Hi everyone! *waves* Just like I promised, I'm here with bonus chapter! :D
I'd like to give my sincerest thank yous to you all.*bows* For your follows, your favorites, and most especially, your reviews. ^.^ Of course, getting a new follow or favorite makes me very happy, but I really appreciate it when people take their time to give a quick little comment. It might not look like much, but when I read them, I feel so much better knowing that I'm writing it right. Does that make any sense to you? xD Either way, I'm extremely grateful. Please continue to read my fanfic!
And now, my present to you. :) I hope you like it!
"Hey, Natsu." The blonde-haired mage interrupted his thoughts. She took the seat beside him and asked "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing much." Natsu rested his chin on the table. "Just thinking about Igneel."
"Oh..." Lucy's eyes turned sad.
Natsu quickly sat upright, and said frantically "Wait! I'm not sad!" He grinned to assure her.
Looking only half convinced, she said "Oh, alright. That's good to hear." She shifted uncomfortably. "Um... Is it okay if I ask what about Igneel you were thinking about?"
Natsu looked at her, surprised. No one had ever asked him about Igneel before. Not really. "Yeah, sure."
Lucy perked up, and waited. After Natsu was silent for a couple of seconds, she looked at him quizzically.
To her surprise, he smirked. "Weren't you gonna ask me?"
She abruptly punched him in the face, looking annoyed. "Idiot."
"Okay, I'll tell you." He mumbled through her fist. Lucy removed it, and he said "I was thinking about the days I had with him. You know, the fun stuff."
"Sounds interesting."
"Oh, yeah. We had fun like, every single day." He paused to look at her. "I could tell you if you want."
She didn't wait a single second before saying "Sure."
He tried to get as comfortable as he could in the wooden seat before starting, and cleared his throat. "Our days are usually something like this..."
"Roar of the..." The small child took a deep breath, his chest and cheeks considerably expanded, arms tucked in tightly, fists clenched.
I can do this! He thought to himself confidently, and then let loose."Fire Dragon!"
A tornado of fire struck the large rock in front of him, his target, and shattered into countless pieces, littering the ground with pebbles. The child cheered in delight, grinning, and hopped around in circles, crying out 'I did it! I did it!' over and over. He then turned around, and grinned at his foster parent. "See Igneel! I did it!"
His father looked him straight in the eyes, which were shining with pride, two little suns among his ferocious, scaly face. "Indeed, my child. You have done an excellent job." The dragon carefully nudged the boy with his nose, and he grasped it in response, hanging on like his life depended on it.
The child grinned into his face, and boasted "One day, Imma be strong like you!"
Igneel smiled in return, and said in his low, rough voice "Yes, Natsu. Someday, you will be strong. Very strong."
"Stronger than you!" Natsu moved slightly, enough so the dragon could see that mischevious look on his face.
Despite the dragon being centuries older than the child, he could not help but defend his pride. "Never." The dragon reached out to poke him, but Natsu danced out of the way, and stuck his tongue out. He quickly ran into the trees, pink hair bouncing along.
"Coward!" Igneel growled playfully, and lumbered after him.
"Nya nya nyanya nya!"
"Come back here!" The dragon shouted, and looked around. The child had run into smaller places, places he could not reach nor see.
Suddenly, the dragon grinned. He had thought of the perfect bait. "Unless you're too scared to face me!" Igneel roared loudly.
Sure enough, it worked. Natsu's familiar-colored hair came into view, as he yelled defiantly "Nuh-uh! Roar of the..."
"Oh no you don't." Igneel quickly caught Natsu between his paws, and spun him around. The child quickly stopped his magic, his face pale, and dizzy from the sudden motion. Natsu watched in embarrassment and dismay as his dad rolled around the grass, howling in laughter. After getting over his nausea, he joined in. After all, few things in the world were more comical than a humongous dragon rolling around in grass.
Now it was Igneel's turn to be embarrassed. The dragon cleared his throat, and said "Alright, fun time's over." He carefully picked up the child between his forepaws, and walked upright back to the clearing.
"Hey, no fair! I was just getting started!" The boy protested as the ground moved below him.
"Now now, it's time for your studies." The dragon knew the boy couldn't stay with him forever, and would have to go to the the human world eventually, so he tried his best to keep the child educated. Igneel smiled as Natsu's face turned from protesting to horror. The child immediately started flailing around, and yelled "Idon'twannaIdon'twannaIdon'twannaIdon'twanna!"
When Natsu saw that Igneel wasn't gonna budge anytime soon, he took careful aim, looked up, and yelled "Roar of the Fire Dragon!"
The flames went straight up the dragon's nostrils, disappearing into their dark depths in a flash of light. Though the fire didn't hurt the scaly beast, it tickled him quite ferociously, and the dragon let out a monstrous sneeze, shaking the earth and causing leaves to rain down months before their time.
Natsu fell to the ground and ran back into the trees, laughing and tripping hysterically as he went.
"NATSU!" The large dragon ran faster than you would ever think possible after the boy, defying Earthland's natural forces as he moved like a blur.
Natsu ran as fast as he could, grinning the whole while. He was so smart! But he had to find a place to hide, quick.
When he heard loud, thundering footsteps behind him, he ducked into the nearest cave, burying himself in its darkness. He snuggled into the corner, trying his hardest to keep quiet. He could tell that his father was very, very close. And dragon senses weren't anything to laugh at.
"Natsu, where are you?..." He heard Igneel say. "Ah well, guess he's not here..." The footsteps started again, and slowly faded.
Natsu grinned, and cautiously peered out of the cave's opening.
"GOTCHA!" The dragon leaped out from behind a tree, and the boy shrieked. Natsu tried to get away, but was stopped short when when Igneel caught him between his paws and spun him again, but this time, twice as hard. "Ha!" The dragon said triumphantly. Natsu teetered on his feet, his face a sickly green.
Suddenly, Igneel and Natsu heard a steely, faraway voice, that snorted "So you beat a human child! Big deal!"
Igneel twisted his large head towards the sound, and roared "Silence! Metalicana!" He looked away. "Stupid dragon." Igneel muttered to himself.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Natsu try to creep away, his face still slightly green. "You are not getting away child." He picked up Natsu, this time creating a dome with his paws that encased the boy. "Now, it's time to hit the books."
"How 'bout burn 'em?" He heard Natsu mumble.
"Absolutely not." Getting human books was a pain for the dragon. He slightly opened his paws to peek at Natsu. "And if you do, I'll spin you so hard that you'll make a hole in the ground that leads to the other side." Natsu tried to use his magic again, intending to hit the dragon's eye, but he quickly closed his paws, feeling the familiar warmth tickle his talons. Natsu coughed, and Igneel could imagine him glaring.
As soon as they reached the clearing, Igneel plopped the child in front of the tree stump they used as a table, and reached under the large hollow between its roots to retrieve the books that were inside.
"I don't wanna read." Natsu pouted. He turned away, refusing to look at the books in front of him.
Igneel sighed. He could be so difficult sometimes.
The dragon leaned closer to Natsu, and said "If you read, I'll teach you a new attack later."
The young boy immediately brightened up. "Wow, really?!"
"Does the one and only Igneel ever break his promises?" To his far, far right, he heard a soft voice chime "Oh, stop it Igneel."
Igneel craned his neck toward the voice and yelled "Silence! Grandeeney!" He turned back around and mumbled "Annoying female."
"What will you teach me this time, Igneel?" The boy broke into the dragon's thoughts.
He thought for a moment. "Fist of the Fire Dragon. And after you learn this, you will know many others." After all, if he could focus his flames in his fist, why not his feet? His arms? His elbows? The dragon grinned. "So you're learning more than one new attack."
Natsu's eyes glittered in excitement, and he fidgeted in his seat. "Okay! I'll read!"
"Good boy." He nudged the books closer to Natsu. "If you read at least one of these from cover to cover, than I shall teach you the new attack."
"Okay!" He set to work immediately, concentrating in the faded text.
A few hours later, he was done. Natsu thrust the books beneath the stump, and looked at the dragon eagerly, only to become baffled when he realized the big lizard wasn't there. The boy glanced at the ground, seeing a wide trail of flattened grass leading into the trees. Curious, and impatient to learn the new attack, he followed it.
The child walked on for a couple minutes, eventually seeing the familiar red dragon, who bowing over something Natsu couldn't see. "Igneel!"
"Ah, hello child." The dragon turned around, and the child saw a small, white bundle in his paws.
"What's that?" Natsu rushed over, wondering what that bundle was.
He gave the bundle to his son, and said proudly "It is a gift for you." Pride swelled in the dragon's chest as the child unfolded the bundle, revealing it as a scarf. Natsu's eyes widened, and then glowed with happiness. He immediately rushed over to his father, and squeezed as much of his foreleg as he can between his small arms.
"Thank you, Igneel! You're the best!" He looked up at Igneel's face, happiness overflowing from the child in massive waves.
A pleasant growl rumbled in the dragon's throat. "You're very welcome, my son." He laid on his stomach, and nudged the boy with his nose. "Work hard, and grow strong. To protect what's important to you."
Natsu wrapped the scarf around his neck, the new article making him looking older than he is. He then looked Igneel straight in the eye, unwavering, and said "I will."
"Good." His growls shook the earth, overwhelmed with pride. "Now, let's go hunting."
He grinned up at him. "Okay!"
"And then we went hunting." Natsu shrugged.
"What?! I wanna hear more!" Lucy whined.
He made a face. "It wasn't exactly pretty. But I guess if you really wanted to I could..."
"NO! No! Never mind." Lucy face-palmed, grimacing. "So... is that all?"
He looked thoughtful for a moment, and said "Well, at night he used to do a bunch of cool stuff..."
"Tell me!" Lucy pleaded. Natsu smiled, thinking how childish she looked.
"Okay." He agreed. "So when night fell..."
"Natsu, come here." The dragon lay down in the grass on his side, one big eye looking at his child.
"Okay Igneel!" The little boy scurried over to the lizard, and sat on the grass in front of him, leaning against the dragon's stomach. Together they looked at the stars in the sky, twinkling brightly, no matter how ancient they were.
"Natsu, do you remember the names of the stars?"
The dragon's stomach jiggled slightly while Natsu bobbed his head up and down. "Uh-huh!" He pointed at a large constellation in the sky. "That one is Big Dragon!" He shifted his finger, pointing to another. "That one is Big Spoon!" Moving his hand every now and then, the child continued to recite all the names of the constellations, each and every one visible from the clearing. "The Two Same People, Little Dragon, The Fish, The Mermaid..."
Natsu discontinued his story, aware that Lucy was on the verge of falling off her seat, caught in fits of laughter that shook her frail body. He frowned at her. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, dear god, it's just.." She gasped, tears trickling from her eyes. "Igneel told you the wrong names! The Two Same People!" She howled. "Idiot! It's Gemini!"
Natsu's face reddened, and he turned indignant. "So what? Igneel's names sound way better!"
"Big Dragon..." She muttered. "It's Ursa Major! 'Big Bear!"
"I always thought it kinda look like a bear..." He remembered Igneel's insisting tone when he told the dragon that, repeatedly saying it was, in fact, dragon.
He then glared at Lucy, realizing there's no way he could continue if she kept laughing so loudly. "You want me to finish or not?!" He demanded, slightly pouting.
Her laughter gradually subsided, and she waved her hand at him and said "Oh, sure. Please do."
Natsu rolled his eyes and continued, altogether skipping the rest of the star watching.
"Okay little one. It's time to sleep." He gently wrapped his tail around the child, being extremely careful to keep his spikes well away from him.
He heard Natsu give a soft yawn, and say "Can you tell me a story first?"
"Alright, child." He searched through his ancient mind, finally deciding on an old, old dragons' tale.
"Once upon a time, there was a dragon. A kind, strong dragon, that every other dragon loved."
"Is it you?" Natsu mumbled sleepily.
Igneel chuckled slightly. "Although that description fits me rather well, I'm sorry to say that it isn't." He glanced at the child, due to fall asleep any second now. "It is the King."
"...King...?" So very, very close.
"Yes." The dragon said, slightly nodding. "So the King..." He stopped and let his words fade into the night, seeing that the child was fast asleep.
It's always like this. He thought amusedly as he tightened his grip around the small boy. I can never speak more than a few sentences before sleep steals him away from me. He looked up at the sky, the stars twinkling back at him. Why must you be so cruel? Oh Starry Sky?
The Fire Dragon looked up at the night sky for a few extra moments before resting his head on the ground, and closed his eyes. Natsu's sleep was contagious.
The sound of their snores filled the night, as the two lay side by side, dreaming wonderful dreams.
Lucy paused a moment, seeming to be in deep thought. "Igneel sounds like a really great father."
"The best." Natsu confirmed, nodding in agreement. But then he said quickly "Your mom sounds really cool too!"
"The best." Lucy said softly.
They sat in a silence for a few moments, thoughts of their family running through their minds.
Lucy asked quietly "...So that's how you got your scarf?"
"Yup. Used magic or something to make it."
Lucy smiled. "That's pretty cool."
Natsu scoffed. "Psh, everything Igneel does is cool."
"Even when he spins you around like that?" Lucy said deviously. "I wonder if that's why you have motion sickness..."
She chuckled as Natsu's face turned as white as a ghost's. "N-no..." The Dragon Slayer couldn't bring himself to believe that his personal weakness was caused by his loving father. As Lucy laughed, a dark, disturbing thought echoed in his mind. How could you do that to me, Igneel?!
~The End~
I really hope you liked reading it! ^.^ I was cracking up in some places... xD
Since this bonus chapter was about Igneel and Natsu, you could probably guess what the next two will be about. :D
Thank you very much for everything! As always, reviews and such are GREATLY appreciated~!
Good bye, good people of the world! *Waves* I'll be back soon!