Chapter 14 peoples! I'm glad there are people who are enjoying this story so much and leave me these great reviews! So as a special gift to these I'm gonna start working with my readers more often. If you have a specific idea, thought, anything; make sure to leave it in the reviews and I'll work on it with you to make it in the next chapter.

Those who help will get a special shout-out in these author's notes :D Also, for my guest readers; please leave me some kind of name to call you by when you leave a review for these shout-outs :3 Thanks, for reading and I'm elated that so many enjoy this story.

-Chaoskeeper

Disclaimer: Still Applies

A week after the last chapter

I was inside a secluded forest area with targets all around me posted on various trees. I slipped a cross onto my wrist much like the one Uryuu used to wear. I closed my eyes slowly as I drew in a deep breath and focused my reiatsu into the cross. I held up my hands as if I was holding a bow as the cross started to emit a dark, ominous black aura before it expanded and began to take shape.

At first, it was a simple vertical black line then it bent backwards as it gained more substance. The translucent grey color began to deepen and turn a midnight black as the reishi formed a bow. My reiatsu fluctuated slightly as I struggled to keep a constant flow between the weapon and my body. I opened my eyes slowly as I focused reiatsu into my other hand and grabbed the bow string. I pulled it taught as a black arrow formed. The arrow looked deadly as the arrow head had an ominous black trail of reishi flowing off of it.

I pulled the bowstring as far back as I dared so that the arrow's end was parallel with my ear and took aim at the nearest target. I exhaled as I let the arrow fly and it struck the target dead center and stayed there. I let the bow fade as I wiped my brow from the accumulated sweat. A faint screech was heard as I looked at the arrow closely.

The arrow hadn't disappeared and was fluctuating dangerously as a white light was emitted from the stem.

"Son of a b-"I began as the entire forest was obliterated in a dome of white light.

When the light cleared, nothing remained of the area I had been training in and I inwardly kicked myself as I floated in the air above the wreckage.

'Damn, looks like it's still not ready for combat use yet' I cursed as I looked at the remains of the once peaceful forest.

"Fire Dragon: Roar!" I heard a familiar voice cry below me. I looked down to see Natsu breathing flames at me. I sighed as I pointed a finger at the tunnel of magic flying towards me before using a soul reaper spell I had recently learned.

"Hadō# 1: Shō" I whispered. The wind around me whipped wildly as the force of the spell dissipated the flames and sent Natsu face-first into the ground. I dropped to the ground next to him and looked at the back of his flame-like pink hair.

"You okay there, Natsu?" I asked as he leapt to his feet.

"I'm fine. Actually, I wanted to ask if you could train me so I can get stronger" He said seriously.

"What's your reasoning?" I asked cautiously.

"Because….I have people I want to protect. I want to get stronger so that…..I won't ever let anyone die" he responded, his eyes darkening slightly.

"I understand Natsu. I have a story to tell you first though, so will you care to listen before I ask one more question" I said as I sat down on a nearby boulder. He nodded as he sat cross-legged with a serious expression on his face.

I was only nine when my mother died. I was always able to see ghosts ever since I was little. I could see them so clearly that I couldn't tell the living from the dead for the longest time. My mother was the center of my world. So much in fact, that when my father told me my name actually meant 'One protector' or 'To protect one thing;' the desire to protect her became instilled into my very being.

My sisters were born when I was around 6 so I began attending a dojo every day, so I could learn how to fight to protect them. I lost almost every fight with this one girl, Tatsuki Arisawa. I cried after every loss but once my mother walked in the door to pick me up. Any sign of despair or tears immediately vanished as I saw her smiling face.

She was my whole world. Then, that rainy day came. We were walking home in the rain and I saw a girl in front of the river. I rushed towards her, not knowing she was just the tool of a hollow. My mother called me back yet, I didn't heed her warning.

I blacked out.

When I woke up there were ambulance sirens all around me. I felt a heavy weight on my chest as I looked down to see my mother's corpse lying on top of me. She was soaked in blood and her lifeless body was embracing me as if she had used it to shield me from someone or something.

I was the one who killed her. All because I didn't listen; because I wasn't strong enough to protect her from the beast that killed her and she wasn't the only one who was taken from me because I was weak. At age 12, I made a best friend. His name was Daichi.

He was new in town and at first, I didn't like him. Eventually, he grew on me and began to melt through the barrier I created to shield myself from the world. We were best friends, we did everything together. You'd never see one without the other no matter what. Then, it began to rain once more as we walked to my house from school.

Another hollow came. This time we both saw it. It toyed with us, made us fear for our lives, gave us the opportunity to try and run for our lives. We did; with all our strength we rushed towards home, trying to outrun the beast. I was caught because I foolishly looked back.

His hungry eyes paralyzed me with fear. Daichi was the one who stepped up and distracted the beast. He saved my life and when I had the chance to save his; I turned tail and ran for my life. All I had to do was simply distract him for a few seconds and we would have been saved. I was cowardly; my life too precious to me, I couldn't bear the thought of death. Even as he pleaded for me to help him I stood and watched as he was eaten before turning and running away.

As I ended my story a single tear streaked down from my face as the painful memories flashed through my head. I remembered his screams. My mother's face haunted my vision before I looked up at Natsu with a deadly glare.

"This power; is a double-edged sword. If I let it roam free it can take over my body and kill, it can level mountains with one swing, I can destroy civilization itself if I so wanted to. Before I knew how to use it; it constantly put my friends in danger. Hollows sensed me from miles away and hunted me down for my power. Yet, I choose to use it for my friends' sake. I chose to become a protector. Now, Natsu I want you to tell me. Why do you want power like this?" I asked him seriously. My eyes began to glow a frosty blue as my gaze seemed to peer into his very soul.

He looked at me in sympathy before taking in a deep breath as he turned his heard towards the fiery horizon.

I'm a dragonslayer. I have no recollection of my birth mother or father. They were never part of my life and as far as I know I'm an orphan. My adoptive father, Igneel was a dragon. He taught me the magic I use now every day. Hell, he was the one who gave me this scarf and taught me everything I know.

One day, he disappeared and I spent my days searching for him. For who knows how long, I scoured the forests and cities for him but never found a single thing. Then, one day the old man found me and took me in. He raised me here inside the guild and gave me a place to call home with a family. I remember one person who stood out the most.

Lisanna Strauss. She was Mira and Elfman's little sister and my best friend. She would always make these weird jokes that would make me blush and feel embarrassed. We built a small, straw hut in the forest not far from the guild and lived there together. We always went back to the guild hall for the day but at night, we traveled back to the hut where we lived.

We found a giant blue egg that later hatched and became Happy. –Natsu chuckles-

We spent most of our time together. I made a promise after she was attacked by a giant Vulcan monkey that if she ever went missing I'd find her. She even made me promise that someday in the future we'd get married. Then, she went on an S-class mission with Mira and Elfman to go take down a beast. It was supposed to be simple and easy.

It went horribly wrong. When I came back to the guild, Mira and Elfman were heavily injured and in tears as was the rest of the guild. Then, they told me that she had died. She died because I didn't go with them. She was gone because I wasn't there to protect her. I wasn't strong enough to go with them on the S-class quest and she died because of my weakness. Her death was all because of me.

I built a gravestone for her in front of the hut we used to always go to. She asked me to build a gravestone for her if something happened to her and she died before me. I remember I spent days at the gravestone. I didn't eat for weeks and spent all my time at the gravestone, talking to her. I'd watch the sunset with her just like we used to until the rest of the guild got me out of my rut.

Every year, I spend the month of the anniversary of her death at the gravestone; only eating enough to survive and watching the sunset with her. I tell her everything that happened that year and what I hope will happen in the upcoming one.

As Natsu finished his story his voice noticeably became strained as tears steadily rolled down his cheeks.

"I want strength and the power to protect so that something like that will never happen again. So that when I meet her again, I'll be able to face her with pride and not in shame" Natsu said as he met my ice-cold glare with a determined scowl. I nodded in understanding as I stood next to him.

"Tomorrow at sunset; meet me on the roof of the guild hall and bring anything important with you" I said as I walked away from him towards my apartment.

"See you then" he responded as he made his way back to the guild hall.

Well, that's the end of that chapter and I hope you all enjoyed this one. It's a filler for the next portion where the plot will begin to develop more.

-Chaoskeeper