Hello there!
I'm back for another chapter!
"OMG LONEE IS UPDATING IN PROPER SCHEDULE!" Yeah, it's called therapy xD. I really like this chapter, it lets me get into how gentle Sting can be and I hope you like it as well. Honestly, I really like the way it turned out. I hope you do too!
Giggly, enjoy!
Dommie, love ya too baby, please enjoy!
I hope you like it :)
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Fairy Tail. I do, however, own the rights to this story and OC characters that might appear in the future.
Chapter XVIII: Time Old Tale
X—X
"But first, are you hungry?" He asked.
"…I could eat." She nodded.
Sting left the room and came back with a handful of white paper containers. He sat on the rug and motioned Ivy to follow suit. She folded her legs under her and grabbed a pair of disposable chopsticks, breaking them on her lap and giving them to Sting, who smiled and thanked her. She then broke apart her own and grabbed her container, opening it.
"Ah, Sting, this is-!"
"Kung Pao Chicken with fried rice and vegetables." He nodded. "Your favorite, right?"
"Exactly." She blushed. "How? I think I've only mentioned like… once."
He shrugged. "It's your favorite. Of course I'm going to remember."
Ivy bit her lip and watched as Sting dug in his own food. She let the conversation flow between them, everyday topics and jokes worth being shared over a meal. Sting shared with her some future plans of his own for the house, and Ivy shared her own input over it.
Soon, the food was gone, and Sting placed the containers on top of the dresser, to clean them up later. Ivy folded her hands over her lap and patiently waited for him to join her. He brought her a pillow from the armchair and Ivy hugged it close to her chest.
"So."
"…did I do something wrong?" She whispered.
"What? No, of course not!" Sting exclaimed. "No, no, no, not that kind of talk. Breathe."
She took a deep breath when she saw his smile. "So why all the secrecy and mystery?"
"…drama." He let out, and Ivy snorted.
"Oh, I know." She sighed. "So. Talk."
"Okay. This is about us. And… what we have and why we have it and what you need to know if you want a… relationship with me."
"Okay."
"…remember when you told me you saw the guild in a dream and you felt like something was telling you that's where you needed to go?"
"Yes. It felt like a calling, telling me to where I needed to be."
"Right. And I told you that dream happened for a reason."
"Yes. Some… old draconian magic at work, and you refused to elaborate more."
"Right." He cleared his throat. "It's time I… elaborate more."
"Okay." Ivy sat up straighter. "Carry on."
"…okay. Let me tell you a story." He smiled when Ivy beamed. "A story about magic, love, and dragons."
"Please." Ivy hugged the pillow and Sting took a deep breath.
"Once upon a time, when the roads met the grass and the sun set the days, the First Dragon lived. He was wild, carefree, strong-spirited, and powerful. Magic bled from his pores; every living creature knew of his power. Being so acclaimed and loved meant he often did whatever he wanted… and went wherever he wanted.
"One day, despite many advertences from his friends and family, the First Dragon flew down to the Human World. In order to blend in, he transformed into a human form, but one could always see the draconian traits if they paid close enough attention."
"Like what?"
"His pupils… were fends instead of round. His teeth… the canines were sharper like fangs. His body… strong and muscled, with broad shoulders to hide his wings. And his voice, a deep and smooth rumble."
"Wow…"
Sting smiled. "He ventured for the day into the Human World and, when the sun set, he went back home. The next day he went back, took on the human form, and explored, only to return home at the end of the day. And again. And again. And again. He always found his way back to the Human World, and at first, he blamed it on his curiosity. Until one day."
"What happened?"
"One day, the First Dragon dared to go to a city. He always kept to the fields, the forests, and the small villages that never cared for his appearance. But he wanted to know the people, so he went to the nearest kingdom. And while he was observing what was happening in the big city, a parade walked by the main street. Knowing that, in the animal kingdom, when someone opens a path for you means you're the leader, he wanted to know who ruled. So, he came closer."
"Oh, what happened?"
"The First Dragon had always been delighted with the smells of the Human World. Often rich, strong, and pleasurable. But for the first time in his life, the First Dragon smelled a scent that made his heart leap in his chest. He moved through the crowd to hunt down the source of that scent, and he saw her."
"Who?"
"A young woman walked in regal clothes, emanating the most mouth-watering scent the First Dragon had ever smelled. And when she turned her head and they locked eyes for the first time, the First Dragon realized she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen."
"Was she a princess?" Ivy gushed.
Sting chuckled. "That night, when the First Dragon returned home, he dreamt of her. And so, the next day, he snuck into the palace gardens and watched her from afar. And again. And again. And again. Until one day, when she was picking roses, she hurt herself on a thorn. The First Dragon, in his human form, jumped down from the tree where he was hiding and stepped up to her, offering his hand. She took it, and it is said the first touch made sparks fly. He healed her with his magic and, when she asked for his name, he fled."
"Noo!"
"He came back after three days. And the beauty received him in the gardens with a smile, as she read her book aloud for him. A year they spent like this. Until one day, when his beauty didn't show up. He returned the next day to an empty garden. And the next. And the next. And the next. At the end of the fifth day, the beauty met him at sundown and told him they could no longer be together. She was to be wed to a rich man and taken to his castle the next day. The First Dragon refused to let her go, said he'd fight for her and, for the first time, told her who he was. And the beauty told him she loved him. That night, the two fell into the throes of passion, and the First Dragon promised her he would return."
"Please tell me they got together!"
"On the day of the wedding, the beauty cried when she stepped up to the altar. And when the priest called for her vow, what was heard was the loudest roar anyone had ever heard. It is said that it was so loud that all the windows in the palace shattered, and the floor cracked between the beauty and the man she was to marry. And the roof burst, and down came crashing a beast of glowing eyes and large draconian wings. The First Dragon spoke in the ancient language and the beauty ran to his arms. It was then seen she bore the mark of the beast in her skin. And the First Dragon took the beauty in his arms and fled, never to be seen again."
Ivy gasped. "Oh, goodness. That is such a beautiful story!"
"Weisslogia used to tell me that story when I was a kid when I fell ill." Sting smiled. "It was my favorite one."
"I can understand why…" Ivy sighed happily. "Is that where the stories where a dragon kidnaps a princess come from?"
"Probably." He shrugged. "That is the story of the First Dragon… and the First Mate."
"What?" Ivy frowned.
"That magic that caused the mark of the beast to appear on the beauty's skin… is a mating mark. The magic was first created out of the unconditional, unequivocal, and unadulterated love the First Dragon felt for her… and ever since then, all dragons have the power and ability to find their one mate, and mark them as theirs."
"One mate?"
"Dragons only get one. They can have many lovers, many partners… but only one true mate." Sting gulped.
"What is a mate exactly?"
"Well… the easier way to explain what a mate is, is calling it a soulmate. Your other half. Your one true love." The dragon slayer scratched the back of his head. "Do you understand?"
"I do." She nodded slowly. "How would a dragon… know who their… mate is?"
"Scent. A dragon can love a lot of scents. Some people have scents that are more appealing to us than others. But there is only one scent that makes your heart speed up and ease at the same time. Only one scent that will keep you satisfied by just smelling it. You could be seeing red, screaming bloody murder, one sniff and your heart calms down."
"And there's only one."
"And there's only one." He confirmed.
"What is… the mark of the beast?" She frowned.
"There's a… sort of ritual involved. Claiming a mate, marking a mate. It involves admission, acceptance, and magic exchange, or rather, the dragon places a drop of his magic in their mates. That warns all the other dragons that the person is taken, the person has a mate." The blond frowned. "Kind of like a wedding ring in a faithful society."
"Got it. And how would a dragon go about… marking a mate?"
"Most of the time, it happens… in the throes of passion."
"Why?"
"Because it can hurt. And… during sex… pain is often times confused with pleasure." He blushed.
"I… I see." She gulped, cheeks pink. "And what… how does it work?"
"… the dragon injects some of their magic into their mate."
Ivy rolled her eyes. "Sting."
"Bite."
"Bite?!"
"… the fangs weren't just for hunting or fighting."
"O-oh!"
He watched as her cheeks turned bright red and she fumbled with her hands on her lap. He allowed himself a smile, knowing that the biggest question was still yet to come. But he delighted himself in her shiny but embarrassed eyes, in her parted full lips, in what he could have of her before everything came crashing down.
"D-does it… feel good?" She whispered.
"I wouldn't know. I haven't claimed my mate yet."
"A-and you… being a dragon slayer, who learned all his magic from a dragon…"
"Yes. We learned… this particular magic as well. All dragons are wired to find and claim their one true mate. And, consequently, all dragon slayers are wired the same."
It was clear in her eyes that there was still some doubt about how the story applied to real life, so he continued.
"When one dragon slayer claims his mate… it sets off a chain reaction. A pheromonal need to be on equal footing. Like mating season with animals." He frowned. "Gajeel set off the chain reaction by claiming Levy as his mate. As I'm sure you've realized by now, Laxus followed through with Mirajane… and Natsu with Lucy.
"The instinct is always there, but when the chain reaction is set off, it becomes a hundred times stronger. So strong that we sometimes have to hold ourselves back."
"…why are you telling me this?"
There it was.
The million jewels question.
Sting took a deep breath and grabbed her hands gently, running his thumbs over her knuckles. He sensed how her scent slightly spiked, and he smiled gently. She waited patiently for his answer, though he could tell she was on pins and needles to know his answer. He allowed himself to get lost in her periwinkle eyes, pushing a lock of fire-orange hair behind her ear, trailing his fingers down her cheek and neck for what could very well be the last time.
And he spoke.
"Because you're my mate, Ivy."
A beat of silence went by. And finally, in a whisper, she spoke. "W-what?"
A/N: Guess you have to wait a week.
Please do thoroughly enjoy this chapter, it took me a bitch time to write that damn tale.
Let me know your thoughts on this new story!
Lots of love from this weirdo,
LoneeWolf :)
