Chapter one: Rebirth of E.N.D.
"It's good to see you, Etherious Natsu Dragneel."
Natsu had a neutral expression before closing his eyes and letting out a yawn while stretching his arms until his joints popped. The former human opened his eyes, the crimson red turning back to an onyx black, and checked himself, almost as if to see if everything in his body was intact. Once satisfied, he sighed and sat down on a nearby stone, unbothered by his own nakedness."Why did you give me my memories too early? We agreed we wouldn't open the book until we've passed the Eclipse gates and I matured enough."
Zeref and Igneel shot each other uncomfortable looks, and the pink-haired Etherious had a bad feeling about this. It was ever so rare to see his brother and father figure be this uncertain together. "Well, it would seem the seal I placed on you has been fracturing, which caused your memories to start leaking. To avoid any more complications, it was decided to remove the seal altogether."
Natsu looked shocked, "What happened? Your seals are the strongest this continent, hell, all of Earthland, has to offer."
"We are uncertain, but there seems to be an unexpected spike of Ethernano attacking the seal," Zeref explained.
"..."
Natsu closed his eyes and seemed to be processing the information. He then rubbed his head tiredly as he repeated the given information. "So the fracturing of the seal caused my memories to leak through my dreams, which forced you guys to open my book."
"Yes. Even I am at a loss as to why this occurred."
Natsu sighed tiredly, "Well… I will admit that while I'm not happy that our plan was ruined, I am relieved that I won't live as a numbskull. Mother's spirit would have my head for sure." He cracked a small grin at his joke, which made Zeref chuckle a little while Igneel snorted. "Still, could've done without the aches and burning." He popped his back in emphasis.
It was awkward for a moment. "So what now?"
That was the one million jewel question, wasn't it?
Zeref seemed to be thinking about it as Igneel settled down.
Natsu likewise was thinking about it, "Well… while it was limited, I was able to experience what it was like to be human again. So add that with my former human life, I should be able to have a better grasp of my demonic instincts."
Zeref seemed somewhat pleased, "That is good. While it did not go the way we hoped, it still did its course."
Igneel sighed, "I suppose there's that, but what about our plan? Now that the brat is a demon again, I doubt things will run smoothly. I have doubts that the antibodies would be unable to help an Etherious."
Zeref winced, "Yes, and I am not certain if the Eclipse Gate would allow any Etherious to enter. It is highly likely that it will reject you."
"Joy." Snorted Natsu sarcastically. "Talk about throwing sand in the gears." He sighed. "Well, there is only one opinion." Zeref and Igneel curiously looked at him, "I will have to live the years until then and go through the consequences of being a Dragon Slayer."
Their eyes widened.
"Are you sure, Natsu?"
"Yes, once the seed blossoms, there will be no return," Igneel warned, worried practically in his tone.
Natsu nodded, "There really is no choice here. Instead of wasting our time trying to find alternates, I will face them head-on." He glared at the sky. "Maybe this will give us the edge to fight off Acnologia and finally put him down permanently."
Igneel grimaced at the name where Zeref looked grim. The name wasn't something they wanted to be reminded of.
Acnologia, the King of Dragons. A creature too evil to allow to live. He betrayed humans and dragons alike, and he drove an entire culture to extinction. It seemed impossible how a creature solely hunted down his own species to extinction, but this creature managed to achieve the impossible. He was neither human nor Dragon, and calling him a monster or beast was simply too nice.
For either beast or monster has more emotions than that abomination.
Igneel fought the Dragon along with many of his comrades and friends. Many fell, and he barely managed to escape with his life. But this did not mean the Apocalypse Dragon did not come out unscathed, as the Fire Dragon had managed to wound him enough to force the foul creature into hiding.
"I never wanted to bring this responsibility to you, Natsu." Igneel sighed, "But it would seem that there is no choice."
Natsu nodded solemnly and stood up, shamelessly showing off his physique. "I need to return to Tartarus immediately. I have left my kind on their own for too long." He grumbled at his inconvenience, "I trust them with my life, but I can not say with full confidence they will not do anything stupid."
Zeref nodded in understanding, "Yes, so it would seem."
Natsu eyed his brother suspiciously but said nothing. "Once the sun sets, and the moon shines high, I will clear things up with Tartarous and place Mard Geer in charge during my absence." Not to mention pick up some of his old clothes while he's at it. While he bares no shame in his full-on glory, he knows humans don't take too kindly to nudism. Honestly, humans are strange creatures. "Once that is dealt with, I will return here to continue training my Dragon Slayer magic."
Zeref hummed, and Igneel nodded in agreement, "That seems wise."
Natsu sighed, "This is going to be a headache, and I know it. From the distance of Tartarus to the amount of discipline, I must do. Then there are my future plans with the rest of the Etherious." He sighed as he rubbed his temples to fight off the upcoming headache. "I probably won't be back until next week."
"That's fine." Zeref assured him, "In the meantime, I will go ahead and tell Anna about our change of plans, as well as indefinitely pausing your education. Surely by now, mother's education sections have returned to you."
The pink-haired demon shivered, "How can I forget? Mama was always ruthless with her education." He sighed, "But I will need to pay attention to the changes humans go through. Cultures and languages tend to change over time."
Igneel chuckled, "Well, I'll go ahead and tell the rest of the Dragons about this outcome." He eyed his foster son, his eyes glinting with amusement. "But what should we do about the other children?"
Natsu groaned, rubbing his temples at just the thought. Yes, they're good kids, and they mean well. Hell, Grandeeny's daughter is more polite than the rest, but dealing with a bunch of rowdy kids was too much. He wondered how Igneel managed to have enough patience to deal with him just a few minutes ago. "Ugh, that isn't going to be fun." He sighed, "Tell the Dragons to just tell their kids that I've gone through changes. In the next meeting, I will deal with them."
With that being said and done, Zeref bid farewell and left. Igneel spends the rest of the daylight training Natsu with his Dragon Slayer magic. When nightfall came, Igneel bid his son farewell. Natsu hugged the old Dragon's snout.
Despite it all, Natsu still is fond of Igneel. Igneel had been the closest thing to a father after his Papa's passing. However, he could be without his constant boasting and arrogance. Once Igneel went inside his cave, Natsu walked to a cliff.
He stared at the breathtaking sight of the forest in the nighttime before falling down the cliff. Unbothered by the wind pressure, Natsu simply allowed gravity to pull him down before grunting as his skin tore from behind a pair of demonic wings. With his wings out in the open, he flew into the night sky.
He can only pray that his subjects haven't done anything foolish during his absence.
Location: Tartarus
Mard Geer, the current leader of Tartarus, sat on his makeshift throne. Since the disappearance of their beloved king, they had been making a due. He had never seen himself worthy of sitting on his master's throne, so hence, this temporary throne room.
It was a mess. Many of the Etherious wanted to wage war with the humans, as they believed it was their fault that lord E.N.D. went missing. It was a possibility. The humans had never been fond of their kind, especially their king's brother and creator.
As E.N.D.'s trusted advisor and one of his strongest demons, he must lead Tartarus to a glorious future. He sent his trusted fellow demon, Seilah, to see if she could find any leads to their leader, and she said that there had been rumors that a Fire King Dragon known as Igneel had fought their lord but failed. It made him swell with adoration that their leader would never be outdone by any creature.
He was pondering what to do when a lower-classed demon slammed the doors open and ran towards the throne. Mard Geer glared at the Etherious, who bowed down to him.
"I want an explanation as to why you dare show yourself here when I asked not to be disturbed."
Instead of being afraid, the demon was overjoyed, to the surprise of the Etherious sitting on the throne "Mard Geer. Lord E.N.D.-!"
Mard Geer's eyes widened. It can't be-!
It is!
He could feel their lord's immense power just as he left his makeshift throne room. It was obvious that the Ethernano pressure had been messaging to all of them that he had returned.
That lord E.N.D. has returned.
Nearly all the Etherious of Tartaros were outside, with Mard Geer finally making his way to the front. The weaker demons were sweating and on their knees, whereas the higher demons were struggling to withstand the magic pressure.
In all, Mard Geer wanted to cry tears of joy. Some of the lower-class demons were overjoyed that they cried. Some of the more powerful demons began to cheer as their lord landed in front of them. Mard Geer's eyes landed on E.N.D.'s, albeit naked, form, and the first few tears escaped his eyes. Every demon went to their knees one by one, welcoming their leader with open arms and submitting to his will and power.
As for Natsu himself, he couldn't help but smile. It felt nice to return to his kind.
Though this does not mean they will be scot-free if they have done anything foolish during his absence.
When Igneel saw Natsu again, it was the very week that the demon predicted. He was irritated and exhausted, but hey, at least the brat was wearing clothes again. He had a side of clothes that involved a simple pair of pants and a monkey suit so that he could blend in with the humans. Otherwise, he only had an old pair of pants when he was with him. He prefers remaining shirtless; frankly, Igneel would care less about what he wore.
He also brought a sword with him. His sword, Ragnarok, was a demonic-like sword that Natsu himself forged long before the Dragon or Entherious met. Igneel remembered how his foster son had the gift of swordsmanship long before they sealed his memories.
The sword held some similarities to a human sword, but with the difference being the crimson demonic markings on the blade with fuller and center ridge of the edge being a color back.
Ragnarok was forged using the metal scales of a metal Dragon (not Metalicana, if he recalled correctly), the blood of a demon, and the flames of hell itself. Unnervingly enough, Natsu once said that he also used a soul to make the sword, but he never found out if that was true or not.
Once the former child had settled in, Natsu told him tales during his time with Tartarus. The pink-haired demon had not been impressed with the Etherious' plans to go to war with the humans. He gave his kind a rather harsh scolding and didn't hesitate to hand out punishments. He never hesitated to relent until the Etherious were on their knees, begging for forgiveness and mercy.
The tone of the Etherious' voice made the Dragon king realize he was better off being oblivious to what the punishments were. According to the man, he had plans involving Tartarous' underworld status.
Training Natsu with his Dragon Slayer magic had been intense. The brat was no longer a hatchling, which meant that Igneel no longer needed to put as much effort into explaining what to do. Additionally, the man was undoubtedly more intelligent than he ever was in his human form.
Though he would never admit it, he missed the rowdy brat he cared for, but he would happily be off without the boy's stupidity and recklessness. He also noticed that Natsu took on a hobby other than fighting. He would spend his free time drawing whatever popped into his head. A while back, Natsu went to a human village and bought some pencils and ink.
Natsu eventually started to collect any of his discarded scales, stating that he had something in mind with them. Though frustratingly enough, he won't say anything until; he's got the final result.
Over time, Natsu was improving on his Dragon Slaying magic, and the spars both of them held certainly made Igneel remember why Acnologia was rumored to fear Zeref's greatest creation.
For now, though, they must postpone their training and spars, as it was that time again. Usually, every month, all five of the Dragons met up with Zeref while Anna cared for their children. Natsu didn't need to be in the meeting but decided to reintroduce himself to the Dragons and explain the changes to the plans.
Metalicana was an ass, complaining about it as usual. Grandeeny, Weisslogia, and Skiadrum, however, while surprised, were polite about it. They had to change some bits and pieces of their plans, but thankfully it was a minor problem taken care of.
With that done, Natsu excused himself and left to join the other Dragon Slayers, allowing the Dragon parents to continue their meeting with his older brother.
Honestly, Natsu was surprised that revealing himself to the Dragon Slayers was easier than he thought. Gajeel, a brat with piercings made from Metalican's discarded iron scales, seemed to have been a little bitter that he grew up quickly but otherwise remained uncaring. He remembered how his bratty human self and Gajeel would fight constantly. Still, the Iron Dragon Slayer had a good heart under that rough exterior of his. And though he tried to act uncaring, he seemed to have been interested in his sword strapped on his back.
Wendy, the sweetheart, had been curious about his artwork. She would ask for some simple requests for him to draw, and Natsu, at one point, allowed her to draw on his sketchbook. She was a little uncertain and afraid she would mess up, but Natsu was patient and taught her what to do. She drew a simple flower, but Sky Dragon Slayer seemed proud of it.
Rouge, the boy who looked similar to Zeref, discarding the age differences, eye color, and hair shape, likewise seemed curious. He was more interested in observing than anything. He was definitely like his father and seemed very curious for his own good. He briefly remembers how Skiadrum said that Rouge's curiosities often put him in trouble. Then at one point, the brat asked if he could draw a skull of all things. A little unnerving for a human kid, but Natsu didn't mind. He drew a deer skull and let the boy keep it. The Shadow Dragon Slayer was happy with it.
As for Sting, Natsu briefly remembered how the brat had idolized him. Sting found his artistic hobby a little boring, but he was interested in his sword and wanted a demonstration of it. He showed off a little, easily cutting down a couple of trees and a boulder. Both the White Dragon Slayer and Gajeel were undoubtedly impressed and basically demanded a fight.
Eventually, the brats settled down and took a nap together. During this, Natsu found the opportunity to speak to Anna.
"Are you really willing to part ways with your family?" Natsu questioned. "You won't see them again."
Anna shrunk a little and let out a sigh, "I know… things aren't exactly easy. But desperate measurements require sacrifices."
Natsu narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "You know, I could care for them. While, yes, I must live through four hundred years, I can wait for them on the other side. You can stay here with your husband and daughter." He noticed that she wasn't looking him in the eyes, "Unless you're more willing because you aren't as close to them as you think you are."
Anna sucked in a breath, and Natsu knew he had hit home. He sighed, deciding to drop it for now, "I know that your marriage was arranged and that you and your husband haven't made it past the reluctant acceptance stage, but I had expected that you would have some form of bond with your daughter." He placed his hand on her shoulder, "Nevertheless, I won't question your parenting skills, nor will I stop you from doing what you want."
Anna nodded, looking rather relieved.
"Anyways," Natsu sighed as his hand brushed his hair, "I will spend the next four hundred years getting stronger while improving my underground system. Hopefully, by then, I can take care of Acnologia myself." Natsu eyed her, "And while I'm at it…." Anna looked at him in confusion, "...I think it would be wise if I also am wise if I have close relations and stay in touch with your family."
Anna looked surprised, "W-why?"
Natsu looked at her with seriousness, something which the blond woman had never seen when he was a child, "If I am to help with this plan, I must have a close relationship with the Heartfillia family so that I can stay in the loop."
She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "You aren't planning on asking for her hand in marriage, are you?" Just recently, her daughter reached the age of marriage, and many would-be suitors jumped at the opportunity for her hand in marriage. Her husband had been looking for someone worthy to marry and care for their daughter.
Natsu snorted, "Stars, no." He waved off her concerns, "Dragons mate for life. I would rather mate with someone I would be more willing to spend time with. But something as love," He waved his hands dismissively, "Isn't something I am actively looking for."
She relaxed on that, "All right. However, I suggest you wait until I inform my husband about it. He would not be pleased if I suddenly brought a stranger without his consent. Especially since there could be some…unpleasant rumors about you."
Natsu let out a scoff but agreed nevertheless. "Alright, and how long will that take?"
She let out a sigh, "He's a busy man, so I can not be certain."
Natsu grunted. "Fine." He eyed her suspiciously. "Though, how will he fare once his beautiful wife leaves? To my knowledge, that would cause some kind of scandal with those nobles." He said with disdain. He had met a couple of nobles of this era, and it took Natsu all of his willpower not to burn them.
Honestly, the nobles back in Desierto weren't as bad, and that is saying something. It seemed they get worse and worse every generation.
"He will manage," Assured the older woman. "Our marriage isn't exactly perfect, and he certainly wasn't pleased about me up and leaving. However, he agreed to let me go under the condition I tell no one else about it. He'll cover up my disappearance, and everyone chalks it up to an unfortunate accidental death."
Huh, either Anna married a decent human despite their failing marriage, or her husband will take advantage of it while saving face.
Natsu nodded in understanding, "Alright, though, one last thing."
"Yes?"
He grinned sheepishly, "You don't suppose you can teach me to sew and make clothes?"
Anna blinked in surprise before letting out a giggle.
Natsu was on a hunt.
A while back, he had spoken to Igneel about getting stronger. As the Fire Dragon was slowly weakening as time passed, Natsu had to find another way to get stronger. Having your soul shredded would do that to you, making him feel worthless for not doing anything about it.
He could do some healing due to his demonic nature, but even then, it wasn't used for something as harmful as soul damage. Maybe in the future, he can discover something with his soul.
Back on track, though, it is well-known that Acnologia possesses the ability to consume and be enhanced by many types of magic. Naturally, his curses and swordsmanship would give him an advantage.
However, for him to truly damage the dragon, he mustn't rely on those alone. Natsu had been going around different villages, disguised in his human form, of course, in Fiore, and found many forms of magic that he had considered interesting and willing to learn.
But human magic has almost no effect on a Dragon. So the chances of using human magic on someone like Acnologia were not going to cut it. So while that alone was disappointing, it didn't mean he'll give up on them.
But for now, he was on a hunt.
And he was not hunting an animal.
No, he was hunting for a Dragon.
According to his underground sources, there had been humans who had been too curious for their own good and going where they were not supposed to go. It always ends with them disappearing and never returning. He had ordered Mard Geer to send one of the Etherious to investigate. Naturally, they returned without problems and told him something shocking.
They had found a Dragon in hiding.
Just with the disappearing humans and the Dragon, it didn't take long for Natsu to know what he was dealing with. If there was one other thing he despised other than Acnologia, it was anti-human Dragons. No doubt one of those Dragons decided to reside here to hide from the threat, all while hoping to lure some naive humans for a quick one.
Acnologia and the earlier Dragon Slayers slew most of the Dragons that sided with humans, so he was most likely to run into Dragons who saw humans as nothing more than food or amusement. Natsu will not have remorse for killing them.
For it was a perfect opportunity to check his skills.
His sources had led him to an overgrown forest, a little on the east of a small village. With one glance, any average person wouldn't be bothered by it and wave it off as mother nature. But Natsu could smell the magic that radiated in this place.
He could feel the Dragon's magic.
It was rather faint, no doubt an attempt of the Dragon to conceal their magic. Normal humans and low-class mages wouldn't even be able to notice it. However, his connection to the Ethernano allows him to feel all forms of Ethernano.
Though frustrating enough, he still couldn't track down Acnologia. The bastard somehow managed to conceal all of his presence, which means Natsu couldn't find any lead on him.
Nevertheless, he managed to find a poorly hidden giant den behind a couple of tree branches and plant life surrounding it. The Etherious/Dragon Slayer's nostrils flared as the scent got stronger the closer he got. He entered the den and traveled down, concealing his presence so as not to alert whatever was down there. While it was rather dark and a little bland, eventually, Natsu came across a more luscious part of the cavern. There was plenty of daylight, and from above, bits of sunlight peeked in, allowing some form of warmth to enter. There was a little lake of water here with waterlilies and a river flowing from the surface if he had to guess.
Overall, it was a beautiful place. It seemed like the owner of this hideout wanted to make an effort to make themselves comfortable while hiding.
Natus continued walking and found his target in a more open-spaced cave.
A Dragon. More specifically, a Forest Dragon.
Their entire body was made of the bark of a tree. The branches had some green and flower life growing at the end of the tips.
A beautiful Dragon, a female one at that. It is a shame that such a beautiful and majestic creature had a personality that Natsu would have no problem killing.
The Dragon remained oblivious to the intruder in her domain and peacefully slept. Natsu debated on what to do here. He could kill the Dragon while she was asleep, making this quick, or he could wake her up and fight her.
Natsu scoffed; the answer was obvious.
The Dragon remained blissfully unaware until she felt a sudden wave of power washed over her. Her eyes snapped open, taking a moment to recover from the sudden power before lifting herself. She let out an ear-piercing roar, enraged that someone was intruding on her home. What irked her was that she didn't even notice them until now.
"Who dares enter my domain?!"
Natsu glared hatefully at her, "I dare you pathetic Wyrm! I have traveled far and wide to put an end to Dragons like you!"
The Dragon snorted at him, "Hah! Do you really think a weakling like you can damage a Dragon like me?!"
Natsu released sneered at the Dragoness and, deciding to be a little cocky, released more pressure, which made the Dragon buckle at the power.
The Forest Dragon's eyes widen. How can a weak human produce this much power? How was it that this weakling managed to put fear in her? No, hold on…she had missed it in the beginning, but she smelled it. She swallowed and glared hatefully at Natsu.
"You are no ordinary human!" She accused.
The pink-haired man sneered, "I never said I was! That was your own fault for assuming!"
She snarled as she tried to regain her footing on the power pressure, "Who are you?!"
Natsu snorted, "I will say what I am, but only if you give me your name!"
The Forest Dragon scowled but obliged, "I am Foresta, the Forest Dragon!" She boomed, "Now tell me what you are!"
Natsu smirked, "I am Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel the Fire King Dragon! I am an Etherious Fire Dragon Slayer!"
Like that, Foresta sucked in a sharp breath upon the declaration. She knew something was off with the human's magic, but she hadn't paid attention to it and brushed it aside. But now that it was revealed what he was, Foresta suddenly paid attention. And to her utter horror, she could feel it.
The magic of Dragon Slaying was a terrifying notion. She remembered back before the entire Dragon King Festival disaster when the civil war ran wild. Many of her allies fell under the hands of these monsters who wielded this magic. It became worse when the Dragon Slayers turned their back on their allies and started killing every Dragon in their path.
It became worse when that abomination turned.
Now this twerp here claims that The Fire King Dragon Igneel had raised and trained him. And she knew that was no lie, for he carried the strong scent of a fire Dragon. More specifically, the scent of a king.
Foresta never met Igneel herself, but even she was not blind to his mighty power. Hell, he was the only one who managed to damage the abomination. This human was a threat, and she needed to kill him immediately. Otherwise, there would be another Acnologia running around.
"Forest Dragon's Roar!"
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
With that, the clash occurred as the two-element attacks collided with one another. The sudden heatwave killed any nearby plants of this domain as both users struggled for dominance. But it was then Natsu put in a little more power in his attack.
Slowly, the fire attack pushed back the plant-based attack before overpowering it immediately. Foresta cursed in the Draconic language as she barely escaped the attack. She was limited to her surroundings and had no desire to have her den collapse on her. She could not fly, and she could barely move.
"Forest Dragon's Tail Whiplash!"
Foresta's tail glowed a viridian green as she flung her tail at Natsu.
Natsu jumped out of the way, the tail hitting the cave, resulting in the ground shattering and dust and rocks being flung. The Forest Dragon snarled when a couple of pibbles hit her form. Natsu, mid-air, dove into the Dragon at high speed as he engulfed himself in fire. "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
The Dragoness roared in pain as the attack collided with her wooden body. The Fire started to eat the wood once Natsu landed a few feet away from the Forest Dragon. The flames died down, leaving behind the char marks.
The Dragoness was enraged but winced at the damage inflicted on her, "I certainly underestimated you, son of Igneel, but do not think for one second that you won the battle!"
Natsu sneered, "Oh, I know. After all, my battle is over when your body remains lifeless!"
She glared at him, "Heal!"
Natsu's eyes narrowed when he saw how the wound he inflicted on the Dragon was surrounded by a viridian aura and healed. He knew plant-based Dragons were capable of using healing magic, but they were one step behind a sky Dragon.
Still, it can be problematic if she could heal herself constantly.
"Forest Dragon's Demolition fist!"
An aura of magic engulfed the Dragon's fist as she lunged it at Natsu.
"Fire Dragon's Iron fist!"
Both attacks collided halfway, creating an explosion of power. Foresta grunted as a cloud of ash and dirt prevented her from seeing what had occurred to her opponent. Except she didn't have time to discover as Natsu suddenly came out of nowhere, both arms ablaze.
"Fire Dragon's Wing attack!"
The fire struck the wooden body, and Foresta roared in anguish.
Natsu landed on the ground, looking bored now. "Alright, I had expected this to be a fun battle, but you're barely a formidable foe."
Foresta snarled, "You were toying with me?!" She asked incredulously.
"Of course I was." Snorted Natsu, unbothered by her offended aura, "If I did, the whole cavern would've collapsed on us. Personally, I prefer not having a whole ton of rock and dirt fall on us."
"You bastard!"
"But now I'm bored. I had hope for a worthy opponent, but you're barely one." Natsu said with a bored tone, Further enraging the Forest Dragon. "Igneel had told me countless tales of how he fought stronger Forest Dragons and how he struggled with them. You wouldn't even survive a Fire Dragon hatchling."
"How dare you!" She seethed, but it didn't derail the up-and-rising fear and panic inside her. Foresta could practically hear her own instincts telling her that this human was not someone she could beat.
"Requip: Ragnarok!"
Foresta balked when an unnerving sword appeared in Natsu's hand.
"I am done playing around." Natsu gave her a piercing glare, his onyx eyes flashing a crimson red, which caused the Dragon to flinch. "Foresta the Forest Dragon, your end has come!"
It had been a while since Natsu had used his curses, but it felt nice to use them once more. For the fires of hell itself burn away the magic of any living person. The Flames surrounding Ragnarok were darker than his magic, more demonic. This was enough to put fear in the Dragon.
"H-he can not be human!" She internally panicked. In a desperate attempt, she threw offensive spells to attack the demon, but to Foresta's utter horror, her attacks, upon reaching the pink-haired man, were swallowed by the fire.
"Hellfire: Ragnarok's Fire slash!"
And like that, the Forest Dragon was cut in two. The fire began to devour the body, albeit slowly, ensuring that she suffered slowly and painfully. Natsu dismissed his sword and walked towards the dying Dragoness. Foresta knew then and there that the battle was truly over, as her magic could not heal her body from this damage.
"And just like that, a lowly 'human' had defeated you." He remarked as he blankly stared at the Dragon.
Foresta gasped for air, unable to speak. Though, she did manage to form a glare at him, which unfazed Natsu.
"Well, I have no need to do this, but I suppose I could soothe your wounded pride by telling this," Natsu knelt in the Dragon's head and stared at her in the eye. "I am Natsu Dragneel…I am an Etherious Demon known as E.N.D."
Foresta's eyes widened. It couldn't be. She had heard rumors of a demonic entity that put fear in Acnologia himself. And just by staring at the eyes of this demon, whom she had misunderstood as a human.
"I…misjudged you demon…" She admitted with a grimace as she felt the end of her life, "But …t-this…shows…n-nothing," she gasped, "H-humans…remain…w-weak…."
Natsu stared at her as her head finally rested on the rock. His sensitive hearing could also pick up that she had stopped breathing and that her heart had stopped. He shook his head, "Those who underestimate their opponents will eventually fall." The pink-haired teen said to the corpse of the Dragon, "Including humans and Dragons."
With that bit, he decided to burn off the corpse of the Dragon so that Acnologia would not find it. But not before he took something as a trophy.
"...a Dragon heart." Igneel and Zeref seemed surprised by his prize.
Zeref happened to have been visiting his brother to see how his process had been going. Natsu had explained to him how he had struck down the Forest Dragon, Foresta, with minimal effort. Igneel had been proud of him, and Zeref was impressed.
And speaking of his foster father….the Fire Dragon king had certainly seen better days. His scales were no longer as bright as they used to be, and he had been starting to feel a little sick. Thankfully, the symptoms haven't worsened, but unfortunately, it was a sign.
Natsu eyes Igneel with a raised eyebrow, the heart of the Dragon in hand. "Yeah, I brought the heart with me, so what?"
Igneel looked proud at his son, "Oh, nothing bad. Just that on rare occasions, Dragons would rip out another Dragon's heart." He gestured to the organ on Natsu's head and grinned cockily as he thought back on his glory days. "I had my fair share of that in my youth. No Dragon could manage to rip off my heart before I killed them."
Natsu rolled his eyes but couldn't fight off a smile from growing on his face, "Your arrogance certainly hasn't decreased, you old fart."
While Igneel laughed, Zeref took the opportunity to study the Forest Dragon's heart. Zeref hummed in interest before looking at Natsu, "This Dragon heart contains the magic of the Forest Dragon." Zeref said, to the surprise of Natsu. "I could take this heart and process this into a lacrima."
"A lacrima?" Natsu was surprised.
His sources had told him how recently humans had been mass producing or finding these magic crystalline substances all around Fiore. He had lost count of how many greedy bastards would touch unknown forces for extra power.
But if it's true that this heart wields the magic of the Forest Dragon, he slew… His mouth went thin frown. Initially, he had taken this as a trophy, but if this can be turned into a source of Dragon… "I see…"
Zeref eyed his brother carefully, "Natsu," The pink-haired Dragon Slayer/Demon's attention shifted to his brother, "I suggest you take this opportunity."
"Huh?!"
Needless to say, Natsu was dumbfounded at his brother's suggestion.
Zeref didn't miss a beat as he pointed at the heart, "As I recall, you had mentioned that you've been looking for numerous ways to counter Acnologia's advantage over all forms of magic." Upon his hesitant nod, he gestured to the Dragon heart in Natsu's hands, "This is the solution to your problem."
Before Natsu could protest, Igneel also agreed, "Brat, he's right. As much as I despise to admit it, Acnologia currently holds every bit of advantage here and there." He snorted. However, there was no mirth in his eyes, "You have been interested in learning different forms of magic, but human magic can barely tickle our feathers. Your Etherious status, curses, and Ragnarok could give you an advantage, but it won't be enough. So taking the hearts of Dragons and using their magic as your own can give you the upper hand."
Natsu fell silent, seemingly thinking about it.
Igneel then smirked, "Besides, this will kill two birds with one stone. You go out and kill off what remains of those anti-human Dragons. You use their magic in an ironic twist of fate to protect the very humans they so despised."
Ok, the Etherious found humor in that.
Zeref cleared his throat, "Additionally to this, humans normally have a fifty-fifty chance of being convenient with the Lacrima. If the magic power rejects them, they will be torn apart from the inside out as the Lacrima self-destructs."
Well, that was a nice image his brother gave him, and he meant that with a heavy dose of sarcasm if no one noticed. Though he had seen worse in all his lives combined, it wasn't something he wanted to picture in his head.
"But I took precautions with the Etherious." Zeref finished. He either was oblivious to his brother's thoughts or simply ignored them. "Naturally, the Etherious aren't really interested in the magic the Ethernano has offered, but you are different from them." He said wistfully. "You can take a couple of hundred without problems."
"More once the brat becomes a Dragon." Snorted Igneel.
Natsu was amused, "I don't think I'll need that much lacrima inside of me to fight off Acnologia." His amusement, however, faded when he looked at the innocent Dragon Lacriman in his hand. "But… If I take this power, how can I train it? The damn Dragon is dead, but even if she weren't, she wouldn't train me."
Igneel shrugged, "Meh, Every form of Dragon Slaying magic is similar. So it shouldn't be different from Fire Dragon Slaying magic."
Good old Igneel. Natsu glared at him before back at the Lacrima before looking at his brother.
"Training magic directly from a Dragon turns them into a Dragon Slayer." Natsu suddenly spoke, "But if this supposed Dragon lacrima can do the same, then this is a different form of gaining the power altogether."
Zeref hummed in agreement, mauling over his brother's words. "Indeed, If training under a Dragon is the first generation of humans learning Dragon magic, then planting this lacrima inside them considers them the second generation…which means…."
"...if I combine the two methods, then the results will turn me into a third-generation Dragon Slayer." Finished off Natsu before snorting in amusement, "So it goes one, two, and three. Hilarious."
By taking this lacrima, he will become a third-generation Etherious Dragon. It was a bit of a mouthful, but it would fit. A first Generation Dragon Slayer turned Dragon versus a Third Generation Dragon Slayer turning into a Dragon.
…
Oh, what the hell? Why not?
He tossed the organ of the Forest Dragon to his brother, who caught it with a neutral expression, unbothered by the gross item.
"I will take every advantage to fight off Acnologia," Natsu said seriously. "Zeref, I trust you with the Dragon heart."
Zeref nodded, "Very well. It will take some time, but I will be able to do it."
Natsu snorted, "I got plenty of time. I can wait as much as you can. Besides, while you take care of that, I will simply hunt for another Dragon. Their heart will be of use to me." As he said this, he had a dangerous glint in his eyes, which made Igneel proud, while Zeref remained neutral.
Once again, there was a meeting with the Dragon. There was ever so much time left before the Dragons would put their plan in motion in the following months. Natsu, as always, helps care for the Dragon Slayers with Anna.
Anna was undoubtedly an interesting human he'd spend time with. To his silent relief, she taught him how to sew and thus managed to make a cloak out of Igneel's discarded scales.
Speaking of said Dragon…Igneel and the rest of the Dragons had been slowly falling into the effects of having their souls shredded. Grandeeney. Skiadrum, Weisslogia, and Metalicana, however, will at least be able to recover somewhat. Once they use the Dragon Soul Technique and the Dragon Slayers jump head into the future, the heavy density of Ethernano shall help them.
Other than focusing on creating antibodies for the Dragon Seeds, the heavy, dense Ethernano atmosphere in the future should be able to heal the damage in their souls. Unfortunately, it won't undo the damage, so if they ever come out… they won't have much time to live.
Igneel, unfortunately, doesn't have that luxury. He will continue to grow sicker until he finally succumbs to it. It was speculated that he would pass a few months after the Eclipse gates, and it saddened Natsu. It was a nice thing to have with him, along with the scarf, for they will always remind him of the Fire King Dragon. Whenever he wears them (which will almost be always), he would always think of his father figure.
Natsu tried not to think about the grim reality and instead focused on what was happening around him. As of now, the children certainly had their fun and were now asleep. The Dragon parents picked up their human children and took the skies. Igneel had already left, as Natsu had told him beforehand that he planned on doing some training.
"Natsu." He snaps out of his stupor —he had been gripping his cloak all this time and turns his attention to Anna. She gave him a small smile, but Natsu could see the sympathy in her eyes.
"Hmm?"
She gestured for him to follow him, and he did so. "Since our plans are to be in motion, I believe it is time for me to introduce you to my daughter."
Natsu raised an eyebrow out of interest, both of them walking on the uneven path. "Really?" Since their last meeting, she seemed a little hesitant, but now she seemed more at ease. He briefly wonders what caused the sudden change but decides to put it aside, "And what does your husband know about me?"
"He doesn't know everything, so as far as he's concerned, I'm only bringing a family friend to introduce." She explained. "I don't need to tell you to keep your origins to yourself."
Natsu hummed, "I am not one to foolishly parade around my Etherious origins, so that isn't something to worry about. What about your daughter?"
"I handed her a book explaining everything." She said simply, "And she's a smart girl. She understands that some things are best left secretive. The book will give instructions on what to do, and hopefully, my descendant will open the gate."
"I will make sure it does," Natsu said firmly. "I will be on the other side of the gate, waiting for you. Once the mission is complete, I will destroy the gate."
Anna seemed a little shocked, ducking underneath an overgrown branch. "Why go to such lengths?"
"The Eclipse gate is a form of dark magic connected to my brother." He stated grimly, simply pushing the branch with his strength and letting go of it once a decent distance. "My brother has a reputation that is not pleasant, and I prefer being safe than sorry. There is no telling what will happen in the future, and it could be that there will be a human who would want to take advantage of my brother's projects. It's better off preventing an incident when I had the chance."
They were silent after that.
As they were getting closer to Anna's town, Natsu decided to use the opportunity to use a new particular magic he had come across the other day.
Anna jumped in surprise when Natsu was engulfed in a white light, and when it was gone, his clothing changed. He was no longers in possession of his cloak and was wearing a Long-length, loose linen shirt with a doublet and short-length breeches. There was a leather belt on his breeches, and he wore a pair of plain leather boots.
"You should've warned me about that." She chided, placing her hand on her chest to control her heart rate. "But I will admit, you look like an average-class citizen." That was a relief, as now Anna didn't have to find a way to sneak into the town with a pink-haired man who looked like a barbarian. "What magic was that?"
Natsu chuckled. "Requip. I came across it during one of many travels hoping to look for magic to give me an advantage over the Black Dragon."
Anna looked impressed, "I see."
"Unfortunately, you know as much as I do how ineffective human magic is to Dragons." Natsu said, Anna, nodding solemnly, "A shame too, as there were many forms of magic that piped my interest." Natsu had been in awe at the creativity and lengths humans had to manage with their magic. "Such as Maker magic and Transformation magic."
Anna hummed thoughtfully, "That is interesting."
Natsu hummed, "I might still learn them for my own pleasure. It would be a waste if I were to simply pass on the opportunity."
They managed to make it to a neater and even pathway, their footwear crunching up any bit of loose stones in the dirt path.
"So, about your husband," Natsu said, wanting to change the subject as they were getting closer to Anna's town, "Will I meet him?"
"No." Anna said with a sigh, "While he agreed to allow you to meet our daughter, he is still a busy man. My husband told the staff of our home to treat you as a guest. So any unwanted rumors will be brushed aside."
Natsu hummed in understanding.
They were silent for a moment, with the exception of the crunching on their feet. "I'm curious in this matter, and I don't want to upset you, but what will occur once Igneel passes?"
Natsu sighed, his expression turning to that of sorrow. "Igneel, Zeref, and I talked about this, as we knew the subject would occur. It was decided that after Igneel's passing, I would be on my own for a bit. My brother is working on another project," At her alarmed look, he quickly went to assure her, "No magic involved!" Anna let out a sigh of relief, "I don't know what it is, but my brother assures me that it does not threaten humanity."
"I see…" Anna hummed, "And what will you be doing during your time off? Training?"
"That's part of it, yes." Natsu agreed, "But I also plan to strengthen my underground system in Fiore. It is running smoothly now, but it will pale compared to what I have in mind for the future." He eyed her, "It should surely help you and your family.
Anna smiled, "I can not wait to see it."
Natsu smiled, "Yeah. Other than that, I also plan to hunt down any remaining Dragons that managed to escape Acnologia's wrath."
Anna's eyes widened. "What?" She asked in disbelief.
Natsu nodded at him, his expression turning serious, "The age of Dragons is coming to an end here in Earthland. Even Igneel agrees with me. Acnologia sped up the process, and what little remains of the Dragons, unfortunately, have something against humans. So I will kill two birds with one stone. So I will do Earthland a favor and rid it of antihuman Dragons permanently and get stronger as a result."
Anna could definitely see his reasoning. Many villages and towns fell due to the actions of Dragons, so humans can rest at ease knowing that they are gone. "And what about the Dragons who sided with humans?"
Natsu shrugged, "The chances of me finding them are little to none, as Acnologia killed most of them. But, if I do find one, it depends on what the Dragon wants. If the Dragon is human-friendly or neutral, I will honor them and leave them alone. Otherwise…well, you know…." He trails off, not needing to finish.
Anna nods solemnly.
It was silent after that. Eventually, they made it to Anna's town, which was rather busy. Vendors were here and there, and people were walking around. Anna asked for a carriage ride to her home, and to Natsu's utter relief, he did not feel that accursed motion sickness.
He remembered, around a week before Zeref opened his book Igneel once, for the shit and giggles, put him in a poorly made raft in the middle of a river. The results were less desirable, and Igneel laughed at his misery.
When he asked why, Igneel simply said that when Dragon Slayers reach a certain strength, they will get motion sickness as their heightened senses can overload semicircular canals. Thankfully, since his Etherious nature had returned to him, Natsu could safely go on carriages or boats without problems as his demonic nature fought against the motion sickness.
They traveled for a bit and, within half an hour, made it to Anna's house, which was around the greener lands outside the town. Anna's house was more significant than other buildings he'd seen in his travels, but despite it, her home took more of an intake of a combination of modesty and wealth.
Natsu gave the coachman a few jewels to pay for their ride because it would be rude in the current society if a woman did this, and he and Anna entered the house. Anna had explained to him beforehand that the Heartfillia bloodline has connections with the Royal family. Something which surprised Natsu, but he wisely remained silent about it. It was rather obvious that while they had relations, the Heartfillia family wouldn't take the throne.
Or at least they won't unless something bad happens to the current Royal family.
Nevertheless, despite the relations, the Heartfillia family isn't very wealthy, but by the look of this place, Natsu would guess that her husband was a decent businessman.
Anna took him inside, and the maids and butlers greeted him politely and gave him a wine bottle as a gift from Anna's husband before they continued to their work. Once that was dealt with, Anna took him outside the garden, which was beautiful.
It was there that Natsu finally met Anna's daughter.
Right in front of a flowerbed full of rare flowers was a young teenager that wore a beautiful blue dress and had hair pearls with two side ponytails. She had a striking resemblance to Anna, which Natsu was surprised by, but he shrugged it off. Must be strong genetics.
"Rebecca!" Anna calls to get her attention.
The teen noticed her mother and her companion and gracefully walked to them. "Mother." She greeted politely.
Anna gestured to Natsu, "This is Natsu Dragneel. He's the friend I mentioned."
Natsu bowed politely, "It's an honor to finally meet the daughter of Anna." He returned to his original pose before commenting, "I must say, you have a striking resemblance to your mother. So I can confidently guess where you got your beauty." He winked.
Rebecca giggled, "It's nice to meet you."
It was an excellent start with the Heartfillia family.
Natsu left Anna's hometown, content with the way things went. He decided to return to Igneel. After all, the Dragon didn't have much time left, and he wanted to spend as much time with Igneel before he passes. Once he was far away, ensuring that there was no one in sight with his enhanced nose, he used Requip to return his possessions and get rid of the clothes he wore.
Once again, he was wearing only plants, along with his scarf and cloak. Raknorok remained in his little pocket dimension as he saw no need for it.
The pink-haired Etherious scratched his back as he walked further into the forest, the winds picking up, his cloak blowing in the breeze. His back was exposed for a minimal time, but anyone who managed to get a glance at it could see that a few red scales were growing on his back.
A/N: Follow me on. Patrons have early access to the next chapter.