Natsu Dragneel & Atlas Flame vs. Rogue Cheney (Future) & Motherglare

Natsu Dragneel & Atlas Flame vs. Rogue Cheney (Future) & Motherglare is a fight fought between Fairy Tail Mage Natsu Dragneel and the Dragon Atlas Flame, and the visitor from the future Future Rogue Cheney and the Dragon Motherglare.

Prologue
Following his revelation on how to beat the Dragons, Happy carries Natsu to the site of Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe's battle with the Dragon Atlas Flame. The Exceed drops Natsu on top of the burning Dragon; Natsu lands safely and states that he found the Fire Dragon. Curious, Atlas asks Natsu who he is, to which he states his name, as well as his purpose: to feast on his flames, leaving Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe utterly dumbfounded. Taking Atlas' flames into his mouth, the Dragon becomes furious at Natsu and begins to rampage in a violent attempt to shake the Fire Dragon Slayer from his body.

Barely hanging on to the fiery beast, Natsu asks Laxus to go to the castle, as Wendy needs help battling her respective Dragon. Laxus then asks Natsu if he is sure that he can handle Atlas Flame, to which he replies that his strength is returning due to his feasting. Atlas' fury then turns to utter lividness as he demands that Natsu end his tomfoolery. Warning Natsu not to enrage him even further, the Dragon then runs and throws his body at the rest of the nearby infrastructure. Insulted, Atlas raves about the injustice of a mere human devouring his flames, but soon stops upon feeling a familiar sensation dawn upon him; Atlas completely halts his thrashing about, noting that such a thing is impossible, but then confirms that the sensation he's feeling from Natsu is similar to that of the Flame Dragon King: Igneel. Curious, Atlas asks Natsu what his connection to Igneel is, leading Natsu to ask a question of his own: whether or not Atlas knows Igneel. Atlas soothingly replies that Igneel is one of his dearest friends; with a chomp on the Dragon's flames, Natsu, with a smile on his face, tells Atlas that Igneel is his dad.

A short while later, Natsu, riding atop Atlas Flame's head, overhears Future Rogue's monologue about becoming the Dragon King and extinguishing the world's light. Rushing towards him and Motherglare at high speed, Natsu states that they don't need a light as dirty as his and that they light they need comes from deep within their hearts. Disgusted at Future Rogue's intentions, Natsu screams that such a thing is beyond Future Rogue's comprehension. Atlas Flame and Motherglare then violently collide; perturbed at the sight of one of the Dragons having betrayed him, Atlas states that from the bottom of his heart, he feels as though that Natsu, as the son of his dearest friend, is also a dear friend. Natsu then states that he is counting on his "uncle", leaving Atlas slightly confused.

Battle
Natsu smiles at Future Rogue, who asks the Fire Dragon Slayer how he negated his Dragon Manipulation Magic. With Atlas noting that Future Rogue was blocking his will, Natsu explains that they simply became friends, leaving Future Rogue at a loss for words; Natsu calls out for Atlas to begin, and he does, with the two Dragons craning their long necks out in an to kill the other. Happy that he can now fight on equal terms with Future Rogue, Natsu shouts for Atlas to circle the pair, but Future Rogue calmly orders Motherglare to not allow them to sneak behind. With that order, Motherglare fires its Dragon's Roar, which, although harmlessly passes through Atlas' flaming body, destroys a large portion of a faraway mountain range.

Ignoring this happening, Atlas repeatedly bites Motherglare's neck, stating that something as meager as its Roar has no chance of harming his body of flames; likewise, Motherglare states that something as meager as Atlas' flames cannot penetrate its body of Adamantine. Atlas, however, issues Motherglare a warning: do not take his hellfires lightly. Explaining that his flames gifted unto mankind by titans are far more violent than those that burn in Hell, Atlas remarks that the one that has ingested those flames is his fellow Fire Dragon — Natsu, leaving Future Rogue shocked; Natsu jumps from his partner Dragon's body and, with his fist engulfed in empowered flames, attacks Future Rogue with one mighty punch, creating a giant explosion that engulfs both man and Dragon alike. Future Rogue, however, reacts immediately and enters White Shadow Dragon Mode before moving to confront Natsu directly, all the while Motherglare and Atlas Flame continue to repeatedly clash themselves.

Soon after, Atlas repeatedly throws Motherglare into nearby buildings, disrupting the battle between Dragon Slayers atop the beast. Dodging the showering debris, Natsu kicks Future Rogue away, demanding that the man return to his own time. Smirking, Future Rogue wipes the blood from his mouth and states that he no intention of doing such a thing. Natsu then asks what will happen to the present Rogue; Future Rogue explains that in time they will become the same, just like how all shadows eventually overlap. Angry, Natsu asks if the man plans on stealing Rogue's future away from him, but Future Rogue states that as long as Acnologia exists, then there isn't a future for anyone, and that is why he has come back in time: to create one. Melding into the shadows, Future Rogue slithers over to Natsu and, turning into a beam of light, gashes into Natsu's side, reopening the wound from their previous battle underground.

The Dragons then begin to grapple, causing Natsu to nearly roll off of Motherglare; he grabs onto one of the large scales on its wing and, weakly, mutters the name "Frosch". Stunned, Future Rogue answers that in his time, the Exceed is dead, to which Natsu replies that right now, in this time, he's alive, and that because of him he's in extreme danger. Saddened, Future Rogue states that no matter what happens, Frosch is going to die in roughly one year. The Fire Dragon Slayer then asks the man from the future if he failed in protecting Frosch, something which he confirms. Angry, Natsu yells that Frosch is alive now, but Future Rogue states that he is no longer the same man who "plays with cats", enraging Natsu even further. With Natsu climbing up Motherglare's wing, Future Rogue becomes livid and asks Natsu what he knows of despair. Firing a torrent of light and shadows at the Fairy Tail Mage, Future Rogue shouts that even though he finally managed to acquire "hope", Natsu continues to stand in his way. Expertly dodging the streaming spell, Natsu asks Future Rogue if his "hope" is to throw the past in disarray; the Dragons temporarily back away from one another, snarling. His temper finally peaking, Future Rogue screams that equality for all is nothing but a pipedream and demands that Natsu grow up and look at reality.

Natsu then runs at Future Rogue, causing him to be slashed by the cascading bullets of light, and states that even though what he says may be true, everyone has the right to choose their own future, not walk down one predestined; Atlas calls out to Natsu and pulls his claw back. Future Rogue, seeing this, becomes visibly worried as Atlas Flame throws Natsu at him, with Natsu saying, all the while, that even though what may come is unknown to them, all they need is to live today to the fullest. Using the propulsion granted unto him by Atlas, Natsu crashes into Future Rogue's chest head first, exuding a large amount of flames upon doing so. In extreme pain and angry at his failure, Future Rogue screams out whilst Natsu does the same out of vexation.

The force from the blast sends Motherglare spiraling from the skies and into the Eclipse Gate, completely shattering the thought-to-be indestructible device into pieces. Natsu and Future Rogue then fall off of the fallen Adamantine Dragon, with the Fire Dragon Slayer landing on top of the smoldering Shadow. Exhausted and brutalized, Natsu heavily pants with no time to celebrate his victory.

Aftermath
Natsu then stands and looks at the steaming body of his opponent, but becomes shocked as his surroundings begin to glow; Motherglare's body becomes covered in a brilliant light, as does Atlas', which he states to be his signal to returning to his own time. Motherglare's body soon becomes translucent as it slowly returns to the past. Meanwhile, immobilized, Future Rogue opens his eyes and stares into the sky in utter shock, watching his entire hope for a new future fall apart. Atlas then becomes translucent as well and silently states that he will never forget Natsu; Natsu thanks the Dragon for everything he's done, and closes his eyes as his foster father's friend returns to the past.

The same thing soon occurs to Future Rogue himself, with him staring at his translucent right hand in disbelief. Natsu states, standing over the Shadow Dragon Slayer, that his present self will never grow up to become like him. Future Rogue then mutters the word "shadows", puzzling Natsu. The man then explains that the shadows have always been trying to consume him and that they've come for him time and time again. Stating that the darkness within him is everlasting, Future Rogue tells Natsu that on the day he lost Frosch, he lost to the shadows and allowed them to overtake his heart. Natsu tells Future Rogue that Frosch won't die, but the man interrupts the Fire Dragon Slayer and demands that he tell his present self to protect Frosch in one year's time, otherwise he will be killed. Watching his foe return to his own time seven years into the future, Natsu stands tall as Lucy hugs him from behind and thanks him for everything he's done.

Several days later, Natsu and the rest of the Mages who defended Crocus from the Dragons and Hatchlings are invited to the Royal Palace for a celebratory banquet.