"I think that you're not as dark as you want people to believe"

The women of Fairy Tail were something I admired. Both as a woman, and as a member of the infamous guild. Each one was strong. Every one was outstanding, amazing. Each woman was powerful and resilient in a way I'd hardly ever seen before. That being said, if anyone were to ask me who I thought the strongest woman in Fairy Tail was I would've said Erza Scarlet. No hesitation. No pause. Just Erza.

Many things contributed to this, but none proved my point more than her performance during the third day of the 792 Grand Magic Games. The challenge was called 'Pandemonium'. They couldn't have chosen a more fitting title. A great castle appeared in the center of the arena—the den of one-hundred monsters. Participants were expected to challenge the creatures two or three at a time, maybe a bit more. Erza had challenged all one-hundred at once. Everyone was shocked that she'd had the gall; they were even more astonished when she won. And it wasn't a 'managed to win' sort of win. She didn't 'barely win'. Erza obliterated the monsters in a manner so swift and so strong that it made my head spin.

Though Erza was the strongest, as far as I was concerned, she certainly wasn't the only one with uncanny power. Cana Alberona, resident drunk and B Team reserve, served as our representative for the event. Because Erza had destroyed all of the monsters, and subsequently any chance the other mages had at competing, the staff at the Grand Magic Games had revealed the Magic Power Finder as a means of determining what order everyone else would be ranked in.

The Magic Power Finder was a peculiar device. It was supposedly an accurate test to measure a wizard's magical strength, though the system seemed to rely on physical power alone. A mage from Raven Tail even scored a four, which was low considering that Jura Neekis had pulled through with more than an 8000. Upon seeing this, I didn't expect much from Cana. Maybe we'd squeak by with third. She was strong, but she wasn't a wizard saint, and there was a reason for that. Aside from that, she was hammered when she went up for her turn. I mean absolutely hammered. Stumbling a bit, blushing like a fool, and giving a soft hiccup every so often.

She broke the scale, and our team took second. I think everyone was more shocked by this than they were after Erza defeated all one-hundred monsters. I was so pleased I almost kissed Cana when she returned to our box. Everyone was delighted by the victory.

Fairy Tail was filled with formidable females, though I suppose I'd have to say that they have a few strong males as well.

Like Laxus.

Especially Laxus.

He fought later that day, after two matches I had little interest for.

"And now onto our third match of the day," Pumpkin-Head sang. "From the Fairy Tail B team, Laxus Dreyar!" I didn't ask why Pumpkin-Head was calling out the match, and not the announcer. To be honest, the detail slipped from my mind during the heat of the moment.

"Good luck," I told my companion, "not that you'll need it."

Laxus exited the box and began his pilgrimage to the center of the arena.

His opponent was announced, "Versus, Alexei of Raven Tail!"

I placed my hands on the edge of the rail, bracing myself as I bounced on the balls of my feet. The arena opened up in front of me. My jaw worked on a piece of spearmint gum that Lucy had offered my earlier. The flavor was long faded, leaving the distinct taste of rubber, sadness, and a hint of mint behind in its wake. But I was too preoccupied to spit it out.

Laxus and Alexei met each other at the halfway point, one clad in armor, and the other clad in the fur coat that I had returned to him the night before.

I thought of shouting something, but the arena seemed to have gone eerily silent. I settled on glowering at Alexei, channeling my hate for the guild into one single glare.

Gajeel chuckled from beside me, and I stole a glance at the iron man. "Well, we've got nothing to worry about."

"This is Laxus we're talking about here," Cana added. "He's going to destroy this Alexei guy."

"Yeah, of course."

I found it hard to believe my words, though. After turning my attention back to the match, my eyes caught on Laxus. He glared at his opponent, who returned the favor, but I couldn't help but notice Laxus' eyes. Anxiety festered among glacial shards of grey. He opened and closed his fists repeatedly. If I didn't know him better, I would've said he was almost scared. Luckily I knew him well enough to tell. It wasn't fear in his eyes—it was anticipation.

"Both of you step forward!"

Laxus and Alexei took slow, meaningful strides towards one another, circling. It was like a carefully choreographed dance. They moved in sync, a step for a step, a stride for a stride.

"Now! Let the match begin!"

A gong bellowed, and my hands flew to my mouth, stifling a gasp.

Alexei's fist darted forward, colliding with Laxus' jaw, and the blond boy was airborne. Somehow, Laxus managed to land on his feet, sliding a food few against the earth before he could gather himself. Shouts rang out across the crowd. I screamed something, though I don't remember what it was. Laxus wasn't even up before the Raven mage was on him again, this time crunching the side of his boot across Laxus' cheek. Laxus was sent flying again, but before he hit the ground, Alexei blasted him with a concentrated beam of dark purple magic.

"Laxus!" I screamed his name, my eyes bulging as Alexei continued the onslaught. Punch after punch, kick after kick, blow after blow, and Laxus couldn't even peel himself up off the ground.

This continued, until Alexei either became too tired or too bored to swing again. He stepped back and allowed Laxus to rise.

"Come on Laxus!"

Both men launched into a fist fight, if it could be called that. The battle was entirely one sided—Laxus blocked and Alexei punched. Succumbing to another bit of boredom, Alexei hit Laxus with a right cross and flung him back again.

The blond boy hit the ground. Hard. The process repeated itself, and Alexei waited for Laxus to rise. The dragon slayer couldn't get a single punch in. Block. Fly. Fall. Repeat.

This was not the Laxus I knew. Something was very, very wrong.

~Laxus' POV~

With curious eyes, I watched a match unfold before me, my own shadowed figure taking hit after hit as a false Alexei pounded my artificial body into the ground. The sound of screaming came in waves from the stands, and I cut a glance to my guildmates. They were scared.

The man in front of me was curious, with a tall, muscular build and hefty armor. A queer mask hid Alexei's face from view, yet something seemed so familiar about him… I could've sworn I knew that smell...

"You mind telling me what the hell is going on here?"

He grinned, or at least, I imagined he did. "It's a type of illusory magic, Laxus. The only way we could have private conversation." His voice was rough and gritty, and the way he dragged out his s's made him sound almost like a snake.

"No one can see or hear us," Alexei continued. "They only witness this battle taking place before them," he motioned to our figmented figures, and I watched as I took a hard punch from the mage. "Incredibly convincing, isn't it?

The shouts from the crowd rang out overhead as my false body crumbled to the ground, and I scowled.

"I don't get it. What's the point of beating me with an illusion? You can't call that a win."

Alexei chuckled. "Obviously, victory in this match is not our ultimate goal. The purpose of the illusion is to distract those around us. And if I control the illusion, I control the outcome of the match as well."

He nodded in the direction of the match unfolding before us, and while my character rose up and finally fought back against his opponent, Alexei's shadow eventually flung him into the wall, eliciting cries of outrage from my guildmates.

I scoffed. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"The point is, I can arrange for you to win this match, depending on how our… negotiations… turn out."

"Yeah, like I'm falling for that. I don't really give a shit about your stupid illusion or your tricks. Go ahead and keep it up, I'll defeat you twice if I have to. Shouldn't be hard at all."

A cackle burst from his side, and a woman materialized out of what appeared to be thin air.

Flare Corona tittered, "that's not going to happen, Laxy." I blinked as the rest of Raven Tail came into view behind their champion, grinning at me like a pack of ravenous beasts.

Alexei snorted. "Your power is impressive, I'll give you that, but not even the strongest of wizards could defeat all of Raven Tail at once…" He paused. "Oh, and there's one more thing to consider," Alexei's hands moved to his face, and I knew at once what he was doing, I knew at once who he was and why he was here and why he was behaving in the way he was. Alexei unfastened his helmet, and both his words and his disguise tumbled to the ground around me.

"I'm sure you know how powerful I am, Son."

Memories swirled around me as I took him in—a face I hadn't seen in a decade. I could see myself, no older than five, and my father there, smiling at me as he offered a cube of sugar in his upturned palm. Greedily, I accepted, and I reached my hand inside my mouth, placing the delicacy on the center of my tongue. I clamped down. Salt.

I could feel something—something deep, deep down inside of me—break just a little bit more.

Ivan spoke because I wouldn't: "Surely you know why I'm here, my son?"

I gritted my teeth, hardly able to look at him, hardly able to take in the man I had once loved so dearly—a man I had once held in the highest esteem. Finally I managed to spit words out at him. "No. Why are you here? What do you want?"

Ivan continued his spiel, "Makarov would rather die than reveal Fairy Tail's secret. But not you…" He paused, grinning—if it could be called that—at me. "Now tell me, Laxus, where can I find the Lumen Histoire?"

"I've never heard of it," I said, my tone drier than my heart felt at the moment.

"Don't play dumb with me, boy."

"I'm not."

"If Makarov were to tell anyone it would be his beloved grandson!"

"Guess not, because I have no idea what the hell you're talking about."

"He must have told you something about it!"

"He didn't," I spat. "And even if the old geezer had, it's not like I would tell you."

Ivan let out a low chuckle and opened his arms to me. "Come now, Laxus, I've offered you the opportunity to emerge victorious from what is otherwise an utterly hopeless situation. And if you dare to refuse my terms… well, let's just say your illusory form won't be the only one getting a thrashing…" Ivan glanced up at the stands, and I turned my attention to what he was focused on. My chest tightened.

~Xandria's POV~

A scream caught in my throat as Alexei darted forward, curling a gold-gilded fist around Laxus' throat. He lifted the dragon slayer in the air, gravity seeming to forget its job. Laxus swiped at the hand, his face turning red, then taking on a bluish tinge. I teetered over the ledge.

"Laxus!" My voice cracked as I shouted, and, as if by magic, Laxus broke free of the other man's grip, landing his first punch of the match and throwing Alexei backwards into the dirt.

My muscles uncoiled as Laxus launched into a counterattack. He started using his magic. Punch after electrified punch was thrown at the Raven, who crumbled under the onslaught. Laxus finished his attack with a lightning dragon's roar, throwing Alexei backwards and stirring up mounds of dust around them.

"Yeah Laxus! That's how you do it! Way to show 'em what you're made of!" I shouted, grinning as the smoke began to clear.

My face fell, however, when I saw his opponent, standing, as formidable as ever, even after receiving one of Laxus' more powerful attacks. My jaw unhinged, and before I could say anything else, Laxus was blasted backwards by another beam of Alexei's light. He hit the ground with a crack, and the earth underneath him splintered. Alexei's boots scraped against the floor of the arena as he crossed it. Upon reaching Laxus, he stooped, and wrapped his fingers around the fabric of Laxus' high shirt collar. Laxus was lifted from his position on the ground, and was promptly flung against the wall of the stadium. Laxus collapsed onto the ground, barely capable of pulling himself up into a sitting position.

And the match continued on like this, with Alexei tossing Laxus around as if he was some kind of ragdoll, and Laxus barely fighting back. The Raven mage had hardly even used his magic yet.

I couldn't believe it. I was shocked. Of all the mages I knew, Laxus was, if not the strongest, then certainly one of them. I shouted several more cheers. The crowd was mostly quiet. Everyone else was either astonished by Alexei's cruelty, or astonished by Laxus' apparent weakness. Makarov cried out periodically with equal parts encouragement and criticism.

~Laxus' POV~

"Come on, Laxus, you've got this! I believe in you!" Alexandria's voice was strained from screaming, but her words still came to me clear and courageous. I felt my fists clench.

Ivan opened his mouth again, "I think it's about time your father taught you an important lesson."

I hesitated before I spoke, because I was afraid that my words might come out with such a force that they killed him.

"You know," I said, my voice shaking, "Gramps knows all about your filthy fucking guild, but he hasn't acted on it. He's known for years about you, but he still holds back." I laughed and shook my head. "After everything you've done, he still managed to have a little faith in you, just because you're his slimy, cowardly, pitiful excuse of a son—"

"SILENCE!" Ivan bellowed, and immediately he began shooting bolts of his shitty paper magic at me. "Tell me where the Lumen Histoire is! Stop fighting it! You're my son, aren't you?! Where's your loyalty to your family?!"

"Fairy Tail is my only family," I exclaimed, "And anyone who threatens them gets no mercy from me!" As if on cue, the other Raven Tail mages charged me all at once. I chuckled as they tried to strike me—pitiful. In less than a minute they all lay against the earth groaning in pain. My attention turned to Ivan.

"You should never love anything more than you love your own children!" I snarled. "You should never love anyone more than you love your own children! How could you?!" My voice dropped, "How could you…"

Ivan growled in outrage, his teeth gnashing as he glared at me. "I told you not to refuse me!" He screamed. "I told you what would happen!" My eyes flashed to Alexandria, and he cackled. "That's right, you little shit, I've been keeping a careful eye on you since you lot came back from Tenrou, and I know how you feel for your precious little guildmate." He let out another bark of laughter, "Please, Laxus, like she would ever love a creature like you!"

"SHUT UP!" I exploded, my features contorting, but my father only laughed and laughed and laughed.

"I'm warning you now, boy, if you don't tell me where the Lumen Histoire is right now, you won't be the only one getting hurt," He hissed. "I promise you that I will find her, and I will break her. She'll be begging for—"

Something inside me shattered, and the next thing I knew I was on top of him, barely able to hear the sound of bones break of the sound of the blood rushing in my ears.

~Xandria's POV~

There ripped through the air a roar so great—so terrible—that for a moment I thought perhaps the world was ending. Perhaps Acnologia had returned, this time with a vengeance that would claim us for all of eternity. I wasn't wrong.

Because there was a dragon in the stadium, but this one was far smaller in stature, and, at this particular moment in time, far more vengeful than even Acnologia himself.

"What the hell?"

Gajeel perfectly echoed my own thoughts.

All four of the Raven Tail mages lay in pitiful heaps across the floor of the arena. In the center of it all was Laxus, and underneath him a broad-shouldered and dark-haired mage. I say only this because I could not make out the rest of him—Laxus' fists had bloodied the body too much for me to make it out.

Laxus' roar still reverberated through the air as he aimed punch after punch at the person beneath him. He didn't even bother using magic—a plain man's knuckles crunched against what must have been Alexei's face. And he would not stop. Swing after swing, blow after blow, Laxus fought until a group of confused guards had to pull him off of his opponent.

Pumpkin-Head tottered out onto the field, murmurs of confusion playing behind him in a harmonious symphony. My mind felt like soup, and I had a hard time sloshing through it to find the pieces I needed to understand. Before I could come to any conclusions, though, Juvia voiced the answer aloud.

"Thoughtforms!" She exclaimed. "Raven Tail was using thoughtforms to trick us!"

The announcer came to the conclusion almost as quickly as Juvia did, "Oh dear! Then the battle we were watching between Laxus and Alexei was just an illusion, folks! Laxus is still standing, the match is over!"

However, I did not celebrate; my eyes were still fixed on Laxus.

The announcer called out something else, but my mind was moving too quickly for me to care. I refocused on the arena below us, whisking my gaze across the crumpled figures and Laxus. Kurohebi. Flare. Obra. Nullpudding. Alexei.

My eyes swerved, and fell once again upon Laxus' opponent, crumpled in a pile against the wall. His mask was missing. Warm air flew through my mouth, soaring past my throat and landing in the pit of my stomach.

That build, that face, that jaw. No… It couldn't be…

There was no mistaking it—it was Ivan. Ivan Dreyar. Even if he'd been beaten to the point where he was almost unrecognizable it was clear it was him.

I swore and fled the box, darting down the stairs as fast as my legs would carry me. I didn't know if anyone had followed me. I didn't care. I needed to reach Laxus.

He entered the dim hallway at the same time I did, flickering lights and faint smoke setting the scene around us. Laxus' face was dark and conflicted. His features were drawn, his shoulders pinched. He didn't notice my appearance, which was odd considering he almost had a sixth sense when it came to picking up movement.

After a moment, when I assume he thought no one would be able to see him, he leaned against the wall. One arm. Then two. His whole body crashed against it. Laxus bowed his head; his entire being seemed to sag. He pounded a fist against the wall, and for a brief moment I could almost imagine it crumbling under his strength. But he started to tremble, and the thought was extracted from my mind.

I took a cautious step forward, and there was a gasp as Laxus leaned further into the wall, if that was even possible. I froze.

Laxus was crying. Sobbing, really.

For a long moment I stood there, not knowing what to say. Not knowing what to do. If I turned to leave I ran the risk of him catching me. If I stood there wouldn't he notice? If I approached him he'd certainly be mortified.

Another shallow, rapid breath tore me from my thoughts, and Laxus gasped. I felt my heart constrict—like someone had tightened their fist around the organ. He looked like a wounded animal. It was like watching the destruction of a civilization—the death of a star. A part of me died, seeing him like that.

Before I realized what I'd done, my arms were around him from behind, and he was gasping as more tears fell past his eyes. My head pressed into his back, and my arms encircled his waist. I could feel him stiffen; his head glancing back to see who'd attacked him. He relaxed a bit once he realized it was me, but I could still feel the obvious embarrassment—it was tangible.

"Alexandria…" His voice rasped as he spoke; it was more of a whisper than a word.

There was a long pause, and then.

"You must think I'm a monster," Laxus breathed, and I blinked.

"What?"

Laxus tried to pull away from my grip, but I wouldn't let him. "Look at me," I ordered. "Look at me, Laxus." He released his grip on the wall and turned, and his eyes met mine, red and puffy and swollen. A blotchy complexion and tear stained cheeks. "I don't think you're a monster, Laxus," I said. "I never could."

He let out this little gasp—somewhere between a cough and a squeak—at my words, and he tried to look away again. "Ivan he—" Laxus took a shaky breath, one which split with a sob halfway through his breathing. "He threatened you."

I stared at him, confused and conflicted and hurting for him—for us—for every other lost kid in the world with leftover abandonment and daddy-issues. Laxus looked like he wanted to say something else too. He didn't, though; he just lifted my arms and I let him; he wrapped his own around me and placed his chin deep within the crook of my neck.

I swallowed. I wanted to tell him so much; words bubbled up from my stomach, through my heart, up to my throat. Things I didn't understand, things I couldn't translate. Watching him turn around… words couldn't even begin to describe…

We stayed like that for a long time too. And when I look back, I always find it funny. People have a funny habit of not saying anything when they need to most. And when I look back, sometimes I wonder if it was better that we didn't say anything. We were both monsters. It wouldn't do the world any favors if we let ourselves fall in love.