Natsu headed to his house and started to get ready to find the ancient school where Dragon Slayers have visited, he packed his travel bag "Hey Happy!" he called to his exceed who was napping.
"Aye?" Happy said "where are you off to" he asked.
"I heard of a rumor of a town that has answers about history of Dragons" Natsu explained "can you stay with Erza, Seilah or Mira til a get back" he wondered.
"Aye sir" Happy saluted Natsu rubbed his exceed's head with a smile and left to the Train station, he read the map on a page and the place you arrive is in the outskirts of Phoenix Mountains and Plains of Ruin he bought a ticket for Phoenix Mountains and boarded the Train.
The Train headed off 3 hours later the train stopped in on the far side of Crocus near the ocean, Then Natsu heard a familiar voice.
"you'll find them one day Kagura" A voice spoke.
"I know that Millianna but I have searched for Simon and this Natsu you, Wally and Sho speak of and haven't found a hint of them" another female voice spoke.
"Why don't you just go to Fairy Tail and ask them where he is" Millianna's voice suggested.
"Natsu and the other members have been missing so that doesn't help" the other girls voice replied "Besides Mr. Dragneel probably doesn't know where Simon went" she stated.
"Well Simon told me he wanted to travel the world" Millianna confirmed, Natsu frowned 'don't need distractions nor do I need to be interrogated on what I don't know' he said to himself, he placed his scarf in his bag and longcoat and replaced it with a black cloak with a hood on over past his nose.
"Come on lets go in this one everywhere else is full" the second girl's voice suggested "Even if there is a man in here" she said.
"Excuse me can we sit here everywhere is full?" Millianna asked Natsu's disguised form.
"Nope suit yourself" Natsu replied making his voice deeper voice (just imagine Thor's from the Avenger movies), he looked at them one was definitely Millianna, who really sprouted in the 7 years and wore long purple and black leggings and long black gloves a purple cloak and choker with a bell small black briefs and a belt and purple cloak.
the second was another women he never saw before, she was 5ft 10 and was slim with large breasts and a big round rump, her figure unlike Erza, Mira, and Seilah who had hourglass figure, her body was a very sexy bottom hourglass figure since her hips and rear was a margin larger than her bust in fact this was the first woman who had beat Erza, Mira and Seilah in the butt department, had had long straight princess style ravenblack hair to her lower back with a pearl white headband with a white ribbon tied in the middle like a pair of bunny ears, she had striking and piercing hazel eyes with a similar steely hard warm and inviting held a gaze that said "Don't screw around with me" exactly like Erza, a hint of tan skin she wore a ivory blazer with gold trimming with a wide collar a white collared shirt under it with a red tie, a short white frilled skirt over a pair of black tights wore ivory wrist-high gloves and knee height white with gold around the cuffs of the boots that matched her blazer, This women was slim but the tights showed her long toned legs and curvy hips and her blazer and shirt showed her slim but very curvaceous and voluptuous figure, she was without a doubt a extremely gorgeous woman, who also carried in her hand O-Katana sword with a white leathered handle and a white sheath.
"Thanks mister I'm Millianna" Millianna introduced.
"I know who are, Heard your conversation with the Woman in White" Natsu replied in a deep voice.
"My name's Kagura, Kagura Mikazuchi" Kagura informed with a calm cool voice shocking Natsu but didn't show, this woman in front of him was Simon's little sister "and you are?" she raised a brow
"William, William Dragonclaw" Natsu answered.
"Where you from", and very unusual name" Kagura questioned as she sat next to Millianna across from.
"Thats some scar you have there, where did you get that" Millianna gestured to the scar that was below his hood down his the side of his cheek and grazing his neck, making Natsu simmer with repressed fury but exhaled to calm down
"Well I'm not really from a place really, I'm a traveler but I'm always glad to meet new faces" Natsu stated patting his travel bag "as for my name I was named it when I got this scar from a dragon, I'm one of the very few who has seen and lived" he explained "Which why I was called William Dragonclaw" he smirked.
"What brings you two out here?" Natsu pondered.
"Well we're coming back from a job but were also looking for two people i know, and another person I have heard of" Kagura spoke up.
"Don't worry I won't pry into your business" Natsu said politely, Kagura gazed at Natsu with a stoic and calculating expression before she sighed, sensing she could tell him, he doesn't seem to be the type to blabber.
"I'm looking for My older brother Simon, he left Sho and Wally to visit and see Earthland when he was freed by another man I'm searching for" Kagura explained "Natsu "The Salamander" Dragneel" she said, Natsu nodded processing the info he choose his answer carefully.
"Oh looking for Monsieur Dragneel Eh?, heard rumors from folks he has vanished, you know what they say Salamanders are hard to find" Natsu replied.
"I guess why he was named Salamander not only his name means a mythical flaming lizard but also Salamanders aren't the easiest creatures to find" Millianna spoke.
"Possibly But let this advice I learned a long time ago see if it will help: Instead of wandering aimlessly for someone who You can't find, let the one your looking for come to you, otherwise you will just be often stumbling blindly and your deterred from the path your on or forget a promise" Natsu explained thinking of the countless times he has searched for Igneel and doing so he choose to ignore Promises he's made because at the time finding his father was more important than anything, but he has redeemed himself and completed his promises on his travels and now is gonna let Igneel come to him.
"So I let them find me" Kagura pondered.
"Ay- Absolutely" Natsu nodded "It may not be a lesson thats easy but perhaps it rewarding" he suggested.
"Okay I'll let them find me, where you heading?" Kagura asked.
"Nowhere specifically just Traveling places left untraveled on, I go by these old words of Wisdom: Sometimes going to the same places is boring and often predictable, sometimes you have to head out and explore something new and it actually helps you find things about yourself you didn't know about, Take yourselves for example; You two traveling for people who are missing but on the brighter side you visit places you probably only heard in rumors you have to see the real thing, Then there's me a man who's traveling to places and trails left or less traveled on, which sometimes is confusing but unpredictability is kind of fun" Natsu explained sagely.
"There are some truths to your words, we are visiting real places we only heard in stories" Kagura agreed "but how old are you seem to know a lot?" she pondered, Natsu thought of the answer and he couldn't get through Freed's runes, claiming he was over 80.
"Older than you would believe" Natsu answered "and as for knowing a lot, you can thank my time being a wanderer for that it has opened my eyes as the more I learned on the paths" he stated "And having my eyes opened I'm very observant because I got a sense your mages"
"Your correct Mr. Dragonclaw we're mages from Mermaid Heel an all female Guild" Millianna said.
"Hmm must've been gone awhile Don't remember a Guild names such as that, then again been away for quite awhile" Natsu stated.
"Yeah it's a relatively a new Legal Guild that formed 3 years ago" Kagura informed him.
"I guess I understand why you formed it, man see girls as inferior but thats horsecrap, Woman can be extraordinary just as any man so can't blame you for whoever your Master or Mistress if thats what you call a female Guild Master, of forming an all Female Guild" Natsu nodded.
"Well she prefers Mistress and her names Sarah Ravenclaw" Kagura informed.
"Pretty name and having a Guild Named after a dancer of the blue ocean, is a good choice" Natsu smirked as the two blushed as he just commented nicely on their Guild.
"People don't believe Mermaids are real" Millianna said.
"People say Dragon's aren't real but hey I've seen five of them, the 5th was just a big coward attacked me from behind, I turned and 'Slash' have this scar" he pointed to his "But Hey I've seen a mermaid a bunch of times" he frowned.
"Really you have?" Millianna raised a brow.
"Yeah, and 'phew' talk about a grouchy one to" Natsu stated thinking of Aquarius "You get her angry you better run" he chuckled, the train stopped.
"Everyone off for Phoenix Mountains" the intercom called.
"Talk about places left untraveled" Kagura voiced.
"Well nice meeting you two, I'm sure we will cross path's again" Natsu stood up with his bag with a smile "Take care not that I need to tell ya that" he said heading to the door before pausing "What's it worth, I hope you find who your looking for, who knows maybe one's closer than you might think" he stated with a smirk as he left and almost ran into person with a newspaper trolley.
"Newspapers here" he called, Natsu walked past him and glimpsed at the paper and was shocked 'that was fast' he thought and headed off faster.
"Hmm I guess not all man are perverts or pigs" Kagura spoke.
"I'm feeling a but" Millianna said.
"well something's about him seems off, they way was speaking it was forced like he was hiding his real voice and why was hiding his face the whole time, don't' get me wrong he seems a nice man and speaks with a lot of wisdom but still something feels wrong" Kagura frowned as she took a newspaper.
"Maybe he likes to keep to himself" Millianna shrugged, her friend looked at the front page and her eyes widened before she frowned to where William Dragonclaw left.
"Or maybe it has something to do with this" Kagura showed her the paper as she sat next to Millianna.
Breaking News
'Missing Tenrou members have returned' They read as the names were next to the pictures and were on the front page
'Moon Goddess Sayla
Erza Scarlet
Elfman, Lisanna and Mirajane Strauss
Gray Fullbuster
Juvia Lockser
Freed Justine
Bickslow
Cana Alberona
Wendy Marvell
Lucy Heartfilia
Makarov Drayer
Gajeel Redfox
Levy Mcgarden
Gildarts Clive
Natsu Dragneel' The two Mermaid Heel Mages looked closer at the scar on the left side of Natsu's face that went cross his left eye and another the left side of his face, the lower part of the second scar was familiar and their eyes widened with realization and surprise, Natsu Dragneel was just sitting in front of them.
"Natsu was just in front of me this whole time, that slippery serpent" Kagura sighed with a scowl.
"You probably scared him with your sword" Millianna joked.
The Trials of The Mountains and Plains
Natsu left the train and headed to Phoenix Mountains after he took his cloak off 40 minutes later of walking down the path, he reached them the mountains were enormous and trail seems to go for miles around the mountains rim to rim.
"Well I knew this wouldn't be light hiking" Natsu stated with that he looked at the map, it was 1500 mile hike to the Plains of Ruin so Natsu put his map away in his bag and placed it on his back and headed to the mountains trails and started his journey.
3 hours later
Natsu looked he was 4 sections done with his first mountain and 12 more to go, 5 hour skip later he finished his first mountain he had to climb and he had to carefully hike down the other side to the bottom.
Natsu saw a sign as he saw a bunch of sturdy solid oak six foot sticks and small, medium and large baskets and stones were in them 'If one chooses to reach the Plains of Ruin he must carry two baskets of these stones, one basket represents strength the second represents discipline and the stick represents integrity and stability, drop or a basket touches the ground you have start the hike on the second mountain over again, leave your bags they will reappear when your done with the tests' the signed read.
Natsu raised a brow and placed took his cloak off into his bag near the sign and a mass of Ethernano particles formed around his travel bag and it disappeared "Well I did feel traces of Ethernano around the sign" he shrugged leaving him in his obsidian black pants and black lightweight breathable combat boots with the pants tucked in and a mahogany waistcoat and clothe around his waist with orange flames on them the clothe was held on by a black leather belt with a golden belt buckle, he wore a midnight black elbow length muscle shirt and scarf around his neck, and black finger-less leather gloves on his hands
"hmm I could use the exercise" Natsu smirked lifted a stick up and a large basket it was like picking up a sack of flour to him, so he saw 4 large and medium baskets filled with stones and choosing 3 sticks and placing a gravity seal on the stick and basket making them a more appropriate weight for him, getting on a knee placing the sticks across his shoulder and using his legs stood up with grunt and headed to his second mountain.
several hours of hiking he reached the Plains of Ruin and walking up to them he read another sign 'Place the two baskets on the two stones to the side, a fountain will emerge and the greater amount of stones you have the more easy the water will fill the bowl, but keep your stick'
Natsu headed to the two said slabs of stone, he took the gravity seals off and placed the baskets on the stones and a large fountain appeared full of water and different size cylinder tubes, he got the 3 foot tall ones and two 4ft 3inch ones and scooped the water in them filling them to the brim and being focused he headed off.
hours later he arrived to a white brick circle without dropping a drip of water from either tube 'pour water in the holes on the sides of the circle and behold the pillar of fire, objective: don't slush water on the edges you have to move on and try the other water hole you splash water on all the edges you have to wait to the water dry's and start over' "Hmm I guess in order to reach this ancient school I have to do a bunch of tasks to complete" Natsu stated.
So with concentration and focus he took a tube of water and poured it into a palm size hole making sure to not slosh the water 3 full minutes later since he was keeping himself steady and being careful, he got the water in the several holes without spilling anything, because the tasks was testing his strength, discipline, stability, integrity and also what the signs didn't say, was his control and focus.
The bricks opened up like a spiral and a hundred foot tall coble stone trunk like stand with a bowl on the top and a spiraling small step stairs of solid granite stair case that lead down and up and yet another sign 'Descend to the pit of darkness and find the light that will guide your way back out and begin the climb and chose the path that your drawn to, choose wisely one path may take you to the light but the others may lead you searching into darkness till you get lost ' it instructed, Natsu headed down the spiral stairs into a catacomb that had multiple tunnels, and paths that lead to each one, at least 20 of tunnels "Well I never believed in the easy way, but this is excessive" he frowned, he then sat on the ground and closed his eyes and felt each tunnel and sensed something warm to a tunnel on tunnel on a pathway "Fortunately I have enhanced senses" he smirked and headed off, he got to the tunnel and headed in and focused his vision as he saw a glow 3 miles away and saw a bowl of fire in the distance with a obsidian plaque, minutes later he reached the fire and read the sign 'The flames are the key, if one has strong relation to fire it will be drawn to you and if one understands the fire element completely it will not dim or go out and will point your way, those who are not so strong with the element, you must be guided out by a Element of Fire user, or must turn back and start your journey all over from where you started' "okay a more demanding step" Natsu scowled "and why am I sometimes hearing something moving in hear?" he muttered, he cleared his mind and focused on the fire element and like the flames had a mind of their own, a chunk of fire separated from the flames and he lifted his hands like holding a bowl and the fire was hovering over his palms.
"The Fire Element is strong with this one" Natsu joked and turned back "Ahh!" he shouted with alarm and stood still like a statue with fright as Natsu saw hand size spiders crawling over the walls and ceiling "It had to be spiders why couldn't it be snakes" Natsu stated with discomfort "Maybe this fire lead me here cause it wanted me to see how I handle the one thing a fear the most, the accursed Spiders" he said "Well I got this far not turning back now" he steeled himself 'lets see spiders don't like lemon, vinegar, tea tree don't have those with me, but I got light' he stated in his head with a smirk he moved the fire around and the spiders scattered away and minutes later of using the fire's light he got out of the tunnel.
'phew' Natsu exhaled with relief and made to the small steps and started his climb up, 5 minutes later he reached the top and placed the fire orb in his hands in the bowl lighting the coals and wood on fire, the lines of the coble stone glowed orange the fire floated out of the bowl and spread out forming a line and pointed to the direction for the Plains of Ruin and each step he had with the flames in his hands it never went out and dimmed, meaning he had a complete understanding of fire "Thank you" he told it and headed back down and he headed under the line the fire was pointing to and the stand and stairs twisted back down and white bricks sealed up.
4 hours later he reached the Plains of Ruin and the fire line faded away 'The clue is to remain on the ruby red road, they will lead your way and whatever happens along it, don't deter from your path' another sign read "Hmm if I kept track I counted 6 tests I had to take" he told himself 'ruby red road must mean the red bricks' he thought and he saw a spiraling three different color bricks one white, yellow, and Ruby red and carefully walking on the bricks and headed down the path on the red road.
The three roads broke off white lead around the forest and the yellow lead to mountain 100 feet from the woods, speaking of woods the red road lead to a dark creepy forest, and the lesser man would feel an eerie chill from the woods, but Natsu Dragneel doesn't get chills and rarely has any fear and so he headed in.
4 solid minutes later stopped as the red bricks lead to a darker part of the woods and a clear section had light at the end, most people are compelled to choose the easy way, he spoke to himself "There is always a easy and hard way, someone will choose to take the easy way out, but it shouldn't stop people doing things the right way after all sometimes the harder way is the right way to go" he spoke wisely to no one and headed to the where the bricks were leading, the farther he went he had to crawl on his hands and knees then to army crawling to fit under the lower the branches got.
he made it out and he reached the Plains of Ruin which was structures of white marble either had vines growing on them or cracked or broken in pieces, the Red bricks lead him down another path 100 miles later he reached a giant wall all the way in the distance on both sides and 2 inch solid steel door with 4 inch solid oak double set of doors with, two sets of loose stones with images on them and a plaque in front of them 'Final test but 4 levels of difficulty, to open these doors you must walk the ancient and advance movements of the Dragons and Dragon Slayers have made from when Humans have learned Dragon Slayer magic the keys; you preform the stances, foot movements, arm and hand positions correctly, this is a two player test if you are doing this test alone you have to back track the forms to your starting position and mirror your movements on the other side the doors will show your next level, if a error from your partner or yourself a single a misstep or you fall you have to try each step over again'
"like Ancestors would make it any easier" Natsu mused sarcastically, but Natsu took 3 moments to study each detail of the images thoroughly and exhaling relaxing his body and calming his mind, he snapping open his eyes they were focused and held steely determination and started the movements and completed them, backtracking his forms and mirrored them, the doors opened when he finished and showed another door with a wider space and new harder movements and forms but taking time to meditating to keep his mind clear went over them and more movements and stances later the doors opened up.
"I wonder if I practice these forms more often how much more difficult I would for my opponents?" Natsu pondered he then moved on.
2 minutes later he finished the third challenge, which he had to go horizontal and Diagonally and the fourth was revealed which was the length of the foreclosed Fairy Tail Guild room front to back lengthwise, this last one was going to be 5 times harder because there was images anywhere just loose stones the move when you step on them.
"Well thats rude" Natsu sighed seeing no plaque or images on the stones, then thinking for a 10 seconds as he looked at the stones "I know maybe this is also a test on, to rehearse everything the ancient forms have taught me" he said getting the gest of this last level, so with that he started going over the stones everything the images showed him, which was a lot.
But 4 minutes later he completed them and the doors opened for him and his bag appeared in a mass of Ethernano particles and caught it "so If what the first sign told me about my bag reappearing that means the tasks are over" he smirked placing his bag back on, then picking out the Dragonar Academy book 'Many have tried the tests to get into this ancient school, no human or Dragon slayer has made it past the water task but many barely made it past the bucket of stones test' a note was written.
"Guess they lacked the discipline, integrity, stability, strength mental fortitude but more importantly determination and commitment" Natsu shrugged "or bit off more they could chew" he stated he read the map 'to get to this ancient place fellow the gray bricks 10 miles and a sign will point you to the school' it instructed Natsu as headed off putting the map and book back in his bag.
skip 10 miles later of walking he had picked up a walking stick and put his cloak back on but left the hood off saw a sign 20 feet away and walked to it and the sign had Dragonar Academy and it was pointing to the side at an angle up a large hill and it looked like a gigantic bowl as the rims were curved in a arc.
Natsu headed up the big slanted hill and stood on the edge and smiled 100 feet away was what he had to earn his right to get here Dragonar Academy "It does exist" he stated.
