Not One, Nor Two, but Three

Blue

Natsu was an enigma. Most mages were, in all honesty, but Natsu was different. All mages had a soulmark: a winding, colorful mark that stretched across their body and connected them to their other half. All mages had one, and they all looked forward to the day they'd meet their other half.

Natsu was terrified.

Across his body were three completely distinct soulmarks, intertwining just as much with each other as they did with him. All he could think about was how much his soulmates would hate him for being bound another person, let alone two, and that they were too big to hide. Most soulmarks were small, the size of one's hand to covering their forearm, but not his. His spanned his entire body, curling around him from head to toe. Even his face showed some of the markings.

That's why Natsu learned how to wear makeup.

It's why he never goes swimming with anyone.

It's why he never uses the guild's sauna.

To them, it would be weird, and Natsu wouldn't be able to handle losing his friends too.

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Everyone stared at Natsu, who was just barely ten, as he walked, their eyes trailing up and down his body as they followed the beautiful lines his soulmarks left on his skin. People whispered as they stared, but he could care less.

"What kind a freak has more than one soulmark?" The voice was colder than the polar vortexes Igneel once flew him through, and it stopped Natsu in his tracks. As he looked around him, it was apparent that everyone else only had one set of the colorful marks. He looked at his own, intrigued and curious. He was still new to Fiore, and it's language, but freak must be a compliment, right?

"Um, Thanks?" Natsu responded unsurely, but as he met the adult's eyes, he knew he made a mistake. They were full of so hatred and disgust that Natsu nearly took a step back.

The man's lips pulled into a sneer. "Are you dumb? That wasn't a compliment. You're probably going up to be an unfaithful whore and nothing else. Three fucking soulmarks, how disgusting."

Natsu hadn't responded, but once he was safely out of the city, he broke down for the second time in a week, the first having been when Igneel vanished.
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Finding another dragon slayer was not when Natsu thought would happen when phantom attacked his family. The ground shook violently as they both fought, but Natsu was the one to stand victorious in the end. As Gajeel stared up at him, beaten and bleeding, he saw the acceptance in his eyes. "You were taught the old way," Natsu said quietly, and Gajeel shook his head..

"I was taught that other slayers would follow those rules," The Iron Dragon Slayer's acceptance of his fate turned into shock as Natsu extended a hand to help him stand, "Why?"

"Because I wasn't taught to be like that, nor do I want to be like that," Natsu flashed him his signature smile, a tiny piece of makeup flaking off from his cracked lips, "Besides, it's over now. You were mislead in all of this too."

Gajeel took his hand warily, still someone shocked that Natsu didn't follow the Victory or Death rule Metalicana had convinced him all slayers would, or at least, all but one. He really is the son of the true dragon king.

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When Gajeel joined the guild, Natsu was overjoyed. He had another dragon slayer to spar with! Then he realized that Gajeel would tell the others things about slayers that Natsu did not.

He'll tell them about the soul marks.

From then on, Natsu lived on the edge, terrified for the moment that he would be outed as a freak.