It seemed to take hours to get down the mountain. Even with Natsu running at full speed. But he made it to the village with the snow already starting to melt. And he started screaming. This got the attention of everyone. The only person to act was the inn keeper who raced to Natsu and told him to take Gray into the inn for treatment.
It took an hour for the rest of the group to make it down the mountain and to get to the inn. Gray was placed in Natsu's room. His face was cleaned of any blood and he seemed to be stable for now. But every so often his face scrunched up like he was in pain or pant like he was out of breathe. But all in all he was fine.
Natsu, Erza, and Lucy took turns watching him. He had gone through so much and gave them priceless gifts in return. It was the least they could do. Lucy was on watch right now reading about dragons in one of her new books. If anyone asked why she was willing to carry six heavy tomes the rest of the way to Magnolia she just answered that she wanted these for the new knowledge and her friend Levy would love to learn the language.
She was looking at the book filled to the bindings with notes on different species of dragons. If appeared to be made in the country of Skyrim. She wondered what it was like there with apparently all the dragons flying around. If Gray's information was right that is. Turning the page she found an entry on fire dragons.
Known as one of the most ruthless and domineering of the species they are ruthless in getting what they want. There is only one documented case where a fire dragon gave up what it wanted. This case is called The Ice Dragon's Grief.
This got Lucy's attention.
'The Ice Dragon's Grief? Why would it be called that?'
Reading further into the book she wanted to find the answer.
Only documented case of a fire dragon not getting what it wanted. Named The Ice Dragon's Grief : More information on Ice Dragons on page 835. In this document the fire dragon was the Fire Dragon King Igneel. And the reported Ice Dragon was the Ice Dragon Queen Isis. There was always a strong distance with fire and ice but this seemed to make it wider for dragon kind. Igneel appeared to be looking for the most suitable mate for himself when he happened upon Isis.
She was wounded from an arrow to the joint in her wing making her crash and damage it further. Being a kind hearted dragon Igneel went to watch over her. Once healed she thanked him and gave him a parting nudge then flew off. Entranced at the beauty and elegance she portrayed he felt the need to have her as his own. This would have even solved the distaste with both subspecies of dragons.
He followed her to her cave in the frozen mountains. What he had failed to take into account when he met her was her bulging stomach. Upon entering the cave he saw her laying in her nest made of animal furs and pine tree branches. As he approached he found eggs laying at her stomach. Infuriated at her and himself for another dragon getting to her. He left the cave waited outside for her mate to return.
The male dragon returned with elk in his maw. Based on his coloration he was a fire dragon. Igneel waited then he rushed in. He killed the male dragon then crushed Isis' eggs. He proceeded to forcefully mate with her. But with her mate first dead she would no longer be able to bare hatchlings for the rest of her eternal life. Igneel didn't leave unscathed Isis gave him an 'X' shaped scar across his chest.
Isis was scared with no mate and not being able to bare hatchlings anymore it is believed that she went and had herself killed by the Dragonborn. With no evidence this report is revered as untrue until further evidence is found of her death. Igneel having seen his mistake after her disappearance secluded himself in his cave and only came out for food and water. He never mated again having the scar on his chest to forever remind him of his wrongs.
Closing the book Lucy held a hand over her mouth. Tears dripped from her eyes. From what she heard from Natsu, Igneel was a great dragon but this account seemed to disprove that. When she heard rustling of sheets she turned her eyes up. Gray was awake and saw the book in her hands. He figured she read what happened to his mother.
Huffing he sat up and brought his knees to his chest. Eclipse who was sleeping at the foot of his bed woke up. Rubbing her eyes she crawled up to Gray who gently picked her up and placed her in the crook of his body with his knees bent. She looked to Lucy and saw the book too.
With Eclipse awake and by his side Gray spoke.
"Ful hi mindok what happened wah Isis us rek met zu'u huh?[So you know what happened to Isis before she met me huh?]"
"Well I don't know. From what Natsu tells me about Igneel . . ."
"Saraan![Wait!]"
Lucy was cut off by Gray's sudden interjection with Eclipse translating. Now with her attention Gray spoke again with Eclipse translating after he was done.
"Ful hi los fun zu'u tol Natsu's dovah parent los Igneel?![So you are telling me that Natsu's dragon parent is Igneel?!]"
"Uhh yeah. Igneel raised him."
A growl rumbled Gray's chest at the mention of that cursed dragon's name. That dragon pretty much broke his mother till she was willing to kill herself. That is until she saved him and took him in. Memories of her flashed through his mind's eye. She always looked sad and on the edge of breaking down.
The door creaked open and the smell of burning wood and smoked fish filled the air in his lungs. He knew that smell. He loved it. But with the information he just heard he started to hate it.
Natsu walked in the door and the room got colder. But it didn't faze him. He just walked up to Lucy.
"Okay time to change shifts. Oh. Hey you're awake."
Natsu grins a toothy grin almost making Gray's heart throb. But the fresh knowledge bled through his mind.
'Your father took everything from my mother. Do you know? Do you know what your father did? Do you even care?'
Lucy got off the chair and walked out of the room closing the door. Natsu sat down in her place and started to talk to Gray not noticing the dark aura coming off of him.
"So Gray I want to learn more what are they called? Shouts? Anyway could you teach me more?"
The air got cooler and Gray refused to even acknowledge Natsu's existence. He just leaned back crossed his legs and started petting Eclipse. Eclipse was glaring out of the corner of her eye at Natsu. Not knowing what to ask and being given the literal cold shoulder the only thing coming to Natsu's mind to try and break the ice was one thing.
"Hey are you hungry Gray? I could get you something to eat if you want."
Gray huffed and stayed looking at Eclipse and spoke to her in his choppy English.
"Eclipse . . . could you . . . get me . . . some. . . food. . . please? And . . . water?"
Eclipse nodded while saying.
"Right away."
Her white wings unfurled and she left to get her partner food and water. With it just being them Natsu started rubbing the back of his neck. What was with Gray's suddenly cold demeanor? Was it something he said or did that he wasn't aware of? A lot of people constantly told him he did that. So that must be it.
"Listen I'm sorry if I did or said anything wrong or that you didn't like. But could we put it behind us and be friends?"
Gray just ignored Natsu and started picking at his nails. Not getting what to do Natsu just went silent trying to figure out what he did. As a headache was forming from all of his thinking Eclipse came back in with a platter as long as her body stuffed with food and a pitcher of ice water.
She handed it to Gray then filled him a glass of the water and setting it on the bedside table. What was on the platter was the stew from when Natsu and the rest got here with a slab of steak. Gray ate quietly and gave pieces to Eclipse. With nothing better to do and starting to feel hungry as well Natsu tried to reach for a piece of meat.
But a sharp stab of pain was introduced with his hand. Looking at it a clear spike like from when Gray had a dragon tail was protruding from it. When Natsu looked up at Gray's face Gray was glaring and a quiet growl came from his throat. His eyes were strong and showed anger with teeth bared and ready to rip flesh off bones.
"Dreh ni haalvut dii kip! Yol brain.[Do not touch my food! Fire brain.]"
Retracting his hand Natsu went up to get his own food. He figured with Eclipse there Gray would be safe. Walking down the hall he found Erza heading towards Gray's/his room.
'Must be time to switch.'
Once Erza spotted him she sped up slightly to meet him halfway in the hall. The long scarlet hair flowing in a river behind her. Once they were near each other they both stopped.
"Why are you out here? Aren't you supposed to be watch Gray till I get to the room?"
"Yeah . . . but I'm getting the cold shoulder and well. . ."
Natsu showed Erza his hand with a hole in it that was slowly closing thanks to his dragon like healing. It was wet from the ice melting once he was out of Gray's sight. It didn't bleed do to his wounds always naturally cauterizing. Seeing the hole Erza's eyes slightly glared as she started making her way quickly towards the room. Before she got to far Natsu grabbed her elbow.
"Erza don't be to hard on him. After what he's been through for who knows how long he needs a bit of a break. He probably thought I was going do something to hurt him."
Erza sighed and nodded slightly at what Natsu requested. She'd probably act the same way if she went through what Gray did. Hell anyone would probably do the same thing. With that Natsu let go and went to get himself some food and to help with melting all the snow outside.
Erza walked into the room and was almost bumped in the face by little Eclipse carrying an empty platter. The exceed apologized for almost hitting her then continued on. Once in the room the cold struck her like a sledge hammer.
Once Gray saw it was Erza the cold stopped and went to fairly normal temperatures. His body was naturally colder than others. Sitting down in the chair Natsu sat in Erza turned to face Gray. The silence was awkward so she decided to break it.
"So you'll be able to leave in a day or two but I'm guessing being a dragonslayer means you have a healing rate like Natsu."
At the mention of the name the rooms temperature dropped so fast the walls frosted instantly. Not shivering Erza saw Gray's expression turn grim. Just then Eclipse flew into the room and landed on Gray's lap. With her in his arms he spoke.
"Dreh ni tinvaak ok name around zu'u! Rok lost brought nid nuz misery wah dii laas.[Do not speak his name around me! He has brought nothing but misery to my life.]"
Confused and bewildered Erza asked what is probably going to be the worst question to ask to a person suffering trauma.
"How has Natsu ruined your life Gray?"
"Ni really rok ko aan sense nuz ok bormah. Nuz fin connection los wah similar ni wah haalvut hatred.[Not really him in a sense but his father. But the connection is to similar not to feel hatred.]"
"That does answer my question."
Huffing Gray sighed and then turned to Erza with a glare and cold eyes.
"Ok bormah ruined dii monah laas. Rok kriaan ek mate us ek ruz al ek eggs ahrk proceeded wah forcefully mate voth ek![His father ruined my mother's life. He killed her mate in front of her then destroyed her eggs and proceeded to forcefully mate with her!]"
Erza's eyes were wide with shock. From what she's heard from Natsu Igneel was always kind. But this painted him in a new light entirely. It must have been before Natsu even knew Igneel. Before she spoke again Gray cut in with Eclipse right after.
"Dreh hi mindok what nii haalvut med fah aan dovah wah saan their pah brod vahzah us niin ahrk ruz kos fus wah mate voth fin gein daar kriaan niin? Nii los laas without love ahrk kun. Nii drun fin dovah haalvut vobalaan. Fah nust could spaan their brod. Nii fin worst torture aan dovah can lost ko nii immortal laas.[Do you know what it feels like for a dragon to lose their entire family right in front of them and then be forced to mate with the one that killed them? It is life without love and light. It makes the dragon feel unworthy. Because they could protect their family. It's the worst torture a dragon can have in its immortal life.]"
Gray's eyes were tearing up with some leaving his eyes. But he sat still and continued with a stony look. In fact his eyes seemed to take on a cobblestone color. Erza just stared at him in pity and sadness. Then the door opened and there stood Natsu.