Art by @khaoticvex, do not repost.
Chapter 24
It had been weeks since Gray had seen any hint of Fukou. The first few days after their confrontation the dragon would still fly over the village on the way to the mountain and perform aerials for the kids when they cheered for him, but Gray could tell these were lackluster at best, and a strange feeling of sadness would come over him as he saw this.
He had enjoyed watching the dragon dance in the air, and he was fairly certain the change in Fukou's behavior was his fault. He had been unnecessarily cruel to a creature that had done nothing but protect him and the village on multiple occasions, and he felt a small level of shame for his actions. Although not enough to seek Fukou out and apologize.
Gray had trouble accepting that something as simple as words could have the power to hurt a dragon. His natural stubbornness compelled him to question everything he'd learned about dragons from Wendy and the other slayers and even what he had seen through Happy's actions.
Lyon had told him a long time ago that maybe he needed to limit his hatred to the one dragon who deserved it, and Gray was grudgingly coming to understand that his brother might have been on to something. The hatred he held on to continued to cause him nothing but trouble, creating a wedge between him and his mate and causing him to lash out at innocent creatures.
But it wasn't a switch he could easily turn off. Deep down, Gray knew that the only way he could truly overcome his hatred of dragons was to deal with the underlying trauma of what had happened to him, and he wasn't sure he could do that yet.
Life in the village gradually went back to normal, their surroundings soon turning gloomy as the only speck of color to be seen for miles came from the evergreen trees that grew in the forest near the base of the mountain. The villagers busied themselves with preparations for the snow that would signal the beginning of the winter months.
Occasionally they would catch sight of a red dragon flying towards the mountain, but this one was smaller, making Gray think it might be Happy. Fukou was nowhere to be seen, and Gray could put him out of his mind for a while.
He'd begun taking a lot of solo jobs, determined to help Lyon pay for the new house he would move into with Erza, and help him furnish it. He knew that part of the reason for wanting to do so was a need to live vicariously through his brother, who was getting ready to embark on the life that Gray desperately wanted to live with Natsu. Either way, he was running himself ragged between those jobs and keeping up with his regular guard schedule.
Which is how he suddenly found himself faced by a group of bandits determined to separate him from his hard-earned jewels. Gray wasn't overly concerned at first. He was a powerful mage after all, but he soon realized he'd used up most of his magic fighting off that chimera that had been terrorizing Aster, a larger town a few days walk from Talos. He'd have to rely on his fighting skills to get out of this one.
Gray called on just enough magic to mold his Cold Excalibur and immediately went on the offensive, not wanting to give his attackers a chance to surround him. He fought hard for what felt like forever, but was probably only ten minutes.
Slashing in all directions, he attempted to keep a healthy distance between himself and his attackers, but his efforts weren't enough. No matter how many bandits he incapacitated, others immediately replaced them. And as he felt himself losing more blood from the stabs that he hadn't been able to defend against, Gray worried he might not get out of this one.
He cried out in pain as he felt another blade pierce his back, his fingers coming away coated in blood as he once again tried but failed to ice his wounds. His legs gave out from under him, and all he could think was what a stupid way this was to die, alone in some random field. Lyon and Natsu would never forgive him.
His thoughts remained with Natsu, calling to him, telling him how much he loved him and how sorry he was, utterly oblivious to the sound of loud roars behind him or the screams of panic from his attackers. Or even the fact that the field he was on had somehow burst into flames.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" A voice yelled, surprising Gray with the fury behind it. He turned his head slowly, coming face to face with an enraged Fukou. "When are you going to stop being so reckless?! I'm not always going to be around to save your ass."
Gray blinked, having a hard time understanding what was happening.
Fukou appeared frantic, eyeing the flames that were getting ever closer. "Climb on!"
"What?"
"Climb on! We have to get out of here. This is my fire, I can't eat it."
"No," Gray protested weakly but with no less determination.
"We don't have time for your bullshit," Fukou shrieked, and when Gray refused to move, he launched himself into the air, quickly diving to grab Gray in his talons before flying them away from the blazing inferno.
"Let go!" Gray yelled, thrashing as the harsh wind acted against his wounds, "You're hurting me!"
That seemed to get Fukou's attention, and Gray could hear him cursing loudly, the sound of it amusing him slightly.
"If you weren't so fucking stubborn, you'd be riding on my back, where I could protect you from the wind."
Gray screamed in agony, the pain too much for him to handle. He could feel them losing altitude, the ground looming ever nearer until he felt Fukou land using only his rear legs, muscles tensing as he tried to keep his balance. He released Gray, gently placing him on a soft grassy area.
Gray took a moment to look at the dragon who had once again come to his aid. It shocked him to see the amount of anger still present in the creature's eyes, although he was taking deep breaths, almost as if trying to calm himself down.
His eyes shone a beautiful shade of emerald green, and his talons glowed with a red light that sent warning signals to Gray's brain.
"What, uhm, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to heal your sorry ass. Again," Fukou groused, "Do you have a death wish or something? What would you have done if I hadn't happened by?"
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Gray crossed his arms over his chest in defiance, for the moment ignoring the pain the simple movement caused him, as he scowled at the implication that he was always in need of rescue.
"Whatever you say, Princess, all I know is if you keep this up, I'm going to have to learn new healing spells."
"Don't call me that!"
Gray screamed in agony as Fukou healed his wounds, the dragon making no effort to be considerate.
"Ow, damn it! Can't you be gentler?"
"I could, but I want you to remember the pain," Fukou declared with a self-satisfied smirk, "then maybe you'll be more cautious in the future. I always wondered why Atlas did that, now I think I understand."
Gray let the words swim in his brain as the pain subsided, the warmth of Fukou's healing magic still soothing him despite the dragon's attempt to teach him a lesson. He felt his wounds closing up before hearing one last word. "Sleep."
0-0
Gray awoke inside an unfamiliar cave. Upon sitting up, he discovered that all of his wounds disappeared. Gray found no sign of Fukou inside the cave, but after some searching he finally found him sitting outside the entrance of the cave looking up at the stars.
Fukou turned his head to look at him. Where before he had seemed furious, his expression was now too complex for Gray to read.
"I trust you're feeling better?"
"Yes, uh, thank you." Gray sat near the dragon, leaving a healthy amount of space between them, feeling self-conscious as the words he'd said to the dragon the last time they'd met replayed in his mind.
They sat in companionable silence for a while, Gray struggling with the words he knew needed to be said. He coughed uncomfortably, "I, uh, I wanted to say I was sorry about before."
"The struggling?" Fukou asked, the small grin that tugged at his snout making his fangs appear sharper, "I should have expected that."
"No, uhm, back when I named you. I didn't mean it, I was just being an ass. So you know if I, uhm, hurt your feelings or anything, I'm sorry."
The dragon shook his head before looking back up at the stars, "No need to apologize, Gray Fullbuster. It is a most fitting name. Sorrow and misfortune are indeed all I have ever wrought."
Gray winced, realizing just how deeply his words had hurt the creature. He quickly changed the subject. "Where are we?"
"I didn't think it wise to return to Talos straight away. Those men could have followed us. Now that you're awake, we can use the cover of night to return."
There was something that was confusing him, and Gray figured he had nothing to lose by asking, "Why didn't you just kill them?"
Fukou continued to stare at the stars, making Gray think he hadn't heard him until he finally replied, "I don't enjoy killing."
Gray lowered his head, pondering Fukou's response with some skepticism but growing admittedly more curious about the creature, "Is that why you have so many scars?"
Fukou chuckled, "No, I was actually trying to kill that one. He just bested me."
A laugh escaped Gray at the unexpected response, which he soon tried to hide behind a cough, but Fukou's eyes twinkled, regardless.
"Where have you been? It's been months since I last saw you."
"Why? Did you miss me?" Fukou teased, laughing at the dismay on Gray's face at his retort.
Before Gray could deny his words, Fukou explained his absence, "The Dragon King required my help. I was returning home when I smelled your blood and went to investigate."
"I don't understand you. Why bother with saving me at all?"
Fukou studied him fixedly before shrugging his massive wings, "Perhaps I seek to change your mind of the notion that dragons are heartless."
Gray's lips tightened into a hard line, not willing to concede on that point yet. That answer didn't satisfy him at all. Surely there had to be more to it. Why would Fukou care about what he thought?
"We should get going, we're still a long way away from home."
Gray watched as Fukou lowered himself and stared at him expectantly.
"Oh, hell, no!"
"Surely, you're not expecting us to walk there? It would take days. I could always cast that sleep spell on you again..."
"No! Fine, I'll do it, just don't drop me."
"You know, if I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have bothered healing you first."
"I'd feel more comforted if you weren't grinning at me like some sort of psychotic overgrown lizard," Gray complained, the sound of Fukou's unabashed laughter irritating him in ways he hadn't felt in a while.
Fukou attempted to explain how to get on his back, but Gray ignored him in favor of using his ice to lift himself up to the desired height. He crawled across the dragon's massive back and towards its long neck, searching for a spot where he could sit and hold on properly.
It amazed him to find the dragon's scaly skin did not feel as rough as it looked. Gray ran his hands over it, curious about the texture, which was akin to the feeling of wet sand between his fingers. A pleased rumbling sound from the dragon beneath him startled Gray from his unintentional petting. He stopped his hand mid-stroke, but then rewarded Fukou with a few strokes to his neck before holding on for the trip ahead, remembering how the dragon had saved him despite his harsh words.
Gray was terrified, although if he was honest with himself, a little excited as well. He'd never considered the idea of flying. He held on to the excitement, frantically trying to distance himself from how he was achieving it.
The dragon took off with no warning, his wings spreading majestically and flying them ever higher. Gray let out a startled squeak, much to his embarrassment, before clutching Fukou's neck tightly as they fought air currents until reaching a smooth patch.
They flew by the light of the moon, man and dragon choosing to remain silent, although they would have been able to converse had they wanted to. Gray felt overwhelmed, not just because he was riding a dragon, but because he'd somewhat willingly chosen to do so.
He couldn't say he regretted it though. The feel of the wind caressing his skin and hair was exhilarating, as was knowing that he was one of the few humans ever to experience such a thing. The last time he'd felt this alive was during the previous summer solstice, when he and Natsu had made love for the first time.
Fukou's body exuded constant warmth, keeping Gray comfortable despite the cold air around them. Slowly, a sense of peace settled over him as he found himself up among the stars, and he relaxed, loosening his grip on Fukou's neck. He could hear the dragon chuckling softly, although he didn't comment.
They landed right outside the town walls, Fukou waiting patiently for Gray to climb down. The journey had ended much too soon for Gray's liking, and he found himself disappointed that it had been too dark for him to see much.
He was about to say thank you, only to discover Fukou had already left.
0-0
Once Lyon had gotten over Gray almost dying on one of his jobs, he listened raptly to the story of his rescue. He had taken to teasing Gray that while most people had a guardian angel; he seemed to have a guardian dragon. The irony of the situation amused Lyon greatly.
Regardless of which, he immediately forbade Gray from taking any more solo jobs, at least until after the wedding, ignoring all of Gray's protests to the contrary. It was frustrating, but he could see his brother's point, so he tried to fill his free time with additional training, still embarrassed by how easily the bandits had defeated him.
With no means of escaping the village, Gray thought about Fukou often. It was hard for him to understand that a dragon would take it upon himself to change his mind. Why? What was it about Gray that compelled the red dragon to act this way? To rescue him when, by all logic, he should have just let him die. Was he just amusing to him?
Regardless of his hatred for dragons, Gray understood he wasn't a threat to them. His attacks on Atlas hadn't even gotten within ten yards of the hellfire dragon. Heck, he hadn't even been able to injure Happy when he was a baby. That had been Sting with his dragon slayer magic.
So what could Fukou possibly gain by changing his mind? Was he just drawn to the sadness that lived within Gray? Did he maybe feel the same? Could he just be looking for a friend? Did dragons even have friends?
It was frustrating not to know, but he had a feeling if he asked Fukou, the dragon wouldn't give him an answer.
It was funny. In some ways, the dragon reminded him of Natsu. His recklessness, sense of humor, and the playfulness he'd exhibited with those kids had made Gray wonder if his mate had gained those traits from the dragons that had raised him. None of that, however, explained the odd feeling of peace he felt around the dragon sometimes.
It was a beautiful winter night in late January when Gray went for a walk. Snow fell all around him, keeping everyone but the most enthusiastic inside. Ever since acquiring his ice magic Gray had enjoyed going out in winter weather, and Lyon would usually be right there with him, but he had been busy with wedding stuff, and Gray hadn't wanted to interrupt. Besides, it was best if he got used to the idea that he would be alone soon. Lyon would move out after the wedding, and although they would still see each other at work, their relationship was bound to change. Lyon belonged to Erza now, and soon they would start a family of their own. It was the natural order of things.
His walk took him towards the field, fond memories of snowball fights with Ur and Lyon keeping him warm. More recent ones with Erza and the dragon slayers soon replaced them. It was perhaps the only activity where he and Lyon could best the others, and they both enjoyed it immensely. More often than not, Natsu would get overexcited, his body heating up more than usual and melting all the snow around him as Gray mocked him mercilessly. He chuckled, remembering Natsu's pout as Wendy rushed to console him as usual.
The memories were too close tonight. On a whim, Gray kept walking, reaching the mountain path and following it up, past the red dragon's cave, all the way to the top of the mountain, hoping exhaustion would settle in and give him one night of peaceful rest, away from the dreams that often haunted him.
It was there he found Fukou, once again looking up at the sky, even though the stars hid behind storm clouds. He nodded at Gray briefly in recognition, but otherwise remained silent.
"What is it with you and the stars? You can't even see them tonight."
Fukou tilted his head to the side, considering Gray's words for a long while before answering, "It doesn't matter whether I can see them. They are still there, shining down on us."
Gray examined the dragon, noticing some fresh scars that made him wonder what he'd been up to, "Where do you go?"
"Hmm?" Fukou peered at him in confusion.
"When you disappear for long periods, where is it you go? Is it dangerous?"
"I go check on the other dragons, make sure they're okay."
"Why wouldn't they be? Isn't the war over?"
"Dragons are still being hunted," Fukou explained.
"By the renegades Natsu talked about?"
"Not tonight," Fukou replied, refusing to answer Gray's question. "The ghosts are too close," his only explanation.
Fukou looked back up to the sky and spoke not another word, leaving Gray to sit in silence beside him.
When he woke up in front of the town gates the following morning, he couldn't remember climbing down the mountain, and he wondered whether Fukou had flown him down. Either way, he had slept fitfully for the first time in a long while.
That night began an odd routine.
On days when he couldn't sleep, Gray would make his way up the mountain, searching out the company of the quiet dragon. Fukou wasn't always there, and even when he was, there were nights when not a single word passed between them. On these nights, Gray could sense a deep sadness come over the dragon. It was the reason he continued to come. He felt a similar grief, but somehow sitting together on that mountain, it was alright.
0-0
Gray noticed Happy flying over the village once again and instinctively knew Fukou had left on another one of his trips. The dragon's absence filled him with gloom, but he told himself it was only because he worried about how it would affect his sleep. Still, he monitored the sky, hoping to glimpse the dragon's return.
When it came, it was unexpected. Gray had been dreaming of Natsu when he woke with a strange pain in his heart. After making sure it wasn't anything to worry about, he sat up, shrugging on some clothes and hurrying outside, worried the pain might have something to do with Natsu.
It was then he heard a loud disconsolate wail in the distance. It didn't sound at all human, and his thoughts immediately went to Fukou. Gray set off at a fast run, arriving at the base of the mountain in record time. The hopelessness of that sound set him on edge, and he trudged on, not sure what he would find when he reached its source.
The sound led him to the path he'd followed the first time he'd found Fukou. Gray followed it, stumbling in the dark as he attempted to navigate its unknown twists and turns.
The sight that awaited him was one he hadn't expected. Fukou sat on the ledge, wailing into the night, his body covered in blood. His markedly different appearance made Gray wary of approaching him.
It didn't seem like the dragon was aware of his presence, so Gray sat on the same rock he had used that first time and waited, trying to swallow the fear he felt. When Fukou finally settled down, Gray approached him slowly, making as much noise as he could. The last thing he wanted was to startle the dragon when it was acting this strangely.
Fukou finally looked in his direction, his entire body tensing, prompting Gray to put his hands up in front of him in a calming gesture.
"What happened?"
"It's Happy," Fukou's face had streaks from where his tears had briefly landed on his skin before evaporating.
"Is — is he okay?" Gray asked anxiously. Happy was a complex topic for him, but he would never forget everything he had done for Natsu. It would devastate his mate if something happened to the dragon he had adopted as part of his family.
Fukou shook his head, a whimper rising in his throat. Gray didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to comfort a dragon. Instead, he brought Fukou's attention to his injuries.
"You're hurt, shouldn't you heal yourself?" Gray kept his voice as gentle as he could, although every instinct he possessed was telling him this was a mistake, and he should get his ass back home.
"It's Happy's blood," Fukou explained, seemingly oblivious to the blood that was gushing from an open wound on his chest.
"Look again," Gray prodded, trying to keep himself calm, "You're bleeding."
Fukou looked down absently before Gray saw the familiar red glow of his healing magic.
"What happened?"
"Renegades attacked us," the words flowed out slowly, the dragon still mostly in a daze as he recounted the events, "I killed one, but the other went to get reinforcements. I—I tried to heal him, but I could smell more of them coming, so I grabbed him and flew him back to Atlas. I don't know if he's going to make it."
At this, the whimpering began again, but the dragon's words had set Gray's blood boiling. Fukou had just admitted to killing a human.
"You killed a human?" Gray's voice was stiff as he threw the dragon's words back at him, "I thought you said you didn't enjoy killing."
"I don't," Fukou appeared confused by Gray's sudden change in attitude, "I had to, they were going to kill Happy."
"You had to?" Gray mocked, ignoring the hurt on the dragon's face as he yelled. "You outweigh them by hundreds of pounds, and you have an arsenal of fire magic at your disposal."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Fukou snarled, Gray's words inciting his fury, "These humans possess magic that can kill us. What was I supposed to have done? Should I have let them kill Happy on some sort of moral principle? Let them kill me? Are we not allowed to defend ourselves?"
Gray had no answer to that, but he couldn't just approve of Fukou's actions either. His head throbbed as his childhood self argued unyieldingly against Fukou's words.
"And you call me heartless?" Fukou laughed mirthlessly at Gray's silence, before peering down at him with an expression more serious than Gray had ever seen from him before, "I wonder if your answer would remain the same if it was Dragneel in there fighting for his life."
Gray couldn't meet the dragon's glare, knowing damn well if it was Natsu, he wouldn't have cared who died as long as his mate could return to him safely. It was selfish but no less accurate, and the realization made him feel sick to his stomach.
"You are such a hypocrite," Fukou spat, his words even more scathing because they were true.
"You think the war is over, but for some of us, it never ended. We're hunted down for no other motive than greed." The air around Gray sizzled in response to Fukou's fury. Even so, Gray couldn't say anything, held captive as he was by the righteousness of Fukou's words.
"The human renegades seek to bathe in our blood, to sate their never ending thirst for power. So yes, I will kill every single one of them if that is what it takes to keep all dragons safe. If they come after me and mine... I will show no mercy."
People did most of these...
Gray recalled Natsu's words and suddenly understood the meaning hidden behind them. Natsu was off fighting these renegades, protecting the dragons he loved so much. As much as it stung that his mate had continued fighting for the dragons rather than return home to him, Gray sought to be understanding. Natsu had always done what he felt was right. And if his dragons, no, his family, were in danger, he wouldn't hesitate to fight for their safety, no matter what the personal cost.
He wished Natsu would have trusted him enough to ask for his help. It was laughable to think he would ever do so, given what he knew of Gray's feelings. And once again, he had no one to blame but himself for that outcome.
Gray sank to the ground holding his head in his hands; the shooting pain made all the worse by the suffocating heat. How he wished he could live in that world of gray areas that both Natsu and Fukou traversed so effortlessly.
It must be nice to face a visible enemy, but how were you supposed to defeat your demons when they all lived inside you? His hatred had been imprinted on him at such a young age that he couldn't seem to fight his way out of it, and he had been trying to fight it. Natsu, the other dragon slayers, and even Happy had begun the process, but it had been Fukou that had forced him to see dragons differently.
It just wasn't enough to surpass over a decade of hatred.
"I know a dragon brought you much pain, Gray. I do not deny it," Fukou addressed him, surprising Gray by using his first name. The dragon's voice was calmer than before, although he could still hear faint traces of anger intermingling in words.
"What Deliora did to your village and your loved ones is unforgivable. But your misguided hate will not bring your loved ones back. It has only caused you to hold on to the pain you should have put to rest years ago."
"Dragons have played a bigger role in your life than you are ready to admit. Not only have they protected the village you claimed as your new home from harm, but they saved your life many times. They raised your mate to be the man you seem to think so highly of. So you have two choices. You either have to accept that not all dragons are evil, just as not all people are, and open your heart to those who would call you friend," Fukou paused, giving him time to absorb his words.
"Or you can continue to live with the hatred that is destroying everything you hold dear. I have done all I can to show you who we are, but I can't force you to change your mind. Only you can do that."
Gray nodded slowly, accepting the truth in his words but still not daring to look at Fukou, afraid of the judgment he might see in his eyes. He remained in his uncomfortable position long after Fukou had entered the cave to check on Happy.
He didn't remember walking home but knew this time he had managed it on his own.
0-0
Gray's mind remained in a constant jumble as Fukou's words waged war against his inner self. Some days it seemed like he had made some headway only to revert at the memory of the destruction of his village and the pain and fear he'd felt during his parent's last moments. His mind berating him for betraying their memory in what amounted to a fit of weakness.
He was stuck, and he hated it.
Thankfully Lyon's wedding was coming up quickly, and that kept him incredibly busy. Last-minute preparations took up a lot of his time. Then there was Erza, who had chosen him to take command of her post while she and Lyon went on their honeymoon for a few weeks. Her intense training regimen to prepare him for the challenge ate up the rest of his free time.
Before he knew it, April showers had given way to May flowers. He hadn't seen Fukou since his last trek up the mountain, assuming he'd probably no longer be welcome. It seemed Gray was only good at one thing, and that was pushing others away, and the loneliness felt at the dragon's absence from his life was something he couldn't deny.
Life moved on regardless of his discontent. Lyon and Erza had their wedding and left for their honeymoon soon after. For a moment, Gray experienced genuine happiness, even if it was for someone else.
Erza seemed almost disappointed to discover the town hadn't self-destructed in her absence, but she gave him glowing praise for his efforts. Her expression growing concerned when that barely got a smile in response.
Gray helped Lyon move his things to his new house, listening to him chatter happily about his trip, and snickering as Erza ordered his brother around with her very definite ideas of where things belonged in their new home.
Gray had missed them greatly, especially the relief they provided from his thoughts. But after several weeks of doing Erza's job, dealing with all the issues that came up daily, not to mention all the people that demanded his attention, he had both an even bigger admiration for Erza and a desperate need to to get away.
Preparations for the village's Red Dragon Festival, which was scheduled to take place during the Summer Solstice, had already begun. That was yet another thing that Gray wanted to leave behind. The festival was a constant reminder of both Fukou and Natsu, and he was so tired of worrying and obsessing over both.
He'd already picked out a job during his brief stint as Acting Captain. It was only two days' travel, and it would keep him away for three days at most. Erza signed off on it without complaint, offering him an understanding smile and bidding him to be careful.
He walked away from Talos, through their field, and towards the nearest road, glancing back at the mountain he knew so well. A hint of sadness threatened his good mood as he thought of what he had lost through his own stubbornness.
He cast the thought aside, attempting to focus on the refreshing warmth of the mid-June sunshine on his skin as he got further away from his home. Gray focused on the beauty of the surrounding landscape, entranced by the wildflowers that adorned both sides of the road with every color imaginable.
He stopped to pick a flower that reminded him of the ridiculous color of Natsu's hair, twirling it between his fingers with a smile. It filled him with longing for the things he had once taken for granted. He'd love nothing more than to spend a lazy afternoon sitting among those flowers, just threading his fingers through Natsu's soft hair and listening to him talk for hours, green eyes sparkling with excitement, hands flying every which way.
Gray tried to imagine them sitting just like that, hoping to get some pleasure from it, stunned to discover all he felt was a resentful rage.
Why couldn't they have that? Why couldn't Natsu just pick him for once, and how much longer would he have to wait for his return? For the life that Natsu had promised, when he'd said they would spend the rest of their lives together.
He might be Natsu's mate, but time and time again, Natsu had shown him the dragons would always come first. Even above the bond that marked them as soulmates. What was left for him then? All the time spent worrying and making excuses for him. What was it all for?
Gray needed to get some answers soon because he was nearing the end of his tether. He had to look no further than his brother to understand that the words he'd fought against for so long were valid. Even Juvia had moved on from her obsession with him to find love with someone else. He thought of Anna who was in a similar position as him, waiting for her love to return to her, but at least she had the orphanage to keep her busy.
He had made it so that he was nothing without Natsu, and that was his own fault.
Gray had been letting his life pass him by, hoping the man he loved would return to him, and as much as it hurt to even think about moving on from the only thing he'd ever wanted, perhaps it was time for him to want something else.
His thoughts remained gloomy for the rest of his journey. The sun's warmth, which had been such a comfort earlier, became a stark reminder of the heat that he was well on his way to convincing himself he'd never have again.
He'd just arrived at the outskirts of the town of Calluna when he first noticed a distant blur flying towards him. Its brilliant scarlet scales identified it as a red dragon, even from far away, and Gray stopped to examine it, part of him hoping it might be Fukou.
The dragon was flying lower than what Gray would have considered wise. It wasn't paying any attention to its surroundings, almost drifting along rather than navigating. Gray continued walking, figuring he'd get a better look the closer he got to his destination.
When he was about a quarter of a mile from the town, he heard panicked screams, which soon had him examining his surroundings, seeking to determine what might cause their alarm. Peeking back up at the sky, he noticed the dragon was closer now, enough for him to recognize that it was indeed Fukou, his scars immediately giving away his identity.
He was so used to the dragon that it took him a full minute to understand that Fukou was the cause of the commotion, a fact the dragon also seemed oblivious to. Gray's heart raced painfully when he saw the first bolt sail through the air, missing its target by mere inches. Even then, Fukou did not alter his trajectory.
Gray's sharp eyes sought the source of the bolt until he discovered a pair of ballistas, manned by a group of very excited soldiers who were already reloading the weapons with more oversized arrows.
"FUKOU!" Gray yelled as loudly as he could manage, trying to warn the dragon and hoping a familiar voice might rouse him from whatever trance he seemed to be under.
Fukou startled, his head darting from side to side in search of the owner of the voice. It was at that moment that two of the bolts hit their mark, tearing through the membranes at two different points of one of Fukou's enormous wings. The dragon cried out, flailing his wings to remain airborne, but it was a losing battle. The air currents had grabbed hold of the tears, ripping them further until they had merged into one large hole, the flap of loose membrane waving in the wind. Not being able to control his descent, Fukou fell to the ground with a resounding thud. Soldiers ran out of Calluna's gates armed with arbalests, a smaller version of the ballista that had already caused the dragon so much damage.
Fukou struggled with his torn wing, still striving to get back in the air. Gray watched and waited, resigned to the attack he assumed would soon follow as the men surrounded the dragon. He wouldn't enjoy what was to come, but after giving thought to the words Fukou had yelled at him in his rage, Gray had concluded that the dragon had every right to defend himself from an unprovoked attack.
However, instead of using his fire magic, the dragon simply growled and whipped his long tail about, trying to intimidate his attackers into leaving him alone.
Gray couldn't understand why the dragon wasn't fighting back. It should have been easy for him to overpower them with his magic. He continued to watch from where he stood, not knowing what to do until he heard Fukou whine as a bolt from an arbalest pierced his abdomen, one of the few areas of the dragon's body not covered in scales.
That whine traveled straight through to Gray's heart and called him into action. He couldn't just wait for the dragon to save himself, not when Fukou had come to his rescue so many times. Fukou was in trouble, and it was time for Gray to repay his debt.
Gray ignored the protest inside his own mind, having seen enough of the situation to be disgusted by the soldiers' actions. He grabbed an item from his travel bag, shoving it into his pants pocket before dropping the bag and running towards the dragon.
"STOP!" Gray yelled at the top of his lungs, swiftly closing the distance between them. The men stared at him briefly but went right back to jabbing at Fukou. Gray settled into his molding stance as soon as he thought he was close enough for his magic to be effective.
Determining they seemed to enjoy arrows, Gray gave them a taste of their own medicine. He called out his first spell.
"Ice-Make: Arrows"
A large bow materialized in his arms, and he used it to send arrow after arrow at Fukou's attackers. He watched with a satisfied grin as his ice arrows raced towards his targets, wounding several of the soldiers before they even realized what was happening and causing chaos within their ranks.
Gray was already running again, moving his position to further disorient them. He placed his fist in front of his palm, summoning his magic once again. This time allowing his anger to fuel his spell.
"Ice-Make: Freeze Lancer"
As the lances hit their marks, Gray made his move, creating a path of ice that would lead him straight towards Fukou and slip up any soldier that got in his way. He quickly molded blades to his shoes, which provided him an additional speed boost. Once he reached the dragon, he gathered all of his magic, imagining the result he wanted before calling out his last spell.
"Ice-Make: Dome"
Ice rose out of his hands at high speed, expanding and curving until it surrounded them on all sides. Fukou, catching on to his plan, soon hunched down so Gray wouldn't have to spend as much magic.
Although the dome he'd created was smooth on the inside, Gray had designed it with thick spikes on the outside to buy them more time. He ran over to Fukou, climbing over him to get a good look at the injury to his wing.
Fukou's eyes followed his every move, even though he remained silent. Gray couldn't tell whether the dragon was still angry about their previous confrontation or just embarrassed to be rescued by him. He tried to lighten the uncomfortable moment.
"Who's the princess now, huh?" Gray snorted when he saw the outrage in Fukou's eyes at his remark.
"Seriously though, why weren't you fighting back? You could have taken those guys easily."
Fukou's voice came out in pants, eyes hooded with pain, "They didn't have any magic. It wouldn't have been right for me to retaliate. Besides," he shrugged before hissing at the pull on his injured wing, "I've had worse injuries."
Gray gawked at the dragon, surprised by its admission.
"I don't see why you're looking at me like that," Fukou groused, "I've told you several times I don't enjoy killing."
Gray wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he kept his head down and his mouth shut, testing his ice and noticing that it was already melting. Fukou's body temperature and the late spring sun were working against it steadily, not to mention the soldiers who were aiming their bolts at the spikes. Gray continued to feed more magic to his ice, strengthening the structure wherever he could.
"Well, you better heal yourself quickly. Your body heat is working against my ice. We won't have much time to get out of here."
"I uhm, can't really do that. Healing requires a lot more magic than I have available at the moment." Fukou looked sheepish, even though they were now both in danger.
"I had a feeling you might say something like that," Gray muttered, grudgingly taking the item he had grabbed out of his travel bag and looking at it with dread. "I can't do anything about the bolt with what I have on hand, but If I stitch up your wing, you think you can fly us out of here?"
Fukou ignored the question, eyes widening in dread as he saw the needle Gray was holding, and for a moment, it looked as though he wanted to scurry away.
Gray chuckled nervously, "Don't be such a baby, I've had to do this for Natsu a few times, I know what I'm doing."
Fukou appeared skeptical, engaging in some sort of exaggerated deep breathing that made Gray want to thwap him on the head. "Oy, stop that! I haven't even started yet," Gray scolded.
"Now, do you think you can make a small flame to sterilize the needle?"
Gray placed the curved needle in a small metal tray near the dragon while he grabbed the catgut. When he looked back, the tip of the needle was already glowing, and it was his turn to take an exaggerated breath as he tried to convince himself that this was no different than patching up his boyfriend.
He threaded the needle and moved over to the injured wing, trying to determine the best way to patch it up. He positioned the flap carefully in place and painstakingly stitched it back together.
"Ow, couldn't you be a little gentler? That hurts!" Fukou whined.
Gray smirked, remembering the dragon's words to him and repeating them, "I could, but I want you to remember the pain, then maybe next time you'll look where you're flying."
Fukou sulked, but otherwise refrained from complaining any further.
Gray felt drops of moisture land on his head and hurried, knowing he couldn't bolster his ice and tend to Fukou at the same time. He set the last stitch and looked at his handiwork, biting his lip in frustration as he realized it had been pointless. There was no way Fukou could fly them out of there, there were too many open spaces in between his clumsy stitches, the wind would just tear it apart again.
"Alright, can you run? Flying is a no go," Gray rubbed the back of his neck, seeking to come up with another plan as they both stared at the bolt that was sticking out of the dragon's abdomen.
"I won't be able to get very far with this stuck in me," Fukou responded, "We're going to have to get it out somehow."
"I could try to pull it out?" Gray offered, desperately hoping the dragon would disagree.
"I'm going to need you to do that," Fukou whispered before closing his eyes in preparation. "As soon as you get it out, I'll cauterize the wound." The temperature in the dome rose quickly as Fukou readied himself.
Gray gazed nervously at the long wooden shaft protruding out of Fukou's body before wrapping his hands around it and tugging gently to get a feel for the force needed. Fukou cursed loudly just at that. Gray gulped, already feeling sick to his stomach. "I—I can't do this."
"You're doing fine, one hard tug ought to do it," Fukou encouraged, making Gray feel even worse.
He took one deep breath before freezing his hands to the wood of the shaft. Pulling with all his might, he tried very hard not to think about what he was doing, which left him wholly unprepared for the sudden release of the bolt, or the startling sound of Fukou's cry. Gray found himself on the floor, still holding on to the bolt. He dispelled his ice quickly, not wanting to be connected to it any longer than he had to. He scrambled to his feet, refusing to look at the clumps of tissue that were attached to the bolt's head.
The ice continued to melt at an even faster rate as the surrounding air heated from Fukou's efforts to cauterize the gaping wound the steelhead had left behind. Not quite able to speak yet, he gestured for Gray to climb on, and this time, he did not protest.
Fukou took off at a run, moving swiftly but unsteadily on his rear legs as he did his best to balance both their weights on his tail, all while keeping his wings close to his body to prevent them from being damaged by the wind. It was easy to see the dragon's injuries were taking a lot out of him. The soldiers followed them for several miles, but as their bolts were no match for the dragon's speed, they eventually gave up.
When they were but specks in the distance, Gray announced, "I think you can stop now, it looks like they've given up."
They had reached one of the wildflower fields Gray recognized from his walk, putting them about a day's walk from Talos. Fukou stopped right where they were, his legs crumpling underneath him, breath coming in irregular pants. Gray climbed down quickly, peering at the dragon with concern.
"I think I'm just going to close my eyes for a second," Fukou muttered, immediately falling asleep and serenading Gray with his deep snores.
Gray almost laughed at the irony of his predicament. Instead of spending a lazy afternoon with his mate as he'd fantasized, he was babysitting an injured dragon.
At least this makes us even now, Gray thought, before falling asleep next to Fukou, not noticing when the dragon wrapped his uninjured wing around him like a blanket. Almost as if by instinct.