~NIKOLAI~
"Mako!" I jolted forward to catch Mako before she hit her head on the headboard of the bed. Lifting her into my lap, I scanned her body. Aside from her looking slightly pale and the exhaustion apparent on her face, she was still breathing.
"She appears to be okay," Blaze announced.
"The oath could request a lot of magical energy from her," Bleu added, both of them awake and still trying to process what had just happened, as I was moments ago.
EliaseAnne stood right in front of me, doing her own observation of Mako before she sighed. "She's okay. She fainted the first time she did the oath with us and again with Kai when she initiated the bond. I think Daniel or Isa should check on her, just in case."
I nodded and flinched at the loud voices.
"Is Mako okay?" Marcus asked.
"Shit, that was the bond wasn't it?" Daniel asked for clarification.
"It was. I can see Nikolai now," Ryder announced.
"Damn...it feels like our bond is complete now," Kai commented.
"You guys always talk this loud?" I asked, already feeling a headache coming along.
"Your senses aren't used to the bond yet. Takes a bit of time before it settles in," Ryder assured me.
"Daniel, can you come here? Just to check on Mako? She's a bit pale," EliaseAnne informed.
"Coming," Daniel said with haste.
I bit my lip, feeling rather weird in this situation. "How do I...um...zone you guys out? I need a minute." The emotions that followed my comment were confusing. Hints of sadness and annoyance hit me at once, which weren’t mixing well with my current anxiety, happiness, worry, and fear. My fear being one of the strongest.
"Guys," Ryder growled, and the other emotions seemed to lessen at his comment. "Leave for a sec."
The others listened, and my head felt lighter. It was like having my own spirits and then having a visiting presence, multiplied by five.
"I wouldn't say this to anyone else, but seeing as I somewhat trust you, this is really scary, and I don't think they like me," I admitted.
It wasn't like their dislike of me bothered me to the extreme, but now that I could feel their emotions through this new bond, it wasn't helping with my anxiety. It could have been due to my worry for Mako or even how new this knight bond was.
Either way, my feelings and thoughts were a hot mess, and with Mako currently unconscious, it was making this sudden change even harder.
"I understand. It's a bit hard to adapt and take everything in. They don't mean how they feel right now. We've grown up with one another, so we know how to react in certain situations, but with the tension of everything and finally having our last star knight, I think the reality is sinking in and they don't know how to feel."
"Will I be able to close off my thoughts?"
"Yes. It's like how you control your emotions to not leak into the knight bond. You were doing a good job before the bond. You just have to use a bit more effort now that the bond has been finalized."
"Are you nice on purpose in these moments, or is that your leader side doing the talking?"
"My gift is feeling everyone's emotions. I can sense your anxiety and fear regarding the situation. You can't really envision it yet like the others, but I'm in the center, and all of you are connected to me with a line. Your line is currently buzzing up and down and is a mixture of blue which makes your line turn purple. That shows me that your emotions are a bit out of control because of the situation. The others are just using their eyes and ears to understand and try to accept you. Some of them are more stubborn than the others, but I can assure you they'll come around. It took us ages before we finally decided to work together, and we've had many cycles to deal with our good and bad habits."
"Okay. Mako...she'll be okay, right?"
"She will. She'll need rest. The knight bond drains her magic significantly, and even more so now that it's complete. It could be harder on her because she's experiencing this for the first time as she doesn't remember the others. The shock of it all has taken a mental toll. That's what I'm gathering. Daniel will make sure she's okay," Ryder reassured.
I mentally nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm gonna...well...zone out? I guess. If I have questions, I can ask you?"
"Sure. I'm going back to sleep though. My senses are a little sensitive right now. If you really need me, ask for Stryker."
"Who's that?"
"My demon spirit."
"Oh...hmm. I'll let Bleu ask. He's good at that whole communication thing."
"Bleu?"
"Don't tell the others yet, but he's a Dark Fairy spirit."
"Oh...like EliaseAnne."
"She's not a dark fairy."
"She's a hybrid."
"Huh?" I had to take a moment to process what he'd just said. "Sorry, but from my knowledge, that's not possible. Light and dark don't mix well."
"I know. We'll explain later on."
"I told Mako to confront Elias about EliaseAnne," I noted.
"Good. I don't think she'll be eager to know right away, but at least the option is there. When we reach Knightwood, we'll talk in more detail and figure out what to do," Ryder concluded.
"Okay. Uh...thanks."
"You're welcome, Nikolai. It's good to have our final knight."
"Even though half your team hates me?"
"One third?" Ryder replied a hint of amusement in his voice. "Marcus and Elias are always a bit more stubborn to newcomers, especially when you have a superiority complex."
"I don't have...whatever," I grumbled. "Get some rest."
"Will do. Make sure Mako gets some rest, and you should try to sleep as well."
"Alright."
I took a deep breath again, not realizing how tired I suddenly felt.
I noticed EliaseAnne was studying me carefully, and I frowned.
"What?"
"Wanna put some clothes on?" She huffed.
I blinked, forgetting I was practically nude in front of her. With a shrug, I replied, "Not like you haven't seen a cock before."
"Ah, the confidence has returned for a comeback." Bleu chuckled, his accent thicker than usual.
"Admit it. All of us love making him or well...her, squirm," Blaze announced.
We're going to visit Lucifer if we keep being mean and make her cry. I feel weird teasing a girl.
"Hmph," Blaze and Bleu said together, and I shook my head.
I kept Mako in my arms as I moved to the edge of the bed and with ease stood up. I noticed EliaseAnne's face flush red, and I merely smirked to hide the hint of satisfaction it gave me that she acknowledged my manliness.
I didn't get why I felt like I was in some type of competition with them versus Ryder or Kai, who I saw more of as equals. Even with Daniel and that asshole Marcus, I felt on similar levels. It might not have been the same, but it was close.
With Elias and EliaseAnne, it was as if I had to cause trouble or make myself more superior which I wondered if was because I had Bleu. I didn't think fairy spirits wouldn't get along, but I didn't know much about them to be confident about the thought.
Daniel was at the doorway; his once tired golden eyes took a long look at me. "Why are you naked?"
"I sleep in the nude, and EliaseAnne was offended by my nakedness and insisted I wear clothing. I'm simply doing you all a favor." I shrugged, turning around to lower Mako onto the bed. She was still covered by the blanket, but I'd get her one of my shirts so Daniel could examine her properly without too much distraction.
EliaseAnne grumbled something and shot up from where she was kneeling. "I'm going back to bed." She huffed and just like that she was out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Daniel sighed. "You shouldn't tease her. She's sensitive."
"I thought she was a he, and I don't see why I shouldn't. She's the one doing the comparing in her mind, not me," I mumbled, walking over to the drawers that stored Mako’s and my stuff. I got a new pair of boxers and slid them on, followed by some grey sweatpants. I took one of my white t-shirts and walked over to where Mako slept.
It wasn't hard to put the single piece of clothing on her, but I did notice Daniel's flushed cheeks and the hint of arousal in his lower region.
"Guess Mako has an effect on all of them," Bleu pointed out.
"Can't blame them," Blaze added.
I mentally nodded. She has that effect on all of us, I guess.
"When you learn more about Elias and EliaseAnne, you'll understand. Same with Marcus. They've had shitty pasts," Daniel noted, walking over to the bed.
I moved out of his way to give him space as he got to work, his hands glowing a bright gold as he hovered them above Mako. I waited until he finished his assessment before I replied.
"Everyone has a shitty past. That's not an excuse to me."
"It should be when you know how dark their pasts are," Daniel defended.
"You grew up without Isa in your life. How does that determine whether I tease you or not?" I used him as an example. He didn't say anything at first, lifting the blanket to cover Mako before he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
He rose and faced me. "It doesn't. However, there's a difference between me, who at least was raised with a little bit of love thanks to having a brother and an amazing personal maid who took us in as her children, and someone who grew up as a lab experiment and was told they were nothing but garbage."
That shut me right up, my eyes growing wide at his comment. He continued. "I get that you’re adjusting and not used to being around other guys who are somewhat close to your level of power and dominance, but have a little understanding that not everyone is as confident as you."
"I'm not always confident."
"You do a good job making yourself look it," Daniel replied and sighed. "Just be easy on Elias and especially EliaseAnne. It took Makoto awhile before she saw EliaseAnne as a love interest. I think it may be a challenge again, and I feel Eli isn't prepared for that."
"Why would Mako struggle to love him? Because she's a girl now?"
"Yes."
I frowned, thinking about it for a moment. "I guess...it's a bit complicated."
"We'll see how Knightwood goes. I think we all need a break and Mako really needs to adapt. You told her everything?"
"Yes," I confirmed. "She handled it well, but I'm still worried she'll reach her breaking point."
"I agree. We have to monitor her carefully. If you can, try to get an overall picture of Knightwood and surveillance of our surroundings. Mako may want to wander off and look around, and I don't want her being alone if she does begin to remember stuff. School is closed at the moment, so there shouldn't be any students on campus," Daniel explained.
I nodded and rubbed my eyes, trying to stay awake. Daniel noticed. "You're exhausted."
"I'll live. You should rest, too. Healing takes a great toll on the body, right?" I diverted.
It felt a bit nice to have his concern, but I didn't want to worry him enough to have to heal me.
"It does, but I've done it for cycles, so a simple scan doesn't affect me," he replied. "You should sit."
"I don't need to."
"You know you're rather stubborn."
"I'm aware. Mako loves to tell me that," I mumbled, fighting off my heavy eyelids.
Daniel sighed and took a step forward. One minute I was standing, and the next I was being held up by him. I tried to keep my eyes open, noticing the sudden glow in Daniel's golden ones, but I felt exhausted, especially after Mako and I had barely slept.
"Don't need...your help," I grumbled.
"You should rely on others more, Nikolai." The voice that replied was different, having a hint of power that laced his response. I tried to reply, but I was already drifting further away.
"I don't know the whole story, but...we're glad Mother was able to be there for you when no one else was."
I wanted to reply, to ask how he knew that his mother had helped raise me, but I couldn't fight it off anymore.
My mind submitted to the welcoming slumber.
~ELIASEANNE~
"I hate him!"
"We realize, Elyion. Can you stop pacing?" Kai requested, looking exhausted.
I brushed him off, continuing to pace back and forth as I tried not to cry. I hate this. I hate, hate, HATE THIS!
"Mhmmm so loud," Elias mumbled in my mind.
I groaned and paused my pacing to respond. Sorry. I'm a bit frustrated. Just go back to sleep.
"What's wrong?"
Nikolai's our final star knight.
"Oh...why do I feel that's not why you're irritated?" Elias questioned before he yawned.
He sleeps in the nude with Mako. What if they...you know?!
"Had sex?"
YES! Sex! How can she have sex with him? I mean, I know I should be happy for her because I love her and Midnight...but...ARGH!"
"I don't know how I feel about that either," Elias admitted.
"Why is Eli standing there in sleepwear?"
I turned my head to see Marcus, who was wearing black shorts. "And how's Mako?" he added.
I hadn't even heard his entrance, but my attention moved to the door of the lounge as the black door opened slowly and Daniel entered the room.
"She's fine. Exhaustion was the only thing I found. She ate four bowls of soup and drank all three glasses of milk that Nikolai had brought her. I just put the bowls in the dishwasher," Daniel announced.
"Where's Nikolai?" Kai asked.
"You mean the 'zone us out' asshole," Marcus grumbled.
Kai rolled his eyes. "Can you admit that you and Ryuu don't like him because he's confident as fuck."
"Totally NOT the reason," Marcus argued.
"What is it then? You're gonna have to deal with him." Kai huffed. Daniel walked over to sit next to Kai, who had a sketchbook in his lap.
Marcus didn't reply, glancing away from the two of them as he returned to reading something on the table where he was sitting.
"To answer your previous question, Kai, Nick's asleep. He passed out after EliaseAnne left."
"He's okay?" Kai asked.
Marcus and I both looked at Daniel with a hint of worry. Just because I hated his guts, didn't mean I wanted harm to come to him.
"He'll be fine. Exhaustion and sleep deprivation. I noticed even before he boarded the ship that he hadn't been sleeping much. Mo...I mean Isa, said he'd been dealing with nightmares and the muffled voices for a while now, and he was sick before this all happened," Daniel explained.
"At least with the knight bond being complete, it should be easier on him. Don't know about the nightmares though," Kai replied.
"Why don't you just call Isa your mom? She is your mother, after all." I shot Daniel a questioning look.
Daniel rubbed his eyes with his right hand. "It feels weird. I don't know. We haven't really gotten a moment to talk. We kinda just agreed to work on it when we reach Heila."
"Have you told Michael?" Marcus asked.
Daniel shook his head. "He's busy. Earthala is still recovering with the fire outbreaks, and now there's a whole bunch of natural catastrophes happening left and right. I think Michael, Scarlet, and the others are in a tight spot."
"I guess that could be true. I normally hear from Junho after a week or two, but it's been a good rotation. Things must be out of control down there."
"They could be dealing with the recent news about the Aoitori heir," Kai mused.
"Huh?" we all asked.
"What you mean?" I asked, feeling a bit intrigued.
Kai pursed his lips in thought before he answered. "I don't know much. When I visited my dad, he said there was supposed to be a conference to claim some sword that is really powerful. I don't really know how to rank it, but the sword is linked to who will be the future Heir of Earthala."
"Wait, what?!" we exclaimed.
"I thought Earthala didn't have an heir because of the president," Marcus clarified.
Kai shook his head. "That's what the humans want you to think. The president is the "human" leader of Earth. There is an Heir for Earthala, and that right was given to the Aoitori family. However, because of the slaughter that happened, it was essentially shoved under the rug."
"But the blade appeared?" Daniel questioned.
Kai nodded. "Yes, and it has chosen its owner. Now there's a huge political debate about it and a clan war going on. It's literally a mess. Father may go down to Earthala to help. I know Saikikku is there."
"Damn...this is getting a little crazy," Marcus mumbled.
"Your sister may meet us in Heila," Kai noted.
Marcus lifted an eyebrow. "Why exactly?"
"I have no clue. She gets sworn in soon, doesn't she? I don't know if there's anything happening in Distala, but my father mentioned it. I had no time to get more information on the issue."
"This is going to be complicated if Mako doesn't get her memories back," Daniel admitted. We all nodded in agreement.
"Let's see what the game plan is once Ryder gets some more rest," Daniel suggested and yawned.
"I think we all need some rest. I can't draw a straight line at the moment," Kai confessed.
"Knightwood will be good for all of us, for sure," Marcus commented.
"Have any of you been able to find information on Nikolai's background?" I asked. The three of them shook their heads.
"I'm thinking when we get to Heila, we should ask Arthur and Catherine to look into it," Kai put forth. "Ryder will request the information, and we’ll see what happens. We have no idea which realm he was born on, which will require this search to be expanded. Ryder said Nick doesn't remember anything."
"Remember when we were younger? Ryder explained that it was like he could sense the red knight, but it suddenly went out like a dead lightbulb?" Daniel informed.
We nodded, and Marcus sighed. "I don't want to admit it because he's an ass, but what if he was put on Wintalyn on purpose? I mean, we were all called to Heila. He must have been, too."
I nodded and crossed my arms under my breasts. "It could be that. The incident could have been so traumatic that his memories were wiped. Either by his brain itself, or Jeffrey could be involved."
"What are we going to do with Jeffrey? Ryder looked into it, but the Queen of Wintalyn is tough to communicate with, and she currently isn't on Wintalyn," Kai revealed.
"Where is she?" Marcus asked.
"She went to Earthala with the Queen of Feminara. That's why I heard the whole issue about the natural disasters. Things are getting out of control, and the Kings and Queens of the realms are worried," Kai explained.
"Once we work things out in Knightwood, we need to have a group meeting of some sort. I mean one with all the Kings and Queens. Obviously, it would happen in Heila, but I think this has to be mandatory. Everything is spiraling out of control, and if we don't take it seriously, our galaxy is going to perish," Marcus noted.
"Agreed," the rest of us verbally approved.
"I'm going to sleep. C'mon, Daniel." Kai closed his sketchbook and stood from the couch to stretch.
Daniel yawned. "I don't need escorting."
"Uh huh," the rest of us said in unison.
"I've gotten better," Daniel argued.
"Until last night when he slept standing next to the fridge. I almost had a heart attack," Kai said dramatically.
"Fuck you," Daniel grumbled.
"Just admit you're exhausted." Kai chuckled. Marcus and I watched them head to the door, and they both glanced back at us.
"Let's give Nick a chance, guys. It's thanks to him Mako ate and drank something, or we'd be dealing with bigger problems. Her safety is far more important than our current feelings," Kai pointed out.
"Just take a moment and realize that he didn't grow up with friends," Daniel added.
"How do you know that?" Marcus muttered.
"Mom told me. She helped raise him because he was left abandoned in the cold parts of Wintalyn to die. He was rescued and had no memories of anything. He was raised on their base, but there were no children at the time. He was essentially a loner and only had his spirits as 'friends.' Even now, aside from Mako, Ann, and Isa, he has no one he is close with. That's what she explained," Daniel revealed.
We were both silent and Kai took a deep breath. "When we all met, it was hard. We were all different and let's admit it. You all hated me." He winked which made me smile.
"Nevertheless, we're best friends because you guys looked beneath my hard ego and anger and saw the real me. Who knows? Maybe under that hard, confident ego is a guy who's lonely and afraid that everyone he loves will leave him," Kai whispered.
The way he said it made me wonder if he'd seen it with his foresight. It wasn't a question or suggestion. It sounded like a fact.
"Okay," I said softly.
Marcus merely nodded. We said goodnight to the both of them and watched them leave. Once the door was closed, I sighed. "Maybe...we're being a bit mean."
Marcus took a deep breath and rested his head on his crossed arms that laid on the table before him.
"He only pisses me off because I can see right through him," Marcus admitted.
"Huh?" I asked, feeling Elias in my mind as Marcus continued.
"The whole confidence thing. I used to do that. In the facility, you had no friends. You couldn't rely on anyone because they could sell you out and get you killed. It was an environment of war, and all you had to do was be confident in your strength. Even if it made you look like somewhat of a cocky bastard. I can see he loves Mako, and I know he's probably getting on our nerves because he wants us to figure out what we really want."
My eyes widened at his words, remembering how Nikolai was taunting us before we boarded the ship.
"He's doing it on purpose."
"Most definitely. I'm just a grumpy idiot and keep falling for it." Marcus pushed out from his chair and rose up to stretch.
"We need to set aside our insecurities and act like we were before. Especially when we reach Knightwood. I think that's what Nikolai wants us to do. If we really want Mako, we have to suck up the fact that she's in love with Nick and try to make her remember why she fell in love with us in the first place. I'm not saying that she'll forget Nikolai, but maybe if she gets time to spend with each of us, it will help trigger her memories and ease her into everything without having a mental breakdown."
"Makes sense," I muttered, not wanting to admit that Nikolai was trying to be a good guy.
Marcus walked over to me and placed a hand on my head, stroking my head soothingly.
"I get why you’re upset, but Mako's an adult. Regardless of whether she remembers or not, she loves Nikolai and it's her choice to have sex with him. We don't know what trials she went through on Wintalyn, and thankfully Nikolai was there and made sure to protect her from Jeffrey."
"But..."
"EliaseAnne. I know you're afraid because you feel like you’re starting all over again, right?" Marcus whispered.
I slowly nodded. "I'm at a disadvantage, Marcus. I've always been at a disadvantage since becoming a female. We finally...accepted each other. We were supposed to go on a date, and now I'm back at square one, and guess what? I'm the last in line. She'll connect with all of you and not me. I'm just the spirit, remember? And now...with the dark fairy involved, Midnight may not fall in love with me a second time."
"Dark fairy?"
"You guys can't sense it, but the Blaze dude isn't Nikolai's only spirit," I confessed. "There's a dark fairy in there."
Marcus nodded, appearing deep in thought as he inhaled and exhaled. "We'll figure it out. Just take it one day at a time and when we reach Knightwood, act like your normal self. Mako and Midnight fell in love with YOU. She didn't care that you were once a boy. She never knew until I told her. We have to believe in our Firefly and hope for the best. That's all we can pray for."
"You're right." I rested my head on his shoulder. "Doesn't make it any easier," I whispered, a tear rolling down my cheek.
Marcus patted my back and hugged me. "I know EliaseAnne. I know."
Will Midnight really fall in love with me again? Will Mako even allow her to? Will they accept me as they did before? Please, Starlight gods...make a way for this all to work out again.
Please? In stars we trust.