Hey guys sorry for missing Monday I might try and get another one out. I hope yall enjoy.
Also thank you to everyone for your support and kind words.
Don't worry things will start picking up soon and I think y'all will like it.
Chapter 70: Mornings and Spirits
The morning sun filtered softly through the curtains of Rimuri's room at the academy, casting gentle golden streaks across the bed. Varion lay on his back, one arm draped loosely around the woman currently using him as her personal pillow.
Rimuri was still fast asleep, completely wrapped around him. One leg was thrown over his waist, her arms were locked around his torso, and her face was pressed firmly against his chest. A small trail of drool had escaped the corner of her mouth and was slowly making a puddle on his skin.
Varion had been awake for a little while, quietly watching her with a soft, amused expression. When her breathing shifted and her body stirred, he stayed perfectly still, waiting.
Rimuri's eyes fluttered open. For a second she looked peaceful… until she felt the damp spot on her cheek then her eyes tracked it down to his chest and then way her limbs were tangled around him like a koala. Her golden eyes widened in horror as she slowly lifted her head.
A thin string of drool still connected her lips to his skin.
She froze.
Varion was already looking down at her, one eyebrow raised and a teasing smirk playing on his lips. The expression he had said everything.
Rimuri's face exploded into color.
She quickly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, cheeks burning bright red. "D-Don't look at me like that!" she squeaked, voice still husky from sleep. She tried to pull away, but Varion's arm tightened around her waist, keeping her exactly where she was.
"Morning," he said, voice low and warm, tho the smirk never left his face.
Rimuri buried her face back into his chest with a small, embarrassed groan. "This is so unfair… I was having such a nice dream too…"
Varion chuckled quietly and ran his fingers gently through her hair. As they laid there the teasing atmosphere faded into something softer as he held her close, letting her hide for a moment. They stayed like that for a while, just enjoying the quiet warmth of each other's presence. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat under her ear and the gentle way his hand moved through her hair almost made her fall asleep again.
After a few peaceful minutes, Rimuri finally lifted her head again. Her blush had faded to a light pink, and her expression had turned more serious, though the softness in her eyes remained.
She looked up at him. "Hey… Varion?"
"Hm?"
She hesitated for only a second before asking, "Do you want to come with me today?"
Varion tilted his head slightly, giving her his full attention.
Rimuri sat up a little, still half-draped over him, and began explaining. "I've been thinking about how to help the kids. There's this idea me and Great Sage have been working on. If we can get the kids a contract with a spirit it could stabilize their power and protect them from the dangers they're facing right now. We think that's how Shizue survived as well."
She paused, her voice softening just a little. "I… don't want them to go through what Shizue did. She tried so hard to protect them, and I want to do the same. I want them to have a real chance at life, you know, have a childhood. I might even bring them to Tempest or something so I can look out for them."
She looked at him hopefully "Two days ago I finally got the location of the Dwelling of Spirits. After I saved a merchant named Mjöllmile from a sky dragon, he gave me the coordinates. I was planning to head there today to see if we can make this work."
She looked at him hopefully, golden eyes bright. "So… will you come with me?"
Varion didn't even need to think about it.
"Of course," he said softly, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from her face as he looked her in the eyes. "If it's something you want, then I'll do everything I can to help."
Rimuri's face lit up with a bright smile, the kind that always made her look a little younger and more carefree.
She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before pulling back with a playful little huff. "Good. Because I was going to drag you along anyway."
Varion let out a low laugh, the sound rumbling through his chest under her hands.
Rimuri grinned at the sound, then reluctantly began to untangle herself from him. "Alright… we should probably get up before the kids come looking for us. They've been way too curious about you lately."
She paused for a moment, glancing back at him with a softer expression.
"…Thank you. For being here."
Varion reached out and gently caught her hand before she could fully pull away. He looked at her for a second, then lifted his other hand to hold her chin as he spoke quietly.
"I'll always be here for you," he said softly. "You and your students, If something's important to you, then it's important to me too. As long as I'm here, I won't let anything happen to you."
Rimuri blinked, a little surprised by the sudden seriousness in his voice. Then her expression softened into a small, warm smile.
"Always?" she asked, half-teasing, half-serious.
Varion nodded, squeezing her hand before leaning in and kissing her tenderly.
"Always."
The rest of the morning passed in a comfortable rhythm. After getting ready, Rimuri gathered the kids and explained that they would be heading toward the Dwelling of Spirits today. The children were excited especially once they heard Varion would be coming along as well.
When they finally set out, Varion opened a gate using the coordinates Rimuri had given him. The portal formed cleanly and without any of the earlier strain he used to feel. Rimuri noticed the improvement.
She gave him a sideways glance and a grin. "You're getting better at that."
Varion didn't say anything. He just returned the grin with a quiet, knowing one of his own as they stepped through together.
The moment they arrived near the Dwelling of Spirits, the change in the air was noticeable. Spirits in their glowing forms of various elements began to stir and drift closer. At first it was just a few, curious ones fluttering around the group. But the closer they moved toward the heart of the dwelling, the more spirits gathered… and almost all of them were drawn to Varion.
They circled him curiously, some even brushing against his shoulders or hovering near his hands like they were greeting him. A few of the brighter ones seemed especially interested and clung to him.
The kids noticed immediately.
"Whoa… look at that!" Kenya pointed, eyes wide.
"They're all going to Varion!" Alice said, half amazed and half nervous.
Rimuri watched the scene with a thoughtful expression, one hand resting on her hip. She glanced at Varion, clearly amused by how naturally the spirits were reacting to him.
Chloe, walked a little closer to Varion than usual, stared up at the gathering spirits with big eyes. After a moment, she looked at the mark on the back of his hand and then remembered something.
She hesitated, then spoke quietly, almost shyly.
"…Varion? you never told us what the name of your guild actually is."
Varion's steps slowed
For a second, he simply stared ahead, his expression softening into something distant and thoughtful. Then he glanced down at Chloe, who was looking up at him with curiosity written all over her face.
"It's called Fairy Tail," he said quietly.
The kids blinked in confusion.
"Fairy Tail?" Kenya repeated, tilting his head. "Like… actual fairies?"
Chloe's fingers fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve. She hesitated for only a moment before asking the question that had clearly been on her mind.
"…Why is it called that?"
Varion stopped walking completely this time.
He looked at the mark on the back of his hand, tracing it lightly with his thumb as the memory surfaced.
-
Late at night in the Fairy Tail guild hall, the usual chaos had finally settled into something softer. Most of the adults were sprawled across tables and benches, drunk and snoring. The younger members had long since passed out from exhaustion.
Varion sat beside Makarov at the bar, both of them nursing half-empty mugs. The old man's legs dangled off the edge of the seat, barely reaching the floor.*
Varion glanced over at him "You know… I've been curious. I never asked Mavis or you before, but… why Fairy Tail? Its a pretty strange name, you know."
Makarov took a slow sip from his mug, then set it down with a small, nostalgic smile.
"Do fairies really have tails? Do they even exist…? Like them, this place is an eternal mystery… A never-ending adventure."
Varion looked thoughtful for a long moment, staring into the dim light of the hall.
"A never-ending adventure, huh…" he murmured. "It sounds… nice."
-
Back in the present, Varion's small smile lingered as he looked at Chloe and the rest of the kids.
"In my world," he continued gently, "we're not even sure if fairies actually exist. But that's part of the point. The name isn't about whether they're real or not. It's about the unknown. The mystery. The fact that no matter how far you go or what you discover… there's always something more waiting. Always another adventure to be had."
He glanced at each of them in turn, his voice steady but warm.
"That's what Fairy Tail means to us. It's a promise that the journey never really ends. At least that's how I see it."
Chloe's eyes were wide, shimmering with quiet wonder. Even Kenya and the others had gone still, listening intently. The spirits around them seemed to settle for a moment too, as if the words themselves carried a kind of gentle magic.
Rimuri, walking just behind them, watched the scene with a soft expression. She didn't interrupt. She simply smiled to herself, as she listened.
After a few more steps, she finally spoke up, her voice light but carrying that familiar playful edge.
"Well… now that we've had our little history lesson," she said, glancing at Varion with a cheeky little grin, "how about we focus on getting you guys your spirits?"
The kids let out small laughs, the serious moment easing back into something lighter as they continued toward the heart of the Dwelling of Spirits.