The Dragon's Mate

by youngandlazy

Anna has been through a lot in her life. She's suffered through the disappearance of her dragon, gone through abuse and kidnapping, and spending most of her life alone. But when she meets someone in Hargeon, will her life change for the better? Find out in part one of a three part series, The Dragon's Mate

I groaned when I sat heavily in my train seat, the cut on my leg burning with every movement. I sighed and pulled out my music lacrima. I put on my headphones and plugged them in. It was a weird gift that Raven gave me. He said that he made it himself. It was in a rectangular shape. The lacrima was black with light blue swirls. It was rock solid too, almost like a diamond. It seemed like he enchanted it so that it wouldn't break. 'Almost as if he knew that I would be on my own……'

I shook my head and played my music. I relaxed back into the seat, already starting to drift off. The cut on my leg burned but it wasn't enough for me to stay awake so I slowly drifted off into unconsciousness.

[oOo]

I woke up in the middle of the night to the ground shaking. I quickly sat up and peered out of my small cave. It was dark outside. Really dark. The only light was the bright full moon shining down on the clearing in front of my cave. In the clearing was a large, dark figure. The clouds hid the moon and I lost sight of the figure. Ignoring my fear, foolishly I might add, I crept as quietly as I could outside of my cave towards the clearing.As I got closer the clouds moved away from the moon and shone light on the clearing, but this time I could clearly see the figure. It was large, black and it had….wings?! My mouth opened in a silent scream as my small body fell onto it's knees. 'A….a dragon?! Here?!' I thought frantically. The dragon was all black with light blue patterns across it's body. It's wings were stretched out to their full length as the dragon was standing on it's hind legs, poised to take off for flight.I closed my mouth and tried getting up but I tripped and fell right back down, yelping as I did so. The dragon quickly turned its head towards me. As soon as its light blue eyes landed on me, I froze. I was terrified. The menacing dragon growled before landing hard on its legs. I screamed and turned to run but I tripped again. I blacked out after hitting something hard.

[oOo]

I groaned and blinked. I looked outside of my window and frowned when I didn't recognize where I was. I listened to the announcer. I frowned when I heard the name. 'Hargeon? Why does that sound familiar?I looked around the train. There was no other passengers seated. I sighed and got up. I grabbed my bag and pulled up the hood of my cloak before walking to the opening doors. I stepped out into the cold air. I shivered. It was just turning spring here. I raised my head and sniffed the air, trying to find the nearest inn, just by scent alone. I smiled when I seemed to find one and followed my nose. It took me through Hargeon. It seemed like a pretty hustle and bustle place but there weren't many people out and about today. I glanced around when something about this town struck me as familiar. I froze when someone bumped into me. I looked up and my eyes widened when I saw who exactly bumped into me. The man blinked before recognition flashed through his beady eyes.

I stepped back and almost against my will my eyes turned dark grey. The ends of my hair turned dark grey and I let out a vicious growl. He gave me a slimy smirk before opening his mouth.

"I see you escaped capture little girl. I'm surprised that you can even walk, seeing as how you could barely keep conscious when-" he said in a raspy voice. I didn't let him finish. I growled again as my clawed hand reached out to grab his throat before he could say anything more.

I pushed him up against the nearest wall and squeezed. He choked and clawed at my arm. His legs kicked uselessly while I choked him. I could feel my anger spike at the sight of his pathetic struggling so I used my other hand to punch him square in the nose to get him to stop. There was a sickening crack and he screamed in pain. After punching him a few more times, I dropped him on the ground and stepped back as he gagged. I glared down at him my body going back to normal before I opened my mouth.

"Any other time, you would be dead but I'm in a good mood. If I ever see your face again I'll kill you." I said coldly. He looked fearfully at me before scrambling to get away. I stepped back again and let him run away like the coward he is. I sighed and turned around to enter the inn. I walked in and walked up to the front desk.

[oOo]

I thanked the lady behind the wooden desk before I headed towards my room. I opened the door and was pleasantly surprised to see that the room was cozy and well lit. It had an almost earthy smell. I had all but forgotten about meeting that man earlier and giving him but a taste of what I could've done to him. I shook my head to keep away those depressing memories and smiled while walking inside, closing the door before locking it. I walked around the small room. There were two chairs and a small table near the window. The bed was pushed up against the wall, the end facing towards the door. There were two doors near the table. I opened the first door and it was a small bathroom. The next door was a normal sized closet. I suddenly felt exhausted, so I walked back to the bed and fell face first onto it. I groaned when my glasses pushed up against my nose uncomfortably. I took them off and set them on the small night table near the bed. I was about to fall asleep when a burning sensation went through my leg. My eyes shot open and I almost screamed in pain at the intensity. I sat up quickly and pulled down my black pants. There was a bright red cut from my knee to the middle of my thigh. 'Had I really almost forgotten?'

I hissed when I tried to get up to go to the bathroom but I ignored the pain and walked towards it. I opened the door and quickly sat down on the toilet before rummaging through the cabinets for some rubbing alcohol. I found it and used a small hand towel to clean the large cut. Once it stopped burning I rinsed out the towel and hung it up. I looked for some bandages and when I found some, I wrapped my injury up. I sighed, completely awake now, and decided to go up on the roof to look up at the night sky. I opened the window in the bathroom and climbed out. I climbed up the balcony up to the roof. It was an unethical way to get to the roof, but it's more fun this way! I leaned against the railing as soon as I made it up there and looked at the stars. I slowly began to drift off a short while later.

[oOo]

I groaned when I sat up. I rubbed my head and my fingers brushed over something soft..? I frowned and tried to look up at my head. I saw something white wrapped around my head.'Bandages?' I thought confused. I looked at my surroundings and saw that I wasn't in the open field anymore. I wasn't even near my cave!I tried to get up but as soon as I stood up I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me. I covered my mouth and put my hand against something scaly. My eyes widened and I quickly turned around. Sitting behind me was the huge black dragon! I yelped and scrambled backwards to try and get away. The dragon blinked and looked at me before opening its mouth."Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you." He said, his voice echoing throughout the….cave we were in. I shook my head and backed up towards the wall of the cave. The dragon seemed to sigh before a bright blue light covered his entire body. I shielded my eyes for a minute before the light faded away.I slowly lowered my arm before gaping when I saw a man standing in front of me. He had black hair that was tied up in a high ponytail. He was really tall and had striking light blue eyes and dark tan skin. He looked at me before stepping closer."Is this a better form for you?" He asked. I absently nodded while still trying to process what just happened. He smirked before walking closer."I'm Raven. What's your name little one?" I bit my lip before whispering "Anna."

[oOo]

I woke up when the light hit my eyes. I groaned and got up. I stretched and sighed when I felt my back bones crack. I rubbed my eyes and went down to my room, the normal way this time. I went into the bathroom, closed the window, and brushed my teeth. I checked the cut and saw that it already healed. I grinned and removed the bandages. I got up and grabbed my bag and music lacrima. I plugged in my headphones and walked out of my room. I sighed happily when the cool spring air touched my face. I pulled up my cloak hood and walked through the town.

It was a small town near the ocean. While walking around, I heard some townspeople whispering about the "cursed" Galuna Island. Interested, I headed to the nearest library to do some research. I did stay here for a little bit in the past, but I didn't remember hearing about Galuna Island. My eyes darkened when I relived flashes from my past. I shook my head and continued my research. I read some info in a book I found.

Galuna Island was an island that was formerly named Moon Island before a rumor about a curse circulated the town. Nothing else could be found about this mysterious Galuna Island.

I sighed after I finished researching. I got up and left the library. 'The mysterious Galuna Island huh?' I wondered. I didn't pay attention to where I was walking and ran into someone. I yelped and fell on my butt. My cloak's hood fell off and I hit my butt hard on the sidewalk.

"Natsu! Watch where you're going! You just ran into someone! Oh, I'm so sorry, are you okay?" A female voice said. I groaned and rubbed my butt before looking up. Staring concernedly down at me was a very pretty blonde girl. She was wearing a burgundy t-shirt that clung to her curvy figure and ample chest. Her light blue jean shorts stopped to the middle of her thighs. She had dark brown boots on and a belt with keys were at her side. 'A celestial mage? Odd.'

I thought before bringing my attention back to the two people in front of me. I blinked and nodded. She smiled before she turned her brown eyes to the man next to her and glared at him.

"Natsu apologize for running into this woman!" she said angrily. I got up and shook my head.

"No need. It was my fault that I ran into him." I said quietly before turning to him to apologize. I froze when I saw him. Something inside of me started doing…...something. I tried to ignore it and focus on apologizing, but it was difficult when my dragon began jumping for joy and purring.

"I...I'm sorry f-for bumping into y-you." I said stuttering embarrassedly. His eyes…..they were black. It was weird...especially paired with his oddly pink hair. And his odd choice of clothing. His pants were white with black cuffs at the bottom and he wore black sandals. He had on a black vest that was outlined in dark gold.

The vest showed off his sculpted chest and I felt my face turn red, so I quickly looked away. I saw him smirk and I blushed even more. I also noticed the absolutely amazing smell emanating from the man, Natsu. The blonde girl was switching between rambling out apologies and scolding Natsu. She seemed oblivious to the obvious tension in the air between us. He nodded at her scolding but didn't take his eyes off of me.

I began to feel warm all over, so I nodded and decided to leave to save myself from this uncomfortable situation. Surprisingly, with some difficulty, I turned and walked away. The woman didn't notice my leave and just kept on rambling. The farther I got away, the more I wanted to turn back around. It was...odd. I could still feel his eyes on me and that made me shiver. I hurried towards the inn I was currently staying at and quickly entered my room when I got there. I sighed and decided to take a shower. I grabbed my shower stuff and jumped in.

[oOo]

Raven took me in after that. He was apart of the Chaos Dragon Clan. He taught me Chaos Dragon Slayer magic. He grew to be like an older brother to me. We spent a lot of time together. He was, and still is the only family I've ever had……..Until he suddenly left me. It was like he just….vanished into thin air! After he left…...I went searching for him everywhere I could go, but I always failed in finding him. I eventually lost hope of ever seeing him again. So, I stole since I didn't have any money to buy food. Raven taught me how to hunt, but there was always that painful reminder that he was gone. For good. I stole, lied, cheated, you name it, I've either tried or did it. I got caught up sometimes in my lies or whenever I stole, but I always managed to escape capture. Until one time I didn't.

[oOo]

"Come 'ere ya little punk!" the old man said as he chased after me. I grinned before slinking into the shadows and waiting for him to pass me. He did and I waited a bit longer before slowly creeping out of the shadows. I grinned again before taking a bite out of the apple I stole. I smelled someone behind me but before I could run, a heavy hand grabbed my arm before spinning me around.

"Well, what do we have here? A little thief eh?" The man said, his beady eyes staring down at me. I gulped and tried getting away but the man hit me with something and I blacked out. Turns out, the man was a human trafficker working for some mage, Bora I think. They expected me to just sit and be quiet but I didn't. I tried escaping multiple times and failed every single one of those times. They beat and tortured me every single time. Even though that would make no sense, since why would you harm the merchandise? Wouldn't that lower the value, therefore lowering the money you could have earned?

But whenever I was beaten, I was hidden so that Bora wouldn't be mad. I soon stopped trying after the 40th or 50th attempt. I was then sold at an auction to Jude Heartfilia. I didn't know who that was and I really didn't care. As soon as he took me to his home, I saw my chance to escape. I jumped from the window in my room and used my dragon wings to help me down. Raven taught me how to change my body parts into dragon parts. And how to release my inner dragon. I found my way back to my place before Hargeon and gathered all of my things before traveling around. I've tried to forget about that part of my life for a long time now.

[oOo]

I sighed when I exited the shower. I wiped the steam off the mirror and looked at myself. I had long black hair that reached my waist, large brown eyes and tannish pale skin. I frowned when I noticed a something forming on my shoulder. It was a speck of a burning red, orange and yellow….flame? Weird, but I just shook my head and tried to focus on something else. I quickly got dressed and sat down on the bed.

My mind kept going back to that man, Natsu. Who was that? Why did he make me feel…..weird? Is he the reason as to my new tattoo forming on my shoulder? If so….that would mean….I shook my head again before thinking about Galuna Island. I'm curious about that "cursed" island. I nodded and decided to pay a visit. 'I have nothing better to do anyway.' I packed my bag and made sure that all my stuff was with me. I checked out of my room and headed towards the docks. By the time I made it there it was already dark. I looked around to make sure that no one was here before letting my wings out.

I grimaced when I heard and felt the crack of bone and the cutting of flesh as my wings emerged from my back. I smelled my blood and hissed as a sharp tingle of pain hit me when the cool air blew across the cuts on my back. I waited a minute while the cuts healed around the wings. I shook them before moving back to get a running start. I ran forward and jumped into the air. I laughed and smiled while flying towards Galuna Island. I love flying and feeling the wind blow through my hair. After a few moments, my mind began to drift as I flew towards the island. I thought about my cut that I got while I was on that mission.

[oOo]

I walked up to the mission board in front of the town square. "What's interesting today." I muttered to myself as I scanned my eyes over the missions. "No...no..nope….no….not ever….no...ah! That one is good. And it pays a lot too." I said to myself before ripping off the paper. 456,000 jewels. It was just your average job. There were thieves who needed to be caught. I raised an eyebrow at the price. It's a little much for capturing thieves, no? Ah, I guess it doesn't matter. I jumped onto the nearest train to Berry Town.

I arrived there a day later. It was obviously a quiet and small town. There were a few people who were out and about, which is a bit odd since it was the middle of the afternoon. I shrugged and tried to find the mayor's building. A woman walked over to me, and she pointed me in the right direction. I thanked her and headed towards the large normal looking building. I walked in and there was a secretary sitting behind a wooden desk. I walked up to her and showed her the mission. She smiled and pointed me towards the door that said 'mayor'.

I knocked on the door and heard a small 'come in'. The mayor sat on a black swivel chair. He had a kind, old looking face and warm looking indigo eyes. His blonde hair was slicked back and his black suit looked expensive and clean. He gave me a warm smile before explaining the thief problem.

I won't really bore you with the details, but I'll give you the basics. There were thieves terrorizing the town and they needed the problem fixed. He told me where they were staying, which I thought was weird. I didn't comment on it, and walked to the nearest inn. I checked in and settled my stuff, before walking to the place he had described.

It didn't take long to find their hideout. They weren't exactly being subtle. It was an old shack that looked like trash, but I felt a barrier around it. I was slightly impressed. "Looks like I underestimated them." I muttered. I sniffed and smelt the nasty stench of booze and smoke. I hid in the trees after realising that no one was home. So, I waited.

[oOo]

The thieves came back and I, naturally, kicked their asses-I mean, behinds. No, on second thought, I mean asses. One of them got lucky and cut me with his knife though. It was a special knife too. It made wounds take longer to heal, whether it be naturally or not. So, I decided to take it. It is useful after all.

I handed the thieves off to the proper authorities and collected my reward. As soon as I did, I checked out of the inn and jumped on the nearest train. I blinked and saw the island ahead of me. It took about a day to fly there but my curiosity outweighed the hunger I felt on the way here.

I landed and decided to first look around for the village I heard about. I was walking through the woods when a familiar scent hit me. I tilted my head to get a better smell and I could feel my eyes turn a dark shade of grey. I followed the scent until it lead me to Natsu?!

He turned around when he heard me coming. His eyes were a beautiful hazel before they widened and turned a deep, inky black. I took a step closer when he suddenly appeared in front of me. I took a step back but he took another step forward. I panicked and turned away. Before I could even realize what I was even doing, I had ran back into the forest. I heard him growl but I didn't care. I ran as fast as I could until I reached a temple of some sorts.

It was old and I could tell that there was some warding or spell to cast away evil creatures. The temple had some weird markings on the two columns in the front and on the opening of the temple. I huffed and headed around the temple. Something was seriously off with this island and I didn't want to get mixed up in whatever it was. It was huge and it took me nearly an hour to walk all the way around it. I sighed as I began to feel a burn in my legs and sat down on the forest floor. Well, it was more like a jungle than a forest. It had so many large and unruly vines and the tree trunks are ginormous!

I groaned as my stomach spasmed in pain and hissed when I cut myself on a vine. I brought my arm up to my hand and licked the blood off of it. It had already healed so there was no point in me bandaging it. I sighed again and got up.

I blinked when a delicious scent wafted into my nose. It smelled of cinnamon, roasted almonds and apples. I could feel my eyes change to dark grey. My dragon purred in happiness as I drank in the scent. 'Mate chases us. Run farther, go! Make mate chase us more!' My inner dragon demanded, I nodded and was about to run some more when a twig snapped. I turned around quickly.

There, standing behind me was a large animal. It looked like some sort of magical leopard, going by its rainbow colored eyes and snow white fur. It growled at me and inched closer to me. I grew my canines our and growled back.

It paused, before roaring and charging towards me. I hissed and charged towards the thing as well. We collided and I knocked the thing back. It landed on all fours near a large tree trunk. I was about to charge it again, but I heard a small cry coming from the jungle.

I blinked before it all clicked. I retracted my canines and got into more of a peaceful stance. It looked warily at me before slowly going towards the cry. It gave a warning growl before bounding into the jungle. I shook my head before walking away. I didn't exactly know where I was going, but I decided to try to find some sort of food.

A gurgle came from my stomach as it clenched in hunger. I winced and wrapped my hands around my middle. I sniffed, and smelled meat cooking. It was a faint scent but it made my stomach growl again. I drooled a bit and ran towards the delicious smell. I made it to a wooden gate. I smelled cinnamon and apples and before I could run away, I felt a warm presence at my back. A deep chuckle sounded next to my ear and I shivered.

"And where do you think you're going, little mate?" a deep, smooth voice said. My face turned a bright red as my eyes turned a dark grey and my dragon came out. She purred at the name and pushed her body closer to his. She heard him stiffen before he grabbed her hips and growled. She smirked before turning around to face him.

"Someone's getting impatient~!" She teased, pushing her body closer to his. He growled lowly again before smashing their lips together. She moaned before pushing back too. He grabbed her hips and lifted her up. She got the hint and wrapped her legs around his waist. They continued to furiously make-out against a tree, while every once in awhile, letting out moans and grunts.

Me, I was completely embarrassed and happy at the same time. Happy because I finally found my mate! A mate is that one special someone (it can be human, dragon slayer, whatever) that is your one and only. They're basically your soulmate, your other half, the one. They all mean the same thing. As my dragon, Saphira, continued to make-out with Natsu's dragon, my mind drifted to a conversation I had with Raven when he was still here….

[oOo]

"Raven? What's a mate?" I asked. He blinked and thought for a moment. He shifted so that he was on his hind legs. He raised a claw to his chin as he thought. His tail swished behind him too. "A mate is someone who you feel a strong bond towards. Who when you first meet, you feel an instant connection to. Who you want to protect no matter what. Someone who is the most important person that you love. Someone that when you finally touch, you feel complete. And, your inner dragon instantly comes to the surface. That's the best way that I could explain it. Why do you ask?" He says. I grinned at him before showing him the book I was reading.He smiled before shaking his head and picking me up with his claw. "C'mon. Time for practice." I groaned before getting on his back. I was quiet for a few minutes before I opened my mouth. "Will I ever find my mate?" I asked. He paused before nodding. "Of course you will! Who wouldn't want a wonderful girl like you!" He said proudly. I giggled before asking him another question. "Do you have a mate?" He went quiet before sighing and shaking his head. "No, I haven't found them yet, but I will, Hopefully…." We continued to our training field in silence.

[oOo]

I was brought out of my memories when something nipped at my neck. I moaned before squeaking. Saphira had gone back, as well as Natsu's dragon. Now, it was just us. I looked at him and saw that his flushed cheeks matched mine. He was still holding me, and I found that I didn't really mind. He cleared his throat and I looked at him. He was looking down at me with a small happy smile on his face.

"What's your name?" He asked quietly. I blushed and stuttered out my name. He grinned before telling me his name. I grinned too and we both laughed. He let me down and I realized our height difference. I was about four inches shorter and I felt annoyed at yet another reminder of just how short I was. He laughed again before bending down and nuzzling my neck. I shivered and I felt him chuckle. I pouted before 'hmphing' and turning away from him. He laughed and wrapped his arms around my middle.

"Sorry, but your reactions are just too cute!" He said. I puffed my cheeks out but pushed myself against him. I felt yet another chuckle vibrate through his chest as he held me. He seems to laugh a lot, at least around me.

All of a sudden, I felt myself be picked up. I squeaked before holding onto his neck. He just smiled at my annoyed glance and walked me over to the wooden gates. I remembered my empty stomach. That was when my stomach let out a loud gurgle. Natsu furrowed his eyebrows and looked at me worriedly. I laughed nervously at his look.

"When was the last time you ate?" He asked. I frowned as I actually thought about it. I bit my lip and answered quietly. "Maybe a few days ago." His eyes widened and he shook his head.

"You need food. Now." He said, before calling up to someone. The gates opened and the smell of cooking meat filled my nostrils. My mouth watered, and I may have drooled a little bit. He quickly carried me into the village and we headed towards a tent.

When he walked in with me, all eyes turned towards us. I blushed and pulled on my hood to hide from the curious stares. I felt Natsu let out a low chuckle before he set me down next to the blonde girl I met before. She stared at me wide eyed before recognition flashed through her eyes.

"You're that girl we bumped into!" She said loudly in shock. I winced a bit at her volume but nodded. She looked at me before asking what I was doing here. So, I explained how I got there, knowing that everyone was listening to my explanation. Even Natsu, who was getting us food.

Natsu came back with my food during the middle of my story and I quickly wolfed down everything. I swallowed and finished, ignoring the slightly disgusted and awed looks some of the villagers and Lucy was giving me.

After my story, everyone introduced themselves. Well, at least the mages from Fairy Tail. The villagers didn't really care much, and I was glad. There were too many to remember all of their names. Fairy Tail is a very famous, or infamous, depending on who you ask, guild of mages and wizards who take on jobs and such.

Well, Lucy, the blonde woman, was the one to introduce herself first. She seemed like a really happy, kind and sweet person. She had her blonde hair down and had a tiny side ponytail. She also had large brown eyes that were a much lighter shade than mine. She's a celestial mage, a mage that uses zodiac and constellation keys to fight. She has spirts of the constellations and zodiac. She smells like vanilla and peaches. A very nice scent, it suits her.

Erza, a redhead with brown eyes, was the next one to go. She had armor on with a ruffled blue skirt. She seems very serious and loyal to her family. I respect that, and we got along greatly. She's a requip mage. She can change her armor into different ones. I think she said that she has up to 100 amors. She smells like strawberries and roses.

Happy, a flying blue cat, had jumped onto my chest. He is so adorable! He's like Natsu's best friend from what he tells me. He doesn't really have magic, besides his wings, but he's super adorable. He smells like fish and leaves. I don't know why, but he does. Oh, and if you're wondering why I'm naming all of their scents, it's because it helps me remember them better.

And last but not least, Gray. He's an ice maker mage. He uses ice to fight, and it's pretty cool. (Pun fully intended.) He has dark blue hair and really dark eyes. I can't tell if they're a dark blue or a black. He seemed suspicious of me, but I didn't blame him. Although, it seems like he understood as soon as he got too close to me. We were just talking when he shifted a bit closer since the village girls were fawning over him. Natsu glared at him and growled, pulling me closer. His eyes had gone black and he was still glaring at Gray. I gave a small giggle at Gray's look and rubbed Natsu's hand on my shoulder. He blinked, his eyes going back to hazel, and blushed slightly, muttering as he ate his fire. Oh yeah didn't I mention that Natsu's a Fire Dragon Slayer? Well, he is and it's freaking awesome. That explains why he's freakishly warm too.

Gray's eyes lit up with understanding, before he smirked and moved a little closer to me. Natsu's eyes snapped to his and he glared again. Gray gave him a cheeky smile before wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I giggled at his angry look before shaking his arm off. I moved closer to Natsu and layed my head on his shoulder. He grinned and gave Gray a smug look before wrapping his arm around my shoulder. Gray rolled his eyes and headed over to Erza and Lucy.

My eyes started to droop and I yawned. Natsu noticed this and quickly finished his fire before picking me up. He carried me over to one of the tents and sat me down on one of the mats. He climbed in too, before looking at me.

"Do you want to share one with me? You don't have to if you don't want to." I blinked before smiling at his thoughtfulness. I shook my head and snuggled closer to him. He grinned and wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face into his neck and he did the same. I fell asleep like that, in the arms of my mate.