Hey guys, I'm back with the final quick update chapter for now. This chapter will reintroduce Laxus and really get the Battle for Fairy Tail arc under way. Also in this chapter we'll see Gajeel start to take some small steps in advancing his relationship with Levy. Thank you all for your kind words, continued support and patience. Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
Magic
Disclaimer: I don't Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.
(Two Days Later: King's Bar Just South of Magnolia Town)
"BWAHAHAHA!" A thug laughed boisterously, showing the new issue of the Weekly Sorcerer to his buddies. "Look at this guys!"
"HA! Fairy Tail is such an embarassment!" Another thug exclaimed, as he pointed to an article about a mage named Gray Fullbuster. "Look at this idiot! He's completely naked in this picture!"
"Tch, how can these idiots be so popular?" The third thug at the table asked, quickly skimming through the various articles and pictures. "They all seem like a bunch of drunk fools."
"Why would they have a pool inside they're guild, that's so stupid!" The first thug laughed, as he slapped his hand onto the table.
"Check out this guy Natsu Dragneel guy! He sounds so pathetic!" The second thug yelled, handing the magazine back to his friends. "It says here that he trashed all of Hargeon's port!"
As the thugs continued to laugh and berate Fairy Tail, they failed to notice the menacing presence approaching behind them. The first thug was about to comment on an article about a mage named Lucy, but he stopped when an imposing shadow covered the entire table.
"Ah! What the hell do-" The first thug stopped mid-sentence when he saw a large blonde-haired man with a lightning-shaped scar along his right eye towering over him. The thug's eyes shot wide open in fear when he immidiately recognized who the menacing man was. "O-Oh shit...b-book it guys! That's Fairy Tail's Laxus!"
"Oh fuck!" The other two thugs yelled simultaneously, as they bolted out of the bar right behind their friend.
"Why is he in a dive bar like this?!"
"W-Who cares! Let's just get out of here!"
"Tch, stupid weaklings." Laxus muttered, spotting the copy of the Weekly Sorcerer that the thugs had dropped. The large blonde-haired man glared at the magazine with barely disguised irritation. "Good job showing off those embarrassing stunts Jii-chan."
"Yahoo! HAHAHA!" A sudden laughing caused Laxus to turn large ape-like man sitting near the back of the bar. "You must be a real celebrity, clearing out the bar with a single glare. You've got some serious presence man! You're master Makarov's grandson, aren't cha?" The ape-like man laughed as he pointed to the issue of the Weekly Sorcerer lying on the ground. "What do you think of that? Are you proud of your grandpappy? Cause that shit is pretty pathetic if you ask me." The ape-like man smirked when Laxus shot him an annoyed glare. "Oho, how scary!"
"Zod...please start any trouble today." The bartender said weakly, as everyone else in the bar turned to watch what might unfold.
"Don't worry, there's no point in picking a fight with such a worthless guild." Zod laughed, slapping his hand onto his knee.
"Zod?" Laxus said in an amused tone, as he quirked an eyebrow. "Never heard that name before."
"Really...that's a shame." Zod said, a smirk slowly spreading across his face. "But that's probably because we usually operate in the shadows. Not like you fools, acting like a bunch of idiots in magazines."
"Oh, it seems to me that you want to die today." Laxus said in a menacing tone, as lighting began to crackle off his body. "I'd love to give you hand with that."
"P-Please sir! Please let t-this go! Zod is-"
"Let's go outside buddy." Laxus said, beckoning Zod towards the door. "I don't want to get your blood all over this guy's bar."
"Yahoo. The one going outside..." Zod said, as he suddenly cocked his fist back and tried to sucker punch Laxus. "Is-" However, Zod was shocked when his attack was easily stopped by Laxus. The large blonde-haired man was expecting a sneak attack and had caught Zod's fist. The ape-like man hissed in pain, as Laxus slowly began to crush his hand.
"You know, I really don't guys like you who fight dirty." Laxus said in a menacing tone, starting to apply some electricity into his grip. The bar was soon filled with sounds of Zod's screams of agony. Then all the onlookers winced when they heard the sickening sound of all the bone's in Zod's hand breaking. The pain was so intense that it caused Zod to fall onto his knees.
"P-P-P-Please m-m-man!" Zod struggled to say through the pain and electricity coursing through his body. "J-J-J-Just l-let me g-go! I-I-I b-beg you!"
"Oh, you're begging now?" Laxus asked in amused tone, crouching down in front of Zod. "But you were acting really tough a second ago. I guess that was all just an act." Laxus suddenly increased the amount of electricity he was pumping into Zod, causing the ape-like man to howl in pain. Then in an amazing display of strength, Laxus lifted Zod into the air and slammed him into the ground. Laxus smashed Zod into the ground so hard that the ape-like man crashed through the wooden floor into the basement below. "Tch, punks like you should learn to keep their big mouths shut."
"H-Holy shit..."
"He defeated Zod so easily..."
"No way..."
"Who the hell is that guy?"
"Pathetic." Laxus muttered, balling his fists in rage; veins bulging along his arms and forehead. "Since when did people look down upon my guild...old man!" Growling in irritation Laxus stormed out of the bar, lightning sparking off his body.
(The Next Morning: Fairy Tail Guild Hall)
"Hmmm..." Lucy hummed, as she scanned over all the available quests on the board. "Is there anything on here that I could handle by myself?"
"By yourself?" Nab asked, quirking an eyebrow in surprise. "You're not going with Natsu, Erza and the others?"
"Unfortunately not this time..." Lucy replied, as she grabbed a request and started to read it over. Not liking the details, she put the paper back onto the board. "Gray and Juvia were assigned a mission by master. Erza said she had some problems with her new armor. *Sigh* And Natsu..." Lucy was cut of by a long, pained groan from a nearby table. Turning around, the blonde celestial spirit mage spotted Natsu slumped over at the table he was sitting at; Happy by his side trying to entice him with a lit torch.
"C'mon Natsu!" Happy cheered, pushing a burning stick closer to the dual dragon slayer. "It's fire! You want to eat it?"
"I've got no appetite buddy..." Natsu muttered weakly, as he clutched a hand over his stomach. "My stomach is doing fucking backflips right now."
"What the hell is wrong with him?" Nab asked, gesturing to the pink-haired dragon slayer.
"I think he's finally starting to feel the effects of eating Etherion." Lucy replied, as she gazed at her mate with a hint of worry in her eyes. "He's been like this the past few days... Erza and I have tried to nurse him, but nothing seems to be working. When Natsu ate Etherion it was basically like eating poison...his body must be just starting to react to it."
"Ah, so that's why he can't take any jobs..." Nab muttered, rubbing his chin. "That's a shame...you guys always looked so happy going on missions together."
"Yeah, it really is fun." Lucy said with a small smile, before she released a light sigh. "But I have to find a job quick, because if I don't I won't be able to pay my rent this month. Do you think you could help me Nab?"
"Sorry Lucy, no can do." Nab replied, shaking his head. "I'm looking for some solo jobs as well."
"I see..." Lucy muttered, as she turned her attention back to the request board. "Now let's see what we have here...a monster hunter...no way I could do that by myself...hmmm, a treasure hunt...no way, that won't be any fun by myself...OH! Teaching at a magic school for kids...that sounds perfect for me!" But when Lucy reached out to take to request, she was surprised when someone grabbed it before her. Turning around, Lucy was surprised to see that it was Gajeel who had snatched the request from her. Overcoming her initial surprise, Lucy huffed in annoyance and placed her hands on her hips. "Hey wait a minute Gajeel! I saw that first!"
"Too bad, I've already taken it." Gajeel said, as he barely payed attention to Lucy. "Find some other job."
"Can you even handle a job like that?!" Lucy questioned, slightly glaring at the iron dragon slayer. "Because you don't like you'd be very good with kids."
"Oi, listen here bunny girl." Gajeel growled in a frustrated tone, as he met Lucy's glare with one of his own. "What missions I choose are none of your damn business. I don't care if you're Salamander's mate, if you don't back down now I will kick your ass."
"W-What?!" Lucy squeaked in shocked, her face burning a dark shade of red. "H-How do you know about Natsu and I?!"
"Are you joking?" Gajeel asked in a disgusted tone, as he slung his pack over his shoulder. "I don't think you and that knight could be making it more obvious. Anyone who knows anything about dragon slayers could tell. Your hair is a dead giveaway and you're not really trying to hide that mark on your neck." Lucy's face darkened even further in embarassment, as she placed a hand over her mate mark. "Plus...you absolutely reek of Salamander's scent..." Gajeel made a face of disgust and wrinkled his nose. "It's all over you and the knight...it's pretty fucking nasty. You guys must be humping like damned rabbits in heat or something." Steam was practically blowing out of Lucy's ears, the blonde celestial spirit mage sputtering and twiddling her thumbs. "Now if that's all, I really need to get going."
"H-Hey!" Lucy exclaimed, shaking her head and snapping out of her embarrassed stupor. The blonde celestial spirit mage growled in irritation and stomped her foot repeatedly. "What about my job?! That's totally not fair!"
"Tch, he's such an arrogant bastard." Jet said, as he glared at Gajeel.
"Yeah, I can't stand him." Droy said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Someone needs to teach that guy a lesson."
"He really is scary." Levy muttered, as she poked her head out from behind a pillar. "Lu-chan really is brave to talk to him like that."
"Oi Natsu!" Lucy yelled, violently shaking her mate to try and wake him up. "Why didn't you say anything to that dick!? Go and kick Gajeel's ass!"
"Gajeel!" Natsu exclaimed weakly, as he struggled to raise his head off the table. "When you get back...I'm kicking the shit out of you for being mean to Luce!"
"He's already gone Natsu." Lucy said with a sweatdrop, gently rubbing her mate's back. "Well at least you tried."
"Let's go home Happy. I really feel like shit." Natsu muttered, as he slowly got out of his seat.
"Wait a second Natsu, let's take a job together! Please!" Lucy said, grabbing ahold of Natsu's scarf to stop him. "I need your help to make rent!" However, Natsu was so out of it that he barely heard Lucy. The dual dragon slayer continued to walk forward, his scarf unwrapping from around his neck.
"Bye Luce..." Natsu said with a yawn, as he waved to the blonde celestial spirit mage. "I'm gonna go lie down for a bit."
"W-What!?" Lucy yelled, sitting on the ground with Natsu's scarf in her hands. "Oh come on!"
(Five Minutes Later: Magnolia Park)
"*Sigh* Why did you guys call me out here?" Gajeel asked in an annoyed tone, as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I've got a damn job to do, so make this quick."
"Job? This coming from the guy who completely trashed our guild." Jet growled, glaring daggers at the iron dragon slayer.
"You couldn't go to any other guild to get missions?" Droy asked, as he tightly balled his fists in anger. "Do you have any shame?!"
"Man you guys really can hold a grudge. Can't you guys just let that shit go and move on?" Gajeel asked, slowly shaking his head. "I'm trying to put what I did behind me and move forward with my life."
"Jet, Droy...please don't do this..." Levy said meekly, as she poked her out from behind a nearby tree. "I'm over it, really..."
"Levy..." Gajeel breathed out, feeling an ache in his chest when he frightened look in her eyes. "Shit...she really is scared of me now."
"You just have to man up and apologize to her face-to-face. You just have to go for it Gajeel. I believe that you can do it."
Natsu's words rang loud and clear through Gajeel's mind. The iron dragon slayer tightly clenched his fists and took a deep breath to calm himself. "Alright, I just have to face her. I can't back down now." Making up his mind, Gajeel began to walk towards Levy, but he was stopped when Jet and Droy stood in his way. "Would you two please move it? I've got something I need to say to the shrimp. Then you guys hassle me all you want."
"No fucking way." Jet snarled, as he shoved Gajeel back. "After what you did, we're not letting you anywhere near Levy."
"Yeah, get any closer and we're gonna have a real problem." Droy said, reaching to grab his sends.
"Please..." Gajeel said, as he took a step towards Levy. "I just need to say one thing. Give me a min-" Gajeel was cut off when he suddenly had to block an insanely fast attack from Jet.
"WE SAID STAY BACK YOU BASTARD!" Jet roared, taking another swing at Gajeel, which the iron dragon slayer barely managed to deflect with his arm.
"SEED!" Droy exclaimed, as he threw out a handful of his seeds. "Knuckle Plant!" Droy's seeds instantly sprouted into dozens of fist-shaped vines. Gajeel was too busy handling Jet, so he was caught off guard by Droy's attack; the plants hitting him up into the air.
"Wing Strike!" Leaping into the air above Gajeel, Jet slammed his elbow into the iron dragon slayer's back, sending him crashing into the ground. Levy watched the entire scene unfold, and despite everything Gajeel had did to her, she had to admit that she was worried about him. As Gajeel struggled to get back onto his feet, Jet and Droy stalked towards him. "Oi! What's up with you!?"
"That can't be everything you've got." Droy said, not noticing that the air was filling with electricity. "You were way tougher the last time we fought you."
"You being bullied, huh?" A new voice said from behind Jet and Droy. Turning around, both men were surprised to see Laxus towering over them. "So...this is the punk who demolished my guild. And that old bastard, he let you join our guild for some stupid reason?" Laxus suddenly growled, as a massive amount of lightning sparked off his body. "It's because of shit like this that we're looked down upon! Damn it!" Gajeel howled in pain, as an extremely powerful bolt of lightning struck his body. The lighting coursed through Gajeel's entire body, but he couldn't help but notice that it didn't hurt nearly as much as Natsu's orange lightning. "It's all your fault!" Gajeel continued to roar in pain, as Laxus continued to bombard him with lightning.
"S-Stop it Laxus!" Jet exclaimed, watching as Gajeel collapsed onto his knees. "You're g-going way to far man!"
"It doesn't matter how strong Laxus is..." Droy said, as his entire body began to shake. "He should still be able to fight back..."
"Could it be, that Gajeel was, from the start..." Jet breathed out, a sudden realization striking him.
"He wanted us to recognize him as our nakama." Levy said, tears forming in her eyes. "So, he didn't fight back at all."
"It's all your fault that we're being made fun of!" Laxus roared, as he kicked Gajeel in the stomach, knocking all the breath from his lungs. "Why the hell don't you just die already!? I'll destroy anyone who goes against Fairy Tail!"
"Stop God damn it!" Jet exclaimed, preparing to jump in a intervene. "Laxus!"
"Shut the hell up! Little weaklings like you should keep your damn mouths shut!" Laxus yelled, as he fired a bolt of lightning at Jet and Droy. But, Laxus' blast of lightning went right between Jet and Droy, and instead was heading straight towards Levy.
"LEVY!" Gajeel thought, feeling his heart thunder in his chest. A sudden burst of strength exploded through Gajeel's body, and he moved without a second thought. Levy closed her eyes and raised her arms, preparing from the lightning to hit her. However, she was surprised when it never did. Cracking an eye open, Levy was shocked to see Gajeel standing in front of her, taking Laxus' attack square in the chest.
"G-Gajeel..." Levy breathed out, as she cupped a hand over her mouth. "Why did you..."
"My body just kinda moved on its own." Gajeel said, falling down onto one knee, electricity still sparking off his body. "Listen shrimp...what I was trying to say before...I'm sorry about about destroying your guild..." Levy's eyes shot open when Gajeel said this. "And I'm sorry about hurting you like that..." Gajeel then turned to Jet and Droy. "You guys too...I'm sorry...what I did to you three was beyond awful." With a grunt, Gajeel slowly got back onto his feet and grabbed his pack. "Well that's all I wanted to say." Dragging his pack on the ground, Gajeel began to slowly walk away. "If that's all...I've got a job to do."
"G-Gajeel..." Levy said, as she reached out to the iron dragon slayer. "Wait-"
"Don't worry about me." Gajeel said, continuing to limp away. "This is what I deserve for hurting you."
"Ah shit..." Jet muttered, as he released a heavy sigh. "We really fucked up."
"Useless." Laxus thought, tightly balling fists as he walked away. "Fairy Tail...this isn't the guild I want!"
(That Night: Strawberry Street)
"Aw man, I really wish I could have found a good job." Lucy said with light sigh, as she walked along the edge of the canal, with Plue walking on the street next to her. "Damn that Gajeel, taking my job like that. What the hell am I gonna do about rent this month?" Releasing another sigh, Lucy looked down at the dragon scale scarf in her hand. "So this is Natsu's scarf..." The blonde celestial spirit mage brought the scarf up to her nose and sniffed it. A smile spread across her face when a familiar scent hit her nose. "It's smells just like him..." Lucy then wrapped the scarf around her neck, immediately feeling a sense of comfort wash over her. "It's so warm too..." Spotting her apartment, Lucy hopped off the canal's edge. "I guess I can return this when I see him tomorrow...I don't think he'll really mind if I hold onto it for one night...I'll even due him a favor and wash it." When Lucy reached the door to her room, she quickly poked her head in. "Huh, no one's in here for once? That's quite a surprise." However, as Lucy walked into her apartment, she couldn't help but feel slightly saddened that no one was waiting for her. "*Sigh* I'm so used to those just popping up in my room that it feels kinda lonely when they're not here...Well I guess I should go take a bath."
After taking a quick bath and brushing her teeth, Lucy wrote another letter to her mother. Once that was finished the blonde celestial spirit mage released a tired yawn. "I better get to bed." Lucy sighed lightly as she crawled into her bed. "It's just not the same without Natsu here." But as soon as Lucy pulled up the covers she realized that something was off. Her bed felt much warmer than usual and it was a very familiar warmth. Quickly pushing the cover back, Lucy wasn't surprised to see that Natsu and Happy were asleep in her bed. A soft smile spread across Lucy's face, as she brushed some pink locks out of Natsu's eyes. "So that's where you were? I couldn't shake the feeling that you were hiding in here somewhere."
"H-Huh?" Natsu groaned, slowly opening his eyes and sitting up. "Oh *Yawn* Morning Luce."
"And just what do you guys think you're doing in my bed?" Lucy asked with an amused smirk. "I don't remember inviting you two over."
"Happy...you answer..." Natsu mumbled, as his head fell back down onto the bed. "It's no good...Luce's bed is just too comfortable..."
"Well we were half way home and Natsu finally realized that his scarf was missing." Happy explained, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "So we just stopped by to get it back..."
"And while you two waited for me, you decided to take a nap in my bed." Lucy finished, as she got out of bed and grabbed Natsu's scarf, which she had finished washing earlier. The blonde celestial spirit mage hugged the scarf close to her chest one more time, before she walked back over to the bed. "Here you go Natsu." However, Natsu didn't take his scarf back, instead he let out a low, pained groan. "Hey Happy...is Natsu okay?"
"Aye." Happy replied, raising his paw. "This happened to Natsu once before. That time, he ended up like this after he ate too much of Laxus' lightning."
"Too much?" Lucy repeated, as she quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "Natsu can eat too much magic?"
"Well imagine Natsu's magic as a container." Happy explained, drawing a box in the air with his finger. "If Natsu eats too much fire or lightning that container can start to overflow, making him feel bloated and sick."
"Why did Natsu eat so much of Laxus' lightning anyways?" Lucy asked, which caused Happy to chuckle lightly.
"They were fighting obviously. You've probably noticed, but Natsu isn't exactly on the best terms with Laxus." Happy replied, sitting down next to Lucy. "Natsu and Laxus have been at each other's throats for years. Something about the lightning dragon slayer lacrima in Laxus' body just rubs Natsu the wrong way. Every time Laxus is around, Natsu gets all on edge and eager to fight. But Natsu has never managed to beat Laxus."
"Is Laxus really that strong..." Lucy muttered, as she looked down at her lap, clasping her hands together. "It's hard to imagine someone being able to beat Natsu...I've seen him beat some truly strong opponents before...Laxus must be on another level."
"I'd wager that Laxus is the strongest person in the guild aside from Gildarts. Natsu is very strong as well, and he's grown a lot over the years, but Laxus still has a leg up on him." Happy explained, grabbing ahold of Natsu's scarf and holding it in his lap. "Erza is very strong as well...rumors have it that Mystogan is powerful too...and Mira used to be really scary. Everyone used to call her the 'demon."
"Yeah, Natsu mentioned that Mira used to be very different." Lucy said, as she chuckled lightly. "But the way she is now, I can't imagine her as a 'demon.' Sure she likes to mess with people, but I don't think I'd call her a demon."
"You didn't know her when she was younger." Happy said, a shiver running down his spine. "Anyways, I almost forgot about something." Happy grabbed his green pack off his back and began to rummage through. After a few moments he pulled out a folded up piece of paper. "Natsu wanted to show you this! You were saying that you were short on jewels right? Well Natsu spotted something when we were leaving the guild. He was really reluctant at first, but he knew how disappointed you were that you weren't able to go on a mission together."
"A job?" Lucy asked, as she grabbed the slip of paper from Happy and began to unfold it.
"Well not exactly..." Happy said, rubbing the back of his head. "Magnolia is hosting its annual Harvest Festival next week, and Fairy Tail is taking part in the celebrations this year." Flying up next to Lucy, Happy pointed towards a particular part of the paper. "Look at the bottom right."
"It's a...Miss Fairy Tail contest?!" Lucy exclaimed, as her eyes shot open in surprise.
"Aye. It's a beauty contest between all the women of Fairy Tail. The winner will get 500,000 jewels." Happy explained, causing Lucy's eyes to light up.
"500,000?! That would pay my rent for seven months and still have a little bit left over!" Lucy exclaimed, as her grip on the sheet of paper tightened. "And this looks perfect for me!"
"I know Mira and Cana will be participating, but I'm sure you'll still have a pretty good chance." Happy added, sitting back down next to Natsu.
"W-What?! Mira too!?" Lucy exclaimed, as she tugged on her hair in frustration. "That's not fair! She was a fucking pinup model! How the hell am I supposed to beat that!?"
"Y-You can do it Luce. I believe in you..." Natsu said in a pained voice, turning his head to give Lucy a weak grin and a thumbs up. "Sure Mira is beautiful, but you are to. I'm sure that if you give it your all that you can win."
"Thanks Natsu." Lucy said, as she walked over to her mate and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Alright! I'm gonna go all out for this contest! I'm gonna give Mira and all the other girls a run for their money! I'm gonna become Miss Fairy Tail no matter what!"
"That's my girl. Go give 'em hell." Natsu muttered, rolling back over in the bed and falling asleep once again.
(Same Time: Northwest of Shirotsume Town; Dark Guild: Ghoul Spirit)
"GAAAHHH!" Several Ghoul Spirit mages exclaimed, as they were blow back by a powerful explosion.
"You guys were making fun of us just now, weren't you?" A feminine voice said, three figures appearing within the smoke and debris.
"You utter fools." The tallest of the three figures cackled.
"So ya bastards wanna fight?!"
"You're not getting out of this place alive!"
"Yeah, we'll slaughter ya!"
"Oho...a dark guild that cowers in the dark is trying to stand up to a righteous legal guild?" The woman said, her face hidden behind a hand fan. A smirk spread across the woman's face, as she slowly raised her glasses. "My oh my, what is the world coming to?" The woman's eyes suddenly began to glow bright green, turning all the Ghoul Spirit mages in front of her to stone. The other Ghoul Spirit mages gasped in fear and slowly backed away from the three unknown assailants.
"W-What the hell was that!?"
"They all just turned to stone out of nowhere!"
"What are you pussies doing just standing around!? Man the hell up and get those bastards!"
"Yeah! Get 'em!" But before the Ghoul Spirit mages could rally together, several wooden dolls swooped in and began to attack them. The wooden dolls darted through the air, ramming into Ghoul Spirit mages and firing beams of magical energy at them. The room was soon filled with the pained screams of the Ghoul Spirit mages.
"That's quite enough Bickslow, we don't want to kill them." A slim man with waist-length green hair said, as he emerged from the smoke.
"What are you talking about Freed? Aren't there-" Bickslow asked, scanning his surroundings. But he was surprised to see that all the Ghoul Spirit mages were already defeated. "What the hell? It's already over?"
"Man, these weaklings were hardly a challenge." A woman with short light-brown hair said, as she nudged an unconscious Ghoul Spirit mage with her foot. "I barely had to lift a finger."
"I agree Evergreen." Freed said, walking through the maze of knocked out mages. "I'm still amazed such a weak guild managed to exist."
"It's because they're so weak that they turned to illegal activities." Evergreen said in a haughty tone, as she fanned herself with her hand fan.
"AH! This isn't enough! My babies still need to run wild!" Bickslow exclaimed, stamping his foot in irritation.
"Well then I think I have the perfect thing for you Bickslow." Freed said, as he rested his hand on his sword, revealing a green Fairy Tail mark on top of his left hand.
"Oh, you're talking about Laxus, right?" Evergreen said with a smirk, as she lowered her fan, a green Fairy Tail mark visible above her right breast. "So the time has finally come?"
"Oh I've been waiting so fucking long for this!" Bickslow laughed semi-crazily, sticking out his tongue, a black Fairy Tail mark hidden on his tongue. "And my babies are ready to fuck some shit up too!"
"It's time to finally head back home." Freed said, as he began to walked out of the partially destroyed building. "To Fairy Tail."
"T-Three people...managed to wipe out...all of Ghoul Spirit?"
"But...that long-haired guy...didn't really do anything...so it was more like two people..."
"There's not doubt...those guys were Laxus' bodyguards...the Raijinshū."
(Same Time: Back in Magnolia)
"Doesn't Natsu usually help you with things like this?" Makarov grumbled, carrying bags of supplies, as he walked next to Mirajane. "An old man shouldn't be carrying such heavy bags."
"Don't forgot Master, you still owe me for that little peeping incident a few weeks ago." Mirajane said in a menacing tone, which caused Makarov's shoulders to stiffen. Fairy Tail's elderly master audibly gulped when he saw the sickly sweet smile on Mirajane's face. "I wonder how Natsu would react if he found out that I caught you peeping on Lucy, Erza and I while we were bathing."
"N-Now don't be rash now Mira-chan..." Makarov said, chuckling nervously as sweat formed on his brow. He knew exactly how upset Natsu could get when someone messed with those three girls, and he didn't feel like evoking the dragon slayers wrath and having to rebuild the guild once again. "I'm happy to lend a hand."
"That's what I thought." Mirajane said, her smile returning to its normal cheery form. "I'm glad you're being so helpful Master."
"Well let's change the subject..." Makarov muttered, glancing at all the bustling and working people around him. "It looks like the whole town is in a festival mood."
"They sure are!" Mirajane said with a bright smile, as she waved to a group of workers. "And everyone's working so hard to get Fantasia ready."
"Well this year we're going to make this a parade the whole continent will remember for a long time." Makarov said, a grin spreading across his face.
"Master...are you upset that Laxus won't be joining in?" Mirajane said in a quiet tone, as she began to walk a little slower. She knew that discussing Laxus was a very touchy subject for Makarov, and decided to tread very carefully. "After some of the things he's done the past few weeks I can't say I'll miss him, and I know Natsu and some of the others won't be very worried...but he is your grandson."
"Please don't mention him." Makarov said with a heavy sigh, slowly shaking his head. "That boy..."
"It's just that...Levy told me that he's back in town..." Mirajane explained, causing Makarov's eyes to shot open in surprise. "And that he got in a fight with Gajeel...apparently Laxus hurt Gajeel pretty badly..." Mirajane stopped briefly when she saw the shocked look on Makarov's face. "Master...is something wrong?"
"To think this would happen now of all times..." Makarov muttered, releasing another heavy sigh. Looking down at the ground, Makarov began to remember the times he would take Laxus to Fantasia parades when he was younger. "How on Earth did you end up like this...Laxus?"
(One Week Later: Streets of Magnolia; Harvest Festival)
"Ugh...I still feel like shit..." Natsu muttered, as he clutched a hand over his stomach. The dual dragon slayer stumbled down the street lined with performers and food stalls, his nakama trailing slightly behind him.
"It's festival time!" Happy cheered, energetically flying around Natsu.
"Maybe if I eat delicious food until I'm full I'll start to feel better." Natsu said, as he struggled to keep his balance.
"Natsu still isn't feeling any better?" Juvia asked, walking up next to Lucy. The water mage couldn't help but notice the worried look on Lucy's face. "Is Natsu going to be alright? Juvia is starting to worry about him."
"I don't know..." Lucy replied, as she slowly shook her head. "He's been like that for the past week. But I suppose he's gotten a little better, because before he would hardly get out of bed. At least he's up and walking around now. Although it still looks like he's half dead."
"Oh don't worry about flame brain." Gray said in an uninterested tone, gazing at lively festival around him with a bored look. "Just let him be."
"Gray-sama, you should at least show a little concern for Natsu. He is your nakama after all." Juvia scolded, as she huffed and placed her hands on her hips.
"Tch, whatever." Gray muttered, turning his head away from Juvia and shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Where did that come from?" Lucy thought, as she stared at Juvia in surprise. "I know that Natsu said Juvia was one of his potential mates, and I'm pretty she has some feelings for him too. But she's been all over Gray for the past few weeks, I didn't think she had it in her to talk back to him like that. Well good for her, maybe she'll start to open her eyes and realize that the perfect guy is right in front of her."
"Anyways, this place sure is crowded." Juvia said, wanting to ease the slight tension that formed between her and Gray. "Juvia has never seen Magnolia so full of life."
"I didn't know this town even had this many people." Lucy said, taken aback by the sheer amount of people that had flooded the streets since the festival had started.
"It's because of the Fantasia parade." Gray explained, pointing towards a group of people preparing a parade float. "People come from all over Fiore to see it."
"OH! I have to see it now!" Lucy cheered, as she clapped her hands together. Just then a sudden realization struck Lucy. "Oh shit! The Miss Fairy Tail contest is going to start any minute!" Then like a bolt of lightning, Lucy took of sprinting towards the guild hall. "My rent is on the line!"
"Natsu's actually okay with Lucy participating in that?" Gray asked no one in particular, quirking his eyebrow in surprise. "That's news to me. He usually gets super pissed when guys gawk at her, or any girl he's close to."
"Juvia absolutely won't lose to Lucy!" Juvia exclaimed, as a fiery determination burned in her ocean blue eyes. "Juvia will show Gray-sama that she's the perfect woman! And Natsu will congratulate Juvia and shower her with praise!"
"You're gonna participate too?" Gray asked, releasing a light sigh. "I have a feeling this is gonna be a long day."
(Five Minutes Later: Fairy Tail Guild Hall)
"Citizens of Magnolia Town! And citizens from all across Fiore!" Max exclaimed into his microphone, which caused a chorus of cheers from the large crowd gathered around the guild hall's main stage. "I know this is the moment you have all been waiting for! The beauties of Fairy Tail will perform on this very stage! Let's get this show on the road! Your MC on this fine afternoon will be I, the mage who controls sand, Max Alors!"
"Oi flame brain, are you sure you're alright with Lucy and Erza doing this?" Gray asked, sitting next to the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Because you look like a fucking mess right now."
"I'm okay...I'm totally fine..." Natsu said in between bites of food, as his brow slightly twitched. "It's their decision...and I'm not gonna force them to stop...so yeah...I'm right as rain..."
"Damn, it looks like he's about to explode." Gray thought, watching Natsu rapidly tap his foot and dart his gaze around the guild hall.
"Now let me introduce our first contest!" Max exclaimed, as the stage suddenly became engulfed in light, revealing a voluptuous brunette. "Miss Cana Alberona! What a stunner!" Cana gave the crowd a sultry wink, before blowing them a kiss. The entire crowd burst into cheers, all the men doing their best to crowd around the stage. Reaching into her bag, Cana pulled out a stack of cards. The card mage then scattered the stack of cards into the air, swirling around her entire body. "WHOA! The cards seem to be covering up her body!" Moments later the cards dispersed, revealing that Cana was now dressed in a skimpy striped swimsuit. "WOW! She changed into an amazing swimsuit!"
"How'd you like that little show Natsu?" Cana thought with a smirk, briefly locking eyes with the pink-haired dragon slayer. The brunette card mage's smirk widened when she noticed that Natsu seem to be entranced by her performance, his eyes firmly locked onto her. Giving Natsu a quick wink, Cana made her way off the stage, feeling a great sense of accomplishment. "I may not win this contest, but I did get Natsu to notice me. That's a win in my book."
"Was that directed at me?" Natsu thought in slight confusion, as he watched Cana walk off the stage, his eyes firmly locked on her beautiful ass. "But damn that was a nice show. Cana really fills out that bikini nicely."
"A bikini! That's totally not fair!" Lucy hissed, slightly glaring at the brunette card mage. "I'm really gonna have to step up my game now!"
"I see..." Erza said, as she suddenly appeared next to Lucy. "That's a very valid tactic."
"KYA!" Lucy exclaimed in surprise, recoiling away from the scarlet-haired knight. "Erza! When did you get here!? Wait! You're competing as well!"
"Well I couldn't let you hog all the spotlight." Erza said with a smirk, as she rested her fists on her hips. "Plus, I can't help but get fired up whenever there's a competition...Huh, I guess Natsu has been rubbing off on me."
"My rent money..." Lucy thought, hanging her head in defeat. "It's getting farther and farther away."
"Alright! Now it's time for out next contestant!" Max cheered, as he gestured to the opposite end of the stage. "It's our newest possible s-rank member, the woman who has control over water at her fingertips, the beautiful Juvia Lockser!"
"Hello everyone!" Juvia yelled with a large smile, appearing on the stage in a wave of water. The water mage's unique entrance earned her a large applause from the audience. Juvia's smile changed to a smirk when she spotted Gray sitting at a table near the back of the crowd. "Let's see how Gray-sama likes this! Thanks for the idea Cana-san!" Then suddenly, just like she appeared on stage, Juvia's entire body transformed into a surge of water. The crowd seemed to love Juvia's act, because their cheers and applause only grew louder. Then all at once the water dispersed, showing that Juvia had changed into a purple poka-dotted bikini. "Gray-sama are you watching?"
However, Juvia's heart sank a little when she saw that Gray wasn't paying attention at all. The ice mage seemed more interested in pestering the pink-haired dragon slayer that was sitting next to him, instead of her performance. Despite being slightly disappointed that Gray wasn't looking at her, Juvia's face couldn't help but flush bright red when she saw how Natsu was looking at her. The dual dragon slayer's eyes were wide in awe, and his mouth slightly agape, as if he was staring at the most beautiful thing in the world. Juvia quickly bowed and thanked the audience in an embarrassed tone, before she ran off the stage, her heart racing in her chest. Leaning against a wall behind the main stage, Juvia clutched a hand over her thundering heart.
"Why was Natsu staring at Juvia like that? Juvia...Juvia wishes Gray-sama would look at her with such passionate eyes." Juvia thought, as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. However, this failed when she remembered the look on Natsu's face. "The way he was looking at Juvia...was the way a man looks at the woman he loves...but why would he look at Juvia like that...does...does Natsu have feelings for Juvia?" Poking her head out from behind the curtain, Juvia once again spotted the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Lucy did mention that Natsu's magic is driving him to take multiple...mates...does that mean Natsu wants to make Juvia one of his mates?" Juvia's blush returned in full force at the prospect of being in such an intimate relationship with the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Lucy and Erza seem so happy despite having to share the man they love...and Juvia would be lying if she said she hadn't thought of being in that type of relationship with Natsu, especially when Juvia was younger...but now Juvia has these feelings for Gray-sama..." Juvia returned to the backstage and hung her head, tightly balling her fists. "But no matter how hard Juvia tries, Gray-sama won't look her way and it's starting make Juvia depressed. Then Natsu is there to compliment Juvia and make her smile again. Juvia is just so confused right now. Should she continue to pursue Gray-sama, or give up and give Natsu a chance? Juvia...Juvia needs time to think...time to sort things out in her heart. During that time Juvia will still go after Gray-sama, but she'll also start opening her heart to other options."
"That was a great performance from the beautiful Juvia Lockser! But now it's time for our third contestant!" Max exclaimed, the lights focusing on the center of the stage. "A gorgeous woman I'm sure you've all been dying to see! Her beauty could make you drunker than the world's strongest alcohol! Give it up for Fairy Tail's lovely barmaid, Mirajane Strauss!" The crowd erupt into deafening cheers, as Mirajane strolled onto the stage in a skin tight leopard print dress. Natsu's eyes never left Mirajane, while she made her way to the center of the stage. The dual dragon slayer looked the busty white-haired barmaid from head to toe several times, appreciating how the dress hugged her body and showed off her voluptuous curves.
"God Mira is beautiful." Natsu thought with a small smile, as he rested his head on his palm. However, Natsu could feel his annoyance rising, as he listened to the men in the crowd hoot and catcall at Mirajane. The pink-haired dragon slayer had to bite his tongue and tightly grip the table to keep himself from silencing the rude bastards with a swift punch to the jaw. "Mira's a big girl...she can handle a couple assholes ogling her...she doesn't need me to protect her right now...I just need to calm down a little."
"Hello! Thank you all so much for coming!" Mirajane cheered with a bright smile, energetically waving to the crowd. "I'm very skilled in transformation magic, and I like to demonstrate it for you all! First I'll start off with..." Humming as she scanned through the crowd, Mirajane's eyes lit up when she spotted the perfect target. "Full Body Transformation! Happy Version!" Everyone in the crowd was shocked when Mirajane's head suddenly changed into a perfect copy of Happy's. The crowd seemed to be quite confused by the strange choice, aside from Happy and Natsu who were laughing hysterically. "Next..." Mirajane smirked when she spotted a grumpy looking iron dragon slayer hiding near the back of the guild hall. "That's the perfect face! Gajeel!" The iron dragon slayer perked up when he heard his name called. But Gajeel's eyes shot open and did a literal spit take when he saw that Mirajane's head had changed into an exact copy of his.
"Oi! That isn't funny!" Gajeel exclaimed, as he slammed his fist onto the table, his face flushed red in embarassment.
"No, it's fucking hilarious!" Natsu roared in laughter, wiping a tear from his eye. "Great job Mira!"
"What's Mira doing?" Lucy thought, as she stared at the white-haired barmaid in surprise. The blonde celestial spirit mage saw how confused most of the crowd looked, and couldn't understand what Mirajane was planning. "Mira probably had the best chance of winning this, but she's kinda shooting herself in the foot right now."
"Don't worry so much Lucy." Mirajane thought, spotting the blonde celestial spirit mage out of the corner of her eye. "I'm doing this to help increase your chances of winning. I overheard that you need this money to help pay for your rent. Besides, I didn't even really want to compete this year. But..." A sudden devious smirk spread across the white-haired barmaid's face. "I can't have Juvia and Cana flaunting for Natsu and showing me up. I've gotta put on a good show too before I leave the stage."
"I've got one more transformation for you all!" Mirajane cheered, as her head changed back to normal. "It's an extra special transformation for the man in my heart!" This exclamation piqued the crowd's interest, most of the men furious that some guy had already stolen Mirajane's heart. "Try not to get too jealous!" Now this got Natsu's attention right away. The pink-haired dragon slayer immidiately locked eyes with Mirajane, the white-haired barmaid winking when their eyes met.
"What's she planning?" Natsu thought, quirking an eyebrow in confusion. "She was definitely talking to me right-" The dual dragon slayer's train of thought was cut off when Mirajane's body suddenly become cloaked in thick white smoke.
As the smoke began to dissipate, Natsu could faintly make out Mirajane's form through the remaining fog. The white-haired barmaid appeared to laying on her side, resting her head on her palm. When the smoke fully dispersed, Natsu's, along with every man in the crowd, eyes shot open in shock. Mirajane was laying on the stage with a mischievous smile on her face, now dressed in a skimpy white bikini. The bikini's top could barely contain Mirajane's impressive bust, which was threatening to burst out of the swimsuit at any moment.
"That's...That's..." Natsu thought, as his mind started to go blank, continuing to drink in Mirajane's miraculous figure. "How did she know?!"
"Heh, looks like my little plan worked." Mirajane thought with a satisfied smirk, watching Natsu stare back at her with glazed over eyes. "I'm glad I snooped around Natsu's house a little last time I was there. Because I was able to find his stash of Weekly Sorcerer magazines. All of them had pinups of Erza and I, and his favorite pinup of me was when I wore this bikini while in this pose."
"Thank you all very much! I hope you enjoyed my show!" Mirajane cheered, as she practically skipped off the stage, the crowd roaring in approval of her final performance.
"I need a minute to cool down." Natsu thought, laying his head down onto the table. "Too much stimulation at once."
"Wow! What an interesting performance! It had a rocky start, but what a fantastic ending!" Max exclaimed, as he walked back onto the stage. "Now it's time for our fourth contestant! The strongest woman in Fairy Tail! The incredible Titania, queen of the fairies! Erza Scarlet!" The scarlet-haired slowly strolled to the center of the stage, her composure cool and collected. The crowd seemed almost as excited for Erza as they were for Mirajane, if the cheers and clapping were any indication.
"There she is!"
"It's Erza!"
"She's so cool!"
"Man, she's so graceful and dignified." Lucy muttered in awe, watching Erza take center stage, all lights now on her.
"I'll let you all witness..." Erza said, as her body became cloaked in bright white light. "The re-equip that I've been saving for a special occasion..." When the light died down, the crowd began to holler and catcall. The scarlet-haired knight had, like the contestant before her, re-equipped into a bikini. However, Erza's bikini featured blue flame patterns, which wasn't missed by Natsu. Erza's re-equip was definitely a hit with the crowd, especially with a certain pink-haired dragon slayer.
"Oh, I'm gonna love stripping that off you tonight Erza." Natsu thought with a smirk, thinking of all the naughty things he was going to do to his knight.
"Heh, looks like I've won this..." Erza said with a confident smile, as she walked off the stage, brushing past a very flustered blonde celestial spirit mage. "Don't worry Lucy, if I win I'll share the prize money with you." Patting Lucy on the shoulder, Erza began to walk backstage. "We're family now right? So we've got to help each other out."
"Thanks Erza, I really appreciate that." Lucy said with a small smile, before she returned to watching the performances. "But I intend to win this thing!"
The next two contestant were Levy and Bisca, but neither girl was as daring as the contestants before them. Levy had used her Solid Script to put on a beautiful display, creating words made out various materials. The crowd certainly enjoyed Levy's cute performance, especially a particular iron dragon slayer, who stared at the petite girl with a faint blush on his face. After Levy was Bisca, who used her Gun Magic to perform several impressive trick shots, which awed the crowd, especially Alzack. Once Bisca's act was finished, it was finally Lucy's turn to take the stage.
"Alright! Now it's time for our seventh contestant! Give it up for our rookie! Lucy H-" Lucy's eyes shot open when she realized that max was about to reveal her last name. In the blink of an eye Lucy darted across the stage and slapped a hand over Max's mouth.
"Don't say my last name!" Lucy exclaimed, her face bright red in embarassment. The crowd seemed quite confused by Lucy's odd display, but the men did find Lucy very attractive. "It'll be trouble if people find out who my family is." With a nervous smile, Lucy grabbed her celestial gate keys. "I-I...I have a special dance with my celestial spirits that I want to show you all."
"Give 'em hell Luce. I know you can do it." Natsu thought with a toothy, giving his lover a thumbs up.
Spotting Natsu in the crowd, Lucy felt a sudden surge of confidence. Lucy took a calming breath to slow her racing heart. "Okay! Open Gate-"
"Contestant number eight is here." Lucy's performance was stopped before it could even start when a new voice spoke up from behind her.
"Hey, I didn't even have a chance to start..." Lucy whined, as she turned to the person behind her. The blonde celestial spirit mage was prepared to chew Max out for interrupting her, but she was surprised to see a woman she had never seen before standing behind her.
"If you want talk about fairies, then you're talking about me." The mysterious woman said, strolling past Lucy, completely ignoring the fuming blonde. "If you talk about beauty, then that's me. That's right, it's all me. Th champion will most certainly be me, Evergreen! So end the beauty contest here, before it gets too boring!"
"Jeez someone's sure full of themselves." Lucy thought with a sweatdrop.
"Evergreen!?" Gray exclaimed, his eyes shooting open in surprise.
"When did she get back?" Elfman asked, as he tightly balled his fists.
"I'm not gonna let this bitch ruin my performance!" Lucy thought, storming over to Evergreen. "Oi! Quit playing around! Who do you think you are ruining my act like that?! This contest concern my living, ya know!?"
"LUCE!" Natsu shouted, as he shot out of his seat. "Don't look her in the eyes!"
"What?" Lucy said, but Natsu's warning had come too late. The blonde celestial spirit mage had already locked eyes with Evergreen.
"Did you say something little girl?" Evergreen asked, lifting up her glasses, as her eyes began to glow. Before Lucy even had a chance to react she had been turned into stone.
"What the hell is this!?"
"That blonde chick was turned to stone!"
"This is a performance right!?"
"This is awful!" Max exclaimed, as made arrows out of sand to point to the exits. "Everybody get out of the guild hall now!"
"What are you doing Evergreen?" Makarov asked, making his way towards the main stage. "Are you trying to ruin the festival?!"
"Well a festival needs a main show." Evergreen said with a smirk, just as the main curtain lifted off the ground, revealing that all the other contestants in the pageant had been turned to stone as well.
"She turned everyone in the waiting room into stone as well!?" Max exclaimed in shock, as he took a fearful step away from Evergreen. "Just what the hell is going on here!?"
"You fool!" Makarov exclaimed in fury, a vein bulging on his forehead. "Change them-"
"EVERGREEN!" Natsu roared, as he slammed his fist onto the table, smashing it to pieces in a single strike. "Change everyone back to normal! NOW!"
"They got Levy too!" Gajeel thought, gritting his teeth in anger. "They're gonna pay for this!"
"Sorry, but I can't do that." Evergreen said with a smirk, as she rested her hand on a petrified Mirajane's shoulder. "You'll just have to be patient Natsu."
"I'm not going to repeat myself again Evergreen." Natsu warned, the air around him starting to crackle with orange electricity. "Change. Them. Back." Suddenly a massive amount of intense orange lightning exploded off Natsu's body, causing those around him to back away. "NOW!" Just then a bolt of lightning struck the stage next to Evergreen. Natsu immediately recognized who it was, and his anger increased even further.
"Oi! Fairy Tail idiots..." Laxus said with a smirk, the rest of the Raijinshū standing behind him. "This is where the real festival begins!"
"Laxus!" Makarov exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock.
"Why don't we play a little game..." Laxus said, as he crouched on the stage in front of Makarov. "Old man?"
"Don't start anything stupid boy. We have to start preparing for Fantasia soon." Makarov said, glaring at his grandson. "Turn everyone back to normal!"
"Fantasia isn't until late at night." Laxus said, as he stood back up. "If we hurry, people might be able to see it." Just then Laxus snapped his fingers, and a bolt of lightning crashed into the ground next to Lucy.
"Stop it!" Makarov roared, tightly balling his fists. "Are you insane?!"
By now Natsu was seeing red, his anger way past the breaking point. The pink-haired dragon slayer's breath was ragged and his heart hammered in his chest. It took all of Natsu's willpower to stop himself from rushing onto the stage and tearing Laxus limb from limb. But with all the girls still turned to stone, Natsu had to be careful or they'd be hurt.
"I'm taking these girls hostages." Laxus said with a smirk, as he wrapped an arm around Lucy's neck, which caused Natsu to snarl in fury. "I'll destroy them one by one if you idiots break the rules...like I said this is the main event."
"There are things that can't be taken as jokes Laxus." Makarov growled through grit teeth. "You're taking this too far."
"Oh, but I'm very serious." Laxus said, as he walked back to center stage. "We're gonna have a game to see who's the strongest in Fairy Tail. The last man standing wins! The battle for Fairy Tail starts now!"
"Alright you son of a bitch!" Natsu roared, orange lightning once again exploding off his body, as he glared daggers at Laxus. "I've been promising you an ass kicking for a long time Laxus, and it's about time I deliver!"
"Hold on Salamander..." Gajeel said, as he walked up next to Natsu. The pink-haired dragon slayer turned to tell Gajeel off, but he stopped when he saw the look on the iron dragon slayer's face. "I've got a bone to pick with this asshole too. So I'm not gonna let you have all the fun."
"Okay, you can back me up Gajeel." Natsu said, turning back to glare at Laxus. "You hear that Laxus!? Me and Gajeel are coming for you! By the end of today we'll know who the strongest lightning dragon slayer is! This battle doesn't end until there's only one lightning dragon left standing!"
And done! The Battle for Fairy Tail arc has officially kicked off! Laxus has returned and Natsu is furious! Next chapter will pick up immediately were this one left off, so look forward to that. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK, check out my profile and other stories if you haven't already, and PM me any ideas for any of my fics. This is the last quick update chapter for now, so the next chapter won't be out for a little while. So until next time, I'm outta here!