Hoping I can do this story justice because I have a lot of great ideas for it. Please note I have no clue why the dragons disappeared I am just going with my gut thinking that Igneel would have a sixth sense telling him when something bad is about to happen and he has to leave his son.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail the characters just happen to perpetuate my life as my muses.

Updated: 8/15/15

Chapter 1 – Igneel's story

Igneel smiled down at his son. The pink haired boy was full of enthusiasm and life. Even while he trained all the boy ever thought of was how much fun he was having. Life was a game to the boy and he was enjoying every minute of it.

Igneel felt a tightening in his fire lungs. Like something was trying to break free. It worried him. Something was about to happen and somehow he knew he had to leave the boy behind. Before that he knew there was a certain subject he had to discuss with the boy. Something he knew the boy would need to know in the future. Something as a father he had to share with his son.

"Natsu?"

"Yes, Igneel?" The boy smiled up at his father with a toothy grin.

"I want to tell you a story."

"Oooh I like stories!" The boy climbed to the forearm of the dragon and sat looking up at the reptilian eyes of his father. Trying his best to be patient to hear his tale.

"Once there was a dragon..."

"Yay a dragon story! Those are the best!"

Igneel smiled at his son but also gave him a cautionary look. The boy cast down his gaze and muttered, "I'm sorry for interrupting."

"You know what I have said about interrupting. If you have a question get my attention, and I will try to answer it." His voice took a sharper scolding edge as he explained further. "But do not speak up in the middle while another is trying to speak."

Natsu nodded at his father.

"Once there was a dragon and as it is their nature this dragon was fierce, ferocious, and lived for the hunt." Natsu poked at Igneel's arm.

"Not all dragons are ferocious. You aren't."

"I am ferocious when I need to be. You are a huge exception to the rule, Natsu."

"I'm special?" Natsu asked.

"Indeed you are my boy."

Natsu smiled up at his father. The boy knew that Igneel wasn't his real father. The dragon had told the boy many times. But the love and affection they had for each other knew no bounds.

"As I was saying this dragon lived for the hunt. It was fun for the dragon to play with his food and light flame to the things around him. But over time the dragon realized he was lonely."

Natsu poked at his father again. "Like, he wanted a friend?"

"Sort of Natsu, but a very special friend. You see the dragon didn't want to be alone anymore. He wanted to share his life with another of his kind. He wanted a family some day, and he knew to do that he would have to find his mate."

"His mate? What's a mate?"

Of course as for any father, human or otherwise, this was a hard subject for Igneel to broach. The dragon snorted smoke from his nostrils while he thought this over. "Have you seen the animals nearby? For example the deer? How there are at least two travelling together? One tends to be larger and has antlers while the other is smaller and has no antlers?"

"Yes, you told me that we only kill what we need to survive and that if there was a pair of deer like that to leave them be. You said, because they were a mated pair."

"Yes, I did say that. I'm surprised you didn't ask about it at the time."

"I just wanted to be good for you. So why did one have antlers, and the other did not?"

"Because one was a boy deer, a father deer, and the other was a girl deer, a mother deer." Igneel actually hated bringing up the topic of a mother to the boy. He was sure he was providing enough in the father department but a child of any species craved their mother more. It was something he couldn't provide for the boy.

"So because there is one of each deer together they can have babies?"

Igneel turned his head and sighed a heated breath in the opposite direction. "It's part of it Natsu but maybe if I finish my story it might make more sense I hope."

Igneel waited until the boy appeared to be listening again and picked up where he left off. "The lonely dragon wanted to find his mate. He knew this wasn't an easy task. Dragons are rare, and finding the perfect mate for him would be difficult. The dragon only knew what his parents had told him about a mate.

He knew that he would know her when he found her. That she would make his urge to use his breath weapon on her strong. But he knew she had to withstand the breath weapon first, which was the tricky part. Because first he had to bite her. This could in turn kill her if she wasn't the proper mate for him which is why he had to be certain."

"How could the dragon be certain?"

"There are ways to tell if the mate is yours even before you bite her," Igneel addressed this directly to Natsu hoping he would get the point. "She would make you feel in an unusual way."

"Like a weird way?"

"I guess that is one way to put it. In my case as a dragon my fire lungs would burn and my heart beat would increase. My abdomen would tingle. I would want to be with her at all times. You know how our senses are increased?" The boy nodded. "Well, her scent would be the most appealing to me. I guess in a way I would find it appetizing. I would be able to hear her voice specifically at a greater distance then any others. I would want to protect her above anyone else and in doing so my claws would elongate in preparation against the force trying to harm her."

"So does anything special happen after you bite her?"

The boy was humoring him and actually interested. Igneel felt slightly relieved. It was good the boy was captivated by the tale enough to be curious by it. "The sense of voice would actually multiply. Some mates even will be able to mentally communicate with each other. She would be able to withstand your fire and some mates able to bend it to their will and utilize it themselves."

"So she would be able to breathe fire if she couldn't before?"

"No Natsu, first of all like I said not all mates will be able to. But some rare cases if you are in a battle with your mate beside you and you use your roar she could direct the path the roar would take. She might even be able to enhance your roar to be stronger."

"So, a mate is partner in battle?"

"Again as I said she can be. Not necessarily. Also, you would share your life span. Dragons live a long time. In turn, dragon slayers live longer then humans. So once you bite your mate she will share your life span. Her life span will increase, but also if she were to die in battle so would you and vice versa."

"Is that why she would get all the additional abilities to help herself but also to protect my life?"

"That was a very bright insight you just had, Natsu! Yes, that is it exactly."

He beamed at his father. Those praises were few and far between but they were special.

"The biggest reason a mate is important however, Natsu, is family. Dragons are a rare creature. We find a mate to increase our numbers and repopulate. He find a mate to have a family."

"So just like I saw the boy deer and girl deer with the fawn the other day?"

"Yes, exactly that."

"But I don't understand how the baby came to be."

Igneel knew this was the trickiest part of the conversation and unfortunately he wouldn't be able to explain it well. They were two different species. The specifics were something Igneel himself didn't properly understand. He could never properly explain something to the boy when he didn't quite have a proper grasp on it himself.

Igneel took a deep breath and try to address the situation as best he could. "Natsu this is the hardest part to explain of all. Because for dragons and humans it's different. But I will explain what I can. As you get older your body will change. When you are ready to find your mate you will have cravings you don't understand. The cravings will show themselves most in wanting to touch more. Your body will react in an unusual way. Again like I said this is hard to explain." The dragon sighed again.

"All human males react to wanting a woman the same way. So listening in on discussions of your male peers will help some. Finding a mate is more profound in ways but many things will be the same. Also, your own body will give you clues to understand it. It is a physical coupling between you and your mate that would create a new life."

"I'm not sure I understand but I will do my best to remember."

Igneel took a deep breath. If a discussion could age him that would have aged him another century he was sure. The story forgotten the boy curled against his father, resting between his forearm and cheek. The boy and dragon fell asleep.

I intentionally made the last part vague because come on those of us that love Natsu. Love that he is an idiot most times!