Chapter 6

Lyon kicked Gray when he stirred. He was tired of waiting, and he'd already run out of things he could realistically do to pass the time.

"Ow, what the hell, Lyon?" Gray sat up, rubbing the pain in his side. He looked around and saw that it was already getting dark.

"Well, you definitely got your ass handed to you," Lyon commented as he evaluated the bruises that covered what he could see of Gray's body. "You should probably get Wendy to look at you. Then again, she might not be all that willing to help you."

He absently created some eagles out of his ice and practiced controlling them.

"I was holding my own until the scarlet menace got involved."

"Is that what you think?" Lyon mused, intent on making his eagles fly in formation. "From where I was standing you lost the moment you overlooked what it was you wanted."

Gray seemed to mull over Lyon's words, but only looked confused. Lyon could only marvel at his denseness.

"Why are we in this podunk village, Gray?" Lyon raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Don't get me wrong, it's nice and all. But we could have gone anywhere. You were determined to come here. Have you already forgotten why that was?"

Lyon could almost work out the second Gray finally understood what he was getting at. "Natsu." Gray groaned, putting his hand to his aching head and releasing some of his ice to soothe the pain.

Lyon nodded affably. "Indeed. The hothead himself. So why is it then, that ever since we've been here, you've done nothing but antagonize him?"

Gray startled at the unexpected question. "How should I know?"

"Well, you better figure it out soon because I think you crossed a line today," Lyon said, and the seriousness in his voice made Gray take notice.

"What do you mean?"

"As much as it pains me to admit it, Natsu was right," Lyon dispelled his eagles and turned his gaze towards his brother, "What we were about to do was a senseless slaughter. That dragon never attacked us, even after we attacked it. We went after it because of what it was, and I for one am ashamed of doing so."

"It was a dragon." Gray snarled immediately.

"It was an innocent creature, and if it ever attacks people, it will be our fault." Lyon corrected. "We just taught it to be afraid of people. I understand your hate, Gray, but maybe you need to work on limiting it to the dragon that deserves it. If you don't, you might lose the one person you were so determined to find."

"Why does he care about them so much?" Gray shouted in frustration.

"I don't know, but it's obvious that he does." Lyon answered, already becoming disinterested.

Gray eyed Lyon with suspicion, "Why do you care about this so much suddenly?"

Lyon shrugged, "I can respect someone who stands up for what they believe in. Especially when it so obviously goes against what they want."

He chose not to mention the expression he'd seen on Natsu's face when he'd looked at Gray. It might very well already be too late for Gray to make amends. Lyon had done the best he could. The rest was up to them.

"By the way, the scarlet menace, as you so charmingly call her, asked me to tell you you're working all weekend," Lyon informed his brother, freezing the smile that wanted to creep in as he thought of Erza. He was kind of glad they had ended up in this village, not that he would ever admit it.

Gray whined, "I just got off working for the last three days."

"You should have thought of that before you attacked a fellow guardsman," Lyon remarked with zero sympathy. "He's stuck working the weekend as well, by the way."

His task completed, Lyon headed home, leaving a disgruntled Gray to think about what he'd said. Then again, even if he didn't, there would still be plenty of fireworks to keep him entertained.

O-o

"Of all the stupid, immature stunts you've ever pulled." Erza continued to yell, and Natsu debated tuning her out, but he knew from experience it would only irritate her further. So he sat in his chair and listened to Erza unload her displeasure until she was done. This day was going splendidly so far.

To his surprise, Erza got up from behind her desk and examined his bruises, which were already healing thanks to the regenerative ability that was part of his magic. He could occasionally extend this ability to others as well. Although it took a lot out of him to do so.

"Are you okay?" Erza asked him, and when he heard the concern in her words, it warmed his aching heart a little.

Natsu plastered his usual smile on his face, "This? This is nothing."

"Don't do that." Erza snapped.

"What?" Natsu asked, genuinely confused.

"Act as if nothing happened," Erza met his gaze and held it. "I've never seen you fight like that, Natsu. Not against a friend, anyway. What happened?"

"I couldn't let Gray kill that dragon, and he was determined to."

"Do you know what that's about?" Natsu could tell that Erza was trying to figure out how much of an issue she had on her hands, but he didn't hold it against her. There was genuine concern mixed in as well. He knew better than anyone that her job wasn't easy. He'd had it before her, and he still filled in for her when she went away on missions.

"Yeah," He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before opening them. His green eyes fixed on Erza's waiting brown ones. "Before we met, the red dragon Deliora attacked his village. It was destroyed, and everyone but Gray was killed. He watched the whole thing happen."

The most frustrating part of the whole situation was that Natsu could somewhat understand. He didn't know how he would feel if everyone he loved was taken away from him.

Erza gasped. She'd heard of such things happening, but she'd met no one that had been affected directly. It indeed explained the animosity. Her mother had been fighting in the war for years, trying to keep Talos safe from those types of attacks. She'd been the first adult to receive magic from the dragon slayer spell.

After some training, she'd left with her dragon, Belserion, to join the battle effort. Even now, she was still fighting. It had been a long time since Erza had seen her, but she was proud of her mother. It's why she enjoyed her job so much, it made her feel like she was doing her part to keep them safe too.

Still, the village of Talos had a peaceful relationship with the red dragons that lived in the mountains. Erza had no desire to put that in jeopardy just because Gray couldn't control his emotions. Although the red dragons mostly kept to themselves, they could occasionally be spotted flying around the mountains or even over the lake. Erza was sure they kept most of the more dangerous dragons away.

"Natsu, I've been meaning to ask you," Erza asked sweetly, which in all honesty should have been the first clue he was about to get screwed. "How is it the two of you know each other?"

"When I was eight years old, I got lost and he... rescued me, I guess. We traveled together for a few days. Then... my uncle found me and brought me home." Natsu hedged, glossing over most of the details. "I never saw him again until he showed up here with Lyon."

Erza looked at him for several minutes, "How did he know about your magic? You didn't get yours until right before the others."

Natsu couldn't believe he'd forgotten about that. Shit! He remained outwardly calm and shrugged his shoulders, feigning ignorance.

This was a problem.

Erza narrowed her eyes at him and was about to say something when there was a knock on her office door.

"What is it?" Erza called out in a tone that implied whoever was on the other side better have one hell of a good excuse for interrupting.

The response was muffled but still easy to make out. "It's Gray."

Erza walked over to the door and pulled it open. She pointed to the chair next to Natsu's, and Gray hurried to sit.

o-o

Gray snuck a look at Natsu and to his chagrin saw the fire mage looked to be in much better shape than he was. He noticed how Natsu's jaw had locked into a hard line the moment he'd walked in the room. Gray remembered Lyon's words — you might lose the one person you were so determined to find.

He didn't want that to happen. Erza coughed, and he shifted his attention to her.

"Now that I have you both here, I would like to express my displeasure with your actions." Erza continued in this vein, droning on and on until Gray could barely keep his eyes open.

Erza startled him by kicking his chair. "If something like this happens again, I will expel you both from the guard. Do you understand?"

"What?!" Natsu complained as he shot out of his chair, "He attacked me, how is that fair?"

"You didn't have to continue it Natsu, you could have incapacitated him at any time." Erza pointed out. "You chose to keep fighting."

"Furthermore, Gray is here because of you, so he will be your responsibility." Erza said with a smile that clearly invited no opposition, "Consider yourselves a team from now on."

That didn't stop Natsu from continuing to express his displeasure, making it more than obvious that he wanted nothing to do with Gray.

"Enough!" Erza yelled, "I've made my decision, you either team up with Gray, or you can leave the guard now."

Gray could see Natsu was fighting for control of his temper. How had things gotten so bad between them so quickly? Two weeks in and they were right back where they had left things off, six years earlier.

Even though he still felt he'd made the right decision regarding the dragon, Gray felt terrible for how he'd behaved towards Natsu. He shouldn't have attacked him.

"I'm sorry." Gray blurted out, surprising both Natsu and Erza out of their argument. "I shouldn't have attacked you."

He tried to explain further, but it didn't appear Natsu and Erza were listening. They stared at each other, engaged in some kind of nonverbal conversation he wasn't privy to.

Finally, Natsu sighed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Fine."

"Are we done?" Natsu asked gruffly.

Erza nodded, and Natsu motioned for Gray to follow him. They were almost out the door when Erza stopped them.

"By the way, Gray, Natsu and I were curious about how you knew of his magic." Erza watched his face intently, and Gray quickly darted his eyes to Natsu, confused by the question. What he saw there was even more confusing as Natsu shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"Oh, uhm, I heard someone talking about it on our way into the village. I thought it would annoy Natsu that I already knew." Gray lied, pretty badly too, but Erza seemed satisfied. He assumed she wanted to be rid of them.

They left the room, and Natsu walked off hurriedly.

"Hey, where are you going?" Gray hurried after him. "What was that about?"

"I'm going to the changing rooms, I need to get into my uniform." Natsu gestured towards his clothes, which had been considerably soiled during their fight. Gray noticed that his bruises were even fainter than before. How was that possible? Had he already seen a healer? His own body was covered in purple bruises and dried blood, and it hurt to move around, but Natsu didn't seem bothered at all.

Natsu gave him a once over and winced at his bruises. "You should probably do the same, Erza will have a fit if she finds out you did patrol looking like that. When did you lose your shirt?"

Gray looked down at himself and noticed his missing shirt for the first time. "Ugh... How does that keep happening? "

Gray looked somewhere between annoyed and frustrated at finding that he had once again walked around the village shirtless. He didn't like the type of attention it got him. Stares from the girls and women, and even some men.

Natsu laughed at the frustrated expression on Gray's face.

They arrived at the changing rooms, and Natsu opened the door and went inside, letting go of the door behind him so that Gray had to put his arm out to keep from getting hit in the face.

"Idiot!" Gray muttered, annoyed by Natsu's thoughtlessness. He entered the room and closed the door behind him, weaving around the long benches to get to where his guard gear was kept.

"Erza is very... intense," Gray commented as he took off his pants and grabbed a replacement pair, putting the dirty ones in the shared hamper.

Natsu groaned in agreement, "You don't even know the half of it yet. She's been holding back to make you guys feel comfortable."

"That's holding back?" Gray asked, perplexed that what he had witnessed was considered restraint. He put the clean pants on and reached for a shirt, hoping that he'd keep this one on.

Natsu chuckled as he nodded, "Yeah, no weapons were drawn, and she didn't change into one of her armors." He removed his clothes and got out a clean uniform.

Gray wasn't sure if Natsu was messing with him or not, but thinking about what he'd seen so far, the idea didn't seem so far-fetched. "Why do you guys put up with that?"

"Erza might be a tad overzealous, but she's great at her job, and Talos is better because of it." Natsu openly stared at Gray's chest with a frown. Unlike the stares he got from strangers, Gray couldn't say he minded. The dragon slayer moved closer to him and reached out with his hand to touch Gray's chest.

"May I?" Natsu looked at Gray, waiting for his approval.

"What - what are you doing?" Gray waffled, not knowing how to respond to the strange request.

"Your injuries, I feel responsible. Wendy should probably see you, but if you wait too much longer, you'll probably scar." Natsu was acting somewhat unsurely, and it was confusing. Gray continued to stare at him.

"Feel responsible?" Gray snapped, "You are responsible."

Natsu tensed up at his words but did not rise to the bait. "Do you want me to heal you or not?"

"You can heal?" Gray glanced at him in wonder, "Uhm, yeah. Sure."

"Not as good as Wendy, but I can do some. It just takes a lot out of me." Natsu closed his eyes, and after a few seconds, his hands glowed as small red seals materialized at his fingertips. He opened his eyes, and Gray could see that they were also glowing, making them look as bright as emeralds.

Natsu brought his hands closer to Gray's chest without actually touching it, and Gray felt a soothing warmth wherever Natsu directed his magic. It made him feel a pure sort of happiness, reminding him of the nights he'd spent snuggled with Natsu inside his bedroll. This feeling was why he'd wanted to find Natsu again. He'd never felt it with anyone else.

Gray closed his eyes, wanting to enjoy the sensation without the complication of where it was coming from. He felt the warmth move up to his face. He could feel his split lip putting itself back together and the swelling in his eye going down until it disappeared. There was no pain, just gentle warmth. He felt a sense of loss when the heat dissipated. He opened his eyes to find Natsu gasping for breath and looking dizzy.

"You dumbass, you did too much!" Gray grabbed his friend and maneuvered him toward one of the long benches. He laid Natsu down and fretted over him as he waited for him to recover. Thinking that Natsu used his magic to heal him reminded Gray of the lie he'd told earlier.

"Natsu, how come Erza doesn't know you've always had magic?"

Gray hadn't been able to come up with a suitable explanation. Natsu had known these people for years. It made little sense. Was it somehow because of him and what had happened when they were children?

Natsu said nothing, just kept trying to get his breathing under control as Gray watched him.

"Can you get me some water?" Natsu heaved out, still looking worse for wear.

Gray ran to the kitchen to ask for some water. One benefit of being a guardsman was that the kitchens were well stocked, and there was always someone around to cater to their needs. He turned into a corridor and noticed a woman staring at his chest. He looked down to see that not only was his shirt still unbuttoned, but all of his considerable bruises were gone. It appeared Natsu had healed him completely.

By the time he returned with the water, Natsu seemed to have recovered, although he still looked haggard. He'd waited for Gray so they could start their patrol. They left the changing room, each feeling a little better about the other but still uncertain as they'd left everything unresolved.

O-o

When Natsu returned to his cave on Monday evening, he was greeted by the sight of Sting cowering in a corner while both Igneel and Weisslogia were expressing their displeasure at his actions. Natsu hadn't realized they were due to return so soon.

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?" Sting whined at the two giant dragons.

"It doesn't matter how many times you say you're sorry, Sting, it doesn't take away the fear or pain that poor hatchling endured because of your actions." Weisslogia roared, his anger creating an aura of bright light around him.

"You attacked and injured a defenseless creature, and for that, you will submit to whatever punishment Igneel deems fit."

Sting looked miserable, but it was clear he accepted his fate. Natsu wasn't too concerned. His father was fair most of the time. He would come up with a suitable punishment, and then the whole incident would be over. He walked past everyone without saying a word and headed straight for his room.

Natsu was exhausted, having worked for three days straight with very little sleep, and while trying to maintain himself emotionally distant from Gray. He settled himself into his sleeping area, looking forward to sleeping for as many hours as he could get away with, but luck was not on his side. Heavy footsteps headed his way. He recognized one as his father's, and he wasn't alone. Another dragon seemed to be with him.

"Natsu, we need to talk to you," Natsu groaned as soon as he heard his father's voice. He sounded serious, and Natsu knew he wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon. He sat up to find his father and uncle already in his room.

Natsu felt a knot tighten in his stomach as soon as he saw the expressions on their faces. Whatever this was, he wasn't going to like it.

"I wish I had better news, but all of us are leaving tomorrow." Atlas and Igneel looked at each other, and Natsu knew they were trying to figure out how much to tell him.

"You'll need to remain in charge while we're gone." Igneel told him, "I can see you're tired, but I must ask you to go with Atlas tonight so he can show you how to do night patrols. You'll need to take over that duty while we're gone. It's important you keep them up. They dissuade some more dangerous dragons from setting their sights on the village."

"Please be careful while we're gone." Natsu had never seen his father look this defeated before. "Don't let the others see you transform, especially not with Gray around."

"Dad, what's going on?"

"There's a complication with the dragon slayers that we didn't expect. Some of them have turned against us."

"What?!" Natsu was now fully awake.

"They've started killing all dragons, regardless of what side they're on." Atlas roared in disgust, "They use our blood to strengthen themselves."

Natsu was too shocked to say anything. All he could do was dart his eyes towards the central room of the cave where Sting had been just a few minutes earlier.

"Our dragon slayers will be fine, Natsu," Igneel assured him, "It's not a disease, it's probably more a result of not picking the recipient wisely. Still, these renegade dragon slayers are hiding amongst the others and need to be dealt with. Irene has already identified several."

"The six of us are just going to go reinforce the ranks. We'll be back before you know it. I used to be a pretty good fighter a few hundred years ago," Igneel smiled, but Natsu didn't feel reassured in the slightest. Everything seemed to be going wrong at once.

Atlas and Igneel had never gone off to fight at the same time. It had been an unspoken rule since he was young. One of them always stayed with him. That brought home just how desperate the situation was.

"I'll go with you, I'll help fight."

"Absolutely not." Igneel rumbled, "I've already told you, I need you to stay here and take care of the village. I need you to do this in my stead, Natsu."

Natsu wanted to argue, to convince his father that it was better if he stayed by his side, but he knew there was no point. His father was right. Although he'd never given much thought to his role as the next leader of the red dragons, it was his duty.

His father had always handled everything, but it was time for him to step up and who knew, maybe it was just what he needed to get his mind off of Gray and the whole mate business.

"Alright, I will do what you ask of me." Natsu bowed his head slightly and then went over to his father's face and nuzzled it with his own. "I hope I can make you proud."

"Natsu, I've always been proud of you." Igneel lowered his head, making it easier for Natsu to hug him. "I heard about what happened with Gray. It took a lot of courage to go against your instincts."

"It was the right thing to do, I couldn't let him hurt the hatchling."

"That is exactly why I know I don't have to worry about you while I'm gone." Igneel's eyes shone as he purred at his son.

"His hate is so much worse than I remembered," Natsu said. The whole thing felt hopeless to him.

"He's still young, as are you." Igneel reminded him. "Don't give up on him yet, he's here because of you. Get to know him again. You don't know what's gone on in his life since you were separated."

"That's true," Natsu said slowly. Gray had come to Talos because of a desire to see him again. It wasn't much to hold on to, but at least it was something.

Atlas interrupted his train of thought. "Are you ready to go? We have a lot to cover."

Natsu nodded. He was somewhat nervous. He hoped he could transform without a problem. It had been a while since the last time.

"Good luck, Natsu." Igneel bid him farewell, promising to stay in his room that evening.

Natsu followed Atlas to the rear exit of their cave. When they were far enough away from the others, he transformed into his dragon form, relieved that he had no trouble. He stretched out his wings and swished his long tail. It had always felt strange to him that this was also a part of who he was, but as he got older, he'd grown to accept it more and more.

"You need some practice flying before we get going?" Atlas looked him over.

"Nah, that's always been my favorite part. Catch me if you can!" Natsu felt his snout spread into a mischievous grin as he took off in the air.

He could hear Atlas' booming laugh behind him as they both flew up towards the clouds, needing the invisibility they provided to hide his uncle's hellfire from any prying eyes. They raced for a few minutes. Natsu loved the feeling of freedom that flying gave him. He roared in happiness and let out his breath attack, content in the moment.

"Alright, that's enough play. Let's get started before you burn down something."

For the next several hours, Natsu listened as his uncle walked him through what his new task would entail until they returned to their cave. Natsu changed back to his human form and hurried to his room to spend some time with his father. He didn't go to sleep until it was very late. When he woke up the next morning, the dragons were already gone.