Rising Moon

Summary: A second chance wasn't something I, Aldrin Zevon, expected. I didn't expect to wake up in a five-year-old body in a forest, nor did I expect what would come after. A multiverse of possibilities has opened up to me, and I intend to take it for all it is worth. SI-OCxHarem, Fairy Tail/Multicross Story

This story is inspired by A Nascent Kaleidoscope by AStoryForOne. I HIGHLY recommend you go check it out. It's almost 1 Million words, still going strong, and definitely worth the read.

Chapter 3

I snapped awake suddenly, wiping my forehead… What was that? Meeting Selene? Her saying I'd become her Dragon Slayer? Even implying that if I did good work that she'd bed me when I was older?

It all must have been a dream, right?

"It wasn't a dream, little one," her voice came from beside me, showing the Dragon God sitting with one leg crossed and the other leg up, drinking from her saucer and smirking at me. "Did you enjoy your little nap?"

"It wasn't a dream…" I paled. "Oh, it wasn't a dream. This is a real."

"Indeed, little one," she nodded. "You are going to be my Dragon Slayer, I won't accept any objections."

"W- What do you mean I'm going to be your dragon slayer?" I stuttered out.

"Precisely what it sounds like," she told me simply as she got up. "I will explain in more detail over breakfast, I'm sure you are hungry, and I'm sure it has been a long time since you got a proper meal."

As if on cue, my stomach growled, and I felt a hot blush rise to my cheeks from embarrassment.

Selene only gave me a small smirk as she took the lead, walking out of the room. Given how hungry I was, I decided that if she wanted to kill me then she would have already. She certainly didn't hesitate with the Guild Master of Diabolos, though he killed and ate her children so…

I just followed her.

She led me through the temple- I think it was a temple based on my memories, not sure- until we came to a surprisingly plain looking room with a simple table, but the table was filled with food. Just looking at it was making my stomach growling and my desire to eat rise.

"There's no need to hold back," she told me. "You are hungry, so eat."

I hesitated before I slowly took a seat at the table. It was a more traditional Japanese table, closer to the ground, so there were no chairs. Instead, there were cushions to sit on, so there was no need for a booster seat.

Selene took a seat opposite me, pouring herself another saucer of sake and she drank, before she began to eat her breakfast, and I followed her example.

After living off of random fruits and fish for three days, the food I was eating tasted divine. It helped that it did just taste good in general and, thankfully, Selene had left out a choice for chopsticks or a knife and fork and spoon. I had no idea how to use the chopsticks, so I used the spoon to eat the rice.

I ate until I was filled, putting down the cutlery and leaning back contently after taking a drink of water. I felt so much better now.

"Interesting," Selene's voice cut me out of my food high. "You're a child, but you eat with proper mannerisms despite the fact you shouldn't have properly been taught due to your age. You also speak remarkably coherently for your age, something I wouldn't expect from a child at all."

I felt my eyes widen in surprise at her analysis, and I mentally cursed myself before I slumped. Of course, I wouldn't be able to hide that, I was an adult in a child's body after all. I guess this meant I'd have to confide in her the truth-

"That's good," she nodded. "I'm happy that the child I've chosen to be my Dragon Slayer is such a prodigy, it lessens the time needed on actual studying, and instead lets us focus directly on your training."

Or she could come to her own assumption that was literally the furthest thing from the truth, that was fine with me.

"Thank you for your kind words," I told her, bowing my head.

"Think nothing of it," she took a sip of her drink. "Now then, explanations. Let's start with how you got here. I am sure you recall encountering a Dragon, no? One who demanded to know why you were in his territory?"

"Y- Yes, Madam," I nodded, remaining courteous.

"That was one of my sons, the Sword Saint Dragon, Kurnugi. And, as unbelievable as it might sound, he meant you no harm."

"Pardon?" I blinked at her words.

"My son was just playing a little prank on you," she told him, a disproving tone to her voice. "He's a good boy, really, but he hasn't gotten to scare humans in so long. So, he sensed you in his territory and he just couldn't help himself. But it really has been a long time since he's intentionally scared humans, and he went overboard. After seeing you passed out, he decided the best thing to do was to bring you here as he had no idea of your origins. Perhaps you might enlighten me?"

I registered her words, taking them in… Kurnugi, to me, kind of sounded like a bit of a goofball. It would be hard to connect that massive dragon to anything but scary for a bit but, if her words were true, I wouldn't mind getting to know him if given the chance.

When she asked about my origins, I hesitated, and decided to tell a half-truth. "I don't remember," I told her. "At least, not fully… My memories are scrambled, for lack of a better term. The clearest memory I have is just waking up in the forest, and a name that I use as my own. Besides that, I don't remember anything."

She tapped her chin. "I see, not quite amnesia, perhaps some sort of memory disturbance spell? Or perhaps merely psychological trauma that has resulted in a confusion within your memories… Well, not that it matters. You are now my Dragon Slayer, and thus you are now my son. And I'm rather attached to my children."

"You barely know me."

"I know enough," she said. "Do not back chat me again, lest I wash your mouth out with soap."

My nose wrinkled and a small shudder ran through my body at the thought of that.

"Why me?" I decided to ask instead.

"A few reasons," she admitted. "Firstly, I've been bored lately, and my son brought you and provided me the perfect entertainment. A stroke of good luck, as it were."

That kind of lined up for Selene, she was very whimsical at times from what I recalled.

"Second, your magical container," she looked at me. "I've never seen a human, let alone a child, with such magical potential and power. Even more so, one with a magical container quite like yours."

"What do you mean?"

"I will tell you at a later time," she told me. "It's no great secret, but it's something you should learn when you are more responsible."

I pouted, but what argument could I give to tell her otherwise? So, I just accepted it.

"And finally, I have plans for the future. And you will be a key piece in helping me realise those plans."

"So, I'm a pawn?"

"Everyone is a piece on the chessboard," she smirked. "It's just a matter of trying to make yourself an important enough piece that people think twice before trying to eliminate you."

I gulped at her words… Well, I didn't have much of a choice. And honestly? Learning under a Dragon God would give me a great ability to survive within this world.

"Very well," I nodded. "I accept your offer."

"Wonderful," she smiled. "Now then, what is your name?"

"Aldrin," I told her. "Aldrin Zevon."

"Aldrin," she repeated and nodded. "It is a good name, a strong name. From today forwards, you are the Moon Dragon Slayer, Student of the Moon Dragon God, and my son."

That was how I began my training under Selene.

.

.

.

Awakening my magic was the easy part. It reacted to a strong emotion, a desire or need. So, Selene transformed into her dragon form and made me believe that she was going to kill me, forcing my magic to awaken in a violent burst.

The amount of raw energy I felt flowing through my body after my magic awakened startled me, I felt like I could do anything, but Selene made sure to slap down that mentality quickly by reminding me how weak I was compared to her.

The next step was Selene teaching me how to use Dragon Slayer Magic. She explained to me that the fastest way to learn Dragon Slayer Magic was for the dragon 'parent' to give a small injection of their own magic into the human child, and then let their bodies attune to the magic while keeping them close for several days to steadily inject a bit more magic.

Selene did not allow me to take the easy route.

"It is the easiest and safest way, but it is the slowest," she told me. "And I do not waste my time. Instead, I will limit my strength, and you will channel your magic. And I will beat the feeling of my magic into your body until you can replicate it."

"… Um… Domestic abuse…?" I tried to dissuade her.

"I'm a dragon," she told him. "This? This is just tough love."

"Oh no…"

She grinned savagely and, the next thing I knew, her foot was buried into my stomach, sending me skidding back across the ground as I fell onto my back, coughing hard.

"Start channelling your magic," she told me. "I won't repeat myself again."

I didn't hesitate to call my magic to the surface, letting it envelop and rush through my body, a white aura surrounding me.

Selene immediately began to attack me once again, attacking in a vicious frenzy. She never let up, directing her attacks to cause me pain, but not enough to kill me, and not enough pain to knock me out either.

It was torture. Every punch was systematically made to cause pain, to try and motivate me to adjust my magic to the feeling of Selene's faster. Selene didn't take in weaklings, she wanted results, and she had no time to waste teaching me how to use my magic, that was why she was doing this.

I tried to fight back, throwing a punch, but it was easily deflected, and she re-doubled her efforts. No matter how I cried or pleaded, she didn't stop. In fact, my crying only made her increase the amount of pain she was causing me…

A dragon through and through, and she wanted me to act like a dragon. To cry was a weakness, and she was trying to beat it out of me.

I wanted to die.

It hurt so much, I could hardly think, I just wanted her to kill me at this point…

No…

It would be so much easier to just let her kill me…

No.

Maybe I'd have more luck in the next life-

No, fuck that!

Something welled up within me. It wasn't a feeling like determination of stubbornness, it was something more. Something powerful, primal, that made my very being tremble.

It was magic.

Time almost seemed to slow down for me as my eyes went to the white light around my head.

I observed.

And I understood.

So long as my magic flowed, it would not allow me to die.

So long as it burned within my body, it would never allow me to submit, even if I craved death.

Because my magic was the core of who I was.

And, above all else, I wanted to live.

And to live, one must adapt.

It was almost like I could hear it as something clicked within me, something shifted, something changed.

Selene hadn't been attacking me very quickly, moving at a speed I could see, and yet could not defend against.

And yet one of my hands lifted and deflected a single punch.

She instantly stopped attacking and jumped back, landing in a crouch and eyeing me with obvious curiosity, wanting to see just what it was that I would do.

I slowly turned my gaze up to the night sky, the moon hanging above us and shining onto us both.

I took a deep breath… And I ate.

From where I was, I could see Selene's lips curl in a pleased smile as I began to devour the very moonlight shining down onto us, the glow of magic around my body shifting to a brighter shade of white as what power I lost defending from Selene's attacks was restored.

"Roar," Selene ordered me.

I looked at her in confusion.

"You are a dragon," she told me sternly. "Now roar."

I hesitated… Before I took a deep breath, focusing my magic into my stomach. I imagined it flowing through my body, coming up through my throat before reaching my mouth.

'Moon Dragon's…'

A magic circle formed in front of me as I opened my mouth widely.

'Roar!'

My body went flying back as a torrent of pure power unleashed from my mouth, soaring straight towards Selene.

The Moon Dragon God only smiled as she held out a single hand, blocking the attack as if it was nothing before it dissipated into nothingness.

I landed on the ground, panting heavily as I shakily sat up and looked at her.

She nodded with a pleased smile. "A good first attempt, I am pleased my son. You have finally taken your first steps and become a Dragon Slayer."

"I'm… A Dragon Slayer?" I asked, feeling so tired and in pain that I could scarcely believe it.

"Indeed," Selene nodded as she made her way over to me, lifting her hand and light covered my body.

I groaned as I felt the pain starting to dull. It wasn't gone, but my body was no longer covered in bruises from her attacks, instead they were now just little red marks, and I was no longer in hellish agony.

"That is all the healing I will do, the rest I will let heal on its own," she told me. "Pain is good for the soul, and a little pain will serve as a good lesson and a reminder to not get too cocky."

"Sadist…" I accused.

"I'm amazed a child like you even knows that word," she smirked in amusement. "I believe we've done enough for the day. For now, get some rest."

I didn't hesitate to take her up on her offer. Rest sounded divine.