WARNING: From the beginning of this chapter on THERE WILL BE SPOILERS! Read at your own risk. This story will be jumping into the Fairy Tail storyline beginning at the start of the Tenrou Island arc. There's still original stuff in here, but if you haven't gotten to this point in the anime/manga, then some things may be ruined for you. I advise catching up to the anime/manga if you haven't already (for more reasons than just reading my story)! Thank you and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail and I can't stress that enough now that I'm diving into the actual storyline.
Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon
Chapter 27
Nikolias stared out the window of Mira's room, looking at the full, bright moon that shone a serene light on the world. His body ached slightly after the events that took place only a few hours ago. The Shadow Overdrive had put a lot of stress on his body, especially since it was the first time that he had ever used it and it was directly after coming back from death. He sighed as he recapped everything that happened with the Bloody Moon guild in his mind.
"Everything okay?"
Nikolias turned around to see Mira standing in the doorway wearing her pink nightgown. He smiled at her. He loved the way the moonlight seemed to make her fair skin glow and make her sapphire blue eyes sparkle. "Yeah, everything's great. It's just so hard to believe that it's all over, you know?" He made his way over to the bed and sat down. "I mean, 788 years of my life were haunted by Gorn and what he did to me and my friends. And finally, after 788 years, I finally got to avenge everyone. It's finally all in the past."
She nodded and made her way to sit down beside him. "I can understand that."
He looked at her and smiled. "And now, I can fully focus on the future," he said while cupping her face with his right hand.
She nuzzled into his hand and gently placed her left hand on top of his hand. "A wonderful future that we can share."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he whispered as he leaned in and kissed Mira softly on the lips.
She kissed him back with all of the love she felt for him. She couldn't get herself to forget that Nikolias was dead for a while today and remembering it made her want to hold him as close as possible and never let him go. She wanted him to understand just how much she loved him.
The two broke for air and Mira put a quick pause on the kissing. "Nikolias? Do you mind if we don't…you know…tonight?"
Nikolias chuckled. "Mira, if you're not ready, it's okay. I would never even dream about rushing you."
"No, please don't misunderstand!" Mira said defensively. "I want to. I do, believe me. I want to be with you and I'm ready to go all the way."
Nikolias raised an eyebrow, completely confused by the situation. "So what is it then?"
"The thing is…Lisanna and Elfman are in the house and…I don't want them to…," she began, a heavy blush staining her face.
Nikolias stopped her with a light finger pressed against her lips. "It's okay, Mira. I get it."
"You do?"
"Of course. You want it to be more private."
She nodded. "I'm sorry if that upsets you."
He sighed. "Mira, the only thing I need is to be by your side. Just sleeping with you in my arms is enough."
"Are you sure?" she asked, finding it hard to believe that he could be so understanding. She was so sure that guys were always after sex and she definitely got that vibe from all of the creeps on the street who liked to ogle her as she walked by. Then again, Nikolias was so different in a wonderful way, so the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she shouldn't be surprised by his reaction to her wanting to postpone sex.
He nodded. "I haven't had sex in a long time, Mira. I can wait until you're ready."
"Nikolias, you really are perfect," she said as she leaned into his chest.
He stroked her head fondly as he smiled. "Not perfect. Just in love."
She looked up at him and kissed him quickly on the lips. "We should sleep. It's been a long week and now we can finally relax."
He nodded. "Sounds good."
The two crawled under the covers of Mira's bed and quickly fell asleep, comfortably embracing each other with smiles on their faces.
"Man, what a day!" Natsu exclaimed as he fell back onto Lucy's bed.
Happy landed on Lucy's pillow and mimicked Natsu's position. "Aye!"
Lucy smiled down at him. "Yeah, it sure was crazy. But the entire guild fought really well and we were able to win."
Natsu gave his signature grin. "Yeah, that's the truth. And the celebration was so much fun!"
"Yeah, it's great that we can all breathe easy now. It's hard to believe that this whole thing was only a little over a week. It feels like we've been at war for months."
Natsu sighed. "Too bad Nikolias left so early. I wanted to ask him questions about that Overdrive thingy. I only sort of get it."
Lucy giggled. "Well, can you blame him for wanting to go home to be with Mira and sleep? This whole Bloody Moon thing was the toughest on him. Not to mention he died for a while today."
"I guess you're right," Natsu said.
"I'm going to take a shower real quick to wash off the grime of war. Wait for me out here, 'kay?" Lucy said as she began walking to her bathroom.
Natsu propped himself onto his elbows so that he could look at her and smile. "Sure thing. Happy and I will wait for you right here."
She gave him one last smile before closing the bathroom door behind her. She sighed as she leaned against the door. 'I can't get over that smile. Seriously, what took me so long?' She shook the thought out of her head as she stripped down and began lathering soap all over her perfect frame. She hummed a happy tune as she ran through the craziness of the past week in her mind; the first strike from the Bloody Moon guild, Nikolias' rampage, Nikolias' story, the failed counter attack that injured Nikolias, the mission with Natsu where they finally came together and realized their love, telling the guild that she and Natsu were together, the first battle with Bloody Moon where Nikolias saved Mira's life and admitted that he loved her, Nikolias almost dying after pushing himself to fight with a hole in his chest, the second battle with Bloody Moon where Nikolias died, and to top it all off, Nikolias' unexpected resurrection and single-handed victory against probably the strongest opponent Lucy had ever seen in her life. But it was all over. Fairy Tail had won and now, she could relax and even go on her very first date with Natsu at some point.
She gave a satisfied sigh. "This is definitely exactly what I needed. Nothing like being back home and taking a nice, relaxing shower."
"Yeah, this place is really great," a quiet voice came from behind Lucy.
She smiled. "Yeah, it really is the best." Then she paused. 'Wait a second. The only other person in my place is Natsu and there's no way that was Natsu's voice. Who is that?' She slowly turned her head and was surprised to see a distraught looking Cana sitting naked in her bathtub.
"If you ever want a roommate, I wouldn't mind living here at all," Cana said.
"Cana? What are you doing here?" Lucy asked, completely surprised by her presence.
"Just looking for a place to relax. Say, you wouldn't happen to have any 'adult beverages' stowed away in this place, would you?" Cana asked as she stretched her legs.
Lucy sat in the tub opposite Cana and shook her head. "Sorry, I don't have anything like that here."
Cana smiled. "You know it's funny; before you and Natsu hooked up, you'd probably be flipping shit to see me in here like this."
Lucy smiled. "Well I'm still surprised, but you're probably right." She then tilted her head slightly. "So why do you seem so down, Cana? Is everything alright?"
Cana looked into the water. "Yeah, everything's fine." She then looked at Lucy. "Tell me, how have things been going with your dad lately?"
Lucy blinked. She certainly wasn't expecting that question. She gave a small and sad smile. "I think everything's okay, but I haven't really heard from him in a while. I still haven't forgiven him for the whole Phantom Lord ordeal."
Cana sighed. "I see."
"Cana, what's wrong? I can tell something is bothering you, so just come out and say it. I'll always be here for you to hear you out," Lucy assured her.
Cana stood from the tub, revealing her naked body. "If you want me to say it, fine. I've seriously been considering leaving Fairy Tail."
Lucy was too shocked to respond right away, but once it sunk in, she was blown away. "WHAT?"
Suddenly, a knock came at the door. "Lucy?" Natsu called in. "Are you alright? Do you need me?"
Cana glared at her and lowered her voice. "Don't tell him I'm here. I don't want him to know," she whispered.
Lucy nodded her understanding before responding to Natsu. "Yeah, everything's okay, Natsu. I'll be out in a bit."
"…okay," he responded, not completely sold that everything was okay.
Lucy returned her attention to Cana. "So what do you mean you've seriously been considering leaving the guild? You can't really mean that."
"I do," Cana responded simply. "Especially with everything that happened with Nikolias."
"What does Nikolias have to do with it?"
Cana sighed. "I really thought that I could snag him. Or at least, get to sleep with him before he wound up with someone else. But now he's with Mira. They both love each other."
Lucy frowned slightly. "You're in love with Nikolias?"
Cana didn't respond, but her silence spoke volumes.
Lucy shook her head. "Cana, you can't leave just because Nikolias is with someone else. That's just stupid."
Cana stepped out of the tub and started putting her clothes back on. "Don't be ridiculous. Nikolias is only a small reason for my wanting to leave the guild."
"Then what is it?" Lucy inquired.
Cana walked over to the window and opened it. "I'll see you around, Lucy," she said without turning around.
"Wait, Cana!" Lucy cried out, but it was too late. Cana had already jumped out the window and left her apartment.
Lucy stared at the window that her distressed friend had just exited and sighed. "I wonder what has her so down."
Mira slowly opened her eyes as the early morning rays of the sun filtered into the room. She had slept so soundly nestled in the loving arms of Nikolias. Memories of the first night they spent together in Shirotsume flooded her mind and she smiled at the thought. Sleeping with Nikolias was just as wonderful as it ever was and this time, they were peacefully sleeping together as a couple in her bed.
Mira rolled over slightly, causing Nikolias' gentle hold on her to slip away. She immediately regretted moving, but she knew she had to get up. After all, it was going to be a crazy day in the guild, so she needed to get up early. She slowly rose to a sitting position and looked down at Nikolias. He was sleeping so peacefully, a smile on his face as he continued to dream. She loved the way he looked while he slept. She gently touched his cheek. "I'll see you in the guild a little later, but I have to go in early," she whispered as she bent down and softly kissed his forehead. Suddenly, she felt a soft touch on the small of her back and she straightened up in surprise. She looked down at Nikolias to see his eyes open and looking at her. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"
He shrugged. "Maybe, but that's okay. I'll join you in your walk to the guild."
"That's okay. You should sleep after everything you've been through."
He chuckled as he sat up. "I'm not that fragile. Don't worry, I'm fine. Besides, I want to be by your side."
Mira smiled and knocked Nikolias back onto the bed as she kissed him passionately. She pulled away and smiled down at him. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Mira," he said back as he pulled her back into the kiss. He felt Mira's tongue tickling his lower lip and he smirked into the kiss as he parted his lips. He felt her tongue shoot into his mouth as they did battle for dominance. After all, Mira wasn't the Demon of Fairy Tail for nothing. She wasn't one to sit back and let someone else dominate.
The two continued to kiss, Nikolias stroking Mira's back and Mira rubbing Nikolias' shoulders and pecs, before Mira moaned and pulled away. "I really have to go to the guild now."
Nikolias looked into her eyes and could clearly see the desire she felt to stay with him here and continue, but he knew that she was needed in the guild so he nodded. "Yeah, we should go now." He sat up, gave Mira a quick kiss as he lifted her off of his lap, stood up, and grabbed his clothes off of the floor. "I'll go change in the bathroom. You can have your room."
She nodded and he left. As soon as he was a few feet away, she collapsed on her bed and groaned in frustration. She couldn't deny that she had wanted to continue things right then and there, but she really needed to get to the guild hall. Things would start getting crazy there very soon.
She slid off her nightgown so that she was only in her red bra and panties. She walked over to the mirror and examined her voluptuous frame. "I wonder if I can satisfy Nikolias at all when we finally do it," she thought out loud. Although she had never met either of them, of the two women that Nikolias had loved before, they both sounded incredible. She wondered if she could even measure up to them. She shook her head of the thought and pulled out her usual pink dress and slid it on. Once she was all ready, she headed for the bathroom to get fully ready.
To her surprise, the bathroom door was open. She looked inside, but didn't see Nikolias anywhere. "I wonder where he went," she whispered, not wanting to wake Lisanna or Elfman.
"I'm down here," Nikolias whispered from the first floor. "Just meet me outside when you're ready."
"Alright," Mira whispered back as she went into the bathroom. She closed the door and started putting on her makeup and fixing her hair; basically, going through her usual routine. She especially wanted to look her best around Nikolias. Not that he was shallow or anything, but why not look your best when around your love?
After about 30 minutes, Mira closed the door to the house behind her and saw Nikolias standing a few yards away and staring at the rising sun. She smiled at the sight. "Sorry that took so long. Ready to go?"
Nikolias turned and the light of the sun caught him perfectly, making Mira blush at just how handsome he was. "Not a problem. Let's head out," he said with a smile as he offered Mira his hand.
'I can't believe that he is with me,' Mira thought as she gladly accepted Nikolias' outstretched hand.
The two then made their way to the guild, walking hand in hand as they made small talk and overall enjoying the company and touch of the other.
Mira and Nikolias walked through the doors of Fairy Tail and into the Main Hall. Nikolias found it odd being here at such a time because the entire place was eerily quiet. He had grown accustomed to the boisterous activities of Fairy Tail wizards in this guild hall, so to see it empty like this was off-putting to say the least.
Nikolias examined the empty tables. "Any particular reason you had to be here so early? No one's here at all. Not sure where the rush was coming from."
"They'll start arriving shortly," Mira said. "Besides, a big event is coming up and I need to be here from the very beginning to make sure things run smoothly."
He raised an eyebrow. "Big event? What big event?"
"You'll see," was all Mira offered, making Nikolias feel unsatisfied.
"Hey you two!" Gracie called over as she walked into the Main Hall. "You're here early."
Mira smiled at Gracie. "Good morning, Gracie. I hope you slept well."
"I did. Thanks Mira! So why are you two here early?" Gracie asked again.
"Mira needed to be here early and I thought I'd tag along," Nikolias explained.
"Oh I see," Gracie said as a mischievous grin crept across her face. "So you two do anything fun last night?"
Both blushed furiously.
"Gracie, such questions are a little embarrassing," Mira said.
"Seriously, have you no shame?" Nikolias grumbled at her.
"Of course I have no shame. Now spill! How was it?" Gracie asked, mainly pointing her questions at Mira.
"We slept, nothing more," Nikolias stated.
"Really? That's it? Why?" Gracie asked, slightly disappointed that she was to be denied graphic details.
"It was nice, though," Mira said. "It was so comforting to know that he was there by my side while I was sleeping."
Gracie sighed. "Man, that's really sweet. Now I feel bad for wanting to hear more dirty stuff."
"You should feel bad," Nikolias said. "You're way too nosy."
"I can't help it," Gracie pouted. "I like to know stuff."
"But most of that stuff is none of your business in the first place."
"How is knowing about everyone's personal lives none of my business?"
"You have a problem."
"Ah, good morning you three," Makarov said as he walked into the Main Hall, interrupting Nikolias and Gracie's spat. "I'm surprised to see you up so early, Nikolias. Are you sure that you're rested?"
"I'm perfectly fine, Master," Nikolias said. "I slept great last night, so I'm as rested as I need to be."
Makarov nodded. "Good to hear." He then turned his attention to Mira. "People will be arriving shortly, so make sure you're ready."
Mira nodded. "I'm prepared. It will be handled beautifully."
"Alright, I leave it to you, then." He then returned his attention to Nikolias. "I'm actually glad that you're here early. May I borrow you for a moment for a private question?"
Nikolias was a little surprised but nodded. "Of course, Master." He then followed the small Guild Master to his office.
Gracie watched them leave. "What's that all about? Is something going on?"
Mira giggled as she made her way behind the bar. "Oh, you'll see tomorrow."
Gracie groaned. "Man, I'm being left out to dry today and it's barely 8 AM. No one's telling me anything. So annoying!"
Lucy rolled over, looking to feel a warm body on the other side of the bed. However, her hand met no such warmth and instead found cold sheets. She slowly opened her eyes and, sure enough, Natsu wasn't there.
She slowly propped herself onto an elbow as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She looked at the clock by her bed, which read 10:27 AM. "Where the hell did he go so early?" she mumbled in her sleepy state. She looked away from the clock and noticed a small note on Natsu's pillow. Curious, she picked it up and read it over:
"Lucy,
Went to the guild early with Happy to pick up a solo mission. It's that time of year, after all! I'll see you later in the day. I love you.
Natsu."
She put the note down. "That time of year? What is he talking about? And why would he do a solo mission?"
The guild hall was crazier than ever if that was even possible. Members were running to the Request Board, running to Mira behind the bar to inform her, and then running out of the guild hall.
Lucy sat at the bar while Mira cleaned mugs. "I don't get it, Mira. What's wrong with Cana? I never thought that she or anyone else would ever consider leaving Fairy Tail."
"I wouldn't worry too much, Lucy," Mira assured as she continued to clean. "Cana always talks about quitting when this time of year rolls around."
"Really? Why is that?"
"You'll understand soon," Mira said.
Lucy stared at her. "Umm…okay then. Very helpful."
"Oi, I'm back!" Natsu cried as he ran to Mira and Lucy. He then proceeded to slam a request on the bar counter. "I'm gonna go take this job now. See ya!" He then turned and ran towards the door with Happy flying close behind.
"Okay, good luck!" Mira called after him.
"Wait Natsu! If you're going on a mission, I'll come to!" Lucy called out.
"Sorry Luce!" Natsu called behind him. "It's solo mission season, so we're goin' solo! We'll hang out when I get back, though."
Suddenly, Natsu found himself colliding into Gray.
"Watch wear you're going, pinkette!" Gray shouted.
"Why don't you just stay out of my way, icicle dick!" Natsu threw back.
"Natsu, the mission?" Happy reminded him.
"Oh yeah, no time to fight now!" Natsu exclaimed as he bolted out the door.
"Right," Gray said as he continued his journey to the counter. "I'm back, Mira."
"But I see you forgot your clothes," Mira said with a giggle.
"I don't have time for that right now! I'm taking this job. See ya!"
"Okay, good luck!"
"Geez, him too?" Lucy asked. Out of nowhere, everyone started crowding the counter to tell Mira of the jobs they had planned to do. Lucy was finding herself squished between the counter and the mass of people. "What is wrong with everyone?"
"Like I said, you'll see soon enough," Mira assured her as she continued to okay people for missions.
Lucy sighed. "I was hoping to spend time with Natsu today since we were finally done with the Bloody Moon guild. We haven't really done anything since getting together because of the constant alert. And now that it's done, he's going out on solo missions? I don't like it."
Mira kept giving her approval to mission requests while nodding to Lucy's statement. "I understand perfectly, Lucy. I was hoping to spend a lot more time with Nikolias, especially since we almost lost him yesterday. Unfortunately, duty calls and I couldn't sleep in with him today."
"Speaking of which," Lucy began while looking around, "I don't see him anywhere. Where is he?"
"Niky's gone somewhere," Gracie said as she walked over and sat next to Lucy. "No idea where, but the Master wanted to talk to him about something in private."
"Really? I wonder what about," Lucy said.
Gracie shot Mira a look. "Someone knows and isn't spilling the beans."
Mira giggled. "It's really more of a hunch then straight up knowing for sure."
"A hunch is more than I got," Gracie said. "C'mon fill me in!"
"You'll see tomorrow. I'm sure it will become clear then," Mira said.
Lucy put her head on the counter. "Maybe I should do a solo mission? No, Natsu said we'd hang out when he got back, so I should stick around."
Gracie turned around on her stool. "I gotta say, I've never seen the guild like this before."
"It's just that time of year," Mira said.
"There it is again!" Lucy exclaimed while clutching her head in frustration. "What does that mean, Mira?"
Mira shook her head. "Tomorrow!"
Gracie and Lucy huffed and stood up. "Fine, we'll wait until tomorrow!" they said simultaneously before storming off.
Mira watched them walk off with a giggle. "They're so impatient."
The next day rolled around and no one was more anxious to hear about what was going on then Lucy and Gracie.
"So what do you think this is about?" Lucy asked.
"I don't know," Gracie said. "All I know is that I haven't seen Niky since yesterday morning. I have no idea what's going on."
"That is strange," Lucy said as she spotted Natsu in the crowd of people standing in front of the guild's stage. He looked extremely excited, more so than usual. "I wonder what has had Natsu and everyone in such an uproar. Even when we were out yesterday, he seemed distracted. Something's up."
"We're about to find out," Gracie said while pointing to the stage. "Look! It's the Master!"
Sure enough, the curtain rose and everyone could see the Master at the very front of the stage. Behind him were Erza, Gildarts, Mira, and Nikolias. Everyone was cheering and begging for the Master to make his announcement.
"Hey it's Niky!" Gracie exclaimed. "What the hell's he doin' up there?"
"I just want to know what has everyone so excited," Lucy said.
Makarov cleared his throat before beginning. "My children. It is that time of year again. According to Fairy Tail's time-honored tradition, I will now announce this year's entrance for the S-Class Wizard Promotion Trial!"
With that announcement, the entire guild erupted in an enormous cheer.
"So that's what's been going on?" Lucy said with bewilderment.
"S-Class?" Gracie asked. "What's that?"
Lucy looked at her. "Basically, it's a rank of wizard. S-Class wizards are the strongest of the strong. They're also allowed to do really difficult jobs on the 2nd floor."
"Okay," Gracie said. "I sort of get it."
"Everyone please be quiet," Erza demanded. "The Master hasn't finished yet."
Everyone immediately became deathly silent, anxiously awaiting Makarov's announcement.
Makarov cleared his throat once more before continuing. "This year, we will be holding the Trial on Tenrou Island, the sacred ground of Fairy Tail. The strength that you all possess within, your character, and your hearts were all the factors that were considered when I decided upon my selections for this Trial. There will be eight participants this year and they are as follows; Natsu Dragneel! Gray Fullbuster! Juvia Lockser! Elfman Strauss! Cana Alberona! Freed Justine! Levy McGarden! And finally, Mest Gryder!"
Many offered their congratulations to the chosen candidates. Others showed various kinds of disappointment in not being selected that ranged from anger to borderline depression.
Lucy walked over to Natsu and gave him a hug. "I'm so proud of you, Natsu! Still, you could have told me that this was what you were doing."
Natsu returned the hug. "Sorry, I thought you knew."
"It's okay. No harm done," she said with a smile. She then noticed Cana standing in the crowd, looking even more upset than two days ago. 'Cana, I wish you would tell me what's wrong. What about these S-Class Trials have you so down?'
Makarov continued his explanation over the banter. "Of the eight chosen wizards, only one of you will emerge from these Trials victorious and be granted the promotion to S-Class. The Trial will begin in one week, so take that time to prepare yourselves! This will not be an easy task."
Everyone continued to talk amongst themselves.
Carla looked around and scoffed. "As usual, they all go crazy over this kind of stuff." Suddenly, dark images flashed through Carla's mind.
A giant tree crashing to the ground.
Cana crying to the sky.
Natsu staring at the ground in fear.
A motionless hand resting on the ground.
A raging fire.
And a man dressed in dark clothes surrounded by death.
Carla felt shaken. She felt afraid. She didn't know what her premonition could possibly mean or who the strange man was.
"Carla? Everything alright?" Wendy asked, noticing her Exceed's discomfort.
"Yes, I'm fine. It's alright, Wendy," Carla assured, not wanting to burden the young Dragon Slayer with the horrifying images she saw.
Makarov waited for silence before continuing. "Let's go over the rules so that everyone is on the same page."
Mira took a step forward. "Everyone who is participating will choose a partner who will take the Trial with them. This partner can also train with the candidate during the week leading up to the Trials."
Erza took the floor next. "There are two rules that must be considered when choosing your partner. Rule number one is that said partner must be a member of Fairy Tail. Rule number two is that you cannot choose an S-Class wizard for your partner. For those who might need refreshing, that means that the following are excluded from the partner options; Laxus, myself, Gildarts, Mira, and Nikolias are off the table."
"Wait, what?" Gracie said. "Since when is Niky S-Class?"
Makarov took over again. "All details pertaining to the Trials will be revealed when we arrive on Tenrou Island. I will, however, leave you with this friendly tip; in order to claim victory in these trials, you will have to get past Erza, Mira, Gildarts, and Nikolias."
"What?!" Lucy exclaimed. "So the only way to become S-Class is to beat those four? That's insane!"
Natsu pumped his fist. "I can't wait! I'll finally get to fight old man Gildarts! I can even get a rematch against Erza and Nikolias!"
Lucy sweat-dropped. "Try not to die please. We only just got together. I'm not ready to bury you yet."
"Good luck to whoever has to face me," Erza said with a smile.
"I'll be giving it my best effort to stop you!" Mira said cheerfully.
"We had to do this as well when we took the Trial, so it's only fair," Gildarts smirked.
"I'll be coming at you hard, so watch yourselves," Nikolias said as shadows danced around his body.
Makarov cut in once more. "The eight participants and their partners are asked to meet at the port in Hargeon in one week to take a boat to Tenrou Island." He then gave everyone a very serious expression. "So choose your partner wisely and get to work."
