Greetings everyone! Welcome to another chapter of this lovely story of mine!

Anyway, this chapter will finally venture into answering what many of you were probably dying to know, (or at least that's what I believe) starting with the most obvious question…

Why does Natsu have Shinigami powers?

Yep, the answer is finally out and is in this very chapter. I just hope you guys like it.

In any case, time to answer a few questions.

treyalexander63917:

Can't say much, but I can guarantee you that this story will have something for everyone, so don't worry.

Guest:

Can't say much about E.N.D. but if you read the previous chapters with the flashbacks with Acnologia, you may have an idea of what I have in mind. And yes, Natsu still has Fire Dragon King Mode.

TheJSmooth:

Thanks! I can guarantee you that there will be a lot of surprises when we get further into the story. We are still in the calm-before-the-storm part of the story.

DP-Observant69:

Thanks for the support! And I don't consider this a spoiler, so I'll answer your question. Yes, Acnologia's evolution as a Hollow will fallow the normal path every Hollow goes, but as everyone expects, he will be more than a simple Vasto Lorde. I also believe that your theory has a lot of credibility and I may consider it. Also, yeah, I know he can still use Fire Dragon King magic, even though he doesn't have Igneel's power anymore.

Having said that, please enjoy.

Chapter 9: Zanpakuto

"Why am I wearing this thing again?"

"The shihakushō is the standard uniform for all Shinigami. As a member of the Gotei 13, you must wear it whenever you are in active duty."

Natsu resisted the urge to groan. He didn't like the clothes, but at least they were not uncomfortable to wear. "Can I at least have my scarf on?"

Sasakibe nodded, much to the Dragon Slayer's relief. "I don't see why not. All Shinigami within our ranks are allowed to personalize their uniform however they see fit, so long as they don't make any drastic changes."

"Well, at least that's something." Natsu muttered, twisting his white scarf around his neck.

He had decided to accept Yamamoto's offer. In other words, he had decided to join the Shinigami. It wasn't out of preference, mind you, but even he, after some deep thinking, was able to realize just how much more convenient it was for him to accept. He was granted a place to live as well as many other basic necessities, so it wasn't a bad deal. Besides, these guys were his best chance of returning home. It was still harsh though, as he was forced to wake up very early in the morning just to do some stupid drills or some other stuff. The only good thing about being a Shinigami so far was that he had a salary now, so he didn't have to worry about running out of money.

"Is there anything else?" inquired Natsu with some annoyance.

"Yes, there's one more thing." The Lieutenant took something from the other side of the room and handed it over to the Dragon Slayer. Natsu's eyes widened when he recognized what it was.

"My sword…?"

"As a Shinigami, you are going to need this wherever you go. A Zanpakuto is not just a weapon, but a part of the Shinigami itself. Take care of it and never lose it. Is that clear?" Natsu nodded, taking hold of the sword's grip. "Good. Due to your unique situation, you will not be assisting the academy like everyone else, rather, the Head Captain himself will be the one to instruct you in the Shinigami arts."

The pink-haired wizard blinked at this. "Shinigami what, now?"

Chōjirō sighed in exasperation. "Just follow me. The Head-Captain is waiting for you in the meditation chamber. Better not keep him waiting."

Seireitei. Barracks of Squad 1. Meditation Chamber…

It had been centuries since the last time the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13 had taken the time to have a disciple; his latest examples being Ukitake Jūshirō and Kyoraku Shunsui.

One could see a huge difference when comparing those two to the pink-haired boy that he had currently taken under his guidance. But if there was something that the youngster lacked more than anything else, it was discipline.

While it was good for him to have as much positivity as he had, it would do no good if he couldn't behave properly when it came to his lessons. Yamamoto was very pleased to see that the Dragon Slayer, and also newly appointed Shinigami of the Gotei, was complying to his instructions.

The Head Captain was seated on the tatami floor, his legs resting underneath him while Natsu sat on the opposite side in the same way.

"We are going to start with the most basic of lessons" Yamamoto began. "Place your Zanpakuto on the floor."

Natsu raised an eyebrow at this, finding the instruction to be rather odd, but did as he was told. He took off his sword along with its sheath and put them down together. "Alright, here it is. Now what?"

"Now, let me ask you a question. Do you know your Zanpakuto's name?"

"Name?" The pink-haired teen blinked once. Then twice. "Am I supposed to give it a one?

Yamamoto shook his head. "Every Zanpakuto has a given name. And it's only by knowing that name that a Shinigami can unlock its full potential. This is a very important and essential part of the relationship between a Shinigami and it's Zanpakuto."

"Oh… I don't really get all that. But how do I do it?"

"You must first enter your inner world and communicate with it. Only then will you be able to learn it's true name."

"Inner world?" Natsu tilted his head to the side questioningly, finding the whole thing far too complicated.

"The place where you met your Zanpakuto spirit for the first time. Or, 'the man covered in fire,' as you called him. In a sense, you could say that your inner world is your very own soul." Gesturing to the sword, Yamamoto continued. "Put your hand on top of the blade and concentrate. Try to feel the flow of Reiryoku that connects the two of you and reach for it as if you were calling it from your very heart."

My…heart?

Not understanding completely what he was supposed to do, Natsu reluctantly nodded and took hold of his Zanpakuto while closing his eyes. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he tried to follow the old man's instructions.

There was nothing at first. He could feel its cold metal touching his bare hand, but nothing more. Minutes soon turned into what felt like hours, and the Dragon Slayer was already running out of patience.

But before he could voice his discomfort, he was able to feel something.

"I…I think I found it."

"Good. Take hold of that and do not let go."

It was thin and hard to perceive, but it was there. He tried to reach for it further, but when he did, he found himself struck by a whole new sensation.

Before he knew it, everything in his mind turned white.

Natsu's Inner World...

When Natsu opened his eyes, his vision was greeted by the sight of a familiar volcanic landscape.

"You came back," a voice called from behind. He turned, and soon came face to face with exactly the one he was looking for.

It was his Zanpakuto.

"Yeah. Long time no see, huh?"

"Indeed. Even though I knew you would return, I'm still very happy to see that you did."

Natsu couldn't help but smile. He kind of forgot how friendly this guy was. He should probably try and visit more often.

"Really? I'm glad. It must be very lonely here, being all by yourself."

"It is something I'm used to. But it was not always like that," the figure explained with fondness."Igneel and I used to talk to pass the time."

Now it was Natsu's turn to be surprised. "I-Igneel? You knew him?"

The man in fire nodded, much to his shock.

"Back when he still resided within you, the Fire Dragon King made me company for many years until your fight with Tartaros. You already know the rest."

"I…I guess that makes sense. You two were inside me, after all."

"Indeed. But I'm sure you didn't come all the way here to talk about your father, did you?"

"Oh yeah, that's right!" The pinkette rested his fist on his hand. "I totally forgot about that."

The man covered in flames chuckled lightly. "So, you wish to know my name, is it?"

Natsu nodded, not surprised that the man already knew his purpose here. If he knew all of those things from his past, then why shouldn't he know that as well?

"Very well then. But for you to learn it, you must first listen to what I have to say."

Closing the distance between his master and him, the Zanpakuto reached for Natsu's face, taking hold of both sides of his head. The Dragon Slayer was taken aback by the sudden action, but he offered no resistance.

"What I'm about to show you is not only a story from the past or from your ancestors, but a story that involves you as well, Natsu Dragneel."

The landscape around them began to change, taking different shapes before everything disappeared into whiteness.

"Because this is the story of a soul made of fire."

A time long forgotten. Earthland…

There was a time before the land known as Earthland came to be known as such. A time where things like morality, love and kindness were nothing but mere words.

This was an unforgivable time where only the strongest survived. A world where chaos reigned supreme and wars between the living and the dead waged across the land. It was an age of suffering, where good or evil had yet no concept.

But from the despair, hope emerged. It came in the form of a man. A man tired of watching the world burn in disgrace. He inspired people, promised them a better future. And soon enough, he gained their support.

The man later came to be known as a king. But what is a king without an army? He assembled a force unlike any other. A force composed of all races who supported him and his rule. From the weakest of humans, to the most powerful of creatures such as dragons, and many others. With this army, the man set out on a crusade to bring peace. He fought numerous battles, earning victory after victory in a road of conquest; all in the name of peace.

But it was all for naught. The man's ambitions brought nothing but more war to an already dying land.

Finding no better option, he left his kingdom in search for greater power.

Years went by and his faith was almost lost. However, it was then that he found what he sought. A power well beyond any other. Not even the strongest of magic could ever hope to contend with it, as it could not only bend reality itself, but the hearts of the people as well.

But it didn't come without a cost.

To get it, the man had to offer his own humanity in order to earn the right to wield such power. He did so without an ounce of regret or hesitation, and in return he became that world's first God of Death.

Dedicating his entire existence to bringing order to the chaos, he used this newfound power to end threat after threat, destroying anything that opposed him.

For the mortals, his strength was absolute.

His plan worked at first. Wars were stopped, along with all senseless slaughter. Soon a time of peace unlike any other finally came to be. But not everything was perfect. People feared his power. And with fear came chaos. From chaos came war. From war came death.

The cycle began all over again.

Seeing no other option, the man took it upon himself to save the world from destroying itself by using his own power to take away the hatred from people's hearts.

But there were consequences.

In the end, their hate was too much for him to bear, and their negative emotions burned his soul. It destroyed him from the inside.

The old legend says that the only way for him to prevent his own existence from fading was by turning his own flesh and blood into power, losing his physical form and allowing it to seal himself away in the form of a sword.

The man's name was lost throughout the ages, but his titles remain to this very day, known only by those who knew about his sacrifice.

Some call him the Lone Messiah, others the Conqueror King, and some even refer to him as the First God of Death. He had many names, but out of all them, he was mostly known for one.

The Soul of Fire.

Present time. Natsu's Inner World…

"That…that was you?" mumbled Natsu in shock.

"Indeed. And you Natsu, are one of my descendants."

The Dragon Slayer stood frozen in place for a moment, unable to process what he had been told. It was just so much to take in.

"But… but then how are you even inside me? I mean, the old man told me that a Zanpakuto is supposed to be a part of our souls. But if you say that you were alive thousands of years ago, then how is it possible that you are here with me?"

"That may be true, for a Zanpakuto of this world that is. But in Earthland, a Zanpakuto works much differently."

The man materialized his Zanpakuto form on his hand.

"For instance, while they do work in a similar way, an Earthland's Zanpakuto can switch owners if the Zanpakuto wishes to do so. Once the master is decided, a bond between his soul and the Zanpakuto is made. It has been like that inside the Dragneel lineage for entire generations."

Natsu was beginning to understand a little better, but it was still hard to believe.

"I accepted you as my master. Therefore, you now possess the title of Soul of Fire."

"Okay, I think I get that. But then how is it that you are here? And why did you choose me?"

"That I can answer. Just be prepared to listen to what I'm about to tell you. It may not be a very pleasant tale to hear."

Four hundred years ago. Earthland. Bugloss Village…

Bugloss was a very small human settlement located near the border of two of the continent's mayoral kingdoms. It was a small, agricultural town. However, while it was considered to be too small to be on a map, it was still a beautiful place to live and enjoy a peaceful life.

"So how was your day, dear?" asked a young woman with long, black hair. "Anything interesting happen?"

"I've just checked around the farm to make sure there weren't any growing infestations." Sitting next to her on the table, a man with pink hair took a spoonful of from his plate of warm soup before releasing a tired sigh. "I found a few rabbits lurking around the harvest, so I bet there's probably a few more out there."

"Oh my." She brought a hand to her mouth in shock. "I hope we can deal with them soon. Winter is getting closer, so we can't afford to lose any of our crops."

The man nodded. "I'll take care of things. You just make sure the boys don't cause any trouble. I've been getting lots of complains from our neighbors."

"Don't worry about them dear, Zeref has been a good boy lately." The woman waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "Sure, he still has that bad habit of getting his hands on every plant he sees just so he can learn what they do. I like that he's a curious child, but I can barely count the times he has ended up touching something that is poisonous."

The man shook his head, knowing full well how troublesome his eldest son could be. "And what about Natsu?"

The woman's only response was an awkward smile, but that smile was enough of an answer for him. The man sighed, expecting as much. "What did he do now?"

"He…he burned the cat's fur." She answered with an awkward smile.

"Again?" He questioned in disbelief. "Where does he even get the fire from?"

The woman shrugged, feeling just as confused as her husband. "I have no clue."

"Is that so? Well, it's getting late, so I better…" A loud unknown sound was suddenly heard from outside the house, coming from far away in the distance.

"W-What was that?" The woman took a step back, feeling uncertain about the mysterious noise.

"A wild animal maybe? I'm not sure, but I better go check it out." He stood up and grabbed an old sword that was resting against the wall.

"Just…just be careful," she said with concern. "I'll go look for the kids. They're probably still outside playing."

"Hey Natsu, look what I found."

Approaching his older brother, a much younger Natsu poked his head over his shoulder in curiosity. "What is it, big brother Zeref?"

Turning around, Zeref presented a small blue frog. "See this Natsu? This is a Water Frog. I read in a book that these types of frogs can be used as ingredients to create medicine or even magic potions."

His eyes gleamed with emotion. "Really? Does that mean that you can eat it?"

"I believe you can, but-wait no! Don't put it in your mouth!"

"Uh? But you said that we could eat it."

"I know, but you have to cook it first, you dummy!" Taking the small creature far away from his little brother's hands, Zeref gave the creature a gentle pat on the head before letting go.

Just as Zeref prepared to lecture his younger brother for acting without thinking, both he and Natsu heard their mother calling for them.

Zeref turned to face his little brother and smiled. "Let's go Natsu, Mother is waiting for us."

The pink-haired boy nodded with a cheerful smile. "Yes!"

"Where were you two?" questioned their mother strictly, her hands resting on her hips as she looked down at her children.

"Sorry Mother, we lost track of time while playing out in the forest." Zeref lowered his eyes in shame.

"Yes, Mom!" Natsu waved his hands around. "What big brother Zeref said!"

Looking at the innocent faces of her two sons, her frown slowly softened before releasing a deep sigh. "You know the rules boys, no more playing out in the forest. Especially with the war happening so close to here."

"Yes, Mom."

"Sorry, Mother."

With that settled, she guided both children back to the house. However, they stopped when they heard a sudden terrifying roar travel throughout the entire village.

The three covered their ears as the sound was too loud for them to handle. The ground trembled and trees began to fall by the force of the roar alone. Neither Natsu nor Zeref knew what was going on. They were far too young and afraid to understand what was happening.

Their mother, however, knew exactly what the sound was.

It was a dragon.

Natsu couldn't remember what had happened after that terrifying sound caused his ears to hurt.

Every time he tried to remember, the only image that would come to his mind was fire. Lots and lots of fire, everywhere. It covered every road, every house, every corner.

No one was safe.

And then came the screaming. Those horrifying screams of the people that were either stuck inside their homes or burning alive until they were no more. And then…and then…

"…tsu. Natsu! Listen to me, Natsu!"

The feeling of his father shaking his body was enough to bring Natsu back to reality. "D-Dad…?"

"Natsu, listen to me! Where are your mother and brother?!"

"I…I don't know, I…" He stuttered in fright, unable to form any coherent words.

"Natsu, I need you to stay strong!"

The pinkette could barely hold his tears anymore as he heard his father curse under his breath.

"Listen closely to what I'm about to say to you! There are dragons everywhere in the village and they are hunting everybody! I'm going to attempt to distract them, but I don't know how much time I can give you, so I need you to run as fast as you can, you hear me?"

"B-But dad, I…I don't want to leave you…"

"It's alright, everything is going to be fine! Just do as I say and don't look back!" Taking a sword from its sheath, his father handed it to him. "Here take it."

"T-The…the family's sword?"

"That's right, I'm giving it you; it will keep you safe. Now run. Run!" He heard a loud thud of something landing behind them, followed by another loud roar. "Now Natsu! RUN!"

Present time. Natsu's Inner World…

"Your father gave me to you. And while we weren't bonded together like you and I are right now, he still had ownership over me as head of the Dragneel family."

Natsu only listened in shock, having no words to express the turmoil of emotions that he was feeling right now.

My…my whole family was gone…just like that?

"I deemed you worthy of my power and accepted you as my master. Sadly, unlike the times when I was still alive, there was no Reiryoku for me to use to manifest, so I was nothing more than a regular sword at the time and remained dormant inside you until the moment I could return."

The atmosphere around them began to return to normal. The volcanic scenery returned as well.

"Now Natsu, tell me. Do you remember my name now?"

Lifting his gaze, Natsu's face slowly returned to normal before he nodded.

He remembered now.

"Then say it. Let the world know the name of the Zanpakuto of Natsu Dragneel!"

"Your name…your name is…"

He remembered his Zanpakuto's name now.

"Say it!"

"Your name is Shōkyaku!"

Seireitei. Barracks of Squad 1. Meditation Chamber…

Seems like he succeeded, thought Yamamoto as he was forced to step back when a powerful torrent of flames suddenly erupted from where the Dragon Slayer was sitting.

The fire went all the way up through the ceiling and beyond, allowing anyone outside the barracks to see the column of fire that shot up into the sky. It went all the way past the clouds and far away from view.

The Head Captain could feel Natsu's Reiatsu skyrocket to levels that were already beyond that of a normal Captain. For such a young boy to possess this kind of power was truly impressive. It spoke volumes to how much potential he had.

After a few more moments of unleashing its energy, the fire slowly began to fade away, decreasing in size until nothing but smoke and ashes remained.

Now, to see the results, thought the Captain Commander with satisfaction.

Rising from the ground, Natsu took a moment to breath while adjusting his eyes to the real world. Looking at his hand, he noticed that his long Nodachi blade was no more, instead it was replaced by a sword that was made entirely out of fire.

"...wow," muttered Natsu under his breath in amazement, appreciating the transformation that his Zanpakuto just undertook. "So, this is who you truly are, Shōkyaku?"

CHAPTER END

And done! That was one hell of an origin story, if you ask me. I hope you guys liked the explanation for how Natsu's Zanpakuto came into his possession.

Remember what Kisuke said in chapter six about Shinigami in Natsu's world? In a way I'm confirming that the concept of a Zanpakuto, while different, is fairly similar in both worlds.

The name 'Shōkyaku' means 'Incineration.' I thought that you should know. And Natsu has finally unlocked his Zanpakuto's Shikai form. Let's see what crazy shit he can do with that!

Also, I hope you guys liked the look into Natsu's past life with his real family, too. But anyway, I don't have much to say right now other than I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.

Please let me know what you think. Constructive criticism and ideas for the story are more than welcome.

With that said, I'll see you guys in the next chapter.