"So that's why you never came for me, Father." Natsu said as his knees hit the floor of the castle kitchen.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Lucy asked rushing to his side.

"I... He...." Natsu was choking back tears refusing to let himself break in front of his wife.

"It's okay, my love. Take your time." She soothed as she sat beside him and rubbed his shoulders. Natsu composed himself after a minute.

"He's gone, Lucy. Father is dead. Killed by Acno. Acno struck down the Red King. How could he send me off all alone into a strange country with no one to talk to, no one to turn to, an outcast in every way?" Natsu clenched his fists until his knuckles were white trying to keep back his tears.

"But you weren't alone, darling. Not for very long anyways. You had me remember?" Lucy whispered in his ear. "You never have been, and you never will be alone ever again. Igneel is still with you. As long as you keep him in your heart, he's still with you." Natsu let out all his pain and tears unable to hold them back any longer. He buried his face into Lucy's shoulder as his tears soaked her shirt. She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back soothingly. After he finished mourning his father's death, he stood up with Lucy and picked up the paper with the message.

"Thank you, Lucy." He said with red eyes. He looked down and read the rest of the message. "It says Acno is bringing a hundred thousand monsters and beasts, our army is only about thirty thousand strong. Even with the combined might of the other kingdoms, they would be no match for beasts and monsters. It also says that they will be arriving in two to three months based on their travel speed. This isn't looking good Luce." He looked at her with concern written all over his face.

"What are we going to do? They outnumber us three-to-one. What about the armor and weapons you made? Will those not even the odds?" Lucy asked worried.

"I don't know if they will or not. Normally, it would be an even fight if it were against humans. But monsters and beasts...I don't have time to make armor and weapons and equip the other kingdoms with it. We're going to need help. I have an idea but I'm going to have to leave for a month or so." He responded.

"What? Why? Where are you going to go?" She replied. Natsu hugged her.

"I'm going to go find my people. I can't be the only one living in the human realm. I'm going to search all the towns for other dragons using my keen sense of smell. But if that doesn't work, I'm going to fly up into the mountains and call them using the same roar my father would use whenever he needed to gather the people from across the realm and hope they'll answer. Tell someone to setup a beacon on top of the Great Cliffs and to keep it lit morning, noon, and night until Acno and his army arrives. I will return in time to prepare for war. Tell the kids to come in here. I have to leave straight away." He explained.

"Natsu, are you sure you can make it in time and bring the dragons?" Lucy asked fearful of the future. Natsu took her face in his hands and brought her forehead to meet his.

"You believe in me don't you? You know I can do this. You're my princess. I have to protect you and our children as well as this kingdom. Besides. If we don't stop Acno, who will? Lucy, I swear I will return with my people's help and I will protect our people." He swore. "Ignus, Layla, come in here for a minute." The two dragon children walked in to the kitchen and sat down at the table with their parents.

"I've got to go away for a while. Some bad monsters are coming to our kingdom to destroy it but I'm not going to let that happen. A particularly bad man is leading them. He's the reason you never met your grandfather. But that's why I'm going to go bring some friends to help fight his army so that I can crush the bad man. I want you two to help your mother in any way you can. Ignus, you take care of Layla and your mother while I'm gone. I'll be back in around a month. I love you all so much." Natsu told them before wrapping them up in a bear hug. "Lucy, address the kingdom. Tell them to prepare for war in two months. If anybody needs any extra equipment, I've got plenty in the armory. Son, could you go grab my cloak and my bag of coins? Thank you. Kids, do as your mother tells you. I'll be back in a month."

"Don't go Daddy." Layla said tugging on his sleeve before he could walk out the door. She looked up at him with big brown eyes like Lucy's. He knelt down and kissed the top of her head.

"I have to pumpkin. I have to go find my friends so that I can keep everyone safe. I can't do this alone. I'll be back soon. I promise." He said with a smile.

"Be careful Daddy." Layla said hugging his neck.

"I will be. I have to go now. I love you." He kissed each of them on the head and hurried out the door. He took on his true form, a large red-scaled dragon, and took to the skies towards the nearest towns hoping to come across the distinct scent of his own kind. He landed outside of the first town and put his cloak on along with his scarf. He pulled the hood over his head and walked into town following the scent of a dragon to a nearby pub dimly lit with torches and candles with the lingering smell of ale and cider on the air. He walked in and spied a hooded figure sitting in the half light of the shadows sipping from a flask of ale alone in the corner.

"Hey, I'm looking for someone. He's not from around these parts but I know he's here somewhere." Natsu said leaning up against the wall beside him. The hooded man didn't look up from his drink, his face shrouded by his hood.

"You smell familiar." He finally said. He removed his hood to turn and look at Natsu. "Who are you?" Natsu flashed a toothy grin from under his hood.

"My name is Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel, King of the Dragneel Kingdom several leagues to the west, and King of the Red Flames as my father before me was. You smell like a fire dragon. Who might you be?"Natsu replied. The stranger's eyes widened at the strange pink haired man's proclamation.

"My lord," he bowed as best he could without drawing attention to himself. He looked around making sure nobody had overheard them. "My name is Atlas. Atlas Brynestone. I come from a family of firebreathers as well. But my lord, how did you find me and why have you come if you are now running a kingdom? Should you not be back in our realm ensuring peace?" Atlas asked. He stood up and was basked in the glow of the nearby torches revealing age worn facial features, an orangey red beard and hair like a mane covering his face. His shoulders were broad and his muscles were large and toned with rippling blood vessels coursing through his arms.

"I said I was king of the Dragneel Kingdom. I have a family and humans to protect. I even have children who are half human half dragon. I must protect them. Which brings me to why I'm here to talk to you. There's an evil coming for my kingdom from another land named Acno. He's hunting me and has been hunting dragons. He's the one who killed Igneel. He's bringing an army of a hundred thousand monsters and beasts and will be here within three month's time. I only have thirty thousand troops but they are armored with incredibly durable and strong armor I personally made during my time as a blacksmith. Best in the entire continent. If it were against normal humans, it would be an even fight. But since my people are up against such an unearthly force, I parted from the side of my wife for the first time in twenty years and came in search of aide from my kin. I ask that you lend me your aide in my time of need, Atlas. Would Igneel have done no less for your kin?" Natsu said. "There's a beacon on the Great Cliffs east of my castle. Just fly west and you'll see it. We'll make a battle plan there a few days before Acno should get there. Find all the dragons you can within a month and bring them with you to meet me in the kingdom once you're done. I'm counting on you, Atlas Brynestone. I must go search for others. I shall see you in a month." With a wave, Natsu took off for the forest on the edge of town and flew towards his next destination. There, he met the fire and ice twins, Tetra and Storm, two dragons who looked to be 16 years of age and were inseparable. At the end of the month, Natsu returned to the Dragneel territory and sat atop the Great Cliffs at their highest peak. He summoned his power and let out a mighty bellow that shook the very foundations of the continent. This roar was the roar that the King of Dragons used only during the time of great peril to dragon-kind to amass a great army to combat it. The roar was heard farther than any mountain, any town, or any ocean on the map. It was heard to the depths of the earth, over wide extending plains, and to the peaks of the highest mountaintops. Natsu went and stood by the gate as the dragons gathered there.

"Is this everybody, Atlas?" Natsu asked as he led more than ten thousand dragons into the castle grounds.

"No, King Natsu, we have more and more answering the call every day. We have reports of dragons from all over coming to aide us in the great battle to come. We are even getting reports of Leviathan, Gargantia, and Goliath from across the Great Sea coming here to help us fight! Three of the Great Descendents of the Ancients! They will be here within two weeks time along with the rest of our army." Atlas replied confidently.

"Very good! I didn't know my roar had traveled so far as to reach the ends of the earth! I shall setup more beacons for the remaining forces to meet at. Come. Let us go and make our friends feel at home. Tell our comrades to meet at the square in the center of Castle Town for an important announcement and to be ready to show the world their true forms." Natsu commanded as he placed a hand on Atlas's shoulder. He took off to the castle grounds ordering all the town criers to tell the people to assemble in the square before he ran into the castle to tell Lucy.

"Natsu are you serious?!" Lucy exclaimed. "Are you sure the people will just accept the fact that there are dragons and that one is ruling them?"

"Don't worry about it my love. Everything will be just fine. Tell the kids to get ready and to come with us." He answered.

"You can't be serious Natsu. What if things don't go as planned? What if the people turn against us?" Lucy inquired.

"They won't. We've been good to them. We have advanced their way of life and they love us. Besides. Dragons are our only chance to win this war. Don't worry Luce. Okay? Ignus! Layla! Let's go!" With a swish of his cloak, the family was off to change life as they knew it in the Dragneel Kingdom.

"My loyal citizens of the Dragneel Kingdom, your King, Natsu Dragneel, would like to address to you something of great importance. Please lend him your ears and attention!" Queen Lucy announced from atop the balcony of the building. All the people bowed as King Natsu emerged from the doorway with the two children by his side.

"My loyal subjects! No, my friends, my family." He shouted addressing the masses. "There is a great evil approaching! One that we cannot hope to defeat by ourselves or even allied with the armies of our neighbors. But there is still another way. You all know me as King Natsu Dragneel of the Dragneel Kingdom. Most of you know me as Fiore's greatest blacksmith. But only my dear wife and children know me for who I truly am underneath this skin. There are ten thousand or more among you in this crowd who do not belong to this world. Who were not born here but yet were raised and lived here. Many of you have suffered the same fate as I growing up. All alone for years and years never being able to confide in another soul for fear that they would judge you a monster. No, I was the lucky one. Even before this kingship. For I met a small girl who grew to be my biggest dream come true and each and every day, she is still making that dream come true with my children! You who are from the land of Fiore, hear me now! I am your king! This is my wife! These are my children! My name is Natsu Dragneel, the Red King of Dragons as my father, Igneel, was and his father before him! I came to you from a far off land in seek of him not knowing he was struck down by an evil you could not comprehend. I came and lived as one of you, became one of you, worked and sweated and laughed and cried as one of you, and raised a family as one of you! But the time to be what I truly am has come. If you recall the flaming protector of this kingdom that was rumored years ago," He proclaimed. Lucy told Ingus and Layla to get ready to become dragons.

"I. AM. THAT. PROTECTOR!" He declared. He turned into a full dragon and flew to the adjacent rooftop outstretching his wings. The ten thousand dragons all went full dragon and took to the skies darkening the city. The two dragon children flew and landed beside Natsu.

"These dragons are our only hope of surviving the evil that is coming! Do not be afraid!" He shouted over the roar of the crowd. When the panic wouldn't subside, he let out an ear shattering roar instantly silencing the throng of panicked subjects. "We are your protectors! We are your friends! I have been one of you for more than twenty years and I will be one of you until I draw my last breath! As your king, I have sworn an oath to you, to my family, and to the kings before me to protect you from harm! And as Red King of Dragons, I am sworn to protect the dragons as well. Be not afraid. For when the time comes, we will defeat the enemy and send Acno back to the god forsaken crack in the earth he so foolishly dared to climb out of!" Natsu roared. Members of the crowd looked from one to another before finally beginning to cheer which turned to roars of approval.

"Daddy does this mean that we don't have to hide anymore?" Ignus asked, a smile on his face.

"That's right son. We can be dragons now and not have to hide anymore. What's more, you and Layla will make many friends before you get big. More friends than I ever dreamed of having at your age. " Natsu answered. As the onslaught of cheers continued, more and more dragons joined the circling throng overhead in a symphony of triumphant roars. Natsu looked to Lucy across the way and saw that she was beaming from ear to ear at the approval of the people. He stood atop the roof on all fours and roared once again.

"Guards!" Natsu shouted. "Set up beacons in the fields outside the walls! Carpenters! Construct makeshift garrisons for the dragons! Dragons! Let's get ready for war!"

To Be Continued