You can't say 'I do'

"What!?" Makarov exclaimed. "You can't be serious?"

Laxus clenched his fists so hard they trembled. "I saw it with my own eyes."

Lucy's eyes lowered down to the ground. "I don't get it, why would they suddenly act like this?" The three along with Elfman, Lisanna, Mira, Cana, Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, Happy, and Lily were in the dressing room.

"That's ridiculous, they were almost as excited as the two of you when this wedding was planned," Cana said.

"I know, that's why I'm so confuse," Lucy responded sadly. Suddenly Lucy collapsed, falling to her knees and was about to fully fall when Laxus caught her even though he was halfway across the room.

"Lucy," everyone in the room called her name in concern.

"Are you alright?" Laxus asked.

"Yeah." Her eyes fell shut for a moment as she swallowed hard. She placed her hand on the side of her head. "I just used up too much magical energy when I opened celestial gates earlier."

"How many did you open up?" Makarov questioned.

Lucy opened up her eyes halfway that appeared to be glazed over.

"Lucy," Laxus said gently to encourage her to tell them.

"Six in total, but I had to keep three open at a time to try to hold off Erza in the others," Lucy finally answered.

Laxus body tensed up. Even though Lucy had grown stronger over the years it was dangerous for any celestial wizard to have three gates open at the same especially if she did it for very long. "How long did you have the gates open?"

"Over twenty minutes."

Everyone in the room was shocked. A normal wizard could only keep one gate open for a couple of minutes. It was a true testament to her strength, but it also put her in great danger and everyone could understand why she had suddenly collapsed.

Mira stepped up to Makarov. "Master, maybe we should call off the ceremony. It's clear Lucy needs her rest and with Erza and the others acting the way they are something much be wrong." Mira made sure she sounded convincing. Even though she did greatly feel sorry for Lucy she also had to make sure that the wedding didn't happen; at least not today.

"That might be best," Makarov said.

"No." Lucy grabbed Laxus' shoulder and started to pull herself up on her feet. "We waited too long and I don't care what's going on. If they're our friends they should explain what they have against our wedding instead of just attacking me." Lucy started to fall again, but gripped tighter on Laxus' shoulder for support.

"But you need your rest, Lucy," Gray said.

"Yeah, don't go risking your life for one day," Natsu shouted.

Laxus then remembered something. He stood up while Lucy held onto his arm. He faced the fire dragon slayer. "Hey Natsu, if I remember right earlier you said something about ruining a wedding." His eyes grew anger. "Were you a part of this?"

Lucy then looked at her best friend shocked. "Natsu."

"That's not what he meant, Laxus leave him alone," Lisanna said.

Laxus looked back at Lisanna who was next to her older sister. "Then what did he mean?"

Mira lowered her gaze. She knew she had to come up with another convincing lie so that they could still try to stop the wedding in Erza and the others' place. "We heard about Freed and the others plan to stop the wedding, but we never thought they would actually do it. We just assumed they were upset that things would change once you and Lucy were actually married."

Natsu was about to interject, before Gray grabbed his shoulder and shook his head so Mira could handle this.

"I understand people are afraid of change, but what they're doing goes far beyond that," Laxus stated. "How they ganged up on Lucy they could have killed her. What if while she was turned to stone they knocked her over?"

"I'm sure if I could just get thirty minutes I could make it through the ceremony," Lucy said still exhausted.

"But you don't have any bridesmaids now," Happy said.

Lucy looked back at the girls in the room. "Will you guys be my bridesmaid?"

Cana wrapped her arms around both of the shoulders of the Strauss' sisters. "Of course we will."

Laxus turned his attention back to Natsu and Gray. "I'm going to need you to step up and be my best man, Natsu."

Natsu pointed to himself. "What me?"

The lightning wizard then looked over to Gajeel and Elfman. "And you two will be groomsmen in Freed and Bickslow's places." He gave them a look that told them they didn't have any choice.

"Then I'll tell everyone the ceremony will begin in about thirty minutes," Master Makarov told them.

The group picked up Evergreen and Erza. "What do we do now?" Juvi asked. "If we try to stop the wedding again Laxus will no doubt try to kill us."

Freed looked over at the water wizard. "We have a second plan in place in case this one didn't work. My runes will stop the ceremony and hopefully if anything should happen, Mira and the others can stop them." He looked in the direction of the church.

Thirty minutes passed quickly and the ceremony had begun. Laxus, his groomsmen and Lucy's bridesmaids were all at the altar. Everyone watched as Lucy walked up to the altar with Master Makarov. Her veil covered her face.

Lucy was still tried from using so much of her magical power, but did everything to appear normal as she came up to meet her groom. A smile graced her face even if she was the only one who knew it was there.

Lucy finally came across her groom as Makarov took his seat in the front row. "We have gathered here to today to see this man and this woman come together in holy matrimony."

Mira stared intensely at the scene. Please let Freed's enchantments be enough to stop this, she thought.

"Laxus, do you take this woman to be your wife?" the priest asked. "To have and to hold for the rest of your days?"

Laxus smiled and nodded. "I do."

The priest then looked over at Lucy. "And do you, Lucy take this man to be your husband? To have and to hold from this day forth?"

Before Lucy could answer, Laxus grabbed his throat and started to gasp for air. His body trembled from the lack of oxygen.

Everyone looked shocked at the sight. "What's going on?" Lucy cried.

Laxus shifted his eyes to the audience when he collapsed on the ground. Lucy bent down beside her collapsed groom. She placed her hands on his chest.

Mira pointed above the pews. "Look at that you guys."

Lucy looked up to see the runes. "The bride or groom that says, 'I do' will be deprived of oxygen and their words will be void. No magic or magical items shall be allowed to be used in the cathedral from this point on." Tears formed in her eyes. "They've gone way too far."

She turned her head back in Laxus' direction. She lowered her head. "It was bad enough when they were attacking me, but now this." She covered her face with her hands and started to cry. Everyone who looked at the girl heart broke for her.

Mira felt absolutely guilty for what she and the others were forced to do to their own friends. Sore Joker was horrible to make them do this. It would have been easier to fight him without their magic then do this.

"So what do we do now?" Laxus asked. He sat on the steps to the altar next to Lucy. He had woken up after about ten minutes and was informed about the runes Freed had placed around the church. He rested his arms in his lap.

Lucy rested her hand on her groom's shoulder. This day was turning into a complete wreck because of their friends' odd behavior. With Freed forbidding their marriage by his runes there would be no point trying to track him down since he was so strict to following his own rules.

Natsu, and the others that were trapped in this game of torturing their own friends were sad, but relieved that it seemed the two wouldn't be marrying.

Master Makarov walked up to his grandson and future granddaughter with his hands behind his back. "I know this day isn't how you envision it, you two but if you're willing the marriage can still go on."

"What are you talking about, gramps?" Laxus said more upset than he should have.

"This is a Fairy Tail wedding after all so why not have it at the guild hall," the master said with a smile on his face.

Both blond wizards looked at the Fairy Tail master shocked. "Are you serious?" Lucy asked.

"I'm sure we can have the guild hall ready for you by sunset," Makarov informed the couple. The guest to the wedding cheered in agreement.

Tears of joy formed in Lucy's eyes. "Thank you, everyone."

Mira and Lisanna looked over at the groomsmen who looked equally as worried. They were running out of ways to postpone the wedding. Even if it was held off to sunset there would be over four hours before their two friends could have that fateful kiss to prove their marriage.

Makarov raised his fist in the air. "To the guild hall!"

Everyone raised their fist in the air as well. "Yeah!"