The Last Rehearsal

It was black. The dead of night type of black. Such a darkness that only comes when life is in a deep, peaceful sleep. Nothing was moving

Well…

The knock on the door of Blueshepherd's private beach hut surprised the woman and her companion out her sleep. Crystal—being alert 24/7—quickly arose from her bed. Calm and collect as always, she went and answered the door.

She screamed.

Levy stared at the ceiling in her room. This weekend would be the Jive Fest. To say that she was nervous would be an understatement.

But I have no reason to be nervous.

She and the band worked relentlessly to put the performance together. Practices sometimes went from late nights to early mornings and would started again later that evening. They were prepared. There was no doubt about that. However, Levy couldn't shake off this sudden anxiety that had overcame her. She feared that something evil would happen. Expected it.

The band worked tirelessly; sleep was a treat. Soon, it got to the point where Levy actually let Jason help her out around the newspaper more and trusted his skills. And—to the surprise of Levy and other co-workers—the Magnolia Corner boosted in sales. It was looking great; Levy saw why the Editor sent Jason as help.

But then she remembered everything that was riding on her performance. Fairy Tail. The platform of her life. The place where she met so many wonderful people and witnessed the success of multitudes of performers. It was their livelihoods on the line.

Then there was the double edge sword if Levy did win. She would have to pray that Phantom Lord didn't have enough money to buy her off. Of course the idea of Phantom Lord having a million dollars seemed very stretched, but the currently underground record company was unpredictable. They were out for blood and revenge.

Levy sighed as she laid on her back—attempting to relax. There was so much that relied on this performance; who knows what's going to happen?

It was something fate couldn't even predict.

*RING!*….*RING!*…*RING!*

Gajeel groaned as he rose from his bed. He was already having a stressful nigh; he couldn't get any sleep. Juvia and Lily came over to help and stayed up a bit to play cards, but even then they needed sleep and later went home.

The phone continued to ring while Gajeel slowly dragged his body from his room to the phone which hung on the wall in the living room. He answered.

A hellish scream—that caused the small hairs on Gajeel's neck to rise completely—shrieked into Gajeel's ear. Following the noise was the sound of a tommy gun shooting out a shower of bullets then more screaming.

A dark voice then spoke over the commotion. "We found your friend Gajeel Redfox, and trust us, she's in bad shape." The person chuckled. "I hope you didn't expect her any time soon."

Then the phone hung up; the operator ended the call.

The bassist growled and punched the wall. He couldn't move. He didn't know if it was a bluff or if Jade had actually gotten hurt, but he didn't want to wait and find out. He nearly barked at the operator to call Jade's number, but there was no answer.

The man just stood by the wall with his head against it. Get your shit together. The Kid set a fucking bomb in a building filled with Phantoms. What are the real chances that those idiots found her and shot her? But sadly, Gajeel remembered a few occasions where Jade couldn't beat the odds and ended up in an alley near death.

Lost in memories and anger, Gajeel didn't hear the jingling of keys and the sound of the lock turning. He recognized the sound of sniffling and soon came the sound of rain pouring outside. Arms wrapped around his shoulders in a hug.

Soon the sniffling grew louder, and Gajeel hugged the woman back. "It's raining." He stated emotionlessly.

*Sniffle* "Juvia apologizes. She does not mean to cause the rain." The woman replied between sobs.

Time was powerless, and another figure entered the room with the two. Gajeel and Juvia were still hugging when the figure joined them.

"The operator connected us to your call. We heard…" the man said. Gajeel never saw Lily cry. He wasn't ready to.

The three friends believed that Jade was fine, but the phone call was more than that. The severity of the Jive Fest was finally settling in their hearts.

Blood would be shed either on their side or their opponents. The idea brought them back to their previous lives in Oak Town as orphans in the gritty streets.

There was no universal force that had power over those three and their friendship—not at that moment.

"She's going to be fine." Lily said firmly. Gajeel grunted while Juvia nodded.

"We're gonna have to get this son of a bitch." Gajeel grumbled. Lily chuckled in attempt to lighten the mood.

Juvia smiled a little. "Everything's going to be fine. Juvia is sure."

Makarov entered the elevator soon followed by Laxus and Bixlow. The look on his face was serious. There was surely nothing to joke about at that moment. The elevator closed and the young man sent it to the top floor of the hotel building.

The entire floor was cleared off; there was no one taking up residence that night. Outside, the clouds covered the moon, and there were no stars to be seen. Everything had a soft, peaceful darkness to it.

Makarov lead the way and marched confidently to a room that had large, grand wooden doors. Standing out were three large men—all dressed in the same suit except for an embroider symbol that varied between each man.

"Good evening gentlemen." Makarov smiled. The men did not reply as they shouldn't have. He nodded. "Bixlow join them; you know what to do if problems occur." Unlike his wild personality, Bixlow simply nodded and stood with the men outside the door.

Makarov and Laxus entered the dimly lit room. At the center of the room was a round table. The old man took his seat while Laxus backed away into the darkness, only a few feet away. They were in a neutral town—free of any powerful record companies. It had simple people with simple lives, no gun shots to be heard anywhere.

A man with no name stood. He had a normal face and wore a basic black suit. "The meeting has now begun with the arrival of Mr. Dreyar. Please be mindful of the rules. There will be no violence or harsh verbal negotiation. You are all here to be informed of the rules concerning this year's Jive Fest. And well…other news about it." He seemed to know something bad that the others didn't. The man cleared his throat. "Anyway it is requested that all respected sponsor stand up and introduce themselves." He took his seat and waited.

There was some moments of silence as everyone waited for someone to began.

"Well my name is Bob—owner of Blue Pegasus records." A rather flamboyant bald man said with a bright smile. He took his seat.

Makarov watched as some small company owners introduced themselves. Besides them and the gutsy independent artists who didn't (or couldn't) get a sponsor, Makarov was rather very impressed with the lineup of owners here: Lamia Scale's Ooba Babasaama, Quatro Cereberus' Goldmine, even Sabertooth's maiden Minerva was there.

It was rare for all the top record owners to be in the same room together. It was like the great delegates of Fiore's music world. As one would expect, everyone seemed to have brought their own personal bodyguard in case of some unexpected chaos. Makarov introduced himself. Once he took his seat, the unknown man stood once more.

"It is a pleasure to witness such a gifted and talented group of people and businessmen—and women." He paused before continuing. "Well the Jive Fest has an unknown history yet a strict set of rules—which are kept under tight watch from the committee I represent. This may be an underground competition, but we like to keep things professional and safe.

Therefore, we cannot allow any violent attacks with competing companies. This will simply result in disqualification. Moreover, we cannot allow any correspondents of the Jive Fest to be in danger. That's why it is a burden for me to announce that last year's previous winner—the Jiver—is currently missing."

No one made a sound, but tension rose exponentially in the room. Makarov gritted his teeth. This is not good. Not good at all. He knew Jose had something to do with this. He was just shocked that something terrible would actually happen to Blueshepherd. The man said something about how they were still investigating who caused such strife.

The short man thought about speaking up and saying what he knew Phantom Lord had something to do with her disappearance, but he didn't know how in depth this no competing rule went. He did not want to risk his company and the livelihoods of those he loved.

However, there were others who weren't so keen on keeping silent.

The maiden chuckled. "With all respect for this mysterious committee, I think my fellow peers and I know exactly who attacked the Jiver. She isn't one to be taken out so easily."

The man looked at the woman nervously. He seemed to question his next move. After taking a slow, deep breath, he spoke. "Well Miss…who do you suggest would violate such a vital rule."

Without missing a beat, Minerva replied, "Phantom Lord."

The room was suddenly filled with a silence that choked everyone in there. Makarov watched as a grim looked appeared on all of those who owned record companies. Minerva seemed satisfied with what she had said and leaned back into her chair.

The man sighed and looked down at the table. "We know…" he muttered. His words were unnoticed however.

"Then, why don't you do anything about it? All of those crimes committed, and everyone here can testify against the man." Sting raised his voice.

"Do not raise your voice boy when you are simply the protection in this situation." Minerva said in a chilled voice. "And protection can always be replaced." The young man swallowed hard and stepped back into the shadows.

"The truth is, the committee has been searching for any and all of Phantom Lords' members and have found none. We know that it seems unfair, but there is protocol that it must be officially announced that they are disqualified." The man explained grimly.

Makarov spoke. "So we should expect them to show up at the Fest last minute so no one can dismiss them?" the man nodded. "This is quite troublesome." He sighed. "However, what are we going to do about the missing Jiver?"

"I agree; there needs to be something done to find her. She may not be committed to any of our companies, but she has helped all us in more ways than one." Blue Pegasus' Bob commented.

Minerva grunted. "Even if she won't join, it would be a lost no to find her." She muttered.

"Furthermore, we know that Phantom Lord would have no problem directing attacks towards any of our companies." Goldmine analyzed.

"We are gathering all the information we can get. Please be safe as the Fest approaches us very soon. We hope that we can carry out a peaceful and safe night. You are all dismissed. Thank you for your time." The meeting coordinator bowed.

Makarov stepped out the room, and Bixlow followed. "God, this just got a hell of a lot more dangerous than expected."

"Do you know what you're gonna do?" Laxus questioned.

"Well there's no point in trying to keep this whole mess a secret from Levy and Gajeel. I wouldn't be surprised if he already knew something." The old man took out a cigar and quickly lit it. "We just have to hope and pray that they can focus and stay strong."

Laxus nodded. "Hope and pray."

Levy stared at the man. "You knew?" He nodded. "You fucking knew and you didn't tell me?! You didn't call!" Levy yelled. "The fucking Jiver is missing, and you didn't think, 'Oh maybe I should call Levy and tell her?"

"Levy, please relax." Big Momma said in a cold, lifeless voice. Redfox could see she didn't know how to handle the knews that was just brought to her. She was trying her best to stay strong for Levy.

"I just don't understand. Why didn't you call? Why did I have to have to wait for a call from Mr. Dreyar to tell me? Why-,"

"Because I was up all night crying goddamn it! Okay? I got no sleep and could not function all day after. So excuse me McGarden that I couldn't give you a call." The man growled slightly.

Levy was shocked but then looked down at the ground. Silence fell between the two. Gajeel sighed. "I have to go. I need to…I need to see if I can find anything about the Kid." He put his hat back on and left.

Big Momma sighed. "Everyone needs a break; I understand that everyone wants to be strong, Levy. But if you don't rest, you just wear yourself out."

Levy didn't say anything—just stared at the door. This is hell will be settled Saturday.

It was a long few days. Fairy Tail was tense; people were nervous as the Jive Fest approached. Other artists volunteered and offered advice to the blue-haired mage, but everyone knew that Jade was only the one who could truly help with this completion.

Levy walked to a door with a number on it. She had gotten a letter with an address and specific instructions of where to meet. It didn't have a signature, but she went anyway. If it was a Phantom, she needed to settle the deal in any way she could. In all honesty, it was a decision made with blind rage. But she was already there.

Before she could knock, the door opened, and Levy walked to what seemed to be living room.

"Look Levy's here to." Natus pointed out. Standing around was everyone from the band: Natsu, Jellal, Gajeel, Lily, etc.

Levy's eyes grew wide. "What's going on?"

Gajeel shrugged. "We have no idea; we're kinda on the edge ourselves."

"Well it looks like everyone is here." Gray commented. "…except our drummer."

Everyone heard a gasp and turned to the entrance of the living room. "Oh my, it's like all my favorite musicians are in the same room." A man said with a large smile.

He had light brown skin and wore a dark blue suit. Though he had a smile, his demeanor was a bit tense and nervous.

"Who are you?" Natsu questioned loudly.

"Jackie!" Levy exclaimed and ran to hug the man.

The drummer blushed and hugged the woman tightly. "Levy! It's been so long, my Lord."

Gajeel chuckled. "This is Jackie Ross—our performing drummer."

"Oh my, it's such an honor to meet all of you. I've been too broke to purchase any of your records, but I love what makes it to the radio. Wow, this is so exciting. I'm Jackie. This is so amazing." Jackie ranted a bit. He looked around. "But I must say, this is kinda a shady place to rehearse. It's kinda worn down too."

"Well Jackie, we don't know why we're here either. We all got note to meet here." Levy explained.

"A note? I got a call." Jackie replied.

"A call? That's strange. Was it a man's voice?" Jellal chimed in.

Jackie shook his head. "A woman's, she gave me an address and asked that I be prompt in showing up. I do apologize for coming late; I haven't been in Magnolia in a few years. The town has changed so much."

"Forget about it man, we don't even know why we're here." Gray sighed.

Suddenly, there was a horrendous coughing fit heard from a different entrance to the living room.

"Oh fuck, I wasn't supposed to be that loud." A woman said.

The room gasped. "Jade?!" everyone exclaimed.

The young woman looked all sorts of bruise and battered. She was covered in bandages everywhere and was walking with a cane.

"How-,? Where the hell have you been?" Levy beamed.

"Playing dead." Jade chuckled.

"You shouldn't be out with those wounds. You look like hell." Gajeel noted cautiously.

Jade nodded. "For once, I can agree with you, but don't worry. I wouldn't miss the last rehearsal." She grinned widely.

Gajeel shook his head. "We could have managed. Where's Crystal; she needs to take you to see someone."

"She's at the hospital a few towns over. Don't worry about me please. We got work to do." Jade hobbled to the group. "Let's get to work."

Everyone's instruments were tuned, all had warmed up.

Jade—for once—had a serious look on her face. She took a seat and clapped her hands together. "Let's hit it."

The group immediately began the song and kept on going. If there was a mistake, too bad. This was the dress rehearsal. It was the performance. They couldn't stop, just make sure everything was perfect.

They kept playing and tweaking for at least two and a half hours. The band slowly grew exhausted but didn't stop.

Finally Jade smiled brightly and nodded knowingly. "Lady and gentlemen, I think we just won the Jive Fest." The band clapped and beamed cheerfully. "Remember, tomorrow is your day of rest. Don't push yourself. Everything will work out fine."

The woman then stood up and put on a suit coat and a hat. She tipped. "As for me I'll be going." She snickered.

"Wait!" Levy cried. "Thank you so much. Will we see you again soon?"

Jade winked before stepping out into the night. "I'm always with you sweet baby."

As the midnight sky took hold, Gajeel and Levy were the only ones in the random building. Gajeel was rubbing the strings of his bass with a cloth and humming. Levy watched and listened.

She took a deep breath. "Gajeel I-," she sighed. "I'm sorry for my outburst when you had stopped by. I was stressed out by this whole…this whole bloody situation. To be honest, I'm scared. I don't know what's going to happen. What if I mess up? What if Jose threatens my family again? I know I should I have faith but-,"

"Shorty please relax." Gajeel smirked. "I get it; I understand. This si probably the most nerve wrecking situation I've been in for a long while. So don't feel weak. No one should feel like they're under that much stress." Gajeel ruffled the woman's hair. "Watch, it'll all work out."