Warnings: nothing much. If I had to say something, some self-esteem issues, but nothing out of the ordinary.
First off, if you think this is going to 'get dirty,' you are mistaken. Just- imagine a smoll child trying to figure out what a drinking contest is like. (it's me, im smoll child)
{-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-}
Aki spent the rest of her time at Porlyusica's or Lucy's, refusing to return to the guildhall while still injured, as well as her new inability to be at Natsu's, caused by Mavis, who, ever since their first reunion, had set her on edge. She was rather cool towards Zeref, even, who only stopped by Lucy's a couple of times—wanting to spend all his time with Mavis, Aki thought angrily.
Though Lucy hadn't invited anybody, Erza had showed up a few times anyway. Levy, too, had visited, talking with Aki about books, and even Mira – who usually didn't leave the guild hall – had joined them a few times. Lucy was there every single day, getting on with her novel and chatting. They enjoyed the regular tea together, eating whatever was on hand, not once going out.
A couple days later, though, Aki, along with Zeref, found themselves in the guild hall once more, both having been restored to perfect health. Even that day, they hadn't wanted to enter the guild hall yet – rather, ever again – but were forced to by Natsu, whom they could no longer 'disappoint.'
They had gone on a mission the day before, as Porlyusica had finished healing them, but Natsu hadn't been able to convince them – catch and force them – to come into the guild. So Happy had retrieved a quest from the message board, and they, plus Lucy, part of their team as usual, had set off.
Unfortunately, it hadn't gone all that well. The client had recognized and refused to pay them. They for themselves didn't mind, but it had cost Lucy her rent, for which they felt horrible.
Currently, they were sitting in the very back of the guild, debating how to avoid being recognized, as they were both sure that it would happen again unless something was done.
"We could use Perception Magic," Zeref said absently, flipping through a book.
"Magic Rings are illegal now, Zeref-nii," Aki yawned, turning a page in one of her notebooks. "Oh," she added, looking interested. "How about Will-O-The-Wisp?"
"What's that?" asked Natsu, upper body sprawled across the table.
"A magic that can create mirages. We could make them see a different person when they look at-" [Penumbra–oc spell with English word definition.]
"You can't use magic on a client," Lucy interrupted flatly.
Aki pouted, and Natsu, growing bored, said, "I could just punch them until they-"
"Let me stop you right there," Lucy cut in, shaking her head and making an 'X' in front of her with her arms. He pouted, making her snicker at the similarity – nay, identicality – to Aki's own pout.
"How about Transformation Magic?" Zeref suggested.
"How about a disguise?" Lucy suggested.
Zeref and Aki squinted at her, and she felt a thread of annoyance. "That's what we've been discussing this whole time," Aki said slowly.
She scowled. "No, I mean, like, a cloak." Now she got to laugh at their dumbstruck faces. "Did it not occur to you to use a disguise rather than altering everyone else's perception of you?"
"We," Aki started, but petered out. "No…" she eventually admitted. "It-"
"It's about time we had a drinking contest, newbies!" someone interjected, and a bottle was slammed down onto their table. It was Cana, grinning broadly and expectantly.
Aki looked taken aback, but quickly recovered, grinning. Unfortunately, her frown recovered equally fast, and her face fell. "Are you sure you want to with us?"
Cana snorted. "I couldn't care less who you are," she said easily. "Master let you in, didn't he?"
"Are you sure?" Aki insisted. "Just because of Galuna-"
"I don't care about Galuna, Aki-tan," she said seriously, startling Lucy; she rarely ever heard Cana using a serious tone, even if she was still joking a little. She had already switched back, though, sniggering, "I just want to see how well the newbies can handle their liquor."
"But-"
"You scared or something?" Cana asked smirkingly.
Aki still looked uncertain, but, glancing at Zeref, who had frozen, she seemed to flick a switch. Instantly, she perked up, nodding.
At this point, Zeref twitched out of his daze and made to sneak off, but Aki caught hold of his arm. Not looking at him as he tried to escape, she firmly agreed, "Absolutely. Me and Zeref-nii."
Zeref blanched. "No," he said insistently, straining to get away. "No, no, no, no, no, no."
Aki merely gave a cruelly amused ghost of a laugh, eyes sparkling as she looked at him. "Hmm?"
He whimpered, not meeting her eyes, twisting frantically before a bemused Cana, his robes tangling into a net. "Not again, no, no, no, not again, please-"
The second Aki managed to meet his gaze, he froze; with her Puppy Dog Eye TechniqueÔ, Aki could convince him to do anything, and having another 'drinking contest' disaster that would probably have him weeping blatantly in front of the rest of the Fairy Tail guild, hugging Natsu and sobbing about missing him or something, well, that happened to fall neatly into the category. He stared, staving off the inevitable, until he was forced to cave. "…fine."
Aki grinned evilly and turned back to Cana.
"Aki-chan," Lucy started anxiously, "you might not want to drink with-"
"It can't just be us;" Aki said over her, seeming almost a different person, "it's no fun with just three people."
Cana whooped gleefully. "You know your stuff," she said, tipping her bottle of wine to her. "Oi!" she shouted, addressing the whole of the guild hall, "Anybody want to have a drinking contest-"
As she said this, and people saw who was saying it, nearly every member vehemently refused, but-
"-with the Black Mages?"
They fell silent, then burst into excited chatter, crowding around Cana and the rest.
"Actually," Aki spoke up, raising her hand. No one heard – or cared– about her words. She frowned with more indignation than Lucy could remember seeing her post-curse self express, then climbed up onto the table. She raised her hand as high as it could go – she was so small it failed to reach over every head – and bellowed, "Hey!"
When no one fell silent, her eyes glinted; Lucy's stomach dropped in a familiar way, but she wasn't sure what about it felt so nostalgic.
"My, my," Mira commented mildly, watching from the bar.
Aki took a deep breath, patting her collar bone with a faintly glowing hand. "エンチャント."
[Enchant]
Lucy blinked, linking that belligerent, determined glint and the drop in her stomach with Natsu, just before Aki deafened her and the rest of the guild.
"ARE YOU ALL DEAF?!"
Aki's magically magnified voice rang through the hall. Everyone covered their ears – except Zeref, who had predicted and prepared for it – and, silenced, looked at Aki.
She hmphed, hands on her hips. "I guess you're not. Will you listen now?"
"What was that for?" someone complained angrily, more cries accompanying them, only rowdier, if anything.
Aki's eyes narrowed—in a way so scarily reminiscent of Natsu, Lucy wasn't sure how she hadn't realized sooner. "You have three seconds before I steal five and a half of your teeth!" she exploded, exuding a red mist.
That shut everyone up, all staring at her in horror, eyes popping.
Everyone, that is, but Bickslow, who was letting out peals of laughter, along with his flying 'babies.'
Aki inspected him, eyes narrowed, before hopping down from the table and stalking up to him. "What, you don't want your teeth?" she challenged, tapping her foot as she stared up at the man nearly twice her height.
Bickslow snorted. "You aren't going to steal anyone's teeth, you little troll!" he said, sticking his tongue out.
Aki blinked, and, miraculously, the edges of her tight snarl twitched upward. That was the only warning they got before she burst out laughing just as loudly as Bickslow and his dolls. Bent over, struggling to breathe, she choked out, "How- how could you t-tell?"
"Your soul, Lil Troll," Bickslow grinned, his dolls repeating-
"Your soul! Your soul!"
"Really?" Aki asked, suddenly intrigued, wiping tears of hilarity from her eyes. "You'll have to tell me about that! After, though!" She jumped up and dashed back to the table, scrambling back up on it. "Anyways-"
"So, you were bluffing?" Cana interrupted; she was one of the few who hadn't looked scared at Aki's announcement, and now merely looked quite amused.
"Well, yeah, I'd never actually steal your teeth," Aki said matter-of-factly. "So," she resumed, as though threatening involuntary tooth fairy donations were a normal thing," we should make this as fun as possible! Any suggestions?"
When no one spoke for a full minute, and Aki was starting to look a bit dispirited, her energy starting to dip, Mira chirped, "If you fall behind or run away, you get a penalty!"
Aki beamed appreciatively, perking back up in a practiced way; she hadn't faked emotions for four hundred years for nothing. She clapped her hands. "I know!" she suggested excitedly. "I'll send anyone who slacks for a fun free fall! Don't worry, you won't get hurt," she amended hastily, seeing their terrified faces. "You'll just free fall from the sky, high above Magnolia! I'll bring you back safely."
"That isn't any less terrifying," Macao commented, earning murmurs of agreement from the crowd.
"I don't think I want to play a game where we might die," said another.
"Well, that's what we should have guessed from the Black Mages."
"Why would we want to leave ourselves unguarded around them?
"Why should we believe that she'd actually bring us back safe?"
"Just cause she helped that once…"
"And for their brother…"
As some people made to leave, Aki looking confused and crestfallen—she genuinely enjoyed free-falling, and had figured it could be a punishment only because they wouldn't be in control—Mira walked up to the group.
"Everyone!" she called, waving her hand in the air. They all stopped, falling silent as their attention turned to her. She tilted her head. "I expect you all to participate! O-K-A-Y?" she said, pronouncing each syllable independently as she smiled her sweetest smile.
The ones who had been making to leave spun back around without a second thought. Between the Black Mages and the she-devil, Black Mages it would be.
Yet, Aki stepped down from the table, nudging Cana and whispering in her ear, looking strained. Cana looked disappointed, but nodded. She stood up and started forming the rules in Aki's stead.
Aki, followed by a seemingly relieved Zeref and with practiced ease, vanished into the crowd, appearing at its edge almost instantaneously.
As they started towards their corner, Mira took hold of Aki's wrist. "Aren't you participating? You were so excited about it."
Aki didn't let her see her expression, looking down, her hair hiding her face.
When nothing happened, Zeref spoke up, "We, uh, probably not wanted by them…"
Mira frowned. "Me and Cana certainly want you to join. And Levy and Bickslow, Elfman, Lisanna, Lucy, and Natsu."
When Aki still failed to respond for the both of them as per usual, Zeref tried weakly, "But- Most of them- I mean…" He glanced away.
"Well, I think it sounds fun!" she huffed, puffing her cheek out in a way that told even Master Makarov to comply. "So come on and-"
"I don't want to," Aki muttered stiffly.
Mira's eyes flashed. Grabbing Zeref's wrist, too, she prepared to drag them back to the group if she had to.
Aki wrenched her arm easily out of her grip, Zeref following suit with an easy flick. Mira spun back around, grabbing Aki's wrist a second time. This time she used her magic power, determined to make her participate, to cheer her up, to show her how warm Fairy Tail really was.
But, as Aki's magic responded, she faltered. It writhed in response to the barefaced challenge, seething and roiling, surging up her arm and sweeping over her. It was enormous and complicated – oh so complicated – and shattered.
Magic has much to do with one's being: Just as each person is different, so is their magic. When a mage chooses how to use it, they have to listen to their magic's natural attributes. They form their own styles, even within the most specific of categories, as their magic develops alongside them, cultivated by their life. When they are hurt or helped, when they learn or fail, when they form new connections or burn new paths, their magic acclimatizes, absorbing the new information and evolving from it, nurturing itself with experience.
As such, magic can reveal much about a mage. Powerful wizards, who can better sense magic, can observe an unguarded mage's magic; see in what shape their magic had grown and try to extrapolate from it. It was like a tree.
And, as Aki's magic gushed, blatant and uncovered, Mira wondered what could have formed such a massive, twisted tree. It seemed as though a lumberjack had misunderstood how to cut it down, having driven his axe into a different branch with every swing. There were branches, blemished and covered in cicatrices, that dangled, connected by the thinnest strings of wood, or else hollowed out, peppered by the holes of termites; each gnarled branch seemed to groan with the effort of holding themselves up. Every leaf, maculate, was dead, barely hanging onto its crimped stem.
It was by no means a weak tree, though.
Adorned by a rainbow of magics, it was, in a twisted, tragic way, beautiful: Moss and fungi, vividly colored, covered it, blanketing the mutilated branches stunningly, contrasting against the black wood. The trunk, sturdier than anything Mira had ever seen, was massive. Roots of steel fed the withered tree, each tendril so healthy that it made up twice what the tree's branches lacked.
No, this tree wasn't going anywhere – it seemed practically unable to die – but Mira didn't think she had ever seen magic so brutalized. Even as its roots and trunk stood fast, undoubtedly able to weather any storm – and looking as though they might have already done so – each branch was stunted, every new avenue and opportunity for growth stymied before it could begin, each flower nipped in the bud, every leaf choked before it could unfurl. The pain caused by each break was traced exquisitely along the grain of the wood, rivulets that flowed, swirling like rapids around particular spots and stigmas.
Mira gasped as the power switched abruptly off, the wind dying instantly, the tree vanishing behind aging vines.
"Sorry…" Aki was mumbling shamefacedly, "I didn't mean to upset you… you just, startled me…" She squawked as Mira rushed forward and embraced her firmly. "M-Mira-sa…"
Mira shook her head against her shoulder. "Don't be sorry. But, Aki-chan, give Fairy Tail a chance."
Aki blinked, bewildered. "What are you talking about?"
"I understand having scars," she whispered earnestly. "I understand having pain others can't relate to. Aki-chan, I understand running away. I nearly did, myself. I wanted to leave my family here so they could live happily without me. I understand it, Aki-chan, but please-" Mira pulled back, revealing tearful eyes. "Give us a chance, Aki-chan. Give Fairy Tail a chance."
Aki's seemed too dumbstruck to speak, and Mira shook her head, taking a step back. "Sorry, I just- I want to help."
Aki averted her gaze, grabbing her elbow. "I've told you, we don't deserve to be helped. Just because of Galuna-"
"It has nothing to do with that," Mira interrupted. "I want to help because I do." Aki said nothing. "Me and Levy wanted to help before knowing that, Aki-chan."
"Yeah, but Levy knew about the- the curse…" she muttered, accompanied by a visible shudder.
"I didn't, when I first came to your table," Mira said gently. "I came over because I wanted to get to know you both, plain as that."
Aki's lip trembled slightly. Then she turned away, head hung. "If you really want us to stay, I will…" she mumbled quietly.
Mira smiled softly; she had seen a tiny, tremulous smile. "I'll join in too," she announced, clapping her hands as though it was settled.
"Zeref, Aki-n- Aki?" All three looked around to see Mavis. "Can… can we talk?"
Instantly, Aki closed off, shutting the windows on the flicker that Mira had glimpsed. She dashed to Mira's side, saying, "You and Zeref go. We're having a drinking contest, and he'd rather talk with you than show off how much of a lightweight he is. Mira here wants one of us to stay, at least, though. Right, Mira?" she added, meeting Mira's eyes with stifled desperation.
Mira nodded at once, smiling apologetically at the First Master. "I really wanted to have them participate."
Mavis's expression fell, but Aki had already pulled Mira over to the crowd, where Natsu appeared out of nowhere to hug-tackle his sister. They were quickly joined by Lucy and Wendy, and Aki was called by Cana to come forward and help with the punishment game she had set up after all, dismissing objections, saying it's a punishment game, Nab. It's supposed to be scary. Don't be such a wimp.
Zeref glanced back at Mavis.
After a moment of silence, Mavis shook her head mournfully, saying, "Aki-nee really hates me, doesn't she?"
"You know she doesn't," Zeref said quietly.
Mavis chuckled sadly, grabbing Zeref's hand and leaving the guild.
Meanwhile, Aki had found herself solely in charge of facilitating the punishments that Cana thought up for anyone who she deemed 'slacking.' She wasn't sure who was more feared, as eyes flickered between her, and, strangely enough, Cana.
"Alright, let's do this!" said alcoholic called, grabbing her barrel.
Within minutes, the first couple people were giving up – rather, trying to give up. Anyone who dared to try and sneak away was caught and dragged back to be placed before Cana, who would pronounce their punishment.
"Nab," she proclaimed loudly, ignoring his pleading protests, "you will be … Dunked!"
"What does that even mean?" half the crowd muttered, casting pitying gazes at Nab, whom Mira had stepped forward to restrain as he attempted, again, to escape.
Cana whispered in Aki's ear, and she grinned, nodding. Stepping forward, she announced, "Cana-sama has spoken!" Many bursts of hilarity and confusion followed her use of 'sama,' but she gave them no credence as she plowed on. "Nab shall be 'Dunked!'"
Nab, Mira holding him from behind, squeaked as Aki held up two hands. Palms facing him, Aki's fingers splayed as though she was holding a ball larger than her own head.
"ウォーターまほう:キッディープール!" [Water Magic: Kiddie Pool] she shouted, hands rotating until her palms were facing upwards, pinky fingers touching. An orb of water appeared, growing and growing until it was larger than Nab. She paused as Nab gasped audibly in relief. Seeing her raised eyebrow, he quailed.
"Well, I mean, I'm literally just being dunked," he said, others nodding in disappointment.
Aki's lips turned upwards. "Yeah, just dunked, sure." Nab paled. "アークティック!"
[Arctic]
Nothing seemed to happen, but, before anyone could speculate, Mira leapt backwards, and the water was dumped over Nab's head.
He shouted, his body going into cold shock at the rush of frigid water.
"Natsu-nii-chan, warm him up?" Aki asked, looking at Natsu and tilting her head.
He grinned broadly. "Aye-aye, Leafy!"
As he came forward, Nab squeaked. Shivering hands raised in front of him in defense, he yelped, "No! You'll burn me to a crisp!"
Natsu grinned.
Nab made a break for it, Natsu bellowing behind him, "Oi, get back here!"
"Alright everyone, let's continue!" Cana called cheerfully, ignoring Nab's shrieks from outside the guild hall. Everyone shivered under her tyrannical gaze.
The next drop out was, shockingly, Juvia. She came forward on her own, and, before Cana could speak, asked, "Aki-san, you use Water Magic like Juvia?"
Aki blinked, apparently dazed. "Aki is fine," she said, snapping out of it and waving her hands in front of her. "And I probably do – or at least something similar – but not to the same degree."
"Juvia wonders what Aki means."
Aki's lips scrunched slightly. Juvia wonders…?
"I mean," she explained, "I can use the basics of Water Magic, but am not anywhere near a master's level."
"Aki means that Juvia's Water Magic is not Aki's main magic?"
Aki raised an eyebrow, and everyone felt their stomach drop, but she said simply, "That's almost it." She tilted her head up, her thumb to her bottom lip. "You could say that, but, in that case, I have no 'main magic.'"
Juvia's eyes widened. "But- but Aki is the Black Mage!"
Aki flinched, but shook it off. "That doesn't have much to do with my magic," she pointed out. "Besides, the whole 'Black Mage' thing came from, well… not my magic." When no one spoke, merely staring at her, she coughed, clearing her throat loudly and saying in a loud, determinedly brusque voice, "So, Cana-sama, what is Juvia-san's punishment?"
"Oh, Juvia is just fine!" Juvia cut in. "Juvia likes to be called just Juvia by her friends."
Aki froze momentarily, then smiled faintly. "Cana-sama, what is Juvia's punishment?"
Cana stepped forward. "Her punishment is to-" She surveyed Juvia, then grinned evilly. "-kiss Aki-tan."
"EHHHH?!" both Juvia and Aki screeched, the whole guild exploding along with them as Mira appeared out of nowhere, looping her arms behind Aki and holding her.
"Mira, let me go!" Aki whined, wriggling desperately.
"As Cana declares, so it shall be," Mira said pleasantly, eyes twinkling.
In the crowd, Lucy nudged Natsu. "Aren't you going to help her?"
He shrugged. "It's the game." At her raised eyebrows, he added, "Her own fault for participating in a drinking punishment game with Cana."
Lucy opened her mouth, then closed it. "You're right," she admitted grudgingly.
"If she gets in trouble, she'll just teleport away," he breezed.
"She can't, actually," Lucy said. "She said that if she was touching someone when she teleported, they'd come, too."
Natsu tilted his head. "Still," he breezed finally, "she can get herself out of any sticky situation. And she chose to do this – with Cana," he repeated.
Lucy sighed, shaking her head.
You had to learn the hard way, Aki-chan…
She turned back to look on in melancholic silence as Natsu ran off to do something somewhere, she didn't know; she wasn't his mom.
"Juvia- Juvia doesn't-" Juvia yelped as Cana grabbed her, too, pulling her onto the table.
"Wait! Wait!" Aki protested, struggling frantically. She tired quickly, though, and soon hung in Mira's arms, wiggling feebly.
"Juvia doesn't think Juvia and Aki should-"
"It's your punishment, Juvia!" Cana crooned – a manic, dictatorial expression of glee on her face. "Erza, Lisanna, come help!"
"What about me… then?" Aki demanded, breathing hard as Lisanna and Erza stepped forward, Cana handing Juvia to the latter. "Why am I… being punished?"
"You said you would do the punishments, Aki-tan!" Cana said happily, eyes sparkling as she dug around in her bag. "I need to have someone for Juvia to kiss!
Aki balked at her.
"Juvia doesn't want to, either," Juvia worried, glancing at the bar where Gray was gaping at them. "Juvia only wants to kiss Gray-sama."
"Mira, if you would do the honors," Cana instructed, wholly ignoring them both. She exchanged Aki with Mira for a feather duster, handing a second duster to Lisanna. She turned to the prisoners. "We'll be tickling you until you agree to kiss each other."
Aki looked at her in horror. It seemed even Cana's allies were in danger of her tyrannical inclinations. Was this was why they had all been looking at her with such fear? "Why do you… even have those… in your bag?!"
"Aki-chan," Mira added swiftly, "no running away, now. This is one of those 'good faith' moments."
Aki stretched her neck around to stare at her in betrayal, then scowled. Turning her head sharply away, she snapped, "Fine!... But I'm not… kissing… anyone!"
"We'll see about that…" Cana sniggered, Mira and Lisanna holding the dusters like swords.
The prisoners exploded with laughter, twisting in their captor's grip as they were so cruelly attacked. "S-sto-sto-stop!" Aki sobbed through her laughter, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. "Stop!"
"Not until you agree to kiss Juvia!" Mira replied, pausing momentarily to give her a chance to concede.
"Never!"
Mira shrugged and resumed the assault.
After a few minutes, during which the captives were both tickled half to death, Aki was choking out, "S-stop…! … can't…"
"Hmm?" Mira paused. In the absence of fresh tickles, Aki dangled limply in Cana's arms, eyes closed as she panted heavily. "No sneaky breaks, Aki-chan," Mira rebuked, starting again.
Aki gasped, pushing feebly against her, mumbling incoherently.
She went still.
"Stop!"
All turned to see Natsu barrel into Cana, forcing her to drop Aki, whom he caught.
"Natsu?" Mira said, startled.
He ignored her, turning Aki over, putting an ear to her chest. He relaxed visibly, then snarled at them, "What the egg did you do that for?"
"And you!" Cana retorted, rubbing her head where it had hit the stone floor.
"Natsu!" Lucy called. Her teammate, after returning, had grown gradually more anxious as the tickling had proceeded, muttering a couple times that Aki could get away if she needed to. Now, Lucy made her way forward, curled hand raised to her chest in concern. "What's wrong?"
"She- she is-" Natsu seemed to struggle with his words, unusually considerate of what he was saying. "She needs to rest," he eventually growled, shoving his way through the crowd.
"Is she okay?" Mira asked urgently, hurrying forward and putting a hand on his arm.
Natsu snarled, but made no other comment, stepping out from the crowd, heading for the door.
"Natsu-"
"Shut up!" he barked, head whipping around. All froze at the look in his eyes – a look only ever used for those who attacked the guild family.
He turned back around and stalked out.
{-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-}
Coolio, drunkard (Cana) and bluest blue (Juvia)! I hope you enjoyed the funny part! It doesn't last! \(^v^)/
Question for y'all, I have some extra content (stuff I might have decided not to use and scrapped, decided was part of my canon but couldn't fit in, etc.), and I was wondering if you guys would like to see it? I would post it separately as little timestamps, sorta, I think. (Still kinda new to the terminology of this, sorry.) I might even take prompts for it, I'm not sure. If any of your ideas are /really/ spectacular, they might just end up in the main drafts, even. (I warn you away once more from asking about my writing process, assuming you're sane and want to stay that way. I've been told it's a little… frightening.)
Coming up-! More angst! YAyYYYYY! If you expected anything else of me, I'm not sure who we should be disappointed in ¯\(°_o)/¯
But anyways, four chapters from now we have another ENTIRELY fun chapter! Then a break, then another fun one! Then a… /unique/ one, and then {Wishes}! (^v^)
P.S. Special thanks to [Oldterra] for telling me the formatting was messed up.