Burning Down the Tower

"Igneel, I'm tired!" Natsu whined, as he sprawled over the dragon's foot. He and his adopted father had spent most of the day flying. Igneel told Natsu that he wanted to show him something.

"Why would you be tired?" Igneel asked, arching an eye crest, "I was one who as flying us all around."

"But I'm tired of flying," Natsu grumbled, "I want to do something different. Why can you teach some more magic?"

"Because this is supposed a break," Igneel said, "Constant strain does the human body no good." Natsu pouted.

"I hate being a human, I wish I was a dragon," he said. The dragon huffed a cloud of smoke into Natsu's face.

"Hey!" Natsu said, as Igneel chuckled.

"We'll spend the night here," he said, "Let me show you what I we came here for." He then moved through the woods.

"What is it?" Natsu asked, as he followed. He eventually emerged from the trees, and the sight nearly made him fall over in shock.

"And this is why I made you keep your eyes closed," Igneel said. Natsu looked over a vast blue expanse of the ocean, as he just stared.

"Its… its…," he said, "Awesome!" He then started running in the direction, but would've fallen off a cliff, if not for Igneel grabbed him with the tips of his claws.

"Hold on, little lizard," he said, "First, I have to…" Suddenly he stopped, as he looked up over the sea. He could sense something, something sinister. His eyes narrowed.

"Igneel?" Natsu asked.

"Something's not right," the dragon said, "We have to go!" He picked up Natsu and put him on his back. Igneel then took off, and started flying over the water.

(on an island somewhere)

An adult could conceivably get used to this, to all the pain and the death, and they could build up a tolerance. Erza wasn't an adult.

She was too young to ever hope to build up such a thick skin, such a level of endurance to this horror. All she could do was cry, and that was exactly what she was doing at the time.

Erza sniffled, as she dragged her pickaxe across the ground, heading towards the quarry. That was among the worst for her, because that place had the most guards, which meant the most monsters (called "watchers") growling and snapping at her. Her friends had been assigned to different tasks, which meant that she wouldn't get to see them until the work day was over, and that terrified Erza, because there was no telling what would happen in a day. Especially if a guard just so happened to be in a bad mood.

The red head could feel her legs beginning to tremble. No she thought Please not now! Her legs couldn't give up on her, not when she was walking right past a guard and his watcher. But eventually, Erza's small body simply gave up, and she collapsed. The first thing she heard after she did, was the snarl of a watcher.

(over the water)

"What are you doing?" Natsu asked from his position on his father's back. Igneel's attention was before him, on the dark force he sensed.

"There is something I must investigate," Igneel said, "I can feel something ominous in the air." That was when he saw it. He flared his wings up, as hovered, looking into the distance. Natsu could see it as well.

"What is that?" he asked. There was an island in the distance, with a strange, thorny shape rising out of it. Igneel's dragon eyes were able to see it much clearer, and he recognized what it was. It was the "R System". He knew what that likely met. And it made the fire within him grow fiercer.

"Something I must deal with," Igneel growled steam leaking from his jaws.

(in the building)

Jellal was going to get another shovel, when he saw Erza on the ground, a watcher looming over her.

"Erza!" he cried out, as he tried to go to her. However, he was held back.

"Grandpa Rob?" Jellal said, looking behind him. The elderly man glared in Erza's direction.

"You will only be throwing yourself into harm's way, and will probably put Erza in a worst place," Rob explained, as he cringed. If only I could get a message to Makarov! he privately thought This could all be over so quickly! Jellal just clenched his fists as he stared at Erza.

"Get on your feet you little snot!" the guard yelled at Erza. The girl struggled to rise to her feet, but the gnash of the watcher's teeth made her recoil back in fear, as she continued to cry. I have to be strong! she thought I have to be strong! I have to be…

"Someone help!" she cried out. At that exact moment, the entire structure shook violently, knocking several people off their feet. Erza suddenly looked up, as she looked around.

"The flaming hell was that?" the guard muttered. The watcher suddenly whimpered as it recoiled back, as if sensing something. The tower shook violently again, and this time, a roar could be heard, that seemed to be coming from the outside. Right then, one side of the wall exploded, creating a huge cloud of dust. Erza had to shield herself from the force, as she looked up, and saw what looked like a hole in the wall, obscured by a cloud of dust.

Suddenly, two massive, glowing eyes appeared in the dust, and a deep growl resonated through the halls, as everyone looked on in horror. A red scaled claw then reached down, and slammed into the ground, shaking it, as a massive form emerged from the dust. Erza stared in awe. It was a…

"DRAGON!" a guard cried, as the massive serpent fully appeared from the dust; it had bright red scales, with massive, bat-like wings flaring out behind it, as its long tail lashed out. It was supposed to be impossible, dragons were myths, and yet, one stood right before hundreds of people. The dragon scanned the room, as everyone stared up at it. Its eyes took notice to the men with weapons, and the people in chains, including children. Meanwhile, the magic guardians of the R System rose up, and started firing their magic blasts, though it barely got its attention.

"So," the dragon spoke, "This is what some are willing to stoop to? Treating their own people like beasts of burden, nay tools?" Another growl echoed out of its throat.

"It makes my blood burn," it continued, "And for that…" The dragon then reared up, and opened its mouth.

"You must be punished!" With a massive roar, a torrent of fire burst from its jaws. In an instant, a good many of the guardians were completely incinerated, as the dragon charged the cultists' ranks, crushing those foolish enough to try and hold their ground. The dragon's tail lashed out, sending many more of them flying.

"Humans, such as you, who inflict such abject cruelty upon others, cannot be allowed to live!" it roared, as it held up a fist which lit up with fire, before punching slamming it into the ground, creating a massive shockwave that blew several more cultists away.

Erza watched as it all unfolded before her. For some reason, she was not afraid anymore, all she felt was a sense of wonder.

"Erza!" she heard Jellal call.

"Jellal!" Erza called back, as she got up to go to him.

"This is your fault you little witch!" the guard who had antagonized her yelled, as he picked up a shovel, and got ready to bring it down on her. Erza let out a yelp as she held up her arms to defend herself, and closed her eyes.

"HIYAH!" Erza opened her eyes, and saw the guard being kicked away by a boy with pink hair, wearing a scaly scarf of some-kind, the guard tumbled away, unconscious.

"I hate guys like you!" the boy said, as he stuck his tongue out at his "foe". He then looked over at Erza, who just stared at him, before grinning.

"Hi!" he said. Erza looked up at the boy in shock and awe, he couldn't have been any older than she was.

"My name's Natsu!" the boy said, jerking his thumb at himself, "What's yours?" Suddenly, something awoke within Erza. A feeling, she did not fully understand, but one that would be with her for the rest of her life.

"My name's… Erza," Erza said softly, as she gently smiled.

Note: Alright, what this is, is me testing the NaZa waters. Eye of the Fire Dragon, I think, is a demonstration of NaLu, which I think I can do. This is me seeing if I can do NaZa. This may help me get a better grasp on which pairing to do in Eye of the Black Dragon. I'll write a couple chapters, see how things go, and this story proves popular enough, I'll keep on doing it.

A couple things to keep in mind, Igneel's storming of the tower occurs before Erza loses her eye, and thus, before the slave revolt, so Erza has yet to discover the strength within her, or her magic capability.

Hope you enjoyed this, and as with the others, I'm willing to read suggestions and ideas. I hope this wasn't too fast, but you'll get more next chapter hopefully.