Hey guys, I'm back for the final consecutive update chapter for now; after this chapter I'll be working on my Akame ga Kill fic. This chapter will pick up right where the previous one left off, and will start with Lucy and Loke battling against Bickslow. This fic has finally passed 1,000 reviews, which is totally awesome! Thank you all so much for your continued support! Well that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
Magic
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.
"You must be Bickslow." Lucy said, pulling out her celestial gate keys, which seemed to glow in the sunlight. "Sorry, but Natsu and Erza entrusted me to take you down. So, I'm gonna have to kick your ass!"
"Oho, what a coincidence..." Bickslow said in an evil tone, as he licked his lips. Lucy felt a shiver run down her spine when she saw Bickslow's eyes momentarily glow green from underneath his helmet. "Because I just got new orders from the boss...I'm supposed to hurt you real bad girly...something about making Natsu suffer..." Lucy's eyes widened in a mixture of fear and anger when she heard this. "So what do you say girly..." Lucy's grip on her keys tightened, as she watched Bickslow's dolls circle around him ominously. "Are you gonna show me a good time?"
"He's strong..." Lucy thought, tightly balling her fists in an attempt to stop her hands from trembling. "He's definitely going to be the most powerful opponent I've faced so far...which means I can't afford to let my guard down for a second."
"Alright my babies..." Bickslow commanded with his tongue lolled out, as he pointed towards Lucy. "Take her out...and don't hold anything back! We're aiming to kill here!"
"KILL!?" Lucy thought, her eyes shooting open in shock. "What's wrong with this guy?! He really isn't playing around!" Noticing that Bickslow's wooden dolls were gathering magical energy to fire their beams, Lucy reacted without any hesitation. "Happy! Look out!" The blonde celestial mage rushed forward and grabbed ahold of the blue cat, before she quickly dove out of the way, barely avoiding the wooden dolls' powerful attack. Lucy grunted in pain as she skidded across the rooftop, propelled by the explosion behind her. Curling herself into a ball, Lucy did her best to shield Happy from the shockwave and flying debris. Lucy eventually came to a halt, coughing as dirt and dust surrounded her. "Son of a bitch...that really hurt..."
"Lucy..." Happy asked in a worried tone, as he looked up at the blonde celestial spirit mage. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine Happy...just a little banged up." Lucy replied, flashing the blue cat a quick smile.
"Heh, I guess you're actually a pretty tough broad...maybe you will be able to entertain me." Bickslow said with a smirk, as he stood atop one of his wooden dolls and hovered above Lucy. "You know...I should probably go a little easier on ya since you're new around here...but I guess I can't since we're in the middle of this game...and I do have those new orders from the boss...you understand right?"
"Screw you..." Lucy growled, slowly getting back onto her feet. "Do you think that master is going to forgive you guys?! You've all gone way too far!"
"HAHAHA! I don't need forgiveness from that guy!" Bickslow cackled, as he clasped his hands behind his back. "When this game is over Laxus will be the new master!" The remaining wooden dolls gathered around Bickslow, their eyes glowing threateningly. "Now be a good girl and just die!"
"Shit!" Lucy exclaimed, jumping to the right to dodge another volley of attacks. Briefly stumbling when she landed, Lucy looked up into the sky and glared at the wooden dolls circling above her. "I have to take those damn dolls, or I'm not gonna last much longer." Lucy quickly flipped through her celestial gate keys and found the one she was looking for. "Open! Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!" The celestial gate key began to glow, before Lucy was bathed in a bright golden light. Moments later, Sagittarius appeared in front of Lucy.
"Hello, hello? You called?" Sagittarius asked, as he saluted to Lucy.
"Oho, ain't this interesting." Bickslow said with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. "I didn't know you were a celestial spirit mage...that's pretty rare magic you got there, girly."
"I don't need your praise!" Lucy yelled, as she pointed at the wooden dolls circling Bickslow. "Take out those flying things, Sagittarius!"
"I hear your orders loud and clear!" Sagittarius said, readying three arrows into his bow. Pulling back the bowstring, Sagittarius took aim and let the arrows fly. Sagittarius showcased his stellar accuracy by hitting all three wooden dolls simultaneously. The arrows pierced clean through Bickslow's dolls, causing them to crumble to pieces.
"WAH! My babies!" Bickslow cried, as he hopped off the doll he was standing on. Landing on the rooftop, Bickslow picked up the remains of his babies. "First you got frozen by that bastard Gray, now you got smashed to pieces."
"All right!" Lucy cheered, giving the horse-suit wearing spirit a thumbs up. "Great shot, Sagittarius!"
"No! My babies!" Bickslow exclaimed, as seemingly started to cry. However, Lucy quirked an eyebrow in confusion when Bickslow suddenly started laughing. Carelessly dropping the remains of his wooden dolls, a smirk spread across Bickslow's face as he lolled out his tongue. "Just kidding..." Lucy's eyes shot open in shock when a magical beam suddenly shot right passed her head and struck Sagittarius in the chest.
"I'm sorry..." Sagittarius said in a pained tone, clutching the smoking wound on his chest. "It looks like I'll have to...take my leave early..." Gasping in pain one last time, Sagittarius disappeared in a flash of golden light.
"No! Sagittarius!" Lucy screamed, as she reached out towards where Sagittarius had been moments before. "H-How..."
"You can destroy my dolls all you want, girly..." Bickslow said in a menacing tone, larger and more elaborate wooden dolls rising into the air next to him. "But it won't stop the souls trapped within them that I control!"
"That's right!" The three puppets said simultaneously in a eerily happy tone.
"Souls?!" Lucy parroted in a confused tone, as she quirked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?!"
"Bickslow's magic allows him to implant souls into inanimate objects and control them." Happy explained, floating next to Lucy.
"That's completely fu-" Lucy was cut off when one of Bickslow's dolls shot forward and snatched her celestial gate keys. "HEY! Those are my keys damn it!"
"HAHAHA! You screwed up big time, girly!" Bickslow cackled, as his doll handed him Lucy's gate keys. "Right now we're standing on top of a toy store! It's a treasure trove of babies! It doesn't matter how many of my dolls you destroy, I'll just keep replacing them!"
"You bastard!" Lucy exclaimed, dodging a flurry of swooping attacks from Bickslow's dolls. "I'm getting sick of these damn things!" Cracking her whip, Lucy lashed out at one of the flying dolls. Lucy's whip hit one of the dolls and wrapped around it. With a growl, Lucy used her whip to slam the doll into the ground, smashing it to pieces. But to Lucy's dismay a new possessed toy flew up next to Bickslow almost instantly to replace the one that had been destroyed. "Shit, he wasn't kidding..."
"BWAHAHA! See!? You're totally screwed, girly! You might as well give up!" Bickslow laughed, as his tongue lolled out. "Just roll over and die!"
"Like hell I will!" Lucy yelled in defiance, cracking her whip once again. "I promised Erza and Natsu...I won't let them down!"
"Ah, I gave you a chance to die painlessly, but I guess you're gonna be stubborn until the very end. Sorry about this girly, just following my orders, I hope you understand." Bickslow said with a wicked grin, as his eyes began to glow underneath his armored helmet. "Your souls will be doing Laxus' biding from now on! Babies, Baryon Formation!" Lucy watched in shock as Bickslow's dolls linked together and formed a circle in the air. Suddenly the dolls began to spin rapidly, glowing as they rapidly gathered magical energy.
"W-What the hell is that..." Lucy breathed out, watching as the dolls began to spin even faster, seeming to blur together. "Without my keys I can't do anything against that...even though I promised Natsu and Erza that I'd beat this creep...I can't let it end like this!" Lucy's eyes shot open in fear as a massive beam of magical energy was fired from the center of the spinning dolls. Slamming her eyes shut, Lucy braced for the attack to hit her. "Someone help me!"
"STOOOOP!" Happy cried, as a few tears escaped his eyes. "Natsu can't lose someone close to him again!"
But just before the massive beam of magical energy could hit, a bright golden light shined in front of Lucy. A split second later, the blonde celestial spirit mage felt a pair of arms wrap around her and move her out of the attack's path. Lucy hesitantly cracked an eye open and was shocked to see a familiar face smiling back at her.
"L-Loke..." Lucy breathed out, her eyes slowly widening. "How are you here? I didn't summon you..."
"Who knows...But it appears that I alone have the power to pass through the gate whether you call me or not." Loke replied with a smirk, as he gently set Lucy down. "I guess you could say that this is proof that barrier between spirit and human...crumbles to nothing before the power of our love."
"Love?" Lucy parroted in a deadpanned tone, pushing the celestial spirit away from her. "What the hell are you talking about..." The blonde celestial spirit mage growled in irritation when she felt one of Loke's hands wandering a little bit too far up her thigh. With her face burning bright red in embarassment, Lucy slapped Loke's hand away. "OI! Watch those damn hands of yours! You're so lucky that Natsu isn't here right now, or he'd kick the shit out of you!"
"It's precisely because he isn't here that I can be more bold in proclaiming my love for you!" Loke proclaimed, as he kissed Lucy's hand.
"What...What the hell is going here?" Bickslow asked in a confused tone, scratching his head. "Weren't...we just fighting a second ago?"
"I'm just as confused as you..." Happy said, as he sweatdropped.
"Loke...now isn't the time to be doing this." Lucy said in an annoyed tone, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm in a real bind right now and I could use your help." However, everything Lucy said seemed to go unheard by the celestial spirit, as he continued to spout nonsense about his love for the blonde mage. "Loke..." Lucy's brow began to twitch in anger. "If you don't stop right now and help me I'll make sure Natsu hears about this..." This seemed to catch Loke's attention immediately. "And I'll make sure you can't go back to the celestial spirit world until he's done with you..." A shiver ran down Loke's spine as he pictured what the enraged dragon slayer might do to him. Shaking slightly, Loke began to turn white. "But if you help me I'll forget this ever happened."
"There's no need to tell Natsu!" Loke exclaimed in a panicked tone, as he released Lucy's hand. "Of course I'm here to help you!" Standing back up, the rings on Loke's fingers began to glow faintly. "Besides, I have to fulfill my promise."
"Heh, it's good to see you again Loke." Bickslow said with a smirk, noticing that things were starting to get serious once again. "So I guess what I heard was true, you really are a celestial spirit. Ahhhh, I always had this nagging feeling that there was something off about you...so what, you're gonna fight me after I kept quiet for you."
"He knew about Loke..." Lucy muttered, as she quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "How did he figure it out?"
"Well he has the ability to see human souls." Happy explained, floating up next to Lucy.
"So, you're gonna join the Battle for Fairy Tail?! Huh?!" Bickslow cheered, as a twisted smile spread across his face.
"If I'm being honest, I can't say I really care for what's going on right now." Loke replied, straightening out his suit jacket. "But I'm afraid..." Loke's tone suddenly became serious and behind his sunglasses his eyes were filled with anger. "Now matter the situation, hurting my owner Lucy or her loved ones...is something that I cannot forgive."
"BWAHAHAHAHA! Listen to this guy! You can't forgive me!? Don't forget that you've never been able to beat me in a fight pretty boy!" Bickslow bellowed, as his tongue lolled out. "Hell, I always have to be the nice guy and go easy on your ass!" Bickslow's possessed toys once again circled around him. "Let's have some fun with this guy, just like old times! Get to work my babies!" Cheering in delight, Bickslow's dolls flew towards Loke.
"Lucy, you stay behind me. I'll handle this." Loke said, holding out his arm to halt the blonde celestial spirit mage.
"You're joking right!?" Lucy exclaimed, as she cracked her whip. "Natsu and Erza trusted me to defeat this asshole, so I'm not just gonna sit back and let my spirits do all the fighting! I fight alongside my spirits...you're not just shields to cower behind!"
"Alright..." Loke said with a small smile, turning back to face Bickslow. "Just don't scratch that beautiful face of yours."
"Can you stop flirting for two seconds?" Lucy asked, as she released a heavy sigh. Seeing that Bickslow's dolls were about to attack, Lucy and Loke both jumped to the side to dodge the magical beams they were firing. "Damn, these dolls are such a nuisance."
"I'll take those dolls down one way or another! Once I've made an opening go for Bickslow!" Loke said, his magical power spiking suddenly.
"Alright! Let's go Happy!" Lucy exclaimed, as she unraveled her whip.
"O Regulus..." Loke chanted, his entire body becoming covered in bright golden light. "Grant me your strength!" With his hands now cloaked in golden light, Loke charged towards the flying dolls. Loke lashed out with his fists, destroying the dolls in a single strike.
"Oh give me a break! You can't land attacks on souls!" Bickslow yelled gleefully, as several more possessed dolls flew up into air behind him. "You can destroy their bodies all you want, but they'll just move into new ones! Go get 'em my new, lovely babies!" The fresh wave of possessed dolls wasted no time and made a beeline straight for Lucy. However, before the dolls could get too close, Loke jumped in front of Lucy and destroyed them once again.
"I won't matter how may you send..." Loke said, glaring at Bickslow. "I won't let those things anywhere near Lucy."
"Here's my chance, before more dolls show up!" Lucy called out, as she raced towards the edge of the roof. Steeling her nerves, Lucy leaped off the roof, feeling a wave of relief wash over her when she felt Happy grab the back of her shirt. "Time for you to be taught a lesson!" Swinging her whip, Lucy just barely missed Bickslow as he jumped backwards. "Get back here!"
"Oh please, have mercy on me!" Bickslow taunted with a smirk, continuing to dodge Lucy's attacks.
"Keep going Lucy!" Loke exclaimed, as he destroyed another volley of possessed toys. "Bickslow himself isn't that strong!"
"What the fuck did you say, you bastard!?" Bickslow growled, shaking his fist at Loke. "I'll kick your ass!"
"Don't take attention off your opponent!" Lucy yelled, as she took advantage of Bickslow being distracted and struck him in the face with her whip. Bickslow's face recoiled back, as the leather whip hit him in the cheek. "Heh, that'll teach you to not get distracted during a fight!"
"Damn it all! You've pushed me too far!" Bickslow growled, reaching up and starting to take off his armored mask. "I've got no other options!" Pulling his mask down, Bickslow lolled his tongue out again as he revealed a pair of ominously glowing, green eyes. "Figure Eyes!"
"Lucy! Loke!" Happy exclaimed, as he flew in front of the blonde celestial spirit mage's face, pointing his back towards Bickslow. "Don't look into his eyes!"
"What are you talking about, Happy?!" Lucy asked, closing her eyes and turning her head away from Bickslow.
"There's one thing that all the members of the Raijinshū have in common..." Bickslow explained, as he began to advance towards Lucy and Loke. "We each have a second ability in our eyes! If you look into my eyes, I'll turn you into one of my dolls...and control your soul!"
"This really isn't good..." Lucy muttered, covering her eyes with her hand.
"Shielding your eyes...let's see how well that works out for you." Bickslow said with a sadistic smirk, as his possessed toys rocketed forward and began to attack Lucy and Loke.
"GAH!" Lucy coughed in pain, one of Bickslow's dolls slamming into her stomach.
"Both of you, keep your eyes closed no matter what!" Happy yelled through grit teeth, as he endured the unrelenting attacks from the possessed dolls. "You just have to tough the pain out!"
"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Bickslow cackled maniacally, lolling his tongue out. "There's no one in the world who can beat my ultimate combo of Figure Eyes and human possession!"
"Lucy! You need to use Horologium!" Loke exclaimed, just before he took a hit to the back of the head. "I'll fall back for now and you can use Horologium to strengthen your defenses!"
"Well that's easier said than done! That bastard took my keys, remember!?" Lucy screamed, as she raised her arms to try and block some of the attacks. "And besides...I'm putting my faith in you here, so do something about Bickslow already!"
"Heh...your wish is my command." Loke said, a smirk spreading across his face. "It's do-or-die time now. Lucy, when I give you the signal, open your eyes and attack Bickslow."
"But...if I open my eyes..." Lucy said hesitantly, as she managed to block one of the possessed doll's attacks.
"I thought you put your faith in me, huh?" Loke asked in a teasing tone.
"*Sigh* I guess I did..." Lucy said with a small smile, reaching for her whip. "Alright Loke...ready when you are."
"Zenith of Regulus..." Loke exclaimed, as a bubble of golden light formed around his body.
"Don't give them the chance to pull any big moves! So get in there and finish them off immidiately!" Bickslow laughed manically, his possessed toys surrounding Loke. "Baryon Formation!" However, Bickslow's counterattack was just a bit too slow.
"Lion Brillance!" Loke roared, as a wave of blinding golden light exploded off him.
"GAH! What the hell?!" Bickslow exclaimed, closing and shielding his eyes from the intense light. "Some kind of light smokescreen!?"
"Now Lucy!" Loke yelled, as he turned to face his summoner.
"Let's finish this!" Lucy exclaimed, lashing out with her whip. With extremely precise aim, Lucy wrapped the whip around Bickslow's neck.
"Shit! There's no way you can defeat me!" Bickslow screamed, as he struggled to unwrap the whip around his neck.
"I'm sick of your damn mouth!" Lucy yelled, yanking her whip downwards and slamming Bickslow face-first into the ground. "Loke! You're up!"
"Right!" Loke exclaimed, as he charged towards Bickslow. "I'm not the same person you remember...since meeting Lucy, I've recovered my original powers as a celestial spirit. No...that's not quite right! Meeting Lucy herself has made me strong!" Leaping into the air above Bickslow, Loke cocked his fist back. "I'm not like those damn dolls you control! Love is what gives a celestial spirit strength!" Loke's fist became engulfed in golden light in the shape of a ferocious lion. "Regulus Impact!" Loke slammed his fist into Bickslow's back, causing the member of the Raijinshū to roar in pain. The celestial spirit's attack sent out a small shockwave and created an explosion of gold light. When the light died down, Bickslow lay unconscious, a smoking impact on his back.
"Nice work Loke..." Lucy said with a bright smile, wiping some sweat from her brow. "Thanks a lot for helping."
"So..." Loke said with a smirk, as he walked up next to Lucy. "Do I get some type of reward? A kiss maybe?"
"*Sigh* Please don't start with this again..." Lucy said in an annoyed tone, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Or do I have to have a talk with Natsu?"
"No ma'am." Loke replied, as he deflated instantly, his shoulders sagging. "I'll be a good boy."
"Some people never learn." Happy said with a small smile, shaking his head.
(Same Time: Back in Fairy Tail's Guild Hall)
"Huh? Well ain't that a surprise..." Gajeel said, as he watched a new progress update appear on the barrier. "Looks like bunny girl actually can fight."
"Heh, told you Luce was strong!" Natsu exclaimed with a smirk, playfully smacking Gajeel on the back. "I knew she could do it!"
"It's not like I doubted you...but I can't help but be a little shocked...the Raijinshū are known across Fiore, they're no joke." Gajeel said, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I guess that proves you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover."
"I knew Lu-chan could do it!" Levy cheered with a grin, getting both dragon slayer's attention. The petite bluenette took a brief break from her enchantment decryption to adjust her glasses. "That means I've got to do my best as well!"
"How's it coming Levy?" Natsu asked, as he crouched down next to the bookworm.
"Yeah, you making any progress?" Gajeel added, standing next to the pink-haired dragon slayer.
"I think I've almost got it..." Levy replied, as she brushed a few stray locks of blue hair behind her ear. "If I can just solve this part here...and overwrite the enchantment...but this has been the hardest part so far...hmmmm..." Levy hummed as she wracked her brain to figure a solution. Suddenly Levy's eyes snapped open as she came to a sudden realization. "THAT'S IT!" Hunching over her notes, Levy began to furiously scribble down new formulas and mutter to herself. "Of course! I just have to go through it deciphering the two separate grammars at different rates!"
"Do you have any idea what the hell she's saying?" Gajeel asked, leaning closer and whispering to Natsu.
"I've known her for seven years and I still don't understand half the stuff that she says." Natsu replied, as he scratched his head in confusion. "So I'm just as lost as you are."
"If I go through the text mapping the characters with corresponding frequency onto guile grammar, and then convert that into rogue..." Levy stopped muttering and stared down at her notes for several moments, quickly scanning over everything she had written. A wide smile spread across Levy's face, as she held up her notes. "I'VE GOT IT!"
"WAH! Great job Levy!" Natsu said with a toothy grin, giving the blue-haired bookworm a flaming thumbs-up.
"Yeah, nice job shrimp." Gajeel with a smirk, as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I knew she could do it."
"You guys wait here! I'm going to overwrite the enchantment!" Levy cheered, grabbing her notes and shooting to her feet. "I hope you guys are ready, because it's time for you to take part in the battle of Fairy Tail!"
"Damn right, I'm ready!" Natsu exclaimed, as he punched his sparking fists together. "I've got to teach Laxus a lesson! He's not getting away this time!"
"It's about time we've had a little fun." Gajeel said with a feral grin, cracking his knuckles.
"Get ready Laxus..." Natsu thought, as his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Because I'm coming for you!"
(Five Minutes Later: Magnolia Marketplace with Mirajane)
"Where could he be..." Mirajane muttered to herself, walking through marketplace's empty streets. When the white-haired barmaid passed an alleyway, something happened to catch her eye. Her eyes shot open when she saw her brother badly wounded, laying at the alley's entrance. Starting to panic, Mirajane immediately rushed to her brother's side. "Elfman!"
"N-Nee-chan..." Elfman struggled to say, as he managed to slightly lift his head.
"These wounds..." Mirajane said, gasping when she saw the extent of Elfman's injuries. "They're awful...we need to get you help..."
"Th-Thank God...you're back...to normal..." Elfman said in a weak voice, as he raised himself up onto his elbows, completely ignoring pain shooting through his body.
"I'm sorry Elfman!" Mirajane sniffled, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. "I'm so sorry..."
"What're you...apologizing for?" Elfman asked, as a small smile spread across his face. "You haven't...done anything wrong...nee-chan."
"No...I have..." Mirajane cried, unable to fight back her tears any longer. Chocking back a sob, tears began to stream down Mirajane's cheeks. "Back when Phantom Lord attacked...and this time...I couldn't do a thing to help...I relied on everyone else to solve all our problems...especially Natsu...and because of that...you keep getting-"
"You don't...have to do do anything nee-chan..." Elfman said with a smile, as he petted Mirajane's head, doing his best to calm his older sister. "One this pointless fight is over with...you just need to greet everyone with a warm smile; that's more than enough."
"Elfman..." Mirajane breathed out, before hiding her face hands, as she began to cry even harder.
"Oh come on, nee-chan..." Elfman said, as he chuckled lightly. Grunting from the exertion, Elfman sat upright and wrapped an arm around Mirajane's shoulders, pulling her close. "There's no need for you to cry anymore."
(Same Time: Other Side of Magnolia with Cana and Juvia)
"Juvia...how long do we have until the Thunder Palace is activated?" Cana asked, staring up at the lacrima floating high up overhead.
"About thirty minutes, Juvia thinks." Juvia replied, as she tapped her chin.
"GAAAH! 'Battle for Fairy Tail,' my ass!" Cana growled, tightly balling her fists. "That bastard Laxus is just hiding himself and not doing a damn thing!"
"Where on Earthland could he be..." Juvia muttered, as she stared down at her feet. The bluenette water mage released a light sigh and clasped her hands together. "Juvia hopes Levy-san can free Natsu and Gajeel-kun...we need their help..."
"Laxus is saving up his magic." A calm voice called out from above Cana and Juvia. "He means to have an all-out battle with Master." Juvia and Cana's eyes widened when they saw a green-haired man standing on nearby bridge. "That's why he's saving his power until then and not showing himself."
"Freed!" Cana exclaimed, as she reached for her magic tarot cards.
"So this is the man behind the enchantments?!" Juvia asked, her eyes narrowing. "We must be careful...Natsu mentioned that he is the strongest amongst the Raijinshū behind Laxus himself..."
As Freed stared down at Cana and Juvia, Laxus' words echoed in his mind. "Take out Cana and that Phantom Lord chick...feel free to kill them." Both girls gasped in surprise when Freed suddenly spun around and started running off.
"Is he making a break for!?" Cana yelled, as she started to chase after Freed. "Come on Juvia!"
"Wait Cana-san!" Juvia called out, quickly following after the brunette card mage. "We have to be careful! Natsu said to watch out for-" Both Cana and Juvia stopped in their tracks when they saw characters appear on the ground and begin to spread around them. "Traps..."
"Shit!" Cana exclaimed, as she watched a barrier sprout from the characters that had surrounded them. "Another enchantment!?"
"Juvia tried to warn you..." Juvia muttered, hanging her head and sagging her shoulders. Both mages weren't surprised when writing suddenly appeared on the barrier in front of them.
"Rule: Leaving this enchantment is forbidden until one or the other of the occupants is rendered unable to fight."
"No way..." Cana breathed out, as she stared at the barrier's rule in shock.
"Until one of us...is unable to fight..." Juvia repeated, clutching a hand over her pounding heart. "Juvia...Juvia can't fight one of her nakama...Juvia wants everyone in Fairy Tail to like her...besides...this girl is special to Natsu...I would be hurting both of them if I fought her...what should Juvia do?"
"I will take on the winner myself." Freed said in a menacing tone, as he glared at both girls. "Start whenever you're ready."
"This a dirty damn trick freed and you know it!" Cana yelled, pounding her fists on the invisible barrier created by the enchantment. "If you want a one-on-one fight I'll take you on, enchantment or no enchantment! So let us out of here already, you bastard!"
"Forcing nakama to fight each other like this..." Juvia said, as she stared down at her feet. "It just isn't right..."
"Heh, I know what's really going here." Cana said with a smirk, pressing her forehead against the barrier as she glared at Freed. "You're scared of fighting both of us a once! That's it isn't it!? You're scared of a couple girls! That's pretty pathetic of you! I guess you're just a big pussy after all!"
"You're childish attempts to anger me will not work." Freed said, as he slowly shook his head. "I am merely trying my best to reduce the number of people that I'll have to kill."
"What the fuck did you just say!?" Cana roared, her eyes filling with rage. "You sick bastards are going way too far now! How can actually kill your nakama!?"
"They're...trying to kill us...this isn't just making nakama fight each other anymore..." Juvia thought, as she tightly clasped her hands together. The blue-haired water mage trembled slightly as she imagined all her new friends being taken away from her. "Juvia...Juvia won't let that happen...Juvia will protect her nakama..." Balling her fists to stop them from shaking, Juvia stared up at the lacrima floating high above her. "Juvia knows what she has to do..." Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Juvia transformed her entire body into flowing water. "I suppose...Juvia has no other choices."
"Juvia...what are you..." Cana asked, turning to face the bluenette water mage.
"Freed-san..." Juvia said, as she locked eyes with the green-haired member of the Raijinshū. "Do you promise that once one of us is incapacitated, you will fight the other fair-and-square?"
"I'm not the type of man would break his own rules and go back on his promises." Freed replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "I will fight whoever remain conscious."
"Good..." Juvia said with a smirk, as she turned her attention back to Cana.
"You have to be joking, Juvia!" Cana exclaimed, taking a step away from the water mage. "If we start fighting now, we'll be playing right into his hands!"
"Cana-san..." Juvia said with a small smile on her face, as she clasped her hands over her heart. "When you're released from here please defeat Freed-san and go support Natsu and Gajeel-kun, they'll need all the help they can get to defeat Laxus-san."
"What are you-" Cana was cut off when Juvia suddenly rocketed passed her; the blue-hared mage using her water to propel herself higher into the air. "Hey! Juvia!" Cana watched in confusion as Juvia bounced off the walls of the barrier, ascending higher every time she collided with a wall.
"Go as high as you want, you can't escape my enchantment." Freed muttered, eager to see what Juvia was possibly planning.
"If I have to hurt someone...If I have to injure one of my nakama..." It was then that Freed and Cana noticed that Juvia was flying directly towards one of the lacrima above them.
"Wait...is gonna..." Cana breathed out, remembering what the lacrima had done when Natsu had destroyed one. The brunette card mage's eyes widened as she pictured what one of those lacrima would to someone who wasn't resistant to lightning magic. "Juvia stop! If you attack one of those lacrima..." However, Cana's warning went unheeded, as Juvia slashed through the lacrima with blades made out of water.
"Juvia refuses to hurt her nakama...she will sacrifice herself instead!" Juvia exclaimed, just as lightning began to tingle her body. A split second later, a massive bolt of lightning struck Juvia head on. The bluenette water mage roared in pain, as the powerful electricity coursed through her conductive body. Gritting her teeth through the pain, Juvia managed to turn her head and glance down at Cana. "This pain is nothing compared to pain Juvia felt all those years she was alone...Juvia has finally found a place she can call home and has people that love and care for her...people that Juvia has to protect...and Juvia will do whatever it takes to protect the things she loves!" Seconds later the lightning stopped and Juvia began to fall back down.
"JUVIA!" Cana screamed, watching in shock as the blue-haired water mage crashed into the ground. The brunette card mage gasped in alarm when she saw Juvia's smoking body, some of her pale skin was covered in burns and her clothes had been torn to shreds. Without a second thought, Cana raced to Juvia's side, kneeling down next to the injured water mage.
"T-That...should...take care of...the enchantment..." Juvia struggled to say between ragged breaths, as she watched the barrier disappear around them.
"What the hell were you thinking!?" Cana exclaimed, tightly balling her fists.
"Juvia just...wanted to protect her nakama...now that I'm a true member of Fairy Tail...Juvia loves all of you..." Juvia said, as she managed to smile through the intense pain she was feeling. "Remember what I said Cana-san, please defeat Freed-san...and go help Natsu and Gajeel-kun in any way you can."
"Of course!" Cana cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'll kick this bastard's ass, then I'll go help those idiots as fast I can!"
"Thank...you." Juvia said weakly, before she closed her eyes and her body went limp.
"Juvia...Juvia..." Cana said with tears still pouring from her eyes, gently shaking the blue-haired water mage. But nothing Cana tried could rouse the unconscious bluenette. "JUVIA!"
"W-What's up with this girl..." Free thought, as he stared at Juvia in shock. "She chose the life of her nakama over her own!?"
"That does it..." Cana muttered, slowly standing back onto her feet. The brunette card mage's shoulders were trembling, as she fanned a stack of magical tarot cards in both hands. Whipping around to face Freed, Cana's eyes were full of fury. "FREED! I'm gonna take you down, you son of a bitch!"
(Same Time: With Natsu and Gajeel)
"Damn it!" Natsu exclaimed, as he sprinted through the streets of Magnolia with Gajeel right beside him. "Where the hell is Laxus hiding?!"
"Maybe we should head higher up." Gajeel suggested, pointing to the top of a large tower. "We might be able to pick up his scent."
"That's not a bad-" Natsu stopped mid-sentence when he suddenly felt an intense discomfort in his chest. Gasping in pain, Natsu clutched both hands over his chest and collapsed to his knees. Sweat was pouring off Natsu's brow as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Oi Salamander!" Gajeel exclaimed, as he immidiately crouched down next to Natsu. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you hurt or something!?"
"J-Ju-Juvia!" Natsu struggled to say, slowly getting back onto his feet. "S-Something happened to Juvia..."
"Something happened..." Gajeel muttered, before his eyes widened as he expected the worst. "You don't mean she-"
"No, she's not dead." Natsu cut the iron dragon slayer before he could something so awful. Leaning against a wall, Natsu took a few moments to catch his breath. "Juvia is just really hurt...they must have run into one of Freed's traps, or something...damn it...that means Cana is gonna have to fight Freed all by herself..." Lowering his head, Natsu tightly balled his fists. "I hope someone shows up and backs her up, because we don't have time to help them...Cana is tough, but it's gonna take more than being tough to beat Freed..."
"Well I'm glad to hear that Juvia hasn't kicked the bucket." Gajeel said without warning, as he turned to look at large tree in the distance. The iron dragon slayer appeared to be in quite a rush, as he gestured towards the towering tree. "I'm gonna head up there and see if I can try to pick up Laxus' scent."
"Hold on a second Gajeel..." Natsu said, reaching out and grabbing the iron dragon slayer's arm. "Something ain't right."
"What the hell are you talking about, Salamander?" Gajeel asked, as he quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "And let go of my arm!"
"You didn't seem too concerned about Juvia just now..." Natsu said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I saw it in your eyes Gajeel...when I said something had happened to Juvia you looked really worried...now all of sudden you're acting like you could care less about her..."
"Well you said she wasn't dead so I-"
"Don't you fucking lie to me!" Natsu growled, yanking Gajeel closer, so that they were now face-to-face. "Juvia cares a lot about you and I know you care about her too! So don't try to pull on any fast ones on me Gajeel! Because I swear to God, if you're working with Laxus I will not hesitate to beat the shit out of you!"
"Don't lump me in with that dick!" Gajeel exclaimed, as he roughly slapped Natsu's hand. "I've got a bone to pick with that egotistical lightning douche too! In case you forgot he fried me pretty good the other day and he almost hurt Levy! I want to kick the shit out of him just as bad as you do, Salamander!"
"Shit...that's right." Natsu muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry Gajeel, I'm just really stressed out right now and Juvia getting hurt didn't help."
"It's cool Salamander, I understand." Gajeel said, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "This isn't the time to be fighting each other, these bastards have made enough of our friends do that already...By the way Salamander, how did you know Juvia got hurt?"
"I can sense when my mates are severely injured, it kinda feels like I'm getting kicked in the gut repeatedly and my heart starts pounding like crazy. I guess it's my instincts telling me to protect my mates." Natsu explained, clutching a hand over his heart. "I first noticed I had this ability when Luce was captured by Phantom Lord and you guys were torturing her."
"Shit...sorry about that Salamander." Gajeel said, as he rubbed the back of his head, feeling a strong sense of guilt.
"I'm still pissed that you hurt Luce, but that's in the past now." Natsu said, shrugging his shoulders. "So Gajeel, tell me what the hell is going on. Why are you in such a rush?"
"*Sigh* I...I have to contact someone." Gajeel replied, as he avoided Natsu's gaze. "If I don't do it soon, they'll start to suspect something."
"Who will suspect something?" Natsu asked, slowly shaking his head. "Can't this wait Gajeel? Cause we're really pressed for time right now."
"Aside from master and Juvia, Salamander is the only person in Fairy Tail that I can really trust right now. I know master wanted me to keep it a secret, but I guess it won't really be a problem if I tell Salamander. Besides, he's not gonna lay off until I tell him." Gajeel thought, as locked eyes with the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Alright, I'll tell you Salamander, but you can't tell anybody, not even your mates. Ya got it?"
"Sure Gajeel, my lips are sealed." Natsu said, nodding his head in understanding. "Now what's going on?"
"After I joined Fairy Tail, master gave me a special mission." Gajeel explained, as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Special mission?" Natsu repeated, quirking an eyebrow in confusion.
"Yeah, master wanted me to infiltrate Raven Tail and keep an eye on them." Gajeel said, as he leaned on the wall next to Natsu. "Ya know, be like a double agent."
"Raven Tail? I've never heard of that guild." Natsu said, furrowing his brow as he thought.
"Well I'm not surprised, since it was formed pretty recently. But it's run by master's son and Laxus' father, Ivan Dreyar." Gajeel explained, which caused Natsu's eyes to widen in surprise. "Apparently he has a grudge against Fairy Tail, and master wants me to keep tabs on him."
"Damn...that's a pretty serious job." Natsu said, lowering his head. "That must put a lot of pressure on you."
"It does, that's why I'm in such a hurry." Gajeel said, as he pushed off the wall and looked at the large tree once again. "Look Salamander I really have to go. If I wait any longer Ivan is gonna start to think something fishy is going on." Patting Natsu on the shoulders, Gajeel took off running towards the tree. "When I get back I'll help you search for Laxus!"
"Well hurry the hell up! We're running out of time!" Natsu called out, looking up at the sky above him. "Raven Tail, eh? That name sounds kinda ominous...I have a feeling we're gonna clash with them some day...but at the same time, I can't shake the feeling that something good will come from that encounter."
And done! Not a super long chapter, but I felt this was good stopping point. So Lucy has defeated Bickslow, Juvia was knocked out, and Natsu now knows of Gajeel's secret mission. Next chapter will pick up where this one left off and will have Mirajane's fight against Freed, so get ready for that! Unfortunately, this is the last update for now. I have to update my Akame ga Kill and Pokemon fics first, before I can do any more work on this one. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED YOUR SUPPORT AND FEEDBACK!), PM me any ideas you have for any of my fics, and check out my profile and other fics if you haven't already. So until next time, I'm outta here!