» chapter eleven

» in which natsu's story ends

Natsu woke up in the dark and damp. His first instinct was to burst into flames, but his magic did not surge at his call. He tried to move his arms and found them bound tightly at the wrists, ankles as well. He was more trussed up than a pig at one of the Guild's parties.

"Well, this stinks," he said aloud, trying to push himself upright. There was a rhythmic bumping underneath that told him he was in some sort of vehicle going hell-knows-where. Wracking his brain, he quickly recalled the sound ass-kicking he received from Einar, plus his cryptic last words.

"The black market… Dammit. Shitdammit." At least Einar had the courtesy to bandage his wounds, even though Natsu could smell the blood pooling in the cloth. Before he was sold to anybody he'd probably die of blood loss.

The vehicle chattered to a stop, not before hitting one large pothole that made Natsu bite his tongue. The rear door swung open and Natsu was momentarily blinded by the light pouring in. "Rise 'n' shine, Fairy," a gruff voice said. Definitely not Einar—also, the silhouette was too robust. After a moment Natsu realized his captor was wearing a huge latex horse mask.

"Bahahaha! Don't you see how ridiculous you look?" he snorted. Next thing he knew, he was chewing on boot leather and cud. Size be damned, that horse was fast.

"Oops, can't damage the merch," he said casually, removing his boot from Natsu's mouth. He then picked Natsu up like a sack of potatoes and draped him over his shoulder, one hand on his back and one hand holding his ankles. Like that, Natsu couldn't do more than wriggle like a worm. He got a distorted view of a large concrete structure before Horse entered through a backdoor, which slammed heavily behind them.

This was a long hallway leading into a few doors, all of which dimly lit. Natsu could hear a litany of voices, at least a few dozen people, from the closest door, but Horse slid right past it. Of course, couldn't let the people witness his obvious kidnapping—not that he was a kid, but. Horse went to the far end of the hallway where the scent of old blood and hopelessness lurked. Off to a great start already.

Natsu was unceremoniously dumped into a new room, semicircular with the wall being made of an odd black material. He raised his head to see another figure standing to the side; he came closer and grabbed Natsu's chin, turning his face this way and that way. This man wore a goat mask to the party. "Not some of Tiger's best work," he commented. Natsu hissed a laugh through his teeth, catching his attention.

"Hey, bastard." Then, twisting his wrists to brace his hands on the ground, he drove his legs into the man's beer belly. Goat hit the ground groaning and Natsu landed on bare feet—and immediately crumpled at the burning pain in his leg. Everything below his left knee had gone dead. Goat took the opportunity to slam his boot into Natsu's gut, bringing up a stream of blood-laced bile, and he seemed content to continue until Horse grabbed his shoulder.

"We're not selling damaged goods, idiot. Go take your anger out on something else."

Goat harrumphed and spat on Natsu's cheek. "Brat wasn't worth my time anyway." He went over to the side of the room and pulled at a rope hanging from the ceiling. The "wall" shifted and Natsu realized it was actually a thick black curtain, which was rolling up to reveal rows of people in front of a stage. The ceiling lights turned until they were all bearing down on him. He rolled into a defensive crouch, baring his teeth at the crowd; they were all masked up the same as his captors, but more feathery and glittery and showy. Not zoo animals.

"Welcome, vipers, turncoats, and riffraff," Horse said, bringing out a yellow Lacrima to magnify his voice. The crow gave a moment of polite applause before he continued, "Tonight's star piece is quite a rarity: a Dragon Slayer. We haven't had one of those in quite a while, eh?" Grateful oohs and aahs resonated and Horse stepped aside with a grand arm sweep towards the ceiling. "Brought to us by another rarity, Tiger."

Natsu raised his eyes to a shadowy form on the metal supports. He swung down in a swirl of red fabric and took a bow to the crowd's loud appreciation. The robe and golden hair belied the tiger mask—that was definitely Einar. Natsu said as much in a war cry as he launched himself bodily at the Dark Mage. Einar spun in a second and stuck his hand in Natsu's path, catching his face and lighting him ablaze once again. He hit the ground and roared in pain before the flames subsided on their own, leaving numerous burning welts across his skin.

"—will accept no less than five hundred thousand Jewel," Einar was saying when the ringing in his ears subsided.

"Asshole!" Natsu shouted, yanking at his restraints so hard he could feel his shoulders straining in their sockets. "When I get out of this, I'll kick your ass so hard you'll be eating with my toes!"

"Notice how the Dragon Slayer spits the most vitriol when he's collared," Einar said with no small amusement. "His spirit will be worth the break."

"Ahem." A portly older man stood, with a simple white mask obscuring his face and a tailcoat that dragged due to his short stature. "I feel an examination is in order to prove your words are true, Tiger."

Einar stepped away and gestured to Natsu with a flourish. "Be my guest, Doctor."

Natsu growled as the Doctor approached. "Lay one finger on me! You'll end up with less than you—mmph!" He jerked in surprise as a sweaty handkerchief was unceremoniously shoved into his mouth, effectively gagging him. Then he leaned in so close Natsu could smell the fish on his breath.

"Indeed, he has the reptilian pupils," he commented, forcing Natsu's eyelids open with his fingers. He produced a penlight from his pocket and shone it into the back of Natsu's eyeball, irritating him further. "Fewer cones in his eyes yet he seems to pick up warm colors perfectly… I would hazard a guess at a Fire Mage?"

"Astute as always," Einar smirked. "This here is the great Salamander of Fairy Tail."

"Fairy Tail, eh?" He rubbed his chin as he looked over Natsu. "The Salamander… Ah, I remember now. My uncle's title and fortune were upended by the Salamander's and Fairy Tail's prying fingers. I believe you recall a duke?"

Natsu very much recalled the creepy duke and his slights towards the Zaleons, but he couldn't make a smart comment even if he wanted to, due to the impromptu gag. Not that it mattered, as it seemed even the Doctor wasn't too affected, grabbing Natsu by the chin and pulling his lips back with his other hand.

"The canines too," he said, rubbing at one with his finger. "And he does bear the Fairy Tail mark… Yet this could be an elaborate farce. We all know what lengths you'd go to for money, Tiger."

Einar's displeasure radiated in waves as the crowd started murmuring. "I could set him free," he mused, turning to the Doctor with a certain hint of bloodlust in his stance. "And then you can see without a doubt, we have a raging beast in tow."

The Doctor was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his options. "Fine, then. Five hundred thousand Jewel is my bid." As he returned to his seat a flurry of cries rose.

"Six fifty!"

"Seven fifty!"

"Nine!"

"Million!"

"They do love some rare magic." Einar crouched next to Natsu and placed a claw-like hand on his scalp, digging his fingers into the delicate skin. Natsu forced himself not to react—it seemed Einar fed off his massive displeasure, and while he wanted to rage and throw a fit, he hated to give his douchebag what he wanted. "And Gen 1 Dragon Slayer's the rarest of all. Lacrimas are an imperfect science; taking you apart would definitely create a source of power two, maybe four times as great."

As optimistic as he was, Natsu could freely admit the situation wasn't looking too good. His leg was borderline useless, his arm was definitely useless, and even if he had been in top shape, he would have been outnumbered. Maybe if he had his magic, but those goddamn cuffs… He had to work around them somehow.

Well, thinking's not my forte, but now it's do or die.

He knew the anti-magic cuffs worked by stopping the flow of ethernano through the body. That was their only limitation; they wouldn't stop you from absorbing ethernano, only keeping you from utilizing it. They also didn't prevent other Mages from casting spells on you. And maybe he could've smashed them with physical force, but attempting it would most likely rip his arm off, if Einar didn't do so first. By the properties of his Slayer Magic, he could regurgitate any magic he consumed, and because he wasn't using his own ethernano, the cuffs were also limited by that.

Natsu spat out the rag and shouted into the room, "You guys think I'm a rarity? Didn't ya know Lion or whatever is a Demon Slayer?"

The bidding abruptly came to a halt and the gossip intensified. The Doctor returned with a certain skip to his step. "Is this true, Tiger?"

"Of course not," he said smoothly, but there was a vein popping out of his forehead. "How many Demon Slayers are there in this modern day?"

"Well, the same goes for Dragon Slayers, correct?"

"Mind your place!" he growled. "I've been here a lot longer than you have."

"Which would make it all the more disheartening if you kept such a large secret from all of us." The Doctor spoke with fake concern and Einar's hands began to burn.

"Who do you believe here? Me, or the cornered rat?"

Natsu could feel the thin skin of his scalp sizzling under the heat but kept his snarky smile. "Well, this cornered rat's seen more Lost Magic than anybody in this room." Einar could argue his magical status until he was blue in the face because it wasn't something that could easily be proven. Everyone in Fiore, however, knew of Fairy Tail's numerous adventures, and they knew Natsu had fought a massive variety of Mages. They could doubt Einar's credibility, but not his.

"Well…he does have a point…" Horse said, earning a sharp glare from Einar. He finally released his grip on Natsu with hands set ablaze, rounding on the crowd instead.

"I'm the one doing the selling here! My magic is insignificant! And you—" he turned back to Natsu and drew his fiery bow, "—have to learn to shut your mouth!"

He fired three arrows. Natsu braced himself for the mother of all stomachaches and gobbled all the magic down. Before it had a chance to fester—while Einar had a beautiful gaped-jaw look on his face—Natsu returned the pleasure.

"Fire Dragon Devil's Claw!"

Not his best in the way of names, but very literal: the red and gold magic latched around Einar's torso and shot him towards the far wall of the room. He smashed through the concrete and outside. In that moment with his strength still boosted, he jumped to his feet and lurched backwards, butting the back of his head into Horse's face. When he crumbled, Natsu performed a spin kick to Goat's face, sending him down as well. He landed on his injured leg and lost his footing for only a second; he had enough adrenaline to bolt backstage and through the only door he could see.

Magnolia—Fairy Tail—Lucy!

He caught a quick glimpse of swamplands before Goat tackled him from behind, throwing him hard on his chest. "You're way too much trouble to sell off," he hissed, and Natsu felt a cold point dig into his hip, drawing blood. "I'm sure Einar'll love a dragon-skin pelt for his bedroom."

Natsu prepared a biting response before a series of coughs wracked his chest, bringing up massive globs of blood onto the mud. His vision swam; his injuries were finally taking a toll, not in the least because of the proverbial acid he consumed. His lungs felt like they'd been scraped with sandpaper.

"Hey, kid, what happened to that fire?" And he sunk the blade deep into his skin. Natsu gritted his teeth against the pain, as he couldn't scream if he wanted. His body had quickly gone past the point of cooperation; he was surprised he didn't already lose consciousness.

I can't. I have to get up and run, hafta get back to Magnolia… But it felt like an uphill marathon he couldn't run. Goat's weight pinned him down, and his magic was still restrained. That goddamn Demon Slayer magic really took it out of him…why was that? Why was Einar's magic so effective on a Dragon Slayer?

Does it matter? Shit, can barely keep my eyes open.

But it did, for some weird reason. As he heard Einar's pounding footsteps coming closer, felt his skin crawl at the fear of another onslaught, he couldn't help wondering why. Because it had happened twice now, the last time being Gray's magic. There must have been a reason, something…

"My name is…Dragneel, and I'm your bro…Natsu."

Was he hallucinating? No, it was a memory—a very old one. A blurred face, a small and haunted smile. Who was it? Who was his brother? He didn't know he had one. But he knew that wasn't the important part of the memory. There was something else, something which brought a cold, slithery sensation to the pit of his gut.

"The body of my yo…brother, creating the strongest…my name is Z…Dr…I'm your brother, Natsu."

The body, the strongest, none of it was making sense. Einar grabbed Natsu by the vest and the cold feeling intensified, but he quickly realized it wasn't dread. It almost reminded him of his inner flame, but it was another magic altogether. Einar's? No, Einar's was burning hot. This was…this was…

"Natsu."

Igneel? What are you…

"There is a seed inside you, one I hope to staunch but fear I will never. This seed can easily spell the downfall of all you hold close. Be wary, Natsu, and never…"

Einar's fist was closing in on his face.

Lucy…I hafta get back to her…

Then it wasn't; it was already grasped in Natsu's hand. Natsu's vision was still fading, but there was a certain look on Einar's face. For the first time, Einar was terrified. What did he see?

"Hey, Luce," Natsu said, jumping from the windowsill to her bed. Lucy sighed from her desk, not taking her eyes off her manuscript. "Look, I'm sorry for using that charm on you. I wasn't thinking…well, not that I ever…but I never ever want to hurt you, ya know?"

"You're hurting me now." She set the pen down and ran her hands through her hair.

"I'm really sorry! I can prostrate if that'll help." Natsu slid to the ground and prepared to bow his head when Lucy finally looked at him, and her eyes were just so…empty, it knocked the breath from his lungs.

"Natsu, look at yourself."

Natsu abruptly returned to consciousness with a gasping breath—it felt like he'd stopped breathing for a long time. His body had an odd weight to it, and when he looked down, he saw a fine coating of ash on his skin, slowly filling in the gaps of wounds. It had the sulfuric scent of Dark Magic, but, well…

"Please stop, please—no more—" He realized he was straddling Einar who looked really worse for the wear, his face massively swollen and purple, bleeding from welts like some large animal's claws. The anti-magic shackles had been removed and broken with the intact side clamped around one of his wrists. Horse and Goat were in no better condition, thrown about in the dirt like afterthoughts. And there were hordes of scattered footsteps all around—the auction building was empty, the people had escaped in a rush. From what, him? He would never attack innocents (maybe poke them in the eyes for participating in this in the first place) and they should know. But he had Einar begging for mercy underneath him, far more injured than Natsu could reasonably do in his state.

What in the gods' name did I just do?

He stood up in a rush and Einar scrambled across the dirt. His left leg had been broken really badly—Natsu could hear the bone fragments shifting around. "I never—never—a demon! A real one!" He could barely talk, sounded like his throat or his lungs took a good hit, but he kept saying that. Einar's words processed and he turned his back on everything.

"Told you already, I ain't no demon."

It wasn't the first time he drew upon some hidden power while he was cornered, yet it was the first time it left such an unsettling feeling in his stomach. But he couldn't mull over it just yet; with his leg fine and magic freed, he had a chance to run, and that's what he did. The cold feeling in his gut slowly intensified, seeping into his arms and legs, and Natsu recalled the rest of Igneel's warning.

"…never let that seed take control. As long as I'm here, you won't turn into a dragon, but as long as you live, there is a risk of turning into that."

His legs seized and he faceplanted into the shore inches from the murky river. He raised his head and spat out the slimy vines from his mouth and tried to burn away the dirt, but his Fire Magic wasn't coming up at his call. The blackness about his skin began to increase, and though he wasn't moving, he felt like he was sinking into a deep hole.

No—nonono! I'm a dragon, a dragon!

He tore at his arms with his nails and the Dark Magic slowly began to dissipate. However, the new wounds exposed swathes of scarlet scales between the skin. He was changing again…unsure if it was for better or worse.

Footsteps sounded from somewhere to the south. "This is the captain of the Jacaranda Rune Knight Outpost! Show yourself, demon!"

As the sun set, bringing the dusty grey of twilight, Natsu looked at his scaly arms and sharp claws and wondered if he could even be called that. Anyway, the panic from the auction house must have brought them about. And—Jacaranda? He vaguely remembered seeing it on the train station's map getting to New Retia. It couldn't have been more than a day and a half's journey by car, meaning long enough for Happy to have noticed his absence and sent for help. Then again, that would be irrelevant if he was prosecuted for whatever it is he did to freak out so many people.

He turned to run when an arrow sailed through the air and clipped the side of his ankle. An electric shock ran up his calf, causing him to tumble headfirst down a rocky cliff and into the murky water. He surfaced as the squadron of knights circled around him, the captain leading the charge with his sword drawn. Natsu's hand went to his Guild mark; the skin was raw and bloody from his fall and he could feel the scales forming over it.

"I'm not a demon," he muttered, staring the captain down. "And that arrow really stung."

"Not a demon, huh?" He took a battle stance. "Then tell me what those people witnessed." It was dark, not a chance of recognizing Natsu's face.

"They tried to market a wizard. Are you really taking their word for it?" The captain didn't flinch and Natsu scowled. "Natsu of Fairy Tail, does that ring a bell?"

"Is that so? Then let's see your face."

He let out a hard sigh. It wasn't going to end well either way. He brought his hand up to his face and lit a small flame. The Rune Knight with the bow gasped and went deathly pale.

"Acnologia!" he cried before releasing a volley of magical arrows. He deflected most of them with a gout of fire but one arrow struck his temple, yet it didn't go much further than skin deep. He pulled the arrow and realized there was a hard mass growing out the side of his head which broke the steel tip on impact.

"We'll need some backup," the captain muttered, taking some slow steps back. Natsu stood up a bit too quickly—his legs and feet felt odd, misshapen.

"I told you who I am already! Can you not—" He growled and spun at the archer when another few arrows whizzed by his ear. The archer shrunk back when Natsu raised a burning fist. "Can you not fire at me like some dumb beast!?" He turned back to the captain and fought to stay calm. "I was on a mission in New Retia to get a rogue Mage. He knocked me out and tried to sell me in that auction house over there. I got out and I'm trying to find my way home."

"If a Fairy Tail wizard had been in that place, we would have caught wind of it." Natsu's jaw clenched.

"It's not my fault you're slow to the punch. Hey—" The captain's sword was actually a chain sword; it lashed out like a serpent and caught Natsu's side, tearing the skin into ribbons. More scales surged out from that injury, covering his stomach and chest, and the meanest back spasm forced him to bow his head into the dirt. His shoulder blades were warping, making room for something else. He didn't have time to think about it before the sword was pressing into the back of his neck.

"Hauser, put on the anti-magic cuffs," he told someone. Natsu's laugh startled everyone as the cold material sealed around his wrist.

"Outta the frying pan and inta the fire," he muttered. His ears twitched at the distant sound of flapping wings. It was a small figure in the sky that was quickly diving down, lifting his hopes. "Happ—" he yelled, then he was whacked on the back of the head—probably by the flat of the blade. Stars burst in his vision, and right when he hit the ground, he thought, Shit, not again.

Natsu opened his eyes to find himself in his house, rocking on his hammock. His body felt weighted down, and even if it wasn't, he had a feeling his hammock was as metaphorical as it was literal. He wanted to think it was all some bad dream but he wasn't that dense.

"What's even happening to me?" he muttered, closing his eyes. "Feels like my body's fighting itself." He couldn't believe this all began from stupid mating hormones, but odder things have definitely happened.

"Do you regret it?" Natsu looked up to see Gray standing in the middle of the room, arms folded. His sense of smell was out of whack, but a gut feeling told him it wasn't really Gray. "Becoming a Dragon Slayer?"

"Saying that would mean I regret everything Igneel's done for me. So, no."

"But look what it's done to you."

"Eh, well. It sucks, don't get me wrong, but I'll find a way."

"How?" This time it was "Erza" speaking. "This isn't a typical problem you can punch away."

"Who knows? Maybe if I knock myself around enough it'll pass."

"This isn't a joke, Natsu." He scowled and turned his head away.

"I know the consequences. And I know what's at stake. But I'll never curse Igneel for taking me in. If this is the cost of the bonds I've made, I'm welcoming it with open arms. But this won't be the death of me." He forced his body upright and he looked forward. This time it was Lucy looking back at him, and he smiled despite himself. "I'm coming back to you," he said, knowing that wasn't really her. "I said I'd never leave you and I meant it. I will come back."

Author's Note: New year, new chapter. I feel like I'll eviscerate this one once I edit the entire story, it feels so...unsatisfying despite multiple edits. Nevertheless, this is the penultimate chapter, and the next one finally closes out this five year story. Thank you for everyone who's stuck by it so far, plus those who've joined in along the way! I know I'm terrible with updates and it means a lot to know that my writing is worth the wait.