"I remember when I first got the Lightning Dragon Lacrima implanted in me, and how afraid of it I was," Laxus said, standing behind Grandpa's grave while his family—his guild—looked on, all dressed in black. His beautiful wife cried the hardest of them all. "I couldn't have been older than seven, eight. I woke up and my father was standing over me, howling with laughter of what he'd done. I was in agony. I could barely move, all I could feel were these constant shocks running up and down my body.
"By the time I found it in myself to get out of bed I was still unable to actually get on my feet. I could only muster the right amount of strength to get on my knees and crawl to the edge of my room, but when I reached out with my hand, the lightning connected with the metal and almost blasted my hand off. My power was out of control, and there wasn't a damn soul nearby to do anything about it. Wasn't blessed like some of you runts to have Porlyusica around to heal me whenever I needed it."
Laxus stole a look down to his grandfather's coffin, black and shining in the sunlight. He stared at it, fumbling for the words in his mouth before he continued,
"I hated everyone and everything, right then and there. I wanted to die. I wanted the pain to go away. I wanted the shocking just to end so I could sleep in peace, for once. I finally had the power my father wanted of me, but it would've killed me. I would've happily died, too, if it meant getting a decent night's sleep. I never got those. My father would always keep me up all night, screaming about this or that, how weak and useless I was to him. Until, I guess, he finally snapped, and forced the Lacrima on me.
"I wanted to give up and just lie there on the floor forever. Then the door opened, and there my grandfather stood. He looked down at me, and I can never forget the look on his face. He was confused.
" 'Laxus,' he said. 'What are you doing on the ground, son? What's happened?'"
"The pain was so much I couldn't bear to tell him. I tried opening my mouth but all I could do was scream. He dropped immediately and embraced me. Lightning flew free of my body, and I thought I was going to kill him with how much magic I was putting out.
" 'Listen to me, Laxus,' Gramps said. 'You have to focus. You're strong, one of the strongest kids I know. And you're a member of Fairy Tail. You know what that means? That means when you get hurt, you get up, and you smile. Because you're stronger than that pain, and you'll always overcome it, no matter how much it may harm you. That's what being a Fairy Tail wizard is all about.
"He backed off and gave me space, and then, I focused. On the pain, on all of the pain I'd ever felt, and the lightning stopped. I could feel it within me, but it didn't hurt anymore. It was all just inside me, flying around. I pushed myself up to standing, and Gramps held out his hand."
Laxus felt something wet slide down his face. He was crying.
Happy and Carla flew as fast as they could, hurtling through the open sky. Natsu felt the wind rush by his face while the flames shot out from behind him, providing an extra boost to Happy's speed. Wendy did the same, blasting wind from her hands and feet to propel them forward. Below the four of them, Erza was soaring on a magical cart she'd bought at one of the villages. Gray and Lucy had their hands on the control panel as well, giving the cart all of their magic.
Natsu and Happy surged forward as Natsu released more flames. "We're almost to Magnolia!" he exclaimed.
"It's not true, is it, Natsu?" Happy asked overhead.
Natsu felt something wet drop on his face. Happy's tears flew by behind him. Natsu clenched his fists.
"Are you crying, Natsu?" Gramps asked.
"No!" Natsu exclaimed. "Igneel says I'm never supposed to cry!"
"Then let's pretend, and say you were," Gramps said. He wiped a tear from Natsu's face. Natsu felt the sting of his hands on the bruise on his face. "What would make you cry?"
"I tried using one of the spells Igneel taught me," Natsu said. "It didn't work, and it…it bounced back and hurt me."
"Foolish boy," Gramps said, tapping Natsu on the head with his staff. "Did Igneel ever tell you to use this spell?"
"No," Natsu said.
Gramps dropped from the counter that he always sat on and stared at Natsu. The little boy looked at Gramps with misty eyes and clenched his fists tighter.
"Would he ever want you to learn it?" Gramps asked.
"He promised he would," Natsu said.
"Good," Gramps said. "Do you know what that means?"
"N—no," Natsu said.
"It means you're going to keep trying it," Gramps said. "But until you master it, it's going to hurt like this. Can you handle that?"
"I don't know," Natsu said. "I don't think I can learn without Igneel. Who can help me?"
"Natsu Dragneel," Gramps said. He laid a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "Who can help you? You're in Fairy Tail now, son. Everyone here is your family, so everyone here will be happy to help you!"
Natsu blinked and felt his own hot tears streaking through the skies.
"We have to keep going," Natsu said. "Come on!"
Laxus sighed, and a small smile touched his lips. He could still see the old man sitting atop the counter, holding his little staff, his goofy outfit, talking with all of his so-called children.
"I took his hand, and we walked into the guild together," Laxus said. "And my father couldn't believe his eyes. He finally had everything he wanted, but, in reality, I had everything I ever wanted. I could never have got it without my grandfather. I'd be dead without him." Laxus steeled his heart. "We all would be. He loved and cared for every one of us like his own. Even if you're brand new to the guild, Makarov Dreyar loved you with all of his heart."
He heart the sobs now. He'd tried to blot them out as much as he could, so he wouldn't succumb to them as well. Damn it, Laxus, get a hold of yourself. You're a Dreyar, too.
"He was the greatest master Fairy Tail has ever seen," Laxus said. "And I'm proud to call myself his grandson, as should all of you be proud to call yourselves his disciples."
Laxus nodded in Cana's direction. She was fully dressed in a loose black dress. She rolled back her sleeves and revealed the Fairy Glitter mark on her arm. Laxus dropped his vision down to the casket.
"Do it," he muttered.
Cana opened her hand up, but Laxus felt no magic coming from her. The casket remained floating above the open hole in the ground. Cana's body shook as she sobbed, unable to bring herself to cast the spell. Laxus's lip trembled and he closed his fists again. He felt a twinge of anger, but quickly silenced it.
"Cana," he said. He felt the words touch his lips but couldn't will himself to believe them. Laxus swept his gaze across the entire area. He saw all of them there, waiting, unable to keep themselves together. Mira was barely able to stand. Laxus opened up his fists, and felt the lightning within him remain under control, as it had since that day long ago. "It's okay. You can do this. Gramps always believed in you, and so do we."
"Damn it," she muttered through sobs. "We'll miss you old man."
Her hand glowed. Laxus once again hardened his heart and all the tears in his eyes vanished. He raised his voice, and exclaimed, "My grandfather was a man of Fairy Tail, a true man of Fairy Tail! He was one of us, so let's remind him of our three great laws: One: You must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live! Two: You must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain!" He heard some more voices joining him, before everyone joined in for: "Three: Though our paths may have diverged, you must continue to live out your life with all your might, you must never consider your own life to be something insignificant, and you must never forget about your friends who loved you!"
"Fairy Glitter!" Cana exclaimed, and lit the entire graveyard. The spell was much weaker than normal, and was exactly what it needed to be.
The spell hit the casket and emblazoned the Fairy Tail symbol upon the center of it, and knocked the casket out of its levitation and gently let it descend into the dirt.
"Farewell," Laxus said. "Grandpa."
Erza surged her magic forward, letting loose more magic than she'd ever used in her entire life. The world around them faded to a blur. Lucy and Gray clutched tight to the control handle as well.
"I can see Magnolia!" she exclaimed, as Kardia Cathedral came into view from over a small hill. She expended one hand to wipe a tear from her eye.
"But Master," Erza said, looking at the sword in her hand. "Is Requip magic really something so…useful?"
"Ah, I see you haven't learnt the full of extent of your abilities, little Scarlet," Master said.
"Erza," the little girl said.
"Requip magic is one of the most beautiful forms of magic in the world," Master said. "And one of the most invaluable to any wizard or witch that should learn it."
"But all I can do is summon new weapons," Erza said. "How useful is that?"
"For now," Master said. "But I want you to try something new. Try imagining that sword in your hand, yes that one, and transforming it into armor along your entire body."
"Armor?" Erza asked. She flinched, as those idiot boys Natsu and Gray crashed into something behind them. Master Makarov didn't seem to notice, and instead continued smiling at her. "Like, a knight's armor?"
"Oh, a knight's armor would suit you well," Makarov said. "But yes. Try it. Use all the magic you have."
"All of it?" Erza asked. "But I won't have any left."
"Erza, if you're not willing to use all your magic, then you're not much of a wizard, are you?" Makarov asked. "You have to see the bigger picture. You've escaped from terrible, terrible things, so you know what it means to take a risk. Try it now. Trust me, you're safe. You won't harm me."
Erza nodded, and felt a tugging in her chest. She tightened her grip on her sword, and yanked on that tug. Light shone brilliantly all around her, and she felt power reaching out and weaving through her entire body, then it tightened and became form. The light dwindled. Erza looked around, and saw herself floating a bit over the air.
She had some sort of silver armor on her, sharp and pointy. Her hands wore similar-looking gloves upon them, and she had boots that should've been much heavier than they felt. "Good heavens," Master Makarov said. "Erza, this is amazing!"
Erza looked overhead, and saw an entire wheel of swords hanging over her head. Everyone in the guild hall was absolutely stunned at the sight of her. And all she could do was beam.
Gray said something to Lucy and Erza but it was lost to the wind. Erza pulled up on her power, and Gray and Lucy did the same.
They all soared through the streets of Magnolia. The streets were, surprisingly empty. Given how fast they'd been moving, even with the decreased speed, the city was still a blur to them. From what Erza could make out, things looked normal, similar to how they'd been left three years ago.
The Exceeds and Dragon Slayers began their descent up ahead, beyond Kardia Cathedral. Erza took the cart onto the main road and crossed over the bridge, managing the speed and cart herself. Gray was already braced against the edge of the cart to leap out, alongside Juvia, while Lucy was immobilized.
They slid to a halt while Natsu, Happy, Wendy, and Carla ran inside. Gajeel was there, standing alone. He wore his Council outfit, and had a stricken look about his face. Natsu stopped stone cold in front of Gajeel and the two exchanged words. Gray and Juvia sprinted up to the Dragon Slayers as well.
Gajeel's head shaking and Natsu's fist in the dirt told Erza all she needed to know. The sobs bubbling up inside her couldn't be held back any longer.
Laxus sat at the counter of the bar, staring out at the silent guild hall. Natsu and his team had finally arrived back for their quest, but were too late for the eulogy. Natsu and Happy, alone, were out in the field by the grave. Laxus let them be without even a word. What would he say to them? What could he say to them?
The only confrontation he had with any of them was with Lucy, then Wendy, and finally Erza. He feared talking to Erza the most. The parchment in his back pocket suddenly had a bit of weight to it. Laxus ignored it.
Porlyusica had brought it to him once everyone was back from the funeral. It was his will. Apparently he knew he was dying and wasn't sure when it would happen, or how it would happen. But his will laid out everything, including who the next Guild Master would be, a personal note to Laxus for his son, and some instructions for Gajeel and Levy to report back into the Council on official Fairy Tail business. Laxus, naturally, inherited Gramps's estate.
He leaned back against the countertop. Cana was deep into her third barrel but was silent, sitting with a weeping Juvia and a sullen looking Gray. Lisanna and Elfman comforted Lucy in another corner, and the two cats were off on their own table, discussing things. They were in their cat forms, the forms they'd met Makarov in. Laxus grimaced at the sight of them.
A set of heavy footsteps approached, and he followed them up to the red-haired wonder that was Titania.
"Did he leave a will?" Erza asked.
"He did," Laxus said. "Got it in my pocket."
"Who else has read it?" Erza asked.
"You mean is anyone going to tell the council about it?" Laxus asked. "No. Porlyusica and I are the only ones that've read it and know what to do with it. And even then I'm not sure right now."
"Not sure of what he wants?" Erza asked.
"I'll do exactly what it says," Laxus said. "But it's the timing that matters. Now's not…now's not good."
"I understand," Erza said.
You of all people have to understand, Laxus said, and could barely keep the words contained inside his mouth.
A shrill scream from a back room halted him from saying anything more. He was surprised at how fast Porlyusica went running across the room. Laxus recognized the scream and beat her to the back room, where Mirajane was laying in a pool of water staining the sheets. She was screaming in sheer agony.
"Talk about timing," Poylusica said. "All of you get out, right now!"
"What's happening to Mira?" Laxus roared.
"She's about to have your child!" Porlyusica said. "And if you want to save her life and the child's life you'll let me work and get out of my way!"
Laxus felt the lightning fill his hands.
"Laxus, it's okay," Mira said through bated breathes. She smiled. Her face was red from the screaming and her entire body seemed to be pulsing from the pain. "I'll be fine. And when you come back in here…we'll have our family."
She smiled even brighter. Laxus took one step and cupped her gentle hands in his own. He smiled back at her.
"I love you," he said.
Porlyusica emerged hours later, well into the night. Everyone in the guild hall was still hushed, and went completely mute when the witch walked through the doors to the back room. Her hands were still stained a little red but it was clear she'd washed them off. Laxus approached, followed swiftly by Erza.
"How are they?" Laxus asked.
Porlyusica fumbled for words. "I, they…well."
"Are they okay?" Erza asked.
"Mirajane is perfectly okay," Porlyusica said. "But the child, I've…never seen something quite like it. The child is healthy, but, she…"
Laxus stormed past Porlyusica, and the woman was too exhausted to stop him. Erza followed again. A million thoughts rushed through his mind.
A girl! What would they name her? How was Mira holding up? What was so strange about the child that Porlyusica was at a loss for words? Oh, how would they paint the baby's room? She still needed a name! But what could be so messed up about her? Nothing! She's perfect, just like her mother.
Laxus pushed himself through the doorway without a moment's hesitation and his entire body almost fell to mush when he saw Mira, healthy as ever, smiling tiredly at Laxus.
"Did she tell you?" Mira asked. "It's a girl."
She held the babe in her arms, swaddling her. Laxus couldn't see his daughter at all. His heart pounded through his chest. Mira turned the baby toward him, and a word came to his mind at the sight of the little girl that had the scales of a dragon etched into the side of her head and little demon eyes staining her pupils, almost masked by her platinum blonde hair. Her fingernails were sharp as dragon talons.
"Jori," Laxus said. He knelt down and touched the little girl's head, stroking her head. Her hair was so soft.
"Her name?" Mira asked. "I love it. Jori." Mira caressed little Jori's face as well. Her demon eyes blinked and Laxus felt tears welling in his eyes again. They were so beautiful.
"Hello, Jori," Laxus said. "I'm your daddy."
Jori looked at Laxus, and reached out with just a tiny hand. Laxus lifted his big hand and reached out as well. He hesitated. Lightning still coursed through his body, from his nerves and excitement.
Focus.
Laxus tapped Jori's hands, and little Jori smiled at her daddy. Laxus finally felt himself break and tears ran down his face while he embraced his wife and daughter.
