Author's Note: A BIG thank you to all the people who have taken the time to review, favorite or follow this story! Especially the reviews - I know just how hard it is to comment on another person's work, being a non-regular, worrywart reviewer on this website myself, so I truly appreciate every single one of them!

Thank you - IndigoArcher89, CodenameMise and Guests!

Nattie414 - Yeah, Gajeel's just got a few things he's got to work out first before he turns into one of the heros of this *sigh* 100+ chapters long novel. ;-)

EchizenRyoma - That's a great question! The next few chapters will have a whole lot of teasers about the older dragon generation and lucy's connection, so you could get a hint. Enjoy!

FireShifter - Ahhh... And this chapter's a cliffhanger too! Eep! But I'll keep updating super quick, so you won't have to wait long. And yes, Gajeel is being a jerk, but he has his reasons and overall he's still a big, lovable, grump once he gets over his initial 'angst'. He's going to have a lot to deal within the next few chapters... Thanks for your 3 awesome reviews!

FireDragonSpider-Mane6 - Pretty much. he he.

And because you're all awesome - here's a bonus chapter this week! Enjoy :-D


Natsu stood, a lean, sinewy figure, between the dainty little girl and the brawny metal dragon. His entire body quivered with rage, small angry flames leaping off his skin with each labored breath he took. He had nearly not made it in time. Had he been even a few seconds late, he would have watched his most precious friend being skewered by the ore dragon he was forced to call his kin. His fury spiked, as he recalled how close the metal bastard had been to hurting her - the little human maiden who had become one of the most important beings in his life. Natsu growled low, for the girl behind him, his eyes never leaving his cousin's.

"Lucy. Did he hurt you?"

"N...no, sob, but he hurt the others when they tried to protect me…"

"Don't cry. I'll take care of this. Go help them."

A relieved and soft sigh issued from the girl behind him, and he heard his sister's gentle words beckon her away from him and Gajeel and towards the pixie girl unconscious on the ground. He could hear Happy and Carla struggling to assist the two pixies still stuck on the trees. Without bothering to look, Natsu flung a few fireballs at the trapped fae boys, two thumps and a few groans letting him know they had been safely released. He held his cousin's gaze throughout.

"What are you doing here Gajeel?"

"... I came to see what I thought was your fae friend. Turns out, you lied to us."

"And you've tried to kill her on sight! Of course I lied to you, you metal bastard!"

Gajeel's eye twitched. "Have you forgotten our law? We kill humans on sight."

"Not this one. She is under my protection. Touch her, and I'll turn you into a pile of ashes."

Gajeel growled, assuming an attack pose. Natsu growled in return, mirroring his movement.

"Defend her well then, Salamander."

With matching snarls, they lunged at one another. They clashed in a blur of raging flames and sharp metal. Gajeel formed all manner of weapons with his limbs, hurling, chopping, and slicing at Natsu, but the focused fire dragon either melted them down with his intense heat or snapped them in half with the strength of his grip.

Lucy, Jet, and Droy huddled in a corner of the clearing, protecting Levy who was being healed by Wendy, from the path of the two dueling dragons. The three watched in fear and awe as the fight unfolded before them.

Lucy, especially, could not tear her eyes away. She had seen Natsu in many moods, even anger, but the focused fury he emanated now was new to her. His movements were deadly and precise, and yet there was a certain grace and beauty in them. He effortlessly matched every blow of Gajeel's, delivering his own blows so hard that he had the metal dragon stumbling back every now and then. Lucy realized just how much Gajeel had been holding back during his fights with the pixies only when she saw him embroil with his cousin. Here, he was already coated with a sheen of sweat, his breathing labored, and his blows numerous, hard and merciless. But he still seemed to be no match for Natsu, who moved with the speed and poise of a snake, delivering fire engulfed blow after blow to his hapless relative.

Lucy snapped out of her awe-filled daze when she noticed the fire from Natsu's right-hand flicker black for an instant. Dread filled her and propelled her to her feet. She ran towards Natsu, unheeding of the shouts of alarm from the pixies behind her. As she ran, she watched in horror as Gajeel collapsed to the ground with a groan, and Natsu raised his right hand, now engulfed in black flames, determined to deliver a final fatal blow. As she reached Natsu, she grabbed his right arm, ignoring the pain of the searing heat, and sobbed.

"Natsu, please… calm down! Your curse scar is reacting…"

Natsu's gaze remained rooted on his cousin.

"So? He wished to kill you. Why shouldn't I return the favor?"

"Because that's not who you are! You wouldn't take his life just because he made a mistake."

"YOU CALL TRYING TO KILL YOU JUST A MISTAKE?!"

He turned to face Lucy and she dropped his arm in her shock. His eyes that usually shone a beautiful bright jade, were blood red. Her gasp of surprise calmed him instantly, his eyes bleeding back to their original color as his tense muscles relaxed.

"No! Lucy… Please don't be frightened, it's only me! I'd never hurt you…"

Happy flitted to the ground at her side, placing a comforting paw on her leg.

"His eyes become that strange color whenever he uses his black flames. Don't worry, he's still Natsu!"

Lucy smiled down at Happy before turning back to Natsu, who visibly shrank back. She rolled her eyes and marched forward, giving him a warm and gentle hug.

"I could never be frightened of you, silly dragon! Even if you have eyes that change color like a freak!"

"Oh, that's g… Heyyy! I'm not a freak! You're the strange one! You have no survival instincts! Most sane creatures would run away when a crazy dragon tries to attack 'em!"

Lucy's eyes narrowed, a dangerous aura suddenly surrounding her. "Well… None of this might have happened if YOU had just shown up early as you had promised!"

Both Happy and Natsu gulped nervously and shrank back. She looked angry enough to deliver one of her kicks, and if that was the case, they would have to make a run for it. Despite her small and delicate frame, the girl could kick like a horse. Natsu hung his head, meekly whining, "It was the metal moron's fault! He asked his friend Mash to stop us!"

Gajeel, who was still on the ground recovering and curiously listening to their conversation, growled out, "No I didn't, you flaming idiot. I just came a little earlier than I thought you would."

"Liar!"

"... Why would I lie to you, imbecile?! I'm telling you, I didn't ask Mash to do anything!"

"Who else would've asked him then?"

"That would be I, little dragon."

A tall stranger in a purple cloak stepped out into the clearing. Behind him two more tall figures lurked in the shadows, lightly snickering at the assembled young ones. The first stranger stroked his goatee, his ugly face twisted into a malignant smile.

"I came here expecting only fae folk… but lucky me, there's much more…"

The odious man's gaze lingered over the pixies and the exceeds, finally coming to rest on Lucy. He took in a sharp breath and his smile became sinister.

"Well, well. What have we here?"

Natsu and Happy stood as one in front of Lucy, blocking her from his sight.

"Who are you old man?! Why have you come here?"

Before the stranger could reply, Lucy's voice, trembling with fear and rage, rang out through the clearing.

"His name is Jose Porla. He was outlawed from Pergrande, but is now wanted for murder. He… he is a dark mage and… And a magical creature hunter."

Jose's smile grew.

A moan from the clearing's edge distracted the tense group, as Levy finally sat up with Wendy's help. Wendy wiped her brow, giving the anxious pixie boys hovering near them an exhausted but reassuring smile. "She had a bout of severe magical depletion along with something… else… I could not diagnose. I did my best for the former, and I guess the latter healed itself. She should be fine." Droy and Jet's shouts of glee almost drowned out Gajeel's audible sigh of relief.

"Excellent. We're going to need them in decent health. Good job, sky healer. Now, step aside."

Wendy, Jet, and Droy finally turned their attention to the newcomers. Levy groggily stood up, gratefully accepting Carla's help as she steadied her legs. The strangers, in the meanwhile, had moved further into the clearing, the two lurking in the shadows now clearly visible in the rays of the afternoon sun. One was an adult fire dragon, while the other stranger was an odd, short and prim-looking human man, with a monocle perched on one eye. Jet and Droy's looks of jubilation died on their faces, their visage turning focused and grim once more. Levy took a shaky breath and scanned the clearing looking for her human friend. She was relieved to see her alive and standing tall, half-hidden behind the protective stance Natsu and Happy held in front of her. Levy's gaze next landed on Gajeel, who was looking straight back at her, and she was surprised to see the concern and relief in his eyes. Her gaze shifted to the strangers.

The magical aura emanating from them, especially the one in the purple cloak who she assumed was their leader, was immensely strong. Levy shivered as their leader suddenly looked straight into her eyes. Pain suddenly wracked her body and she moaned in agony, shaking uncontrollably. Jet and Droy yelped in alarm, lunging towards her to catch her before she fell. Wendy and Carla beat them to it, catching and laying the fevered pixie back on the ground, Wendy frantically summoning her healing magic again.

Gajeel's reaction was the largest. He lurched to his feet and created hundreds of sharp steel blades at the tips of his fingers, hurling them at the purple cloaked man as he roared.

"STOP HURTING LEVY, YOU SHITTY HUMAN!"

As the blades whizzed in the air towards their target, the man in the purple cloak raised his hand. With a flick of his wrist, a dark ghost like figure appeared in the clearing right in the path of the sharp weapons. It absorbed every last one of them, as its creator casually sauntered towards Gajeel.

"Now, now dragon. Don't forget your manners. There are ladies present."

His sly glance at Lucy and Levy invoked matching aggressive growls from Natsu and Gajeel.

"Besides, I hoped you would be happy to see us. Seeing as you are the one that showed us the way here…"

"Liar! I've never seen you before in my life!"

"Ahhh, so your dear friend hasn't told you then. Well, where do you think your resourceful friend Mash got all that expensive lacrima tracking equipment from? Show him, Sol."

Gajeel paled as the small monocled wizard drew out a small instrument exactly the same as the one tucked in his own breast pocket.

"This is the pair of the tracking remote your friend Mash gave you. Thanks to the tracking device you so graciously planted on your little sky dragon cousin, I obtained a map to this special place too."

Wendy gave a strangled cry as Natsu roared.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING YOU METAL ASS WIPE?!"

"That was the strange clip that took so long for Carla to pry off me today morning?! Oh Gajeel, how could you?!"

Gajeel bowed his head.

"I… I have no excuse for my actions. I made a mistake trusting Mash. I shouldn't have tried to follow you two in the first place! It's just that… I was so tired of living in the dark! Of not knowing… Not knowing the truth…"

His voice trembled slightly at the end. Levy, who had recovered enough to stand again, felt her gaze drawn to the metal dragon. A feeling of kinship with the dragon permeated her. They really weren't as different as they thought.

"I understand."

Her soft voice carried easily in the dead silence of the clearing.

"Perhaps had I been in your position… I would've done the same."

Gajeel gasped, raising his head and looking straight into Levy's eyes. In those soft hazel orbs he could see a pain so similar to his own. Along with her compassion and forgiveness. Forgiveness he did not feel he deserved.

"I'm sorry."

He meant it for everyone he had betrayed and hurt in that clearing, but he said it while only looking straight into her eyes. The little pixie who understood.

"As touching as this all is," Jose interrupted, his tone bemused and bored, "We've come here for an important purpose." He frowned, his ominous gaze lingering on the three dragon hatchlings, "Had that useless pawn done his job correctly, we would not need to deal with two extra dragon hatchlings. But, since it has come to this…"

Jose glanced at his two companions

"Totomaru. Sol. Kill the dragons."

Lucy screamed. Levy tried to lunge forward, forcibly held back by a pale Jet and a shaking Droy. Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy simply squared their shoulders and took on their fighting poses.

"You can try." Natsu growled, his eyes blazing with fury and challenge.

The dragon named Totomaru let out a loud, raucous laugh. Natsu's eyes narrowed as he did a quick once over of the older fire dragon.

"Gajeel, I'll handle this traitor. You and Wendy take out the human with the glass eye circle."

"It's called a monocle, Natsu." Lucy supplied in a timid voice.

"Lucy…" Natsu replied in an urgent whisper, "When the fighting starts, I want you to run back home."

"No!" Lucy whispered back, her fierce tone brooking no argument.

"But…"

"No!"

Natsu let out a hiss under his breath. "Fine then. Happy! Protect Lucy - if the fight puts her in danger get her out of here!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy nodded, his whispered consent firm and confident.

In the meanwhile, Sol had turned to Jose, an expression of unease on his face.

"Monsieur, I did not agree to these… ah… conditions… when we first discussed this job… This… meurtre d'enfants…"

"Are you refusing to obey your master?"

Sol paled, visibly shaken by Jose's dangerous tone. "Ah! Non! I'm simply trying to say that perhaps we could take… itinéraire moins extrême… We could… could… tie them up and leave them in a more deserted part of this forest!"

"Sol. Either you kill them. Or I kill you."

Sol froze. Jose had slowly approached him while he spoke and now grasped his collar with a bruising grip.

"Don't forget who these dragon hatchlings are! They must disappear without a trace."

Totomaru who had been eyeing the exchange with interest, cackled in glee again.

"Oh, there won't be anything left when I'm through!"

With a roar he charged at Natsu, attempting to grab the hatchling by the neck, but Natsu nimbly flew up out of his reach. Snapping his own wings open, Totomaru took to the sky and engaged the little fire dragon in a fierce mid-air battle.

Wendy had flitted to Gajeel's side the moment Natsu had given his command, and as one they turned on Sol. Resigned to his master's words, the human mage faced his two little opponents, an apologetic look on his face. Before the pair of dragons could react, the very earth around them shot up in strange twisted shapes, wrapping around the two little dragons attempting to suffocate them. Wendy summoned her wind magic, raising a tornado around herself and Gajeel in an attempt to keep the squirming earth away. The two types of magic reacted, exploding and showering the entire clearing in dirt and debris.

During the commotion, Lucy and Happy had started to make their way over to where Carla and the pixies stood, tense and ready. But before Lucy could take one more step, she felt a cold, bruising grip on her shoulder.

"Where do you think you are going, little girl?"

Lucy reacted instantly. She whirled around at the abhorrent touch and aimed a flying kick with all her might at the man's gonads.

The strangled cry of agony he let out ripped through the clearing, causing all the combatants to pause and look at him. The mighty Jose lay on the ground, immobilized. The dragon hatchlings gave matching roars of triumph and exultation as they attacked their foes with renewed energy. The pixies raised their own battle cry as they joined the fray - Jet and Droy aiding Natsu, while Levy leant her strength to Gajeel and Wendy.

Lucy smirked. She had helped! She, Carla and Happy decided not to stick around while the more combat-capable young ones took on their opponents. They dashed towards the foliage-heavy edge of the clearing, intent on hiding among the branches of the taller trees. Happy called upon his wings, ready to lift Lucy to safety, when suddenly he gave a cry of alarm. A dark figure, similar to the one that had swallowed Gajeel's attack, had a choking hold on his throat. Lucy and Carla both lunged at the figure, hitting and scratching it with all their might, but the creature did not appear to even feel their efforts. It flung Happy against a tree, knocking the poor little exceed unconscious. Carla snapped out her wings and raced to Happy's side. Lucy gave a strangled cry, and clambered towards Happy as well, but was stopped once again. This time the malicious hand dug into her hair, grabbing and yanking on the golden strands until Lucy screamed. Natsu paused in his battle once again, frantically searching her out, while Jet and Droy struggled to pick up his slack. What Natsu saw when his eyes finally found her, sickened him to his core.

Jose forced Lucy to the ground by her hair, and stomped on her right leg. The sound of bone snapping rung in the air as Lucy's scream of anguish tore through the clearing. Whimpering and unable to do anything more she slumped to the ground. But Jose was not done with her. Forcing her to her feet, he slammed her against the nearest tree trunk.

"That was immensely idiotic of you to attack me like that, my dear. Now I am angry."

His grip on her tightened, and her whimpers slowly turned to cries of pain.

"And nothing, not even your estimable heritage, can save you now!"

Abandoning his battle, Natsu shot towards Jose like an arrow from a crossbow. The impact of his blow to Jose's back flung the dark mage into the foliage, away from Lucy's prone form. Natsu knelt by Lucy, gently brushing the hair out of her face and gathering the sobbing girl in his arms.

"It's going to be okay, I'll protect you."

"You accursed younglings… I am done playing games with you..."

Jose emerged from the foliage, a look of savagery upon his features.

"I will personally kill every one of you… Slowly… Painfully…"

He raised both hands and hundreds of his dark soldiers emerged from every shadowy corner of the clearing, drifting slowly towards the younglings.

"Only one of the pixie brats will survive, and they will take me to their grotto - where they can watch their entire clan be drained dry of their magic!"

He let out a maniacal laugh.

"By the end of it all, they'll be begging for death themselves!"

Totomaru and Sol fell back, watching their master with uneasy expressions on their faces. Jet and Droy clung to each other in terror, observing the excruciatingly slow yet steady approach of the black apparitions. Gajeel reached out and gathered Wendy and Levy closer to his sides, shielding both with his wings as they watched the dreadful approach of their impending demise.

Natsu just clung to Lucy, unable to stop the tears that fell from his eyes.

Only a miracle could save them now.