Hey guys, I'm back again for what's basically my monthly update. Yay. I've been looking back at my work and shit it's bad. I'm rewriting it a bit so yeah. Feel free to check it out. No major changes, just things I don't like or that don't quite fit. Anyway, I'll tell you in the notes when I do. Also, shorter, slightly heavier chapter. Just saying.


Natsu chuckled to himself. He knew that fighting a lot didn't make a difference. If anything, he should have been dead faster than anything but who was he to complain? Natsu plopped himself down on the floor, arms behind his head in his own signature fashion. Natsu waited a few seconds before the silence hit him. The sound of two heartbeats and two sets of breaths. Natsu cracked his eyes open and saw that Mirajane was looking at a picture that he had. Natsu remembered taking it with a spare lacrima camera Igneel had said he had. Natsu knew, however, that Igneel had used it for years as Natsu had one day found it laying around and looked through pictures of himself. Natsu had seen a good many things, mainly himself though. Natsu had only truly cared for three pictures in that album.

There was one that was taken on his first day with Igneel. It was Natsu sitting curled up right next to Igneel, sitting right on his arm and leaning against his face. Damn Igneel was humungous, even for a dragon. Natsu distinctly remembered the warmth from that day. It had been his first day training out in the forest that would become the one surrounding Magnolia. Natsu chuckled as he thought back. Oh how eager he'd been to learn slayer magic, or just magic in general. It had been far simpler back then, but he wouldn't trade his life for it, no matter how much he enjoyed it.

The next one had been him and all of his teachers, Igneel included. Natsu was sitting atop Igneel's head, fully grown at the ripe age of twenty. Natsu was surrounded by several other dragons of varying sizes and colors. There was one titanic dragon behind himself and Igneel, but otherwise they were all next to him. Natsu sat wearing a small necklace of several different shrunken scales on a black chain which had been custom made by the metal dragons for him specifically. It might have been a small necklace but Natsu had had the brightest and biggest of grins plastered on his face. It had been quite infectious on that certain day, and if you've never seen a dragon smile, it's a sight to behold. It also happened to be the one that Mira was looking at.

The last one, and the one that she would have been most confused by, was the picture of a man about the same height Natsu was now, holding a child version of Natsu in his hands, onyx eyes glinting from underneath the mop of black hair. He had worn largely black and white with a pair of sandals with red accents on them. Natsu had later found out it was his brother, after asking Igneel about it. Igneel had been upset at first, but then later came to reveal that it had been his brother. Natsu had asked if he had abandoned him but Natsu was able to answer that himself whence he stumbled upon his brother in the middle of a forest. He had brought him back to life and told him to wait a few years before trying to kill him. Natsu had been horrified as there was no way he would kill his only blood relative.

Natsu had instinctively ran up to give his brother a hug, given that Natsu was only about seven. Natsu had no way of knowing that it could hurt him. Natsu had remembered being engulfed in black energy and had passed out. He had then woken up minutes later and suddenly had odd marking in his arms and also large horns so that was a thing apparently. Natsu wasn't entirely sure what had happened, and he didn't find out until a few days later. Zeref had cried and ran so Natsu vowed to find a way to get to him. He had promised that he would get one last picture with Zeref before he left but a certain dragon interfered with that.

Natsu had quite nearly broken down. His family was everything to him, and to have an important opportunity like that torn away had taken a mental toll on him. It sucked to have it happen. He had to leave his only family. But it was okay, Natsu knew that he would find Zeref again. Wasn't sure when but it'd happen at some point.

Natsu's mind snapped back from his thoughts and looked over to his guest. Natsu grinned to himself as she never ceased to amaze him, sometimes with her beauty, but more often than not, with her personality. Natsu grinned to himself as she tapped something and it zapped her.

"Ha ha very funny Natsu. What is this?"

"A lacrima. Keeps snoopers out of my business, you know?"

"Fuck you."

"Hey! Not my fault that you're looking through my stuff," Natsu said cheekily.

"I'm sure you don't mind, Natsu. Why invite me here anyway?"

"So you don't die?" Natsu asked rhetorically.

"Ah if I don't have to put up with you any more, I'll happily die," Mira said, mock pouting.

"Aww that's sad. Whiskey?" Natsu asked, producing a large bottle from nowhere.

"Where did you get that?"

"You know Erza's requip? I have a slightly different version of that magic. Just a generalized pocket space. I can offer you something else, wine?"

"Alcohol isn't my thing," Mirajane said.

"Bullshit! You drink stronger things than most everyone in the guild. You could outdrink Gildarts! Maybe not Cana but certainly her old man!"

"And how would you know that?"

"I can smell everything for a mile at my all time low," Natsu said, tapping his nose, "At best, I could probably smell something from fifty miles?"

"What?"

"I can hear heartbeats too, from like across a good distance, plus I can literally see through things if it has large enough spaces."

"Like people's clothes?"

"That's more Gildarts' thing but sure?"

"You did travel with him for a while so I wouldn't be surprised if you picked up his habits too," Mira said.

"Nah, there was the one time he grabbed my bag on accident and I took his, but it was full of gross pictures of naked people or whatever," Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head.

"And what was in your bag?"

"I'll give you two guesses," Natsu said, "It shouldn't be that hard."

"Food and food?" Mira said.

"And the money goes to the beautiful woman with the white hair!" Natsu shouted.

"Shut up."

Natsu cracked a wide grin and flopped down onto the ground. A few words were passed as they talked and the two eventually went their separate ways for a little bit. Natsu was in the lava tub and Mira was struggling a bit with the almost boiling water that came from the only normal shower in the entirety of the land. Luckily, Natsu had been human before hand and had needed a regular shower.

Natsu chuckled to himself hearing the little yelps from around across the room. Natsu grinned, if he didn't do something, they weren't going to get anywhere on time. Natsu hopped out of the lava, a towel covering him up. Natsu walked out of the room and went to his dresser. He'd need water clothes basically. Where was the nearest lake again? Water dragon's place. How far was that? Natsu grinned to himself, he'd have a reason to move around quickly for the first time in a long while. Natsu narrowed his eyes as an odd thought popped into his mind. Would they be at his little hearing? Was it even important enough to show up for?

Ah what did he care? Natsu chuckled to himself once more as Mirajane loudly shouted profanities from the other room. For a room that was more or less meant to keep all out sound, or keep it in for that matter, it wasn't all that surprising to hear Mira shouting. Natsu flopped down on his bed and ran a hand through his spikey locks. She'd come out at some point, so he might as well nap a bit. He hoped this damn meeting wouldn't be as troublesome as they normally were.

Natsu let his eyes close and the land of unconscious claim him. He didn't wake until a particularly upset Mirajane came barging in. Mirajane could not, for the life of her, wake the sleeping dragon slayer up. Mira splashed some water on his face, or she would have, but it evaporated an inch away from his face. She shouted, and she poked him, and even tried to hit him with a pillow. Maybe a pillow is too soft she had thought to herself, a rock seems good she had thought to herself. So, for the past two and a half minutes, she'd been hitting the mage with a rock the size of his head. Nothing.

"Okay, now what's a Natsu thing to do in this situation, what would he do?" Mira asked herself aloud. Igneel had stumbled in the room at some point and had decided to sit in the corner, somehow completely hidden. "FOOD! HE NEEDS FOOD!" Mira had shouted. Mira had spun around, looking for the kitchen they had walked past and instead, ran straight into the chest of a large man with red hair and yellow eyes. Mira did what was natural, kicked him in the balls and screamed, immediately flipping into a take-over. The person Mira now recognized as most likely Igneel dropped the floor and yelled in pain. Oof. Natsu had awoken in a flash and appeared between the two, body alight and eyes blank. Of course that would wake him up, he was always itching for a fight. Of course, unbeknownst to her, it was for a different reason.

"Dad why are you on the floor?" Natsu asked as he took in his surroundings and let his flames burn out. Natsu cocked his head to the side and rubbed it slightly. Had something happened?

"That… That…" Igneel wheezed as he clutched his family jewels, "Oh lord the pain."

"Mira?"

Mira gave Natsu a blank stare and twiddled her fingers a bit before trying to explain, "Well uh, you see… I was trying to uh wake you up," Mira paused before cringing and making some exaggerated hand gestures as if trying to explain. Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to explain.

"Well? Exceed got your tongue?"

"I… well… I as trying to, you know, wake you up and stuff and I know that you really like food and stuff… so I thought about it and went to go get you some but I kinda maybe definitely ran into your dad…" Mira said, using her hands to try and help demonstrate before shaking her head and cringing a bit more, "Well… I kicked him in the balls."

"Come again?"

"I kicked Igneel in the balls."

Natsu burst out in boisterous laughter as a small amount of flames came out of his mouth. Mira surveyed her rather unfortunate situation, Igneel (NATSU'S DAD) was on his knees groaning in pain, and Natsu… Well, Natsu was being Natsu and was rolling on the floor laughing.

"You just kicked the king of all fire dragons in the balls! And even better, you're still alive! Oh man that's hilarious!" Natsu roared before flopping back down onto the floor and laughing more, "How does it feel Dad?"

"Shut the hell up you little brat," Igneel growled before turning to Mirajane, "You have one hell of a kick, but – oh it hurts so bad – if you could not use that on me?"

"Hahahahahaha! You got kicked in the balls!" Natsu yelled before being punched through a wall.

"Shut up!"

"Why were you even in my room?"

"Well, I had been coming to get you guys from your room and stuff but then I saw the she-devil," Igneel said as gestured to Mirajane, "trying to wake you up with various different… what's the word? Uhhhhh…"

"Styles?"

"No, Natsu, not styles. Your dad probably means methods," Mira joked.

"AH HAH! That's what it is! Methods. She must be a genius," Igneel said.

"Mirajane? How cou-" Natsu said before feeling shivers run down his spine. Oh if looks could kill he'd have been dropped down a fifty story building head first then cut in half and stomped on then placed a few thousand feet underwater, dropped from a mountain, and then slowly get eaten by animals for a few hours before being shot into space.

"No, finish."

"Natsu, rule two W," Igneel whispered. Natsu proceeded to disappear. He wouldn't come back for another two hours, thirteen minutes, and forty-two second. He wasn't sure exactly how long it had been so he wasn't surprised when they were gone. Natsu used his incredible sense of smell to locate them. Natsu yelled and ran down the hall to the kitchen where he found the two having an eating competition. Those fuckers!

"Hey what gives man!?" Natsu shouted, "Why didn't you tell me!?"

"You didn't show up," Mira said grumpily.

"How was I going to know you guys would be eating?"

"You could have smelt it since you were still in the castle."

"I was in Alvarez."

"I'm sorry, how?"

"Skill?"

"Shut up," Igneel said to Natsu before turning to Mira, "He probably used that warping spell of his or whatever."

"Oh," Mira said, suddenly feeling a bit queasy as she recalled that particular spell, "If he wants to put himself through it, sure."

"It's honestly not that bad, Mirajane. You just have to get over it," Natsu said.

"No thank you, you don't know what you're talking about, it's not great," Igneel said.

"Yeah!" Mira said, "What he said!"

Natsu sat there, flabbergasted. What did they mean? How could they not understand, it was literally one of the simplest spells he'd ever learned.

"BULLSHIT!" Natsu yelled, floundering his arms, "I'll show you both right now!"

Natsu proceeded to lunge forward and grabbed both of them before the trio disappeared through a magic circle as Natsu tossed the two in and hopped in right after. Natsu promptly threw himself to the floor to avoid getting splattered by Igneel's semi-digested lunch. Natsu was aghast!

"What the hell, Dad!?"

"Shut up," Igneel said before shuddering and expelling more food.

"Disgusting," Natsu said. Mira wasn't fairing much better, but she wasn't doubled over, expelling the contents of her stomach all over the floor. Natsu suddenly felt quite guilty for what he'd done, "Shit, I'm sorry guys. I wasn't really thinking that I've used the spell several thousand times more than you have. I'm sorry."

"Holy shit, he's actually apologizing!" Igneel said astonished, "What did you do to him?"

"I know, she's amazing. She kicked the fire dragon king in the balls, and she managed to get me to apologize," Natsu chuckled.

"Is that uncommon?"

"Yep."

"Absolutely."

Mira looked at the two of them for a second. She blinked before starting, "Huh, he normally does that for me though?"

"What's that?" Igneel asked as if he wasn't able to hear her heartbeat from twenty feet away, "Natsu, Natsu Dragneel, my son, bother of Zeref, killer of dragons apologized… to you?"

"Yeah?"

"Hey hey Natsu, looks like we know one!" Igneel grinned, proceeding to slide across the floor nudge his foster son in the gut.

"Shut up okay?" Natsu roared.

"Nope. Not a chance! You're finally growing up," Igneel laughed.

"Shut up!"

"Uhhh," Mira cut in, rubbing her head, "Is that… Special? Exactly?"

"Oh absolutely, it's unheard of!" Igneel grinned.

"Strange," Mira said.

"Okay enough of that," Natsu said, glancing up towards the ceiling, "we have places to be in about fifteen minutes."

"Do we now?" Igneel asked.

"Unfortunately," Natsu grimaced.

"Where are we now?" Mira asked as she looked around, trying to find anything to indicate where they were.

"I moved us like twenty feet to right outside the wall," Natsu laughed.

"I don't care if it's twenty or two million, no thank you," Mira said.

Igneel chimed in, "I must agree with the she-devil."

"Fuck off, her name is Mira," Natsu said, "and it takes a few minutes to get to where we need to be so why don't we meet you there Igneel. I'm going to get Mirajane something suitable to wear, just incase we have to be in different rooms."

"Of course." With that, Igneel glowed bright white before the humanoid version of himself was replaced with a crimson dragon. Igneel beat his wings and flew off. Natsu and Mira looked at each other, deciding to head inside. A few words were spoken between the two, but they mainly moved around with quiet purposefulness. It was by no means uncomfortable as the two were fairly familiar with it.

Natsu rummaged through a chest of something that Mira couldn't quite see into. Mira glanced around the room, staring at the other features of the room. For the most part, she had focused on the oddities of the room rather than the simplicities and intricacies. She was pleasantly surprised to find that Natsu had a fairly well decorated room, paintings of various items, nice furniture. Most rooms of this size would normally feel oddly formal or lonely even, but Natsu had plenty of things to make it seem very well lived in and homey. It was filled with carious knickknacks and small items Natsu had acquired over the years.

The one thing that caught her attention though, was the picture of a young child with a mop of spikey, salmon hair, and an older man with black hair and white-black robes. She'd seen him somewhere. She'd seen him in a book or something. There was something unsettling in this painting which was odd as both seemingly exuded happiness as they stood by each other. Mirajane couldn't quite place it but she was off put by the taller man. She wasn't sure why, but she felt as if something was off.

She would have continued along that path of thinking, but a dress smacked her in the face, courtesy of one fire dragon slayer.

"Hey!" Mira shouted, "what was that for? And what is this for?"

In her hands, she held a scaly looking dress. Despite the rough look, it happened to be quite soft and comfortable. It was black but otherwise had red trimming and lace coming out of the back and around the waist. It was a nice, simple dress. It appeared to be more flattering as everything looked a bit on the smaller size.

"Clothes. Change into them in case we are separated. It should keep you safe."

Mira rolled her eyes and walked into that bathroom and started to change. Her thoughts naturally drifted for the few free moments she had, shifting from thoughts of her upcoming meeting with the dragon council and over to the picture she had seen earlier.

She knew she recognized him form somewhere but she just couldn't place her. She fixed her dress a bit and resolved to ask Natsu about it, though she wasn't sure he'd answer in all honesty. Most of the time, Natsu didn't talk about much until someone asked him about it. In all honesty though, it seemed as if though he was always the one who would initiate any conversation with the guild. He had a certain aura that seemed to scare people away from him. Mira couldn't understand it as she was always pretty comfortable around him. She had been comfortable enough to fall asleep next to him (and on him once) on multiple occasions and that was something she had trouble doing around even members of the guild.

Mirajane Strauss, in a way, was able to relate to Natsu. Nobody ever wanted to talk to her, they were all too afraid to get to know her. She was too scary, capable of taking on mages twice her age with ease. She was one of the most powerful mages in the guild despite being only thirteen. Once again, same as Natsu, she was widely feared by everyone with the exception of some five odd mages. Master Makarov, Erza, Gildarts, Lissana, and Elfman.

It was a lonely life, nobody had wanted to get closer to her till she got out of the "demon phase". Nobody was ever willing to comment on her beauty till after, nobody was interested until after. Nobody except her family, and Erza. Erza was a sister to her; Mirajane loved her. She was the closest thing Mirajane had to a friend. The duo, despite constant quarreling, were closer than most people were, bonding on the shared tragedies of their past. Erza was a slave and lost an eye, then was treated like an outcast. Mirajane got beaten by her town because they thought she was a demon, having her home burned and attacked more times than they could count.

People, Mirajane thought, were selfish, through and though. There, however, was a point at which people learned and it was possible to transcend the evils of their humanity. Natsu was a perfect example. He'd thrown his life into protecting an entire race, thrown his life on the line to protect a random stranger, and from what she gathered, he was throwing a different aspect of his life on the line just for her. There were many people who were surrounded by evils growing up.

Mira shook her head and continued along her train of thought as she opened the door and slipped out. She was greeted by a sight of a pink headed slayer, hunched over the small lacrima camera, looking far older than he should. Natsu's salmon hair appeared to fall downward, more affected by gravity than normal, losing it's natural sheen. Natsu's face was shadowed by his hair, hanging over his head, covering the onyx eyes. Mirajane walked over and sat down, sitting next to him as he looked over the small screen.

Natsu stood up abruptly, muttering that they should leave. Mira was taken aback. He never spoke to her that way. She wouldn't pry, for the moment at least. Moment they got back though, she was going down the rabbit hole, no matter how deep it went.

Mira let Natsu grab hold of her shoulder and teleport them to where they needed to be. She hardly registered the first five minutes. She wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen, but she sure as hell wasn't going to go down peacefully. This time, she wasn't sure if she could count on anyone else though. Nobody else was here but Igneel and Natsu. Igneel was a king. He had to do what was best for everyone. Natsu, well… Natsu was a different story, he was among his people now, his peers, his friends. He'd grown up with them, would he really throw all of it away just for some girl that he'd known less than half a year?

Her thoughts continued along a similar train until Natsu grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. It might have been plutonic for him, but it sent shivers up her spine. She wasn't sure if they were good or bad.

"I got your back, Mira," Natsu said, "You'll make it out of this unscathed."

"Think we can take them all?" Mirajane asked, glancing around.

Natsu chuckled fondly, thinking of their encounter with the wizard saints, "I dunno, and I'm not sure I want to find out, but I promise you. Nothing bad will ever happen to you while you're with me. If I have to fight every dragon in the world, all at once, so be it. I'll never let you get hurt, got it?"

"Thank you, Natsu."

They were definitely good shivers.