Vol1/Chapter15/The Secret Is Out

## Summary

Natsu is not feeling well and Gray realizes he has not been taking his medicine. Natsu refuses to take it and the team works together to force him, Erza holds him down while Wendy pours the medicine in a dosage cup and Gray kisses him to cause Natsu's mouth to open in shock. Gray feels guilt about hiding the pregnancy from his mate so he determines to tell him after the mission is done.

They arrive at Warrod Sequen's house and encounter a very strange man who looks almost tree-like. He ends up being their client. He wants them to save a village that has been frozen by a mysterious ice. Natsu and Gray agree to take the job and the Wizard Saint uses his Green Magic () to create a tree that takes them to their destination.

When they arrive at the Village everything is covered in ice. At first they can't find the villagers but soon come to realize that the village was inhabited by giants. Natsu tried to melt the ice with his flames while Gray tried to dissolve it with his ice magic. Both their attempts fail.

Natsu runs for a long time while his body reverted to that of a child, regained his normal form only to revert back to a child again. He kept running, chasing after the voice that was calling to him from within the ice. He recognizes it but can't remember from where. He reaches a tall mountain of ice that seems to be where the voice is coming from. Lucy, Wendy and Flare are already there.

Flare tells him that the large ice structure is not a mountain but the village's Eternal Flme that was calling to Natsu. Gray, Happy and Carla approach them quickly.They are being chased by a gigantic one-eyed flying monster. Natsu becomes furious at the creature that is threatening his mate. Natsu asks Gray if he can take care of the ice because he is still not able to melt it. Gray says that he believes he can so Natsu leaves him to it while he goes after the monster. Gray starts to protest concerned that Natsu or the baby might get hurt but tries to accept that this is who Natsu is and he will not change.

Natsu fights the creature but it is tougher than it looks and he becomes distracted by Gray's screams as he tries to melt the huge mountain of ice. He gets slammed to the ground causing Gray and Lucy to panic more than usual. Natsu continues fighting the monster.

Igneel recognizes the presence of his old friend Atlas Flame () and is confused. He casts a spell that allows Kai to be connected to Natsu's senses. He instructs Kai to focus his magical energy to Natsu's magical container allowing his father to amplify his power. In essence they will be fighting together.

Wendy begins to sense a presence emanating from the remainers of the Eternal Flame. She determines that it is still alive and Natsu's fire could restore it to it's original strength. Natsu finally defeats the monster but does not have a lot of magic left. He channels all his remaining energy to cast a spell that he hopes will revive the flame. The flame immediately roars to life and he looks at his hand in surprise knowing that he had not had that much power left, he also notices with some confusion that the magic had felt different than his regular magic. Wendy casts her Milky Way spell to try to communicate with the presence in the flame.

Kai is very excited by the results of his efforts. He was able to affect the outside world and help his father. Igneel praises him but makes sure to quickly disconnect him from Natsu. He knows that the time to fight Acnologia is drawing near and he hopes that all the time he has spent with Kai and all the training he has given him will help to protect the boy from Tiamat.

Atlas greets Natsu and he is excited to see the fire dragon again. Atlas tells them how a man who used devil slayer magic had come to the village and thought that the Eternal Flame was a demon. He had frozen the entire village to eliminate him. Flare begs Atlas to save the village and he replies that he will use what is left of his soul along with the fires of the son of Igneel and his son to melt the ice. He does so, burning himself out in the process.

Natsu asks what he means since he does not have a son. Atlas does not answer instead telling him that 400 years ago Igneel failed to defeat E.N.D, the most powerful demon that Zeref created and the task must now fall to Natsu. Natsu is saddened by the loss of Atlas but notices that Gray and Lucy are looking at him with guilty expressions.

Gray asks Wendy to stay and tells Lucy, Carla and Happy to go check on Erza while he talks to Natsu. He tells Natsu that he is pregnant and when he does not believe him asks Wendy to check him. She is skeptical since Natsu is male but is shocked to feel another life form inside of the dragon slayer.

Gray tells him that the solution that Tiamat made him drink was meant to make him pregnant while the medicine Porlyusica was giving him was to help mask the symptoms.

Natsu is devastated, suddenly understanding what Tiamat meant when she said that they would be bound together. He breaks down realizing that she is going to come back for him and there is no way she is going to let him die while he has her child inside him.

Gray is furious at the situation Tiamat has placed him in. He wants to be able to help Natsu and make him feel better but he can barely even get close to the fire mage. When Natsu begins to cry Gray comforts him as best he can letting the fire mage let out all the pain and rage he had been holding in since his capture.

Gray promises Natsu that they will get through things together and they will raise the child together as their own. He claims the child is his since Tiamat used his body to create him and promises that no one in Fairy Tail will let her take Natsu or their son away.

## Magic Used In This Chapter

Natsu:

* Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame ()
* Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Blade ()

Wendy:

* Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Milky Way ()