Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon
Chapter 51
The roar rang through the streets of the small village. Terrified citizens ran for their lives, hiding in their homes and cowering in fear, praying that the vicious creature that had appeared would leave them alone.
The Fairy Tail members, however, stood their ground, waiting for Nikolias to make a move. But he stayed still, glaring at his prey and growling.
"Why ain't he come at us yet?" Gajeel asked.
"He sees us as a threat," Gracie answered. "He's analyzing us and looking for weak points before he goes in for the kill. He's not afraid to play a little cautiously when dealing with something he doesn't know. That's what makes him such a terrifying predator."
"Why does he look so different?" Wendy asked. "I don't remember his face being completely covered in scales before."
"It's because his dragon side is the dominant side right now," Gracie responded. "You can't see because of his clothes, but he's actually pretty much entirely covered in scales. He's more dragon than human right now."
"What do we do, Gracie?" Erza asked. "How have you handled this in the past?"
"He's only been like this once since I've been with him," Gracie said. "I only really know countermeasures to prevent this situation. The one time I was around him when he changed, I hid. I was so scared I couldn't think straight."
Lightning danced all around Laxus. "I'm thinking that this is going to end in a fight."
"Laxus!" Mira yelled. "We're not fighting him!"
Laxus pointed at Nikolias. "Look at the way he's staring at us! He views us as a meal, not friends."
Gracie slapped Laxus on the arm. "Can the fireworks, Sparky. Fighting is only gonna make things worse."
"But…," Laxus began.
Gracie glared at him to shut him up. "I said, put your electricity away."
Laxus did as he was told. "So what do we do then?"
Gracie looked back towards Nikolias. "I'm going to try to calm Niky down. If things get out of hand, I'm counting on you guys to get me out of there before things go south for me."
"You can count on us!" Elfman roared.
"Good. Step one is to quiet down," Gracie said.
Elfman scratched his head. "Sorry."
Gracie crouched down slightly and slowly, step by step, approached Nikolias. "Step two; nobody make any sudden movements," she whispered.
"Be careful, Gracie," Makarov warned. "Who knows when he'll strike out against us?"
Nikolias' growl deepened at seeing Gracie approach him. He could sense a strange pressure coming from these people in front of him. It was similar to what he felt inside that strange building earlier, but it was far stronger around this group of humans. He didn't know what they were capable of yet. He roared at her, warning her not to get any closer.
Gracie held out her hands in front of her. "Easy," she said softly. "Easy there, Niky. It's me; Gracie. You remember me, don't you?"
Nikolias roared again, but still made no move to strike.
"I know you're in there," Gracie said. "It's still you. You don't want to hurt anyone. You don't want to hurt your friends."
Nikolias roared and this time took one leap forward, causing Gracie to stop in her tracks. Seeing her stop, he lowered himself to the ground and gave another growl. He was prepared to strike at a moment's notice.
Gracie took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Once she felt her heartbeat slow down slightly, she began inching forward slowly once again. "Don't you recognize me? After all of the fun times we've had, you don't recognize me?" Nikolias continued to growl at her, showing no signs of recognition. Yet she kept moving closer and closer. "C'mon, Niky. Let's go home, huh? Home to Fairy Tail."
Amazingly, Nikolias looked like he was less tense after those words were spoken. He was still glaring at Gracie and he was still growling while baring his fangs, but the muscles in his strong, scaly arms were relaxing. While he still clearly didn't recognize them, Gracie's words were somehow soothing the famished dragon.
"She's incredible!" Wendy marveled.
"A true Dragon Master," Erza said with a smile and nod.
Gracie smiled, but continued her same methods and pace. "There ya go! We're not threats and we're not food. We're your family."
Nikolias roared as he took a step back. He didn't know enough about this prey yet to strike. He had to know more before moving in for the kill. But he was finding out nothing and this female human kept moving towards him without revealing anything. He may be proud of his skill as a masterful hunter, but he was always cautious, making sure that he wasn't trapping himself in a dangerous situation.
Gracie stopped her movements and further extended one hand. "Please come home, Niky," she begged softly. "We miss you."
Nikolias tilted his head. What was with this human? Why was she approaching him in such a manner? Shouldn't she run? He was going to eat her after all. Should he just risk it and charge her?
Before he could decide, though, a massive iron ball flew at Nikolias. He sensed its presence and leapt away before it could crush him into the ground.
"What was that?" Gracie asked, staring at the large iron ball.
"That would be my handy work." Everyone turned to see Caro approaching them from behind. He had the same outfit, but his gloves were off. Gray magic circles were in his skyward-facing palms as he walked. "Thank you for coming out to assist."
"What the hell did you do that for?" Natsu barked. "Gracie was doing her thing in calming him down!"
Caro looked at Gracie, whose face was drawn back in an angry scowl. "How foolish are you? You can't calm something like a dragon. The only language it understands is violence. Now, I would ask for your assistance in recapturing the Half-Dragon."
"No way," Mira said. "We're here to calm Nikolias down and take him home. That's where he belongs."
Caro looked at her. "If you don't help me to capture him, then I can't guarantee that he'll return to the Magic Council alive."
"You would kill him?" Wendy asked.
"Whatever is necessary to ensure that he doesn't pose a threat," Caro said. "Imprisonment is ideal, but he's shown that he can't be trusted to remain behind bars."
"We won't let you kill him!" Mira shouted.
"Then you would defy the will of the Magic Council?" Caro asked.
"In a heartbeat," Mira responded, "if it meant saving someone we love from death."
"Fools," Caro sighed. "You clearly don't see the danger he possesses."
"You're the fool," Gracie hissed. "You can't even look past what he is to see who he is. If you did that, then you'd see someone wonderful. Someone trustworthy and loveable. Someone who fights for his friends and family, even if it would cost him his life."
Caro closed his eyes. "If you won't help, then I'll ask you to leave."
Suddenly, a dark growl sounded from the iron ball. Everyone looked over to see a furious Nikolias standing on top of it.
Nikolias roared at the Fairy Tail members and Caro. He knew that they were dangerous. He knew they were hiding something, trying to lure him into a false sense of security. Now he saw the power they possessed. And now, he was ready. He was ready to strike. He leapt off of the iron ball and dashed for the small group.
Caro clapped his hands together. "IRON TOUCH! ABSOULTE PRISON!" He slammed his palms on the ground. Once he did, multiple thick, iron bars shot from the ground and headed straight for Nikolias.
Nikolias leapt into the air, managing to avoid the massive cage that appeared where he had been standing. He glided back on his wings to give some distance and try again.
Caro snorted. "I guess I should keep you still first, huh? Alright. IRON TOUCH! IRON SNAKES!" Caro pushed his palms onto the ground again and summoned twin snakes made of strong iron. They slithered swiftly towards where Nikolias was about to land.
"Niky, look out!" Gracie shouted, but her concern was unnecessary, for Nikolias knew what was coming for him.
Before he even landed, black fire shot from Nikolias' jaws and engulfed the snakes, melting them before they could even reach him.
Caro stood and gritted his teeth. "This is impossible! My iron is too strong to be melted by any fire."
"Those really are powerful flames," Natsu said with wide, wonder-filled eyes.
Caro huffed. "Like I care." He clapped his hands and thrust his palms onto the ground. "IRON TOUCH! IRON PILLAR!" A massive iron pillar shot from the ground at Nikolias.
Nikolias stood on his hind legs and roared at the incoming iron pillar. He shrouded his fist in shadows and thrust it forward, connecting with the pillar and shattering it. He then got down on all fours and crouched low, prepared to strike at any moment.
Caro took a step back. "No way. A single punch was all it took?"
"You stand no chance, pal," Gajeel sneered.
"I won't be beaten by this creature," Caro spat. "I'm done trying to restrain you, beast. You are resisting arrest and therefore, I shall utilize my right to eliminate you."
"I won't let you!" Mira shouted. She tried to charge Caro, but Erza held her back. "Let me go, Erza!" she warned.
"You're not thinking clearly," Erza said calmly. "Attacking the Magic Council will do no favors for anyone. And would Nikolias want you to do that?"
Mira relaxed. "No," she whispered.
Erza gave her a comforting pat on her back. She then looked to Caro. "Please, Captain. Let us try to calm him down."
"Proposal declined," Caro said as he charged at Nikolias. "The Half-Dragon dies now!"
"No!" Mira shouted.
Caro's hands turned to iron as he released a mighty battle cry. "Take this, you abomination! IRON TOUCH! FISTS OF JUSTICE!"
"Captain Caro, please!" Erza begged. "Charging him is dangerous!"
"My Iron Touch magic will not be bested by a Half-Dragon!" Caro roared. "With my Fists of Justice, anything I touch with these fists will be encased in strong iron, unable to move a single muscle. The Half-Dragon will quickly perish this way."
"I wouldn't recommend this course of action," Gracie said, crossing her arms as Caro ran past her.
"Silence!" Caro shouted.
"Your loss," Gracie shrugged.
Caro cocked back his right fist and charged where Nikolias was glaring and waiting. "Now die!"
Nikolias huffed. He lifted one foot and, with a roar, thrust it forward. With this action, a stream of shadows shot from his talons towards Caro, impaling him through the chest.
Caro froze and slowly looked down at the shadows protruding through his chest, blood seeping from the wound and trickling down from the corners of his mouth.
"Oh shit!" Gajeel exclaimed.
"I told him," Gracie said. "Not smart on his part."
Nikolias forced the shadows to disappear, allowing Caro's body to crumble to the ground. The orange haired man groaned as he lay on the ground, trying to maintain pressure on the wound.
Before Nikolias could even consider moving towards his wounded prey, Laxus leapt forward, grabbed Caro, and leapt back. "We gotta give this guy treatment."
"I'm on it!" Wendy exclaimed, kneeling by Caro and healing his wound with her magic.
Caro coughed, blood flying from his mouth. "Alright, Miss Gracie. You can use your method until I'm on my feet."
Gracie sighed. "You think there's any chance I can calm him down after the shit you've pulled?"
"Excuse me?" Caro asked with an angry tone.
"What else do you want me to say?" Gracie asked, pointing to Nikolias. "You pissed off the dragon, man."
Sure enough, Nikolias was furious; more furious than he had been previously. He had successfully wounded his prey and before he could move in for the kill, it was snatched away from him by the other humans. He was hungry and not in the mood to hunt down the same prey again. He roared at the Fairy Tail members, the rage clear in his cry.
Gracie took a defensive stance. "Well, this is what I wanted to avoid, but get ready everyone! He's done playing the passive observer."
"Are we really gonna fight Nikolias?" Natsu asked.
"Afraid so," Gracie said. "Mira, stay with Wendy, okay? Make sure she doesn't get hurt."
Mira nodded sadly. "Right."
"Alright everyone, defend yourselves as best you can," Gracie called out. "Remember; Niky's more likely to kill us with an attack than we are to kill him with an attack. Don't take it easy on him."
Lightning danced around Laxus. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Gajeel cracked his knuckles. "Y'know, I wanted to fight him again, but not like this."
Natsu engulfed his fists in fire. "Sorry Nikolias, but I won't hold back!"
Lucy whipped out her keys. "OPEN GATE OF THE LION! LEO!" In a flash of light, Loke appeared before Lucy. "Alright Loke, Nikolias is our opponent."
Loke gave her a questioning look. "You serious?"
Lucy nodded. "Yeah. Don't hold back. He will kill you if he gets the chance."
"Understood," Loke said as he took a battle stance.
Gray got into his Maker stance. "I guess we've got no choice, huh? We need to keep him from doing any more damage."
Elfman took his Beast Soul form. "We'll do what we have to as men!" he roared.
Erza requipped into her Heaven's Wheel armor. "Try your best to incapacitate him!" she demanded.
Gracie clapped her hands together and became enveloped in a golden aura. She then closed her eyes and held her arms out to the side. "Come forth, katanas!" Her katanas appeared in her hands and she spun them as she prepared herself. "Sorry, Niky," she whispered.
Makarov walked over to where Mira was standing with Wendy and Caro. "This situation really has gotten out of hand, hasn't it?"
Mira nodded slowly. "Yes, it has."
"Your friends better be prepared for the worst, Master Makarov," Caro said. "They probably will have to kill that thing just to stay alive."
"I wouldn't underestimate my children," Makarov said as he glared at Caro from the corner of his eyes. "Also, you should understand that none of this would be happening had Nikolias not been arrested. He would have been treated properly and this whole situation would have been avoided."
"A monster is a monster no matter the skin it wears," Caro retorted.
"Please, that's enough," Mira said softly as she watched Nikolias with teary eyes. "Let's just pray that everyone comes out of this alive."
Nikolias was the first to make a move. He inhaled deeply before firing a massive pillar of shadows from his mouth at the opposing Fairy Tail members.
Gray leapt in the way. "ICE MAKE SHIELD!" he cried as a thick wall of ice appeared before him. Nikolias' attack hit the shield square on and, though it cracked and threatened to yield, it managed to hold off the attack.
Gracie ran around the ice shield to approach Nikolias from the side. 'If I can take out his legs, we can immobilize him and secure him before the wounds heal,' she thought to herself. She lowered her upper body so that it was parallel with the ground. She then leapt low, attempting to slash through the tendons in Nikolias' legs.
Nikolias could sense she was coming. With a stomp of his foot, a thick wall of shadows shot up and blocked Gracie. She collided with it, but managed to leap back before she could be potentially snared by Nikolias' shadows. Nikolias ceased his Roar and charged after her.
Natsu and Gajeel ran to intercept. "FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Natsu cried.
"IRON DRAGON CLUB!" Gajeel shouted as his right hand became a thick iron rod. The two threw their attacks at Nikolias simultaneously.
Nikolias narrowed his eyes at the two before summoning a thick cloud of shadows around him. The two Dragon Slayers ended up running right through the cloud, hitting nothing as they passed through.
"How'd we miss?" Gajeel asked in confusion.
"Shit, get away from there!" Gracie shouted.
The two managed to leap away right before a clawed hand could slash through their backs. "What the hell was that?" Natsu asked.
"It's a technique called Shadow Dragon Dance," Gracie explained. "Essentially, Niky summons shadows and becomes one with them. From there, he can strike from the shadows while simultaneously avoiding attacks."
Once she finished her explanation, Nikolias leapt from the shadow cloud and ran at the two Dragon Slayers.
Loke leapt in front of Nikolias. "REGULUS IMPACT!" he cried as he threw a powerful punch at Nikolias. The Half-Dragon ducked underneath the punch at the last second before releasing a shadow enveloped foot into Loke's stomach. The strike temporarily knocked the wind out of Loke as he flew into the air, but he quickly composed himself and landed in front of Lucy. "Damn, he hits hard. Sorry I couldn't hit him."
Lucy shook her head. "It's okay. You helped Gajeel and Natsu get away. Good work."
Erza and Gracie were now charging Nikolias. "I'll go high!" Erza cried.
Gracie nodded. "I'll go low." The two had their swords drawn as they attempted to immobilize their friend.
Nikolias roared at the incoming women. He then collected an orb of shadows in between his jaws. The orb quickly formed into a large, solid shape before Nikolias fired it at the ground before the two women.
Gracie watched it travel and easily saw the trajectory that Nikolias had chosen. "Quick, Erza! Slide!" Erza did as she was told and the two women slid just as the orb connected with the ground a few feet in front of them. The concussive blast that followed passed a few feet over head. The blast was so strong that had they not slid, they would have easily been decapitated. "That was close."
"How can we fight him?" Erza asked while standing back up. "It's like no matter what we do, he has a solution."
Gracie lifted her blades. "We're gonna have to use his senses against him. Get ready to strike, everyone! Dragon Slayers, cover your ears!"
"What are you gonna do?" Natsu asked as he, Gajeel, and Laxus covered their ears. Even Wendy paused her healing to do as Gracie said.
"This!" Gracie exclaimed as she rubbed her two steel blades together. The friction caused by the two blades rubbing against each other created a scraping, metallic sound like nails on a chalkboard.
Nikolias roared in pain and shook his head as the intense sound pierced his ears. It was like a spike was being driven into his skull. He felt dizzy and his coordination was suffering as he staggered on his feet. That sound was disorienting him.
"Now!" Gracie shouted as she continued to make the sound.
The sound hurt his ears, but Laxus endured it. Lightning danced around his right arm as he cocked it back. "On it! LIGHTNING DRAGON BREAKDOWN FIST!" he cried as he thrust his fist forward. As he did so, a yellow magic circle appeared before his fist and from that circle appeared a massive fist made entirely of lightning that sped towards Nikolias. In the state of disorientation he was in, the attack landed, causing him to cry in pain as he flew into a house. Wood and bricks fell on top of him, trapping him in the debris of the collapsing house. Laxus smirked. "Got him."
"What now?" Lucy asked.
Gracie stopped the noise. "Gray, can you freeze over that whole area?" she asked.
Gray chuckled. "Of course I can."
"Good. Then make it nice and thick."
Gray nodded as he got into position. "ICE MAKE FLOOR!" he shouted as he slammed his palms on the ground. Ice began to spread from his hands along the ground, coating the earth in solid ice. The ice continued to travel until it had completely covered the rubble of the broken house where Nikolias had landed. Gray stood up. "All set."
"Okay, great," Gracie said. "Now we need to…"
"You've done enough," Caro said as he got to his feet. Wendy had finished healing him and he was ready to continue. "Excellent work, Fairy Tail. I'll take it from here now." Gray magic circles appeared in his palm. "IRON TOUCH! ABSOLUTE PRISON!" He slammed his palms on the ground and once again, multiple thick, iron bars shot from the ground. They made their way to the icy house remains and dug into the ground, bending and shifting to form a large, strong cage. The bars were so thick and so close together that a mouse would have trouble sneaking in and out.
"What are you doing?" Mira asked.
"I'm taking the Half-Dragon back into custody," Caro replied. "This prison is my strongest defensive spell. There will be no more escape for him. Just be glad that there's no more need to eliminate him since he's been caged."
Suddenly, the sound of ice shattering and wood splintering followed by a furious roar echoed from the cage. Nikolias had recovered.
"Way to go, snowflake!" Natsu jeered. "Your ice didn't hold him!"
"Oh like you did any better, pyro," Gray shot back.
"The ice did its job," Caro said. "It held the beast still so that I could recapture him."
Gracie stomped over to Caro. "Would you stop calling Niky all these names like 'creature' and 'beast'? He's none of those things."
"Sure could've fooled me," Caro said.
"She's right," Mira said. "He's a wonderful person. He's not a monster. Please try to see him for who he truly is."
"You're wasting your breath," Caro said.
Gracie leaned in close. "You listen here…" she began.
"Um, Gracie?" Wendy said softly as she tugged on Gracie's tank top. She was facing the other way and looking at the iron cage.
"Not now, Wendy," Gracie said. She was ready to unleash hell on Caro. Maybe kick him in the balls as an appetizer or something.
"But what's that?" Wendy asked.
Gracie sighed as she turned around. "What's what?"
Wendy pointed to the cage. "That."
Everyone looked at the cage and saw shadows leaking out from in between the bars.
"What's going on?" Caro asked. "What's he doing?"
"Shit," Gracie grumbled.
Moments later, four massive black scythes made of shadow shot through the bars and whipped around the cage horizontally, two moving clockwise high and two moving counterclockwise low. They slashed through the iron bars with ease, breaking apart the massive cage with a crash. Nikolias leapt from the broken cage and glared at his enemies with rage filled eyes.
"I…Impossible," Caro stuttered.
"What was that?" Makarov asked.
"A technique called Shadow Dragon Reaper Slash," Gracie explained. "Niky surrounds himself in shadows and is then able to send out shadowy, scythe-like projectile blades. Faced with that technique, that iron might as well have been butter."
Caro clenched his fists. "He really can't be apprehended. There is no other choice. He must be killed."
"You can't do that!" Mira shouted.
"I was too soft before," Caro shot at her. "I was lenient and now, the situation has only gotten worse for us. I'm sorry, but he can't be kept alive."
"And how the hell do you plan on killing him?" Gajeel asked while crossing his arms. "He's already shown that your iron is no match for him."
Caro closed his eyes. "My ace in the hole. I don't like to use it because my iron is strongest when applied to a surface directly, but the force of this move should pack enough power to at least weaken him so that I can get in close for the kill."
Gracie stood in front of Caro, glaring at him while positioning herself in between the Captain and Nikolias. "And what makes you think I or anyone else will let you?"
"You need to face reality," Caro hissed. "You're living in a fantasy world if you think that there's any hope of saving him."
Gracie didn't budge. "And you're ignorant. This incredible hunger of his won't last more than 24 hours. If we can find a way to get him through this until then, then he will be back to normal."
"That's too long a wait," Caro said. "Based on what my men have reported, the dragon broke free in this form at most five hours ago. You expect to hold him off for over half a day? You'd be exhausted and out of magic energy in two hours tops."
Gracie turned away from him. "It's the only choice we've got if we're gonna save Niky."
Caro sighed. "I'm using my technique. If you choose to stand in my way, then you'll perish alongside that dragon." He crouched down and held his palms out in front of him so that they faced Nikolias, one hand's fingers facing the sky and the other hand's fingers facing the dirt. His wrists were connected and his elbows were locked.
"I ain't moving," Gracie said defiantly, but soon found herself being dragged out of the way by Erza. "God damn it, Erza! Let me go! He's gonna fire at Niky!"
"Clearly he doesn't care if you're in the way or not," Erza said as she dragged Gracie by her shirt. "Besides, how would Nikolias feel if he knew you died trying to protect him?"
"Like I care! He does it for me and everyone else all of the time. Now let me go!" Gracie said.
"Too late," Caro said as an incredible pressure began building in his hands. Metallic particles were gathering in his palms and it seemed like his hands were now glowing a dull gray. Caro's eyes were closed as he focused his energy into his hands. After a few more seconds, his eyes shot open as he glared at the Half-Dragon before him. "ULTIMATE IRON TECHNIQUE! STEEL CANNON!" Upon command, a large, gray magic circle appeared before his hands. From the magic circle, an enormous blast of white and gray power shot towards Nikolias.
"Niky!" Gracie shrieked, still being held back by Erza.
"No!" Mira shouted.
The attack collided with Nikolias, sending up a monstrous cloud of dirt and steel dust. Everyone watched with baited breath, all but one hoping that he was okay.
Caro smirked. "And that's that. No way he survives that."
As the dust began to settle, the Fairy Tail members were feeling more and more concern for their fellow member.
"C'mon, Nikolias," Natsu urged. "No way that took you down."
"He'll be okay," Lucy said to Natsu reassuringly. "He does have the Red Eye after all."
"But with all of that iron acting as shrapnel, he may not be able to heal," Gajeel mentioned.
Mira clasped her hands together. "Please be alive," she whispered.
Gracie let her head hang as she fell to her knees. "Damn it. This is all my fault," she sobbed.
Erza put a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Gracie."
"Yes it is," she said. "If I had fought harder, if I had kept Niky out of prison, none of this would have happened."
"There was nothing you could do, my dear," Makarov said. "Nikolias went willingly. He knew the risks involved."
Gracie clenched her fists. "That idiot."
And then they all heard a deep, threatening growl come from the cloud before them.
Caro took a step back. "No, it can't be!"
Mira's eyes shone. "Thank goodness!"
From the dirt cloud, everyone could see Nikolias surrounded by a thin, black barrier as he snarled at Caro.
Gracie gave a sigh of relief. "The Shadow Aura technique. Damn, I always forget that that can be used for defense."
"That's Shadow Aura?" Wendy asked. She had never seen it used for anything but healing.
"Yep, that's it," Gracie said as she stood and wiped the tears from her eyes before they could fall.
"Damn it, what more do I have to do?" Caro roared.
"You can't kill him, clearly," Laxus said. "Just let us do our thing."
Caro would have argued, but what could he say? He threw everything at the Half-Dragon, but nothing even fazed him. He was out of options. He sighed. "Very well. Have it your way."
Nikolias glared at these humans before him. He no longer wanted to just eat them; he wanted to destroy them. He wanted to annihilate them. They had the audacity to keep him from eating the small humans he was chasing before, then they took weakened prey away from him, and then they actually tried to kill him. He was furious and nothing could calm his rage. He would devour every last piece of them. He released a powerful roar that shook the very air.
"Great. He's really pissed now," Gracie said. "This is only gonna be tougher."
Shadows erupted from all around Nikolias, shaking the ground violently. The shadows whipped around, destroying buildings and stands as they flailed wildly. All the while, Nikolias roared, his claws digging into the cobblestone road.
"Don't worry, I've got this!" Elfman cried. He charged forward while still in his Beast Soul form.
"Elfman, no!" Mira cried.
"That's dangerous, dumbass!" Gracie shouted. "He's really unstable right now!"
"I said I've got it," Elfman said as he picked up speed.
Nikolias saw Elfman getting closer and closer, but he was done playing around. With a powerful push, he charged Elfman, racing towards him with unbelievable speed. Elfman made to punch Nikolias with an enormous fist, but Nikolias was too quick. Before Elfman could even blink, Nikolias had lunged at him. He dug his talons into Elfman's massive chest and, with shadow enveloped fangs, drove his sharp fangs into Elfman's shoulder.
"Son of a bitch!" Elfman roared. He grabbed Nikolias' back with his massive hand, but Nikolias wasn't budging. "Get off!"
Mira's eyes were wide in disbelief. The love of her life had actually just bitten her brother. She felt like her legs would give out at any second. "Elfman!"
Elfman gritted his teeth as he continued to pull on Nikolias' torso, but he found his strength was leaving him. It also felt like the world was spinning. "W…What's going on?"
Gracie ran forward, katanas drawn back. "Niky, get off!"
Nikolias saw her coming from the corner of his eyes. Before she could get too close, Nikolias released Elfman, pushed off his body, and slammed his thick, scaly tail into Elfman's face. He then leapt away before Gracie could strike him.
Mira ran to her brother and knelt beside him. "Elfman! Are you okay?"
Elfman groaned as he left his Beast Soul form. "I feel…weird."
"That's Niky's Shadow Dragon Fang for ya," Gracie said, her eyes never leaving Nikolias, who was still poised to strike again. "Once he bites down and starts to inject his shadows into your body, you'll feel weak and your senses will be pretty messed up."
"Will he be okay?" Mira asked worriedly.
"Don't worry, Mira. Elfman will be just fine. Just let him rest," Gracie assured.
"Thank goodness," Mira said with a sigh of relief.
Nikolias roared at his opponents and ran towards Gracie.
"Bring it on," Gracie said, lifting her katanas up to defend. However, it made no difference. With a quick burst of blinding speed, Nikolias was suddenly upon her. He swung his tail at her stomach with all of his power, cracking some ribs and sending her tumbling away.
"Gracie!" Erza cried as she ran to her friend. She helped support her as she sat Gracie up. "Are you alright?"
Gracie wiped away some blood that trickled down her lip. "Fine," she wheezed. "Damn, he hits really hard." She tried to stand, but winced at the pain and immediately fell back down. "Owowowowow!"
"Take it easy," Erza said softly. "You probably have a few broken bones."
"But Niky…," Gracie began.
Nikolias released another powerful roar, shadows erupting around him once more. He then narrowed his eyes at the closest and weakest prey before him; the male human who was lying on the ground, the effects of the Fang coursing through his thick body. With another powerful push, he rushed Elfman. He was going to feast on his flesh and he wouldn't be stopped.
"Mira, get out of there!" Laxus roared.
"Mira, look out!" Lucy shouted.
"Mira!" Makarov cried as he started to activate his magic.
Mira stood up and watched Nikolias charge. She then stepped forward in front of Elfman and held her arms out to the side. "Please stop, Nikolias."
"He can't be reasoned with!" Caro shouted.
"Don't be an idiot, Mira!" Gray scolded.
"Please, big sis," Elfman rasped, "move out of the way. It's me he wants."
"I won't move," Mira insisted. "I believe in him."
"Mira!" Gracie yelled as she tried to move. Unfortunately, her injuries kept her immobile. She couldn't help. "No!"
Nikolias kept charging, his golden eyes fixed on the female human who was trying to stop him from reaching his prey. He growled as he charged. He didn't really care. If she wanted to be eaten sooner rather than later, it made no difference to him.
Mira squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and shouted with all of her love and sorrow, "NIKOLIAS, THIS ISN'T YOU!"
And it was then that something hit Nikolias' nose. It was a scent that he knew all too well, but had remained oblivious to due to his rage and hunger. His golden eyes widened as he dug his clawed feet into the dirt in an effort to stop. However, with all of his speed and momentum carrying him forward, he found himself tripping over his feet and tumbling across the ground. He came to rest on his side a few feet in front of Mira.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
"What the hell just happened?" Gajeel asked.
"Mira stopped him," Wendy said, relieved.
"How did she do that?" Gracie wondered aloud. "He shouldn't be able to recognize us in this state."
Mira opened her eyes to see Nikolias lying on the ground before her. "Nikolias?"
Nikolias groaned as he got to his feet, shaking his whole body to remove the dirt that had collected on his scales. He then looked up at Mira, a curious look in his eyes. He sniffed the air in front of him. This scent…it couldn't be. He inched forward, needing to see if his nose was betraying him.
"Mira, be careful," Laxus warned.
Mira wasn't paying attention, though. Her sapphire blue eyes were fixed on the slowly approaching Half-Dragon. Her heart was beating fast, but not out of fear—it was because she was hopeful that Nikolias was coming back to her. She held her hand out to him. "Hey," she whispered.
Nikolias paused momentarily at seeing her hand come forward, but when it didn't advance, he continued to silently creep closer. He leaned his head forward and sniffed her hand. His eyes widened. There was just no way that this could be right. To be sure, he walked quickly forward and paced around Mira, sniffing every inch of her. Once he had completed his revolution around the female human, he stopped at her hand again. There was no mistaking it. His nose hadn't betrayed him. The scent that this female human had was his scent. It was mixed in with her individual scent, but it was still there. Slowly, Nikolias began to lower his head to the ground in a submissive manner.
"What the hell?" Gray asked.
"What's he doing?" Erza asked.
"I'm at a loss," Natsu said with a shrug.
Mira smiled at Nikolias. "I knew you were in there somewhere." She moved her hand even closer to Nikolias' head.
Nikolias lifted his head slightly, sniffed Mira's hand once more, and gave it a quick lick with his long, slender tongue, which made Mira giggle. He then rubbed his scaly head against her palm in a loving fashion.
"Un-freaking-believable," Gray mumbled. "Mira calmed him down from that rampage and now he's completely tame."
"But how?" Caro asked. "He was unstoppable and she easily stopped him with nothing more than words."
"Oh, there's more to it than that," Gracie said with a mischievous smile. After seeing Nikolias' behavior, she understood what had happened. "Niky stopped because of a scent that he picked up."
"But he shouldn't have been able to recognize any of our scents," Erza said. "Otherwise, he would have understood that we were friends."
"It wasn't Mira's scent," Gracie said with a twinkle in her eye. "It's okay, kiddies. I'll explain later." She laughed mischievously. 'Mental note: bother Niky relentlessly for details later.'
Mira squatted down as Nikolias continued to affectionately rub her hand. "You're so adorable." Nikolias let out a soft cry, which made Mira giggle. "Now you're even more adorable."
"Well done, Miss Mira," Caro said as he walked forward. "Now that he's calmed down, we'll try to take him in peaceably once more."
Nikolias sensed Caro walking towards them. He immediately repositioned his body so that he was standing protectively in front of Mira, his weight shifted so that he could pounce on the potential threat. He growled menacingly, bared his fangs, and narrowed his golden eyes at the orange haired man, daring him to come any closer.
Caro heeded the warning and froze. "I thought he calmed down?"
Gracie, with the help of Erza, got to her feet. "Oh, he's calm. Just don't go anywhere near Mira. She's his territory."
"What?" Caro asked.
"Please explain what the hell you mean," Laxus said.
Gracie sighed. "I guess I do have to explain now. Mira belongs to Niky—or at least, that's what Niky's dragon mind believes. Niky smelled himself on Mira and understood that they had a bond. Once he recognized the bond, he would never do anything to her. He won't let anyone he doesn't trust near her either and, since he doesn't recognize us, Mira will have to assure him that we're friends before he lets us near either of them."
"What do you mean he smells himself on Mira?" Lucy asked.
Gracie winked at Mira. "What do you think, Mira?"
Mira turned bright red as her eyes focused on the ground. "Gracie," she whined.
Lucy and Erza blushed slightly as well. Makarov, Gray, Gajeel, and Laxus shifted uncomfortably at the implied subject. Elfman was too dazed by the shadows inside of his body to react or even hear the conversation, but had he heard, he probably would have been furious. Wendy blinked innocently.
Natsu tilted his head in confusion. "I don't get it."
Gray tapped Natsu's shoulder. "You're better off not knowing."
"What? No way, that's not fair!" Natsu complained. "Lucy, what's going on?"
"I'll explain it later," Lucy said, her face still red. 'Nikolias and Mira…did they really? I wonder if Natsu and I will ever…'
Gracie, despite her wounds started to slowly approach Nikolias. "Hey there, Niky."
Nikolias growled at the approaching female, but he felt a hand on his head. He turned to see Mira smiling at him and nodding her head. He let out another soft cry and returned his attention to Gracie. He slowly walked forward to meet the blonde.
Gracie slowly got to her knees and held out her hand. "It's okay. I won't hurt you."
Nikolias inched over and sniffed Gracie's hand. He looked over to Mira once more, but she was still smiling, so he turned back around and gently nudged Gracie's hand with his head.
Gracie giggled as she pet his head. "Yay! He likes me!"
After letting Gracie pet his head for all of two seconds, Nikolias turned around and bounded back to Mira. He then lied down on the ground in front of where she squatted, his eyes still fixed on her.
Mira cupped his scaly face with her hands. "So when will Dragon Feast end?" she asked without looking away from Nikolias' captivating golden eyes.
Gracie shrugged. "Not sure, but the more he eats, the sooner he'll change. We just have to feed him a lot."
Mira stood up and Nikolias got up as well. She smiled and tilted her head cutely to the side. "Well then we better get back to the guild."
