Author's note: Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, favouriting and following. I appreciate it. Here is the first chapter. With how long each chapter seems to be running, I can't really promise the regularity of updates, but since it's the summer, I will strive to keep it reasonably periodic. Enjoy.

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Chapter one: A Warm Welcome

Natsu cringed when Erza swatted at his head with an armor-covered hand again. His head whipped forward with the force of the blow, and he could feel another bump forming, adding to his already impressive collection.

'By taking a stranger into our hidden base, you have endangered all of Fairy Tail, Natsu. I cannot believe how reckless you were in this folly of yours. What would you have done were he an enemy spy? He could have seized the chance while you were carrying him to kill you, and take control over Igneel, too!'

'I am not so inept as to be taken advantage of by a mere child as that boy, my child Erza.' Igneel's low rumble shook the room, and Natsu grinned at his adoptive father in triumph while the fiery woman before him looked down in shame.

'But Erza is right in this matter, Natsu. I tried to discourage you from taking a stranger into our base, yet you would not listen. Would you care to explain yourself now?'

This time, it was Natsu that the huge ruby red eyes turned to. Igneel blinked lazily, and yet his gaze penetrated straight through Natsu's soul. He suddenly felt naked even while having closed his innermost thoughts away from the dragon; that, and chastised. It was rare that anyone could make him feel guilty, but when they did – as Erza and Igneel had been doing – Natsu often wished there was a hole to swallow him up. The one thing that Natsu the dragon rider was afraid of and despised more than anything in the world, was to disappoint those he held dear. It was exactly what he had been doing.

'I… I don't know, Igneel.' He told the truth, and all of it, because Natsu really didn't know. 'What if he's a good person who was really being hunted by the demons? We have to save him; isn't that what Fairy Tail is for? Saving the good and destroying the bad?'

'That is true. However, you have not stopped to consider the consequences of your actions should this man turn out to be other than the good person you assumed. Therein lies your biggest fault, Natsu. We are fortunate that no one is here yet to destroy the Guild Hall and capture us all.'

The stern look Erza directed at him made Natsu feel small as his guilt weighed heavier. He hated the feeling, for he was certain he had the right of it. They'd have all been just a bad joke at hypocrisy were he to ignore someone in need like then! And yet, at the same time, doing the right thing disappointed the both of them.

'I just thought we could always put him in a cell later if he does turn out to be an enemy.' But Natsu opted merely to mumble out his response, because he knew better than to enrage Erza further.

'Yes, Natsu. That is why we already have someone guarding his room.'

'That matter aside, I also disapprove of alerting the enemy to my presence so near to the entrance of the base.' Igneel's powerful voice echoed again, and in the vast space of the main hall it reverberated like a thunderstorm. 'You must remember that we guard one of the many entrances to Era, seat of the fairy tribe. Today, we killed all those who saw us. What, though, would our fate be tomorrow, should something like this happen again?'

'Yes, Igneel, I shall remember.' Almost petulantly, Natsu muttered, even though inside, he knew his adoptive father was right. He had forgotten how important the Guild Hall was, and the thought of his own incompetence made him angry.

Watching Natsu's rare apologetic manner, however, must have appeased Igneel, for the great dragon closed his eyes and turned away at last.

'Go to the boy you have rescued, then. I shall have no one expend extraneous energy on your account.' Then, the dragon's stance seemed to relax just a little, before he glanced at Natsu with pride in those bottomless eyes. 'You are a righteous young man. You need to learn to think before you act, but I commend you for your kindness. Never lose sight of it, my child.'

Erza seemed to have more to say, but she held her tongue in the dragon's presence. With a frown, she asked Igneel whether they could have a further discussion regarding the security of the entrance of the Guild Hall, something about enhancing Levy's charms even further in view of the new dangers posed. Natsu knew he was dismissed.

The corridor to the room housing the stranger was brightly lit, despite the heavy stones paving the floor, walls, and ceiling. After all, everyone in Fairy Tail enjoyed the light, being exposed to so little of it in this Guild Hall deep under the ground, the entrance being a tunnel leading out to the bottom of an abyss where sunlight never reached. The dancing flames, however, didn't lift Natsu's foul mood. He was ready to blame it on the stranger, who was the cause of his troubles. Natsu knew he would always rescue a person in need, regardless of who he would turn out to be in the end. But if he never came to the cliff, Natsu wouldn't have had to save him, or encounter those demons. It was entirely his fault!

Although he did have pretty eyes – like the night sky.

The thought came unbidden, and Natsu was taken aback by the abruptness of it all. It was true he had admired plenty of things, like Igneel's powerful wings, his immense wisdom, Erza's scarlet hair, her indomitable strength, Levy's intelligence… Never before, though, had he been struck so deeply upon such short contact, for their eyes had met but only for an instant. And yet, that brief instant had been enough for Natsu to admire a strength as he had never seen before in a single gaze.

'I must be losing my mind.' He told no one in particular, before hurrying towards the room to dispel the disturbing thought.

At the end of the corridor was an oak door, in front of which one of his guild mates, Macao, was standing vigil. The man waved cheerfully when he saw Natsu approaching.

'Natsu! What are you doing here?'

'Taking responsibility. Or something. Sorry for making you do this.'

The appearance of a non-judgmental face calmed him from the confusion that had been making him uneasy for the past few moments. Natsu found it in him again to smile at the man despite his mental exhaustion.

'Don't apologise for doing the right thing. Despite what Erza may say, I still think you did well at upholding the Fairy Tail spirits.'

'Thank you; I appreciate it, truly. You can leave now; I'll take the post.'

They exchanged one last grin, before Macao pushed himself away from the wall with an exaggerated stretch. The reassuring words had brightened Natsu mood again – he supposed he really was so simple as to change his view so quickly like that. In the end, though, it didn't matter, so long as he had a family who forgave his mistakes and supported his decision. He knew that Erza, too, would eventually come around to letting the matter go, for she still loved him despite her harsh words.

The door creaked as he pushed it open to a windowless room. It was a sparse room converted into a makeshift infirmary, and if needed, a cell. There was a chill to it, the walls being made of stone and the warmth in the hall being barred by the thick door. At one corner, there was a bed, upon which lay the cause of his troubles. Natsu walked towards it and took up the bedside chair.

The stranger was different from everyone Natsu had met. He was too pale, his hair too black, his blue eyes too dark. Even as he lay immobile on a sickbed, the man radiated a sense of strength and danger. It woke the curiosity in Natsu; it was true, no one embodied contraries better than the man lying before him as grace and power warred for dominance in the tensing of his resting countenance. The white of his skin was stark against the way his black hair fanned on the pillow, and the contrast hurt Natsu's eyes so much, it drew Natsu in like a moth to flame. It irritated him – never had Natsu been so confused as he was then, watching a complete stranger who was not even aware of his presence.

'We just met, and somehow you already gained me an earful from both Erza and Igneel.' He started complaining good-naturedly, knowing that his words fell upon deaf ears. 'You owe me a lot, bastard.'

To Natsu's surprise, as soon as he finished his sentence, the man started twitching and moving in an uncomfortable manner. His brows drew up tight as the corners of his mouth turned down into a deep frown, his jaws squaring when he gritted his teeth.

Without thinking, Natsu leaned forward and placed a hand on his shoulder to shake him awake. A blink of an eye later, though, he found himself on the floor, a forearm at his throat and wide blue eyes in front of him. It was then that the pain in his back and his head registered; he must have hit them hard when the man flipped them over and landed on the floor. Suddenly, anger flared within him, and in a similar move, he flipped them over again. His throat burned from when it was crushed against the stone, but Natsu ignored the pain in favour of glowering at the man beneath him.

'Calm down. You are safe here. We mean you no harm.' He hissed down at the bastard while holding him down by the wrists. What Natsu didn't expect, however, was the buck that nearly threw him off. With a grunt of effort, he pressed his weight down even more on the slighter man, before growling into his face. 'Stop fighting me!'

'Then release me! You said I was safe here!' The man growled back, before pulling his head back and head-butted Natsu in the forehead. The blow took him by surprise again, and before he could regain his composure, a knee had made its way between their bodies. Not a moment later, Natsu found his world spinning, before he landed on his feet at the other side of the room.

Like a wolf, the stranger before him had already assumed a defensive stance, his back hunching and his eyes a glare full of warning. Natsu could see they way his long fingers curled into fists, before the barest flinch crept upon his arms. That's right, you were injured. And I bandaged your fingers up, too, ingrate. And yet, the man would not release his hold, instead bravely bearing the pain. It was almost worthy of admiration, if not for the stupidity of his mulishness.

'Like I said, you are safe here. Stop aggravating your wounds.' Finally, exasperation won over, and Natsu relaxed his own stance. He spread his arms in a gesture of peace, 'Look, I apologise for touching you. On my honour as a dragon rider, I promise not to harm you. Satisfied?'

The guarded look remained for a long instant, before it dropped into wide-eyed recognition.

'I saw you!' The stranger exclaimed, 'That cannot be true! Dragons have been dead for centuries!'

'Are you calling me a liar?!' Again, Natsu's temper flared. He could not believe the audacity of this man who doubted his words even when he himself admitted that he had seen Natsu. For his part, Natsu knew that that moment when they exchanged that gaze was real. With how shaken it left him, though, he had wished that it hadn't been so.

'No, I… That is… My apologies.' The man seemed to falter for a brief moment, before red crept up his pale cheeks. It could even have been described as pretty were he a woman.

He's blushing in shame? Natsu thought incredulously even as his heart thumped out of sync at the sight. He brushed the odd feeling aside, though, when the wary bastard lowered his defences at last and uncurled his fists. The tips of his bandaged fingers were already peeking red again, the idiot undoubtedly having worsened his wounds.

'You really did save me, then.' He spoke as though in wonder, before putting a hand on his forehead. 'Oh by the gods, then the dragon, your dragon…'

'Is real, yes. And he's not my dragon. More like, my adoptive father who happens to be a dragon who happens to let me be his rider after my mother died.'

'Your mother?'

'She was his original rider, or so I heard. I can't remember; she died when I was very young.' Speaking about his past, though, made Natsu uncomfortable. He was surprised at himself for sharing information so freely with a stranger he could not even be sure wasn't an enemy. Perhaps he really should heed Igneel's advice to think before opening his mouth or letting his body do the talking for him. 'Enough of this. Why don't you take a seat and let me look at your fingers? They were in bad shape when I last saw them.'

Mistrust again passed through the dark of the man's eyes, and he took a moment longer to think before silently nodding and sitting on the bed again. As Natsu turned to retrieve the water basin and bandages on the table in the other corner of the room, he could feel eyes following his every movement. The implication that his honour as a rider meant so little to this person irritated him, but Natsu knew it was a foolish notion. Any reasonably sane man would mistrust a complete stranger who brought him to a windowless stone room. In fact, it was indeed odd that the man had not demanded to know where he was yet.

'Why did you save me?' The question rang in the quiet of the room as Natsu took the man's hands into his own to unwrap the bloody bandages. 'You don't know me.'

'I don't know you. And I don't know why I saved you, either. Igneel, my father, I mean, said that it's because I acted without thinking. You could call it an instinct to reach out when you see someone falling, perhaps.'

'The folly of a straightforwardly good man, then.' There was almost a sneer in the drone of the man's tone, but before Natsu could snap back a reply, the gratitude came in a voice so soft that it shocked him into silence. 'I thank you, then. It's rare to see such a good person nowadays.'

'My pleasure, I guess.' The silence that followed stretched out awkwardly, so Natsu spoke just to fill it with noise, 'When I said I would not harm you, you believed me.'

'I witnessed with my own eyes you rising from the abyss with your dra- father. I know what I saw. When you said you were a dragon rider, I know you were speaking the truth, much as I am inclined to believe otherwise. If the word "honour" still has some meaning, well, your honour as a rider is better than an empty promise, I suppose. By the gods, who would've thought…'

The words were cut off as the man ground his teeth together when Natsu poked at the torn tips of his fingers. Blood was oozing out sluggishly from the mangled flesh. Most of the nails were missing, and on a finger or two Natsu could even see the white of bone beneath the bloody mess. Despite Natsu's best efforts to pick out the rock fragments earlier, these wounds would not close themselves. His skin was a little warm as well, perhaps feverish from the start of infections to his wounds despite all the cleaning they received. This man truly needed a healer, who was unfortunately not present right then. It was a pity, but it seemed they would have to wait until Polyushka was back from her trip to Era.

'Bear with it for a while. I'll be cleaning the wounds.'

To his credit, the stranger made no sound even as Natsu drizzled water over his fingers, the red dripping onto the floor into bloody little streams. To take his thought away from the gruesome sight, Natsu focused on how the white hands fitted well with his own. Long-fingered hands, with a boniness that lent a certain air of grace to them, they were a nice contrast against Natsu's own broad hands with his square-tipped fingers. The thought, though, was disturbing in itself, so Natsu pushed it aside and focused his attention on wrapping new bandages around those long fingers.

'I didn't ask before, but I suppose there's no point in asking where we are?'

'Indeed. You'd be stupid to think I'd tell you that, especially after you've seen my father. Somehow, I don't think you're stupid, though.'

It was perhaps also to the man's credit that he kept his composure even after waking up in a strange place with a stranger. The sense of acceptance from this apathetic man may even have worried Natsu, although he would die before admitting that. Whatever effect this stranger was having on Natsu, it was unnatural enough as was. Natsu could feel rather than see thin eyebrows rising, before a strained chuckle echoed through the room.

'A foolishly good man with strong opinions, I see.'

'And if I hear "folly", "foolish", or any such insult from you one more time, you can bandage your own hands.' Natsu threw back without much heat. That only got another chuckle out of the strange man.

'As you wish, my good man.'

'Your good man?' Natsu raised an eyebrow of his own, before pressing the linen a little harder than before. To his petty satisfaction, that got a wince out of the stoic man.

'Not my good man, then. Do you have a name, or do I call you dragon rider?'

'I'm Natsu Igneelson. Or Natsu Dragneel, depending on where you're from. People from the East demand a family name, no matter what.'

'I see. Well, I am Gray. Pleased to make your acquaintance, though that depends on whether you see me as a threat, I suppose.'

Natsu frowned at the response. He finished tying the linen, before gently placing the hands back onto Gray's knees.

'Just Gray? Do you not know your father? Or your family name?'

'Just Gray.' The smile that flashed across that pale, pale countenance was sad, and half bitter. 'My father disowned me, well, sort of, anyway.'

'Oh.' Natsu did not know what to say. 'I'm sorry to hear.'

He really was sorry. No child should be disowned by his or her parents. As a child who never got to know his parents himself, he craved to know that familial love. In his imagination, it must be a warm and gentle thing that soothed the soul. Or, perhaps, a safe haven to turn back to, just as Igneel was to him. Now that he had attained it from the least expected adoptive father, he dreaded to think one day to lose it.

His thought must have shown on his face – after all, Natsu was famous for wearing his heart on his sleeve – for Gray smiled a real smile this time. And it was a beautiful thing, if a man could be described as beautiful. The hard lines of his face almost softened as his eyes curved upwards just that little bit in happiness. It made Natsu want to smile himself, though perhaps that would have been inappropriate, as Erza liked to say.

'Natsu, child.'

Igneel's call broke him out of his thoughts. He had forgotten that Igneel could link to his mind.

'Yes, Igneel?'

'Are you with the stranger you rescued?'

'Yes. He has awakened. Maybe if Erza has time now, she could come see him and determine what to do with him?'

In truth, Natsu found himself a little disappointed at the prospect of having a frightening woman decide whether Gray was an enemy. If he were, he would undoubtedly be imprisoned, or worse, put to death. Gray was a good man, though; every fibre in Natsu's body told him so, and he trusted his instincts.

'Erza will not be making the final decision; you know that Fairy Tail's leadership consists of three. However, it may indeed be best to have her make a preliminary assessment of the situation. Very well, I shall speak to her.'

'Thank you, Igneel. I'll keep watch on him in the mean time…'

Much as he tried, Natsu could never control his thoughts perfectly. His hesitance must have reached Igneel, for the felt a gentle probe from the dragon's direction.

'What is it, son?'

'I… Igneel, Gray's not a bad person. Please don't let them kill him.'

'Gray?'

'The stranger's name. I spoke with him.'

There was a silence, and Natsu feared his father was angry. After all, despite all the warnings he had received not so long ago, he was being reckless again in speaking to a stranger without permission. Sometimes he wondered if he really was stubborn, or just plain stupid in not listening to his father's teachings.

'I can feel you are emotionally attached to this stranger. That is a dangerous thing, son, though I suppose you already know. I cannot determine what to do with him, for I am merely a counselor here at Fairy Tail. However, I could offer to examine his mind, if he would allow me. That way, we may be able to determine his true intent in coming here. Natsu, you must take care not to let your kindness be your downfall as a dragon rider. Much rests on your shoulders.'

'I know. I am sorry.'

'I shall see you in the great hall, then. And this Gray, if he does agree to come.'

The presence of Igneel's mind receded into a dull throb at the back of his mind, and Natsu breathed a sigh of relief. At least his father would support this folly of his.

'Natsu?'

He turned to Gray with a grave expression, before standing to take the water basin away.

'Perhaps you had best be prepared. Someone is coming down to question you.'

'Down? So we're in a dungeon?'

Natsu wanted to slap himself at the slip. He truly, honestly, should think before speaking. This man was dangerous, he knew it, and his instincts knew it. By all accounts, he should have been more careful with his mouth and what went out of it.

'Don't look so stricken now!' Gray's laughter rang like bells despite the gravelly quality to it. 'It was a wild guess. I'm not like to be able to do anything, anyhow, though you probably should have put me in chains.'

Dark eyes caught Natsu's gaze for a long moment as Gray sobered from his humour. The light crinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out, and Gray regained his nonchalant mask in a heartbeat. In front of him, Natsu could see Gray's long fingers tightened over each other into a grip that would have pressed against his freshly bandaged wounds again. It displeased Natsu to see his hard work treated with such disregard.

'I have one last question. You do not have to answer it, although I would appreciate it if you do. What happened to my pursuers?'

Natsu tried to debate in his head whether he should answer. His simple mind came up with no reason why he should not, though, so he shrugged and answered anyway, probably against his better judgment.

'Igneel and I had to kill them all. They saw us.'

Pain flashed across those dark eyes so quickly that Natsu almost thought he had imagined it, yet he knew it was real. Gray was good at keeping his neutral mask, but he wasn't perfect. He was hiding something; it was possible that this man was even related to those demons somehow, for him to show an emotion other than relief at the news of their demise. For the first time, the gravity of his actions truly struck Natsu. He had brought a stranger to the Guild Hall, a stranger who he knew for a fact to be dangerous. And yet, here he was, divulging more and more information to this man who called himself Gray. He did not even give a family name. Natsu suddenly felt foolish for doing what he did, and even more so for feeling what he felt.

'Perhaps you'll kill me too, in the end. I've seen you and your father, after all.'

The quiet jape may have touched Natsu before, for Gray was clearly in pain and trying to hide it. It still did touch Natsu now, despite all the harsh words he mentally berated himself with. And the fact that Natsu was affected by it was what made him angriest of all. It was like salt to an open wound, as though Gray could play Natsu as a stupid marionette to his stupid beautiful hands. It made Natsu feel helpless in a way he had never known possible, even before the mighty Erza, and so he lashed out the only way he knew how.

'Maybe I will. If they find you to be an enemy, well, you shall see with your own eyes what a dragon rider can do.'

For a brief while, it had been gratifying to see the look Gray threw him. It was a hurt look, as if he had been betrayed by a trusted friend. The thought made Natsu want to laugh, before it made Natsu want to slap himself again for his own cruelty. Of course Gray had trusted him; he even lowered his defences and let Natsu tend to his wounds. He had let Natsu touch him on a promise made when they had scarcely interacted with one another other than in physical violence. For a man so reserved and cautious, it must have meant a lot. And yet, Natsu had mocked his words.

'Gray, I didn't mean…'

'No, I know what you meant, Natsu Dragneel. After all, it must have been hugely entertaining to see an imbecile so big as to believe in what you said, yes?'

Gray had closed himself off again. Natsu could see it in the way his eyes turned cold, the dark blue gaining a certain iciness to it. Gray's whole demeanour had changed, his shoulders tensing and his back straightening as though bracing for an attack. All softness was gone from his features, and once again Gray was the hard, suspicious man he had first met. The drastic change shocked him into the realisation that he had indeed lost the trust of this reserved man, and was unlikely to ever gain it again, should he prove to be the good person Natsu believed him to be. The mere idea of it made him sick.

'No, you have to listen to me, I never meant to…'

'You are getting along well, I see.'

Natsu's hasty explanation was cut short as the door swung open, revealing an indomitable woman with a brilliant head of scarlet hair. Erza the Titania marched in, eyes hard and unreadable.

'Before I can allow any more conversation to pass between you two, though, I regret to say you must be examined first.'

'I have a say in the matter, of course.'

'No, you do not. If you refuse to be subject to examination, you are to have all relevant memories erased, and to be sent away as soon as practicable. During the time you may stay here, you shall be allowed no further contact with anyone, go nowhere, and you must leave once your wounds have been properly treated.'

Gray stared at Erza strangely, his eyes widened in surprise. Then almost wonderingly, he replied: 'Um, I meant that in the rhetorical sense. I think I know I don't have an option.'

'Erza doesn't have a sense of rhetoric; she doesn't understand sarcasm, so you had best not use it with her.'

Natsu's quip died down quickly at the glare Erza sent his way.

'Silence! You were told not to communicate with this man before he has been examined.'

'Yes, Erza.' Despite how terrified he was at the warning in her voice, Natsu still felt the irrational compulsion to say one more thing. Natsu Dragneel had always been weak to impulses, so he heard himself saying: 'And his name is Gray, in case you need to refer to him again.'

Erza did not deign to give that an answer. Instead, she turned to stare at Gray long and hard. Natsu wasn't sure, but there was something flickering through her eyes, and that in itself was frightening enough. Erza was never uncertain of anything. Gray, on the other hand, remained calm even in the face of this woman who held so much power and who relished in showing it. Even now, with her back straight and her head held high, she was staring down at the sitting Gray. It was Erza's way of asserting her dominance. Yet, Gray was still as water. His eyes were cold, calculated almost, silently challenging the threat that was Erza. It would have been an admirable thing but for its sheer futility.

'Very well. It is best that I explain to you what I meant by "examine".'

'It involves having someone delve into your mind, does it not? A little reminiscent of mind rape, or so I'm told.'

It was Erza's turn to be surprised. Natsu, too, was taken aback by this man's knowledge of the matter. Gray was obviously well acquainted with the world of magic, it seemed.

'Yes, it does involve having someone examine your mind in order to detect lies, deceit, or general bad faith. However, it is different from mind rape, as you so coarsely put it. In the case of examination, we seek merely to ascertain your state of mind. Your secrets, if guarded, even on a subconscious level, will be free from intrusion, unless they involve harming us, in which case they will be reflected through your ill will. What we do not do, however, is to seek to pry into your private thoughts, or to control you through your mind. In the regrettable case that you intend to lie to us, however, it may well come to this "mind rape" you speak of. What we can promise, though, is that we will not intentionally intrude into your privacy unless there is evidence of dishonesty.'

Again, Gray raised an eyebrow, before muttering something about wasting his irony on an uptight woman. It was to his luck that Erza did not hear him.

'I consent to this examination of yours. When can it begin?'

Gray's eyes were hard when he gave his answer. In truth, it worried Natsu a little, because this man appeared to be prepared even for something so intrusive as a mental examination. It could only mean two things. Either that Gray simply didn't care, or that he really was hiding something important and was therefore prepared for the worst. For some reasons, Natsu hoped it was the former; he truly didn't want to have to hurt this man.

'Immediately after I have conferred with Natsu first. Please excuse us.'

Natsu was then pulled out of the room by an armored hand on his shoulder. The door shut heavily behind their backs, and then Erza was looming over him, dark shadows covering her face. It made him feel small and helpless, just as he had felt every time Erza was angry. This time, though, Erza wasn't angry. She was furious.

'What were you thinking, Natsu?! You vouched for a stranger with your father, the great dragon Igneel! How do you know he's not going to be spying on us? How do you know he's not part of Zeref's imperial army? Have you taken no heed of our advice to think before acting?! By the gods, this man could have been weaseling information out of you! What have you told him?'

Natsu truly was stiff with fear as he felt the air vibrated with Erza's magic. She could very well punish him if she wished, for she had both the power and the authority to do it. She would have been justified in doing so, too, he mused. Natsu started to recall what he had let slip in his negligence.

'I didn't tell him that much, I don't think. I told him my name, and about Igneel being my adoptive father, after my mother died. A little about my mother. I also said that we had to kill his pursuers because they saw us.' And then, the most important thing hit him like a brick. Natsu felt sick. 'Oh, oh, Erza, I swore not to harm Gray on my honour as a dragon rider! The demons confound it, I… I swore it to him, Erza!'

'You did what?!'

Erza's bellow shook the stone as her grip on his shoulder nearly crushed his bones. In one single impressive display of strength, she lifted Natsu's body up with a single hand on his shoulder and shook him as she would a rag doll.

'You swore to a stranger you just met that you would not harm him?!'

'Per… Perhaps not swore, but promised…'

'What difference does it make?!'

'A promise is something a little less…'

'Natsu, you will stop spouting excuses at of this moment, or I solemnly swear I shall obliterate your existence here and now, dragon rider or not.' Erza drew in a deep breath, smoothed a hand down her face once, before releasing her grip on Natsu and letting him fall to the ground in a heap. 'You break a vow, and people spit on you, and excommunicate you, and brand you oath-breaker for all of eternity. You break a promise, and people regard you as worthless scum wherever you may go, whoever you may be; no, it is precisely because you are a dragon rider that you will fall lower than filth. Is that a better option? To have shit for honour?'

Natsu was still stunned from the realisation that had just dawned upon him. It was something he never thought of, and it struck a cord deep within him. Natsu Dragneel was raised to be honourable, and he would keep it that way even if it killed him. Yet, here he was, making a casual promise to a casual stranger, uncaring of the consequences it would have on the honour he cherished so much. His self-hatred was breath-taking. Perhaps Erza would have been doing the guild a favour in erasing his pathetic existence as a dragon rider, after all.

Then, another thought struck him, deeper than the first. It made him bolt upright to grasp at Erza's upper arms with numb fingers.

'Erza, Erza, I didn't break my promise, right? I told him I may kill him were he found an enemy. Oh, the demons confound it, I didn't break my promise, did I?'

For a long moment, the Titania regarded him coolly, her expression betraying none of her wrath. It was as though the raging Erza had gone away, giving space to this calmly brewing storm. Her silence was more terrifying than her violence; Natsu could feel his heart dropping to the pit of his stomach.

'No, Natsu, you didn't break your promise, although you came very close.' At long last, heavy words stumbled out. 'You do realise, though, that if we do find him an enemy, you still can't touch him.'

'Won't release by changed circumstances work?' Natsu was desperate now. The thought of soiling his, and Igneel's, honour, was almost too much.

'Drastic unforeseen circumstances, yes. But you made the promise knowing this man could be an enemy precisely to show that you would take that risk.'

The unsaid implication of Erza's words stabbed deeper than if she had just said it out loud, that Natsu could not retract his words said in carelessness now. It was a bitter thing to realise, how badly he had failed everyone in the guild by promising a complete stranger his abstention from harm. Natsu felt like a reject; his repeated mistakes had just reached its apex.

From within his dark thoughts, though, determination suddenly solidified into steel. He would break his words if he had to. If this Gray really would hurt his guild, his only family, Natsu would kill him. And then Natsu would die to atone for it. Deep inside, though, he hoped that the situation never descend to that level. Natsu believed that Gray was a good person; he wanted to believe it. It was more of an instinct than reason, but then again Natsu had always listened to his instincts. He only wished for them to be correct when it mattered the most.

'It may not be necessary to talk about nullifying this promise yet, and a man of honour would not speak of such a matter so lightly. Come, first let us walk him to Igneel and find out whether he is to be trusted as you said.'

Silently, they made their way back into the little cell. Gray was still there, his guard again raised to its peak. Natsu could see it in the way his shoulders were tensing up again, and the way he pointedly held his head a little higher, as though daring Natsu and Erza to underestimate him. It was then that Natsu remembered; it was this man's fiery obstinacy belied by his stoic exterior that had caught Natsu's eyes when they first met. He said nothing, though, and Gray stood and walked out without sparing him even a glance when Erza gestured towards the door.

The walk to the great hall took what seemed like forever. Natsu led the way, followed by Gray, with Erza closing last. They filed up the spiral staircase to the ground level – because the bastard had to be right in guessing that they had been underground – and travelled three other stony corridors to get to the hall, each longer than the last. Natsu had walked these corridors all his life, yet right then they had never felt more claustrophobic. He dreaded the moment Gray met Igneel, but at the same time he just wanted the wait to be over with. Jittery as a mouse, and you call yourself a rider. The derisive thought did not help with his dark mood.

At long last, a vast space opened before them. The great hall was lit brighter than even the outside world by the orb that contained Igneel's fire that was embedded to the ceiling. In the middle of the hall, directly beneath said orb, was his adoptive father Igneel. He stood tall and regal like the emperor he was, his head held high and his powerful tail curled about his hind legs. No matter how many times Natsu watched his father, no matter how many years he had spent at Igneel's side, he could never truly get over how magnificent the dragon was. Igneel was the last relics of the legend that was the dragons who once ruled Earthland, yet even then, his mere presence bespoke the lost ages of the past. The entire building trembled whenever Igneel opened his mouth to speak.

'Welcome, child. I am the dragon Igneel, son of Igneas Brightflame, son of Igneel the Great before him.'

'Greetings, great dragon. My name is Gray. Oh, and I mean no disrespect, but your companions don't seem to take very kindly to the idea of welcoming me.'

Igneel's laugh literally shook the hall while a stream of flame inadvertently escaped from his nostril, making Gray jump back in alarm. Natsu and Erza, having been used to his father's destructive habits over the years, merely stepped aside with practised sufferance and waited for the fit of roaring laughter to pass. Slowly, as the rumbling died down, huge eyes blinked once, before the corners of Igneel's mouth hitched up into a smile that showed all of his teeth. His massive teeth.

'My apologies. You truly are an interesting human child. It has been a very long while since a human has met me for the first time and not be scared right out of his pants.'

'I know what I saw, honourable Igneel. You live, even as none of your kind does. For the loss of the mighty dragons, though, I truly am sorry. It is a great loss of a great kind – the greatest of us all, even.'

'Your condolences are appreciated. Although, I must say, when I mentioned "scared", I did not mean it to be in the sense of scared of the walking dead.'

'In that case, I suppose I have my extraordinary valiance to thank?'

Igneel blinked again, before one of his eyes narrowed, instantly casting a menacing look to his angular face. Igneel, however jovial he may be acting, was a dragon, after all. Even from where he stood, Natsu could see Gray's ears colouring again in shame. The man rarely misspoke, but when he did, it was easy to see. It was a deadly trait to have on a spy. With all his heart, Natsu hoped that Gray wasn't one, for both of their sakes.

'Forgive me. Bad habits are difficult to kill. I mean only that a silly child such as myself cannot hope to comprehend your capabilities. A child fears not what he knows not.'

At that, Igneel snorted out a laugh again, and again a blinding stream of flame hot enough to melt steel poured out, licking at the same spot on the floor. Then, good-naturedly, he patted the ground in front of him.

'No offence taken, young one. However, for what it's worth, you should perhaps watch your words, lest they become the banal flatter so unbecoming of you. You are a brave man; that false propriety would prohibit you from admitting it doesn't change this fact. Come closer, please, so we may begin our examination. After that, well, my companions may come to welcome you well enough.'

Wordlessly, Gray obeyed. He gingerly stepped around the still smoking scorch mark on the floor towards Igneel. If Natsu had not been impressed with this man before, he definitely was now, for he remained cool even upon meeting face-to-face with a lost myth. Even the mighty Erza had lost her composure for a brief moment when she had first laid eyes on Igneel, going so far as to call upon her magic in her fluster. And yet, this strange man didn't even flinch as Igneel bent down to touch Gray's forehead with his own. Sure enough, Natsu could see, through the flimsy fabric of his shirt, every one of the man's muscles on his back moving and locking as he stood ramrod straight. His hands were again curled into fists, mindless of the newly wrapped bandages around his fingers. With Natsu's sensitive hearing, he could also hear how Gray inhaled forcefully, before swallowing and letting the air escape him in a whoosh. And then, Gray was off to fight Igneel in his head.

For a while, the two were so still that they could have been passed for statues. Igneel's brilliant eyes were closed, his initial bend having turned into a hunch for comfort. Gray, on the other hand, remained stiff the whole time their foreheads stayed connected. Blood had seeped through the layers of linen, slowly colouring his hands a sickly red. Yet, the man did not even seem to register the pain.

Natsu was growing restless by the seconds. Glancing to his side, he could see Erza's fingers twitching, as though itching for her swords, even as the rest of her body was as rigid as Igneel and Gray. It was strange, and it was almost droll how she acted as if she was the one being 'mind raped' and not Gray. Or it might just be you who's dying to see it finished, his mind whispered treacherously. As an authority on his own mental state, his mind was, of course, correct. Natsu yearned to know what was happening within the battlefield of Gray's mind, whether Igneel was finding out what he so dreaded, whether Gray really was having his most private corners pried apart and read like an open book.

From his personal trainings with Igneel, Natsu knew what it was like to have his mind examined. If the examiner merely wanted to ascertain that there was no ill will or deceit, it was simple enough. It was uncomfortable, as though having something constantly poking at his person, only ten times worse. Having someone trying to delve into his positive thoughts, though, was a different creature altogether. It was a terrible feeling, maybe reminiscent of having his eye gouged out with a dull spoon, or worse. It hurt like nothing did on such a primal level, and it hurt more if he resisted the prying by someone incomparably stronger like Igneel. For an instant that Igneel breached his defences, Natsu had felt his sanity slip from him like sand through the gaps between his fingers. He never wanted to experience that again, and he wished Gray didn't have to go through it. No one should have to go through such a horrific way of torturing – no manner of physical pain could compare to the agony of having one's mind ripped apart. Fate, at least, was merciful in granting so few the power to 'mind rape'.

An ear-splitting scream jerked Natsu out of his reverie. His head whipped up, and before his eyes he saw Gray pushed himself away from Igneel with a violent shove to the dragon's colossal head. He staggered, found his footing, and swayed on the spot for a single unsettling moment, before his knees suddenly gave out under him. Quick as lightning, Natsu was at the man's side catching him before he could hit the floor. With his arms firmly around Gray's torso, he could feel how Gray's shirt was drenched in cold sweat. The man's skin itself was clammy and unnaturally cold, and when Natsu turned Gray's face, his eyes were already tightly closed.

Natsu's heart hit his throat in what was his greatest fright of the day.