Sorry guys. I forgot to double check my chapter before I posted, so I apologize for double posting this chapter earlier. So I will hopefully have the real new chapter up shortly

Chapter 12

Natsu sat perched on a stool, leaning over the table beneath the tent's overhang. Clayton and the Professor stood arguing a few yards away, shouting rather loudly. But Lucy had led him toward the tent, a soft smile on her face. On the table was a model of the solar system with knobs and levers that moved the planets around the sun. Natsu sniffed the odd metal spheres curiously, poking and moving the little knobs. His eyes lit up when the balls moved, the gears making odd clicking sounds.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked.

He looked up at the sound of his name, a grin spread from ear to ear. Lucy bit her lip hesitantly before she continued.

"Do remember my name?" she asked slowly. "My name," she repeated, patting her chest lightly.

The odd sounds coming from her mouth made no sense. It was nothing like any of the animal languages he had learned as a child. This was something entirely new. But when the girl patted her chest, he realized she must have been asking him something about herself.

"Lucy," he said gruffly.

"Right!" She beamed at him and clapped her hands in delight. "Excellent! My name is Lucy, and this man," she said, pointing to the Professor, "is Professor Markarov. Do you understand?"

Cocking his head to the side, Natsu stared at the old man curiously. Clayton and the Professor had finished arguing and were coming toward them. The Professor stroked his chin as he gazed at the boy in wonder. The sound of the dragon boy speaking had once again peaked his curiosity.

"Is he talking, Lucy?" the Professor asked.

"A little. I'm trying to teach him our names first."

"And?"

"He knows mine." She patted the Professor's shoulder gently. "Professor Markarov," she repeated slowly.

Natsu pursed his lips. "Mmmm…Ma" he attempted to mimic the sounds Lucy had made. The Professor's eyes gleaned with excitement. "Maharkvaro…" Natsu's words faded into a growling sound.

Lucy covered her mouth, trying to keep herself from giggling. He hadn't said it right, but it was a start.

"This is ridiculous!" Clayton shouted. "He doesn't even understand the gibberish he's saying. It's like teaching a beast!"

"Mr. Clayton, please," Lucy rounded on him. "He is a human being! We were all once beginners of language just as he is!"

"Hmph! If you ask me, we should teach him the way you train a dog. He's not much more than that anyway." Lucy opened her mouth to retaliate but Clayton cut her off. He pointed at Natsu. "Just look at him, Lucy! He's an animal!"

"Calm down, both of you!" Markarov shouted. "What the boy needs is patience. Obviously he's willing to learn. Didn't you hear what he said just now?"

"He's just mimicking sounds, like a parrot!"

"I'm sure we can get him to understand." Markarov looked back at the boy. "Besides, perhaps he knows where the dragons are?"

Dragons. That sounded familiar. The word was a little different in their weird human language, but Natsu had a hunch of what they meant. Lucy picked up a piece of chalk and began drawing on the blackboard. The white lines scraped across the dark surface, forming a single image. When she had finished, Natsu's eyes widened. The image on the board was of a fearsome looking dragon. So that really was what they were after. The humans were looking for the dragon colonies, just as the elders had feared. That must be why they had warned against any of them going near the humans.

"Dragon," Lucy said with a smile, pointing to the image she had drawn.

Natsu looked from Lucy, to the image, then back again. She seemed so kind and gentle, she didn't seem like she wanted to harm the colony. On the contrary, she seemed merely compelled by curiosity like he was.

"Dragon," she said again slowly.

Natsu tried to wrap his tongue around the strange sounding words. "D…Duraaaagun," he repeated slowly. Walking on all fours, he slowly approached the chalkboard and rested his fingers on the chalky white image. "Duragun," he murmured.

He felt conflicted. He wanted to spend more time with the humans, to learn more about them and about himself. But if they were after his family, perhaps it was better that he avoid them like the elders had commanded. But his curiosity couldn't be satiated. Maybe if he just learned from them and refused to give up any information about the colony…maybe everything would work out?

Lucy giggled. "That's pretty close."

"At least he has the desire to learn," Markarov agreed with a nod.

Clayton sighed, shaking his head. "This is going to take forever! Even if he learns and understands, it would take too long before he could take us to the dragons. By then we would have to return to the city."

"But his knowledge could be invaluable," Lucy insisted. "To learn from a man raised by the dragons! Even if we don't find them, anything is valuable for our research."

He frowned. "Do whatever you want!" Clayton stormed inside the tent.

Professor Markarov shook his head. "Nevermind him, dear. Now then, where shall we start?"

Lucy nodded. She picked up a picture book and held it up for Natsu to see. "Natsu," she said softly. Natsu looked up at her. When he spotted the book in her hands, he cocked his head to the side, curious. "Are you ready to see what you've been missing?"

V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V*

Late that night, Natsu lay sprawled on his back in the nest he and his father shared. Arms folded behind his head, gazing up at the starry sky between the branches high above them. His heart was still racing from the excitement of that day. Lucy and her friends had shown him images from a magic black box—pictures of stone jungles and more people, and other exotic places. It was something he had never even imagined. Everything was all so new.

He glanced at his father. The great red fire dragon lay slumbering beside him, smoke curling up from his nostril. A deep rumble emanated from the dragon's throat as he slept. If Igneel knew that he had been disobeying him, he would be in for a real thrashing. However, Natsu was positive that his father was suspicious. The scent of humans was probably all over him. But Igneel had remained silent.

Gazing back up at the stars, Natsu sighed. He wondered what the humans would have in store for him tomorrow. What would he learn? What would they teach him? And the more he thought about tomorrow, the more anxious he became. He was too excited! At this rate he would never be able to fall asleep. Lucy's smiling face drifted into his mind. The thing he looked forward to the most was Lucy. There was something about her that intrigued him—that kept drawing him closer. Just thinking about her made his heart pound faster. What was this feeling? Why did she make him feel so excited? It was something he had never felt before. Maybe the more time he spent with her, he would eventually figure out what it was. Maybe.

Chapter 13 coming soon!