Tears

. . .

Laxus blinked his eyes open the find himself back at the Pradesh estate.

"Does he know?"

"No."

His advanced hearing was able to catch that Cristoff was speaking with Bickslow over the phone.

"But I'm going to tell him as soon as he wakes up. He needs to fix this—if he can."

Laxus groaned. "What now?" he wondered to himself as tried to swing his legs out of bed. Intense pain and exhaustion had him immediately laying back down in the bed.

Cristoff opened the door, looking at him with his midnight blue eyes. "I'm surprised to find you awake so fast."

"What the hell happened?" Laxus managed to ask through labored breaths.

Cristoff took a seat on the opposite side of the room and gave the man a heavy stare. "I should like to ask you the same question."

Laxus rolled his eyes. His head hurt too much, he didn't have time to play these games. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Cris?"

Cristoff sighed. This conversation wasn't going to be easy. "Laxus, do you know anything about dragon mating rituals?"

"What? No, why would I?" Laxus huffed in agitation.

"Don't you think you should have looked into that when you realized you had a dragon soul inside of you?" Cristoff was getting slightly angry, which was rare for the Lunar Slayer. His disposition was normally so calm, but Laxus' lack of care had led to a very dangerous situation and the fact that the man wasn't the least bit interested was pissing him off.

"I didn't expect twenty fucking questions when I woke up, Cristoff!" Laxus all but bellowed.

Cristoff stood and moved closer to the bed. "Fine. I'll make it simple. You started the Mating with Lucy, and you didn't finish it. And because of it, she was attacked by another slayer."

The blond sat stunned in the bed, taking in everything Cristoff had just said. "I—what?"

It was Cristoff's turn to groan as he pulled the chair closer and sat down. He was going to have to explain everything, which he did.

Laxus sat silently as Cristoff explained to him that when dragon's sensed a dragon with compatible magic, they would be drawn to them. One of them, usually the one with the more dominant personality, would bite the other, which would transfer some of that dragon's magic to the other.

Once bitten, dragons became very possessive of their Mate and kept them close. The pheromones a Mate would emit after receiving a bite would draw other dragons. It took approximately a week for the receiving dragon to adjust to the new magic. Once past, the receiving dragon would then bite the first, transferring its magic back through the bond. The process of the intermingled magic would work to seal the bond and they would be Mated for life.

Laxus gulped. "And if the second bite isn't set?"

"Well, the magic would eventually leak out of their system, the bite would heal and they would no longer be in the Mating."

"And what happens if a Mate is bitten before the bond can be sealed?"

Cristoff shrugged his shoulders and put up his hands. "That I don't know. Nurem said it was only a possibility but most dragons knew to keep their Mates close during that time."

"Fuck," Laxus breathed.

"Yeah," Cristoff agreed somberly. "But what I can tell you is that your bond with Lucy has been severed." Before Laxus could interject, he continued. "I felt it during the full moon. Perhaps it was when that other slayer bit her, but I felt the bond snap. That's why you're in the state you are. The energy you gave to Lucy to share was lost." Cristoff sighed. "If we hadn't opened your third origin when we did, you would most definitely have died from instant magical depletion."

Laxus couldn't have moved even if he wanted to. This entire situation was once again, his fault. Because he'd been too much of a cocky asshole, he'd never bothered to research his magic. He only concentrated on the power it gave him without trying to truly understand it. To be honest, when he was younger he actually resented his magic and everything it had cost him.

"So, the bond is broken between us?"

"Yes, but—"

Laxus cut him off. "Good."

"What do you mean, good?" Cristoff said in a raised tone.

"I mean, this way she's free of me. I would never have bitten her had I known." Laxus grit his teeth.

"You can't do that!" Cristoff raised his voice. "She's been bitten by another slayer. You did that. You have to fix this!"

"As far as we know, all that did was break our bond. I heard you talking to Bix. She's in good hands at the Guild. They'll take care of her. She's not in any danger." Laxus closed his eyes.

"You can't know that!" Cristoff said in disbelief.

Laxus just kept his eyes closed. "Cristoff, how long will it take me to heal up from this?" He couldn't risk making eye contact with his friend right now. He couldn't let Cristoff see him cry.

Cristoff crossed his arms and ground his teeth. "One week of bed rest."

"Fine. I'm going back to sleep," Laxus said flatly as he rolled over.

Cristoff seethed but knew not to push the blond right now. There was plenty of time for threats when he was feeling better.

Laxus heard the door slam behind him as Cristoff walked out of the room. He winced and tried to fight back the tears that began to stream down his face. Cristoff didn't understand. He was doing this for Lucy's sake. He'd never have bitten her if he'd known what that meant. Binding her to him of all people? He didn't deserve her and he wasn't going to take her life away from her.

She'd been controlled by her father her entire childhood and he'd be damned if he took that choice away from her. Besides, he was an insufferable playboy and now a traitor. Being the Mate of such a sorry excuse for a man wasn't the life he wanted for the woman.

So he'd keep his distance. He'd let her live her own life, as she saw fit and try and forget all about this Mating business. If it meant that he suffered magic depletion as a result, well, he'd handle that for her sake.

He turned his head into the pillow and for the second time in only one month, he cried.

. . .

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled as soon as she walked through the doors. She visibly rolled her eyes. It had only been that morning that she'd left Laxus' house and she was still feeling incredibly irritable.

She purposefully avoided his waving hand and went to sit at the corner of the bar instead. "Mira, milkshake," she barked.

Mira furrowed her brow but decided to leave it alone. The girl had been through a lot lately and it was only inevitable that eventually she was going to blow off steam somewhere. She handed the girl her drink and quickly removed herself from the scene without saying anything.

Natsu furrowed his brow. It wasn't like Lucy to ignore him. He walked up to her and sat next to her at the bar, draping his arm across her shoulder. "What's got into you, Luce?"

"Is he fucking serious with this shit?" she internally thought. "Natsu, considering everything that's happened, I just really want to be left alone. Can you get that?"

"That means back off, flametard." Gray came upon the meeting with a snide comment and Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose.

Just as she was about to say something, Makarov's voice boomed over the hall. "Shut up, you brats!" The room went quiet as everyone gathered near the recently lit stage. Lucy looked on as Gray and Natsu clamored to get to the front of the crowd. "In accordance with the Guild's time honored tradition, I will now announce the Fairy Tail S Class Promotion trials!"

Members of the Guild cheered around Lucy as she rolled her eyes and went back to drinking her milkshake.

"Pay attention."

Lucy turned to listen intently to what the Master was about to say next. "The trial this year will take place on Tenrou Island. Fairy Tail's sacred ground!"

The blonde listened carefully as the old man announced the names of the wizards participating. When the excitement faded, she blinked to clear her vision. "What was I doing just now?" She shook her head and headed towards the exit, still feeling somewhat confused.

So lost in her own world, she didn't notice Bickslow watching her from the other side of the room.

She'd called Plue to her side to have some company. More often than not, she felt like she needed extra company these days. "Wow, Plue! I didn't think it ever snowed in Magnolia!" She reached her hands up to let the snowflakes fall gently around her fingers. It was odd for snow to be falling. It was only October and the city usually had a mild climate.

Walking past an alleyway, Lucy heard groaning and startled. Turning to her right, she saw Cana, laying in a pile of bottles, completely covered in snow. When she realized it was her friend, she couldn't help herself. "What are you doing passed out in the alleyway?"

Cana just waived a drunken hand and smiled before continuing her alcohol induced slumber. Lucy sighed. There was no way she could leave her friend like this. She summoned Virgo who appeared amongst pink smoke with a, "Punishment Princess?"

Lucy ignored her spirit's weird kink and instead just said, "Virgo? Can you help me carry Cana home?"

"Of course, Princess!" was the maid's immediate reply. Luckily, the trio wasn't far from Lucy's apartment and within ten minutes, they were back. Virgo assisted Cana in getting into the tub and sobered up while Lucy filled the time by making some tea and setting out some snacks.

Finally, Cana emerged from the bathroom, covered in just an oversized bath towel. Lucy offered her a seat on the couch or on her bed but Cana opted to curl herself into a ball on the floor and lean against Lucy's pink comforter.

"I owe you one," Cana sighed. "If you hadn't noticed me, I would have frozen my ass off there tonight."

Lucy leaned forward in her seat with a concerned look. "No joke. Wanna tell me what's got you acting like such a lunatic?"

Cana furrowed her brow. "You mean Mira hasn't already told you about it?" That would a first—the nosy barmaid not spreading people's dirt. "I get kind of crazy around S class trial time. It happens every year."

Lucy sat up straight. "Does this have something to do with that rumor I heard that you want to quit the Guild?" Lucy knew Cana had her faults and while she hadn't been thrilled about being ditched by the woman both times they had gone out together, she knew Cana didn't mean anything by it. Lucy couldn't face losing another person she cared for in such a short time and she'd feel horrible if she thought she had something to do with it.

Cana explained everything to Lucy. About how this was her fifth trial, about why she joined the Guild as a child and about who Gildarts really was to her. Lucy listened with increasing care.

"Ask to be her partner."

"Cana! Will you please let me be your partner? Fairy Tail just wouldn't be the same without you! I promise I can help you become an S class wizard!" Lucy held her breath waiting for her friend to respond.

The brunette smiled and a few tears rolled down her eyes. "After everything that's happened between us? You'd still want to help me out this way?"

Lucy dropped to her knees to hug her friend. "Of course. Our friendship is greater than any of that. I can't loose you too, Cana." Tears rolled down the blonde's face to mix with her friend's. Cana embraced Lucy while also filing away asking her who else she lost at the Guild for later.

. . .

Cobra walked into the lounge, trying to drown out the sound of so many souls around him. He inhaled the plumes of cigar smoke that were floating through the air, hoping it would help clear his head.

This place was a fucking nightmare for someone like him. Cubelios couldn't come with him, there were too many people and the whole place just made him nervous. He fucking hated it.

Waitresses in skimpy bunny costumes were moving around with plastered smiles, delivering drinks to their patrons. Fake, the whole fucking place.

In the corner of the room, he saw the man from the description. Wild white hair, blue tattoos on his face and arms and a general scowl. He tuned into that man's soul and was shocked when it was different than what he expected. It almost sounded like his second soul.

Cobra looked the man over again, running a hand through his maroon locks. The feel of the entire thing was off, but he was here now. Might as well see it through. Cobra's long legs carried him to the corner, his white coat fanning out behind him. "Name's Cobra. Are you-?"

The mystery man cut him off. "I'd prefer it if you didn't say my name aloud." His voice was deep and had a sinister feel to it. Cobra couldn't tell if he liked this man or hated his guts. He continued. "I hear you have something of interest to sell. The location of an island, perhaps?"

Cobra smirked. "Yeah. I can get you that info. For a price."

"Who's to say I don't just torture it out of you," the man responded with a gleam in his eye.

Cobra snarled low. "I'd like to see you fucking try."

The stranger held his gaze, as if sizing him up. "No matter," he finally said. "Name your terms and we'll go from there."

"I've got an," Cobra hesitated. He needed to be careful about how he said this. "-informant of sorts inside the Fairy Tail Guild." The man's eyebrow rose just slightly. "As soon as they make it to the island, I can get you the location."

"Not sooner?"

Cobra shrugged his shoulders. "When they know where it is, I'll know."

"Price?"

Cobra leaned back. This was incredibly valuable information that no one aside from him would ever be able to get. He could ask for anything. Of course, he'd already tried to sell it to another Dark Guild. But they're Master had said he still retained "connections" and would be quite fine in finding their way there.

"Five million jewel," Cobra finally said.

"Two and a half."

Cobra raised his eyebrow. "Three and that's my final offer."

"Fine."

"How will I get ahold of you when the time is right?" Cobra asked.

The man shook his head. "I'll get ahold of you."

Cobra shrugged. "Fine. Good doing business with you. Now I'm getting the fuck out of this place."

The stranger's laugh caused him to shiver as he walked towards the door.

END CHAPTER 26

. . .

Having fun? I am.

I hate to be snarky with some people, but I'm going to just come right out and say it: I'm sorry if I'm not meeting YOU'RE specific preferences but, I'm not writing this for you. I'm writing it for ME. I'm having fun exploring the characters and their relationships. I'm enjoying expanding the world that was created and toying with reader expectations.

So, sorry, not sorry. But I'm having way too much fun to stop. So no, I'm not going to leave out smut that I want to write, even if it's not between Laxus and Lucy. No, I'm not going to simply get rid of a character because he's evil and we don't like him. And no, I'm not going to just tie everything in a bow immediately. That's how you kill a story. And I'm having too much fun to do that.

So, relax. Read if it makes you happy, stop if it doesn't.

To everyone who is right there with me and is enjoying this rollercoaster ride and leaving comments, thank you! Glad I've got some of you with me still as we make our way towards our happily ever after.

All things in good time, my dearies.

Musicera

*We can begin at the top. Was I waking you up?