Now this is a chapter that I've been wanting to make for some time now. I hope you guys are prepared for what is to come!

And now, I'll answer a few questions.

BlackDragonShinigami:

That is certainly one of the reasons why I love these series so much. The relationship and interactions between the cast, their personalities; all of that is what makes them truly special. Thanks for the support, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Guest Isa:

Everything is coming together, indeed. Everything is going just the way I planned from the very moment I first came up with this story. And I'm going to have so much fun with Acnologia in future chapters, but for now, his part in the story is small. Him and Aizen is certainly a terrifying thought. But could Acnologia even be considered a team player? I won't give any spoilers, but my plans for Acnologia are big.

KorevainsoLightshire:

Good thing you have been paying attention. Natsu isn't very conscious of what is happening. If I were to send him back to Earthland, he will probably end up as a ghost, similar to Mavis.

TheLaughingStalkski:

I understand your worries, but rest assured that I have my reasons for what I'm doing. Natsu and Acnologia's encounter has been planned for a long time now. And, like I said, it was not the best chapter-although necessary to make-so I was a little afraid that it would receive some backlash. I'm glad that wasn't the case. In any case, thanks for the support!

Having said that, please enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 11: Old Faces

"How dare he just leave like that?" grumbled Soi Fon as she moved through the trees at top speed. A few members of the Stealth Force followed her closely from behind. "The nerve of that idiot."

They couldn't abandon their mission, but they couldn't leave the Dragon Slayer without any supervision, either. So, the young assassin ordered the team to split into two groups. One would continue their original objective, while the second one searched for Natsu.

She had known that allowing him to join the mission would be a bad idea. After all, it had only been two weeks since he joined the Gotei. That was hardly enough time for anyone to be prepared for a mission as important as this. However, it was Yoruichi-sama who requested to have him join them, so she had little say on the matter.

Soi Fon did not trust him. Just knowing that he was not from this world was enough to put her on edge whenever he was close. It just didn't feel natural.

She knew that he had come from a place beyond any of the known worlds and that he used something called magic. She was one of the few who knew about the secret, as Yoruichi-sama trusted her enough to share this information with her.

She had no reason to trust the Dragon Slayer and no intention of doing so. After all, as far as she knew, he was nothing more than an ignorant fool

Not far from there…

"N-Natsu?" spoke Rukia in disbelief, watching as the Dragon Slayer stood defensively in front of her, using his large sword to keep the Hollow's sharp teeth at bay.

"Yo Rukia; long time no see." He spoke with such cheerfulness that one would think he was completely oblivious to the giant monster that was trying to eat them. "You been doing good, I hope?"

"I…I don't…" she tried to respond, but she found her words stuck in her throat.

Natsu took a moment to look at the creature's features. And must he say, he was taken aback by its appearance. "So, this is a Hollow, uh?"

The beast was reptilian in appearance, its body fairly muscular and the colors of its scales a mix of black and dark purple. The Hollow also had a hole that went all the way through its chest, along with a white mask that covered his face.

It was a mask with a very familiar design.

Putting that thought aside, he concentrated most of his strength into his arms and tried to push the Hollow back. But that was hardly enough to make the large creature move.

Seeing no other option, the Dragon Slayer prepared for his next move. "Alright pal, you asked for it!" Gaining some distance between him and the monster, Natsu returned his blade back to its sheath. The temperature around them began to rise.

"Karyū no—" His hand lit up in flames as he charged at the Hollow. "—Tekken!"

An explosion could be heard as the pink-haired mage thrust his attack forward, landing a direct hit. However, he realized that his attack inflicted no damage at all.

The Hollow was left unharmed. "What…?"

"So, we meet again…" His eyes went wide in recognition. Natsu knew that voice. It sounded rough, as the mask was affecting the tone with which the Hollow spoke. But even in that state, it still carried a familiar darkness. "After all this time…"

There was no way he could mistake that voice. It was the same one that had been tormenting his dreams almost every night. The same voice of the terror that comes almost every time he closes his eyes.

"At last, I will...finally devour you…"

Natsu felt as if the entire world had stooped; his greatest fear finally come to hunt him.

"…Acnologia."

West Rukongai. District 37…

"They what?"

"They split up," her subordinate informed her. "The messenger said that Dragneel got separated from the main group and went on his own, ignoring the direct orders of his superior."

"Tch. What was that boy even thinking?" Yoruichi clicked her tongue in annoyance. Everything had been going smoothly just a few minutes ago, but now, things were starting to get complicated.

Her team was moving through the western districts. Soi Fon's team was down at the south, but she couldn't be too far. Yoruichi could probably go and see what was going on over there in just a couple of minutes.

Yoruichi trusted Soi Fon enough to know that she could handle nearly every situation properly. But after she personally requested the Head Captain to let the Dragon Slayer join the mission, she could not afford to lose him.

Not when it was her responsibility to watch over him.

Maybe putting him on Soi Fon's team to tease her wasn't the best idea, she thought, a drop of cold sweat running down her face. The boy was a potential asset to the Gotei, so losing him could be very problematic.

The female Captain resisted the urge to sigh.

"Tell Ōmaeda that he is in charge of the search party while I'm gone. I'm going to go check on Soi Fon's team and see what's happened," she told her subordinate, but for some reason he seemed a little apprehensive. "Is there a problem?"

"A-Aren't you taking an escort, Captain?" he asked with uncertainty.

"Nah, I don't need one." A smirk reached her face. One that every member of Squad 2 was already familiar with. "They would only slow me down."

South Rukongai. Forest near District 48…

The Hollowfied Dragon of the Apocalypse roared while attempting to crush the Dragon Slayer with its large arm. But Natsu reacted just in time, and got himself out of the way.

How…how is this possible?! He skidded across the ground. Cold sweat ran down the side of his face while his hand gripped his sword tightly. How is Acnologia here, of all places?!

Now that he had had a closer look, the Hollow did resemble Acnologia in his dragon form, although it was much smaller in size.

"I've been looking for you…Dragon Slayer!"

Just having this monstrosity in front of him was enough to put Natsu on edge. But he quickly shook his head. No! I cannot let my guard down! Right now, I need to focus!

Avoiding another strike from Acnologia, the Dragon Slayer immediately put some distance between them. He quickly glanced over at Rukia and Renji as they stood at the other side of the clearing, still in shock.

He knew for a fact that he could not fight using his full power with the two of them there. I need to get them to a safe place first, he thought before using Shunpo, appearing suddenly next to Rukia.

"N-Natsu? What is-agh!" The black-haired girl had little time to say anything before she was lifted from the ground. "What are you doing?!"

"I need to get you out of here."

His response was quick, but Rukia was able to get the message right away and offered no resistance. However, she could barely hide the deep blush that appeared on her cheeks when the thought of her being carried in Natsu's arms came to her mind.

The Dragon Slayer then disappeared with Rukia, avoiding another strike from the Hollowfied Acnologia before moving next to Renji. "O-Oi! What do you think you're doing, pinky?!

"No time to explain, just come with me!" That was the only reply the redhead got before Natsu took him and vanished. The Dragon King growled at this in displeasure.

"Fool! Haven't you realized yet! No one can escape from my power!"

Seireitei. Unknown Location…

In the shadows inside a darkened room, a lone figure stood silently on a chair as his glasses reflected the image of a screen.

In the monitor, one could see the form of Natsu Dragneel fleeing from the black Hollow while carrying a pair of children in his arms. The figure's eyes moved to the petite black-haired girl he was carrying, and an amused smile formed on his lips.

"What an interesting reunion." He remembered the girl from the mission he had had not long ago with Captain Hirako. He had never expected to see her face again.

One could say that this was quite an interesting twist of fate, if one dared.

But none of that compared to the interest that he held for the black Hollow that was giving chase to the Dragon Slayer.

This was by no means an ordinary Hollow. The recent scans that he had taken had given him lots of new information regarding this mysterious creature. The results were quite intriguing, indeed.

Not only was its Reiatsu far superior to the average Hollow, but it was well beyond even that of a Gillian's, despite not being a Menos Grande. The creature was also capable of nullifying Natsu Dragneel's mysterious destructive power without any effort. It was left without saying that he had found quite a unique specimen.

To make things even more intriguing, it would seem that Natsu Dragneel and the Hollow knew each other. If the way they spoke to each other was any indication, their relationship was far from civil.

Old enemies perhaps?

That was most likely the case. However, if this was true, then it would mean that the Hollow had come from the same place as the boy. And there was also the name the Hollow used to call him.

Dragon Slayer.

"That's an interesting title," he mumbled with interest. "An individual that kills dragons. Fascinating."

It was a real shame that he was not able to eavesdrop on the Captains' meeting from a few weeks ago, as he was quite intrigued by the pink-haired Shinigami and who he really was. However, he had accumulated enough information to safely conclude that Natsu Dragneel was not from this world.

Not from the Soul Society, the Human World or even Hueco Mundo for that matter, but from a completely different world. A world beyond any of the known worlds.

What a fascinating concept.

He was sure that there must be a meaning to the name 'Dragon Slayer,' but he lacked the information necessary to reach any conclusions. For the time being, he would have to wait and see what happens.

His eyes rested on the Hollow on the screen. A small, almost invisible, sinister smile formed on his lips. "Acnologia, huh?"

South Rukongai. Forest near District 48…

"Hey pinky, where are you taking us?!" demanded Renji from Natsu's back.

Neither he nor Rukia knew what was going on anymore. They were moving so fast that they couldn't even register their own surroundings.

"As far away as possible," Natsu replied, but his words earned him a questioning look from Rukia, who he was carrying in his arms in a bridal style. "Acnologia will not give up that easily, so I need to make sure you guys are safe before I can face him."

"A-Acnologia? You mean that creature that was trying to eat us just now?" she asked, trying to make sense of things.

Natsu nodded, but his response did little to ease her worries. She still had a lot of questions, but there was barely any time for her to reorganize her thoughts in proper order. A part of her was really glad to see that he was safe and sound, but another part of her was a complete mess.

Why? Because Natsu was a Shinigami! He was wearing their black uniform and carried a long katana on his back. How did all of this happen in just two weeks?

Just what has he been doing since the last time we saw him?

The Dragon Slayer caught sight of the troubled look that Rukia wore on her face. "Listen. I know you probably have some questions that you want me to answer, but I promise I'll explain everything later, alright? Right now, I need to focus on getting you two out of here before…"

"Stop right there!"

Two figures appeared in Natsu's way, preventing him from going any further. Rukia and Renji were surprised by the arrival of the two mysterious people, but Natsu was quick to recognize them as members of the Stealth Force. More specifically, they were a part of his team.

He would have been glad to see them if it wasn't for the circumstances.

"Hey guys! Listen I…"

"We don't want to hear it, Dragneel!" one of them yelled with a cold glare. "Leaving your position in the middle of a mission is a severe crime!"

"But…" Natsu tried to object, but was immediately shut down.

"This act of insubordination will not be tolerated! We are taking you back to the Captain right…"

"Grraah!"

Without warning, Acnologia came out of the trees and launched himelf into the talking Shinigami, engulfing his body completely inside its large jaw. The remains splattered everywhere.

"What the…!"

The other Stealth Force member did not fare any better and was smashed to the side by a back-handed strike from the Hollowfied Acnologia. The attack was strong enough to shatter all of the man's bones. He died instantly.

"Think you can run…Dragon Slayer?"

Renji's eyes widened in horror. "P-Pinky…!"

"I know!" retorted the Dragon Slayer as he dodged an attack from the Hollow's long tail.

A series of trees that were in their way broke apart, but it did not end there. Acnologia continued his relentless barrage of attacks without mercy. Natsu could do nothing but avoid them as best as he could.

"Is that…all you can do? Just…run and dodge?!" Taunted the Dragon of the Apocalypse with a sadistic laugh. The Dragon King was enjoying the scene a lot. Filling the Dragon Slayer with so much despair was truly a sight to behold.

Ever since he transformed into whatever he was, his mind had turned into a blurry mess. His thoughts were hard to control, as they were clouded by a simple, yet powerful desire.

Revenge.

In other words, he was a beast solely driven by its primal instincts and with just some vague memories that he could barely recall. But despite being in this state, he could never forget the pink-haired brat that humiliated him. Not even in a million years.

By following his instincts, Acnologia searched for any trace of the Dragon Slayer that he could find, which brought him to the Soul Society. However, being like this had no only taken away his ability to control his thoughts, but his power as well.

He was as strong as always, but lacked the capacity to use his power at full. But this did not matter to Acnologia, as the only thing he wanted now was blood.

Avoiding another attack from Acnologia, Natsu quickly jumped into the branch of a tree and moved to another one. However, the unthinkable happened. The branch on which he stepped broke as soon as he put his feet on it.

Uh?!

The sudden shift of weight in Natsu's body caused the redhead on his back to momentarily lose his grip on the Dragon Slayer's neck. "Wha…!"

"R-Renji!" Acting in panic, Rukia extended her arm towards Renji in an attempt to reach her friend. However, she too lost her balance and fell from Natsu's arms.

"No! D-Dammit! Not right now!" cursed Natsu under his breath.

He attempted to regain his balance and go catch them. But fortunately, that was not necessary, as a sudden gust of air flew past him; surprising him not because of the speed, but because of who it was.

"Soi Fon?" gasped Natsu in shock. To see her of all people coming to his aid was truly an unexpected surprise.

"You truly are an idiot, making me clean up your mess." The black-haired assassin barely gave the pinkette a side-glance before scoffing. "But at least you got my name right this time."

Catching both Rukia and Renji in midair, she landed safely on the ground.

"I guess I can't argue against the efficiency of your tracking skills. You managed to find the Hollow we were looking for, after all," she mumbled that last bit to herself as she looked at the black Hollow that stood before her.

She hated to admit it, but the idiot proved to be useful for something.

Glaring at Soi Fon from behind his mask, Acnologia growled in annoyance, feeling tired of having so many uninvited guests interrupting his fun. "Another ant…for me to crush?"

The ground began shake, along with the Reiatsu of the Hollowfied Acnologia. His instincts were telling him to kill everything in sight.

"What…what is this Hollow?" Soi Fon found herself taken aback by the size of its enormous Reiatsu. She could feel how the spiritual pressure around her was starting to overwhelm her senses. "Why is its Reiatsu raising so much?"

"So be it. Die...like the rest of your kind!"

Acnologia opened his large jaw and a giant ball of red energy began to materialize. Her eyes widened in panic when she realized what the Hollow was preparing. Just by feeling all of the Reiatsu that the beast was leaking each passing second made it clear that he had more than enough power to cause devastating damage.

She tried to get herself out of the way, but the Hollow was faster than her and immediately fired a blast of red energy that destroyed the landscape in almost an instant.

"Scorch the land with your flames, Shōkyaku!"

The Dragon Slayer appeared in front of her at the very last second, his Zanpakuto at hand in its released state. Flames danced where the blade of the katana once stood, moving around the handle of the sword in a fluid motion.

"As if I'll let you hurt anybody else!" Bringing his sword down with one swift move, Natsu intercepted the Cero with his blade, causing both red energy and fire to disperse in every direction.

Putting more strength into his grip, Natsu roared as the Reiatsu in his Zanpakuto grew stronger; refusing to let the power of the Cero push him back a single step. It continued like that until the flames finally began to burn Acnologia's attack, causing the raw energy to decompose and turn into nothing but more power for the blade to feed upon.

That was Shōkyaku's hidden ability. It burned any source of Reiatsu, using it as fuel to make its flames even more powerful. It was a neat ability, but it could make his Zanpakuto unstable if it consumed too much power without releasing it soon after.

Soi Fon found herself in complete shock. He…he burned a Cero? But how? she thought, trying to understand how something like this was possible.

And for him to do it, of all people. It was simple unimaginable, yet it had happened right in front of her eyes.

"I'm glad to see you again, Soi Fon," spoke Natsu, bringing the black-haired Shinigami back from her own inner thoughts.

Soi Fon couldn't help but find his words to be completely unexpected, as they sounded so sincere and gentle, a way that she was nearly unfamiliar with.

"Please take care of them," The Dragon Slayer said as he turned his eyes back towards the Hollow. Balancing his sword in his hands, Natsu steadied his breath as a look of determination formed on his face. "I'll take care of Acnologia myself."

CHAPTER END

And that's it folks; a new chapter finally done! I must say, this one was not an easy one, but I think I did a pretty good job.

I noticed people had some concern with having Acnologia show up this early in the story, but I have my reasons for the choices I'm making, so don't worry.

Even so, it seems that everything is falling into place, though it's only a matter of time before everything blows up in my face. In any case, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, cause I'm sure looking forward to the next one. A lot of action is coming on the next chapter, and a small surprise.

Still, please let me know what you guys think. Don't be afraid to share your opinion, as ideas and constructive criticism are more than welcome.

With that said, I wish you all a good day!