A/N: Hey guys! Part two! I hope you like it!
"Ready?", Erza called as everyone made there way to the door. They were all dressed and ready to go.
Gray hoisted a bag over his shoulder.
"You go without me.", Natsu said, causing everyone to turn to his direction. Lucy frowned.
"You? Giving up a chance to go to a Dragon Festival? What happened over your one year training that we don't know about?", Gray wondered out loud.
"It must have been before, because I don't know about it either!", Happy announced.
"I'm sick."
Gray narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but nervous at the same time. "Did you just say your sick? As in...dragon-slayer sick?"
Natsu nodded.
Wendy's eyes widened.
"There's no way I could miss the symptoms! You look perfectly healthy!", Wendy looked like she was going to burst into tears.
"I'm sure it's just a little cold. Natsu don't be a wimp.", Lucy tried consoling Wendy, but Gray shook his head.
"You don't understand. A dragon-slayer doesn't get sick often, but when they do...let's say it isn't pleasant."
Gray knew that Wendy was right. Natsu looked perfectly healthy. There was no way he was sick.
"I'm don't believe it!", Wendy told Natsu.
"Could someone explain what happens when a dragon-slayer gets sick?", Erza asked.
"It's different for every dragon-slayer, but when a dragon-slayer gets sick, they get it really bad. They're not in control of their own body and their powers are totally out of wack."
"It's the one thing worse than motion sickness.", Natsu added seriously.
"How come you know so much about this, Gray?"
Gray gave a half-shrug as Natsu shuffled in place. "Just picked it up, I guess."
A light bulb went off in Wendy's head.
"Of course! You know about this because..." her voice drifted off after receiving a look from Gray.
Natsu muttered something inaudible that Wendy probably only heard through her super-hearing.
Gray had no idea what he said, but Wendy nodded.
It wasn't a terrible secret. It was just something they would never share because it showed they cared for each other. The less they acknowledged it, the better it was for their rivalry.
"How come I've never seen you sick?", Happy asked.
Wendy answered for Natsu. "The only cure for a dragon-slayer when they're sick it to spend time with their opposite element. Like for example, when I'm sick, I go closer to the ground to complement my sky magic."
"So Natsu went to get cooler? So...a lake?"
Wendy nodded. "Yeah a lake..or ice." she added quietly.
Gray remembered that the first time Natsu was sick, he sleep-walked over to Gray's house. He came because the ice was calling to him. When Natsu was sick, it was scary. Gray remembered his house almost burning down. Not to mention, he was worried Natsu was going to die.
After Natsu got better, the two decided to never acknowledge it, though it was clear Natsu sent his silent thanks.
After that, it just became habit. Every time Natsu was sick, he wound up at Gray's house.
But Gray knew that this wasn't one of those times. Natsu was not sick. He was lying. Something happened to him. Something changed.
"Look, I'm glad you guys are so interested in my condition, but it's not that bad right now. So get going."
Erza looked like she wanted to stay. "Actually, why don't we-"
Gray cut her off. "You guys go, I'll stay."
"Gray, I'm fine. It isn't as bad as usual.", Natsu protested.
Gray met his eyes. "Oh yeah, I know it isn't bad as usual." Gray made sure Natsu knew he knew that he was lying.
"Maybe we should all stay.", Lucy said.
"Erza, Lucy, Wendy, Happy, Carla. Go.", Gray said forcefully. If he wanted to find out why Natsu was lying to them, he needed them to leave.
"What's up with you?", Gray asked Natsu.
"Nothing.", Natsu lied as he picked at his nail.
They were sitting across from each other.
"You're going to have to talk. And don't bother lying about being sick. I know you aren't."
"Should've picked another excuse.", Natsu grinned a little. One that Gray didn't share.
"Why did you need an excuse in the first place?"
"No reason."
"You would never have given up a chance to go to a Dragon Festival. Why now?"
Natsu didn't respond.
"What happened at Tartaros?", Gray asked.
Gray watched as a familiar dark expression gloomed over Natsu.
"Nothing."
"Nothing? You're literally getting worked up over the name!" Gray said harshly.
"I'm not scared!", Natsu said loudly.
"I didn't say you were.", Gray lowered his tone. "What happened? You're getting tense at the name!"
"What happened? What happened?", Natsu repeated. His voice dangerous.
"Well excuse me for not wanting to be reminded of my dead father."
Gray didn't respond, so Natsu kept going.
"It's been my life's purpose to find Igneel, and when I finally find him? He dies. That's what happens. I spend years searching, praying, hoping, crying, laughing, yelling, whatever and my reward is watching my father die and not being able to do anything about it!"
"Natsu, I saw my father die as well. The only thing we can do is take down E.N.D. We need to avenge them."
"Yeah and that too. Your entire speal about destroying E.N.D. and your stupid devil-slayer magic. All it does is cause trouble!"
Gray was going to object when he saw something in Natsu's face that caused his anger to vanish. "You're...worried about me?"
Natsu didn't meet his eyes. "Of all of you. Tartaros took such a big toll on everybody. And its only going to get harder from here."
"Is this about Memento Mori?", Gray guessed.
"You don't know what it was like to see fall like that. It was like you died."
"That's why I left in the first place. I wanted to get stronger to protect all of you."
Gray didn't respond for a few moments and a silence loomed over them. "Take a look at that crest on your arm. I think you need a reminder of what guild you belong to."
Natsu glared at Gray. "As if I'd forget."
"Well it seemed like it."
"I'd never forget about Fairy Tail."
"Fairy Tail wizards don't die, Natsu. They don't die because they have their friends to protect them. You're right. Things are going to only get harder from here, but we're going to get through it."
"Because we're Fairy Tail.", Natsu finished.
Gray nodded. "I know what its like to see your parents die, but remember the family you still have."
"I guess it was selfish of me to run away."
Gray shook his head. "We all needed a break after...that. You were just the one who initiated it. But you usually do stupid things, Ash-for-Brains."
"Like you haven't done anything Ice-Breath"
And so, the stream of insults began as the two talked about useless things, their serious conversation forgotten.
But as they turned off the lights and went to sleep, Gray pretended not to hear the soft thanks that whispered out of Natsu's mouth.
"PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME GET ON THAT TRAIN!", Natsu yelled as Erza dragged him aboard. Lucy, Wendy, and the cats followed her in.
Gray was the last to get in. "Oh no.", he protested, seeing all three of them sitting on the other side of the compartment, with a groaning Natsu on the other side.
To be fair, Wendy also looked pretty bad.
Erza smiled. "It's your turn, today."
Gray groaned as he lightly pushed Natsu to the side and took a seat.
"If you throw up on me, I swear I'll kill you!", Gray whispered into Natsu's ear, so Erza wouldn't hear him.
The non-dragon-slayers chatted quietly while the other two moaned in pain.
Gray rested his head against the window. Everything's going to be normal again.