Chapter Text
Gray was breathing heavily, the numbers of minions never seeming to decrease no matter how many they downed, and he was distantly aware of the devastation being wrought by the larger Dragons that were being fought throughout the city. That Natsu was fighting. He had heard his mate’s words, and even though he wasn’t a Dragon-slayer, he had felt a shiver down his spine as Natsu had rallied them. It hadn’t stopped him from worrying them, a creeping concern that only grew the longer this battle continued, because it was one thing to know that Natsu had Dragon-slaying magic, but it was another to know that he was out there using it for that purpose. Just don’t do anything reckless, Flamebrain, he thought, careful not to let it slip through the bond, for fear that it might distract Natsu.
Hearing movement behind him, he spun, ice glistening around his hands, as he drove a lance through the creature that had been trying to get the drop on him. He wasted no time on it, already moving onto the next one when he heard Lyon shouting behind him.
“JUVIA!” He whirled towards the sound, hearing the panic…no, the utter terror in the other Ice Mage’s voice, and it took him all of a second to realise why his eyes widening as he spied the creature that had just fired its laser directly at Juvia. She had frozen, fear locking her in place, and her face was a mask of terror as she stared at the rapidly approaching blast. There was a tiny voice in the back of his head, the one that had just warned Natsu not to be reckless that was screaming at it, but he paid it no mind, not stopping to think about what he was doing.
It felt to him that his body had moved before he’d even fully realised what was happening. The world narrowing down to the distance between them, and his outstretched hand, and it was only when his fingers connected with her, shoving her out of the way that time seemed to catch up with himself. He had a split second of relief as she began to fall with a startled cry. She’s safe. That thought had barely registered before it was wiped away as his body was gripped by all-encompassing pain as the blast struck him, striking him directly in the chest. He wasn’t sure if he’d cried out, it felt like nothing was working as he began to fall, the world around him already beginning to darken, and seconds later what little breath he’d had left was forced from his lungs as another volley of blasts collided with him and this time he screamed.
Somewhere in the midst of the agony and the shadows that were stealing away both breath and thought, he felt a warm presence brushing the back of his mind. Even with everything failing him, he recognised Natsu’s touch, and tears prickled in the corners of his eyes as he felt his mate frantically reaching out, trying to encompass him in his warmth and share his strength. Trying to save him even now, and it hurt…a deep, aching pain that was worse than the agony lancing through his body because he knew that there was no saving him from this. I’m so sorry Natsu. With the last dredges of strength that he possessed he reached out, desperately trying to let Natsu know how much he loved him, and how much he wanted to stay, only to feel himself being engulfed in the overwhelming wave of raw grief and fury that poured through the bond from the other end.
Natsu…
I’m sorry.
He was lost, caught up in the metal scream as it washed over him, and he was distantly aware that Natsu’s cry had broken through into the physical world just before he was finally swept away as a final blast struck his head. In an instant he was gone, oblivious to how his body landed with a dull thud on the ground. Unable to hear the anguished scream that tore itself free of Juvia’s throat as she realised what had happened, and blind to the way that Lyon had collapsed, falling to his knees with a broken noise as Meredy stood weeping behind him.
****
Natsu’s senses were being assaulted from all directions. Behind him, he could feel the warmth coming from Atlas Flame, but while the heat would have been overwhelming for most people, for him, it was nostalgic, as though he had a little bit of Igneel back with him. It bolstered him more than he cared to admit. Then there was his assailant’s scent – so similar to Rogue’s that a small part of him wanted to hesitate, and he had to keep himself focused on the other Dragon-slayer’s face so that he didn’t falter, lips curling at the words the other man was still shouting as they traded blows. The lies – or truths that he didn’t want or need to hear. The future he wouldn’t…couldn’t allow to come true.
It was overwhelming, and it wasn’t helped by the fear that had been needling at him ever since the Dragons had first appeared over crocus. His inner dragon nervous at the presence of so many enemies – so many Dragons – so close to his mate, and it didn’t help that he knew that Gray was out there fighting somewhere in the city. Especially, as he had no idea who Gray was with, or just how bad the situation was on the ground. The need to know, to go and find him and make sure that he was okay, was almost overwhelming at this point, and it was only the fact that he could feel the distant hum of his mate’s presence in the back of his mind that was stopping him from giving in to the urge. But it wasn’t enough to prevent him from worrying.
Growling. Using his worry, to fuel his anger, he dodged out of the way of a blow that threatened to knock him out of the air, before retaliating with a flaming elbow, forcing Future Rogue to stumble backwards. He didn’t get chance to capitalise on it though, as they both staggered a second later as Atlas Flame seized the opportunity to slam himself bodily into Motherglare once more, both Dragons snarling as they fought to gain the upper hand. Part of Natsu was fascinated by the sight because in all the time that he had spent with Igneel he had never had the chance to witness a Dragon going all out like these two were. Mainly because his father had been unwilling to use such force against a human child and had shielded him on the few occasions, they’d run into trouble.
However, as a fist ablaze with tainted holy light swept past his cheek a little too close for comfort, only missing due to the unpredictable movement of the Dragons beneath them, Natsu forced himself to focus once more. He couldn’t afford to be distracted now. He needed to finish this fight so that he could get to his mate as soon as possible, needing to protect him. While the promise he had made to Lucy was a constant echo in the back of his mind. Clinging to those fought he growled as he lashed out, sending the other Dragon-slayer skidding backwards across rough scales, and he felt a brief flicker of satisfaction as he saw a hint of shock in the dark eyes. Baring his teeth in a fierce grin he moved forward with a single-minded focus, he would teach the other man not to underestimate him, even he had almost been taken out earlier.
*
He was just bracing himself to lunge forward when all thoughts of the battle and his promise to Lucy vanished as the bond between him and Gray came alive with a terrifying sense of wrongness. It was a sickening sensation, and he staggered, eyes narrowing as he caught the fear and horror that was now coming off his mate in waves. However, before he could even try and determine what was happening to make Gray feel like that, he was struck by a wave of pain so intense that it sent him crashing to his knees. His vision blurred, eyes watering as he tried to ride it out, frantically reaching out through the bond as he felt Gray crying out in pain. He was blind and deaf to the world around him as he reached out, trying to wrap his mate up in his warmth, desperately trying to lend strength to his mate as he felt Gray faltering.
It’s not enough.
Gray was wavering, faltering, and seconds later another wave of pain surged through the bond. Only this went beyond mere pain. It was agony, igniting every nerve in Natsu’s body even though he was only getting an echo of it, and he was unable to stop himself from crying out, flames flickering around him as he screamed. However, even that was nothing compared to the realisation that the bond between him and Gray was beginning to disintegrate, slowly fading away into a cloud of shadow, and something sharp and brittle shattered in his chest. No.
“Gray…” He mumbled, shaking as he tried desperately to keep the bond open, to anchor Gray to life, but he could feel the Ice mage slipping away with him. He was vaguely aware of the weak flicker in the bond as Gray tried to reach back, flinching away from the feelings, the desperate message of love…the apology that he could feel coming from his mate, refusing to accept that this was happening.
Unable to accept the thought of losing his mate.
Then the bond quivered, another wave of pain surging along its length, undimmed despite it’s weakening state and Natsu bit down hard on his lip to hold back the cry fighting to escape. He was oblivious to the blood trickling down his chin, and the coppery taste filling his mouth as with an almost audible snap, the link between him and Gray vanished.
For a long moment, he was frozen, numb with shock, unable to think let alone attempt to comprehend what the sudden emptiness in the back of his mind meant. Utterly helpless against the dark void that had opened inside him and threatening to devour him. However, slowly, from amidst the growing darkness, a single thought began to take shape. He shied away from it, unable to bear the truth it contained, but he couldn’t hide from it, and a solitary tear escaped, marking the start of the flood as it tore through his weak defences.
Gray…is gone.
Gray is gone.
The words were like a knife, tearing and slashing their way deeper inside, and as the realisation sank into his shocked mind, something welled up from deep inside of him. Something, sharp and painful. Something that burned in his chest, and with an anguished cry he fell forward, barely managing to catch himself with clenched fists as tears streaked down his cheeks. He was so lost in his grief and rising fury that he didn’t realise that the cry was still going, swelling and rising as it tore itself free of bloody lips. Oblivious to the magic imbuing the sound as his draconic side flare, amplifying the cry until it filled the air above the city, stopping everyone and everything in their tracks as it rocked them to their core.
Gray.
Is.
Gone.
****
For the civilians that hadn’t managed to escape before the devastation had left them trapped in the chaos, and the normal mages fighting to hold back the smaller creatures, the sound was unnerving. It drew all eyes skywards despite the numerous battles raging around them and made everyone’s hair stand on end. It was only those in Fairy Tail, and those familiar with Natsu, who recognised the source of the cry, even though they didn’t understand what was happening…or what had happened to make the Salamander sound like that.
On the far side of the city, Lucy was drawn from her perusal of the diary left by her future-self, tears springing unbidden to her eyes as Natsu’s voice washed over her and she stumbled for a moment as she realised that something terrible must have happened to make him sound like that. Part of him had snapped when her future-self had died, his grief palpable, but even then, he hadn’t seemed so wounded. So broken. Her eyes widened, a chill washing over her, as she realised that there was only one thing in the world that could’ve made him sound like, the diary falling from suddenly nerveless fingers, as a choked sob broke free. Gray.
Elsewhere, both Erza and Jellal had frozen mid-fight as Natsu’s cry had washed over them, potent enough to bring tears to their eyes, and their eyes met for a fraction of a second as they registered the sheer sorrow in the sound. Then they were moving, resuming the fight without a word, sliding around one another with ease, as though they had fought together a hundred times before. There was no holding back, an edge of ferocity to their attacks that had been missing before as they tried to clear a path back towards the others. They both knew that whatever had happened to make Natsu sound like that had to be bad, and even without words, Jellal could see the desperate need in Erza’s eyes as she glanced towards where they had last seen her guild. She needed to be with them, to find out what was happening, and as gold light spilled out around him, he vowed to make sure that she got there.
Makarov had frozen as the cry reached him, a giant hand slowly crushing the creature he had trapped a moment before as he turned his gaze skywards. He recognised Natsu’s voice, and his expression darkened as he immediately realised what such a cry indicated, knowing that there was only one thing that could leave Natsu in such a state. His heart seemed to skip a beat, and for a moment the world seemed to grow dark and cold around them. It had always been a distinct possibility that the would lose someone in this battle, especially after seeing what they were faced with, but to be faced with that loss… to be facing the loss of one of his brats… He found himself fighting to keep his feet, and his heart went out to the grieving Dragon-slayer as the anguished cry continued to echo through the city.
**
It was different for the other Dragon-slayers who were still scattered throughout the city. The anguished cry carrying a deeper, more personal meaning as it reverberated through them, waking instincts that most of them had been unaware of, as their inner Dragons roused in response to the grieving cry.
“What the hell is that?” Bickslow demanded, seizing the opportunity to put some distance between himself and the Dragon they were facing who had frozen at the echoing cry, fighting the urge to clasp both hands over his ears as he fell back to the others. Falling quiet as he saw the concern in their eyes, their gazes locked on Laxus and when he followed their gaze Bickslow could see why. The Dragon-slayer had gone utterly still, eyes wild as he stared up at the sky, lightning flickering around his hands as they curled into fists at his side, and they all jumped a moment later when a low, ferocious growl rumbled through him.
“Laxus?” Freed was the one to break the nervous silence, cautiously taking a few steps towards Laxus, only to flinch back when lightning struck the ground in front of him. Another bolt struck off to the left, and he realised that while he wasn’t being targeted, it wasn’t safe right now and he immediately retreated, and they could all feel the magic that was now saturating the air around them as Laxus tensed.
Behind them, Wendy had reacted slower, but tears were beginning to trickle down her suddenly pale cheeks, as she glanced skywards.
“Natsu…” She whispered, feeling his grief as though it was part of her, and her eyes widened as she felt her draconic side which before had never been more than a quiet murmur in the back of her mind, beginning to stir in reaction to Natsu’s cry. It was overwhelming, and she staggered, breath catching in her chest as fury, and a thirst for retribution that was entirely separate from her own emotions surged up. It was too much. As though she was being pulled in two different directions, and she was relieved when Mira moved up behind her, wrapping an arm around her.
“Wendy what’s going on?” Mira demanded anxiously, her grip tightening as she felt the younger girl beginning to shake. “Is that really Natsu?” She added, shivering as the anguished cry seemed to reach into every corner of her body, and Wendy tensed, going utterly still her grip before turning to look up at her and this time Mira was the one who tensed. Trying not to flinch away from the feral glint that had entered Wendy’s eyes, contrasting with the tears on her cheeks, and so far from her normal demeanour that Mira found herself loosening her grip. “Wendy?” She asked in alarm, fighting the urge to back away especially when a low growl escaped the younger girl.
“It’s Natsu…” Wendy whispered with a tiny nod, before sniffling and reaching up to dash at the tears falling down her cheeks. “It’s Gray…” She added, clinging desperately to her self-control, feeling her draconic side fighting against her and knowing that she wouldn’t be able to hold it back for much longer. “He’s gone…Gray is gone.” Mira’s arm fell away at those words, her own eyes beginning to burn fiercely as she realised what Wendy was saying, the realisation that they had all lost a friend starting to set in before her eyes slowly widened as the meaning behind the deafening cry registered.
“Wendy,” Laxus snarled, interrupting them. “We’re going to end this.” His voice was barely human now as it cut across Natsu’s cry, and the sound of the battle as he turned his attention back to the Dragon who was moving once, watching them all with mocking gaze of someone confident of their victory. Deep down, he realised on an instinctual level that the creature should have reacted to the cry the same way that they had, and the fact that he hadn’t indicated that whatever was controlling them was too strong, and that knowledge only added to his building fury. “Now.”
“Yes,” Wendy agreed simply, stepping forward and out of the reach of Mira’s arm as the older girl tried to stop her, moving up to stand next to Laxus. Her eyes glinting with amber fire as her power welled up around her until there was a wild wind whipping around all of them, adding to the uncomfortable pressure that was Laxus’ magic lingering in the air. Realising that neither of them was going to back down and that the Dragon-slayers were in no state to heed their presence, the others backed away, tense and fearful and aching as Natsu’s voice echoed over the city.
**
Gajeel was in the middle of launching another attack, desperately trying to wear down his opponent when he froze as Natsu’s cry rang through the air. It washed through him, igniting his draconic side as he dropped to the ground, and he let it surge to the forefront of his mind now, unable and unwilling to stop it from responding to Natsu’s lost, letting loose a snarl that stopped the Dragon in its track. He was barely aware that it had stopped though, his head having automatically turned in the direction of Natsu’s cry, even as he frantically reached out through his own bond to check that Levy was still relatively safe. Despite the fear he could feel vibrating through the bond when their minds brushed, he could tell that she was alive, and from the feeling, she sent him, also safe, and that was enough to let him pull away before he could get lost in the sensation.
“Salamander,” he breathed, as he refocused on Natsu’s cry. It reverberated through him, a bone-deep ache that left him barely able to breathe, even as he turned narrowed eyes on his opponent. Every draconic instinct within him was screaming at him, telling him to take down the Dragon looming over him. To take down anything and everything that Natsu perceived as having played a role in his mate’s death, and yet his human side was still hesitating, reluctant to accept the death of a friend…of a family member, without seeing with his own eyes that Gray had fallen.
However, his human rationality was swept aside seconds later as his draconic side forced itself back to the surface with a vicious snarl. It needed no further confirmation. Natsu’s mourning cry telling it everything that it needed to know, and with a howl that rose to join Natsu’s voice, he lunged forward to attack once more. Skin giving way to dark metal, as he lost himself in the battle and the need to avenge Natsu and his fallen mate.
**
Streets away, Sting and Rogue both froze as the heart-wrenching cry reached them, neither of them understanding the reason behind it. Yet, their draconic sides didn’t need to understand, reacting to it on some base, instinctual level. For a brief second their eyes met, and both could see the flicker of amber that had appeared in the other’s eyes, and then they were moving again, whirling around as their magic flare wildly around them.
“Natsu,” Sting growled, recognising the voice if not the reasoning behind it, his weariness dropping away as he shifted back into Dragon-force with a vicious snarl. His heart was aching in response to the sorrow that was being conveyed in the echoing cry, and he was consumed by the need to do something, anything, to help relieve that grief even if he didn’t understand. Some distant part of him realising that nothing he and Rogue did could ease that pain. Beside him, Rogue mirrored him, moving in perfect sync with him, as shadows wreathed him, and in perfect unison they lunged forwards, their opponents falling back in the face of the unexpected ferocity they were suddenly facing.
**
Cobra hissed as the cry reached him, striking his overly sensitive ears and he was unable to prevent himself from reaching up to cover them in an attempt to block out the noise and ride out the pain. His eyes were watering as he staggered, struggling to keep at least half his attention on his opponent.
However, for several long seconds, his attention was consumed by the pain, and it took him a while to realise that something else was rising in his chest. Something wild, that was overthrowing the determination that had filled him earlier when he had heard Natsu’s words and realised that the Salamander truly trusted him enough to join in with this battle. He knew that the sorrow and sudden fury that followed was coming from something beyond himself, just as he could feel the draconic magic rising in his body, but he made no effort to fight either of them. Instead, he forced himself to brush through the pain, although he couldn’t prevent the soft moan that escaped as he straightened, turning his attention back to his opponent. “I will win,” he growled, not with the bravado that he had felt at the start of the battle but with quiet determination as his magic saturated the air around him, ignoring the alarmed cries of the mages fighting nearby and their frantic scramble to back away.
**
Atlas Flame had faltered, breaking off from his next attack when the aching, broken cry had broken free from Igneel’s child, his flames dimming as he’d realised that not only had the Dragon-slayer mated, but that same mate had met his end somewhere within this battle. A keening noise built up in his chest, as he shared Natsu’s grief, but it was tinged with guilt as he realised that he too had played an unforgivable role in the fight before Natsu had managed to break through the control that Motherglare’s rider had over him. However, both feelings were rapidly being drowned out by a burning fury that was rising in response to Natsu’s cry, every instinct that he possessed now screaming at him to help the child avenge his mate.
Turning his burning gaze on Motherglare, he realised that apart from the faint tremor that he had felt before they had broken apart the other Dragon hadn’t responded to the anguished noise. And as their gazes met for a second, he was stunned to see that there was no hint of the same instincts that were currently flooding him. Was the other Dragon-slayer’s controlling magic really so powerful that it could even override their most basic instincts? Their entire species shared the burden of protecting the bond between mates – it was why any Dragon that endangered or took the life of another’s mate was subject to Dragon Law, and why his instincts were currently howling for him to assist in avenging the loss of Natsu’s mate. Yet it was clear that Motherglare shared none of this, and he bellowed his fury to the world at that realisation.
****
Natsu was oblivious to the various reactions he had triggered throughout the city, and even if he had been aware of it, then he wouldn’t have cared at that moment. His entire being was consumed by the realisation that he had failed to protect Gray, that he had failed in his duty to his mate, and the gnawing, aching understanding that he was now alone. Gone. He’s gone… There was a dark void in the space where his heart had been, and an emptiness in the back of his mind that drove home that loss and he could feel that darkness calling to him, offering him a way out of a world without his mate. He was clutching at his chest now, clawing at it as he wished that he could rip out his heart to stop the pain that was tearing him apart from the inside, unaware that he was actually digging bloody furrows into his skin in his efforts to escape the pain.
Gone! Our mate is gone!
Kill them…kill...kill….
His draconic side was writhing and thrashing in the throes of its grief, shrieking its fury into his mind, and as he felt the already tenuous barrier between them beginning to crumble, he let it fall, willingly surrendering to his wilder half.
As the barrier shimmered and fell, failing completely, the anguished cry finally faded away as Natsu retreated into the furthest corner of his mind as his draconic side consumed him entirely. It's release bringing with it a wave of raw power that washed through him, physically changing his body as it went, skin giving way to crimson as it hardened into scales that this time covered most of his body. While warm olive, darkened into molten amber, alight with pain and fury as he turned his attention back to the cause of his pain, flames exploding around with, with no semblance of his usual control.
Kill.
*
“What trick is this Natsu Dragneel?” Future-Rogue demanded as he straightened, wincing as he tried to recover from the combined effects of the deafening cry, and the explosion of flames seconds before that had forced him backwards, nearly sending him off the back of Motherglare. As he steadied himself, he realised that his control of the remaining Dragons was wavering slightly, and it took him a second to realise that it was because of the strange, previously unknown instinct that was now rising in his chest, howling at him. It startled him to realise that it was torn, longing to avenge the sorrow that had been conveyed in that cry, the pain that had been caused, but also fearful that the enraged Dragon-slayer was going to focus on them in his search for retribution.
Enough.
Snarling, he buried the unwanted feelings, focusing on shoring up his hold over the other Dragons, noting that they were fighting him now, an echo of the same instincts that had threatened to overwhelm him coming from each of them in turn. It took far more effort that he was willing to admit forcing them to submit once more, and he was unsure how long it would last now, an angry growl on his lips as he turned his attention back to Natsu. Wondering just what the other Dragon-slayer had done to unsettle them to that extent, irritation building as he realised that Natsu hadn’t even replied to his earlier question.
However, as soon as his gaze landed on his opponent, he found his throat closing up as a sudden jolt of fear went through him, as he found himself staring directly into feral, amber eyes. Unable to stop himself, he took a cautious step back as the fury and hatred churning in the wild gaze registered, the movement drawing a rumbling growl from Natsu as the other Dragon-slayer slowly climbed back to his feet, the flames around him dancing wildly.
It was the silence that worried him though, his eyes narrowing as Natsu made no attempt to launch into his usual challenges or determined threats, a mocking noise rising in his throat as he realised that the other Dragon-slayer was weeping, tears running unchecked down scaled cheeks. However, he quickly quietened when Natsu’s only response to the noise was a low snarl, and he found himself tensing as he studied him properly for the first time. What the hell is going on? There was no way that the other Dragon-slayer could have changed so much in the space of a minute, and yet the power now filling the air around them was completely different, and he frowned. “Is this…Dragon-force?” He asked under his breath, noting with interest the crimson scales that now covered most of Natsu’s visible skin. Even in the future, years after these games, Natsu’s use of Dragon-force hadn’t developed to this extent, with the scales only covering parts of his face and upper arms when he was at full strength.
The sudden, and apparently vast difference that had suddenly appeared between them unnerved him more than the unexplainable emotions that Natsu’s cry had triggered, and for the first time, he found himself entertaining the possibility that his plan might fail.
“Because of you…” Natsu finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper and in a tone that would have been inhuman were it now for the raw pain behind the words. It was quiet, but to Future-Rogue it sounded deafening as he found himself unable to look away from the amber gaze that was now studying his every move and he shivered at the echo he could hear in the other’s voice, as though there was more than Natsu speaking right now. “Because of you,” Natsu repeated as the wild flames surrounding him began to shift, slowly gathering around his fists as he slipped into a low crouch, his teeth bared in a grim snarl and Future-Rogue instinctively gathered his own magic in preparation as Natsu’s face contorted in rage. “My mate is dead because of you!”
Grief and guilt outweighed the anger in that final, anguished shout, but he had no time to consider what that meant as Natsu immediately moved, a flaming fist heading directly for his face. Only a desperate twist to the side saved him, but there was no reprieve as Natsu followed up with another blow, and then another and another. There was nothing controlled or predictable about these attacks, and Future-Rogue found himself unable to do anything but retreat under the onslaught, even as he tried to work out what had happened, struggling to comprehend the change in his opponent. However, he found himself with little time to think, as Natsu was relentless now, and moments later he was nearly flung from Motherglare’s back as Atlas Flame re-joined the battle with a thunderous roar, and as he struggled to hold his balance and stave off the furious Dragon-slayer, he felt a flicker of doubt.
Can I really win this?