I would like to start this off by saying a huge thanks to those who reviewed and favoured the story, It is my first fan fiction, so it was a nice confidence boost. I hope I do not disappoint

Belenus

It has been two months since Natsu's flames changed, since then guild life has been a struggle. He only held a small amount of people as friends now, Happy, Gajeel, Mira, a new Dragon Slayer from the Alliance against Oración Seis called Wendy and with her return from Edolas he now speaks to Lisanna.

The group have taken note of the increasing distance being driven between Natsu and his old team, even though he has not had another 'rage episode' since that day, against Laxus, but they have still noticed him falling further from them. He has taken to going on missions with a new team, mainly Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy, along with the exceeds and now Lisanna comes for some missions.

During this time he has started to heal some of the emotional damage from his team leaving him behind, he has grown far stronger as he has dove into training with a determination that no one has ever seen before in the boy, hoping to achieve S-Class so he can prove to everyone that he is still Natsu, and still strong without the Black Flames.

At the guild it was still quiet, everyone still noticing the absence of Natsu's colourful attitude, starting fights in the guild, being loud, making everyone laugh, everyone just wished that none of the Fantasia nonsense happened so that Natsu had not used those flames, so things could go back to how they were.

Walking to the guild, Natsu was walking with his 'son' Happy sitting on his shoulder. Since that day, Natsu has changed both Physically and Mentally, his attitude and demeanour has changed completely, he is no longer childish and reckless, he rarely has happy expressions on his face unless he is on a mission with his fellow Dragon Slayers as they seem to be the only ones who understand what happened to him, even Laxus to some extent understood he had no control over it, although his damage pride refused him the ability to forgive him. But his physical appearance has also changed, since delving into serious training routines, he has further developed his already muscular physique, has grown slightly, his hair is now a bit longer and more wild, and his dress sense has changed completely, opting for more dark colours and swapped his knee length baggy trousers for dark red combat trousers.

Walking into the guild, he saw the usual thing, the happiness in the guild suddenly get tense, with a sigh at the never changing attitude of his guild members he walked over to the bar, and ordered his drink, "Morning Natsu" Mira said from behind the bar, "Morning Mira" he said with an unusually joyous tone, she looked up and saw something she thought would not been seen again in the guild hall, Natsu, giving his trademark grin, and she knew exactly why this was, "Excited for the S-Class exams I see?" she said, smiling at how joyful he looked, "Yeah, when I get S-Class I can finally prove I don't need those damn flames" he said referring to his Black Flames.

Sometime later the rest of the members flooded into the guild, Natsu was sitting at a table close to the bar with Gajeel, Wendy, Lisanna and the Exceeds Happy,Carla and Pantherlily. They were eagerly waiting for the Master to announce the participants for the the S-Class exams.

"Right brats, today, as is tradition in Fairy Tail, we will be announcing the eight members who will be taking part in the S-Class exam" Makarov read out, clearing his throat he started to announce the people being taken on the exam,

"Gray Fullbuster"

"Cana Alberona"

"Levy McGarden"

"Elfman Strauss"

"Juvia Lockser"

"Freed Justine"

"Mest Gryder"

all names that announced were accompanied by a roar of cheers from their teams, friends and just general guild members, but the next name ceased all such cheers, "Natsu Dragneel" the Master announced, and personally ashamed at the way the entire guild just silent at the mention of his name, shaking his head at their behaviour he motioned for Erza to continue, "Right, all participants are to choose a partner for this exam, but the partners are not allowed to be S-Class already, and must be a member of the guild" she announced.

After the announcements, everyone went back to their business while the people participating were talking with their friends about what partners to take, and one table was discussing their thoughts on whether Natsu should continue in the exam, much to disappointment of both the Master who could see the discussion and to Natsu who could actually hear them, "He really shouldn't be going to this, he does all that and then he is given a chance to do that to us, its just not right" Gray said, clearly infuriated at the thought of his once rival coming to this exam, "But he isn't like that anymore" Lisanna said trying to defend her friend, "But Lisanna, you weren't there to see the look in his eyes, the way he showed no hesitation in almost killing Laxus" Lucy spoke up, clearly trying to sway Lisanna into her way of thinking, "And none of you have been here to see how he has changed, all of you, who he has saved countless times, were not here to help your nakama when he needed you the most..." she couldn't stomach sitting there while they were saying such things about Natsu, so she got up and stormed over to Natsu's table.

Now at Natsu's table she noticed they were also discussing the exam, "So Gajeel, wanna partner up?" Natsu asked, knowing that the two dragon slayers would be a formidable force, "Gehehe, you know it, Salamander"he said pumping his fist into the air, getting a smile from Natsu in response and a high five.

"Natsu, come here my boy" Makarov called from the bar as he walked to his office. When he got in the office, Natsu started the talk, "What's up, Gramps?" "I know you saw the response from the guild when your name was announced, and I heard the way your old team were talking about you, and I know you heard it to" Makarov said, "So I wanted to reassure that you do deserve this, you have drastically improved yourself as a mage since the incident, you have grown in ways to be both strong for yourself and you even helped Wendy pick up some of her skills she missed from her Dragon" he added, "Yeah, thanks Gramps, its just hard hearing them talk and act like this toward me" he added with his head down a bit, remembering the way they looked at him that day.

"I know, my boy, it wil-" he was cut off by the sound of something smashing in the guild hall, deciding to investigate, he saw what he thought was inevitable. Gajeel was standing in front a smashed table, growling and snarling at the members of Natsu's old team, "Say one more thing about Salamander and ill show you how a Dragon Rages" he threatened, Gray not taking the threat lightly got into his battle stance, with his fist planted in his open palm ready to summon his magic at a moments notice, but then Makarov saw something he did not expect, Wendy got beside Gajeel and started releasing her magic, letting the wind rip around her and Gajeel as she glared at the members.

Fearing an all out brawl Makarov was about to call the glaring match to an end when Natsu beat him to it, "Gajeel! Wendy!, leave it" he said as he came down the stairs to get his bag from where the table used to be before Gajeel destroyed it in rage, "Natsu-san, we can't let them say these things about you, especially when you weren't here to defend yourself from them" Wendy said with a bit venom in her voice, that no one had heard from her before, "Wendy, its not worth the hassle" he said putting a hand on her shoulder to calm her, soon enough she calmed and the winds died down, he then glanced at Gajeel, knowing that he would not be able to calm him down the same way, he was about to walk to the guild doors, knowing they would follow, until Gray spoke up, "Ash-brain, what? You think we aren't worth the hassle?, if I wanted to I could put down both of them mys-" he was cut off by a flaming hand to the face, "You threaten my friends again and it will be the last thing you do!" he snarled at Gray, while letting his flames flicker to life on his body.

Sensing that this could turn into more than a brawl Makarov made his move to the centre of the room in between the Dragon Slayers and the other mages, "Natsu!" Makarov said glaring at the mage. Natsu knowing the message behind the glare, he turned on his heels and walked out the guild door, leaving a shocked guild and an unconscious Gray. With Natsu far enough away, Makarov turned to Natsu's old team members, with a look of disappointment he just shook his head at them and walked away, the message was loud and clear to all he glared at, 'Your actions have disappointed me'.

Outside the guild there was a deafening boom, in the nearby forest, if one had the courage to see what was happening, you would come across a young man, with Pink hair, surrounded by nothing but utter destruction, trees all broken down or simply burnt to the stump, craters litter the ground from some of his more devastating attacks, all the green grass, now a charred black, the entire area could be mistaken for some sort of volcanic wasteland, were it not for the trees surrounding the area he has destroyed.

In the next week Natsu set into his training with Gajeel, intent on bringing himself to a whole new level of strength. There is no better training partner for a Dragon Slayer than another Dragon Slayer, such as there is no better opponent for a Dragon, than a Dragon. Throughout the entire week his goal of determination has changed, from the original goal of showing he doesn't need the flames, to something far more sinister, his new goal is to show he doesn't need them, the guild, to be strong.

While im not so happy with this chapter as I was the first, I knew I would not enjoy writing it. This is merely a transition chapter, something I needed to write rather than want to write, so to set-up for the other pieces of story I have planned

-Belenus