Vol1/Chapter13/New Skills

Summary
Natsu and Gray make their way downstairs to the main guild hall. They don't tell anyone of their change of status wanting to keep it to themselves for the moment. Gray leaves the guild to pack for the job.

Mira suggests that Natsu use the that she taught him while he is in Magnolia since he stands out. Natsu is able to transform into Mira successfully. She teaches him how to alter his voice and his clothes as well. Natsu is very happy that he is able to learn the difficult magic. When he notices that Juvia is not in the guild he decides to play a prank on Gray. He turns himself into the water mage and awaits the ice mage's return with Gajeel.

Gajeel is impressed by Natsu's use of transformation magic and the fire mage takes the opportunity to apologize for his previous behavior. Gajeel asks if he sorted things out with Gray and is happy for them as he realizes they are now mates. Natsu lets him know that they are not letting anyone know yet. The guild waits in anticipation to see how the prank will play out.

Natsu as Juvia jumps on Gray the second he walks through the doors. Gray tries his best to disentangle himself from the water mage not wanting to upset Natsu so soon after they had started their relationship. He finds her to be unusually strong. Natsu is amused by Gray's discomforts and does not disguise his laugh to the confsion of the ice mage who doesn't see Natsu anywhere in the guild.

Juvia shows up and attacks Natsu, thinking him to be the shape-shifter. Natsu reverts back to himself and with a laugh informs Juvia that it was just a prank. Everyone feels a sense of hope that Natsu might one day return to his previous self. Gray appears angry but is secretly happy to see acting Natsu somewhat like his old self. The ice mage agrees that it will be a good idea for Natsu to use transformation magic and they finally agree on Cana as the person he will transform into. They leave the guild and don't feel Tiamat's eyes on them.

Igneel creates a space in an astral plane for him and the boy to train in. The boy is getting stronger and Igneel has named him Kai. Igneel is curious as to whether Natsu would be able to tap in to Kai's magic as an additional power source while Kai lived inside him.

Kai asked many questions about his mother that Igneel refused to answer choosing instead to teach him about good and evil, and love and family. Kai is not satisfied with that and sets out to find out as much as he can about his father hoping to find a clue to his mother in Natsu's mind. Even though he can't communicate with his father directly he figures out a way to see into his father's memories.

He sees various memories including Natsu and Lisanna taking care of Happy's egg and Natsu meeting Gray. He explores many other memories, wanting to find out as much about his father as he can until he finds another area of memories that was slightly away from the rest. They were a different color and throbbed dangerously so he decides to explore them another time. When he returns to the original area he finally locks on to the memory of Natsu's capture and captivity and discovers who his mother is.

Igneel awakes to find a distraught Kai. He tries to comfort the boy telling him that Tiamat was not always as she appears now. He tells Kai that he has hope that she will still change and that he should not give up on her yet but Kai does not really believe it after what he has seen. He decides to think of Gray as his mother since he has the ice mage's eyes and he believes his father loves him as well.