Chapter 2: Training Begins
Morning sunlight bathed Magnolia as the city slowly came to life.
Merchants opened their shops, children ran through the streets, and the Fairy Tail guild was already as noisy as ever.
Inside, Natsu was stuffing his face with breakfast while Gray argued with him over the last piece of bacon.
"That's mine!"
"You snooze, you lose!"
Lucy sighed as another table was flipped over.
"They haven't changed at all…"
Mirajane giggled behind the counter.
"Some things never do."
The guild doors opened.
Kael walked inside carrying a small travel bag over one shoulder.
"Morning."
"BIG BRO!"
Natsu shot out of his chair and tackled Kael once again.
This time, Kael sidestepped.
Natsu flew past him and crashed face-first into the request board.
"Owww…"
The guild burst into laughter.
Kael smiled.
"Your first lesson."
Natsu rubbed his head.
"What's that?"
"Never assume your opponent will stand still."
Erza nodded approvingly.
"An important lesson."
Natsu pouted.
"You could've just told me."
"I just did."
Happy floated beside him.
"Aye! But with pain!"
After breakfast, Kael stood before Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel.
The three Dragon Slayers wore eager expressions.
"You said our real training starts today," Natsu said excitedly.
Kael nodded.
"It does."
"So what are we doing first?"
Kael looked at each of them.
"I'm not going to teach you new spells."
The three blinked.
"What?"
"I'm going to teach you how to use the ones you already know."
Gajeel folded his arms.
"What's the difference?"
"A great deal."
Kael picked up a small pebble from the ground.
"Natsu."
"Burn this."
"…Seriously?"
"Yes."
Natsu shrugged.
"Fire Dragon's…"
"No."
Kael interrupted him.
"One finger."
Natsu stared.
"…One finger?"
Kael nodded.
"No roaring flames."
"No explosions."
"No wasted magic."
"Just enough heat to burn the pebble."
Natsu scratched his head.
"That's… weird."
"Try."
Natsu held out his finger.
A tiny flame appeared.
The next second—
BOOM!
The pebble exploded into dust.
Smoke covered everyone nearby.
Lucy coughed.
"I think he overdid it."
Kael chuckled.
"Exactly."
Next was Gajeel.
"Create one iron scale."
Gajeel smirked.
"That's easy."
His arm instantly transformed into thick black iron.
Kael shook his head.
"I said one scale."
Gajeel looked down.
"…Oops."
Finally…
"Wendy."
She stepped forward nervously.
"Yes?"
"Heal this leaf."
Wendy blinked.
"…Leaves can be healed?"
"They're living things."
She carefully placed both hands around the wilted leaf.
Soft green wind surrounded it.
Slowly…
The leaf straightened.
Its color returned.
Lucy smiled.
"She actually did it."
Kael nodded proudly.
"Excellent."
Wendy smiled brightly.
"I passed?"
"You understood the lesson."
Natsu crossed his arms.
"I still don't get it."
Kael looked at the three Dragon Slayers.
"You all possess tremendous power."
"But every spell you use wastes magic."
He crouched and picked up another pebble.
Without saying a word…
A tiny flame appeared on his fingertip.
No bigger than a candle.
He touched the stone.
Nothing happened.
For several seconds.
Then…
The pebble quietly crumbled into fine ash.
No explosion.
No smoke.
No sound.
Natsu's eyes widened.
"You burned the inside…"
Kael smiled.
"Exactly."
"You don't need more power."
"You need more control."
Even Erza looked impressed.
"So that's why your magic feels so refined."
The morning continued with countless exercises.
Natsu practiced controlling tiny flames.
Most exploded.
Some accidentally ignited nearby trees.
One nearly burned Happy's tail.
"MY TAIL!"
Gajeel repeatedly tried creating a single iron scale.
Instead, he kept covering his entire arm.
"I hate tiny stuff…"
Wendy practiced controlling gentle currents of wind.
She succeeded far more often than the other two.
Kael smiled proudly.
"You've always had the best control."
Wendy blushed.
"Thank you, Big Brother."
Natsu immediately protested.
"Hey!"
"What about me?"
Kael looked at the smoking crater where another pebble had exploded.
"…You're enthusiastic."
Everyone laughed.
By midday, the three Dragon Slayers had collapsed beneath a large tree.
"I'm exhausted…" Natsu groaned.
"We barely fought," Gajeel muttered.
"Exactly," Kael replied.
"Control requires far more concentration than destruction."
As the three rested, Erza approached Kael.
"You truly trained them."
Kael nodded.
"They've all grown."
"But they're relying too much on instinct."
"They're powerful."
"Now they need discipline."
Erza smiled.
"They're fortunate to have you back."
Kael's smile softened.
"So am I."
For the first time in seven years, he wasn't watching over them from afar.
He was standing beside them again.
Just as he had when they were children.
Yet deep within his heart, he knew this peaceful time would not last.
Somewhere beyond Fiore…
A pair of crimson eyes slowly opened in the darkness.
The figure smiled.
"So…"
"The dragons' eldest disciple has returned."
"Excellent."
"It will make things much more interesting."
The ominous presence vanished, leaving only silence behind.