Laxus walked for what seemed like an hour as Happy eventually caught up. He flew just behind us so he could talk with me as I was still being carried.

"So you have a sister too?"

"Yeah, Layla, she's got mom's keys, except Aquarius. Those two don't get along so I tend to keep her key because we get along fairly well. They still come through using mom's magic though. Mom can actually summon them without having the keys on her."

"Wow, I guess even without being in the guild Lucy got stronger. What about Natsu?"

I looked away, "he's gone. He left my mom and I before Layla was born. Haven't seen or heard from him sense. He can rot in help for all I care."

Laxus finally joined in, "you shouldn't talk that way about family. There was a time I was ticked off at my gramps, I wish I could have had the time back. However, Natsu abandoning his family doesn't seem like something he'd do with out reason."

Without warning he threw me to the ground. In an instant, he ripped off the things that made me feel safe.

He tore off the bracers.

"Get up," he ordered.

In all reality, I could barely move. My body felt like it was super heated in a painful way. I crawled over to where the bracers laid slowly, reaching out a hand only to have him kick them away.

Sweat beaded down my forehead as I tried to keep the burning feeling down. It wanted out, but I didn't want to let it out.

Laxus looked down at me as he circled. He drew in a breath, "don't fight it. I can feel your magic power. The fact that you have that much is already astounding."

"I...don't...want...to...use..." a bolt of lightning slammed into me, knocking me backwards. I barely kept my concentration as I willed the power down.

Happy flew next to me, "Nashi! Are you okay?"

"No..." was my answer as I struggled to my feet and drew my sword.

A bolt of electricity zapped it from my hand and another one knocked it away before Happy yelled and flew away, "maybe this isn't the best way..."

"We don't have time. She has to learn quickly. If I can put her under enough stress, she'll let go. Then we can start."

I raised my fists and clenched my jaw and ran forward one of my fists was extended behind me as I went in for a punch.

"Just like your father," he smiled as he met mine in a fist of lightning. I was thrown back. This was far worse than when he was mind controlled. I panted and turned to look at him before he reared his head back, "Lightning Dragon..."

"Laxus! No!"

"ROAR!"

The attack hit me square in my side, blasting me through several trees. I groaned as I felt my concentration slipping.

"How do expect to fight against wizards if you can't even attack back? Are you Natsu's Daughter or not?"

He picked me up by my shirt collar and his fist became shrouded in electricity, "who are you?"

I gritted my teeth, "Nashi, the Dragon Blade."

"No, you're nothing in this instant," his lunch landed in my gut.

In that moment, something in me snapped. Anger swelled up and I exploded.

Or more accurately, my magic did.

Gold and red flames erupted from my body sending Laxus and Happy flying as the area around me became that of the nightmarish landscape from my dreams. Flames cloaked the trees as fire blazed in the clearing. I sank to my knees as my hands were engulfed in a golden flame.

"You are the flame," the voice from my nightmares echoed in my head as I took a few steps back.

A laugh was heard over the flames as Laxus stood up, throwing off his cloak, "alright! Now we're getting somewhere!" he jumped in the air toward me, "LIGHTNING DRAGON HAMMER!"

I jumped back as the lightning struck the ground where I was, words filled into my brain. I had my fists at my sides as they blazed gold and true, "is that the best you got Laxus?"

He rushed forward and was getting ready for a punch, he didn't expect my next action. I jumped skyward and looked at the ground, "FIRE DRAGON HEAVENLY FLAME!"

A gold pillar of flame sprang down from the sky and slammed into Laxus before I hit the ground to follow up, "FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

The Lightning Dragon Slayer grunted as the quick follow up knocked the breath out of him. I took a step forward before the reality struck through me.

I was using magic.

The crackling of the flames around me softened as I sank to my knees. A tree fell behind me somewhere as tears began to slide from my eyes. My hands were still covered in flames before slowly going out. I could still feel the magic coursing through me. Footsteps came closer as Laxus approached.

He crouched down, "you did good kid. You did good."

Happy was overjoyed as I picked up my bracers and carefully placed them back on as a few years still fell down my face, "you did it! Hey, why are you crying?"

"I...I don't know Happy," I croaked before walking over to place my sword back in its scabbard.

"If it makes you feel any better you have your dad's magic. He was a Fire Dragon Slayer. Although I don't know anything about that giant pillar you called down. Maybe that was from Lucy's side of the family!"

I sniffed, "I really don't want to talk about magic right now. I just want to..."

I kinda blacked out after that.

I woke up to Simon, Happy and Laxus sitting next to me in my tent, my body still felt like it was humming, "what happened?"

Asuka spoke up from behind the others, "well, apparently the beating Laxus gave you along with the stress of the sudden influx of magic, once the adrenaline stopped you fell unconscious."

I slowly sat up as the soreness in my body was considerably less. The bracers were loosely strapped on as Laxus broke the bad news, "as far as negation, they don't work anymore. They're just pieces of armor now."

I looked at them. A small crack ran along one of the metal plates as I glanced over it. I opened my hand and closed it before throwing off the blanket. The few people around all moved to try and assist but I held up a hand, "I need to take a walk and think..." I started to move toward the opening of the tent before Laxus put a hand on my shoulder, hard.

"Your father would be proud."

As much as I hated my father, that struck home. My mom never said she was proud of me. It was always "Good job Nash," or "way to go kiddo", never "I'm proud of you."

A single tear fell from my face, "thank you."

I left the tent only for Happy to fly right up next to me, "hey! I'm coming with you."

I rolled my eyes, "if you insist. I can handle myself."

"Oh really? Where is your sword?"

I tripped and fell on my face at the realization that the familiar weight on my back was gone.

I scrambled back, throwing open the tent flap, "where is my sword?!"

"You have magic, you don't need..."

I punched Laxus in the face, "where is it!?"

He held his face in one hand, "it's in your tent, geez, you don't need it though..."

Simon shook his head as Asuka explained it to him while I walked out, "magic is new to her, in the meantime, she knows how to use a sword very well. Also, having it probably makes her feel less threatened."

Asuka was right about that part. I felt more at peace with it on me. A walked briskly to the tent and snatched it up and slung the scabbard over my back. I let out a breath before walking away from camp with Happy next to me, "so where are we going?"

I shrugged, "I have no idea. I need to think."

"Be careful."

"Gee, thanks cat."

The two of us continued in silence for a while as the sounds of the base and it's people gave way to the sounds of a few babbling brooks and soft breezes that ruffled the trees. I walked across a log over a stream as Happy asked the inevitable, "why do you talk about your dad in past tense?"

I stopped and found a very interesting piece of wood, "it doesn't matter."

"Come on, you seem upset whenever he gets mentioned. What happened?"

I sat down, "he abandoned us."

Happy blinked, "no, that doesn't sound like Natsu."

I shook my head, "just over thirteen years ago. That was the day he gave me this," I said, tugging on the scarf, "I wear it so I remember that I can be a better person than he ever was. Layla wasn't even born at that point. Neither Mom or I have heard from him since."

Happy came to the ground next to me, "well if I see him I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind, he shouldn't have left."

I laughed, "get in line, he may not be alive after I get done with him!"

"You really hate him?"

I thought about it for a second, "yes, and also no. I hate what he did. I hate that he lied about coming back. I love him though, because he is still my father."

"Aye, I hope one day you find him."

I kicked the dirt, "I don't want to. It would just ruin the house all over again. I don't want to see mom cry like that ever again. Try being a three year old and having to coax your mom into eating. It's not fun. I wasn't sure we were going to live. That's when I heard about it."

His ears twitched, "about what?"

"The swordplay tournament. I enrolled because of the prize money. We were running low on money for food so I grabbed a kitchen knife and I ended up winning. We had food. Then I started to pay more attention. I grew up, mom slowly started getting better, Layla was born and I got better and better. I started watching clips of famous swordfighters. Kagura, Minerva, and most of all, Erza. I started learning technique. Even got Capricorn to help me with it behind my mom's back. I'd sneak in some training whenever I could. Aquarius even gave me a blessing so I wouldn't get motionsick on water transportation as I went to a Swashbuckling tournament. Fought on the rigging of a ship. I eventually got my own armor but my mom wouldn't let me mark it up with paint or anything."

"Probably because she was worried you might make it look like Erza's!"

I gave a faint grin, "I was halfway through painting a Fairy Tail Guild Mark on it when she caught me and helped me scrub it off. She said I could get us both in trouble for it."

Happy grinned, "wow, you really are a fan of hers!"

I slid my standard off my back and drew my sword, letting the light glint off the blade, "I always told my mom, that if I was ever able to use magic, I wanted to use magic like Erza Fernandes."

"So why don't you have the armor now?"

I shoved the sword in the ground, "I had to sell it. Layla got sick and mom couldn't afford the medicine with just her book sales. I dropped out of tournaments while she was recovering. I never went back to take my title."

"Maybe after this is over, you'll have a new one."

I looked at my father's friend, "what do you mean?"

"You are a Dragon Slayer, right?"

My hand lit on fire in response, "I guess so. It kind happened so fast. I just reacted."

We sat in silence for a moment, the only noise being the wind and the crackling flames in my hand. Happy took in a breath, "so what are you going to do after this?"

I paused, "originally, I was just gonna pass through and meet my mom on her book tour. Now, after finding out everything, I'm not so sure I can face her easily. Family shouldn't lie to each other."

Happy stood up, "you should join the guild?"

A breeze swept through the area as I replied, "join...Fairy Tail?"

"You could go do jobs and earn a lot of money to support Lucy and your sister!"

The thought of it made me a little excited. It would mean I could be more independent. I clenched my fist, "maybe I will. But the guild hall has to be taken back first."

"So what's the plan then? It's not like you can kick open the front doors and charge in."

I grinned.