"You're so cute as a kid, Zeref!"

"Aki-chan's adorab-" Elfman was punched in the face – though it did little damage, besides surprise – by Natsu, who had jumped off a table to reach his head.

"Who're you calling chan?!"

"Natsu's always ready for a fight, even as a kid!"

"If you're a man-!"

"Shut it, you great oaf! They're just kids! Your muscley grossness will scare them!"

"How are you so big?" Aki was asking- Lucy nearly fell over. She was asking Laxus, who was staring down at her, eyes narrowed.

"Sorry, sorry, Laxus," she said hurriedly, starting forward, but Laxus was bearing down on Aki.

And then she was on his shoulders, and he was ignoring Natsu's attempts to break his legs. "Wooaah!" Aki looked eagerly over the guildmembers' heads. "You all look so tiny!"

"Right?" Laxus grinned up at her. Most of the guild was frozen in shock, and, noticing, he blinked at them. "What?"

"Nothing!" they said instantly, turning away and wondering if they'd seen it all.

"Put her down!" Natsu roared, headbutting Laxus in the shin.

"Can he come up too?!" Aki asked excitedly, and Laxus shrugged. He picked Natsu up by the back of his shirt, letting him swing, an angry pink fuzzball trying to land a hit on the massive Dragon Slayer. "Oh, oh, put me down!" she said suddenly, and Laxus reluctantly did, seemingly disappointed. She dashed past Natsu, though, stopping in front of Gajeel. "You just ate iron!"

He smirked at her. "Giihii. I'm an Iron Dragon Slayer."

"Wow!" she squealed, eyes shining. "Show me! Show me!"

"Gajeel," Levy started, but he was already grinning.

Picking Aki up under one arm, he shot his Iron Dragon Club into the floor, sending him, Aki ecstatic in his arms, high above the crowd. "Is this high enough?"

"Oh my gosh! That's so cool! How's your arm so long?!"

"Don't you dare drop her!" Natsu barked at him, and Gajeel snickered.

"I'll do whatever I-"

A bunch of projectiles hit him in the gut, cards falling to the floor with Aki. Cana, leaping below the Iron Dragon Slayer, caught her. While Zeref and Natsu seemed to have had heart attacks, Aki was laughing harder than ever.

"W-wait!" she choked suddenly, looking anxious for the first time. "Breathe! Breathe!"

Cana, smiling triumphantly, shook her finger at Gajeel as he had come up to her. "She needs a break, Shoo-be-doo-ba."

"I'm going to kill you, card-witch!"

"I'm okay now!" Aki chirped cheerfully a minute later, and Gajeel started forward, only to run into a barrier of runes.

"I'll take her," Freed said pleasantly, flying past Cana, who was also stopped from retaliating by runes.

"FREED!"

"You have wings!" Aki cheered, peering over his shoulder. At that moment, Gajeel's iron pole arm came out of nowhere, Freed crashing headfirst into it. Before Gajeel could reach the laughing girl, though, Evergreen had flown in, snatching her up.

"She must be scared of all you clunky men!" she shouted over her shoulder, not noticing as Cana leapt into the air in front of her. She looked forward just in time to let Cana land a hit on her nose, Aki falling again, this time caught by four of Bickslow's dolls.

"Hey."

Lucy glanced down to see Zeref, looking fearful.

"Can you stop them?" he asked, hands wringing.

She blinked; it was the first time a small Zeref had asked her for anything because he didn't know what to do. A small Zeref? she thought tiredly. This is getting like Jellal.

"Please?"

She shook herself, squatting down beside him. "They won't drop her-"

"They are!" he protested. "They keep dropping her over and over! And when they don't catch her-"

She shook her head, smiling. "They won't miss. I'll try to stop them, Zeref," she added at his helpless expression, "but until I manage it, you should know that no one will let her hit the ground. Someone will always catch her."

He scowled, but his attention was grabbed as Aki's voice rose above the clamor, "Giant-san!"

Looking up, Lucy heaved a sigh of relief. Someone who could control the chaos had stepped in, and she needn't worry anymore.

"How's this, Aki-tan?!" Makarov was grinning, still as large as ever, and Aki was ecstatic.

"You all have magic?" she asked him, and he beamed at her.

"Yep, all of us-"

"Master!" Lucy called, hurrying up to him. "Master, Zeref wants her to come-"

"NO!" Aki shot back, bristling.

"Aki-ki!" Zeref shouted, everyone having quieted enough for him to be heard. "Aki-ki, if you fall-"

"NO!" She stuck her tongue out.

"Can I come up?" Natsu asked eagerly, and Zeref looked at him. Lucy noticed Natsu share a second-long look with him before running up to Makarov. "I wanna come up too!"

"Yeah!" Aki cheered, and Zeref's shoulders relaxed slightly.

"He doesn't want to go up at all, does he?" Lucy asked quietly, stepping up beside him.

He shook his head. "He would have fun with it, but Aki-ki doesn't like to be helped."

He looked sad, but before Lucy could think of something to say – or even know what was wrong – Porlyusica had shown up, summoning her broom and knocking Makarov over the head with it.

"Are you trying to kill the girl!?" she scolded as he shrunk down, Aki looking disappointed. "Honestly, Makarov!"

"Calm down, Porlyusica," he said placatingly, letting Aki and Natsu off his shoulders. "We weren't going to-"

"What if she fell?! What if she ran out of breath?! What would you do if you tossing her around like a doll had hurt her?!"

"We-"

Aki jogged her awkward run out the back door of the guild they had been in, stopping a short ways away. I can't even run properly! She wiped furiously at her eyes. "I'm not! I'm not- I'm-" She sniffed, crouching behind a crate. "'m not…"

A hand appeared in front of her face, and she looked tearfully up. Natsu beamed toothily at her. "Let's go!"

She blinked, then bit her lip, taking his hand. "Mn!"

"Where should we go first?" Zeref asked, panting as he caught up to them.

"Do you think they have ice cream everywhere?" Aki asked thickly, rubbing her eyes dry.

Zeref groaned. "You just want to win one over on me!"

She grinned mischievously. "It was a dumb prediction to have stuck to, Zeref-oni."

He hmphed, crossing his arms. "I was tired, okay?"

"Let's look!" Natsu said eagerly.

And the three started down the alleyway, wholly unconcerned at the chaos within the guild that their disappearance had caused.

Unbeknownst to any of them, a stunned Jackal was staring at a simple piece of paper within the demolished Magic Council Headquarters.

Trial of the Black Mages

(Aki and Zeref Dragneel)

Affilliations: Fairy Tail, Alvarez

Charges…

He lurched, stunned, before catching himself and starting towards the only living council member left.

"Where are they?"