Chapter 54: Strength

"Oh no! Why is Laxus-sama acting like this?!" Wendy yelled, demonic black hair in a ponytail.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Moka answered, waiting for her guard to come back. Not even two seconds later did Mystogan appear out of no where, back in his demon form.

"They figured me out," was all he said before Moka began to panic. What was happening today?! She took a deep breath and calmed herself before instructing her youngest girl out of the room. Wendy ran, black hair swishing behind her.

"What are you going to do now? Kuma is going to be on your ass." Moka questioned, pulling silver hair back from her red eyes.

Mystogan leaned against the wall and shrugged, sliding down untill he sat. He looked at the crystal mirror and watched as Kuma and Natsu teamed up to fight the ego-maniacal lightning mage. "I don't know." Clenching his fingers together both the queen and the guard watched as Kuma dove underground and Natsu charged.

"I pray they just stay safe."

"Make sure you stay near me," Natsu warned, going after Laxus. Kuma sighed and dove underground and began running up the wall and appeared right back out on the cieling. Perfect timing, since Laxus decided to punch Natsu into kingdom come.

When Natsu hit the cieling, it created an area of smoke. In the confusion, Kuma jumped out, turning her arm into a pillar of marble and let gravity take her towards the enemy. Her brother. She faultered a bit and that gave Laxus an opening to punch her right in the gut. She gasped for air and had no time to recover when his strong fist caught her jaw followed by kicking her down back to the ground. She clenched her fists, softening the ground a bit before feeling the impact. Groaning, Kuma stood up dazedly and turned around just in time to see Natsu push her to the ground and use his body as a shield to protect her from Laxus's ball of lightning.

Everything happened in a blur. Kuma squeezed her eyes shut and the heat from the lightning burned intensely hot, but then the heat stopped.

Daring to open her eyes, she saw Gajeel barely holding her and Natsu with one arm while holding on the the church's choir balcony with the other. "Uncle…Gajeel…?" She whispered hoarsley and he grunted.

"Gajeel?" Natsu's reaction was the same as his niece's.

He wasn't listning to them though. His voice reverated through the air as he spoke back down to the lightning mage gone haywire. "That's no way to treat your comrades."

'It's weird to hear him say something like that. Considering he was from Phantom.' Kuma thought idly as Gajeel threw Natsu on the ground but set her on her feet. She giggled when Natsu asked why he got threw down. Gajeel just gave his famous 'gi-hii' and turned back to Laxus. He gave an amazing yet dark speech about how the three dragon slayers were the only ones left who could defeat Laxus, everybody else being zapped by the thunder palace or defeated from the previous rune infested matches.

"Wait a minute...since when are you so pro Fairy Tail?" Natsu demanded, standing up to meet the taller mage eye to eye. Kuma wondered as well, pushing against her nose stud. She damned Laxus for picking this day of all days to fight, her wearing a dress. It was tattered now, showing off a lot of leg and chest. She felt like she was staring in an ecchi.

Gajeel growled and rolled his eyes, defensive mechanism turning on in an instant. "I can protect or destroy whatever the hell I want!"

Kuma added her two cents in, never to be the one up showed. "But I thought you said that the sky wasn't big enough for three dragons?"

Gajeel smirked ruefully at the remark, he too remembering he saying that to her during training at Yokai. The two hadn't gotten along so well. She quickly warmed up to him, however; after a night where Juvia explained softly that he was actually a lost man. He remembered fussing at Juvia for spreading all of their buisness but it helped him gained the girly's trust in the end. "There ain't no dragon's flying in the sky now— not with all this lightning."

"All right then," Natsu started, all three immediately falling into battle mode.

"LET'S DO THIS!"

Natsu and Gajeel charged, Kuma falling underground once more. Gajeel would signal for her to come up when he gave a 'gi-hii'. That was an awesome advantage about being the earth, Kuma mused. It was easy to surprise people.

"Fire Dragon Roar!"

"Iron Dragon Lance: Demon Log! Gi-hii!"

Kuma smirked and exited from the churches left wall, almost defying gravity as she flew above Laxus. "EARTH DRAGON:—!"

Laxus looked up, forgetting about his young sister. He had no time to block Kuma, the younger summoning a wall of rock to embed into his back.

"BOULDER BARRICADE!"

He was forced to the floor with a loud grunt.

The three paused their assault, Kuma the least hurt. She glanced at her two uncles and felt guilty. Had she subconciously run away when her and Gajeel made the plan? She suppose Natsu saw her thoughts because he smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up. That was her Uncle Natsu alright, always giving her a bright light.

Laxus suddenly laughed, shocking the three mages. "None of you deserve the title of dragon slayer." The smoke cleared and the blonde stood there with a cocky experession. He could see the fear that flashed over Kuma's amythest eyes and wavered before turning away to look at the other two men. Natsu and Gajeel stood with heavy breaths. Like the blonde couldn't see that they purposefully sent Kuma below to avoid seeing her getting hurt. When would they realize she would not be a baby forever and in two years she will be out doing missions? "Heh. I haven't told anyone about this, because I can't stand the old man's lectures."

Laxus cocked his head to the side with a smile, as if he just made a decision. "But… I guess I can trust the three of you as well."

His canines seemed to enlengthen and scales appeared on his cheek.

"Fuck my life," Kuma cursed, bracing herself against the power lash back of his growing energy. Her amythest eyes cut to her uncles who were trying to stay in one spot. A thought then occurred to her as he let out a powerful roar. 'Wait…as well? Does he mean somebody else knows besides us and Jii-chan?! Who?'

Natsu called his niece over while Laxus was distracted so she dove under once more and appeared back up beside the two other dragon slayers in a few seconds flat. She supposed he wanted her closer because she couldn't hear him all the way over there.

"You need to get out of here!" He yelled over the wind, his pink hair flying like crazy.

"Why? I can still fight!"

Gajeel grunted and stared at the man before them with angered red eyes. He didn't know whose pride was worse— Kuma or Laxus. "He's right! Go make sure everyone in the guild is alright. We can handle this on our own." He immediately could see that she was actually hurt, probably thinking along the lines that they thought of her as weak, just like Laxus said. Her face went that actress stoic she constantly relied on to not look upset, but now there was more of a bite to her voice that would always have a sting to her words.

"I haven't even done anything! I'm not hurt at all but you two can handle it?"

Natsu, in the rarest of anger lit tounge, narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth in the same anger as his niece. "Stop being difficult, Kuma! You think this up for debate? I am not asking you, I'm telling you. Get the hell out of here. NOW!"

Kuma's eyes widened in shock and her mouth fell open. Gajeel had a similar look, but quickly nodded to direct the girl out of the building. Her head hung low, admitting defeat, and without a sound dove under and left the church.

"One day they'll see."

"Shut up, Zeref."

I walked alone underground, my shock dissperssing. Instead, a liquid anger burned through my veins and I wanted to scream. I wanted to go back and fight Uncle Natsu and prove that I am not a child. How dare he look at me like that? Like I'm some defenseless little freak?!

Zeref chuckled and wrapped an arm around my waist, ducking when my magic made earth scatter around us. I do not know how long I had been walking, but I knew that if I didn't let Mom or someone know where I was I was going to be in deep shit. Then again, who cares? Honestly, did Uncle Natsu forget that I was an S-Class wizard now? Papa said I could handle my own and they all still treated me like the weak seven year old I use to be.

"You know… you could prove that you're not weak and get rid of a part of your past. Two birds killed with one stone, you humans say, correct?" Zeref spoke after a while of silence, keeping quiet for me to ponder his thoughts.

Of course, I was interested. Turning to my biological father, the man was smirking. He knew he had caught me and he was basking in his glory. I was two seconds away from saying 'fuck off', but then I would miss this little bit of oppurtunity so I kept my mouth shut.

Zeref chuckled and mused my hair. "Don't worry. I'll explain more tonight, if you're still awake after the parade." And then he dissappeared.

Damn you, Zeref.

I hadn't been at the guild after this whole fiasco was over. Well, I did stop by to let Mom know I was fine, but then I dragged Cobalt to the park. I had vaguely heard Uncle Natsu call my name but I ignored him and kept walking.

So now Cobalt, Shinra and I sat in the abondoned park on the other side of town. Shinra had just gotten back from a mission and so the two of us explained to him what had happened. I also rampaged about how Uncle Natsu and Uncle Gajeel wouldn't let me fight. Cobalt grunted, knowing exactly how that felt to be marked weak without a second thought. Shinra took it all in quietly, amythest eyes narrowed as he held my hand to pick out splinters.

"They just want to protect you, Kuma. They're your family, what did you expect? I have never heard of a loving family that would willingly let their child fight someone considerably stronger and has more experience than them," Shinra reasoned, placing a bandage on my palm. He sighed when I ripped my hand away from him.

Cobalt shrugged when I looked over at him. "I'm with you, Kuma. Why be in a guild that supposedly helps each other when certain people are excluded because of their age? When all of them know damn well that the person can fight?"

"Thank you!" Finally, someone understood!

Shinra shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. His black hair fell in his eyes but he did not remove the loose strands. "You two are more childish than I thought. There's a difference between being bratty and truly understanding that this guild is about love. You've been here for seven years, Kuma. Years." He glared at the two of us as if we were the dumbest people on the planet. "You should know this more than I do. Being strong isn't a factor in this family. It's the love that you put into it."

Cobalt snorted and rolled his cobalt-colored eyes. He sat up from slouching on the swing set and swiped his hand through blue locks. He began to clap melodramaticly and laughed. "Oh, look! The wise Shinra has spoken." He winked at me and I giggled. "Listen here, Casanova, I'm with Kuma on this one. There's a difference between protecting and babying. Don't put so much time into my training if I am never going to use it! I love my mum and pop, don't get me wrong, but this rule about me never doing missions untill I'm seventeen is freaking retarded. Hell, mum and Erza had children to feed when they were fifteen! That's how old we are now!" Although Cobalt was considered S-Class at Phantom Lord, he had to do missions secretly after school so Juvia and Gajeel wouldn't find out. If they did, Gajeel would have his ass handed to him on a iron platter.

"And that's exactly why they want to take care of you two."

The three of us turned around in shock. It was Laxus, covered in bandages. He was carrying two bags, one a large burlap sack and the other a small brown coin purse. Cobalt and Shinra immediately stood on both of my sides, their demon training telling them to protect their princess.

"Laxus! Are you still batshit crazy?" I demanded and he shook his head. I shrugged and walked up to him, taking his word. Shinra and Cobalt both let out noises of disbelief.

Laxus grunted and sat down, the three of us following suit. He sighed and shook his head. "I don't want you to say anything. Just nod your head and think about it. Kuma do you think it was easy for Erza to raise you?"

I shook my head. No, I didn't think it was. For the first two years I had lived with her she was taking missions left and right. Some nights she had to give up her dinner to feed me because I ate a large amount of food. Paying for two dorms later on was taking a toll on her. It had to have been tough.

Laxus asked another question, "Do you ever doubt the love Fairy Tail has for you?"

I shook my head no once more. No, I never doubted it, but sometimes their love could be suffocating. That was the problem.

One final question. "Do you think they appreciate you brushing their love aside?"

That's when I had to interject. "I don't brush anything aside—!"

"Shut up and listen! You have two ears and one mouth for a reason, not the other way around!" Laxus snapped and I kept my mouth shut. He then turned to Cobalt and looked him in the eye. Cobalt stiffened, wondering what questions would be thrown his way.

"I want you to answer out loud. You over think things, Cobalt. Keep it simple." That was true, Cobalt did over think things. Laxus rose a brow when Cobalt looked away. Appearently, he had trouble looking adults in the eye as well. "Look at me, Cobalt."

Cobalt reluctantly did.

"Do you think it was easy for Juvia to raise you?"

Cobalt swalloed, "No."

"Do you think not having the support from Phantom Lord that Erza had from Fairy Tail made it any easier?"

Cobalt obviously wanted to look away desperately. He often said that when adults jumped down his throat like this made him feel like he was trapped. "N-No."

Laxus hummed and nodded at Cobalt's left pocket, where he kept a cell phone case strategically filled with cigarettes, his actual cellphone in his inside jacket pocket. How had Laxus known about that? "You think Gajeel approves of you hurting yourself with the wild parties and then treating Juvia like a dumbass?"

"But I never told them about the—!"

Laxus laughed. "Gajeel's been a dragon slayer longer than you have. He can smell the beer and cigarettes three miles away. Obviously he tells Juvia."

Cobalt and I shared a long glance. We had no idea Gajeel's senses were way sharper than ours. We always assumed all dragon slayer's just had above average senses. If that was the case, did Uncle Natsu smell the vodka on me? Did he tell Mom everytime I returned home with alcohal cloaked by lemon and mouthwash?

"To cut this argument short, you two are fuckin' dumbasses."

Way to start this off, Onii-chan. Cobalt and I deadpanned at the man and I could have swore he smirked at us.

"But that is every teenager in this world. Teens believe what they want to believe and therefore they can't fathom that they are wrong. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but... you two are WRONG!" Laxus yelled all of a sudden, making the three of us jump. "We don't train you for nothing, we train you so that the day that you are ready, you won't need us anymore. It's not for nothing, it's a precaution. One day we won't be here and you'll have to get on without us. God forbid that happens soon." He grumbled before continuing his lecture.

"Being strong is not all about being able to defeat your enemy. Being strong is about being able to admit your flaws, your defeats and your liabilities. We don't baby you, we know your flaws and therefore we know what you can and cannot handle. Natsu and Gajeel didn't kick you out of the fight because they didn't think your body could handle the beating, it's because we know how you handle fights. You get abrasive. Cobalt, you over strategize. You can not be on the battlefield already on the verge of giving up. Besides, teenagers are suppose to be weak. You're suppose to make mistakes and learn from them. Not perfecting them before making them. I wasn't strong today. I was weaker than anyone."

That felt hard to believe his power was unbelievable today. I was overwhelmed by it and I knew I had to surpass that level one day.

"Let them shelter you so that you can live a happy life now, before getting bitch-slapped by the real world." Laxus finished and he mused our hair. I swear I was on the verge of tears. Cobalt already had a single one run down his cheek. The blonde smiled and threw the small brown bag my way.

I opened it and saw ten diamonds. The tears began to flow. Even though I knew what this meant, my mind couldn't imagine this happening. Gramps actually kicked Onii-chan out? "W-What are you d-doing? It's one diamond a Fantasia!" Ever since I came untill this guild, Laxus was fascinated with me being able to eat rocks. When I commented that diamonds were the best ones and that they gave me a massive energy boost, he gave me one each year so that I could stay awake to watch the parade.

He just kissed my forehead and began to walk away. I was crying harder. My shoulders were trembling and I felt like the weakest now. "You can't leave the guild! ONII-CHAN!"

I'm pretty sure Laxus didn't turn back. I couldn't tell since my eyes were watery and I was held by two pairs of arm. Cobalt went ahead and cried and Shinra kept telling us that we would be okay.

Deep down I knew we would.

That night before the Fantasia, Kuma and Cobalt tracked down Natsu and Gajeel and hugged them tightly. Kuma was wailing loudly, apologizing like crazy. Natsu had the hardest time trying to calm her down.

Cobalt kept telling Gajeel he promised to get better which made Gajeel smile. Juvia watched them with the warmest feeling in her heart she ever had.

"Whoa! Okay, Kuma, calm down! I love you too, just please calm down! I don't like seeing you cry!" Natsu yelled happily. He could understand her babbling perfectly, which confused the hell out of the guild. She kept exclaiming to the fire Dragon Slayer that she didn't mean to brush him aside. She was just upset that she couldn't be as strong as he and Gajeel was. Gajeel looked over at Kuma and smiled lightly. Whatever Laxus said must have really struck a cord with the two brats.

Cobalt was more tame with his tears. He silently went to his mom and hugged her tightly, trying his best not to squish her since she was bonnier than himself. Juvia smiled lightly and played with his hair. He was well on his way to being taller than her and she couldn't wait to see him as a man. But for now, she wanted him to stay her little man.

The guild watch the two teens with warm eyes and hearts. Master Makarov chuckled and wondered what their generation would be like once all of the old ones were dead and gone.