Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter of my Fairy Tail/multi-crossover story. How are you today? I hope you all are doing well. I am close to Winter Break for my University, which means I still have to work on finals and papers for school. And that equals a limited amount of time I have to write new chapters. But still, I'm grateful you guys are patient with me on this story.
Let's answer some reviews you guys let for me.
DB-20: Same. I stopped watching Fire Force after Shinra met Joker for the second time. As for Chase… you aren't wrong.
Kamen Rider W: I am mixed on adding RWBY characters. And yes, Maki will have someone in this story.
Ushindeshi: I like Maki too man. She is my fire queen.
Fairydragon2099: Already have someone planned from MHA, sorry.
BanRedfox: I know, right? Maki is best girl!
Mastergamer14: I know how popular Demon Slayer is, but I haven't seen it yet.
So to recap what happened last time: Yusei had just arrived in a town called Mechro, where he had met a mechanic named Howie, the one who had sent a request he took. After giving the part he was told to bring, Yusei began to make his way back to the guild, when he suddenly came across Natsu, Happy and Lucy. The four decided to camp out for the night to rest up. Meanwhile Siegrain is visited by a shadowy figure named only Chase, who gives him an update on their plans. After some walking, the group encountered Gray, who informed them of someone named Erza, who was close to returning to the guild. However, their little meetup was interrupted by a group of rogue wizards, who kidnapped Happy for food. But out of nowhere, a mysterious black haired woman named Maki Oze, who used fire magic in order to fight the rogue wizards, along with Natsu and the gang. The rogue wizards were then tied up, but then a card made of fire suddenly struck them, engulfing them in flames and ending their lives before they could say anything other than the word 'Lullaby.'
Who was this mysterious attacker? And what was Lullaby? Time to find out...
'Magnolia, night'
"Finally, we're back." Lucy said with a relieved sigh as she and the others finally reached Magnolia after hours of walking. If Yusei had used his Duel Runner, they could've come back at an earlier time. Then again, coming back from a job that turned out to be fake would definitely damage her reputation.
"So this is Magnolia." Maki said with a small smile. During their trek back to Magnolia, Natsu and the others explained the Fairy Tail Guild and the town it resided in. Needless to say, it was just as impressive as they told them.
"Yup, it's pretty great, isn't it?" Natsu said with a proud grin. "I always like coming back here after a job. By the way Maki… are you gonna let Happy go or not?"
As Natsu pointed, Maki was indeed holding his faithful feline in her arms. She hadn't let him go since their encounter with those rogue wizards and to say Happy wasn't thrilled about it was… an understatement.
"I can't help it. He's so cute!" Maki said with a big smile as she hugged Happy tightly, causing the blue cat to gasp.
"Natsu… she's… crushing… me!" Happy wheezed out, his eyes nearby bulging out of his sockets as he tried his best to free himself. She had the strength of a freaking Vulcan! There must be some heavy muscles under her heavy jacket.
"I think Happy's had enough." Yusei said with a slightly amused tone. It was kind of cute to see a girl as cool headed as Maki be so enthralled with Happy. But still, if she kept hugging him like this, Happy would suffocate. Maki gave Yusei a small pout before she reluctantly released Happy, allowing him to fly on his own while taking several deep breaths.
"Thank you, Yusei! Here's a fish." Happy said as he took out a fish from his pouch and offered it to Yusei.
"Ummm, that's okay." Yusei declined, to which Happy shrugged while eating the fish himself.
"Well, it's getting late, so I'm heading home." Gray said while yawning. It had to be eight, which meant the Guild was closed for the night. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. Later." He shoved his hands in his pockets before walking away. But not without looking over his shoulder, directed towards Natsu. "And Flame Brain, don't do anything that'll piss off Erza. I don't want her to beat me up because of you."
"Whatever, Stripper. Just keep your clothes on." Natsu said with a scoff. He didn't need to be reminded of what Erza could do to either of them.
'They remind me of Shinra and Arthur.' Maki thought with a small sweatdrop.
"Good night, Gray." Lucy said with a smile. Gray simply nodded towards her and the others before walking away. Once he was out of sight, Lucy turned towards the newest member of the group. "So Maki, do you need a place to stay for the night? My apartment's got more than enough room if you want."
"You can also stay with me, Happy and Yusei for a while. We have some space and I do owe ya for saving Happy." Natsu said with his own smile. He may have just met the black haired woman, but Natsu had a feeling he could trust her. The least he could do was offer her a place to sleep. That… and the fact she was one of those 'Champions' Yusei mentioned.
"Could I hold Happy again?" Maki asked, her purple eyes focused on the blue feline, who quickly hid behind Natsu. Happy quickly began shaking his head to Natsu, but the pink haired Dragon Slayer ignored him and nodded his head. She gave him a small smile. "Okay, thank you."
"Alright. Then I'll see you guys tomorrow. Goodnight." Lucy said with a friendly wave before she began to walk away. She briefly looked over her shoulder, her eyes gazed at Yusei. 'And thank you, Yusei.'
Once the blonde was out of sight, the group began to walk the opposite way, much to Maki's confusion. "Natsu, don't you have a house here?"
"Technically, he has a house outside of Magnolia. It's close by, so we won't have to walk too far." Yusei answered before he looked at Maki with a hint of seriousness in his eyes. "So… would you mind telling me how you got here? And I don't mean the forest." Noticing no one else was around to eavesdrop, Maki decided to speak.
"It was… strange, to say the least…"
'Flashback, several hours prior to Happy's Rescue'
The first thing Maki Oze felt was the sunlight hitting her skin. It felt nice, though she preferred the cool night wind when she stargazed. Regardless, she slowly began to regain consciousness, her eyes opening to see a single leaf fall on her forehead. Flicking it off her head, the Second Generation Fire Soldier slowly pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes. 'Lieutenant Hinawa might blow a vein if he caught me sleeping on pat-wait, where am I?'
Fully awake, Maki began looking around and noticed that she wasn't in her room in Company 8's Headquarters. Rather, she was in a forest, as beautiful as the ones from children's storybooks. "What happened? And why am I in the middle of a forest?" Maki asked herself.
"A good question to ask, given the circumstances." A new voice called out from above Maki. Due to her time in the military, Maki reacted fast: standing up and facing the person speaking to her while taking a defensive stance.
Sitting on a branch was a figure who looked to be as tall as Captain Obi, wearing a white robe with long sleeves, a hood over their entire head, brown open toe sandals and a strange insignia on the front. The stranger looked down at Maki, their legs crossed.
"Interesting. Your reaction time is as fast as I expected, given how you were trained in the military." The stranger said with a hint of amusement in their voice. From the way they spoke, it was clear that they were an older female.
"Who are you? Where did you take me?" Maki demanded with narrowed eyes. "Are you a part of the Evangelist?" To her surprise, the stranger let out an amused chuckle before they leaped off the branch, landing on the ground gracefully.
"Please, my child. You don't need to be so hostile. I'm not here to harm my Champion." The stranger said in a calm tone before they reached out and pulled down their hood. Underneath the cloth was a woman who looked to be in her fifties, as beautiful as the moon itself with dark skin, shoulder length blonde hair and amber eyes. Maki had to admit, this stranger was gorgeous. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ariel Van Kandar, it is a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Oze."
"How do you know my name?" Maki asked, lowering her guard slowly. There was just something about this woman that made her feel at peace.
"Perhaps you would feel more comfortable sitting down." Ariel said with a smile before she raised her right hand.
*Snap*
Maki barely blinked her eyes and the next thing she knew, she was sitting on a luxurious white wooden chair with air rests. Ariel sat in a similar chair as a large white table with a red table cloth stood between them. "W-W-What? How?" Maki began stuttering.
"Would you like some tea?" Ariel asked while resting her head on her left hand. Maki was about to answer when she smelled something sweet in front of her. Looking down, Maki's eyes widened even more as a teacup somehow appeared in her hand, with orange tea inside. She quickly looked back at Ariel, who was drinking her own cup of tea with an amused expression on her face. "Sugar?"
"How are you even doing this? A-Are you a Third Generation Pyrokinetic?" Maki asked with a small stutter. She took a sip of her tea and found that it was Jasmine, her favorite. Okay, this was getting even more weird. How did this woman know her name? How did she make this table and chairs appear? And how the hell did she know that Jasmine was her preferred tea? IT MADE NO SENSE!
Ariel noticed her bewildered expression and giggled softly. "I'm sorry if I surprised you. But my occupation demands that I know the humans in my section." Ariel answered before she sipped her tea. "But to answer your question: no, I'm not a Third or Second Generation Pyrokinetic, although I could learn it if I choose to."
"But then, how-"
"Let me ask a simple question, Maki. Do you believe there is life on other planets?" Ariel asked with a slightly serious tone, her legs crossed as she waited for the answer. Maki couldn't help but be caught off guard by the question. How would she know if there were aliens that lived far away from Earth. Then again, if Humans could inhabit a planet, why couldn't others?
"Yes. I don't know how, but I do believe in life outside of our world." Maki answered honestly, earning a smile from Ariel. "But what does that have to do with you?"
"Your people worship the Sun God Sol, correct?" Ariel asked rhetorically, getting a nod from Maki. "And you believe that a God stands above every other being in existence, correct?" Again, Maki nodded. "Well, you see my dear… there are beings that surpass even the Gods. And I happen to be one of them."
Maki was about to sip her tea again when she heard Ariel's big reveal. She froze in complete shock, her grip on her tea cup slipped before it began to fall…
… Or at least, it SHOULD have fallen.
Instead, the tea cup hovered in the air as if time itself had stopped. Maki sharply focused her eyes on Ariel, who drank her tea with one hand and extended two fingers with the other. With a single gesture of her finger, Maki's tea cup floated back into her hand, like nothing had happened at all! The 'Witch' of Company 8 just gaped in shock, her eyes as wide as dinner plates and her mouth opened wide. Ariel continued to look amused before she reached over and placed a finger on Maki's chin, closing her mouth before any bugs could enter it.
"Now that I have your full attention, allow me to educate you on the Multiverse."
'Flashback end'
"After that, she explained her role as an Overseer, how this Ankhseram had abused his power and how the Overseers needed Champions to stop him." Maki finished explaining as she, Natsu, Happy and Yusei arrived at Natsu's house. Maki tilted her head a bit innocently at the interesting design of the household, but since Natsu was offering his place to her, the least she could do was hold her tongue.
"Wow, that sounds really weird, but cool." Natsu admitted in awe. Yusei had mentioned how he got her, but the way Maki explained her side of the story was even more impressive.
"What happened next?" Happy asked from Natsu's shoulder, his interest peaked.
"After I recovered from the information, she offered me a position as her Champion to save this world. To be honest, it was shocking to see a world like this exist." Maki said while scratching her cheek before she gave them a smile. "But like my friend Shinra always said 'A Hero must do everything they can to save a live.'"
"So you accepted Ariel's offer and that's how you ended up here." Yusei concluded for Maki. This girl must be special if one of the Overseers chose her as their Champion. Yet, it still raised the question as to why Talion didn't transport Yusei to this world to talk. He would need to ask when they meet again. "So Maki, tell us a little about yourself."
"Oh, okay." Maki said before she cleared her voice. "I am a member of Company 8 of the Special Fire Force Unit. I was trained in the military with my father until I was assigned to Captain Obi and Lieutenant Hinawa. My powers come from my Second Generation Pyrokinetic abilities. Certain people are given unique powers through fire, though Second Generation users like myself need a fire source while Third Generation Soldiers like my friend Shinra can produce flames on their own. My ability allows me to control fire or snuff it out. I can also turn flames into creatures I call Sputter and Flare, which are under my full command. I like pop music, strawberries, stargazing, cute things…"
"MY HEAD HURTS!" Happy exclaimed, his eyes turned to swirls as he and Natsu began to wobble a bit from the information.
"So… much… talking…" Natsu added, also distraught from Maki's words. Maki and Yusei couldn't help but sweatdrop at the dramatic performance in front of them. Maybe she could've held back a little.
However, Maki let out a small yawn, which was followed by Happy and Natsu. It was obvious that they were tired.
"I think it's a good time to get some sleep. You can take the couch if you want, Maki. I can sleep on the floor." Yusei offered. It wasn't unfamiliar to him to sleep on the floor, since he did that many times in the Satelite. Just give him a blanket and pillow, and he'll be able to sleep like nothing. To his surprise, Maki shook her head.
"No, it's okay. I can sleep on the floor." Maki countered kindly. It was sweet for Yusei to offer the couch, but she didn't want them to think she was taking their kindness for granted.
"We have another hammock in the closet, if you guys want. No one needs to sleep on the floor tonight." Natsu said, getting over his dizziness. He wasn't going to let his friends sleep on the cold floor tonight. "Come on. Let's get some shuteye." With a loud yawn, the Dragon Slayer began walking towards his house with Happy. Yusei and Maki merely shrugged before they followed suit.
What a day.
Unfortunately for them, tomorrow would bring its own problems.
'The next morning'
The sunrays hovered over the streets of Magnolia as the shops were beginning to open for the day. Walking on the streets were Yusei, Happy, Maki and Natsu, thought the latter was grumbling to himself while the other humans gave him a confused look. "Is everything alright Natsu?" Yusei asked with curiosity. He hadn't seen Natsu act like this before. It was like the day after Crow and Jack had a big argument.
"Oh, he's just mad because Erza's coming back, which means he and Gray won't be allowed to fighttttttt~" Happy said in his usual cheery voice while in the arms of Maki. He didn't want to be in her death grip like yesterday, yet Maki decided to use a woman's most powerful weapon.
The puppy eyes.
One look was all Happy needed to submit to Maki's demands, though much to his relief, she wasn't squeezing the life out of him. Once she calmed down, Maki's arms were surprisingly comfortable.
"Who's Erza?" Maki asked the group innocently. It was understandable, given how she wasn't around the group prior to Happy being kidnapped.
"She's a monster." Natsu and Happy both said darkly, looking at Maki with horrified expressions, causing her to sweatdrop. She couldn't be THAT bad… could she? Hinawa level bad?
"Apparently, she doesn't want Natsu and Gray to fight, which they do all the time." Yusei informed her with a mild shrug. Maki just sighed at this. They really were like Shinra and Arthur.
"It's just not fair! Me and Gray fight for fun, but Erza always punches us on the head for doing that, along with everyone else." Natsu huffed childishly while crossing his arms. "She's too bossy sometimes." Despite how childish it seemed, Yusei did feel a tad bit of sympathy for his friend.
"Since we're coming to the Guild early, maybe you and Gray can… fight until she gets here." Yusei said, getting a hopeful look from Natsu.
"Can you watch out for her?" Natsu practically begged.
"Umm, sure." Yusei answered with a sweatdrop as Natsu grinned broadly.
"Alright! Watch out Gray, I'm gonna kick your ass so hard, you'll be begging me to stop!" Natsu declared loudly.
"Aye sir!" Happy cheered with his paw raised high, getting a squeal from Maki. The Head Signer couldn't help but chuckle at their behavior. He hasn't in Earthland for a week and already, he's gotten used to their positive attitude. Natsu and Happy(who flew out of Maki's arms, much to his disappointment) then began to rush ahead towards the Guildhall.
"You act like an older brother." Maki pointed out with a smile. It was like Natsu was the energetic younger brother and Yusei was the calm, wise older brother who looked out for them.
"I know how to deal with this. My brother Crow was always the troublemaker and I have a friend, Leo, who always wanted to show off." Yusei confessed, a small smile appearing on his face as he recalled those fond memories of his past. "There are times to stop them, and times to let them do what they want."
"That sounds nice." Maki muttered sadly. She never had any siblings. The best she had was Iris, but even then, they acted more like best friends than siblings. Yusei could tell she was thinking about something, yet he decided to stay quiet out of respect for her privacy.
"Hey guys." A familiar voice called out from behind. Yusei and Maki turned around to see Lucy walking towards them, dressed in an orange tank top and blue skirt. She had a friendly smile on her face, happy to see her friends this morning.
"Morning Lucy." Yusei greeted kindly.
"Hello." Maki said with a nod.
"Did you sleep well with Natsu, Happy and Yusei?" Lucy asked the black haired female. Sleeping in a house with two guys and a talking cat might sound interesting, but Lucy didn't know if she wanted to experience that yet.
"It was nice. Although he should fix the spring on the couch." Maki said while rubbing her side. She might have moved a bit in her sleep… right on top of a loose spring. Needless to say, she would be feeling that in the morning.
"Are you going to take another job?" Yusei asked as the three continued to walk towards the Guildhall.
"Yeah. I want a job that ACTUALLY pays instead of having someone lie about being rich to steal their father's book." Lucy said with a heavy sigh, much to Maki's confusion.
"Did something happen?" Maki couldn't help but ask, getting a groan from Lucy.
"You don't want to know." Lucy complained before she composed herself. "But, today's a new day and I have a good feeling out-"
*BOOM*
The three jumped when an explosion erupted in the front of the Guildhall. Maki quickly began to run towards the building with a determined expression. "Maki, wait!" Yusei called out as he and Lucy began running after her. However, she didn't hear them as she continued to run forward. While she knew Infernals didn't exist in this world, fires were another story and if people needed help, then she needed to be there. Arriving in the front of the Guildhall(or at least she assumed it was the Guildhall), Maki quickly got in a stance.
"Does anyone need help?!" Maki announced in a serious tone.
But what she assumed was a bomb going off… was something COMPLETELY different.
"Dammit, Flame Brain! That was a cheap shot!"
"You're just mad that I one upped you, Ice Princess!"
"Yeah, get him Natsu!"
In front of the Second Generation Pyrokinetic was yet another fight between Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster, with the latter having a comedic bump on his head. Happy, along with everyone else in the Guild, were watching the two rivals fight with expressions of amusement. Was this… normal for these people?
"Bring it on, Stripper! I can do this all day!" Natsu shouted while igniting his fists.
"You asked for it, idiot." Gray said while putting his hands together, an icy mist emitting from it.
But that wasn't what Maki was focused on.
'WHY IS HE HALF NAKED?!' Maki thought with a deep blush, seeing Gray in nothing but his boxers. Gray was like the male version of Tamaki in this world! What the hell was going on?!
"It looks like they're fighting again." Lucy commented with a sigh as she and Yusei walked next to Maki. Unlike her, Lucy wasn't as affected by Gray's half naked state as she was in the beginning. It just showed how annoying it was.
"A-And this is normal here?" Maki asked, noticing how everyone was acting like this was a normal thing.
"It is. Makarov said that everyone here should use their magic the way they want to. But it does get out of hand." Yusei confessed while rubbing the back of his head. He liked the Guild, but they do go overboard most of the time. "Let's sit at the bar." Nodding dumbly, Maki began to follow her friends through the Guild, ignoring the looks everyone was giving them.
"Hey Yusei, how's it going?" Macao called out.
"Lucy, go on a date with me!" Wakaba called out with puffs of heart-shaped smoke coming from his pipe.
"Who's the new girl?" Laki asked out loud.
"Good morning Yusei, Lucy." Mirajane said from the bar with her ever so sweet smile that reminded Maki of Iris. The two gave their greetings before Mira noticed the third member of their group. "Hello, who are you?"
"Maki Oze. I'm visiting from… another kingdom." Maki said politely with a small bow.
"She's an old friend I knew when we were little and came to visit me." Lucy lied quickly. She didn't want to lie in front of her role model, but she needed an alibi for Maki.
"Oh. Then welcome to Fairy Tail, Maki." Mirajane said sweetly. Maki couldn't help but see the woman in front of her as an angel, which made her feel slightly self conscious. "You can take off your coat, if you want. It must be hot under that."
"Right." Maki nodded before she removed her Company 8 hardhat. She then began unbuttoning her coat before slipping it off her shoulders.
But the moment she did, she caught everyone's attention.
"WOAH!" A majority of the Guild gasped in surprise. Even Natsu and Gray stopped their brawl when they heard the audible gasp of everyone. They shifted their head towards the bar and widened their eyes as well.
Underneath her heavy coat, Maki hid her ridiculously muscular arms. She wore a tight black tank top, which did nothing to hide her large chest.
"Now there's a beauty!"
"Miss, what's your name?"
"Will you go out with me?!"
Almost instantly, many of the males in the Guild surrounded Maki, with the intention of asking her out. Yusei and Lucy looked on with a sweatdrop on their heads. Did Maki really have this affect on guys? And she was really muscular under her coat this whole time?
"I KNEW SHE WAS STRONG! SHE ALMOST CHOKED ME YESTERDAY!" Happy pointed out, though everyone simply ignored him.
"Ummm… Ummm… Ummmm…" Maki couldn't comprehend what to do. These people didn't think too highly of her muscles, and were actually trying to flirt with her. Unfortunately, she didn't know what to do, despite being a romantic at heart.
"Did you see those muscles? Now SHE'S MANLY!" Elfman shouted proudly. He hadn't seen a lot of women with well built muscles, so seeing Maki was a delightful surprise.
Unfortunately… his words struck a chord in Maki's heart.
Suddenly, the temperature in the Guild heated up, and source was not Natsu.
"Maki, are you okay?" Lucy reluctantly asked Maki, a feeling of dread coursing through her veins.
"WHAT. DID. YOU. CALL. ME?" Maki asked in a very dark tone, directed towards Elfman. The Guild members felt the need to step back, as if SHE was here. Elfman gulped heavily before he answered.
"I-I-I said… you were manly?" Elfman said nervously.
Bad move.
"MMMMMMMMMMMM!" Maki raised her head, her violet eyes glowing as an extremely anger expression appeared on her face. Before Elfman had time to react, Maki grabbed him by the collar and tossed him towards the wall. "HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A GORILLA CYCLOPS!"
"I DIDN'T SAY THAT!" Elfman let out a panicked scream before he crashed head first in a pile of tables, sending wood flying everywhere.
For a while, no one said anything. They were still trying to register what the hell happened. Yusei facepalmed to himself while Lucy's mouth was open wide in surprise. Happy hid behind Lucy while shaking like a leaf and Gray just stared at Maki with wide eyes. 'What the hell was that?' Gray thought to himself.
And Natsu was laughing his ass off.
"Holy crap, she knocked him the hell out! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Natsu exclaimed loudly while rolling on the floor laughing.
His words seem to have knocked Maki out of her trance. Her expression morphed from anger to shock. "Oh no, WHAT DID I DO?!" Maki shouted in regret. She did the same thing to Shinra and Arthur, but they were her comrades and they were sparring. Elfman was a complete stranger, yet she threw him like nothing.
But instead of being angry, everyone began laughing.
"Damn, now that's what you call a strong woman." Loke said with a smirk while fixing his glasses.
"Remind me not to make her mad." Cana muttered with a chuckle as she drank from her mug.
"I must draw her!" Reedus said before he took his paintbrush and canvas and began painting.
"You aren't mad at me?" Maki couldn't help but ask everyone, unsure of how to process any of this.
"Oh, don't worry about Elfman or the damage. It happens all the time here." Mirajane reassured with a giggle of amusement. She always kept spare chairs in the cellar in the event some property was destroyed… which was all the time.
"But… I… okay." Maki decided not to push the issue and sighed. If that's how things are in this place, then let it be. She just hoped she didn't need to pay for any damages she might unintentionally cause.
"It's okay, Maki. Just sit tight while we find a job, okay?" Yusei assured the fire user, who nodded while sitting at a nearby table.
"Looks like Natsu isn't going to be able to get us a job." Lucy sighed while pointing at the rivals, who were still fighting each other.
"If you guys are looking for a job, I can help you out." Mirajane offered kindly.
"Are you sure Mira?" Yusei asked politely. He knew Mirajane might be busy with the Guild, and he wouldn't want to interrupt her. Mira waved off his concern.
"Oh, don't worry about that. Besides, the Master's away in a conference, so I'm in charge of the Guild until he returns." Mira said with a smile.
"Conference?" Yusei and Lucy asked in confusion.
"Mhm, it's a conference Guild Masters attend once in awhile to discuss new members and concerns the Magic Council has." Mirajane answered. Yusei raised a brow as he did read about the Magic Council before. "Hang on. Reedus, could I borrow a light pen please?"
"Oui!" Reedus shouted from the other side of the Guild before throwing a yellow pen, which Mira quickly caught.
"Thank you." Mira said quickly she began to write in the air(something that shocked Yusei and Maki) and drew a diagram with labels such as 'guilds,' 'Magic Council,' and so on. "The Council Era, is the most powerful organization in the magical world. It consists of ten members who uphold all magical rules and regulations. If someone was to break the law, then they are tried by the Council." A nervous smile crept on her face as she knew Fairy Tail was on the Council's bad side. Yusei looked in interest as Maki took in the new info. It looked like this world had its own government that Wizards and everyone else followed. "Then there are the different Guild Master's League, which are local groups that work together to keep peace. They also communicate with other Guild Masters on a regular basis."
"Wow, I never knew guilds were so connected." Lucy said in awe. She might have heard a few things about the government in her youth, but she never knew it was this deep.
"While the system is a bit difficult, it helps keep everything and everyone balanced. The only problem is the dark guilds that keep popping up outside of the system. They want nothing more than to spread chaos wherever they go." Mirajane said with a frown.
'So even this world faces criminal groups, like the Evangelist.' Maki thought to herself with her own frown. As a soldier, it was her duty to protect the innocent from anyone who dare disturb the peace.
"That sounds scary." Lucy said with a shiver.
"Say that one more time Ice Princess!"
"I said you keep making problems for us to fix, Ash Breath!" Natsu and Gray pressed their heads together while glaring into the other's eyes.
"Then let's get serious and see who's the strongest!" Natsu lit his fists on fire with a big grin.
"Tch, no problem. I'm gonna show how much of a washout you really are!" Gray got into a stance as a blue magic circle appeared on his hands. Before anyone could do anything, a Guild Member suddenly stormed inside the guild with a look of horror.
"I got bad news: ERZA'S BACK!" He shouted in pure terror.
Silence overtook the guild, much to Yusei, Maki and Lucy's confusion. 'Just saying her name made everyone stop.' Yusei thought with a raised brow.
"It seems Natsu and Gray aren't the only ones afraid of this Erza character." Stardust said in curiosity.
"Ummm, is there something wrong?" Lucy asked with a slightly terrified tone.
"Well, Erza is the strongest female wizard in the guild, and she's a bit intimidating." Mira said without any fear in her voice. It seemed like she was the only one who wasn't afraid of Erza.
"She can't be this scary, can she?" Lucy asked nervously.
*Cling*Cling*
The sound of metal boots walking along the street echoed through the Guildhall as everyone looked at the doors. Soon, a figure could be seen… carrying a large horn with one arm! The figure was a relatively tall woman with a slender figure, beautiful scarlet hair that reached her back and serious brown eyes. She wore a silver set of Heart Kreuz armor, a simple blue skirt and black boots. She also had matching gauntlets, a blue Fairy Tail guild mark on her left arm and silver diamond-shaped earrings. The woman entered the guild before dropping the horn on the ground, making the ground shake a bit.
"I have returned, where is Master Makarov?" She asked sternly.
"Wow, she's pretty." Lucy muttered under her breath. Hell even Yusei had to admit this woman was attractive, maybe on the same level as Akiza.
As for Maki…
'Oh my god, SHE'S A GODDESS!' Maki thought with wide eyes and a hint of admiration. She had seen women much more beautiful than herself, but Erza… she was on a whole other level!
"Welcome back Erza, Master is currently at the Guild Master's Conference." Mira answered sweetly.
"I see." Erza nodded in understanding while sighing a bit.
'Hmm, she's not as bad as everyone said she was.' Yusei thought to himself.
"Now listen up!" She commanded, getting everyone to straighten up. "While I was away, I heard a few things that Fairy Tail has caused nothing but trouble. Master may not care, but I certainly do. Cana, you need to control your drinking habits…." The burnette sunk down in her seat, slowly sipping her mug. Erza then went on to scold some of the other members of the guild, making Yusei sweatdrop and Maki to shiver a bit.
'Okay, now I see why they think she's bossy.' Yusei thought with a quiet sigh. So it seemed like no one else was sane in this place.
'She's just like Lieutenant Hinawa!' Maki thought with a look of fear.
"She's really tearing into everyone…." Lucy muttered to herself.
"That's Erza for you!" Happy said innocently while flying next to Lucy.
"Are Natsu and Gray here?" Erza called out, or rather demanded.
"H-Hey Erza, just hanging out with my buddy here." Gray said nervously while he and Natsu had an arm wrapped around each other's neck with forced smiles. It was clear that they were nervous, as indicated from the amount of sweat they were producing.
"Aye!" Natsu replied, shaking in his sandals.
"When did Natsu become Happy?!" Lucy exclaimed in shock. One minute, they were mocking each other and the next, they're best buddies?
"It's good to see you two getting along, though it is natural for even the best of friends to lock horns." Erza said with a small smile. If only she saw what they were doing just moments ago.
"I wouldn't say we were best friends…." Gray muttered.
"Aye…" Natsu added.
"Okay, this is… different." Yusei had to say, earning a giggle from Mira.
"It's only natural. Natsu challenged her to a fight a few years ago and got beat up pretty badly, same with Gray, though that is because he was caught without clothes. Also, she beat up Loke for hitting on her." Mirajane answered, all with her smile still plastered on her face.
"That, I can understand." Maki said with a sweatdrop.
"Natsu, Gray, I need a favor." Erza spoke up with a serious tone. The Signer and Second Generation Pyrokinetic heard a collection of shocked gasps, even from Mira. "While I was traveling, I heard something that troubles me and while I would normally asked the Master, he isn't here and this is a matter of the utmost urgency. The two of you are the strongest wizards here, and I need all your strength for this mission."
"No way that just happened."
"Erza, asking people to help?"
"Must be a hard mission if she can't do it alone." The members of Fairy Tail began to whisper different theories as to why Erza would ask the two rivals for their help.
"Natsu, Gray and Erza. Those three… they can be the strongest team in all of Fairy Tail!" Mirajane shouted in shock and a bit of awe.
"Is it that surprising?" Maki asked innocently. Even if Erza reminded her of her fellow Second Generation Fire Soldier, she seemed to be a capable leader.
"Well yeah, like I said before, she is the strongest female in the guild. I hope they'll be alright." Mirajane said in a concerned tone before a thought occurred. "Yusei, could you and Lucy go with them as backup? I would really appreciate it." Yusei watched as Natsu and Gray reluctantly nodded at Erza's request. He had seen a bit of what they could do, but just in case, it wouldn't hurt to go along as backup.
"Sure, we can do that." Yusei said with a nod.
"We will?" Lucy asked, getting the two to look at her with curious expressions. She shrunk a bit while laughing nervously. "I-I mean, yeah we will."
Maki watched the interaction between the two before standing up. "I can help too." The three looked at Maki in slight surprise.
"You want to help?" Mirajane asked with a curious expression. Maybe this girl was like Yusei and wanted to offer her help out of the goodness of her own heart.
"I'm still new to Magnolia and I feel like I can help them in case they need reinforcements." Maki said with a look of determination, getting a smile from Mira, Lucy and even Yusei.
"She truly is worthy of being a Champion." Stardust complimented with a chuckle.
"Thanks Maki, we appreciate it." Yusei said while extending a hand towards Maki, who took it and shook it with a firm grip.
This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
'Magnolia station, sometime later'
"I can't believe I'm stuck with you. Erza could've done good with just me, why did you have to come?!" Gray shouted in annoyance at Natsu, who glared at him. After the sudden request, the group spent some time to pack whatever they could for the mission, though as you would expect, Natsu and Gray were a little more than peeved.
"Hey, if you have a problem with it, then tell it to Erza instead of me! At least then you can get your ass kicked!" Natsu shot back.
"You want that, wouldn't you?!" Gray shouted before he and Natsu butted heads.
"Will you guys knock it off? It's getting annoying." Lucy said in irritation as she, Maki and Yusei were currently seated at one of the empty benches, waiting for Erza to arrive. They hadn't been there for five minutes and already, Natsu and Gray were at each other's throats.
"They act worse than Shinra and Arthur." Maki said with a tired sigh, her hands on her lap.
"Friends of yours?" Yusei asked calmly while looking away from the book he was reading a book. It was called 'Myths of Fiore' and he got it from the blue haired girl, Levy McGarden. It described a lot of the myths Earthland had, from dragons to witches, to demons. While he wasn't much of a fan of myths, this 'Lullaby' he had heard of intrigued him, so he was doing some research on it.
"Yes." Maki said with a nod. "Shinra told me he and Arthur would always fight back in the Academy, and they would always compete with each other to see who was better." She then giggled a bit. "Arthur called Shinra a 'Devil' while Shinra called Arthur a 'Stupid Knight.' They can be childish, but they're good people."
"Have you dealt with anything like this, Yusei?" Lucy asked, only to be surprised when Yusei chuckled.
"They remind me of my friends, Jack and Crow. They would always get in fights, sometimes about food or how we should upgrade our Runners. I'm usually the one who has to break up their fights before things got out of hand. Natsu and Gray remind me of them, so I think I can handle them too." Yusei replied to his female friends.
"Mira asked you guys to watch them, but so far, you're doing pretty bad." Happy pointed out, making them sigh.
"Happy, do you want to sit on my lap?" Maki asked with stars in her eyes, a pleading expression plastered on her face. Happy was just so damn cute! How could she resist?!
But much to her disappointment, Happy turned his back on her. "NO!" His answer caused her to drop her head in shame, a dark cloud hovering over her.
"I apologize for my late entrance." Erza called out as she began to walk towards them. Yusei and Lucy turned to face her…...only to widen their eyes in shock.
'What the hell?' Yusei thought in bewilderment. Even Maki let go of her depression to stare at the large, or rather MASSIVE cart being pulled by Erza. It had a variety of suitcases and bags, all tightly wrapped by several ropes. 'Does she really need all that?'
"Oh, h-hey Erza. We were just talking about best bud things, right Natsu?" Gray said in a shaky voice as he and Natsu were each other's arms again.
"Aye….." Natsu added with a forced grin. Erza nodded before noticing the three new people she had seen in the guild.
"I never got the chance to introduce myself to you. May I have…" Erza turned around to see the male rivals being best buds, but as soon as she looked away, they were glaring at each other. "Your names?"
"Oh r-right, I'm Lucy and this is Yusei and Maki. Me and Yusei are the newest members of Fairy Tail and wanted to come along in case you guys need help." Lucy answered with a bow. God, she must look like a fool right about now!
"And you?" Erza asked, her gaze directed towards Maki.
"I'm an old friend of Lucy's. Mirajane asked Lucy and Yusei to come help, aso I volunteered as well." Maki said before giving Erza a salute, much to her interest.
"Ahh, I see you were trained in the military. I noticed your muscles earlier. They're quite developed." Erza complimented, causing Maki to blush while rubbing her left arm. To have someone as gorgeous as Erza compliment her made a smile grow on Maki's face.
"T-Thank you." Maki said with a smile.
"It's nice to meet you." Yusei spoke up as he offered Erza a hand, which she shook.
"Well, it's nice to meet you too Yusei, Lucy, Maki. My name is Erza Scarlet. I had heard you two had defeated 30 apes with just your pinkies." Erza said while looking the the former two.
'What?' Yusei and Lucy thought in unison while Maki looked confused. Were they THAT strong, or was this just an over exaggeration?
"It will be good to have you coming with us. We should be off." Erza said while grabbing her wagon.
"Hey Erza. I'll go with you, under one condition." Natsu spoke up with a serious tone.
"Shut up, you idiot." Gray scolded.
"Yes Natsu?" Erza asked with a curious tone. Natsu gave a grin while clenching his left fist.
"I want a rematch the next time we come back to Fairy Tail!" Natsu declared confidently, surprising everyone, even Erza.
"What's wrong with you? You got a death wish?" Gray asked his rival while putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm a lot stronger than I was last time, and I want to prove it to you!" Natsu declared with fire in his eyes(pun intended.) Yusei and Maki could sense his determination to fight, and had a feeling they wouldn't be able to talk him out of it.
Still, it made them wonder how strong Erza Scarlet really was.
"Hmmm, very well Natsu. I accept your challenge." Erza said with a small smirk. Despite her stoic attitude, even she could tell Natsu was strong.
Hearing her accept his challenge, Natsu's whole head was engulfed in flames as he roared at the sky. "OH YEAH! I'M ALL FIRED UP!
'On the train, a few minutes later…..'
"Someone kill me…" Natsu moaned in agony as his motion sickness was already in motion, causing his body to lean against the window like playdough.
On one side of their booth were Natsu, Maki and Yusei while the other side had Gray, Erza and Lucy. Happy was seated on Maki's lap, much to her joy.
'I've never seen motion sickness this bad before.' Yusei thought with slight pity. The very second the train started, Natsu's energetic nature was replaced with the green blob he saw now. It truly was pitiful.
"Man you're pathetic." Gray said to his rival offhandedly.
"It's gotta be tough for him to go from place to place with his motion sickness." Lucy said with slight pity in her voice.
'There must be something we can do to help him.' Maki thought with a frown. She liked Natsu. He was a nice guy who can be loud at times, but had this energy that was infectious. And now he was suffering from motion sickness. She HAD to do something.
"If someone ever feels motion sickness, it's best to put their head on your lap and say something soothing to them." Sister Iris' words rang in Maki's head, giving her an idea to help the Dragon Slayer.
"Lucy, can you hold Happy?" Maki said while picking up the blue feline and handing him to Lucy, much to her confusion.
"Umm, sure. But why?" Lucy asked as everyone turned to Maki out of curiosity.
"My friend told me how to deal with people who suffer motion sickness." Maki said before she grabbed Natsu's shoulders and gently lowered his head on her lap. She then removed her black glove in order to help comfort Natsu.
"Uuuuuuhhhhhhh…" Natsu continued to moan, waiting for the gut punch that would follow. But instead of a hard fist, he felt a hand rub his head, combing his spiky pink hair. "Wha?"
"Ssssshhhhh, it's okay. Just sleep." Maki said in a smooth tone, as if she was talking to an infant who couldn't sleep. It was thanks to her lessons with Iris that she was prepared for a situation like this. She had to admit, for someone who had spiky hair, Natsu's was surprisingly soft. Natsu seemed to relax under Maki's care and even smiled.
"Thank you Makiiiiiiiiii…" Feeling droopy, Natsu closed his eyes.
"Wow, I've never seen Natsu so relaxed." Happy admitted, lowering his fish to stare at his friend.
"How's you know what to do?" Gray asked with a raised brow. Not like he CARED about Natsu, he was just curious.
"My friend taught me how to comfort people." Maki said, looking down at Natsu with a smile. Erza noticed the way Maki treated Natsu before smiling. Maybe she should take notes, seeing as she would usually just punch Natsu on the gut and put his head on her lap.
"Erza if you don't mind, would you tell us what this mission is all about?" Yusei asked, getting to the point.
"Yeah, there's really no point in continuing if we're going in blind." Gray agreed.
"Very well, it's only right I inform you." Erza said while adopting a serious tone. "I have reason to believe that the dark guild Eisenwald is planning something big. The purpose is unclear, but what I do know is that they plan to use a magical item called Lullaby to do it." Erza raised a brow as Gray, Lucy and Yusei gasped in shock. "Is it something I said?"
"Lullaby, we've heard of it before." Yusei said as he gave her a serious expression. "Yesterday, we were ambushed by some wizards who were talking about something called Lullaby."
"But before we could ask what it was, they caught on fire and… died." Gray finished with a deep frown, earning a surprised expression from Erza.
"What?" Erza asked.
"We had them tied against a tree, but then someone used magic to kill them." Lucy said while visibly shaking. Just seeing those wizards burn was horrifying. Erza's expression darkened a bit at the news, but composed herself.
"I see. There's a chance those wizards who attacked you were with Eisenwald and wanted no part in this scheme." Erza then went on to explain what she had heard from the bar she went to, where some members of Eisenwald were also located in. She informed her team that they talked about unsealing Lullaby for something.
"So if it was sealed away, then it must be too dangerous to be used." Yusei said while rubbing his chin in thought before something came up. "No offense Erza, but are you sure they were from Eisenwald?"
"I am. They mentioned Erigor, the Reaper of Eisenwald." Erza looked down while clenching her fists. "I should've recognized that name, then this wouldn't have happened." She punched her lap, ignoring the pain that followed.
"Hey, we aren't blaming you Erza. We'll take down Erigor and anyone else to stop Lullaby, you have my word." Yusei reasoned with a smile, which Erza returned.
"You're right, thank you Yusei." Erza said in gratitude. She was glad to have the help of the people in front of her.
"So what kind of magic do you use, Erza?" Lucy asked, hoping to get away from the somber tone that infected their conversation.
"Erza's magic is pretty. She makes her enemies bleed a lot." Happy said in an upbeat manner.
"I'm sorry, what?" Maki asked, looking away from Natsu to join the conversation.
"I don't know about that. Personally I think Gray's magic is much more beautiful." Erza stated, getting a raised brow from Gray.
"What, like this?" Gray extended both hands: one open palm under a balled fist. An instant later, an icy mist surrounded his hands before he opened his fist, revealing the Fairy Tail guild mark, made out of ice.
"Wow!" Lucy exclaimed loudly.
"I use ice make magic." Gray said confidently.
"That's amazing." Maki said, her eyes sparking at the sight of the icy creation. While she liked her own powers, she found Gray's magic to be stunning. If she could have another element to use, she would choose ice.
"Hmmm, fire and ice. Is this why you and Natsu fight?" Yusei asked in amusement.
"Nah, I just hate his guts." Gray said with a smirk. It wasn't long before the train stopped at their destination. The Fairy Tail wizards quickly gathered their things before exiting the cart. Yusei rubbed his neck a little before noticing a lack of pink hair.
"Guys, where's Natsu?" Yusei asked the group.
"Oh, he's….." Happy looked behind him and saw his friend wasn't there. The sound of the train ringing caught their attention as it left. "Ummm, I think he's still on the train."
"Maki isn't here either!" Lucy shouted, noticing the third female in their group wasn't around. Did she not even know they got off?
"I was so busy talking that I forgot about him. Natsu hates all forms of transportation." Erza scolded herself. "One of you, hit me for my ignorance!"
'She can't be serious.' Yusei sighed as Erza bowed her head, ready to get the hit she deserves."No one's going to hit you. We all forgot to get Natsu, but I'm sure Maki's with him. Since the train's already far for us to run, I'll go get them."
"And how will you-" Gray was cut off when Yusei reached into his deck box and pulled a card with an image of a red motorcycle on it.
"Duel Runner!" The card was engulfed in a red light before materializing into Yusei's Runner. Erza and Gray widened their eyes in pure shock as Yusei got on the driver's seat and put on his helmet. "I can't carry everyone, so you'll have to find another way. Try to catch up as fast as you can." With that, he turned on his Runner and quickly drove towards the train.
"W-w-what just…." Gray muttered in pure shock.
"Yeah, Yusei kinda has a special kind of card magic." Lucy said nervously.
Oh boy, this was gonna be weird.
'With Natsu'
"Natsu, we need to go now." Maki said while shaking the sleeping Dragon Slayer a bit. However, it seemed that he was a little too relaxed and ended up falling asleep. It would be cute if it weren't for the fact that she couldn't go with the others.
"Mmmmmm…" Natsu simply sighed in his sleep, shifting a bit, making Maki blush. He was just too cute when he was asleep.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" A much older voice asked Maki, who still had her attention on Natsu.
"No it isn't. You can seat if you want." Maki said without thinking. She heard footsteps on her right before the speaker sat across from them.
"It seems your boyfriend's a little too comfortable, don't you think?" The Stranger said in amusement.
"He's not my boyfriend. Just a friend who has motion sickness." Maki quickly replied.
"I bet you have a lot to deal with… considering your occupation." The stranger spoke up, catching Maki's attention.
"What do you mean?" Maki said before she raised her head… only to widen her eyes in shock.
"Oh, you know… being a Fire Soldier must be stressful. Fighting all those Infernals and being a symbol of hope for the people." The stranger said before they let out a puff of smoke from their cigarette. The stranger was a tall man with long, black, stringy hair that falls below his neck, and a concentric circle-shaped iris in his right purple eye. His outfit resembles that of a cowboy. It consists of a black top-hat, a patterned black bandanna across the left side of his face that covers his left eye, an old-fashioned shirt with a burgundy red waistcoat, as well as alternating white and black trousers and shoes. He let gave Maki a very menacing grin before speaking again.
"I think it's time we had a talk… Maki Oze."
"Joker."
Pretty sure many of you who watch Fire Force knew this would happen: Maki and Joker meeting face to face. Honestly, I didn't plan on this happening, but then I thought 'why not switch things up and have Kageyama appear later?' He isn't that much of an important character, and I feel like Joker would be much more a threat.
But yeah, this might be a good chapter to start the Lullaby arc with. Trust me, I have a few twists you guys will like and as you can see… I'm a fan of Natsu x Maki. You can thank my beta reader and friend Earth Dragon Arnighte for that. So for those who asked me if Maki is getting a pairing… here it is.
The next chapter might get done either at the end of December or in early January since I feel like this story can be a monthly thing. I hope you guys will like what I write next.
Follow, Fav, Review and Pm for anything.
Next time: Unexpected attack.