Those Who Remain
"That's what you're out for?" Makarov growled, "Rule over the guild?" Makarov wasn't going to use the term "mastery".
"Are you kidding!" Natsu, "That's playing dirty!"
"You'll never be the Master!" Happy yelled.
"The game'll be over in an hour and half," Laxus said, ignoring the two, "If you want to stop all this fighting, you will announce to the town that you are surrendering the title of Master to me! I await your answer. I''d suggest you think it over hard."
"You bastard!" Natsu roared as he lunged at Laxus, only for the thought projection to fade, and him to land face first on the floor.
"Didn't I say it was a projection?" Happy asked.
"Damn that guy!" Natsu said, "Up there acting all high and mighty! Does he really think he's going to be the Master?"
"In all honesty I wouldn't mind giving up the title," Makarov admitted with a shrug, much to Natsu's chagrin, "But I can't give it to Laxus. That boy lacks the heart to lead this guild."
"But what about the girls?" Happy asked, "If nothing happens, then they'll all get broken!" Natsu looked at Lucy again, as his eyes narrowed, and his fists tightened.
"Can't anyone here beat Laxus?" Makarov muttered.
"I can do it!" Natsu said firmly.
"If you can't get out of here it doesn't matter," the Master said, "We need someone who go out there and be able to face him!" As if on cue, there was the sound of something falling. Everyone looked over, and noticed Gajeel leaning up from the counter, table ware in his mouth.
"Gajeel?" Makarov asked, "You were here the whole time?"
"Don't eat our tableware!" Happy yelled.
"I didn't think this was any of my business so I stayed out of it," Gajeel explained, as he jumped over the counter, and cracked his neck. Suddenly, Makarov began to feel a glimmer of hope. Gajeel was strong, at least on par with Natsu, and a Dragon Slayer on top of that. If anyone could face Laxus, Gajeel may just be him.
"Are you willing to do this for us?" Makarov asked.
"Maybe not for you," Gajeel answered, "But I've got a bone to pick with that guy! Just leave it to me, I'll take care of this!" He then marched towards the door.
The Iron Dragon Slayer slammed face first into the barrier.
"EH!" everyone squawked.
"Why can't you get out?!" Natsu demanded.
"Are you over 80?" Happy asked.
"Take a wild guess?!" Gajeel responded.
"Yes?"
"Wrong answer!" Gajeel roared, as he kicked Happy away.
"Leave Happy alone you bastard!" Natsu yelled, as he pounced at Gajeel, as they began to brawl. They were abruptly silenced as the Master forcefully separated them with his enlarged hands.
"Cut it out you two!" he ordered, "Keep your priorities straight!"
(in town)
There were explosions all over, as the battles continued.
"Stop it Bixlow!" Nab begged as he tried to run, "We're friends aren't we?"
"Friends?" Bixlow asked from his position on the roof, "I don't have weaklings for friends!"
There were more blasts that knocked Bixlow's "foes" away.
"How pathetic?" Evergreen said as she buzzed up to Bixlow, "Maybe we shouldn't have incapacitated those girls, it would have meant more competition."
"You call them competition?" Bixlow sneered.
(somewhere else in town)
Alzack collapsed on the side of a house. He knew he was one of the last men standing, and if he failed, there was a strong possibility that the girls were doomed.
"You can barely even stand, and yet you continue fighting. I almost feel sorry for you."
"Freed," Alzack growled, as he turned, and saw the Rune Mage standing there, "This is all your fault! You're the one making me hurt all my friends to save Bisca! And for that…" With a yell, he fired his pistols at Freed, who easily dodged.
Alzack got ready to fire again, but all of a sudden, he couldn't breath. He tried to force out a cry, but something was preventing him. He fell to his knees, gasping, and clawing at his throat.
"Rune Magic is a very basic magic," Freed explained as he sheathed his rapier, "What it comes down to is how its used." Runes lit up around Alzack, reading Those who use their magic will be denied oxygen.
(at Fairy Tail)
Freed vs Alzack; Victor: Freed. There are now two combatants left.
"Two?" Makarov muttered, as he turned, and saw the still bickering Natsu and Gajeel
"We're not even listed?" Happy cried.
Makarov fell to his knees. They're the only two left? he thought Is there really no one who can challenge the Thunder Legion? Have we lost?
"That's it!" Natsu declared loudly, as he started marching towards the stage, "I'm going to revive Erza!"
"What?!" everyone responded.
"What?" Natsu asked, turning, "If I burn it off she'll be back right?"
"That's the way it works!" Makarov yelled, "Its not like their just covered in something! They're solid stone!"
"What else are we going to do?" Natsu said.
"You aren't going to try and revive Lucy?" Happy asked.
"I'm not going to risk Lucy," Natsu said.
"But you're willing to risk Erza!" Makarov bellowed angrily. Natsu jumped onto the stage, picked up Erza, and jumped back down.
"Alright!" he said, setting Erza on the ground, cracking his knuckles, as his hands lit up in fire.
"Are you nuts?" Makarov yelled.
"Now, let's…," Natsu began, but then there was an unpleasant sound. A single crack appeared over Erza's right eye.
"AHHH!" everyone screamed.
"She's breaking!" Natsu cried, "Get some glue! We've got to put her back together!"
"Forget glue!" Gajeel said, holding up his iron head, "Use my iron! We'll weld her together!" More cracks started to appear, much to everyone's horror.
Then, all of a sudden, the stone shattered, and Erza was back, lying on the ground in surprise.
"What the…," she muttered, before looking down, "Why do I feel so warm?" She then looked towards Natsu.
"Natsu," she growled, before holding up her fist, and sent him, and Gajeel, flying.
"Erza's back!" Happy said happily.
"How are you…," Makarov muttered. Erza touched her eye.
"I think my eye had something to do with this," she said.
"That's right," Makarov said, remembering her artificial eye.
"It seems that Evergreen's magic only worked halfway," Erza noted.
"You know what's going on right?" Happy asked.
"Yes," Erza said with a nod, "I could hear everything." Yes! Makarov thought We can do this!
Suddenly, the runes lit up, as the number of remaining combatants bumped up from "2" to "3".
"It seems my returned presence has altered the game," Erza noted as she got ready to go into battle. That was when the numbers flashed again, going from "3" to "4".
"Four?" Happy asked, "Why's that?"
"It seems someone else has joined the fray," Makarov noted. Erza grinned.
(on the outskirts of Magnolia)
A tall, cloaked man strolled into town, looking over the sights of the battle.
"So this is what's been going on in my absence?" he muttered. He wasn't interested in anyone, but one person.
"Its time I put you down, Laxus."
(at Fairy Tail)
"Mystogan?" Happy asked, "He's back?"
"This is very good," Makarov said, "He's just as strong as Laxus! He can end all of this!"
"I'll go out!" Erza said, "I'll take care of everything!"
"Go after Evergreen!" Makarov instructed, "Take away Laxus' bargaining chips!"
"Right! I'm on it!" Erza said as she dashed out to join the battle.
"What about me?" Natsu and Gajeel cried in unison as they sprawled against the barrier.
(with Laxus)
"So Mystogan has come to join our party?" Laxus muttered. He grinned. They'd yet to do battle, and Laxus was certainly looking forward to this.
"I was just starting to think it was time you and I learned who was more powerful," he said, as lighting crackled across his knuckles.
(with Erza)
Erza ran down the street, still in her gothic lolita outfit for a strange reason, which drew a few glances.
"Ms. Erza!" a townsperson called, "What's going on with all this?"
"Nothing at all!" Erza said with a smile, "Just another tussle! Make sure you're prepared for the parade! Its still going to be quite the sight!"
She then continued running, and that was when there was a blast of magic. Erza leapt out of the way, and looked up to see Evergreen standing on a nearby roof, staring down at the red head.
"So you escaped my spell?" she said, "I suppose that's a good thing for me. It means I can take you down!"
"Evergreen," Erza hissed.
"More than anyone else, you piss me off, Erza," Evergreen said darkly, "You, who possess the name 'Titania', while we all know that I am the only true 'Queen of the Fairies'!" She then leapt into the air, and released a strange golden dust.
"What this?" Erza asked, "Dust?"
"Fairy Bomb: Gremlin!" Evergreen said, as the dust exploded. Erza emerged from the explosion, more or less unharmed, as she summoned up a sword, and slashed at Evergreen. The green-clad mage avoided the hit, and lifted her glasses.
"I do prefer things easier," she said, as she looked into Erza's eyes. However, Erza shut her left eye, only showing her right eye. The Stone Eyes had no effect, much to Evergreen's surprise, as she had to avoid another slash.
"So you've got an artificial eye?" she said, "No matter, I'll just use a different magic to beat you!" She then waved her fan, sending out multiple blasts of magic.
"Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!" Erza twisted and dodged all the blasts, as she summoned up an additional sword, and charged at Evergreen.
"Too slow!" Evergreen sneered, as she avoided the attack, and fluttered away. Erza ran after in pursuit.
(with Laxus)
Laxus' fists tightened. He had been so caught him in potentially fighting Mystogan, that he hadn't been paying attention that Erza had also been freed, and was fighting Evergreen. Now Laxus had no faith in Evergreen's capability to defeat Erza, and if Evergreen lost, than he leverage was completely gone. So with that, he decided to remind everyone who was control.
(at Fairy Tail)
"Let me out!" Gajeel said, as his iron sword struck at the barrier.
"No, let me out first!" Natsu said, as he tore at the barrier with his fiery hands.
"Still going at it," Makarov said, shaking his head.
"Aye, but what do you expect?" Happy said.
Suddenly, there was a glow. Everyone looked up, as there was a glowing up in the ceiling.
"Is that…," Happy began.
"Laxus!" Makarov said, "What's he doing now?"
"So what if Erza's free?" Laxus voice said, "I've still got the upper hand! Now let me show you what happens when you defy me!" A bolt of lightning then struck towards the stage, heading for the girls, or more specifically, Lucy.
Everyone cried out, but Natsu's cry was loudest, as he sprung forward. Just in time, he intercepted the lighting, which blasted him instead of Lucy.
"Natsu!" Happy cried.
"Salamander! You dolt!" Gajeel said.
"Hahaha!" Laxus roared as a thought projection appeared, "What a stupid idiot!"
"Laxus!" Makarov said, "You really went so far…"
"Oh relax!" Laxus said, "I'm more sporty than that! I was going to strike an inch away! But Natsu of course was too stupid to realize that!" Suddenly, Natsu rose from the dust, his body still smoking.
"You tried to hurt Lucy," he muttered, in a tone no one had ever heard before.
"Yeah? What of it?" Natsu looked at the statue of Lucy, before his body flared up with fire.
"What is that?" Happy asked.
"Such power," Makarov muttered. The fire then began to concentrate back down, into Natsu's eye.
"Eye of the Fire Dragon," Natsu murmured, as he turned towards Laxus, his Dragon's Eye now active.
Laxus narrowed his eyes, his smile gone. This was a new one.
"So what?" he said, "You still can't get out of here." Natsu just ignored him, as he roared, and charged at the barrier, his body cloaked with fire, running right through the thought projection. Gajeel had to dive out of the way to avoid Natsu's charge.
Natsu held up his hands, as the three clawed hands appeared. They then grabbed the barrier.
"What's he doing?" Happy asked. That was when the magic flared, and the runes began to flash rapidly. The people, cat, and projection assembled there couldn't believe their eyes.
"Impossible…," Laxus murmured.
Natsu was ripping the barrier open.
With a tremendous roar, Natsu tore a gap in the barrier, and launched himself out of it, a pair of fire wings opening, as he took to the air.
"LAXUS!" Natsu roared.
(with Erza)
The two girls suddenly stopped their battle, as they looked over, and saw a fiery shape soaring into the air.
"Is that…," Evergreen muttered.
"Natsu," Erza murmured. She recognized that power.
(at Fairy Tail)
"It can't be," Laxus said slowly, his face completely flummoxed, "These enchantments are absolute!"
"Damn," was all Gajeel could say.
"Go get him Natsu!" Happy said.
Makarov could only stare in silence and awe. He just may be able to do it he said.
Note: And here we have the first deviation from canon. I hope you liked it. I certainly enjoyed writing it.
Something that we should all keep in mind, is that while Dragneel may have Dragon's Eye like Dragonia, Dragneel lacks the skill (I'm hesitant to say "power" since Dragneel has A LOT of raw power). With that said, Dragneel's ability with Dragon's Eye isn't as great as Dragonia, so that means Dragneel may not have the automatic victory we might think.
On an unrelated note, I've settled on which way I'm going to take the story, though I'm not going to tell. I'm afraid you're going to have to wait. I also just finished reading Rave Master, so I'm in a "Mashima" mood.