Remake version of the original
More in depth on how Natsu came to the Dragon Fang Village and how the story starts before connecting to the main series.
On the year X300, in a large forest area.
There is a young boy with salmon pink hair and is only wearing ragged brown pants and a scale patterned scarf around his neck. This child's name is Natsu Dragneel, the son of Fire Dragon King; Igneel.
"hey! Igneel!" Natsu shouted out as he is dragging a dead boar by one of its hind legs. The young boy dragging the dead animal to a cave where from within came out a large red dragon that stood nearly 20 meters. "I got me a boar!"
"Well done." Igneel said as Natsu drags the boar even closer. "Start making a fire to cook it."
"eh, can't you do it?" the boy asks in a whining voice. "I'm too tired after catching it."
"stop complaining and just do it." Igneel said while crossing his large arms. "you're not a baby anymore."
No one knows why Igneel who is a Dragon that is considered a mighty race harboring a human child like Natsu. What is only known is the fact that he cares for him like he is his own child and that's what matters the most for the mighty fire dragon king.
The time goes on in the forest as Igneel would either teach Natsu the usage of Fire Dragon Slayer Magic or language letters and spend some time playing with him or taking naps with him.
During the evening with the sun setting off the horizon.
Natsu is in the cave with Igneel, both having the accompany of a small campfire that lit the inside.
"aaahhh~! Today was a blast!" Natsu grins. "let's go and do some more training later at the mountains, Igneel."
"There's no more mountains after what we did, remember?" Igneel replied, the Fire Dragon and Natsu had gone to the mountains for some training and the result was a mountain's top getting destroyed from the young man's attempt to do a flaming breath attack that went out of control. "you need to remember that the fire within you is the fire that is your own will. Don't let it go amok next time."
"I got it." Natsu said all carefree.
"so carefree…" Igneel spoke with a sweatdrop.
As the two spend the time in the cave while gazing at the starry night sky in silence, Igneel looks at sky in solemn before he looks at Natsu who is asleep and snoring loudly. He stares at the boy with a fond look before he turns and faces outside of the cave as he sees a small figure coming.
"You've come." Igneel spoke as the small figure reveals to be a small old man wearing tribal like clothing with weird tattoo marks around his face and body, he also holds a staff with ornaments like bones and metal rings. The small old man came near the cave and faces the Fire Dragon. "Thank you for coming all the way here, Elder Mako."
"No, it is nothing." The old man replied with a smile while bowing his head once. "as repayment for your kindness in saving my village during its time of need. I shall travel as far as you wish with these old bones of mine."
"You're too modest." Igneel grins at the old man before he looks a bit serious. "once again I thank you for coming here and I also thank you for kindly accepting my request."
"yes." Mako nods before he turns and sees Natsu still asleep and snoring. "this is the child you speak of, correct?"
"yeah." Igneel nods before he looks at Natsu. "his name is Natsu Dragneel, my son." He looks back at the old man. "I leave him in your care, Elder."
"Yes." The old man nodded before he frowns a bit towards Igneel. "forgive me for asking this, but are you really sure that you wish to do this?" he looks at Natsu and sees how he is asleep so peacefully. "If I recall, you see him as your own son and he sees you as his own father." He looks back at the dragon. "I have no doubt that he will try to find you."
"I know." Igneel replied as he nods before looking at Natsu. "but this is what must be done, to ensure that this world's future is protected from chaos." He looks back at the old man. "I'll leave his care in your hands, Elder."
Mako looks at the dragon with a small frown before he bows his head with a hand to his chest.
"I shall take care of him as if he is my own child, Fire Dragon King." The old man spoke and Igneel did a head bow in gratitude before he looks at Natsu who he gently picks up into the palm of his right claw.
"Take care of yourself, Natsu" Igneel spoke while gently tapping one of the talons of his left claw to his son's chest that begins to glow red. "remember that I shall always be at your side no matter what."
The glow on Natsu's chest begins to illuminate the entire cave and continues to glow brighter to the point that it is shining like the sun.
As the red glow illuminates the night, Mako merely watches with rather squinted eyes before his entire appearance disappears when the light causes everything to turn white.
The next morning.
Natsu is still snoring in the cave, his snot bubble grows and shrinks as he snores before it pop and the young boy wakes up all groggily.
"so sleepy~" Natsu groans as he sits up and scratches the back of his head. The young boy looks around in a daze before yawning loudly. "Igneel? Where are you?" he gets off the ground and heads out the cave. "did you already go and get breakfast?"
As Natsu goes out of the cave and looks around for his dragon father, he finds Mako coming to him.
"ah, you've finally awoken, lad." Mako greeted Natsu with a friendly smile. "I was certain that you would've slept till the afternoon."
"who are you, old man?" Natsu asks, not being familiar with Mako.
"ah, where are my manners." Mako spoke while holding a hand to his chest. "my name is Mako. I'm the Elder of the Dragon Fang Village and a friend to your father; Igneel."
"Dragon Fang Village? What's that?" Natsu spoke before he looks more confused than before. "and since when are you friends with Igneel? He always takes me wherever he goes to and I never seen you meeting him before."
"that's to be expected considering that I've met Igneel when I was more younger." Moka said while nodding once. "and also, the Dragon Fang Village is a village for people with close relations with Dragons." He then came near Natsu. "and it's also the village where I'm going to escort you to."
"Escort me? why?" Natsu said with a confused look. "why should I go to some village when I'm still living here with Igneel?" he then looks around. "Speaking of Igneel, where is he? He should be back with breakfast by now."
"if you are talking about your dragon father, I'm afraid to say that he won't be back." Mako spoke after shaking his head.
"huh?! What do you mean that he won't be back!?" Natsu shouted. "he never told me that he was leaving! And if he was leaving, he would've told me and took me with him!"
"yes, but Igneel had decided to go somewhere on his own and leave you here with me." Mako replied with a nod. "he had asked me to come and then guide you back to my village where you will live and learn the ways of using your magic."
"no way! I'm staying here!" Natsu shouted. "I ain't leaving this place till Igneel comes back! and that's final!"
"I'm afraid that you would say that." Mako sighs while shaking his head before he turns and took a few steps forward. "or rather, Igneel knew you would say that."
"huh?" Natsu looks at Mako who glances at him with a small smirking smile.
"your father told me that his son always complains and never wants to leave the cave because he is a very small crybaby." Mako spoke with a chuckle. "and also that you could never learn too well with his teachings."
"What did you say!?" Natsu shouted all angrily before his fists burst in red fire. "who are you calling a crybaby!?"
"oh, and did I forgot to mention that he said that you have a bad temper?" Mako added in, seeing Natsu's reaction.
"let me teach you who has a bad temper!" Natsu shouted as he rushes straight at Mako with a burning fist pulled back.
Mako watches Natsu come before he raises his right hand and effortlessly caught Natsu's thrown burning right fist that surprised the young boy.
"wha!?" Natsu looks surprised before he gets a powerful knock to the head by Moka who swung his staff. "ow!"
"You rush in on the attack without properly thinking." Moka said as he looks at Natsu who is holding his head in pain. "using your fire only on the attack from a closed range and not from a far. You are clearly unprepared and very much a novice in using your magic."
"w-who are you..ow!" Natsu tried to fight back but Moka proceeds to knock his staff on the young boy's head and then thrusts the top to his chest, getting the salmon haired boy to fly a few feet back. "o-ow!"
"as much as I am told to take care of you by the request of your father, but I am also told to train you." Moka said while slamming the bottom of his staff to his side. "your body, your mind, and your magic. I have been requested to train all three aspects of your own existence."
"I-Igneel..ask you that? why?" Natsu asks while getting up and holding a hand to the red bump on his head. "I could just learn with him and.."
"indeed, but you could only learn and train as much as he could offer." Moka said while coming near Natsu. "as mighty and powerful the magic that your father had taught you, there are limits to how much he can teach you. That is why he had requested my assistance to help you grow your mind and strength."
"then w-where is Igneel right now?" Natsu asks. "I want to talk to him about this training thing! I'm still learning my magic from him and!"
"he won't be back until you prove that you have grown from the crybaby and ill-tempered boy you are." Moka said while closing his eyes and then peeking an eye open to look at Natsu. "until you've truly grown and trained your mind, body, and magic. Igneel won't return no matter what."
"w-what's with that!?" Natsu exclaimed. "That doesn't make any sense!"
"it is only what it means, my boy." Mako spoke. "your father requested me to teach and train you on his behalf. That is all there is to it." he then turns and begins walking away. "if you wish to have any clue as to where your father is. Come with me to my village where I shall train and teach you in effectively growing your magic and make you more stronger."
Natsu watches Mako walk away, the young boy confuses as to what is going on during the time he was asleep but deep inside, he understood that if he really did train under the old man he could get the answers as to why Igneel leave him in the first place.
"Are you coming?" Mako asks while stopping in his tracks and turn to glance at Natsu who made a surprised and confused noise at first before he firms his gaze and then quickly chases him. "good." he turns and begins walking again. "let us depart now. We have quite a distance to cover before arriving to the Dragon Fang Village."
With that, Natsu follows Mako who now leads him away from the cave of where the young boy had lived with Igneel for some years. The salmon haired boy feeling a bit sad to leave such a nostalgic place but since his father won't return and he don't got a clue as to where he is, he decided to put it deep in his heart and focus on the so called training that Mako had been asked to give to him.
Three days later, at the worn down road of a vast Greenland.
Mako is seen walking into the scene with Natsu following behind him, the young boy looking rather tired while the old man seems full of energy.
"j-just where…just where are we going, old man!?" Natsu cried out all tired because he had been forced to walk with him for a very long distance with little breaks. "we've been…walking for hours now!"
"just a bit more." Mako replied after taking a quick stop and glance at Natsu. "And do not complain after walking such small distances from your home to my village." He continues walking while looking forward. "it is only a three days distance and you are complaining so much. How unlike the son of the Fire Dragon, Igneel."
"What you say!?" Natsu shouted. "I can still walk for another week!"
"is that so?" Mako replied before he walks up a hill at the road and then stops. "now we have arrived."
"eh?" Natsu made a confused noise before he quickly goes to Mako and he gasps in surprise when he sees in a distance a large tribal like village that is surrounded with spiky log woods decorated with red paintings of dragons, and humans. "wow!"
"That is my village; the Dragon Fang Village." Mako spoke with a small smile. "the village that worships the Great Dragon God." He begins walking again with Natsu quickly following. "centuries ago, the founders of this village were once people basked in curse and illness but were saved by the Great Dragon God who bestowed them a great divine power to cleanse all their darkness. Now this village has prospered and its people live to give prayers to our god while sharing a connection with various Dragon Brethren who are descendants of the Great Dragon God." His smile grows as he looks at Natsu. "It is also thanks to being born in this village did I came to know your father; Igneel as well."
"so that's how you're friends with Igneel?" Natsu said after nodding in understanding, the young boy and Mako walked to the village's main entrance that has a few bulky tribal men with dragon mark tattoos and wields large spears and axes. "Did he come here before?"
"a few years ago." Mako replied after doing a handwave to some of the guards who greeted him back. the old man now guiding Natsu into the village where there are people going around doing their daily activities. "He had come to give some of his shed scales as gifts to the villagers and we give him any offerings we could give in return to deepen our friendship. He is a very kind dragon."
"rather than kind, he's hardheaded." Natsu said as he remembered a time when he had to run away from Igneel when he accidently set the forest on fire when using a new Dragon Slaying magic technique. "I only caused a small fire and he got so angry at me."
"That is because a fire could ruin the nature that he loves." Mako said as he did a quick knock on Natsu's head, the young boy winced in pain while holding a hand to his head. "and it is because of his kind nature did the village continue to prosper for years to come."
As the two are conversing, a young man with long black hair tied into a pony tail, and wears orangeish yellow Indian like robes with gold bangles around his right arm came to them.
"Elder Mako, you have returned." The young man spoke to Mako who nodded with a smile.
"ah, Kalard. It's been a while." Mako spoke while nodding again. "been well?"
"yes." The man named Kalard nodded. "I could say the same for you, Elder Mako."
"well, these old bones do get stiff from time to time." Mako said while patting his back a few times. "by the way, did you come here for the usual trade of food and other produces?"
"yes, but I had just finished doing it with the village chief." Kalard replied with a nod before he finally notices Natsu. "oh? this boy is?"
"ah, right." Mako spoke with a nod. "let me introduce you to him." He looks at Natsu while waving a hand towards him. "his name is Natsu Dragneel, he is the son of the Fire Dragon King, Igneel who I had been asked to look after and trained for."
"ah, so you're the one I've been hearing about." Kalard said with a smile as he placed his hands together in a prayer and did a head bow to Natsu. "it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kalard Feniks, I'm from the Fire Village."
"Fire Village?" Natsu asks in confusion.
"It's the village a few miles from this one." Kalard explained. "but unlike the Dragon Fang Village who worship and cherish their relations with the Dragons, my village worship the great Phoenix who is our god."
"Phoenix? What's that?" Natsu asks in a very confused voice while trying to imagine what a Phoenix is.
"it's a great Fire bird that is immortal and could bask in fire that burns beautifully upon its feathers." Mako explained while imagining the famed mythical firebird in an imagination bubble.
"eh!? BIRD!?" Natsu started to drool as he imagined cooked grilled chicken. "can I eat that!?"
"YOU CAN'T!" Kalard and Mako exclaimed, shocked to see and hear what Natsu imagined.
After the little outburst, the two older men calmed down with sighs escaping their lips.
"This child is a bit strange and unique in a way, correct?" Kalard said to Mako who nodded while rubbing a hand to his head.
"Well, he was raised by a Dragon after all." Mako said as he shakes his head a bit. "I'll make sure that he learns some human etiquette as well."
"Kalard! We're going back!" a young man wearing the same clothes as Kalard soon called out to the man as there is also a few other people who wore the same clothes and are pulling or pushing wooden wagons filled with sacks of beans, rice, and fruits. "hurry up!"
"yeah!" Kalard replied as he did a hand wave to the group before looking at Mako. "well then, I better get going now, Elder Mako."
"yes, be well." Mako nodded with a smile. "and do give my greetings to your wife and daughter."
"I will." Kalard nods while doing his hand prayer and bowing to Mako before he went and ruffled Natsu's hair. "be well as well, Natsu."
Natsu watches Kalard leave as the man went to the group from before, the young boy sees the man talking to a few before he smiles to another.
"Kalard is a very kind man and good friend." Mako said with a smile, watching as Kalard leaves the village with his group. "he was once someone who could've become the candidate chief to the Fire Village but fate has set his path and decided to give him a new destiny to fulfill."
"what's that?" Natsu ask and Mako shook his head.
"unclear." Mako spoke. "I've once asked the Fire Village's elder and was not shared any information about it at all." he sighs a bit. "I could only tell that it was of great importance for the entire Fire Village and just that." He turns and begins walking. "now come, I'll show you around the village."
Natsu nods as he turn and was about to follow Mako but a young girl around his age came running past him. the girl has long black hair tied into a long pony tail and wears orangeish red Indian sari with a few bangles around her wrists.
"eh?" Natsu turns to look at the girl and sees her running to Kalard who smiles and then caresses her head before leaving with the others. "who?"
Natsu watches Kalard and his group leave and as he did, the young girl turns to look at him in return. Both kids locked eyes for a moment before they turn when they were called by someone.
"come on, Natsu." Mako spoke out. "we don't have all day."
"r-right.." Natsu said as he took a quick glance at the girl who is now leaving with Kalard's group before he turns and follows Mako.
Natsu didn't know the girl as he felt like he shouldn't actually care, but the young boy didn't know the path of fate that has been laid out for him and the girl.
That's a wrap!
Bye bye