Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, it belongs to Hiro Mashima and I, unfortunately, am not him. I do however own any OC characters that will appear later in the story. Relax and enjoy the story.
People speaking "Hello Hello Hello"
People thinking 'Geronimo'
Magic Spells "Fire Dragon ROAR"
Creature/Dragon speaking "I am ALIVE"
Creature/Dragon thinking 'Come along'
Chapter 7 - Living Legacy
"A…Devil Slayer?" Natsu questioned making Yajima nod his head. "But how is that possible, every demon I have ever seen, met or fought before has hated humans. I mean, I figure there are some good ones, but demon magic is impossible for humans to use."
"I must agree with Natsu on this; I find it hard to believe that Vanitas would be able to use demon magic. Take Over is one thing because it uses the body of the demon when using the magic, but it is poisonous to humans and for a demon to find time to train a human is unheard of." Erza stated while sitting in the chair next to Natsu's bed with her arms crossed.
"Yes…under normal circumstances humans can't use demon magic; however this is not normal. You see Vanitas is under the demon's possession magic; the demon enters the body and influences whoever is possesses, the human obtains the demons magic at a young age and it becomes a part of him or her. That is how a Devil Slayer is created." Yajima explain as he moved to sit in front of the two younger wizards.
"Unbelievable…and you want me to reveal this power to everyone; if he even has it at all." Natsu said.
"…Yes, because of your Dragon Slayer Magic you'll have more of a shot to make the demon react then Ichiya at the moment-" Natsu interrupted Yajima as he said Ichiya's name.
"That's right, what about Ichiya!? He is fighting Vanitas right now, does he know about the demon magic?" Natsu asked as Erza sat quietly; she knew Ichiya was strong; he wouldn't be his guild's ace if he wasn't.
"We already informed Ichiya of the dangers and he decided to give it a try. Unfortunately he won't be able to handle it." Almost as soon as he said that; the room shook making everyone look around, a magic lettering suddenly appeared above them and Natsu's eyes widened at what it said.
Winner of Round Two – Vanitas Darkblade
"Whoa…" Natsu muttered. Makarov turned towards Yajima with a serious look on his face, in his eyes you could see a bit of rage.
"Is this the real reason you invited Natsu and Vanitas to participate in the tournament? So you could get you answers!?" Makarov was angry that the council would use this event to satisfy their curiousity, and to drag his children into this was not helping.
"No Maki, this event is real and Natsu does have a shot to become an S-class, that's the truth. We only recently receive this information about the return of Devil Slayer Magic." Yajima reassured, calming Makarov down a little.
"…Alright then," Natsu's voice was heard, everyone turn to him; he had a small smirk on his face, "I make him reveal his true magic and defeat him.
Makarov stared at Natsu, studying his face for any faltering. After a few seconds he nodded his head and started walking towards the door.
"Do your best Natsu, and make sure you get out of that battle in one piece." Makarov ordered making Natsu's smirk grow.
"AYE SIR!"
Yajima watched Makarov walk out of the room before following him. He watched Makarov stop in the hallway before turning towards Yajima.
"I am putting my trust in Natsu to make it out of the battle alive, but if something happens to him the council will pay." Makarov turned and continued walking back to the view point.
"I understand Maki and you don't have to worry, if we see even the slightest blow that could kill Natsu, we'll stop the match immediately." Yajima responded before walking into a wall, disappearing from Makarov's view.
(Back in the infirmary)
"Are you sure about this Natsu?" Erza asked as she moved from her chair to sitting on the bed with Natsu. He noticed that she seem hesitant about something.
"Yeah, I'm sure Erza." Natsu replied as he brought his hand to her cheek, "Don't worry, I'll be alright."
"I know you will…" Erza brought her hand up to Natsu's and pressed her head further onto his cheek. 'Even his hand is warm.'
"Erza, is something wrong?" Natsu question made Erza snap out of her daze. "You've been acting a little strange for the past few days and I am a little worried."
"Y-You noticed that huh? Erza was having a small mental panic as she asked that; this was not how she wanted to tell him.
"Of course; I've known you for years and remember, I AM your mate." He answered, which he noticed calmed her a little for some reason.
"R-right…You see Natsu, a few days ago I…" Erza started to explain before coming to a stop.
"You…what?" Natsu pressed, but Erza shook her head with a small smile.
"I'll tell you after the tournament is over." She got off the bed and walked to the door, before walking out she turned to him with a bright smile. "Natsu…No matter what, you'll always love me right?"
"What kinda question is that!? Of course I will, you're the most important person to me Erza!" Natsu stated with a light frown on his face, "Okay, what going on?"
"I promise I'll tell you after your fight. Good luck Natsu, I love you." Erza said as she walked out of the room and headed to the view point while thinking, 'I shouldn't say anything while he has so much on his plate; he needs to focus on this battle and if I told him, he would get distracted.' She brought a hand to her stomach with a small smile. 'But at least I know…he'll be fine with what I have to tell him.'
Natsu watched his lover walk out of the room before giving a deep sigh…before giving a small yell, brought his hands to his head and shook his head a bit. "Argh, sometimes I don't get her; and what was it she wanted to tell me, I want to know!"
*Ahem*
Natsu turned his head to see the medical wizard staring at him with a raised hand to their mouth; it was a man with a large beard and glasses, he was holding a small container of green flames in his hand.
"It seems you have recovered nicely, you should be in the perfect condition to fight. Here, eat this." The doctor said as he handed the container to Natsu. "This healing flame will recover your magic and finish any healing needed; normally we would lightly cover the person recovering with it, but since your magic devours flames you just need to eat it."
Natsu quickly snatched the container from the doctor and opened the container, releasing the flames before devouring them in one gulp. The effects were almost immediate as his injures completely healed and he felt his magic return to full strength; Natsu hoped off the bed and started to stretch.
"This is incredible, it's like I was never in a battle in the first place!" An excited Natsu said as he jumped around the room causing the old man to chuckle.
"Yes but it looks like your clothes are another story," He gestured for Natsu to look down; the Dragon Slayer followed the gesture to see his clothes ripped from the claw marks and a little bit of blood in some areas, "But don't worry, I can fix that." With a wave of his hand, the old man released a small spell the made Natsu's clothes glow for a second before slowly returning to their pre-battle status.
"WOW! How did you do that?" Natsu asked with his eyes stuck on the clothes, his hand stretching an area to see how everything looked.
"Well I have to treat many people who've had their clothes torn or worse, so I picked up on how to fix them with magic while I heal them." The doctor explained, though Natsu felt there was more to it, but before he could say anything a voice called out.
"Natsu Dragneel please return to the arena for the final round? Again, Natsu Dragneel please return to the arena for the final round! Thank you!"
"Looks like I have to get back," Natsu ran to the door before coming to a halt, "Thanks for your help doc, see you later."
The doctor gave a chuckle, "It was no trouble at all Natsu, good luck with your match." He said while waving Natsu off; as soon as he didn't sense Natsu anymore, he stopped before turning to a wall.
"How long are you going to stand there, Lord Siegrain?" The azure-haired wizard faded into existence with a smirk on his face and his arms crossed.
"Sorry, but I have to say I am a little surprised you used your magic to help make him presentable for his fight. Using both the Healing Flames that only has been used for the Elite Rune Knights and your Arc of Time to restore his clothes, very generous of you…Ultear." The doctor chuckled at what he said before responding with a female voice.
"What can I say; I like to help handsome men." The doctor said as his body started to glow, "After all Lord Siegrain, I'm helping you with your goals." The glow died down to reveal a beautiful woman in the doctor's place.
"And I am grateful you are helping me; anyway we should head back to the council before they realized we're gone." Siegrain said while he started to the door. "So what do you think of his power so far?"
"He's impressive, he didn't notice I took a power reading on him when I was hidden and I have to say his potential is out of this world." Ultear said as she followed Siegrain toward the council room. "He could be a huge obstacle in your plans if you're not careful."
"Not to worry, Natsu Dragneel is powerful and has the potential, but I will make my dream become reality and I will destroy anyone who will get in my way. Both Erza and her little dragon are keys to my plan's success, that's why I am going to keep an eye on them for a little longer." Siegrain responded, not aware Ultear had her own ideas.
'Sorry Siegrain, but your dream is just that, a dream. Any plans that involve Lord Zeref will fail and Grimoire Heart will be one step closer to the Ultimate Magic World; and then my own dream will be realized.' Ultear thought as they reached the doors; Siegrain opened the doors for her while giving her a smirk.
"Well then…Lets enjoy the entertainment those two will give us."
ESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDESND ESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDESND ESNDESNDESNDESNDE
(Fairy Tail Guild Hall)
People were at the edge of their seats as they watched the arena get prepped for the final battle; repairing the damage with magic and making sure there would be no issues for the participants. After watching the two battles between Natsu and Kōga, followed by Ichiya and Vanitas, they could see why this tournament could be dangerous. But everyone was worried about the next match between Natsu and Vanitas, their Dragon Slayer was going to fight a dangerous opponent from Phantom Lord.
"I hope Natsu will be alright." A worried Happy said as Mira held him in her arms. She was petting his head, trying to calm him down.
"Don't worry Happy, Natsu will be fine." Mirajane said as she reassured the blue cat; however her thoughts were a different story. 'But still…I have this feeling something bad is going to happen.'
"Hmm…Is something wrong Mira?" Cana asked as she looked up from her cards, trying to get a peek into the future of Natsu's match; however she couldn't get an accurate read on it, the future was too broad and random.
"It's nothing, I'm just a little worried about how Natsu will do in the finals." Mira replied as she placed a calmer Happy on the table.
"You don't have to worry about Natsu. If he's a real man, he won't let himself be defeated by someone from Phantom Lord." Elfman stated with his arms crossed.
"Will really be alright? His next opponent, Vanitas looked very strong and you saw how he defeated Ichiya." Levy said with worry in her voice while Jet and Droy tried to cheer her up.
"Don't worry Levy." Jet said.
"Yeah, Natsu's totally gonna kick that guys ass." Droy said in agreement.
Gray just sat there deep in thought with a drink in his hand; his attention on the fight that was about to begin. 'Be careful Natsu, and don't you dare lose or I'm going to kick your ass.' Gray thought as he brought the drink to his lips.
NDESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDES NDESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDES NDESNDESNDESNDESNDE
Natsu made his way towards the arena, ready to fight Vanitas and become an S-class wizard; he also remembered the request the council asked him to do. His body was trembling in excitement for the battle to come; he continued to walk down the hallway and made it into the arena. An uninjured Vanitas and the referee stood there in the center of the arena waiting for Natsu, he walked up to the two.
"Sorry about that, the doctor wanted to make sure I was okay to fight." Natsu explain, making the referee nod his head.
"Alright then, are you both ready?" Both combatants nodded their heads at the question. "Then… you may begin!" Like before as soon as he said that, the referee disappeared from the field.
The two stared at each other for a moment before Natsu spoke out.
"So here we are…"
"Yes…I am glad I get to fight you Natsu; my previous opponent was pathetic, not worth the real effort. I didn't even enjoy playing with him like my other opponents." Vanitas said with a dismissive tone.
"Playing with him?" Natsu questioned with a hint of anger in his voice. "He was fighting you with everything he got and you were just toying with him as you beat him."
"Yes, I enjoy seeing the pain I cause to my enemies. His expressions were too comical for my tastes and just so you know…he was more focused on me using my real magic on him then the actual fight." Vanitas explained.
"Your real magic…you mean your Devil Slayer Magic." Natsu stated, slightly surprising Vanitas before he softly laughed to himself.
"So I was right…they do know about it; in that case." Vanitas said as he snapped his fingers. Almost immediately a gigantic black magic circle appeared under them; hexagon shaped images flew out of the circles edges and continued until it formed a dome around the entire arena. "Devil's Barrier."
"What the hell is this!?" Natsu exclaimed as he looked at the dome surrounding them.
"This is my Devil's Barrier, a technique that prevents anything from getting in or out." Vanitas told Natsu, who looked back at him. "Here's the deal; if you win this match I will let you out and surrender myself to the councils judgment, however if I win…well I'll let you figure that out!"
"So all I have to do is beat you…Fine then, get ready for an ass kicking because I will win!" Natsu roared as his Fire Drive activated in an instant.
"Heh, fine then. Let's see what the powers of a Dragon Slayer can really do." Vanitas said with a smirk, summoning his blade; it was black with a zigzag design at the center of the blade and a slight curve near the tip (1). Vanitas brought the blade close to his head with the broad side of the sword facing Natsu.
Not giving his opponent a chance to strike, Natsu dashed towards Vanitas at incredible speeds, bringing a flame covered fist forward. Vanitas blocked the fist with the broad side of his sword before brushing Natsu's fist to the side; Natsu quickly sent the fist to the ground as he sent a kick towards Vanitas' stomach, sending his back a bit. Natsu continued his assault as he sent rapid punches at Vanitas and his sword; he finished with another kick sending Vanitas into the air.
Vanitas quickly recovered in the air as he built up magic into his sword before releasing it with a swing of his sword, "Wind Cutter!"
Natsu dodged the energy wave as it made contact with the ground, creating a dust cloud that made Natsu cover his eyes for a second before looking down at the ground; his eyes widened when he saw the giant slash mark on the ground, and its depth was incredible too.
"If I get hit by something like that...I'm done for." Natsu thoughts were interrupted by a voice above him.
"Should you really lose focus, little fairy." Vanitas' voice called out, making Natsu look up to see Vanitas STANDING in the air, sword raised above his head before bringing it down, cutting Natsu in half.
Natsu was still, eyes widened in shock and mouth open; before a smirk came to his face, "Nice try!" He shouted as he brought his head back, "Fire Dragon's Roar!" A large fireball slammed into Vanitas, sending his back; as the flames vanished Vanitas looked up to see Natsu holding a giant fireball and with a swift movement, threw it at Vanitas. "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"
Vanitas stared at the incoming flame with a small smile as he got into a crouching position; his smile turned demonic as he said, "Mugestu Style: Garuda Flame!"
With an almost invisible amount of sword slashes, Vanitas send a cyclone of flames at Natsu's fireball; the to flames collided for a second before Vanitas' flames overcame Natsu's and made its way towards Natsu himself. Natsu quickly braced himself as he was hit by the flames, as he slid back from the attack he devoured some of the flames as they started to vanish. Vanitas was still smiling as he watched Natsu finish eating his food.
"Dragon Slayers are truly impressive...even with such a huge concentration of magic and sword attacks you were able to come out of that attack just fine, however..." As Vanitas finished Natsu's jacket seemed to tear itself into pieces in an instant. Natsu gave a small yell in pain before glaring at Vanitas. "This sword style cannot be dodged or blocked; it will always hit its target."
"What did you do!?" Natsu demanded as he felt pain through-out his body.
"That was a technique from a sword style that I learned from a swordswoman, she taught me a very water-downed version of her Mugetsu Style. She has never lost a single battle and while I am not on her level, my version is strong enough to handle anyone." Vanitas explained as he got into position again. "Now then, is that all you've got, Dragon Slayer?"
"Don't...Don't underestimate me!" Natsu shouted as his flames grew stronger. In an instant Natsu was in front of Vanitas, slamming his fist into the Devil Slayer's face and sending him flying. Natsu followed after his flying opponent and sent a Fire Dragon's Blaze Ball at him. Vanitas was slightly startled at the sudden power boost before regaining his focus and sending multiple energy slashes at the fireball, destroying it. But instead of Natsu burst through the destroyed flames like Vanitas thought he would do, he felt a hand on his shoulder; as Vanitas turned his head he saw Natsu holding a flaming fist just before unleashing it and sending Vanitas into the air. Natsu crouched down before jumping at high-speeds towards Vanitas, his red-orange glow turning dark crimson as he started spinning.
"Crimson Lotus: Spiraling Sword Horn!" Natsu exclaimed as his spinning form started to resemble a drill, heading towards Vanitas at incredible speeds.
Vanitas brought his sword in front of himself as a shield, attempting to block and redirect Natsu's attack. When Natsu made contact with his sword, Vanitas felt incredible pressure on his sword and with a lot of effort, was able to push Natsu slightly away; his side got burn as Natsu passed him, not noticing that his sword obtained a small crack. Natsu took a quick breath before releasing a small roar that send him propelling back at fast speeds, slamming into a turned around Vanitas and his sword; but as Vanitas was about to release another Mugetsu Style attack, his eyes went wide as his sword cracked through-out the blade and broke apart. Natsu pushed his attack forward and drilled into Vanitas as they were spiraling towards the ground; when they were just about to hit the floor, Natsu separated from Vanitas and landed crouched with one of his hands grabbing onto the ground. Natsu breathed heavily as his Fire Drive turning back to its original color while he stared at the crater, where Vanitas' unmoving body laid; holding the broken hilt of his destroyed sword.
"Get up! I know you're still awake because of your barrier." Natsu said as his breathing calmed a little; he stood straighter, never taking his eyes off Vanitas.
A few moments passed before Vanitas got back to his feet. He had an amused look on his face as he tossed his broken sword away.
"I have to say I'm impressed, you managed to not only gain some power to land a hard blow, but destroy my sword. Tell me, what was it that gave you sudden burst of strength from?" Vanitas asked with an eyebrow raised.
"That's an easy one; I refuse lose to someone like you, who takes pleasure in hurting others." Natsu retorted with disgust in his voice.
"You refuse to lose to someone like me? Hehehehaha-HAHAHAHA." Vanitas started laughing, "Let me tell you a little truth that I've learned about humans, EVERYONE HAS THAT KIND OF DARKNESS INSIDE THEMSELVES! THAT URGE TO TEAR THEIR OPPONENTS APART, THE DESIRED TO SEE THEM SUFFER AND LIFE LEAVE THEIR EYES, AND IT NOT JUST THEIR OPPONENTS; FRIENDS, LOVERS AND EVEN FAMILY MEMBERS BECOME TARGETS AS WELL!" Vanitas' eye changed from green to red with gold pupils.
Everyone was speechless at what the man said; even his own guild couldn't say anything at what Vanitas just said. Natsu stared at him for a moment before speaking.
"You're messed up in the head. I know that even when my guild get into fights or has its usual brawls, we never try to kill anyone. That darkness doesn't exist within everyone, so why would you think that?" Natsu questioned.
"Let's just say that because of my true power I have had many people try to kill me; my friends, my fellow villagers and even my own father." Those words made Natsu's eyes widen, "He tried to kill me when I was young and my mother gave her life to protect me. The villagers attacked me, thinking I was a demon that had cursed their home; so I ran and met HIM, a true demon that gave me the strength to never get hurt again." Vanitas explained while reaching for the black chains. "He gave me the power of the Shadow Devil Slayer Magic. I am the Shadow Devil Slayer!" Vanitas' voice turned demonic as he broke the chains, releasing his dark magic out.
Natsu watched as Vanitas' form began to change;his body grew to the same size as Laxus, his hair turned silver, his hands turned into claws and his clothes looked organic as they combined with his skin and turned blood red and black. As his transformation finished he gave Natsu a grin, showing his fangs.
"Now then, I shall show you the true power of Darkness and make you experience TRUE fear." Vanitas' back expanded before black wings grew out; Natsu didn't have time to react as Vanitas appear by his side and kicked him into the ground, creating a giant dust cloud.
Natsu quickly got up but could find Vanitas; focusing on his scent, Natsu spun around with a flaming fist ready to hit. Vanitas stood there as he grabbed Natsu's arm with a smirk, and didn't even flinch as Natsu increased the heat of his body flames. Natsu barely caught the speed of Vanitas' kick slamming into his stomach, sending him into the air; he released flames from his feet to stop himself and stayed still only for less than a second before Vanitas appeared in front of him with hisclaw posed to strike. Natsu's eyes widened as Vanitas' claw came close to his face before turning intangible, making the claw go through him and retaliating with a flaming fist to the Devil Slayer's face; but Vanitas instantly caught it.
"How is he able to catch me?" Natsu muttered to himself before movement caught his attention; Vanitas sent a hard kick to Natsu's stomach, making him cough up blood as he was sent barreling to the ground. Vanitas flapped his wings for a moment before speeding down toward Natsu, who barely got to his feet in time. "
"Fire Drag-" The Dragon Slayer was stopped as Vanitas appears at his side with a hand on pointing at his
"Shadow Devil's…" Natsu turned to the black energy ball forming, "Hollow Flash." The energy was released slammed into Natsu, causing a huge explosion. An injured, shirtless Natsu was sent flying back, skipping along the ground until he collided with the wall, his Fire Drive completely gone.
Everyone found it hard to watch as Natsu tried to get to his feet. Erza and Makarov were having a hard time trying to control their rage, the other masters and wizards couldn't believe the power Vanitas possessed, and Jose and Gajeel watched quietly as Vanitas took his time walking to Natsu's body. The magic council had ordered their Rune Knights to destroy the barrier and prevent Vanitas from continuing; however the knights were unsuccessful in destroying it.
Vanitas appeared walked up to the still struggling Natsu, who paused to look up at Vanitas. The Devil Slayer did nothing for a moment before grabbing Natsu's scarf and pulled him to his feet; the two stared at each other for a second. Vanitas unleashed a hard punch to Natsu's face before sending more and more; Natsu could only take the blows as his back was to the wall and pain spread through-out his body. The force of his blows pushed Natsu further into the wall, making it crack; Vanitas continued to give out a crazy laugh before sending a fist that knocked Natsu into the air. With a flap of his wings Vanitas shot into the air and flipped kicked Natsu into the ground again.
The silver-haired wizard landed on his feet with his arms crossed and his wings folded behind him. "Is this really all you've got, Dragneel? What happened to all that power you had earlier?"
Natsu got to his knees as he stared at the demonized wizard in front of him, his body shaking a little; he looked at his hand to see they were trembling. 'Why am I shaking so much, am I…is this…fear!?' Natsu looked back at Vanitas, who had a sadistic smirk on his face, 'It's true that he is on a completely different level than any wizard I've fought before and his magic is no joke, but I've never been truly afraid of anything before.'
"That right," Vanitas said, interrupting Natsu's thought, "That feeling you are experiencing is fear; a cold reality created from despair. You are afraid of me, my power and what I can do with it."
"Shut up!" Natsu exclaimed as he slowly got to his feet, "I am not going to be beaten by you or fear; I will not lose." Vanitas was quiet for a few minutes before building up power; two orbs of black energy grew in his hands.
"Fine then, I will show you how weak you really are and show you a TRUE living hell." Vanitas said as he brought the two orbs together, creating one giant orb. "Shadow Devil's Nightmare Sphere!" The orb rushed at Natsu who couldn't move; as he was engulfed by the orb, he could hear Erza scream out his name.
"NATSU!"
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Natsu felt his back collide with the ground; ignoring the slight pain in his back he quickly got up. He looked around and saw he was in Magnolia Town; noticing he wasn't hurting, he looked down and was surprised to see his injures were gone.
"What the hell! How did I get here?! And what happened to my injures!?" Natsu panicked as he looked around.
"Natsu!" Hearing his name he turned around to see Erza walking up to him, "What are you doing here by yourself, we should get back to the guild," She saw the confused look on his face, "What's wrong?"
"Erza…How did I get here, wasn't I just fighting-" Natsu stopped as he saw a sword pierce right through Erza's chest; her eyes widened. "ERZA!"
"N-Natsu" Erza muttered before the sword moved and cut her in half. Behind her holding the sword was a smirking Vanitas.
"Oh sorry about that, were you about to ask something important?" Vanitas sneered
"YOU BASTARD!" Natsu roared as he tried to punch Vanitas, but instead went right through him.
"That's not gonna work, you see this is my Nightmare World, where my enemies greatest fears come to life." Vanitas explained while he created giant monsters with a wave of his hand. "Your greatest fear is watching everyone you cherish die in front of you while you can't do anything to protect them and that's what these monsters are going to do." All the members of Fairy Tail appeared, surrounding Natsu with smiles and laughs; even as the demons drew closer towards them.
"Stop this Vanitas!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Sorry, but this technique cannot be stopped until the target either dies from the mind breaking or gives into the darkness. Enjoy the show!" Vanitas said cheerfully, giving a small wave as his image disappeared.
"NNNOOOOO!" Natsu screamed as one of the monsters sent its claw at its first victim.
(Outside the Barrier)
Erza and Makarov rushed down to the arena hall, to try and destroy the barrier to save Natsu; Makarov was enraged while Erza was both pissed and worried at the same time.
"Please be okay Natsu…I can't lose you." She said as they made their way down the stairs.
(Guild Hall)
Mirajane had dropped the tray she was holding as she watched Natsu get swallowed up by Vanitas' attack, the worry she felt was present on her face. 'Stay safe Natsu, I can't lose another person that's precious to me.'
"Natsu!" Gray yelled as he shot up from his seats; Elfman and many others followed his actions.
Cana had a worried look on her face as she stared at the screen, but then she saw one of her cards hit the ground; as she reached to pick it up she took a look at which one it was, picking it up she studied it.
'The Emperor card in an upright position…that stand for Authority, Father-figure and Solid Foundation.' Cana thought before speaking to herself out loud. "But what could that mean?" She turned her head back to the screen.
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Natsu fell to his knees as the monsters left the dead bodies of his friends and loved ones surrounding him, the monsters began attacking the town and its inhabitants; watching everyone's deaths and not being able to help was too much for him. He sat there with his hands on his head, ready to give into the darkness; when a voice called out to him.
"So you're really giving up just like that? Are you really my son?"
Natsu turned from the nightmare to see a man standing behind him; he had spike rose colored hair that went to his shoulders, his eyes were a sharp hazel, his clothes consisted of a tight-skin navy blue shirt with white designs and pants bear a distinct feudal Japanese style; his belt is tied like an obi-sash and he wears hakama. One of his arms was covered in a golden armor-like shell, it reached from his shoulder to his forearm and on the shoulder of the armor was the Fairy Tail symbol.
"Who..are you?"Natsu asked with a feeling in his gut that he couldn't explain.
"Wow Mavis was right about you getting your smarts from me, I did just say you were my son, right?" The man replied with a smirk. "Though I guess you wouldn't pay attention with all this going on," He gestured to the monsters destroying Fairy Tail and Magnolia before raising a hand that had its fingers in a snapping motion. "How about we change the scenery?"
With a snap of the man's fingers, Natsu realized that were in a different area. It was a beach clearing, with the waters crashing gently onto the sand; in the distance there was a sunset breaking into the waters. Natsu turned around and was in shock at that was standing proudly behind him; it was a giant tree, but not just any tree.
"The Great Tenrou Tree!? Then this is Tenrou Island; what are we doing here?" Natsu exclaimed as he look around, seeing the islands features.
"I brought us here because I thought you might like the familiar territory…Though this one spot is more special to me and Mavis then anything; after all, this is where I both confessed to her and proposed to her." The man explained with a nostalgic look on his face.
"Where you…proposed? Wait does that mean your-" Natsu asked as his body trembled a little.
"That's right, I'm your biological father; Nero Vermilion." Nero said with a smirk on his face
"B-but how are you here?" Natsu asked, a little freaked at the fact he was talking to a ghost, "And how were you able to change Vanitas' spell?"
"I guess you can say answer to both those questions involves this illusion world." Nero explained as he looked around, "You see, before I died all those years ago, I implanted a fragment of my soul and magic into you; this fragment would not appear to you until after you opened the book-"
"You knew Mom was going to leave me the book!?" Natsu interrupted, before Nero slapped his head, "OW!"
"Don't interrupt…Anyway, yes I knew she was going to leave her journal for you; I've known your mother for years son, I can always guess what she's thinking. So I put a spell on the book that would awaken my fragment inside you, all that was left was for us to meet." Nero said before he made a gesture to the area surrounding them, "When you were hit by the illusion magic, it allowed me the perfect chance to become a part of it."
"And because you are now a part of it, you have more control of it then the caster." Natsu finished, making Nero nod. "…That is so cool."
"Yup, your old man is pretty awesome, huh?" Nero smirked before a questioned look came to his face, "I'm surprised you were affected by this kind of magic though; your mother's magic negated any evil or dark magic that would bring death or worse, and I know you were able to tap into the magic she passed onto you. So how were you hit by Vanitas' Eima no Akumudama?"
"I…After I used the Fearī Gurittā against Astaroth, I haven't been able to use her magic again. It's like something is blocking me, and because Vanitas access my fears, I was unable to stop them because he used it against me and I couldn't do anything." Natsu explained. Nero just stared at Natsu as he explained the details.
(Play Fairy Tail ost – Kizuna)
"I hate being afraid, it makes me feel so weak!" Natsu yelled in frustration as his head drooped down as he felt tears coming to his eyes.
Nero gave a big smile as he reached out and placed a hand on Natsu's head, he could feel his son shaking a bit as tears of frustration; and with a small jerk of his hand, he made Natsu's head raise a little. As Natsu raised his head to look at his dad, he saw a smile on Nero's face as he gave him a comforting look.
"It's okay to feel fear Natsu, it is a normal part of what it means to be human; fear is not evil, it shows us that we have our weaknesses." Nero explained as Natsu listened to his father's words, "All that matters is to face those fears, overcome them and become stronger, but you don't have to do it alone; I had your mother to be there for me to overcome my fears, and you…" Nero used his other hand to point at something behind Natsu. "…You have them."
As he slowly turned to look back, Natsu's eyes widened as he saw all his friends from Fairy Tail standing together, each with smiles on their faces; Igneel was also there, standing behind them in the distance and in front of everyone was Erza, who was giving a loving smile.
"Darkness is just one aspect of life but if you look hard enough, you can find a source of light that can never be destroyed. As long as you have people who are precious to you, you can always get stronger to protect them." Nero said as Natsu turned back to him, "When you were born, the only thing I felt that day was happiness and I knew that you and Mavis were all I needed to grow stronger, and I still believed that even to my final moments."
"B-But it was because of me that you died-" Natsu was cut off by Nero hitting him on the head, "OW!"
"That's for saying something so stupid!" Nero yelled as he gave Natsu a hard stare, "It wasn't your fault; you were not even a year old. It's a fathers job to make sure his family is safe and that is what I did, as long as I knew you were safe I was happy."
Natsu saw the truth in his father's eyes as he spoke; he couldn't believe that his father was satisfied with him being okay. Sure he got to talk to him now, but he missed being able to live with his family. Though Natsu couldn't say he was different, as long as Erza and everyone else that he cherished were safe, he was happy.
"…Yeah…Thanks dad." Natsu said as he rubbed his eyes.
(End Song)
"…Good." Nero stated as he moved his hand to Natsu's shoulder where his guild mark was, "I know you will be a great wizard Natsu. Your mother and I both believe that completely, and I know Igneel does too."
"But how can you be so sure? I mean I know I am getting stronger but how can you have so much belief in me?" Natsu asked, looking at his father for an answer.
"That's an easy one." Nero said as he reached his arm out, "It's a parents job to always believe in their child not matter what, and no matter what you think remember this…," He placed his hand on Natsu's shoulder, "You are our precious, irreplaceable son and we love you."
Natsu stood completely still, for some reason those words made him feel strange. It was just like when Mavis had said those words a few months ago. He and his father stood there for a moment before Nero took a step back a bit; he moved his arm to Natsu's right arm.
"Well that's enough of the mushy stuff! You need to get back to your battle, but first..." He placed his hand over the Fairy Glitter tattoo, causing it to glow a bit before turning back to normal. "I removed the block on the Fairy Light Magic, you should be able to access it now and no longer be affected by the negative energy of Vanitas' Shadow Devil Slayer Magic."
"B-but how do I do that, how do I use that magic?" Natsu asked as he stared at the mark.
"That's easy. When your mother created that magic, she thought about how precious life was to her and all the people she loved from the darkness. She was able to use her Fairy Light Magic by thinking of her guild, her goofy yet incredible handsome husband, and her beloved son. You first used that magic when you protected Erza, remember?" Nero reminded Natsu.
"That's right," Natsu muttered as he thought of the battle; what he felt at that moment when he thought Erza would die, the memories of Lisanna before her death, and the depressed and crying faces of his friends, "I couldn't let what happened to Lisanna happen to anyone else, I refused to let anyone precious to me die!" Natsu exclaimed as he stared his father with a look of determination on his face.
"That's right, focus on that belief to grow stronger." Nero said as he ruffled his son's hair a little, proud to see the determination he had was passed onto his son, "I won't lie and say I don't regret dying and leaving you and your mother... but seeing you now, as a strong man, brings me so much joy." Nero smiled as he finished with nine words, "You'll do great thing Natsu. I believe in you." Natsu could feel tears in his eyes falling down his face as his father said those words.
"I…I'll get a lot stronger! I'll protect what is important to me and never stop getting stronger, and I'll never give up, even when things seem terrible." Natsu declared, wiping his tears before giving a bright smile, "I'm not just the son of Igneel. I'm the son of Mavis and Nero Vermilion, two of the greatest Fairy Tail wizards ever!"
"Heh…Right!" Nero said as the smile on his face grew, and his body started to glow."I have no doubt in my mind that you will become stronger Natsu."
"Dad, what's happening?!" Natsu took a step back as he watched his father stare as his intangible hand.
"…I guess this magic fragment has run out; now I'm going to join your mother." Nero stated.
"So you're really going?" Natsu said with a sad tone; before Nero flicked his forehead, "Ouch!"
"Hey don't go sulking now, kiddo. My time here is up, and your story is still going strong. And even if your mother and I aren't here physically," Nero moved his hand to point at Natsu's heart, "We'll be right at your side, in here. Remember I said that you have many people that will be there to support you, always ready to help and even if we aren't there physically it includes the two of us."
"Right" Natsu nodded his head.
Nero stared at his son, remembering the events that led him to this point and finally meeting his son. That very fist day he first Mavis in that forest all by herself, the times they spent together before he had asked her out on a date, their surprise when she suddenly grew from a tiny girl into an adult woman. The few times that they fought together, back to back against dark mages with her magic surrounding her and his swords glowing red. The day he proposed to her and finding out later on that she was pregnant with their child, being there for Natsu's birth and his final battle. The memory of the exact moment their family became whole was still fresh in his memory, sitting on the bed with a flustered and tired Mavis lying against him as they held a sleeping baby Natsu. Nero could feel his time was up, as he started to disappear he said one final thing to Natsu.
"Natsu, you came into this world as my son…and I thank you for it." Nero began to disappear in a dim light. Natsu watched as his father vanished from his sight.
"…Good-bye dad..." Natsu whispered before lightly slapping his cheeks to get himself focused. "Okay! It's time to kick some Devil Slayer ass!" Natsu yelled as he began to focus. He thought of all of the people in Fairy Tail, everyone that he wanted to protect. 'Erza, Gramps, Mira, Elfman, Gray, Cana and everyone at Fairy Tail. I SWEAR TO PROTECT YOU ALL WITH EVERYTHING I GOT!'
With a loud roar, his flames started to build up around him, its flames burning brightly as it grew; then a golden light appeared under him and the Fairy Tail magic seal formed over his Dragon Slayer seal. The two seal seemed to merge as the golden light and the crimson flames seemed to dance around Natsu body; the world surrounding Natsu seem to crack. The cracks got bigger as Natsu continued to build up his magic, and then he brought his hands forward like he was reaching out for something and sure enough he felt his hands get a good grip on the illusion world and started to rip the area. His actions creating a huge hole for his to escape, and without any hesitation Natsu leaped though the hole.
NDESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDES NDENDESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDESN DESNDESNDESNDESNDES
(Just a few moments earlier in the real world)
Erza and Makarov had attempted to destroy Vanitas' barrier; but even with the assistance of the Rune Knights, they couldn't get through. Erza was wearing her Berseker Armor and would have continued to try and break the barrier with her mace, however Makarov was in his Titan Form as his wrapped around her body to prevent her from continuing, no matter how much he wanted to help Natsu, they could not do anymore; the other wizards could only watch as the two were stood in front the barrier.
'Hold on Natsu! Please, just hold on!' Erza thought as she prayed for the man she loved to be alright; her thoughts were suddenly cut off by a glow coming from her arm, where her guild mark was.
"What is this?" She heard Makarov questioned, Erza turned to Makarov's direction and saw his mark on his chest was glowing as well.
(At the guild)
"What the hell is going on!?" Gray exclaimed as his guild mark on his chest, as well as everyone's marks began to glow; everyone was equally stunned as their marks started to glow while they watched Vanitas stand in front of the giant sphere containing Natsu.
"This feeling…it's got to be Natsu!" Happy exclaimed as he watched the battle.
"I think you might be right Happy." Mirajane said in agreement.
"But how could he make make our marks glow?" Levy questioned
"He's a man!" Elfman exclaimed as the guild's curiosity vocalized the building.
It wasn't just at the guild; it was happening to Mystogan, Laxus, the Thunder God Tribe, and other members that were on missions, even Gildarts' mark was glowing as well.
(Back at the arena)
Vanitas stood in front of the Nightmare Sphere, ignoring the sounds coming out of his barrier; his arms crossed as he stared at the sphere.
'What is going on? The spell should have finished him by now-' Vanitas thoughts were interrupted when he started to hear what sounded like glass breaking. His eyes widen as he saw small cracks appear around the sphere."THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"
The sphere's crack began to grow larger; banging sounds heard coming from the inside. Erza and Makarov stared as the sphere shook furiously; Erza quickly grew a smile on her face while Makarov gave a small smirk. A loud roar was heard as a giant claw burst through the cracks, the claw reached out and a body began following it; revealing a dragon made out of crimson flames and a golden light (2), as the dragon exited the sphere it seemed to stare at the demonized Vanitas before dispersing, revealing a smirking Natsu.
"Sorry about that. Were you expecting something else?" Natsu questioned, making Vanitas grit his teeth in rage.
"How were you able to escape!? No one has even been able to get out of my Nightmare Sphere unscathed!" Vanitas questioned with a roar.
"I guess I'm the first then; I hope you're ready. Because I'm going to make you pay for each death of my friends you forced me to see in that illusion…" The gold and crimson flames circling around Natsu grew more violent as he got into his battle stance, "A THOUSAND FOLD!"
Erza, Makarov and the other Fairy Tail wizards were in shock at the level of magical energy Natsu was releasing, and the fact that he was using an element besides fire. He wasn't in pain or look sick like that time he tried to eat Laxus' lightning; his face was calm and focused on Vanitas.
"He's done it…" Makarov spoke out, making Erza turn to him, "Natsu has finally harnessed the First's Fairy Light Magic, and he's merged it with his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic."
Erza turned back to Natsu, whose body was almost engulfed by both light and flame, before speaking out; her voice carried out through-out the stadium and was heard by the guild through the lacrima. "A merging of his mother's Fairy Magic and his Fire Dragon Slayer magic; so this is his new power…Fairy Flame Dragon!"
ESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDESND ESNDENDESNDESNDESNDESNDESNDE SNDESNDESNDESNDESND
A/N: Chapter seven completed, I hope it was enjoyable for you readers. Be sure to review and no flames. I will ignore them and they will be given to Natsu. I would also like to say Thank You to NeoShadows for letting me use one of his Guren attacks from his story "The Story of a Dragon, a Knight, and a Fairy Hunter."
1. Kokuto's sword from Bleach Movie - Hell Chapter.
2. Imagine the Crimson Dragon from Yugioh 5d, but its body is shaped more is more like Igneels'.
Omake:
A chibi Mavis and Nero stood in front of the mission board.
Mavis (Smiling): Natsu has become such a strong, handsome young man.
Nero (Cocky Smirk with hands on hips): Of course, he gets it from his old man.
Mavis (Giggles with hands on her cheek): I bet he is very creative with his magic too.
Nero (Big grin): He definitely got that from you, as well as your compassion for those you care about.
Mavis (Head cocked with a smile): He really has gotten traits from the two of us.
Nero (Winking at Mavis): I know one trait he got from me.
Mavis (Confused look): What's that?
Nero (Grabs Mavis' arm and brings her close): Falling in love with a strong, sexy fairy woman.
Mavis (Blushes while wrapping her arms around his neck): Oh you're such a flirt.
Mavis & Nero: Next time on The Fairy Flame Dragon…Chapter 8 – Light Within the Darkness
Mavis: There's a wall that can't be destroy by just power. But there is a type of power that can destroy that wall. The Power of Feelings.