Dreams of Dragons

Chapter Five - The Dreyars, Part Two

*On the seventh night of Chanukah the-real-narnia gave to me:

A new member of the family!*

*****

Chapter Five – The Dreyars, Part Two

"Never accept help from a dragon. Dragons do not offer help. They offer fate."
― Steven Poore, The High King's Vengeance

*****

Gildarts returned from a simple job to a series of complicated things; his brother dead, his nephew healthy, and his best friend alive.

It was admittedly a lot to take in.

Gildarts had thrown up when he had gotten the whole story; that Ivan was going to implant a lacrima in Laxus in order to smuggle it across the border, which would end up in Laxus's eventual death via lacrima removal; that Ivan killed himself in front of all of them, after directly telling his son and his father that he hated them, along with Gildarts; and that afterwards they had found Mari alive and in chains, as Ivan's prisoner for almost ten years.

Laxus, admittedly, also wasn't doing the greatest. His father had betrayed him and the mother he could barely remember had returned from the dead.

To distract him, Acnologia started teaching him slaying techniques, and they would spend time running around and destroying Fiore's forests. It was a good way for Laxus to take out his stress, and if Laxus spent half his time crying, Acnologia pretended not to notice.

*****

"Why are you bothering to train me?" Laxus asked one day. They had finished training and were sitting near the edge of a cliff, appreciating the sunset.

"Why do you think?" Acnologia asked.

"It's only because I'm a slayer, too, right?"

"You are incorrect."

Laxus looked up at him. "What?"

"The day that the lacrima was implanted in you, I was going to ask Makarov if I could train you."

"Why?" Laxus asked.

Acnologia paused. "The day you wore born, I held you in my arms, and I sensed a load of untapped potential. In addition to that, I disliked the way your father treated you, and I was drawn to you in a sense. I realize now that it was fate."

"Fate?" Laxus asked.

Acnologia nodded. "You were destined to become a dragon slayer, one way or another. Destiny has been quite active over the last several decades, preparing for something; it has given birth to a generation of new wizards. From what Ivan said, and from what can be guessed from the activity level of destiny, it is likely that you will not be the only Dragon Slayer in the upcoming years."

Laxus nodded. "Still…I'm not exactly an impressive wizard."

Acnologia snorted. "Yet.Please try to remember who is training you."

Laxus blushed, and nodded, before bringing up another question. "Hey, Uncle Acno? Was my dad…was he always like that?"

"Yes. Some people are born like that, brat."