Hey guys, I'm back with a new chapter for this fic. Sorry this took a little longer than I had planned, but it's finally here. This chapter will pick up right where the previous chapter left off and will really get this arc under way. I'm glad to see that pretty much all of you enjoyed the previous chapter, which makes me especially happy because I really enjoyed writing that chapter. I was also happy to see that we got a few more reviews than usual last chapter, but I would still love to see some more. So let's see if we can try to break 1,000 reviews with this chapter. This story has also officially passed 2,000 followers and my mind is fucking blow! Thank you all for sticking with my story!
P.S. Have any of you been watching anything from E3? Some really great games have already been announced from the Xbox and Bethesda conferences. The games that really caught my attention were Metro Exodus (I fucking loved the past two Metro games, so I'm so damn pumped for a new entry in the series), Assassin's Creed: Origins (I love the Assassin's Creed series and this new game looks awesome), Wolfenstein 2 The New Colossus (I really enjoyed Wolfenstein the New Order and the Old Blood, so I'm pretty exited for this new game), Creation Club for Fallout 4 and Skyrim Special Edition look really cool, Star Wars Battlefront 2 (If you scored games exclusively on graphics alone this game would get a 20/10. DICE has stated that there's 3x the amount of content in this new game, so that's got me excited. But after the mess that was the previous Star Wars Battlefront, I'm gonna stay cautiously optimistic for now), and Dishonored 2 The Death of the Outsider (Dishonored 2 is an amazing game, and this standalone expansion sounds pretty damn awesome). If you've been keeping up with E3 let me know what games have caught your attention.
Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic.
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
Magic
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.
"Before I head out..." Erza said with a smile, tapping Natsu on the shoulder and gesturing towards Lucy. "Since you freed the knight, you might as well free the princess too."
"Heh, you're right." Natsu said with a chuckle, as he walked over to Lucy, his hands coated in bright blue flames. "Time to set you free too Luce!" Just like he did for Erza, Natsu pressed his flaming hands against Lucy's petrified form, encasing her entire body in intense blue fire. Everyone present watched in awe as Natsu continued to pump out more and more fire; Erza wasn't affected by the searing flames, but Gajeel, Happy, and Makarov needed to shield themselves from the scorching heat. "Alright Luce, let's get you out of there!" As Natsu coated Lucy in more of his magic, he noticed that the mate mark on the crook of her neck was starting to glow brightly. A grin spread across Natsu's face, as he wrapped his arms around Lucy's waist and pressed his head against hers. The stone trapping Lucy began to crack and crumble away, and eventually Natsu could feel her skin underneath his hands and could smell her intoxicating vanilla scent. After being encased in stone for so long, Lucy's legs immidiately gave out when she was freed, but Natsu reacted quickly and gently lowered the dazed girl to the ground. "Welcome back, Luce."
"H-Huh?" Lucy muttered, clutching her throbbing head. "What's going on?"
"Laxus and his lackeys are using some dirty tricks and trying to get master to step down." Erza explained, as she crouched down next to the blonde celestial spirit mage. "They're holding most of the girls hostage. But luckily Natsu managed to free you and I."
"N-Natsu did?" Lucy asked in a slightly dazed tone, turning her head around. The blonde celestial spirit mage smiled weakly when she saw that Natsu was holding onto her. "Of course he did."
"Could you hear everything that was happening, Lucy?" Happy asked, as he flew up next to the busty blonde mage.
"Not really." Lucy replied, slowly shaking her head. "Anything I could hear was really muffled and distorted. The last thing I remember was that bitch Evergreen ruining my performance before I could even start, then everything just went black." Reaching back, Lucy gently grasped one of Natsu's hands. "But all of a sudden I felt this incredible warmth begin to comfort me, kinda like I was being covered by the world's best blanket."
"That's incredible..." Makarov muttered, as he stroked his chin. "I can't believe Natsu managed to free Lucy as well...do you think you could free all the other girls as well, Natsu?"
"Sorry jii-chan." Natsu replied, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm kinda running out of juice right now. I don't think I have enough magic left in me to free anyone else." Chuckling nervously, Natsu turned his head to avoid Makarov's suspicious gaze. "I can't tell him that I was only able to free Erza and Lucy because of their mate marks."
"*Sigh* That's a shame..." Makarov grumbled, as he ran a hand over his balding head. "Well at least we have some extra manpower now. Good work, Natsu."
"Hmmm, this quite the clever setup." Erza said, inspecting the progress report displayed on the barrier. "Now that Lucy and I have been freed the remaining combatants has increased to four."
"Wait...why haven't you two gone out there to fight?" Lucy asked, as she gestured to Natsu and Gajeel. "I thought you both would be the most fired up to fight Laxus and his cronies."
"We would but..." Natsu muttered in an embarrassed tone, turning his head as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"This stupid fucking barrier is keeping us trapped here." Gajeel growled, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Salamander tried to bust through it earlier, and the bastard almost did it, but this thing is incredibly strong."
"That's not good..." Lucy thought, as she gazed at both dragon slayers. "Next to Erza, Natsu and Gajeel are our best bets for beating Laxus." Releasing a light sigh, Lucy sat on the nearest table. "It's a shame that Levy-chan is still encased in stone, because she mentioned that she was pretty good at dealing with runes and enchantments."
"Then that's even more of a reason for us to free Levy..." Gajeel said, resting his head on his fist. The iron dragon slayer soon realized that everyone's eyes were now on him, especially Natsu who had a mischievous grin on his face. Quickly realizing his mistake, Gajeel's face turned beat red in embarrassment. "I-I mean we should hurry up and rescue all the girls! Not just Levy!"
"I guess Natsu was right about Levy-chan being Gajeel's mate." Lucy thought with small smile, as she tried to suppress her giggles. "I thought he was just a huge asshole, but I guess Gajeel really has changed a lot since he came here. It looks like he becomes a big softie when he mentions Levy-chan. If being around Natsu has taught me anything, it's that dragon slayers can't fake their feelings when it comes to their mates. Those two may have had rough start, but I'm sure that they can eventually push past that, and I know that Gajeel can protect Levy-chan."
"Hey guys!" Happy exclaimed, pointing towards the progress report. "The number of combatants is changing again!"
"It...went up again?" Gajeel muttered in a confused tone, as he quirked an eyebrow. "Who the hell could it be?"
"Yeah, everyone else is still frozen in stone." Natsu pointed out, walking up next to Erza. Turning his head, Natsu was surprised to see a smirk on the scarlet-haired knight's face. "What's up, Erza? Do you have an idea who it could be?"
"It looks like that man has decided to take part in this battle..." Erza replied cryptically, as she nodded her head.
(Same Time: Central Magnolia, Kardia Cathedral)
"Oho, looks like things are starting to get interesting." Laxus muttered, watching a live feed of a tall, hooded figure entering Magnolia. "Erza was somehow revived, and now Mystogan is here as well...Including me, that makes all three of us Fairy Tail's top fighters...I guess it's a good thing Gildarts isn't going to be a factor, because he would've been a huge thorn in my side..." As Laxus continued to monitor the live progress reports, a smirk spread across his face. "Heh, looks like they managed to revive that blonde bimbo as well...well whatever, she'll just be another casualty soon enough."
(Back at Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)
"Why do I have the sudden urge to tear Laxus' balls off?" Natsu muttered to himself, as he suddenly coated his hands in coursing orange lightning.
"Calm down Salamander." Gajeel said, leaning against a nearby wall. "You'll get your chance to kick Laxus' ass soon enough."
"Alright, I'm ready to go." Erza announced, as she stood in front of the guild's front door. "Are you ready Lucy?"
"Yeah, I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Lucy replied with a hint of nervousness in her voice, walking up next to Erza. "Let's just get this over with."
"You'll be fine out there Lucy." Erza said with a small smile, as she placed a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder. "You're much stronger than you think."
"Thanks Erza." Lucy said, a slight blush spreading across her face.
"Okay, when we're out there Lucy I'll track down Evergreen and take her out. Once she's dealt with all the other girls will be saved." Erza explained, as she equipped her normal armor. "You should try to find Bickslow and fight him."
"What about Freed?" Lucy asked, quirking an eyebrow. "If we defeat him we can take this barrier down."
"You're not wrong Lucy, but Freed is definitely the strongest member of the Raijinshū." Erza said, as her eyes narrowed slightly. "He could even give me a tough time. So you should avoid him if you can. Once Levy is saved she can break Freed's barrier."
"I understand." Lucy said, nodding her head in agreement. "I take out Bickslow."
"You two stay safe out there, and watch out for Freed's traps." Natsu said, as he walked up to both girls. "And most importantly..." A toothy grin spread across Natsu's face. "Kick some ass."
"Well of course." Erza said with a smirk, resting her hands on her hips.
"We wouldn't be your mates if we couldn't handle ourselves." Lucy said with a grin of her own, as she twirled her gate keys around her index finger.
"You better get moving girls." Makarov said, walking up with his hands clasped behind his back. "We're running out of time."
"Yes master!" Lucy and Erza exclaimed simultaneously, before they both dashed out of the guild hall.
"Let's hope they can complete their objectives in time." Makarov muttered, releasing a light sigh.
"Are you sure about this Salamander?" Gajeel asked, as he sat down next to Natsu. "Letting your mates go out there and fight by themselves."
"Of course I'm worried about them..." Natsu said, tightly balling his fists. After a few moments Natsu unclenched his fists and a smile spread across his face. "But I know that Luce and Erza are very strong...they'll get the job done."
(Five Minutes Later: Streets of Magnolia)
"Where is she hiding?" Erza said to herself, as she sprinted through a street full of people and stalls selling various goods. "Evergreen has to be around here somewhere."
"Erza-chan, what's up?" A stall owner asked, watching as the scarlet-haired knight sprinted past his cart. "Why are you in such a rush?"
"And it seems like a bunch of your guild mates have been fighting all over town." The stall owner's wife said, as she placed her hands on her hips.
"I must apologize, we're preparing for the Fantasia parade." Erza replied, turning to smile at the stall owner. "Please look forward to the big event!"
"Of course we will!" The stall owner called out, as he waved to Erza.
"I know she's around here somewhere." Erza said, her nose wrinkling as she took a moment to sniff the air. "I can smell her cheap perfume." As Erza rounded a sharp corner, her ears perked as she heard something rapidly approaching from behind her. Diving to the right, Erza saw that several spears of light impaled into the ground where she had previously been standing. Looking upwards, Erza wasn't surprised to see Evergreen standing on a nearby rooftop. "There she is."
"How dare you call my perfume cheap." Evergreen growled, as her brow twitched in irritation.
"That's what you're worried about?" Erza asked, getting back onto her feet and dusting herself off.
"No, I'm more concerned about how you managed to de-petrify yourself." Evergreen said, as she unfolded one of her fans. "And I was also wondering who it was who almost destroyed Freed's barrier." The only response Evergreen received from Erza was a fierce glare. Shrugging her shoulders, a smirk spread across Evergreen's face. "Well I guess it doesn't really matter. This makes things much more interesting."
"Enough of your childish games Evergreen." Erza said, sliding into a fighting stance. "Free all the girls back at the guild, or I'm going to have to hurt you."
"You know, you've always irritated me...calling yourself Titania." Evergreen said, as her eyes narrowed menacingly. "I am the only queen of the fairies!"
"*Sigh* Fine, I guess you leave me no choice then." Erza said, equipping two swords into her hands. Before Erza could attack Evergreen, the scarlet-haired knight watched as the female member of the Raijinshū leaped into the air, doing several spins and spreading a power-like substance. "What is this...dust?" The scarlet-haired knight's eyes widened when she saw a devious smirk spread across Evergreen's face.
"Fairy Bomb: Gremlin!" Evergreen exclaimed, as she ignited the powder that surrounded Erza, causing a massive fireball. Landing on a water tower, Evergreen admired the explosion she had created. However, Evergreen wasn't surprised when Erza suddenly burst out of the cloud of smoke, completely unscathed. Leaping into the air, Evergreen barely managed to dodge Erza's swords, which sliced clean through the water tower. "Hah! That's Erza for you!"
"It wasn't very bright of you to show up first..." Erza said, leaping across the rooftops as she chased after Evergreen. "If I defeat you I can save all the girls back at the guild!"
"It's quite amusing that you think you can do that." Evergreen said with a smirk, as she raised her glasses, her eyes glowing. "I'll just turn you back to stone!"
"That's not gonna work a second time!" Erza exclaimed, closing her left eye and only leaving her artificial right eye open. Evergreen's eyes widened when she saw that Erza wasn't turning to stone. The self-proclaimed queen of the fairies leaned back and barely managed to dodge a series of slashes from Erza's swords. Landing on a rooftop, Evergreen did several backflips to put some distance between herself and Erza.
"I see now...that's how you managed to escape...I had no idea that you had an artificial eye." Evergreen said, as she came to a stop at the other end of the roof. Forming an 'X' with her arms, the air around Evergreen began to glimmer. "Then I suppose I'll have to use a different kind of magic. Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!" Thousands of needles made from magical energy formed around Evergreen, before firing at Erza. "Let's see if you can dodge my torrent of needles."
"I've been working on enhancing my senses even further with Natsu, so let's give them real test drive!" Erza thought with a smirk, charging into the flurry of needles without a second thought. As the scarlet-haired knight neared the storm of needles, she focused some of her magic into the mate mark on the crook of her neck. For several moments everything around Erza seemed to slow down, as her senses were enhanced even further by the magic flowing through her mate mark. Colors became more vibrant, smells more pronounced, and sounds even louder. The scarlet-haired knight's eyes widened in awe, as she watched the world around her seemingly transform. "Is this what Natsu experiences all the time? Because...this is incredible." As Erza adjusted to her newly enhanced senses, she could now clearly see each individual needle flying at her, and could even hear them tearing through the air. With renewed confidence, Erza raised her swords and began to cut her way through Evergreen's attack. Once Erza had closed the distance, she lunged towards Evergreen. But Evergreen quickly leaped into air, sprouting fairy-like wings from her back and flying away from Erza. "Damn it! This is gonna be a real pain in the ass!"
"HAHA! Too slow, Erza!" Evergreen laughed, as he darted through the sky, still firing a barrage of needles at the scarlet-haired knight.
"Get back here!" Erza exclaimed, chasing after Evergreen and slashing her way through her needles. "Stop running like a coward!"
"I'm impressed that you managed to avoid all my needles. You're actually pretty good." Evergreen said, as she turned her head to look back at Erza, who was quickly gaining ground on her. "However, how well will you do if I double them?"
"This is really starting to piss me off!" Erza thought, watching as the number of needles being fired at her increased drastically. The scarlet-haired knight grunted with each movement, as it became even harder to dodge the needles with every passing second.
"AHAHAHAHAHA! From now on the name Titania belongs to me! I am the one true fairy!" Evergreen laughed boisterously, as she continued to taunt Erza.
"Alright! I've had enough of this stupid game!" Erza roared, reeling back and hurling one of her swords at Evergreen. The scarlet-haired knight's enhanced eyesight allowed her to throw the blade with extreme precision. The sword cut a clear path through the needles and hit Evergreen as she was still flying through the air. Erza's sword caught the fabric of Evergreen's dress, the momentum behind the blade pinning her to a nearby wall.
"I-Impossible! How did you hit me when I was flying so fast!?" Evergreen exclaimed, as she reached to grab the blade holding her in place. However, Evergreen quickly retracted her arm when two more blades impaled into the wall on both sides of her neck. One final sword came flying in and pinned Evergreen's other arm to the wall. Evergreen was shaking in her boots, as Erza placed the tip of her sword against her neck. "P-Please don't hurt me!"
"You may be an intolerable bitch, but you're still a member of Fairy Tail, and I will respect that." Erza said, lowering her blade. "If you want to call yourself Titania go ahead; I don't even know where that name came from. Now, stop this bullshit and return those girls back to normal. If you do I won't have to harm you."
"Oho, aren't you being a little naive?" Evergreen asked, as she mustered up all her remaining courage. "My Stone Eyes have another power, you know...remote control." With sweat pouring of her brow, an evil grin spread across Evergreen's face. "Now yield and prostrate yourself before me! If you do not then everyone of those women will be turned to dust!"
"*Sigh* I guess it's come to this..." Erza muttered, her body becoming engulfed in bright white light. When the light died down, Erza was equipped in her Heaven's Wheel armor, with sword floating in the air all around her. The scarlet-haired knight had a dark look in her eyes, as she glared at Evergreen. "If that's the way you want to do it...I guess winning or losing is more important than your own life. When I kill you, I will avenge the souls of those crumbled maidens."
"W-WAIT! I SURRENDER! YOU WIN!" Evergreen screamed frantically, as her eyes widened in fear. "I'll free those girls! Just please don't kill me!" Evergreen's eyes began to glow for several moments, before they returned to normal. "See?! I just released those girls!"
"Heh...that's good to hear." Erza chuckled, a small smirk spreading across her face. Evergreen was quite confused, as Erza walked up to her. Without warning, Erza's armored fist lashed out and struck Evergreen in the face, knocking her unconscious. "Now that's how you do a real bluff..." Crouching down next to Evergreen, Erza whispered in the woman's ear. "Don't you ever threaten Lucy, or any of my nakama like that ever again, because I will not hold back next time." Standing back up, Erza re-equipped back into her normal armor. Erza breathed a sigh of relief, as she leaned against a wall. "Heheh, I really cut that one close..." Erza held a hand to her pounding head, as her vision began to blur and her hearing became muffled. "I guess my body isn't used to my senses being enhanced like that yet...I guess I need to do some more training."
(Back at Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)
"I hope Erza and Lucy are alright." Happy said quietly, as he sat down next to Natsu.
"They'll be fine buddy." Natsu said with a grin, petting Happy on the head. "I'm sure Erza is finished kicking Evergreen's ass by now. The rest of the girls will be free in no time." As if on cue, Natsu heard the sound of crumbling stone behind him. "Huh, talk about perfect timing."
"That knight ain't so bad after all." Gajeel said with a smirk, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "She really did it."
"Of course she did. You should never doubt Erza. When she says she's gonna do something, she's gonna do it." Natsu explained, walking onto the stage just as all the girls returned to normal.
"Ugh, what's going on?" Mirajane asked, as she clutched her head. "What happened to me?"
"What has Juvia been doing?" Juvia muttered, slowly walking up next to Mirajane. "Everything just went dark all of a sudden."
"I'm so glad both of you are okay!" Natsu exclaimed, as he pulled both Mirajane and Juvia in for a tight hug. "I was really worried about you guys!"
"N-Natsu!" Juvia and Mirajane stammered simultaneously, both their faces burning bright red.
"Oi, don't leave me out." Cana said with a sly smirk, as she sauntered over. "Where's my hug."
"Shit, sorry about that Cana." Natsu said, releasing the flustered girls in his arms and hugging Cana. "I'm happy that you're okay as well."
"Mmm, I'm glad to be held in your big, strong arms." Cana teased, as she wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck. "You always pull through for us, right dragon boy?"
"Cana..." Natsu thought, a frown spreading across his face, as he held the brunette card mage a little tighter.. "She's shaking right now...she acts tough and confident all the time, but she must have been really scared...When I have the chance I'll try to have a talk with her..."
"Ow, my head is killing me." Levy said to herself, as she rubbed her temples.
"Oi shrimp..." Gajeel said, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked onto the stage. "You need me to get you anything?"
"Huh?" Levy said, as she quirked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"W-Well you know...y-you said your head was hurting..." Gajeel stuttered, rubbing the back of his head as his cheeks tinted pink. "And I still feel like I need to apologize for what I did to you and your friends."
"It's fine Gajeel." Levy said, as she smiled at the iron dragon slayer. "You already apologized to me and I'm not mad at you. Natsu explained everything to me, you were just following orders when you attacked our guild. I know now that you're not really a bad guy, you just got caught up with the wrong crowd, kinda like Juvia did."
"O-Okay then...I'm glad you don't resent me for hurting you." Gajeel said, before turning his back to Levy and walking off the stage. "Well if need anything just holler."
"I will." Levy said, as she watched Gajeel walk away. "What a strange guy..." As Levy continued to gaze at Gajeel, a small smile spread across her face. "Natsu was right...he really can be a nice guy when he wants to be...and he is trying his hardest to make up for hurting us...although he is a little awkward." '
"Great work Erza." Makarov thought with a grin, as he watched up the latest progress update. "The hostages have now been freed. Laxus has lost his bargaining chips!"
(Same Time: Kardia Cathedral)
"Damn you bastards!" Laxus growled, slamming his fist into a table and completely destroying it. "Why the hell did Ever get herself taken out by Erza!? Damn it Ever, when did you get so weak!?"
"Erza was simply too strong of an opponent." A calm voice said from behind Laxus. The leader of the Raijinshū instantly recognized the voice as Freed's. "You should have sent Bickslow or myself."
"What the hell are you doing back here, Freed?" Laxus asked, as he tightly balled his fists.
"Well...the game is over." Freed explained reluctantly, lowering his head. "With the hostage freed, master will not give in now." Freed was expecting Laxus to be upset, but he wasn't prepared for the powerful bolt of lightning that soared right passed his head. Raising his arms, Freed shielded himself from the shower of debris. "L-Laxus?"
"It's not over yet." Laxus said in a low tone, as he glared at Freed. "If you want to pussy out now, go on ahead. I don't need weaklings like that in my Fairy Tail."
(Five Minutes Later: Fairy Tail Guild Hall)
"Damn that Laxus..." Cana said, taking a sip of her beer just as Natsu and Makarov finished explaining the situation. "I can't believe he went and pulled a stupid stunt like this."
"Well either way, it's all over now." Makarov said with a smile, as he nodded his head. "With you girls de-petrified, Laxus can't possibly keep this silly game going on any longer."
"Still...what about everyone who was caught in Freed's traps and got hurt...and Lucy is still out there trying to track down Bickslow?" Mirajane said in a worried tone, stealing a quick glance at Natsu. The dual dragon slayer visibly looked calm, but Mirajane could tell that he was getting very anxious.
"That's right!" Bisca exclaimed, her voice laced with animosity. "That bastard Laxus better receive get some type of punishment for this! I won't tolerate it if he gets off Scott free!"
"Oh don't you worry." Makarov said, steam practically blowing out his ears. "I've give him a proper whooping later!"
"Hold on a second jii-chan." Natsu said, as he held up his hand to stop Makarov. "If anyone is gonna kick Laxus' ass, it's gonna be me. I've told you this before, but I've got some serious beef with Laxus. I need to pay him back for insulting Lucy, Erza, Mira, and Cana." This sudden declaration caused both Mirajane and Cana's cheeks to tint pink. "Plus I need to prove to that bastard once and for all that I'm the strongest lighting dragon slayer, and that his lacrima dragon slayer magic can't compare to the real thing." A large smirk spread across Natsu's face, as he punched his sparking fists together. "Besides, I've been cooped up in the guild during this entire battle! I'm ready to punch something!"
"Heh, if you really want to, I wouldn't mind going a couple rounds with you." Cana said with a grin, pulling out a stack of her tarot cards. "What do you say Natsu?"
"Please don't encourage him Cana." Bisca said with a light sigh, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "We don't need you two trashing the guild after we just fixed it."
"Aw, you're no fun Bisca!" Natsu whined, sitting down at the bar next to Cana. "I just wanna have some fun!"
"Yeah, let the guy have some fun!" Cana chimed in with a grin, as she wrapped her arm around Natsu's neck.
"God, I can't believe I thought he had actually matured..." Bisca muttered, slowly shaking her head. "What do Erza and Lucy see in him?"
With the girls in the guild no longer in immediate danger, the mood had lightened considerably. Cana and Natsu chatted with Mira at the bar, as the white-haired barmaid prepared some drinks for them. Levy and Bisca soon sat down at the bar as well, the green-haired cowgirl quickly getting into a small argument with Cana, which Levy tried her best to defuse. Gajeel was leaning on a railing on the other side of the room, watching the scene from afar. The iron dragon slayer had a frown on his face, as he continued to observe the antics happening in front of him.
"What's wrong, Gajeel-kun?" Juvia asked, as she walked up next to the iron dragon slayer. "You look kinda down."
"It's nothing..." Gajeel replied, watching as Natsu talked and joked with everyone seated at the bar. A hint of sadness could be seen in Gajeel's eyes when he saw Levy smiling and laughing with everyone else. "I wish I could be like that with them...but except for Salamander no one really trusts me yet."
"This guild is quite fun, isn't it?" Juvia asked with a small smile, as leaned on the railing next to Gajeel, her eyes drifting towards Natsu. "We've made so many new friends."
"Yeah...things sure are different here." Gajeel muttered, resting his head on his fist. "But everyone in this guild is fucking crazy."
"Well, that's what makes this place so exciting." Juvia said, as a slight blush spread across her face. "Everyone here is so nice to Juvia, and Juvia can be close to the ones Juvia loves."
"Heh...I guess you're right." Gajeel said with a smirk, noticing that Juvia was staring directly at Natsu, a soft smile on her face. The iron dragon slayer pushed Juvia's hat further down and ruffled her head. "If you want to make a move on Salamander you better act quickly, because he seems to be pretty popular with the ladies."
"W-W-What are you talking about!?" Juvia exclaimed with a raging blush, as steam literally shot out of her ears. "Natsu is just-" But when Juvia went to pull her hat back up, she saw that Gajeel was already walking away. Tightly balling her fists, Juvia's face turned an even darker shade of red. "Gajeel-kun, you idiot!"
"Gehe!" Gajeel laughed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "If that blonde chick and the knight are any indication, Salamander will take good care of Juvia and keep her safe. Good, that girl has been through a lot, and she deserves a man who loves her and treats her right."
"Another round Mira!" Natsu cheered, as he downed a flaming shot in one go.
"You should probably go easy Natsu." Mirajane said with a small smile, pouring Natsu a fresh drink and lighting the rim of the shot glass on fire. "I don't think things are quite over yet, and the last think we need is you getting drunk and doing something stupid."
"Come on Mira, there's a festival going on in town! And I want to celebrate you all you girls being freed!" Natsu exclaimed with a grin, as he grabbed the shot glass. However, before Natsu could finish drink, noticed Mirajane giving him a look that said she was dead serious. Knowing that it wasn't smart to piss Mirajane off, Natsu sighed and gave in. "Alright Mira, you win. This will be my last drink."
"Thank you Natsu." Mirajane said with a sweet smile, starting to wipe down the bar. "So Natsu what are you-" Mirajane stopped when she noticed the barrier on the front door acting strange. "Huh? What's going on over there?" Everyone in the guild gasped when a skull, with a lightning bolt running through it, and crossbones appeared on the barrier and began to spread across the guild hall.
"What's going on?" Levy asked, as she watched the skulls cover entire guild hall. "The enchantment displays are flooding everywhere!"
"Can ya hear me old man?" Laxus' disembodied voice echoed throughout the guild hall. "And everyone still in the guild too...it looks like we've lost one of our rules, so I'll impose a new one to keep this battle of Fairy Tail moving along. I've moved ahead and activated the Thunder Palace."
"Thunder Palace!?" Makarov parroted, as his eyes widened in shock.
"No...he can't mean..." Natsu thought, tightly balling his fists in anger.
"There's only one hour and ten minutes left...do you weaklings think you can defeat us? Or will you play nice and retire, 'master?' Moments later Laxus let out an evil laugh and the chanted display disappeared.
"What the hell are you thinking Laxus?! Are you trying to bring innocent citizens into this!?" Makarov roared in fury, as he released a massive amount of magical energy. "GAH!" However, before Makarov could do anything, he gasped in pain and grasped a hand over his heart. Groaning in agony, Fairy Tail's master collapsed to the ground.
"Jii-chan!" Natsu exclaimed, rushing over to Makarov's side. "What's wrong!?"
"This is really bad!" Mirajane said in a panic, as she kneeled down next to Makarov. "Master needs his medicine fast!"
"Damn it, of all times for this to happen..." Bisca said, doing her best to sooth Makarov's pain.
"Master..." Levy said in a worried tone, as she clasped her hands together. "Please get a hold of yourself."
"Everyone...it's awful!" Mirajane announced, pointing towards guild's balcony. "Please look outside!" Leaving Mirajane to help Makarov, everyone else rushed out to the balcony to see what was going on. When the Fairy Tail mages got outside, they were shocked to see dozens of large, sparking orbs floating in the air, completely encircling Magnolia.
"That bastard...he wasn't joking..." Natsu thought, as a low growl rumbled in his throat. "Does he really intend to hurt innocent people?"
"Those are...thunder lacrima..." Levy muttered, shielding her eyes as she observed the hovering lacrima.
"Why are things like that...floating over the town?" Cana asked, as she stared up at the lacrima in a mixture of awe and worry.
"Every one of those lacrima is charged with an enormous amount of lighting magic..." Levy explained, leaning against the balcony's railing.
"What happens if those things discharged?" Juvia asked with a hint of worry in her voice.
"The entire town would be engulfed by a storm of lightning strikes." Cana explained, as tightly balled her fists and glared at the lacrima.
"Well I'm not going to let that happen! Sniper Rifle: Ex-equip!" Bisca exclaimed, materializing a rifle into her hands and taking aim at one of the lacrima. "I'll take those things out one by one!"
"NO BISCA!" Natsu roared, diving forward and forcing Bisca's rifle lower just as she fired, causing her shot to miss the lacrima.
"What the hell Natsu?!" Bisca asked in an angry tone, as she glared at the dual dragon slayer. "I had a clear shot!"
"Those lacrima are using Organic Link magic." Natsu explained, causing everyone's eyes to widen. "Any damage done to those lacrima is bounced back at the attacker, which means you'll just end up attacking yourself." Coating his hands in blue flames, Natsu took aim at one of the lacrima. "Watch." Natsu hurled a ball of fire at the lacrima, destroying the ball of crystal. Moments later the crack of thunder echoed out, before Natsu was hit by a bolt of lightning. The dual dragon slayer grit his teeth as the electricity coursed through his body. When the lightning died down, Natsu leaned against the balcony's railing, panting slightly.
"Natsu!" Juvia exclaimed in a concerned tone, as she placed a comforting hand on the pink-haired dragon slayer's shoulder. "Are you okay?!"
"Yeah...Yeah, I'm fine Juvia." Natsu said with a weak grin, doing his best to reassure the blue-haired water mage. "I just need a minute."
"O-Okay..." Juvia said, as she released a sigh of relief. "If you need anything just let Juvia know."
"Oi Salamander..." Gajeel said, walking up next to Natsu. "If those things are using lightning magic, can't you just take them all out or eat their magic?"
"If this was normal lightning magic then maybe, but it would take a long time..." Natsu said, as he glared up at the floating lacrima crystals. "But those lacrima are charged with lightning dragon slayer magic, not regular lightning magic." When Gajeel heard this his eyes widened slightly. "Sure I would take less damage because I'm a lighting dragon slayer, but it still hurts me and with that many lacrima they would eventually wear me down."
"Okay, so destroying them all is out of the question..." Gajeel said, rubbing his chin. "Then can't you just eat all the magic powering those lacrima."
"Sure, but it would take a long time, and time is something we don't really have right now." Natsu replied, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You see if I eat too much fire or lightning I'll start to get sick...and if I keep eating after that...something really bad will happen."
"Something bad?" Gajeel repeated, quirking an eyebrow in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Igneel and Valinor warned me that if I ingest way too much fire or lighting...my magical containers could burst..." Natsu explained, which caused Gajeel's eyes to widen in shock.
"So you mean-"
"Yep..." Natsu said, as he pushed off the balcony's railing. "My magical containers could explode and kill me if I push them too far past their limits."
"Jesus..." Gajeel muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "That really heavy stuff Salamander."
"It doesn't really bother me." Natsu said, as he shrugged his shoulders. "I just have to be careful and try not eat too much magic."
"If you two are done chatting we need to get moving." Cana said, walking in between both dragon slayers. "If we don't hurry everyone in town will be in danger."
"Well I guess we've got no other choice, then to take Laxus out!" Natsu cheered with a grin, as he punched his electrified fists together. "I'm starting to get fired up!"
"I'll try evacuate as many people as I can! There's still members of the Raijinshū left, so everyone be careful!" Bisca said, slinging her rifle onto her back and exiting the balcony.
"Come on Juvia!" Cana said, as she grabbed the water mage's hand. "Let's try to track Laxus down! We can warn any citizens on out way."
"A-Alright!" Juvia managed to say, allowing Cana to pull her along.
(Same Time: Kardia Cathedral)
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Laxus laughed boisterously, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "How's that old man!? The people in this town...they're my new hostages!"
"You would go this far?" Freed asked, slightly taken aback by Laxus' actions.
"This far..." Laxus parroted, as electricity sparked off his body. "I decide my own limits." Tightly balling his fists, Laxus turned to glare at Freed. "This is a battle! It's not over until one side is completely obliterated!"
(Back at Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)
"I'm glad that you're all pumped up Salamander..." Gajeel said, as he released a light sigh. "But you and I are still stuck in this damn building. We can't do shit until we get out of here."
"Damn it...you're right..." Natsu said in a disappointed tone, extinguishing the electricity from his hands. "MAN! I was really looking forward to kicking Laxus' ass!"
"I would get too disappointed, Natsu." Levy said with a smile, as she walked up to Natsu and Gajeel. "The barrier is an enchantment, right? That's a form of written magic...I'm pretty sure I can something about it."
"That's right, Luce mentioned that you might be able to help!" Natsu exclaimed, his eyes lighting up in excitement. "That's totally awesome Levy!"
"T-Thank you..." Levy said in a slightly embarrassed tone, as a faint blush spread across her face. "Well...I...I believe the two of you have what it takes to beat Laxus!"
"Of course..." Gajeel said with a wicked smirk, cracking his knuckles. "I do have a bone to pick with that bastard."
"Well let's get back inside..." Levy said, as she exited the balcony. "I've got a lot of work to do."
(Five Minutes Later)
"Hmmm..." Levy hummed, quickly scanning through the pages of a book. The Solid Script mage had tied her hair back into a ponytail and now wore a pair of reading glasses. "I see...I have to break down the rogue characters' arrangement data into basic character material...identify the base characters used in rule construction...L, O, S, U...now, if I map those into basic guile grammar..."
"You're really incredible, ya know..." Gajeel said in awe, as he crouched down next to Levy, watching her flip through an entire book in moments and write down formulas. "I can't understand a damn word coming out of your mouth."
"NO!" Levy suddenly exclaimed, surprising Gajeel so much that he fell onto his ass. "The 'L' and 'S' are a bluff! The keycode is 'ALS!"
"G-Gotcha..." Gajeel muttered, as he sat upright. The iron dragon slayer looked away from Levy, a light blush dusting across his face. "Damn, she really is something."
"Don't worry guys..." Levy said, brushing some hair behind her ear as she continued to scribble down formulas. "I'll get you two out of here in no time."
"Look shrimp...I just want to say..." Gajeel struggled say, as he scratched his cheek. "I just wanted to say...*Sigh* damn it...I just-"
"Please..." Levy said, turning head to look at Gajeel, a small smile on her face. "We can talk later once all of this over...but for now you must stop Laxus."
"Alright..." Gajeel said, as a smirk spread across his face. "Then you better get us out of here, so that we can clobber that asshole."
"Yeah..." Natsu growled, pressing his head against the invisible barrier, orange electricity sparking off his body. "Hurry up, Levy...I can't wait much longer..."
"You better do as Salamander says..." Gajeel said, as he handed Levy a book that she needed. "Cause he's starting to get really restless."
(Kardia Cathedral: With Laxus and Freed)
"The Thunder Palace..." Freed thought, starting to break out into a cold sweat. "You'd really go that far, Laxus?"
"What the hell are you doing Freed?" Laxus asked in an irritated tone, as he tightly balled his fists. "Bickslow is still out there hunting those faeries, you know...That old man is resting all his hopes on Erza and Natsu...I'll just crush them by myself. Same for Mystogan. So you get out there and take out the rest of those fairy bimbos. And if you come across that blonde chick...make sure to hurt her real bad. I want to see Natsu's face twisted in agony. I don't need any of them in my Fairy Tail, so feel free to kill them."
"KILL THEM!?" Freed exclaimed, his eyes shooting open in shock. "We may be fighting them right now, but they're still members-"
"ARE YOU DEAF!? DID YOU NOT HEAR MY ORDERS?!" Laxus roared, as a massive amount of lightning exploded off his body.
"*Sigh*...we've come this far...I fear that there's no going back now." Freed said with a hint of sadness in his voice, before steeling his resolve. "I will accompany you on this path...even if it leads to hell. I will accomplish my mission." Turning around, Freed began to fade away into a series of characters and letters. "I will be aiming to kill, so don't go getting cold feet."
"Very good, Freed the Dark." Laxus said, as a smirk spread across his face. "It's time to show them your real power."
(Bridge Overlooking the Fantasia Festival Grounds: With Lucy and Happy)
"Hey Happy..." Lucy said, pointing towards several larges orbs floating in the sky overhead. "What are those things."
"Those are..." Happy said, before his eyes widened. "That's the Thunder Palace!"
"Thunder Palace...what's that?" Lucy asked, staring up at the sparking spheres. "They look kind ominous."
"They're lacrima charged with lightning magic and it looks like they're surrounding the town." Happy said, as he spun around to gaze at all the lacrima. "They could cover all of Magnolia in lightning strikes...everyone in town is in danger. We should warn everyone!"
"I don't know about that, Happy." Lucy said, grabbing ahold of Happy's backpack before he could fly off. The blonde celestial spirit mage put the flying cat down and pointed towards the numerous people below them. "It's really busy now because of the festival, so if we aren't careful we could start a panic. It could lead to some unnecessary casualties and might even be as dangerous as those lightning strikes."
"That's true..." Happy muttered, as he rubbed his chin. "Then what should we do?"
"Yeah...
"What should we do..."
"Yeah..."
"Those voices..." Happy thought, quickly whipping around. The blue-flying cat was surprised to see three wooden dolls floating behind Lucy. "Lucy! Look out!" Wings sprouting from his back, Happy rocketed forward and pushed Lucy out of the way just in time. Lucy watched in shock as dozens of beams of energy zipped passed where she had been standing moments before. Without warning, Happy grabbed ahold of the back of Lucy's shirt and pulled her to safety.
"Happy! What the hell is going on!?" Lucy exclaimed, as she watched the wooden dolls begin to chase after them. "This is seriously creeping me out!"
"Those are Bickslow's dolls!" Happy replied, landing on a nearby rooftop.
"Bickslow...he's the one Natsu wanted me to track down." Lucy thought, as her eyes narrowed. "I can't let him down now!"
"Hoho! You're that newbie I've heard so much about!" A maniacal voice called out from behind Lucy. Spinning around, Lucy spotted a tall man, wearing an armored mask, standing atop a spire on a the adjacent rooftop.
"And you must be Bickslow." Lucy said, pulling out her celestial gate keys. "Sorry, but Natsu and Erza entrusted me to take you down. So, I'm gonna have to kick your ass!"
"Oho, what a coincidence..." Bickslow said in an evil tone, as he licked his lips. Lucy felt a shiver run down her spine when she saw Bickslow's eyes briefly glow from underneath his helmet. "Because I just got new orders from the boss...I'm supposed to hurt you real bad girly...something about making Natsu suffer..." Lucy's eyes widened in a mixture of fear and anger. "So what do you say girly..." Lucy's grip on her keys tightened, as she watched Bickslow's dolls circle around him. "Are you gonna show me a good time?"
And done! BWHAHAHAHA! Evil cliffhanger! I felt this was good stopping point and will build hype for the next chapter. Well next chapter will pick up right where this one left off, and will have the Lucy and Loke vs. Bickslow fight. Now, so I don't confuse any of you, all of Natsu's mates will receive enhanced senses. But what Erza did was push her senses even further by pumping magic into her mate mark, this put her senses on the same level of a dragon slayer's for a brief time. So, while she normally has senses more powerful than a normal human's, but she can push them even further. However, right now her body can't handle the strain of the rapid increase of her senses. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (COME ON! LET'S PASS 1,000 REVIEWS WITH THIS CHAPTER!), PM me ideas you have for any of my stories, and check out my profile and other stories if you haven't already. I'll have one more chapter of this fic out before I start to update my Akame ga Kill fic. So until next time, I'm outta here!