The Guildmasters office was one of the most secure rooms in the building, even before I had added my own personal touches to it. Simon had made the room his own in the years. And it showed in the fact that the furniture was now sized for someone slightly larger than average instead of the small stature that Makarov favored to charge his Titan Transformation Magic.
It was not as comfortable as my office, I personally thought. There were no decently cushioned chairs. But there was a smallish round table with enough chairs for the S-class wizards, both the former and current Guild masters, Mest and myself.
And that was who was all present. There was a chair open between Mirajane and Erza. The former gave me a smile, reaching out and squeezing my hand.
You get a break for now, but you're busted for leaving and swapping with that clone yesterday.
Of course...
The memories for that clone had come in during the night when it had dispelled from my apartment in Fairy Hills. But Mira had allowed the charade to continue for the entire day, so I would take what I could get and be grateful. Laxus was also here and I was still damnably hyper aware of him. I tried not to look at him for too long. Jellal looked as if he had always been meant to be where he was, scanning some documents with words on them that I couldn't make out without Story Magic telling me their contents. Erza however, was tightly wound and ready for...something. Gildarts likewise looked uncharacteristically serious. Though he shot me a wink when I walked in.
He heard about the crush talk and is very interested in meeting Sting.
Oh frik, nope, nope, nope.
I wasn't worried about the Crash Mage trying to hurt Sting. No. I wasn't ready for that level of 'Dad'. And Gildarts was warming up to the role, terrible jokes, nosy questions and standard Fairy Tail Family Initiatory threats included.
"Now that we're all here. We can get to the primary purpose of our discussion today."
Simon said, settling into his own chair. "Something that should have been addressed long ago."
Erza scowled, but she didn't let out what she was thinking. But her murderous aura said a lot.
Note to self: keep Sting away from Erza until she is distracted with cake.
Note made. Though you going out of your way to protect him from them this will only be seen as evidence of 'Stae'.
I'll deal with that as long as I can keep him alive!
I tried to reel that in so it didn't get too distracting. The unprompted, but entirely fitting devil horns on Mira's head were there to stay however.
"Our first item on the agenda is addressing something Laxus has brought forward."
Simon handed off the leading of the meeting with a nod to the Lightning Dragon Slayer. He took it with blunt efficiency.
"Twilight Ogre has got to go."
Mira tilted her head, blue eyes alert but not hostile.
"Who?"
That made me snicker on the inside. The perfectly suited response to the guild of money grubbing spendthrifts. And one that would rile them up to an incredible degree.
"Financial guild masquerading as a wizards guild." Jellal reported, quietly moving to another sheet. "They have just barely enough magic users to register as an operational Wizard's Guild. The majority of their income stems from investment and 'protection'."
Ah, he's reading my reports...In which case, I believe I openly called them extortionists.
You did, he is keeping the meeting civil for now by using a different but applicable term.
"I see." Mira mused, folding her hands demurely on the table before her. "And what exactly is the extent to which they need to go?"
"No one would be upset if they vanished mysteriously." Mest responded bluntly. "A number of our regular escort, and patrol work was taken up by them thanks to clauses embedded in contracts for financial backing and loan repayment. Their clients could pay reduced interest if they hired Twilight Ogre mages for their needs."
And those interest rates were brutal. So those businesses who had gotten stuck with them I couldn't fault for choosing the route for survival. It was what we had done too. But there was a clause I had found in my unwilling, but informative interactions with the guild that was very useful...
"The exact wording is 'suitable protection'." Simon's spectacles glinted in the light.
"Suitable." Erza repeated, gauntlets creaking softly as her own eyes glittered at her friend, her bloodlust rising. "And this suitability is determined by what?"
"They interpret that to be sufficient manpower. But an argument can be made for quality over quantity."
Laxus and Makarov exchanged matching looks across the table before the younger Dreyer spoke.
"If we beat the tar out of them enough to make it evident that they didn't stand a chance, the local work will default back to us. I started on a few of them yesterday when I was at the bank."
That was something I had considered. The best method to deal with them since they were well armed with unscrupulous lawyers, instead of 'walk softly, carry a big stick' was more like 'be really obvious that you have the bigger stick'. A handful of us were a good threat. But the overwhelming force that was our guild's core members, those who had been raised in the guild and viewed it as a family, was an even better one. The Tenrou group made a very, very sizable stick.
"Well that's taken care of then." Gildarts said, chuckling. "Not gonna be any shortage of volunteers for a good brawl."
"It won't be a brawl, it'll be a massacre."
"So much the better~."
The She-devil was in full swing now, she was practically purring at the idea of having some hapless sap to unleash the more vicious parts of herself on. And I wasn't entirely sure if Mirajane's horns were my unconscious creation, or her deliberate manifestation.
"The next order of business would be the aftermath of the press conference we had here yesterday."
That made me want to shrink into my chair a little. But I made myself hold still.
"We expected some kind of response from Sabertooth."
"Was that boy one of the expected responses?" Erza's tone was sour and obviously displeased. Simon kept an even keel in the face of Titania's displeasure. The years, and probably Ultear, had helped him get a much thicker skin when it came to making Erza happy.
He still regards her as one of his closest friends in the world. But the romantic feelings are put to rest.
A moment of silence for Simza...
"As he has been visiting Magnolia for years and is also friends with Wendy and Kagura, no, he was not what I expected. The reporter on the other hand has a history of sparking conflict between Sabertooth and other guilds. We have not been targeted before because we didn't try to compete with them in the Grand Magic Games."
I thanked all the stars, especially all those connected to the Celestial Spirit King, that none of the Tenrou group asked why we hadn't.
"But with our numbers being doubled by your return, there are a number of people who are wanting to get some payback. From more than just Twilight Ogre."
Kagura. He is talking about Kagura.
Her work was by far the most affected by our losing so many clients. She took battle jobs where accidental injuries were expected. Or large scale demolition. And my fierce, competitive, and proud friend, wanted to protect her home the best way she knew how: with conflict and combat.
Everyone felt that on one level or another. That burn of being disregarded and ignored. Or worse yet, pitied for trying to hold onto our friends' memories.
"From Sabertooth? What did they do while we were gone?"
And this was spoken by our red haired Requip master in frigid, deathly tones. I reached over and barely touched Erza's arm, drawing her gaze to mine. I wasn't trying to say there was no cause to be upset...but I kinda was too. She was still thinking about Sting showing up at the press conference and viewing it as a deliberate slight from Sabertooth itself. When that wasn't the case. The other guild wasn't an enemy. They were just led by jerks. And the Twin Dragons had been amazing friends to us, defying said leadership to preserve our camaraderie.
She seemed to catch some of what I meant, and softened slightly and that was when I noticed a lot of people were looking at me.
You are the resident expert on Sabertooth.
So I spoke up in a meeting of my perceived and literal elders for the first time.
"Sabertooth filled the void that was left when we lost all of you for seven years. We were put on the defensive, and had to change how we presented ourselves."
It felt like I was letting people down by admitting this. Gildarts was this titanic presence in my family that was irreplaceable and without peer. Mira had been a big sister and then a mother. Makarov, Erza and Jellal had all worked with me as a mentor and student. And skating around how I had not been able to do what they had done in front of Laxus felt rotten right now.
"We didn't have the manpower to do what you all did. So we rerouted our resources to avenues that could see us through until you returned. Sabertooth stepped into that gap as we stepped out into new fields. Some view this as our decline."
I kept my tone bland and factual. This much was true, no matter how uncomfortable it was to tell people that they were viewed as our Golden Age and that it was an age long past.
"For the most part, it doesn't go beyond the usual trash talk that you can expect from guilds with different ideals. Personal conflicts have been, just that: personal."
Simon tilted his head slightly to look at me and silently call me out on my circumspect wording.
"In every meeting of Fioran guild masters, Jemma has never failed to miss an opportunity to nitpick and goad us into an open competition. And whenever he failed to get a reaction from me, he would have his daughter try to instigate a similar response from Fae."
"Sabertooth has been ranked first for the last five years. Fairy Tail isn't even in the top ten right now." Jellal said incredulously. "Are you saying that a guildmaster, a grown man, has behaved like a schoolyard bully for all this time?"
This got a few wry chuckles from Gildarts, Makarov and Mest.
"One would think that he would have a thicker skin." Gildarts mused, his prosthetic hand deliberately going through some basic motor control exercises I knew Wendy had assigned to him.
"He would only if there was an actual decisive victory." Our Memory Mage, his own memory fully restored thanks to Makarov using the key he had been given, placed his fingers together. "As it stands, the question of who is #1 in the country hasn't really been answered. Did they earn where they stand? Or was it given to them by default?"
Jellal appealed to me.
"Is that how he thinks?"
Yes, Jellal. Most Bad GuysTM are that insecure. And you were one of them. I'm sorry.
"Very much so. Victory is life to him, and he allows no questions. He enforces that view on his wizards. Sting and Rogue took to that style of management well, they are some of Sabertooth's top performers." I fought a smile at that. "Well, I know first hand that Sting is. I haven't sparred with Rogue too often, but I can infer they are equally matched."
And that made Makarov smile into his mug as he took a deep draft, eyes twinkling at me.
He is more assured about Sting now that he knows.
And I was now on the alert.
He knows...what?
That you value the boys as your friends and trust them. That you made more friends near your age. He was worried that you never would.
Very interesting and definitely should think about that later. Moving on.
Simon took up the presentation now.
"Jemma goes for high stakes. Win and lose. And his daughter, who is his second in command in the guild, has a similar mindset."
She was more 'all or nothing' rather than just high stakes. But I wasn't about to rile them up about how Minerva and I had an antagonistic relationship at best. Not when keeping the meeting low key and civil was in everyone's best interest. Far from mellowing with time, my opinion of Minerva, and by that I meant the mindset with which she had been raised, had only sunk lower.
Angie, the probationary Sabertooth mage that Minerva had tried to use to make me have a public meltdown, had been cut from the roster of potentials not long after that incident. Blue Pegasus put her in touch with Mermaid Heel, and last I heard she was very content where she was now. Sabertooth was not an easy environment. But if you failed at something that you were expected to do? It became hell for as long as you remained there unless you managed to pull off a spectacular comeback. Most washed out, unwilling or unable to cope with the pressure.
"So if Fairy Tail puts a team forward in the Grand Magic Games, they will see it as a chance to prove that they have earned their bestowed title. Whereas right now, they could view it as having been given to them by default."
I gave a half hearted shrug at Jellal's assessment.
"Maybe."
It felt like highlighting our struggles to put the Tenrou group into the game to win where we had never tried. And no matter how much I wanted to pretend I didn't care...
I care. I care intensely.
"Is there an upper limit on how many teams a guild can put forward as participants?"
Makarov's question made everyone look at him. Everyone but Simon who gave a small, razor sharp smile.
He already thought this up.
"I don't believe there is." Mest spoke slowly, searching his memory carefully.
"Fae?"
Morgana didn't even wait for me to ask.
There is not.
"There isn't. Every guild usually only puts one team forward made up of only their best to maximize their chances."
"Well, we don't do anything the usual way, now do we?" Gildarts was on the verge of laughing.
No. No we do not.
"How many members are there to a single team?" Jellal asked, brow furrowed.
"Five, with one reserve member allowed, but they aren't required."
This made something go around the room. A lifting of chins and a brightening of eyes.
"Well, that is not nearly enough."
Makarov was grinning like a maniac, devil horns matching Mira's curling up from the fringe of white hair ringing his head.
Why is he so into this?
Revenge, money and bragging rights. Simon made him aware of the grand prize.
Well, nice to know that some things never change.
Makarov was the surrogate parent of at least a dozen of the wizards in his guild, having been their primary guardian in the face of losing their own family. Including me. He had bragged about us pretty much every time he got together with his old buddies, mostly former Fairy Tail members as well.
But that aside, what he proposed would be a devastating statement too. To join the games with more than one team. Not putting all our hopes into one basket, but throwing out a lot. As many as we felt like. Because winning the competition and reclaiming the title never mattered to us. We did. Our guild family did.
I could almost see it now: Our members would go just as hard against their own guildmates if they were on the opposing team. And that wouldn't do anything to our unity. We were strong enough that we could have fun with each other in front of the whole world and not care about who was watching.
"So...are we going to just ask for volunteers and go ham? Or will we make a plan about how Fairy Tail will make its comeback."
I asked tentatively.
"Of course we'll make a plan."
The voice sounded from right behind me. Erza and I jumped in unison, with identical squeaks, my heart leaping into my throat.
Gana, please tell me next time Mavis is behind me.
...she just appeared.
I saw Laxus, seated across from me, smirking. And the voice in my head that had decided he was the perfect target for a big fat crush cooed.
He thinks the sound you made was cute.
My only consolation was that Erza was equally mortified at having Jellal hear her like that as well. But he wasn't looking at her, very deliberately.
-vVv-
Posing the question to the guild got the expected result.
The Tenrou group were wondering what the Grand Magic Games were. Those who had remained behind were torn between apathy and burning eagerness. Except for Natsu.
Natsu had spent the day sparring with Kagura and seemed to have established a firm bond with the Gravity Mage that apparently transcended words. They were, to my eyes at least, covered in matching fiery auras of battle lust. Or bloodlust, in Kagura's case.
"I don't know what that is but I'm down for it!"
Simon didn't sigh. But I could tell that he wanted to as he looked at his bloodthirsty younger sister.
"The Grand Magic Games are the competition that was instituted to publicly showcase wizard talents, and give everyone a chance to be named the #1 Guild in Fiore."
He did not say why that title was no longer ours. And I appreciated that.
"Fairy Tail has never taken part in these games. We were short staffed and could not afford to take the time out of our work to dedicate to the training period."
The Furies would have made up the core team. My contracts came in practically non-stop, I was booked out for months at a time. Wendy was a freaking doctor, of course she never had time. Kagura wasn't willing to go have fun in the games while the rest of us worked to send her there. Kinana just wasn't going to be able to carry an entire team by herself. Mest was too specialized, plus still in a very confusing place with his Memory magic, and Simon by virtue of being the guild master, couldn't participate.
"This year, circumstances have changed." Simon's eyes glittered down at us. "We have held steady against our challenges without you. And now that we are all together, there are a number of you who have fairly clear schedules as I understand it."
There was only so much work to go around right now. A few people chuckled darkly at what Simon was implying. And my mixed feelings aside, I was so ready for this next plot of his. Bickslow was all but vibrating with anticipation, having been looped in on the fun at Laxus's suggestion.
"So, by show of hands: Who's interested?"
There was an approving cheer as a wave of hands were lifted, Happy even had his paw up, swooping around the ceiling. Simon looked everyone over: the usual suspects were wholly committed, while the S-class Wizards were more moderate, but were showing the same feelings. They knew what was going to be happening next.
"Well, that's a lot of volunteers. Looks like we will need to have our own preliminary round."
There was some confusion at this, but Simon ignored that, and the startled demands for why that was necessary. He gestured and violet darkness flowed from his hands to slide up the wall behind him, forming the guild mark of Twilight Ogre.
"Under the laws which govern our right to employment as professional magic users, we as a guild...have suffered a great deal of persecution at the hands of one Twilight Ogre. They do not have proper wizarding connections in our city. Most of their interest in the matter is financial, and they've had their boot over the necks of our people for years. And they've been throwing their weight around."
The mood in the guild hall shifted. Bickslow cackled.
"Bickslow, if you would."
He gestured, his Soul Magic powered dolls floating out from their usual tight formation around him, and there were a lot more of them than the half dozen or so that he usually carried. One floated out to hover at the shoulder of each wizard who had put themselves forward to compete in the Grand Magic Games.
"The law which we will be bending to get rid of them is affectionately termed as 'Might Makes Right'." Simon explained simply. "If we can prove beyond any doubt that Twilight Ogre is not sufficiently up to the task of defending our city as we would, then their ability to seek further assets in our city would be cut off and they will be expected to withdraw their unreasonable demands."
And most of them were unreasonable.
"So, everyone who wants to participate in the Games: Here are the preliminary rounds rules, Fae?"
I stepped up them, pulling out a looseleaf sheaf out papers out of my book and thumbed through them.
"Set the board."
A scoreboard written in orange appeared along the back of the guild hall. I reached out and Bickslow caught my hand in his and I did a quick download of his floating drones to put up the names of every person in the game. And next to their name, was a counter, currently set at zero.
"We have compiled a master list of the offenders in Twilight Ogre. Bickslow will identify them to you, and issue the formal challenge. Your objective is to make them withdraw from Magnolia. You may do this the easy way, or the fun way, but you have to wait until the challenge is issued before starting. The drones will tag who you make leave the city and you will be scored points depending on their offenses against Magnolia and Fairy Tail, and how interesting an encounter it was. Penalties will be imposed for reckless endangerment and property damage, so watch yourselves! Once the first round is over, those who have scored ten or more points, will be accompanying Simon and Master Makarov to address Twilight Ogre's guild master and present them the evidence of their guild's utter defeat. Afterwards, Bickslow and I will compile a list of the best moments and we'll all relieve the fun again over dinner."
I smiled, seeing Kagura's eyes light up. My live storytelling had gained the additional element of an almost game-like aspect where the 'reader' would interact and immerse themselves more fully in the story. And I had written several illusionary simulations where you could play similar games to this. This particular kind was one of her favorites.
"As tonight would normally be Story Night, I hope you accept this as my contribution in place of a narration." I gave a polite curtsy and looked up at Simon. "Anything else to add to guildmaster?"
The man was normally reserved and did not express very much. But his excitement for what was about to happen was contagious.
"Not at all. Fae."
I looked back over the bright eyed, very eager wizards.
"Does anyone need prep time before we kick this off?"
Erza was already holding Natsu by the collar as he was raring to get out the door and wreck some havoc.
"Let me at 'em!"
Lucy laughed at her partner's antics. "I think we're good!" She said, giving me a thumbs up and settling her whip in a position where it would be easy to grab.
Eric looked thrilled, he met my eyes and Morgana translated his meaning for me.
'Aw princess. A hunt for me? You do care!'
I rolled my eyes at him.
Get over yourself, Eric. This set up is very much for my own enjoyment...but you are welcome. Have fun!
"Alright, everyone: Ready!" I slashed my pen up at the scoreboard. "Let the Wild Hunt begin! "
-vVv-
I was pretty sure that there would be a movement for a Wild Hunt to happen again. I got to watch from a front row seat as all our guild members went out and hunted down every member of Twilight Ogre in Magnolia. I had rarely seen them having so much fun. And the scoreboard went up for various names as I worked my way down a list.
Because a list was what I did. And Morgana had been keeping careful track of every Twilight Ogre member that we encountered or came across traces of.
I watched Erza crush two opponents in under ten seconds. Juvia swept the entire Twilight Ogre harbor patrol into the ocean. Gajeel was letting his victim whale on him and not accomplish anything thanks to his Iron Dragon Scales, but he did feel a little better. At least until the smoke cleared and he saw he had accomplished literally nothing and that Gajeel decided it was his turn. Lisanna enlisted a swarm of sewer rats to chase her targets right out of town.
The thought occurred to me then...and I turned away from watching, Bickslow remained where he was, utterly enthralled by the chaos before him. I went up to Makarov, who was observing the viewing screens that Bickslow and I were projecting onto the walls with a cat-like contentment.
"Hey Master?" He beamed up at me.
"Dear little Fae. Or just Fae I suppose since you went and grew up on me. Without my permission I might add."
I settled beside him with a chuckle, conjuring some matching musketeer hats with broad brims and elaborate, curling, colorful feathers. For old times sake. He adjusted his with a hum.
"Well, in that case, I suppose I could forgive you."
"Well it's not intended as compensation, more as a bribe." I admitted, leaning back against the table.
"I'm listening, dear."
"Ooh, if I get a hat too I'll help as well!" Mavis popped up out of nowhere as she seemed to enjoy. I made it a matching set by muttering 'Three musketeers'.
"When you go talk with Twilight Ogre and escort them from Magnolia proper, could you bring me back one of their flags?"
I had gotten into the habit of collecting flags. I had started with Phantom Lord, and had kept it up throughout. It wasn't anything for a totem or story. Not yet at least. But it was something I did. I had gotten several flags from other countries as well. Gifts mostly, not all of them were battle trophies.
"Certainly!"
Makarov agreed cheerfully, toasting at the screen with a laugh as Mirajane and Elfman played catch with one hapless Twilight Ogre Mage in their full Takeover forms.
If we didn't have the excuse of proving their incompetence, we would be in so much trouble!
In the end, it was Mira, Jellal and Erza who managed to score enough points carefully enough to go pay our unwanted intruders a visit at their location. Simon and Master went with them, I stayed with Mest and did the necessary paperwork to send to the Rune Knights to insure that Twilight Ogre couldn't come back even if they wanted to after this.
And I included the various instances that could indicate financial corruption and extortion to put the final nails in their coffin. They would need to do some very fancy dancing to not be disbanded entirely for this. And they would never recover enough face to try and crawl into Magnolia again.
The celebration after our Wild Hunt was loud and happy. The years fell away as everyone enthused over the new skills people had eagerly shown off
After Bickslow and I did our Top Ten moments, the best in my mind being when Eric and Kinana pulled a Batman on a group of poor suckers. Picking them off one by one without ever letting the group see who was targeting them.
Then Simon got up to make the announcement. After discussing with the S-Class members and their former masters, they had decided to put our guild forward for the Grand Magic Games.
There were a lot of volunteers for this. Mavis's plan had been presented in that Fairy Tail had more than enough strong, capable wizards to put together two teams of top tier wizards. The usual suspects. Natsu was raring to go, and where he went, Lucy was not going to be far behind. Gray would never allow himself to be left out of that bit of fun. Erza still hadn't gotten over her pent up rage at Twilight Ogre, who incidentally, were already signed up for the Games.
People were already chatting, making plans for their training and preparation.
I was trying to meet a deadline that had snuck up on me in the last week or so.
I need to rehaul my schedule. I thought ruefully.
All of a sudden, when I had more people around, the scant amount of personal time I had allotted myself for socialization was used up in the blink of an eye and then some.
I'll just finish the first draft for review and let Lord Thain and the theater know I'm taking a sabbatical. And tie up those contracts.
There was always one more thing to do. And another after that. And another. And another.
The whisper of cloth against metal sounded and I saw red. Erza settled on my bench beside me at my table. The same one I had sat at for years in the guild hall. She rant a gloved finger tip over an old dent in the wood. I think from some brawl where Gajeel's face had been forcibly planted in it and the table held up against it.
"I would expect you to be in the thick of planning."
Mavis was talking strategy with a few people, Simon and Makarov chiefly.
"We've got Master Mavis on the case and I've got a few other things that I need to take care of."
Among them being, find a time to call Prince Victor for the weekly check in. And answer the latest letter from the Fioran ambassador to Desierto.
Deseirto's culture placed a high importance on oral history and live storytelling. So my production of the Nirvit plays had caught the attention of some of their upper echelons. That and I privately thought Victor might have talked me up when he was meeting with them to arrange for Cassandra's study in their country. So there had been several hints about them wanting me to come and visit their country and see if I couldn't adapt some of their stories into my work.
Yet another thing on the list.
A gauntleted hand rested over mine gently, stilling the movement of my pen. I looked up into Erza's eyes, soft, brown and gentle in a way that few would ever get to see her.
"Fae, you can slow down. We're back. Fairy Tail won't die if you take a break."
"And my responsibilities won't go away if I do." I turned my hand up to squeeze hers gently in gratitude. "I want to wind down. But I can't change gears that quickly without something falling apart."
Erza's eyes flicked down to my hand and she moved to take a closer look at what she saw there.
They weren't rough from hard labor. But they were strong, marked with a scar, with a tiny writer's callous on my forefinger. And of course, on the palm was my guild mark. There was a quiet, shared joy between us as she touched it.
"I hope you've kept up on your exercises." She said, smiling at me, eyes twinkling. "I'll want to see how you've come."
"Kagura's is an even worse slave driver than you. She makes sure Wendy and I don't get complacent."
"She's done well for herself." Titania acknowledged this as Kagura backhanded Natsu and sent him bobbing across the ceiling as she temporarily canceled his gravity. Seeing her play casually with her magic always made me happy. That she could be so comfortable and mischievous in using something that had frightened her...
"Another surprise is that she hasn't spoken about getting into the teams for the Games."
And neither have you.
Morgana killed in the blanks for what Erza wasn't saying.
But the first part did take me aback.
"She's been wanting to blow the games out of the water for years. We just never had the time before." So why wasn't Kagura jumping on this now? I would have thought she would be gung-ho about this. She certainly was shying away from the friendly in-house competition for slots on the teams.
Erza hummed quietly.
"I did think that was a little odd. At first."
Gana...?
Nope, ask her and figure it out.
Morgana was getting stubborn about some of her insight. But I suppose it was better to, you know, actually talk to my friends instead of just reading them.
"You want me to go ask her about it."
She nodded with a small, pleasant smile.
"Right now."
"No use in delaying. The spots on the team will be filled up quickly with as many people we have that are eager to have a good fight."
Kagura was in deep discussion with Mirajane about the benefits of having unarmed fighting options available to her. Mostly an agreement and how Kagura could incorporate it into her own style.
"Since you're all about jumping, impact and so on, I'd focus more on kicks than punches." Mira was saying appraisingly, looking her over critically. "Most of your weight is going to be in your lower body, and you'll have better leverage. Leave your hands to do the delicate detail work."
"I don't do...delicate." Kagura's tone was wry but not rude.
"Maybe more precise stuff then? Something beyond straight damage?" I offered, slipping into the conversation, my book floating at my elbow reflexively. "I mean, just canceling someone's gravity enough to make them bob around is already impressive as hell. But right now, you're letting him keep his kinesthetic sense, otherwise he'd be getting sick all over us right now." Above us, Natsu was propelling himself around with controlled burns from his hands and looking like he was enjoying himself immensely. I gave it two minutes before he started to dive bomb either Gray or Gajeel to make the most of his enhanced range of movement.
"Exactly." Mirajane said with a sweet smile at me. Up at me. She was now shorter than I was.
Worldview adjusted.
Thank you.
"If you want to enable an ally to maneuver more easily, then it's a good thing. But for disabling someone, letting them feel the full force of the effect would be the best"
"I've never tried to do that. My opponents don't normally last long enough for me to need those tactics."
And that was true Kagura had all the subtlety and impact of an oncoming train when she was coming at you. Her fights were brutal, but once she involved magic, they rarely lasted very long.
"You'd have to shut off your own personal gravity and keep your stomach under control on your own to apply the same effect to others. You'd be a lot more limited in your ability to maneuver."
Kagura's chief passive ability was a complete and utter immunity to motion sickness or disorientation of any kind. She had her own personal gravity field that she could push to work independently of her physical orientation. However, that unconscious effect was projected throughout her magic, so anyone she used it on was going to get at least a portion of it. And if they were like Natsu, they would use the additional maneuverability to their advantage. Though not everyone would be as suited to doing so as he was.
She digested this with a small frown.
"Then I will have to get better so I can maintain both effects at the same time."
"That's the spirit!" The She-devil chirped sweetly, giving me a sidelong glance. "I'll look forward to seeing how you apply yourselves in the games. It sounds like it would be a lot of fun to cut loose and have fun with everyone!"
Kagura's mouth tightened and her only response was a slight nod, but she was watching me. Mira left us alone, for which I was grateful.
"You haven't hopped on the bandwagon for any of the team formations."
I would normally be a lot more tactful and considerate. But this was Kagura. She could understand subtlety, but she appreciated straightforwardness more.
"They aren't my team." She replied bluntly.
"But they are our guild."
"They are. But they are not you. Or Wendy. They are not my team."
I had to consciously adjust my worldview again.
I had been in the guild for years longer than either of my friends. Wendy had chosen to attach herself to Fairy Tail. But Kagura had chosen her brother first and foremost. If he had not been in Fairy Tail, she would never have darkened our doorway. If Wendy and I hadn't gone out of our way to connect with her, she would not be our friend the same way she was now. But we had, and we were now in the small circle of people that Kagura cared about with a deep fervor that only she seemed capable of.
We had years of living together. Working together. Years that neither she nor Wendy had with the people I had been waiting for. Kagura may respect the guildmates who had once been our elders. But she did not have the same trust in them and their abilities that I had. It wouldn't mean the same thing to her to stand beside them in this.
"You've wanted to prove yourself for years. I don't want you to hold yourself back on my account."
The hard lines of her face softened somewhat. Kagura had persistently kept an inch and a half ahead of me in height, but her personal gravity, pun intended, often made her seem taller. More larger than life. Her hazel eyes were frustrated and sad, rather than frustrated and angry.
"I don't want to face this alone. I am better because of you. And that is not just because we share a guild. You have helped Rogue and Sting. You helped a frightened little girl feel safe. You helped royalty from other countries learn to accept and grow as they are. Your service, your kindness, is not limited to those who wear this mark."
She tapped the front of her right shoulder, where Simon had placed her guild mark four years ago.
"It's not enough to show what I can do. They already know that. But they don't understand, and don't know you. And that is unacceptable."
This was practically a speech from Kagura and I tried to divine what she meant from it.
She valued the guild because it let her bond with others. The personal relationships she had achieved were what mattered to her.
That was what she wanted to showcase at the Games. For her, that was what was on the line. Not that we as a guild were good or skilled. But that we, her friends, were the best in our field and deserved recognition for that.
For her, victory wouldn't be taking first place. It wasn't showcasing her own skills compared to others. It wasn't her own success.
Kagura's victory would be to scream in triumph as those she cared about won. That they shattered every doubt and misconception that had even been formed about them.
She knew that she could succeed. She knew that we could succeed.
But proving the latter was much more important to her than the former.
"You won't put in to participate unless Wendy and I do. Even though you want to."
The Gravity Mage shook her head simply.
"You both sacrificed more time and effort than I ever have in developing your skills. It's not right for you to not be acknowledged as such by your magical peers, not just your academic ones."
And this was going to be a hill she was willing to die on. No quarter given.
But watching her sit out of something that I knew she wanted to be part of, knowing that I was the given reason why...
The guilt would hurt like hell.
I smiled mirthlessly.
"Foul play, Kagura."
She didn't even look guilty.
"You want this too, Fae. You denied yourself this because it was good for the guild at the time. I'm denying this, because it would be good for you right now."
She looked around at the boisterous people around us. The people I knew she cared for generally, but prioritized certain among them more than others.
"I am glad that they are back. I know it brings you more happiness and comfort than I can really understand. But you managed to thrive without them. You grew into a force to contend with. I won't let you pretend otherwise."
The denial was instantaneous. But not in the direction I thought it would go. And so I choked off the words before they could escape me.
No I didn't.
Not, 'no I didn't grow up'. But...no I did not grow up to fight on the same level as everyone else.
I could scuffle with the best of them. Having a thousand and one plans made resolving conflicts relatively simple. But to step up to the sort of challenges that Erza and Natsu took on? Lisanna and Mira?
I didn't have an absurd magic recovery rate. I wasn't a Dragon Slayer, or a Takeover Magic, or functional water elemental. I was a bookworm with very versatile magic and a bit of creativity. It was my niche, my thing.
Kagura's eyes were knowing and kind.
"You're thinking that it's not possible."
She was not often willing to talk about feelings or similar topics, but when she did, she was spot on.
"No...I just... I don't have a plan to reach that level."
Which was ridiculous, it seemed like all I did was plan. Plan how to improve. How to do this or that better. Upgrade existing items I had made...
This is gonna be another moment of semi painful self awareness, isn't it?
...Sorry.
I deemed that as Morgana's answer.
Kagura reached out her finger and turned my head towards...Gray. An Ice Make wizard who had dedicated his every fiber of willpower to learning one thing and one thing only. Powerwise, there was no comparison. Natsu could kick Gray's butt every time and he had an elemental type advantage to boot. But it wasn't one-sided. Natsu won some and he lost some to a wizard that on paper he should have had no trouble with.
Then she directed my attention towards Jellal, Freed and Lucy. Other people who I admired, and who fought on the same level as the people who could bare knuckle brawl with a dragon, by using their wits. Yes, Jellal had more power than most, it came from breaking through in the way that he had. But his real danger level lay in his intellect and ability to plan. I knew exactly what kind of a threat Freed was. And Lucy, while not being on Erza's level, was scrappy, smart and creative and had an unwavering trust in her contracted Spirits, which they had in her as well, that allowed her to pull off miracles.
It's not that I don't want to fight. Or even that I'm scared I wont' do it as well as them.
But it's like losing something I can't get back.
Stepping across that line felt like leaving the area that had a safety net under it. It was comfortable and normal to be the child among them. Not a peer. They could cover my back, they could make up where I lacked.
Some regression is expected when seeing someone again after a long time. But stagnation is not acceptable. Neither is learned helplessness.
"I get your point, Kagura."
"So what will you do?"
"Go back to the basics of storytelling."
Her expression fell flat as she gave me a dirty look. I chuckled, waving my hands in surrender.
"I have a point, I promise." She made a brief gesture to tell me to get on with it.
"Before I go up there and tell even a nursery story for children, I have to prepare. I have to mean every word I'm saying. Live every action that the characters are making alongside them."
I let my eyes trail around the room, looking at friends, mentors and peers.
"Before I can convince my audience that the story is real enough to matter, I have to believe it first."
She hummed consideringly.
"The teams will be finalized in a week. I want your decision before then." Now I was a little lost for a second.
"We've literally just finished deciding on teams."
Not what she meant.
Eric, out of the corner of my eye, was leaning forward, ignoring the conversations around him and just focusing on us. I could feel his attention like someone laying a finger on my shoulder. Just enough to make me feel he was there.
"The deadline to enter teams into the Grand Magic Games is in one week." Kagura clarified, a small smile curving her lips. "In one week, I will go to Crocus and submit Fairy Tail Team C: Consisting of myself, Wendy, Kinana, Eric and you."
I weakly raised my hand.
"And who is on as our reserve member?"
Her smile pulled wider, baring her teeth.
"We don't need one."
A/N
Kagura fought me so hard on this ending portion.