09x313 - Dragon Seed

[bunniefuu]

[gasps]

You're lying!

[IRENE]

No, it's true.

I was known as the

Queen of Dragons.

I shall tell you a story

about events that took

place years ago

in a kingdom here on

Ishgar, called Dragnof.

Hear about the

western continent?

There was another att*ck.

By the dragons?

[BOTH gasp]

That doesn't surprise me.

Dragons in the west

are uncivilized brutes.

[SOLDIER A]

Sage Dragon Belserion!

[SOLDIER B] Glad to see you've

returned unharmed, sir.

The situation there

is worse than imagined.

Things are dire.

I need to see Irene.

Right! Her Majesty is

here, in the courtyard.

[BELSERION]

Irene.

Belserion. So good to see you.

[IRENE]

What's the matter? Are you ill?

[BELSERION]

I come bearing bad news.

The dragons in the west

show no signs of relenting.

It's only a matter of time

before they've consumed

all the humans and

come to Ishgar.

How ghastly.

They're eating people.

Unbelievable.

Just the thought of it

alone... It's blasphemy.

In Ishgar, we see our

relationship with humans

as invaluable.

[IRENE]

Likewise.

I can't imagine where

our society would be

without the dragons' help.

Our species can peacefully

coexist, but one has to wonder:

If the western dragons' way of

thinking reaches our shores

and begins to take root,

would that place our

bond in jeopardy?

[BELSERION]

We will not allow it.

On our honor,

we'll protect humankind!

[IRENE] This marked the

beginning of the bloody w*r

that would later be known as

the "Dragon King Festival."

Yes.

Ironically, it was first sparked

by the kindness of dragons.

[ERZA]

Four hundred years ago?

How have you not aged?

[IRENE]

I'll address that eventually.

You should like this next part,

so listen well, okay?

In fact, I think your little

Dragon Slayer friend

will hang on every word.

[WENDY]

Huh?

[IRENE] My kingdom was

a place of harmony,

with humans and dragons

living together

in peace for generations.

Back then, several such

kingdoms existed in Ishgar.

[CROWD gasps]

She broke an iron sword

with a wooden stick!

Your Majesty, how'd you do it?

With imbuement magic.

I call it "enchantment."

Nice, huh?

To put it simply,

I enhanced the wooden stick.

The enchantment made it

harder than the iron.

[CIVILIAN B]

That's amazing!

We could use this spell to make

our dragons' scales

even tougher!

This is our chance

to win the w*r!

[IRENE] However, things

did not go in our favor.

The sheer number of

dragons from the west

dwarfed those on our side.

Plus, there were some in Ishgar

who chose to ally themselves

with those seeking to disrupt

our peaceful coexistence.

[BELSERION]

Irene.

Belserion.

We're losing.

[IRENE]

I see. Are you sure?

My wish for peace

remains steadfast.

I won't give up.

Know this, no matter how

many brethren I lose,

I'll still fight.

I don't understand.

Why make such a sacrifice?

Why? I've told you how

your predecessor saved me.

This is my debt to pay.

[IRENE]

I knew that,

but surely that debt has

been long since repaid.

You've devoted your life

to serving not only me,

but all of mankind,

yet you're willing to give more.

Listen, my debt

will not be repaid

till you are forever safe.

To that end,

I'll pledge my life.

[IRENE]

Belserion.

Let me join you

and fight by your side.

You can't be serious.

We're up against

dragons, not people!

You won't survive,

not even with an army.

They'll destroy you!

[IRENE] I've found a way we

can win, a new technique.

[IRENE] But it's only possible

if I can imbue myself

with your power.

Will you allow it?

The power of a dragon

within a human?

We can create a whole

new class of wizards...

...able to fight dragons.

Called Dragon Slayers.

[gasps]

[ERZA] Are you trying to say you

created that type of magic?

[IRENE]

I am saying it.

You can consider me to be

the mother of Dragon Slayers.

It's not working.

He's not getting warmer.

Please, Natsu, wake up!

Come on. I know you're

still in there somewhere.

Natsu!

[NATSU]

Hm?

[gasps]

Do you remember Anna

telling us a long time ago

about who created

Dragon Slayer magic?

It was somebody named Irene.

What's goin' on?

When'd you get here? Hm?

This is your mind, ya know,

so quit bein' so shocked.

You guys really piss me

off sometimes!

I thought you were

supposed to be tellin' me

why I'm on the verge

of death or somethin'!

Not our fault.

All we're supposed

to do is lead you down

some kinda path through

your memories.

We're almost to the

end, Natsu! Come on!

[grumbles]

Natsu.

Don't die.

[IRENE] After producing

numerous Dragon Slayers,

we were able to gain the

upper hand in the w*r.

Victory seemed to

be within reach,

and with that victory,

came our very survival.

[SLAYER B yells]

[SLAYER A roars]

[IRENE]

However, the great potential

that had been unlocked

began to take its toll on

the bodies wielding it.

Those unable to suppress this

wellspring of power went mad.

The extraordinary sensory

perception of dragons

caused extreme vertigo and

motion sickness in humans.

[IRENE]

What's more...

[SOLDIER A]

Excuse me, Your Majesty?

Your face... What's wrong?

[IRENE]

Huh?

[IRENE] Inside those who'd

gained this new power

grew Dragon Seeds.

[IRENE] These "seeds" would

turn those people into dragons,

spelling doom for

any Dragon Slayer.

[IRENE] To complicate things

further, at that time,

I was carrying a

child in my womb.

You, Erza.

[IRENE] I'm sure you're

curious about your father.

He was a general of a

neighboring country.

Our marriage was

political in nature.

A "solution" to a

territorial dispute.

Can you make it?

Yes!

[DRAGON A roars]

The Dragon Slayers'

power is incredible.

It borders on supernatural.

[IRENE]

No!

I'm done. This is the

end of my journey.

[IRENE]

Belserion!

Irene, I've failed my

duty to protect you.

I've failed to preserve

our peaceful coexistence.

[IRENE crying]

[IRENE] Your father fought by

my side on many battlefields,

and was there to comfort me

as I watched Belserion die.

[IRENE] When Acnologia

rose up, the w*r ended

with neither side coming

away as the clear victor.

As if ridiculing the countless

lives that were lost,

Acnologia, alone,

stood victorious.

[IRENE] Then, just one week

after the fighting stopped...

[RUNG]

You monster! I'll k*ll you!

Stay back!

[IRENE]

It's me! Irene!

Be patient. I know

I can fix this!

Please, Rung!

Careful. She'll end up

just like Acnologia!

[SOLDIERS gasp]

No, please! I won't!

I would never choose

to harm the dragons.

[grunts]

[RUNG] That means you're

an enemy of humankind.

[IRENE gasps]

Seize her, men!

We must lock up this dragon

woman for our own safety!

[IRENE]

Stop! Listen to me!

I'm carrying your child!

[RUNG gasps]

What did she say?

If that's true,

then that must mean...

The child is cursed.

[RUNG growls]

I would never father a child

with a monster like you!

[gasps]

After that, my life

became a living hell,

filled only with misery.

t*rture, beatings,

dehumanization.

[IRENE]

And then...

[IRENE]

Don't worry.

I'll do everything in my power

to keep you safe from harm.

[footsteps]

Dragon woman, the day of your

execution has been decided.

That's fine.

But please!

Please spare my child!

I've had enough of

this foolishness!

No child takes three

years to be born!

[IRENE] That's because

I cast a spell on it.

I can't have it here,

not in this hellish place!

There is no child!

To prove it, I'll split

open your belly myself!

[IRENE]

No! Don't! I'm begging you!

No!

See? You're just like Acnologia.

A blight on humanity!

[IRENE snarls]

No! You monste--!

Wait! What was that?

It's coming from the dungeon!

[SOLDIER F] Let's move!

We have to save General Rung!

[SOLDIER G]

Hurry!

[ALL gasp]

[IRENE snarls]

[SOLDIER D]

A dragon?

[SOLDIER E]

It must be that dragon woman!

[SOLDIER C] You'll pay

for k*lling the general!

[IRENE]

This can't be happening.

I know I'm still a human!

I don't want this!

I wanna be a person again!

Somebody, please. Help me!

[IRENE]

Centuries passed,

and during all that time,

I carried you inside me, Erza.

My child.

I lived deep in the mountains,

far away from human

civilization,

searching for a way

to lift this curse.

[roars]

[IRENE]

Then, one day...

[ZEREF]

Do my eyes deceive me?

It's been ages since

I've last seen a dragon.

Who're you?

No. You're actually

a human, aren't you?

[IRENE]

On that day, I met His Majesty.

His magic ability

was unparalleled.

In the blink of an eye,

he cured the affliction that

had plagued me for centuries.

[IRENE gasping]

Human!

I can hardly believe it.

Oh! I'm back.

I'm human!

This is merely an appearance.

You'll never truly return

to who you once were.

[IRENE] It's okay.

I can live with that.

I'm so happy!

Just looking like my old

self after all this time

fills my heart with joy.

[IRENE] However, soon I

discovered the shortcomings

of my new condition.

There's no flavor.

[IRENE]

I gorged myself sick.

But I couldn't taste anything.

[IRENE coughing]

So tired. God, all I want

is to fall asleep, please.

[IRENE] This pain.

I'm so itchy. And so cold.

What's happening to me?

Why won't it stop?

I just wanna live

like a normal human.

[ZEREF]

This is merely an appearance.

You'll never be human.

I'm not some kind of monster!

I'm human! I'm human!

[IRENE] I don't want my

baby to suffer as I have.

I want it to be human.

Human.

Growing inside me... is a human.

[IRENE]

I'm carrying a human life.

With a human body...

[IRENE]

...could be a new beginning.

I can enchant myself

into this child.

Then I would have

a human body.

It would be just like before.

Oh...

I'd be a new being.

In a new body, I would

have a new chance at life!

I will be you,

and you will be me!

Come, my child, let us

join and become one!

[IRENE]

Alas, it didn't work.

Enchanting myself into the child

was an impossible dream.

Since I had no use for

you, I threw you away.

So you wouldn't weigh me down.

I simply left you in some

backwater hamlet.

[ERZA]

And that was Rosemary Village?

I didn't care to

remember the name.

Erza.

It's all right.

Guess I should thank you.

If only for giving me

the gift of life.

A waste of breath.

Your life was no

gift, I promise.

What's wrong with you?!

She's your own child!

[ERZA]

You may be right.

Leaving me behind

was the true gift.

If you hadn't thrown me away,

I may have never

met my real family!

[LUCY] Now, Erza has finally

learned the secret

behind her birth from

her biological mother.

Despite this harsh truth,

she remains unfazed.

The memories of meeting

her dear friends

and everything they've

shared together

make it clear where

her allegiance lies.

And so, Fairy Tail's

mightiest female wizard

will take on the

Scarlet Despair!

Next Time: "Master Enchant."

The power of love and

the bonds of friendship

will drive out this anguish.