Chapter 2:
It's been over 2 hours into this day and Natsu was already starting to regret the offer he gave to Selene. When he offered her a chance to start over a second chance, he meant for her to explore and be at peace...not be shopping in one place for 2 hours and complaining about the fashion styles around. To add insult to injury, he kept receiving photos from Lucy of trying on beautiful outfits for future dates along with little love messages which made him smile...and photos from Gray with foods that are to die for which made Natsu confirm his decision that he was going to kill Gray.
"Natsu Dragneel!"
There it was, that voice again which caught Natsu by surprise only to notice he was no longer in the shop with Selene nor she or anyone else were around. He was back at the entrance of the temple but he wasn't asleep so how was he dreaming of this. Natsu tried looking for any clues before deciding to enter the temple, only to be met with a cloaked figure standing in front of him.
Natsu: Are you...the voice I've been hearing?
"I am."
Natsu: Look, I'll get right to the point, why am I here? Why were you in my head?
"You are different and special than the others."
Natsu: How so?
"There is more to everything around you than meets the eye."
Selene: Natsu...
Just as Natsu was going to continue and enter the temple, he hears the faint voice of Selene as he wakes up again back to the shop with Selene in front of him.
Selene: Did you truly doze off while standing?
Natsu: O-Oh...y-yeah, guess I did Hehe. *rubs back*
Though giving her his typical smile and trying to make her believe that he just snoozed for a moment, Selene could tell by his eyes that there was more to that than just dozing off. Natsu however, now is definitely thinking if that temple place is real and was the cloak figure was trying to have him find it. Although, one thing still remains: Who is the cloaked figure?
Civilian: DRAGON! DRAGON!
The shout of a man screaming dragon caught the attention of both Natsu and Selene as they rush outside as people begin to follow and hear the old man screaming for dear life.
Civilian: *pants* There's...a dragon!...by the steep hill near the lake!...
Natsu: Nobody panic, I'm part of Fairy Tail. My partner and I will go take a look at it. Sir, you need to stay and rest yourself before you could hurt yourself more.
The crowd slowly began to go from fear and concern to relief after hearing one of the strongest guild mages is here as they check on the old man while Natsu and Selene began their walk to the lake.
Selene: Not a really good place for a dragon to be hiding if it were me. I take it in this world dragons aren't too welcome in this world.
Natsu: Not really even though they are fine with Dragon Slayers.
Roughly around 40 minutes have passed until both Selene and Natsu reach the lake that the old man was talking about however they do not see a dragon at all which confuses both dragon and dragon slayer.
Selene: It's not around. Perhaps it saw the human and flew off or there was never one at all and his age made him believe in seeing such things.
Natsu: No, their smell is strong meaning they are still here and... *Points to a trail of blood* It seems that it's bleeding badly.
A long trail of fresh blood leads into the forest where the duo continues walking in which they find a dragon with a large gash near its chest and very pale from the blood loss. It pains both Natsu and Selene seeing this dragon in a dying state, whoever attacked it definitely came from another dragon. Natsu slowly began to approach the dragon.
Natsu: No human weapon or a mage's magic could leave this huge mark.
Selene: Can't we call your healing partner to come and heal this dragon...
Natsu: No... the wound is deep and it's lost a lot of blood. By the time Wendy gets here, it'll mostly be dead. There's really nothing we can do now.
Selene watches in sadness seeing this dragon soon meeting its fate, she has fought dragons before and has a killed a few of them in the past but it doesn't make her completely heartless as it pains her seeing one of her kind dying. The moment of mourning came to an abrupt as the Dragon woke up growling at the duo but stopped when it sensed Selene was a dragon and Natsu a dragon slayer.
Natsu: Hey, Hey stop! You're suffering from a lot of blood loss. We wish we can help you...but the damage looks to already have been done. I'm sorry...
The dying dragon senses Natsu heart, soul, and aura which is different from other Dragon slayers that he has encountered. One that he has not encountered since the war, knowing that his time is ending, the dragon uses its remaining magic to bring out an artifact and hands it to Natsu.
Dragon: P-Protect...the key...
Natsu: *grabs it* What is this? What are you protecting it from?
Dragon: Protect...from...
The dragon could not finish its statement as he is now gone into the afterlife. Natsu looks at the dragon with a heartbreaking look reminding him of Igneel's death after his battle against Acnologia. He looks over at Selene who lets out a few tears before turning around and beginning to walk back to town. Natsu watched the dragon's body turns into stone soon to break apart to dust. After watching the entire corpse disappear, he followed her but now another question came to his mind as he looks at the round relic carved with looks like dragon symbols.
(2 hours later)
It was a quiet walk back to town as Natsu informs the people that the dragon was dead by the time they got there. Back in the hotel, Natsu brings food for Selene who hasn't a word after death of the Dragon.
Natsu: There was nothing we could do Selene.
Selene: Maybe if we knew about earlier-
Natsu: Maybe. But for now, it's at peace and resting with more of its kind...Do you know what this is though?
Natsu hands the relic to Selene as she takes a close look at it and to her surprise it was what she believed it was. The key to open a portal where the banished Tyrant Dragons are locked.
Selene: Natsu...whoever the dragon was protecting this key from only has evil intentions in mind. This is the key from a long-lost artifact in which opens a portal to release dragons from an unknown place. How much do you know about the Dragon War?
Natsu: Igneel would tell him how grave this war affected both dragons and humanity, that it lasted for a very long time until the dragons who fought to take over this world lost. Many lives were lost and nothing was ever the same again.
Selene: The war...is something that will never be forgotten. It truly determined how your people would no longer know whether to trust us or not which is why many dragons who fought to protect this world went into hiding. I'm sure you also heard of the story of the Dragon Knight?
Natsu: Only the name but never the story.
Selene: I see, he was once a human knight who helped with the dragon slayers and dragons to win this war. However, when he was near death, the tale says the elder king passed the remains of his power into the knight making him into a half human half dragon or by the name itself-
Natsu: Dragon Knight
The scene changes back to the time of the war as the Dragon Knight and his army charge towards the Tyrant Dragons through which he goes through many of them.
Selene: Similar to you Dragon Slayers only that he was very much powerful, contained the actual power of a dragon rather than learning from one or from a lacrima, was able to transform into a dragon as well, and maintain a hybrid form. Think of it as a human and dragon truly becoming one. He led the unity army into war in which they won in the very end despite so much loss.
The Dragon Knight lifts his axe up in the air and screams in victory alongside the remaining human army, dragon slayers, and dragons roaring as the bloody war was finally over with some of the tyrant dragons accepting defeat and laying down while seeing others dead and soon turn into dust. The scene changes to the dragons activating a portal to another world as the next Dragon King announces those who harmed this world shall be banished forever as those dragons began to enter the portal while a few tried to fight back but were outnumbered and sent away as the portal closed forever.
Selene: When the portal closed, it was separated into two parts: A Pillar containing Dragon Magic and the Relic you are carrying which is the key to activate it.
Natsu was amazed by the more in-depth story of the war but more interested in the lore of the Dragon Knight.
Natsu: So, what happened after that? The Dragons? The Dragon Knight himself?
Selene: For a few years, Dragons and Humans once again lived in peace until eventually as your human politics began to raise concern whether to trust these dragons which led to many of them to hide whether deep in forests, oceans, mountains, anywhere no human would ever go deep exploring. As for the Dragon Knight, after hiding the pillar in an unknown area in this world, he kept the key to prevent anyone from ever taking it and he continued to fight for both humans and dragons until he met his toughest enemy: Acnologia.
That name made Natsu shiver and his eyes widen, even though he is long gone the name still brings chills to him knowing what that monster did to so many lives including his and Erza.
Selene: They fought many times and before you and your friends were able to defeat him, the Dragon Knight was the closest to finishing him off. Before facing him off, he passed on the key to a group of elder dragons known as the Prime of Dragons to keep it safe and hidden from any evil who wish to possess it.
The scene changes and takes it to Dragon Knight and Acnologia fighting with nothing held back, both in dragon forms and human forms. Both were matched at the same level in every feature but Acnologia would try to use sneak attacks and brute force while Dragon Knight used quick thinking and skills including trying to get strikes with his axe.
Selene: Those who were very fortunate said this battle lasted days with many believing they would fight until Judgement Day.
Natsu: But considering we faced him and many dragons like my dad faced him...
Selene: *nods* Only one would survive this death battle and it wasn't what the people and dragons were hoping.
Bleeding, Wounded, and Beaten, both fighters prepared for one last blow to end this once and for all. Dragon Knight lights his axe on fire and charges towards Acnologia while he lights up his claws and runs towards his enemy. The next moment causes perhaps the biggest earthquake known to mankind as both rivals launch their attack towards each other destroying the entire area they fought and nothing could be seen anymore with the giant smoke. A few dragons tried to clear out the smoke with their wings and once they did, they saw the fallen opponent. Dragon Knight axe right through Acnologia shoulder near chest but Acnologia's claw right through Dragon Knight's chest.
Selene: That day for what would affect humans and dragons, all hope was lost in that battle. Acnologia survived but burly with that fatal wound stuck on him for many years to come. Which is why whenever someone or some dragon fought him, there was a deep scar in his shoulder, it reminded him of the only battle and opponent that almost killed him.
After Acnologia retreats despite being victorious, a few dragons and humans run towards to the Dragon Knight who despite has a mortal wound in his chest, continues to have a little bit of strength left in him as he screams in victory one last time. He grabs his axe, proceeds to pour all of his magic he received from his old dragon friend and his own heart and soul into the weapon before striking it down on the ground as he slowly begins to turn into stone before disappearing into the air as dust.
Selene: What created the Dragon Knight, he put all of what was his and the elder dragon into his weapon before he joined the afterlife. Many have tried to wield it but it was never lifted, it's been said that those who are pure of heart, who has the soul, courage, and determination of a knight and who has the fire and strength of a dragon could wield it and bring peace and unity between dragons and humans. But after so many have and tried failed, they decided instead to leave it there as a memory of the warrior who fought for both humanity and dragons, and for freedom. They created a temple that serves as a home for dragons and the resting place for the Dragon Knight.
Natsu: "Temple!"
It hit Natsu instantly and now he was beginning to connect the clues because of the temple he sees in his dreams. He was beginning to wonder if perhaps the voice and cloak figure he saw was the spirit of the Dragon Knight himself and with the key now kept with him, he was beginning to feel that something terrible is coming.
(Meanwhile in Elentir)
Within a barrier facility lies three different rooms with three women in there, the former assistants to Selene or known as the Moonlight Divinities: Mimi, Yoko, and Hakune. Mimi punching walls to make herself stronger while Yoko was playing with her little creations and Hakune was creating ice figures for her collection. All of a sudden, the alarm rings which startles all three ladies. Yoko tries to look through the window but sees troops heading inside and that's when they begin to hear chaos. Mimi looks through the small window by the door and notices blood being splatted around which startles her more.
Mimi: SISTERS STAND BACK! There is Genocide happening out there.
Yoko and Hakune look at their doors in fear as they continue hearing shouting and screams before it turns really quiet. Nothing but their breathings and the alarm keeps ringing, after a few moments of nothing happening all three doors explode as two figures emerge from the smoke: Ignia and God Serena.
Ignia: Hello ladies, I've heard quite a few interesting things about each of you.
Yoko: Y-You're Ignia...w-what do you want from us?...
Ignia: I will not hurt any of you three, you work for me now and I'm going to need your assistant. Your former master has betrayed you, left you behind, and is now with Fairy Tail.
The three ladies fear turned into anger when they heard the guild's name, the members that defeated them and brought them into this prison while their master joined them. The three looked at each other and walked towards Ignia and God Serena.
Hakune: Sign us up but what do you want in return?
Ignia: Simple. Help me retrieve a relic needed to bring my kind back to this world and I will let you three live and give your long-awaited revenge to Fairy Tail.