Chapter Thirty
X372: Dragneel
A platinum blonde Celestial mage had been hiking through lush green mountain forests for a few days now, going to where she knew that there was a Dragon training a student.
The relationship they'd formed together had been unexpected to her, and she wasn't even sure at first it the two of them would finish Igneel's flight without trying to kill each other, but sure enough, after a dozen visits, she'd come to know that they'd formed a bond like no other.
Igneel, the Fire Dragon King, had met the boy when he had no control over himself, their battle had raged for three days across several lands before Anna had finally managed to get between the two of them.
Sensing an almost impossible aptitude for the magic, Igneel had taken it upon himself to get Natsu to become a Dragon Slayer, something that would channel and fuel his natural penchant for fire and destruction.
"See, it is just a memory," Natsu said as two similar visions of himself slowly followed the Celestial mage through the trees.
"Memories, do not work for things that we were not included in," E.N.D. argued slowly, his naturally grave voice didn't sweep over certain words like a normal person would, it meant that everything he said sounded far more purposeful than was intended.
"Memories are abject, from the point of view they were experienced. You would not have a memory of her walking through a forest because we were never here." E.N.D. continued.
"This is the most we've spoken in all of these four hundred years… I hate it," Natsu responded, not willing to concede that E.N.D. somehow had been the voice of logic.
"Smell that?" Natsu asked, looking around for a moment before it dawned on him, "Usa… My Usa," he beamed sentimentally.
"The Dragon woman," E.N.D. sneered, glaring at Natsu as they continued to follow the Celestial mage.
They walked out of the edge of the forest and into a large clearing that formed a valley, snaking and winding around the feet of several mountains, hidden from the outside world.
They could see what the anchor of the dream memory was, down in the valley by the mouth of a cave. Igneel's large slumbering form was curled up, looking deceptively small.
"Natsu!" Anna's voice carried easily over the vast valley, easily projecting as far as it needed to.
She continued her stride through the grass, now heading to where Igneel lay, backed by the spectators of the pseudo-memory.
An explosion rocked the valley, flames reaching high into the sky from the peak of one of the mountains as a body soared before falling back down.
A violently bright trail of orange, yellow, and red hues followed as the young man came crashing into the side of the mountain, sliding against rock and earth as he barrelled on.
He came to a casual stop, flipping out of his landing, feet touching down next to the Dragon.
They were close enough to see the young Dragneel give an excited wave as the Celestial mage got closer.
"Why are we seeing this now?" E.N.D. asked, glaring at everything around them. If it hadn't been a memory, he would have already tried to set fire to the world.
"I don't know, shut up," Natsu responded flatly.
"It's the Heartfilia girl's fault. She's the reason we're reliving this." E.N.D. reasoned.
"Mmm," Natsu nodded slowly, "Lily." he smiled softly, looking at Anna as they walked on, almost to the clearing where Igneel had been lying.
"Good morning, Igneel," she said with a bright smile, already having felt comfortable in his presence from her visits over the past year.
"You're troubled," Igneel boomed, seeing right through the smile and happy facade.
"There is trouble," she replied, "Natsu," Anna stopped, bracing herself as the young Dragon Slayer ran up and swept her off of her feet, swinging her around in joy.
"Hey!" she giggled, "Put me down, you can't just hug everyone you see," she tried to scold him, but the wide smile on her face wasn't all that convincing.
"I don't!" the young Natsu argued, his face looking mildly offended, "I only hug you every time I see you!" his sheepish grin turned into endless youthful mischief and joy before he eventually put her down.
Natsu turned to E.N.D. his mischievous grin showing, though his was different, the humour across his face had been marred from centuries of fighting emotional, mental, and physical battlefields.
"I can feel your jealousy from here," Natsu said, a hint of venom dripping in his words as he held a challenging glare with his inner darkness.
E.N.D. squared his shoulders, eyes narrowing into the hate-filled glare. "If you wish to fight, then we can fight," he said slowly, slow even for his particular vernacular.
Natsu backed off with a dismissive wave, it wasn't worth it, not until he could figure out why they were both having these dreams.
"Trouble," Igneel said, reminding her of why she'd come there in the first place.
"My friends," Anna motioned toward the keys on her belt, "have told me about some possible allies on the continent of Ishgar. Dragons and humans co-exist. The trouble is that they are preparing for a confrontation because the Dragons here kill and eat Humans."
"That is trouble. If they co-exist with humans, then they are united under one rule, otherwise there would be rogues among them. Our Dragons are divided by race, but, if I call, most will come." Igneel told her, hoping more than anything.
"I'm travelling to meet with the Queen of a country called Dragnof, and against my better judgment, I wish to take Natsu with me to prove we're capable of co-existing as well." she let out a slight sigh, looking at Natsu to see how much he was following along.
Igneel stared for a long moment while he considered it, "he is well in control, but do you think it wise to bring him near humans?"
"He can't be kept hidden away forever, he'll never learn to blend in among the humans, it would be cruel not to give him a chance," Anna responded.
"I can take you some of the ways, but it will be up to you after that, he may need some more appropriate clothes though." Igneel gave a small chuckle as they looked at the young Dragon Slayer. His clothes were dirty, ripped, and singed.
"I actually had some thoughts about that, I think I might be able to enchant some of your scales, it would mean that he can use his magic without his clothes getting destroyed," Anna said with a bright smile.
"I'm sure that I can spare a few." Igneel nodded, and the memory began to fade. Everything grew dim, except for Anna.
"Time is running out," she said, looking at Natsu expectantly.
He looked at E.N.D. who merely shrugged.
"You have to find the others before he finds you!" she said more urgently.
"The Dragon Slayers? I've already found one, there's only," he held up a hand, counting down his fingers and mumbling under his breath. "Three left," he said with a mild huff of exasperation.
"Zeref is coming!" and then she faded, leaving Natsu and E.N.D. both silent.
"Happy now?"
"Very," the Demon said.
A/N: Another chapter tomorrow because this one is a short one.