Hello everyone! Thanks a bunch for the awesome reviews, favorites, and alerts. I fully enjoyed reading all of your predictions and guesses for the Tikvah Alaula's four envoys and the identity of the "Death Bringer." So far, no one has really figured out everything correctly. But, there's a chance that if I mix up all of your guesses, the truth might come up.

Anonymous - Thanks for the review. I feel so giddy knowing you enjoy the reading so much. Thank you for reading.
Jizang & Fire King - Like always, thanks so much for the constant support and reviews. As for the Farid, I am glad you liked it. It came to me while watching this random show while visiting my dad and went "I've got it!" and he turned to give me this weird face in return.
Lavender7795 - Thanks for the review, and I am so glad you decided to make yourself known! Thanks for following the story and for all the encouraging words. Natsu and Lucy's relationship is "complicated" (ha,ha), so it'll take a while for them to fully realize everything that's going on. They'll each pick up bits and pieces in the years they're apart during Natsu's training, though. And don't worry about long reviews, I like them :)
Guest (Dark Dragon Girl?) - I tried finding your pen name to answer you via PM, but couldn't find it. Anyways, Thanks for the review! I guess that by "feril" you mean "Farid." That is a type of dragon who unlike other dragons only has one mate. Farid dragons are born in pairs, said to be born on the same day and at the same time, and to be able to recognize their roars and magic souls without the need to go through the formal Recognition stage in dragon mating. Second, yes, there is only one Wielder who can use the magic, but that won't stop Astarot and Nyoka; they have their own ways of doing things. As for your other guesses, I rather not say, don't want to ruin the mystery. But you are right to suspect that the Custodian only appears given very particular circumstances.

So, as I said, the second part of this chapter has a bunch of new introductions and some of my favorite characters are finally coming into the scene! As for all of you who guessed Zeref was the "Death Bringer," congrats! you got it right (electronic cookies are in order). Guessing the second prisoner was almost impossible, I know that, but you'll read about it next. Enjoy!


Summary: Get ready to get tossed into a world where people are all "bound" to each other through their past and their present, by who they are and by who they decide to be. Where fate and choice clash and a single decision can change the future. There is no such thing as coincidences in this world, but neither are we pawns of a prefixed destiny. Natsu and Lucy might have been destined to meet, but theychose to keep their promises to each other. Born in a world plagued by death and governed by a tyrant, Natsu Dragneel held the power to restore Fiore to what it once was. When he met Lucy Heartfilia, he promised to always protect her. However, before embarking on the journey to complete his training, he made a decision in order to keep his promise to his dearest friend. A decision that would change everything... Performing a Magic Binding...


Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. The plot, and the added bunch of psychopaths and the nice little people here and there are mine.


"The Fire that Binds Us"

Chapter 7: …and Its Aftermath (part 2)

The group of mages dressed in black was sitting around the small table at the old jewelry store. Three vital assets joined the four founding members of the Fairy Tail Army at this meeting. First, was Gray Fullbuster, the ice alchemist prodigy with a swift mind and courageous drive. The boy had proved to be a skilled and inspirational leader who knew when and how to react on the unpredictable battlefield. Next to him was a young, light blue-haired girl of fifteen in charge of strategy development alongside Mirajane named Levy McGarden. The petite-frame girl had known the Strauss since she was three. Her widowed mother had moved to Magnolia after her father's assassination and the killers pardoned by royal decree. Her mother used to be a part of the Fairy Tail Army, and had fled to Magnolia knowing the Take-Over family made its residence there. Her relationship to the mage army, however, was still unknown to the King.

Levy's father was murdered for a non-magical related offense. Only her mother was a mage, but her father belonged to one of the richest and most respected merchant houses in Fiore. His property had one of the largest amounts of resources in the Kingdom and was conveniently located near the Royal castle in the royal city of Vesta. When he refused to sell his land to the King, Astarot paid high sums to discredit her father and his business, and then hired assassins to murder him during one of his daily visits to his land.

Her mother died when she was ten, and if it hadn't been for her avid reading habits, she wouldn't have been able to completely perfect her magic, the Solid Script. Through the use of hand gestures, Levy conjured a special, lost magical language that could materialize on command. Thus, her magic was very versatile, allowing her to create a great variety of spells that could work for both, offense and defense. She still felt a little unsure about her own capabilities as a mage, so she preferred to stay with Mirajane behind the scenes. Eventually, though, she knew she would have to confront her fears and become an active soldier. Her magic was too much of an asset to let it go to waste.

Right across from Gray sat the elemental wizard Juvia Lockser, who had the awkward habit of constantly addressing herself in the third person. She was one of the strongest mages in Fairy Tail, even at the young age of sixteen, using Water magic. She was capable of producing, controlling, and commanding the element, and she possessed the rare ability of turning her own body into the element she manipulated. Thus, she had a great advantage against an opponent, since neither a physical nor a magical attack could harm her body. Juvia had joined Fairy Tail a little bit over a year ago, after Gray brought her unconscious back into headquarters after one of his missions. He had been ambushed by a large group of royal soldiers, and she had intervened to help him escape. The soldiers were actually looking for her, but had accidentally run into the ice mage instead. Still, both mages knew they would have never left the highly patrolled city of Era alive without each other's help.

Juvia was born in a land to the north of Fiore, referred to as the Fer Fjords by Fiorians. It was still technically a part of Fiore, but it was so far north, no one from the mainland ever went there. The place had gotten its name for its distinct landscape of steep and deserted iron mountains separated by multiple long, narrow inlets of glacial water. Little was known about the place, but occasionally people from the North came into Fiore looking for work and trade. Juvia, however, hadn't been one of them. She hadn't shared much of her past with Fairy Tail, except for the reason why royal soldiers were searching for her. After leaving the Fer Fjords, she met a man running a clandestine mage gang in Fiore by the name of Jose Porla. She worked for him for a few months before Royal Intelligence found out about them and sent out troops to arrest them. She had barely survived the attack, and she had been the only one who got away with her life. Jose had been killed on the spot, and the rest of the gang had been either killed or captured. She wandered through Fiore undisturbed for a couple of months, until one of her past associates caved in during interrogation and disclosed her identity to Royal officials. She had been persecuted with no end after that. Until the day she met Gray.

She had been trying to get rid of some city guards, when Gray bumped into her on a small alleyway. She barely had time to apologize before royal soldiers had surrounded the two of them and assumed they were working together. The stranger hadn't hesitated on helping her, and their combined efforts allowed them to defeat the group of thirty. At the last second, however, a royal knight had attacked Juvia from behind, burying one long knife on her left thigh and another on her right ribcage. Gray had quickly dispensed with the last solider, and returned to aid the unknown woman, but due to magic strain and her injuries, the girl collapsed and Gray had no choice but to bring her back with him to Magnolia.

Once she had been treated for her wounds, Juvia explained why the Royal Armies were looking for her and after hearing her story and Gray's, Mirajane, Erza, and Jellal unanimously decided to offer her a place in the resistance movement. She happily agreed, and, from that day forth, she had dedicated herself to the cause. Juvia was smart and magically dexterous, and, thus, she had rapidly become an indispensable asset to Fairy Tail. Furthermore, she believed she had a debt to pay to Gray Fullbuster for saving her life, so she always tried to stay close to him. Gray had showed some sort of discomfort at her pledge, but desisted once she had explained her reasons. Those promises were often made in the place where Juvia came from, and they carried the person's honor with them. But, more personally for the water mage, she had already failed to keep that promise once. She had refused to reveal any names, but she had made it clear that someone in the Fer Fjords had helped her, someone dear to her, and she hadn't been able to return the favor when the situation arose. There were only two people who knew everything about her past, Gray and Levy, but not even they knew the identity of the person to whom Juvia owed her life.

Although everyone at Fairy Tail had told her she did not need to disclose everything about her life, Juvia had eventually learned to fully trust Levy and Gray, and she had decided, merely a few days before Laxus and Laki had left on their mission, to tell them about her past. Juvia was born a powerful mage and started showing signs of it when she was three years old. However, neither of her parents were mages. Her father, who had been a rich, yet minor, nobleman of the land she had come from, immediately abjured her mother for her infidelity and threw both the adulterer and the bastard child out of his castle. Her mother disdained her for revealing the clandestine affair, abandoning her at the doors of a rich castle when she was four. The people there took her in and helped her develop her magic. She made good friends with the only son of the Lord of the castle, and the two spent most of their time together. The boy was three years older than her, but the two soon became inseparable.

One day, when they were playing out in the fields, she fell into a well. On the way down, she hit her head and fainted, and once she reached the bottom, an old and rusty pipe buried deep into her left thigh. Her only friend jumped after her and rescued her. She didn't know how the child had managed to climb up the stoned structure all by himself while carrying her unconscious body, and he never said a word about the matter, either. She already felt like she owed the caring family that had taken her in her life, but after the boy's brave actions, she was certain of it. She knew that if her young friend hadn't gone after her when he did, she would have bled to death or, at least, lost her left leg. She promised to herself and to him that she would repay that debt one day, keeping the ugly scar on her left thigh as a reminder. She had always been sure she'd have the chance to do it someday. Until that day came.

The people of the Fer Fjords knew about Astarot's war, but it had always seemed such a distant affair to them. However, they should have expected the King would eventually reach their lands and claim their lives as well. The day Astarot's armies invaded the Fjords, she had been out by the stables taking care of the Lord's horses. The attack was so sudden, she barely had time to escape the blazing inferno with her life. She felt bad for leaving the animals inside, but at that time she could only think about him. It was obvious the King's legions were looking for the Lord's family, and she ran in search of her friend instantly. She rushed through the burning castle, but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find him anywhere. She heard screams outside, and quickly ran back to the entrance. She searched everywhere; she had even gone back to her own quarters in case the boy had gone looking for her there. She stopped and listened. There was no noise anymore, except for the one the flames made as they destroyed her home. She gasped as she realized what had happened, and she hurried towards the back entrance again. She was too late, and the armies had already left. She was completely alone. She had failed him.

After that, Juvia roamed through the Fer Fjords until she reached a small orphanage that allowed her to stay until she was fourteen. She then left her native land and traveled to Fiore. She wandered alone for a short while, trying her best to keep her magic a secret. One day, crossing through a small town she couldn't even remember its name, she heard a woman yelling and asking for help. Her son had fallen into the river and neither knew how to swim. The only way to get the child back was to use her magic, and she didn't hesitate for one second to aid the grieving mother. Jose Porla had witnessed the event, and approached her soon afterwards with an invitation to join his gang. She was going to refuse him, until she heard the mother of the child she had just saved try to hand her over to royal officials in exchange of some handsome reward. That was the day she realized being a mage in Fiore was as dangerous as being a Drakonian heir outside of it.

"Well, what was this valuable information you retrieve during your mission, Laxus?" Gray asked as soon as everyone had sat down.

Laxus sighed, moving on his chair uncomfortably. His wound still bothered him, but he refused to let anyone notice, especially Mirajane. "I got a list of all of Astarot's armies," he replied, "His Royal Knights are in the thousands, but his mage army barely reaches the hundreds. We didn't have time to find the record of all the soldiers names, but we did get the one containing the forms of magic they are being trained to use."

Laxus stopped talking as he searched under his large coat, pulling out a vast number of papers. Everyone in the room started to look at each other, allowing small smiles to make their way onto their once stoic faces. It seemed too good to be true.

"The regular mage army shouldn't be a problem," he continued, "Their magic is rudimentary, and one of us could take at least ten of them at a time. Not only do they lack the experience of fighting with magic, but also the discipline and complete command of their magic." He steadied over his seat and noticed his companions' expressions. It wasn't that easy. "Don't get too excited just yet. Astarot has at least two mage armies. During our search, we discovered a misfiled paper speaking of the King's elite mage army. We don't know where those records are kept, or if said records even exist. There was no mention of how many mages comprised it, but I think it is safe to assume it is a lot smaller than his regular one. Powerful mages are hard to come by. However, regardless of their number, those mages will represent a real threat. What is more, there is a mention of a high-ranking unnamed mage who is in charge of recruiting these other mages. We should expect him to be close to Astarot's level of magic performance, or the King would have never trusted him with the legions."

A brief silence followed Laxus's speech as each mage in the room processed the new information. They had all fought Astarot's regular army and knew those men stood no chance against the ranks of their powerful and well-trained mages. Some could be brought down with a single magic attack that required but a pinch of magic. As for the Royal Mage Army, they had scarcely run into a mage who equaled them in skill and technique. The King might have numbers, but those did nothing against a small army of well-trained soldiers.

Levy pulled forward, rising from her chair, and grabbed the bunch of disarrayed papers lying on the wooden table, instantly starting to arrange them in some sort of order the moment she sat back down. A few seconds later, she spoke, "Overall, we got more than we were expecting. I will study these documents and give you my findings in five days time. We can start planning our counter measures already, and start to train and prepare our less experienced mages to fight these forms of magic. We should also begin to think of a way of teaching the non-mage refugees how to protect themselves from these types of magical attacks as well." She found Laxus's eyes before finishing, "Thank you, Laxus."

The blond man startled at her direct expression of gratitude. He knew the mission hadn't gone as everyone had hoped, and he still blamed himself for losing Laki. He nodded back at her, letting her know he appreciated her gesture greatly, and she gave him a small smile in return.

"Very well, then," Erza said, next, "We have a plan of action." She, then, turned to Levy, "Don't hesitate to let us know if there's anything we can do to help you in figuring out those papers." She stood up from her seat, and addressed everyone in the room again, "In the meantime, we will maintain our current arrangements. Laxus and I will take care of all front operations, Juvia and Gray will continue to search for refugees, spread the word, and gather any information on the lost Dragneel, Mira and Jellal will continue their work on drawing accurate blueprints of all Royal edifices and intelligence gathering. Understood?"

The rest of the mages in the room gave their verbal affirmative response and started to leave the room. Laxus waited until only Jellal and Erza remained there to speak again. "There is one more thing I found in those papers that I think you should know about," he whispered cautiously.

Jellal turned to look at him questioningly, wondering what sort of information the Dreyar could have found that needed to be kept from the rest of the group. While Fairy Tail respected their mages' decision to keep their pasts and personal lives unknown, they rarely kept secrets from each other when it concerned the war with Astarot.

Once both mages were giving him their full attention, Laxus said, "We came across a prisoners' list back there." He walked closer to the two, taking a quick look out the door to make sure they weren't being heard. "I lost it during my escape, since it was Laki who found it, but I had a chance to go through it before we were discovered. There were two names that need our immediate attention," he started again, "First, and most important, Astarot has 'The Death Bringer' locked up in one of his dungeons…"

Jellal's and Erza's eyes widened. "Zeref!" he uttered surprised, louder than he would've liked to. "How could he get a hold of that man? Zeref cannot be controlled, not even Astarot can do it…" he continued, his eyes and tone showing his worry.

"I know," Laxus interrupted, "But he's been there for a long time, and it doesn't look like Astarot has any intention to use him for any particular purpose. I think the King was just trying to get rid of someone who could become a nuisance later on. Still, we should be cautious about this."

Erza regained her composure faster than her blue-haired companion. "I agree. Astarot is not that stupid. But we must bring Zeref into account when making our plans of attack in the future. The best thing would be to find out just where he's being kept and avoid the area completely," she stated.

Jellal silently thanked her quick thinking. Learning that Astarot had possession of the infamous deranged mage of Fiore had definitely caught him by surprise. Zeref had once been a fearsome mage with an astounding magical power and ability, but he had lost his mind while practicing forbidden spells and, with it, the power to control his own magic. His punishment was becoming a man capable of bringing death to anyone and everything that surrounded him, while he himself remained completely unaware of the pain and destruction he caused. Alongside the curse of death, he had been trapped in a time spell that had regressed him to his teenage years eternally. He had wandered aimlessly throughout the land for many years, until one of the Dragneels' soldiers restrained him and locked him in a cave far away from any populated areas. Jellal had no idea how Astarot had gotten a hold of him, but the thought unsettled him greatly. He agreed with Erza that Astarot would never allow that sort of loose cannon to run freely around his Kingdom, but he also knew that the actions of a man like the King were always impossible to predict.

"You said there were two names," the blue-haired mage finally said, deciding to push his troublesome thoughts to the side for the time being and focus on the more present matters. "What's the other one?"

Laxus smirked, "I ran into a Cana Alberona while going through that list."

Jellal straightened. "Does that mean we need a rescue mission?" he asked.

The blond man's smirk widened, "Not at all. She was currently being kept for disturbing the public. She should be out in a few days. They don't even know she's a mage, let alone who her father is."

Jellal's own smile appeared on his face. "Well, then," he said, "I guess we will be making a visit to Miss Clive very soon."

The other two mages nodded their agreement, and the three stepped out the room and went their separate ways. Jellal's eyes lingered on the redhead until she disappeared through the door that led to the lower levels. He took a deep breath as he ran a hand through his blue locks of hair. The time when both Fairy and Dragon would clash was drawing near, and they would all need their own dragon to fight alongside them as well as to guarantee the enemy would never acquire the power of the star if they wanted to survive this war.


When Natsu opened his eyes again, he was back in Fiore, standing on a clearing surrounded by white, yellow, and lime green flowers. He wasn't alone. Not too far away from him, lying side by side over a patch of particularly green grass, were two dragons. Between them rested a large black egg that seemed to be made of an opaque opal-colored granite. Its surface was rough, almost resembling cooled off molten magma. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. The only other magical creature's egg he had seen, Happy's, had been significantly smaller, and it had had a smooth surface of a solid white color, decorated with blue inscriptions he had assumed to be a lost language or the Exceed native tongue. The dragon egg before him intrigued him immensely, and he stared at it for a long while.

He turned his attention to the dragons, next. The male dragon had a coloration of the lightest of reds, bordering closest to pink. The majestic creature reminded Natsu of Igneel greatly, but unlike his foster father, this dragon had two large horns protruding out of his head, another at the tip of his snout, and two smaller ones on his lower jaw, which was covered with coarse and long, dark red hairs. His slanted eyes, though, were a deep, rich yellow, identical to Igneel's. The female dragon was darker than both the unknown male and his teacher. She had scarlet-colored scales that hinted at purple at times and her eyes were a sharp, orange-tinted yellow.

Natsu's eyes widened as he instinctively recognized the two dragons before him. They were the fire dragon Nagar and his mate, the lightning dragon Flama; and the one inside the peculiar egg he had been admiring before was his foster father, Igneel. He watched the two dragons as they cuddled together and stared at their egg lovingly.

Natsu observed the dragon family for a longer while from afar, feeling like he would be intruding if he approached them. He understood their privacy and somewhat coveted it. There was a warm familiarity surrounding the dragons that appealed to him immensely. He didn't understand how he could have known, but he had suddenly realized Nagar and Flama were Farid dragons. He frowned confusedly, wondering why Igneel hadn't told him about his parents, but perhaps the dragon didn't know he was a Farid progeny himself. He smiled as he watched Nagar cover their egg with his fire and Flama do the same with her own element. The fire dragon-slayer decided the lightning dancing within the blazing flames over the dark egg was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, almost as wondrous and captivating as Lucy's smile.

Just as he was getting comfortable in his position, the scene shifted rapidly. Everything faded into a blob of undistinguishable multi-colored hues and his vision darkened once more.


Lucy sat at the edge of her mother's bed, holding the invalid's left hand in hers and rubbing it affectionately. Layla smiled wearily back at her daughter. No words were needed between them; she could see the hurt and fear in Lucy's eyes, the sort only her husband could produce. She pulled her free hand from under the blankets and cupped the teenager's cheek, just as a moment of recognition passed between the two blonds.

"Don't worry, Mamma. We're all working on something," Lucy softly said, smiling back at her mother.

Layla's brow furrowed fretfully, but nodded affirmatively, nonetheless. "Nat…" she tried to ask.

Lucy squeezed her hand softly, successfully gaining her attention and stopping her speech. "It'll all be alright. We're both where we should be," the girl stated, understanding what the older woman was trying to ask.

Layla nodded again and sighed. Her eyes still revealed her concern, but her body had considerably relaxed. Silence reigned between them once more, and the two mages remained unmoved, comfortably enjoying their mute company.

The noise of Layla's door opening disrupted their silent peace, and Iwan came into the room displaying his perverse grin. His dark gray cape swayed behind his back and his loud boots moved forward, bringing the hateful man closer to the bed. "Ah, so here are my two most treasured things in this world," he stated, placing his heavy hand forcefully over Lucy's right shoulder and pressing it zealously.

The girl instinctively shuddered fearfully, and her mother noticed her intensified reaction alarmed.

"What were you two talking about?" Iwan asked, fixing his eyes on his convalescent wife.

"Oh, nothing important, Daddy," Lucy quickly responded. His eyes switched to her as she continued speaking with fake fondness. "We were just reminiscing about the time we saw a wild forest horse on one of our supervised outings. The animal was so pretty, and I was telling Mamma I would love to have one as a pet. I heard they make great companions," she continued.

The Duke frowned disapprovingly. "But they are wild and unpredictable, Lucy darling. You could get hurt," he said firmly, not taking his eyes away from her.

Lucy sighed and turned to look at her mother, who had caught up with what she was trying to do. Layla knew her husband much better than Lucy did, and she knew exactly what to say in order to get him to agree to acquire the desired animal. She didn't know exactly why Lucy had suggested it, but if the girl had gone as far as to actually mentioning it to the Duke, she at least knew that it had to be important. She brought her brown eyes to Iwan, who was still watching Lucy's head from above lasciviously. "Husband, you are right, as always. The wild forest horses are known to be unpredictable creatures, but perhaps Lucy could easily learn to control one with some training, don't you think?" she said in a low voice, not without some struggle.

The Duke shifted his attention to his wife as she continued to speak. "I'm sure you would like your daughter to be able to tame a stupid animal like that, correct?"

He frowned again, not liking the idea of giving any sort of independence to Lucy; although the thought of his daughter cruelly subduing a beast highly excited him. "Perhaps," was all he dared to say in response to Layla's words. He refused to show any weak yielding to his wife. She was not his partner; she was his trophy, his possession, a desirable object he could use to his liking and dispose of when he tired of it.

"Really, Daddy?" Lucy forced herself to say joyously, still avoiding the man's eyes. "I would like that very much," she continued to say, hoping that now that the opportunity had presented itself, she could convince the Duke to get her the forest horse and then guide him into getting her to learn how to use a whip. She conjured a smile from the depths of her soul to direct at the loathsome man and looked up to find him. "It doesn't need to be a dangerous weapon, Daddy. What about a simple rope or something like that?" she proceeded cautiously.

Iwan stared mesmerized at her smile, licking his lips lusciously and taking his time before responding. He patted the girl's head pleasurably with his free hand, reveling at the close contact with the blond teenager's soft tresses. "No, no, Lucy darling, that will not do. I will not have my daughter riding one of those stupid beasts without knowing how to show it who the superior creature is. If we got the animal, I'd have someone teach you how to use a whip. At least with that you could hit it at whim." the Duke said sternly, not taking his heavy hand from the blond's face that was now pushing her chin upwards in his direction.

Lucy comforted herself mentally, reminding herself the hideous contact wouldn't last much longer. "Are you sure, Daddy?" she asked with fake uncertainty. "I don't want to cause any trouble."

"Nonsense, Lucy darling," Iwan replied, pressing his hand over the girl's face again before forcing it away. "Sending some hunters to capture one of those animals and having them tame it for you wouldn't be a problem. But getting you an instructor…" the man scowled and stopped talking. He hated the idea of having to share his exquisite treasure with anyone, even more so if that someone happened to be another male. "She'd have to be a female instructor. I don't want any men near you, Lucy darling," he forced himself to say.

Lucy nodded. "That's alright, Daddy. You don't have to get me anything if you don't want to," she said, using the rest of her willpower to remain calm and seemingly pleased. She had at least got him to consider the idea; that was good enough for now.

"That's my sweet, sweet girl," Iwan said darkly, lowering his voice, brushing his rough hand over her cheek once more and giving one last disgusted look at his sick wife before leaving the room.

The two women remained quiet, listening to the loud steps the Duke's boots made as he walked through the castle's corridors away from Layla's room. After a long silence, Lucy dared to look at her mother again, feeling safer now that the Duke couldn't be heard anymore. "I'll explain everything, Mamma," she said softly. She waited for her mother to acknowledge her words, and, then, she stood up and approached the door, making sure they were truly alone and Iwan hadn't left one of his Shikigami dolls or had ordered one of his personal guards to spy on their conversation. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, Lucy returned to her mother's side and recounted her visit to her grandfather's room.

She explained with detail every aspect concerning her new form of training, but chose to keep everything that had transpired between her and Natsu a secret. Her mother had mixed feelings regarding her relationship with the dragon-slayer ever since that incident three years ago. She knew Layla didn't dislike or harbor any hate for her friend, but her mother had never recovered from the shock of hearing how her magic behaved around Natsu. She understood her mother only wanted to protect her and keep her safe from greedy mages, but she would never agree with her mother on that subject. Even if the two had apologized to each other about their behavior the day they had argued in her grandfather's room, they had never discussed the matter again. Since Layla's sickness kept her tied to her bed most of the time, Lucy's magic training had passed completely to the Wizard Saint and the Celestial Spirit Leo. Loke knew a lot more concerning Celestial magic than the old mage, so he had become an irreplaceable aid in getting Lucy to understand what the enchantments meant and on how to conjure the magic of the stars in a more efficient way.

Lucy stayed in Layla's chamber until her mother fell asleep. She smiled bitterly, wishing her mother were healthy once more. She sighed before standing up and walking to the large balcony in the room. She watched as the sun set, staring longingly at the oranges, reds, purples, and yellows that covered the sky. She observed the pinkish hues that mixed shyly with the rest, instantly knowing that her life would never be the same from that moment forth. She had abruptly stopped being a child the night before, fate forcing her to take complete control over her own life earlier than she would have expected. She realized her mother could no longer take care of her and that her grandfather couldn't teach her everything she needed to know. There was so much more that she wanted to do, so much more that she needed to do, and her two teachers no longer sufficed.

Furthermore, she had seen the look the Duke had given her mother before leaving the room. Throughout the years, Layla had always protected her from the Duke's lascivious intentions, but now that her mother was sick, with her own physical strength and the beauty the Duke desired so much withering away, her mother was no longer enough. The older she got, the more she found him staring at her with lustful eyes, the more she felt his hard and possessive touch on her. She knew she couldn't fake those smiles or play ignorant for much longer, just as she knew he wouldn't be able to control himself once she grew older and it became harder to hide the physical appearance he had made her so painfully aware of. To complicate matters further, after experiencing Natsu's kind and loving touch from the night before, she had something real to compare the Duke's approaches, and the difference was so vast that the man's brusque contact had become so much more intolerable. She found herself wishing for the safety and comfort that her friend's embrace provided each and every time the Duke's hand barely grazed her skin. She would never allow that man to own her like he wanted to; she would never be his, and she would never belong to him.

She would learn and train harder than she had ever done before, and she would be ready to fight alongside her dearest friend when the time came. Lucy couldn't explain how and she didn't understand it completely, but she knew Natsu had done much more than what he had been willing to disclose the previous night. Her magic had tasted his and it had felt as if his magic had given everything of itself to hers, as if it had unconditionally surrendered to hers; and, like all surrenders, she knew it had come at a price. As she watched the last rays of the sun disappear and cede dominion of the sky to the starry night, she vowed she would read all the books her grandfather gave her, she would prepare for the upcoming war physically and magically, and she would return to him everything that he had given her… with everything that she had.


Natsu's head spun as his eyes forced open again. He found himself inside a poorly lit cavern, hovering above over the ceiling as he witnessed the scene below him. In front of a rocky wall stood an old woman faced by a middle-aged man. The unknown female wore a sleeveless, long, white tunic that reached all the way down to the floor, barely allowing her toes to peek out. Her long, silver, wavy hair reached her lower back, cascading down her body wildly, yet tidily, framing her particular face perfectly. She had a pair of strangely large and round purple eyes, a very thin and delicate nose, and a set of plump pink lips. She emanated an otherworldly feeling of peace and wisdom that dominated the empty space where the two figures stood.

Natsu redirected his attention to the man before her, noticing his tall and strong build, first, and the overwhelming sense of strength and power that surrounded him, which was only overshadowed by that of the woman in front of him. He wore a pair of loose black trousers and boots, but left his toned and muscular chest exposed. He had short, moss green hair and a pair of familiar slanted onyx eyes. Natsu knew he was a Dragneel; more specifically, he was the first dragon-blooded Dragneel, Drakon the Great.

The old woman took a step towards him, raising her left hand slightly as she opened her mouth to speak in a melodious and calm voice, "Drakon Dragneel, your Kingdom will fall by the hands of one of your own kin. Hungry flames will devour everything they encounter and leave nothing but a ravaged and dead land and human trails of misery and pain behind them." Her hand fell back to her side and her eyes remained on his, allowing blue-tinted tears to leave them, as his startled reaction drove him two feet away from her.

"No… Impossible…" he barely whispered, averting his gaze and letting his head fall down as he stared at the floor. "I have given my life to this Kingdom. My loved ones have given their lives to and for this Kingdom. I cannot let it die."

The old woman looked at him regretfully, her eyes revealing her feelings. She knew fully well the sort of sacrifices the man before her had made to build this realm, but it was her duty as an Oracle to speak the truth about what she saw in her visions.

A new figure stepped forward into the scene and spoke firmly to the Oracle, "Let my family take over the bearing of the star, then. Let me and my descendants protect and guide it."

Natsu examined the new presence. He was a large and broad-shouldered man, around the same age as the one standing next to him. He had ashy blond hair that reached to his mid back, tied perfectly in a thick and loose braid. His dark blue eyes not once flickered with doubt as he spoke, and his voice echoed in the empty cavern decisively.

"Hyperion, I can't allow you to do that. The consequences…" Drakon started stating, turning to look at the blond man.

"It is my duty. We built this Kingdom with our bare hands, Drakon, and it is my as much as your responsibility to protect it and keep it safe from whoever threatens it," Hyperion responded, interrupting his King, "Even if that person is one of our own."

The two men stared silently at each other, their gazes finding the understanding they needed to acknowledge in the other. Hyperion returned his attention to the Oracle and nodded, and the old woman sighed as she closed her eyes and raised her hands over her head. A sparkling azure light gathered at her naked feet, illuminating her entirely as she chanted a spell in an unknown tongue. Bringing her hands down to her chest, she finished the enchantment and the light gathered in her palms. She silently asked the blond man to come closer to her, and he obliged and settled before her.

"Hyperion Heartfilia, you and your kin will carry and guard the Sunset Glow of Hope from this day forth and, by taking upon this mission, suffer its tragic fate," she stated, releasing the azure magic and watching it as it exploded over the man and brought him down to his knees in agonizing pain. He remained on the floor hyperventilating while the Oracle observed him with sad eyes. "You are brave and kind, Hyperion Heartfilia, your King is fortunate to call you his friend," she whispered softly, and her eyes moved towards the silent King, who had been staring sorrowfully at the scene, fixed on his place.

"The vision has changed," the Oracle spoke again, "Your Kingdom will be destroyed by your own flesh and blood, dragon-slayer, but, as it burns, a new one will rise from its ashes."

Drakon bowed his head slightly in reverence to the Oracle and his fallen friend, and the Oracle did the same. "There is someone else, dragon-slayer… We are not alone" she said in almost a whisper.

Natsu felt his view on the scene change, no longer watching from above but standing on the ground. A strong force pulled him towards the light and the two figures gathered there. He stepped forward warily, noticing Hyperion's languid body had disappeared and only the mysterious Oracle and his legendary ancestor remained inside the cavern. His eyes found the older man's, and a moment of recognition passed between them. He felt as if the scene had shifted once more, and he was no longer watching onto a scene from the past. Instead, he felt as if time itself had stopped and his presence had disrupted their meeting. He recognized the unnatural air that surrounded the new scene he found himself in, reminiscent to that of the first encounter with the unknown Dragneel who possessed the suffocating fire magic.

"Natsu Dragneel," Drakon spoke in a firm and intimidating voice. He kept his dark eyes on the younger boy's and came closer, placing his right hand over the pink-haired dragon-slayer's shoulder. Natsu remained quiet, following the other man's movements with his eyes.

"You are not only a Dragneel and a dragon-slayer," Drakon continued, "Besides the dragon blood that proudly runs through your veins, an equally strong and vital force lives within you. Find the guarded one and carry out the mission given out to you the day you were both born."

Natsu's hands instantly found their way to his head as a throbbing pain raged over him. His eyes closed with a silent scream of agony. His confused mind tried to grapple over the spoken words. They dwelled on his head, taunting him, asking something of him he did not comprehend. He felt impotent to their power, as if they carried a real and heavy weight that was being laid over him without his permission. They felt alive, traveling wildly through every recondite corner of his mind looking for something in particular. The words pushed forward, and he fell to his knees as his hands pulled his pink strands of hair forcefully. What was he supposed to know, to remember, to acknowledge? With one last thrust forward, the pain intensified a thousand fold, making his eyes water at the excruciating burning that tortured his mind, stopping almost instantly afterwards. He remained crumpled on the floor for a long while, gasping for air and barely being able to open his eyes.

Struggling to move, he eventually managed to kneel, and placed his still shaking hands firmly on the rugged floor in order to take some of the weight off of his weak legs. When he was finally able to raise his head, he realized Drakon was no longer standing beside him. He noticed the older man's powerful essence had disappeared and as he turned to look before him, he realized he was now left alone with the Oracle. Her purple eyes found his, and she spoke with a strong and authoritative voice he had not heard before.

"Stand up, dragon-slayer!" she commanded.

He followed the order as promptly as he could, taking a brief moment to regain the strength in his legs to holster him up. The Oracle waited patiently and quietly, and once he was fully up and had returned his full attention to her, she spoke again. Drakon Dragneel had reappeared and taken the spot to her right, and to her left stood Hyperion Heartfilia. The jagged cavern wall behind them had disappeared and been replaced by a vast and bountiful terrain. Imposing trees clouded the blue sky, as magnificent and colorful flowers decorated the vast green plains that stretched beyond his eyes could reach. He watched in awe at the landscape before him, and his eyes soon traveled back to the three figures settled in front of him. They stood firm before him, with glistening eyes and lips slightly curved into a smile. He suddenly felt a warm presence beside him, one that made him feel safe and happy. He knew this presence even without needing to turn to see it. He instinctively pulled his left hand out to try to grasp the magical one he knew was standing beside him, ready to intertwine his fingers with those that awaited him. A soft and tranquil smile made its way onto his face as he attempted to reach for the familiar presence, but the voice of the Oracle interrupted him, echoing loudly over the place.

"Awaken dragon-slayer! Awaken and decipher what the Qismat Ialu has shown to you!"

Her voice was the last thing Natsu heard as everything around him disappeared while she spoke, leaving him alone in a dark and empty space of nothingness. His eyes forced shut again, and her words lingered in his mind, "Awaken! Remember! Awaken!"


Natsu woke up abruptly with a loud gasp, his upper body rising from the cold floor. His eyes squinted instantly at the bright light coming in from the cave's entrance. He shook his head and stretched slowly, taking his time to let his body recuperate from the heavy sleep. He looked around, noticing everything had been cleaned, just as Igneel had said it would. The dragon's smell had also vanished entirely from their austere home, letting him know it had been a long time since Igneel had left the cave and forest. He ran a hand through his tousled hair and yawned one last time before standing up and walking outside.

The incandescent sun shined brightly down on him, blinding him once more. His eyes drifted through the familiar greenery, completely empty and utterly silent, his heightened senses letting him know he was the only living being around. He took a deep breath and sat over a large rock under the warm sun, deciding to use the time until Happy returned from Extalia to meditate and go over his dream. He needed to wait for his Exceed partner before setting out for Aberash, anyways, and he was surprisingly not hungry or thirsty. He crossed his legs and his hands fell over his knees, palms facing up. He took one last deep breath before letting his breathing steady itself. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind. The "Fated Field of Dreams" had showed him much, and he had already begun to realize part of the meaning of what he had seen. However, he needed time to fully understand it all. He realized every scene had been created specifically for him, and each and every detail required attention. From the landscapes he had seen, to the beings he had encountered, from the magic he had sensed, to the plethora of feelings he had experienced – the pain, the mystery, the familiarity, the confusion, the calmness, the surprise, the warmth, the impotence…

Time passed, and Natsu remained in his meditative stance. A small, furry creature appeared in the sky over the clearing, circling over the cave momentarily before it caught sight of the young dragon-slayer and flew towards him. Happy landed effortlessly on the grass next to the large rock, and rapidly took his backpack off his shoulders and stretched joyously. He let his spongy hair stand before it returned to its natural position. He turned to look at his partner, who was now amusedly staring at him as he carried out his task. The cat returned the slight grin as the boy stood up from the rock with an energetic jump.

"Hi there, Happy! Welcome back! Ready to get going?" Natsu said with his warm smile still on his face.

The cat nodded. "Aye, sir!" he said, spreading his wings far and wide and taking flight once more.

Natsu nodded as well, "We just need to make a stop at the waterfall before we go."

"What for?" Happy asked.

Natsu laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head nonchalantly and blushed. "There's just something I need to pick up," he replied.

The cat quirked his right eyebrow intrigued. "Okay," he merely responded, deciding not to inquire further into the matter. He noticed the boy's slight pink cheeks and immediately realized whatever this "something" was had to deal with Lucy. That meant the two had managed to meet two nights ago, and a little knowing smile crept over his face.

Natsu rushed inside the cave once more to pick up his own backpack and took one last look at the place he had called home for ten years. With a light smile and a sigh, he turned away and made his way back to Happy. The two started their walk to the phosphorescent body of water in a comfortable silence. When they reached the clearing, he dropped his bag and stripped, deciding to take a bath before leaving. He didn't know where his journey would take him, so it was the smart choice to take advantage of the resources the forest still provided. Happy followed him soon after, and the two splattered over the water childishly. They played in the water, enjoying their company and escaping, albeit momentarily, the world that surrounded them.

Happy stepped out first, landing on all fours on the humid grass close to the lake's edge and immediately shaking his body dry. Natsu guffawed shamelessly as his rebellious fur puffed, making him look like a gigantic blue sea urchin. He hissed annoyed at his partner, who, instead of stopping, only laughed louder. Happy turned away from the boy, mumbling inaudible words even for the dragon-slayer's heightened hearing to pick up, and he finally decided to leave the water as well.

Natsu raised his body temperature, making the water that remained on his body evaporate rapidly as he ran his warmed hands through his hair numerous times to achieve the same result. He reached for his backpack and pulled a clean set of clothes out of it, dressing quickly and wrapping his scarf around his neck. When he finished, he grabbed a smaller bag from inside the backpack and walked over the niche where he had hid his clothes from two nights before. He took them out and after taking a quick sniff that immediately made him smile, put them inside the bag, closing it cautiously. He returned to where he had come from, and re-accommodated everything in his backpack, placing the bag containing his Lucy-scented clothes at the bottom.

He had been so immersed in his task, he failed to notice the curious and amused eyes of his partner as they observed him. Happy's giggle finally caused him to acknowledge his presence and, realizing he had been watched, he averted his gaze and blushed furiously.

"So… Master Natsu," Happy began, dragging his words in a mocking tone, "I assume things went well with Princess Lucy, huh?"

Natsu's body shook with anger and embarrassment and his face exploded with uncomfortable warmth. "Shut up, Happy!" he yelled annoyed.

The cat rolled over the grass, guffawing pleasurably as tears fell down his forced-shut eyes. His arms and paws wrapped around his body as he tried to keep his laughter in check. Natsu huffed and stood up, pulling his backpack over his shoulders and paying no attention to the laughing cat. "Let's go, Happy," he said soberly.

"Oh, come on, Natsu, don't be like that! I'm sorry, okay? I just couldn't help myself," he said, once he had managed to stop his laughing. "Please, tell me what happened!" Happy begged, lying over the fluffy grass and wiping the last tear off his right eye.

Natsu sighed. "We really need to get going. I'll tell you all about the ceremony on our way, alright?" he said. "And, no, I won't tell you anything about 'Princess Lucy,' you annoying furry brat!" he added before the cat could say anything else.

"Natsu! Don't be mean!" Happy whined as he flew beside his friend, "We promised not to have any secrets between us."

"No," the annoyed boy responded coldly.

"Please… I already apologized," he insisted.

"I'll think about it," Natsu said, letting a betraying side grin come forth. "For the time being, why don't you tell me how things went back at Extalia?"

Happy sighed defeated. "Fine," he said softly. "But I will get you to tell me!" he stated a few seconds later. "Or I'll ask Lucy next time we see her!" he added, poking the boy's cheek playfully.

The dragon-slayer laughed in response to his teasing, and he followed in the activity soon after. The two travelers made their way through the forest without a given direction. There was no known road that led to Aberash. The journey to the mountains that gave off light was unique and particular to those who sought it. It was up to each individual explorer to find his own way there, and to be ready to face his inner demon in order to leave them alive.


So... How was it?Please, don't forget to let me know what you all thought.
As you could see, Zeref won't be acting as another active villain in the story. I think we have enough with the pyschos we already got, XD. But he'll still be important. Besides Astarot and Iwan, there's lucky psycho #3 that will begin to make a more memorable impression from chap. 8 on.

Chapter 8 is titled "The Beginning of Years of Fateful Change," and here's a preview that I bet all of you who have been dying to know about the Tikvah Alaula will appreciate. This is just the beginning: Tradition spoke that at the beginning of time, a majestic and powerful star used to run freely over the sky and that on every place it appeared, people coveted it, leaving only chaos and destruction behind it as kin turned against kin in the greedy battle to possess it. The old folk said that because of the incessant death that surrounded it, the star had been cursed by the guardians of the heavens and split into an unknown number of parts. Some argued it had been millions of pieces, while others sustained it had barely been broken in two. Doomed to be forever incomplete, the star came back to life every other year to find its missing pieces, but, time and time again, its futile search led it to death once more. As time went by, the star grew tired of its failure and resigned to its fate, choosing to disappear from the skies forever.