A Quincy's Fairy Tail

by Goshinzilla

Bambietta Basterbine finds herself a stranger in a strange new world. Separated from the life she once knew as a Stern Ritter in the employ of the Vandenreich, she will now have to find her place in the kingdom of Fiore. However, what the volatile Quincy never expected was to discover her salvation within the guild known as Fairy Tail. Now has a page on TV Tropes!

79. Harvest Hardships

Ladies and Gentlemen, we're back with another chapter of "A Quincy's Fairy Tail" and one I'm quite excited for. This is where things will take a slightly unexpected turn. How? Why? Well, I'll keep that part a secret. You'll see what I mean in due time.

Regardless, I just want to say how happy I have been with the anime adaptation of The Thousand Year Blood War arc thus far. From seeing the OG Gotie 13 in action, to seeing Meninas early (underrated quincy waifu, but not as much as Bambi.) and overall extending fight scenes, along with the improvements in animation that have come from the 10 year wait have made an arc I already enjoyed into an absolute masterpiece.

That's not to say I'm looking forward to everything. (I know I'm going to hate the Zombietta stuff with every fiber of my being) but overall, we're starting out great so far.

Well, I think I've kept you all waiting long enough, let's go on with the show!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shönen Jump. Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and Weekly Shönen Magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.

---

If Momo Hinamori was to be entirely honest with herself, Fairy Tail was nothing like she had expected. In the two years she had spent studying at Oak Town's magic university, she had heard much about them. From the overwhelming might of their mightiest of mages to tales of heroics and fighting against overwhelming odds, it was safe to say that the rest of Fiore held them in high regard. Even when Phantom Lord had initiated its attack and with word about its supposed strength having faded over the years, Fairy Tail had still managed to emerge victorious.

It was due to the murmurs she had heard over the last two years that she thought that the majority of its guild must have been filled with highly professional individuals, with mages wise beyond their years, and filled with the most powerful mages she had ever encountered.

Any and all hopes she once had of the former two had been almost completely destroyed within her first day at the guild. It was a chaotic mess that, frankly, made Squad 11 seem fairly tame by comparison. After seeing such wanton chaos, she began to wonder if becoming a member had been the right choice.

Granted, as soon as the guild brawl had come to an end, the members of Fairy Tail quickly got together to promptly clean up the mess they had made, and in less than an hour, the guild hall was almost good as new, and all grudges created during the brawl seemed to have subsided but after the relatively recent actions of Laxus Dreyar... She'd be lying if she said she wasn't the least bit concerned.

That wasn't to say that she felt the guild was full of delinquents, far from it. Levy seemed like a kind-hearted soul who possessed a love of literature greater than even her own. Lucy seemed to have been the most sane individual of the entire guild, and just like them, also held an appreciation for the written word.

But it wasn't just fellow book lovers that she knew were decent folk. Master Makarov for instance was much more personable and friendly than Head Captain Yamamoto ever was, and Natsu reminded her of Renji to an extent. He wasn't as brash, and he seemed a bit dimmer, but from the few interactions she had with him, Momo could tell he was a well-meaning enough person, albeit inclined to fight others more often than he should.

Gray Fullbuster was another person she felt she could stand side by side during a heated battle… even if he couldn't keep his clothes on for more than twenty minutes. Still, odd habits aside, she had no reason to bear him ill will.

Then there was Erza Scarlet, who, quite frankly, Momo felt would have felt right at home running a division in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. She was commanding, her aura and demeanor alone demanding respect, and she had power and beauty to match. But despite how intimidating she could be at times, Momo also had seen her kinder and softer side, the red head often taking on the role of an elder sister within the guild. Even if she came off a bit more harsh than she needed to, Momo could tell she did indeed care.

Even the quincies, sworn enemy of the soul reapers alongside hollows and arrancar, had been fairly amicable to her. To simply rush to conclusions based off of her first day wouldn't have been fair. At least, not to them.

Still, she wanted to see if perhaps it was possible for her to add some more... culture of sorts to the guild. Just a little something she'd like to bring back from her home to see just how many like minded individuals she could find here in Fairy Tail. Her plan would be as simple as it would be effective.

A book club.

The following morning, she had woken up bright and early, about 6:30 a.m. to be precise. The early hours didn't bother her in the slightest, the reigai's original having grown quite accustomed to them during her time as lieutenant of Squad 5. Arriving at the guild just as Makarov had opened it, she had quickly gotten to work, preparing several cups of tea, as well as the occasional coffee, for anyone who wished to participate.

She had placed a poster about it next to the job board towards the end of the day, so she was certain at least quite a few people had seen it. Now the question was simply thus. Who would even care to show up?

As she had hoped, Levy and Lucy had made their way over to the library, each of them shooting her a small smile as they approached. Momo couldn't help but smile in return as she gave them a small wave back. At least two people had decided to come, even if they were the ones she had anticipated the most.

The pair swiftly took their seats, Momo handing them each a small cup of tea as they did. "I'm really glad you guys decided you could take some time to come to my little get together. I wasn't sure if you two would be too busy with a job request to come."

"Oh, no worries at all. I wouldn't miss this for the world," Levy replied with excitement. "Honestly, I've been wanting to talk to someone else about some of the new novels I've been reading for some time!" She then looked over towards Lucy. "It's always so fun to get another new perspective, don't you think, Lu?"

"Yeah, totally!" Lucy agreed. "Besides, it'll be a great experience for me to properly learn what might work for my own novel and what kinda things I should try to avoid!" She then took a sip of her tea, her eyes lighting up. "Oh wow, this is really good. Where did you get this?!"

"Oh, that? It's a special blend I learned about back home, so I made it myself," Momo admitted, the soul reaper looking away with a light blush.

"Yeah, I gotta agree, this is really good," Levy added after she took a sip from her own cup. "You'll have to teach me how to make it some time!"

Momo smiled back. "I'd love to. Though for now, I think it's best we-"

"Sorry I'm late!"

The trio quickly turned their heads as Bambietta quickly sat herself down on one of the spare tables, the Quincy panting slightly. "Sorry... about that. It took me forever to find what I was looking for." She lifted up a book of her own then, the cover featuring a blonde knight on horseback attempting to slay a dragon. "But I wanted to bring something special for this."

Huh, I never took her for a reader, Momo couldn't help but think. Still, the more the merrier.

"Honestly, you're almost hopeless," Rukia muttered as she sat down next to Bambietta, a book kept tucked under her arms. "I told you last night to put it in a place you could easily find."

"Well excuuuuuuse me, princess!" Bambietta replied with a roll of her eyes. "Point is, we made it on time."

Rukia was about to interject, but before she could, a gruff voice interrupted her.

"Hey, this is the place for the book club, right? We want in."

The four women turned their heads, surprising the lot of them as the voice belonged to none other than Gajeel, Totomaru and Juvia standing right beside him.

Bambietta couldn't help but let her jaw drop. Okay, Juvia and Totomaru I could see, but GAJEEL!? Man, I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover after all.

While taken aback by Gajeel's request, Momo shot him a smile regardless. "Of course, we'd be more than happy to let you all join in."

The three former members of Phantom Lord promptly took their seats, Gajeel bringing out his book before he noticed Bambietta's stare. "What? Didn't think I could read or somethin'?"

Bambietta quickly shook her head. "No, no, I'm just... surprised is all. The whole reading thing just doesn't really seem like… well, you."

Gajeel snorted at her response. "You don't know me. Not really anyways." The iron Dragon Slayer grumbled.

"That's... entirely fair." Bambietta admitted. For as much as she had hated him for what he did to Levy, the Quincy had to admit that there was very little she actually knew about him. Even then, he seemed a fair bit different from the person she had nearly killed. Besides, Levy didn't seem the least bit bothered by him being here, so why push the matter any further. They were trying to start fresh after all.

"Alright, I think we've gotten more than enough people together to properly begin Fairy Tail's first ever book club!" Momo spoke excitedly before she looked over at Lucy. "So, seeing how today's subject is our favorite stories, how's about you give us a brief synopsis of what you brought today. Lucy we'll start with you."

Lucy couldn't help but look a bit bashful, surprised that she was the first one to be asked about her book. "Oh, well, mine's all about a female mage trying to make a name for herself out in the world. She came from a very poor family, and where she's lived, it's usually only the nobility that manage to become the best of the best. She wants to prove that none of that really matters, and she goes through all sorts of trials and tribulations."

"Oh, I think I know that one!" Levy spoke with enthusiasm. "Isn't that one of Zekua Melon's first stories!?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Momo added. "I remember that being among some of the first books I read when I came to Fiore! I think it's called Harriet Cobbler.

"Eh, I thought it was okay," Totomaru spoke up. "I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not bad or anything, but I felt like it could have picked up the pace in a few parts."

"Well, it was one of his earlier works," Lucy admitted. "I know it's not exactly perfect, but it's the story that I found myself coming back to the most." She took a quick sip of her tea before glancing back at Totomaru. "What about you?"

"Oh, it's nothing special really," Totomaru admitted. "It's just about a wandering swordsman trying to find a new purpose in life after his lord died in battle. Simple, I know, but it really speaks to me for some reason."

Gee, I wonder why, Bambietta thought, looking at his topknot, kimono, and katana.

"Mine's a romance novel," Juvia spoke with stars in her eyes. "I used to read it all the time before I joined the guild. It..." Juvia looked down at her lap then, as a small smile creased her face. "It helped me through some hard times back in the day."

Momo nodded in agreement. "Sometimes, the greatest thing you can do for yourself is find a healthy escape from all your problems. Sometimes, that can make all the difference, even if it's only for a little while. I know more people use movies these days, and while I've certainly found them entertaining, there's something about the written word that I personally find more engaging."

Levy found herself nodding in turn. "That's probably because, with a novel, you have to use your imagination to fill in all the gaps. Sure, the words give you a vague idea of what a place or person looks like, but how you imagine them will always be a little bit different from someone else. The same can be said for the voices and sounds. With the movies it's just on the screen as plain as day."

"I mean, personally speaking, I think that's why I prefer the movies," Bambietta admitted. "Some books go way overboard with detail, and I'm left more confused than with a clear picture. Still, I've gotten some good times with some books. Hell, back at home, some of my favorite movies got a continuation in book format, and that's added some of my favorite stuff to the lore!"

"Huh, I've never thought about a book continuing where a movie leaves off. I suppose I'll have to give it a read sometime." Momo then turned over to Gajeel, her curiosity of wanting to know what he read influencing her next choice. "And what about you, Gajeel? What did you decide to bring?"

Gajeel smirked as he lifted up his book. It was a mostly black cover with a white dress covered in small splatters of blood adorning it along with a bloody knife stabbing where a supposed victim's heart would be. "Mine's a mystery novel, geehee."

Huh. Don't know if I should be even more surprised or not at all given that subject, Bambietta couldn't help but think to herself.

"No way, that's exactly what I brought!" Levy exclaimed as she showed her own copy. "I love this story! Every time you think you know who the killer is, the story just keeps on throwing you more and more curve balls! That, and when some of the cast start dropping like flies..."

"Yeah, it really keeps you on wit's end," Gajeel admitted. "I gotta admit, I was second guessing myself the entire time."

"Same here. I didn't figure out who it was until chapter 21," Levy replied. "Even then I still wasn't sure."

"Seriously? I didn't know till Mathew revealed the killer's identity in the second to last chapter," Gajeel said, the Iron Dragon Slayer resting his head on his left hand. "You're a pretty smart cookie if you figured it out that fast."

"Yeah, well... Let's just say it wasn't my first mystery novel," Levy said with a slight smirk.

Okay, I'm sorry… What!? Bambietta yelled internally as she looked back at the dragon slayer and Levy. Are they actually fucking bonding!?

Momo watched on with silent satisfaction as Gajeel and Levy continued their banter. This is going far better than I hoped! I wasn't expecting so many people to show up today! And if it helps those two work out what happened in the past, then I'd say we're definitely on the right track!

It wasn't just them either as Lucy soon noticed the book that Rukia had brought along, the pair quickly breaking off into their own discussion.

Momo wasn't one for indulging herself with praise. In fact, she'd much rather keep herself fairly humble about her skills and talent. She was more than aware that, in the grand scheme of things, there was always someone better. But right now, watching all of this unfold? She couldn't help but pat herself on the back for once.

"Ah, there you are. I was looking for you."

Surprising everyone in attendance, the eight mages turned their heads behind them to see Erza Scarlet make her approach. "You'll have to forgive me for running a bit late, but I had to stop by to get something important."

Momo waved her hand. "Oh, it's not a problem at all. Honestly, the more people to join, the better. But if you mind me asking, what was it that took up your time?"

Erza shot the newest member of Fairy Tail a small smile as a bright light appeared In both of her hands before two boxes were left resting on her palms. She sat both of them down. One in front of Momo, and the other for Gajeel.

"The heck is this?" Gajeel asked as he looked over the box with curiosity.

Momo reached out with her hand, and with a small mutter under her breath, she cast a spell on the box, the container neatly unfolding itself and revealing the contents within, electing a surprise from the soul reaper. "A cake?" Her eyes widened as she looked at the dessert, the pink and white frosting making the pastry look absolutely delectable.

Erza nodded her head. "I have a tradition of my own when it comes to properly welcoming new members to the guild. When we first met aboard the ride home, I felt it was best if I saved the occasion for when things had settled down. But now that it looks like you two have had a chance to settle in, I felt like today was the best time."

She still wasn't exactly happy that Gajeel had joined the guild if she were to be entirely honest, but his actions the day prior had certainly raised her level of respect for the dragon slayer considerably.

Momo smiled before she looked back at Erza. "That was very kind of you, Miss Scarlet. I'm sure it's quite delicious. I'll have to try a bite when I get back to Fairy Hills. That said, could I interest you in joining us today? I'll understand if you can't, I imagine you're quite busy."

Erza shook her head. "Not at all. I've actually been taking it a bit easy since we've returned. I'd rather not take anything too intense until I've managed to fully settle back in. That, and I was planning on partaking in this little get-together anyway."

Erza sat down in one of the few remaining spare chairs in the library before she summoned a black book in her left hand. "This one is a favorite of mine that I tend to read whenever I'm on a long voyage. I find it helps pass the time quite considerably."

Everyone began to lean forward slightly, curiosity getting the better of them. Just what kind of book was it that Erza loved so much? However, the instant Bambietta and the rest saw the cover… Well, they were surprised to say the least.

No way. No fucking way! Bambietta thought as her jaw dropped. It's fucking smut!? It wasn't just any kind of smut either, given the ropes and whip on display for the cover. I would have expected something like this from Candi or me, but not YOU!

Levy sighed as she slouched back into her chair. "I should have known," the bookworm muttered. Almost every time Erza had asked to borrow a book from her personal collection, it had always been on the more… risqué side of things.

Juvia blushed heavily, while Rukia simply stared dumbfounded. Gajeel was fighting the urge to laugh, and Totomaru… Well, the slight nosebleed coming from his right nostril was all Bambietta needed to see to figure out what was going through his mind.

Lucy also blushed, but she soon found she was the only one who found it in herself to speak up. "Erza, that's a very… racy kind of book you brought in. I don't know if that's the best idea."

Erza looked back at Lucy, eyebrow raised. "Oh? I wasn't under the impression that there was some sort of rule on what books I was allowed to bring." She clenched her fists then as her head hung low. "No doubt it was written clearly on the poster she put up and I foolishly missed it. Bambietta, strike me in penance!"

"Ummm, no thanks," Bambietta muttered, especially uncomfortable with punishing Erza in any way upon seeing that book or at all for that matter. "But I–"

"Oh, there's no need to worry at all," Momo said before she turned to look at Lucy. "I understand that the subject material may be a bit more explicit in nature than what most of us were expecting to talk about today, but today's get-together is all about discussing our favorite books. I never had any intention to limit discussion on the kind of books that we enjoy. It's only fair that she should be allowed to share it. That and, um, well..." Momo slowly twiddled her thumbs as she blushed. "I… also… rather enjoyed that novel."

Bambietta almost felt herself fall over as she started at Momo. Excuse me, whaaaaaat?!

Momo quickly composed herself. "Well, now that we got that settled, I think it's time that we carried on where we left off. Lucy, let's start with your story."

The remaining time the group had spent together had been a relatively calm one, with everyone having ample time to talk about just what it was that they loved so much about the books they brought. It was fun, some of the most fun the reigai had in Earth Land so far. Perhaps there was a place for her in Fairy Tail after all.

---

"Yo Mira, I'll have another!" Macao called out to the white haired beauty as she served a large keg of beer to Cana from the other side of the guild hall.

"Sure thing, one more Poor Man's Requip coming right up!" Mirajane answered in a chipper tone along with a huge smile as she just finished serving her current trays of drinks. "I'll be right there in a jiffy!'

While many of her fellow guildmates enjoyed watching Mirajane make her way towards the bar, there was one set of dark green eyes that was doing it for another reason entirely.

Mirajane Strauss intrigued Ulquiorra Cifer, more so than anyone else currently present in the guild. While anyone who knew Ulquiorra even the slightest bit would have been confused as to why, his reasoning was straight forward.

The woman possesses power far greater than that of most people in the guild. In fact, it's about on par with Grimmjow's resurrección. Yet… all she ever does is simply serve food and beverage like a common waitress. Surely she would make much more money working S-class missions.

It appeared that it was rather obvious that he was staring as Levy grasped onto his right arm. "Something about Mira got your attention?" Levy asked the Arrancar before she smiled. "I mean she is pretty cute but… knowing you, you're probably thinking about something else entirely right now, aren't you?"

The former Espada looked down at his friend. "I simply find it curious that someone with her level of power would demean herself for this type of work rather than take on higher-paying jobs."

Levy cringed a bit upon hearing his reasoning. "Oh, that's– that's not really up for me to say. It's… kinda personal," she said. "The most I can say is that, after she lost someone, she... she's never really been the same.

"I see. In that case, I suppose that I'll speak with her right away." Rising out of his chair, she strode over to Mirajane, both of his hands remaining in his pockets the entire time.

"No, wait, that's not the best ide–" But before she could finish, he was already just a few feet away from Mirajane thanks to sonido. Ohhh, I do hope his social ineptitude doesn't hurt Mira's feelings! Levy feared as she sat back down. There was nothing she could do now. By the time she'd run over there he'd no doubt already have asked his question anyway.

Just as Mirajane sat down the Poor Man's Requip at Macao's table did Ulquiorra speak up. "Mirajane Strauss, I would like to have a word with you."

"Sure thing!" Mirajane replied with a smile as she picked up her tray. "Oh, by the way, I heard about your little skirmish with Laxus the other night. I don't know many people who could come out of a fight with him as unscathed as you were."

"He was much stronger than anticipated," Ulquiorra told her. "In truth, without the use of my resurrección, I'm positive that he would have defeated me."

"Well, it's still impressive regardless," Mirajane said as she sat down. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I wish to know why you waste your time and talent serving others when you possess such great power," he asked bluntly.

Mirajane's eyes widened, and her hands shook slightly underneath the table before her cheerful demeanor returned. "Why? Don't you think you deserve to be served by me?" She answered with a slight wink, trying to change the current subject with a bit of seduction. She was used to men turning into putty in her hands after all. "I can get you something really special if you want it."

Ulquiorra, however, didn't catch on. "I fail to see how you serving me food and beverage answers my question."

Mirajane blinked in surprise. Wow, that's never happened before. Even Natsu would have at least blushed. The former S-class mage thought. Well, she had better give him an answer of some kind. "I do it because it's fun," she finally answered.

"It's… fun?" The arrancar repeated, confused. "I don't understand."

Mirajane smiled as she looked at the rest of the guild hall. "Everyone here works really hard on their jobs, you know? And when they get back, they come here trying to find an escape from the danger of guild mission or anything else going on in their lives. Every time I manage to get one of them to smile… it brings me joy."

"I see." Ulquiorra pondered her response. "So, you receive positive stimuli whenever you make your guildmates happy. That does make a degree of sense."

"Well, I'm glad I could help explain!" Mirajane said.

"However, what I fail to understand is how this benefits you financially. Would you and your brother not be more financially stable with you taking official mage work?"

Taken aback by his next question, Mirajane quickly gathered her thoughts to respond. "I get decently paid to wait the tables by Master, and Elfman does a good enough job with his work. Not to mention all the tips. Luckily, our mortgage isn't super expensive. Plus, I have lots of savings from when I used to take some of the tougher missions."

"That does make logical sense," Ulquiorra replied. "I suppose Levy's suggestion that it was due to the passing of someone close to you was inaccurate."

The color seemed to drain from Mirajane's face, her joy quickly giving away to sadness as she looked down at her lap.

Levy buried her head in her hands, groaning. Why, why, why did you have to say it like that!?

Even as emotionally stunted and new to being human as he was, Ulquiorra realized he had crossed a line of some sort. A feeling of… some kind ran through his body, before he spoke up. "My apologies. It...was not my intention to bring you any unnecessary misery. I–"

"What did you say to my sister, huh!?" Ulquiorra heard someone cry out before he was lifted up by the collar of his shirt by none other than Elfman. "I don't care if you are man enough to give Laxus a good fight, no one makes my sister sad and gets away with it!"

Ulquiorra stared down at Elfman, not the least but intimidated, but his arms lay still at his side. The big oaf didn't have the power to hurt him if he tried, and even if he had… Well, the arrancar supposed it would be a fitting punishment for his mistake.

Levy got out of her chair and was just about to run over, when Mirajane suddenly placed a hand on Elfman's arm before she looked at her brother. "It's alright, Elfman. He didn't mean to. He's.. just different is all."

"But– But Mira, that doesn't excuse–" Elfman began to say, the large man not willing to let the arrancar off so easily… that was, until Mirajane gave him a pleading look.

"Elfman, please. Do it for me."

"...Alright." Reluctantly, the Elfman released his hold on the arrancar, the Ulquiorra landing on his feet with no effort. "You got lucky this time, pal, but if you ever make her sad again, I will beat you to a pulp, you hear me!?" Elfman yelled into Ulquiorra's face.

"Understood," Ulquiorra responded plainly. With an angry huff, Elfman turned around before he stomped away, determined to pick up a job request to blow off some steam.

"Are you alright?" Ulquiorra heard Mirajane ask as she moved in front of him. "I'm sorry about my brother. He means well, he really does, but sometimes he gets carried away. I hope you don't hold it against him. He's a really sweet guy once you get to know him."

"I take no offense to his actions," Ulquiorra clarified. "It's beyond evident that I broke a social norm of some kind. For that I... apologize." Never in his life had he ever given an apology. There had never been a need. Yet here he was, doing just that. But most bizarrely of all was that he didn't mind it, that small nagging feeling in his stomach receding slightly as a result.

"I don't understand, why did you intervene? Did my words not hurt you?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Levy's told me a lot about you. How you're... different from the rest of us, and I don't mean how you're not human," Mirajane said as she sat down again. "I know that you're just trying to find out more about what it means to be human. This is all very new to you so… I guess mistakes are to be expected."

The arrancar nodded. "Nevertheless, I doubt that most people would be as understanding as you are."

Mirajane shook her head with a smile. "No, probably not. But... I've gone through so much over the years that this sort of thing doesn't really bother me anymore. At least, not by comparison. Not ever since I… lost my sister."

Seeing how Mirajane was willing to open up more about her past, the arrancar decided it was best if he sat down as well, the pale man staring at Mirajane from across the table before she continued.

"Long before you, Bambi, and her friends joined the guild, I was considered one of Fairy Tail's most powerful wizards. Back then, I was...well, I was more like Candice than the way I am now, honestly."

That took Ulquiorra for a loop, the arrancar having been around the green-haired Quincy long enough to know that the two were almost polar opposites. "That's quite the drastic change on your part."

Mirajane nodded her head."Yeah. I was impulsive, brash, rude and all sorts of other things. Honestly, I practically thought I was invincible back then… But then..."

As her voice trailed off, Ulquiorra took a guess as to what happened. "You ran into a foe too powerful to defeat?"

Mirajane nodded her head. "Yes. It was an emergency request S-class mission. I thought that I could show off to my siblings if I brought them along, but… The Beast was too powerful and it completely overwhelmed me. Elfman, he… he tried to Take Over it with his magic, and it almost worked, but… the Beast was too powerful and he lost his mind."

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes, the recalled experience reminding him of his clash with Ichigo Kurosaki with his devilish hollowfication that forced him into this world in the first place.

Mirajane clutched at her dress as she shivered slightly. "I tried to call out to him, to see if I could perhaps snap him out of it… but there was nothing that I could do. The beast had completely taken over, and then Lisanna, she… she tried to reason with him before he... before he..."

Tears began to form in her eyes before she looked away. She needn't say more, the outcome quite obvious. Still, seeing the normally chipper Mirajane crying like this… The uncomfortable feeling from before once more raised its ugly head.

"I'm... sorry for asking you to recall such bitter memories," Ulquiorra said with some hesitation, not sure if what words to use...or why he was using them at all in the first place. The fact that he had just apologized for the second time, and to the same person no less, was not lost on him.

"No it... it's fine," Mirajane said as she wiped her tears. "I… I know that I'll need to get over this someday. But for now… This is how I cope, I suppose. Does that answer your question?"

Ulquiorra nodded. "Indeed it does. Your experience has been... most informative."

"Well, I'm glad that I could help," Mirajane answered. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work."

As Mirajane left her seat and went to the bar to serve more drinks, Ulquiorra raised his hand to his chin, thinking. She had given him much to think about, more than she could ever know.

It seems that the heart isn't just a source of strength, Ulquiorra thought as he looked back at Mirajane. It can also be a weakness as well.

Regardless of the matter, one thing was clear. He would be keeping a very close eye on Mirajane Strauss.

---

"Hey Lil, you got any idea why the Master decided to hold an immediate Fairy Tail get together?" Bambietta asked just before she promptly sat down at one of the dinner tables located throughout the guildhall, Wendy and Carla following her example. "First time he's ever had one since I've joined."

Liltotto shrugged. "No idea. When I asked Erza she didn't seem to know either. All I know was that he specifically asked for her to come to his office."

"D-do you think something bad's happened?" Wendy asked, the blue haired mage fearing the worst. "It sounds kinda serious."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Wendy." Lucy spoke up, the blonde heading over to the table the instant she saw where her girlfriend was sitting. "I think it's probably him just wanting to go over the plans for this year's Harvest Festival."

"The Harvest Festival?" Bambietta asked. "What's that?"

Lucy looked astonished. "You mean you don't know? From what I read in Sorcerer's Weekly, every October 15th, the guild throws a massive parade to celebrate the coming harvest season. Supposedly everyone gets involved."

Bambietta smirked. "Huh. Well, that sounds like fun. Count me in! Do they do anything else for this, or are we all just building our own floats?" If they were... Well, the possibilities she thought of were endless. Godzilla themed float, here I come.

"Well, there's also the Miss Fairy Tail contest." Cana spoke from a nearby table, Candice and Jade having joined her company. "Every year the female mages show off their beauty and their magic to win the grand prize."

"Miss Fairy Tail huh? Oh I like the sound of that." Candice said with a grin.

"Sooo, what's this grand prize, exactly?' Jade asked, knowing that a lewd comment and an appropriate angry response from Bambietta would inevitably follow.

"Oh, about 500'000 jewel." Cana spoke.

"500'000 jewel!?" Bambietta shouted. "Ok, consider me in!" She smirked as she looked at the stage. "It'll be just like old times back at Silbren."

"Pft, those contests were rigged." Candice spat. "I always got third place for fucks sake!"

Bambietta quickly pointed her index finger at Candice. "Ok, first off, language! Second of all, that's because you always went up against me and Meni! Meni's stacked like that soul reaper from squad 10, and I'm...well me."

"The hell does that have to do with anything!?" Candice demanded before she moved her hands throughout her body. "I've got all of this!"

"Yes, and the personality of a cactus with a no fucks given attitude." Liltotto replied. "All that vulgar swearing you did in the contest didn't exactly do you any favors."

"Not to mention the fact that you're practically always flaunting what you've got. You leave no mystery up to any of it." Bambietta added. "Look what I'm wearing. I hide all of my goods well enough, but I sure as hell still flaunt them enough for a tease. My thighs are all the skin I need to show to get the stares I got. You have to rely on looking like a stripper!"

"Um, what do you mean by flaunt what you got?" Wendy asked innocently.

Fuuuuck that's right, she's right here. Bambietta cursed. Stupid Candi getting me all riled up! "Um, that's..."

"That's for adults only." Momo said as she walked over to them. "Bambietta just got a little caught up in the moment is all. I'm sure she'll tell you when you're older."

Momo, I fucking owe you one. Bambietta thought as she let out a sigh of relief before she quickly regained her composure. "Hardly matters anyway! If me and Lucy both enter then we're pretty much garunteed second place! All we really got to worry about is Erza!"

"Wow, we're right here." Jade answered dead panned.

"Yeah, I ain't let you just waltz over me! I'll fucking win this whole thing, just you wait and see!" Candice yelled back.

"Besides, you still got me to deal with." Cana spoke up. "I won 2nd place last year, and I don't plan on going easy on any of you."

"I mean...I might as well join in as well." Momo added tepidly. "It could be fun."

"Hah, as If any of you have the right to win the title of Miss Fairy Tail! I'm afraid that the only one qualified is yours truly!"

Bambietta widened her eyes at the sound of a feminine voice she didn't recognize, before quickly taking note of Cana's irate expression as she rolled her eyes.

The woman in question was one she had never seen before. She had light brown hair done up in a sideway ponytail and brown eyes with glasses worn over them and wore a short green dress and black stockings. Given her sneer, Bambietta couldn't shake the feeling of condescension. She wasn't unattractive by any means, no doubt either she or Candice would have asked this woman for a one-night stand if they were still back in the vandenreich, but for her to speak so confidently in her ability to win the contest felt...unwarranted.

But what really caught Bambietta's attention was how powerful she was. She wasn't anywhere near Erza's level at her best, but she was by no means "weak" either. From what she could sense, this newcomer had power greater than Juvia's and only a smidge lower than Gray's.

Who the hell is this? Bambietta thought before Cana spoke up.

"Yeah yeah, we get it Evergreen, you're the real queen of the fairies and the hottest thing since sliced bread and bablablablabla." Cana mocked her, her right hand moving as if it were speaking. "You going to add any new material or can I just mute everything about to come out of your mouth?

"Hmph, I shouldn't be surprised that someone of your ability would be so uncouth. " Evergreen scoffed. "Then again, I shouldn't expect much from the mere rabble of the guild. Especially a drunkard like you."

Bambietta got up from her seat then, fists clenched. "Ok Everline, or whatever the hell your real name is, no one talks like that to my friends and get's away with it. Just who the hell do you think you are anyway!?"

But before Bambietta could even take a step forward, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Taking a quick glance behind her, Bambietta saw Candice giving her a stern expression, a very rare sight for Bambietta. "Candi, what gives?"

"Look Bambi, I'd like nothing more than to beat this condescending bitch black and blue myself with that attitude of hers, but trust me when I say it's a bad idea. She's part of Laxus's team." Normally Candice would have relished in the idea of taking someone like this down a peg or two, but after she and Laxus had just patched things up.

"Oh, so you must be the one that Laxus talked so highly of." Evergreen spoke as two other mages began to approach the table. Like Evergreen, their powers were far and above that of the average members of the guild. "Oh boys, I think I finally found her."

Two men made their way forward. One of them was very tall, wearing a knight like metal vizor which obscured his eyes and nose, dark cloth with vertical white lines, and a blue waist guard with large black X's on it. From what she could sense, his power was around that of Gray's, possibly even higher.

The last one was the one that truly caught Bambietta's attention though. He had long green hair and green eyes, with two lightning bolt-shaped strands jutting out from the top, while his bang covered his left eye. He carried a sword at his right hip and wore a long red coat. Compared to the other three, this one was by far the most powerful, the level of strength Bambietta could sense from eclipsing that of Natu's, Gray's, and even Erza in her heartcruze armor. Most concerning of all, however, was the fact that she could sense that there was even more to this power.

No doubt about it, that has to be Freed. Bambietta thought, the Quincy quickly recalling her conversation with Mirajane and Erza the day prior.

"Good work, Ever. And based on your... manner of dress, you must be Candice Catnipp," Freed surmised.

"Yeah, that's my name, what about it?" Candice asked as she rested her right hand on her hip. "You got a message for me from Laxus or something?"

"Not exactly." Freed looked down his nose at her. "We are the Thunder Legion, and we simply wanted to make it clear that you would do well to stay away from Laxus from now on. He's a great man, and he doesn't need someone like you holding him back." To be honest, Freed didn't know what it was that Laxus saw in this woman, but as far as he was concerned, she didn't belong anywhere near him.

Evergreen hummed, peering out from behind her fan. "Especially someone so gaudy. I mean, look at that hair. It practically screams, 'I need attention.'" She snapped her fan shut, smirking. "Tell me, when you begged to be Laxus's plaything, were you standing, or did you cut out the middleman and simply get down on your knees?"

"Excuse you!?" Candice spoke with fury as electricity formed in her hand. "You've got some balls talking to me like that! I'll have you know Laxus and I are-"

"Candi, no. Not in the guild hall." Bambietta spoke up as she quickly placed her hand on Candice's own before she narrowed her eyes at Freed. "So, you're the one that Erza told me to watch out for during the S class trial huh? Can't say I'm exactly thrilled to meet you with that attitude of yours."

Freed merely glanced in Bambietta's direction. "You are going to be taking the S-Class Promotion Trial? You haven't even been here for a year, you're nothing more than a mess from what Laxus says, and Makarov thinks you're fit to be S-Class? Laxus was right: Fairy Tail's standards really have been slipping."

His as-of-yet silent companion leaned over sideways at what would appear to be an uncomfortable angle for anyone else, shoving his face right in front of Bambietta's with a wide grin. "That may be true, but she's a real cutie by my standards!"

Bambietta ignored the compliment before she took a step forward. "Tell me something buddy. I know you've been out of the guild for sometime, so I gotta know, have you fought a wizard saint?" She quickly pointed.a finger at herself. "Because I have! Two of them in fact! I think the fact that I'm standing here right now proves that I got what it takes! He'll, I didn't just survive, I hurt those mother fuuuudgers. So go on, say I'm not worthy enough for S class." Bambietta stood right in front of Freed then, her eyes narrowing. "I dare you."

Freed tilted his head, impassively staring at Bambietta. "Oh? Well, that's quite impressive. You must be very proud of yourself. Not just anyone can say that they have made themselves a nuisance to a Wizard Saint and survived by the skin of their teeth. I'm sure you weren't working alongside vastly more powerful comrades who carried the bulk of the responsibility in the fight and enabled you to survive like a cockroach on the fringes of an Etherion blast. In fact, I bet Erza Scarlet had nothing to do with your survival whatsoever, or with your being able to land a hit on such a foe as a Wizard Saint. Maybe you're so powerful that it would take more than three strikes of Laxus's lightning to strike you down like the garbage you are."

Freed's gaze was unwavering. "Or maybe you really are all bluster, given the fact that you still haven't noticed what I've been doing this whole time."

"The hell are you talking about, I-" Just then, her hat began to fly off of her head and slowly took off before promptly landing on Lucy's lap.

Bambietta glared at the green haired man.."Ha ha, very funny. Well let's see how you like it when I take a shot at you."

Freed scoffed at her words. "You honestly think that you can threaten me? Please, you're ten years too young to-"

However, just as Freed was about to yammer on about his superiority did the buttons on his jacket suddenly combust, the green haired mage's eyes widening as he took note of Bambietta's grin. That was her?! I see…She must have done it about the same time I placed a rune on her hat. His eyes narrowing with his jacket fully opened, he reached for his sword. "I see, so you're not just all talk after all. However, on the pride of the Thunder Legion, I refuse to allow this humiliation to stand."

"Oh really? Then let's take this outside and have some fun! I've been dying to see what you can really do after all the hype I've heard about you!" Bambietta said with a grin as she formed her sword in her right hand. "Why wait till the S class Trial, I say we-"

"Please, no, that's enough quarreling for today!" Momo said before she grabbed Bambietta by the shoulders and pulled her back. "I'm certain that we can resolve all of this peacefully!"

Bickslow whistled as he sauntered over to the two brunettes, prompting Evergreen to roll her eyes. "Whoa! When did all these cute newbies show up? We should come back to the guild more often, these are some real babes!" The man stopped in front of Momo, the height difference staggeringly obvious as he leaned over and leered down at her.

"Especially you." Bickslow then straightened himself before swaying from side to side, tapping his chin. "In fact... Say, shortstack, you sure that kimono's the right fit for you? Seems a little... loose." He then grinned as the Shinigami's obi began to come undone by no visible force.

Letting out a shriek of embarrassment, Momo quickly grasped onto the belt and held it tight, her superhuman reflexes allowing her to grasp onto the cloth just in time. "Y-you creep, that was entirely uncalled for!"

"Oh come on, showing a little skin isn't the worst thing in the world." Bickslow said as he stuck out his tongue.

"How's about you put that thing back into your mouth before you end up biting it?" Liltotto said before she walked in between the two trios. "You guys are supposed to be some of Fairy Tail's best, yet all I'm seeing is a bunch of condescending pricks." She almost wanted to throw in an extra insult at Laxus, but she held her tongue. That would probably only make things worse.

Evergreen looked down. "Hm? And just who are you supposed to be? No, wait, let me guess... You're Erza's little pet aren't you?"

Liltotto looked up at Evergreen then, her eyes narrowing. "Excuse you?" She asked, her voice having a slight undertone of fury.

"Oh, please forgive me, you must not have heard me from down there. I suppose your hearing is as stunted as the rest of you." Evergeen leaned down with a sneer. "I said, you must be Erza's little pet. Makes sense given the fact that you look about as well-fed as a stray. What's wrong, does your master not feed you?"

An eerie clam overtook the group as Liltotto clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes, filled with vitorial. The air around them seemed to drop in temperature, as her reiatsu began to rise and she took an single step forward. "What did you just say?" She almost whispered.

"Oh fuck." Bambietta swore, her concern overshadowing her desire to censor herself around Wendy. It was very, very rare for Bambietta to ever see Liltotto so angry, atleast over mere words. However, Evergreen had stepped on a metaphorical landmine, one that not even Candice Catnipp had ever dared to use. Because whenever the button of her past was pressed back home... people died. "Lil, Lil you need to calm down." Bambietta muttered. "She-She's not worth it, she's just trying to rile you up so you'll-"

"I don't give a damn." Liltotto spat as she took another step forward, her teeth quickly changing into their more sharp counterparts as a result of her shrift. "No one, fucking no one talks about me or Erza like that!"

Candice for her part simply gulped. She had heard tales of Liltotto tranquil fury, but she had never seen it. Frankly, she never dared cross a certain threshold when it came to trading insults with her small friend , especially after Bambietta had given her such a dire warning. Now she saw exactly what Bambietta was talking about…and it scared her.

"Oh, does the little stray think she can actually take me?" Evergreen asked with a wave of her hand. "Well I suppose it wouldn't hurt to humor you a little."

"Oh, I'll do more than just humor you." Liltotto said as her mouth extended. "By the time I'm through with you, you'll be in a hospital without your arms and-"

"What's going on here!?"

As everyone turned around, Erza Scarlet promptly marched her way forward, an irate expression adorning her face. Liltotto quickly snapped out of her anger and began to apologize. "E-Erza, I...I didn't mean…What I should have said was-" but before the petite blonde could finish her stumbling sentence, Erza placed an armored hand over her lips and glared at Evergreen.

"Evergreen. What's the meaning of all this?" Erza demanded. "You've all been gone from the guild hall for over nine months and the first thing you do is antagonize our newest members."

Evergreen simply tilted her head back and snickered. "What's wrong Erza, upset that I made your new pet uncomfortable? Well, it's her own fault for putting her nose where it doesn't bel -"

"Evergreen." Erza muttered with barely concealed rage. "I heard every word you said to her. Now, I've been willing to put your petty comments towards myself aside since I've always seen them as little else. However, I have considerably less tolerance when you insult the other members of the guild. As a matter of fact I've considered going to Master Makarov over your continued behavior. But, if you dare make one of the people that I cherish most in this guild any more uncomfortable..."

Erza's eyes then narrowed, the normal warmth that could be found within them having been entirely replaced withfury.."I swear that you'll regret it with every fiber of your being."

Evergreen flinched back for a few seconds, but whatever fear she had quickly subsided before she leaned forward. "Oh please, you're just big talk and nothing else! Meifon made a terrible choice when she chose to hand the title down to you instead of me!"

Erza merly turned her attention back over to Freed. "I think it would be best if you took your team and sat elsewhere. Master Makarov will be giving an important announcement very soon, and it would be very ..unwise for it to be delayed any further."

Had it been anyone else to give him such a thinly veiled threat, Freed wouldn't have considered heeding their word for even a second. However, Erza possessed a level of strength that even he found commendable. She was one of the very few in the guild outside of Laxus that had earned his respect to at least some degree. To challenge her might was a task that even he wasn't entirely sure of. "You make a valid point Erza. Evergreen, Bickslow, we're leaving. There's someone Laxus wanted to meet after the meeting anyways. I suggest we find her post haste."

Bickslow simply stuck out his tongue one last time before he followed after Freed, Evergreen quickly following after a snobbish huff and giving both Liltotto and Erza one last mouth now free of Erza's hand, Liltotto began to fidget her hands. "Um, Erza... about what I said-"

"Don't worry about it." Erza responded without a moment's hesitation. "I know how sensitive you are about your past. Next time just...let me handle it, ok?" She smiled as she spoke the last sentence, her smile quickly prompting one from Liltotto who nodded her head in agreement.

"So, that was the Thunder Legion huh?" Candice muttered. "What a bunch of fucking assholes." She couldn't believe that this was the team Laxus thought of so highly. Granted, Laxus himself was far from a boy scout, but their flagrant disrespect to her was a surprise, given what they had been through.

"You could say that again." Bambietta agreed before her eyes bore into Freed's back. "Oh I swear if I run into that guy during the S class Trial, I'll give him a beating he won't soon forget. I'll promise you that much right now."

Just as things had begun to wind down, Makarov made his way up the stage before he spoke. "Alright, listen up everyone, and I've got some very important news to share with all of you."

However, it appeared that his words fell upon deaf ears. He tried to clear his throat before he tried again. "Alright, calm down, calm down. I have some very serious news that you all need to hear."

Once again, however, his voice seemed to fall upon deaf ears. He was about to try one more time before someone beat him to the punch.

"ALL OF YOU WILL CEASE THIS PRATTLING THIS INSTANT! THE MASTER HAS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE!"

With Erza's commanding voice booming throughout the guildhall, all of the noise came to an abrupt halt. Clearing his throat once more, Makarov spoke up. "Um, thank you Erza. Anyways, listen up everyone! I have some very important news that you all need to be aware of for this year's Harvest Festival! I've just received word from Princess Hisui that the new emperor of Bosco is coming to Crocus to reopen negotiations and trade between our two nations. However on his way there he plans to spend a few days in our fair town to enjoy the Festival and to experience our culture with his own eyes. He and I have even exchanged a few letters. This is very important for our kingdom, so I don't want any of you to screw this up! That means whenever he visits there is to be no guild brawls, no food fights and absolutely no harm to come to him or any of his entourage or personal property! Is that clear!?" He then gave Natsu a tense gaze. "That goes double for you, Natsu!"

Natsu looked like he was about to rebuttal Makarov for singling him out, but a quick glare from Erza and the dragon slayer realized that he preferred living and meekly nodded in agreement.

"Bosco? Say, isn't that the country right next to ours?" Bambietta asked Lucy.

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, it is. A while back it used to be a really nice place, and it was considered one of Fiore's strongest allies. But about thirteen years ago their king went totally crazy! He started to implement all sorts of laws that gave mages the rights to do whatever they wanted to people without magic. He even went so far as to legalize slavery of non mages!"

Bambietta raised an eyebrow. "Woah, seriously? Not gonna lie, that's really messed up."

"It gets worse." Cana added. "At one point he wanted to invade Fiore to take over the kingdom about four years ago, but luckily for us, God Serena stepped on and single handedly held them back."

"God Serena? Who's that?" Candice asked, eyebrows raised.

"That would be the strongest member of the wizard saints." Liltotto answered. "He's the real deal guys.. I've heard that the only person to give him a real hard fight was Hatchwalth and Unohana. They're ranked second and third among Wizard Saints respectively."

Bambiettas face went pale. "Oh god, Unohana is here." Bambietta spoke with fear, her reputation as the first kenpachi having been one that was well known to the Vandenreich. There was a reason that no sternritter had dared to attack the fourth division after all. The mere possibility that it could unleash her old self was one the higher ups had decided to avoid while they still had Yamamoto to contend with.

The quincy was about to ask more before she ended up blinking a few times as she replayed the last words Liltoto spoke in her mind.. "Wait a minute, you're saying he's stronger than the both of them!?" She knew that the mages in Earth Land could be powerful but she never considered it could be to such an extent! Here I thought Hashbrown was going to be number one! Who the hell is this guy!?

Liltotto nodded. "Yeah, granted we don't know if they have access to their full power but even so..."

"I think it's better we focus on the situation at hand here. You're saying that there's a new emperor? When did this happen?" Rukia asked.

"Oh, that? That happened the day you guys left on vacation." Cana answered before she took a sip from her massive barrel of alcohol.

Candice whistled in approval. "He did that in just one day? Man, that's kinda badass. I guess we really oughta be on our best behavior after all, huh?"

"I'm more confused why he's deciding to come over here so soon." Momo spoke up. "If he's only been in charge for little over a week, then is it really a good idea for him to just leave his kingdom so suddenly?"

"Well, Bosco was under a pretty harsh trade embargo and sanctions after their attempt at invasion. Their economy's been in a pretty rough spot ever since." Lucy said. "Odds are the emperor probably thinks that getting that all resolved should take top priority."

"But even when you take that into account, it doesn't make much sense." Jade added. "I mean, why come to Magnolia in the first place? If he's really trying to get the trade embargo resolved then he should just get to Crocus as soon as possible. Why even bother coming here?"

Bambietta groaned in annoyance. "Look, who cares why he's coming here aside from the festival. The man probably just wants a break after pulling off his revolution. Frankly, I'm glad he's stopping by!" The Quincy then smirked. "With what I have in mind, I'll be swimming in cash."

Liltotto rolled her eyes. "Seriously Bambi? This isn't time for a scam."

Bambietta shook her head. "Oh this ain't no scam Lil, this is honest to good money right here with what I'm coming up with."

"Alright, I'll bite, what's the plan?" Candice asked as she leaned over the table and smirked. "Because of it involves seduction I could easily-"

"No, no, no, and no!" Bambietta interrupted with a shake of her head with each word. "First of all, I have better standards than that, second of all, I ain't telling you crap! This is my plan to get rich quick, and I ain't letting no one steal it!" She then looks back at Lucy and smirked. "Well, there's at least someone I'll fill in later tonight."

Lucy's shoulders slumped slightly. Oh please, please tell me this is better than one of Natsu's ideas. She had been on plenty of missions with the dragon slayer during her time in the guild and while she certainly enjoyed most of them, on the few occasions he came up with a plan they had...less than desirable outcomes.

"Anyways, I'm going to head home to practice for Miss Fairy Tail for the next few days, so you and Wendy might need to go on a few missions without me." Bambietta said as she got up from her seat. "It's been a long time since I've done this so I gotta get myself up to snuff."

Liltotto raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you're going to be doing that during the contest, huh? Been a while since I've seen you do that."

"Bambi, what's she talking about?" Lucy asked with curiosity.

"Yeah, what gives? Last I checked the only real talent you had was blowing shit up and wrecking shit." Candice added. "Come on, out with it."

Bambietta simply winked and wagged her index finger. "No can do Candi, That's. A. Secret."

Just as she was about to leave however, she felt something tug on her shirt. Turning around, she saw none other than Wendy giving her a curious glance. "Can you tell me what it is, Bambi?"

Bambietta smiled before she leaned into Wendy's ears. "Alright, I'll at least fill you in Wendy. Just promise that you keep it between us." After giving the small dragon slayer the answer in a hushed whisper, Bambietta proceeded to head out of the guild once more.

"Well child, what did she say?" Carla asked as she wagged her tail.

"Yeah, come on, out with it squirt." Candice spoke up.

Rather than give them the answer however Wendy quickly turned around to face them, her eyes closed before she placed an index finger over her lips. "Sorry guys. That's. A. Secret."

---

Something was very wrong. That was the conclusion that one Freed Justin had come to when he had met up with Laxus's latest ally. Initially she had taken on the appearance of a blonde woman with short hair,with green eyes wearing a pair of glasses and a white and black dress. However this visage had been nothing more than to disguise the woman underneath. Emberella

He knew of her true identity well enough, the woman having come out of nowhere to become one of Chicken Fang's most powerful mages seemingly overnight. According to word of mouth, her power was comparable to that of Fairy Tails' own S class. While he highly doubted the legitimacy of those rumors, it did make it abundantly clear that she was no mere mage.

So why was it then that her every word filled him with distrust? The plan she had conducted hadn't helped matters either. The plan was already a choice that he had some, albeit minor doubts about, but Laxus's conviction and determination had swayed his thoughts on the matter. The guild had fallen in grace from its golden days, and change needed to come, one way or another. A part of him felt guilty, betraying Master Makarov's trust like this, but it was for the betterment of the entire guild!

But Laxus had told him only a day ago over a communication lacrima that he had abandoned his plans for "The Battle of Fairy Tail", yet now, as soon as they had returned, Laxus had seemed to have changed his mind and washed his hands of Candice, the woman he had spoken of fondly during their brief chat. It wasn't like Laxus to be so wishy washy about something. Almost always when he had a plan, the S class mage would stick to it. To change his approach so quickly…it didn't sit well with Freed.

But even more so than that, what truly had him on edge was the "changes" to the plan. Emberella's inclusions to "The Battle of Fairy Tail." had taken what was already a fairly extreme plan of action and somehow managed to make it even more viscous in nature. From what she had just told them, about five dark guilds or so were being brought in to "assist" their takeover. This was starting to feel less and less like they were doing the guild a favor and more like they themselves were becoming criminals.

But the worst part about it all, at least from his perspective, was how she clung to Laxus like some harlot as she told them all of their new and 'improved' plans. He didn't like it, not one bit, and he could easily tell that both Evergreen and Bickslow were also rather put off to the current situation.

Still, Laxus had insisted that they followed along with her plan, and so, reluctantly, the three had agreed to the proposed changes. Once everything had been agreed upon, Emberella planted a kiss on his cheek before she changed back into her other identity before she made her way out. Evergreen and Bickslow shot him some worried glances before he gave them a stern glance and nodded. The two promptly left the room, the silent message he sent them clear as day.

I will handle it.

Now it was just the two of them, Laxus looking outside of the window of his room as his eyes no doubt held the Fairy Tail guild in its gaze. After about twenty seconds or so, the S class mage spoke up. "You got something to say, Freed? You're not the type to lollygag when you've got work to do."

"I... simply have some concerns that I felt should be brought to your attention. I have no doubt that Evergreen and Bickslow feel the same way." Freed answered.

Laxus turned around, frowning at his worst. "Oh? Don't tell me you're chickening out on me now, Freed. I thought that you agreed that this place would be better off with me in charge."

"And I still do. Nothing has changed in that regard, I promise you." Freed promptly responded. "It's just that... Emberella's ideas are quite radical in nature. It was one thing when it was just the three of us, but bringing in dark guilds? It feels like we're dangerously close to crossing a line here."

Laxus slammed his foot down. "I was right, you're being a total pansy! Look, if we want to really succeed then we should be willing to use any means necessary to achieve victory. Besides, we'll just toss them all into jail once we've taken over."

Laxus was smirking then, and while it was far out of character for him to have done so with such a statement, something about his eyes seemed off. What exactly, Freed couldn't place, but it felt...manic.

The leader of the Thunder Legion continued. "Even so, I believe that there are some boundaries that we shouldn't cross. If the magic council hears about any of this, then-"

"That one guy's cutting off all the communication lacrima in town. As long as you keep your runes up, then everything should be fine." Laxus insisted. "If we play our cards right, everyone else will just think it's part of the festival." He slowly trod over to Freed before he glared at him. "That is, as long as you do your job right. Got it?" He placed a tight grip on Freed's shoulder, Freed flinching from the surprising rough contact l.

"But what of the emperor of Bosco, Laxus?" Freed demanded. "If he were to see or put together anything of what's happening, it would be a disaster!"

"Then you'll just have to make sure that he doesn't report it to anyone now, won't you?" Laxus growled as his grip tightened.

"Laxus, you're not understanding the gravity of the situation here!" Freed insisted. "If he suspects anything then we're in trouble! We can't detain him, the kings expecting to see him a few days after the festival is over, and if King Fiore finds out then-"

"I said don't worry about it!" Laxus shouted before he shoved Freed back, interrupting the fearful rant his subordinate was no doubt about to unleash. Free found himself stunned at Laxus's outburst as he scowled. "We've waited too long as it is. As far as I'm concerned it's now or never! This is one of the few times we'll have the entire guild here! How else are we supposed to really know who's truly strong enough to be in my guild!?"

Laxus slowly moved over to Freed before he passed him before he muttered. "Don't you forget. I'm the best damn wizard there ever was. Whatever problems come, I'll handle it. You just need to do your damn job and keep things under control. Got it?"

There was a slight undertone of anger in his voice, a first for when Laxus had spoken to him. Had he spoken out of turn? Yes, he must have. His purpose as the leader of the Thunder Legion was to fulfill Laxus's will, not to question it.

"Yes. You have my most sincere apologies, Laxus." Freed admitted.

"Good. Then get those runes of yours ready. I can't do this without you."

The door closed, leaving Freed alone with his thoughts. Yes, that's right. Laxus... Laxus needs me right now. I can't afford to have any doubts. Not now.

Yet, even as he left the room...he couldn't fully shake this feeling of doubt.

---

"Are you really sure about this, Jade? The Harvest Festival about is going to start in a few days. I'd hate for you to miss it "

"I told you Candi, I should be back with a few hours to spare when my job's all done. I'll be fine."

It was sort of surreal, Candice seeing her off like this. In the past, whenever she had decided to go off on missions on her own, her close friend would have simply waved her hand goodbye and muttered some sort of sarcastic remark like "Don't croak on me, I need the rent." Or "Alright, I'll get some new eye candy in the meanwhile."

But ever since the tower of heaven, Candice had been much more considerate than she used to be. In the past she had constantly chosen the types of job requests they would go on with no regard for Jade's choice in the matter, with similar results when it came to restaurants, concerts and other sports of frivolous activities. But now it seemed that the Quincy had gone in an almost completely different direction, with Candice constantly inquiring about what she wanted. It was... strange.

I guess Lil's death back then really shook her up, even if it was temporary. Jade thought as the pair walked over to her train. "I'm...kinda surprised that you felt the need to see me off to be honest."

Candice sighed as her right hand rested on her hip. "Yeah, well...I just felt the need to see you before you left. I..." Candice looked away for a moment before she muttered. "Just wish you'd stay a little while longer is all."

Now she knew there was something going on with her close friend and she had a sneaking suspicion as to why. "Is it.. because of Laxus?"

Candice didn't say anything for about ten seconds before she spoke up. "Something's off about him Jade and I have no idea why. He's always been a bit of a prick but...never like this. Sure, we've gotten into some shouting matches in the past but those werr more playful foreplay than anything else. This? This was the first time it was real and... and -" She looked away. "I .. thought maybe this time I could have had something more."

Jade couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Candi, with all due respect...Why him? He's a total asshole and you can do so much better than him, so ..why is this the guy you've fallen for?"

Candice sighed again before she spoke. "My ex-fiancé was kinda like him. The one I pushed off the bridge. I told you that story, right? Anyway, Camron had a real attitude problem with authority when his football career came crashing down around him. Guy never did get drafted into the NFL like he always wanted. A-anyway, the point is, behind every jackass like Laxus and Camron, there's usually a good person buried in their somewhere. What can I say? I'm a sucker for big dick energy Edgelords. Besides, you've heard that baritone he has for a voice. I like my men as men. Strong, sturdy, and able to stand up to my nonsense without going overboard. I've met 'em all Jade: Creepers and genuine pieces a shit and all that jazz. Plus, I've got word from Makarov. He...he told me once that he wasn't always like this."

The Quincy tilted her head upwards before she closed her eyes. "Anyone that used to be a genuinely good person when they were small probably is still that person buried deep at their core. Sometimes, growing up sucks and lashing out is you cop, I would know, it's how I am, well, was. If you could believe it, I used to be as doe eyed and innocent as Wendy. A little Virgin Mary church girl with love in her heart and nary a bad thing to say about anyone. But…experiences change people. Rebellion changes people. And, well, I guess what I'm saying is, I can see past Laxus' bad behavior…because I was just like him when I was his age."

Candice smirked. "Besides he and I had a long chat after what happened, and he swore he'd chill out. I don't care what those Thunder dickwads say, he and I are tight! They probably just wanted to show off in front of me, but I'm sure Laxus will put them in their place soon enough."

Jade leaned back against some railing as she took in Candice's words. "I guess you have a point." Jade admitted. "I mean, you're not exactly Miss sunshine with that personality of yours. But despite how..well, I'll be frank, obnoxious you can be, I know that you've got a heart of gold. I just...think you can do better."

Candice let out a mirthful chuckle. "Yeah, maybe I do, but I want to make it work. After seeing what Bambi and Lucy have... I'm starting to think that maybe settling down with him might not be so bad." She gave Jade a sly wink then. "I mean as long as I have you, it'll all work out."

Jade had to resist a powerful urge to grimace as she clenched at her right arm. I wasn't just talking about him, Candi. Jade bemoaned internally. You deserve better than me.

No matter how hard she had tried to deny it, the simple fact of the matter was that she was selling out all of her friends. All so her 'dear mother's would shower her with praise. For the past two months, Jade had sworn that it was all for Emberella, to repay a debt of gratitude for taking her off the streets. But now she was faced with the cold hard facts. She wasn't doing it out of some sense of loyalty, at least not purely. No, she was being selfish. All so she could get her happily ever after.

But... wasn't Fairy Tail just that? At first she merely saw it as a means to an end, a place to temporarily call home until she finally reunited with Emberella, but now? She had friends, and not just Candice.

Bambietta, Liltotto, Natsu, and so many more, she had slowly come to care for all of them. Yes, they were a chaotic bunch of goofballs but ..was that really so bad?

No. No it wasn't. And now, after a few more days...her friends would cease to exist. At Least as she knew them.

"I'm...really not that good of a friend Candi." Jade finally answered. It was only due to her many years of performing various roles to kill her targets that allowed her to keep a mostly straight face. Still, something must have been off given the look of bewilderment that Candice was giving her. A twitch of her arm, her eyes looking downward, it could have been anything that alerted her friend that something was up.

Without warning, Candice grabbed one of Jade's hands before she looked into Jade's eyes. "Oh come on, what's this? You're supposed to be the one cheering me up, not vice versa. Remember what I told you back at Akane Resort? You're the best damn thing to have happened to me since I got here. I meant it then and I meant it now."

Oh I remember all right...that's the problem. Jade was distressed internally. Once more did the desire to spill the beans and reveal everything about Emberella's terrible plan nearly escape her lips. Oh, how desperately she wished she had the gall to just tell Candice everything. And yet...she couldn't. The words never escaped her lips. Was it the selfish desire to keep Emberella's affection stopping her once more? Perhaps it was fear that Candice would reject her once she found out the truth? Perhaps it was something else entirely.

"I...I know." Jade finally spoke up. "But...maybe you'd be better off without me."

"Bullshit. Without you, I'd have spent all of the jewel in my wallet in the first month I found myself in Fiore." Candice said before she smiled. "You keep me focused. That's something that the others have always had a hard time doing back in the Wandenreich. Sure, I know I tend to groan and roll my eyes every time you're a buzzkill, but that's usually because I know you're right."

She then slowly lifted Jade's head up with one finger as her train slowly began to pull up behind her. "So don't doubt yourself arlight? Because no matter what anyone else says about you...you'll always matter to me."

"Candi...I...I...I..." Jade stammered as soon as the train finally stopped behind the railing. Damn it all...Damn it all, why does it have to be like this!? Jade swore before the doors to the train began to open. This...could very well be the last time she saw Candice. At Least as herself. Thus, before she knew what she was even doing, she lurched forward and embraced Candice in a tight hug.

The former Stern Ritter found herself completely taken off guard by her best friend's current course of action, simply standing there dumbfounded.

Jade stepped back then, as she slowly made her way past the train's doors, the former thief frowning as she looked down at her feet.

She whispered something, and just as Candice reached out to her, the doors closed, and the train promptly began to leave the station.

The former stern ritter started there confused. For just a moment…she could have sworn she heard Jade utter two simple words.

"I'm sorry."

---

"Man it's so good to be home." Lucy said as she made her way into her apartment. The day had been a bit more chaotic than she had expected, with how the Thunder Legion acted and the following news that royalty would be paying them a visit. That wasn't even taking into account the mission that she and Natsu had just finished.

It was supposed to be easy, simply obtaining a few giant condor eggs, a very valuable delicacy that chef's paid a fine fee to use in their own restaurants. But the two had made one, tincy, tinny error. They hadn't taken Giant Condor eggs...they took a Griffin's egg. A monster usually reserved for S class missions.

The creature had been very protective and VERY powerful, with Lucy having to use Sagittarius to support Natsu at a distance to properly fend the creature off. They never did obtain the egg, the creature managing to swoop in and snatch it from them before taking off, but the feathers they had managed to scrounge up from the battle proved to be just as valuable for fashion.

But despite the increase in money she has earned, Lucy had been hoping for something a bit more easy after the tower of heaven. Frankly, she'd rather not go through something like that ever again. They had come way too close to losing a dear friend more than she liked. She sighed as she made her way up the stairs. "Well, at least it's all over."

However, just as she began to make her way upwards, her ears perked up as an unexpected sound hit her ears. It was an upbeat melody, accompanied by a feminine, soft yet somehow still intense voice..As she continued to ascend the stairs, Lucy's eyes slowly began to widen as she began to hear the voice more and more clearly. This voice is... Bambi's?

Her question was almost immediately answered as she reached her room, the singing louder and much more clear than it had before. Wanting to finally find out just what was exactly going on, Lucy carefully opened the door, her eyes falling upon her girlfriend.

All she could currently see at the moment was her back, her head moving yep and through as she danced in the room with subtle movements of her hips and arms. Just as she was about to sing another verse, the Quincy turned around, her eyes closed and was about to sing untill Lucy spoke up.

"Bambi?"

Instantly, Bambietta's eyes shot open, the Quincy taking a step back before she stammered. "O-oh, um L-lucy, I um, it's um, it's not what you think, really I..I mean..." The Quincy promptly stopped her stammering before she let out an annoyed groan and sat down on the couch.."Oh who am I kidding? You saw plenty of it."

Lucy blinked. She hadn't an inkling why she was responding like this. Still, she wanted to support her. "Was...that what you had planned for Miss Fairy Tail?" Lucy asked as she stood in front of Bambietta.

The Quincy merly groaned again. "Yesss, that was the plan. Ugh, I know, I know, I was terrible. Damn it, I'm way out of practice!"

Lucy blinked once more, confused by her girlfriend's choice of words. "That was... terrible?"

Bambietta held her head up with her left hand as she knelt over. "Of course it was! I was slightly off pace with the song and my pitch was too high!"

Lucy looked down at Bambietta for just a few seconds before she placed her right hand on one of the Quincy's shoulder. "You really think so? I wasn't able to get the best impression of what you were singing but...What I heard downstairs seemed pretty good to me."

"That's because you were downstairs!" Bambietta replied irritability. "Damn it all, I should have known picking this backup was a bad idea."

"Hey, hey, it's alright." Lucy said as she sat down next to Bambietta, both of her hands covering one of Bambietta's. "I think you're probably being a little hard on yourself." When she didn't respond, Lucy decided to press onward. "If you mind me asking...why did you stop?"

Bambietta shot Lucy a sideways glance. "Because my old guild was preparing for a wa-I mean special mission and our guild master wanted us in top shape. Our training intensified to ten fold and I lost a few hours of the spare time I used to have. Singing, it was something my mom and I used to do back when I lived with my old man, but after I found my guild, it was just something that I did when I was by myself to pass the time. But after we got our orders to train harder I just..kinda stopped."

"I see." Lucy spoke as she nodded with understanding. "Well for what it's worth, I think you did a lot better than you're giving yourself credit for."

Bambietta shook her head. "No, no, I'm not. I was terrible."

"If you really think so, then how about you try it again?" Lucy asked. "If you're really not sure about what I heard then..why don't you try it one time for me?"

Bambietta leaned back up before she turned her head at Lucy. "How do I know that you're not going to lie to just make me feel better?"

"Because I'd never let you go through that kind of humiliation for Miss Fairy Tail." Lucy said before she gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Just because we're both competing doesn't mean that I want you to do bad. I mean sure, winning would be nice, really nice actually, but I'd rather have fun more than anything else."

Bambietta stared at Lucy before she held onto one of her hands tightly. There wasn't a single hint of dishonesty on her face. Even so, she had to ask one last question.

"Just.. promise me that you won't laugh if it's terrible, ok?" Bambietta murmured.

Lucy's jaw dropped. "I'd never do something like that! Come on Bambi, you should know me better than that!"

Bambietta stared into Lucy's eyes as the blonde gave her another heartwarming smirk before Bambietta smiled back. "You're right. I was being stupid. Thanks Lu." She leaned forward and gave Lucy a quick kiss on her lips before she got up, microphone on hand. "I'm going to play you a fun little song that my friends and I really enjoyed a lot back home...I hope you'll like it too."

(Song of choice: Bloody Stream by AmaLee)

Lucy wasn't sure what she expected. Perhaps a song filled with rock hard metal or something similar in nature. But this seemed much... softer. Well to a degree anyway. Despite the music not being all out hard rock there was still an intensity to it, one that felt up beat that would briefly dip down before it picked up once more. Bambietta sung the words without any hesitation, her hips swaying with the beat of the song, her spare hand also moving with the rhythm of the music as it moved about in the air.

Lucy's jaw dropped. She had known that Bambietta was more than likely being way harder to herself than she probably should have been, but this was far better than she had expected. When the song finally finished, Lucy promptly stood up and clapped her hands. ,"Bambi, that was amazing!"

Bambietta opened up her eyes as she looked at Lucy. "You...you really think so?"

Lucy nodded as she stepped close to her. "Yeah, I do! You'll do great in Miss Fairy Tail, I just know it!"

Bambietta chuckled sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head. "Well I mean, I certainly hope so. If I'm going up against you and Erza...then I know I have to step up my game if I want to have any chance of winning this thing."

"Honestly after that, I'm a little worried about my chances." Lucy admitted. "I honestly think you have a chance at winning this, I really do!"

"...Even with Erza?" Bambietta asked with some trepidation. "You... really think I can beat her?"

Lucy promptly held one of Bambietta's hands before she smiled. "I mean... you're the one I'm dating, aren't I?"

Bambietta's eyes widened for a moment before she smiled right back at Lucy before she tossed her microphone at the couch before she immediately locked lips with her girlfriend, her hands going to her hips. While taken aback at first, Lucy soon began to kiss back before the two made their way to their bed.

It was going to be a fun night.

---

"Bambi, you're not actually serious about this harebrained scheme are you?"

"It's not harebrained, it's brilliant! You'll see Lil, you'll see!"

The two were talking way louder than they probably should have been, given the time of day that it was. 6:50 am. The guildhall wouldn't open up to anyone for at least another ten minutes, with Makarov personally having to unlock it with his own set of keys. Nobody would have thought of arriving so soon...which was exactly what Bambietta wanted. If she was going to make this work, she'd need to meet up with this new emperor before anyone else.

Thus, she had decided to go alone, allowing her roommates to catch up on some much needed sleep. Unfortunately for her, it seemed her two close friends from the Wandenriech had taken notice of her spiritual life making its way towards the guild and had decided to see what was going on, with Rukia soon joining in once she sensed the three of them came together. Seeing no other choice but to explain what her plan was, she had told the three exactly what it was she had planned.

"You really think this is going to help you get rich quick? Bambi, this is beyond desperate and you know it." Candice said as she followed along, hands on her hips.

Bambietta scoffed. "Says you! I'll have you know that tour guides make a shit ton of money back home in terms of tips and that's for doing it for your average Joe or plain Jane's! " She then smirked, pumping her fist in excitement. "But this is an Emperor, guys! You don't get richer than that in this world! If he's so insistent on seeing Fiore's culture for himself, then he's bound to need someone to show him around!"

"Hare. Brained. Scheme." Liltotto repeated before she rolled her eyes. "Honestly, forgetting the fact that you have no experience with being a tour guide what-so-ever, you should probably let it be someone who's actually native to Earthland do it instead. At Least they'll have some idea of what they're talking about."

"You really should listen to them." Rukia added.``Take it from someone who has at least some knowledge of nobility. There's a chance that he might actually take offense to him even needing a tour guide. Nobles can be very fickle about some of the most minor of details."

Bambietta stuck her tongue out before she huffed. "Soul Society nobles always had sticks up their ass, so of course they would. Don't give me that look, you know it's true!" Bambietta said as Rukia gave her a brief glare. "I'm like 90% positive that the ones in Earthland are way more chill anyway! Besides, even if I somehow piss him off, I still have my secret weapon!"

Bambietta smirked then as she took something that had been sticking out of one of her pockets. A bottle of bourbon. "If I know anything about nobility, it's that they love their alcohol."

Rukia pinched the bridge of her nose while Liltotto facepalmed. Candice, however, had a different reaction all together "I'll take of off your hands for 1500 jewel." Candice said as she reached for it, only for Bambietta to immediately move it out of her reach.

"No way! First off, this stuff cost me almost 5000 jewel! Secondly, I need it in case shit does goes south!" Bambietta exclaimed irritably

Once the guildhall came into view, Bambietta took off in a sprint, eager to get to the guild before anyone else. Grinning all the while with a slight skip in her step, Bambietta stopped just in front of the front door...and tilted her head in confusion. "Huh. That's weird."

"If you're referring to how you're behaving today then I'd have to agree." Liltotto said as she and the other got closer.

"Ha, ha, ha, not funny." Bambietta retorted as she glanced over her shoulder before she looked back at the guild. "No I mean...the door's unlocked."

"Already?" Candice asked as she took a curious look over Bambiettas shoulder. "Maybe the Master thought he'd start a bit early?"

"No, that's not possible." Rukia added while she shook her head. "I can still sense his reiatsu elsewhere. He's on his way, but he's not here yet."

"Huh. You think someone's trying to rob the guild?" Candice inquired.

"I highly doubt anyone's that stupid." Liltotto remarked. "Fairy Tail is considered one of Fiore's most powerful guild, not to mention the fact that we open up in just ten minutes." The blonde narrowed her eyes at the guild. "Something's fishy, I just wish I knew what."

I've got a bad feeling about this. Bambietta dreaded internally. Slowly opening the door more, the pair of four made their way inside before Rukia turned on the lights. At first glance, everything seemed to be alright, with nothing amiss. Bambietta let out a sigh of relief then, her fear leaving her body as she exhaled. "Man, don't scare me like that Lil. You got me wound up over nothing."

Liltotto simply looked away. "Well one of us has to use their brain."

Bambietta grit her teeth before she clenched her left fist. "Come again Lil!? If you have something to say, then say it! Last I checked I was in the top twenty of my class back at the academy, so you better shut your-"

"You're still as rambunctious as ever I see, Miss Basterbine."

The world froze. The Quincy's rant ceased almost immediately as she heard the deep voice. Her eyes widened like saucer's and her breath instantly became heavy as the grip on her bottle of bourbon gave way, the alcoholic beverage smashing to the ground as glass and beer went all over the floor. However, she and every other Quincy present didn't give that even the most modicum of thought.

The look on her fellow Quincy s faces said it all, as Liltotto and Candice looked upwards with complete and utter terror. Tepidly, Bambietta forced herself to turn around to look where they were, instinctually praying that she hadn't heard whom she thought she had.

It was not to be.

There on the second floor of Fairy Tail's newly made guild hall did he stand, a tall man adorned in white with a maroon black cloak going down to his knees. But most noticeable of all was his well kept mutton chops, long black hair and his piercing reddish brown eyes.

Bambietta's knees shook as the Quincy found it harder and harder to breath and maintain any sort of composure, her friends faring no better. She wanted to yell, scream, anything to let out her fear in some manner. Yet all she could manage was a terrified whimper.

"Your... Majesty."

The Quincy Emperor smirked.

---

Merry Christmas Everyone, it's Quincy Jesus! Aren't you all excited? What? No? Huh. Wonder why?

In all seriousness, I know that anyone who's either read TYBW or has been keeping up with the recent anime knows just how horrible things can go with this sudden, and unexpected arrival. I know what you're asking. What is he doing here? Why is he here? How does this affect 'The Battle of Fairy Tail'? How fucked is the Fairy Tail guild right now?!

All of these are appropriate questions, but you're going to have to wait till next time to find out. And for the record, this turn of events was planned for quite some time, even before I began the tower of heaven arc, so don't worry, I'm not doing this just to cash in on his recent appearances in the anime.