Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS! Read at your own risk. 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!
Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon
Chapter 99
"I see. Thank you." Lahar lowered his hand, disconnecting the link he had through a communication lacrima. He turned to Doranbolt, who was searching through the library of the Council room they were in. "Apparently all of Neville's Celestial Spirit Wizards have been awakened from the 100-year sleeping spell. However, just like with Katja, they have all lost their magic power."
Doranbolt closed the book he was skimming and sighed. "Well, that's good news. Better they be alive and well and lose their magic than have to live through that kind of hell."
"I agree. So, you were reading the report?" Lahar asked, gesturing to the book Doranbolt was holding.
Doranbolt lowered his gaze. "I find it hard to believe."
"Everything in there is fact. They're as they were seven years ago. Fairy Tail is back home and as boisterous as ever. So boisterous, in fact, that the Chairman is quite irked by it."
Doranbolt turned to face him. "So you knew about their return this whole time?"
Lahar smiled at him. "It would have been simple for me to tell you. I couldn't resist you finding out this way. Sorry."
Doranbolt shook his head. He couldn't help but smile in relief. "It's fine." He returned the book to its spot on the shelf. 'So they're alive after all.'
"Captain Lahar!"
Doranbolt and Lahar looked towards the stairs. One of the Rune Knights was running down the staircase with papers clutched in his hand. "What do you have to report?" Lahar asked.
The knight shook his head as he handed over the report in his hand. "Sorry, Captain. We did everything we could. I'm sorry, but we couldn't find her."
Lahar took the papers and read them over quickly. "I see. Thank you for your report." The knight saluted and left the room. "She'll turn up eventually. She won't be able to stay hidden forever. Still, where could you be hiding, Angel?"
"Daaaaarliiiiiiing~!"
Everyone in Fairy Tail was staring in complete disbelief. No one knew what to make of the situation or what to say. All they could do was stand frozen with looks of bafflement. Angel, who not too long ago was their enemy with the Oración Séis, was inside of their guild hall, her arms wrapped around Nikolias as she stroked his face. Her eyes were locked on Nikolias with an expression of amusement. Nikolias, on the other hand, kept trying to gently peel her off of him.
After the Infinity Clock had been stopped and the team dispatched to rescue Lucy had returned, everyone in the guild immediately started planning a celebration. However, that celebration was put on hold once Nikolias landed in front of the guild hall, Angel asleep on his back. Everyone was stunned as Nikolias transformed and carried Angel into the guild hall without saying a single word. Once Angel had woken up, she immediately went to Nikolias's side. And now here they were.
It was Gracie who broke through the stunned silence first. "So, uh…Niky? Mind if I ask a question? What the hell?"
"What in particular are you what the helling?" Nikolias asked.
"I think you have a pretty good idea. Why is Angel here? Why would you bring the enemy here?" Gracie clarified.
"She's not an enemy anymore," Nikolias said. "And I brought her here because she needed a safe place to rest and heal. That's all."
Gracie ran a hand through her hair. "I…But…You…Ow, my brain."
"Nikolias saved my life," Angel purred. "I owe him a great deal. He's my angel."
Gracie's jaw dropped. "You saved an enemy?"
"She's not an enemy anymore," Nikolias repeated. "Look, her past is a lot like mine. I empathized with her, so I couldn't just let her die."
Gracie staggered backwards. "I don't think the world makes sense anymore."
"Stop being dramatic," Nikolias huffed. "I wanted to let her get a fresh start. You're making this out to be something bigger than it is."
"If she's not hostile towards us anymore, I don't see anything wrong with it," Erza said. "I believe anyone can change for the better if given the chance."
"Thank you, Erza. That's exactly my point," Nikolias said. "Now Angel, can you please get off of me?"
"No way!" Angel refused.
Nikolias groaned.
"He said get off!" Ash spat.
Angel eyed the young girl. "Oh my. Are you jealous?"
Ash's face turned bright red. "Wha—? Jealous?! No way! I just don't think you should be clinging to someone who doesn't want to be clung to!"
"Oh, how cute. Your face is matching your hair!"
Ash was shaking. "I don't like her. She rubs me the wrong way."
Angel giggled playfully. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Enough, Angel," Nikolias said. "By the way, Ash, how's Sky?"
Ash calmed down and smiled. "Better. She should hopefully wake up soon and be good as new."
"That's good news," Nikolias said with a relieved smile.
Mira stepped forward, a smile on her face but a cold aura surrounding her. "I think we should set you up at a table, Angel. I'm sure you're starving."
Angel could sense the hostile vibe Mira was giving off. She smirked at the challenge she felt was being issued. "Oh, I'm quite alright."
Mira's eyebrow twitched, but her smile did not falter. "Then could I interest you in a drink? I can serve you at the bar."
"No thank you!"
"Then how about a change of clothes? Surely you can't be comfortable with so little coverage."
Angel looked herself over. She was still barely covered by the remnants of her feathered clothing. She looked back up at Mira. "It's actually quite comfortable, but I appreciate your concern!"
Makarov quickly stepped in before Mira exploded. "So Angel, tell us. What are your plans moving forward? Now that you've been given the chance to start over, what will you do with yourself?"
Angel looked up ponderingly at the ceiling and hummed. After a moment her face lit up and she embraced Nikolias even tighter. "I think I'd like to join Fairy Tail!"
"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!" Everyone in Fairy Tail cried their disbelief.
Angel sighed happily. "I can't think of a better use for the life that Nikolias returned to me than joining the same guild as him!"
Makarov closed his eyes and crossed his arms. He let out a slow breath. "I had a feeling things would turn out this way. I was prepared for this possibility just from reading the room. Macao, you're the current guild master. What do you say?"
Macao was too stunned to speak. All he could manage was small bursts of sound.
Makarov sighed. "Angel, you must understand that Fairy Tail is a welcoming family. However, your past actions are unacceptable. You approached us as an enemy and came at us with ill intent."
Angel's gaze fell. She looked like a small child being scolded by her father. "I realize that."
"You need to convince all of us that your past will remain your past and not be a part of your future."
Angel placed a hand over her chest. "I swear it is all behind me!" Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. "I hurt people. I killed people. I did horrible things without a care. I allowed my past to guide me down a path of self-destruction that brought sorrow to all kinds of people." She closed her eyes and a faint smile appeared on her lips. "But Nikolias helped me to see that I could find a different path. He helped me to realize that I could live a better life filled with joy and hope." She opened her eyes and looked at everyone hopefully. "While I understand that I can never fully atone for everything I did, while I can never fully repay the cost of the lives I destroyed, I want to do what I can to do good for people. Please, let me try!"
Makarov nodded his head. "I see. You certainly seem to have a strong resolve. And I sense no falsehood in your words." He turned to Macao once more. "Macao, wipe that dumb look off of your face. As guild master, you must make a decision."
Macao shook his head and cleared his throat. "Right. Well, if she's serious about changing for the better, then I don't see a problem with welcoming Angel into Fairy Tail."
Makarov nodded and walked up to Angel. He extended his hand. "Welcome, Angel. Welcome to Fairy Tail."
Tears began falling from Angel's eyes as relief washed over her. For the first time since waking up in the guild, she removed herself from Nikolias and took Makarov's hand. "Thank you!"
Makarov grinned widely. "Now that that's all settled, let's party!"
Upon hearing that word leave Makarov's lips, the guild snapped out of its stupor and erupted in cheers. It was as if they suddenly remembered that they had just defeated Oración Séis, stopped the Infinity Clock, and saved Lucy from vanishing forever. All dispersed around the small guild hall, breaking off into small groups to celebrate. Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Juvia, Erza, and Wendy sat at one table, laughing away as Natsu held Lucy close. Gajeel, Levy, Jet, and Droy sat at another table. Nikolias sat on top of one of the tables as Mira, Gracie, and Ash found seats beside him.
Angel blinked as she took in everything before her. "Well that was fast. It's as if everything never happened."
"You'll get used to it," Nikolias chuckled. "Eventually."
"Now Angel, all that's left is to give you our guild mark to make it official," Macao said.
Angel looked down at her waist where her white Oración Séis guild mark rested. "Of course." With a wave of her hand, the mark vanished in a small shower of shining particles.
"Whoa, I've never seen a guild mark get erased before," Gracie said.
Wakaba walked over with the guild stamp and handed it to Macao. "I'm assuming you'll want the same color and spot?"
"That would be perfect," Angel purred. She turned to Nikolias. "Will you put my new guild mark upon me, darling?"
"Nope," Nikolias refused simply.
Angel pouted. "Oh boo. You're no fun."
Macao pressed the guild stamp against Angel's waist. When he removed it, a pure white Fairy Tail guild mark appeared on her creamy white skin. "There. It's official. You're now a member of Fairy Tail."
Angel spun around and posed for Nikolias. "How do I look, darling?"
"Like a Fairy Tail wizard," Nikolias smiled. "Now please stop calling me 'darling'."
Suddenly, a knock echoed from the large wooden doors. Before anyone could move, the doors slowly swung open. In walked the Legion Platoon, led by Byro.
"What are they doing here?" Gracie asked.
Makarov stepped forward. Erza, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Wendy, and Gracie came up behind him. "How can we help you all today?"
Byro immediately dropped to his knee. The other Legion Platoon members followed suit. "We Legionnaires have come for one purpose." He bowed his head. Again, the other Legion Platoon members followed his lead. "We Legionnaires deeply apologize to you, Fairy Tail." He lifted his head. "Especially to you, Miss Lucy Heartfilia."
"It's alright. It all worked out in the end," Lucy said with a smile.
Makarov nodded. "Your apologies are appreciated. We're just thankful the crisis is over now. Please, raise your heads." The Legion Platoon obeyed and raised their heads. "We fought, but that was in the past. We'll start anew."
Gracie sighed. "Man, we're forgiving everybody, huh?"
Byro placed a hand over his armored chest as a sign of respect. "You have my deepest gratitude."
Makarov walked over and extended his hand. Byro stood and took the former Guild Master's hand. "Now that that's over, why don't you join us? We were just about to celebrate!"
The guild erupted in cheers yet again.
Dan was on his feet in a flash, a large smile on his face. "A party, yeah? Count me in!" It was then that he noticed Angel. "ANGEY! What are you doing here?"
Angel's face crinkled. "Oh great. It's you."
Dan skipped over to her and leapt for her. "This must be fate! To think we would meet again here of all places! We must be meant to be!"
"Not on your life!" Angel cried as she dove for Nikolias. Dan's leaping body flew past her and hit the floor. "Darling, this insufferable man won't leave me alone. Make him stop!"
"I can't even get you to stop," Nikolias sighed.
Dan pulled himself to his feet and pointed accusingly at Nikolias. "You would stand between me and my love, yeah? Have you no heart?"
"You know, I've always thought there was something wrong with you," Nikolias said with a shrug, "but that might be the dumbest thing you've said yet."
"For Angey's hand, I challenge you to a duel, yeah!"
"Wow, never mind. That was the dumbest thing you've said. Look, I'm not after Angel's hand." Nikolias's lips curled up into a grin. Shadows swirled around him. He moved Angel to the side and hopped off of the table. "However, if it's a fight you want, I wouldn't mind beating some sense into that empty head of yours."
Dan lifted his spear and shield, prepared for a battle. "Angey, watch closely as I demonstrate my love for you!"
"Gross," Angel said flatly.
"That's enough, Dan," Byro barked sternly. "We've come to express our remorse for our actions, not start a fight. Now stand down."
Dan lowered his weapon. "I suppose you're right, Lord Byro, yeah."
Mira placed a hand on Nikolias's shoulder. "You too, Nikolias. We're burying the hatchet. Forgiving past actions. Let's relax and not fight. Please?"
Nikolias's shadows vanished as he chuckled. "Yeah, okay."
Once that was settled, everyone relaxed and enjoyed themselves. Byro sat at the bar with Gildarts. Dan, as if forgetting everything, joined Natsu in an eating contest. Sugar Boy cozied up to Gray, much to the chagrin of Juvia and the sheer amusement of Gracie. Hughes stood in a corner, her gaze on the floor.
Coco walked up to Panther Lily. Her face seemed troubled and she was nervously grabbing her arm. "Umm…can I speak to you? In private?"
Panther Lily nodded and walked outside with Coco. Once they were a few yards away from the guild hall, Panther Lily leapt onto a tree stump and faced Coco. "So what did you wish to speak to me about?"
Coco fidgeted with her hands and shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Ummm…well you see…it's just that…I said something terrible to you when we met. I had said I hated cats…and…and I…"
"It's fine. Forget about it," Panther Lily interjected with a grin. "I'm just glad I was able to meet 'Coco' again, even if you are different from the girl I once knew. I couldn't ask for more."
Coco gave him a relived smile. "Thank you so much."
Panther Lily nodded. "From now on, let's be friends, okay?"
Coco squeezed her hands tightly. "Well, about that…"
"Hold it right there."
Coco and Panther Lily turned towards the voice. It was Samuel and he was already in his battle form. Samuel intertwined his clawed fingers and stretched them in front of his body. "Before you get deep into conversation, would you have another bout with me?"
"Samuel, Lord Byro just told Dan not to—"
"Fine with me," Panther Lily replied as he transformed into his battle form. He took a slightly crouched stance. "Come on!"
Coco sweatdropped. "Why is this happening?"
Samuel sprang high into the air with his fist drawn back. As he descended, he swiftly lashed out with his leg, trying to catch Panther Lily off guard. Panther Lily, however, was able to put up a swift guard with his muscular arm, blocking the attack from striking his head. He countered with a punch of his own that caught Samuel in the face. Samuel used the momentum from Panther Lily's blow to swing upward with his foot, striking Panther Lily under his jaw.
Coco could only blink with a look of shock on her face as she watched the two Exceeds brawl. 'Am I imagining things? Why does it look like they're…smiling?'
Panther Lily leapt back. "Heh. It seems you've managed to cast off your hesitancy. Your movements are more agile than ever today."
Samuel wiped away some dirt and blood off of his face and grinned. "Perhaps, but not agile enough to defeat you. Too bad. I wanted to beat you at least once in the end."
"In the end?" Panther Lily echoed, confused. He looked to Coco, who only looked at him with a sad smile.
At the guild bar, Gildarts threw back the drink in his mug. He and Byro hadn't said a word to each other, or anyone for that matter, since Byro sat down. He sighed. "You know, our fight left me numb."
"It's a wide world out there," Byro replied. "I never knew there were wizards like you."
Gildarts chuckled. "I had motivation and a shit ton of luck. Plus a few other factors, I suppose. If we ever fought again, who knows how it would turn out?"
Byro looked at the drink in his cup. "You take a broad view of things."
Gildarts laughed. "I just live selfishly is all."
Byro said nothing. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small golden trinket.
"Hoh? What's that you got there?" Gildarts inquired.
Byro held tight the trinket, the golden seal entrusted to him by the Archbishop. He reflected on the Archbishop's words as he handed over the seal. 'Legion's new mission will be a long, severe one. We must use this golden seal to try and bring light to people's hearts, even if it's just a little. Your Grace, are we truly worthy of such words and trust?' Byro glanced at Gildarts. "Something very heavy that I must bear."
Gildarts raised an eyebrow at Byro's cryptic response. But he laughed it off and raised his mug for a refill. "I see."
Dan looked around the guild hall and squealed. "So many beautiful women all gathered in one place!"
Lucy laughed nervously. "You really do just say whatever's on your mind."
Dan stood proudly. "Life is short, so you can't waste a single moment."
"There's a limit to how naïve and clueless one man can be," Angel said with a shrug.
"I kind of like that motto, though the motive for which it's used is questionable," Mira smiled.
Dan spun on his heels and in a flash was by Mira's side. He grabbed her hands and held her close. "I knew from the very beginning how you felt about me, Mir-Mir!"
"Mir-Mir?" Mira said uncomfortably.
"Now, let's begin our new journey as a loving couple, yeah!"
No one quite saw what happened next. All they could make out was Dan flying across the guild hall and into the far back wall. Mira was shaking her fist, her eyebrow twitching in irritation and her usual smile gone. "I should have let Nikolias squash you!"
"Easy, Mira," Ash said timidly. "Remember? Bury the hatchet? Forgive past actions? Yeah?"
Mira puffed out her cheeks and looked away with a huff.
"Now you see how I felt," Angel sighed.
"Hey, where is Nikolias?" Natsu asked. "He was just here, wasn't he?"
Angel whipped around. "Oh no! I was so distracted by that buffoon that my darling vanished!" She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Daaaaaaarliiiiiiiiing! Where are yoooooooou?"
Mira snapped out of her mood and looked around. "He was just here. I wonder where he could have snuck off to."
Nikolias slowly opened the door to the infirmary and crept inside. Sky was fast asleep in one of the beds. There was a chair still at the bedside from when Wendy and Ash had been visiting her. He made his way to the chair and quietly sat down.
Sky seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He was glad. She didn't appear to be feeling any pain. He smiled softly. "Wendy really is something else," he whispered.
A small groan escaped from Sky's slightly parted lips. Her eyelids fluttered open halfway. Sky tiredly moved her head to the side and immediately smiled. "Hello, Nikolias."
"Hey, Sky. Sorry, did I wake you?"
She shook her head very slowly once. "No, you didn't wake me." Her breathy voice was even weaker than usual.
"How are you feeling? Any better?"
"I'm okay. Wendy made me feel better."
"Good, I'm glad." He stood to leave. "I'll let you rest. I just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing."
Sky nodded. "Kay."
Nikolias bent down and carefully moved some hair out of Sky's face. "We'll see you when you get completely better."
Sky's cheeks took on more color and she smiled happily. She nuzzled Nikolias's hand and closed her eyes. "Right. Thank you for checking on me, Big Brother."
Nikolias blushed and blinked. "B…Big Brother?" However, he couldn't question her about it. Sky had fallen back asleep. He sighed and gently removed his hand. He smiled at the sleeping Sky. "Big Brother, huh?"
"Mary!"
Hughes lifted her head to see Lucy walking over to her with a smile. "It's you."
Lucy spun on her heels and stood beside Hughes, resting her back against the wall. "Why are you standing in the corner all by yourself?"
Hughes lowered her gaze. "I don't understand."
"What do you mean? What don't you understand?"
"After what I did to you, how can you smile when you see me?"
"Because it's all over now. Also, you and the other Legionnaires were all tricked, right? So don't worry about it."
Hughes gripped her arm. "Before Zentopia took me in, I'd been tricked and used my whole life. But that all changed once I got power. If it was for the sake of Zentopia, which raised me and gave me this power, I thought I would do anything. In thinking that, I controlled people. It felt like I was getting revenge on all those people who had used and controlled me all those years ago." She shook her head. "And yet, in the end, I was just being used again. Not only me, but the Legionnaires, His Grace, hell even Lapointe were used. And Michelle, who was with you."
Lucy's smile faded slightly. "Michelle…"
"I feel like there's something I should tell you." Hughes took a deep breath. "Before coming here, we met with His Grace. He gave us a new mission and a new purpose. But right at the end, he told us something was bothering him."
"What was bothering him?" Lucy asked curiously.
"We were investigating closely exactly what Lapointe was up to, specifically the areas where he sent his puppets. And you see…we found out what he was up to…with the real Michelle Lobster."
Lucy's eyes widened. "The real Michelle?"
Hughes nodded. "Apparently, Lapointe had his eye on the Lobster family fortune, so he was keeping her close at hand." Hughes forced herself to look Lucy in the eye. "But the official document that showed her to be a distant relative of the Heartfilia family…"
"It was fake, wasn't it?" Lucy presumed.
Tears filled Hughes's eyes. "I wanted to apologize to you so badly, so I wanted to at least find some good news I could tell you, but I couldn't."
Lucy smiled at her. "Thank you for trying so hard. I did suspect that to be the case. But now that I know the truth, it's like a huge weight has been lifted off of my chest."
"You suspected?" Hughes asked, surprised.
Lucy nodded. "I did."
"But aren't you upset by that news?"
"It does feel a little lonely," Lucy admitted, "but I'll be fine. I have Natsu. I have all of my friends."
"Friends," Hughes muttered.
Lucy turned to face Hughes and held out her hand. "Now then, here! Let's officially make up!"
Hughes stared at her hand, then back into Lucy's eyes. There were traces of tears, but Lucy's large brown eyes were still smiling. Hughes couldn't help but smile as well. She took Lucy's hands. "Alright! We'll start as friends!"
Lucy laughed nervously. "Umm…I don't know if that makes sense…" She pulled Hughes out of the corner. "Now come on! There's a party that you need to join!"
The party lasted well into the evening. Everyone had relaxed and enjoyed themselves, allowing all past conflicts with Angel and the Legion Platoon to melt away. Had anyone unaware of their history viewed the celebration, they would have assumed all involved were long-time friends. In fact, this sight confused Sky, who had woken up hours into the party and managed to leave her bed. All she could do was blink and look around panicked, frozen where she stood. It took significant coaxing from Ash and Gracie to get her to even move again.
The sun was setting below the horizon when the Legion Platoon members announced their departure. As they left, all in Fairy Tail saw them outside. Before they left the property, the Legion Platoon turned to say their final goodbyes.
"I must admit, visiting your guild to apologize was not our only motive," Byro began.
Makarov nodded. "I realized. You also came to say goodbye."
"In accordance with His Grace's instructions, we Legionnaires are to seek out the scattered pieces of the Infinity Clock in every region and find a better way to seal the pieces away," Byro explained. "However, until those pieces accumulate magic power again, it will be impossible to locate them with magic. This mission we have been given will last for the rest of our lives. And that means, in all likelihood, this is the last time we will be able to meet. Therefore—."
"You know," Nikolias interrupted, "a lifetime is a really long time. Take it from me."
"We can't pretend to know the future," Gracie added with a bubbly smile. "Anything can happen!"
"And besides, it's boring to jump to that conclusion before anything even begins," Natsu said, folding his arms behind his head and grinning.
Lucy turned to Coco. "Thank you for everything you did to help." She then turned to Hughes. "And Mary, stop by and hang out again, too!"
"We should be thanking you," Coco said. "Please take care, Princess, everyone!"
Mary beamed. "I totally promise to come back!"
Samuel and Panther Lily flew close together to give each other a small fist bump. "I'll see you again, brother."
"Come over and challenge me anytime, Sam," Panther Lily replied.
"Let's meet again sometime, Sugar Boy," Gray said.
"And Dan, learn to stick with one person instead of jumping from girl to girl," Erza said.
Sugar Boy posed and pointed to Gray. "That's a hot message! Thank you, ice boy."
"Until we meet again, yeah!" Dan said with a large smile. "It's been fun!"
Byro looked towards Nikolias. "By the way, I almost forgot to thank you."
Nikolias blinked. "Thank me? What for?"
"When we met in the tombs, I almost committed a most grotesque sin. I would have killed Coco if not for your interference." He bowed low. "For that act, you have my sincerest thanks."
"Me too!" Coco cried while bowing, her face flushed a deep shade of red. "I can't believe I never thanked you, either! Even though there was so much going on, that's no excuse! Zero points!"
Nikolias waved his hands in front of him, blushing with embarrassment. "Really, that's okay. I don't need thanks, honest. Don't worry about it. Please stop bowing."
Both did as they were asked, but Coco was still blushing. "Still, please let me say it! Thank you so very much!"
Nikolias chuckled. "Sure. No problem."
"My darling is so sweet," Angel purred.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Octopus man!" Natsu pointed at Byro.
"What is it?" Byro asked.
"Doesn't scowling all of the time make you tired? Try smiling every once in a while!" Natsu said cheerfully.
Byro flinched. Everyone in the Legion Platoon was looking at him with a smile. They knew what kind of person Byro was all too well.
Hughes scratched her cheek. "Well, that's totally asking a bit too much."
"After all this time, it would be out of character, yeah," Dan said.
"He very rarely smiles," Samuel added.
Byro closed his eyes. "If I open my heart…wasn't that it, Coco? I finally understand what you said then." With every ounce of strength he had, Byro stretched his face into a pained smile. All who saw it flinched, save for Natsu, who smiled happily and genuinely.
"Yeah, you can totally tell he's not used to it," Hughes laughed.
"Lord Byro, that's terrifying!" Coco exclaimed.
Byro trembled and turned to his comrades, shaking his fist. "What was that, you rascals?"
THAT NIGHT
"Here, this is your bed," Gracie said, patting the bed beside hers.
Angel nodded her understanding as she sat on the bed. She crossed her arms over her chest and crossed her legs as she pouted. "I appreciate you letting me be your roommate, Gracie, but I wanted to be with Nikolias."
"Yeah, I know," Gracie shrugged, "but you can't, so might as well get over it."
"Why'd he leave with that girl? What was her name again?"
"Mira. And he left with her because they live together. They're dating."
Angel's eyes widened. She leaned forward on her arms. "No, that's not possible! My darling is dating someone?"
Gracie collapsed on her bed and sighed. "Yup, it's true. Nikolias and Mira have been happily together for a while now."
"Darling," Angel muttered.
"Oh, don't be upset." Gracie rolled forward until she was sitting up. "You can still be Niky's friend. That's something, right?"
Angel blushed as she put a hand to her chest. "I suppose. But still, I can't deny the way he makes me feel. He saved my life and showed me such kindness…"
"Look, I don't mean to burst your bubble, but Niky would do that for everyone he cares about."
"I don't doubt that. Maybe I'm not special to him. But he's special to me. He's my angel. Even if he never feels the same way about me, he'll always be my darling."
Gracie sighed and scratched the back of her head. "Girl, you've got it bad."
Angel let her head hang. "I've never felt this way before. I don't know how to handle this. What do I do, Gracie?"
Gracie crossed her arms and hummed. "What to do, eh?" A grin appeared on her face. "That's easy! We have fun! Hey Ash! Sky!"
Upon hearing their names called, Ash and Sky entered the room.
"Hey there, Gracie!" Ash greeted.
Sky gave a small wave. "We're here."
Angel sweatdropped. "I meant about Nikolias."
"Yeah, I know what you meant," Gracie said dismissively. "Now, let's have a fun sleepover party!"
"Sounds like fun!" Ash and Sky said simultaneously.
Angel sighed. "Honestly, you people and your parties."
Gracie got up from her bed and made her way to sit beside Angel. She put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's let loose and forget our troubles! Okay?"
Angel smiled at her. "Very well. If I'm to be a Fairy Tail member, I suppose I should start getting used to this kind of thing."
"Alright!" Gracie cheered. "Then let the girl-talk commence!"
Nikolias collapsed backwards onto the bed he shared with Mira, a pleased groan escaping his throat. "Phew. I'm beyond exhausted."
Mira sat beside him, her eyes on the ground. "Yes, it was a long day."
Nikolias looked at her, his eyebrow raised. He sat up. "I meant the whole ordeal with the Infinity Clock, not just today. Is something wrong?"
"Why would something be wrong?"
Nikolias moved himself to sit beside her. He looked at her with concern. "Mira, I can hear it in your voice. Something's bothering you. What is it?"
Mira wouldn't meet his gaze. "I'm just frustrated."
"Frustrated? What about?"
"Angel was all over you today. She wouldn't stop hugging you and touching you." Mira gripped her dress. "It made me mad."
Nikolias was taken aback. "Mira, are you…? You're not jealous of Angel, are you?"
Mira didn't respond, but after a few moments of silence she slowly nodded.
Nikolias chuckled. "I've never seen this side of you before. That's new."
Mira's expression saddened. "I'm sorry. It's silly, right? Being jealous, I mean."
"No, not at all," Nikolias said softly. He gently took her hand in his. "Everyone feels jealousy, Mira. It's part of being human. Hell, I get jealous, too."
She turned to look at him. "You feel jealous?"
"All the time," Nikolias admitted. "Anytime I see some guy looking at you, I feel it like a white hot fire in my chest."
Mira gripped his hand. "Seeing Angel like that today, hugging you and calling you 'darling' made me feel that way."
"And that's perfectly natural. But I promise you, there's nothing to worry about. You are my one and only. You have my heart and no one else can claim that."
Mira smiled. "I feel the same."
Nikolias gently kissed her cheek. "Tell you what." He brushed his lips down her skin to kiss her neck. "Now that this business with the Infinity Clock is done with, why don't we take a vacation? Just the two of us."
Mira closed her eyes and moaned, feeling his breath tickle her skin. "I'd love that."
Nikolias lifted his head and turned Mira's head. "Then it's a date."
Mira opened her eyes and as she leaned forward, she whispered, "It's a date." And as she pressed her lips against the lips of the one she loved, Mira felt her chest lighten and her mind clear.
"Lucy! Bath's free!"
Natsu stood from the bathtub and wrapped a towel around his waist. He called out to Lucy, but was surprised to receive no response. Curious, he grabbed a towel to dry his damp, messy pink hair and slid open the bathroom curtain. There he saw Lucy, sitting at her desk, pen quickly scribbling words onto a page. He smiled and walked up behind her. "Did you hear me?"
Lucy nodded, but kept writing. "Yes, I heard you."
Natsu raised an eyebrow and leaned in. "Whatcha writing?"
Lucy pounced on top of her writing, dropping her pen to shield her work from Natsu's prying eyes. She looked up at him, her whole face turning red. "Don't look!"
"Why not?"
"It's embarrassing," she muttered.
"Oh come on, Lucy. A little peek can't hurt, right?"
"Noooo!"
Natsu grumbled as he straightened up. "Fine. Don't show me."
"I'm sorry. Can you…can you just wait until it's done? Then I'll let you see it, I promise."
"I guess. Can I at least know what you're writing about?"
Lucy sat back up. She looked across her desk and smiled. Sitting there and looking back at her was Michelle. She had managed to find the small doll before leaving the scene of the battle over the Infinity Clock. She was beyond overjoyed that she found her beloved sister. She took her home and cleaned her up and placed her right on her desk where she could always see her. "A story about the Infinity Clock and the adventures we had."
"Why are you writing about that? You almost disappeared."
"I know. There were a lot of scary moments. A lot of sad moments, too." She reached across her desk and gently touched Michelle's cloth cheek. "But I never want to forget about it. Because there were fun times and wonderful times. So I'm writing about it so that I'll always remember the times we spent together."
Natsu gave a big grin. "Right. I like that idea!"
She stood from her desk and faced Natsu with a warm smile. "Thank you, Natsu."
"Huh? What for?"
She walked towards him and collapsed into his chest. She placed her hands on his chest and felt his heartbeat through his warm, tough skin. "Just for being you. For always being there for me and supporting me. I love you for all of it and more."
Natsu smiled as he embraced her. He lowered his head, burying his face in her hair. Her scent struck his nose full force and made his heart skip a beat. "I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy and safe. Count on it."
And there you have it! This officially marks the end of the Key of the Starry Sky Arc! I hope you enjoyed it!
Before diving into the next canon arc, we'll be taking a bit of a break to do a few filler chapters to give some newer guild members some development and, of course, give Nikolias and Mira that date! I estimate only a few chapters for filler, but who knows? Maybe I'll come up with another idea for a mini-arc like I did for Dragon Feast back around Chapter 48. Only time will tell.
Anyway, I'll see you next time when we reach a pretty cool milestone-the 100th chapter! Thank you everyone!
