Chapter 34

Gray's soul had indeed tethered to his new body, but Igneel had attached his soul to it as well. This would allow him to cast the spell that would transfer his remaining life energy to Gray while he and Atlas raced to Natsu's aid.

Or that had been the plan, anyway. Despite all of their considerable planning and research, there was one thing that apparently neither dragon had ever considered.

It was going to take some time for Gray to get used to having an actual dragon body.

While his first emotions and thoughts had been those of a dragon whose mate was in mortal peril, his first attempts at movement had been more akin to a baby fawn taking its first steps. As if that wasn't bad enough, it had also dismayed him to realize that his newly heightened senses proved difficult for him to adjust to.

They wouldn't be racing anywhere.

With no time for him to get his feet under him, there was no other choice than to have Igneel take control of the body's movements while Gray focused on figuring out his magic.

As humiliating as it was to be a passenger inside his own body, Gray was actually grateful to have one thing less to worry about. It ensured they would get to Natsu sooner, and that was the most important thing to him.

He focused on the soul bond he shared with Natsu, delighted to discover their connection felt even stronger than before. It didn't take him long to feel his mate's location and lead Atlas and Igneel there.

They landed a short distance away from the battle and, though Gray itched to go help Natsu, Igneel kept his feet planted firmly on the ground, determined to use the element of surprise to their advantage.

Gray struggled to remain silent as Igneel and Atlas discussed the locations of the different combatants and drafted a battle plan. One that depended on his magic actually having the counter spelling effect they'd observed in the astral realm when Igneel had attempted to breathe fire on it during their experimentation.

He felt Atlas stiffen next to him as Acnologia began to cast a spell on a defeated looking Natsu and Gray felt his rage mount. His magic screamed to be let out and just as he was about to comply, he heard a dispirited Natsu in his head.

Please hurry, I don't think I'm going to make it this time...

Not even Igneel could stop him from replying to that. He communicated all of his love, rage and determination through the bond, hoping to boost his mate's fighting spirit.

Don't you dare give up, Flame-Brain! Help is on the way...

Gray collected as much magic as he felt he could control, letting it out through his mouth in one large burst and watching as the strange mist crept towards Natsu and Acnologia.

"Those markings are back," Atlas said. "That mist is definitely connected to them somehow."

Gray glanced down to see that black inky substance work its way up his right foreleg, leaving a trail of strange markings in its wake.

Sure, why not?!

He was about to take part in a battle unlike any he'd ever experienced before, in a body he couldn't control, using a magic he didn't fully understand. To say he was terrified would be an understatement, but he hadn't changed everything he was to let this asshole take his happy ending away from him now.

Igneel spoke up then. I know you're scared. This is your first time using this magic and you're not convinced it will do much, but I have faith in you- in your courage and determination to do what's needed.

I'll do my best. Gray felt a twinge in his heart at the thought that Igneel would soon be gone forever.

I know you will. Just follow your instincts, they will be your greatest ally in this fight.

It didn't take long for him to realize Igneel was right. If he didn't know what he was doing, then he might as well surrender to his instincts in the hopes they did. He emptied his mind of all doubt and followed his intuition.

His first impulse was to lift his marked foreleg towards the mist, noting with increased amazement that the mist seemed to respond to the gesture.

0-0

Natsu watched the mist advance toward him, covering the ground quickly. As it neared, he became even more convinced of its origin. It wasn't a perfect match by any means, but it carried just enough of Gray's scent to identify it.

But what was Gray even doing here?!

He couldn't understand what could have possessed Atlas and his father to bring his mate along when they knew how deadly Acnologia was. And what was this magic? It was like nothing he'd ever seen Gray cast before.

All these questions made him feel uneasy, but he had to set them aside for now. There would be plenty of time for that once the fight was over. At the very least, he knew he should have nothing to fear from it.

He'd just have to make sure not to act in any way that would alert Acnologia to Gray's presence, and hope that was enough to keep him safe. With any luck, the dragons' scents would be enough to conceal it.

The unexpected appearance of the mist had prompted Acnologia to cease casting his spell and Natsu couldn't help the surge of pride he felt at seeing the hesitation and uncertainty on the renegade's face as he too studied it.

When the mist enveloped Natsu, he felt a cool numbness spread through his acid-etched scales. The smoke ceased to pour out from them, and he felt blessed relief as the acid seemed to be completely denatured upon contact with it.

Natsu struggled to his feet and used the reprieve to cast a quick healing spell. He felt the deeper wounds mend, and some of his strength returned, but his magic was unable to mend his wing or scales. As soon as the energy emerged from his body and touched the mist, it sputtered and dissipated like a candle being blown out. At the same time, the mist seemed to become more agitated where it touched his magic.

What the hell?

Natsu panicked at this revelation, but his concern quickly turned to absolute shock and confusion as the voice of his soul-mate sounded in his head, albeit with an odd deep undertone, as if someone else were speaking in harmony with him, sounding nothing like what he was used to.

Don't worry Love, I'm(We're) here now.

The mist continued rolling past Natsu, heading directly toward Acnologia. As it approached the renegade, the thick blanket roiled and churned, making it seem as though the fog itself was angry. Swells rose within the mist and sped toward the black dragon, stopping at the leading edge of the mass, but pushing it forward in a ragged advance.

As the waves within the mist grew higher and were almost large enough to crest, Acnologia unleashed a torrent of hellfire at the oncoming fog. Rather than evaporating it or even pushing it back, the moment the flames touched it, they guttered and withered away to nothing. At the same time, the blanket of fog exploded into a massive cloud that covered the entire area of the clearing where the two dragons stood.

The sparks that whirled within the cloud flared brightly as they ceased their chaotic spinning and gathered together into pairs. Each set of lights was only a few inches apart and approximately six feet above the ground. They seemed to draw the cloud around themselves as if it were a misty cloak, and within ten seconds after Acnologia's hellfire was spent, the cloud had shifted into a troop of twelve humanoid forms, their eyes blazing with twin pools of pure magic.

The figures stood between the two dragons, facing Acnologia, and as one, they crouched and reached into the thick fog at their feet. As they stood and continued their advance, each form drew various types of martial weapons fashioned out of gleaming ice from the mist. The six forms at the front wielded falchions and short spears paired with large, foggy shields. The four standing directly behind the front line held a pair of long spears and a pair of halberds, while the last two star-eyed warriors in the rear held a pair of heavy crossbows.

It was clear that Acnologia was at a complete loss as to what was going on. With a roar, he unleashed a volley of lightning bolts at the misty warriors. The foggy shields intercepted most of the bolts and the electricity disappeared within them with no effect other than a brief brightening of their starry eyes. One bolt skirted the edge of a shield and it hit one of the crossbow carriers. Its weapon shattered into glittering shards of ice, carving a hole through its torso before the lightning grounded out into the blanket of fog. But the warrior did not fall or even falter. It simply crouched again and drew another crossbow from the fog as the hole in its chest filled in with more mist.

The warriors retaliated with a charge at the black dragon, and he responded by raising a wall of ice between himself and them. But while it seemed thick and impressive, within seconds, there was an ominous crackling sound from its base as the fog quickly ate through the foundation. The six leading warriors concluded their charge with a shield bash against the wall, and the ten foot tall structure toppled over, forcing the dragon to leap backward to avoid being hit.

The mist warriors moved around the crumbling remains of the ice wall and continued their march on Acnologia. Gajeel took advantage of the distraction, transforming his arm into a massive steel sword, and swinging it at the dragon's back leg. The sword broke off a few scales and left a small gash just above the knee, but Acnologia knocked it away with a swipe of his tail, sending Gajeel tumbling across the clearing.

Rogue provided cover for the downed slayer, forming a large curtain of shadow interposed between the black dragon and where Gajeel lay. The shadow caster gasped as he felt the drain on his magic from where the shadows touched the blanket of fog, and he concentrated on trying to keep the curtain close without touching the strange mist. He looked around, trying to locate its source, and he saw when it reached the shield dome.

The dome's holy light dimmed sharply upon contact, and the blanket of fog reacted by surging against the dome like breakers. Rogue could make out the form of Sting collapsing to one knee for a moment before stubbornly hauling himself back to his feet. Rogue took a step toward his mate, but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the mist pull back a bit, leaving the shield dome as a small island untouched by the sea of fog that covered the rest of the clearing.

As impressed as he was by Sting's efforts, Rogue couldn't help but worry. His mate was expending a ton of magic to hold that barrier spell. How much longer could he keep it up? He had to be running low by now, but despite that, he showed no sign of slowing down.

His chest swelled with pride and for just a moment he flooded their bond with it so that Sting could know how he felt.

You're amazing, I love you!

Sting didn't respond with words, but the love that flowed back from him was unmistakable. Rogue thought he noticed a tightening of his stance and a slight glow to his body that hadn't been there before.

Shaking his head with a smile, Rogue returned to scanning the clearing for more information. He saw two dragons emerge from the shadows of the trees. One he immediately recognized as Atlas, but the other looked nothing like Igneel. It was a dragon he'd never seen before.

Its body was covered in navy and white colored fur, rather than scales. A silver marking decorated its chest, its shape making Rogue think of a sword, while its horns, talons, wings and even the tip of its tail all looked like they were made of ice.

An ice dragon?

If so, it was certainly unlike any he'd ever seen. And what were those black symbols on its foreleg?

The more he looked at the dragon, the more Rogue couldn't shake the feeling that there was something familiar about it, but he shrugged the thought away, deeming it too ridiculous.

The two dragons approached Natsu while the star-eyed warriors held Acnologia at bay, and Rogue continued casting curtains of shadow and forming vague decoys shaped like the warriors to assist them in their battle against the raging black dragon.

0-0

With Acnologia somewhat occupied for the moment, Atlas and Gray rushed over to Natsu to check up on him. Gray kept the bulk of his attention on the figures he called Dragongard in his head, making sure they continued to put pressure on the black dragon.

Truth be told, he was incredibly pleased with how well he'd been able to adapt his maker magic to his as yet unnamed new one, but it took a lot out of him to control the individual mist constructs.

Gray watched Natsu intently, trying to gage his reaction as he knew there was no way his mate wouldn't figure out who he was right away. Over the last few weeks, he'd explored many fantasies of how he'd present himself to Natsu when the moment came, but not a single one of them had played out like this.

"Gray?!" Natsu gawked at Gray's new form.

"Surprise?"

Gray felt suddenly bashful. He didn't know what to say or where to look, too worried about what Natsu might think of his sudden transformation.

"You're so beautiful!" Natsu breathed, his eyes shining with unconcealed affection.

"You really think so?"

"Can you two hold off on flirting until we're not fighting for our lives?" Atlas grumbled.

Natsu tore his eyes away from Gray long enough to ask, "But how did you do this, and what is that magic?! It's unlike anything I've ever seen before."

"I hardly think this is the time to be asking those sorts of questions." Atlas held Natsu's gaze with an equanimity that Gray envied, especially given what he knew of Atlas' feelings on the matter.

He, on the other hand, could only stand tongue tied and paralyzed by the onslaught of all of Natsu's conflicting emotions bombarding him through their bond, not to mention his own guilt at having Igneel within him.

Gray felt Natsu prodding at their bond and he couldn't for the life of him figure out what to tell him, too terrified of letting what he was feeling filter through.

Igneel's voice resonated in his mind. I know you want to tell him everything, but now isn't the right time. He still needs to fight.

Gray couldn't deny the truth in Igneel's words, but they did nothing to ease his guilt at withholding the fire dragon's presence from his mate. He could feel Igneel's magic working away inside of him and had the presence of mind to realize his father-in-law would likely disappear once the spell had finished. Wasn't he depriving Natsu of his last chance to say goodbye to his father?

A sudden thought occurred to him, something he hadn't considered before. If they defeated Acnologia before Igneel's spell had run its course, then they might be able to restore the fire dragon's soul to its former state. And wouldn't that mean that Igneel could reunite with Porlyusica after all?

He wanted to ask Atlas, but he couldn't do that in front of Natsu and he didn't want to get Igneel's hopes up if he was wrong.

One thing was for sure, if that outcome was in any way possible, then he would do his damndest to make it happen. At least then, Natsu and Atlas could both know peace.

He reached for his magic with renewed vigor, determined to put an end to the renegade's reign of terror as quickly as possible.

0-0

Atlas left Natsu to Gray as he quickly flew over to the shield dome. He stood before it, impatiently waiting for Sting to let him through. That was, until he realized the dragon slayer's eyes were closed, and he was oblivious to anything other than maintaining his magic. The dragon raised one massive claw and gently, but firmly, knocked on the shield.

Sting opened his eyes with a start, but soon realized that he was facing the hellfire dragon rather than another attack. He shook his head and looked around blearily until he located Acnologia at the other end of the clearing. He quickly opened a hole in the shield large enough to admit the dragon.

Atlas wasted no time in entering and looking over Wendy's patients. Nodding firmly, he stepped forward and gently pulled her back with a claw while he cast his own healing magic on Wendy and the three injured combatants. Wendy fell back on her rear, propping herself up with her arms. Sweat streamed down her face and she panted in relief.

"Nice of you to make an appearance." Irene said once he'd finished, sitting up and offering the hellfire dragon a tight smile. "What's going on out there?"

"Gray, Rogue and Gajeel have Acnologia contained for the moment, but who knows how long that will last. I need to get you all out of here quickly." Atlas replied, noticing the patches of dragon scales Natsu had mentioned.

"Gray's here? Natsu's gonna flip out."

"He already knows. I was just with them." Atlas answered Sting absently, looking over the wounded to assess the results of his healing spell.

Happy's wings appeared to have healed nicely, but his hind legs were still in terrible shape. Oliver's wounds had all but closed up, but he was unconscious. He'd have to ask Irene to keep an eye on him, which would also serve to keep her out of trouble, as she wasn't completely out of the woods, either. Wendy and Sting were almost out of magic, so he cast one last spell to replenish some of their magic stores.

It was the best he could do for them. The day's earlier spells had used up a lot of his magic, and then he'd cast a speed spell on himself and Gray to make up some of the time they'd lost. He was wiped.

"Happy, do you think you can get back in there?"

Atlas hated to ask the young dragon to get back in the fight when he must still be in pain, but he couldn't afford not to.

"Aye, Sir!"

He felt especially cruel because he knew Happy looked up to him and would never say no, but there was still a chance that if they killed Acnologia before Igneel's spell ran its course his soul would heal and he wouldn't have to experience soul death. They had to try to make that happen.

"Alright, that's as much as I can do for you right now. I don't have a lot of magic to spare, but I healed and boosted what I could. There are a few things you should know before we go. Gray is a dragon now, so Sting and Wendy, I'm going to fly you over to him. You're going to have to help him fight however you can as he has less combat experience and is still learning his magic."

"Gray's a dragon?!"

Atlas ignored Wendy's question in favor of giving instructions. "Irene, I'll fly you and Oliver somewhere safer. You'll have to remain there until the fight is over. I'll try to heal the rest of your injuries then."

"What do you mean Gray's a dragon now? You can't just say something like that and not explain. How? And what about Rogue and Gajeel? And where's Igneel?"

"There's no time to waste." Atlas said, too tired to inject his usual bluster into his reply. "Our friends need us. I'll explain everything once we've killed that bastard. Now, everyone climb on. Sting, don't release your barrier until we take off."

Atlas picked up Oliver in his talons, being careful not to jostle him too much. He could tell that Sting and Wendy were unhappy at being kept in the dark, but they climbed on and didn't put up any more of a fuss. A minute later, he and Happy took off.

They split up, Happy rejoining the fight, while Atlas flew towards Gray and Natsu, wanting to drop Sting and Wendy off so he could find a safe place for Irene and Oliver.

0-0

Acnologia might have been on the back foot, but he was far from defeated. A reinvigorated Natsu traded blows of claw, fang, and tail with the black dragon while the star-eyed warriors continually harassed his flanks. The swords and halberds tore scales off of the dragon whenever an opening presented itself, while the spears and crossbow bolts sought out those vulnerable openings.

Any time one of the icy weapons struck deep, the raging dragon roared in pain and fury, spinning to face the warriors and drive them back again. Whenever he saw an opening, he flung some form of magic at the dark blue dragon lurking behind Atlas. Invariably, each attack was intercepted by a large shield of holy light cast by Sting. Gray and Atlas repositioned themselves continuously, keeping the Dragongard between themselves and Acnologia.

Wendy had immediately attempted to cast a reinforcement spell on her teammates. That spell failed, however, as it tried to envelop the entire body of the person, and the magic quickly drained wherever it remained in contact with the fog.

Her next attempt was a smaller and more targeted spell. This one focused on the person's head, imbuing them with enhanced senses and quicker thought and reaction speed. It seemed to help, so she concentrated on keeping as many of her teammates in sight as she could and maintained the spell on them while she sat astride Gray's massive back behind Sting. One hand clutched Sting's shirt tightly, while the other was raised with a ball of wispy magic that extended long ephemeral tendrils that kept her connected to each of the combatants receiving her enhancement.

Sting held on to one of the fin spikes on Gray's neck with one hand while his other was constantly raised palm outward toward Acnologia, prepared to cast a shield at a moment's notice. It burned him that he couldn't take a more aggressive role in the battle, but he knew there was nothing he could physically do to injure the dragon, and while the mist was a tremendous equalizer, it still did nothing to prevent the black dragon's immunity to magic.

He did his best to focus on the dragon's attacks, struggling to avoid being distracted by the sight of Rogue risking his life as he darted around the battleground, casting various spells to distract and hamper their foe. He was tiring, though, and as another bolt of lightning flew toward them, he failed to summon another ward in time. They all braced for a blow that never came. The development was made even more peculiar by the sound of Acnologia's frustrated roar.

"What happened?" Sting asked, glancing around to see if Natsu or Atlas had intervened.

"I don't know, right as that attack was about to hit there was ... I don't know, something." Gray said, not knowing how to explain what he'd seen. It was like a shield had manifested out of his chest to stop the blast, but it had felt like Natsu's magic, not his own. And his mate had been nowhere near him when it happened.

He moved them once again, puzzling about what it could all mean, and wondering if maybe he'd discovered some other magic. He decided to ask Igneel about it.

Do you know what that was?

I'm not sure, but it did feel like Natsu's magic. Maybe something to do with your pendant? He imbued it with a lot of protection magic and it saved you once before....

Happy circled above the fight once more, looking for any opportunity to swoop in and attack. He'd learned from the last encounter to account for the black dragon's tail and ensure his opponent was thoroughly distracted this time.

Seeing an opening as an icy crossbow bolt struck deep into the dragon's side while Natsu's jaws were clamped on Acnologia's tail, he dove, landing with all four legs right on the black dragon's head, driving it under the blanket of fog and into the ground. Happy tried to regain his footing and move clear, but the pain in his legs slowed him down.

The black dragon shook off the stunning blow too quickly and managed to grab one of the young dragon's legs in his jaws. His powerful neck whipped around and threw Happy at Natsu. They collided with a sickening crunch, and they were both bowled back toward where Atlas and Gray stood.

"Natsu!" Gray cried as he darted forward, almost unseating Sting and Wendy in his haste, the mist flickered and the Dragongard seemed to hesitate in his distress. He noted with some trepidation that Igneel's control over his limbs was weakening. His mental acuity, however, seemed to be intact.

I know it's difficult, but you must keep a level head, Gray. If you don't, all is lost.

I know, I know! I just-, I can't lose him now.

Trust in him... the key to defeating Acnologia lies within you both. I can feel it.

"I've got them! You just focus, damn it!" Atlas scolded, hurrying to check both dragons over. Natsu was fine, but Happy's legs would need to be tended to. He lifted the small dragon out of the blanket of fog and cast a healing spell, using up what little magic he had left.

Gray glared at Acnologia, who still looked slightly wobbly from the blow to the head. How could the damn bastard be so hard to kill?

"Die already." He spat out, his frustration mounting as Igneel's time counted down and his hopes of a quick defeat were dashed over and over again.

He directed his star-eyed warriors to close ranks and form a shield wall to guard their downed teammates, then he leaned down and nuzzled the fire dragon's head gently.

"Get up, Natsu. Battle's not done yet," Gray said while looking his mate over for any severe injuries. Other than minor cuts and missing scales here and there, the only major problem was Natsu's torn wing sails. There had been no opportunity to remove him from the fight long enough to heal them.

"Y-Yeah yeah, I know. I'm going. It's just so frustrating. No matter how hard we hit him, it's never enough to keep him down,"

As he got to his feet, Natsu noticed something strange. Well, stranger than every other strange thing that had happened since Gray had arrived. As Gray's new dragon body crouched over Natsu, close enough that the red dragon could feel his mate's icy cool breath on the back of his head, his eyes were drawn to the silver marking on Gray's chest. He had noticed it earlier, and thought it was beautiful. It reminded him of the token he had given Gray, but what he noticed now was that it was glowing — pulsing as if it were a beating heart — and it seemed to glow even brighter as he drew closer to examine it.

"Princess... what is that?" Natsu whispered as he lifted a claw and touched the silver marking. Upon contact, there was an actinic flash of light, and he reared back in surprise. That surprise was multiplied as he found his claw was drawing a silver colored icy sword out of Gray's chest, hollowing out the marking until it appeared as only an outline.

The hilt fit perfectly in his draconic grip, as though it were intentionally forged for it, and small motes of starlight swam through the ice of the blade, causing the silver edge to twinkle as wisps of mist curled around it. Natsu regained his footing and rose up onto his back legs as he lifted the sword and gazed at it in dumbfounded wonder.

"Gray... what is this?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it saved us earlier too."

Natsu examined the sword's magical signature closely. "It feels like it has both of our magics running through it."

"Do you think it might be enough?" Gray dared to hope. He could feel Igneel getting weaker, and he knew they were running out of time.

"I don't know, but I'm sure as hell going to find out," Natsu readied himself for another charge, hoping against hope that it would be the last one. He was exhausted and knew the others weren't doing much better. "You think you can give me some cover?"

Gray answered by thickening the existing fog between them and Acnologia, and making it taller.

Atlas took to the air. Given how tired he was, he had no illusions of inflicting any actual damage, but he knew he was one of the few dragons left that Acnologia considered a threat, and he was certainly going to use that to their advantage. All he had to do was distract him long enough for Natsu to get at him.

Natsu advanced on Acnologia, carefully hiding the sword clutched in his claw under the cloak of the fog covering the ground. He watched as the black dragon batted at the star-eyed warriors with a massive tree trunk. It drove them back and held them at bay even as the dragon used the wooden cudgel to parry a series of strikes from Gajeel, then riposte with a swing that sent the iron dragon slayer diving back out of the way.

Atlas roared in challenge and dove towards Acnologia, commanding his attention. Natsu wasted no time in making use of the opening his uncle had provided and made his move.

"Acnologia! Your senseless slaughter ends now." Natsu challenged the black dragon boldly. "You will not live to see another dragon reaped."

Acnologia drew back the tree trunk, his gaze darting between Atlas and Natsu. He opted to swing it at Natsu's head, but the red dragon reared on his hind legs and raised the hidden sword in a parry. The silver edge of the sword bit deep into the wood, and the momentum of the swing split the trunk in two. Acnologia dropped the stump of his cudgel and slashed at Natsu with his claws, and Natsu swung the sword up in a strike that met the black dragon's arm right at the armpit. There was a crunch and a loud pop, and the dragon's arm separated from its owner in a gout of blood.

Acnologia's head reared back with an anguished roar, but moments later, the roar fell off and turned into a gurgling cough. His neck bent curiously, and he stared down at the icy sword embedded hilt deep in his chest.

"What? No... I-I..."

He fell back, causing the sword to slide out of his chest. As it withdrew, it was covered, not in blood, but in a shimmery aura of pale light. Acnologia collapsed to the ground, his head covered by the blanket of fog, but where his chest rose above the mist like an island at sea, the hole in it leaked equal parts blood and pale light. The blood dripped down, but the light coalesced into globes, each of them hovering above the dead dragon for a few moments as they grew.

Gray dispelled his magic, and the fog faded away, revealing the mangled remains of the battlefield.

Natsu turned and walked back to Gray, holding the sword out to his mate reverently, point down. As it neared his chest, the outline of his marking pulsed in time with the light of the sword, and when they touched, the sword disappeared, returning to a silvery marking on the dragon's chest.

Atlas landed next to them, having collected Rogue and Gajeel from the trench. They all stood together, exhausted but proud, as they watched the globes continuing to pour out of Acnologia's body. Some of them winked and fizzled out and Natsu took a moment to grieve for them, knowing there would be no Dragon Eyrie for them or even the chance to be reborn. Their existence was over.

He rejoiced to see the number of globes that suddenly raced off in the direction of Drak Aast far outnumbered them. His thoughts immediately went to Weisslogia, hoping that regaining the missing portions of his soul would help the white dragon regain some of the strength he'd lost, and to Belserion, who had selflessly sacrificed his soul so that Natsu might live.

One last globe remained in the sky, glowing softly above them and Natsu felt drawn to it. He instinctively knew this was the missing piece of his father's soul. The relief he felt at the thought that his parents could now reunite was immeasurable and he watched its trajectory with a smile, expecting to watch it race towards their cave where his father no doubt awaited their return. But rather than do that, it slowly traveled towards them and entered Gray's body.

Natsu stared at Gray with mounting confusion. Why would his father's soul enter his mate's body? Souls were tethered to their earthly vessels. It didn't make any sense. He turned to Atlas for an explanation, but his uncle wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Atlas?"

Natsu remembered that deep undertone he'd heard in his soul bond earlier and shook his head, dismissing the thought before it could gain any traction.

No, it couldn't be.

But as much as he wanted to deny it, things were adding up.

He had grown up around Atlas and his father, listening to them talk about the limits and applications of magic for hours on end. More than once he'd heard them speak of the existence of spells so powerful they required sacrifices from the caster, although it was usually things like life force, like the spell his father had used to transform into a human temporarily.

Wait, did that mean that Gray's transformation was also temporary? His heart sank. He'd allowed himself to believe that the impossible had somehow come to pass and they could be like this forever. Natsu wanted to ask, but he didn't want Gray to think he was disappointed, and the truth was he loved him no matter what. That would just have been more convenient.

None of these thoughts were helping him to figure out what was happening, and he was done guessing. He looked at Atlas once again, determined to get answers this time.

"Atlas, what's going on?"

"Natsu, I-"

"No." Atlas interrupted Gray. "I'll tell him. He deserves to hear it from me."

The dragon slayers whispered amongst themselves, none of them understanding what was happening but feeling the tension in the air.

"Igneel's gone." Atlas finally looked up at him, and the pain Natsu saw in his eyes was enough to let him know his uncle was speaking the truth.

"Dad's gone?"

Natsu felt like he couldn't breathe. Even if he'd suspected as much, hearing it spoken aloud was more than he could bear. Gray's worry and grief inundated their bond, and it was then Natsu realized it had felt muted earlier, but he'd been too focused on the fight to notice.

"Once he realized Gray possessed a dragon soul, he became determined to find a way to give you the life he'd always promised you." Atlas' usual bluster was nowhere to be seen, and Natsu felt for him too. He couldn't even imagine how hard it must have been for his uncle to go along with this. "He wanted that more than anything. I tried to find another way but—," his voice broke as he added, "there just wasn't enough time."

Gray had a dragon soul? But how could that be? What would have made his father ever think that?

Natsu shook those thoughts aside, recognizing them for the distractions they were. It was just his mind's way of distancing him from the pain he didn't want to accept.

He could see it so clearly now. That invitation to go flying together had been so out of character for his father. Not only that, after a lifetime of avoiding his questions, Igneel had shown him his mother at long last. And then there had been that strange comment about getting Natsu what he needed.

Everything clicked into place then, and he could no longer deny the truth of it. His father had given up his life so that he and Gray could have a chance at a normal life together. It was an incredibly selfless act, but all Natsu could think about at that moment was that if things had gone differently, then he would once again be the reason that his parents were separated.

Except this time it would have been for eternity, and that didn't sit well with him at all.

"You didn't need to do that!!" Natsu yelled out in a strangled cry.

"Natsu?" Gray reached out to touch him, but Natsu shook his head, not wanting his comfort, at least not yet.

Of course I didn't need to, I wanted to.

Igneel's voice rang in his head a moment before Gray's body pulsed with a blinding light and his legs buckled underneath him. Natsu moved to help, but before he could do so a beam of light shot out of his mate and into the air. It flickered and coalesced into a semblance of his father.

"I'm so glad I got to see you once more."

Igneel hovered above them, and although there were many cries of surprise at his sudden appearance, the red dragon only had eyes for Natsu.

His form flickered and flared in the air, making it all too clear that it wouldn't be long before he was gone for good. But all Natsu could do was stare back in frustration.

How was he supposed to just accept all of this when Igneel had been there for him ever since he could remember? Offering his counsel and showering him with affection when it seemed like there was no one else who understood him.

"Why?" Natsu struggled to find the words he wanted to say, even as the tears began to flow. "You should have told me what you were planning! I could have- I would have-"

"Natsu," Igneel interrupted, his eyes pleading with him in a way Natsu had never seen before, "There was nothing you could have done. I know this is hard for you to understand, but I needed to do this. Not just for the two of you, but for myself as well. I wanted my life to amount to more than just the sum of my mistakes."

You've always tried to do your best for the ones you love. I think sometimes you forget you deserve to be happy too, and that's what I wanted to give you." Igneel's smile was fond and warm and damn it, it hurt, because Natsu knew this was the last time he'd see it. "Seeing the two of you like this, and knowing how far you both had to grow to get to this point, it makes me so proud of both of you."

Igneel's form began to fade and Natsu reached out with his hand, even though he already knew there was nothing there for him to grab hold of. "Please," he sobbed. "I just want a little more time with you."

"I'll always be with you, Natsu, In your heart and in your memories."

Igneel turned his head suddenly, and when he looked back at Natsu, there were tears in his eyes. "I can hear your mother calling for me." His voice trembled with the yearning he'd tried to hide for so long. "I can't wait to tell her all about you. Take care of each other, my sons."

His last words were barely a whisper as his form flickered one last time before reshaping into a globe and racing skyward. Natsu watched for as long as he could make out its progress, making no effort to stop his tears.

"Thank you, Dad."

And even as his heart ached, he also felt a sense of peace settle over him. His parents, separated for so long, would once again be free to continue their eternal dance. He felt a tail coiling around his, as an icy wing attempted to envelop him in a tight hug, grounding him and reminding him that despite the enormous loss he'd suffered, he'd also gained something of equal value - a lifetime with his Ice Princess.

A/N: I have mixed feelings about this one, it was by far the hardest chapter to write to date. I'm glad that while Igneel died, he was able to get his fondest wish in the end. He's one of my favorite dragons in the series and I really enjoyed giving him more life than he usually gets. Next chapter they'll finally head home.

I really love what Dein did with Gray's magic. Acnologia was so incredibly overpowered that the only thing that could help defeat him was to neutralize his magic and put them all on an even playing field. Maker magic is so incredibly versatile, and I really enjoyed how Gray used it to create those warriors, which reminded me a bit of both his decoys and of course the weapons he constantly makes in canon.

When I first asked khaoticvex to design Gray's dragon form (God in like April of 2020) I was blown away by what she came up with. She incorporated all of Gray's magic and elements in his design. One of the things I instantly loved and wanted to do something with was the sword pendant. She had made it into a marking on his chest and that is where a lot of the inspiration for that scene came from. She also included his devil slayer markings which I had not considered using at first, but opened up the possibility for this magic Dein created which we are currently calling NegaMagic as it negates magic. ;)

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Only one left... I'll get to work on it soon. It should hopefully be up on or before August 30th.