The day started like it always did in the Fairy Tail guild. Natsu and Gray insulting each other, Erza eating her strawberry cake, Cana drinking from her barrel, Levy with her nose in a book as Lucy sat next to her with Plue in her lap, Carla, Happy, and PantherLily sitting around Wendy as Gajeel checked out the mission board that Juvia was peeking around to stalk Gray. Elfman yelling at Jet and Droy about being a man as Mira was serving drinks at the bar. Master was in his office with his grandson, Laxus. Little did the guild members know that things were about to change for them.
"Master, it's almost time." Laxus said as he stared out the window at Magnolia beneath them. Master looked up from his work to his grandson.
"I know. We need to tell them and the rest of the guild. It will be different this time Laxus. I won't lock you all up this season. It didn't do anything but hurt you." Master said as he stood up and walked to the door. He opened the door and stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked the guild. He smiled at his children going about their everyday lives. "Children!" Master called getting the guild's attention.
"Yes, Master?" Mira asked cocking her head to the side.
"I need to see Natsu, Lucy, Gajeel, Levy, Mira, Wendy, Romeo, and Kinana all in my office now." Master called out. The named members walked up the stairs and into the Master's office where Laxus was already standing. "Take a seat, girls." Master said as he sat on his desk as the girls did what the Master said.
"What is going on Master?" Mira asked looking as the men stood to the side with Laxus.
"Things are going to be changing in a couple of weeks for you nine. The dragon slayers are about to be going through a change." Master started.
"Dragon mating season…" Levy gasped looking to Master for confirmation. Master nodded crossing his arms knowing out of the mates Levy would be the most likely one to know about it since she spent so much time in the library.
"Yes Levy. Dragon mating season is about to start in a few weeks and we want to be prepared this year. The last time this came around we weren't and I gravely regret that." Master said glancing to his grandson who looked out the window.
"Master, Levy, what is dragon mating season?" Lucy asked looking around the room.
"Dragon mating season happens every ten years. Now this is just what we are assuming from the information that we have obtained through Natsu from Igneel and from a book that was explaining actual dragon mating season that says that the phases should be the same. The season affects both male and female slayers but only after they go through puberty, even if a dragon slayer hasn't gone through puberty they will still feel most of affects of the season. It last about a month. During this season dragons and dragon slayers go and find their mates and mark them as theirs. Mates have been compared to soul mates in many cases. Dragon slayers only have one mate their whole life and the mate will not feel happy or right with anyone but the dragon slayer. Their mates are someone they are drawn to and they mate for life. If their mate rejects them they will become so heartbroken they can die. During mating season our dragon slayers are going to be going through some stages.
The first stage is finding their mate. They will do this a couple weeks before the season. If the dragon slayer hasn't found a mate before the season they will become very ill and be in excoriating pain, as well as their mate. I already assume that you all have found your mates?" Master asked looking over that the dragon slayers. They all blushed and nodded their heads avoiding anyone's eyes.
"The second stage is the slayer will becoming clingy. The dragon slayer will want to be close to their mate at all times through out the season. Many reports of the season say that dragon slayers usually prefer some kind of physical contact. If the dragon slayer and mate are separated for too long the dragon slayer will become in excoriating amounts of pain as well as their mates. The mates pain will not be as strong but they will be hurt.
The third stage is jealousy. The dragon slayer will get extremely jealous of anyone who tries to take their mate's attention away from them. This usually triggers stage four of the season.
Stage four is protectiveness. The dragon slayer will become over protective of their mate and will protect them with their life. During this stage it is highly dangerous for anyone who isn't the mate. The dragon slayers will not want to cause anyone harm but if they suspect their mate to be in harms way or any trouble they will attack without thinking. The only thing that can call them off is the mate.
Stage five is the marking stage. The dragon slayer will feel the need to mark their mate as soon as they find them. If the mate is not ready they usually accept that and will wait til later in the season to do so. They will have a constant urge to mark their mate though throughout the whole season. After the marking stage it can lead to the last stage.
Stage six is the mating stage. The mating stage is what you think it is about. The dragon slayer and mate will make love and consummate the marking of the mate. Most dragon slayers are virgins and this is the most intimate thing in their culture that symbolizes marriage." Master stated as if he memorized it out of a manual.
"What about Wendy and Romeo. They are too young for that." Lucy said looking over at her young friend. Romeo and Wendy's faces both turned a shade of red that could rival Erza's hair.
"They will still go through the season. They will not mate as the rest of you will. Their mating will simply be a kiss until next season." Master said as Wendy sighed in relief.
"What is the marking exactly?" Mira asked curiously as she looked over to Laxus whose cheeks were slightly pink as he looked out the window.
"The marking is with the consent of the mate. The dragon slayer will bite the mate at an agreed upon area of the mates body. The mark will be a dragon that is the color of the dragon slayers magic and it will include something symbolic from the mate's magic as well. If I remember correctly the book said that the best location for the mark would be somewhere visible to the dragon slayer because if they are enraged and they get out of control touching the mark calms them down with the help of the mate." Master said as he looked around the room at his children. "The reason that I called you all in here before the season is because the last season we had we were not prepared for. We will not repeat that again. This season we will be sending you all away to different secluded cabins that far enough from each other and any form of civilization. The cabins are being stocked now and will have more than enough food to last the season." Master finished letting the members take it all in.
"Master, you said you weren't prepared for last season what do you mean?" Levy asked nervously. Natsu and Laxus stiffened up and looked at the ground uncomfortably.
"We didn't know about mating season and whenever it came around Laxus and Natsu were just twelve and eleven years old but both were going through puberty so they were fully affected by the season. Laxus had already found his mate so he went through it all and was locked up in the basement. Natsu was locked up in the basement as well but we had someone attending to him due to him being sick. After we found out why they were acting so odd we automatically ruled out Lisanna being Natsu's mate since he was sick and wasn't being overly aggressive like Laxus was. You could hear their screams of pain throughout the guild during that month and after it was over I vowed we would never subject them though that again. We would find a different way. So this season we are sending the dragon slayers and their mates away together to ensure the protection of the guild members and the rest of Mangolia." Master said. Mira and Lucy looked over to their dragon slayers at the painful look on their faces of the memory. The two mates felt their heart hurt for their dragon slayers as they simultaneously got out of their chairs with tears in their eyes and ran at their respective dragon slayers. They threw their arms around their necks and the dragon slayers caught them and wrapped their own arms around their waists holding the crying girls near them. Natsu buried his face into Lucy's neck breathing her in as he rubbed circles on her back calming her down. Laxus rested his cheek against the tope of Mira's head shushing her cries.
Levy stood up and walked over to Gajeel and rested her hand delicately on his arm looking up at him with glossy eyes asking him to look at her without speaking. Gajeel looked down at the small hand on his arm and looked to its owner trying to erase the memory of the pain from his features. He didn't do it fast enough because Levy caught the pain in his eyes and gasped as she threw herself at him as he caught her and held his small mate close as she cried into his chest. Gajeel picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist in a backwards piggy back and cried into his shoulder instead. One of his arms rested under her thighs and the other ran through her hair has he tried to calm her down.
Master watched the three couples as the dragon slayers comforted their mates and he knew he was correct into assuming who were the mates. He looked over at Romeo resting a comforting hand on Wendy's shoulder as she watched the couples feeling the pain for them. His attention turned to Kinana who was looking down at her hands. "Kinana, what's wrong my child?" Master asked after he got off his desked and walked over to her.
She looked up at him and shook her head. "I'm just thinking of what Erik-I mean Cobra- had to go through all those years ago… Does that mean…" She asked implying she was his mate and Master nodded his head. She nodded and turned her eyes back to her hands that were fiddling with a snake ring that was placed around her ring finger. Master turned back and stood on top of the desk and cleared his throat. The couples broke apart and turned Master.
"I want you all to go home and grab your belongings then meet back here by six o'clock tonight so we can take you all to the cabins. More will be explained then." Master said as he dismissed the dragon slayers and their mates. As the members were filing out the office Kinana was the last to the door when Master spoke again. "Cobra will be here at six when you get here child." Kinana looked back and nodded as she walked out the room closing the door behind her. The small group walked down the stairs to the main floor as the other guild members looked at them. Lucy turned around to the mates and the dragon slayers.
"I say that we all go home now and pack our stuff we will be taking with us then meet back here since it's already half past four." Lucy suggested and the group nodded. Natsu escorted Lucy home with Happy. Gajeel escorted Levy home with Panterlily. Romeo and Laxus escorted Mira, Wendy, and Kinana back to the girl's dorm with Carla in tow.