Hot and Cold

Return of the King of Dragons

~*****~

After a bit of arguing, Gajeel helps me wake everyone up. "He's fading. It was bad already, but now..." Juvia trails off as she pats at Laxus' face.

"You crazy idiot! You pushed yourself too far!" Natsu exclaims.

"Yes, but he got us this," I mention as I hold up his cloak soaked with dark blood. "Now we can cure everyone."

"Demon blood..." Lucy murmurs.

"That's right," I nod. "Take it to Porlyusica, Levy, and see what she can do."

Levy nods. "I'm on it. Be back as soon as I can." She takes the cloak and smiles. "Hopefully she's with the others."

Juvia lifts her head. "So, um... have you seen Gray?" She asks.

Gajeel nods. "Yeah, but to be honest, I could barely recognize him."

"Whaddya mean by that?" Natsu asks.

"He's powered up somehow," I shrug. "Like, a lot. You really have to see it. He's... he seems different, but there's something familiar about him, somethin' I can't place my finger on."

"I wonder what happened to him," Lucy hummed.

"No idea, he didn't stick around long enough to say," Gajeel shrugged.

Natsu stands up. "He's hunting."

I hum. "Yes, that's obvious." I retort plainly. I give a grunt as Natsu plops down behind me and tugs me into his embrace, glaring at nothing in particular. "Should we... go after him?" I ask. I peer up at him, but a strange look crests over his face. "Something the matter?"

"He's probably just freakin' out 'cause he knows the next time him and Gray fight, he's gonna get handed a new one." Gajeel retorted.

Something drifts through my ear, causing my entire body to start shaking. My head snaps towards the distance, the hair raising on my neck. My heart begins to pound, blood rushes through my head as a panic begins to roll through me.

"Not him--" I stammer. "Anyone but him--" I grasp onto Natsu's shirt and tighten my grip. "Acnologia--" I whimper.

That dreaded dragon. That horrible, horrible monster soars through the sky, heading straight towards us. Something starts pounding in my chest and I can barely handle it. I tumble out of Natsu's grasp, clutching at my chest. I hunker down, pressing my head against the floor as the feeling overwhelms me. The throbbing in my chest settles down, my gaze peering over at Natsu as his body lights with a bright glow, his hands clutching his chest as he groans in pain.

"I'm sorry, son, but I never did leave you." I peer up as the magic crests, staring at the great big dragon that exploded from Natsu's body. Faded, jumbled memories ring through my head as I stare up at him, like I'd seen him several times before. I stare in bewilderment. "In fact, I've been closer than you ever could've guessed. Please trust that all will be explained in time. Right now, I must wipe the blight of Acnologia from this world!" Igneel snaps as he soars upwards and tackles the great black dragon. "Fight, Natsu! Fight to live!"

My gaze snaps over to Natsu, ignoring the fight in turn for the tears running down his face. "You're back--" He stammers. I didn't know whether to cry for Natsu, or for myself. Because if Igneel was with Natsu this whole time, then would the other dragons have done the same? I palmed at my chest again, lip wobbling in a silent plea for Everest to show up.

"That's him--" Lucy stammered as I stumbled to my feet. "The King of the Dragons..."

I grimace at the strength it takes just to stand up and nearly fall to the ground, my chest still throbbing. I peered up anxiously, wincing at the collisions between the two dragons. "I can't believe it..." Natsu stammered as he stared up at his father.