This chapter introduces some of the Fairy Tail dragons, and the next chapter will have Lucy's first meeting with Natsu!
As always, please review and thanks for reading!
Chapter 15: Fairy Tail
Landing in the Thunder Hall of Fairy Tail was…interesting.
Surrounded by their escort of enemy dragons, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy looked about as comfortable as three hawks being brought into an eagle army's nest. Natsu was just doing his best to pretend his leg wasn't injured, but it didn't matter. They were no longer the top of the food chain.
The first thing that was apparent: They weren't welcome.
The dragons escorting them, aside from Erza, Lisanna, and Levy, were already flashing them angry looks. When they got to the Thunder, that only got worse. While the dragons awaiting them might not have exactly expected to see Erza's group fly in with four stowaways, (Even if Juvia wasn't even with them.) they clearly were not happy to see them.
Erza called to a violet dragonelle watching them and murmured, "Kinana, find Lucy's parents, tell them she's safe for me. I have to deal with them."
Kinana nodded and flew off towards the city below.
A big, gold drake with a lightning shaped scar over his right eye sat on a rock ledge above them. As the group walked in, he eyed the four newcomers with a sneer, "Well, what do we have here? Looks like Erza finally caught the little rats that have been sniffing around, eh? These are seriously what's been keeping us frightened and indoors for seven years? Now that's just pathetic. Especially the little blue runt down there. She's not even half my size!"
Wendy visibly deflated at his words until Natsu snarled up at him, "Well, I didn't see you try to fight us. If you're so great, then why didn't you do something about it?"
The drake snorted, "I can't be bothered to hunt pests."
"Hey, Gay." Natsu muttered to the Ice Drake.
The Ice Drake who flared up with a hiss, "It's GRAY, you stupid flame!"
"Whatever." Natsu grunted, "Tell that punk ass up there to shut his mouth, or I'll burn it shut for him."
The gold dragon above laughed mockingly, "I'd like to see you try, little runt."
"Enough of this." Erza interrupted, then looked up at the drake, "Laxus, we didn't bring them here to meet you. We brought them to meet Makarov."
"Why? We're gonna kill them anyway, why bother introducing them?" Laxus asked.
Wendy cringed and shrank down, but Gajeel glared up at the other drake with smoldering red eyes, "You think you're gonna kill us?"
Laxus shrugged, "Yeah. If you were weak enough to be captured, I've got no use for you. Why keep you around?"
"Erza, in ten seconds that bastard is going to have his throat torn out." Natsu hissed.
A white dragonelle who looked almost identical to Lisanna stiffened at that and snarled a threat, "Don't you dare even think about trying that."
Natsu glared back at her, "Then tell him to shut up. He's got no right trying to scare Wendy like that."
Apparently, it was only now that the Fairy Tail dragons seemed to realize that Wendy looked terrified. She was crouching low to the ground and shivering with fear.
Erza sighed, "Laxus, please keep quiet. Come on, you four. Makarov is in the back."
They left the gold drake behind and proceeded to the back of the Hall, which was surprisingly large. At the very back, curled up in sleep, was a giant dragon. Or maybe just a part of the mountain that looked like a dragon.
Mira went up and prodded the mass with her tail, "Makarov, Erza's back."
The mass shifted, then came apart to become a huge, gray and gold dragon with aged horns and spikes. He towered over the others, making the three raider dragons feel very small.
Gajeel muttered nervously, "This is Makarov? What the hell has this guy been eating?"
"How do they feed him?" Natsu wondered.
Wendy gulped, "He could crush us with a foot…"
Makarov looked down at them with a flicker of surprise, then glanced at Erza and rumbled, "What happened here?"
"We caught them attacking the Dragon Slaver caravan that kidnapped Levy, Lucy, and Dragion. Apparently, their comrade had been captured by them as well." Erza explained.
"There wasn't much bloodshed, I hope?" Makarov asked.
Natsu and Gajeel shuffled their feet like two naughty kids while Erza sighed, "Unfortunately, these two took many lives out of the Dragon Slaver ranks. They-"
"Now hold on, how is that a bad thing?" Gajeel interrupted, "Less Dragon Slavers means less of a problem and…uh…"
He was cut off at the hint of a glare from Makarov. The old dragon growled, "The loss of life is a terrible thing, be it from a friend or enemy. Carry on, Erza."
"Yes sir." she said, flashing a look at Gajeel to keep quiet, "We brought the battle to a halt, talked the Dragon Slavers into releasing the captives, and flew back here."
"I see…" Makarov murmured, then seemed to think for a few moments before he assessed the three raiding dragons with an intense look, "Well, you brats have caused us problems and troubles for a long time. What do you have to say for yourselves?"
"What do you intend to do with us?" Gajeel growled.
The old dragon's eyes narrowed, "Why do you ask?"
"Because, if you're going to kill us, then just get on with it." the Iron Drake hissed, "And if you're going to imprison us, I'd rather die now than turn into a pile of rusty iron. So what's the verdict?"
Makarov rumbled with amusement, "I will decide your punishment after I hear your story. You three might be young, and you might be brash, but you don't strike me as fools. Well, not brainless fools, anyway. Challenging all of us with just three of you was very foolish, but it seems you have quite a bit of courage to go with that."
"More like complete idiocy." Laxus drawled.
"Well?" Makarov ignored Laxus and raised a scaly eyebrow at the three dragons.
Natsu glanced to his comrades, then faced the old drake, "We wanted to take over the Thunder. We-"
"As if!" Gray interrupted with a roar.
Bixlow sneered, "Think you can take us down so easily?!"
"That isn't manly!" a huge, bestial drake snarled.
Erza shouted at them, "Gray, Bixlow, Elfman, be silent! Let him speak."
Natsu ignored the others and kept talking, "We wanted to take over because we needed the help of other dragons."
"You went about asking for help a funny way." Mira remarked.
"There wasn't really any choice." Natsu defended, "What we needed help with…I doubt you would have agreed if we just came up and asked."
"And what do these three great dragons possibly need from a weak Thunder like us?" Laxus asked mockingly.
Natsu flashed a smoldering glare at him and spat, "I need your help to kill Acnologia."
The Thunder Hall went dead silent.
The Flame Drake looked at the flash of unease in the other dragon's eyes with satisfaction, "See? I knew you would turn us down. That's why we tried to take over by force."
Makarov leaned down to look him in the eye, "That is a dangerous task, young dragon. Not one taken lightly, either."
Erza picked up from there, her voice dark with anger, "So, you thought that this reason could justify all the attacks you've made on villages? What about the people you killed? Were they just a way to get our attention? You would sacrifice human families so easily?"
"Easily?" Natsu snarled while his scales bristled, "My father was killed by Acnologia, but my mother was killed by humans. What makes you think I have any sympathy for human families? They stole away the only family I had left!"
Erza's eyes went wide. In fact most of the Thunder's dragons seemed appalled, except for a few. Lisanna, for one, dipped her head, having already heard Natsu's story.
Makarov eyed Gajeel and Wendy, "But these two weren't just following you."
"No." Gajeel broke in, "We agreed to do this together. Dragon Slavers captured me and Wendy. Natsu saved us and we escaped, then started the attacks on your territory after that. Wendy's father was killed by those humans, and her mother was wounded. Although, she might be dead, and we just don't know it. We haven't seen or heard from her in these last seven years."
"The idea was to take over, then stop the Dragon Slavers from hurting more dragons." Wendy said nervously, "Once we had enough dragons helping, we were going to go help Natsu fight Acnologia."
Laxus sneered, "Too afraid to fight it yourself?"
Natsu gave the golden drake a seething look, "Why don't you go kill it? A strong drake like you shouldn't have any trouble. If you're as great as you say."
Laxus's gaze flickered with dislike, "I won't sit here and let you tell me what to do, runt."
"Then please, sit somewhere else, and I'll tell you there." Natsu goaded.
The gold dragon got to his feet with a snarl, but Makarov rumbled, "Enough arguing! I understand that you three have run across hard times, and for that, I do have sympathy for you. But I will not risk the lives of my family to go on a hunt for a vicious dragon like Acnologia who could kill even me. And the Dragon Slavers are part of a much bigger game than you realize. What you ask is impossible."
Natsu looked away with a barely suppressed snarl, then glanced back up, "Well, thanks for hearing us out. We'll just leave and find another Thunder." He turned with a jerk of his head to Wendy and Gajeel, but Makarov wasn't done.
"Now, hold on there." the old dragon grunted, "I didn't say you could leave."
Natsu and Gajeel stopped dead and looked over their shoulders with angry looks.
"Excuse me?" the Flame Drake hissed.
"Try and make us stay, old drake." Gajeel spat, "It won't end well for you."
Wendy looked less sure that they could escape from the huge, gray dragon, who chuckled, "Fiery spirited, eh? I admit, little ones, you have piqued my interest. Even though it meant raiding a territory for seven years, you drove on to no end to fulfill the mission you had. That takes guts. And challenging the strongest Thunder in Fiore…you might have more nerve than any of the other dragons in the country. I'm impressed."
"What's your point?" Gajeel snapped.
"My point is that I've taken a liking to you three." Makarov said, "It would be a waste to kill or imprison three strong young dragons like yourselves. How about it? Why don't you join Fairy Tail?"
The three dragons froze, then Natsu and Gajeel bristled.
"Don't mess with us!" Gajeel roared.
Natsu breathed out embers in anger, "Is that supposed to be funny?!"
Makarov sighed, "Young drakes…they're like bucks in their first year. So aggressive, but it's the wise old stag that is the most cunning and successful. Think about it, would you? If you join, you wouldn't have to worry about being hunted by Dragon Slavers."
"Oh, so your little blue friend got caught on purpose, huh?" Gajeel snorted with a contemptuous flick of his tail at Levy. The little dragonelle puffed up angrily at his mocking gesture.
"That was unusual." Makarov admitted, "The Dragon Slavers have never come this far into our territory. But other than them, you wouldn't have to worry about humans attacking you. Other dragons would also be unlikely, though there's no telling what the border patrols from other Thunders might pull these days. You would have shelter, food, and most importantly, you could make friends if you join."
Natsu rolled his eyes, "What good'll that do?"
The old dragon snorted impatiently, "If you make friends among the dragons here and in other Thunders, some of them might come to your aid if you decide to complete the mission you had in mind."
It took a moment, but the three dragons relaxed, if just slightly. They shot wary glances at the other dragons.
Gajeel muttered, "Friends? In this bunch? I think age is getting to you, old drake. They hate our guts. Just look at them."
Most of the dragons didn't look particularly happy about having them as potential comrades. Laxus especially, looked angry, with his tail lashing slowly from side to side, as if he intended to pounce on them.
"Old grudges fade with time." Makarov dismissed, "You can fit in with some effort. Do your best to make them see you as friends rather than the enemies you appear to be now, and eventually, you will find friendship here."
The drakes still looked disbelieving, so surprisingly, Wendy took matters into her own hands. She dipped her head hastily to the old dragon, "We really appreciate that, sir! Is it really no problem if we join?"
"Is it a problem?" Laxus broke in before Makarov could speak, "These three punks raided our territory for seven years, and instead of punishing them, you're asking them to join us? We should kill them and use them as an example to any other enemy!"
Makarov gave Laxus a warning look, "You are not leader yet, Laxus. And when you are, I hope that you choose to think wisely before you take the life of a potential comrade. Not all ruffian dragons are born evil, most just deviate from the correct path. It's the duty of a leader to ensure that he guides them with peace and wisdom, not violence and anger. I will deal with their punishment without bloodshed."
Laxus lashed his tail one last time, then whipped around and stalked away.
Natsu stared after him, "As long as I don't have to be friends with him…I don't see why we can't stay for a bit."
"What the hell." Gajeel muttered, then grumbled a few unintelligible words.
Makarov nodded and offered a smile, "Then it's decided. State your names, please. Starting with the little dragonelle. Ladies first is good manners."
"Wendy."
"Natsu."
"It's Gajeel."
The old dragon nodded a few more times, then cleared his throat and rumbled, "Well, Wendy, Natsu, and Gajeel, welcome to Fairy Tail. The others will introduce themselves to you now-"
"Um, sir…" Wendy interrupted him nervously, "W-well, Natsu's got an injury on his leg…it needs treatment."
Gray stood up proudly, "You're welcome."
"Another word, you frozen lizard, and I'll melt you down to a puddle." Natsu snarled.
"Calm down, young fireball." Makarov grunted, "Of course, we'll have your wound treated before it can get worse. In which case, Wendy and Gajeel can stay and talk with their new comrades while one someone takes Natsu up to Porlysuca…"
After a few mutters from dragons declining the option, Lisanna spoke up, "I'll take him."
Elfman didn't look happy about that, nor did he sound particularly enthusiastic, "Oi, Lisanna! He could attack you on the way to Porlysuca's and we couldn't help!"
Lisanna rolled her eyes, "Relax, big brother. Even if he tried something- which I doubt he will- I'm pretty sure I can handle a three-legged dragon."
Elfman growled uneasily, but didn't argue further.
Makarov snorted, "Then that's decided. Lisanna will take Natsu to have his wound treated. The rest of you go about your usual business. I will think on their punishment after I speak to Erza and…what was your name?" He motioned towards Juvia, who was still hiding behind Gray and Erza.
Erza spoke up, "It's Juvia, sir. She's…well, I'll tell you personally."
The old drake grunted, then flicked his tail, "Then you're all dismissed."
So while Gajeel and Wendy glanced around for something to do and Erza, Gray, and Juvia moved closer to Makarov, Lisanna led Natsu up a path in the side of the Hall to a higher level.
"Come on." she said, "Let's get you to Porlysuca."
/
Porlysuca's den was at the highest cave in the Hall.
Natsu caught the scent of herbs before he even saw the large entrance to her hideout. Lisanna led him inside and called out, "Porlysuca! Can you help us?"
There was a loud snort, then a grumbling sound as something shifted in the back of the cavern and stalked over. An old, pink and red dragonelle padded to them. She was as large as Sunrose had been, and almost looked a little bit like her, but this dragonelle's temperament was much different.
She huffed at the sight, "What's this about? Who is this?"
Lisanna dipped her head with respect, "This is Natsu. He's one of the new dragons Makarov let into the Thunder. He's-"
"New dragons?" Porlysuca demanded, "More than one? Don't tell me he's taken in those three upstarts that have been raiding our territory! They've destroyed some of my best herbs, you know!"
"I know, Porlysuca." Lisanna said patiently, "But they're really not all bad, and Makarov seemed to think they at least deserved a chance, so can you please help? Natsu got an injury on his leg from Gray's frostbite."
Porlysuca snorted diffidently, but leaned down and sniffed Natsu's wound. She muttered lowly, "Well, at least it's not infected. You'd really be in trouble, then. Hmm…let's see, now…"
The old dragonelle shuffled to the back of her cave and started sniffing around at piles of herbs. She glanced to the waiting dragons and jerked her head, "There's a smaller cave close to mine. Go wait in there. I can't work efficiently with others watching my every move.
Lisanna nodded obediently and nudged the Flame Drake out of the cave and back onto the rocky path, then led him to another cavern just a few meters away from Porlysuca's.
Natsu limped inside and settled down with a sigh, "Finally…"
"You were lucky." Lisanna remarked, "If Makarov wasn't the leader here, you would have almost certainly been killed."
"Well, I wasn't." he muttered, shuffling his wings with unease, "Do you really think we'll be accepted here?"
Lisanna glanced back to make sure no one was watching, then gently pressed her nose to his jaw and murmured, "They'll get over it. Give them time…more than anything, I'm just glad you're okay."
Natsu seemed to lighten up with that and flicked her with his tail playfully, "Don't get all soft on me now that I'm in the same Thunder as you."
She hummed with laughter, "Only in your dreams, Natsu."
Porlysuca came in with a bowl of paste held delicately by her tail. She set it down, dipped the tip of her tail in, and spread the herbal mixture over Natsu's wound. He hissed at the stinging sensation, but the old healer ignored him for the most part.
She sniffed the wound again and nodded with satisfaction, "That'll do. Don't come back unless it gets worse. Although if it does, it'll be entirely your fault."
When the old dragon walked off with her herbs, Natsu's tail twitched and he hissed lowly to Lisanna, "Friendly, isn't she?"
The Tigress Dragonelle's mouth curled in a faint smile, "Porlysuca's always like that, but we know it's just the way she is. She's really nice at heart."
Natsu snorted, "I guess so." He rose to his feet and stalked out of the cave, then followed Lisanna back down to the main area of the Thunder Hall.
At least Porlysuca didn't try to attack me at first sight. Maybe this place'll be okay after all.