Author's Note:I want to see exactly how quickly I can get this story done. So, I put all other stories on hold so I can finish this one since it's nearly completed. So, here it is, Chapter 9. Old-fashioned lightning dragon slayer meets new-fashioned lightning dragon slayer (Too long to be the actual title though)

Chapter 9:
Lightning -To- Lightning

I ran into the forest and out of their sights, I could hear their voices calling out to me, though slowly fading. I traveled far into the forest, the further I get away from Tanzeru, the happier he'll be. That was my philosophy at the moment anyway.

Furiously the tears ran from my eyes being carried off by the wind behind me as every moment of my life flashed across the trees in my path. I wasn't looking where I was going, I couldn't bear to go through all the pain in my life again. In the distance, I heard thunder crash, rain was beginning to pour. As I splashed through the puddles forming beneath me, I slipped and slid. I slid into a tree and hit my back against the trunk.

Yet again, lightning strikes on the worst of days for me, but this time, I'm all alone. Every time lightning struck, there was someone to console me, usually that someone was Tanzeru. Seeing someone else suffer beside me made me strong enough to protect both of our hearts, or at least that's what I thought. The truth was, the truth that Tanzeru told me himself, that all I did was make him suffer more. I can't help but think that if Tanzeru had never met me, then maybe, just maybe, he could have lived a perfectly happy life. I laughed at my own ignorance, never realizing how Tanzeru really felt.

I smiled, realizing that now I was alone. I let the cold rain match my even colder tears. It was a chilling experience… then why? Why was I smiling? Why was I laughing? Have I finally lost my sanity, have I finally gone insane? Confused, I pulled myself back up to my feet. I stopped smiling, stopped laughing, now I was just expressionless, and emotionless. I was slowly walking through the torrential rains before I realized a figure leaning on a nearby tree.

He had blond, spiked hair and a scar on his right eye. He wore strange-looking headphones and a purple collar shirt with black pants. His hands were in his pocket as he stared into the sky thoughtfully. I walked up to him and sat on the opposite side of the tree. For a few moments we were silent, he stood tall while I sat quietly.

"What's a girl doing walking around the forest during a storm?" He asked.

"What's a guy doing leaning on a tree in the middle of the forest during a storm?" I mocked.

"That's my own business what I'm doing here."

"Same with me."

We continued to talk, never actually looking at each other. We just stared forward, thinking about our situations. I may not know his situation, but by the way he was staring into the sky, it was obvious he had one.

"I think we should get out of the rain, lightning can be dangerous you know." he said.

"You don't have to worry about me when it comes to lightning."

"I don't have a problem with lightning either, that's why I'm out here. But rain can make you sick, let's go."

…

We left the forest and walked back into Clover Town. There was a lighter rain here than in the forest, but it was still raining. We went into a café, in fact it was the same café Tanzeru and I broke into, (well, mostly me), before we left for Magnolia. We sat at the same table Tanzeru and I sat at, staring out into a rain, that was similar to the one that poured when Tanzeru and I were here. It seemed too nostalgic to be coincidence.

The guy ordered a cup of coffee, but I didn't get anything. I was too busy sulking and staring out the window. He took a sip of his coffee and broke the silence.

"The name's Luxus. Luxus Dreyar."

I was a bit zoned out at the moment. So I didn't say anything. That's when he gripped my shirt and growled, "Hey, when I introduce myself, don't make it seem like nothing."

I've had a weird feeling about this guy since the moment I saw him. It's the same feeling I get when lightning is about to strike, but I figured it was just the storm. But now, I feel it again and it's stronger now that he's closer. I swat his hands away and said, "I'm Karina Va… just Karina." Since Tanzeru doesn't want anything to do with me, I shouldn't entertain the thought of calling myself Van Kreizer.

"I told you my first and last name, you better show some respect. Just Karina, don't screw with me. So what, you don't have a last name?"

Immediately I answered, "No I don't."

He glared at me for a few moments and then sipped some more of his coffee. Then he said, "I have a feeling, that we both have our problems." Then he sighed a bit and continued, "If you wanna talk about it, I'm all ears."

I sighed wondering if I should tell him or not and eventually I gave in and told him the whole story, or more like a summary.

…

When I was finished, he outburst with laughter which upset me, but it was refreshing to get it all off my chest. This guy seemed alright, even if he acted like a jerk sometimes. "Let me tell you something…" his laughter began to subside as he wisely spoke, "Family is very important, not something you want to screw over. I ended up learning that the hard way. Whether they're related to you or not doesn't make family. Your family members are the people who always have your back and who'd fight a war with you even if it's a losing battle. Somehow, friendship seems to sometimes grow stronger than any blood relation, it's some weird thing I would never understand, but I witnessed it first hand, so there's no way I could deny it."

This guy may seem like the type who rushes and thinks he could get whatever he wants, but really after hearing him say all that, it was obvious he wasn't out in that forest for nothing. He really sounds like he was brooding over something for a long time. I felt like I had to at least hear his story, to return the favor.

"What kind of things have been going on in your life? You seem like someone who really had a lot to think about, besides I told you my story now let me hear yours."

He chuckled a bit and told me his story. From how his father was forced to leave Fairy Tail by his grandfather Master Makarov, to how he foolishly set up a fighting festival to see who the strongest fairy was leading to him being kicked out as well. He told me everything, he seemed to deeply regret what he did. Like if he had the chance to, he would stop himself from doing it. "Listen, you don't want to end up like me, hated by your closest, maybe your only true family. Take my advice, as a new-fashioned lightning dragon slayer to their counter-part."

I couldn't help but get up to my feet, full of energy and a new view on life. Even if Tanzeru hated me, I have to apologize. Even if he never forgives me, I'll have to make it up to him the best way I can, at least then, I would have made it known that I was willing to admit where I was wrong. I grabbed my bag off the ground, as Luxus finished his coffee. He curiously looking up at me as I smiled at him. I slung my bag over my shoulder and grabbed his wrist when he put down his coffee cup.

I pulled him out of his chair and dragged him out the café. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he grunted.

"If there's anything I realized about Fairy Tail, is that they can't truly hate someone like you. Maybe you can't talk to them as a fellow member of Fairy Tail, but you could still talk to them like your nakama."

He pulled away from me and rubbed his wrist as he grumbled, "That's not my style."

He stood in a thoughtful pose for a moment, then he said, "But it would be fun to mess with those Fairy Tails again, especially Natsu and Erza. Could be a real treat."

He said that, but I could tell it wasn't what he meant. We were making our way back to the forest, I didn't even realize when the storm had subsided. As soon as we stepped foot in the forest, he stopped me.

A bit irritated I said, "What? We don't have much time to waste you know, the sun will be down any minute."

"I don't think they'll finish the job on their first shot at it. I'm sure we got some time to catch up, meanwhile you need to get over your fear of lightning and just learn how to control it. It might come in handy sooner or later."

I was a bit hesitant at first, but you know what they say, once you face your greatest fear and defeat it, what strength does fear have left? So I decided to let Luxus train me. As soon as I agreed he put on a wicked smile that made me feel uneasy, like I might regret it.

We went deeper into the forest until the only things that were visible were the trees and the bushes. I threw my bag down next to a tree.

"So what are we gonna do now…" I was cut off by a lightning bolt that just barely missed my face and ripped through the tree behind me. The tree fell, lopsided by a giant hole and a largely burnt area right in the center of the trunk.

I turned to look at Luxus who was completely revved up, lightning engulfing both of his fists. He smiled and said "The best way to control lightning magic is to conquer lightning itself. Now, Karina, conquer my lightning."

I was lucky the first time, but luck isn't something to rely on in this kind of situation. I had to focus here, this was a life or death situation! I took off my gloves, I didn't need them if this was training for lightning, I had to turn my back on wind magic if I want to truly control lightning.

Luxus shot a bolt of lightning at me again, but this time I froze up. I wanted to move, but my body was too used to fearing lightning. I took the hit at full blast as a result. It felt even harsher than natural lightning, I couldn't believe that there was a possibility that I could control something like this. Such destructive power, I felt it course through my veins before exiting my body. Amazing was all I could think as I fell to my knees. My clothes were burnt and my skin was a bit charred. My entire body went numb.

Despite the massive power behind the hit, I was able to stand to my feet again, though I had to inhale deeply to catch some air. "We may be moving to fast after all, let's start small." He said rubbing the back of his head.

The first part of my training was forcing it into my hands and then making stay there. Apparently, it was a necessary technique in order to punch with lightning fists, or to blast the lightning out of my hands. I practiced facing a tree while Luxus watched. It was more difficult than it seemed, I haven't done it in years so I don't even remember how to.

Often times I would try to bring it down into my hands, but would lose control and the lightning would disperse throughout my entire arm. Each time I did that, it felt like the lightning was ripping and shredding through my muscles all the way down to my bones. It was stronger than ever due to the fact it was building up for so long, but that also made it harder to control. Despite the obvious pain, I had to get up each time. My arms were charred and my sleeves were already burnt off. I couldn't stop my arm from twitching but I still tried.

After what felt like one thousand failed attempts, Luxus asked "Ready to give up yet?"

I could barely feel my arms and was practically gasping for air, but I still raised my fists and continued to practice. The sun was already set and the moon was nearly to the top of the sky. Luxus walked away a while back after getting tired of watching me fail so many times. When I was just about ready to give up, I finally did it. The lightning shot from my hand and into the sky, I could barely contain the excitement. To make sure it wasn't a fluke, I shot it again, and again, and again. It felt amazing to finally do it! Despite my tattered clothing, the blood that was draining from the side of my mouth, and the blood that was rolling down my arms, I felt like I ruled the world.

I ran in search of Luxus, only to find him resting against a tree. He opened his eyes wearily and asked, "Ready to give up now?" Of course, his eyes widened when I shot a lightning bolt past his head, just like he had done to me. I mocked, "Does it look like I'm giving up anytime soon? I'm ready for the next step."

He snickered as he rose to his feet and dusted himself off. "What's so funny?" I asked him.

"There is no next step."

Noticing the confusion in my expression, he continued, "Once you've mastered that move, you've mastered everything you'll need. Focus, Balance, Strength, and Control, the basis of all lightning techniques. Now that you understand that, you can do anything you want with lightning once you figure out how much of each component you need to use the move. As an old-fashioned dragon slayer, I figure this kind of instinct comes naturally to you."

The rest of the night was spent on learning different techniques. Luxus would show me some of the moves he developed and it was my job to mimic them. From transporting myself using lightning, to drawing a controlled amount of it from the sky. Then he told me any other moves I use would be completely up to my imagination.

In the distance, I could see Fairy Tail's fight with the creatures. Fire being shot rampantly into the air, ice shards soaring, and swords sent flying. Iron poles being launched into the air and gates to the Celestial Dimension being opened. Even small tornadoes being formed in the sky. It was obvious there were a lot of creatures, since every time one was blasted away, it seemed like three more came diving from the night sky. This was definitely not going to be an easy fight for Fairy Tail, though I found myself being more worried over Tanzeru than any other.

Despite the distractions, Luxus and I continued to train. After I learned every technique I supposedly needed to know, my body collapsed on the ground. Luxus and I were sparring, but I was much more tired and worn out than he seemed, or maybe it was just his fighting experience that made our fight seem like nothing to him.

I smiled realizing how much I had accomplished after meeting this Luxus person. Then he said, "You know, you can probably eat lightning."

"That doesn't sound possible, or tasty, or healthy to say the least."

"Seriously, Natsu could eat fire and it makes him stronger. Gajeel eats things with iron in it and it makes him strong. Even that new kid, Wendy, eats air or something like that and gets stronger."

"So I could shoot the lightning directly into my mouth and I'll get stronger?"

"No, Natsu said it's wrong to eat your own magic, so it has to be someone else's bolt, or natural lightning."

To an outsider, that probably would have sounded like a weird conversation. If I hadn't gone through as much as I have and if I hadn't seen everything I saw, I probably would have thought Luxus was crazy. But still, the idea of eating lightning seemed dangerous so I didn't bother with it.

I fell asleep that night on the ground, laying next to Luxus leaning against a tree. I fell asleep in worse places, so it wasn't much. Still, I was able to fall asleep with a big smile on my face, ignoring the loud explosions in the distance from the fight. I had already decided in my mind I would go to Tanzeru first thing in the morning. I may not have completely gotten over my fear yet, but at least I could control it now, instead of it being the other way around.

Author's Note: A chapter who's only two characters are Luxus and Karina. The next chapter may just be the last one, maybe, if I do it right. But, I just felt like Luxus had to be in this, I mean, Karina's like his old-fashioned counter part. Will Karina and Tanzeru make up, or will all of Karina's training go down the drain? What surprises await you in the next chapter? You'll have to wait and find out! Meanwhile, please feel free to review.