Hello, leo0074 here, and I'm back for another chapter.

I must say, it was truly fun, yet challenging, to write this one, but it was totally worth it. Anyway, please don't hesitate to share any questions or suggestions you may have; it's fun reading all sorts of opinions. Constructive criticism is more than welcome.

I would also like to thank wh1msy for his amazing work as a beta-reader. He really helped me a lot!

Also, I have a few notes that I want to share at the end of the chapter, so if you are interested, then please don't miss it.

So by all means, enjoy.

Chapter 2: Soul Society

Natsu grunted as he was lifted from the ground, his feet dangling as he desperately tried to release himself from the older Dragon Slayer's grasp. The grip around his neck was too strong for him to move a single finger.

Acnologia's hand was squeezing his throat tightly, preventing any oxygen from reaching his lungs.

He lifted his head, if only a little, so he could meet Acnologia's cold gaze. The two Dragon Slayers stood like that, glaring at each other with intensity, for what felt like an eternity.

"Hmm, if that was really all the power you had left, then I must confess that I'm quite disappointed." Acnologia slammed Natsu against the solid ground, causing the pinkette to yelp in pain as the ground under him cracked with the sole force of the impact. "I shall proceed in doing what I intended from the very start."

"D-Dammit!" Natsu cursed under his breath.

"I shall consume all of the remaining Dragon Slayers so I can regain full control over my powers. And now that I have acquired 'Time' magic, my powers will become even greater than what they used to." He put his foot on top of the pinkette, crushing him under his weight. "Now all that's left to do is to eliminate all the annoying pests that remain, starting with you."

"You...you bast-ugh!" The pinkette's words were silenced by the sudden increase of pressure on his back.

"It's been a while since the last time I used this spell, not since the age when the dragons still roamed the skies. I guess there is no better time than now." A mix of black and dark purple energy began to envelop Acnologia's hand.

Natsu's eyes widened. He had no idea what that strange spell was, but he had no desire of finding out. "What...are you-agh!"

The next thing he knew, Acnologia's hand went straight through his back, forcing an agonizing scream out of him due to the overwhelming pain.

There was no physical contact, yet Natsu felt as if his insides were being distorted, moving all around his body. Nothing could be heard except for Natsu's cries of pain, echoing through the place.

A sadistic smile adorned The Dragon King's facial features. He was enjoying the suffering he was inflicting into the younger Dragon Slayer. But he was not planning on just taking his pathetic life.

No, he wanted more than that.

He wanted his soul.

"Say, Rukia, what did you say this place was called again? Soul town or something?"

"The Soul Society," she corrected, feeling annoyed by Natsu's apparent lack of attention, but decided to let it pass. At least he was able to get her name right. "We are in the Inuzuri district, one of the many districts here in the Rukongai."

Processing this new information, or at least what he was able to understand, the Dragon Slayer nodded. His eyes traveled across the crowded town square they were standing on.

"Are you sure your friends are around here?" he questioned the younger girl. She nodded.

"They should be. We hang out around here the most." Looking around, she searched for signs of familiar faces through the crowd of people that flooded the streets. So far she had no luck.

Rukia and Natsu had introduced themselves after Natsu took care of the angry old man. Not long after that, he offered to help her find her friends. Which was something that she had never agreed to.

"You really don't need to be here, you know," she said matter of factly, scowling. "I can find them on my own."

Natsu barely gave the petite girl a glance before shrugging. "Maybe, but there seem to be a lot of bad people around here, so I may as well stick around for a bit, just to be sure." His response didn't seem to get the desired effect: it only ended up annoying the black-haired girl even further.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Rukia angrily replied. "I can take care of myself!"

"I never said you couldn't, I'm just worried. By the way, where are your parents?" His hands moved to his waist in a scolding manner. "I don't think they would approve of you and your friends going around stealing stuff from people."

His words seemed to have finally earned a reaction from her. It was faint, but Rukia's frown softened a bit. "I don't have any parents, I…I never had any. Not that I can remember, anyway."

Natsu blinked a couple of times. It took him no more than a few seconds before he was able to realize the meaning behind what she just said. A look of regret overtook his features.

"Sorry I…I didn't mean to be rude, It's just that I..."

"Don't be." He was cut off by the black-haired girl. "I mean, it's not like I'm alone or anything: I have my friends who are there for me, so I'm more than fine."

Seeing the reassuring smile that she gave him was enough to put his previous worries at ease. Just looking at the sight brought him some warmth, and it was more than enough to put some on his face as well.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." He gave her a toothy grin.

It was comforting to know, that even in a place like this, there were still those who had deep appreciation and care for their friends. People who they shared strong bonds with. Who they trusted.

"By the way Natsu, are you sure you're alright?" The serious tone in her voice changed into that of concern. "I mean, you said that you were fine, but your injuries look like they are getting worse the more you move. Not to mention your arm; it looks like it's about to fall apart at any moment."

Natsu gave her a strange look, confused by her sudden concern. He was by no means a stranger of being at the receiving end of these sort of emotions from his friends, but it was weird to hear it come from someone who he barely knew. Nevertheless, this confusion didn't prevent him from smiling in return.

"There's no need. Believe me, it will take more than this to take me down! But thanks for worrying." Giving her a gentle pat on her head, he released a soft chuckle.

Natsu was not being completely honest. While he doubted that his life was under any real danger, it did not change the fact that he was in great pain due to his multiple wounds. Though it was painful, there were other things that he needed to take care of before anything else.

Rukia, on the other hand, was taken aback by the pinkette's confidence. His reassuring reply and cheerful attitude–even though she could clearly see how bad his wounds actually were–were still enough to make her believe in what he had said. It nearly convinced her that he really wasn't hurt at all. However, her train of thought soon came to a halt. Her eyes immediately widened in panic when she realized what Natsu was doing.

"I-I-Idiot! W-What do you think you are doing?!" She quickly shoved the Dragon Slayer's hand off her head in embarrassment. "W-Who the hell gave you permission to pat me on the head like a child?!"

Natsu couldn't help but find her reaction hilarious. So hilarious in fact, that he was forced to hold his stomach in a failed attempt to control his laughter at the smaller girl's expense. "It's not funny!" she protested.

"S-Sorry, sorry." The Dragon Slayer apologized as he removed a few tears that were brimming at the corner of his eyes.

"I-Idiot." The black-haired girl grumbled, forced to turn her face around in order to hide her embarrassment, along with the small blush that appeared on her cheeks. Rukia didn't know how, but she knew that if she wanted to avoid any further embarrassment, she needed to change the subject quickly. "A-Anyway, how eh…how did you get hurt so badly? Was it during a fight?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"S-Seriously? But you look almost half dead! What kind of fight would leave you like that?" Rukia asked in surprise.

The question clearly made Natsu feel uncomfortable. He really didn't want to get into details regarding the war. She was only a child, so the less she knew about it, the better. "I guess you could say it was a big one."

His answers didn't seem to satisfy the black-haired girl, but she decided not to pry for answers any further. It was obvious that the pinkette didn't feel comfortable with the subject. "I…I see. So, I guess that means you must be really strong, right?"

The Dragon Slayer couldn't prevent a huge grin from spreading across his face. "You bet! I just happen to be the strongest person in my guild!" He was exaggerating, but it was not like his guildmates were here to prove him wrong, so he may as well brag as much as he wanted.

"Alright, I get that you're strong. But what do you mean by guild? What is that?"

"Hmm, how do I put this…" Putting his arms across his chest in a thoughtful manner, the Dragon Slayer found himself deep in thought. "You could say that it's a place where you can eat and take jobs. It's where anyone can have a good time and still be welcomed." Natsu smiled in fondness, as memories of his friends and family came into his mind. "It's a place where everyone cares about each other. A place me and my friends call home."

The black-haired girl was taken aback by the pinkette's explanation. She had to admit, the whole idea of a place like that did sound appealing. "That…that must be pretty nice."

"It is!" he exclaimed in excitement. "After all, in our guild we all treat each other like family!"

That got her attention. A…family? For some reason, that simple word repeated inside her mind like an echo. She felt the need to ask him more about his guild, feeling oddly interested about it.

"Rukia!"

Both of their heads turned to the direction where the voice had come from. For Natsu, it was easy to recognize the owner of the voice. It was none other than the red-haired kid he had seen not long ago. Someone who Rukia was already familiar with.

"Renji!" She shouted back, relief washing over her. And he was not alone. She could see the rest of their friends coming alongside him as well.

"Rukia! What happened? Are you alright?"

"Don't worry guys, I'm fine. Thanks to Natsu here, that is." She gestured to the pink-haired teen. "He protected me from that old man before he could even hurt me."

"Eh, this guy?"

"Yo! Name's Natsu, nice to meet you all!" Greeting the group of kids with a friendly wave, Natsu directed his gaze to the red-haired one. "You must be Renji, right?"

"Y-Yeah?" Renji responded with a degree of hesitation.

He was not the type of person who would blindly trust a complete stranger right off the bat, but something about the pinkette's friendly attitude felt so authentic, that he just couldn't show any true distrust towards him. His thoughts halted when Rukia spoke again, bringing everyone's attention back to her.

"Anyway, did you guys take the stuff back to our place?"

The red hair gave her friend a wide grin. "Heck yeah we did! We have more than enough for everyone to share."

Having heard that, Rukia could not contain a sigh of relief.

"That's great to hear. Hey Natsu, why don't you come with us? I'm sure you would like to try some too."

Natsu was genuinely surprised by the sudden invitation. He was not expecting that kind of gesture from the small girl. He opened his mouth to answer, but Renji quickly beat him to the punch.

"Oi, oi! What are you doing, Rukia! Why are you inviting pinkie here into our place like that!?" Renji wasn't the only one who had that same concern, as some of the other kids were wondering the exact same thing. "Seriously Rukia! what is wrong with..."

A fist slamming on top of his head was enough to silence the red-haired kid.

"Ouch! W-What the hell!"

"Are you all idiots or what? Show some respect! He saved me, remember? What kind of adult would do that in here, uh? Nobody! So the least you could do is show a bit of gratitude!"

If there was any further objection towards her, it was all left unspoken. Nobody dared contradict the black-haired girl or her decision. Not even Renji, now holding his head in pain, had anything else to say.

Satisfied with the result, Rukia turned back to Natsu expectantly. A cold drop of nervous sweat began to run down the side of his face.

She acts so much like Erza! And if she was anything like her, then there was no way she would accept no for an answer.

Letting out a nervous laugh while scratching the back of his head, Natsu decided to answer. "A-Alright then, lead the way!"

A few hours later...

"O-Ouch! That hurts!"

"Then don't move; you're only making things harder!" Scolding the Dragon Slayer seating beside her on the small bed, Rukia took another roll of bandages which she used to cover his injured arm.

And let's just say that she wasn't doing things very gently.

"Then do it right! D-Dammit! Do you even know how to treat this kind of injury?"

Natsu already tried to pull his arm away from the small girl's grasp, but each time he tried it ended in failure. She was far stronger than she let on.

"Of course I do! I wouldn't have survived this long if I didn't!" Rolling the bandages around his injured arm one last time, Rukia let out a satisfied sigh as she wiped some sweat from her forehead. "There. All done. Happy now?"

Relieved to have his arm back, Natsu looked at his now bandaged extremity.

It was all covered. Rukia had already treated his other wounds as best as she could. The best thing Natsu could do from now on was rest.

It would take some time, but he knew he would eventually recover. In a day or two perhaps? Okay, maybe that was pushing it a little too far.

Taking his eyes away from his arm, Natsu glanced around the small room of the cabin. It was filled with kids of different ages, all eating some of the apples that Rukia and her other friends stole.

"What's with all the kids?"

Rukia gave him a look of surprise, clearly not expecting that sort of question to come out of nowhere. "Well, just like myself, none of them have parents. We all came alone when we arrived in the Soul Society."

Now it was Natsu's turn to be surprised. "Really? But don't they have any other family or something?"

"Well, the thing is...it's a little hard to explain." She paused. "Hardly anyone remembers anything from their past life, which includes our families as well. So when most people arrive here at the Soul Society, they are all by themselves and sometimes without any memory, besides their name and a few other things."

Natsu could only look at her in silence as she continued to observe the other children playing.

"It's normal for people to create small groups or communities like this, since there is no other place to go. And it helps us survive, cause this way everyone can support each other." She returned her gaze to him. "And me? I have lived here ever since I was little, so I don't really have anything to remember besides the streets I grew up in."

Natsu had no idea how to respond to Rukia's words. There was something about what Rukia had said that bothered the Dragon Slayer. Past life? He was about to ask what she meant by that, but stopped when he spotted an incoming object from the corner of his eye.

Acting on pure instinct, Natsu raised his left hand just in time to catch an apple that was flying towards him. Holding it in his hand, the pinkette observed the red colored fruit in curiosity.

"You sure do look like you need it. We don't want you drooling all over the floor like a starving animal; it's already dirty enough." This time it was Renji who spoke, before handing an apple to Rukia.

Too hungry to care, Natsu opted to ignore the comment and took a bite with a quick reply. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He dismissed his words with a wave of his hand. "Rukia would probably kick my teeth out if I didn't give you one. By the way, what's with your wounds? You look like you got your ass beat."

"I'll have you know that I won that fight!"

Renji gave him a questioning look. "Yeah? Did the old man really give you that much trouble?"

"That guy? Nah, I took care of him easily. No, these are from some fights I had before I got here."

"Fights?" He inquired.

Taking another bite, the pinkette was about to reply to the red-haired kid, but stopped when he caught sight of Rukia shivering. "Are you alright?"

"Uh? Y-Yeah, I'm fine…I'm just a little c-cold, that's all."

"Well, it is getting late."

The nights in this region of the Rukongai were harsh, especially at this time of the year. And with how many kids there were, they didn't have enough mattresses for everyone. Sometimes they had to share, but even then, it was never really enough.

"Oh, I think I can help with that." Having finished eating the rest of the apple, Natsu lifted his left hand.

"Uh, Natsu, what are you..." The next thing that happened came without warning.

Natsu's hand was suddenly engulfed in fire.

Both Renji and Rukia couldn't stop themselves from screaming in panic, as they were caught completely by surprise by the sudden action.

Rukia was quick to push herself away from the flames, going as far as to drag herself to the other side of the bed, while Renji ended up losing his balance and fell on the floor. The commotion of course caught the attention of everyone else in the room, and they were all surprised when they saw Natsu's hand covered in fire.

The Dragon Slayer was beyond confused by everyone's reaction. "What's with all of you?

It took a moment, but Renji was the first one to speak. "Y-Your…your hand!"

"What about it?"

"I-It's…it's on fire!"

"Uh, yeah, I think I know that. Are you dumb or something?"

"Who are you calling dumb?! You pink-haired idiot! I mean why is your hand on fire?!"

"Oh! So that's what you mean..."

"Yes! That's exactly what we mean!"

Having just realized what all the commotion was about, Natsu couldn't help but chuckle as he rubbed his hair in embarrassment. "Well, that's easy. This is my magic."

There was a long, awkward pause.

"Eeeeeeehhhhhhhh!"

In the outskirts of the Rukongai...

"Please tell me you found something."

"Sorry Captain. Nothing to report yet."

"Nothing at all? We've been here for hours and we still haven't found anything yet?"

"I'm afraid so, sir."

"Tch. Man, that sucks." Mumbling to himself, the Captain was quick to dismiss his subordinate before looking back at the destroyed landscape.

Captain Hirako Shinji watched his underlings search through the scorched land, looking for any kind of trail or clue that could tell them what had happened here.

That was the reason he had been sent to this wrecked wasteland that used to be a forest. To investigate the origin of the disaster.

From what he read from the recent reports detailing the event, a ball that was made out of fire came from the sky and impacted the surrounding area. It scorched the land and burned the trees to a crisp, leaving only a crater in the place of the impact.

It was something that was not only unusual, but unheard of in the entirety of Soul Society. Which was the reason why it was something that needed to be investigated as soon as possible. But sadly, they hadn't been having any luck.

"Damn, it's getting late and we have yet to find anything." Looking over to the horizon, the blond Captain was able to see the sunset which was soon to be replaced by the white moon.

"Captain Hirako," he heard someone say.

Turning to the one who called him, Shinji came face to face with his Lieutenant.

"Oh, Sōsuke? Did you find anything?"

The man with glasses nodded in confirmation. "I did, Captain."

His eyes widened. "Oh, really? What did you find?"

"Well, I apologize if it doesn't sound very accurate, but I was able to find a peculiar trail of heat leading south; it's still barely there. Like I said, it could be nothing, so you don't really need to listen to me, Captain."

"Nonsense. Even if it isn't accurate, it's still better than nothing. Besides, if I come back empty-handed, I'll never hear the end of it from Kisuke. He really wanted me to retrieve him some samples or something. Heh, what a weirdo."

"Captain Hirako, please don't talk bad about Captain Urahara."

"Tch, you are annoying too, you know? Anyway, tell our subordinates to stay put and continue searching the area for any more clues. You and I are going for a little walk."

"Hai, Captain."

Rukongai. Inuzuri district...

"So, you're a wizard?"

"Yep."

"And you can control fire?"

"Pretty much. I can produce fire from any part of my body. Oh! And I can eat it too."

"Wow! Really? What does it taste like?"

The child's question earned a chuckle from the Dragon Slayer. "It's really good if you ask me, but I don't recommend you try it; people tend to get burnt rather easily."

"Can you show us?" This time it was Rukia who asked. "I mean, can you show us how you eat fire?"

She had to admit, all this talk about magic and wizards did sound too far-fetched to be true, but after seeing Natsu's previous demonstration of his powers, she could not help but feel curious about it.

"Uh, I'd like to, but I can only eat fire from others, not my own."

"Why not?" asked Renji from the other side of the small room.

Natsu gave the red-haired kid a plain look. "Would you eat your own hand?"

"Ew, point taken."

Some of the kids couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. But then one of the other boys in the group decided to ask. "Wait, if you are really a wizard, or a mage or whatever, how did you learn magic?"

"How? My dad taught me, of course!" He had always been proud of his father's teachings, so he didn't have any problem telling the kids about them.

"That's so cool! Hey, do you have any stories you can share with us? You know, because you are a wizard and all that!"

Natsu tilted his head in confusion. "Stories?"

"That's right! Even if you don't have a beard or a pointed hat, you still know how to use magic! So you must have been in some cool adventures!" Excitement began to spread across the room, hearing all of the requests he was getting from everyone.

Natsu knew there was no way he was getting out of this. He gave Rukia a quick glance, and much to his own surprise, the girl seemed to be just as excited as everyone else in the room, if not more. She even got closer to his side so she could hear him better.

Even Renji was showing some degree of interest.

Seeing no escape, Natsu sighed in defeat. Well, I might as well tell them something cool.

"Alright, alright: I'll do it." Crossing his arms over his chest, Natsu got himself deep in thought, trying to think of what kind of story he should tell them. It took him a few moments of thinking, but he was able to reach a swift conclusion. "Alright! I got it now!"

Silence soon filled the room once again, as everyone waited for the Dragon Slayer to start.

"Okay, well. It all started when me and my friend Happy went into this town looking for my dad…"

CHAPTER END

And that's it, second chapter done and done.

It sure is fun writing Natsu's interactions with everyone; one of my favorite parts of writing this is when it comes to writing his character.

And Shinji and Aizen just appeared! I don't think anybody expected that so soon. It's enjoyable to write Shinji's character as well. He is so blunt, yet I find his personality amusing.

Also, before anyone calls me out on dates, let me clarify that I find it complete BS that both Rukia and Renji's bodies grow so much in just 10 years, it just doesn't make sense! Especially with how slow the aging process in Soul Society seems to be. So I find it more logical that they may be in reality more closer to Shūgei as how he looked back when Shinji and the Vizards were still Captains.

Well anyway, that's all for me now. Don't forget to share your opinion.

And more importantly, I hope you liked it.

That's all for now, so take care, and I'll see you in the next chapter.