The Dragon Queen 2

Close Acquaintance

Lucy's POV

Natsu and I finally found a bigger apartment, which we have been living in for 6 weeks. It is a three bedroom, enough to fit Nikolai and the new baby.The rent is 100,000 jewel, however it is a great location. It's toward the forest but still near the guild and in front of the river. Natsu went on a job with Gray, Happy and Erza. They said they don't want to risk anything so it was better for me not to accompany them on their job. They have been gone for over a week, Erza asked Natsu and Gray to assist her on an S-class job. The job was to track down an assassin and bring him back to the King of Fiore. The assassin is overwhelmingly dangerous, according to the client. 

I have been working at the guild taking small job offers that don't really pay that much, Nikolai has been a great help through most of it. He goes on the higher paying jobs with Natsu, before he left with Gray and Erza, he wanted to keep a close eye on him since he still doesn't trust him completely. He insisted Levy staying with me, but her and Gajeel went on a job together yesterday so during the night it is just me and Nikolai.

After cleaning off some of the tables I call it a night and head home. I waved to Mira, "see you later." I headed towards the door. 

"Isn't Nikolai going with you," Mira said drying a glass cup.

I sighed, "I can take care of myself. Besides he is no where to be found." Mira smiled and went back to cleaning. I walked out of the guild, to my surprise Nikolai was leaning against a tree.

"Took you long enough," He pestered. I walked over towards him.

"What are you doing out here?" I questioned. He stood up.

"I told you I was going to wait out here. You said 'I will be out there in a bit', a bit ended 30 minutes ago." I could already tell he was irritated. It didn't bother me much.

"Oh, well let's go," I said. walking toward the direction the apartment was in. Silence filled the air, it became a little awkward.

The silence was getting to much for me to bear, "you know, you never talked about yourself." I blurted, hoping things would be less weird.

"There is not much to tell," He said kind of content.

I look over at him, "what about your childhood, where you came from." I paused. "Oh, what about your parents?" 

We were outside the apartment. He suddenly stopped, his hair covered his face. He looked sad, almost trying hard not to remember something. He slowly raised his head, " I don't want to talk about that." He walked inside, sitting on the couch. He put his hands over his mouth, took in a deep breathe.

I walked over to him, " did I say something?"

He put his head down, motioning me to take a seat. "Since I am living here, I might as well tell you about my past." He said in a dull tone. "When I was a young boy I lived in the Dragon Realm with my mother. We lived on an open land, she was a dragon of course, but she was beautiful. My father would visit once in a very long while. He taught her how to shape shift from a dragon to a human, which she taught me to do shortly after. When I was 8 we came to Earth." He started choking up. " Umm, my father stayed behind so it was just my mother and me. We lived in a small house, half the size of this one. It was the middle of the day, I went out to get some fire wood. I must have been gone for at least an hour or so. But when I got back." He paused, unable to say what happened after that without letting a tear escape from his eye.

"When I got back, the house was on fire. I ran as fast as I could to the house. I saw a small pink haired boy running from the house. I go to the window, fire poured out of it burning my arm. I could see my mothers hand reaching out of a crack. I go to her trying to pull the stone out. She places a necklace in my hand I could still remember what she told me. Her hand lost its grip and fell to the floor. I ran away from the roaring flames." He began to cry. "I will avenge my mother. Even if it kills me." 

I gave him a hug, he hugged me back. " you know, you are the only other person I told this story to. Well the other person I told it to is dead."

I looked at him worried, "Dead?"

He nodded, "He died from a battle, not with me."

I sighed in relief. "Did you ever find that boy running from you house?"

Nikolai's POV

My eyes dried up with rage. I did find him, in fact I am living in his house, plotting his death. My fists clenched tighter, "no." I lied to her, I don't want to blow my cover so soon.

Lucy got up and walked to her room entrance, "well I will help you find him."

I smiled, "you have already done enough." I whispered.

"What was that?" She questioned.

"Nothing, just thinking out loud." I said. She went to bed leaving me. I began to get lost in my thoughts about my mother. Black and purple flames covered my body, I was outside far away from Lucy's apartment. Flames still covering my body, I let out a mighty roar. It echoed through out the plains, shaking the ground. I looked in my hand, a picture of Natsu and Lucy, rage filled my body. It felt like it was pouring out of me. The paper soon caught fire, "you will pay when the time is right, even they will pay."