#ch. Gajeel
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everyone wears some sort of khaki motif while Happy is in polka dots

#fairy tail#ft happy#natsu dragneel#lucy heartfilia#gray fullbuster#erza scarlet#gajeel redfox#vol 14#ch 112#chapter covers
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contrary to their typical appearance, out of the ex-Phantom Lord duo, Juvia must be the one into more hardcore music since Gajeel's getup later on looks more jazz-y

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If you're still taking requests, what about a laxeel fake dating au? The world could always use a little more laxeel in it.
In The Act
Laxeel Word Count: 2225 Fake dating Dom coded Gajeel
Laxus didn’t hate the fangirls. Not exactly.
He knew the effect he had - though he couldn’t understand it for the life of him. What he couldn’t understand was why they were always on him. Every single time he stepped out of the guildhall, they were there. Screaming, yelling, sometimes even crying. They would hold out photos for him to sign, or even just try to reach out and touch him. And that’s what Laxus really hated - people not respecting his personal space.
The rest of his team had differing opinions on the fangirls. Freed, thankfully, hated them as much as Laxus did, always muttering under his breath about how they lacked personal respect and how embarrassing it was to watch. Evergreen had similar opinions, but mostly twisted into a strange jealousy as to why she didn’t get as many fans as Laxus - no matter how much she respected him. And Bickslow - he just revelled in the attention that wasn’t his in the first place. He’d actively sign the photos as himself, over Laxus’ picture.
Jason was the worst fangirl of them all.
With a whole guild of flashy sorcerers, Jason always made time to drop by. He’d corner anyone who would give him two seconds, snap photos of unsuspecting wizards, run stories that no one but him would care about. His favourite targets were obvious. Mira was a classic, actually taking time to give Jason proper interviews and he’d drink it all up like a starving man. Natsu too, always giving reasons as to why destroying another building was the only viable option during a job. And Laxus. Grandson of a wizard saint, stoic and powerful. One of Fairy Tail’s S-Class. He was a walking headline. But lately the interviews had been going stale, so Jason had turned to a different topic. One buried in every single fangirl’s mind. Sitting in front of Laxus, pen ready, eyes gleaming, voice dripping with anticipation: “so, Laxus…are you seeing anyone?”
The question didn’t sting, it didn’t hurt, and it certainly didn’t come as a surprise. Laxus’ expression didn’t shift - calm, impassive, void of any emotion. Laxus remained staring at Jason from where he was sitting in the corner of the guildhall, back braced against the side of the table. The rest of his team members had filtered away as soon as Jason interjected himself into the conversation - Laxus didn’t blame them, he wanted to leave too. He wasn’t even sure he knew his type yet. His jaw tightened, muscle feathering in his neck ever so slightly. Jason continued to stare, pen poised diligently over his notebook, knees pressed together as he sat opposite on the bench of the other table.
“Are you?” Jason repeated, trying to prompt the question to land again.
Of course, Gajeel was watching. Out of sight, munching on a bag of nails like it was the most normal thing in the world. Gajeel had never been Jason’s favourite until a rumour had leaked about Gajeel’s precarious hand placement on Laxus during a job. It had sparked Jason’s curiosity into Laxus’ dating life. Laxus the enigma - never seen on a date, never seen with anyone alone. Gajeel on the other hand had been seen a few times with both men and women, sometimes at the same time. He was an open book, but deemed just too chaotic to interview by Jason - and that suited Gajeel just fine.
Gajeel could see it - the tension that rippled just under Laxus’ skin, the irritation bubbling to the surface. Gajeel had been a member of Fairy Tail long enough to know that Jason wouldn’t stop once he had his nose on something.
“Is it someone in the guild?” Jason pressed. He was pushing his luck. One more question and he would be in the ground before he could form the first syllable.
Gajeel moved. Quickly. Silently. Slinging an arm around Laxus’ shoulders, scooting in close, so smooth it was almost like clockwork. Jason’s eyes lit up like Christmas on crack. A wide grin spread across his face, pinching at the corner of his eyes. His pen scribbled across the page, shaking under the force of his excitement.
A deep scowl started to grow on Laxus, but Gajeel dipped his mouth close to Laxus’ ear, keeping his eyes pinned on Jason the entire time. Gajeel’s breath fanned across Laxus’ cheek as he quietly whispered: “play along.” It was said just for Laxus, with just enough grit to make him listen.
“Don’t make me put you in the ground again,” Laxus muttered back. Jaw tight, eyes forward.
Gajeel barked out a laugh. Sharp and loud, passing it off as a lover’s spat. There was a subtle shift as Laxus’ scowl eased by a fraction. He still didn’t look at Gajeel, but he didn’t shove him off either.
“A few weeks now,” Gajeel announced to Jason who had his eyes still locked on the pair whilst the pen seemingly moved on its own. The commotion had drawn the attention of other guild members, who were now looking over at the pair with a mix of expressions - some amused, others horrified, curious, and devastated. “Kept it quiet for a while,” he continued. His voice dropped, “no big deal.”
Jason’s pen scribbled over the page. “So the rumours are true then?”
Laxus’ jaw clenched, teeth grinding slightly out of sheer and utter annoyance. It was that or he would commit an actual homicide. He almost answered, but Gajeel’s arm tightened ever so slightly around him - it anchored him to the spot. The scent of iron and earth clung to him.
“Sure are,” Gajeel responded with a crooked smirk.
“Laxus.” Jason turned his attention to his favourite. “Can you confirm?”
The guild had fallen silent for once, a seemingly impossible feat until now. Bickslow had dropped a spoon. Freed was frozen. Mira was watching with some sort of devilish grin.
A few heartbeats, a few silent charged seconds: “yes.”
Laxus cornered Gajeel the second Jason disappeared, catching him by the arm and dragging him down one of the quieter halls of the guild—quiet being a relative term in a place like Fairy Tail. His grip was intense, digging into Gajeel’s upper arm before tossing him forward, causing him to stumble over the wooden floor. Gajeel caught himself before he fell and he straightened with that same shit-eating grin.
“I saved your ass back there,” Gajeel stated. Laxus didn’t respond. He remained impassive, standing tall, legs slightly parted, arms crossed, face devoid of emotion. “Oh, com’on! If I didn’t step in then Jason would still be here.”
“That’s because he’s going to start printing stories on us,” Laxus returned, voice booming, thundering in Gajeel’s ears. “You had no right.”
Gajeel shrugged, “I was doing you a favour. Stops the fangirls.” His tone dripped with something unspoken, laced with the kind of knowing that came from paying attention. The kind that said he knew. Knew that Laxus never looked twice at women—and never talked about why.
Laxus let out a sigh, moving to pinch the bridge of his nose.
“Play it out for a bit,” Gajeel continued. “Date for a few weeks, then call it quits.”
“You want to date?”
“Just for the camera.” Gajeel’s response was quick and sharp. “You’re the only one to benefit from this.”
It pained Laxus to agree with it, but ultimately Gajeel had a point. A stupid, aggravating, painfully valid point. Still, as they parted ways they had come to the agreement: put on the act. In public at least.
The first week was awkward. To Laxus it felt like a living hell. He was used to the spotlight but all based on his terms and what he could control - how people saw him, spoke about him, thought about him. This was torture. He couldn’t sort these headlines. Gajeel didn’t seem to care. Of course he didn’t. He leaned into everything, the whispers and the stares, like a man who had nothing to lose and zero shame.
Laxus had been cornered immediately after parting ways from Gajeel after coming to their agreement. A hand, soft, tipped with an impeccable manicure and adorned with multiple rings, wrapped itself around his wrist like a vice, and dragged him away, tossing him into a small circle of just their team. She was pissed, Bickslow was too amused, and Freed was almost melancholy. All three demanded answers. Why him? Why keep this a secret? Why not tell us? Do you not trust us? Why not anyone else?
He had to let them know. There was no way he could survive otherwise.
The second week was still full of tension, but the acting became easier. They didn’t cling to each other constantly, didn’t hover or linger like lovesick idiots. But when they were near each other, something in the air changed. Subtle. Charged. Laxus found himself standing just a step closer than necessary. Not enough to draw attention - but enough that their shoulders brushed when they turned. Once, Gajeel’s hand accidentally skimmed the outside of Laxus’ thigh when they sat down too fast. Another time, Laxus’ gaze caught on Gajeel’s mouth and forgot to move.
Some lines blurred. And still, Laxus had no idea what he was doing.
By the time the third week came around, it was clear that Jason was itching for something. He had plastered them all over Sorcerer’s Weekly for the past few issues, adding in photos of brief hand-holding and them standing next to each other, but nothing juicy. Interviews were stilted, as they always were with Laxus and Gajeel. Fairy Tail’s hottest couple and he had next to nothing on them - nothing good anyway.
Sitting in a cafe, Laxus and Gajeel stared at each other. Both ordered a black coffee. Both ignored the fans walking past the window, trying to get a peek inside. Heading out to cafes together had become a small ritual to them, something to keep Jason and the fangirls at bay. It kept them in public, kept them regular.
“It’s the third week,” Laxus noted. His hands cradled the ceramic mug, soaking up the warmth. “When can this end?”
Gajeel gestured his head very slightly towards the window. “They’re waiting for drama.” He leaned back against the booth, throwing one arm up over the back of the headrest. He was enjoying this way too much.
Laxus rolled his eyes in response, “fucking drama,” and lifted the scalding black liquid up to his mouth. He paused before taking a sip, “what are you planning?”
The black-haired mage grinned, fangs glinting slightly under the overhead lighting. The time spent together, whilst all fake, had definitely made them closer, understanding each other’s tells even when Laxus clearly didn’t want to know. “That’s for me to know and for you to find out.” Gajeel kept his gaze trained on Laxus. More specifically on the way his mouth subtly twitched at the corners, just visible around the mug he drank from. As he lowered the mug from his mouth, the smirk also fell.
“You’re almost as bad as Bickslow,” Laxus muttered. He was used to the strange antics of slightly unhinged mages, but Gajeel seemed more calculated. There was a method to his madness. He had nothing to gain from this arrangement at all and yet he still chose to swoop in and declare himself the lover of Laxus.
Laxus stood, and Gajeel soon followed.
The café door swung open with a soft chime as they stepped back out into the street, the early morning light spilling across the cobblestones. They walked closeby, shoulders brushing. It was silent between them as they tried to ignore the small group of fans following them. Something caught Laxus’ eye and he reacted quickly, unfolding his arms, and dropping his hand to engulf Gajeel’s. Fingers interlocked, settling too casually. Rough skin against rough skin, brushing over scars and scabs. Gajeel didn’t mean for his fingers to tighten around Laxus’ - it just did. Laxus didn’t mean to like the feeling - he just did.
“Cameras,” Laxus muttered, looking straight ahead at the street in front of them.
Gajeel’s eyes flickered to the side. He had already heard Jason to the side of them, rustling in the bushes. He was way too loud when he was trying to be quiet. There was a quick click of a camera shutter. Gajeel knew it wouldn’t be enough to satisfy Jason’s hunt for a story.
He stopped walking. Laxus took another step forward before the resistance hit - fingers still laced with Gajeel’s. His grip tightened. The sudden tug backwards was jarring, plastering a scowl on Laxus’ face, annoyance prickling first, confusion following. And before Laxus could even question what Gajeel was doing, he moved. No hesitation, no build-up, just Gajeel’s lips crashing against Laxus’. Height difference be damned, in that moment, Laxus felt small. Gajeel didn’t lean in, didn’t grab at his waist, just kissed him like it was a casual action - fingers still interlinked. Mouths closed, lips pressed together. It wasn’t fuelled by lust, desire, or passion - maybe not even fuelled by the act anymore.
It threw Laxus completely.
Then, just as suddenly, Gajeel pulled away, only to lean back in to place a lingering kiss on Laxus’ cheek. “That’s the drama there,” he murmured. There was a flurry of pictures being taken from behind them, Jason clearly losing his mind as he snapped the photo of the century. Gajeel took a step forward, tugging Laxus along behind him.
And Laxus let himself be led. For once.
If you liked this, check out the Masterlist
#fairy tail#fairytail#fairytail fanfic#fairy tail fanfiction#gajeel redfox#laxus dreyar#laxeel#laxus x gajeel#fake dating au#fake dating#i didnt forget about this request i promise#its my first time writing both fake dating and laxeel#pls i tried my wee bestest#kinda fell in love with this dynamic however#so totally dom coding gajeel
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Chapter 30
Rating: R Pairing: Nalu FF.Net || AO3 [Ch: 1] ||| [Prev] | [Next] Happy Birthday to me! Here's an Update! Remember to thank @phoenix-before-the-flame for their Beta work! * April Post Date: 16th As you can see, there will be only one post next month due to me taking part in Camp Nanowrimo. (Similar to Nanowrimo but shorter.) Two chapter posting will continue in May. Those Dates will Appear on the Next Update.
Gajeel knew they were coming.
Before morning hit, he expected the hurried steps and smell of angry magic tickling his nose. He would have been disappointed otherwise.
Laying in his cot with one leg over the other, he affected the perfect air of calm indifference, holding back a snort. Honestly, who in their right mind wouldn't come running after his little stunt? Getting loose was one thing, but sniffing out one of the fairy’s dragons and cornering him in his own home? Gajeel was surprised they hadn’t come sooner.
The door to his cell swung open, revealing the chief all but vibrating in waves of magical power. Sweeping through the small room, the pressure of his power rattled the cot beneath him. He resisted the shiver that traveled down his spine while gooseflesh pricked along his skin. Obstinately, he met the old man’s venomous stare with an arched brow, feigning unconcern.
He couldn't react. Not yet.
Whistling low, he pulled a grin that made his visitor’s eye twitch. A fact that brought him satisfaction as he noted the scents of others crowding the hallway. Good, so he wasn't arrogant enough to think he could handle a possible threat alone. Gajeel could respect that at least.
”Damn is this how ya' greet people in the morning?“ He asked innocently, ”if Kage pissed himself, I’m laughin’ til my lungs give out.“
”I don’t appreciate lying, boy.“ Makarov accused without preamble; His magic strengthened, flowing around the room like an ominous wind, shaking dust from the rafters as bits of broken stone rattled against the floor.
”I ain't lied since I got here.“ He replied, grin widening, ”something wrong?“
Makarov’s eyes narrowed as another wave of magic emanated from his body. It swept across the building and the fortress shuddered and creaked in its wake. Stepping inside, the rising pressure almost stole Gajeel’s breath. He leapt to his feet as the old cot groaned, legs giving way under the power being exerted as it collapsed to splintered boards.
This was more than a show of power; This was a threat.
Instinct and common sense told Gajeel to make a break for it, but he held his ground, digging his sharpened nails into his crossed arms. He stood straight. Too straight. The old chief stood before him with a presence that belied his age and size. If he noticed how stiff the metal draconis became, with pupils blown unnaturally wide, he remained silent.
“You tell me,” The old man hissed. “You seem to be under the impression that you are a guest of some sort. The chains may be gone but you know as well as I that you forfeited your freedom the moment you came within these walls.”
A crack split the stone beneath the window behind Gajeel, neither paid it any mind. Makarov continued fiercely, “ You seemed a smart enough man to understand that. And yet you took it upon yourself to slip away, stalking through the streets of my home like some sort of animal. Tracking down Lucy-”
”Calm down, old man, I ain't interested in the blondie! I told you that already!“ Gajeel retorted, swallowing thickly as the chief's magic sought to overpower him.
“ I’m here for the other one you got hangin’ outside there like a dog on a leash.” Gajeel said, catching an answering snarl to his barb. A glimpse of pink flashed before the entryway before multiple sets of arms drew him back. Underneath the shimmering pressure coming from Makarov appeared a touch of heat. It took to the air in a haze, molding with the immense pressure.
He recognized it immediately, smirking as his gaze peered through the doorway, “The pink brat’s important. Not his girl.”
”And what? Breaking free to harass him is your idea of a formal meeting?! That was outside of our agreed terms and you-”
“Agreed what?!”
Fire sparked to life just beyond Gajeel’s sight as the voices of many yelped in surprise. Their restraining hands fell away as Natsu stormed in, fists ablaze with unbridled fury. “You WANTED us to meet?“
”Natsu! I did not give the command to-“
He wouldn't hear any of it, “No! You acted like you knew nothing about what he wanted from me! and all along you were lying-”
Oh Gajeel was enjoying this- the thrum of pressure lessened and his posture relaxed considerably “Not the smartest move there, Gramps, now was it?”
Natsu turned his glare on Gajeel, yellow bleeding through those dark irises as scales pricked along the edges of his eyes. He spied the hints of darkness that speckled through the orange flames billowing from Natsu’ skin. That’s all it took? Laughter burst forth with no resistance, too pleased by the situation.
“Well well, if it ain’t the man of the hour.” Gajeel greeted with a sneer, “Didn’t take you for a snitch considering…” He let the sentence hang unfinished in the air, innocently tilting his head at the other despite the murderous intent rising in the room.
Snarling, the fiery draconis stepped forward, but Makarov threw out a hand to block his path.
“Enough!” Makarov shouted, fixing him with a stern glare that stopped him in his tracks. “Stay put and silent. As for the rest of you-,” He waited for Lisanna, Levy and Freed to poke their heads through the doorway, both girls looking far more sheepish than the other, “Get in here and get him under control. There's no point in standing by if this fool decides to start causing a scene.”
“I'm not a fo-!”
“Natsu.” His voice rumbled with the force of his power,“I said enough.”
His mouth shut instantly with the blaze of his flames receding just enough to make the temperature bearable. Hatred burned in his now amber eyes, refusing to take them off the metal draconis while the others filtered in. Warily they stood behind Natsu, apprehensively eyeing Gajeel. Paying Natsu no mind, he turned his attention to the others, taking a quick assessment.
Nothing impressive to look at. The group didn’t look like wranglers of any sort, but the white haired girl held herself strong and ready by Natsu’s side. She was poised to grab him at a moment's notice. The other two… blue and green haired mages that reeked of ink, stood by her side. The taller man rested a hand on the hilt of his sword, just as ready and the shortest one appeared nervous, bravely holding her hands in a curious manner, eyes wildly flicking about the room. A caster perhaps?
His eyes narrowed as the last two scents finally answered his unasked questions. These were the fabled barrier makers keeping Kage in check. He’d have trouble with them if things went south.
Makarov cracked his back with a groan, ignoring Gajeel’s snickering. He rubbed his temples in exasperation. “Now then,” he muttered, “You need to explain yourself. Now.”
The Draconis hadn’t moved since the chief’s command, but his body trembled from adrenaline coursing through him. Every second, another scale dotted his skin red, peeking through pieces of bandage that still covered his many wounds. Gajeel watched the smoke that rose from his body with a mild interest.
And then he bared his teeth in return, mocking a snarl.
“Enough about me. Let’s talk about him for a bit.” He stated, cracking his knuckles as he matched Natsu's gaze. Neither blinked, one growing more agitated while the other remained irritatingly calm.
“Now I know you fairies can get emotional, but you wanna explain why he’s about ready to pop? Don’t tell me you couldn’t get that lil temper of yours under control after all this time away from home.”
What little flame was left on Natsu’s person burst back into life, now more black than red, proving Gajeels’ point. He took a menacing stop closer, fingers flexing with sharp claws glinting in the light. The Chief stretched out his arms and shouted a warning, holding Lisanna off from charging her own magic. She nodded, but remained poised, with shimmering silver crawling up her arms in a brilliant web.
Natsu didn't notice, too distracted by Gajeel while he hissed steam, ”Wanna say that again you son of a-“
”And that.“ Gajeel said pointedly, snapping his fingers, ”Had to see it myself to make sure. Did you suckers really think black flames are normal?”
His snarl cut off as he blinked owlishly, nervousness filtered into those wide eyes. His magic still flared, casting shadows to all corners of the room. But the others took note of the streaks of oranges and reds slowly breaking through.
“Plenty of us noticed. He's always been like this,“ Makarov admitted, mustache twitching as he frowned, ”Black fire is as natural to him as breathing. Though it seems to flare when his temper has reached its limit.”
”... umm,“ Levy chimed in, uncertainty pulling at her features as she nervously stepped back. Freed placed a calming hand on her shoulder and she nodded, digging her heels into the floor and inhaling deeply to soothe her nerves, ”We have other fire wielders here, they use purple flames. And though I’ve never seen it personally, our traveling group has encountered people who use flames of all colors. Black isn’t so strange, is it?“
”You really got ‘em tricked good haven’t you flamehead?” Gajeel scoffed, waving off her question, but considered her words regardless. Storing the new information in the back of his mind he motioned towards Natsu again. “Get it outta your heads from now that draconis fire is anything close to what normal fire magic is.”
He pondered his next words carefully.
“I’ll let ya in on a clan secret.” He continued gleefully, ignoring Natsu’s growl of warning. “Despite what he’s made you think, black fire ain’t exactly common back home. Rarer than rare. No run of the mill fire draconis could make those flames unless they were-”
“SHUT UP!”
Fire spilled from his mouth as he shoved his way past Makarov, ignoring the old man’s shouts to stand down. Up close Gajeel could see the glow of flames gathered in his throat, even through the heavy bandaging, ready to let loose on a man who was saying too much.
Freed unsheathed his sword, purple runes rising forth from the blade as sweat beaded on his brow from the sweltering heat. “Makarov,” He began tremulously, “I think it would be prudent to-”
“Shut up.” Natsu snapped in a startling voice that sounded closer to beast than man. He could barely be seen behind the thick dark flames that swirled violently around him. Only the brightness of amber eyes shone through with more fear than rage.“Whoever this bastard is, he needs to shut the fuck up before I rip out his fucking throat-”
Gajeel cocked his head to the side and chuckled. For all the blustering and the threats, he didn’t call upon his own scales to meet the call to fight. He took the brunt of the black flames unprotected, unblinking at the heat scorching his skin. The others couldn’t see it beneath the cloak of flames he used like armor. But Gajeel could see everything. Only his eyes were strong enough to pierce through the head and see how Natsu’s body trembled.
He smirked. He had him cornered. Like a desperate animal. And Gajeel wasn’t afraid of animals.
”What's wrong, hothead? Don’t want me to let something slip? They’re your clan after all. They have a right to know about you. S’not right to keep family in the dark-”
”I'm warning you to shut up right-!“
Gajeel bent to meet him at eye level. His voice rose mockingly above Natsu’s and everyone clearly heard over the roar of his flames.
“-You know exactly why I'm here, don't you, Prince?”
Outside the rumbling keep, Lucy held herself tightly, enthralled by the stranger she’d met. Erza stood by in silence, listening fondly as the two celestial roma spoke. Lucy was eager to know of the state of the other clans and Jellal was more than happy to share what he knew. All were blissfully unaware of the state of things beyond Jellal’s holding.
“So they're…..all safe?” She asked, eyes wide and watery in relief, “No others were attacked?”
“You knew of the ones before your clan began its North-bound trek,” He replied, lounging easily in his chair with a hand resting light atop hers. They'd begun their chat in earnest once Lucy gained control of her emotions enough to stop crying. Now she sat upon the edge of his bed, restlessly fidgeting. Her grip in his was tight as steel in an attempt to ground herself. It was hard to accept the reality; She truly wasn't the only one left after all.
Jellal continued with a faint smile, “I can attest that the other branches made it past the mountain ranges to our haven. Only stragglers like myself ran into issues.”
“I still can't believe Erza knew you all along,” Lucy looked back at the redhead, “Why didn't you mention earlier?”
She coughed into her hand, cheeks turning red at the attention suddenly turning to her, “my excursions outside of the clan I like to keep private unless I feel it necessary to share. That being said, I wasn't sure if he was alive or not and didn't wish to give you false hope.”
This was enough to appease Lucy, who tilted her head right back to Jellal excitedly, “and you weren't hurt too much, were you?”
He didn't bother hiding the truth, ”No, I was not. Jose and his men were not pleasant by any means, but they wanted to keep me alive. … I'm certain they want the same with you, as well.“
That was a quick dampener to the mood as Lucy's hand twitched. Her mouth twisted into a grimace and she wavered between keeping her own counsel and asking more questions.
Makarov had kept most of it secret from her, giving her just enough information to mildly satiate her curiosity, but it wasn’t enough. Here, however, was a man of her own blood who could explain everything.
”... is Makarov aware I'm talking to him?“ She asked, curious how much the chief was aware she had found another way to the truth.
A guilty silence from Erza was her answer. Looking to the wall, she fiddled with the straps of her bracer. That was all Lucy needed. For once he was in the dark and Lucy had all the answers laid bare before her, and she hungered for the truth.
Perhaps this could be considered a breach of trust. One that Lucy was unsure if she should take. However... looking at the bruises that dotted Jellal's arm and thinking back to the attacks that began all because she was with them, she couldn't remain in the dark much longer.
“... Was it any celestial,” She asked, voice low, “Or just me? Were they responsible for my Parents-“
She was silenced before the line of questioning could continue as Jellal rested his other hand on her shoulder, sighing. ”I wanted to verify that for myself. And I'm unsure if you'll like what you may hear.“
“Please,” she urged, “I need to know.”
He released her hand and slid from his chair, gaze turning to Erza for a second as he contemplated his next words. Whatever he read in her expression was enough for him to make up his mind. Looking down at the determined Romni, he motioned to the book he'd left shut at the table.
“That you do. But not yet. I think it best I have a meeting with the Chief first to discuss the stirrings I've seen out there,” he decided, dropping to his knees to kneel before her, “but as a fellow Celestial, I promise I will tell you everything you wish to know afterwards. It may not be ideal, but can you accept these terms?”
It wasn't what she wanted to hear and while her shoulders sagged in disappointment, her mind spun with possibilities. Promises were important. No Roma of the celestial blood would dare break one if made. This was it. Her heart pounded at the thought.
She just needed to wait a little bit more.
“Is ... there anything else you can tell me, then?” She asked instead.
His visible relief melted the weight in the room as he looked to her injured leg. The old wound was hidden from him but he spied thin golden strings wrapped gently around her knee, undisturbed in their workings as they hummed with a magic no different from his own.
“Erza may have let it slip that you had issues reclaiming your power.” Humor filled his voice. ”Though there are some differences, I know our teachings have some similarities. Perhaps I can assist?“
Her smile grew so large she felt it would freeze into place, never to change again. ”I would like that.“
And assisted her, he did. He told her things about their abilities: the way the night enhanced them, how to mold the light of the stars to their bidding. Lucy was a natural, he told her, observing her knee with a keen interest. While the current effects did their job well, the efficiency was lost to inexperience, something he expertly talked her through with a guiding hand and patient voice.
Fragmented memories came to the surface with every word. Memories Lucy once refused to let surface. They trickled thoughts of a family long lost, but the old pain from her grief didn’t join them. She watched in awe as Jellal instructed her, hanging onto his every word and practiced motion. The familiarity of it all almost pushed her to tears again.
Erza watched in amusement as Lucy keenly absorbed everything he said. As the minutes passed by she took to the floor, withdrawing a rag and oil from a pouch on her belt to lathe over the length of her blade in delicate strokes. She was as patient as Lucy's teacher and would continue to watch and listen as Lucy relearned her abilities anew.
She was giddy, watching as the magic pooled in her palms and glimmered, casting a warm, yellow glow upon her skin. It was basic: a brief lesson of control that she once did as a child under a parent’s guiding hand. But to do it again without fatigue or pain clouding her mind left her childishly happy.
Jellal eased his weight back into his chair, fondly watching Lucy’s growing excitement. Her eyes glowed from the magic within, widening as a coo left her lips as she observed the swirling depths of her magic. She was, quite literally, starry eyed and her happiness pulled at his heart. To think that something so simple brought her so much joy, he couldn’t imagine the grief it caused to have her magic locked away.
He hummed and looked to the ceiling, eyes glazing over in thought as if he was watching the sky rather than the aged wood above.
Reaching a decision, he snapped a finger and grabbed a candle off the table.
“Lucy,” He asked, holding it aloft between them. The flickering light grabbed her attention as she curiously waited, “What is your experience with talking to the stars?”
Oh. This lit a light inside her mind, eyebrows rising into her hair. “I wasn't allowed to as a child. Even when I was older it was still something kept from me. But I've made ... attempts.”
“Even if you didn’t participate, did you watch anyone in your family do it?”
She shook her head, “I was always sent off to bed before they began.”
At the dubious stare he gave her she quickly amended, “I mean, I tried to sneak peeks. Of course I did, but they always seemed to just know and shoved me back off to bed before I could witness anything.They must’ve had their reasons so I eventually figured not to question them.”
He noted her admittance with a tilt of his head. “How odd. Are you aware of the meditations involved at least?”
When her eyes lost focus, attention leaning towards a speck on the wall, he followed with the candle flame, “I admit, it's much easier at night, but we can practice now all the same. Sometimes the stars speak regardless.”
Attention regained, Lucy flushed prettily and the magic in her palms dimmed with her embarrassment, “Is that what I've been doing wrong?”
“Hmm?” He prompted, settling the candle back down. He reached for a pack of matches, striking one to life as he moved to light a second one.
Well now she just felt silly, ”I can’t recall if I heard them as a child, but within the past year I’ve heard them without trying anything. They were just these voices either whispering nonsense into my head or shouting loud enough to give me migraines for hours on end. I've tried to reach out to them, but I suppose without knowing the proper ways I've never been able to instigate it.“
The match he was using to light a third candle dropped from his fingers, snuffing itself out as it clattered to the floor.
His eyes narrowed, his tattoo beneath his eye crinkled as his brows drew close together in suspicion. Gone was her patient teacher, replaced instead with a sudden interrogator. Even Erza glanced up at his change in tone.
”... you've heard them?“ He repeated with a mystified air, ”no meditation? No prompting? Just... voices?“
She felt very insecure under his cold gaze. Her magic faded beneath her skin and she shrunk in on herself. Her arms fell to her lap to fidget with her skirt. ”.....am I not supposed to?“
Had she just admitted to being absolutely crazy?
“No, no , please, I apologize,” setting the candles aside, he quickly moved to brace her shoulders, expression wide in surprise, “I didn't mean to offend you, it's just…” He gnawed at his lip, “.... not how we normally do things. In fact, I've only heard of one occasion it was done in such a manner and that was-”
He clamped his mouth shut and shook his head, “Nevermind you mind that. Perhaps I'm over thinking it and it's just a sign of you needing to regain control of your abilities. Meditation can help with that.”
Lucy bit her lip as she observed him. He was avoiding her gaze, looking everywhere but her. Sometimes his eyes flickered occasionally back to the aged book. Erza stopped wiping down her blade, eyeing the two of them with intense scrutiny. Her gaze practically drilled a hole into Jellal's stiff back.
“You promised to be truthful with me.” Lucy said blankly. He flinched at her accusation, pulling his hands from her shoulders. Guiltily he ran a light finger over his wounded wrists.
“I did.”
His emotions played out on his face- the confusion, the concern and the briefest hint of clarity before he steeled himself. Donning a placid mask, he spoke again. He cut Lucy off before she had the chance to protest.
"Our promise is not broken,“ He admitted, once again reaching for the candles, ”That I can assure you. But I may need to speak with your chief sooner than I expected. I’ll have to inform him of this immediately.”
“Informed of what?” Lucy dug. Erza rose to her feet in a clank of heavy metal, worriedly looking at Lucy then casting a suspicious eye at her friend. “ What are you talking about?”
“At least tell me this much.” Lucy begged. She wanted to know, before following anything else, she HAD to know.
Jellal sighed and lowered his gaze, blue fringe of hair blocking his expression further, ”... That perhaps, Jose was on the right track. That you may be the one Celestial none of our kind would ever want him to get his hands on.”
He gripped his hands tightly, mirroring Lucy as the world seemed to fall out from under them. She. she had to know more! But from the look on Jellal’s face said the discussion was already closed. He wouldn’t tell her.
Not yet at least.
---
All Natsu felt was rage when he came to. The ghost of a snarl rested on his tongue as his instincts sparked back to life.
He wanted to burn something. No, someone.
That other draconis just wouldn’t stop talking. Every word he uttered in that grating voice of his was deliberate, carefully chosen to dig under his skin and set his blood to a boil. It had driven Natsu closer to the edge beyond the realm of reason.
He had no right to even be here. A stranger with a self assured sneer standing freely in Natsu’s home, looking down on him without a care. He had no right to live after that awful word fell from his lips. Natsu screwed his eyes shut, trying to block out the memory to no avail, it echoed in his mind.
Prince.
He vividly recalled the look of sly victory that settled in the man’s piercing red eyes. He didn’t bother to keep his gaze on Natsu when the title spilled from his lips. Instead, his gaze settled on those behind Natsu. He couldn’t see their bewildered faces as they looked to him for confirmation. For the truth.
He only saw red bleeding away to darkness as the world closed in on him. His heart thumped loudly in his chest, louder than the blood rushing through his ears. It drowned out his only frantic thought- 'They can't know. No one can know, stop him, shut him up, shut him up shut hi- NOW.'
The fires around him swirled like a cacophonous tornado. Any hint of red in its depths was stolen by the black flames pounding at the walls. Gajeel stood arrogantly, unperturbed even as the raging wildfire licked at his skin. The cracking of stone walls under the blast and the groaning of the abused ceiling above were sounds lost to the fury inside his heart. The incessant screams and desperate cries for him to calm down were barely registered, as the others fought to regain his attention over the one word that repeated in his mind over and over again.
He lunged and the room erupted in frantic shouts.
Freed flung himself before Levy and Lisanna, swiping his sword in an arc that sent a line of runes across the floor, protecting Gajeel. It lasted mere seconds against the onslaught before it crumbled under the flames. Pressure dropped to nothing as Makarov grew in size, magic swelled around as he shoved the others out the door. Grasping the burning draconis with an oversized hand, he held the feral draconis back with a power the keep could barely contain.
Power ballooned in his chest, forcing its way up his throat. He dug his claws into Makarov’s seared skin, all sense of himself lost.
Everything went dark after that. While Natsu blinked at the ceiling, clarity returned to him slowly, allowing him to pick up the pieces of his actions and realize his location was different. He wasn’t in Gajeel’s cell anymore.
What... just happened?
He knew this room and knew it well. It was a side room in the keep that Makarov often snuck off to for short naps. The old man’s light scent on the sheets was strong evidence to that. He blinked again when he caught Freed and Levy’s scents as well despite the silent room being void of anyone else.
Straining to move, Natsu grunted in surprise. He realized with horror that he couldn’t. And it wasn’t the weariness deep in his bones that stopped him. He struggled to bend his neck, finding himself covered in runic spells, shifting lines of words he couldn’t read. They bound his wrists and ankles. Now wonder he could smell the two Rune Enchanters . It was their handiwork.
But why? How did he even get here?
”Finally back to your senses are you?“ Makarov’s voice echoed from behind and Natsu craned his head back as far as he could to catch a glimpse of the Chief sitting on the floor with arms and legs crossed, almost as if he’d been dozing for quite some time.
The world swam in and out of focus for Natsu, he couldn't make heads or tails or what was going on. Why was he being held down? His growl of frustration was pointed towards Makarov as he strained against the runes binding him. They didn’t dig at his skin. In fact he barely felt their presence save for a light buzz of magic, but they were unbending against his struggle and he was too drained of his strength to give it his all.
Prince, the word echoed in his head once more and a panic began to settle into his bones.
They- they knew. They heard Gajeel’s admittance of a secret he had long since buried with his past. He stared at Makarov wide eyed, the old man stayed still as a statue, eying Natsu critically. Dread soured the air as Natsu gasped in shaky breaths.
They had him tied up for it.
Why else would they tie him down if not to do something with that information? A surge of betrayal stole his breath even as logic desperately screamed against it. This was his family now, they would never-
“What's going on?” He rasped, breaking free of his turbulent thoughts, “why can't I move?”
”Good, you're definitely more lucid than you were thirty minutes ago,“ Makarov rose from his seat with a low groan, unusually hunched in his posture as he hobbled over to Natsu’s side. His tired eyes keenly swept over the draconis as he let the question go ignored for the moment. ”I was worried about you for a bit there.“
Relieved to take the strain off his neck, the draconis followed his chief's steps in rapt attention.
He was never one to ignore a question. Take frustratingly long to answer as he sought the right words? Yes. The chief was a man of patience, something he often butted heads with the fiery draconis over as he seemed to have none. But Natsu was wise enough in this moment to not demand speedier answers. Not when he couldn’t move.
But the question bubbled in his chest, burned the tip of his tongue and refused to be quashed down. It died on his tongue only when Makarov stumbled, gritting his teeth to quiet the pained hiss that left him.
Gramps was wounded? How? Who- he struggled to sit up again, desperately trying to reach the old man’s side to help him. His thrashing was cut short by the chief laying a hand against his chest, giving a firm pressure to hold him down.
“None of that,” He chided, “I'm better now that you’re awake. Wendy has already had a look and Porylusica will be double checking later. I'd rather talk about you.”
“But-” he tried to remember on his own, what exactly happened during his outburst, who could have- the only conclusion he could figure sharpened his features in a barely concealed rage, “Did that draconis-”
“No,” interrupted Makarov, fingers flexing on Natsu's chest. “. Gajeel has not laid a finger on me. In fact, if not for him, everything would have gone much worse.”
Gajeel …? The name sounded oddly familiar to him but he couldn’t ruminate on it further as the master’s words only served to confuse Natsu, “He's the one who snuck around and said all that- what do you mean thanks to him?“
”... I almost think it's better for you to see for yourself,“ Makarov muttered more to himself than to Natsu but negated the idea immediately, ”no, perhaps not. Not in your condition. Who knows what it would do to you to know the truth so quickly.“
The truth?
The truth?
Already his earlier ire was starting to rise again, simmering under his skin as heat swelled and smoke started to leak from his nose, ”This ain't making any sense! Can't you just-“
Makarov continued in his inspection, silently ignoring Natsu’s outburst. He examined the magic bindings on the draconis' body and clicked his tongue at the growing singe marks on the sheets. Wordlessly he shot Natsu a look that demanded his silence.
The stony intensity in his eyes cut Natsu off immediately, “I can’t just proceed further without caution! This situation has fallen from my grasp without my knowing! And you especially my boy! I cannot just-!”
He sucked in a breath to steady his nerves. Natsu could hear the frantic beat of Makarov's heart hammering away in his chest and the old man wobbled on his feet. Natsu whined, “ Gramps please.”
His shoulders fell in defeat and his other hand found its way to rest atop Natsu’s crown. A calming gesture. But if it was to calm one or the other, Natsu couldn’t tell. “...Before I explain anything, I need you to promise me not to blame yourself.” He continued in a low voice. “In fact, I need you to mentally prepare yourself to remain as calm as you can manage. I won't say anything further until you prove to me you can do that.”
How could he-? ”I can't just not feel things!“ Natsu protested.
”Promise me!“ Makarov's voice was a harsh whisper, bordering on pleading, ”My boy, it is alright to feel, but you mustn't 'react'! Do you understand?“
His desperate plea froze Natsu in place, staring wide eyed at Makarov’s face. At that moment, he reminded Natsu of another man he wanted to forget. A man who never shied away from his fire even as it was thrown around in frustrated bouts that burned the area around him.
It was safe then, screaming his rage in a room designed to contain his outbursts til he grew weary. And a comforting arm would wrap itself around his shoulders. Warm eyes that always beheld him with quiet pride would meet him at eye level, accompanied by whispered instructions that held no fear. No judgement.
'My son... it is alright to be angry; to feel it and express it, but you must not react. You must control yourself. Can you do that for me?'
Tears pricked the corners of his eyes and Natsu forced the memory out, nodding vigorously to his chief. “I'll... I'll try.”
Makarov waited in silence for a few seconds, watching as Natsu closed his eyes and took in deep breaths. Allowing his body to relax against the sheets, the burning embers of his body simmered and the smoke dispersed. It was hard to dampen his own inner flame, but with a few more breaths, he managed.
Makarov sighed in relief, “Good. Now keep it tethered. I’ve always known you to have a temper on you but I see now why Gajeel treated your outbursts as abnormal. I don't appreciate him purposefully baiting you. That man took too much pleasure in the barbs he threw at you, but I believe, I think this is something we all needed to see.”
His grip on Natsu’s chest tightened. “Your black fire has always been a point of interest, but never one of danger. It’s become so rare in these past years I'd almost forgotten it. But today…..This level of anger and hatred…. I’ve not seen anything like this from you before; The reports Laxus and Cana gave of your fight with Kage, today's instance hardly compares….. I’m worried for you.”
Today?
What did he mean by…?
Makarov patiently waited for him to connect the dots. He was often like this, giving others the chance to find the truth at their own pace instead of thrusting it on them all at once. But nothing made sense.
Gajeel wasn’t at fault for what Natsu could barely recall no matter how hard he tried. It made him feel light headed as he fought to piece together all that was laid out for him . Annoyance started to take hold. He inhaled deeply to steady his slipping nerves and almost choked on it when a familiar scent coated his tongue.
The muted scent of charred flesh, burnt black beyond recognition. It wrapped Makarov as he stared down at Natsu, forlorn, waiting for it to click. He didn’t need to see to know how bad the injury was and the truth struck his chest like a pile of rubble crushing his bones.
Natsu didn't always put things together as fast as the others, but this wasn't something that flew over his head, “... it was me….?”
No. He wouldn’t, he couldn’t. He searched Makarov’s grim expression for something that said otherwise but woefully found nothing of the sort.
The limp, his restraints…. The hand on his chest, how didn’t he notice the burns that marred Makarov’s fingers sooner? Panic seized him.
“What did I do?!” Natsu’s terror threatened to choke him. He vaguely recalled Makarov’s order to stay calm but control was slipping from him again as fear sank its claws into his frazzled brain. ”Where are the others?! Did I-“
”No,“ Makarov chided gently as he moved to rest his hand against Natsu's forehead, ”Freed moved quick enough to protect the others from the initial blast while I held you down, but the explosion was bigger than any of us could’ve imagined. If not for Gajeel knocking you out, the Keep may have been lost. I had guessed his affinity with metal, but to see an entire arm turn into it was something else entirely.“
Natsu wished he could do something instead of just laying there. He wanted to run, to cover his face in shame, to sink into the floor away from Makarov’s worried eyes that held no fear. There was only pity in their depths that made him feel worse. His breathing grew harsh as everything began to come back in vague pieces.
The memories were faint and blurred from the anger he'd felt, but with the chief's recollection he could catch the hints of surprised shouts and the crackling burn of splintered wood in his mind. He wouldn't be surprised if the room was nothing more than a gaping hole in the side of the building. The realization reflected on his face in horror and despair.
He'd hurt the old man. He could have killed everyone if not for Freed and that damned, filthy metal head and it was all because he couldn't control his temper.
He couldn't remember reason, try as he might, his rage had ignited something that made him blind to everything around him.
The tears that streamed down his face were unnoticed until a choking sob wracked through his body. “I'm sorry... ” He rasped, “I'm so sorry-”
Makarov continued to rub his forehead, shushing him quietly with clicks of his tongue and a gentle hum. It wasn't the same as the night before, when Lucy had held him tight, but the comfort was there. It had always been there. The chief was respected and loved for more than just his leadership and strength, he had always acted as a father or grandfather to the majority of magic users in his home and Natsu was no different. He shuddered beneath the touch, whimpering softly as his inner turmoil threatened to boil him alive.
“I told you,” Makarov murmured, voice low and mixed with pain, “it's not your fault. Whatever this is... this madness, it can be tempered now that we know about it. Don't just blame yourself for what you can't control: at least not yet.”
But he could control it, Natsu thought. He'd been taught so long ago to keep his rage in check, the lessons were a part of him for as long as he could wield those dark flames.
When had he begun to lose it? When had he stopped caring to hold the dark vestiges of it in check? He didn't have the time or the mental power to think it through in that moment, too aggrieved by his own actions, but he nodded despite himself, desperately wanting to believe anything Makarov said.
He didn't know how much longer he sobbed, unable to move while the elder stayed at his bedside. All he knew was the anguish at his own mistakes and the wild thoughts swarming through his mind in a tornado of regret.
If only that draconis hadn't come, if only he hadn't come to Natsu's window last night if only- he must have begun to mutter the thoughts out loud as Makarov quickly shushed him.
“I'll take care of him myself,” He assured, voice gruff, ”whatever he's after, it's not Lucy. What he has done to you is another matter that won’t go unpunished. He's followed my rules down to the letter, so far. You don't need to do a thing.“
”but...“ Natsu struggled through his words, sniffing as his earlier tears stuffed his nose and made his eyes far too swollen to be comfortable, ”we, I can't just-“
”Natsu,“ Makarov warned, removing his hand to flick the boy's chin in a sharp reprimand, ”as your chief, I will handle it. I can’t let you do anything in this state. His interest is clearly focused on you, not what Jose wants. I beg of you, please, hold yourself back..“
Natsu couldn’t. It wouldn’t be enough. It sounded so simple to do but how could he? Not when everything he’d struggled to build for himself was at stake. Why couldn’t Makarov get that?
”He knows about me…..who I am.“ Natsu whispered, voice cracking as he tried to get his point across.
Makarov hesitated, lifting his hands from Natsu at the reminder of a bold truth. True the questions burned at the old man’s mind. It was another strange puzzle piece to an already complex situation that continued to swell out of his control.
But what was he to do? The boy before him was just that: a boy as terrified as the day Makarov carried him in his arms to a new life. He rested his palm over Natsu’s heart, the erratic beats thumping wild enough to rattle his bones.
”A secret you have kept hidden for good reason I'm sure,“ Makarov agreed softly, ”but we all have our own secrets, and yours has been forced from you in a terrible way. It’s something I would like to speak with you about, but only when you are ready. For now I need you to recover. Focus on staying calm in the coming hours: understood? I’ll be back later to check on you.“
Natsu had no choice but to nod his head as another wave of guilt washed over him. Makarov gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he turned away, limping towards the door. It was painful to watch as he dragged a leg lamely behind him despite his best efforts to appear hale and hearty. He could see it now, the burnt edges of his pants, and the tight wrappings of white bandages spotted with red through the charred holes in his shirt.
He tilted his head towards the wall and clenched his eyes shut, unable to accept the truth that he was the cause of everything. Makarov’s groan of pain was shut out by the door clicking shut, leaving him completely alone.
Natsu bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, forcing back another whine. More tears threatened to spill down his face. Not even the tang of his own blood filling his mouth could distract him. He deserved it for what he’d done.
What else could he do if he wasn’t careful and lost control again? Just how much damage would be done because he wasn’t strong enough? The thoughts clung to Natsu’s mind the rest of the day, unable to think of anything else.
#fairy tail fanfiction#nalu fanfiction#ft fanfiction#nalu#natsuxlucy#Natsu Dragneel#Lucy Heartfilia#plot bomb drop#AWAY#this chapter is my gift to myself#and i think i did good lmao
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FT challenge

Natsu Dragneel
jiggle butt gang
mest gryder
Loke
328 ( last episode)
op. 9, Towa no Kizuna
ed. 15 kimi to kare to boku to kanojo to
arc of time
Zeref Dragneel
NaLu, GruVia, JeRza, GajEvy, ElfGreen, MiraXus and ofc my babies ZerVis (also most of the couples with cannonical evidence ig, emphasis on MOST cuz i dont mean stuff like mest and Wendy)
Happy
The Grand Magic Games
Daphne arc which is anime-only but canonical arcs ig sun village. theres nothing bad about it but i just didnt enjoy it as mush as the other arcs.
Max lol
Gemini
Edo Gajeel ( ill consider him canon cuz Mashima wanted to add him in the manga but coulnt due to lack of time), Nasha, Greige and Mystogan cuz i cant choose.
End of The battle of Fairy tail arc ( Fantasia parade), Laxus's goodbye.
ch 1 cuz the art makes me feel nostalgic
Lahar lol idk why but i really liked him. I would say Ultear bit ig she isnt technically dead? and i want Zeref and Mavis to live but ik theyre happier being dead.
the sad main theme (idk if it has a name) and also the one used in the Laxus vs Erza fight.
tbh idk but if i had to choose then ig Lisannas return? i really like her but shes lets be honest, shes carried by Mira and Elfman. Heck even Fricken MAX has more moments than her. i dont rly blame Mashima cuz she wasnt supposed to come back though. i think her being dead added more to Mira and Elfmans development ig.
tbh its so hard to choose cuz i find myself crying every other episode but ig its Zeref and Mavis's deaths and Natsu's goodbye to Zeref.
The whole of the changeling episode and only the guilds part of ep 50, watch out for the guy u like ( cuz NaLus part was cute).
Zeref Dragneel
Natsuuuu
Natsu vs the twin dragons, erza vs 100 monsters, Gray vs Rufus and Lucy vs tartaros. I cant choose.
Meredy
10/10 (1000000000000000000....../10)
I love the feels, emotional scenes, humor, plot twists, fights, character relationships, worldbuilding, female character representation and Happy the cat.
i was reading a random CBR 'top 10 funniest anime kisses' which my friend told me to read i dont remember y and i saw the Natsu and Happy kiss and idk i just found it cute and Fairy Tail is one of the most popular anime so i thought 'this looks fun' thats how.
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how the arc started and how it's ending



double dose of parallels here:
Gajeel stopping Laxus from hurting Levy and Levy interrupting Laxus from finishing off Gajeel (and Natsu)
Gajeel protecting Levy in the beginning of the arc and Natsu at the climax of it from Laxus' lightning
Fairy Tail, Chs. 105, 125-126
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Silver for Monsters -- Ch. 8 "Ghosts"
Pairing: Gajeel/Levy
Series: Fairy Tail, Witcher AU
Notes: Finally found the motivation to finish this chapter! It's a bit transitional, a bit tense, I'm hoping to get into some juicier stuff in the next chapter. Enjoy!
Read on Ao3
--
“Is it true what the folk say? That Witchers are emotionless?”
A small, half-dead fire cast weak light on the Witcher and the sorceress. He’d set it, and maintained it long enough to roast the small rabbit he shot shortly after setting camp. It was a meager meal, but they’d both brought enough supplemental vittles to make it a worthwhile meal.
Gajeel grimaced at the broad question, with so little nuance. He leveled a disappointed stare at her, arching a single brow, “Tell me you’re not so thick.”
She raised her hands in surrender with a dry laugh. “I’m joking. I have eyes, you know,” she offered. “Curious where the rumor comes from though.” They had spoken briefly about what he was when they’d first met. It felt like an age, now, since that night in her old home when she was patching up his wounds from the Fiend. When she thought that was to be the one and only time that she would ever meet and interact with the Witcher. It felt more valuable, then, to try and eke out whatever information she could get on Witchers if she was to never meet one again.
It was amusing, in retrospect, how ignorant the two of them were that night to everything they would experience in the coming days. When fate would draw the two unlikely allies together not once, twice, but three times. It started to feel like some sort of cosmic affront to do anything but travel together. Which led her to wonder what that would mean for them when she did find Erza. Would the two of them go their separate ways then? Levy and her compatriots, surely, would have no shortage of work to do when she found out whatever Erza had to impart upon them. None of which had to do with Gajeel.
Levy had limited knowledge on Witchers, but she did know that they notoriously did not involve themselves in the matters of men. Certainly not kings. Hunters for hire, that was their purpose, and they had yet to make any qualms with that designation.
Gajeel showed little amusement or enthusiasm towards entertaining her line of conversation. Especially given where they left off just a short time before settling down for the night. He’d grown more than accustomed to her composure, at times so steadfast that she readily humbled him into his own. Levy, in the short time he knew her, held her nerve. In the face of Temerian soldiers and Fiends in the dark, she stood steady. Yet this night, looking into a crowd of dancers, the mere possibility she saw someone she believed dead drove her to near madness. The look in her eyes before almost calling out to the crowd was unrecognizable. Foreign.
Still, it was clear even to him that she was just trying to fill the silence, and he found himself with much more tolerance for her than he expected. If tolerance was even the word for it. Did tolerance feel like the overwhelming desire for her to talk to him?
He cleaned off the last bit of meat from a femur, and swiped the back of his hand at the grease on his mouth. “Same place they all come from. Shite storytellers with an agenda. Witchers were respected until they weren’t, and you know the damage the right people can do with ignorant townsfolk and a good motive.” There was no real bitterness or displeasure in his tone as much as there was boredom. It was a tired tale and it made no difference to him what people thought. If Witchers took the time to give a shit about the opinions of the masses, they’d never do anything else. “We gotta keep ourselves in check in this line o’ work anyway. Focused, disciplined, all that. It’s an easy image to keep.”
Levy cocked her head, leaning back against a tree. “It’s clearly untrue, why let them believe it?”
Gajeel shrugged, “Why not? It’s good for business, and we get paid either way,” he flicked a cleaned bone off into the shrubs. “If you’re necessary, good at what you do, and feared, it tends to work in your favor.” With a long stick, he pushed around the charred logs in the fire, working to smother the remaining embers. It was risky enough to set a fire, but they needed to eat, and if he was being honest, he wouldn’t have protested a little something to get his blood pumping.
The sorceress knit her brows together, “I have a sneaking suspicion that really only works if you’re a man.”
“It does. Good news for me,” he flashed a sly grin at her, which she did not return outright, but the twinkle was in her eye regardless. That should not have felt like as much of a victory as it did. “Though the stories ain’t stingy with how much not being a man works for you sorceresses,” Gajeel paused to puff out his chest a little and tilt up his chin, “Political power, wealth, positions of esteem.” There’s mockery in his tone coming from someone that had absolutely no regard for any of these things. Money he needed, sure, for gear and the day to day. But wealth? Nothing but problems.
Levy barked a laugh that lacked any shred of warmth. Ah, that was far less satisfying. “Oh yes, how mighty we are,” she sneered, adjusting the hood around her neck. “When men fear one another, they have an odd habit of turning it into respect or obedience. Oh but when men fear women, particularly those they cannot grasp and control when fires ignite in their gluttonous, round bellies…” She held his stare then, the dying firelight dancing across her features. He thought, suddenly, of when he first met her and the way her conjured fire illuminated her when facing the Fiend. How his immediate thought, before he controlled himself, was how terrifyingly beautiful she was. And how that clashed with what she was telling him now.
Half of the Lodge’s identity was their beauty. In fact, it had been an intentional representation, because magic and swords were not half as effective at gaining favor as desire. Part of their development as mages, a reward as it had once been called, was the ability to alter their appearances. If one had the chance to make themselves beautiful and young with a wave of their hand for the rest of their lives, who would pass the opportunity?
In their prime, their alliances wanted both their favor and their company in equal measure. The latter they could often dangle without ever having to follow through, though that wasn’t to say there hadn’t been sorceresses that readily wielded that weapon whenever the benefit arose. Vanity was a trademark of the Lodge, and they had no reason to hide it. Everything was a competition, least of all how many powerful men each had wrapped around their pinky.
The truth of the matter was the Lodge as a whole got cocky. Regardless if there were those of them who preferred more subtle, careful approaches, they were still a singular body in the eyes of kings. The fall was swift, brutal, and bloody. Now she lived in hiding, on the run, with all her relationships strained or burned.
“Well,” she continued, gesturing down at herself, “The story writes itself in living color.” Levy stared Gajeel down a moment longer, then sighed and looked off to the side. She was bitter, how could she not be? She crossed her arms, settled back into the tree best she could, and shut her eyes, “We should get some sleep.”
That was that, and any chance Gajeel had of pushing the issue, or any others burning in his mind was gone. He waited at least another hour to sleep, ensuring the fire was out entirely and their surroundings remained quiet. He told himself that was the only reason he stayed up, but his attention was split between their surroundings and the slow breaths of the demure mage.
Gajeel wasn’t a curious man by nature. He did not linger, he did not dwell. He killed his targets, collected his reward, and moved on. But this situation he found himself in, somehow willingly, was against everything he thought himself to be. He wanted to know more about Levy, he wanted to help her.
A rustle in the brush coiled every muscle in his body, and his eyes flicked from her to motion where the shrubs cleared. A rabbit ran, the shadowed figure of some bird of prey trailing behind. He relaxed, and only then did he realize he had reflexively angled himself closer to her.
Gajeel wanted to protect her.
Those thoughts sat like stones in his chest. Dangerous, heavy stones. But even so, for the first time in the last few weeks, the Witcher’s sleep was dreamless, and the tug in his chest had gone still.
–
“What if they don’t like me, though?” green, expectant eyes turned up to the sorceress who was only a few inches taller than her. Two figures walked down familiarly cold, dreary halls, the shorter carrying a small stack of books. Levy walked with a practiced poise, the straightness in her spine giving away some indication of a higher position.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” That was her voice, Levy’s voice, but it didn’t come from her. In fact, it was as thought she was watching herself from the outside. “Even if they don’t, it doesn’t matter. You’re the most talented prospect Aretuza has seen in an age.”
The younger pouted in response, “But I don’t want to just be a talent. You’re so many things, Levy. I want to be many things too.”
“Likable, among those?” Levy raised her brows and gave a warm, knowing smile to the young mage. “You have more to your advantage than you give yourself credit for. Don’t let the jealousy of your year-mates distract you.”
They turned a corner, coming face to face with another woman dressed like Levy and with similarly perfect posture. A tail of near-white hair was braided over her right shoulder, hanging in front, tied with a black ribbon. All the sorceresses, even the sorcerers, out of Aretuza boasted fair looks, but Mirajane was nothing short of a vision. Devastatingly beautiful, she had spared no effort when given the opportunity to magically alter her appearance. It was as though she looked at every possible asset she could bestow upon herself, and said ‘yes, all.’
“Levy, Mavis,” she nodded to them both by way of greeting. Behind her, a small group of girls the same age as the younger mage with Levy suddenly found the walls and the floors more interesting. “Will you be joining class this evening, or will your lessons take up all your valuable time?” A sly, playfully accusatory look slid over to Levy, who merely rolled her eyes. “I’ll be expanding on deadly herbs and their versatility in harm and healing, if that’s of any motivation for you.”
Mavis shifted shamefully at Levy’s side. She did enjoy Mira’s classes, but Levy’s private lessons were far more interesting. “I’ll have her back when expected, Mira,” Levy cut in, placing a hand on Mavis’ head.
“I’ll hold you to it.” The other sorceress gave her a warm smile, then beckoned to the group of girls behind her to follow along down the hall.
Levy chuckled to herself and ruffled the young mage’s wet hair.
Thunder boomed through the keep’s halls, and Levy withdrew her bloody hand from the girl at her side. She looked out the window first to clear blue skies, and another crack came roaring through. The sorceress opened her mouth to speak to her apprentice, but when looking down upon her found lifeless pools of green staring back. Through her. A cloak of red spread over her, pooling at her bare feet, and volatile magic crackled in sickly green sparks around her.
“I wanted to be just like you.” The third explosion collapsed the halls, and the floor fell out from under them. “I always will.”
–
In the distance, thunder rumbled, long and rolling. Levy lurched awake so violently she choked on her own breath, and fell into a coughing fit. She sat up abruptly, cupping her hands over her mouth to stifle the sound, when two hands pressed on her shoulders. Her eyes darted aimlessly before finding the yellow irises of her Witcher.
“Eyes on me, Lev,” Gajeel’s voice rumbled, calmly, through the chaos of her waking mind. “Breathe,” he commanded, and his grip squeezed once on her shoulders.
She held eye contact with him, trying to swallow down her choking breaths, and he waited patiently with her. The proximity made his heart stutter, but he couldn’t spare the composure to think about it. Levy clasped her collar, trying to anchor herself, and after several moments the fits ceased.
“Good. In through the nose, out through the mouth,” he instructed, calling back on his own daily meditations. She followed without protest until he could hear her heartbeat slow.
The sun had barely started to rise, and cast a stark red glow through the trees upon their camp. It could not have been a more ominous light to wake up from a nightmare into. “I’m fine, thank you,” she raised her hand and placed it against his chest, a form of dismissal but to him a jolt. He released her with control, and leaned back onto his heels.
“Still can’t sleep, eh?”
Levy laughed dryly and swallowed hard, “You could say that,” she answered, “Just, dreams that don’t make any sense.” She brushed herself off, trying to smooth the sleep out of her clothes. Twice now she had embarrassed herself with him.
“I find most of ‘em make sense if you turn ‘em the right way,” he remarked vaguely as he eyed her up and down. He knew that better than she could understand. “Ya want to talk about it? Ain’t been right since last night.” Levy shot him a look that was a pretty immediate ‘no,’ with a tingle of uneasiness that he wasn’t going to just pretend her outbursts at the windmill or just now didn’t happen. “Got anythin’ to do with this Mavis?” Color drained from her face all over again. “You were mumblin’ it in your sleep,” he offered, hoping it would land a bit softer than rehashing their night.
She groaned and ran her fingers through her blue hair, the color shifting with the movement of her hands back to an unassuming brown. Her palms dragged down and round her neck, then pushed up her cheeks to rub at her aching temples. “Can we talk about this on horseback, please. I’m stiffer than a shot of dwarven spirits.”
Gajeel blinked, then laughed gruffly while hauling himself up onto his feet. “Deal. Rain’s gonna start at some point and we got a ways to our destination, yet.”
Another groan. “Rain. Stellar.”
–
“It makes no sense,” Levy started, clutching the rim of the saddle behind her. They’d been riding for somewhere close to an hour already, and moisture most certainly hung in the air as dark clouds moved in faster than they were cantering. “She’d never even been to Aretuza. Mavis came into my life before everything fell apart,” there was a faraway tone in her voice, like still half trying to make sense of the imagery. “Though not for lack of trying on everyone else’s part…but that place would have ruined her.”
Gajeel took a moment to consider his words, which by all accounts was not something he cared to do often. But this was significant to her. “There was someone at the party that looked like her.” Not a question.
Levy deflated, and her face heated in embarrassment. “Yes.”
“But she’s dead?”
Her breathing stilled, and there was a long beat before she answered again. “Has been for a while. But for that dance, however long it was, she was alive. She loved to dance. Terrible at it, but she was a child then. She would have been,” another weighted pause as she started to count, but gave up, “well, it doesn't matter. Facts are what they are. And I lost my head for a moment. It won't happen again.” There was an edge to her words that told him she was done talking about this. Again. “We soldier on, Gajeel.”
For now, he would have to leave it be, whether he wanted to or not.
The trail they followed forked in front of them, with the most direct route bringing them through Alness, and the path to the left along the forest edge before curving south again. It had been some time since he came out this way, but the way was still familiar. The less direct route would avoid the bustle of town, and still get them to their destination with little time lost.
Wordlessly, he pulled them left and continued in relative silence as thunder rumbled again and rain started to sprinkle. However, Levy was the one to speak again, voice low with warning. “Gajeel, smoke.”
The Witcher grunted, narrowing his eyes at the black wisp rising from somewhere just past the treeline. “I see it,” he replied, giving a quick nudge to the horse to bring them to a trot. All they needed to do was look busy, and keep moving. There’s a lot of trouble that can be avoided by not lingering.
But, not this trouble, it would seem.
Four men with weapons drawn emerged from the brush, and if his hearing served him right a fifth hung back out of view. Gajeel pulled back on the reins to slow down, scanning over the four of them with a look that he hoped would give them second thoughts. Subtly, he leaned forward leading with his right shoulder, where the two hilts of his swords rose up. With his eyesight, he saw one of them look at his weapons, hesitating for just a second, before moving then to the small undeniably feminine figure in the saddle behind him.
Gajeel bristled more than he expected to when they all exchanged looks, speaking unintelligibly to each other. He angled the horse in a way it would look like he intended to swing wide, and one of the smaller men took a quick step in the same direction, sealing their intentions.
Instinctive excitement bubbled in his chest at an opportunity to test his armor at last. His breathing slowed, and a predator’s calm settled over him. “Stay on the horse. Do nothing to draw attention,” he said in a low voice, angling forward to dismount.
“I can help, Gajeel, you’re outnumbered,” Levy whispered back, pulling her hood more securely over her head.
“Ain’t gonna say it again. This’ll only take a minute,” Gajeel heaved himself off the horse, landing with a heavy thud in the dirt. “Keep. Your. Cover,” he growled, not once taking his eyes off the bandits in the road. “Ride when they come at you.”
Levy didn’t have a chance to ask what he meant before the Witcher took off in a full sprint for the trees, away from the group, and several things happened at once. By the faces of the four men in the open, they were also taken entirely by surprise. One of them, wielding a mace, took only a second of hesitation before he shouted in protest, and took off in pursuit. The remaining three looked to Levy, stricken suddenly with expressions that screamed ‘opportunity.’
“Hells, Gajeel!” she hissed, scooting forward in the saddle to take hold of the reins and give a hard tug and a swift kick. The horse took off in a wide arc to put distance between her and the immediate threat and try to keep eyes on Gajeel.
But he barged, unhindered, through the underbrush, and disappeared swiftly from view. Unaware of the fifth member, it appeared to Levy that he just left the scene entirely, but despite how little they knew one another it seemed unlikely he would run from a fight.
At the same moment the man with the mace caught up to the treeline, Gajeel came back into view to meet him, dragging a small man with a bow by the face. The Witcher effortlessly lifted his captive up in front of him, ‘aiming’ him at the assailant, as an arcane blast of force launched the archer forward. Two bodies cracked together and crumpled into the dirt, but Gajeel did not stop.
Levy didn’t have the time to track what he would do next as he barrelled forward, forced to keep her attention on the men that had their sights on her. She could easily have ridden off and truly gone a safe distance, but she had no desire to be so useless, and would need to stick with evasive maneuvers while keeping close.
“That’s right sweetheart, stay right there!” one of them sneered, and she felt her skin prickle.
If I fry all three of you it won’t matter if I break my cover. Try it, ape, she thought, feeling her fingertips tingle.
The mage would find no use for her magic today, as Gajeel commanded their attention instead, with no room for indecision. “Eyes on me!” The words may have been enough, but he punctuated them with three brutal cracks of his sword fist against his chest before brandishing the black steel sword at his side. The Witcher was the embodiment of brutality, and as he rushed forward the thrill of violence surged through every vein, spurred even more by the flash of regret from the remaining three bandits.
Too late to back out now; he made it more than obvious they were dealing with a Witcher. And not just any, but Black Steel. It was time for them to get an intimate view at the craftsmanship that earned him that name.
They made a paltry attempt to ready themselves for the one-man onslaught, the bolder of the three lurching forward with a shortsword swing.
Let’s see how good your work is, Salamander, he thought, skidding to a halt as he thrust up his right forearm to take the hit. The blade clashed into the scales of his bracers, and went no further. Gajeel barked a thrilled laugh, glancing at the man from below his arm, as his free hand shot forward to unleash a blast of fire into the bandit’s face.
The agonized scream barely rose from his throat before Gajeel sidestepped around him, and with one spin he arced his steel into the two remaining men at once. In a matter of seconds, all that remained was hiss of his fire under steadier rainfall, and Gajeel was left feeling…wholly dissatisfied.
He huffed, swinging his steel to the side hard enough to throw off the majority of the blood. The sound of hoofbeats approached, and he turned to meet Levy as she came closer. He watched her sweep her eyes over him once, and he found himself straightening slightly under her scrutiny. “Having fun, are you?” she asked, crossing her arms and surveying their surroundings while trying to avoid looking at any of the bodies too long.
Gajeel flashed his teeth at her, “I would, if they were worth–”
Levy’s face twisted in panicked urgency, her eyes locking onto something beyond them, but all the warning she could manage was to shout his name.
White pain blasted from the edge of the Witcher’s vision, followed immediately by the scream of a horse.
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Cabins & Claws - Ch 1:
Rating: T Warnings: N/A Word Count: 1017 Summary: A casual breakfast in the dragon slayer cabin. Ao3 [Last Fic] | [Next Ch]
Taking care of five kids was no small feat, Anna held a sleeping Ryos close to her chest as she kicked the bedroom door shut behind her. Though she had to be grateful that Ryos slept like the dead, so he wouldn’t wake to anything less than a bomb. She uses that to her advantage as she screams down the hallway to where the oldest children sleep. “Gajeel, Natsu, wake up please, I could use some help making breakfast this morning.” She stood there long enough to pick up the sound of movement in each of their bedrooms before she nodded turning towards the room right next to her own. She uses her free hand to open the door as the other continues to support Ryos against her. She peeks her head inside to see that Wendy and Sting are still fast asleep.
Anna walks over to Wendy’s bed laying her hand on the young girl's shoulder, gently shaking her awake. The bluenette sits up sleepy aggressively rubbing her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up. Anna smiles at the small murmur of “Morning Mama” she hears before making her way over to Sting’s bed repeating the same process as before. Sadly he tends to sleep similarly to his brother, like a rock, so she has to shake him a bit more aggressively before he begins to wake.
After making sure that both of the children were truly awake she leaves the room to give them a chance to get ready. She glides her way into the kitchen gently bouncing Ryos as she checks on the beginning of breakfast. Her oldest two were silently passing between each other, making a graceful dance as they traded between prepping and cooking the food. It seems they had opted for something simple, just some eggs with toast.
Anna pulls one of her keys off of her belt with her free hand, easily finding the specific one she needs. She holds it in front of her, not in any hurry, just needing a bit of assistance “Gate of the Twins, I open thee. Gemini!” In front of her appear two small blue-bodied creatures that speak a quiet little “piri-piri.”
She smiles at them in greeting, “Good morning Gemi, Mini, by any chance can y’all hold Ryos for a little bit? I need to help the boys with breakfast.” The two quickly swirl together in a puff of smoke as they transform into Anna, with a slight difference being the mark of Gemini on the cheek to differentiate the two of them. When they hold out their hands Anna smiles, laying Ryos in their arms, they begin the gently bounce him as she turns to help with the food.
Anna can hear the young ones come clambering out of their room, settling themselves at the dining table. She speaks about the plans for the day as she plates the food that the boys have finished cooking. “So today Natsu, Gajeel you two have training. Igneel and Metalicana will be waiting for you in the field to the left of the house after breakfast.” She takes the finished bringing them to the table, setting them in front of the kids.
Sting has a pout on his face as he scoops some eggs into his mouth, he then speaks up, eggs flying out with each word. “How come Jeel and Su get to learn cool magic, it’s unfair.” She laughs a bit as this isn’t the first time they’ve had this conversation. “Because they’re older than you, once you are of age you will get to learn as well, as for now, don’t speak with your mouth open, and we will be working on your writing today, ok?”
Even as he continues to pout Sting gives a reluctant nod, slowly eating away at his eggs and toast. Anna smiles turning back to the counter to put together the last plates of food and setting them at their designated spots at the table. Gajeel and Natsu sit in their seats while she sits at the head of the table. Gemini takes the spot where Ryos would normally sit since the young boy is still asleep.
The table is silent as they all eat their respective breakfasts, none of them wanting to interrupt the peace. The quiet is broken by a small yawn that comes from the other end of the table as Ryos begins to wake in Gemini’s arms. His eyes flutter open as he curls even closer to the warm body of the spirit.
Once Ryos notices the plate that is sitting in front of his spot on the table he slowly begins to pick at the food with his hands. Anna had made sure that she cut the bread up into bite-sized pieces before putting them onto his plate. The youngest boy took fists full of eggs, stuffing them into his mouth as Gemini held him still in their lap.
Anna smiles as she looks over the loving family that she has built up in the last eight years, starting from Natsu to little Ryos (who was gonna need a bath after breakfast). Natsu and Gajeel finish up their meals first, both of them standing to clean off their plates. Anna gives them each a quick kiss on the cheek as they go to leave even as Gajeel tries to wave the affection off. She smiles more as she finishes up her own food she stands setting her plate in the sink to clean in a bit.
She then turns back to the table, noticing that both Wendy and Sting are done with their plates, and Ryos seems to be done with the small amount he ate. She huffed a laugh as she went to take Ryos from Gemini, sending the spirit away with thanks. “Sting, Wendy, set your plates next to the sink please, I’ll clean them later, and we’ll start your lessons after I give Ryos a bath, ok?”
She smiles heading towards the bath after a quick acknowledgment from the both of them. She loves her family so much.
#fairy tail#fairy tail fic#fairy tail fanfiction#ft fanfiction#fanfiction#ft anna heartfilia#anna heartfilia#gemini fairy tail#ryos ft#ft rogue#rogue cheney#rogue#fairy tail rogue#ft sting#sting eucliffe#fairy tail sting#ft natsu#natsu dragneel#fairy tail natsu#fairy tail gajeel#ft gajeel#gajeel redfox#kori's fanfiction#kori's writing#times of change series
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Phantom Lord, Fairy Feelings: Ch. 5
Fandom: Fairy Tail
Ship: Natsu/Lucy
Rating: T
Summary: Natsu has made the decision to put some distance him and Lucy, hoping to understand his feelings. The strength of them scares him, but what will his unexplained neglect do to his partner and their growing relationship?
->Chapter 5<-
Lucy curled her legs underneath her in the tub, waiting for Natsu. He was taking much longer to bring her clothes and a towel than she expected him to. She toyed with the idea of getting out on her own but didn’t want to upset the delicate understanding they had reached with one another. A soft knock at the doorframe startled her from her thoughts.
“Lu? Can I come in?” asked a soft voice that was definitely not Natsu. At her reply, Levy stepped through the curtain hugging the promised towel and clothing to her chest. “Natsu asked me to come. Here…” She handed Lucy the towel and set the clothing down on the counter to be ready if she needed to support her friend.
Lucy blinked at Levy in confusion. The towel she was given was warm, just as Natsu had promised It would be, so why wasn’t he the one handing it to her? She stood up carefully and wrapped herself in it before stepping out of the tub, holding Levy’s offered hand. Before she could find words in her confused mind, Levy spoke again.
“I’m sorry to intrude. Natsu said he needed to be somewhere and asked me to take his place with you. He said you aren’t ready to be on your own yet.” She stood beside the blonde, both hands lifted as a steadying force while Lucy pulled on her clothes.
“I’m much better than he’s letting on. Did…. Did he say how long he would be gone?” Levy shook her head in response and followed Lucy out into the living room. Despite being told he had left, Lucy still expected to find him sitting in his spot on the couch grumpily. The whole room felt emptier from his absence.
Climbing onto the bed together, Lucy smiled at the other girl. “Thanks for coming Levy. I can’t believe he actually left. It’s been days of him not even letting me walk to the bathroom on my own, and now he just vanishes?”
Levy smiled pulling her knees to her chest and facing her friend. “He looked….unlike himself. Not angry, but very serious. Determined and….withdrawn. I’ve never seen him like that. He looked….. he looked more like Gajeel than Natsu.”
Lucy chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. “Levy….. Are there books in the guild archive about Dragons? Or Dragon magic?”
Levy pursed her lips as she thought. “I’m sure there must be some. Why?”
“I’m curious. I have questions that need answers. There have been some…..” she trailed off, unsure of how to explain. She didn’t want to share everything while there was still so much that she didn’t understand on her own. Luckily, Levy was an understanding friend.
“I get it. We all saw how close Natsu was to losing control when you came back from the cliffs. I’ll talk to Master Makarov and see if I can bring you some of the books while you are stuck here. Um…there’s also Gajeel. I know he isn’t the friendliest of people, but he might have some answers if we can’t find anything in the books.”
“Thanks, Levy. You’re the best!” Over the next three days, Levy brought Lucy books from the archive, and together they dug through anything and everything they could find about dragons. Histories, myths, legends, spell books, and even a few journals in ancient Mildian. Gray and Erza dropped in with food from Mira, and even Happy stayed the night with her once. Natsu never came back, and Levy said he had only been seen at the guild for brief moments before leaving again. “It’s just like how he was before you joined his team, Lu,” Levy told her.
On the day she was finally allowed to leave her house, Lucy bounced happily into the guild hall, looking for her team. She found them waiting for her at their usual table and her face split into a brilliant smile. She accepted a bone-crushing hug from Erza and offered a promise that she wouldn’t do something so reckless alone ever again.
“Even if it was pretty incredible. I don’t know a lot of wizards that have that much power, much less ones that could expel it all in one go and survive,” mused Gray, planting a heavy hand on her head.
“There aren’t many people like my Fairy Tail family that are worth doing it for,” she replied smiling. She sighed happily and looked around the hall. She stifled a giggle at the sight of Levy sitting beside Gajeel. He looked grumpy, but his sharp eyes never left Levy’s face as she read part of a book out loud to him. Her smile faltered as she searched the room for a flash of pink hair or a burst of flames and found nothing. She turned back to Erza and Gray questioningly.
Gray shrugged and Erza crossed her arms. “He hasn’t been in since yesterday at lunchtime. I was certain he would be here for your return,” the woman said thoughtfully.
*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
From then on, Lucy saw Natsu only on missions. He stopped coming to her house, and he no longer spent every minute hanging around the hall with her. When they interacted, he behaved as though nothing was wrong, but Lucy could feel a difference. Every time she tried to ask him why he seemed to be avoiding her, he would throw himself in the middle of a brawl with one friend or another.
He didn’t sneak into her rooms at the Akane Resort even once while they stayed there. She sat by his bedside as he recovered from his battle with Jellal, but he never woke up while she was near. At the Miss Fairy Tail Contest, she noticed him watching her. His black eyes were so intense that she thought she could feel them boring into her.
Master Makarov paired them up for the Fantasia parade, wanting them to work in conjunction with Gray and Juvia. “Fire and Light alongside Ice and Water!” the master cried joyfully. Natsu declined, claiming he was too injured from his fight with Laxus, and Lucy was reassigned.
On the rare occasion that he joined them at the guild, he would sit in relative silence, his eyes never leaving her as she moved. He was warm as always but kept a clear distance between them. He was welcoming but wouldn’t be near her alone. He was still there, whenever she might need him in a fight. He never let her get seriously hurt or separated from the group. He was still Natsu but…he wasn’t. And everywhere, his eyes followed her ceaselessly.
When she heard her Father’s life was in danger, she left without a thought or a word. Her Father was her responsibility, and the others were leaving for a job. The idea of taking on an entire dark guild alone was not one she was fully confident she could manage, but she had to try. Luckily, the Naked Mummy guild turned out to be a complete joke. She took them all out with no trouble at all.
Outside, her search for her father was interrupted by something moving in her periphery. A fast-moving blur shot across the sky above her and the air temperature increased by several degrees as Natsu dropped from Happy’s grip and landed behind her.
“Natsu!” she yelped as she whirled to face him. He was tense and looking around the area. The knights were arresting the defeated guildmembers behind her. “What are you doing—Ow, Natsu let go!” He grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the wooded area beside the merchant guild. His grip loosened slightly when she cried out in pain, but only slightly.
“Go back and tell the others I found her, Happy,” Natsu growled over his shoulder.
“Aye sir,” Happy replied, missing his usual enthusiasm. He eyed his friend apprehensively, then turned and flew away.
“Natsu, let me go! I need to find my dad,” Lucy said as she pulled against his grip again. He whirled on her, and his hands ran over her, searching for injuries. When he was satisfied, he grabbed her shoulders tightly. His eyes were intense as they searched her face. The longer he stared at her, the brighter she felt her face burn. “Say something, Natsu!”
“What were you thinking coming out here alone Lucy? An entire dark guild on your own?!” His fingers were digging into her shoulders and his voice was shaking with thinly veiled anger.
“I….I came to save my dad. It was my business, not Fairy Tail’s, so I came alone. Now let me go! You’re hurting me!” She tried to pull out of his grip, but he pulled her against his chest tightly instead. “N….Natsu?”
“You scared me to death, Lucy. I turned around and you were gone. Don’t……don’t do that again,” he choked out, pressing his forehead against hers.
Lucy stared at him, confused emotions swirling inside her. He had been effectively ignoring her for months, but now he wanted her not to leave him behind. She pushed against his chest and stepped back. “I…I’m sorry I scared you. I’m fine, so just forget about it.” She turned and walked away, returning to her search for Jude.
Natsu had to force himself not to chase after her. Keeping her at arms-length was difficult enough when she wasn’t putting herself in unnecessary danger by running off without him. He had hoped that removing himself from her side would help to lessen whatever kind of madness she caused in him, but it simply didn’t. Being near her made him want her, more than he had ever wanted anything before, but being apart from her? Being away from Lucy made him need her. Worse, that need made him angry, irrational, and reckless.
More than once since deciding to take a step away from their developing relationship, Natsu had gotten himself hurt worse than he let on. He paid too much attention to Lucy’s fights and not his own. He knew she was tough and could usually handle herself, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to rip out the throat of anyone who dared attack her when he wasn’t there.
The Battle of Fairy Tail had been hell for him. At first, he delighted in the chance to battle it out with his friends. Lucy was safe enough as a statue, so he didn’t have to worry about her. But he hadn’t been able to join in at all. Worse, Lucy recovered and joined the battle without a second thought, brushing past his objections like they were nothing. Bickslow was lucky that Natsu had been trapped in the guild, else the Thunder Legion would have been short one member.
Heaving a heavy sigh, Natsu trudged down the path, following Lucy. “Damn it…this is getting stupid,” he grumbled to himself. When he stepped out of the woods, Lucy was surrounded by three of the knights, answering questions. She was flustered and waving her hands, trying to take a step back. Natsu sidled up to stand at her side, just behind her and glowered at the looming trio. Two of them peeled away and left the captain to finish the interrogation.
“I suppose, even though you disobeyed a direct order not to approach, I can overlook it, since you defeated the guild and rescued the hostages. But I won’t be lenient the next time you do something so reckless,” the Captain barked at her. Lucy nodded and gave a feeble excuse of agreement, then let out a slow breath as he turned and rejoined the platoon.
“The whole guild on your own? Really? I thought the soldiers would have helped you,” Natsu said to her when she turned to face him.
“No, they stayed out because they were mages. So…yeah. On my own. You don’t have to act so surprised you know,” she huffed, crossing her arms, and sitting in the grass beside the road.
Natsu flopped down beside her. “I’m not surprised. I’m proud. You kicked some serious tail in there from what the groups were whispering.“ He jerked his head towards the freed hostages. She blushed under his praise and looked away from him. “Yeah, well…. I still didn’t find my Dad, so it was wasted effort anyway.
“Nah. You may not have saved your dad, but you saved hers.” He pointed at a little girl running into the arms of one of the men that Lucy had saved. “That makes all the effort worth it to me.” Lucy watched the small family with a wistful smile on her face.
“Thanks Natsu…I really am sorry I worried you. I promise I won’t run off alone again without at least telling someone,” she said. Now that the excitement was over, she was feeling the effects of summoning four of her spirits back-to-back. She let herself relax, leaning slightly against Natsu’s side.
Instantly, Natsu felt his thoughts go a bit fuzzy as her scent overwhelmed him. Her normally light, freshly bathed scent was heavy with the sweat from her exertions and travel. It made his need for her swell rapidly within him and he hurriedly shifted away, putting some distance between them to end the contact. He looked away from her quickly, but not fast enough to miss the hurt, confusion, and frustration flash through her eyes.
“Lucy… I,” he began, but she stood up and dusted the grass off her skirt.
“It’s fine, Natsu. I get it,” she said dismissively, then she planted her hands on her hips and shouted, “THERE you are Dad!” Natsu watched her run over to the man walking up the road and give him what looked like a sound tongue lashing. He sighed. She gets it? If that’s true, I wish she’d explain it to me…
*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Shortly after returning from Edolas, Lucy had had enough. She was tired of trying to understand what went wrong in their friendship. She was tired of the fragile air that surrounded them during downtime on missions. Most of all, she was tired of his dark, intense eyes boring holes into the back of her every second of the day. She needed a break.
She’d asked Mira to grab one of the jobs from the board and save it for her. A caravan was lost in the forests surrounding Beanstalk Village. The job was to find them and escort them safely back home to Clover. Now she stood in front of Fairy Hills, the dormitories that housed most of the ladies of Fairy Tail. The door opened and Wendy waved for her to come in.
“It’s girls only, so even Happy can’t come here. Will you tell me what the secret is now?” Wendy asked. Lucy had only told her that she had a secret request to make of her, Juvia, and Erza. Lucy followed the girl into one of the common rooms where the other girls were sitting.
“Hello, Lucy! I don’t think I have ever seen you here in Fairy Hills,” called Erza. Lucy grinned and sat down in an armchair beside her friends.
“I haven’t been here before, but this seemed like the best place to escape….. Well, to have a private conversation.” No one asked what she was trying to escape. They had all seen the way Natsu simultaneously followed and avoided her. Erza and Wendy in particular were witnesses to the toll it had taken on her over the months.
“As long as your plan doesn’t involve seducing my darling Gray, I am happy to assist,” Juvia said warningly. Lucy shook her head.
“It never has, and it never will Juvia! No, I would like to get away from here for a while, and I wondered if you girls would join me for a search and rescue job near Beanstalk Village,” She pulled the folded request from her pocket and offered it to the group.
Erza looked it over and nodded curtly. “I have no issue going with you. It seems a fine job for our Wendy to get some practice in as well.” Wendy blushed and fidgeted with her hands in her lap. Only Juvia looked reluctant.
“This job….it is probably going to take at least a week, most likely more…” Juvia said slowly. Lucy nodded. “I don’t want to leave my darling for that long. And I have a different mission planned with Gajeel coming up. I wish I could help you, Lucy, I’m sorry.”
“I understand Juvia. You can still help me by making sure Natsu doesn’t follow me.” Juvia nodded at the blonde and looked thoughtful.
Erza stood up. “I can help with that too. I will make it known that we are leaving for a job near Crocus. Never let it be said that the women of Fairy Tail don’t support each other!” she declared dramatically. Lucy giggled and the group huddled back together to plan out their departure and cover story.
*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
The next morning, Erza and Lucy stood on the platform of the train station with Gray and Natsu. Wendy and Carla were aboard already, Wendy didn’t have it in her to try and keep secrets from anyone, especially Natsu.
“A week or two, yeah? If you’re not back by then, I’ll come looking for ya,” Gray said with a smirk, meeting Erza’s eyes momentarily. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stepped back as the train blew a warning whistle. Lucy adjusted her grip on her suitcase and turned toward the train, but a calloused hand caught her forearm suddenly.
Natsu stepped closer to her and spoke softly, not looking at her. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come? Two weeks is a long time to be alone with Erza.” Lucy suppressed a shiver at his proximity. He was standing closer to her now than he had in months.
She stepped back, putting some distance between them again. “It’s a long time to be alone with you too Natsu. We will be fine. I have to go,” she said in a clipped tone. He winced inwardly at her statement. She stepped back again and smiled at both boys before following Erza onto the train.
Gray stepped over to him as he waved at Wendy through the window. “If you didn’t want her to do stuff without you, you probably shouldn’t have pushed her away,” he said flatly. Natsu frowned and hunched his shoulders against the criticism.
“Nobody asked you, ya icy pervert. Where the hell are your pants?” Without waiting for an answer he took off, leaving the train station behind. Lucy would be fine, he tried to assure himself. She had Erza and Wendy. Besides that, it was only an item retrieval job from what Juvia had told Gray. His biggest issue with the situation was why Lucy wanted to go without him in the first place.
He hadn’t been trying to push her away, only to put a firm, friendly barrier between them. He needed to understand why the scent of her drove him to extremes, or why not being able to find her when he looked sent him into an angry panic. Maybe the distance would be a good thing. Maybe not having the urge to find her would give him time to really study his feelings. Even as he tried to convince himself it would be worth it he felt the pain at her absence twinge. It’s going to be a long two weeks…
Find this and more of my work on AO3!
#fairy tail#natsu x lucy#fairy tail nalu#lucy heartfilia#ao3 fanfic#archive of our own#creative writing#ao3#fairy tail fanfic#natsu dragneel
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Fanfic: Juvia and Friends Ch 28, Fairy Tail | FanFiction
¡Hola a todos!
Aquí les dejo el nuevo capítulo de Juvia and Friends.
La protagonista de este capítulo es Mavis.
¡Espero les guste!
Es uno de mis capítulos favoritos. Amé escribir de Juvia y Mavis!
El próximo capítulo contará con Makarov y así acabarán las brotps de Juvia con los miembros de Fairy Tail y empezaré con otro gremio.
He decidido no poner nada con Gray y Gajeel por obvias razones. Pero nunca se sabe.
Voy capítulo por capítulo así que todo puede pasar.
¡Muchas gracias a quien lee y comenta y hasta pronto!
#fairy tail#juvia lockser#gray fullbuster#gruvia#gajeel redfox#my fic#fanfic#fairy tail fanfiction#gajuvia brotp#phantomlord#alvarez arc#mavis vermillion#zeref dragneel#avatar arc#love is not easy#love is magic#one magic#juvia and mavis brotp
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Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest CH 89 Coloring

#manga coloring#100 years quest#ft 100yq#fairy tail 100 yq#fairy tail 100 years quest#nalu#lucy heartfilia#natsu#natsu dragneel#elentir#ft spoilers#100yq ch 89#gajevy#ft gale#gajeel#levy#levy mcgarden#max alors#cana alberona#macao conbolt#macana#evergreen#wakaba#panther lily#romeo conbolt#wakaba mine#Macao#Warren#stained glass#gajeel redfox
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Juvia gets hate for this moment, but considering that that she's still in a "transition period" and this

is the guild she has spent an unknown amount of her teenage or maybe even childhood years (she's only 17 at the start of the story) with these people


being the closest things to a best friend & a parental / guardian figure (as far as we know), it's only natural that she still needs to adjust & unlearn some habits
considering the heavily implied lack / deficiency of normal human interaction in her past before joining the Phantom Lord guild, casually threatening someone might be what Juvia considers a "small talk" at this point in her life
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Levy 😏😂
https://sorcererweekly.com/reader/read/ft100yq/en/7/60/
#ft 100 yq#ft 100yq spoilers#ch 60#gajeel redfox#levy mcgarden#gajevy#ft 100 yr quest#fairytail 100 year quest#ft edits
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Chapter 28:

Rating: R Pairing: Nalu FF.Net || AO3 [Ch: 1] ||| [Prev] | [Next] Thanks to @phoenix-before-the-flame for their awesome Beta work, as usual. March Post Dates: 15th and the 28th (Yes, my Birthday!) April Post Dates: To Be Decided
When Gajeel was finally questioned, it was days after he'd willingly been led through the gates and brought into the dungeons. His cooperation led to an easy time of sitting around in proper chairs and choosing his own cot to bunk in, all while Kage sulked in his renewed prison. The shackles that scraped his wrists and ankles were a formality more than anything else; One he seemed unbothered by.
His interrogation wasn’t in the official chambers where Makarov sought counsel with Erza, Laxus and Mirajane days before. Instead, when Laxus came to retrieve him, eyes narrowed and posture full of unspoken threats, he'd been led to a small room in the depths of the keep, where the draconis assumed was their chief’s private quarters.
While this was a curious turn of events for him, what made his studded brows rise was when Laxus irritably slammed the door behind him, leaving Gajeel alone with the short chieftain and no one else. The room was cramped, too small to host many occupants regardless, but he didn't even hear the click of the door lock.
“Have a seat.” Makarov drawled, mustache twitching as he glanced his way. He was seated behind a grand red oak desk that filled nearly half the room. Tomes in messy piles and stacked parchments littered its surface, with odd knick knacks and baubles that didn’t quite fit thrown into the mix. He casually motioned to one other seat that Gajeel had almost missed. And rightly so, it was nothing more than the tiniest of stools, splintered beyond belief and standing on rickety legs despite the ashy burn marks that littered its surface: a stool made for a child.
“Yeah, no. Not sittin’ on that,” Gajeel replied dryly, leaning against the doorframe instead, “you sure about having me in a room alone with you, old man?”
“Why?” Makarov lowered his hand, confidence gleaming in his eyes, “Do you think you pose a danger to me?“
He shrugged, “Dunno, do I?” Lifting his shackled hands he bared his teeth in a sardonic grin, “or these give ya a sense of security?“
The old man's chuckle as he relaxed into his chair made Gajeel frown. Was he missing something here?
”I didn’t take you as a man to make jokes. If you were going to attempt anything, I think you would have already. A man of your strength could break those shackles in minutes.“
'Not even that.' He thought idly, but brushed the words aside as more thoughts gripped him, ”What would you know of my strength?“
”Boy,“ There was a near irresistible urge to snarl that Gajeel swallowed in the back of his throat, body bristling in offense, ”I've three clansmen all with the blood of Draconis in them. Surely you know that they scented you the moment you came near our walls?“
A chink in Gajeel's facade was finally made. His grin faltered with his confidence. Of course, he didn't doubt they'd catch a whiff of him if he'd smelled them, but to have passed that information along already? They were quick. The element of surprise was now lost, and that disturbed him more than he wanted to admit.
”That ruins my fun,“ He snorted, arms crossing in disdain, the shackles clacked together.
Another soft chuckle left Makarov as he propped his short legs on the edge of his desk, managing to look more indifferent than the large draconis had been. “I’ve been informed of your attunement. Metal I believe? Erza’s report of your camp was quite thorough.“
His eye twitched before he could control himself: another chink added.
”So I was right.“ He whistled, watching Gajeel with a keen eye that felt as if it were seeing straight through his mind. “A fascinating element to wield no doubt.”
When speaking with Jose, their banter always felt like a dance around threats and subtle digs of information towards one another. As if the other clan leader was always looking for a way in to sniff out Gajeel's weaknesses, but he never learned any more than what Gajeel chose to reveal.
In a span of a minute, here in this dinky room standing before a geriatric who hardly came up to his thigh, Gajeel felt uncharacteristically small. He didn’t like the clever glint in the old man’s eye or how he steepled his fingers. He didn’t like how he managed to learn what even his own clansmen didn’t know. This was a sensation that made bile rise in his throat, shame fueling the tension in his shoulders as hurt pride demanded he act out.
But he had more discipline then that and stayed still while his sharpened nails dug divots into his biceps.
“Do you fairies always spoil the fun like this?” The question was pointed and petulant, but Gajeel felt he deserved the momentary childish barb.
”Oh we have our own ways to have fun, I guarantee you.“ The old chief finally settled down into his seat, dropping the casual attitude as one drops a burning coal, ”Now, with that out of the way, do you want to remove those shackles or keep pretending you can't? I think we both know you wouldn't get very far if you attacked me anyway.“
That confidence was one thing shared between Makarov and Jose, Gajeel noted. A grim knowledge of one's own abilities. It was an asinine trait, but having the wind torn from his sails so soon into the conversation had left the draconis feeling out of sorts as he dragged his feet to finally sit down.
A part of him was more than satisfied when he heard the legs crack under his weight, struggling to stay intact. If he couldn't keep his abilities a secret longer than a day, fine. At least he had this.
”Fine. You got me.“ He growled, not bothering to hide his irritation. ”But we're not here to discuss what I can do, are we? You got questions and I got the answers you need.“
”Now we're to the meat of the matter, very good,“ Makarov entwined his fingers under his chin and hummed in agreement, watching as Gajeel fiddled with the shackles but made no attempt to rip them off. He'd save that for later.
“Since you've made it obvious you come from Jose's clan,” The old man continued, voice dripping with acid at the name of the other leader, “Clearly you have a reason for giving us Kage without any demands for compensation. Before I ask you anything more pertinent, let me make one thing clear: Kage's return does not give you access to the Celestial your leader has been after and she's no bargaining chip. Are we clear?”
Gajeel snorted, his grin finally returning, “Crystal. She’s of no use to me anyway.”
And now, it finally felt as if he'd regained his foothold as he watched Makarov's stern expression drop. He decided to run with it, continuing before he could start his line of questions. Gajeel leaned forward, ignoring how the stool creaked as he propped his elbows on his knees.
“I’ll let you in on a secret. Jose thinks he sent me here to get on your good side, learn your towns in and outs and buddy up with you all before dragging the girl out by those golden locks he’s so obsessed with. That was the mission assigned to me,” The more he spoke, the more Makarov's expression changed, hardening into a silent, dangerous rage that fueled Gajeel's amusement.
“He still thinks that, and while I was down for playing along for a bit, there's no point in that now.”
“... and why is that?”
Gajeel's laugh dripped something close to madness, “Let me see your other Draconis members and I might tell ya.”
.
.
.
In the restless hours between Porlyusica begrudgingly giving Natsu the go ahead for freedom and the strange draconis being led through the gates, the Draconis of Fire was not sitting still. In fact, just outside the doors of the keep, he paced, snarling and spitting fiery fury each time he was dragged back to his quarters by those who watched him.
His fellow villagers were glad to see him on his feet. But still, they couldn’t help but wish that the old hermit had ordered him more time in his home. If only to give his frazzled keepers a break now that he was set loose. Keeping him confined to his home was infinitely easier than dragging him back to it after a long walk that always led to the keep; No matter how many times they'd convince Natsu to try a different path, to entice him elsewhere, he found one way or another to lead them back to his planned destination.
It was this constant back and forth and his demands to be let in that Makarov had found him before his meeting with Gajeel. In fact, he'd gone out specifically to settle the fiery man down, who refused to be calm and listen to reason. Having the opportunity to tell his chief the truth about the newcomer had eased him minutely, but he continued to stay close, refusing all attempts to bring him home.
“You need to eat-” Max had attempted to lure him with the promise of a meal and he looked exhausted from the conversation, ”Seriously, Mirajane promised to cook a different kind of soup this time so-“
”Can eat it here.“ Natsu cackled, ignoring the hard stare of Wendy who'd come along. She was adamant to stay by his side ensuring he wouldn’t push himself too hard. He was talking more than he should, he knew, but the parchment Lucy had left behind was long consumed by his own flames and he hadn't the patience to bring anything similar with him.
”Seriously, Wendy. He’s being difficult. Maybe I should swap with Lucy-”
Natsu's ferocious snarl ripped from him without thought, startling the other roma to silence. He muttered a quiet apology a moment later. The mere thought of Lucy being anywhere near the keep was too much. He wouldn't allow it. Considering Kage's attempts to kidnap her and the possible ties this new draconis had to Jose’s clan, Natsu would rather open his wounds than have her near
But he didn't bother saying this outloud, his feral snarls and disturbed pacing was enough to get the point across.
”... Natsu,“ Wendy mumbled, trying to placate him, ”Makarov already knows. No one's going to let Lucy get hurt, you know this. Please calm down.“
Her tired, meek tone was almost enough to mollify him, deflating at the look of her. She'd sat upon a nearby stump, fingers digging into the bark with claws she couldn't contain any longer. Their instincts were in sync with the arrival of a new draconis to their chosen flock and the knowledge he wasn't alone was sobering.
But he dug his heels into the dirt and shook his head, ”fine, but I ain't leaving.“
She sighed, looking at Natsu's current charge in sympathy. ”Maybe you should go get your replacement. You look like you could use some rest.“
”And leave him alone to bust the door down?“ The man asked, cringing at the thought, ”No offense to you Wendy, but I don’t think you can hold him down if he starts getting bright ideas.”
She pointed to her nose, sniffing the air as her eyes gleamed, Natsu caught the motion and immediately knew she had caught something in the air he'd missed, ”It's alright, he'll stay put.“
”Pfft, yeah right. Like I won’t-“ He began, following her action to taste the air. The wind had changed direction, something she would have sensed first before him and with that came the familiar scents of not just Erza, but the one person he hadn't wanted near at all, his statement changed in an instant, snarl returning through sharp teeth, ”Why is Erza bringing Lucy here?!”
Max stiffened with his eyes going wide as he began backing down the path. “You know what? Good idea, Wendy, I really SHOULD go. Have fun with that.“
It was almost comical how fast he booked it down the gravel path, shouting for Freed at the top of his lungs. At least it wasn't Warren, Natsu thought, that man's telepathy was irritating on a good day. He would hate having his every thought broadcasted.
But with the knowledge of Erza and Freed both coming his way, the Draconis knew he'd have little time to act and wasn't about to put Wendy in a rough spot in the scant minutes he had. A conundrum that left him grumbling in annoyed dissatisfaction.
”... do you really want Lucy to see you like this?“ Wendy asked under her breath eyeing him closely. The remark felt pointed, but the reason behind it was unknown to him.
”... What, mad? She's seen me mad before. Ain’t like this is new,“ He stated, letting her question distract him from the agitation still boiling under his skin, ”What's your point?“
”Well, uhm,“ She fumbled with the hem of her shirt, brows knitted together as she considered her next words, “since you two are together now, I thought you'd want to put your best foot forward. That's all.“
The restless anger that had him pacing disappeared with the wind, leaving him rooted on the spot. Confusion made him stare at with comically wide eyes as heat burst to his cheeks. His face felt far hotter than it should have as he spluttered, voice a blank monotone, ”Since we're what?“
His empty stare must have spoken more than his mouth as Wendy turned a violent red. Tearing her gaze away, she wrung her hands nervously as she tripped over her words, “Oh- are you not? I just could have sworn you-“ She cut herself off again, switching sentences on a dime, ”Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I completely- I thought-!“
An awkward laugh poured from his lips, cutting her off, fighting off the rising embarrassment that threatened to steal his voice. He asked hoarsely, dreading her reasoning but desperate to know all the same. “What did you think? Who said we're together?“
”You... you were covered in her scent the other morning,“ the air draconis explained, covering her beet red face, ”so I assumed. I'm sorry!“
It all clicked at that moment. The way she refused to meet his eyes the day before, the flush that dashed her cheeks when mentioning Lucy. Wendy's odd behavior had nothing to do with some private thing in her life distracting her but rather... Natsu's jaw dropped, staring quizzically in disbelief as the younger Draconis fidgeted in her seat.
When too many silent seconds passed, she began again, ”I really AM sor-“
”It's not the first time her scent’s been on me,“ Natsu said hurriedly, cutting her off again as he regathered his thoughts, ”I-It’s been on me before loads of times. Like... this ain't known? Why would now suddenly mean we're a thing?“
Wendy whined, peeking through her fingers at him, ”All over your face Natsu?! Her scent’s never been on your face before! And when we were coming to see you she bumped into us and- and- Your scent was all over her neck! What was I supposed to think?!“
Her voice cracked, striking a new octave strong enough to make his ears ring. He tried to hurriedly defend himself, but words didn’t escape- That didn’t mean anything! That was because he-
His teeth clacked at how quickly he shut his mouth as the memories of his escape with Lucy came flooding back.
He was hardly aware of himself, too tired and comfortable to argue with Lucy when she was being weird. So he did the first thing that came to his mind, sinking his teeth in her ear. He didn’t remember much after, with sleep claiming him as he rested his head in the crook of her neck. It was the most restful sleep he’d had in a while before Kage’s scent forced him awake again.
It felt right in the moment but now, during the day, wide awake and running on adrenaline, he finally pieced together why Lucy had reprimanded the action. He hadn't meant it the way Wendy had translated it, but -
He choked out a squeak, an oddly shrill sound that made Wendy jump in her seat. If she could smell that, then that means- ”... oh god the old lady….does she…?“
Wendy could only nod and Natsu felt another stone drop into the pit of his stomach. The approaching scent of the girl in this scenario was a staunch reminder of how little time they had left to talk privately and each second slammed another fact straight through Natsu's brain.
Why had he been so touchy? Not just then, but lately? How often did he cross that line with Lucy and not realize it?
It was too much to think about. He decided, teeth grinding, especially with two enemies currently in the keep. Changing directions, he stuffed the thoughts of Lucy into the back of his mind (to hopefully forget), and spun towards the door of the keep. There were more pressing matters at hand. Wendy leapt from her seat, latching herself to his arm. A surge of wind wrapped itself around them, gently pushing Natsu away from the door.
”No, no, no!“ She cried, face still a flaming red. He could feel her heated cheeks against his arm and guiltily looked to his feet, still attempting to walk forward, ”Natsuuu, I really AM sorry, but you can't go in there! I swear I mostly kept it to myself so-“
He froze when she did, both realizing the emphasis she put on 'mostly.' With a voice lowering to such a whisper that his own ears could barely catch it, he tilted his gaze back to her, ”... mostly?“
”Oh no!“ She flinched, burying her face into his bicep while her fingers dug into his skin, ”I didn't mean that-! Well, I mean, I did, but it wasn't supposed to happen-'. He didn't stop her rambling, but the way they both could now hear Erza and Lucy's voice down the path helped spur her to get to the point.
“It’s just the old lady right? Only she knows?” He hissed.
Wendy gnawed at her bottom lip guiltily. ”I…..may have accidentally let it slip near Gray...“
No.
Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, she hesitantly added, “... who was... talking to Cana.”
NO.
“Oh you’ve gotta be fucki-” Horrors upon horrors fell upon Natsu's shoulders. He needed to get inside the keep to see the old man again. Or connect his fist with something solid, like the face of that strange draconis before anything else happened. His exclamation however, was interrupted before he could finish the thought.
“Natsu!” Erza bellowed, commanding voice cutting through the air. They both froze. She was on a warpath barrelling towards them in armored fury, leaving Lucy behind to watch with unhurried steps. “If you think you can bully Wendy into letting you in -”
Wendy looked just as overwhelmed as Natsu felt, ducking behind him to hide from her wrath. She sprang into action at Erza’s accusation, peeking out to wave frantically to the angered woman, ”It's all right! He wasn't trying to go in, I swear!“
Eyes shifted to meet Natsu’s in a silent plea, making him force a grin (albeit a terrified one) and nodded, ”Was just teasing her! I wouldn't put Wendy through that, haha.“
But then his eyes narrowed, hoping his fellow draconis would catch the underlying, 'this doesn't make up for it' message behind it. Nodding, she accepted the claim, as both seemed to take on a more relaxed air with practiced ease.
First he needed to chuck a pillow at Makarov and Freed. Now he had to noogie Wendy and prank her. How many people were going to get added to his 'be an annoyance' list before this week was through?
”Ah, very good then,” Erza said, her approach slowing when she caught up. She eyed them both suspiciously despite their assurances, but thought better than to continue the line of thought. Rather, she examined Natsu from head to toe and frowned deeply.
“Shouldn't you sit down?” She questioned, “While I understand your need for exercise, you've been out of bed for some time now. You should rest your legs.”
Natsu rolled his eyes and snorted. Seriously he wasn’t gonna keel over if he stood up.
“I'm fine-” Natsu cut himself off, looking over Erza's shoulder to meet the brown eyes of a certain celestial Romni finally catching up to them.
“It really doesn't matter what state you're in,” She beamed, face practically glowing with her greeting, “You're still ready to cause trouble, aren't you?”
“I-” Suddenly, words became difficult all over again. As if the damage in his throat had returned tenfold, forgetting all the hours and magic put behind healing it. He couldn't find the words to reply to her and laughed breathlessly.
At Wendy's curiously wide stare, he shook his head to regain his thoughts and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, ”I'm just... tryna to make sure no one else gets hurt. That's all.“
And that was the perfect distraction he needed, eyes narrowing as he remembered his earlier ire. At his sudden glare, Erza matched his expression and crossed her arms. ”What’s the big idea bringing Lucy up here anyway?”
”I don't see why not.”
“There's TWO good reasons inside those doors-!”
Before Natsu and Erza could continue, Lucy jumped between them with hands on her hips, eyes glinting dangerously in his direction. “I thought we got over this speaking as if I'm not RIGHT here half a year ago?”
He flinched, “Ah... but I-“
Her expression soured, “But?“ She repeated, a hint of her magic sizzling in the air.
The return of her magic threatened to pull a grin out of Natsu, but the scent of danger radiating off her made him immediately backpedal, ”Nothing! Sorry!“
”Thank you.“
He didn't miss the way Wendy inhaled sharply, giving him the most deadpanned stare he'd ever seen from her.
While Natsu chose to ignore Wendy, he looked to Erza who avoided his gaze. Whatever her reasoning for bringing Lucy along, it would remain a mystery. And rather than risk angering her further, he moved to claim Wendy’s stump, flopping onto it with a dramatic huff. His thoughts had been in disarray since leaving his home, But now this? It was too much to think about. Not today, he could think about it another day.
Lucy, on the other hand, took the moment to question Wendy about the draconis' inability to stay home now that he'd been given permission to walk around. Recounting the tale of Natsu's exploits against the keep door had her exasperated in seconds, but her smile grew at a subtle humor as well.
Erza had fallen silent. She vaguely listened with a curious expression. Yet her eyes flickered from place to place, unable to stay focused.
In fact, Natsu noticed once he'd broken through his own sulking, the redhead could barely stand still: feet shifted and fingers drummed along her forearm. Once or twice her gaze settled on a specific room attached to the keep before darting back to Wendy and Lucy's conversation.
Natsu knew restless energy enough to recognize it in Erza and her revealing it was fascinating enough to distract most of his errant thoughts.
“In a hurry to go somewhere?” He cocked his head and waited for a response, surprised when Erza jumped. That was... not normal.
“Not particularly,” Her breezy reply was too controlled and Natsu didn't buy it for a second. Ignoring Wendy and Lucy's sudden silence, he hardened his gaze and waited until Erza's uncharacterized fidgeting grew even more so, “why are you looking at me like that?”
“Why are you lying?” He countered, voice cutting sharp through the cracks of his throat.
With eye twitching, her tone dropped to a hiss, “Not everything needs to be YOUR business.”
Fear shot through his system like lightning and he gulped. Abort! Abort! “Fine, whatever! I bet it's something girly anyways.”
“You're clearly trying to provoke me,“ she crossed her arms, fiddling with straps of her leather bracers, ”considering your injuries, I'll choose to ignore it: back. off.“
Foolishly realizing he'd backed himself into a corner, Natsu was stuck between pushing her buttons further or doing just as Erza suggested. Whatever was on her mind, it wasn't worth the risk, but the curious gazes from Lucy and Wendy began to crack Erza's shell as a blush crept down her neck.
There wasn't a chance to call it out, as those flickering eyes finally caught something in the distance, widening in relief. “Ah, your charge has finally arrived. Good. I can go then.”
“Wait,” Lucy chimed in, puzzled, “what was the point in bringing me if you're just going to leave-“
Her question went unanswered as Erza beat a hasty retreat towards the keep. Turning right at the entry door, she entered the side building, where Natsu realized the smell of their other stranger was currently dwelling. His eyes narrowed as she slipped inside. Odd, but not important enough to dwell on now, not when Freed and Levy's scent invaded his senses.
”Oh, that's what she meant,“ Wendy clarified, ”He was downwind and I couldn't smell him.“ And his rising voice, chatting about the inner meanings behind rune writing and enchantments, went over all of their heads except for the short romni who walked beside him eyes gleaming in excited interest.
”Tch,“ He grumbled, ”getting more crowded by the minute.“
Now how was he going to sneak into the keep with not two, but four pairs of eyes here to watch him?! He sulked so far down into himself that he slid off the stump. Some day out this turned out to be.
.
.
.
Natsu was right to question Erza's actions. She was flustered from his perceptive senses, annoyingly sniffing out her calm ruse. But a different worry weighed heavily on her mind, one that had her hanging on the edge with apprehension. Her old friend and temporary guest was at risk of being imprisoned right along with the other two. And his fate entirely hinged on the answers he gave in the next hour.
Her intentions with Lucy and waiting for Natsu's next keeper to arrive were layered. While Freed recovered quickly and was back to his prime, even she'd noticed Natsu's penchant for calming down around Lucy. It was an effect that garnered Erza's curiosity as well as mystified her; If it meant easing everyone’s frustrations, then it was an effect she was willing to put to use.
But she had to admit to herself, there was an altogether different motive to her actions today.
She knocked on the door to Jellal's current quarters mostly out of polite tradition, but didn't bother waiting for permission. Using it as her introduction, she entered the small room that had once been used for storage and immediately looked for the current subject of her thoughts.
She didn't have to look long.
Jellal made it easy and the size of the room gave no options for hiding either way. Seated by a makeshift table of old barrels, he pored over a book he'd brought along with him, brows furrowed in concentration. It gave the impression he hadn't heard her at all, but the subtle pause when he skipped the page told her otherwise.
This gave her ample time to get comfortable, grabbing the nearest, rickety chair and barring the door from other potential visitors. Silence built between them as she watched him flip through another page, clearing his throat at odd intervals. She took the time to study his profile, noting the changes from the time she'd seen him two years earlier.
His hair was a mess, shaggier than she was used to and sheared unevenly as strands of blue brushed along his shoulders. What once was a man of pale skin, now looked tan as if he'd been under the sun for months of travel, but most noticeably, was the red tattoo etched into the right side of his face.
”You didn't have that when we last met,“ She broke the silence, pleased when he paused in his reading, softly shutting the book with a finger marking his place.
He glanced back with a light smile crinkling his eyes. He knew he should’ve greeted her when she came in, but he was too engrossed in the pages to pull himself away so soon.
”Many members of my clan become tattooed once they reach a certain age,“ He explained, trailing a hand along the red lines thoughtfully, ”In my case, this was due to a promotion in rank, more than anything else.“
”... does this rank perhaps have anything to do with why you sought me out?“ The question was pointed, seeing no reason to dodge the meat of the matter.
Chuckling, Jellal shrugged, ”Ah, so we're starting this so soon?“
She murmured his name in a soft warning, eyes narrowing, “I've given Makarov my faith in you, but that doesn't mean I'm allowed to avoid protocol. I need to know why you're here.”
“And I suppose wanting to see an old friend isn't a good enough reason?” He asked, voice lowering as he looked at his book, not expecting an answer, “it would be ridiculous to assume I miraculously found your location out of a drive to see you again, but I won't lie and say I didn't wish it were the truth.”
She warmed at his confession, the implication plain as she coughed into her arm to hide it, “Please, be serious. If you don't answer me honestly, I'll have no say in where you end up next. It'll be out of my hands.”
“My apologies.“ The book was set aside and he turned in his seat fully facing her. ”Then you want to know what reason could I possibly have to work with a man whose clan has made attempts on your family's life all for the sake of kidnapping a certain girl. Am I correct?“
Erza's teeth clenched and she nodded, allowing him to continue. A few seconds passed in awkward silence and she feared he wasn't going to continue, but eventually Jellal hummed and pulled the sleeves back on his hands, holding his arms to the dim light for her to see.
His hands trembled as he held them aloft from strain of a secret shame she knew nothing of, but she spied the thin faded lines of old scrapes that litterred his skin under the sickly purples of fading bruises. They coiled around his arms and fingers, and drew her attention to what he quietly wanted her to see.
His wrists were swollen with old rope burns and she bit back a gasp. She hadn’t seen them before, and bile climbed into her throat as she wondered just how they looked before Porlyusica had a look at them.
She knew immediately what he intended to tell her. “... you were imprisoned by them.”
He nodded, covering his arms with a swift flourish, “the only one I consider myself allied with is Gajeel. Even then, it's merely out of convenience. If not for him, I'd still be tied up like some animal.”
Shocked, Erza tried to put the pieces together despite missing far too many points for a clear picture, ”I need you to tell me the whole story. Please.“
Wetting his lips with a swipe of his tongue, Jellal took a second to consider and nodded. “Jose is looking for a celestial, but he’s doing so blindly. He has no idea which one he needs so any of us not hidden to the North are fair game. When I was in their camp, Erza, I heard him boasting that he'd finally found the right one. The one your clan has taken in. A girl of golden hair whose family was massacred a year ago. I’d heard of their demise and grieved deeply for them, but I had to see for myself if there was a survivor. And if Jose was right.”
“Right? Right about what? What would he need a celestial for?” She pressed, voice growing cold.
“There are numerous myths and legends in my tribe, Erza,” he said amiably, running a finger along the spine of his forgotten book, “and I honestly can't say I know for sure, but... this book may hold the answer. Gajeel had it. Swiped it from Jose himself, I imagine. It may hold the answers you and I both seek.”
“And Gajeel?” She asked, “what's his angle?”
He fell silent, for the first time since their chat began, he looked insecure, uncertain. ”That man has many secrets and faces. I don't think he ever lays out his full hand for anyone, but he's made it clear he doesn't plan on bringing the girl to Jose. He has his own agenda.“
Exhaling, all the tension Erza had upon entering the room fell off her shoulders. She couldn't sense an ounce of dishonesty in his words, and it was more than enough for her to feel Makarov would allow him to stay.
”Then I can only hope Makarov is able to figure out his motives for the rest of us.“ There were still many unknowns, but at least this much seemed to be in their favor.
Unfortunately, he didn't share her optimism as his lips thinned into a grimace, “I can assure you that he will speak the truth when the time comes, but he'll do everything he can to avoid sharing all that he knows. I can vouch that we're not here to cause trouble, but any further than that, is a mystery.”
“Thank you for being upfront with me,” Erza was emphatic with her words, her interest now falling on the book he was carefully studying, “... would you like to meet her?”
“Her?” Jellal blinked and Erza beamed.
”Lucy,“ She said, ”you are technically cousins, are you not?”
.
.
.
Night fell quickly for those who wanted to spend more time out and about. Natsu in particular, though distracted by his friends as best as they could, fumed at the wasted day. By the time the chill started to creep into the air, he'd been whisked back to his home and the night crickets serenaded the night sky by his window.
Erza remained in Jellal's room for hours, learning what she could and catching up with her old friend. When she fell into the comfort of her own bed, her mind buzzed with information and puzzle pieces that were far too varied to connect.
Makarov, too, rested with his mind surrounded by deep thoughts. He frowned as he recalled his conversation with the new Draconis and tossed and turned above his furs until a fitful sleep claimed him.
It was a night full of peace and restless unease teetering back and forth on scales, waiting to balance out. Even Gajeel, given a small room to rest in, laid on a cramped cot that barely held his frame. Long hair trailed down in a wild mass to brush the floor that he swept up to rest on his chest. He smirked, combing his fingers through the long locks. His talk with Makarov led him one step closer to his goals and the shackles had been removed.
But he caught the slide of a wooden board and the familiar bolt of iron latches being shoved into place, effectively locking him. And the nearest window was too narrow for him to slip through. He fiddled with the random baubles in his pockets and studied the ceiling above him, mind abuzz with possibilities.
His travel partner, Juvia, should have made it back to Jose by now, he figured. While the woman was more reserved, willing to follow orders than lead, he trusted she'd feed Jose the information they agreed upon and stay at the other chief's side in his absence. She could take care of it, but that left him with his other goal. He thought it would take longer to find what he needed, but everything had fallen into his lap with very little effort.
Withdrawing his hand from his pocket, he cupped a blue gem nestled in his palm. He eyed the small orb lazily, throwing his other arm behind his head. It glowed slightly in the darkness, and it hummed with a magic all of its own that he could feel lightly tugging against him. Beautiful and rare; a gem that could be mined in the depths of his true home. He rubbed a smudge off it and snorted, glaring into its translucent surface as if peering into a far off space.
“Now I know I ain’t taking that long for you to stop paying attention to this thing,” He said dryly as one does to a person standing in front of them. “It's only been what? Four years? Don’t tell me my old man was right about you givin’ up.”
It was a tasteless barb, one that held no heat, but sparked a response in the gem. The shimmering mass of liquid inside flickered and spun itself into an image pieced together by bits of light until he saw the innards of an old cave, illuminated by thousands of gems in its likeness. It refocused on the silhouette of an older man, peering back into its depths as he growled in turn.
”Your father,“ The man said, rolling his eyes, ”has lost the bet. He thought it would take you another ten. Good to see you alive, kid.”
He cursed, already annoyed two seconds into the conversation, “Of course he did, the ass. You're looking rather alive today, have you been able to see the sun more than once a month?”
The voice in the gem grumbled, ”You're as insufferable as he is. Get on with it. I doubt you're using up the magic in your lacrima for pleasantries.“
”Gihee, maybe I just wanna string you along just to piss-“
”Gajeel.“ The voice rumbled and the gem shook violently, spiking with heat as magic flared within its depths and somehow, so did the walls of his room. Dust fell from the ceiling and onto Gajeel’s shoulders as he flew up, stiff and alert, glancing wildly around. He strained to hear any signs of others becoming aware of the magic surge. A beat passed and he sighed. Good, no one was alerted. He refocused on the gem and squeezed it tight with a snarl.
“Cheating asshole,” He spat. What was it with old men ruining his fun today? “Your good ol’ pal and rival has been busy makin' connections, but he ain't got what he wants yet. On the other hand, I got exactly what YOU want.”
“...meaning?”
He smirked, eyes wild with brimming excitement, “he's here. I found him.”
Another flare of heat came from the gem, strong enough to crack the surface. But the break didn’t matter as the light began to fade. The lacrima, made to send only one simple message, had lost its stored power. With his message sent and the sudden chaos of shocked shouts within the stone cut out. Chuckling, Gajeel pocketed the stone to charge it with his magic once again. Now in a much better mood than he was before.
His whistling echoed off the walls and down the hall of the keep. The balanced scales teetered once again as the uneasy restlessness was overpowered by a sudden peace.
The village settled. Stars sparkled their light along with the moon above, and somewhere far off on the edges of the Magnolia forest, another camp settled to sleep as well.
All, but one. The Phantom Chief, receiving news from a reserved woman who recently returned. Her report was given succinctly and he'd waved her off with an impassive facade.
In truth, he was holding back cackling loud into the night. It would only be a matter of time for him to get what he wanted: glorious.
He'd have to promote Gajeel when he returned and maybe commend Kage as well: if the lowly peon managed to survive.
#nalu#fairy tail#fairy tail fanfiction#natsuxlucy#Natsu Dragneel#Lucy Heartfilia#FT Fanfiction#My Writing#Kili's Fanfiction#Gajeel Redfox#Wendy Marvell#Erza Scarlet#jellal fernandes#did i hint to jerza?#yeah probably
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Okay I Understand This Is A Bad Situation
BUT THIS SQUAD POSE IS HARD AS FUCK BRO! Still this is very bad and we need to get our guild members back! Oh and jellal so erza will be happy

#fairy tail hundred year quest#fairy tail hundred year quest ch 28#natsu dragneel#erza scarlet#lucy heartfilia#gray fullbuster#wendy marvell#juvia loxar#makarov dreyar#laxus dreyar#fairy tail mirajane#fairy tail lisanna#fairy tail elfman#gajeel redfox
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