Chapter Text
"From 400 years ago? Five of them? How is that even possible?"
Far from his mind, at the moment, was the proposal that started this discussion in the first place. Right now, all Doctor wanted was the details.
Five children - all Dragon Slayers raised by dragons - had suddenly appeared from 400 years ago. With some coaxing, Doctor was able to eventually learn of the secret Eclipse Gate that the royal family had been hiding, which had been the cause of this time-traveling. Accompanying the children was a Celestial Spirit Wizard named Anna Heartfilia; her descendant, Layla Heartfilia, had been the one to open the gate for them. Anna was missing, leaving the children in the care of Layla, but the latter had gotten very sick and her grieving husband was resistant in taking on five additional children to the one he already had. Given Layla had fallen ill after opening the Eclipse Gate, there was a likely resentment he was not yet admitting, too.
Fairy Tail's famous healing wizard was called in as Layla's condition worsened. Unfortunately, despite him being the most talented in healing arts, what Layla was facing was certain death. Powerful magic came with steep prices; and there was only redirecting those prices, not erasing them. And when it came to anything connected to the Black Wizard Zeref, things never turned out well to say the least. The fact all they were facing was a slowly dying woman was a miracle.
That, and the selective amnesia in the five time-traveling children. They were completely unaware that they had jumped 400 years into the future. They barely remembered Anna Heartfilia, with only a slight subconscious feeling that Layla's face was familiar. They had no idea where their dragon parents were. Two of them were convinced they had killed theirs, but Layla assured him that wasn't the case. This apparent time-traveling plan between dragon, Celestial Wizard, and even Zeref himself had been passed down through the generations of Heartfilia matriarchs. Even then, Anna had to fill her in on a few details right before she disappeared - but still not the full story, leaving questions for Layla and now Doctor.
"Why would she just leave?" Doctor asked yet another question of the bed-ridden woman.
"She only mentioned needing to check up on something," Layla answered. "Something important. But she wouldn't say where she'd be or when she'd get back."
"Or how to contact her?"
"No. And that was months ago."
He regarded her answers, and her, for a good few moments. "And you think my guild is the best place for them? I know we have a reputation of collecting magical orphans, but it can get quite crazy there. I have yet to assess them myself, but just based on what you said, they still have a road of recovering and adapting ahead."
She smiled. "And that's exactly why Fairy Tail would be a perfect place for them. The best Doctor of Fiore will be there."
"And that is why I'm asking you to think more carefully about this." His eyes had narrowed; but as he prepared his next words, he found himself unable to maintain eye contact and looked away. Lower than before, he added, "I do not have a good relationship with dragonkind."
If he spoke any more, he feared further cementing her final wish. Because it'd be based on pretty good logic. Unbeknownst to anyone outside of the guild, the Magic Council, and the royal family, Doctor was not from this time, either. He had also lived 400 years ago, in a secret sanctuary where dragons and humans once lived in harmony. He was a doctor for both humans and dragons; although, back then, all he could do magic-wise was stop bleeding. He ended up being pretty useless when one of the dragons, Acnologia, suddenly led a betrayal against them all. Useless, but the only survivor in the end.
He knew how dragon behavior worked - behavior the children were used to and were primed to emulate, both from their upbringing and their own dragon-derived magic. He was also from the same time period as them and had already gone through the acclimation to the modern world that they'd have to undergo.
But it wasn't just that dragons had betrayed him and destroyed everything he once knew. Acnologia had done so because of the existence of Dragon Slayers. He left one day as a kind and wise divine guardian. He returned as a mutilated beast screeching about ending the disease of humanity. Something had drastically changed because of his investigation into Dragon Slayers - or maybe, it was rather that something always there, that Doctor never noticed, had finally been unearthed.
Am I just unfairly harboring resentment - to both dragons and Dragon Slayers? Or was there something to what Acnologia discovered? If only he'd been monologing about his findings in greater detail as he set everything ablaze...
"I understand." Layla's sudden response broke Doctor out of his ruminations, making him realize some time had passed. "I still think the guild itself would be a great place for them to be raised... But you don't have to force yourself to get any more involved."
Doctor nodded. "I will send an inquiry to my Master about this. Hopefully, it will not take more than a few days to hear his opinion..."
Because first and foremost, he still had a job to do here. Layla may have been a dead woman walking at this point, but there was no way he was going even a mile away from her until she either died or miraculously recovered against all the odds.
Her eyes closed after he read off the final words on Makarov's letter. They did not open again.
Despite those children still being virtual strangers to her, Layla's loyalty to the Heartfilia clan and their secret mission had given her the power to hold on just a little longer than Doctor's prognosis had given her. She died knowing the children's upcoming fate.
They were accepted as wards of the guild. Doctor had only the faintest of doubts that would be the case. The only concern there was that they weren't the typical children like most of the other orphans; they specifically were deeply involved with a creation of Zeref's that had already claimed a life from its usage. Makarov, however, had decided that children were still children and they had to be taken care of. They already had a young Dragon Slayer by way of Laxus, too. There was a nearby orphanage where one of the children, Cana, was staying. There were dorms associated with the guild that Makarov could pay off the rent for the time being.
Once he made the final confirmation of her passing, he opened the door to let one of the servants standing guard know to inform the husband and daughter it had finally happened. They already had said final goodbyes a little while earlier. Layla's oncoming death had been certain, the only thing they couldn't predict was when; so, they made sure to enact a little final moment every day, just in case. If they could, they would've just stayed by her side 24/7 until she finally gave in; but the husband was still busy with other matters even now and it wasn't healthy for a little girl to watch every second that her mother slowly faded away.
When Jude Heartfilia appeared, Doctor held the door for him, but he did not follow himself. Instead, he took his leave, knowing that his job was finished. It was best to let the post-mortem grieving process begin, without his presence. While the job itself was done, there was also one final task left for him.
He went out into the yard, where he had spotted the children from Layla's window. They had been playing, sometimes with the young Heartfilia daughter when she snuck away from the servants' glance; but for now, it was just them. Doctor spoke only a little about the children with Layla, the bulk of it being the story of their origin. Layla had sometimes mentioned names, but he didn't inquire further, so looking at them now he had no idea who was who. Given his foremost responsibility as a doctor, this was also the first time they were properly meeting; although he didn't doubt they had caught glimpses of him before, just as he had with them.
At first, only one of the boys and the single girl paid him a glance, while the two oldest continued to fight and the blonde boy continued to egg them on. However, upon realizing he was approaching them, the boy tugged at the blonde and whispered something. Soon, the blonde was getting in the way of the brawl, and then all attention was on Doctor.
"I apologize for the suddenness, but did Layla Heartfilia get to speak with you about Fairy Tail?" he asked, a mixture of kind and morose. The latter wasn't entirely because he just watched a woman die.
"Mrs. Layla?" the younger of the black-haired boys chirped.
"We haven't seen her in over a week!" the blonde said, a little loudly. "They stopped letting us in the room!"
"I see..." That made sense. Even Layla's own daughter didn't get to see her much in the last few days. Having children around her might affect her rest - was the logic he deduced from the action. That and a hostility towards having strange children - partially responsible for the situation - around her in her final days, regardless of her own feelings on the matter.
"As I'm sure you're aware already," he continued. "Layla Heartfilia is very sick. She's going to be sleeping for a very long time because of that. Therefore-"
"But she's already been sleeping for weeks!" another of the boys cut in, even doing a little stomp. This one notably had pink hair and a scarf.
"It means she's dead," the other of the two oldest said. It came out roughly, which matched the piercings littering his head. Why someone would let a child his age look like that was beyond him, but maybe dragons ascribed to different parenting methods. Apparently they were perfectly fine with time-travel for their tots.
It was a perfectly correct guess on the kid's part, though. And now it put Doctor in a rough spot. Knowing the children were already going through a rough time, he hadn't wanted to drop the death of the longest caretaker they've had in this century in their laps. Not now, at least, and maybe preferably not even from him. But now that one had called him out, he'd either have to lie, deflect, or just say it.
Before he could make that decision, the other black-haired boy added to the fire. "He's right... Very sick people, die..."
Doctor channeled the energy that wished to sigh to instead nod affirmative. "That is correct. Layla Heartfilia passed just today."
A few tears started to pool at the boy's eyes, making Doctor already second-guess his decision, until the next words from the boy came out: "Skiadrum... He also..."
"Was that the name of the dragon who raised you?" The question was past his lips before it had fully settled in his mind, much less given him time to ponder actually saying it. That was just his relationship with curiosity, though.
"You believe us?" the blonde asked incredulously.
"That mean Lucy girl keeps saying I'm making Igneel up! He's real! He's just..." And now it was the scarf-boy's turn to tear up. "I don't know where he is."
"I don't know, either. Nobody does." Even though those words were the truth, he somehow felt like he was lying to them. But was "they're 400 years in the past" an acceptable answer? It's not like they would be lounging in the same places that the children would last remember. In fact, given that dragons were considered myth in this day and age - with barely a tale of sightings - it was likely they weren't even alive anymore. As an adult - a scholarly, learned one - he could reason to this conclusion fairly quickly. What was his duty of care in informing them of this likelihood? Of even telling them they weren't in the right time period anymore? If they were raised by dragons, in the wilderness, then whether or not they knew wouldn't really make a difference when it came to acclimating to society.
Maybe he shouldn't be the one to make the decision to rip the band-aid off. Maybe he shouldn't be the one to do it.
"Neither do we know Anna Heartfilia's whereabouts." At the five pairs of furrowed eyebrows (four hairy ones and one string of piercings trying their best to look the same), he clarified, "The... relative of Layla Heartfilia, who left you here. Since she was the one to do so, she might be able to help you in finding your dragons.
"Until she reappears, however, Layla asked me to bring you to a place called Fairy Tail. It's a pretty famous place, so hopefully she will hear about it and eventually show up without a search."
"Or Igneel?!" scarf-boy added.
"That... could also be true."
Most of the children seemed delighted at this new hope. Seemed - it was hard to tell in the case of Skiadrum's kid, who appeared simultaneously laidback and guarded regardless of the situation. The other exception, who was more obviously unconvinced, was the pierced boy.
"And who even are you?"
"I am known as Doctor." He didn't remember his true name, nor much else besides some moments with Acnologia. Healing the dragon, being praised by the dragon, being called "Doctor" by the dragon, speaking of dragon killing magic with the dragon, being nearly murdered by the dragon. "I am one of Fairy Tail's wizards and a healer."
He'd forced the rest of his introduction out to avoid going further down the Acnologia rabbit hole, but fortunately his next distraction quickly revealed itself. The young, shy girl of the group had perked up - even more so than when he gave them false hope of reuniting with their dragons.
"You can heal people?!" she asked.
It caught the boys off guard, the answer revealing itself when the scarf-boy yelped, "You know how to talk?!"
At his outcry, she grew smaller and retreated within herself, losing the courage to make herself known that she'd finally mustered. Based on the boy's reaction, this might've been the first time she'd spoken since they were first discovered. Wanting to help her maintain her confidence, he knelt down and held out his palm, letting it emit a light seafoam green glow.
"Yes... Which reminds me, some of you seemed to be playing roughly just now. Would it be alright if I checked you all over real quick?"
The pierced boy crossed his arms, still guarded. "Wendy does just fine."
"Yeah, Wendy, that metalhead scratched me, show 'em what you can do!" the scarf-boy fired back, getting right up next to her.
She flinched, with Doctor worrying she was going to cry or be dragged into a fight she didn't want, but instead her eyes suddenly steeled themselves. Her fists briefly balled in a build-up of determination, before she opened her palms and hovered them over the scarf-boy's body. A similar green - just a bit darker and bolder than Doctor's - began emerging on spots on the boy's body. Small cuts and scrapes that he'd barely taken note of before started fading away.
Ah. That was why the topic of healing magic had finally made her open up.
"That's very impressive for someone so young," he murmured, not really meaning to say it out loud but not regretting the resulting pleased grin that sprouted on the girl's face. He did mean it. It took him his whole teens to figure out how to stop bleeding. For some time, that was the only thing he could do with healing magic. "Your name is Wendy?"
She nodded. "Wendy Marvell! And..." Growing a little bashful now, she swung one foot against the ground. "Grandeeney taught me."
A dragon? Dragons knowing healing magic? He never could've imagined that. Back then... Even when they were friendly, all he knew of their capabilities was destruction. They hurt and got hurt. That seemed like the only thing they knew how to do.
And speak, and reason, and nurture... But those memories only felt like a beautiful lie after what they did.
And yet... Here were these five children. Who were raised by dragons. Who learned magic, even healing magic, from them. Who watched them be vulnerable with them, physical and emotional. Well, maybe those memories of some of them dying were fake, but it still said a lot that those great, prideful beasts even planted such an illusion to begin with. Even if the end-goal ended up being something malicious on their part, it was still different from what he knew of them.
What he "knew".
Does he even know anymore?
"She taught you well," he finally forced out. "Since you're more familiar with your friends than me, I'll let you take care of them for the time being. But either myself or my peer Porlyusica should do a final check on all of you, just to be safe."
That check-up was going to have to be as soon as they reached Magnolia. There was no way a boy could be having this visceral of a reaction to motion without an underlying condition.
Despite Doctor wanting to respect the uneasiness some of them still had with trusting strangers, Wendy's Troia spell was still too weak, so he ended up having to step in to keep Natsu from coloring the train's floor with the station snacks Doctor bought them. It was a good thing that many of the Sky Dragon Slayer spells overlapped with generic healing magic. Which came first? Maybe if the concept of dragon-raised children softened up his perception of dragons a bit more, he might go on a research bender to try and answer that.
By now, he had gotten to know their names and initial impressions. Wendy Marvell was the youngest, more skilled in healing than in her offensive, but with more training and sparring she'd be able to level up both paths. In spite of her initial shy self since emerging from the Eclipse Gate, she was the one who warmed up the most to Doctor.
Meanwhile, Natsu Dragneel (what a name for a dragon's adopted child, especially when that dragon was Igneel ) was the boy in the scarf trying his hardest not to paint everything outside with his insides. He was also a pyromaniac - and Doctor was just impressed that Wendy was able to heal the burns he caused Gajeel, before considering the possibility she was so talented because of how often he must've burnt people. Specifically Gajeel.
Gajeel Redfox being the boy slightly older than Natsu whose face was covered in metal piercings. Even now, he was the only one of the children to remain skeptical of Doctor. Whether that was based on parenting advice from Metalicana or life experience from even before meeting the dragon, he couldn't tell - either was possible.
The last two were roughly the same age and seemed to be the closest amongst the group: Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney, the blonde and the brunette respectively. It seemed their dragon fathers had been just as close, so they were practically raised as twin brothers. Sting's magic was also particularly interesting. Shortly after leaving the Heartfilia residence, Doctor had felt a tug on his coat, which he initially - and logically - assumed to be a tiny hand trying for his attention. Instead, he found a fistful of the cloth in Sting's mouth, getting covered in his slobber. His only explanation was that he'd been curious about the taste, since the servants of the mansion didn't allow him to try the "white of clothes". It was Rogue who bothered to explain the mechanics of White Dragon Slayer magic to Doctor, with a degree of detail that it was a shock he himself was the contrasting Shadow Dragon Slayer.
Now, nearly all of them were slumped in one way or another around the train compartment. Gajeel's head was nodding back and forth every few minutes, but he was still too stubborn to let himself fall. He was quiet the entire time, with Doctor not bothering to speak to him after the first attempt failed, but it was likely he didn't feel safe enough to fall asleep here. Or secure enough that the others would be okay without him watching over.
Meanwhile, Sting and Rogue were curled up against each other on the same cushioned bench with Gajeel. Natsu, who had passed out on the recommendation that it'd help with stalling his urge to be sick, was leaning against Doctor's shoulder. Wendy was draped across Doctor's lap, using one of his knees as a pillow. In stark contrast to their eldest "brother", these four completely trusted him to not be a threat as they slept.
But he could relate to one thing with Gajeel... After staying up several more hours than healthy earlier, all with the dying Layla, his body was eager to finally crash. It wasn't just him pushing past physical exhaustion - everything for the past few weeks had been taxing mentally. Being a trained professional and a stranger didn't mean watching someone die was any easier. And now he was carrying on her last wish of delivering these children - children of dragons. His own mind was beginning to beg for a break, even despite knowing that work wasn't over yet. Just a bit longer with these children - with holding up the professional, unbending wall for the sake of easing their own troubled minds.
Everything suddenly lurched. A terrible roar hit his ears. He could almost feel, on his goosebumped skin, the wind brushing the window next to him. Was it always going that harshly? Could he always see so much sky from outside?
Just as he had the horrifying thought that the train was flying, something bumped against his foot. He opened his eyes to see it was a smaller foot.
Opened his eyes... When had he closed them? He could've sworn he'd been looking around just now, but now his eyelids felt heavier and upset at being moved.
"It was just a bump on the tracks or something, jeez." He looked up to see Gajeel watching him with less respect than before. Rogue had also woken up at some point, his foot being the one that Doctor felt. Against his body, Sting was using it as support to stay upright, his eyes bleary and mouth mumbling too soft for Doctor to hear.
Rogue's whisper back to him was a lot more audible. "Yeah, they're tears. No, I don't know why."
He was suddenly very aware of a wetness on his cheek. Since when had that happened?
"Is everything alright?" he decided to ask, avoiding checking in with himself in favor of checking in with them .
"Like I said, just'ta bump," Gajeel answered with a dismissive wave. “Not surprised it didn't wake those two-" Referring to Natsu and Wendy. "And that it made 'ya cry."
"Huh?"
Rogue wriggled in his seat. "Yeah... I felt a bump, but then heard... you. And woke up."
"I did...?" He brought a hand up to the side of his face that the few stray tears had traveled. Then, he "relaxed" his shoulders. "I apologize for my part in the disruption. I had a brief nightmare."
"You lurched forward, then fell asleep?" He felt Wendy's body unconsciously wince from the rise in Gajeel's voice, but she gave no indication she was joining the waking world. None he picked up on.
"I guess so..." It had to have been exhaustion. His body was so ready to pass out, even just closing his eyes long enough started up the REM cycle's dreaming phase. Which was a nice way of saying that he was beginning to hallucinate.
"A nightmare?" Rogue echoed. Doctor gave him a nod. "You get those, too?"
"It's been a long time..." Doctor admitted. It'd been a long time since he had to think of dragons to begin with, so it made sense that old anxieties would follow, especially with his mind and body worn out. That the dragons weren't extinct. That they could appear at any time. That they could do something like whisk this train away to a den for a feast, or just smash against a mountain for the fun of it.
"Skiadrum... He says- said," Rogue kept tripping on his words, but was determined to speak the most he had since Doctor met him. "That fear thrives in the lonely dark and dies in the crowded light."
"And you understand what that means??" Gajeel cut in.
"Well... Not really, but then he said to always tell him or my friends what I was afraid of, so I think that's what he meant."
"Then he should've just said that?? And you too?!"
"It's alright, I know of the concept myself," Doctor said. And then left it at that.
Both black-haired boys stared back at him. Sting let out a little snore. Rogue nudged him back awake.
"You can, um..." Rogue began again, after another quiet minute went by. "Talk about it. The nightmare."
"I know."
More staring between them.
"Like-"
"He means spill it," Gajeel huffed out. "Right now."
Professionally stretched smile on his face, Doctor let out, "I know. And the concern is appreciated. But, no, I don't think it's..." Oops, don't put it like that. "No thank you."
He'd let too much out, however, by the look of Gajeel's glare. "What? Maybe they're still wimps, but I can handle it."
"What even scares an adult?" Sting put forth the question in Rogue's ear; but in contrast to his earlier mumblings, this one was barely a stage whisper. Whatever Rogue's reply was, he actually did a good job of being quiet about it. So instead, Doctor just focused on Gajeel.
"It's not like that." He sighed, realizing he'd have to give a bit more away if he had any hope of closing this can of worms. "It's just personal. I don't talk about it a lot."
More expectant looks from Rogue - and now Sting, too.
"And it's inappropriate. For the current situation. For you."
"Metalicana didn't give a shit over what I overheard," Gajeel replied, still unmoved.
"Not that kind of inappropriate." More sighing, with one hand - one he hadn't noticed until now was holding Wendy closer - going to his forehead. The more he spoke, the worse it seemed to get. Why was it now a majority of children that were so conversationally difficult with him? Erza and Levy spoiled him in that regard, while Gray and Cana had just felt like outliers due to their circumstances - until now.
"I'm sorry..." Rogue squeaked. When Doctor looked back at him, the boy was curling a bit into himself. Damn. "This was supposed to be helpful..."
"No... I know it usually is..." It came out a bit weak, he almost worried it wasn't loud enough. He made sure his next words were. "I just. Don't like to think about dragons."
For several moments, the children finally granted his wish of stopping the conversation. But that was only because they needed that time to process what he just said - what it meant.
Readjusting himself, Sting stood up in a state of complete alertness now. There was a burning curiosity clear in his eyes, which Doctor braced himself for. His mouth started to open, but Rogue's hand suddenly came up to cover it. When Sting looked over for answers, Rogue gave him a shake of the head - all that was needed to say: "just drop it". On the other side of the couch-like bench, Gajeel kept his arms crossed and leaned back into the seat. He was donning a remorseful look that, for some reason, Doctor felt was more respectable than just pity. In Doctor's mind, he wondered if he was just imagining the tight, tiny grip around his finger.
Doctor also felt that in spite of his trying, he had implanted a slight rift he'd been trying to avoid with these innocent, lost children who never had a reason to fathom malice around them. He didn't like thinking about dragons, which definitely extended to talking about them - for reasons not just exclusive to his past. In this era, dragons hadn't been seen in so long, some doubted they had even existed in the first place. Of course, there were those with access to clear evidence that they had, but then that just meant they thought the dragons went extinct. For him to go around saying he was scared of just the thought of them because of all the devastation he personally witnessed and his own near-death... That obviously led into the equally uncomfortable conversation about him being from 400 years in the past - that even without the dragons, everyone and everything he knew would be gone anyway, that he might as well have been transported to another world than just through time. People, even with the best intentions, could get weird about that. It wasn't a story you heard, even amongst unique life stories, so it obviously tripped people up and made it harder for them to think of what to say. Because what do you say to even politely comfort someone in that position?
"You're scared of dragons?"
"Hey, idiot-" and "Natsu-" followed right after.
Looking to the side (after picking up his head, realizing he'd started staring at the ground at some point), he found Natsu wide-awake, with no evidence of recent sleep in his eyes. So he'd woken up and had been listening in? Based on the fact he was speaking up now, he must've gotten tired of the conversation being stalled - and of waiting for the answer to this question that really was obvious at this point.
"Yes," he finally admitted. Trying to dodge questions had only made them more determined to get the answer, so he might as well start giving them.
"But why?" Natsu asked. And before Doctor could say anything, he started attempting to answer his own question. "Because they're so big? And have so many sharp teeth and claws? And have really powerful magic? And-"
"Stop it, Natsu, you'll scare him!" Rogue cut in, fierce and genuine concern making his voice hitch higher.
"We're called Dragon Slayers for a reason, Natsu..." Sting added. Suddenly, he was looking glum, which was exactly what Doctor had been trying to avoid. Yet... "Weisslogia told me. We're meant to kill dragons. It's what our magic is for."
Oh. He had completely neglected that idea - that the dragons themselves could've done the "not all dragons are good" bandaid-ripping already. Now that he was thinking about it, Sting had also been given the false memory of "slaying" his dragon. Since Rogue had a similar look on his face when recalling Skiadrum's "sickness", did that mean Weisslogia's "death" had to do with the concept of dragon slaying?
However, that brought to mind his own questions... If Dragon Slayers were the sole apparent threat to dragons, why had five of them trained up children in the art? Why children? To have their own Dragon Slayers, loyal to them? But then, why send them 400 years into the future? And what did Zeref have to do with all of this?! Did the involvement of the Black Wizard mean these dragons weren't as noble as their caregiving would suggest?
Gods, he wished Anna would reveal herself soon... If not to get these merciless children off his hands, then to at least fill in the rest of the gaps! He was on the edge of his seat here!
Ah, speaking of the children, he should probably break up the fight that Natsu and Sting started while he was deep in contemplation. Something about the existence of bad dragons and whether Igneel and Weisslogia were bad dragons or not (and Gajeel cutting in that Metalicana definitely was, and then the others shooting back that he shouldn't say stuff like that, and now Gajeel has joined the fight after holding out an admirable amount of time based on his track record). It was a shocker Wendy was still sleeping through it (he assumed); although that grip on his finger suggested maybe it was starting to bother her.
With one hand on Natsu's chest to keep him still and the other pushing Sting back to his seat, Doctor said, "Look... Sting is right that there's some scary dragons out in the world. I doubt your parents were among them, they're not what scares me."
A pause. None of the children replied. But there were those expectant gazes again. He wasn't getting out of this.
"Dragons haven't been seen in a long time..." Just as Natsu started opening his mouth, Doctor added, "By most people, they haven't been seen. And because of that, most people believe they're extinct. Or didn't exist in the first place.
"I... know they did. But the thought that maybe they didn't anymore was comforting. So the arrival of some evidence they mi-" Wait, they still don't know about the time-travel. "Still do. It... makes the paranoia wander. Because if good dragons exist... that means bad ones can, too?"
And just when he thought he had danced around that last little sore spot perfectly, that little grip on his finger extended to his whole hand. He looked down to find Wendy's eyes meeting his. She looked like she hadn't been sleeping in a long time, either.
"You saw one, didn't you?" she asked, with a level of perception rivaling Rogue's. Must be a talent of the quiet ones. "You met a bad dragon?"
Understatement of the century. The real problem was that he had known Acnologia - the whole pack of dragons that protected them, yes, but Acnologia the most. Had once called him "divine guardian". Had ghosted the term "friend" on his lips, but still too shy to go that far out loud. A dragon attack on its own was already fearsome, would have already been enough to scar him... Doctor almost gave up on trust completely when adding on how deep the betrayal went, were it not for recent experiences after joining Fairy Tail. If he really let the fear take over, he'd start questioning the motives of these other five-
Oh, he already had. So, best to close that train of thought again.
"I'm the only one who can say they have. The others..." He had underestimated these kids. Once they had the first piece of something, they quickly put the rest together. He still hadn't voiced the entire rest of the story - the burning rubble, the mouths petrified into ashen relics of dying screams, the waiting for hours and hours for the wingbeats to finally go away, the continued fearful hiding even after they did, the guilt of having survived, the guilt of lacking the power to not be the last survivor, the knowledge nothing would have changed anyway.
He didn't need to say anything more for the point to get across.
He appreciated that.
He'd like to go the rest of his life with it staying in that corner of his chest he reserved it to rot in, even if the "doctor" in him knew that wasn't healthy. Well, it was his job to care for others, not himself. The last person with the "job" of caring for him-
Oh. Acnologia had scarred him in that way, too?
"Then that's where Igneel is!" Natsu's sudden declaration jerked him out of his rumination and the other kids from their own.
"Weren't we just-" Sting started, but then Natsu elaborated.
"No, not like that. He's fighting the bad dragons! And that's why they don't show their stupid faces around anymore, hurting people!"
"Um, the timeline on that still doesn't..." Rogue also tried to bring up, but gave up when it was clear Natsu was too invested in the imagery of Igneel taking down a bunch of sworn foes. Ironically, the missing context of the 400 year gap made Natsu's suggestion more plausible than Rogue could've imagined.
"And even if one slips by Igneel-" Little flames spewed out from Natsu's mouth while his fingers arched. "Just stay behind me! I'll slay 'em!"
Doctor lifted up a hand to shield Wendy from any stray sparks, beginning to sputter out, "Natsu, that's not-"
But Gajeel beat him to the punch. Well, beat him to getting in a reply- definitely not the discouragement Doctor was aiming for, though.
"You're going to?! I'll have scrapped all the scales off by the time you get a hit in!"
"Nuh-uh! My flames'll kill it faster than your rusty limbs!"
"It doesn't matter who slays it first, as long as it gets slain," Sting cut in, for once not cheering it on. But then... "But with Weisslogia's training, I'll kill it first! I could take on a whole pack of evil dragons!"
Huh. They had adjusted to the concept of bad dragons worth avoiding slaying quicker than he had expected. Now, he had new reasons to regret this conversation. But the longer he stuck around these kids, the more he realized that they were just always down to start brawling with each other. And apparently taking the fight to others, too.
Nevermind. Now he understood why Layla suggested Fairy Tail. Maybe she didn't know herself... But they would be perfectly fine there.
And the best Doctor in Fiore would be there to heal any wounds. He'd gotten good at clearing up frostbite. And surgically removing lodged cards.
Just how had he started getting into the company of such wizards lately? It wasn't like he was seeking them out.
Wendy's hand on his arm broke the stupor again. He really needed to catch up on his sleep if he was going to keep focus on these kids and stop their antics.
"And it's okay if they can't slay the bad dragons themselves. I'll help you hide, and I can heal whatever ouchies you get!" The palm now balancing her small body as it stood on his lap glowed with healing light.
"I'm really good at figuring out hiding spots!" Rogue agreed. "And Skiadrum... He taught me how to use my breathing to relax when I'm scared."
"He's good at that now. It helped when we all woke up!"
Then, a sudden thump, followed by Gajeel's: "See, you ain't protecting anybody when you go like that, so leave the dragon slaying to me!"
Natsu had fallen, green in the face. Wendy got out of the way so Doctor could lean down and re-cast Troia on him. Almost immediately, Natsu was about to jump into Gajeel's face again, but the hands that had just healed him kept him in place by the shoulders.
"Alright, that's enough..." However, Doctor was smiling. "I get the point. Thank you..."
Soft sunlight was starting to peer over the hills, brightening up the room a bit more than the artificial lighting had. As the heat of it hit his skin, he became aware of two spots underneath his eyes that had already felt kind of warm. He decided to ignore it and whether it was visible or not.
"It'll still be another few hours before we reach Magnolia Station. I recommend eating now rather than waiting." Letting a beat pass. "If you're going to stay at Fairy Tail, you'll be eating a lot of Magnolia's cuisine, so better to eat something different while you still can."
His smile hadn't left his face as he said that, yet it hadn't been returned by any of the children. Granted, he had given at least three of them reason to doubt the genuinity in his expressions earlier.
"If you're ever going to slay dragons, your body will have to be in shape." Adding, "And until there's a dragon attack that requires Slayers to take charge, you should be listening to the doctor's orders."
He watched as, one by one, each of them came to their own conclusion following his words. Sting and Natsu getting excited over becoming the strongest warriors they could be, one (begrudging) healthy meal at a time. Wendy and Rogue slowly easing, picking up on a subtler message that Doctor himself was still unpacking. Gajeel, always the last, eventually giving his seal of approval - on both Doctor's seeming good condition and that "subtler message".
He had just adopted them, hadn't he?
"You're serious about this?" his guildmaster asked.
Well, how could he just drop them off with someone else at this point? After only a few hours of knowing him, they had declared they'd fight dragons for him - just so he wouldn't be afraid of them anymore. Ignoring some of the social tactlessness that had preceded it (and some of the unnecessary fighting that took up some of their delivery), it was the sweetest thing. He hadn't felt on the receiving end of such instant, unquestioning compassion since he first crossed paths with Fairy Tail (and the last time before then had been 400 years ago, and technically no longer counted to him). And he needed to better represent his guild, in that regard.
Fortunately, plans for the entirety of what'd happen to the five children once they arrived hadn't been finalized yet. They'd be allowed to join Fairy Tail officially - even the three youngest, who were technically a bit under the usual minimum age, but these were special circumstances and they had two older "brothers" with them. That was the most planned, besides a few temporary places to sleep until either someone stepped up to foster them directly or the children themselves found a place. They weren't the only orphan kids the guild had taken in, but their arrival had still been so sudden, so the master hadn't been able to prepare for them as much as he'd have liked.
"I wouldn't bring it up if I wasn't," Doctor replied. It was just them, in the master's office. The children were running around downstairs, getting themselves acquainted with both the building and its regular inhabitants.
"You never indicated this in your last message. I figured your feelings on the matter were different..." Master Makarov admitted. To be fair, up until this morning, they had been. Besides the implication of the correspondence between them leading up to this, Makarov was one of few people who was fully aware of Doctor's situation.
"I apologize for the short notice on this. Ah, but whatever ideas you had for temporary lodging, that will still be necessary. I still need to find a bigger home. And more suitable."
"Of course. And..." Makarov gave him a wink. "Remember, that you can count on me and everyone else in the guild, if anything ever comes up."
For the first time, Doctor didn't brush those sentiments away, letting them take hold in his heart.
To be fair - outstanding trauma aside - if he was going to be a single father to five all of a sudden, he'd be needing all the extra support he could get.
It took only two days, with help from the lovely Hammitt family associated with the guild and Magnolia's real estate, for Doctor to find somewhere with enough rooms. Pricing wasn't an issue - he was the miracle doctor of Fairy Tail, of all of Fiore, and therefore made bank even with only appearing so often out in the world. Finally, he had some reason to start using that Jewel.
During that period of time, the kids stayed at Makarov's house, getting acquainted with his grandson and fellow Dragon Slayer via lacrima: Laxus. He was older than Gajeel by about a few years, so there was some friction in them getting fully along, but Makarov seemed almost too eager for the children to meet regardless - likely so Laxus finally had some peers in his field of magic. His father, prior to being expelled from the guild, had implemented a Lightning Dragon Slayer lacrima into the boy behind everyone's backs - an action that nearly killed a child as young and frail as him, although Doctor actually felt he could've made it even without his healing assistance post-operation. However, as Doctor did routine check-ups on all the guild members - and was damn good at his job - he had caught the lacrima, exposing Ivan Dreyar's secret plan to eventually use his own son to smuggle the rare lacrima. The poor boy had genuine faith in his father, so the revelation and subsequent expulsion had crushed him.
That was likely another reason Makarov was eagerly babysitting... An attempt to curb Laxus' growing isolationism from the rest of the world, to push him to make potential friends. Even if they were younger and rowdier than him... But from what he heard, Laxus had handled them well enough. Natsu had been predictably pestering him about fighting, with Gajeel being smart enough to word it as an offer to "train together". He went gentle enough with them, but also strong enough to put them in place... Well, put Gajeel in place, while Natsu probably still needed a few more lessons in learning how to quit. And while Laxus usually acted quiet and disinterested, Wendy and Rogue had apparently grown confident in his presence. Maybe he might end up a good candidate for babysitting them in the future? If Doctor and Makarov could even get him to agree in the first place...
As the sun set on the third day since the Dragon Slayer quintet had arrived at Fairy Tail, it was Doctor who led them out of the guildhall, for the first time since he had led them inside days ago. They had known they wouldn't be staying with the Dreyars for long, but he hadn't been fully open about the house-hunting either. His words on the train, however, seemed to have given them faith in him. Which he was glad for, since he'd worried about them going from temporary housing to temporary housing, from temporary guardian to temporary guardian. Those kinds of arrangements could make a child insecure about themselves. And the additional waiting had been worth it, as he found a place with just barely enough bedrooms - technically it was one shorter than he liked, but then he figured Sting & Rogue wouldn't mind sharing, and there was always the possibility that Wendy wouldn't want to sleep alone at this age.
When it came to homes, the dragon-raised children of the wild had two points of reference: the Heartfilia mansion and the humble Dreyar home that really only fit two. So the sight of a regular home with so many rooms had left them in awe - and especially in awe that they'd get to not just stay there, but live there.
Natsu was quick to rush inside when that sunk in, with Sting hot on his heels. Gajeel shouted for the former to stop barging into things while Rogue gasped and made sure to not be left behind by the others. Wendy lingered, little body swaying nervously as she looked back up at Doctor - begging for further confirmation.
He smiled at her. "It's alright. You can go in."
Smiling back, she joined the boys, nearly tripping on the way in. Doctor leaned forward to keep her from falling, then she was eagerly back to following the tiny horde rushing from room to room - exploring and getting familiar with all the new smells.
When Doctor himself passed through the entrance, he paused closing the door to watch the sky. It was nearly fully dark now, with dozens of stars popping into view in bunches at a time. Armed with some old knowledge, he could make out some of the constellations already fully pieced together.
And in a quiet murmur, he spoke up at them. "You can count on me. I'll take care of them. I promise."
It's what he wished he had told her when she was still alive, but at least he was sending it up to Layla Heartfilia's spirit now. Heartfilia's tended to have a relation to the stars, didn't they? Maybe even the missing Anna Heartfilia might catch the words.
Just as he, apparently, could never be separated from dragons.