Icy Fire

Freedom

Natsu couldn't hold his form. He had found his Knight. The dragon burst out of him. The fire that flew from his open maw wasn't his normal red, orange flame. Now it was a cold icy blue white. It still was hot. Natsu huffed at seeing the change. It was real, he had an ice Knight.
They were the hardest to deal with. Stubborn, strong headed, demanding. Yet they were fair, loyal and cared well for the shifters. He supposed he could do worse. He shifted back, Happy climbed up into his arms. Erza and the ring leader for their little circus train surrounded the dark haired boy. They brought him closer to Natsu.
Every step he took, Natsu could feel him. The bond grew stronger. There was no denying that this was his Knight. That was when his brain tuned into what they guy from his train was aging.
"... an ice mage and Fire dragon what a poor mix!" he was going on about. "You said it yourself, why would an Ice mage wish to ride a Fire dragon?" the man was beaming down at the boy. The boy was scowling at the dragon. The dragon's heart was sinking. He understood what was happening, even if the boy didn't. Natsu turned away. He walked to the edge of the platform and sat down, cradling the cat in his lap.
The guy from the train would find the Knights price. The boy didn't want a fire dragon. Fire and Ice didn't mix well. There wasn't a pair like that in the history of the bonding ages. The train guy would pay anything to keep Natsu. He would own a fire dragon. Natsu would be bound to spend his life traveling on a train. Preforming circus tricks for what they called food and shelter.
"What if we flew away, right now?" Happy asked.
'That's his plan? To exploit you?' the angry voice asked in his head. To bewildered to talk, or even think, Natsu nodded numbly. Happy smiled up at him thinking he was agreeing.
"Not yet, later tonight, when there isn't so many people." Natsu whispered to him.
"I'm not selling my dragon!" the boy shouted behind the scheming pair.
"I could give you all the wealth you want. You, your mother and brother, you could live like kings!" The train guy went on.
"They aren't related to me. Also, he's a fire dragon! The most sought after of his kind! Having him as my shifter entitles me to nobleman status! For life! You plan on paying me for the rest of my life?" the teen folded his arms over his chest as he glared at the train man. Natsu turned to look at them.
What was going on? He said he didn't want him? 'I may not like the idea of having a fire dragon, but I appall the idea of treating another living thing like that!' The boy told him thought their mental link.
"Natsu, grab your things, I'm taking you home." The teen demanded. He stalked over to the sitting pair. The boy drew back at seeing the cat in the dragons lap.
"I thought small animals disliked your kind." The teen stated.
"Happy is an Exceed." Natsu informed him.
"Really, and loyal to you?" the boy's eyebrow rose. Natsu nodded.
"Wow, this is my lucky night. Come on, let's get your things." He said again.
"Natsu, stay where you are." The man demanded. He had never given the shifter's his name.
"Natsu, get your things. Gray is it?" Erza turned to the ice mage.
"Yes." He spat at her.
'She's a friend, of sorts.' Natsu told him as he followed her order. The fire dragon trudged over to the small bag of belongings he was allowed. Lifting it to his shoulder, he stood behind this Gray guy.
"I'm Erza Scarlet. You're gonna need me with him." She pointed to Natsu.
"I don't need..." Gray began to argue. The woman with him moved forward.
"The school is always looking for security, and dragon tamers." She winked at me.
"Erza, what are you doing?" the man demanded.
"You knew this day would come." Was all she said as she walked off of the platform.
"Wait, I will trade with you. We have other dragons!" the man yelled. He had gotten between Gray and Natsu, preventing the dragon to leave. Natsu snorted.
"No you don't." He pointed beside them to were Gajeel was talking with a pretty girl with blue hair. Laxus was leaning over a guy with green hair both were laughing. Even the child Wendy stood beside a teen aged girl with blonde hair. These were the last of the dragon shifters on the train.
"No, I well..." He then spun around to face the pink haired teen. He had the electric stick he used to render the shifter unconscious. Before Natsu could even jump back, the guy was frozen to the spot. Ice started at his hands and flew over his body. Only his head was left exposed.
"Do not touch my dragon." Gray hissed. He stood in front of the man with nothing but his boxers on.
"Dude, where did you clothes go!?" Natsu laughed.
"I'm an ice mage. Clothing is hot." Gray told him. His icy eyes glaring at the guy.
"Natsu, once we are outside the fence you can thaw him." He told his bond mate.
"Why would I take your orders?" grouched the dragon shifter. "Leave him there. He will thaw in tomorrow's sun." he muttered. Gray and Erza both slapped the teen upside the head.
"As I refuse to let him treat you inhumanly than you will not do the same to him." Gray snarled.
"Can you let the other shifters get away first?" muttered Natsu rubbing his head.
"He treats them all equally bad?" The woman whose name was Ur, asked. They explained she was Gray and Lyon's mentor.
"Worse. He at least makes an attempt with the dragon shifters." Natsu told them. Her eyes raked over the fair. There was still another hour to go.
"Let's wander around and see the other sights. With all the dragons gone, I'm sure the crowd will thin quickly." Ur took them down to where the food stalls were. Happy's stomach growled at all the smells. Gray bought him a fish taco. Ur found snacks for the rest of us and we sat at a table eating.
"Salamander?" A voice called out. Natsu looked up. Gajeel was standing by the girl.
"Hey, you found you're knight." The pink haired teen greeted him.
"This is Levy, she has scribe magic." He introduced them.
"Salamander, there was a conflict in my town when I was a child. The people in power stated the Salamander stole all our crops." She had a wistful sort of voice.
"I didn't steal the crops. I freed them so those who had grown them didn't starve during the winter!" Natsu cried. "Too many had already died because the corrupt government wanted all the food for themselves!"
"Natsu, do not burn the fair down!" Erza yelled at him. The table he was gripping was already smoking. He drew back.
"It's not fair." he pouted.
"You saved my brother's life with the grain you brought us. I will be honored to repay you, whenever you need something." She stated.
"I don't need..." Natsu began.
"Look it here! Natsu Dragneel!" Someone called out the name. Natsu looked up. A tall red-haired man with a tan trench coat came walking through the crowd. The dragon shifter laughed. Jumping up he attacked the newcomer. The older man swatted the teen out of the way. The dragon rushed to strike at him once more. When the pink haired kid came too, he was laying in a grassy field. His head on his pack.
"He's always been a hot head." Gildarts was laughing. Natsu had always loved the sound of the other mans laughter.
"Where have you been, Gildarts?" Happy asked. "Did you know Natsu got captured?"
"Yeah, I found out a few months back. Been trying to find the kid ever since. No surprise, that train is unauthorized."
"You're awake, finally." Erza glared at the teen.
"Gildarts, how have you been?" Natsu ignored the dragon tamer to ask his friend.
"Better than you it looks like. Tangled with one of your kind up North, nearly killed me it did. A free dragon, that had come too close to a village. They had asked me to slay it. All I wanted to do was get it to go away." The red-haired man frowned.
"He did leave, but not after taking some bits of me with him." Gildarts showed him the wounds that were still healling.
"You thought you could rescue a dragon shifter with those wounds?" Ur asked.
"Of course he could have. He's Gildarts!" Natsu beamed, Happy nodded his head vigorously.
"Kid, if you come across this dragon, you are to run, got it!" Gildarts ordered him.
"I am a dragon. I'm sure I could persuade it." Gildarts snagged the front of Natsu's shirt.
"Natsu, I mean it. This one you leave alone." Gildarts not so gently shook the boy.
"You his mentor?" Ur asked.
"Nah, just a guy who taught him some things." Gildarts looked down at the dragon shifter.
"Go ahead. We came here so I could see you." He ordered the shifter in a gruff voice as he waved to the open field.
"What about the other shifters?" Natsu asked.
"Once I make sure your OK, we are going back to free them. Now shift." The man ordered once more. Natsu stepped out into the open field. He shifted into his dragon form. Breathing out a small jet of blue flame. Gildarts growled.
"He's been starving you, look how thin you are!" he cried coming to circle the dragon. He looked at his claws and teeth, swearing and growling at every misfortune that plagued the beast.
"Oh, I'm fired up now! Let's go." He yelped, leaping easily to the dragons back. Happy spread his wings to fly up and land between his legs. Erza easily made it to the dragons back.
"What about the rest of us?" Ur asked.
'Come aboard.' Natsu told his Knight. He showed him how to get safely onto his back. Gray showed the others. They scrambled up. Gildarts and Erza helping to pull them up. They weren't far from the fair. Most of the crowd had vanished after the Fire dragon had been claimed.
Natsu landed near were he had been put on display. Over a hundred shifters were trapped on their platforms. Only the man and their intended knight were able to break the magic holding them to the small cell.
Natsu breathed out his flame. Ice and heat zipped along the locks. He was never able to unlock his own cell from inside. But outside, he could easily burn through them. Those on Natsu's back dismounted. They helped the shifters out of their cells. Gildarts found breakfast for everyone. Gray decided leaving the man trapped in ice was for his own good. The shifters ate breakfast watching the new day start. Gildarts gave them maps of the area. Many took off before the sun had full risen.
Others met with people from the school. They would work for the school while they waited to find their Knights. When the sun was fully up, Gildarts hugged Natsu.
"You're good here. I guess I should head off to see that daughter of mine. Make sure he is well fed when I come back." Gildarts ordered the ice mage. They waved their good byes.
Natsu freed the man from the train when the dean from the school asked him too. He was placed under arrest. No one told them Erza had anything to do with the train. The dragon shifters and others that bonded headed up to the school to get their rooms ready.