Hey everyone! This is my first story here on Fanfiction, and I'm really looking forward to writing it! I am a student at Uni though, so I am not always going to be able to publish at regular intervals. Sad, I know, but necessary if I'm ever going to get any homework done! Anyways, I hope you guys like my story.

Ps. I know the chapters are a little short, and I apologize. I'm trying to increase the length, and hopefully as I write my writing skills will only get better!

Prologue

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was white. Or rather, the only thing he saw when he opened his eyes was white.

"What the hell?"

Natsu Dragneel, a dragon slayer and Fairy Tail mage, had no idea what was going on. He looked around the white expanse before him, wondering where in Earthland he was.

How did I get here? Where is here? Let's see, the last thing I remember is… is…

His thoughts were interrupted as he closed his eyes, returning to the memories of just a few minutes earlier. A flash of blue, a screaming sound, and falling. Falling from somewhere. The sight of frightened azure eyes staring back into his own was the final straw, and he felt himself fall deeper into the memory.

The group at Tenrou Island was celebrating, taking a well-deserved rest. Despite the attack on their island, despite the pain and struggle they had endured, it was over. Hades had been defeated, Grimoire Heart repelled, and the heroes were taking a few moments to themselves.

However, little did they know, the peace they had fought so hard for was about to end. With little warning, a massive black dragon had descended from the heavens, his roar demolishing the trees as he landed. Their battle shook the island, but no matter what the mages did they could barely scratch the dragon's black scales. Acnologia, the black dragon of the apocalypse. His rage shook the very sky for miles, and those on the ships surrounding the isle could only cry out in fear as he took to the skies once more before sending a blast at the sacred tree.

However, what they couldn't see was the circle of mages standing on one of the many cliffs, nor could they see the golden seal that surrounded the island seconds before it disappeared. And last, but not least, they missed the small figures falling towards the water.

As the mages had accepted their fate, standing as one, Natsu had taken a moment to glare at the being that was to end their lives. Unfortunately, those few precious seconds would change his fate. As he stood, the ground under him crumbled, and he fell towards the sea below. When he did, one person dove to save him, but only managed to get dragged over the edge with him. He looked to her as they fell, and pulling her close he tried to shield her as they hit the water. His last thoughts filled his head as he hit the water.

Not again. I can't fail her again!

A golden light filled his eyes and the dragon slayer knew no more.

Natsu opened his eyes as the memory faded. His surrounding remained white, but now another presence seemed to fill the space.

"You're correct about that one." A voice said. It was deep… powerful… familiar.

"Igneel, is that you?!" Natsu looked around, trying to find his long lost father.

"In a sense."

"What? In what sense?" Natsu said, honestly feeling a little silly yelling at nothing.

As if in answer to his thoughts (and looking back that's exactly what it was), a form took shape in front of him. Natsu's eyes widened as the one he had searched to find for years stood proudly in front of him. His voice dropped to a whisper, a far cry from loud boisterous tone he usually used.

"Dad…" a loud booming laugh could be heard in response as the dragon lowered his head and nuzzled the confused mage.

"Hello son, I've missed you. You've grown up so much." Natsu stared for a second before giving in, his relief at finally seeing Igneel overcoming his anger at his disappearance. He hugged the snout of the great dragon, a few tears leaking from his eyes.

"Dad, where am I? What happened? What is this place? Why are you here? WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?" His cries grew louder as he asked his questions, emphasised by a few hits against the scales he was pressed up against. Great Mavis, he felt like a little kid again. Igneel smiled sadly, nuzzling his son.

"Natsu, I must apologize. I can't explain everything right now, nor can I make things better. But I will share with you what I can. First, where we are. This, my son, is your heart. A long time ago, right before I left, I placed some of my being within you, a seal of sorts, to protect you."

"Protect me? Why would I need protecting? I'm strong! Plus, I've got all my nakama behind me too. There's nothing we can't beat!" Natsu said, his fist in the air (conveniently forgetting about the encounter with Acnologia).

"I was protecting you from yourself."

"Myself? I don't get it." Igneel's laugh filled the air again.

"I didn't think you would, you brat." He ignored the sound of indignation that came from the boy in front of him. "Now listen Natsu. One of the things that I could never tell you when I was training you is the consequences of Dragon Slaying Magic. If a human uses this magic, slowly yet surely they will take the form of a dragon themselves. When we shared this power with you a seed was planted within your soul, the Dragon Seed. Me and the other dragons that taught our magic to you children knew this, and when we left we placed a part of us within you to stop this seed from growing. However, in your case, this seed is not the only seed within you."

At this Igneel pointed behind Natsu, and seeing the gesture Natsu turned to see two floating seed. One was red, covered in scales, and surrounded by flickering crimson flame. The other was a sickening blood red colour, with an black flame surrounding it.

"These are the seeds in your soul. The Dragon Seed and the Demon Seed. As to how the second was placed and how it was sealed, I cannot say at this moment. If it had not been for Acnologia's interference this would not have been a problem for some time. However, the feelings of sorrow and rage you felt, as well as the burning desire to protect the one that fell with you, broke the seal containing the Demon Seed which in turn destroyed my own seal as well. Therein lies the problem. The two seeds inside you are beginning to fuse. If left as is, you will die."

Natsu was speechless. After all, it's not every day your dragon dad appears and proclaims your death.

"Wait a second you overgrown lizard! You said as is. Does that mean I can do something about it?" Igneel snorted, but responded.

"Of course you can. The reason that the process is killing you is that the seeds are trying to fuse equally. Perhaps if you were more powerful, and with a few more years of training, you might have been able to reject the seeds. Sadly, this is not the case. All you need to do is choose one seed, one future, and you will survive. Whichever one you choose, dragon or demon, you must simply feed the seed with your inner flame and help it overcome and consume the other one. They will still fuse, but the one you choose will simply take traits from the consumed seed. I warn you though, no matter which you choose you will be changed, though the changes may be small. You will notice them more clearly later, though I can already see that with the deaths of those killed by Acnologia you have already changed more than you know. So, the choice is yours, son. Are you a dragon, or a demon?"

Natsu looked at his father, indecision clear in his eyes. This was the biggest choice he had ever been presented. And while he wanted to say he knew what he was doing, he was truly more confused than he had ever been in his life.

He looked up to his Igneel, planning to voice his doubts, his fears, but when he looked into those massive eyes he knew what he needed to do.

"I am Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel, King of the Fire Dragons! I will avenge my guild mates, no matter the cost. I am your son, and so I guess that makes me a dragon!" he yelled his answer, pouring his magic outwards into the draconic seed in front of him. The seed swelled before absorbing the now smaller demon seed.

"Natsu… I am sorry that it came to this. I was hoping that this joining wouldn't happen until you had enough power to destroy the seeds, but Acnologia's intervention ruined that hope. Take care of yourself my son, I sense another magic keeping you asleep, though it is quickly fading. I love you son, and I did not want to leave you as I did." A tear fell from the majestic beast's eye as he nuzzled his son once more before roughly pushing him over. "And stop that crying, you look like a hatchling when you do that."

"You're the one that's crying, you stupid lizard!" Natsu yelled back, wiping his own tears away as he did. Igneel looked down at his boy in pride before opening his mouth one last time. The words that left his mouth were the last words he had ever spoken to him before he had left the young boy all those years ago, an old verse from the dragon tongue.

"Fear not the open skies, nor raging seas of old.

Fear not the caverns deep, nor peaks of mountains cold.

Fear naught, we roar, neither defeat nor desire,

For we are dragons, noble and pure…"

"And all will fear our righteous fire. I'll miss you dad, but don't you worry. I'll find you for real this time, don't you worry!" Natsu finished, his fist raised into the air as he got up and smiled at the mighty beast.

"Of that I have no doubt, brat."

••••••••••••••••••••••

Far away, a book titled E.N.D. burst into flames, leaving nothing behind but a small pile of dust and one very confused etherious.