Ch. 7- Finding the Truth
Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima
Story and OCs © Me
Natsu groaned as his eyes slowly began to open... only to quickly shut them as he felt the sunlight hit his face. After taking a moment to let his eyes adjust, he slowly opened them up again... and that's when he noticed that he couldn't move. As he looked down, he saw that he was tied up with thick ropes, and he also saw that he wasn't the only one: he, along with Lucy, Erza, Gray, Happy, and Haru were all tied up against a wooden post, and Blue Fang was also tied to another one with a rope around his neck, which he was currently trying to gnaw through.
"Guys?!" Natsu asked, gaining the others' attention.
"Well, good morning, sunshine," Gray said, sarcastically.
"What's going on?!" asked Natsu. "Where the hell are we?!"
"How should we know?!" Lucy questioned. "We woke up and here we were!"
"We must have been brought here by whoever attacked us last night," Erza surmised.
"Well, now that Natsu's awake," Haru said, "he can just burn through the ropes! Right, Natsu?"
"Yeah, Natsu can get us outta here!" Happy agreed.
"Heh!" Natsu grinned. "You got it! Get ready for this!" He then grunted as he tried to ignite his body... but after a tense few seconds, he groaned and comically withered. "Umm... yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen."
"What?" Lucy asked. "What do you mean? Why not?!"
"I got no fire in my belly~!" Natsu whined, causing the others to groan.
"Of course!" Haru bemoaned. "Natsu needs to eat fire to sustain his magic, and he hasn't eaten any in the last few days!"
"Well, that's great!" Gray exclaimed. "If Natsu can't get us out of this, what do we do, now?!"
"Shh~!" Erza shushed as she heard the sound of encroaching footsteps. "Someone's coming this way."
As soon as she said this, the group found themselves surrounded by a large crowd of people wearing tribal clothing, such as loincloths and grass skirts, as well as bracelets and necklaces made of wooden beads and animal teeth, and some of them wore wooden masks and had their skin decorated with intricate tattoos.
"Who are they?" Gray asked.
"They must be the inhabitants of the island," Erza theorized.
"Silence!" a voice shouted from the crowd, which parted to reveal an elderly woman holding a wooden staff in her hand, decorated with small rodent skulls, feathers, and beads. The woman had long, dark purple hair and wore a dark green tribal robe, and she had several tattoos on her wrinkled face and arms.
"So," she said, "you are the outsiders I've been hearing about."
"We captured them in the jungle," said one of the tribesmen, one who was wearing a mask with a demonic-looking face with sharp fangs.
"Uh... who's the old crone?" asked Natsu in a hushed tone.
"How should we know?!" Haru asked. "And don't call her old! You'll get us in more trouble!"
"Yeah, Natsu, shut your yap!" Happy added.
"What the hell?!" Natsu questioned. "You sure changed sides quick, Happy!"
"Will you just be quiet, Flamehead?!" Gray asked. "Sheesh!"
"Ma'am, please," said Erza. "If you'll just allow us to explain-"
"Silence, I say!" the old woman snapped as she slammed her staff against the ground, causing them to jump. "I am Chieftess Kilania, leader of this tribe... and you people are not welcome here." She narrowed her eyes bitterly at the group. "You strangers from the mainland... by setting foot here, you have already defiled our sacred land with your presence!"
"Miss, please!" Lucy urged. "We're not here to hurt anyone! We only came here to-"
"I said silence!" shouted Kilania. "I've already made up my mind." She turned to the rest of her tribe. "Throw them into the sea! I'm sure the sharks will appreciate a good meal."
"SHARKS?!" Lucy yelled in fright.
"BUT I DON'T WANNA BE FISH FOOD!" Happy cried.
"Wait, hold on!" Haru cried. "We didn't know this island was inhabited! Had we known that this place was sacred to you, we wouldn't have come here!"
"Yeah!" Natsu added. "We only came here to find Igneel!"
At that moment, Kilania and the tribespeople suddenly gasped.
"...Igneel?" Kilania repeated. "The Great Fire Dragon?"
"It can't be...!" whispered one of the tribesmen. "Surely, the boy doesn't mean THAT Igneel!"
"That's impossible!" added another.
"How do you know of Igneel, boy?" Kilania asked as she approached Natsu.
"He's... he's my Dad," the Dragon Slayer replied before he cast his eyes to the ground, sadly. "He disappeared... 7 years ago, and I've been looking for him. I was hopin' he'd be here."
"...I see," said Kilania before she turned to the rest of her tribe. "Untie him... and his friends, too."
"What?!" asked the first tribesman as he pulled off his mask, revealing the face of a young man with shaggy dark blue hair and war paint under his dark brown eyes. "But... Grandmother-"
"Now, Torn!" Kilania ordered. "This is no way to treat guests!" She then looked toward Natsu, who blinked in surprise as he and the others were being untied. "Especially the son of the Great Igneel!"
Soon, the group was released of its bonds, allowing them to stand up.
"So... you guys know Natsu's old man, then?" asked Gray as he rubbed his wrists.
"Perhaps not personally," said Kilania, "but we do know of his legend... and we have passed it down from one generation to the next." She then bowed her head to Natsu. "Forgive us... Son of Igneel."
Soon, the rest of the tribe bowed their heads, as well... though Torn seemed a bit more reluctant to do so, forcing Kilania to nudge him in the side, which made him grunt in pain before he bowed his head, as well.
"Uh..." Natsu muttered before he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Okay, this is kinda weird."
"Tell me about it," Gray agreed.
"Hey, I'm just glad we're not gonna get eaten by sharks," said Lucy.
"Me, too," Happy agreed.
"As members of the Fairy Tail Guild," said Erza. "Please accept our thanks."
"Fairy Tail?" Kilania repeated in confusion. "Guild? So you are from the mainland, then. We do not have such things here."
"Clearly," Gray murmured.
"Uh... 'scuse me?" Natsu asked. "Yeah, I hate to interrupt, but... how do you know about my Dad, anyway?"
Kilania gave a warm chuckle. "Curious, are you? If you wish to know, just follow us." She then turned and walked away, and for a moment, Natsu seemed hesitant... but then he felt a light push on his back, causing him to glance back and see Lucy, who smiled at him in assurance.
"Go on," she told him. "This is why we're here, right? To find out the truth."
"Better to take a chance than never, right?" Gray asked.
"Aye!" Happy added.
Though he still felt a bit of reluctance, Natsu inhaled a deep, calming breath before exhaling, then he and the others followed the islanders into a large village, filled with thatch huts and tents. People stood around, chatting with each other about this and that, and children ran about, playfully chasing each other, only stopping to look at the newcomers with curiosity. Lucy nervously grinned and waved while the others continued walking, taking in their surroundings.
"Wow...!" Haru whispered as she looked around. "This place looks amazing!"
"This place is just like Galuna," Gray noted. "Except no one here's a demon."
"Pardon?" Kilania asked.
"Err, nothing," Gray replied. "Sorry, just muttering."
Suddenly, Natsu spotted something up ahead... something towering over the small huts of the village. It was huge, whatever it was... and it looked like it had broad wings and large horns on its head, causing him to gasp.
"Igneel?!" he asked before he ran to get a closer look.
"Natsu, wait up!" Happy called as he and the others followed after the Dragon Slayer, whose face lit up with an excited smile.
"Igneel!" he exclaimed. "Igneel, it's..." He trailed off as he slowed to a stop... in front of a giant stone statue of a dragon with its head pointed toward the sky with a proud, tooth grin, the stone covered in moss and vines, and surrounded by eight lit torches. "...A...statue?"
"Whoa...!" Haru whispered as she and the others caught up. "So THIS is what Igneel looks like! Well, I mean, if he were a statue."
"This looks like it's been here for ages," said Lucy.
"Indeed, my child," said Kilania as she approached the statue. "The Legend of the Great Igneel has been passed down from generation to generation, long before you or I or even my Mother before me was born." She raised her hands in praise as she closed her eyes. "If not for Igneel, our ancestors who lived on this island before us would not have lived to tell the tale of how he saved our people from total destruction!"
"Wait, wait, wait, back up!" Gray exclaimed. "Are you saying that Natsu's old man saved your people?"
"Yes, indeed," Kilania replied. "You see, long ago, this island was infested with all manner of man-eating beasts and monsters. Our people were living in constant fear with no hope of survival. Just as it seemed that there was no hope for us... he appeared."
"My Dad?" asked Natsu in surprise.
"Precisely," Kilania affirmed. "He appeared as if he had descended from the sun, itself: a great dragon with crimson scales, huge wings, and fiery eyes! At first, our ancestors believed that he had to come to finish us all off... but nay. Instead, he drove back the monsters, burning them with his fiery breath and rending them to shreds with his mighty fangs and claws... until he rose, scarred but victorious!"
"Amazing!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Aye, that is really cool!" Happy added.
"So Igneel is a hero of this island," Erza said.
"That is actually how the island got its name," said Kilania. "Dragon Island."
"...Wow...!" Natsu whispered as he stared up at the statue of Igneel in awe.
"Excuse me, Chieftess," Lucy said. "You wouldn't happen to know where Igneel is now, would you?"
"Yes, my brother's been looking for him for a long time," Haru added.
"So.. do you?" Natsu asked with a hopeful look in his eyes.
"I'm afraid not, child," Kilania replied, regrettably. "I'm sorry."
"...Oh..." Natsu muttered, immediately growing dejected. "I see..."
"Now, now, don't look so solemn," Kilania reassured as she put her hand on his shoulder, causing him to look at her as she gave him a smile. "Now is a time for celebration! You are the Son of the Great Igneel... and we shall celebrate your coming here with a grand feast!"
"Oh, no, that's okay, I don't-" Natsu started, only for his eyes to go wide. "Did you say 'feast'?"
Haru snickered. "That cheered him up fast!"
"No kidding!" Lucy laughed along with her.
"And of course, we'd be honored if your friends joined us, as well," said Kilania.
"In that case," Erza said, "we humbly accept your invitation."
"Why not?" Gray asked. "I'm kinda hungry, too."
"Are there gonna be any fishies there?" asked Happy while Blue Fang barked and panted with excitement.
"Torn," Kilania said to the young blue-haired man from earlier. "Go tell the other villagers."
"...Yes, Grandmother," said Torn as he gave a bow of respect, then turned and walked away, but not without casting a bitter glare at the Fairy Tail wizards.
"Well, he seems... friendly," Haru said, sarcastically.
"Who's Mr. Sunshine?" asked Natsu as he pointed his thumb at the young man.
"That's just my grandson, Torn," Kilania answered. "Forgive him. He never took kindly to the mainlanders... especially after what happened to his father, who was my son in life. He lost his life when he, along with other warriors of our tribe, tried to defend our village from greedy mainlanders trying to colonize our island."
"I see," Erza said with a sympathetic look. "I'm guessing this happens often, does it?"
"Yes, sadly," said Kilania. "They say it's to 'make progress' or whatever they call it... but they always use such forceful means, such as guns and sharp blades. We try to be peaceful and talk them down, but... they never want to listen to reason. That's why we often resort to such... drastic means."
"I guess that explains why Levy says no one ever returns from here," said Haru.
"In that case," Lucy began, "I can't really blame you for wanting to feed us to the sharks at first."
"I do hope you forgive us," said Kilania. "I deeply apologize."
"Oh, it's no problem!" Lucy replied. "Pretty much water under the bridge."
Suddenly, Natsu's stomach filled the air with a particularly loud roar, much to the embarrassment of his fellow wizards.
"Heheheh," Natsu chuckled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "So... can we have that feast, now?"
"Seriously, man?" asked Gray, incredulously.
"We're sorry about that," Haru said. "Natsu's got a REALLY big appetite."
Kilania chuckled. "It's fine. A growing boy has to eat, no?"
"And growing cats!" Happy added.
"Well, we best not keep Natsu's stomach waiting," Erza said.
"YEAH!" Natsu cheered as he pumped a fist into the air. "IT'S CHOW TIME!"
"AYE, SIR!" Happy exclaimed in agreement.
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