Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon

Chapter 15

There was stunned silence for a while. Everyone was absorbing what they had just heard.

Gracie released a heavy sigh. "Man, that was the first time I've ever told that story. It takes a lot more time to tell it than to hear about it. I'm exhausted."

"So you're tellin' us that Nikolias is actually over 800 years old when he looks like he's only 20?" Gajeel asked.

"Yup, that's what I'm telling you guys."

"Nikolias saved your life?" Lisanna asked.

"That he did and I'm eternally grateful for it."

"Sounds like Nikolias is pretty big," Cana said with a wink, making all of the girls blush slightly.

Gracie giggled. "Yeah, maybe I shoulda left that part out. The only reason Niky told me that story was because whenever he talks about Michelle, he tends to never stop and give every detail. I personally cannot attest to his size or skill. In fact, I've never seen him fully naked."

"I'd be willing to take one for the team to find out," Cana said with a laugh.

"All of that stuff actually happened to Nikolias?" Lucy said, shock all over her face.

Gracie nodded. "Unfortunately." She looked around. "Is everyone okay after hearing that?"

Makarov nodded. "It was an upsetting story for sure, but I can assure you that we're all fine."

Gracie smiled at him before scanning the room. Everyone certainly appeared fine. The only one who stood out was Mira. "Mira? You okay?"

Mira blinked as if awakening from a daydream. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Okay, if you're sure. So, are there any other questions or concerns?"

"Nikolias really destroyed two towns and everyone in them?" Lucy asked timidly.

"Well, in a sense. The Red Eye plays off of Niky's anger and sorrow. When it activates, his eyes go red and he becomes lost in blind rage. However, in this state, he's not really himself."

"Has Nikolias ever voluntarily used the Red Eye?" Erza inquired.

"No, not once. Niky hates it. In all three cases where the Red Eye was used, it activated itself when he got angry after someone he cared for was killed."

"Can he choose to use it?" Erza asked again.

Gracie scratched her chin. "You know, I'm not sure. I would assume so, but I guarantee Niky would never choose to use it. It's probably something that he can't control too well."

"If we had met you guys closer to ten years ago, how would Nikolias have acted?" Levy asked.

Gracie gave a small laugh. "I can pretty much guarantee that he wouldn't have said a word to any of you. Hell, you may have even thought he was an asshole. I'm actually thrilled with how open he's been around you guys and how much he likes being here."

"Gracie, do you recall that sword that you purchased back in Freesia Town?" Erza spoke up again. "Nikolias mentioned that the poison on the blade came from 'that virus'. Did he mean the Red Eye virus?"

Gracie nodded. "Yes. Apparently, that Dr. Gorn guy managed to escape the town before Niky destroyed it and further built on his research of the Red Eye. He basically weaponized it to rid the world of dragons, humanity's 'greatest threat'."

"So when Nikolias said that it wouldn't affect him…"

"It's because the Red Eye already courses through his veins. He's already been infected with it."

"Whatever happened to that Gorn guy?" Gray asked.

"He probably died of old age long ago, but I'm not really sure. Niky actually hates that he never killed Gorn with his own hands. He was even more furious that Gorn's 'legacy' was living on through his Red Eye virus."

Makarov spoke again. "We are now also aware as to why Nikolias seemed so frightened when he heard the townspeople were upset."

Again, Gracie nodded. "Niky was afraid that if he stayed here with the people being angry with him, they would retaliate by killing you guys."

"Seriously? He was afraid they would kill us?" Natsu asked incredulously before getting a slap to the back of the head by Gray. "Ow! What?"

"Were you not listening to the story or did you have fire stuck in your ears?" Gray shot at him.

Gracie interrupted before things got too heated. "Look, I know it may sound insane, Natsu, but think about what I just told you. On two separate occasions, Niky has had people close to him taken away because villagers disliked and feared him. It scares him to think that it could possibly happen a third time and it's hard to blame him for that fear after all that's happened to him."

"Oh," Natsu said.

"So Nikolias really thinks that he doesn't deserve happiness?" Wendy asked.

"He truly believes that, yes."

"But that's silly. Isn't he happy with you? You said he liked being here, so isn't he happy here with us?"

"Yes and yes, but because of his past, he's not letting himself be as open as he could be. He's afraid that any day now, something will happen that will take me or any of you away for good, and it's almost like he's just waiting for that inevitable event to occur. Even though he's a lot better than he used to be, he's still scared."

"Do you think he'll ever open up fully?" Lucy asked.

Gracie shot Mira a look. "I think that it's very possible. He's made so much progress in the month we've been here. I think the cure to his curse resides here."

Mira noticed her looking at her while she said this and lightly blushed.

"So, any other questions?" Gracie asked.

"For now, I think we're all satisfied," Makarov said. "Thank you, Gracie, for telling us the story."

"Your welcome. And remember," she warned, "no pity towards Niky."

Everyone nodded and dispersed. Gracie sighed again. She was glad Nikolias wasn't present for the story and she was really glad that he didn't have to tell it. Even though he was making great progress, his past still hurt him and she didn't want to risk regression.

It was then that she noticed Mira had not left her seat and was staring at the floor. Gracie gave her a small smile and walked over to her. "Mira? You sure you're okay?" she whispered as she gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Mira looked up at her but didn't smile. Instead, she looked as if she were going to cry.

Gracie offered her a hand. "Come on, let's go talk in private."

Mira nodded and accepted her hand.

The two walked into Gracie's bedroom and sat down on her bed.

Gracie was the first to talk. "So what's bothering you, Mira?"

Mira kept her head down. "Nikolias has fallen in love twice before and both times, the person was killed. How can I possibly think that he would ever want to be with anyone ever again after everything that's happened to him?"

Gracie put a hand on her thigh. "Mira, I can't tell you exactly what is going through Niky's head or heart, but I can tell you this; he cares deeply for you. He may even love you for all I know. He's just afraid to vocalize how he feels."

"You don't think I'm kidding myself?"

"Hell no. I truly believe that you two can make it. Niky will realize it sooner or later. I see the way he looks at you. I hear the way he talks to you and about you. He's comfortable around you. He may want to deny it out of fear, but it's there and eventually, he'll stop denying it."

Mira smiled. "I hope you're right."

"I'm always right about this stuff. And the more time you spend with him, the more likely he'll open up more."

Mira nodded. "Okay, then. I'll do that!"

Gracie shot her fist into the air. "That's the spirit! Never give up!"

Mira stood and made for the door. As she began walking out of Gracie's room, she stopped and turned her head. "Thank you, Gracie."

Gracie smiled and winked. "Any time."


Outside the guild, Nikolias tried to sleep, but found it to be eluding him. He was just too nervous. Inside of Fairy Tail, everyone was hearing about his past and what he'd done. He hated the thought of anyone thinking of him differently or being afraid of him, but he knew that they had to know. They deserved to know. Hell, he was on the brink of razing Magnolia to the ground. If it wasn't for Mira, there would be even more innocent lives on his conscious.

Mira. It was her new-formed opinion of him that had him on edge the most. Even though she promised that she wouldn't think less of him or avoid him, how could he expect her to keep that promise after hearing what he's done? He knew he couldn't blame her for thinking that way. But he prayed that she would stay. He wanted her by his side. Everything about her made him feel…happy. He was happy when he was with her.

"Oi, Nikolias!"

Nikolias lifted his head from the ground to look at the voice that stirred him from his thoughts. He opened his eyes to see Natsu walking over to him with a big smile on his face. 'What's he doing here? The story must be over, I guess.'

"I know you can't talk, but listen up." He stopped and pointed to Nikolias. "No one in Fairy Tail thinks any less of you, you hear me? You're still the same bad ass dragon we've come to call friend. So no worries, got it?"

Nikolias stared at Natsu before giving a deep chuckle. 'I guess Grego was right. All Fire Dragons are hot headed. I see so much of Alec in you, Natsu.' He lowered his head to Natsu's level and nudged him in the stomach.

Natsu chuckled and put his hand on Nikolias' snout. Suddenly, Nikolias began radiating a black aura that moved to surround Natsu. Shadows wrapped around his body and completely enveloped him. He pulled his hand away and stared at it. "Whoa, what is this?" After a few seconds, the shadows vanished, but Natsu kept staring at his hand. "What just happened?"

"Hey, Natsu. It's me, Nikolias."

Natsu stared wide-eyed at Nikolias. "Holy crap, I can hear you!"

"That's because I made the connection with you."

"Wow, really? Why'd ya do that?"

"You remind me of an old friend."

"That's awesome! From what Gracie told us, your friends were strong and really cool people."

"That they were."

Natsu sat on the ground in front of Nikolias. "So what was it like being raised by dragons?"

Nikolias tilted his head slightly. "You of all people should know what it's like, Natsu."

"Yeah, but things obviously changed over the years. Igneel never offered to go through Dragon Spirit with me."

"Well, dragons stopped going through the Dragon Spirit with humans after what happened to my friends and I."

"Why?"

"As time passed, they stopped seeing humans as worthy."

"How do you know that?"

"I have the same instincts and senses as a dragon. I think how they would think."

Natsu looked confused. "Doesn't that mean you're biased? I mean, you don't like humans, so…"

"I can see why you think I'm biased, but I assure you that I'm not in this matter. You see, my brain is, in a way, segregated. There's a human part and a dragon part. Everything involved with my senses and instincts, such as what I just told you, takes place in the dragon portion of my brain. All emotions, including what happened to me in the past, takes place in the human portion. That's how I'm not biased."

"I think I get it," Natsu said, scratching his head. "Anyway, can you answer the question?"

Nikolias laughed, which came out like heavy wheezing. "Alright, hot head. Living with Dagor and the other dragons and Half-Dragons was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. Life with them was wonderful. We laughed, we played, we fought. We were a family. In a way, we were like you all in Fairy Tail. I think that that's a close and accurate comparison."

"That sounds awesome! Living with Igneel was great, too. I miss him, but I'm grateful for my family here in Fairy Tail." Natsu leaned back on his arms. "I'm sorry for what happened to those girls you loved."

Nikolias sighed. "I don't need apologies. What happened happened."

"I get that. Sorry for bringing it up."

"It's fine. You're just trying to figure out how to deal with new and rather big information."

Natsu gave him a big grin. "Still, it sounds like you were quite the catch back in the day!"

Nikolias huffed. "Back in the day? Word has it that quite a few of the Fairy Tail girls find me attractive. Not bad for being 808 years old."

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Like who?"

"I don't really know names. Gracie wasn't specific. Why?"

Natsu looked away. "No reason."

Nikolias' lips curled into a slight smile. "Could it be that young Natsu is into a girl?"

Natsu blushed. "Heh, yeah right."

"Natsu, I'm not stupid. I can see that you're lying. I promise it'll stay between us, if that helps. What's her name?"

"It's no one, I swear!"

Nikolias raised his head. "Fine, I'll just guess. Let's see…based on what I've seen, I would say Lucy."

Natsu's face went red as he looked at Nikolias, wide eyed. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh wow. First guess and I got it, huh?"

"You're way off," Natsu denied as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked away again.

"Am I?" Nikolias leaned in again. "Natsu, what can you tell me about Lucy's scent?"

"Her scent?" Natsu asked.

"Yes the scent she has."

Natsu thought. "Well, it's a nice scent. It always makes me feel at home when I'm around it. It's relaxing. I guess you could say I like her scent."

Nikolias nodded. "Okay. Do you find yourself drawn to it?"

"Whaddya mean 'drawn to it'?"

"Does it call to you? Do you find the need to be around it all the time?"

"I dunno."

"Really? Okay, let's try a more direct approach. Why do you always do missions with Lucy?"

"Cuz she's my friend and I like being around her."

"That's nice. Do you spend a lot of time at her place?"

"Yeah."

"More than at your own place?"

He thought it over. "Probably."

"Then it's my expert opinion that you dig Lucy."

"Huh?"

Nikolias laughed. "Oh come on, you're totally into her. You're drawn to her scent!"

"Am not!"

"You basically already admitted it."

"No I didn't!"

Nikolias sighed. "My God, you could be Alec's twin. Alright Natsu, I'm not gonna argue with you about this anymore, but at least let me offer you a little bit of advice."

"Okay," Natsu said warily.

"When you find the one you want to be with, don't wait around. Act on it because you never know what could happen in the future."

Natsu nodded. "Fine, I'll keep that in mind."

"Oh, hey there you two."

Natsu turned and Nikolias raised his head to see Mira walking over with a smile on her pretty face.

"Oh, hey Mira," Natsu said, returning the smile.

"Hello Natsu," she said with her usual cheery tone and smile before turning to Nikolias. "Hello, Nikolias."

"Hi Mira," he said. It was clear from his greeting that he was concerned about what was to follow. Mira walked closer to Nikolias and signaled him to come closer with her index finger. Nikolias obeyed, moving his head closer to Mira's body. He anxiously waited for her to speak.

Mira gently cupped Nikolias' face in her hands before slowly rubbing the scales. "That was quite a story we heard."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry that you had to go through so much."

He flinched a bit at this remark. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I really don't need sympathy. I just want to forget as much as possible."

Mira turned to Natsu. "Do you mind if we have some privacy?"

Natsu hopped up and nodded. "Sure thing! Talk to you later, Nikolias!" he said before running back to the guild.

Mira returned her gaze to Nikolias. "You two can talk now?"

He slowly nodded his massive head. "Yeah, I like the kid. Talking to him can be fun."

She smiled sweetly. "That's nice. So I wanted to talk to you about something."

Nikolias gulped. 'This is it,' he thought. "Anything. So what's up?"

"You don't need to be scared, Nikolias."

"Says you."

She giggled. "I promised you that I would stay by your side, didn't I?"

"You shouldn't feel obligated to keep your promise."

"No, I want to stay by your side. Hearing your story didn't change anything."

He visibly perked up. "Really? You swear?"

"Yes, I swear. You were really that afraid?"

"Mhm."

"Why?"

"Well, I was afraid that I…wouldn't see you ever again once you knew."

She kissed his snout. "You're the cutest thing, you know that?"

"I've been told. So what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

She blushed a bit. "I wanted to see if you were willing to spend more time with me. You know, just the two of us."

Nikolias blinked at her. "Absolutely. I'd love to."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I'm glad. I always enjoy our time together."

"I do, too. What would you like to do?"

She smiled. "I'll let you decide. I'll enjoy anything you choose."

"Well that certainly takes off the pressure."

"Don't worry about making it perfect, alright?"

"No promises."

"Ah, there you are Mira."

Mira turned and Nikolias once again lifted his head to see his new visitors. This time, the entire guild was walking out to where Nikolias was resting.

Mira waved. "Hello everyone. Were you looking for me, Master?"

Gracie ran over to Nikolias and jumped onto his head while Makarov spoke. "Yes, I want everyone together for this conversation."

"Alright," Mira said.

Makarov cleared his throat. "Now, everyone understands that war has been declared, right? The dark guild known as the Bloody Moon guild attempted to destroy our home and everyone in it earlier today. We don't know their purpose or plan, but we can only assume that they will attack again and they will be more prepared. So, we need to discuss a plan of action. Erza?"

Erza nodded and stepped forward. "Before we can do anything, we need to find the Bloody Moon guild. That way we can devise a counterattack. We will send out a scouting party, but there is no telling how long that will take. While the scouting party is out, there is a very good chance that they will attack here again, so everyone should be on their guard."

"If I can interrupt, Erza," Laxus said. Erza nodded and Laxus took the floor. "There's also the chance that Nikolias killing the goon they sent could buy us time. It's obvious that the guild master had high expectations of that guy, so having him not only fail but be unable to return may cause the nut job to re-plan things."

Erza nodded her agreement. "It's definitely something to consider and hope for. The more time we have, the better prepared we can be."

Makarov took control again. "I would like to have a small party of five go scouting. I would like said group to consist of Gajeel, Freed, Gray, Juvia, and Levy."

"That's a pretty strong scouting group, Master," Mira said.

Makarov nodded. "I'm counting on them finding the location of the guild hall, so I want to make sure that they're all capable in case of confrontation. Now, if we're lucky and we find them before they strike again, I'm wondering if Nikolias would be willing to assist with a counterstrike."

Nikolias looked at Makarov. "What does he want me to do?"

Gracie relayed the message. "What would you like him to do?"

Makarov stepped closer to Nikolias. "Nikolias, would you be willing to be our first offensive line by using this dragon form to weaken them before things get dangerous?"

"Hell yeah I'll do it!" he said, which only Gracie, Mira, and Natsu heard. Everyone else just heard a massive roar accompanied by a flap of his wings.

Gracie smiled. "He says he'll do it."

"Wonderful! That will help us greatly in the long run."

"Master Makarov, I will of course be accompanying Niky for the counterstrike," Gracie said.

Makarov chuckled. "I would expect nothing less."

"When would you want us to leave, Master?" Freed asked.

"As soon as you are able. We can't assume that they are sitting back and doing nothing."

"Understood. We shall gather our supplies and leave immediately." Freed turned to leave with Gray, Juvia, Levy, and a cursing Gajeel following behind.

"Alright, the plan is underway. Until we hear from the scouting party, everyone may go about their business, but stay alert for anything out of the ordinary. Who knows what Bloody Moon is scheming up? Also, no missions will be taken until this is dealt with. Understood?"

"Yes, Master," everyone replied.

Makarov nodded and headed back into the guild.

Gracie turned to face Nikolias' eyes and knocked on his scaly snout. "Hey Niky, almost able to change back?"

Nikolias huffed at her. "First of all, what have I told you about knocking on my nose? It's irritating. Now, in terms of energy levels, I haven't been able to sleep much, but I may be able to attempt transforming."

"Great! Go for it!" She leapt off of his nose and waited with her hands on her hips.

Nikolias rose from the ground to stand on his four legs. "Alright, steer clear everyone." Gracie, Mira, and Natsu took a step back while everyone else stared at them.

"Natsu, what are you doing?" Lucy asked.

"Nikolias said to steer clear so I'm steering clear," he responded.

Lucy raised an eyebrow at him. "You can understand him? Since when?"

"Since like 10 minutes ago."

"Alright everyone, take a step back please. Niky's gonna try to change back now," Gracie called out.

Everyone nodded and stepped back, looking at the dragon that towered above them and anxiously waiting to see the change.

Nikolias closed his large dragon eyes and allowed his body to disappear in a thick, shadowy mist.

"This is just like the mist when he changed into a dragon," Lisanna observed.

Gracie nodded. "Yup."

They all watched the mist, waiting for it to clear when all of a sudden, it evaporated completely into the air. Standing where the mist used to be was Nikolias in his human form, his golden brown eyes now open and a smile on his face. "I'm back!"

"Hey, look at that! You did it!" Gracie exclaimed.

Nikolias chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I did rest enough. It's odd, though, cuz I barely slept at all."

"Maybe you just needed to lie down."

"I guess."

Gracie turned on her heels to face the group. "Well, I guess we should all head in, right? Nothing left to see out here."

Everyone nodded and headed back into the guild. Nikolias and Gracie, however, hung back.

"Niky?" Gracie asked, concern clear in her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, everyone knows everything now."

He smiled. "Yeah, but as far as I can tell, no one is treating me too differently, so I think I'll survive."

"Well," Gracie started as she sheepishly scratched her cheek, "you may be getting even more attention from the girls."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why?"

"I…may have told them the story of when you and Michelle wanted to start trying."

"Oh for fuck's sake, why did you tell them that story?"

"It slipped out!"

"It slipped out?! How does something like that slip out?!"

"Hey, you're the one who told me in the first place."

"That's different! You know when I talk about Michelle I forget everything else."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry! There, better?"

He sighed. "You know what, it's fine."

She was a bit taken a back. "Really? Why?"

He smiled at her. "I have my reasons."

Gracie lit up. "Something happened between you and Mira, didn't it?"

"No."

"Still such a bad liar. It totally did! Oh, this is awesome!"

"Slow your roll, Gracie. We're gonna hang out as friends. We enjoy each other's company."

"Okay, you guys are 'just friends'."

"We are."

Gracie sighed. She knew he was lying, but arguing with him was pointless. "Fine. Okay. Try to have a good time."

Nikolias stared at Gracie. "I will." He began to make his way into the guild.

Gracie watched him walk away and smiled to herself. "Oh Niky. I think very soon you'll start getting out of your own way."

Nikolias turned. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" she called out as she skipped over to catch up to him. "Oh, one more thing before I forget."

"What is it?"

"Did you find what you were looking for when you left?"

He thought for a second before nodding. "Yeah, I think I did." The two walked back into the guild as Nikolias thought about the answer he gave Gracie. 'Yeah, I found what I was looking for. I shouldn't feel guilty for moving on. Thank you, Michelle, for helping me realize that.'


"Where the hell is Critik?" Master Severo barked as he paced around his throne room. "He should have squashed those fairies by now." He stopped his pacing. "I must find out his status. VANISH! STEALTH!"

Out of nowhere, two men appeared before Severo. They were dressed in crimson, hooded robes that hid their entire bodies from sight. They kneeled before him.

"You summoned us, Master Severo?" Vanish inquired.

"Yes. I need the skills that you two possess. Go to Magnolia and locate Critik. Tell him to report to me immediately. I'm furious that he's taking this long pulling the wings off of the fairies."

"Yes, Master Severo," the two answered simultaneously.

"Dismissed."

The two disappeared instantly. Master Severo rubbed his temples as he sat in his chair. "Sometimes that Critik is just too thorough in his destruction. Perhaps I taught him too well."