Chapter 5

At least the designs weren't overtly sexy. Once again, Mira and Evergreen were amongst those chosen for the first shoot of the day. Unlike before, this one made them uneasy.

"Are we sure this is a good idea with the current events?" Freed asked the director. The man wrung his hands for moment.

"It was agreed to months ago," he sighed. "Honestly, I love the idea since the Games held such a draw this year, but I see your concern. Trust me when I say that we're screened everyone in the building and have taken every precaution we can implement, including keeping this shoot a secret from the other models, just in case." Freed turned back to the set. The girls spoke with the designer. One by one they motioned a pose, sometimes alternating if the designer shook his head.

"Besides, with Mirajane here I'm sure no one will try anything even though they know which of the girls are wizards." Freed sighed and explained the situation to Bickslow and Laxus. The boys were not thrilled either. The only benefit was that now they also knew all the magic users.

"I don't know any of these guilds," Bickslow mumbled.

"If they even have them," Laxus added.

On the set, Mira, Evergreen, and the five other girls moved into position. The studio had been built up to look like a rocky canyon with three levels of rocks to create an almost movie-like shot.

"Mirajane, you'll need to be down in the front. I forgot your magic is transformative, so if you can just pose as if you're ready to challenge someone instead of an actual attack, that would be most excellent." Mira nodded. The dress and strappy sandals she wore showed off a good deal of her legs, especially through the dual side slits. To be honest, the dress was more Juvia's style, especially if it came in a blue or black instead of the red she wore now. She stood in the front as the other girls around her maneuvered onto the fake rocks and built up levels.

The young girl who passed out the day before, April, crouched behind her with her hands on the false stones. She was not part of a guild, but they were surprised to hear that she was in fact a wizard. That fact alone made Mira wonder if maybe her scare yesterday was more then just a dizzy spell. She seemed fine today, and they learned she had stone elemental magic but was not interested in pursuing it further than the parlor tricks she already knew.

Evergreen floated in the back, ready to pose when the cameraman called out to them. The sky-blue crop top jacket she wore over the revealing white tank and capris reminded them all of a cloudy sky.

Of the girls, only two others were part of guilds. Their marks were on prominent display with their outfits, as were Mira and Evergreen's. Mira only knew one, 'SunnySide' because of another model she met years back. The guild had a beach bum reputation, though being in a southern resort town on the actual beach might have played a role in that stereotype.

For Mira, the shot was easy enough. The other girls had difficulty. After an hour of changing poses and adjusting clothing, they finally got the shots they were looking for. The doors swung open after the girls were released. The cameraman clicked through his camera with the designer. Mira and Evergreen wandered over to the boys before they needed to change out of the clothing.

"I didn't think that so many models would actually be wizards," Evergreen sighed. "I thought you and Jenny were just odd."

"And Lucy too," Mira shrugged. She did not take her teammate's words as anything more than gentle teasing.

"Well, we all knew she was odd," Bickslow joked. "That whole group has something wrong with them." They laughed.

"Why would anyone want such expensive clothing to wear out on missions?" Evergreen asked as she shrugged off the jacket.

"The director mentioned that most of the buyers would be guilds who were looking for ideas for the Grand Magic Games, since everyone is planning for next year already. They aren't meant for everyday wear," Freed explained. The group nodded, seeing the logic of his findings. Mira and Evergreen noticed the other girls heading to the back to change and moved to join them when they were interrupted.

"Great job you two," called a voice. Lee, the boy who brought the initial request to the guildhall, came up to them with a clipboard in hand. He turned to the boys. "You three are accompanying them for the terrace shoot this afternoon, right?"

"What?" Bickslow asked.

"Of course," Laxus cut in.

"I thought that was here," Mirajane added. "Where are we going?"

"Just up the hill. The mansion in town has an elegant terrace and garden that the magazine rented out the occasion." The noise level of the room rose as the rest of the girls arrived. The conversations that floated to them proved no one else knew much of the next set either.

"Are you sure leaving the studio is a good idea?" Freed stated. This day seemed to be a disaster waiting to happen in terms of their mission.

"It's not a big deal," Lee tried to reassure them. "There's always an off-set shoot per issue."

"Girls! Come get ready for hair and makeup!" The director called, clapping his hands together to get their attention.

"You three are good to go then," Lee nodded, marking something down on his notes and walked off to find the other manager.

"I thought the director said all the shoots were here?" Bickslow stated.

"He either forgot or he left that out because he wanted Mira to accept," Evergreen frowned. "Personally, he seems like the kind of guy to-"

"It doesn't matter now," Mira sighed.

"This might be our chance to flush the culprit though," Freed said. "We know which models are mages, so we'll need to keep a close eye on them." The group nodded, and Mira and Evergreen headed to the back to start the process of getting ready for the next shoot.

None of the other models seemed to know much about the next shoot either when they were asked. They only knew they were divided into groups. Evergreen was put with some of the newer girls, while Mira found herself with Vivian, Nessa, April, and another girl Rae. The mood was light aside from the confusion. Only Vivian seemed to have qualms about the shoot. After their makeup and hair was done, April was whisked off with two girls from the other groups.

"Where are they going?" Nessa pouted suddenly.

"Their schedules are marked differently, so they'll probably have the main outfits," Vivian replied.

"Not fair," Nessa sulked. "She's so- little." They all knew she meant young, since the girl could not have been older then sixteen.

"Maybe the design only fits her?" Mira suggested. Both Nessa and Vi sighed. The other girl, Rae, nodded but was otherwise silent. Mira turned back to the mirrors. Her makeup was too strong for her liking, but she knew some of the shoots would be more 'high fashion' inspired then others. The blue and silver on her eyes sparkled under the lights. Somehow, the hair stylist managed to tame her bangs into a soft side curl instead of simply tying them back like Mira typically did. The rest of her hair rolled down her shoulders in waves. The other three girls wore very similar styles, the only difference was color. Nessa wore purple, Vivian had emerald green, and Rae's was a burnt orange.

"Come on ladies, let's get you into these dresses," the designer smiled.

"What are we wearing?" Nessa asked. "What's the theme?"

"We have these wonderful formal gowns for each of you. Let's get them on and head up. We aren't the first group, but we're all going together."

"What's April's dress look like-?" Nessa tried to ask.

"You'll join her shortly. The three of them will shoot their dresses first, so they're already headed up to the terrace. Its slightly too involved in my opinion, but the magazine director thought it was different so we're trying it. The woman continued about how she wasn't prepared to move formal gowns like this. The four models agreed the dresses were beautiful. Each one was a solid jewel tone, shot through with silver thread to give them each a shimmery appearance. Mira's dress reminded her of the ocean at night since the blue was so dark. The slit over her right leg made walking easier at least, considering the height of the silver heels they had her in. She was certain that the other girls were just as happy as her that they did not need to walk to their destination even though the trip was short.

When the manor's terrace came into view, the girls let their excitement show. It was gorgeous. With all the models assembled in the main courtyard, the director called them to order. Keeping watch behind them all was the small army of assistants and security, including Freed, Bickslow, and Laxus. The director sent each group to their separate locations. The other two groups appeared to not have designer labels today.

"I almost hope they host the wrap party here," Nessa smiled. "This place is huge!" Vivian nodded. They rounded a corner and came to a set of stone steps surrounded by bright red flowers. The manor towered over them. More than the scenery, the girls were surprised to see April.

"A wedding dress?" Vivian asked.

"It's really plain," scoffed Nessa under her breath. "I think I like our dresses better." While Mira agreed the dress was rather plain in high fashion terms, it was still gorgeous and April looked great in it.

"Ok girls!" The photographer called. "I need you three over here." A sudden pain spiked through Mira's temple. It felt like the start of a headache, but the severity caught her off guard. She wobbled on the steps, catching herself at the last moment. She took a moment to breathe.

"Mirajane! You're here between us," Vivian stated. "Come on."

"Oh right," Mira nodded. Carefully, she got into place. The shot moved on as if nothing happened, but Mira was on guard now. There was no reason for her to react as she did just now- unless it was reaction to magic. She looked around the area between the camera's flashes. She almost didn't notice Laxus behind the cameraman's sun-shield, but once she did, she noticed he also seemed to be on the lookout. She hoped he knew more than her, because there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary so far.

It was hard to focus on modeling now. Especially since the initial prick was back as a consistent yet mild headache. The other girls continued posing as if nothing was wrong. Mira hoped she just needed some water.

They adjusted their setup after several more shots to include the nearby fountain. Mira took a moment to center herself and drink some water as the camera crew readjusted. Laxus appeared at her side.

"Did you see anything?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied. "No one aside the magazine group is here. The building is locked down to outsiders right now." He frowned. "I'm not sure what to even be looking for. No one here appears to be doing any magic- at least not a lot of it for me to feel anything." Mira made a face and touched her temple. The cool water helped, but she still felt the pinpricks even though they were not as strong now. It was uncomfortable, but not something to make her worried she was in too much danger.

"What's wrong? I saw you on the steps, but-" Laxus asked. He stared at her hand on her temple, and she quickly dropped it.

"I'm starting to get a headache," Mira sighed. "I'm not sure if its magic related or not to be honest."

"Maybe Freed or Bickslow know something. They're watching Evergreen and the other shoot," Laxus offered.

"Maybe," Mira echoed. She moved back to the group but paused and made a beeline to April first. The girl's eyes were closed, and her arms crossed over her body as if giving herself a tight hug.

"April," Mira stated, reaching out. The girl jumped at her touch, then winced at her own quick movement.

"I-" April tried to say. One of the assistants wandered over to them.

"Oh honey, you'll wrinkle the dress like that," he stated, noticing April's stance. "Let's-"

"Can you give us a quick second," Mira stated, her voice was more commanding then she intended, but the effect was the same. The young man shrugged and gave them space.

"April, are you ok?" Mira asked. "Did you need water?"

"My head," she mumbled. "I feel- sick." Her words were calculated to make the smallest movement possible, but they were all Mira needed to know. Nessa and Vivian laughed with the designer near the steps and the cameraman reset for the new lighting. Rae was off chatting with the two security guards. No one else seemed to be affected.

"Laxus," Mira stated. "Someone's- I think they're targeting us. Can you see if Evergreen or the other wizards are affected? They must be still nearby. I'm sure of it. I'll keep an eye out here."

"You sure?" He asked. The sudden concern would normally have been appreciated, but she needed him to move.

"Yes, go!" She ordered. She didn't want him to draw too much attention to himself, but they needed to stop the culprit. He nodded and strode off. A quick motion to the magazine's own security was all he did before he left the area.

Mira focused on the young model. None of their group had abilities that would be any help to her, none of them were healers like Wendy. It was impossible to even pinpoint what was affecting her so badly. Mira heard her name and looked over to see Nessa and Vivian turn to spot her. Looks of confusion and -was that fear?- crossed the two girls' faces. Both models and the designer they spoke with hurried over.

"Is she ok?" Nessa asked. There was just enough real worry to disguise the otherwise fake concern in her voice. April blinked and slowly unfolded her arms, taking a deep breath before looking up at the concerned faces surrounding them.

"I'm ok now," she said, somewhat surprised.

"Are you sure?" Mira asked.

"Maybe it's just nerves again?" April wondered aloud. "I'm really better now, thanks Mirajane."

"Great!" The designer smiled, relieved. "Let's get this next shot setup them." She guided April to the fountain as she smoothed out the start of several wrinkles in the dress, expecting the other girls to follow.

"Are you ok?" Vivian asked Mira as she put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah," Mira nodded, "I just have a headache, Its-"

"Are you sure you're ok? Maybe you got too much sun?"

"No no," Mira sighed, "It's gone now. I must have been too preoccupied to notice it stop." Vi shrugged, and they let the cameraman guide them into place. Mira looked around for Laxus. Had he found the culprit and stopped them? Or maybe he spooked them and scared them away. Either way, both her and April were back to normal. Though, the young model looked less sure of herself now.

The next hour passed with no mishaps. Laxus returned halfway into the next set and gave Mira no indication he found out anything. She huffed, struggling to focus on holding her current pose. She had her hand on April's shoulder with Nessa while Rae and Vivian held the fake bride's hands. How the designer figured out how to pose them all to show off their dresses was beyond Mira, but it worked. She was sure it looked like a shot from a bridal studio instead of a magazine, but Mira was too preoccupied to think too much about it. She couldn't get into her usual modeling mindset. She wondered if her headache and April's scare earlier was to blame.

A literal jolt of pain took her breath away and left her instantly lightheaded. She recovered quickly enough, but April did not. The girl's knees buckled, and she tumbled backwards into the fountain. Nessa screamed out in panic. Even in her shock, Mira moved to cushion the young girl's fall and the two of them splashed into the icy water. Shouts from the others were instantly muffled when the water closed over her face. The fountain was only two feet deep, but both girl's legs were stuck up over the edge. Mira struggled for a moment, trying to find which way was up and get her free hand under herself to push them both back to the surface.

Before she had too much time to panic, another splash reverberated through the fountain, and she felt herself and April, who was supported against her right arm and shoulder, lifted out of the water and seated on the fountain's edge. Rivers of water ran down her hair into her face. Her bangs hung in her eyes, and she quickly pushed them away to check on April.

"Is she breathing?" came Laxus' voice behind her. It took a moment for Mira to register that he stood in the fountain and had been the one to retrieve them. She could feel his discomfort with the whole situation, but she was glad he reacted so quickly.

April coughed, choking on the water she no doubt swallowed. The other girls watched in horror from a several paces back where they scurried to avoid the splash.

"Go get help!" Mira shouted. When no one moved, she growled at the security men. "Find the director. April needs medical assistance!" The men jumped to comply as April struggled to sit up on her own. Mira held her shoulder similar to how Freed had before. The others finally broke free of their shock and began to speak.

"Is she ok?"

"What happened?"

"Are you two hurt?"

"What about-"

"Stop!" Mira frowned. She was soaked, upset about them not catching the culprit, and now her ears rang with their questions. The group paused for only a moment, before trying to ask their questions again.

"Hey!" Laxus repeated Mira's command. He climbed out of the fountain and physically stood over the group. They backed off nervously just as the director rushed in with a small army of anyone available.

"What happened?" He demanded. Two men with a makeshift stretcher hurried to the fountain and took April from Mira's arms to rush her off to someone who could help.

"She just collapsed again," Vivian explained. "Mirajane tried to help her and-"

"Great," the man huffed. He turned to Mira. "Are you ok?" When she nodded, he gave a single relieved smile. "You girls are done. There's food inside while you wait for the other groups to finish." He turned on his heel and hurried after April, "and don't tell the others yet!" They all knew his request was in vain.

"Do you know what happened?" Nessa asked Mira. The dark-haired girl gave Laxus a cautious look. He ran his hand over his hair to get what extra water he could out, but otherwise ignored the models now that the current crisis was out of his hands.

"I don't," Mira shook her head. The dress clung to her uncomfortably; she reached down to unstrap her heels.

"Did you bring changes of clothes that I- we- could change into?" Mira asked the designer. The woman was still in shock at what happened. One of the design assistants spoke up as he handed Mira a small hand towel.

"I sent someone to grab some clothing and towels for you two."

"Thanks," Mira muttered. She patted the towel across her face before offering it to Laxus. When he didn't take it from her, she ran it through her hair, trying to curb the dripping water that ran down her back.

"By some miracle, we got all the shots we were looking for," the cameraman announced. "We should all head inside." The relief of hearing those words seemed to break the designer's trance and she joined the models as they headed back inside. Mira hesitated at the entryway.

"You all go ahead, I'm going to stay out here in the sun until the new clothing shows up." Laxus waited with her while the others vanished. When they were gone, the blond pulled off his shirt and rung it out. Mira pushed aside her jealously; she really wanted out of her wet dress. The fabric clung to her uncomfortably. At least the other security guys were gone now. With the looks she noticed the one guy giving her, she guessed he would have loved to help her out. Not that the dress currently left much to the imagination. A least it wasn't white like the wedding dress.

"How was Evergreen? Did Freed and Bickslow notice anything?" Mira asked. The hand towel was soaked, so she rang it out and draped it over the stone railing.

"Neither of them noticed anything," Laxus explained. "I walked by another group to get to them, and they were all fine as well."

"This has to be a short-range attack then," Mira sighed. "Whatever knocked her out, I felt it too. One of us was targeted." Mira crossed her arms and huffed. "This is so frustrating. We haven't been able to do anything." Walking back and forth, she left a trail of dripping water from her evening gown. Eventually she grew frustrated with the fabric and gathered it up, hiking it slightly too high. Luckily, Laxus had seen her in less and didn't appear to be paying attention. Mira caught herself staring over at him now. He stood in the sunlight, leaning against the railing, water still dripping from his hair into his face and down his chest. He opened his eyes as if feeling her gaze.

"Just transform into something dry," he stated as if it were obvious. His eyes lingered slightly longer then she expected, but she didn't release the dress.

"It doesn't work like that," she smiled. "I'd still be wet. Then that clothing would just absorb the water. It's better just to wait until they bring us towels." Laxus shrugged. As if on cue, a pair of runners appeared carrying a duffel bag. They handed it over, and Laxus opened it to discover three towels and several sets of mismatched clothing.

"We didn't have time to dig through your suite for your clothing, so we raided the staff room. Hopefully we got your sizes right," one apologized.

"Thank you, I'm sure they'll fit," Mira smiled. "Which way is the restroom?"

"There should be one down the hall," the other runner said, pointing. Laxus and Mira nodded. The restroom was obvious enough; though they would need to take turns since it was only a single room.

"Here," Laxus said. He handed Mira the bag and opened the door. The bathroom was just large enough, but once inside, Mira quickly realized she had an issue. She opened the door again. Laxus leaned against the wall across the way. He looked her up and down in confusion.

"Can you unzip the dress?" Mira asked. He blinked twice before nodding and walked over to her in the bathroom. Mira held her wet hair out of the way and turned her back to him. Finding and undoing the zipper was easy enough, but he wasn't prepared for the dress to not come off like both of them expected. Instead, he was left starting at Mira's shoulder blades and back through the open zipper. As much as his eyes threatened to trace her spine downwards, he held his gaze at her neck.

"You forgot the hook at the top," Mira laughed, almost nervously.

"Right," Laxus said. He fumbled with the small clasp for a moment before he finally got it unlatched. The dress opened. Luckily, Mira was smart enough to have her free hand over her collarbones to keep it from peeling off in front of him. Just because they were guildmates didn't mean she intended to give him a free show, especially since the dress had a built-in bra. Mira's checks colored, and she turned to usher him out.

"Thanks," she smiled, closing the door. As the latch clicked, she heard a whistle from down the hall. Letting her hair fall across her back and allowing the dress to unpeel itself, she hoped against all odds that the person who saw them was only Bickslow being obnoxious as she toweled off and slipped into the cute sundress in the bag. It was slightly too small in the bust, but it fit otherwise and was good enough until she got back to the suite. She supposed she could just transform into one of her usual dresses, but then she'd feel guilty that they tried to bring her clothing in the first place. Mira sighed and opened the door to find Laxus and one of the magazine's security personnel, the one who had been ogling her earlier. Her guildmate looked like he wanted to pummel the guy.

"Your turn, Laxus," Mira interrupted.

"Thanks," Laxus said. He gave the other man a look before stepping past her into the bathroom.

"I'll take you back to the main room, Mirajane," the security guy smiled. He held out his arm for her to take, but Mira declined.

"I can walk myself," she grinned, throwing on an oblivious expression. She heard Laxus chuckle as the lock clicked behind her. The man brushed off her dismissal.

"That's fine," he said. "This way, down the hall. We're just waiting on the last group." He walked with her in silence for a moment before showing her to the open room with the other girls. Before she could join them, he put a hand around her shoulders and whispered in her ear.

"When you get sick of him, just let me know. I'll show you how a real-"

"Oh, that's not-" Mira tried to say, interrupting him quickly. She really was not interested in knowing what made him a 'real body guard' or a 'real man' or any of the other lines she knew he'd try to use.

"Don't lie now," he smiled, pulling her closer. "You wouldn't be the first angel to fall, and I won't tell your manager." Mira heard the emphasis on the word and only then noticed Freed in the room. He was talking to Bickslow and Evergreen at the far end. She wondered if he guessed the boys were just using cover roles or if he had been told. The man's breath on her ear reminded her he was still too close. She was not in the mood to tell him off politely like he probably expected, not after the day she just had.

It only took a second for Mira to shove him back into the empty hallway and shift into one of her demonic forms. Her claws gripped the man's shirt as she towered over him. His instant fear almost made her laugh.

"I don't see any angels here," she grinned. The bathroom door down the hall opened and Laxus stepped out. He noticed them both instantly, raising an eyebrow. Mira released the man and he stumbled away. He threw Laxus a look.

"You were right man! You can have her!" He called down the hallway. Mira transformed back and gave Laxus a look.

"Kinda overkill," he said in reply.

"It's not like I'm worried about blowing my cover. He seemed to know your's," Mira frowned. "They already know I'm a Fairytail wizard... Did he? Were you talking about me?"

"I told him he couldn't handle you," Laxus shrugged. "I was right." Mira could have laughed, but her energy was lower than she expected. She was ready for a nap, and to tell the director what she thought of his security personnel. The two of them joined the group in the main room.

"What happened to your dress?" Evergreen asked as she greeted them both.

"We had a mishap with the fountain," Mira explained. She lowered her voice. "April was attacked."

"Did you find out who?" Freed tried to ask.

"No," Laxus stated.

And moving right along :) Double Chapter week, since I feel guilty. Hopefully that nice long chapter helped since my update schedule is soo thrown off now.

Now I just need to decide how much Mira x Laxus I actually want to put in this story. I could very easily go either way with this as they work the mission...

Enjoy!