Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is owned by the Legendary Hiro Mashima.
No trees were burned during the making of this chapter… Do not, I repeat-Do not cut trees, or set them on fire or whatever!
-Third Person POV FTW!
Ascalon: The Legendary Dragon Slayer
Chapter 6:
A Trail Carved by Destiny…
Fear.
At first, it was faint. The feeble chill it brought, was hidden deep inside… Where it lingered, waiting…
But, it slowly crawled up towards his chest, and passed right through his still beating heart-as if sensing the weakness of the soul inside him.
He fell once more, into the dark abyss.
It felt as if he was breathing toxin; each sip of air he inhaled felt like tiny shards of broken glass. Each movement he made took out what was left of his dwindling strength, and each rhythmic beat of his heart hurt more so than the previous one.
Natsu Dragneel, was shaking in this nonexistent plane. Alone inside the shadows, with no one to comfort him-he felt devastated. His body shivered, but it had nothing to do with the chill he felt inside…
He was afraid…
As far as he could remember, he had fought enemies stronger than him, faced obstacles which his brain couldn't fully comprehend, and survived attacks which should've killed him time and time again. He had cheated death countless times, however, he had never been scared-only thrilled at the challenges which were thrown at him. Natsu Dragneel was an idiot-but because of this, he faced his problems head on, not fearing the consequences which would result from his reckless actions.
But now, it was different.
His confidence and courage wavered, as his fear tried to consume what was left of his strength, and completely erase his will to fight.
He remembered.
Why? Why was he scared in the first place?
"Are you afraid? Give up, Natsu…"
He heard Gildarts' voice echoing from nowhere, and he remembered the last time he faced off against the S-class mage. Back then, he faced an impassable wall for the first time in his life. Gildarts told him about fear, and for the first time in his life, he experienced it-
How it was like to be afraid….
However, back then his life wasn't at stake-
But this time, it was.
"Hahaha, that's right! That's fear! When faced with an absolute being right before their very eyes, people fear, shudder and can do nothing but freeze!"
He remembered Zancrow speaking these words. In his mind, he saw Makarov Dreyar, battered and bruised from his fight with Hades. He was shaking then… Yeah, it was pretty ironic, considering his answer last time-
"These shivers, are coming from the fear that whoever did this to gramps might be finished off by someone other than me."
He actually had the nerve to say this back then… But right now, he lost even the will to stay confident… Right now, he was powerless…
"As long as our friends are with us, we have nothing to fear! Even if we don't have any magic power left, we won't give up until the bitter end. That's what it means to be in Fairy Tail!"
If it was before, he would have proclaimed this with confidence, but now-
His friends weren't here anymore…
"You worthless trash! Can't you put up a good fight for me?! This is too easy- where the hell are those fairies who were with you?! Where the hell is that confidence of yours from before?!"
Hades' cold voice reverberated in his ears… This time, it was different-He was all alone, powerless, and weak. Power-he wanted power, but…
"Once I gain control of your body again, I will hunt down my sword and slay Acnologia. After that, I will burn the world I hate into cinders, and there is nothing you will be able to do about it!"
Whenever he thought about this, the "other" Natsu would appear in the back of his mind. Yes, he would receive unimaginable power if he relied on him, but-
"Onii-chan… Save me…"
"That's not the Natsu you know!"
"Why? Why would you do this, Salamander?"
"We trusted you! Die, you Monster!"
"I expected a lot from you, Natsu, but it seems that the only thing you are capable of is destruction. You must leave, now!"
He remembered their screams… He himself saw what those cruel blood red flames had done…
"I, will burn the world I hate."
He'd lose control… He couldn't take the risk…
But this time, it was happening once more, in spite of his promise to never call him again…
The ancient being had once again resumed control of his body, because if it didn't…
He himself would die… He knew, Hades was nowhere near his reach right now… If he didn't release the untamed power he kept confined, he would perish, again…
He was desperate. He didn't want to leave them again…
"Did I do the right thing?" He sadly asked himself…
"Of course you did. You would've died if it continued."
Suddenly, the dark abyss turned crimson… He blinked from surprise, and when he looked back-
A man who shared his face was gazing at him.
"We meet again, young one."
The Natsu of the past visited him once more.
"H~oh… What do we have here?"
Hades was staring with interested eyes, at the pink haired Dragonslayer in front of him. The once foggy and gloomy surrounding had become a blazing inferno all of a sudden. The moment his opponent stood back up, everything in sight was covered in crimson flames.
"Abeo!"
Hades' ears didn't register the word; his eyes growing in shock, as the rose haired Dragonslayer vanished from sight. The only thing left in his wake was a burst of blood-red flames, and after confirming his disappearance, he was mysteriously sent flying to a tree by a punch which hit his side, as his rotting body suffered from immediate burns which were caused by those infernal flames.
The tree, which stopped his body, snapped in half-but before it collapsed on him, Hades had already rolled to the side.
He stood straight and squinted his eyes as he checked his surroundings. As far as he could see, he couldn't get away through normal means-the man's fire completely surrounded the battlefield. His gaze wandered to the young mage, who had his fist outstretched, and who proceeded in opening and closing his hands, as if checking his body out.
Their eyes met, and he saw blood-red orbs boring right through his soul.
"Che. Brat, what on Earthland are you?" Hades asked with interest. The Dragonslayer put on a fighting stance, and vanished once again.
"High Speed, or Teleportation magic? Maybe even both…" The older mage contemplated, preparing for an attack. He heard the sound of flames crackling from his unguarded back, and instinctively turned around to block an incoming assault.
Natsu appeared from the fire which came forth, but was surprised that his adversary had managed to catch up with his movements. He lifted his right leg-
"Fire Dragon's Claw!"
-And brought it downward. The flame powered kick was blocked by the elder mage, who crossed his arms over his head; however, the attack was strong, and his feet dug themselves on the ground as the impact assailed his old body.
Natsu twisted his body in midair, and aimed another kick to the opponent's face using his left leg.
"Fire Dragon's Claw!"
This time, the kick came from the side. Hades waited, and ducked as the kick sailed past his head. He used both hands and pushed the mage's still outstretched foot away. The fire mage landed on the ground, and dashed back to get some space between them.
"My turn…"
Hades clenched his fingers, forming a gun shape on each, and pointed it towards the opponent. Several purple, bullet like spheres flew with amazing accuracy towards the Dragonslayer, who simply covered his body with flames, and let the attacks pass his now intangible body.
Hades persistently assailed the fiery form with his Bullet magic, which merely passed over and exploded after going through-until he changed his attack pattern. He opened his left palm, and black, magical chains flew and circled the still intangible mage. This time however, the chains managed to surround and restrict the Dragonslayer.
"My Chain magic can grab anything, even fire. That form is useless against me!" He raised his free hand, and gathered a blue, liquid like sphere.
"Tearing Torrent!" He threw the ball towards the shroud of flames, but before the attack hit, the flames disappeared, and Natsu's body materialized.
"Fire Dragon's Molten Shell!" the sphere flew accurately, but the liquid instantly turned to vapor with a hiss. A thin, reddish aura covered the Dragonslayer, before it too, dissipated with the smoke. Natsu covered himself with fire, and disappeared once more.
"You're surprisingly good, for an old man…"A cold voice resounded behind Hades, who smirked.
"You're not as shabby as I remember you to be, Natsu Dragneel. However-" Just as the Dragonslayer emerged from a burst of fire-
Hades turned around and moved his hands in a rather strange pattern. Three magical formulas appeared and surrounded the young mage, who remained rooted on the spot. He tried to move, but another black magic seal, which surfaced on the ground, locked his movements. Hades sneered at his stunned form.
"I placed a short restricting spell on you the moment you touched me… It might not last for long, but it'll be enough… Now-"
"Amaterasu-"
However, before he could call the attack-a large, red magic seal appeared below Hades. The Dragonslayer's eyes shone for a split second, before-
"Fire Dragon's Searing Magma!" A large pillar of crimson fire erupted from the seal, assaulting the elder mage, and halting his attack.
"Gaah!" The three formulas disappeared, as its user lost focus from the surprise attack. The seal restricting Natsu vanished, as he charged towards the still screaming mage. He pulled back his arm as he neared his opponent.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Blood red flames covered his entire arm, as he struck and embedded his fist on the elder mage's cheek. A huge explosion erupted from the impact, and Hades was sent flying into the thick forest. Even with several trees obstructing his flight, it took a while for his body to be stopped; the trees snapped in the process, as his body kept flying, until its momentum was finally halted by the ninth tree it met.
With a wave of his hand, Natsu called off the burning fire on the battlefield. The incandescence which the blaze brought disappeared, and the shadows crawled once again. The ominous atmosphere had vanished, and the misty forest fell silent-devoid of crackling sparks. The pink haired mage looked around.
Only now did he realize the putrid smell which lingered in the area. His eyes caught sight of a black coffin, standing firm with its covers open. Near it, was an unconscious body of a black robed man. He was rather surprised that these things were left untouched by his flames, but the thing which caught his attention, was a sharp piece of wood.
Lying a few feet from him, was a wooden, guard less sword, with a leather-bound hilt. He reached for it, and turned it over, seeing the ancient letters on its blade.
"Mystletain…" he muttered
Power brimmed from within, and he saw the scratches and lacerations on his body fading slowly, as his stamina and magic power replenished itself. He swung the sword a few times, and his serious face released a light smirk.
"It's very light, compared to my sword…"
Just then, he heard something cutting the air behind him. He instinctively crossed the blade he held on his back, blocking the attack, as a black chain, with a grappling hook attached to it, nearly impaled him. He turned his head to the side, and saw the now burnt and still decayed body of his opponent, entering the battlefield once more.
"You're still alive, huh?" He voiced out cockily. Hades was wearing an extremely angered expression.
"No, I am dead… My body has been brought to life by Black Magic… I cannot be killed, no matter what you do." Hades growled. The Dragonslayer retained his serious expression.
"Black Magic… Amaterasu… These are magic from the Ancient War…" he muttered. Hades walked forward, the fire mage wary of his movements.
"With the state I'm in, I won't be able to defeat you easily, unless I'm fully revived… Besides-" Hades stared at the younger mage's naked back.
"Natsu Dragneel-why do you carry the Eight Rays? That is a type of magic which is impossible to attain-unless…"
"I, am the one you call Salamander…" He stated with arrogance.
Hades was shocked… the gears in his mind started turning, and his mouth traced a faint smile.
"Hehehe…Hahahahaha!"
Natsu stared at the crazed mage, who closed his eyes for a split second, and opened them again. This time however, his right eye was glowing ominously. A dark aura was surging around him, as his hair, beard, eyebrows and mustache jutted out from the display of power.
"…The Demon's Eye, has been awakened."
The atmosphere grew heavy, as the clouds started to darken. The little bit of light which rained on the forest completely vanished, as the shadows grew longer. Hades' decayed body was oozing with malicious magic power.
"Hehehe… Where is your sword, then? Tell me, where is Durandal?! You think you can scare me, Natsu Dragneel?!" The elder mage charged.
"Insolence! Now, you die!" Natsu pointed the sword towards his opponent, covering it in a shroud of blood red flames, before he too charged.
"You are one hundred years too early to defeat me on your own!"
"If that is the case, you are four centuries too early to call me your equal!"
"W…W-What do you want?" Natsu Dragneel asked weakly. The older man calmly walked towards him, and halted in front of him. He was at least a head taller than Natsu, and his spiky, long pink hair had reached past his waist. His red eyes held a feeling of disdain within them.
"Why are you shaking? Are you afraid, Natsu Dragneel?!"
"…L…Leave me alone…"
"Are you still hung up on your choice?! Move on, brat! You would have died if you didn't call me!"
"What good is this then?! After you're through with Hades, what happens next-"
"What happens next is up to me… If I choose to destroy, then you-"
"See?! This is what happens! If that would have been the case, I…I would rather die than let you use my body for yourself!"
"You cannot stop me now… It has already begun…"
"Fuck! I will-" Natsu charged, but-
The empty space started trembling. The atmosphere became extremely heavy, and his lungs were starting to burn. The temperature was rising fast-too fast… The man was releasing his power, and the young mage's shaking grew stronger…
It was the same back then, when he faced Gildarts… This shaking, this enormous strength… The man was too powerful.
He was afraid…
"This power-you could have it, only by becoming one with me…"
"N…No… I will never…"
Blood red flames started appearing from nowhere. A stray tongue of fire touched him-
"GAAAGH!"
It burned… It felt extremely hot. His flames were nothing compared to this.
"Timendi causa est nescire."
And now, the flames were crawling towards him, trying to consume him… It covered his body, and he screamed in agony as the heat pressed on him…
"You, who never knew fear, can't possibly comprehend its effects until you yourself have experienced it…"
"N-No… S…Stay away from me!" Natsu pleaded pitifully.
"It's over… I have won… You cannot beat me until you have conquered your fears…"
It was the end. His own mind was assaulting him, trying to burn him completely…
He closed his eyes, just as the pain became unbearable…
"…."
But the pain gradually disappeared.
And when he opened his eyes, the blazing inferno was gone…
And the face of the one he loved appeared before him.
"E…Erza…?" He asked, and the lady smiled.
It had been a while, since he saw this beautiful face…
"Tis I…" The girl shook her head while smiling, and when his sight refocused, he saw strands of chocolate hair touching his face.
It was Eara.
Natsu's couldn't hold back his tears.
"Why art thou shaking? Natsu, why art thou crying?" She asked kindly.
"…Y…You… H-help…me…" Natsu sobbed. Eara placed a hand on his cheek, and caressed the soft flesh with her tender hands.
"Tis alright… I am with thee…" She spoke softly.
"W-Why… Why am I too w…weak…?"
"Thou art not weak… Thy strength is limitless, however-"Natsu looked straight into those brilliant brown orbs, and he remembered the last time he saw these eyes…
-Eyes which were able to stare into his conscience, and discover the turmoil within. These eyes-
-They withheld love inside…
This girl loved him, unlike the other one…
He believed-
This one cared… and would never betray him…
Only now did he realize the position he was in. He was lying horizontally, with his upper body slightly elevated from the ground. He looked towards his feet, and saw his lower body tucked inside the gap between Eara's legs… Her feet were covered in nothing, but they looked pretty. Eara's other hand lay softly on his chest, and behind his head, he could feel soft mounds pressing.
He didn't have the resolution to blush. Despite knowing he was using the girl's bountiful chest as his personal pillows, Natsu was still hung up on his weakness.
"Natsu, art thou afraid?"
"…Yes… I-I am…" He sobbed again, as the girl gently wiped his tears with her hands.
"Please, don't cry… Natsu shouldn't cry…" She pleaded, but the boy kept crying.
"Natsu… Doth thou want me to stop thy shaking?" She looked down with sympathetic eyes, and Natsu slowly nodded while closing his eyes.
The girl pressed placed both arms across Natsu's chest, and hugged him tightly from behind. The Dragonslayer, stunned at the action, immediately forced his eyes open.
"W-What-"
"Natsu, what art thou afraid of?" He hesitated, but the warmth from her body made him confess.
"I…I am too weak…"
"What is it thou fears?"
"I… H-Him…" He stuttered, but the girl nodded in understanding.
"Why doth thou cower and run?"
"I am afraid of losing myself… of losing everyone…"
"The Natsu I knew, he always faced his fears…" She muttered wistfully.
"H…How can I, when I have no more strength…? H-How can I, when my allies aren't with me anymore?!"
He yelled, but the girl merely frowned. She closed her eyes, and whispered.
"Hath thy heart been clouded by sadness? If thou choose to listen, the voices… they art with thee, wherever thou go…"
Yes… Their voices… It had been a while since he heard them…
It had been a while since he heard her…
"I'd forsake my love for your happiness…"
A lone voice made him remember the regret inside…
"H…How can I, when the one I admired loved someone else?!" He bit back, tear strung.
Eara's frown grew. Tears started pooling in her eyes.
"…The Natsu I loved… He was always smiling… He cherished everything, every single thing… He laughed at every single mistake he made, and he was never one to give up…"
Natsu shook off her arms and stood up.
"I-I am not him! I am not the Natsu you know!" He tried to get away, but-
The girl-Eara, with her frail body, she reached out and grabbed him from behind.
"Let go."
"I will never…"
"Let go!"
"I don't want to be separated from thee again!"
"Aargh!" Natsu tried shaking her off, and soon, he succeeded. The girl flew a few feet away from him, and when Natsu looked back-
-she too was crying. She was sitting on the ground with her knees, and was covering her face with her dainty hands.
"…N…Natsu… What is it thou hate about me? Even in my last moments, thou push me away…"
"…I am not him…"
"I thought thou were different from the others…"
In that brief moment, Natsu saw a memory. Even though it wasn't him, he recalled the moment he held that giant sword…
He remembered-this girl… She died, for him… she died, because of him.
"I thought thou loved me…"
He was the one… who killed her…
Guilt overtook his fear laden heart, and he froze.
"This was, the final moment… After this, I would disappear… Forever…" She was covered in a faint light, and Natsu knew-
-Soon, she was going to vanish.
"I thought I could at least make thee forget… I thought-"Before her image faded, Natsu rushed ever, knelt down…
"Eara…"
-And hugged her gently, tears still falling from his eyes.
"No… don't disappear… I don't want that."
"Thou hate me…"
"No, I don't… I'm sorry if I can't remember, and I'm sorry, for what I said… but please, stay with me…" Her shimmering form died down, and when Natsu looked at her, she was still there.
"Then, will thou let me help…?"
"Yes…"
She smiled, and started to sing a tune…
"Lalala…Lala~…la…lalala~"
"Lalala…lala~…lalala~…la~"
Natsu calmed down a bit. His breathing regained its original rhythm…
"This song… It feels, familiar…" Natsu was still holding onto the girl, as he placed his head on her shoulder.
"Forsaken and left behind...
For another one to find…
A burden for him to carry…
A tragedy to begin his story…
The fire within burns strong…
A power to right all wrong…
Hero of the Sun, hear my plea…"
Natsu slowly stopped shaking… He seemed to recall something, but he couldn't remember it…
"A love for him to protect…
A call he tried to neglect…
A Titan's sword from the legends…
He will rise and fight till the war ends…
He vanquished the beasts of the heathen land…
The enemies of mankind fell by his hand…
But he failed to save the ones most important…"
Her voice… it was so beautiful… Her gentle hands caressed his hair…
"He lost the ones from his past…
He slew the others till his last…
Reborn again, his journey carried on…
Past the tower, towards the end and the dawn…
He found the friend he lost …
He fought the traitor at a cost…
Imprisoned again, he waited, and waited…"
The song… It was healing him… His tears were still falling, but they weren't falling because he was afraid.
"He battled to prove his worth…
He remembered a call from his birth…
He gave up on the one he admired…
He fell by the sorrow which transpired…
Guided by the sea to the land he was kept…
Two moons passed, but he still slept…
He woke up from his slumber and regained his lost power…"
No-it was because he felt nostalgic…
"His strength was sealed…
His wounds left unhealed…
A quest to regain control…
And a sword to steal a soul…
He journeyed to the crossroad…
The entrance to his abode…
And the hero, he drowned into the depths…"
He didn't understand what it meant, but her voice was enough… It was enough to heal him…
"He will find the sword-the Dragon's end…
He will fix the mistakes only time could mend…
The broken sword will be completed…
When the four masters will be defeated…
A journey to the foreign land…
A new guild to lead by his hand…
He will return home and face something anew…"
He knew what he needed to do…
"A final promise to keep…
A love rooted so deep…
The three slayers will be gathered…
Five forces his destiny has fathered…
A boy trapped by time shall lift his weight…
The man who journeyed will gain all eight…
And his legend will live on, remembered by all…"
She finished.
"Natsu… I cannot heal thy heart… but-"
"I can make thee forget the fear within… thou know what thee must do, right?"
He doubted, and asked-
"That song… it seemed as if-"
"Yes… that song, was the song of the Hero I admired… His journey… No, your journey…"
His journey… Something told him it was important…
"After this, I will disappear… Find the sword, and fulfill thy destiny." She stated.
"If I find it, will I see you again?" He asked hopefully, but-
Eara caressed his cheek one last time…
"The answer shall be known only when thou continue thy journey…" was her mysterious answer.
She was once again covered in light, and she leaned closer.
Natsu felt a soft sensation on his cheek, followed by a warm feeling…
"Your deepest fear is not that you are weak… your deepest fear is that you are powerful beyond measure. It is your light, not your darkness that frightens you the most..."
She explained, and he understood.
"libera te tutemet ex metus…"
The radiance grew stronger, and he covered his eyes to block the light.
It was going to be the last time he would see her…
"Aeternum vale."
And it was going to be the last time he would hear her beautiful voice…
"Black Magic: Bedevilment!" Hades called.
The trees rustled, the forest grew silent, and the malicious black energy covered the entire marsh.
And then, the trees came to life. Black magic was oozing out of the trees; it was as if they had become possessed by spirits.
"Kill him!" Hades ordered, and at once, several dozens of withering trees uprooted themselves and attacked the Dragonslayer. Their branches stretched out and lashed at the opponent, who simply sliced and diced their dead branches with a combination of his wooden sword and fire magic.
The pink haired mage's swordplay was truly a sight to be seen. He had used his magic to create a flaming sword, which he armed on his other hand. He lunged and parried six attacks from different directions, all in the blink of an eye. There were maybe hundreds of them, but he easily halved the number without even using ranged magic attacks. The fire mage twisted and turned, with a sword in each hand, and wherever he passed, trees would disintegrate and turn into ashes. The amount of slaughtering would make Mother Nature cry.
RAAAGH!
The young man heard another tree charging from his back, as two more rushed towards him from both sides. They lunged using their branches, but the Dragonslayer was still preoccupied with four more of its brethren.
"Fire Dragon's Molten Shell!" Their attacks didn't even reach him, as their branches got burned off by a condensed, thin layer of fire surrounding the Dragonslayer.
Natsu smirked, his red eyes glinting even though there was a lack of light.
A black chain came out of nowhere, but he lifted Mystletain in order to block it, and the chain wrapped itself around the blade.
"Pathetic!"He shouted, and pulled on the chain using his sword, but it vanished like smoke.
"Hahahaha… If you want to catch me, you ought to defeat my minions…" Hades spoke from somewhere, but the young mage's vision was blocked by a mass of possessed trees.
The trees followed his every movement and crowded on him. If he killed one, three more would appear, and he was pretty sure nature was pretty pissed off right now…
"Die, Human!" A tree shouted.
Okay… the possessed trees started talking. This seriously needed to end.
Natsu jumped up, and concentrated on the ground.
A huge, crimson magic seal appeared on the earth. He waited for the trees to gather, and then-
"Dragonslayer Secret Art-" The mass of trees concentrated themselves on him and waited for him to land. Since they were trees, they were incapable of flight, so they merely used their branches to attack the airborne Dragonslayer.
"Blood Inferno: Scalding Geyser!"
The ground trembled, and the entire land area covered by the large seal burst into a tower of crimson flames, which reached the sky.
The clouds changed its shape to let the flames through, as the blaze raged on… And when the attack ended-
-the only thing left on the ground was a burned crater. Everything-plants, trees, boulders, debris and maybe even animals-they were reduced to ashes in an instant.
He searched for the unconscious mage along with the coffin, but didn't find him.
Natsu landed on the cratered ground. It seems the Withering Marsh would soon be renamed the Withering Crater…
"H~oh… That was dangerous, Salamander…"
He saw Hades carrying the body, and after that, throwing it back onto the ground. Nikutu's unconscious body fell with a sickening crunch.
Natsu wrinkled his nose and scrunched up his eyebrows.
"Ahh… Are you perhaps angry at the way I treated my ally?" Hades asked while sneering, but the Dragonslayer merely smirked.
"No, not at all… he'll burn after I roast you, anyway…" He declared arrogantly, which earned him the man's curiosity.
"You are far too different from that brat… Tell me, who are you?"
"Old man, I have answered enough of your questions… Now, you die for real." The pink haired mage raised his arm and pointed his open palm towards the opponent. Three of his magic seals appeared: one on the level of the older man's neck, another on his chest, and the third on his waist. The seals glowed, and the older man opened his mouth in fascination.
"Hahaha! A three-layered Dragonslaying Art?! I've never seen something like this before!"
The Dragonslayer chanted something under his breath, and soon-
"Dragonslayer Forbidden Exchange-"But Hades waved his hand, and the seals simply shattered like glass. The Dragonslayer wore a shocked expression.
"H…How did you-"
"Too bad the technique takes too long to activate… Such a shame… I analyzed the formula using my Demon's Eye, and disrupted it."
Natsu was enraged. However-
A large shadow passed by him. Before he realized it, he was swatted away with a force which shook the very atmosphere. His body landed on the ground with a tremendous crash, which yet again created another crater.
"Hehehe… I may look like this, but I've already unlocked the Third Seal… You let your guard down."
"The Third Seal?!" Flames burst from Hades unguarded back, and a swift jab came; however, the elder mage caught it with his left hand without even turning back.
"Wow, you're hot…" Hades' body was sweating, and the fetid hand which blocked the attack was getting disfigured with each passing second. The Dragonslayer threw another punch with his free hand, but the opponent casually ducked, turned around and twisted the young mage's arm, before releasing a kick to the Dragonslayer's side.
The attack connected, and sent Natsu a few feet away…
"Yes… Which means, I have attained the Five Origins… I'm unstoppable now, hahaha!"
The Dragonslayer immediately stood up and regained his stance.
"You bypassed the Black Origin? So-"
"Natsu Dragneel, I never expected you to have knowledge regarding the Seals and Origins, but you are right…"
"You have already "Fallen"… Right now, the only thought on your mind is-"
"Yes… power, more power! Hahaha...! After I left Fairy Tail, I uncovered an ancient item-a piece from Zeref's book… No, an entire chapter of his book! I learned the secrets of magic, and tried to unlock the Seals through all means possible, however…!"
"You lost yourself…"
"Yes… As it was told, whoever becomes close to the "One" magic gradually loses his mind… After breaking the Third Seal, I was subjected to the Fifth Origin's curse-the Black Origin… I searched for endless power… They say I became mad, but I will show them! I will show you, the power I obtained!"
The large shadow appeared once more, and the Dragonslayer covered himself in a shroud of flames, before disappearing. A split second later, a gigantic skeletal foot crashed onto the ground the mage had been on.
Natsu reappeared a few feet from where he was.
"What is that thing?!" The young mage asked as he clutched Mystletain tightly. A titanic skeletal humanoid, over a hundred feet tall, was standing on the burnt battlefield. He looked closer, and realized that its body was held together by a black energy.
"Hehehe… I have attained Zeref's Living magic!" Hades declared. Natsu became enraged.
"Black Arts… Living Magic… Zeref…" He muttered angrily.
"The Black Mage… Zeref, is behind everything, huh…?" The giant skeleton lifted its leg, and tried to squash down the unmoving mage, however…
Just as its foot came down, it stopped-
The Dragonslayer was holding it in the air… With unbelievable strength, he stopped the heavy load with a single arm…
"My friends… Will this battle never end, unless I slay the both of you with my hands…?"He muttered wistfully.
Three seals emerged from the ground, one on top of each other. They were of different colors, but the shine which illuminated the area made it hard to tell the difference.
"Third Origin… Release…!"
A bright radiance covered the entire area, and the next thing which took place immediately shocked the older mage.
"This fate… is too cruel…"
The giant humanoid skeleton had toppled over, but before it reached the solid ground-
-it was slowly reduced to nothing… The only thing which hit the solid flooring, were the ashes of a once monstrous creature…
"W-Wow…"
Natsu Dragneel, was looking at a battle between the old man, Hades-
And himself… However, he recalled no such incident of this event happening.
"This can't be a memory, can it?" He asked himself.
The one who looked like him, was insanely powerful, no, beyond powerful-
He was a mage of a totally different level. With a wooden sword on one hand, and a flaming sword on the other, he easily overwhelmed hundreds of creepy talking trees which were made alive through Living magic, with relative ease...
"Seriously… this guy is way too powerful…"
He watched the scene with awe… the man had now been able to defeat a towering skeleton, and somehow managed to turn that thing into ashes in a flash.
Natsu felt his knees shake once more, when he saw what possibilities he would have once he attained power.
"The way you are now, you won't be able to beat me…"
Natsu turned around, and saw his own reflection.
"What am I seeing?"
"That is what's happening in the real world. You are seeing things through my eyes… I am impressed-you have regained control of your subconscious."
"…What?"
"Whenever you are in control, I am able to see what is happening by looking through the windows of your soul-your eyes… right now, you are doing the same thing, which means-"
Natsu screamed in agony, as the tattoo on his back burned like never before.
"You are ready…"
And then, the darkness engulfed everything again… He couldn't see anything…
At first, there was only silence, and then…
"Natsu Dragneel, what do you fear?"
He was taken aback by the question, so he stayed silent. His heart was throbbing in his chest, as the heat from his back gradually grew stronger.
"Natsu Dragneel, are you afraid?"
This time, he bit down his fear.
"Yes, I am."
"Of what? Dying, failing…? Do you fear the enemy, or me?"
"…"
He answered, the shaking leaving him.
"Dying? No-I am afraid of leaving them… I am afraid, that I won't be able to see them anymore…"
"Failing? No, I am not afraid of failing… if I fall, someone would surely pick up my task and finish it… no, I'm afraid of succeeding-"
He remembered Eara… Her sacrifice… It was her death, for his future.
"I, am afraid of myself… Afraid that I would become a being more powerful than you… afraid of losing myself just like you."
"Death? I'll embrace it with open arms, if it means I wouldn't become like you. I'll welcome it gladly, if it means putting an end to my sadness…"
He swallowed his saliva.
"I, am afraid, of being afraid…"
The heat on his back, changed. It was still warm, but it no longer burned… The heat was comforting…
"Yes… That is it…"
His hands, he felt hotter… He could feel warm sweat on his neck, and his heart-
Though it still felt empty, he could finally sense it within…
The fire inside, had been rekindled.
"Natsu Dragneel, what do you yearn for?"
"I want to return to my nakama." He replied without second thoughts.
"For that, you need to conquer the one in front… For that, you need my power… My sword…"
"I need power, stronger than your sword…"
"Yes… the answer is within your grasp… Your heart has understood…"
"My fear, I will not run away from it… I will force it to make me stronger, until I will be able to conquer it completely… Gildarts was right all along…"
Natsu snapped his fingers, and a tiny spark briefly lit itself …
"A power stronger than my sword…? There is only one I know of…"
"Then lend it to me… I will show you my resolution…!"
"The Eight Flames… This is the only thing which can stand beside the sword I once held…"
"The Eight Flames… what are they...?"
"The foundation of every single fire magic in existence…"
"How do I use it…?"
"Your emotions will guide you… your feelings will make you stronger…"
Emotions… Feelings…
"The Flames of Emotion?"
"The Flames of Emotion-a modern magic correct? But, it pales in comparison to the Eight Rays… The Flames of Emotion are rather limited, but the EROS, it is limitless… And the first of them"
"Fear…" He muttered.
"Yes… you have guessed right… Fear, which can cut deeper than swords…" His counterpart agreed.
"Natsu Dragneel, let us test your resolve…" The older man turned around, and Natsu finally managed to read the words etched on his back. He felt the tattoo on his own humming with power...
The residents of the netherworld-they numbered greatly. Each one was of a different size and shape, but they all held tremendous power.
And the one behind them, the one pulling the strings-Hades.
They came from every direction, attacking whenever he looked away, and damaging the body he used… he was gushing blood from cuts on his face, on his arms, and on his chest-
-However, the young man still had the audacity to smirk…
"Is this it…?"
The Dragonslayer asked arrogantly, as he covered himself in a shroud of blood red fire, and zoomed past the otherworldly beings, burning everything which stood in his way, cutting anything which escaped his flames, and setting fire to every moving being within his sights…
The ones near him, and even the ones from afar-nothing was spared… The fire consumed everything he considered an enemy… If only the things had bones, they too would have been turned into dust by the intensity of his monstrous power.
"My, my… It seems even the Netherlings are no match for you, Salamander… Maybe I ought to show you my full strength now?" Hades contemplated, as he appeared-floating on the air. His minions were slowly disintegrating one by one, but he was still sneering.
The pink haired mage disappeared from his sights, and Hades felt a sharp object touching his bare back.
He laughed.
"What is so funny, old man?!" He asked coldly, as he pressed the sword further. His wounds were closing up and disappearing without a trace, due to Mystletain's power…
The old man twisted his body and swung his right arm towards the young mage-
And in the next moment, he lost it... The Dragonslayer had summoned another flaming sword, and sliced of his arm clean from the shoulder… instead of blood, he saw black smoke gushing forth from the wound…
"Hahaha… With that sword, I can't kill you, can I? My minions aren't even damaging you properly, and even the tiniest scrapes and cuts I do manage to inflict on you gets healed… Aside from that, you can freely summon and bend fire to do what you wish… when we fought, I did not see you possessing pyrokinetic and pyrogenetic powers of this caliber… How strong have you become?"
A black seal appeared on Hades' severed arm, and the arm attached itself to the Dragonslayer. With a flick from his other arm, the Dragonslayer was sent flying towards the ground-
"Explode!"
His severed arm generated a miniature explosion, and when the explosion cleared-
A battered, but perfectly fine Dragonslayer met his sight. Natsu simply stood up from his position, still clutching the wooden sword. Hades placed his remaining hand on his forehead.
"Hahaha! I keep forgetting the fact that fire magic doesn't work on you! It seems I'm getting senile…"
Three seals appeared below the still airborne Dark mage, and the remaining Netherlings vanished without a trace. Darkness gathered at the Old man's body, who was laughing hysterically.
"It's time to end this, Natsu Dragneel. Soon, my soul will return to the Netherworld, but I will at least take you there with me before I depart!"
However, the Salamander wasn't paying attention… he was looking around nonchalantly, as if surveying the carnage his flames had created. Hades stopped laughing, annoyed at the Dragonslayer's expression.
"Hey! Don't take your eyes off your opponent!" He pointed his remaining hand downward at the Dragonslayer-
BAAAANG!
The purple bullet-like sphere hit the younger mage's cheek, but he was unfazed… He turned towards the old man, and muttered.
"What have I done? The ground-it's in craters… The trees have vanished, and everything-everything's burned…"
Hades watched the Dragonslayer with wary eyes…
And the young man breathed out a long sigh.
"Man… Mavis is going to kill me when I get back…"
"Interesting… So, it really wasn't you…" Hades whispered with fascination, but Natsu caught every word.
"Of course it wasn't me, you geezer… What, have you gone senile?!"
The old man laughed, as a tick mark appeared on the Dragonslayer's forehead.
"The moment, you stopped shaking, I thought you were getting serious… I have to look into this…" Natsu gripped the sword he held tightly.
"-but now, you're simply the idiotic Natsu Dragneel… I guess my fun time is over… After all, you were basically shaking in fear the moment I appeared."
Natsu pointed a finger towards the older mage.
"Show me your resolve…"He heard the other man's voice in his head, and proclaimed-
"I have faced my fear…" The old man stopped sneering, and wore a serious expression.
"Yes, show him your power…"
"Yes, I was afraid… however-"
"Embrace your fear, accept it-"
"I have stopped running…"
"Look forward… Move forward…"
"This life, it is unfair, but if this fate binds me to a road of suffering, then I will accept it."
"And never turn back."
"Fear-I did not discard it-no, I became one with it…"
"You'll grow weak if you retreat."
"I have accepted it, and now, only I remain…"
"You will die if you hesitate."
"My fear, I will use it against you…!"
A large, golden seal appeared on the ground. The seal-it looked like a sun, with eight splendid rays spreading on all directions, and words only Natsu could discern.
"Accede ad ignem hunc, jam calesces plus satis…"
The Dragonslayer proclaimed.
The seal flickered, and changed color-what had been gold, had turned pale yellow… the atmosphere became heavy, as the temperature increased.
"You know what to do… say the words, and call on…"
Then, the young boy chanted loudly in an unfamiliar language, as the old mage tried to analyze what was happening…
"I, the one who awakens
Am the being the world has forsaken…
I reject the ones who reign above and despise the ones cast below
From the ashes, I rise out of the never ending shadow…
By the Eight Stars, I will cover everything in fire
And by the Eight Promises, I will turn it anew…!"
The remnants of the crimson flames were blown away with a force which erupted from the young mage. The dark skies became lighter, as if sensing the mage's call… The clouds shifted, and suddenly-
The bright sun, which had been hidden throughout his fight, appeared-
"Sol, show me your light."
The sunlight grew with the glowing of the seal.
"Awaken the embers burning inside."
Then, the seal shined once more, as the older mage covered his eyes with a single hand.
"Grant me control of the flames I desire."
"Draconic?! What the hell, so you really can speak it?! I thought I misheard you before!" Hades asked, shocked.
"Let my fear become the source of my fire."
Natsu felt the warmth from his back grow stronger, as his spine tingled.
"Flames of Imperius, answer my prayer."
He finished. He opened his hands-
And saw flames dancing on his palms… however, they were colored differently from his…
The vibrant orange flames he used-it was replaced by bright, yellow ones…
The glow faded, and the sun was once again hidden by the dark, grey clouds. Natsu stood, his eyes mesmerized by the fire in his hands.
"The flames of control… The first flame…"
Natsu raised his arm, and a pillar of flames rose from the ground-catching the older mage in surprise, and hitting him in the process. Hades waved his hand, and a strong gust of wind blew away the fire, but the damage had been dealt.
Hades received new burnt marks on his body, and he was definitely pissed right now.
"You…!"
"Old man, did I do that?!"
"Yes… you have managed to create and manipulate fire outside of your body-a feat which was impossible since now."
"How…"
"The flames of control, is the weakest among the eight flames however-"
Hades charged, and threw his chains in the Dragonslayer's direction. Natsu parried the sharp hook using his sword, but the chain swerved and changed direction. Instead, it circled around, and approached from his back. He used his instincts to guide him, and ducked, just as the hook came. He focused on the opponent's feet, and imagined setting the ground on fire.
His imagination came to life, and the opponent jumped in surprise, as yellow flames burned his bare feet.
"These flames are the most flexible… The ability to create, absorb and manipulate fire with the use of one's mind-that is the power of Imperius…"
"Then, how different are they compared to the ones I used before?"
"In terms of power, I'd say yours is stronger, but can you not see it?"
Hades used his gun magic again, and aimed at the Dragonslayer. He instinctively waved his hand from the side, and a thick wall of fire appeared between both mages. He closed his hand, and the flames magically solidified. The fire wall received the brunt of the attack.
"Very good… The imagination of one's mind, can make your ability to create limitless… Think of it as molding magic…"
"Molding magic?"
"Yes… similar to the ones the pervert-Gray, I think, uses…"
When he heard the name, Natsu laughed loudly…
"Hahaha… Is that so? Then I will beat Gray in his own game with this…!"
However, the wall started cracking, and purple bullets came as the obstruction crumbled. Natsu jumped, flipped, and let the attacks pass him.
"What the…?"
"I told you, these flames lack power… and you lack the imagination to make it stronger…"
"Tell me sooner, old man!" Natsu cried, as he dodged several bullets. The dark mage waved his hand, and black chains appeared, binding the Dragonslayer's limbs. The chains were connected to the ground, but his strength was not enough to set himself free. He thought he'd use the old man's transportation technique, but he knew he couldn't do it. The sword on his hand fell to the ground, and he struggled to escape. Hades conjured another chain, which latched itself on the sword's hilt, and he pulled it towards him. Natsu saw his decaying body gradually getting healed, and his flesh becoming more solid.
"You…Have you been ignoring me, you damned brat?! You have been talking to yourself quite energetically now, haven't you?!" Hades spoke out his dissatisfaction.
"This is the real test now, young one… The only thing I have to say, is this-moving things will be harder to set fire to, and things which have life, will even be harder to burn… Bear this in mind…"
Natsu watched as the elder mage waved his hand in a strange manner, similar to before… A black formula appeared in front of him.
"Shit… It's Amaterasu…"
He willed flames to appear over his body, but since the yellow flames were weak, the chains didn't burn. Hades sneered.
The old man muttered incantations under his breath, and Natsu knew, that this attack was going to be insanely strong.
"Fuck, I have to think fast… What can cut chains?"
Natsu glared at the enemy, and saw Mystletain. In the back of his mind, he remembered Gray, using his Ice Make to fashion a sword.
"Heh…"
He looked up, and focused. Hades had finished his preparations, and he stared at the Dragonslayer, who was looking up, his eyes in concentration.
He also looked up, and his eyes grew-
Suspended in the air, was a poorly shaped, giant broadsword, made entirely out of fire.
Hades acted fast.
"Formula 99-"
However, Natsu shook his head to the side, and Hades' concentration was broken as flaming spikes appeared on the ground, and nearly impaled him. He took a step back, but-
"Now!"
Natsu moved his wrist, and turned his hand. The sword swung itself, and cut his shackles. In that split second, Natsu had manage to set himself free, and he rushed toward the elder mage, his fist ready-
Hades waved a hand, and a black barrier caught the Dragonslayer's fist…
DOOOON!
The barrier was strong, and it covered an entire side of the battlefield. Natsu kept punching, but a single crack didn't even appear… He focused his eyes inside; however, the flames didn't heed his call.
"Hahaha! Don't push your luck, Salamander! This barrier nullifies oxygen and Ethernano. With your skills, you won't be able to summon your flames inside!"
Hades had read the Salamander's abilities in that short amount of time.
"However, I can still use magic on your side!" His right eye glowed, and spectral beings started forming. The citizens of the Netherworld had reappeared.
Natsu stopped his assaults, and focused.
"Old man, I need power."
"Power, you say?" His mind answered back.
"Yes, but I want my own, I don't need yours…"
He heard the old man laughing in the back of his head.
"Hahaha… Then, awaken the second flame… You are ready…"
"How…?"
What the older being spoke next, nearly drove him into a mindless rage.
"Tell me, why are you being too lenient with this geezer? Do you not remember what he did to your nakama?"
Memories resurfaced in his mind, as if the other one was forcing him to remember them…
He saw Makarov Dreyar, beaten and bruised. His small body was covered in blood, but despite this, he stood up.
He saw Tenrou in ruins, the tree had been cut down, and his allies had been injured.
He saw the members of Grimoire, hurting his nakama.
And he saw the one behind it all-Hades himself, laughing coldly.
Natsu was boiling with anger…
"I see… So that's it, then…?"
It appeared once again-the seal of the Eight Rays… Its yellow shine glowed eerily, and Hades was once again surprised.
"Yes, the second flame will be awakened, by anger…"
The force blew away the forming specters, and shook the ground. The yellow seal flickered, and turned orange…
The Dragonslayer chanted lines from another language.
"Arcturus, show me your strength
Help me achieve the power I have dreamt
Strengthen the flames that I desire
Let my anger become the source of my fire."
His voice resounded through the silent battlefield. He felt something in him loosening, as if a seal that had once been place on him was unlocked.
"I sealed your Dragonslayer magic, all of it…The seal will be undone if you awaken "that"." Mavis spoke in his mind.
Yes. He felt his magic coming back.
"Flames of Vis, answer my prayer."
He opened his still clenched hand, and the flame's color changed…
His bright, orange flames-
They had returned…
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu struck with what was left of his strength, but the barrier was still too strong. Inside, Hades was stunned, because of the recent development.
"It can't be…! It really is the Eight Rays…?!"
The voice resurfaced in Natsu's head.
"Remember… The first flame grants control, and the second grants power… put them together, and-"
Natsu understood what he was saying. He pulled back his arm-
And concentrated. The flames gathered around him, crawling towards his right arm.
Then, when Natsu swung, a fiery visage of a gigantic gauntlet covered his hand, and connected with the barrier.
CRACK!
Cracks started forming, as the Dragonslayer continuously assaulted the black barrier blocking his fist.
Hades' eye twitched, his mouth became lopsided, and he started shaking.
"No, not now! More…I need more time!"
SHATTER!
The barrier collapsed, and with one final punch-
"Fire Dragon's Firing Hammer!"
Hades was sent flying… His unconscious body crashed against the cratered ground…
"Ha… Ha…" Natsu was panting, as he fell on his knees…
"I did it…"
He thought it was finally finished; he would have relaxed-
However, it wasn't over yet-
Natsu froze, as a chill crept over his bare back. The surroundings became eerily quiet, and the sky had once again turned black. Natsu saw his shadow growing longer, as if something was pulling on it.
A crack appeared in the sky, and another cloaked man came out from it. He snapped his fingers, and the crack vanished.
The man landed on the hard ground, and surveyed the battlefield. His face was obscured by the hood he wore, but Natsu could see that the man was well built and muscular. The newcomer was at least a head taller than him.
"I see… Nikutu used the Necromantic Anthem…" He had a ragged, middle aged voice. His head turned towards Hades, who was unmoving. He went over, and picked up the corpse-like body of the man.
"It seems the spell had worn off… my timing is perfect…" His head turned once again, until he was staring at the body of Nikutu, who was finally stirring.
"Ugh… My soul… is back…?" He unsteadily got up, and waved his arm. The book he carried with him magically reappeared in his hands.
Both men looked at each other-
"Master… What are you doing here?"
"I have come to see if you were doing well… The sword?"
Their eyes wandered to the sword which was lying in front of Natsu. Hades had dropped it after he delivered his punch.
The Dragonslayer hastily picked it up, and felt his fatigue disappear. He managed to stand, and he held his guard up.
The cloaked man's glare, was boring into him. The other guy was looking at him with fear induced eyes…
"M-Master… This guy claims to be Natsu Dragneel…"
"Nikutu…"
"Y-Yes…?"
"I applaud you for finding Hades-dono's body-" Nikutu wore a pleased expression, however-
The man waved an arm, and the skinny mage started foaming on the mouth. His eyes rolled back to his head, and he was shaking like crazy.
"You have failed… You lost the sword, you awakened the master prematurely, you failed to set free the user of lost nature magic, and-" He pointed at Natsu.
"You have let yourself become defeated by him. I don't care who the enemies are, but for what reason did I teach you magic? I have shared Zeref's secrets with you, but you have wasted them…"
The man raised his arm and Nikutu rose a few feet, as if he was being hanged. Then, the man brought his hand down, and the frail mage's body crashed on the ground.
"…M…M-Master K-Kuratuu… For…forgive me…" The older man simply scoffed.
Natsu was pissed. He snapped his fingers-
Several, no- several dozens of flaming balls surrounded the cloaked man in an instant. Natsu focused-
The balls shifted, and turned into disfigured, but sharp flaming blades, all of which were pointed at the mysterious man.
"Hey, wasn't he your ally?"
"No, he is simply a tool…"
Natsu stamped his foot, and with a flick of his wrist, the swords flew towards the man…
However, the man had disappeared, leaving behind only his cloak-which had been pierced by the flames, and turned, into ashes.
"Now, now… I think introductions are a given-"The voice came from behind, and Natsu turned around, swinging Mystletain on instinct-
The man blocked the blade using a large book. The sword was stuck on the book's spine, and Natsu got a good glimpse of the man.
He had long graying hair, like Hades. The difference between the two men however, was evident-this man, who had an old face, had an extremely long beard, and his facial hair covered his cheeks and his mouth. He looked like an ancient hermit.
His face was scowling naturally, and his eyes were dyed red. His nose was bent in an odd angle, and a scar ran on his forehead. The man was wearing a black body suit, which emphasized his muscular frame, and a purple sash was tied on his waist. A long kilt covered his legs, and black leather boots were worn on his feet.
"I am Kuratuu. The guild master of Sepulchral Dirge, and the leader of the Necromagi. It seems my servant, and even my master-Hades, had been defeated by you. Well, we shall retreat for now, but the next time we meet-"
He vanished like smoke, and the next thing Natsu knew, a large crack had appeared in the sky, and the old man was entering it, carrying both Hades and Nikutu on his shoulders.
"-You will die, and the darkness will come to life."
He disappeared, as the crack closed.
Natsu stood there for some time… staring at the cloudy canvas above him…
Finally, the carnage had ended.
Finally, he had regained the sword, and defeated the dark mage-
For now…
He looked down, and his gaze was held by the sword. His wounds were disappearing… The warmth on his back gradually lessened.
He turned the sword around, swinging it over and over again in order to get rid of his fatigue, until he noticed the markings on the blade.
It was Draconic-
"-Call on me, and you will hear my voice-"
Natsu scratched his head, unsure of what to do. He turned the sword over, and saw another word.
"Mystletain…"
He muttered without thinking.
It happened after that-
The blade spun violently on his hand, as if trying to escape his clutches. Natsu held the hilt tighter, and he heard it-
"…F…Free… Me…"
It was a voice, asking for help. He let the sword guide him, as he searched for the one who was calling.
He kept running, his adrenaline reaching past its limit. He disregarded his burning lungs and tired legs, and pushed on past trees and slippery grounds. He didn't know how long he had been running, but he didn't care-someone needed his help.
Soon, he came to a stop. The sword had stopped shaking, and the voice had disappeared. He looked around, searching for something he didn't know of, in this foreign area.
His eyes caught something peculiar-
It was a tree, fashioned differently from the rest. Its roots looked like a pair of feet, and on its sides were two identical branches, with ends which looked like fingers. Its trunk had the same girth of a man's waist, and on its upper portion-
Was a face which looked like that of a man's.
Natsu's chest throbbed. Only now did he realize that he was out of breath, out of magic, and out of strength-however, the sword was still in his hands, providing him with the life force he needed.
He lightly touched the tree, and felt a weird magic force running within it. His instincts told him something-
This tree, really was a man-
And he needed to save him.
He stabbed the sword without second thoughts…
It had been two weeks since Natsu left the First Master's grave in order to search for the sword. Mavis, the spirit of what used to be Fairy Tail's founder, was sitting casually on her grave's tombstone, swinging her feet alternately while humming a lively tune. In front of her, was a black goat, who was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed. He was reading a scroll which contained faded letters, and was whistling a tune of his own.
"He should be back by now~" Mavis stated energetically. Black had a grim look on his face.
"Blaa… If those necromancers didn't dispose of him, then I would agree…"
"My, Yagi-san… Don't be so negative~! It's Natsu we're talking about."
"If he is who you claim him to be, then I guess-"
The sound of heavy footsteps caught Black's sharp hearing. He smiled, as he recognized the footsteps, but suddenly frowned…
Judging from the noise, there were two sets, so two men were coming towards their direction. He glanced at Mavis, who was wearing a serious expression.
From the dark hole, which was the garden's entrance, entered a crudely dressed, pink haired youth. His hair was a complete mess, and his clothes were gone, save for the torn piece of pants he wore. His face was dirty, and on his hand was a beat-up looking, wooden sword.
Natsu Dragneel had arrived, and he was wearing a displeased look.
"You stupid goat! I waited three days for you to return to your house, but you didn't come! I was going to show you something awesome!" Natsu spat out his dissatisfaction, and snapped his fingers. On his command, orange flames surrounded him, and started dancing around the mage.
Black was impressed, but he didn't lower his guard. He and Mavis were staring at the entrance, where a man, who was as tall as Natsu, was standing. Natsu took notice of their glares, and turned his head.
"Hey, Azuma… Come here for a sec, I'll introduce you…"
"And that's how it is…" Azuma finished telling his story.
Mavis and Black wore shocked expressions upon hearing his tale.
"So, you were a member of Grimoire Heart?"
"Yes, I was…"
"Was…?"
Azuma sighed, and replied while scratching his goatee.
"I was partly the reason why Grimoire lost the battle. I had battled a skillful mage, with a wager-that if she ever defeated me, I would at least return Fairy Tail's power… I was beaten, and the excess magic from the Tree I forcefully accessed flowed back into me, and ironically, turned me into a tree myself. Nobody looked for me, but I already expected that-after all, the only reason I joined Grimoire was for the sake of having a good fight."
Natsu patted his back, saying something like-"he's a good guy, isn't he?"
However, Black still had his doubts.
"Natsu, you idiot… Why the hell did you free this guy? He used to be an enemy, you know-"
"Yeah, used to be is the right word. But he's on our side now~" Natsu replied, smirking.
Mavis had a thoughtful look on her face, before she asked what had been nagging her.
"So, Azuma… Why did you join Natsu? Did you not know that he had been the one who defeated your master?"
Azuma nodded, and replied.
"Yes, that is partly the reason why I joined him-"
The tree shined momentarily, and the next moment-
A man his height was standing in place of the tree. The man had curly, brown hair, and looked to be a few years older than him. He was only wearing a pair of weird pants to cover his lower body, so his muscular frame bulged out. The man stared at the Dragonslayer with eyes full of curiosity.
"Why did you save me…?"
"You called, didn't you?"
The man looked around for some time, and drew a long breath.
"…Aah… It has been a while…"
"Hey, who the hell are you…?" Natsu asked boldly, and the man fixed his eyes on the young mage.
"I am Azuma, of the Seven Kin Purgatory-a lost magic user from Grimoire Heart…"
As soon as he finished talking, the atmosphere started getting heavy all of a sudden. The temperature rose at an alarming rate, and the man named Azuma felt a trickle of sweat falling from his forehead.
When he looked again, the pink haired boy was pointing a finger in his direction.
"Grimoire… It seems that I made a mistake…"
"Are you a member of Fairy Tail, then?"
"Yes… and No…"
"What do you mean… who are you?"
The Dragonslayer covered his body in a coat of flames, and smirked confidently.
"I am Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail's Salamander… If you really are one of those devils, then I will beat you, just like I did with Hades."
Xxx
"After I heard his name, I remembered the one who defeated me say this-
"If you're looking for strong ones, then there's Natsu-"
"And I knew, that he was the one she referred to. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard him say that he had defeated the Master, so I challenged him-"
"Yeah. He said-" If you beat me here, I'll do anything you want. Show me your power…" Stupid right?" Natsu stated.
Black and Mavis sweat dropped at the comment.
"So, I take it that Natsu won?" Mavis asked, and Azuma laughed.
"Hahaha… you could say that… I nearly died; he's way too powerful for me…"
Black looked at Natsu.
"Well, this guy just awakened the Eight Rays, so it's a miracle you're alive, but-"
"Did Natsu ask you to join him after he defeated you?"
Natsu and Azuma looked at each other, and Natsu nodded.
"Well, not really. I only asked him for a simple favor." His eyes glowed mysteriously, and Black felt his spine tingle.
"What favor?"
The two looked at each other again, and this time, Azuma spoke before Natsu could stop him.
"Natsu and I placed traps all over your house, cause he said it would be interesting. And we waited for you to return, in order to see what would-"
Natsu placed a hand on his mouth, as Black looked mortified.
"You idiot! Don't tell him…" Natsu was slapped on the head.
"Why the hell would you do that?! Blaaa!"
"Well, I was bored…" Natsu stated casually as Azuma continued laughing.
Mavis patted Natsu on the shoulder, and gestured for the sword.
"Oh, right! I nearly forgot, Mavis."
Natsu was handing over the item, but Black, still annoyed because of the mage's prank, kicked the Dragonslayer on the shin, prompting the boy to lose his grip and let go of the sword.
CRACK!
Natsu's hearing caught the sound, and he scooped up the item before the girl could reach it. He inspected the sword-
"Natsu…! It better not be broken!" Mavis muttered darkly.
"Hey, it's only a crack… Geez, a sword this durable won't break easily." Natsu stated casually. A tiny crack had appeared on the blade's surface.
Mavis doubted him, so Natsu swung the sword towards a nearby boulder, in order to prove his point.
Natsu had only intended to cut the rock in half...
The moment the blade met the rock's surface-
CRACK!
The crack became larger…
SNAP!
The sword was split from the middle…
SHATTER!
And the middle portion completely shattered.
-He did not expect the sword to snap in half.
Natsu's mouth fell open, and his eyes grew into saucers. He looked desperately towards the other two men, asking for help, but the goat and the newcomer turned to the side, and avoided the younger mage's gaze.
Natsu froze, and his body became limp, as he felt a tremendous aura directed at him. He slowly looked towards the girl-
"…M-Mavis… I…I c-can e-explain…" He stuttered, but when he looked-
The girl was smiling…
Oh man, it was one of those smiles-
A smile which promised pain… lots of it…
"NATSU~"
"M-mommy…?!"
The scream of a young man resonated countless times over the island.
"…."
While Mavis was thinking of a suitable punishment for the Dragonslayer (who already fainted, by the way…), Black approached the spirit.
"So, what are you going to do about the Tree?"
"Well, I don't know… It's not like we have someone who knows powerful nature magic… lost magic would be preferable, but like I said, we… don't…" Mavis glanced at Azuma, who wore a confused expression.
"Azuma-kun~! I would like to ask a favor~!" Mavis proclaimed energetically, while she wore a sinister expression. Azuma was sweating bullets.
"Must… not… invoke… First master's…wrath…" He thought, after seeing the Dragonslayer who had defeated him with ease, faint from a mental attack.
He swallowed hard.
"W-What favor would that be…?" He asked fearfully, as Mavis laughed evilly.
"Oh, nothing much… just so you know, you can't refuse, all right~?"
Man… it was going to be a fun~ time at Tenrou.
"Fire Dragon's Molten Shell!"
The knives which flew towards his direction melted like butter. His fiery barrier looked thinner from before, and he called it off just as the goat motioned for him to take a rest. Natsu sat on the grassy field, and lay down after breathing a heavy sigh.
He was exhausted. Ever since he got back, he had been training non-stop, in order to master the first two flames. He raised his hand, still panting, as he tried to create a solid sword made from fire-
FWOOM!
The hilt appeared, and then, the guard and finally, the blade. It was still a bit misshapen, but compared to his first few attempts, it looked better.
"You're getting the hang of it… Just a bit more, and it'll be perfect… Blaa." Black muttered as he sat down beside the pink haired boy.
Natsu raised his upper body up, still panting, and looked at his hands. He concentrated, and a flaming flower; a rose, appeared. Black clapped his hands (hooves, I mean…) and praised the Dragonslayer.
"That's good. Your training has progressed well. Try burning this, then-" Black pulled out a knife from out of nowhere, and threw it up high. Natsu looked at the flying blade, and fixed his gaze on the airborne knife.
His vision was blurring, because of the knife's fast movement. His eye twitched-
The knife fell on the ground, stainless and sharp just like before. A blazing fire momentarily appeared in the sky, before it was blown away by the wind.
He missed.
"Tsk, tsk… it seems you can't ignite moving things yet, can you?"
Natsu slumped his shoulders and sighed.
It had been two weeks since he had brought Mystletain-and broke it. With the use of Imperius, Natsu learned how to mold and manipulate fire magic even from afar. Mavis and Black had rigorously trained the young Dragonslayer, both in body-
-and in mind.
A week ago-
"So, why are we doing this?"
Natsu asked as he dodged a light jab which was aimed at his face. A heavy book was opened in his arms.
"I told you to read! Tell me, what is the capital of Fiore?" Mavis asked sternly as she tried to kick the Dragonslayer's shin. Natsu fixated his eyes on the book while dodging the attack, and muttered…
"Isn't it Hargeon-"
"Wrong!" Mavis spun, and delivered a roundhouse kick which Natsu blocked with the use of the book. Mavis had a displeased look on her face.
"Geez, Natsu! I told you not to take your eyes off the book, and read! You need to learn in order to survive, you know?"
"Yeah, I get that, but why are we doing it while sparring? It doesn't add up!" Natsu retorted, but Mavis simple puffed her cheeks. It looked more like punishment for breaking Mystletain…
"Natsu, when it comes to fighting-I'll admit that you're a fast learner. You're brain is hardwired for battle, enabling you to think of tactics when you fight…However, aside from that area-you're an utter idiot, so-" Natsu was indecisive regarding the first part. (Tactics? I don't use tactics…), but he was stabbed by the truthfulness of the second part. Black cut in on their conversation-
"We have decided to spar with you while you read and get your facts straight… In theory, that way your brain will be able to absorb knowledge and catch up, because you're in battle mode. It'll also be a chance to heighten your reflexes, because you won't be able to see the attacks with your eyes-"
-and like that, Natsu had been sparring with the duo for fourteen straight days, while undergoing mental training at the same time. Natsu actually had an easier time memorizing facts when he sparred-so it seems that their methods worked, and he slowly became less of an idiot with each passing day…
By the way, Azuma was keeping the Tenrou Tree in check, and was regulating the tree's magic flow daily. He had decided to stay and help after being "convinced" by the First.
"So your fire barrier-Molten Shell, is already perfected?" Black's voice brought him back to reality. Natsu turned to look at the goat, before frowning.
"Yeah, I've managed to get it right. However, compared from before, it takes away a lot of my stamina-condensing it so that I could increase the temperature was really hard-"
"What about the other technique-Flickering Flame?" Natsu deepened his frown, and shook his head.
"Man, I can't perform that fancy technique yet. I've tried, but even with Imperius, it's still impossible for me… I really don't know the concept behind that spell…"
Black breathed a long sigh, and Natsu added.
"I want to teleport~… To disappear and reappear, covered in flames just like a ninja, but why can't I~"
On a certain night after that-
Natsu was twisting and turning, muttering things in his sleep. He was staying at Black's house, and was lying on a comfortable bed-
But his dreams were anything but comfortable… A shadow crept towards him-
Black was watching while Natsu was tormented by nightmares.
"Save my daughter…"
The sea was calling… he heard waves crashing and water flowing…
He was standing on the surface of the water, and when he looked around, the waves were thrashing violently. It was obviously night, and he could make out four paths from where he stood. It seemed as if he was standing in the middle of four islands, with tall cliffs. The islands must have been separated from each other, and formed passes from the straights which erupted due to their division.
"A journey to the crossroad…" He heard a familiar line from somewhere.
He turned to look, but there was no one.
Then, different voices pierced his thoughts…
"The choices are a lie… The answer is at the center…"
"Find the sword, and fulfill thy prophecy…"
"The entrance to your abode…"
A few feet from where he was, he could see something shining…
"To find the sword, that was forever lost…"
"N…Natsu…" He heard a familiar voice. He looked again.
And then, for the first time, he got a proper glimpse of it.
It was partially submerged in the water, but he knew-
-this was it. The sword he was supposed to find.
He walked towards it, and placed his hand on the hilt-
But he couldn't pull it out. The clouds shifted, and the moonlight passed-earning him a brief look at its features…
He didn't see much, because it was wrapped in white cloth. It had a long hilt, the same length as his forearm, and a broad blade nearly as wide as his body. The sword's hilt, which was cylindrical and ended with a bow shape at the top, was connected to the blade's center, but apart from those details, he couldn't see anything else.
"Natsu… Seek me…" He heard it again-it was different from the rest of those voices. It held warmth… it yearned for him…
The sword glowed, and he stroked the wide blade gently…
"So, you're Durandal…" He muttered, but-
The blade shook violently, and the waves crashed against it. It slowly drowned, while Natsu stood watching…
"Nay… My name-is Ascalon." He finally recognized the kind voice… a voice he never expected to hear again…
"Find me, and I will grant what you desire…"
It was Eara's voice...
The sword was entirely swallowed, and sent to the bottom of the sea.
He tried to follow it with his eyes, and below him, he could make out a very dark shape underwater… He squinted to take a better look-
It looked like a circle, with eight spikes…
No-he looked closer, and what he saw was completely burned in his memory…
It was like a Dragon, with a mouth which was eating its own tail.
A giant wave crashed against him, and sent him headfirst, into the murky sea…
"And the hero, he drowned into the depths." He remembered-this line, was from that song…
Eara's song…
As he sunk, his breathing slow, and his sight giving out, he heard something which jolted him awake-
A hoarse whisper, but he caught everything-
Images started forming underwater, and even though the waters were dark and murky-
He could see everything…
"Travel through the doors of endless time"
As he sunk, he saw the dark shape again… of a Dragon eating its own tail. When he looked closer, he realized-
In its center, was a dark hole-a passage…
"Seek the wanderer, forgive the witch's crimes"
He saw an old lady, who seemed unusually familiar to him. He watched as the old woman walked towards an unfamiliar path, which ended in a diversion-a crossroad. A pillar was standing in the middle, and the old lady looked up, as the sun shone far above.
"Reform the broken blade and surpass your prime"
The sword flashed before his eyes, and he reached for its drowning form, but as soon as he touched it-
-it turned into dust, leaving behind only its hilt.
"Call upon your sadness and free the one you let go"
And then, his chest throbbed once more. The nightmares which haunted him, revealed themselves-
Eara was dying…
The village was burning…
Erza had chosen another man…
And he died facing her, as he fell into the raging waters…
The images dissolved, and he saw a black coffin, one which he had never seen before.
Four blindingly, white swords were stuck on each of its corners, forming a cross like pattern. Below the coffin, three circles, one inside the other, were glowing.
And on the coffin's center, was the blackest sword he had ever seen. It looked like a katana, with a reversed blade, and it was pulsating with malicious energy…
Somehow, something alive was lying inside that coffin-
And it was waiting to be awakened…
"Recover what you've lost, the memories that you know"
The thing that he lost… the memories he knew-
He only realized now…
Somehow, this had to be it…
The next part, of that ancient prophecy…
"And gather the shadows to help you deal the killing blow"
Everything went away, and he was close to losing his last breath of air. His body had gone cold, his heart had slowed down…
A large shadow passed him by-a shape akin to that of a gigantic sea monster-
He saw a large mouth opening to swallow him, its countless teeth glowing in the dark…
Natsu forced himself awake.
His covers had fallen on the floor, and he was releasing cold sweat from his tired body. He lifted a hand and placed it on his chest, just to make sure-
-just to be certain, that he was still alive…
He slowed down his panting, and unsteadily got up into a sitting position. He looked around-
Black's unfocused obsidian eyes met his gaze.
"W…What did you say?" Were his first words, as he stood shaking.
"…?" The Dragonslayer was befuddled, and couldn't think of a proper answer. He had his own problems to deal with.
"Draconic… You were talking in your sleep, and everything was Draconic… I couldn't understand a thing. Except-"
The goat talked in a fast pace, which kept the Dragonslayer off track… Black broke the silence with his finishing statement-
"Ascalon… It has called you, am I right?"
This was a truly awkward meeting place.
Natsu was relaxing in a small spring near the Tree-something he must have missed while he was there…
And with him, was Black, who was enjoying the warmth of the hot liquid. Both men wore towels to cover their man parts, and were currently entranced in the magic the spring offered them…
As soon as Natsu entered, he had completely turned the heat up a notch, and the result was simply mind blowing.
The spring was boiling, but the goat was completely unhurt; rather, he enjoyed it…
It was normal for men to enjoy hot springs together (Even though the other person was a goat), but what made the situation awkward, was a female spirit, who was running around, trying to think of a suitable way to enter the fun.
Mavis had entered the scene, but she had an adorable pout on her childish face.
"I wanna get in~"
She moaned. Both men swallowed their saliva, and gulped. Black tried to catch the younger man's gaze, but he was looking towards the early morning sky. The sun hadn't risen fully, and the darkness from the earlier night was still lingering above. Black sighed.
"You can get in, you know? But-"
Mavis wagged a finger towards the goat's face, and blew a raspberry.
"Na-ah… I can't get in together with the both of you… Yagi, you need to go out~" She pointed towards the Tree, but Black merely grinned.
"No way… Natsu has the water on a perfect temperature, so it would be a shame to not enjoy this spring… we can talk later after all~" Black whistled, while Mavis continued to pout. Natsu sweatdropped at the exchange.
Sure he didn't mind sharing a spring with Mavis… He shares hot springs with his team often times… What he was worried about was a different thing…
"Hey, Mavis… Can you even enjoy a hot spring if you're a spirit? I mean, won't it be meaningless if you can't feel the warmth of the water…?" He voiced out.
"Blaa… He's got a fair point…" Black agreed.
Mavis sniffed once.
Twice.
And on the third time, she started sobbing. Natsu looked at Black with a deadpanned expression.
"You made a little girl cry…" The goat looked at Natsu with disbelieving eyes, and his eyebrows started twitching.
He got up, and went out.
"Fine! I'll find my own hot spring, and you won't be welcomed…" He walked out, and went deeper into the forest.
"Weird, the goat was wearing a towel in the bath, but outside, he wears nothing…" Natsu snickered at the thought.
Mavis' eyes were sparkling, as she started to undress.
"Whoa! Wait a minute-" Natsu's eyes were covered by a piece of spiritual clothing, and he heard a splash emanating from within."
"Ahh~ Hot springs are the best after all."
"You can feel it?" He asked. Mavis was sitting inside the shallow spring with both knees tucked in close to her chest.
"Of course I can! You think I'm dead or something…?" She spoke energetically. Natsu opened his mouth, but immediately closed it.
"You are dead…" Natsu thought, but he didn't voice it out. He could still remember how the little girl had tormented him because he had broken the sword.
He looked around, and his gaze went back to the girl, who was humming a familiar tune.
"Where's Azuma?"
"He's keeping the Tree in check. You're lucky he's capable of monitoring it, cause if he wasn't…." She mumbled the last part while submerging her mouth underwater, so that he wouldn't hear, even with his heightened hearing.
Natsu sighed, as he recalled how his days went by.
The training was going smoothly, but honestly, something kept bugging him-
-What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't go back to Fiore, and he still needed to find a permanent fix for the Tenrou Tree. He still had to figure out everything, and his brain was already past its limits just trying to remember who the current king of Fiore was.
Mavis looked at him intently, before voicing out-
"I heard from Black… about Ascalon and the sixth part of the prophecy…"
The atmosphere turned serious all of a sudden.
"Yeah… Honestly, I didn't think there was a sixth part… I'm totally confused now, but I guess that must be the final part, right?"
Mavis thought for a moment, before she replied.
"I'm sorry Natsu, but that isn't the last part. There is still another one which follows-after all, the great prophecy has seven parts."
Natsu opened his mouth in shock, before Mavis continued.
"I've been thinking-even though you broke the sword, and didn't keep your end of the bargain, you've brought a suitable replacement, so-"
Natsu stared at her, who was smiling weakly.
"I guess I'll tell a little bit of what I know…"
The day's first light broke through the horizon. The warmth from the spring was still evident, but Natsu was unnerved.
It had been the first time in days since he had a serious discussion, which his brain couldn't catch up to.
"Let us begin, with the Seven Seals, and the Seven Origins…" Mavis started.
Natsu remembered the older man who shared his name.
"With Third Origin finally awakened, the Eight Flames are once again mine!"
And he remembered the voice he had heard, after he felt the pain of being torn open from the inside-
"The Fifth Seal has been undone. The Third Origin has been unsealed."
The gears in his mind started turning-
"Wait… There are Seven Origins?" He asked, and Mavis nodded her head.
He was confused. When he first heard about Second Origin, he thought that it would be the final power-up a mage would be able to obtain in his lifetime… When he heard about Third Origin, his mind had momentarily shut down from the shock of obtaining a convenient boost which would most likely make him far stronger than he was now.
Yes, the endless possibilities of Third Origin scared him, and to think there were Seven-
"That's… Impossible, isn't it? I mean, if someone manages to obtain all seven, then-"
"That person, would no doubt become the most powerful being in the entire universe… the one who would obtain the "One" magic, which is the most powerful, and the source of all the world's magic…"
Natsu was silent, and Mavis continued.
"Yes, it would be right to educate you about this after all… so listen well, because only a select few have known the knowledge regarding the Seven Seals of the "One" magic."
Natsu felt the atmosphere getting tense, as Mavis breathed out a long sigh, before she began her story.
"The "One" magic, is a power which is both present, and absent at the same time."
"…?"
"The ones from the ancient war, the mages who have survived, are the only ones who knew about this… about the knowledge of the Seven Seals. The "One" magic, is a mere legend, but that doesn't mean it isn't real. The "One" magic, is inside us all-at least, that was what we were taught."
"What you were taught…?" Natsu asked, and Mavis nodded. He had a feeling she was referring to those who lived way back then.
"It was a magic, of unknown power, but one thing is certain-"
"It is the reason we are alive…"
Mavis recounted something she had been told of long ago.
"In the beginning, there was "One." This "One", brought everything into existence and the first things which appeared, were beings of unimaginable power-the ancients. However, they fought for dominion, trying to obtain its power-"
"As they fought, three factions arose-the gods, the devils and the dragons. Because of the chaos which resulted, the "One." scattered itself, so that those beings would never obtain its power. The war had casualties, and the rest of the ancients ceased to exist."
Natsu opened his mouth to speak, but the First Master continued.
"The devils were banished, and the gods hid themselves. The dragons ruled, seeing that only they remained, and they roamed the world. Then, the humans appeared, and the dragons feared that they would be outnumbered. The Great War happened, and the humans endlessly fought for their freedom..."
"What freed them, was an Ancient human, no-an Ancient himself-the Creator, a god who was cast down from his throne, and who vowed revenge on the rest of the Ancients... he forged weapons for the humans, the Ten Legends, so that they too could fight. The humans taught themselves magic, since only a select few could wield the legends."
His mouth was gaping open, but it was left unnoticed.
"But even with this, the humans were weak, compared to the ancient creatures, so the Creator-he told them the secret of the seals... he told them that the "One" magic, was present, in the air we breathe, in the light we bathed ourselves into, and in the soul within our hearts... Every life in existence, held the "One" magic... the knowledge which was kept by the Ancients, he broke the ancient vow, and told them this-"
"That hidden past Seven Seals, was the "One" magic itself. The moment we were able to use magic, we had already broken one of the universe's balances-the Seventh Seal had been opened, and the First Origin had been attained. This gave hope to the humans, who rigorously trained to free themselves from the dragon's tyranny. The dragons feared this, and they too raised humans to fight for their sake, but they didn't try to unleash all of the Origins, because-"
"…Because what?" Natsu asked suddenly.
"They were afraid, of the Black Origin... A few decades passed, and the most powerful humans, who had attained the Four Origins started getting drunk with power... They fought against each other, and killed even their allies, searching for power... Only now did they know, that the closer they were to the "One" magic, the harder it would be to obtain it... The moment they unlocked the Third Seal, they were subjected to the Black Origin, the ultimate test-where their hearts were corrupted by evil… They lost their minds, and the rest of the sane humans killed their companions, and swore never to awaken the Origins and break the Seals..."
Seriously… Natsu couldn't catch up to the story…
"The reason the Dragons chose to train humans, was because they knew about the Black Origin, and they feared that they too would lose their minds, and started killing each other, like the humans did. This is the reason why today, the Origins are little known. The knowledge has died down as the Ancient War became forgotten."
"…So, what are they? I don't quite understand." He finally asked.
"…Natsu… Have you been listening to my explanation…?"
"Could you please explain it in terms which even an idiot like me can understand…?" He pleaded.
Mavis sighed at the Dragonslayer's idiocy, before complying out of pity.
"The Seven Seals are the gates which keep the "One" magic from reach, and the Seven Origins are the "power-ups" one obtains once you break a Seal. The moment you learned magic, you broke the Seventh Seal-the weakest, and gained the First Origin, which allowed you to use magic. When you forced to awaken the Second Origin, you opened the Sixth Seal. And now, the Fifth Seal has somehow been broken, and you have attained the Third Origin..."
"That I understand… See, you didn't need that fucking history lesson after all! A simple explanation can save time…" Natsu nodded, earning him a glare.
"So, if I somehow manage to break the First Seal-" He asked with interest.
"The Seven Origins will be yours, the "One" magic will be unleashed, and you will be omnipotent. This is a feat no human has ever done…"
"…wow…"
"-The reason why Purehito became evil, was because he had broken the Third Seal... he gained the Five Origins, but the Black Origin put him to the test... his alliance was switched, and his heart was tainted by evil..."
"So, if I break the next two seals-"
"Then you too will be subjected to the same test, and if you don't conquer it- this time, we'll have to stop you... again…"
"Again… so the other one taking over isn't the greatest problem, is it…?" He contemplated.
"Natsu, I wouldn't worry about that if I were you." Mavis reassured him.
"Why…? How can you say that… If I need power, the seals must be broken, right?"
"Yes, but I'm telling you… breaking the seals is a hard task… it might take you months, no-even years to break another one through training alone… Besides-"
"-Ascalon has called for you, and if you find it, everything will be okay..." She stated simply.
"Ascalon, I've only heard of its name thrice..." Mavis continued.
"Ascalon, is a Legendary Sword, and is rumored to be the Creator's final, and most powerful creation."
Black returns while saying this, bringing some ancient scrolls with him. He had a look which said-"I couldn't find another hot spring."
"Yes... over the course of four centuries, Ascalon was the Legendary Weapon which had the fewest number of wielders. Unlike the more famous ones, like Caliburn, Gram, Vajura and the rest, which had at least ten or more wielders, Ascalon only had three. The Ascalon, it is rumored that only once in a hundred years can it be found, and now, it is calling for you..."
"We've talked about this before, Black… but, what exactly are these Ten Legends…?" Natsu asked uncertainly.
Black cleared his throat, and opened a certain scroll after settling down.
"The Ten Legends, are tools which were made by the Creator using his Legendary magic-the EROS."
"…Woah-wait, wait… I've gotta ask-this EROS, the one I have-" Natsu interrupted.
"What about it…?"
"Well, you said it's a Legendary Magic right…? So, it has to be insanely strong, but I've only been able to use my regular Dragonslaying magic with a couple of new perks when I awakened it… When would I be able to gain the power to change the shape of the Earth or something…?"
"…Well, I did say it like that, however-" The goat thought for a while, before answering.
"Natsu, compared to the Hero and the Creator, you're just a regular power idiot. You've only awakened it recently, so obviously, it needs time in order to be perfected… You can't expect to have a convenient power-up immediately, like when you opened the Second Origin…"
Natsu puffed his cheeks in annoyance. The goat had a fair point…
"Besides- you've only awakened two of the Eight Flames… not to mention that those two are the weakest, so you've got a long way to go in order to be able to change the shape of Earthland, or something…"
"-Now, going back… These Legendary Weapons were able to kill Dragons, but the cost of using one was pretty high."
The Dragonslayer raised his eyebrows out of curiosity.
"First of all, in order to be able to wield one, the weapon chooses if the owner is worthy enough…"
"The weapon chooses… It's not alive, is it?" Natsu asked doubtfully.
"Technically, it isn't… but haven't you heard the saying-that Weapons have souls? The sweat and blood of the one who forges them, is the one which gives life to tools…"
Natsu rolled his eyes, prompting the goat to continue.
"The test of worth… According to what's written here, there are two ways to become the master of a Legendary Weapon. The first is finding the weapon, and proving your worth so that it chooses you… the second would be directly taking it from a previous owner, and forcing it to submit… pretty straightforward, isn't it?"
"By taking it, you mean-"
"Yes, killing the owner, so that the weapon would be liberated. This was the main reason why the Legends disappeared- in order to stop the killings from happening. Back then, the ones who wielded a Legendary Weapon was in danger of being targeted by power hungry people, so the users hid their items in case those people tried to get their hands on it… Pretty much the reason why the Legends are like treasures…"
"So, is that the only disadvantage…?"
"No, there's more… There is also the cost of using it…"
"What about it…?"
"According to this, if one uses a Legendary Weapon with insufficient magic power, he would die…"
"…What?" Natsu blurted out in surprise. Black rubbed his bulbous nose.
"Legendary Weapons feed off from magic power… continuous use of it would deplete one's magic power, leading to magic deficiency diseases. Back then, those who wielded the Legends were humans who had attained at least Second or Third Origin, so that their magic reserves would be high, and they would be able to use the Legends for minutes…"
"Minutes…?"
"Yes… Minutes… Using it for long periods of time is practically suicide, even if your magic reserves are pretty high."
The pink haired teen's mouth was dropping open once again.
"Let's explain it in terms which an idiot like you can understand." Natsu nodded eagerly. Black drew something on the ground.
"Let's say you have three gallons of water-with a gallon representing an origin."
"When you use normal magic, or even lost magic, it would be like pouring water to fill an empty cup, and then closing the lid again…"
The young mage placed a hand on his chin, visualizing the statement. The goat continued his explanation.
"Whereas, if you use Legendary Magic, like the one's inside the Legendary Weapons- imagine if you turned the container upside down, opened the lid, and let the water gush out until its empty… that would happen insanely fast, am I right…?"
"So, using the Legends-"
"Yes… it completely consumes ones magic power, until you either stop, or your magic runs out…"
-Silence.
Natsu spent some time thinking, and then-
"And there are only Ten of these weapons, right?"
"I'm not sure…" Black muttered wistfully.
"What do you mean you're not sure?! Hello, Ten Legends! Obviously, there are ten…"
"I told you, I'm not sure… After all, I've heard of eleven…"
"…!"
"Durandal, Curtana, Caliburn, Vajura, Masamune, Levatain, Avalon, Gram, Hrunting, Mjollnir-"
"And the most recent one, Ascalon… Not to mention that there are four Masamunes and a rumored twin to Caliburn… Seriously, I don't know…"
"So why is it named the Ten Legends then?"
"…That's the question, isn't it?" Black spoke mysteriously.
"Now, let us talk about Ascalon, or should I say-the Legendary Dragon Slayer…"
"…!"
Legendary Dragon Slayer…? Natsu was surprised at the title.
"Yes. It is a Legendary Weapon, made exclusively in order to kill dragons. Stories tell that from a single look, Dragonkin would run away in terror, and a single swing could cut a full-fledged dragon in half…"
"…"
"According to my research, there had been three wielders, and all of them have heard the call of Ascalon, just like you… However, each of the weapons they referred to as Ascalon had different forms. One was a giant axe, the other was a great sword, and the most recent, which was found over a century ago, had been a spear… The facts don't make sense to me…"
Natsu remained silent. He recalled his dream, where he saw the sword itself, speaking to him.
"The sword's current location is unknown… One thing is certain though-you have been chosen to be its next master… Now that I remember, I think there is one major similarity between the previous wielder's of Ascalon and you-"
"What is it…?"
"It is the fact that all of you are first generation Dragonslayers… The three masters, they were known to be the strongest Dragonslayers of their time, which means-the sword might have recognized you as this generation's strongest Dragonslayer…"
The news brought him happiness, but he couldn't shake off the odd feeling from before…
"…But, I thought I was supposed to search for Durandal, the Hero's, no-his sword…"
"…Aah, Durandal eh? I heard it was lost, when the Salamander was sealed... The Hero was apparently its last wielder…" Black looked over to the silent Mavis, who nodded.
"Yes, I too thought that you would be searching for Durandal, because-" Mavis suddenly voiced out, and both men turned to look at her.
"Ascalon wasn't "forever" lost... After all, it had been found three times…"
"What do you mean-" Natsu asked uncertainly.
"Natsu, I think now would be the best time to interpret the meaning of the lines you have heard so far... The prophecy, I think you need to understand the meaning behind its words…"
"I call thy name o child of fire…"
Mavis whispered in Draconic. Natsu was rather surprised-
"You know Draconic, no-I mean, it's the first line, and it's in Draconic!" Natsu voiced out. Mavis simply chuckled.
"Of course I know it… Eara told me about it…"
"You know… Eara…?" Mavis swam through the shallow water, and placed a finger on his lips.
"Your questions can wait, Natsu… For now, I need your undivided attention." Natsu nodded, trying his best to understand.
"The first line, it must've meant someone who could use fire, but more specifically-"
She asked the pink-haired boy to turn around, as she stared at the golden sun on his back…
"It's a hunch, but by child of fire, she must have meant someone who carried the Eight Rays- the Legendary Fire Magic, because if it didn't, any fire mage would've done… The Hero carried the Eight Rays, just like you…"
She recited the next line.
"Born by man, raised by dragon
You will be feared as you live on"
"This confirms it then… A fire Dragonslayer, someone who was born a human, but raised by a Dragon. I recall, the Hero was raised by a fire Dragon, named Igneel…" Black muttered.
"The same as me, huh. It really must have been fate…"
Mavis ignored Natsu's comment, and continued.
"That mage, the Salamander, his name was famous back then. He was part of a mercenary group, and was known to be one of the strongest mages of Earthland." She stated, before going on.
"A sacrifice for your sins to be forgiven
Yet frozen in time, your past will be forgotten
Break free from your shackles and grow stronger once again"
"This is where it gets sort of vague… A sacrifice-it must have been-"
She didn't need to finish, Natsu knew what she was talking about.
It was Eara… He held back his tears, asking…
"What sins did he commit-?"
But Mavis was silent. She pondered on something, but shook her head afterwards.
"Frozen in time… this was my fault…" Mavis started crying.
"What do you mean…?"
"Natsu, have you still not realized it yet? The reason why the prophecy was inherited by you, the Eight Rays which is carved on your back, his memories, which came flowing into you, the reason why you look like him, and why both your names are the same…?!"
"…What are you talking about…?" He looked at Black, who had an unpleasant look on his face.
"Natsu… you are that Hero… You aren't a reincarnation or anything… you and him, are one and the same…"
SPLOOOSH!
He lost all hope, and nearly drowned himself in the shallow spring.
Black pulled him up, as he gasped for air…
"Natsu!"
So, he had been right all along…
Natsu, really was that man back then, but-how?
He looked at Mavis, who was fidgeting…
"Can you tell me what happened…?" He asked weakly…
"No, I can't reveal everything, yet… but I can show you, the reason why you're still alive, and why you're here…"
She lightly tapped his forehead, and he was shown a memory.
Crimson flames covered his sight. Wherever he looked, the scenery had been dyed with blood. The sky was splashed with crimson, and the land was covered in crimson flames…
The scent of burning flesh met his nose. The piercing cries and sobs of people, both men and women alike, filled his ears.
His heart-it hurt terribly. He could feel something boiling beneath; his anger was at its peak…
Hate… he felt it once more…
He could feel the urge to kill inside, eating away his restraints…
He saw someone coming at him, his fist raised, poised to strike. His face was a complete blur; he couldn't discern who he was…
Yet…
His arm moved on its own… his body was not his…
GAAAH…!
It was a clean cut. When he raised his arm, and brought it downwards, he only realized it then…
A sword, which he held in his hands. The sight of blurring metal, slicing through his adversary, was the only thing he could see. The moment he swung…
The man's life was ended… he was cut in half, from the shoulder to the waist…
His blood had been spilled, and the red liquid splashed itself on his face…
He looked around, surveying the battlefield.
His heart sunk…
Corpses…
Piles of them, surrounding him…
All had been burnt, or cut in half…
He could've cried, but his body wouldn't let him… His mind was going blank…
"You slew them… Every last one of them…" He heard Mavis' voice, and he turned around.
He saw her…
He saw them…
"Natsu… What have you done…?!" A tall man spoke out, horrified. He had long brown hair, which fell from his shoulders, and his eyes widened in surprise…
"Who… are you…?" He heard himself say…
"The Dragonborn… Arcadia… They're all… dead…" Another voice muttered. The owner's face was shadowed by the hood he wore, but Natsu could clearly see that the man was muscular.
He felt his throat constrict. His lungs choking, and his heart pounding.
His mouth moved on its own, but what came out wasn't his voice…
"The Dragonkin… Every last one of them must… be killed!"
What came out, was cold and filled with spite…
Suddenly, his body lashed out. He swung his sword-
It covered itself with his bloody flames, but before it reached its target-the little girl, Mavis-
A swift blade blocked it. The blade was shining, and he was blinded for a moment.
"I'm sorry, Natsu." He heard the old voice, before-
"GAAAGH!" His back burned… The golden sun, he felt it burning like never before… his sword fell with a clunk, as the pain brought him on his knees…
He looked at his arms-
They were covered in red scales… His hands had become claws, as he felt something growing out of his back.
"He's losing himself! Quickly, before he bathes in more blood!" He heard the girl say.
His eyes were covered in red. Everything was spinning…
He found the strength to look up, and his eyes-
A large hand had covered them…
He saw the cloaked man muttering something…
"This is all my fault… The Sword, I have made it too powerful. In order to compensate for its strength, the one who wields it-a sacrifice must be made…"
The flames were doused, as he felt himself getting weaker, and weaker…
"I will seal the Eight Flames, and close every Origin you have opened… Natsu, you must not lose control… The prophecy cannot be fulfilled with you in this state…"
"I am sorry…"
He felt something inside him closing…
He had lost his magic…
However, instead of giving up, his body forced itself to stand… He shook off the hand which had grabbed him.
"You may have sealed my magic, but my sword is still mine!"
He opened his palm, trying to call his sword-
But it remained motionless on the ground… He went over and held the hilt-
But, he couldn't lift it up… It had become extremely heavy, compared to before.
Even the sword had betrayed him…
He felt something inside him explode-
He raised his fist…However-
A flash of light-it blinded him. In the split second that it happened, he was once again brought down on his knees. Blood gushed out from fresh incisions on both of his legs…
"Natsu… I cannot overlook this now. You're too far gone!" He saw the tall man once more, his dazzling, white sword stabbed on the ground, with three more of its kind near it. The man opened his palm after muttering a few words, and faced it in his direction.
The man spoke in a sad voice.
"I thank you for sealing Serene-the witch… but I will have you sealed with her!" The four swords glowed, and the next moment-they had embedded themselves on the Dragonslayer's hands and feet.
"AAGH!"
"Mavis, do it!"
"This was how it happened…" A sad voice resounded out of nowhere.
He looked to the side, and saw a little girl, holding her hands together, and chanting something. The sky turned purple, as a large magical dome covered everything within sight.
"You were lost-by bathing in countless blood from the Dragonkin, you nearly became a being similar to that of Acnologia..."
"Old man Athos sealed the Eight Rays… and closed the Five Seals you had broken on your own… The Black Origin-you failed to pass…"
"I will imprison you, until your malice has subsided… I'm sorry, Natsu." He heard her, before he was lifted up. The swords, which had pierced him, had disappeared, and were replaced by shackles, which bound his wrists and feet. He struggled to break free, but his energy was fading. He felt his mind being attacked, robbed of the contents within… Before he lost his sight-he saw it, in the corner of his eyes.
"Karel sealed your memories, together with her… in order to make you forget everything which had occurred, he used the four blades of Lore-Masamune, to lock up your memories…"
"And I…"
-a black coffin, lying on the ground. Embedded on its center, was a pure black blade, which radiated malice… Below the coffin, was a large, circular seal, which was drawn on the ground, and on the four corners, with the coffin at its center, were the white swords-no, they looked like Katanas with rectangular guards.
"FAIRY SPHERE!"
"I finished it all… I used my Fairy Sphere, to freeze you in time, until your emotions were in check, however-"
He heard his own voice shouting.
"RELEASE ME!-EEEEARA!"
Before he was engulfed in purple light-
"Eara, please, hear me… Help me bring back Natsu… Please…" The Mavis before his eyes sobbed.
And then-
The sword stood up on its own, and danced in the air. It shined, and covered everything with light. The purple glow was enhanced-
"The Sword answered me, and the effects of Fairy Sphere were greatly enhanced… The split between Fiore and Elysia-it happened because of that…
He saw everything disappear, in the blink of an eye…
When he looked again…
He was back, sitting inside the spring, with the little girl crying on his chest.
"It took away an entire section of the continent… Everything was ended in a flash… Athos, Karel…and you… I didn't know what happened after… I was the only one left… I lost my immortality, I lost… everyone…"
Natsu witnessed the Hero's last moments first hand…
"So…why have I become young again…?"
He couldn't accept it… not yet, but finally-
He knew.
"It was, the Sword's final wish… To make you go back to the way you were before… Fairy Sphere, it was only supposed to suspend you in time and space, but the Sword-it amplified my power, and you regressed into a baby…The moment the transformation was complete, the land showed itself again… and Igneel found you, just like before…"
"-Natsu… When you awakened the Second Origin, fragments of your memories returned… When you awoke the Third, the Eight Rays showed itself once more… If ever you want-"
"No… I will never break the seals again…" He cut in.
"But, your memories-"
"I will find a way to get them back, and I will save what I can still save, with these hands…"
"Mavis… now is not the time to be emotional… Natsu, he needs to know…" Black finally voiced out.
Natsu looked at his calm expression, jealous of his composure… If only he saw what had happened, he too would have been moved to tears. He too would have been scared…
Mavis wiped away her tears, and showed the Dragonslayer a sincere smile.
"Yes… I suppose I shall tell you everything-"
But Natsu covered her mouth with a hand, and shook his head.
"This is enough for now… I don't think I'll be able to hold myself much longer if I saw everything, and by the looks of it, it seems you are also at your limit…" He pointed out, but Mavis-
"You want to know, am I right?! Then-"
"I said no… from here on out, I will recover my memories on my own… Mavis, now, I know…"
He had finally realized something…
"My memories, now is not the time to recover them…"
"Betrayed by the ones you hold dear
You will seek the man you most fear
Fall by the hand of the mage of extinction
Return to the land where you were imprisoned"
He recited…
"I was rejected, by the one I loved… I sought him-Zeref, wishing to end everything, but I was the one who fell instead… The sea carried me here, to Tenrou-where seven years ago, I slept…"
Mavis and Black had shocked expressions. They did not expect the Dragonslayer to be capable of understanding the lines.
Black took a closer look at the young mage-
Instead of the usual cheerful face he wore, plastered on him was a mask of sadness…
The sorrow from what he had seen must have taken its toll on him…
"Relive your days by the power of the First
Stronger you will grow, but you will be cursed
Omnipotent and unstoppable, but at a cost;
Another sacrifice to carry your cross
And find the sword that was forever lost"
He stated the next lines, and breathed slowly. The sun had completely risen, and the warmth from the spring was no longer comforting…
"Now, I realized… The First-you… I am alive because of you, Mavis… Yes, I grew stronger; the Eight Rays had given me strength, but my past… it's the only thing which haunts me… Him-he is the only thing I consider a curse… Unstoppable, at a cost… This must be the flaw of unleashing the Origins I have attained, seeing that he would take over me… I would lose control…"
"Natsu… are you alright…?" Mavis asked uncertainly.
"No, I'm not… but I understand now-A sacrifice, something I need to carry my cross-a burden… This sacrifice, what is it? And this burden… I am sure… The burden of carrying the Sword… Durandal-the sword I lost, and the sword I will find…"
"But, what about Ascalon…?"
"Black-everything makes sense now… My life, it really has been planned for me… It seems, I've lost all hope of trying to neglect this ancient call… It will get me nowhere… Do not worry… I will find Ascalon, and Durandal with it…" He reassured them.
"Wielding two Legends-"
Black muttered in shock.
"Nobody said it was impossible… The only question is, where do I find them…?"
Natsu looked up, and stared at the morning sky yet again… Mavis and Black looked at each other.
"You don't need to worry about that, Natsu… Your next destination, is written in the prophecy."
Natsu stared back at Black, while Mavis recited.
"Travel through the doors of endless time
Seek the wanderer, forgive the witch's crimes
Reform the broken blade and surpass your prime
Call upon your sadness and free the one you let go
Recover what you've lost, the memories that you know
And gather the shadows to help you deal the final blow"
"The doors of endless time… It can only mean one thing-" Black voiced with interest.
"Yes… The Land lost in time… The land where you were sealed… The land which mysteriously vanished, and caused the split between the two continents…" Mavis agreed.
"Natsu… You must go to the Land of the Exiled…"
"Land of the Exiled…?"
Mavis stood up suddenly, declaring-
"Yes! We shall train you for another two weeks, and after that, you must go to fulfill your destiny!" She said with sparkling eyes.
The mood just got lighter. This little girl sure knows how to lighten up everyone…
She looked at both men.
Black was looking away, and he was blushing… Afterwards-
He ran, saying this-
"I am a scholar! Naked bodies shall not conquer me…!"
Mavis turned toward the only one left-Natsu. She immediately realized what was off.
She was still naked… She hastily covered her body…
She glared at Natsu…
"I… I didn't see anything, I swear…" He was looking to the side, a light tinge of pink similar to his hair fixated on his cheeks…
Mavis grew an apparent tick mark on her forehead…
"Nothing?" She asked, and looked towards her flat chest.
"Yes… not a single thing… Honestly, what is there to see anyway-"
Those were the finishing words.
Mavis was pissed… no, more than pissed-
"I'm sorry for being flat!"
An uppercut sent the Dragonslayer flying, and nearly knocked him out… Natsu had his guard down-
But the assault wasn't over. Mavis was walking towards him, a murderous look on her face, and an aura filled with killing intent behind her.
"I will burn this image in your mind, Natsu Dragneel…" She voiced out coldly, not bothering to cover herself.
Natsu was shaking… It seems he found something even scarier than Hades, or that other Natsu… He forgot every single thought which preoccupied his mind…
That morning, completely changed the way he looked at a girl's naked body.
Two weeks passed, and Natsu was standing on Tenroujima's sandy beach… He was wearing simple clothes consisting of a plain sleeveless black shirt, and white cargo shorts with several pockets… he finally had sandals to cover his feet, and he slung over a small rucksack over his back.
"So, you're going, huh?"
The one who said this was Azuma. He went over to the man, and noticed something-
"Man, you've gotten bigger…"
Natsu's hair had nearly reached his shoulders, but it still maintained its spiky structure. His muscles had become firmer, and he had grown at least an inch taller than him.
"Hey, don't neglect training, all right? You're molding magic isn't perfect yet…" Stated Black, while he carried over several pieces of old scrolls, which he handed to the mage.
"What's this?"
"My research about Legendary Weapons, and everything you need to know about your destination…"
"Oh yeah… how did you know about this Land of the Exiled?"
"I told you already, I had been there… sometime ago…" He answered vaguely.
Natsu placed the scrolls inside his bag, while Mavis came over.
"Remember, if you don't bring back a Masamune-you're not entering this island anymore, got it~?" Mavis stated joyfully, but Natsu doubted if she was joking at all…
"The Masamune is capable of healing anything, like the Tree… And poor Azuma won't be able to enjoy his life if he keeps looking after it, so you need to find at least one, since you broke Mystletain after all…"
"Yeah, yeah… I got it-so, can I go now?"
Azuma placed a hand on his shoulder, and smiled.
"Don't worry about Tenrou, or Fairy Tail… We'll look after it for you…"
"Yeah… I won't have time to be worried if this journey really is that dangerous…"
"Have you packed everything…? Don't go eating anything strange, got it?"
"Yes, mom…" Natsu rolled his eyes.
"Natsu, can't you turn off your Second Origin…? You're going to attract a lot of things…" Black stated seriously.
"If I could, then I would have done it, you know?"
His training had come to fruition. Natsu had finally been able to awaken the Second Origin without being possessed, but ever since then, he had never been able to turn it off… He still hadn't tested his Third Origin, thinking that he might come out again…
"Remember: The choices are a lie, the answer is at the center…" Black voiced out to remind him.
"Hey, can't you just tell me the answer already?"
"No way… You said you'd figure it out on your own… and it wouldn't be thrilling if I spoiled your journey."
Natsu rolled his eyes yet again, and looked back towards the vast ocean.
The sun was high up … The noon heat was making him sweat, and he figured that by the time he arrived at his destination, it would nearly be sundown…
"You need to arrive before sunset; else you won't be able to get in… Find it first, it'll help greatly…"
He nodded in agreement.
"Natsu, are you going to swim towards it?"
"Nah, he'll probably turn on his fire barrier and walk towards it…"
His companions speculated.
"What? Are you guys stupid? If I swim, it'll be quite long, and if I turn my barrier on, I'll lose my stamina…"
"So, a boat then?" Azuma suggested.
"Hell no." The suggestion was instantly rejected.
"So-"
"I'm going to run!" He stated as if it was obvious.
Natsu waved his hand, and he started walking towards the water-
Only, his feet didn't touch the sea… He was floating in midair, his foot suspended on a road created out of flames…
Black clapped his hands in praise.
"It'd be more convenient to run than to swim, or walk through it… It's easier this way, and less tiring…"
Seriously, this guy was not normal…
"How about you fly?" Mavis asked.
"A wingless Dragon can't fly… and I can't make my own wings yet…"
He readied himself.
"Good luck, buddy!"
"Take care, Natsu… Come back with Masamune~"
"Natsu-" He looked back one last time. The goat had a wistful expression, as if he was regretting something…
"If you meet Gale, please, send him my regards…"
Natsu did a salute, before he ran full speed, his eyes never looking back, as he set his goal straight-
On the path towards the sinking sun, where the sword was calling…
Towards the horizon, where his destiny was waiting for him…
Translations: (Starting from now, Latin words will be in boldface and italics. If you notice English words in the same style, their supposed to be in Latin, but I haven't translated them in time, so that's that… Maybe I'll translate them in the future… Okay?)
Abeo!-die!
Timendi causa est nescire-ignorance is the cause of fear.
Libera te tutemet ex metus-free yourself from your fears.
Aeternum vale-farewell forever.
Accede ad ignem hunc, jam calesces plus satis-approach this fire, and you too shall soon be warm. (By Terrence…)
Original attacks: (since I excessively used exclusive attacks for this chapter, I guess I'll go explain the moves in detail…)
Black magic: Bedevilment-This one's sort of like Nemesis (a canon move…) Except, it possesses nearby living things (the trees…) which the caster can command at will.
Tearing Torrent-A water element spell… Name is a reference to a ninjutsu from Naruto (It's a technique of the same name…)
Fire Dragon's Molten Shell-The fire barrier Natsu uses… Basically, it forms a condensed fire aura around him which melts/burns anything it touches… First used against Gray…
Fire Dragon's Searing Magma-A fire technique which creates a pillar of flames from a target location.
Dragonslayer Secret Art: Blood Inferno-Scalding Geyser-It's actually an overpowered and oversized version of Searing Magma, which is capable of turning anything within the set location into ashes.
Fire Dragon's Firing Hammer-Yeah, yeah… It's the fire version of Natsu's technique used in Lightning Flame Mode… Only, when he uses this, a large gauntlet made of flames covers his arm, and amplifies the attack.
Necromantic Anthem-A brand of Living Magic. It has two known techniques: Soulless Awakening, which allows inanimate dead bodies (the wolves) to be brought to life, and Hollow Exchange-which allows a dead soul to enter its original body, at the cost of the caster losing his soul for a brief moment. The technique ends when the caster's soul returns to its body.
Fire Dragon's Flickering Flame-The transportation magic used by Natsu when he is possessed by the "Other" Natsu. Similar to Laxus' technique, but uses flames instead.
EROS: Flames of Imperius(Control)-The first flame of EROS. Grants pyrokinetic and pyrogenetic powers to the user. Basically, it lets Natsu manipulate, absorb and create flames from outside of his body. (Similar to Totomaru's skill…)
EROS: Flames of Vis(Power)-The second flame… Greatly strengthens fire attacks. (Think of the most awesome strengthening passive skill in a game, and multiply that by a hundred times…Yeah, I forgot to mention that Natsu's attacks are going to hurt more…)
'Sup?
Okay, I know it's been a month, so I'm sorry for updating late… I did mention that I was working on two fics at the moment, right? Okay, I'm mentioning this now-Updates will happen monthly, so if my stories aren't updated after two months, I'm either not in the mood for writing (in which case, It will be on an indefinite hiatus) or I might be dead (okay, I'm joking-hospitalized I mean, but this rarely happens)…
So anyway, onto the story-yeah, so first part tackles Hades vs. Natsu, and Natsu discovering how to use the Legendary Magic EROS… I based this scene on Bleach-the one where Ichigo enters his inner world while his hollow fights in real time, and stuff (Also, you might have noticed that I nicked off a few lines from that one scene…)
Okay, Hades didn't fight at full power, cause I couldn't think of any movesets for the guy… He was pretty short lived in the manga and anime, so I ran out of ideas (If you have some, share them with me!)… Even so, I'll have you know that the "Other" Natsu is insanely strong (I'll have you believe that he's far stronger than Gildartz…) Also, about that insanely lengthy song Eara sings-I don't know its tune, cause I kinda made it for different purposes (yes… it's going to be important later…) Kuratuu-Sepulchral Dirge's guildmaster appears, and I'm gonna say this now-that guy would be pretty strong… (I'm not saying how strong though…) Mystletain is broken, and Azuma has come back to life! Hurray! Also, I made him into a good guy, so don't be mad.
I also played with the Origins… hahaha, it seems that this fic will have a lot of insane power-ups later on… And Natsu's bloody past is (partly) revealed… That isn't the last of it… Natsu's history will be revealed bit by bit as the story continues… I know that it would still be confusing for you, but once you connect the dots, everything will make sense… Ascalon has called, but the sword Natsu needs is Durandal? What will happen?
Next chapter deals with Natsu's departure to the Land of the Exiled… I based this one on "Path of Exile" Which I stopped playing after sometime, but still had lasting effects on me… Molten Shell and Flickering Flame (Flicker Strike) were actually inspired by it. Go play it you have time (It's a free online game…)
Yes, I know, there hasn't been quite a lot of developments with romance, but please bear with me, and wait… Also, Ultear's set to appear in the next chapter, but I'm sure you're wondering if she'd be an old lady or not… hehehe… you'll find out, won't you…?
Oh yeah, Christmas is here, so… I guess you guys would want a present?
Hehehe… How 'bout a challenge?
Actually, I had already planned out the next three chapters, and the only thing which is needed is the writing itself, so-
I decided… if the combined reviews from both my fics reach a hundred and fifty before New Year (Fat chance, I guess… By the time I updated this, it was 66….), I'd release a double chapter on the next update… (Which story…? Depends on what gets more reviews… I'll also shave off my hair if this story gets past the 75 review mark… nah, just kidding…) Sounds ni~ce, doesn't it? I'm not forcing you guys to review, cause it is entirely up to you… I'd still release a regular update by next month even if there aren't a lot, but think about it… You only have until New Year's~… Check my profile for more details regarding this.
Also, you may have noticed a couple of mistakes, so please tell me about them. I haven't proofread this chapter yet, and it's really difficult to find mistakes in your own story, especially if it's got 20,000+ words. Please help me find these mistakes (Grammar error, spelling, punctuations or anything else.) so that I can sort them out as soon as possible.
Sigh… I should get myself a proofreader.
Comments and suggestions are welcomed anytime…
…A Very Merry Christmas and an Awesome New Year to you guys!...
…Pax…
