"Huh?" I gasped loudly as I sat up from a bed, I was in the coliseum's infirmary. I remember now, Laxus Dreyar, he almost killed me and I guess they managed to heal me. My eyes widened as an extremely familiar scent invaded my sense of smell. "Big brother's here!" Wait, why is he here? He's supposed to be in jail because of what he did...nothing made sense. I didn't even know what day it way until I looked around at the calendar on the wall, it was the sixth (at least that's what the paper said). No, it was the seventh because it's already past midnight, I was asleep for six days. A strong roar shook the room I was in, a dragon? It startled me, why is a dragon in Crocus? Wait, I smelled six other dragons. This is chaos, I know I'm not dreaming, I don't know what to do. I threw the blankets off of me as saw that my torso and chest was bandaged up. My eyes scanned the room as I saw a pair of forest green pants and a matching crop top. Quickly, I changed and laced my shin shoes. I rushed outside where I literally ran into my exceed, Sif. "Sif, what's going on?"
"Terri!" She hugged me. "Thank goodness you're here! Now we have eight dragon slayers to help in this chaotic situation, come with me! I'll explain what's going on, but you need to help Cobra."
"Okay?" I questioned as she carried me out of the stadium and into the skies above. I was told by her that the Eclipse Gate my sister had created released seven dragons into the kingdom and began to wreck havoc in the city after Fairy Tail claimed Fiore's Greatest; the guilds came together as one to help with the cause at hand. "You can't be serious!" I gasped loudly as I looked down at the great city that has fallen into a state of destruction and despair. "Sif, you know my recent meeting with a dragon! I can't—"
"Yes you can!" She shouted at me. "I believe in you Terri, everyone does. Even after the first day, everyone was so worried! Laxus couldn't cope with the thought that he could've killed you, Rogue and Sting couldn't handle losing you again, and Fairy Tail didn't know how to react to having one of their own in a critical medical state. On the fourth day of the festival, they all fought valiantly and remembered that they can't spend their time in worry and fear, they need to be positive and believe when others don't."
"Sif," I've never seen her like this before. "I understand!" I focused my sights on the dragon Cobra was battling, it was a stone dragon. "I want you to drop me and find Frosch and Lector. Stay with them until further notice."
"Yes ma'am!" She smiled as she unlatched her paws from my back, sending me to plummet down onto the great, living rock.
"Scales," I conjured as indestructible dragon scales (that were invisible to the human eye) spread across my body. "Earth Dragon's Boulder Fist!" I yelled as solid rock had accumulated all over my arm and fist. The rock hard punched hit the dragon in the back of the neck, causing it to lose its footing and fall on its stomach.
"I was here first you know," I heard Cobra's voice as I smiled at him.
"Sorry," I giggled softly and stared at the delicious earth the dragon was made out of. "Well, don't mind if I do," I reached down and broke off a handful of its scale; I took a bite out of the rock and began to chew the tasteful stone.
"She just ate a piece of the dragon..." I heard the voices of Ichiya, Jenny, Eve, Hibiki, and Ren.
"That's Jolenta for you," Cobra sighed heavily. "I heard her loud mouth a mile away."
"That's no way to talk to Princess Jolenta!" Hibiki growled.
"Don't fret, big brother's always like this," I smiled softly. "You all get out of here, big brother and I will take care of this chunk of dirt!" I instructed them as I continued to eat the piece of rock from the dragon.
"Wow, that Cobra looks like a real hunk, did my sexiness turn you on?" Jenny strutted in her petite bikini as I sighed heavily.
"Get your annoying asses out of here before I slay you after the dragon," Cobra growled as I stuck my tongue out at Jenny, I never really liked her.
"Annoying brats, get off my back!" The dragon started to throw a fit. "I am Bona Puppis, the dragon of terrain!" After hearing his name, I fell into a fit of laughter. "Human girl, may I ask what's so funny? I'm a dragon, you're supposed to be afraid of me."
"Your name, it means Nasty Crap in Latin!" I chortled as Cobra pinched my nose. "Ow, big brother! What was that for?" I whined.
"Quit fooling around, you need to be serious now. If this dragon continues to rampage around the city, there will be no kingdom left for you to rule alongside your family," Cobra talked some sense into me as my demeanor changed suddenly.
"I understand," I nodded my head. "Let's do this, Cobra."
"Of course, Princess," he smiled at me with determination. "Poison Dragon's..." he filled his lungs with air.
"Earth Dragon's..." I inhaled oxygen until I couldn't breathe in anymore.
"Roar!" We both let out as the two hefty roars hit the dragon beneath our feet, it was a magical moment for me. I will finally slay a dragon without having to back down.
"Damn it!" I cursed as I aimlessly wandered the Waas Forest in search for a nearby town. "I'm lost, again..." my stomach growled from starvation and I was in a zombie like state, it wasn't pleasant. "What am I going to do?" I whined, I recently turned nineteen and on a job at the moment. A roar filled the air as my eyes widened in shock, it was a cry of a dragon. "Dragon?" I gasped loudly as a dragon had just flown over me and landed at least half a mile away from me, I couldn't tell from the size of it. It swung its enormous tail my way, but I was still frozen in utter shock that I couldn't block the attack and it hit me hard in the torso.
"Earth Dragon's Crushing Fang!" I screamed as I broke off a scale from Bona's neck. "Huh?" I gasped loudly as he lifted his leg and swatted me down like a fly.
"Jolenta!" Cobra yelled for me as I sat up, groaning in pain.
"Don't worry about me," I spoke to him with assurance. "I'm okay." I really wasn't, blood seeped through the cloth wrapped around my stomach. "Damn it," I cursed and touched the blood spot. "Come on, come on, remember what you got from Shelia!" I encouraged myself as a white light emerged from my hand and healed the open wound. "Yes!" I cheered.
"She can use sky magic?" Eve stared at me in disbelief. "That's right, she consumed Shelia's wind during one of the festivals!"
"Only enough to learn self regenerate and to heal others," I smiled at him, but my smiled faded as Bona began to crush Cobra, knowing how lethal eighteen tonnes can be when trapped between the great weight. "Big brother!" I cried out.
"You have a strange resemblance to Terriuma," Bona spoke to me in a serious tone. "What is your connection to her?"
"You know Terriuma?" I gasped loudly. "I'm her daughter," I answered, thinking he'd have a change of heart by being an acquaintance of my foster parent. Instead of gaining an ally, he swung his tail at me and hit me into a nearby building. "Ah!" I screamed as my eyes were widened in horror, I'm going to be defeated by a dragon. I am a disgrace to all Dragon Slayers...
"Your mother is the Queen of the Earth Dragons, I hate her. Since I'm not able to kill her, I'm going to kill you instead," he growled at me as I fell face first into the cobblestone pavement, my body ached and felt sore, so I used my self healing technique yet again.
"Not on my watch," Cobra jumped in front of me as he gave Bona a strong claw kick to the face. "Jolenta, get out of here! I can hear his bloodlust thoughts, I'll handle him now!"
"I'm not leaving you big brother," I stood to my feet. "I'm not going."
"Quit being stubborn and listen to me, he is going to kill you if you don't leave!" He yelled at me as tears welded up in my right eye, I can't leave him behind. "Jolenta, you need to listen to me! You have to leave!"
"I don't care!" I screamed at him; I began to cry hot tears as my body trembled with fear. "I don't care, I'm not backing down. Not from another dragon!"
"Damn it," he cursed as he jumped down, picking me up and dodging the tail swing once again. "We're both Dragon Slayers, Jolenta, and there's six more out there. We have seven dragon slayers and you're too important to be killed. Go help evacuate the citizens—"
"I told you no!" I shouted at him, pushing myself off of him to avoid the powerful screech Bona let out. "Earth Dragon's Claw!" I jumped up and swung my leg, cracking more pieces of the dragon's strong scales. "This is my kingdom and I'm going to protect it, I don't care what you say. I'm not leaving your side, you mean too much to me for me to abandon you."
"Just because I met you at a young age and helped you find a city, that didn't give you the right to visit me in jail for the past seven years," he growled as I jumped down to the cobblestone streets.
"I never met a second generation Dragon Slayer until I met you," I looked up at him as his one good eye widened at my words. "You didn't just help me find a city, you watched over me for three days and when we said our goodbyes...I held back my tears."
"You get attached too easily," he tried to flip the situation. "Watch out!" He pulled on my arm.
"It's not an attachment, it's a bond. I guess you could say I love you like a brother," I smiled at him as his hard look softened. "Huh, Erik?" I giggled as I remember Kinana telling me about her encounter with a man who matched the exact description as Cobra.
"Huh, who told you that?" He gasped loudly. "Oh...she told you."
"She really has a thing for you, I'm sure she heard your voice as you also heard her's," I smiled at him.
"Quit being mushy!" Bona lifted his claw and clawed my back, ripping my crop top.
"Jolenta, are you okay?" Cobra asked, but quickly went silent as I removed the destroyed article of clothing. "You grew a lot over the years, haven't you? I never really noticed because of how long I sat in the darkness."
"Stop staring, weirdo," I growled at him. "Let's hope these bandages hold up. Earth Dragon's Rampage..." I whispered as I held my hand out for a two inch thick staff made entirely of a store raw iron ore. It rose out of the ground as I gripped it and charged towards Bona, swinging it at his tough legs. I haven't used this spell in so long because I never thought I needed the extra strength, but fighting a fellow earth dragon, I'm going to need all the strength I have. I heard a loud cackle as I looked up to see Natsu...riding a dragon. "What the fuck?" I tilted my head in confusion, I was so distracted that another wing attack hit me in the back as I tumble across the pavement. "Shit."
"Jolenta!" Cobra screamed.
"Princess!" The wizards of Blue Pegasus cried out as my vision focused, Bona's roar was less than three feet from my face.
"Huh?" I couldn't believe it, this was it. My face heated up as it inched closer and closer to my face, I couldn't move or protect myself. I pinched my eyes shut, waiting for my time, but it never came. Slowly, I opened my eyes and they immediately widened. To my horror, Cobra took the hit. Both my eyes welded up with burning tears. "Cobra!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as he collapsed in front of me, he was still breathing. "Come on, big brother!" I pulled him onto my lap and started to cry. "Please, you can't be...I'll heal you—"
"Don't bother," he groaned. "Don't waste your energy on me, get out of here."
"I'm not leaving you!" I hugged him. "Huh?" I questioned myself as my sky magic wasn't working. "No, it can't be! No, no, no!" I cried as I noticed his eye was also welded up wth tears. "Please don't leave me, please."
"I've been in jail for the longest time Jolenta, don't waste your tears on a lowlife like me—"
"You're not a lowlife, you're my big brother. You were the first Dragon Slayer I met when I was going to a guild with two others; you're special to me and I don't want to lose you. I love you," I whimpered, I just couldn't lose another person I care deeply about. Even though Cobra and I met seven years ago, I still visited him while he was locked up in jail.
"Jolenta..." he reached up and touched my shoulder. "Live—" his arm went limp as his eyes closed suddenly. His chest stopped heaving and I couldn't feel a pulse on his wrist. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I pressed my forehead against his, I'm so weak! If I wasn't too distracted, Cobra would still be alive.
"Bah! Ha! Ha!" Bona cackled. "Idiot, sacrificing himself for a woman like you."
What did I just see? I looked over at Cobra as we both had the same expression, "Big brother!" I screamed as I saw Bona building up to a roar.
"Poison Dragon's Roar!" Cobra screeched and hit him in the jaw, cracking off a bit of his scales. "Leave now Jolenta!" He shooed me as I nodded my head. "I saw it too!"
"Got it! Stay here with my brother," I looked over at Blue Pegasus. "I'm going to the castle to help my sister!"
"Be safe, little sister," Cobra chuckled softly as I smiled at him. I sprinted down the streets without stopping, no matter how exhausted I was. I was determined to make it to the castle, I have to protect my sister.
"Lucy!" I yelled as I tackled the blonde out of the way, saving her from dozens of blue lasers. "Are you okay?" I pulled her up and started running again, gripping her hand.
"Yeah, I'm okay!" She struggled to keep up with me. "Wait, the castle is the other way!"
"It is?" I skid my heels to a stop and started to pant for air. "Oh, sorry."
"Didn't you grow up here?" She sighed heavily. "Shouldn't you know this place like the back of your hand?"
"You see...I'm not great with directions. Father kept me in the castle because he didn't want people to know me. I'll explain more on the way, come on!" I picked her up on my back and started running down the block. "The reason why he kept me locked away until I turned twelve was because he was worried that I'd be targeted by evil wizards if they found out the king had a daughter with Dragon Slayer magic. When I left home to join a wizard guild, I met Cobra because I got lost trying to find my way to Sabertooth; he stuck with me for a few days until we reached the guild. When I found out that he was arrested, I visited him at least once a month at the Magic Council—"
"You know Cobra?" Lucy gasped. "I'm confused, why don't you hate him? Didn't you hear about what he did, recently?"
"I know about the clock because that was around the time he broke out of jail. When I heard he turned himself in, I continued to visit him and of course I was angry at him. He's my big brother, so I couldn't stay mad at him forever, I love him," I smiled softly as we finally reached the garden. "Okay, I know this part of the castle, this way!" I fixed my hold on her and started running through the maze.
"Nana, do you understand what's going on?" She asked me.
"Sif explained to me that my sister's plan backfired—"
"You don't know," she gasped. "Have an open mind, okay?"
"Okay?" It confused me of how worried she sounded, to be honest, I only knew what is going on besides knowing how this happened.
"Rogue's future self came back to the past to take over Fiore which sent us into an era of destruction and despair. His heart was stained by darkness because he couldn't protect you nor Frosch, so he lost it. He believes that you were killed by Laxus and continued to live on, he saw Frosch as a connection to you because of how you helped him take care of Sif and Frosch. This is all happening because he thinks you're dead, we're going to have to find him and let him know you're not dead—"
"No, I'm sorry, but there has to be another way. We need to protect this kingdom and I need to protect my sister," I held back my tears and continued to run as we reached the Eclipse Gate. "Hisui!" I dropped Lucy and pushed her out of the way, saving her from the dragon's roar. "Huh?" I opened my eyes and looked down, I was naked. My eyes widened as I covered my bare chest and went on my knees, I was so embarrassed.
"P-Princess..." Arcadios gasped as he stared at me. Hisui immediately slapped her hand over his eyes as I felt my face heat up to the point where I could barely breathe.
"Nana..." Laxus gulped down hard as he scooped me up into his arms. "Here," he wrapped his jacket around me. "Stay close to your sister, this dragon is a lot stronger than we anticipated."
"Miss Nana," one of Lucy's celestial spirits, Virgo, popped up next to me and showed me three outfits. "These outfits are what big brother (Loki) chose for you. He would like you to wear this one because he believes it matches your persona quite well, he wants you to keep it." She handed me a green bikini top with a subtle yellow design with a matching maxi, slit skirt.
"Oh, thanks Virgo, tell Loki that I appreciate his kindness," I quickly dressed myself and bowed. I looked up, witnessing Yukino and Lucy attempting to destroy the gate with their celestial spirits.
"I, Zirconis, cannot be beaten you two Dragon Slayers," the dragon cackled. That jackass destroyed my dignity, he's going to pay.
"Earth Dragon's Boulder Fist!" I screamed as I charged at his gut, landing a powerful blow. "How dare you embarrass me like that!" I scolded him as I just went off on him.
"She's about to slay her first dragon!" Laxus gasped loudly as I filled my lungs with air.
"You lied to your friends," Zirconis chuckled as I stopped my attack from killing him right then and there. "Your strength surpasses every Dragon Slayer I sensed here, you were holding back against Bona. You slaughtered your first dragon when you were just a child."
"No I didn't," I dropped my arms to my side. "Terriuma, she left me—"
"I see your memories and I can smell a liar when I meet one. You killed your mother once she informed you on what happens when a Dragon Slayer kills a dragon. You killed your mother by surprise, didn't you?" He began to push me more and more to the point that I froze in shock.
"I didn't, I wouldn't!" I screamed. "I wouldn't have killed her, I love her."
"Don't you mean loved? You slaughtered your mother in cold blood and convinced yourself otherwise," he cackled once more as I dropped to my knees.
"Clear the gate!" Arcadios grabbed me and pulled me away from the dragon as I wiped my eyes; a very familiar scent filled my nose.
"Rogue?" I gasped and pulled away from Arcadios, watching the ball of fire crash into the gate and crumble it into pieces. "Rogue!" I ran to the demolition site,
"Oh, Nana, you're here!" Natsu looked over at me as I pushed past him. "Huh?"
"Rogue," I knelt down and saw that this man indeed smelled like Rogue, but he looked so different. "Rogue?" I pulled his head onto my lap and patted his cheeks until he opened his one good eye.
"Nana," his eye widened as tears trickled down his left cheek. "You're alive, but how?"
• •
"Now, Terrianna, my father informed me that you grew up in Crocus," the daughter of Sabertooth's Master (Minerva) smiled at me. "Today I just want you to mingle. And only your first day will my father go easy on you, you will get your first job next week on Wednesday."
"Thank you, M'lady," I curtsied which left her curious of why I would be acting so formal.
"You're acting like the princess, well I shouldn't be surprised, you did come from Crocus. Oh, did you know her?" Minerva leaned down as I shook my head.
"No, it's just that back home...people had high expectations of me," I sighed heavily and gasped softly as she patted the top of my head. "Huh?"
"It's okay, I know how you feel," her voice was so soothing. "Over there are some other mages who recently joined the guild. Once you make a friend, come meet me at the bar and I'll give you your emblem."
"Yes M'lady!" I smiled widely and cautiously approached the four wizards whom were all male. "Hi, I'm Terrianna Eden Florence. I'm new here—"
"Not it," three of the four boys walked away, leaving me with the young boy (about my age) with me. His eyes were really pretty, they were red like a rose and his hair was jet black.
"Well, looks like I'm stuck with you," he sighed heavily. "I'm Rogue Cheney, the shadow Dragon Slayer."
"I'm Terrianna Eden Florence, the earth Dragon Slayer," I smiled widely at him. "It's nice to meet another Dragon Slayer."
"Another?" He questioned. "Whatever, so where are you from?"
"Crocus," I pulled Sif off my head and cradled her in my arms. "And this is my cat, Sif."
"You have a cat too?" He picked up a small green cat in a frog suit and introduced me. "This is Frosch."
"Awe, he's so cute!" I exclaimed as I pet the top of Frosch's head. "I'm Terrianna, nice to meet you Frosch."
"Frosch thinks so too!" He lept into my arms and cuddled into my chest as Sif did the same to Rogue, it was like I was destined to meet him. It was a start of a beautiful friendship. Years passed and I was sitting in my room, crying my eyes out because it was the time of the month for me (I was eighteen years old). I just finished my favorite book called The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D Salinger. The ending killed me (in a good way) because Holden decided to stay with his sister and his family; I was also moved to tears at the fact that the twins weren't back from fetching me some snacks to eat before dinner. My stomach hurt like hell and this was the third year I've had my period. It felt like my uterus was literally trying to kill me and all I wanted t do was to make all of this stop; even after going through this monthly horror for three years...you never get over the pain. I reached for my sunfish plushy, but I accidentally knocked it off my bed and I just started to cry loudly, don't even ask why.
"Nana, what's wrong my darling?" Rufus kicked the door open as I wiped my right eye.
"Jeez, when is she going to stop acting like this? It isn't like her," Orga groaned.
"Based on my memories about her period durations...she's an irregular and this one will most likely last to the end of this week, but her next period will start two weeks at the beginning of this coming month," Rufus sighed heavily. "So what's wrong Nana, my darling?"
"I dropped my sunfish," I whimpered and pointed at it on the ground. "I just want to crawl into a hole and die, better than this crap!" I continued to cry as tears streamed down my right eye.
"Oh, my dear," Rufus picked it up for me and laid in the bed next to me, removing his hat. "Lay on my chest and you'll feel better."
"Rufus, do you really think that's a good idea? You know how Rogue feels about you always flirting with her when she's like this, it's not right to take advantage of her feelings," Orga crossed his arms.
"We're back!" Sting and Rogue were panting for air. "Jeez, that took us forever."
"I'm exhausted, oh yeah, they didn't have the tea you wanted. I got you pineapple juice instead," Sting handed me the bottle as I started to cry again. "Ah, what did I do?!"
"You got her pineapple juice, she's allergic you idiot!" Rogue smacked the back of Sting's head. "Man, that's why I got her: caramelized wrapped bananas, butter cookies, honey nut granola bars, and salted almonds."
"Oh yeah? Well I got her: ripened mangoes, dehydrated berry bars, green tea (which helps with sensitive stomachs), salted cashews, watermelon cubes, and cantaloupe juice." Sting chuckled in triumph.
"Thank you," I smiled widely and pulled them into a hug. "Wait a minute, did you guys pick up the things I need?"
"No, I did," Orga tossed me a box of pads. "You have no idea how embarrassing it was when the saleswoman asked who it was for."
"You guys are so nice to me," I sniffled as I laid down on Rufus' chest. "I don't deserve to have people like you."
"Nana, get up," Rogue growled as I quickly sat up and hung my legs over the edge of the bed. "Rufus, I told you to quit it already."
"You don't have the right to force her to do anything," Rufus put his hand out to stop me from getting up from my bed, but he reached a little too low and grabbed my left breast. "Oh my..." Rufus' face went bright red as my eyes widened, he continued to squeeze my breast to the point that a small moan escaped my lips, shocking the group.
"Quit squeezing her!" Rogue finally snapped as he kicked Rufus off the bed and pulled me up into his arms. "None of you are touching her like that, ever!"
"Then who can, you?" Sting chuckled.
"That's right—wait, no! Quit putting words in my mouth, get out. All of you get out!" Rogue scolded all of them as the trio left me alone with Rogue in the room. "Jeez, those idiots have no respect for your personal space."
"Look who's talking..." I groaned as my face was still squished against his neck. "So, are you going to stay over again?"
"Yeah and Sting said he'll stay with you next Friday night," he let go of me as he turned to rummage through my drawers, looking for his set that him and his brother leave here when they stay over. The both of them stay at my house once every two weeks because of my traumatizing childhood experience when I lost my mom and when Laxus left me alone six years ago. "Are you going to shower?"
"No, I already took one," I sighed heavily and wrapped myself in the blankets.
"You're not going to eat dinner?" He asked as he pulled his shirt over his head and slipped into his baggy shorts.
"I'm not hungry," I continued to wrap myself until I looked like I was in a blanket cocoon.
"Save some for me," he sat down on the bed as he pulled his sweatshirt over his head and sat down next to me. "Do you need anything before I lay down?"
"No," I shook my head and refused to share my blankets because of how cold I was, I know it's selfish of me, but you have to understand the emotions a girl feels when their uterus is gushing out blood constantly for a week until you turn a certain age or get pregnant. I hugged my stomach and started to cry out in pain, "Agh!" I sat up and started gasping for air, it was like someone is stabbing me from the inside.
"Whoa, Nana? Are you okay?" Rogue quickly sat up and panicked. "What is it?"
"My stomach hurts," I cried as he pulled me into a hug, hiding my face in his bare chest. Tears poured from my right eye as I continued to feel the unbearable pain of cramps.
"It'll be over soon, don't worry," he comforted me.
"I love you," I hugged him as he froze. "I love you so much, you're always there for me and you've been taking care of me for the last seven years, I love you." I confessed my feelings for him as he tightened the hug. He never did respond to me and it confused me, I never knew if he loved me back until the night before the Games start in the year X791.
• •
"I still can't believe you're alive," Rogue cried on my lap as his body began to glow a bright yellow. "You need to tell present me about your survival. The shadow will eventually engulf me and it will because Frosch will die one year from now." My eyes widened along with Natsu. "Gray kills him, I thought of Frosch as a connection to you," Rogue looked at me as he reached up and touched my cheek as I held his hand against my face and continued to cry. "I love you Nana."
"Rogue..." I whimpered as his body disappeared right before my eyes and I broke down into tears. "Why couldn't I protect him from his shadow?" I covered my eyes as tears just poured from my right eye as usually.
"Go find him," Natsu smiled at me as I wiped my cheek, nodding. I sniffed the air as I sensed him and Sting not too far from here. I ran as fast as I could and finally reached them, they spotted me as their eyes were widened in disbelief.
"Sting, Rogue!" I smiled widely and ran to them, hugging them tightly, I didn't want to lose either of them. The three of us were a crying mess as I was just overjoyed to have my twins back in my life. I love them with all my heart and soul.
"We thought we lost you," Sting cried into my shoulder as Rogue just sobbed into the crook of my neck. My heart ached from the emotional pain I caused for them, reuniting with a childhood friend and thinking you lost them right after meeting back up with them...it must've scarred them. Right at that moment, I knew exactly what I had to do for their sake and Fairy Tail's sake.