Before I begin, I need to inform you that I added another part to the previous chapter, for those who haven't read it yet.

With that said, welcome, everyone, to this new and exciting chapter of 'Soul of Fire'. It took some time, but it's finally here. And I must say, it was both fun and exciting to write this chapter, so I hope you guys like it.

Anyway, don't forget to tell me what you think, and don't be afraid to share any ideas you may have.

So, enough said. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 3: Shinigami

Natsu's painful screams echoed through the Ravines of Time, Acnologia's hand buried deep inside his back.

Not only was it painful, but strange as well. He felt as if he was burning from deep inside, as if his very body was being torn apart by an overwhelming force, though he could not feel the touch of Acnologia's hand. It was more of a sensation.

A really painful sensation.

"What is...happening to me!?"

Natsu was barely able to think straight due to the immense pain. It was so great that he was sure that if anybody else were to be submitted into this same position, they would have been a goner by now.

"Since you actually managed to entertain me, if only for a little bit, I may as well tell you a little secret of mine, Dragon Slayer."

Despite the pain he was in, Natsu was still able to turn his head to the side, if only just so he could get a clear look at the older Dragon Slayer's face.

"Tell me, have you ever asked yourself how I became so strong? So powerful that not even the Dark Wizard could ever hope to reach my level, let alone defeat me?".

Natsu did not know why, but for some reason he was sure that whatever words were about to come out of Acnologia's mouth, he by no means was going to like them.

"By eating the soul of a living dragon."

Natsu's eyes widened at this. "W-What?"

"A dragon's soul. By pulling the soul out of a living dragon and devouring it, I cannot only assimilate that dragon's power, but its immunity to its elemental affinity as well. From this you can easily guess where my resistance to all magic came from."

To eat...a dragon's soul?

Natsu was still trying to process the implications of that statement, and surprisingly, it didn't take long before he understood Acnologia's current actions.

Wait, was he actually going to...

"Eat your soul?" A sinister smile formed on his face. One that promised nothing but suffering. "That's what you were thinking, wasn't it?"

Before Natsu could respond, Acnologia withdrew his hand from his body. Blue spectral energy began to leak out, flowing all the way into the older Dragon Slayer's mouth.

"Hey, has anybody seen Rukia? I can't find her anywhere."

"Rukia? I think she's with Natsu."

"Wha-really? What's she doing with that guy?"

His friend shrugged in response. "Don't know. He went out to the forest early this morning, and Rukia just tagged along with him."

"I can't believe this." A long sigh of exasperation escaped Renji. "What's wrong with her? We barely know the guy and she just goes with him, all by herself?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but Natsu seems like a really nice guy to me."

"Yeah! And he has pink hair, there's no way someone like that can be bad at all!"

The red-hair couldn't help but groan in annoyance. After everything that happened last night, the relationship between the pink-haired teen and the other children improved immensely. Not only because of the little show that he pulled with his so called powers, but also because of the stories that he decided to share with everyone.

They were entertaining, sure. He wasn't going to argue against that. But it would take more than just a few magic tricks and some made-up stories to earn his trust. After all, the only reason he allowed the guy to spent the night with them was because if he didn't, Rukia would have made his life a living hell. And that was something that he wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Well, they better come back soon. It's already noon and we still have yet to hear anything from them. I just hope Rukia is alright."

In the outskirts of the Rukongai Forest, near the Inuzuri district...

"I still can't believe it. Just how did you manage to catch all of those fish so fast?!"

Letting out a soft chuckle, Natsu proudly patted the large basket that he was carrying over his shoulder. "What can I say? Years of practice, I guess."

Glancing over at their soon-to-be breakfast, Rukia could barely contain her excitement. "Even so, that's a lot of fish for one small river. Now that I think about it, how did you know there was a river here in the middle of the forest?"

"Hmm? I just happened to come across it yesterday, when I was making my way to the town."

Natsu was wearing nothing but his white pants and sandals. His torso was mostly covered with bandages, along with his right arm. His scarf was still hanging loosely around his neck, like always.

"By the way, not to be rude or anything, but why did you ask to come with me, anyway? I mean, you could have just waited in the cabin along with everyone else until I came back. So what gives?"

The question somehow caught Rukia by surprise. "Well, I'm not the type of person who likes having other people do everything, while I stand around and do nothing."

"Hmm, I guess that makes sense."

"Besides, someone needs to make sure you don't get lost. The forest can be a little tricky."

"Oi, don't count me out just yet. I basically grew up in the wild, you know? And it's not like I'm completely helpless when it comes to directions. I'm one hell of a tracker."

"If you say so." Both of them could not help but share a moment to laugh.

Natsu had to admit, he was truly enjoying his time with Rukia. He wasn't completely sure why, but last night, if only for a moment, it almost felt as if he were back in the guild with his friends, just having a good time.

He knew it wasn't the same, but it sure felt like it, if only a little.

Still, he knew that feeling would not last for long. He was planning on leaving today to continue searching for his friends, or at the very least, find a way back to the guild.

That was why he went through the trouble of getting breakfast for everyone. It was to show his gratitude for allowing him to stay the night at their place.

"By the way, Natsu. Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Uh? Sure, what is it?"

Rukia hesitated, as her gaze suddenly shifted from the pinkette to her feet below. "I…I mean-do you think you can…"

"If I can what?" Natsu couldn't help but feel a little curious as to what this was all about. It didn't take a genius to realize that whatever Rukia was trying to say was making her feel very uncomfortable.

"D-Do you think you can…tell me more of those stories you were telling us last night?"

"Stories? Oh! You mean those about me and my friends?"

"Y-Yeah! They're really fun to hear. And I'm really curious as to what happened after you fought that cursed flute."

The excitement in her voice was enough to draw an amused laugh from the pinkette. He may be leaving today, but he really saw no problem in sharing a few more of his stories before he departed.

"Heh, sure, no problem. When we get back, I'll be sure to tell you a few of them if you like. Deal?"

Returning his smile with one of her own, Rukia answered instantly. "Deal!"

"Sorry to interrupt this heart-warming moment, but I'm afraid that will have to wait for another time."

Natsu and Rukia's eyes widened in surprise.

The young girl quickly looked around herself, trying to find the owner of the unknown voice. But unlike her, Natsu didn't have that problem. His eyes immediately darted to the place where he knew from which it came. Then he saw him.

Crouching on top of a tree branch was a man dressed in black-and-white robes. His most unique characteristic was his long, blond hair that reached all the way down to his waist.

He was looking at them with a creepy smile.

"Found you~"

Having heard the cheerful tone in the stranger's voice, Natsu's eyes narrowed in caution. He couldn't tell accurately, but just knowing that this man was able to sneak up on them without him noticing was enough to make it clear that this man was dangerous. That, and the fact that he did not like the way the blond man was looking at them.

Natsu quickly dropped the basket he was carrying and stood protectively in front of Rukia. He had no intention of letting her be in harm's way.

"Who are you?" Natsu demanded, his previously playful tone now gone.

Following the direction in which Natsu was looking, Rukia was able to see who the newcomer was. She didn't recognize the man, but her eyes widened when she took notice of the clothes he was wearing and the sheathed sword that he carried at his waist.

Oh no…

"The name's Shinji, kid."

This is really, really bad…

"And I'm a Shinigami."

Standing away from the scene while using a Kidō spell to hide his presence, Sōsuke Aizen watched closely as Captain Hirako confronted the strange pink-haired individual.

He watched with interest as the young man took a protective stance in front of the little girl that accompanied him. Very curious. It was as if he was somehow aware of the immense power that the Captain possessed.

Was he somehow able to feel the high levels of Reiatsu? Or perhaps the boy was acting on pure instinct?

Regardless of that, it seemed that the pink-haired boy knew how to fight, at least to some degree. It was easy to know that by looking at the stance that his body was taking. It was one that didn't show any discipline, yet seemed to carry a lot of experience.

Even so, he had yet to show anything noteworthy besides his unusual Reiryoku. It was almost as if it was something else entirely. He was quite curious as to what kind of surprises the boy would have under his sleeve. After all, no normal person could burn such a large portion of a forest to that degree.

Or at least, not by normal means. A smirk reached Aizen's features as a ray of sunlight reflected on his glasses. It gave the Lieutenant a much more sinister appearance.

"Shinigami, huh?" Natsu questioned with a raised eyebrow, pondering over the name as he glared at the man now known as Shinji.

"That's right. Captain of Squad 5: Hirako Shinji, at your service."

"Name's Natsu, Natsu Dragneel. Fairy Tail wizard." Having stated his name, Natsu quickly adopted a fighting stance.

"Woah, woah, take it easy big guy; no need to get like that." The Captain lifted his hands. "I'm not here to fight you. You would do me a huge favor if you were to come with me quietly."

The Dragon Slayer's guard lowered slightly. "Uh? What for?"

Shinji couldn't help but scratch his head, feeling unsure as to how he should answer. "Well, let's just say that some people aren't all that happy with the ruckus you caused."

"Ruckus? I don't understand. What did I even do?"

"Well, you did kind of burn down a forest, scaring a lot of people. And don't try to deny it, there's a trail leading us directly to you. Besides, the size of the Reiryoku you possess is so massive that even a child would be able to feel it."

"Rei-what? The hell is that? I don't understand anything you're saying, but I haven't done anything wrong."

"Tch. Quite the stubborn one, aren't you? Look, regardless if it was you or not, I still need you to come with me."

Having heard that, a smirk reached Natsu's face. Punching his right fist into his open left hand, the pinkette replied. "Well, what if my answer is no?"

What a bother. Shinji could do nothing to stop himself from letting out an exasperated sigh. "Are we seriously going to do this?"

"Heck yeah!" Natsu yelled as he was about to charge in, ready to take the blond head on.

"Wait, Natsu! Stop! Don't fight him!"

He was forced to stop when he felt a hand holding his arm in place, preventing him from advancing any further. Turning to the one holding him, Natsu came face to face with a very distressed Rukia.

"You're still injured, you idiot! And even if you weren't, you still wouldn't be able to fight him, let alone win!"

"Huh? Why is that?" He was trying to make sense of what he was hearing while also trying to take his arm back, but Rukia was proving to be very persistent. Shinji remained silent as he watched the scene with interest.

"Because he is a Shinigami! You don't fight the Shinigami! Never!" At this point, Rukia was yelling at the top of her lungs. "Please! Even with your magic, there is no way you can beat him! You are only going to get hurt!"

The smaller girl looked at him with a pleading look in her eyes. But before she could continue insisting the Dragon Slayer reconsider, the sudden touch of a hand resting on top of her head caused her to cease speaking.

"Hey, I know you are worried and all, I understand that." Smiling reassuringly at Rukia, Natsu patted the top of her head in a gentle manner. "But trust me on this one, alright?"

Rukia stood frozen in place, unable to look away from his kind gaze.

The petite girl didn't know what to do, let alone what to say. She knew that the Shinigami were the highest authority in the Soul Society and all of its districts. Going against their wishes was basically a death sentence. But she also knew that the people who were taken away by them were almost never seen again.

Rukia couldn't help but feel conflicted. In the end, she decided to choose what she believed was right. To put her trust in Natsu's words.

She didn't give a direct response, but simply released Natsu's arm, allowing him to move freely once again. "Just…just be careful."

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Natsu smiled in return. "But now I need you to stand back a little bit, okay? Things are about to get real hot."

Rukia gave him a slow nod before doing as she was told.

Once the black-haired girl was out of view, the Dragon Slayer turned to face the blond man before sending him a confident grin. "So, where was I?"

"You were about to fight me." The Shinigami replied with slight boredom.

"Heh, works for me!" Igniting both of his fists, Natsu covered them wild flames as a feral grin appeared on his face. "I'm all fired up!"

Uh? Fire coming out of his hands? This action of course captured Shinji's interest. That's quite unusual.

Before Shinji could continue pondering over the pinkette's mysterious ability, his train of thought halted when he caught sight of Natsu charging at him with impressive speed.

"Karyū no—" Acting fast, Shinji was able to get himself out of the way just in time to avoid Natsu's attack before it hit the spot where he was previously standing on. "—Tekken!"

When the fist came in contact with the wood, the whole structure of the tree was immediately blown to smithereens, and the remaining pieces were completely incinerated.

Shinji whistled, feeling a little impressed by the display as he landed back on the ground safely. "That's some impressive strength you got there."

"There's more where that came from!" Using the now dead trunk as support, the Dragon Slayer pushed himself with his feet, launching himself straight towards Shinji.

"Karyū no—" Igniting his feet on fire, Natsu prepared a devastating kick. "—Kagizume!"

The attack was strong, but it was not able to hit its intended target, as the blond man suddenly disappeared from view. He vanished?!

Unable to stop his attack, Natsu ended up destroying the ground, causing a strong tremor that violently shook the land itself. Flames flew in all directions.

Natsu cursed under his breath as he tried to locate his opponent. He was trying to understand what had happened. One moment the guy was standing there, the next he was gone!

"Where the hell is he?"

Shinji then appeared behind Natsu. "Jeez, you sure are loud. Was that your first time seeing someone use Shunpo?" The Captain was forced to take a step back to avoid another flaming fist, which was followed by yet another one.

The blond soon found himself evading multiple consecutive attacks from the pinkette, who continued his relentless assault. These actions ended up drastically changing the landscape around them; a lot of the local flora ended up being destroyed by Natsu's stray attacks.

Using a large boulder for cover, Rukia could only watch the fight with complete amazement. She couldn't believe just how strong Natsu was. Just looking at all of the destruction that the Dragon Slayer was able to cause was enough to leave her in complete awe.

Has Natsu always been this strong?

"Come on. Don't tell me this is all you got." The blond avoided another kick from Natsu, which ended up destroying another tree behind him. "You looked so confident not long ago, but you haven't even touched me yet."

"Shut up!" Acting in anger, Natsu threw another punch, but it ended up being avoided by the blond once again.

Natsu would never admit it, but Rukia was right. Not only had he yet to recover his full strength, but his wounds were drastically hindering his movements, to the point where it was starting to get too painful to move.

And even with all of that, the blond had yet to draw out his sword.

I…I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this up, thought Natsu. And even with all the rest I already had, I...I don't think I have enough magic to use any of my stronger spells!

Still, there was one more thing that he had yet to try.

Using his arms to take hold of the ground, Natsu used them to support his weight before launching a sweeping kick towards Shinji's legs. The blond easily dodged the attack, by jumping up in the air and far away from harm's reach.

"You know what? I'm starting to think that you're nothing more than a big disappointment. I'm not even trying yet."

Rather than retorting, Natsu only smirked in response. Something that Shinji did not fail to take notice of.

"Got you."

Shinji raised an eyebrow at this, before sending the pinkette a questioning look. "What are you..."

"You can't dodge in midair. Can you?"

The blond's eyes soon widened in panic as he realized what the pinkette was referring to. "W-Wait! H-Hold on a second!"

"Karyū no—" Natsu began, taking a deep breath.

"Stop! Don-!"

"—Hōkō!" At his command, a torrent of powerful flames soon came from out of the Dragon Slayer's mouth and enveloped Shinji's body.

The breath attack didn't stop there, though. It went on without showing any signs of stopping, destroying numerous trees in its way; leaving nothing but a path of smoking destruction.

Natsu stood at the beginning of the path, panting heavily as smoke came from out of his mouth.

He was so tired. No, scratch that, he was beyond exhausted. It was a miracle that he was still able to stand. But even so, that didn't stop him from letting out a tired yet satisfied smile.

"Gotta give it to you. That sure was a close one."

Natsu's body stooped in place. He recognized the voice almost immediately.

"W-What?" Turning around, he was rewarded by the sight of none other than Shinji, standing just a few meters away from him. And, much to his shock, he was completely unscathed. "No…no way."

Natsu could barely hold in his heavy breathing. Just how was the blond able to escape from his attack?

Removing some dust from his clothes, Shinji stared back at Natsu impassively. He didn't fail to notice how the Dragon Slayer looked like he was ready to collapse due to exhaustion.

He had to admit, that last attack was dangerous. If he hadn't used Shunpo to get away from the breath attack in time, things could have gone terribly bad for him.

The pinkette seemed to posses a very dangerous power, so he could no longer let his guard down like he did. That would just be reckless. That means I can't take him lightly anymore.

"Tch. This is such a bother, but I guess I have no other choice." Sighing in annoyance, Shinji moved his hand and grasped the hilt of his sword. "I'll just have to end this quick."

Pulling his Zanpakuto out of its sheath, Shinji took a quick glance at the blade of his katana, looking at the reflection of his face before turning back to Natsu. The Dragon Slayer's body tensed when he saw this. Shinji was finally going to attack.

Should I use my release? Shinji definitely give the idea some thought. But one glance at the direction where his Lieutenant was hiding was enough to give him a clear answer. No, probably not. I should stick with something simple.

With that in mind, Shinji disappeared from view and appeared right in front of Natsu. His sword ready, Shinji dealt a horizontal slash.

"D-Dammit!" Natsu did the very first thing that came to mind and crossed his arms in front of himself, with the intent of blocking the incoming attack.

"Too slow."

It was a powerful blow, no doubt about it. Natsu was able to stop it, but not without seriously injuring his arms in the process, receiving the full force of the attack.

Blood splashed from his unprotected arms, causing the pinkette to grunt in pain as he felt the cold steel cutting through his flesh. And even with that, the impact of the attack was strong enough to send him flying across the field, causing him to crash against multiple trees. They all collapsed on top of him, leaving him buried deep under them.

"Natsu!" Rukia yelled in worry. Running out from her hiding spot, she went straight to where she knew Natsu was, not caring if she was getting too close to the still ongoing fight. "Natsu! Tell me you are alright! Natsu!"

Before Rukia could get near where the pinkette was buried, she was stopped by Shinji. He extended his hand in front of her, blocking her path.

"Don't worry; he's fine. He's probably just unconscious." Shinji knew that his words did little to ease the girl's concerns for the pink-haired boy's safety, but it wasn't like he cared.

The blond's final attack took more effort then what he had originally intended. How annoying, thought the Captain, as he began to make his way towards the fallen pinkette.

"Oh well. Mission accomplished, I guess."

Unknown place. Unknown time...

Natsu had no idea what just happened.

One moment he was standing there, fighting that creepy dude with the blond hair and the sword. The next? He found himself standing in blank space, surrounded by nothing but emptiness.

"Where am I?" Natsu looked around him, searching for anything that might give him an answer. But there was nothing to see except the white void. "Wait, I've been here before, haven't I?"

"That is correct."

Startled by the voice that came from out of nowhere, Natsu was quick to look around him, but there was no one in sight. "Who's there!? Show yourself!"

"Very well then." Suddenly, from out of thin air, a figure began to take form. It was a slow process, but it soon began to take shape, adopting a form that Natsu was already familiar with. "Hello, Natsu."

"Z-Zeref?" Natsu could not believe what he was seeing, but it wasn't long before his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "No, you aren't Zeref. Who are you?"

"I'm whoever you want me to be." The figure then changed into the form of Gray. "Whoever your heart desires."

"Stop doing that; I don't like it. And you still haven't answered my question. Who are you?"

"I'm you. Or a part of you, to be exact." The figure then turned into Wendy.

Staring deeply at the small figure of the younger Dragon Slayer before him, Natsu couldn't help but wonder when or where he had seen this kind of thing before.

It was then that realization finally hit him. "Hold on a second! I remember you now! You were there when I was unconscious! Back when I was dying because of those seed thingies!"

"Like before, you are correct."

Before Natsu could say anything else, a tremor suddenly shocked the floor. The landscape was replaced by a terrain full of volcanoes, and a dark black sky that was covered by a wide cape of smoke and sulfur.

The figure then grew instantly in size, adopting the reptilian form of none other than Natsu's deceased father, Igneel.

"And I'm here to help you."

CHAPTER END

Well, that was a thing. So, did you guys like it? Did you hate it? Let me know!

Natsu is Shinji's objective. Who would have thought? Certainly not me. It sure was fun writing Shinji, as I really like his character. Too bad he didn't have a bigger role at the end of the manga. Also, Natsu vs Shinji is something that I have wanted to do for a long time now. Hope you guys liked it. But the fight is far from over.

I've also been working hard on establishing some trust in Natsu and Rukia's relationship, as I feel they are the kind of people who can rely on one another. Like how Rukia works as a support for Ichigo. And what's happening with Acnologia? Well, we still don't know what's going on with that genocidal Dragon Slayer. But rest assure that the Dragon King will return.

Anyway, I guess that's all I have to say. So please, allow me to hear your opinion about the story, and any ideas you may have. I'm an open-minded person, so some things may actually make it into the story.

With that said, have a nice day, and we'll meet again in the next chapter!