Italics indicate thinking
Bold is for attacks
Kanji's POV
Ugh. Everything hurts.
I opened my eyes to see I was in the infirmary of the guild. My arms and legs were wrapped up in bandages and so was my chest.
"You're awake." Gramp's nut job girlfriend was the first to greet me upon waking up.
"Oh hey Granny."
"I ain't your Granny!"
"I'm just kidding. So give it to me straight am I gonna make it?" I said with a fake cringe of pain.
"You came out of it surprisingly well. You should be fine to get up and walk around, just nothing to physical."
I put my feet on the floor and slowly got out of bed "Thanks for your help. What's the latest on the old man?"
"He'll be fine, ask him yourself." She said pointing to a bed on the other side of the room.
"No I trust you. We'll talk later." I called out heading into the main part of the guild.
I stepped out and found Erza right outside the door. As soon as I stepped out she pulled me into a hug.
"I'm glad you're okay." She said.
"I'm glad to see you're still in one piece as well." I said wrapping my arms around her.
We walked back out to the hall and relaxed with everyone else. Erza had been getting everyone prepared for the parade later tonight.
"Listen." I said calling everyone's attention "The old man is gonna be fine." I told them and they cheered "But he's starting to get old so try not to stress him out too much okay."
Natsu and Gajeel were on the other side of the guild all bandaged up like I was. Somehow Natsu actually looked worse than I did.
"It seems like the trouble has passed by yet again." Erza observed "So what do you want to do for your birthday tomorrow?"
"I hadn't really had the chance to think about it. Maybe I need a new sweatshirt. I lost mine back at the tower."
"You have a dozen in the closet do you really need more?"
"How do you know how many I have?" I asked her.
"I've been in your apartment hundreds of times; you think I don't know what kind of clothes you own."
"Fine I know what I want." I told her "For my birthday I want you to move in."
"Already?"
"You're gonna have to do it eventually so just do it for me."
"Alright." She said "but I'll have to keep the old armors in the room at Fairy Hills."
The door to the guild creaked open and Laxus walked in. No one was happy to see him, but he ignored them and kept marching forward.
"Enough." Erza told them.
Laxus walked up to me "Where's the old man?"
"Back there." I said pointing to the infirmary "I'll take you."
I got out of my seat and we started going to the medical room. On our way back Natsu jumped in front of us and yelled out a bunch of unintelligible mumbo jumbo.
"Uhh?"
Gajeel was kind enough to translate "He says 'I'm not settling for this three on one crap. Next time you're going down. I'll be the one to do it, fight me again.'"
Laxus just walked around Natsu and waved him off. I wasn't far behind as we opened the door to the infirmary. We went in and Gramps was still in bed. I took a seat on one of the beds and Laxus was leaning against the door.
"They're a noisy bunch." Laxus commented on the noise coming from the other side of the door.
I snickered and Gramps finally said something.
"Laxus do you understand what you've done." Gramps said "Look me in the eye."
Laxus did as he was told.
I mostly kept my head down. I wasn't a secret what was coming but it wasn't my place to interfere.
"Do you know what a guild is?" Gramps asked "It's a gathering place, a hub for missions, and a place for people with nowhere else to go can call home. It's not something you can own. The guild is built upon the bond shared by its members. You violated that trust and put your comrades' lives in danger that is unforgivable."
"I understand." Laxus responded "I just wanted to make the guild stronger."
"You two need to relax more." Gramps said "Or you'll end up like me. Take some time to look around every once in a while, you my just find out something new about yourself. Life is meant to be enjoyed you know. Watching after you two is my reason for living. I don't care if you're strong or weak. All I want is for the two of you to be happy."
I could feel myself shivering, but breaking down now wouldn't make this any easier on Gramps or Laxus so I had to hold it in.
"Laxus…"
Here it comes…
"You are expelled from Fairy Tail."
"I understand." Laxus said turning around.
"I'll walk you out." I said standing up.
"Thanks for everything, Grandpa. Take care of yourself alright."
"Please, just go." I could hear it in his voice, he was crying.
Laxus and I walked out to the front of the guild and he looked up at the sky.
"So." He started "What about me and you?"
"What'd you mean?" I asked.
"I mean where to we stand?"
"I already told you what I wanted when we were fighting, to end this." I begged.
"Me too." He seconded "No more fighting."
"Good." I said with a smile "I have something important to tell you."
He turned to look at me "Hmm?"
"I'm getting married soon."
He just laughed "Bout time. I'm really am happy for you."
"Thanks."
"You better make her happy though." He smirked "Then again you to have been together so long it take an act of God to separate the two of you. Erza is a lucky girl."
"So what are you gonna do now?" I asked "And what do we do about finding Lauren?"
"I'm gonna take some time for myself. Stop and smell the roses and stuff like that. I keep my ear to the ground for information about Lauren and you do the same. When the times right the two of us will go get her."
"Alright." I responded "Will you come back someday?"
"I don't know. I'm gonna go get my things together. This will have to be where we part." He said.
"Okay." I said trembling.
"Jeez look at you." Laxus groaned.
"I can't make it stop." I whined as tears were spilling down my cheeks.
"Come here dammit." Laxus said pulling me into a hug "I'll be fine. You worry about yourself."
"Will you promise to come back someday?"
"Sure, no problem. I expect a wedding invitation after all."
I laughed it off and we separated from the hug "I guess this is goodbye."
"Yeah." Laxus said "Look at this you got your damn tears all over my jacket."
Laxus took off the fur coat and threw it at me.
"What this for?"
"You got a birthday coming up right, consider that the present." He said "Besides it's covered in your tears now."
"First the scar and now this jacket, does some force in the universe want me to look like your twin?" I joked.
"I don't know maybe." Laxus said starting to walk away "Hey little brother!"
"Yeah!"
"I've always been proud of you."
With that Laxus walked off into the sunset and I stood at the door to the guild crying like a baby.
I felt a hand on my back and the sound of metal clinking as someone sat next to me.
"How are you holding up?" Erza asked.
"Better then I thought I would." I remarked still crying "we finally mended our relationships and he has to leave right after."
"I'm sure we'll see him again." Erza said "Do you want to help me get ready for the parade, try and get your mind off it."
"Yeah that sounds like a cool idea." I said getting up off the ground.
"What's that?" Erza asked gesturing to the coat.
"This is my birthday present." I told her.
"Are you going to put it on?"
I threw the jacket over my shoulder and placed my arms through the sleeves "It's a little big but I think it works."
"You look handsome."
Erza and I headed inside to help get ready for the Fantasia parade.
I'll see you soon big brother.
LATER
The parade was nice; it started off with a couple of floats. I was too hurt to actually do anything to big myself so I just relegated myself to sitting on Gramps float and shooting off some fireworks.
"Is it time?" I asked.
"Okay." Gramps said putting his hand into the air.
I followed suit and put my hand in the air as well. Most of the guild followed our lead and put up the special signal with their hands as well.
I'll be watching over you, and I know you'll be looking out for me to.
Lauren's POV
Dad was talking to Mr. Gajeel about stuff I didn't understand.
"Why didn't you tell me that they were Dragon Slayers?" Gajeel asked.
"They're fakes." Dad explained.
Am I fake?
I wandered around the halls of the guild looking for something to do; it was boring sitting around listening to Dad and Gajeel talk about things I didn't understand. Nothing exciting was going on.
No one ever wants to play with me. Everyone else is too old, I wish someone else my age was here.
"Hey brat!" Gajeel called out.
"Yes?"
"Look here." He said and he took a picture out of his pocket "Do you recognize these people?"
It was a photo of two boys and a baby. The oldest one had a scar on his eye, the younger boy looked like him but without the scar, the baby was too young to have any clear features aside from some wispy black hair.
"No, who are they?"
"Just some famous mages from Fairy Tail. Just wondering if you knew who they were."
"Oh sorry I don't, but if they're in Fairy Tail the must be bad people." I told him.
"Yeah, I guess it's a matter of opinion." Gajeel remarked.
"What do you mean?"
"I just mean you might see them as evil but their friends might see them as good guy. They might think you're the bad guy because you not on the same side as them. It's all a matter of perspective."
"I never thought about it like that."
"Well I have work to do so I'll see you around kid."
"Bye Gajeel."
Kanji's POV
I was sitting down at a table with Erza and the others having a good time after the parade when Gramps called me to the upper floor. I got up there and Gajeel was there with them.
"Here this is for you." Gajeel said throwing me a folder.
"What's this?"
"Open it." He said.
I opened the folder and it was full of photos of a little girl and documents about her.
Lauren Dreyar.
Age-9
The pictures were all of my little sister. She was still okay. She looked like any normal girl, she had her black hair pulled up into a pony tail and she still looked adorable.
"How'd you get this?" I asked.
"Let's not talk about that. Let's just say I'm doing some extra work for you grandfather."
"Thank you." I told him "You have no idea how much this means to me."
"It's no big deal." He told me "But there's something else you need to know. You're dad wants his lacrima back."
"I'll keep my eye out." I told him "Laxus will be fine on his own."
"It's not the two of you I'm worried about." Gajeel said "It's Lauren, she has one too."
"He put one in her!"
"She's like his little project I don't think he'll take it out and kill her in the process but I'll keep my eyes out just in case."
"Thank you Gajeel." I said as he walked away.
Everything's starting to get better. I wonder what kind of Dragon Slayer Lauren is. You be careful little sister, I'll see you soon.
AN
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Till Next Time!