Chapter 37: The New Guild
–?–
After the Etherion is freed from its prison of lacrima, Sakura is floating through white space alone.
"Sakura…" A voice calls. "Wake up."
The trainer opens her eyes and looks around her surroundings. "Where am I…?"
"Sakura…"
Hearing her name called, Sakura shoots up. "Who's there?!"
Appearing in front of her is a woman wearing white robes from top to bottom, covering her face. Cautiously, Sakura stares at her. "Who are you?"
"There will be the time that you will know who I am." The woman says. "However, you have a heavy fate waiting you in the future wielding the power of clairvoyance."
"Why do you know that?!"
"I know because I am…" The cloaked woman trails off as she fades away.
"Wait!" Sakura calls out, reaching her right hand towards her when everything in her vision turns black.
–Somewhere, Unknown–
The female stirs after feeling a few nudges at her face and opens her eyes to see Latias worriedly looking at her.
"Latias…" She mutters and sits up before looking around. "Where are we…? That's right! Erza!"
Immediately, Sakura stands up and looks around to look for the scarlet teen until she spots her and Natsu at the shallow water of the ocean.
"Natsu! Erza!" Sakura calls out.
"Erza!" Hearing their friends voice, the two look to see that Lucy, Gray, Happy, Juvia, Takeru, Sho, Wally, and Millianna run/fly towards them.
"Everyone! Erza!" Sakura also runs towards the scarlet knight and the dragon slayer with Latias.
Looking at the group, Erza confused because she thought she was dead.
"Wh-What happened? I'm alive?" She questions and looks at her hand. Erza finally realizes that she is being carried and looking up to her left. "Natsu?" She says seeing Natsu's face as he carries her in his arms.
"You… saved me…" Erza thoughts as a tear goes down her left cheek. "He found me inside that vortex of magical power? Incredible…"
Natsu sets Erza down into the water as the others get closer.
"We're the same." Natsu says, making Erza look at him.
Flashback…
"I couldn't have lived without Fairy Tail. A world without my friends is unthinkable."
Flashback ends…
"We're all the same…" Natsu says as Erza looks at the others still running towards them, Lucky with a joyous look on her face as tears run down her cheeks. "Never do something like that again."
"Natsu…" Erza says.
"Never again!" Natsu pleads with tears streaming down his face as he bows forward towards the water.
Erza looks at him in awe, a saddened smile coming to her face and puts her forehead against his. "Natsu… Thank you." Erza says.
"That's right. You don't die for your friends. You live for your friends." Erza thoughts, tears finally coming out from her artificial right eye since she lost her old one years ago during the revolt at the tower. She and Natsu stands up as Lucy runs up to and hugs Erza as everyone else arrives. "Because that's how you created a happy future!"
"But there's one thing that bothers me." Sakura says getting everyone's attention. "How did we survive the blast?"
Just then, the New Species Pokémon appears before her, surprising everyone.
"Mew!?" Sakura cries out. "Could it be that you saved us?"
"Mew!" The Pokémon nods happily.
"Thank you…"
~Three days later~
Akane Resort
His mouth wide opened with his sharpened teeth showing, Natsu continues to snore away very loudly. The Fire Dragon Slayer wrapped up with bandages around his body, right arm, and the upper part of his left arm.
"Is he okay?" Gray questions as nearby him, Erza, Lucy, and Sakura sit at a table with Happy sitting on the table with Latias lying beside her trainer and Takeru standing behind Sakura.
Gray has a bandage on his right cheek, Lucky has some on his forehead, and Erza is wrapped up around her chest, neck, and the entire right arm, and half of the left arm with a bandage on her cheek and forehead. Sakura, Latias, and Takeru had some bandages on their foreheads or cheeks as well. Also, a certain pink Pokémon is sitting on Sakura's lap.
"He's been slept for three days straight…" Lucy says humorously.
"Yeah. He hasn't eaten or drank anything at all in those three days." Sakura says.
"That's what the freak gets for eating Etherion." Gray says.
Suddenly, Natsu shoots up from the bed. "What'd you just say, Gray?!" He questions in an annoyed and angered look.
"He's awake!" Happy says in surprise flying over to him. Only for Natsu to then fall right back into the bed and start snoring away again. "He's asleep!" Happy yells out in shock with wide blank eyes.
"If you don't have it in you to pick a fight, don't get up!" Gray annoyingly yells with sharpened teeth, blank narrowed eyes and a popping out vein above his head.
Takeru shakes his head in dismay at the scene, but this make Lucy laugh a little.
"I really caused everyone a lot of trouble this time, didn't I?" Erza says with a happy but worried look.
"Come on, how many times have you said that already?" Lucy says trying to make her lighten up about the situation that had occurred.
"Speaking of which, what happened to her?" Erza asks looking at Gray.
"Oh, you mean Juvia? She's heading back already. She said something about wanting to join Fairy Tail as soon as possible or something." He says.
"I see." Erza says in a sad tone.
"Oh yeah!" Sakura gets up and goes to her bag. "Before we came to the resort, I have something for everyone!" She says as she digs through her things before taking out a pouch. "Ta-da!" Sakura then brings it to the table and opens it up revealing red berries that she picked with Celebi.
"Wow! Where did you get them?" Lucy asks as Happy picks one.
"During my usual Pokémon training. We were taking a break from training when Latias heard something and I followed her before falling off a cliff."
"A cliff?!" Lucy repeats.
"There was something like that in the forest…" Erza confirms.
"But were you okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks to this." Sakura shows her glove. "Then we heard a voice and found a Pokémon stuck between the tree roots. Of course I saved it and as thanks it showed me a lot of berry trees."
"Hey, can we eat these?" Happy eagerly asks holding a berry.
"Of course."
"Yay! Itadakimasu!" Happy eats the berry and puts his paws on his cheeks with a blissful look. "So good!"
Lucy, Gray, and Erza take one before eating it.
"You're right! This taste good!" Lucy exclaims.
"Yeah." Gray agrees.
"Delicious." Erza says.
"That's good to hear." Sakura says and notices that Latias looks at her wanting to have one as well. "Okay. Here, Latias." She give a berry to Latias as she has sparkles in her eyes before eating it and Sakura turns to her Lucario. "Takeru, have one."
Takeru nods and eats a berry before smiling at the taste.
The trainer smiles at her two Pokémon and gives a berry to Mew. "Here, Mew."
"Mew!" The Pokémon grabs the berry and eats it before it cheers out as Mew flies out from Sakura's lap.
~Sometime later~
"I apologize, Erza." Wally says.
"Sorry, Er-chan." Millianna says.
Erza stands with her three friends Sho, Wally, and Millianna before her as the four stands on the beach with the sun shining brightly down.
"No. It was I who was not able to do anything for you for eight years. I truly am sorry." Erza says closing her eyes and looking away from them.
"It's not your fault, Nee-san!" Sho says trying to stop her from blaming herself for what happened to them.
"If I had done something sooner, then Simon might have…"
"Simon was a true man! He wanted to protect you. He always…"
"Wally!" Millianna stops him.
"I know well his feelings. As well as the feeling of those left behind. But we must continue on. To the future Simon left for us." Erza says with an increase in her spirit. The four friends smile sadly, but with happy looks in their eyes. "If you have no other place to go, then come to Fairy Tail."
Hearing this makes the three of them gasp with shocked looks on their faces.
"Nya, us?" Millianna questions.
"It might be different than the 'freedom' you sought, but…" Erza says lifts her left palm up.
Wally and Millianna both look at each other with excited faces. "Salamander did say something like that." Wally says.
"That is was one super spiffy guild!" Millianna cheers raising her left fist into the air.
"And I'd like to stay together with you all." Erza says, Sho still has a shocked look on his face but he lowers his head and a sadden look replaces it. "Come now, let's go back. I have to introduce you all properly to Natsu and the others." Erza says walking towards them, turning around and putting her hands to Wally and Millianna's backs as she begins leading them back to the room the others are in.
"You really gotten stronger, Erza…"
"Jellal?" Erza questions in shock hearing his voice, turning around but to not see anyone as a strong gust of wind blows by. "It… couldn't be…" She thoughts.
~Time passes by~
"After that, Erza said something to me quietly in private. She said that it might actually have been Jellal who prevented the tower from exploding. Freed from Zeref's possession, he had returned to the kind Jellal he once was. He then fuse with Etherion in Erza's place and directly the magical power up into the sky. It does make a lot of sense when you think about it that way. But it's kind of sad…" Lucy narrates.
The sun begins to set as out on a balcony, the members of Team Natsu and Erza's friends all have a big meal at the table. Natsu and Gray eating away at big chunks of food, Lucy, Erza, Wally, Sakura and her six Pokémon are eating normally whilst talking to one another, Erza talking to Lucy and Sakura talking to both Wally and Millianna. A little bit later, Gray begins shoving a massive piece of meat into Sho's mouth with him unable to get the massive thing into his mouth as sweat runs down his face as his eyes are blank, Lucy has some plates of other food that she was offering to him as Wally having a sweat drop on the back of his head. Natsu then seen spewing some fore into a form of a cat's head, Erza, Sakura, Latias watching this while Millianna is looking happily at it with Happy cheering on Natsu.
Time passes and it is now night.
"It means Jellal was just another victim of Zeref's spirit." Lucy finishes as she finally finishes writing her into her notebook.
"Lucy!" Erza calls out as she opens the door quickly catching the Spirit wizard's attention. "Have you seen Sho and the others?" She asks.
"No, I haven't." Lucy replies closing her book as Erza walks towards her.
"I can't find them anywhere."
"Eh? Could they have left without telling anyone?" Lucy asks standing up.
"I see…" Erza says with her hands to her hips as she closes her eyes and looks down.
"What happened?"
Erza remains silent for a few seconds before looking back at the blonde teen. "Tell Natsu, Gray, Sakura and a few of her Pokémon to prepare 'fireworks'." She says.
"Huh?" Lucy says confused by what she was talking about, but Erza quickly turns without saying a word and walks away. "W-Wait!" Lucy calls out but is too late as Erza leaves the room.
Meanwhile
On the opposite shore away from the resort, as the lights of the resort illuminate the darkness reflecting off the water, a small rowboat is seen with its passengers, Sho, Wally, and Millianna getting off it.
"Do you really think we can make it on our own? In the outside world?" Wally asks Sho as the two stands on either side of the boat with Millianna sitting on the edge of it swinging her legs back and forth.
"We have to! We can't bother Nee-san anymore." Sho says.
"Everyone!" The three look up and gasp in shock to see Erza suddenly appear out of nowhere before them.
"Nee-san!" Sho exclaims. Erza approaches them and stops a few feet away from the boat as Sho looks away and lowers his head. "We were raised in the tower our entire lives. There's a lot we don't understand, that we're uncertain of… But we want to see the outside world for ourselves." He says as Erza listens to him with a stern look on her face. "We don't want to live relying on others any longer… We've had enough of living for someone else!" Sho continues as he clenches his fists, then turns and looks at Erza with a happy, determined look in his eyes. "For now on, we'll live for ourselves! We want to find our own reason to live! That is our freedom!" Looking at the scarlet-haired teen, Sho, Wally, and Millianna looks at her happily.
Hearing this Erza closes her eyes for a few seconds and she opens with a smile appearing on her lips. "If you keep that strong will, you can accomplish anything. It reassures me." Erza says as she lifts her head and is then engulf in light as she seems to be requipping into one of her armors. When the light dies down, the armor is unlike any other before.
This armor appears to be much more ceremonial in appearance, with a massive set of yellow marked armor, a white renaissance themed skirt with white frills along its edge and a blue banner hanging down from her waist with yellow markings, similar to the ones visible over the armor, a winged headpiece that extends from her ears symmetrically pointing upwards, with similar wings appearing over her pauldrons and footwear. The entire armor set is complemented by a velvet cape that is tucked under her pauldrons, which possesses a white fur finish and a yellow frilled edge, and finally a unique lance with a red flag bearing Fairy Tail's symbol surrounded by a laurel wreath tied on to the top.
"However… There are three conditions for anyone who leaves Fairy Tail! Listen well." Erza says in a serious tone.
"Leave? But we never even joined…" Wally points out.
"One!" Erza begins seemingly ignoring him. "You must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live! Two! You must not have unauthorized contact with past clients or profit personally from them! Three! Even if we walk different paths, one must always live on as strong as you are able! You must never treat your own life as something insignificant!" Her three friends look on in awe with tears in their eyes as Erza already has tears coming down both of her eyes with a now saddened look in them. "You must never forget the friends you love for as long as you live!" She yells.
Seeing and hearing this makes her friends begin to shed tears as all three of them now have tears streaming down their faces with Millianna whimpers a few times. Erza then raises her lance into the air. "Begin the Fairy Tail Farewell Ceremony!" Erza yells.
"Yeah!" Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Sakura yell out in agreement with Latias and Takeru cry out, suddenly appearing behind her to her left.
Natsu bloats his face up and looks upwards to the sky, as one by one he spits out three small fireballs which soar into the air and explodes one at a time. Lighting up the night sky as Erza's friends look on in awe.
"Let bloom, the flowers of light within your hearts." Erza says.
Gray lets out a cry as he throws his right hand up into the air, sending a blast of ice upwards until it explodes and creates a sparkling cross-like firework in the air.
Lucy spins one of her Golden Keys around, creating a golden circle within a golden circle, within a few more golden circles before a beam of golden light shoots upwards causing another fireworks explosion, this time of golden light.
"Latias, Dragon Breath! Takeru, Aura Sphere!" Sakura orders. Light blue waves of energy start to swirl around Latias as Takeru puts its hands together and creates a blue ball of energy. Simultaneously, Latias fires a light blue beam of energy from her mouth and Takeru fires the ball of energy at sky. The two move collide each other making a beautiful blue collision.
"I wish I could be with you forever… But if that ends up holding you back, then I wish to bless your newfound voyage." Erza says.
Eventually, the three friends begin their journey, pushing the rowboat off into the water with Sho rowing it as all three of them look back at the others on the beach still crying with tears streaming down their faces.
"You've got it backwards, Er-chan!" Millianna cries out.
"With us around, you'll be forced to remember all the bad things…" Wally says with his sunglasses off.
"I won't forget you, no matter where you may be. And it is those painful memories that becomes the seeds of tomorrow… They make us stronger." Erza says as the fireworks continue to fly into the air and go off, even with Natsu and the others not doing it anymore. "Humans have that power. Go on stronger… I will continue on, stronger!" Natsu, Gray, and Takeru look off at Erza's friends with smiles on their faces while Lucy and Sakura have their hands up in the air waving goodbye with a smile on their faces too. "If we never forget this day, we will meet again. Stay well."
"You too, Nee-san!" Sho yells out.
"Bye-bye, Er-chan!" Millianna yells while waving her left hand in the air while Wally blows his nose into his scarf.
"We'll see each other again! That's a promise!" Wally yells.
Tears also stream down Erza's face as she smiles. "That's a promise."
Sakura smiles at the scarlet-haired teen and walks towards her. "I'm glad." She says getting Erza's attention. "That you got to say your goodbyes properly."
Erza stares at her for a few seconds and turns back to the ocean. "Yeah."
Then Mew flies far away from the group before stopping at a far distance.
"Mew, are you leaving too?" Sakura shouts and the Pokémon nods.
"This soon?" Happy asks.
Sakura stares at Mew for a few seconds and smiles. "I see."
Mew smiles at the group and flies off towards the sky.
"Mew! Thank you! Let's meet up again one day!" She shouts.
"Bye-bye!" Happy shouts waving his right arm as the rest smiles while watching Mew flying off into the distance.
~A few days later~
Everyone gasps in shock and awe at what they are seeing, most of their mouths are drop open while Erza's are only opened a little bit, but needless to say everyone is in awe at the sight before them: The rebuilt Fairy Tail guild.
"This is a surprise." Erza says.
"They finished it?" Natsu and Happy question.
"We must have been gone longer than we thought." Sakura says.
Gone was the old pagoda-style looking building, in its place is a building that strongly resembles a castle. While still remaining its pyramid-like shape and three floors. Having battlements on top of its two upper floor, while the ground floor has a more Western-looking roof than the former building, consisting of many small square tiles of different size. Over the battlements several large torches are lined up. Topping the building and the last floor is a small tower-like dome containing a large bell, which has a pointed roof made of tiles; two more towers are presented at both sides of the entrance, these having elongated glass windows running through them and weathercocks shaped like Fairy Tail's symbol on their tile tops. The front part of the top floor houses a large banner with the guild's insignia on it, while two smaller banners placed at its sides, some meters away from it, bear respectively the Magic Council's emblem and an unknown symbol. The top floor seems to be the most bare, while the middle one's front walls are intricately decorated and sport a pair of ornamental windows. The ground floor's roof bears a lightly decorative balustrade on its top, and the floor itself possesses many small windows lined up its front walls, together with wood reinforcements, while its edges bear large, rectangular wood beams. Surrounding the headquarters is a fence composed of stone overtopped by decorated railing, with some pillars over-topped by torches on its length and an open gate giving access to the guild, this possessing an upper part covered in tiles, with railing below it, bearing resemblance to an open portcullis, plus a large sign bearing the guild's name, with ornated decorations above it, including a pair of detailed statues of fairies, each wearing a dress and possessing a pair of wings and elongated ears sitting on their heads.
"Our new Fairy Tail!" Gray says.
Walking through the open gate, the group come upon a big open area filled with a little over two dozen tables, each complete with a pair of benches at its sides, and with some of them bearing striped beach umbrellas as Fairy Tail mages could be seen sitting at a few of them.
"Is this an outdoor café?" Gray questions.
While Natsu looks at the scene with a dropped open mouth and blank eyes.
"There's even a goods shop?" Lucy questions with blank oval eyes looking at the shop nearby.
The souvenir shop to the left of the entrance, composed of bricks and sporting a wood counter with various merchandise all over the place that had to do with Fairy Tail, a sign hanging overhead that reads 'Fairy Tail Goods Shop'. The person running the shop is a slim young man of average height with beige hair helpt in a bowl undercut, with two large, straight bangs framing and partially covering the sides of his face; wearing a simple, opened-collared blue shirt with rolled up sleeves.
"Welcome! Oh, it's you guys. Welcome back." The man happily says.
"Look, you're a salesman now, Max! And wait, how long has it been again?" Happy says flying over to the man identified as Max.
"I've been out studying business on Master's orders." Max scratches his cheek with his finger while having his eyes closed.
Just then Lucy appears at the counter with her hands together. "Max Alors? You've been in the Weekly Sorcerer!" Lucy excitingly says as Max looks at her opening his mouth wide to show his teeth as a twinkle beside his head.
"Since we just met, glad to be of service. I've heard quite a lot about you, Lucy." He says.
The Celestial wizard turns away with her eyes blank and oval shaped and her hands to her cheeks with worried sweat running down her face. "I don't even want to imagine what he's heard about me…" Lucy says sliding away with embarrassment.
"Hey, so what ae you selling?" Happy asks as Max chuckles.
"T-shirt, wristbands, mugs, towels, and the most popular is…"
"It's a figure of Lucy!" Happy says holding a small figure of Lucy in his paws as from a distance Natsu and the others see this and look at it blankly with Natsu hiding is mouth behind his scarf.
"Eh? Don't go making something like that without my permission!" Lucy whines with blank eyes.
"And of course, the clothes are cast-off!" Max says as then Lucy's clothes, sure enough, fall off revealing her in her white bathing suit with the real one to cry out in embarrassment. "And the number two popular item right now is this." Max moves aside to reveal a counter of Latias' figures.
"Look, Latias, it's a figure of you." Sakura points out as she and Latias approach the shop.
"Ah, so you're Sakura. Nice to meet you, name's Max Alors, Sand Magic's my specialty. I've heard a lot about you."
"Nice to meet you too, Max. This is my partner, Latias." Sakura introduces her Pokémon.
"Nice to meet you, Latias." Max greets as he pets her.
Upon entering the inside of the building the group is once again taken back in shock and awe and the new look of the first floor of the building. While it, for the most part, resembles the first floor of the old building, it is much larger in size with more tables and benches, as well as several long beams supporting the wooden mezzanines present on both sides of the hall, and a similarly long counter occupying the wall to the right from the entrance. Above it, a large banner bearing both the guild's name and its symbol is visible. The floor is still made of wood, while the upper part of the walls, just below the mezzanines, consists of bricks. The request board is to the right of the door, and an information desk to the left, with the tables ending at a large, wooden stage that has four staircases behind it on its left and right sides with two of the staircases leading upstairs and two of them leading downstairs and all along the walls are doors that lead to different rooms.
"How beautiful!" Lucy and Happy say at the same time, leaning/sitting on the railing as behind them everyone except Natsu who looked annoyed for some reason, look on in awe.
"Yes, This is wonderful." Erza says nodding her head in agreement.
"Hm?" Gray hums as he turns taking notice of Natsu's face. "What's the matter, Natsu?"
"It's different that it was." Natsu complains.
Just then the Solid Script mage and good friend of Lucy, Levy walks up to them raising her right hand into the air to catch her attention. "Lu-chan, welcome back!" She calls out waving at her.
"Levy-chan!" Lucy says.
"Great, huh?" Levy says putting her hands to her hip with a smile on her face. "In the back of the drinking hall is a pool!" She leads the members of Team Natsu into the back of the guild to show them an interior pool decorated all around to imitate on outside look. Complete with plants, umbrellas, beach chairs, and what looks like some crates piled onto one another to make up for a missing springboard; inside the pool room is more members of the guild including Bisca and Alzack, and Jet and Droy.
"Welcome back!" Romeo says appearing from nowhere to greet the returning group.
"Why is there a pool?" Lucy questions with blue lines going down her closed right eye.
"In addition, there's a water passage way throughout the building for Latias to swim around." Levy says.
"Why?" Gray asks.
"Um…" Sakura speaks. "In truth, I asked them to do this. I thought that Latias might miss swimming in the water."
"He-h."
"There's a game parlor in the basement." Levy continues leading the group to the basement next where there were a variety of games for Fairy Tail wizards to enjoy.
"Yo!" Macao greets as he waits for Reedus to end his turn at some kind of Billiard game.
"You're back?" Wakaba asks with a smile.
"It's got everything." Lucy says with blank oval eyes and blue lines going down her right eye.
"It's different." Natsu states once again.
"Next is a greenhouse also in Sakura's request." Levy leads them to the greenhouse that has already planted trees with many berries ready to be picked.
"Oh! You already planted them. They look ready to be picked." Sakura says cradling a berry from a tree to examine it.
"And the biggest change is the second floor." Levy says leading them back into the drinking hall and gesturing up to the railing of the second floor. "Anyone can go up there now!" She explains as Elfman appears at the railing and giving them a wave welcoming them back. "Of course you still have to be with an S-class wizard to go on an S-class quest."
"You've returned, you bunch of fools?" The familiar voice of the master calls out making everyone turn towards him.
"Master!" Erza says.
Just then the group takes notice of someone standing beside him. "This is our new member Juvia." Makarov says with a closed-eyed smile as standing right next to him is none other than Juvia. The water mage now wearing a white sleeveless dress with a blue vest held on by two straps over her shoulders over the dress, a white skirt reaching to her knees with a wide blue line going down the center of it, white gloves that reach up all the way past her elbows, white boots, a ribbon with a blue Fairy Tail symbol on the collar, and a blue hat with a water symbol on it and two white flaps going upwards around it, to top off her new appearance is her hair now cut shorter.
"Ain't she a cutey?" Makarov asks.
"Juvia is glad to be of service!" Juvia excitedly says.
Gray laughs a little. "So you really joined?" He says amused by this.
"You really helped us a lot at Akane." Erza says.
"It's all thanks to you! Juvia will work hard!" Juvia says with a wide smile.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Juvia." Sakura says.
"Glad to have you!" Lucy says.
All of a sudden, Juvia's eyes widen and her teeth clench into a small square with dark, purple aura seeping out from her body as she stares at Lucy hatefully. "Love rival!"
"Actually, I'm not…" Lucy fearfully says.
As Juvia continues to stare at Lucy full of jealousy, Makarov and the others seem to ignore this.
"And we have one more new member. Come on, say hi to everyone." Makarov says.
The others turn and look towards a nearby table which has one lone occupant sitting at it.
"There's another one?" Happy asks.
Just then Lucy gasps in shock followed by Sakura and then Gray.
"Hey! You've got to be joking!" Gray exclaims.
The person at the table, the new recruit turns out to be Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer and former member of Phantom Lord, also the one who busted up the guild in the first place and hurt the member of Team Shadow Gear. Gajeel annoyingly stares at the members of Team Natsu.
"Gajeel!" Natsu angrily says as he and Gray get into a fighting stance, ready to start fighting the guy.
"Why is he…?" Gray questions.
"Wait!" Juvia says running up to the two. "Juvia recommended him!" She says trying to calm them down.
Erza also glares at him in complete hatred. "Juvia is one thing, but he's the very person who destroyed the guild!"
The Iron Dragon Slayer turns away and grunts.
"Now, now. They say yesterday's enemies are tomorrow's friends, yes?" Makarov says quite calmly given the situation and the matter.
"Yeah… I d-don't mind at a-all…" Levy says, all the while hiding beside a nearby table on her knees and in a nervous tone. As from nearby, her teammates, Jet and Droy glare at Gajeel as well.
"This has got to be some joke! You expect me to go on jobs with this guy?" Natsu questions walking up to Gajeel and slamming his left hand on the table.
Gajeel turns his head towards Natsu. "Don't worry. I ain't sharing by work!" He states with a grin.
"Cold as steel!" Natsu exclaims as his jaw drops open, his eyes go blank and his teeth sharpen
Then Gajeel stands up. "I just wanted jobs, that's all. I can't believe that I ended up here in the most annoying guild of all."
"Say that again!" The pink-haired teen challenges angered by his statement.
"Poor Gajeel-kun was always all alone and Juvia couldn't leave him like that so…" Juvia says panicking as sweat flies from her head, turning her head away for a bit before looking back forward with blank oval eyes and even more sweat flying off. "It's not that kind of relationship though really!" She waves her hands back and forth across in front of her looking at Gray who is still looking at Gajeel.
"It is the role of we elders to guide youth from the wrong path to the right one. Deep down, even he is good." Makarov says then turning away slightly. "…or so I'd like to believe." he quietly says the last part.
"If that your decision, Master… But I think it best to watch him carefully for now." Erza comments.
"As you wish." Makarov agrees with a sweatdrop.
Natsu and Gajeel meanwhile continue to have a stare down, the two of them flashing their sharp teeth and growling at each other, angered and annoyed at each other.
"They're more like dogs than dragons, seriously…" Macao says having a cup in his hand as Happy sits on the table next to him eating a fish.
"Aye! That's even lower than cats!" Happy says.
"They did fight each other back then." Sakura points out.
Natsu walks away with his arms crossed. "I just don't feel at home here anymore…" He says when suddenly the lights turn off casting the entire room into darkness as Natsu blinks his eyes confused.
Just then up on the stage, the curtains pull back revealing a female figure sitting down on a stool with something hovering beside her head. The spotlight turns on and shines down revealing the person to be Mirajane who has what looks like a guitar in her hands. Natsu is surprised to see her up there and put his right hand close to his mouth.
"We're back, Mira!" Natsu calls up.
"Welcome back." Mira says, her voice echoing out through a strange animal/device. It has the body, wings, and feet of a bird, but the head of a mic. "I will now sing a song commemorating the new guild and to welcome back Natsu's team." She says, quieting down as she hits her first string.
"We've been waiting, Mira!"
"Mira-chan!"
"You're the best, Mirajane!"
All the Fairy Tail mages begin to cheer, quieting down eventually to allow her to sing.
"I brush the desk with you gone…
The shadow drops…
Along again, today…"
The Fairy Tail mages quietly cheer her on, a few of the guys whistling as everyone continues to listen to her angelic voice.
"Looking up at the starry sky, I say a prayer…"
The members of Team Natsu sit at a table together as everyone but Natsu seems to enjoy Mirajane's singing with smiles on their faces, Natsu just lying on the table with his arms out.
"You are now under this same sky…"
Meanwhile, Makarov looks at the group from nearby. "Glad you all are back…" He thought.
"Even when you're shaking with tears…
Even when it seems like you'll be lost to the darkness…"
"Fairy Tail's children are sure to continue to grow… It may be time for me to start thinking about it." Makarov thoughts, lowering his head and closing his eyes.
"Don't forget…"
Lucy has her eyes close and a wide smile on her face, finding the song both beautiful and peaceful to listen to.
"You always have…
You always have a place to return to…"
Erza slimes with a look of peace in her eyes as well.
"You always have people waiting for you to return…"
Natsu sips on his drink through a straw while Gray sits with his arms crossed. Just as Mirajane plays the last strong ending the song, making all the Fairy Tail wizards roar our into applause and cheers as she stands up and bows her head forward thanking them.
"Great! Who's next!" Macao yells as everyone waits to see who the next performer will be.
Just then the spotlight comes back on and shines down onto Gajeel. Who is also suited up wearing a white suit jacket over a white collared shirt with a red tie, a white fedora, white pants, and white laceless shoes; while also holding a strange looking guitar in his hands with a mic bird to his left, and a harmonica bird to his right.
At the sight, everyone gasps out and turn completely white in complete shock, Macao's eyes widen, his jaw drops open and his tongue zig-zags out, a Fairy Tail wizard next to him has his hands to his cheeks, his jaw also dropped open and his eyes bulging out as the next Fairy Tail wizard next to him has his hands frozen in the air, oval and widened blank eyes, and a dropped open jaw.
"W-What?!" Natsu says as he shoots up from his seat, his entire face turned blue with blank widened eyes, and jaw dropped open. Lucy's jaw is also dropped open with widened eyes, and shrunk pupils filled with shock and a few strands of hair sticks put, Gray's eyes are completely darkened out as he's also in a state of shock with his mouth opened up a little bit to the right.
"I wrote this song myself. It's called 'Best Friend.' I hope you like it." Gajeel says.
The Fairy Tail mages, however, are not having it and are already booing and throwing things at him, but Gajeel ignores it all.
"I hope you choke!"
"And why are you dolled up in a suit?!"
"Colorful, colorful…
Shooby doo bop!
Trembling with love, steel grey metallic!"
All of Team Natsu is completely white with everyone except Erza's eyes blank and circling, Erza's covered in shadows and unseeable. Everyone's mouths are dropped open in complete shock at the horridness of the song and Gajeel's singing with Lucy having sweatdrops as then everyone has cracks going down the center of their bodies.
However, there are a few Fairy Tail mages that are actually giving some support to Gajeel. Levy's eyes are blank and circled with her mouth hanging wide open and purple lines go down under her right eye in disbelief.
"He's got chops!" Elfman yells.
"Go for it, Gajeel-kun!" Juvia yells.
"Yeah!" Macao, Wakaba, and Max yell out.
But for the majority of the guild, everyone hated his singing and his song and continued to throw stuff at him.
"Doo, doo, doo… Shalala
Shooby doo bop! Shalala…
Meanwhile, outside the Fairy Tail guild, some distance away as the song could be heard, a familiar figure stands with his coat flapping in the wind.
"Bite into it, hard! Sweet honey…"
"I've never heard a song this crappy before!" Natsu says covering his ears.
Only for Gajeel's guitar to fly right into his face knocking him back. The Iron Dragon Slayer has a red popping vein above his fedora and seems to be yelling something, but is not heard due to having the harmonica in his mouth which plays as he yells.
"You wanna go?!" Natsu angrily questions ticked off at this point with a red popping vein above his head with blank narrowed eyes.
"Shooby do bop!" Gajeel cries out as his and Natsu's feet collide by side mid-air above a group of Fairy Tail mages who look up in shock.
"What do you think you're doing?" Natsu questions as he and Gajeel begin fighting in a puff of smoke which travels from the side to side with Fairy Tail mages watching all around.
"I'm shooby doo bopping, you jerk!" Gajeel retorts.
"Stop it!" Makarov says with pleading blank eyes.
As Natsu about to throw another punch at Gajeel, a flying cup slam into the side of his face. "Who threw that?!" He questions.
Back at the table, Erza seems to be enjoying a piece of strawberry cake as suddenly Gray pushes himself up from the table, his elbow accidentally hitting her causing Erza to then drop the cake into the ground. "Natsu! You're going overboard!" Gray yells out, unaware of what he has done. As behind him, Erza looks down in complete shock with blank eyes at her precious strawberry cake on the ground.
"My… strawberry cake…" Erza whimpers, then cry out suddenly the foot of Elfman smashes it as he walks over onto it by accident.
"Listen up, you all! Real man don't make such a damn racket!" Elfman angrily yells out.
Only for a second later to find the boot of Erza slamming into his face sending him flying as Erza, back in her Heart Kreuz armor back kicks him with sharpened teeth and blank, narrowed eyes of anger. "Silence!" She yells out.
A fireball destroys a wooden pillar, an iron club slams down onto a table sending the food and drinks on it flying.
"Somebody, stop them!" Macao yells out in a panic while wildly waving his right hand up and down, pointing at them.
And just like that, the familiar Fairy Tail brawl spirals out of control as everyone begins fighting all over the place. Erza who has glowing red eyes towers over a group of Fairy Tail mages who are crying in complete terror on the ground as one of them trying to crawl away. As the smoke begins filling the whole area, off to the side safely hidden behind a counter is Lucy, Happy, Sakura, and Latias as all of them let out a sigh of relief that they didn't get involved in the fight. Makarov has tears shooting upwards from his closed eyes onto the ground as he stands in the middle of a bunch of broken stuff.
In the center of it all, Natsu is sitting down with his left hand under his chin like he was thinking about something. All the while behind him another male wizard shocked a female wizard, and there are three male wizards one on top of the other with the lower one in tears as the one on top of him is biting down on his head while at the same time either ignore or unaware of the third one biting down on his head. The Fire Dragon Slayer turns and looks at the scene before him, a grin coming to his face as he closes his eyes in delight.
"Now this is more like Fairy Tail…" He says only to be hit in the right side of his face by an iron club from Gajeel.
From a certain distance out in Magnolia, one could see the Fairy Tail guild bobbing up and down all over the place with smoke flying out occasionally from the sides as the fighting continues.