Annie: Hey, everyone. This is a rewriting version of chapter three.
Just2protect: Natsu is starting to do training with Atlas.
Annie: Let the story begins.
June 30, X777
"Come on now Natsu, I know you can do better than that." Atlas encouraged as the long, slightly sharpened stick in his hand came up to block a blow from a similar stick in Natsu's hands. The Prince of the Fire Dragons jumped back, holding the stick like a sword and shaking a few short hairs from his eyes. His hair had grown to the point where he had to put it in a ponytail at the base of his skull to keep it out of his face during the day. The old scars from before his Blood Fusion with his father were covered by red scales that despite the fact they were as thin as Natsu's human skin, were stronger than any human armor, much like real dragon scales. Igneel was off to the side, watching his oldest friend and his son sparring with a distracted eye. It was clear that something was on his mind, but he refused to say anything of it. Natsu charged at his uncle again, relishing in the sharp CLACK CLACK CLACK of his stick striking Atlas' and the slight burn in his palm when he struck a little too hard, making the wood shift in his hand somewhat. Atlas nodded approvingly before pushing Natsu back with the stick.
"Now, let's show your father exactly what you can do." Atlas encouraged with a proud smile before Natsu smirked.
"Watch this Dad!" Natsu yelled, snapping the massive reptile from his thoughts. The boy closed his eyes for a second and his grip tightened until his knuckles turned white. The end of his stick began to burn brightly and spread down towards his hands.
"FIRE DRAGON TALON SLASH!" Natsu roared as he leapt into the air and slashed down towards Atlas with the flaming weapon. The other male leapt to the side and rolled but the attack still struck right where he'd been standing. The earth now bore four deep gouges very much resembling the marks left behind by dragon talons. The earth now bore four deep gouges very much resembling the marks left behind by dragon talons. Igneel nodded in approval and Natsu beamed brightly from the praise. Atlas cast a troubled look at his old friend and tossed the stick away.
"Natsu, why don't you get cleaned up, get something to eat then go to bed? You've earned it." The Prince nodded before running off towards the river that divided Igneel's territory neatly in two. Atlas watched until the boy was out of sight before turning into his dragon form and laying down beside his King.
"You seem rather distracted today, old friend. What troubles you?"
"Does nothing escape your eyes, Atlas?" Igneel chuckled, shaking his head. Atlas remained silent for a moment as Igneel took a deep breath.
"There is something on my mind. But I will not discuss it until Natsu cannot hear me." Atlas nodded and sat silently.
The two dragons remained so until the moon was high in the sky and the young Prince's snoring matched the rhythm of their own breathing.
"Is now a proper time to ask what is it that has you so distracted from your own son?" Atlas asked, turning to the red dragon. Igneel huffed smoke from his nostrils and stood until he sat squarely on his haunches, his eyes drifting towards the cave where his precious Natsu snored on, perfectly oblivious of the serious atmosphere surrounding his father now.
"I have been meeting with the other Royal Dragons. Their children are growing stronger as well, much like Natsu. But…as it would seem, you are the last subordinate of the Royal Dragons still alive today." Atlas' eyes widened.
"Do you mean…" Atlas shot a terrified look towards the cave then back to his king.
"What shall we do? Surely he will find them if he does not know of them already." Atlas hissed under his breath. Igneel gave his friend a hard glare.
"The reason I have been distracted…is because of a plan that the White Dragon King and the Iron Dragon King have come up with. And that is to magically infuse ourselves within our children. The Sky Dragon Queen outright refused at first. But after some discussion, she has been swayed into agreeing it would be best for her young princess." Atlas rose to his feet and his tail smashed against the ground.
"Have you gone mad? Have they all gone mad? If you all were to vanish, who would protect the children from Ac-" Igneel turned on his friend and snapped his jaws near Atlas' own massive maw.
"Do not speak his name!" Igneel snarled, shooting anxious glances at the cave. Natsu's snoring was interrupted by his sleepy cheer of something delicious.
"Metalicana made it clear. If we hide ourselves within the children, their scent will be mixed with ours to the point where even he won't be able to discern exactly who they are. All we can do is pray that none of the children run into him." Atlas glared hard at his king.
"And what of Natsu? The other children have not been through what he has."
"On the contrary, the humans became bold enough in the past few years to attack all the children at least once. The White and Shadow Dragon Kings nearly lost their boys if not for the lacrima they had to put in them. Let us be thankful Natsu never got that seriously injured."
"In the past few years? As in…"
"The White Dragon King claims that not even a season had passed between Natsu's return and when his own boy was attacked. Metalicana's boy was attacked a mere two years ago and the Shadow Dragon's boy just last year. And the Sky Dragon Queen reports her girl was attacked a mere three months ago. The child is a mere five years old." Atlas sat back on his haunches.
"When we do this, Atlas, I want you to take Natsu to a human town and hide there. Hopefully the scents of humans will cling to you and you will be able to hide as well." Atlas nodded.
"I will be entrusting him to you, old friend." Atlas nodded again, more grim than before.
"I will raise him as I would my own son. But, he will want to know what has happened to you. What am I to say?"
"Tell him I went away on a journey. That it is for the good of dragon kind. But tell him nothing of what the other dragons and I have planned. One day, we will return and upon that day, that demon shall fall."
"And when is this to occur?" Atlas asked solemnly, already not liking the answer.
"In a week, on July 7th."
Time skip: X777 June 30th
Igneel rested his cheek against his son's sleeping body one last time before gently licking his cheek before gentile nuzzling Natsu's cheek making Natsu smile in his sleep making Ingeel smile as well from the smiling Natsu in front of him sleeping so peaceful, so calm and so pure.
"You can still back out of this." Atlas pressed from his place against the wall of the cave in human form. Scattered around him were a few packages wrapped in brown paper; heirlooms for Natsu from his father with 4 shoulder bags (Japanese school bags like the ones in Japan) to put them in.
"This is the best way to protect him from that demon." Igneel said. Atlas could hear it was directed more towards the Fire Dragon King himself, rather than his friend.
"My boy is in your hands now, Atlas Flame. Raise him well." Atlas looked away, but nodded as he swallowed thickly. His eyes closed as Igneel's body began to glow red and shrink until he was naught more than a small sphere of red light. The light hovered for a moment before slowly sinking into Natsu's chest. Atlas' head turned back to the scene to see Natsu's body glow with the same red color his father had become and slowly, the light condensed over where his father had vanished into him, taking the form of a flame with three tongues with a dragon's horn crossing with a sword just as long.
"The crest of the Fire Dragon Prince, huh?" Atlas muttered as the light vanished and Natsu rolled over, ever oblivious to the fact that his father would not be there in physical form when he awoke.
The Next Morning, Natsu yawned widely as the sun's light began to peek into the cave and cast the warm rays over his face. The Prince's eyes fluttered open and he rubbed them as he sat up. He sniffed the air and froze. His head jerked upwards and sniffed harder. He couldn't smell Igneel's scent at all. Natsu's hands shot to the bed and launched him from the pile to land on his feet right in front of Atlas.
"So you're awake?" the dragon-turned-human said with a raised brow.
"Where's Dad?" Natsu asked. Atlas could hear the fear and near-panic in his Prince's voice and closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.
"Natsu, Igneel went on a journey and for right now, has left you in my care. He doesn't want you to go after him for right now. Believe me, this is for your own good. Do you understand?" Natsu's eyes widened at the news and his mouth opened and closed like a fish on the riverbank. His legs trembled and his hands shook as they came up to push through the shorter hairs framing his face.
"Dad… But… He…Dragons don't…I…" Atlas swallowed thickly again. While it may not have been well known among humans, but dragons never abandoned family, even if they were too weak and/or sick to be of any help or use. Despite being animals, dragons saw themselves as more reasonable and humane than the humans who claimed to rule the earth. Atlas laid a hand on Natsu's shoulder.
"He didn't abandon you. He just has to handle something that's too dangerous for you to be involved in for right now," he said calmly. Natsu's hands clenched into fists and his jaw clenched.
Annie: That's the rewriting chapter of chapter three. I added a couple of things here and there to make it a little bit better.
Just2protect: I can't wait to start chapter four. I also thought it might be a good story point to put in how even Igneel fears Acnologia so much he'd attack his oldest friend for saying his name. It would give the readers an idea of how much stronger Acnologia is than Igneel as well as when Natsu ends up defeating Acnologia, just how powerful this kid has become.
Annie: I know.
Just2protect: And my person idea would be to have him gradually surpass people around his so the readers watch this progression. He starts off with maybe Mira as a young teenager, then Erza, then Jellal, and so on and so forth until eventually, he surpasses Guildarts and Acnologia.
Natsu: Oi, what's the big idea of me losing Igneel like that?! You could of changed it where the dragons stay!
Both me and Just2protect: OUR CHOOSE, FLAME HEAD! CHAOS/PEACE DRAGON ROAR!
Natsu: *X.X*
Both again: Ja Ne! ^-^