There's no fighting in this chapter. It's just a comedy chapter we made up to change all the action and drama that's going to happen next. Enjoy.
XXXX
Haru and Cooro were sleeping in the same room together. The hotel manager gave them a dirty look when they walked up the mahogany stairs to their hotel room. Cooro and Haru went upstairs only to power nap then they walked back downstairs. The hotel gave a free breakfast to everyone staying. Cooro ate light, ate a grilled cheese Vulcan sandwich and drank juice from the tree of a Tristam, a large orange fruit with the taste of fruit punch laced into its fruit. Haru on the other hand ate the meat of a Wyvern.
"You really gave it to Bone's today," Haru said pulling on his meat and stuffing it in his mouth. "Now he knows he's not the strongest mage in Fairy Tail with or without your pet's help."
"I got lucky," Cooro hastily replied using a fork to cut his grilled cheese sandwich and eating it like some rare or endangered meal.
"Lucky or not we won that battle; Bones forfeit, your dad mixing into that equation, and Bones will stop being a narcissist. I'd call that a pretty good day." Haru answers. "By the way…" he trails off, putting the meat down. "What did you say to him?"
"Nothing important." Cooro shakes his head, now stuffing food in his mouth.
"Cooro," Haru says seriously. "What did you say?"
"What about you, huh?" Cooro fires his own question. "What was with that earlier? You were so serious, and so was Wendy. April said she couldn't tell me. What were you doing? Are you not telling me something?"
"It's none of your business, Cooro." Haru grits his teeth.
"Exactly, what I said is none of your business either." Cooro replies. "So, if you're not going to tell me what's up with you, I won't tell you what I said."
"That is not fair to me, Cooro." Haru cries.
"It's not fair to me either!" Cooro shouts. "You're my friend, okay?" Cooro mutters. "You're my friend and you're not telling me what's up with you. April looked worried, and you know her better than anyone. So, what the hell aren't you telling me, Haru?"
Sighing, Haru shakes his head. "It's nothing, I'm going to bed."
"No," Cooro glares at the older teen. "Tell me. Now."
Closing his eyes, Haru nods slowly. "I – it's a long story."
"I have all night, and every time after. Start explaining." Cooro crosses his arms.
"I'm not what you would exactly call a human, Cooro." Haru laughs. "I guess, in a way, I'm like you."
"What do you mean?" Cooro asks softly. "How are you like me?"
"I'm a hybrid." Haru answers. "A mix between two worlds."
"But… what?" Cooro blinks.
"A long, long time ago, I was born into this world; almost seven hundred years ago." Haru laughs. "My parents, long dead, were two conflicting species; a fairy, and a demon. I guess it's kind of fitting that I joined Fairy Tail of all places." He shakes his head. "I grew up, alone, and confused as to why everyone around me was dying." Sighing, Haru runs a hand through his long, white hair. "I age differently than everyone else, Cooro." Haru states. "When I was six, the same age as children around me, I would stay six until they were in their fifties. I'm eighteen now, two years older than you. When you're sixty, Cooro, I'll turn nineteen."
"But, why would you go to Wendy for that?" Cooro asks confused. "Though it's really sad, that's amazing; why would you go see Wendy?"
"I'm getting there," Haru rolls his eyes. "A few years back, I met Bones and April. Bones figured out what I was as soon as he shook his hand. Because I'm a hybrid, I, or we as a species, reacted to him. He changed my aging process. He changed it by accident; and he felt, and feels, really bad about it. But, I was happy. I was beginning to age like everyone else. I could die earlier, and be with my loved ones sooner than I thought." Haru smiles, but it slowly disappears. "But, every once in a while, my aging would freak out. One day I would be seventy, another I would be three, another I would be my regular age. Some days, Cooro, some days I was just a pile of dust; dead." Haru shakes his head. "But others would be fine, I would age normally, and be a human; not some hybrid."
"Oh shit," Cooro mutters, his eyes focused on Haru.
"Yeah," Haru laughs. "When I met Wendy, she sensed what was going on inside of me and without any warning, she started healing me; changing my aging process once again, back to the way it's supposed to be… back to where I would age slower than everyone else. And, because of it, my body started reacting; I got shorter, I ate a lot, I slept a lot, and other things. I – I didn't want it, I wanted to be like everyone else. I wanted to be my age, I wanted to be taller." He laughs. "But, apparently, the cards aren't in my favor. April sensed it; that's why she was so worried."
"Wow," Cooro mutters.
"Yeah, so now you know." Haru nods. "Now, tell me… what did you say to Bones?"
"I told him that I knew everything about him liking April, and how he felt when he was around her, about how 'I took her away'," Cooro quotes the air. "But, I told him how I felt about her and I told him I wouldn't give up; not to someone like him. I said that April is his friend, and she liked the real him, not this side; I told him she didn't like this side of him, and was disgusted by it. He reacted, and I guess we're rivals now." Cooro mutters, stuffing more food into more food in his mouth.
"You what?!" Haru exclaims with wide eyes. "Cooro, what?!"
"So, hey I'm worried about our next opponents. What were their names again?"
"Cooro," Haru looks at him, seriousness emanating off his body. "You what?!
"What?" Cooro looks up at Haru innocently.
"You like April?! Like, like like?!" Haru shouts, shock and amazement in his voice. "Cooro, you have to tell me when this happened!"
"I don't know," Cooro sighs, his form looking tired and annoyed. "Ever since the moment I met her, it's been little things. I mean, girls have always been around me, liked me, and had crushes on me and I didn't care about them or girls in general, but there's just something I noticed about April." Cooro answers. "She's different, and strong, and she's not bad to look at, and -"
"Cooro," Haru smiles. "Tell me everything."
"I guess I kind of realized how I felt when she said she was in love with me..." Cooro trails off, not looking Haru in the eyes. "I mean, it was when I was turned to stone, but I still heard everything… she said she like me a lot, maybe even loved me. And, I guess I did too."
"But, what about her do you like? This is important, Cooro." Haru says.
"She's just really pretty and strong, and whenever she touches me it's this weird feeling that starts in my stomach and it's prickly wherever she touches me and it lingers for a while, and she smells really good, and she's really weird, but she makes me smile…" Cooro mutters.
"You're totally in love with her," Haru laughs.
"You can't tell anyone." Cooro glares at Haru.
"Your secret's safe with me," Haru laughs. "And, to answer your question, our next opponents are Sting Eucliffe and Rouge Cheney from Sabertooth. Their named Twin Dragons from Sabertooth. Sting uses dragon slayer magic like Natsu and Gajeel. His is the White Dragon Slayer Magic. Rogue also has dragon slayer magic. His is the Shadow Dragon Slayer Magic. Their tag team fighting is unrivaled."
"Great, more dragon slayers. How many are there?"
"Not that many. Some of them died and no one has seen a new dragon slayer for years. Now we have people like you who have…whatever you call them living inside you."
'Aw shucks. He thinks I'm the new cool thing,' Kanellos gushes with much satisfaction in Cooro's head.
"If they are both dragon slayers that means they must have the same weaknesses," Cooro said cutting another piece of grilled cheese. "What weaknesses do dragon slayers have?"
"Other than they have to eat the item they are using to keep their magic? They may have motion sickness like Natsu. Maybe you can ask your pet to grow a tree train and move them around in it?"
'Does he think I can grow anything?!' Kanellos said sounding defenseless. 'I only plant beauty. Plants grow the way they are meant to be, the roots are what keep them alive…he is asking to kill the plants for something as frivolous as a train?!'
"Kanellos says he's not going to do it," Cooro said.
"Bummer. Well you're the genius—I'm sure you'll think of something."
XXX
Haru went to bed with an upset stomach. Cooro warned him not to eat so much because it will give him stomach pain, but Haru wouldn't listen to him. The idea of free food got the best of him. Cooro could hear Haru rubbing his stomach as he sleep. Cooro needed medicine for him.
'Cooro,' Kanellos says softly. 'Normally I only bug you when there's a battle…more or less, but you and I both want this loud boy to stop moaning and groaning about what he ate. Let's give him medicine.'
'This is a hotel not a hospital," Cooro gritted his teeth and punched his pillow saying. 'I can't just ask people the medicine I need. They'll give me cheap medicine for coughing like night drops.'
'I have a better idea. Why not let me come out and make the medicine to heal him? What do you say?'
'I say it's not that I don't trust you; I don't trust you. Dad warned me how bad you really are and I will never listen to you again.'
'How long are you going to go on about that… it's already been a whole day, that's like one hundred hours dog time... or something.'
'Good night, Kanellos. One more thing: shut up.'
Haru's moaning was now the least of Cooro's worries. If you had someone like Kanellos living inside you how could you ever fall asleep? Cooro fell asleep after he imagined the greatest place he could be—a library with books, no need to worry about time, and no one but Cooro there. All his favorite books were there…all the greatest words from the greatest authors…it was perfect.
All that joy ended the moment Cooro realized he wasn't alone.
"Is this all you want to dream about?" Kanellos said behind him. Cooro's head twitched when he listened to the dog-eared man. "What about dating models, having flowers in front of your school, helping someone you know take over the world?"
"This is my dream Kanellos!" Cooro roared throwing a book at him. Kanellos grabbed the book and continued reading from it.
"The only thing written in here is Die Kanellos, Die," he said.
"That's right. Go ahead and die!"
"Cooro, why are you yelling? I'm your friend. I'm not just your friend or your buddy…I am your best, best, best, best, best, best friend."
"You're just quoting April when she called my father awful," he said.
"The point is this dream is boring. But I know one everyone likes."
Kanellos snapped his fingers. Suddenly, water came out of the vents and flooded the library. The water was rising to Cooro's knees as he then climbed the books. He fell off a stack of books and fell into the water. Cooro felt light headed but was breathing normally. Since it was a dream Cooro couldn't die in here. He was just floating down until women with fish tails, clams for bras and elf ears swam around him. Cooro was having a dream about mermaids; water woman who all wanted to kiss him. The gag was they all looked like girls he knew. There was April with a green tail, Lola with a brown tail, Kokat; purple tail, Lucy; yellow tail, Beauty; silver tail, Zira; green tail, Marianne; black tail, and Wendy with a blue tail.
"Cooro!" They said happily in unison before hugging him in a vicious circle.
"Kanellos," Cooro sighs. "Let me go back to my previous dream."
"No can do," Kanellos laughs, as Lucy swims over to him and hugs him around the waist. "I like this dream much better."
"Then go and dream it by yourself!" Cooro shouts at him, pushing all of the girls off of him.
"Live a little, Cooro," Kanellos sighs. "Dream about something other than books, and studying, and killing me. You're so plain and boring. Do all of us a favor and dream up something fun."
"Something fun," Cooro rolls his eyes.
"Or I'll do it for you." Kanellos states, ready to snap his fingers.
"Don't you dare," Cooro sneers.
"I dare," Kanellos laughs, snapping his fingers, making the world go black.
"Kanellos," Cooro groans, looking around in the darkness. "You asshole, make it brighter."
Hearing laughing surrounding him, a lone, floating candle light up in front of the boy.
"Funny," Cooro nods, grabbing onto the candle. "Very funny, Kanellos. I'm sure you're dying of laughter."
Watching more candles appear in front of him, they all light up, leading down a long passageway.
Sighing, Cooro lets go of the candle, not caring of where it goes or what it burns and walking down the passageway; deciding that he might as well humor Kanellos.
Coming to a stop at a small wooden door, Cooro sighs. "You couldn't make it bigger?" Cooro asks loudly, smirking when the door immediately gets bigger. "Thank you."
Opening the door, Cooro walks into a large room, with a white bed placed in the middle of it, torches burning in the corners of the room. "Hello?" Cooro calls out, walking towards the bed, blinking in surprise when white curtains drape themselves over the bed. "Last minute decorating, Kanellos?" Cooro rolls his eyes.
Walking up to the bed, Cooro grabs onto the curtain. "Might as well," he mutters. Opening the curtains, Cooro scrunches his eyebrows together when he notices someone on the bed. "Uh, hey." Cooro says walking around to the side of the bed and opening those curtains. "You okay?"
Looking down at the person, Cooro's eyes widen in surprise when April lays there in a soft looking white dress, the sleeves hanging off her shoulders, it ending at her knees, her hair fanned out around her, and her mouth slightly open.
Gulping, Cooro takes a step away, only to bump into a large chest. "Nope," Kanellos says pushing Cooro forward. "I'm in charge right now and I say to wake her up."
"Wake her up?!" Cooro cries. "Nope, nope… I don't want to be dreaming of April, Kanellos. I want my books back, I want my library, and my quiet, and – and not this!"
"Cooro, let me explain something to you," Kanellos says seriously. "You, as a teenage boy, just took a very large step in your life. Cooro, you just admitted that you loved this girl. Wake her up, tell her how you feel, Cooro."
"What?" Cooro blinks. "Why?"
"I may have also altered her dreams. You're sharing a dream, Cooro! How cool is that?" Kanellos says happily.
"Wha – That's April?!" Cooro cries, pointing at the girl. "Like actually April? Like the real April?!"
"Like, yes." Kanellos sighs, pushing Cooro towards the bed. Watching him trip and lie beside April, Cooro squeaks and backs away from the girl, almost falling off the bed.
Sighing, Kanellos shakes his head in disappointment. Snapping his fingers, Kanellos watches as Cooro floats up into the air, hanging upside down in front of April; a rope tied around his body, and his blond hair hanging above his head.
Forcing himself to turn around, Cooro glares at Kanellos. "Kanellos," Cooro says darkly. "Put me down."
"Nope, have fun you two," Kanellos laughs, walking out of the room. "But not too much fun!"
Screaming in frustration, Cooro wiggles around, trying to loosen the rope on the roof of the bed; trying to get down. Sighing, Cooro focuses on April's sleeping face. "April," Cooro whispers. "Hey, April."
Watching her open her eyes, April looks around, confused. "Where…?" she mutters. Looking up, April begins to laugh. "Cooro?" she laughs. "What are you doing up there?"
Cooro, figuring April doesn't know what's going on, or the Kanellos may be lying, sighs. Deciding to make up some excuse and actually take the time to get to know April, Cooro smiles at her. "Don't you remember?" he says, lying through his teeth. "You thought it would be funny if you tied me up here and poked fun at me."
"I did?" April laughs. "Sorry. Here, let me help you get down."
Jumping to her feet, April begins to pull on the rope, her face right above his own. "April," Cooro says, watching her. "Why… why do you like me?"
Pausing in her movements, April looks down at him. "What do you mean, Cooro?"
"I mean, why do you like me? Why are you in love with me?" Cooro questions.
"I – I'm not in love with you," April laughs nervously, pulling Cooro down. Landing improperly on the bed, Cooro in flung off, landing on the floor. "Sorry!" April cries jumping off the bed and rushing over to him. "I'm sorry," she says, pulling him up to his knees, beginning to work on the knot that binds the ropes together.
"Its fine," Cooro nods, looking at her.
"Why would you ask something like that, Cooro?" April questions, watching as the rope disappears when she unties him. "This is my dream, I should – it should be the way I want it to go…" she mutters. "That doesn't make sense."
"No, it does." Cooro shakes his head. "Dreams are funny that way," he says crossing his legs and holding onto them. "You think you can control what happen since you're the one dreaming it up, but it doesn't work like that. Dreams are their own thing. In their own way, they answer certain questions, or let you figure out what something means."
"Wow," April says, looking at Cooro. "Are you my version of a conscious, Dream Cooro?"
"Dream Cooro?" Cooro laughs. "Is that my name now?"
"No," April shakes her head. "Your name is Cooro, but you're in my dreams, so your name is Dream Cooro, see how that works?"
"Yes, April, I see." Cooro nods.
'She thinks this is her dream, Cooro. She thinks you aren't real. Keep it that way, figure out all the questions and answers you want from her.' Kanellos' voice rings through Cooro's head. 'Use this to your advantage.'
Sighing, Cooro nods. "Why did you dream me up, April?" Cooro questions, looking at the girl. "Why am I here?"
"I don't know," April answers, getting to her feet and jumping onto the bed. Laying down on it, looking up to the ceiling, she smiles. "I guess – I guess you would know better than anyone, wouldn't you Dream Cooro?"
"I suppose," Cooro nods, getting to his feet, looking down at April. "But I want to hear it from you."
Laughing, April shakes her head. "It's dumb," she laughs. "It's just… I'm scared."
"Scared?" Cooro echoes, sitting down on the bed. "About what?"
"You, mostly." April answers.
"Me?" Cooro gapes. "Scared of me, or scared for me?"
"Yeah," April mutters. "I'm scared of your power, Cooro. It's amazing, and incredible… but there's so much of it; so much that leaks out when you're angry, or when you're fighting… and it's so much that it makes me afraid for my life, afraid for you, afraid for the other guy. Yet, I'm also scared for you. I'm scared that people will come after you and take you away from me. I – I haven't been your partner for long, and I haven't known you for as long, or anything, but I like you, Cooro. A lot. And that scares me too."
"Oh," Cooro mutters, falling back on the bed beside April, his hands folded on his stomach. "I – I like you too, April."
"You're just saying that because you're my dream and I'm making you say things."
"No, April." Cooro says, closing his eyes. "Real Cooro… he likes you too. He's just afraid to tell you."
"O-oh?" April stutters, a blush covering her cheeks. "I guess you would know. In a way, you are Cooro." She laughs slightly. "Do you really think he likes me?"
"Yeah," Cooro whispers. "I really think I do. It's just. Cooro, the both of us, we've never like anyone before. So, I'm warning you know, if he never tells you, or never does anything to prove it, he does really like you."
"Thanks for the heads up." April laughs. "So does that mean you like me, Dream Cooro?"
"Yes April, I like you." Cooro mutters, turning his head away from her. Hearing some shuffling happen, Cooro feels himself being pulled into the middle of the bed. Looking up, Cooro watches as April straddles him. "A-April, what are you doing?" he questions, his voice hoarse.
"Oh relax, Dream Cooro." April laughs. "I'm not doing anything like that."
Stiffening, Cooro watches as she lays on top of him. With her head placed on his chest, and her ear over top of his heart, she smiles. Putting her legs in between his, and her hands clenching his shirt, April smiles brighter. "You're so warm…" she mutters, closing her eyes.
1h agoCooro, loosening up slightly, lifts up his hands, placing one on the middle of her back and the other on her head. Pulling her up slightly, Cooro bends his head so that his forehead touches her right shoulder.
Rolling off of him, April lays beside Cooro, her hands reaching his. "Can you stay until I fall asleep?"
"Yeah," Cooro mutters, squeezing April's hand. "I'll stay for as long as you want."
Moving closer to him, April places her cheek on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "See you when I wake up, Real Cooro." April smirks. "You're so easy to see through, Cooro." April laughs. "I don't know how you ended up in my dreams, but thanks."
"And here I thought I was doing a good job," Cooro laughs.
"So you'll stay for as long as I want?" April smiles. "Who knew you were so smooth." She giggles.
"Stop talking, April." Cooro mutters. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Yeah," April nods, closing her eyes. "Goodnight, Cooro."
"Goodnight," he mutters, closing his own eyes.
XXXX
Shooting up in bed, Cooro begins to breathe heavily, running a hand through his hair.
"You okay?" Haru asks, standing in the doorway of the kitchen, a drink in his hand. "You were mumbling in your sleep. I couldn't hear anything, but then you started to get sweaty and gross and you were tossing and turning. You were screaming at one point."
"Was I?" Cooro mutters. "Sorry."
"It's not a big deal," Haru shrugs. "I went out and got you something. Here, drink it."
"Was is it?" Cooro mutters, taking the glass from Haru's hand. Taking a sip, Cooro spits it out, coughing violently. "What the hell is this?" he asks hoarsely.
"Nightwing." Haru answers. "It's gross, but it helps you sleep."
"Oh," Cooro mutters, looking down at it. "Okay."
"What happened? I mean, in your dreams. What happened?" Haru questions, sitting down on his bed.
"Not much, just… I'm still recovering from being stabbed like five times today. It's been a rough day." Cooro says before quickly downing the drink, coughing loudly once he finishes. "Oh Gods, that's disgusting."
"Speaking about that," Haru mutters. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you," he sighs.
"Its fine," Cooro mumbles, his eyes closing slightly. "I'm going to go back to bed."
"Alright," Haru nods, taking the cup from Cooro's hand before watching the boy fall backwards onto the bed; fast asleep. "Goodnight," Haru says, before walking over to his bed, falling fast asleep.