A/N: Brand new Fairy Tail story! Yup, can't believe I'm doing this when I already started another Fairy Tail story "The Discarded Hero", but at least this one will somewhat follow canon, but the earlier chapters will be my own original take on how Natsu's journey before finally reaching canon. Anyways, I hope you do enjoy it, this story is one that I really do enjoy writing and have been working on the other chapters posthaste to ensure that I don't lose enjoyment while working on this story.
Prologue: Natsu Dragneel!
Year: X370
Long ago in the kingdom of Ishgar, there were mythical creatures that once ruled the land with their overwhelming power, these creatures were known as Dragons. These dragons were divided into their respective elements in their respective kingdom. Most of these dragons were cruel and coldblooded, the thought of killing the human race, beings which were inferior to them, made them jovial. And for many centuries, the dragons continued their reign over the lands.
However, due to mysterious reasons, they suddenly vanished into thin air, as if they never existed, and though some villagers and witnesses would disagree with that, no one knew whatever happened to the dragons that once ruled. Nevertheless, the dragons were never truly gone from the world of magic. As many dragons decided to hide from the eyes of the world, and some of them even decided to pass down their magic to humans, giving them the title of Dragon Slayers.
Currently, in a dense forest, located far away from any signs of humanity, there lies a Dragon Slayer who currently resided there alongside his dragon parent.
Within the forest, there was a small cave, and living in said cave was a red dragon who was lying down eyeing a small pink-haired boy, who looked around the age of five, who seemed to be sleeping without a care in the world.
The dragon was covered with dark, red scales. It has scars on his belly and neck, with the largest one, which is an X-shaped, located on the centre of his body. Its back has numerous black spikes, reaching down all the way from its back to the end of his tail. The dragon has a triangular head with horns, a pair of large, round eyes with yellow sclera and a sharp horn pointing upwards just above its nose. The dragon also sported very sharp canine teeth, and has claws with long, sharp, red nails and the dragons' bony wings resemble that of a bat.
This was none other than Igneel, the King of the Fire Dragons.
Currently, the red dragon was laying on the ground beside a snoring Natsu Dragneel, his student and son. The mighty drgaon's piercing yellow iris gazed upon the young boy's form as a frown formed on his face.
'I wonder if I'm making the right decision…' Igneel thought as he stared sombrely at his sleeping son.
Although the decision to teach their magic to their respective children had already been made, the Fire Dragon King couldn't help but feel guilty about it. It wasn't because he had no intention of teaching Natsu, nor did he find his son to be annoying.
It was more about what he intended to train the young boy which sported these thoughts.
While he was certain that Metallicana, Grandeeney, Weisslogia and Skiadrum all had their respective methods in teaching their children, the Fire Dragon King knew that the methods and training he intended for him to learn were…brutal to say the least. After all, his training methods could kill or even traumatise a grown man, much less a five-year-old child. He was certain that if he paid a visit to his friends, they would give him disappointed and/or angry looks.
Though, as much as he regrets his decision, the red dragon knows full well of the importance of his actions. After all, he couldn't do too much against the self-proclaimed Dragon King any longer, not when his soul had been as damaged as it was after their fight.
All he could do now is impart his knowledge and wisdom about Dragon Slaying Magic to his son, Natsu Dragneel.
While it was a mystery if the boy would be able to combat or even defeat Acnologia, the red dragon was confident that with enough time and effort, the pinkette and the other children would be able to work together in achieving the goal he and his friends had worked towards since the beginning.
However, that also sparked fear within the dragon. He knew that Acnologia would go after his son the moment he learns about the truth, which caused the dragon to clench his fists tightly. A determined expression formed on the dragon's scaly features, 'No matter what happens, I'll be sure to train Natsu so that he would be able to overcome any enemy that comes his way…even if it is Acnologia.'
Igneel was suddenly broken out of his thoughts by his son who began turning around in his sleep, "Ugh, Igneel…" Natsu mumbled before he suddenly giggled softly in his dreams as the red dragon smiled softly at the sight. Mulling over the young boy's training regime for the next day, Igneel decided to gently crawl over towards the boy before laying down next to him, resting for the days ahead.
A full month has passed since Igneel decided to take Natsu under his tutelage. To say that the Fire Dragon King was proud of his son's progress would be an understatement. In fact, he was VERY proud of him. At first the red dragon had been worried that his son wouldn't be able to cope with his training plans. Though the boy kept on surprising him, not only managing to overcome the difficulties but also managing to exceed them.
Before actually teaching Natsu any abilities or techniques, one of the first things he needed to do was ensure that Natsu and his Dragon Slaying Magic were compatible with each other. If Natsu had zero compatibility with this magic then Igneel would have used a Lacrima filled with his magic and implanted it to the young boy, the same thing both Weisslogia and Skiadrum did with their children. Fortunately, Igneel needn't worry as the pinkette was capable of wielding his magic without any issue. In order to properly test this, the red dragon made Natsu drink his blood.
The moment the pinkette's body showed signs of refusing his blood, it would show that Dragon Slaying magic was incompatible with the user. On the other hand, if the user was feeling alright even after drinking a dragon's blood, then it proved to show that there was a strong connection. After determining that Natsu was capable of using his Fire Dragon Slaying Magic without the use of a Lacrima, Igneel made sure that the young boy drank even more of his blood.
The process to measure compatibility only required a single drop, and any further was ill-advised. However, in accordance to his plan, Igneel made him drink an entire litre of his blood to further enhance the pinkette's physical and be more in-tune with his Dragon Slaying abilities.
After all, a single drop was able to shift the entire DNA of a human's body, as it needed to adapt to the stress and difficulties of using techniques only a Dragon Slayer was capable of wielding. After all, no regular mage was capable of breathing fire from their body or even eating various elements of nature without dealing with any backlash. If a single drop was able to make such a difference, imagine an entire litre of dragon's blood.
However, there was also a large risk in doing so. As being in direct contact with dragon's blood would cause the Dragon Seed which rested in Natsu's body to grow at an alarming rate, which would hasten Natsu's Dragonification, a process only one individual was known to go through, Acnologia. Though, Igneel was confident that he would be able to put a stop to it the moment he utilises the Dragon Soul Ritual and rests inside of Natsu's body.
The result of this was beyond anything Igneel could have imagined as Natsu demonstrated almost a perfect mastery of his Fire Dragon Slaying Magic. Not only was he capable of controlling his magical powers well, he was also able to conjure and summon his flames properly without any fear whatsoever.
One of the biggest fears that a Fire Mage tend to possess would be to get burned by their own flames. This made it difficult for them to properly master any techniques because of this. The same could be said for dragon flames, which are much more difficult to control than regular flames. For lack of better terms, the flames of a dragon possess a 'soul' that's capable of measuring the worthiness of its user.
If the user showcased a fear in using the magic, or attempts to forcefully control them, then the flames would burn the user. At first Natsu struggled to even handle his flames, as he was constantly getting burnt from his flames, which often angered the young boy who reacted negatively to it. Of course, the Fire Dragon King made sure to give his son advice. Though admittedly, there was no direct answer for anyone to be able to master dragon flames.
The Fire Dragon King had expected the boy to finally be able to master his flames after a week's time, but to his shock, the pinkette was somehow able to control them after only two whole days.
When the red dragon had asked Natsu about how he was able to master his dragon's flames as quickly as he did, the pinkette's response amused the red dragon, "Hmm, well since I couldn't force the flames out, so I just thought of the flames as a part of me, and since then I was able to control them." He responded nonchalantly as if it was an obvious thing.
Ever since then, Igneel felt that his son truly was the best person to wield Dragon Slaying Magic. Not only was his affinity with it extremely high, but his mastery of the magic was unheard of for any child or adult! The scariest part about it was the boy's potential. The Fire Dragon King could already imagine the boy being able to fight against other dragons at the mere age of fifteen years. As a result, the red dragon believed that it was only a matter of time before he finally teaches a Dragon Slayer's Secret Art to his son.
Unknown to the Fire Dragon King, he was proven to be exactly right only in a couple of months' time.
Year: X371
Location: Outskirts of Forest
A year has now passed since Igneel began training Natsu. The pinkette was now six years old, just five months away from turning seven. In the past year, the red dragon had been pushing his son into mastering all sorts of different techniques in that span of time. Already at such a young age he was capable of using the Fire Dragon's Roar and Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, and it was only a matter of time before he was able to master the Fire Dragon's Wing Attack.
Currently, the red dragon was watching over his son who was busy meditating underneath a massive waterfall. The reason he had his son go through this was so that the pinkette would be able to tap deeper into his magical essence so that he would be able to unlock the dormant power inside of him. Contrary to popular belief, a person is also capable of tapping into their magical powers without the need of going through emotional means such as anguish or anger.
As for the dormant ability that Igneel intended for the young pinkette to learn, well it was one that allowed even humans to fight dragons at equal strength.
Dragon Force.
While the boy was still too young to be able to call forth to those powers, the Fire Dragon King wanted him to be able to channel into that state earlier on, which would benefit him in the future.
Though, perhaps they would be able to continue it at a later date.
" Natsu, you can get out now." Igneel called out, as the young boy slowly opened his eyes and pushed himself out of the waterfall before approaching his father with a massive smile on his face.
"What are we going to do now, Igneel? Are we having lunch yet?!"
Igneel chuckled upon seeing the excited expression on his son's face before shaking his head, " Not yet, but there is something that I will be teaching you in the meantime." The pinkette's face looked to be disappointed at first before hearing the second half of his father's sentence which caused him to jump repeatedly in excitement.
"Are you going to be teaching me a new technique?! Heck yeah! That's awesome!" Natsu cheered happily, but his excitement was cut short the moment Igneel placed his giant claw atop his head.
" Natsu, I want you to know that I'm proud of all the progress that you have made so far, but this new skill that I'm about to teach you will be much more difficult than anything you've learnt thus far and it'll be a true test to your understanding and mastery of your Dragon Slayer abilities. Are you confident that you'll be able to handle it?"
"Are you kidding me? I'll definitely be able to handle whatever you throw at me!" The young child stated confidently and the red dragon couldn't help but chuckle, knowing that he should have expected that sort of answer from the pinkette.
"So, what are you going to teach me?" He asked in a curious manner, tilting his head to the side.
" Today I'm going to be teaching you a powerful skill known as a Dragon Slayer's Secret Art." Igneel explained as Natsu gasped in amazement.
"Woah…that sounds so cool and powerful!" the boy's eyes shined excitedly and he would have jumped about, had it not been for his father's claw that was still on his head.
" Well, you're not wrong because it IS powerful … devastatingly so. Normally, only Dragon Slayers who are in their teens would be learning these skills, but since you're so confident at being able to master it, then I might as well let you attempt it."
Natsu stood motionless for a brief moment, which caused Igneel to be concerned, but before he could ask him what had occurred, the pinkette proceeded to push away the dragon's claw away from his head, before running circles around the red dragon's body as Natsu began cheering happily with a massive grin on his face. Igneel couldn't help but smile at the sight.
While the boy was certainly slow when it came to studying, but the same couldn't be said for his desire to train. In fact, there have been several times when the dragon had to knock the poor boy out just so that he could finally rest.
" Alright Natsu, let's head over to another location so that you can start your training." Igneel managed to catch his son, who was still grinning happily before placing him atop his back.
The pinkette quickly grabbed on to his father's scales as Igneel began to extend his wings out.
"Hold on tight, Natsu." He warned his son and with a single flap of his wings, Igneel began taking off into the skies as Natsu hung onto his father's scales tightly.
After a while of flying, Igneel eventually landed atop a mountain, where there were no signs of civilisation nearby. A location that was perfect for the training they were about to do.
"So what technique are you going to teach me, Igneel?" Natsu asked excitedly the moment he got off of his father.
" The spell that I am about to teach you is called Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist. It's somewhat similar to your Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, but it is much more powerful. The reason why this skill is considered to be Secret Art is because of the large amounts of magic and concentration that is required in order to properly succeed in utilising it." Igneel explained as Natsu tilted his head curiously.
"What do you mean?"
" After using Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, you tend to stop channelling magic to your hands, but this technique requires you to constantly maintain your magic around your hands for a prolonged period of time. If you're able to master this skill, only then will you be able to master other Secret Arts." The Fire Dragon King then turned his attention over towards his son who looked to have been confused since the start of the explanation.
"Hmm, I don't quite get it…but I'll find a way!" The young boy shouted confidently causing the red dragon to sweat drop.
Again, he should have expected this from his son.
"Well, instead of just explaining to you, I'm sure you'll benefit from seeing it up-close." Igneel smirked and the pinkette nodded his head profusely, wanting to see the true extent of the spell's strength.
After searching around the mountain for a suitable target, the two finally found one as Igneel now stood in front of a massive boulder which was about three times the size of the dragon while Natsu watched closely from the side.
" Now, watch and learn Natsu!" Raising his massive claw limbs, Igneel channelled magic into his limbs before it was fully engulfed with flames. With that, the dragon struck the boulder in front of him, causing it to dent from the force of the attack, and a small explosion quickly followed. Though Igneel didn't stop and repeated this, further destroying the rock in front of him, riddling with large dents and craters from the explosion. After only a matter of seconds, the large boulder was decimated into nothing.
" Now, do you understand why this spell is considered to be a Secret Art?" Igneel asked, turning towards his son who remained unmoving since the showcase.
The young boy nodded his head as a grin was now sported on his face, "That…was awesome!" He exclaimed in amazement.
" Of course, it is to be expected of someone like me." The Fire Dragon King huffed in pride before leaning towards the pinkette and placing a gentle hand atop his head.
" So, do you think you'll be able to do the same thing I did?" He asked his son who was grinning from ear to ear.
"Are you kidding me? I'll definitely do much better than you for sure!" Igneel smirked upon hearing the pinkette's words.
" Very well then, show me what you've got Natsu!"
"Alright! I'm all fired up!"
A whole year has passed since Natsu was given the task of mastering his first Dragon Slayer's Secret Arts. Now at the age of seven, Natsu was taller and his body, while there were still traces of baby fat, much leaner and was beginning to show small signs of muscle forming. As for his signature pink hair, it maintained its spikiness throughout the years but its length grew until it reached his neck.
Initially, the pinkette had much difficulty maintaining his flames for a prolonged period of time, which had been the main reason behind his failure of mastering the spell, but the moment he understood the method, he was able to master it without any issues whatsoever. In fact, Natsu had been able to master the spell after two weeks, which had been a massive shock to Igneel.
After all, the dragon had been wondering if he was pushing his son a tad bit too hard, especially for teaching a Secret Arts to someone as young as him. While it wasn't one of the most difficult skills to master, but every Secret Arts required perfect control of magic, especially when it came to the destructive force in Dragon Slayer Magic.
However, that all changed after watching the boy's progression.
At first his progress had been miniscule, as he was occasionally able to consecutively land strikes, though it would also die off before real progress had been made. Though as each day passed, the Fire Dragon King noticed that the boy was somehow to utilise his skill longer and longer.
Eventually, Igneel decided to put a final test for Natsu. To destroy a boulder that was five times his size and to only use that singular Secret Art to do it. After that, Igneel decided to leave the boy on his own for a moment, thinking that it would have been better if he was given space without needing someone to watch over him. Though the moment he returned, the dragon was left in shock after witnessing the decimation of not just the boulder but the entire mountain terrain, with Natsu laying in the centre, his body filled to the brim with burns, scars and bruises. Yet, despite all the injuries, the boy sported a giant smile on his face at his success.
If there was way to describe what Natsu had done, it would be:
Pure and utter destruction.
After pushing aside his shock, the red dragon felt immense pride for his son for being able to do something no child should have been able to do, he couldn't help but shudder in excitement after looking at the area one final time. His son's potential was certainly frightening and it was a wonder how far he could go in the next few years. In fact, seeing the success of his son, it made the Fire Dragon King question if he could possibly push his son even harder than before.
And true to his word, Igneel had indeed begun to train the boy much harder than before, much to the boy's excitement.
Of course, his training wasn't the only thing Igneel made sure to take care of. His son's education was something just as important for the boy, especially for the time when he would have to venture off into the world by himself. Thus, there had been several moments where the dragon would drop off his son at a nearby village, not only for him to purchase educational books but also for him to properly learn how to interact with other humans.
Fortunately, the people from the villages would take a liking to Natsu, finding his energetic and jovial personality to be adorable and incite their need to spoil him. As a result, without even asking for anything in return, the villagers would willingly teach Natsu how to both read and write while also giving him books for him to practice with. While the boy had been anything but happy to be learning, he had made much progress to the point he could read a whole book without any issues.
Currently, we see Natsu sleeping peacefully inside the cave, Igneel laid his body down on the outskirts, lost in his thoughts as he recounted the events that had transpired which led to this current moment.
He could still recall the moment when a mop of black hair approached him for advice before eventually handing over his little brother to him, in hopes of training him to become a Dragon Slayer. While he had been confused, he eventually accepted his friend's offer. Though the moment he learned of the boy's true identity left the red dragon wondering. At first the Fire Dragon King had considered annihilating the boy who was passed down to him from his friend. However, the more time he spent with the pinkette, the fonder he felt for the boy, and he eventually he began to truly view the human as his actual son, regardless of their race.
Though could a father send their child out to battle, knowing that there was a strong possibility that he could die as a result? He didn't quite know the answer. However, what he does know is that he would train Natsu so that he would be able to take on the world. So that he would be able to protect himself from those that dared view him as an enemy…even if they are a danger to the world.
Igneel could only frown as he gazed up at the stars littered across the night sky. The red dragon could only hope that the future would be as bright as the stars above.
Year: X374
Another two years has passed and Natsu was now nine-years-old. After the success of mastering his first Secret Art, the boy continued to pester his father to teach him another. Giving in to the boy's demands, Igneel began to teach him another Secret Art, the Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade.
However, due to the difficulty spike between the two spells, the pinkette had some difficulty in mastering this Secret Art in particular. Though, after managing to further his control over his flames, the Dragon Slayer had successfully managed to master yet another Secret Art.
Currently his son was busy going through some of the books they had recently obtained from his visit to a nearby village. Natsu had been dedicated in making progress when it came to his education, which surprised the red dragon, especially since he had been complaining at first. Regardless, the dragon was happy to see that the boy was willing to dedicate his time to something other than training.
Though, even with all this, there was one thing that the Fire Dragon King was worried about, and that was whether or not his son would be able to make friends in the future (quite literally in this case). While the boy was rather popular in the various villages that he's been to, but none of them had truly been his friend.
He certainly hoped that the pinkette would be able to make friends with people his age. That was when an idea sprouted in the back of his mind. He had been wanting to pay a visit to one of his fellow dragons for some time, but never had a proper reason to do so, but with this he would be able to kill two birds with one stone. He could finally talk to one of his friends, while also allowing Natsu to befriend a fellow Dragon Slayer.
He wondered who he should pay a visit to between the other four dragons who were raising their own Dragon Slayers. He wondered for a bit before deciding to settle for the one who was least likely to start a fight with him.
" Natsu, get over here!" Igneel's voice boomed across the cave, and after a short while, a mop of pink hair made its appearance before the red dragon.
"What's up Igneel?" Natsu asked, raising an eyebrow at his foster father.
" I'm going to pay a visit to one of my fellow dragons named Grandeeney, and I want you to come along with me." He responded as the pinkette's eyes widened.
"We're going to see another dragon like you?" Igneel smirked, knowing full well that he managed to catch the boy's attention.
" That's right, and if I'm not mistaken, my friend is also teaching someone your age to be a Dragon Slayer." Natsu's eyes shined brightly and with that, the red dragon knew full well that the pinkette was going to want to come along.
"Wait, so I'm going to meet another Dragon Slayer like me?" The boy asked, his voice laced with excitement as the red dragon nodded his head.
" That's right, so get ready already. We're heading off soon." Without wasting another second, the pinkette quickly rushed over to the cave in order to prepare himself, much to Igneel's amusement.
After a while, the two began making their way over to the forest where Grandeeney resided in.
Location: Unknown Forest Area
Nestled deep within a dense forest, the greenery which surrounded the area exudes an aura of profound magic and tranquillity. Tall, towering trees with lush, emerald foliage canopy the area, creating a serene and mystical atmosphere. The forest seems untouched by time, with enormous tree trunks, some appearing to be hundreds of years old, reaching high into the sky.
Currently within the forest was a white dragon and a small child. The appearance of the creature was rather unique, with features more avian than reptilian. It had a broad, flat snout, very unlike most dragons. It had a short neck, and a very lean body, with skin resembling bird legs of the purest white colour, long legs that ended with rather avian feet, and a long, whip-like tail. Its angelic wings were stretched out on the ground, the claws at the top of them serving as forelimbs. This was Grandeeney, the Sky Dragon.
Meanwhile the child that was standing in front of her was an eight-year-old girl with a petite appearance [1]. The girl had long sapphire blue hair which just reached her neck. This was Wendy Marvell, the daughter of Grandeeney.
" Wendy, now remember what I taught you and gently and concentrate." The white dragon instructed gently as the blue-haired girl nodded her head as she closed her eyes and began channelling her magic.
Directing all of her magical power towards a single source, Wendy opened her eyes, " Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy immediately fired off her spell. A tornado blast was immediately fired out of the girl's mouth, and strong blast was able to destroy several trees in front of her. However, the moment she unleashed her attack, the girl immediately dropped to her knees, panting heavily.
Grandeeney smiled at the progress that her daughter was making, while her constitution needed work, she was steadily improving each day. The Sky Dragon gently placed her claw above the girl's head, " Very well done my child. You have been doing well since you've started." Grandeeney said with a motherly smile as Wendy smiled back at her mother.
Though that was when a loud roar resonated across the forest, causing the trees to reverberate while all the animals living nearby to run away in fright.
Grandeeney immediately tensed, assuming Acnologia had awoken from his slumber, but to her relief she saw a familiar red form soar through the skies.
" Well, now isn't this a surprise." Grandeeney uttered in wonderment.
Wendy, who had been startled by the loud roar, quickly ran over towards her mother before she too noticed Igneel who was descending down towards them.
"Grandeeney, is that another dragon?" The girl asked, hiding behind the white dragon's legs.
The white dragon smiled gently, as a way to comfort her daughter as she nodded her head, " That's right Wendy, it's actually one of the friends that I told you about before." Grandeeney mentioned gently to her daughter who nodded her head in understanding as she watched a pink-haired boy, who looked to be a year older than her daughter, jump down from the red dragon's back.
" Grandeeney, it has been a while." Igneel greeted as the white dragon smiled in response.
" Indeed, it has Igneel. Though I must say that I'm surprised by your arrival. It would have been nice to know that you were coming to visit." She chastised with a huff causing the red dragon to chuckle.
" I apologise, but this was a spontaneous decision for me as well." Meanwhile, Natsu had been staring at the other dragon in amazement. Though that was when he noticed a girl hiding behind the white dragon legs, with that the pinkette began walking towards her with a large smile on his face, excited at the thought of meeting a fellow Dragon Slayer.
"Hey there, my name is Natsu Dragneel! What's your name?" The pinkette introduced himself to the girl with a smile on his face.
"M-my name is Wendy Marvell." The blue-haired girl said shyly as she looked towards the ground quickly after introducing herself.
Natsu frowned upon seeing this, "Are you alright? Are you not feeling well?" Though the girl quickly waved it off, frantically shaking her hands.
"N-no I'm perfectly fine! I-I'm just not used to talking with others is all…" Natsu nodded his head in understanding.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. When Igneel suddenly dropped me off at a village filled with people, I felt like I was going to explode from all the nervousness!" The pinkette exaggeratedly said causing a small giggle to escape the girl's mouth.
Smiling at his success, the boy continued to talk about his experiences in the various villages he had been with the girl listening intently and asking questions whenever he stopped. The two dragons couldn't help but smile as they watched their children interact with each other excitedly. Igneel was happy to finally see his son interact with someone his age, while Grandeeney was glad to see the boy help her daughter break her out of her shell.
" Natsu, why don't you and Wendy go and out to the forest and play together for a while? I have something to discuss with Grandeeney."
The pinkette was confused by this but found no reason to refute, so he shrugged and turned to the blue-haired girl beside him. A tint of red began to form on the girl's face as she nodded her head timidly, also wanting to play alongside the boy. A smile immediately sprouted on the boy's face and without any hesitation, he grabbed the girl's hand and began running towards the forest.
Seeing their children disappear into the forest, Grandeeney turned to face her friend as a frown formed on her scaly features, " So what really brings you here Igneel? You never showed any interest in visiting before, so why now?" The white dragon asked curiously.
A pregnant pause filled the area as Igneel closed his eyes, not knowing the right ways to word what he intended to say his friend, before sighing, " Grandeeney, you know what our plans are for the future to defeat Acnologia, correct?"
The white dragon was confused for a bit but she nodded her head nonetheless, " Of course I do… but why do you ask?" Though upon seeing the look on her friend's face the Sky Dragon's eyes widened in shock at what he was implying.
"… Are you saying that you wish for your son to fight off Acnologia by himself?" Upon seeing the red dragon's nod, Grandeeney immediately shook her head.
" Igneel, he's just a child. Besides, what of our plans to send the five children to defeat him then?" She protested but Igneel merely sighed at her words.
" I feel the same way. In truth, I'd prefer if Natsu wouldn't be involved with this, but we both know that Acnologia would find and kill them eventually." The Sky Dragon couldn't deny of this possibility, even if she couldn't agree with what he said.
" As for why I wish for him to fight it on his own… Ever since I've been training him for the past few years, I've noticed that the boy was filled with unbelievable potential… and I have a feeling that with enough training he might be able to defeat us at full strength." Igneel explained with a grin and Grandeeney was surprised to hear the red dragon's assessment of his son.
While she was certain that every single one of them would have nothing but compliments about their children, the way Igneel described the boy felt…different than regular praises.
"… How strong is he?" An amused chuckle left the red dragon's mouth.
" He's strong enough to have been able to master two Secret Arts already. In fact, he's been demanding me to teach him more." Upon hearing this, Grandeeney's eyes widened in shock at what she had heard.
While she was unaware of the progress made by the other Dragon Slayers, she was astounded to hear that a nine-year-old child was already capable of using a Secret Art, much less two!
" Igneel… that is beyond crazy. Just what have you been teaching that boy?"
A frown formed on the red dragon's face as he sighed, " I'll admit that I have been training him harder than I should. Yet, even so, the boy never seems to back down from it. In fact, everything he does just seems to exceed my expectations for him."
Another pregnant pause filled the area before it was eventually broken by Grandeeney who sighed, " Well there's no point in trying to reason with you after everything that happened…" She said before turning away from the red dragon.
" I just hope that you know what you're doing Igneel. If not for your sake, then for that boy's." Grandeeney said before walking away from the Fire Dragon King who had a frown on his face.
'We can only hope for that to be the case…Grandeeney.' The red dragon thought to himself.
With Natsu and Wendy
Left unaware of their parents' conversation, the two Dragon Slayers began playing around in the forest with the girl chasing after the pinkette who was a short distance away.
"Come on, I'm over here!" Natsu said with a grin, turning to face the girl who giggled and began running faster to catch the boy.
Though that was when Wendy tripped on the root of a tree, causing her to fall face first into the ground, causing the boy to walk back towards the blue-haired girl in worry.
"Are you okay?" The pinkette asked in concern, extending his hand over to the downed girl who rubbed her nose painfully before accepting the boy's hand to pull herself up.
"I'm okay…sorry about that, Grandeeney said that I'm quite clumsy." She said with a frown.
"Don't worry about it, I remember when there was a time when I set a tree on fire by accident because I saw a squirrel, Igneel hit me on the head because of the mess I made." Natsu pouted, recalling how angry his father was at him. Wendy couldn't help but giggle at his tale causing the pinkette to inwardly cheer before the two continued their talk from earlier as the blue-haired girl asked the pinkette about his experience and the trainings he had done with his dragon.
"Hmm, well Igneel's been pushing me really hard to make me really strong! He's taught me all sorts of things! In fact, I already learnt two Secret Arts already!" Natsu stated with a massive grin on his face as Wendy's eyes shined brightly at what she heard.
"That's amazing! I want to learn a Secret Art too!" She exclaimed and Natsu gave her a thumbs up.
"Don't worry Wendy, I'm sure you'll be able to learn one soon enough!" Though as he said it, a frown formed on her face as she fiddled with her fingers, "Actually…I don't think I'm even close in being able to learn one." She admitted causing the pinkette to tilt his head in confusion and asked why.
"Well, I actually have a bit of difficulty in controlling my magic and whenever I use my spells, I get tired really easily." Her frown deepened.
"Grandeeney always tells me that I'm doing my best and that she'll continue to support me…but I'm scared that I'll disappoint her and that she'd leave me one day!" Tears threatened to spill as Wendy poured out her anxieties to the pinkette, her gaze fixated on the ground.
That was when she felt something warm on top of her head causing the girl to look up to see Natsu in front of her, a reassuring hand gently placed on her head.
"You know, whenever I feel upset, Igneel would always place his claw on my head and comforted me. There were always moments when I felt like I disappointed him, yet he would always reassure me and tell me that he cared about me. I'm sure Grandeeney feels the same, so don't be scared Wendy. I'm sure she cares for you just like how Igneel cares for me!" He reassured gently.
The pinkette was someone she had just met today, and yet his words resonated within Wendy, who could only nod, her anxieties and insecurities turning to ash. A genuine smile formed on her face as she thanked the boy, wiping away her tears.
A moment of serenity filled the area, with only the sounds of the animals in the forest could be heard. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, Natsu broke the silence, "Hey, since you need some help with your training, how about I lend you a hand?" His smiled and Wendy, surprised yet grateful, nodded eagerly at his offer.
"So, you said that you had difficulty in controlling your magic, right? Have you learnt your Dragon's Roar yet?" The pinkette asked curiously and the girl nodded her head.
"I do…but whenever I use it, I always feel tired out." She admitted with a frown and Natsu scratched the back of his head.
"Hmm, how do you normally use your Dragon's Roar?" He asked, trying to come up with a solution to the girl's problems.
The girl placed a hand on her chin, "Mainly I would try and build up my magic before channelling it all into my mouth." She said and the pinkette closed his eyes as he tilted his head to the side before, he snapped his fingers in realisation.
"Wait a minute, maybe instead of trying to build up power, why not just unleash your attack straight away?" He asked curiously and seeing the confused look on the girl's face, he began to explain.
"Well, Igneel told me when I was first learning how to use my roar that being able to unleash a full-powered roar might take time since you'll need to build up magic inside your body, but you could also just channel your magic to your mouth without building much power, maybe that would help?" He suggested before motioning the girl to look at his example.
" Fire Dragon's Roar!" Inhaling a bit of air, the pinkette immediately fired out a massive torrent of flames at the air, and the blue-haired girl's eyes widened at the size of the flames that the boy spewed out.
"There, you try it out too!" He said, getting a nod from the girl who decided to test this theory out as she turned to the side to face a grove of trees in front of her.
" Sky Dragon's Roar!" With that, Wendy fired off a tornado-blast from her mouth at the trees, which caused them to be uprooted before dropping to the ground with a loud thud. Though, what was most important about it was that the girl didn't feel as tired as when she had used the spell earlier on with Grandeeney.
"It…worked. It worked! I don't feel as tired as before!" Wendy cheered the moment she realised it before turning towards the pink-haired Dragon Slayer with a smile.
"Thank you, Natsu!" She bowed though the pinkette waved it off.
"Hey, I'm happy to help, but you were the one that did it in the end." He said with a smile, genuinely happy that he was able to help the girl. Though, he noticed the girl staring intently at him, "Hmm? What's up Wendy?"
The girl shook her head, "It's nothing, I was just thinking that you're so strong Natsu…even though we're about the same age, I feel like our skills are completely apart. I feel like I'm dishonouring Grandeeney because of my weakness." She frowned, though once again she felt the pinkette's hand on her head.
"You think so? Because I think you're strong too, Wendy." The pinkette said as the girl in question looked up at him.
"Y-you think so?" Natsu nodded his head.
"That's right. Strength isn't all about raw power, it comes from your determination. And wanting to improve yourself is a testament to how strong you are." He said but the girl still looked to be unsure.
"But…what if I'm not strong enough to grow?" she asked and the pinkette shook his head.
"That'll never happen." Her eyes widened slightly at his confidence.
"You asking me these questions is proof enough that you'll be able to grow much stronger than you are now! That's why don't give up! I know that you're going to be even stronger, Wendy!" He said with a toothy grin and the girl could feel her heart begin to beat a bit faster at his compliment as tints of red began to spread around the girl's cheeks, as she muttered out a thanks to the boy.
Of course, the pinkette had been oblivious to this.
After spending a while longer in the forest, the two eventually returned to their respective dragons after hearing the two call out to them.
Igneel sent a grateful nod at his friend, " Thank you for your time, Grandeeney. I appreciate our little chat." He said to the white dragon who shook her head in response.
"It should be I who thank you and your son for stopping by, I have a feeling that my daughter had a wonderful time with him." The Sky Dragon gestured to her daughter who was saying goodbye to the pinkette, with the promise of meeting each other soon.
The two dragons smiled at their interactions, happy to know that they found a friend in each other, before Igneel had been forced to break it, reminding his son of their training. With that, the Fire Dragon King and Natsu said their goodbyes before they soon took off to the skies. The blue-haired girl and the Sky Dragon only watched as the giant red figure slowly disappeared off into the sky.
"Do you hope to see him again, my dear daughter?" Grandeeney asked, staring down at the blue-haired girl who slowly placed her hands on her head, as a smile adorned her face, recalling the warm sensation she felt when the pinkette had placed his hand on her head, "Yeah, I hope that I can see him again soon!" Wendy smiled at her foster mother who could only smile in return.
As a result of this, Igneel often made several trips over towards Grandeeney's forest, allowing Natsu and Wendy to meet up with each other. The two ended up growing closer to one another, and the Sky Dragon even assumed that her daughter was beginning to develop a crush on the pink-haired Dragon Slayer, based on how the girl shied away from the boy so often, yet craved for his attention.
During those times they spent together, Grandeeney would often try and teach Natsu mannerisms and respect, something she claimed Igneel had neither mastered down, much to his father's embarrassment. Though, it was definitely more painful than any other training he had done before.
Who would have expected that the gentle dragon could be a strict teacher?
Though things changed after several months as Igneel intended to train Natsu harder than before, and as a result, had no time to bring him over to visit, much to Wendy's sadness. While Grandeeney could understand her friend's intention, she was angry knowing that it would upset both his son and her daughter.
Unknown to both Dragon Slayers, it would be a long while before they would finally be reunited with each other.
Year: X376
Several more years has passed since that fateful encounter with Wendy and Grandeeney. Ever since then, Igneel had focused on helping Natsu increase his physical capabilities. While his magical prowess was second to none, the Fire Dragon King also wanted to ensure that his son would be able to handle situations where he would not be able to use his magic.
As a result, the dragon often sparred with the boy without the use of magic, which allowed him to develop a fighting style that would match his reckless behaviour. Not only did this allow the boy to be able to come up with his own battle stance that was unique to his own, but it also honed his fighting experience. The same could even be said whenever he used his Fire Dragon Slaying Magic. In fact, Natsu's fighting style was able to complement his usage of magic very well.
Asides from that, one of the more important skills that the red dragon had been teaching Natsu was how to activate his Dragon Force, and the pinkette had been making steady progress, already capable of using it, if only for a brief moment.
Though this didn't discourage the dragon, since the fact that a child was capable of using Dragon Force was already an impressive feat. Heck, he originally had no intention of teaching or telling Natsu about it, but seeing his son's progress spurred him to teach him more and to push him further. Seeing how strong his son was, made the dragon wonder if his son had already unlocked his Second Origin, though Igneel made sure to keep this knowledge to himself for the time being.
Though what truly made it easy for the red dragon was his son's personality.
Natsu's happy-go-lucky attitude had been a sight to behold as the boy never let anything affect his mood, always going through each day with a positive attitude and a toothy grin. Though that all changed the moment Natsu made a decision that would stick with him for the rest of his life.
The moment Natsu turned eleven, the pinkette made his first kill [2].
He couldn't get much information from the pinkette, though according to his son, after making his bi-weekly trip to a nearby village, a group of bandits arrived to steal both crops and money from the village.
Natsu, obviously, intervened and attacked them. However, due to the immense training that Igneel made his son undergo, the boy's strength was beyond that of normal humans, and as a result he accidentally went overboard and killed them all. A few days had passed since the incident took place, and while the pinkette might pretend to be feeling better, the Fire Dragon King knew full well that it had affected his son in a massive way.
Igneel could still remember the haunted look on his son's face the moment he returned from the village. He had been devastated by what he had done…by what he could become with his magic.
Igneel knew that there would be a day when he had to alert his son about dealing with their enemies permanently. However, he never had the courage to do so, nor did he want his son to bear the guilt of taking another person's life. Unfortunately for the both of them, that time had come sooner than expected. Though the red dragon felt fortunate that it occurred while he was still there to comfort his son rather than when he had to deal with the pain by himself, knowing that he would be unable to move on unless he had someone to guide him.
Currently his son was wallowing in his guilt inside their cave, something he had been doing in his free time ever since the event.
Entering their home, the red dragon saw the boy sitting cross-legged, his bangs covering his eyes as he clenched his hands together. Though, hearing his father entering the cave, the pinkette still looked up to face him.
The red dragon frowned upon seeing the boy's appearance. While his appearance wasn't exactly the cleanest, his current state looked far worse than that. His hair was messier than before, and beneath his eyes were dark eye bags, as if he hadn't slept for days.
"…Hey there Igneel." The pinkette greeted his father with a smile. Yet the red dragon knew full well that it was a fake smile.
"… How are you feeling my son?" The red dragon resisted the urge to slap himself for such a question since he already knew how he was feeling.
A low chuckle escaped the pinkette's lips, "Truth be told, I feel a bit better than I did yesterday. But every time I feel like I've recovered, I…remember their screams." Natsu bit his lips, forcefully shutting his eyes. Every single time he closed his eyes, he could just recall the incident take place, as if he was still in the village watching those men take their last breath.
"Every night, even when I know that they aren't here, I just hear them speaking to me…telling me that I'm a murderer…" The boy stated, clenching his fists tightly as his bangs shadowed his eyes from his father who frowned at the boy's words.
" Natsu…"
"I was angry at what they've done…and I wanted to make them pay for it! …but I never meant to go THAT far." He confessed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Igneel frowned, before he sat cross-legged in front of his son, " Natsu, as I'm sure I've told you before. We live in a harsh reality where those who are weak are never able to survive, and this goes for both dragons and humans." Igneel explained and the pinkette looked down.
"I know…you've already told me that before."
Then, the red dragon placed a comforting claw on the boy's head causing him to stare at his father, " Taking a life is a heavy burden to bear, Natsu. It's not something any of us want to do, but there will be times when you are forced to kill your enemy, whether you intended to or not." The red dragon explained as Natsu clenched his fists at that.
If that day truly were to come… would he ever have to deal with that emotion again?
" Only those with the strongest wills would be able to make a change in this world, Natsu. And I truly believe that you have what it takes to do so." Igneel said with a smile as Natsu looked at his father before he stared at the ground.
"Do you think… the pain ever goes away?" Igneel frowned at his question.
" While it may take some time for you to get over it… I believe that the pain of taking a life will slowly become easier… especially if you become accustomed to it." The red dragon explained softly and the pinkette slowly nodded his head in understanding.
A pregnant pause filled the area before it was eventually broken by the Dragon Slayer, "Truth be told I don't think I ever want to kill someone again…" The pinkette admitted after a while, staring at the palm of his hands.
"But the villagers were thanking me, Igneel! Thanking me like I was some hero. None of them…were disgusted with what I had done. In fact, they celebrated it. And I'm happy that I managed to help but-!" The image of the fallen bandit reappeared in his mind causing him to flinch as he cut himself off.
Igneel's eyes softened, and he spoke in a calming tone, " The fact that you still feel guilt over your actions prove that you have yet to lose your humanity, Natsu." The red dragon said, though the image of his black-haired friend of his appeared in his mind, but he shook it off.
" However, you must know that sometimes the world forces people into roles nobody asked for. Heroes aren't always born; sometimes they are made by the choices they have made. The world is always looking for people to look up to, a ray of hope."
Natsu made no comment as he just stood there, not knowing what to say.
Igneel, seeing the undecisive look on his son's face just smiled reassuringly, " However, just know that whatever decision you will make in the future, I will not condemn you nor will I be disappointed with you, Natsu. I am proud of you my son, and that will never change, even if you claim a million more lives." The red dragon said as tears began to form in the pinkette's eyes before he quickly wiped them away, a bright smile forming on his face, the sadness that was etched on his face completely disappeared.
"…Thank you, dad."
Year: X377
It was finally the day of departure for one Natsu Dragneel who was grinning from ear to ear. Currently the pinkette was sitting on his father's back as he glanced at the scenery below them. Several days prior, Igneel had informed him about going on an adventure somewhere, though his father didn't give him a lot of details about it, but the boy was excited at the thought of an adventure regardless of the lack of information.
As they began to descend, the pinkette noticed a large gate in the middle of the forest, and the closer they got to it, the more intimidating its size got to the boy.
"Woah, that gate is huge…" Natsu stared at the gate in amazement, completely taken aback from the sheer size of the object in front of him.
Igneel chuckled at his son's reaction, as he lowered himself, allowing the pinkette to drop to the ground. It was at that moment when someone began walking towards the pair.
The person approaching them was a woman with blonde hair that was tied into a ponytail. Her appearance was truly one-of-a-kind and could be described as beautiful by the people around her. She was wearing an elegant red and white robe with a collared cloak; she was also wearing a keyhole blouse and a long dress.
This was Anna Heartfillia.
"You're late. The other kids and their parents already went through the portal. It's exhausting to keep the gates open; you know?" [3] Anna chastised and Igneel had the decency to look embarrassed.
" I apologise, I was preparing something and forgot about the time." The red dragon admitted causing the blonde woman to chuckle.
"To think that the almighty Fire Dragon King would make such a simple mistake." That was when her attention turned to the pink-haired boy that was standing beside the dragon. She began approaching the boy, lowering herself towards him.
"You must be Igneel's son, right? My name is Anna Heartfillia, and I'm a Celestial Mage. What's your name?"
"My name is Natsu Dragneel, and I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer!" The boy introduced, pointing at himself with a grin on his face.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Natsu. Though I must say that it's a shame you were unable to meet the other Dragon Slayers that were here, but I'm sure that once you pass through the portal, you'll be able to meet with them eventually." She smiled and the pinkette raised an eyebrow at her words.
"What do you mean by that?" This time Anna turned her attention to the red dragon quizzically before receiving a shake of the head from him.
The Celestial Mage sighed before staring down at the boy once again, "Well to put things simply, this is a gate that will send you to a different part of Earthland." She explained causing the Dragon Slayer's eyes to widened in shock.
"Wait, this thing is going to bring me somewhere else in the world?!" The pinkette asked, incredulous that something was capable of doing that.
"That's right. All you have to do is step inside and you'll be relocated to another part of Earthland. The other Dragon Slayers and their parents before you have already gone through it." Anna explained and the pinkette's eyes widened when he heard her words.
"Wait, does that mean that Wendy also passed through the portal with Grandeeney?" he asked curiously and Anna's eyes widened slightly at his words as she stared at him.
"Oh, do you know Wendy?" She asked curiously as the boy nodded his head excitedly.
"Yeah! She's my friend! Though I haven't seen her in a while." He revealed and a look of realisation appeared on the blonde woman's face as a smile adorned her face.
'So, he must have been the boy she was looking for before she went through the Eclipse Gate.' The Celestial Mage could recall the blue-haired girl profusely looking around, searching for someone and when she asked the little girl what she was looking for, her response not only made Grandeeney chuckle but she had a tint of red dusting across her cheeks.
"I-I was hoping to see my friend before leaving…I haven't seen him in years so I hoped to see him again." She said shyly, twiddling with her fingers.
"Well, I can definitely tell you that she wanted to see you too, Natsu." She explained and a wide smile appeared on his face when he heard this.
Igneel decided to make his presence known as he walked forward, " So, all we need to do is walk through the gate?"
Anna nodded her head, "That's right, we've already prepared for this and everything should be alright the moment you enter the gate, and I'm certain that everything is alright on the other side to ensure that everything will be fine." She explained confidently before she noticed a look of unease etched on the boy's face.
Seeing this, the blonde chuckled, "Don't worry about it Natsu, you'll be arriving at somewhere safe." Anna reassured the boy with a soft smile on her face, gently patting his head.
"I-I'm not scared!" The boy refuted eliciting a giggle from the older woman.
"Well, I'm sure there's no need to wait any longer, you two may pass through the gate." Anna said as both Igneel and Natsu approached the Eclipse.
"So, all we have to do is just walk through here and we'll be transported to another part of the world?" The boy asked as the Fire Dragon King chuckled.
" I never expected you to be scared." He teased, getting an annoyed glare from his son who reacted angrily to his father's words before the two eventually disappeared into the portal.
"I wish you two the best of luck in your journey." Anna wished them off with a smile on her face, watching the dragon and Dragon Slayer enter through the portal.
The Celestial Mage sighed before beginning to close the portal, as she closed her eyes thinking about the five children that passed through the gate, 'I wish you all luck…for the sake of the future.'
Later That Night
After arriving in the future, Igneel managed to find a nearby cave where he gently placed his unconscious son on the ground so that he would rest. Tomorrow would be the day when the dragons would 'disappear' from the world and let their students roam out to the world, for them to forge their own paths and destinies. Though in reality, they would be using a unique spell called the Dragon Soul Ritual in order to hide themselves within the bodies of their children to help prevent them from becoming dragons, while also to recuperate their damaged souls so that they would be able to defeat Acnologia.
Though Igneel felt hesitant with parting with the pinkette, and he was certain that the other dragons felt the same way. There were still plenty of things he would have loved to teach Natsu, but unfortunately there would be no time for the both of them. In order for a brighter future, he would have to part ways with the boy he had come to love as his own child.
'Goodbye Natsu, I pray that you'll be able to find your own destiny.' The red dragon thought as he channelled his magic to surround his entire body before he eventually turned into a small glowing red orb. With that, Igneel proceeded to enter through Natsu's body, all while the pinkette was still sleeping, blissfully unaware to what had taken place.
The Next Day
Natsu groaned slightly as he desperately tried to block the sunlight, yet no matter his best efforts, light loosely filtered in through his eyelids which forced him to wake up. His blurry vision slowly clearing open, before everything eventually became clear.
After scanning through his surroundings, the pinkette realised that he was currently resting in a cave, that was similar to the one that he and Igneel used to sleep in during his many years of training.
'I guess Igneel must have brought me in the moment he arrived.' The pinkette couldn't remember much after passing through the Eclipse Gate, but it seemed like the most obvious answer.
Deciding to exit the cave, the pinkette immediately began inhaling the air around him. Though the pinkette felt that the air was…different somehow?
Deciding to shrug it off, Natsu decided to go and warm up before going through with his training regime for the day. The pinkette assumed that his father decided to leave in order to search for some food, after all it was normal for the red dragon to gather food for the both of them.
Thus, the young Dragon Slayer decided to continue training his abilities in the middle of the outskirts, knowing that no one would bother him for at least an hour before Igneel would return.
However…he didn't.
No matter how long the boy waited, Igneel hadn't returned.
After finishing with his regime, the pinkette had been wondering about his father's whereabouts and after waiting for another hour, the boy began to panic and became fearful about what could have happened.
'I wonder where Igneel is.' The pinkette thought in concern. There had been times when his father left him on his own for several hours, but it had never been as long as today.
Deciding to return back to the cave, something in the corner of the cave managed to catch the pinkette's eye.
There was a small bag and a white scaly scarf.
Wondering what they were, the pinkette picked up the two items and stared at them quizzically before deciding to check the contents of the bag.
Inside the bag were several scrolls. Deciding to pull them out, the Dragon Slayer observed each of them before realising that each one of them were spells for Dragon Slaying Magic…to be exact Fire Dragon Slaying Magic.
'Did Igneel leave this for me? But why?' The boy was confused about it all before opening one final scroll from the bag when a small glowing red orb emerged out from it, alerting the boy.
He was about to get into his battle stance when he heard a familiar voice call out his name.
" Natsu…" Hearing his father's voice caused the pinkette to relax slightly.
Was Igneel nearby after all? The Dragon Slayer looked at his surroundings, thinking his father was around somehow. Though, seeing that there was no sign of the large dragon, he turned his attention back to the red orb in front of him.
Was his father's voice coming from it?
" If you are receiving this message, then this means that I have already left you, my son." The voice stated causing the Dragon Slayer's eyes to widen in shock.
Igneel…left him?
However, before he could further digest the meaning behind the message, the orb resumed its message.
" Know that you have done nothing wrong my son, and this has been something myself and the other dragons have been planning since the moment we decided to train humans to become Dragon Slayers."
Numerous questions began to form in the pinkette's mind the longer his message went on. He and the other dragons? The children they trained? Did that include Wendy as well?
Shaking his head, Natsu decided to just listen to the entire message.
" For that I also need to reveal the true reason why I have been training you as intensely as I have throughout all these years."
This piece of information caught the Dragon Slayer's attention. He always found his training regime to be difficult, but the pinkette never found a problem with it, always wanting to make his father proud.
" As embarrassing as it is for me to admit, but there was an enemy that I failed to defeat… Another dragon." The pinkette let out a small gasp in shock. He had seen the extent of his father's strength and couldn't envision any other being able to rival that.
" It was a black dragon named Acnologia, the Dragon of Apocalypse. It is a vicious dragon that only desires nothing but chaos and destruction. We had underestimated him once, and it nearly costed our lives as a result. This dragon's strength is unlike any other that I have seen before… and I have been training you solely so that you would be able to beat him in the future, Natsu."
The red orb explained as the pinkette stared at the palm of his hand before clenching his fists. Just listening to this ignited a flame within the boy.
" Knowing you, I believe you are thinking about finding that dragon in order to prove your strength." The voice sighed and the pinkette had the decency to blush in embarrassment. Even when his father wasn't there with him, he could already tell what he was thinking.
" Though for your sake, I ask that you stay away from Acnologia, Natsu. For at this current moment, you are nowhere near its strength. Though, I believe that won't be the case in the future." The Dragon Slayer's eyes widened in shock at his father's words.
" While you may not be my biological son, you are one who shares my blood Natsu. However, I have not taught you everything that you need to know. That is why, inside the bag that I have left you are several scrolls for spells that I have yet to teach you."
'So, these were spells for me to learn.' The boy thought to himself as he looked at the bag he was carrying.
" I believe that you have what it takes to do what I failed to do, Natsu."
Hearing the belief in his father's tone made the pinkette clench his fists tightly. He always dreamt of the opportunity at fighting his father at full strength and beating him. Though, knowing that there was an opponent stronger than Igneel and was currently out in the world excited Natsu.
" However…" The voice spoke again, breaking Natsu out from his thoughts.
" Please do not forget to forge your own path, Natsu." The boy stared in confusion at the red orb, wondering what those words meant.
" You have been nothing but a blessing to a dragon like me. So much so, that you managed to evoke feelings of fatherly love to no one other than you, Natsu. That's why, as your father, I plead that you do not waste your life in trying to get stronger just to defeat Acnologia. Do not let your journey of growing stronger be your only reason for living. Do not live a lonely life like I have, Natsu. It is the reason why I made you interact with those humans and Grandeeney's own Dragon Slayer all these years."
" Connect with your kind, make friends, find several mates to love or even start a family! Do whatever you believe that is right, Natsu. I know that there will be a day when you and Acnologia will face each other in battle, that is why do not rush in this goal, Natsu. Know that I will always be with you no matter where you go, Natsu. Whatever you choose to do, just know that I will be proud of you."
" Now, go and show Earthland your strength, for you are the son of the Fire Dragon King, you are Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon Slayer!" The moment those words were uttered, the red orb slowly began to dissipate before completely disappearing from sight, as if it were never there.
The Dragon Slayer remained in place for the next few minutes, trying to process the information he received from his father.
The pinkette proceeded to pick up the scarf Igneel left for him before wrapping it around his neck. Holding onto the gift his father left for him tightly, Natsu exited the cave and realised that it was already nighttime.
'So, there's a dragon that even Igneel was unable to defeat…' The thought slightly frightened the boy, knowing how strong his father was and there being a dragon that was stronger than him. Though at the same time, there was a flame that was lit inside the boy just at the thought of this.
His father was trusting him with the responsibility of defeating Acnologia. Believing in HIM to be able to pull it off.
Staring up at the dark skies above, the pinkette made a single promise to the world…and to his father.
'I'll defeat Acnologia, no matter what!'
After spending the rest of the day in the forest, the pinkette was finally ready to sought out of the place he called his home for years, and this time with no plans on returning.
This marked the beginning of Natsu Dragneel's tale.
The tale of the Ultimate Dragon Slayer.
…
End Chapter
There you have it, probably one of the longest chapter I've written EVER, but I felt like it was needed to properly explain my take on what Dragon Slaying Magic is and how much more stronger Natsu will end up being compared to canon. Also, he will act much more mature when compared to canon, which shouldn't be too hard, except that he won't behave as childish as he does. Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter, wanted to write the entirety of Natsu's time with Igneel until big red decided to hide in his stomach. So there you go!
[1] Hooray for Older Wendy! Still believe that Wendy should have been older in the main series. Then again, it would have made the most sense to pair her and Natsu together rather than with Lucy.
[2] Yup made Natsu will kill people in this story. This is something that is important in the series. Though you'll just have to wait.
[3] I decided to make the Dragon Slayers enter the portal at separate times since I made Natsu older by the time he arrives in X777, and he should be able to remember the others if he met them at that age.
Confirmed members of the Harem:
Wendy
Kagura
Hisui
Mirajane
Erza
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kofi.c om (slash) christophernagura