Ch. 10 Defeat Your Friends to Save Your Friends
"I heard there was some trouble in Fairy Tail," A young man told an older man as they sat and drank their coffee outside a café. He had on a red sweater while the other wore a blue and white striped apron over a white shirt. "Do you know what's going on?"
"Nope, I don't have a clue," the older sir replied with his bushy moustache. "I did hear someone say that the members weren't getting along too well."
"Well," an older woman complained as she held her small child close, "It seems things have gotten worse. Have I just seen a couple of those boys fighting each other out in the street?"
"You don't think they're gonna have to cancel the Fantasia Parade, do you?" Mr. Mustache asked.
"Who knows," the woman replied.
"What a shame," Red look disappointed.
KABOOM!
The people shrieked from the unexpected entry. An explosion caused the chairs and tables of the café to scatter with dust clouds forming everywhere. From the dust, a man in a blue and white jumpsuit appeared. He looked to have long brown hair tied in a ponytail with a purple ribbon. He leapt from the ground and launched to a nearby rooftop.
"Look, there's one of them now!" Red pointed to the guy on the roof.
"You punks better quit tearing up our town!" Mr. Mustache shouted out. The man groveled at the mess now made.
"Townspeople?" he questioned. "I don't understand. Why doesn't the enchantment affect them? Maybe Freed made it so it would only apply to wizards in the guild."
"Jeester!" A voice called out. Vijeeter looked to his left and saw one of his comrades on the same roof as he was. Standing across from him was a tall, dark skin character with a chained-skull necklace around his neck, a black vest with green lining around the armholes and the opening of his vest. For pants, however, he had on a brown, grassy skirt with a red string around his waist and more skulls tying around his kilt. On his arms, he had white sun logos while leaves were tied round his ankles. His black hair was tied and buffed out like a winter snowcap strapped with a brown twine around his head.
"Nab," Vijeeter noticed.
"Stand still so I can finish you off!" Nab charged in at Vijeeter. "I hate to do this to you pal, but rules are rules and I can't fight Laxus until I beat you!" His arm became incased in a red flame as he readied his swing.
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to hurt my friends," Vijeeter concentrated on his counter strategy, "Pity, but you leave me no choice!" He charged straight at Nab. As Nab lunged in, Vijeeter spun over his head. They both ended up missing each other. As Red watched from the ground, another explosion came blasting out from behind him. Max and Warren were both fighting it out in the street.
"Give it up!" Warren yelled out, "You know I can see through your plans, Max! If you think you can surprise me with your sand magic, you're wrong!"
"You're favorite's telepathy, huh?" Max replied, "Just because you can read my attacks doesn't mean you're fast enough to dodge, wise guy!" The sand encircled Warren in a windy storm. As he shielded his eyes, Max charged right in. "Better not blink!"
"Saw that coming a mile away!" Warren leaned to his left and came back round Max. The bursts and explosions continued in the city. The people didn't know whether to be frightened or excited.
"Hey is this part of the festival?"
"With them, you never know."
"I hope they clean up after themselves."
Elsewhere…
"I'm gonna save Mira!" Wakaba shouted from the roof as he looked down at Macao. "That means I gotta fight you!"
"I take it your wife doesn't know about your little crush, huh?" Macao fired back.
"You're just jealous cuz you're wife left ya."
"…You just crossed the line, bud."
Elsewhere…again…
"Laki!" a young girl shouted out. This girl had an orange and green ninja outfit with a red scarf around her neck. Her hair was a long brown ponytail while her shoes were brown and up to her shins. With each hand, she held a pair of long blue and white knuckle guards for combat. "Are you trying to one-up us with your new look?"
"Hoping more people would notice you?" Another girl had on a green blouse with a long, white sleeve shirt underneath. She had long brown hair and a light blue skirt. As her weapon, she had a long blue pole with blue, crystal-like bulges at the end.
"I think it makes you more like trash!" The third girl wore short, brown shorts with a blue shirt and a black cape. She wore two bushy pigtails with her golden hair and had on black boots. She carried a large old fashion sickle.
"You didn't think you were going to enter the pageant, were you?" The last girl had black hair with a single, long ponytail. She had on brown training gloves, a red, long warrior dress, and bandages wrapped around her upper arm. Her weapons of choice were three long claws that pointed out of the back of each hand. These four girls surrounded a girl in the middle of their ambush. She had on blue bright boots to match her white and blue long sleeve jacket. Around her neck was a red ascot with a red bow on the back of her short, light purple hair. For the final touch, she had thin, round eyeglasses.
"Who knew I could cause such a fuss over a little hair job," Laki smiled. "I feel like a superstar!" Laki was filled with bubbly joy as she took in the jealousy from the others.
"Oh shut up! We're gonna teach you a lesson!" the girls disagreed.
Elsewhere…again…again…
"Mud Shot!" Two men were blasted to the side of the wall with super adhesive mud. Alzack had made a clean shot down the alley at the members who tried to ambush him. He cocked his gun to ready himself for the next match. So far, every member of the guild was either fighting off opponents or being swept off the ground and being attacked.
Fairy Tail
[Max vs. Warren]
[Winner: Warren]
[Vijeeter vs. Nab]
[Winner: Nab]
[Laki defeats four others]
[Macao vs. Wakaba]
[Battle in Progress]
Happy read down the line of participants on the floating words of the entryway. Makarov's anger only escalated from the fights that continued to display.
"Foolish children!" he shouted. "What do they think they're doing?"
"They really don't have any choice but to fight each other," Happy replied, "Those enchantments are hidden all over town. They're impossible to void!"
"If it's for the girls, they don't have many options," Rai added.
"It's just like Laxus said," Happily spoke worriedly, "This is the Battle of Fairy Tail." Natsu squeezed his fists tighter as he stared daggers at the scriptures.
"But why?" Natsu asked, "It doesn't make sense!" Makarov, Rai, and Happy all looked over to Natsu's torment.
"Natsu…," Happy said with comfort. Natsu bashed his face on the invisible wall.
"I WANNA FIGHT TOO!" Happy, Makarov, and Rai were frustrated by Natsu's stupidity to join in the fray.
"IS THAT ALL!?" They shouted together.
"Aw man, you suck!" Natsu yelled angrily, "Go away invisible wall!" Makarov extended his arm and karate chopped his head.
That should knock some sense in him, Rai thought.
"Why do you wanna fight your friends?" Makarov asked.
"Cuz there's a tournament to see who's the strongest!" Natsu fired back.
Guess not.
"THIS IS NOT A TOURNAMENT!" Makarov pointed out. "It's nothing but a trap. Laxus is playing you like a bunch of pawns. If we can't beat the Thunder Legion in time, the girls are going to be smashed to pieces. I know that everyone is trying to keep that from happening, but they're going about it in the wrong way. If we keep fighting ourselves, then the girls are as good as finished. We can't let Laxus win."
"I don't know, Grandpa," Rai considered. "That guy has some serious issues to work out. But, I can't say for certain Laxus is playing for keeps."
"Definitely," Natsu butted in, "You know he can be a real pain sometimes, but he's still one of us. This is obviously a bluff."
"You think so?" Makarov asked. Natsu jumped back onto the invisible.
"THERE'S A FESTIVAL GOING ON OUT THERE! WHY DO I HAVE TO BE STUCK IN THIS DUMP!" he shouted. Happy simply flew in circles in between the barrier.
"Beats me, I can pass through just fine," Happy pointed out.
"Does this mean I'm over eighty and no one ever told me?" Natsu panicked at the possibilities of being trapped. "Cause I would have known if I was a stone statue, right?"
"And here I thought we knew each other, Natsu," Happy wondered. Natsu turned to Rai.
"AND WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE, MR. REAPER!"
"DON'T LOOK AT ME!" Rai shouted back, "I'M NOWHERE NEAR EIGHTY! I'M NOT EVEN A MEMBER OF THE GUILD, SO WHY AM I INVOLVED!?"
You still think of Laxus is part of the guild? Makarov thought, even after all this, you don't believe he'd harm his fellow members?
[Time Remaining: 2 hours 15 minutes]
[Participants Remaining: 42]
"That can't be all that's left," said Makarov.
"What's wrong?" Rai asked, "Don't we have more people?"
"It means that more than half the guild has wiped itself out in less than an hour!" Makarov spoke in concern.
"Well, if you put it that way…"
Magnolia
"Purple Rain!" Macao fired off a barrage of purple fire orbs directly at Wakaba. The blasts made impact throughout his entire body. However, he completely disappeared in a batch of pink smoke. Macao looked in shock as his opponent vanished from his sight. "Oh crap!"
"That was my Smoke Fake," Wakaba answered. Behind Macao, he had already summoned five more duplicates of himself that were just laying back. "You're losing your edge, man. But, you've always been too soft for your own good. Right, buddy?"
Outside of Magnolia
"I'm tired, but I can't give up," Reedus hurried on as he ran up the dirt path out of Magnolia. "I gotta make it to the East Forest. The master is counting on me to get that remedy from Porlyusica! I gotta do it for the girls!" As he rushed forward, his face made impact into a barrier that that gave off red inscriptions. Regaining focus, Reedus looked cautiously for any signs of enemies sure to approach him. In his hands, he had a paintbrush along with a readied paint holster. "No, it can't be!" Reedus looked over to the view of Magnolia. "Don't tell me Freed set up an enchantment around the entire town!" From behind, he could sense the presence of someone taking form. Purple scriptures began to bond until they formed into a whole person. From the letterings came Freed.
"You're not attempting to break the rules of the game, are you?" Freed asked Reedus.
"Huh, what do you mean?" Reedus turned to Freed.
"As Laxus said, the entire town of Magnolia is your battlefield and your guild allies are now your opponents. If you are a wizard, you must fight." Freed readied himself for combat. Reedus stood in fear toward his foe. "Sorry, that's the rule."
{So…} Happy and Lucy: Let's check on Gray!
"This sucks!" said Gray. He and Jolt were running around town in hopes of finding Laxus or the other members to fight. "Where's the heck's the Thunder Legion hiding?"
"Pika Pika," Jolt hurried alongside Gray. Behind them, voices started to chant.
"Pika."
"Pika." Two bright lights shined and blasted off a ray of green lazers. Gray and Jolt quickly leapt away from the burst and landed inside the Fashion House: Musyan Yoka.
"Pikachu?" Jolt asked.
"Those are Bickslow's sidekicks!" Gray noticed.
"Yo!" Bickslow called out from behind. "What do you say we have some fun, huh?"
Elsewhere…
"Evergreen!" Elfman shouted out. In the streets, Elfman and Evergreen were in a standoff, ready for their fight. "A real man would never need to take hostages!" He charged in straight at her. "If you have any pride, you'd turn my sister back!"
"Well," Evergreen adjusted her glasses, "I'm not a man, you know." Elfman closed his eyes and was launched back by a green strike. His body crashed into a flower stand as the petals all flew off into the wind. "Oh, are those beautiful flowers for me? How kind of you. They suit me so well." A red-muscled arm pounded onto the pavement. People started to shriek from the beast that began to stand. "It's a shame the only cute thing about you is your name…Elfman." Standing across from Evergreen was now a much larger creature with stronger arms and a massive built-up body. His chest and face were now a goblin green while the rest of his body was covered with thick, red fur. His ears and teeth pointed as his hair grew massive down his back and expanded to a short, cut beard that connected with his sideburns. On his forehead, a plate of sharp, yellow horns pointed upwards as a horn jutted out from the back of each shoulder. His legs and feet were now like large bird talons with black claws. The only clothing attire he had was blue pants kept on by a brown belt. To keep his vision safe, a black cloth wrapped around his eyes.
"You better turn my sister back or else!" Elfman shouted in a low, monster tone.
"Do you really think you can defeat me while blind-folded?" Elfman drew back his fist and swung down on Evergreen. With reflexes, Evergreen swept away from the attack to fly right behind him. Elfman sniffed the air and turned around.
"There you are!" He punched down on the concrete and shattered the stone. Evergreen flew up into the air at the last second. Small yellow dusts radiated off of Evergreen's dress.
"How resourceful. So you can tell where I am by following my scent! Unfortunately, you're already too late." A large amount of dust surrounded Elfman as Evergreen kept her distance. "You're already covered in my fairy dust." The dust around Elfman began to glow brightly. "FAIRY BOMB ATTACK!" Explosions unleashed over his entire body. "GREMLIN!"
"AAAAAAAARGGGGGHHHH!" Elfman cried in pain. After the attack, Elfman's body fell forward onto the ground. His blindfold slipped off his face. Evergreen landed in front of her opponent.
"Statues are wonderful, aren't they?" she asked, "No matter how ugly a beast may be, once he is captured and stoned, he becomes a beautiful work of art." Elfman had no strength left to move. "Now, gaze into my eyes…and submit to the eternal beauty of stone." Elfman's arm turned stone grey.
Fairy Tail
[Elfman vs. Evergreen]
[Winner: Evergreen]
[Elfman: KO]
"I thought he'd had no problem beating her?" said Happy.
"Guess he wasn't man enough," Rai answered.
"Argh! Now it says Gray is fighting against Bickslow?" asked Natsu. "Why does he get to hog all the fun?"
"Jolt's with him," added Rai, "They should be fine if it's two against one."
"It also says Freed is fighting against Reedus," Happy included. "The Thunder Legion is really making their move!"
Magnolia
Reedus hurried on to a quick left and came across a dead end. He was trapped in a stone corner. "This is the end of the line," Freed stated.
"Hold it right there!" a female voice called out. Freed turned around to see a familiar girl taking her whip out to ready for combat. "We're gonna settle this fight maN TO MAN…UH, Man to girl!" Lucy was dressed in a simple maid outfit with a buttoned white blouse with a black vest and black cufflings around her wrist. She wore a black skirt with a white apron, white stockings, and a white headband that helped keep her hair in two pigtails.
"…I thought you had been turned to stone," Freed pondered.
"The magic wore off, so I came after you," Lucy replied. "You can't keep A GOOD MAN, UH, I Mean woman! You should know you can't keep a good woman down! THIS MAN, I Mean girl is a lot stronger than you think! Hohohoho!" Freed was not fooled as he turned to see Reedus trying to lug his big body over the stone wall, making his escape.
"Uh oh!" he cried. Freed released quick slashes of his sword and threw Reedus toward Lucy. She began to dissipate in a rainbow of colors, and then vanished.
"Thought you can trick me with one of your creations did you?" Freed walked over to Reedus. "I know that you're magic gives you the ability to bring your drawings to life." He pointed his sword down to him. "It's rather unfortunate, really. Things could have gotten interesting if I had been surprised." Reedus looked up to his comrade with all his might.
"…Freed stop," he spoke. "I'm begging you…please don't do this to your friends. You're hurting them. I know deep down you're not the kind of guy who'd do this…" Reedus passed out.
"Now only forty wizards remain," Freed notified. "Victory will soon be ours."
Fairy Tail
"Oh no!" Happy cried, "They took out Reedus!"
"I knew it!" Natsu looked pleased, "He never could have beat Freed! That guy is good!"
"Short stuff, we're supposed to be cheering for our side!" Rai pointed out.
"That's right! Now we won't be able to get Porlyusica's help!" Happy whined. Natsu folded his arms.
"We don't need it. Laxus is just bluffing about turning those girls to dust," Natsu stated.
"I'm just bluffing, am I?" Laxus's voice came from behind the group. They all turned around and saw him standing close by. "Are you sure about that?"
"Where'd you come from?" Natsu asked.
"It's his thought projection!" Happy cried. Laxus walked closer to the group.
"Natsu, what are you doing hold up in this dump?" Laxus questioned nonchalantly. "Are you scared?"
"I'm not scared, I'm stuck!" Natsu replied.
"You mind telling me why I'm here with them since I'm not part of this," Rai added.
"Isn't it obvious," Laxus explained, "I knew you were a Celestial Reaper the minute you brought out that weapon," he pointed to Rai's scythe. "I didn't want you playing the hero and ruining the fun for everyone."
"…What do you want?" Makarov demanded. He stared coldly at Laxus.
"How does it feel, huh? You think of the guild members as you're children, right? Must be tough watching your kiddies tear each other apart." Laxus grinned. "It's too bad Natsu and Erza can't join the game, cuz you don't have anyone else strong enough to take on the Thunder Legion. You ready to throw in the towel?"
"No, it's not over yet!" Happy raised his paw, "Don't forget that Gray and Jolt are still in the game, and he's just as strong a wizard as Natsu!"
"HE'S AS STRONG AS ME!?" Natsu disagreed. "NOW WAY, MAN!"
"Sorry, but you're in denial."
"That's right," Rai included, "We still have two tough fighters on our side."
"Gray and that rat, huh," Laxus doubted, "You're gonna put all your hopes on those two pipsqueaks?"
"I wouldn't underestimate the boy's power if I were you," said Makarov.
Fashion House: Musyan Yoka
Gray dashed away from the three lazers firing at him. Jolt continued to evade the other two. They both sustained there dodge and evading technique until they met up in the center of the shop. "Line Formation, babies!" Bickslow called out. The five tikkis flew together until they formed a tall pillar. Together, they fired a giant, vertical slash straight at the two. Jolt and Gray lunged to the right as the swipe crashed into the wall. "Oh yeah, you're not too shabby! Now give me a victory formation, babies!" No reply. "Hey, what's the matter?" As the cloud of dust cleared. Three of the tikkis were completely encased in ice, while the other two were electrocuted and sizzled to a crisp. "Crap! They're frozen and fried!"
"Pika!" Jolt rushed in with a Wild Charge and bashed right into Bickslow's jaw, sending him crashing into clothing products. It jumped back and landed onto Gray's head. Gray placed his fist in his hand as mist radiated outward.
"Ice Make: Hammer!" He shouted. A giant Ice mallet formed over Bickslow and came crashing down.
"X Formation, babies!" Bickslow shouted. The mallet stopped moving. There were now four mannequins and a small orange teddy bear doll blocking Bickslow. The mallet shattered from the intense pressure. Gray jumped back while Jolt moved to the ground.
"What the?" Gray asked.
"Pika?" Floating by Bickslow were his new puppets.
"I guess you never heard about my Seith Magic, huh?" Bickslow explained, "I control my babies' souls. Freeze them or fry them, I'll just move their souls into another doll. I got an immortal army on my side!"
"On his side! On his side!" The dolls spoke.
"Man, this is going to be a real pain, isn't it?" Gray asked.
"Chu," Jolt readied its static.
"Do you get it now?" Bickslow asked, "You can attack my babies all day and it won't do you a lick of good!"
"Well since it won't work on them, then I'll just freeze you, instead," Gray fired off an ice beam straight at Bickslow.
"Pika…CHU!" Jolt shot a Thunderbolt right after him. The lightning and ice formed a yellow and blue static freezer. All five puppets took the hit and exploded into shattered pieces. Bickslow ran out of the market.
"Go ahead and try if you can catch me!" He called back.
"Don't run away! Come back here!" Gray shouted.
"Pika!" Gray and Jolt chased after Bickslow through the streets of Magnolia. Bickslow only laughed as the chase carried on.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
"Fight me like a man!" Bickslow suddenly made a sharp left turn into an ally. Gray and Jolt looked down the path with no sign of him anywhere. "Crazy Freak, where'd he run off to now?"
"Getting warmer," Gray and Jolt looked up to see Bickslow performing a split as his feet pushed against the wall. "Peekaboo!"
"Real funny. What are you trying to pull here, anyway?"
"Pika Pika!"
"I just want to fight someone on my level. A shame you both don't make the cut. My babies are getting bored. It's time to spice things up a bit!" Purple scriptures began to surround Gray and Jolt in a small enclosure.
"Another enchantment," Gray realized.
"Guess you're out of luck," Bickslow pointed out. "You're not allowed to use magic as long as you're inside that barrier."
"One of Freed's traps, huh?"
"Sucks to be you. You're stuck in there with nothing but a mouse to keep you company. But, it's a party out her, babies!" Five new mannequins flew in and blocked off the exit. All of them fired off a green lazer that expanded down a few blocks; creating a large cloud of dust in the air. Bickslow continued to laugh at the scene in front of him. "HAHAHA, I don't think I'd bother getting up again if I were you. You can't win without you're magic."
"Oh, you think so!?" Gray yelled back. Gray and Jolt leapt from opposite walls as they climbed up and jumped forward to attack Bickslow. Gray drew his fist back while Jolt covered itself in electricity. Suddenly, two mannequins appeared and readied their fire. "You want some!"
"PIKA!" Jolt shouted to Gray. He looked over to the window and saw a small girl watching them. She had a red dress with a pink ribbon over her short hair. She was in range! Gray quickly turned and took the full hit of the blast. He crashed into the side of the building.
"HAHAHAHA! Don't tell me that's all you got!" Bickslow chuckled. From the dust cloud, Jolt rammed into Bickslow with a head on Wild Charge. The burst electrocuted him as he crashed down to the ground. Jolt and Gray followed right behind him. The little girl was frightened to see them both hit the pavement.
"Come on, sweetie," the mother came to take the child, "It's time to eat lunch."
"But," the little girl was rushed off. Gray had landed unconscious from the blast, while Jolt struggled to keep its balance. After having to use up two Wild Charges, Jolt had taken twice the recoil damage from before.
"Listen, you rascal," Bickslow stood back up, "When my babies hit you like that, you're supposed to stay down!"
"Pika…cha," Jolt collapsed next to Gray. Bickslow walked over to the two. He pushed his foot against Gray, then over to Jolt. They were both knocked out.
"I'm glad I wore my helmet today," Bickslow sighed, "That static rush could have done some major damage to my handsome face, and nobody wants that." He started to walk off. "Of course, we're just lucky if Gray here decides to wear anything." He chuckled.
Fairy Tail
"One more down," Laxus counted, "Only twenty-eight contenders remain." He began to laugh maniacally. "HAHAHAHA, and those chumps were gonna save ya?"
"You cheater!" Happy accused, "I know you and your pals used some dirty trick to beat him!" Natsu gritted his teeth at the results. Rai stood in frustration. Makarov only lowered his head.
"You bastard!" Rai shouted. "You're just trying to pull off some crap like before."
"What did he do?" Happy asked.
"First time I met him, Laxus almost electrocuted Levy and her team before me and Jolt stepped in."
"You what!" Natsu yelled.
"That's not my problem," Laxus replied, "They knew better than to get in my way." Rai gripped his fist tight.
"During the festival, Elfman said that one of your Thunder heads was here and that you might be close by," Rai explained. "That's why I was ready to take you on and jumped on stage. But, you decided to pull this shit and threatened to kill off the girls. I swear if ever get out of this barrier, I'm gonna shove a lightning rod up your ass!" Laxus smiled.
"I like your attitude," he said, "I guess that means your participating in the battle royale."
"You better hope I don't find you," Rai swore.
"So," Laxus turned to Makarov, "Whose gonna beat the Thunder Legion now, old man?"
"Gajeel will!" Happy pronounced.
"I don't think so," Laxus spoke unimpressed, "He's made it clear that he doesn't want to play, which doesn't surprise me. That guy couldn't care less what happens to the guild."
"WHAT!" Natsu yelled in anger, "AM I INVISIBLE?"
"You might as well be if you both can't get past the barrier," Laxus pointed out.
"Enough," Makarov spoke. "…It isn't worth it…I surrender, alright?"
"Wait a sec!" Natsu cried out.
"Hold on their, grandpa," Rai included. "We can't call it quits."
"You've had your fun," Makarov stated, "Now stop this." Laxus was stunned to see the Master ready to give in.
"What's gotten into you?" Laxus asked, "I thought you were the almighty master of the Fairy Tail Guild!? You can't just give up at the drop of a hat! But, if you insist on quitting, then by all means hand over the guild to me and take an early retirement!" Makarov was shocked at his remark.
"Why do you gotta play dirty?" Natsu fired off. "Why don't you come over here and face us, huh!"
"My guess is he doesn't want to be outmatched," Rai stood ready to fight.
"I should have known," Makarov trembled in realization. "This was your goal all along, wasn't it?"
"You've only got an hour and a half till the statues crumble," Laxus clarified, "If you really want to put an end to this, then announce your retirement over the whole town through the guild's loudspeaker. I want you to tell everyone you're relinquishing Fairy Tail over to me. What means more to you; your children or your title? Choose carefully." His hologram began to disappear.
"You're asking for it!" Natsu charged straight at Laxus. As he punched the air, he flew forward and flipped into a support beam. Rai and Happy sweat dropped. "If he wants to be master, then he should have the guts to face me in person! How come he won't fight me?"
"It was never the title I valued," Makarov spoke to himself. A cartoon image of Natsu's head popped up.
"Are you just gonna give up!?" Natsu yelled.
"No, he may be strong, but he's not trustworthy," Makarov pointed out. "I'd never leave him in charge."
"Sounds like he's just being a spoiled kid who wants attention," Rai considered.
"It takes more than just magical strength to run a guild. He has neither the conviction or the heart." Makarov stared over to the statues.
"We gotta hurry and do something, or Laxus will turn the girls into dust!" Happy cried. "There must be someone who can beat Laxus and his pals!"
"Well, who else is left?" Rai asked. They both stopped and heard the sound of loud munching coming from the bar. From behind the counter, Gajeel rose up while having an iron cup in his mouth.
"Hey, it's Ironman!" Rai smiled.
"No way!" Natsu said surprisingly, "You were here this whole time?"
"And he's eating the dishes too!" Happy panicked.
"Gajeel, will you fight for the guild?" Makarov asked. Gajeel jumped over the countertop.
"Might as well," he grinned, "I got a score to settle with that guy." He started to walk out the exit. "Don't worry, I'll handle him." As he walked off…
Wham!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Everyone shrieked as Gajeel's face slammed into the barrier. Gajeel punched the invisible wall. In a comedic chibi form, Natsu and Gajeel got into an argument.
"Don't tell me you're over eighty too!" Natsu shouted.
"Do I look eighty to you!?" Gajeel argued back.
{Meanwhile} Happy and Lucy: Let's see how the guild's doing!
"Gremlin!" Evergreen shouted. She covered three guild members with her fairy dust and unleashed a wave of explosions. She stood over a stone sanctity as she looked over her accomplishment. "My, what a shame."
Nab and Laki were running away from the small tikkis that chased after them. "Stop it, Bickslow!" Nab yelled back. "We're all friends here, right?" Bickslow hung upside down from his shoes as he watched them run for their lives.
"Friends?" Bickslow chuckled, "You weaklings ain't no friends of mine. Right, babies!" The tikkis simultaneously fired a green beam at the duo. "HAHAHAHA!"
Alzack pushed himself against the small cottage to stand. His brown poncho was covered with dirt and bruises were all over his body. He caught his breath to stare down against his opponent. "Freed," he sighed.
"…Hello Alzack," he replied. Alzack was angry for the trouble that Freed had caused.
"Thanks to those enchantments of yours," Alzack specified, "I had to fight against all my friends. I told myself I had to for Bisca, but that doesn't make it okay!" He readied his pistol. The wind rustled around the two for a sign that a duel will take place. Freed reached for his sword.
"GUNS MAGIC!" Alzack shouted. "TORNADO SHOT!" As Alzack fired off both his pistols, two large whirlwinds blasted out of the barrels straight at the target. Freed pulled out his sword and lashed out two quick streaks of blue slashes. Together, they formed an X and held back the Tornado Shot.
"He sliced through my wind magic!" cried Alzack. He suddenly felt the air escaping his lungs. His breathing became fainter by the second. "What's going on? I…can't…breath! That's…not far! What kind of weird magic…is this?" Alzack fell to one knee. He then toppled to the ground. Bisca… Alzack fainted. Freed turned around as he resheathed his sword into his holster. Behind Freed were the purple letterings that described the rules of the barrier.
"Those who use magic within this barrier will be robbed of oxygen," Freed explained. "Of course, if you had bothered to read the enchantment, you would have known that." The scriptures disappeared. "How do they expect to defeat me when I'm the one who writes the rules?" Freed walked off. Throughout the town of Magnolia, members of Fairy Tail were scattered either unconscious or trying to regain their lost strength. "Now only three remain in The Battle of Fairy Tail; such a pitiful display."
Fairy Tail
"Only three left in the guild?!" Makarov shouted.
"ARE YOU TWO SURE YOU'RE NOT FAKING BEING STUCK IN HERE!? YOU GUYS TRYING TO COPY ME!?" Natsu demanded an answer.
"In your dreams!" Gajeel fired back.
"If we wanted to get out of here, we would have done that a long time ago," Rai declared.
"I'M HUNGRY AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU JERK!" Natsu flailed about in anger toward Gajeel.
"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BLAME EVERYTHING ON ME!?" Gajeel demanded.
As the three continued to argue, Makarov started to ponder the situation at hand. "No way…" he said. Natsu, Gajeel, and Rai all stopped and looked at him with white, round eyes. "YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE'S LEFT!?" Makarov was white and infuriatted as he came to the conclusion.
"But what about me, master? I'm a member too, aren't I?" Happy cried as waterfall tears ran down his eyes. Makarov started to consider the worst possible outcome.
"There's nobody left who can take down Laxus…it's all over." Natsu folded his arms and gave an unsatisfied sigh of breath.
"I've got no choice," Natsu spoke, "Guess I'll bring Erza back."
"You what!?" Happy and Makarov were surprised.
"Man, this sucks. I thought I was finally gonna have a chance to show her off." Natsu headed toward the stage.
"Well, that's a good thing," Rai agreed. "So how are you gonna to do it? Magic, potions…"
"I'm gonna use my fire on her," said Natsu, "You know, to melt the stone off."
"YOU WHAT!?" Makarov shouted in disapproval.
"Erza's not covered in stone; she is stone!" Happy cried.
"We won't know until we tried," Natsu studied the statue. Everyone else gathered around to see how Natsu would handle this. "Right guys?"
"This is madness!" Makarov displeased. "You're going to roast her alive!"
"Ha-ha, it's toasty time!" Natsu raised his hands encased in flames around Erza's body.
"Try not to leave a burn," Rai said bluntly.
"No joke," Gajeel agreed, "Watch where you put those hands bro."
Erza's forehead cracked. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Happy, Makarov, Rai, and Natsu shrieked in terror at the damage they had caused. Natsu freaked and quickly picked up the statue.
"I didn't mean to break her!" he cried, "Someone get me the glue! Quick, help me! Ah! Oh!"
"Do we have glue!?" Happy panicked.
"That's not gonna do anything, you idiot!" Gajeel yelled out. "We gotta use your fire and my iron to weld her back together!"
"EEEERZA NOOOOO!" Makarov cried.
"She was so young!" Rai sulked to the floor. The crack expanded from her forehead down to her face. Natsu was on his knees and begging for forgiveness.
"NOOO! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY!"
Crack!
Stone shards scattered the floor as Erza's body had been completely recovered to its lively form. Everyone froze at her sudden return. "…I feel hot…" she whispered. Her eyes glared down over to Natsu. "It was you, wasn't it?" She sent Gajeel, Rai, and Natsu flying with one powerful punch. "WERE YOU TRYING TO COOK ME!?"
"Erza's back in business, guys!" Happy cheered.
"Thank goodness," Makarov approached the scene. "But how was the spell broken?"
"Honestly," Erza wondered, "I'm not quite sure. But if I had to guess, I'd say it had something to do with my right eye."
"Did you wear contacts?" Rai asked as he cracked his back from the blow. "And yes, that did hurt."
That's it! Makarov realized it; her artificial eye must have weakened the effects of the spell! Happy flew over to Erza.
"Erza, do you know what's going on right now?" Happy asked.
"The whole Battle of Fairy Tail ring any bells?" Rai included. She complied with both of their questions.
"I think so," she said, "Even though I was stone, I was still able to hear most of what was said." Makarov raised his fist at their last hope of victory.
"Alright, it's time to strike back!" Makarov declared. Everyone made their way to the entrance of the guild. As they looked up to the purple inscriptions, they noticed the change in the roster.
"Look!" Happy pointed out, "There's four now!"
"The rules have already added me to the fray," Erza said with monotone, "That's impressive; it updates automatically. But there's only four left."
"Actually, it's just you. Natsu, Rai, and Gajeel are stuck here because of the enchantment." A symbol on the wall changed. "Wait, now it says there's five!"
"It went up," said Gajeel.
"Who could it be?" Natsu asked. Everyone turned to the girls.
"The girls are still rock solid, so it's none of them," said Rai. Erza chuckled.
"Aren't you guys forgetting about someone?" Erza smiled, "A member who's frequently out of town.
"Hold on," Natsu deduced, "You don't mean him!"
"Who is it?" Rai asked.
"And he's back just when we need him!" Makarov praised.
"He's always been the one to make a grand entrance," Erza announced, "It looks like the real battle is about to begin."
"Someone want to fill me in over here?" Gajeel asked curiously.
"We're talking about a man who may be the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail," Erza explained. "Mystogan."
"So, Erza has recovered and now Mystogan is joining us," Laxus analyzed. "Including me, that's three of Fairy Tail's Elite coming in head-to-head. Of course, there is that reaper who might pull out his final move." He grinned. "You can't have a proper festival without a main event."
{So…} Happy and Lucy: Then!
Happy: Thanks for helping Reedus!
Lucy: Hehe, That wasn't really me.
Erza ran into town for the battle. As she passed some locals, two civilians tried to catch her attention. "Hey there, Erza," Mr. Mustache called to her. "That's a pretty crazy getup you got on."
"We saw a bunch of guys fighting from your guild earlier," Red added. "Think you can ask them to stop wrecking the town?" Erza came up with an excuse.
"Please, forgive them," she smiled courteously, "They're just preparing for the big parade."
"I don't see what that has to do with fighting," Mr. Mustache argued.
"I promise, it will be a good show," Erza proposed.
"I'll take your word for it, then," Mr. Mustache gave her the thumbs up.
"Try to clean up after yourselves, ok?" Red suggested. Erza returned to running; looking for any of the Thunder Legion's members. She came to a complete stop and looked up. Yellow needles soared down right at her. She quickly jumped away from the rapid fire as the attacks rained around her. As she slid back, Erza looked to the sky to see where the lights came from.
"My, my, that's odd," Evergreen stood on top of a nearby house and gazed over Erza. "I seem to recall turning you into a statue. Well, no matter. This gives me an excuse to torment you further."
"You wanna fight me?" Erza asked seriously.
"You're quite the irksome one," Evergreen grinned. "They call you Titania, Queen of the Fairies." She opened her fan over her face. "What a farce. I'm the true Fairy Queen." Erza and Evergreen were now about to begin their battle of the fairies.
-To Be Continued-
Happy: Guys, you better keep you're tummy covered or else you'll lose your belly button!
…uh…ok, where did you get that from, Happy?
Happy: That's what Lucy told me! She said if I don't keep my belly button covered during a storm, a bolt of lightning will shoot down from the sky and take it away!
Natsu: Lucy's full of it. Besides, you don't even have a belly button.
Happy: *Gasp*
Now look what you did! You've gone and scared the cat!
Next Time: Thunder Palace
Happy: Does Laxus's lightning steal belly buttons?
Natsu: I don't know. I'm more worried about him stealing my thunder.
Haha! I see what you did there. All rights reserved and original material belong to their respective owner's.
Happy: Leave a comment and review!
Natsu: I better be taking on Laxus in the next chapter!