To Kill A Dragon

The Bitch Is Back

"Anyone who isn't already busy fighting something should get their asses outside. There are a lot of those demons hanging about and the damn soldiers just keep coming.", Makarov's strained voice came through Warren's telepathy, "Porlyusica's group is getting overwhelmed."

Gray started making his way outside when Natsu grabbed his arm to stop him. Gray turned to him, a question written on his face.

"There's something I have to tell you, that Ice Devil Slayer--", Natsu began.

Gray looked at him impatiently, "Come on, Flame Breath. We don't have time for this right now. You heard Gramps, they need us!"

"But--"

"You can tell me later. I owe that bastard a little chat for that crap he pulled on you. No one freezes you but me." Gray flashed him a grin and ran ahead, his mind already full of the fighting to come.

"He smells just like you.", Natsu said to the empty air Gray left behind.

"What does that mean?", Lucy asked him curiously.

"I don't know but Lucy, he looks just like him too."

Happy chimed in, "Natsu's right. I saw him too. He's like an older version of Gray."

The three friends puzzled about this information as they ran after the ice mage.

Gray made his way outside looking for any signs of fighting. He saw Gajeel and Juvia in the distance and hurried to catch up to them.

Gajeel stopped and started sniffing the air around him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he tried to pinpoint where the scent was coming from. He tensed and put his arm out alerting Juvia to stop where she was.

"Fuck.", Gajeel said as he quickly turned his body to iron. This was not good. They were having enough trouble with the demons from Tartaros, why did the bitch have to turn up now? He couldn't see her, but he could smell her. She was nearby. He needed to keep the Salamander away from here, but how could he do that without letting her know where he was. Hell, he didn't even know where the Salamander was. He backed up slowly trying to get closer to Juvia. He would send her in search of the Salamander.

Too late he started detecting other scents coming closer to them.

"Water Nebula"

Gajeel looked on in confusion as Juvia suddenly appeared in front of him. He saw her water attack push some sort of black mist away from them. They could make out a skeletal figure at the top of her water jets.

"What the hell was that?", Gajeel asked the water mage.

She shrugged and said, "Juvia doesn't know, it was coming straight for you. Is something wrong? It's not like you to be distracted."