Alright, how you guys doing? We're now at the conclusion of the Fairy/Phantom War! Damn, what a ride it was, with all the fighting, the destruction, and crippling. Well, let's see how this conclude! Hope nothing bad happens.
Chapter 10: Aftermath of the Guild War
In the place where the Fairy Tail guild once stood, the mages were busy rebuilding, carrying lumber and concrete as they build the foundation of their headquarter. Mirajane, Lisanna and Flare were giving refreshments to the builders.
It's been three weeks since the Fairy Tail/Phantom Lord Guild War, and the victorious guild was slowly rebuilding itself from the ground. The mages were happily and quickly doing construction work.
"Man, I can't believe the damn council questioned us non-stop for a week," Kurama grumbled as he lied on top of Fox's head.
"It was standard procedure," Fox commented, carrying some lumber. "After all, it isn't everyday a guild war happens."
A Week Earlier…
As the mages build the foundation of their new building, the Magic Council Knights suddenly appeared, wanting to ask some question.
"RUN AWAY!" Natsu and Happy exclaimed in fear as they ran as soon as they saw the knights.
Only for them to be caught by a magic trap.
"Why did you idiots even bother?" Kurama asked as the two flailed helplessly in the air.
"UWAH!" Makarov cried, having dreaded this moment.
"Master, please calm down!" Erza exclaimed to the crying guild master.
"We only want some questions answered," the one leading the group said, a man wearing glasses with his hair tied up with two bangs framing his face, lavender eyes behind circular glasses, wearing a Rune Knight uniform. "That is all."
The Rune Knights then lined them up and asked them questions one by one, asking how the guild war started and whose fault was it.
Present…
After weeks of non-stop interrogation, the council finally left Fairy Tail with a slap on the wrist. But for Phantom Lord, the guild was disbanded due to starting the guild war, causing millions of property damage.
Though when they saw the condition of Jose Porla, who was stripped from his title of Wizard Saint, the council asked who done such damage to him. Makarov replied that it was him who defeated the former guild master. The rest who knew the truth tried to say it wasn't, but Fox stopped them.
They were confused on why Fox would keep his accomplishments a secret, like he wanted people to think he was weak. They didn't like it, but they respected his wishes, begrudgingly.
After answering their questions, and paying half the fine, they continued rebuilding, planning to make the guild bigger than the last one.
"Rah!" Fox and Kurama turned to where the voice came from, where Natsu was carrying a big pile of lumber. "Ha! See!? I can carry more than you, Stripper!"
"Oh yeah!?" Gray exclaimed, carrying a bigger pile of lumber with sacks of cement. "What were you saying, Pinkie!?"
Natsu growled before he picked up a ridiculously big pile of lumber, cement bags and cinderblocks. Gray quickly grabbed a similar pile, not wanting to be outdone by Natsu. The two could barely stand, their limbs shaking from the weight.
Kurama picked up two small sticks and flew above them. He placed the sticks on their pile, and suddenly, both boys fell on the ground, the pile falling all over them.
"Natsu! Gray! Stop fooling around!" Erza exclaimed, dressed like a construction worker, wearing a beige jumpsuit and a helmet.
"Hai…" the two said from the pile, their heads popping out.
"I'd help you out, but then you guys won't learn," Fox said as Kurama landed back on his head, a bento box in his hands.
"Oh yeah!? I bet you can't carry more than us!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Black Vortex," Fox said, raising his palm to three big piles of lumber, sacks of concrete, and cinderblocks. His shadow swallowed the piles before turning to an empty space where the guildmates were looking for more materials. "Liberation."
"Woah!" they exclaimed as more materials appeared in front of them. "Thanks Fox-san!"
"Grr…that doesn't count!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Keep telling yourself that," Fox said as he put the empty bento box down.
"Hm? Where'd you get the lunch box?" Gray asked as the two struggled to get free.
"From her," Fox said, gesturing at someone hiding behind a pile of lumber. She gave a squeak as she quickly hid behind the pile. "It's pretty good."
"Isn't she from Phantom Lord?" Natsu asked in confusion.
"The war is over now, so we have no quarrels with mages from a disbanded guild," Fox said. "Now, let's keep on rebuilding. The old man seems eager to finish the job."
They turned to see their guild master in his giant form, wearing a construction outfit as he lifted a large pile of lumber with ease, whistling jovially. Natsu and Gray grumbled as they picked up some of the lumber from their pile.
"At this rate, the new guild will be done in no time," Mirajane cheered as she held on to the blueprints.
"What's the new guild gonna look like?" Natsu asked as he, Gray and Kurama looked at the blueprints.
"What the hell?" Kurama muttered as the blueprint showed a bizarre-looking building.
"What dumbass wrote this?" Gray asked as he looked at the blueprints.
Mirajane smiled before she was crying in Lisanna's arms, who was comforting her.
"Crap! I didn't mean it like that, Mira-san!" Gray exclaimed as the people around them gave him dirty looks.
"Well, let's get back to work," Fox said as he walked away. "Let's go before Gray-san makes someone else cry."
"Hey!"
Kurama flew off Fox's head to help somewhere else. Fox was about to move when he sensed someone walking towards him. He turned to face Loki, who was a little pale and have bags under his eyes.
"Hey, Fox-san," he said tiredly.
"You alright, Loki-san?" he asked to the playboy. "Do you need more seals to stable yourself?"
"No, I'm still good," Loki said with a tired chuckle, looking at the only man who knows his secret. He reached something in his coat and handed it to Fox, which was a set of Spirit Keys. "It's Lucy-san's keys. I managed to find them. Can you give it to her, please?"
"Sure," Fox said, taking the keys from Loki, who smiled gratefully. "You know, you can trust Lucy-san. She won't judge you for what happened."
"I know…but I don't trust myself," Loki said with a sad smile. With a wave, he walked away from Fox.
Fox put the keys in his cloak before turning to the construction. Since they seem to be doing well, he decided to go visit Lucy to give her keys back. He hasn't seen her in a while now, so it will be nice to visit her, especially since she was in a fragile state of mind.
"Kurama, I'm going to see Lucy-san," he called to his furry companion. "Wanna come?"
"What? And leave doing this boring job?" Kurama said dramatically before he flew towards him and landed on his head with a plop. "Let's go."
"You guys going to see Lucy?" Natsu asked. "I wanna come! Haven't seen her since we started building."
"Aye!" Happy said, floating beside Natsu.
"Yes, it would be nice to see how she is faring," Erza said, her clothes changing to her usual armor and skirt.
"Well, let's go see her then," Gray said.
Fox was surprised, but nodded as he led them through the construction and towards Lucy's apartment. He didn't think there'd be a time when Fox would be walking with his comrades when not on a mission.
It felt very nice.
As they made it towards Lucy's apartment, Fox realized that something was wrong.
"Lucy-san's not here," he commented as he stared at her window.
"Hey, you're right," Natsu commented as he took a whiff, finding her scent not inside.
"How can you tell?" Gray asked Fox.
"Something's not right," Fox said as they walked inside the apartment, with the others in tow. They entered her room, finding it empty and dark. The group looked around the room, seeing that her stuff was still there.
"Look like she's been gone for a day now," Kurama commented as he floated off Fox's head as he surveyed the room.
"Where did you think she has gone to?" Erza asked in confusion and worry.
"I don't know," Fox said with a shake of his head.
"Woah!"
Everyone looked at Happy, who was rooting through the upper cabinet and a box fell on him. When the box landed on the floor, they saw that it was a large pile of letters.
"Letters?" Gray asked as Kurama landed near the pile and picked up a later. "Did she receive them?"
"No, she wrote them," Kurama said as he looked at the address. "And they're addressed to her mother."
"That can't be right," Fox said. "Her mother has been dead for years now."
"What? How do you know that?" Natsu asked, shocked as Erza looked at the letters.
"I did some research after the Guild War on Lucy's father," Fox replied.
"Guys!" Erza exclaimed, getting their attention. In her hands was a piece of paper. "It says here that Lucy is going home."
"What!?" Natsu, Gray and Happy exclaimed. "Is she quitting the guild!?"
"You think she still feels responsible for what happened?" Kurama asked, his brows furrowed.
Suddenly, the shadows in the apartment was swirling around them. Natsu, Gray, Erza and Happy were suddenly pulled towards Fox as Kurama quickly jumped on his head. The shadows wrapped around them as they were teleported out of the apartment.
Natsu, Gray and Happy screamed as they traveled through the shadows. Suddenly, there was a bright light and the three fell to the ground in a mass of limbs as Fox and Erza landed on their feet, Kurama still on Fox's head.
"Ugh…I think I'm gonna hurl…" Natsu groaned, his cheeks puffing a little, looking a little sick.
"Where are we?" Gray groaned, shaking the stars out of his eyes. He then spotted a big mansion nearby and saw that they were at the center of a village. "Woah. Whose house is that?"
"Hurry!" Fox said as he quickly ran towards the mansion.
"Wait up!" Natsu exclaimed as they followed him towards the mansion. Suddenly, just as they reached the gates, it opened, and walking out of it was Lucy, who was wiping tears off her eyes.
"Lucy!"
She jumped as she looked in front of her, seeing her friends running towards her.
"Guys!?" she exclaimed as Happy flew to her chest, crying. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"
"Lucy-san, don't leave the guild!" Erza exclaimed.
"Yeah! We don't blame you for what happened!" Gray exclaimed.
"Don't quit the guild, Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed. "I'll beat up your dad for you if that'll make you feel better!"
"What are you guys talking about?" Lucy asked, looking confused.
"We saw this in your box of letters," Fox replied, showing her the note.
"Oh," Lucy said, chuckling sheepishly. "I'm sorry about that. I'm not quitting the guild. I just had some personal business to take care of."
"Are you feeling okay now?" Fox asked.
"Yes, I'm ready to go home," Lucy said with a smile, causing Natsu and Happy to cheer while Erza, Gray and Kurama smiled.
"Still, that's a big mansion you live in," Kurama commented. "I know you were rich, but not that rich."
"And yet you struggle with your rent," Fox commented. "That's admirable."
"Thanks, I think…" Lucy said with a chuckle as she turned to her mansion, a nostalgic smile on her face. "I'm going to miss this place. This is where my mother played with me. We used to go exploring on our private mountains. It was fun."
"…Private mountains?"
"Well, yeah," Lucy said, looking at her friends as she gestured at the mountains around the village. "Those mountains are my family's private property."
Lucy blinked as she saw that most of them stared at her in shock. She jumped when Natsu and Gray saluted at her.
"All hail, Lucy-oujasama!" Gray exclaimed.
"Saying all that like it was nothing!" Natsu exclaimed as the started dancing the same dance they do whenever Erza scared them.
"Natsu and Gray have been beaten!" Happy exclaimed as he turned to Erza. "Erza-taicho, please give us your orders!"
"…This sure looks like a nice place to live in…" Erza said, staring out in the horizon.
"Oh no! Even Erza has been beaten!" Happy exclaimed in a panic.
Lucy, Kurama and Fox watched as the others were still in disbelief. Lucy suddenly giggled, feeling happy to be back with her friends. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her head, patting her. Surprised, she looked at Fox.
"Well, let's get going before it gets dark," he said as he walked towards the four, grabbing Natsu and Gray, dragging them away. Kurama pushed Erza, making her follow them. Lucy watched them go before she smiled and grabbed a floating Happy, running after them.
"Oh, Lucy-san," Fox said as he grabbed something from his cloak. He then pulled out Lucy's keys.
"My keys!" Lucy exclaimed happily as she took them from Fox's hand. "I've been looking for these! Thank you, Fox-kun!"
"Don't thank me, thank Loki-san," Fox said.
"Loki?" Lucy said in surprised. She remembered the infamous playboy of Fairy Tail, who ran away from her when he realized she was a Celestial Spirit Mage, so she has little interaction with him. "That was nice of him."
"…Lucy-san," Fox said, causing Lucy to look at him. "Loki-san…doesn't dislike you…he's wary of you."
"Wary? Of me?" Lucy asked, confused before gasping. "Is it because I'm too beautiful?"
"…It's because you're a Celestial Spirit Mage," Fox replied. "Before he joined Fairy Tail…he was involved with a Celestial Spirit Mage."
"Really?" Lucy asked, surprised. "Who?"
"I can't say," Fox said. "I've already said too much. Just know that he's a good person."
"Well…if Fox-kun said he is, that I'll believe it," Lucy said with a smile. "Thanks for coming for me."
"Don't thank me, it's natural for me to worry for a com…a friend, 'ttebayo," Fox said, scratching his cheek a little.
Lucy looked at him, a surprised expression on her face. To her, it seemed like he was embarrassed. She started giggling, blushing lightly. Despite on how he acted, Fox can be cute sometimes. She looked at him, staring at the metal plate where his eyes were hidden. She remembered when she saw her eyes, when she saw those blue eyes looking at her with concern after he saved her. Her heart started beating loudly as her face turned red.
"Hm? Are you okay?" Fox asked, noticing Lucy's heart rate increasing.
"I'm fine!" Lucy exclaimed suddenly. "It's just…a lot of things happened today."
"Well, just take it easy then," Fox said.
"Fox, couldn't you just teleport us back?" Kurama asked, turning to them.
"I could, but sometimes it's nice to take the scenic route," Fox replied.
"Well…can't argue with that," Kurama said as he suddenly landed on Fox's head. "After all, times like these don't come often."
"Yeah," Lucy said with a small smile, looking at her friends. "They don't."
The group spent the rest of the journey in silence, enjoying the company they have.
Meanwhile, in Era, Siegrain was sitting on his chair, doing some paperwork. He smirked as a pair of arms wrapped around his neck.
"So, are the rumors true?" he asked Ultear.
"Yes," Ultear said with a nod. "It appears our mysterious friend likes to keep up the act of being weak."
"It seems unusual, but it might work in our favor," Siegrain said with a smirk. "It's almost time for that. We have to make sure that things go exactly as planned."
A Few Days Later…
"Everyone, we can finally take Guild Requests again!" Mirajane cheered from the temporary bar, showing a new request board full of new requests.
The mages cheered before rushing to the board. Lucy was sitting on a stool, watching as her comrades happily grabbed some requests. Next to her was Fox, drinking his sake, Kurama hanging on his head.
"It's getting loud again," Kurama grumbled as he looked at the mages.
"It's fine," Fox said as he poured another cup. "We could use some normality after the days we have."
"Yeah, I really miss this noise," Lucy agreed before she winced.
"Are you alright, Lucy-san?" Flare asked as she helped mind the bar with Lisanna and Mirajane.
"Yeah," Lucy said as she rested her head on the table. "It's just…Aquarius didn't hold back…"
Flashback…
"You little brat!" Aquarius exclaimed as she held a paddle. "I'll teach you to drop your keys!"
"No!" Lucy cried as she ran around her apartment, avoiding Aquarius. "Fox-kun! Kurama-san! Help me!"
"Sorry, Lucy-san," Fox said calmly as he and Kurama just watched, the latter more so in amusement. "But think of it as a lesson to never drop your valuables again."
"Damn it! Help me-kyah!" Lucy screamed when she felt Aquarius grabbed her and placed her on her lap, holding her down. "No! At least not in front of Fox-kun!"
'WHACK!'
"KYAH!"
Flashback End…
"Yeah, that mermaid of yours really have one heck of an arm," Kurama said with a wicked grin. "I bet that fatass of yours is red."
"Shut up!" Lucy growled before her hand went to her throbbing backside, still feeling the stinging pain. "It's bad enough she had to do it in front of you guys. You could have stopped her instead of letting her finish!"
"If we do, then you won't learn anything," Fox replied, sipping his sake.
"…Is this about making you guys worried about me quitting the guild?"
"…Maybe," Fox replied, causing Lucy to pout at him.
"Wow, sounds rough, Lucy-chan," Lisanna commented with a sweatdrop.
"Do you want me to cool it for you?" Gray asked, holding out a palm that was releasing some icy-cold mist.
"I don't need any of that pseudo-sexual harassment," Lucy grumbled.
"Hey, Lucy, can you show us your red butt?" Happy asked.
"At least try to be subtle, stupid cat!" Lucy exclaimed.
"I wonder if I can make it even redder?" Natsu commented as he held a flaming hand.
"You're a monster!" Lucy exclaimed hysterically as Natsu chuckled evilly.
"Natsu-san, duck," Fox warned.
"Bastard!" Erza exclaimed as a barrel slammed onto Natsu.
Startled, everyone turned and saw Erza glaring angrily at Laxus, who was sitting on one of the tables, a smug sneer on his face. All the members backed away as Erza was leaking out killing intent.
"When did Laxus got back?" Gray commented as Natsu stood up, rubbing his head.
"Erza-san's really pissed," Lucy commented in a worried tone.
"I dare you to say that again!" she exclaimed angrily.
"Then I'll say it again," Laxus said, not worried at the look Erza was giving him. "Our guild doesn't need weaklings. Look what happened? You guys couldn't even defend the headquarters."
The mages all glared at Laxus, but were too scared to attack. Laxus then noticed Lucy, causing his sneer to grow.
"And look, the weak, little princess who caused the war," he said, causing Lucy to flinch. "If it wasn't for you, Fairy Tail would still be standing."
"That's enough, Laxus-san," a calm voice said, causing Laxus to look behind Lucy. Fox walked in front of Lucy as Kurama landed on Lucy's head, surprising her. Everyone was surprised to see Fox standing up against Laxus.
"Oh? And what are you going to do about, Fox?" Laxus asked as he stood up and walked towards Fox. "After all, you were beaten by those Phantom Lord trashes. Honestly, I'm disappointed in you."
Everyone gulped as they felt the tension rise between the two. Erza stood between them, ready to intervene if necessary. She knew that Fox wasn't as weak as he showed himself to the guild, so she knew a fight between the two would be devastating.
"Hmph," Laxus just huffed and just walked past Fox. "I don't need to waste my time with you. Once I take the guild, weaklings will be kicked out. Fairy Tail doesn't need any weaklings."
"…You're right, Laxus-san," Fox said, causing Laxus to look at him. "Fairy Tail doesn't need any weaklings."
Everyone seemed shocked that Fox would say such a thing. Lucy looked at Fox, a look of fear in her eyes, as Erza looked surprised.
"But…there are no weaklings in Fairy Tail," Fox continued, facing at Laxus, who could see an image of a giant, snarling fox behind him. "Don't forget that."
Laxus looked at Fox before he clicked his teeth and walked away. Once he was gone, all the mages cheered, surprising Fox.
"Man, Fox sure is something standing up against Laxus."
"Who knew he can be cool like that?"
"Damn, I was scared that Laxus would fry him alive."
Fox looked down, a little embarrassed at their compliments. He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder, sensing that it was Lucy, who had a smile on her face.
"Thank you, Fox-kun," she said as Kurama flew back on Fox's head. "For standing up for me."
"I only told him the truth," Fox commented. "There are no weaklings in Fairy Tail."
Lucy noticed the sincerity in his voice, making her smile and blush slightly. She then turned to the direction Laxus walked away in, frowning a little.
"I can't believe someone like him is in Fairy Tail," she grumbled, remember his promise once he became Guild Master. "There's no way he'll become Guild Master…right?"
"Actually, there's a big chance he will be," Erza said as she looked down. "Since Laxus is Master Makarov's grandson, it's very likely that he will become Guild Master."
"No way," Lucy said, looking worried.
"No need to fret about it," Fox said, calming Lucy down. "Despite how he acts, Laxus-san is a good guy and cares for the guild. He's just really awkward sometimes."
"I don't see it," Lucy commented, not imagining Laxus being a kind and caring guy. "I'm surprise that you're defending him, Fox-kun."
"Me and Laxus-san have history," Fox replied as he turned to the direction Laxus walked off to, sensing the surprise Lucy and Erza had. "Trust me when I say that he's a good guy."
"Very well, if you say so," Erza said with a smile before pulling out a request she grabbed. "Here, why don't we all take a mission together."
"Really?" Lucy took it, seeing that it was a request to stop an illegal magic school. "It's been a while."
"Natsu! Gray! We're going on a mission," Erza called to Natsu and Gray.
"Huh? When did we start doing missions together?" Gray asked.
"Since we've become a team," Erza replied.
"Huh!? When did we become a team!?" Gray asked.
"Yeah! I don't wanna be teammates with Stripper here!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Who wants to be teammates with you, Pinky!" Gray exclaimed, causing the two to butt heads.
"Are you two fighting?" Erza asked, releasing a threatening aura.
"No, we're not!"
"Aye!"
Lucy chuckled as Gray and Natsu acted like buddies, sweating from fear. Fox started walking away before Erza grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Hold it, Fox-san," Erza said. "You and Kurama are coming with us."
"Hah? Since when are we going with you guys?" Kurama asked.
"Are you sure?" Fox asked, turning to face her.
"You're our comrade, we want you on our team," Erza said with a smile as Lucy nodded as Natsu and Gray glared at each other.
"Ara, ara," Mirajane said with a smile. "I've never seen such a powerful team before."
"Yeah! This might be Fairy Tail's strongest team!" Lisanna agreed with a smile.
"Well, they're strong, for a bunch of brats," Ur commented.
"Wow," Flare commented with sparkly eyes.
"…I guess I could give it a try," Fox said as he turned to face them.
"Then let's go," Erza said with a smile, raising her fist into the air, causing everyone to cheer.
Three Days Later…
Lucy was resting her head on the bar, crying at the failed job. Fox was beside her, patting her back awkwardly as Kurama was on his usual spot on Fox's head.
"I take it the mission didn't go well?" Mirajane asked with a chuckle as Lucy kept crying.
"It did not," Fox said. "We stopped the school, but I think we have done more harm than good. I managed to stop the bomb, but I was too late in stopping Natsu-san and Gray-san."
"You can say that again," Kurama said with a snort. "I think that village regretted hiring us. At least, they regret hiring those two idiots."
"What happened?" Flare asked, looking curious.
"Natsu and Gray got into an argument when they were fighting the enemy, so they wreck the village," Fox explained. "At least they defeated the mages."
"I think the villagers would have preferred the illegal school than having Natsu and Gray save them," Kurama grumbled.
"And because of that, the reward money was decreased," Lucy moaned, tears flowing from her eyes. "I barely have enough for my rent."
"Man, to think you used to be rich," Kurama said, chuckling.
"Well, I'll be going now," Fox said as he walked towards the request board.
"Going?" Lucy asked, looking at Fox.
"My usual client sent a request to guard his caravan," Fox replied as he faced the board. "Hm? Strange. Where is it?"
He felt someone behind him. He turned to Cana, who was unusually shy, holding his request.
"Cana-san?" he asked, confused since they haven't talked in a long time.
"Hey, Fox," she said, trying to sound her usual confident self. "I was wondering if I can tag along with this job."
"Why?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"Well…the reward is free booze," Cana replied, avoiding eye contact, even though Fox's eyes were covered.
"I see…" Fox said, tilting his head. Cana gulped nervously, feeling some sweat fall from her head. "Okay."
"R-really?" Cana asked, surprised.
"I don't see why not," Fox said.
"Alright!" Cana said with a wide smile. "Let's go then!"
She surprised Fox by grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the construction site, having a lot of eyes following them.
"Wow, Cana-san is becoming so brave," Lisanna commented before she turned to her sister, who was releasing a silent killing aura. "That's what happens when you're too slow, Mira-nee."
Lisanna then turned to Lucy, who was pouting as she looked at the ground. She giggled, seeing that this was going to be fun to watch.
Later…
"It's rare of Fox-san to have company, especially a beauty like your friend," Meto commented as he drove his cart through the road. "Not that I'm complaining! No offense, but it's nice to have a beauty around."
"Unless they're troublesome," Kurama commented, resting on Fox's head. "And they usually are."
Fox was sitting on top of the cart as usual, looking laxed. But he was using his chakra to feel his surroundings, making sure nothing would ambush them. Cana was sitting next to him, looking nervous. She wasn't even drinking.
"Why did I do this!?" she cried internally, her face red as she avoided looking at Fox. "Did I drink too much that I asked to go on this mission with him!? Or maybe I was too sober! I should have drank more! Damn it!"
Cana had no idea what prompted her to go to Fox with this quest. She just noticed how close the new girl was to her, and then she noticed Mirajane becoming bolder with Fox, giving him ramen and talking to him. Not to mention how Levy seem to develop feelings for Fox after their accidental kiss.
"Which doesn't count since she was kissing the mask! It doesn't count!"
Cana peeked at Fox, who was silently sitting, not making a sound. She spotted a few birds perched on his knees and arms.
She's known Fox ever since he joined the guild, a quiet person whose entire face was covered. No one knows his name, his face, heck, they doubted whether he was a he or a she. She always saw him at the guild, sitting alone at the corner table, not talking to anyone.
It didn't seem like the two would ever interact, with her being the boisterous, flirting alcoholic and him being the mysterious recluse, but she somehow talked to him almost two years ago.
It was after the S-Class Exam, when she failed.
Flashback…
Cana was stumbling across the rainy streets, an empty bottle in her hands, her face flushed and her eyes hollow. She failed the S-Class Exam again, losing to the mysterious Mystogan. This was her fourth time taking the exam, and she failed again.
She grunted as she fell on the sidewalk, dropping the empty bottle, which shattered on the ground. She just lied on the wet, cold pavement, slowly closing her eyes, not registering the footsteps she heard.
When she woke up, she found herself in a room she's never seen before, right next to a roaring fireplace, dry and covered in a warm blanket, sitting on a wooden chair.
"W-where am I?" she said as she stood up, looking around the place. It was a simple room with wooden floor, walls and furniture, with scrolls piled in the shelves and tables, poaches full weapons, an apothecary grinder and weird smelling herbs. "Who put me here?"
"Oh, glad to see you're awake," a voice said behind her, making her jump. She turned and saw Fox with a cup of hot tea. "You were passed out in the rain, so I brought you to my home."
"Eh!? Fox's home!?" Cana exclaimed in shock.
"Why do you seem so surprised?" Fox asked as he handed her the tea.
"Well…I didn't think your place would be like…this," Cana gestured as she accepted the tea. "I thought it'd be dark and gloomy. It's actually nice."
"So…why were you so depressed, Cana-san?" Fox asked as he sat down to the chair in front of her, making her look at him in shock. "Is it because of the S-Class Exams?"
Cana looked down on her tea, using it to warm up her hands. She looked at her reflection, seeing the defeated look in her eyes.
"You shouldn't be depressed for failing, Cana-san," Fox commented, causing Cana to look at him. "It's impressive enough that you manage to be selected four years in a row. It shows that you're a force to be reckon with."
"But I've tried for four years, and I still couldn't get that promotion," Cana said, looking down. "I need to get that promotion."
"…Does it have something to do with your relationship to Gildarts-san?" Fox asked.
Cana dropped her tea, causing it to spill on the floor, and looked at Fox in shock. She never told anyone about why she joined the guild, not even Master Makarov.
"H-how d-did you know?" she stammered in shock, staring at Fox with wide eyes.
"Your magic signature is almost similar to Gildart-san," Fox explained, causing Cana to look confused. "Family tend to share similarities in their magic signature. You and Gildart-san share a lot of similarities in your magic signature, the same the Strauss siblings have similar magic signature. That's why they can use the same type magic."
"B-but I can use the same magic as Gildarts," Cana said, trying to steer Fox away from the truth.
"True, but you can use the same level of magic he can," Fox said, causing Cana to look at him. "You have the potential to surpass him."
She looked surprised when he said that. He barely talked to anyone, and here he is, encouraging her. She looked at her hands, trembling a little.
"…It must have been painful, keeping it to yourself," Fox said, feeling her rampant emotions. "If you want to talk about it, I'm all ears."
Cana didn't know why, but she started telling Fox everything. Tears spilled from her eyes as the secret she kept hidden for years was finally out. When she was done, she felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders.
"So, you want to become an S-Class Mage, because you want to feel confident when you talk to Gildart-san?" Fox concluded after Cana finished her story, handing her a new cup of tea.
"Well…yeah," Cana nodded, feeling a little embarrassed from crying in front of him.
"I don't think you need to be scared to tell Gildart-san, but it's your decision," Fox said before he started musing. "…If you want, I can help you."
Flashback End…
After that, she spent one year training under Fox. She remembered the hellish physical training, with the gravity seals, the running, the sparring, and restricting her alcoholic drinks. But she remembered how fun it was, getting to know Fox, seeing him in a different light, slowly getting smitten by him.
But when the S-Class Exam came, she was so nervous that she couldn't focus, failing on the second trial. She was so ashamed that she started avoiding Fox, embarrassed that she let him down. Now, seeing how Lucy and Mirajane started getting closer to Fox, she decided to stop being scared and try to reconnect with him.
Right now, she was stuck. What can she do to start a conversation to a guy she avoided for almost a year?
"There's trouble," Fox suddenly said as he turned to the right. He gently waved the birds off him and stood up. "A small group. Not that strong, though they can use magic."
Cana turned to where he was facing, squinting her eyes. As usual, she couldn't see what he saw. All she saw were some boulders and trees.
"Where?" she asked, looking around.
"Below us," Fox replied as the ground in front of the cart suddenly exploded, and a couple of figures jumped out.
Four of the ugliest girls wearing rags got in front of the cart, and leading them was a short, fat man wearing rags, long, greasy hair that reached his shoulders and uncomfortably long nose hair that looked like a beard.
"Now then, we shall be taking this cart now, boyoyoyo!" the fat man declared.
"Hm? Hey, isn't that Everlue?" Kurama commented as he looked at the man. "He escaped last week."
"Oh yeah, former Duke Everlue," Fox nodded. "Lucy-san was the one who beat him."
"You know that ugly broad!?" Everlue exclaimed, looking angry. "So, you're from Fairy Tail? Excellent! I can have my revenge, by destroying you, boyoyoyoyo!"
"Cana-san, do you want to handle this?" Fox asked, looking at Cana.
"Me?" Cana asked in a shocked tone. "Really?"
"Oh? Going to hide behind this ugly broad?" Everlue taunted, causing Cana to look angry. "Just be warned, after we escaped prison, my beautiful maids were training to get revenge, boyo-!"
"Card Magic: Thunderbolt's Fate!"
Before Everlue could attack, he and his harem of ugly maids were shocked by Cana's Card Magic, who had a cold look on her face as the man who insulted her was shocked by the electricity. When she was done, Everlue and his harem fell to the ground, burned, smoking and occasionally twitching.
"Man, talk about overboard," Kurama commented as Fox using his magic to swallow the unconscious group into his shadow. "He must have struck a nerve."
"Good job, Cana-san," Fox said as he faced her, making her blush. "You've gotten quite stronger since the last time we met."
"Well, sometimes, I do the training regime you taught me," Cana said as she looked on the ground. It was true, whenever she was on a mission far away from the guild, she would do the training she did under Fox, vowing to pass the next S-Class Exam.
"I'm surprised," Fox commented. "I thought you stopped doing that."
"Why?" Cana asked.
"Because you hated me," Fox replied, causing Cana to look at him in surprise.
"Why would you think that I hate you?" Cana asked.
"Well…because I let you down," Fox explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "I promised you that you would become an S-Class mage, but you didn't. And then you avoided me, so I thought you were made at me."
"I wasn't mad at you!" Cana exclaimed, causing Fox to face her. She looked down a little, embarrassed by her outburst. "I…I thought you were mad at me."
"But…I wasn't mad at you," Fox said.
"To be fair, she couldn't really tell with your face covered up like that," Kurama said in a deadpanned tone.
"I see," Fox said with a sweatdrop. He then bowed to Cana, surprising her. "I'm sorry, Cana-san. I assumed you hated me without getting the facts first and ended up straining our friendship."
"N-no! It wasn't your fault!" Cana said. "It's my fault for not talking to you!"
"But it was my fault for not going to you."
"But you couldn't have known that, so it's my fault!"
"How about we skip the middleman and say it's both your fault," Kurama said in a deadpanned tone.
"Yes, that seems acceptable," Fox said with a nod before turning to Cana. "Cana-san, though it's been a long time, I would like to catch up."
"Hm…only on one condition," Cana said with a smile. "You share a drink with me."
"I can do that," Fox said, a smile behind his mask.
Cana smiled widely as they continued on their way, feeling that the gap between her and Fox has shortened. Now she needed to get ahead of Lucy, Levy and Mirajane. Meanwhile, Fox was happy to reconnect with an old friend.
Alright, ending the chapter here. The guild is being rebuilt, Fox is now on a team, Cana finally reconciled with Fox, and we learn a little of how she and Fox met, and Fox knows Loki's secret. Got some funny moments and serious moments, mostly funny moments.
We're almost at the Tower of Heaven arc. Looking forward to that. But before that, let's see how the Elemental Nations are going.
See you later! And stay safe! I know it's the holidays, but it's not safe! Stay indoors!