Chapter 29
A Father's Gift
As soon as Natsu, Alu, Aries, Happy and Violet had gotten a good head start were as safe away as they could be, Aquarius let out a deep exhale and stopped her attack. She then immediately closed her Gate, disappearing in a light of water droplets.
Ivan sensed the Water Spirit disappear and lowered his shikigami shield. He quickly noticed that there was no one else left in the room except for him and Neo Leo. He shook with rage and yelled into the emptiness of the chamber. He whipped around sharply to his Spirit servant.
"Neo Leo!" he ordered sharply. "Hunt the Dragon Slayer down!"
Neo Leo, although weary and annoyed, didn't dare disobey his master. He just got up from his spot and nodded.
"As you wish, master," he gritted.
Ivan then pulled five more keys off his belt and clutched them angrily in his hands. The keys belonged to dark versions of Sagittarius, Cancer, Capricorn, Gemini, and Scorpio.
With a forced swish of his arm, Ivan opened all five Gates at once. In the blink of an eye, the Celestials Spirits appeared. Neo Sagittarius looked like another carbon copy of an over-the-top muscular centaur. Neo Scorpio looked like a little boy who was an aristocratic voodoo priest. Neo Gemini were two identical children with blue hair and big onyx eyes. Neo Capricorn a small brown goat dressed up in a yellow suit. Lastly, Neo Cancer looked like a break-dancer with an outrageous afro and oversized crab claws for hands.
"The same goes for you!" Ivan barked. "I don't care what happens to the brat or the Exceeds, but I want that Dragon Slayer alive! NOW FIND HIM!"
"As you wish, sir." Neo Capricorn replied.
"Alright!" Neo Cancer screeched enthusiastically. "This'll be totally rad, man!"
Without another word, the Neo Zodiac Spirits all headed out.
As soon as they were out of the room, Ivan suddenly grimaced. He dropped to his knees and gripped his right arm. Gritting his teeth, he rolled up his sleeve.
A patch of ugly yellow blotch was beginning to grow up along his lower arm. On top of that, but some blood vessels underneath were starting to swell and show.
The sight of it made Ivan cringe.
Natsu and his group kept on running down the hall. They wanted to get as far away from Ivan as they could. At the same time, they knew they had to find a place to stop. Alu wasn't doing very good, and she needed medical treatment right away.
Happy and Violet flew on ahead of Natsu and Aries, their eyes franticly scanning for any place that they could use to hide.
After a while, they began to hear footsteps behind them.
"They're getting closer!" Aries warned. "I can sense them!"
"Dammit!" Natsu clenched. "We gotta find some place to hide and fast!"
Fortunately, Happy rounded a corner and saw something that made him exclaim with relief. He quickly flew back to the others.
"Natsu!" Happy shouted. "Over here! Hurry!"
Happy disappeared behind the corner again.
Natsu rounded the same corner and saw that Happy was hovering next to an opening in the side of the rock wall. He and quickly went inside with Happy following him him. Violet and Aries immediately followed him. Once they were all in, Aries, Happy, and Violet all worked together to move a large slap of stone over the doorway, closing it off. From the outside, it looked like just another part of the stone wall. The small cave would've been completely dark if it weren't for some fluorescent crystals that shone brightly and lit the place up in a soft violet glow.
Once the entrance was sealed shut, they all dropped down to the ground on their knees and fell still for a moment.
For a few sickening moments, the group listened as the sound of footsteps got closer.
"They're getting closer!" Happy whined fearfully.
It was then that Violet jolted.
"Aries!" she exclaimed. "If you can sense them, then I think they can sense you, too!"
"Oh no!" Aries squealed. "I'm very sorry! I'll leave right away!"
"Thanks for your help, Aries." Natsu said to the Celestial Spirit. "I owe you one."
In a puff of pink smoke, Aries disappeared.
A few seconds after she did, the sound of the enemies' footsteps stopped right outside their hiding spot. Happy and Violet cupped their hands over their mouths, and Natsu held onto Alu tightly against him, making her squirm a bit in discomfort.
"Where'd they go?!" Neo Cancer's voice shouted.
"I don't know!" Neo Scorpio replied, frustrated. "They just disappeared!"
"Well don't just stand there!" Neo Leo ordered. "Find them and get that Dragon Slayer!"
Without another moment of hesitation, the Neo Zodiac Spirits ran off. Natsu, Happy, and Violet listened very carefully at the footsteps hurrying away.
In about a minute, there was silence.
"I think they're gone now." Violet whispered.
Natsu exhaled deeply, and Happy relaxed.
"We should be safe here, at least for a while." Happy said.
Natsu then turned his attention to his daughter. He carefully set Alu down and leaned her up against a large boulder in the corner to examine the extent of her injuries. Even the dim light, he could see just how beat up she was. He scowled when he saw that she had sustained quite a few scratches and bruises from that fight with Ivan. She was also very pale and cold sweat was rolling down her face. That was a sure sign that she had used up too much of her Magic Power.
But what worried Natsu the most was that her white shirt was stained deep red. She was covering it up with her right arm, but it was clear to see that it was causing her a lot of pain. And her left arm laid limply on the ground beside her.
Happy and Violet walked up to the two Dragneels, their faces clearly showing just how worried they were.
"Alu?" Natsu gently shook her. "C'mon, talk to me. Can you hear me?"
Slowly, Alu opened her eyes. Her vision kept fading in and out of focus, but she knew that her father was in front of her.
"I…I'm okay, Dad." Alu grimaced, her voice sounded rough. "I just need to rest for a moment."
"Yeah, right." Natsu replied sarcastically. "I'm starting to think that you're trying to get yourself killed."
"I came to save you." Alu glowered. "I don't enjoy getting beaten to a pulp, you know."
Natsu just sighed heavily and shook his head.
"I'm the Dad," he mumbled. "I'm the one who should be saving my family. But we'll discuss that later."
The Dragon Slayer then lifted up his right hand. Now that the effects of Neo Ophiuchus's poison were starting to completely wear off, he was able to summon a little bit of his Magic again. It took more effort than usual, but he was able to ignite a small, bright ball of honest red fire began to glow in his palm.
"Eat up," he said, offering the flame to his daughter. "You're going to need your strength. I can't help your Celestial Magic, but I can at least help your Dragon Slayer Magic. Just take it slowly though. You don't wanna get a tummy-ache."
Alu nodded weakly and opened her mouth as wide as she could. She then began to consume her father's flames. The streams of fire made their way to her mouth and down her throat at a very slow, unsteady rate. It was getting easier to swallow as she continued to eat the fire, and she was starting to feel some of her strength returning. Color was also beginning to come back into her face as her father's flames began to revive her.
When she had eaten enough fire, she exhaled deeply and leaned back. She immediately lurched forward again and gritted in pain. She tightened her hold on her stomach with her right hand and tightened her left fist.
Natsu gently pushed his daughter back up against the rock and grabbed her right arm to remove it. Alu resisted purely out of reaction.
"Just let me take a look." Natsu ordered, his voice firm but kind.
Alu obeyed and pulled her arm away.
Natsu's eyes widened a bit when he saw that her white sleeveless was cut clean through the middle. He lifted her shirt up just enough to see the extent of the injury. A cold wave of concern shot through him when he saw that there was a long gash across her abdomen.
That Dark Leo really got her good.
Luckily, it wasn't as bad as Natsu had previously thought. Regardless, it was still bleeding.
"Happy," Natsu said urgently, turning to the little blue Exceed next to him. "Do you have any bandages?"
"No, Natsu." Happy replied worriedly, paling at the sight of Alu's injury. "I'm sorry, but if I had known this would happen I would've brought some."
"Violet, do you have any bandages?"
"No, I don't." Violet shook her head. "I'm sorry."
"Dad, it's just a scratch." Alu protested. "I'll be fine."
"That's more than just a scratch, Alu." Natsu said. "We've got to at least stop the bleeding. Oh, if only Wendy was here. She could fix this in just seconds."
Natsu clutched at his scarf around his neck in distress as he tried to think of something. But what could he use?
Wait, his scarf!
Natsu looked down at the white muffler with an expression of revelation.
"Thanks, Igneel," he whispered.
Alu's eyes widened in surprise when she saw her father take the scarf off of his neck and began brought it down to wrap around her waist. What's more, he did without hesitation. Alu knew how protective her father was about that scarf, and how much it meant to him.
So why did he just take it off like that?
"Dad, wait, what are you doing?!" Alu said quickly, pushing the scarf back. "That's the scarf Igneel gave you!"
"I know," Natsu replied, "but you need it more than I do right now."
"But you told me how much Igneel meant to you! I don't want to stain a precious memento!"
Natsu brought his right hand to her face and lifted her head so that she could look him in the eye. His expression showed that he was calm.
"Alu, listen," he said slowly and caringly, "Igneel gave this to me as a gift because I was his son. It's a father's gift. And now, as your father, I'm giving it to you. Like I said, you need it more than I do. Don't worry about staining it. We can get it out later. But right now, just take it."
Alu looked down at the scarf and bit her lip. The emotion of the moment was starting to get to her and she felt like crying. She swallowed hard to force back the urge and nodded.
"Okay, I'll take it," she said softly.
Natsu nodded and immediately wrapped the precious scarf around his daughter's waist. He made sure to tie the knot securely so that it wouldn't come loose. Once he was done, he sat next to Alu and leaned back on the same boulder she was resting up against. Happy flew over to Natsu and set himself down into the Dragon Slayer's lap. Natsu responded by hugging the little Exceed. Violet hovered over to Alu and the girl reached out to welcome the Exceed onto her lap.
For a moment, everyone just sat still and said nothing.
After a while, Natsu felt like this was the perfect time to get some answers out of his daughter.
"So, Alu, you mind telling me why you ran off in the first place?" he asked. "Rogue said you didn't run away, but he refused to tell me anything else. So, do you care to tell me yourself?"
Alu said nothing. She just made a bit of a face.
At last, she reached over to her key pouch and felt around for a certain key. Natsu glanced over just in time to see her pull out a golden key. She brought it over to him and displayed it in the palm of her hand.
Natsu's eyes widened in shock. Alu was holding Aquarius's Key. Only it wasn't broken like he remembered it being the last time he saw it. It looked good as new.
"This is the reason I left." Alu said dully. "I overheard you and Mom talking about Aquarius the other night and I got the idea of repairing the key for her. So I, along with Aquarius and Aries, traveled to the Valley of Gates to fix it. I wanted it to be surprise, so I told Rogue not to say anything when he met up with you guys."
Natsu reached over and took the key out of Alu's hand. He stared at it with an impressed expression on his face.
"So that's how you were able to summon Aquarius," he said, turning the key around to inspect it.
Alu just nodded. Natsu held the key for just a minute longer before handing it back to his daughter. Alu simply took the key and put it back in her key pouch.
"Why didn't you just tell me what you were doing when I caught up with you in Onibus?" Natsu asked, raising an eyebrow.
Alu frowned. She then glanced away before mumbling, "You wouldn't have listened to me."
Natsu looked over at her with a stern expression.
"What does that mean?" he asked sharply.
Alu gave a pained scowl.
"I know you thought I ran away," she said bitterly. "And considering all the trouble I was in the day before; you wouldn't have believed me. You would've dragged me back to Magnolia and I would've been suspended from the guild. I heard you talking to Laxus. I know what he said."
"So let me guess," Natsu said, "you thought that if you completed this quest, then you would finally be accepted as a Fairy Tail wizard?"
Alu frowned miserably.
"Alu, you didn't have to put yourself through this." Natsu continued. "And you certainly didn't have to put yourself through that torture back there."
"Yes, I did." Alu muttered.
"No, you didn't." Natsu said, a little more firmly. "You didn't deserve to get beaten like that."
"It wasn't because I thought I needed to be punished." Alu interjected, grimacing. "I had to prove something."
This made Natsu fall silent for a moment. He turned and looked at Alu. The first thing he noticed was that there were tears brimming her eyes. They were trying to bust through her resistance, but Alu fought as hard as she could to keep them back.
"And what were you trying to prove?" Natsu asked tentatively.
Alu hesitated, lowing her head so that her bangs hid her eyes.
"That you right," she finally admitted. "I wanted to prove that you were right."
"Me?" Natsu blinked. "Right about what?"
"That I am strong." Alu replied, her voice starting to crack with sadness. "I heard what you said to Ivan."
Moments before…
Alu, Violet, and Happy reached Mount Zonia at the exact time the sun was beginning to set. Thanks to Violet's knowledge of the mountain, she was able to show them where they could find an entrance into the cave itself. It was a small crevasse that they had to squeeze through for about five minutes. When Alu and her companions finally got through, she was breathless and tired.
At the same time, after she became aware of her surroundings, she felt a strong, evil presence. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and it made her dizzy and sick. She shivered and hugged herself as she tried to fight off the nauseating feeling. She wasn't the only one who felt it. Happy and Violet both trembled and whimpered when they felt the same kind of darkness she did.
"What the heck is this?" Alu asked through chattering teeth.
"I don't know." Violet said. "I've never been inside the mountain before."
"Man," Happy shuddered, "it feels like someone just poisoned the air with condensed evil."
"Well, we're going to have to think about this later." Alu said, straightening herself back up. "We've got to find Ivan before Dad does."
Without giving it another thought, Alu began to walk down a tunnel that would lead her into the mountain. Happy and Violet walked closely behind her.
In about five minutes, they began to hear the sounds of battle cries and powerful attacks striking each other. As Alu listened closely, she realized that the sound was coming from the below the floor. Alu scanned the area and saw that there was wide crack just a few yards away from her. She ran over to it and immediately got down onto her hands and knees.
She looked down through it and gasped in horror. There was a room down below her and the Exceeds. And there were two people down in that room.
Natsu had already found Ivan. Worse than that, Natsu was engaged in battle with Neo Leo and Neo Taurus.
"Natsu!" Happy cried as he peered over Alu's shoulder.
"Shh!" Alu snapped silently, smacking a hand over Happy's mouth. "Quiet, Happy! They'll hear you!"
"Then what do we do, Alu?!" Violet asked in a worried whisper.
"Just wait." Alu ordered. "Wait and time our attack."
Alu turned her attention back to the fight going on down below her. At first, she felt a thrill of excitement as she watched her father hold his own against Neo Leo and Neo Taurus. She had to restrain herself from shouting out as he took them down. She soon forgot why she was so worried in the first place. Natsu looked like he had the situation under control.
However, that excitement was quickly replaced with dread when she saw Ivan summon Neo Virgo, Aries, and Ophiuchus.
Alu, transfixed, watched in terror as those three Dark Spirits overwhelm her father and inject him with that horrible substance. She watched as they dragged Natsu over to alter and chain him up.
Alu suddenly found herself very afraid. She didn't know what to do next. There was no way she could stand up to Ivan now. He was too powerful for her.
What should she do?
It was then that she heard her father speak.
"Alu." Natsu finally said, his voice rough and weak.
Alu snapped back to reality at the sound of her name and looked down through the crack.
"Alu." Natsu repeated to Ivan, trying to raise his voice. "Where's…Alu? Tell me."
"You're still worried about that brat?" Ivan questioned, genuinely confused. "You're about to have your soul stolen and all you can think about is the girl? I don't understand why you care about that little misfortune anyway. She's hardly worth anything if you ask me."
Alu winced painfully at that remark. Was Ivan right? Was she hardly worth anything? That thought lingered in her mind as she listened to the rest of the conversation below.
"A little weakling like her didn't deserve to be in Fairy Tail or any other guild." Ivan went on. "Wizards are only useful when they have power."
"Is that why you implanted a lacrima inside your own son?" Natsu growled savagely. "Just because Laxus was weak back then, didn't mean he was useless."
"You're one to talk, Dragon Slayer." Ivan replied. "I bet you and that blonde wizard had a Dragon Slayer lacrima implanted in your daughter before she was even born."
"Never!" Natsu tensed, using all of his strength just to shout. "I would never do that to Alu! And neither would Lucy! The power Alu has is hers alone! It was in her blood ever since she was born!"
"So, you're perfectly content with having a dead-weight of a daughter?" Ivan sneered.
"Alu's not dead-weight!" Natsu shot back. "She was never dead-weight to me, or Lucy, or anyone else in Fairy Tail!"
"Of course," Ivan grinned mockingly, "because everyone Fairy Tail 'loves' their members no matter how pathetic they are. You know that keeping weak members in strong guild will only put you in peril. Just like now."
"How's that?" Nastus snarled.
Alu could tell that her father was getting very annoyed at this point.
"C'mon," Ivan said, "it's because of that little brat that you're in this mess. You just couldn't abandon her even if you wanted to. Because Fairy Tail never leaves any of its members behind. And that's what's gotten ensnared in my trap."
There was a short silence. Alu felt her heart sink. Ivan was right. It was because of her that her father was in this mess. If she hadn't run away, he wouldn't have been captured like this.
It was her fault. It was all her…
"You shut your mouth." Natsu suddenly glowered. "All this garbage you're spewing is makin' me sick. I came after Alu because it was my choice. And I have no regrets."
Alu looked up in surprise. She saw Natsu slowly lift his head up and stare at Ivan straight in the eye. His face was full of determined sincerity.
What he said next changed everything for Alu.
"I never once saw Alu as a misfortune. And I defiantly never saw her as a commodity. All that stuff you say about her being weak and useless is a load of crap. You don't know anything about her. She's one of a kind. She works hard. Puts her heart and soul into everything she does. And she never gives up, no matter what. She may not be strong in Magic, but she has the most powerful heart I've ever seen. So what if she has a Magic Deficiency? That makes no difference to me. I wouldn't even care if she was born without Magic. I'm just happy to have her in my life. Nothing can ever change the love I have for her. I'm more than proud to call myself her father."
At that, Alu brought her hand up to her mouth and, for the first time in a long time, began to cry. She didn't even care that Happy and Violet were watching her. She had almost forgotten that they were there. A warm, deep glow began to shine in her heart when she heard those words her father spoke.
He believed in her. All this time, he had believed in her. The very person she had looked up to, admired, and strived to be for so long had faith in her, even after the mess she had gotten him into.
Just knowing that filled Alu with happiness.
She then heard Ivan speak again.
"Well, aren't you sentimental," he said harshly. "But you're also delusional. And I've grown tired of this idle chat. Say good night, Dragon Slayer."
That was it. Alu didn't need to think twice about what she was going to do.
She was going to save her father. That decision was absolute.
With a burst of willpower, Alu busted through the ceiling in a spectacle of Dragon Slayer Magic and shot downwards, ready to confront Ivan.
Back to the present…
Natsu blinked. So Alu had heard him. She was there the whole time and saw everything.
Alu twisted her mouth and tensed her body.
"But I failed," she whimpered. "I failed again. No matter how hard I try, I just can't win."
Ashamed, distraught by her loss, and unable to contain the tears that were welling up in her eyes, Alu suddenly brought her hands up and hid her face in them. Violet shifted her position so that she slid off of Alu's lap.
At last, Alu let herself cry.
"Why?!" she sobbed. "Why do I have to be so weak?! I don't understand! Just why?! I can't win any fights by myself! I hate it! Why do I have to be such a burden?! Ivan was right! I am a misfortune!"
Suddenly, Alu felt something grab her shoulder. The next thing she knew, her father pulled her in close to him and embraced her tightly, pressing her up against his chest. She was so surprised by this action that she tensed up and caught her breath. He clung to her so tight that Alu felt his arms trembling a bit from the force of it.
"Don't ever say that." Natsu whispered. "You're not a misfortune."
He sounded forceful, but not in an abusive way.
"Dad?" Alu whimpered.
"Ivan doesn't know you at all." Natsu went on. "He has no right to call you that. Nobody does. Your mom and I never saw you as that. How many times do I have to tell you before you believe it?"
Alu grimaced. Her heart tugged with self-pity. She couldn't contain her feelings anymore.
At last, she said something she never wanted anyone to know.
"When I stop hating myself."
Natsu tensed when he heard that. Happy and Violet stared with wide-eyed shock. They didn't expect Alu to say that. Nor did they ever expect to see her openly showing her feelings of self-anger, sadness, and frustration.
"I admit it," Alu choked, "I hate myself. I hate myself for being weak, for being angry all the time, and for just not knowing who I am. I feel like some part of me is missing, but no matter where I look, I can't find it. How can I like myself if I don't even know who I am? I just…I don't know…what to believe in anymore."
Alu couldn't go on. She had already felt like she had spilled her guts. She was embarrassed by it, along with all her other negative emotions.
Natsu pulled her in closer.
"It's okay," he said softly. "I know you're frustrated. And I'm sorry. I should've found some way to help you. But you need to know this. You're stronger than you think. The way you stood up to Ivan was brave. You're fearless, Alu. Don't ever forget that."
Alu sniffled and shuddered.
"And above all," Natsu continued, "never forget this: I love you. And so does your mother. We're happy to have you in our lives. And remember that I'll always be proud of you, no matter what."
Those words were meant to be encouraging, but they just stabbed Alu with guilt.
Alu couldn't hold her emotions back anymore. Her heart ached, and her soul shook. With a sob, she buried her face into her father's chest and let her tears fall as he held her in his strong arms. He was so warm and full of comfort, and she held on to him like he was a lifeline that would prevent her from drowning in her own sorrow.
Happy and Violet both started crying as they watched this. It was both touching, but also so sad for them. For Happy, who had known Alu ever since she was born, found it heartbreaking to see her in such a vulnerable state. That wasn't like her. She was always so stubborn and strong in his eyes. It hurt him to see her this way.
Violet walked over to and reached out to place a paw on Alu's left arm. As she did, her eyes caught something. When she looked to see what it was, she recoiled and gasped in horror.
"Alu!"
This got everyone's attention. Alu and Natsu pulled away from each other and turned to look at Violet. The purple Exceed was pointing at Alu's upper arm. Her paw was trembling, and her eyes were filled with horror.
Alu looked down, and was she saw made her heart leap up into her throat with fear.
On the upper part of her left arm, just centimeters below her shoulder, was a patch of pearly-white scales!
Alu couldn't speak, her breathing became staggered. Again, her body was changing in unnatural ways, and she didn't know why.
Why was this happening to her? Just WHAT was happening to her?
Natsu inhaled sharply and brought his hand up and examine it. There was no doubt that those were scales. They were smooth and flat, but Natsu could tell that they were super strong. And they felt familiar. He had felt these kind of scales before. They were only on one other creature he knew.
Igneel, his foster father. Who was a Dragon; clad with scales.
"What's happening to you?" Natsu whispered, disturbed.
It was then that Natsu remembered something. He looked over Alu again, and his eyes locked right onto her face. Only now did he realize that she had a streak of emerald green in her hair, and her right eye was cyan with a slit for a pupil.
He stared as the eye reminded him of…a Dragon's eye.
Natsu immediately remembered something else. When Ivan was about to attack Alu with the Shikigami Bomb, she had screamed in pain and clutched her left arm, even though Ivan didn't strike her. He thought it was because of a wound that Ivan had inflicted before, but when Natsu thought about it, he realized that she had grabbed the same spot that the scales were now on.
But after that, her power had seemed to increase enough so that she and Aries could do that combo attack.
On top of that, but it occurred to Natsu that Alu had opened two Zodiac Gates at the same time: Aquarius and Gemini. Alu had never been able to do that before.
Suddenly, it struck Natsu like lightning.
Alu's dramatic changes; the color of her flames changing from orange to white; and even regaining her strength and Magic Power during the middle of her battle with Ivan moments ago, despite the fact she had used up all her Dragon Slayer Magic before.
This wasn't any normal transformation.
Natsu remembered what Igneel had told him about Acnologia being a Dragon Slayer who turned into a Dragon. Igneel also told Natsu that one of the reasons he, and the other four Dragons, had sealed themselves inside the Dragon Slayers was to create antibodies to prevent the Dragon Seeds in the Slayers from turning them into Dragons.
Since Laxus was a Dragon Slayer because of a lacrima implanted in him, he didn't need to worry about that transformation happening to him.
But Alu…
Alu was BORN with this power.
Then something that Ivan said before stormed into Natsu's mind.
"I bet you and that blonde wizard had a Dragon Slayer lacrima implanted in your daughter before she was even born."
Natsu knew that he and Lucy never implanted a lacrima inside Alu. But it was clear that Alu had inherited a lot from Natsu.
Did she also inherit a kind of Dragon Seed from him as well?
Was the reason Alu was able to use Dragon Slayer Magic because she had a Dragon Seed inside her, even before she was born? Was that even something that could be passed on through genetics? It might be. As far as Natsu knew, the only way Alu could use Dragon Slayer Magic was if she had a Dragon Seed.
And the only way she could've gotten that power, was from someone who was a First Generation Dragon Slayer.
Natsu was a First Generation Dragon Slayer.
If that was true, then in a way, Natsu DID implant something in her to give her Dragon Slayer Magic. Through his genetics, he implanted a Dragon Seed in her.
What's more, Alu never had a Dragon to create antibodies for her. Judging from the way she was transforming, the antibodies that prevented Natsu from transforming didn't get passed onto his daughter.
All this had never occurred to Natsu until now. He was beginning to feel very, very sick.
Was Alu turning into a Dragon?
Natsu couldn't bring himself to voice that. He tried to swallow back his fear, but that emotion of anxiety didn't leave his eyes. He grabbed hold of Alu again and pulled her in, holding her closely to him as if for dear life.
"Dad?" Alu whimpered.
"Alu," Natsu said, "we have to get you back to Fairy Tail now. If we don't…I think you'll become a Dragon."
Alu froze, terrified. Was that what was happening to her? Was she becoming a Dragon?
She had heard what had happened to Irene when she became a Dragon. Was she going to face that same fate?
"But…what can we do?" she asked fearfully.
Natsu hesitated. He curled his lips into his mouth and bit them.
"Alu, listen to me," he said, his voice was very low. "You've got to be brave, okay. I know this won't be easy for you, and it kills me to say this, but this might be the only way to stop your transformation."
Natsu paused. He really didn't want to say this. It tore at him to even consider this option, but he had to think about what was best for his daughter.
At last, he finally said it.
"We're going to have to take out the Dragon Seed inside you."
That was one of the hardest things Natsu had ever had to say to Alu. It pained him to even think of saying it at all.
Happy and Violet stared in horror as Natsu said those words. Natsu would only say that if the situation was dire. And right now, it was looking to be that way.
Alu couldn't speak at all. That statement just added onto the fear she was already feeling. She felt heavy and numb from shock. Her strength left her, and she slumped against her father.
To stop her transformation into a Dragon, Alu would have to have the Dragon Seed inside her surgically removed.
It wasn't the surgery part that scared Alu to death, it was the consequence that would come from it.
Without the Dragon Seed, Alu would no longer be able to use Dragon Slayer Magic.
She would never be a Dragon Slayer again.
Alu didn't know what was worse: becoming a Dragon, or losing her Dragon Slayer Magic forever.