Chapter 6: Mockery

As much as Cana wanted to go find Natsu, she was too concerned with the sleeping kitten in her arms. Natsu was so gung-ho about the egg mere moments ago, but now that he'd seen what had hatched from it, he all too eagerly dumped the responsibility on Cana. It wasn't so much that she minded that she was now the caregiver of the freshly hatched cat, she was actually excited about it. And the fact that Natsu called it a gift from him made it even more special. What concerned her was just how easily Natsu had given up on the cat. Given Natsu's views on strength, she figured he likely decided the cat was weak, thus proving to be of no use to him. Cana could understand Natsu being upset that it wasn't a dragon, but to outright abandon the creature because it couldn't serve a purpose was, in her opinion, wrong. As Cana thought about this, she wondered if the same thing would happen to her. She wasn't strong. She'd even told Natsu so herself. Would he leave her behind just like Happy? Cana pulled Happy closer to her as she attempted to push these thoughts deeper and deeper within her mind.

"Who… are you?" a voice called out from within the brunette's arms. Cana extended her arms out and held Happy at eye level. In Cana's opinion, he was even cuter now that he was awake. She placed him on the table in front of her before answering his question.

"Hi there! I'm Cana! I'm going to be taking care of you from now on. It's nice to meet you!" Cana gave off an illuminating smile as she introduced herself to Happy.

"Who am I?" Happy asked Cana, raising a paw to his face.

"Your name is Happy. I hope you like it. I named you that because that's what I was feeling when Natsu gifted you to me!"

"Aye! Happy! Happy! Happy!" Happy shouted, dancing around the table. Cana giggled at the blue cat's antics. She could tell she was going to love having Happy around as a companion.

"Happy." He stopped dancing when her heard Cana call his name and looked up to the brunette in from of him. "How would you like to go meet everyone else? We could get something to eat too!" Upon hearing the mention of food, Happy's mouth started to drool. Happy flew up and perched himself atop Cana's head. Cana raised her hand and scratched the kitten's belly before heading into the main room of the guild hall.

"Hey everyone, this is Hap… py." Cana stood awestruck at the sight before her. Fairy Tail's main hall was in ruins. Tables were shattered and overturned. Chairs were splintered and strewn about. Gray lay on the floor unconscious. Erza was sitting against a broken table, clutching her side. Mirajane stood in front of her siblings, her left arm hanging limply to her side. In the middle of them all, stood Makarov, staring at the broken doors of the guild. "What… what happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us that." Erza coughed as she spoke. Her words seemed to snap Makarov out of his trance. He turned to Cana and walked towards her, a serious expression occupied his face.

"Cana." Makarov started. "What happened in there? What happened with Natsu?"

"Natsu did this?"

"He came out of that room looking like someone had died, so I just asked him about his stupid egg, and he flipped out." It was now Mirajane's turn to speak. It was only then that they notice the ball of blue on Cana's head. "Um Cana. What is that?"

"Oh that?" She reached up and grabbed Happy, then held him out in front of the guild. "This is Happy! Tell everyone hi!"

"Aye!" Happy yelled, waving one of his front paws at the guild. Cana sat him down on a nearby table that was still standing and he started playing with a piece of broken wood. Confused, they waited for an explanation from the Card Mage.

"Well, the egg wasn't exactly a dragon's egg. When I took Natsu back to see his egg, it hatched. And I thought he was just the cutest thing ever! I mean just look at him!" Cana called out, drawing everyone's attention to the distracted cat. "But Natsu didn't think so. He..." Cana paused, trying to find the right way to word all of this. "Natsu was pretty disappointed that it didn't end up being a dragon. He tried to hide it, but he was really upset. After that he just left. I figured he just needed to be by himself for a little bit so I didn't say anything and just let him go." Cana paused to take another look around the guild. "I'm sorry. I should have tried harder to calm him down." Cana hung her head down low after explaining Happy's hatching and Natsu's action.

"Hey it's okay Cana." Erza said, rising to her feet. "We all know this isn't your fault."

These words eased Cana, if only a little. "So Natsu really did all of this?"

"Yes, it was quite intense. We've all seen Natsu upset, but this time it felt… off." Erza said, struggling to find a way to describe it. "He was irrationally angry. And it was the smallest thing that set him off. As much as I'd rather not admit, Mira is not at fault." Erza's words earned a rude hand gesture from the Take-Over Mage. "But the thing that was the most unusual was the lack of conviction in his actions. He attacked indiscriminately, almost like he was confused, like he didn't know who to be angry with. Natsu is very short tempered, and can be very impulsive, but this wasn't that. It was erratic. This is very peculiar indeed."

"Cana, is there anything else you could tell us that could help the situation? Anything at all?" Makarov asked.

Cana tried to think back to something, anything that could explain Natsu's behavior. Then realization hit her like the train from their first job. "He needed it to be a dragon." Cana said to no one in particular.

"We all know he wanted a dragon, but a reaction like that. It doesn't add up."

"No, no, no. You don't understand, he needed it to be a dragon." Cana repeated. "Natsu wasn't lying. He really was raised by a dragon." She knew it wasn't her story to tell, but she was going to anyways. If this would help people understand Natsu, help them not hate him, help him stay in the guild, then she would gladly take any punishment the Dragon Slayer would inflict upon finding out. So she told them. She told them about Natsu's upbringing. About his father. About Natsu being abandoned. About how Natsu's obsession with strength was a direct result of this. She didn't want to share all of the information Natsu shared with her, but she didn't know what else to do.

Everyone listened intently to Cana's explanation. A mixture of emotions ran rampant throughout the guild hall upon gaining new insight on their chaotic Dragon Slayer. The most abundant feeling, however, was that of pity. Having a difficult childhood wasn't exactly an uncommon thing for the members of Fairy Tail, but everyone who learned of Natsu's childhood was glad they did not have to endure that. While this explanation allowed the others some information on Natsu, it didn't justify his behavior. And it certainly didn't excuse it.

"Holy shit." Came the response from Mirajane. "He wasn't lying to us. He really was raised by a dragon."

"You know, with everything, it's easy to forget that he's still just a kid." Macao called out. Earning several nods from other members

"So then the egg…" Erza added before stopping. "He saw it as way of being closer to his father?"

"I'm not sure." Cana said with a frown. "There is still so much I don't know. But this was about way more than the egg." Cana's eyes wandered over to Happy. The kitten was still mindlessly playing with the piece of wood, oblivious to everything that was going on around him. Her view shifted to the broken door. 'Natsu… Please be okay.' Cana wanted nothing more than to go after Natsu in this moment, but she knew Natsu needed time to calm down. Being around him right now, while he was in this state, wasn't a good idea.

Natsu had already made his way deep into the forest, leaving a wake off broken trees in his path, and one very scared shopkeeper who had tried to talk to him as he was leaving Magnolia. He couldn't believe it. The damn egg wasn't a dragon. It wasn't even close. All that work just for it to be a stupid cat. The thought alone made his blood boil. He had allowed his excitement to cloud his mind. He had been so upset after the egg hatched that all he wanted was to get out of there. But they just had to bother him with their questions. Deep in his mind, Natsu knew they were harmless, annoying yes, but harmless questions he was being asked. But they were asked at the wrong time. Couldn't they tell? Did the look on his face not warn them? It was like these humans knew nothing. Anytime his father wore a look like that, he knew to not bother him. These people, were they dumb or did they just not care? They looked down on him when they should be worshipping him. He was a dragon. Not full grown yet, but in time he would be. But he wasn't just any dragon. He was the son of the most powerful dragon of all, Acnologia the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse. And eventually he would become a powerful black dragon in his own right. If only they knew, then they would be serving him instead of mocking him.

"Stupid Old Man. I will crush you one day." Natsu promised himself that one day, he would overcome the old man's strength and break free of his grip, both metaphorically and physically. While Natsu viewed the old man as his new superior, he knew he wasn't anywhere near the level of his father. He didn't understand why the other's called him master. It was clear he was the leader, but he treated everyone the same. That, was not a master. His father was a true master, and Natsu would serve no one else. He would never give that old man that honor.

Natsu was so mad that his magic was flaring up of its own volition. Natsu had noticed that anytime he was angry, his magic would skyrocket. Natsu took a deep breath and focused on everything bad that had happened recently; the egg, all the stupid guildmates he had grown to hate, the old man limiting him, his father abandoning him. The longer he concentrated, the angrier he grew. He tried to contain himself and keep his emotions in check, but he just couldn't. Natsu exploded.

Natsu let out a scream that could pierce the heavens as a wave of black energy erupted from his body, leveling the clearing he was in. Volatile traces of his chaotic magic littered the area. Silver scales had taken the place of his skin. His eyes narrowed until they resembled slits. Involuntarily, Natsu had entered his Dragonforce state.

"So that's what it looks like? Not very impressive if you ask me." Called a voice from the woods. Natsu started looking around the ruins he had created, trying to pinpoint the voice. It sounded vaguely familiar but in his enraged state, he couldn't recall where he had heard it. Suddenly a specific scent caught his nose. It smelled like a dragon, but it also smelled… tainted. The scent surrounded Natsu in a circular pattern, and it was closing in. Usually, Natsu would be able to tell where the person was either by using either his hearing or his smell, but this person knew what they were doing. Natsu let a verbal roar ring out, warning the approaching person to back off.

"Normally, I ignore the garbage my grandpa brings it, but you aren't like the rest. You've piqued my interest kid. Besides." Several hooded figures appeared from the trees that were left intact before merging into a single figure in front of Natsu. The figured pulled the hood down, revealing the face of Laxus. "It's personal."

Laxus charged towards Natsu, his raised fist crackling with lightning. Natsu moved his head slightly to the left, dodging the fist. Natsu grabbed Laxus's still outstretched arm and swung the lightning mage over his back, slamming him onto the ground. Natsu stared down at Laxus and opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was an animalistic screech. 'What the hell? Why can't I talk? I mastered this form two years ago?' Laxus cracked his neck, transformed into a bolt, and disappeared into the air. Instinctively, Natsu body lunged to the side, avoiding a strike from above. 'He's fast.'

First, he couldn't talk, and now his body was reacting on its own. Something was off. After evading a series of blows form the older teenager, Natsu's body decided it was done dodging and went on the offensive. Gathering a handful of the chaos energy swirling around in the air, Natsu's fist closed and shot towards Laxus. With no time to dodge, Laxus braced himself for the attack. The blow connected with his raised arms. The force of the attack drove Laxus back as a scream escaped from his mouth. His right arm fell limply to his side. It had taken the brunt of the attack and was most likely broken. "Damnit." Laxus cursed. He used his good arm to wipe a bead of blood that ran down his chin. "I didn't want to do this, but I guess I have no choice now." Laxus's magic shifted and Natsu's eyes widened when he realized. "You want a dragon? Well I'll give you a dragon. LIGHTNING DRAGON'S ROAR!" a stream of raging lighting shot from Laxus's mouth and headed straight towards Natsu. Natsu knew the power of a dragon, and this was not it. Rather than moving, Natsu raised a hand forward and prepared to take on the blast.

As it made contact with his hand, the lightning bolt split into two before dissipating into the air. Natsu continued to hold his hand up, showing Laxus all his attack managed to do was barely scratch him, leaving just a little smoke rising into the air. Laxus froze. He gave everything he had in that roar. And it was just blocked. Effortlessly. "Shit." Laxus saw Natsu slowly approaching him. He looked intense. His silver scales had now blackened, and lines of silver marked his body. His narrow eyes no longer held any pupils, opting to go completely white. His already long canine teeth grew even larger. All of this gave Natsu a far more sinister appearance than before. His grandfather had tried to advise him against seeking revenge against Natsu, but his wounded pride wouldn't allow it.

Natsu stopped in front of Laxus. He looked down with an unwavering rage in his eyes. It was one thing to attack Natsu, a feat that would guarantee defeat. But to mock Natsu by calling yourself a dragon. That was something he wouldn't allow. There was only one dragon here, and that is how it would remain. Natsu recalled all the chaotic energy floating in the air. He was preparing for a roar. This roar wasn't meant to just end this conflict, but also to send a message. Total and utter annihilation.

As Natsu was about to release his gathered energy, a single thought ran through his mind, or rather a person. Cana. Natsu fell to the ground, his hands clinging to his head. A violent scream rang out as Natsu writhed in pain. To say Laxus was confused would be an understatement. This couldn't be his doing. He hadn't managed to do anything. This fight was completely one sided. As much as Laxus didn't want to admit, he was beaten. Natsu's face shot to Laxus, and for a moment, he seemed to be in control. His normal eyes returned, and he uttered a single word through his labored breathing. "Run."

Laxus wasted no time in getting to his feet. He hated running, but in this moment, his principles didn't matter. He knew he had to get away. Far, far, away. Clutching his broken arm, Laxus raced from the forest.

Natsu's head was exploding. He could feel his body ripping in two. He was in agony. Natsu didn't understand it. He had used his Dragonforce mode numerous times, but it had never felt like this before. But the strangest thing was that Natsu hadn't even been a participant in the fight that had just transpired. His body had, but his mind was merely a spectator. It was like a switch flipped and he had gone into some sort of survival mode, acting solely on instincts rather than his own input. Natsu had not been in control of a lot of the things around him before, and now it seemed that his body, the one thing he had compete control over, was betraying him as well. A war was happening inside of Natsu. A war he didn't understand. A war he couldn't control.

In a fleeting moment of clarity, Natsu released all the built-up chaos from inside his body. A towering beam of black energy shot into the sky. Natsu's body convulsed, each movement more painful for Natsu than the last. Slowly, his black scales started evaporating into the enormous pillar of energy. Natsu could feel his magic being drained from his body. He was on the verge of passing out. His vision blurred and his breathing worsened. Before the darkness overtook him, Natsu swore he could see the shape of a large object flying away in the sky. 'Father?' Natsu didn't have time to pounder on this as his world went black.

Natsu awoke that evening in a state of confusion. Did any of that even happen? Natsu place his hand in front of him and focused his magic. His normal black energy permeated his hand, but also, specks of silver danced around the energy. He let loose a few attacks and they were all the same as they had been. This didn't add up. How could he go through all of that just to be completely fine? Natsu let out a sigh. He was going to manually enter his dragon force state. That had triggered the event earlier so he wanted to see if it would do it again. "Dragonforce." Natsu's eyes narrowed and scales spread across his body. Rather than his normal silver scales, black ones had taken their place. To Natsu's surprise, this was the only change that occurred. He was able to think freely and control his body with ease. Natsu powered down. None of this made any sense to him. There was only one person he could think of that could provide him any answers. Natsu turned back to the direction that Magnolia was in. He had his sights set on the Fairy Tail Guild.