Through the streets of Magnolia, Erza walked with her massive luggage in tow. She had a casual expression as she disregarded the numerous stares she got from the townsfolk and continued her trek with Honedge towards the guild hall. Having returned from their most recent job, the two elected to stop by before heading back to Fairy Hills to relax a little.
"That black market's worth of Charm Magic, I wasn't aware how lethal it's become over the years." Erza commented.
"It could've gotten a lot worse. We put a dent in the black market's trade at least." Honedge added. It was true that they indeed stopped an illegal trade of Charm Magic equipment. The client made it clear that there was a disclosed port in Hargeon that smuggled illegal magic by ship every month on a single night. Erza and Honedge worked together, Trainer and Pokémon, and they defeated and apprehend the smugglers and turn in the equipment. Of course with the skirmish that ensued, and with Erza swinging Honedge with a little Autotomize, Swords Dance, and Fury Cutter assaults here and there, the redhead's pay was reduced some for property damage.
Erza lifted her head, beaming with pride. "But on the bright side, at least we snuffed out a large quantity of funds that flourished in Hargeon."
Honedge nodded. The Sword Pokémon was also glad that she had managed to learn another new move a few days back: Shadow Sneak. It was like what Kecleon had. It was still taking some practice, but Honedge was managing to do well with her new Ghost-type attack, although there needed a few tweaks here and there, but nothing she and Erza couldn't handle with training and on-the-job battles.
The duo entered the guild hall, alerting everyone there that the S-Class Mage had come home. "I have returned." Erza announced.
Mirajane turned over from the bar with a smile. "Welcome back! How was the job?" She asked.
Erza and Honedge ventured over towards the bar, checking in with Mirajane. "As well as it hoped to be." After she checked in and established a completed job, she ventured on over towards where the rest of her team sat, Wendy and Carla included. Everyone turned towards her with grins.
"Hey, long time no see." Natsu smirked, looking over his shoulder.
"Welcome back." Wendy greeted.
"So I take it that you were pretty satisfied with the job?" Lucy asked as Erza stood right beside the blonde.
"What do you expect? This is Erza we're talking about. Of course she had it covered." Gray said.
Natsu looked at him with crossed arms. "Hey, you forgot something."
Gray looked down, realizing he was without a shirt – for the third time this morning. Through it all, he just grunted and shrugged.
"So, what do we have intended?" The redhead asked them.
Happy raised a paw. "I voted we take a job when you get back!"
"Yeah! A monster hunt isn't gonna take care of itself." Natsu beamed.
"So, you happen to have obligations elsewhere?" Carla asked. "In regards to a significant other that is."
Erza wasn't at all fazed by Carla's add-on. In fact, that's the thing that's been going on as of recently. Not that it was any different from before, but Nic and Erza spend a lot of time together; whenever the other wasn't out training or on jobs, one can always find them in an inseparable pair. They'd either be at Nic's shabby home, out somewhere, or sometimes at night, stargazing. Of course relationships come with sacrifices. Team Natsu had to restrain from a few jobs because of Erza's obligation. It did leave the redhead a little guilty sometimes, but Natsu assured her it was all cool.
Erza shook her head. "Nic explained that he would be training and spending time with his Pokémon." She explained. "He's probably sweating as we speak."
Gray looked off to the side. "Speaking of family, what's up with Vanessa?"
Erza raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"We're not sure, but apparently Gray's been thinking something's up with her." Lucy answered. She and the others diverted their attention over towards the subject of their talk. Vanessa was a ways away, standing and conversing with Sophie about something. "But if you ask me I think it's nothing." Lucy added.
"…is that so?" Erza turned her attention away and walked on over towards the younger Pularis sibling. Honedge followed as well, keeping herself sheathed. Erza closed in, noticing how Vanessa looked cheery and had a few pieces of paper out on the round high-table beside her and Sophie.
"So I'm thinking maybe a couple of streamers. Maybe black and purple to match his coat and coloration."
Sophie nodded. "Just a couple, but are you sure that's all you want?"
Vanessa returned her own nod. "Yeah, I'm sure. I already got a few desserts picked out. I'm heading back over tonight to make a final decision."
"Oh, and do you want me to ask Cana to help with management?" Sophie asked.
Vanessa shook her head. "Thanks, but it's not gonna be anything like that."
"You have a point. Big and fancy is far from his liking. Low-key is best I suppose." Sophie grinned.
"What do we have here?" Erza approached the two females, making herself noticed. "I trust that I'm not interrupting anything, aren't I?" Vanessa and Sophie looked up to Erza, taking note of the knight and her Honedge presence. The two weren't shocked at all.
Vanessa smiled. "Erza, hi." She greeted. "You're just in time. Sophie and I were wondering what you had to say about it?"
Erza raised a brow. "About what?"
Sophie slid the few papers over, allowing the confines to be revealed to the redhead. She began from the top, reading off 'IDEAS' and 'THINGS TO BUY'. Surprisingly, the items required were small in quantity, and there was also an order of a cake with Vanessa's name assign to it. "A chore list?" She looked back to Vanessa and Sophie for answers. "Tell me, why do you need a cake when you can get one here?"
Vanessa raised a brow. "You're saying he wouldn't like the prospect of a cake?"
"Who? Vanessa, my apologies, but I'm a little confused with where you're going with this."
Sophie turned towards Vanessa, the blonde remaining quiet as Vanessa's expectant face began to fall a little. Erza was at a loss, but Vanessa at least wanted to make sure they were on the same page. Even after looking at the list of supplies needed, Erza still couldn't piece it all together.
"Do you know what tomorrow is, Erza?" Vanessa asked.
"Hm? Of course, it'll be December 11th." She answered.
"It's a very important day to a certain someone we all know and cherish." Sophie added. "And Vanessa's making a big deal about it. Shouldn't you?"
Erza and Honedge both turned towards the other, each sharing the same conspicuous question. They honestly had no knowledge of what Vanessa was referring to. Today was December 10th, and tomorrow will be the 11th, but to Erza that was another day.
Seeing the knight's face, Vanessa's eyes widened and her face fell completely. "You really don't know, don't you?" She asked, her tone hinting signs of shock.
Fed up, Erza had hands to her hips. "Vanessa, Sophie, if there's something big happening, then say it. We may as well be prepared if it's that big of a deal." The redhead was impatient, but she bit off more than she could chew. No amount of preparation would ever keep her aware of what she was going to be told. Something she never saw coming, and right out of Vanessa's mouth.
"Erza…tomorrow is Nic's birthday."
The whole guild stopped doing whatever it was up to and all eyes turned towards the conversation. The statement was so quiet, and yet it echoed through the sensitive ears of the mages gathered inside. Natsu and Gajeel heard well enough with their perceptive hearing, and even they were a little shocked to what tomorrow held. Cana raised a brow as she sipped from a mug, her suspicions a little overwhelming. But perhaps the most shocked of all was Erza, as her eyes slowly widened,
Cake. Black and purple décor. December 11th. Vanessa's excitement. How could anyone have missed the signals. It hasn't even been a month after Vanessa's 16th birthday, so the idea of a birthday should've stayed fresh in their minds.
"Get out of here, you're saying Luminous' birthday is tomorrow?" Gajeel asked.
Vanessa turned towards him. "Of course. He's turning 20." She looked down, thinking. "Or…27?" The time skip was still a big ordeal when it came to birthdays, or age for that matter. If you did count the time skip, Vanessa could technically be 23, but it was so complicated that everyone elected that since they traveled through time, their ages were as they were before.
Cana hunched forward on her stool, her face contorted. "So he went from 18 to 19 only a few days before our S-Class exams and that incident." She said.
Natsu stood up. "You're kiddin' me! Well then if his birthday's coming up, why didn't he say anything?"
"Because he doesn't make a big deal out of it." Vanessa frowned, her tone sounding rather flat.
"What's that supposed to mean? That he never had an actual birthday?" Lisanna asked. Vanessa looked towards her, giving a seemingly expectant look. Lisanna took it as a sign and recounted the tale that Nic told a long time ago back in Kalos. It soon dawned upon her, but on a morbid note. "…oh."
"That's right." Sophie said. "Nic never even told me about his birthday. If that was the case, then it mustn't matter much to him like any other day." The Memory-Make Mage's head then turned towards the floor, her mood also influence by despondence. "But to have your entire life beaten into and never given a single slice of birthday cake, no presents, and not even birthday cards."
Vanessa sighed. She never liked thinking back to holidays, let alone birthdays. She'd get all of the presents, and Nic wouldn't even get a single Christmas cookie. The only kinds of presents he'd get would be a smack across the face for just opening the fridge, or Magneton shocking his nerves stiff for even attempting to grab a knife and slice a little piece of cake for Vanessa's 6th birthday. On his birthdays, Vanessa wasn't even allowed to acknowledge him. It was another day in the life of someone who was given nothing but a life and pain.
A sudden boom caught the Aura Mage's attention. Her eyes widened when the round table had a hole punched through it. The confused Pularis looked up to see Erza's body shivering; to be more accurate, shuddering in anger. "How careless have I become? I was so focused on what's around me that I never realized the truth when it was before my very eyes." She scolded herself. "I should be ashamed of how selfish I turned out to be."
"Erza?" Vanessa apathetically asked, but Erza was lost in her own self-reprimanding.
"Not once was Nic given the affection and attention he deserved on this upcoming day. I never even realized that I didn't ask him of his birthday. It happened earlier and I never even gave him a present to show how deeply he meant to me."
"Erza?" Sophie tried getting her attention. Again, no luck.
Erza sank to her knees, lost as she gasped with a hand over her mouth. Honedge was calmly looking at her Trainer's shuddering and mournful state. "That's just…that's just…so heartbreaking! To not have a single present on the day you were given life. I never gave him anything except my company! I have no right to even call myself a supportive human being."
"Erza!" Vanessa shouted. Finally that did the trick. The mage jolted to her feet, the voice shocking her to where she was a little immobilized by the numerous stares she was given from one of her 'episodes'. Vanessa grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her back towards the 16-year-old.
"Relax." Vanessa advised, letting go and having her arms flow outwards. "Take a deep breath." Vanessa took in a deep breath, inhaling. Erza followed suit, and both exhaled, their senses calming back down. "Good. Now listen, it's okay. Knowing Nic, he probably doesn't care if it's his birthday or not. I bet as long as you're there for him and acknowledge him, I'm sure that will be more than enough to make him smile. He'll probably just have a normal just like any other…more or less…"
Erza looked at Vanessa with wide eyes. "And you're content with that?"
Vanessa nodded. "Of course I am. Sophie and I were just thinking of a miniature surprise party at his place tomorrow. A couple streamers, and a cake, and I'm sure Nic will be more than pleased."
Erza smirked, clutching a fist. "That won't do. Sorry, but as his significant other, I must do everything that I can to make sure that this birthday will be the best he will ever have in his entire life!" She beamed, her pride returning. "I'll put my pride on the line to assure that by any means that Nic gets the birthday he so richly deserves!"
Lucy sweat dropped. "There she goes again." She sighed.
"Somehow I don't think we'll get anything out of this." Wendy nervously speculated.
"Manual labor." Carla figured.
Erza seized the small list Vanessa and Sophie were making and held it up proudly like some trophy. "Right! Then let us expand this list to make sure that it's ten pages long! We shall do everything to throw the most exquisite birthday Nic deserves after all that his life threw at him!" She pointed down at Natsu. "Natsu! Gray! Go get five boxes of confetti and paper! Mira, search a catalog for the finest cakes you can find by the bakery! Chop, chop, people!"
Vanessa just watched on as Erza was establishing an army that was preparing for war. She was herding people left and right, giving out orders that revolved around some form of decoration not on the list or of a certain dessert fit for a party. Though a little nervous o Erza's approach on the matter, she did admit that her actions were genuine. Very much overkill, but deep down Vanessa wanted to make sure Nic's birthday went just swell. No longer did she want to have another birthday where he wouldn't get a single present. If it was a single box of chocolates or if she had to go and cross half of Fiore to find any decorations or present that Nic would love, she'll gladly do so for her brother's sake. It was time to throw the best birthday that Nic deserved.
Near the home of a familiar person up on a hill far away and secluded, there lied the shack, and around it was the forest. Above the forest, there were lightning clouds, black as night. Blue lightning and static crackled through the atmosphere, and the circumference of the storm clouds reached so far out that it reached the border of Magnolia, but aside from that, the citizens weren't alarmed at all by the low-level clouds. They knew their certain hero was practicing hard.
In a grassy clearing that went on for a mile, there were several fallen trees, charred grass, and the land seemed misshaped by indents and a few depressed spots here and there. Lightning crackled above as Nic roared, rattling the grassy ground beneath.
Nic was taking today to try and go through some of his Legendary Force Forms. It was taking a huge toll on him, but he always liked being worn out so that he can sleep well at night and wake up with vibrant energy to repeat the process. He would take one hour with every single Pokémon and choose a random Legendary Force and make sure his Pokémon kept up, to which so far they did. He was on his last Pokémon for the day, and he was using his established Legendary Force – Zekrom. In this form, Nic had red eyes with white irises and black pupils. His face was left alone, but his mouth had fangs. His head sported a black headpiece in the shape of a thunderbolt. His nose had a black horn-like protrusion that stuck up and was attached to the headpiece. His lower jaw and neck were black, yet the back of his beck was a dark gray. His coat had a dark gray solid color, with black edging. There was no belt, so it flapped hap hazardously in the turbulence around him. On the back of the coat was Zekrom wings, keeping him high up. The shoulders had black pauldrons. The arms were all dark grey, with the underside being black; even the hands were like that. The upper body had no shirt, so you can see his tone frame being a dark grey, with the abs being black. His pants were looking harder than ever, with them being light grey, except at the knees, where black armor protected the knee caps. His bare feet were black, but the claw toes were dark grey. Underneath the coat, there was the signature Zekrom tail that stuck out, blue being seen generated and making the tail glow brighter.
Nic let out another loud roar, blue lightning crackling from the tail. He ceased the bellowing and looked to whom was in the air against him. It was his trusted Charizard he was sparring with, but at this point, he was Mega Charizard. Nic figured adding Mega Evolution this time for a change would do wonders, and he wasn't wrong.
As of now, Nic was panting, his energy reserves so tired. Mega Charizard was too as he was doing everything to keep Nic on his toes and in his Legendary Force at the same time. Nic's been through Groudon, Reshiram, Kyurem, Rayquaza, and Ho-Oh, and now Zekrom. He's been cycling through Legendary Forces consecutively, and he was barely keeping himself on guard. He's been trying to look into other Legendary Forces, but other than Xerneas and Yveltal, he was going with what he thought was common knowledge in his past experience.
"Let's go!" Nic yelled. Mega Charizard outwards, his mouth exerting heated shockwaves through the atmosphere, raising the temperature all around in that one instant. The air around the Fire and Dragon-type steamed, and blue flames flickered around his space as he faced Nic, his peculiar wings flapping.
Nic cloaked himself in yellow electricity and his body crackled profusely. "Thunderbolt!" He exerted what was a monstrous blast of lightning that beamed at Mega Charizard. The crackling of every jolt sent sparks and circuits that could fry Natsu even.
Mega Charizard's claws glowed and light blue claw-shaped energy formed. "Dragon Claw!" He roared as he slashed his right claw, cutting into the Thunderbolt. A bright yellow flash engulfed the skies, becoming so bright that the citizens of Magnolia turned and saw a flash of yellow in the distance of the hills.
The flash began to fade, and Mega Charizard flew in towards Nic, his left claw still cloaked in Dragon Claw. Wasting no time, Mega Charizard closed the gap almost instantly, stopping in front of Nic before slashing. Nic ascended and dodged the diagonal slash, the shockwave transmitting towards the clearing below, boring into the earth and sending rock and terrain scattering beneath.
Nic raised both arms, generating his own set of claws. "Dragon Claw!" He dove down onto Mega Charizard, ready to slash with the set of energy claws he had, but Mega Charizard was no raised to be dumb and slow. As Nic closed the gap, slashing, Mega Charizard veered back. Another shockwave went to the ground from Nic's Dragon Claw, shattering the terrain as well.
Mega Charizard suddenly appeared behind Nic, using his reflexes and speed to his advantage. He unleashed his Dragon Claw attack again, just as Nic twisted and turned to thrust his left claw at Mega Charizard. A bright blue flash engulfed the skies this time, rattling the airspace so much that the air itself was shaking in fright. The shockwaves again spread out horrendously, reaching down and out so far that the nearest trees nearly bent over. The earth beneath shattered completely for the umpteenth time in the past near-six hours.
When the flash faded, Nic and Mega Charizard were both seen falling out of the sky, descending head first. As the two closed in on the leveled grassy earth beneath, they regained their consciousness again, their eyes opening back up.
In unison, they straightened out. Nic's mouth was engulfed in static and electricity shaped into four pointed fangs. He opened up and shot straight at Mega Charizard with Thunder Fang, but missed as Mega Charizard flapped his wings and stopped his descent, actually shooting up like a rocket. The dragon ascended to a high enough altitude and stopped his momentum. "Fly!" Mega Charizard shot straight down onto Nic, falling at speeds greater than ever imagined thanks to gravity. Nic spiraled in midair, twirling out and falling out of Mega Charizard's range as the he continued to soar towards the ground.
"Thunder!" Nic bellowed upwards, and lightning crackled hysterically around him in a large radius, discharging generated electricity from the tail. In the clouds above, lightning crackled and surged through the atmosphere, converging bolts towards a singular point. A massive lightning bolt crackled and roared and said bolt beamed downwards towards Mega Charizard.
Mega Charizard twisted his body as he was falling, facing upwards and saw Thunder beaming down after him. As he let gravity do its bidding, his mouth opened, a great swell of heat and blue fire on the rise. "Flamethrower!" He unleashed a violent and massive torrent of blue fire that beamed up into the sky, blitzing and scorching molecules and climbing against brevity until it intercepted Thunder. The Fire and Electric-type attacks met, cancelling out in an explosive veil of blue fire and electricity that expanded outwards, rattling everything in a vivid flash. Nic and Mega Charizard were both shot back by the electrifying and burning shockwaves, both unable to maintain themselves for too long.
As the explosion faded, Mega Charizard fell to the ground on his feet, sliding backwards against the scorching winds. When he finally stopped, the Pokémon using his full power ran on ahead, his sturdy legs carrying him across the clearing at breakneck speeds. Nic finally met ground as well, landing rather softly. Wasting no time, and fighting the pain his body held, he lunged after Mega Charizard, his legs and trademark speed carrying him until they both met in the middle. The duo found themselves in their hand to hand combat skills once more, with Mega Charizard throwing some serious punches and tail wings, as to where Nic used his forearms to block and used his black legs to intercept kicks. The duo were exchanging blows left and right, every second at least a parry, a twist, block, or duck was unleashed. The deadliest in hand to hand combat were by far the most reflexive and had lightning fast movements. They were chucking bullets for punches, each movement flawless as their reflexes and mental capacities were enhanced with every time they trained. Their punches and slashes were always maneuvered around and blocked, neither one able to outweigh the other and get a successful punch, kick, tail, or back-wing in.
Finally after several turns of exchanging their combative blows, Nic raised his conical tail brimming with electricity, slamming it down on Mega Charizard. The recipient crouched and jumped, backflipping to evade as the tail slam hit the ground, shattering the landscape in a fifteen-meter radius, picking up rock and terrain that sparked from the electricity added into the tail.
In midair and at a high enough distance, Mega Charizard opened his mouth. "Flamethrower!"
Nic looked up to find a fiery blue torrent roaring down after him. The heat and energy was so massive that it could've blown through an entire mountain all by itself. Nic brought his arm around and attacked. "Dragon Claw!" He slashed, cutting through the Fire-type attack. Upon impact, a thick pillar of blue fire shot into the sky, roaring like an inferno. The pillar of fire was so massive that the whole hillside shook and shuddered from the intensity.
When the blast wave ceased, the grass and the entire clearing was but dirt. Nic was seen sliding back from the dissipating fire pillar and dug his toe claws in to sustain himself. He looked up, seeing Mega Charizard fly in with a knee strike. Nic took in a quick breath and bent backwards, doing a backbridge and Mega Charizard went overhead, continuing onwards until leveled ground came. Taking action, Mega Charizard got his feet underneath and began to slid along the hot dirt to a complete stop. The Mega-Evolved Pokémon pivoted, swinging his mighty tail at Nic.
Nic's eyes sharpened, and his body twisted, dragging his tail around to deflect the incoming opposing tail. With Nic facing Mega Charizard and vice versa, both were near point-blank as their next attacks were unleashed.
"Dragon Claw!"
"Slash!"
Mega Charizard and Nic were again soaring up into the sky, both parrying the other's move in the process. Dragon Claw parried with slash, making every nanosecond flash with glints of white and light blue sparks. Every strike was faster than lightning. As thunder boomed above, and lightning bolts crackled, Nic and Mega Charizard disappeared and reappeared all over the place within mere seconds. It'd put a Ninjask to shame.
Nic and Charizard reappeared in a flash in the high altitude and readied their attacks. Slash and Dragon Claw met in the air, both assaults being so strong that another rippling shockwave bellowed outwards, reaching far beyond the area and sounded like another thunder strike to the citizens of Magnolia. The two were in a deadlock, both of their eyes interlocking and making their thrill jump a thousand beats per second. The deadlock didn't last long as both shot backwards in the air, both dragons catching up with the shockwaves they created.
Mega Charizard and Nic both straightened out, the duo trying to hide their exhaustion; Nic more so than Mega Charizard. The two unleashed loud exasperated roars, lightning crackling above as Nic roared, and Mega Charizard's space got heated with the heat unleashed from his breath. Both Trainer and Pokémon huffed at the other, their labored breaths signs that they were about ready to drop to the ground and get to a knee. But they knew when to expand their limitations, keep going that extra mile, no matter what.
Nic took in a deep breath. Mega Charizard returned with bringing back his own wings.
"Heat Wave!"
"Hyper Voice!"
Mega Charizard brought his head down and flapped his winds, unleashing what looked like an ocean of blue flames; a hurricane one might say. Nic unleashed an ear-splitting roar, one extremely blood-curdling and produced rippling shockwaves that expanded outwards. Both yelled out as their Heat Wave and Hyper Voice met in the midst of the high altitude. A gigantic explosion rattled the atmosphere, blue gusts and bellowing ripples flew through the airspace, strong enough to collapse an entire island altogether. The explosion reached the ground and high skies, incinerating the nearby trees within milliseconds. The ground again was swallowed in the hundredth rupture that decimated and reshaped the forest, again.
When the smoke and blue fire faded, Nic and Mega Charizard were both seen in the air, still maintaining themselves even after the shockwaves nearly blew them away. The nearby trees were nothing but ash, and the clearing was another enormous crater. Both descended back down to the ground, each thudding as their heels slammed into the cratered earth. Both sides were scratched up pretty bad, and they've been training for well over an hour at full strength.
The storm clouds overhead stopped crackling, the thunder finally dissipating. "That should do for today." Nic advised. Granted it wasn't enough to make him fall to his knees, but hours upon hours of training today in full Legendary Force really wore them all down.
Mega Charizard straightened up, barely able to suppress his vision. He and Nic glowed a rainbow light, and both reverted back to being themselves once more. The clouds overhead dissipated, and the evening sky lit up the hillside with a healthy yellow and orange hue. The only downside was that despite the sun, it was still a little on the cold side. It was December clearly, and even though months have passed since Lysandre and the Council War, this was not a time for Nic to relax, or anyone. What Atlas Flame said before still lingered in the back of his mind, even though it wasn't even a week ago.
'E.N.D. I still wonder what a Demon's powers like that beholds…' Nic was cut off when he heard the sound of a loud stomach rumble. His eyes widened when he looked down towards his own stomach. He heard another rumble, one that could've mistaken him using Growl.
Charizard didn't seem fazed, if not sympathetic. "I hear ya. Are you gonna fry up some steaks or some sort of sirloin again?" The Flame Pokémon asked.
Nic turned away with a grin of glee, seeing as how their training was over and they were back to basic concepts. "I suppose so. We still have some leftover from last night. Let's add that in as well."
Charizard raised his head, grinning. "Sounds like a feast worth burning for."
Night soon fell onto Magnolia, the temperature again dropping to a rather low one. It was expected to snow a little, but it didn't matter to Nic. Since his childhood, he was always forced to sleep outside if the parents forced him to. But for his sake and others, he shut the windows and he and his six Pokémon feasted on nutritious meals that Nic prepared, with a little help from everyone pitching in of course. After a hardy meal and satisfied stomachs, Nic jumped into the shower quickly, came out fresh, and finally decided to go to bed.
Nic put on some smooth pajama pants that were a dark purple. He was standing up shirtless as he walked across the hardwood flooring, the boards creaking with every footstep, but he was okay with it. As the moonlight was disappearing behind the nighttime clouds, he looked out the window, watching as a small snowflake began to flutter daintily onto the windowsill. He looked back down at himself, regarding how it seemed repulsive to be sleeping on such a night without a shirt. But in retrospect, ever since he started sleeping in a bed – with Erza's consideration and support – he slept with a shirt off, and even now it never bothered him. It didn't bother him either how his entire right side was but a monstrous scar, and how his back had a massive scar running diagonally; then again, so did Greninja – who was snug inside of his Poke Ball.
Nic crawled into his bed, silently taking in a deep breath and finally letting mind go at ease. His head against the headboard, he was trying to cozy himself into the lumpy mattress. His eyes were half-open when he was beginning to think of a particular subject again.
He reached over, digging into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled out the few pieces of paper that were hidden away and held by a paperclip. He stared at them, seeing the various diagrams that he drew. It was a lot of space and a lot of work be poured into the papers. It was like holding a child; it was that important to him. It took him hours to plan everything, and he didn't want it at all to go to waste.
He thought deeper, and the deeper he went, the deeper he thought of Erza. Of course he loved her, and he wanted to be with her forever and always, but ever since he asked her that question about getting a house together, he wasn't sure what move to make. He was content the way things were now, but his instincts told him the best way to be forever is to live with each other forever. Nic wasn't sure if Erza was thinking yes or no, but jabbing the Clauncher wasn't his style. It's been over 5 months since they've become an item, but was he overthinking it? Did he think Erza wanted to wait until later?
The stress was just too much to take. He gave another relenting sigh and tucked the plans back into the drawer, closed it, and closed his eyes as he faced the ceiling.
The morning came; another sunshine day to take over in the town of Magnolia. The forecast wasn't wrong. It did snow just a little, but only covered maybe an inch, not enough to hide the blades of grass from the world. Frost was on the trees and the grass alike, and on the shack that Nic stayed in, frost turned the red roofing a little white. Nic arose from his sleep, taking the early morning to get maybe some push-ups and pull-ups in with the Pokémon, getting their cores flared up for the day to begin. A light breakfast, and Nic was set and ready to head to the guild hall.
The morning was a little on the chilled side, but it mattered not. With hands tucked into his coat pockets, Nic made way for the guild hall. His walk was pleasant, quiet, and with the early morning, Magnolia was still silent. A more peaceful morning one could label it.
Nic made it to the guild hall after a small trek. He stood in front of the closed doors, knowing that it was still a little early. He grinned. "A small job should be just what I'm looking for…" However, the atmosphere was completely off. His frown appeared, taking note of how awkwardly silent the guild felt. Even without opening the doors, there was absolute silence, not even a shuffle. 'Something's wrong here. The air is seemingly stiff. Is something inside?' He began to slowly step forward. "Only one way of finding out."
He opened the doors, the large set giving way to the inside. Immediately Nic was bombarded with everyone showering confetti and wearing party hats. People blew whistles and the entire guild was at the entrance, greeting Nic.
"SURPRISE~!" They all shouted.
Nic's eyes widened as his heart nearly stopped. His mind nearly went blank, shutting down from complete disarray with everything going on. As he looked past the smiling faces of everyone around him, he noticed that the floor was littered in purple glitter and balloons. So much confetti was around. The air was brimming with a warmth. Nic looked to see black and purple streamers swinging from one end of the guild hall to the other. All around hanging from the support beams were Poke Balls, and little signs that said 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' All around was an assortment of foods, like a buffet. And there were more than a few desserts laid out for afterwards.
Vanessa stood in front of Nic, seeing how startled he was, but she could see how pleasantly pleased he was. "Happy birthday, Nic!" She happily shouted. "Well? You shocked?"
Nic was too startled to regain himself, though with the composure he still had left, he processed what Vanessa said. Slowly his facial expression grew into a smile. "I…I don't know what to say. I'm honestly speechless." He answered.
Vanessa's smile widened. "That's exactly what we wanted. I'm glad."
"But…" Nic didn't see it as overkill, but excessive would probably be a light term nonetheless. "Is this really all for me? You guys, honestly, I love what you did, yet don't you think it's a bit…much?"
Natsu did a hardy laugh, catching Nic's attention. "There's no such thing as overkill when it comes to partying Fairy Tail style, right Happy?!"
"Aye!" Happy cheered.
"We made sure to set the bar high." Gray added. "We busted our butts getting everything done before the sun came up. It took us all night to get everything set and done."
"Be glad Titania was here to kick us in our pants otherwise we may not have gone this far." Gajeel snorted.
"Be nice." Levy said. She turned back towards the birthday boy. "Anyways, we heard about it being your birthday today, and we felt bad that we didn't know last year."
Cana winked from the bar. "But look who decided to give you the party you've been missing out on!"
"All your birthdays missed, we decided to wrap into one big party." Sophie said. "We thought of guests like the other guilds, but it took a lot of convincing to keep Erza from doing so."
"Low-key or not, we did the job like real men for a man's birthday!" Elfman announced.
Mirajane clasped her hands together. "We poured a lot of work into this! Hope you're pleased!"
Slowly, but surely, Nic was becoming overwhelmed with a smile. "Mirajane…Vanessa…everyone…I honestly can't thank you guys enough for this."
Vanessa smiled happily towards her brother. "At first Sophie and I were just gonna do a simple house party, but then we decided to go big not just for your sake, but for someone else who's been dying to please you."
Nic turned towards the side, watching in shock as Erza slowly proceeded towards him, holding a rather large cake in hand. On it were a number of candles, 20 to be more precise. It looked to be pretty big for a party cake. The white cake had a creamy layer, which Vanessa checked to be ice cream. On it was a Poke Ball, and decorative miniature figures of Nic's Pokémon; Greninja, Charizard, and Kecleon on top, and Staraptor, Garchomp, and Arbok on the bottom. Erza gave Nic a wider smile as saw the shock bewildering him. "Nic…please accept this as the start of a very happy birthday."
Nic finally smiled, showing that he was beyond happy. He looked back to everyone else who was looking more than appeased with the hard work they went through – or to be more accurate – what Erza put them through. Nic recalled today, and how he turned 20, but he didn't think it was a big deal. He never had a birthday to begin with. The only gifts he ever got were of those comprised of shocks, punches, and miscellaneous assortments of violence. The only reason he found out his birthday was because Vanessa told them by looking at the birth certificate stashed in the basement in the far corner behind some rolled up wallpaper. For the first time, he was getting the birthday he's been missing out on. Relenting at long last, his smile widened, his happiness skyrocketing.
"That's what we wanted to see." Sophie acknowledged.
Cana gulped down fine wine for this occasion and sighed. She held up the glass with a big smile on her face. "Now let's party!"
True to form, everyone enjoyed themselves. With the tables decorated with tarps made like Poke Balls, everyone fasted in an all-out buffet. There were plenty of mouths to feed, including the thirteen Pokémon that were present. Despite breakfast, Greninja, Braixen, and the Honedge hanged back and relaxed well. Arbok and Garchomp sure proved that they had guts when they had almost an entire cake each, and even after one bite, neither was filled to the brim. There was so much fasting it could've been mistaken for a Thanksgiving. Everyone was being nice, especially since Erza warned them not to mess anything up. She wanted Nic's party top-notch, so she threatened Natsu and Gray bog time, and Vanessa warned Krookodile big time to not go throwing his usual fits. To a feast came the spoils, and Nic got first pick on everything, with Vanessa second and Erza third, and so on.
As Nic sat at a large table, he was eating a corner piece of the cake Erza presented him. "This is really good." He said.
"It's really rich." Greninja added.
"Going all out in battle isn't Erza's only strong suit." Staraptor pointed out, using her talon to utilize a fork.
Arbok hissed, but said nothing as he used his tail and coiled around a fork and ate a piece of chocolate cake. Suffice to say he seemed delighted.
At the table behind him, Vanessa sat with her team. Everyone was looking rather jovial; even Magnezone seemed happy. Of course the prospect of a birthday seemed a little odd, but Nic deserved nothing less. He was reluctant to be out of his Poke Ball at first out of guilt for the past, but of Nic and Vanessa weren't bothered by it, then he had nothing to worry about. He repented very much so by being Vanessa's Pokémon and participating in battles beside her; he had to support her, no matter what. He stuck by everyone's side, enjoying himself to the best of his emotions.
"Well these noodles and mashed potatoes was a splendid idea." Braixen said. "This broth is also very delicious."
Krookodile nodded. "Yeah!" He slammed a claw on the table, making silverware jump. "Krookodile needs to get more!"
Vanessa chuckled. "There's plenty to go around. Help yourselves. Just save some room for dessert, okay?"
"We know." Venusaur assured.
Sliggoo bent down and munched on a piece of a lemon cupcake with yellow frosting. She chewed and her senses tingled. "I can't begin to tell how good this is!"
Natsu scarfed down a chicken leg in one bite, looking satisfied. "Man, is this stuff delicious or what?"
"Cake's pretty great too. All these flavors are really rich." Lucy added.
"It took Erza and I quite some time to find the best bakeries and catering chefs in Magnolia." Mirajane held back a nervous laugh, though her tone was another story. "We were on a deadline, but I'm thankful we managed."
"That makes a handful of us." Cana hiccupped from nearby.
Erza had taken the liberty of feasting and enjoying the party alongside Nic. It was certainly a huge party, and none could blame her for trying to go all out. She wanted Nic to have the best party that he ever had, and from the looks of it all, she succeeded. She knew Nic's past was pretty messed up, and that he had perhaps the worst parents yet. Erza could understand why he never had birthdays or a Christmas. While her guild was a big fan of both, it still struck her as shocked when Nic never even told about his birthday date. He deserved no less for all of the deeds he's done for all; crossing the confines of time and space just to save the universe from collapsing and everything reducing to nothing may perhaps be one of the greatest destinies ever prophesized. She never imagined she'd fell in love with someone as pure and care so much that she would go so far as to drag everyone into her bandwagon and make sure Nic's solid 20 kicks off to a great start. "Nic?" She cooed on the opposite end of the table.
"Yes?" He answered.
"How are you enjoying the party?"
Nic smile widened. "Honestly, I'm a bit flustered with all of this praise and attention."
Erza giggled, seeing the slight tint of pink in Nic's cheeks. "I'm glad. I wanted to give you the birthday you so richly deserved."
Nic gazed warmly at Erza. The more he stared at her, the more longing he yearned. He was truly enjoying this from the bottom of his heart. He never in a million years would've guessed Erza would pour every bit of power to making sure this turned out grand. He would've gone on like it was a regular day; sure a small house party would be a shocker, but over the top was a tall order, and Nic was barely processing all of the pats on the back he was getting. "Thank you."
The party continued for a little longer. Once it reached perhaps 11 or 11:30, the cake and the food was pretty much spent. Most were stuffed to the brim, especially Natsu. Everyone gathered around and they all gave Nic their gifts. Nic was flooded with them, and honestly it was very much overkill, but on behalf of Erza, he took every gift with sincerity. The Master sure seemed pleased in his own right as he watched Nic embrace the happy birthday like there was no tomorrow. It was always nice to watch your child enjoy his or her birthday party. He remembered giving Laxus some pretty good parties when he was still a child, and he knew Laxus was hanging around as well out of fond memories. Those were happy and peaceful times.
At any rate, Nic opened his presents and read the birthday cards. It took maybe an hour in total to get all of the cards read and the presents opened, but it was all for fun and thrill. He scored a few recipes from the Strauss family, courtesy of Elfman and Mirajane. He got some clothes to lounge in from time to time by Lucy, Bisca, and Juvia. He got a few geography and biographical books from Levy. He got a painting of him and his Pokémon thanks to Reedus. He got numerous other gifts revolving around frames, charcoal, vast assortments of art he could use and sell. Cana, Vanessa, and Sophie poured their money to get Nic something he never would've seen in a million years just for him: a bed fitted to be king-sized, in the event Erza decided to sleep over that is. Others who knew had purchased pillows and comforters and blankets. It was so much to take in, but Nic was satisfied with how it all went.
After the gifts and everything was coming to a close, Erza had the men clean up the wrapping paper and box up everything. Nic got up from his chair and looked around, seeing as how all of the food was done and everyone looked to be cleaning up. "Can I be of any help?" He asked.
Erza shook her head. "It's alright. Everyone can handle cleanup and decorations. You just need to get ready."
Nic raised a brow. "For what?"
Erza smirked. "Don't think that just because the party is over doesn't mean your birthday is too. I'm taking you to Balsam Village. My treat."
Nic's surprise went through the roof. An early birthday party and now he's going to Balsam Village with Erza. And it wasn't even 1 o' clock. "You got reservations for Balsam Village?"
Erza nodded. "Of course. Now why don't you just get ready? We'll take care of everything from here on."
Nic had no reason to worry, especially since Vanessa would be staying behind and managing the cleanup in Erza's stead. As Erza walked off to discuss something with the Master, Nic took a small pause and grinned. It was really a buffet, then cake, and now he may get the luxury of a fine dinner and the possibility of a hot spring. This was like a dream come true to someone like Lucy. Nic didn't know what to say or how to react to all of this luxury. He never had many days to spoil himself. The only exceptions would probably when he slept an entire day after giving the Plates back to Arceus, the hot springs back with Warrod and the group, and maybe time to time when Erza stayed over.
He turned towards Vanessa, seeing her in the distance. "Vanessa?"
"Yes?" She turned towards him.
Nic looked towards her, though his smile was genuine, his fixation was very serious. "I need you to do something for me…"
Nic ventured out of his home not even five minutes later. He was adorned in his casual attire as before, so nothing changed in terms of his appearance. He really stopped by his home to brush his teeth to get the sugar out, apply face wash – as per the present Gray got him – and deodorant and he was all set. Meeting up with Erza in front of Magnolia's train station not long after, the inseparable pair got their train tickets and they were soon on their way to Balsam Village.
It was going to be a long ride, so Nic watched the landscape home and go as he sat on the cushions that sat across from Erza. He seemed calm and rather pleasant, almost too calm to even think of provoking. Erza absent-mindedly watched Nic as his left arm supported his head, looking relaxed as he watched the scenery come and go, passing over a small canyon down beneath. The redhead was looking back at the passing scenery and towards Nic. It hasn't been this way in the longest time. Between guild jobs, Nic's training, and Erza's own personal business, the two haven't had much of any obligation to just cast aside others to go to Balsam Village. At this time of the year, Balsam Village was supposed to be flooding with populations due to the holidays coming up. When she considered that, there was going to be a lot of attractions that would be attended to, but even though she wouldn't mind a dessert or two, she looked back at Nic, reminding herself that this was all for him and him alone. She longed to be happy, and Nic was the answer. If he was happy, she was too. This was his big day, and if he dared to think otherwise, there was no way she could ever forgive herself for letting Nic down. She loved him too much. Was that a bad thing? No. It just means she cares for his opinion. She had a limited number of opinions she took in, but Nic's was one of those few that she valued the most. Back when they first went to Balsam Village on a job a very long time ago – more precisely after Phantom Lord – the two weren't so solid on their ideals. Erza flaunted the ideas of hot springs over her own head then by Mirajane's suggestions, but she dismissed them since they were out on a special job and not for kicking back. This time was completely different. This time rather than worry about others and work, now they can just enjoy the other's company and enjoy the attractions of Balsam Village.
Nic was no different. He was lost in his own mind. He hasn't been to Balsam Village in the longest time either. He never went to Balsam to relax, but it was all for work. Not once did he take the attractions to delight, not even when he accidentally took that fight with that odd wolf-like monster a long time ago to the hot springs, where he also found the Stone Plate of all places. Life had ways of surprising him, whether it was fate, battles, fundamentals, and so on. The biggest surprise he ever had was ever becoming an item with someone. He wanted someone who understood his pain, and by no means was he gonna think anyone in his world would possibly understand. As to where Earth Land had just what he was looking for. Erza was his key to the doorway of sharing a life with someone who had harbored pain in the past. The two were always hurt by family in their own right. Nobody would ever have suspected the most stubborn and most powerful female mage in Fairy Tail ending up with someone like him. When they first met, it was a wary infatuation one might say. It wasn't something either was taking too seriously; that is, until the Tower of Heaven incident, where they learned that they truly had feelings for another. Before then, what were they? Interested? Of course. A relationship had odd starts, but tensions ease as their respects for one another grew. Compared to the last time Nic and Erza had been to Balsam Village, their relationship matured significantly. So much time had passed that it almost seemed unreal.
Both were too lost that they barely heard the train pulling into the station. Nic and Erza both snapped back to reality, and they realized they made it to Balsam Village. Nic stood up, smiling down at Erza. "I guess we've arrived."
Erza looked up, nodding. "It would appear so. Shall we make way?"
Nic slowly held his hands down towards the redhead. She tenderly looked into his warm blue yes, almost getting lost at the soft yet stern look he had, a resolution that made them both yearn for the time of their lives. Erza accepted Nic's hand and was pulled up to her feet. Nic guided his companion out of the train cart and readied for the remainder of his birthday.
"Are you positive he's okay with this?"
"Yes. I have no reason to think otherwise. He'd rather keep himself guessing than stress over something so trivial."
After finishing cleanup at the guild hall, Sophie and Vanessa both ventured towards the abandoned second building that Nic considered his home. The various decorations and other dishes cleaned took hours to fix up and put away. The sun felt as though it rose and yet it was wayward in the west, meaning evening was coming around. Everyone was so stuffed that the thought of dinner seemed to make many throw up. Unless you were Droy.
Vanessa opened up the double doors, seeing as how everything was at it should be. It's been a while since they've been inside the place. It hasn't been since before the Grand Magic Games. Those were some insane times, especially with Nic, Cana, Sophie, and Greninja's adventure beyond the Zentopia incident into the apocalyptic Celestial Spirit World. Vanessa guided Sophie up the stairs. "I think Nic said it was up here."
The two girls reached their destination up in the spacious attic. It was there that they saw the king-sized bed that Elfman and Gajeel hauled up earlier. They looked around, seeing the very few belongings Nic had in his name other than the neat stack of clothes he had sitting atop of a chair close to the installed shower. An odd attic, but very fitting for Nic. In the one corner was a stand with a drawing of a Barboach in progress.
"Over there." Vanessa walked towards the right side of the bed, in Nic's perspective when sleeping on it, and opened the drawer that revealed the plans Nic made. "So they were here."
Sophie nodded. "So what now? What exactly did Nic tell you to do?"
Vanessa took out the papers and closed the drawer. "He said to just take them over to our place for now. If somehow Erza gives him an answer soon, he wants to us to be as a bank, just to safeguard his plans."
"So he doesn't trust himself to hide it from Erza?"
"I think it's more like he wouldn't trust anyone else." Vanessa pointed out. "Think about it. Mirajane and the others would go crazy to renovate the plans Nic made. And you know how crazy Natsu can be. Word travels around fast in our guild. The point is, that keeping something like this in one spot would be too weary on his stress."
Sophie nodded. "Then I guess we don't have much choice. Guess we can't blame him. Erza tends to be a bit pushy…among other things."
"Achoo!" Erza covered up as she sneezed.
"Bless you." Nic said, looking up from his plate's worth of fine salad.
"Thank you." Erza replied. She picked up her fork again, resuming her own salad. To complement Nic's desires, Erza chose a fine restaurant establishment. She wanted to go for the finest restaurant in all of Balsam Village, but to Vanessa's suggestion, they tried something of lower-class to fit Nic's level. So Erza settled for making reservations for the Begonia. While inside, Nic's coat was off so his gray V-neck was showing. As to where Erza's hair flowed down from a bud with two sticks to keep it in place. She was in a black eastern style dress with white flowers decorating the hips and sides. The opening in the left slit was edged in white and traced up to the middle of the dress, separating into two white lined as a collar around her neck; said opening revealing large amounts of her huge cleavage. Her black high heels complimented her dress. Many a men stared at her, almost basking in the redhead's light, white other women stared in anger, their hardened glares piercing into Nic, but he soldiered on for the sake of Erza's pride.
"Is everything alright over here?" The waiter asked, having returned with another glass of iced cold water for the two.
"Everything is going well." Nic answered.
The waiter nodded. "Alright. Your main courses will be here shortly." The waiter noted. He then departed, rushing back over towards another table to keep up with the service. It wasn't just the waiter who seemed a little antsy, but everyone in all of Balsam Village was on the fritz because of Nic Pularis. Because it was his birthday, and because Nic practically saved everyone, the entire meal was free, the restaurant's treat.
Erza smirked at Nic, her gaze solemnly on him. "So…where to next? It's your birthday."
Nic smiled back at Erza, returning the smirk. "Well let's not worry about the future. For now…" He picked up his glass of water. "Let's just enjoy the other's company."
Erza grabbed her own glass, toasting with Nic. "I'd like that."
Vanessa and Sophie made it to the guild hall. Actually, they were passing by when they were hearing some stuff break apart. Some yelling came from inside and they heard some more wood fall apart. "GAH! ALRIGHT! IT'S ON NOW!"
Vanessa and Sophie both stopped by the large doors, looking inside to see Natsu and Gray again tussling it out. It was no wonder everything was so noisy again once Erza and Nic left. And with Vanessa momentarily gone, Natsu and Gray were free to tend to their daily routine of fighting. Both were seen pulling at the other's cheek and throwing punches. For the moment it was just them, so there was no large-scale guild brawl…for now.
"Can't you ever use manners! Your chomping grated my ears!"
"I never like manners! Just like the same feeling when I punch your teeth in!"
"That doesn't make sense!"
"I'll make you make less sense than me!"
Lucy face palmed. "Oh great. Here we go again."
Mirajane just smiled all along the way. "All that energy and that's what comes out in the end." She giggled.
Sophie turned towards Vanessa, seeing the casual look on the young Pularis sibling's face. She didn't seem at all interested. She spared enough of her energy dealing with her big brother's birthday party and helping out in any way she could. To add insult to injury, she missed out on one of her favorite activities: sleeping in. Sophie was tired as well, consider the hell Erza put them all through. "Let's go home. Let's have the Master deal with it."
Vanessa nodded. "I couldn't agree more." Both turned away, beginning to make their trek back to their apartment.
"Oh yeah?! How's about a taste of this!" Finding his second wind, Gray slugged Natsu across the face, sending the Dragon Slayer flying off his feet and soaring straight towards the exit. The direction of which his head was heading wasn't looking too pleasant.
Everyone's eyes widened and many horrifically gasped when Natsu slammed into Vanessa, the Aura Mage yelping as she was struck by Natsu. The impact made the papers in her hand fly out, scattering onto the ground, along with Vanessa.
Gray's surprise backfired. "Crap! Vanessa!"
"Vanessa, are you alright?!" Lucy asked.
Wendy gasped in shock still, still making sense of what she saw.
"And this is the part where the two boys learn the hard way." Carla sighed.
Sophie knelt down, assisting Vanessa up. "Vanessa, are you okay?" She asked. "Here, let me give up a hand." She hauled Vanessa up, supporting her by the arm. As the Memory-Make Mage was getting her roommate back to her feet, there was another story to be told for Natsu.
Happy ran up to him, watching him get back to his feet. "You okay, pal?"
Natsu grunted as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, no sweat. I took tougher blows when I was asleep."
"That's not what I meant." Happy sweat dropped.
"Huh? What you babbling on about then?"
"Look behind you." Lucy chided in a warning tone.
Natsu was met with inquiry, but trying to understand what they were going on about, the Dragon Slayer began to turn around. For some odd reason, he was getting a very menacing, dark aura from behind his back. Coincidentally, a chill ran down his spine. Whatever this sensation was, he had to find out. When he turned around, he really wished he hadn't.
Vanessa was on her feet, and although she looked alright, she was far from it. She was very patient, and very mild; casually relaxed for a lack of better term. However, she didn't tolerate scenarios like this well. Her teal aura surrounded her body, and while she didn't look angry, her eyes were wide, chin up, and a dark shadow dimming her face. "Natsu." She growled bluntly.
Natsu was sweating bullets. He was beyond nervous. "V-Vanessa. Hey. Didn't see you there…" He did a nervous laugh, but that didn't help him at all.
Sophie looked away, shaking her head as Vanessa engulfed Natsu in an explosion of teal aura that she fired at the creature of sheer impulse. "Sorry~~~!" Natsu wailed as he disappeared into the sky.
Gray raised a brow as he watched Natsu sail away. "Man, that's gotta be a new record of height gained."
"Uh, Gray?" Lisanna nervously warned from afar.
"Hm? Yeah, what?" He turned towards her and Cana, but both pointed their thumbs at the entrance. Gray followed their lead, but when he did, he was also met with a Vanessa glare. His eyes widened. "Not me too!"
It was too late for apologies. Another teal aura engulfed the area. Gray flew out of the guild hall, he too gaining some distance as Vanessa blasted him off. Wherever they landed, Vanessa did not care. The walk back would be an extra punishment.
Vanessa lowered her arm, giving a sigh of annoyance and relief at the same time.
"You okay, girl?" Cana asked.
Vanessa turned away, brushing off her pink skirt. "Yes, I'm better."
Sophie looked down at her feet, noticing how the many papers were spread all over. "Look at this. Come on, let's pick it up."
"Right." Vanessa knelt and tried scrambling the papers that fell out of her hands.
Mirajane came by, smiling as she knelt down. "Why don't I help?" She reached for a paper, picking it up. Immediately this unnerved Vanessa and Sophie as Mirajane turned the paper over. "Oh. What's this?"
Vanessa hurried and scrambled for the rest of the papers. She and Sophie stood up once they gathered the scattered remnants and Mirajane followed as well, but her eyes were scrutinizing the piece of paper she had in hand.
"Mira, please give that to us." Sophie urged.
Mirajane looked up with questions. "Is there something going on here?"
Romeo peeked over the barmaid's shoulder, taking a look at the well-laid diagram. "Looks like a house floor plan."
"You guys redecorating or something?" Wendy asked.
Mirajane looked back down at the plans. "This look complex. Hardwood floors? That'd be a lot of wood. Renovations perhaps?" She and the rest of the guild looked to Vanessa and Sophie for answers. They all had expectant looks, even Lily and Gajeel, who raised brows at the hearing of floor plans.
Vanessa and Sophie looked at one another, their faces telling that the Purrlion was out of the bag now. Vanessa didn't know what to say, except now they couldn't escape. Out of disappointment of the one job Nic asked them to do, Vanessa and Sophie confessed. It wasn't easy, nor fair, but since everyone was interested on the plans Mirajane held, they told the guild of Nic wanting to build a house if Erza ever answered yes.
Once Vanessa was finished explaining, Lucy's eyes widened. "Really?"
Mirajane clasped her hands together, looking with glee as Vanessa tried to re-organize the floorworks Nic made. "That's such a big step. "
Cana winked. "Alright! Looks like he's puttin' on some big boy shoes now!" Cana slurred.
"Takes a real man to ask his girlfriend to live with him!" Elfman beamed.
Gajeel snickered. "What do you know? Looks like Luminous ain't the lonely type out in the wilderness after all."
"Settling down, nice." Lily nodded in approval.
Makarov's eyes lit up. "Sounds to me that we have something to look forward to."
"Now hold on!" Vanessa snapped. Everyone's hopes and expectant looks fell. Her warm blue eyes looked towards everyone present. "Guys, I know you're all excited. I am too. But if we go and mess with Nic's plans, there's no doubt in my mind that he's gonna be really angry with us."
Sophie crossed her arms. "I rather not deal with a pissed off Nic."
Makarov nodded in understanding. "I see, then we'll just have to talk to Nic about this later on. You are correct when we should be weary on how to approach this matter. These are Nic's plans, and alterations and we might not be welcomed."
Vanessa looked down at the plans, seeing the title 'Nic & Erza's House'. Her smile returned. "If we wanna be there for him, then we gotta wait for his approval…and Erza's. So if Nic brings this issue up, let's just be sure to follow his needs. That's what a guild does, right?"
Everyone smiled in agreement. Vanessa and Sophie both thus pressed the matter back towards their place, where they stashed the plans away for safekeeping.
Nic laid on the large bed, letting out a deep sigh as his head laid back against the fluffy pillows beneath. His upper body was without clothing as the cool sheets made his body not feeling anywhere overheated. After the nice dinner that Erza paid for, they went to a local dessert and creamery, where Nic was kind enough to get Erza was she wanted – strawberry cheesecake. From there on, the rest of their day was fairly sound and pleasant. The rest of Nic's birthday was whatever he wanted, so long as Erza was there. After walking around the entire city and seeing the sites, they made it to the park, and all the way Erza held onto Nic's arm tenderly. As the sun had set early, Nic decided they should head to the spas, where Erza again paid. But it was all worth it. All of the stiff muscles the two had were eased up by the trained massagers. By the end of the massage and the bone-cracking, Nic and Erza felt younger, especially when they went to the hot springs. They were actually the same hot springs Nic thrashed in all those years ago, only not only were the renovations a success, but the water had silky minerals that their skin needed.
After such a good soaking, Nic and Erza found a very expensive, but also very rewarding, inn. It wasn't the same inn they stayed in all those years ago. This inn was much classier, and the pillows and lavish expenses were fluffy. The shower towels were exquisite.
As Nic was just about ready to fall asleep, Erza stepped out of the bathroom all clad in a robe. Her hair fell down her back and shoulders like it was meant to. The redhead stretched her arms overhead, relieving herself.
"This was a very nice day." She moaned.
Nic turned towards the left side if the bed, watching as Erza crawled atop of the blanket. "Yeah, I couldn't have asked for a better day spent."
Erza's head rested on the pillow, her gaze set on Nic as the lacrima lights began to turn off, giving way to a mood shift. Her brown eyes gazed lovingly into Nic's. "I'm glad. I'm glad you got the birthday you so richly deserved."
Nic stared at Erza, soon enough slowly shaking his head. "No…" He reached his right arm over, moving his body underneath the covers as he scooched close enough to but an arm around her waist. His smile widened as his eyes shut. "What made this birthday spectacular…was how much you and the others cared to make this. I would've been able to enjoy myself like I did of it wasn't for you. Erza, I'm glad I got to spend the last half of my birthday with you."
Nic's little complement got the better of Erza. Her eyes were beginning to mist up. She was touched that Nic thanked her for everything his birthday held, but she was also thankful she was there to watch Nic enjoy the time of his life. She slowly reached over and brushed her hand against Nic's cheek. She leaned in and her bottom lip went over hip, the taste of strawberry against the one thing Nic tasted. Erza didn't let up as she held onto that kiss for a long time, the ecstasy in her body coming alive like some days when she and Nic are alone. She had nothing to worry about so long as Nic was there. She cared not for the future so long as Nic stayed with her and vice versa.
Erza moved to mount atop of Nic, straddling him. She kissed him once again before letting up. Having her hands on his bare chest, she smirked and looked down at Nic, watching his chest rise and fall.
"Nic?"
"Hm?"
"Do you remember that question you asked a long time ago?"
"You mean about asking if you wanted to get a house, just the two of us?" He was catching on very fast. He was getting a notion as to where Erza was going with this. When he asked a long time tome ago, Erza said she wanted to think about, but in the back of his mind it sounded like a no. "That one?"
"Yes." Erza nodded. "I came to make up my mind."
"What do you want to do?"
"How about some time this week…let's find a house. Just the two of us."
Nic smiled wide. "I'd like that very much." He looked so overjoyed. His heartbeat had just accelerated in that very instance. Erza actually agreed. This was indeed another present from her to him. He could fall sleep knowing that today he got far too much than for what he bargained for…however…there was one last present Erza had yet to give him.
"Nic~." She called sultrily.
Nic opened his eyes again, seeing that Erza was right in front of him. The redhead's lips again interlocked with Nic's the redhead maintaining a dominance as she was giving Nic all of the love he ever so richly deserved. Once she was satisfied with the little memento, she pulled back, the look in her eyes a little more…predatory.
Nic's eyes widened a little. "Erza?"
Erza licked her lips, a sure sign of anticipation for something to come. As she stared at Nic longingly, she began to undo the top part of her robe, showing a massive amount of her monstrous buxom to her boyfriend. Nic's cheeks were seen pink, and that's just what she was looking for.
She leaned down once more, licking her lips so close in front of Nic's face. "There's still one last birthday gift for you." She whispered into his ear.
"Erza? I know you're excited, but-!"
Erza pounced, and everything after that became nothing but a blur for the 20-year-old. While everything that night was incoherent to Nic, all he could have recalled was feeling a whole assortment of things that he couldn't have explained, not that he would to begin with. The nighttime hours were filled with the sounds of huffs, moans, and much stuff left best unexplained, for they could bring damnation to the name of the inn. Someone could also say that an animal got carried away with its prey and there was a wild fuss in that room. No one would ever really know, but one thing was certain; those animals locked in that cage of a room sounded hungry.
A very great day with a great end. Another year to end, and another year to start. And the start had the bar set high.
Here's the first chapter as of December. Hope it lived up to your guys' expectations. I will be honest, I leery as to how to end this chapter. I was considering something low-key like Nic just falling asleep, but since I need to prepare for an upcoming arc that I'm making, I may as well expand and search a wider range of genres. So the ending I had the intimacy stepped up to 11.
Also this is to answer a Guest reviewer. In regards to Zeref or of the future plot, I prefer to not spoil anymore surprises, so if it happens, it happens. Also, no Ultra Beasts, and nothing related to Alola at all in this story. This is based off of Kalos, so it stays Kalos.
Some definite NicxErza fluff this chapter, with a hefty dash of battling and Mega Evolution for some action. What did you guys think about Nic's birthday chapter? Better or same as Vanessa's? Comment and let me know if you enjoyed any of it. Thanks for reading another thrilling chapter! :)