Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Title: Naga, Alone
Pairing: Cobra x Kinana
Requester: anonymous
Prompt: Harmony
Kinana, a proud member of the naga race, had once believed it impossible to live in harmony with the humans. They had, time and time again, attacked her people for no greater reason than that they didn't like their snake parts. As if cutting out their reptilian features would transform them into humans.
Worse were the poachers, though. The ones that hunted her kind for their scales, that shone in brilliant hues when they caught the light - like living gemstones.
It was a poacher that had killed her family. A human with nothing but crude human money on his mind. It didn't matter to him that these nagas had lived in peace, had never even seen a human before let alone attacked one. All that had mattered to him was that they lived on the outskirts of the naga territories, that they were easy pickings and would make him rich beyond his wildest dreams.
Kinana had not been there, or else she too would have been a victim.
Not that it saved her from another poacher that came sniffing along the trail of the previous one, years later.
Just when she thought it was all over, that her life was about to end... the poacher gurgled, and wheezed, and keeled right over on the jungle floor.
"Are you alright?" a voice asked, and Kinana shrank back as another human approached her, much younger than the previous one. "Hey, I'm not out to hurt you, like this guy." The dagger in his hand gleamed in the shafts of light that filtered down from the canopy. Red droplets - the poacher's lifeblood - fell from the sharp edge.
"I'm... I'm fine," she stuttered slightly, still keeping an eye on his weapon. Kinana did not trust him to not turn it on her next, no matter what verbal reassurances he gave her. Humans could not be trusted.
But then... he had helped her, hadn't he? And although she was far from being an expert at telling human ages, he looked to be the human equivalent of hers. Young, and seemingly on his own, just like her.
Though clearly still just as deadly as a full grown human.
"What's your name?" the human asked. "I'm Erik."
"I'm... Kinana." She wasn't certain if she should give her name to him, but if he was going to turn on her after all, she didn't see what it could hurt.
"What are you doing in human territory, Kinana? I'd think it'd be pretty dangerous to be a naga in these parts."
Anger sparked in her breast, and she let out a hiss, startling the human into taking a step back from her. "It wasn't human territory until they killed my kin and stole it!"
He held up his hands, dagger still clutched in one, with his eyes gone wide. "Sorry! I didn't think before asking!"
Shaking with rage, Kinana couldn't formulate a response.
Erik lowered his hands, and the dagger. He bent down to the poacher, rifling in the man's pockets and withdrawing a pouch of money.
"You humans would even rob other humans?" Kinana inquired, disgust in her voice. And murder them, apparently.
Erik snorted, and wiped his dagger clean of the poacher's blood on the man's own shirt before sheathing it. "Trust me, we can do far worse to each other." He straightened and cracked his neck. "On that note... I'm sure you know of a place or two someone can lie low for a while. As thanks for saving your life, do you mind sharing?"
If that was all he wanted from her, then Kinana didn't mind giving him the information. Erik felt... different to her, compared to the others of his race. He had spoken to her, for a start. Had saved her life, and apologized for asking an insensitive question. He seemed... almost trustworthy. It had been such a long time since she'd spoken to anyone, human or naga, that Kinana wasn't sure she wanted him to leave just yet.
And it didn't hurt that, as he grinned at her, his eyes shone with an amethyst sheen akin to that of her own scales. Humans were ugly, incomplete creatures... but those eyes were beautiful.
"This way," she told him, indicating with her arm the direction of one of her hidden camps. "I'll show you."
"Lead the way, then!"
Kinana had thought it impossible for naga to get along with humans. They were too different, and too cruel.
But she was willing to give Erik, the human who saved her, a chance.
She was done being alone.
