Sore Joker

"Who the heck are you?" Natsu asked.

"Me?" The purple and white man opened his eyes who's pupils were nothing more than purple magical circles. "I am the power you've been fighting since the Grand Magic Games. I am Sore Joker as well as your executioner. Prepare yourself, Fairy Tail for this is your end."

Natsu engulfed his fist in flame. "You got another thing coming if you think you can beat Fairy Tail." The fire dragon slayer leaped forward to punch the mysterious man. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist."

Sore Joker held out his hand. "Sore Joker: Single Loss." Natsu's flames went out and he collapsed on the ground. The other Fairy Tail wizards collapsed to their knees, not able to find the strength to stand.

Natsu stood on one knee with his hand on his knee, trying to stand up. "What the hell? Why do I feel so weak?"

"This little spell makes all people within its range grow so weak that can't even stand," Sore Joker said. "But could you two stop holding hands?"

Laxus and Lucy were still standing and holding hands. They both looked down at their hands and Lucy blushed. Is that why the spell didn't affect us, Lucy thought. She looked forward at Sore Joker. "Why would we do that? It's clear your spell can't affect us."

"If you don't want to let go I'll just rip those hands off your body." He pointed his hand out at them like a gun. A dark purple ball formed around the two pointed out fingers and shot it toward at the two wizards' hands.

Laxus leaped back, pulling Lucy along with him. The ball cut through the sides of several trees. Laxus landed in a tree branch in a tree, having Lucy on his back as he still held her hand. Lucy's other arm was around his neck.

"Not bad," Sore Joker said. "But how will you deal with this?" The man swung his fingers across his body with several dark balls appearing in front of him. The balls shot out like beams in several directions and angles to try to strike down the pair.

"Hang onto me." Laxus started to jump from tree to tree in a circle to head to the right in order to circle around. He dodged the blast.

"All you're doing is dodging," Sore Joker said. "With your arm broken from your battle with Zane and your other hand stuck holding the girls you can't even fight. It's like having you hands tied behind your back."

Laxus jumped out of the trees and landed on the ground. He stood in between Natsu and the Shadow Gear team.

"If only I could stand I could beat this guy," Natsu growled.

"Aye," Happy said.

"Well, you can't," Sore Joker responded. He faced the only standing wizards left.

"Wait," Lucy putted her chin down on Laxus' shoulder to keep herself on his back, "Laxus may now be able to use his hands, but I can." She unwrapped her arm from around Laxus' neck and reached down for her keys, pulling them up.

"What are you doing?" Laxus questioned.

Lucy lifted up a golden key. "Open Gate of the Lion, Loke!"

The lion spirit stood before them with his hand rested on his bicep as his other hand was bended up. "You rang."

"Of course, a Celestial Wizard," Joker said. "You can have others fight on your behalf."

"Hopefully he can take them down," Levy said.

"Have a little faith." Loke charged forward with his fists glowing in light.

"So you think you can beat me?" Sore Joker fists glow in a light purple light. He came at Loke and the two engaged in a fist fight. They circled around each other as they threw their fist toward each other's face, dodging blows, and canceling out the other attacks.

Sore Joker threw his fist straight at Loke, Loke grabbed a hold of the arm and flipped over it. The fist fight continued as both sides struggled against one another. Sore Joker knocked Loke back. Loke's feet slid across the ground.

Sore Joker lifted his fist above his head, creating a twisted dark orb over his head. "All I need to do is hit you with one good blow and you're off to the Celestial world." He swung down about to shoot off his blast.

A water rope substance shot forward, wrapping around the purple man's wrist. Lucy pulled on her Fleuve d'étoiles whip to pull the arm to the side. The destructive ball launched off to the side in her direction.

Laxus stepped aside and the blast just barely missed everyone else who was in that direction. The ball crashed through the forest. Laxus looked at Lucy. "Are you nuts?"

"Loke, now," Lucy shouted.

"What?" Sore Joker looked forward.

Loke came forward with his fists fully glowing. He upper cut the man as the whip disappeared. Sore Joker flew back, crashing into the mountain side behind him. Loke took up his casting stance, gathering light.

He stuck out his fist, holding his arm with his other hand. "Regulus Impact!" A magic circle appeared in front of him, shooting the head of a lion out. The attack blasted directly into Sore Joker. Dust blew out of the mountain side, rising up into the sky.

"Did that do it?" Natsu questioned.

"It better," Gray said.

The dust thinned. Sore Joker stepped out of the cracked mountain side with the impact of the lion's head shape in its stomach. "That actually hurt."

"He can stand after that," Loke said in astonishment, "and acts like it was nothing."

Sore Joker started to dust himself off.

Lucy lifted up another golden key. "Open the gate of the scorpion, Scorpio."

Scorpio appeared beside Leo. He held up a sign. "We are."

"Combine your attacks," Lucy said.

Loke performed Regulus Impact again along with Scorpio's sand buster that collided into Sore Joker again and knocked him into the rock wall.

"Laxus, you still have your big mouth to use," Lucy said.

"What?!"

"You know what I mean."

Laxus brought up his head. "Roar of the Thunder Dragon!" He shot a power lightning blast from his mouth to hit Joker again after the combine Celestial attack. The mountain side exploded as a result, sending Gajeel's group flying back toward the others.

A thick smoke rose up into the air.

Everyone waited in anticipation to see if they had one.

Laxus' body tensed.

Lucy's eyes locked on the sight.

The dust finally cleared and Sore Joker walked out. "If you manage to keep that up I might be in trouble." He shifted his eyes toward to two blond wizards. "However, that girl doesn't look like she can keep up her current pace."

Everyone looked over at Lucy to see she was breathing heavily and her eyes were hazy. Her keys trembled in her hand. "Lucy," they cried out.

Sore Joker lightly chuckled. He folded his arms across his chest and crossed his legs. "You can hardly blame to poor girl. She's been fighting off my power for five days straight now and force to keep up with a monster like Laxus must be exhausting. Zane may have underestimated her, but I don't. If she was at full strength its possible they could have been real trouble."

"He's right, Lucy hasn't had a real chance at recovering," Erza stated. "And then there's…"

"Now she's holding the gates of two powerful Celestial spirits open," Sore Joker continued. "And the longer they're here the more energy they drain. So I have a question will you two stay here and drain your wizard of her remaining strength."

Both Loke and Scorpio tensed up.

Sore Joker smiled and laughed at the situation.

"No, I can still fight," Lucy said with her voice shaking.

Laxus shifted his eyes back toward Lucy. "Don't be stupid, you don't have the strength to keep fighting."

"I have too," Lucy said with all her strength. "I'll do whatever it takes to save our friends." Her keys glowed brighter.

Laxus bit down on his teeth. He then focused his attention on her two spirits. "Close your gates so Lucy can rest. I'll beat this guy!"

Both spirits looked at Laxus in shock as they saw his pure determination to save their master. They nodded. "We'll leave it to you," Loke said.

"We are counting on you," Scorpio responded. The two returned back to their world.

"But Laxus, I…" Lucy started.

"No, buts," Laxus told her as he did his best to adjust her on his back. He tightened his hand with hers. "I'm not going to lose to this freak show. All you got to do now is hold my hand so I don't get caught up in that spell of his. You can do that for me, right?"

Lucy putted her keys away and wrapped her arm back around Laxus. She gave a nod. Laxus quickly smiled before he returned his attention back to Sore Joker and got serious again.

Sore Joker stretched his hands out to the side. "Well, you certainly are confident. Have you forgotten that you are injured too? I am a being completely made up of magic and the bitter feelings of losing there is no way even Fairy Tail can pierce through all of that. I will simply have to show you your place."

A magic circle appeared under his hand. "Sore Joker, Revenge Sword." A dark purple blade appeared that the magic man grabbed. He came at Lucy and Laxus, swinging the sword across.

Laxus moved back. He then turned as Sore Joker moved to follow him. Sore Joker swung several times to try to strike Laxus as Laxus came to avoid every strike and ducked under one. "That's right, you have to be careful now don't you? Because you're not just dodging for yourself you're dodging for the girl too." Sore Joker laughed madly.

Laxus charged up his foot with lightning. He swung it around and hit Joker in his side, knocking him down on his knees, sliding. The lightning wizard quickly twisted in the purple man's direction. He shot a wave of lightning out of his mouth.

Sore Joker leaped out of the attack, but was still hit by it.

"Even if I can't use my hands I still have both my legs and my mouth," Laxus declared.

"That won't save you," Sore Joker said. He stuck out his hand. "Sore Joker: Back Wave." Laxus and Lucy were shot back by the invisible blast.

Sore Joker quickly came over to the side of the flying wizards and performed the spell again. The two went crashing into what remained of the mountain side. Laxus lifted up his head and let out a painful groan as he bounced off of the wall with his eyes closed.

Lucy screamed. The realization that Lucy took the full hit of crashing into the wall combine with his own weight hitting her as well snapped Laxus out of his own pain. He landed on his feet and adjusted himself to carry the girl.

Laxus looked back at the wounded girl. "Lucy, are you alright?" The girl looked barely conscious after the impact. She no doubt had broken bones and both her arms trembled against Laxus' body int desperate attempt to hold on that made Laxus fear the worse.

What snapped him out of his shock was Sore Jokers laughter.

"Lucy!" Natsu called out.

"Please tell me she's alright," Erza said worry.

"Lucy," Gray said lowly.

"Lucy," Happy cried.

"Oh, no," Mirajane said.

Laxus glared at Sore Joker that just laughed at the sight. "You should really learn to watch your back. I guess all you do really is hurt your friends at Fairy Tail, especially Lucy."

Laxus clenched his teeth, looking down. He remembered what he saw in the forest and how he had hurt Lucy before with his selfness and rather he liked it or not he did it again by not being able to counter Sore Joker's spell. Lucy had saved him from death and was failing her now.

"It, it doesn't matter," Lucy's weak voice came through.

Laxus looked back at her. "Lucy."

Lucy slowly lifted her head and looked at Sore Joker. "I'll take any pain if it means protecting my friends. I'll fight any way I can if it means my friends will be safe. This won't stop me," Lucy lowered her head and shut her eyes as she managed to raise her voice, "no, we'll defeat you to save them."

"Her body and magic may not match Laxus, but she does have a strong heart I'll give her that," Sore Joker said.

"You better believe it," Natsu said.

"So I'll just have to cut it out." Sore Jocker launched himself forward toward Laxus and Lucy. Laxus leaped out of the way and the battle began once again. Sore Joker swung his blade across.

Laxus jumped up over it, creating an electric ball under his foot and slammed it down on Sore Joker's shoulder, blasting him down. He twisted back toward the group of fallen wizards.

Sore Joker lifted himself out of the smoke. "It will take more than that to defeat me." He came at them, swinging his blade over and over again as Laxus stepped out of the way, coming back to the Fairy Tail group.

Laxus slid back, creating some distance between him and Sore Joker.

"You have no idea who you are dealing with," Sore Joker said. "I am the creator of all of Zane's spells that you've fought against expect I know how to use them to their fullest ability. Try looking at your feet."

Laxus gazed down at his feet to see they were chained by purple chains to the ground. "Not this again."

"Yes, again." Sore Joker stretched his hands out to the sides with his sword now gone. "Now let's see if you can survive a blast from all of your little friends' magical energy."

A magic circle appeared underneath the two blondes.

"Is he serious?" Gajeel questioned.

"He is," Erza said. "Zane used the same spell against me and Laxus."

"No, Laxus, Lucy," Mirajane cried out.

Tears flowed down Lucy's eyes. She held onto Laxus harder. "We can't afford to lose here."

"Learn when to give up," Sore Joker said. "There's no way to win."

"We'll win and save our friends," Laxus told him.

"Fools." Sore Joker was about to finished casting the spell when a crack came over his chest. "What the-?"

"Did all of our attacks finally get through?" Laxus questioned.

"Looks, it's over his heart," Lucy said.

"A weak spot." Laxus opened his mouth and shot a blast of lightning as Sore Joker was too concern seeing the crack in his body. The lighting shot right through, blasting him off the ground.

Sore Joker landed down on one knee. All of his spells on Laxus and Lucy broke, freeing them from any attack or locks. He looked up at the two blondes. "I'm not through with you two yet."

"I think you should look at your own body first," Erza stated.

Sore Joker looked at himself to see the cracks were running across his entire body with white light peering out. He held his hands out in front of him. "No, this can't be." His eyes opened wide as his hands trembled. "No, this can't be. You can't come back now. I just finally got free of that idiot Zane. Now it's my turn you can't just come back now."

The light shot up as Sore Joker's body broke apart. The light became blinding and everyone in the area had to cover their eyes or just simply shut them. "Now what is it?" Laxus said.

A pair of beautiful blue eyes opened up in the light.