Chapter 7

"Did any of you notice anything strange at the end of the shoot?" Mira asked. "I thought I heard someone come in, but I didn't see anyone when we were done."

"I didn't notice anything," Evergreen shrugged. "Maybe it was your imagination?"

"I might have heard a door open," Freed suggested. "Why? Did you feel another attack?"

"No, not at all," Mira assured him. "The bracelet works great. I didn't feel anything weird, but I did hear something. Are you sure none of you noticed?"

"Was that what brought you out of your modeling zone?" Evergreen asked. "You were really into it, just like at the earlier shoot, but then you snapped out of it and seemed distracted."

"Yes," Mira nodded, she ducked her head and asked, "am I that obvious when I'm feeling the poses?" Evergreen laughed.

"Everyone mentioned that you seem to get really into your sets in front of the camera, but I don't think they can tell when you fall out of it," Evergreen explained.

"I'll take a look," Laxus offered, bringing the conversation back. "It's probably nothing, but maybe something will turn up." He left the suite. Just as he closed the door, the communication lacrama lit up and the director's voice come through.

"Mirajane? Are you available right now?"

"Of course!" Mira stuttered. The voice initially made them all jump. "What can I help you with?"

"If you have a moment, can I meet you in the lobby in a few minutes? I have some things I'd love to go over with you."

"I'll be down shortly," she called. The lacrama faded and Freed turned to Mira.

"Did you want me to come with you?" Freed asked. Mira pursed her lips.

"If he wants to talk about the modeling contract with him then you're welcome to join. I can't think of any other reason to have a private discussion."

"I'll walk down with you. If you don't need me, I'll assist Laxus," Freed smiled. Bickslow and Evergreen chuckled but did not stop the two as they left the room.

The lobby was strangely quiet, though all the lights were on. The receptionist was nowhere to be found. They walked to the office door they recalled from the first day and knocked. Seconds ticked by with no response.

"This is the door, right?" Freed asked. Mira nodded. They looked around, but no one was around.

"I'll see if he left a note on the receptionist's desk," Freed suggested. He left Mira in front of the door and rounded the corner. Mira knocked again, her hand on the knob.

"Hello?" She asked. Her wrist reflexively twisted, and she found the door unlocked. The room was empty.

"Freed!" She called. "Its unlocked!" She wasn't sure if he could hear her in the carpeted hallway, but she walked into the room and moved to the desk to take a seat. As she did, the door clicked closed. Mira jumped when she heard her name, turning in the chair.

"Mirajane, thanks for coming down," Vivian said.

"Vi?" Mira asked, "I was just waiting for the director-"

"No, you aren't," Vi smiled. "I called you down." The other girl walked into the room towards the desk, then changed her mind and stood near the windows.

"So why-?" Mira started to say.

"Because I wanted to ask how you scored a private modeling piece with Bla-ke," Vi stated. "She isn't known for playing favorites, so what's your secret?"

"What are you talking about?" Mira asked. "I didn't- oh. How did you know about that? No one was around when she asked us. Unless- it was you I heard come back in?" Vivian stared hard at Mira for a moment, almost as if she needed to weigh her options.

"It's true, I was there. I didn't think anyone saw me though, especially not you- since you were so into your pose. It almost made me believe that rumor security's been talking about: involving you and your guildmate." Mira felt her checks go red before she caught Vi's word choice.

"What did you call Laxus?" she asked.

"Your guildmate," Vi repeated. "You know, since you're all FairyTail wizards. And the only reason a group of wizards would be on set is to catch the guy behind the attacks, right? Was that how you convinced Bla-ke to work with you all? Setting a trap maybe?"

"How did you know they're also in the guild?" Mira asked. "Sure, Evergreen and I were outed during those two shoots, but-"

"I'm not dumb, Mira. If anyone should know not to underestimate a model its you," Vi snapped. "I heard the security guys talking about how they could slack off since they had 'the guys from Fairytail working on it'. And since its common knowledge that's your guild, it made sense they'd be your guild-mates. So seriously, how'd you get Bla-ke to work with you extra? That's the biggest designer label in this issue, so if you have more shots-"

"It wasn't something for the magazine," Mira explained. "She asked for help with a side project- just promotion for her menswear line- and the boys agreed. I had nothing to do with it."

"As if," Vi snarled. "Just so you know, the girl who was attacked before April also got special treatment from one of the designers. So, I'd watch your back." The model stared hard at Mira.

"Is that a threat?" Mira frowned. Vi winced, broke eye contact, and gritted her teeth.

"Of course not."

"Because I can't see why someone would want special attention from a designer if that meant they'd become a target as well," Mira reasoned. She knew Vivian was jealous of her current spotlight, but when the spotlight also meant having a target on her back, she couldn't see why. Vivian waved her off.

"That's just because you're a wizard, I'd be fine," Vi replied. "It would probably be better if the designers gave me the extra shoots, since then I'd be protecting everyone else."

"Why don't you think the attacker wouldn't turn on you?" Mira asked.

"Because he hasn't in the past," Vi shrugged. "Why would he change his tactics now? Besides, you and your team are here. Why haven't you caught him yet? That's why you're really here right?"

Mira was silent.

"Of course you are. Why else would there be five of you?" Vivian asked. "I'm sure the only reason my uncle let you all on set was because he really wants you to sign an exclusive contract. Could you imagine? Mirajane Strauss, Fiore's top model and member of the winning Grand Magic Games wizarding guild working exclusively for his little magazine." Vivian rolled her eyes. "He offered the opportunity to one of the girls last term, and she almost said yes, but in the end she wasn't able to accept. Just like you won't." Mira had a sneaking suspicion that the girl who ended up in the hospital during the last shoot was the girl she was referring to. The Fairytail wizard also knew that all the high-end magazines had their own exclusive models. Even if the contract was only for a year, it gave readers a reason to keep buying the magazine.

"Was your only reason for calling me here was to threaten me?" Mira asked with a frown. "I had no intentions of signing a longer modeling contract with your uncle."

"Had?" Vi asked.

"I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed working with the designers and being in front of the camera," Mira explained, lifting her chin with an air of pretentiousness. "Maybe I'll come back to modeling full time." She hoped Vi couldn't see through her lie. The s-class wizard had no intention of leaving the guild she loved to pursue a full time modeling career, but she wanted to know why Vivian was so insistent on her not signing the contract. In the back of her mind she wondered where Freed had vanished to.

"Look Mira, I'm worried about you," Vivian sighed. Her whole demeanor instantly relaxed. No longer did her words hold venom, instead they were carefully controlled. "After what happened to April- and then you almost collapsing on set today, I think you're being targeted too. Why would you sign on to work somewhere that's hazardous to your health like that?" Vi reached out to take Mira's shoulders in her hands but jumped back instantly at the contact.

"OW!" she hissed.

"Are you ok?" Mira asked, suddenly worried. She didn't have time to notice the warmth that grew in her bracelet right away.

"Yeah, I just shocked myself or something," Vivian said shaking her wrists. "Don't worry about it." After a moment, she continued. "You should be more worried about yourself, really."

"Thanks for your concern, but I have it under control now," Mira stated.

"Now?" Vivian asked. After a moment of silence, the other model leaned back against the edge of her uncle's desk, her jaw clenched as she looked Mira up and down. "How did you-?"

"You don't need to worry," Mira said, brushing her comment off. "Besides, the attacker only targets wizards right? You're safe, just like you said."

"Right," Vi replied slowly. "Well, this was fun, but you should really take my word for it that you should be on guard. And I'd rethink signing that contract. Seriously." Vivian stood and walked to the door, flicking the lights off as she left the room and silently storming down the hallway. She left the door open. Mira watched her go.

The whole encounter was too confusing to take in completely. Vivian's arguments and reactions were all over. It was hard to see the girl's full motivations, though Mira could hazard a few guesses. She had a hunch that Vivian was keeping secrets, more then the usual model did. Luckily, she was in the best place to flush them out. She hurried to the back of the desk and started pulling out the drawers, searching. Mira didn't get very far when a large figure filled the doorway. Mira looked up, fearing she'd been caught, cursing her own impatience.

"What are you doing?" Laxus asked. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm looking for the modeling profiles. Shut the door and help me dig," she explained. Laxus joined her behind the desk after an initial moment of confusion.

"What do they look like?" He asked. He moved to the file cabinets against the wall.

"They should be pages with our headshots on the top and basic information about us below in case there's an emergency or they need a reference or- found them!" Mira smiled. She pulled out a giant stack of papers and laid them on the desk.

"We need to find Vivian's," Mira explained. Laxus stood beside her as they each flipped through half the stack.

"Why?" Laxus asked.

"I think she might be behind these attacks," Mira admitted. "Its not much to go off, but if she's not the one directly behind it, then she's either directing someone or being used by someone."

"What made you think it was her?" Laxus asked. He came across Mira's profile and was momentarily distracted by her smiling portrait. It was an older picture, obviously taken before they'd all been frozen in time on Tenrou Island and before her sister had returned from what they all had thought was death . Mira did not look much younger, but he could see the uncertainty in her face. Her hair and makeup were flawless as usual, but he saw the girl underneath who was afraid and looking for an outlet. He didn't need to glance sideways to know how different she was today. If this whole modeling mission was anything to go by, Mira was no longer laden by her fears.

"Did you find it?" Mira asked, noticing Laxus stopped moving.

"Uh-" Quickly fanning his remaining profiles, Laxus nodded. "Here."

"Let's see," Mira said as she took the pages. Quickly scanning through the information, she pointed to a note at the bottom. "Look! Mage abilities: Basic transformation, no formal training, no guild association."

"So she's a wizard then," Laxus stated, "doesn't that make her a target?"

"It would, if she wasn't the one behind the attacks," Mira stated. "I know this might sound crazy, but I think her motive is simply jealousy. All the girls who have been attacked are up-and-coming stars who could up-stage her. And just now she threatened me after we talked about signing an exclusive modeling contract. I think she wants that contract and doesn't plan on giving her uncle a choice." Laxus lifted an eyebrow in disbelief.

"You think this girl is ok with almost killing people just to be a better model?" He clarified. Mira nodded. "That's my guess. I just have to figure out how she's doing it now." Mira poured over the profile again. Voices echoed in the hallway.

"Someone's coming," Laxus said. Mira scooped all the papers together and shoved them back into the drawer she found them in. Luckily, the lights in the room were off and the door was closed, but that would only buy them a few seconds. The voices grew louder.

"It sounds like the director," Laxus muttered.

"And Vivian," Mira added. "I'd rather not get caught in here by them." Their conversation grew closer and it was apparent they were headed to the office. While she could probably talk her way out of being in his office with the lights off and the door closed, she wanted to avoid coming up with lies if she could help it. "We have to hide." A quick glance of the room left little hope for not being caught. The space under the door darkened.

"Where?" Laxus couldn't help but laugh. Mira sighed when she realized he seemed ok with being caught.

"Let me grab my glasses and-" came the director's voice right outside the door.

"Under the desk," she hissed. The door nob jiggled as she dove underneath, pulling Laxus with her just in time. The desk was large, but not as big as she wished. In her panic, she incorrectly guessed the size needed for both of them and paid for it now. Laxus barely fit, let alone with her. As long as no one walked behind the desk, they would be fine. Blood racing, Mira tried to focus on calming her breathing and not stare directly into Laxus' face even if it was inches from her own. She quickly realized if they were caught like this it would be one hundred times worse than being caught in the open. She cursed her luck.

The director entered the room, flipped on the light, and moved to the desk. Vivian followed him.

"Why her?" she pouted.

"Vivian, we've talked about this," he scowled. He fumbled on the desk for his glasses case. Mira let out a sigh of relief when she heard him find it. "I can't make the designers pick one model over the other. Outside of giving everyone one label piece as promised in their contracts, I don't pick the lineups." The desk shifted as the director leaned against the edge. Vivian settled into the chair opposite him while Laxus shared an exasperated look with Mira. The two hoped they wouldn't be trapped for two long. Feeling her left arm start to go numb where she leaned into the desk's side, Mira tried to relax her legs without leaning into Laxus more then she already did. The way they crouched, nested together, was anything but comfortable. Laxus debated just giving himself away to spare both of them the embarrassment if they were found like this.

"Look, I don't think you should offer it to her, earlier I found her with one of the designers doing a private shoot. I'm sure an exclusive contract wouldn't stop her from doing it again. It's not-" Vivian stated.

"Stop. I never told any of the designers OR the models they couldn't do extra shoots with each other. We've already done the magazine layouts, so whatever they shot won't be included in this issue. If anything, after hearing that, I'd want her to work for me more now that I know she's been networking with the designers and has a good relationship with them. Its probably something you should be working on if you want to move up in the industry, Vivian," the director chastised.

They heard him stand and move towards the door. Vivian was strangely silent as the lights clicked off. They both left the room, and finally closed the door. Mira let out a sigh of relief. By some miracle, they had not been caught. Laxus grunted as he hit his head on the underside of the desk, trying to get himself out. They struggled together, a tangle of legs and arms until finally they were free. Mira couldn't help but giggle. Eventually, Laxus helped her up and they looked around the dark room.

"We have a motive," Mira stated. "We just need to know how." The blond man nodded. Upstairs they relayed the information to the team. Freed returned just before them with nothing to share. Leaving out the details of their hiding place, Mira explained what they found and then heard. Evergreen nodded.

"So, you think she's behind the illness then?" She asked.

"We know curses can result in Magic Deficiency Disease, but I haven't heard of wizards being able to cause it," Freed stated. His glance at Laxus was quick.

"If she did do it, why isn't she part of a guild?" Bickslow asked. "With that kind of magic, she might even be S-class."

"She wants to be a model," Mira explained, "not a wizard." The team shrugged. None of them could imagine why anyone would choose to be anything other then a full-blown magic user. Mira sighed. "It doesn't matter though, she needs to be stopped. Luckily, I think I have a plan."

"But we've run out of full shooting days," Evergreen said. "When?"

"The director wants me to sign that exclusive modeling contract with him. Until I've signed it, I'm still her target," Mira explained. The group nodded. "We need to verify that its her doing the attacking though and not going through someone else."

"How?"

"Tomorrow the schedule says 'Makeup'," Mira said. "I'm set to go with the first group, and I assume Vivian is as well. When I don't show up, I need you all to tell Vivian that I was feeling sick but rescheduled for later. I'm hoping she'll try and prevent me from shooting at all."

"Hm," Evergreen hummed. "Its rather simple, but it should work."

"Someone should stay with you though, just in case she isn't the only one in on the attacks," Freed stated. "Laxus and I can watch Evergreen-"

"I'll stay with Mira," Laxus interrupted matter-of-factly.

"I think you should go down with them," Mira disagreed. "If Vivian thinks she'll have to face both of us, I don't think she'll bite. You can circle back up once you notice she's taken the bait." Laxus frowned but nodded anyway. They all knew this was truly Mira's mission, so if the plan was solid enough, they would go along with it. He knew Mira could handle a vengeful model as much as the rest of them. She was an S-class wizard after all.

The next morning, Mira was up and ready even though she did not need to be. She hoped that their plan would work, and they could finally finish this mission. Bidding Evergreen and the boys good luck, she watched them head downstairs. All she could now do was wait. She relaxed on the couch, fiddling with the magic-script bracelet.

It took longer then she expected but eventually there was a knock on her door. Mira called out for them to wait, threw a sweater over her shoulders, and moved to open it. She was greeted by Vivian. The young girl looked apologetic, but Mira also noticed a bright youthful glow about her. She wondered if the makeup artists had done something different that morning.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright," Vivian sighed. "I heard you weren't feeling well-"

"I'm doing better now," Mira explained. "I should be ready to head down soon." Vivian did not react like Mira expected. There was no worried surprise in her eyes, just a genuinely soft smile.

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday," Vivian continued as if she did not hear Mira's words. "Did you want to take a walk before you head to the studio? The sun might help you recover faster."

"Sure," Mira hesitated. If she left the room, the boys wouldn't know where she went if she needed backup. Vivian was acting strange and she was not sure if she liked it, but she also needed to solve this case.

"Did you see the setup for the party later?" Vivian asked as they walked down the stairs to the lobby.

"No" Mira replied. "I didn't know it was set up yet."

"Its gorgeous," Vi smiled. The lobby was empty, not even the receptionist was there to call a greeting. Mira shuddered. Vivian moved like silk beside her, smooth and silent. There was something in the air, or maybe a lack of something, and the s-class wizard struggled to figure out what it was.

"I think I'll let the director know I'll-"

"There's no need," Vivian interrupted. "He's otherwise occupied. You won't be missed." Her words were too smooth, her smile too knowing. Mira missed the next sentence about seeing the beach and the stepped towards the studio, reaching for the door instead. Vivian took her outstretched hand.

"What's wrong, Mira?" She smiled. "Maybe you should sit down." Vivian's hand clamped down on Mira's bracelet and both girls felt a charge run through them. Mira jumped back, wrenching her hand free of Vi's grip as the younger model fell to her knees. Both girls watched the other, catching their breath. The studio door swung open, breaking their stare-down. Laxus stumbled through, barely keeping upright.

"Mira!" He called when he spotted his guild-mate with the other model. "If she touches you-" He crumbled to he floor, hands on his temples.

"Laxus!" Mira called. She turned to Vivian. "Stop! What did you do-?!"

"The same thing I'm going to do to you," Vivian laughed. She held out Mira's bracelet, "and without this, you're just as vulnerable as they were."

"How?" Mira started to ask, but she knew then answer. It slid off in Vivian's grip when she pulled away.

"It was a good try," Vivian acknowledged. "I wonder why you didn't think if it sooner though. If all of you had this magic, you might have even stopped me." The bracelet snapped into pieces in her hands.

"Mira, run!" Laxus growled, static building through his clothing and hair. "Go get help!"

"Quiet!" Vivian frowned, directing her attention back to the blond man on the floor as he inched towards them. "I don't know how you can still move, but I'll happily take your extra energy." Before Vivian could reach out and steal the last of Laxus' magic energy, Mira lunged forward and grabbed her hands.

"Don't," She ordered. The s-class wizard's normally cheerful eyes had darkened. Vivian gritted her teeth and turned her attention back to Mira. The unusual calm the model possessed still had Mira on guard but not enough. She felt the familiar throb of a headache, but before she could react, the pain increased tenfold until she felt like her head was caught in a vice. Her knees buckled. Freed from Mira's grip, Vivians hasty grip on her forearm grew stronger, holding it high as Mira sunk down, knelling in pain before her.

"You should have transformed while you had the chance," Vi gloated. Throwing her head back in near ecstasy, the model took Mira's grasping hand in a mockery of comfort between her own, siphoning off her magical energy.

"Now I can say I defeated two of Fairytail's best S-class wizards!" The model burst out laughing. "Well, I could if I was going to tell anyone."

"Why?" Mira shuddered, fighting the weakness that came with the headache and loss of her magical energy. Vivian's grip was strong, but if she could only hold out a little more.

"Without you, I won't have ANYONE in my way." Vi smiled. Her eyes clouded with the magic she absorbed. "With all the magic energy from you and all those dumb models inside, I'll be young and beautiful forever! No one will find them in time to save them, my uncle's magazine will be ruined, and I'll be the sole survivor. Everyone will want the most beautiful model- who suffered so much- to work for them. Think of all the publicity I'll get to share my story of how I survived these crazed attacks that no one could stop." There, that was the reason.

Mira dropped her face and grit her teeth. No one would die today. She barely heard Vivian drone on until a single phrase caught her concentration, spurring the transformation she 'd been holding off on as her backup magic reserves kicked in.

"-they'll wonder how such an unassuming model survived the onslaught when Fiore's strongest guild members fell. But I'll never tell, and I'll just be the dumb model they expect us all to be. Beautiful but stupid-"

Laughter rumbled from Mira's chest, breaking Vivian's tirade.

"I'd normally stop that kind of talk from a fellow model, but you've proven yourself right." Vi shouted out in panic and dropped the clawed hand she found within her grasp. She shook her hands as if burned.

"What? This energy is different, its so heavy." She closed her eyes and put a hand to her face, "how?" Vi looked horrified as Mira rose to her feet in her Satan Soul take-over.

"You shouldn't have any magic energy left to use your powers," Vivian reasoned. "No, no!"

"You said it yourself," Mira mocked. She rose into the air, just enough to float over the floor, towering over Vivian as the model backed herself into a wall. "I'm part of Fiores' strongest guild. Why would I be weak enough to let you win?" Vivian stared up at her in fear. Any random passerby looking into the lobby would see what appeared to be an evil demon threatening a beautiful angel. The truth was not far off, but not as it appeared.

In the back of her mind, Mira wondered if Vivian even knew how to use the magic she had stolen to attack. The FairyTail wizard's ability allowed her to keep her wits and strategize without the bloodlust overpowering her. It was a good thing control came as second nature, since even with Vivian's crimes, Mira knew the girl would not fight back the way her usual targets would. It would be a slaughter. The thought was almost enough to break Mira's hold on her takeover. She had no intention of hurting the jealous model, but Vivian didn't need to know that.

Electricity leapt from her claws, building from one of Mira's attacks that she had no plan to actually use. Vivian's flawless face, made even more perfect with the flush of stolen magical energy, whitened. She clutched her hands to her chest and Mira raised an eyebrow at the blackened fingertips on her right hand. She let the sparks jump erratically across her scaled forearms as a not-so-veiled threat.

"You will return what you stole, willingly," Mira stated, "or I'll be forced to take it from you." Vivian's fearful eyes ran with tears as she watched the lightning arc down Mira's body. There was no doubt the girl could imagine what a single spark would feel lie.

"Now," Mira ordered. Her word elicited a quick nod from Vivian, and the demon took a step back to allow her room. Vivian stumbled to were Laxus lay, still conscious but not for long.

"If any of them die-"

"I know!" Vivian cried as she touched Laxus' head. "They won't." After a few tense seconds, the blond man opened his eyes. Seeing Vivian so close, his hand grabbed at her neck to stop her, but Mira caught him.

"Stop," the word was said without emotion and both Laxus and Vi unconsciously shivered. The young model withdrew her hands and choked back a sob. Mira's demonic aura had more of an effect on her then the mage had realized. If only all her enemies were this frightened by her weakest takeover form.

"The others are still in the studio," Laxus said after a moment. He sat up slowly, leaning against the desk for support.

"Let's go," Mira stated. She floated behind Vi as the girl stumbled down the long corridor into the studio. It wasn't necessary she fly, but she wanted Vi to see the difference in their power as clearly as possible. The area looked untouched expect for the fallen people scattered about. Vi moved to her uncle first, but Mira stopped her.

"Revive my guild-mates," she ordered. Her takeover did not allow her to feel the guilt of the selfish sounding order. The S-class wizard knew she could not hold her transformation as long as she'd need to. She needed the backup, even as weakened as they'd be.

She watched as Vivian revived first Freed, then Evergreen, and the finally Bickslow before trying to go back to her uncle.

"Now the models," Mira directed.

"But what if I run out of magic?" Vi asked, sending a fearful glance his way.

"He goes last," she repeated.

"But-"

"Then don't run out," Mira stated, deadly serious. She watched the model gulp and wipe a fresh batch of tears from her eyes before she moved to start on the other girls.

"Mira," Freed mumbled. "Is Laxus?" Wings and tail vanished as Mira released her magic. She hoped she didn't look as fragile as she felt.

"He's in the lobby. He's recovering."

"What happened?" Bickslow stuttered. "Mira, did you?"

"Its alright," Mira smiled. "Vivian's behind the attacks, she's fixing what she did. Everyone is going to be alright." Her vision blurred for a moment and Mira was forced to steady herself with a hand on Freed's shoulder.

"We need to get the town's patrolmen here to arrest her. She still just a civilian, even if she did all this with magic-" Mira hesitated, feeling faint again. "Before she finishes-"

"Mira," Freed said, steadying her shoulders as her head tipped. The adrenaline from demon form had supported her before, but now her energy faded. The girls came to, voices echoing around the room. Mira smiled, and let her eyes close for what felt like just a moment. The blackness swallowed her.

.

When she woke, the fresh air and sunshine from the open window threw her for a loop. Mira sat up, fighting the instant nausea that lingered from the long-gone headache. She spotted her guild-mate in a chair in the corner, dozing. His large frame dwarfed the tiny seat.

"Mira, you're up. Thank goodness!" Freed's voice echoed from the door frame on the other side of the room.

"Welcome back," Bickslow joked.

"How long was I sleeping?" Mira asked, readjusting her pillow to lean against the headboard of the hospital bed. Evergreen perched at the foot of bed while the two boys crowded around the side.

"Three days," Evergreen explained. She shot a conspiring look at Mira and continued. "If only someone had taken my advice about waking a sleeping princess, then you might have been awake for the wrap party last night." Mira blushed and followed her guildmate's eyes to the blond in the chair. As if he knew they teased him, he opened both eyes.

"The dragon wakes to the maiden's voice," Evergreen laughed. She explained, "he's been asleep almost as much as you were. He told us he'd keep watch, but every time we'd come by he'd be snoring in the corner. I can't believe he didn't wake you sooner." Laxus shot Evergreen a look.

"Was everyone-?" Mira started to ask. "Did Vivian-?"

"We got the patrol to the studio just as she revived the director. Though she wasn't going anywhere after that," Freed said.

"You'd never think it was her either," Bickslow stated. "She had dark circles under her eyes and was pale as a ghost."

"She didn't know how to control the energy she gave back," Mira mused. "She probably ran out and had to give him some of her own."

"Well, she was arrested and the magical council has been informed. Everyone else was taken here to recovered. They were released just in time to hold a belated party last night," Freed explained.

"Good, I'm glad they're all ok," Mira smiled.

"The director spoke to me at the party. He wanted to offer you another modeling gig. Triple the salary too," Freed added.

"I told him I wasn't-"

"So did we," Evergreen smiled. "Don't worry, we took care of it. Because if you left us to be full time model now, it might give Lucy the wrong idea. You know we'd never hear the end of that!"

Mira could only laugh with them as the teased their other guildmates. As exhausted as she was, Mira was overjoyed that the other models were safe, and they'd completed the mission without casualty. Modeling was fun, but she looked forward to returning to the rowdy guildhall once more.

.

End

And that's it :)

Sorry this last chapter took FOREVER to update. To be honest, I've been struggling with my motivation to write this last bit because I wasn't quite sure how it should go, but I finally bit the bullet and just went with it.

Thank you for sticking with my story till the end! I appreciate all of you so much and hope you enjoyed it! ^-^