Gratsu Bingo 2019
Prompt: Scarf
Chapter 15
Happy soon returned with his kill, an immense mountain Vulcan, before immediately flying off to get another as he realized it wouldn't do much to sate Atlas considering his enormous size. Rogue wasn't with him, so Natsu could only assume he'd gone to get the others.
The hellfire dragon finally awoke at the smell of food and quickly consumed the Vulcan, letting out a loud burp. His eyes narrowed as soon as he finished, and he glared at his nephew.
"What were you thinking?"
Natsu gave him a dirty look, not entirely sure what his uncle was referring to.
"Why did you expand our territory so much? You should only make it as large as you can reasonably defend, boy! You were killing yourself."
"It wasn't that bad," Natsu tried to protest, purposefully downplaying how tough the last couple of years had been. "There are a lot more people living in Talos now. I wanted to make sure the dragons stayed far away."
"I understand you wanted to protect everyone, Natsu, but it just isn't possible. We're at war. Making yourself weaker helps no one. The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be,"
There was an underlying urgency to Atlas' words that Natsu could only sense, but he didn't really understand what it meant.
"What happened to you guys? You said you'd be back in a few months and that was years ago," Natsu reminded his uncle, desperate to know what was happening even though he was terrified of the answer.
"Things were a lot worse than they'd led us to believe," Atlas replied carefully, giving nothing away. He leaned forward as he studied his nephew, "When you saw me, you didn't look surprised in the least. Why is that?"
Natsu told him about the dream and waited to be told that it wasn't real, that it had been his overactive imagination at work.
"Has this happened before?" Atlas tilted his head, waiting for Natsu's answer.
Natsu could only shrug. The fact was, he'd been so tired of late that he couldn't even tell if he'd been dreaming. "I don't think so, but I rarely remember my dreams."
Atlas sighed, "It sounds like the dream was in my perspective, so maybe I did link with you somehow. I was already thinking of asking for your help, so I suppose it's possible. Even I don't know the full extent of my magic."
"That was Acnologia you saw. He's the leader of the renegade dragon slayers," Atlas sounded irritated just talking about him, "He's a tough bastard, and currently the biggest threat to all of us."
"But I don't understand," Natsu puzzled, "How can he change into a dragon? Is he like me?"
"He's nothing like you!" Atlas roared, his words making the cave shake around them.
He glowered at the cave walls a bit before continuing with his explanation, "We told you about how renegade dragon slayers were using our blood to strengthen themselves, but this is different. It seems like the more the dragon slayers use our magic, the more dragon-like they become. I've seen some signs that it has driven a few to madness."
"You've always been both so your brain can handle the change between one form and the other, but the dragon slayers are human. It seems my enchantment is attempting to turn them into dragons, instead of allowing the two natures to coexist like they do in you. That's just my guess. If it weren't such a disaster, it would be a rather interesting puzzle, considering there was very little transformation magic involved."
"What about our slayers?" Natsu could hear his heart pounding in his head. He'd seen no signs of this in his friends, but he couldn't help but feel guilty at the thought that it was a possibility.
"I don't know what to tell you. I still think they'll be fine," Atlas scratched his muzzle with his claws, looking pensive, "They don't use their magic as much, and they certainly don't bathe themselves in the blood of other dragons. You don't understand the amounts of magic these dragon slayers are using daily. But when I create a counterspell, I can offer them the choice to keep their magic or return it to their dragons."
Natsu knew Atlas was trying to be reassuring, but it wasn't helping. Give up their magic? Would they really want to do that? It was such a big part of who they were now, and of what drew them together. More than ever before, he wanted to keep them as far away from the war front as he could.
"How bad is it?"
Although the question was vague, Natsu knew Atlas would understand what he was asking.
"Bad kid, if you don't mind I'm going to wait for the others to get here before I get into that, I'm too tired to tell the story twice, and frankly it's not a happy tale."
Natsu could feel Atlas' eyes on him, studying him carefully, and as he met his gaze, it surprised him to see Atlas looked uncertain. It wasn't something Natsu had ever seen before, and for the first time, he wondered how much fighting in the war had changed their dragons.
"What is it?"
After a long silence, Atlas finally responded, and Natsu could sense how hard this decision had been for his uncle.
"I need to ask something of you. Something I'm not proud of, but you're the only one I can trust."
"You want me to come back with you, don't you?"
Atlas nodded, "I need you to take over your father's protection so I can work on something. It might be the only chance we have left to salvage this mess."
"You know Dad isn't going to like this."
"I know, but I think this war has taught us both that what we would like and what is are two very different things. Igneel won't like it, and he'll possibly never forgive me for it, but eventually, he'll come to accept the need for it."
Natsu was terrified. He'd only gone up against one dragon, and that hadn't exactly gone great. How on Earth was he going to protect his dad when he'd barely been able to defend himself? But he knew Atlas would never ask this of him if there were any other way. This war had to end, and he would do his best to make that happen. For all of them.
Natsu pushed all his doubts and fears out of his mind. This was something he had to do.
"Alright, I'll go."
"Thanks. I hope you don't come to regret it."
Natsu couldn't agree more. He wasn't looking forward to what would come next.
Atlas lay back down, eyes half-lidded as he peered at his nephew with interest. "Now, why don't we talk about something else for a while? Why were you flying around in your dragon form in broad daylight? What's all this about a spell?"
Natsu thought about where to start. He was thrilled to see his uncle. Even though he knew his presence was only going to create sadness for him and everyone around him. "Everyone's been concerned about me and trying to figure out what I've been doing at night. I held them off as long as I could, but then I got attacked by a silver dragon a few days ago. It injured me pretty badly."
Natsu heard a strangled noise and suddenly felt the familiar warmth of his uncle's healing magic flow through him, even as the great dragon rubbed his muzzle against Natsu's face. His uncle's reaction, a stark contrast to other times he'd been injured, surprised Natsu. Atlas usually seemed almost pleased at his discomfort.
"I'm fine. Wendy healed me," Natsu did his best to assure him, reverting to the playfulness that had usually marked their conversations, "Jeez, I never expected the war would make you so soft."
Atlas continued to stare at him with a conflicted expression. "We've been so worried about you kids here on your own. We'd never left you alone before. I'm sorry we couldn't stay."
"It was an adjustment, but we've managed okay," when he saw Atlas did not look convinced he tried to hearten him, "I promise."
The changes in his uncle unsettled Natsu, making him even more curious to find out what he'd been through in his absence. He suddenly realized that this had been the first time he'd been seriously injured and Atlas hadn't been around to heal him, and while it made him sad to see the guilt, it warmed his heart to know his uncle cared so much.
He waited for Atlas to control his emotions before continuing, "Anyway, the others were done listening to my excuses. Then I had that dream, and when I told them about it, Erza freaked and ordered me to take another slayer with me. I wouldn't be able to hide anymore, so I had to tell them something. I said you'd taught me a fire dragon spell that allowed me to do the marking."
"Do they all know you can turn into a dragon?" Atlas leaned forward as he listened, his muzzle almost touching Natsu's shoulder.
"Just Rogue for now, and he's promised not to tell anyone."
Atlas' brows furrowed, and he remained quiet while he thought over what Natsu had said. The next words that came out of his mouth shocked Natsu to his very core.
"You're going to have to tell them, eventually. You might as well do it now. You may never get a better opportunity."
"I can't," Natsu's words were tinged with panic. It wasn't just the fear of defying Igneel, but a deeper one of losing everyone he cared about.
"Why the hell not?" Atlas glared at him, and Natsu finally saw traces of the personality he was used to.
"I promised Dad. Besides, if I did, Gray would find out."
"Natsu, I know you want to follow your father's orders, but he's wrong about this. You can't keep denying who you are. Not when it's hurting you to do so. I can already smell your Gray all over you. Not to mention you're fated. He was a child when he rejected you. Don't you think he's grown since then? And the dragon slayers are your friends, they've known you for a long time. Do you really think so little of them?"
"It's not just them. There are lots of people who hate dragons. Even more so since the war started and dragons began destroying villages. There are thousands of people who have had to move here because there's nowhere else for them to go. Do you really think they'll welcome me with open arms just because I happen to be human as well?"
"You can't help who you are any more than they can. And I didn't tell you to go to the middle of town and make an announcement. All I'm saying is that you should tell those that are closest to you and trust that they will accept you for who you are. Rogue seems to handle it well."
"He doesn't know it's really me. Happy is the only one who knows what I really am."
"Ugh! I swear you're as stubborn as your father. Fine, I suppose you'd know best, but at least think about it?"
Natsu was having trouble reconciling this version of his uncle with the gruff dragon he was used to. The one who would never have considered defying his brother or even suggesting that he might be wrong. He couldn't say he didn't like it, but it unsettled him to see so many changes.
Atlas remained silent, knowing Natsu had stopped listening. He tapped his claws against the cave floor, thinking of something else they could talk about, something that would be neutral, and he remembered Happy. "So, where did this whelp come from? I thought there weren't any left."
"He was the baby dragon Sting, and the others attacked," Natsu reminded him, "He found me when I was injured and brought me back here. He's been on his own all this time, so I offered him to live here with us."
Atlas shut his eyes, still wondering how things had deteriorated for them so quickly. How much had been his fault? He felt the familiar guilt eat away at him and knew there was no proper answer. Dragons had already been dying in this war long before he ever became involved.
"There was a time when that would never have happened. I remember when our lairs were filled with hatchlings, and now there are so few of us left. I don't know that we're going to bounce back from this."
"I'm going to go into my room and do some research while we wait for the other slayers to get here. There isn't a lot of time."
Natsu nodded and wondered if he should try to go speak with Gray now, or whether he should wait to hear more of what was happening. Happy had come in with another Vulcan, and Natsu went out to hunt for the rest of them. It was going to be a long night.
0-0
All the slayers sat in the large room, eating the meat Natsu had hunted and cooked, while Atlas ate the food Happy had brought him. The young whelp sat next to the giant dragon, looking more relaxed than they'd ever seen him. He didn't even seem to mind Sting's presence for once.
He appeared to be trying to emulate Atlas' gestures, and it suddenly brought home to Natsu that Happy had really been alone all this time, relying only on his instincts for survival. Outside of Natsu, when had Happy been able to interact with other red dragons? It saddened him to think that maybe if they'd found Happy sooner, he could have lived with them and gotten everything he needed.
The slayers didn't want to admit it, given the circumstances, but having Atlas with them had boosted their morale incredibly. Although it also made them wish that all the dragons were there, like before they'd left to fight.
Atlas had told them their parents were all alive, although injured, but he'd opted not to tell them anything else until after they'd finished eating. Instead, he had them catch him up on their lives, paying close attention to their replies. His request was unusual, given how Atlas had always kept to himself.
He was the only dragon without a child of his own, although the other slayers didn't know that. He'd preferred to share Natsu with Igneel rather than gain a child of his own. It took Natsu a bit to realize that Atlas wanted to bring his friends' news of their children, perhaps hoping it would bring them some comfort.
Once everyone had finished eating, they looked over to Atlas, knowing he had a lot to tell them.
"I wish the news were better," Atlas began, "As you might have heard already: my enchantment had some unexpected side effects. At first, it turned the war in our favor, but now that some dragon slayers have changed, it has made everything worse."
"What do you mean by change, Atlas?" Wendy asked, her eyes curious but not worried.
"Well, some of them have gone mad, while others have become more dragon-like. The stronger ones can even transform into a type of dragon form."
"They can turn into dragons?" Sting asked excitedly as Rogue rolled his eyes at him.
"Yes, Sting, they can, and once they get to that state they can be quite powerful, but it's at the cost of their sanity. They are neither human nor dragon at that point, and they kill both."
"Is that going to happen to us?" Gajeel demanded, never one for sugarcoating things.
"I don't think so, as I told Natsu earlier, these dragon slayers use large amounts of dragon magic daily. Much more than you ever have. One of my reasons for coming here was to get Natsu. I need him to take over Igneel's protection so that I can try to create a counterspell. If I'm successful, you'll have the choice to have your magic removed. I'm not sure about the two of you, though," Atlas glanced at Sting and Rogue, "With you being a mated pair, I'd be concerned as to how having your magic removed would affect you."
"You're leaving?" Wendy was the first to ask what they were all thinking, looking to Natsu for an answer.
"Yeah," Natsu replied, trying to make it sound like it was no big deal, "Happy and Rogue can continue patrols while I'm gone."
Atlas waited to see if they had any more questions on the subject before continuing to give them an update on what was going on.
"As I said earlier, when the dragon slayers began fighting on our side, it brought the tide of the war in our favor. But once the renegades started killing indiscriminately, Deliora, who is the leader of the opposition, used this to their advantage. He began recruiting dragons to his side, and many of them listened."
"Deliora also tried to make the remaining dragons doubt Igneel's leadership, attempting to replace him with someone he could control, and that is something else we're fighting against."
"The war itself has changed. We are now fighting two sets of enemies. While the dragons are all trying to kill each other, the renegades are intent on exterminating all dragons. If things continue in this fashion, they may soon get their wish. Igneel is trying to convince Deliora to agree to a temporary truce so they can go after the renegades together, but that won't happen."
"A lot of dragons have died, and humans as well. We need to finish this quickly, or there might be nothing left to save," Atlas lamented.
"You didn't know, Atlas," Wendy tried to soothe him, sensing the guilt the dragon was carrying, "You did what you thought was best, it's all anyone can ever do."
"Thanks, Wendy," Atlas grumbled affectionately, "but I am responsible for this turn of events, which is why it must fall to me to do what I can to fix it."
"Wait, isn't Deliora the name of the dragon that destroyed Gray's village?" Gajeel blurted out, looking at Natsu to gauge his reaction.
Atlas grunted his assent, "Deliora has been responsible for a lot of terrible things. He's the bane of the red dragons. Igneel should have killed him when he had the chance."
Natsu bristled at hearing Deliora mentioned, and he promised himself he wouldn't falter if he ever got a chance at him.
"If I could just remove the renegade dragon slayer threat, maybe we can talk sense into the remaining dragons and just stop all the fighting. If not, dragons are likely to become extinct soon."
"We'd like to come too," Wendy looked at the others for support. They all nodded their agreement.
Before Atlas could respond, Natsu snarled, "Absolutely not!"
"Igneel promised me you'd never have to get involved in this war, and I'm holding him to that."
"This isn't something you can decide for us, Salamander," Gajeel growled in protest.
"We're stronger when we fight together," Rogue reminded him.
"Didn't you listen to a word Atlas said?" Natsu pleaded, trying to make them see he was only interested in keeping them safe, "I don't want that for you."
"That won't happen to us," Sting assured him.
"You don't know that, Sting," Natsu argued, "What if it happens faster because you've had the magic longer? Atlas created the enchantment, and even he doesn't know. You guys are staying, and that's final."
"It could happen to you too," Gajeel pointed out, and Natsu had no way to explain why that wasn't true without giving himself away, so he only glared at Gajeel with his arms crossed over his chest.
0-0
They stayed up for hours arguing until Natsu had finally convinced the others to stay. Atlas had wanted to leave then, but Natsu had refused, and Atlas let him have his way for once.
He'd joined Rogue and Happy on their patrol, wanting to make sure Happy knew everything he needed to continue to do the job safely. Natsu could only marvel at how quickly Atlas had taken to the young dragon. He really was a soft touch underneath all his bravado.
There were a few people Natsu needed to say goodbye to before he left. People that had been important to him all throughout his time at the village.
He made his way out of the cave and down the mountain. Walking the same path he'd taken every day since he was eight years old.
The first time he'd gone to the village had been to go to school. Anna had shown up before daylight to walk him down. She'd held his hand and told him all about the school he would attend, trying hard to make everything feel familiar for him when he finally got there. She'd told him a little about all the kids he'd meet, kids that had been such an essential part of his life.
Anna had cared enough to make him feel welcome in a strange place.
Natsu wished he could say he'd listened to any of it, but all the unfamiliar smells and sounds had distracted him. He'd paid no attention to her words, although the hum of her constant chatter had at least calmed his nerves. The only boy he'd ever met had been Gray, and as much fun as that had been at first, it had also created great fear within him.
It was probably a good thing that Sting, a boy very similar to Natsu in temperament, had been the first person to greet him. They became instant friends, laughing and playing together from the second they'd met. The same couldn't be said about Erza, who was the first girl he'd ever met.
Erza had no patience for games, or for people who didn't take things seriously. They'd clashed so much at first. There had been many a day when Natsu had returned home covered in bruises, much to Atlas' amusement and Igneel's distress. Violence seemed to be the only language she understood, and probably for the first year he attended school, he'd lived in fear of her.
He didn't know when that had changed, but over the years he'd grown to care for her, finally able to recognize the pain she hid. After her mother became a dragon slayer and left with her dragon Belserion, Erza had been thrust into the unenviable position of always waiting for someone who was fighting in a war that seemed to have no end in sight, with only the occasional message sent with the dragons to let her know her mother was still alive.
There was no way Natsu could leave Talos without telling her. He knew that while she might understand, it would only add to the pain she already lived with daily.
Erza deserved better than that from him.
Natsu reached the field, their field as he liked to think of it, sooner than expected. He wasn't looking forward to saying goodbye to Gray; he knew the ice mage wouldn't accept his departure. He was going to fight him tooth and nail to stay. Natsu could only hope in time Gray would come to understand he'd really had no other choice.
He closed his eyes, focusing on their bond, testing to see if he could determine where Gray was. He could sense him, but he didn't seem to be close. Natsu wondered if he'd still be able to feel him when he arrived at their destination.
He didn't want to admit it, not even to himself, but he was terrified. Would he be strong enough to protect Igneel from Acnologia, or any other threat? Would this be the last time he saw the village he thought of as his?
Natsu hurried to Erza's office, hoping she'd be there working on plans for boosting the town's defenses. Atlas wasn't the most patient of dragons, and now that he was ready to leave, every minute spent away from Igneel was making him more and more ill-tempered.
The door opened just as he was about to knock, and Lyon walked out, his eyes twinkling while a dreamy smile played on his lips.
"Hey!" Natsu greeted, moving out of his way.
"Oh, hi," Lyon looked sheepish, his hand rubbing absently at the back of his neck.
Natsu whispered, "Dude, are you ever going to ask her out?"
Lyon sighed, "It's not that easy."
"Of course it is, just ask her. Don't waste any more time," Natsu advised, patting the man on the shoulder.
He wanted to ask Lyon to watch out for Gray while he was gone. To make sure not to let him wallow in his absence too much, but the words only stuck in his throat. Instead, he asked him to tell Gray to meet him at the field in a while.
Lyon agreed and walked away, stopping for a moment to look back at Natsu with a worried frown. Natsu waited until he was out of sight before knocking on the door as he opened it, alerting Erza to his presence.
Erza, who had been sitting at her desk with a thoughtful expression on her face, looked up in confusion as she saw Natsu standing in her doorway. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on patrol with Rogue?"
Natsu closed the door behind him and walked towards her slowly, his steps sounding hollow on the polished wood of her office floor. Erza's shoulders slumped as he got closer and her eyes welled up.
She uttered a small cry before covering her mouth with her hand, "No."
Natsu felt terrible, watching the different emotions play out across her face. "I'm sorry. Atlas arrived yesterday. I have to go with him. They need me. He told me your mom is fine, pissing people off left and right, so there's that," Natsu told her, wanting to give her something positive to hold on to.
Erza looked relieved, cradling her face between her hands for a moment before rising from her chair, her scarlet hair draping itself prettily around her face. She walked around her desk and in an awkward movement, wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. Natsu hugged her back, feeling the cold metal of her armor press against his chest, smelling the slight bitterness of the salt in her tears and the hint of strawberries in her hair. He sniffed her, trying to commit her scent to memory. He fought off the tears that wanted to come, not wanting to alarm her with his fear.
She finally let go and studied him, knowing her, probably seeing every little thing he was trying to hide.
"Well, of course they do. You're a fierce fighter," Erza smiled bravely, as if all this time the dragons had all been sitting around, just waiting for Natsu to show up. "Now go out there and make us proud. If anyone can end this war, it's you."
Natsu snorted, knowing that was absolute rubbish, but loving her for trying to build him up. He gave her one last hug and kissed her forehead, "Thanks for everything, Erza."
"It's not goodbye, idiot. It's just... see you later. I'll make sure Talos is the same when you return."
Natsu nodded, not trusting his voice. He walked away, already thinking about Anna when Erza called out.
"Natsu?"
He turned, eyebrow raised in silent question.
Natsu could tell there was something important Erza wanted to ask of him, and he held his breath, but she only said, "You never told me how your date went."
"It was perfect," Natsu replied, smiling at her sadly. He hadn't needed to hear her words to know it was about her mother, and so in the bravest tone he could muster he said, "I promise, we'll be back before you know it."
"Good man, see that you are."
With a last wave, he left her office, closing the door behind him so that no one could see her break down.
He felt his fingers move instinctively towards the fringe of his scarf, playing with the dangling strands as he tried to settle himself, already feeling tentative prods from Gray at the bond. Erza had been the easiest of his stops. From now on, they only got progressively harder.
He gave the interior of the building one last glance on his way out, quickly picking out the cracks in the plaster and the sour smell of sweat in the air that never entirely went away no matter how many times it was cleaned.
It amused Natsu to realize that despite the number of times he'd gotten injured and how he almost ran out the moment his shifts were over; he was actually going to miss this place.
Being a member of the Guard had allowed him to belong to a group and to be accepted by the town as one of them. He'd been more than happy to protect them. But most of all, the Village Guard had made it possible for him to get to know Gray again. To rekindle their friendship as they worked and trained together daily.
He hoped the dragon slayers wouldn't feel his absence too much. He didn't like to create more work for others.
Natsu exited the building and looked back once more, saying a silent goodbye and thank you to everyone before making his way towards the orphanage.
Anna was outside hanging up laundry, her blonde hair up in a bun as loose tendrils danced in the wind. Children played near her, and as they recognized him, they eyed him with interest, hoping he would show them some of his fire magic as he'd done countless times before.
"Natsu, Natsu! You promised you'd spell out my name next time you came!" a young girl who looked to be about six years old tugged at his pants, trying to get his attention.
Natsu kneeled by her and asked, "I sure did. What was your name?" He pretended to think about it, "It was Bertha, right?"
He almost laughed at the way she scrunched up her little face in dismay, "No, it's Ellie."
"Alright then, Ellie, here you go," Natsu focused a bit of his magic onto his fingers, shaping the fire until it made letters. He wrote out her name for her, and she squealed in delight, jumping around excitedly before running off to tell the others.
"You might not have wanted to start that, dear, they're all going to want it now," Anna's eyes observed him, looking him over with a mother's eyes.
Anna had known him all his life, and she was the one person who held his secret. "What brings you by?"
Natsu quickly grabbed some laundry from one of the many baskets and placed it on the clothesline, clipping the edges carefully so they wouldn't blow away.
"You make it sound as though I never come to visit," Natsu complained, but her shrewd glance had him eyeing the baskets intently for another item.
"Usually you bring a friend," Anna pointed out, "Is there something wrong?"
"I have to go," Natsu told her.
"Natsu, if something is bothering you, you know you can always come to me."
"No, I mean, I have to go. Atlas needs me to protect Igneel while he works on something. I'm leaving in a few hours." At least he hoped he had that long, Atlas had been very impatient so far. "I just wanted to say goodbye."
"Oh," Anna bit her lip, but it wasn't enough. She wiped at her eyes, "I don't know what to say."
"I'll be back soon," Natsu was quick to assure her, but she only gripped him by the shoulders, looking deep into his eyes before crushing him in her arms and dissolving into sobs. She knew what he was going up against, being the only one besides the dragon slayers to have met actual dragons.
Natsu found himself at a loss. He'd known it would upset her, but he hadn't expected this, so he let her hold him until she'd calmed down.
"I'm sorry," she smiled through her tears, using the edge of her white apron to dab at the corners of her eyes. "I should comfort you. It's just, as much as I've helped to raise many children, you were the first one, and I've always thought of you as my son."
"I—" Natsu was incredibly touched by her admission, but he didn't know how to respond, so he just hugged her again. As much as Anna had been the only mother he'd ever known, it felt somehow disrespectful to his dead mother to claim her as such.
"Shh, I know," Anna assured him, "Promise me you'll be careful no matter what form you're in."
Natsu nodded, letting go of her slowly. "I will."
"It's okay to feel scared, sweetheart, I'd be more worried if you weren't."
Natsu chuckled, "Well, in that case, you have nothing to worry about."
Anna brought her hand to his cheek, "You are strong and brave. Keep your wits about you, and you will be fine."
"Now you sound like Igneel," he teased.
"Well, you didn't think he got all that on his own, did you?" Anna retorted, trying to sound more like her usual self.
They heard crying and watched as a little boy ambled towards them surrounded by the other children, his knee bloody and his cheeks wet. Anna turned towards the little boy, and Natsu knew it was time for him to leave.
"Goodbye, Anna."
"Come back to us," She demanded quietly before waving and returning her attention to her charge.
Natsu watched her for a few moments, remembering times when he'd been that little boy and smiling. She'd always taken good care of him, sometimes even fighting against Igneel when she didn't agree with his punishments. He could only hope that his efforts would somehow help to bring peace, so no more women like her would have to spend their lives caring for the ones left behind by all the violence this war had wrought.
And now, with his second goodbye over and done with, that left only one.
Gray.
Natsu was nowhere near ready to talk to his boyfriend, but he had to soldier on. He made his way towards the field, dreading the next encounter with every step he took.
"What are you still doing down here? Gray left for the field ages ago."
Natsu stopped at Lyon's question, facing him. He scratched his head, "Listen, can I talk to you about something?"
"So I was right. Something is going on with you," Lyon muttered.
"No, it's just I have to—," Natsu never got to finish his sentence as an unexpected wave of panic assailed him.
What the hell?
The panic only deepened, and Natsu rushed towards the field, fearing the worst when he heard a loud roar which he instantly recognized.
Lyon chased after him, not sure what was going on but reacting to a roar so close to town.
Damn it, Atlas. Why couldn't you wait in the fucking cave, as we agreed?
0-0
Gray had missed Natsu the night before. After two nights of sleeping together, he had sort of taken it for granted that they would continue to do so every night. But he hadn't seen Natsu at all since their date, and Erza hadn't really let up all day, so he'd never had a chance to sneak out to see him.
They had given the newest guards the option to live in the barracks temporarily. A perk from Erza for their allegiance. It was undoubtedly a step up from the camps with indoor plumbing and food both provided and available at all hours. Several people had taken her up on it.
Unfortunately for the guards, she'd also decided there should be at least one guard at the barracks at night to deal with any issues that might arise. With all the dragon slayers busy, it had fallen to him and Lyon to stay at the barracks with the new recruits that night. Which meant he'd spent the night trying to avoid Juvia's advances.
Lyon had tried to help, attempting to talk to Juvia about where she was from and how she'd gotten to Talos but she'd only answer him in monosyllables and after a small fight had broken out between two men from different camps, Lyon remained in the other side of the room, leaving Gray to deal with the lovesick girl on his own.
Gray had acted aloof, pretended to read a book, tried to start conversations with others, but no matter what he did, she continued to talk to him, and he didn't have the heart to mistreat her, knowing that's what she was used to.
He wanted to talk to Natsu about it. He didn't care if people knew about them, Sting and Rogue didn't precisely flaunt their relationship, but most people in the village realized the two were together and no one seemed to care. Why would they be any different?
So when Lyon had mentioned seeing Natsu at Erza's office and that he wanted to meet him at the field, Gray had rushed over to Erza's office, hoping to catch him there.
It was ridiculous. He knew he shouldn't act so needy, but after the previous night, he just wanted to see him, maybe sneak a kiss or two before Natsu had to go off on patrol.
He soon arrived at Erza's office, but Natsu had already left, and Erza was in a foul mood. She wouldn't even look at him when she demanded to know why he wasn't training the recruits. It made him feel wary. Like something was wrong.
Then there had been the twinges he'd felt in his head throughout the morning, snippets of emotions that were not his own, but were a part of him, regardless. After his talk with Natsu, he now understood that it was related to their connection, this bond he and Natsu shared.
So he also knew that Natsu was unhappy about something. All these things together conspired to create a feeling of anxiety that he just couldn't escape.
Gray had to see Natsu, had to know what happened that was causing him to feel this way. So he did the only thing he could. He defied Erza's order, heading for their field as fast as he could instead.
He'd expected to find Natsu waiting for him. Had wanted to watch as his boyfriend's green eyes lit up at seeing him, to rejoice as Natsu's smile widened to almost blinding levels, but what was awaiting him was nothing like what he would have ever expected.
He fell to his knees, his mind instantly reliving the worst day of his life. The one he only faced in his worst nightmares.
Deliora stared back at him, or so Gray believed. It was hard to make out any real features inside the blazing fire. He re-experienced every moment of that last morning, and once he remembered his parents' sacrifice, he stood up, determined to show no weakness to this monster.
The last time the two had met, he'd been a defenseless child, but no longer. He had trained for years and had grown into a powerful mage, maybe not as strong as a dragon slayer but strong enough to face his demons.
And he would make him pay for taking everything away from him. His hatred burned bright, his rage fueling his magic. Gray glared at the dragon, getting into his ice make stance and quickly planning out his attack, knowing he couldn't let this dragon get any closer to the village.
He tried to call out to Natsu with his mind, to let him know the village was in trouble and the dragon slayers were needed, but he wasn't sure whether Natsu heard him. His control over the bond was still tenuous at best.
The dragon continued to study him from across the field but made no move towards him.
"DELIORA!"
"I'm not Deliora. My name is Atlas," the dragon replied, addressing Gray calmly.
But Gray never heard him. He'd already begun his assault, too caught up in the past he'd never been able to get over. The righteous anger he'd felt when he'd attacked Happy years earlier was nothing compared to what he felt now. Not when his real enemy was in front of him.
Ice-Make: Freezer Lance
Ice-Make: Arrows
Ice-Make: Gungnir
Ice-Make: Crescent Blades
Gray cast spell after spell, but no matter how much ice he produced, none of it could even touch the dragon's intense flames, melting well before reaching him. He took a deep breath and cast one last spell.
Ice-Make: Cold Excalibur
He gripped the ice sword firmly and ran towards the dragon.
The dragon came to life in front of him, roaring its displeasure but still not unleashing his fire. The vibrations blasted Gray back roughly, although he remained upright by setting a hand down on the grass for support. Not dissuaded, he ran towards the dragon again.
"Gray, stop it!" Gray startled as Wendy appeared before him, her expression concerned. He gaped at her.
He wiped his face, confused by the wetness he felt on his fingers.
"Get out of my way," Gray growled, but as he looked up, he saw Sting, Rogue, and Gajeel had now joined Wendy.
"It's not Deliora, Gray," Gajeel told him quietly, "This is Natsu's dragon, Atlas. He would never hurt you."
"I'll be the judge of that, Metalhead," Atlas snapped, clearly irritated by Gray's antics.
"What are you all doing here?" Gray asked, confused by their presence in the field. Natsu had wanted to meet him here. Why were they here?
"I asked you to wait in the cave," Gray turned to see Natsu approaching with Lyon, both of them running.
"You knew I was going to talk to him here. What were you trying to prove?" Gray could hear the rage in Natsu's voice and was shocked to see the dragon looking almost embarrassed by the scolding.
"I wasn't trying to do anything. You asked for time to say goodbye, and I gave it to you. Now we have to go. I've already been away for far too long, and it will take us two days to get there."
Natsu ignored the dragon's words, opting to observe the other dragon slayers, looking from one face to the other and apparently not liking what he saw, "In fact, what are you all doing here? We'd already said goodbye at the cave."
"We're coming too," Sting came forward, always the first to take action.
"No, absolutely not, you need to stay here and protect the town."
"No offense Natsu, but if we don't win there, then it won't matter who remains here." Rogue pointed out.
"Besides, they haven't seen what we can do when we fight together," Sting grinned, punching his fist into the palm of his other hand.
"This isn't some kind of game," Natsu yelled, "Don't you remember what Atlas told you?"
"You think we don't know that?" Sting demanded, "We can take care of ourselves, Natsu. Our dragons taught us too."
"We know you want to protect us," Wendy interrupted the two before they could get into an argument, "that Igneel made you some sort of promise when you were younger, but you can't make that choice for us. We want to help too. They're our dragons, our family."
Gajeel simply added, "There's nothing you can do about it, Salamander. We've made up our minds, and Atlas has already agreed to take us with you. Happy will stay in the cave and take care of the patrols."
Natsu was glaring at Atlas with a fury Gray had never seen him exhibit before, and the dragon was actually looking away.
Gray didn't really understand anything that was happening. He had calmed down enough to acknowledge that despite the similarities, this dragon wasn't Deliora. Although he still didn't like the way he was looking at him.
Lyon had reached him and was standing by his side, watching him worriedly.
"So you're all going, huh?" Lyon asked the dragon slayers, sounding overly cheerful, as if he were acting out what he thought the appropriate reaction should be to the situation, hoping Gray would emulate him. "It's sure going to be quiet around here without you."
That got through to Gray as nothing else had yet, and he confronted Natsu, "Go? Go where? What's he talking about?"
Gray watched Natsu's body tense, and he felt his emotions bombard him. Fear, sadness, self-loathing, determination, and a host of others he couldn't even hope to comprehend.
"No, you can't be leaving," Gray pleaded, "You can't seriously be considering joining the war. Please tell me this is some sort of joke."
"I'm sorry," Natsu looked miserable, but Gray didn't care. He was hurt, and he was angry, so when he heard Natsu's next words he lost it, "I have to go, they need me."
"What about me? I need you," Gray pushed him hard, lashing out as much as he dared, wanting Natsu to hurt for what he was doing to them. "Or does that not matter anymore now that your precious dragon is here?"
"Come on, that's not fair, and you know it," Gray could see Natsu fighting to keep control of himself, and it angered him even more because on some level he knew he was acting unreasonably. That Natsu didn't want to leave him.
"The dragons will kill you," Gray cried out, visions of the dead bodies he'd seen in Isvan clouding his reason.
"They can try," Natsu tried to grin but failed miserably, making it look more like a grimace than anything even remotely reassuring. "I'll be safe, Princess, I promise. I'll be back before you know it and we can pick up where we left off."
"I just got you, Natsu," Gray could hear himself whimpering, but he didn't care how he sounded, "Please don't go, I can't lose you to them too."
"You'll never lose me."
"You don't know that," Gray protested.
"Why won't you understand? Atlas and Igneel are my family, Gray, I have to help them and others like them. They've been fighting for us for so long."
"I'm your family, too," Gray wept, losing all control of his emotions as he understood Natsu wouldn't stay no matter what he said.
"I'm sorry," Natsu's voice broke, and Gray saw he was crying too, "I have to go."
Natsu tried to put his arms around him, but Gray fought him off stubbornly, still angry that he refused to stay with him.
"Please Gray, I don't want to leave things like this."
"Gray, you're being childish," Lyon chimed in, angering him further because he knew it was the truth.
He could see the pleading look on Natsu's face, the tears that still flowed down his cheeks, could even feel what Natsu was feeling through their bond, and yet he couldn't seem to make himself stop. If they stayed like this, Natsu would have to come back and fix things, wouldn't he?
"You're going to regret this," Lyon warned him, continuing to tell him things he already knew.
Gray watched in shock as Natsu removed his scarf from around his neck and offered it to him.
"Keep this safe for me, will you?" Gray could only gape at him uncomprehendingly. Natsu never took his scarf off.
Natsu came closer and wrapped it around Gray's neck, surrounding him in his smell, "It's the second most important thing in the world to me." Natsu smiled weakly, leaving no doubt what the first one was. "This way, I'll always be close to you."
"I, I have nothing to give you," Gray stuttered, not realizing that with that statement he'd already accepted his fate.
"You're all that I really want," Natsu's smile was sad as he placed the palm of his hand over Gray's heart, leaving it in place for a minute.
"Natsu—"
"Shh," Natsu kissed him softly, mouth closed but heart wide open. "I'll see you soon, Princess."
Gray couldn't help but frown at the nickname, but he stared into Natsu's face, memorizing every detail. After one last kiss, Natsu turned around and joined the other dragon slayers who had already climbed on Atlas. His flames covered the slayers but seemed to cause them no damage.
The dragon slayers waved at him and Lyon, but Natsu only looked dejected.
And as Atlas took off, Gray collapsed to the ground, his breath coming in gasping sobs as he watched yet another dragon take away what he loved most.
He felt muscular arms surround him, trying to console him, but they were the wrong arms, and in his heart, he knew that until he saw Natsu return, nothing would feel alright again.
He closed his eyes, and in his mind, he suddenly heard the same words Natsu had left him with once before.
I will always come for you when you need me.
And Gray held on to them, praying that just like last time they would be true.
A/N: We've finally reached the half-way point! Don't worry, I won't extend the war stuff for too long, as I have it planned there should only be two chapters directly dealing with it, one will be in Natsu's POV, the other in Gray's. At least that's the plan. This is one of the gray areas that hadn't already been written.
I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, truth be told it feels strange even if only because a lot of this story was written months ago. This was the first chapter that I have written from scratch since beginning to post in February and I probably should have split it in two but then I wouldn't have been able to do the scarf prompt for the Bingo. ;)
Poor Gray, I felt really bad for doing this to him but he needed to relapse a little, not to mention he needs to start facing his past if he's ever going to be able to move on.