'These are thoughts'

Natsu had always been a little unstable. Ever since Igneel left him, there were numerous times rage, despair, or any undesirable turmoil of emotions were on the verge of overtaking him. The day he woke up, and the realization that Igneel was gone, abandoning him, was the first time he lost control. A voice called inside him, 'Family is everything'. His family was gone. The forest was ablaze in flames over forty feet high before Natsu regained himself. That rage, that feeling to destroy everything that caused him pain…Igneel had warned him about it before, but never had he experienced about it. The only thought in his head was to cause absolute destruction. That was the first time he had ever truly understood what it meant when he called himself the son of a dragon. After that, he tried to ensure those primal instincts stayed deep within himself. Of course, there were many close calls, and for some time the dragon slayer thought that he could only dodge so many possible disasters. His final conclusion about that incident was 'Thank god no one was around the first time'.

He was in the guild, enjoying a fight with Gray. The usual bickering and fighting was going on, and Erza was starting to get angry. Just before she could start screaming at them, the doors opened. Glancing to the entrance, the entire guild quickly got silent. Mira and Elfman, soaked from rain, slowly walked inside. Mira didn't even make it ten steps before beginning to bawl. Erza quickly jumped forward and caught her before she dropped to her knees. Elfman began to sob.

"It's alright Mira, it's alright." she said, looking back to Master Makarov on the balcony for help. Makarov was about to say something, but Natsu talked first. "Where's Lisanna?"

Another sob came from Elfman, and he stuttered "Lis-Lisanna's d-d-dead."

Natsu's eyes were the widest the guild had ever seen them, but then he just hung his head down. "What did you just say?" he asked quietly, menacing Elfman.

"It's all my f-fault" he started, still sobbing, "I, I couldn't control the b-beast".

Makarov prepared himself to subdue Natsu, whose magic had the feeling of spiraling out of control. And as quickly as it had risen, it returned to normal. Natsu left the guild without another word.

Only ten minutes later, Makarov felt a tiny spark of the intense magic return in a clearing a ways eastward. 'I'll allow him to let off the stress' he thought with a heavy heart.

In the clearing, as Natsu was pounding holes into the dirt ground around him, the smallest, most minuscule sense of gratitude resounded through the only still functioning logical part of his mind. 'At least I was able to control it. That feeling, it almost took over like last time.'

Atop the Tower of Heaven, those thoughts had almost consumed him again. The instinct to kill Jellal was so high, its all Natsu could focus on as he beat the man's face to a pulp. Jellal had tried to get away, but Natsu was too fast, still raining down blows. As he was ready to finish him off, Erza had distracted him, and he had lost consciousness. When he woke up, there was the impending need to save Erza and escape– the thoughts of killing that blue haired man left Natu's mind for the moment.

But then, when they had run into him once again while hunting for Nirvana and the Oracion Seis, it seemed Natsu could finally control it. Although the primal feelings resurfaced, he was able to get past it– of course, Erza had been a part of it, but he reasoned he must have gained experience to hold it back. He failed to take into account how Jellal had been trying to help now, perhaps earning somewhat of a place within Natsu's trust.

How wrong he had been about his control. Makarov had always understood it was the love for his friends, his family, that made Natsu so strong– and that's exactly what both held back and brought out the monster always stirring inside of him. To Natsu, though, this was not apparent.

The encouragement he received from his family could always bring him back. Eza hadn't wanted Jellal dead– and Elfman and Mira needed comfort, they didn't deserve to be kicked from the family, Lisanna's death had been a tragic accident.

When they had finally beaten Hades, Natsu again was too tired to remain standing. The exhaustion bit him down, and his mind was free of the clouded rage. The second master of Fairy Tail couldn't be all bad, he had simply lost to his dark side, just like Natsu was once on the verge of. To him, he had conquered his inner beast. It had taken a long time, with close calls, but Natsu won. How absolutely wrong he was.

Looking at Lucy in his arms, Gray supporting her as well, the overwhelming emotions running through him at the moment, directed at Minerva, were all sprouting from various underlying questions; 'Why do I hold back? Why don't I follow through with what they deserve? Why is that bitch still standing?'

Before Erza could restrain him, the blur that was Natsu dashed straight towards Minerva and her devilish smirk. The crowd's eyes widened as they all registered the scene in the western end of the arena. Minerva, coughing blood, being held by the throat against the wall by Natsu Dragneel, the Salamander of Fairy Tail. The anger in his eyes, fire that was lashing around his body, tensed muscles– it was the stance of a animal defending its kin.

Sure, Minerva had gone overboard in the naval battle competition. All of the spectators likely were agreeable that the Lucy girl did not deserve that treatment. But now, as Sting and Rogue rushed to their captains aid, as Orga and Rufus eyed Erza and Gray threateningly, the entire stadium held its breath.

Natsu's thoughts were a turmoil, two sides fighting for control. His conscious was trying to restrain him, urging his hands to let the woman go. She might be sadistic, but Lucy would heal. He should let this woman go.

And then the dragon's anger inside him took over. 'She deserves to die. She hurt the family. Everything is for the family.' Flashes of his past went by. Hearing the news of Lisanna's death, Jellal hurting Erza, Hades beating his team down. And then memories he hadn't thought about deeply came up; the fights with Zancrow and Cobra, with Faust and Erigor, the dark guilds his team had brought down. Why had he let them go again? What was the reason?

'Family means everything. Defeating enemies not enough. Kill to protect.'

Minerva saw the difference in his eyes from before, these narrowed, dangerous slits contrasted completely to the previous ones. The heat was so strong, but she was no longer concerned with getting burnt and hurt; she feared she would be lucky to live.

Sting and Rogue were already on the move. While Juvia and Wendy had already grabbed Lucy and retreated to heal her, lightning flashed down in between the twin dragon slayers of Sabertooth, blocking a double strike intended to disable Natsu. The master's grandson had joined the potential fray. No, he wasn't a true dragon slayer like the monster consumed in flames he had just defended…but the lacrima within him still changed him, and he knew just how Natsu felt. The blood in his veins was boiling just as crazily. 'Family means everything'.

Makarov was staring in both disbelief, and anticipation. First Natsu, then Luxus, and now even Gajeel was rushing towards the competitors in the stadium. The same question being posed by each guild master reverberated through everyone's mind. Did a guild war just begin, caused by the violent surges of emotions dragon slayers often felt? Before, Makarov had always admired the flurry of feelings his grandson and the other children felt. Now though, as he felt the intimidating auras surrounding them, and caught a glance of the terrified look on Minerva's already crisp face, he understood the true power of being so deeply connected to a possibly ferocious, untamable beast. Was there any way to hold such a thing back, or was an inevitable huge battleground about to erupt?

The rest of Fairy Tail looked on in shock. Minerva was now motionless. Their Natsu had just killed a person, in front of all of them? Power began to emanate from all the mages in the arena. Makarov looked straight across the stadium to see Gemma rising. All of it was irrational…'But with our family together, side by side, does it really matter?' The time of Fairy Tail's resurgence had come earlier than expected.

Excerpt from A Timeline of Fiore: The Guild Era

X791: A fight breaks out in the Domus Flau, after a competition portion. Fairy Tail completely destroys the former guild Sabertooth. They are granted amnesty.

Notes;

Natsu really needs to lose it one of these times. He has to have just a little anti-hero in him, right?! I love Minerva for her sadistic side. Fairy Tail needs more of those type of characters. Thanks for reading!