Lucy couldn't be bothered to stop the groan of relief that spilled from her as Salutem bounded up the slope and came to a swift halt that didn't even unbalance her, not like it once would have. She loosened the reins she'd been holding tightly and glanced over as Shiria skidded to a halt beside her, Thanatos and Hypnos not far behind.
"We made it," breathed Gray, nearly cheery in his delight. He was just glad to be free of their travels. They'd even arrived at the village, only a few miles off, just a week ahead of schedule, which never happened when you were going places on foot. Or, well, by stag.
Lucy didn't hesitate, digging her heels into Salutem's sides. The stag lurched forward with a happy bellow, and she ignored her friends' low voices behind her. She just wanted to deal with Algieba as quickly as possible and go back. She remembered how uncomfortable her ancestor had made her, and she didn't want to be around him for longer than necessary.
Especially without the Demon King to keep an eye on the situation.
She drew Salutem to a slower pace as they neared the village, and Lucy glanced over when Erza guided Hypnos to walk beside her. The scarlet-haired valkyrie wore a frown upon her face, looking concerned by something. "We ought to be careful here, Lucy," she said firmly. When Lucy threw her a curious look, Erza gestured to the town before them. "The village has an odd feeling to it that wasn't there last time. It concerns me. Jellal has seen nothing thus far, but that could change very easily. We just need to be aware."
Lucy slid a curious look over at the other two, checking. Both looked grim enough to have her nodding her agreement. "Of course," she said. She didn't know why she was surprised; everywhere she went, something like that seemed to happen. She merely sighed, not bothering to question the matter further when she was sure no one knew the details anyways.
They dismounted just outside the village and chose to walk their mounts in, not wanting to be more visible than they already would be with their odd, new presence in a location that so rarely had travelers. As it was, the stares didn't bother Lucy so much this time; she knew precisely why they were looking at her, and she didn't really care.
Not if it brought their target to them sooner rather than later.
Gray came to walk beside her, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "You good, Lucy?" he asked when he noticed her anxiously rubbing her chest, faltering for some unseen reason.
"Yeah. Natsu's...being Natsu, I suppose." She frowned. "He's in a lot of pain, and I just...I'm not used to it. I wonder if he's gone through with the spell he was trying to perform." She didn't bother to check in as she once would have, refused to sink back and see what he saw, hear what he heard. He'd made it clear several times over that she wasn't allowed to do that anymore, and Lucy refused to force it.
If he wanted that kind of bond, he'd let her know, and until then…
They'd be as they were now. Lucy had pulled back, trying her best to shove down whatever the bond between them tried to share with Natsu, and she'd done her best to ignore him in turn. She'd focus on the situation at hand, and whenever he was ready to even look at her, she'd be there.
But she couldn't waste her time just sitting around waiting on him, letting him distract her by clawing her soul to pieces. She needed to be sharp, focused. She had to be ready for whatever this time would throw at her when the time came to stop Acnologia from wrecking the Eclipse Gate.
"So you've returned."
A voice stopped her dead in her tracks, so quickly that Salutem nearly ran into her back and knocked her down to the street beneath her feet. Gray paused, too, and Jellal and Erza, rather quiet, watched closely, as if they sensed danger. It was Algieba, of course, looking just as Lucy remembered him, with his peppered blond hair and ancient eyes that rivaled only Natsu and other mythics older than him.
She was annoyed when it only created a stab of pain in her heart - a flicker of longing and sadness. She wished Natsu was there to help her handle this conversation. As odd as her partner was, he did have a way with threatening information out of people if necessary - and with noticing things most others didn't, even surpassing the likes of Jellal.
"Algieba," Lucy said, forcing herself to meet his gaze with a smile.
Algieba tipped his head, furrowing his brow slightly. "I'd thought you'd come and visit with me. I heard rumors that Acnologia was seeking you openly - that he wrecked the Archives and the island of the dragons in his attempt to get to you."
Lucy offered a forced smile. "So we can cut straight to the chase then. Let's find somewhere more comfortable to talk, and you can tell us what you know about the story of Acnologia and Anna."
Algieba only shrugged and gestured mindlessly to the village around them. "Come. I know a good place for us to speak in peace."
Glancing over her shoulder for approval and earning reluctant nods from everyone else, Lucy followed Algieba.
Staring at the massive skeleton before him, Natsu realized just how small dire wolves had gotten in the past few centuries. Sure, they were still bigger than normal wolves, but this one...it made him look up, even just to see the nose of its skull. Natsu wrinkled his nose, tripping back a few steps to hover beside Juvia as she finished chalking the floor of his home.
"Alright," said Juvia, straightening and tossing the chalk away. She frowned at their odd work. "Juvia will admit that Juvia's done strange things, but Natsu? This is very creepy."
"Yeah, it is," he agreed readily, grimacing as he took in the massive skeleton they'd pieced together with care, not missing a single piece, made from different dire wolves that had existed a thousand years prior. All had been present at Zeref's execution. It hung from the ceiling precariously, feet touching the ground as if it would spring to life at any moment, and the complicated summoning spells on the floor of the home, complete with candles and specific items, made it a thousand times worse.
"This is a one time thing," Juvia warned. "Juvia will not help again."
"You won't need to." Natsu took a deep breath, something like anticipation curling in his stomach. He was going to see Igneel again. After twenty years, with only one small visit and conversation, he was going to see Igneel and he was going to demand answers to all the questions he'd had for some time now. Whether Igneel liked it or not. Swallowing his pride, Natsu added, "Thanks, Juvia. For helping me. You don't have to stay for the next part."
Juvia scowled at him. "Juvia did everything else." There was a challenge in her eyes when he glanced at her, as if she was daring him not to let her stay. So, Natsu held his hands up in surrender and turned his attention back on the skeleton, mindlessly checking it one more time.
When he had, he took a deep breath and hesitantly sank back a little, checking. He felt guilty when he felt nothing reaching back. Once, any time he'd checked on Lucy, she'd checked on him as well. But ever since the incident a few weeks prior, when she'd been in some kind of danger, she'd stopped trying. She'd focused on whatever it was she was doing now with an intensity that was unnerving even to him. If she'd noticed the diminished attempts at tearing his soul from hers, she didn't acknowledge it.
It was as if they were two separate people now, with only a hint of the bond that had once ravaged through him and brought so much with it.
And it hurt to realize that, though he shoved it down, not wanting her to know just yet.
"Hey, Juvia," Natsu said as he knelt before the mess they'd made of his home, fingers touching the chalk lines she'd drown. He watched as they blackened to ash, watched as the fire he carefully crafted caught and followed them, charring white black. He wished Happy was there to help, but he was glad he was with Lucy, too. At least she had someone to keep her warm.
Juvia hummed, glancing at him, and when Natsu was finished with the chalk, he straightened again. "I'm gonna ask Freed to help me take a trip after we're done. Are you gonna come?"
Juvia beamed at him, delighted. "Juvia would very much like to. Thank you, Natsu, for the invitation." She brushed her blue hair over her shoulders and scooped up the book they'd been using, her eyes roving the scene as his had. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah." He took the book from her, eyes skimming ancient words. He'd added to them with care, strengthening them with a language he alone knew, to ensure that it was Igneel he summoned, and not some other dragon. As the Fire Dragon King, it would be much harder to get him and not someone else.
Natsu took a deep breath and began. The words he read from the book weren't hard to say for him. All old languages were rather similar, excluding the language of the demons, and Natsu had been around long enough to have a fairly good idea of what those languages sounded like. What made it hard was the intermixing he'd done, switching between the two languages.
It wasn't until he'd finished and snapped the book shut that anything happened. He blinked as the world began to rock beneath them. It was ever so gentle at first, light and unconcerning. But then it grew and grew, getting worse until Natsu and Juvia hit the ground, unable to remain standing. The shelves and furniture began to fall around them, and Natsu hastily scrambled to kneel beside Juvia, letting flames roar to life around them, protecting them from anything that came too close.
Juvia was the first one to make the realization.
"Err, Natsu," she shouted over the noise. "Isn't Igneel a dragon?"
He gawked as the ceiling caved in above their heads and shoved her for the door. Damn it! His house! "Yes!" he yelled back as they raced outside to avoid being crushed beneath it all. They stumbled away as the house finally collapsed entirely beneath the force, gawking at the massive form that began to take form, solidifying with each passing second. Natsu felt a trill of shock go down his spine as Lucy realized something different had occurred, felt her hesitance. But she left him numb again a moment later, deciding against checking in, and he found disappointment curling through him.
Then again, it was his own fault, so he guessed he had nothing to really complain about.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Igneel outside of the cavern on Tenrou Island, so it startled him to realize he'd forgotten a few things. Like how Igneel's scales gleamed like burning fire beneath the sun. Like how his large body managed to block out the sun when Natsu looked up at him. Like how many scars decorated him, from the Wars and defending his position.
But there were new things, too.
For one, the massive gaping injury at his throat that made even Natsu ill. There were also new scars that hadn't been there before - dozens and dozens, all unhealed. Natsu had to tear his gaze away from them to focus on Igneel's face when the dragon blinked down at him with warm amusement, as if he'd guessed Natsu would do something similar to this. "I wonder," rumbled the dragon, his voice thunderous in their ears, "what the old emperor of the Empire would think if he knew you were so desperate to speak with Death's children, Natsu. And that you chose someone other than him, nonetheless."
Natsu remembered the conversation he'd had with Lucy all that time ago, in which she'd explained grief and mourning to him. And he thought that the pain curling in his gut was something similar. His heart raced in his chest as the magic suddenly yanked and sucked at his magic. END's magic might be stronger than everyone else's, but it wasn't endless.
So, Natsu figured he'd get the important questions out of the way first. He wanted to know the truth, and if he had to turn to Juvia for help with Lucy, he'd do that. But Igneel broke the silence first by turning his attention onto Juvia herself.
His large head lowered, one green eye peering at her. "This one was not with you when you came to Tenrou last."
"My name is Juvia Lockser," offered Juvia with a shaken voice, nervous and flustered to be at the center of the Fire Dragon King's attention. "Juvia helped Natsu summon your spirit here.."
"Mm," hummed Igneel, reeling back. "And where is your precious Marked One, Natsu?"
Natsu flinched as if he'd been struck with a particularly painful blow. He felt Lucy's brief, numb curiosity before she shoved back again. His tongue was heavy in his mouth, but he didn't bother to hide the information with a question like he initially intended. Instead he said hoarsely, "We attempted Loke's...Leo's," he corrected, seeing Igneel's brief puzzled look, "trial."
Understanding flickered through Igneel's expression - and guilt and grief. "Ah." He set his jaw in an unhappy look, body shuddering with the reminder of something terrible. "And what was it that you admitted to Lucy to send her scuttling away?"
"Acnologia told me something," Natsu said dismissively, even as his chest ached with the realization that he'd likely seen this very thing happening - that he'd seen Lucy and Natsu separating because of Loke's test. "But I…" He faltered, swallowed his pride, and admitted for the first time he could remember, "It was my fault. That she's not here, that she left and went somewhere else without me. She told me I was the one to rip apart Crocus. She knew all along, and she didn't tell me."
Igneel's non-judgemental look settled something in Natsu's soul. "You were never one to understand intentions...for so long, the world was a black and white place for you. Now, having a Marked One has revealed other aspects that Zeref erased for you all those years ago. It's time for you to recognize those gray areas, Natsu, and understand that not every lie - big or small - results in something akin to becoming a demon."
Interest flickered over Juvia's face, but she said nothing. She merley cocked her head and said calmly, "Lucy's with a friend and the Keeper and Guardian of Visions. She's safe enough for now, and is heading southwest, to investigate Acnologia, so that we might better understand him. Do you know anything of him?"
It wasn't what Natsu wanted to ask either, but it was a damn good question - especially as the magic began to take and take, making his breath heavy, his head spin. Igneel seemed to take note of this and tipped his head, horns tilting and casting odd shadows on them
"Despite what you might think, not much more than what you know, I suspect. Acnologia was a dragon older than myself, from another time, just as Anna was. I met them once or twice before Acnologia became black of heart. He was decent enough. Rather like Metalicana in some regards, actually." He snorted softly, grief softening his expression for a moment. "Pretending to be aggressive, but he cared for life more than any other dragon I'd met. I invited him to join our nest, but he refused. He was content to roam Fiore with Anna.
"And then he joined with Zeref, and something changed. He never would have joined Zeref's side of the Wars. Not the Acnologia I had met with." Igneel tucked his chin to his chest, thinking with a darkened look in his serious gaze. "We thought that Zeref held something over him, something regarding Anna, seeing as we never saw her during the Wars. I did not realize I had killed her until the day the Wars ended and Acnologia left me with a warning.
"I did question why Anna would not take her people and flee my flames," mused Igneel suddenly as an afterthought. "She knew of the dangers. That village was right in the middle of it all. Why not flee? Perhaps you should consider it in your search for answers."
"We will," said Juvia confidently. "Thank you."
Desperate, feeling his power waning with each passing second, Natsu rasped, "Igneel." Igneel fixed him with a piercing gaze, waiting. "Is it true?" he said quietly. "Did you really let Acnologia kill you?" Knowing what you protected? he added silently, knowing that Igneel would understand.
Igneel was silent for a long moment - a moment too long, in Natsu's opinion, because it was answer enough.
Pain blossomed and he rasped, "I trusted you to protect my book, Igneel."
"And I did so," said Igneel just as quietly. "Just as I kept my vows as the Fire Dragon King. When I realized we weren't going to win against the chaos dragon, I gave my nest time to flee, time to retreat and say farewell to their hatchlings, Natsu. Grandeeney just happened to take something extra along with her."
He lowered his head until it was inches away from Natsu, whose heart ached violently, his body trembling with the effort of remaining upright. "And I was so very tired. Your Marked One lives, Natsu, so you do not understand that loss. A piece of your soul is lost forever when they die. Forgive Lucy for her transgressions, but do not forget them. Never forget one's mistakes, for they guide your future, and remember that though she lied, her intentions were good. At least, from what you told me, they were."
Perhaps he didn't understand Igneel's decisions any better, but he still found himself feeling lighter, freed of something he didn't realize had been there for so long. He could feel the magic fading now, threatening to knock him to the ground, unconscious. "Hey, Igneel," Natsu whispered, voice cracking, "what's Death like?" He wasn't sure why he asked. He'd never been interested before. But one day...his Lucy would join Igneel in a place he'd never go to. He was immortal; he could not die.
He found he'd like to know where she went, so that when the time came, he could comfort her - and be comforted himself in the process.
Igneel's eyes sparked with laughter as he touched the tip of his snout to Natsu's head in a motion he'd not done for decades, fondness radiating from him. "In Death," the dragon told him softly, "I am whole again."
And with that, the dragon had vanished, taking Natsu's wakefulness with him.
So many things! For one, IGNEEL! I love that last bit where Natsu asks him what death is like.
I was going to give you guys an extra chapter on the 20th as my little birthday gift to everyone, but my computer died on me and I now need a new one. Luckily, my sister had a spare, so you can expect continued regular updates.
ON ANOTHER NOTE, TWO EXCITING THINGS: 1) WE HIT 2K REVIEWS, THANK YOU SO MUCH! And 2) guess who has a new pirate idea~ Also, thank you for the support regarding an original story! I'm definitely going to do it. ;)
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