Thunder

by IceWarrior13

After Nora Valkyrie is injured in the struggle in Atlas, her teammates make a desperate decision in order to ensure her safety, and she finds herself stranded on a different world. Now, Nora has to come to terms with the life she left behind in order to move forward—all while surrounded by magic and bonds and all of the things that failed Remnant, but seem to thrive in Fiore.

16. The Storm Breaks

Laxus noticed that Nora was doing a little bit better by the time they stumbled into the Fairy Tail guild-hall.

A majority of the other members of the guild had not returned yet, which he supposed he could be thankful for—in spite of the tremendous guilt he doubted had yet to strike in full force—given the condition the girl was in.

"Easy, pip," he told her, frowning as the girl collapsed her hammer and placed it on her back to ease some of the struggling by balancing out the weight. "How ya holding up?"

"Still awake. Not dead, yet," Nora said quietly, which was not exactly comforting.

Heels clicked against the wood, and it was a battered Mirajane Strauss who stepped out to face them, her eyes widening. It must have been quite a sight: Laxus Dreyar and Nora Valkyrie, both battered and bruised from battle, stumbling across the guild-hall floor like drunkards.

Laxus was the only thing keeping Nora on her feet—and he looked up at Mirajane with a frown as the She-Devil raised her hands to her mouth, the Dragon-Slayer sighing. "She's hurt pretty badly, but she says she's apparently had worse. Still, best that Porlyusica take a look."

"Nora!" Mirajane finally cried out, running over and resting her hands on the sides of the orange-haired girl's face before thinking better of it and pulling away. "Oh, my goodness! What happened?! Your scars, they-!"

"I'm fine, Mira," Nora insisted, smiling tiredly as she waved off her friend's concern. "Really, it was nothing. I barely felt it."

"Let me see." A familiar pink-haired woman in red made her way over and looked down at Nora, carefully examining the burns. She traced her fingers over the scarred skin, pressing here and there, then she looked up at the orange-haired girl in agitation. "That's because a majority of your nerve endings in your upper torso are scorched, you damned fool girl!"

Nora blinked, a little bit of alertness snapping back into her eyes. "Wait, what?"

"You barely felt it because you can barely feel anything at all!" The healer spat, and Laxus watched in dismay as she grabbed the young Huntress's wrist. "Now, come with me and don't be a pain about it! I might still be able to do something about this!"

"Uh, okay?!" Nora looked rightfully alarmed, but she grabbed Laxus's wrist and held on tight, pulling him along as Porlyusica dragged her towards the infirmary. "Well, it looks like we're getting in to see your grandfather!"

"Because I scorched your fucking nerves, pip!" Laxus reminded her, horrified.

Nora shrugged her shoulders. "I mean… at least I couldn't feel it?"

"That's because you're in shock." Porlyusica pushed the door open, dragged Nora towards an empty bed, and pushed her onto it. "Evidently literally. If I don't heal you, you're definitely going to be feeling something soon—not much sensation, but definitely pain…" The healer pointed to a different bed, frowning. "Your grandfather's there, you idiot boy. I stabilized him while you were busy trying to kill us. He'll live. Let him sleep."

Laxus's eyes widened, then he limped over to the bed and looked down at the unconscious form of his grandfather.

Makarov slept with a troubled expression, but his breathing held steady and Laxus watched the rise and fall of his chest with something he needed a few moments of focus in order to understand was desperation.

He needed to know his grandfather was alright.

He had been an idiot.

"There's someone else I know for sure's gonna need help, ma'am," Nora said softly. "If that's okay… His name is Freed. He's hurt pretty badly." Laxus's body tensed, and he looked back to see Porlyusica looking at the orange-haired girl questioningly. "Gajeel and Natsu might need a look too, but… definitely Freed."

"I'll have a look, but worry about yourself first," Porlyusica insisted, then she scoffed. "Who am I kidding? You're Fairy Tail."

"If it helps, I'm a rookie," Nora joked weakly, then she frowned as Porlyusica took her arm and continued the examination. "... How bad is the damage, doc?" She raised an eyebrow. "Will I ever play ping-pong, again?" Porlyusica looked up at the girl in annoyance. "I'm sorry, I'm a really nervous patient and jokes help. My first-ever doctor visit happened when I was thirteen and was paid for by a school nurse who was just trying to figure out how I survived that long without ever getting a vaccine."

Porlyusica blinked. "... Ah." She went back to her examination. "Take off some of these layers, if you can manage it."

"I-"

"Mirajane!" The healer snapped, and the She-Devil appeared in the doorway. "Her clothes. Down to the black layer, at least."

Nora shifted uncomfortably, and Laxus looked away as her belt was removed.

A few moments later, he heard gasps, and he looked back to see the belt, the pink and blue outer layer, the white garment, her black skirt, and her white detached-sleeves and leg-warmers lying on the bed with her armored cuffs, black gloves, and bag while her boots and weapon rested on the floor.

Her flower clip had been set on the bedside table.

Nora was just in black shorts and a black tank-top, and he could see the webs of scars running down her arms with clarity.

Porlyusica stood in the way of him seeing her chest, but what Laxus could see was bad—and some was new, very new.

He felt sick.

"I don't know how you're even alive," the healer whispered, and Mirajane covered her mouth with her hands. "... Lay down on your stomach. I have to examine your back, your spine."

"Yay." Nora rolled her eyes—then she did as she was told, resting her chin on folded arms. As Porlyusica rolled the back of the tank-top up, she revealed more electrical scars which had crackled their way down the orange-haired girl's back, new and old. "What's the verdict?"

"You shouldn't be walking."

"That's always a good thing to hear." Nora closed her eyes. "People where I'm from are just… built differently, I guess? I mean, once—I saw this guy, Qrow Branwen, get zapped so badly you could see his skeleton glowing under his skin, and his whole thing was 'misfortune'. He was fine after a few minutes, though." She shrugged, then she opened her eyes and looked down at the bed with a frown. "Crazy enough, the only ones who weren't weirdly invincible at times were the ones who were convinced they were."

"... This will take time for me to repair, but I think I can help with the internal damage done to your body," Porlyusica noted. "But the scars will be more complicated. It's possible you could learn magic to conceal them."

"Heh." Nora rolled her eyes, smirking. "Come on, give me a break. Me, learn magic just to hide scars? Please. That's… a double-no, from the idiot with the hammer."

"Hm." Mirajane rested a hand on her face and shook her head fretfully, then she blinked in surprise before looking between Laxus and Nora with wide eyes. "... Who won?"

"No one," Nora said immediately.

Laxus sighed, closing his eyes. "The pipsqueak."

"I did not!" Nora protested, then she yelped as Porlyusica slapped a salve onto her back. "Ah! Cold hands!"

"That's the potion starting to patch your nerves, and you'll wish it didn't when you start feeling what else I've found," the healer remarked, turning Nora over and lifting the front of her shirt a bit. "Tch. Miss Valkyrie, aside from the scorching of your nerve-endings, you have seven cracked ribs." She reached up and felt Nora's neck, frowning. "And I don't like the look of this bruising." Her hand raised to Nora's head, and she sighed. "Nor this bump. I'll have to keep you overnight for examination."

"Ugh." Nora closed her eyes, rolling her shirt back down after Porlyusica slapped more salve on. "Yay…" She winced as the healer started applying it to her arms. "Seriously, though: cold hands! Why, cold hands?!"

"You're lucky you're still here to feel anything, facing an S-Class wizard," Porlyusica told her sharply. "I don't know how you did it, Miss Valkyrie, but-..." Nora gave a small grin, and the healer scoffed. "Don't give me that, you stupid girl. You're lucky you survived. You don't even use magic."

Laxus tensed, then he looked at the healer with wide eyes. "Wait, what?"

"... I don't use magic," Nora admitted quietly, and the Lightning Dragon-Slayer looked at her and just stared. "My, um… My power's kinda different, from that. It's called 'aura', and a part of it is my 'semblance'." She glanced away. "That's what 'High Voltage' really is, a semblance."

"A foolish means of combat," Porlyusica said, her eyes narrowed as she continued applying the potion. "Exposing your soul and allowing it to take damage, pushing it outwards from your body to attack? Who ever thought such a thing would be a good idea?"

Laxus thought about that strange pink light that flashed around the girl whenever an attack landed, how it crackled around her body and shattered when she decided to spare him—and her whole being gave out.

That was… her soul?

Laxus had been beating the tar out of the little thing's soul, and she let him?

Bickslow said her soul looked strange, but-

…

"Yeah, you can do some pretty nasty damage with that lightning and words can hurt in ways people can't see. You can even kill someone.

But anything you do to me or anyone else is nothing compared to what you're doing to your soul.

And when it's gone, Laxus, what will you have left? There won't even be any you left."

…

Fuck.

"It was the only way, when my people were stripped of their magic," Nora murmured, and Porlyusica blinked. "With man-eating monsters everywhere… we had to adapt, if we wanted to live. Aura was the only choice."

"... Get some rest, child," Porlyusica chided, being strangely gentle as she helped Nora lay down on her back and covered the petite girl with a blanket. "You've more than earned it, after all of this madness."

Nora had her eyes on Laxus for another moment, then she closed her eyes and sighed softly. "Don't worry about me… Just take care of Laxatives, his green-haired buddy with a death wish, and our favorite pyromaniac and metal-head, okay?" She snorted, curling up underneath the blanket. "They need it more than I do."

With that, Nora Valkyrie seemed to pass out, and Mirajane raised a hand to her mouth to stifle a cry before slamming her fist into a wall. The guild-hall shook after the strike, and Laxus suddenly remembered what Nora had told him earlier and felt very unsafe.

"... I was going to protect her," Mirajane said softly, closing her eyes. "When she came here, a-and I learned how she suffered… I looked at her, how she smiled at me for the first time… I had no magic, but I was going to protect her, because I knew she would not protect herself." A moment passed, then she opened her eyes and took a sharp breath. "She told me she couldn't believe where she was, because Fiore was safe. There was no war here…" Her eyes narrowed as tears started to fall, then she looked at Laxus with a glare. "... Well? Did you enjoy your 'Battle of Fairy Tail', Laxus?"

Laxus stared at her, then he turned his head away from her in shame.

Wow. Not even a raised voice.

He almost-wished for the She-Devil.

---

Porlyusica tended to Laxus's words and scolded him for being an idiot and getting himself hurt like nothing out of the ordinary had happened that day. She did not say a word about his grandfather or the battle or blame him for anything, she just grumbled as she patched him up like she had done time and time again while he was growing up.

It was its own, twisted punishment.

Levy arrived with Gajeel and Natsu, the two Dragon-Slayers beaten after Laxus's assault but on their feet and practically carrying Freed. The disheveled rune-mage was barely conscious and mumbling incoherently as he was laid down on a bed. Soon, Porlyusica was able to diagnose him with several fractures as well as acute magical exhaustion.

"What did he do?" Porlyusica questioned Mirajane, frowning.

The white-haired woman sighed. "He used a powerful spell, when I rediscovered my take-over." She lowered her voice. "Dark Écriture: Darkness… He changed into a demon."

"That's forbidden magic," Porlyusica noted, her eyebrow quirking. "You must have scared the Hell into the poor bastard, Miss Strauss." She looked down at Freed, sighing. "I'll work on him. Idiot should've come to me immediately. What was he thinking, going back out there?"

"Keep Nora from totally thrashing Laxus psychopathically?" Natsu offered with a grin, sitting criss-cross on a bed.

Gajeel thumped the Fire Dragon-Slayer on the head, deadpanning. "It's psychologically, dumbass."

"Hm…" Natsu squinted. "Is it, though?"

Gajeel blinked, then he looked at Porlyusica. "He just made sense. I must have a concussion." Levy raised a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle, and Gajeel scoffed. "Quit it!"

Laxus rolled his eyes, then he sighed and turned his gaze back to his grandfather.

As much as it hurt to look at the old man, he could not bear to look at Freed.

---

/\

---

Some time later, after Natsu and Gajeel had been tended to and they and Levy cleared out, Laxus was alone in the infirmary with his grandfather, Freed, Nora, and Porlyusica.

The healer was packing her things, her work done. "That Freed fellow will need plenty of rest. He can be up on his feet sparingly, but he's not to use magic for at least a week."

"Got it." Laxus nodded.

Porlyusica looked back at him. "Your grandfather can take no more high-stress, you understand? He is a powerful wizard, but he is still an old man and he's been through too much recently between Phantom Lord and now this." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "No more problems."

"Okay," Laxus said softly, nodding again.

Porlyusica nodded back, then she looked down at where Nora was sleeping. "... This one worries me. Makarov told me about her during the Phantom Lord incident." She strode over and rested a hand on Nora's head, sighing softly. "I can hardly imagine it, what he told me. A little thing like this, a monster-hunter who fought in a war?" She shook her head. "I'll never understand how people can allow such things."

"I-..." Laxus stared down at the girl, stunned, then he closed his eyes.

"She'll have to have plenty of rest, and she'll need these potions applied to her burns and scars twice a day when she changes her bandages—and she'll have to drink this one to sleep at night," the healer was saying. "If she starts shivering, she'll need to be warmed-up—a blanket, a coat, fire, something. She needs to keep up with her fluids, and she must lie down immediately with her feet up if she becomes at all pale or nauseous." Laxus opened his eyes as Porlyusica checked Nora's pulse. "Her heart-rate was irregular, but it's stabilizing… I'm giving her so much for the nerves, electricity, and pain-management that I couldn't give her anything for her ribs or head. They must heal on their own, and they will take some time—even with what I've observed of her healing rate. She can't go out on any jobs for at least two weeks, and I should be called if there seems to be anything wrong."

"Right." Laxus nodded numbly.

Porlyusica turned to him. "You just watch those ribs and your head, young man—rest your arms, and don't pick at your stitches. Use that ointment I gave you on your burns, change the bandages on your cuts every morning and night, and drink that potion if anything starts aching to the point where you can't sleep through it." She raised an eyebrow. "Understood?" Laxus nodded again, and she turned away. "Idiot."

With that, the healer departed.

---

With Porlyusica gone, Bickslow and Evergreen finally thought it safe enough to slip into the infirmary to see Laxus and Freed. Mirajane came with them, her arms crossed as she watched over all of them from the doorway.

"Well, she's still pissed," Laxus said softly, knowing fully-well that he deserved it.

Evergreen shook her head. "She helped us sneak in here. Apparently, only those of us in this room and Levy, Gajeel, and Natsu know that we're here, Laxus. The other three and Mirajane are keeping their mouths shut while everything calms down." She looked up, giving a sad smile. "Just as a precaution, you understand? Everyone is rather upset, but one seems to despise you. However, you are alone in here with-..."

"Yeah." Laxus closed his eyes, and silence fell across the room. Finally, he opened his eyes again and looked over at Freed. "... He's going to need rest. No magic for a week."

"He's gonna love that," Bickslow commented dryly. "I swear, he's the only one worse than you when it comes to getting sick."

"Hm." That got Laxus to smile. "He's stubborn, alright." His face fell, and he looked away from the unconscious captain of the Thunder Legion with a sigh. "And loyal to a fault."

The Lightning Dragon-Slayer's eyes swept over the room, over the three who slumbered on as he spoke to his bodyguards.

His grandfather, whose heart condition he had driven over the edge. He nearly killed him. Earlier that day, Laxus had heard that the old man was dying and smiled. Now, he wanted to throw up at the mere thought of it.

His best friend, Freed Justine, always composed and quick to act. That day, Laxus had seen Freed the Dark's familiar, cool resolve—but he had also seen something entirely unfamiliar: terror. Freed had been on more than one occasion completely terrified, and that terror had been on his face and in his eyes when he had been looking at Laxus, because Laxus had lashed out at him with his words and his might in his rage. Just how far off the deep end had Laxus gone, to where the one person who always admired and respected him had looked at him with such fear? Freed must have thought that Laxus was going to kill him, and the horrible thing was that Laxus knew the possibility had crossed his mind.

Nora Valkyrie, the orange-haired girl who had apologized when she bumped into him the day they met and soon backpedaled on the niceties once familiarized with his 'winning' personality. Laxus could now acknowledge that he had deserved 'diva', 'jerk-wad', 'asshole', and even the threats of leg-breaking; 'Laxatives' was honestly looking pretty charitable, too. There was so much more to her than he had thought, and his chest just kept twisting when he thought about how she had tried to talk him down. Yes, there had been fighting in the cathedral—but the girl he had been riling up for months and giving every reason to beat him into the dirt had found him at his lowest point and reached out to him, not stopping until she got through to him and brought him home. He had tried to kill her and dealt terrible injuries upon her already-scarred little body, and the Huntress had still smiled at him.

"... Valkyrie's not a dumb name," Laxus noted quietly, and Evergreen and Bickslow blinked. "If anyone could ever earn it, she has." He looked down, then he looked at Mirajane. "She saved me. She shouldn't have, but she did… Did Porlyusica tell you-?"

"Yes, she did." Mirajane nodded, her expression softening a bit. "At least we won't be putting her back in the wheelchair, when she wakes up. She'd have been absolutely furious." The eldest Strauss gave a soft smile. "And don't talk like that, okay? No one wants you gone, Laxus. You're still family. You were just lost, for a little while." She snorted even as Laxus felt a pang at the familiar assessment. "Natsu still thinks that the tournament-game part of what you did was a good idea. He wants to know who's strongest, and we're trying to talk him out of challenging Nora once she's recovered."

Laxus huffed out a weak laugh. "You see what she did to me? The little leg-breaker's got it."

"Aw, look. Laxus made a new friend!" Bickslow jeered, and a bunch of fabric dolls rose up into the air around him and chanted 'new friend, new friend'. "... I bought 'em off of that Juvia chick before we pulled this whole 'betray everyone' thing, and I'm keeping them. My babies love possessing soft dolls out of battle!"

Evergreen smacked her forehead with her palm, sighing. "Bickslow, word has it that Freed nearly killed 'that Juvia chick'. And she's Phantom Lord! What were you doing with her?!"

"Uh…" Bickslow squinted behind his helmet, confused. "Buying the dolls? Did you miss that part, Ever? Besides, she's Fairy Tail now." He sat down on a bed. "See, truth be told: I was never into this whole 'throw everyone else out' thing. I just wanted to have some fun, kick a little ass. I kinda figured that you all felt the same despite the theatrics, seeing as how none of us actually killed anyone despite constantly threatening to kill everyone." He snorted. "Ever went with her Stone Eye cop-out, I just knocked folks around, Freed made everyone 'K.O.' each other—'K.O.', not 'kill'. And Laxus, buddy: your Fairy Law was the sparkliest light-show I've ever seen. Beautiful, solid ten."

Laxus groaned and put his face in his hands as Evergreen's jaw dropped.

"I tried to kill Elfman," a voice rasped weakly, and the three blinked before they all looked down in surprise. "That's why Mirajane regained her She-Devil form… To protect him… To stop me…" Freed's eyes were filled with tears as he stared up at the ceiling. "Oh, God… I've caused so much pain… What did I do?"

The rune-mage raised his arm to cover his eyes as his body started trembling, his gritted teeth bared as soft sobs started escaping against his will, and Laxus stared down at him in disbelief.

Freed never broke like this.

Freed never cried.

Evergreen and Bickslow exchanged glances before they each took one side of Freed's bed and sat down. Evergreen grabbed a comb from a table and started carefully working the tangles out of Freed's long, green hair while Bickslow rested a hand on the top of the captain's head and brushed his thumb on his forehead.

"Hey, man," the seith-mage said with a strained grin, strangely quiet. "You didn't do it, okay? It was a bad day. Mirajane stopped you before it got out of hand, and you're okay now. You're okay, Freed—and so's Elfman."

"That's right," Mirajane said, smiling sadly. "It's alright, Freed. Everyone's okay." At the sound of her voice, Freed's sobbing only grew worse, and Mirajane sighed softly. "Oh, Freed… No one hates you, okay? We're just worried. You burned yourself out, and Porlyusica had to help you. You can't use magic for a week, alright? And you'll have to get lots of rest."

Freed lowered his arm and looked at her, sniffling as he shook his head. "Why am I being taken care of? Why am I-..? I'm a-... I betrayed everyone, I failed everyone." He closed his eyes as he dropped his arm, shaking his head. "There was no one today whom I kept loyalty to. In the end, I even spoke out against Laxus… God… What kind of person am I?"

"A good one," Laxus said, and Freed's eyes snapped open and he looked up at the lightning-mage questioningly. "Tch. 'Freed the Dark'... You knew what was right. You stayed loyal to me, hoped I'd find it on my own before things went too far even though I terrified you." Laxus crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "When I didn't figure it out, you tried to help me… Freed, you didn't fail or betray anyone." He opened his eyes and looked down at the rune-mage. "You only did what you did because of me… I betrayed and failed you." He looked at Evergreen and Bickslow, who stared at him in disbelief. "All of you." He looked at Mirajane, who had gone wide-eyed. "Everyone."

"Laxus…" Mirajane raised a hand to her mouth, absolutely stunned.

Freed gazed up at Laxus in shock, tears still streaming down his face, then he released a shaking breath and closed his eyes again as Bickslow and Evergreen went back to trying to comfort their captain.

Laxus noticed the state the rune mage was in, and he gave a small smile. "Get some rest, Freed. You've been through Hell."

"Tch." There it was, one of those little smirks only Freed could pull off so well, and the rune mage raised an eyebrow. "Laxus, you truly have no idea."

"Heh." Laxus shook his head, then he looked over at Mirajane. "... I'm sorry. For Elfman, and turning you to stone." The She-Devil blinked, and Laxus took a deep breath. "And… making a total ass out of myself, especially during the Phantom Lord incident."

Mirajane raised an eyebrow. "Where is this coming from?"

"... A certain pipsqueak who never held back when pointing out how much of a dick I was being," Laxus admitted, a little embarrassed as he rested a hand on the back of his neck. "She mentioned some specific stuff a while back—and I owe the little thing about a dozen solids, right now." He lowered his hand. "So, for starters, I figured I'd go with the person in this guild hall I probably owe the second-most apologies to—just shy of the old man."

"Hm." Mirajane gave a small smile, shaking her head. "You always were so awkward, Laxus. It was one of your best qualities." She looked up, nodding. "I accept."

That was the best possible answer, Laxus decided. Not an 'I forgive you' or an 'it's okay', just an acceptance. If he wanted to make things right, he had to work for it.

He accepted that.

"... How is she?" Evergreen asked quietly, glancing over at Nora's bed. "The little thing looks worse for wear."

Mirajane walked over and rested a hand on the orange-haired girl's forehead. "She'll be alright, in time. She's strong."

"No kidding," Laxus agreed, rubbing one of his bandaged arms.

Bickslow glanced at Laxus. "Word is that she won the fight."

"Yep," Laxus said, nodding.

Freed blinked, surprised. "What? That's-"

"She landed the final blow, and then it was all over," Laxus said, causing Freed to go quiet, and the Lightning Dragon-Slayer chuckled and closed his eyes. "She talked a bit, and… it all made sense, once I let myself calm the fuck down and listen to her."

"... That's right," Freed relented, and Bickslow and Evergreen seemed surprised. "Miss Valkyrie truly is something incredible."

"No kidding," Bickslow remarked, his eyes wide as he looked at the girl. "No wonder you were worried about having to deal with her, man. Hammertime's tough, no doubt about it."

"Hm." Laxus found himself giving a small smile as he opened his eyes and glanced towards Nora again. "Tough as they come."

Mirajane had laid another blanket over the Huntress, who had started to shiver violently. The She-Devil had a grim expression as she watched over the girl, who stayed sound asleep.

---

/\/\/\/\

---

When Nora woke up, every fiber of her being hurt. She sat up, wincing, then looked around wearily to see that she was in some sort of hospital room; the guild hall infirmary, she realized after a moment. She looked down at herself, finding that she was still in her black tank-top and shorts and practically mummified by bitter-smelling bandages.

Her clip laid on her bedside table, her clothes were folded at the foot of the bed, and her boots and hammer still rested on the floor nearby.

Nora sighed, then blinked before looking around with wide eyes as the final events of before—how long had she been out?—resurfaced. There was no sign of Laxus, Mirajane, Porlyusica, or anyone else in the infirmary at first glance; but then, someone cleared their throat and Nora turned her head.

"Miss Valkyrie," Master Makarov greeted, sitting at the edge of his own bed and gazing at her with an unreadable expression. "You… fought Laxus."

Nora blinked, then she gave a small smile as she kicked her legs off of the sides of the bed to face the old man. "Hardly. He was way too much for me, so I wound up panicking and yelling at him until he started listening." She giggled. "There were some fun parts, but hardly the showdown everyone was probably expecting." Her expression softened. "But… some fights can't be won with fists, and I promised to bring Laxus home… not whatever took his place, while he was so turned-around."

"That, you did," Makarov said quietly. "Porlyusica believes she can reduce your scarring back to what it was before the fight, but no further."

"Most naturally-occurring Lichtenberg scars vanish in twenty-four hours," Nora recited from memory, then she huffed as she looked down at the older scars still dancing across her hands. "But since when was anything about me natural?"

"… Forgive me," Makarov whispered, and Nora looked up at him in surprise. "Forgive me, Miss Valkyrie. My grandson and I have been at odds for so long, ever since his father-…" He closed his eyes. "When I learned of your power, I saw a means to get him back under control—if not directly, then by threat of force. I didn't consider your traumas, mental and physical, and pitted you against each other to try and make him back down… You have my sincerest apologies. I was supposed to protect you, and I did the opposite. I have failed you, to an even greater extent than the rest of my family."

Nora stared at Fairy Tail's master, stunned, then she sighed. "What matters now is that everyone's alright, Master Mak—even Laxus. Even if I couldn't beat him physically, I still got through to him and I brought him home." Her fists closed around the sheets at either side of her. "The big dummy just needed some help, that's all."

"… I must take responsibility for my failure." Makarov looked up at Nora, meeting her eyes. "And my grandson must be held accountable for what he's done."

"What do you mean?" Nora blinked, confused. "Like… therapy? 'Cause he needs all of the therapy, and that's coming from me." She tilted her head. "Fiore has therapists, right?"

Before Makarov could reply, the door opened and they glanced over to see Porlyusica entering the room. "So, you're both awake." She glanced Nora's way in particular. "And you're moving, you damn fool girl. The surprises never cease with this boneheaded little guild."

Makarov chuckled, and Nora smiled. "Thank you, for helping me."

"Hmph." Porlyusica glanced away, then her eyes met Makarov's. "… Have you reached a verdict, then?"

"I have," Fairy Tail's master agreed, the merriment fading from his face as something more severe took its place. "As recompense for his actions, Laxus shall be expelled."

"… What?" Nora looked back at Makarov, stunned. "No, you- You can't." She shakily rose to her feet, her eyes wide. "Master Mak, that's the opposite of what Laxus needs right now! Suspend him while he gets some help if you have to, but he can't lose our support! If we throw him out into the world on his own, he could get worse!"

"He betrayed and caused harm to his comrades," Makarov argued, his severity not fading. "He could have killed you, Miss Valkyrie. He could have killed us all."

"His heart wasn't in it! It's his head that got all twisted around!" Nora protested. "Look, I'll take full responsibility for him—him, and the Thunder Legion! I'll go on jobs with them, make sure they doesn't get into trouble! You know that I can handle it now, so please: just don't kick them out of the guild!"

"The Thunder Legion, while on probation, will not be expelled," Makarov told her, eyes narrowed. "I've been informed that Laxus has taken full responsibility for their actions." Nora blinked. "My decision is final, Miss Valkyrie. My grandson must be punished."

"But he's your family, and you're all he's got!" Nora insisted. "Yeah, Laxus Dreyar is the biggest jerk I've ever met—he's a careless, power-obsessed, misogynistic pig who decided that his many issues could be magically solved by overthrowing a local guild through brute force as if he wasn't gonna immediately gonna get himself and his friends thrashed by law-enforcement. He's an idiot—and he made a stupid, cruel mistake—but he needs us, needs you!" She closed her eyes. "I know how hurt you must be, how betrayed you must feel, but not one of us in that stupid cathedral wanted Laxus gone! We wanted him safe!" She opened her eyes as they teared-up. "If any of my friends were here to do what Laxus had done, I wouldn't turn away from them for one second! They could tear me to pieces, and I wouldn't care! They were my family, and you do NOT turn your back on family just because they made a dumb mistake while they were in trouble! We should be helping Laxus get better, not turning on him when he needs us!"

"… My decision is final," Makarov told her, and the Huntress's expression dropped. "It's my hope that some distance from the guild will give Laxus time to reflect, to grow and become his own man on his own without the pressures being a member of this guild—this family—placed on him." He closed his eyes. "It breaks my heart, but this is the way that things must be."

"You and I have very different understandings of the word 'must'," Nora told him bitterly, her whole body trembling with fury and pain, then she winced and raised a hand to her chest. "If-… If you really think that this is right-…"

"Miss Valkyrie, sit down," Makarov instructed her, his severe face dropping into one of worry. "You have strained yourself too far. You need rest in order to recover."

"Oh, so—you're worried about m-my recovery?" Nora opened her eyes, her shoulders heaving as breath became a struggle. "Laxus Dreyar… hit me with the biggest lightning-bolt in the history of all lightning-bolts, a-and tried to launch Fairy Law directly at my face… and I'm still not willing to give up on him. So, why are you?"

"… Porlyusica, please," Makarov pleaded.

Nora blinked, then she looked up to see the healer standing over her with a grim expression and a hand raised. The Huntress blinked again, her little body still shaking and heaving, then she closed her eyes and forced herself to steady.

"You-..? You know why betrayal's so bad?" Nora asked as she glanced back at Makarov, her eyes narrowing. "It never comes from your enemies." At that, Makarov's eyes widened, and Nora looked up at Porlyusica again. "… Do it."

"Miss Valkyrie…" Porlyusica frowned down at her, then she sighed. "For your information, I do believe you're right."

The healer placed a hand on the top of Nora's head, and her world went dark.

---

/\

---

Laxus stood outside the guild-hall for longer than he would have liked, knowing he was taking the coward's way out by not immediately facing the music. Leaving at all had been a pretty shitty thing to do, but he had to brace himself.

Now, he knew for certain he was ready to own up to what he had done.

"Thanks to Porlyusica, he's going to survive," Erza was saying, her hands in her hips. "Rest easy. Our master is safe!" Cheers erupted around the guild hall, but Erza grew serious. "But he is at an advanced age. Any added strain will impair his health." Her eyes swept the room. "Always keep that in mind, everyone!"

"AYE, SIR!"

Laxus chuckled to himself as the cheer rang out, then he sighed and leaned against the doorway, just watching the madness taking place within for a few moments.

Natsu and Gajeel were sitting side-by-side on a bench, blankets wrapped around their shoulders as they kept punching each other and blaming it on residual electric shock.

Gray was talking to that Lucy girl while Cana, Macao, and Wakaba tried to comfort that Juvia chick about being in the parade. Elfman and Evergreen were chatting with Erza, who seemed to be watching over the guild in the absence of its ailing master—which made sense, as she was the only one who could passively manage to keep everyone in line.

The torn bonds from the Battle of Fairy Tail seemed to have been mended, and the bonds from before seemed to have been strengthened. Laxus had not caused any lasting damage to the guild that had raised him.

It seemed there could be some sort of small relief, but he knew he was about to lose it the moment he stepped in those doors.

He could not see Nora Valkyrie anywhere in sight, and she was the one who defended him from Gajeel and Natsu. If she was not there, there was no telling what was about to happen… only that he would deserve it.

Laxus was no coward.

It was time to do this the pipsqueak's way.

As he predicted, a sudden hush fell as he stepped over the threshold and into the Fairy Tail guild hall. Everyone was staring at him—only this time, he could be sure it was not because of his family tree.

Nora had been right.

This was decidedly much, much worse.

Damn it.

Laxus set a quick pace immediately, but he did not get far.

"Laxus!" Macao stepped forward behind him, his fists clenched.

Wakaba, always to be counted upon to back his friend, joined in. "Hey, you!"

'Great.'

Laxus paused, cringing, then he looked up with a frown. "Where's the old man?"

"Why, you-!" One from Levy's group—they called themselves Team Shadow Gear, didn't they?—hissed. He was the one with the hat who ran at high speeds.

The other one, the one who used plant magic, had also gotten in Laxus's way. "How dare you come here, hoping to see the master?!"

Laxus knew he could easily take out all of the wizards surrounding him with shouts of outrage, but he found he did not want to. Oh, how times had changed.

One day, they all feared him and he loved it. The next, they all hated him and he just felt tired.

He should have stayed in bed.

"St-Stop it!" Levy shouted, much to Laxus's surprise.

She never could stand much in the way of inter-guild violence, and she had been the one to come to him on his grandfather's behalf at the cathedral. It may have been that her plea was residual pity from those moments.

Laxus had always looked down upon that girl for valuing wit and word over power, but she had out-written Freed and stood her ground against Fairy Law in the cathedral.

Now, she was shouting at a mob—stammering, but again standing her ground.

She was alright.

"Enough!" Erza shouted, her arms crossed, and everyone looked back at her in confusion.

Levy's eyes were wide. "Erza?"

"... He's in the back, in the infirmary," Erza stated, her eyes closed.

So, the old man had not yet recovered enough to leave? That put another painful twist in Laxus's chest, and the ache mingled with the growing bewilderment at Erza's actions.

"H-Hey!" The hatted member of Levy's team protested, his eyes wide—but the choice had already been made.

Laxus started walking, and Erza let him pass without looking at him as the rest of the guild continued to watch warily.

"... Where's the little leg-breaker?" Laxus asked, pausing just behind Erza.

He heard her stiffen, then she sighed. "Healing, still. I'm told that Porlyusica had to come in and help her sleep, this morning… She's trying to rest up so that she can attend the parade." The knight let out a soft laugh. "It seems that the prospects are hopeful. That would be Nora for you—stubborn, resilient."

"Hm." Laxus managed a small grin, a little relieved. "She's a tough little thing… Give her my regards, alright?" He heard a shift which might have been Erza nodding, and Laxus continued on his way. Suddenly, a flurry of pink leapt in the way, and Laxus's eyes widened. "Natsu?!"

"Mirajane told me you gave Nora that fight!" The Fire Dragon-Slayer shouted, pointing at Laxus with narrowed eyes. "I don't get it, man! You guys both did the whole 'lost the will to finish the thing' thing like Mirajane and Freed did! Why'd you tell her she won?! Doesn't that mean you told her that she's the strongest?!"

Laxus blinked, then he briefly considered the consequences of his actions… and he shrugged his shoulders. "Yep. I guess I did."

"WHAT?!" Natsu's eyes widened. "Nah-uh, no way! Yeah, she kinda kicked your ass for a bit—but you totally would've had her if you actually decided to fight her like you meant it to the end!" He looked away, frustrated. "Gajeel and I didn't even get you two-on-one!"

"He's right." Gajeel nodded as he strode up, trembling under his blanket. "This guy's a real monster. I shiver just imagining if he'd taken part in the Phantom Battle."

"I think you'd be shivering anyway," Lucy commented, smirking, and Gajeel looked over at her with a deadpan.

"... Valkyrie's definitely a pipsqueak," Laxus relented. "And she's reckless, stubborn, impulsive. She's got a weird obsession with leg breaking, and a long way to go as far as magical power goes…" He looked down, then he looked back at Natsu. "But someone told me the other day that when two people with power of the same type clash, one of the deciding factors to determine the victor is heart." Natsu blinked, surprised, and Erza finally turned her head to look at Laxus. "So, yeah: I probably could have beaten her… but Valkyrie won."

"... Alright." Natsu nodded, an oddly mature expression on his face as he gazed at Laxus with complete understanding, then he smirked. "I'll have to out-heart her, somehow—but it looks like you're still the one I've got to beat in a fight, someday."

"Tch." Laxus smirked, reaching up and messing with the boy's pink hair. "Don't count on it, dumbass."

"Hey!" Natsu complained as Laxus turned and walked towards the infirmary, and the Lightning Dragon-Slayer only smiled and raised his hand in a light wave without looking back as he kept going.

Oddly enough, Natsu went silent.

That sure was rare…

…

"Huh?" A younger Laxus blinked, then he lifted his arm up so that he could examine the strange pink-haired boy hanging off of him. "What the heck are you?"

"Natsu!" The ten year-old replied, grinning. "I'm a Fire Dragon-Slayer, trained by Igneel! You're big and strong! Fight me!"

Laxus snorted and lowered the boy onto the bench. "Up here's meant for S-Class wizards only, kid. Gramps won't be happy when he catches you breaking the rules, so you might wanna-" The blond blinked again as the small child suddenly burped a small puff of fire before sneezing smoke. "... Okay, what?"

"Whoops!" Natsu smiled sheepishly. "Sorry! Did I get you with any of that?"

"... No." Laxus grabbed the boy's hands in one of his own and lifted him up to set him on the table next to him so that he could look at the boy a bit more closely. "But you said you wanted to fight, anyway."

"That doesn't mean I wanna getcha on accident! I'm not stupid!" Natsu huffed, crossing his arms and pouting. "We're in the same guild. When we fight, both of us've gotta be ready!"

"Heh." Laxus raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Sounds like you've got a strong sense of honor, little salamander."

Natsu looked at him curiously, tilting his head and blinking. "Salamander?"

"Yeah." The younger Laxus rested his chin on his fist, smirking. "They're little lizardy things that can supposedly survive in fires, and you're a tiny Fire Dragon-Slayer."

Natsu huffed. "Am not tiny!"

"Sure, kid." Laxus chuckled quietly. "Whatever you say."

That afternoon, as Laxus left through the guild-hall's front doors for a job, he heard a shout-

"Hey!" There was Natsu, grinning and waving. "Hurry back, Laxus! I still wanna fight!"

"Tch." Laxus turned back to him. "Why don't you fight Gray? Beat him, and we'll talk."

"... GRAY!" Natsu spun around and lunged back into the guild-hall. "FIGHT ME, YOU PERVERT!"

Laxus blinked in surprise, then closed his eyes and started laughing despite himself.

The kid certainly had spunk.

…

From beneath the raised hood of his jacket, Laxus raised an eyebrow.

"Not gonna be in the parade this year, punks?"

"Erza's punishing us for fighting," a battered twelve year-old Gray muttered as an eleven year-old Natsu looked away, his arms crossed and his eyes glassy. "So… no, we're not."

Laxus blinked, then he glanced over at Erza, who had her own arms crossed as she gazed at the boys apathetically. Then, the blond boy huffed as he got down on one knee, reached out, and grabbed Gray and Natsu by their collars.

"Lighten up already, Scarlet. It's Fantasia," he said, then he lifted the two boys up and onto his float. "Come on, up here."

"Whoa!" Natsu's eyes were wide as he and Gray looked up at Laxus in surprise, then the pink-haired boy giggled as the blond tousled his hair. "Heh!"

"Yes, you can come up here too," the younger Laxus sighed when he saw the younger Strauss siblings, Levy, and Cana all looking up at him hopefully. "Little menaces."

He helped each of them up onto the float, then hopped down himself and headed towards where Makarov was making the final organizational checks.

"You're soft on those kids, Dreyar," someone remarked, and he turned his head to see Mirajane smirking at him.

Laxus scoffed. "Bite me, Strauss."

"Hm." The white-haired girl approached. "I'd take it personally—but you're sweet on my siblings too, so we're fine."

The boy rolled his eyes. "Charitable."

"... Hey." Mirajane raised an eyebrow. "What's with the hood?" She reached over, grasping it. "You're usually so excited to show off, you don't-" She lowered the hood and blinked. "Hide… Laxus?" She tilted her head, getting a better look at his left eye—which was bruised and swollen. "You haven't been on a job lately. What the Hell happened to you?"

"Nothing."

"Natsu finally land a hit?"

"Tch." Laxus stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked away. "As if."

"Then-?" Mirajane blinked, then her eyes widened. "Oh."

"What?" Laxus glanced at her, but found that her gaze was directed elsewhere and her fists had clenched at her sides. "What, Strauss?" He followed her gaze, finding his father—and his eyes widened before he noticed Mirajane stepping forward and reached out to grip her wrist. "Hey, don't."

Mirajane looked up at him, a dark aura of power shining around her as she snarled- "He hit you."

"Shut up," Laxus told her, trying to conceal his panic.

Mirajane just glared at him. "Why?"

"Why does it matter?"

"... There wasn't a reason." The aura faded as Mirajane's face dropped, her eyes wide as she gazed up at the older wizard. "Was there?" When Laxus didn't reply, she growled. "I'm gonna rip his head off!"

"Like Hell, you are!" Laxus gripped her wrist tighter. "Do you want to make it worse?!" His eyes widened again. "I-..."

Mirajane's rage had ebbed, and she stared at her comrade in dismay. "Laxus?"

"... I'm turning eighteen in a year." Laxus looked away. "After that, I can have nothing to do with the guy… Just leave it alone."

With that, he raised his hood and walked back towards his float.

…

Laxus sat on a grassy hillside, his chin propped up on his fist as he observed the younger mages' training. The old man told him to intervene if it looked like they were gonna break anything expensive, or each other.

"Wow. That was really super," Laxus remarked after a thirteen year-old Gray summoned an itty-bitty danger made of ice. The boy growled, his next spell creating a short sword. "Huh. Might've gotten a chill from that one, if the breeze had been right."

"No one asked for your commentary!" Gray snapped, frustrated.

"I know." Laxus smirked. "That's what makes it fun."

"Laxus!" Natsu, then twelve, waved to get his attention. "Watch this!" Laxus snorted as the pink-haired boy held his arms outside and bobbed them rapidly like some sort of demented hummingbird, then- "Fire-Dragon: Wing Attack!"

Two wide arcs of flame burst from the boy's arms, propelling him into the air.

The resulting wave of heat made Laxus's hair wave, and he blinked in surprise. "Huh. Not bad."

"Heehee!" Natsu landed on his feet and rested his fists on his hips, beaming.

And Gray deadpanned. "Show-off."

…

Laxus sat at his usual table on Fairy Tail's second floor, sulking into his tankard of ale.

"Laxus?" There it was—that familiar, grating voice. "What's wrong? Is this because Mr. Ivan's gone?"

Laxus turned to the voice with a sneer, lightning crackling around him. "Shut UP!"

"Ah!" Natsu stepped back, recoiling a hand he'd gone to place on Laxus's shoulder, then he frowned. "Hm." The thirteen year-old looked away. "… I miss my dad, too."

"... Whatever." Laxus looked back at his ale. "Like there's such a thing as 'Igneel'. You probably made it all up."

"Did not!"

"Did too!" Laxus closed his eyes and raised his shoulders. "There are no dragons left!"

"Yes, there are! There is!" There was something odd in Natsu's voice, something that made Laxus open his eyes and blink. "His name's Igneel, he's a Fire Dragon, and he's my dad! And…" Laxus glanced over to see Natsu gazing at the floor, his eyes full of tears and his shoulders trembling. "I miss him…"

"... Fuck." Laxus sighed, ten he gestured to the seat beside him. "Come here, kid." Natsu shuffled over and sat down, and the lightning-mage huffed. "This never happened."

"Laxus?" Natsu asked after a moment. "Fairy Tail's a family, right?"

Laxus nodded stiffly. "Yeah."

"Why doesn't anyone like me?"

"'Cause you're annoying."

"Oh."

"Tch." Laxus scoffed, then he looked over at the boy in annoyance. "Hey, I'm teasing. Folks like you plenty, especially Lisanna and that weird cat-thing of yours."

"Happy."

"Happy. Right." Laxus waved it off. "They'd probably like you more if you stopped trying to hit them all the time."

Natsu tilted his head, blinking. "What else am I supposed to do?"

"Talk, like a normal person," Laxus replied, exasperated. "Like this."

Natsu crossed his arms, pouting. "I'm no good at that."

"Hm." Laxus looked back at his ale. "Me, neither… And people don't really like me either, so don't sweat not being liked by everyone—okay? It's fine."

"... Hey, Laxus?" Natsu asked, glancing at the older boy again.

Laxus raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Natsu smiled, closing his eyes. "I like you."

"... Thanks, kid."

…

"Hey, Laxus!" A cheery voice shouted, and the Lightning Dragon-Slayer looked back in annoyance. A fourteen year-old Natsu ran up, grinning as he held up a newspaper. "Look!"

"Hm?" Laxus took the newspaper, raising an eyebrow, then he blinked in surprise before lowering it.

Natsu smiled giddily up at him. "They're calling me 'Salamander', now! Isn't that crazy? You totally called it!"

"Huh." The younger version of Laxus handed the newspapers back to the boy, frowning. "Guess I did. Weird."

Natsu held up his fists, giving a fanged smirk and a playful glare. "What do you say? Wanna go head-to-head with the Salamander, Laxus? Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Tch." The younger Laxus's eyes narrowed as he held up a single fist. "You've got a lot to learn before you can surpass me, kid."

"Well, I won't know 'til I try!" Natsu proclaimed proudly, then he yelped as a small lightning-blast launched him into a wall. "Ugh… Best-..? Best two out of three?"

…

"Hey, runt."

A fifteen year-old Natsu, curled up with his knees pulled to his chest as he stared at the water of the canal, blinked before he glanced up in surprise. "Laxus?"

"Found this." The elder Dragon-Slayer held a slip of paper out. "Thought you might want it."

Natsu blinked, then he took the paper into both hands—and he blinked again before staring with wide eyes at the picture Reedus had painted the day Happy hatched, Natsu riding on a little blue dragon while the rest of the guild watched.

At the forefront was Lisanna Strauss, young and bright-eyed… and alive.

"... Thank you." Natsu held the paper to his chest, closing his eyes. "It's just me and Happy, now. I don't know what to do."

"Seems like you've gotta figure that out for yourself." Laxus crossed his arms, continuing to stand over the younger boy and gaze out across the water himself. "Not my problem."

"I know." Natsu nodded. "And I know I should be in there, helping Mirajane and Elfman. I-I just-..."

"Why are you telling me this?" Laxus huffed.

Natsu sighed. "I don't know. I guess I miss being able to talk to you about things." He curled up on himself a bit more. "You can go ahead and hit me with the lightning, now."

Laxus blinked, then he scoffed and sat down next to the boy, letting his legs hang over the water. "You're not throwing punches. Ain't worth my time."

"Heh." Natsu wiped his eyes with his thumb. "Thanks, Laxus." It was quiet, for a few moments. "… You know, you act like you're trying to be some big jerk sometimes, but I can tell you're still the same."

"The same?"

"You care," Natsu insisted. "You just have a different way of showing it, now—but that's okay. I know it's still you, in there." He closed his eyes and smiled. "That's why I still like you."

Laxus glanced at the boy, surprised, then looked back at the water as he drew a cigar from within his coat and lit it with a spark between his fingers. "... Don't fall in, runt."

"Hm. I won't," Natsu assured him, then wrinkled his nose. "Those things are bad for the lungs, y'know?"

Laxus took a deep inhale from the cigar, then let it go. "My lungs can take a hit."

"Tell me that when you're seventy," Natsu mocked, without his usual bite.

His heart wasn't in it.

Still, Laxus snorted. "If you make it that long with how you pick fights, dumbass, you're not human." The younger boy snickered quietly. "… You stick around, even when I'm using these."

"It sure stinks, but doesn't hurt me," Natsu explained. "But Igneel told me I had to be careful of how much I burned, of how dark the air got. I can't hurt anyone on accident."

"Hm." Laxus gestured idly with the cigar. "Still weird you worry so much about that."

"… Fighting's fun." Natsu curled up on himself again, his misty gaze returning to the water. "Hurting people isn't." His eyes narrowed. "I'm never gonna lose anyone again—not one member of our guild, our family… Never again."

…

"This isn't you, Laxus! Don't you remember being our comrade?!

I looked up to you! I wanted to be you, but now: you're just a jerk who attacks his family—and for what, Laxus?!

What's the point?!

You obviously don't wanna do it, so why are you?!"

…

That kid had sure grown up… and Laxus had almost snuffed his lights out, for what?

'Keep growing, Natsu,' Laxus thought near-absently. 'Protect this guild… Never again let anyone else hurt you like I have.'

"Alright, everyone!" Erza rallied the others as Laxus stepped into the hallway. "Let's get ready for the Fantasia parade!"

Cheers rang out, and Laxus chuckled quietly.

That was the real Fairy Tail.

His Fairy Tail.

If only he hadn't lost sight of it.

---

Makarov was awake when Laxus entered the infirmary, his hands folded over his stomach and his narrowed eyes on the ceiling. He did not look at his grandson.

Laxus knew he deserved it, but he could not help but feel a little hurt by it. He crossed his arms, leaned against a wall, and looked away. His eyes kept going to the only other occupied bed in the infirmary, and only when they were there did his resolve crumble and his expression had to soften somewhat.

Nora Valkyrie was curled up under a sheet, bandaged-up and smelling like Porlyusica's cures, and she slumbered on with a troubled expression as her orange bangs hung in her face.

Her new scars seemed to have faded a bit, the work of Porlyusica's healing. Maybe Laxus would leave no visible mark on the girl, if God was feeling merciful.

The clip she was always wearing still sat on her bedside table, and Laxus could not help but notice that some of the colors seemed similar to those of the knife which was not hers.

Lie Ren. That was his name.

…

"A monster-hunter who fought a war."

…

Laxus sighed, then he very slowly strode into the room, not looking over at his grandfather as he did so. He retrieved the clip, and he carefully put it in Nora's hair, pinning her long bangs out of her face. If it was wrong, she could fix it herself when she woke up.

"... Do you realize what you've done?" Makarov asked quietly, and Laxus rested his hand on the bedside table and stared at it. "Look me in the eye." He looked up, seeing that his grandfather had sat up in his bed. The old man's eyes were narrowed, his expression severe. "Our guild is a gathering place for friends, it's a job agency, and it's even family in the eyes of kids with no one to call their kin. It's not yours to own."

"I know," Laxus said quietly.

Makarov glanced at Nora, then he looked back at his grandson. "Our guild is formed by the trust and loyalty of each individual member. It has grown into a bond far stronger and more resolute than anything else. You broke that loyalty and threatened the lives of your comrades." Laxus cast his gaze down again. "This is absolutely unforgivable."

…

"We're good, Laxus.

You're lost, not unforgivable."

…

Laxus looked up, his expression grave as his fist clenched at his side.

"I know," he said, then he looked away. "I don't know what happened, Gramps. I-... I just-..." His fist fell open, and he raised his hand to his forehead and sighed, closing his eyes before the pricks could become anything more. "The guild had to be stronger. I needed it to be stronger, to be strong enough to be feared, to-"

'To make sure I never felt powerless, again,' Laxus decided, and his hand fell as his eyes opened and widened.

…

A ten year-old Laxus looked up, sniffling as he stared down at the electricity crackling around his fingertips.

"G-Grampa?" He asked softly, tears welling up in his eyes. "Dad did something… He said I'd get better, but I'm scared."

"Laxus…" The old man stared at him, then he suddenly rushed forward and pulled Laxus into a hug, like he did not care about the electricity at all. "Oh, my dear boy…"

…

So much suddenly clicked.

First, Laxus had felt powerless as Ivan's son—the sickly disappointment to the family.

Then, Laxus had felt powerless as Makarov's grandson—the powerful wizard who could do no wrong because he was family.

That was why he kept grasping and grasping for more power even though he was stronger than most could ever hope to be, pushing others down like Ivan had pushed him and manipulating those who cared about him to get his way.

The big fucking picture that Laxus had missed was that when he was told he could do no wrong because he was family, he had always assumed that everyone always meant Makarov and only Makarov.

Fairy Tail was the family.

Fairy Tail had always been the family—not just for Makarov, for him too.

For Laxus.

They loved and respected him because he was in Fairy Tail—and when he did something right, they were proud of him.

Laxus was a fucking idiot.

"How inept you are." Makarov seemed to agree with this sudden realization. "You need to relax a little." Understatement. Laxus felt ready to pass out. "Do so, and you'll begin to see things you were once blind to. You'll be able to hear things you were once deaf to." Makarov stood and faced him, folding his hands behind his back, and his expression actually lightened. "Life is much more enjoyable than you think."

Laxus stared at his grandfather, then he looked down—a little embarrassed. All his life, he had heard similar things from the old man, but only now did he seem to hear them.

"I felt happy to be alive, watching you grow," Makarov admitted, closing his eyes, then he opened them and bowed his head. "It wasn't important to me if you were strong or if you were smart. The only thing that mattered was that you were full of life."

Laxus felt his shoulders begin to shake, and he cast his gaze to the ground.

That was true.

The only one who never really put pressure on him for anything was his grandfather, who simply nurtured his interests as they sprung up.

Even back when Laxus revealed that he had been communicating with his father, who Makarov always thought to be dangerous, the old man asked just once where Ivan was and then never pushed it again.

When Laxus wanted to be stronger, Makarov pushed him in training.

When Laxus was tired, Makarov let them stop—and they would go and get some food and go to the park.

When Laxus was a sweet little kid, Makarov was a funny old grampa.

When Laxus was a bratty teen, Makarov was an exasperated but loose guardian.

When Laxus was a man, all Makarov ever asked was that he be kind—and when Laxus refused, there was disappointment in the old man's eyes but never a real scolding.

Makarov only ever let Laxus be who he wanted to be. Only now, when Laxus had chosen to attack innocent people, had Makarov been forced to do something about it.

Laxus felt like the air had been ripped from his body as he finally sniffled.

How could he have done this?

"Laxus," Makarov spoke softly, and he raised his right hand as if the weight of worlds hung around his wrist before swiping it. "... You are hereby out of the guild."

Laxus's eyes widened, but really… what else could have been done?

…

"I cast you out.

You are henceforth and forevermore banished from Fairy Tail."

…

It was the softness that surprised him.

With Ivan, it had been a furious command—firm, resolute, livid. Makarov's own son had been banished from his home forever.

With Laxus, it was quiet—firm, resolute… sad. It was gentle, like Makarov was speaking to a disobedient child who had made him sigh and shake his head rather than a monster who had aggravated his heart condition and nearly killed him while hurting and nearly killing so many innocent people, and for what?

It made no sense.

Just what could Ivan have done?

The thought was chilling.

Still, Laxus waited a moment for a repeat of that day, for Makarov to tell him that he was going to call the Magic Council… but nothing. No promise of a call to the authorities.

Its own kind of punishment.

"Yeah," Laxus whispered, turning away, and he heard his grandfather turning his back behind him. "Thanks, for everything." Laxus started to walk away, but then he paused by the door and gave a small smile. "... Grampa." He could feel the tears welling up, and he could hear the old man sniffling. "Take care of yourself."

His grandfather's next words left as a ragged sob: "Get out!"

Laxus felt numb as he walked away, unable to breathe or think.

Makarov had not cried for Ivan, and he had called the authorities. Now, he cried for Laxus and let him slip away.

Maybe there were exceptions, after all.

---

/\

---

Laxus stood beneath a tree in Magnolia park, the same tree where he had confronted Gajeel only a few days before.

Levy had almost gotten hurt, that day… And based on stories Laxus had heard, and the holes still visible in the tree high above his head, it wouldn't have been the first terrible thing to happen to her in that place.

Laxus had a lot to atone for.

But first…

"You can't be serious!" Evergreen shouted, her eyes wide. "Why did he only kick you out?!"

"We're all guilty of the same thing!" Bickslow agreed, with his babies chanting 'same thing'.

"That's what the old man decided," Laxus replied, his arms crossed with one hand gripping a bag slung over his shoulder.

"Then, I'm gonna leave, too!" Evergreen decided, holding up clenched fists.

Bickslow nodded. "I can't stay without you, either!"

"Man, you guys are a pain in the neck." Laxus closed his eyes and hung his head, sighing in exasperation but smiling all the same. "Can't you just say, 'see ya'?"

"Why are you trying to take all the blame by yourself?" Freed asked, finally speaking up. He had been quiet during this whole conversation, the explanation and the beginning of the farewell.

"It ain't like that," Laxus assured him, a blatant lie. "Unlike you guys, I have no attachment to this guild."

"We'll go talk with the master!" Freed insisted, some of that old fire returning to his visible eye as he stepped forward.

He was really going to be okay, then.

Good.

"I'm sure Natsu and Gray will disagree with his decision, too!" Bickslow added. "They still have respect for you, after all!"

Laxus heard all of this out, and he knew there was some merit.

Three distressed members of the Thunder Legion, coupled with a fiercely loyal and adamant Natsu and Gray… Maybe they could soften his grandfather's heart, change his mind.

And as much as Laxus wanted that…

He couldn't want it.

Not now.

Not yet.

So, he turned away—though it broke his heart, especially as he heard Freed plea. "Laxus…"

"Take care." The Lightning Dragon-Slayer waved—not looking back, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Laxus!" Evergreen cried out.

"Get serious!" Bickslow demanded. "What's gonna happen to the Thunder Legion?!"

'What's going to happen? Who can say?' Laxus thought. 'All I know is that I'm going to make myself worthy of the loyalty and friendship you've shown me, all this time.' He closed his eyes. 'I love you guys. Be safe.'

---

Freed stood between his teammates, watching in dismay as Laxus left them behind, then he closed his misty eyes and forced a smile.

'I'm sure we'll meet again.' He opened his eyes, and he glanced back over his shoulder—his eyes narrowing. 'All the same…'

Nora Valkyrie stood at the edge of one of Magnolia Park's stone walkways, watching sadly as Laxus disappeared from view with a baby-blue blanket wrapped around her shoulders—then she looked up in surprise, finding Freed standing over her.

His eyes were narrowed, and he felt numb—apathetic—even as the mist in his eyes welled-up into true tears. "This is your doing."

Nora blinked again, then her face fell before she nodded in assent. "I promised that I'd bring you all back safely, and… I was wrong. I'm sorry." Freed cast his gaze to the side, his shoulders still trembling. "I… tried to stop him, tried to reason with Master Mak—but he just wouldn't listen." At that, Freed blinked in surprise before looking back at Nora, stunned. She had a hand raised to her forehead while the other rested on her forehead, her own eyes misty as she gazed at the ground with a distressed expression. "Part of me hoped that he wouldn't actually go through with it.

I told him, I told him that Laxus needed our help more than anything else right now, that he'd be tearing your team apart, that I'd even take responsibility for him—for all of you—but… he just wouldn't listen." Her hands dropped to her sides as she looked up at Freed and shook her head, defeated. "I screamed at him. I-I screamed, and I screamed… I got knocked out, a-and when I woke up… it was already done. He'd already kicked Laxus out, and I couldn't stop it." Her tears began to fall, and her lips trembled as her bestbreath shook. "I'm sorry. I tried, Freed. I really tried."

Freed was speechless as he stared down at her, his fists falling open and his own tears beginning to fall. Then, he drew a handkerchief and offered it, and Nora took it and wiped her eyes.

"… I believe you," he said softly. "I'm sorry, Miss Valkyrie. I didn't-..."

"Don't apologize." Nora sniffed as she lowered the handkerchief and looked up at him. "You should have seen me when I first came to the guild. I was even more of a mess than I am now." She gave a weak smile. "You can blame me for this, I-"

"No." Evergreen shook her head. "Are you alright?" Nora blinked, looking at the woman in green in surprise. "You said you were knocked out. Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah." Nora nodded shakily. "I don't know how long-... It was morning, and now it's nearly night. I was out all day, I think—or maybe since yesterday? I just heard what happened and ran, 'cause I-..." She looked off in the direction Laxus had gone in. "... It was Master Makarov and Porlyusica in there when I was knocked out. The only person in there besides them since was Laxus, and-..."

Freed raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"... Porlyusica made me take my clip out when she looked at my head." Nora looked back at him, frowning. "It was still out, when it all went dark… And when I woke up, it was put back in my hair." She snorted. "By someone who knows absolutely nothing about clips." Her expression softened. "But knew I'd need it." She looked off in the distance again. "... Y'know, he might've waved you guys off when it came to talking to Master Makarov…" Nora looked back at them, a devilish glint in her eyes as she folded her hands behind her back. "But you can't tell someone off if you didn't know they were there."

The members of the Thunder Legion exchanged wide-eyed glances before looking back at Nora, absolutely stunned.

"Are you saying-..?" Bickslow could not get the words out.

Nora smiled deviously. "Hey, I talked Laxus down when his freakin' eyes went white—and I'm what many experts would refer to as a bona fide nuisance. Plus, I'm really beaten-up and I have lots of stuff I can hold over the master's head—and I've been told by many people that I'm adorable, on occasion. That's so many threats, I lost count halfway through."

"You'll speak with Master Makarov?" Evergreen asked, clasping her hands.

Freed stared at her. 'Even after-..?'

Nora nodded. "I'll nag him until I'm blue in the face. I'm relentless." She folded her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels. "I can't promise that the results will be fast… just that I'll never stop trying."

The three just stared at the young Huntress with the bright eyes, the electric scars, and the layers of bandages, then they exchanged glances before looking at her with softened expressions.

Maybe there were others in Fairy Tail outside of their little group they should open up to—and if Laxus liked this one, then maybe she was a good place to start. What more could they lose?

---

/\

---

Nora sat on the railing of a stone bridge, kicking her legs absentmindedly as she watched over the other members of Fairy Tail preparing their floats for the Fantasia parade.

The Thunder Legion lingered around her, unsure of what else to do. When at the guild-hall, they kept to themselves or gravitated towards Laxus—and with him gone…

Freed noticed it though, when Nora perked up—having noticed something amidst the crowd of Fairy Tail wizards. It was Master Makarov, making his final inspections.

Freed watched Nora's eyes narrow, then she dropped down from the wall and took a few steps—but he quickly reached out and grabbed her arm. "Miss Valkyrie, not yet."

"What? Why?" Nora looked up at him anxiously. "Laxus is leaving town."

"I know." Freed closed his eyes. "But everything is still raw." He opened his eyes again and looked down at her forlornly, then managed a small smile. "I don't want you missing the parade."

Nora blinked, then she frowned and nodded in understanding. "Okay." Freed released her, and Nora sighed as she crossed her arms and leaned against the railing. "Hey, um… When this starts, can I stand with you guys?"

"You won't be in the parade?" Evergreen asked, surprised.

"Nah." Nora hung her head, smiling tiredly. "I'm pretty beat, and I'm not really good at making things look pretty. I just… break them." She glanced over the railing and into the dark water below. "There's one thing I made, but… I don't even know if it'll work, and it's a one-off anyway. Maybe next year."

"... Are you certain you want to stand with us, Miss Valkyrie?" Freed asked quietly.

"Yep." Nora nodded in affirmation, then glanced down. "Even though I really don't agree with all of your life choices."

Evergreen blinked, following Nora's gaze to her socked and sandaled feet, then huffed. "Hey!"

"Hm!" Nora raised a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle as Bickslow cackled.

"... Hm," Evergreen's expression softened, and the seith-mage glanced at her with a grin.

That seemed to have taken the edge off—for the moment, at least.

Freed smiled, then he noticed Mirajane standing by her float and blinked before signing. "… Excuse me, for a moment."

If Mirajane noticed Freed's approach, she didn't let on. She just continued to adjust the decorations as he came to stand by her side, and he waited patiently for an audience with her.

"She's like you, you know," Mirajane spoke at last, and Freed blinked in surprise. "Nora, I mean… Much of the time, she thinks that loneliness will suit her better, but she's wrong. She's not meant to be alone in any way, I can tell; before she lost it all, she was always surrounded by people and laughter. That made her happy… She needs to find her way back to that way of life." Mirajane closed her eyes. "She needs to remember how to reach out, but she's scared—and I don't know how to promise her that it will be alright… Bad things do happen, after all."

"... She did reach out," Freed spoke quietly, and Mirajane blinked before looking at him. "She reached out to Laxus, and he took her hand… And now, Master Makarov has sent him away." The She-Devil sighed softly at that. "And… she reached out to me, Mirajane, and I pushed her away. I blamed her, for Laxus."

"Oh, Freed…" Mirajane sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "It's not your fault. You didn't know."

"But I did," Freed argued, then he glanced towards where Nora was still chatting with Evergreen and Bickslow. "… And she didn't hold it against me, anyway."

"Hm." Mirajane smiled knowingly. "That's the special thing about Nora. Somehow, she still sees the best in people."

Freed crossed his arms and looked down. "Even when it's not there."

"Even when they can't see it in themselves," Mirajane corrected him.

Freed glanced at her, surprised, then sighed. "… You seem to share that trait."

"Hm." Mirajane crossed her own arms. "I'm tired of pain and death, Freed."

"I know. Me, too." Freed closed her eyes. "And I'm truly sorry, Mirajane, for the part I have played in your suffering." The two of them just gazed at each other for a moment, then Freed broke eye-contact. "Miss Valkyrie has certainly had her fill, as well. She's beside herself over Laxus's expulsion, just as the Thunder Legion is and the master must be—and it doesn't help that her protests fell on deaf ears before they were even silenced."

"Silenced?" Mirajane asked, perplexed.

Freed opened his eyes and looked at her, wondering only for a moment if what he intended to do was right, then his eyes narrowed as he nodded. "Indeed. Master Makarov had Porlyusica knock Miss Valkyrie out when she argued with him." He put on a small smirk. "Not to worry. The Thunder Legion will watch over her, tonight." And then, he walked away. "Enjoy the parade, Mirajane."

"Yeah… You, too…"

"No, seriously," Nora was saying to Evergreen as Freed returned to his teammates. "Blue is my favorite color."

"But you wear so much pink!" Bickslow pointed out.

"Because it's my color." Nora placed her hands on her hips. "Where I'm from, people are named for colors and you're supposed to dress the part." She sighed. "It's a cultural thing, and… I was named for a pink flower."

Bickslow blinked, surprised. "Oh…"

"Hm." Nora grinned, amused. "If I went around in—let's say—all black or even yellow, they'd have thought I was nuts. So, I wear pink." She shrugged. "I like it, though—this shade, at least. But neon pink? Ew."

"You picked a good shade," Evergreen assured Nora, reaching over and rubbing the pink fabric of the Huntress's vest with two gloved fingers. "Even if I can't tell what this stuff is made out of…"

"Thanks! I really like your clothes too, Ever," Nora chirped. "And Bickslow? You're wild. I respect that."

"Respect that! Respect that!" The babies chimed, much to everyone's surprise.

It was rare that they mimicked anyone aside from Bickslow.

"My babies like you," the seith-mage explained as much.

"Hm!" Nora beamed as the dolls floated around her. "Do they have names?"

"Pappa, Pippi, Peppe, Poppo, and Puppu," Bickslow replied, pointing each of them out.

"Pappa, Pippi, Peppe, Poppo, and Puppu," Nora repeated, actually pointing to each doll correctly, then she pumped a fist. "Got it! Ooh!" She looked up at Bickslow curiously. "Do they each have a favorite doll they like to possess, or do they switch whenever they want? Can they play pranks on you and switch dolls when you're not looking, or can you always tell which is which? Do they try anyway?"

"Don't give them ideas!" Bickslow complained, though he was clearly charmed by the Huntress's antics.

"Sorry!" Nora reached up to rub the back of her neck, smiling awkwardly. "No filter. Word-vomit. I babble, a lot…"

"Heh." Bickslow crossed his arms, grinning fondly. "It's all good, Hammertime."

"... Nora," Evergreen murmured, frowning as she released Nora's vest, and she moved the other girl's hair aside. Nora blinked, then she froze as Evergreen's gloved hand carefully brushed against the scars which had reached the side of her face, typically hidden by her coppery bangs. "Goodness… I didn't realize they went so far, even before-..." Her thumb carefully brushed one of the pinpricks, but Nora still winced at what was likely a sting of pain—and Evergreen pulled her hand back. "... It almost reached your eye, when Laxus-... You could have-"

"It's fine, really," Nora insisted, brushing her hair back into place. "Porlyusica's fixing me up, and the old stuff happened months ago."

Freed raised an eyebrow. "Months?"

"Like… maybe… two days before I joined Fairy Tail?" The girl offered awkwardly, then she looked up thoughtfully. "I met Laxus about two weeks later, and Galuna was the day after that happened. So…" She squinted. "If Galuna was -like- six days, including travel time… and then, Phantom Lord was right after that and took about two days… Loke was a week later, and then Akane and the Jellal thing was about four days… And we took a little while to rest up and find Kagura, which was probably three or four more days… Now, we've been home for a couple of days and this happened…" Nora looked up at the Thunder Legion, blinking. "It's actually been about a month and a half… ish."

"... Oh, my God," Bickslow managed as Freed's eye twitched and Evergreen's jaw dropped. "How are you still alive?!"

"I dunno." Nora shrugged, completely honest. "I just sorta… am." She hugged her blanket around herself a bit more. "I ask myself why I'm the one who survived all the time. I guess that there's just… more I can do for folks." She offered them a shy smile. "That's something worth hanging on for, so… I try to."

"Because you made a promise," Evergreen recalled quietly. "When you became a Huntress, to… help everyone."

Nora nodded, grinning. "Yep. And I'm never gonna break that promise."

"Why?" Freed questioned her. "Because it's… all you have left of your home?"

"Well, that—and…" The orange-haired girl shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't it just kinda seem like the sort of promise worth keeping?"

The three mages blinked, then they cast their gazes away before looking back at the young Huntress. They'd all silently agreed to this experiment in vulnerability, but none of them really knew what to do with themselves.

How closed off had they become from the rest of the world, if everything an outsider said took them aback?

Was it them?

Or was it her?

"Ah, Miss Valkyrie," a voice spoke up, and Nora glanced down to see Master Makarov approaching. "And which float will you be riding on this year, hm?"

"Oh, I'm not participating," Nora told him, giving a tired smile. "I'm still really tired, and only good for breaking things."

Makarov waved her off. "Come now, we'll find something for you to do. You could be one of our dancing girls."

"Yeah, no." Nora shook her head. "I'm beat—and people don't really do this sort of thing where I'm from, so I think I'm just gonna hang back and watch."

"You've had plenty of rest-"

"You would know," Evergreen cut in, walking up to stand beside Nora and crossing her arms as she glared down at the master of Fairy Tail. Nora looked over at the fairy-mage, surprised, but the other girl's eyes were on the aged wizard. "I believe that she told you repeatedly that she doesn't want to participate. Would you like me to get Erza over here to join this little discussion about Nora's right to choose?"

"That's unnecessary," Makarov said quickly, ducking his head as he glanced around, then he looked up at Nora. "I simply thought it would be for the best if you joined in, that's all. It's your first Fantasia, and you already opted out of the pageant and-..." Makarov sighed. "You shouldn't be ashamed of your scars, Miss Valkyrie."

"I didn't hear her mention her scars," Evergreen stated. "She told you that she was tired and that she felt uncomfortable with participating because of her culture." Her eyes narrowed. "But even if those factors weren't in place, 'no' means 'no'. If she wants to stay out of it, then she gets to stay out of it." She glanced at Nora, who looked beyond grateful. "Besides, I'm afraid she's spoken for. She already made plans with Freed, Bickslow, and myself for tonight."

"What?" Makarov asked, perplexed.

Freed and Bickslow walked up to stand behind the two girls, their arms crossed, and Evergreen smirked. "Nora promised to watch the parade with us. The awkward little menace can hardly do that if she's been shoved onto a float, and she does so hate to break promises." The fairy-mage raised a finger to her chin and tilted her head, feigning a pout. "Besides, with her injuries, I fear that any more time spent with you in the state she's in will only exhaust her further. She was out so long last time that she didn't even get to say 'goodbye' to Laxus. A pity."

"Ehrm… Well…" Makarov seemed genuinely uncomfortable as he looked at the three mages standing around Nora, then he sighed. "She was straining herself."

"She was expressing an opinion you disagreed with," Freed stated. "And Evergreen may have spared you Erza, but…" He gave a small, devious smirk. "I may have accidentally allowed something to slip to Mirajane. She should be through processing right about-"

"MASTER!" A demonic voice howled, and the color drained from Makarov's face.

Nora's eyes widened, and Evergreen wrapped an arm around the other girl's shoulders and steered her away from the scene as the Thunder Legion departed to give the ensuing chaos a wide berth for their own personal safety.

Bickslow laughed and Freed raised a hand to his chest and gave a few small bows, still smiling playfully. "Thank you, thank you."

"Guys…" Nora looked up at them, absolutely stunned. "Thanks."

Evergreen removed her arm from the younger girl's shoulders and crossed her arms, smirking. "You did tell us that you would be joining us tonight."

"Yeah, but…" Nora sheepishly cast her gaze down as she raised a hand to her scarred neck. "Really… Thanks." She looked up at them, a surprised look crossing her face once more, then she smiled. "Heh."

"What is it?" Bickslow asked, an eyebrow raising behind his mask.

"Evergreen said 'no', and Freed relied on a friend," Nora replied, and the named mages' eyes widened. "… Proud of you."

The Huntress turned, folding her hands behind her back and strolling towards the street with a merry bounce and playful wobble to her steps.

The members of the Thunder Legion watched her go, then Evergreen huffed softly and gave a small smile. "We have to be careful, now. I'm almost starting to grow fond of that ridiculous little thing."

"… What's so wrong with that?" Freed asked softly. "She is a comrade, after all."

"And this is her first Fantasia," Bickslow remarked, looking at his friends with a grin. "Might as well make it one to remember!"

"Remember, remember!" His babies chanted.

Freed nodded. "Agreed."

With that, the three wizards followed after the copper-haired girl—eventually catching up with her at Magnolia's main street, and standing around the much-shorter member of Fairy Tail so as not to obstruct her view.

She had a hand on her hip, and her aqua eyes were wide as she watched floating, translucent magical baubles dance through the evening air amongst brilliant sparks—typical decorations for a typical Fantasia parade. She truly hadn't seen anything like it before, had she?

"… It's starting, soon," Evergreen told the younger girl. "Don't be startled by any of the displays, it's all for show." Nora glanced over at her, and the fairy-mage smiled gently. "I was taken aback too, the first time I saw Fantasia—but it truly is a wonderful occasion."

Nora blinked, then she smiled back and nodded. "Yeah, it is—and it hasn't even started, yet." She looked up at the floating decorations again. "… I never knew magic could be so beautiful."

---

/\

---

That night, Laxus stood in a dark alleyway and watched as the Fantasia parade took place.

His former guild-mates danced about on floats as colorful shapes conjured by their magic floated through the air, and it was quite the spectacle. It always had been, and hopefully it always would be. Laxus did not think Fairy Tail would be the same without such celebrations.

Funny, how getting his head on straight about these things required a few good talks, a few good smacks with an oversized hammer, and total banishment from his home and family—possibly forever. Life certainly was strange.

As he made his way through the crowd, Laxus took notice of the float his grandfather was on and found himself smiling at the ridiculous old man who just wanted to make everyone around him laugh. That was a guild master and a Wizard Saint, but he had a cat-costume on and he was bouncing and waving like a child despite having nearly died of a heart condition.

That was his grandfather, sure enough. Laxus recalled the first year he ever participated in Fantasia, the only year in which his grandfather ever abstained from it. He called it Laxus's 'big moment', and he did not want to draw attention from his grandson and instead elected to watch from the sidelines like any other spectator. Laxus had been worried about not being able to find his grandfather in the crowd, but he had been told not to worry about it…

…

"Then, during the parade, I'll do this!"

"What is that?"

"A message! It's a symbol that I'm always looking your way, even if I can't find where you are!"

"Laxus…"

"Look for it, Grampa!"

…

Laxus could still remember how his grandfather's eyes had teared up, and how—after the parade had ended—he had been crushed in the biggest hug and told he did amazing, but the old man's favorite part had been that sign.

The banished dragon-slayer looked down at his right hand as he pointed the index finger up and let the thumb stick out, and he smiled before looking up at his grandfather for what he thought was one last time and turning his back to leave. He then noticed a hush falling, and he looked back, his eyes widening in disbelief.

On top of the float, his grandfather had paused and put on a serious expression as he raised his right hand into the air—the index finger pointed, the thumb stuck out.

All at once, every single member of Fairy Tail in the parade raised their right hand and mimicked the gesture—every single one of them making the same symbol, the one a child made for his grandfather.

Laxus found his eyes tearing up. "Grampa…"

'Even if I cannot see you, even if you are far away—I will always be looking your way,' a voice seemed to speak in Laxus's mind, and he idly wondered if Warren's telepathy was at work on that crowded street. 'I will always be watching over you.'

'Yeah,' Laxus thought back, just in case. He turned his back, closing his eyes as tears raced down his face. 'Thanks.'

---

Laxus stopped a few alleyways over and leaned against a wall, his breaths shaking as he raised a hand to cover his eyes.

This was all too real, too much. He just wanted it to be over, he just wanted to wake up from this nightmare and be home…

"Hey," a voice spoke quietly, and he opened his eyes and lowered his hand. "I meant to catch you earlier, but I had to be magically restrained by the world's crankiest healer."

"What?" Laxus blinked, then he looked down to see a pair of aqua eyes. "... You?"

There she was.

Her clothes were mended, though partially hidden by a blanket draped over her shoulders, and her hair was in its usual style. She had bandages around her head and peeking out from under her attire. She was covered in bruises, including one on her face that Laxus remembered inflicting and could not help but cringe as he did so.

"Me." Nora gave a small smile, folding her hands over her stomach. "By the way, about the whole 'magically restrained' thing—Evergreen did a whole 'you okay?' bit, and Freed and Bickslow got kinda protective. I'm actually kinda hiding from them right now, so keep your voice down. Freed's a bloodhound for both of us, at the moment."

Laxus found himself chuckling even as he had to wipe his eyes again, and Nora beamed. He lowered his arm, and he found himself smiling down at that orange-haired girl.

"It takes a lot to dampen your spirit, huh?" He asked, and he meant it.

The day he met that girl, he had been both annoyed by her attitude and flustered by her fire.

Laxus would have been lying if he said that the kind of man he was that day would not have eventually made some sort of comment that would have likely gotten his legs broken by the fierce little Huntress.

She was a fairly attractive girl despite her many odd quirks, and he had not been interested in knowing her as well as he liked to think he was beginning to. He would have thrown it all away.

Finally, he could appreciate Nora Valkyrie as a person and as a warrior, even if he was still disgusted with himself for putting her in that condition. He just could not tell if this battle-worn state marred or enhanced how she looked.

"... This is wrong," Nora spoke up—and Laxus blinked, surprised. "You shouldn't have been removed from the guild."

Laxus sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't need your pity, pipsqueak."

"It's not pity, Laxus. It's-... It's knowing what it feels like, okay?" Nora looked down and away, rubbing one of her arms awkwardly. "I know I seriously trauma-dumped on you, back at the cathedral. Sorry about that; I was kinda going through it too, to be honest…" She looked back at him. "But I'll never see my friends, family, or home ever again. I don't want to see the same thing happen to you. That was the entire point, remember?"

The Dragon-Slayer's expression softened. "Yeah, pip. I remember."

"Hm." Nora raised a hand to her clip, her small smile returning, and Laxus felt his face warm as he looked away. So, he hadn't been subtle. That was embarrassing… "I don't want to see this happen to you, Laxus, so… I won't." Laxus looked back at her, and she lowered her hand and looked up at him with defiance in her eyes. "I won't, Laxus… Maybe you really do have a lot to figure out on your own, but you've got to come home at some point." Nora gave a small smile. "Know that when you do, and when you want to come back into Fairy Tail, you'll have a supporter and a friend in me… I'm not going to give up, Laxus—'cause as far as I'm concerned, the job's not over yet. You'll come back, someday." Those aqua eyes of hers shone as he stared into them. "I promise."

Laxus's eyes widened as the orange-haired girl turned away, then she raised her hand and gave the sign just as everyone else had before walking away, vanishing into the night.

Laxus remained there for a moment, then sighed and turned away, walking off into the dark town that he had almost destroyed.

He bowed his head, closing his eyes and shaking his head lightly. "No wonder people say she's crazy… No one in the world could possibly be called sane and be that kind."

Laxus suddenly blinked as he heard a sound, then he turned around as several pink projectiles swirled up and into the sky in the distance—high above the lights of the Fantasia parade.

They exploded into the pink outline of a heart with a pink insignia of Fairy Tail in the middle of it, but in the middle of that Fairy Tail symbol was an empty area in the shape of a lightning bolt.

…

"You'll come back, someday."

…

Laxus gazed at it for a moment, then he slowly smiled.

"Thanks, pip."

---

Well… That's the 'Battle of Fairy Tail' Arc!

What do you mean, there are nine seasons of Fairy Tail? WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THIS WAS ONLY THE END OF THE FIRST SEASON?!

It looks like we've got a long way to go, folks.

Hopefully, if you've waited this long, you'll stick around for the rest of the ride.

I own none of these characters. Please read, review, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks! :)