This story was originally inspired by watching How To Train Your Dragon and imagining Natsu as Gray's dragon. It was meant to be a one-shot for an event I was participating in and the more I set to plotting it the more it grew outside of my control. I have been working on it almost exclusively since November and it is my entry for the Fairy Tail Big Bang, a writer/artist collaboration event on Tumblr.

I will link the art as soon as it is up.
This story is currently 2/3 finished and will publish every two weeks.
I would like to thank my artist, selenba, who is not only an amazing artist but also a lovely friend. It was an absolute pleasure to work with you, love!

I would also like to thank  @Eclipsing_Paradise for reading every chapter, sometimes out of order and giving me her honest feedback. It seems fitting that you were involved in my other epic with dragons. ;)

If you are interested in reading other stories entered in this event check out the Tumblr event ft-bb blog where they will all be posted. One last shoutout to my friends at ftlgbtales for putting up with me on a regular basis.

Disclaimer: All Fairy Tail Characters Belong To Hiro Mashima

Chapter 1

Natsu Dragneel walked around the main room of his cave trying to find something to entertain him. His father and uncle had been talking about magic for the last few hours now, and they seemed to have completely forgotten about him.

As usual.

Natsu sighed. There wasn't much to keep an eight-year-old boy entertained inside the vast space he called home. He tried to practice his fire magic, but soon lost interest. He pretended that a stick he had collected was a wooden sword and tried to fight his shadow, but he got overly excited and set his makeshift sword on fire instead.

That happened a lot.

He had resigned himself to yet another lonely afternoon when he felt the significant discomfort of his body changing. In just a few minutes, his body had transmogrified into that of a small red dragon. Natsu tested his wings and found he could lift himself up easily.

Looking over to where the two enormous dragons were still talking, he determined they weren't paying the slightest attention to him. They wouldn't miss him if he stepped out for a little while. Natsu's eyes twinkled in anticipation of getting into mischief.

He slipped out as quietly as he could and worked his way to the rear exit of the cave. It was positioned in a way that kept their comings and goings away from any prying eyes of the nearby village.

He stood at the exit, trying to decide which direction to explore. Natsu knew enough to stay away from the village as his father wanted to keep their existence a secret. But there were plenty of other directions he could go.

He'd never gone off on his own before, and his heart raced at the prospect. Natsu was going on an adventure, and no one could stop him!

He sniffed the surrounding air, hoping to catch the scent of an animal he could hunt. Instead, he found a smell he couldn't remember ever having encountered before. It was a scent that was enticing, calling out to him, and so he immediately set off to explore it, without a thought as to whether it was wise to do so.

Flying was the thing Natsu liked best about being a dragon. When he was in the air, he felt free. All of his loneliness and worries just melted away. There was no other feeling like it.

There was, however, one problem.

Natsu felt his body change back mid-flight. He'd flown higher than usual and now he could only flail his arms in panic as the ground rushed at him, hoping he could somehow affect his now different body. But he only fell faster and faster until there was nothing but green and brown in his field of vision.

He flailed his arms once more, desperately trying to grab on to something before hitting the ground.

"OW," he screamed as branch after branch broke his fall until he came to a stop. He dangled from an immense tree, trapped by the scarf he usually wore around his neck.

Yeah, flying was great. The only problem was he never knew how long he would remain in his dragon form. Natsu struggled to get free, but all he managed was to tighten the scarf around his neck even more.

How was he going to get out of this one?

o-o

Gray Fullbuster was also an eight-year-old boy who had taken an unexpected journey on his own. All of his possessions were stuffed into his knapsack and he'd been walking around the woods that had bordered his village for the last few days, eating when he could.

He couldn't remember much that had happened in the last few days, his mind still caught up in the immense loss he had suffered. So he'd just kept walking, knowing eventually he would either come to a village or die. At the moment, he was okay with either.

Gray startled out of his stupor when he heard a rather loud crash somewhere to the west of him. Part of him wanted to ignore the noise, but he couldn't. A noisy "OW" had captured his attention, and the voice had sounded quite young. After what he'd just been through, he couldn't just leave someone to their own devices if he could help.

Besides, it's not like he had anywhere he had to be.

With a slightly annoyed grunt, he turned west and began his search. He looked all around, hoping to see any evidence of the noise he'd heard, but nothing seemed to be amiss.

"Hey!"

Gray looked around once more but couldn't see anyone.

"I'm up here!" The voice called out again, and this time Gray was sure it belonged to a kid. He looked up and caught his breath. There was indeed a boy hanging on to a tree branch that had to be at least twenty feet up. How the hell was he supposed to get him down from there?

"Let go, I'll catch you."

It was only after saying the words that Gray realized how incredibly stupid they were. If the boy let go and Gray didn't catch him, he could easily break something and then he'd be in even more trouble. Hell, even If Gray did somehow catch him, they'd both get hurt.

"I can't, I'm stuck."

The boy took one hand off the branch and pointed to his neck before returning it to its original position. Gray could barely make out a piece of fabric that was caught in the branches. He understood the problem now. If the boy let go of the branch he was holding on to, the scarf that was wrapped around both his neck and the tree branches would hang him.

Gray put his knapsack down and rummaged through its contents until he found what he was looking for, a utility knife he'd rescued from the rubble that was all that remained of his village. He tucked it into the back of his pants and stared at the tree, trying to figure out a way to get up to the boy.

Gray found the lowest branch that he thought would likely support his weight and jumped up, trying to catch it in his hands. His fingers barely touched it the first time, but he was able to grasp it on his second try. He pulled himself up until both his elbows were on the branch. Then he used them to hold his upper body as he swung his legs until he had hooked one on the branch and then got himself into a sitting position.

The boy was still pretty high above him.

Gray took a couple of deep breaths, and without looking down, he cautiously climbed branch by branch until he was close enough to get a good look at the boy he was trying to help. He looked to be about his age, and Gray was immediately intrigued.

He had pink hair, which Gray had never seen before, and bright green eyes that demanded his attention. Gray, however, was focused on the boy's mouth at the moment. Not only did he not seem scared, but he also seemed to be enjoying himself, if the fanged grin he was sporting was anything to go by.

"Hang on," Gray said as he tested the branch Natsu was on to make sure it could hold his weight. Once he felt sure it could, he climbed on and shimmied his way over. He grabbed hold of the scarf and took his knife out, getting ready to tear it and free the boy.

"Wait! What are you doing?" A look of panic replaced the boy's grin. "You can't tear it, that's the only thing I have of my mother!"

"Your mother died?" Gray asked quietly. His mother had died only a few days earlier, and he still couldn't talk about it.

The boy grabbed the scarf protectively in one hand, looking at Gray with a bit of distrust. "I never met her, she died when I was born, but this scarf was hers."

Gray flinched when he saw how precariously the boy was dangling while holding on with one hand.

"Well, how else do you expect me to get you down from there?" he grumbled, "If I promise I won't tear it, will you please hold on properly?"

The boy eyed him, staring into his eyes as if he could see into his very soul. It was unnerving, but much to Gray's relief, he finally nodded his agreement.

"I promise."

"Okay." The boy let go of the scarf and grabbed the branch again. "Do you think you can try something quick? My arms really hurt."

Gray looked for either of the loose ends of the scarf so he could try to detangle it. If the boy had given him any other reason, he would have torn through the scarf anyway, but he understood what it felt like to have only one thing left of someone you loved.

So Gray continued to look until he found the loose end. It had knotted itself around a branch. He detangled the scarf as best he could, at one point pulling so hard he almost choked the poor boy, but he was finally able to release him, and the scarf fell to the ground.

Then the boy did something unexpected. He let go of the branch, and as he fell, jets of fire appeared under his feet, slowing down his descent. He reached the ground with a grin, appearing quite satisfied with himself. Quickly picking up the scarf, he shook the dirt off and placed it around his neck once again.

Gray climbed down the tree slowly, and when he'd made it all the way down, he immediately went over to the boy.

"How did you do that?"

"Magic." He grinned. "Don't you have it?"

Gray shook his head. "My name is Gray, by the way." He extended his hand for the boy to shake, but he only looked at it in confusion, as if he didn't know what was expected of him.

"Well?" Gray prodded when he'd received no response to his introduction. "What's your name?"

"Oh! My name is Natsu. Nice to meet you!" He grinned at Gray and looked around while scratching his head. "Where am I?"

"I don't really know, I was just passing through when I heard you crash into the tree." Gray stopped for a moment, puzzled. "How did you do that, anyway?"

"I was flying, and then I fell," Natsu said matter-of-factly, as if this was a normal occurrence for him. "At least the tree broke my fall." He chirped.

Natsu sniffed Gray with interest, before moving on to the surrounding air. He seemed puzzled.

"What are you doing?" Gray asked, he'd only just met Natsu, but every moment spent with him only led to more questions.

"I'm trying to see if I can smell the way home, but I can't. I guess I must have gone further than I thought."

For the first time, he looked nervous, and Gray noticed he was fiddling with his scarf.

"It's okay, you can stay with me until you find your way home." Gray offered, and when he saw Natsu relax slightly, he added, "For now, it's getting late. We should find a place to set up camp for the night."

They walked in silence, picking up sticks for kindling as they went. Gray had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, but he couldn't think of a way to do so that wouldn't lead to him having to answer questions of his own. So he remained quiet, even though his curiosity was so intense it felt like it had a will of its own.

Every once in a while, Natsu would start that strange sniffing, and his hands would once again go to his scarf. A few times Gray saw him burying his nose in it, trying to hide the small whine that came from his throat. It was oddly endearing, and for a reason he couldn't explain, Gray began to feel responsible for Natsu.

He was a bundle of energy and also distracted easily. More than once Gray had to run after him when he took off to chase after a rabbit. He'd begun to think that having Natsu with him was going to be more trouble than it was worth. Until Natsu turned to him with those green eyes and that toothy grin of his, and Gray felt a warmth in his chest that he hadn't known since that dragon had destroyed his village. He knew it was worth the added inconvenience.

He found a nice clearing under a copse of trees and decided they would camp there for the night. They set the sticks they had collected in a pile and mixed some dry leaves in. Gray opened his knapsack to look for his flint so he could start a fire, but by the time he'd found it, Natsu had already lit the fire using his magic. He stared at the flames thoughtfully, and Gray thought he looked sad.

"What's the matter, Natsu?"

Natsu turned towards him with glistening eyes and admitted he'd never slept outside of his cave before.

His cave? Gray wasn't sure what to say to that, but it made him feel closer to Natsu. Until a few days ago, it had been the same for him. He'd never slept outside his home.

Both their stomachs rumbled, almost as if to lighten their mood, and they laughed together.

"I guess we should hunt for some food." Gray smiled.

"Now can I chase rabbits?" Natsu asked eagerly.

He waited for Gray's response, and when he received a nod, he took off with incredible speed. To Gray's surprise, he soon returned with two fat rabbits and a satisfied smile. Maybe having him around wouldn't be so bad after all. It usually took Gray hours to hunt down anything.

Since Natsu caught their dinner, Gray got to work preparing it. They sat by the fire waiting for the food to cook and Gray shivered, still not used to being outside in the chilly night air. Natsu watched him and moved closer. Gray felt a pleasant warmth surround him like a cocoon.

"How are you so warm?" Gray wondered.

"It's just my magic." Natsu shrugged as if it wasn't important.

"Where do you live, anyway?" Gray asked, curious where this strange boy had come from.

"I live in the mountains with my dad and uncle," Natsu replied. "We live near a village called Talos."

"Talos? I've never heard of it. "

Their food was finally ready, and they ate in silence, content to sit near each other. Gray shared his water canteen with his new friend. He went to set up his bedroll and promptly realized he didn't have another.

Natsu looked at the bedroll with interest. "What's that?"

"It's where I sleep at night."

Gray wondered what he should do and decided he didn't care if Natsu shared his bedroll with him. His parents had always taught him to share his things with others, and who knew, it might even help keep his nightmares at bay.

"I don't have another, but you're welcome to share it."

Natsu shrugged his shoulders and, after attending to the call of nature, crawled into the bedroll and instantly fell asleep. Gray did the same. He put out the fire and crawled into the bedroll which was already warm thanks to Natsu's unusually high body temperature. Gray felt content as he turned away from Natsu, their backs touching while they both slept.

o-o

When Natsu woke up, it took him a moment to remember where he was. Instead of his nice warm cave, he was inside some sort of fabric. Rather than being cuddled up against his father's massive body, there was a boy who looked to be about his age.

Natsu recalled the boy's name was Gray. He backed away, realizing that sometime during the night he'd snuggled up against his new friend, and not wanting to make the other boy uncomfortable.

Gray was still asleep, and Natsu took this opportunity to get a good look at him. He hadn't set foot in Talos since the day he'd been born, and the only other human he'd ever met was Anna Heartfilia. She'd taken care of him when he was younger and still came to visit him every week.

Recently she'd been trying to convince his father to let Natsu attend something called school, along with some other kids she took care of. He wasn't sure what it was all about, but he'd sure like to meet other kids, especially if they were as fun as Gray.

His father was against the idea because Natsu couldn't control his impulses very well on his own. Maybe this adventure would help prove to his father that he was wrong. He chose to forget that the only reason he was in this mess was that he hadn't heeded his father's warning in the first place and had flown further away from the mountain than ever before.

He needed to figure out how to get back home. He knew his father wouldn't be able to find him quickly while he was in his human form, but nothing smelled familiar, and his senses were weaker when he was like this.

He watched Gray sleep a little longer and felt a warmth in his heart, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. When he'd sniffed him earlier, he'd recognized the scent that had enticed him to fly in that direction. Even though he was unsure of what it meant, Natsu had to admit that he felt strangely at home with him. Like he was right where he was supposed to be. He felt a need to protect him too, even though so far it had been Gray who had done the protecting.

Gray stirred in his sleep, and Natsu decided to get up and search their immediate surroundings for a source of water. If he found one, then maybe they could have some fish for breakfast.

He found a tall tree and took off his scarf in a moment of uncharacteristic foresight. After hanging it on a low branch, he climbed as high as he dared. He held on tightly to the wide tree trunk, looking in all directions until he spotted something that looked like it might be a river. Marking the course, he climbed down, grabbing his scarf and wrapping it around his neck again.

Natsu moved quickly and quietly, years of training from his father teaching him the stealth needed to get around undetected. It didn't take him very long to reach the river, and he waded in. Remaining still, he watched the fish for a while before plunging in with his hands to catch them. He threw his catch over to the shore, continuing to fish until there was a large pile. Natsu liked to eat a lot, and from what he'd seen, Gray was no slouch either.

With that out of the way, he got to the earnest business of having fun. He swam around; the water feeling very nice against his sweaty skin. He hoped Gray got there soon, Natsu had never had anyone to play with before, and he was excited. He splashed around and swum underwater, looking for anything that might keep him entertained.

When Gray finally got there, Natsu was busy watching a turtle sunbathing on a log. He looked up, saw his friend and grinned. "Isn't this great?"

"You could have told me where you were going," Gray grumbled at him.

"I figured you'd find me, eventually."

Gray waded into the water and swam over to Natsu. He looked at the turtle for a bit, and Natsu snuck up behind him and splashed him. Gray immediately retaliated, and it quickly escalated into a wrestling match. Both of them laughed and soon came up with other games to play. They swam, and Gray looked genuinely content for the first time since Natsu had met him.

"I guess this counts as a bath?" Natsu grinned, and Gray laughed as he agreed with him.

Natsu got out of the river, every part of him dripping wet. He surrounded himself with his fire and dried off.

"What does it feel like to have magic?" Gray asked curiously.

He'd come out of the river as well, shivering and looking pretty miserable, so Natsu walked over to him.

"Warm? I don't know, I've always had it. How does it feel to not to have it?" Natsu grinned at Gray.

"I see your point."

"Do you trust me?" Natsu asked him seriously as he covered himself in his fire once again.

He waited for Gray to give him some sort of signal before continuing. When Gray nodded, Natsu wrapped his arms around his friend and extended his flames from his body to Gray's, being careful to keep the temperature at a tolerable level. Within a few minutes, Gray was dry, and Natsu released his fire and let go. He felt happy to have been able to do something for his new friend.

Natsu sat by the river bank, patting the space next to him. "I thought you might like some fish."

Gray looked around for a fishing rod of some kind but didn't see any. How had he caught the fish?

"It's a nice change. How are you so good at catching food?" Gray asked as he watched Natsu grab some fish and cook them in his hands.

"My dad and uncle taught me. They wanted me to learn to take care of myself in case something happened to them." Natsu handed the fish to Gray and continued to cook some more for himself. "They taught me a lot of other stuff too."

"How did you end up here all by yourself, anyway?" He asked offhandedly, peering at Gray as he cooked. He could smell a lot of pain on his friend, and he wanted to know more about him, the warmth in his heart already making demands.

"My village is gone," Gray replied simply, and it took little for Natsu to realize that there was a hell of a lot more to that story than Gray was letting on. But he also knew enough not to pry. "I'm trying to find my way to another one."

"Is there one this way?" Natsu asked, concerned that he might end up in a human village.

Even though he was excited about the idea, he couldn't help but remember his father's warnings. If he changed back, that could spell trouble for him. He hoped he could find his way home before they reached the next village, but for all he knew they could be walking even further away from his cave.

Gray scratched his head. "I don't know, I couldn't find a map, but now that we've found this river we should be able to follow it to a village." He smiled at Natsu, trying to reassure him. "They might even know where Talos is. Your father must be looking for you."

Natsu looked at Gray's smile curiously, wondering why it had such an effect on him. Just thinking about his father had him fidgeting with his scarf, "He probably is at that, and I probably won't like what he has to say when he finds me."

Gray laughed at that, "Yeah, I got lost one time, and when my father found me he was not amused."

Natsu noticed that the smile quickly vanished, replaced by the bittersweet smell of sadness. Natsu wanted to put his arm around Gray, but he wasn't sure how that gesture would be received.

"Did something happen to your parents?"

Gray ignored the question, standing up and getting his things together. "We should get going, we'd best make use of daylight."

Natsu let it go. It wasn't like he was disclosing all his secrets either. He walked next to Gray, and they followed the river in silence, each immersed in his own thoughts.

When it got dark, they set up camp again following the previous night's routine -with Natsu hunting, and Gray cooking. Natsu told a few stories of his childhood, times he'd gotten in trouble with Anna before they settled into the bedroll and tried to fall asleep.

0-0

They followed the same routine for the next few days as they continued to walk along the river. Natsu grew ever more anxious that they would reach a village soon, but he was also having too much fun with Gray to do anything about it.

They had settled down for the night, when Gray's voice woke him.

"Hey, Natsu?" Gray had turned on his side and looked at him.

"Hmm?" Natsu replied sleepily.

"Why doesn't your father want you to go to the village?" Gray asked, and there was something in his tone that confused Natsu. He wasn't sure what the real question was, but he knew there was more to it than just curiosity.

"He's worried that I might do something that might make them want to hurt me, I guess?"

"Hurt you? Why would anyone want to hurt you?" Gray stared at him, and Natsu could see him try to sort it out in his mind. "Is it because of your magic? Does he think you might lose control of it and burn the town down or something?"

Natsu laughed, "I suppose that might be part of it. I can be reckless sometimes, and I don't always think things through."

"But if I lived in Talos, could I see you?" Gray asked, and Natsu finally got the question he'd been asking.

"If you lived in Talos, there's a field that I go to outside of town," Natsu told him seriously. "I could meet you there."

Natsu could almost see the tension working itself out of Gray's body. He decided to try something.

I will always come when you need me.

He thought the words as hard as he could, sending them through the bond that he could feel forming between them. He didn't understand what it was yet, but he could feel it solidifying the more time they spent together.

Natsu contained his excitement when he felt Gray jump next to him. "How did you do that?"

"I don't know exactly, I was curious if I could." Natsu was thrilled. This felt important.

"Can you hear my thoughts?" Gray asked, looking intrigued.

"No, it's not like that. I can only send thoughts. You try it, think something really hard at me!"

Natsu waited to hear his friend's words in his head, but there was nothing. He was disappointed, but he tried not to show it.

Gray looked at him expectantly, but Natsu had to shake his head. Gray seemed as disappointed as Natsu felt.

"It's okay."

Natsu looked up at the stars and wondered what his father was doing right now. He knew both his father and his uncle must be frantic. They'd never been apart for this long.

As much fun as he was having with this boy, he needed to get back home. He wondered if he could bring Gray home with him. Anna had said that not all humans hated dragons. That there were others like her, even in the village.

He dared to hope. It would be nice to have a playmate. Natsu wanted to believe that he could trust Gray with his secret. He wondered if Gray would enjoy riding him. It would be so fun to go exploring together. Flying together until Natsu could feel himself transform and then explore and hunt and camp until he turned back again.

Natsu fell asleep with a radiant smile on his face, dreaming of what life would be like with Gray at his side. He wrapped his arms around Gray in his sleep. Gray didn't push him away.

o-o

There was fire everywhere. People were screaming and running out of their houses. Gray could feel the heat and hear the roar of the flames as they burned through everything he'd ever known. His parents had grabbed their packed bags even as they ran out of the house. They'd been planning ongoing camping for the first time the following morning and had already packed their supplies.

His parents didn't spare a look to the village that was crumbling all around them. They ran towards the woods with single-minded determination. Gray was terrified by everything that was going on around him. He could see charred bodies everywhere he looked. Houses were collapsing. Despite that, he couldn't see what was causing it, and he thought that scared him most of all because no one was trying to put out the fires and there was a deafening roar in the sky. His parents pulled him behind them, yelling at him to not look and just run.

And he tried. He really did, but he couldn't help but scream at the sight of the charred remains of one of his friends. Gray could almost touch his parents' fear as they tried to pull him away, the woods looming ever closer.

He heard laughter, cruel and mocking, seeming to come from everywhere at once. And suddenly there it was. The red dragon, covered in flames and hovering above him. His snout opened as he readied his breath attack -

"GRAY!" Gray could hear a voice calling to him from far away, but he was too caught in the dream, and as much as he hated the next part he wanted to see his parents for as long as he could.

"GRAY!" This time he heard the voice inside his dream, and he knew what it meant.

Natsu.

He was in his head. This time it felt less like a call and more like a command. And no matter how much he wanted to fight it, he was compelled to follow the voice back.

He opened his eyes to find Natsu above him, shaking his shoulders slightly and calling to him. Gray wondered if he even knew he'd been in his mind again. Tears were streaming down both their faces and Gray shoved Natsu off him.

He needed to sit up, to breathe. He didn't know what he needed, and he couldn't stop crying. Natsu sat behind him and put his arms around him in a tight embrace. Gray struggled against him, but Natsu only held on tighter, until Gray relaxed against him slightly. His shoulders shook, and Natsu cried with him.

When he finally calmed down, he felt Natsu calm down as well, and he asked, "Why are you crying?"

"You woke me up with your screams. I was scared." Gray was satisfied with that answer until Natsu looked away. He got the feeling there was more to it than Natsu was letting on.

Who was this boy and how was he so connected to him? The feeling had only gotten stronger the more time they spent together. Gray stared at Natsu, but he wouldn't hold his gaze.

"What were you dreaming about?" Natsu finally asked.

"A fire dragon attacked my village a few days before you crashed into the tree. It destroyed the entire village and killed everyone. Except for me." Gray told him, his words feeling cold considering how the dream had burned through him. He'd felt the need to tell Natsu, feeling that he owed him something after what had just happened.

He was expecting Natsu to be sad or upset. What he wasn't expecting was the look of complete despair on Natsu's face.

o-o

Natsu awoke suddenly, his heart beating rapidly. The hairs on his body stood on end, but he was disoriented. It took him a second to hear the blood-curdling screams of the boy thrashing about next to him. Natsu was overwhelmed. There was so much pain in those screams.

He could feel it inside him, and he cried even though he didn't know what was going on. The fledgling connection between them was already trying to communicate his mate's distress to him. For this boy was his mate. Natsu could no longer deny what that bond was, and his instincts were screaming at him to do something.

"Gray," Natsu tried to shake him awake. He called his name again, louder this time.

He called out to Gray as loudly as he could, trying to break him out of the dream's spell, but it did no good. He straddled him, holding on to Gray's flailing arms and screaming into Gray's mind as loudly as he could, calling him back until he saw Gray open his eyes. Even though they appeared blank at first, they soon focused on him. Next thing he knew he was being shoved off Gray's body as the boy sat up, sobs wracking his body.

Natsu sat behind him and held him tight, not letting go even when Gray fought him, his instincts guiding him. Gray relaxed into the embrace and Natsu was thankful for he had no clue what to do or say.

Once Gray had calmed down somewhat, Natsu worked up the nerve to ask him what this was all about. "What were you dreaming about?"

"A fire dragon attacked my village a few days before you crashed into the tree. It destroyed the entire village and killed everyone there. Except for me." Gray told him, not realizing how his words were going to affect Natsu.

Natsu heard the words in his head, over and over, yet they still made no sense. How could it be that a fire dragon would be capable of such a heinous act? Fire dragons were good, they were friends to the humans.

His own father had made sure of that.

"Are you sure it was a fire dragon?" Natsu asked, desperately seeking another explanation no matter how outlandish, even though he knew it was hopeless.

He knew well that fire dragons were not easily confused. Their size, the color of their scales and their ability to breathe out fire made them among one of the more distinct types of dragons. If Gray had seen a fire dragon destroy his village, there was no other explanation.

A dragon like him had destroyed Gray's village, killed his family. Natsu felt like he couldn't breathe. His world was closing in on him, and for the first time in his life, he was ashamed of who he was.

At the same time, he was receiving a host of emotions from Gray, even though he looked impassive on the outside.

"It can't be, it just can't be." Natsu muttered to himself, "We would never do anything like that. Igneel would never allow it."

"What do you mean by we?" Gray asked, and though his tone was curious, Natsu could feel the change in Gray through the bond.

There was now suspicion mixed in with all the other emotions, and Natsu realized he'd been so busy showing off to his mate that he'd shown him too much. His fire magic, his hunting ability, his incredible body warmth.

He had to make a choice.

"Gray," Natsu decided to be honest. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad. Gray knew he would never hurt him, right? And just maybe it would help him realize not all dragons were the same. He took a deep breath and revealed his secret.

"I'm a fire dragon."

"No, you're not," Gray yelled, "Is this some kind of joke to you?"

"I'm a dragon."

When Gray's face turned angry, Natsu believed it was because Gray thought he was lying.

"I'll show you." Natsu tried his hardest to change back, but nothing happened. His father claimed that someday he'd be able to change at will, but for now, it seemed to be more chance than anything. Even when he was in his dragon form, he never knew how long it would last.

"Stop playing." Gray was still clearly angry, and he pushed Natsu, hard.

Natsu fell back and hit his head on a tree trunk. He felt the blood trickle down from his head and growled. He was afraid, and he tried to make himself look larger, like his father had taught him.

"I'm not playing, I really am a dragon." Natsu fought back the tears that were threatening to spill forth. He didn't like this side of Gray.

"I can't change at will yet." His eyes pleaded with Gray to believe him, to calm down and go back to the way he'd been before, but Gray seemed to be possessed by something dark and ugly. He grabbed Natsu by the collar of his vest and pulled him up.

Gray pulled back his fist and Natsu yelled at the top of his lungs, "Stop!"

Gray seemed to come out of whatever spell he'd been under. He looked at Natsu horrified and put his fist down, "I'm so sorry, I--"

Natsu never gave him a chance to finish what he was going to say. He ran away even as he heard Gray calling after him, paying no attention to where he was going as his fear clouded his judgment. He was still having trouble believing that one of his kind could have done something so terrible.

He'd known some humans hated dragons, but he'd never expected Gray to be one of them.

It shocked him to his core, and he wanted to scream, to cry because this couldn't be happening. Nasu had found his mate, and he hated everything Natsu was. And the worst part was that he couldn't blame him.

What was he supposed to do? Where could he go? He was lost, and he was still weak when he was in this form, even with magic. He had to get away.

Natsu ran into a giant wall of hellfire. He recognized it right away, and he'd never been so happy to see someone in his life.

"Uncle Atlas!"

"What's the matter, Natsu?" Atlas asked with concern. "Are you hurt?"

When Natsu wouldn't answer, Atlas let him climb atop him and took off.

I'm sorry, Natsu. Please come back.

Natsu heard Gray's voice in his head repeating those words over and over as if he was desperate for Natsu to believe him. He cried harder and thought about not answering, but his instincts wouldn't allow it, so he replied the only thing he could think of.

I'll always come when you need me.

He held on to his uncle and managed to fall asleep for the flight home.

A/N: I hope you liked this first chapter and decide to keep reading the rest of the story. If you did, please let me know somehow. I enjoy hearing from you and I usually respond to comments.

I know I've been away for what seems like a long time, and I owe you guys some chapters for some of my WIP's. The good news is that as I said this story is mostly completed, which is not the way I usually write. So updates should remain consistent and I should still be able to work on other stories like To Save a Dragon and How Writing Fanfiction Save Me as well, with a few events interspersed in between.

Speaking of events :) I wanted to let everyone know that Gratsu Weekend is coming up from March 1-4. Check out our blog fuckyeahgratsu at https://fuckyeahgratsu.tumblr.com/tagged/gratsuevent/  on Tumblr for more information. We'd love it if you all took part!