Chapter 2: Meeting the Guild

Seven long years had passed and Natsu was now a boy of twelve. He no longer had the kind and gentle touch of his mother. Instead, he was a hardened warrior of his father's design. He was cold, calculated, ruthless, and devoid of almost any emotions. His father, or Lord Acnologia, as Natsu was required to call him, had taught him many things like how to fight and kill. But perhaps the most important thing his father had taught him was his magic, Chaos Dragon Slayer Magic. Natsu carried out numerous tasks for his father, like wiping out whole villages, or torturing people to their breaking points. His feats gain him recognition among Acnologia's underlings. However, Natsu could never gain the one thing he wanted more than anything else in the world, his father's approval. Whenever he completed a task, he would rush to tell his father about it, but his father would never give him even the slightest of praises. "Of course you did. That's why I sent you," or "You took too long," were all Natsu ever heard from his dad. Over the years, Natsu began to accept that he would never be good enough in his father's eyes. This only led to him growing colder.

One day, Acnologia came up to his son's chambers. 'This must be important,' Natsu thought. 'He never visits me.'

"Come with me boy." Acnologia demanded.

"Yes sir." Natsu replied as he followed his father.

They went outside and Acnologia barked at Natsu to stay back and began to transform into his dragon state. 'Great, what did I do now?' Natsu wondered as he touched a large scar on his chest that he received the last time his father showed him this form. "GET ON!" Acnologia roared. Natsu did as he was told. And with that Acnologia took off into the skies.

Natsu couldn't help but feel a little bit of excitement, he was flying, but more importantly, his father was spending time with him. They landed in a forest and Acnologia changed back into his preferred form and spoke up. "I've trained you as much as I can and you're still so weak." This hit Natsu hard. Sure, his father had called him weak before, but this time felt different. "Hopefully when I return for you, you'll be strong enough to be of use to me." With that Acnologia vanished, leaving his son all alone.

"Weak?" Natsu spoke out loud to himself. "After everything I've done? All the orders I've followed? All the people I've killed for him? He can't just throw me away like I'm nothing but trash. No, he must be testing me. He even told me he'd come back when I got strong enough." With this in mind, Natsu had one goal. To become the strongest version of himself possible.

A few days later, Natsu was sitting beside a fire he built for himself. He had just finished his breakfast, a large boar he had brutally struck down, when a certain smell clung to his nostrils. It was something Natsu had not smelled since before being left alone. Natsu knew this stench well, a human. And from what he could smell, the human was coming his way. Now he didn't know if this human already knew his location and was coming for him, but Natsu decided it would be better to ambush them and take them out before anything else could happen. He quickly snuffed out the fire and jumped into a branch of a nearby tree. His plan was simple. Attack the person from above and end this quickly. As the smell grew closer, Natsu readied his attack and a black aura started emanating from his fists.

"That's some interesting magic you've got there kid. Mind telling me what kind it is?" A voice called out from behind Natsu, startling him and making him fall out of the tree." As he hit the ground, Natsu looked up and saw a short old man with a mustache, a funny hat, and a walking stick. He recognized this old man's smell and deduced he must have been the human from before.

"Damn it old man, what the hell?" A pissed-off Natsu asked while picking himself up off the ground.

"If you hadn't been so focused on attacking me and had a broader outlook, you would have noticed my presence." The old man replied. Natsu stared at the old man who then flashed the boy a smile and a peace sign in return. This angered Natsu, who reignited his magic and charged at the old man.

"CHAOS DRAGON'S BRUTAL FIST!" screamed Natsu. He swung his left arm and the old man, who effortlessly dodged it. Natsu gritted his teeth and his father's voice rang out in his man "AGAIN!" He yelled in sync with his father's voice inside his mind. Only for the old man to dodge it again, only this time the old man let out a yawn. "Damn it." Natsu took in a huge breath of air. "CHAOS DRAGON'S ROAR!" A large beam of black energy erupted from the boy's mouth. Natsu decided to put a little extra power behind his roar. After his roar faded, Natsu saw its wake of destruction. His roar left everything in its path completely annihilated. Natsu assumed the old man had perished with his attack.

"Huh, you sure do have a lot of power behind your attacks. Too bad that's about all you have. Power is a nice thing to have, and for opponents weaker that you it might be enough. But without discipline, control, direction, and adaptability, that power is almost useless against someone stronger than you." The old man instructed Natsu. This lecture only fueled Natsu's rage, who was preparing to strike the old man again. The old man let out a sign. "Children…"

Natsu took a deep breath to compose himself. He closed his eyes and focused all his magic to his hands. His plan was to attack the same as before, but right before he struck, he would shift all the magic from his hands into his right foot. Which he would then use to strike the old man's skull. Natsu's thoughts were interrupted when he felt a giant hand wrap around his body. He opened his eyes and saw the old man's outstretched arm had grown significantly in size and was now holding onto Natsu firmly.

"Get your damn hands off of me old man!" Natsu yelled while trying to break out of the man's grip.

"Now all I wanted to do was have a friendly chat with a stranger," the old man began. "But it seems all you acknowledge is strength. As you can see, I'm a lot stronger than I look. Now if I let you go, you promise to not attack me again? And that we can talk?"

Natsu wondered how he could have been defeated so easily. And to make it worse, he was immobilized by this old geezer. A dejected Natsu, gave an almost unnoticeable nob. Upon seeing this, the old man released the boy from his grip.

"Now, my name is Makarov Dreyar. It's nice to meet you…" The old man paused. "What's your name kid?"

Natsu waited for a moment before deciding to tell the man. "My name is Natsu."

"Well Natsu, what is a kid like you doing in the woods all by yourself?" Makarov asked.

"I have to get stronger. It's the only way I can go back." Natsu spoke in a low voice.

"Go back to where? Maybe I can help you out" Makarov offered.

"That's not any of your damn business Old Man!" Natsu screamed. "Besides, it's not like you could actually help me. The only one that can help me is my father."

Makarov pondered on what the boy had just said. "Well, if you're looking to become stronger, why not come with me and join my guild. Our family is always open to new members. What do you say kid?"

"Why would I want to join your family? I just told you I had a father. What, are you deaf too?" Natsu spat out.

Makarov frowned after hearing this. Upon his initial glance, he looked like an average kid. But now that he had a chance to get a proper look at him, Makarov noticed two things that worried him. The first was the dark, almost malicious aura the boy gave off. The second was his eyes. They were not the eyes a twleve-year-old should have. In his eyes, he could see a twisted, cold, and cynical look, but he could also see the look of a lost, sad, and confused little boy. Makarov decided right then he would do everything he could to save this boy. Makarov opened his mouth to speak again, "What is your father's name kid? Maybe I can help you look for him."

"My father's name is Acnologia, the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse." He stated in a prideful manner. "And my father dropped me off here telling me I was too weak and that he'd return for me if I got strong enough. So if I manage to become strong enough, I can finally take my rightful place at his side."

Makarov recoiled a bit at hearing this. Of course he knew who this was, everyone did. Or at least, they used to. He could only imagine this child's upbringing and began to question whether or not to even bring him back to the guild. However, he quickly expelled those thoughts. 'What am I saying? No child should be blamed for the sins of their parents.' "I make my offer to you one more time. Why don't you join my guild, Fairy Tail? We are the strongest guild in Fiore. I'm certain you'll will grow stronger there, and perhaps you might even find a new meaning to the word strength," he said proudly. "But if you do join, I have one rule for you." Makarov said changing into a more serious tone.

Natsu thought this over for a couple minutes before speaking up, "Can I really get that much stronger at this place?"

"I can almost guarantee it."

In Natsu's mind, he rationalized how he could use this place this old man offered to his advantage. He'd stay there until he got strong enough. And if this guild was truly the strongest in the land, he'd crush them to show his father how much he had grown. "Find, I'll do it Old Man. Now, what is this stupid rule that you have?"

"All you'd have to do is not tell anyone who your father is. He is a very powerful being, you see, and I'm not sure how the rest of the guild would treat you if they knew the truth." Makarov stated calmly.

"And why would I care what the people think of me? I am the son of the great Black Dragon." Natsu stated with an arrogant tone. "But, if what you say is true, and I can become the strongest, then fine. I'll do it."

With a smile, Makarov put a hand on the boy's shoulder and began leading him towards the town of Magnolia, where the guild was housed. As they were walking down the path Makarov noticed Natsu's eyes again. They were so cold and menacing, twisted with sadness, grief, and anger; but above all else, they held the faintest glimmer of hope. 'I'll do everything in my power to make sure this boy goes down the right path and knows happiness.' Makarov silently promised to himself.

A few hours later they arrived at a huge building and Makarov opened the door, ushering Natsu in. Natsu saw so many people drinking, fighting, or just talking to one another. One thing was abundantly clear, they were all very happy. This felt so foreign to Natsu. His thoughts were interrupted by a screaming Makarov, "ALRIGHT BRATS, LISTEN UP! THIS IS OUR NEWEST MEMBER! MAKE HIM FEEL WELCOMED! AND YOU KNOW WHAT A NEW MEMBER MEANS?" He said with a smile.

"PARTY!" Most of the guild cried out.

Makarov asked they boy where he wanted his guild mark and what color. "What's a guild mark?" Natsu asked.

"A guild mark shows that a mage belongs to a certain guild. They are meant to be used to identify a member of a specific guild almost instantly. And more so than that, our mark represents our never-ending pursuit of mystery and adventure. Now where do you want it and what color?" Makarov repeated his question from earlier.

"Black. And on my right shoulder." Natsu replied quietly. After getting his guild mark, Makarov called over to some kids that were gather around a table and told them to come over and introduce themselves. The group of kids made their way over and started the introductions as he went upstairs to his office.

"My name is Erza Scarlet. It is a pleasure to meet you." A girl slightly older than Natsu spoke up. She had long, flowing red hair and was dressed in a suit of armor and carried a sword.

'Weak.' Natsu thought.

"I'm Gray Fullbuster." Said a boy around Natsu's height. The boy had dark blue hair and lost his clothes in the middle of the conversation.

'Also weak."

"Gray your clothes are off again." Complained a girl in a yellow dress with long brown hair. She then turned to face Natsu. "Hello, my name is Cana Alberona." She said with a smile. As Natsu stared at her with his dull eyes, the smile faded from her face and she retreated behind the others.

'Is everyone in this place weak?'

"I'm Mirajane Strauss," said a gothic looking girl with white hair, around the same age as the redhead. "And that's Elfman and Lisanna." She pointed to a brawny boy and a petite girl who had the same white hair as her.

'Another weakling? But at least she seems stronger than the other two she mentioned.'

"Laxus." An older teenager with blonde hair and a lightning shaped scar across his eye said.

Natsu narrowed his eyes at the blonde teenager. "Fight me."

All the kids looked at one another before Erza stepped forward and spoke. "I don't think that's a good idea. Laxus is one of the strongest mages in the guild. And he's also the master's grandson."

Natsu took a single step forward before launching himself at the teenager at the bar. In the blink of an eye, Natsu was past the other children and had embedded his fist into Laxus's side. The force of the blow caused the blonde teenager to spit up a mixture of his drink and blood. With a thud, Laxus fell to the floor, clutching his side in pain. The whole guild was now staring at Natsu. They couldn't believe one of the guild's strongest mages was taken out in a single blow.

Everyone in the guild was shocked at the events that had just transpired. Not only did this new kid immediately attack another member. But he attacked Laxus, and even knocked him out in one blow. This put every single guild member on edge. Erza was the first to break free of her shocked state. She materialized another sword in her hand and charged at Natsu.

"How dare you, you fiend!" screamed Erza. When she got within striking distance, she swung her sword at Natsu's head. As it got within inches of his face, Natsu raised his hand and caught the blade.

"You know, you really should be more careful with these. Someone could get hurt." Natsu said coldly. These words stunned Erza. She couldn't even manage a word. Natsu just rolled his eyes and pulled back his other fist and punched her in the face, knocking her out. The entire guild let out a collective gasp.

It was now Gray's turn to charge Natsu. Natsu was still facing the downed Erza, so his back was turned to Gray. 'Perfect, I'll get him when he isn't looking.' As he ran towards Natsu, he put his hands together and started to scream the name of his attack. His words were interrupted by a kick to his stomach. Much like Laxus, Gray spit up a mixture of spit and blood as he was launched into a nearby wall.

Mirajane was about to step up, but Makarov heard the commotion and came out of his office to see what was going on. "Damn it brats, you are getting to loud!" Makarov screamed. Then he noticed the unconscious bodies of Laxus and Erza, as well as Gray's barely conscious form embedded in a wall. "What the hell is going on down there?" Makarov questioned. Everyone looked at Natsu and waited for an explanation. "Well, Natsu, go on."

"I was simply introducing myself like you asked." Natsu stated calmly, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Greeting them?" a guild member called out from the crowd. "You didn't greet them, you beat the hell out of them!"

"Is that not how you greet people? My father did that every time he saw me. I just assumed it was the same everywhere else." The guild was confused. Did this kid actually think beating the hell out of people was a way on introducing yourself?

Makarov pondered on this for a moment, 'Wait, does this mean he was just trying to greet me in the woods earlier?' Makarov shook off this thought and he jumped down from the second floor. "No, that is not how you greet someone. To greet them, you simply tell them your name."

"I see." Natsu turned to looked at all the kids who had just introduced himself and opened his mouth to speak. "My name is Natsu. I apologize for my actions." He said with a small bow directed towards them. Natsu cold feel the eyes of everyone glaring at him. They looked upon him with a mixture of disgust and pity. Beginning to feel overwhelmed by the stares, Natsu made his way to the front door of the guild. As he walked nearer to the crowd, they parted, giving him a direct route to the door. He reached it and left the guild.

"What's the hell is that guy's problem?" Mirajane complained.

"Mira I don't think he knows how to interact with people. I'm sure once he warms up things will be better!" Her little sister retorted as they began walking back toward their table. Cana looked over to the door before joining the others.

Makarov followed the boy outside. "Natsu." He called out to the retreating boy. "We need to talk about what you did." Natsu stopped, allowing the old man to catch up to him. "I need you to know something before you step back in the guild hall." Makarov began. "We don't attack family like that, actually don't ever attack anyone like that. Got it? That is not how you great people. Now, given your upbringing and the fact that I didn't sense any actual malice behind your strikes, I'll let you off with a warning. But if something like this happens again, I'll be forced to take action. Do I make myself clear?" Natsu nodded while looking at the ground. This was a strange feeling for Natsu, he was getting scolded, but he was not getting beat. Anytime his father got upset with him like this, he would savagely beat Natsu. "Is something the matter son?" Makarov asked. This set something off in Natsu. He could tell the old man was genuinely concerned about him. He hadn't felt this in a long time.

"They probably hate me now." Natsu said in an unusually shaky voice. "And if my father is really as feared here as you said, then they will probably never accept me."

"Children cannot choose who their parents are, it's beyond their control. Don't let the fear of who your father is hold you back in life. I'm sure the kids will accept you if you just be yourself." Makarov gave the kid a smile and a peace sign.

'Be myself?' Natsu thought. He had spent so much time trying to be what his father wanted him to be, what his father needed him to be, that being himself hadn't been a concern of his in a long, long time. 'Maybe this is what Father meant. Maybe if I become myself, he will come back for me.' After his inner monologue, all Natsu responded with was a simple okay.

Makarov showed off another big smile. "Great now let's go back to the guild! I'm sure everyone's gone back to partying and has already moved past what happened."

"Actually can I be alone for a while? I've never been near this many people in my life and it's kind of overwhelming." Natsu asked.

"Of course kid, take your time. We are family now." With that Makarov walked away. A brief smile flashed across Natsu's face, something that hadn't happened in quite a while.

For the rest of the evening, the guild carried on with their party, and Natsu sat outside in the branch of a tree, observing it all.