AN: Thanks for all the favourites and follows!
Minsie - They are approx in their late teenage years? Around 19-20 I think. I imagine that Lucy would be 20 and Natsu 21 once the demon war is over.
SistershoOk - I love badass Lucy :-D She's gonna feature a lot in this story - in a lot of cool ways.
valerioux - Yeah, badass Lucy is the best! As for the Northern dragons… they are kinda a fading race since Acnologia basically blew most of them up along with their home. The southern dragons dominate them soon enough. He he.
FireShifter - Thanks! :-D I wanted to show just how much closer Grandine was getting to Lucy - and the fact that Grandine is badass too!
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As the carriage pulled to a slow stop, its single occupant let out a disgruntled huff.
This was hardly the way he had expected to arrive back in Alagesia. Granted, he hadn't been looking forward to the huge celebration that was usually held for Alagesia's returning heros, but a small welcoming committee would have been nice. A few friendly faces, maybe even a rare smirk of pride from his father…
Gajeel smiled, pausing his grumpy musings as he reminded himself that his father's pride was already a reality. According to the records held by the Dragon Troops, he had been dishonorably discharged due to insubordination - but his southern war companions saw it otherwise. To them, he was a hero - standing up for what he believed was right despite the dire consequences. His father and the fire king Igneel had affirmed as much in their parting address to him, on the eve of his discharge. Right in front of their fuming Northern relatives, no less.
Natsu had been devastated.
He had taken all the blame of Gajeel's dismissal upon himself and had to be physically restrained from attacking the Northern superior who had issued the order. It had taken the combined efforts of the King, Wendy, himself and all their close friends to convince him not to do anything rash like attempting to get himself dismissed as well. The Northern superior was already getting blowback from the higher-ups for sending away such a useful 'weapon' as Gajeel - he wouldn't hesitate to twist Natsu's righteous anger into something more devious and harmful towards the conflicted fire dragon. There were far worse punishments that could be inflicted upon a rebellious dragon warrior, according to their code, and Gajeel and the rest of his southern brethren had no doubt that their corrupt cousins would twist the worst of those punishments to their advantage.
With a beleaguered sigh, Gajeel stepped out of the stationary vehicle, allowing himself a refreshing stretch as Pantherlily paid the driver and hauled their luggage out of the carrier on top. With a smirk and a curt 'thank you', he grabbed his own weathered bag from his diminutive companion before striding forth into the majestic palace before him, his head held high.
He and Lily came to an abrupt halt a few steps in. There, waiting with a radiant smile, was the Queen of Alagesia. Shagotte was curled in her arms, her own smile soft and tender and aimed mostly at the blushing exceed by Gajeel's side.
"My Queen. It is an honor to be welcomed by you in person…"
His humble words were cut off as Grandine stepped forward, encasing her nephew in a warm and gentle embrace.
"Dispense with the formalities, Gajeel. Tis only us, after all." Grandine pulled back, her beaming smile dimming just a tad as she glanced over her shoulder.
"I requested that the council elders be here with me to greet you as befits a returning hero - but a crisis came up at the last moment and they are busy handling it. We will have to join them shortly, I'm afraid."
Gajeel nodded slowly in acquiescence, a slight flush overtaking his cheeks.
"To be honest, I did not expect even this much. I am no hero after all…"
He was cut short by his aunt's fierce glare.
"No. Don't you dare think that way. I have heard the whole story from your uncle in his last letter, and believe me when I say - you are more than a hero. What you did took courage beyond belief… a courage very few dragons possess. I feel honored to be able to call you my nephew, and so truly glad you are back home safe."
Grandine ended her monolog with tears of gratitude and relief in her eyes, as she patted her beloved nephew's cheek affectionately. Gajeel said nothing, too embarrassed by her praise to meet her eyes, his flush deepening.
"T-thank you, my queen."
Grandine stepped back, her keen gaze scanning him intently.
"The iron suite in the east wing is ready for you and Lily, and I believe your manservants have already drawn a relaxing bath in both of your chambers. Are you hungry? I've ordered a feast to be prepared in your honor later tonight, but I can have a more homely repast sent to your wing right now."
"We've already dined on our journey, my Queen. And as much as we would like to rest, it can certainly wait until after the emergency meeting." Gajeel frowned, glancing down at Lily before looking back at his queen. "I will confess that neither Lily nor I expected Alagesia to be in the midst of a crisis. Neither his majesty nor my father mentioned anything about difficulties here…"
Grandine's eyes did not meet Gajeel's as she coughed abruptly, shooting a glance down at her own exceed. It was the graceful Shagotte who broke the uncomfortable silence that followed Gajeel's question.
"There are many surprises in store for both of you, noble dragon and my faithful friend. And some will not be as pleasant as others. I only pray that you understand how much Grandine agonized over the decision to keep these facts from her family at war - a decision fully supported and encouraged by the council and I. You have many burdens as is - it would not be well met on our part to add to those, not when we have many allies aiding us in handling our issues quite satisfactorily here on our own. Come now, Gajeel and my dear friend Pantherlily, if you truly are rested and ready let us proceed to the meeting. All will be made clearer there."
And with those cryptic words, Shagotte took Lily's hand in hers, shooting an encouraging smile at her dragon companion as she led her special exceed friend towards the meeting hall. Grandine shot Gajeel a wan smile before following suit, her frowning nephew close on her heels. They trudged in silence towards the cozy, smaller conference hall just a short ways away from the palace entrance. When they reached their destination, Grandine threw open the doors of the chamber, briskly preceding her nephew into it and coughing delicately to draw the attention of the arguing dragon elders inside.
"The noble lieutenant General Gajeel, drake of the ore dragons, has returned from war."
A chorus of cheers and cries of delight followed her pronouncement, all the elders struggling to their feet as they regarded the returned hero with interest.
"It is an honor to have you here back amongst us, Sir Gajeel." Dragon Lord Farquhar intoned enthusiastically, his smile radiant as he glanced between the young hero and the queen. "We would greatly benefit from the presence of a hero such as yourself in Alagesia during these testing times, especially since… oh, but I digress. After all, I assume you do not yet know the purpose of our meeting?"
"That is correct, revered elder." Gajeel returned gruffly, his nerves and worry bleeding through. "And I would truly appreciate it if my exceed friend and I were not kept in suspense any longer."
The expressions of the elders in the room sobered immediately, all eyes turning to the queen who nodded gently at Gajeel and Lily, gesturing to a seat as she herself strode resolutely to the dias at the center of the chamber.
"As you know," She began, her gaze fixed on her nephew, "Your uncle charged me with the task of guarding Alagesia in his absence. This has meant apprehending numerous undesirables who have attempted to encroach upon our lands and harm our remaining citizens. Amongst these undesirables, we have unfortunately had to deal with demons…"
"DEMONS?!"
Gajeel's almost deafening roar rang out in the small chamber, causing the rest of the assembly to instinctively cringe in their seats. Only Grandine regarded her nephew steadily, not moving a muscle.
"Yes. Demons."
Gajeel grit his teeth, willing his fury down. He could feel the soft, comforting touch of his dragon companion on his arm, as a low, deep-voiced murmur from Lily laced with its own undertone of anger requested him to 'stay calm'. Gajeel took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on his leader.
"How long have they been attacking? What sort of demons are they?"
"...The first attack started soon after you all left for war, Gajeel. Since then, their offensives have slowly and steadily escalated. And as for your second question, the demons we have faced were not those of a full warrior ilk, thankfully! They are mostly mercenaries or ruffians from smaller demon tribes. We initially thought they were simply wandering south in search of human food and a little bit of battle 'entertainment' with us dragons. But of late, their attacks have become more organized and pointed. We now suspect that there is a larger, more sinister reason for their presence underfoot…"
Gajeel did not let her finish. "Why were we not informed of this sooner, your majesty?"
"Because we could not put that burden on you until we were sure."
"Sure of what exactly, my queen?" Gajeel growled, his eyes flashing with anger. "Surely you know that the king would want to know that his homeland was being assaulted by the same demon vermin killing the rest of our kin up north…"
Grandine huffed in impatience. "Because these demons are not the same! And their goal is still unidentified! And above all else, we have managed the situation here effectively, with the help of our friends. To inform your uncle of this situation would have caused only one of two outcomes - either he would have forsaken his dragon honor and returned home, or he would have stayed back north, worrying incessantly about our condition here and fighting under constant distraction." The dragon queen's imperious glare cut through the ore dragon. "I could not allow either scenario to play out. Not when we are able to handle these skirmishes well enough with the aid of like minded and similar purposed allies."
Gajeel bowed his head, recognizing her tone of finality. His ruler had spoken, and her decision was final. Thinking over her words, Gajeel found that he could not truly fault her - what she said of the dragon king was absolutely correct, and if she really did have matters under control in Alagesia, then silence on the situation may have been the only wise course of action. After all, King Igneel had used very similar logic to justify keeping the full extent of Natsu's demon blood related hardships a secret from the queen…
"I understand, your majesty." Gajeel bowed low, his tone gentle and respectful once more.
Grandine smiled, visibly relaxing as she waved a hand gesturing for him to rise.
Gajeel did so, hesitating a moment before asking the next question on his mind.
"Who are these allies whom you keep alluding to?"
"A group of individuals called the Protectors. They are mostly human mages, although a few other magical races have also joined their ranks. They are headed by a fierce, non-magical human woman who is called, ironically enough, 'the dragoness'. She… she has become a dear friend of mine over the years. And I believe you will like her too, Gajeel."
The recalcitrant ore dragon did not comment, instead glancing around the chamber warily.
"What is this emergency meeting about, your majesty?"
Grandine sighed, gazing at the gathered assembly as well, her eyes betraying her fatigue.
"Our allies have recently received intelligence that another demon attack on Alagesia is imminent. This will be far more organized than the attacks we have faced so far, and preparation for it is underway. The Princess has requested our help in some of these preparations…"
"The Princess? What Princess?"
Grandine smiled, the mischievous glint in her emerald eyes reminding Gajeel forcefully of her rose haired offspring.
"Why the Princess of Pergrande, of course."
A silence followed the dragon queen's calm words. And then Gajeel exploded.
"WHAT?! But but isn't she rumored to be just as stupid about magic and magical beings as her father and uncle? And…"
"Those are only rumors, Gajeel." Grandine cut him off with a sigh of impatience, her eyes flashing with irritation. "Ones that she rather cleverly encourages to hide the truth. The truth is, she is our closest, dearest and most trusted ally."
Gajeel's face darkened, his frown returning full force. "You are far too trusting, your majesty. She is of the same blood as Jude the butcher - the human monster responsible for the night of blood. It is foolish to believe her intentions towards us are truly pure."
To Gajeel's surprise Grandine's expression changed into one menacing and furious. Her steely gaze bored into Gajeel as an aggressive and agitated breeze swirled through the chamber.
"Do you doubt my capacity as the ruler of Alagesia, Sir Gajeel?"
"No! That is not what I meant to imply…"
"Then do not question my judgment."
Gajeel hung his head, his tone meek and subdued as he addressed his queen.
"Forgive me, your majesty."
Grandine's rage subsided, a soft and weary sigh escaping her as she walked away from the dias and closer to where her nephew was seated.
"I understand your wariness, Gajeel. It is out of concern for our nation that you regard all around you with suspicion. But in this case, that caution is unnecessary. To prove this to you, I would like you to meet her highness in person. She has requested a strong dragon warrior to be sent to her for a special mission, the details of which she will inform you of in person. You and Lily will leave for Pergrande first thing tomorrow morning."
Gajeel looked up, involuntarily gulping. The idea of meeting the Princess in person unnerved him in itself, but meeting her in the heart of her own home? However, he trusted his ruler, and did not dare disobey her order - especially not after he had just questioned her judgment. He nodded his acquiescence.
He only hoped she was right in trusting this human.
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"How about Colonel Faust?"
"Nay, his family would not allow it."
"Seargent Burton?"
"He would throw a fit!"
"There must be someone who would be willing to take on the position…"
As one, the gaggle of dragons glanced over their shoulders at the pink haired, stoic, flame wielder - flanked on either side by his familiar and his father.
"If I may?"
They frowned, their attention shifting to the older dragon who had spoken. Igneel let out an impatient huff, his glare emphasizing his limited patience with the whole affair.
"There is an excellent candidate for the position you need to fill. He has recently completed his training and will be joining the Magical Alliance within a fortnight. The being I allude to is not only skilled enough to equal my son in battle, but also knows him well enough to predict when he is not his usual self…" Igneel glared imperiously at the remaining dragons in the room, continuing his monologue under his breath.
"...Much like my nephew Gajeel could, but of course that wasn't enough to keep you stupid fuckers from screwing him over…"
Natsu's lips twitched as Happy shot Igneel a mischievous grin, leaning around his dragon companion.
Fortunately the other dragons had not heard the comment, busy discussing Igneel's pronouncement instead.
"Very well, General Igneel. If such a candidate truly exists, than let us hear his name."
Igneel nodded, shooting his son a mischievous look before turning back to the impatient dragon officers.
"Prince Gray of Icegard."
"HELL NO!"
Natsu abandoned all pretense of discipline, whirling on his parent with a snarl on his lips.
"There is NO WAY I'd let that pervy popsicle be my lieutenant, and what did you mean by 'he's my equal in battle'?!..."
Igneel assumed a blank expression, regarding the wall of the tent in front of him with casual indifference, blissfully ignoring the fuming dragon at his side.
The others carefully observed the exchange, their faces conflicted as they pondered the information they had just been offered. On the one hand, Natsu's reaction gave them perverse satisfaction - the option to assign someone to him he obviously hated would be amusing for them. On the other hand…
"Is not Prince Gray a human?"
Igneel raised a brow. "Yes, he's an ice demon slayer."
"Ah. Well, do you really feel a human would be… trustworthy?"
Igneel and Natsu let out matching snarls. Igneel roughly clamped a hand over his son's mouth however, before addressing the gathered dragons again.
"Young Prince Gray was my ward for over a year. I consider him to be a part of my family. He and Natsu have a relationship akin to brotherhood - and to top it all off, he is a royal from a highly respected and magically talented human nation - would this not be an amazing gesture of cooperation and strength if he were to accept a post in the Dragon Unit of the Magical Alliance?"
The group contemplated in silence, unable to refute the truth of the fire dragon king's words. Slowly, they nodded their consent.
Natsu, Igneel and Happy swept out of the tent before another word could be spoken.