Hello everyone! I've recently joined the FT reverse bang event and met some amazing people through it, resulting in way more motivation to write, so here is a chapter update already!
Thank you all for the reviews after the last chapter, I really enjoyed FINALLY writing Natsu and Lucy confessing.
Thanks for proofreading CJ!
''Lucy! Loke told me all about what just happened, that's absolutely insane!'' Cana exclaimed, jumping up as soon as Lucy and Natsu entered the hotel room again.
She wanted to fly her friend around the neck, but quickly noticed Natsu's ruffled hair and Lucy's flushed face.
''Oh my,'' she smirked, ''so you guys are official now, huh?''
Lucy and Natsu quickly exchanged an awkward glare. ''I-I guess...'' she stammered, suppressing a smile.
''Lucy's taken? Oh man!'' Loke whined.
Cana gave him a deadly glare. ''As if you were standing a chance.''
''Rude!'' he pouted.
''Sit down, Luce,'' Cana gestured towards the couch against the wall, ''something happened tonight that made me realise we made a big mistake.''
Natsu and Lucy sat down and listened to Cana's experience at the bar. How she had found out about the professor being able to use transportation magic and how he had slipped some information while drunk.
''How could we have been so stupid?'' Lucy buried her face in her hands, ''of course the professor is part of all this too! Mirajane was able to invite him into the building even.''
''I was already wondering why he came along to this trip, it was just weird...''
Natsu and Lucy eyed each other and without saying a word, knew what they were gonna say and nodded in agreement.
''Cana,'' Natsu started, ''there is something you need to know...''
She raised a brow. ''What's this all of a-''
''Natsu and I made a deal with the professor regarding your... alcohol problem,'' Lucy interrupted her, ''you were going to be part of a project of an addiction study of the professor's university,''
Her eyes widened. ''Doranbolt,'' she said, ''his name is Doranbolt.''
''We made a deal with Doranbolt to give you a chance to deal with your problems yourself at the condition that you stayed sober for the next two weeks.''
''That was two weeks ago, we proved you can do it,'' Natsu said.
Both Cana and Loke were just as bewildered and were wondering if this wasn't some kind of prank.
''What would have happened if I refused to cooperate?''
''He had means to blackmail you,'' Lucy admitted, trying not to make eye contact with her friend. ''We all know what you're off to on your nightly trips.''
Cana gave them a puzzled look. ''How on earth would those trips make good blackmail material?!''
Now it was Natsu and Lucy's turn to be confused. ''We know about the smuggling thing, you don't have to lie to us, we know.''
''Smuggling?!'' she yelled, her voice breaking, ''what the hell are you talking about? I'm a volunteer at the local children's orphanage, that's what I'm off to during some nights!''
Both Natsu and Lucy turned pale. ''What?!'' they exclaimed in sync.
''This is bad,'' Cana nervously looked back at the door and hurried over to close it. ''I bet Mirajane knows more about this, she's the one who invited him over after all.''
Lucy felt tears well up in her eyes. ''I-I'm so sorry Cana, how could I have taken the word of a stranger for the truth instead of trusting you?''
Her friend walked up to her and hugged her tight. ''It's okay, you two were set up as well.''
''I don't want to ruin the good vibes we've going on here, but there is something you should see,'' Loke said, audibly shaken.
The three of them looked up and it didn't take long before they saw what was going on on the other side of the window.
People were screaming and running out of the ocean in sheer panic. It was hard to see what was causing the panic, but the beach sirens were now wailing loudly.
The mages eyed each other. What was going on?
Suddenly Lucy's phone rang. She picked it up and Mirajane's profile picture showed up on the screen.
''Hey, Mira,'' she said as she put her on speaker, ''what's going on down there?!''
''Remember that sort of demon you and Natsu encountered a while ago?''
Lucy reluctantly thought back about the moment. ''Hm hm..''
''They have appeared in large numbers on the beach here and we've got to act fast!''
They all stormed out of the room and took the stairs as fast as they could. It was hard to reach the beach in the stream of fleeing, screaming people.
''Listen up everybody!'' Mirajane yelled to every mage within her range, ''many of you haven't seen these things before, but they are the sole reason we mages exist in this country!''
She looked around and noticed how nervous some people had gotten. ''Those who can already use magic; join the fight. For those who can't; flee back to the hotel to comfort the guests!''
The mages split up and those ready to fight ran to the shoreline, engaging the entities. There were at least twenty of them and seemingly spawned out of thin air. Everyone who could use elemental magic flooded the enemies with attacks.
''There are too many!'' Natsu yelled as he blasted another fireball towards the shadowy monster.
''Down!'' Gray screamed back and he fired a giant icicle right over Natsu's shoulder, driving off the creature.
''What the hell are you doing, Elsa?!'' Natsu said agitatedly, ''I was asking for backup, not a backstab.''
''That's why I told you to move, hothead!''
Their bickering quickly came to an end when Erza came running between them. They both turned their heads to see what she was up to in her bikini and sword.
She took a stance and took a deep breath. With all her might, she swung her sword from behind her in an almost perfect crescent. The pressure wave that followed was enough to knock back half of the enemies.
''Wow...'' the guys both gaped in awe.
Mirajane stood between the shoreline and the hotel. Her feet felt like they were burning in the scorching sand. She balled her fist until her nails dug into her palms and her knuckles turned white. Silently, she shed tears of helplessness. She had sworn never to use magic again, but seeing everyone fight so hard frustrated her.
She could feel her urge to use magic well up in her body, but even if she wanted to, she couldn't. Her shoulders started to shake and her teeth were grinding with anger.
The sudden feeling of someone touching her shoulder brought her to her senses again. She quickly turned around, only to find herself looking up at a blond man who was at least a head taller than her. A barely visible smile along with a gentle squeeze on her shoulder made her both feel at ease and nervous at the same time.
''L-Laxus?'' she whispered in disbelief, ''where have you been all this time?''
''I was busy getting stronger than you guys,'' he said as he let go of her and walked further towards the shoreline.
''Listen up!'' he yelled loud enough for everyone fighting to hear. ''I want you all to get out of the water and lay flat on the sand! No questions, just do it!''
Nobody dared question the giant man that had just appeared all of a sudden, but some people yelled at him enthusiastically as they recognised who he was before doing as he said.
''Lightning dragon...'' he started reciting his spell as electricity started to accumulate around his right fist. ''iron fist!''
A giant, blinding beam of crackling light shot from his arm as he directed it right at the seawater. The water conducted the lightning and all monsters evaporated with horrible screams. Everyone on the ground was left speachless by his act of power.
''Good grief,'' Laxus said, shaking his head, ''I leave for a few months and this is all the old man has gathered?''
''I'm so sorry, it took way longer than anticipated until enough people followed their destined path,'' Mirajane admitted.
Laxus grinned confidently. ''Then I guess it's time to check in on our sister-organisations.''