(Edited 22/03/19)
(Edited 02/11/21)
(Edited 10/06/22)
I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.
Beginnings Of Training
/Kryden Mountains/
"Are we there yet?"
"For the fifth time Gray no, we aren't," Natsu sighed as the Ice Mage's constant nagging began to grate on his nerves. "Surely you've had experience climbing mountains before?"
"Natsu, it's not that Gray hasn't climbed before, it's just that he's a bit tired. We all are actually. Gray just ignores fatigue by voicing it," Erza explained, prompting Natsu to shake his head.
"Look, I was joking. Besides, we're almost there anyway, just another half hour tops," Natsu replied which elicited a groan from Gray. "Shut up Gray!"
Spending the next fifteen minutes climbing at a slightly slowed pace. Between Gray's constant groaning and Erza and Elise constantly bugging him for details regarding the summit, his patience was beginning to wear thin.
Fortunately, the clouds were now within sight and he could breathe a sigh of relief. Halting the group just before the clouds, he turned around to address them directly.
"Oh, look at that, we're here," Natsu said as they finally made it to the top.
"Finally, now let's see what's above these clouds that are worth the climb," Gray sighed.
"Hold up Gray, there's just one thing I have to let you all know about before we go beyond this point. At this height, the air is much thinner, so don't try and do too much yet until you get used to it."
"How long will it take for us to get used to it?"
"Not too long Erza. You're already at this level and doing fine so I'd say maybe a day or two at the most. I'm only really warning you guys because if you overwork yourselves up there, I'll have to haul you back down here and that's just a pain in the ass for everyone involved."
"Gee, thanks coach," Gray scoffed earning him a cuff over the head from Erza.
"I could throw you off the mountain if you like Gray," Natsu joked as he walked toward an elevated portion of the rocks. "Right then, if we're all done with the questions, I'll show you how to get up here. First, stand on this particular rock and-!"
Natsu jumped up and disappeared into the clouds as the others waited for him to come back down. After several minutes of waiting with no sign that he was going to come down, Gray finally spoke up.
"Guess we just follow his lead then," Gray shrugged as the three followed Natsu, taking turns jumping on the rock Natsu had shown them.
As they slipped through the cloud, they expected to slip right back through but were shocked to find that they had landed on solid ground.
"What the-!? We were just jumping through a cloud how the hell did we get here?"
"It's because the clouds were just an illusion Gray, in fact this entire mountain is full of different types of magic."
"If that's the case then where are we now then, this place looks like we're at the bottom of the mountain again?"
"Remember that nomadic tribe I was telling you about, this is where they all came together to meet. This, I suppose, could be called a shrine or temple to their gods. You already know the fate of their people, but there is one thing I need to show you."
Natsu motioned for the group to follow him into the temples entrance as they made their way deeper inside. After some walking, they found a room which was adorned with all sorts of gold and jewellery.
"No one touch any of this, trust me."
"Why not?"
"You'll see Gray," Natsu replied evasively as he walked toward a golden throne.
"This must have been where they worshipped, right," Elise asked with Natsu humming in agreement.
"I know you have questions and you'll get your answers, just not from me," Natsu said as he stopped at the foot of the stairs leading toward the throne and knelt on one knee.
"Uh … Should we be worried guys," Gray asked as the girls remained silent.
The flames that had been silently burning were now being drawn toward the throne itself. The fire soon entered two holes adorning each side of the ancient seat as a rumbling voice echoed all around them.
"The Solar Throne tells of travellers seeking audience, rousing me from my slumberous vigil once more. The travellers bear one of recognition amidst their rank …"
"That would be I, Natsu Dragneel," Natsu replied in an overly dramatic manner. "Just as I told you last time, I've returned!"
"Indeed. Just as foretold, you have returned with several others I do not recognize."
"To be fair, I didn't foretell my return, I just promised I'd be back," Natsu replied as a figure started to form from flame that burst to life in the seat of the throne.
"Regardless of how you decree your return, Kryden welcomes you once again!"
"And the others?"
"Undecided. Are they here to take the trials of Kryden, just as you and your mentor Gildarts Clive once did?"
"Yes. I have summoned you to request that they be given permission to train here, just as Gildarts and I have in the past."
"Have the three been tested?"
"They survived the journey here with no real interference from myself and, although the only truly difficult foe they faced was a Zu, I believe that they are capable of taking on the trials based on experiences outside of these sacred lands."
"I wish to see these experiences for myself," the voice replied as a spectral figure manifested itself atop the throne, its features almost indistinguishable save for the ornate golden armor they wore.
"Alright guys, here's the deal," Natsu sighed as he turned around to face them. "He wants to look into your minds and determine if you are worthy of training here."
"I don't know how I feel about that Natsu," Erza muttered quietly as the others looked between each other with varying degrees of hesitance.
"If it makes you guys feel better, I had to do it too when I first came here."
"Why does he want to look into our minds though," Elise asked curiously only for the spectral figure to answer the question himself.
"The trials of Kryden are sacred rites that go back thousands of years. Every prospective mage must lay their greatest claim before me if they wish to prove themselves up to the challenge."
"And that's all you will look at," Erza asked in response. "Just our greatest 'claim' as you call it?"
"Indeed. Abuse of the Mind Arts is an offense punishable by Physical Death and Soul Torture within the lands of Kryden. I shall only view the memory each of you offers forth, no more, no less."
"Well then, that sounds a lot more reasonable," Elise sighed in relief as the spectral figure extended an arm outward.
"Who shall I judge first?"
"I'll go first," Erza sighed as she stepped up to where Natsu still knelt and mimicked his actions.
"Very good," the figure hummed as Erza felt a monstrous presence brush up against her mind.
She couldn't believe the sheer size of the spectre's mental presence, the weight behind it would be thousands of years at the bare minimum!
"Erza Scarlett of Fairy Tail, you pass," the spectre's voice boomed as she felt the colossal presence vanish. "I have judged you to be worthy of the Kryden trials!"
"Thank you," Erza replied as she returned to her previous position with Elise stepping up and taking her place.
"I'll go next."
Just like before, the spectre reached out and entered the mind of the person before him however this time he was shocked to see what lay within. The spectre made a low humming sound for several minutes before deigning to speak.
"You are the chosen of a God Of Terminus, Elise Faulkner. Though War God Eliza is not the God Of War of my own time, she is still the current standing one and as such, holds significant sway over my judgement."
"Is that … good, or bad?"
"Answer me this question. Who was the God Of War that stood before Eliza?"
"That would be War God Sozin, Twelfth Patriarch of the Ares Clan," Elise replied confidently as the spectre seemed to hum, gentle vibrations washing over the room.
"That is correct. War God Sozin was the one the people of Kryden spoke with, you speak the truth. You are worthy of the Kryden trials."
"Uh … thanks," Elise muttered as she returned back to where Erza was with Gray taking her place.
The spectre did the same for Gray as he did for Erza and Elise, viewing what Gray had pushed to the forefront of his mind. The spectre hummed as he reviewed the memory, intrigued as to why he'd chosen this one in particular.
"This memory of yours, Gray Fullbuster, shows naught of victory, but of harrowing defeat. Pray tell, why would you use such a memory as your test?"
"Because I'm not as strong as these guys, I'm the weakest one here," Gray sighed as even Natsu looked over to him in shock. "I showed you that memory because I wanted you to see why I want to train so badly, what I want to stop from happening again!"
"The Demon Deliora, a vile creation by the Black Mage Zeref. Though we have no personal recollection of Zeref as he was before our time, we are perfectly aware of another vile Black Mage capable of the same feats. The Demons of Etherious are indeed a worthy adversary to desire the strength to face, but are you truly dedicated to the path? Can you truly destroy and rebuild yourself for its sake?"
"I have to," Gray muttered in response as he clenched his fists. "I thought I lost my teacher and they took my real family away from me … I won't let anyone suffer like that because of these Demons again!"
"I see determination in those eyes of yours," the spectre hummed before suddenly rising from his throne and walking down the steps toward Gray. "Such a goal is worthy."
"Wh-what-!?"
"When Natsu was tested, he was quite similar," the spectre continued as everyone looked over at Natsu in shock.
"Its true, I was probably at about Gray's level when I got here."
"Though his foe was different, the end goal of protecting others from suffering and chaos was the same. Yours is a worthy goal, Gray Fullbuster. See to it that you do not lose sight of it. I deem you worthy to face the Kryden trials."
"So, now that you've judged them, are you happy for us to begin?"
"Indeed, I am. But first, I should introduce myself. I am the amalgamation of Kryden's past Kings," the spectre's voice boomed as fire exploded from the ancient lanterns around the throne room. "I am the Great King, Lord Of Sunlight!"
"Great King, I humbly request the power to command your lands in exchange for tribute," Natsu said formally as he summoned a massive lacrima crystal from his Requip Space. "My tribute, eight years' worth of Fire Magic stored within for you to disperse."
"A heavy tribute, Natsu Dragneel," the Great King hummed as the lacrima floated out of Natsu's hands and was placed onto a nearby table. "It is accepted. Do you remember the restrictions of being granted this power?"
"I do. The power can only be granted when the sun's rays are within reach, any left within a trial after the sun's rays are no longer blessing us will be trapped within and forced to survive on their own. And the third restriction is attempting to harness the power for evil will result in death."
"The conditions have been met," the Great King hummed as he seemingly dispersed into embers, though his voice still echoed all around them. "Be seated upon the Solar Throne and prepare for the transference of power!"
Natsu nodded and rose from his kneeling position, making his way up the steps to stand before the throne of the Great King. Turning around, he saw worry on the faces of his three friends but knew he wasn't in any real danger.
Taking a seat upon the throne, the Great King remanifested himself within Natsu as he felt all the abilities of the Great King now at his command. Taking a moment to adjust, Natsu looked at his right hand before nodding.
"Such a strange feeling, just like Gildarts said."
"I trust that will be all, Natsu Dragneel," the voice of the Great King asked prompting Natsu to nod stiffly.
"It is. Thank you for this opportunity, O Great King. I shall be sure to use the time you have granted us wisely.
"Then we shall speak again soon," the Great King muttered, his presence fading away as the others scrambled to their feet.
"What just happened Natsu," Erza asked with concern greatly evident in her voice. "What did the Great King do to you!?"
"Well, this is how I will train you," he replied simply. "Using the mountain's power, I can create three trials for all of you to complete. You won't be doing them by yourselves though, simply because we don't have years to do this."
"So, what are these trials Natsu?"
"Well, I haven't decided yet Elise; I still have to create them from scratch. If you'd all follow me outside, I'll show you what I meant earlier about the magic of the mountain."
Natsu disappeared as the trio ran outside to see what Natsu was talking about and their jaws dropped in unison.
"As you can see, the magic of the Kryden Mountains is right here."
Natsu waved his hand as the area began to change, phasing everything in an area out of existence and place a house where everything was. He then waved his other hand and created massive stone structures of the trio before dispelling them and returning everything to its original state.
"How in the world are you doing that Natsu!?"
"Simple Elise, the Great King has granted me power over the magic embedded within these mountains. With this power, I can see everything on these mountains and can control all of the creatures here and this is how I'll train you."
"So Gildarts did this for you, huh?"
"Yes, Gray he did. Though the amount of power granted is enormous, my power isn't even ten tiers close to this."
"So basically, you can make whatever you want here using the magic of this place?"
"Within reason. Remember that the Great King is always watching over these mountains so we need to be respectful. This power isn't mine and misusing it would be a great abuse of trust."
"Well, at least you should be able to make some great training scenarios for us."
"That's the plan Elise; while we're here we will be working on teamwork. Since we are a fairly new team, I'll start small scale and work my way up on the scenario scale."
"So, we won't be doing individual training then?"
"On a small scale, yes. Large scale training will be done as a group. As it stands, we don't have a lot of time here so we need to make the most of it. My plan is to focus on filling in shortcomings in regards to teamwork and for the small portions of individual training, new techniques and mastering current ones will take all priority."
"I think I get how this is going to work. By having us team up, you can throw a tougher enemy at us and have them test our tactics," Elise replied slowly as she put the pieces together. "Working our way up from scrubs to actual monsters together means we should all stay somewhat relative and be able to work out the flaws in individual techniques where needed, right?"
"That's the basic idea," Natsu nodded in agreement. "Of course I'll be helping all three of you individually over the course of this trip too, but we're a team and I think that takes precedence for the moment."
"So, what's first on the agenda?"
"I want to make sure I have a proper understanding on how to control the creatures of the mountain so its meditation under that tree over there for me. I want you three to do some individual training for the next three hours and then we'll reconvene, discuss it and then do some team building exercises."
"Sounds like a plan then," Gray nodded as he walked off toward a nearby river to start his own training.
"I'm going to work on my striking power then," Elise replied as she looked over toward Natsu expectantly. "Can you make something for me to hit that won't break but will show me some kind of result?"
"Tricky request," Natsu muttered as he held out his right hand and summoned a solid block of Obsidian. "I doubt you'll slice through that, right?"
"Not easily," Elise replied with a grateful smile. "Thanks Natsu! If I do break it though, can I ask you to fix it?"
"If you manage to actually slice through that then we'll be looking at something else for you to improve on, unless you'd like to level up to trying to cut Diamonds?"
"Hah! Good one Natsu," Elise grinned before running off toward where the Obsidian block was.
"And what about me?"
"You're training with the Armor Of The Brilliant Flame and its sword so you'll need an area like this," Natsu said as he waved his arm and manifested a fiery hellscape. This area will be useful for you to test the limits of the flame durability on the armor as well as some of its features."
"I see, thanks Natsu."
"No worries," Natsu replied as Erza walked off toward the hellscape he'd conjured. "Right then, time to meditate …"
/Kryden Mountains – Several Days Later/
Over the next few days, Natsu practiced his ability to use the magic of Kryden to its fullest whilst Erza, Gray and Elise worked on strengthening their magical power. Though he realistically could have thrown them in the deep end, having one of them get seriously wounded would defeat the entire purpose of the trip, so he chose to give them time to prepare.
"Still under that tree Natsu? You know it's been two whole days don't you, why don't you come have something to eat?"
Natsu finally opened his eyes and looked up to see Erza gazing down at him, eyes clearly showing how concerned she was about his wellbeing which brought a small smile to his face.
"Two days huh? I feel like I just sat down honestly," Natsu chuckled in reply as he looked out beyond her to see Gray and Elise doing their own training. "How are things on your end?"
"Fine, I guess. I've been trying to master that armor you gave me but it's a lot different to what I'm used to," Erza sighed. "Honestly, the fact I was able to beat an S Rank criminal like Falk Transil with it is more a testament to my stubbornness to give up than anything else …"
"Hey, that's not true and you know it Erza," Natsu replied firmly as he placed a hand on her calf, still too stiff to stand up. "You're a prodigy when it comes to Requip Magic and you know it! It took over half a decade for me to get as good with my own skill at it yet you managed to master yours as a kid! I'm sure you've just got to approach the armor a different way, that's all."
"Honestly, you might be right about trying different approaches," Erza admitted as she looked down at the ground, deep in thought. "I've been trying to use it as if it were just another set of armor, yet something in my gut tells me that the magic within it is more … alive."
"That'd make sense," Natsu nodded as he summoned his coat that bore the Crystallized Drake Heart. "I modelled the basis of the armor's power off of this."
"Meaning that there might be conditions for me to further unlock the full potential of the armor?"
"Precisely. Have you even been able to test out the flight capabilities of the armor yet?"
Erza blankly stared at Natsu, giving him all the answer he needed to that question which prompted the Slayer to sigh and slowly get to his feet.
"Look, I designed the flight capabilities to run off the magic in the armor itself so don't be too surprised you didn't know it had that ability."
"Well, how do I access this ability then?"
"The thing is Erza; fire isn't purely destructive. I've told you this before remember after I used my fire to heal you in Crocus. The aspect you're looking for is your imagination."
"My imagination? So, you're basically saying that I have to imagine myself having wings and they'll just appear."
"Don't believe me? Watch closely," Natsu said as he held out his right hand and a bird made of fire appeared.
Erza watched as the bird behaved exactly like an ordinary one, hopping around on Natsu's palm before taking fight. The bird did a small lap around Natsu's head before fading away in a trail of embers.
"Never doubt your imagination Erza. In fact, if you want a good lesson on using your imagination, Gray would be a better person to talk to about it since his magic is all about using your imagination to create things."
"Listen Natsu, not to sound like I don't want to train hard or anything, but why isn't the flight capability in the armor by default? None of my other armors restrict flight to start with?"
"Well, that's because of the number of things the armor can do," Natsu replied simply. "I don't think you understand the true power of the gift I've given you Erza, its far above most of the armors you own. It offers enormous buffs to attack power, defensive capability, speed and even gives you flight and Dragon Slayer-like magic on top of all that. If you master this armor Erza, I'm fully confident you could fight against even Guild Master level opponents."
"How far behind you would I be though?"
"Well, as gramps so aptly put it back before we left, I'm Wizard Saint level," Natsu replied as he looked at his hands. "I fall into that category, a level of power few mages in Fiore could ever hope to reach … the level of a Grand Wizard."
"Natsu …"
"But even so, its not like you don't have that potential either," Natsu said suddenly, redirecting the conversation back on topic. "All three of you have the potential to be where I'm at now and I'm gonna do my best to make sure you're on that path before we leave these mountains!"
"Alright Natsu," Erza smiled softly as she took his hands into her own. "You'll have all the time to forge us into city demolishing monsters, but make sure to look after yourself too."
"Heh, who was the teacher again," Natsu smirked in response. "Enough of the sappy stuff for now Erza, go speak to Gray."
"Sappy? How cruel can a boyfriend be to deny the affection of his concerned girlfriend!?"
"Extremely," Natsu replied as he moved in and gave her a brief kiss on the lips. "Go speak to Gray."
"Alright, I'll leave you be. Thanks Natsu."
Natsu watched Erza walk over to where Gray was training, his mind running over the countless situations he'd have to throw them in and the consequences should they find out the truth of the mountain's magic. As he pondered this, the spirit of the Great King manifested itself before him.
"Natsu Dragneel."
"Great King."
"Another day has come to a close, nightfall is upon Kryden once more."
"Understood, I'm ready."
"The transference shall commence," the Great King said as Natsu felt the power slowly leave his body, the Sun vanishing over the horizon.
"I shall return with the sunlight, twelve hours from now."
"Understood, thank you O Great King," Natsu replied softly, the Great King dipping his head before fading away with the last of the light. "Right then, time to get some training of my own done."
Natsu stretched and made his way over to Elise, noticing that she was currently practicing the speed she could manifest and dispel her weapons. She immediately sensed his approach and turned to face him with a grin.
"Ah, our glorious leader graces me with his presence! Done with all that boring meditation for today?"
"Yep. Erza decided to snap me out of it so here I am."
"She just cares about you; you hadn't even shifted an inch since you sat down there a few days ago."
"Yeah, I know. I'm getting prepared to do some training of my own actually since I'm up and about."
"Oh, really? I'm guessing you'll want to speak to my Mother then?"
"In a minute, but I want to check in on your progress too Elise," Natsu replied eliciting a confused tilt of the head in response.
"Me? Well, I've been practicing the precision of my strikes and the force behind them, Mother always said that I didn't put enough behind my strikes and relied on my support magic in order to deal extra damage."
"Well, she's right you know. Though from what I can see you're starting to improve, the damage you've done to the Obsidian is very promising. Once I have complete control over the power of these mountains, I'll give you more active foes to try and cut through, that'll be the real test to see if you've made any progress."
"Speaking of the mountains, when are we doing these trials?"
"Elise, we haven't even been here a week. I know that we're all prodigies, but don't you think that you want to move ahead a little too fast? Besides, I haven't even seen you fight hand to hand yet, even Erza can do it."
"I can fight hand to hand," Elise huffed in response. "Who told you I can't!?"
"Show me then," Natsu said as he stood up and raised his right arm defensively. "I want to see your unarmed skills!"
"Fine then, you asked for it," Elise growled as she rushed at Natsu and threw a full force punch directly at Natsu's face.
In the time it took Elise to blink, she was already on her back with Natsu's boot on her stomach. It took her a moment to even register she was no longer standing as her eyes darted from Natsu's face to the boot pinning her down.
"Do you know what you did wrong Elise?"
"Do I know what I did wrong; I don't even know what just happened," Elise snapped back as Natsu released her, the War God Slayer scrambling to her feet.
"Rushing an opponent at full force isn't something you do at the beginning of a fight, especially if the person you're rushing is a veteran of unarmed combat. All I had to do in order to take you down was dodge, weave my right leg around yours and push you down."
"Damn … I didn't even see you do that?"
"What I did was something rather simple to pull off, let me show you," Natsu said as he walked up to Elise and grabbed her arm. "Alright, put your fist up just how you moved to strike me … yeah, like that! Ok, now shift your left leg a little backward and bend the right slightly so it looks like you're running … there!"
"What are we doing?"
"I'm going to slowly demonstrate how I took you down," Natsu explained as he moved and stood in front of Elise's fist. "Ok, so this was about how close your fist was to my face."
"So close …"
"Yet so far, because I did this," Natsu continued as he arched his head to the left, demonstrating that once he did so, the attack sailed right past him. "Now as you moved forward in time with the punch, I moved my leg and wrapped it around yours like this."
Stepping right into Elise, the pair were basically pressed up against one another as she felt his right leg wrap around her left. Looking into his eyes, she noticed the twinkle in them and realized the next part wasn't going to be fun.
"And then, once I wrapped my leg around yours and you had all your weight being propelled forward … I did this."
Placing his hand over her face, Natsu applied some pressure and pushed her back, tensing his leg that held hers in place as he knocked her flat on her back again.
"OOF!"
"And that Elise is how I knocked you down."
"Did you have to knock me down again though," came the grumbling reply as Natsu extended a hand for her.
"No, but I thought it'd be funny, so I did it anyway."
"Dick," Elise sniffed as she took his hand and got back onto her feet. "Still, I think I get how you pulled that off."
"Do you? Alright then, explain," Natsu replied as he motioned for her to continue.
"Well, as you said before, you used the force behind my punch and my body weight behind it against me. You secured my off leg with your own so that when you moved to knock me down, I wouldn't have a leg to use since my forward one wouldn't have the strength to keep me upright since I was coming off of the step."
"Yep."
"And then using your palm, you pushed my head backward specifically because it would imbalance my entire stance. Forcing my neck and upper body to try and hold back the palm would distract me from being tripped and vice versa. Basically, it's a two-pronged counter designed to overwhelm the enemy's muscle balance and use their own weight and force against them."
"A pretty good explanation, but putting it into practice would be a much better way of seeing if you've got it or not. I'll practice it with you later but for now we'll shift a little to how you'd be able to throw off the enemy if they were to try this against you."
"So … countering a counter?"
"The cultured call it performing a feint to bait your opponent into doing an action, but yes," Natsu replied as Elise hummed in thought.
"So, what you're telling me to do is make it look like I'm going to do one thing but actually do another in an attempt to avoid or negate their counter?"
"Yep, that's the gist of it. Take how I fight for example; people are fearful of fire by default and so they naturally avoid being struck by it whenever they can. I use this to my advantage and purposely put out more purely to intimidate them."
"Is that why your fists explode with flame all the time?"
"Yeah, most people immediately start pulling out tricks to avoid being hit by them or douse them somehow, exactly what I want. As they're trying to do that, I can usually slip through their guard with a sudden and precise strike that takes them out."
"So, what would you say would be a good fit for me?"
"Considering what you are, I'd argue shaking up your style constantly might work. Also, wielding one blade and using your fists is also a rather good way to throw off the enemy. They'll be too busy countering or blocking your sword to bother countering or blocking the fist coming at them, right?
"Hmm. I think I get what you're saying Natsu, I'll have to give it some thought though to see what I can come up with."
"Just remember, whatever it is, you'll need it to fit naturally with your fighting style," Natsu replied prompting Elise to nod slightly.
"I'll keep that in mind Natsu, thanks for the advice. You want to speak to my Mother now?"
"That'd be good, thanks Elise," Natsu replied with a grin. "I'm pretty excited for this."
"Same here, Mother has high hopes for this," Elise said as she closed her eyes and began to change appearance.
"Natsu dear, it's been ages!"
"We spoke like two days ago."
"Ever heard of a thing called starting a conversation, or has that gone out of style since I last walked the mortal realms," Eliza responded dryly. Natsu could only laugh as the Goddess walked over to him shaking her head with mock disappointment.
"I'm kidding, of course; it's nice to see you too."
"Well, I'm surprised at how this little training camp of yours has gone so far, from what I've seen you've given them set instructions and sat under a tree for two days."
"All important, I swear! Plus, I'm working on creating the first trial for them at the moment."
"Of course you are. I already have a fairly good idea of what it is though I do hope you're planning on actually training them though before you send them in."
"Well Erza at least needs her flight capability before she will be able to complete the trial, Gray shouldn't have too much trouble if he's working on the technique I told him to and as for Elise, she needs hand to hand training."
"And then there is you dear, the one with the hardest task."
"You know? I'm guessing you went and asked Gildarts about it?
"Of course I did," Eliza replied as she stepped closer toward Natsu and placed two fingers beneath his chin, arching his head to look up directly at her. "I wasn't about to let Elise or her new friends she's so fond of be killed because you blew up."
"I knew the risks when I came here Eliza, so did Gildarts."
"But the others don't know," Eliza countered easily. "Not telling them is rather foolish."
"Maybe, but they wouldn't fight in the trials if I did, would they?"
"There are countless other places you could have taken them, dozens of other means to train and test them and yet you chose here of all places. I'll fully admit that your resolve to proceed despite fully knowing the risks is admirable, but the fact that said risks can be avoided elsewhere …"
"We're already here Eliza, no point in going on about it now," Natsu sighed as the War God placed her other hand atop his head and ruffled it in an affectionate manner.
"I wish some of the promising students of the War Class had half the drive and resolve you do."
"You have students?"
"All Gods have them, potential successors that are groomed to take over once we vacate our positions. Personally though, I cannot see any of them taking mine away from me if even you are higher on the list."
"Ouch …"
"Very," Eliza sighed as she ceased patting his head and stepped backward. "But enough about me, we have training to get to."
"I'm guessing when you spoke with Gildarts he gave you some idea of how to train me?"
"Yes, he did. Honestly, I think it's going to be quite fun for the both of us, depending on how masochistic for pain you are," Eliza smirked in reply. "Of course, I'll be holding back but feel free to use everything you've got against me, Natsu dear."
"Not gonna say I'm disappointed to hear you'll be holding back, but you are a War God," Natsu chuckled in reply. "But I'm more than happy to see how I stack up!"
"So do I, Natsu," Eliza replied softly as the entire area seemed to shift ever so slightly, a crushing pressure slowly descending down upon it. "You might be a friend of my Daughter, but that will not grant you any free passes. Falter for even a moment and I shall break you!"
Natsu could only grin as he faced the Goddess, scales beginning to emerge on his body and his facial features looking wilder. The ground on Natsu's side of the battlefield began to crack and shake violently. Lightning strikes began to hit the ground near the two as they continued to power up however neither one of them flinched.
"I've been waiting for this fight a long time Natsu," Eliza muttered as she bent her knees ever so slightly.
"Same here, though I thought it was training," Natsu replied with a smirk as he also began to bend his knees slightly.
Nearby, Gray and Erza watched the scene with growing concern. The environment around them was looking on par with how Magnolia did during Natsu's battle with Jose yet they were still only powering up.
"Is this gonna be a safe enough distance?"
"Probably not Gray, I'd probably say it wouldn't matter where we were …"
"Ready when you are, dear."
"Heh. Back at you, O mighty Goddess," Natsu replied as the two smirked at one another.
The pair suddenly vanished, clearing the distance between them almost immediately as they clashed. As their fists met, a powerful shockwave hollowed out the ground beneath them to form a giant crater, though neither of them noticed.
Both pushed back against the other's punch, clearing some distance as Eliza prepared to strike again.
"Impressive speed, but can you match this!"
Vanishing once again, Eliza appeared right in front of Natsu, already in the middle of performing a roundhouse kick. Bringing both arms up, he blocked the attack but was still sent flying into the earth from the sheer force behind the blow.
His feet met the earth as he skidded along, ripping up the ground as he dug his heels in to try and come to a complete stop. Suddenly ducking, he avoided a kick to the head and grabbed onto Eliza's leg, moving to slam her into the ground next to him.
"A good idea, but not against me," Eliza grinned right as Natsu was in mid swing.
As Natsu moved to slam her into the ground, Eliza bent the knee of the leg Natsu was holding and used her free leg to kick Natsu in the head. Seeing this coming, he was forced to release Eliza who immediately flipped in mid-air and landed on the ground a short distance away.
"You know, I don't think I've ever seen someone do that before when they've been grabbed like that," Natsu panted slightly as Eliza moved a stray strand of hair out of her face.
"To be fair, I'm rather flexible, so not everyone could do it. That being said, you were smart to avoid taking the blow to the head for minimal battle damage in exchange. Most powerful opponents stop caring about taking damage since they believe their opponents will fail to output the required force, nice to see you aren't that way."
"To be fair, I'm literally facing off against a God."
"Indeed," Eliza smirked as the pair vanished once again and clashed, sending out another powerful shockwave however this time they were high in the air. "I think its time we moved things up a notch, don't you?"
"Yeah …"
Both pushed back against one another like before, but this time they both started charging attacks with their right fists as they fell to the earth below. Landing hard enough to create small craters, both were already charging at one another, Natsu's fist ignited in flame and Eliza's coated in a blackish Aura.
"Fire Dragon King's Seismic Demolition Fist!"
"War God's Armageddon Fist!"
The two clashed, the earth around them being blasted apart, sending large chunks of debris flying in all directions. Gray and Erza had to dodge out of the way, despite being a good distance from the main action, however, neither Natsu nor Eliza noticed.
You're good," Eliza grinned as the two skidded backward. "But what happens if I completely change the game!?"
Natsu was caught off guard as Eliza started hopping up and down on the spot, putting her guard up as she bounced toward his position. In all his years fighting, he'd seen rather strange and unique fighting styles, so he wasn't completely caught off guard. That being said however, this was certainly new.
Dashing forward, he moved to punch her but found several quick jabs striking his chest, nose and jaw. Stumbling backward, he was about to try and counter but several swifter blows got him before he even had a chance to consider a move.
"Urgh-!?"
"Come now Natsu, is that the best you've got!?"
"N-no," Natsu stuttered as he took several more blows before catching a right hook aimed at the side of his head.
"Oh?"
"Your punches are swift, but lack power behind them," Natsu growled as he caught Eliza's other fist. "Good for stunning and perhaps knocking your opponent down or out, but not good enough for someone used to taking blows to the head!"
"You are correct about that, this style isn't meant for damage," Eliza grinned as she suddenly moved to knee Natsu in the chin, missing by a hair as Natsu released her in order to evade with a backward dash. "But this next one may well just kill you."
As she concluded the knee attack, Eliza performed a backflip and landed in a semi crouched stance. Extending both arms outward, a blackish Aura enveloped her hands as six needles appeared between her fingers, three in each hand.
"What do you think," the War Goddess smirked as she started circling Natsu whilst staying in the semi crouched stance. "Think you're still game enough to match me?"
Natsu cautiously moved in sync with Eliza's movements, the pair circling one another whilst analysing body movements. Natsu eyed the weapons she'd summoned, noting that they gave off the appearance of claws with her movement choice suggesting her style had likely shifted to match.
"Alright then Eliza, I'll play your little game," Natsu hummed in response as he straightened his fingers, their tips becoming sharper and more elongated. "Let's see how this goes …"
The two suddenly came to a complete halt, both mid-step as Erza and Gray held their breath in anticipation for what was to come. Eventually, after a minute of tense silence, Natsu made the opening move.
Rushing forward, he was shocked to see Eliza sprint at him whilst maintaining the same crouched stance. Immediately adjusting, he arched his right arm back and made a stabbing motion.
"Not good enough!"
Eliza suddenly launched herself at Natsu's attack, leaping over it as she used her left hand to take a swipe at his face. A loud screeching sound echoed across the area as Natsu's left hand blocked the needles, shooting sparks off between them as Eliza used the strength behind Natsu's attack to propel herself further upward into the air.
"Hah!"
Natsu immediately arched his entire body to the right as Eliza lobbed the needles in her right hand at him. His movement wasn't quite fast enough as one of the needles left a thin cut across his left cheek, a thin trail of blood slowly seeping out as the War Goddess landed.
"Impressive," Eliza grinned as she flicked her wrist and manifested another three to replace those she just lost. "I'm surprised you were able to match these with little more than your hands though, care to explain?"
"I would've thought it obvious," Natsu replied as he wiped the blood from his face. "I'm currently in the Dragon Force, and what do Dragons have instead of hands?"
"Ahh," Eliza hummed in understanding as she struck the six needles together, setting off more sparks before extending her arms fully outward once more. "Let us see how well they'll serve you with this!"
Eliza vanished, the sounds of screeching metal ripping apart Gray and Erza's eardrums as the pair flashed around the area. The clashes didn't last for long, but the ringing in their ears certainly did and it didn't help their moods that they couldn't even see what was going on.
Eventually though, they both appeared with Natsu seemingly struggling to hold back a sadistically smirking Eliza. He dropped down to one knee with grit teeth as Eliza loomed over him menacingly, a twinkle in her Crimson Red eyes.
"You've done well to keep up with me so far Natsu, but I think I've got a firm handle on your limits. Just submit and we can talk about where to start your training from here."
Natsu narrowed his eyes at Eliza, rather offended at her dismissal of him. Looking at the needles that were slowly inching their way toward his face, despite his guard, he realized he had one shot to get this right.
"You think … you know my limits," Natsu panted as he started to push Eliza back, much to the War God's surprise. "Time for a reality check!"
Allowing his guard to drop, Natsu rolled off to the right as Eliza stabbed the ground where he'd been kneeling. Her eyes were tracking him the whole time and she was shocked to see he'd already prepped an attack with his right hand and was moving for her right side.
"Fire Dragon King's Piercing Claw!"
Eliza immediately sprung into action and demonstrated the flexibility she'd boasted about earlier, remaining on her feet as she performed a perfect arch with her back as Natsu's attack sailed over her exposed stomach, leaving a thin cut across it.
Natsu immediately jumped backward as Eliza adjusted the position of her hands and moved to perform a flip kick. The moment her first foot touched the ground, she shot toward him with her other leg already cocked back for an attack.
"War God's Armageddon Kick!"
Ducking in order to avoid the attack, Natsu rolled backward just in time to avoid a punch as she landed on her free leg, attack still fully charged and ready to go. His own leg burst into flames, bringing a smirk to the War God's lips as she raised her own up above her head before bringing it back down to chest height.
"I've sorely underestimated you Natsu," Eliza grinned savagely as Natsu raised his own leg, attack now fully charged. "I haven't taken damage from anyone in quite a while!"
"Yeah, like I said Eliza," Natsu panted as both started putting out even more power. "Don't presume to know my limits … until I show you them!"
"Then show them to me Natsu," Eliza shouted in response as the pair shot toward one another. "War God's Armageddon Kick!"
"Fire Dragon King's Seismic Talon!"
The two clashed, setting off a massive explosion as the earth between their clash was split in two. Natsu grit his teeth as he felt Eliza pushing him back, the War God openly laughing even as the entire area was ripped apart.
"Damn it … I'm not gonna lose here," Natsu roared as he applied more strength to the leg taking part in the clash, lifting himself up off of the ground. "TAKE THIS!"
Flipping off of the clash, he charged a duplicate of his Talon and moved to slam Eliza over the head with it. Arching his leg, he was about to bring it down when Eliza suddenly vanished.
"What-!?"
"Had that been someone else, you'd have succeeded," a voice whispered into his ear as Eliza grabbed the back of his head and smashed his face into the ground, creating a large crater. "Unfortunately, I'm something far beyond you."
Releasing Natsu's head, Eliza backed away and waited for him to pry himself out of the ground. It took him a minute before he even bothered, but when he finally did decide to do so, he had a rather blank look on his face.
"You alright?"
"I was completely outclassed, what do you think?"
"You do realize that I'm a God, the genuine article, right? The fact you even managed to scratch me puts you far above most to begin with, you should be proud," Eliza sighed as she sat down next to Natsu who reverted to his base form. "I honestly had fun with that fight, truly."
"Did you at least figure out what you needed for me to start training my Crash Magic?"
"Oh yes, more than enough information to put something together for you," Eliza replied neutrally. "But the training aside for a moment, I want to talk about you."
"Me?"
"You forget that I know what you went through in Scarlione Natsu," Eliza began, the Dragon Slayer's eyes instantly losing all trace of warmth. "I know all about how you fought there, about how you killed there-."
"Your point?"
"I wanted to discuss this without the others around," Eliza began as Natsu rose into a sitting position, cutting her off with a wave of his hand.
"What about Elise?"
"I've momentarily blocked her from being able to participate in the conversation, I understand why you don't want the others knowing about your past so I shall not force such a confrontation."
"Well … I'm glad you at least respect that," Natsu sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Go on then, let's hear it?"
"Very well. To begin, I want to know why you have only just now unleashed the Piercing Claw against me?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"You've fought several powerful beings up until this point. Lullaby, Deliora, Jose ... These three alone all would have warranted such a lethal attack and yet you choose to use it against me instead? Why?"
"Because I knew you'd survive it, you're literally a God so there's zero chance of me going too far with a technique and killing you."
"I see," Eliza hummed in response as she sat down next to him. "Natsu, do you mind if I'm completely honest with you?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"I think you'll mind when I say what I'm about to say," the War Goddess sighed as she looked up into the sky. "When you departed Scarlione and returned to Fiore, you left behind the man who fought to survive, to protect the innocents of Scarlione from the enemy by any means necessary."
"I wouldn't necessarily say that …"
"Your response against Jose should have been to immediately try to kill him," Eliza replied flatly. "The same applies to former Council Member Hogg, Scaro's Respite's Guild Master Krieg, Council Member Ultear and even Lyon on Galuna Island."
"And what good would killing all of them have done," Natsu snapped back in response. "Jose I can understand, but the others were all defeated or incapacitated in some way except for Ultear who is the only one currently out of reach!"
"The Natsu from Scarlione would have done it," Eliza shot back easily. "You know all too well what Dark Mages were like in Scarlione, what lengths the enemy would go to win. If you had acted like you are now back in Scarlione you'd be dead!"
"But I'm not in Scarlione anymore, I'm in Fiore!"
"If you keep holding back because of a misguided attempt to mimic the way the others in Fairy Tail live you'll only get yourself killed! Killing others isn't nice, nor easy, but it eliminates potential casualties, removes entire pieces from the board that higher powers will struggle to replace! You should know after all you suffered through that holding back and playing the hero won't get you anywhere!"
"So what, I'm just supposed to slaughter everyone in my path!?"
"No, you simply kill major threats to your family from the shadows," Eliza said as she revealed the Fairy Tail guild mark on her right shoulder, the same place Elise had gotten hers only this one was Midnight Blue in colouration. "Remember what Makarov said after your fight with Jose?"
"Wait," Natsu muttered as he started putting the pieces together. "Did Gildarts ask you to have this conversation with me?"
"Makarov agreed with it, I won't lie," Eliza replied as she placed a hand over the guild mark. "You have the potential to become one of the strongest protectors of Fiore Natsu and they both know this, I know this. But if you were truly serious about defending those you care for, as you claimed when you ran away all those years ago, then you must accept that there are those who must die for the good of the world."
"I don't want to keep killing Eliza … I told myself after Scarlione I'd stop because it was changing me, making me more and more desensitised to human life as a whole. I stopped looking at the soldiers and friends around me as people and started seeing them as statistics, mere numbers," Natsu muttered quietly. "At the peak of it, I could only focus on helping Queen Illyandra winning the war, slaughtering soldiers by the thousands, assassinating commanding officers without hesitation and sacrificing towns and the innocents within them just to buy time!"
Eliza didn't even react as Natsu looked up at her with tears streaming from his eyes, his hands shaking out in front of him as he grabbed her own.
"I can't wash the blood off Eliza, I can't! I don't want that kind of life anymore!"
"I understand perfectly how you feel Natsu, believe me," Eliza muttered darkly in response as she looked past his teary gaze. "I wasn't granted my position via succession; I've got the blood of worlds on my hands."
"W-worlds!?"
"I cannot speak of the conflict to one not of the higher realms, not yet," Eliza added quickly as she shook her head and snapped her focus back onto him. "But know that all that you have done, all that you have suffered, was not without purpose."
"Really?"
"You sacrificed a town of innocents yet saved a city in the process. You assassinated an enemy commander who would have gone on to authorize a siege against another city. You slaughtered soldiers by the thousands who would have killed the men under your command and countless others in Scarlione's military who were vastly underequipped and outnumbered."
"Eliza …"
"I watched it all, as is my burden. I have seen the decisions you've made Natsu and if you were truly a bad person as you seem to believe yourself to be, I would have never allowed Elise to go on the Castle Valtheim raid at all."
Natsu lowered his head, falling into deep thought at the words of the War Goddess. He knew that being told by a literal God his actions were justified was basically the closest he'd get to closure, yet his own moral code simply refused to let it go.
He'd accepted Makarov killing Jose, he had resolved himself in the end to do that anyway, but there were definitely others that Eliza listed that didn't need to die. Looking at his hands, he narrowed his eyes as something of a possible compromise floated into his mind.
"Eliza?"
"Yes?"
"I don't think everyone I've dealt with so far since I returned needed to die, but I'll agree that there are certain people who I should have tried to kill from the start. I can't give you a definitive answer on how I'll approach the idea of killing my enemies going forward, but I promise you I'll search for that answer … and you'll be the first one I tell."
"Me? Why would I be the first?"
"Well, aside from you being a literal War God, you're much wiser than I am," Natsu replied honestly. "Gramps and Gildarts would give me good advice, but they'd just beat around the bush with it. You're not afraid to just tell it like it is and I think that's the kind of response I'll need when I finally do reveal my answer."
"I see," Eliza replied slowly as she looked into Natsu's eyes, seeing a burning fire that hadn't been present before. "I'm honoured you'd trust me so much with such a sensitive topic above the others, I will endeavour not to steer you wrong. Even now, I'm only speaking about this topic at all because I'm rather fond of you and only desire to see you grow."
"Don't let Elise hear that, she might get jealous," Natsu replied jokingly as the two shared a small laugh. "Eliza?"
"Yes Natsu?"
"I know you're a big God and all, and the words of a mere mortal like me might not mean much," Natsu began as he leant forward and placed a hand on the War God's shoulder. "But I want you to know that I'm glad you're someone I can rely on and I hope one day you might be able to do the same."
Externally, Eliza smiled at Natsu's words. She was truly glad he thought that way about her, despite what she represented in the grand scheme of things. But internally, she was conflicted. As she looked at the grinning man before her, the knowledge she held of him began to gnaw away at her.
"I-I'm more than happy you think that way Natsu," Eliza said quickly as she moved to stand up, taking Natsu with her. "Though I cannot always focus my time here in your world, I'm glad that you see me as just another member of your family and not the War God Eliza. It is … rather humbling, to be honest."
"Well, I doubt there are many who could even match your power since you are a War God, but Fairy Tail has never been about who the strongest is. I doubt anyone could reach your level though!"
"You would be correct in that assumption since my level of power is something not even the top percent of beings could ever hope for," Eliza sighed as they started to walk out of the crater. "War exists across all of existence, I am its conduit. My level of power is derived from War and so long is it rages; the War God shall forever stand as one of the strongest of all the concepts."
"Crazy God powers and responsibility aside," Natsu laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "Thanks for taking the time out of your day to help me and even offer me emotional support back there. I hope I'm not keeping you from anything too important? Don't you have important War God work to do?
"I do," Eliza replied slowly, almost hesitantly, as she met his gaze evenly. "But such things aren't worth discussing at the moment. For now, we should focus on the present, such as the destroyed area you will need to fix?"
"Yikes," Natsu winced as he eyed the ruined area. "Maybe we went just a little overboard?"
"No long-term harm done," Eliza shrugged as Erza and Gray started walking over toward them. "You can simply fix this mess once the sun rises using the power of the Great King."
"Speaking of the Great King though, I have a question?"
"About what specifically?"
"When Elise was tested, he said that you weren't the War God that they knew," Natsu began as Eliza's eyes widened ever so slightly. "He asked Elise who the War God was before you and she replied with someone by the name of Sozin. Who's that?"
"I suppose I can answer you that," Eliza sighed, though she looked rather hesitant about it. "Lord Sozin is the former God Of War and my predecessor."
"The War God before you? Was he like a mentor to you or something?"
"I cannot answer that question," Eliza replied, completely dodging the question as she turned to fully face him. "That is a topic I cannot speak to mortals about; the only reason Elise knows is because she is my arm here and requires a certain level of knowledge."
"Forbidden topic eh? Alright, I'll drop it," Natsu replied evenly.
"Thank you," Eliza sighed with a smile as Erza and Gray arrived.
"And here I thought MY training was rough," the red-haired mage giggled softly as she playfully punched his shoulder. "Then again, we've all seen just how much destruction you can cause if allowed to rampage."
"Couldn't have toned it down a little there Natsu? Any kind of shelter we had was all but blown away by you guys so now we're roughing it outside!"
"Sorry about that you guys, Eliza needed to get a handle on my current level of power before we start training my next stage of Crash Magic," Natsu replied apologetically. "I'll fix it all up tomorrow and work on reinforcing the place to withstand this kind of power, the Great King might know how that works?"
"Its fine Natsu," Erza replied softly as she shook her head. "We both knew what we were signing up for when you said you would also be training."
"Yeah," Gray laughed as he placed a hand on the Dragon Slayer's shoulder. "After seeing you blow up Phantom, Deliora and Lullaby, I can't really say I expected you fighting a God to be tame by comparison."
"Thanks guys," Natsu replied with a small smile before looking over at Gray with a widening grin. "Since when did you use big words like 'comparison' ice pop?"
"Shut up Natsu," Gray snapped only for the pink haired Slayer to shove him playfully.
"All right, I'll stop! Anyway, how did you two go training wise today?"
"Well, Erza isn't actually that bad when it comes to her imagination," Gray began. "It's just a matter of practice and time before she gets a solid handle on it. As for me, well, those ideas you gave me are starting to come into something pretty good although it's still early days."
"That's great guys! Hopefully after another few days we can have a few new techniques up your sleeves and better team coordination."
"Speaking of all this training has me wondering about this first trial Natsu," Erza cut in as Gray nodded in agreement. "When are we going to have a chance to attempt it?"
"Well, I've been thinking about it, and I've decided that once you two master your techniques the first trial will start. Elise should be fine as she is now though she will need improvement before the second trial."
"Sounds good, I'm gonna tear it up training tomorrow," Gray said with a grin as he took off his shirt.
"In any case how did your training with Eliza go, aside from blowing up half the ground we have to stand on up here, that is," Erza asked with a small grin. "Did that battle to the death serve a real purpose or were you two just showing off?"
"Showing off for sure," Natsu joked with a shake of his head. "For real though, I managed to sit right on the limit of my Crash Magic level without it going berserk so now its up to Eliza to come up with something for me to surpass it."
"The idea is to find a way for you to successfully wield the next stage of your Crash Magic without it blowing off another arm. Once we break past that initial hurdle, the rest will come on its own through repeated use until you hit the next barrier, as you are already well aware."
"Yeah, I'm well aware of what the limit feels like," Natsu nodded in understanding. "Thanks again for this by the way, you're one of the few people who can take repeated blows from me at max power."
"Natsu dear, I already told you I'm more than happy to help."
"I know you did, but I just wanted to say it in front of them so they don't act like I never said it," Natsu grinned as both Erza and Gray shot glares at him. "By the way, can you stop it with calling all of us 'dear' because it makes you sound like an old lady?"
"I don't know if I should take that offensively or not," Eliza sniffed in response. "I am thousands of years old after all."
"But you're a God though. Once you hit a certain age, you stop growing, right? Or is it you choose how old you want to be?"
"Well, let's just say there's only one Goddess who can compete with my looks within the Pantheon," Eliza replied with an air of smugness that prompted Natsu to snort in amusement.
"How many of you are there anyway?"
"It's not a matter of how many of us there are Natsu it's the quality. Some Gods are meant to be great while others represent lesser things like water or ice. The higher up Gods like me are the ones that represent higher functions."
"So how many of these higher Gods are there?"
"I may tell you the answer to that one day," Eliza replied in amusement. "Can't tell you now for the same reason as your other question."
"Ah, got it," Natsu hummed in understanding. "Well, anyway, thanks for today. Hopefully whatever you come up with works, though with you being a War God I think it'll have a high chance of succeeding."
"I'll work on something and speak with you about it tomorrow when the sun sets over Kryden again. I can assure you though that the majority of the work will be hard work and practice though, that's just kind of a given with the Crash Arts."
"Don't I know it," Natsu sighed as he remembered Gildarts' initial training for it.
"To be fair, if you were to ever fully master it, I'd be interested in fighting you for real," Eliza added, prompting Natsu to laugh and shake his head.
"Yeah, I still don't see myself stacking up against you if you went all out Eliza," Natsu scoffed as he lifted up her arm and poked her bicep. "This alone could probably snap me in two!"
"Flatterer. If you must know though I am capable of snapping the body of a muscular mortal human in half in-between my bicep and arm."
"See that guys! That's why I need to work on a more attainable goal," Natsu laughed as he looked back toward the other two. "You know, like beating the shit out of Gildarts with no effort!"
"Gildarts trained for many decades to achieve the monstrous power he has now and the fact you are even close to him only demonstrates your potential. But in any event, I'll leave you all to your training. Elise is nagging me and it's getting quite annoying."
"Alright then, see ya tomorrow," Natsu grinned as he lightly waved to the War Goddess.
"I look forward to it," Eliza replied as she began to shift back into Elise.
Almost as soon as Elise returned, she had begun bombarding Natsu with a myriad of questions. Praise for his fighting skills quickly followed before shifting to critiques on how he slipped up from her own point of view. It was somewhere in the middle he realized he was actually feeling rather drained and quickly held a hand up to silence the excited God Slayer.
"Look, I used a lot of magic just now, so give me a minute to recover, ok Elise?"
"Are you ok Natsu? Do you need some fire or maybe some food," Erza asked in concern as Natsu started to shake slightly.
"Fire sounds nice, thanks Erza," Natsu sighed as he decided to sit down before his body chose that option for him, watching as Erza went off to go get tools to start a fire.
"You really that drained," Gray asked curiously as both he and Elise sat down across from him.
"I like to think me being tired as hell is justified considering I fought THE God Of War," Natsu replied with a tired grin. "But yeah Gray, I'm pretty drained after that. Before I eat the fire and pass out, there's something I want to tell the three of you-."
"What is it Natsu!?"
"Settle down Elise, we'll get there soon enough. Also, I've got an idea about how to improve your hand-to-hand by the way, came to me during my fight with Eliza."
"Really? What is it?"
"Eliza used an attack on me called the War God's Armageddon Fist. Now, since we're both Slayers, our magic is kind of similar. What I was thinking is we teach you how to use that attack and make it something like my Demolition Fist, a brutal blow that rocks your opponent?"
"You really think I can use that attack," Elise asked, uncertainty clear in her voice. "That attack is one of Mother's favourites and I'm not sure if I can pull it off …"
"Of course you can Elise! If it's really one of her favourites then you definitely should learn it. My Fire Dragon's Iron Fist was one of the first attacks I mastered because Igneel used to punch things just like that."
"Can a Dragon really punch things though?"
"Look, you get the idea. Besides, once you master that then you can work on other melee-based attacks. Trust me when I say that it gets much easier after you get the basic signature one down."
"Well, if you think I can do it, I'll give it a shot," Elise replied with a tinge of excitement in her voice. "I can't imagine myself wielding that attack, but if I can learn it then I might even be able to match your punches one day?"
"Anything is possible Elise. As it stands, all three of you are some of the stronger members of the guild. Honestly, both you and Gray have the strength for S Class, but you still need to be tested."
"What, like you had to be tested," Gray shot back teasingly with Natsu giving him the finger.
"Shut up Gray, I survived a Century Quest. That's test enough, don't you think?"
"True."
"Anyway, back to my main point. Elise, you'll definitely learn that attack, though I wouldn't go making claims like that if I thought you couldn't. Just ask Gray, I fuck with him all the time and yet he's working on stuff I suggested for him."
"Natsu's got me mastering my Ice Make Shield to create a more powerful version that can be used both offensively and defensively," Gray chimed in. "Ask anyone and they'll tell you I can't stand being on defence yet here I am working on mastering Ice Make Shield."
"Why are you doing it if you hate it though? Wouldn't it be better to work on techniques that suit the way you prefer to fight?"
"Well, the way Natsu put it made a lot of sense. Its all fine being great at offense, but what happens if I end up in a situation where that isn't an option anymore and I had no choice but to fight defensively?"
"Huh … I can understand that."
"It's all about getting out of your comfort zone," Natsu added knowingly. "Ur is a prime example of what Gray could potentially become. She's so powerful she literally can just stand there and summon defensive walls of ice, freeze an entire room of foes without lifting a finger and then swap to dishing out massive damage with overpowered attacks. After seeing Ur keep up with Jose, I saw what Gray had the potential to become and knew the first step was to get Gray to work on something he wouldn't normally do."
"He was a bit more of a dick about it when we spoke, but yeah. He said I should 'be imaginative' for once, instead of being a glass cannon. I was gonna do what I always did, try and attack him for talking shit, but then he told me about what he saw Ur do and explained that I could make my own style like hers and I was sold."
"That's the thing you need to focus on though Elise," Natsu said before she could even respond. "This isn't about copying Eliza's fighting style and turning you into her, this is about taking a technique and incorporating it into your own style."
"Wow," Elise mumbled as she processed everything she'd just been told. "Honestly, when we met up on that Valtheim job, I never would've seen a day like this coming. I'm actually glad I got kicked out of the Council and joined Fairy Tail since before this I never had any real friends, but now I've got a whole bunch who actually care about me and want to see me get stronger!"
"That's good to hear Elise," Gray replied with a smirk directed in Natsu's direction. "You know, flame brain over here has been going on pretty much non stop about you since you joined the guild-!"
"Oi, shut up Gray," Natsu hissed. "I never said shit!"
"He kept worrying about if you were fitting in and trying to figure out who he'd have to beat up if they picked on you," Gray continued whilst trying to stifle his laughter. "I'm sure what you said just now really took a load off of his mind!"
"You were really that worried about me fitting in Natsu," Elise beamed, prompting Natsu to blush and look away. "I'm so glad you were worried for me, thank you!"
Erza returned with the tools and noticed that Gray and Elise were laughing at a thoroughly embarrassed Natsu who was currently doing anything and everything to avoid speaking to them. Shaking her head, she sat down next to her boyfriend.
"All right you three, what's going on here?"
"I was just telling Elise about how worried Natsu's been about Elise fitting in at the guild," Gray laughed in response with Erza nodding in understanding.
"Oh, is that what all the fuss is about? Yeah, Natsu has actually been going on about you quite a lot, even at home," Erza replied casually, though none of them missed the twitching at the corners of her mouth.
"Come on Erza, not you too," Natsu groaned as the others shared a good laugh.
After the group finished laughing at Natsu's expense, they all ended up just laying around the small fire Erza had lit, enjoying the peaceful silence. After a little while however, Gray chuckled softly to himself.
"I swear Gray, if you're still laughing about throwing me under the train," Natsu began only for the Ice Mage to wave him off.
"As funny as that was, that's not it," Gray replied as they all looked up at the stars. "I was just thinking how nice this all is, just the four of us hanging out and training."
"I agree Gray it's definitely a change of pace from doing jobs all the time," Erza replied with a tired sigh. "I know we get paid for them, but you need a break every now and then."
"I'll second that," Natsu agreed. "From the moment I got back I've been doing nothing but S Class stuff!"
"Aww … Is the poor little pyro all worn out over a few S Class missions," Gray teased as Natsu lazily tossed a nearby rock at him which the Ice Mage easily caught.
"Shut up Gray, I'm only human too! All I'm saying is that I'm getting a bit worn out from the constant crap we've been getting sent our way. From Dark Guilds, Demons and maniacal Wizard Saints … it's been rough for all of us."
"Yeah, I actually didn't even think of it like that," Gray replied, clearly regretful of his earlier comment. "Sorry Natsu."
"Don't worry about it Gray, it's fine. Besides, not all of it was because of what we've been dealing with," Natsu sighed. "Honestly, I was worn out before I even made it back home to the guild with Gildarts."
"Two monsters like you and Gildarts would've thrashed most that came your way though, right? Or was it the trip itself that took it out of you? Natsu?"
All three looked over to the Dragon Slayer to see him staring into the fire with a faraway gaze. In that moment, the group saw a version of Natsu they didn't realize existed as his entire expression just seemed so … defeated.
"Have you guys by any chance looked at Gildarts lately," Natsu asked suddenly as all three furrowed their brows, thinking about Natsu's question.
"Looked at him? What do you mean by that Natsu," Elise asked curiously as they all sat up.
"His appearance, did you notice anything different about him?"
The trio thought about it for a moment, wondering what Natsu was getting at when Erza suddenly remembered what Natsu had told her during their date at Et Firniel.
"Wait, I know what you're talking about," Erza muttered as she crawled over to Natsu and looked directly into his eyes. "Are you sure you want to talk about this?"
"Talk about what," Gray asked, clearly still unsure of what the two were referring to.
"Are you talking about how Gildarts has a prosthetic arm and leg," Elise asked as Gray's jaw dropped.
"Wait a sec, you're right Elise! I never really bothered to take much notice of it since he usually always keeps them hidden under that cloak of his," Gray gasped as he now sat straight as an arrow. "Are you saying that something happened to you guys that did that to Gildarts!?"
"Natsu," Erza said softly as Natsu also rose into a sitting position, immediately placing a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to-."
"Thanks for being worried about me Erza, but I think its time I spoke about this in full," Natsu sighed as he looked over at Elise and Gray. "So, let me ask the two of you a question, and don't feel bad if you don't know the answer. Do either of you know about a Dragon by the name of Achnologia?"
The reaction from Gray was to be expected, confused blinking as he shook his head in the negative. Elise, however, paled considerably as she physically started to shake.
"Natsu … PLEASE tell me you aren't saying what I think you're saying," Elise practically begged him as she crawled over and grabbed him by front of his shirt. "You'd better not be lying about this!"
"What's Achnologia," Gray asked, clearly unsure as to what the others were referring to which prompted Elise to start sifting through her pockets before chucking him a book. "Why are you giving me the Magic Council's Lawbook?"
"The one that you get if you work for them is different than the one you get if you are outside of the Council's direct influence," Elise explained. "I suppose you could say it holds classified information not meant for the general public. I never handed mine in when I left because its way more useful."
"And this Achnologia is in here?"
"Along with several other things," Natsu said as Elise narrowed her eyes at him. "Gramps has one, he let me read it after the Phantom incident so we could bend the rules in our favour."
"Which page do I go to," Gray asked as Erza looked over his shoulder, likewise curious. "HOLY CRAP, THIS BOOK HAS ZEREF IN IT!?"
"His Demons still run amok so naturally the Council isn't willing to take a chance not including him. Turn three more pages and you should find Achnologia's entry," Elise muttered in reply.
Doing as instructed both Erza and Gray turned to the page Elise specified and were shocked at the image on the left-hand side.
"A Dragon …"
"No way …"
The Black Dragon Of The Apocalypse
The Harbinger Of The End
Achnologia
SSS Rank Threat Level
(Note – Threat level far exceeds classification ratio)
A Dragon that has terrorized all of Earthland as far back as modern humanity can remember. Achnologia is considered well above SSS Rank and should under no circumstances be engaged by anyone of any rank!
Standard procedure should this beast be sighted is to flee on sight whilst evacuating any important contacts or clients of the Council. Let it be stressed that Achnologia is a force beyond the capabilities of all beings and has even bested the Black Wizard Zeref, another SSS Rank threat, with relative ease.
A beast so fearsome warrants only the final resort as a solution to end its tyranny through the use of EXPUNGED or EXPUNGED, though the latter may be incapable of fully destroying the beast.
To ensure the publicity of its attacks are kept to a minimum in order to avoid panic standard protocol is to either induct survivors into the Rune Knights or exterminate them depending on the suitability.
"What the hell is this," Gray snapped as he tossed the book back to Elise. "The fuck does the Council mean, talking about killing survivors!?"
"A rational reaction to Achnologia, though there's certainly more to it than even that book will tell you," Natsu replied, shocking both Gray and Erza who couldn't believe Natsu had just said such a thing. "Gildarts and I have encountered the bastard twice now, the first time in Scarlione and the second in Fiore. The latter is how Gildarts got so badly injured he required prosthetics."
"So being crippled is justifiable for killing off the poor bastards who survive this Dragon, is it," Gray snapped, Erza not commenting but wanting to hear the response to Gray's question as well.
"Actually, being crippled or killed is the best possible fate for someone who encounters Achnologia," Natsu replied calmly with both recoiling in shock.
"What-!?"
"Achnologia has an ability to seemingly drive people insane or indoctrinate them into worshipping him, or at the very least his power. One of the people I knew during my time away was driven mad and I can only surmise he is either now dead or locked away in an asylum for the rest of his days."
"So, this Achnologia is a Dragon right," Gray asked slowly, prompting Natsu to nod. "You've mentioned before that Dragons have elements, so this Achnologia has some sort of Mental based Dragon Magic then, right?"
"That's just it Gray, Achnologia is a Dragon on the surface, but his very existence and power defies all known information about them. See, a Dragon has one element and is always highly proficient in it. However, Achnologia can indoctrinate, use sickly green or aqua blue coloured flames, can fire energy-based breath attacks and has even been rumoured to manipulate the dead."
"And that's why they call him the Apocalypse Dragon," Elise finished for him. "It was decided after analysing all his known abilities that they are eerily similar to the tale of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."
"Though it isn't known if he possesses Death Magic like Zeref or not, the fact that he not only survived in the Black Wizard's presence, but beat him in a serious fight, more than qualifies him for the title," Natsu sighed. "So really, Gildarts and I should count ourselves lucky we're even alive today because the chance of survival against Achnologia even once is less than a percent."
"So, what exactly happened that led to the two of you running into Achnologia again anyway," Elise asked, trying to steer the conversation away from survival rates.
"We were heading back home to Fairy Tail actually and stopped by Sacred Mount Zonia," Natsu replied with a sad smile. "Heard rumours about a flower that could heal almost any injury being at the top. Naturally, with Gildarts and I being the two adventurers that we were, decided to go check out if it was real or not. Obviously, we never made it …"
"Oh Natsu …"
Natsu was about to respond but found no words came out of his mouth. He tried one more time before scowling and clenching his fists, knowing full well that he couldn't bring himself to speak on the matter further.
"Natsu," Erza asked softly as she placed a hand over his clenched fist. "Are you alright?"
Yeah, I'm fine," Natsu sighed as he looked over at Gray and Elise who also looked concerned. "Sorry guys, seems I'm still too weak to talk about what happened that day."
"Its fine Natsu," Elise replied gently as she looked toward Gray. "The fact that you managed to survive at all is a blessing in of itself. I can't even begin to imagine what encountering that thing once would've felt like, let alone twice."
"Thanks Elise," Natsu sighed as he gazed into the fire for several more moments. "I think now is probably a good place to end things for today, you've all got a hard day of training ahead of you."
"Yeah," Gray hummed in agreement as he shuffled away from the fire so he could enjoy both the warmth of the fire and the cool of the night air. "Probably about time to get some shuteye."
"You're right Natsu," Elise nodded as she laid down where she sat and curled up closer to the fire. "Night everyone."
Natsu laid down with Erza in his arms and although that fact made him happy, his mind was now firmly entrenched in the past as he remembered that fateful day. The day that the team that he'd formed in Scarlione was decimated by Achnologia.
Closing his eyes, the last thing his mind processed before fading into slumber were Eliza's words and the image of the Apocalypse Dragon.
(Edited 22/03/19)
(Edited 02/11/21)
(Edited 10/06/22)