Chapter 19

Gray watched his brother with amusement as he ran all over their apartment in a fit of nerves. He was currently looking for his keys, which Gray could easily see from where he was sitting.

"Lyon," he called out, "Relax, man. It's just a date."

"It's not just a date. What if she decides she hates me?" Lyon muttered, looking crestfallen by the possibility.

"She's probably as nervous as you are," Gray pointed out, knowing from what Natsu had mentioned that this was Erza's first date as well.

He got up from their sofa, walking over to grab Lyon's keys. He stopped in the middle of the room as everything around him vanished, and an unexpected pain jolted him. It was so intense he could only scream in response. For a second, he could have sworn he heard a familiar voice in his head.

... soon, Princess...

Natsu?

There was no response, but Gray continued to call out, finally giving up with one last wishful thought...

Come back to me, Natsu.

Gray opened his eyes, finding himself back on the sofa with Lyon hovering over him. He could see Lyon's mouth opening and closing, but try as he might, he couldn't make out his brother's words.

What the hell was that?

"GRAY!"

Sounds came back to him slowly, Lyon's voice sounded very far away, which was probably a blessing, seeing as his brother appeared agitated.

He blinked in confusion, "What happened?"

"I should ask you that!" Lyon snapped as he ran his fingers through his hair, "You scared the shit out of me! One minute you're talking, the next you're screaming and collapsing on the floor."

Gray sat up with some difficulty, and Lyon plopped next to him. "Was I out long?"

"No, but it was freaky as fuck!"

"I'm sorry," Gray muttered, already thinking back to the pain he'd felt.

It was gone, but he didn't know what the hell it meant. Had he really heard Natsu just now? Did that mean he was close? Was he hurt like before?

He grabbed the ends of Natsu's scarf, which was wrapped around his neck as always, and buried his fingers in the fabric, letting it soothe him as it had once done for his boyfriend. His limited understanding of their connection filled him with frustration.

He closed his eyes and focused on their bond, but all he could tell was that it was still there. It wasn't much, but at least it meant Natsu was still alive, or at least that's what he thought it meant.

Gray breathed deeply and tried to stifle the panic he felt at how excruciating that pain had been and what that might mean for Natsu. He shifted his attention back to his brother, who was giving him a look Gray had grown to recognize.

"Oh no, you don't!"

"You can't possibly expect me to go out now. What if it happens again?"

"Absolutely not!" Gray protested, "You are not using me as an excuse to cancel your date. I'm fine, I just, uh, I got up too fast, that's all. Now, grow a pair and take the girl of your dreams out and show her a good time."

Gray felt terrible about hiding things from Lyon. Still, he'd feel even worse if his brother continued to put his life on hold for him, so he feigned a cheer he definitely wasn't feeling.

"We spent all afternoon setting up that picnic by the lake. It would be a pity for the birds to eat it. Now go!"

When Lyon still didn't look convinced, he added, "I'll be fine. I'll just take a nap on the couch. Erza works so hard. You wouldn't want to disappoint her, would you?"

"Ugh, fine," Lyon finally conceded, "I'll be back soon."

"No. You won't," Gray corrected. "You will take Erza on the date of her dreams, and I forbid you from thinking or talking about me throughout the whole thing."

Gray got up once again and walked over to the kitchen counter, where Lyon's keys had been sitting. He scooped them up and handed them over to his brother with a smile. He shoved him towards the front door, opening the door, pushing Lyon outside, and closing the door behind him.

"Have fun and don't come home unless you have to." Gray snickered when he saw the color rise to Lyon's face through the peephole. He watched through the small opening until he made sure Lyon actually left.

"Good luck," Gray whispered with a fond smile before going back to trying to figure out what the hell had happened to him.

0-0

Atlas flew as fast as his injured body would permit. He didn't dare to call on his magic to help speed him up, not when he knew he might need most of it to work on Natsu and Belserion. Especially if Grandine was tending to Igneel.

Metalicana and Skiadrum flew on either side of him, and he could feel the weight of their worried glances. It irritated him. He wasn't the one they should be concerned about. The distance they needed to travel was short, but with Natsu's life hanging in the balance, it felt never ending to Atlas.

The scent of Natsu's blood overwhelmed him. All he could think about was that if the worst happened, Igneel would never forgive him. Hell, he wasn't even sure he could forgive himself if it came down to it. He realized with a groan he'd probably even have to beg the forgiveness of the ice brat.

Finally, they could see the two red dragons and Atlas cursed so loudly the other two dragons startled. All three of them landed. Atlas rushed to Natsu and Belserion, as the other two dragons dropped off their dragon slayers before taking back to the air, following the scent of Acnologia's blood.

Belserion didn't even give as much as a grunt of acknowledgement at Atlas' presence. Instead, he talked to Natsu in a soft voice, his words keeping him awake. Atlas noticed the green glow of Natsu's healing magic growing fainter as he tried to work on himself, and the amount of damage remaining was massive.

A portion of Natsu's tail was missing, and Atlas couldn't see it anywhere on the ground. He noticed the remains of a black arm that was undeniably Acnologia's and a heap of flesh that made even him feel like vomiting. A large chunk of Natsu's left side had been ripped out. The entrails held in place by Natsu's healing magic. With a shudder, Atlas wondered how his nephew was even alive.

He shook his head, curious as to what had happened but knowing that it would have to wait. Gajeel and Rogue had already joined Belserion, and it touched him to see them petting Natsu. He could hear Gajeel complimenting him for taking Acnologia's arm and felt a surge of pride. No other dragon had ever dealt so much damage to the renegade.

Atlas analyzed Natsu's injuries intently, knowing he wouldn't be able to heal all the damage. If he could at least stabilize him, they could get him back to safety and Grandine could take over. But there was so much. He'd have to cast some of his most advanced healing spells, and he could only pray to Tamara, the Dragon Goddess of healing, that he had enough magic left to do so.

He cast spell after spell, all the while purring in the way he knew had relaxed Natsu since he was a child. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep Natsu from screaming out in agony as the spells worked away at his injuries.

When he heard the other two dragons return, he called Metalicana over, and while continuing to work on Natsu asked, "You think you can get me back home?"

Metalicana grunted his assent, although he looked confused by the request. Until he glanced down at Natsu's body. It took both Belserion and Skiadrum to keep him from flying off after Acnologia again.

"Skia, you're gonna have to carry Natsu home," Metalicana informed the younger dragon who looked just as furious as he did at the shape Natsu was in.

"Leave it to me," Skiadrum replied, watching with interest as Atlas cast his spells.

To their surprise, several dragons arrived, landing on the field and quickly creating a defensive circle around them with Irene dismounting and immediately making a beeline for Belserion. There were dragons from various races: lightning, ice, jade, earth, moon, rock, crystal, and water. Even though they were all different, they united in a song of lament in honor of their fallen royal, with the Talos dragons joining in.

It was a sight both beautiful and chilling, and all the dragon slayers watched in awe, having never seen or heard anything like it before. Once the song finished, everything became eerily silent except for Atlas' chanting, which was slowly getting quieter as the dragon grew tired. Rogue could hear Natsu muttering Gray's name even as he writhed in pain and felt pity.

He recognized the ice dragon slayer Utari sitting atop her dragon. He called her over, wanting to offer Natsu some comfort, even if it wasn't Gray's ice. Rogue doubted Natsu could tell the difference at the moment.

"Do you think you could let him feel some of your ice?" Rogue asked, and Utari nodded, putting her hand on Natsu's snout and calling on her ice.

Natsu calmed down at her touch, and soon after, Atlas' chanting stopped. "That's all I can do for now. I hope it's enough," Atlas gasped out, looking about ready to keel over.

It was terrifying to recognize that Natsu looked little different from when they had arrived, considering the massive amounts of magic Atlas had expended. But at least the bleeding had stopped. Metalicana and Belserion moved Natsu carefully onto Skiadrum's back as Rogue held on to him as best he could. Utari agreed to ride with them since her touch seemed to soothe Natsu.

Metalicana waited for Gajeel to climb on before grabbing Atlas in his arms, wanting to make sure he didn't jostle the red dragon too much, given his injuries. Both dragons took off carefully, and Belserion followed, while the other dragons organized themselves around them, providing the battered red dragons an escort home.

0-0

Grandine walked into Atlas' quarters, shuffling out of the way of a flying scroll. She watched in surprise as Atlas tore up the contents of his room in what could almost be described as a tantrum.

"What do you think you're doing?" Grandine scolded, looking around the room in dismay, "You're in no condition to be doing this."

"I'm fine," Atlas snarled, pushing Grandine away as she tried to get a closer look at his injuries.

"Be still and shut up you fool," Grandine snapped, "You're injured, and you need to get looked at."

"Don't waste your magic on me. Igneel and Natsu need it more," Atlas reminded her.

"I don't remember asking your opinion, Atlas Flame," Grandine remarked as she looked him over before healing the more obvious wounds.

"Igneel and Natsu are both resting, I will treat them again in a few hours, and I could use your help. You did a hell of a job on Natsu. He's not out of the woods yet, but thanks to you he has a chance."

She had expected her words to have more of a reaction, but Atlas remained sullen.

"Why don't you tell me what's really bothering you?"

"Have you seen Belserion?"

"Yes," Grandine sighed, "Is that what this is about? He made a choice, Atlas. He's not upset about it. Why are you?"

"You don't understand!" Atlas roared, "All this time, I'd thought I could collect your souls if only I could create the right spell, but there's nothing I can do. Acnologia is keeping all the souls he's reaped inside of him. They've linked to his magic somehow. If I can't obliterate his magic, the only way to get your souls back is with his death!"

Grandine tried to hide her disappointment at Atlas' words, but knew she'd failed when the giant dragon fixed his eyes to the floor of the cave. "I know you feel it's all your fault, dear, but honestly, this isn't so bad. We're all alive, and we can still fight. As long as those things remain true, there's always a chance."

Atlas finally looked up, eyes burning with guilt as he met Grandine's gaze, "If Igneel dies while Acnologia is still holding on to a part of his soul, he can never reunite with Porlyusica."

Grandine sucked in a breath, finally understanding Atlas' frustration. "Then we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen. Same for Weisslogia and Skiadrum."

"I need to finish the dragon slayer counterspell," Atlas growled.

"You need to get some sleep. You've been running yourself ragged for months," Grandine reminded him, "You're of no help to anyone this way. Now get some rest before I hit you with a sleep spell."

Atlas glared at her in defiance, but she stared him down, and he grudgingly found a cleared area on the floor and lay down, closing his eyes.

Grandine chuckled to herself, already knowing the stubborn hellfire dragon would be back at it as soon as he couldn't sense her anymore.

"Come to the infirmary when you wake. We'll need your help," she called out before hitting Atlas with a sleep spell on her way out. She refused to feel guilty about it. The fool really needed to rest.

0-0

Natsu's screams of agony echoed throughout the large cave as Grandine and Atlas continued to put his body back together. It was a slow-going process as they had to force Natu's tissue to regenerate rapidly and use it to rebuild his insides. Organs, veins, and all other sorts of living tissue needed to be repaired and sometimes replaced completely and then reconnected to the rest of his body. They hadn't even started on his scales yet, needing to heal everything inside first. They chose to let his tail regrow on its own, as it was the least of their worries.

Wendy shuddered as she watched, helpless to do anything to help her friend. She felt the burn of unshed tears in her eyes. When the next barrage of screams began, she shut her eyes tightly and covered her ears in protest, thankful that Igneel remained unconscious.

Since she'd joined Atlas and Natsu, she had seen many injuries, but nothing like this. She knew it was a miracle her friend was even alive, and she had a good idea of what was driving him to hold on when anyone else would have let go.

Please, Gray. He loves you so much!

Wendy was still too young to know or understand very much about mates. She thought it was a beautiful bond, romantic in its own way. The way Sting and Rogue had just known they were made for each other. How Igneel had found his mate, even though she had been a human. Or even how, as a child, Gray had somehow called Natsu to him in his sorrow.

But Wendy couldn't help but think the mating bond also had a dark side to it. It demanded too much from the dragons, who only wanted to protect the one they loved. Mated dragons felt so strongly about each other that once one of them died the other would, in most cases, lose the will to continue living. And that was something she had trouble understanding, even though she knew both Igneel and Grandine had gone through it.

It could also make you risk your own life without a thought as to the consequences. Weisslogia had not only pushed Skiadrum out of the way of Acnologia's mightiest attack, but he'd also taken the full brunt of it at close range. Although he had protected his mate, it had also left him crippled, possibly for the rest of his life, and their relationship had changed forever.

Wendy knew the reason Natsu was enduring this intolerable pain was also in service of his mating bond, and the promise he had made to return to Gray. She could only hope that it was worth it. That when the time came Gray would accept Natsu, because if he didn't, Wendy might have to find a way for him to feel a taste of what Natsu was experiencing on his behalf.

Wendy took a deep breath and walked over to Natsu, her tears refusing to remain contained any longer. She kissed him on the forehead before petting him as gently as she could, "You're so strong, Natsu-san, I don't think anyone else could bear this."

Amidst her tears, she continued to murmur words of support to her friend for as long as she could bear it. She ignored the looks of pity she was getting from Atlas, and her mother, determined to do her best for Natsu.

0-0

Weisslogia had offered to take over lookout duty, wanting to get Sting away from the sound of Natsu's screams. They sat outside, enjoying the night air and the quiet as they kept an eye out for any dragons.

Weisslogia sighed as he saw the worried look on his son's face. "Listen, I've wanted to ask you about something for a while. This thing you've got going on with Rogue, does it have anything to do with me?"

Sting looked out at the stars, scratching the back of his head absently. It was minutes before he finally admitted, "Maybe a little."

Weisslogia shut his eyes, focusing on his bond and muting it for a few minutes. He felt Skia push back but ignored him, knowing he'd be done by the time his mate could reach him.

"My problems with Skia are my own, and you and Rogue need to stay out of them."

"But the way he treats you!" Sting protested.

"Today, Skia showed me he still trusts me, and that's all I really needed to know," Weisslogia assured him. "He's angry with me for acting so recklessly, and he blames himself for what happened. And honestly, that's his problem. I don't regret the choice I made, and I'd do it all over again if I thought it would keep him safe."

"It's not just that, though," Sting hadn't wanted to talk to Natsu about it that night because he knew his friend would only feel guilty, and he might even urge him to confide his secret to Rogue to mend their relationship. So he'd evaded his questions, but he knew Weisslogia would never ask him to do something he didn't think was right, "He thinks I'm keeping something from him."

"And are you?"

"Yeah," Sting clenched his fists in frustration.

"Natsu?"

Sting nodded, "But I can't tell Rogue that. He'll demand answers, and I promised Natsu I'd keep his secret."

"Listen to me. You've both been exposed to a lot of things since you've been here. But none of them have anything to do with the two of you or your bond. That is only for the two of you. So talk to him and keep talking until he listens to you."

Sting snorted at his father, "That's never gonna work."

"Of course it will. Fights come and go, Sting. It's only when you stop talking to each other that you are truly in trouble."

Sting looked back to the stars, but this time, his expression was less guarded. They remained in silent contemplation until the other dragons and their dragon slayers joined them.

Gajeel and Rogue sat on either side of Sting, while Metalicana and Skiadrum did the same with Weisslogia. When Sting raised an eyebrow at Gajeel, he grunted, "Runt's screaming is too much. I tried to get Wendy to come with me, but she refused. I don't know how she can handle it."

"She doesn't want to leave Natsu to experience it alone. In that way, Wendy's stronger than all of us," Rogue explained in his quiet voice.

The three dragon slayers slumped together, waiting anxiously for news that Natsu was going to make it through this.

"It was awful," Rogue's shoulders shook as he remembered the flight back, "I had to hold him while Utari tried to calm him down, and I couldn't even look at him without wanting to throw up."

Feeling how upset Rogue was, Sting took a chance. He draped his arm around his mate's shoulders, pulling Rogue closer into him.

When he realized there was no resistance to his gesture, Sting eased Rogue's head onto his shoulder, giving it a quick kiss. Rogue's tears fell on him, wetting his shirt, and Sting held him tightly, flooding their bond with his affection, something he hadn't done in months. When he felt Rogue respond in kind, he realized the truth of Weisslogia's words. As long as they both kept trying, they would be alright.

"What's gonna happen now?" Sting couldn't help but ask, having heard some of what had happened from Gajeel after Skiadrum had raced past them with Natsu, Rogue, and Utari on his back.

Metalicana answered, "It's hard to tell. Word will continue to get out about Deliora's treachery, and everyone will want his head. I have a feeling the war with the other dragons is about to end, but after that, it will depend on if Natsu pulls through."

Sting and Rogue turned to glare at the Iron Dragon, while Gajeel, unperturbed by his father's gruff manner, asked, "What do you mean?"

"Natsu is the only dragon to have actually wounded Acnologia, but even before that Belserion had been sending him on dangerous missions and parading him around to anyone who would listen. If Natsu lives, he will be a hero, and all the dragons will look to him to replace Igneel as their new leader."

"What?!" Sting yelled, "Does Natsu know about this?"

"No," Skiadrum replied quietly, "I believe they're planning on easing him into it."

Seeing the troubled expressions on the three dragon slayers, he added, "Don't worry so much boys, dragons live a long time. Atlas and Igneel would probably wait until after Gray died to push Natsu to do anything."

"Tiamat's tits, Skia, could you show a little more tact? That's their friend you're killing off," Weisslogia scolded before appending with a loud snort, "Not to mention our future Queen."

"You two are idiots," Metalicana complained, but his eyes twinkled in mirth and relief at seeing the two dragons finally acting a little more like themselves.

They sat together for hours until Skiadrum, who had the best hearing out of all of them, tensed up and announced with bated breath, "It's stopped."

No one had to ask Skia what he meant. They looked at each other anxiously before making their way back inside, hoping the sudden silence meant something good.

0-0

After three grueling months, Grandine had finally given Natsu permission to return to his room, and he couldn't be happier. He'd grown tired of everyone tiptoeing around him, and of the guilty expressions on both his father and Atlas' faces when they visited. Belserion was the only one who still treated him as he did before, although that wasn't exactly true either. Belserion looked at him with increased respect and something else that Natsu couldn't put his talon on, but made him feel decidedly wary.

"Are you ready?" Wendy gave him the first genuine smile he'd seen from her in a while, and it made him smile in return.

"Yeah, I want to get back to normal. The sooner we finish this thing, the sooner we can go home."

Wendy knew he really meant the sooner he could get back to Gray, but she remained quiet, knowing it was a touchy subject.

"You need to take it easy. You still have a lot of healing to do," Wendy reminded him, even though she knew it was pointless.

During his time in the infirmary, nightmares of his fight with Acnologia had plagued Natsu. They were so vivid he often awoke screaming from the pain, his talons clutching his side. So he'd taken all his fear and anger and directed it at the one dragon he blamed for everything. He had become obsessed with killing Deliora once and for all. In his mind, it was the only way back home.

Wendy knew Natsu would be flying, wrestling, and setting things on fire just as soon as he thought he could get away with it.

A lot of things had happened while Natsu had been convalescing in the infirmary. Days after the news of Deliora's betrayal became common knowledge, a representative of the opposing dragons had appeared at their headquarters along with a healer. The healer had helped Grandine and Atlas with Natsu while Igneel and Belserion negotiated a peace treaty with the other dragon.

In his attempt to destroy them, Deliora had ironically given them the one thing they'd wanted. Peace among all dragons.

Well, almost all dragons. The treaty sentenced Deliora to death for his treason. He was to be killed on sight.

As for the renegade dragon slayers, once Atlas completed his spell, he was to teach it to any dragon with enough magic power to cast it.

Atlas and Igneel would then assign teams of three dragons—one who could perform the spell and two active fighters. These teams would hunt down the remaining renegade dragon slayers and remove their magic by any means necessary.

The treaty banned all unnecessary killing of humans. Their primary concern now was to find a quiet place to move to, away from all humans. Once they found it, they would remove themselves from the current world and focus on bringing their numbers back up to ensure their species not only survived but thrived.

Natsu and Wendy arrived at his room, and he frowned as he noticed guards stationed at the entrance. He didn't have long to dwell on it because Atlas was already inside, pacing the length of the room impatiently. As soon as Natsu entered, his uncle grinned and said three simple words.

"I did it."

"You figured it out?"

"I figured it out."

Wendy jumped up and down with excitement, "That's fantastic!"

"We need to test it out. Whaddya say? Wanna help me go find a renegade?"

Natsu was already nodding when Wendy frowned at Atlas, "I don't think that would be a good idea for his first time out. Besides, you don't need to find a renegade. I can help you out."

Atlas looked shocked, "You want to give up your magic, Wendy?"

"No, no, no! Not me, I could never do that," Wendy waved her hands in front of her vigorously, "but a lot of the dragon slayers have been talking lately. Now that the war is mostly over for them, there are several who had been hoping you would succeed. They don't want their magic anymore. They're too afraid they might turn in the future."

Natsu supposed he understood their feelings after everything that had happened, but it made him wonder what his friends would choose. He waited anxiously for Atlas' reaction to Wendy's words.

"Alright, bring me one volunteer, I'd like to try it first to make sure it works before offering the choice to the others. Natsu, I want you to come too, you are one of the few dragons likely to learn the spell."

Natsu nodded. He hadn't used his magic since he'd tried to heal himself on the battlefield, and they had forbidden him from transforming until he had recovered fully.

Neither Atlas nor Grandine was sure how his human form was going to be affected after they'd had to reconstruct several parts of his body with their magic, and that scared him.

Natsu needed to know, but he worried that if he tried too soon, he'd somehow make it worse. He couldn't risk it, not when his future with Gray was at stake. Learning new spells would be a welcome distraction.

Wendy agreed to meet them at the lookout point and ran off to find a volunteer. Natsu had a good idea of who she would return with, and it saddened him. He had grown fond of the sweet girl who would visit him in the infirmary just to let him feel her ice. But he also remembered how scared she'd been the first time he'd met her.

"I'm going to go talk to your father. He's going to want to be there for this," Atlas interrupted Natsu's thoughts, bringing him back to the present. "Meet me at the lookout point in thirty minutes?"

"Sure."

Atlas was about to leave the room before thinking better of it. He walked over to Natsu instead, nuzzling his head and giving him a hug, "You look good, kid. I'm glad to see you up and about."

He let go quickly and walked away, regaining his gruff demeanor before he'd even reached the guards stationed outside. But it filled Natsu with incredible warmth. He knew that was as close to saying I love you as his uncle usually got.

Natsu looked around his room, trying to figure out what to do with himself. Not finding anything of interest, he walked around the cave for a bit, trying to ignore the two lightning dragons that followed his every move. Everywhere he went, dragons stopped him, staring at him in awe and asking questions about the fight and his health until his guards pushed them away. It was very unsettling.

Natsu went to the lookout point to wait for the others. It had been months since he'd breathed any fresh air, and this spot was always relaxing to him. He was glad to see that once the guards had checked the area; they waited for him inside. He made a note to talk to his father about getting rid of them as soon as possible.

Wendy was already there, and Natsu saw his prediction had been correct when he noticed Utari standing next to her. Wendy seemed to reassure the other dragon slayer that she didn't think any less of her for volunteering for Atlas' spell.

Before Natsu could say anything, his father and uncle had joined him, and they approached the two girls together.

Utari looked nervous as she saw the dragons get closer, and Atlas was quick to say, "It shouldn't hurt."

That seemed to relax her a bit, and Natsu took the opportunity to talk to her, "Your ice, it really helped me when I needed it. Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me. You saved my life, and you were always kind. It was the least I could do."

Natsu bowed his head slightly and stepped back to let his uncle cast his spell. Before he could even begin, Utari asked an unexpected question.

"Is there any way you could make me forget?"

"Forget what?" Atlas had tilted his head, confused by her request.

"Everything to do with this war. The blood, the dragons, even the fact that I ever had magic. I just want to forget the last four years of my life."

Wendy gasped, and Utari turned to her, "I'm sorry, Wendy, I just want to forget this ever happened and start over somewhere."

"It's — it's okay, I understand," Wendy sniffled, but she gave her friend a hug.

"I know I have no right to ask this of you, but can you stay with me until it's over?"

"Yeah, okay," Wendy tried to smile, but it hurt, so she just held on to the girl's hand instead while they both waited for Atlas' response.

Atlas and Igneel had a lengthy discussion, which Natsu only half-listened to. He'd never really thought about the idea of using magic to remove unpleasant memories. There were so many types of magic his father and Atlas knew that Natsu had no clue about.

Memory magic seemed interesting, and he wondered if that was something Gray would consider someday. Maybe if he didn't remember Deliora's attack on his village, he wouldn't hate dragons at all.

But then, Natsu reminded himself, he also wouldn't remember his parent's sacrifice, and that wouldn't be right. Magic couldn't solve every problem, and it was dangerous to believe it could, that's how they had ended up in this mess in the first place. No, when the time came, he and Gray would have to sort through their issues together.

"Yeah, I think I can do that, but we'll have to go somewhere else," Atlas informed her, "Are you up for one last ride?"

"Yeah, that's okay," Utari replied, "Thank you for doing this."

Atlas nodded, and Natsu offered to fly both girls to wherever they were going, half expecting his father to protest, but he made no comment.

"Is there anyone you'd like to say goodbye to before we go?" Igneel asked, and after some thought, Utari turned to Wendy.

"Can you say goodbye to Oliver and Sting for me?"

"Yeah, I'll let them know," Wendy assured her, even though she knew both boys would be saddened by the news, Oliver especially. They both climbed atop Natsu, who took off immediately after his father and uncle.

Natsu saw his guards, and two shadow dragons, take off after them and wondered if this was going to be his new routine. He didn't like it. If he were going to be guarded, he'd at least prefer it to be by Metalicana and Skiadrum.

He distracted himself by trying to figure out what the two older dragons had in mind. It seemed rather pointless to remove the girl's memories of dragons only to surround her with a large group of the same creatures, and a young girl she didn't know. After a few minutes, Natsu just let himself enjoy flying again, something he hadn't done for months.

They flew for about twenty minutes before landing in a field near a village. Wendy and Utari jumped off and shared one last hug. Natsu paid no more attention to them, distracted by a glow of light that surrounded his father as he cast a spell on himself.

A spell that turned him into a human. Igneel appeared as a tall man with red hair and hazel eyes. His chest was broad, and Natsu knew that a lot of women in Talos would have considered his father attractive. The idea struck him that this was the man his mother had fallen in love with. It caused a lump to form in his throat as he once again thought about her. The mother he'd never met or even seen in pictures.

His father had often said that Natsu looked a lot like her, so when he was younger he'd stared into the mirror for hours, trying to figure out which of her features he'd inherited, but he'd only ever seen his father as a dragon and now he stared at the features of the man in front of him hungrily. He tried to memorize them, so when he had the chance, he could compare against the mirror once more.

Natsu could feel his father's gaze on him, and he tried to smile, but it didn't fool him. By the sad expression on his face, Natsu thought maybe Igneel knew precisely what he was thinking. Atlas interrupted, asking all the dragons to move to higher ground, leaving only Wendy and Igneel with Utari. Wendy grabbed on to Utari's hand, squeezing it gently before letting go.

Atlas cast his spell, producing a purple magic seal that hovered above Utari's head. After a minute or so, a blue magic seal came out of Utari's chest. It swiftly dissolved into a steady flow of glowing blue colored particles that floated and dispersed in the night sky.

They all stared in wonder as the purple magic seal disappeared as well. Utari hadn't flinched once, the process seemingly painless. She tried to cast an Ice Dragon spell, but nothing happened. Atlas had her try a few other things, but nothing worked, and neither he nor Igneel could sense any dragon magic inside her.

"Thank you, Atlas," Utari smiled happily at the dragon and turned to give Wendy one last hug, "Goodbye, Wendy, thank you for everything."

"Good luck, Utari."

Atlas asked Utari to close her eyes, and as soon as she did, he began casting his last spell. Natsu listened intently, recognizing some words but not others. When Atlas finished, his talons glowed with a blue light that converged into a small magic circle. He pressed his talons to Utari's forehead, and the circle disappeared inside her.

Atlas nodded to Igneel and took off, quickly joining the other dragons before the girl even opened her eyes.

They watched as Igneel and Wendy acted as father and daughter, guiding a confused Utari to the nearby village while the shadow dragons followed silently. Igneel returned with Wendy riding on his back, and they all soon made their way back to their den, feeling hopeful now that Atlas' spell had worked.

Wendy remained quiet, and when they arrived, she ran off in search of Sting and Oliver.

"Should I go after her?" Natsu asked his father, not sure how to make his friend feel better.

"She'll be fine. That little girl is stronger than you boys give her credit for." Igneel replied, "But I'll let Grandine know what happened just in case. What about you? Is there something you want to talk about?"

"Nothing comes to mind," Natsu was quick to reply, not wanting to get into any of the thoughts he'd had earlier. Not until he'd sorted through them on his own.

"I'm going to go learn that spell from Atlas so we can start going after the renegades."

Natsu left without another word, following his Uncle's scent to his workroom, leaving Igneel to stare after him worriedly.

It took Natsu less time to learn the spell than he'd expected. Atlas was incredibly proud of him, claiming he had a knack for magic. He taught Natsu a few other spells, including the memory one.

0-0

Deliora and Acnologia had both disappeared. There had been no sighting of either since the day of the fated meeting six months earlier. As for the renegades, they had mostly vanished too. Atlas and Igneel had found a few and relieved them of their magic, but no amount of questioning had netted them any information on the whereabouts of any others. They used the memory spell on the renegades to keep them from alerting the others.

By this time, Natsu was almost completely healed, his natural regeneration slowly taking care of any remaining injuries. Even his tail had grown back. He'd convinced his father to remove his guards, especially considering he spent most of his time with either Atlas or Belserion.

Natsu accompanied Belserion on scouting missions twice a week as they continued to search for a new home for the dragons, venturing further each time. They had yet to find anywhere promising yet.

At first, Natsu had been excited. However, he'd soon come to realize the long flights were another part of his rehabilitation, as Grandine still forbade him from any attempts at transformation.

During one of their excursions, they had flown close to Talos, and Natsu had wanted nothing more than to stop and see Gray, even if only for a minute. But of course, he couldn't do that.

He couldn't ignore the disappointment at feeling his mate so close and not being able to do anything about it. Or the deep yearning he felt to go home and finally claim Gray for himself. Even his dreams were conspiring against him of late, showing him mating with Gray, sometimes in very violent ways that scared him.

The dreams concerned him a bit. He knew part of it was the fear he'd felt when he thought he might die, but the almost shrieking demand felt foreign to him, more like what Sting had described.

He'd begun his meditations again to counter it, determined to figure out which feelings belonged to him and which were his dragon instincts trying to manipulate him into taking action.

Every day he waited anxiously, hoping to be told he could attempt to transform so that he might finally know what he was going to be up against. And every day he was told it was too soon. Natsu was growing increasingly restless. He didn't care what they thought was best anymore; he needed to know. To see if he and Gray even had a chance at a future together.

His chance finally came about a week later when both Sting and Atlas found him sitting at the cave entrance, looking up at the night sky with longing.

"I see what you mean," Atlas commented to Sting before practically shoving Natsu outside, "Come on, let's go."

Natsu followed his uncle out, Sting on his back once again, "Where are we going?"

"Dunno, I told Atlas I was tired of watching you mope all the time," Natsu could smell Sting's excitement, and he dared to hope that this was what he'd been waiting for.

"I could hug you for this!" Natsu exclaimed, his heart filled with love for his friend, who had come through for him yet again.

Sting laughed, "Well, maybe in a few minutes, you will."

Natsu really hoped so. He followed Atlas to the same mountain they had ventured to with Belserion all those months ago.

He could feel his uncle examining him with his magic for several minutes until he seemed satisfied.

"Alright, Kid, same as before. You need to relax, but more importantly, you need to let go of any doubts. It's been a long time since you last did this, so expect it to be hard, but keep trying if you don't succeed."

Natsu took a deep breath, willing all his fear and doubt away, trying to meditate, to force his mind into a semblance of calm. When he felt he was as calm as he could reasonably expect, he made his first attempt to transform, but nothing happened.

He could feel Atlas and Sting's eyes on him. Sting looked concerned, whereas Atlas just looked puzzled.

"Try again!" Atlas demanded, his voice reminding Natsu of Anna when she grew frustrated with him for not understanding a lesson she thought uncomplicated.

Natsu tried again, over and over, for what felt like hours to no avail.

"Again!"

Sting watched with mounting concern. Natsu looked exhausted, and it was easy to see that he was growing more and more discouraged with each attempt. "I don't know Atlas, maybe we should stop."

"No!" Natsu growled before grunting tiredly, "I — I can do this, I have to."

There was no way in hell he could give up now. He focused once more, straining with all of his considerable magic and determination to transform himself. Just for a second, he felt it, a weakening of the force that was fighting against him.

"Stop!" Sting yelled suddenly, and there was something in his voice that Natsu couldn't ignore.

He did as Sting asked, gazing at him for an explanation that didn't come. He felt himself growing dizzy and closed his eyes for just a moment.

"Natsu?"

It confused Natsu to feel his uncle's magic on him. What had happened? He'd just closed his eyes for one second. He opened his eyes to see Sting's concerned expression immediately replaced by a weak smile.

"You're gonna be the death of me one of these days, you asshole," Sting complained, whacking Natsu playfully on his snout, "I understand how poor Gray felt now."

Natsu chuckled briefly, "Never gonna happen, Rogue is too scary."

Sting considered his words for a moment before dissolving into laughs, "You're not wrong."

"Why did you ask me to stop?"

"Because, dumbass, you were bleeding."

"Oh," Natsu looked up at Atlas, who was still working on him.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Atlas assured him before turning thoughtful, "There was something different that last time, wasn't there?"

Natsu grinned, "Yeah, I felt something give."

Sting grumbled, "That was probably just whatever made you bleed."

"I don't think so."

"Are you up to trying again?" Atlas asked, his features set in an expression Natsu recognized well. His uncle had found a puzzle that interested him.

Natsu nodded his head enthusiastically while Sting groaned at the two of them. He looked worried, and Natsu wanted to assure him that everything was going to be okay, but he held his tongue, knowing there was nothing he could say that wouldn't make Sting worry.

He tried one last time, and to his relief, found he could feel the magic responding sluggishly. Natsu felt his body change. The transformation was slower than before, and to his surprise it was now rather painful, but he'd done it!

He felt weak from the effort, but also elated because his success meant there was still a chance he could go home to Gray as he'd promised. That was short-lived, however, as Sting's loud gasp and his uncle's complete silence alerted him that something was wrong.

Natsu looked down at his body, not noticing any difference at first. Until he looked down at his left side. He'd expected to see his scars reflected in his human body, and he wasn't disappointed. There was a large x shaped scar on his left abdomen near his hip bone. What he hadn't expected to see was bright red scales all along the areas where Atlas and Grandine had healed him. Scales that Gray would notice right away.

He threw off his clothes, desperately touching the areas of his body that he could reach, searching for any other patches. He soon found smaller spots on his neck and his face.

"Stop and let us look at you," Atlas snapped, trying to sound angry, but Natsu had known him too long to not recognize the sorrow he was trying to mask.

Sting tried to comfort him, "It's going to be okay. Atlas and Igneel will figure something out, you'll see."

Natsu appreciated the words, but he couldn't help the sobs that escaped him as he turned his naked body slowly so Atlas could get a good look.

The dream was over. There was no way Gray would accept him like this.

Natsu put his clothes back on as soon as Atlas told him he'd seen all he needed, transforming back into his dragon form, and immediately flying off.

Atlas made to follow, but Sting stopped him. "Leave him be. He needs to be alone right now. It's a lot to take in, and we can always find him if we need to."

Atlas heeded Sting's words, although he didn't seem happy about it. He waited for Sting to climb on and flew off in the opposite direction.

"Do you think you'll be able to help him?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to try," Atlas replied, already thinking of the problem at hand. "I wish he hadn't transformed back so quickly, I have a bad feeling it might be even harder next time. We're gonna have to ramp up our efforts to take Deliora out. I have a few scrolls back home that might be helpful. Something I had experimented with back when Igneel and I were working on his transformation spell. It didn't work for Igneel, but it might help Natsu."

Sting tried to pry more information out of the hellfire dragon so he could share it with Natsu later, but Atlas remained tight-lipped. He thought about Gray, trying to imagine what his reaction would be to see Natsu like that. Though he wanted to believe that it wouldn't matter to him, that Gray would love Natsu no matter what, Sting knew his friend was right to be afraid.

He felt profound sorrow for Natsu, who had done nothing to be thrust into this ever increasingly complicated situation. And when he felt Rogue's concern at his grief through their bond, he could only wonder at his luck.

He needed to be with his mate, which only fed into the sorrow he already felt for his friend. He couldn't even imagine how Natsu felt right now.

And it filled him with one thought.

Gray, if you hurt him, I will end you.

0-0

In the last six months, there had been no reports of dragon attacks anywhere near Talos. People wondered whether their prayers had been answered, and the war was finally at an end. An air of hope replaced the quiet desperation they had been living under for the last few years, and it felt wonderful.

Some refugees had returned to their villages to rebuild what the dragons had destroyed. The village elders donated building supplies to help them get back on their feet, while members of the guard provided an escort, checking the surrounding area to make sure there were no immediate threats.

Many refugees had stayed and made Talos their new home. They started up businesses and bought parcels of land to build homes. Several of the children in Anna's care had found new families. Things were definitely looking up.

Job requests had come in again, and Erza wasn't sure how to assign them. There weren't many active village members who had experience in that type of thing. Mostly herself, Lyon, Gray, and a few older members that mostly kept to themselves. The dragon slayers had done most of the jobs outside of town. Because of how powerful they were, they usually went alone. Something she didn't feel comfortable doing with any of the newer guards.

Other things had changed in that time as well. For the first time in her life, Erza had a boyfriend. Something that both terrified and enchanted her. She and Lyon had been dating for about six months now, and she was thrilled.

Once Lyon had stopped being so high-strung around her, she'd quickly realized he was everything she'd ever hoped for in a partner. He was handsome, kind, intelligent, and patient. Erza knew she had a lot of issues, but Lyon never pushed her, preferring to wait until she was ready to voice them, and she appreciated that.

He'd become her right-hand man, replacing Natsu. Still, not a day went by that she didn't miss him or the other dragon slayers. Every morning, she would wake and wonder if today would be the day that she would get to see them again. No matter how many days it had proved to be wishful thinking, she never gave up hope that she would see all of them, including her mother, soon.

"We're getting mission requests again," Erza announced to Lyon as they sat on a blanket by the now frozen lake. They watched the sunset as they did every day after finishing work. It had become a tradition, and Lyon knew Erza cherished it because she knew she could count on him to be there.

"That's nice," Lyon murmured, only half listening as he gazed into the depths of her chocolate-colored eyes, leaning in for a quick kiss and smiling as their lips met.

"Yes, it is. It means things are improving," Erza suddenly looked nervous, "But I don't know who to send."

"Send Gray, getting out of here would do him some good," Lyon pointed out, knowing something like that might help improve his brother's mood.

"Yeah, I'd thought that as well, but I wanted him to take one of the newer guards to sort of train them on missions."

"You can't be serious," Lyon protested, knowing exactly who she was thinking, "You need to give up on this, Gray is not interested in Juvia."

"How can he be sure if he never gives her a chance? She follows him like a lost puppy, it's sad."

Lyon sighed, wishing he could just say Gray likes men, and he already has a boyfriend. But Lyon had talked to Gray about the subject already, and he was still determined to keep both those things a secret.

"That might be true, but that's her own fault for not listening. Gray has already told her he's not interested several times. I've seen it."

"But he's alone all the time. It would be good for him to have a girlfriend. Then he might not mope about Natsu so much."

"Erza, please trust me. Gray is just fine with things the way they are. Not to mention, he doesn't take well to being forced to do anything, you know that."

Erza nodded, but she didn't look convinced, and Lyon knew she wouldn't drop the matter until she was satisfied.

Lyon couldn't understand how Erza hadn't caught on yet. It's not like she hadn't grown up around homosexual relationships. Months earlier she'd confessed to him that Anna and her mother were a couple, not to mention Sting and Rogue didn't exactly hide their involvement. How could she not notice the way Gray walked around with Natsu's scarf always wrapped around his neck? Hell, the way he'd looked at Natsu when he was still in Talos. It had been so obvious.

He shook his head. He supposed that old adage was right, there is no one quite so blind as one that will not see, and it really wasn't his place to tell her. No matter how much he wished to.

That's why he wasn't all that surprised to find Juvia and Erza at their door a few days later. Erza tried to look innocent, saying she'd bumped into Juvia on her way there, but the way Juvia had dressed up, not to mention the hopeful expression on her face, was enough to reveal the lie.

It was the first time he could remember being angry at his girlfriend.

He was even more upset when he recognized the look of utter betrayal he got from his brother, who'd apparently assumed he'd had something to do with the impromptu double date. The entire night was a nightmare.

Lyon remained silent, trying to keep his fury under control, wanting to kick the girls out but being too polite to do so. Erza looked like she wanted to cry, finally realizing she had crossed a line.

Gray, meanwhile, did his best to ignore Juvia's attempts to get him to pay attention to her while trying to figure out what was going on with Erza and Lyon. Things finally came to a head when Juvia, frustrated by his lack of response, yanked Natsu's scarf to pull him in for a kiss.

That's when Gray snapped and froze her before her lips could touch his.

"Don't you ever touch my scarf again," he seethed, getting up from the couch. "I've already told you how I feel, and I'm sorry if you don't understand, but that still doesn't give you the right to force yourself on me."

Lyon and Erza gawked at him, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. He usually tried to be polite, but Juvia had gone too far and he was furious.

"But Gray-sama—." Juvia objected, but he cut her off before she could continue.

"I don't want to hear it," Gray didn't bother reminding her how much he disliked it when she called him that, knowing it was pointless.

And as if to prove him right, she'd already begun spouting off one of her fantasies about being encased in his ice.

He blocked her out as best he could, turning his attention to Erza next, "I'm taking that mission we discussed. Alone."

Gray walked into his room and returned a few moments later with his mission bag already packed. "I'll send word of my return when I have a better idea of what they need."

"I didn't—," Lyon tried to talk to him, but Gray cut him off, not wanting to spend one more moment in their apartment.

"We'll talk when I return."

He spared one last furious look at Juvia, who hadn't moved from her spot even though Lyon had already dispelled Gray's ice. "Do not follow me."

Gray left his apartment, slamming the door behind him, leaving Lyon to deal with the two crying girls. He could have cared less. He was furious at all of them.

As he began the long walk towards the village that had requested their help, he gave serious thought to moving into Natsu's cave until his boyfriend returned, forgetting for a moment that Happy was still there.

Dammit!

He didn't know how much more of this he could take before he just went looking for Natsu on his own. The uncertainty was driving him crazy. It hadn't helped his mood either, not when he'd felt something off in their bond for months.

Keeping busy helped some. He'd had to get rid of some bandits, but when Gray noticed they were having trouble erecting new buildings for the village, he offered to stay and help, extending his stay for as long as he could.

But now, after three months, it was time to go home. Gray had sent a messenger to Talos to inform Lyon he would arrive within the week.

He was in much better spirits on the way home, although he couldn't explain why. He had a bag chock full of jewels, his reward for all his hard work. An inexplicable feeling that something good was going to happen had come over him, coupled with a sense of peace, and for once, he'd just accepted it.

It took him several miles to realize this feeling was coming from a place inside him that had felt muted for so long. But once he felt it, he couldn't keep the hope from making him hurry.

The sun was setting by the time Gray neared their field. He heard steps coming towards him and tensed up, worrying that it might be a bandit. The steps were slow at first but gradually picked up speed, and Gray could soon make out features. He rubbed at his eyes, wanting to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him when he saw the man who was now standing in front of him, his fanged grin stretching from ear to ear.

Gray dropped his bag on his foot from the shock. "Natsu, is that really you?" The words came out slowly as Gray tried to comprehend that what he'd wished for so many months was, in fact, happening.

Natsu grabbed Gray in a bear hug, squeezing him tightly before whispering in his ear, "I'm home."

"For good?" Gray couldn't help but ask once Natsu released him.

"For good," Natsu repeated, and Gray couldn't even decide what he wanted to do first, so he didn't think.

Gray just smashed his lips on Natsu's, not even caring that he'd been so rough he'd made his own lip bleed. All he cared about was that Natsu was kissing him back just as hard. Their mouths devoured each other as they protested the long absence. They kissed until they both almost passed out from lack of air, gasping and laughing at their desperation.

"I missed you so much. When did you get back?" Gray asked, holding on to Natsu's hand as if he were afraid his boyfriend might disappear if he let go.

"A few weeks ago, I didn't sense you in town, so I figured you were out on a job," Natsu explained, "I smelled you getting near, so I came down to wait for you."

Gray finally examined Natsu, his eyes devouring him greedily after being so long without him.

"Your hair is longer, and you got a tattoo!" Gray exclaimed, noticing a red tattoo on his right upper arm.

"Yeah, you like it?" Natsu asked, showing off the tattoo he'd recently gotten from his Uncle.

Gray nodded, tracing the outline of the tattoo with his finger, reveling at how Natsu shivered at his touch. "Maybe I'll get one too," he teased, as he continued to touch Natsu everywhere he could reach.

Natsu smiled contentedly, letting Gray do whatever he wanted to him until fingers found his hip scar and stopped.

"Natsu, what happened?" Gray's eyes were large and worried, making Natsu chuckle.

"There's no sense worrying about it now. It's already healed."

Gray didn't seem satisfied with his answer, and Natsu placed his index finder on Gray's lips, shushing him before he could continue that line of questioning. "We'll have plenty of time for war stories later. Right now, I really need to ask you something."

Gray tilted his head, unsure of what Natsu had in mind, "What's that?"

"Will you come away with me?"

Gray didn't even have to think about the answer, "Yes!"

Natsu ran back to collect his bag from where he'd dropped it and returned swiftly, joining Gray, who had also grabbed his.

"Where are we going?"

"Doesn't matter, just as long as we're together."

Gray liked the sound of that. They joined hands and began walking away from Talos, talking excitedly of where they could go, neither one giving a thought to those they were leaving behind.