Annie: Hey, everyone. This is a rewriting version of chapter four. Hey, Just2protect!

Just2protect: Nani, Ani? (What, Annie?)

Annie: Do you think you can explain the value of the jewels in US dollars?

Just2protect: Sure. 100 Jewel is equivalent to 1 US dollar while 1,000 jewels is equivalent to 10 US Dollar.

Annie: But what is 48,000,000,000 jewels in US dollars?

Just2protect: Hmm. 1,000 jewels is 100 US dollars and this number as 9 0's in it. I believe it's 1,000,000 US dollars if it was 1,000,000,000 jewels. With the 48 in front of it, I believe it's 48,000,000 US dollars.

Annie: Think the amount of jewels for the job we got for Atlas be changed for that amount?

Just2protect: I believe so. Why?

Annie: Babies are a lot of money and I think that amount would be prefect.

Just2protect: O...K.

Annie: Enjoy. ^-^

4 months later...

"Atlas…wake up." Natsu whined as he shook the massive man in bed.

"I want to go to the Guild Hall. Cana's cards said something important was coming today. What if its Igneel?" Atlas rolled over in bed with a groan.

"Natsu, believe me, if your father were coming back, both you and I would know of it already. Now please, let a sleeping dragon lie." Natsu pouted and sat down on the edge of Atlas' bed. "If you want to go so badly, you can go on your own, right?" Natsu perked up and nodded quickly, bouncing on his spot on the bed.

"Then go right ahead." Natsu practically leapt off of Atlas' bed, threw his clothes, sword and shield on and bolted out of the tiny cottage Atlas had been able to buy after his first job. As Natsu raced down the streets, he could hardly believe that only a few months ago, he would've been scared stiff of going to the Hall on his own. But now, he had friends within the younger generation of members. Cana, the brunette girl who'd been watching Erza and Mira fight when he'd first arrived, loved to show off her card magic by telling the future with it. Laxus and Gray made great friends to hang out with, as did Laxus' friend and teammate, Freed Justine, who used rune magic. Freed had long green hair that almost had Natsu mistaking him for a girl the first time he saw him and constantly wore red clothes and a sword on his hip. Erza hadn't tried stealing Natsu's sword since then but because he didn't join her team when she offered, she'd always given him a dirty look whenever they met eyes that made him want to duck and hide behind Laxus, although he never did. Mira had seen the little encounter between Erza and Natsu and tried to recruit the Slayer onto her team, only to be rejected as well. At that point, Natsu decided he didn't like girls too much, although Mira's younger sister, Lisanna, always seemed to try staying as close to him as possible with her sister keeping her away from anyone on "Team Erza" as the she-devil called anyone not on her team. Natsu rounded a corner and barreled right into someone's leg, landing back on the street on his butt.

"Natsu!" Freed said with surprise as the boy landed, letting out a whoosh of air as he hit the pavement.

"You alright?" Laxus said, offering a hand to the boy, who shrugged and pushed himself up.

"Yea. I just gotta watch where I'm going is all." Natsu explained, dusting off his pants.

"At any rate, why were you running?" Freed asked.

"And where's Atlas? Isn't he normally with you?"

"He normally is, but today he wanted to sleep in so he said I could head to the Hall on my own." Natsu explained as the three headed down the road, Natsu having to jog to keep up with Laxus and Freed's longer legs.

"Again, why are you so excited to get to the Hall today?" Laxus asked with a smirk.

"Because Cana said something big was coming to Fairy Tail soon. So I figured it might be my dad! And if it is him, I don't wanna miss him," Natsu explained. Laxus nodded, understanding.

"Anyway, what were you guys talking about when I came in?"

"Just a few people that have some rumors circulating around them." Freed explained.

"Why?" Natsu asked.

"One is a boy who uses Seith Magic." Laxus explained.

"The other is a girl who can turn people to stone by looking at her." Natsu's eyes widened.

"Freed thought they might make good additions to our team." Freed nodded.

"Both are powerful wizards for being only a bit younger than Laxus and myself. So I thought before our next job, he and I go try to recruit them to join Fairy Tail." Natsu nodded.

"But…even if you get them on your team…we can still hang out, right? I mean…you guys, the new wizards, Gray and me…right?" Laxus nodded with a smile as Freed mussed Natsu's hair in a friendly manner.

"As if we could ever replace you and Gray." Freed said with a smile as Natsu laughed at the treatment before covering his head.

"Leave my hair alone!" The Dragon Prince said with a chuckle as Laxus grabbed him by the shield strapped to his back, stopping from him from being run over by a group of women running by with potted plants. At that point, Natsu noticed how some of the townspeople were hanging colored flags from roofs and wrapping ribbons around the streetlamps.

"What's going on with everyone?" Natsu asked.

"They're preparing for the Harvest Festival." Freed explained.

"It's an annual event in which Fairy Tail is highly involved. There's games, contests and even a parade the Fairy Tail hosts that draw hundreds of people from all over the country."

"A parade?"

"Yea. Almost everyone in Fairy Tail gets involved one way or another," Laxus explained as they came up to the Guild Hall entrance.

"Can't you see what exactly is coming?" Gray asked as the three came inside. Cana was looking over her cards, biting on her bottom lip and shifting in her seat, trying to make sense of what she was looking at.

"No. I'm just getting an idea. The cards don't provide exact details. Heck, it might not even show up today. All I know is that the cards said it was coming soon. It could mean today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, whatever! All I know is that it will bring a great amount of pain but once that pain is gone, there will be an overwhelming happiness!"

"What's going on over here?" Laxus asked as the trio neared. Natsu plopped down beside Gray as Laxus leaned over the two to see Cana's card spread.

"She's trying to see if there's anything she missed in her reading yesterday, but so far nothing new." Gray reported.

"That's because card fortune-telling isn't supposed to give an exact date and time. It's supposed to give vague details so anything can be attributed to it. For example, if you tried driving a Magic Mobile and got in an accident and broke a bone, that could be the pain. But the happiness could be that you meet your Soul Mate while in the hospital." Cana said pointedly.

"She has a point," Laxus said with a shrug. Cana nodded.

"Hey, why don't you try telling my fortune? I'm kinda curious if this happiness thing is in my future." Natsu asked. Cana beamed and gathered her cards, shuffling them as she'd learned and laying them out in the proper order. She flipped them over one by one and hummed with each card before moving onto the next one.

"I see…Hmm…Interesting."

"What? What's interesting?" Natsu asked.

"Well…If I'm reading this right…It says you'll be in conflict soon…but then you'll be reunited with someone very precious to you. The next card says you'll be tested but the rewards will be great. And the last one says you'll rise above those who oppose you. So…I guess you have a fight with someone but you two make up later…As for the testing…maybe a test of trust or a test of will or even a test of strength in order to rise above your enemies?"

"Of course I'm gonna fight someone! I'm gonna beat the thing Igneel and Uncle Atlas are afraid of! And you said reunited?" Cana nodded and Natsu let out a whoop of joy.

"Alright! Igneel's coming home!"

"If that's the case, then what opponent will you overcome in the end, oh great fortune-telling one?" Laxus asked sarcastically. Natsu smirked and jumped up on the table.

"I'm gonna be the strongest in the whole Guild! Even stronger than you!" Natsu yelled, jabbing Laxus in the chest. The teen rubbed the spot through his t-shirt as he chuckled.

"We'll see about that, squirt." Laxus teased as he grabbed Natsu by the back of his shirt and plopped him back onto the bench.

"Oh I'll do it! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu cheered. Freed chuckled.

"I look forward to seeing how this plays out." The green-haired mage said with a smirk.

"Shut up," Laxus said as he pulled his headphones hours later and Natsu sighed as he poked at the meal he'd ordered. For some reason, his appetite had withered the moment Atlas had set it in front of him. Laxus ate his dinner without much trouble but kept an eye on Natsu as he finished his meal.

"What's wrong?" Laxus asked. Natsu shrugged.

"Just a feeling I've got. Something doesn't smell right around here…" Laxus paused a moment and sniffed the air. He didn't smell anything out of place.

"I don't smell anything…" he said. Freed moved over and pressed a hand to Natsu's forehead. Natsu was naturally warmer than a human due to his fire, much like how Laxus' lightning tended to raise his body temperature as well. The mage felt Laxus' forehead to compare.

"It doesn't feel like you have a temperature, so I don't think you're catching a cold…Perhaps you're smelling the perfume of a woman passing by the Guild?" Freed suggested. Natsu shrugged.

"It does kinda smell like a person. But I don't recognize the scent at all." Laxus stood up from his seat.

"Is something wrong?" Freed asked. The blonde smirked.

"Dad's coming home." Laxus said, his smirk growing until it almost looked like his face would split in half.

"Who?" Natsu asked. Laxus' grin relaxed some.

"My dad, Ivan. He's been on a job for a while now and I bet you're smelling him coming home."

"But if he's your dad…Why does his scent make my stomach turn?"

"If I recall correctly, the job was to eliminate a dark guild that was terrorizing a farming village, wasn't it?" Freed asked. Laxus nodded.

"You probably smell the wizards Mr. Ivan defeated." Natsu shrugged.

"Maybe…" Natsu muttered before the Guild doors opened. Natsu snapped around to see a dark-skinned man with dark hair and beard dressed in a dark shirt and matching slacks. Over his shoulder was slung a travel pack. The smell that had Natsu's stomach churning was stronger now and he had to swallow down the taste of bile as it came up his throat. Atlas noticed his nephew's discomfort and stepped in front of the boy, catching the attention of the man as he walked past. Laxus smiled at his father who stopped near the table.

"Laxus, you're looking well," Ivan said. Laxus nodded.

"You as well Freed."

"Thank you sir. You're looking well yourself?"

"How was the job?" Laxus asked.

"So far, so good. I'm all, but ready to finish them. I had to work my way into the ranks and make sure there were no branches in other cities. So now, I just need to recruit some help," Ivan said, his dark eyes coming to rest on Natsu and an almost-nude Gray.

"Gray, where are your clothes?" Gray didn't move to react, only stiffening and looking away.

"And who is this young man?" Ivan asked, looking down at Natsu.

"This is Natsu Dragneel, " Laxus said. "He and his uncle, Atlas Flame here, are new members." Ivan looked to Atlas and smiled as he extended his hand.

"An honor to meet the Master's son." Atlas said as he shook Ivan's hand. Atlas saw Ivan looking at Natsu as Natsu hides behind Atlas more as the man was making Natsu scared and afraid at the same time. Atlas saw this and spook on Natsu's behalf.

"Don't worry about my nephew, he's just a little nervous around men. Bad history with them when he was still with his father and I before his father had to leave to do something." Atlas said as Ivan nods his head, but missed the look that Freed, Laxus and Gray had on their faces as they were thinking what could of happened to Natsu while Natsu was sad about his father leaving him and Atlas.

"And I to meet our newest members." Ivan said. "If I may ask, what kind of magic do you two happen to use?" Atlas smiled.

"I use Hellfire Magic and transformation magic. In actuality, I'm a dragon. Natsu uses Fire Dragon Slayer Magic." Atlas said. Ivan smirked as an eyebrow raised.

"What a coincidence." Ivan said.

"I was hoping to recruit a few Fire Wizards for this job. Would you and Natsu be willing to help me out?"

"I'm afraid I'm not comfortable with Natsu going on jobs just yet. Even if I'm there." Atlas said.

"But I'll happily accompany you."

"Dad?!" Laxus asked.

"Freed and I can help you out too."

"I know you can, but I'd prefer you stay here. I'm afraid I need fire mages for this job," Ivan said. Laxus nodded and sat down. Natsu noticed his fist clenching where they couldn't be seen by Ivan.

"I'll help ya out Ivan," said another Guild member as he walked up. He had somewhat longer blue hair and Natsu never saw him without stubble.

"Thank you Macao," Ivan said. "But won't your wife need you at home? If I have the time correct, she gave birth to a child not too long ago, didn't she?"

"Yea, our little boy, Romeo," Macao said. "But to raise the kid, she knows I'd need a job or two every now and again. So how much this job pay?"

"The payment will be forty-eight trillion jewels which we are able to be split three ways at a grand total sixteen trillion jewels each."

" Sixteen trillion each?! If that's the case, I can retire." Macao said with a broad grin. Atlas chuckled.

"Perhaps for six years at most." Atlas pointed out before the two broke into chuckles again.

"Wonderful. I'll inform the Master. We'll leave tomorrow morning." Atlas and Macao nodded. Ivan turned and headed towards Makarov's office while Macao left the hall to tell his wife and prepare. Atlas mussed Natsu's hair tenderly.

"Hear that Natsu?" Atlas said.

"My first job working with others. Perhaps you should form a team of your own?" Laxus smiled and clapped Natsu on the shoulder.

"Atlas, trust me. Once Natsu's old enough, he's joining the Thunder Legion. Gray too." Laxus assured. Atlas threw his head back and released a laugh.

"In that case, Laxus. Would you mind looking after Natsu until I return? I know he's capable of caring for himself, but I'd prefer he stay with someone. And neither of us trust anyone in this Guild more than you." Laxus' eyes widened.

"Seriously?" Laxus asked. Atlas nodded.

"In that case, I don't mind at all. What do you think Natsu?" Laxus asked, looking at the boy. Natsu nodded.

"I'm looking forward to it!" Atlas smiled and mussed his nephew's hair some.

"In that case, I'll head back to the house to pack. Laxus, he'll be in your care come morning."

"Yes sir," Laxus said with a grin. With that, Atlas left the Hall, Natsu trailing behind him, pulling his hair back into its usual ponytail. That night, Natsu could hardly sleep. He wasn't nervous about staying with Laxus. More, he was excited. This would be his first time sleeping not only in a new place, but without Atlas or his father around since he'd been kidnapped as a child. He really liked being with Laxus and Freed and had wanted to spend more time with them for a while. To say he was excited would be an understatement. He tossed and turned all night, but he could never lay still long enough to actually fall asleep. And before he even knew it, morning had come. Natsu knew that Atlas wouldn't be awake for a little while so instead of staying in bed, he began to pack his bag with clothes, his sword, the crown, and a couple books Atlas had bought for him recently that were meant to help Natsu practice his handwriting and spelling. Once he finished, he pulled everything back out, set them all out on his bed and carefully repacked. He repeated this cycle, adding a shirt or a pair of pants here and there, until Atlas knocked on his door.

"Ready to go?" Atlas asked as he poked his head in. Natsu nodded, slung his pack on and wrapped Igneel's scarf around his neck.

"Ready!" Natsu cheered as he headed for the door. Atlas put a hand on his head and the boy looked up at him.

"You're ready to walk around the Guild in your pajamas?" Atlas asked. Natsu looked down at his sleeping shorts and chuckled.

"Oh yea, right. I'll get dressed. One second." Natsu ducked back into his room and quickly changed into a black vest, a pair of black pants and sandals before putting his pack back on, tying his hair back and all but racing to the Guild Hall. Atlas shook his head and chuckled a little as he attempted to keep up with his nephew. The boy skidded to a stop outside the Guild Hall entrance and Atlas had to bend over to catch his breath for a moment.

"Where do kids get so much energy so early in the morning?" he panted as he straightened up. Natsu shrugged.

"Maybe you're just getting old." Atlas threw his head back and laughed before mussing with Natsu's hair again.

"Perhaps I am." he admitted.
"Leave my hair alone." Natsu groaned as he pulled out the tie, combed it a bit with his fingers and tied it again. Atlas couldn't help another chuckle.

"What's so funny over here?" Laxus asked as he and Freed came around the corner.
"My hair apparently." Natsu muttered. Laxus smiled a little and stepped forward so he could pull Natsu into his side.

"Aren't you supposed to be headed to the station at this point, Atlas?" Laxus asked.

"Yes, just wanted to make sure Natsu got to the Guild safely." Atlas said with a smile.

"If anything comes up, don't hesitate to call me."

"Don't worry Atlas. He couldn't be in better hands." Freed said as he mussed Natsu's hair again.

"What is it with everyone and messing up my hair?!" Natsu snapped as he shooed Freed's hand away and retied his hair again.

"This is the third time today!"

"Sorry Natsu, I just can't help it," Freed chuckled. Natsu covered the top of his head with his hands, earning him a chuckle from Laxus.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. On another note, why are you two here so early?" Atlas asked. Freed pulled a few flyers from his jacket and handed them over.

"We were thinking of doing a job around town to keep Natsu occupied today. If there's anything you don't approve of…"

"No, this seems fine," Atlas said, looking over the flyers before returning them.

"If that's everything, I'll be headed off then." Atlas turned and headed off.

"Come home safe, Uncle Atlas!" Natsu called. Atlas waved before turning a corner and leaving Natsu's sight.

"Don't worry about him, he's got my dad and Macao with him," Laxus assured.

"I'm not worried." Natsu said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Uncle Atlas is a dragon. If things get tough he can just transform." Freed laughed and went to muss Natsu's hair again, but instead patted him gently.

"Alright. So Natsu, let's leave your pack at the Hall so we don't have to worry about it, alright?" Laxus suggested. Natsu nodded and shrugged off his pack, setting it just inside the door before he, Laxus and Freed headed off.

"So what's the job?" Natsu asked. Freed looked the papers over and the three stopped for a moment.

"Let's see…" Freed mused as he read the paper quickly.

"There's a woodcarver on the edge of town who wants some large trees cut down. He says it might take a few days to get it finished entirely. But he's promised compensation if that does happen." Laxus nodded.

"What do you think Natsu? Think it'll tire you out enough?"

"Sounds like fun!" Natsu cheered.

"So how are we doing this?" Natsu asked as he looked up and down the tree they were supposed to cut down.

"Well first we'll have to cut off the branches at the top." Freed said, stepping forward and pulling out his sword.

"If not, they could cause harm to one of us while we work." Laxus nodded.

"So Natsu and I can climb up and cut the branches off," Laxus offered.

"Then you use your enchantments to cut it up properly?" Freed nodded.

"I won't let you down," he assured. Laxus nodded and turned to Natsu.

"Need any help getting up there?" Laxus asked. Natsu shook his head and showed his fingernails.

"I should be able to climb like this," he said as he pulled off his cloak and handed it to Freed.

"Don't let anything happen to that, please." Freed nodded and Laxus rolled his neck before his lightning enveloped his entire body and he shot up into the branches, finding one near the top that could support his weight before the lightning vanished and he began snapping off branches, dropping them down to move on to another. Natsu leapt onto the tree and his fingernails dug into the bark as he pulled himself up the trunk and climbed until the trunk thinned and it almost bent at his weight. At that point he began to snap off branches like Laxus and dropping them down. Freed set Natsu's cloak and his own jacket to the side and gathered the branches into bundles as they fell, tying them together and dragging them to the woodcarver's woodpile.
It was nearing lunch when the client, a rather large-built man with skin marked with small burn and cut scars, dark hair and bright, cheerful eyes, emerged from his home and called the boys in for something to eat. Laxus and Natsu had managed to take off the smaller branches on the four trees the man wanted taken down and were beginning to work together on the larger branches with a saw. The client gave each of the boys a plate of sandwiches and a tall glass of water and after they'd eaten, told them to relax for a bit before going back to work. Natsu watched the man go over to a large oven with a long black rod sticking out with a bright orange bulb on the end. The man blew into the end a little before pulling out the rod and taking out a tiny hammer and tapping the orange bulb. Leaving Laxus' side, Natsu moved to the man's side and looked at the bulb.

"What's that?" he asked. The man chuckled warmly.

"I'm hoping to fashion it into a horse for a mobile my wife wants. We're expecting our firstborn."

"Congratulations." Natsu said, watching the man work.

"I didn't know you could make animals out of glass…" The man chuckled again and set the rod down for a moment to look Natsu in the face.

"Let me ask you this young man, what is your favorite animal?"

"My name's Natsu, and I love dragons!" The man nodded, stood and moved to a shelf off to the side, coming back with something in his fist. He opened up his massive fingers to reveal four small dragons; red, yellow, dark grey and white. Each had their own design and twisting tails. The red one had a horn on the nose and pointing off the back of the head. The dark grey one had a more rounded head than the others and no horns. The white one had a design down the back from the two horns on the head that almost looked like hair. The gold one had long whiskers and a mane around the head.

"And watch this," the client set the dragons off and began twisting the tails together one by one. When he was done, all four of the dragons had interlocked their claws and the tips of their noses were coming together to a point as if they were kissing. Natsu's eyes almost bugged out of his head at the sight.

"These were among my first attempts at making figurines of glass. I told myself I wouldn't give them to anyone unless it felt right." With that, he pressed the cool dragons into Natsu's hand. Natsu looked from the dragons to the craftsman with wide eyes before he licked his lips and stood up straight.

"Thank you sir…But…I can't take these. I mean, don't get me wrong, I want them…but I'm a wizard. I'd hate for anything to happen to them. They're so beautifully made…" The craftsman smirked.

"I'm also a wizard my boy. My magic is that I can make fragile things unbreakable. So you could throw these things against a wall or even step on them, smash a hammer on them, they'll never break." Natsu's eyes widened.

"I insist you take them." Natsu nodded.

"Thank you sir," he said before walking back to Laxus and letting the man return to his work. Laxus glanced over Natsu's shoulder at the figurines and smirked.

"Are they anything like the real thing?" Laxus asked. Natsu carefully pulled the red one from the bunch and set the others on his lap.

"This kinda looks like Igneel…The others…Well…The only dragons I ever met were Igneel and Uncle Atlas…so I can't say." Laxus nodded and went back to his sandwich. Natsu picked up the yellow one and pressed it into his arm. Laxus gave Natsu a look as glanced at the dragon.

"Here. I want you to have this one."

"Are you sure?" Natsu nodded.

"If we get more Dragon Slayers in the Guild and they become my friends too, maybe I can give them the other two. But this one seems to suit you." Laxus smiled and picked up the miniature dragon.

"Thanks Natsu." The group finished their meal and went back outside to the trees.

"I'm thinking…we could probably finish this quicker if Freed would use his magic to just get it all chopped up then we stack it all and we're done." Freed nodded. Natsu agreed and Freed pulled out his sword. The runes mage was quick with his work, and the end result was four trees turning into neat, nicely cut logs ready for a fire or carving. The boys spent the afternoon stacking the trees by the wall of the house and when the sun began to set, the work was done. The three went back to Laxus' house where Freed left the two to themselves. Laxus was quick to warm up some leftovers and serve up some dinner for them. The two were quick to eat through a few helpings of dinner before Natsu sat back in his seat.

"That's the healthiest appetite I've seen in a while," Laxus joked before taking another bite of his dinner.

"Yea. My magic's pretty powerful so I get really hungry," Natsu explained.

"Igneel said being a Dragon Slayer would cause a big appetite so…" Natsu shrugged. Laxus hummed thoughtfully.

"That explains that." Natsu looked up but the elder took another bite of his dinner.

"Well…that client sure was nice," Natsu said.

"Yea. Some will be like that, especially if they live in or near Magnolia. Fairy Tail may cause a bit of trouble, but they know we don't mean any real harm by it. We just really get into whatever fights come up against us." Laxus explained. Natsu nodded.

"Still…I feel we should do something for him," Natsu said as he pulled the three little glass dragons from his pocket and set them on the table. Laxus pulled his out and set it by the red one. Laxus took another bite and tapped the toe of his boot on the floor.

"Well…he said he was having a baby soon. Want to try making something for the baby so he doesn't have to?" Natsu's face brightened with a smile.

"Like a…oh what is it? Crap! Um…it's like a horse…goes back and forth…"

"A rocking horse?" Laxus suggested.

"Yea! That's it! What if we made one for the baby?"

"Okay. Tomorrow we can try to find some trees we can cut down to start carving it…That sound good?" Natsu nodded.

"Alright then. I'll clean up the dishes. The bathroom is down the hall and on the right if you want to take a bath before bed." Natsu nodded and ran off as Laxus washed the dinner dishes in the sink and put them away.
Natsu made his way down the hall but when he did, he saw two doors on the right side. He didn't know if Laxus meant the closer one or the further one. Going with his gut, Natsu opened the closest door and looked into the dark room that suddenly made him almost taste his dinner again. He covered his mouth and nose and fumbled for the light switch. Once the lights came on, Natsu could see a long silver table in front of him with several leather straps and buckles secured to the sides. He could smell metal and copper and salt water, even if the latter two were old. Natsu cautiously stepped inside and looked over at a far wall that was covered in odd black sheets with odd deep blue markings. He moved over to the wall and flipped another switch. Lights came on behind the paper and the blue markings turned white. Natsu could make out bones that Igneel had once drawn to teach him about human anatomy. But these bones were for a small child. The last one was of a skull with some odd lightning-bolt-shape right behind the right eye.

"What is this?" Natsu breathed before turning off the lights and closing the door behind him to try the next room, which ended up being the bathroom. Through his bath and even until he got into bed, Natsu couldn't stop thinking about what he'd seen in that one room. The skull he'd seen had a lightning-bolt-shaped…thing…inside it. Laxus had a lightning-bolt-shaped scar over his right eye. Even Natsu knew it didn't take a genius to figure out that Laxus had likely been the little boy in the odd pictures. But what was inside his skull, Natsu was half-dying to know. After roughly an hour of not being able to sleep, Natsu kicked the bed sheets off and made his way to Laxus' room. The elder teen was passed out on his bed, headphones still on and he hadn't even changed out of his clothes from earlier.

"Laxus?" The teen grunted in response, still mostly asleep. Natsu slowly crept in.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," the teen yawned as he turned over in his bed, his headphones slipping off his head.

"Why do you have a scar?"

"Got cut," Laxus grunted as Natsu came over and pulled the headphones away from Laxus and set them on the floor by the bed.

"How?"

"Lacrima," Laxus yawned.

"Dad wanted a tougher kid…Dragon lacrima makes tough kids." Natsu's eyes widened as Laxus rolled over again.

"Go back to sleep pipsqueak." Natsu nodded and quickly went back to the guest room, tucking himself into the covers again. Natsu wasn't able to sleep right away. Igneel had performed Blood Fusion on him only to save his life. But Ivan just wanted a tough kid, so he put a lacrima in his own son's head, right behind his eye? Natsu remembered once when Igneel was explaining how lacrima worked. A dragon lacrima needed either dragon's blood or hair or even crushed scales to have any power. But they were extremely dangerous and if something went wrong, they could easily kill a full-grown man, never mind a child. Soon enough, his eyes drifted shut and he fell asleep, dreaming of the massive dark-skinned man leaning over him with a scalpel. But just before he woke up, the scalpel changed into a clawed hand and Ivan's laughing face turned into a rounded head. Black scales replaced brown skin, blue marking swirling over the body and empty white eyes. The stench of something evil and heartless were the last thing he registered before he woke up. Natsu looked around the crowded city excitedly, weaving between people as he took in all the sights of the Harvest Festival. Laxus was having trouble keeping up with him as the elder struggled through the crowd, having to apologize to people as he moved and to girls who tried stopping him. He was the grandson of Master Makarov and what he did reflected his grandfather, and the whole of Fairy Tail. A few times he lost sight of Natsu in the crowd, only to catch sight of the head of pink-red hair again a few feet away. Laxus was seriously beginning to weight the pros and cons of tying a rope around Natsu's waist and attaching it to his own pants or simply tying it around his wrist. Natsu was having the time of his life. Never before had he seen such an event. The scents of the food was so thick he could practically taste them on his tongue, the sound of people's voices almost overloaded his ears, and the bright lights nearly blinded him. He didn't know how Laxus had managed to deal with it for years, but he figured if Laxus could, he could too. Suddenly, a hand grabbed his arm and yanked him into Laxus' side.

"Geez Natsu, how am I supposed to keep an eye on you when you run off like that?" the elder chastised.

"Sorry. I got excited." Natsu said, twisting his toes into the dust on the road. Laxus sighed.

"Just stay close. Freed's probably waiting for us near the parade route. You run off like that again, I'll tie you to me, got it?" Natsu nodded and Laxus let go of his arm. Natsu brushed at the wrinkles left in the fabric before he and Laxus headed towards the road where the Fantasia parade, apparently the biggest event of the Festival, would be happening later. The two eventually found Freed leaning against a wall where already a few people were beginning to gather, families on blankets or chairs they'd brought.

"There you two are." the rune mage greeted. Laxus leaned against the wall and Natsu took a seat between the teens.

"So we're just gonna stay here until the parade starts?" Natsu asked. Laxus nodded.

"Otherwise the crowd will be too thick to get through." the blonde said. "Aren't you glad I made you eat dinner before we came here?" Natsu nodded and leaned back against the wall.

"So Laxus, if you don't mind my asking, how goes yours and Natsu's little project?" Freed asked. Laxus smirked. A couple of weeks had passed since the woodcarver job and since then, Laxus and Natsu had been working hard on making a rocking horse for the client's coming baby. They'd managed to find a well-sized tree on one of the many plots of land Laxus' father had bought and had chopped it down and into pieces they could start fashioning into the toy.

"It's going pretty well. We just finished putting it together and so we should be ready to paint it tomorrow, deliver it the day after, right buddy?" Natsu nodded with a bright smile. Over the next couple of hours, Laxus, Natsu and Freed lost themselves in conversation about anything and everything that came into their minds. When the parade began, Natsu was completely enraptured by the sights that came with it. All the floats, the performances and even the costumes the other members wore had his utmost attention. And finally the finale came, a massive float where Gramps was at the top in the strangest costume Natsu had yet to see. A red cap with cat ears and a blue paw print on the forehead, matching fingerless gloves, a purple-striped shirt under a tan vest, green pants and massive red clown shoes had Natsu turning his head to the side in confusion. Laxus tapped his shoulder and motioned for him to stand up. Natsu did as instructed and the elder lifted the boy onto his shoulders.

"Remember the sign I showed you?" Laxus asked. Natsu nodded.

"Now's the time for it, alright?" The two of them raised their right hand, curling all but their index fingers and thumbs into their palms. One by one, the members who'd participated in the parade and even those scattered among the cheering crowd copied the signal until Gramps raised it as well. The crowd burst into a cheers on a level of sound that made Laxus wince and Natsu have to plug his ears with his fingers and cover them as best as he could with his hands, although it did very little to block out the sound. Once the cheers were done, the crowd began to disperse. Laxus set Natsu back down on the street and the three waited until most of the crowd had left before Laxus and Natsu said their good-byes to Freed and headed back towards Laxus' house. Laxus knew it was getting late and he was starting to feel a little tired. Then he felt Natsu's head hit his own back and looked behind him at the exhausted boy and smirked.

"Tired?" he asked. Natsu nodded. Laxus nodded and bent down in front of Natsu. The boy looked at him confused.

"Climb on. I'll carry you home." Natsu nodded and climbed onto Laxus' back with a yawn, wrapping his arms around Laxus' neck and snuggling into the teen's warm back. Laxus smiled and hoisted Natsu a little higher on his back before moving towards his home again. On the way, he almost ran into a small girl in a green dress with butterfly wings on her back. She had brown hair and wore glasses over dark brown eyes.

"Sorry about that." Laxus said as the girl looked at him with wide eyes.

"Tall." was all she said before walking away. Laxus shrugged and continued on his way. Natsu caught sight of a little boy with spikey blue hair dressed in dark clothes holding a few wooden dolls in his arms sitting in an alley. The boy looked at him with wary eyes and moved further into the alley as Laxus passed him. Natsu smiled and waved and the boy looked honestly surprised by the action before waving back shyly. Natsu started to feel the power of sleep and was trying to stay awake a bit longer, but he fell asleep and rested his head on Laxus's back. Laxus felt Natsu's head fall onto him and stopped to look back, seeing Natsu asleep on him before smiling and continuing to walk to his place. Laxus heard Natsu mumbling in his sleep and thought he was having a nice dream until he felt a wetness on his back. Instantly, he looked back again to see Natsu's cheek wet with tears. He carefully maneuvered the boy so he could carry him in his arms.

"No. Daddy...wha...no...Acno-. Why can't I sa-NO!" Laxus held Natsu more securely and the boy snuggled deeper into Laxus' chest. Laxus smiled gently at the tender action and began walking towards his home again. Laxus changed Natsu into his pajamas, tucked him into bed and was about to head back to his own room when Natsu let out a scared noise and turned over, all but strangling the covers under his hand as an unknown nightmare flashed before his closed eyelids.

"No! Stay away, Ac...no-!" Laxus sighed, removed most of his clothes and crawled into bed with the scared boy before pulling him back into his chest.

"Shh, it's O.K, Natsu. It's just a dream. It's not real." Natsu calmed down after hearing Laxus' voice and curled right up into the elder's chest before his breathing slowed down to a gentle, slow rhythm befitting a peaceful, restful sleep. Laxus turned the lights off and he too followed Natsu into the realm of dreams.

Annie: That's the rewriting chapter of chapter five. I added a couple of things here and there to make it a little bit better.

Just2protect: I can't wait for chapter six.

Both: Ja Ne.