Happy Friday!
So... I think it looks like you guys are enjoying my reinterpretation of canon! :) Thank you so much! You have no idea how happy that makes me.
Since I tend to write the unique and bizarre for novelty's sake, sometimes I can't tell if something was a good idea or not. I don't know if you guys perplexed by my fridge logic (It's like that scene in Nozaki-kun with the boxes. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go on YouTube and look up "Nozaki boxes") or if you just don't have a ton of interest in the random weird-ships I like (Which is totally okay. It comes with the territory of being a rare-pair writer. I'll probably still keep doing what I'm doing because I feel for those who like ships that fewer people are writing for. It's sort of like never being able to find clothes in your size. No fun at all!).
Anyways, I'll quit rambling and cut to the chase. This week, Mira's memories, reinterpreted.
- K. Chandler
Mira couldn't believe the sort of person Laxus had become.
At first, she had tried to deny it, as if pretending would make things better.
"And everyone at the guild's getting ready for the Fantasia parade!" Mira said brightly, her arms full of groceries.
"Of course!" said Master. "People from all over the country come to see our parade. We can't let our fans down, can we?"
"It would be nice if Laxus would join us for once…" said Mira wistfully. Things hadn't been the same between them. She was so busy with work and he spent all of his time with his new team.
"The less said about that bum the better," muttered Master.
Mira gave a sympathetic hum. Laxus had gotten so testy lately. It was almost like he enjoyed getting a rise out of his fellow guildmates.
There were days where she felt like he was singling her out, for some reason. But that couldn't have been right. He was rough with everyone these days. At least, that's what she thought.
"I heard from Levy that he's back in town. Even if he says no, it wouldn't hurt to ask him," reasoned Mira. Maybe the parade would be a chance for them to start over. Reconnect and get things back to the way they used to be.
Master frowned. "He came back? Of all times, why'd he have to show up now?" he sighed.
"Something wrong?" asked Mira, though she already knew the answer.
The sadness in Master's eyes was unmistakable as he shook his head. Had he given up on his own grandson?
Mira didn't think that was fair. Laxus didn't mean the things he did said. He couldn't have. She knew him better than that.
But then Laxus declared his coup on Makarov. And when he forced them all to fight in that horrible battle royale, that's when she knew. Mira could no longer deny what Laxus was doing.
Makarov had granted clemency to Laxus' team. Though he didn't act alone, the others weren't to blame for his scheming. Evergreen had stopped once Erza had defeated her. Bickslow had conceded defeat after Loke and Lucy had faced him. And Freed had begged Laxus to reconsider over and over. Though he wavered between his steadfast loyalty to his commander and his undying allegiance to the guild, even Freed had come back to them.
But Laxus would not yield. Even when he stood alone, he kept clawing and fighting, only admitting defeat after Gajeel and Natsu had beaten him so soundly that he couldn't stand. It was horrible. She never imagined he'd ever do anything like this. It frightened her. Had she really known him at all? Who was it that she had fallen in love with?
Though she felt a little guilty for it, Mira couldn't help but agree with Master's decision to expel him from the guild. She could see him through the window as he said his goodbyes to his loyal Thunder Legion.
And as his back retreated, Mira had the strongest sense that it was finally over.
She didn't think she'd ever be able to forgive him for what he'd done. How could she? He had been hurting them, hurting her, on purpose. He'd betrayed them all.
But part of her always hoped for a second chance.
She never imagined that that second chance would come in the form of this year's S-Class Trials. Tenrou Island was the last place that she'd expected to run into Laxus after he had been expelled.
Mira couldn't help the way her heart swelled when she laid eyes on him, battered and limping slightly from his fight with Hades. She thought she had hardened her heart to him, there was still part of her that cared about him. And she could never stay mad at him.
She felt even prouder when she heard what he had done for Natsu and his team. Maybe there was still some good in him yet.
Of course, reunions had to wait. They had meet up with the rest of the guild back where they had set up their basecamp to make sure everyone was safe. And they were.
Mira hugged her siblings, and everyone celebrated the defeat of Grimoire Heart. Lisanna bounced away to congratulate Natsu and Elfman was dragged off by Evergreen, leaving Mirajane alone.
Mira considered going to find Cana, but the other girl had slipped away too. So instead, Mira followed her brother and his new girlfriend. They had joined the rest of the Thunder Legion where they gathered around Laxus, making a semicircle around him.
Mira ducked behind a tree to watch.
"We missed ya, Boss. Welcome back," said Bickslow. Then he whooped a wild laugh. "We're all back together!"
"I think you're getting ahead of yourself, pal," said Laxus, his face expressionless.
"I can't hold back my tears of joy!" gasped Freed.
"Laxus…" purred Evergreen. "You wouldn't believe all the terrible things Elfman did to me while you were gone."
"Why you little—" Elfman started to shout.
"Oh, yeah?" asked Laxus, his arms crossed over his broad chest. He leaned towards Elfman with a menacing glare.
Elfman quivered, sweat forming at his brow. Mira laughed silently as her brother tried not to blink.
Laxus' expression smoothed as he backed down. "So when did you two hook up?" he asked simply.
Elfman gulped. "We didn't. I mean it's not like that! It's kind of hard to explain," stammered Elfman.
Laxus' lips pulled upwards. "Uh-huh…"
Bickslow laughed again.
It was almost as if nothing had changed. Except…where was Freed? He had been there a moment ago.
Mira jumped when his voice came from behind her.
"You missed him too," observed Freed.
"Freed! You scared me," she said.
"My apologies, Mira," he said.
"You said 'too' just now," said Mira.
"We all missed Laxus. There's no shame in that," said Freed.
"What does it matter?" asked Mira. "Master Makarov isn't going to take Laxus back. He said so earlier."
"The Master will have a change of heart. You'll see," said Freed gently, patting her on the shoulder.
And Freed had been right.
Mira gasped for air as they ran for the edge of the island. The awful screech that heralded Acnologia's arrival made her shudder. Mira swallowed at the lump in her throat.
Master had taken her in and treated her like family. He had treated them all like family. And now they were leaving him to his death while they ran like cowards. She felt her throat close up again.
"We can't do this! How can we just leave him behind like that?" shouted Natsu, his face twisting with fury.
"Master ordered us to evacuate," hissed Erza, her voice thick with emotion. "I don't like it either."
"We're not doing this," muttered Laxus.
"Lax?" whispered Mira.
"Where you going?" demanded Erza.
Laxus ignored her, dashing back the way he came. And without hesitation, Natsu and Gajeel followed.
"Natsu, you idiot!" shouted Lucy.
"Gajeel!" scolded Levy.
Gray hesitated as the Thunder Legion turned to follow their commander. He looked like he wanted to go with them, but he didn't, turning to Erza instead. "Erza," he reasoned. "We can't just leave him like this. You know that."
A beat of silence as the two stared each other down.
Finally, Erza relented with a sigh, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "All right. We're going back!" commanded Erza.
Loke whooped and Lucy cheered.
"Now that's the way to be a man!" shouted Elfman as the rest of the guild returned for their master.
"I thought I told you to leave," Master growled. "You were responsible for getting everyone to safety!"
"I was down with the plan to evacuate," said Laxus. "I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there down with letting the old guy take the fall. But not your guild," he said, affection evident in his voice as he reached out for his grandfather.
Master looked like he was about to cry as he accepted his grandson's hand.
And Mira was too. She couldn't stop her tears. She didn't think she couldn't have been prouder of him.
"All right, you guys," shouted Laxus. "Let's hit this overgrown lizard with everything we've got! If you let loose on him and I hit him with a million volts of lightning, he'll learn never to mess with Fairy Tail again!"
Mira's heart pounded in her chest as they fought, each of her friends throwing the best of their strength at the dark beast that loomed in the sky. But as hard as they tried, they were no match for the dragon. Not even Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy and Laxus who were part dragon themselves, were able to slow the beast's destructive attack.
They were trapped with nowhere to run.
In a futile, last ditch effort, Erza ordered Levy and Freed to cast a protective barrier around them in hopes of surviving this attack. But they could see it in each other's eyes. There was precious little that could be done now.
This was it. Their last stand.
"Let's hold hands," suggested Mira quietly. If this was the end, then they'd face it together. All of them stood in a circle, linking hands in solidarity.
Laxus's green eyes met hers as she took the hand she extended, her skin prickling as their fingers touched. His grip was strong and steady.
Then suddenly, her racing heart slowed and the fear that knotted her belly dissolved. Acnologia might be looming above, but that didn't matter. And for a moment, she felt at peace.
That's when she knew.
She wasn't mad at him. She had forgiven him long ago.
That's when she knew.
She still loved him.
So what did you guys think? I took a couple of liberties with the canon events, but I tried to stay true where possible.
We know where Mira stands. So this brings us back to present-day Mazeverse, where she's fallen in love with him again.
Next time, in [Mazeverse] Can't Catch Lightning, Mira remembers a passionate moment: Mira could still remember the first time. The night he told her he loved her.
Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.