I'm really starting to like this old soul, seriously.


Credits to Mashima Hiro for the characters


Chapter Two

It was a clear, Saturday morning. After yesterday's eventful moment — Acnologia roasted all four of their asses regardless of whose fault it was (the Iron Dragon Slayer's, while the Light Dragon Slayer provided the ingredient) — when he decided to read his new book that had been sitting on his bedside table for a week. He sat comfortably on the bench that overlooked the manicured garden with the purchase in hand, the smell of paper and ink assaulted his nose in the best of ways. There was a light breeze that intermingled with the cup of tea he had brewed for himself, all in all, it was a perfect morning to wake up to, and the silence that it accompanied was just a cherry added on top.

Until he felt something on his arm.

If there was one thing the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse did not miss, it was definitely the evolution of insects. Tiny, yet annoying, creatures that were small enough to go undetected for days on end until they reveal themselves for the much larger and undoubtedly, much stronger beings like a Dragon Slayer or a Human for instance. So when one of them, an ant to be exact, decided to use its pincers to pierce through his skin, Acnologia was more than happy to incinerate the minute creature into ashes. And then some more when he found that the sting had led to full blown scratch-fest, raking his fingers over and over, thus creating a large patch of flaming red around it.

"Look, Acnologia, you gotta wash that area and apply the ointment to the sting," Gajeel Redfox said from his position on the living couch, his eyes riveted to the television screen as he munched on a bowl of screws. "Stop scratching it; you're gonna make it worse."

"How is this superficial ointment from —" Acnologia held up the bottle and read the label "— the springs of Amazon is going to help? I might as well remove the infected area entirely."

"Are you crazy?" Gajeel crunched through the handful of bolts he had shoved into his mouth before turning around. "Just because you have super regenerative powers —"

Acnologia arched a knowing brow up at the Iron Dragon Slayer, who stopped mid-chew after realising what he had said, shut his mouth and turned back around. Pain was something the Black Dragon could handle, so with a flick of the sharp knife the skin containing the ant bite was cleanly sliced off, and the wound immediately patched themselves. Another blue flame erupted from his dead skin until no ashes were left behind.

"You seriously go way overboard with your methods sometimes," Gajeel grumbled when Acnologia came around to sit next to him.

"But effective," Acnologia replied.

They watched a television drama involving a woman and a Vampire, where the latter had to leave her behind because of the dangers he posed. Acnologia frowned. The evolution of entertainment was another thing the Black Dragon did not appreciate as much, compared to holding a novel in his hands as he read the writer's creative story-telling; visualising each character and scenes in his mind however he wanted to. It was something about seeing it live that left a pungent taste in Acnologia's mouth; he almost felt sorry for the professional authors being categorised into the same field. It felt like watching someone's wrong decision being aired publicly while simultaneously disqualifying other readers' interpretations of the story. Adaptations? Acnologia snorted at that; television dramas were nothing but a catalyst for laziness, making one's brain dull as they watched the Humans on screen act out whatever it was written, ultimately butchering a process and power of imagination.

After ten minutes of watching the drama, Acnologia turned around and glared at the Iron Dragon Slayer — the one Dragon Slayer that he had grown close to over the centuries despite what had happened between them nearly a millennia ago. It was the only emotional indulgence he allowed himself, so when the Redfox had nowhere else to go after the death of his beloveds, Acnologia offered him a place to stay. If Acnologia were to further expand upon these feelings, he would never admit out loud that he was lonely and enjoyed the Iron Dragon Slayer's companionship.

"This is trash, why do you insistent on watching this?" Acnologia growled while gesturing a hand at the screen. "I have hundreds of books in my collection, and each of them provides enough entertainment than the Humans trying whatever the hell is it they are trying to do."

"It's called acting, Acno. You should try it sometime." Gajeel deadpanned and dug his hands into the bowl again. "And your taste in books is very different to mine."

"I'd like to think I have exquisite taste when it comes to literature."

"Oh yeah, do you have 50 Shades of Grey?"

Acnologia flashed a look of anger, and Gajeel swallowed thickly, not even bothering to chew the bolts and screws that were his snack properly.

"I was just kidding. Relax, man," Gajeel quickly mumbled and turned his attention back to the screen. "You always read the classics and barely anything modern is in the library apart from like, Murakami or something."

"Haruki Murakami is an exceptional writer, but of course I have yet to scour the entire collection of books that have been published to date. I am sure there are brilliant modern writers of this time that would, hopefully, meet my standards." Acnologia snapped and stood up to leave. "If you need me, I will be in my study."

"You should really try watching Vampire Diaries for once!" Gajeel shouted after him.

"I already had, and that is why I'm going to pick out an actual romance novel with substance to bleach out the things that I saw."

The interior of his home was painstakingly reconstructed for nearly three years, stripping out of its old wood, cement, and other materials, leaving behind a barren home that he could shape to his liking. Working alongside the construction workers, Acnologia laboured through the woods he had gathered and purchased, moulding his Magic into them to create breathtaking artworks that now adorn the staircase, some wall panels and most of all — his study. He ran a hand through the carvings he made, depicting a battle between Humans and Dragons until it came to a stop at a bookshelf. The floor-to-ceiling furniture lined both left and right walls, leaving a large strip down the middle where a lone oak desk sat towards the back of the room and in front of — another floor-to-ceiling — glass that seamlessly blended with the ends of the bookshelves.

The air smelled of old paper, ink, and leather. Or what Acnologia referred to "the scent of home and History" in his mind. Floating Lacrima globes lit up as he entered further into his study and traced a finger on the spines of literature, swiftly picking one out of its confinement without looking then seated himself behind the desk. He had read the book hundreds of times, and it never ceased to amaze him, flipping back its front cover his forest-greens trailed down to the right-hand corner of the first page; smudged, worn and on the verge of tearing apart. Gingerly, he lifted it, and his eyes fell to the first chapter, settling himself comfortably into the chair he began to read.

Acnologia was entirely too aware of his surroundings, as about two hours later his ears pricked at the sounds of laughter and chatters beyond the doors and downstairs. He rather not sought out the commotion, knowing that the Iron Dragon Slayer would sort it out appropriately without needing his interference. A few minutes later, it died down and was quiet once again, only to hear the sliding of doors and pattering of feet into the garden outback. Snapping the book shut, Acnologia stalked to the window surveying the piece of haven outside, and his eyes instantly picked out the salmon-coloured hair of a being he was all too familiar. He briefly closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, as the next second he heard his boisterous voice calling out to him from outside.

"Lord, help me," Acnologia muttered under his breath as the Fire Dragon Slayer waved his hands frantically and a little too enthusiastically from down below.

He took his time walking out of his study; the overhead Lacrima globes shut off, he closed the doors behind him and descended the stairs. The entrance to the back of the house was through the living room in the left wing of the mansion, Acnologia strolled through the expansive interior and towards the open sliding glass door.

"Afternoon, Acno!" Natsu Dragneel called out to him and held up a brown paper. "I brought some afternoon snacks for ya!"

They crowded around the picnic table and watched as the Dragneel shook out the contents onto the plate brought out by the Redfox, revealing hideously baked chocolate chip cookies and many of which had their icings distorted. Acnologia held one up and arched an eyebrow in disgust, no doubt it was completed by the little Human creatures if the paper bag with the daycare centre logo on it was any indication.

"What did you give to the little Humans before you ordered them to ice their biscuits?" Acnologia demanded and flipped it around for them to see. "This is absolutely horrendous."

"Hey, man! They tried alright!" Natsu protested and bit into one. "They're really delicious too."

"What the hell are they supposed to be, Flame Sticks?" Gajeel asked, picking one up himself and turning it in a different direction to get some idea. "I don't even have a single clue."

The Flame Dragon Slayer widened his eyes in surprise and snatched it out of his comrade's grips, flipping it around in the supposedly right way up and pointed the finger at it. The Redfox and Acnologia frowned, then shook their heads in unison; they had absolutely no idea, and the Dragneel sighed in exasperation.

"They're Acnologia!" He shouted, and crumbles of cookies fell out of his mouth.

"How is that me?" Acnologia challenged and eyed the plate in front of him. "I am fairly sure my presence was at least impressive for the past three months doing your job."

"Ha! You've got a huge nose on this one," Gajeel teased, pointing at a cookie.

"Talking about that, they keep asking me about you, you know," Natsu continued conversationally, earning a curious look from Acnologia who was nibbling on the cookies. "And why are you called "Blacksteiger," of all the last name you can come up with, Blacksteiger? Really?"

Two pairs of eyes turned to look at Acnologia questioningly, and he glowered at them until they faltered returning their attention back to the food at hand.

"Initially it was just Black, the "steiger" came from one of the tiny spawns who was half German and said I looked like one of his father's friend who was a miner," Acnologia explained after swallowing the cookie before reaching out for another one. "You were saying about how they were asking about me?"

The Fire Dragon Slayer lit up at that and threw Acnologia a beaming smile that could rival the afternoon sun. He leaned across the table and cupped one hand to the side of his mouth as if he was about to tell them a secret; the Redfox consciously leaned in while Acnologia remained in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Not just the kids, Acno, even Evelyn is asking about you."

"Who's Evelyn?" Gajeel asked.

Acnologia watched as a mischievous smile graced the Dragneel's face, and he narrowed his eyes at his expression suspiciously.

"Oh, you know who exactly Evelyn is, Acno," Natsu taunted and sat back in his seat, the knowing grin still on his face.

"I remember asking you about the rascals of the daycare centre, Dragneel, not about a woman who has an infatuation," Acnologia replied calmly.

The Iron Dragon Slayer whipped his head around to stare at Acnologia in bewilderment; even the Black Dragon had to hide a smirk that was threatening to spread across his face. Immortality and time were infinite and dispensable currencies he had the luxury to spend over and over again; it was only natural that Acnologia would dabble in several departments in the emotions division and found quite a few lovers only to watch them wither away as those measures took their life force. He was aware of his physical appeal and its effects on both genders, in his youth Acnologia revelled in the opportunities that came with it. Over time he grew bored and had only ever truly loved one woman, but that was before the curse happened and had to watch her slip through his fingers and disappear for eternity. Steadying his gaze at the Dragneel who had yet to say a word, Acnologia could feel the slight trembles of the younger Dragon Slayer's body.

"Um, okay, yeah, right…the kids," Natsu stammered not being able to tear away from the intense stare from the Black Dragon. "They miss you and would want you to come over and visit them some time."

"Is that all?" Acnologia asked after a brief pause.

He nodded, and Acnologia stood up to leave, only to feel pinpricks down one of his arms and legs. Glancing down he noticed the tiny red welts on his arm, and he twisted his leg to reveal more on his calves. Acnologia felt the Iron Dragon Slayer gaze on him and watched him shifted in his seat as he also comprehended what had happened, flicking up his ruby-red eyes at him as if wondering if Acnologia was going to do exactly what —

"Don't do it," Gajeel blurted.

Some parts of the air and skin suddenly erupted into blue flames, causing the Fire Dragon Slayer to yelp in shock and the Redfox to palm his face in disbelief.


reviews, please?