Igneel sighed, ruffling his crimson locks absent-mindedly and dislodging a few errant snowflakes in the process. He shot a wan smile at a few of his junior officers, the awestruck lads jumping to attention the moment he passed by.

It had not been a good day. Two back to back meetings - each more frustrating than the last. The meeting with the magical alliance leaders had proven to be just another occasion for everyone to lament their lack of knowledge of Acnologia's true goal - apart from the annihilation of all magical races, of course. And the meeting conducted by the Field Marshal of the Dragon troops soon after, had also proven to be a huge waste of time. They all squandered precious hours arguing and scheming - time which Igneel knew they could not afford to waste. In the past few battles that the magical alliance army had fought, he had noticed how the demon forces were being augmented with more powerful, higher ranking devils. These demon officers were being added to the mix almost exponentially, the closer the magical alliance troops approached the north eastern mountains. Which most likely meant that those snow capped peaks, bordered by steep cliffs and a frigid sea, was where the demon army was hiding its base camp. And the closer they got to the demon's home base, the likelier the possibility of meeting Acnologia on the battlefield became…

"Father?"

Igneel turned around, his eyes softening and his smile automatically growing warmer and wider.

"Yes, my boy?"

Igneel observed his son with silent awe tinged with worry. He was fiercely proud of the way his boy had matured over the course of the war. Despite all the extreme hardships Natsu had been through, his son's large-hearted and good-natured spirit still shone through. Although a great many beings in the magical alliance army shunned and feared him, Natsu was also regarded as a beacon of hope and cheer to those few who looked past his demonic traits to see the playful, lovable dragon within.

Igneel examined his heir, taking in his slumped shoulders and the dark circles around his dull, tired, jade eyes. The older dragon frowned, acknowledging the troubling fact Natsu's visage so glaringly conveyed - that, despite his son's bravado and cheerfully optimistic nature, the boy suffered.

"There is something of importance I must discuss with you."

Natsu's solemn voice snapped Igneel out of his worried musings. The older dragon warrior nodded, following his son to a small outcropping of rocks where the pair seated themselves as comfortably as they could.

"It's about the prophecy. I believe I've found my bonded."

Igneel's brows shot up as he struggled to contain his surprise.

"Really? Do I know her?"

"Aye. Very well, in fact… It is Lisanna, Father."

Igneel breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, he had been worried that those blasted northerners had succeeded in coercing his boy into a union with one of their wretched females. Although this turn of events was not what he had so confidently predicted either…

"And you discovered this not long ago, I presume?"

Natsu nodded gravely.

"And have you told her she is the one?"

"That very moment, Father."

"Are you sure she is your bonded, Natsu?"

Igneel blurted out the question, cringing almost immediately after the words left his lips. As he feared, his son's eyes darkened to blood red the moment he heard those words, a cruel, uncharacteristic scowl replacing the earlier fatigued expression on his face.

"And what is that question supposed to mean, Father? Do you see me as such a lost cause, that I am unable to ascertain my own mind and heart? Am I not dragon enough to know for sure?…"

"You know that's not what I meant, my boy." Igneel said softly. "I merely wondered why it happened now - this would not have been the first time you came across Lisanna after your maturity as a dragon and your sudden certainty that she is your bonded just piqued my curiosity. I worded my question thoughtlessly though, I know. I'm sorry, son."

Natsu instantly deflated, his crimson eyes immediately bleeding back to a drab jade.

"N-no. You are right. I have seen her many times before this, but the last time… Well, I suppose I just had an epiphany of sorts. It was nothing like the intense, consuming experience you and the other dragons have described - but does it have to be? She's beautiful, kind, intelligent and she loves me. She is not after my 'power', of that I am sure, nor am I just a trophy she wishes to 'conquer'. She sees me and accepts me as I am. I would never be able to find another female who felt the same way about me… would I?"

The strained, hopeless and desperate tone with which Natsu framed his question broke his father's heart. As he gazed at his son, all Igneel could see was a lonely, confused and scared little dragon boy, seeking comfort from his sire. Oh how Igneel's heart ached for his brave progeny, how he wished to will away all his boy's pain and anguish. He wished life were not so cruel to his dear child, and he silently prayed for the chance to relieve his beloved boy of at least some of the great burden he bore so courageously…

"That is not true, Natsu." Igneel rose from his rock, pulling his son onto a warm, strong embrace. "There are so many of us who love you exactly the way you are - demon blood and all. I'm sure there are many worthy females out there who feel the same towards you as Lisanna does. But to be honest, I don't care about them. As your selfish parent, all I care about is you. Do you love her, my boy?"

Natsu drew away slightly, discreetly wiping away a few escaped drops of moisture from his eyes. His voice quivered a little as he responded, his own earlier certainty wavering in the wake of the tumultuous thoughts and emotions coursing through him thanks to his father's simple words.

"Y-yes."

Igneel looked at him long and hard, the solemn and steady gaze slightly unnerving his progeny the longer it lasted. Finally, Igneel broke the awkward silence by abruptly drawing his boy back in for a hug, this time attempting to crush him to a pulp in the intensity of his embrace. Natsu yelped and pushed the older dragon away, laughing a little as he did so.

"Careful, you old bag of bones! If I hugged you back that hard, you'd shatter into a million pieces!"

"Huh. Fat chance, you arrogant hatchling! And congratulations my boy, for finding your bonded and becoming a grown dragon! Wait till I tell the old metal moron - he was crowing over how Gajeel found Levy, but his little iron softy hasn't even told his girl she is his bonded yet! While my boy not only found his beloved, but was brave enough to tell her on the spot!"

Igneel beamed at his son, whilst Natsu's grin faltered in the brilliance of his father's sunny glee. He had confessed to Lisanna far too easily and quickly…

But that did not matter, for at the end of the day, she was the one. The one he had been so desperately searching for. His beloved bonded.

Right?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"... And then, we had to run like the wind before our foes realized it was a ruse!"

Levy gasped in horror, her hazel eyes shining with concern as they darted between the stoic ore dragon and his smiling black exceed.

"Oh Lily! I pray you were careful…"

"Aye, dear Levy. That we were. Indeed, Gajeel here was very intelligent about the whole affair - twas he who planned the operation after all. Wasn't it, my friend?"

Pantherlily glanced at his dragon companion with an encouraging smile, gesturing frantically with his eyes for the stubborn dragon man to open his mouth and just say something to the beautiful fairy woman.

Instead, the grumpy metal hulk gave a non-committal grunt, his gaze fixed obstinately on the distant horizon as the trio trudged along the humble dirt road.

Pantherlily scowled. As much as he respected and loved his noble-hearted dragon companion, he had always been frustrated with his stubbornness and distinct lack of basic social skills. The exasperating iron wielder was acting like a fool - refusing to even look at the lovely young fairy, for fear of saying or doing something that would lower himself in her eyes. As a result, he was acting aloof and caustic to the sweet young maiden - probably further driving away the object of his intense affection. Lily was at his wit's end with the headstrong ore dragon. Bonded or not, if the foolish dragon man did not open his blasted mouth sooner or later, the exemplary fairy who obviously held a spark for him despite his brutish behavior would assume he did not care and would inevitably accept the affections of one of her many admirers…

"Nay, Lily. I can see what you are doing. But it shan't work on me." Levy interrupted Lily's increasingly frantic internal musings with a coy glance at the ore dragon.

Lily instantly relaxed. He was being silly - he had forgotten the most important point of all. Gajeel's bonded was Levy - the spirited, super-intelligent and equally stubborn high-fairy of spirit. If anyone in this world could coax the truth of his feelings out of the stoic metal dragon, it was only the petite fairy by his side.

Levy quickened her pace to match the ore dragon's, her teasing tone aimed at him although her words addressed Lily. "There is absolutely no way Gajeel had anything to do with the plan. In fact, 'Gajeel' and 'plan' hardly seem suitable in the same sentence. I'm sure that your claim is simply to assuage this metal monster's pride. The story seemed far more reminiscent of your habitual mental patterns Lily, or Metalicana's method of thinking…"

"Oye!" Gajeel halted abruptly to turn to the side, glaring down at the petite fairy maiden. "The old metal bones and Lily here had nothing to do with the plan! Twas mine from the very beginning!"

"Ah ha!" Levy cried, a look of triumph in her eyes. "So you admit it! Then from the story I've just heard it is obvious that you failed to read and internalize 'The Fallacies of Dragon Battles' that I absolutely insisted that you do! Am I not right?! You should have listened! You risked your life unnecessarily! You could have easily amended your more reckless decisions to safer ones had you just been better prepared…"

"What in the…?! A book? How would I find and read a book in the midst of a bloody war, shrimp?"

"THAT'S WHY I GAVE YOU THAT BOOK ON YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY, YOU STEEL SWINE!"

In the midst of their argument, the pair had walked closer and closer together until they stood toe to toe, only a thin sliver of space separating their heaving chests as they glared into each other's eyes. Unbidden, Levy's gaze dropped from the metal dragon's mesmerizing crimson orbs to his sturdy, pursed lips. The shift in her gaze was not missed by Gajeel, the fire already coursing in his blood reaching a fever pitch that he could no longer deny. With lightning speed he grabbed the petite young woman, lifting her off her feet as he crushed her slender form to his muscular one. He buried his face in her light blue locks, taking in deep breaths of her calming scent.

"You are right. I did not read it. To be honest, I did not even read its title." Gajeel loosened his grip, dropping her gently back on the ground, yet not quite relinquishing her as he grasped her forearms in a tender yet firm hold.

"But that does not mean I did not value your gift. The book you speak of had a plain red jacket, with golden lettering upon its spine, am I right?"

Levy nodded wordlessly, not entirely sure where the dragon was going with his little speech.

"You wrapped a blue ribbon around it when you gifted it to me that mostly obscured the title on the front. That book is currently in my chambers in Alagesia - it traveled with me to the war and back."

"Aye." Lily interjected softly. "He kept it beneath his pillow every night. Would not let any other being handle it - not even myself. He claimed he could still make out your scent from it and refused to disturb it in anyway, least the precious smell be lost…"

Levy gaped at the solemn black exceed, her gaze flitting between him and the towering dragon man still holding her tight.

"I-Is what Lily says true, Gajeel?"

Gajeel gazed into her hazel-brown orbs, gulping a little at the depth of affection he could make out within them. He knew his own reflected the adoration and devotion he held for her, by the way her cheeks flushed delicately the longer they were lost in each other's eyes.

"A-aye."

"Oh, Gajeel…"

Before the iron dragon could react, she had stood once again on her tip-toes, wrapping her arms around his solid neck and pulling him down towards her. Gajeel went limp at her touch, his every nerve charged to its max as his heart hammered in his chest. She drew him down until her tantalizing lips were just inches from his own…

"Levy! There you are! Droy and I have been roaming the entire forest searching for you, we thought that your dragon friend might have gotten you lost…"

Jet bounded out of the woods bordering the narrow dirt road, his broad smile fading the instant his eyes fell on the pretty spirit fairy frozen in the dragon's arms. Gajeel let out an impatient huff, releasing Levy and turning away from her, discreetly angling his massive form to stand between her and the new arrival. The glowering wind pixie did not miss the gesture, his eyes narrowing as he stalked closer to the trio at the center of the road. Before he could speak again though, Levy hurriedly intervened, her voice a bit shrill and flustered.

"Not a chance, Jet! The mage village is akin to my second home after all. And Gajeel here has been nothing but courteous and helpful."

Levy stepped closer to Gajeel, laying a comforting hand on the dragon's forearm. The ore dragon instantly relaxed, leaning into the feathery touch, still keeping his eyes warily on the pixie man in front of him.

Jet frowned, not pleased with Levy's proximity with the dragon, but knowing better than to comment on it.

"Oh. Good. Well then, let's go."

He gestured to his fairy friend to lead the way, his own eyes still locked on Gajeel's. With a sigh, Levy pranced forward, doing her best to ignore the way the two males seemed to be engaged in a silent battle of wills. She turned to the amused Pantherliliy instead, starting up an easy conversation with the intelligent exceed that carried the quartet all the way to their destination.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The sound of joyous laughter and playful shouts filled the air as the children frolicked in the open courtyard of the spacious building. The corridors of the weathered, large, old structure echoed with the voices of young magical humans, occasionally silenced by the firm yet kindly orphanage keepers.

Levy danced in the center of the yard, her light blue locks whipping about her face as she twirled elegantly on the tips of her toes, her ethereal bell-like laughter adding to the merry cacophony surrounding her. The cheerful melody of a flute floated through the air as the wood pixie Droy skillfully wielded the delicate instrument, tapping his boot to the tune he commanded. Pantherlily danced at the edge of the yard in his full form, surrounded by a group of older mage boys - the young men grinning as they engaged in a mock battle with the talented exceed - all as they swayed to the beat of Droy's perky tune.

Gajeel stood in the shadows of the building, absorbing the sight before him. Every now and then he would catch the eye of the beautiful fairy in the middle of it all - and she would send him a warm, welcoming smile, beckoning to him with her eyes. His entire being longed to obey her silent command, his own responding look heated and intense…

But he could not. At least, not just yet. Not as long as the sober, and uncharacteristically solemn wind pixie stood beside him, eyeing him with a mixture of fear and distaste.

"Spit it out, beanstalk. I haven't got all day."

Jet glared at the rude iron beast, unconsciously clenching his hands into fists.

"What makes you think I've got something to say to the likes of you?"

It was Gajeel's turn to glare. He fixed his crimson eyes on the magical pixie man, the threatening look made far more impressive thanks to his towering form. Jet involuntarily gulped, quickly averting his gaze.

"I'm worried about her." The wind pixie began abruptly, a few moments later. "She has been spending far too much time with you ever since you came back from the war. Time she should have been spending with magical-potential humans or other light-magic beings... She needs to absorb as much light-based energy as she can…"

Gajeel's eyes narrowed. "It looks like you've conveniently forgotten that I've got light magic too. And now that she's the high fairy of spirit, she can tap into mine as well. It's not like she has to starve around me…"

Jet threw him a pointed look. "But she does. What you've got is minuscule compared to what she needs, and besides - she's terrified that taking what little you have will make you weaker."

"S-she does?" Gajeel's gaze drifted to his feet, his brow furrowing as a frown made its way onto his face. "I'm sure that isn't the case. How much would she need, anyway?"

Jet's jaw tightened, his eyes gaining a hardened sheen. "Given her current stage of growth… About a hundred and eighty jolts… On a daily basis… Just to survive."

Gajeel's jaw dropped, as he felt the wind from his lungs escape in a whoosh. His head spun as he tried to wrap it around the insanely high amount of light energy she needed. He clutched at his chest as he whirled in his spot to fully face the wind pixie, his face deathly pale.

"W-what?! Are you joking? H-how could she possibly still be alive if…"

"Lucy and her other human friends have been helping her immensely." Jet's voice was a tired monotone, as he turned to face Gajeel. "Cana has been offering her tastes of 'fairy glitter' whenever she becomes very low on power. Erza has a light-based armor called 'Heaven's Wheel' that she re-quips into to re-energize Levy. And to combat the expenditure that she has to do in ridiculous amounts, Lucy helped her develop a 'syringe'... It's a needle-like weapon that she fills with her fairy magic when it overflows. That idea was a shrewd calculation on Lucy's part, for the weapons have proven invaluable in the fight against demons. It has also helped keep Levy's spirits up - she feels effective and needed thanks to Lucy's idea. She rarely talks about it, but we can all see the strain her exponential growth is taking on her emotional and mental state. She hides it as well as she can, but she is definitely depressed because she feels like a 'parasite' and a 'ticking time bomb'... However hard we try to convince her otherwise. And the toll her rapid growth is taking on her physical state is not very hard to surmise from these facts…"

Gajeel made a strangled choking sound, unable to articulate the words that caused a searing pulse of pure fear to shoot through his veins.

Jet plunged on mercilessly, answering Gajeel's unasked question.

"She is dying. Despite all our best efforts, her growth is just too rapid for us to keep up with. In a few short years, she will fade. She knows it - I suppose that is why she clings to you… why she is trying so hard to spend all her time with you…" The heartbroken pixie struggled to subdue the tears that threatened the edges of his eyes, his teeth grit in a feeble attempt to will away his pain.

"I'm not a fool. I know she does not feel for me the same kind of love I feel for her. I know that place in her heart is reserved for someone else… for you." He looked straight into Gajeel's eyes, his own burning with anger. "That is why I won't stand by and watch if your intentions towards her aren't the same as hers towards you. I will fight you till my very last breath, defeat you no matter the cost, if you are merely toying with her heart…"

"N-nay." Gajeel rasped out, an unbidden tear trickling down his cheek. "Never fear. She is my soul-bonded. I'd give my life for her."

The look of fury died in Jet's eyes, replaced with relief and a bit of sadness.

"Ah. Then you will return her love?"

"Ten-fold. She… she has always meant the world to me…"

Gajeel took a deep breath, willing down the panic and grief that threatened to overwhelm him. When he snapped open his crimson orbs a moment later, there was a fire of determination and purpose burning in their depths. He stared at the petite fairy still blissfully dancing amidst the carefree, happy children - unaware of the monumental shift in her future.

"And I swear to you, Jet, that I will move heaven and earth to find a way…"

Gajeel stalked forward towards her - she was the center of his universe, the reason he lived. And he would be damned if anything happened to her while he still drew breath.

"...A way to make her live."