Author's Notes: Like always, please read, rate and review. Can't believe this story already has over 10,000 views. Thank you, everyone!
CHAPTER 1: Research
"Wow, that's so cool!" Natsu pumped a fist into the air, grinning widely. Wendy made a small noise as she watched Gajeel's face darken dangerously at the pink-haired mage's words.
"Fuck no, it isn't cool Salamander!" Gajeel growled through his teeth, crossing his arms over his chest, glaring at the younger slayer.
"What are you talking about, Metalhead?'" Natsu frowned, stepping closer to the taller man. 'It would be totally awesome!" Wendy began fiddling with the hem of her dress, chancing awkward glances between the two. Gajeel took a step forward, bridging the gap between them. He towered over the fire-dragon slayer, standing akimbo.
"Not. Going. To. Happen.'" Gajeel's gravelly voice was dangerously low, causing Natsu to step backwards, eyebrows raised. 'Got it?"
"I don't get you, man…" Natsu turned away from Gajeel, mumbling under his breath. The iron-dragon slayer narrowed his eyes, catching a few less-than-friendly words as the fire mage took a seat, jerking open the nearest book. Wendy motioned to move, but decided against it, watching the surly man out of the corner of her eyes.
"Nat-su"' Wendy hesitated, twisting her hair in her small hands. 'Um, I think it would be bad if that were to happen to us." She peered at the teen shyly through her lashes. Gajeel sighed audibly, letting his arms fall to his sides.
"That's putting it mildly."' Gajeel growled, clearing the roomed in two strides before taking a seat opposite the fire-dragon slayer. Natsu's mouth twitched as he scanned the tome in front of him, his eyes fixed in place. Gajeel smirked as he continued to stare at the shorter man, amused. 'I know you can hear me, Salamander." Natsu's eyes flashed up to meet the red ones burning across from him.
"So what if I can? I don't see the big deal." Natsu shrugged, earning him a punch to the face. All at once the two dragon slayers were scrapping in a heap on the floor, snarling incoherently in between bursts of fire and iron. Wendy yelped, narrowly dodging a blast of fire before colliding with a solid beam of steel.
"Owww…" Wendy crumpled to the ground, rubbing her forehead tenderly. The two brawling slayers stopped, Natsu landing a final kick.
"Sorry kid." Gajeel barked, rubbing his neck.
"You okay Wendy?" Natsu held out his hand to the sky-dragon slayer, helping her stand.
"I'm fine.'" Wendy answered, smiling. 'You two are really strong though." She laughed weakly. "I don't… I don't think it would be okay for us to get much stronger, you know?" She stared at the ground, her tiny hands balled into fists. Gajeel glared at Natsu, his eyes dark with blame. Natsu folded his arms over his chest, pouting.
"Awww man, not you too.'" He looked away sheepishly, running his hands through his hair. 'Just imagine how cool it would be to be a real dragon." Natsu's gaze drifted dreamily, lost to the room.
"Moron, if you use your dragon slayer magic too much, you won't have to imagine what it'll be like.'" Gajeel glared at the pink-haired teen. 'Is that what you fucking want? It won't be like whatever fantasy you're in right now. It'll be brutal." Gajeel's words knocked Natsu back to reality, earning him a defiant glare.
"I can handle it."' Natsu breathed, "I'd be like Igneel." For a moment, Gajeel's face softened. Just for a moment.
"You don't know that."
"Yes I do!"
"No, you fucking don't, Salamander!" Gajeel bellowed, nostrils flaring. Wendy let out a small 'eep', backing away from the two instinctively. She scurried around the perimeter of the room, settling herself protectively behind one of the many stacks of books piled on the table.
"I'll just be over here." She said to no one in particular.
"Natsu, this isn't a game. It isn't something you can just learn. Once you turn, there's no going back. You heard what that Jade bastard said…"' Gajeel's voice was barely a whisper. 'It would consume you." Natsu's eyes widened, searching the iron dragon for any hint of insincerity.
"I wouldn't be me anymore?" Natsu spoke to the room, fear etched in his eyes.
"No."
"That's bad."
"Yes."
"I'd hurt our friends?"
"It's possible. We all could. That's why,"' Gajeel mumbled at the floor, avoiding Natsu's gaze. 'That's why we have to control ourselves."
"What do we do?" Natsu's voice raised involuntarily.
"I don't know.'" Gajeel admitted. 'This is new for all of us. Metalicana didn't-"
"That's not good enough!'" Natsu roared, taking another step towards the iron mage. 'There's no way in hell I'll hurt our friends. I'd rather die!" Natsu fumed, shaking slightly.
"That's it."
"Yeah! So you can fuck yourself. Wait, what?" Natsu stared at the raven-haired man.
"Kill me." Natsu's mouth fell open, stumbling away from the taller man as he choked out the best response he could muster.
"Wha?!"
"Wendy too." Natsu continued to stare at Gajeel, a mixture of confusion and desperation mingled on his face. The other man's expression was inappropriately calm and steely in comparison, a slight frown forming over his lips.
"You'll do it, won't you Natsu?" Wendy's tiny voice sailed across the room, knocking the remainder of Natsu's senses loose.
"You're both nuts."
"We'd do it for you." Wendy spoke again, quieter this time.
"Yeah, if you go all scaly, the kid and I will definitely destroy you." Gajeel grinned, resting his hands on his hips. Natsu raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth lifting into a playful smirk.
"Oh, I see."' He punched a flaming fist into his palm. 'That'll be our plan?"
"Until we find a better one." Gajeel smiled hugely, teeth bared.
"Actually, that's why we asked you to meet us here, Natsu.'" Wendy waved at her friend from across the private reading room. 'There's still so much we don't know. Gajeel thought it would be a good idea to learn as much as possible about dragon slayer magic, so we figured the best place to start was here." She gestured at the books stacked on the table in front of her, smiling warmly at the fire-dragon slayer. Gajeel moved to the table, selecting a book from the top of the pile before kicking his feet up onto a neighbouring chair.
"Wouldn't it be easier to get Levy to help us with this?'" Natsu groaned, reopening the book he had been pretending to read earlier. 'She knows all kinds of stuff." Wendy looked up from her tome, watching her companions carefully. Gajeel lifted his gaze to the fire mage, his expression darkening.
"We're not asking her.'" His words had an air of finality to them, warning the younger mage to drop it. Natsu scowled into the pages of his giant tome, grumbling words under his breath. Gajeel sighed, rolling his eyes. 'We can't ask her or anyone else to help us with this, Salamander." Gajeel said gruffly, turning a page in his own book absentmindedly. "Not even our cats."
"Why not?" Both Natsu and Wendy asked at the same time.
"Do you really think it's a good idea?'" Gajeel frowned at the other two, 'Getting other people involved…" Natsu closed his eyes. Happy, Lucy.
"No, I guess not." He spoke.
"How do you think they'd react if we told them?'" Gajeel refolded his muscular arms over his chest, tilting his chair back. 'They'd be scared." He closed his eyes, breathing slowly.
"Yeah." Wendy's voice was no more than a whisper.
"But, I know Lucy would at least want to know." Natsu spoke quietly, conflicted. "She was with us when that Jade guy told us about Acnologia."
"Maybe. But wanting to know and actually knowing are two different things, Natsu.'" Gajeel's characteristically rough voice was almost soft as he continued. 'Do you want Bunny girl to fear you?" Natsu dropped his gaze, frowning.
"Of course you don't." Wendy reached across the table, placing a tiny hand over Natsu's. Natsu smiled at her appreciatively, gaining confidence.
"So we're just going to do this on our own?'" His black eyes burned fiercely through the iron mage as he continued to stare down at the book in his lap. 'We're not going to trust our friends to help us when we need it most?" Gajeel snapped his book shut, dropping his feet to floor as his stood up. Natsu got to his feet, glaring up at the iron-dragon slayer.
"We can't." Gajeel's voice wavered.
"You're scared." Natsu whispered. It wasn't a question; he could see it deep in Gajeel's crimson eyes. Fear. The older man scowled defensively, his lips curling into a terrible snarl.
"I'm. Not."
"You're scared. You're scared you'll hurt people." Said Natsu flatly, his eyes softening. Gajeel inhaled sharply, turning his pained face from the prying eyes of the fire-dragon slayer.
"I can't…'" The iron dragon turned his back on the pink-haired teen, his rough voice barely audible. '…hurt her again."
"You won't." Natsu stepped forward, his hand meeting the other man's shoulder.
"But that's why we need to tell them.'" Natsu continued. 'We don't want them to fear us, but, right now we're the ones who're scared." Gajeel's eyes widened, glad he was facing away from the other two. Wendy watched her fellow slayers, nodding sadly.
"We need their help." She whispered to the room.
"Tch…'" Gajeel pulled away from the pink-haired mage. 'Do whatever you like." His heavy boots thudded loudly against the hardwood floor, stomping to the door of the guild's library, throwing it open with a bang. Natsu and Wendy watched him leave, abandoning their own books as they reentered the main section of the library.
"What should we do?" Wendy asked, looking up at the fire-dragon slayer.
"The only thing we can do."