Helloooo...
So this story is not dead. Yes, it's been two years. But! I've thought about this story a lot and found myself writing various scenes set in the future, and finally have been able to start connecting them. I've written the first couple chapters for section 3 of Abi and Laxus' adventure, and I'm excited to upload them over the next few weeks. Since I'm sure it's been a while for you all in reading this story (or it's just been a long 26 chapters!) I am going to do a quick summary of each chapter, so if you don't feel like re-reading you can stay up to speed.
~Terminology~
Praesidio: a nearly extinct type of magic user descended from seven of Zeref's devout followers. Rather than possessing a magic origin like most magic users (thinking of it like an internal organ), Zeref altered their Magic Origin to make up their blood vessels, which gathers and expels ethernano. As such, their power is absorbing magic energy and neutralizing enemy attacks through their body/blood. Each spell or magic they absorb, the greater the Praesidio's capacity for magic. However, absorbing too much energy can kill them.
The Seven Praesidio served as Zeref's guard for a time, and they established a moral code of blood, which has been passed down for generations. If wizards ingest the Praesidio's blood, it acts as pure magic energy and provides a large power boost (like eating Natsu eating fire).
To prevent this power up from falling into the wrong hands, the Grand Magic Counsel created a law that any Praesidios found must be executed and their remains burned to stop the power from falling into Dark Guild's hands. Zeref's followers and dark guilds hunted the remaining Praesidios to near extinction to perform more powerful spells and...(you'll find out why, hehe). In any case, Abi is the last Praesidio alive.
Morphos Lacrimas: seven gold lacrimas that hold immense power. Four hundred years ago, Zeref killed the original seven Praesidio to perform a spell. Their spilled blood crystalized into individual lacrimas, which now hold their consciousness and power. When a Praesidio dies, a ritual can be performed to transfer their blood and soul into this sphere. 400 years later, there are generations of souls within each lacrima and immense power. These lacrimas can power anything, and were used in the Eclipse Gate, for example.
Magic Supression Charm: a small, teal disk that partially suppresses and completely masks a person's magic signature. Master Boris gave this to Abi when she first joined the Blue Pheonix Guild. Abi lost it in a fight with Laxus, and now our Lightning Dragon Slayer has it in his pocket.
Blue Phoenix Guild: A small, rural guild once located in central Fiore. Guildmaster Boris took Abi in as a child and protected her, even though he realized she was a Praesidio. He consulted with Makarov to ask what to do about her. Six years ago (so one year after the Fairy Tail members disappeared), an unknown force wiped out the entire guild. Only Abi survived.
~Story Summary Thus Far~
Abi Background:
Abi's mother was a Praesidio. Her mother was killed, so Abi spent her early years with her father, who wanted to teach Abi to survive by a very literal interpretation of the ancient Praesidio Code. At some point, her father is killed. Abi is found by the Blue Phoenix Guild shortly after her father's death.
Chapters 1-6:
Set after the Tenro team's release after 7 years on the island, but before the grand magic games
An extension of the Royal Family lives in the city of Edera. Their Royal Advisor, Ximus, has a lead on a Morphos Lacrima and creates a job request for it. Abi takes the job and pretends to be a member of Fairy Tail (because she believes they are the weakest guild in Fiore). She takes the morphos lacrima and gives Ximus a fake one and thinks she has a clean getaway.
Ximus called Fairy Tail in a fit of rage and threatens to sue. Laxus gets sent in to find Abi and return the lacrima to Ximus. He catches her, which is where this story begins, and turns her into Ximus. Laxus walks away with the Morphos Lacrima, and goes to Borwatt to drink (this is the town used in Episode 22_, "Lightning Man"). After drinking a good bit, Laxus still doesn't feel right about Ximus and Abi. He goes outside and some punks try to mug him. Laxus takes care of it, but the use of magic charges Morphos Lacrima in his pocket and reveals that Abi is being tortured by Ximus. Laxus storms Ximus's lab and rescues Abi.
Abi almost kisses Laxus, but drains him of energy. She puts him on a ship back to Hargeon, takes his wallet. Abi gives him a chunk of the Morphos Lacrima in case he ever needs to contact her and tells him her name, which she believes makes them even.
After this, Abi returns to Ximus' lab and searches it. She discovered that Ximus was working under orders from the Royal Family to find Morphos Lacrimas (to power the Eclipse gate). So, Abi goes to Crocus for the Grand Magic Games...
Chapter 7-11:
Day 0 and 1 of Grand Magic Games
Abi breaks into Royal Advisor Darton's office and steals important papers and blueprints. Upon her escape, she runs into Wendy and Carla in the gardens, and they help her hide from the guards. (this is moments before they are attacked by Obra).
Laxus is a part of Fairy Tail Team B. He hears that Wendy was attacked in the gardens and drained of magic energy. He goes to ask her about the attack. Laxus detects Abi's scent (and finds a strand of hair) off of Wendy. He believes Abi attacked Wendy.
That evening, Abi runs into Black Snake, who is now a member of Raven Tail. Abi and Black Snake knew each other through thieving guilds, but on the last job they completed together, he left her for dead. They exchange barbs and he mimics her magic. Abi leaves angrily to get a drink, unbeknownst to her that it is Fairy Tail's bar.
Abi realizes that the entire Fairy Tail guild is filing into the bar following their disastrous first day at the Grand Magic Games. She tries to sneak out, but Laxus detects her. He "suggests" they talk at the bar. Abi and him argue/ flirt for a bit, then she gets drunk enough that he has to take her home (and she avoids further questions). While he's helping her into bed, he notices a faded guild emblem on her thigh. She drunkenly tells him that she is a Praesidio.
Laxus returns to the bar and asks Makarov about the Phoenix guild mark on Abi's thigh. Then, he asked about Praesidios. Makarov plays dumb and sends Laxus to bed. However, he connects that the girl Laxus was talking to/ assisted home was a surviving member of the Blue Phoenix Guild, and likely the Praesidio that Boris protected all those years ago. Makarov goes to confront Abi in the morning. They make a deal that she will help track down Wendy's attacker and help heal Wendy's Magic Deficiency Syndrome in exchange for all access tickets to the Games.
Chapters 12-14:
Day 2 of Grand Magic Games
Abi wants to find the tunnels underneath the Collosuem that lead to the palace. She believes that is where the Morphos Lacrima is stored. She stumbles upon the secret entrance of the tunnels, and then she's cornered by Black Snake and Alexei (Ivan in disguise). Ivan knows what she is, and tells her he wants to work together at some point...
A little earlier, Laxus watches the second day of the Games, and sees Black Snake use Abi's power during a fight. He immediately assumes she is working with Black Snake. He noticed his father, Ivan, was no longer in the Raven Tail box, so goes to investigate. Laxus overhears the end of a conversation between Abi, Black Snake, and Alexei (Ivan in disguise). Laxus confronts Abi after they leave. They argue.
FT events: At some point during this day of the games, mercenaries go to the infirmary and unsuccessfully kidnap Wendy and Carla. They say that Raven Tail (actually the Royal Guard in disguise) hired them to kidnap the "Blonde girl in the infirmary today." The intended target is Lucy Heartfillia, but Abi is also blonde and was in the infirmary that morning to help heal Wendy and Carla with her blood. Makarov immediately assumes that Raven Tail knows about Abi and wants to kidnap her. So, he requests Abi meet with him that night to discuss the terms of their agreement.
That evening, Abi goes to Fairy Tail's bar to talk to Makarov. Laxus sees them meeting and decides to join. Makarov assigns Laxus as Abi's bodyguard. Sexual tension!
Chapters 15-17:
Day 3 of Grand Magic Games
Abi and Laxus attend the Grand Magic Games together. At some point in the morning, Freed lays a tracking spell over Abi's ring. Erza defeats all the monsters in Pandemonium, so the rest of the competitors hurl their power against a Magic Power Finder Lacrima, which indicates magic power in points. Obra goes and clocks in at 4 points. Abi notices and tells Laxus that Obra is the one that attacked Wendy. Something about Obra rubbed Abi the wrong way. Then, it's time for Laxus to fight against his father, who is disguised as Alexei. Entire Raven Tail guild is there as well. During the fight, Laxus hits Obra with his arm. Obra manages to block magic in Laxus's arm. Laxus defeated the entire Raven Tail guild.
During the fight, Abi slips away to explore the tunnels beneath the Colosseum. She finds the Eclipse Gate under construction, but she cannot free the lacrima on her own. She realizes the ring has a tracking spell laid over it and discards it. Later, she goes to find Raven Tail in jail to ask Ivan about Obra. He doesn't answer any questions, so she goes to find Laxus.
Later in the evening, Abi finds Laxus in a steamy hot spring house. Abi asks Laxus to come with her into the tunnels tomorrow, and he agrees. Abi fixes Laxus's arm, and in the process of it, she shows him a glimpse of her true power. It gives off the feeling of Zeref, which Jellal detects and later comes to investigate. Just when Abi and Laxus are about to kiss, Future Lucy time travels to Crocus and Zeref's power emanates across Crocus. This eruption of power disrupts the kiss. Because Abi is a Praesidio, she is sensitive to Zeref and excuses herself in a hurry.
Laxus and Jellal speak tensely about Praesidios above the hot springs, Jellal encourages Laxus not to engage with them.
Chapters 18-19:
Day 4 Grand Magic Games-Rest Day
Abi and Laxus go into the tunnels. She opens up to him about the morphos lacrimas, he agrees to help her get it from the Eclipse gate. Upon using his power in front of the gate, the lacrima powers up and pulls out all his magic energy until he passes out. Abi leaves him there and departs with the lacrima.
Laxus is taken into custody and placed under interogation from Arcadios and Darton. Laxus finds out Ximus was brutally murdered, and his magic signature is all over the lab because he rescued Abi. He believes Abi framed him for this murder and left him to take the fall at the Eclipse gate. Upon learning this information, he sells her out to the Royal Family and is released from custody.
Chapters 20-21:
Day 5 of Grand Magic Games
Laxus attends games and recovers magic power.
Abi returns to her hotel room with the Lacrima. She wants to know if it's the lacrima specific to her Praesidio's lineage (this Morphos Lacrima has her mother's soul in it). She casts a spell to look inside, but the effort causes her to pass out. When she wakes up, the Royal Guard is about to invade her house. Abi fights her way to the street and escapes into the gutter.
Abi flees into the gutter and tries to escape Crocus through the sewer, to no avail. Raven Tail has been released from jail by this point. Ivan approaches Abi in the tunnels and offers her a deal. Ivan belives, based on her unique abilities as a Praesidio, that she has the power to remove Laxus's lacrima inside his body. He offers her a deal: bring him Laxus's lightning lacrima and he will help her escape the city and tell her where to find the final Morphos Lacrima, which holds her mother's soul. Abi agrees.
At night, Abi lures Laxus into an under-construction park using his father's paper dolls. They fight. Abi removes her magic suppression charm to absorb more energy, but ultimately, she is defeated. Laxus turns her in to the Royal Guard and gives them the Morphos Lacrima. Abi is hauled away. Laxus finds and pockets her Magic Suppression Charm.
Chapter 22-25:
Day 6 of Grand Magic Games
Laxus participates in the final day of the Grand Magic Games. He fights Jura and wins. Fairy Tail wins.
Meanwhile, Abi spends the day in and out of consciousness. She has essentially overdosed on magic power. She has violent flashbacks to her youth with her father, her introduction to the Blue Phoenix Guild, and its violent destruction at the hands of an unknown attacker. Towards the night, Abi finally comes to consciousness in a prison cell next to Lucy, Yukino, Natsu, and Wendy. She is wearing Magic Suppression cuffs. Abi offers to help them escape with her knowledge of the palace blueprints, but before Fairy Tail can decide if they way her help, the floor gives way and the escaping Fairy Tail prisoners plunge into the maze below the castle.
Abi remains in her cell until the Eclipse gate is used, the dragons arrive, and begin destroying Crocus. The destruction of the castle opens up an escape route from the cell. Abi makes her way through the castle. She gets outside, and gets a strong calling to go to the Eclipse gate. Abi finds the Morphos Lacrima imbedded in the Eclipse Gate, and the Jade Dragon, Zirconis, waiting nearby. Zirconis uses his stripping magic on her-which effectively removes the magic suppression cuffs, and picks her up to eat her. Abi surprises the Dragon with her power, and he throws her in surprise. Abi sails through the air.
Laxus was fighting through the battle fray with the Thunder Legion when Abi flew overhead. He catches her, and lands near Zirconis. He realizes she is naked, they bicker. They try to fight the Dragon, but Laxus can't focus with her naked, so he gives her his shirt. Wendy joins the fight against Zirconis. Laxus and Wendy fight, while Abi climbs the Eclipse Gate to reclaim the Morphos Lacrima (this is the one stolen from her in the earlier chapter). The dragon gets in a lucky hit against Laxus, and Ziconis moves to kill Laxus. Abi sees this and throws herself in the way. She sacrifices herself for Laxus and dies.
THEN. One minute back in time with Ultear's spell/sacrifice.
Laxus and Abi have the minute flash before their eyes. He effectively dodges Zirconis' strike, and continues fighting against the Dragon. Abi keeps working on getting the morphos lacrima.
Then, Laxus, due to battle emotions/ intensity, lands next to Abi on the eclipse gate. He kisses her! And then returns to battle. Abi manages to free the morphos lacrima, but she falls backward off the eclipse gate. While she is falling in mid-air, Doranbolt teleports in, catches Abi, and teleports them away.
Chapter 26:
Final Morning of the Grand Magic Games
Doronbolt and Abi talk in a clearing, far away from the battles in Crocus. Doranbolt uses his Memory Magic on Abi. It is revealed that for the past 6 years, Doranbolt has known Abi and has allowed her to gather Morphos Lacrimas in secret. Once Abi gathers all seven Morphos Lacrimas, she will be able to deliver [MYSTERIOUS OBJECT FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS] to Doranbolt. This will let him be promoted and Abi live in peace.
It's also revealed the Doranbolt has cleaned up Abi's messes over the years, and wipes her memory and the memory of anyone who she trusts enough to tell her name to. Due to the extensive fiasco that has been the events of the last 25 chapters, Doranbolt tells Abi that this is the last time he will assist her. He wipes her memory, and everyone else's who knows about her. [However! Raven Tail has already left Crocus and does NOT have their mind wiped. Or Makarov, as Dornabolt's basic instinct not to mess with Fairy Tail's guild master].
Now, Abi stands alone in a clearing, wearing a strange button down with nothing underneath it, and the sixth morphos lacrima in her hands. She is off to find the 7th.
Personally, I find Doranbolt a really compelling villain because he mind wiped himself to "find out as much as he can about the Magic Counsel," which inherently means that he commanded himself to do whatever it takes to gain enough power/ security clearance to gather intel. As such, he views Abi as a means to a promotion because she's descended from Zeref/ comes from dark magic. But how can Abi ever improve when any meaningful relationships she's made over the years gets wiped from her memory? And are all her thoughts/ drives her own? Or are they orders implemented by Doranbolt?
On the other hand, (and this will be explored more deeply later on) Doranbolt met teenage-Abi one year after Fairy Tail disappeared, and shortly before the Blue Pheonix Guild was destroyed. He wasn't in the best headspace, wanted to save a kid from being executed from the Grand Magic Counsel, and ended up making this deal with her that also feeds the compulsion memory he gave himself to be promoted. This all led... well to where we are now.
So... Onward and Upward! To the next chapter!