Chapter 9: Thunderstruck

"This is harder than it looks," I grumbled, slumping against the counter.

Erza and the others were currently on their jobs right now. I was trying to occupy myself by learning some new magic. Lightning Magic to be specific. I heard my mom used it. So I wanted to learn it too, as a way to honor her... it felt right, I guess.

I was having trouble, though.

"What's the problem, my boy?"

I perked up, turning to see Master Makarov walk over to the bar and hop onto the stool next to me. Like clockwork, Eliana arrived with a beer mug in hand and slid it in front of the diminutive Guild Master. Makarov took a sip and let out a soft sigh of satisfaction before focusing on me intently.

I smiled, scratching the back of my head and eyeing the book in front of me. "You said that my mom used Lightning Magic. So I was thinking of learning it to use it myself." I laughed sheepishly. "I've got a sword with a lightning magic sword already, but that can easily break against a strong opponent. So I wanna be prepared, y'know?"

I paused, tracing a finger along the magic book's pages, smiling sadly. "Plus... I think it'd be a good way to honor her."

"Hmm... I see." Makarov stroked his mustache, nodding. "Lightning Magic? Yes... it is certainly powerful magic in the right hands. Claudia had a way with lightning... far more powerful than any I've ever seen."

I sweat-dropped, grinning sheepishly. 'I get it. My mom is awesome.'

Blinking, I sat up straighter. "So shouldn't that mean I should have a natural affinity for Lightning?"

"Normally, it can be expected that a child of a Wizard would be naturally attuned to their parent's magic. But that isn't the case." Makarov crossed his arms. "Magic is as free as the wind. It can take many forms. Whatever magic you manifest naturally is the one you will take to as naturally as breathing... in your case, it is Wind Magic."

I grunted when Makarov pressed his fist against my chest, closing one eye and grinning. "But just because you don't take to Lightning Magic like your mother, does not mean it is out of reach, my boy! Simply keep at it... and eventually, it will come to you."

I stared at Makarov in surprise before smiling and nodding in determination. "Yes, Master!"

"That's the spirit!" Makarov laughed, taking another swing of his beer and humming in thought. "Now... I may not be an expert on Lightning Magic. But I do know someone that is."

My brows furrowed. Someone who's an expert on Lightning Magic? Who - oh. No. "Laxus? Are you serious?"

"Probably not the ideal choice, but..."

"Master, with all due respect, Laxus would be the last person I want to talk to." and I meant that. Over the past couple of weeks, I've been trying to get to know the guy, break down his barriers, and be his friend... BUT THE BASTARD KEPT GIVING ME THE COLD SHOULDER!

I remember his words vividly.

"I don't need to waste my time with pubescent weaklings. Get out of my sight."

THE NERVE OF THAT GUY! Thinks he's a big shot just because he has cool Lightning Magic and is a Dragon Slayer... fucking dick. I'd beat the breaks off that guy if I could, but any fight we'd have would likely result in massive property damage across Magnolia.

And I'm not even sure I could beat Laxus, as frustrating as it is to admit. Rumors have been going around that he's being considered a candidate for S Class. And the only current S-Class Wizard we've got right now is Gildarts... which says a lot.

I huffed. "I tried socializing with the guy. He's made it clear he wants nothing to do with me. So what makes you think he'll teach me anything?"

"Laxus can be... rough around the edges. But he's a good kid." Makarov coughed nervously as Eliana let an uncertain hum in the background. He held up a finger and smiled. "All you have to do is find some middle ground. Who knows? You both may find you have a lot more in common than you think."

My brow twitched. Laxus was a dick until after the Fantasia Parade. I don't know if I wanna be compared to Asshole Laxus...

"Hey, Gramps."

SON OF A-!

Laxus came into view, holding a job request in his hand as he stomped over to Makarov. "I'm going on another job."

"I see... hm." Makarov eyed the request curiously. "This seems to be a rather difficult one. At the very least A-Class... say!" there was a twinkle in his eye. One that I didn't like. "Why don't you bring Taruko along with you? If you two work together I'm sure you'll be able to finish that job with little to no casualties!"

You sly bastard...

Laxus twitched, swiveling around to face me. He scowled and looked back at Makarov. "No way! I can do this myself. He'll just slow me down. I'm not some weakling, Gramps."

"This 'weakling' can hold his own just fine." I snapped, glaring up at Laxus. He was only a few years older than me but was somehow taller! Curse his genetics...! "Check yourself, prick."

"You...!" Laxus snarled, lightning sparking across his body "If you want a beating so bad, punk, just say the word!"

I didn't know what came over me. I was usually a lot more relaxed than this, but Laxus... the way he spoke to me, the way he acted to everyone in general, it pissed me off. The guy he was now versus the man he would eventually become was like night and day. Maybe if he was like his eventual future self I'd show him more respect...

But he hasn't earned that yet.

I summoned a sword into my hand, gritting my teeth. "I'd like to see you try, Sparky."

"BOYS!" we flinched in unison as Makarov barked at us. Slowly, we turned to him, and the old man sighed. "I understand you two may not get along. But I believe this experience could be good for both of you. I think you'll come to discover that the two of you have a lot more in common than you believe... if you'd just give each other a chance."

We went quiet, staring at Makarov in tense silence. Eventually, I sighed, dismissing my weapon and standing up straighter. "Yes, Master."

Laxus scoffed, crossing his arms. "Whatever."

"Now, how's about you two run along? You've got a job to complete!"

Laxus and I grumbled under our breaths, turning around and storming out of the guild with frustrated grimaces.

Eliana walked over, cleaning a wine glass. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Makarov scratched his chin, humming. "... possibly not one of my greatest ideas, but I believe they can both grow from the experience."

"That or burn the village down." Macao snarked in the background, earning a series of jeers from the other men in the guild. It was no secret that the new members of Fairy Tail had started to become destructive in their missions. It got worse with time. Especially with the recent inclusion of the Strauss Siblings... they thought Natsu and Gray's rivalry was bad... Erza and Mira were too entirely different beasts altogether.

And if Taruko and Laxus went down that same path... then...

... the complaints from the Magic Council would continue to pile up.

Makarov paused, then paled in horror. "Oh no."

Eliana sighed. "Too late to stop them now."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

X-X-X-X-X-X

I sunk into my seat as the train's engines roared. The world blurred as we began to move, and I crossed my arms, staring at the seat across from me where Laxus was sitting. The Lightning Mage had his eyes closed and arms folded. Seemed to be listening to music. What kind, I had no idea. But I could already guess he was doing his best to ignore me. That was fine, I didn't care one bit.

I honestly don't know how Makarov was expecting us to get along at this current stage... but he was a wise man. And I wouldn't doubt his words. If we can learn something from this experience, then damn it, I'm going to do my best to learn! Even if Laxus himself doesn't want to.

I got the basic gist of the quest we were going on. A village on the edge of Crocus known as Hama Village was amid an Ursa infestation. What were Ursa? They were essentially a stronger variant of bears capable of using Earth Magic. They were absurdly powerful, stronger than a Vulcan bare minimum, and with a fur hide as durable as solid stone. They were strong, yeah, but not much of an issue one on one.

But from the job description, it sounds like we're dealing with an entire pack of these things. With a Grand Ursa leading the charge. Grand Ursa were a sub-species of Ursa, essentially the 'alpha' of the species. They could live up to one hundred years and could grow to be gargantuan in size.

Ursa doesn't typically group up in packs. But when they do, it's usually a sign that a Grand Ursa is among them. Which poses a problem. If these things are rampaging, it could prove dangerous for the villagers. Their village could get wiped out in a matter of days. It was up to us to do some cleaning duty, by wiping the pack out.

Between the two of us, though, I'm confident we can wrap things up.

Blowing air through my nose, I looked down at my hands and clenched them into fists, squinting. 'No time like the present.' I held up my hands and exhaled, drawing upon my magic reserves and focusing them on my fingertips. The book said I had to convert my energy into electricity. Easier said than done. How do you do that? Usually, you need a mental trigger for that, but I'm drawing blanks.

My face scrunched up into a grimace as my frustration began to mount. My energy began to fluctuate underneath my skin, flooding it with a bubbling heat that set my nerves on fire. I saw sparks of electricity buzz at my fingertips and I gasped. "Yes! Fina-"

*BOOM!

Ethernano exploded in my face like a flashbang. My ears ranged and my vision blurred. I let out a strangled cough, groaning and rubbing at my face in agitation. "Ugh... damn it."

"What the hell are you doing?"

I blinked, staring at Laxus who stared back at me with furrowed brows. I huffed. "I'm trying to perform Lightning Magic. Thought it'd be good to add to my repertoire."

"Don't you have that stupid axe?"

My brow twitched. "Stormbreaker isn't stupid. But nothing is stopping it from breaking one day - so I wanna be ready. And besides... I wanna honor my mom in some way." I paused. "I was gonna try learning Water Magic too, in honor of my dad."

Laxus paused, his lips twisting into a frown as he leaned back into his seat. The blonde grumbled to himself and huffed. "... Yeah, well, you're doing it all wrong."

I blinked again. "Eh?"

Laxus glared at me. "You're forcing it. Lightning is unstable, it's destructive, and it's powerful. You can't control it. You have to guide it. Gotta maintain a balance between the negative and positive energies in your body... converting them into electricity that you charge up and release. It's all in the breath." he snapped his fingers, creating a ball of lightning in his hands before dismissing it. "At least, that's how I do it. Doubt a noob like you could pull it off."

My brow twitched and I glared at my fists. "Noob?! I'll show you a fuckin' noob, ass..."

I focused, closing my eyes and breathing in. It was all in the breath, huh...?

I exhaled and delved deep within, focusing on my magical energy again. This time I dug deeper, searching beyond the sea of magical energy inside of me and grasping at something I couldn't see, but feel. Negative and positive... finding my balance, and converting it.

*Bzzt!

Like static, something clicked in my mind. My brows creased and the tips of my fingers tingled. The energy buzzed underneath my skin, but it was far more controlled than before. It didn't feel like it was going to burst out of me. I took in another breath and eased it out. My eyes snapped open as I saw a spark of lightning light up between my hands, colored blue... not yellow like Laxus' lightning.

The lightning continued to crackle, and a grin bloomed across my face. "Yes!"

Laxus blinked, rolling his eyes. "... well, you managed to create a single spark. Big whoop."

I groaned, shooting him a sharp look. "Do you have to be such a buzzkill?"

"You're expecting praise for something so miniscule? Get over yourself. Maybe you'll get a compliment when you can pull off a coherent spell."

... I hate that he has a point.

I pouted. "Yeah, well... compliments can go a long way."

Laxus scoffed. "You're such a kid."

BECAUSE I AM ONE, DICKHEAD!

["All passengers! We've arrived at the capital of Crocus! Exit the train in an orderly fashion."]

We perked up at the roaring horn of the train and the gentle voice of the conductor. Laxus sighed and stood up, grumbling to himself. "Let's get this over with..."

I huffed, hopping off my seat and jogging to catch up to Laxus.

This was going to be a long day...

X-X-X-X-X-X

Hama Village was a rural town on the edge of Crocus with a population of about 2,000. It wasn't specifically known for anything in particular. It was completely average... and the residents of the village were perfectly okay with that. Living their own peaceful little lives and enjoying the simplicity of their home. But that calm was being disrupted by the recent Ursa outbreak. Which is why Laxus and the Brat were here.

He didn't understand why the Old Man was so insistent on making him tag Taruko along, but he knew not to get on his grandfather's bad side. He was strong. Stronger than him by a long shot...

But he'd eventually close the gap.

Walking down the dirt path, they reached the borders of Hama Village. Taruko's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the village. Various buildings and shops were either collapsed or destroyed in their entirety. Several villagers, composed of mostly men worked tirelessly in the rebuilding effort. Others tended to the wounded and injured, women passed around food and water for the workers. To put it simply... the place looked like a total shit. Like a tornado ran through the place.

Laxus clicked his tongue as he looked around. "... this place is a dump."

Taruko nodded slowly. As harsh as Laxus' words were, he wasn't wrong. And he had a feeling he was referring to the state of the village and not the village itself. "Yeah. The Ursa did a number on it..."

*Crck.

Laxus paused, glancing down at the shorter boy and narrowing his eyes at the white-knuckle grip he had. Clenching his fists tight enough to threaten to pierce his skin. While Taruko appeared composed on the outside, Laxus could tell it was a facade.

This kid was angry. And it wasn't the typical anger he witnessed back at the guild...

'What's up with this kid? It's just a trashed town. This crap is common when settlements are posted up near monster territory.' Laxus huffed.

"Ah... hello, there."

The two perked up, watching as an elderly man with greying hair and squinty charcoal eyes walked over to greet them. At first glance, he appeared to be the same age as Makarov, but that's where the similarities ended. Whereas Makarov's growing age made him short and diminutive when not using any magic, this man was tall and exposing, with strong ripcord muscles and a shaggy grey beard. Dressed in a loose-fitting haori with floral patterns, a beige wool undershirt, a golden sash belt, and baggy black pants with a pair of simple wooden sandals, he approached the young wizards with a smile.

"What brings you two young lads to our humble village?" he bowed his head in greeting. Several of the villagers paused in the work to eye the boys curiously. "Björn, the mayor of this settlement."

Laxus stepped forward and flashed his guild mark, with Taruko doing the same. "We're Fairy Tail Wizards. I'm Laxus Dreyar."

"Taruko Hikari." Taruko smiled. "We're here for a job request in dealing with your Ursa problem?"

Whispers and mutters broke out among the villagers, who stared at the boys in a brand-new light. Eyeing them with expressions of awe, admiration, and reverie.

"Dreyar? Like Makarov Dreyar of the Magic Council?"

"That boy is related to a Council member?"

"He must be quite powerful..."

"Hikari... I feel like I've heard that name before."

"Mm. I think I've seen it somewhere in Sorcerer's Weekly?"

"Hikari... now that I think about it, that kid looks like one of those old wizards from the Fairy Tail guild. That blue hair is unmistakable?"

"Could it be..."

Laxus' brows began to crease as he unconsciously clenched his fists. 'This shit again...?!'

He blinked upon hearing a sigh, glancing in Taruko's direction as he ran a hand through his hair with an exasperated expression. "Good grief, this again?"

'Huh...?'

"Hahahahaha!" Björn let out a sharp bark of laughter, patting the boys on the back. They grunted and stumbled behind the force of his 'light' touch. "Don't mind them. It's not every day such well-renowned wizards stop by our home. Come."

The large elder turned around and walked into the village. Taruko and Laxus exchanged a glance before quickly following. Folding his arm behind his back, Björn hummed. "As you're probably already aware, we've been receiving rampages from the Ursa in the Great Forest east of the village. The damages have been quite costly."

He waved his hand about. The deeper they walked, the more apparent the damage was. Spires of jagged rock jutted out of the ground. Some of which tore through various houses. Taruko gulped silently, looking back over at the mayor. "There's no way any ordinary Ursai could do that right? They're strong sure..."

"It's an entire pack," Laxus grumbled. "The damage is gonna be brutal no matter how you slice it."

"Correct. However, that is not the primary issue." Björn came to a halt. "The Ursai typically remain in the Great Forest. We do not agitate them, and they do not attack us. It is a silent mutual agreement. Something has disrupted that balance and thrown the Ursai into a frenzy... even worse, we've been experiencing tremors."

"Tremors?" Taruko and Laxus muttered quietly in confusion.

Turning them, Björn stared at the two, his eyes snapping open and staring deep into their soul. "Tremors in the earth. I fear this can only mean one thing..."

His eyes narrowed. "The Forest Guardian is awakening."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Deep within the Great Forest, a man in his early 20s with messy black hair with silver tips styled in a bob-cut and squinty eyes, wearing a ragged cloak walked through the woods at a leisurely pace. At his side, a titanic serpent with hardened blue scales and black spikes jutting out of its sides hissed, slithering next to him obediently. He smiled thinly as they reached a clearing. Several ratty-looking men - bandits - all stood at attention. Most of them shivered in fear, surrounded by stationary Ursai. Others waited patiently for the man's arrival.

"Ratmin." the man calmly walked up to a scrawny-looking man with a shaggy mullet standing in front of the entrance of a cave. He yelped in response, standing at attention. "Status report."

"W-Well Boss... the village is still recoverin' from the last attack. That old man managed to fend off and divert the Ursai horde away-"

"I know that." he sharply replied. "I wouldn't expect anything else from him. Has anything else happened?"

"W-Well... there's these two kids that came by. He went and greeted them. Said they were Fairy Tail Wizards... came for a job request."

The man paused, humming to himself. "Fairy Tail, huh...?" he smirked, flashing his canines as he began walking into the cave. "Now he's enlisting the help of wizards to get rid of the Ursai? Hmph. Well, it doesn't matter now..."

"You'll be taking Kasaka and these Ursai to go cause a ruckus. Buy me some time to take control of this thing." Slicking his hair back, a pair of massive glowing red eyes peered at him from the darkness. He grinned, his eyes snapping open and flashing with primal magical energy. An earth-shaking growl rattled his bones to the very core. "I've been building up my magic power for a while now. And with the power of this particular beast... I'll finally be able to kill that old coot."

His expression turned crazed.

"And take what's mine."

X-X-X-X-X-X

"The Forest Guardian?" Taruko tilted his head in confusion.

"It's a powerful magic beast. A Grand Ursa that's lived in this region for over a hundred years now... the people of this village worshipped it as a protector, it's might capable tearing the entire forest and surrounding area asunder..." Björn closed his eyes and shook his head. "If it wakes up enraged... I fear we won't be able to survive the next wave."

"And while I don't wish to resort to violence in harming the Ursai... I simply see no other option."

Laxus crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. While he didn't particularly care about the man's hesitation about killing the Ursai, he knew a bad situation when he saw one. This needed to be taken care of... and fast. And he prided himself in finishing his jobs perfectly.

"Alright, old man. We'll take care of this Ursai." Laxus said.

Björn sighed in relief, bowing his head. "I thank you-"

"Hold it."

They paused at Taruko's words. Laxus squinted at the boy with furrowed brows. "What?"

Taruko closed his eyes, shifting his feet. Subtle tremors ran through the dirt, which set him on edge. Using Reinforcement on his ears, he craned his head in the direction of the Great Forest and listened... the sound of pounding footsteps, crashing trees, and vicious laughter filled his ears. He snapped his eyes open and reinforced them to their maximum limit, spotting a horde of Ursa charging through the forest with bandits riding their back from miles away.

"Ursai are closing in on the village. Bandits are riding them." Taruko informed with a scowl, summoning a sword into his hand.

"What?!" Björn sputtered in surprise.

Laxus eyed Taruko's glowing eyes and honed in on his own enhanced hearing, frowning. Electricity sparked off his body angrily. "Brat is right."

Taruko looked over at Björn. "Evacuate the villagers just in case. Me and Laxus are gonna intercept at the edge of the forest so that the village doesn't get damaged any further!"

Björn nodded swiftly and ran off. With his worries assured, Taruko peered up at Laxus. "I know we don't get along, but we've gotta work together to protect the village and its people..."

He grinned. "... so how about we should those bastards we completely eclipse them in strength?"

Laxus paused, eyeing the boy curiously for a moment before snorting and allowing a jagged smirk to cross his lips. "That's something I can get behind."

The two rocketed off in an explosive burst of speed. Lightning and wind danced through the air as they dashed toward the edge of the Great Forest. Laxus was the fastest of the two and arrived first. A horde of Ursa, large bear-like beasts with light brown fur, shards of sharpened rock jutting out of their shoulder blades and neck, and a glistening red gemstone on their head, charged forward with a fearsome roar. Riding on their backs were a group of bandits. Some stocky, some scrawny, and some muscular; but all were equally ratty in appearance. Spotting Laxus appear in a flash of lightning, the head of the pack shouted in alarm.

"It's one of those Fairy Tail Wizards!"

"Let's get 'em!"

"YEAH!!"

"Wrong choice," Laxus growled out with a grin, dropping to the floor as the bandits pulled out various weapons ranging from firearms to daggers, swords, and spiked bombs. The one with firearms opened fire, raining down a hail of magic-charged bullets upon the young Lightning Wizard. Lightning encompassed Laxus' body as he vanished from his previous position and appeared above the pack, charging a condensed spear of lightning in his hands.

"Odin's Javelin!" Laxus roared, heaving the spear of lightning directly into the center of the pack. It detonated, unleashing a powerful explosive dome of lightning that shocked the bandits to kingdom come and sent several of them flying off their rides. The pack of Ursai roared in pain as they were electrocuted, spasming on the floor. "Too easy!"

His ears perked up at the sound of the earth rupturing. He peered down to witness a group of recovering Ursai rise to their paws and punches the earth, using their natural affinity for Earth Magic to summon large spires of rock toward the blonde. Laxus charged up a ball of lightning in his hands, preparing to retaliate, but he wouldn't need to.

"Sword Saint Style..."

*Swoosh!!

As swift as the wind, Taruko blurred into view, his arm moving so fast that Laxus had trouble tracking his movement. The boy slashed at the pillars of rock with precision, releasing a clean blade of air from his weapon and cleaving the projectiles in two. "Air Slicer!"

Spinning on his heel and maximizing the most of his momentum, Taruko summoned another sword into his hand and blasted forward, swinging his two blades in unison and unleashing a cross-shaped wave of piercing air that cut deeply into the offending Ursai's hardened body, spilling blood and causing the beasts to reel back in pain. "Sword Saint Style: Cross Slasher!"

Laxus landed next to the boy, whistling. "Huh. Not bad."

"I may not be as skilled when it comes to Lightning Magic in comparison to you..." Taruko stood up with a calming breath, smirking up at Laxus. "But I'm unrivaled when it comes to the sword."

Laxus rolled his eyes, charging his fists with electricity as they were surrounded by various bandits and Ursai. "Hmph. Let's see you say that when I wipe all these bastards out in five seconds flat."

A vein throbbed against Taruko's temple, and he scowled. "Oh yeah? I can finish this in two!"

Laxus twitched, growling. "I'll finish it in one!"

The surrounding bandits began to sweat.

"Are... are they treating this like a game?"

"I think we should get outta here..."

"These guys are psychopaths!"

"G-Guys! They're gone!"

"WHAT?!"

Horror bounced around the bandit group. In the blink of an eye, two blurs bounced around the woods as the men tried to uselessly defend themselves. Several of them were punched and electrocuted violently, others were cut down and incapacitated. When one tried to run, they got dragged back into the chaos by an offending hand. Blades of wind and streams of lightning coalesced together, forming thunderous explosions and blasts that obliterated any Ursai that tried to retaliate with their magic attacks.

Amidst the raging storm of attacks, Ratmin, one of the remaining bandits that had yet to be incapacitated scrambled back with hurried breaths, his eyes trembling in fear. "I gotta get outta here... I gotta...!"

"Where do you think you're going?"

He squealed like a pig, pressing his back against the base of a tree as Taruko and Laxus glared down at him with glowing eyes. The swordsman grabbed Ratmin by the collar and yanked him up. "Why are you using the Ursa to attack the village?"

"And you better spill." Laxus flexed his hand, making of show of shrouding it in crackling lightning. "Unless you wanna end up like your friends."

Nearly soiling himself, he stammered and waved his hands about wildly. "W-We didn't! Not of our own choice, honest! We were forced by this wizard! He's been o-organizing attacks for weeks!"

They narrowed their eyes. Taruko leaned back. "Why."

"W-We don't know, man! He has some beef with the mayor or some shit!"

Taruko and Laxus blinked. "Björn?"

*GROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!!!!!!*

The entire forest trembled under the force of an earsplitting roar. Taruko dropped Ratmin in shock and stumbled back. Laxus growled in pain, covering his ears and nearly falling to his knees from the painful noise. Eventually, it subsided, and they could only stand there in shock.

"What... the hell was that?!" Laxus hissed.

"B-By now he's probably awakened that huge monster in that car and is heading for the village...!"

Taruko's eyes widened in shock. "The Forest Guardian..." he turned to Laxus. "Laxus! We need to-"

A massive shadow loomed overhead and the two wizards leaped out of the way as a massive scaled tail slammed into the ground and formed a crater in the earth. Slithering back, they peered up into the eyes of Kasaka. The colossal Land Serpent released a deafening hiss, the shockwave from its bellow threatening to send them flying off their feet.

"Another blasted monster?!" Laxus scowled in frustration. He whirled around to glare at Ratmin. "Is this your--"

Ratmin was gone.

. . .

"THAT RAT BASTARD!"

"MOVE!" Taruko kicked Laxus out of the way as the serpent's tail cleaved through several trees. Tumbling back, Taruko sucked in a sharp breath and looked at the Lightning Wizard. "Laxus, you're the fastest and strongest between the two of us. As much as I hate to admit it, you've got to stop whoever those guys' boss is before he destroys the entire village and kills Björn!"

Standing up to his feet, Taruko gripped his swords and glared at Kasaka. "I'll defeat this overgrown lizard and get over there as fast as I can."

Laxus stared at Taruko in mild surprise. The blonde sobered up quickly and scoffed, turning on his heel. "Whatever." he paused, his brows creasing. "You better not lose to a dumb snake. You'll give Fairy Tail a bad rep."

In a flash of lightning, he was gone. Taruko smirked to himself. "Tch. As if I'd lose to this thing... if I had to go back home admitting I lost to a giant snake... the shame would kill me!"

Kasaka bared its fangs at the swordsman with a furious expression before lunging at him. It's maw open wide with the intent of swallowing him up in one single bite. Taruko was quick to roll out of the way as the armored snake barreled through a tree. He lashed out with one of his swords at full force, only to gawk in surprise as the blade shattered into pieces.

"Shit...! Not only is this thing fast, but I can't pierce its armor normally." Taruko tossed his broken sword to the side and dismissed his other one back into his Requip space. "Then I guess I'll have to bring the thunder."

While he wasn't skilled in using Lightning Magic naturally, he could compensate with Stormbreaker just fine.

He flipped out of the way of Kasaka's coiling tail, avoiding several falling trees as he rushed the giant serpent and outstretched his hand. "Requip: Stormbreaker!"

Lightning crackled through the air as a massive steel-blue battle axe materialized into his hand, carrying a lightning lacrima core within the blade. Taruko channeled his Wind Magic, focusing the air around his ankles and releasing it in a condensed burst. "Vorpal Dance!"

Vorpal Dance, a spell created by Taruko that involves channeling wind into his legs and releasing it in short bursts for brief moments of enhanced speed and mobility.

'I may be a swordsman... but!' soaring over the head of Kasaka, Taruko used Reinforcement on his limbs and narrowed his eyes with sharp focus. 'I won't limit myself to just the blade!'

"Sword Saint Style...!"

Kasaka lunged at him again. Channeling magic into the lacrima, lightning coursed through the weapon and Taruko's body, further empowering him as an aura of magical energy began to pool out of his body. Raising Stormbreaker high in the air, he channeled his energy into a singular point. Discharging a powerful burst of raw magical energy from the back of the axe. The force strengthened his momentum as he brought his weapon down in a brutal axe chop. The blade slammed against skull of Kasaka, unleashing a violent blast of potent lightning magic. "Mana Burst: Falling Thunder!"

*BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!*

Kasaka's head bounced off the ground with a thunderous impact as Taruko landed swiftly, smirking to himself. After Erza had showcased coming up with a different variation of Mana Burst, he couldn't help but come up with his own. Which is where Mana Burst: Falling Thunder came in. Using Mana Burst's recoil to bolster the speed and strength behind his swing, followed by a violent discharge of lightning magic equals devastating damage to any opponent.

Taruko raised his battle axe defensively as Kasaka quickly recovering and swung it's tail at him. With the force of a freight train, Taruko was sent flying off his feet and spiraling through the air with a pained howl. He grit his teeth and blinked in shock when an uprooted tree was thrown his way. He recovered swiftly and swung Stormbreaker in a downward arc to chop it in two.

Flipping through the air, he landed on his feet, digging grooves into the dirt as he hit the edge of a river. He looked around frantically for Kasaka, only to tense as a geyser of water shot into the air and the Land Serpent's massive form loomed over him. He jumped out of the way as it slammed into the earth, kicking water and debris. Gritting his teeth, Taruko adjusted his stance and charged Stormbreaker with more of his energy.

"Sword Saint Style..." he launched himself forward, swinging his axe as Kasaka lunged down at him and caught the blade in it's jaws. He grit his teeth as sparks flew as it's resilient fangs grinded against the metal. Electricity sparked around his arms as he was driven back by the massive snake. His arms trembled, but he pressed on with a roar. "WATER SKIMMER!!"

Flooding his muscles with magical energy, he rooted himself in place and swung forwards. Releasing a massive blade of lightning that electrocuted the massive beast and sent it flying back. Shallow bloody gashes and cracks appeared along the surface of Kasaka's armor as it howled loudly in pain.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Taruko's eyes brimmed with bright magical energy and electricity as wind circled his body. He used Vorpal Dance again to accelerate himself, lightning booming through the air as he lunged at Kasaka with a rotating axe-chop, releasing a spinning arc of violent electricity. "Sword Saint Style: Half-Moon!"

He continued to assault the damaged bits of the serpent's armor, roaring wildly and swinging his axe downwards towards an exposed area on it's spine. Through the blinding pain, Kasaka met his swing head on with the sharp edge of it's tail, batting Stormbreaker out of Taruko's grasp and sending the axe flying into the air; and throwing off his moment as a result. "Gh...!"

Kasaka shrieked, snapping open it's jaws in a blind fury as it tried to bite Taruko in two. Taruko held out a hand and released a powerful gust of wind, using the recoil to knock himself backwards and plummet towards the grown, narrowly escaping death by a hair. He reached outwards grabbed onto a gap in Kasaka's scales as the massive beast immediately felt his presence and began to fail around wildly. Bashing him against the ground, jagged rocks, and several trees.

Taruko cried out in pain, his head slamming against the base of a tree violently. His vision blurred and he became dazed, but his grip remained firm as blood dripped down his forehead and over his left eye. He growled in frustration. "You just don't know when to quit! But guess what...?!"

He began to scale Kasaka's back, enduring the abuse. Bit by bit, he got closer and closer to his intended target. His body riddled with agony, he hugged onto the snake's neck and gripped onto it hard. "Neither...!" he reinforced his hands, gripping onto the armor like a vice. The snake thrashed around violently as the damaged scales began to creak under the overwhelming pressure. His silver eyes shining like brilliant stars, Taruko pumped more magic into his hands and pushed down. "DO...!"

"I!!!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. The armor shattered under his crushing grip. He dug his fingers deep into the exposed skin and pushed down harder, crushing the snake's throat with a loud, sickening crunch as blood burst from the wound and a geyser of red ichor violently ejected itself from the beast's crushed esophagus.

The light left it's eyes as it released one final, hushed hiss of pain. It's long body collapsed to the ground violently, kicking up dust. Taruko laid there, gasping for air as he groggily pushed himself to his feet and looked down at his shaky, blood-stained hands.

He closed his eyes and shuddered, swallowing thickly. He'd cut down several monsters before, but never had he done it so violently. It made him feel queasy, but he swallowed the rising bile in his throat and stumbled off its corpse with ragged breaths.

"I've done this before... no need to get shaken up..." he muttered to himself, looking around and eyeing the scattered armor pieces that fell off of Kasaka from the fight. He paused in his musings and picked one of them up with a hum, and then turned towards the dead snake and eyed one of it's fangs curiously. "Huh..."

The sound of booming thunder snapped the boy to attention as he looked off into the direction of Hama Village. Sobering up, he quickly gathered all the scattered pieces he could find and ripped out one of Kasaka's fangs before storing it in his Requip space along with the lost Stormbreaker against.

Taruko took in another deep breath and ran off to catch up with Laxus.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Now, everyone! We must leave promptly. Grab your children and go and evacuate to the safe house near the border." Björn ordered to the surrounding villagers with urgency. "Grab your belongings as fast as you can! Men gather supplies, and all the women take the children and elderly and go."

"Mayor, what's going on?" a young woman, a baker by the name of Amalia spoke up with worry, "Why are we evacuating?"

"We have the possibility of being under attack. The wizards of Fairy Tail have gone to intercept our attackers, but I want everyone gone in case their strength isn't enough." Björn explained swiftly and pointed south of the village. "Now, everyone gets to it!"

They didn't need to be ordered a third time. The villagers worked together as one to evacuate. Björn helped along to speed up the process, watching his people flee into the distance. The man clenched his eyes shut and let out a rumbling breath. The earth shook under the weight of destructive steps, and the man slowly turned around to bear witness to the Forest Guardian bursting out of the forest with a devastating roar.

It was a gargantuan beast. A Grand Ursai whose size nearly eclipsed the very forest it came from. Muscular limbs the size of sturdy tree trunks with claws akin to jagged stone. A massive body with dark brown fur and green hues. A mane of rock surrounded its face, which appeared to be the mix between a bear and a lion. Rock plates ran across its spine like stalagmites. A glistening red gemstone rested on its forehead, shining under the sun's rays. Its eyes were crazed and brimming with magical energy, the sclera a bright purple and the pupils a deep orange with slit pupils.

Björn's slant eyes widened. 'Those eyes...!'

"You recognize it, you old coot!"

His head snapped in the direction of a maniacal voice. Standing atop the Forest Guardian's head was a man with slicked back spiky hair, the front section prominently colored silver, and the back colored dark purple. His manic eyes looked exactly like the Forest Guardian's. A rugged smirk tugged at his lips.

"Mammon..." Björn muttered, his brows creasing deeply as he stood up straighter. "I see. So you're the one..."

Mammon crossed his arms. "So you know why I'm here then? Good. That saves the explanation!"

Björn shook his head. "My foolish grandson... I'd already left the guild. You'd taken the spot. What more do you need?"

"I'm the Guild Master in all but name." Mammon glared down at him. "It was you who taught me if you wanted something, you took it with your power! And with you alive, the guild isn't truly mine."

"I also taught you to never let your greed consume you. Be content with what you have." Björn closed his eyes. "That was the rule of the guild. Once you broke."

"We could have been more! We're stronger now than we ever were before with me in charge?" Mammon snapped with a scowl, clenching his fists. "Look at me now! Controlling a magic beast of this caliber... IT'S THIS POWER THAT I'LL USE TO DESTROY YOU AND TAKE WHAT'S RIGHTFULLY MINE!"

"... I see I've done an ill-suited job in raising you." Björn sighed, rolling up his sleeves. "I'll have to teach you one final lesson."

Mammon's visage shifted into something visceral and nasty as he snarled in outrage at Björn's casual dismissal. His eyes glowed and he thrusted his hand out. "KILL HIM!"

The Forest Guardian roared, conjuring a row of emerald-green magic circles beneath Björn's feet. The man eyed them with narrowed eyes as the ground began to rumble. Massive pillars of glittering stone were erected from the magic glyphs at high speeds. Flexing one of his hands, Björn's muscles bulged as he thrust his fist toward the oncoming attack. "Beast Aura: URSA!"

A giant ethereal fist of magical energy exploded from his fist and collided with the oncoming rocks, shattering them all with explosive force in one decisive blow. Shards of rock flew towards Mammon, who raised his forearm to shield his eyes. The young man growled in frustration as the Forest Beast let out another ferocious roar, sucking in a deep breath.

An intense vacuum threatened to pull Björn off his feet. Digging his ethereal claws into the dirt, he braced the ferocious gales as the winds picked up in pitch. The gargantuan beast snapped its jaws shut as it began to build up immense magical energy. Another glyph appeared in front of it, steam billowing out of its lips as it unleashed a deafening raw and fired off a concentrated beam of magic earth energy. Björn leaped out of the way as the blast careened off into the distance, creating a smoldering groove in the dirt and setting off a terrifying explosion.

Björn rolled to his feet and dashed forward, his eyes turning animalistic as he channeled his magic again. "Beast Aura: Cheetah!" a veil of energy encompassed his body, taking on the form of the aforementioned animal as he dropped to all fours and picked up in speed. The Forest Guardian dug its claws into the earth, channeling its magic and generating a devastating earthquake that ruptured the earth apart and kicked up a mass of debris.

Björn leaped into the air, bouncing off the airborne debris and using it as a springboard to launch himself at Mammon and the Forest Guardian. Mammon was his target. Clashing his fists together, his aura began to shift into the body of a gorilla. "Beast Aura: VULCAN!"

With a roar, Björn hurled a massive spectral fist Mammon's way. The young man merely smirked as Björn was batted away by the Forest Guardian's massive claws. The aura that shrouded the old man's body did little to protect him from the sheer strength and power of the Guardian.

Björn howled in pain as he felt something in his body snap, deep bloody gashes lashing across his chest as he was sent flailing through the air uselessly. Before he could hit the ground, his body was caught by Laxus. The blonde grits his teeth as he lands on his feet and dug grooves into the dirt, his body skidding backward from taking the full brunt force of Björn's crash.

Björn grimaced deeply in pain, hissing. "Laxus..." the blonde set the man down, and he huffed. Slowly pushing himself up into a seated position. "Urgh... seems I've gotten a bit rusty during my time of peace."

Laxus scoffed, narrowing his eyes. "That's the Forest Guardian, huh...?" he eyed Mammon calmly. "Who's that chump?"

"My grandson." Björn rumbled. "He's come seeking to take me out to gain full reign over my guild. I abandoned the life of a mercenary long ago. We valued power and strength above all else... however, I left before he could properly challenge me and earn the title of Master."

Groaning, Björn stood up and cradled his wounds. "He's aware he doesn't have full and total authority and respect... not until I'm out of the picture, that is."

Laxus narrowed his eyes, clenching fists. "That so...?" he smirked, "I might have an actual challenge, then."

"Hmm." Björn eyed Laxus for a moment before closing his eyes. "You won't get close to the Forest Guardian in the way. He possesses a pair of Mystic Eyes like mine. The Eyes of Subjugation. It allows him to take control of any magical beast so long as he's stronger than or equal to it in magic power. But with a beast as powerful as the Forest Guardian, it should be taxing on his reserves."

"I will draw the attention of the Guardian. If you can incapacitate Mammon, perhaps I can take control of the Forest Guardian and lead it away from the village before it causes any more destruction."

"Hmh. Alright." Laxus rolled his shoulders as lightning arced around his body. "I'm not gonna hold back just because he's your grandson, though."

Björn chuckled. "I wouldn't want you to."

Laxus smiled and blasted off, breaking the earth as he became a bolt of lightning and closed the distance between himself and Mammon in seconds. To the mercenary's credit, he was quick enough to react, barking out a command for the Forest Guardian to attack. Björn rushed in swiftly and clobbered the beast in the face with all his might, snapping its head to the left at a snail's pace. Laxus grinned, decking Mammon in the jaw with a lightning-empowered fist and sending him flying off the giant.

Mammon crashed against the ground, kicking up a plume of dirt as he tumbled across the dirt and rolled to his feet, snarling in rage. "You're one of those Fairy Tail brats...!"

Laxus flashed into place, his hands lazily stuffed into his pockets. "Yeah. I'm here to kick your ass in place of your old man." he narrowed his eyes, and raised a hand towards the sky, conjuring up a sphere of crackling electricity. "If you give up now, maybe I won't hurt you too badly."

Mammon's face contorted into a look of manic fury. "Me? Give up? To the lacks of you?!"

"Yeah," Laxus smirked. "You're looking at one of Fairy Tail's strongest."

"RAGING BOLT!"

Swinging his arm down, Laxus hurled the ball of lightning at Mammon. The man dodged the attack as it detonated and released a burst of chaotic electricity. Growling and clenching his fists, Mammon let his magical energy erupt from his body. "I'll kill you, and then that old coot! Beast Aura: NINE TAILED FOX!"

A bubbling red aura encompassed Mammon's body, his eyes glowing orange with chaotic energy as it took on the form of a snarling vulpine beast with nine swaying tails. Laxus blinked once, and the man was in front of him in an instant. It was only thanks to Laxus' inherent speed as a Lightning Magic user that he was able to fuck out of the way of a murderous swipe from the feral man.

One of his spectral tails lashed out like a whip, slamming into Laxus' chest and filling it with an intense burning sensation as he crashed into the ground. Coughing and sputtering, Laxus took the pain and rolled out of the way of a wild stop. Ducking and weaving through several swipes and jabs from Mammon.

Laxus narrowed his eyes. 'It's almost like he's gone completely feral. Maybe he can't control this magic?'

Whatever. It didn't matter. What mattered was taking this guy down. Clenching his fists, Laxus dug deeper into his magic reserves and drew upon the power of the lacrima deep inside. His canines became pronounced and his lightning unstable, as copious amounts of magic exploded from his body. "Lightning Dragon's..." he threw his fist forward, unleashing a massive lightning blast in the shape of a fist. "BREAKDOWN FIST!"

The construct slammed into Mammon and exploded in a shower of sparks. Howling in pain, the enraged man retaliated with a roar. The spectral fox that shrouded him widened its jaws and charged a ball of magic before releasing it in a powerful stream of raw magical energy. Laxus leaped out of the way to avoid the attack, as it detonated the landscape behind him.

"Lightning Dragon's..." he inhaled, expanding his lungs as he drew upon the primal power within, and bellowed. Firing a devastating stream of condensed lightning directly at Mammon. "ROAAAAAAR!!!!"

With unparalleled agility, Mammon dashed out of the way. Laxus pumped more power into his spell and followed Mammon's tracks. The mercenary whipped out one of its tails and charged up another sphere of magic. With a flick, the sparking ball of energy shot toward Laxus at high speeds. The blonde's eyes widened as the blast collided with his body, resulting in a painful explosion.

"ARGH!!!" Laxus roared in pain as he fell from the sky and crashed into the dirt. Snarling in pain, he stood to his feet just as Mammon fired off a larger, more destructive ball of energy. With no time to evade, it barrelled towards him. His eyes widened further as he prepared to raise his arms and block it head-on. "Shit...!"

"ŌDAMA RASENGAN!"

He blinked in surprise when Taruko flickered in front of him, thrusting a sphere of magic wind energy in the way of the magic ball that was about to hit him. Both blasts connected, generating a massive explosion that created an even greater crater. The dust settled, and Taruko released a calming breath as he stumbled back, glancing back at Laxus. "You... okay?"

Laxus let out a grunt, rolling his shoulders as he inspected the blood dripping down Taruko's forehead and his overall scuffed appearance. "That snake beat you up that bad?"

Taruko glared at him. "Was stronger than it appeared." he rolled his eyes. "Besides, if it weren't for me coming here you would've been in much worse shape!"

Laxus scowled. "Oh, shut the hell up! I would have been just fine without you here!"

"Keep telling yourself that."

Damned brat...!

Taruko peered over to the battle between Björn and the Forest Guardian. More accurately, it was less a battle and more of a game of cat and mouse as Björn nimbly evaded the attacks that the Forest Guardian dished out in a blind rage. The swordsman whistled. "That's the Guardian? Talk about scary."

"The Old Man's grandson is controlling it. If we take 'em out, he can take control of the Guardian and make it leave the village." Laxus informed.

Taruko hummed. "Is that so?"

Summoning Stormbreaker and resting it on his shoulder, Taruko smirked at Laxus. "Then how about we give this guy some good 'ol fashioned shock therapy?"

Laxus smirked back, popping his knuckles. "Know what? Why not."

Mammon howled in outrage, snapping all nine of his tails at the two wizards. Taruko charged in first, swinging Stormbreaker masterfully and slicing the tails into bits. Twisting the axe in his grip, he aimed the flat of the blade skyward. Laxus dropped down from the sky and landed on the blade. Digging his feet into the ground, Taruko roared and swung Stormbreaker with all his strength, letting loose a powerful gust of wind underneath Laxus' feet to send him rocketing through the air.

Soaring through the air like a bullet, Laxus clenched a fist as Mammon lunged forward and launched an elongated fist toward the Dragon Slayer. With a heave, Laxus threw a sharp right hook, colliding with Mammon's fist in a fierce clash of crackling lightning and fiery magical energy. "Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!"

"Sword Saint Style-!" Taruko dashed forth as Mammon regrew his tails and batted Laxus aside. Taruko slid under a wild swing only to get grabbed by the throat and hurled through the air. "GHK!"

*BOOOSH!!

An energy ball would have slammed into him were it not for Laxus interfering with a blast of lightning. The two exchanged a nod as Taruko landed on his feet. The two rushed Mammon as one, the feral mercenary howling in a challenge. Laxus went in for a punch. Mammon leaped into the air and lashed out with a spin-kick to the jaw before smacking Taruko to the side with one of his tails in the very same motion.

Dazed, Taruko stumbled over himself. He was quick to recover, summoning Explosion with his other hand and swinging the longsword at the ground the moment Mammon's feet touched the dirt, "EXPLOSION!!" the earth detonated and Mammon shrieked in pain, bouncing across the ground like a pebble skipping across water.

"Lightning Dragon's HEAVENWARD HALBERD!" Laxus swooped in, molding the lightning in his hands into a trident. He hurled the weapon with a roar, sending shockwaves rippling through the air as it pierced through Mammon's aura and sent a violent shock through his system.

"SWORD SAINT STYLE!" Taruko used Vorpal Dance to launch himself at Mammon's airborne body. Stormbreaker crackled with lightning as he overloaded it with his energy and released a devastating Mana Burst, rocketing the axe in a fearsome downward arc. The axe collided with Mammon's body shattering his aura. Thunder boomed as the mercenary was engulfed in a shower of sparks. "MANA BURST: FALLING THUNDER!!!"

"GAAAAAGHHHHH!!!"

*BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!

Mammon's body crashed into the ground with a thunderous slam. Taruko breathed in heavily, slamming the pommel of Stormbreaker into the dirt and leaning against the weapon tiredly. "Hu... huf... did that... do it...?"

Laxus stepped up to the crater formed from the impact, squinting hard and eyeing Mammon's prone form with suspicion. Upon seeing the man's blank white eyes, the blonde nodded in satisfaction and sighed. "He's out cold."

"Oh thank GOD!" Taruko groaned, collapsing onto his back as Stormbreaker disappeared in a flash of light. "I didn't know how much longer I could keep that up...! I'm in a lot of pain!"

Laxus snorted, taking a seat next to the boy and letting out a breath. He wouldn't admit it, but he was quite drained himself. "Speak for yourself. I'm perfectly fine."

Taruko laughed, to his surprise. "Haha... don't run it in, you ass..."

"Hmh," Laxus smirked lightly. Pausing, he closed his eyes and tilted his head away. "... I gotta admit. You're pretty strong. Didn't know you could move like that."

"Hah... same to you." Taruko breathed in, looking up at the clouds. "I've still got a long way to go, though."

Laxus paused again. "... I think you'll be fine."

Taruko blinked, then grinned a little. "Heh!"

The two flinched as they felt the ground shake. Craning their heads to the left, they saw the Forest Guardian let out a low, rumbling growl as it began to retreat with each slow, daunting step. They watched the majestic beast gradually get farther and farther away, before turning to Björn. The man cradled his bloody wounds as he walked over to them with a smile. "I cannot thank you two enough for your hard work. With the threat of the Ursai no longer going on a rampage, we can safely begin village repairs. You will be paid handsomely, I assure you that much."

His gaze drifted over to his unconscious grandson with a disappointed look on his face. "I just wish it never had to come to this."

Laxus sat up straighter, squinting at Mammon. "What're you gonna do with 'em?"

"I'll turn him into the Rune Knights," Björn said firmly. "After that... I will need to take care of unfinished business."

Taruko and Laxus shared a glance at the ominous meaning behind the man's words but decided it was probably best to just leave that can of worms be.

Björn smiled at them. "Now... how about we get these wounds patched up and we send you on your way? You both must be exhausted."

Taruko and Laxus deadpanned. "You have no idea, Gramps."

X-X-X-X-X-X

I groaned in pain as Laxus and I stepped out of the train and entered Magnolia. I grimaced, rubbing at my back with a pained pout and huffing. That entire ordeal at Hama Village ended up being far more serious than I could have anticipated. But I had to admit, it was pretty fun. And I at least got some good things out of it. Me and Laxus were on better terms... at least I thought so. While I wouldn't exactly call us friends, there was mutual respect between us.

So that's a good first step.

Björn and the villagers thanked us for our services and one of them, Amalia, a baker, gave some fresh bread and pastries as a reward. Which is what I was munching on currently. We got patched up after that. Laxus only got out with a couple of bruises and bandages. I had to have some bandages wrapped around my head and ribs. Pretty sure I suffered from a concussion... but I was using Reinforcement to alleviate some of the pain.

Not only did it enhance my physical abilities and senses, but it also acted as a pretty decent painkiller. Who would've thought?

Our trek through Magnolia was quiet. There wasn't much that needed to be said. Or rather, we didn't feel the need to say anything. Our job was complete. Our main goal was just to head back to the guild and relax.

Speaking of which...

I pushed the doors open and chuckled wearily at the chaos that greeted us. Several chairs, tables, and food were thrown around. I could catch Erza and Mira duking it out, with everyone cowering. Natsu and Gray were in the corner knocked out cold. I could only assume they suffered Erza's wrath, and Mira instigated Erza into another slugfest.

"RED-HAIRED HARLOT!"

"WHITE-HAIRED HAG!"

"THUNDER THIGHS!"

"CROP-TOP WEARING BIMBO!!"

Laxus scoffed under his breath, rolling his eyes. "Seriously?"

"Ah...! Welcome back, you two."

We turned to see Makarov sitting near the bar. His usual spar. Eliana was in the back cleaning dishes. He took a sip of his ale and hummed. "How was your mission?"

"I'm sleeping in one of the guest rooms," Laxus grumbled and walked off.

I sweat-dropped, laughing and looking over at Makarov. "Tiring."

Makarov eyed me up and down, squinting with a look of worry. "I can see that. Are you and Laxus okay, my boy?"

I grinned. "C'mon, Gramps. It's gonna take more than that to take us down! It got a little chaotic near the end, but we came out fine in the end."

Makarov nodded slowly, smiling. "Mm. If you say so." he shot me a curious look. "And you and Laxus...?"

I knew what he was referring to. Scratching the back of my head, I huffed out a chuckle and smirked. "Well. I can definitely say we understand each other a bit more now."

I clenched a fist and gave him a determined smile. "Laxus respects strength... and I know I've still got a lot to learn. So I'm gonna get even stronger so I can stand against him on equal footing." my smile turned impish. "And then I'll knock 'em down a peg!"

Makarov blinked before laughing and slapping his knee. "I see! Well, I look forward to seeing where this leads. And if you ever need help, you know who to come to."

I smiled softly. "Thanks, Master."

"TARUKO'S BACK!"

I sighed as Natsu sprung to his feet and rushed at me with an excited grin. "Taruko! FIGHT ME!"

Gray snapped up to his feet. "HUH?! Taruko's back?! HOLD ON, IF FLAME BREATH GETS A GO AT 'EM, I WANT A ROUND!"

My brow twitched and I clenched a fist, meeting the two head-on. "I JUST GOT BACK FROM A MISSION, DAMN IT! GIMME A BREAK!"

Never a dull moment with this place...