Greetings everyone! I'm happy to see that another chapter has come out. And what's even better? That you came to see it!

I apologize for not updating in the previous month, but I've been busy fixing the previous six chapters with a style that I now find myself more comfortable writing in, which I did for the purpose of improving my writing, and to give you more chapters with better quality.

But woah, this is Chapter 7? Which I guess is kind of fitting, since this is the last chapter in which we'll be having any flashbacks. Or so it seems.

On another note, I was able to get Bankai Rukia in my Bleach: Brave Souls account! I'm so happy! She is OP as hell. Not even Toshiro can keep up!

Anyway, I'll like to answer a few questions I got from the last chapter.

Blackdrake:

I guess I can see your point. But believe me, it's not something that I forgot to explain, and it will be discussed in another chapter.

Jalis:

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that you find this story to your liking! And I can see your view on Natsu's ways of handling his Zanpakuto. I look forward to working on the details even more.

Well, I guess that's all. Don't forget to tell me what you think, as any constructive criticism is more than welcome, along with any suggestions for the story or ideas you'll like to see.

With that said, please enjoy.

Chapter 7: Indecision

Natsu could barely register what had happened after the explosion. But one look at his surroundings was enough to give him a straight answer, as the sight of the shining stars and astral comets flying beyond the night sky around him were a clear giveaway of what was going on.

He was falling head-first into the endless void.

The Dragon Slayer's mind was fuzzy; he could not recall what had happened after he was stabbed in the back. If he had to guess, he would say something must have occurred that destroyed the ground that they were standing on.

"You fool!" Turning his head to the side, Natsu was surprised to find Acnologia himself there with him. And just like himself, he was falling into the depths of the dark abyss. "Don't flatter yourself with this small victory, Dragon Slayer. You did nothing but delay the inevitable."

The older Dragon Slayer's face was carrying a deep frown that showed nothing but pure hatred.

Turning his body while in midair, Acnologia was able to obtain control over his fall. But before either of the two could mutter a single word to the other, Natsu noticed that his body had suddenly started to glow brightly with a golden light. He looked at his own glowing hands in surprise.

W-What is this?

"Hm; it seems like it has already started." Acnologia, who was going through the same process, glanced at his own glowing body with a calm expression. "I was afraid that it would come to this, but it seems that this world can no longer sustain our existence. Not without establishing 'harmony,' that is."

Natsu looked at the older Dragon Slayer in confusion.

"No matter." He turned his empty gaze back at him. "We'll just have to settle this on the next world."

Next world?

Having enough of this nonsense, Natsu was able overcome his shock and spoke. "What the crap are you babbling about?!" he demanded in frustration, but Acnologia barely gave him a glance, as if he didn't acknowledge his existence at all.

His reply came in a slow, threatening tone. "Don't trouble your tiny little mind with the details, Dragon Slayer. Just know that wherever I go, destruction will follow."

The young wizard had barely any time to question what the Dragon King meant by that before the lower half of his body began to disappear. "W-What…what is this?"

The glow extended to his legs, turning his limbs into tiny glowing particles before fading from existence.

"And no matter where you go, I will find you." declared the Dragon of the Apocalypse, who was pointing his remaining hand at him. "And I will devour you."

With those final words, the two Dragon Slayers disappeared from existence.

The sunset was already nearing its end in the Soul Society. As the lights around the Seireitei were starting to light up, all the activity inside the compound slowly began to cease, replaced by the numerous patrols of Shinigami.

Somewhere around the otherworldly fortress, a certain pink-haired Dragon Slayer was lying on a mattress over the floor inside one of the spare rooms from the barracks of the First Division.

"I'm so boooored."

And he was bored.

It had been no more than a few hours since the meeting had ended. Soon after that, he had been given a small room where he could spend the rest of the night. And must he say, he was glad that he was staying here and not in a jail cell.

Until now he had spent those few hours by himself without anything to do. It was only natural that in this kind of situation he would find himself dying from boredom.

Letting out a deep tired sigh, the Dragon Slayer decided to keep his mind occupied by pondering upon the events that had taken place ever since he had arrived. As weird as that may sound for some people.

It was still hard to believe. Everything that had been happening to him for the last couple of days has been nothing but crazy.

Knowing that he died… again.

Traveling to another world… again.

Meeting ghosts… again

His mind paused for a moment.

You know what, maybe things weren't as shocking or crazy as he first thought them to be. But between all of those thoughts, Natsu had yet to think over what had happened at the end of the meeting.

A few hours ago. Barracks of Squad 1. Assembly Hall…

After having finished telling the Captains about the events of how he had come to meet the man covered in fire that lived inside him and obtained his sword, Natsu could not help but release an exhausted sigh.

Never before had he needed to talk this much in a conversation, let alone try to remember so many little details. Seriously! He wasn't sure if he remembered half of the things he said correctly.

The Captains were much more conflicted as to what to make of everything that they had heard. Some appeared to be in deep thought as they carefully considered the new information, while a few didn't look like they cared that much.

Yamamoto was a completely different case.

His ever-calm exterior and firm posture did an amazing job at hiding whatever thoughts he had on his mind, while he held Natsu's Zanpakuto in his hands.

But unbeknownst to everyone else, the Captain Commander was the one who was giving things the most consideration.

This individual, or, as Natsu likes to call him, the man covered in fire, was clearly a Zanpakuto Spirit. There was no doubt about that. But even with that question out of the way, this new information brought more questions than answers.

Who was Natsu Dragneel in his previous life?

How did he obtain a Zanpakuto without any prior training?

Were there other Shinigami in his world as well?

Why did he possess Shinigami powers?

All this confusion was by no means the boy's fault. Yamamoto knew that. As far as he was concerned, the Dragon Slayer knew next to nothing about what was happening to him.

The young wizard had yet to grasp the change that his body must have undertaken to enter the Spiritual Realm. For all Yamamoto knew, had he entered the Human World instead of the Soul Society, or perhaps Hueco Mundo for that matter, the boy may have ended up turning into a Hollow.

Natsu had no idea how lucky he was.

Yamamoto decided to push those thoughts to the side of his mind, as he knew that while those questions were important, they could be answered at a later date. Now that the other topics had been discussed, it was time to address the main issue concerning the pinkette and his future.

That was what this meeting was all about, after all. To determine the fate of the one known as Natsu Dragneel.

Tapping his wooden staff against the hard floor twice, the Captain Commander called the attention of everybody inside the hall.

"Now then. Now that we have seen the facts behind the events that took place a few days ago in the Rukongai, and determined the background of Natsu Dragneel, I believe the time has come for a choice to be made." Turning his gaze towards Natsu, Yamamoto continued. "For the past few days, Central 46 has been discussing in depth everything regarding your case. There has been some serious opposition between the representatives. Everything was submitted to a vote before a decision was made."

A sneer came from Shinji. His face showed clear displeasure at the mention of the higher-ups. "Those old geezers have made a decision? This can't be good."

While none of the other Captains said anything about it, most of them shared the same opinion as the blond-haired Captain. Nothing good comes when Central 46 gets involved.

"What have they decided, Genryūsai-sensei?" asked the white-haired Captain.

Nodding to his old disciple, Yamamoto turned back to the Dragon Slayer. "They have decided to give you a choice."

"A choice?" Natsu repeated to himself. "What do you mean by a choice?"

"A choice to join the Gotei 13 and become a fully-fledged Shinigami."

Natsu's brain had yet to process what he just heard. However, slowly but surely, his mind connected the dots, and he finally understood what was going on. Join them? As in… be a Shinigami?

He was not the only one who had had that thought. The Captains were shocked as well. The look of surprise in their faces was clearer than day, none of them were expecting this turn of events. And while everyone else was busy thinking over what they had just heard, Yamamoto's train of thought drifted into the decision itself and how it came to be.

The boy had already proven that, while he did not show any hostile intentions, he could pose a potential threat to the Soul Society if left without supervision. With that established, Central 46 had made a decision based on two options.

The first option was to attempt to control the boy, either by making him an ally of the Soul Society, or a prisoner, and have him incarcerated for the rest of his life.

The second option was to dispose of him if he demonstrated to be so much of a loose cannon that they couldn't keep him under control.

Yamamoto, in all truth, preferred the first option. While he wouldn't hesitate to kill any potential enemies that threatened the peace of the Soul Society, it doesn't mean he enjoys doing it or feels any kind of pleasure from it.

He would rather not take someone's life if it could be avoided. Especially someone so young and with so much potential that could serve the Gotei 13 if he used his powers correctly. That was the reason why he had personally requested Captain Unohana to avoid treating the pink-haired boy as a prisoner and to bring him into the meeting without any handcuffs or restraints on.

This way they could avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings or potential hostilities as they determined the fate of the Dragon Slayer. The logic was sound, but just like the Captains themselves, Yamamoto found the decision as an odd one for them to make. Especially from the likes of Central 46.

But as odd as it may be, he had to do as they say, regardless of what he thought about the matter. With that said, Yamamoto turned to address the pinkette in question once he appeared to have regained the ability to speak.

"Before you answer, I would suggest you think things through before making a decision that you may end up regretting." The serious way with which Yamamoto spoke was not lost to anyone. Even Natsu stiffed in response to the old man's hard gaze. "The choice I'm offering you is not only rare, but completely unheard of in the history of the Gotei 13, or Central 46 for that matter. You should give it more consideration before recklessly declining it."

"And I should warn you." Opening his eyelids, the Head Captain looked straight at the Dragon Slayer with stoic eyes. It was as if he was sending him a silent warning to carefully consider his next choice of words. "Nothing good will come to either of us if you choose to take the alternative."

The Head Captain knew that he was able to cause the desired effect, as the Dragon Slayer was now showing a more thoughtful expression on his face. That's good, thought Yamamoto.

But knowing that fear can only take someone so far, he added. "And, supposing that you decide to accept this offer, we will gladly support you in any way we can to help you find a way back to your own world. Captain Urahara may be able to help you in that regard."

The blond captain sent the pinkette a lazy wave with a smile.

"You have twenty-four hours to come to a decision. Any longer than that and drastic actions will have to be taken. I sincerely hope that it does not come to that."

The only thing Natsu could do at this moment was nod in confirmation. What else could he do in this situation? Any other day he would have probably told the old man how stupid his offer was, say a cool one-liner, and fight his way out of this place.

Just like any other day. Right?

But what restrained Natsu from doing just that was that he had no idea of how to go back to his own world. And that begged the question. Could these guys really help him do just that?

It was exactly that indecision and conflicting thoughts that prevented him from declining the offer right there and now.

"I would have given you much more time to think about it, but Central 46 has been very insistent on resolving this matter as soon as possible. This lapse of time was the best I was able to obtain, so you better make good use of it."

The Captain Commander tapped the wooden floor with his staff one last time. The loud echo that resounded due to the impact was enough to draw everyone's attention back to him.

"With that said and done, I declare this meeting officially over. You are dismissed!"

Present time. Barracks of Squad 1. Natsu's Room…

Letting out another sigh, Natsu let himself to fall backwards into the mattress.

It had been a long day. So many things had happened in so little time and he had no idea as to what to do next.

If only it was as easy as fighting people; he would have already punched his problems right in the face and been done with them. Sadly for him, it wasn't that simple. What did he usually do when he had to deal with these kind of problems? It was usually his friends who…his friends?

His eyes widened in realization.

When was the last time he thought about them?

How were they?

Were they alright?

What about Happy?

Natsu knew that Happy would sometimes stay with Lisanna when he went to do some of his solo jobs. With him gone, he was sure that the blue cat was staying with the Strauss siblings. After all, Happy always saw Lisanna as a mother-figure. Still, that did little to vanquish his worries.

He really wanted to see everybody again. To see Fairy Tail. His friends. His family.

Is… is this how Lisanna felt when she arrived on Edolas? That thought alone was enough to bring him back to his main issue.

To the offer that was given to him.

What was he going to do about it? In all honesty, he had no clue.

They were offering him their support to help him go back to his own world, which in of itself was a great thing. But he wasn't so sure about becoming a Shinigami like them and joining their ranks. They all seemed to act like soldiers. Very much like the Rune Knights back at home, but that did little to help improve his perception of them. He really wasn't exactly fond of the Magic Council to begin with.

Well, at least they were kind enough to give me my scarf back.

He still had a lot of time left before the offer expired, so there was really no need to push himself. He'd have to think about it tomorrow, cause he was feeling kind of sleepy.

The next day…

The sound of nonstop knocking on his door was enough to wake the sleeping Dragon Slayer up.

He grunted in displeasure at the annoying sound. "Go away~" he said in what could only be described as a lazy mumble. But the knocking never stopped, and the hits against the door frame were becoming louder and erratic.

Knock-knock-knock.

Natsu growled, covering his ears in an attempt to block the noise.

Knock-knock-knock.

"I said go away!"

Knock-knock-knock.

In less than a second, Natsu got himself up and slid the door open, looking at whoever was knocking with a furious glare. "Stop with that crap already!" The person in question looked back at the him, but her emotionless face showed no reaction to his loud shouting or aggressiveness.

She was a Shinigami, that was clear, as she was wearing the black clothes and had a sword strapped to her side. The only difference was that she was wearing what appeared to be a mini-skirt and had a pair of glasses on.

"I'm Lieutenant of Squad 8, Yadōmaru Lisa." she introduced herself. "The Head Captain has requested your presence immediately. I'm here to escort you."

"The old man wants to see me?" His anger slowly faded away, but Natsu was still somewhat confused. Didn't he have more time before he had to give an answer?

He was sure that was the case, as it was still morning after all.

However, Natsu's line of thought halted when he caught sight of Lisa's eyes drifting to the lower half of his shirtless upper body. A drip of blood could be seen trailing from her nose, but her stoic expression remained unchanged.

"Uh…are you alright?" asked Natsu with authentic concern.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

The Dragon Slayer didn't know why, but he felt as if there was something very wrong about the woman in front of him. He could only wonder what that was about.

A few minutes later. Seireitei…

Walking alongside the Lieutenant throughout the numerous alleys of the Seireitei, he couldn't help but let out a loud yawn.

Natsu was wearing the same white robe that he had been given the previous day, along with his precious scarf–much to Lisa's displeasure.

Stretching his arms to get the morning fatigue out of his system, Natsu gave the female Shinigami next to him a glance. "So, what does the old man want with me, anyway?"

"I wasn't told. I only got the order from my Captain to bring you to the main courtyard where the Head-Captain and others will be waiting. That's all I was told."

She had no clue why Natsu was so important.

Her Captain had given her very little information about him, so there was not much to go by. As far as she knew, he was very strong, but she failed to understand what was so noteworthy about that.

Well, he didn't fail in the looks department, that was for sure. He could easily pass as one of those guys from her favorite magazines.

"Is that so? Oh well." He shrugged his shoulders, giving up on trying to figure out why he had been called for. "Name's Natsu by the way, in case you didn't know."

Lisa barely gave him a look, but still managed to catch a glimpse of the smile he was sending her. She gave him a quick nod in acknowledgment, something which Natsu had no problem returning, before the two resumed their walk.

It did not take long before they reached a large courtyard where some people could be seen standing far in the distance. Natsu was able to recognize them almost immediately.

There was the old man, the guy with the straw hat and the white-haired guy from yesterday. They were supposed to be Captains, if he wasn't mistaken.

"I see you managed to bring him, Lisa-chan." The man with the straw hat spoke with a smile when he saw them approaching. "You found no problems on your way here, I hope."

"None at all." She answered almost flatly.

"Mmhmm. That's good to hear." Turning his attention to Natsu, his smile grew bigger as he lifted his hat. "I don't believe I have introduced myself yet, though you may remember me from the meeting yesterday. My name is Kyōraku Shunsui, I'm the Captain of Squad 8. It's a pleasure to meet you, Natsu-kun."

"Nice to meet you as well, Dragneel-san." The white-haired man stepped forward. His face carrying a friendly smile. "My name is Ukitake Jūshirō, and I'm the Captain of Squad 13. I hope we can get along."

Looking between the two Captains before him, Natsu couldn't help but rub the back of his head. "Oh, yeah. L-Likewise, I guess."

He was still unsure how to talk with these guys. Not because he lacked social skills, but because his position here was yet not clear to him. He was basically a prisoner, but the friendly way with which they treated him made him uncertain.

"I see you are finally here." Approaching the group that gathered around the Dragon Slayer, Captain Commander Yamamoto spoke. "Good. Then let us now begin with the test."

That got Natsu by surprise. Giving the old man a questioning look, he inquired. "A test?"

Yamamoto nodded in affirmation. Both Ukitake and Kyōraku were already aware of what their teacher intended to do, so they stood in silence.

"While the report does give a very detailed description of your strength, it still needs to be put into the test., if only to give us a better understanding of it. With that said, this test will consist in nothing more than a simple sparring match."

Natsu's ears perked at this. An excited grin reached his face and he fist-pumped the air in excitement. "Alright! I'm all fired up! Who will I be fighting with?" The anticipation in his voice was evident. His eyes moving from Kyoraku to Ukitake, and even Yamamoto, as if daring them to be the ones.

"That would be me, dragon boy."

Walking towards the group from afar was a pair of women. The first one was considerably shorter than the other one. She was wearing a full-black suit and had short black hair that barely reached her shoulders. Natsu saw the hard glare she was sending him as soon as she laid eyes on him.

Huh, that's weird. Natsu thought in confusion. Have I done something to upset her?

The other was a woman who he was already familiar with. He remembered her from the last meeting.

She gave the Dragon Slayer a wide, cheshire grin as she greeted him with a casual wave. "Yo! How's it been?"

He was taken aback by the unexpected nickname. Her laid back attitude was a pretty big surprise, but not an unwelcome one. "Aren't you that lady from yesterday?"

She extended both of her arms at her sides, presenting herself in a royal yet mocking manner. "The one and only. But I ain't really a fan of formalities, so you can just call me Yoruichi." She playfully gestured to her still-glaring companion. "And this lovely lady right here is Soi Fon. But don't let her hard exterior fool you, she is one of the cutest girls you'll ever meet, once you get to know her."

"Y-Yoruichi-sama!" If Soi Fon wanted to retort against Yoruichi's statement, she didn't voice it. But she didn't appear to agree with her either, as the embarrassment in her cheeks was as clear as day.

Ukitake took the chance to step forward, if only to save Soi Fon from her growing embarrassment. "She is also the Captain of Squad 2 and the commander in chief of the Stealth Force, as well as the Head of the Shihōin Clan." Yoruichi released a small sigh, annoyed by the mention of her titles.

She was aware that Captain Ukitake meant well; he probably just wanted to make sure the boy was aware of her position. Yoruichi knew that she couldn't stay mad at her fellow Captain, but it was annoying nonetheless.

Directing her attention to the awaiting Head Captain, the Shinigami woman spoke. "So, shall we start?"

The old Shinigami nodded in agreement before turning to address the young wizard. "You'll be fighting against Captain Shihōin to test your strength, speed, agility, intelligence and power. This is not a real fight, so you don't need to go all out against your opponent. You only need to show us what you are capable of. Is that understood?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Let's just get this started!" Ignoring the lack of respect in the pinkette's words–much to Soi Fon's disapproval–Yamamoto nodded once again before letting Natsu prepare.

Throwing away the top of his white robe to allow himself better mobility, the Dragon Slayer exposed his chest, leaving himself with nothing but a pair of white pants and a scarf on. This also permitted the multiple scars on his body to be seen, showing that he had his own share of experience in battle as well.

Yoruichi grinned in anticipation. Taking off her haori, she handed the piece of clothing to the younger girl. "Hold this for me, Soi Fon."

"Of course, Yoruichi-sama!"

Seeing the enthusiasm of both combatants, Ukitake couldn't help but feel a little uneasy how things were progressing. "I…I think we should step back a little bit."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Don't you think so too, Lisa-chan? Uh? Lisa-chan?" Kyōraku looked over at his Lieutenant, who was staring at nothing with a neutral expression on her face. He was confused at first, but soon adopted a look of amusement when he realized what she was really looking at.

She was looking at Natsu's abs.

Heh...I forgot about this side of her. I hope this doesn't cause any problems. Looking away from his Lieutenant, he focused his attention back to the two combatants that now stood in the clearing, ready to begin their match. This is going to be an interesting fight, that's for sure.

Punching his hand in excitement, Natsu gave the female Captain a confident grin. "So, ready to go, or what?"

"Quite the eager one, aren't you?" smiled Yoruichi. "Very well then, just don't expect me to go easy on you, dragon boy."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

His words earned him another laugh from the Captain. "You know what? I think I'm starting to like you. But enough talk. Come on, show me what you can do."

Natsu's fist lit up in flames, signaling that he was more than ready. "Alright! Here I go!"

CHAPTER END

Well, that was it, folks. I hope you liked this chapter, cause it sure was a fun one to write.

A lot of things have been happening for little old Natsu, and I wanted to address just what exactly he is thinking about his situation in this chapter. Yes, Natsu is capable of thought. Fight me.

I had him compare his situation to how Lisanna must have felt when she arrived on Edolas. But, unlike Natsu, she still had some familiar faces. Natsu is all alone and has no one to trust.

Well, at least he got his scarf back.

Anyway, I tried to make it as logical as possible as to how the offer for Natsu of joining the Gotei 13 came to be. Believe me, if you feel incredulous how the old farts from Central 46 came to that decision, don't get angry, there's more to that than meets the eye.

Also, the story behind Natsu's Zanpakuto will be addressed in a later chapter.

This was the last chapter with flashbacks of the fight between Natsu and Acnologia. Soon after that was when Natsu came crashing into Soul Society. We will not be seeing anything about Acnologia, or how is he doing as a Hollow for a few chapters. Same with Rukia and Renji. They all will be back, but not for now.

I had most of this story already planned, but I may add a few more things here and there. So, if you have an interesting idea that you want me to add, feel free to share it.

I also now understand why Kubo loves drawing Yoruichi, it certainly is fun to write her! And Soi Fon too, she is one of the few that I wanted to do the most.

Also, in case nobody remembers, Lisa is a pervert. She reads porn in public, much like Kakashi, so don't feel weird if you see her having an interest in Natsu, if only a superficial one. Not that this will be the main pairing, or anything.

Now that I'm in the subject, let's talk about something that I'm sure many of you have wanted to discuss.

The pairing.

Well, to be honest here, I have a few ideas on how to work with that, but there will be none of that until much later. Don't hate me please, but for now that subject will be left untouched.

And in case you ask, no, no NaLu.

I hope you guys look forward for the match between Natsu and Yoruichi. It sure will be a fun chapter to work with.

Anyway, please let me know what your thoughts on the chapter, any mistakes I may have made or even suggestions you may have for the story. Constructive criticism is more than welcome.

With that said, I hope you all have a nice day!