(Edited 20/12/23)

(Edited 14/03/24)

I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.

The Divine Capital - Terminus

***POTD***

Natsu groaned, as he slowly felt his consciousness begin to return. His head hurt, but he felt alright, since he was laying on some soft grass. His senses were working overtime to process all the strange sounds and smells around him, as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Ngh… Ugh. I feel like I've just got done being hit by a train," Natsu muttered, rising into a sitting position, his eyes adjusting to the grassy plain he'd found himself in.

"You're not the only one Natsu," Eliza muttered in agreement from his right, as he slowly turned to look at her. "I woke up in my home, so I've had a bit longer to adjust to the separation. Still, give it a minute before you try and stand up."

"Right," Natsu huffed, massaging his temples, as Sozin finally chose to speak.

"Well, it seems the two of you reverted to your normal selves well enough?"

"Define well enough, old man," Natsu grumbled, which seemed to greatly amuse the former War God, who started laughing boisterously.

"Old man!? Never in all my years has anyone referred to me as an old man before!? You're such a card Natsu, truly!"

"In any event, at least your presence here Natsu confirms that the rules of Terminus are in review," Eliza noted with a gentle sigh. "It's been two thousand years since they were last altered…"

"Precisely Eliza, and that's exactly why the Tribunal has decided to review them today," Sozin chimed in firmly. "Due to our hands being tied thanks to the current rules, we could not deal with Ravus ourselves. So, amending the rules is in everyone's best interest.

"Uh, that's all well and good," Natsu chimed in, his headache beginning to recede. "But why bring me here for that? I'm a mortal, so I wouldn't really know much about how God society works?"

"That Natsu, is for the Tribunal to discuss with the two of you. For now, however, you both need to get cleaned up. Eliza, Natsu will be staying with you for the duration of his time here in Terminus."

"Fair enough. I doubt there is anywhere else for him to reside," Eliza replied, not at all bothered by it.

"Excellent. Now then, I'm going to go inform the Council that the two of you have arrived, so I'll see you both at the Tribunal," Sozin replied, before vanishing on the spot.

"Well," Natsu muttered, as he turned to face Eliza directly. "This is pretty strange, isn't it?"

"You're telling me," Eliza replied, whilst gently poking his face. "Perhaps you should shift your focus away from me, and onto Terminus itself?"

Natsu nodded, and slowly turned to his right, looking out across the vast plains, and over toward the giant lavish city in the distance.

"Is-Is that place made out of pure gold?"

"Not all of it, the place just shines like it is," Eliza replied, clearly proud of her home. "This is Terminus, the Capital of the Realm of the Gods, and the heart of our society. The Artisan Quarter do often splurge on crafting newer works out of what mortals consider to be … luxurious materials."

"So, you have a capital city that's worth a shit tonne," Natsu began, gesturing toward the golden city. "But why is the sky rainbow colored?"

"Ah yes, I figured you'd be curious about that," Eliza chuckled as they started walking toward Terminus. "The sky is affected by the Council, and is usually changed to reflect the general mood of the day."

"Really? What color is it normally?"

"Sky blue."

"And rainbow means…?"

"Its cause for a celebration, just like Lord Sozin mentioned back on Earthland," Eliza replied, as Natsu stopped and just stared out at the lavish city before him.

"It just clicked in my head that I'm not even on Earthland anymore…"

"Does that… Does that bother you?"

"N-No," Natsu replied quickly, waving his hands rapidly in dismissal as he looked up at Eliza. "I'm just taking in the fact that I'm in another Reality for the first time… Perhaps you could show me around, that would help me adjust better, right?"

"Of course I will," Eliza grinned in response. "Come, let us reach the entrance to Terminus first!"

Eliza took Natsu's hand, and the pair instantly appeared on the main road of Terminus. He was immediately blown back by just how many Gods there actually were in one place. Though, surprisingly, not all of them were over double his height, like Sozin, Ravus, and Eliza were.

"Is everyone here a God," Natsu asked curiously, as he took in the sights of the main street. "Just how many Gods even are there!?"

"Well, not everyone here is a currently serving God, Natsu. Many of those here are either in the running, or have already been a God, at one point or another."

"Wait, so how does becoming a current God work? Do all these other people have the power of Gods?"

"To answer your first question, a current serving God must either retire, die through any means, or be forcibly removed from their post for one reason or another, before a new God can take their place. The God who takes their place must also be the most powerful of that Class. To put that into perspective, after Lord Sozin retired, I was next in line for the God of War position. To gain the position, I had to be the strongest of all the War Class."

"I've heard you mention these Classes before, what are they exactly?"

"A Class are the disciples of a particular aspect that necessitates a God," Eliza replied, as Natsu eyed the ornate architecture of the square they'd found themselves in. "For example, I have my War Class, the current serving God of Discord has their Discord Class, and the current God of Time has their Time Class."

"And these Classes allow the Gods under them to use the power, kind of like how Elise can use the War God Slayer abilities?"

"Kind of. In Terminus, wielders of a specific aspect will wield the raw version of the aspect itself. How mortals wield it is a little different, since different Realities possess different power structures, and things can vary wildly. For example, Elise wields War God Slayer Magic, but a mortal in another realm might wield War God Ki, or War God Chakra?"

"Right," Natsu hummed, deep in thought. "So, these Classes can still wield the raw might of their chosen aspect…"

"Correct. However, it's important to remember that once you ascend to become the official God of a specific aspect, you gain tremendous power, far beyond what those within the Class can wield."

"That makes sense," Natsu nodded, clearly understanding the gist of what she was telling him. "So, where would I stack power wise to your class? Are they as strong as me, or are they like Elise?"

"Well, it's hard to say, simply because you aren't at your maximum potential," Eliza replied thoughtfully. "The one thing I know for sure, is that you would rank within the upper echelon of my War Class. Keep in mind, however, that your own abilities give you an even playing field?"

"Why though? Last I checked, I'm not a God," Natsu replied, clearly confused by her statement.

"Whilst you are correct, the concept of Dragon Slaying Magic is something I doubt you fully understand," Eliza replied, drawing Natsu's complete focus away from sightseeing, as she was talking about something that was part of who he was. "Tell me, you were raised by the Fire Dragon King Igneel, correct?"

"Yeah, for a decent bit of my childhood, until he disappeared one day," Natsu replied with a stern nod. "Why?"

"Tell me, did Igneel ever tell you of the origins of Dragons?"

"He only really told me that he grew up on a far away continent called Draconia, that he was only the King of the Fire Dragons, and that there were other Dragons out there aside from himself who bore the title of Monarch of their respective element."

"So, did he explain the significance of the whole Monarch thing," Eliza asked curiously. "Did he explain how it differed from being simply referred to as a King or Queen?"

"He didn't really tell me much about it," Natsu replied quietly, pondering her question as he thought back to his time with Igneel. "He only told me that I don't get to decide if my Fire Dragon Slaying Magic is considered Monarch tier or not…"

"He's correct," Eliza nodded, surprising Natsu, as she shot him an amused smirk. "Would you like to meet one of the beings who can make such a decision?"

"What are you saying…?"

"Would you like to meet the God of Dragons, Natsu?"

Time seemed to stand still, as Natsu physically stumbled backward, feeling as if he'd been physically struck by her question.

"The God … of Dragons," Natsu choked out, eyes as wide as saucers, as he immediately realized that this God probably could answer every question he'd ever had.

The chance to discover where Igneel went, where Gajeel and Wendy's Dragon Parents went… He could ask about how to truly master his abilities, directly from the source… But, most importantly… he could ask about the Black Dragon, Achnologia…

"I want to meet them," Natsu replied firmly. "I want to meet them before doing anything else here!"

"I thought you might," Eliza replied with a knowing smile. "Still, there is one thing we must do before going to see them?"

"What's that?"

"Whilst having the signs of a hard-fought battle on us might be pleasing for the more outdoors driven Classes, the Upper Tiers of Terminus demand a certain level of cleanliness," Eliza replied, with Natsu immediately understanding what she meant, and nodding along in full agreement.

"That's fair."

"Good. We'll stop by my home first and get ourselves cleaned up, before making our way over to the Dragon God's Shrine."

Natsu nodded in agreement, as Eliza motioned for him to follow her lead. Despite what she'd just said, it was clear that she wanted him to experience Terminus.

It was a gesture he wholly appreciated.

***POTD***

The pair arrived at Eliza's home, high into the Upper Tiers of Terminus.

The place was rather modest, despite all the homes around it being about as lavish as one could possibly make a home. It reminded Natsu of how Nobles flaunted all their wealth, though Eliza seemed to defy that trend.

"Oh my, I'm suddenly feeling a little nervous," Eliza giggled, as they stood before her front door. "I've never really had guests over before…"

"Really?"

"Believe it or not, I'm not a social butterfly, despite how much I ooze charisma," Eliza replied, before shaking her head. "Still, you allowed Elise to joint purchase your home, which means I get to be in there a lot, so, my home is naturally open to you as well."

Without another word, Eliza opened the door and walked inside, with Natsu following after her. Upon entering, he was surprised to see that, despite how plain it looked on the outside, Eliza had indeed decorated the interior.

It wasn't, however, lavish. Rather, Eliza had decorated her home with numerous trophies from past battles, strange runes he couldn't understand, and interesting pieces of art that had a tribal feel to them.

Walking up to a picture hung up on the wall, he was surprised to see a much younger looking Eliza. She appeared to be in her teenage years, barely a third of Sozin's height, and she looked adorably grumpy.

"My graduation from the War Class," Eliza said, coming to stand beside him.

"Graduation?"

"This photo was taken a year before I became the Forty Second War God," Eliza sighed, clearly reminiscing on the memory. "As you can probably tell, I've been at this for quite awhile…"

"You were still a kid when you became the War Goddess?"

"I'm actually the youngest God of War ever," Eliza replied with an amused giggle. "I was thirteen when this was taken. Let's just say that my age is in the four digit category now…"

"Wow, you really have been doing this for a long time," Natsu muttered, looking back to the photo. "Who's that?"

"Hm?"

"The old woman behind you with her left hand on your head," Natsu asked curiously, as Eliza smiled wistfully at the image.

"Ah… She was my sponsor, I suppose."

"Sponsor?"

"I was born Divine, but I never knew my parents," Eliza replied, shocking Natsu, as he fully turned to look up at the War Goddess. "Around the time I was born, we were at war. My parents died around six months after I was born, leaving me an orphan."

"A war? Who would you lot go to war with?"

"It isn't something I can discuss with you… yet. Suffice to say, I grew up without any real support. We don't really have orphanages or anything like that, and even as infants, we can't die of things such as starvation…"

"Wait…"

"Fast forward to when I was around seven. I was told by someone that my parents had been killed in the war, and that I was just dead weight left behind. Now, most children cry about things like that, or throw a tantrum," Eliza muttered, seemingly talking more to herself now, than Natsu. "But not me…"

"What did you do?"

"I was furious. I didn't know that my parents died in the war, it was the first I'd heard about it. So, being the eight-year-old genius that I was, I marched over to the War Class, and demanded to join their ranks."

"And? How did that go?"

"I was mocked, beaten up by two of the younger ones, and tossed back out onto the streets."

"Wait…seriously!?"

"As serious as can be," Eliza replied, her eyes slowly moving back toward the old woman in the photo, as she recalled the memory…

***POTD***

"Get out of here!"

"Yeah! Yeah!"

"She's like a stinky roach!"

"A shame we can't stamp her out for good like we can with real roaches, huh?"

"Toss it out the gates, we've got training to do!"

Two teenagers dragged the immobile form out of the yard, ignoring the cuts being made across exposed flesh, as they truly did not care. With an unceremonious grunt, they tossed their burden out into the gutter, laughing as they strolled back into the yard across the road.

Laying face down in a puddle, the burden remained still. Their form shook ever so slightly, as their good arm tensed, a small hand being slowly curled into a fist. The burden slowly dragged itself out of the puddle, looking forward, as Crimson Eyes narrowed in hatred.

A Resident Of The Terminus Lower District

An Orphan Of The War

A Clanless Nobody

Eliza Faulkner (Age Eight)

The young girl slowly, and shakily, rose to her feet. Stumbling forward, she caught her appearance in a window, and promptly scowled.

Her silky black hair, which had been crudely done up in a ponytail, was all dirty. Her body had numerous cuts and bruises across it that were healing at a slow pace. She stood around four feet tall, and wore a ratty looking dress that had numerous signs of self-repair across it.

"This sucks," Eliza sniffed, as she slowly limped down the road, and away from the War Class. "I would be a good warrior, better than them!"

"Is that so," an amused voice purred, prompting Eliza to halt in place, her eyes darting around frantically.

"Whose there!?"

"If you can't even figure that out, then you're a long way from being able to beat those brats in the War Class, little one," the voice responded, prompting Eliza to clench her fists, gritting her teeth in frustration.

"I'm not trained yet, so of course I can't beat them right now!"

"True. But the War Class does not need more fools among their rank," the voice replied plainly. "Why would they allow you to join them? What would you offer them that all the others within the War Class don't?"

Eliza paused, and considered what the voice had just asked. It was a fair question, and one she found herself struggling to answer.

"I-I don't know…"

"Truly? You don't know? Are you sure that's the correct answer?"

"Huh…?"

"I watched you in the yard as you tried to fight those young boys from the War Class," the voice responded, a fierce blush of embarrassment etching itself across Eliza's face. "No need to be embarrassed! For you see, you showed something there that none of them ever have…"

"I-I did…?"

"Oh yes," the voice replied kindly. "Even as you dragged yourself out of the gutter, there was something there that the War Class has lacked for far too long…"

"And what's that," Eliza asked, barely above a whisper, as a falcon shot out of the nearby alleyway, startling her, as she fell onto her rear in shock. "What's…?"

The Falcon gazed down upon her, its eyes narrowed with an unnatural intelligence, beguiling its species. The creature let out a loud screech, before dropping a note that had been tied to its left leg, before it spun around, and vanished in an unnatural burst of speed.

Cautiously, Eliza slowly crawled toward the dropped note, and examined it. She opened it, and was surprised to find that it was a set of directions on how to get somewhere.

"What…?"

Pondering what this all meant, she looked back down the street at the War God Class, before looking back at the note. After pondering it for several moments, the young girl decided she would do as the note instructed.

"Head to the Upper Tier… Okay, I'll do it!"

Being forced to get there on foot, it took Eliza two days to reach the Upper Tier of Terminus. It took her another half a day just to find the area the letter specified her to go next, since she'd never been out of the Lower Tiers before.

After some time exploring, she finally arrived before a modest looking home amidst a sea of lavish ones. Looking around, before looking back at the note, she knew this had to be the place.

"I can do this… I'm brave," Eliza said shakily, clutching the note tightly as she slowly approached the front door. "Okay… I just have to knock three times…"

Doing as the note instructed, Eliza knocked three times, and waited. After around a minute, the door opened, and an older looking Goddess answered the door, an amused smile on her face.

"Just like I predicted…"

"Um… Excuse me," Eliza muttered quietly. "Are you the one who…?"

"Who sent you that note? Or the one who spoke to you the other day," the older Goddess asked, clearly amused at the young girl's nervousness. "Yes, on both counts dear."

"Oh…"

"Come on in," the older Goddess smiled, as Eliza cautiously walked inside.

Once the door was shut, the Goddess motioned for Eliza to follow her through to her living room. Eliza had never seen a room so strangely decorated before, with interesting artwork, strange trophies, and all other kinds of things she couldn't even begin to understand.

"Sit down dear," the older Goddess smiled, as she offered Eliza some tea. "You must have questions, yes?"

Um… I do, yeah…?"

"Which question would you like to ask first dear? I'm patient, and will answer most of them."

"Um, well… Who exactly are you?"

The older Goddess giggled, sipping from her tea as she leaned back into her comfy sitting chair.

"A very good question, and, a rather disappointing one."

"Oh-."

"Not your fault dear," the older Goddess replied quickly. "Its disappointing that circumstances exist that have led to your not knowing who I am."

"Huh?"

"I hate to drop this on you as soon as we meet dear, but I'm actually a rather big deal within Terminus," the older Goddess smirked in reply, sipping her tea as she dropped a bomb on the eight year old's mind.

A Former Cosmic Force God Of Terminus

Fourth Goddess Of War

First Matriarch Of The Freyja Clan

Freyja

Eliza, despite Freyja telling her exactly who she was, still didn't seem all that shocked. Instead, the young girl merely cocked her head to the side, confusedly.

"So, you're a former War God?"

"I am," Freyja replied with an amused smirk. "But, I'm also one of the FOUNDING War Gods, back when Terminus was first formed."

"Wait… So that means that you were one of the original…"

"Oh yes," Freyja smirked in response. "That aside, we're not here to talk about me, little one."

"W-We aren't?"

"No, we aren't. We're here… to talk about you, Eliza Faulkner."

"M-Me!?"

"Tell me, what did you feel the other day when you were beaten up and tossed into the gutter," Freyja asked, eliciting a deep frown from the young girl. "How did it make you feel?"

"I felt…mad. I wanted to go back and hit them," Eliza admitted. "I wanted to… but I know I can't. I'm too weak…"

"Correct," Freyja nodded. "You are weak… physically."

"Huh?"

"Physically, you are nothing, Eliza Faulkner. But mentally…mentally, you are stronger than the rest of the War Class combined."

"Wh-What do you mean Miss Freyja?"

"I have foreseen it," the older Goddess murmured. "The War Class is on the decline from weaker War Gods, tainted by a weakness of the mind. They lack the will to fight, to against all in their path like we who once bore the mantle did."

"Y-You think that I'm … mentally better than them?"

"I do," Freyja smiled. "I know that you wanted to join the War Class to grow stronger, to fight against the Devils who took your parents. You wish to fight, to wage war … to be war…"

"I don't know about all that other stuff… I just want to kill the ones who killed my parents," Eliza replied cautiously. "And…I want to be strong enough so no one can beat me up again…"

"You are without a Clan, aren't you," Freyja asked suddenly, almost amused at the question she'd posed to the young girl, who nodded slowly. "The Faulkner Clan were wiped out, largely due to the incompetence of the Fortieth War God, who is no longer with us."

"I didn't even know there was a Faulkner Clan…"

Freyja's eyes softened, as she got up from her comfy chair, and moved to kneel before the young girl before her, startling Eliza, now that she knew who Freyja was.

"I have an offer for you, Eliza Faulkner…"

"An offer…?"

"Yes. I will bring you under my wing, and into the Freyja Clan…"

"Really-!?"

"But in exchange, I'm going to train you to become the next God of War," Freyja continued firmly, cutting off Eliza before she could properly respond. "Though most of the founding War Gods have moved on, the ones that remain, such as myself, find the current state of the War Class to be a complete disgrace. I, along with several of the other founding War Gods, shall beat every last thing we know into you, and forge you into a War God that will restore our aspect to its former glory!"

"Y-You want to train me," Eliza gasped, unable to believe the offer being put before her.

"You will suffer harshly, Eliza Faulkner, as we will not relent in your training for so much as a moment! Should you accept my offer, you will endure many years of harsh treatment, and will likely grow to hate myself, and most of my fellow founding War Gods…"

"Even if that is the case… I can't afford to turn you down, can I," Eliza replied quietly, surprising Freyja at how she responded almost immediately. "I have nothing to my name, and no one who will help me. I haven't eaten in five years… I must accept your offer, if I want any chance at a better life, Miss Freyja…"

"I see," Freyja nodded, as she rose to her full height and placed a gentle hand on Eliza's head. "From today, this shall be your home. As of this moment, you are now a student of War."

Eliza nodded stiffly; her reaction rather tame for a girl her age. Looking at the young eight-year-old, Freyja found herself rather saddened at her Fate, but knew that said Fate was something they could use to push her to succeed.

"Come. I'll show you to your room, and then we'll go and acquire better clothing for you than those rags. I'll not have a member of my Clan in a condition such as yours!"

"Y-Yes Miss Freyja!"

"Come along Eliza dear," Freyja smirked, as she led Eliza further into her home. "Today's a day for new beginnings…"

***POTD***

Eliza and Natsu sat in the living room, having had a shared bath whilst Eliza told her story, and were now fully dressed and ready to head out. The pair were drinking tea, but Natsu hadn't touched his in some time, having been intently listening to the small snippet from Eliza's life.

"So, does that mean that this house is…?"

"Oh yes, it's hers," Eliza replied with a curt nod.

"I take it that she's … uh … not around, anymore?"

"No," Eliza shook her head. "She, along with the vast majority of the founding Gods, are gone now."

"So, sounds like you copped it quite a bit growing up then?"

"Oh yes, like you wouldn't believe. Aside from Freyja, I had several other War Gods teach me, and all of them were glad when I succeeded and beat up every last member of Sozin's War Class when I was eleven. But that wasn't what got me the position of War God."

"Wait, it wasn't?"

"I said I got the position at age thirteen, remember? That's because, at age thirteen…I defeated Lord Sozin in single combat."

"Wait," Natsu muttered, his eyes narrowing as he remembered something important. "Didn't you say that the War Class could use the power of War, but that the actual God of the aspect would be granted a massive boost, right?"

"Correct," Eliza replied, a small smirk on her face as Natsu processed what Eliza was telling him.

"No way…"

"When I became the next War God, I made a policy that, until I choose to retire, anyone who wants the position must defeat me in single combat. Not only that, they must have defeated every other member of the War Class prior to issuing the challenge, or I won't even consider it."

Guess it makes sense how you've been a War God for so long now…"

"Indeed," Eliza smirked, before shaking her head and sighing. "I'd like to ask that you keep what I have told you to yourself please? I don't often times share anything regarding my personal life but… well, I trust you."

"I'm honored you'd trust me with something like this Eliza," Natsu smiled sincerely in response. "Does that mean you haven't even told Elise about this?"

"Correct. I'll tell her one day, but for now, I think she'd just fan-girl about it," Eliza giggled, eliciting an amused chuckle from Natsu.

"Yeah, I can see that."

"Speaking of seeing," the War Goddess continued, rising from her seat with a stretch. "It's time we went and saw the Dragon God, isn't it?"

"Alright," Natsu grinned, rising to his feet as the pair made their way to Eliza's front door. "I'm really excited, not going to lie!"

"I don't blame you," the War Goddess smirked, as they walked outside and into the street. "Come, the Dragon God Shrine is just up there."

Natsu looked at where Eliza was pointing, a nearby mountain that wasn't too much higher than the district they were currently in.

"All right, let's go!"

***POTD***

His excitement was enough to get the pair up the steps leading to the Dragon God shrine quickly. Eliza had to give it to Natsu, he certainly had impressive stamina, still bouncing around like a kid in a candy store.

Once they reached the top, Natsu looked around in awe at the numerous golden statues of different types of Dragons. There were Dragons of all shapes and sized depicted, and he was excited to see what this Dragon God would be like.

As they pair reached the massive set of double doors that led into the Shrine, a Draconic looking man stepped forward, barring their path.

"Hold a moment! This is the Shrine of Dragons," the Draconic Humanoid barked out, before looking toward Eliza. "Ah, my apologies Lady Eliza, but you know I must always ask…"

"It is fine," Eliza replied dismissively. "Besides, I'm not here on business, but for my friend here."

"Your friend," the humanoid replied, taking a closer look at Natsu, before his eyes widened. "You have the power of Dragons flowing through you…"

"I'm a Dragon Slayer from Earthland," Natsu replied, as the man's eyes widened considerably.

"Earthland, you said? Most interesting... What is your element?"

"Fire."

"Understood," the man nodded, as he motioned for them to follow him toward the doors. "Stand upon the circle there…"

Natsu looked at Eliza with a confused expression, only for the War Goddess to motion for him to do as the man said. With a sigh, he walked over and stood on the marked circle.

"Thank you. Please demonstrate your ability," the man barked out, as the doors swung open, and a stream of searing flame washed over him.

Immediately realizing what they wanted to see, Natsu started devouring the flames, until there was nothing left.

"So, he truly is one then… Allow him entry," a rumbling, masculine voice boomed, as the Draconic Humanoid turned back to face Natsu and Eliza.

"Thank you for demonstrating your ability, Dragon Slayer. Please, go on through," the man said, bowing slightly, as he motioned for the pair to enter.

Natsu and Eliza entered the Shrine, with Natsu noticing even more variants of Dragons all around the place in statue form. Once they reached the central chamber, Natsu froze in place, his mouth agape.

Laying across from them, and taking up what would equate to an entire city block's worth of space, was a colossal sized golden colored Dragon. The massive beast seemed amused at his shocked stupor, a rumbling laugh echoing across the area, as it raised its head up off of the massive pillow it had been resting upon.

"Well… I'm glad you are a Dragon, and not some random Human," Natsu blurted out, once he'd managed to recover. "Well, I mean, it just wouldn't seem right for Dragons to be ruled over by Humans, would it?"

"Heh! This one is definitely the Son of Igneel, isn't he Eliza," the Dragon chuckled as it looked down upon Natsu. "His bluntness is almost identical!"

One Of The Species Gods Of Terminus

Seventh God Of Dragons

Third Patriarch Of The Yiazmat Clan

Xicor

"Well, he was rather eager to meet you, Xicor," Eliza smirked, eliciting an amused chuckle from the old Dragon.

"Is that right? Tell me, Son of Igneel, how goes it down on Earthland these days?"

"Well, ever since Igneel disappeared I haven't seen a single Dragon in the skies… Actually, that isn't entirely true. I've seen one, but he most certainly wasn't friendly…"

"You must be referring to the Dragon of Apocalypse, Achnologia," Xicor rumbled in reply, the very name of Achnologia being almost spat out. "It pains me greatly to know that he still roams the lands…"

"Did you know him?"

"Oh yes… I, and all Dragons, know of that one. Amongst all us Dragons, he is truly considered to be a monster. Tell me, did Igneel ever tell you about Achnologia?"

"No, he never told me anything," Natsu replied honestly. "All I knew was there were other types of Dragons out there."

"Is that so? Well then, allow me to teach you a small bit of history regarding that beast. I understand you've had previous run ins with him in the past?"

"Several, yes," Natsu replied with a deep frown. "I'd be happy to learn anything you're willing to teach me."

"Hah! To learn everything that I know would take you eons, boy! But I like the enthusiasm nonetheless! Back onto the topic of Achnologia. Though. Yes, he is most certainly a Dragon, however, there is a secret behind that one that he would like all of Earthland to forget."

"A secret? You mean like a way to beat him?"

"I suppose it is technically a way to beat him, but its not something that will really aid you in any meaningful way, as it applies to all his kind. For you see… Achnologia, is actually a Dragon Slayer…"

"What," Natsu gasped, actually stumbling backward onto his rear in shock. "Are you for real!?"

"Yes. The Dragon of the Apocalypse, the beast that not even that Zeref brat could defeat, is indeed, a Human. Understand though, that there are caveats to that. Things that I am forbidden by the Council to tell you about him. Specifically, his origins."

"Fair enough," Natsu sighed, before shaking his head. "But can you at least tell me how the heck he was able to become a full on Dragon!?"

"Now that right there, that is probably the question everyone during the war wanted to know…"

"War? What war? How long ago was this?"

"Natsu, there was a war known as the Dragon War that occurred centuries ago," Eliza chimed in knowingly. "It was basically fought over the place of Humanity in Earthland. Some Dragons believed they should coexist with Humans, most didn't."

"I would ask how you know about this but you're the Goddess of War of course you know…"

"It is as Eliza said, young one. The first Dragon Slayers of the age were produced from this war, the most notable being Achnologia, and another named Irene. However, the latter doesn't even come close to Achnologia's power."

"So, how are they able to turn into Dragons then? If they can do it, then does that mean I can too?"

"You see Natsu, after the rise of Achnologia, he began to kill any and all Dragons, Dragon Slayers, and ordinary Humans he could find. Realizing the mistake they had made, the next set of First Generation Dragon Slayers were prevented from being able to turn into Dragons through a method I cannot tell you about."

"Really? That actually kind of sucks," Natsu replied, before shaking his head. Guess it was for the best though, considering what Achnologia did. But I have a question though? If you could, would you stop Achnologia?"

"Of course I would, if it were an option! However, the Tribunal has forbidden us Gods from interfering directly in mortal affairs. Well, that was the case, until the two of you had your little fight with Ravus," Xicor replied with slight amusement. "Still, I must say, you are truly fascinating, Son of Igneel. You stand before the God of Dragons, yet converse with me as if I were a common Dragon. Then again, I find that quite comforting… It feels like I'm speaking to another of my kind, in a small way. It has been so long since I've seen a fellow Dragon…"

"Can't you just do what Eliza does, and speak with them through their minds or something?"

"Ah, well, you see Natsu, Dragons aren't like Humans. If anything, we are solitary creatures, and only speak face to face…"

'That's not true Xicor, why hide it from him,' Eliza thought to herself, as the Dragon God continued to speak.

"It seems you have become quite proficient with the Fire Dragon Element, Natsu. To think, Igneel has even deemed you worthy of wielding the King stage of your powers as well, no small feat!"

"Well, I did train for years to get to where I am," Natsu admitted honestly. "Though, I guess hearing the God of Dragons saying I'm doing great is pretty reassuring."

"Tell me, Son of Igneel," Xicor hummed, peering down at Natsu curiously. "Do you think you would be able to handle a second Element?"

Natsu froze up, completely floored by the Dragon God's question. Xicor seemed to sense this, and merely chuckled in amusement.

"Another Dragon Slayer Element," Natsu muttered, still caught off guard. "Is that even possible?"

"Of course its possible, I'm telling you that it is, so it's obviously true," Xicor huffed in response.

"Wow… I can't believe this," Natsu replied quickly. "I-I definitely think I could, but are you sure you'd be able to teach me!?"

"Unfortunately, it won't be me teaching you, since I really don't have the ability to commit to something like that at this time," Xicor replied bluntly. "No, I planned on recommending you to someone instead."

"Really? Is it another Dragon?"

"Of course! No human could teach you Dragon Slayer Magic as effectively, unless that Human was as skilled in their Element as you are."

"Wow! What type of Dragon are they!? Are they cool? Are they strong!? What is their Dragon Element-!?"

"Will you be quiet boy, I'm concentrating," Xicor roared, shutting him up instantly. "I just spoke with them, and they are more than happy to take you. The real question is, are you willing to go?"

"How could I say no!? I do have a few things I have to do before I go though, like this meeting with the Tribunal… Oh, and I have to return to my Guild with my friends and let them know I'm going off to train."

"Of course, that's fair enough. Lucky for you, they live in Earthland. Although, you'll have to find them yourself. Fiore is a big place, so hopefully you pay attention to what I'm about to put in your mind…"

A sudden flash momentarily blinded Natsu, as he saw a static image of a mountain range. In the background, he noticed Crocus, and was quickly able to identify where the location was… at least roughly. Suddenly, two deep purple eyes appeared inside one of the caves atop the mountain range, expanding in size, before suddenly flashing, and he found himself back before Lord Xicor.

"Whoa!? Did they know we were looking at them," Natsu asked, clearly confused, as he rubbed his forehead.

"Of course they knew, since I told them to greet you. Although, that wasn't what I was expecting from them."

"Honestly, I haven't said this in about six years … but I'm actually getting fired up for this," Natsu grinned as he clenched his right fist out before him. "A new Dragon Slayer Element…"

"Xicor? As much as I'm sure the two of you are enjoying each other's company, we are all expected at the Tribunal soon, so we had best be prepared," Eliza cut in, drawing the attention of the pair back toward her.

"Of course we'll be prepared Eliza! Besides, what do I really have to prepare anyway? I'm a Dragon! I'm not exactly going to dress for the occasion, am I? Still, it's been a while since I've left the Shrine… So, I guess I'm looking forward to it. Is Lord Zephyr handling the preparations for this festival?"

"Naturally. He is the God of Festivals, after all?"

"No need to be a smart-ass, Faulkner," Xicor sniffed, as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Right now, I simply must insist on being a smart-ass, since we have less than an hour until the Tribunal begins," Eliza smirked in reply, eliciting a snort from the Dragon God.

"Fine. I suppose it's time for us to get a move on then? The two of you can catch a ride there with me if you wish?"

"Wait, do you mean we get to ride you," Natsu asked excitedly.

"Don't say it like that," Xicor snapped back. "You make it sound weird!"

"Of course your mind goes straight to the gutter Xicor," Eliza scoffed, as both she and Natsu hopped onto Xicor's lowered head. "A real deviant you are…?"

"Shut up Faulkner," Xicor snapped back, as the trio left the shrine, and the Dragon God spread his wings. "You both better hold on tight!? I'll be going quite fast!"

Natsu grinned excitedly as Xicor took flight, the Dragon God quickly taking off in the direction of the largest, and highest building, in Terminus.

The Hall of the Terminus Council… The Tribunal.