Fairy Tail: Adventures Await Specials

Special 2: Burning Hope

Eight months before the first volume, aka August X819, when Nashi first moved into Fairy Hills. P.S. there's a sneak peek at Nashi's silver keys!

Nashi was curled up in bed. It was 2am, but she couldn't sleep. She was in just a nightshirt. Her window was open. The night bugs hummed happily. Her curtains gently moved with the warm wind. Sleeping in her own bed was not unusual for her. Yet, she felt alone.

Did she miss Luke's sleepwalking? A little. It was entertaining when he didn't sink his teeth into her skin. How about Layla's cuteness? Pfft. Cuteness was an adjective that covered all of the bratty parts in that girl. Perhaps Nashi was unfamiliar on how to sleep without her parents working out upstairs. Definitely not.

She sat up in bed and looked around. Today she had just moved into her apartment in Fairy Hills. Her bedroom connected directly to a living room and then a kitchen. The bedroom's open door was directly across from the window. Looking from the window, the bed and nightstand were to the left and the dresser to the right.

Nashi turned on the lamp and continued her observations. Something was off. She looked to the bedpost where her smooth, white scarf hung. That was normal. She looked at the five untouched silver keys on her dresser. That was also normal. As were the open window and door.

The Dragon Slayer sighed. She got out of bed and walked out to the living area. There was nothing unusual here. Nashi got a drink of water from the sink. Then she wandered back into her bedroom. Again, there was nothing she could think of.

Perhaps she just needed somebody to talk to. So, she grabbed her silver keys and sat on the bed. She fiddled with them, wondering who to call. Canes Venatici was only good for searching. Andromeda was only useful for romantic advice. Leo Minor was a battle heavy spirit. She didn't know Monoceros that well. She held the fifth key in her hand.

Let's try this one, she thought.

"Open! Gate of the Fire-Bird! Phoenix!" she cried. There was a burst of light and a small flame appeared in the middle of the room. It enlarged to the size of a basketball. Slowly, wings of flaming unfolded and feet stretched out. A long tail unfurled in the back. Then its head raised. With one flap of its wings, the fire transformed into warm colored feathers tipped with bronze. The phoenix opened its golden beak...and coughed! It crashed to the ground hacking.

Nashi facepalmed. However, she picked him up and sat him on her bed. He continued to struggle for air, so she slapped him on the back. Just once almost made him throw up!

"Nashi! Gentle! I'm nearing the end of my cycle here!" he griped in an old man's voice.

"Yeah yeah, I know ya geezer."

"Hey! Respect your elders!"

"I do! Don't yell at me!"

"Then don't be so impolite!"

"I wasn't!"

"You were, young lady!"

"Was not, old hacker!"

At that, she received a firm WACK on the head from one of his wings.

"Ow that hurt!" she cried.

"Hmph. That's what you get," he grumbled. He tucked his feet under and wiggled down. He sort of looked like an enormous chicken.

"Oh come on!" she yelled.

"So? What did you need?" Phoenix asked in a calm voice.

"Huh?"

"Well, it's in the middle of the human night. And you hardly call me. So, what do you want to talk about?" he inquired. Nashi hung her head.

"I don't know...something feels off...but I'm not quite sure what it is," she admitted. Phoenix looked around.