"Today's a special day, Stella." Lucy said as she was getting herself ready for an important day.
"I know. It's your father's birthday today." Stella said. "Your father appears to do a lot for you. It's great that you have a chance to do something nice for him. Have you even thought about what you're going to get him?" That one question is what stumped Lucy.
"I'm afraid not." Lucy said as she fell in her chair. "I don't have any idea what to get him. What do you get for a man that seems satisfied with his life?"
"Why don't you go down and just ask if you could do anything nice for him? Presents don't have to be material possessions." Stella suggested. Lucy thought about it and thought it wasn't a bad idea. Thinking it would help her, Lucy made her way down to the bakery.
"Hey, Dad..." Lucy said as she went in, but she caught him staring at some photo. He seemed rather sad and that's not something you should feel on your own birthday. "Dad, are you okay?" She asked and snapped him out of it.
"Yes, Lucy. I'm fine." Jude said as he put the photo down and went on with work. "Is there something you need?"
"Uh... Not right now." Lucy said as she thought it wasn't all that important at the moment. When Jude turned away, Lucy spotted the photo and wanted to know what was on it. When he wasn't looking, Lucy grabbed the photo and left the bakery to take a look at it. She looked down to see her father from when he was younger standing with a man.
"Who's that man standing with your father?" Stella asked.
"I believe that's my grandfather: Edger." Lucy said.
"You mean you're not certain about who your own grandfather is?" Stella questioned.
"I never met him, and Dad doesn't really talk about it for some reason." Lucy said. "I wonder what happened to them." Lucy has always been curious about her grandfather, but knows nothing about him. "Maybe I should talk to Mom about it. Inviting Grandpa over would be a great way for me to meet him." Wanting to know more about the grandfather she never met, Lucy set to get answers. She walked back up to her apartment to meet with her mother. "Hey, Mom. How come I never met Grandpa Edger?"
"Your grandfather?!" Layla said in shock with her nearly dropping a dish. "Uh... That's a little complicated. Your father doesn't really like talking about it."
"What do you mean? What happened between them?" Lucy asked.
"Well, Edger prefers old fashioned ways." Layla said. "Your father did something that wasn't exactly old fashion." That's an idea, but doesn't give a clear picture of what Lucy is looking for. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I don't think your father would like me talking about it."
"But it's his birthday. He should be here, maybe work things out." Lucy said.
"That would sound nice, but I'm afraid it isn't that easy. Your grandfather can be pretty stubborn." Layla said. "You should just not worry about it and focus on having a good day." Layla just left things at this. Lucy didn't want to pry, but she wants to know more about her grandfather. All she could do was just go back up to her room and think this over.
"I wonder what happened between them?" Lucy said.
"It must have been something your grandfather didn't agree with." Stella said. "People don't like it when their ways are challenged. If only you could find him." Lucy thought about that and new a way that could work.
"That's it!" Lucy said. "That's what I can get my dad for his birthday. I'll bring my grandfather here, and I know how to find him." She went right over to her computer and put in all the information she could about her grandfather into a viral program that could locate him. "There we go." She put in all the info and was surprised to see his address was right in Paris. "He lived in Paris this whole time?"
"Sounds like your father and grandfather really do have problems if you didn't know that." Stella said.
"That makes it all the better when I bring him here for Dad's birthday." Lucy said as she was pumped to meet her grandfather and bring him to see her father after being so long apart.
...
Natsu
While Lucy was making her plans to get her grandfather to her father's birthday party, it was just another regular day for Natsu. He practiced the piano while Igneel was looking at the news about a newly built train with Taylor and her father on it.
"What's so great about this train? So it can move a little faster than most trains. So what?" Igneel said.
"Just a piece of progress. You probably just don't see all the improvements." Natsu said. "Things are changing and progressing."
"But there's one thing that always remains simple and tasty." Igneel said as he flew over to a plate of meat and had piece. Some things change and others stay the same.
...
Lucy
Lucy headed to where the address of her grandfather was. When she arrived at the house, she saw it was old and looked like it's been around for a long time. That's to be expected of someone set in the old ways. She looked through the metal fence and saw there were letters from the mail just sitting there. She was beginning to think her grandfather doesn't socialize that much. She reached for a bell on the gate and rang it. When that happened, a pipe opened up
"What do you want?" A voice came out of it.
"Hi, My name is Lucy, and I..." "If you're not the deliveryman for my flour, go away." She didn't even get the chance to say much. He just blew her off like it was nothing.
"Rude." Lucy complained.
"Try again." Stella said. Lucy gave it another shot as she ran the bell and it happened again.
"What do you want?" Edger said.
"I was trying to tell you earlier. My name is Lucy and..." Lucy tried explaining, but he wouldn't listen. He just kept brushing her off, but doesn't know what to do. "Maybe I should come back another time?"
"Don't give up so easily." Stella said. She took a few steps away before she saw a delivery truck came up and saw the deliveryman with the flour Edger was talking about earlier. He ran the bell.
"What do you want?" Edger asked.
"Your delivery of flour is here." The deliveryman said.
"Oh! Christoph! Perfect!" Edger said. The gate opened no problem. That gave Lucy the chance she needed.
"Excuse me!" Lucy called as she rushed over to him. "I can take that for you. My name is Lucy and I was paying a visit to my grandfather."
"Edger has a granddaughter? He never said anything about having a family." The man said. "Well, I suppose it's okay." He handed over the bad to Lucy, but she struggled to hold it. "Are you sure you got it?"
"I've got it." Lucy claimed as she tried to hold it up and went on in. She carried the bag up to the front door and was able to open it and get inside. She had a look around on the inside and saw everything was old, an old style, and much more. She moved around the house until she found herself in the kitchen and saw her grandfather for the first time with his back turned to her. He looked like a simple old man with a bald head and glasses. He didn't even look at her as he just kept patting down bread.
"Just put the flour down and be on your way, Christoph." Edger said.
"Uh... Where does Christoph usually put it?" Lucy asked. Edger turned around and noticed her for the first time.
"You're not Christoph!" Edger said.
"I told you that my name is Lucy. I'm...doing volunteer work as part of a school program, all that business stuff." Lucy lied because she thought he would just throw her out.
"Just put the flour down and be on your way." Edger said as he went back to working on his bread. Lucy wasn't going to leave so easily. She came here to learn more about her grandfather and that's what she's going to do. She looked around the house and saw how everything looked. All of it was old, models she hasn't even seen before, like the television. She tried working it , but it wouldn't even turn on.
"Your T.V. doesn't work?" Lucy questioned.
"I don't know why. It just went out." Edger said.
"It probably doesn't meet cable standards anymore." Lucy said. "In fact, some people just use their phones or computers to watch shows."
"That's not how it's done! Television is meant for watching and entertaining. Phones are meant for calling and talking." Edger said as he seemed against the modern ways. "Put the flour down and go away." Lucy just kept ignoring him and continued to look around. The next thing she noticed was a picture facing the floor. She flipped it over and noticed it was a wedding photo of her parents.
"Are these people your family?" Lucy asked/ Edger got really upset when she asked about that.
"Put that down!" Edger demanded with him yanking it out of her hands. "Are you a detective? You are quite nosy. Just put the flower down and get out."
"Sure, but...mind if I have a piece of that bread?" Lucy said as she just passed the flour over to him and went straight into his kitchen. She still had a look around and noticed something he has in common with her father: they both have a love for baking. "Wow. I cam tell this bread is going to be great. That oven you have looks like a good one."
"It should. It's been running strong and making delicious bread for years." Edger said. "You seem to know a thing or two about baking."
"Yeah. My family runs a bakery." Lucy said.
"They do? You seem rather familiar, young lady." Edger said with him getting suspicious. Lucy had to do something fast if she wants to get in his good mood.
"Uh... How good would you say your bread is exactly?" Lucy asked.
"Very good because it's traditional, the way things should be." Edger said. "My best ingredient in my bread is this." He reached for a jar of yeast to show it to her. "This yeast has been used in my family for many years."
"Sounds interesting." Lucy said as she liked she was getting somewhere. It also gave her an idea. "What would you say to having a small bakeoff with me. My parents taught me a lot about baking. If my bread happens to taste better than yours, will you do me a favor?"
"Ha! You are a cocky girl if you think you can match my bread. Challenge accepted." Edger agreed. This will be the chance that Lucy needed as the two of them got to work on their own bread.
"So, how come that photo was placed that way? Is there an issue?" Lucy asked.
"Not that it's really any of your business, but the man in the photo is my son." Edger said. "I have not seen or spoken to him in many years."
"How come?" Lucy asked as she finally has a chance to learn the truth.
"I taught him everything there is about baking." Edger said. "Then, he got these crazy ideas to change my recipes. He threw rice to the mix, add sauce from a store to make pizza, and threw candy into the mix for cake."
"That's it?" Lucy questioned as that sounded pretty silly to her. "That all sounds like it could be delicious."
"That's not how it's done!" Edger claimed.
"No offense, but that sounds like a lousy reason not to speak to your son." Lucy claimed. "Have you even tried any of his recipes? It could be better than you think."
"But none of it's done that way. In my day, things were done the way they should have been." Edger claimed as he was getting annoyed. "Why do you even...?" He was getting suspicious and soon realized something when he got a good look at her. "Hold on. You look familiar." Lucy felt like she was about to be busted. Edger went back over to the photo and saw how much Lucy looks like Layla. "You look a lot like this bride." When he realized that, he was beginning to see who she might be.
"Okay, you got me." Lucy said as she decided to come clean. "My name is Lucy. I'm your granddaughter."
"My granddaughter?!" Edger said as he couldn't believe he was laying eyes on his granddaughter for the first time.
"I'm sorry I lied, but it's my father's birthday. I was hoping to meet you and thought you could come over to make things right with him." Lucy said.
"No. No! I have no granddaughter! It's time for you to go!" Edger ordered as he practically pushed her out of the kitchen and closed the door on her.
"Whether you like it or not, you are my grandfather and it is your son's birthday!" Lucy called through the door. Edger just wouldn't listen. He's frustrated about the modern ways, frustrated with his family, and just seems to hate everything. He gripped his old yeast in anger, feeling like he wants to crush the modern ways to tore him from his son. The perfect ingredients for a villain.
...
Black Wizard
"A man who wants to hold on to the more traditional ways of life, blaming modern life for his problems. I can smell a great villain combined with a chance of victory." Black Wizard took an etherious in his hands and filled it with dark power. He released it out for Edger. "Fly, my little etherious. Turn this traditional old man to a modern enemy!"
...
Edger
The etherious found its way to Edger's house and got inside. It merged with the yeast and connected Edger to him.
"Bake-King, I'm Black Wizard. I'm granting you the power to destroy everything modern. Tradition truly is an underrated virtue that people needed to be reminded of. After this, I need you to get me something."
"Of course! Would you like a baguette or a croissant?" Edger asked.
"Uh... No... What I want is for you to get me the miraculous of Celestria and Salamondra, two modern heroes that approve of all these changes. Is that okay?" Black Wizard asked.
"Okay, it is. I'll show them all how it's done." Edger accepted the powers and began transforming.
"Grandpa? Are you okay in there?" Lucy asked. Suddenly, the door was smashed open with her being knocked to the floor.
"I am not your grandpa. I am Bake-King!" Edger was completely different now. His entire body was made out of pieces of bread while looking like a Viking. Even his beard and helmet was made of bread. "It is time to remind this city the way things are suppose to be done!" His jar of yeast turned into a silver jar of elixir. Once he opened up, he took a small sip, but his bread body expanded like his muscles grew. When that happened, he smashed right through the ceiling and went to cause havoc in the city.
"This wasn't part of the plan." Lucy said. Now she needs to do something about her crankier grandfather. "Stella, Twinkle!" Stella was pulled into Lucy's earrings with her becoming Celestria. This modern hero needs to stop this old loving villain.
...
Bake-King
Bake-King took his rampage out on the entire city. Anything that looked modern, he would destroy. He started by crashing into the ground and stopping a bus that runs on electricity.
"A bus run by electricity? That's not how it's done! It's suppose to be by gas! Bad for the environment, but that's how it's done!" Bake-King claimed. He smashed his fist against the front of it and caused it to slide down the street. Bake-King was about to attack some more, but Celestria used her whip and got it around his arm.
"And this is how I get things done." Celestria said.
"A superhero? That's not how it's done! It is for the police!" Bake-King said.
"To be fair, my miraculous is actually hundreds of years old." Celestria claimed, but Bake-King didn't seem interested. He just grabbed her whip and gave her one good toss that sent her flying. She ended up landing in a tree while Bake-King continued with his rampage.
"May I lend a hand." She looked down and saw Salamondra as he held up his staff.
"Thanks, Salamondra, but girls don't always need to be saved by boys." Celestria said as she jumped down.
"Maybe, but asking is never old." Salamondra said.
"I have a funny you and Bake-King might get along. Come on, I'll fill you in on what's going on." Celestria said as the two heroes got moving.
...
The Museum
Bake-King continued to rampage through Paris until he found himself at the museum. At that time, Levy and Gajeel were there and Levy started using her phone to film him.
"What are you doing?" Bake-King asked.
"Filming you..." Levy said.
"With a phone?! That's not how it's done! Phones are for calling and talking! Cameras are for filming!" Bake-King claimed as he snatched her phone right out of Levy's hands.
"Hey! That's censorship!" Levy argued.
"Just like the good old days." Bake-King laughed. However, he saw a bigger complaint when he looked right at the glass pyramid. "Pyramids in Paris?! That's not how it's done! Paris is Paris! Egypt is Egypt!" Bake-King charged right at the glass pyramid to smash it, but he felt himself tripped before he smashed anything. He looked to see Celestria and Salamondra made it just in time.
"What's so wrong with a glass pyramid in Paris?" Salamondra said.
"It's a symbol of the past and modern society." Celestria claimed.
"But that's not how it's done!" Bake-King claimed. He took his elixir and made himself even stronger. When he did that, he went right at the two of them with great strength and some speed. He smashed against both of them and sent them flying right against a wall. When he knocked them out of the way, he went on to another modern target.
"I've heard of bread rolls, but not bread torpedoes." Salamondra joked as he tried to fix himself. "If you ask me, his little drink is what holds the etherious."
"Yeah, but it's going to be difficult to get close enough to smash it to pieces." Celestria said. "Where could he have gone now?"
"Hold on. What about that newly advance train that's being displayed today? It goes under the sea and everything." Salamondra said.
"That must be it!" Celestria said. Now that they know where he's going, they need to get there before he does any damage.
...
The Train Station
Many people gathered for this new train. Even Taylor and her father was there to show it off as they boarded. Unfortunately, Salamondra's hunch was right. Bake-King arrived at the station and knew about the new modern train.
"A train that goes underwater?! That's not how it's done!" Bake-King complained. "Trains stay above land and you go to places connected to land! Traveling by sea is for boat where you get seasick!" Finding another modern piece that's an abomination, he decides to wreck it. He grabs it by the front and lifts it up with people getting scared.
"Be reasonable, Bake-King!" He looked up and saw Celestria there. "There are lots of innocent people in there that could get hurt!"
"That's what they get for breaking traditional ways!" Bake-King said.
"That has nothing to do with it! You're just being unreasonable stubborn!" Celestria.
"That's how it's done!" Bake-King claimed as he went at her and tried attacking her. While she was keeping him busy, Salamondra was helping all the people off the train to get somewhere safe.
"If you have a miraculous for me, I can help." Taylor offered as she wanted her chance to shine.
"We got it covered." Salamondra said as he just ushered her to get out of the way. Celestria kept trying to fight off Bake-King. She swung around and tried to kick him down with both legs, but his bread body was too well built. All he did was laugh at her efforts before swatting her away. Salamondra tried to help as he extended his staff and swung it straight at him, but Bake-King caught it and threw him right near Celestria. "He's one tough piece of bread."
"Good thing I have something that might cut him down to size. Open the Celestial Gate!" Celestria used her powers and ended up getting a jar of sauce. "A jar of Virgo tomato sauce?"
"I don't think our old fashion lover would like that." Salamondra stated. Celestria looked around to see how she could use it until she spotted a breakroom. There might be something there to help.
"Keep him busy." Celestria said as she hurried to that breakroom. She hurried over to there and looked around. She spotted bread, instant noodles, and a bottle of cheese. "I don't know what they eat here, but I can use it." Meanwhile, Salamondra tried to hold Bake-King back, but it was more like avoid being crushed by bread. Bake-King was too strong to take on directly as he just kept swinging his massive bread fists. "Oh, Bake-King! How about a snack?!"
"A snack? Now?" Salamondra questioned.
"Why not?" Celestria said as she used the thing that aggravates him. "Watch as I take some store-bought bread, place in some instant noodles, some tomato sauce from a jar, and some cheese from a bottle to make a sandwich that will taste just like pasta."
"Pasta?! A pasta sandwich?! That's not how it's done!" Bake-King shouted as he took the bait. He went right at Celestria to demolish that sandwich, and it was what Celestria wanted. She threw the sandwich right in his face and distracted him while she grabbed his elixir. "Salamondra!" She tossed it right at Salamondra to do his thing.
"Dragon Fire!" He caught the elixir and burned it all to ashes and freed the etherious.
"No more evildoing for you, little etherious." Celestria activated her whip and does what she always does. "Time to de-evillize!" She threw the whip and caught the etherious as usual. "Gotcha! Bye-Bye, little guy. Miraculous Starlight!" She threw the jar in the air and unleashed the magic stars to fix everything Bake-King broke with him becoming Edger again.
"What just happened?" Edger questioned.
"Don't worry about that. Can you take him home, Salamondra. You have more time than I do." Celestria said.
"No problem." Salamondra said and allowed Celestria to take off. Once she did, Salamondra lifted Edger on his back. "Hold on tight."
"But this is not how it's done." Edger said.
"Give that up already." Salamondra said as he took off and took Edger home.
...
Black Wizard
"You might be savoring the sweet taste of victory for now, but that taste never lasts." Black Wizard claimed as he was planning a new recipe for his own victory. "Soon, you will taste defeat. You can't avoid it forever."
...
Edger's Home
Salamondra was able to bring Edger home. When they got there, they spotted Lucy pulling out some bread from the oven.
"Lucy Heartfilia? What are you doing here?" Salamondra asked.
"Visiting my grandfather." Lucy said. "I couldn't leave the bread unattended, and he and I do have a deal, so I decided to just finish baking." Edger took a look at both pieces of bread and they both looked rather delicious. "Well, time to taste it, Grandpa."
"Not me! He will! We need a third person to taste." Edger said as he pointed to Salamondra.
"Me? I actually don't have a lot of time." Salamondra said, but Edger didn't listen and just pushed Salamondra to the bread. "Boy, you're cranky even when you're not a villain." Not seeing a way out of this, Salamondra just went with it. He took a bite out of both pieces of bread and appeared to like both of them. "Delicious, both of them."
"They are?" Edger questioned.
"Yeah. One's more traditional, but the other is more modern with all that flavor." Salamondra said. "I don't know which is better, but I'm afraid I can't stick around to talk more. Time for me to be like bread and be pulled out." Seeing as how he was pressed for time, he just ran out of there. As for Edger, he actually took a taste of Lucy's bread and he actually thought it tasted rather well.
"I learned a lot about baking from my father." Lucy said. "I'm sorry about before, but I just wanted to meet you. I also want you to come home with me to celebrate Dad's birthday. I know you have your ways, but are you really going to let it come between you and your family." Edger has always valued the old traditional ways, but perhaps he has been unreasonable stubborn for he doesn't even know his own family.
"You're not a traditional granddaughter, Lucy. I think... I think I like it." Edger said as he was willing to be more accepting of new ways if they can lead to great things. Lucy was happy to hear that. Once it was all done, Lucy brought her grandfather back home with her. Her parents were rather shocked to see him, but Jude was so happy his father could be with him on his birthday. Now, they can celebrate together as a family, and that's how it's done.
