Gratsu Bingo 2019
Prompt: Free
Chapter 14
It had been almost two years since the dragons had left their cave to take care of what they'd assumed would be a simple problem.
Once they'd arrived, however, they'd discovered that there were far more renegade dragon slayers than they'd expected. And while there was a lot of disagreement over how that had happened, there was one thing everyone could agree on, and that was that Atlas' was responsible.
It had been his spell that set the events in motion that had caused the murder of countless dragons on both sides of the conflict.
Atlas knew he'd made Igneel's job harder than it needed to be, and he hated it. He'd already begun trying to think of ways to revert the spell. To remove the magic from the dragon slayers and return it to its source, even if that was only the ethernano present in the atmosphere. It would be a complicated process, but he was confident he could manage it, given enough time and resources.
Two things he didn't have access to at the moment.
He needed to get to work on that spell, but he couldn't do that and be responsible for Igneel's protection.
Now that the renegade dragon slayers were after his brother, he needed someone to take his place. Someone he knew he could trust to protect Igneel with his life, no matter what the circumstances. Only one name came to mind, and even though Atlas knew his brother would hate him for it, he didn't think there was another choice.
He raced through the air, his body wreathed in raging hellfire while his powerful wings propelled him toward Talos. He kept above cloud cover to avoid detection from any humans who might be watching.
Examining his surroundings, he allowed himself to relax...
Not much longer now.
0-0
Sting didn't return home until the morning, having spent the night in the barracks along with Wendy, per Erza's request. Rogue was still asleep, so he hadn't been able to ask him about Natsu and why he'd felt the need to keep the patrols a secret from them.
It was something that had bothered him, even if he hadn't voiced it. He and Natsu had been best friends for years, and even though they'd had a talk some months earlier, it felt like they'd never quite gotten back to normal. Their friendship had devolved into a comfortable acquaintance, full of fondness for times past but with no future in sight.
Sting still felt as though Natsu had replaced him with Gray, and even though he could understand a lot of the reasons, it didn't keep him from feeling hurt by how distant their relationship had become.
He shook those thoughts away as he watched Rogue toss and turn in their shared sleeping area. Once they'd gotten together, they'd soon stopped sleeping in the main room with the others, wanting privacy to explore their newfound intimacy.
Sting reached out to run his fingers through Rogue's hair and attempt to provide him some comfort, but he stopped his hand in midair, realizing that would only wake his mate up.
He decided to let Rogue get whatever rest he could. The way things looked at the moment, it was something they wouldn't be getting for much longer. Sting sent some feelings through their shared bond to help ease his mate back into a comfortable sleep and watched as a small smile flitted across Rogue's lips as he snuggled into the covers, his arms reaching out for Sting.
Erza was on a rampage, demanding they find every able-bodied man and woman in the village, with or without magic, and train them to fight and defend themselves. Most of the mages Lyon and Gray had sent his way weren't powerful. They would have failed the tests required to enter the guard, but these were desperate times.
He had it easy. He only had to train people, but Rogue was out looking for dragons to fight. Sting was well aware that Rogue was strong, hell in some ways he was stronger than him, yet Sting couldn't help but wish Natsu had chosen someone else to go on patrol with him.
Lyon had explained that the only choices Natsu had left were Gajeel and Rogue and given those choices Rogue was, of course, the best one for the job. Gajeel and Natsu fought too often to make a good team long term, but that still left Sting with a distinct pang in his heart at the thought that Rogue might get into a dangerous situation and he wouldn't be able to help. He'd have to rely on Natsu and Happy to have his mate's back, and that was as comforting as it was irksome.
At the thought of the young dragon, he felt the familiar guilt and shame at having attacked him. Back when it had happened, Igneel had given him a task he'd not been able to complete, although he'd tried.
Igneel had ordered Sting to care for the whelp until it could fend for itself, but even after searching for weeks he'd never once caught a whiff of its scent.
He wanted to make it up to Happy for his mistake, but the dragon still acted scared of him and he didn't know how to change that. Maybe he could ask Rogue for help once he woke up.
Until then, he'd go to their hot spring and relax before he had to head back into work.
0-0
Natsu entered the hot spring, surprised to find Sting already there. It made him a little nervous, but also pleased. It was rare for them to get time together these days, and he missed his friend.
Besides, he was in a great mood after waking up next to Gray for the second day in a row. They'd spent a lazy morning making out in the field before heading home to get ready for work. He could absolutely get used to that. He finally understood why Sting and Rogue were always in such a great mood in the mornings.
"Mind if I join you?" Natsu asked, and when Sting shook his head, he stripped and walked into the spring, sitting down on one of the natural steps and letting the scalding water work away at his aching muscles.
"Have a good time last night?" Sting teased as he stared at Natsu's neck openly and laughed.
"What?" Natsu glanced at him in confusion, running his fingers along his neck, which only made Sting laugh that much harder.
"It looks like a wild animal gnawed on you," Sting managed in between laughs.
It embarrassed Natsu to feel himself blushing, but he was too happy to care.
"Maybe ask Gray to show some restraint next time. Word will get out soon if you two are walking around town like that."
"How did you know it was Gray?"
"Besides the fact that I walked past the two of you sleeping on my way home, who else would it be?" Sting rolled his eyes at his friend.
"So are you guys mates now?" Sting asked eagerly.
Natsu shook his head and looked away, knowing Sting wouldn't understand his reasons.
"Why the hell not? For fuck's sake Natsu you've been eye-fucking the guy since he got here and if I'm being honest, he's not much better!"
"I've been doing no such thing," Natsu protested.
"You're a moron," Sting sighed, "How have you been able to fight the instinct for as long as you have? I was terrified I'd hurt Rogue if I didn't act on it soon. And he was the same. We wouldn't even have known what was happening if Weisslogia and Skiadrum hadn't explained it to us. They seemed surprised that it ended up being part of the enchantment."
Sting regarded him with concern, and Natsu wondered if mating was different for dragon slayers. Sure, it was difficult and sometimes painful to repress his instincts and urges, but it had never been an enormous problem yet.
Then again, he was so tired most of the time.
"Is it because of the dragon thing?" Sting rubbed his forehead, looking puzzled, "Dude, he wants to bone you, not your dragon. What the hell does it matter?"
"I mean that's part of it, yeah, but it's more than that," Natsu admitted, "With everything that's going on I just didn't think it was a good time." He hoped that Sting would leave it at that.
Sting studied him, quickly becoming serious, "What's going on?"
Natsu frowned, debating whether he should reveal his suspicions. If he was right, the others deserved to know. They'd be the ones responsible for defending the town in his absence. He was counting on Happy to continue the patrols without him.
"I think Atlas is coming for me," Natsu revealed, "If that's true, there's no way I could claim Gray and then leave even if I wanted to. That would be dangerous for both of us."
"The nightmare?" Sting gawked at him, "You think Atlas was trying to communicate with you. Don't you?"
Natsu nodded, meeting Sting's gaze and seeing the dread in his friend's eyes.
"Can he even do that?" Sting questioned out loud.
"I don't know, but the more I think about it, the more convinced I am. It felt too real to be anything else."
"Well, if you're right, then you did the right thing by not claiming him." Sting grimaced, his brow creasing with worry, "But I really hope you're wrong."
"You and me both," Natsu submerged himself in the scalding water, coming back up only when his lungs were begging for air. He pushed his hair back only to see Sting still wearing the same expression.
"Natsu," Sting's voice was heavy, and Natsu knew what he was going to ask.
"I won't let anything happen to him," he assured Sting with a confident smile, "I promise I'll always watch out for him."
He could almost see the tension ease itself out of Sting's shoulders at his words, "I'm going to hold you to that. He means everything to me."
Sting's eyes bored into Natsu, willing him to recognize the trust he was placing in him, "You'll understand what I mean as soon as you're mated."
"I'm happy for you, by the way," Sting's features softened, his smile full of affection, "We all are. You were a stubborn idiot. It was pretty obvious how he felt about you."
"Was it?" Natsu mused.
Sting answered by dunking him underwater, and it soon devolved into a splash war, both of them giggling like lunatics.
"Am I interrupting something?" Rogue tried to sound stern, but there was a slight smile he couldn't conceal as he watched the two dragon slayers playing.
Natsu and Sting communicated with a look Rogue recognized from their childhood as being trouble. He tried to turn and run, but they were too quick, each grabbing one of his arms and dragging him into the water with them, clothes and all.
They continued to play for a few minutes before Sting got a mischievous look on his face and began whispering in Rogue's ear, making Rogue turn his head to stare at Natsu's neck before dissolving into giggles.
"Holy shit, Natsu!" Rogue covered his mouth in mock shock, "Get attacked by another dragon?"
"Hilarious," Natsu stuck his tongue out at Rogue, who grinned at him before getting caught in an embrace by Sting.
"On that note, I'll let you guys have some alone time before we have to go on patrol, be ready in an hour."
By the time Natsu had finished bathing himself, they'd already forgotten all about him. He watched them briefly, smiling at how in love they were with each other. He was happy for them, and he promised to do everything in his power to protect that love.
Natsu got himself ready and spent some time play-wrestling with Happy while they waited for Rogue to show up. They heard Sting leave the cave and head into town and Rogue's quiet steps approaching Natsu's room soon after.
The three of them walked towards the cave exit, Rogue startling Natsu when he broke the silence.
"It was nice to see you and Sting spending some time together." Natsu could almost hear the smile in Rogue's words, "He misses you, you know."
"I miss him too," Natsu admitted, feeling sorry that his friendship with Sting had suffered so much since Gray had arrived.
If only Erza hadn't forced them together, or if the dragons hadn't all left, things might have been different. But Natsu held on to the idea it was all temporary. Someday soon the war would be over and things could go back to the way they were.
Sting was his best friend. The first one to accept him out of all his friends. When they were younger, they'd been inseparable, wreaking havoc on the school and on rare occasions at the orphanage with their pranks and play. Natsu couldn't imagine anything that could destroy that bond any more than the one he shared with his mate.
He called on his magic and turned into his dragon form, hearing Rogue gasp as he did so. Natsu turned and blinked at him.
"I'm sorry, it's going to take me a while to get used to that," Rogue admitted, sounding embarrassed at his outburst.
"It's okay," Natsu grumbled, trying to ignore the sting of those words. It's not like Rogue had said anything bad, and he couldn't expect him to respond any differently. He'd been receptive as it was.
They remained silent for a few hours until it got on Natsu's nerves.
"Why are you so quiet?" He asked the Shadow Dragon Slayer as he flew next to Happy. Rogue shook his head once again, looking over at Natsu in his dragon form.
"All of this is so strange. That a human can just turn into a dragon, I never thought it was possible. I mean, is the opposite true? Can a dragon turn into a human as well?" Rogue wondered aloud.
Natsu avoided the question, even though he knew the answer. He began his marking, knowing it would disgust Rogue and cause him to leave the topic alone. Natsu focused on his task, while Happy and Rogue flew behind him to keep track of anything that might try to attack them from the rear.
0-0
Atlas was about two hundred miles from Talos when he first encountered the scent that shouldn't have been there yet. It seemed as if Natsu had expanded their territory. From what Atlas could tell, he'd almost doubled it, and he could only imagine the effort required for a dragon Natsu's size to do that. It would have been draining, especially when combined with training and his regular duties.
He growled, torn between great pride and anger at his nephew for doing something so reckless.
Damn it, boy! Why must you always take things too far?
The first twinge of doubt crossed his mind then. If Natsu was willing to work this hard to protect the town, what lengths would he go to protect his father? Could he ask this of him?
Atlas tried to ignore the guilt that was gnawing away at him. He had to create that counterspell. There was no other way to end the war at this point without the dragon population being decimated. He needed help, and Natsu was the only one he could trust with Igneel's safety.
He steeled himself for what was to come.
When he was about eighty miles from Talos, he recognized the sharp tang of Natsu's dragon scent some miles ahead of him.
Why would Natsu be in his dragon form in broad daylight?
Atlas couldn't think of any reason that wasn't dangerous so even though he was worn out from flying for two days straight with no respite Atlas pushed himself to meet up with his nephew.
0-0
"Something's coming up behind us, flying fast," Rogue reported, his voice tense as he got his magic ready. He was anxious, having never used his magic while flying atop a dragon before.
The few times he'd ridden Skiadrum had been more like joyrides, something to help them bond as they got to know each other better.
"Relax, it's just Atlas," Natsu responded, having already turned around.
He knew what he would see. There was no way he'd ever confuse that scent, even more so when part of him had been expecting it. He was filled with equal parts elation and trepidation as his uncle flew towards them, although he couldn't fathom why he was coming so fast. Natsu wondered if his uncle was being followed, but he'd never known Atlas to run away from a fight, and he didn't detect any other dragon smells in the vicinity.
They stayed in place, waiting for Atlas to reach them.
"Is everything okay?" Atlas spoke with effort, his breath coming in ragged pants as he caught up to them.
"Everything's fine," Natsu replied, watching his uncle with confusion.
"But you're in your dragon form in plain daylight!" Atlas exclaimed.
"Yeah, a lot has happened," Natsu explained, "We were just doing the patrol. That spell you taught me sure has come in handy."
"Spell?" Atlas was too tired to follow his meaning, and Natsu cringed as he saw how drained his uncle looked. The hellfire dragon peered at Happy with curious eyes, "Who's this youngling?"
"This is Happy."
Happy bowed his head in respect, and Natsu felt a surge of love for the young dragon who had already become so important to him.
"I'll fill you in once we get home. Happy, can you and Rogue scrounge up some grub for Atlas?"
"Aye, sir!" Happy chirped as he changed direction and headed back towards the woods to hunt, while Rogue yelled he'd get the other dragon slayers and meet them at the cave later.
"I'm confused as hell, but you're fine, and I'm too tired to care about anything else right now," Atlas admitted, "Let's go home."
Natsu flew next to his uncle, scrutinizing him as they traveled. It was hard to see through his hellfire, but Natsu detected many scars across Atlas' body that hadn't been there before. Most of them looked faded, but there were a few that looked more recent.
It shocked Natsu because his uncle's healing ability allowed him to heal both himself and others. To have that much damage could only mean one of two things, either the wounds had been more than he could treat, or he was depleting his magic to heal others.
Healing was not a typical dragon ability outside of sky dragons. Natsu only had a small amount because of his mother, or at least that's what Igneel had told him when he was younger.
That thought put him right back into the nightmare, remembering how the other dragons had looked and how the dream had ended.
"Where's Dad?" Natsu's voice cracked as his fear kicked in hard and fast. He had an urgent need to be reassured that Igneel was okay, and when Atlas didn't respond right away, it filled him with dread.
"Igneel is fine," Atlas was quick to assure him before adding, "He just doesn't know I'm here."
"What?! Who the hell is watching him then?" Natsu roared, fire spewing out of his muzzle as fury erupted through him. "You promised me, Atlas."
"Metalicana is watching him."
"But he's injured," Natsu protested, and Atlas stared at him, his green eyes narrowing as he spoke.
"How the hell could you know that?"
So Atlas had not been trying to communicate with him after all. They reached the cave entrance soon after without Natsu having answered the question.
Atlas sneaked glances at him but didn't push, the tired dragon collapsing in the main room as soon as they arrived. His loud snores reverberated throughout the cave, and Natsu sat in his human form, watching his uncle sleep as his thoughts ran wild.
After a few minutes, he moved to the massive dragon's side, laying down next to him and tugging the dragon's large wing around him like a blanket. Natsu felt it tighten around him even as Atlas grunted in his sleep.
He soon fell into a comfortable slumber.
0-0
"Have a good time last night?" Sting strove to sound innocent as they were changing into their guard uniforms in the men's changing room, but it didn't fool Gray. From the moment Sting had arrived in town, he'd been trying to get a look at his neck.
Gray turned away from the dragon slayer as he took his shirt off, which he'd kept on for this same reason. He and Natsu had both gotten carried away that morning, but while the dragon slayer always wore his scarf, Gray usually lost his shirt at some point during the day.
Sting laughed, "Relax man, I already saw your handiwork this morning, I just wanted to see if Natsu gave as good as he got."
He became serious, his voice lowering into a growl, "Do I have to give you the if you hurt him speech, or are we good?"
Gray rolled his eyes, "We're good, I'd never hurt him."
"Good, cause I will end you," Sting replied matter-of-factly before breaking into one of his carefree grins, leaving Gray feeling unsettled as he walked over to the area Erza had assigned them to do their training.
O-o
Natsu waited for his uncle to wake up. Even using all his senses he hadn't been able to suss out anything more and it frustrated him. If Atlas hadn't tried to communicate with him, then had the dream just been a coincidence? Had he tapped into some new ability?
He supposed it didn't matter. The point was, he'd known Atlas was coming for him and he'd been right. As much as he'd been dreading this moment, a part of him had always known it was inevitable.
He struggled to keep his emotions under control. More than anything, he wanted to prevent Gray from realizing anything was amiss yet. It was going to be hard enough to leave after having only just gotten together.
Natsu didn't want to go, but he didn't have a choice. Not while his father was in danger. He could only hope that Atlas gave him enough time to say goodbye.
Natsu knew Gray was going to be angry, and he was going to be scared. He remembered how Gray's body had trembled when he'd learned Natsu had gone up against the silver dragon. He fought off the sorrow of knowing he was going to inflict pain on his beloved.
He played with his scarf, trying very hard not to think about the fact that he might very well never return.
A/N: So it begins... I will try very hard to stay true to the the every two weeks' schedule for the next few chapters. The next part of the story is one of the ones I was having trouble with, so not all the chapters are ready, although the next chapter is about 50% done. The following two chapters are still being plotted out, one should be in Natsu's POV, the other in Gray's.