Ch 1: Left behind

Two Weeks before the S-Class exams:

"Natsu I need you in my office right this minute!" shouted Master Makarov from his office.

"What in the hell did you do now Flame Brain?" asked Grey with a grin since he always loved watching his rival get yelled at.

"I didn't do anything this time, you know that I am always on my best behavior at this time of the year." stated Natsu as he slowly made his way upstairs to Master Makarovs office. The whole time Natsu was trying to figure out if he had done anything that would have gotten himself into trouble with the Master but was coming up completely blank.

"Natsu you better hurry, Master sounded very serious or am I going to have to help you get there faster?" asked Erza with a grin, telling Natsu that he wasn't going to like her method of getting him there faster.

"No need for that Erza." said Natsu nervously as he ran to the Master's office.

"There you are Natsu, please shut the door and have a seat." said Master Makarov in a very serious tone.

"First off Gramps I didn't do it." said Natsu as he closed the door.

"HAHAHAHA of course you would assume that you are getting yelled at Natsu, but this time that isn't the case. What I called you in here for is that we received an urgent request that is ideal with someone that has your magic. But the thing is that it's at least an S-Class level quest which makes me not want to send you Natsu." replied Master Makarov with a chuckle and was then pinching the bridge of his nose by the end of it.

"Well if that is the case, then way are you even telling me any of this Gramps?" asked Natsu with an eyebrow rose.

"Because if you don't go then more people will die Natsu, and that is something that has to be stopped. But I don't want you dying in order to achieve that, which is why I decided to tell you about the request and let you decide if you want to go." explained Master Makarov.

"I'm in Gramps but I am wonder why you don't just send Erza or Mira since they are actually S-Class?" asked Natsu with a smile.

"Don't just accept a job before you even hear what you need to do Natsu. As for why I don't just send those two, which is because they won't be able to do anything, at least that is what the request says and why it specifically asks for you." replied Master Makarov.

"Of course I am going to accept Gramps no matter what it is since more people are going to die if I don't. So why won't Mira and Erza be able to do this request?" asked Natsu with his usual grin.

"I should have guessed that was your reason for accepting without any information. According to the flyer all other mages that attempted to do this either died or couldn't even lay a single scratch on the beast that is destroying anything in its path." Master Makarov started to explain.

"What type of beast is it?" interrupted Natsu.

"I was just going to say that Natsu and I don't want to hear anymore interruptions out of you Natsu. According to the flyer it is a fire drake which is supposed to be relatives to fire dragons that haven't been seen since the dragons disappeared. And since drakes are pretty much just a smaller version of dragons that can't do any other magic then their element they were never as feared as much as dragons were. But that doesn't mean that they were weak either, they are supposed to be highly intelligent creatures that survived do to their quickness and cunning. They also apparently have the scales of a dragon meaning that only a dragon slayer can take them down." explained Master Makarov.

"What about a drake slayer even though I have never heard of one?" asked Natsu.

"The reason that you haven't heard of one Natsu is because as far as I know there has never been one. And this is probably do to the fact that drakes have always hated humans and would never have taken one in and trained it in magic that could one day kill them. They have always thought that humans wanted to eradicate their species which unfortunately is correct when they used to be seen in Fiore." answered Master Makarov.

"So would I have to kill it?" asked Natsu with a bit of hesitation in his voice.

"The request is only to get the attacks on the towns to stop, but I am sure that they would prefer that you kill the drake so that it never comes back and attacks them again. But I guess if you could stop the drake without killing it then they really shouldn't care, but I want to warn you Natsu that if you do take this request. Please don't hesitate to land the final blow on the drake since they are extremely dangerous and would do the same for you." replied Master Makarov.

"So when do I leave and can I take my team?" asked Natsu.

"You can leave right away and as for taking a team you cannot since they would only be a hindrance and make you get distracted Natsu. But you can take Happy with you since he will actually get you there faster than taking the train, it would be wise to leave him in the town so that he doesn't get hurt." answered Master Makarov with a lot of concern in his voice.

"Okay Gramps so where do Happy and I need to go?" asked Natsu with an excited face.

"The request came from Shirotsume and says that the drake is apparently residing in the mountains north of there. So I would leave Happy there as you head into the mountains unless you plan to send him away as soon as you find the drake." said Master Makarov in the same tone.

"Thanks Gramps, me and Happy will be leaving right away." said Natsu as he headed to the doors.

"Natsu please be careful, the guild couldn't handle it if something were to happen to you." said Master Makarov meaning every word that he said.

"Don't worry Gramps there is nothing that is going to stop me from being an S-Class mage at the exams in two weeks." replied Natsu with his confident grin that slightly eased his worries.

"I will be more than happy to see you finally become one Natsu." said Master Makarov with a small smile.

"See you later then Gramps, Happy we have a special quest let's go." said Natsu as he jumped from the second level and headed towards the door.

"Aye Sir!" cheered Happy as he joined Natsu without a single question.

"We'll come with you Natsu." said Erza with the rest of Team Natsu with her.

"Sorry Erza and everyone else but this is only a mission for me and Happy." replied Natsu as he continued towards the doors.

"Who said that Natsu?" asked an angry Erza who wasn't a fan of being told no by Natsu.

"That would be me, Erza and I will see you when you get back Natsu." stated Master Makarov with a serious expression.

"See you later everyone." said Natsu as he went outside and Happy took off with him.

"Master what type of mission did you just send Natsu on that we wouldn't have been able to help him?" asked Erza with a disgruntled look.

"He was requested to take care of a fire drake, which is why you guys would only get in his way." said Master Makarov getting shocked gasps from the guild.

"Why is everyone shocked by that, Natsu is always getting request to deal with anything that is fire related?" asked Grey.

"We're all shocked Grey because drakes are just smaller forms of dragons that have never been known to care for human at all and would rather see us wiped of the face of the world." explained Lucy with a really worried face.

"Master how could you send him on such a dangerous quest all by himself?" asked a furious Erza.

"I didn't Erza, as soon as he learned that people where dying there was only one option for a person like Natsu. And that was to put a stop to it no matter what, and besides he seemed confident that he would be back to still participate in the S-Class exams." stated Master Makarov.

"But that is how Natsu is with everything that he does Master. Natsu always thinks that he will be alright and doesn't care about getting hurt as long as he can help others." stated Mira with concern in her voice.

"That is true, but has Natsu ever once been wrong about that?" asked Master Makarov with a smug smile.

"But this time he doesn't have us with him." stated Erza.

"Yes and that's the point Erza, most of those times when Natsu has been severely wounded was because he was trying to protect someone else. This time all he will have to be concerned about is himself meaning he should be fine, so have a little faith in your fellow guild member." said Master Makarov as he watched everyone realize that he was correct about that so they couldn't even argue with him anymore on this subject.

"I still have a really bad feeling about this Master." stated Erza with a frown.

"Me too Erza." said Mira who was also frowning.

"I would be lying to you two if I said that I wasn't worried about Natsu on this mission but he's the only one that can do this. Besides if anything goes wrong he has Happy with him." said Master Makarov with a faint smile.

"Why not send one of the other dragon slayers with him." suggested Mira hoping that Master Makarov would do it.

"I would but Gajeel is already doing his own job when this came in and Wendy is still too young to go on a mission like this. Which made this a solo mission for Natsu and believe me Mira, I would have really preferred to send another dragon slayer with him, but every second that we waste could mean more lives lost." explained Master Makarov.

"I can see that you would have done that if you could have Master." said Mira with a small smile.

"How long will it take him to complete it?" asked Erza as she realized that Happy was definitely not going to just leave Natsu all by himself to take on the fire drake alone.

"It should only take him a few days if it goes smoothly." replied Master Makarov with a little frown.

"How long would it take if it doesn't go smoothly Master?" asked Mira with a deadly glare directed at Master Makarov.

"A week tops Mira, but don't worry this is Natsu we're talking about here." replied Master Makarov with a small grin.

"Which means it won't go smoothly." stated Erza with troubled look on her face.

"Crap you're right, but don't worry he'll be fine nothing can keep Natsu down." stated Master Makarov with a smaller grin because he was now really concerned about Natsu.

"I hope your right Master." stated Mira as she went back to cleaning the bar.

The Next day in the mountains North of Shirotsume:

Since it was summer the mountains were not covered in snow like they usually were for most of the year. Not that it would have mattered to Natsu considering that he never felt the cold do to him being a fire dragon slayer. The mountains that they were flying over right now were surprisingly covered with a lot of vegetation considering that they only have a few months with no snow at these parts.

"Do you smell anything yet Natsu?" asked Happy as he was flying with Natsu held underneath him.

"Yes I am Happy, and I think that the drake might be about four miles north east of here." replied Natsu with a grin.

"So are you going to kill the drake Natsu?" asked Happy as he now adjusted his course to where Natsu said the drake was most likely at.

"I hope that I won't have to Happy, but it might not give me any other options." said Natsu with a slight frown.

"Just be careful Natsu, you said that Master told you that they were smart and not fans of humans so it might try and trick you." said Happy who was scared for his surrogate father and closest friend.

"Don't worry Happy, I am the son of the Fire Dragon King Igneel. So there is no way that a fire drake is going to show me up, that would be a disgrace to Igneel's reputation and I am not going to allow that to happen." declared Natsu as he started to look for signs of the fire drake.

"Just promise me that you'll be careful Natsu." pleaded Happy.

"I promise Happy and remember that you have to stay far away, I don't want this drake targeting you." responded Natsu.

"Will do Natsu, the fire drake won't even know that I am here." replied Happy with a big grin.

"Good, now set me down and hide little buddy, I can tell that it's really close right now." said Natsu in a quiet voice.

"Aye Sir." whispered Happy as he set Natsu down and then hid behind some rocks.

"Alright fire drake I know that you can hear me, so why don't you come out here and have a talk with me." shouted Natsu at the top of his lungs. And he waited for a few minutes without getting any sort of a response back, which aggravated Natsu to where he was about to shout out another challenge.

"Well aren't you an interesting human, coming into my territory and demanding an audience with me. Most humans would just try to sneak up on me and try to slit my throat." replied the fire drake as it landed on some rocks in front of Natsu while making a laughing noise at the end of his comment.

The drake was about as big as three elephants put together, which is still very big for a human but is nothing compared to a dragon that are usually at least three times bigger than that. The drake's main color of scales where a really dark grey that covered everything except for his under belly which was just a lighter shade of grey. The drake also had a splash of red thrown in; all of his spikes on his back along with his claws and skin on his wings were a deep red.

"I am not like most humans, I know that it would be pointless to try and cut your throat. Besides I think that we could work this out peacefully, even though my usual style is fight first talk later." said Natsu with a grin as he looked at the drake with absolutely no fear.

"You are indeed a unique human that isn't even scared of my presence, while also having a peculiar scent that seems very familiar." replied the drake while inspecting Natsu.

"Why would I be afraid of a drake when I have seen a dragon before?" asked Natsu.

"You've met a dragon before, than you really are a one of a kind human. Most humans don't live after meeting a dragon or a drake, well you aren't going to actually be alive for much longer. But I am interested in what you have to say to me, so what is it human?" asked the fire drake.

"I am going to just say it and be done with it, you need to leave this area and never return. Otherwise I am going to be forced to fight you and I really don't want to hurt you." said Natsu with a serious expression.

"That is the funniest thing that I have heard in a long time human, there's nothing that you could do to hurt me little human." said the fire drake after doing his deep laughter that sounded almost like thunder.

"That isn't a joke, oh yea I didn't get your name." stated Natsu with a small grin.

"Because I would never give it to a lowly human as yourself now enjoy your trip to the afterlife." said the fire drake who then promptly breathed a steady stream of fire at Natsu until he was confident that there would be nothing left of the human.

"You were very interesting human." said the fire drake as he looked at the flames that he unleashed and were still burning. But was then shocked to hear the sounds of slurping and other weird noises, until the flames all disappeared and Natsu was just left standing there as if nothing happened and sporting a big grin.

"That was surprisingly tasty; well I might as well introduce myself. My name is Natsu Dragneel the son of the Fire Dragon King Igneel and I suggest that you leave here while you still have the chance." stated Natsu proudly.

"You mean that you are his slayer?" asked the fire drake.

"Yes and that means that I am one of the few humans that can actually hurt you. So leave since I have no desire to hurt any relatives of Igneel." replied Natsu.

"We are not related to that traitor who sided with the humans during the Great War. And since you are his son that makes us mortal enemies Natsu Dragneel and I am going to really enjoy killing you." said the fire drake with a growl and then lunged at Natsu hoping to end this in one move by simply eating him. But Natsu wasn't going to let that happen as he ducked under the drake's jaw and rolled to where he was right under the drakes under belly.

"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!" shouted Natsu as he punched the drake with full force at one of its weakest points. Causing the drake to roll over in pain but quickly recovered before Natsu could land another strike on him.

"You are going to pay for that Dragneel." hissed the drake as he swiped at Natsu with one of his arms causing Natsu to jump just like the drake wanted. The drake then went to bite Natsu in half thinking that he wouldn't be able to dodge in the air, but he was once again caught off guard by Natsu as he shot fire out of his feet to get some extra height to his jump. Natsu then did a flip over the drake's open mouth and came back down onto the drake's neck with a flame covered foot shouting FIRE DRAGON'S CLAW! This launched the head of the drake into the ground at astonishing speeds making it actually form a small crater.

But Natsu didn't stop there, he then launched into a round of FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST with a few FIRE DRAGON'S CRUSHING ELBOW which is where he would bring down his elbow that was encased with fire while shooting fire out of his fist to make the hit more devastating. Natsu then back off backed off seeing as he was actually able to get some of the scales of the fire drake to fall off leaving him no exposed for some real damage.

"It seems that I might have been wrong about you Dragneel, you are a worthier opponent than I anticipated you would be. So I will give you the honor of hearing my name before I kill you Dragneel, this means that I acknowledge your ability to fight. My name is Zechum now get ready for the real fight Dragneel, because only one of us is walking away from this alive." said the fire drake with a grin that looked extremely sinister.

"It doesn't have to be that way Zechum, we can stop this right now and both go our separate ways." suggested Natsu.

"Sorry Dragneel but that is not going to happen when I have finally found an opponent that can actually give me a slight challenge." said Zechum as he then took flight.

"Are you running away, I thought you wanted to fight?" asked Natsu as he looked up at Zechum.

"Oh but I do Dragneel, I am just going to tip the scales in my favor." replied Zechum who then shot fire all around Natsu in a big circle.

"I think your aiming is of the Zechum, that wasn't even close to hitting me. Besides, we both know that neither of us are going to take any damage with plan fire attacks." said Natsu as he looked at Zechum's last attack that caused him to not be able to see anything past the ring that Zechum made. Do to all of the smoke and debris caused by his fire when hitting the ground.

"I know that Dragneel which is why I am now going with a stealthy approach." replied Zechum who was no longer in the air and was now hiding in the cover that he made for himself.

"Come out and fight me like a dragon you coward." shouted Natsu who then had to roll to the left to not get sliced in half by Zechum's claws, but unfortunately was then hit by his tail instead. This sent him flying about ten feet back and right next to the edge of the ring of smoke and dust.

"Why would I do a thing like that Dragneel that puts us one an equal playing field which is quite impressive considering that you are a lowly human. But you are the son of the Igneel so I should have seen this coming a mile away, since he was truly a dragon to not be reckoned with." said Zechum as he went back into the smoke and dust.

"This still won't be enough to stop me from kicking your ass Zechum." shouted Natsu as he made his way to the middle of the area that was smoke free.

"We'll see about that Dragneel." replied Zechum with a laugh that sounded like it was coming from all sides.

"Let's just get this over with Zechum, I have other things that I want to do." replied Natsu with a little growl but got no response back from Zechum. So Natsu stayed on high alert waiting for the next attack that he anticipated would come from his sides or his back, but once again Natsu was caught off guard by Zechum.

Zechum came flying straight at Natsu from the front and with speed that shocked Natsu, but luckily Natsu dropped to his back to avoid the attack. But that isn't all that Natsu did, he also shot fire out of his feet so that he could stay right underneath Zechum with weakest part exposed to the dragon slayer. "FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FISTS!" shouted Natsu as he started to swing away at Zechum's gut. Unfortunately for Natsu these punches were not as strong as they normally would've been since he couldn't get a real swing in do to him sliding on the ground so that he could keep up with Zechum for a bit.

Then Zechum disappeared as soon as they reached the smoke and dust ring. Natsu having a good idea what was going to be coming, quickly rolled to his left anticipating an attack, and he was correct because if he hadn't rolled when he did he would have been skewered onto Zechum's three red claws. Natsu continued to keep rolling dodging more of the same attacks and then did a hand spring to get back to the middle. But unfortunately Zechum as able to get one of his claws to slice Natsu's back as he sprung away.

"Dammit, those claws are sharp as hell." shouted Natsu in pain as he now had a cut that went from his right shoulder blade to his left hip and it was making him lose a lot of blood.

"You were a worthy foe Dragneel, but now all I need to do is sit back and watch you bleed to death." said Zechum from inside of the smoke and dust that he kept making as to not lose his cover.

"There is no way I am going to let a scratch like this stop me." shouted Natsu as he covered himself in fire which cauterized his wound ensuring that it was going to leave a scar that Wendy wouldn't be able to get rid of. This is why Natsu only does this move if it is absolutely necessary and this time it most definitely was.

"And I am also sick of you hiding like a coward Zechum." bellowed Natsu as he then slammed his flame covered right fist into the ground as hard as he could. Natsu hit the ground so hard that he made a little crater and with that he also sent out a wave of air that was strong enough to clear away the smoke and dust.

"What in the world?" asked Zechum in complete shock at Natsu sealing up his own wound and getting rid of his cover with one punch. But he was broken from his state of shock when Natsu once again laid into him with FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FISTS, FIRE DRAGON'S CLAWS and with a few FIRE DRAGON'S CRUSHING ELBOW thrown in. After letting Natsu get some really good hits on him, Zechum was finally able to put up his defenses and started to retaliate. The two of them fought for the next hour each only landing minor blows on the other, Natsu getting a few more cuts which were no were near as deep as the one he got on his back. While Zechum lost a few more scales in the process while also getting hit were he had already lost some.

They were both growing tired of this fight and wanted to end it right now, but unfortunately Zechum put his plan into motion faster and was finally able to get Natsu to dodge like he expected. This would have been the end for Natsu if he didn't shoot flames out of his left hand which got his body out of the jaws of Zechum but unfortunately not his left arm. As the jaw shut there was the sound of bones breaking along with the pain filled scream of Natsu, which then turned into a shout surprising Zechum who thought that this fight was over after he chomped down onto his arm that was still in his jaws.

"FIRE DRAGON'S PIERCING CLAW!" shouted Natsu as he took his right hand that was covered in flames and spread flat. And proceeded to drive it straight into Zechum's left eye and burning everything near it, causing Zechum to be in the worst pain of his life and let go of Natsu's left arm. Zechum then roared in pain as he tried to rid his body of the pain that Natsu inflicted on him and then fell to his side as he writhed in pain.

"FIRE DRAGON'S SWORD HORN!" shouted Natsu as he then head-butted Zechum in his exposed under belly signifying that Nasu had just ended the fight. Zechum just laid their on his left side experiencing the worst pain in his life and couldn't believe that this was done by a lowly human, well he wasn't a normal human. But even though Natsu was a dragon slayer Zechum felt like he still should have been able to beat him.

"So do you surrender Zechum?" asked Natsu as he came up to Zechum with his left arm mangled so bad that it looked like he might have stuck it into a grinder. But Natsu was still standing tall as if it wasn't affecting him at all and was still in a fighting stance ready for Zechum to attack.

"I surrender Dragneel, but I am going to give you a friendly warning. I won't be the last drake to come to these lands and after our return that signals the return of the dragons." said Zechum still on his side.

"Wait are you saying that the dragons are going to return?" asked Natsu as he put his guard down which was exactly what Zechum was looking for. And with a confident smirk Zechum slashed at Natsu with his tail that had an extremely sharp spike on it that he intended to drive through Natsu's heart.

Natsu on the other hand noticed the smirk that Zechum made as soon as he dropped his guard. So completely off of instincts Natsu twisted to the right so that the tail wouldn't hit him and continued to spin out of the way, but was nicked by the sharp spike on his right shoulder cutting straight through his guild mark. Natsu continued with his spin and then used one more attack to completely finish the fight permanently.

"FIRE DRAGON'S PIERCING CLAW!" shouted Natsu as he took his right hand and drove it through the surprised right eye of Zechum until his arm was covered up to past his elbow. With that strike Natsu pierced Zechum's brain and killed him instantly, which was something that Natsu really wished that he didn't have to do. Natsu removed his arm from within Zechum's head and let out a fierce roar that signified his victory while also covering himself in fire to seal up any of his wounds knowing that he had already lost a lot of blood. After his roar and sealing up his wounds Natsu passed out and fell on top of Zechum, but luckily for him Happy was already on the scene and going to take him to the nearest town for emergency care.

Six days later at Fairy Tail:

"Master it's been a week and we still haven't heard anything from Natsu yet." said Erza with a concerned look.

"Erza has Natsu ever been one to give any of us a heads up on what he's doing. It probably just took him longer than we expected to find the fire drake." reasoned Master Makarov who was really concerned and had been worrying about Natsu since he left.

"Yea Erza, there's no way Flame Brain is going to miss the S-Class exams this year. He's going to show up any time now bragging that he completed an S-Class mission all by himself." stated Grey with a grin on his face having complete faith in Natsu's capabilities.

"I am still mad that you didn't tell us that it was S-Class Master." said Mira with a frown.

"Why didn't you tell us that until yesterday?" asked Erza.

"Because I knew that if I told you guys earlier then you all would have went after Natsu to try and help him. That would have been the worst thing possible that any of you could have done. So I didn't tell you guys for Natsu's own safety now quit bothering me I am trying to drink here." said Master Makarov with a frown as he went back to drinking his beer.

"I still have an uneasy feeling about this." stated Mira still having a frown on her face which didn't suit her at all.

"Don't worry demon, there's no way Salamander let a fire drake beat him." stated Gajeel from across the hall.

"Gajeel's right Mira, Natsu was made for this type of mission." said Wendy with a big smile on her face.

"I really hope you two are right." said Mira with a small smile gracing her face.

"Of course they are right Mira, and besides this is Natsu we're talking about here. Has he ever actually failed a mission before, I know that he has been not paid before but he always completes the job?" asked Lucy with a smile.

"He actually hasn't Lucy, except for the Everlue mission that he went on with you which had different circumstances. He doesn't want to ever disgrace Fairy Tail's reputation so he always completes the jobs." said Erza with a proud grin at how good of a mage Natsu has become over the years.

"See, so any second now he's going to come crashing through those doors just like Grey said." replied Lucy with a big smile, which was then followed by a loud crash being heard from the infirmary upstairs.

"What the hell was that?" asked Grey.

"No idea since no one should be up there." stated Mira with a concerned look on her face.

"Help, Natsu needs help right now!" screamed Happy as he flew out of the infirmary, causing Mira and Wendy to take off to the infirmary to do just that. They were quickly followed by Master Makarov and the rest of Team Natsu with Gajeel and Lily included.

They were all shocked to see Natsu covered in bandages and having his left arm in a cast. Mira and Wendy went about taking off the bandages so that they could see all of the damage done to him. They were both concerned since Natsu still seemed to be completely knocked out and showed no signs of waking any time soon.

"What happened to Natsu, Happy?" asked Master Makarov.

"Well Natsu and I found the fire drake Zechum just a day after leaving here. Natsu tried to get Zechum to leave peacefully and not resort to a battle, but Zechum didn't want to do that so they started to fight. And right off the bat Natsu was winning, which got Zechum to reveal his name to Natsu as a sign of respect I think he said. After that Zechum started to fight dirty by hiding in the smoke and dust he kept making, which allowed him to land a very severe attack onto Natsu's back." explained Happy as Mira and Wendy just happened to have gotten those bandages off and were now looking at it.

"Dear Mavis, how did he keep fighting after an attack like this?" asked Mira as ran her hand over the huge scar.

"He sealed it with his fire didn't he?" asked Wendy with a frown already knowing the answer.

"Yes Natsu did while also getting rid of the smoke and dust allowing him to get the drop on Zechum and dealing some really heavy blows. After that they fought for more than an hour, where I think Zechum got most of Natsu's moves down which is how he knew where Natsu was going to dodge to and tried to end it. But Natsu used his flames to move farther but unfortunately he couldn't get his left arm out of the way as Zechum closed his jaws and then Natsu used a move that really hurt Zechum." continued Happy while trying to hold back his tears.

"How does he even still have his arm?" asked Grey who was now concerned about Natsu.

"That would be because Salamander is a dragon slayer Stripper, we are stronger than normal humans which came in really handy for him this time." answered Gajeel with a small grin.

"What was the move that Natsu used?" asked Master Makarov.

"He called it FIRE DRAGON'S PIERCING CLAW and attacked with the tips of his fingers rather than his fists like he usually does." explained Happy.

"Shit Salamander must have been serious." said Gajeel with a whistle.

"Why are you saying that Gajeel?" asked Erza.

"Because Salamander was using an attack that is meant to be able to pierce dragon scales and attack the body behind them. It's an attack that pretty much can break through any defense that is weaker than dragon scales which is pretty much everything." explained Gajeel with a grin.

"Then why hasn't he used it before?" asked Grey.

"Because Salamander could easily kill any of you if he did Stripper, which is probably why he hasn't used it on any of his enemies as well." said Gajeel with a big grin at watching the reactions of everyone except for Wendy.

"I didn't know that he had a move like that." stated Erza in shock.

"Then what happened, Happy?" asked a very concerned Lucy who wanted to get the conversation back on track.

"Natsu used that move and took out Zechum's left eye like I said before causing Zechum severe damage. This caused Zechum to let go of Natsu, allowing Natsu to then use his sword horn move to finish the fight. Natsu then went up to Zechum and started to talk with him, but I don't know what they said since they weren't yelling at each other. I assume that Natsu was trying to get Zechum to surrender so that he wouldn't have to kill him, but Zechum had other plans and tried to take Natsu out with a surprise attack. But Natsu rolled out of the way of the attack and used that new move again and killed Zechum with it, after that Natsu let out a roar and sealed all of his wound and then passed out." explained Happy with a few tears coming down his face.

"Then why did it take you so long to bring him back?" asked Erza with an angry expression.

"Because Natsu needed help right away, so I took him to the nearest town." Happy shouted back at Erza.

"It's a good thing that you did that Happy, otherwise who knows what would have happened to Natsu." said Wendy as she was healing some of his wounds as Mira started to take off the cast so Wendy could look at Natsu's left arm.

"Has Natsu woken at all since then Happy?" asked Master Makarov.

"No Natsu hasn't, which is why I took him back here as soon as the doctor said that it wouldn't kill him." said Happy with a frown.

"You did good Happy and I am really glad that you went with him." said Master Makarov with a smile.

"Wendy are you going to be able to get rid of these scars?" asked Lucy as she looked at the one that was going diagonally through his Fairy Tail emblem on his shoulder.

"Probably not Lucy, since Natsu sealed them while using his own magic. But if he hadn't he probably would have died from blood lose." answered Wendy with a frown.

"Will he be able to compete in the S-Class exams?" asked Grey.

"Grey now is not the time to be asking such questions." scolded Erza.

"Come on Erza, you and I both know that is going to be the first thing that Flame Brain asks once he realizes that he is in the infirmary." replied Grey causing Erza to not be able to counter him since she knew that he was right.

"So far he's not that wounded, but I still haven't looked at his left arm yet." said Wendy as she finished up healing the rest of him.

"Done, there you go Wendy you can now see how bad it is." said Mira with a frown because just looking at it right now she could tell that it had bones broken in a few spots and cuts in a few other places as well. Wendy quickly went over and got to work and everyone was quite while watching the little girl set to work. And if her facial expressions indicated anything, it was not good for Natsu.

"So how is Natsu's left arm?" asked Master Makarov.

"It was not in really good shape and Natsu's really lucky that I looked at it. The doctors that tried to set the bones in place did a terrible job at it, but they are now all in the correct place and will stay that way while we put another cast on him. It should take at least a week and a half before it's healed completely, even with his fast healing." answered Wendy with a frown.

"Shit." said Grey and Gajeel at the same time.

"Natsu's going to be pissed that he can't compete in the S-Class trials this year." stated Erza with a frown.

"Yes Natsu will, but he will just have to wait until next year then." replied Master Makarov.

"Couldn't you just postpone it half a week for him to be healed?" asked Mira with a small hopeful smile.

"No I cannot Mira, that wouldn't be fair to the other mages." answered Master Makarov with a frown.

"But he was doing a special mission for the guild, doesn't that count for something?" asked Lucy knowing how hard this was going to be on Natsu.

"Yes it does and I am grateful that he did it and came back with only a bad arm. But that doesn't change the fact that I will not change when we are holding the exams." stated Master Makarov.

"Master I am sure that the other mages won't be upset to wait a few more days so that Natsu can join them." said Erza with a small smile.

"Sorry Erza but that doesn't matter either, the exams have always been held at this time of the year and will remain that way for as long as I am the guild Master." replied Master Makarov in a commanding tone.

"Well you can be the one to tell him that Master." said Mira as everyone agreed with her on not wanting to be the one who breaks the news to Natsu.

"That shouldn't be a problem, I will just tell him that he can only participate if he's fully healed." replied Master Makarov with a grin.

"So you are going to lie to Natsu?" asked Erza not believing what she was hearing.

"No I am not Erza, if Natsu does heal before we leave then he can come along with us. But if he doesn't then he will have to wait for next year, besides there is no point in telling him that he can't go until at least the day before we leave." said Master Makarov as he left the room.

Three Days Later:

"Where am I?" asked Natsu as he sat up in the bed that he was in.

"You are in the infirmary my boy." replied Master Makarov who was in a chair next to his bed.

"Shit, how long have I been out and will I be able to participate in the exams Gramps?" asked Natsu worried about being disqualified because of his injuries.

"You have been out for nine days and yes you will be able to participate as long as you are fully healed Natsu." answered Master Makarov with a smile, glad to see that Natsu was alright.

"That's great news Gramps I honestly expected you to tell me that I couldn't, but now all I need to do is focus on getting better." replied Natsu with a big grin.

"I will let you do that Natsu, but what did you and Zechum talk about at the end? That is the only part of what happened that Happy didn't hear or see." asked Master Makarov.

"Oh yea that is something that I actually wanted to talk to you about. He gave me a warning that he wasn't going to be the only drake coming back to Fiore while also saying that the dragons would soon follow after wards. Which I don't know if he said that to try and get the drop on me which he almost did." said Natsu as he scratched the back of his head.

"It was probably both Natsu, and I am surprised that he even talked to you." replied Master Makarov.

"He only did that because he said that I was interesting and learned that I was a dragon slayer and son of Igneel." stated Natsu as he laid back down into the bed.

"That makes sense, but that warning is very troubling considering that there are so few dragon slayers out there. I think that I should warn the council about this and see about you getting that reward." said Master Makarov with a big smile.

"There was a reward?" asked Natsu while looking at Master Makarov.

"Of course there was Natsu, and it is quite the sum and you didn't even destroy anything meaning that you get it all." explained Master Makarov with a big smile.

"How much Gramps?" asked Natsu not really caring and was thinking about the upcoming exams.

"Just five million jewels." replied Master Makarov almost drooling at the amount of money.

"Oh okay." said Natsu as he turned over to try and get some more rest so that he would heal faster. Makarov was taken aback by Natsu not freaking out about that much money, but then realized that he was probably thinking about the exams which made Makarov have a slight frown on his face as he left the room.

The Night before the Exams:

"Man I can't wait for tomorrow." cheered Natsu.

"Settle down Natsu, you still haven't been cleared to go yet." said Mira as she gave him a glass of medicine to drink.

"Doesn't matter Mira, because tomorrow morning I know that I am going to be in perfect condition." said Natsu after drinking the medicine.

"HEHEHE of course you are Natsu, now just get some more sleep." giggled Mira as she left the room and went back to the bar.

"So did you give it to him?" asked Master Makarov.

"Yes I did Master and I still think that this is a terrible idea, why don't you just tell him?" asked Mira with a frown on her face.

"Because he will just try and fight us until we let him come with us Mira and would most likely hurt himself or some other mage that is competing. And that would only make matters worse, this way by the time that he wakes up we will already be gone and he will just have to accept it." explained Master Makarov with a grin.

"I still don't think it was right for us to give him sleeping potion." replied Mira with a frown.

"Like I said Mira this was the only way to ensure that he stays here." said Master Makarov.

"I hope you're right about that Master." mumbled Mira.

Noon the next day:

"What time is it?" Natsu asked slightly panicking.

"It's noon Natsu." replied Wakaba with a grin.

"And before you ask Natsu, yes they left without you because the Master said that you were still too injured to compete." said Macao with a serious face.

"That's bullshit; I could still take all of them on with just one arm. Where's Happy by the way?" asked Natsu looking around.

"Master took all of the Exceeds with them knowing that you would try to use them to take you there." said Laki with a big grin.

"Dammit Gramps you are so going to pay for this." shouted Natsu as he stormed out of the guild.

"Shouldn't one of us try and stop him?" asked Macao.

"Why, there is no way that he will be able to get there in time. That would require him taking two forms of transportation and he would still be too late to compete. He's probably just going to blow off some steam." replied Wakaba with a grin.

"I hope you are right about this." said Macao as he shook his head.

End of Chapter

Author's Notes:

Thanks for reading and I hope that you enjoyed it. So I know that there are a lot of these stories out there but I am going to try really hard to make mine different. One way that I plan on doing that is focusing a little longer on the seven years that the other members are gone and show some of the hardships that Fairy Tail had to overcome while they were gone. I also added drakes into the mix which I at least thought were going to make things a little more interesting. Well that is enough of me saying random stuff at the end so as always feel free to leave me a review and I will try to message you back if it's longer than a few words.

Until the next Chapter

Digem Out!