. 'Fairy Tail mages help others in aid'. At least I can say that I was able to build my own house, if nothing else." Natsu Chuckled. "It's like Lisanna is the only person who trusts and believes in my strength", Natsu referred to when she embraced him on top of where his new home lies.
Over the next two years from the time when he first joined Fairy Tail, Natsu slaved away at clearing the plateau of trees one by one to the point where he could comfortably train on it. He was serious about wishing he could live there as the scenery represented the quintessence of nature. Not only did it supplement for a vast training ground that he could use without worry of his spells misfiring, but it was more than enough room to. Acquiring the land didn't demand for him to request a charter from the Magnolia Town Mayor, either, since his property technically didn't reside within the Magnolia town border.
As stubborn as he could be at times, Natsu remembered the oath he took all too long ago. "I'm going to work hard at proving my worth to you Igneel. I don't know how long it'll take, but one day, my time will come." He recited within the depths of his mind. Natsu knew one thing for sure… He still didn't know how much longer it would take to prove his worth. It's been seven long years since he made his promise, and that promise alone was motivation enough to see it through to the end considering Natsu refused to break them. Seeing that he had made absolutely zilch progress as of now, that was now immediately tied into the predicament he was facing: Self Doubt, dishonor, and feebleness.
"Anyways, I'm not going to continue to plague my thoughts with negativity considering I have a new resolve," Natsu firmly declared, "I prove my worth to my Nakama and Igneel, show them the potential that I can achieve with my magic, and provide for the ones I care about in return for the countless times they have provided for me. Too bad that's easier said than done," Natsu sighed, "But at least I'll be able to come to terms with my lack of strength of a mage until that moment arises."
With his predicament being put on a temporary hiatus, Natsu walked down his dirt path away from his house. Each step into Magnolia Town only increased his desire to look forward to his date with Lisanna: Holding his head towards the horizon and the future that awaited him.
Thank you for your time!