Warning: There will be disturbing content in this chapter, including torture and the rape of a major character.
Revised and edited on May 16, 2019 - I added more depth to Tiamat's conversation with Igneel, and tried to give her more depth overall. I also added a little more to Natsu's thoughts.
Disclaimer: All Fairy Tail Characters Belong to Hiro Mashima, Tiamat is loosely based on Tiamat from Forgotten Realms which Belongs to Wizards of the Coast, LLC. The traits of the chromatic dragons have been altered to match the dragon slayers in the Fairy Tail Universe.
Chapter 6: The Red Dragon Pt 2
Tiamat stepped out of her Magic Sealing Stone and into the dimly lit hallway of the abandoned building the Penta Dragons used as their headquarters. She didn't bother looking around, her enhanced senses already informing her there was no one about.
She walked into the second Magic Sealing Stone and found Natsu still unconscious. She removed his clothing, including the scarf that seemed to be made of dragon scales, Igneel's if she wasn't mistaken.
How sweet, She thought mockingly, but it reinforced the impression she'd had that this human meant something to the Fire Dragon King. And that thought excited her.
She took a moment to admire the muscular body of the boy in front of her before binding his hands and feet with additional restraints. When she was satisfied Natsu wouldn't be able to move on his own, she stepped back.
It was time.
"Hello, Igneel, remember me?" Tiamat purred mockingly to the dragon dwelling inside of Natsu Dragneel. She ran her fingers through the boy's pink locks hoping to get a rise out of her old friend.
"I thought we should have a little chat before your boy wakes up."
"Can you reply?" Tiamat remained quiet for a few minutes, trying to determine if she could hear any kind of answer from the red dragon, but there was nothing.
Tiamat pouted, disappointed she wouldn't be able to hear him beg her for mercy on the boy's behalf, but she supposed that gave her even more freedom to do what she wanted.
She smirked in anticipation at the frustration Igneel would experience as he watched his precious human being tortured. It made her giddy with anticipation.
"No matter, I know you can hear me," Tiamat touched Natsu's cheeks, caressing the softness of his smooth skin with her fingers.
"Such a pretty human you chose, it really is too bad. Had the circumstances been different, I would have given him nothing but pleasure."
"But what you did, Igneel, I can't let it go unpunished," Tiamat stepped back from Natsu. "You took away everything I loved, and now you're hiding in this boy like the coward I always knew you to be."
"So I will punish him in your stead. In every way I can think of," Tiamat announced matter-of-factly, "By the time I'm done, he's going to wish he were dead, that I can promise you."
"But don't worry, I won't kill him," Tiamat crowed, "I have a much better purpose for him."
She left the magic sealing stone and returned to her own to rest. Tomorrow, she would begin.
xxx
Day 1
Natsu jolted awake. He looked around, not recognizing his surroundings. Where was he and how had he gotten here?
Erza
The name pierced through his still muddled thoughts urging him to give it attention. And then he remembered what had happened.
It didn't matter how he'd gotten here, he needed to figure a way out and fast. Had to help Erza get away from whoever had made her act so strangely! If she'd been behaving that way with him, he thought with concern, she might also do so with others.
Natsu examined the small room he found himself in, desperately searching for his friend in every corner, but he soon admitted defeat. He was alone.
It wasn't until he tried to move that he realized the position he was in. Not only was he completely naked, but he was immobilized by magic sealing cuffs. He looked in the room, desperately trying to locate his scarf but, like Erza, it was nowhere to be found. The immediate sense of loss was tremendous.
The room itself was empty except for some torches on the wall, a clip hanging from the ceiling and two built into the floor. Natsu examined his cuffs and noticed there were chains attached to them.
He heard someone approaching. He tensed up but then relaxed as a familiar scent reached his nose. It smelled like Erza! She strode into the room, stopping to look at Natsu appraisingly.
"Erza! Don't just stand there, get me out of these!" Natsu implored urgently.
Erza approached him, slowly running her hands over his bare chest, feeling the powerful muscles underneath. Natsu tried to move away, uncomfortable with the way Erza was touching him, but there was something about the cuffs that seemed to prevent him from moving.
"Why would I want to do that?" Erza peered at him, "I'm the one who put them on you."
Natsu gaped at her, he couldn't understand what was happening, all he knew was the way Erza was behaving was making him feel very uncomfortable. She'd seen him naked plenty of times, why was she acting like this?
Erza used the chains from his handcuffs to pull him up to a standing position, snapping them into the ceiling clip. She then attached his ankle cuffs to the clips on the floor. Natsu tried to struggle but couldn't move his body well enough.
Erza pulled on the chains making sure they held in place and stood back to admire her handiwork. Natsu stood on display, arms pulled taut above his head, legs spread apart.
"Erza, you need to snap out of this," Natsu pleaded, "We need to get outta here."
"You're not going anywhere," Erza replied, her eyes devoid of her usual warmth, making them appear dull and Natsu finally had to accept the Erza he knew wasn't home.
Natsu was unable to fight, something he was definitely not used to. For the first time in his life, he actually felt frightened by Erza. She wasn't acting like herself, whatever drug she'd been given had taken control of her, and that was a problem. Natsu knew what Erza was capable of and how many weapons she had at her disposal. If he couldn't get through to her, he was in serious trouble.
"I want you to answer something for me before we get started," Erza scowled, her eyes piercing into him, demanding an answer. "I'm the strongest one on our team, you should have been trying to take me. Why didn't you?"
She seemed puzzled by his actions, and Natsu had no idea what she meant. Take her? Take her where? He decided to ignore the question and stall for time. "What do you mean by get started?"
"I asked you a question," Erza snapped, her voice shrill as she pulled a long double-edged dagger out from her belt and trailed its flat blade on his chest. "You have one last chance to answer me."
"You're not Erza, are you?" Natsu cursed himself for believing this could ever be her. Of course it wasn't, Erza would never act like this, drug or no drug.
"I am so much more," Tiamat threw her head back cackling in amusement.
"Answer my question, I don't like being ignored," Tiamat demanded, and when Natsu remained silent, she made a shallow cut on Natsu's arm, testing the weapon on his flesh. She relished the hiss that escaped him, her control loosening as the smell of the blood seeping out of him invaded her nostrils.
"Erza is like a sister. I could never see her the way you want me to," Natsu held her gaze defiantly and never one to cower demanded, "Now could you stop wearing her face?"
"I see," Tiamat pretended to ignore his outburst. "A small miscalculation on my part, I guess it must be one of the others then. Interesting."
Tiamat calmly plunged the dagger into Natsu's stomach, using almost surgical precision to ensure she missed all his organs as she turned the blade slowly before pulling it out in one swift motion.
Natsu's body tried to double over as the pain exploded inside him, but he lacked the mobility to do so. He could feel the blood gushing out of the wound, but he managed to withhold his scream.
Natsu didn't know what this was about or what this person wanted from him, but he was stubborn, and pain was something he was definitely used to.
"So who is it then? Who is it that holds your fancy?" Tiamat tapped her temple casually as she considered her other choices.
Could it be the perky blonde or was it perhaps the handsome ice mage? Tiamat mulled about which one would get her what she wanted. She studied Natsu and began to piece a plan together, applying everything she knew about him.
Natsu watched the woman in front of him warily. He had no idea why she was so interested in finding out that information but his instincts screamed that he should keep it to himself, as he'd always done.
Why couldn't he just have stayed at the guild and waited for Gray? How long had he been gone? Was anyone looking for him?
He hadn't told anyone where he was going so it would take his friends time to realize he was missing. He'd just have to hold out until they came for him. He had no doubt they would.
"What did I tell you about ignoring me?" She screamed viciously. The scent of his blood was placing her into a frenzy, and she let it consume her.
Tiamat wanted to cover herself in it, it had been a long time since she'd bathed in a dragon's blood. Her blood lust took over, and she continued to slash at him, covering his arms and legs in cuts, mostly shallow but some deep.
Natsu screamed in agony, no longer able to hold it in. Blood pooled at his feet as it dripped down his body. Erza moved on to his chest, the dagger seeming to dance in the air as it cut and slashed at his flesh.
Natsu was horrified at what was happening, and he was getting weaker, his body growing cold as he lost more and more blood. He welcomed the cold, willing it to lend him strength as it reminded him of Gray and all his other friends.
Once he started to lose consciousness, he didn't fight it. The last thing he saw was Erza covering herself in his blood, her expression one of joy as she danced around him.
'Natsu... Natsu...'
Natsu looked around for the source of the voice. It sounded familiar, filling him with a longing that he'd never gotten over. Everything around him was dark, but he felt very light.
'Igneel?' he asked slowly.
'Natsu, you must listen to me...', the voice spoke urgently.
Day 2
Natsu opened his eyes, slowly blinking back into consciousness. He didn't know how much time had passed. The room didn't have any windows, the only light coming from the torches on the wall. He thought someone had been trying to talk to him. It had seemed important, but he couldn't remember it.
He was back on the floor, which he saw had been cleaned of his blood. Even though it seemed like someone had tended to his wounds while he'd been unconscious, he still felt a constant, throbbing pain everywhere he'd been cut.
Once he'd taken stock of his situation, Natsu finally noticed he wasn't alone. There was an arm draped over his side, and he could feel soft puffs of warm air on his shoulders as he registered soft snores originating from a body behind him. A familiar scent bewildered him. Gray? He couldn't turn around to check, but he allowed himself to feel comforted and drifted off to sleep.
When he awoke again, Natsu found himself alone. He must have imagined Gray's presence, he had been the last thing Natsu had thought of before losing consciousness.
His body still hurt where Erza had stabbed him, his regeneration not able to accelerate his healing while he was wearing the magic sealing cuffs.
No, not Erza, he reminded himself. What the hell had he gotten himself into? He stubbornly tried to move his limbs but couldn't.
He wasn't used to being helpless, and he didn't like it. His frustration deepened as he tried to think of a way out of this nightmare. He needed to get out of here before that psycho came back.
He stared at the flames of the torches with longing. The rumbling in his stomach reminding him that he hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast at the guild. Whenever that was.
An intense blast of light came from outside the room and hit him square in the chest, knocking him out. When he came to, he was once again chained. He heard a snap followed by a sharp pain across his back.
Natsu felt a sticky wetness on his back, and the smell of iron once again wafted into his nose. He couldn't see who was attacking him as they were behind him, but they chose that moment to do it again. He yelled and tried to arch his back away from his attacker. It hurt like hell.
"Oh, you're up!", Lucy chirped, "I was getting tired of waiting, so I was practicing with my whip."
She snapped her wrist and aimed her whip at his chest, leaving an angry looking welt that soon started to bleed. Natsu hissed as the sting intensified his already considerable pain.
"What do you think of my outfit, isn't it super cute?" Lucy twirled in front of him like she hadn't just used her whip on him, "I think the whip makes me look sexy, don't you?"
Natsu gazed at her uncomprehendingly. She cracked her whip again, and he shrieked.
"What did I say about ignoring me? I asked you a question."
Natsu narrowed his eyes, as those words tried to get through his confusion, but he couldn't make the connection.
Lucy walked up to him and pressed her lips against his. The kiss brought him back to the present.
This wasn't Lucy. He bit down on her lip hard enough to draw blood. She slapped him and wipe the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand while grinning at him admiringly.
"It's nice to see you still have some spirit left in you," She responded to his defiance by lashing at his chest with three successive slaps from her whip. "We'll have to work on that."
"Damn it! " Natsu screamed at Lucy in misery and frustration, "What do you want with me?"
"I really like this, whip!" She ignored his outburst, swishing the whip in the air a couple of times, trying to get the wrist snap just right. "It's fun!"
"Want to play some more, Natsu?"
Natsu was getting angry, and that made him reckless, "You can't even imitate Lucy right, she's much better with that whip than you!"
"We'll just have to see about that!" Lucy's eyes gleamed, accepting his challenge.
She moved behind him again this time lashing at his butt cheeks and legs. Once again, there was a lot of blood, and she could feel her control slipping. It was time for her to leave for a while. It wouldn't do to kill him, not for what she had in mind.
Natsu sighed in relief as she left. His eyes had been starting to tear up, but he hadn't wanted to give her the satisfaction. The burning pain from the welts was so intense, and he was still hurting from the day before. Natsu tried to keep his breathing shallow, but it was too much, and he went under again.
Natsu smelled Gray's scent, and he opened his eyes warily, not wanting to risk being fooled again. Gray was cleaning his injuries gently with a wet cloth. He had a worried expression on his face as he looked at the condition of Natsu's body. Natsu saw Gray had some bruises as well, and his chest was bandaged.
"Gray?" Natsu asked weakly.
"Shh. Don't talk, idiot. You look like shit." Gray stopped what he was doing and ran his fingers through Natsu's hair, petting him until the dragon slayer calmed down. He continued tending to Natsu's injuries.
"Are you really here?"
Gray stopped his ministrations and gave Natsu a weak smile, but Natsu recognized the pity in it and felt humiliated. He wanted to protest, to shove Gray away and tell him he didn't need his help, but he was too happy to see him.
"I saw them take you and followed, but I wasn't able to take them all out," Gray looked down and away from Natsu, trying to hide his embarrassment at being bested, a gesture Natsu recognized all too well. "There were too many."
"Is anybody else coming?"
"I don't know, but they're bound to notice we're missing soon," Gray shrugged, "What do they want with you anyway?"
"I don't know, she just keeps asking who I fancy."
"Why would she care about that?"
Natsu shrugged helplessly.
"So just tell her, maybe they'll let us go."
"I have this feeling that something bad will happen if I do."
"Baka, look at yourself. How much longer do you think you can keep this up?"
He glared at Gray fiercely, "As long as I have to."
"I see your stubbornness is still intact," Gray rolled his eyes at him, and Natsu managed to chuckle at the familiar display.
"I'm gonna clean up your back, it looks pretty bad," He whistled as he got a good look at the damage, "I wish I had some salve to put on those welts."
"Can you get me down? My arms really hurt."
"Yeah, let me finish cleaning you up first."
Gray finished tending to Natsu's backside, gently unhooking the chains from the clips and laying him carefully on the ground. He lay down behind the dragon slayer and put his arm around him like he'd done the previous night.
Natsu was too exhausted to complain. Besides, considering how hellish his day had been, he couldn't be blamed for accepting the small comfort Gray was offering him. He fell asleep, surrounded by the soothing scent of his best friend.
'Natsu...Listen to me...you're in danger!...NATSU!'
Natsu was back in the darkness.
'Igneel?' Natsu wondered dreamily.
'Natsu, that woman is trying to steal your magic. You mustn't give her what she wants.'
'Where you? ...searched ...years...Igneel...'
'Nevermind that now. You must find a way to escape. Tiamat is the Dragon Queen of all the chromatic dragons. You're a red dragon, we're the strongest.'
'I'm a red dragon,' Natsu repeated.
'You have to stop her. If she gets your magic, she'll be able to defeat the others.'
'Igneel..help...hurts.'
'I'm so sorry, my son.'
'..don't...go'
xxx
Day 3
"Natsu, wake up."
Someone was shaking him gently, but Natsu refused to open his eyes. His entire body was riddled with pain, and he didn't want to wake up. The gentle shaking continued. He grumbled and opened his eyes reluctantly.
Gray, maybe Gray, was looking down at him with concern.
"Here, drink this."
Natsu was so thirsty. He hadn't been given anything to eat or drink since he'd been imprisoned. He drank the liquid Gray was offering him greedily. It tasted awful, but it felt good going down his throat.
"Thank you."
Gray nodded, watching Natsu intently, his head tilted to the side like he was considering something before embracing him and kissing his forehead.
Natsu peered at Gray, surprised by the gesture. It wasn't like the ice mage to show him any kind of physical affection. Natsu was struggling to make sense of what was happening. His mind was so foggy, and his body was starting to feel like it was burning up. He worried his wounds were becoming infected.
"We're going to get out of this, together," Gray held his gaze as he told him firmly, "I promise."
Natsu nodded slowly, willing himself to believe there was a way out of this nightmare he'd been thrust into. Gray leaned in and captured Natsu's lips with his own.
Natsu tried to protest, but he was too far gone in body and spirit to fight something part of him wanted anyway. He responded weakly, and Gray soon pulled away, a wide smirk on his face.
"Gray?"
But Gray was gone, and Natsu lay on the floor of his cell wondering what was going to happen next. Despite his brave words the previous day, he didn't know how much more punishment his body could take if his regeneration were blocked.
Natsu was hungry, tired, and confused. The burning heat was muddling his thoughts. At this point, he wasn't sure if Gray was even real or if he'd made him up as a source of comfort.
Like Igneel's voice, that he kept hearing when he was out of it. Natsu was glad that at least Igneel wasn't around to witness his weakness.
A woman he didn't recognize came into the room. She had long black hair and black eyes. Her scent was strong and intimidating, filling him with instinctual deference.
She wore a dark robe, and when she turned, Natsu noticed it had a familiar symbol on it. Five dragon heads joined by the neck to form a circle, each dragon a different color.
Natsu saw the red dragon head on the cloak and found himself muttering uncertainly, "I'm a red dragon."
"I see our friend came out to play after all," Tiamat marveled,
"Did he tell you why this is happening to you?" She asked curiously, grabbing Natsu's chains and pulling him up forcefully, once again placing them in the different clips.
"Well then, let me tell you a story," As she talked she tested the chains, "A long time ago, there was a beautiful Dragon Queen named Tiamat, and she ruled over all of the chromatic dragons. In her dragon form, she had five heads, each capable of a different type of magic -- fire, light, shadow, lightning, and poison."
Natsu listened to the woman as she told her story, doing his best to pay attention, but his thoughts were still disjointed.
"Tiamat was a strong warrior, and she demanded strength in all of her subjects. They loved her and did whatever she asked of them without question."
Tiamat glanced at Natsu, making sure she had his attention. When she was satisfied, she continued her tale.
"One day she met a fierce red dragon who was different from the others, and she fell in love with him. He didn't always do what she asked, and to her surprise, she found that rousing. He spoke his mind to her even when he knew she wouldn't agree.
Their most significant disagreement had to do with humans.
Tiamat thought of humans as violent creatures, only useful as a food source or to enrich her hoard, but the red dragon saw something more in them. He felt humans were resourceful and noble, and his fondest wish was for dragons and humans to coexist peacefully.
Even knowing this, Tiamat's love for the red dragon was so strong that she attempted to make him her mate, but he rejected her. She loved him so much though that she was willing to forgive him the slight, but then he did the worst thing that a dragon can do.
He taught humans dragon magic to help them destroy us and encouraged other dragons who shared his beliefs to do the same. He betrayed her and became a traitor to all of dragon kind.
As more and more of her beloved dragons were killed by humans, she grew to hate the red dragon as much as she had once loved him. In the end, the humans were able to use their magic to banish her, and she disappeared from this world, until now.
I am Tiamat, and that red dragon was none other than your father, Igneel."
"Where's Igneel? Did you do something to him? I'll kill you!" Natsu was furious, his father's name had penetrated through his muddled senses as nothing else could.
"Were you not listening, you simpleton? I did nothing to him," Tiamat glanced at him with growing amusement, curious as to what exactly he thought he could do to her in his current position.
"Tell me, son of Igneel, have you experienced your first heat yet?"
"What?" Natsu had no idea what she was talking about.
"Don't tell me Igneel didn't teach you about mating," Tiamat feigned surprise, "Well, no matter you're about to find out."
"It's incredible the things that humans have in books. They are indeed resourceful creatures, Igneel was right about that.
To save dragons from dying out, they attempted to create a solution that could induce a heat. You drank that very solution a few hours ago," Tiamat leered at the young dragonslayer triumphantly, "Can you feel the heat coursing through your body?"
Natsu could only stare at her, he certainly could feel the heat, and it was very uncomfortable. He could sense other changes going on in his body as well, making him feel sensations he wasn't accustomed to.
"Yes, I see you can," Tiamat noticed the flush in his skin, smelled the other telltale signs of arousal as the pheromones needed to attract a mate altered his scent and wafted towards her. She laughed out loud.
"It seems you're a submissive dragon, I suppose that explains your choice of mate," Tiamat continued to talk, taking advantage of his innocence and doing her best to confuse him, "I can't judge you, he is rather attractive."
"I wonder, does he return your love?" Tiamat mused, "Not that it'll make any difference as I intend to make you my mate."
"You and I are going to be bound together," Tiamat peered at the boy standing before her battered and bruised and so very young, and for a moment she was filled with pity. He was but a pawn in a conflict that had begun long before he was born.
She disregarded the feeling, it had no place here. Not when she was so close to getting her revenge. It had been her weakness for Igneel that had gotten her into this mess in the first place.
She instantly recognized that the appearance of pity, however, could help move things along. Might make the boy submit willingly, which was something she needed to get what she wanted from him.
"However, in consideration of the love I once held for your father, this one time, I will let you have your love," Tiamat offered magnanimously.
"W-what?" Natsu was still very confused, not entirely sure what was happening. His body was acting strangely, and his head was swimming with all the things Tiamat had said about Igneel and the dragons.
The Dragon Queen transformed herself into Gray Fullbuster.
"Hey, Flame Brain," Gray smirked at Natsu.
"Do you prefer this form?" Tiamat asked conversationally.
Natsu looked at Gray in horror. He was such a fool, he'd been so distraught he'd fallen into her trap.
"Change back," Natsu pleaded, every other thought in his mind forgotten as panic exploded within him.
Gray chuckled. "What's the matter, lover, aren't you happy to see me?"
He moved closer to Natsu, "Just relax, I'll do all the work this time."
Gray unbuttoned his pants, lowering his zipper and letting them fall to the floor. His boxers soon followed. Natsu had seen Gray naked enough times to know that this was a perfect replica of his friend down to the scars.
Except he'd never seen Gray aroused. He had an impressive length, and Natsu tensed as he finally understood what was happening. Gray meant to put that inside of him. No dammit, not Gray this was Tiamat. This was not Gray. Gray would never do this to him.
"If you cooperate, I promise I will make this as pleasant for you as possible. It's your first time after all," Tiamat said in Gray's voice.
"If you fight me, Gray will go away, and you'll be forced to mate with one of my avatars," Tiamat briefly turned into a male like being with five dragon heads before turning back into Gray.
"Your choice, dragon slayer."
Gray moved closer to him and put his arms around Natsu's waist, kissing him gently. Natsu was ashamed to feel his body betraying him and responding to the ice mage's closeness.
He didn't want this, he just wanted to wake up from this nightmare.
Gray felt Natsu's cock harden from just his kiss, and he smirked. He grabbed Natsu roughly and started jerking his hand up and down his length in confident strokes.
Gray kissed him again, nibbling on Natsu's bottom lip until the dragon slayer parted his lips for him. Gray's tongue entered Natsu's mouth exploring all the crevices in the warm space, coaxing him to respond. Tears fell silently from Natsu's eyes amidst the small moans of pleasure that were escaping his throat.
Gray released the chains from the clips and lay Natsu's limp body down on the ground. He immediately straddled him and started running his fingers gently over Natsu's body, trailing some of his wounds and kissing them. Natsu's defenses continued to fall as the solution burned through his body, blurring his sense of reality and increasing his need for physical release.
"Please, I don't want this," Natsu begged Gray, willing him to listen.
"I'll make you feel so good," Gray whispered into his ear, "I love you, Natsu."
He rubbed their erections together, reveling in the relief that the friction brought and the noises coming from his lover. Both of them were leaking at this point, and he covered his fingers in it. He moved his mouth to Natsu's nipples, licking and gently biting the hardened nubs.
Gray began to prepare the fire mage's entrance, while Natsu was distracted by the new sensation. He slipped a finger in, and Natsu immediately tensed and cried out.
"Shh, you have to relax, or it's going to hurt. Trust me."
Natsu glared at him incredulously. Trust me? You've got to be kidding. Why was this happening to him? He wanted to fight but remembered the five-headed dragon and shuddered. He tried to make himself relax but remembered what was about to happen and couldn't.
Gray continued pushing a finger in and out of him, adding another and moving them both around, stretching the space to better accommodate himself. He added a third finger.
When Gray felt Natsu was as ready as possible, he removed his fingers and kissed him deeply. He positioned himself in front of the fire mage's entrance, and after giving his cock a few jerks, he lined himself up and pushed himself inside.
Gray stopped briefly, letting Natsu adjust to what was happening. He continued to push himself inside, taking his time until he was all the way in. Pausing for a minute, Gray grabbed Natsu's hands in his own. He moved in and out, slowly at first.
"I love you, Natsu," Gray whispered softly, "Don't you love me?"
Natsu didn't answer. How could he accept the words when he knew they weren't real?
Suddenly, Gray spoke in Tiamat's voice, "I suggest you let yourself enjoy the fantasy because I can assure you, this will never happen again."
Natsu closed his eyes tightly and came to a sudden decision. If this were the only time he'd ever be with the man he'd secretly loved for years, he'd let himself enjoy it.
Even if he wasn't the real one. It's not like Natsu had much choice, he was now very much into his heat.
"I love you, Gray," Natsu confessed, if only to himself, "I have for a long time now."
Gray started moving more quickly at the words, and Natsu's moans became louder. Gray smiled and started jerking him off, keeping the same rhythm between his hand and his hips. They were both close now. Their mating taking on a sense of urgency.
Now that Natsu knew that Gray would go away after they were done, he didn't want it to be over. He tried to cling to Gray for as long as possible before his real nightmare began.
For his part, Gray did his best to make the experience as pleasant for Natsu as possible. They came within seconds of each other, and Gray collapsed on top of him. At his climax, Natsu's whole body covered itself in flames and Gray absorbed all of them.
Natsu passed out, and Gray gave him one last kiss before getting up and transforming back into Tiamat's cloaked figure.
Tiamat felt the new power coursing through her body. The amount of magic she'd absorbed from the Fire Dragon Slayer was tremendous. She grinned triumphantly in the knowledge that she now possessed Igneel's power. She left the room quickly.
She had a fire to start, a cult to terminate, and a fire mage to finish breaking.
xxx
Natsu wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he could now add his ass to his growing list of aches and pains. He hadn't encountered Igneel in the darkness this time, so either the dragon was disgusted with him, or he'd imagined him all along. He remembered Gray absorbing his fire, and he guessed that meant that Tiamat had taken his magic.
Natsu felt completely useless. At no point in any of this had he had a chance to fight. No one ever came to help him, and he had no idea where he was.
He was pretty sure the other dragon slayers were in danger, and there was not a damn thing he could do about it. He'd never been more frustrated in his life. He'd heard screams outside of his prison for a while now but didn't know what was happening.
Gray came into the room, fully dressed.
"What's going on outside?" Natsu asked, trying to ignore the flutter in his heart that still hoped this was the real one.
Gray stared down at Natsu coldly, all traces of his earlier tenderness gone. He grabbed his chains and attached them to the clips on the ceiling and floor.
He started kicking Natsu in the chest and stomach. Over and over until he was retching. He felt his ribs crack, and he thought one might have pierced his lung. He was having trouble breathing, and his stab wound started bleeding again. His body felt numb, and he was shivering from the loss of blood.
"Stop," Natsu called out weakly.
"You're so pathetic and weak," Gray snarled. His face contorted in rage. He punched Natsu's head, and jaw until the fire mage's vision began to blur.
"You're an embarrassment to Fairy Tail," Gray continued to beat Natsu within an inch of his life, kicking and punching mercilessly any part of his body he could get a hold of.
"I could never love someone like you. You disgust me," Those were the last words Natsu heard before the world faded to black around him, while Gray continued to abuse his battered body.