A/N: Here's chapter forty-four! It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry I've taken so long, I've been working on Power Struggle and New Prince, New Problems, and life, so you know, I haven't had a whole ton of time to write this…but, inspiration strikes in funny places! I hope you like this chapter! Also, if it seems kind of chunky, I apologize, I wrote half of it a long while ago, and the other half now, so yeah. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but I do own my OCs.
Erza rushed down the streets, dodging around the crowds of people as she pushed through any sort of tiredness that tried to overtake her.
"Hey Erza, what's up with that costume?" One man called.
"And what about all those fights breaking out in the streets?" Another asked.
"Some sort of show for the Festival?"
"It's all preparation for the parade!" She lied, not bothering to stop or slow down to acknowledge them.
"Those are some weird preparations…"
"Expect the best Fantasia parade we've ever had tonight!" She called out.
"We will!" He waved.
"Just as long as there's less fighting!"
Erza kept running along, that is, until spears started raining down on her. Her pace broken, she jumped out of the way, her gaze locking onto the one responsible for using them, who was perched on a water tower above. "I thought you'd still be stone." Evergreen called out, standing up tall, "How did you manage to escape that? Well," She answered her own question, "Really I don't care. Hardly matters. I still get to have fun with you."
"If you think the Thunder Legion is going to get away with all this, you're sorely mistaken. You'll be lucky to even set foot inside the guild again after this." Erza called back.
"You think I care?" She asked with extreme frustration, "Laxus is actually right, the guild is nothing more than useless bums, waddling around and collecting pocket change for pulling people's cats out of trees!"
Erza's eyes narrowed, "And suppose your idol was guild master then." She asked, "How many funerals would he be responsible for?"
She smiled and fanned herself, "That's an interesting question. No one would die." As Erza's confusion grew, she continued, "Because Laxus would ensure any weakling in the guild who was in danger of getting killed would be kicked out before they could even risk a mistake."
"That's nothing more than a recipe for a dark guild. Fairy Tail would never stoop so low."
"Ugh." She rolled her eyes, "I despise how you prance around and recite the laws and rights of Fairy Tail like their mascot. It's because you're Titania, isn't it? The Queen of the Fairies? You? Ugh, thinking about it makes me feel sickly. After all, I'm the greatest fairy of them all!" She held her hands up and leapt off the side of the water tower she was on, glitter falling down from the sky.
Sand? Erza's chocolate eyes watched the glitter fall and instinctively dove out of the way, just in the nick of time.
"Fairy Bomb, Gremlin!" She cried out as the glitter exploded, latching onto the ladder to the side of the tower as she searched the area to look for Erza's body.
After getting blown aside by some of the combustion, Erza drew a sword in a heartbeat, leaping up in the air and slicing the water tower into three segments, knocking them all to the ground. Evergreen landed as well, her eyes wide as she narrowly escaped getting sliced in half.
"I didn't expect that from you, Erza." She admitted as Erza landed across from her.
"After I take you down, everyone will go back to normal. You think I'd give up on the guild like that? I'm not like you four."
"You think we gave up?" She asked, "Oh, oh no, you've been mistaken. We're doing the opposite. We care so deeply, we're changing it. To make us stronger."
"I won't have any of these lies!" Erza cried out, starting to run forward.
Evergreen removed her glasses and smiled. Erza skidded back and closed her left eye, "That won't work!" Erza rushed forward to slice into her.
Evergreen's eyes were wide as she dove out of the way. "Ah, I see….I had forgotten about that eye you lost in the Tower of Heaven." She landed on top of building, "The little cyclops runt thinks she can take her weakness and use it against me? Well, what about this?" She launched her hands out, beams of lights shooting out at Erza, "Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!"
Erza's eyes were wide, put she pushed through the bullets, dodging each one. Occasionally her clothes would get nicked by a light beam, but she remained unscathed as she ran forward.
Evergreen laughed, "Come now, I have infinite light beams, you think you can dodge all of them?"
Erza held her blade up and used it to reflect some of the beams as she dashed forward, close enough to cause Evergreen to jump back onto the roof of another building. And another once Erza caught up. And another. They hopped across dozens of buildings before Evergreen skidded back and doubled the amount of beams she was launching, "You've impressed me so far, Erza, but can you take double the amount?"
Erza skidded back, getting hit by dozens of them as Evergreen laughed and laughed. "Therefore, the name Titania belongs to me! I am the perfect fairy, after all!"
Erza's stockings and boots disappeared, instead she held two more blades with her feet. Giving a fierce battle cry, she flew in the air as graceful as ever, slicing the light bullets in half. Gradually getting closer and closer to Evergreen, she released her grips on the blades with her feet, the two swords flew forward and pinned Evergreen to the wall by the shoulders of her dress.
"I don't like you, Evergreen." Erza said as she walked forward slowly. Evergreen shuddered, her back pressed flush against the wall as she shuddered in fear. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're a Fairy Tail mage. You're family." She said, then she looked away, "Take the name Titania, if you'd like. I don't even know where I got it in the first place." She said, before turning back and walking closer, "Now stop this foolishness and turn those girls back to normal."
Evergreen gave a dark laugh, "Aren't you confident?" She said, "My stone eyes have another purpose, you know…the power of remote control….so, grovel before me, unless you want me to turn those girls to dust right this moment!" She demanded fiercely.
Erza looked away, then she requipped into her Heaven's Wheel armor, hundreds of swords in the air, "Now I see." Erza said, "You value victory over your life? I can respect that."
Evergreen's eyes widened as she trembled, "Uh….."
"I suppose I'm not left with a choice…" She said, "I'll purify the lives of the girls you're turning to sand by taking your life."
Evergreen started to sweat, then sweat more, and more. Erza reached forward and punched her in the face lightly, "If you're going to lie, make it believable."
"I admit defeat…" Evergreen whimpered.
The four remaining wizards in the guild turned their attention to the girls on stage as they broke free. They all paused and looked down at themselves, just as shocked as the others were.
"Ha, ha! You're back Ant!" Natsu cheered.
"What are you talking about?" The Emerald Knight asked, but his voice was muffled as Happy crashed into him and gave him a hug.
"Well done, Erza." Makarov smiled, "Now everyone's freed…so…what is Laxus's next move?"
"Damn it!" Laxus raged, punching a hole in the nearest pillar in the cathedral, "How could Evergreen be defeated by the likes of Erza! How the hell could you be so weak, Ever?"
"She was much too strong for her." Freed reported coolly, "It was obvious that Bickslow or I should have fought her."
"Why did you come back, Freed?"
"Because the game is over. With the hostages freed, they'll have no reason to continue playing the game anymore."
Laxus growled and turned around, firing off a vicious array of lightning, it barely missed Freed, as he was using it to make a point more than anything else.
"Laxus…?" Freed swallowed hard, for once vulnerability showed in his voice.
"It isn't over!" Laxus growled, "If you aren't going to follow my lead, then my Fairy Tail doesn't need you!"
"The Battle of Fairy Tail?" The Emerald Knight asked.
"Jeez, I knew Laxus was fucked up, but I didn't think he was that nuts." Cana sat back and took a swig of her drink.
"I'm not too worried about it anymore." Makarov said, "With you all freed, I have no interest in playing Laxus's deranged little game anymore!"
"Why now of all times?" Mirajane whimpered, tears lined her eyes. "How can he be this heartless….?"
Bisca on the other hand, was furious, "If we don't teach Laxus a lesson now, it'll set a rotten example of who we are! We have to kick his ass to set him back in place!"
"Don't worry about that, I plan on giving Laxus an punishment scarier than his worst nightmares when this is all said and done." Makarov said, "Damn it Laxus, I can't believe you thought you would get away with this!"
"Wait a second, guys." Natsu held a hand up, "I agree that it was wrong for him to pit all our friends against each other, but I can't help but want to go along with Laxus's plan of figuring out who's the strongest in Fairy Tail…"
"Natsu…" Levy said, "That'll give him the wrong idea!"
"But we shouldn't get so mad at him!" Natsu said, light-heartedly as always, "So…" He looked at all the girls and the Emerald Knight with hungry eyes, "I declare the second Battle of Fairy Tail to begin!"
"Don't even say things like that!" Makarov yelled.
"Come on Ant, once I'm done with you, I'll battle all the girls, next!" Natsu held his fists up.
The Emerald Knight backed away, holding his hands up, "Please don't…" He gave a weak smile, "I had no plans of being charred remains tonight…"
"Yeah, Natsu, there's no way in hell I'm gonna beat you. I could drink you under the table, but I don't even want to think about drunk Natsu…" Cana mused.
"Are you kidding, he'd be exactly like regular Natsu." The Emerald Knight smiled, making Cana laugh.
"Natsu, I don't think it's very nice to beat up a bunch of girls…" Happy said.
"A girl, a guy, a friend, an enemy, as long as I can punch them in the face, it'll be all good." Natsu said, "Now where were we Ant?"
Juvia looked up at Gajeel, who was looking away. "Is something wrong?" She asked.
"Nothing." Gajeel grunted.
She gave a small smile, "This guild has much more heart than Phantom Lord, hmm?"
"Sure it a lot crazier, that's for sure." He muttered.
Laxus appeared, once again as a thought projection, and the expression on his face was none too pleased.
Cana's eyes narrowed, "Oh, look who it is….our future guild master, everyone!"
Mirajane bit her lip and held her tears back as much as she could, though it was just about futile, "What do you want, Laxus?" She demanded, her voice hoarse from crying. Her normally sweetened voice was almost unrecognizable.
"Thought I'd give all you losers a visit." Laxus growled, "So…one of the rules were thrown out the window. That's okay, I'll make a new one. The Battle of Fairy Tail will continue. The Thunder Palace will make sure of that."
"What? Thunder Palace?" Makarov snapped.
"You have an hour and ten minutes left to beat me. Or, you can always retire." He smiled, vanishing.
"What are you thinking, Laxus? You intend to involve everyone in town whether they have anything to do with Fairy Tail or not?" He roared, then he flinched, grabbing his chest and falling to his knees.
"Gramps!" Natsu shouted.
"Master…" The Emerald Knight went pale.
Mirajane fell to his side, as well as Levy and Bisca, "I'll go get his medicine." Mirajane said as she stood again and rushed off, wiping her tears away.
"Did he just give his grandpa a heart attack?" Bisca asked, "What an asshole!"
"Don't stress him out, Bisca!" Levy urged, then gently held the Master's arm, "It'll be alright, Master, hang in there!"
"What the hell is the Thunder Palace, anyway?" Natsu wondered.
Mirajane came running downstairs with a jar of medicine, a terribly distressed look on her face, "Everyone, look outside!"
The group of them went outside, at one of higher balconies, they saw hundreds of large yellow bolts filled with lightning surrounding the entire town in a big ring, "What the heck are these things?" Natsu asked.
Levy fumbled to put her glasses on, "They're…lightning lacrima…"
"Are…those things….surrounding the entire town!?" Cana asked, beyond shocked.
"Each lacrima must be packed with lightning magic…" Levy said, taking her glasses off.
"So…the thunder palace must be….." Cana trailed off.
"Does he mean the entire town is the Thunder Palace?" Juvia asked.
"No…" Cana said, "But those things are all aimed at Magnolia…"
"So…" The Emerald Knight said timidly, "They're…bombs…or mines…rather, that are set to detonate…?"
"Yeah, more or less…" Cana said, her eyes narrowed, "Those things go off, they'll release countless strikes of lighting on the town."
"Well, I'll never let that happen!" Bisca said, reequipping a sniper rifle, "Requip, Sniper Rifle!" She called, before locking onto one of the lacrima and firing.
The lacrima lit up, then exploded into dust. The people on the balcony cheered, "Nice aim." Cana pat her shoulder.
"I'll wipe the rest of 'em out too." Bisca said, "Laxus thinks he can—" Her body lit up with electricity as she let out a piercing scream and fell to the ground with a thud, charred and unconscious.
"Bisca!" Cana gasped, "Wake up!"
"She…she fainted…" The Emerald Knight said, "Does…does that mean the rest of them can do that?"
"They must be using Body Link Magic…" Cana said.
"Body Link Magic…?"
"If you attack them, they hit back, with the same amount of power you used on it." Cana said.
The Emerald Knight frowned and looked forward, "Then we can't let it end here. If we do, then I don't even want to think about what would happen to the people of Magnolia." He grabbed the handle to his lance with a shaky grip, perhaps his grip shook because of fear, or because he was roused, "Come on now! There's only three of them left! We cannot let them silence us!"
Cana nodded with a smile and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, taking his other hand and running off with him.
Natsu watched the couple run off, with Juvia following not too far behind, "Damn it…what the hell does that jerk think he's doing!" He tried to run off the roof, crashing into the barrier, "He's taking this too far! If he wants to be guild master, he should just fight gramps for it!"
Levy grit her teeth, "Natsu, you need to calm down or you're going to hurt yourself!"
"Who can be calm at a time like this?" He said, once again, bashing his head into the force field, "Damn this stupid invisible wall!"
"Forget the wall and come up here." She demanded. Once he did, she gave a confident smile, "It's just an enchantment right? That's a type of magic I can work with!"
Natsu and Gajeel blinked in surprise, "Really?" They both asked.
"I think so." She said firmly, "I really have to try, because I know if I succeed, you two will be able to stop Laxus."
The three of them regrouped in the guild and began to come up with a way to break the Enchantment. Or, rather, Levy was doing the research, while Natsu and Gajeel merely stared on occasionally.
She leaned over a book on her hands and knees, stacks of books here and there. She adjusted her glasses as she flipped through pages and scribbled things down, "If we analyze the array of rogue letters as textual material…and then pick out the ones that are used in the rule architecture…we get L, O, S, and U…then we just have to translate that to Gheel grammar…"
"Wow…" Gajeel said quietly, at her side, "We may both speak English, but I have no idea what the hell you're saying. Gotta say, it's pretty amazing…"
Natsu snickered from where he was standing, "Aw…Gajeel…"
"Shut up!" Gajeel snarled, muttering something under his breath afterwards.
Levy was entirely oblivious, "But wait…no, no, that can't be right…" She sat up, "Wait, L and S are in the Braf group! They key code is X4!"
Gajeel swallowed hard, having no idea what she was talking about, "Uh…uh-huh…yeah, sounds about right…"
She gave a little smirk as she kept scratching stuff down, "Don't worry about this. I'll get you out of here, I promise. Just please…" She sat up and locked eyes with him, "Stop Laxus."
Natsu walked over to the exit, the one that had been blocked for him this entire time now, "Just you wait…Laxus, I'm coming for you…"
Laxus howled with laughter inside the Kardia Cathedral, "What do you think of that old man? Now I have the entire town as a hostage! Ha, ha, ha!"
"I never thought you'd actually go this far…" Freed said quietly.
Laxus scowled back at him, "What do you mean, 'this far'?" He seethed, "Only I decide my limits…" He looked ahead, "This is a fight to the death! Only one side will survive!"
"The Thunder Palace…" Freed mused, "I can't believe we've taken such measures already…"
"What are you still doing here, Freed? Remember? You and Bickslow need to keep going on with all the Fairy hunting. But I'm taking care of Erza. Mystogan too. I want to see the hope leave that old fool's eyes as I take out his two best pawns to use against me!" He chuckled darkly to himself, "You take out Cana and that weird Phantom girl. I have no need for either of them in my Fairy Tail, put them in a grave."
Freed swallowed hard, "Surely…killing them…is going a little too far…we…we're from the same guild—"
"Are you disobeying an order from me?" He snapped.
He sighed, losing all the color in his face, "I suppose I've come too far, haven't I? There's no use going back no." He admitted, "I'll follow you anywhere you'd like to go, even if it were to the depths of hell." He turned away from Laxus, heading out, "I already have blood on my hands, what difference will this battles cause?"
Laxus smirked, "That's more like it, Freed the Dark. Show those fools no mercy!"
"That Thunder Palace is going go off in an hour, what do we do?" Happy panicked.
The Emerald Knight looked ahead, "We just have to eliminate Laxus and his foolish minions before that happens, it's our only option."
"But don't you know how powerful they all are?"
The Emerald Knight nodded. Happy knew these people much better than he did, while he was essentially fighting this people with no prior knowledge to how they fought or what their mannerisms were. He had a new move that he had been working on quite a while, he had known it for months now, but it wouldn't have helped him at all in the Tower of Heaven, so he chose against using it. And it wasn't like the move would put him at much of an advantage in this battle either. He was also worried about Cana and Juvia. In the heat of the moment, they split into pairs, with the two ladies going one way and he and Happy going another. It wasn't their power that he was worried about, he was concerned about how they just made up a few hours ago, and he really didn't want them to fight again, "So…what do we do…?"
"Yeah!" A totem screamed as it floated next to him.
"What do we do?" Another totem said.
"Yeah!" A third said.
"Look out, Ant!" Happy dove at him. He picked him up and took flight, as a green explosion sounded below them, once the smoke cleared, he set the Emerald Knight down.
The Emerald Knight looked around, "What in damnation were those?"
"It's Bickslow!" Happy swallowed hard.
"So, you're the new guy I've been hearing so much about." Bickslow grinned, sticking his tongue out, he was standing on top of a toy store, "You supposed to be a knight or something?"
The Emerald Knight glared at him, seeing his visor, "I should be asking you that. I don't appreciate knaves like you dressing up like us and sullying our name!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Bickslow asked, "You know what, whatever, just get him, babies!"
The Emerald Knight lowered his stance slightly and held his shield out, blocking the laser blasts from the little totems, "When I'm through with you…" He fumed, "You'll be without a guild."
"Yeah right." Bickslow laughed, "By the time this is all over, Laxus will be the new master!"
"Happy, who is this imbecile?"
"He's Bickslow, he uses Seith Magic, meaning he can control those dolls at will." Happy said, "He's part of the Thunder Legion, Laxus's bodyguards."
The Emerald Knight looked up. Because he was freed from stone, Evergreen was already defeated, so if he defeated Bickslow, not only would that reduce their opponents to two people, but he could possibly help in future battles depending on how quickly he ended this one. He then started chuckling. Five dolls. Twelve swords. This fight was as good as over.
"You'll have to forgive me for wrapping this up so quickly with you!" The Emerald Knight raised his lance once there was a lull in their firepower, "Swords of Retribution!" Twelve green swords of plasma formed behind him, seeking and destroying all five totems, popping them almost like fireworks.
"No! My babies!" Bickslow gasped, almost looking as if he were going to cry.
The Emerald Knight smiled, "I suggest you surrender now before I have to use anymore force. Now with you out of the way, I can go defeat those other two, Laxus and his lackey."
"No…my babies!" Bickslow mourned, then a slasher smile appeared on his face, "Just kidding."
"What?" The Emerald Knight asked, but it was cut off as he was shot in the back by five green laser beams. He coughed up blood and rolled in the ground, crashing into the guard wall. He got up slowly, covered in mild wounds, "What…but…but I already…" His eyes widened, seeing five toys flying around in a formation similar to the totems he destroyed.
"You can wreck all the dolls you want, I'll just move their souls into new bodies!" Bickslow stuck his tongue out.
"What…move their…souls…?"
"That's right!" The dolls sang, starting to fly into the Emerald Knight cloaked in a green light. The Emerald Knight was able to block some of them with his shield, but occasionally he would flinch when hit from behind.
"Just below us is a toy shop!" Bickslow said, "For someone like me, that's a never-ending armory of troops!" He laughed, "You know, that shield is kinda making it hard to deal decisive damage on you. Let's get rid of it. Baryon Formation, babies!"
The five dolls spun in a slow circle, gradually increasing speed, until a giant green laser beam fired down at the Emerald Knight.
The Emerald Knight's eyes widened in fear, an attack like that did have the potential to break his shield, and maybe even kill him.
"No!" Happy screamed.
The Emerald Knight dove out of the way, sparring him from the initial blast, but the aftershock send him flying. He bit back blood as he skidded against the ground. He wheezed as he stood up, "Damn it all…" He said. Not only did he vastly underestimate the Thunder Legion, but it looked like he was going to be killed here and now too.
"So…you ready to give up…knight guy?" Bickslow cackled.
The Emerald Knight panted, "I will not lose…not here…"
"Alright, thought I'd give you a chance to surrender, finish him, babies!"
The Emerald Knight looked up in fear as the five dolls flew down at him. He held his lance out at them, prepared to take them out in one attack, "Flare Star!" The tip of his lance glowed with a bright green light, as green fire spewed out and hit all the dolls, gradually burning them until they were unrecognizable.
"Hmm, didn't expect to see a fire attack from ya." Bickslow said, then he just laughed and laughed, "But, how many times do I have to tell you, destroying my babies won't do anything, I'll just get new ones!"
The Emerald Knight cringed as he was shot from behind again, "Happy…" He whispered, "Fly me up to the fool…"
"Aye!" Happy picked him up and flew him up towards Bickslow.
"You'll have to pardon me for knocking you off your pedestal!" The Emerald Knight drew his lance back.
"No, stay back! Babies, get him!" Bickslow said.
"Emerald Hawk!" A cawing sound was heard as the plasma hawk materialized on his lance, since it never left his lance, it was bristling with electrical energy. He slashed Bickslow in the torso, blood splashing out as Bickslow fell back, screaming in pain. The Emerald Knight and Happy landed opposite him.
The Emerald Knight let out a chuckle, "I suppose we're on a level playing field now, knave."
Bickslow spit blood to the side, "Damn it…" He took his visor off, "Guess I'll have to use these…" He sported dark blue hair in a varied array of crests, almost like a Mohawk, as well as a stick-figure like tattoo on his face. His eyes glowed bright green, "Figure eyes!"
"Ant, don't look into his eyes!" Happy said, covering his eyes.
"What?" The Emerald Knight asked, closing his eyes.
"Everyone in the Thunder Legion has an attack that uses their eyes!" Happy said, "Bickslow will control your soul and turn you into a doll if figure eyes hits you!"
"Hmm, well, with all your eyes shut like this, I guess I win." Bickslow chuckled.
The Emerald Knight didn't understand what he meant at first, but then he felt the painful rips of laser fire burning through him. He fell to his knees, completely helpless, "What…what do we do…?"
"I don't know, but if you open your eyes, it's game over!" Happy said.
Bickslow laughed and laughed, with his tongue sticking out, "No one can beat my combination of figure eyes and Seith puppetry!"
The Emerald Knight shivered in pain. If this kept up, he would pass out at the very least. There had to be a way around this combination, or else he'd be letting everyone down.
That's when it hit him. Bickslow wore a visor, and with it, it protected his friends, presumably the rest of the Thunder Legion, from falling victim to figure eyes. The Emerald Knight put a hand on his own helmet, lowering his visor. He smiled, it was always the biggest critique Miranda had given him, that he always forgot to lower his visor before entering battle.
"Shit, he can see again." Bickslow said, "It doesn't matter, fire away, babies!"
There was something else the Emerald Knight noticed, it was even more obvious when Bickslow took his visor off. There was a huge bruise on his jawline, as if a previous opponent punched him there was everything he had. As he held his shield up to block some of the blasts, he ran at Bickslow, holding his lance out, "Flare Star!" He elegantly slashed his lance through the air this time, causing the fire attack to be thinner, yet cover more ground. This effectively destroyed some of the totems while blocking all the immediate firepower.
"Pfft, whatever, I'll just get more babies." Bickslow said.
The Emerald Knight sheathed his lance, holding a fist back, as his gauntlet began to glow bright green, "Gauntlet Hammer!" He punched Bickslow right in the face, the same spot where Gray had hit him. Bickslow gave a high-pitched scream as he fell back, this time his injuries were too much and he didn't get up.
"You did it!" Happy jumped up and down.
The Emerald Knight sighed, dusting himself off, "Well, it was barbaric, but it was still a victory…"
"I don't remember ever seeing that 'Flare Star' attack." Happy said, "Is that new?"
The Emerald Knight nodded. It wouldn't necessarily give him that much of a boost in battle, a fire attack is interesting, but it wouldn't really provide him with that much of an edge against an opponent. But, if Natsu was ever low on strength, if he ever needed help, than this time, unlike that time against Gajeel in the Phantom's giant robot of a guildhall, the time that still haunted him to this very day, he would have a means of giving Natsu strength no matter who their opponent was.
A/N: Can't wait to jump into the next chapter…well, what'd you think? Let me know with a review! Thanks for reading!
