"Ugh, I can't believe this! Those kids just don't know when to give up!" Yajima complained as Natsu dragged him outside towards a particular area of the island's lush grasslands, where the fragment of a statue at least a hundred stories tall stood. The salmon-haired boy was ever determined to convince Yajima to train him, Wendy, and Romeo; he would demonstrate an example of his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic to do so. Released from Natsu's grip, Yajima questioned, "You're not taking no for an answer, are you?"
"Watch this," Natsu smirked. By the time Wendy, Romeo, Happy, and Carla regrouped with him, the salmon-haired boy stood still, staring at the large statue fragment with fierce, narrowed eyes. In a mighty explosion, an aura of bright fire blazed from his body, his voice screaming for more power as the flames grew. Natsu drew his clenched burning fist against the piece of stone, and swiftly flew it with a colossal bang. Within ten seconds, the entire statue fragment cracked and shattered into a million pieces of rock. Natsu then turned to a baffled Yajima with a proud smile, "How's that for real firepower?"
"It's my turn now! Watch this!" Wendy elected. She remained where she was and stared at the rubble with a firm and strong gaze. Inhaling with all her might, she absorbed a large stream of wind into her body. Once the process came to a halt, she exhaled a large gust of wind. It was such a powerful gust, such an unusual gust to conjure up from the young demigoddess that every single piece of the rubble was flung miles away and into the ocean. Not a small, single one remained. She turned to Yajima with a smile, "I may be young, but I'm way strong! Anything is possible if I work my hardest and believe in myself!"
Carla smiled proudly, "Now do you see the true power of those young Dragon Slayers, Mr. Yajima?"
Happy agreed, "They're awakening the dragon inside them! Now you'll be begging to train them!"
Romeo grinned, "You're gonna train us, because you need us. You need heroes like us. Right, Mr. Yaj?" He noticed that the old man didn't answer. "Right?"
"Holy Mavis…" Yajima breathed, amazed to have seen the destructive power of a Dragon Slayer. He was so moved by Natsu and Wendy's raw talent that he began to ponder. "You know, maybe if I could…" He then shook his head, realizing what that idea could lead to. "No. No, no, no, no, no, no…" He slapped himself in the face, "Snap out of it!" He then walked away, "I'm too old to get mixed up in this stuff again."
"What?!" Romeo exclaimed.
"You're just gonna walk out on us?" Happy whined.
"How come?" Carla demanded.
"Listen, just because your magic is destructive and powerful doesn't mean I'm convinced to whip a bunch of young whippersnappers like you into shape!" Yajima answered bitterly.
"Yaj, please! I gotta do this!" Natsu protested. He wasn't willing to let this chance slip by. "If I don't become a true hero, I'll never be able to rejoin my father, Igneel!"
Yajima raised an eyebrow, "Igneel?"
Natsu nodded, "Yeah, you know, the king of Olympus, the God of Fire."
"And Grandeeney, the Goddess of the Sky, is my mother," Wendy added.
"Grandeeney?" Yajima asked incredulously.
"I'm a demigoddess," Wendy explained. "I have a goddess mother and a human father."
"Oh, I see," Yajima confirmed. "And I take it your salmon-haired friend is a demigod?"
"No," Natsu shook his head.
"Then what are you? Some kind of super-mortal or something?" Yajima asked with a frown. "Out with it!"
Natsu took a deep breath, ready to reveal his background. He was uncertain of Yajima's reaction when he knew of his true origins as a god of Olympus. Nonetheless, Natsu decided to tell the tale. Mustering his courage, he responded, "I'm a god, born on Mount Olympus. Igneel, the king of Olympus, is my dad, and Cassandra, the queen of Olympus, is my mom. I used to be a god, until someone turned me mortal, and only gods are allowed to live on Mount Olympus. My dad said that if I become a true hero, I'll finally come home." He then smiled, "So what do you say, Yaj? Will you train us now?"
Yajima was at a loss for words. Natsu and Wendy's show of display with their magic wasn't convincing enough, but the truth of Natsu's birth…
"Hold it," he spoke. He felt that Natsu's explanation was quite absurd. "You're a god turned mortal, right? Igneel and Cassandra are your mother and father? Are you serious?"
Natsu nodded, "Yes."
Happy added, "Aye."
Romeo added, "Yep."
Wendy added, "Uh-huh."
Carla added, "Absolutely."
"You're a god? A runt like you?" Yajima exclaimed, pointing a finger at Natsu, before he laughed hysterically. "That's a hoot! You're the son of the king and queen of Olympus!"
Natsu widened his eyes at the realization that he was being laughed at. Heaviness began to develop in his heart.
Carla was offended by Yajima's behavior against Natsu. She countered, "What's so funny? Natsu is a true child of Olympus!"
Yajima just kept on laughing as he fell on the ground, laughing even harder. "This is really making my day! Igneel, the big guy, he's your daddy! And Cassie's your mommy!"
Natsu was reaching his breaking point. The insults kept eroding his mood.
Wendy cried, "Stop laughing at Natsu! You're hurting him!"
Yajima slowly picked himself up, his body trembling. "Iggy's your daddy! And Cassie's your mommy! I mean, there were a few times when Iggy and Cassie bred new baby gods on Olympus. I bet they'd go all melty and turn into a pink puddle in the mortal world! Kind of like ice cream soup, only they'd be ex-god soup!" He laughed hysterically again.
Natsu's breaths got heavier. His frown festered, and his eyes moistened.
Romeo argued, "Natsu's telling the truth! Why didn't you believe us?!"
Yajima continued laughing, "Hey, I just noticed why you're a god turned mortal! It's because you must've been drinking a lot of baby milk, that you lost your godly powers! The next day, you were shunned from the herd, and you are mortal now! But why do you still have your flames?!"
The dam that was holding back the salmon-haired kid's tears was rapidly breaking down. Letting the tears flow from his eyes would only make the situation more embarrassing.
Happy protested, "Stop it! Leave Natsu alone!"
Yajima laughed even harder than before, "Iggy's your daddy! Cassie's your mommy! Mr. and Mrs. Flaming Breath!" He mocked in a baby voice, "Read me a book, will you, Da-Da? Ha-ha-ha, Iggy!" He then mimicked Igneel's voice, "Once upon a time…"
"STOOOOOOOOOP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTT!" Natsu yelled, the laughter suddenly broken by the heaviness in his throat. Yajima caught his breath and calmed down. Natsu's anger and embarrassment fused into one negative emotion, and he confronted the old man with an angry face mixed with tears. He said, "Why didn't you believe me?! I'm telling the truth! Igneel is my dad! Igneel's my dad… Igneel…"
Emotionally hurt, the salmon-haired kid lacked the strength to speak more. He collapsed on his knees and began to cry louder with even more tears. Yajima paused, wrought with guilt. He knew that he reached his limit since he began to feel like a bully. Dealing with bullies in school was part of his most unpleasant memories.
Wendy, Romeo, Happy, and Carla realized what Yajima did to Natsu and felt sorry for their friend. The four stared angrily at the old man, while comforting the emotionally weeping boy at the same time.
"Now look what you've done!" Carla accused. "You made Natsu cry! You should be ashamed of yourself!"
"W-W-What did I ever do to that kid?" Yajima exclaimed in surprise. "What he said about him being a god of Olympus turned mortal, it struck my funny bone!"
Happy glared, "That doesn't excuse you for what you did, you big bully! Natsu is telling the truth! He is a god! He's Igneel's son!"
Wendy added angrily, "Yeah! Igneel talked to us at the temple!"
Romeo stated, "He sent us here, and we found you! He said so!"
Carla growled, "You'd better apologize to Natsu and start training him, or else!"
"Oh, please!" Yajima scoffed, and he began to sing.
Yajima: So you wanna be a hero, kid, well, whoop-de-do
I have been around the block before with blockheads just like you
Each and every one a disappointment
Pain for which there ain't no ointment
So much for excuses
Though a kid of Ig is
Asking me to jump into the fray
He jumped on top of a pillar and turned to face the five, ready to give his answer. He was made unaware of the dark clouds forming overhead in their midst.
My answer is two words…
At that moment, a gigantic stream of fire erupted from the clouds and struck Yajima before he could continue. When the flames subsided, as did the clouds, the old man was left in a smoked, fried husk. It would appear that Igneel was determined to make sure that Natsu was properly trained to be a hero. And on top of that, he was unforgiving against Yajima for the way he treated his son. Finally, the old man gave his answer in a weak, wheezing voice.
"Okay."
"Really?" Natsu looked up to face Yajima. Though his eyes were still watery, they seemed to have sparkled in wonder as he beamed happily. "You're gonna do it?"
"You win," Yajima groaned in defeat. "I'll train you."
"And?" Happy smiled mischievously. Wendy and Romeo wouldn't want to be left out.
"I'll train the little girl…" Yajima added reluctantly. "…and the other boy." Those words were enough to make Wendy and Romeo squeal for joy. The old man turned to Romeo, "What magic would you like me to teach you?"
"Rainbow Fire!" Romeo cried excitedly. "Rainbow Fire! I want Rainbow Fire!"
"Rainbow Fire?" Yajima exclaimed. "That magic is very advanced, even for a child your age!"
Romeo stated, "Rainbow Fire controls all types of fire. It's like the coolest magic ever! I don't care how advanced this magic is; I wanna use it! If I learn how to use Rainbow Fire, I'll be as strong as Natsu!" He then jumped up and down excitedly, "This is gonna be awesome! I'm gonna be a wizard! A real wizard! Just like my dad!"
"Very well," Yajima accepted. "Rainbow Fire it is."
"YES! YES! YES! YES!" Romeo screamed joyfully.
Having wiped the last of his tears, Natsu's expression turned more cheerful than ever. He turned to the rest of his friends, "Welcome to hero school, everybody!"
Romeo shouted, "YEAH!"
Wendy cried, "Woo-hoo!"
Happy cheered, "Aye!"
They group celebrated that Yajima finally agreed to train them. It took a huge fire breath from Igneel to persuade the old man to come out of retirement. Carla just stood there with her paws crossed, giving a confident smile. "And so it begins…" she spoke.
"Come this way," Yajima groaned. He hoped that his new students won't be major disappointments, just like the rest.
"You're not gonna regret this, Yaj!" Natsu promised.
"Oh, gods," Yajima muttered.
"So when do we start?" Wendy asked anxiously.
"Can we start now?" Romeo asked hopefully.
"Oy, vay," Yajima grumbled.
Returning to Yajima's place, he, Natsu, Wendy, Romeo, Happy, and Carla began working on rebuilding the old and rusty training grounds, as Yajima continued his song.
Yajima: I'd given up hope that someone would come along
With Wendy and Romeo's help, Yajima pulled out a huge chest from a stone closet and opened it.
A fella who'd ring the bell for once, not the gong
From the chest, Yajima took out a trophy. At first, the trophy was labeled 1st Place, but when he dusted it, the words were actually 11th Place.
The kind who wins trophies
Won't settle for low fees
At least semipro fees
But no…
Natsu inhaled and exhaled a huge fire breath in an attempt to practice early. Wendy, Romeo, Happy, and Carla moved out of the way, with Yajima's hat nearly fried to bits.
I get the greenhorn
With Natsu, Wendy, Romeo, Happy, and Carla's help, the training grounds were cleaned up in less than two days and prepped up with newly made equipment.
I've been out to pasture, pal, my ambition gone
Content to spend lazy days and to graze my lawn
But you need an advisor
Somebody who's wiser
Yajima instructed Wendy on how to properly breathe a gust of wind.
A good merchandiser and WHOA!
However, when Wendy hurled her gusty breath, it blew him away and caused him to bump into a few objects along the way, until his head was stuck on a statue.
There goes my ulcer!
Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo were seen doing aerobics, exercises, and workouts under Yajima's supervision.
I'm down to one last hope and I hope it's you
Natsu tried to flex his muscles to see how strong he was. Using a tape-measure, Yajima frowned that the salmon-haired kid's muscles did not meet the standards. He then motioned Natsu to do push-ups, with Happy counting how many.
Though, kid, you're not exactly a dream come true
Next, Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo walked on a tightrope while holding eggs on a spoon in their mouths.
I trained enough turkeys
Who never came through
The three kids fell off, causing their eggs to land on Yajima's head. The old man steamed at his students' incompetence, frying the eggs. Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo smiled nervously at his expense.
You're my one last hope, so you'll have to do
For today's exercise, Natsu and his friends were learning how to rescue people in distress. Yajima instructed, "Rule #6: When rescuing people in trouble, always handle with care."
Natsu ran across a log to rescue a practice dummy tied on a stake, but the log snapped, and they both fell into the river below. Yajima, Wendy, Romeo, Happy, and Carla cringed at this.
The next morning, Romeo smiled as flames of yellow crept up his hands. This indicated that he learned how to use Rainbow Fire, a variation of Fire Magic in which the caster creates flames with a variety of colors, each with a particular effect or property. For example, the caster can produce a blue flame which is cold, a yellow flame which gives off a foul odor, or a purple flame which can stick to objects, like his father Macao's.
Yajima set up dozens of cardboard targets for Romeo to hit. He said, "Rule #95, Romeo: Concentrate."
"Yellow Fire!" When Romeo thrust his left and right hands, the yellow flames flung towards their intended targets like knives thrown with great accuracy. Unfortunately, the flames instead flew towards Yajima. Luckily, he missed.
"Rule #96: Aim!" Yajima reminded.
For the next exercise, Wendy swung with a rope to retrieve a practice dummy tied up on a snowy mountain top.
Yajima: Demigods have faced the odds
And ended up a mockery
Wendy grabbed the dummy by the arm. For a moment, she succeeded, but the dummy ended up getting smashed into a mountain peak, leaving only the arm. Yajima and Carla weren't amused.
Don't believe in the stories that
You read on all the crockery
Next, Natsu stood in front of a target machine operating the boards that moved randomly in separate directions.
To be a true hero, kid, is a dying art
Natsu spat magical fireballs from his mouth against the targets, but they missed. He sighed hopelessly, feeling like he was about to give up.
Like painting a masterpiece…
Unknowingly, Natsu summoned a small fireball when he waved his hand, and it reduced one target board into cinders. Yajima smiled and playfully punched Natsu's shoulder, while Wendy, Romeo, Happy, and Carla applauded. Natsu's spirits were raised.
It's a work of heart
On a bright sunset, Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo were seen doing more aerobics and exercises together.
It takes more than sinew
Comes down to what's in you
Seven years had passed, and Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo spent their days training, pushing their limits, improving their magic, learning the importance of teamwork and quick strategy, completing various obstacle courses, and developing their abilities. Today, the three kids had grown up to be mature and strong young heroes; Natsu was seventeen years old, Wendy was twelve, and Romeo was thirteen.
Natsu's salmon hair had grown spikier, and he wore a black one-sleeved waistcoat, white knee-length trousers, and sandals. Wendy's dark blue hair had grown longer and had been tied in two ponytails, and she wore a white dress with white sleeves wrapped below her shoulders, a red bowtie, a red sash tied to her hips, white long stockings, and red petit boots. Romeo's new attire somewhat resembled Natsu's, likely out of friendship and admiration for his best friend. It consisted of a long, dark sleeveless open jacket with a light sash tied to his left hip, a yellow scarf around his neck, green shorts, and black boots.
You have to continue to grow!
Yajima measured Natsu's muscles once more. This time, the muscles snapped the tape-measure with so much pressure, much to Yajima's delight. "Now that's more like it!"
On the last day of training, Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo faced the most dangerous obstacle course with the highest difficulty level. It included sharks, magic traps, pendulums, unstable platforms, crushing platforms, you bet! At the end of the course, the practice dummy was tied up in a ring of fire.
I'm down to one last shot and my last high note
Nonetheless, Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo were determined to complete their training, no matter how dangerous the tasks may be. Yajima blew the whistle and set the timer, signaling the beginning of the course.
Before that blasted underworld gets my goat
Happy and Carla watched, shivering with anticipation and uncertainty; they feared the chance of their human friends getting hurt.
My dreams are on you, kids
Go make 'em come true!
With their refined magic skills, amazing flexibility, and fantastic teamwork, Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo either dodged or destroyed every obstacle in their path, until they inched closer to the ring of fire.
Climb that uphill slope
Keep pushing that envelope
After Natsu ate the fire surrounding the ring, he grabbed the practice dummy and landed on top of a large clearing, followed by Wendy and Romeo, where automated targets emerged from the bushes, preparing to fire arrows against the young heroes.
You're my one last hope
And kids, it's up to you!
The arrows fired, heading straight towards the young group. But they came prepared.
"Sky Dragon's Wind Barrier!" Wendy summoned a defensive barrier of wind that protected herself, Natsu, Romeo, and the practice dummy, deflecting all of the arrows.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
"Yellow Fire: Vector Arrows!"
Natsu unleashed a large stream of fire from his arms, burning away all of the targets at the left side, while Romeo shot his Yellow Fire technique in the form of multiple arrows, destroying the targets at the right. Yajima, Happy, and Carla were overjoyed. The three kids had passed their final test!
Yeah!
Natsu, Wendy, Romeo, and Happy celebrated their success with laughter and cheers, while Carla shed tears of joy.
"That was great!" Natsu laughed. "Didja see that? Didja see what I did?"
Happy replied, "Aye! You kicked butt, Natsu!"
"Thanks, Happy," Natsu grinned, brushing Happy's fur. "Thanks for rooting for us."
Carla sniffled happily, "I'm so proud of you, Wendy! Look how much you've grown!"
Wendy giggled, "I can't believe it! I've grown stronger than ever!"
"Remember the part when you melted the pendulums with your bare hands, crushed that rocky fist with just one fist, and pushed away all those sharks?" Romeo asked. "You're the most awesomest of the team!"
Happy agreed, "That's Natsu for ya."
Wendy stated, "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have survived most of the obstacle courses. There's nothing we could've done without you."
Natsu replied, "Well, there's no way I could've done all this on my own without my teammates. Thanks, you guys. You did a great job yourselves."
"You're right! The three of us pulled up all the stops!" Romeo admitted with a chuckle.
"We make a pretty good team," Wendy added with a smile. "And you're one step closer to being a true hero. You'll reunite with your dad someday."
Happy smiled confidently, "You're gonna do awesome, like you did last time."
"Remember what your father said," Carla reminded Natsu. "The road to being a true hero is long and fraught with danger. You need faith and confidence to see it through."
"Thanks for the encouragement," Natsu admired. "Now I'm all fired up. Next stop: Olympus!"
"Whoa, take it easy, Natsu," Yajima eased. "Don't flatter yourself. We should think this through."
"But I'm ready, Yaj!" Natsu argued. "I wanna get off this island!"
"Yeah!" Romeo agreed. "Ever since we stayed here, we never get to do anything really cool! We wanna go on some awesome adventures!" He playfully fought Natsu, "Battle some monsters." Natsu then fainted in his arms, pretending to be a damsel, "Rescue some damsels." Romeo then shrugged, "Ya know, heroic stuff."
"Romeo's right, Mr. Yajima," Wendy nodded. "Maybe it's time we can show everyone what we can do." She added in determination, "We want to prove that we can make a difference."
Carla agreed, "I believe it's time for Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo to begin the real test."
Happy added, "Aye. We've been staying on that island for so long."
"Well…" Yajima wondered. He was unsure if his students were ready to take the challenge.
"Aww, c'mon, Yaj!" Natsu pouted.
"Please!" Wendy and Romeo pleaded in unison.
Yajima couldn't help but chuckle at Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo's eagerness. He replied, "Well, alright. You want a real test? Saddle up, kids— we're going to Crocus!"
"YAHOO!" Natsu and his friends cheered excitedly upon hearing the news.
The two Exceeds flew their companions into the cloudy sky; Natsu carrying Romeo and Yajima, and Carla carrying Wendy. During their flight, the six noticed the forests of Earth-land thinning out into shrubs, and then they were over open grasslands that rolled in wave-like hills.
Yajima wondered, "How did a flying cat manage to carry three people at once?"
"I've got paws of steel!" Happy smiled proudly.
"Oooh, paws of steel… I like your style," Yajima admired.
"So, what's in Crocus?" Natsu asked.
"That's the name of the capital of Fiore," Happy pointed out.
"Crocus is a city with a lot of problems," Yajima explained. "It's a good place for young and experienced heroes like yourselves to build up a reputation." Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo's eyes brightened with anticipation. They could tell that the troubled city needed a hero, and they could be possible candidates.
Suddenly, the gang heard a loud scream from down below. It was something unfamiliar to Natsu and the others. Perhaps…
"Sounds like your basic D.I.D.," Yajima indicated. "Damsel in Distreeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…" He never said the last word when Natsu and Wendy spurred Happy and Carla to zoom down to the place the scream came from. What could possibly go wrong?