Author's Note: Hello to those who are fans of Fairy Tail! This was one of the FT fanfictions that I have always thought up of writing, up until recently. After seeing a part from an episode of The Simpsons, where the eponymous family plays Monopoly (to disastrous results), I imagined what would have happened if the entire Fairy Tail guild played this particular board game. The results would be quite obvious from that, but I intend on writing a multi-chapter story on this idea, spanning no more than a few chapters. Anyway, with all that being said, I hope you enjoy this story!

Disclaimer: The characters and everything else in Fairy Tail are from Hiro Mashima, the author of the manga. Furthermore, Monopoly is from Parker Brothers, a subsidiary of Hasbro.

Voltage Axe Presents

A Game of Monopoly

The entire hall of Fairy Tail was quite abuzz with a whole lot of chatter and joy, but the crowd hanging around inside the building was larger than what it usually was on a plain day. This was all due to the weather outside, a great downpour having been casted all over Magnolia, and had kept on pouring ever since the break of dawn. As Juvia insisted to Cana and Mirajane nearby, she actually wasn't causing the miserable weather herself. The azure-haired water mage was genuinely in a good mood today—although that was really because she noticed and swooned at the love of her life nearby, who just so happened to be the dark-haired ice mage himself.

And it was the same dark-haired ice mage who was going to pick a fight with a certain pink-haired dragon slayer in that same instance.

Already, the two of them looked like they were seriously going to fight each other. Natsu was looking forward to having that particular spar with Gray, having grumbled and groused over not being able to do any missions because of the inclement weather. Gray, being the instigator to each and every one of these fights, had made an unsubtle remark over Natsu's incessant grumblings that caused the dragon slayer to become quite pissed at him.

Off to a side where the two men were busy arguing and trash-talking each other into starting a fight, Lucy was seated at a nearby table with Wendy next to her, whose worries increased at the sight of the two bickering men. Happy and Carla were also watching them from atop the table. The blonde celestial mage could only murmur to herself over how much she wanted to go out on a mission, rather than being caught in Natsu and Gray's shenanigans again, while Happy egged the dragon slayer on from the sidelines. Carla scoffed and crossed her arms to herself, muttering under her breath about how fights like these can start over the most trivial things.

"Alright, flame-brain!" Gray growled out at him, his fists tightly clenched. "You really want to do this?!"

Natsu roared, his fists clenched tightly as well. "You bet I am, ice-princess!"

"BRING IT ON, THEN!"

"I WILL!"

Just as Natsu and Gray were about to throw their fists at each other, and potentially causing another great big brawl for the zillionth time, they were interrupted by the doors of the guild being burst open. Almost everyone else in the guild focused their attention towards where all the commotion was coming from, their eyes laid upon two figures entering the premises. One of them was a blue-haired female of short height, and the other that was accompanying her, was a much taller and muscular male with a long black mane. He had worn a heavy frown on his face at the fact that he was soaked to the core, but he held an umbrella over the petite woman, as she waved to all the guild members inside.

"Hi, everybody!" Levy cheerfully greeted them with a smile. "We're back!"

"Hey, Levy!" Macao waved back with his friendly smile. "Nice to see you here."

Lucy also waved back at her. "Levy-chan, you're here!" She smiled brightly. "Where were you and Gajeel off to?"

"We just went out for some shopping," the solid-script mage replied. "Gajeel just decided to tag along, after I bumped into him on the way."

The iron dragon slayer grumbled quietly to himself, casting his glance away from Levy, Pantherlily joining right beside him as she continued on.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Levy held out a large shopping bag with one arm, the bag containing a wide, rectangular-shaped box. "I actually bought something for all of us to pass the time on this rainy day!"

The pink-haired dragon slayer was in awe, Natsu jumping up and down childishly. "Ooh, is it actually a game that we can play?"

Levy nodded her head with a smile. "It is, Natsu! I'll just have to show it on one of the tables here to tell you what it is."

As the solid-script mage walked past the doorway, along with Gajeel and Lily, the entire crowd could also see Jet and Droy following behind them too. Both men were looking rather dejected and much sorrowed by the fact that the iron dragon slayer had ruined their plans to accompany the blue-haired woman on her shopping trip, evidenced by the tears running down their mopey faces.

The entire crowd gathered around Levy, who had reached out the rectangular box from inside the large bag, placing it on the surface of the table. Every single one of them were as curious as to what the rectangular box was, and what it holds inside.

"So, Levy-chan," Lucy curiously asked, as she peeked closely beside her blue-haired friend, "what's this kind of game that you bought while shopping?"

Levy turned to her and smiled. "It's something that I feel is very unique to me, and probably for all the others, too," she answered. "I mean, it's not like all the other games that are being sold at the store, but I wanted to give this one a try."

"Okay," the blonde celestial mage murmured, raising an eyebrow after a very brief pause. "Then…what exactly is it?"

"A board game," she plainly answered. "You'll get to see it, once I unlock it with this solid-script spell that the shop's clerk told me back there."

Erza blinked at the same time she stuck a fork into a slice of her favourite strawberry cake. "Wait, so, you're telling me that these games require a spell to unlock them?"

"Why not?" Levy then pondered to herself aloud. "Well, I guess board games like this one, require a special spell to unlock…probably for anti-theft purposes."

"Ah," the red-haired re-quip mage nodded her head.

"Alright," the solid-script mage declared. "Time to open this up! 'Solid-script: unlock!'"

As if it was at her command, the rectangular box promptly activated by itself. There were bright and purplish lines that glowed around the box, catching the entire guild in awe and excitement, as they surrounded it. The lines moved around and all over the sides of the box, before they started converging towards the side of the box that was facing skyward towards the guild hall's ceiling, all of the lines forming the word 'MONOPOLY' in its very familiar font. A bright flash of light then emanated from the box, many gasps of fear and surprise coming from the guild members, as they were all engulfed by the purple flash of light that continued to expand and became even brighter. Elfman and his two sisters covered their eyes to prevent the light shining through, as did Laxus and the Lightning God Tribe.

It took a few seconds before the encompassing light quickly shrunk back to its original size, before it disappeared completely, revealing not just the box that was now off to one side of the table—but also a lot of items being set on top of it as well. Everyone broke out into a gasp, as they all saw the contents of the box being laid out in what appeared to be a neat and proper manner.

There was a pair of six-sided dice placed next to a large and square-shaped game board, a deck of 32 cards split into two stacks that were positioned atop their designated spaces on the game board, and a few more stacks of cards with colour-coded ones that corresponded to the spaces on the game board of those same colours. There were also stacks of coloured paper bills stowed in a black tray, all of them in the Jewel currency, and they were in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1000. Further, there were several pieces of small green houses and large red ones, both kinds of houses being in plastic. On top of that, there were eight small tokens made of metal, and each had took on its own unique designs: the Fairy Tail guild mark, a dragon, a magic-powered vehicle, an armoured knight on horseback, a snowflake, a parakeet, a lightning bolt, and…an iron.

"An iron, huh?" Gajeel shifted his eyebrow upward, grinning naughtily. "Well, why don't I take a bite out of that—"

"Gajeel!" Levy screeched, swatting her hand against his, just as he was about to reach the token piece. "That's actually for the game, not for you to eat!"

Everybody else was still in awestruck over what this board game had provided, right off the bat. But, there were even some who were way more surprised at what was on the game board itself. Aside from the usual large spaces on each corner of the board, and the "Treasure Chest" and "Chance" spaces that were sparsely placed on each side of it, there were spaces that were inscribed with the names of very familiar places accompanied by an illustration below them.

Such places were from across Magnolia, Crocus, and a few other locations in and around Fiore. They included Mount Hakobe for starters, as well as the 8-Island restaurant, and the Onibus Theater. There were landmarks and other major places of interest, such as the Dominus Flau, Ryuzetsu Land, and the Akane Resort. There were also a few spaces dedicated to railroad stations. But of all the places featured on the board that surprised all the members of the guild by a whole lot, there were those that included Lucy's apartment—

"—What?!" The blonde celestial mage became incredulous at the discovery. "My apartment is featured on there?"

Then, there was the Cake Shop in Magnolia—

—Erza nearly dropped the plate that was carrying her slice of the strawberry cake. "You have got to be kidding me!"

…And, finally, there was the space that was allocated to the Fairy Tail Guild itself, sitting just next to the larger "GO" square.

There were concerned murmurs and a lot of grousing among the entire guild hall, echoing their justified concerns on all the places featured on the board that happened to be the literal locations that the guild members had visited previously, their own guild being one of them.

"L-Levy-chan," Lucy asked the script mage, still stunned by those discoveries, "h-how is it that the board has every single place actually there? I mean, what kind of game is this?"

Levy blinked. "It's a board game, Lu-chan, as I have said before." She then looked at the sheet of instructions that were provided from the box. "As for how and why the game board has these exact locations, I'm not so sure," the script mage explained to Lucy and the others near her. "But according to what it says here on the instructions, these spaces with these locations are referred to, as 'properties'."

"That's weird," Happy commented. "Some of these places aren't considered property at all, and Master Makarov is the one who owns the guild."

"That's right, Happy," Levy nodded her head. "But it is just a game, simple as that. And besides, this is a new game that none of us have played before…so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity today to try this one out."

Natsu grinned. "Well, if you say that this is a game that I haven't played before, then I'd like to get in on it right now!" The pink-haired dragon slayer then turned to the blonde female next to him. "What about you, Luce? You in?"

"Uh, that would be alright, Natsu," Lucy stammered a bit, "but I'll have to pass on it. I don't think this is a game that I would really want to play."

Natsu implored, chuckling boisterously. "Oh, come on! You and I have played some of these games before, and I thought they were fun!"

Lucy objected with a frown. "Yeah, but not until after you caused so much damage from not understanding how to play them properly!" She then remarked to herself, albeit loudly. "And besides, I'm not even sure if you'd follow this new game properly, as well."

Gray overheard her mumblings, before he turned to Levy. "Well, I'd like to get in on this game, too!" He grinned with a short laugh. "I want to see Natsu lose this one, all by his own stupidity!"

"What the hell was that, you ice-prick?!" The fiery dragon slayer balled his hands into flaming fists, storming right up to the ice mage.

"Yeah, you heard me!" The topless, dark-haired male got right up close to Natsu as well. "You're gonna lose this one, with all of your idiot plays!"

A gruff female voice broke out from behind them. "Natsu, Gray! ENOUGH!"

Both men split away from each other, genuine fear across their faces, as they turned to face the red-haired ex-quip mage slowly step towards them dangerously. A darkened aura was surrounding her, as she stepped in on the scene, becoming lighter upon approaching towards where the two males were.

"As somebody who has participated in these kinds of games with great ardour," Erza declared to the others, "I will not let this game be played with just these two!"

"Erza," Lucy gasped in astonishment.

"I will be the one to play this game as well, no matter how easy or how hard it is," she concluded. "I can beat both Gray and Natsu at their own level, and anybody else's!"

"Wow, that's quite a bold ambition right there for somebody like her," Lucy amusedly remarked.

"Really?" Happy perked up his ears, looking confused. "I thought it was so that she would have the space that's holding the Cake Shop."

"Oh yeah," the blonde celestial mage realized, a few sweat-drops on her forehead. "That too."

"Juvia also doesn't want to play this game," the water mage decided, before turning to glare at the blonde celestial mage near her. "But if Gray-sama's playing this game, then Juvia will be there to support him, while he takes on Natsu-san…who will have Love Rival beside him!"

Lucy warbled about with a frown twisting her lips. Really?! She had already told Juvia before that she really wasn't into Gray! This time, however, she had thought not to repeat it to her.

Mira looked around the crowd, her eyebrows raised. "Well, it looks like we have three here that are interested in this new game so far," she observed. "Anybody else want to play?"

"I will!" Elfman raised his hand up high beside her.

Lisanna turned to her taller and well-muscular brother. "You will, Elf?"

"I'm sure of that," the take-over mage answered with great confidence. "It's rather unmanly, to not take part in this board game!"

Gajeel gazed at the four participants with interest, before he grunted. "Even if the Rain Woman doesn't want to play," he murmured to Lily, "I think I shouldn't be standing by and watch Salamander goof up the new game that the Shrimp just bought."

The Exceed turned to him with an inquisitive expression. "So, you really want to join them, then?"

"Gi-hee," the iron dragon slayer laughed. "I just want to show them how much they'll pale, when they go up against me."

Elsewhere in the crowd, the members of the Lightning God Tribe had egged on the blond-haired lightning dragon slayer, trying to get him to join the others in the game.

"Hey, maybe Laxus should be the one to play this, too!" The suggestion had come heartily from Bickslow. "He might be able to teach these fellows some, and will whoop 'em!"

His dolls chanted away those last two words. "Whoop 'em! Whoop 'em! Whoop 'em!"

"You're right," Freed agreed with him. "Laxus-sama will bring down the competition, and put the whole team back into its rightful glory!"

Evergreen turned away from them, and then towards Laxus, who was standing tall with his arms firmly crossed. "So, what's it going to be, Laxus? Are you in, or are you out?"

Laxus closed his eyes shut, his arms still firmly crossed. He then snapped his eyes open, lifting his head to face the three members of his group. "Fine, I'll play," he grumbled loudly, reluctance in his tone. "But I still think this game is stupid, and probably a waste of time, including mine."

"Ah, you might think of it like that, Laxus," the voice of a much older male sounded away energetically. "To me, 'though, I think this is a great opportunity to demonstrate some good skills!"

Laxus and the Lightning God Tribe, along with the others in the crowd, had suddenly directed their attention towards an elderly male with extremely short stature. He treaded easily through the crowd that gave way for him, the guild master in his orange hoodie, and a jester hat of orange and blue.

"Jii-chan," Laxus gasped quietly.

"I've heard all the hubbub about this new game that Levy supposedly brought in here, all the way from upstairs," Master Makarov explained. "In my days spending time to meet up with the other guild masters, I've played a lot of good games with them, and I can tell you that these games aren't considered to be stupid and boring!"

Natsu cheered. "Way to put it that way, Jii-chan!"

Makarov continued. "Even if I happen to be older in both my age and appearance, I still happen to be wiser than the rest of you brats, when it comes to playing these games!"

Gajeel snorted. "Way to put it that way."

"I believe that this new game will put to the test, the mental capabilities and the wits of the mages," the guild master concluded. "Isn't that right, Levy?"

"It is," the script mage nodded her head sheepishly. "The goal of the game, it says here," she glanced at the instructions, "is to own all the properties, while driving the others out into bankruptcy."

Makarov grinned widely. "Then, what are we waiting for?"

Mira turned to the guild master with curious eyes. "But that also means you're playing this, Master?"

"Sure," he brightly smiled. "It's a great way to show all those that I've mentored and fought along with, what it means to play well."

Everybody else in the whole guild agreed with him. There was no way that Master Makarov Dreyar, with lots of years of experience on hand, would lose to those whom he had recruited into the ranks of the guild. Especially, if it were to be a simple game.

"Well, I guess that's pretty much everybody that's interested into this, so far," Levy declared. "I think we can—"

"But wait!" Wendy objected, counting the number of those playing the game with her fingers. "I count only seven who are in this game, and yet, there are eight of these metal pieces in total!"

Natsu turned to her and gave her a friendly smile. "Then, why don't you join us to play, Wendy?"

The air dragon slayer was about to accept his request happily, when Carla suddenly cut in, the white Exceed shaking her head at Wendy.

"No," Carla frowned, with arms that were crossed. "I will not let you go through those miserable feelings from being out of the game."

"Carla, please," Wendy reasoned with her. "I've learned to handle with loss. Besides, it's just a game that I feel would be fun to play with the others."

A sigh escaped from the white Exceed. "Fine."

"Well, I guess that's just about everybody playing," Levy declared. "I think all of you should gather around the table to get this started."

"Alright!" Natsu cheered, pumping his fist up, sky-high. "I'm all fired up!"

"Let's get this on!" Gray added, smiling with great confidence. "I wanna beat Natsu at his own game!"

Erza raised her head at both mages. "Not if I get to you two first!"

"Gihihi," Gajeel snickered, widely grinning. "Bring it on, then!"

"Same here," Elfman boasted.

Laxus grunted. "I'd like to see all of you try against me."

Makarov turned to his grandson. "You're really sure about that, Laxus?"

Wendy and Carla could only look at the other competitors surrounding the table, both of them quietly murmuring to themselves, as they prepared to go head-to-head with the guild-mates they had known for a while. Lucy was right beside Natsu, while Juvia was closely beside Gray, as all the others had watched in what appeared to be the most serious round of a board game they will have played for the first time in their lives.

Levy looked around the table for a moment, before she simply nodded her head. "Alright," she began, "whoever's ready, each of you must roll the dice to determine who goes first."

Starting from the bottom-left of the table and reaching all the way to the bottom-right, Natsu was the one to start the game first, having rolled the highest number possible. The second person to play was Gray, followed by Erza, then Gajeel, and then Laxus, Wendy, and Elfman. Master Makarov was the player to go last, much to the surprise of all the other guild members.

Cana mused at this finding. "Gee, I hope Master will be alright taking them on."

"I'm sure he will be alright," Mira smiled. "You never know on what he'll do, when it comes games like these."

The two females turned their attention back towards the table, where Natsu cheered and whooped boisterously at the fact that he beat everybody else on the highest roll, much to the chagrin of the other players.

"Oi, flame-brain!" Gray called out at him. "We get it, already! Just pick up the damn dice again, and roll it!"

Gajeel agreed with the ice mage. "Yeah, come on, Salamander! Just get it over with!"

Erza glared at him angrily. "Natsu, if you don't start this game instead, then I'm going to start it with your face down onto the board!"

Right away, the pink-haired dragon slayer stopped laughing at the threat Erza made, before he quickly scooped up the pair of dice with a hand. Now with both hands firmly enclosed on the dice, Natsu shook them with great force, the flames drafting off of his hands.

"Come on, now!" Natsu grinned, as he shook the dice with heavy vigour. "I hope I land on something good here!"

Lucy cheered at him from close-by. "Go, Natsu!"

"Aye!" Happy added, echoing her cheerfulness. "Let's go, Natsu!"

"Alright!" Natsu shouted. "Here I go!"

Instantly as he picked them up off the table, Natsu released the dice from his hands with a bold throw that sent the small, dotted cubes flying towards the wooden surface, a blazing trail left behind them from being inside of his burning hands. Everybody surrounding the table watched very closely, as the pair of dice bounced off of the table's surface with a loud clunk, before they bounced repeatedly more than a few times after the initial bounce. Not before long, the two dotted cubes rolled about, and finally settled without making any further motion. There were then loud gasps that escaped from every single member of the guild, including Natsu, as the pair of dice revealed the complete number as they faced up skyward.

And it all begins!

If you really like this story, and want to find out what happens in the next chapter, feel free to put this story on your favourites list, or follow it through story alerts…or both. You can also leave a comment on what you think about this story…constructive criticism, please!