Chapter 3

Gray and Lyon stood in front of a freshly dug grave, each holding a bouquet of red roses. It had been six years since Ur had taken Gray in. She'd always seemed so much larger than life, to see her taken by something as mundane as disease seemed almost insulting to her memory. They had taken care of her as best they could, but in the end, they had only been able to make her comfortable.

Gray had never regretted going home with her and Lyon. Sure, Lyon was a jerk and not the most comfortable person to live with, but it had been nice to not be alone, and Ur had taught him everything she'd promised and more.

She'd trained them hard, no matter the weather. It wasn't unusual for her to have them run through the mountains in their underwear during a snowstorm until they no longer felt the cold. It had been miserable at first, but with time it became as natural to them as breathing.

She was a strict taskmaster, balancing their magic training with their schooling, insisting that the two went hand in hand. And even though she'd given both Gray and Lyon the annoying habit of stripping their clothes as part of their training, she'd also shown Gray that his mind was his biggest asset. Ice Make magic was a magic of creation, and the only limit to its power was his own imagination. He'd taken that lesson to heart.

The biggest reason he'd loved Ur, however, was that she'd never tried to replace his parents. She'd always given him the love he'd needed, but she'd never forced it on him, just carved a place in his heart next to them. He would miss her terribly.

He'd taken to Ice Make magic, practicing for hours daily, driven both by his hatred of the red dragon whose name he now knew to be Deliora and his determination to surprise Natsu when he saw him again. There was a fair amount of mostly friendly rivalry with Lyon as well. All these things had worked to strengthen him, his ice magic almost rivaling that of Ur herself.

He'd never forgotten Natsu, despite having met him for only a few days. If he closed his eyes, he could still see the pink hair, the bright green eyes, and the fanged grin, and he'd wonder what had happened to him. Had he ever made it home?

Some days he'd get these feelings that didn't seem to make sense, and he would pretend that he was feeling what Natsu was feeling and it made him feel close to him all over again.

Lyon put his bouquet down on the grave, and Gray did the same.

Gray heard Lyon whisper to Ur that he was sorry he never got to surpass her. He backed away, wanting to give Lyon some privacy as he said his goodbyes to their Master.

Lyon rejoined Gray, asking what was on both of their minds.

"What do we do now?"

They had decided to stay together, but they hadn't discussed any future plans. It had felt disrespectful to Ur to consider it while she was still with them.

"I want to go to Talos." Gray immediately replied.

"Not that again. You don't even know if that guy is still there," Lyon replied, looking mildly annoyed. "It's a fool's errand."

"Perhaps, but I asked around. It's not that far from here, and they're looking for magic users for their Village Guard," Gray informed him with a smile. He knew this would get the other's attention.

"Even if it ends up being a fool's errand, we can at least find jobs there."

When Lyon agreed, Gray could barely contain his excitement. After all these years, he was finally going to get to see Natsu again.

Maybe.

They went home to pack their belongings and spend one last night in the home Ur had provided for them. But it felt strangely cold without her in it.

o-o

Natsu had worked day and night with both Igneel and Atlas for months to get a reasonable level of control over his body. He could now change at will and keep himself in either form for as long as he wanted. It had been Igneel's only condition for him attending school, and Natsu had very much wanted to go. To meet other kids, he thought it would be a grand adventure.

The excitement, however, was very short-lived. Going to school required Natsu to sit still for long periods of time, listening to things he didn't care about while also expecting him to be quiet. None of these were things he was used to or was particularly good at.

About the only good thing to be said about it was that they served food, and there were other kids there. At the end of the first week he'd asked his father if he could stay home, but to his surprise, Igneel didn't agree. So Natsu continued to attend.

It had been difficult at first for him to make friends since all the kids seemed to know each other already, but they had warmed up to him soon enough. His big toothy smile and penchant for getting in trouble quickly made him a favorite among the other kids.

He drove Anna completely insane. Natsu had a short attention span and could be very disruptive. More than once she'd threatened to talk to Igneel about him, but nothing ever came of it. The only one who could even keep him under control was a girl by the name of Erza Scarlet.

His favorite times of the day were lunchtime and the last class of the day, which was taught by one of Anna's friends, a man by the name of Andrius. He guided the kids in hand to hand combat in the field at the bottom of the mountains. He would then divide them up into groups to practice, watching to make sure that they didn't injure each other. Natsu learned a lot, even if Erza insisted on showing him up most of the time. She was crazy strong.

At home, Natsu trained with his father and uncle in Fire Dragon magic, which he absolutely could not use in front of the other children.

There was much talk of the Dragon War, both in the cave and from the villagers. His Uncle Atlas spent most of his time locked up in his room or with four other dragons poring over spell scrolls.

One day, about two years later, Atlas came out of his room, an excited look on his face. He called out to his brother.

"I've done it, Igneel. I've figured out how to enchant humans with our magic without negatively affecting their lifespan." Atlas looked very pleased with himself.

Igneel was proud of his brother, but was noticeably less excited about the prospect itself. It was the culmination of everything they'd been working towards for so long, so his father's reaction confused Natsu.

"I suppose we should let Anna know," Igneel replied thoughtfully.

"Anna?" Natsu asked curiously, "What does she have to do with anything?"

"Do you remember the other dragons that have been coming here?" Igneel asked him.

Natsu nodded. Weisslogia, Skiadrum, Metalicana, and Grandine had been constant visitors to their cave and Natsu was very familiar with them. They'd even sparred with him a few times to help him train.

"Each one of them has agreed to adopt one of your friends in exchange for enchanting them with their magic. We want to see the effects before applying it to others who might end up on the battlefield."

"You're going to send them to the war?" Natsu asked, horrified that something like that could happen to his friends.

"No, of course not." Igneel assured him, "We would never send children to fight for us. We just want to make sure it's safe."

Somehow that thought did not make Natsu feel any better.

"You should be proud, Natsu. It's thanks to you we can do this." Atlas beamed at him.

"Me?" Natsu wondered aloud, "I didn't do anything."

"That you exist in your human form and still use your dragon magic was what made me think we could manage it," Atlas explained.

"They won't be as strong as you, but I can guarantee that your sparring matches will be much more interesting in the future." Igneel tried to make light of the situation, but Natsu knew him well enough to know that something was bothering him.

"At least you won't have to hide your magic from them anymore. That should make you happy, I think."

Natsu didn't feel happy about this at all, but he couldn't explain why. He worried for his friends. What if his uncle's spell didn't work? What if they died for some war that they didn't understand?

"There are four dragons, but five kids, is Uncle Atlas going to adopt one too?"

"No kid, you're ours." Atlas winked at him.

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked, not understanding the implication behind those words.

"Sometimes, the best way to hide something is in plain sight." Igneel smiled, looking quite satisfied with whatever they were up to. "We've made sure that no one outside of a few red dragons knows of what you are. They know of your birth, but they think you're a regular dragon like the rest of us. Someday you will lead them, but for now, you belong with the humans."

"For your own safety, it's imperative that your friends think you're the same as them. As far as they're concerned, you were just the first one. No one should know you're a dragon."

"They trust you. So you will train with them and help them ease into their magic." Igneel held Natsu's gaze, wanting him to understand the importance of his words.

"Together you will create a Guard that can protect the village from dragons or anything else that arises. You will use your magic to help others."

"What do you mean, I belong with them? I belong here with you."

"Natsu, you will always belong with us. You are a dragon, but you're also human. Your mate is human. Fate has already made the choice for you."

"You mean I can go search for him?" Natsu asked with growing excitement.

Once he had gotten over the initial self-hatred, he'd wanted nothing more than to go searching for Gray. To tell him it was okay. But Igneel had forbidden it.

"When the time's right, he'll come to you. It won't be easy though, Natsu. You know how he feels about us. You don't know whether that's changed."

"He was sorry, I heard it in my head, and I felt it in my heart."

"I've no doubt he was sorry he hurt you. I'm not sure about the rest. I know your love for him is pure, but when you do meet him again, you'll need to take it slow. Hatred like that burns bright."

Natsu changed the subject. "Who will be adopted?"

"Everyone but the redhead. She's not an orphan, and she already possesses magic."

"Do they know?"

"Not yet. There was no sense in saying anything if Atlas couldn't finish the spell. This war has gone on long enough. We can only hope this will be what turns the tide in our favor."

"But you don't agree?"

"Why do you say that?" Igneel looked amused, but there was also something else. Pride?

"You don't seem thrilled about it, despite Uncle working on it for so long."

"That's not exactly true," Igneel sighed. "I just worry about whether we're doing the right thing. We don't really know how this will affect the humans. But war is a horrible thing, and this one is taking a toll on both dragons and humans."

"Remember this, Natsu," Igneel said as he looked towards his brother who was going outside for the first time in weeks. "The lesser of two evils is still evil. I can't feel good about this course of action."

In the end, Natsu did as he was asked, even though it pained him to lie to his friends. He showed them his "newly" acquired magic while hiding his true nature. He told them about how he had been enchanted by a dragon and if they wanted, they could do the same. Natsu brought them to his cave for the first time since they'd known each other and introduced them to the dragons, who did their best not to scare them.

It suddenly dawned on Natsu that the dragons' visits to his cave over the years had nothing to do with Atlas' work on the enchantment. It had been to observe him. It had never occurred to him that the dragons had based their decision on whether to go through with this plan on him.

The day soon came when the dragons explained to the children about the enchantment and what it would do, and Natsu could see from their faces that the idea of having magic excited them, but they had no real understanding of what they agreed to.

He could only hope they never came to regret it.

It was amusing to see how closely the dragon's personalities matched the children they were adopting. Gajeel, who had always been gruff and short-tempered, picked Metalicana, the Iron Dragon. Since he was the oldest, he volunteered to go through the process first. It was over rather quickly and appeared to be painless. Metalicana cast a spell on Gajeel, and outside of glowing a bit as the seal materialized and disappeared inside of Gajeel, there wasn't much to it.

The younger kids relaxed and Sting offered to go next.

Sting, who had always had a sunny disposition, had picked Weisslogia, the Holy Light Dragon. Rogue, the gloominess to Sting's cheer, followed with Skiadrum, the Shadow Dragon. Little Wendy who always worried about everyone and wanted to be a healer when she grew up chose Grandine, a Sky Dragon capable of healing magic. Natsu never disclosed who his dragon was, and both Atlas and Igneel played the part at different times. This was yet another layer of protection for Natsu and his identity.

They had all agreed to live in Igneel's cave for observation. Nothing like this had ever been attempted before, and Igneel was concerned there might be some side effects Atlas might not have expected. Atlas checked on them daily, making sure that they were progressing well.

This arrangement suited Natsu just fine. His cave was quite large, reaching deep into the mountains. They gave each dragon and child a large room to live in. For the first time, children ran around the cave, playing hide and seek and laughing. It was something Natsu had always dreamed of.

They were all taken out of Anna's school and trained exclusively in dragon magic, with Natsu applying the dragons' instructions to human physiology so the others could understand.

Since he had been the first, they made him their leader, the one they looked up to. Natsu felt the lie deeply. But as his father had explained, it was for the good of everyone. They became a large family of humans and dragons, and Natsu could not for the life of him understand why there were dragons that would be against humans.

Atlas offered his spell to the other allied dragon races. Soon there were adults training in other caves around the world, while others were already on the battlefield using their new powers to take down enemy dragons. They had been dubbed Dragon Slayers, a term which Natsu hated but the others excitedly adopted to describe their small group as well.

His father had told him their plan seemed to be working well so far. He'd also kept his promise. None of Natsu's friends had been anywhere near a battle, much to their disappointment as they were eager to show off their skills.

Instead, his father and Anna created the Village Guard in Talos, a group made up of mages responsible for protecting the village. Mages who joined the guard were paid wages, and all the Dragon Slayers were a part of it.

They had already used their magic to catch thieves, help the villagers, and they'd even chased away a small dragon or two, although they had yet to kill one. Natsu played his part well, acting disappointed when the dragon flew away, but personally, he hoped he'd never had to kill one of his kind, with one exception.

There was one particular red dragon that he wouldn't mind taking out.

Natsu had never forgotten the dragon that had killed Gray's parents and destroyed his village. The same dragon that had made him ashamed of who he was until his father had explained who Deliora was and what had happened. The determination to avenge Gray and his family along with the desire to correct his father's mistake had replaced Natsu's shame. He wanted to help restore the otherwise good name of the fire dragons.

Natsu replaced his unpleasant thoughts of Deliora with those of his mate, although it had now been six years since he'd seen him. He wondered what Gray was doing and when he was going to see him again.

Every time he would get frustrated by the limitations the Guard imposed on him, he would remind himself that his father had put all this in place so he could someday have a regular life with Gray. A life where he could hide in plain sight, without his draconic heritage being an issue.

It wasn't so bad most of the time. There was really only one problem, and she was currently headed his way. The tall, red-haired monster known as Erza Scarlet. His friend, but unfortunately also his Captain.

Erza had not loosened up any as she had grown. She had gone from a bossy schoolgirl straight into a bossy teenager. If possible, she had gotten even more uptight.

Natsu had been the original captain of the guard, but his penchant for destruction and lack of any planning outside of brute force made it rather clear to everyone that a replacement was needed, and Erza had been the logical choice.

Natsu had been a little hurt, but even he knew it was the right decision. Erza was calm, as long as you followed the rules. She was logical, capable of elaborate plans that made good use of all her resources. She was steadfast in the face of an adversary and more to the point, she could be scary as hell, so most people followed her commands out of fear of reprisals.

Natsu waited for her to reach him as he sat on his favorite spot. It was the roof of one of the few flat buildings in the village. He enjoyed looking out at the lake that bordered Talos, and the mountains beyond it.

He was enjoying a rare day off, and he was dreading having to interrupt it. He was supposed to meet his best friend Sting later in the day for a sparring session on the field they used to practice. The sun was shining; the water was the purest blue he'd ever seen, and he had been enjoying a fairly relaxing morning. He felt something strange inside of him when Erza finally called for him.

"Hey, Natsu!" Erza called from below, knowing exactly where he would be.

"What do you want? It's the first day off I've had in weeks." Natsu made sure to sound irritated, as he knew it would annoy her. To his surprise, she completely ignored his tone.

"We've got some new recruits that are interested in joining the Guard."

"That's nice, good luck testing them." Natsu waved her away.

"Can you just get down here?" Erza's face was turning red. Nevertheless, she attempted to keep herself under control. That was interesting.

"You don't need me for that, Erza." Natsu pointed out calmly. "It's my day off. I'm sure any of the others would be happy to spar with them."

"Normally I would, but one of them has been asking about you." Erza gritted through her teeth. "I thought you might want to see what it's about."

"Me?" Natsu's curiosity was piqued. He wasn't exactly well known outside of the village. He jumped down from the building, using his jets to slow down his descent. Erza rolled her eyes at him and led the way to the Guard's headquarters.

"What did they say?" Natsu asked, feeling nervous, but not knowing why.

"He asked if we knew of someone with fire magic that went by the name of Natsu."

Natsu grabbed Erza by the shoulders and asked urgently. "What did he look like, Erza?" He didn't want to get too excited. But who else could it be?

That's when the scent hit him. It was the same as before, but also different. It had aged and become more complex, like the fine wines that Rogue liked to drink sometimes. It exploded inside Natsu's nose, enticing him to find its owner all over again.

"Just like that." Erza pointed at a black-haired boy that was gawking at him. His expression was hard to read as Natsu walked up to him.

Natsu had to work very hard to keep his expression impassive. He broadcast a thought at Gray, hoping that their connection still worked. Meet me at the field past the edge of the village after your test.

He saw Gray give him a small nod, disguised as running his fingers through his hair. Natsu was beyond excited to see that he could still communicate through their bond, but he hid it as best he could.

"I heard you were asking about me?" Natsu raised an eyebrow at the black-haired boy, his fingers unconsciously moving towards his scarf.

"I found you." Gray's face broke into a smile, so happy that Natsu had no defense against it. "I see you're still wearing that scarf."