DISCLAIMER: I'M SORRY THIS IS LATE EDITION

CHAPTER WARNING:

This chapter has yet to be Beta'd by my betas.

They might take a while to get back to me, but I wanted to get this chapter out.

Since it's been a month since the first chapter, I didn't want to still keep just locked up on my account.

If there are major changes, I'll delete and re-upload the chapter and point out the changes.

If there are minor changes, I'll tell you on the next chapter.

A/N: I had trouble writing this damn chapter. Mainly because I hated the flow and it started feeling like it was dragging, so I had to rewrite this several times, changing the location for Laxus' training each time and how Edeoceas looked. At first, there was no Acropolis, but as I kept writing Laxus basically going through a US Marine survival training, it made more sense to just build the Acropolis so Laxus actually had a place to eat, sleep, and train on a deserted island. I'll probably post all the CRAP I wrote as a different fiction. Simply as a way to see how different the first draft was, to the second, and to this. Plus, it might grab more viewers LOL.

Then there was the PoV! Ugh! I kept switching from Omniscient to 3rd PoV and I was causing so much head hopping that even I got Whiplash when Laxus and Alastor talked. I'm not even sure I solved that. I'll ask my Betas if he/she is getting whiplash while reading.

Dialogue Guide:

"Laxus" - Normal Speech

"Calcos" - Normal Speech but in a different language

'Ultear' - Thinking/thoughts

"Alastor" - Dragon/Beast speech or Humans growling/shouting

'Igneel' - Dragon/Beast thoughts

BOOOOM! -Sound Effects (No apostrophes)

Laxus Dreyar woke up from a good night's sleep. Never had he ever felt as energetic as he had today. He was thinking a mile a minute of the things he could do at Fairy Tail, or the meal he could cook for his mom or-

His thoughts came to a screeching halt as he suddenly felt the unfamiliar hardness of the bed he laid on. In fact, he doubted it was a bed at all. He wondered for a moment if he had somehow fallen off his bed.

He opened his eyes- or at least tried to, as blinding light filled his vision. He groaned, wondering if he also forgot to close the window last night.

He tried to blink a few times, trying to get used to the brightness surrounding him with no success. Hence, he turned his body to the opposite direction of the light and rubbed his eyes blearily.

A bird chirped in the area and Laxus froze mid rubbing. The bird didn't sound like it had come from outside, and it was curiously close like the bird was in the room with him. But then he felt the wind blowing around him, and he now doubted he was in a room to begin with. Then his hearing picked up the distant sound of waves, prompting him to stand up as fast as he could and he looked around his surroundings.

"UWAAAAH!" Laxus let out an involuntary scream as he found himself not in his room, in fact, he doubted he was even in Magnolia. He was now in a circular open-air temple at the peak of a mountain, and he was sitting near the edge of the cliff. The temple floor was made in tiers, with the part he had been lying down on was the highest tier while the central circle being the lowest. There were no walls at all, but the building was instead supported by marble stone pillars with a domed ceiling at the very top of the mountain.

A bird cried out in the sky above, attracting Laxus' view beyond the pillars. He looked up to see birds of every color flying in the early morning sky before they dived down in a shower of colors. He stared at the birds as they flew down and nested themselves in a stone city that was at the base of the mountain. As Laxus looked closer, he noticed that all the buildings were covered in vines while trees sprouted through stone floors and roofs alike. It was apparent that the city had long turned into ruins, and beyond the abandoned city was the endless blue sea, its waves serenely colliding against the white beach that completely surrounded the settlement.

Laxus realized he was on a deserted island with no memory of how he got there. Anxiety rose up from the pits of his stomach, and it whispered to the young boy that his parents had left him here, alone and forgotten, because he was no longer wanted. His young heart started to beat faster as the thought of being abandoned scared him. He thought he had done something very bad like breaking something important, or disturbing his dad when he was busy, or-

"How are you feeling, boy?"

"UWAAAAH!" Laxus once more let out a scream of surprise as a booming voice sounded from inside the temple. His heartfelt relief at not being alone, but it still pounded as he was startled by the voice he wasn't expecting.

"That surprised me. Sorry for screaming mister..." He started to say as he turned around to face the speaker that had just spoken to him.

Only for him to let out another scream.

"UWAAAAAAAH!" His eyes landed on the majestic form of a legendary aqua-green dragon with its back to the rising sun. The dragon was on the opposite end of the temple, but Laxus could still tell it was very, very big with several sharp and pointy golden spikes and horns on top of its head. As he made eye contact with the beast, he took several steps back in fear... Only for his foot to land on nothing but air and Laxus' body fell off the cliff's edge.

Time seemed to slow for Laxus as he saw the dragon comically gape its eyes wide open and, quick as lightning, shot towards him. Before his body could completely disappear over the edge, the dragon's hand shot out under Laxus and caught him in its palm.

"Have you taken leave of your senses boy?!" The dragon growled at the child but received no answer. Instead, the young child was curled into a ball and was bawling his eyes out. The dragon sighed. He knew humans would be terrified of him, but he hoped having a bit of distance between them wouldn't frighten the boy too much, and that putting him on top of the mountain would prevent the child from hiding into any cracks he couldn't get to. The dragon didn't take into account that the boy would be scared to his wit's end that he'd take a step back over the cliff.

Having no other choice than waiting for the child to calm down, the dragon walked away from the edge of the cliff and sat the boy in the center of the temple before lying down next to him. The dragon let out another sigh. Honestly, he should have seen this coming but being 400 years out of touch with humanity, he could only rationalize to himself as he waited for the boy to calm down.

Laxus was scared, any child would be in his situation, really. After all, it wasn't every day you suddenly wake up on a deserted island with the thought that you were abandoned by your parents, and in the next instant, come face to face with a dragon of all things! And so he did what any normal child would do in a frightening situation: He kept crying.

It took a while for him to calm down, close to an hour actually, but his crying wails soon turned to soft sobs, before finally turning into small hiccups.

"Have you calmed enough, child?" The dragon asked once he guessed that he could converse with the boy and leveled his head down to the child to be less intimidating.

"W-W-Where am I, Mr. Dragon?" Laxus stuttered out and sounded close to pleading.

"We are on Edeocaes. An island to the east by south of your country." The dragon answered.

"W-why am I here? What about dad and mom and gramps?" Laxus asked as he wiped the tears from his cheek. "Y-you didn't eat them, did you?"

"No young one, I did not eat them." The dragon smiled, glad that the child showed good character by worrying about others even in his current situation.

"Now, as to why you are here... Last night, your father had risked his life to get a dragon's lacrima that would cure you of your disease." The dragon started, but then saw the boys' brows shooting up as if he did not know that he was sick. "This surprises you?"

Laxus nodded slowly. Him being sick was news to him.

"Hmm... Perhaps your father did not tell you that you were actually sick so that you have no cause to worry?" The dragon speculated, recalling the peculiar actions humans tend to do for their loved ones.

"Dad was... trying to cure me?" Laxus repeated in disbelief.

"Oh, yes." The dragon confirmed, nodding his head with admiration in his eyes. "His love and loyalty to you were very admirable. I would even say your father is one of the fine examples to fatherhood. Truly, his dedication is something to hold in high regard!"

Laxus nodded dumbly along with the dragon, but then warmth spread out through his body, causing him to smile as one thought resounded in his mind: His dad loved him! His mom and gramps always told him that his dad loved him, but since he rarely ever gets to talk or see his dad, he had started to wonder if he even cared at all. Just hearing someone else confirm it made his dad's love all the more real to Laxus.

"In any case, some sicknesses afflict one's Magic Power and lifespan." The dragon continued. "There are only a few ways to cure such sicknesses, and one such method is to renew the body of the ill. And it just so happens that using a dragon's lacrima will renew a person's body. In consideration to your father's great love, I gave him my blessings to use my lacrima on you. However, there is something I wish for in exchange... and your father has agreed to it as well."

"W-what is it?" Laxus stammered, still nervous at talking to the dragon.

"You will be my student." The dragon stated simply.

"Your student?" He repeated dumbly, not sure how the dragon's wish relates to him being his student.

"You see child, a dragon's lacrima is more than just an easy way to gain power." The dragon explained as he saw Laxus' puzzled face. "It is the regalia, the proof, that a dragon has recognized your strength and chooses you to be his successor. In your case, however, you have consumed my lacrima, but I have yet to recognize your strength. As such, the simple solution is obvious but... what would be your decision, child; do you wish to be my student?"

"Eh?" Again, Laxus could only reply dumbly. From the way the conversation had been going, it seemed like the dragon and his father had already decided for him, but the dragon had ended up asking him for his opinion.

"Ufufufu." The dragon chuckled at seeing his surprised face. "I know that I have said it is my wish and that your father has agreed to it, but I will not take an unwilling student. The choice of your future falls not onto me, nor to the whims of your father. It is yours alone."

Laxus looked at the floor, frowning in thought. This was of course quite the sudden choice for him to make, not to mention he was only seven years old. He had barely started training Magic a week ago, and now he was being offered to be taught by a dragon. He looked up at his would-be teacher as he considered agreeing to the plan. Sure he was a dragon, but so far he was a friendly dragon and looked very, very cool. He counted that as a definite plus. Then there was his dad already agreeing with the plan. That meant he expected him to have the dragon- Mr. Dragon, as his teacher. He didn't want to disappoint him by saying no, so that was another point to agreeing. And finally... He couldn't wait to tell everyone all about it!

'Oh wait, dad would have planned this together with mom and gramps. Still... I'd have plenty of things to tell mom after each lesson.' Laxus assumed, believing that all the grown ups in his life agree and make plans together. He was imagining himself going back home every day after every lesson; Either to his mom cooking or him helping her, then they'd have their meal together while he talks about all the amazing things he learned that day as she gives him a big, happy smile. To Laxus, that was the ending to each day, and he did not expect it to ever end.

He gathered his courage and stood up from the ground, his decision already made. He looked Mr. Dragon in the eye, then bowed formally like how one meets their instructor. "Please take care of me, Mr. Dragon."

"Fufufu, there is no need to be so formal with me, child." Mr. Dragon chuckled. "Just call me Alastor, please."

"Okay, Alastor." Laxus nodded, dropping the formal attitude. "My name is Laxus Dreyar."

Alastor of Edeocaes looked down at his new student and smiled inwardly. He could see that Laxus was still a little nervous around him, but the boy willed himself to be calm. At this point, only time would make the boy entirely comfortable in his presence, but they had plenty of that. The dragon then turned his gaze to the East and saw that the sun was already well above the horizon. It was high time he went out to and got themselves some breakfast. But just as he began to move, an idea started to form in his head.

"Tell me young Laxus, can you cook?" He queried, his plan hinging on his student.

"Yeah." Laxus nodded. "My mom gets sick sometimes. So whenever we get the chance, she teaches me to cook. That way, whenever she gets sick, I can prepare the food myself. I'm not as good as her though." He answered and sheepishly scratched his head.

To Alastor, that was good enough for his plan. All the meals he had been eating for the past 400 years had either been raw or cooked by his Lightning Magic. It was high time he got to eat another meal prepared by human hands. He stood up and motioned for Laxus to do the same. "Come, young one. I shall show you to the Taberna and then we can begin your lessons."

Laxus tilted his head at the word 'Taberna.' He obviously didn't know the word and was going to ask Alastor what it meant, but the dragon picked up on his unasked question.

"The Taberna is the name of a tavern built here in the 'Acropolis'. It is quite close by, and it is quite unique as it... Actually, it would be best if I simply showed you the Acropolis." Alastor said, as he saw Laxus' face contorting further in confusion at the mention of another unknown word. Again, he gestured for his student to stand up and he complied with his teacher. The pair walked side by side as Alastor began to tell Laxus more about the temple they were in.

"As you will be spending a good amount of time here, it would be best for you to know more about my home. As I have said, we are on the island city of Edeocaes, and I was its ruler. The place where we are now is called the Tholos. It is my personal chamber and where I come to rest and watch over the island. While it is on the very summit of the mountain, it is only one part of a whole." Alastor explained.

The two of them stopped on the edge of the Tholos, and Laxus' jaw dropped open as he saw more dragons with the same color as Alastor. In another moment, however, his eyes stopped playing tricks on him and what he thought to be dragons were actually lavishly decorated buildings. What was in front of him was a mini-city, just below the peak and situated on a flat plateau with tall walls around it. The buildings weren't decorated with gaudy gems or precious metals that tried to get your attention by merely being shiny. Instead, each building was made of beautiful white marble, inlaid with elegant life-like carvings, rows of sturdy columns in a peristyle design like the Tholos, and capped by aqua-green roof tiles on top that shimmered like dragon scales.

"Welcome to the Acropolis. The crowning jewel of Edeocaes." Alastor proclaimed proudly. He gazed on the city below with pride flowing behind his eyes, reminiscing about the people that were now long gone from even the annals of history. He wished, not for the first time that the Edeoceans were still living on the island with him. Then he shook himself out of regret and Alastor stepped forward to descend the stone staircase in front of the Tholos. After a moment, Laxus retrieved his jaw from the floor and followed after the dragon.

The boy and the dragon followed the staircase down to a round courtyard with a mosaic tile floor. The tiles were blue on the outer edges then turned yellow, then green and grey, then emerald and gold at the center. As Laxus approached, he realized that the blue tiles formed the image of the sea, with the yellow as a beach, the green and grey as a stone city populated by trees and people. And at the very center of the mosaic was the image of a dragon that was roaring to the heavens. It was a mosaic of Edeocaes with Alastor reigning as it's king.

As they approached the center of the courtyard, Alastor then began to describe the Acropolis to Laxus. There were a total of eight sections to the mini-city, with each section pointing to a different direction like a compass. To the North was the Tholos, and going clockwise, the other sections were: The Monasterion, the Library, the Magi's tower, the Gateway, the Spartacus, the Taberna, and finally the Parliament.

The 'Taberna' was actually the Edeocean word for "dining hall" and there were several of them built around the island. However, the Taberna inside the Acropolis was the first and most well-renowned one in ancient Edeoceas that it qualified to be known merely as 'The Taberna.' It was built in the western section of the Acropolis and was big enough to serve a thousand people all at once. Despite its size though, Alastor still couldn't fit between the columns of the Taberna so he left it up to Laxus to gather whatever seasonings that would go well with a fish dish, while the dragon had to leave to capture their meal.

At first, Laxus had to furrow his brows at his teacher's instructions. Aside from Alastor, it didn't look like anyone had lived in Edeocaes for a very long time. Because of that, whatever food or seasonings was inside the Taberna should turned have rotten or had completely disintegrated due to the passage of time. But then to Laxus' astonishment, the entire building was clean, as if the Edeocaens had just left and would come back in the next hour. The kitchen and storage rooms were in the same state, with the storage room stocked full of raw ingredients and seasonings in perfect condition.

He spaced out for an entire minute, wondering how the heck the Taberna was perfectly preserved. Realizing that no answer would come by just standing there, he resolved himself to ask his teacher about it later and continued to search for the seasonings. He went to one side of the storage room where sacks, jars, and pots were neatly arranged on stone shelves. They were the spices and herbs he was looking for. They all seemed to have been labeled well as there was writing carved on the shelf, but it was written in a language he couldn't even read, so he had to taste each seasoning(to his misfortune, as some of the spices he REALLY didn't like). At the same time, Alastor had dived down into the sea and now resurfaced with a giant tuna in his hands. It struggled in his grip, but he merely shocked it with his lightning causing it to go limp in his arms.

The two of them then met up on a raised dais built in front of the Taberna which had an altar on it. It was actually Alastor's private table, meant to be used whenever he wanted to eat amongst his people. Alastor prepared the fish by cutting off the fins and gills, and Laxus seasoned it. As Laxus was wondering how they were going to cook the fish, Alastor pointed his finger at their meal, and a flash of lightning erupted from the appendage. The lightning bolt hit the fish right at the center, cooking it in less than a second. Though the fish eerily spasmed due to the lightning, Laxus was very impressed with the Magic he was shown, and the two of them quickly ate their meal.

Once they finished eating their lunch, Alastor cleans up their leftovers by turning everything to ash with his lightning. At first, this surprised Laxus, but the dragon explained that the Taberna was a Magic Item in of itself and kept everything in it in pristine condition and will clean up any trash it detects. This was the reason why everything was preserved and why the Acropolis hadn't crumbled to dust like the rest of Edeocaes below the mountain.

The draconic teacher then took his student to another section of the Acropolis called the 'Spartacus' where the elite Edeocaen soldiers and generals stayed. The Spartacus had its own walls surrounding it, and the inside was mostly lined with barracks and caches of armories. In the center of the section, however, was a long training field around 300 meters and was another one of the Edeocaens Magic Item. Not only could it be used for running laps or exercising combat drills, but the field could also produce targets for both melee and long range practice. For their first lesson though, Alastor needed to make sure how much his student knew of Magic. He sat Laxus down in the center of the field and Alastor himself sat down a few meters in front of him with all the grace of a dragon.

"Now then Laxus," Alastor began, "we will begin exercising your Magic Power and Spell Power to prepare your body to use Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic."

"Magic Power? Spell Power?" Laxus asked, tilting his head.

"You... Do you not know this yet?" Alastor asked only to see Laxus shake his head. The dragon sighed, silently lamenting at humanities state of Magic. The good news was that this meant Laxus was a complete beginner and he should not have picked up any bad habits in casting spells. "Very well... I shall explain them to you.

"Every person that uses Magic, be they Mage, Wizard, or Witch, has a container within their body that determines just how many spells they can cast, or how many magical tools they can use. This is what we call their Magic Power. It is composed of Etherano, which exists inside of every being and in the air we breathe. If a person's Magic Power runs out of Etherano, they will be able to regain it by merely breathing the air around them after some time. Eating food would also help one recover their Etherano at a much quicker pace.

"Now as for Spell Power, this determines how proficient you are in any spell. Spell Power affects how strong you can cast any spell and how much Etherano the spell will consume. If you are skilled with your Spell Power, you can use the minimum amount of Etherano to activate the spell, while being able to give maximum damage.

"Simply put, Magical Power can be said to be your stamina, while Spell Power, for example, would refer to the strength of your arm. Put it into constant use, it will get stronger and thicker. Do you understand?"

Laxus nodded, but then immediately furrowed his brows. Alastor waited as Laxus formed a question in his mind. "Alastor, you said that a person will recover Etherano as long as they keep breathing the air, right? Can't a person just use the Etherano in the air in the first place?"

Alastor shook his head. "The Etherano in the air, to put it artlessly, is in a 'raw' state. In general, for us living beings, our spells will not work with 'raw' Etherano. We have to convert it with our bodies and place them in our Magical Power before we can use them."

Laxus considered it for a moment, then thought of something else. "Then would it be possible to train how fast our body can convert the raw Etherano?" He asked.

"If it is, I do not know of such a method and I have yet to encounter anyone that had succeeded." Alastor shrugged. "However, I can tell you that the people of Edeocaes had once tried to research that very idea but were unable to complete the project. There is a Library here in Edeocaes and, with any luck, perhaps they left their findings there, but that is a task for another time.

"For now, let us begin your exercise. Use your basic lightning magic and direct it at me with everything you have."

"Wait, I just remembered something." Laxus raised his hand, as if to both stop and ask a question. "Don't I already have your lacrima placed in me? So can't I use Dragon Slayer Magic instead of Lightning Magic?"

Once more, Alastor shook his head in the negative. "While it is true that you have my lacrima flowing within you, if you use it now the spells you cast would be severely weakened due to your lack in Spell Power and familiarity with Dragon Slayer Magic. If you had grown up using your Dragon Slayer Magic without my training, the lacrima would have degraded and your Dragon Slayer Magic would end up being weak forever. Any more questions?"

Laxus shook his head.

"Good. Now stand up and use your best Lightning Magic on me. You do not have to fear my safety either. Remember, I'm a lightning dragon, and I would not be affected by my element."

Laxus nodded before he stood up as per his teacher's instructions. Falling into a stance, he placed one foot forward with his forward hand raised and backhand under his chin, ready to use his Lightning Magic. It hadn't been long since he first learned how to use Magic and he tried to recall what his gramps first taught him. As he recalled, he needed to concentrate and look inside his body to find his spirit and the spirit 'flowing within the natural connection.' From what Alastor had just explained, the former spirit should be his Spell Power and the latter spirit should be the Etherano in his Magical Power. He took his Magical Power and fueled it into his Spell Power. And THAT was Magic, a power that was made inside his body, a power he could use to fuel his spells.

He improved his focus even further, holding the Magic inside his body while picturing the image of a lightning bolt in his mind. Laxus 'pulled' his Magic to his arms, and his mind shaped the Magic into the shape of a lightning bolt as it passed from his arms to his palms.

"Lightning Bolt!" Laxus yelled. The image in his mind crystallized and made the Magic in his right fist transform into yellow electricity. He pulled the fist back before punching forward with two fingers extended, pointing at Alastor.

The bolt of yellow Lightning jumped from his hand and headed straight for the dragon... who opened his mouth and swallowed the lightning bolt.

"EHHHH?!" Laxus let out a surprised yell as he saw his teacher just open his mouth and consumed his whole attack. He didn't expect his teacher to get hurt, but he sure as heck wasn't expecting him to actually EAT the spell.

Alastor closed his eyes and... looked like he was tossing the lightning bolt in his mouth and chewing it with his teeth like he was thoroughly tasting the Magic. Laxus just watched with his jaw hanging open as the dragon swallowed the spell he just fired.

"Mmm... As I thought, the purity of the Magic Power is quite good. However, the spell is oversaturated with too much Etherano, and while that would cause the spell to have a bigger impact, it also wasted more Etherano. Not only that, but the spell could have been made stronger by... Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself." Alastor said as he opened his eyes and saw the dumbstruck expression on Laxus. "Carry on, Laxus. I'll train you in the specifics another time. For now, we must push the limits of your Magic Power."

As Alastor said that, Laxus re-closed his mouth and began casting spells again. The morning ticked by for the young boy as he fired spell after spell, get exhausted, rest, and resume his training. At times Alastor would start instructing him on a new basic Lightning Spell to try out, and the whole process would start over again. Of course, he hadn't actually mastered any spell just yet. Alastor just wanted him to be as familiar with as many basic spells as possible before they can move on to mastering the spells. Soon enough, noon was just around the corner.

"The next spell is called Polarity Wall. It is a defensive..." Alastor started but then he trailed off. He was about to teach Laxus the last spell for the day until something caught his attention. He turned his gaze to the horizon and his eyes narrowed as he saw something too far away for any human eye to see but eventually turned his soft gaze back to his student. "Actually, you can learn Polarity Wall tomorrow. Right now, I think it's time for a demonstration of what kind of power you will eventually wield."

Laxus wondered ehat his teacher was glaring at, but quicky jumped from where he sat at the mention of a demonstration. He was excited to see a REAL spell from his teacher. For the entire morning, Alastor had occasionally cast a few spells but they had all been basic spells like Thunderbolt and Chain Lightning. There was nothing wrong with spells themselves, but even among humans, they were quite well known. If Alastor said he was going to demonstrate the power he would wield, that meant it was going to be REALLY strong, and probably something no one knows besides Alastor. He followed behind his teacher as the two of them made their way back to the courtyard and the dragon told Laxus to wait by the edge of the mosaic image.

"Do not be alarmed by what I am about to do. Simply stay where you are and see how far the effects of the spell goes." Alastor said as he moved to the center of the mosaic, right on top of his own dragon image.

Then Alastor began to glow. Even for Laxus, a complete beginner to Magic, could feel the vast amount of Magic Power his teacher was beginning to emit and was reminded that Alastor was indeed a dragon of legends. The air around the dragon began to hum, and lightning started to crackle all over his body. As if responding to the Edeocean ruler's action, the storm clouds began to gather, and the mosaic began to change. The clear blue tiles that once represented the sea turned dark gray as if it was now mimicking the sky above and the tiles that were people flipped over to an image of them kneeling down towards the center of the mosaic.

Alastor then unfurled his wings and strained his legs as if he was about to take flight. Instead, however, Alastor roared as he looked up to the sky, his back arching from the spell and his chest puffed forward. A beam of pure Etherano and Magic shot out from the dragon's mouth and into the sky above. With his roar, the sky answered in kind and the clouds clapped with thunder. Lightning then began to rain on the seas beyond, and great waves began to surge. Mist descended on the sea and whirlpools formed all around the island, making entry by sea or air all but impossible. Except, of course, if you were a lightning dragon that could shrug off a lightning strike.

Laxus could only gawk at the pure display of power his teacher had just displayed. He just stared at his teacher, who was now losing the glow around his body and was returning to normal. For a moment, the Acropolis was lost in darkness thanks to the storm clouds overhead, but then streetlights with Light Lacrimas began to turn on, bathing the city with light.

"Whoa..." Laxus said dumbly, he seemed to be doing that a lot today. "You changed the weather..."

Alastor raised a brow at his student's remark as he walked back to him. "While that might be true Laxus, the actual effects of the spell is to hide my island and make inaccessible. I felt prying eyes trying to look into Edeocaes and I simply 'closed the curtains' on such nosy people.

"Doesn't this cost a lot of Etherano to keep running though?" Laxus wondered.

"Oh no," Alastor said as he shook his head. "The beauty of this spell is that you let nature do most of the hard work. The actually difficult part of this is starting the spell and understanding the concepts and ideas behind it."

Gesturing for his student to follow, the two of them then started walking towards the Taberna. "I will teach you the particulars about it later, but for now, it is time for us to have lunch."

Lunch was done in the same manner as breakfast with Alastor leaving to catch their meal and Laxus gathering the seasonings at the Taberna. This time though, Alastor brought back a boar monster called a 'Bullfango'. It had a pair of large tusk, short fur and tail, and made for very delicious BBQ.

Once they were finished with their meal, it was time for Laxus to resume his lessons. Alastor brought him to Eastern Section of the Acropolis where the Library was located. The building had three wings connected from the center, with tall glass windows and a giant door that allowed Alastor to enter the building. Each wing of the library had one central aisle, and each section had four levels of rows upon rows of books.

Alastor then took a few books and lifted Laxus up to the fourth floor, as it was the only level that allowed him to meet Laxus eye to eye while sat on the ground level. The books the dragon took were not Magic books but were actually very mundane books with illustrations on each page. In other words, a picture book made for the sole purpose of teaching foreigners the Edeocaen language. Incidentally, the Edeocaen language was based on dragon tongue, but Laxus had yet to know that.

Alastor first read to him the Edeocaen alphabet and made him memorize it. Then he started reading out the words in the books, while Laxus made an effort of writing down the equivalent word in Fiorian on an empty notebook. They remained that way for the duration of the afternoon, with the dragon occasionally switching to some other subject such as philosophy, science, and mathematics.

"... And that ends our lesson for today." Alastor announced as he used Telekinesis Magic to close textbook on the basics of how lightning is formed naturally.

"Finally- I mean..." Laxus said as he closed the notebook his teacher gave to him, but then realized he was being impolite. He stood up and bowed to his teacher. "Thank you, Alastor."

"It is fine young one." The dragon said, waving Laxus' faux pas away. "I know children like you prefer to move your bodies around. I too was like that."

Laxus smiled. He enjoyed his first day and his teacher was patient with him, answering any and all questions he had. He was looking forward to what he could learn for tomorrow as he had learned so many new lightning spells already. He was even able to learn that lightning doesn't actually come down from the sky, but rather goes down and then up due to the what-cha-ma-calls-it in air... Eh, he'll remember what they were called tomorrow. He was just ready to go home now! Though the sun hadn't set yet, it was quite late, perhaps even too late for him to help his mom make dinner. At the very least, he hoped he could still eat with his mom before he would eventually collapse on his bed as he was dead tired.

"Now then, I shall go an catch our dinner." Alastor said, unaware of his student's thoughts.

Laxus froze up as his plans were immediately shattered by his teacher's announcement. He was eating dinner here? If he wasn't going home now... then when would he? "Uhh... Alastor..."

"Yes, Laxus?"

"... When will I go home?" Laxus asked hesitantly.

Alastor blinked. The boy had warmed up to him during the day, and he picked up on his sudden hesitance which made him wonder why he was asking that particular question. His brows furrowed but then immediately shot up as he suddenly recalled that humans did not measure time as he did.

To dragons, ten years was not a very long time, but for humans that was a very big part of their life. Realization dawned on him that, by draconic standards, he had taken a mere hatchling away from his parents and would return him only when he had fully matured into an adult. He looked down to his student who was waiting with bated breath for his answer. There was the option of lying, of making an excuse, but he dismissed this thought quickly. He can only tell his student the truth.

"... You will go home in ten years." Alastor answered, his voice echoing in the library like a verdict.

"Ten... Ten years?" Laxus stuttered, his eyes turning into dots as anxiety took over his heart. "But, but why?! Can't you just take me home and pick me up in the morning?! I promise I'll come every day!"

"I'm sorry Laxus, but I'm afraid it's not that simple." Alastor apologized.

"Why not?" Laxus sobbed, holding back tears. This was the first time in his life that he hadn't seen his mom for a whole day, and now he was being told he couldn't even go home for ten years?

Alastor sighed as he organized his thoughts as to how best explain his situation to the child. While it is true that he is a dragon and is quite powerful compared to the average human, he could not openly risk his life. Too many things depended on his survival.

"Do you know of the people who call themselves Dragon Hunters?" Alastor started.

Laxus sniffed but, nodded his head. There were several groups children his age could look up to. There was the Rune Knights that protected the cities across Fiore, and there were the Mages and their respective Guilds taking all sorts of jobs to help people. And then there was the Dragon Hunters...

"As their name suggests, their sole purpose is to hunt dragons. Compared to an ordinary Mage, they far outclass them. Dragon Hunters not only use Lost or Forbidden Magic, they also make weapons out of the scales and bones of any dragon they find... Although, most of the materials they've been using for the past centuries are from the lesser dragon-kin such as drakes, wyverns, and wyrms. The reason for that is because... there are no more dragons."

"But... you're a dragon. What can they do to you anyway?"

"Indeed, I am a dragon, and as you have seen for yourself, I am quite strong. Against a thousand Dragon Hunters, I would come out victorious. Despite that, a single mistake could end my life and I could very well be the last dragon that walks on this realm. That is why I do not foolishly display myself for all the world to see. That is why it was so important for me to have a successor; To make sure that the legacy of my race continues on."

"But... What about my parents?" Laxus panicked, trying to come up with a reason to go home. "What about mom?! If she gets sick, I have to take care of her!"

"This might be presumptuous of me to assume, but wouldn't your father take care of her? As much as he loves you, I'm sure that love extends to your mother too. That is what it means to be family after all."

Laxus couldn't argue with that. It made sense after all. Not able to come up with any reason to have his teacher take him home, Laxus hung his head and stared at the floor.

"... Are you alright?" The dragon asked, his voice filled with concern.

The young boy could only shrug at the question. "I... I've never left mom for so long... I'm, I'm worried if she'll get lonely. Dad usually comes home late, so... it's usually just mom and me..."

Alastor sighed, hating himself for forgetting to tell such an important detail to his student. They had spent just one day together, but Laxus had shown him great promise. The young boy was curious and creative, which gave him an inherent talent in Magic. Not only that, but it was obvious that the boy greatly cares for his family. With all of these qualities, Alastor couldn't ask for a better heir. And that was why he could not stand to see his pupil so down cast.

"... One week." Alastor murmured.

"Huh?"

"In one week... we may go back to your hometown." The dragon decided.

The change in Laxus was immediate with his eyes lighting up.

"However!" Alastor quickly continued, not wanting to raise the boy's hope too high. "We can only travel in the cover of night and for no more than an hour at best."

As fast as the light appeared in Laxus' eyes, it dimmed once more, but not completely. "Then... I won't be able to talk to mom for long. And if we go too late, she'll probably be asleep too... so..."

"I'm sorry Laxus," the dragon apologized again. "That is as far as I can risk. It is bad enough that your father and his associates know of my existence. Any more and Dragon Hunters around the world might come looking for me. While I could easily over power a thousand humans, I do not wish to mindlessly end their lives or drag innocents into the ensuing scuffle."

"But, but what do I do?" The boy fretted. "Even if we go, I don't want to wake mom up in the middle of the night..."

"Perhaps... you can write a letter?" Alastor suggested. "I know it is not much, but it is the only feasible solution we have..."

"Write a letter..." Laxus repeated in a mumble. He's never written anyone a letter before, but he couldn't help but feel that Alastor's suggestion was just ridiculous. He felt like scoffing, or throwing the notebook in his hands at his teacher. But he didn't. He might feel frustrated, but that wasn't what he WANTED to do. What he wanted was to just go home to his mom and have dinner with her. In the end though, he couldn't do anything but nod his head and go with his teacher.

Alastor, meanwhile, could only sigh as to how things have played out. Granted, they have only spent a day together but with Laxus' cheerful and easy personality, their connection blossomed quickly. Even so, with the way it was now, their relationship might as well be back to square one. Except, instead of Laxus' 'cheerful and easy personality', it might as well be replaced with reluctance and wariness. Alastor wanted to slam his head into the earth for being too hasty with his actions.

When his Dragon Lacrima had been stolen, he had lost all hope on aiding Igneel and his group to defeat the thrice-damned betrayer, Acnologia. But when he sensed his Lacrima in the nearby vicinity, he quickly left Edeoceas to reclaim it. Not only did he find his Lacrima though, but he also found a boy compatible to use it with! And due to his own greed, he acted in haste and grabbed both the boy and his Lacrima together instead of proposing the idea to Laxus and his father and make him prepared for the ten year training under him.

Now Alastor could do nothing but wait for Laxus to forgive him for his error and hope that the boy can continue his training with the same curiosity and creativity he had shown today.

Laxus listlessly followed after his teacher as they left the Library and headed for the Taberna. Alastor was quick to catch their meal, but Laxus didn't even prepare any seasonings nor did he eat much at all. After that, Alastor took him to the Monasterion section of the Acropolis. The section was a block of apartments formerly used by the ancient priest of Edeocaes, but was now where Laxus would be sleeping for his stay in the island. He didn't bother to look around for the best apartment, he simply picked the nearest one, entered, found a room, and collpased onto the nearest bed.

As soon as his face hit the pillow, tears poured out from his eyes. Intense feelings of longing and homesickness assaulted the young boy's heart and he could no longer hold the tears back.

"No... I shouldn't cry." Laxus mumbled to the pillow. He had to be strong right now, and he had to write his mom a letter. He sat up on the bed, wiped the tears as best he could, and looked around the room he was in. A Light Lacrima lit the room from the ceiling, revealing plain stone walls and floors, while the bed, the desk, and a closet were made of wood and was the only furniture in the room. There was a curtained window opposite the wooden door, and the bed was laid under it, to the left side next to the wall. The desk was opposite the bed, and already a few books were left there, probably from the previous owner of the room. The closet was at the foot of the bed, but Laxus wasn't curious enough to open it just yet.

Laxus had left the door open and he realized he had dropped the notebook and pen Alastor had given him in the Library. He quickly picked up his things and closed the door. Then he went to the desk, ripped out a page from the notebook, and began writing.

His penmanship was shoddy and left behind large lettering, like every child his age. His teachers in Magnolia would have told him to write properly, but he didn't care about his handwriting right now. He simply wanted to write his to his mother.

I'm being trained by a dragon... but I think you already knew that.

The dragon's name is Alastor and he's a King of an entire island.

There are so many amazing things here and I wish I could tell you all about it.

I won't be able to come home for a while. Alastor said he couldn't risk going out of his island because he doesn't want to be seen.

You won't be able to read me bed time stories but, I'll be fine.

A tear dropped onto the the paper, blurring what he just wrote. Frustrated, he wiped the tears away and rewrote the blurred word.

I'm sorry I won't be able to make you breakfast or help you with dinner.

I promise I'll be good. I won't stay up late or be picky about the food I eat. I promise I'll eat my vegetables.

I'll make sure to learn plenty of magic spells so I'll have so much to show you when I get home.

Don't worry about me, mom! I'll be fine with Alastor!

Tears poured out unbidden from Laxus. He kept wiping them away but several kept dropping on to the paper, blurring the text and making him rewrite a few parts.

So please don't cry! I know you'll miss me lots but I promise I'll write to you every day, so don't cry okay, mom?

Tell gramps and dad I love them and that I said hi, okay?

I love you so much, mom!

I'll see you soon, I promise!

END CHAPTER

A/N:

So what do you guys think of the chapter? Too many useless part? Scene flow utter crap? Let me know, so I can improve my writing!

- NEXT CHAPTER WHEN? ANOTHER MONTH?!

Oh God, I hope not. I really want to get to Ultear, then to Erza. Next chapter is time skipping chapter. No, not a time skip, a time skipping. Basically, it'll be the equivalent of a film montage where there will be a lot of scenes with time passing quickly.

Speaking of Ultear and Erza... Do you guys think I should make this harem? At most, it will be Ultear, Erza, and Mirajane. No more than these three. Ultear is my original intended romance. For Erza, I personally think she's going to be inevitably close to Laxus and Erza and welcomed into "I lost family members" club. Especially when the three of them get to the guild. As for Mirajane, she HAS to join purely by accident(LOL). See, I will have an original scene with Ultear experimenting her Time Magic, and Mirajane's biggest character change is when Lissana "died". See the connection?

In any case, I'm leaning more towards the harem, but if you want to convince me otherwise, just let me know your opinion!

See ya guys soon!