Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail
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By Any Means: Heart of Shadows
Chapter 2: Festival of Endings
Opening: Heart of Sword by T.M. Revolution
0o0o0 Streets of Magnolia 0o0o0
Lucy sighed as she carefully walked along the edge of the stone road, the river to her right. Giving a half-hearted wave to the porters heading down river, she glanced back at Plue, who was walking besides her. "Why can't there be any good jobs available?" Crouching down, she scooped Plue into her arms. "And with Erza busy with Naruto, Gray and Natsu have been so busy competing with one another…" she sighed again. "Why me?"
"What's wrong, Lucy-chan?"
The kind voice brought the blonde out of her thoughts, and she realized that she was back in front of her apartment building.
"Oh, Mr. Shimura! How are you doing tonight?" she responded, stepping up next to the old man and looking across the river.
"Fine as ever. Haven't caught much today though," he said, waggling the end of his fishing rod. "But you didn't answer my question. What's on your mind?"
"Oh, just the usual issues with rent," Lucy sighed out, taking a seat next to the old man, feet dangling above the water.
"But I thought you had a team you went on missions with?" Shimura said, his head turning so his sole eye could gaze at her.
"They're always busy," the blonde snorted out. "Natsu and Gray keep getting in fights with each other and stomping out of the guild in ridiculous contests." Shaking her head, she continued, thankful that she had someone she could vent to. "And normally, Erza would stop them, but she's been so caught up with Naruto and going on dates that she ends up overlooking them. Which leaves me high and dry." Sighing again, she rested her head on top of Plue.
Eye sparkling, the old man set his fishing rod aside. "Oho? What's that? Fairy Tail's Titania has a boyfriend?"
Giving an exasperated look at the old man, Lucy said, "Aren't you a little behind the times? That's been the gossip around town for weeks now."
Laughing, Danzo rested his chin in his hand. "Well, do I look like I get around and gossip all day long?" Seeing the blonde about to speak up again, he waved her off. "Well, forget it. You're right, after all. So," here he leaned in conspiratorially, "tell me what else the gossipers say?" he asked a playful gleam in his eye.
Giving a half-hearted glare at the old man, Lucy muttered under her breath. "I swear you're just as bad as a teenage girl sometimes…"
"What was that?"
"I asked if you had any plans for the Fairy Festival tomorrow?" she quickly replied glancing away for a second.
"Oh, not much," he began, looking around at the mostly decorated town. "Probably going to spend the morning fishing, before heading toward the main road for the Fantasia parade."
"Yeah, I can't wait for that," the blonde replied wistfully. "It's supposed to be the star attraction, and shows off all of Fairy Tail's mages!"
"So you'll be in it then?" the old man inquired.
"Of course, I'm one of the big name mage's you know," Lucy exaggerated.
"And what about the Titania? Will she make an appearance with this boyfriend of hers?" he continued.
"Erza? Yeah, she'll be there. She'll be the focal point, along with master." After answering she frowned a bit. "Naruto though? He's not really part of the guild, so I don't know if he'd even be allowed to participate…" she trailed off, before a lightbulb went off above her head. "Oh, that's right! He's not even in Magnolia now. He went out of town for his job. He said he'd try to make it back in time, but he still hasn't shown up."
"Oh, so the boyfriend doesn't work in Magnolia?" Danzo asked. "That seems like a bit of trouble. Long distance relationships can be hard on both parties…"
"Ah, no, it isn't like that," Lucy quickly backtracked waving her hands and almost dropping Plue into the river. After resecuring the spirit, she tilted her head in thought. "Well, maybe it is? He seems to stay in Magnolia when he's not working, but whenever he gets called in he has to leave town."
"Is he part of another guild? That could explain it."
"No, not a guild." Lucy shook her head. "What did Anko say it was… Oh yeah! It was a bodyguard company or something. I think it was called Atlas."
"Atlas, huh? Well, if it's doing bodyguarding, then it sounds like a reputable business." The old man nodded his head sagely. "Well, he better treat the Titania well. She's the star of Magnolia to us old folk, you know? Wouldn't want to have to drive the poor boy away or anything," he said, trying and failing to look intimidating.
Laughing, Lucy stood up, setting Plue back on the ground. "Geez, Mr. Shimura, I wouldn't joke about that. Naruto's really strong. And from what I've seen, he's head over heels for Erza. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her."
Shaking his head, Danzo waved her off as he stood up. "I'll remember that. Take care now, Lucy. I'm sure things will start going your way tomorrow."
"Goodnight Mr. Shimura!" the blonde called, entering her apartment building.
The old man stood there for a moment, smiling before suddenly counting down to himself. '5...4...3...2...1…"
"KYAH! NATSU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!"
0o0o0 The Next Morning - Lucy's Apartment 0o0o0
"Grr… where is it? I know I put that outfit in here somewhere!" Lucy rummaged through her closet throwing dresses and shirts out in search of her cheer costume she'd bought recently.
"Nnng… Lucy I'm trying to sleep!" Natsu called out from her bed, rolling over on his side to sleepily glare at the blonde.
"It's nearly 9 o'clock Natsu! We told everyone we'd meet them in an hour! Now get out of bed and put on some fresh clothes! Are you listening to me?" Lucy turned to glare at him, only to find he'd fallen back asleep. "Don't go back to sleep!"
"Lucy, I'm hungry! I want fish for breakfast!" Happy cried floating over to her.
"Then go outside and catch one! You're a flying cat!" she yelled, grabbing Happy and throwing him out her window. "Why can't my mornings ever be simple?" Lucy complained as she stared at the still snoring Natsu. "At least he's cute," Lucy mumbled as she stalked over to her bed before grabbing Natsu by the ear and dragging him out of bed.
"Gah! Ow ow ow ow ow! I'm up, Lucy! I'm up!"
His cries went ignored as she threw him in the bathroom. "I don't want to see you out of here until you've showered and brushed your teeth, and so help me if you use my toothbrush again I'm getting Sakura. I'll have a change of clothes for you sitting on my bed, and yes you will exit with a towel on, pick up your clothes, and reenter the bathroom to change. You have 10 minutes." Lucy then slammed the door closed.
"Now where the hell did I put that outfit?"
0o0o0 Streets of Magnolia - 50 Minutes Later 0o0o0
"Hey, Natsu, Lucy, Happy! Over here!" Cana yelled over the crowd, waving her beer mug cheerfully.
"One of these days I will find out how your liver hasn't failed," Sakura mumbled under her breath, an unnerving glint beginning to form in her eyes. "Maybe I should just open her up and-"
"Hands off Sakura-chan. Cana's my girlfriend," Tenten said, a brace of kunai peeking out from inside her sleeve.
Before the two could go any farther, Natsu and Lucy arrived. Sniffing a couple times, Natsu made a face. "Did you go on another failed date, sis? You reek-" A loud bang momentarily silenced the crowd as Natsu's face was introduced to the ground.
"Ha, it's first thing in the morning and already flame brain is getting his ass kicked," Gray chuckled as he walked up, Juvia hot on his heels. Turning, he greeted Lucy, who just stood there, face in her hands. "Morning Lucy. Is this your first Festival?"
Nodding, the blonde stepped around the twitching body of the Dragon Slayer and his irate sister. "Mhm. I've heard about it before, but never had the chance to come. I'm looking forward… to…" She trailed off, an ominous pressure emanating from behind Gray, Juvia gazing as if she could incinerate Lucy where she stood.
"Oh, is everyone already here?"
The group turned, noting the approaching redhead and brunette. "See, I told you everyone would be here Erza-sama," Haku spoke up, a beatific smile on her face. "They probably just forgot you told them to meet at the guild hall because they were so excited for today."
Everyone froze at that. Did Erza say that? No one could remember. It did sound like something she might have said. Thankfully Erza nodded, accepting the explanation. "Yes, that's the case. The Festival is awfully exciting." The redhead then sighed, her gaze going distant for a moment. "It would be better if Naruto was here, though," she whispered, but not quietly enough.
"It couldn't be helped. Naruto-sama directed me to apologize profusely on his behalf, but an issue cropped up that he just had to take care of back at Atlas. As soon as it's resolved, he'll be making his way back as fast as possible." Haku looked up at the sky briefly. "In fact, he should be back by midday."
Shaking her head, the redhead put it out of her mind. "So, does everyone else already have plans for today? Remember, the Miss Fairy Tail contest is being held right after lunch, so make sure you get there with plenty of time to spare."
"You bet your pretty little butt we'll be there," Tenten said, before being yanked off her feet by Cana and Sakura.
"Hey Sakura, where did you see that drinking contest again?" Cana asked, almost drooling at the thought of getting to drink as much as she wanted for free.
"Through the main square, and just past the dunking cages," the irate pinkette said. "Let's hurry up, I need to get drunk."
As soon as the trio turned the corner, Natsu sprang up. Cracking his neck, he turned toward Gray, a fierce smile on his face. "Okay, streaker, what are we starting with this year?"
Butting heads with the other mage, Gray's eyes narrowed. "Well, idiot, I was thinking we'd start with the batting cages."
"Sounds good to-HURK!" Natsu's agreement cut off as Lucy yanked on his scarf, choking him.
"Nope. Sorry Gray, he said he'd be spending today with me," the blond gave a wide smile that instantly caused Natsu to pale. He knew that look, and it meant trouble if he didn't give in.
Standing, the pink haired mage rubbed the back of his head. "Y-yeah. I almost forgot," he gulped a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. "L-lets go, yeah?" He sighed in relief as Lucy's smile returned to normal. "Damnit sis, why would you teach her that?"
As the two began to walk away, a voice spoke up from behind them. "So where are we going?"
Glancing back, a half naked Gray was following them, Juvia secretly collecting the clothes he kept losing.
"Why me?" Lucy slumped over, a waterfall of tears pouring from her eyes.
Watching the antics of her fellow guild mates, Erza smiled softly.
"Well, everyone else seems to have plans. What should we do now, Erza-sama?" Haku asked, head tilting as he observed the surrounding crowd.
"You know you don't have to follow me everywhere. I'm, sure you'd rather be off doing your own thing, right?" Erza asked, concerned at taking up so much of the brunette's time.
"Nonsense. I wouldn't be following you around if I didn't want to." "Plus Naruto-sama told me to keep an eye on you. And even if he doesn't say it, he needs you."
"If you say so." The redhead glanced around before walking off in a different direction from her guildmates. "Our first stop is at a little out of the way shop. I have a package I need to pick up."
0o0o0 Fairy Tail Guild Hall - 1:00pm 0o0o0
Kakashi had just returned to the table where Anko and the kids had gotten settled, passing his wife a drink when he spotted Sakura stumbling through the crowd, Tenten and Karin following close behind. Catching the duos' eyes, he waved for them to grab the pinkette and join them.
The two wrestled the belligerent girl into a seat, before pulling up chairs of their own. "Hey Kakashi, Anko," Tenten greeted as Karin batted away Sakura's hands and placed a glowing palm on her forehead.
"Ugh, whyyyyy…" Sakura moaned out, as Karin's skillful manipulation of healing chakra swiftly removed the worst of the alcohol's effects. "Now I have to be sober and miserable. Thanks, Karin."
"We have to try and set a good example for kids, right Rinko? Kamui?" The redhead leaned over and began cooing at the two children; Kamui clapped excitedly while Rinko merely stared at her, her head cocking slightly to the side.
Anko just chuckled, relaxing as she sipped on her drink. Turning to the brunette, she raised an eyebrow. "So why aren't you taking part in this, Buns?"
"Are you kidding me? Cana's been planning to win this for weeks now. No way I'd get in her way." Seeing Anko's flat stare, she quickly glanced side to side before leaning in. "Besides, it's easier to ogle my girlfriend from out here than from behind the stage."
"A girl after my own heart!" Anko laughed before leering at Kakashi. "It's too bad the master shot down my idea for a Mister Fairy Tail contest. There was gonna be a swimsuit competition and everything."
Not wanting to hear the couples flirting anymore, Sakura looked around for anything to distract her. Seeing a blob of spiky black hair, she took a chance. "Hey, over here!" Just as she called out though, the crowd parted, revealing Sasuke. The pinkette's shoulders slumped as he made his way over. "Damnit, not another one of the happy couples group…"
Seeing the full table, Sasuke looked around briefly before grabbing at a nearby chair. As his hand was about to close on the wooden back, though, a purple paw swiped at his hand, batting it away.
Sasuke froze, his eyes meeting the golden gaze of the cat which was currently occupying the chair.
"Nya…"
"Um…" Sasuke paused, getting the oddest feeling that the cat was judging him. "...May I have the chair?"
After a few more seconds of staring, the cat broke eye contact. Its two tails waved gently behind it as it leapt down to the floor unhurriedly.
"Wait, what?!" Sasuke blinked rapidly, glaring at the single tailed cat as it strolled away between the legs of the crowd, disappearing quickly.
"Stop being such a slowpoke Sasuke!" Tenten called out. "Hurry up and get over here before the show starts!"
"But didn't you see-"
"Everyone, I'm so glad you could make it!" Max Alors, the chosen MC for this year's Miss Fairy Tail Contest, announced strutting onto the stage, his amplified voice cutting off other conversations. "The battle of beauty between our female fairies is about to heat up! I'm Max, the Sand mage, and I will be your host for this year's Miss Fairy Tail Contest!"
The crowd roared with excitement as whistles and shouts filled the guild hall.
"Go Lucy!"
"Shut up Natsu! Your girlfriend's got nothing on Bisca!"
"Settle down everyone! Without further ado, entry number one: The exotic beauty with a bottomless pit for a stomach, Cana Alberona!"
Cana confidently walked on stage before posing.
"Knock 'em dead hot stuff!" Tenten yelled out, cheering as loud as she could.
"Now it's time to appeal to the crowd with your magic!" Max exclaimed as he bent backwards.
Cana said nothing, only smirking, as she pulled a deck of cards out and let them magically fly around her before the cards blurred out her entire body.
"Wow! The cards are covering her whole body!"
The cards suddenly exploded in light as Cana was revealed once more, now in an orange and dark green bikini, standing in a new pose.
"Oh! She's changed into a swimsuit!"
Smirking at all the attention, Cana tilted her head slightly forward as she finally addressed the crowd. "Thanks, I'll be taking that beer money now," she practically purred out, finishing with a flourish.
Off to the side Lucy watched with wide eyes. "A swimsuit? No fair!" She lamented, not noticing the figure that had appeared right next to her.
"I see… that's a good idea."
Lucy gasped in shock at the appearance of the redhead next to her, "Erza! You're participating too!?"
Erza closed her eyes as she nodded sagely. "Yes. Even if he's not here, I know Naruto would want me to compete in order to take down our rivals. I shall not let Mirajane and Sasuke win this important moment for couples."
Lucy could only stare, glad that Natsu and her were not officially an item all of a sudden.
Back on stage, Max called out the next contestant. "Entry number two: She might be a newcomer but her abilities are S-class! Rain or shine, this woman will steal your heart, Juvia Lockser!"
In the middle of the stage, Juvia smiled as she closed her eyes and brought her hands up to her chest. "May these feelings reach you, Gray-sama!" Spreading her arms out Juvia's body turned to water as a wave rose beneath her, before crashing down in front of her.
As the water settled, the stage had transformed into an island setting and Juvia stood posed in a new swimsuit she'd bought in order to win the affections of her beloved Gray-sama. "She put on a performance that matches her swimsuit!"
"Gray-sama, did you see?" Juvia smiled brightly as the crowd cheered at her performance, caring only for the opinion of Gray.
Off to the side Lucy gritted her teeth at the obvious use of sex appeal. "Not another one!"
Erza nodded her head in agreement.
"Entry number three: Everyone's favorite poster girl of the guild. Her beauty is known throughout the land! Mirajane!" Max jumped excitedly, as Mirajane stood in the middle of the stage waving in an innocent manner with her iconic smile.
"Hi everyone!" Mira called out with a smile and a wave. "Here's a taste of my Transformation Magic!" She clapped her hands together, a puff of smoke obscuring her body. As the smoke cleared, everyone's jaws dropped.
Where before stood a pretty barmaid, there was now a scantily clad ninja dressed in pink and white, with a long black scarf covering the bottom half of her face. "Nin nin!" she cheerfully announced, raising her hands in a fake hand seal. The crowd went wild.
"Uooooh! Mirajane, I love you!"
"She's even prettier in person!"
"Tch… That outfit's not even practical. How could you fight in that? One good hit and it would fall apart. Not to mention…"
Lucy sweat dropped as Erza began ruthlessly listing all the perceived flaws with Mirajane's costume.
"Moving on to entry number four: She needs no explanation, Titania!" Snapping out of her mumbling, Erza lept out onto the stage. "Erza Scarlet, Fairy Tail's strongest woman!"
The crowd cheered just as loudly as they had for Mirajane. Erza meanwhile gave the crowd a once over, looking for a certain blond and felt a pang of disappointment at not seeing her boyfriend in the crowd.
"She's here!"
"Erza, you're so cool!"
Erza closed her eyes and smirked, reigning in her disappointment. "I will show all of you a very special requip." Her body began to glow as her Heart Kreuz armor faded away and a strong gust of pink wind swirled around her before bursting away.
"G-goth loli!" Lucy yelled shocked, as the crowd went wild over Erza's outfit.
Standing on stage, Erza's hair was now held in a ponytail by a black bow, she wore a black frilled skirt, knee high stockings that ran down into black boots, and a black jacket with flared, frilled sleeves that opened at the chest to reveal a white button up shirt.
Erza smiled to herself. "That decided it," she commented as the crowd kept cheering for her before exiting the stage.
"Entry number five: The little fairy, the cute and knowledgeable Levy McGarden!" Levy hopped up on one leg as she opened her arms and smiled brightly to the crowd as Max introduced her.
"Levy!" Jet and Droy cheered for their teammate and crush.
"Solid Script!" Levy cast her Word Magic as the words snow, metal, butterfly and flower appeared behind her made exactly out of what they described.
"Levy!" Jet and Droy cheered even louder as Levy left the stage while Bisca walked out in a bikini.
"Entry number six: The sexy sniper, Bisca Mulan!" Bisca raised her hand to show four coins with heart faces before throwing them up in the air.
"Requip!" a rifle materialized in Bisca's hands as she took aim at the now falling coins. "The Gunner!" Taking her shot, her magical attack pierced all four coins dead center. "Yeehaw!" Bisca caught all four coins, maneuvering them in between her fingers to show off her deadly accuracy.
"How cute!" Alzack exclaimed with hearts in his eyes.
From the side of the stage, Lucy couldn't help but be amazed by everyone's talent and magic.
"Entry number seven: Our guild's super rookie! This upcoming star will sparkle with the guidance of the celestial spirits! Lucy H-"
"Don't say my name!" Lucy scrambled to prevent Max from announcing her last name. "If everyone hears my last name there's no way they'll give me the 500000 jewel." Lucy awkwardly waved off her outburst.
"Um, I'm going to do a cheer dance with my celestial spirits!" Lucy nervously spoke up as she raised up her pompoms.
The crowd grew excited at Lucy's announcement before a mysterious voice burst out across the guild hall.
"Entry number eight!"
"Hey! I haven't gotten my appeal time yet!" Lucy yelled while doing a few cheer moves.
"If you talk about a Fairy, then it's me!" a sultry voice from behind her spoke up, as a woman clad in a green dress and fairy wings walked out from behind the curtain. "If you talk about beauty, then it's me!" As she passed Max, she threw a smirk at the crowd. "That's right, it's all me!"
A fan snapped open in her right hand as she planted herself in front of Lucy. "The champion will definitely be me, Evergreen!" Gently waving her fan in front of her face, Evergreen surveyed the crowd. "There's no point in continuing any further, so we'll end the beauty contest here."
While the non-members of the crowd were slightly puzzled, the guild members were shocked, most of all master Makarov.
"What? Evergreen?!" Gray said, his face paling rapidly.
"She came back?!" Elfman met the ice mage's gaze nervously.
"Who do you think you are? This is my time to show off! In fact, who are you? You're not someone from the guild I know," Lucy complained, glaring at the haughty brunette.
"Lucy, don't look into her eyes!" Sakura yelled, trying to warn the blonde before Evergreen could use her magic on the unsuspecting contestant.
"Who am I? Hmph, I'm the rightful "Titania" of Fairy Tail you brat!" Evergreen seethed before raising her glasses and casting Stone Eyes on the blonde, turning her into stone.
"She turned to stone!?"
"Is this supposed to be appealing?"
"Lucy! Turn her back now!" Natsu jumped up, flames encasing his body as he snarled at Evergreen.
Max gulped at the sight of the now stone statue of Lucy. "This is bad," he muttered, turning to the audience and creating a large arrow with his Sand Magic. "Everyone run away!"
The crowd immediately turned and made a mad dash for the exit, leaving behind the confused and now upset guild members.
"Evergreen! What's the meaning of all this!? Are you trying to ruin the festival?" Kakashi spoke up in a harsh tone.
"If this is a joke, it's not a very funny one." Makarov walked forward. "If you turn her back now, all will be forgiven!"
"Of course it's not a joke. After all you need some entertainment for a festival don't you?" Evergreen chuckled to herself, unfazed by Kakashi and Makarov as she raised her fan toward the curtain. A brief application of magic caused a small flame to appear, the curtain quickly erupting into a fiery blaze, revealing all of the previous contestants had also been turned into stone statues.
"Mira!" Sasuke called out, rising off the stool he'd been sitting on at the sight of his girlfriend being made of stone.
Next to him Tenten also stood up at the sight of Cana. "Evergreen, turn her back now!"
"Erza-sama!" Haku cried out, angry with herself that she hadn't been able to protect her mistress.
"You fool! Return them to normal at once!" Makarov commanded.
Evergreen merely smirked as a lightning bolt struck the stage as if in response to the master's words, kicking up a cloud of dust. A deep voice echoed out as everyone was blinking the spots out of their eyes.
"Oi, Fairy Tail idiots…" The dust cleared, revealing 3 new figures standing beside Evergreen: a stoic green haired man with a sword at his side, a tall masked man with small totems floating around his head, and a fierce looking blond with a scar on his face wearing a large overcoat. "...The real festival begins now!"
Gasps rang out from the gathered mages as their fears were confirmed.
"Laxus!"
"Freed and Bickslow are here too!"
"Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe…" Anko growled out, only Kakashi's hand on her shoulder preventing her from charging forward.
The blond, Laxus, sneered at the rabble before looking toward the guild master. "Let's play a game, old man."
"Don't do something stupid," Makarov rumbled out, his eyes narrowing at his grandson. "We have to get ready for Fantasia. Turn them back right now!"
Ignoring the threatening look, Laxus just smiled menacingly. "The Fantasia is late at night. If we hurry this up, people might get to see it." To punctuate his words, another lightning bolt formed, targeted toward the statue of Lucy.
"Stop it!" Makarov felt his heart skip a beat at the thought of his grandson actually harming one of the children in his care.
"Lucy!" Natsu roared out, jumping forward with hands blazing, only to find his attempt thwarted by an invisible barrier that flashed with purple runes for a brief second. "What the hell is this?!"
Thankfully, the lightning bolt curved at the last second and hit the ground next to Lucy. Laxus grinned, seeing the pale faces in the crowd as he walked forward, slinging his arm around the stone girl. "Calm down, Natsu. You'll get your chance later." Refocusing on his grandfather, he laid out his plan.
"I'll take these girls as hostages, to ensure you follow the rules. If you don't, well...they might just get broken." He chuckled. "Like I said, this will be the main show."
"Laxus," Makarov began, a vein pulsing in his forehead as he took a threatening step forward, "...there are some things that can't be joked about!"
Flippantly, his grandson fired back. "Of course. I'm being serious, old man."
Freed and Bickslow then stepped forward on either side of Laxus. "It's just a game, to find out-" Freed began, placing a hand on his sword.
"-who's the strongest in Fairy Tail," Bickslow finished, his totems whirling around his head.
"The rules are simple." Laxus released Lucy and threw his arms up into the air. "The last man standing wins! Fairy Tail Fight starts-!"
"Laxus-sama," a voice cut in, interrupting the blond's announcement. All eyes were drawn to the kneeling figure who wasn't there a second ago. "You're forgetting about the exemptions."
"...Right," the lightning mage said, ruffling his hair annoyedly. "Why don't you let them know, since you're so anxious to do something Yugito."
Smoothly standing up, the ponytailed blonde dressed in grey and purple turned to face the crowd, causing Kakashi and Anko to silently panic.
"Is that…?" Anko furiously whispered to her husband, eyes never leaving the new figure.
"Former S-class Jounin, Jinchuriki to the Nibi, Nii Yugito? Yes, that's her," he replied, eyes rapidly scanning the guild hall. "This is not good, Anko."
"No shit. What's the plan?" the purplenette hissed.
Before Kakashi could reply, the female shinobi on the stage cleared her throat, a twinkle flashing briefly in her eyes before returning to their impassive gaze. "My master, Laxus-sama, has seen fit to extend an invitation to certain worthy persons to directly join the Raijinshu." Staring out among the crowd, her eyes briefly passed over Sasuke, Sakura, and Tenten.
"Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Tenten. As descendants of Shinobi, your lineage, resolve, and skill make you worthy to join us. Step forward and pledge your loyalty to Laxus-sama, and you will have no need to participate in this game."
Dead silence. Everyone's eyes turned toward the three named, showing mixed reactions. Some disbelief, some confusion, and some in realization.
"Oh no," Kakashi thought, mind racing a mile a minute. "This is possibly the worst thing that could happen. No one is ready for this." As he moved to take a step forward, Sakura spoke up.
"The hell are you talking about?" the pinkette questioned, hands planted on her hips. "Us? Descended from Shinobi? I was raised by Tsunade of the magic council."
Tenten spoke up next, skillfully twirling a knife in her left hand. "And I'm an orphan. Never had any parents or family, until I made my way here."
The guild's attention now focused on Sasuke, who stood there silently, hair shadowing his eyes. Abruptly, his head snapped up, eyes flaring a demonic red as the Sharingan spun into existence. "You turn my girlfriend to stone, use her as a hostage, and then have the gall to ask me to join you?" Sasuke's hands came together in a flurry of hand signs, before grasping his left wrist with his right hand. A loud chirping noise caused those near him to wince and back up as lightning covered his left hand. "DIE! CHIDORI!" he yelled, launching himself toward the group on stage.
"Dammit Sasuke!" Kakashi cursed under his breath as he performed a rapid Shunshin, intercepting the young man. Even if he managed to pierce the barrier that had stopped Natsu earlier, Yugito far outclassed him.
Grabbing Sasuke's hand, he shoved it into the floor, causing the wooden planks to explode. He then twisted the boy's arms into a lock behind him with his left hand, using the motion to get behind him and dropping a knee into the small of his back. To finish it off, he slammed Sasuke's head into the floor with his right hand, preventing the Sharingan from glancing at anyone else. "Sasuke, I taught you to never use that move on an ally. Calm down!"
Sasuke's heavy breathing and the creak of the floorboards were the only sounds, until one person began clapping.
"Yes, that's the spirit!" Laxus laughed, eyes cruel as he stared at teacher and student. "This is a fight for the future, us five versus all of you."
"Indeed," Evergreen said, adjusting her glasses. "If you want to turn the girls back to normal, you'll have to beat us. The time limit is three hours." She smirked. "If you can't defeat us by then, then all of these statues will turn to sand."
"What the hell?!"
"Are they serious?!"
"Laxus…" Kakashi's sharp gaze pierced through everyone on the stage, a heavy feeling beginning to weigh down on them. "You've brought this on yourself. Don't regret it."
The Thunder God Tribe smiled uneasily at the threat, while Yugito and Laxus remained unmoved. "The battlefield will be all of Magnolia," Laxus carried on, meeting his grandfather's eyes. "Now let's get this show on the road!"
"Don't you dare!" Makarov roared out, his body expanding rapidly as he activated his Titan Magic.
A bright flash of light and the boom of thunder answered him, briefly incapacitating everyone. As they recovered, they were left with Laxus' parting words.
"Let the Battle of Fairy Tail begin!"
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Ending: Silhouette - LeeandLie cover
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