The dragons are here...
Those words echoed continuosly like a beating heart within Mikoto's chest. She couldn't believe it...she just couldn't. But the voice of Elanis, one of the first dragons, told her it was true. That once again...dragons had made themselves known to humans.
Mikoto was walking down the halls of the palace next to Natsu and Lucy with Elli on her head as Happy sat on Natsu's shoulder.
Mikoto thought back to the explanation Erza had given her only around 2 hours ago.
"It happened right as were converging to where you and Diablo were." Erza had said. "We heard from Accelerator that you had gone after Diablo and that would probably be best if we all came in and lent a hand, especially knowing how powerful he is. But before we got there, we ran into him."
"Him?" said Mikoto.
"Night Reveler." said Erza.
"What!? But Night Reveler is dead!" Mikoto exclaimed.
"And he still was." said Erza. "According to Master, Night Reveler must have branded his own magic with a seal of some kind that would automatically bring him back should it be used. Apparently it only partially brought him back...like an extra solid ghost. I won't describe what it looked like, I don't think you want to have to clean up any vomit today."
"That gross huh?"
"It was horrid. Anyways, Nicole tried to destroy it by eating it, as she is a Ghost Dragon Slayer. But whatever power brought him back seemed to make Night Reveler immune to being devoured. That horrid clown began to decimate us, it nearly killed Gray before it was defeated. You know how Night Reveler is, making all his cruel jokes as he kills everything for fun. We would have died had it not for who came to rescue us."
"Who?" Mikoto had asked, her heart beating with suspense. "Who came to save you?"
"Igneel."
"Natsu's Father!?"
Erza nodded. "He flew in and burned Night Reveler to a blazing crisp. After declaring who he was, he asked where he could find Natsu, we told him about you and Diablo and he roared for us to get on his back. By the time we flew there, Zeref was about to kill both you and Natsu. While Igneel shielded Natsu, your mother, Thundaarix, flew in and shielded you...it was as if the energy couldn't hurt them. You two still got knocked out though."
"M-My mom was there?" said Mikoto feeling dizzy. "M-my dragon mom?"
"She was so beautiful. " said Erza with a faraway look. "And her eyes...they were just like yours."
"Hope said my mom brought reinforcements..."
"She was right, dragons of every color were filling the entire sky. It was like last year's Grand Magic Games, only this time the dragons were fighting with us. They took down Diablo's demons without remorse. Not even a burned skull was left of those creatures."
"This is like sort of weird dream." said Mikoto. "And I've had plenty. So where are the others?"
"They're with the rest of the guilds trying to sort out all craziness with the citizens while Hope get's things back in order before her crowning..."
"So that's what she meant." said Mikoto. "I guess she has to become queen now regardless of her age now there's no steward. Better then Diablo or that snob Constantine that's for sure."
"And Natsu?" said Mikoto. "Did he...?"
"Natsu met with Igneel." said Erza. "The meeting was short though...he whispered something into Natsu's ear and gave him a scroll of some sort...then he flew off along with over half the dragons to who knows where."
"And Phasmaticana, Metallicana, Grandeeney?" asked Mikoto, referring to the dragons who had raised Nicole, Gajeel, and Wendy. "What about them?"
"They didn't show." said Erza. "According to Thundaarix, they were on a mission elsewhere."
"Oh." said Mikoto feeling crestfallen. "That's too bad.."
"It's better that they didn't come." said Erza. "Since Gajeel and Wendy weren't here with us, it would be sour news to give them if they knew that their dragons were here and they weren't around for it. And as I understand, after the Grand Magic Games, Nicole's feelings towards her mother have been rather tense."
Mikoto nodded. She could imagine Nicole wasn't feeling too gracious towards Phasmaticana for raising her on a grudge to take revenge on someone who really hadn't asked for it.
"Anyways." said Erza. "In about 2 hours you should head to the throne room, she's waiting there for you."
"Nicole?"
"No silly...your mother."
Mikoto snapped back to the present as she stopped before the doors to the throne room. Behind that door, was somebody who had watched over her for who knows how long...and yet they had only met in dreams. Meeting somebody like that, especially when that somebody was an actuall live dragon...was daunting.
Mikoto felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find Lucy smiling at her. "Come on..I bet she's nervous about meeting you too."
"A dragon?" said Mikoto. "Nervous? yeah right."
"Hey, you're basically part dragon." said Lucy. "And I've seen you turn into a nervous wreck more times then I can count...especially before you got the guts to ask Touma out."
Mikoto sighed and smiled. "Don't remind me."
"Well." said Natsu happilly. "What are we waiting for!? I wanna see if Thundaarix has baby pictures of you like your dad did!"
"Ask about that, and you're dead." said Mikoto going really red as she put her hands on the large doors and pushed them open.
The throne room had returned to it's magnificent golden glory before Diablo had decided to demonize it, However, there were some crucial differences. First off, the throne lay to the side of the room, shattered, where Mikoto had left it. And secondly, sitting on the spot where the throne had been before, was the magnificent golden dragon Mikoto had only seen in her dreams. Her scaly golden neck reached all the way to the cieling of the throne room, And though her wings were currently folded up, they still took up nearly all the width of the room itself.
"H-hey Mom..." Mikoto stuttered as she stared up at the warm eyes that so resembled her own.
"Daughter, it is glorious to see you as beautiful as ever." said Thundaarix with her musical and wonderful voice.
Mikoto felt that Thundaarix must have had a strange definition for beautiful considering she had cuts, bruises, and bandages all over her body, and she was still wearing her ragged battle-worn clothes.
"Me..beautiful? I-I don't know about that.."
"Don't be modest." said Thundaarix. "You look like a true huntress of the night..."
"Whoah!!" said Natsu. "You're so shiny!!"
"Natsu!" Lucy scolded. "Don't be rude!"
Thundaarix laughed with a musical tone. "You sound like Igneel when we first met, he couldn't believe that I managed to sneak up on him with scales that shone like a billion candles."
Mikoto had the sudden image of a large red dragon being completely oblivious as what looked like a disco ball on legs snuck up behind him, blaring a multitude of lights, impossible to miss. Mikoto put a hand over her mouth as she snorted with laughter.3
Then Mikoto felt amazed. Just like that, Thundaarix had managed to dissapate any tension that was in the room.
Thundaarix turned to look at Elli who was sitting on Mikoto's head. "Hello little one, I hope you are keeping my daughter out of trouble."
"Trying my best ma'am!" said Elli saluting to Thundaarix. "But the trouble just keeps finding us!"
"Sounds about right." said Lucy.
"M-mom..." said Mikoto. "You wanted to see me for some reason?"
"Why of course." said Thundaarix. "I take it that you've read the second half of the prophecy?"
"Yes." said Mikoto feeling a little more suspense now.
"Then it is time I gave you this..." Thundaarix gave a deep low breath, and there was a spark of electricity in Mikoto's right hand as a golden key appeared there. "When the time comes that you must read the first half of the prophecy, you will know what this key opens..."
Mikoto waited for a minute as she looked at the key in her hand. "And...?"
"That is all I can tell you." said Thundaarix. "The rest shall be apparent as time goes on."
"Yeah.." Mikoto muttered. "Cause nobody can ever tell me everything...it would be boring."
"Things can't always be easy because we want them to daughter." said Thundaarix. "I wish it would be...but even I cannot change how rough the terrain of a road is...however, I can still choose what road to take."
"I-I'll keep that in mind.." said Mikoto turning to leave...
"Wait." Said Thundaarix. "There's one last thing I wish to give you."
Mikoto almost couldn't think. She had gone through Hell and back. Endured trial after trial. Faced enemy after enemy, two of which remained alive and bloodthirsty, and she recieved upon her the weight of knowing her own possible death. What other burden could she be given now?
Thundaarix lowered her snout...and put it against Mikoto's chest. A warm air breathed through her body...telling her one thing....to share her burdens...
Almost without realizing it, Mikoto burst into tears and hugged Thundaarix's snout tightly, letting all her troubles wash over the magnificent dragon. Every suffering she had ever gone through, even the pains she thought had dissapeared like Project Radio Noise and the first time she had watched a horror movie and couldn't sleep for days.
It was as if Thundaarix was absorbing every single little thing that had ever troubled Mikoto. Becoming everything that Misuzu Misaka had been to her...a mother.
"M-Mom?"
"I will always be here for you.." said Thundaarix. "No matter how far apart we may be."
3 days later, right before the guilds were to return to Fiore, the crowning took place. By then, most of the dragons had already moved into the underground city that Elanis had watched over before she merged with Mikoto.
According to Elanis speaking within Mikoto. The city was designed to be a last haven to the remaining dragons of the world before the final battle with Dravis, which was why they had come here in the first place. None would know of their existance here except the citizens of Fulmen, and the guilds who had helped save the kingdom. Thundaarix was to dwell within the city as it's gaurdian.
But before that happened, Thundaarix, and the few dragons who still remained above ground attended the crowning ceremony for Hope Ellendiel to become the new Queen of Fulmen. And Mikoto wouldn't just be attending...she would actually be performing the ceremony.
"Oh please, please, please do it!" Hope had begged Mikoto on the day before the ceremony. "I don't want it to be anyone else but you!"
"B-but I've never done anything that big before!?" Mikoto had stuttered. "What if I mess up?"
"You'll be fine." said Hope. "Just memorize these lines, place the crown on my head, and you're golden! Anyways, I rather my own sister crown me then some stranger, and Arthur's way too short for this thing."
"Sister?" said Mikoto. "But I'm like your Great times a thousand Aunt.."
"By blood, yes." said Hope. "But I see you as my sister whether we're related or not."
Feeling extremely touched, Mikoto had taken that moment to change the mental sister count from 10,000 to 10,001. Then she changed it to 10,002 the moment Lucy walked through the door the next day and helped her into her dress.4
Now, Mikoto stood on a large podium in the square of the city wearing a simple white elegant dress as thousands of people watched. Gaurds stood at every corner of the square and the few dragons who were attending were sitting on large mats of honor near the center of the crowd. Hope was kneeling before her with a beautiful golden red dress on.
Mikoto was nervously reciting the lines she had been given, having already recited most of it. "Do you swear to uphold the law, and to honor the line of the dragon who has protected this land?"
"I do." said Hope for the 45th time (man, what a long oath).
"Then by the power vested in me...I declare you..." Mikoto looked over at the stairs to the stage nervously. Where was that crown?
Suddenly, Elli and Happy stumbled up the stage carrying a large red velvet pillow with a beautiful gold and silver crown on it, adorned with sparkling diamonds that seemed to give off their own glow.1
Relieved, Mikoto kneeled down and picked the crown up from the pillow, as she did, Happy whispered. "Hey, do you know if they'll have fish at the celebration banquet? I haven't had one in so long!"
"Well, if they don't." said Mikoto winking. "I'm sure I can put in a good word, I'm royalty remember?"
"That's all I ask!" said Happy cheerfully.
Mikoto took the crown and placed it on Hope's head. "By the power vested in me, I declare you Hope Ellendiel, Queen of Fulmen. May your rule last for ages to come."
Hope stood up while music began to blare. As the crowd cheered, Hope spoke out to the masses. "As my first declaration on the throne, I would like to personally thank the guilds from Fiore for all their help in saving this land in it's darkest hour...but most of all I would like to thank Mikoto Misaka..."
Hope turned to look at Mikoto with tears of joy in her eyes. "My Sister!"
The crowd cheered louder as the two Dragon Borns hugged each other, sobbing as if they had just watched the saddest play in the world.
As Fairy Tail watched, Natsu spoke up. "What's with them? Why are they crying? Did something happen?"
"That's just something girls do Natsu." said Gray. "One moment they're squealing about going shopping, the next thing you know, they're having an emotional moment."
Lucy just shook her head. "Boys."