Chapter 19
'Thinking' – thoughts
"Speaking" – speech
'Thinking' – Dragon/God/Beast thinking
"Speaking" - Dragon/God/Beast speaking
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters they are property of Hiro Masima.
Amanny: The Natsuvs Laxus fight will happen either next chapter or the one after and I have a fun idea that will start that fight.
mauricio11: Glad you like the story and I hope you'll continue to do so.
Vincent blame: That fight will either start next chapter or the one after, depends on exactly how much I change some of the events leading up to that point.
-Fairy Tail Guildhall-
"Laxus, I will only say this once, turn them back at once or else," Makarov threatened as he glared at his grandson.
"You better play nice if you want these ladies to join the parade old man," Laxus said with a smug grin the crackling of electricity could be heard coming from above.
Natsu narrowed his eyes as he cast a glance towards the roof above the stone statue but stayed where he was while Ur and Ultear had shocked expressions. From what Ur ha heard about Fairy Tail from Ultear, they were supposed to be a guild that viewed one another as family, however, the event that was currently playing out looked more than just a family feud.
"No stop," the fearful cry came from Makarov as the crack of lightning could be heard, accompanied by a blinding light. The light died down to reveal Lucy, still turned to stone but unharmed and a blackened spot next to her where the lightning had struck.
"This little game I have in mind has a few rules. I am taking these girls hostage and I'll shatter them if you break any of the rules," Laxus said as he placed an arm around Lucy's shoulders.
Ultear cast a quick, questioning glance at Natsu as if to ask if they should do something. Natsu saw the glance out of the corner of his eye but shook his head in the negative. For now, they will just sit and watch.
"I am not amused Laxus, stop this childish behaviour and release them," Makarov said with all the authority of a Guild Master as well as a Wizard Saint.
"I'm dead serious old ma," Laxus said with a grin.
"I've always wondered who's the strongest in the guild,' Freed said.
"This will be fun," Bickslow said while his dolls repeated the word "fun".
"For this game, there is only one rule that matters, whoever is left standing, in the end, is the winner. It's a Fairy Tail battle royal," Laxus declared with a maniacal grin.
"I'll give you a bit of motivation being the gracious Fairy that I am. If you managed to defeat us I'll turn the girls back to normal," Evergreen said with a smirk.
"You can't really complain about those odds, I mean there are only four of us while there is like a hundred of you," Bickslow said with a laugh while his dolls repeated the phrase "lots of you".
"But I should warn you, in three hours and not a second more these pretty little statues will be reduced to rubble," Evergreen said, raising three fingers and adding even higher stakes to the game.
"All of Magnolia will serve as the battlefield, the fight will begin when and if you find us," Laxus said.
"I will not stand for this Laxus," Makarov shouted in anger as he grew in size using his titan magic.
"Simmer down old man, it's all part of the festival," Laxus said as he started emitting a bright light from his body, blinding everyone that was looking at him.
"Let the Battle of Fairy Tail begin," Laxus announced as the crackle of electricity could be heard coming from the stage. The blinding light soon died down, revealing the absence of Laxus and the Thunder Legion.
"So this is high stakes hide and go seek," one of the members said.
"We have to man up and save our girls," Elfman stood up and gave a battle cry. The Fairy Tail members followed his lead as they all charged out into the town with one goal on their mind. Find Laxus and teach him a lesson he will never forget.
Haru and Gray stayed by Makarov's side, having reverted back to his original size, wanting to make sure that the old Guild Master was all right, considering his head was lowered and his body trembling.
"Are you all right gramps?" Haru asked the small Master.
"You insolent brat, just wait, I'll stop you with my own two hands," Makarov yelled in anger as he turned around and charged to the doors. Haru and Gray took off after him, following barely a stride behind the old man.
While Gray was able to charge on Makarov and Haru were met with a peculiar obstacle something was preventing them from leaving.
"What's wrong you two?" Gray asked as he saw the lack of his comrades next to him.
"There is some sort of invisible wall," Makarov said as he and Haru tried pushing through but to no avail.
"What's that writing floating above you?" Gray asked as he turned around and saw a setoff purple letters floating above the entrance.
"Those must be one of Freed's enchantments, it seems like he placed a barrier around the guildhall," Makarov said as he recognised the runes.
"Any idea what it says?" Haru asked as he tried yet again to push through without any luck.
"Stone statues and anyone over the age of eighty years shall not pass," Makarov read out loud. All eyes turned to Haru.
"Don't tell me you're over eighty?" Makarov and Haru asked at the same time. All three Fairy Tail mages were completely baffled.
Natsu let out an amused huff that Ur and Ultear noticed. They hadn't moved from their spot near the edge of the guild. Ultear and Ur both gave Natsu a questioning look, guessing that he knew why the red-haired mage couldn't leave the building.
"Those runes are quite impressive if they managed to detect that," Natsu said and much to the annoyance to Ur and Ultear nothing more came from him. They were left with even more questions that Ultear doubted they would get answers to.
"I'm afraid these rules are absolute, and even though it doesn't make much sense, you will have to go alone Gray," Makarov said. They had relented to the fact that Haru wasn't able to pass, no matter how much it baffled them.
"I won't show Laxus any mercy, he will pay for this," Gray said with his hair casting a shadow over his eyes before he ran off into the town to find the lightning mage.
Haru turned around and threw a fist into one of the pillars out of anger. Makarov turned around to shout at the boy for causing more damage to the hall when he spotted three individuals sitting at a table.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you but the festivities have been put on hold for the moment until we manage to sort the situation out," Makarov politely said, not realising who it was that he was talking to.
"I take it that since you can't get out that there is enough time for us to finish our conversation from earlier then," Natsu replied while turning around to face Makarov.
"'Death Walker' what are you still doing here?" Makarov asked in surprise.
"Na… 'Death Walker'," Haru called out, he quickly corrected himself before calling out Natsu's name but he was surprised to see him none the less. A sound came from the runes above the entrance and an announcement was written.
"Battle of Fairy Tail status report: Jet vs Droy vs Alzack. Is this some sort of joke?" Makarov read the announcement before anger rose in his voice.
"Why would those guys be fighting one another?" Haru asked confused.
"I think they are having a bit of internal trouble, why don't we go for a stroll around town and wait until they sort their troubles out," Ultear suggested to her two companions.
"Those runes would be a problem for me, besides this is the perfect opportunity to have a conversation with Makarov," Natsu said softly before letting a bit of his magic roll of him at the last part.
"What do you mean?" Ur asked, confusion on her face since the only thing the runes were preventing was stone statues and old men. Then an idea popped into her head as she looked at Natsu with wide eyes.
"Don't tell me you are over eighty?" Ur asked with wide eyes that were quickly mimicked by Ultear.
"I'll explain later," Natsu dismissed the question with a sigh before standing up and walking over to Makarov and Haru.
"Now Makarov, I know you are having a bit of a crisis but seeing as you are unable to anything about it I would appreciate it if we could continue our conversation from earlier, or should I start looking myself?" Natsu asked as a faint purple aura began forming around him as he attempted to get his point across.
"What's he talking about gramps?" Haru asked after Makarov stayed silent for a moment with a thoughtful expression.
"Nothing to worry about my boy. If you would follow me 'Death Walker'," Makarov dismissed Haru's concern before motioning Natsu to follow him with a sigh. There wasn't much he could do to persuade Natsu to change his mind and even though he would love to help his children he knew that there was no way for him to get out of the hall with Freed's runes in place.
"Hold on gramps, what is going on?" Haru asked as he saw his Master retreating to his office with Natsu following.
"I'm sorry my boy, but would you be so kind as to entertain our other guest?" Makarov asked, not wanting to answer any questions from Haru that might make things difficult in regards to what Natsu was asking about.
"Uhm, sure thing gramps," Haru answered with hesitation and confusion in his voice, but he relented. An order was an order, even though Makarov asked it in the form of a question. Haru walked over to the two dark purple-haired maidens with a grin on his face.
"Welcome to the Fairy Tail Guildhall. Sorry for the mess. Oh, you're that girl that was with 'Death Walker' when we were at the Tower of Heaven," Haru started before recognising Ultear.
-In Makarov's office-
Makarov took a seat in his chair with a heavy sigh as Natsu stood on the other side of the desk. He wasn't sure how to approach this matter.
"Will you tell me everything you know so that I know where to start?" Makarov requested, wanting a clear picture of the situation and gain more time to hopefully find a way out of this situation.
"I'll admit that I have no real information apart from what I sensed. I know that there is an immortal beneath us somewhere and that there is an unnatural presence around the immortal," Natsu said with his eyes narrowed.
'So the boy doesn't know any real information. I can't feel any deceit coming from him and it sounds like he told me everything he knew. That at least means the 'he' didn't leak any information,' Makarov thought with a sigh. He raised his eyes to look at the powerful rogue mage in front of him.
"I don't know the full story, only what the previous Master of Fairy Tail told me, but before I tell you anything I want you to swear that this information will not leave this room for the consequences can be devastating," Makarov said as he trained his eyes on with a levelled yet serious expression on the mage in front of him.
"As long as the information won't upset the balance of the circle of life if it stays hidden I don't see any reason for it to leave this room, however, if I determine that it a threat I will remove it from existence if needs be," Natsu answered, returning the look Makarov gave him.
Makarov continued the small staring contest for a god minute before letting out a sigh and closing his eyes. Makarov turned around and walked to one of the walls. He placed an outstretched hand on the wall and muttered an incantation that Natsu couldn't quite make out. A golden magic circle appeared on the wall with a Fairy Tail symbol in the middle. A swirling portal of gold and white appeared.
"Through this portal lies what you seek, follow me," Makarov said in a quiet tone as he walked through the swirling portal. Without hesitation, Natsu followed the Master of Fairy Tail through the portal. The room that opened up in front of him was barren for the most part with only two notable locations, one being the desk with a large assortment of scrolls and books, but that wasn't what demanded all who entered the room's attention. That honour belonged a giant pinkish-purple lacrima that illuminated the dimly lit room.
Natsu walked closer to the lacrima. From within he could sense the immortal. His eyes rested upon a young girl with very long, wavy blond hair that reaches down to her feet. The only accessory she was wearing was a set of wing-like adornments around her ears. A massive amount of magical power was flowing off of the lacrima crystal.
"I believe this is what you were referring to when you mentioned the immortal, however all I can say is that she is no longer with us. Our previous Guild Master spent decades trying to revive her but to no avail," Makarov said as he looked at the girl in the crystal with a saddened expression.
"That is where you are wrong Makarov, but I can see why you would believe that. The state she is in might as well be dead, yet her soul won't pass on. The best way I can explain it is that she is in some sort of hibernation," Natsu said as he reached out to touch the lacrima. Makarov eyed the mage with suspicion but sensing no malice from him decided to only observe with keen eyes.
"The information you shared will stay hidden," Natsu said as he had his eyes closed and his hand resting on the lacrima. He heard a sigh of relief coming from Makarov.
"I want to analyse the crystal with my magic, that way I will be able to know more about this, and possibly solve the problem that keeps her soul locked in here," Natsu said as he opened his eyes and looked at Makarov.
"I can't allow you to do that, I'm sorry but that is something I simply can't allow," Makarov stated as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"That wasn't a question Makarov, but there is no need to fear for I will only look, nothing will change regarding her status or that of the lacrima," Natsu said as he closed his eyes once again.
Makarov was about to become forceful in order to remove the boy from his spot in front of the lacrima but a presence made itself known, resulting in Makarov standing down, eyes wide and full of disbelief.
The crystal took on a darker hue to its purple colour as Natsu poured some of his magic into it. Makarov took an uneasy stance yet did not move to stop Natsu from what he was doing.
-In the main hall of Fairy Tail-
Haru was constantly looking at the runes at the entrance while he sat with Ur and Ultear. The attempts at small talk failed since he was too focused on the runes that told them what was going on outside.
"So Haru was it, would you mind telling me a bit more about this Laxus guy and his group?" Ur asked, hoping to ease the worried teen's mind.
"Laxus is one of the strongest mages in Fairy Tail, he is also the grandson of our current Master, Master Makarov. The Thunder Legion is like his personal bodyguards. They have followed Laxus around for quite some time now and even though they aren't S-Class they are all quite powerful," Haru said with a thankful smile. It was eating away at him since he couldn't help his guild because, for reasons unknown, he was unable to pass through the invisible barrier. A crunching sound at the edge of his hearing invaded his sensitive ears but his attention was pulled back to the conversation he was having and the sound soon forgotten.
"You didn't seem to be as enraged as most of the other guys when Laxus mentioned the battle royal if you don't mind me asking?" Ur asked with a gentle smile.
"Not at all, you see I was raised by Igneel, the Fire Dragon King, and with the traits I gained from being a Dragon Slayer I love fighting. When Laxus mentioned the battle royal I was excited to see who was the strongest in the guild and I still am, but the way things are turning out I don't know if I like the way he took to find that out," Haru said with a grin that turned into a frown at the end.
'I wonder if Natsu has the same love for fighting, seeing as he is a Dragon Slayer,' Ultear thought and made a mental note to ask him once they have some time alone. Ur, on the other hand, saw a golden opportunity to take the young Dragon Slayer's mind off of the battles going on outside. Haru once again heard the faint crunching sound but didn't pay much attention to it once Ur spoke again.
"Mind telling me about your Dragon?" Ur asked in a motherly tone, the same tone a mother would use when a child had something to tell them when they were excited. Ultear gave her mother a warm smile, seeing her easing the worries of the teen in such a tactful manner.
Ultear's attention drifted a bit as Haru started telling Ur about his time with Igneel. 'I wonder what's taking Natsu so long, I hope he found what he was looking for. The one time we willingly go to where these Fairies are something like this happens. I don't know if it's just some of the members or the guild as a whole but trouble sure loves to find them,' Ultear thought with a huff at the end.
"Everything all right Ultear?" Haru asked as he heard the huff coming from her. That strange crunching sound still at the edge of his hearing.
"Nothing bothering me, just thinking about how you Fairies seem to be a magnet for trouble," Ultear said with a faint smile. She had to admit, being in their guildhall wasn't so bad as she would have thought, given most of their members were running amuck in the town, apparently fighting one another for some reason if the updates the runes gave were anything to go by.
"Yeah, but usually it's a lot more fun than having to see your family fighting one another," Haru said with a downcast expression.
The three's attention moved to the second floor where Natsu and Makarov reappeared after they went to talk. Natsu had a thoughtful look and seemed to be deep in thought while Makarov had an uneasy expression. The two returned to the spots where they were before they left for their talk with Natsu taking his seat next to Ultear and Makarov retuning to the door where he could easily see the runes.
"How many enchantments did Freed place?" Makarov muttered to himself as he looked at the status reports with hurt and anger defining his face.
"I don't know gramps, but there has to be a bunch of them otherwise I don't think those guys would be fighting one another," Haru agreed as he stood next to Makarov and read the new additions to the list of victors.
As the names of the defeated members piled up and the number of participants in this sick game dwindled Makarov's pained expression increased. Haru once again heard a crunching sound but it was quickly overpowered by a buzzing sound followed by Laxus appearing in the hall with a smirk.
"Having fun watching you children tear one another apart old man?" Laxus asked with a glint in his eyes.
"What do you want?" Makarov asked in a hushed tone, trying to keep his rage from spilling out.
"And Haru, I would have thought that you would be in the forefront of this game, not cooped up here like a frightened little lizard," Laxus taunted the red-haired Dragon Slayer.
"I want to be fighting you and your lackeys but the stupid barrier Freed put up must be faulty since I can't pass," Haru rebutted with a scowl. Laxus' only reply to this was a huff in amusement before he returned his attention to Makarov.
"Must be tough on you to watch your so-called children tearing each other apart, too bad Haru and Erza aren't able to join the game, because there aren't anyone left who can give the Thunder Legion some sort of a fight, not that it would matter though since no one will be able to even touch me," Laxus taunted with a smug grin.
"There are still members with considerable power out there Laxus, you should know not to underestimate the wizards of Fairy Tail," Makarov warned, Laxus would soon feel the unbreakable spirit and determination that came with each and every Fairy Tail wizard.
"You can't be putting all of your hopes on Gray now are you? I'll give the guy some credit, he is quite powerful compared to most of the weaklings in this guild but that doesn't mean he will be able to defeat the Thunder Legion," Laxus said in his ever so smug tone.
As if to solidify his point a new update came up on the runes. 'Bickslow vs Gray: Winner Bickslow'.
"And that chump was going to save you. He couldn't take down Bickslow, meaning that he wouldn't even last a second against me" Laxus said as a laugh escaped him. A faint growl was heard coming from behind Laxus at the mention of Bickslow's name. A look of slight confusion came over Laxus' face as he glanced over his shoulder to the dark clothed man sitting at a table with two beautiful dark purple-haired women.
"And who might this be? A new recruit that doesn't even care enough about his guild?" Laxus asked in amusement.
"Laxus Dreyar, so you are the one that those fools look up to like some kind of deity," Natsu said in an unamused tone as he stared at Laxus with a black expression. Laxus age a visible twitch in annoyance at the way Natsu was speaking to him.
"I'll give you this one free pass since your new, but if you ever take that tone with me again punk I will make sure that it will take a cleaner two weeks to remove the soot from the ground after I'm done with you," Laxus threatened with anger in his eyes.
"For a fool, you sure do talk highly of yourself," Natsu muttered. Ur and Ultear let out amused giggles at Natsu's complete dismissal of Laxus. The disrespect in combination with the giggles sent Laxus overboard. A deafening crack of thunder could be heard coming from outside while a yellow aura surrounded Laxus as his face turned to one of rage and murderous intent.
"I will keep you alive for as long as possible while I beat the ever-loving shit out of you," Laxus hissed out through his anger.
"I'm getting bored of this conversation," Natsu sighed as a purple and black mist started forming around him.
"You insolent brat…" Laxus started but was cut off when Natsu whispered his spell. "Death God's Eternal Cancellation" Natsu whispered as the mist that formed around him engulfed the thought projection of Laxus. Once the mist dissipated Laxus was gone and silence filled the hall. Haru's attention was dragged to the crunching sound yet again that, thanks to the silent guildhall was much easier to hear.
"Who's eating at a time like this?" Haru asked in confusion with a bit of anger seeping into his voice. A muscular, black-haired teen lifted his head from behind the bar counter with a piece of metal in his mouth. An undignified yelp followed him standing up as a ball of blue fur rolled from his back onto the counter.
"Happy and Gajeel, what are you guys doing?" Haru called out in surprise as he saw the Iron Dragon Slayer and blue-furred cat looking at them, both having something in their mouths.
"I found this yummy fish" Happy replied in a dreamy tone as he returned to nibbling on the fish in his mouth while Gajeel stood up and umped over the counter.
"Gajeel, will you fight for the guild?" Makarov asked as Gajeel stood up to his full length and scanned the occupants of the hall.
"Might as well, I have a score to settle with that guy, Gajeel said with a grin that faltered as his eyes fell on Natsu. His eyes narrowed at seeing the Dragon Slayer that had struck fear into his very soul the first time they crossed paths.
"What are you doing here 'Death Walker'?" Gajeel asked in a careful tone.
"Came to enjoy the festival with these two lovely ladies, had an interesting conversation with Makarov and now I'm just observing this little family feud," Natsu replied in a dismissive tone, getting a blush from Ultear and Ur at his compliment to them and a troubled look from Makarov at mentioning their conversation.
"So you aren't going to help Fairy Tail as you have done up until now?" Gajeel asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It was merely a coincidence that my actions aided this guild in the past. I had my own personal reason for interfering, besides this is an internal matter and I will not get myself involved," Natsu answered as he leaned back in his chair.
"Whatever, I'll go handle lightning boy," Gajeel said with a smirk returning to his face as he made his way over to the door. Natsu let out a sigh and shook his head, gaining confused looks from Ultear and Ur. Natsu just lifted his hand and indicated to Gajeel.
Their unasked question was answered when Gajeel was stopped by the same barrier that prevented Makarov and Haru from passing.
"You knew this would happen?" Ultear asked and judging from her one Natsu knew she wanted to be informed about how he knew this would happen.
"I knew but I can't reveal the reason, sorry but I made a promise to someone," Natsu replied in a low tone. Ultear accepted the answer with a sigh and turned her attention to the argument about age ad copying coming from the two Dragon Slayers and the Titan mage.
A sound came from the runes that attracted the attention of the three bickering mages. Makarov's eyes widened as he saw the number of remaining participants.
"Out of the entire guild only two remain, how is this even possible, and who are the two that remain?" Makarov asked in utter disbelief and a hint of despair threatening to enter his voice.
Haru and Gajeel continued to bicker as Makarov looked at the runes in anger. The colour drained from his face as he turned to the two Dragon Slayers. His sharp intake of breath quickly caught the attention of the two Slayers. Haru and Gajeel momentarily stopped their argument to look at Makarov with questioning looks.
"You're the only two left?" Makarov shouted with drops of sweat running down his face as the gravity of the situation dawned on him.
Despair formed around Makarov like a heavy cloud as silence filled the hall. Defeat. That is what Makarov felt. Crack. Confusion formed on Haru and Gajeel's faces as they heard the faint cracking sound. A slightly raised eyebrow from Natsu confirmed that he heard the same cracking sound. Crack. It was louder this time as Makarov, Ultear and Ur heard it. Crack. Now they were certain something was breaking and horror filled the Fairy Tail mages eyes as they saw where the sound came from. The statue that was Erza had a crack running along her right eye and it was beginning to spread to the rest of her face.
"I thought Laxus said we had three hours," Haru shouted out in fear ash the cracks grew.
"Quick someone get some glue or something," Makarov shouted with urgency.
"No, the glue won't help we need to use my Iron and Salamander's fire to weld it back," Gajeel said transforming his hand into an iron pole.
Their frantic conversation was stopped as the stone completely cracked and started falling to the ground. Much to their amazement and relief Erza stumbled forward, released from the petrification spell.
"Thank goodness you're back, but how did you break the spell?" Makarov asked with relief flooding his voice.
"To be honest I have no idea, but my guess would be that it had something to do with my right eyes," Erza said as she moved her hand over her artificial eye.
"Are you aware of the situation we are facing right now?" Makarov asked as his tone turned serious.
"Yes, I was able to hear most of what was said, but I still don't completely understand why Haru and Gajeel can't get out,' Erza said as she turned her gaze at the two teens.
"Beats me," Gajeel replied while Haru just shrugged his shoulders. The scarlet knight turned her attention to the three remaining occupants of the guildhall. 'Natsu and Ultear are still here with whoever that woman is, she looks to be related to Ultear in some way,' Erza observed.
"You are certainly doing better compared to the last time we met Erza," Natsu said from his seated position. Erza wasn't sure why but hearing him call her by her name instead of 'Titania' made her lips twitch up in a smile. Maybe they can be friends.
"I'm sorry for the interruption to the festival, I'll be sure to sort things out personally," Erza replied with a smile.
"Seeing as we are the only ones in here I think I'll be quite content waiting here," Natsu replied with a tiny smirk.
"Ultear," Erza greeted the ex-councilwoman with a curt nod, getting a nod in return. It was clear that some of the old resentment between the Council and Fairy Tail still lingered, at least that is what the Fairy Tail mages would say. If you asked Ultear the answer would be that she just found Erza annoying.
"Now is the time to strike back," Makarov said as he from a fist with a grin on his face. The number on the runes increased from its previous two to a three.
"Actually it's just you, Haru and Gajeel can't get through the barrier," Happy informed her as he floated next to her.
"That is quite unfortunate," Erza commented. 'I don't want to ask Natsu for help with his dispelling spell, this is our problem,' Erza thought as she remembered the strange mist Natsu used to dispel the thought projection when the Council questioned her after the Lullaby incident.
The number on the runes changed from a three to a four, confusing the three men. They quickly looked over their shoulder only to see that all the other girls were still encased in stone.
"You seem to have forgotten someone, a secretive member who doesn't like to show his face?" Erza asked with a smirk.
"Mystogan," Makarov said as the realisation hit him. A smirk grew on his face.
"Mind filling me in on who this Mystogan guy is," Gajeel asked, being the only Fairy Tail mage who didn't know who this new guy was.
"He is someone whose power rivals Laxus'," Haru explained as a grin overtook his face.
'Mystogan must be quite skilful with those staves he carries around f he is considered one of Fairy Tail's elite. Interesting,' Natsu thought with a smirk as he recalled his meeting with the masked man.
"Erza, your first priority should be Evergreen. Defeat her and the girls should be released from their petrification. Then we can make our move on Laxus," Makarov instructed with Erza nodding her head in agreement.
"You know this Mystogan?" Ultear asked.
"I met him a while ago, interesting guy," Natsu replied.
Ultear had a raised eyebrow, wondering exactly how interesting this man should be that Natsu took an interest in him.
"I'll be leaving now Master, expect the girls to be freed within the hour," Erza said as she took off.
-With Laxus-
Lighting sparked around him as his anger was still building up. He was just forcefully cut off from his thought projection by that guy in the dark clothes.
"That insolent brat, when I have control of the guild he will be the first one to get thrown out," Laxus shouted in anger as lightning crackled around him and occasionally struck the ground beneath his feet. He took a deep breath to calm himself. Now was not the time to lose his head, not when his goal was in arm's reach. He looked at the runes that floated above his head and saw that the number of participants went up to three, next to it Erza's name was added to the list.
'So Erza has recovered,' Laxus thought as he saw her name. The number of participants changed from three to four and Mystogan's name appeared.
'And now Mystogan decided to show up. Three of Fairy Tail's elite will face one another head-to-head. You can't have a proper festival without a main event,' Laxus thought with a smirk, waiting in anticipation for his first opponent to arrive. He cast his eyes on the list of names once again. Haru, Gajeel, Erza and Mystogan.
'Four of them, four of us. Fairy Tail will soon be in my hands and the first thing I will do is to get rid of all the weaklings. The world will fear us for our power and no one will ever laugh at us again,' Laxus though as he recalled a memory that drove him to this.
-Flashback start-
The war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord had just concluded and word began to spread about a mysterious mage that defeated Jose and reduced the once-powerful Wizard Saint into a man that could bare conjure any form of magic. It was the topic almost every conversation revolved around, that and the guild war.
Laxus was sitting in a pub nursing away at a drink, waiting for the Thunder Legion to join up with him. He listened to the idle chatter of the patrons of the pub and the rumours of the mage who took down Jose. Then a specific conversation caught his attention.
"I can't belief Fairy Tail needed help in their war," one man said.
"And they prided themselves for being the strongest guild in Fiore," his friend agreed as they shared a laugh.
"To think they had to beg for help from a lone mage," the first man said.
"I heard they were powerless before he showed up. Phantom Lord was wiping the floor with them," His friend said with a laugh.
That was it, Laxus couldn't take it anymore. The public image of Fairy Tail wasn't what it should be and it was all Makarov's fault. If the old man didn't just let anyone in then they would have smashed Phantom into dust without breaking a sweat. And that useless blond that was the cause of all this, she couldn't even do anything except get captured twice.
That was what irked Laxus the most. The weaklings that joined the guild only to ride on the power of others and live in the lap of luxury. There were barely any members that would meet Laxus' standards. And now they have become the laughing stock of the magic community.
But no longer. He would right this wrong.
A bolt of lightning struck the table the two men were sitting at, completely destroying it.
"So you think Fairy Tail is a joke? Well, I'm inclined to agree, however, that will soon change and I will show you the fear you should feel when you face the most powerful guild in all of Fiore," Laxus said as his voice filled with anger. Lightning danced around him before he muttered out a spell. "Lightning Strike" Laxus said. The two men in front of him felt their hair rise as the air was filled with static before they screamed out in pain as a mass of yellow lightning struck through the rook and electrocuted them.
Laxus left the pub, leaving two singed men lying on the floor. Anger filled his eyes as he clenched his fist.
'Your time has come to an end old man, step aside and let the new generation take the lead,' Laxus though as he made his way back to Magnolia.
There you have it. I decided not to write the fights that occurred up until now since there wouldn't have been any changes compared to cannon. Next chapter however will be filled with battles. Let me know if you want me to write Erza vs Evergreen or if I should rather just skip to the end of that and roll with it from there, focusing on changes I would make to the cannon battles like I have an idea on a change I will make in Mira vs Freed. Anyway, please leave a review on your thoughts and I will see you in the next chapter.