Since some people are having trouble finding me, my username on Ao3 is SakuraDemonAlchemist. Or you could just look up Transcending Time and Space. You'll know you have the right one when you find a story that has a threesome between Bel, Fran and Luna Lovegood.
It said something that soon after Fon's "friend" located whoever hurt Natsu that no less than two weeks later she got a massive increase in her account along with an odd box that was delivered to the room that had a large number of uncut gemstones that were of very good quality. Though it was the last item that she found that had her mood improved.
There were letters, actual letters from her mother in her own words and little quips, in with the box of gems. Apparently her mysterious father had decided that since she was going to be living at the Academy that he could abduct her mother without any warning or notice.
His subordinate (not his familiar, even if the woman was half-demon... a breed of Cerberus who looked more in line like a three headed rottweiler) was the one who sent the stones, the very large influx of cash and all the letters that the idiot either forgot to send or didn't bother to since he was too busy catching up on all the time he hadn't spent with his wife.
The cash was an apology for what happened to Natsu, though the gems were more of a "Don't sue us for damaging your extremely rare demon because my boss is an idiot of the highest order" deal.
Honoka went through the gems, most of which would likely be slated for spell use only unless she found one that suited a demon she particularly liked.
She set only one of them aside...she had plans for it, since according to Fon Hibari's birthday was soon. It wasn't much, but she highly doubted anyone would actually give him anything that he would accept.
"What is this?" asked Hibari, staring at the small box on his bed.
"A birthday present. I took one look at the gem and immediately thought of you," said Honoka without hesitation. "There's no spells or anything, so you can customize it however you wish."
Hibari looked at the box curiously, before opening it. Inside was a simple wristband with a single gem held to the leather through two woven bands in a tasteful knot that allowed most of the gem to be seen while still holding it secure to the band. It was an interesting almost indigo-purple color and it was something that could be worn almost daily, as he could tell the leather was spell treated to resist damage, water and all the usual factors that would lead to it being broken.
A simple gift that was exactly to his taste since he could wear it and hide it within his sleeve so no one knew it was there. Even if he wasn't exactly inclined to add any spells. He wasn't a Jewel Summoner after all.
"What type of gem is it?" he asked curious.
"Spinel. I almost went amethyst, but it didn't feel 'right' to me," admitted Honoka.
To her pleasure Hibari eyed the bracelet before calmly putting it on...and she never saw him take it off. If anything he seemed to dismiss it's presence around his wrist entirely after a few hours of wearing it.
Jewels had a habit of taking on the characteristics of those who had regular contact with them. If Hibari didn't add any specific spells to the gem, then it would start to take a new form on it's own and eventually his magic would latch onto it as a spare source of stored energy.
She couldn't wait to see what form it took after Hibari wore it for several months. If he didn't bother to do anything with it, it would simply absorb the magic that came off him naturally when not in use until it became a sort of 'external battery' whenever he needed it.
There was a reason why Summoners often wore gems, even if they didn't actually use them to cast spells with. Jewel Summoners simply had a way of speeding up the natural process and storing extra contracts in the gems.
Fon was openly amused at the fact that his summoner hadn't argued about the present being 'too civilian' for his tastes. Hibari might not show it openly, but he was genuinely fond of his partner who was completely unafraid of him and could handle his moods.
The fact she was such a considerate roommate didn't hurt either. Outside of a few awkward incidents, there had yet to be any real friction between them.
Though Fon decided to tease the little summoner a bit, because he asked "What gem do you think would suit me?"
"Star ruby," said Honoka without thinking.
Fon blinked at the prompt answer.
"Oh?"
"I was looking through the case of gems and I saw this star ruby that would suit you perfectly if it were on a collar or something," she admitted.
"Then what sort of gemstone does Natsu have?" asked Hayato. All he knew was that it was orange and looked really, really rare.
"Sphalerite," replied Honoka.
"I doubt a collar would be all that practical, seeing as how I can shift my size very easily and civilians would take it the wrong way if they saw me wearing one as a human. At the very least it would spawn endless rumors," said Fon after a moment.
"Perhaps a bracelet, like the one I gave Hibari?" mused Honoka. "Or something to fit over one of your horns that could turn into a sort of earring or an ear cuff when you shift?"
"What's an ear cuff?" asked Fon curious.
Honoka reached into her very limited jewelry box and pulled out an odd metal piece. With the ease of practice she slipped it over the shell of the outside of her ear where it rested easily. It looked like she had a Western dragon with rather small wings resting on her ear.
"Mama wouldn't let me get them pierced until I was fifteen, so I made do with these. Clip-ons just look tacky, but these are generally rather tasteful," she said by way of explanation.
Fon rather liked the effect. The piece could be easily removed and if they did it correctly could rest on one of his horns. He had never been much for decorating but this looked like it could be fun to play around with. If only out of boredom, anyway.
The second he expressed an interest, Honoka's eyes shined brightly with anticipation. It was rather adorable how easy it was to please her.
Besides, he didn't mind being carried like a doll in her arms when he was in his smaller form. Quite the opposite, as the spot was very comfortable indeed.
It only took her a week to get something made from two halves of the star ruby. She easily slipped them over Fon's horns, and when he briefly shifted into his smaller human form (he looked something like a small two-year-old with a long braid and odd red pacifier around his neck) they promptly turned to ear cuffs that fitted neatly over both ears. The metal was currently in a simple 'C' shape, with the opening just big enough to fit over his ears comfortably without slipping off, with the ruby halves on the very center facing outward.
The metal and jewel would take an entirely new shape unique to him after a month or two... or sooner, if he used his magic regularly for the next week and a half. It would still look like a bangle around his horns, but the cuffs themselves would turn into something far more decorative and interesting in his human form.
Fon was rather pleased by this.
"I swear you're part cat with the way you're always purring in my lap," said Honoka fondly, stroking his scales just the right way to get Fon to purr.
Fon didn't deign to answer her, just soaking up the attention.
Most summoners treated demons like things, or as if they were simple animals. Honoka spoiled them rotten, and treated them like they were humans.
It was really little wonder that she had yet to experience any difficulty getting them to behave or do simple tasks, when most beginning summoners had trouble even getting them to complete class assignments which were almost impossible to complete solo, as they often had spells to keep the summoners from doing anything.
"Today we are going to practice combining your powers with that of your contracted demons. Honoka, could you come up here for a moment?" said the teacher.
Honoka walked up, holding Natsu's small form in her arms. Fon had been politely asked to stay out of the classroom as he wasn't one of Honoka's contracts. Hayato, however, usually took a nap with Natsu next to him.
"How long have you had that particular demon?"
"A few years at least. I got him when I was about twelve."
After the Oversurge all the teachers were aware of the fact she had a 'therapy demon'.
"Now, have you ever connected to your familiar outside of the days when you are bedridden?"
"Um, not really. He was more like the family pet and I had no idea he was eating the excess."
"Very well then. I want you to concentrate firmly on Natsu. Your resolve must be strong enough that you push through the divide between human and demon. You'll know when you've succeeded when you fell an odd 'snap' and a rush of power," instructed the teacher.
Honoka focused entirely on Natsu. The lion cub seemed to sense something was supposed to happen, because he waited patiently for her.
It was like there was a 'bubble' between her and Natsu. She persisted, not giving up until the 'bubble' popped and a surge of power that felt like fire flowed through her veins. Opening her eyes, she felt a strange sense of clarity and understanding... almost like she could do anything.
Looking down she found her usual bracelets had turned into a pair of armored gloves with an "X" in the middle of a circle. Her hands were entirely ablaze with orange fire, and she almost wanted to put her half-remembered lessons in how to throw a punch to the test.
"Now I want you to let the feeling drop."
She did so with reluctance, and the second she did she almost collapsed on the spot.
Hayato was at her side in an instant.
"What she just demonstrated is a more advanced form of synchronicity with your demons called 'Hyper Mode'. While the power boost is considerable, the drain it takes on those who haven't properly trained for it is enough to completely wipe out your reserves. The more common form, known as 'Cambio form' is a state to amplify your natural magics," said the teacher. She looked at the hybrid holding his master up. "Take her back to the room and let her rest for a day or two and she'll be fine. It's just that she wiped out her reserves...and no potions either!"
"Yes ma'am," said Hayato dutifully. With the help of Natsu, who took the form of a chibified version of Honoka except with lion features, they were able to put her on his back. He carried her all the way back to her room to sleep off the demonstration.
"What happened?" demanded Hibari.
"She went straight into 'Hyper Mode', according to the teacher. She was called up to do a demonstration."
Fon stared at her.
"She went into Hyper Mode without any training?" he said in shock.
He was starting to see why Reborn had taken such an interest in her, if her natural potential was that high.
"Is that a good thing?"
"It takes years of training for most summoners to even come close to it, as it pushes past almost all limits naturally imposed by the body. Even he can't do it," said Fon, flicking his tail at Hibari. "The most anyone does is Cambio Form, simply because Hyper mode often requires a very strong bond between demon and summoner to pull out the full effect."
"What about the armored gloves?" asked Hayato, carefully settling Honoka into her bed.
"That's a side effect of a merger. Demons grant certain weapons or items when the boundary is crossed. I suppose the gloves are Natsu's," said Fon.
Honoka slept through most of the night, only to wake up around lunch the next day. The second she got to the food she was positively ravenous, which was normal according to Fon.
Once she got over her demonstration, Honoka was cleared to practice with Natsu so long as she avoided Hyper mode without supervision.
Fon was openly amused when he found out that she wanted to try a bit of fighting while in Cambio form.
"You know a bit of hand to hand?"
"Not a lot...mostly just how to throw a punch and not swing wildly. The summoners who visited our inn didn't do more than teach me the bare basics of combat since they never stayed long. And we couldn't exactly afford the fees of the only place that taught it."
Fon raised an eyebrow at that.
"Girls had to pay more for supplies since the stores that sold them knew better than to assume they'd be repeat customers. Only those with at least two years of training got a 'discount' which was really them dropping the prices to what the boys generally pay," admitted Honoka. "They had basic self-defense training for girls, but that was about it. To be fair, most of the females in that village were more interested in boys and other boring things rather than learning how to punch someone's face in."
About the only thing she had in common with them was a love of jewelry, but that was about it. Not exactly something that would allow her to bond with the flippant females in the village, and they all hated her anyways.
Fon wrapped his tail around himself.
"Would you be interested in learning how to fight properly?" he inquired.
Honoka had her back to Hibari, so she missed the gleam in his eyes at the question.
"Actually I would. I never liked having to rely on weapons to fight, since there's always a risk of your enemy turning them against you or the thing breaking without any warning at all."
Fon looked very pleased hearing that.
"I agree completely. Relying on weapons always seemed rather silly to me, not that I'm against them completely. Far too many summoners end up dead when their weapon shatters or their demons are forced out of Cambio form, leaving them without their toys," said Fon preening. "And I happen to know quite a variety of styles to fight with... it's something of a hobby of mine."
Honoka perked up hearing that. Then she realized a problem.
"And teaching it would require your human form for extended periods, and that means Hibari would have to allow it," she deflated.
"If you agree to fight me once a month without holding back I'll let him take human form," said Hibari.
She perked up...until the implications of that hit her. She stared at him.
"No one bothers to challenge me anymore, they're all too weak," said Hibari dismissively.
"Ah."
That would do it. He must be bored and want someone he can 'play' with that wouldn't whine about a few bruises or broken bones.
Well if she could last fifteen minutes against a bored Hibari, then odds were she'd have a better chance of surviving something way out of her league combat wise.
"So are you interested?"
"Absolutely!" said Honoka eagerly.
"And this can double as training, since Hyper Form requires a lot of stamina to keep up without passing out. We can get you and Natsu used to Cambio form for prolonged periods and complete your class assignment at the same time," said Fon.