Chapter 27

The next day, Gray went to the top of the mountain where he could usually find the red dragon, but saw no sign of him. Still, he sat there and called Natsu as loudly as he could through what remained of their bond, trying to make the stubborn dragon hear him, to no avail. He repeated this for two more days, hoping to impress Natsu with his determination, but it made no difference.

"Gray?"

Gray could hear Lyon and Erza calling to him as if from a great distance, but he couldn't bring himself to answer. It was dark now, and he didn't know how long he'd been sitting there, just wondering how things had come to this. Of all the outcomes to their relationship Gray had ever envisioned, he could never have imagined something like this.

He didn't want to talk, didn't want to move. The constant self recriminations had left him emotionally exhausted and full of a sense of hopelessness. Why was Natsu so damn stubborn? He just wanted to talk to him. And as much as he hated to admit it, he missed the red dragon too.

It felt like he'd lost his two best friends.

Erza and Lyon sat on either side of him, and he sighed. "I'm fine, you guys can go home."

"You're not fine, Gray," Erza said in the calmest voice he'd ever heard her use, "You've been gone all day again, and we're worried about you. When was the last time you ate or slept?"

"I wasted that entire day, Erza," Gray groaned in frustration, "Now, I won't be able to see him for another year, and that's assuming I can convince him to come back to me."

"What are you talking about?" Lyon asked him, grabbing on to his brother's hand and squeezing it. "What happened?"

"Natsu is the red dragon."

"You're not making any sense. Did he hit you on the head or something?"

He heard a sharp intake of breath to his right and saw Erza covering her mouth with her hand.

"Natsu is the red dragon? Are you sure?" To Gray's surprise, she didn't argue with him when he nodded or try to tell him it was impossible. And although she remained quiet, he could tell that she was deep in thought.

"But why? Why wouldn't he tell us? We were all dragon crazy back then. Gods, especially Sting, he wouldn't shut up about them."

"Because of me," Gray admitted, "When Natsu and I met when we were little, he tried to tell me what he was, but I didn't believe him. It had only been a few days since Deliora had destroyed my village and killed my parents, and I got so angry at him. I hurt him, and he ran away. He told me later that when his father found out what had happened, he forbade him from telling anyone else to keep him safe."

"I knew there was more to that story than what you two were saying!" Erza blurted out before staring off into the distance.

"Poor Natsu, that must have been so lonely," She wiped her eyes quickly before her expression changed to one of annoyance, "Wait a minute. Does that mean he was going easy on us all that time?"

Gray shrugged, not having an answer to that question. Natsu had always been unbelievably strong. They might have never seen him at full power.

"I found out what this is," Gray said quietly, holding up the pendant and looking at it. He was suddenly afraid to take it off, knowing if he felt nothing this time, he was sure to break.

"Natsu made it for me. He gave it to me when he proposed," With a sad chuckle, he added, "I guess now I know why it only shocked Juvia. Natsu placed a lot of protection magic on it. It must have seen her as a threat."

"Proposed?" Erza squeezed his hand again and looked at him worriedly when he seemed to have a hard time continuing.

"Yeah, it turns out we're married."

Saying the words out loud for the first time was harder than he'd imagined. He felt a twinge of happiness that Natsu had loved him that much. That he'd wanted them to spend the rest of their lives together, even after everything Gray had said and done over the years.

"M-married?" Erza looked horrified, "I didn't know. Now I feel even worse for trying to force Juvia on you, I thought you were just shy."

"It's alright, your heart was in the right place. I didn't really know myself, it was mixed in with the rest of the memories that I lost."

"What else did you remember?" Lyon asked, taking in how bedraggled he looked.

"I didn't lose my memories because of the concussion. Natsu cast a spell to lock them away," Gray replied, trying to forget the sorrow in Natsu's eyes right before he'd done it.

A sorrow that Gray had caused with his thoughtless action.

"He did what?!" Lyon roared, his nostrils flaring at Gray's words.

Gray hurried to defuse his brother before he got the wrong idea, "It's not what you think. He was trying to protect me."

His voice broke as he recounted with shame, "I learned what Natsu was, and I rejected him. Even though he was my husband, even though he almost killed himself healing me after Acnologia's attack. He uhm, he locked them away to keep me from my guilt."

"Is that what he told you?" Lyon arched an eyebrow, clearly still not convinced of Natsu's good intentions.

"No," Gray clarified firmly, "It's what I know. I saw it in my memories. Right before he locked them away, he told me he was setting me free, that I deserved to be happy."

Lyon sucked in a breath at his admission, choosing to hug him tightly rather than saying anything more, only letting go when Gray struggled against him.

Gray told them everything he'd discovered and everything he'd figured out, and they both hugged him. They forced him to go home with them.

Erza refused to let him out of her sight until he ate something and then threatened to knock him out if he didn't get some sleep before leaving him and Lyon in their guest bedroom.

"Here are some clothes you can wear after you take a shower," Lyon handed him some sleep clothes and Gray headed into the bathroom.

When he came out of the shower, Gray found his brother still sitting on the bed looking pensive. He waited to speak until Gray sat next to him.

"Look, we both know Natsu has never been my favorite person, " Lyon began, and Gray waved him off, not wanting to hear his brother's rant against his husband.

"Hear me out," Lyon insisted, "I'll admit, a lot of that was jealousy on my part. Even when you first moved in with Ur and me, Natsu was the most important person in the world to you. You talked about him all the time, you trained hard so that you could show him how far you'd come when you saw him again."

Lyon sighed, "You'd met the guy for maybe a week, but somehow he held a place in your world that I could never touch even after living together for years. I'd lost everything, Gray. You and Ur were my world. I was lonely too."

Gray stared at his brother in astonishment, Lyon had never opened up to him like this before, and he realized with a pang that everything his brother was saying was the truth. From the moment he'd met Lyon, he'd told himself that he wouldn't let him in so quickly, still hurt from his encounter with Natsu. He opened his mouth to say something, but Lyon was already continuing.

"When we got here, and he barely gave you the time of day, that pissed me off. Hell, it wasn't until that first time the two of you really fought that I finally saw how much he actually cared about you," Lyon paused, and Gray knew he was trying to piece his words together.

"Once I saw it, I couldn't unsee it, and I couldn't resent him anymore. You both looked at each other the same way, and when the two of you were together, it was like no one else even existed."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry this is happening to you, but if you want to salvage something out of this mess that both of you have created, you need to stop being so passive and go fight for what you want. Natsu is just as stubborn as you are. He's not going to show up just because you call for him. Not while he thinks he's protecting you. For fuck's sake, you know where he lives, stop pining like a lovesick idiot, and go make him talk to you."

Lyon patted Gray on the back and got up to leave, but Gray quickly stood up and grabbed him, holding Lyon against him in a heartfelt embrace. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize. I never meant to hurt you."

Lyon's body stiffened, but he soon relaxed into the hug. "It's fine, I understand now."

They separated, and Lyon ruffled his hair before murmuring, "You'll find a way, I'm sure of it."

"Now get some sleep, you look like crap," Lyon grumbled as he turned the light off on his way out, leaving Gray alone with his thoughts in the darkness.

O-o

"Natsu Dragneel, get your dragon ass out here!"

The sound of a human walking into the cave yelling angrily for his son startled Igneel out of his thoughts.

How had he gotten into the cave without setting off the warning sigils he and Atlas had placed on all the entrances and exits? They should go off whenever a human attempted to enter the cave.

Igneel watched him curiously from where he'd been sitting reading a magic scroll. While he still liked to believe that humans were inherently good, years of fighting against renegade dragon slayers had taught him not to be overly trusting. He wasn't too worried. Acnologia had weakened him considerably, but he knew he could still hold his own against a human wizard if it came down to it.

He readied his magic.

"You can't avoid me forever," the man continued to yell, heading towards Natsu's bedroom.

The scarf that was wrapped around the man's neck, one that Igneel was intimately familiar with, caught his attention. He'd been so focused on it, he almost missed the sword pendant that peeked out from underneath it. Igneel instantly recognized it as well from having watched his son work on it for hours on end. Both items marked the wearer as Gray Fullbuster, Natsu's mate.

Well, that explained it. Gray and Natsu were bonded soulmates. Their souls were intertwined, which had probably confused the sigils.

Igneel had heard many things about his son's mate over the years, but this was the first time he'd ever seen him. He studied him intently before entering the cave's main room.

Gray had longish dark hair that stood up in unruly spikes, and even from this distance, Igneel could make out deep blue eyes that exuded both intelligence and determination. He could also feel a strong magic signature emanating from the ice mage. Not that he'd expected any different, Porlyusica's magic signature had also been immense.

"Natsu's not here at the moment," Igneel said, trying to hide his amusement at Gray's reaction when he found his way blocked. The ice mage jumped back several feet but instantly tried to regain his poise, gazing at Igneel defiantly.

Igneel continued to move into the room slowly to avoid appearing threatening, "Can I help you with something?"

"Who—who are you, and where's Natsu?"

Gray stared at him, awaiting a response, his gaze still defiant, and Igneel could see the layer of frost surrounding him as he fought against his instincts. He remained silent, considering how best to handle this situation, well aware of Gray's opinion on dragons, and red dragons in particular.

Although, was it possible that was changing?

Natsu hadn't given him many details on what had happened on the solstice, but he'd been distraught before he left to check on the other dragons and slayers, demanding to go alone. Igneel hadn't fought him, knowing his son needed some time to himself, but he'd felt uneasy ever since, and having Natsu's mate suddenly show up was not helping.

Igneel traveled through his own memories, the painful ones that he'd set aside so that he could live and take care of his child. It hadn't been so long in years, but to his soul, the separation from Porlyusica felt like centuries. It wasn't uncommon for dragons to die soon after their mates, the pain of their loss so strong they lost the will to live.

He'd had Natsu to think of though, and he didn't regret any moment of it. Raising him had kept Porlyusica with him. The pink hair and green eyes, the desire to help others, and the incredible kindness that Natsu had, all came from his mother.

Unfortunately, so did the stubbornness and short temper. Igneel had always wished that Porlyusica had met their son, and he hoped wherever she was, she was as proud of him as he was.

He knew he'd made mistakes, but despite that, Natsu had grown to be both an exceptional human and dragon. He was curious and brave, and although he might not be the most patient, his loyalty was unshakeable.

Like Porlyusica, he had a big heart. To know Natsu's love was to bask in the warmest sunlight, and no one knew that better than Igneel, except perhaps the man standing in front of him.

He brought himself back to the present to answer Gray's question.

"I'm Igneel, I'm Natsu's father," Igneel replied smoothly.

Gray stared at him, eyes growing larger the more he examined him. He looked as if he was ready to bolt, but he held his ground, and Igneel admired that.

"Where did he go?" Igneel could almost touch the fear Gray was exuding, and suddenly, his own uneasiness exploded as well.

"He left the morning after the solstice to go check on the others," Igneel replied slowly, his brain trying to puzzle together what Gray was so afraid of, quickly realizing whatever it was must be great if it prompted him to visit their cave.

"Why do I suddenly get the feeling that's not where he is?"

"That moron!" Gray shouted, his voice echoing loudly in the cave. He paced the room in agitation, "He went after Acnologia after all. I have to find him. This is all my fault!"

"He what?!" Igneel roared, disregarding his earlier surprise at seeing Gray there at all. "You knew he was planning this, and you waited until now to tell us?"

"I didn't think he'd actually do it!" Gray protested, even though he should have known, had seen how determined Natsu had been. He'd just hoped his words had held more weight with the dragon.

Igneel was beside himself. His fool of a son had gone after Acnologia by himself?! Why hadn't he seen it? He'd known Natsu was upset, but he'd wanted to believe that spending some time with his friends would help him feel better. He should have known, should have realized what that determination in Natsu's eyes had meant.

"ATLAS!"

Atlas soon rushed into the room, hellfire already blazing in anticipation of an attack. Happy wasn't far behind. Atlas stopped in his tracks when he saw no one but Gray in the cave.

"What's the matter?" Atlas asked, not bothering to mask his concern, "And why didn't the sigils go off?"

Igneel noticed Atlas glaring at Gray and wondered what else he didn't know.

"Natsu went after Acnologia," Igneel informed his brother, ignoring his other question, "We need to find him before he gets himself killed!"

Igneel could hear Atlas cursing under his breath while also throwing some insults Gray's way. He shrugged it off and headed to the cave exit. Gray could show himself out.

"Where do you think you're going?" Atlas asked, blocking Igneel's path, "You should stay here in case Natsu comes back. Happy and I can handle this."

"That's my son out there, how can you expect me to stay back?"

"You'd only be a liability in your current condition," Atlas snapped.

"What did you say to me?" Igneel covered himself in his hottest flames as he attempted to stare down his brother.

"The truth and you know it," Atlas remained utterly unfazed by Igneel's attempt at intimidation, "I watched Acnologia almost kill you once, I won't do that again. Stay put and let us handle it. Come on, Happy, let's go."

Happy stopped a moment to glare at Gray before chasing after Atlas to the cave exit.

Igneel stared after them, furious that his brother considered him a liability and terrified that they wouldn't get to Natsu in time.

He shifted his attention back to the human that stood in his cave. Gray looked equal parts worried and scared, but he hadn't left, earning Igneel's respect.

"I think it's time you and I had a talk," Igneel growled.

"What happened on the solstice?" Igneel's roar rang like thunder as it bounced off the cave walls and into Gray's ears.

Gray tried to swallow down his fear. When Natsu had been in his red dragon form, he had usually made himself look unthreatening, probably knowing Gray would not react well after he'd seen him with Atlas. Igneel was angry and had no such qualms at the moment.

Gray looked towards the ground and mumbled something he didn't mean for Igneel to hear, but, of course, being a dragon, he had no trouble doing so.

"You made a mistake?" Igneel glared at him, incredulously, "What is that supposed to mean? What could you have done to make my son go off to destroy that monster on his own?"

"I asked him to tell me the truth, and I couldn't handle it!" Gray yelled, releasing all of his anger at himself and at Natsu.

Maybe part of him wanted to be punished because he couldn't think of any other reason he would yell at the ginormous angry dragon that was obviously trying to keep himself under control.

"I sent him away." Gray kept his eyes glued to the floor of the cave, not wanting to see how Igneel would react to his admission.

"So you finally know the truth," Igneel said calmly. His anger deflated.

Gray looked up in confusion, not expecting the dragon to back down after what he'd said.

"But how, how is it even possible for Natsu to be a dragon?" Gray protested, the impossibility of that statement, making him forget who he was talking to.

He needed answers to understand their past and to find a solution to the seemingly insurmountable obstacles they faced in the future. He could only hope that Igneel would give them to him.

Igneel remained quiet for long, torturous moments, occasionally fixing his gaze on Gray before muttering to himself. Gray became increasingly nervous, he'd never expected to face Natsu's father. He'd thought at worst he'd have a shouting match with Natsu. He was cursing himself for having ever listened to Lyon in the first place when the fire dragon finally spoke.

"Magic," Igneel explained, "I cast a spell to make myself a human temporarily. I needed to find out what humans were really like, and I thought that was the best way to observe them. I met my mate, Natsu's mother, while in that form. But because I was still a dragon, we conceived Natsu as a combination of both dragons and humans. I-I never thought we could have a child."

It amused Gray to see the giant red dragon look embarrassed, but he only nodded, his eyes never leaving Igneel's face. As he became more comfortable in Igneel's presence, Gray noticed the similarities between father and son, and it made his heart ache for the dragon he wished was there in Igneel's place.

Igneel continued, "Dragons usually hatch from eggs, but human beings gestate inside their mothers. I'm not entirely sure how it even worked, but the pregnancy took a lot out of her, and she, uhm, died a few minutes after Natsu was born."

Igneel paused, and Gray watched him collect himself. He wanted to say something, but nothing seemed appropriate. It still surprised him to see that dragons were capable of complex emotions like grief.

"Natsu's a special being. The only one of his kind," Igneel explained, "And for the first few years, we didn't think he was a dragon at all. He remained in his human body and was, from what we could tell, a healthy human child."

"Then, one day, there was a baby dragon in his place. His dragon nature was trying to assert itself, but he couldn't hold the form for long, usually only for a few hours, and he had no control over how or when it happened."

"That's how Natsu found you, you know. He got away from us and went exploring. He latched on to your scent and followed it all the way back to you, and somehow in the short time the two of you spent together, Natsu discovered you were his mate. He returned devastated by your rejection, and I forbade him from searching you out."

"I didn't mean for that to happen," Gray objected, the familiar guilt he'd never quite been able to shake returning, especially now that he understood just how much his actions had affected Natsu's life.

"You were a child, one who had just experienced a very traumatic experience at that. I could never blame you for that, especially when part of it was my fault," Igneel said cryptically.

"While I would have preferred for him to be mated to another dragon, there was no fighting it. I realized then that I'd need to prepare Natsu to live among humans so he could eventually have a life with you."

"I sent him to school in Talos so he could learn human ways, and I forbade him from showing his magic or his dragon form to anyone, afraid of what might happen if another human learned of what he was."

"I thought I was protecting him," Igneel said, lowering his head sadly, "but all I accomplished was to make him hide who he was, and that made it worse for him when his friends did eventually find out the truth. And now, after what happened to Rogue, Sting has never forgiven him."

Something happened to Rogue? Sting and Natsu weren't friends anymore? When did all of that happen? Natsu had said nothing about any of that. Igneel was still speaking, so he brought his attention back to what the dragon was saying.

"When you showed up in town, Natsu didn't know what to do. He wanted to tell you the truth, but he was afraid you'd reject him again. You'd know the rest better than me since I left soon after."

"So," Gray said, steeling himself to ask the question that had been nagging at him since he'd understood what Natsu was. "What you're saying is that Natsu was always going to end up being a dragon?"

"The war sped up the process, but yes, we think it was probably inevitable." Igneel revealed, "Natsu had hoped to remain human long enough to spend the length of your lifespan with you, but then Acnologia showed up, and the choice was taken away from him."

Gray absorbed that, remembering how Natsu had wanted to run away from Acnologia and finally understanding the why of that very uncharacteristic act. If he had just allowed it... no, there was no sense in having those thoughts. Natsu might have tried to run away, but Gray knew he would never have been able to do it, and even if he had, he would never have forgiven himself.

"Can I ask you something?" Gray was uncomfortable asking Natsu's father for such private information, but it's not like he had any other choice at the moment.

Igneel grunted his assent, his eyes peering down at Gray curiously.

"I can't feel Natsu as well as I could before, and he said something on the solstice that worried me. Is it possible for a soul bond to be broken?"

Igneel ignored his question in favor of asking one of his own, "What did he say?" He tilted his head to the side as he waited for Gray's answer.

"I release you from our bond," Gray repeated the ominous words that had been troubling him since he'd heard them.

Gray didn't like the way Igneel's breath caught or the way the dragon wouldn't meet his gaze. He was once again deep in thought, and his expression kept changing, sometimes looking furious and other times looking worried. He finally gestured at Gray to come closer.

"May I look at your pendant?" Igneel asked, waiting for Gray's permission before holding it with a care that seemed impossible for a creature of his size. Igneel's claws glowed as he probed the pendant, and Gray felt the already sweltering temperature of the cave rise slightly in response to the fire dragon's magic.

"What are you doing?" Gray asked nervously, suddenly aware of how fragile his and Natsu's bond really was. That vague hum that had used to feel so vibrant was now but a whisper, and though there was no pain, it hurt just the same.

Their bond was something he'd always taken for granted, but now that it was in danger of disappearing, he couldn't think of anything more important. He felt a slight pressure working on the crystal and a sort of poking at the place where he was used to feeling Natsu.

"I'm trying to check the state of your bond, it's difficult to explain. Soulmates are something that until recently only dragons have had, which is why it's interesting that both Natsu and I have had human ones." Igneel fiddled around with the pendant some more before putting it down and snorting.

"Natsu tried to break your bond, but ironically, the amount of protection magic he worked into the stone kept him from succeeding completely. Your bond is fractured, which is why he feels so faint to you, but it's still there. It can be salvaged, but only if you sort things out."

"And if we don't?"

"I really don't know. I've never heard of anyone willingly attempting to break a bond before. Usually, it only happens when one dragon dies. It is excruciating to endure. More often than not, the surviving dragon dies quickly, choosing to follow their mate so the cycle can begin once again."

"I-I don't understand any of this." Gray struggled with what Igneel had just told him. "I told him I wanted to work things out. Why would he do this? Why won't he talk to me?"

"You'd have to ask him yourself, I suppose." Igneel shrugged his rather broad shoulders, "My son is not the easiest creature to understand, but you'd know that better than anyone."

"He's as stubborn as his mother was. Between you and me, not their best trait." Igneel winked at Gray. "I imagine he did what he thought was best for you."

"Now it's my turn. May I ask you something?"

Gray nodded at the enormous dragon that was his father-in-law.

"Now that you know what Natsu is, and that he's not likely to return to his human form, what is it you plan to do?"

"I want to find a way for us to fix our bond and remain together. I love him, I always have."

"Do you love him enough to let him go if that's what he needs? Or to get past the hatred that has guided you for so long?"

Gray gaped at Igneel. What exactly was he asking? Gray didn't know what to answer. He'd learned a lot about dragons today. They were a lot more complicated than Gray had given them credit for. He thought about Igneel's words and came to a sad conclusion.

"I don't want to let him go, but if that were what he needed, I would do it."

"That is exactly how much he loves you." Igneel pointed out, "And as for your hatred?"

"I've learned a lot about dragons in the last few years that contradicts what I used to think. I—I eventually enjoyed spending time with the red dragon without ever realizing it was Natsu."

Gray scratched the back of his head as he reflected on his next words. "This time around, when I saw him transform, I still wanted to stay with him."

Gray met Igneel's gaze, which had softened considerably since they'd begun talking, and added earnestly, "I don't know how I feel about all dragons, but I know how I feel about Natsu, and I really don't care what form he's in."

"Then that is what you need to make him understand," Igneel tried to encourage him, "I know it won't be easy to get through to him, it never is when he's being stubborn. But don't give up on him yet."

Gray nodded, "Thank you for talking to me, Igneel, and for giving me a chance."

"I will tell Natsu to get his dragon ass over to you, once he returns," Igneel grinned mischievously at his son-in-law.

"I'm sorry about that I—," Gray was incredibly embarrassed. He had expected no one but Natsu to hear him.

"Don't be, I needed a good laugh. Take care of yourself, Gray Fullbuster," Igneel turned around and headed towards a part of the cave Gray wasn't familiar with, marking the end of their conversation and leaving Gray to start the long trek back home.

He didn't really feel any better than when he'd arrived, but he was at least content knowing that Atlas and Happy would hopefully keep Natsu safe.

Natsu, you fucking moron, you better not get yourself killed.

0-0

Three days later

"Where did you find him?" Igneel asked Atlas as he stared after the sulking dragon that walked past him without saying a word, heading straight into his bedroom with Happy following close behind.

"He was further away than I'd thought," Atlas commented, but added no details, "I had a hell of a time getting him to return. He hasn't said a word since we headed back."

"I suppose it's to be expected," Igneel grunted, "I'll go have a talk with him."

Atlas wished him good luck, and Igneel heard him grunt under his breath, You'll need it.

When Igneel entered Natsu's bedroom, he found his son huddled in the darkest corner of the room, staring off into nothingness. He wanted to yell at him for being so reckless, his fury itching to make itself known, but he knew that wasn't the right approach to take.

"You lied to me," Igneel announced softly, "You went after Acnologia by yourself, didn't you?"

Natsu didn't reply, but he looked up at his father's voice.

"You also tried to break your soul bond," Igneel continued, undeterred by Natsu's silence, "Tell me something. Were you going to let Acnologia kill you? Was that your plan?"

Natsu remained silent, his features emotionless.

Igneel watched him for a few minutes, waiting for some kind of response, but none seemed to be forthcoming.

"You failed, you know," Igneel informed him, "You only fractured it, but I assume you know that by now. Lucky for you, the protection magic you placed on that firestone was quite advanced. Strong enough to even protect him from you."

Igneel could see Natsu's eyes narrowing into slits as he thought about his words.

"How do you know about that?" Natsu finally spoke, and Igneel smiled to himself.

"Didn't Atlas tell you? Gray came looking for you. He's the one that told us what you were up to."

"Gray came here?" Natsu asked, and it broke Igneel's heart to see the desperate longing in his son's eyes.

"Indeed, he did. He wants to talk to you, and I think you should listen to what he has to say," Igneel paced around the room, still trying to keep his anger in check at the extent of his son's recklessness.

"Natsu, what you did was very reckless. If those protections hadn't been in place, you could've killed him. As it was, I could barely feel...," Igneel paused in mid-step, finally grasping the implication of something he'd ignored before.

"What are you talking about?" Natsu asked, confused by his father's behavior.

Igneel shook his head for a moment before continuing with his explanation, "Gray is a human. You had no way of knowing how his body would have responded. Soul bonds are only meant to be broken in death. You can't possibly understand how painful it is when it happens. It's like being torn in two, only to discover that all the best parts of you are gone, and all that's left is this deep emptiness only death can quiet."

"Is that how you felt when Mom died?" Natsu asked, waiting for a response that Igneel had never been willing to give.

Igneel sighed, knowing that at some point, Natsu deserved to hear about his mother. He wished it wasn't so hard to talk about her still. "I had you."

Natsu waited before admitting with a whisper, "I didn't want to hurt him, I just wanted to set him free from this nightmare."

"That's not really for you to decide on your own," Igneel pointed out. He knew Natsu's heart was in the right place, but he really needed to stop making these decisions on his own. "It's also not what he wants."

"Just how long was he here?" Natsu asked, surprised by the respect he could hear in his father's voice.

"Long enough for me to like him," Igneel snarled, "You need to go talk to him and tell him everything this time. That boy deserves better than what you've done to him twice now. There's a lot more to relationships than physical intimacy, and he's grown more than you realize."

Even though he didn't respond, Igneel could see Natsu was mulling his words over, so he left him alone.

0-0

"How did your talk with the boy go?" Atlas asked offhandedly after Natsu had left, and Igneel smirked at his brother's attempt to sound disinterested.

"It went better than I'd hoped," Igneel replied, "It got me thinking. I want your help with a project."

"A project?" Atlas arched one of his eyebrows in interest, already excited by the prospect. Igneel's projects were rarely straightforward, and Atlas loved a challenge, especially if they brought with them the chance to create new magic. His one true love.

"I was thinking about the sigils," Igneel explained, "How did Gray get in without us being alerted?"

Atlas shrugged with little interest, "He's bonded to Natsu, I would imagine the sigils detected that and mis-classified him as a dragon."

"That's what I thought too, but that's not possible," Igneel reported, "Natsu tried to break their bond and almost succeeded. There wasn't enough of his soul present for the sigils to recognize, which makes me wonder."

Atlas looked slightly more interested, "What are you thinking?"

"Well, we've known for a long time that dragon births have been declining more every year. What if I discovered something by accident?"

"Wait a minute, surely you can't be suggesting that dragon souls are being born as humans."

"Why not? Soul mates are something that, as far as we knew, was exclusive to dragons, but now both Natsu and I have had human mates. Doesn't that make more sense than dragons suddenly having purely human mates? Not to mention, their magic signatures are immense, much more than a normal human would be capable of."

Atlas closed his eyes in what Igneel recognized as his thinking face.

"Remember how quickly and strongly Natsu and Gray bonded. You know it's possible, Atlas," Igneel prodded.

"Alright, assuming this little theory of yours is true... So what?" Atlas pointed out, "What's the point of knowing this if we can't do anything about it? The only way you met your mate was by casting a spell on yourself that shortened your lifespan, and it was a complete coincidence, and then you sired a hybrid that can't even do that."

"Well, it could mean that eventually once all the dragons die out, we'll continue to find each other in human bodies as human populations increase. Nature always balances things."

Igneel became excited as he remembered something Porlyusica had told him, "Did you know that magic has only been found in humans in the last hundred years?"

"So now you're saying that all humans with magic have dragon souls? That makes little sense. Magic has always existed. It's in the ethernano in the air, it's just being able to absorb it and harness it. Besides, the magic signatures of both Porlyusica and Gray are more powerful than any of the other humans we've encountered, excluding the dragon slayers. Your logic is flawed, Igneel."

"Ok, yes. You bring up a good point, but my initial theory is still possible. Maybe it's the dragon souls that are giving these individuals a bigger potential for magic."

"Alright. Now we're back to so what?"

"If Gray has a dragon soul, isn't it theoretically possible that we could transform him into a dragon?"

"AHAHAHA! That's amusing," Atlas laughter boomed all around them, "I'd be tempted to try it just to see his face when you suggest it. It's pointless. That boy would never agree to such a thing."

"I think you're wrong. He gave me the impression of being desperate enough to at least consider it."

"Your heart's in the right place, Igneel, but even if we created the proper spell, you already know what the problem is going to be. The boy has a human body. His magic might fuel the transformation, but for how long? Human life spans are short. The spell would devour his life force."

"I don't mean temporarily, I mean permanently," Igneel announced.

Atlas balked, "You want to turn him into a dragon permanently? Are you out of your mind? Transformation magic has limits, you know that."

"What about soul magic, can we do something with that?"

"You mean like extracting his soul and implanting it in a dragon body?"

"I don't know, maybe? It'd have to be an ice dragon since that's his magic."

"Wait, you want two fire dragons to create an ice dragon? You don't ask for much, do you?"

"I have faith in you and your abilities," Igneel grinned, knowing that would goad his brother on.

"I don't know, the energy requirements for something like this would be huge, where are we going to get access to something like that?"

"Why don't you let me worry about that? First, we have to determine if my theory is correct," Igneel pointed out, desperately trying to keep his brother from figuring out what he'd already decided when he'd set upon this course of action. Atlas stared at him for a few moments, trying to figure out what he was planning, but the way he kept glancing at his room told Igneel he'd piqued his interest.

0-0

For the first time since the day they'd met, Natsu was absolutely terrified of seeing Gray. How many memories had returned to him since the last time they'd seen each other? Had he already remembered why Natsu had taken his memories in the first place? Natsu really hoped he hadn't. He wanted to grant him at least that small mercy.

He paced around the field that had played such a significant role in their relationship over the years until he knew he couldn't put it off any longer. Natsu reached for the weak link that still bound them together. He called his mate to him, not entirely sure if there was enough left for Gray to hear him. Still, he kept trying, calling Gray to him over and over until he finally saw his husband walk towards him as he had so many times before.

He couldn't read Gray's expression in the slightest, and it fed into his fear. Igneel's words were the only thing keeping him there. They were both silent, staring at each other as if sizing up an opponent before a battle, and Natsu mused that was probably exactly what they were doing.

"You came," Natsu broke the silence, "I, uh, wasn't sure you would."

Gray bowed his head for a moment before reaching out and touching Natsu's muzzle gently. "I am so sorry for how I treated you."

Natsu was too stunned to react to the words, his eyes widening comically. Gray pressed his forehead to Natsu's snout, rubbing in a way that felt almost like he was forcing Natsu to scent-mark him.

"Y-you didn't do anything," Natsu tried to keep his racing heart at bay, confused by Gray's actions and what they meant, "I was the one who lied to you all these years."

He noticed Gray was still wearing his scarf. The pendant he had made for him with Gajeel's help, as a token to their union, peeked out from underneath its folds. Could his father have been right?

Was it possible Gray still wanted him, even knowing he couldn't change back? He had said so on the rooftop, but Natsu had attributed it to Gray trying to talk him out of going after Acnologia.

"We have a lot of talking to do," Gray stated flatly, "And I don't want to do it here. I want you to take me somewhere."

"Y-you want to ride me?" Natsu sputtered, wholly shocked by Gray's words.

Gray nodded, "I want you to take me to Isvan, I think that's where we should talk."

Natsu was still confused, but he allowed Gray to mount him while he considered his husband's words, soon realizing he was right. Isvan was where it had all begun.

Natsu had never been there, but he'd heard it had never been restored, like a lot of other towns that dragon attacks had destroyed.

"Are you sure you want to go back there?" Natsu asked, concerned about what it would do to Gray to return there.

"Yes," Gray replied firmly, with no trace of doubt in his voice.

Natsu could feel Gray touching the scales on his neck and back, and purrs of contentment escaped him before he could contain them.

"I'm not saying what you did was right, but I know I hold some blame as well. Now let's go."

Natsu took off into the air, reaching out with his senses to make sure they weren't being followed. He'd seen Isvan on enough maps during the war to know its location, and he flew them in that direction.

Gray didn't say a single word during the trip, but Natsu minded little. His own brain was a jumble of confused thoughts and a desperate yearning for what he knew deep in his bones he couldn't have. He was just happy to have Gray with him, even though he dreaded where this conversation might take them.