The Red Dragon

Chapter 26

After a few minutes, Natsu recognized the smell and managed a small smile. She was making his favorite childhood drink, chile hot chocolate. She poured the contents of the pot into two mugs and carried them to the table, setting them down carefully. Grabbing one last item, she placed it between the two of them before sitting down. When Natsu didn't move, she grabbed a handful of the little sugary pillows and dropped them in his drink.

"Thank you, Anna."

"You're very welcome," Anna replied, waving the act away, "Now, why don't you tell me what's on your mind? That might be the first time I've seen you cry since Erza knocked you down your first day of school."

"I don't think I ever thanked you for taking care of me," Natsu said quietly, his mind already full of goodbyes.

"Nonsense, you would have died otherwise. Igneel and Atlas might know a lot about dragons, but they knew nothing about babies." Anna rolled her eyes. "Your mother would've had both our hides in the afterlife if we let anything happen to you."

"You knew my mom?" Natsu questioned, eyes widening as he realized he'd never thought of that possibility before.

"Of course I did, we were friends most of our lives," Anna replied, her mouth curving into a smile, "Hang on, I think I have a picture around here somewhere, it's from before Igneel arrived."

She got up from the table, and Natsu drank his chocolate as he waited. Anna had made it for him when he was little. Any time he'd gotten in trouble with Igneel, which was often. Natsu would help her make it, using his fire to heat the small pot as it cooked. It was one of the few sweets he'd had as a kid. He'd loved it because it was both spicy and sweet.

Anna would listen to him rant about Igneel and comfort him, often staying with him until he fell asleep. She really had been like a mother to him, and he'd loved her dearly. Still did. She was also the only human who had known what he was, and she'd never treated him differently for it. Now, Natsu thought, maybe he understood why.

She returned with a picture of two young girls holding hands and smiling. One had blonde hair and was obviously Anna, the other had long pink hair and stunning green eyes, just the same as his. It was an excellent likeness of Anna, so Natsu could only assume that it was a good one of his mother as well. He stared at the picture hungrily, finally able to see his mother for the first time in his life.

"That was us," Anna grinned, eyes twinkling with mischief, "We were trouble back then!"

"Can you tell me about her?" Natsu asked hopefully, "I only know what Atlas has told me, but he didn't know her very well."

"I should have said something before," Anna apologized, "but your father, well, he still can't really talk about her."

"Hmm, let's see, Porlyusica was a lot like you actually," Anna smiled at him fondly, "She was very passionate, fought for what she believed in, and once she'd decided on something, there was no turning back. And boy did she have a temper!"

Natsu rolled his eyes at Anna, but he also ate up every word.

"Had she lived, I think the two of you would have gotten along very well and ganged up on your poor father, and he—he would have loved it." Anna suddenly became quiet, and Natsu could see she was trying to fight back tears.

"I'm sorry, it's been a while since I've talked about her," Anna apologized as she sniffled.

"It's okay, you don't have to keep going," Natsu assured her, but she only smiled as she got herself under control.

"I want to. You should know about her. What else? She was an amazing healer. People would come from all over to seek her advice," Anna continued, "Did you know you were born here?"