Chapter Text
Once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away, a king and queen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, blessed by the stars themselves to be wise and strong.
But as she grew, the blessing upon the princess slowly revealed itself to be a terrible curse, one that could only be broken my true love’s first kiss.
To protect her from unkind eyes, she was locked away in a castle, guarded by a terrible, fire-breathing dragon. Many brave knights, noblemen and princes from various lands all tried their hand at rescuing her, but none prevailed. They say she’s still there, waiting in the dragon’s keep. Found in the highest room of the tallest tower, all to await her true love and true love’s first kiss.
“Talk about lame!” Natsu exclaimed, tossing the book into a woven basket and flopping onto his back. He didn’t know why Igneel insisted on keeping these trashy fairy tales to read. Natsu hated reading, unless the stories had a ton of monsters and action, but even those could be difficult to follow along with. His stomach rumbled and the man sat up, making his way to the entrance of his cave-like home, towards the rippling river that ran beside it. Natsu peered into the crystal clear waters, at the reflection staring back at him. Wild, pink hair, tanned skin and dark olive-green eyes. Nothing too particular, aside from two things things: The red scales patterning his body and a claw-like right arm. Natsu plunged his hand into the stream and grabbed a fish, blowing fire onto it then chomping it down with ease. That was the final thing that made him stand out. His ability to breathe fire like a dragon.
But Natsu was not a dragon. That was what made him peculiar. He bore no wings, he still had a human hand and leg and human skin and eyes and face. Not quite dragon. But not quite human. A monster to both species. Not that he cared, not at all. Natsu was perfectly content like this. The only person who’d ever cared for him was his adopted father, the late Igneel, a red fire dragon who pitied the small creature until his dying days. Natsu never quite recovered from his death, still sleeping with the white, scaled scarf he was gifted by the red dragon.
Sure, it was...quiet in the cavern he called home. A large cave partially burrowed into a mountain with large, round rooms and small, round windows to let the light in. Natsu kept it very clean, contrary to popular belief, he took great pride in his childhood home and actually found it rather a fashionable home for a being like himself. Plus, the hot springs in the centre of the cavern were perfect to relax in under the moonlight. The surrounding forest was wonderfully dense and lush, full of wildlife for him to hunt and make banquets out of. Just for himself of course. But he wasn’t lonely at all! He only needed himself. Others…. didn’t quite click with him.
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“He lives over here.” A peasant man whispered, holding a torch up. “Honest, I saw him once. We can kill him once and for all!”
“Once that scourge is gone, our women and children can sleep soundly at night.” the second peasant whispered to the group. The group of men, maybe six or seven, wandered through the dark forest, it was silent aside from them and the occasional cricket.
“You must be careful though. I heard he roasts folk alive and uses their bones as toothpicks!” A third peasant said, holding his own torch up, a little breeze passed by him and his fire went out. “Oi! Who did that?”
“What’re you yammering on about? Hey! My torch!” Another peasant gasped as his fire went out too. One by one, each torch vanished until only one remained. The first peasant held it high. “Something’s here.” He waved it frantically, the light catching a glint of red. He paused and slowly turned the light back at the red colour. “Who’s there? Come out!”
“I don’t use bones as toothpicks.” A menacing voice broke through the trees, the sound of leaves crushing near them. “And I don’t always roast people alive. Mostly.” The peasant whimpered and lifted his torch. Red scales. They trailed along his sides, over the back of his arms to his neck and under his eyes.
The creature took the torch with little strength, letting the embers illuminate his face. The red scales that were on his arm travelled across his body and his clawed arm plucked the flame off the stick and popped it into his mouth. “Yum.”
The peasants whimpered and shirked back, “It’s Salamander…” The creature licked his lips and grinned at them, “I believe this is the part where you run away.”
The peasants shrieked and threw their sticks in his direction before running away into the darkness, forcing their way out of the woods.
Natsu placed his hand on his belly and cackled. “Idiots! They never learn.” He rolled his shoulders with a smirk and headed back in the direction of his home. He never understood why the villagers kept picking fights with him, he never visited them, yet they insisted on seeking him out.
“Idiots.” He muttered, his smile disappearing as he retreated to his cavern.
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Soldiers were gathered at the mouth of the forest, the head of the squadron was a brown-haired knight by the name of Donavon. He was sat at a table with a couple of his fellows, looking over some documents whilst his partner weighed some coins. Before them, magical creatures were lines up, everything from nymphs to fairies to dwarves to elves and everything in between.
“This one is an Undine.” A wrinkled man with a top hat sneered, tossing over a blue-haired woman, “I heard the rarer creatures go for a higher price.”
“Correct.” Donavon weighed some money then tossed it towards him, nodding to a nearby soldier, “Take her away.”
“Father, no! Please!” The Undine cried as the soldier roughly took her away into a cage.
“Next!” An elderly lady approaching, holding a blue cat by the scruff.
“Look!” She shrieked, carelessly waving the poor thing, “It’s an exceed. They’re an incredibly rare cat that can fly and talk!”
“Can you prove it?” Donavon asked sceptically. The large-headed cat looked like someone had just cast a colour-changing spell on it.
The old woman looked at the cat and shook it again, “Go on. Talk.”
The blue cat looked up and mewed sweetly instead. Donavon made a face at his colleague, “Next!”
“Wait! He can talk! Go on, you damn cat. Normally he can’t shut up.”
“Move along, hag. We’ve got other people to sort.” He gestured to a tall man behind her holding a blue-haired pixie. The woman glowered at the cat and shook it, “Speak, you flea-ridden creature!”
The soldiers looked alarmed by the blatant animal abuse, “Hey, stop it old lady!”
The pixie from behind sneezed loudly, released a blast of orange fairy dust, making everything begin to levitate slowly. The soldiers cried out and clamoured to catch some of the flying magical creatures, but humans could only reach so high.
“Ha! Take that lady!” The blue cat laughed, blooming white wings from his back.
“Get him!” Yelled Donavon, drawing his bow, the whole squadron shooting arrows at the floating creatures trying to escape. The cat squealed and tried to fly around, drawing the arrows towards him and away from the others, using his high agility to dodge each flying blade.
“Missed me, loser!” He laughed, flying towards the woods. The soldier shot one more arrow, the pointed head going straight for the cat’s paw and sending him falling straight down.
——-
Natsu sneezed. There was a bunch of dust in the air, and it was seriously irritating him.
“Since when did I have hay fever?” He mumbled to himself.
“Ahhhhhh!”
Natsu looked up just as a blue cat slammed into his face. The cat clung onto him, “Help me! Help me!”
“What the-! Get off me, weirdo!”
“There he is lads!” Donavon ran towards them then staggered to a sudden halt at the sight. Natsu glared up at the soldier, pink hair flying wildly in the wind. The cat mewled pitifully, hiding behind him.
“S-Salamander.” The soldier whispered, in the daylight, this dragon-human creature looked even more terrifying, the very air around him hotter than the sunniest day and a terrible claw the size of his head.
“The hell?”
Donavon stammered and cleared his throat, “B-By order of D-D-Duke C-C-Cream of Veronica. A-All magical c-c-c-creatures must be apprehended for r-r-relocation.”
“Yeah? That’s a shitty rule.” Natsu narrowed his eyes, “What, some loser duke gets to decide who stays where and that’s that?”
“If you… fail to c-c-c-cooperate, we will have no choice t-t-to use f-f-force.” The soldier squeaked.
“We?” Natsu rose his head, then smirked back at him. “Funny, I only see one guy here.”
Donavon looked behind him, the soil was freshly trampled from his allies had deserting him. He smiled sheepishly back at the monster. “Uh…maybe we can come to an understanding?”
“Maybe not.” Natsu took a deep breath, “Fire Dragon’s ROAR!” A wave of fire flew out of his mouth, burning the soldier where he stood. When he finished, he wiped his lips with the back of his hand and grinned at the sight left behind. Donavon was left butt-naked, all his hair burnt off and skin singed. Screaming like a little girl, the nude man sprinted away. Natsu belly-laughed at the sight, “Serves him right!”
“Whoa.” The cat whispered. Natsu looked down at the blue feline, who was still hiding behind his leg. “Why didn’t you kill him?”
“Not my style.” He turned around and headed back down the route to his home.
“Wait up!” The cat flew behind him, “Thank you for saving me, Mister Salamander.”
“It’s actually Natsu. Natsu Dragneel.”
“I’m Happy! I’m an exceed from Extalia!”
Natsu rose an eyebrow, “Really? I’ve never seen you before. Hey, why’re you following me anyway?”
“Protection of course. You’re my hero!”
Natsu scoffed, “I’m no hero, it was just convenient for me. Besides, I’m a big scary monster.” He stuck his tongue out and grinned maniacally.
Happy didn’t seem too bothered. “Then why didn’t you hand me over?”
Natsu paused, thinking it over, “I don’t like the idea of some guy deciding to move people around on a whim, especially a rich guy. It isn’t fair.”
“Aye…Duke Cream is just a loser,” Happy huffed, “He hates everything and everyone. He’s been rounding up magical creatures for money to relocate us.”
“Relocate you where?”
“I’m not too sure, just as long as it’s far, far away.” Happy said.
As they approached his home, Natsu straightened up like a hound and bolted. There were too many unfamiliar smells coming from there. Why were so many people insistent on irritating him today?!
He came to a halt and froze. There were creatures…. everywhere. Magical creatures playing in his favourite fishing river, pixies and fairies magicking homes into trees, elves and dwarves making camp in his cave.
“What the hell is this?!” He bellowed. Everything stopped and stared at him. A red-headed fairy stepped up to him, leaning heavily on a cane, “Who are you?” she questioned.
“Who am I? Who am I?! This is my home!” He gestured to the cavern, “Not some five star resort. You all gotta leave. Now.”
The fairy had a regretful look, “My apologies. My name is Erza Scarlet. My allies and I were kicked out of our homes by Duke Cream of Veronica and sent here. We thought this cave was abandoned and took refuge here. Please, let us stay, at least to recuperate enough to leave for the Kingdom of Stella.”
Natsu frowned. Upon closer inspection, the magical folk did look beaten down and exhausted, Erza wasn’t the only injured one. There was a pierced dragonkin getting tended to by a small, navy-haired Caladrius-kin, a white-haired Beastman tying bandages around his arms and many, many more. Natsu clenched his fist, he may not like company but the thought of innocent people being forced out of their homes….it hit a part of him he long buried. He looked up at Erza in determination.
“If I go to Duke Cream to get your land back, will you all leave my home?”
“You can… you’re going to…?” Her brown eyes widened.
“Just answer the question.”
Erza straightened up against her cane and nodded, “I swear on my honour. If we get our homes, we will leave this place immediately.”
Natsu nodded then groaned and scanned the group, clearing his throat he spoke in a louder tone. “I’m going to get your homes back. I swear it but…I don’t know the way to Veronica. Is there any one of you that aren’t too injured to lead the way?”
“Oh! Me! Me! Me!” Happy flew up and down excitedly.
“Are you sure?” Natsu glanced at his bleeding paw.
“Aye, sir! I mostly fly everywhere anyway! It’s nothing a healing spell can’t fix.”
“Alright. We set out in the afternoon.”