Many thanks to tiffanyblue89717, bonescream, and ultima-owner for leaving a review on the last chapters!

Another World Away

I stared at the otherworldly-looking crystal in my hand with fascination. The magical Lacrima was as big as my fist and had a pale, almost translucent quality to it. As with the Doctor and Laxus earlier, I could feel something radiate from the object, be it in a far weaker form than what I could perceive from the two men. With what I knew now, I came to understand that the 'aura', as I had called it, must be the magic that resided inside objects and people. It was a strange sensation. While I had only felt faint traces of the Doctor's Magic, they had also carried with them subtle emotions or at least the impression of them. Laxus's presence felt like a thunderstorm that followed his every step, seemingly filling the hair with harmless static, highlighting his general bearing. The Lacrima, on the other hand, was different. There were no feelings associated with it, no overwhelming presence that I could visualize in my mind like with Laxus. It simply radiated faint traces of something pure, undiluted —magic in its most natural form outside of its state as Ethernano particles, I assumed. I wondered if it was normal for people of this world to sense magic like this or if I had found something special about me after all. A question for Laxus when we were on the road, I decided.

For now, I deposited the magical Lacrima into the leftmost pouch of my jacket, buttoning it close after. Lifting my arms above my head, I let out a loud yawn while stretching my body in an attempt to get rid of the drowsiness I felt. The air outside was crisp and a little bit chilly but pleasant all the same. A soft breeze blew through the village, treetops swaying gently in the wind. I watched loose leaves dance in the air from my spot next to the clinic's entrance to pass the time.

I had finally been able to use the bathroom in the clinic after my talk with Laxus and the Doctor had concluded. After a much-needed shower, I had gone to work on my hair, styling it into a classical ponytail. I looked rather cute with it if I dare say so myself. The whole procedure had a twinge of normalcy to it, which had managed to ground and relax me, stopping me from overthinking things for now. My visit to the shower had also brought up the issue of clothes. My nightclothes were the only things I owed right now, and they were neither suitable nor appropriate to be worn outdoors. Or anywhere outside of a bedroom, really.

Thankfully for me, the Doctor kept an assortment of secondhand items in the clinic, which had either been donated or forgotten by former patients, including used clothes. I had eagerly picked out a grey belt with some heavy black pants, a pink long sleeve shirt, and a light brown jacket with a fur-lined hood. It had taken a while longer for me to find shoes that reasonably fit my diminutive feet. The pair of sky-blue sneakers clashed with the rest of my garments, but there was nothing I could do about it. It was either them or walking about barefooted, which would not turn out pleasantly for me, I could imagine. All of the items except for the shirt were a bit too big for my thin frame and were not precisely in what I would call pristine condition. But they happened to be clean, free, and as the Doctor had told me, mine to keep. So I really could not complain.

I was now ready to seize the day and deal with anything this crazy world could throw at me! As long as it weren't monsters or evil Mages, at least. Not that I thought myself unlucky enough to be attacked as soon as I stepped out of the village. I could not completely rule it out either, however, since far crazier things had already happened to me over the last few days. Although I needed not worry, as long as Laxus was around me, I had nothing to fear bar someone like Acnologia jumping out of the woodwork. I shivered a little at the idea. For the sake of my own sanity and new pants, I would not even think about that as a possibility. Ever.

My whole body perked up, speaking of, where was Laxus? He had instructed me to wait in front of the clinic for him when I was about to go to the bathroom earlier but had not told me where he would be going in the meantime. Looking around at the sparsely populated village, I determined that it should be relatively easy to find Laxus myself as long as he had not left the settlement for some reason. Decision made I began strolling down the main street towards what seemed like the most bustling area in town. It was an excellent opportunity to break in my shoes before we would begin our journey. I studied the different buildings and citizens I walked past with curiosity but found nothing of much interest. The garments of the people I encountered were looking a bit less modern than I remembered from the series, but that was it. Everything very closely resembled the rural area I had grown up in back in my world, meaning that it looked old-fashioned but not quite archaic. It was a very comfortable and calm place, and I must admit that I probably felt more at home here than I would in Magnolia. Don't get me wrong, though; I was still very excited to experience the hometown of the Fairy Tail Guild for myself. I could not wait to begin my trip with Laxus in earnest and compare the images in my head with the real deal.

A bit of trepidation managed to slip through my good mood at the thought that Laxus would not travel the whole way with me to the Guild, not even to Magnolia itself. I would be alone for the first time since I had awoken in this world, and it was admittedly a little bit scary to think about. The familiarity of Laxus, even if it was one-sided, had helped me immensely to stay calm and collected in my current situation. I didn't look forward to being without it.

Stopping dead in my tracks, I brought both of my hands up and gently but firmly smacked my cheeks with my palms at the negative thought.

Have a bit more self-confidence, yeah? I would manage without Laxus; I had to.

The shaky smile on my face recovered when I remembered that I would still be in the company of the lightning user for almost the whole day anyway before we went our separate ways. Pumping myself up once more for the coming journey, I returned to my search in high spirits.

I arrived in the heart of the village not even two minutes later. The town square consisted of nothing more than a few market stalls set around a small fountain in the center. There weren't any typical walk-in shops present that I was used to, once more reinforcing the village's old-fashioned style. I would not call the place bustling in any way, shape, or form, but there were still about three dozen people mingling around in the marketplace. Walking up to the fountain in the center, I decided to sit down on its edge and let my eyes roam freely. I could see middle-aged women arguing with the vendors, old couples walking around the place without rush, and a few children playing tag. There were market stalls that sold food, bottled beverages, seeds, and other miscellaneous items.

Everything is so ordinary.

No Mages were running around casting magic, there were no obvious otherworldly items on sale, and no pet monsters to gawk at accompanied by their owners. If I did not know any better, I could easily believe that I was still back home in my world; nothing screamed Earthland about this place.

But there was one thing that, at least for now, would always remind me where I really was without fail. As if on cue, my head turned to the faint feeling of static coming from near me. After jumping to my feet, I began following the sensation that easily stood out from the almost whisper-like mix of energy emanating from the civilians in the town square. I walked past a fruit stall and rounded a corner when I noticed him.

Found you! I smiled when I saw the hunched-over back of Laxus, who was in the process of browsing through a stall that seemed to sell all kinds of stuff. He was wearing a brown travel cloak with the hood down, and two plain bags were placed at his feet, one big and one small.

I could see wood carvings, carpets, and every other knick-knack imaginable on offer at the stall. His moving hand paused in the air for a moment when I came to stand next to him, but he did not react otherwise. Dragon Slayers and their enchanted senses, I thought to myself with slight exasperation.

Waiting patiently, I observed Laxus going through all manner of items, studying them with a thoughtful expression before putting them back down. I found myself growing curious about what he was looking for specifically. While all of the items on sale had a certain charm to them, they weren't something I would expect Laxus to be interested in.

But what do I know about his hobbies and interests anyway? He likes rock and roll music as far as I remember, and that's pretty much it. I thought, glancing at the magical headphone that hung around his neck. I still found it ridiculous looking, to be honest. Why exactly had it spikes attached to it of all things? And why were they big enough to poke out someone's eyeballs? That must classify as a safety risk even in this world, right?

My eyebrows rose in surprise when I heard Laxus actually grumble under his breath after he put down another item. His stance straightened when he looked up from the articles, his arms crossing over his chest in a show of annoyance. I could swear that he was almost glaring at the offered items now. Was he getting mad that he had not found something he liked? That felt wrong somehow; maybe I was missing something?

"Are you searching for something in particular, Laxus-san?" I asked, offering my help with a smile. He looked at me out of the corner of his eyes before he seemed to contemplate something, his face set into a neutral expression. A moment later, apparently having come to a decision, he turned to me in full.

"I am looking for something. A gift, I guess you could call it, but I am not sure what to get." My interest was piqued at his admission. He was not looking for something for himself but someone else? Who could that be?

"If you tell me who it is for, then maybe I can help you pick something out, especially if it is for a special someone." I hoped that I wasn't overstepping some boundary with the latest part of my statement, but I was curious nevertheless. The year Laxus had spent at Blue Pegasus in the later parts of the Manga had proven that he could be quite the casanova whom women would flock to if he so wanted. Therefore, the idea wasn't that far-fetched.

Laxus, as I should have anticipated, took it in complete stride and simply shook his head. "Nah, it's for my gramps. I did not think about it before today, which is why I can't come up with anything." The corners of my smile pulled up further at the lovely idea. It was once more something I did not quite expect from Laxus, but it made sense to me after considering the current circumstances. Right now, he had someone who could deliver the present for him - me - which probably made it a lot easier for the spiky blond to go through with it. I was about to tell him how I would gladly help him pick out something for Makarov when I remembered that I was neither supposed to know who his grandfather was nor that he was a member of Fairy Tail. Mulling it over in my mind, I decided that I could still pose as being more perceptive than I actually was. I tilted my head lightly to the side, making it appear as if I was unsure about what I was about to say.

"I guess that your grandfather lives in Magnolia and is a member of Fairy Tail? And that you want me to deliver it for you?" I patted myself imaginarily on the back when Laxus grinned at me in return.

"You catch on quick. Yeah, my Gramps is in Fairy Tail. His name is Makarov, and he is the Master of the Guild." I bit my lip and shifted slightly from side to side, not knowing whether I should ask if Laxus was also a member of the Guild or not. The way this conversation was going would make it a natural question, but I did not want to hurt Laxus in some way if it turned out he wasn't a member at this point. I did not want to bring up painful memories. Noticing my troubled expression and misinterpreting it for something else, Laxus was quick to reassure me with a wave of his hand.

"Don't get the wrong idea; this isn't some requirement for you to join the Guild or anything. I want to get my gramps something and thought it would be good to combine it with your visit to the place. It's not a bribe either." My eyes twinkled in amusement at the statement; I was very sure that you could not bribe a man like Makarov even if you tried, especially not when it was about something important as joining the man's family. I shook my head nevertheless while giving my retort.

"Don't worry, I didn't think it was, and I would be delighted to help you find something. Is it a special occasion, or do you want to get something for your grandfather just because?" Maybe wording it that way instead of asking Laxus directly would help me gather some information. I didn't believe I remembered when Makarov's birthday was supposed to be, so that wouldn't help me, but anything else had potential.

"No, there is no special occasion. I..." Laxus looked slightly uncomfortable as he trailed off, his lips pulled into a thin line, glancing back to the items at the stall with a frown on his face. There were not many events I could think about that would make him react like this. I had no concrete proof, but I was pretty sure this was a Laxus who had not yet joined up with the Guild again. Studying the look on his face, I felt my heart reach out to him. He truly did regret his actions. I knew this from the series already, of course, but seeing it like this was entirely different.

"You do not need to tell me if it is something personal; I will still help as best as I can," I said, taking a step back while raising the palm of my right hand in a show of understanding.

Laxus simply shook his head before regarding me with a subdued smile.

"It's just something incredibly foolish I did a while back. If you really think about joining Fairy Tail, then you will learn about it soon enough anyway, so there is no reason to hide it from you. Wouldn't be right of me." That made a lot of sense, but my eyes still widened a bit at the realization that Laxus would recount what essentially had been his biggest screw-up.

"I had a falling out with my gramps - the Master - did some bad shit that threatened the wellbeing of a lot of people and almost messed up the annual Fantasia parade in Magnolia too. I turned out fine, specifically because of one very persistent hot-headed idiot that does not know when to stop, but I was understandably still kicked out of the Guild afterward."

Although the air had grown heavy around him, I could not help but feel relieved when I noticed that he sported a grin when mentioning Natsu. The pink-haired idiot just had that effect on people.

"I see. Well, I won't judge. You are my personal savior, after all." I told him with a casual shrug. Even if I hadn't known Laxus, I would still have trusted him enough to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I was a tad gullible; however, it did beat being overly cynical and mistrustful any day of the week, in my opinion.

"Now tell me, what does your grandfather like? Does he have a specific hobby, maybe? Or how about we get him a regional specialty of some sort?" Clapping my hands together, I grinned from ear to ear at the chance to help Laxus get a gift for sweet old Makarov. Laxus, obviously amused by my enthusiasm, began to tell me about what he remembered his grandfather might appreciate, and we both started searching for a present in earnest.

Twenty minutes later, and Laxus was the proud owner of a very colorful and very tacky-looking jester cap, and if the way his yellow eyes seemed to shine with satisfaction on his otherwise calm face was anything to go by, then there was no doubt in his mind that we found the perfect present.

"I am sure your grandfather will be very happy about this, Laxus-san. He sounds like an entertaining person to be around." I beamed at him, me being the one that had found the jester cap. I had remembered Makarov's more eccentric personality traits from the Manga and had disguised the suggestion as nothing more than a joke to not rouse Laxus's suspicion. It had worked out wonderfully; he had snatched the cap out of my hand instantly after laying eyes on it, calling for the stall owner that he wanted to buy something in the process.

"I hope he will, thanks, Anna," Laxus said while crouching down. He was rummaging through the smaller travel bag he had carried with him. Nodding to himself after finding what he had been looking for, he put the jester cap inside, closing it afterward. Returning to a standing position again, he swung the bigger one of the travel bags over his shoulder with what seemed like minimal effort - That thing is half my size! - before offering me the smaller one of the bags. I cautiously reached for it, halfway expecting for it to pull me down with its weight but being pleasantly surprised when the bag turned out to be relatively light.

"I got you some essential travel necessities: A cheap magic item for making fire, a pocket knife, some rations and water, a salve for minor injuries, and a waterproof blanket. The Doctor also gave me your nightclothes and a few other garments he did not mind to part with; they are in your bag." I stared at him, surprise written all over my face. He had bought pretty much a whole camping set for me, minus the tent.

"You didn't need to do that; the next town is only a half-day trip away, right? We don't plan to walk to Magnolia, do we?" While I was thankful for the thoughtfulness, I also felt uncomfortable that he had gone out of his way to get me all this stuff for what was essentially an above-average long hiking trip. Laxus, on the other hand, looked at me unimpressed.

"You own nothing except the clothes you wear. You don't have money either. What do you think will happen if something unexpected occurs and we get separated, or if you don't decide to go to Magnolia after all? Now you have at least the bare necessities to not die on me after a day of being on your own." I could only look away sheepishly. He was correct; I should not look a gifted horse in the mouth like this, especially not out of a sense of misplaced modesty.

"You are right, thank you, Laxus-san. I simply feel a bit bad about all the stuff you have done for me already, considering I have no way to pay you back." Because that is what it came down to, I felt indebted to the man and could do nothing to show my gratitude except thank him with empty words.

"You make even helping you bothersome; you know that?" The Thundergod told me with an unconcerned tone before shaking his head.

"Sorry..."

"Don't think too hard about it. While I do get something out of it, like you playing delivery girl for me, it is not why I am helping you in the first place. It's just a lucky coincidence." He patted me on the head as if I was some small child he needed to console. I tolerated it for a moment to humor him before I swatted his hand away. Looking up to him with a pout, I only now truly realized how much he towered over me. Compared to him, I could as well be a child. Well, okay, that was slightly exaggerating our high difference, but still. He was at least one and a half heads taller than me. Combine that with his broad shoulders and muscular build in general, and the difference between us looked even more prominent.

Not that it mattered, the only meaningful difference between us was the ability to use magic. Even if we switched bodies, but Laxus kept his Magical powers, I was sure he would be able to kick my ass from here to next week. My small and delicate body would not inconvenience him much, if at all. While the series had made it clear that physical abilities were important, if two mages of similar caliber clashed, it did not matter if the difference in magical power was night and day.

And 'night and day' does not even come close to describe how far apart we are from each other right now. I am a grain of sand, and he is the universe. And that is probably still exaggerating my worth.

Laxus, unbothered by his hand having been slapped away, walked past me in the direction of the village's edge. He came to a stop a few feet away and looked back at me over his shoulder.

"Are you ready to go? We should be able to reach the train station in Ililum close to nightfall if we leave now."

I patted the left pocket of my jacket to make sure that the Lacrima the Doctor had given me was still securely stashed away and checked over my wardrobe one more time before catching up to Laxus.

"Yeah, I am good. I said goodbye to Doctor Merle before leaving the clinic already so we can depart right away." Laxus nodded in understanding, and we continued towards our destination. His pace was slow enough that it allowed me to keep up with his far larger steps without much problem.

As we walked through the village, I thought back to the Doctor who had helped save my life and wondered if I would ever see him again.

I guess if I manage to make a living for myself in this world, nothing speaks against returning one day. Nodding to myself, I decided to do just that if I had the opportunity. But for now, I looked forward to what the future had in store for me. Magnolia. Fairy Tail. I had no actual plans for any of it, but I figured that I didn't need to overthink it how Lucy had initially. Unlike her, I knew that Fairy Tail had no special or strict requirements to join. If Makarov liked you and thought you would fit right in with his other children, then you were good to go.

On the one hand, it was one of the laxest ways to decide on new guild members, but on the other hand, it was the most unpredictable requirement, and even I had no idea what would make Makarov decide against someone joining. Maybe he would be able to look through my lies about where I came from and determined that I was unfit for Fairy Tail? The old Guild Master was not a mind-reader or anything like that, but he had an apparent affinity for reading people. Pretty much never being wrong when deciding who deserved a second chance and who did not.

Aaannnd I am overthinking it. Damn it.

Thankfully I was brought out of my thoughts when Laxus stopped beside me. We had reached the outskirts of the town, whose welcome sign read Lavender, and Laxus was pointing at the dirt road that led outside the village.

"This is the road everyday travelers and merchants use when moving between here and Ililum. It goes around the mountain and only partially through the nearby forest. It takes a few hours longer than the route we will take but would have been relatively safe for you if you had gone alone."

My eyes followed his finger when he pointed at a difficult-to-spot trail leading into the woods near the road next.

"We will be going that way, directly over the mountain and through the forest. It will save us a drip in the dark." He raised an eyebrow at me, asking for objections to his plan. I had none.

"Sounds good to me! After having spent the last week in a bed, I think my legs can use a good workout anyway." I began to skip towards the trail leading into the woods, ponytail swinging behind me at my energetic movements. Laxus followed after me with long strides. A feeling of excitement rushed through me at the thought of encountering some wildlife or plants native only to this world. Aside from the man behind me and the Lacrima in my pocket, I had not yet discovered anything magical or strange since coming here. Considering that going back home wasn't really an option right now, I wanted to see and experience more of this world that I loved while I was here.

Another World Away

A few hours later and I found myself enthralled by a strange life form for the third time since we had started our track over the mountain. The subject of my fascination at the present moment was a squirrel-like animal with slightly pink fur that was traveling from tree to tree. The unusually colored fur was already strange to look at, but it was, while rare, still something that existed back in my world.

No, what had me beaming in excitement and made me run after the animal was something completely different.

"Laxus-san, look, look, it created a bubble...and now rides on it in the air! And it looks sooo adorable while doing it, too!" Laxus, who followed after me at a relaxed pace, was far less impressed by the creature.

"That's why it is called a Bubble-Squirrel, Anna. You are acting as if you have never seen an animal use magic before."

Oh, Laxus, if only you knew.

This moment right here was the first time I witnessed the use of magic, period. And it was downright fascinating. The world of animals was a crazy place, even back in my world. There were ones that could produce light, mimic the force of a bullet with their punch, grow back limbs, etc.

Looking at the Bubble-Squirrel, as Laxus had called it, completely blew my mind nevertheless. It did not create the bubbles it rode on from its body or some source in the environment. As far as I could discern, it simply clapped its small paw-like appendages together, and a bubble poofed into existence, just like that. As if it were magic.

Also, did I mention that it was able to ride on its creation? Like actually fly around on it as if it was sitting on a flying carpet or something? I was pretty sure that my eyes were downright sparkling at the sight of it.

My gaze didn't leave the little critter as it was floating past me in the direction of Laxus. It lay curled together on its self-made means of transportation until it abruptly shot up, looking alert. Before I was even able to make a sound in surprise, the bubble it was on suddenly burst with a loud pop. My eyes widened in shock, and I tried to catch the loudly squeaking animal before it hit the dirty ground of the hiking trail. Alas, I was too slow, and it landed hard on its side. Thankfully, the adorable creature was back on his paws a few seconds later, its head whipping around in apparent confusion. The Bubble-Squirrel then decided to direct a loud squeak at Laxus before it ran into the depth of the forest. I let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the creature safely vanishing into the underbrush. It didn't seem like it had been injured by the fall.

My gaze settled on Laxus, who was still looking at the spot the animal had vanished into. The bubble had burst right when it was about to pass by him. I frowned slightly at the thought. Laxus would not hurt an innocent animal on purpose, would he? Of course, he wouldn't!

"That was strange. Why did the bubble burst like that? Did something hit it?" I did not want to sound accusing, so I rephrased my childish suspicion into a question directed at him. Laxus turned to me with a shrug.

"My Magic probably conflicted with its own because of the elemental compatibility of the two."

I blinked at him.

"What?"

Laxus walked up to me, his arms crossing over his chest, and we began to continue our journey over the mountain while speaking.

"Right. You don't know the kind of magic I use. I am a Lightning Mage, and a tiny amount of my magic passively circulates around me. It is usually harmless, but it interacted with the water-based magic of the creature in an unfortunate way." I, of course, knew what magic Laxus used, but the way he initially described it had confused me. However, something different he had said made me perk up in interest.

"Wait. So I do not just imagine the 'aura' of static I feel around you? It is really there?!" I thought I was simply visualizing in my mind how Laxus's Magic felt to me. I did not expect it to be there in a physical manner.

"Aura? What do you mean?" Laxus inquired, some amount of confusion evident on his face.

I explained to him how I could sense the magic of him, the Doctor, and the Lacrima and how their 'auras' felt. The lightning Mage was watching me, subtle interest showing in his attentive yellow eyes.

"Huh, I think I heard people describe it like this before, but I can't say it's common." My brows furrowed when I thought back to the Manga and the times people had described how magic felt. Off the top of my head, I could remember the members of Fairy Tail calling Makarov's Magical powers warm and gentle, Hades's foul and evil, and Agustus's insurmountable. Every single one of the listed Mages was in a league of their own, so it was no wonder that their magical power could be perceived in such a form. But what about far smaller and lesser forms of the same energy?

"So would you say sensing magic, in general, isn't normal? Or just the way I picture it?" I wanted to know his opinion on the matter, he was a powerful Mage after all, and I should probably not take everything shown in the Manga at face value without questioning it.

"Nah, sensing Magical energy is pretty normal as long as it is strong enough. It is rather strange how you visualize it in your mind - which probably is just a you thing..."

"Don't be mean."

"...and how you appear to be overly sensitive to small amounts of it. The Doc is a good man, but he is not much better than any third-rate Mage in terms of magical power. The amount of magic energy in the Lacrima is also insignificant." Laxus completely ignored my interjection, finishing his explanation with a look of mild curiosity.

"So you can tell that the Lacrima has magic inside it?" I asked with a slight pout on my face at having been made fun of in passing.

"Yeah, I just need to concentrate, and holding it at the same time also helps." From what he was saying, it appeared the way I sensed magic was no unique ability after all but that I, for some reason, was simply able to pick up on small magic sources more easily.

Has that anything to do with the world I come from, I wonder? We don't have magic there, and I am not used to it because of that. I probably should also be questioning how I can have a 'container' at all. Maybe every human has it in my world, but since there is no magic, it lays dormant?

Out loud, I asked, "Do you think it has something to do with my Magical Surplus Disease by chance?" Because that was still a thing, I needed to keep in mind. I subconsciously patted the left pocket of my jacket, successfully confirming the presence of the Lacrima in it. I mused that it could not be long until I needed to use it. The Doctor had told me that the time the container required to fill up was constantly in flux. Therefore he had only been able to give me a roughly estimated time frame.

"No idea. I have no knowledge or interest in medical details like this. Why didn't you ask the Doctor before we left?" He told me plainly, not bothering to humor me.

"There was so much going on at the time. I did not even think about it." Waking up in another world, almost dying, meeting a fictional character. My mind had been somewhat occupied, to say the least.

Laxus regarded me for a moment before his features visibly softened.

"That's fair."

Another World Away

We had barely reached the peak of the mountain when I admitted defeat. I had tried my hardest to push forward even when I felt exhaustion set in, knowing full well that for my companion, this whole journey was nothing more than a leisurely stroll through the woods. Nonetheless, when my legs started to tremble and hurt due to the extended time of inactivity they had endured in the clinic, I knew that I could go no further.

My steady breathing had already turned shallow and harsh back when we had been hiking uphill for an extended period of time on our way to the top. I had very much overestimated my ability to walk long stretches without pause. I thanked my past self profusely for her wise decision regarding my hair, as the ponytail prevented it from sticking to my sweat-covered face and neck.

My slowing pace and pale complexion had elicited a few sideways glances from Laxus. Who, of course, displayed no outward sign of exhaustion at all after hours of walking. I honestly assumed that he hadn't so much as started sweating under his brown travel cloak—the cheater.

After having called for a much-needed break, we had made ourselves comfortable. I had chosen a fallen-over log to sit down, and Laxus had taken a boulder across from me. Both of us had been occupying ourselves in different ways for the last few minutes. After eating and drinking something, I had simply relaxed and let my thoughts drift aimlessly until now.

"Laxus-san?"

The blond lowered the fruit he had just taken a bite out of and raised his head to look at me. He kept chewing on his snack as he wordlessly motioned for me to continue with whatever I wanted from him.

"You said that you use Lightning Magic, right? Would you show it to me, please?" After witnessing the magic a mere animal could wield earlier today, I had not been able to stop myself from thinking about the Lightning Mage's own. The pictures in my head, be they black and white or in color, could not satisfy my curiosity. I needed to see it for myself.

Laxus simply kept chewing his food in silence while regarding me for a moment. After taking another bite out of the fruit, he raised his free hand to my eye level and slightly extended his index finger upwards, drawing my attention to it. My eyes widened in wonder when tiny sparks began to dance on the tip of his finger and began to merge into what I could only describe as a miniature lightning bolt in the same shape as Laxus's scar.

I had left my seat on the log without even noticing and found myself crouching face first in front of Laxus's hand. My nose only inches away from the dazzling magic. Laxus stopped chewing and regarded my movements with alert eyes, apparently making sure that I was not getting too close to his lightning. I rolled my eyes good-naturedly at his reaction. I may have moved without thinking, but I wasn't that careless. Or at least that's what I tried to tell myself, considering my mind very much screamed at me to throw caution to the wind.

Come on, touch it! Touch it! It looks so cool!

Thankfully I had enough self-control not to electrocute myself even if my mind positively yelled at me that this could be my only chance to find out how Laxus's magic would feel on my body. Sometimes my brain was just weird.

Denying my strange urges any opportunity to seize more ground, I focused my attention back on the lightning bolt in front of me. It was downright fascinating to observe. Instead of behaving as you would expect from electricity, it did not try to discharge itself but simply hung in the air above Laxus's finger as if it was a solid object. I knew that he could do some crazy stuff with his magic, like shooting lightning that was pretty much indistinguishable from its natural counterpart and even turn his body into the element itself. Still, I had not expected him to be able to manipulate it on this level. If I was correct and this lightning was actually solid, then wasn't this essentially Maker-Magic? I did not remember that being mentioned in the Manga.

Maybe I was overthinking it. After all, wasn't Laxus already a Lightning Mage and a Lightning Dragon Slayer? Why shouldn't he be able to do something comparable to Maker-Magic with his insane mastery over lightning? The Magic of this world was not so rigid and inflexible that you could just put it into exact categories and expect no deviations to appear. Even the same magic could differ significantly from each other based on the person who used it, like Gray's and Lyon's Ice-Make, for example.

I felt like I had come to understand a little more why Laxus was often regarded as a God of Lightning by the fans and people in this world instead of simply being a Lightning Dragon Slayer. The Slayer Magic was undoubtedly a huge boon, but it did not define Laxus like it did Natsu.

"Satisfied yet?"

I blinked a few times, white spots dancing across my vision from staring at the lightning bolt for too long. Without waiting for an answer, Laxus extinguished his little showcase, the lightning vanishing into thin air in but an instant. Now that there was nothing to occupy my mind with, my legs and back started protesting against the uncomfortable hunched-over position I had found myself in. After getting up, I bent backward and stretched my arms over my head with a groan. Following my impromptu exercise, I directed my gaze at Laxus and bowed slightly.

"Yes, thank you, Laxus-san." He merely waved away my meek display of gratitude, and when I had been in the finishing movement of my bow, I could have sworn he even rolled his eyes at me.

"You really need to get a bit more of a backbone, Anna. You act like every single thing you do, inconveniences me in some way. You did the same with the Doc, and he was only doing his job." This wasn't the first time Laxus had found it necessary to address my reserved behavior. While I didn't think that he was wrong per se, I could also not just turn around and change my whole personality on a dime.

I sat down at my previous place on the log and began to swing my legs back and forth, smiling at him instead of addressing any of his well-meant criticism.

His yellow eyes stared into my brown ones with some amount of intensity before his body seemed to deflate slightly, and he let out an exaggerated sigh.

"You are proving my point, you know?"

I only shrugged at him as if it didn't matter. I found it funny that demure behavior seemed to be the one constant that managed to irritate him without much effort. Jerk or no jerk, Laxus had always tried to present a strong and tough image of himself in front of other people. First for his sake alone and later on to be a stalwart pillar for the Guild in the time of crisis. It was probably one of his best qualities, even if it had started as a negative trait. And while I knew I could never be like that, I should probably try and take it to heart —at least a little bit.

Instead of dwelling on it further, I opted to ask about something different I had been curious about.

"Are there any other kinds of magic you know? And if not, did you ever try to learn any? Is it hard?"

Instead of answering, Laxus leaned back and crossed his arms. A smirk was gracing his lips as he seemingly ignored my question in favor of staring right through me.

Huh? Have I said something funny, or is this about before? Was he trying to ignore me until I demanded an answer from him or something similarly ridiculous? Well, I am not doing it.

Still puzzled by Laxus's reaction, it took me a few seconds before I noticed the hand tapping me on the shoulder from behind.

"Eeeep!"

A loud squeak left my mouth, and my eyes shot wide open in surprise at the unexpected touch. I darted out of my seat and scrambled a few feet away, instinctually trying to create a distance between myself and whoever had sneaked up behind me. Whipping around, I found myself frozen in surprise at the sight. Standing there was a smug-looking Laxus, who peered down at me with a grin on his face.

"Laxus...wha-?"

Booming laughter filled the air interrupting me before I could formulate a question about what the hell was going on. Perplexed, I tore my gaze away from Laxus in front of me and turned around once more. There on the boulder sat Laxus as if he had never moved in the first place. One of his hands slapped down on his knee, the rest of the fruit he had been eating lying forgotten on the ground.

"That reaction was everything I have been hoping for." He threw his head back when he noticed my dumbfounded expression, and my face grew warm as he let out another round of roaring laughter. Seeing something out of the corner of my eyes, I craned my head to the side and watched the second Laxus strolling past me. He came to a stop beside the sitting Laxus, his grin widening even more at the sight of my wide eyes and open hanging mouth. I blinked in rapid succession at the scene before me, trying to make sense of it.

Huh?

"This Magic is called Thought Projection, and it allows me to create a psychic copy of myself." The sitting - real? - Laxus explained, unbridled amusement dancing within his yellow eyes.

"These copies are generally intangible and are used for communication over large distances." The second Laxus continued the first one's speech without interruption.

"You can also create one that can physically interact with things, but that costs a shit-ton of Magic energy and is usually not worth it." The real Laxus elaborated further, waving at his copy. My gaze was flickering between the two as they took turns talking, finally understanding what was going on.

"That's why I will be going now. Nice reaction though, Anna, was worth every ounce of magic it cost me." The standing Laxus said, looking infuriatingly pleased with himself as his form began to flicker and dissipate. I waved the copy goodbye, marginally sticking my tongue out at him as he vanished in a small burst of magic particles. Inside my mind, I was slapping myself over the head for having forgotten about this particular magic.

"Okay, I admit, you really got me with this one. Congrats, I didn't think you had it in you." Having overcome my befuddlement, I chuckled lightly at how easily he had managed to pull one over on me.

Laxus, in turn, shrugged his shoulders with an air of obviously feigned modesty. "I have my moments..." He drifted off mid-sentence, and a foreboding feeling came over me when I realized that something else was coming.

Oh no.

Laxus's voice turned downright teasing when he addressed me with mirth-filled eyes and twitching lips that told me he was trying to hold back his laughter.

"Eeeep, huh?"

My face positively exploded with warmth at his comment, and I pressed my palms to my face in a desperate attempt to hide my embarrassment. I had really, really hoped that he didn't hear that.

"S-Shut up." My rebuke sounded far more bashful than commanding, and to my absolute horror, I could not stop myself from adding "...please," after a short pause as well.

Why are you like this, Anna?

I don't know!

"So close, Anna, so close," Laxus said with a shake of his head, clearly still struggled to hold back his laughter. I felt uncomfortably warm in my jacket, and I had half a mind to take it off even if it would be chilly without it. Instead, however, I simply let out a moan of exasperation from behind my hands.

"Can we move on, now? Please? Tell me about some other magic you can use, okay?!" I was not willing to suffer through any more of this. Laxus had his fun, and I had better things to do than turn into a boiling tomato.

Releasing his pent-up laughter with a low chuckle, Laxus was thankfully taking pity on me without any complaint. I don't think I could have dealt with more of his teasing. I was rather susceptible to it if you hadn't noticed.

"Sure, sure. You do need to stop covering your face, though. I am not playing entertainer for a non-existent audience." His words were sincere, and yet I could not help but grumble at the fact that he still sounded way too amused for my liking. I lowered my hands from my face, my cheeks still warm to the touch, but I was fairly sure my head wasn't as red as a ripe tomato anymore. At least I hoped so. Considering Laxus did not start smirking - like the dummy he was - as soon as he saw my face, I guessed that I had gotten lucky. Sitting back down on my log, I cleared my throat and attempted to keep a neutral demeanor, trying very hard to pretend that the last five minutes had not happened. Not that I thought that would work.

"So you do know even more magic? I always thought mastering even one takes almost a lifetime." A lifetime for ordinary people at least, which pretty much no central character in Fairy Tail counted amongst, including Laxus. I was confident that many of them did not even grasp the truth about their insane potential themselves at this point, Lucy especially.

"Yeah, it does, I guess. Because of that, the only mastery I have, if you want to call it that, is over Lightning Magic. Thought Projection is a pretty standard spell every Mage at a certain proficiency level can perform in some way. I never heard about anyone focusing on it as their main magic, though. It is a pretty pointless spell outside the communication aspect."

I strongly disagreed with that. Jellal had proven how insane the spell could be if performed by a Mage of exceptional caliber —creating a living copy of himself that wasn't only able to move independently from him but could use magic too. And while he and Laxus had never fought in the series, I was still confident in placing both of them in the same tier when it came to magical power. Laxus could do just as well with Thought Projection as Jellal had if he ever practiced the spell, but I guess that such hands-off magic mainly used for subterfuge wasn't really the style of Mister 'I like to headbutt my enemies'.

"The only other magic I know that is suitable for a demonstration is from back when I was a child and wanted to learn the same stuff as my gramps." My full attention settled back on him when he mentioned Makarov. I had always wondered why Laxus had learned Lightning Magic specifically instead of replicating some of his grandfather's many spells. Laxus, as a child, had looked up to Makarov and wanted to follow in his footsteps after all. A soft smile graced my features as I reminisced about the scene where a little Laxus had wanted to join Fairy Tail. He had been so excited about it, and it was very heartwarming to hear that Laxus had indeed tried to learn something from his grandfather. It was a nice contrast to how he had come to despise being seen as nothing more than Makarov's grandson later in life.

"I only remember how to do two things, so don't expect anything more after that."

Oh, he knew more, but I naturally never expected him to bust out Fairy Law for me. That would just be silly. But also very cool, I had to admit.

I watched with interest as Laxus brought his hand up to my eye level and slightly extended his index finger, just like he had done earlier.

"This," he said while the finger started to grow larger, "Is the signature magic of my gramps called Giant. It is Extension Magic." I could not stop myself from letting out an amused snort as his appendage grew to the size of a cucumber. It looked downright comical.

"Can you make it even bigger?" A scene where Laxus extended his finger into the air like the Power Pole from Dragon ball came to my mind, and I did my best not to start laughing. It isn't that funny, I told myself. Laxus, to my disappointment, shook his head at my question.

"I never learned anything more advanced. The same applies to this." A little flame appeared on the tip of his enlarged finger when he finished his sentence. Far smaller in size than the lightning bolt he had produced earlier, it wasn't even close to being as impressive. I still found it exciting for other reasons. I had not expected Laxus to know another kind of elemental magic, even if he only knew the absolute basics about it and never used it.

"It's pretty cool. I wonder what kind of magic would be fitting for me?" I inclined my head to the side in contemplation. When fantasizing about it on my way up the mountain, I had been everything from a fearsome dragon slayer to a gravity-controlling badass. No idea I had dreamed up in my exhausted mind was particularly fitting or realistic, though. I was not finding a Dragon Lacrima just lying around anytime soon, that was for sure.

"Depends, is there no magic you are interested in?"

I could only shrug my shoulders in response. I might be interested in Fire Magic since the element itself had many applications. And more importantly, I would be able to feed Natsu with my flames, which was just an adorable mental image. I could entirely admit that this wasn't a good or adequate reason for learning the magic in any way or form, but it was a wholesome one, if nothing else.

I am allowed to daydream about nonsense from time to time, especially if it is about making a lovable pink-haired ball of energy happy with a meal, right? Right.

Moving on.

"I can only think about Fire Magic off the top of my head, but the reason for it is not very serious, so I don't know," Laxus hummed in understanding, not questioning my decision further.

"You can always learn the basics of a few different magic types and see what works the best for you, even if it is a highly time-consuming approach. Or get your hands on a diverse variety of Holder Magic items to test out what you like more easily. That's not even closely as time-consuming, but you need a lot of money for it, which isn't an option for you right now." Wasn't that the truth? If it weren't for the Doctor's charity, I would be walking around pretty much naked, and without Laxus, I would not even have any food or water. Buying expensive stuff on a whim was not feasible for me for a long time to come, if ever.

The wonders of being broke in another world, I sighed.

"Mhh, then I may need to try the first option. There is no rush for me to decide on a specific magic type anyway as long as I learn some to expel my overflowing magic from time to time, I guess." I crossed my arms over my chest. Despite what I said, I wasn't one hundred percent on board with the idea of just testing out random spells that would probably take a while to learn, but I couldn't think about any better alternative at this point. The dilemma of not knowing what magic I would like to learn or which would fit me pushed the thoughts about how exactly Laxus had chosen his Lightning Magic back to the forefront. Maybe I should just ask?

"Laxus-san, how did you decide that Lightning Magic was the best choice for you? You told me you learned the other spells from your grandfather, but you haven't continued to use them. Why is that?" Shooting lightning was awesome, don't get me wrong, and I could not really imagine Laxus without his iconic magic, but still, why wasn't he a fire flinging, Extension Magic-user?

"I wanted to learn all of my gramps spells back when I was a child, but some...thing came up that made me concentrate on Lightning Magic almost exclusively. It didn't really leave me much of a choice. That's all there is to it." Laxus' voice was calm and indifferent as he told me that the decision had not been his alone. I could have sworn that I saw the light in his eyes dim for but a second before it returned in full. His mouth was set into a neutral line, yet I got the clear impression that he was saddened by something. My eyes narrowed in disbelief. Laxus was supposed to take pride in his magic, not be dejected by the recollection of how he came to gain it. I swallowed, my mouth opening almost against my will.

"Something came up?"

Laxus leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

"Yeah...someone I once trusted made me an offer I could not refuse."

I could see him squeeze his hands together tightly before he broke our eye contact and stood up. His back turned towards me as he swung his travel back over his shoulder.

"Anyway, we should get going. You coming, Anna?" The abrupt end to our conversation startled me, but its message was crystal clear: He did not want to talk about it further. I scrambled to my feet in a hurry as Laxus began to walk away without me at a slow but steady space. After picking up my bag and making sure that I had not forgotten anything, I jogged after Laxus. A distinct suspicion about who Laxus had been alluding to came to my mind as I caught up with him. There existed only one person Laxus had trusted and who had betrayed him - no - who had betrayed all of Fairy Tail. The one who had implanted the Lightning Dragon Lacrima inside Laxus's body when he was still a child. Ivan Dreyar. Laxus' father and Makarov's son.

As I continued my journey towards the unknown, a feeling of sadness overtook me at the reminder that no matter how brilliant and dazzling light was, it would inevitably cast a shadow no matter which world you were in.

Another World Away

It seems my inability to end chapters how I originally wanted to is my eternal curse. I hope you still enjoyed it! And please tell me if you think that Laxus is not quite in character!