A/N: Hi guys!
Back with another chapter and whatnot.
Before we dive in…
Coronavirus has taken hold of the daily life of many across the world. Some have recovered while others have passed. It hurts to see my fellow man suffer during times such as these. All I can say is exercise social distancing and pray for those around you. Not only that, find ways to keep yourself from going stir crazy if you're cooped up for extended periods. I know it's not easy but we will make it through this.
Now back to the story…
Happy with the reviews I got. The chapter you are about to read will be the last before the start of the Phantom Lord Arc, all chapters still in production of course. Also I want to address the number one concern you all had heading into this fic. Are any Fairy Tail members going to use Ki? Or any mage for that matter? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Relax everyone. Bardock is simply going to train Natsu and his team without trying to have them harness Ki. He knows the dangers of introducing such a potent energy into a foreign world. Hence why he's just training them to make them stronger than what they already are. Fairy Tail characters are not going to use Ki. If, and this is a really big if, they do it will be limited to one person and the Ki that person holds will be watered down to not make him/her OP. But until further notice no Fairy Tail character is going to be using Ki.
Now let's jump in!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Dragon Ball Z. All rights, characters, and media belong to their respective owners.
Cover Art credit goes to Deviantart artist hsvhrt.
Weeks later
Late July/Early August X784
Magnolia, Kingdom of Fiore
Lucy's Apartment
Morning
Time flew by following the Galuna Island mission. Fairy Tail's strongest team came home to a verbal lashing as well as the wackiest punishment they could endure… a punishment that eventually sucked in the entire guild.
Life returned to normal though once everything was figured out. Natsu and company either did jobs as a team or split up with Natsu partnering up with Happy and Lucy while Erza and Gray did solo jobs. The five of them were killing time and making a living while waiting on the start date for their training with Fairy Tail's resident Alien warrior.
Now though, it was early in the morning as Fiore was still in the middle of summer, well on its way to Fall once September hit. But it was almost August, a time where children would be off to school and learning typical school subjects. Until then, summer was still in full swing.
Lucy Heartfillia was up bright and early, getting a good breakfast in before conducting her morning ritual of hygiene and writing letters to her mother. And, if time allowed, Lucy could also be working on the novel she hoped would get noticed by the public.
The blonde had completed everything and now she was just waiting on Natsu to come pick her up. She had hit a bit of writer's block and needed to talk to Levy about some new ideas for her novel.
("Hopefully this training session doesn't last long. It is our first one after all.") She mused.
So Lucy was content with reading a book until Natsu showed up. She was dressed in something more athletic and definitely something that was meant for hot weather. Currently she wore a gold tank top, black sports bra with matching undies and a blue skirt. For footwear she opted for boots, figuring she would be wearing them for the majority of the missions she went on.
Lucy lounged on the couch for half an hour until she heard the window in her bedroom open. It was then she heard his voice call out, something of which brought a smile to her face.
"Luce! We're here! You ready to go?"
Lucy giggled before closing her book and racing over to the shelf. Natsu had emerged from the bedroom, smiling ear to ear as he was ready to start the day off right. He already packed some gear for their training session with Bardock, things like extra snacks, towels, water and of course Happy's meals that consisted of fish. As far as outfits were concerned he stuck with the outfit he wore on missions. He had extra outfits at home and if anything Lucy or Mira could mend them if they got too damaged.
Lucy raced right by him and went for the duffle bag she bought the other day. It carried another set of clothes, a book, a sketchbook and a few snacks. After securing the bag on her shoulder, Lucy beamed a bright smile at him.
"All set! I'll meet you downstairs!"
Natsu nodded with a toothy grin before going to the window while Lucy made her way to her bedroom door.
"Oh and Natsu?"
Said Dragon Slayer stopped as he was perched on the window sill. He turned around for a moment and was surprised to find his partner in his space with a sly grin. She reached out and playfully bopped his nose with her index finger before twirling around and exiting her bedroom.
"Next time use the door Dragon Boy." She called out.
Natsu was stunned for a moment before a chuckle left his lips. He went about his task and leapt from the window down to the streets below.
("Not on your life Luce. Where's the fun in that?") He thought with a grin.
Magnolia Outskirts
Gravity Chamber (Next to Bardock's house)
Training for Bardock picked up the moment he came back. He spent some time in the rejuvenation chamber before he returned to his daily grind. He earned a good keep and immediately stocked up on food before going about his training.
His mysterious ally had been kind enough to provide him with a capsule that contained a fully functional Gravity Chamber. The Gravity Chamber came with amenities such as a section for the healing chamber, punching bags, weights, a fully stocked pantry with a fridge and a small bedroom. Plus there was a storage area that was made for supplies… including the weird as plant that sprouted in a special case.
The Senzu plant in its entirety was foreign to Bardock. The plant had the capability of producing seeds for reproduction as well as the miracle working beans that was a result of good garden work. The Saiyan Rebel made a mental note to plant a seed at Galuna Island when he got some downtime. It was explained in a note that the Senzu Beans had the capability of both feeding and healing a person. Connecting the dots, Bardock also surmised eating a Senzu Bean would give him a boost, the same boost all Saiyans received when going from battle to battle or surviving near death experiences.
Currently though, Bardock was hanging upside down doing full sit ups after a set of crunches. The Gravity Chamber had the neat feature of climate control and right now sweat dripped heavily off of Bardock's form. Additionally, the gravity was set to 40 and Bardock was loving the challenge he got from the increased pressure.
He continued to do rep after rep, the fire in his soul blazing brightly. He had already used the weights. He had already used the punching bag. He had already done all his stretches. And he had already done several different exercise that left his body with a damn good ache.
Coming up to rep 3,000, the Saiyan stopped and decided that this particular exercise was over. He struggled to untie himself from the bar but was free a moment later. Now for the tricky part…
With the weighted training gi adding even more pressure to his body, Bardock fell towards the hard, reinforced tile igniting his aura and stopping just a hair above the floor. He let out a breath before making a readjustment in mid-air to touch his feet to the ground. A moment later the Saiyan had reset the Gravity Machine to 1, the pressure lifting off of him.
Bardock took a deep breath before exhaling. It had been a very long time since he trained to such an extreme. The Saiyan Rebel walked away from the panel, rotating his shoulders and popping his neck. He stopped in the middle of the room before his fist snapped up mimicking a punch.
Bardock visualized several opponents in his head as his right elbow snapped up, taking an imaginary opponent in their face. Bardock then crouched low before doing several backflips and landing on his feet. The Saiyan Rebel then exploded into a series of kicks and punches. Feet and fists blurred as the warrior continued his routine. After several minutes, sweat dripped down Bardock's face as he halted and caught his breath.
("That's enough for now. I'm about to get those kids soon anyways.")
Exiting his stance, Bardock left his spot and headed towards one of the rooms to grab a towel. Although part of him was dreading having to essentially hold the teenage mages hands, another part of him felt a building anticipation of teaching people with not as much of a combative pedigree as he had.
That said, things were about to get interesting…
Meanwhile
Erza and Gray met up with Natsu, Lucy and Happy on one of the trails that connected to Magnolia. Erza led them past the trees on the dirt path that would follow to where Bardock had made his personal stomping grounds.
"This is gonna be awesome! We're finally about to start training with Bardock!" Natsu exclaimed.
Gray, who was flanking Natsu's right side, gave his rival a dirty look of sorts, questioning the guy's sanity. Lucy just had a smile as she walked on Natsu's left. Happy was napping on top of Natsu's pack. As for Erza, she walked several feet ahead of her friends as she contemplated various things while being the guide.
"Calm your jets pyro. You shouldn't be so eager to get your ass kicked again. Come to think of it, what would Magnolia think to see you get taken down a peg?" Gray queried with a contemplative look.
Natsu lost his smile and a tic mark appeared above his head. Lucy quickly grasped his bicep as her touch would usually have some sort of calming effect. Natsu tensed up a bit in her grip as he bared his teeth and glared at the raven haired teen.
"You take that back crapsicle! He didn't kick my ass! It was just a spar not an actual fight so it doesn't count!" Natsu retorted.
"Calm down Natsu it's not that serious…" Lucy said.
Natsu's head snapped around with a crazed look as he pointed at Gray.
"But he started it Luce!"
"Then don't let him get to you then. After all you're way stronger than he is anyways." Lucy commented with a shrug.
Gray quickly snapped his glanced to the blonde with a shocked and betrayed look. Natsu on the other hand looked like a kid that just won the million jewel lottery. The Dragon Slayer sent a smug grin over to the ice mage as to mock him.
"You hear that Gray? I'm stronger than you. Even Lucy knows it for a fact." Natsu told him.
"That's a load of crap and you know it! You just brainwashed Lucy into saying whatever makes you feel better about yourself!" Gray replied.
Lucy stopped and turned to look at her friends. She chuckled nervously as she just thought to herself that she might have miscalculated on that last statement. Although she did have a high opinion of Natsu in terms of fighting ability, she never really meant to insult Gray. But then again she was right, Natsu was stronger than Gray, she wasn't sure on how much though.
"Don't be such a sore loser bud. Maybe one day you can be as awesome as me." Natsu taunted with a smug grin.
"Oh get real! Like I would ever want to be as lame as you! Even worse is that you smell all the damn time. How does Lucy ever put up with your stench?" Gray shot back.
"You guys…" Lucy weakly interjected.
Erza was getting a bit tired of their antics and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was about to stop whatever argument was about to take place before she noticed that they had reached the clearing. Her perceptive brown eyes widened in surprise at the sight of what she reasoned was Bardock's home.
Lucy was still standing near the fire and ice duo as they argued and after another moment she noticed that Erza hadn't intervened yet. She looked over slightly curious as to what the redhead was doing only to match the knight's expression. Lucy had no idea that Bardock's home was so… different.
Happy, who was still sleeping on Natsu's pack slipped off and fell. After taking a moment to rub his sore face, Happy was about to scold his best friend and foster father before noticing that Lucy and Erza were staring at a strange building. Wait a minute…
("Come to think of it… weren't they going to be training with Bardock today?") Happy thought as he crossed his arms.
Natsu and Gray continued arguing, even as the larger building's door opened up. Emerging from the building was Bardock, dressed in training gi and a towel wrapped around his neck. He grasped the towel with both hands as his stare landed on the group of mages that sought him out for training.
Erza put on a determined stare while Lucy had taken a step back. She had every right to be nervous.
Happy flew above Natsu and Gray's heads to get their attention. They continued to argue for several moments before Happy snagged Natsu away from Gray.
"Happy? What the heck bud I was-"
Natsu was cutoff as his furry companion forced his face to look over to where the girls were looking. Natsu blinked several times as he took in the fact that A) Bardock was dressed different and B) that they had reached the place Bardock got to call home. Gray froze up during the argument and when Happy pointed the raven haired teen's rival attention elsewhere, Gray also decided to see what was up. His eyes widened as he saw Bardock. Although he couldn't feel the man's power, something in Gray told him to rethink things for a moment.
Once he had everyone's attention, Bardock's blank stare morphed into a scowl.
"Stay put." He ordered them.
Bardock turned heel and marched his way back into the gravity chamber. They had arrived at a pretty good time. On top of that, Bardock had a few items prepared for each of them to use. A few days after the Galuna trip, Bardock met with Makarov and Mira on getting specially made items that Natsu and his team could use in their training. Makarov of course was excited at the prospect and to Bardock's surprise, Mira wanted to help. She offered not only some financial aid in getting the supplies but also wanted to teach extra lessons. Bardock was hesitant at first but when the barmaid begged and pleaded with her best puppy dog look, the Saiyan caved.
Bardock received a thank you in the form of a fierce hug and a shout from Mira that she would also involve Levy. As Bardock began regretting the decision immediately, he was reminded of his decision by Makarov's hearty laughter and the late warning of how Mira loved to do fun stuff with her guild mates at time.
Fast forward to now, after ditching his towel in the bathroom, Bardock retrieved a bag from storage that would seem heavy to most, but not to him. This was like carrying a paperweight. After hefting the blue duffle bag with one hand, he emerged moments later to Fairy Tail's strongest team, who had decided to drop their bags and wait patiently. They all looked to him for their next set of instructions and continued to hold his scowl as he eyed them individually.
Bardock levitated off of the ground and the team of mages was wondering why he didn't say anything yet. It was all a part of the plan.
"Follow me." He said before slowly flying off.
The teens quickly got the message and ran after the man. Bardock did a short flight over to where his previous training grounds were before he got the gravity chamber and the house. Although he wasn't flying fast he had the team of mages doing a light jog over just to keep up. After a couple of minutes, Bardock landed atop a boulder and dropped the bag to the ground in front of it. The mages came to a stop, standing shoulder to shoulder with each other.
Bardock crossed his arms and leveled the team with a glare.
"Ok kids, here's how this is going to go…"
The Saiyan Rebel eyed each mage individually, the only one backing down from his intense stare being Lucy. Happy of course was hanging out on a rock nearby eating fish and not really paying much attention to anything.
"You came to me first. You each have the potential to be something more than what you are now. I've seen how you operate and by my standards it isn't good enough. That's why I'm going to be a bit more 'thorough' in my evaluation of you. After that, well…"
Bardock smirked darkly and brought his fists up, cracking his knuckles with the opposite hand.
"We can talk about what happens next once I'm done with my evaluation, which also happens to be your first test." Bardock stated.
"A test?" Lucy asked hesitantly.
"I'm kind of terrible at tests so it isn't too hard is it?" Natsu queried with a nervous chuckle.
Bardock dropped his grin and his fists went to his sides. He maintained his gaze on the Celestial Mage, making the Dragon Slayer next to her tense up. Erza noticed this too and her hand opened up. It looked like the knight picked up what was about to happen and if her pensive expression was anything to go by. Gray narrowed his eyes, trying to catch on to what was about to take place.
"I don't think you understand, the test…"
It was a movement that not even a Wizard Saint could possibly keep up with. One moment Bardock was on top of the rock. The next moment, the Saiyan stood behind Lucy. Natsu, Gray and Erza all stood in shock before they slowly turned their heads to see Bardock reach for Lucy.
("Luce!") Natsu thought in alarm.
("He's faster than before!") Erza observed.
("I never even saw him move!") Gray yelled in his head.
"… is to fight me." Bardock finished.
Bardock snatched the blonde's arm in his grip before yanking her back and tossing her into one of the trees. At the moment when her back impacted the hard bark, Lucy cried out in pain before falling to the ground with a hard thud.
Looking at the boulder, Bardock felt the rise of energy in the other three mages. He had gotten their attention, especially the one that mattered most. Said Dragon Slayer was slightly enraged at seeing his partner get treated so roughly… so how does he respond?
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Bardock caught Natsu's flaming fist with little effort, the fire not even bothering him at all. Bardock barely gave the Dragon Slayer a chance to recover before yanking the boy forward and planting a hard knee to his chest, sending him through several trees.
"Ice-Make sword!"
The moment Bardock let his foot touch the ground, two flashes alerted him to his other opponents. The Saiyan side stepped a slash attempt from Gray before back flipping to dodge Erza's deadly blade.
Bardock slipped into his fighting stance and eyed both the ice mage and the knight. The ice mage had lost his button up and was now wearing his pants and boots. Erza on the other hand had gone for her Black Wing Armor.
Tauntingly, Bardock raised a hand and motioned for both mages to come and get him. Erza immediately rushed forward but to Bardock she was moving at a snail's pace, her slashes being predictable. He bobbed and weaved as Erza's slashes missed, the blade not even coming anywhere near his form. From what Bardock knew, Black Wing Armor allowed Erza to have limited flight capabilities.
Wanting to test something, Bardock's feet left the ground as Erza chased him. Her slashes had gotten faster but to Bardock they were still slow. He effortlessly let Erza's sword pass by him before he had gotten bored. Mid slash, Bardock caught Erza's sword with his left hand. Infusing a bit of Ki in his right hand, Bardock's fist quickly snapped forward and found its way into the scarlet haired teen's gut. With a grunt of pain, Erza was sent into the earth, creating a crater. The knight let out a pained groan as she slowly sat up, her sword falling in front of her stabbing the ground. Bardock stayed in the air before hearing some familiar words from the one opponent he hadn't dealt with.
"Ice-Make Lance!"
Several ice created weapons flew at Bardock, the Saiyan either dodging or batting the ice creations away. This continued on for a few seconds before heat erupted from below. Bardock had quickly dodged the torrent flames and looked down to see an angered Natsu Dragneel. A flash of light alerted Bardock to the fact that Erza had once again changed armors. The Saiyan Rebel lowered to the ground before slipping back into his fighting stance.
"Ice-Make Hammer!"
Bardock jumped to the side, dodging a blow from an ice made mallet before giving Gray a harsh kick to the ribs, sending the ice mage off to the side. Bardock then delivered an uppercut to Natsu before leaping up and grabbing the Dragon Slayer by the calf. Bardock then came down to earth and slammed Natsu on the ground, flinging him like a rag doll several times. When Bardock let go, Natsu hung off the ground for a moment before being kicked into a nearby tree… going straight through it and several more in succession. Bardock dropped his guard for a moment, taking in his surroundings and letting his senses alert him to anything that was out of place.
*Ding-Dong*
Bardock snorted and crossed his arms. The Blonde was a bit late coming back to the party.
("Honestly, I knew she was the weak link but to be this weak?")
"About damn time…" He muttered under his breath.
Bardock waited several moments before he uncrossed his arms and leapt back to avoid the smash of a very familiar axe. Looks like Bardock was having his second meeting with a perverted bovine or whatever the hell he was.
Bardock stood tall and eyed Taurus with a raised brow, clearly showing he was unimpressed. Taurus hefted the axe and glared at the Saiyan while flaring his nostrils. Lucy was several meters or so away, holding a determined yet nervous expression. Although she had a whip in her hand, there was no chance in hell she was going to do anything with it.
"Took you long enough. I was actually beginning to think everyone on this ragtag team had backbone except you. You surprised me." Bardock told her bluntly.
Lucy bit her lip and narrowed her eyes. That one hurt. Good.
"Hell, I half expected that pink haired weakling to defend your honor or some bullshit like that. But you? I'm honestly considering letting you take free shots at me all day since I know just how weak you are."
Bardock then smirked and crossed his arms. He was kind of enjoying going back to his old persona. It felt good to put these teens through a trial by fire of his standards.
"Honestly little girl, go home. You're only holding this team back anyways. Your spirits having to do all the fighting for you and you can barely hold your own against some two bit bandit. You're out of your league and you aren't needed here."
Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and let her face tilt forward. Taurus, feeling the emotional recoil of his master… his friend, enraged him. He rushed Bardock, axe held high and letting out his impression of a war cry. Bardock's smirk dropped and he uncrossed his arms as he backpedaled away from his attacker.
The axe and its weight must have been throwing Taurus' aim off. There was plenty of power that much was obvious. But there was no speed or accuracy to properly balance it all off. That or Taurus was just too weak to contend.
After dodging another swing from Taurus, Bardock felt Erza moving at a rapid pace. She had changed into her Flight Armor, an armor set made for speed. Bardock looked over his shoulder as Taurus was swinging his axe down. Bardock let his left hand catch the blade as his well-trained eyes tracked Erza's movement. To the average mages and even those well below average, Erza was moving faster than the human eye could track. To Bardock…
("Fast but not fast enough… nowhere near my level of fast anyways.")
Taurus tugged on his axe, trying to get it back but to no avail. Lucy, who was trying to quell her raging emotions saw the struggle Taurus was in and decided against leaving him in danger.
"Go back Taurus… you've done enough…" Lucy muttered.
Taurus looked torn and looked back to his friend to see if she was sure with her choice.
"But Miss Luuucy…"
Lucy shook her head and offered him a soft smile. She mouthed a thank you before sending Taurus to the Celestial Spirit Realm. Bardock rolled his eyes and not a moment later, he felt leather wrap around his wrist that was holding Taurus' axe. At the same time Erza appeared, coming in for a strike. Deciding to humor the female members of Team Natsu (still needs a new name), Bardock allowed his wrist to be held in place by Lucy's whip while Erza took her shots at him. Infusing Ki into his left hand, the Saiyan Rebel either dodged or deflected shots from Erza's short sword with just his fingertips. The knight got smarter and decided to broach the Saiyans defenses in a different way.
Erza halted her offensive and dashed back before moving in various patterns to try and confuse Bardock ,even though she had a clue he knew this tactic was futile. Still it was worth a shot…
("Hope you're enjoying the workout kids… It ain't over till I say it is.") Bardock thought darkly with a visible smirk.
Erza let out a war cry as she slashed at Bardock's being, aiming for non-vital points on his limbs. As the short sword the knight wielded came into contact… it promptly bounced right off. Erza gritted her teeth and leapt back before performing dozens of slashes, all yielding the same result as before.
Bardock held his smirk as Erza continued to slash at his form. This wasn't much training to him but it was fun. Heh… fun. Saiyans only found real 'fun' in destroying their enemies and training. Plus there were the benefits of procreation or just the casual fling. That and Saiyans loved food.
Bardock's mind quickly went to the present and decided to test the knight's defenses with some light attacks. Dodging another slash, Bardock continued to smirk as Erza flew right by him, short sword in hand and a fierce scowl on her face. So the uptight knight had a war face eh?
Bardock bared his teeth in a fierce grin that Erza on edge. The next thing she knew, her face was greeted by a light tap from Bardock's knuckles, sending her careening through several trees.
"Erza!" Lucy cried out in worry.
Bardock's head snapped towards Lucy and he quickly yanked on the whip that was wrapped around his wrist. Lucy let out a squeak of surprise as she found herself sailing… right into a brutal backhand from the Bardock that sent her tumbling. The Celestial mage struggled to rise off the ground as blood trickled down her forehead. Bardock tossed the whip away before leaping up to avoid an avalanche of ice coming towards his six. Bardock held his smirk as he glanced towards Gray who seemed to be fed up with this game.
"That's it! No more games! This is your idea of training us? Fine!"
Gray slammed his hands together, ice gathering around him. His hands broke contact and in each were now two swords.
"This one is a new spell of mine. I've had some time to practice it a bit… I hope you like it! Ice-Make Twin Excalibur!" Gray roared.
Bardock laughed before narrowing his eyes and smirking even wider. Lifting both hands, he egged Gray to come at him full force.
"Come get some kid! I can kick your ass all day!" Bardock taunted.
Bardock, Erza and even Lucy watched in surprise as Gray started making ice as he ran, creating a ramp towards his intended target. Not deterred by the new tactic, Bardock kept his smirk waiting until Gray eventually leapt in the air and slashed at him. Even as they made their descent, Gray continued to attack despite Bardock dodging his moves with little effort. The Saiyan Rebel didn't let his feet touch the ground and glided back to allow for Gray to roll onto the frozen ground.
Bardock smirk held as he effortlessly glided across the battlefield. However his smirk dropped when he spotted movement in the corner of his eye. A rock impacted his cranium and his face morphed into an annoyed expression. Bardock's eyes scanned the treeline before shooting up to see an angered Natsu held by his furry companion.
"So the furball wants in too huh?" Bardock mused to himself.
Happy brought his best friend over to where Lucy. Natsu quickly helped her to her feet and then sent his attention to Bardock. Erza had returned and changed into her Heaven's Wheel Armor a move that might have been seen as overkill when in reality it was necessary. Gray stood tall with his swords in hand and Natsu stepped in front of Lucy who kept a determined face despite the scrapes and bruises.
Being surrounded on all sides by Natsu and his team, Bardock glanced around anticipating what was going to happen next. Maybe he needed to insult them like he did Lucy…
But insults weren't needed as Natsu rushed forward with the intent of delivering a strike.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
Bardock was sent skidding back only a few feet, his arms blocking the fiery flames of Natsu's attack. The Saiyan twisted around only to dodge several punches and kicks. Bardock had been waiting for Natsu to go all out in a hand to hand scenario. Wanting to see how far Natsu's combat prowess went in terms of martial arts and street fighting, Bardock started blocking all of Natsu's blows.
After punch and kick combos weren't doing the trick, Natsu crouched low before leaping up and performing a roundhouse which Bardock blocked with his forearm. The Saiyan Rebel allowed the momentum of the kick to push him off to the side but he landed on his feet in the same state as before.
Bardock slipped into his fighting stance before Natsu initiated the offensive once again. Natsu ran forward before leaping and performing several flame enhanced punches to Bardock's forearms. Natsu kept firing punches until he reared his right fist back and let off an explosive punch that engulfed the area in smoke and flames.
The other mages and Happy covered their faces to avoid the smoke and debris. When they uncovered their faces and glanced into the thick dust cloud, Natsu came flying out a moment later. Natsu flipped and twisted his body before landing on his feet. The others rallied around him as it now clicked that fighting as individuals would no longer work. Now, they had to do this as a team.
With a loud shout, Bardock ignited his aura and blew away the dust cloud. Bardock dropped his aura and stared ahead at the team of mages with a fierce scowl. He was getting annoyed and bored with this whole evaluation now. He was tempted to knock them all out and start training after he got them each a senzu bean… or just let them train with injuries to build toughness.
"What are we gonna do you guys?" Happy asked.
"Fighting him on our own hasn't worked one bit." Natsu remarked.
"This might be a time where we need to fight together to even have a chance." Lucy commented.
"Exactly. We each have strengths and we should use them. Together there is no obstacle that can stop us." Erza said, agreeing with her comrades.
She then looked to Gray who idly glanced back at her.
"Use the environment to your advantage Gray. If we can isolate Bardock with your help…"
"No need. I got what you're saying loud and clear. Let's do this." Gray told her.
Erza nodded before turning her attention back to Bardock. Both sides held each other's gaze for a moment as the wind picked up through the area. Once the wind settled, Gray kicked things off with a surprise move. He stabbed his swords into the dirt and an ice trail led straight towards Bardock. The Saiyan side stepped the move only to be slightly surprised that it stopped right where he used to be. Gray then slammed his hands in the dirt while kneeling.
"Ice-Make Floor!"
The ground near and around Bardock became encased in ice. The Saiyan narrowed his eyes before his senses alerted him to something else, this time from the air.
"Circle Sword! Dance my blades!"
("Seriously?") Bardock half yelled in his mind.
Knowing what would happen if his feet hit the ground, Bardock glided while twisting his body to avoid the feeble attempts at being made a pin cushion. With the swords trying to attack any and all blind spots, Bardock opted out of gliding and infused Ki into his fists before doing flips on the ice. Erza continued to send sword after sword, trying to get Bardock into a position where he was vulnerable.
The moment Bardock came up from another flip, his eyes caught something.
"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
Bardock waited for the Dragon Slayer's approach before twisting his body out of the attack path. The Saiyan Rebel felt the heat of Natsu fly right by him.
("He missed…") Bardock noted.
As Bardock went to plant his fist in the ice covered ground… it suddenly gave away. The Saiyan Rebel had a look of surprise as he let himself fall down the hole. He easily could have flown out of it. But he figured he let the Fairies have their moment of victory… before crushing it.
With the team, Lucy had a smile on her face while Happy stood beside her.
"Way to go Virgo! I owe you big time." Lucy cheered.
"It is of no consequence." Virgo replied.
The Celestial maiden had bowed before her master, face still blank. The other mages congregated close to Lucy and looked over at the hole where Bardock fell.
"That said…"
Virgo held out Lucy's whip while tilting her head.
"Punishment time Princess?" The maid asked.
Lucy let out a nervous laugh and had a visible sweat drop. She took her whip from Virgo before waving Virgo's suggestion off with her free hand and dismissing the spirit.
"No thanks. Maybe another time…" Lucy told her.
Erza, Gray and Natsu stared at the hole suspiciously for several moments. Natsu looked over to the others.
"He hasn't moved at all. I guess we must've impressed him somehow." Natsu said.
"Given how this has gone I highly doubt that." Gray swiftly rebutted.
Natsu raised a brow and shrugged his shoulders. He looked back to the hole, Lucy and Happy coming to his side. Erza narrowed her eyes and looked on. Though her and the others managed to coordinate a good plan on the fly, it shouldn't have worked this well. Bardock was leagues above any mage she met and carried s a power that was greater than magic could ever hope to be. So why would he just sit in a hole and wait?
As if to answer her question, the ground started to rumble and the mages heard the familiar roar of an alien warrior. Each of the mages stepped back, the nerves rattled.
"I hate it when the frozen turd is right…" Natsu cursed beneath his breath.
Each of the other mages took a step back, trying to maintain stable footing. The rumbling continued on for several more seconds before it came to a halt. Before anyone could as so much utter a whisper, Bardock flew out of the hole at high speeds before disappearing in a movement too quick for even the best mage to follow.
"Ah crap! Where did he go?" Gray said in distress.
Natsu looked around for a moment and his eyes widened when he heard a pained gasp from behind him. He looked back only to freeze when he saw his partner fall to her knees before falling face first into the dirt. Bardock had his right hand shaped in the form of a knife before bringing to his side making a fist. The Saiyan took a glance at Lucy before setting his eyes on the others.
Natsu, Erza and Gray settled into stances. Each mage was ready to make Bardock pay for hurting one of their own but before they could do anything the alien warrior was moving. Natsu watched in stunned and horrified slow motion as Bardock went for Erza, the Saiyan's right hand cocked back with a Ki orb forming.
When Bardock reached Erza, he looked her dead in her stunned brown eyes. The knight could only watch, too slow to react, as Bardock's right hand came in contact with her midsection. The force behind the attack sent her flying and the Ki orb that had attached itself to her midsection detonated. A dust cloud had formed and Erza was seen by all combatants as she tumbled out of the cloud in broken armor and torn cloth, her modesty still intact. When she came to a stop, she was unconscious with a pained expression on her face. Natsu and Gray looked on in shock as Bardock stood up, turned and looked in their direction.
The rivals gritted their teeth before allowing their magic to flow. They rocketed towards the Saiyan, intent on pummeling him into the dirt or at least damaging him to an extent. Bardock wasn't going to allow this fight to continue for much longer so he decided enough was enough. These two rivals couldn't beat him on his worst day. Hell they couldn't beat him period.
Bardock raced forward, performing a double clothesline to both mages. Natsu recovered after impacting the dirt but was quickly sent away by a fierce kick to the abdomen. Gray slowly got to one knee before being put to sleep by a kick to the head from Bardock.
With the Dragon Slayer the last one standing, Bardock walked over Gray's prone form and stopped several meters away from the last mage standing. Natsu clutched his midsection with one arm as found it difficult to catch his breath. He glared at Bardock with one eye fully open and one eye lidded as he was in pain.
"You done?" Bardock bluntly asked.
Natsu took several moments to get whatever oxygen he could into his system. The salmon haired teen growled before shooting to his feet and rushing forward. Bardock instantly sensed that Natsu was gathering his remaining magic for a last effort move that would essentially end the fight. But the ending of this fight would not be in Natsu's favor.
Flames encompassed Natsu's feet and arms as he performed a short leap in the air and reared both fists back. Bardock narrowed his eyes and prepared a counter to whatever this attack was going to be.
"Try this one on for size! Dragon Slayer Secret Art!"
("Secret Art? An advanced move of some kind from the sound of it.") Bardock mused with a raised brow.
It was then Bardock noticed all the flames encompassed Natsu's arms now. This finisher was most likely melee based. Bardock formed an x-shaped guard with his arms as he felt the heat and impacts from Natsu's fists.
"Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist!"
Explosions rattled off on Bardock's form, the Saiyan being impressed with the fact Natsu had something like this in his arsenal. He already had a clue mages had special moves in their repertoires saved for emergencies. For almost 30 seconds Natsu continued to expand every bit of magic he had left. After one last explosive punch Natsu landed on the ground before leaping back and dropping to a knee.
"Natsu!"
The Dragon Slayer had an exhausted look on his face as he looked over to see a worried and slightly-panicked stricken Happy. Natsu slowly stood up, right arm wrapped around his midsection as he let out a pained chuckle.
"It's alright Happy… everything's going to be-"
Natsu was cut off as a fist was planted into his midsection, this time for sure breaking his ribs. Not only that, it sucked whatever energy the young man had left in him. Bardock stood up straight and glanced as Natsu wrapped his arms around his torso before falling to his knees. The Dragon Slayer let out more sounds of choked agony before hunching his back and falling into the dirt, his consciousness ebbing away a moment later.
Bardock continued to do his mental evaluation of the team, Natsu included. He weighed all the factors in, weighed in what they had shown him and just what they might be capable of. Training others wasn't foreign to him. But training young mages who he had only known for a month or so? This was going to take patience. He hated being patient. He was always on the move. If he wasn't doing anything he was left to his thoughts… and usually that drove him a bit stir crazy.
Bardock dispelled the runaway train of his thoughts and turned to look at the team mascot. Happy was panicking as he looked around. His friends… the three people he grew up with and the blonde who he had come to call friend were all beaten down like amateurs.
"Happy!"
Happy snapped out of his panic attack and looked over to Bardock with a slightly fearful expression. The Saiyan sighed as he bent down and hefted Natsu over his shoulder. He looked over to the only conscious Fairy Tail member and motioned for him to help get the others. Happy understood this and nodded.
"Aye sir!" Happy said, snapping to a salute.
Bardock watched as Happy fetched Lucy first. Typical. The Saiyan shook his head and took off for the sky. Training these kids would indeed be the biggest headache he would ever experience.
Sometime later
Near Bardock's Home
Natsu was vaguely aware that he was asleep. It was rather peaceful. He didn't know the last time he had gotten such good rest. But all good things had to come to an end. Natsu felt his mouth be forced open and small object be inserted. Was it poison? Natsu would have spat it out but someone forced him to bite and chew on whatever this mystery object was. Turns out it was a bean. And said bean revitalized him faster than the fire buffet Mira cooked for him that one time.
Not only was Natsu feeling full but his magic had been resupplied along with an added bonus. Now curious as to what was going on now, Natsu struggled to open his eyes. As he wanted to get a visual image of the world, his nose notified him that his partners were sitting by his side. Eager to check on his friends, the Dragon Slayer finally opened his eyes and blinked away the blurriness in his vision. He turned his head and managed a small smile to Lucy and Happy who smiled back.
"Hi." Natsu greeted.
Lucy's eyes became a bit lidded and a light blush lit up her face. She reached over and ran a hand through Natsu's hair, the Dragon Slayer having pink coating his cheeks as well.
"Hi." Lucy greeted back.
The two teens stared at each other for a bit before a certain cat had to ruin the moment.
"They like each other!~"
Both mages blushes intensified and before long they had to hide their irritation at their lovable and furry friend ruining the moment. It was bad enough they were teased about their developing… bond on Galuna but now? If the universe could not be cruel and let them have their moment it would be nice.
A Few minutes later
"I was wondering when you would wake up. Thought for a second I put you in a coma by accident."
Bardock's joke seemed to sour Natsu's mood a bit. He was in a row with the rest of the team. It started with Happy at one end, then Natsu, then Lucy followed by Erza and Gray respectively. They all sat on the ground, in front of them a blue duffle bag and behind it the owner of said bag Bardock, standing with his arms crossed.
"Okay, I won't sugarcoat it… you all failed." Bardock bluntly stated.
Natsu, Gray and Erza looked off in various directions, disappointment written all over their faces. Lucy was just saddened and looked at her hands in her lap.
"That said, this wasn't a test you were meant to pass anyways. This was my way of evaluating you. I'm still training you regardless. I just needed to consider focus points for when we get started." Bardock clarified.
The mages and Happy all looked up in shock at that. Him of all people would still train them? And what did he mean by it was a test they were meant to fail? Erza thought on it for a moment and then it hit her. She blinked a few times before she let out a chuckle and shook her head. Everyone, Bardock included looked to her for an explanation.
"Something you want to share with the class Scarlet?" Bardock queried with a raised brow.
"I get it now. We weren't meant to pass because you weren't going to allow us to beat you. Additionally the main objective of the test was to fight you. This including the fact you were holding back when you fought against us." Erza explained.
"What?!" the other members of the team yelled.
"So hang on a minute! He was holding back?!" Natsu exclaimed with a wide eyed look.
"Argh! I knew this was a mistake… I should have just stayed at home…" Gray muttered while he face palmed.
"That is so lame… and a bit scary…" Lucy commented with an exasperated smile.
Happy just smiled and looked toward the Saiyan Rebel. He tilted his head as his tail swished back and forth.
"By the way Happy, you're doing some training of your own too. Not the same kind as these four but I figured you want to get stronger in your own way." Bardock informed the cat.
Happy thought on this for a moment. He didn't mind getting stronger and being able to help his friends. He was a member of this team too. There was only one thing to ask…
"Oh! Will there be fish?" Happy eagerly asked with a bit of drool on his mouth.
Bardock quirked a brow and nodded his head. The little guy wanted an incentive to train? Just indulge him with the promise of his favorite food.
("I catch fish all the time so it's no issue. I need to get rid of the excess I catch anyways.")
"Then count me in sir!" Happy exclaimed while snapping to a salute.
Bardock sighed at the cat's antics. That headache was going to come sooner rather than later. The Saiyan Rebel uncrossed his arms before kneeling down and unzipping the bag, revealing its contents. The Fairy Tail mages scooted themselves closer to see and were rather surprised at what was in the bag.
A Quick change of clothes later
All four mages had put on what was specialized weighted gear. Each of them were now wearing a weight vest, weighted wristbands for each arm and ankle weights. Lucy had changed into a t-shirt, athletic shorts and training shoes beforehand. Erza had opted to go for the same look except she wore a tank top instead of a t-shirt. Natsu stayed in his usual clothing only opting to shed the vest. Gray changed into sweats, shoes and a tank top before putting his gear on.
Each mage immediately noticed how different they felt.
"This equipment… it's different." Erza noted aloud.
"This training gear is specialized for mages who want to reach their full potential. I had Mira and the old man do some digging. We got pretty lucky and scored this equipment for the right price." Bardock explained.
Erza nodded her head and continued to stretch, now feeling that her arms were weighed down. The others did experimental stretches as well, feeling different than before.
"My arms feel a bit heavy. Plus I don't how to describe it but my magic… it's almost like…" Lucy tried to theorize.
Erza placed her hands on her hips and looked over to the blonde.
"I gather this equipment we're using will not only help us with physical training but magical training as well." Erza explained.
Erza looked over to Bardock who observed everyone while he kept his arms crossed.
"Erza's right. The weights you have on are meant to build a mage's physical condition while simultaneously increasing how much magic you can output and how much magic you can store." Bardock added on.
The others stopped their stretches and looked to him.
"I'm going to warn you right now this training won't be easy. I won't hold back. You're past the crawl phase of training. We are in the walk and run phases. You want to get stronger and be the best mage possible, you'll start by taking this training seriously. I won't hold your damn hands through this as you're fully capable of the challenges that lie ahead of you. My question is how far are you willing to go to fight for what matters to you the most? And how far are you willing to go to be the strongest?" Bardock spoke and then questioned.
As the wind blew through the area, each mage adopted faces of determination before smiling. Natsu walked forward before bringing a flaming fist into his palm. He grinned a toothy grin and Bardock could still see that familiar fire in his eyes.
"You kidding? My blood is pumping just from the thought of it! I'm all fired up! Let's get this training started!" Natsu exclaimed excitedly.
Bardock closed his eyes and smirked. He never thought in a million years that he would be training magic users. He's been to several worlds, worked for a tyrant, found love and forged bonds with fellow warriors. This was just something to add to his roller coaster experience of what he called life.
The Saiyan Rebel opened his eyes and glanced at the mages. At the end of the day, he would set the starting line. Where they would go next was set on their shoulders.
"Let's begin."
A/N: That concludes the filler chapter!
Natsu and his friends will now be training under Bardock's tutelage. The results will show for themselves in the coming arcs before we hit the big one which is Tenrou. Still that is a ways off.
Your thoughts? All reviews, comments and criticisms are welcomed. You guys have been patient with me and my stories so I always appreciate you!
Is Slayers of Kuoh getting an update? Within the next two weeks, same with Dragon Hero's Fury.
Any new story ideas? My bigger projects are still in the works and I have drafted ideas for a Predator/Mass Effect crossover as well as an X-Over/Mass Effect story.
You guys are awesome as always! Stay safe, practice social distancing and wash your hands!
See ya later!
