Author's Note: It's been around two months since I last updated, and I don't have an excuse to explain my absence. I've tried to write in my free time, but I've been so caught up with trying to study for my Chemistry courses as well as relax, that I haven't given much thought to writing lately.
Summer is slowly starting to creep back up again, and some of you might have noticed that I typically find the motivation to pump out a bunch of updates around that time, so I hope you guys haven't forgotten about this Fanfiction! This arc is nearly at the half way point (I wasn't lying when I said this would hopefully be shorter), and that means it'll be time for the last timeskip before the return of the Tenrou group!
As I stated in a previous Author's Note, this next timeskip is going to be much more revolved around Natsu and Kagura strengthening their relationship, Natsu maturing and learning to cope with the decisions he made for the rest of Fiore at the Magic Coalition, and seeing how "Just because some of your members rarely visit doesn't make them less important than the ones you see on an everyday basis," Caused these changes to Fiore to be made!
I'm super excited for the final stretch of the Fanfiction, and I hope that you all stick around for me to wrap things up with an amazing conclusion!
During Those 7 Years
Chapter 26: Origins: Part Three
"ThudThudThud…" The sound of Natsu's fingers rapped against the wooden door of a house located in the Northern Mountain range of Dragnof's capital. As he anxiously viewed his surroundings while awaiting a response, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful the scenery was. Despite the sun setting completely, the tranquil nature of the mountain range contrasted so much from the destruction scattered throughout the village. The luscious forests were brimming with wildlife seemingly unfazed from the dragons invading the capital, while the main pathway up the mountain range was still in eyesight.
Before the mages became overly captivated by the scenery, the door in front of them reluctantly opened allowing a middle aged woman with slight facial wrinkles to peer out. Aside from being able to view her wrinkles and average height, the rest of her facial features could not be identified due to the sun fully setting behind the mountains. The lighting inside of the woman's home was rather limited, as the only source was coming from her fireplace in the background.
Although the lack of lighting made it impossible for the mages to observe the woman's appearance, they immediately widened their eyes and staggered backwards at the amount of magical potential they could sense stemming from the woman's body.
Natsu frantically hollered within his mind at the woman's impression. "She's barely holding the door open, and her magic is already starting to make me sick. This chick's gotta be Rebuke, but now that I think about it, there's no way she can be this strong. I know Jellal said that Rebuke was powerful, but this chick's magic is freaking insane!" He then reluctantly began to ask a question out loud that was plaguing the four mage's minds. "Excuse me, but are you Rebuke?" Natsu recollected his composure while his thoughts wandered back to the mage's priority: asking Rebuke for help healing Akagi's injury.
The woman couldn't help but smile at the fact that for the first time in 400 years, someone other than Jellal knew of who she was. She opened the door fully and allowed the mages to completely view her physical features, causing them to nearly collapse to the ground from the immense aura of magic coming through the opened doorway.
As the mages slowly began to regain their balance and register the initial impressions of the woman, Macao nearly dropped Akagi out of utter shock of the woman's appearance.
The woman's features complemented her unfathomable magical potential. Her skin had a scaly pattern embedded throughout her body giving her the overall appearance of Natsu entering the Dragon Force. The woman's eyes were sharp, angular, and gave the impression of an actual dragon glaring towards them. However, her most unique feature was her hair. The woman's hair was rather long and resembled Flare Corona's in the sense that it was lit ablaze; however, instead of actual hair, embers of fire protruded from her head and cascaded down her back before dissipating towards her lower body. The woman's attire consisted of a one piece bodysuit with dark olive joggers covering her lower body. Her clothing was completed with a pair of lace up sandals.
The group finished scanning the woman's attire and noticed she had a beautiful, blue pendant in the shape of a teardrop resting above her cleavage.
Before anyone could comment on her mesmerizing appearance, the woman spoke with an angelic voice void of any friction as she finally revealed her identity by answering Natsu's question. "When you live isolated by yourself for over 400 years, you learn to appreciate the little things such as hearing someone else know your name. The name's Rebuke, and it's a pleasure to meet you… Natsu." Rebuke paused to warmly smile towards Natsu and the three mages accompanying him. Her voice was so calm, that it ironically contrasted form her intimidating appearance.
Natsu shivered slightly and backpedaled upon hearing Rebuke speak his name. "Uh- It's really you. Huh- How the hell do you know my name?" He struggled while trying to maintain his composure from Rebuke's magical potential. Now that he was able to gauge it more effectively, something about Rebuke's magic seemed oddly familiar to Natsu; he just couldn't identify it out of bewilderment of her dragon like appearance coupled with knowing his name.
Rebuke rolled her eyes and chuckled at Natsu's antics and spoke to the group of mages. "I promise that I'm not some creepy middle aged woman stalking you, but I've been expecting you for some time now; that's how I know all of your names. I know you're probably confused as to why I look like a human dragon and how I know you guys, but I promise that I'm all human. You'll get used to my magic potential after a couple of minutes, and I'll eventually tell you how I knew you were coming." With that, Rebuke stepped out of her house's doorway to approach where Natsu was standing. Each step she took towards Natsu caused Macao, Kagura, and Sayuki to slightly back up towards the main pathway out of uncertainty, giving her more room to approach Natsu. Once the other three mages were a few steps away out of earshot, Rebuke began to whisper under her voice so that only Natsu could hear her. She once again rolled her eyes and chuckled at the question she was about to ask Natsu. "Let me guess, was it Jellal who told you about me?" She spoke under her breath so only Natsu could hear Jellal's name with his enhanced hearing.
Natsu's eyes immediately widened after hearing Rebuke's question. "Cuh- Can you at least tell me how the hell you know that Jellal sent me?" He whispered back in uncertainty.
"Jellal is the only human I regularly keep in contact with. There's no way someone else could of know where I live unless it was through him. Don't worry though, you won't have to worry about me bringing up his name in front of her," Rebuke reassured Natsu by darting her eyes towards where Kagura was tending to Akagi's condition, indicating that Rebuke knew about Kagura's hatred towards Jellal. After realizing that the young girl being held by Macao was injured, Rebuke grimaced slightly out of regret and raised her voice while diverting her attention towards Akagi, "We can continue the chatter later. Right now though, I assume Akagi needs medical attention?" Rebuke gestured to the small girl resting in Macao's arms.
Sayuki began to nod her head vigorously in response, "Please. She really needs someone who can heal her," The Fire mage completely ignored how Rebuke knew Akagi's name.
As the severity of Akagi's wound began to dawn upon Rebuke, her warm facial expression turned into that of seriousness, "Bring her in," She stated while Natsu and the rest of his group members followed behind her into the house. None of the Fairy Tail Guild members had the opportunity to question Rebuke's mysterious personality or if she could even be trusted to not harm their wellbeing before she closed the wooden door behind them.
As unsettling as Rebuke's magical potential initially was, Natsu and his guild members slowly began to adjust to the woman's presence as they surveyed the interior of her house.
The house was cozy, yet had more than enough room to accommodate the arrival of any unexpected guests. A living room was located at the far end of the atrium with a small kitchen directly connected off to the side. Two separate rooms were conjoined towards the side of the atrium closest to the living room, which Natsu and his guild mates dismissed as being a bedroom and bathroom.
Because of still needing to adjust to Rebuke's magical potential, the Fairy Tail Guild members continued to stroll through the atrium with labored shuffles. This did not go unnoticed by Rebuke, who was relived to sense that her visitors were more composed than they were outside. "It's reassuring to know that you guys are slowly getting used to my magic. It'll make talking to everyone a lot easier once we get the chance," She spoke with relief and pride tinted in her voice, "You can place Akagi on the couch over there; she's going to be just fine." Rebuke reassured everyone as she led them into the living room. She knelt next to the couches' armrest and awaited her guests to follow her movements.
Without hesitation, Macao swiftly approached the couch that Rebuke was kneeling next to and softly rested Akagi's motionless body on top of it. Kagura and Sayuki followed his movements while Natsu lagged behind. Natsu still too reluctant to look at the pain he inflicted upon Akagi, causing him to grow slightly defensive over the young girl from afar. "It's one thing if you know who we are, but how do you know Akagi's name?" Natsu grimaced while watching Macao remove her cloak from Akagi's cauterized wound.
Kagura cocked her head in confusion and took the time to elaborate on Natsu's confusion. "Master Natsu has a point. He told us that you lived a self-sufficient life, so how do you know who Akagi is?"
Rebuke was so distracted by Akagi's condition, that she didn't even avert her gaze to answer Kagura's question. "Believe me when I say there's a lot more to who I am then someone who lives a self-sufficient life. I know who Akagi is, because I occasionally overhear her playing with her friends in the mountains. That was back when Dragons didn't destroy her village." She finished by muttering in hostility and rage at the brutality of the Dragons.
Macao's eyes widened after assuming Rebuke confirmed his worst fears. "Wuh- We were right about what happened to Dragnof… Yuh- your magic potential is off the charts, and you still didn't do anything to help-"
Before Macao's voice could become shrouded in rage at the unnecessary pain dealt to Akagi, Rebuke held up her hand in defense. After a few moments of hesitation, she eventually brought herself to speak to the anxious mages. "I'm gonna stop you right there." Her voice's tone turned into a deathly seriousness while she gritted her teeth. A shadow was now draped over her face while a lone tear began to well up in her eye before pattering against the floor. "I wanted to help… But I couldn't. There can't be another war. The killing needs to stop. Please, just give me a chance to save Akagi; it's the least I can do for not being able to help the rest of her village." Rebuke sniffled while she began to apologize for her actions in broken fragments.
Natsu was the first to realize the severity behind Dragnof's capital being destroyed and scowled at his advisor's nerve for making the assumption. "We promise we didn't mean to offend you in any way! It's… It's just that we're from a really close family who will do anything to protect other people in need: even if it means not thinking before we react." Natsu finished by comically towering over Macao's back. Even Kagura and Sayuki gave the purple haired man similar stares.
Rebuke brought herself to smile slightly at her guest's antics while snapping herself out of the frustrated state she was in. "That's what I've overheard from all the children playing around the forest. Fairy tail mages are just protective like that." She warmly smiled while gesturing towards the red Fairy Tail Guild Mark on the back of Sayuki's hand: indicating that for once, Rebuke didn't need to use her abundance of knowledge to determine her guest's identity.
Before they became immersed in their discussion, Rebuke's warm smile dissipated as she diverted her attention back to Akagi's body which reminded her of the situation at hand.
Without a moment to spare, Rebuke flicked her dominant wrist in a downwards motion which caused her palm to become engulfed in a controlled stream of golden flames.
Natsu's eyes immediately widened from recognizing Rebuke's spell for the third time in his life, while the other Fairy Tail Guild members could only gawk at the sheer beauty and power emanating from the golden flames. "The Flame of Rebuke." Natsu robotically spoke the name of the spell out loud.
The amount of magic potential was enough to cause the Fairy Tail Guild members to faint if it weren't for needing to ensure Akagi's safety. However, their trance like state was immediately broken as they watched Rebuke outstretch her blazing hand towards Akagi's wound.
Just as Rebuke was preparing to apply the glistening flames to Akagi's cauterized scar, Macao reflexively gripped Rebuke's arm and stopped her from making contact with the young girl. "Hold on! What do you think you're doing?! Can't you see she's already suffered enough already? We can sense how insanely powerful you are, so you don't gotta prove anything by taking it out on Akagi!"
Sayuki and Kagura immediately widened their eyes at Macao's short minded actions. Natsu approached Macao and tried to separate Macao's grip in fear that he would somehow provoke Rebuke. All of the mages could sense that the single flame in Rebuke's palm was enough to obliterate them, and this was Natsu's only chance to get his magic back.
Rebuke sighed at Macao's actions while slowly diverting her gaze from Akagi's body towards the Fire mage's loosening grip. She noticed that Macao instantly regretted his bold actions, which was further reprimanded by Natsu subtly trying to calm him down.
Rebuke shook her head towards Macao's parting grip and gestured towards the door as a friendly reminder of warning. "I can promise you if I wanted to hurt you guys, none of you would have been able to knock on my house's door before meeting the grim reaper," The seriousness of Rebuke's voice caused the mages to shiver in regret while Macao lowered his head in embarrassment, "I wanted to help Dragnof's capital just as much as Fairy Tail did, so you're going to have to trust me when I say I'll take good care of Akagi."
Natsu rested his hand on Macao's shoulder while slowly moving him out of reach of the couch. Macao continued to monitor Rebuke's movements as he was still unsure Rebuke could be trusted, but at least Natsu was able to restrain him properly so he couldn't interfere again.
With the final moments of hesitation out of the way, Rebuke fully pressed her lit hand against Akagi's abdomen. She used her free hand to apply pressure on top of her flame bound one and smirked in satisfaction as she watched her golden flames encase Akagi's scarred tissue.
Akagi's scar immediately began shrink in size while the Flame of Rebuke replaced her cauterized wound with a layer of new skin. Her unconscious breathing was replaced with a sharp inhale of relief as her body reacted to the healing properties of the spell. The flames continued to flicker and made a hollow, ghostly noise similar to a raging wind in the distance coupled with the sound of glistening in the background.
Macao's eyes widened at the extraordinary properties of Rebuke's magic. "How can a spell with that much magic potential be used to heal someone?!" He was the first Fairy Tail Guild member to think in bewilderment.
"Uh- I can't believe it. Akagi's already starting to breathe easier, and the spell hasn't even healed her scar fully." Natsu, Kagura, and Sayuki watched as Akagi's chest rose more prominently with each passing second.
Unlike his other three guild members, Natsu understood the true destructive nature the Flames of Rebuke were capable of, so he silently marveled the adaptability of the spell to heal someone.
The flames continued to encase Akagi's scar until it completely vanished into the newly formed skin over her abdomen. After the scar was healed, the golden flames slowly dissipated back into the palm of Rebuke's hand.
Rebuke then lifted her hand off of Akagi's newly formed skin where she clenched her fist in satisfaction: causing the golden flames to disappear as golden embers in the air.
A deathly silence loomed over the Fairy Tail Guild members at how effortlessly Rebuke was able to heal Akagi. Macao was the first to break the tense silence by slowly walking towards where Rebuke was monitoring Akagi's condition. Once he ensured Akagi's safety, he turned his head and locked his gaze with the side of Rebuke's scaly face. Macao then uttered the three words plaguing his guild members thoughts. "Who are you…?" He said while narrowing his eyes in confusion, lack of trust, and awe at the woman he was staring at.
Rebuke continued to stare at Akagi's healed abdomen without breaking contact to acknowledge Macao's presence. She closed her black eyes in realization that since Akagi's condition improving, it was time to reveal her identity to her guests.
Rebuke reached out towards Macao's cloak resting beneath Akagi's body and used it to cover the torn t-shirt exposing the young girl's skin. She then crossed her legs over, inhaled deeply, and turned her head to face Macao and the other mages off to the side. She slowly opened her eyes in determination and revealed her identity to the Fairy Tail Guild members without hesitation, "My real name is Yuki Mizikushi Akino. Over 400 years ago, I was better known as the first Dragon Slayer," Rebuke confidently stated before uncrossing her legs, standing up, and heading to the kitchen, "Would anyone care for some tea?" She called out to her guests who were left stranded next to Akagi's resting body.
Rebuke's question caused the three Fairy Tail Guild members to comically lose their balance on the floor. They regained their composure enough to turn around and eye Rebuke rummaging through her kitchen drawers for a tea pot.
"Tea at a time like this?! We just found out who the hell she is, and she cares more about drinking tea than the fact she's a Dragon Slayer?! She really is just like Natsu!" Sayuki and Macao deadpanned to themselves.
Kagura was in just as much shock as Sayuki and Macao were from learning Rebuke was a Dragon slayer, but her increasing curiosity was enough to maintain her stoic persona. "Suh- So Rebuke's a Dragon Slayer. That must explain her immense Magical Potential," She hesitantly shook her head slightly at the conclusion she made, "No… Something does not seem right here. Master Natsu also uses Dragon Slayer Magic, but he's nowhere near as powerful as she is. Rebuke isn't a Dragon Slayer like Natsu... She's the first Dragon Slayer." Kagura stopped thinking to herself as she observed Rebuke casually walk with a tea pot through the kitchen.
Natsu stood up in disbelief as he slowly began to register who Rebuke truly was and why Jellal requested that she be treated with the utmost respect. The revelation that just dawned upon him was enough to completely divert his gaze from Akagi's body towards Rebuke. "Shuh- She's also a Dragon Slayer?! After what happened to Gajeel and Wendy, I thought I was the only one left who was still a part of a legal guild. Is that why she looks like a Dragon?" His barrage of questions was interrupted by the sound of Rebuke turning the stove on while resting the tea pot on top of it. For the first time since Natsu sighted Dragnof's capital, he realized how hungry he was. He toothily smiled as he recalled Rebuke's previous offer and accepted it without hesitation, "I'll take some tea!" Natsu declared with his carefree persona, his short attention span contributing to how he was able to change subjects so easily even though his magic was missing. Natsu's antics caused his guild mates to comically collapse against the couch next to Akagi's unconscious body.
Rebuke brought herself to smile and shook her head at Natsu's nature. "Perfect! I'll be with you guys in just a moment. Make yourselves comfortable, because I have a feeling we're going to be here a while." She chuckled while adding water to the tea pot.
"Yeah… No kidding." Macao sarcastically muttered to himself while the lack of trust he had for Rebuke broke him out of his daze. At this point, he didn't care if Rebuke's enhanced hearing picked up his spiteful comments: at least not until she clarified who she was and if she even planned to help Natsu recover his Dragon Slayer Magic.
As the guild members slowly regained their bearings from learning who Rebuke was, Natsu slowly rejoined them on the wooden floor while they sat upright next to the couch Akagi was resting on.
Natsu continued to observe Akagi's unconscious body and assumed Rebuke was finished tending to her condition. His food focused thoughts began to grow grave and serious now that he rested his eyes upon Akagi's body again, "I don't know what I would have done if Rebuke wasn't able to save your life… I'm sorry. This is just like what happened with Kagura… If I was just faster… None of this would have happened," Natsu thought to himself in guilt, while thoughts of self-doubt began to usher over his body.
The rest of the mages shifted their attention back to Akagi to the point where none of them noticed Natsu's shadowed facial expressions. Even though Akagi was still a complete stranger to them, Macao's fatherly instincts caused him to stroke the young black hair as they awaited Rebuke to rejoin them back in the living room.
A deathly silence had fallen upon the group in the living room ever since Rebuke parted towards the kitchen. Kagura, Macao, and Sayuki were so distracted from observing Akagi's condition, that they didn't even notice Natsu's doubtful facial expression contrasting from the rest who were concerned for Akagi's wellbeing; little did they know the amount of conflicting emotional pain he was currently enduring.
Moreover, since their backs were turned to the kitchen's entrance, all of the Fairy Tail Guild members were so mesmerized by their own thoughts that they failed to notice Rebuke walking into the living room with a platter of tea and biscuits.
Rebuke was the only person to notice the emotional pain Natsu was in. She could tell that he was agitated from multiple factors; the Dragons destroying Akagi's village, losing his Dragon Slayer Magic, and him doubting himself as a Fairy Tail mage for not being able to protect others in need all contributed to how he was feeling and what she was able to sense.
Rebuke sighed to herself upon seeing Natsu's composure and realized there was only one way she could reassure him. "You could probably already tell by how bad Akagi's wounds were, but not all Dragons are like Igneel, and it'll only get worse from here unless we do something to stop it. It's a harsh world out there, and I'm sorry you had to learn that by cauterizing her wounds." She attempted to sympathize with Natsu while laying the extendable tray she was holding behind the mages, "Please, make yourself comfortable and eat as much as you like." She casually stated while making it seem as if she had no idea Natsu was related to Igneel.
The Fairy Tail mages whirled around upon hearing Rebuke enter the living room, but they were even more shocked as a bigger realization began to dawn upon them. "Yuh- You know who Igneel is?" Natsu almost raised his voice at how taken back he was. He inched towards where Rebuke began to sit on the ground and practically begged with his eyes for any information on his lost father.
Rebuke chuckled at Natsu's clueless nature "Of course I know Iggy," She paused to reminiscence at the nickname she gave Igneel, "After all, how else would you have learned Dragon Slayer Magic?" Rebuke then handed Natsu a cup of tea from the tray in front of them.
Natsu and his guild mates immediately removed their backpacks, causing the four mages to sigh in relief from the weight being removed from their shoulders. Natsu then hastily accepted the teacup if it meant Rebuke continued to speak. The rest of his guild mates mimicked his actions, while Kagura reluctantly placed Archenemy at her side.
Rebuke nodded in satisfaction as her guests lowered their belongings to the ground before accepting their teacups. After ensuring they had all adjusted to the atmosphere and her magical potential, she leaned in towards where Natsu was anxiously awaiting for her to continue and spoke to him with a concerned voice. "So… Natsu? You've been trying to find a way to get your Dragon Slayer Magic back, and you decided to come to Dragnof since you're out of other options."
Natsu immediately choked on his tea at the conclusion Rebuke was able to make. "I think it would be better if you start with how you know my name and why I'm here." He sarcastically deadpanned, almost forgetting that Rebuke knew who Igneel was.
"After being alive for 400 years now, I've had enough time to learn some stuff about this world. My Dragon Slayer senses have been trained to the point where I've surpassed even the sharpest of Dragons, and it's allowed me to feel the emotions of other humans without any second doubt; that includes you and your friends," Rebuke paused to gesture towards Natsu's guild mates, "You can probably already tell by now, but I'm able to learn a lot from a person's emotions. I know the reasons each of you have for being here, and I even know why Natsu isn't able to use his Dragon Slayer Magic." She placed her teacup down to narrow her eyes towards Natsu's stunned body.
A small glint of hope plastered across Kagura's face after Rebuke reassured her guild mates. She patted Natsu's shoulder in encouragement while her Guild Master responded to Rebuke. "So you'll tell us what's wrong with me?" Natsu eventually brought himself to speak.
To everyone's surprise, Rebuke shook her head at him. "For the sake of you being able to get your magic back, I don't think that's a good idea. There'd be no point in telling you why you lost your magic until you discover what you've got to do to get it back."
"Then why does it matter whether or not you tell me now?" Natsu scratched his head as he began to grow impatient.
"Because you'd still have to know what it has to do with losing your magic in the first place. If I tell you right now why you lost your Dragon Slayer Magic, there'd be nothing stopping you from completely losing it from lacking the confidence to get it back… And this time, you could lose it for good. Learning about your Dragon Slayer Magic and your body will be enough for you to understand what you have to do to get it back, and the last thing I want is having to risk you losing the connection to it altogether by telling you too early."
"So you're saying my Magic isn't gone forever; it's just 'blocked?'"
Rebuke smiled and nodded towards Natsu. "You've got it. There's no point in taking a risk for you to lose your magic forever when you can just learn how to get it back for sure. I know it's going to be tough to trust me because of how important your magic is to you, but just think about it as another way I'm going to help you on this journey."
Sayuki beamed in happiness and placed her teacup on the tray. "So you're going to help Master Natsu?!"
Rebuke responded by nodding her head while she returned a smile towards Sayuki. "Of course I'm going to help Natsu. After all, Iggy was one of my closest friends back in the day." This caused Sayuki to bubble in excitement.
Natsu was so shocked at Rebuke's generosity, that he could only ask the most straight forward question at this point. "But what's going to help me understand why I lost my magic and how I'm going to get it back?" Natsu uncomfortably asked.
"The origins of Dragon Slayer Magic will. Tell me, what do you know about my past aside from my name?" Rebuke asked as she could sense Natsu completely forgot the conversation he had with Jellal at the Magic Council Headquarters.
As Natsu began to ponder over Rebuke's question, Kagura facepalmed to herself from listening to Natsu's question. "How did he already forget what he told Fairy Tail about how Rebuke would help him?" She then began to chuckle to herself out of amusement. "I guess I can't blame him. Losing someone- I mean something you love can change your behavior in ways you wouldn't have expected." Kagura then shook her head as she realized she began comparing Simon to Natsu's Dragon Slayer Magic.
Before Kagura realized how much she was relating to Natsu's situation, her Guild Master answered Rebuke's initial question with a sheepish look plastered across his face. "I'm not gonna lie Rebuke, my Nakama and I don't know that much about you other than how you're a totally badass Dragon Slayer." Natsu's antics coupled with his toothy smile caused the middle aged woman to burst out in laughter with the rest of her guests. This was interrupted by Natsu beginning to slowly grow serious again. "But when I was little, Igneel told me the story about your village being destroyed by Dragons… The night he was supposed to finish telling me it, he disappeared. I know this story will help me get my magic back, because the person who told me to come to Dragnof mentioned that you're really selective about who you tell it to. That's gotta mean it's important." Natsu paused to lean in towards Rebuke's face, "But I need to know the rest of your story if it means getting my magic back. Kagura and I now parts of it, but we don't know any more than that... Rebuke…? You're my only hope right now. Please help me get my magic back." Natsu pleaded as he was reduced to begging.
Before any of the other mages could ask Natsu to clarify which person told Natsu to come to Dragnof, Rebuke responded with a solemn tone tinting her voice. "Unfortunately, that was no story. I lived through every moment of what Igneel told you…" Rebuke's face lowered while a deathly shadow began to loom over it. Her body began to emanate a yellow aura as she began to flare up her magic ever so slightly, causing the tear drop pendant above her chest to glow a piercing blue. The golden flames that comprised her hair raged in a torrent of fury and emotional pain from recalling the destruction of her village.
The increase in her magic potential caused Macao and Sayuki to cower in fear; even Natsu was unsure how long her could keep his composure from the mere fraction of Rebuke's power.
Just before any of the Fairy Tail mages could reflexively react to the possible growing threat, the increase in Magical Potential instantly dissipated while Rebuke darted her head upwards with a warm smile plastered across her face. "I'm just kidding. Since you said please, I'll help you and tell you everything you need to know to get your magic back."
The Fairy Tail mages comically collapsed out of relief and utter confusion from Rebuke's idea of a joke. "Wait… So your village wasn't destroyed?" Macao groaned in annoyance at Rebuke's childlike persona.
Rebuke shook her head. "No, it was. I've just gotten over it to the point where I'm not shrouded with hatred anymore. The destruction that Dragons caused needs to be stopped, but hatred isn't going to make doing that any easier." She spoke truthfully.
"Then how are you still alive after 400 years? Since you've gained so much power, Dragnof really needed help protecting its citizens against those Dragons that Akagi was talking about! You've been a Dragon Slayer for 400 years, and you knew how destructive those Dragons were… So why didn't you help the village? You haven't explained that yet." Macao began to grow untrustworthy again as he gazed upon Akagi's resting body.
"I know that you're upset, but please believe me that starting another war wouldn't have saved Dragnof; it would have endangered the entirety of Ishgar. After my village was destroyed 400 years ago, I made the mistake in believing that starting a war with Dragons was the answer to humanity's problems. Instead, it nearly wiped out the human race. I can't take that risk again."
"Who said anything about starting a war? You could have just made an effort to reason with them. What the hell is going on here?!" Macao interrupted in confusion and frustration as to how Natsu and Kagura knew about Rebuke's past but him and Sayuki didn't.
Natsu apologized while clarifying his knowledge of Rebuke to the other two Fire mages. "I should have told you guys this earlier, but that story Igneel told me had to do with Rebuke's past. Up until now, I thought it was just a story, and I told it to Kagura at out campsite while I was on that Raven Tail quest with her. I planned on telling you and Sayuki about Rebuke on the train and carriage ride, but I guess my motion sickness got the best of me," Natsu rubbed his head in embarrassment, "Now that I think about it, it's probably for the best that I wasn't the person to tell you. Now that I know what Igneel told me was true, I don't think I should be the one to tell you what happened to Rebuke's village." Natsu grimaced while realizing the pain Rebuke had to endure was similar to Akagi.
"Did what Igneel tell you even have to do about this 'war' Rebuke is scared about?" Macao skeptically asked.
Rebuke answered for Natsu by reluctantly nodding towards Macao. "Yes. Everything leading up to now is because of what happened 400 years ago. And even though I'm no longer shrouded in hatred and vengeance from my village being destroyed, it's still not a day I like to remember. But you're gonna need to know it if it means your Guild Master gets his Dragon Slayer Magic back."
Before any of the Fairy Tail Guild members were given the opportunity to interrupt, Rebuke began to recall the events of her village being destroyed when she was a kid. From meeting Atlas Flame in the forest surrounding her village, to saving the Dragon's life, Rebuke was able to recall the destruction of her village with even more description than Natsu.
As Rebuke continued to narrate the turning point of her childhood, mixed emotions began to shroud Macao and Sayuki. Not only were they surprised to learn that Rebuke met a Fire Dragon, but they were shocked at how Atlas Flame gave Rebuke the ability to call for his help as payment for saving his life: especially since Rebuke was a child at the time.
The looks of shock plastered across Macao's and Sayuki's faces immediately turned into horror as Rebuke began to grimace over the death of her family from the dragons that invaded her village. Despite the lack of trust Macao had for Rebuke, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the middle aged woman. Even if Atlas Flame offered to help train Rebuke in order to protect the rest of humanity, that still didn't serve as a reason for deserving the emotional pain she had to endure.
"Why…? All this time, I thought Dragons were just like Igneel. I thought they were our friends, so why are they doing this…?" Natsu robotically asked while Rebuke silently finished describing the events to Macao and Sayuki.
"That answer depends on what you're referring to. The reasons the Dragons invaded Akagi's village are different from the ones they had when invaded mine. And that's all because of what I still have to tell you."
"Can you at least start by why Dragons invaded YOUR village?"
"Good choice," Rebuke chuckled to herself, "That one's pretty straightforward. Only ten percent of Earthland's population could use magic leaving most of us defenseless. Not to mention, humans were and still are abundant. We make for a pretty good food source if you ask me, and my village was one of the many which were destroyed in the process."
"I'm so sorry that you had to endure all of that, and I'm glad that you've moved on from what happened to your family… But what happened to your village sounds a lot like what happened to Dragnof. Can you please tell us why you didn't help?" Kagura cocked her head with an intrigued look on her face. Even she couldn't help but empathize with Rebuke, considering both of them lost family members in the past.
"Thank you for your kindness," Rebuke beamed, indicating that she truly had moved past the death of her family, "But this is where the second part of my story comes in. I couldn't defend the citizens, because stopping the Dragons from invading Dragnof's capital would have started another war," She paused to turn towards where Natsu was listening. She leaned in towards his body before speaking with as much confidence as she could muster, "If you want to understand why you lost your magic, why dragons destroyed this village, and why I couldn't help Dragnof's capital because of this 'war,' we need to go back… around 400 years ago. Put your hands on top of mine." Rebuke finished speaking by placing her teacup next to the platter of biscuit crumbs. She outstretched her dragon like arm in hopes her guests would accept her grasp.
Macao narrowed his gaze towards Rebuke's extended arm before darting his head towards Akagi's body on the sofa. "How do you plan on helping us?" Macao brought himself to question out of embarrassment; he could barely bring himself to speak after learning about the destruction of Rebuke's village, and he was genuinely curious about what would happen to Akagi.
Rebuke smirked while watching Macao eye Akagi. "I think you already know the answer to that. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so concerned about Akagi right now. She'll be just fine until we return. We shouldn't be gone for too long."
"I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. Uh- Are you sure you feel comfortable helping us even after what happened to your village." Sayuki spoke her first words since Rebuke finished recalling the destruction of her village.
"C'mon now," Rebuke childishly pouted, "I've already told you I moved on from what happened. What matters right now is being able to help your Guild Master get his magic back. You of all people should be excited right now." Rebuke chuckled while referring to Sayuki's bubbly personality.
Sayuki rolled her eyes and realized Rebuke was right, so she snapped herself out of her worried daze by shaking her head.
With that, Macao, Kagura, and Sayuki had nothing else to do at this point but follow Rebuke's instructions. They rose from their seats on the floor and nodded to each other in unison before laying their dominant hands on top of Rebuke's.
Natsu was the last mage to rise from the floor, but stopped extending his hand right as it was about to enter the group's circle. He still had questions for himself that he wanted to have answered, and he knew there probably wouldn't be a better time to ask them than right now. "Uh- I can't thank you enough for doing all of this for me… But why are you helping me, Rebuke? The person who recommended I visited you told me that you're really selective about who you tell your past to. You wouldn't even tell it to one of your closest friends about your past, so why me all of a sudden? Even if you knew my father, how can you trust me enough with your biggest secret?'
Rebuke sighed and responded to Natsu's question. "If I'm being honest, there's a favor that you're going to have to do for me that leads to you getting your magic back, so we're both gonna benefit from this in the end," She paused to speak to the entirety of the group, "However, all of you know what happened to my village. When I was lost and thought there was no one left to guide me in life, I had a dragon lead me onto a new path by teaching me unfathomable power. After watching my own family get killed in cold blood, I didn't think I would ever have someone to get me to where I am right now. There was so much smoke in the air the day my village was destroyed day that it masked the stench of blood… And yet… Atlas Flame still guided me. After all the violence and tears throughout my childhood, he was the one who was there for me when no one else was. Now… It's time for me to repay the favor."
Natsu frantically began to speak out of admiration as he subconsciously inched his hand closer towards the circle. "Damn. That's deep… But what about my father? Do you know what happened to him?"
Rebuke smiled while reminiscing about Igneel. "That's a story I can only tell you once we're done. Right now, in order for you to recover your Dragon Slayer Magic, we need to go back."
Natsu wanted to negotiate, but before any of the mages could respond to Rebuke's proposal, Sayuki rolled her eyes and grabbed Natsu's hand in annoyance. "C'mon, Master. You've waited nine years to find out what happened to Igneel, so I think you can wait a couple more minutes. Your Dragon Slayer Magic is what's most important right now, and since when were you the type of person to pass up an adventure?" Sayuki then pulled Natsu's hand into the circle without his consent which caused a torrent of golden flames to erupt from Rebuke's hand at the bottom.
The fire engulfed the group as a golden hue lowly emanated throughout the room, causing a ghostly sound tinted with glistening to howl from the spell. The flames almost immediately dissipated into beautiful embers floating in the air, causing Rebuke and the Fairy Tail Mages to vanish from the middle of the room without a trace.
Thank you for your time!