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Laxus sighed with discomfort as Gramps dragged him to the ball. The lighting dragon slayer found no interest in that petty ceremony. Another excuse for the nobles to feast over an accomplishment that wasn't theirs. The dragon slayer thanked Freed and Bickslow for chasing away all the ladies interested in him. Laxus didn't speak about it, but he already had a lady in his mind.
He originally had planned to visit all bars to find her scent among the feast of the night. Maybe talk to her. That was a shame, he couldn't see her tonight. Or so, that's what he thought. Until a gorgeous princess appeared in the ballroom. An elegant purple gown complimented the lady. The dragon slayer smirked at Evergreen. Laxus checked his own outfit, unknowingly she and he wore the same purple color.
"So that was what you were scheming, huh." he commented. Ever winked at him with amusement.
"You're welcome, lightning!"
Kaya descended the stairs with a controlled pace. Laxus couldn't turn his gaze away from the mage. Only then, he realized the extent of those 7 past years. She was not the boyish teen he remembered, not covered in bruises and dirt after the fight, but a woman with grace and innocent features. Her worried water blue gaze searched through the crowd for familiar faces. A wave of surprise shook through the mass when the stranger was greeted by none other than the crown princess herself.
The woman followed the princess, but soon enough got out and found herself surrounded by those brats, stuck in a corner of the ballroom. Kaya seemed troubled upon hearing a succession of unwanted questions.
Laxus growled, the thunder tribe remarked the grumpiness of their leader growing. Ever grinned while Freed and Bickslow questioned Laxus, "Is everything alright?"
Bickslow grinned and invited Freed to follow him, heading straight towards the way Laxus was gazing with frowns.
Ever smirked behind her glasses, "You should thank them, go talk to her!" her hand bumped into his back strongly, Laxus almost shocked from the impact.
"Ever!"
"Go!" she requested, winking at him.
Unsure of what to do, Laxus' feets brought him to the huge group surrounding the angelic-mage. The young witch shivered under all that pressure. The dragon slayer could discern her in-comfort, he witnessed the woman fiddling with a strand of her curls. Freed and Bickslow, especially Freed lectured Team Natsu for disturbing the lady.
The said lady turned away from the group, her head lowered to the ground, her hand gripping the layers of fabric of gown, not to make her trip on her way. Laxus followed her. Fortunately for her, and much to Laxus' heart warming even more to her, he was here to catch her up in her fall, being still a bit clumsy. The Lighting god smiled, spotting it was one aspect of her which she didn't lose.
Laxus grinned in front of her, her expression flinched when no collision hit her back. Her clueless eyes blinked multiple times, acknowledging someone's saved her from the embarrassment. Her gaze locked onto the lighting dragon slayer, her perplexed expression, and the flush of her cheeks made him smirk. "Laxus?"
"Hello Birdy?" he whispered into her ears, his hands gently accompanying her to stand up. Kaya blushed redder.
Kaya stumbled on her feet, her gaze not leaving the dragon slayer. For years in her dreams, she used to dream of that moment. The moment when they would return and she'd get to spend new adventures with them. One part of her wanted to poke the skin of her hand, just to check it was real.
"Ka..." Laxus almost called by her real name, but on instinct, the young woman covered his mouth with her hands. Getting redder, she chuckled from the drunkenness of the excitement.
"Not here." She decided, "We should talk in private." Her hand covering his mouth gestured to his own, attracting him to a secluded balcony. Laxus liked the idea of escaping from that boring celebration with her, he wondered if that moment was true, or he would wake up to her absence tomorrow.
Reaching the barrier, Kaya started to feel her anxiety rising. Laxus inspected all her movements with worries.
"Kay..." started Laxus with hesitation.
"I don't even know what to say...." she murmured, shameful. The dragon slayer could perceive the uncertainty in her voice. "Gosh... I imagined that moment for so long... You... you must hate me, don't you..."
Laxus frowned at her comment. "How could I ever hate you?"
Kaya's eyes leveled to those of Laxus, finally daring to look right through him. Sadness and fear filled her angelic features. Tears poured on her face. She wiped them clumsily, struggling not to mess up her makeup.
"I didn't even greet you when you came back!" her voice broke, her frail shoulders shuddered under her sleeves.
Laxus scowled, approaching the mage, as if controlled by something unknown, his arms embraced the woman, hugging her for the time she needed to calm down. He was gentleman enough to rub her back, waiting patiently.
"You know, I missed your crybaby attitude." he threw at her, attempting to ease the atmosphere.
Kaya, calming down, dried her tears, hoping the make up wasn't ruined. It didn't matter since it was light, but still, Ever worked hard. She smiled slightly to her former guild-mate. "I'm sorry, I didn't work on my whiny personality." she joked.
Laxus giggled with frankness, long had it been since his heart was light. He was finally satisfied. Now that he found her. Kaya lied on his torso, which made him jolt with happiness. Kaya witnessed her proximity with the powerful mage and stepped back, red mounted her ears, contrasting with the whiteness of her hair.
"I'm glad I found you, birdy. I can't wait for you to go back to Magnolia." he beamed with a resolved attitude.
Kaya froze in place, she rubbed her neck, "Well... about that... I'm not sure I'm going back to Magnolia." she informed him.
Laxus' face darkened before that, "Why wouldn't you?" his works sounded more surprised than somber.
"I need to sort things out, that includes going back to Magnolia." The thunder god grunted before thinking of the silver medallion against his skin, his fingers searched for the jewel, pulled it out of his shirt before the eyes of the white-mage.
He smiled fiercely, playing with the necklace, swinging it in front of Kaya, "Then I guess I won't have to give it back." He sang playfully. Kaya's face lit up.
The necklace of her mother. She'd never think Laxus would remember the promise. Funny to think she, herself, would break it.
"My mother's necklace." she breathed deeply before glaring back at Laxus. "You can give it to me, Now that you're back to Fairy Tail, you know?"
She attempted to snatch it from him, but he was faster and placed it back on his neck. "Don't you remember the promise you made, birdy? I came back to Magnolia. But that counts for you too." he cooed, having fun teasing the lady.
She pouted heavily, Laxus grinned upon recognizing the young teen frowning over trifles. But now he understood the meaning of such things. He would enjoy that type of habit, especially if it was coming from her.
"You have to go back to Fairy Tail, then I'll give it back to you. Until then, I'll continue to cherish it." he promised. Smoothly, soft music emerged on the balcony. Laxus smiled shyly, offering a hand to the lady.
Kaya's lips leveled up, blossoming into a pure smile. "So you want me back, huh?"
The lightning mage's eyes glinted, "Will you go back?"
The woman stood silent, her stare never left the one of Laxus. She clenched her fists, inhaling deeply, she gave up. After all, she was the first to promise it to herself. For her own happiness, she will have to claim back her life. Her identity too. Nonetheless, she still held fears. But the weight of amber eyes on her comforted her, this time she won't be alone.
"I will." she let out. A second past, she could've sworn to have seen the mage jump from happiness. Laxus offered his forearm to his comrade, a charming grin adorning his face.
"Would you care for a dance, milady?" he proposed with gentle manners even Freed envied Kaya at that moment.
For the first time in a long period, Kaya felt her heart overwhelmed with tenderness. "I would love to."
The ballroom went silent when two certain mages began to waltz in the center of the hall. Laxus accompanied a mysterious damsel, no one apart from the Thunder Tribe knew about.
"It's rare to see such a sight..." sighed Mirajane, admiring the gorgeous dancer of the guild-mate. All eyes pointed towards the couple dancing like no one else was there. Their eyes were locked into each other. Makarof eased witnessing his grandson, flushing before the young woman. Gramps said no words, but he sensed she wasn't unfamiliar with them. Fairy tail's guild master knew the thunder god tribe hid something, he was ready to tear them the truth on the stranger sooner or later.
But for now, all Gramps could do was enjoy his grandson whispering words to the lady, to which she giggled giddily.
Evergreen threw randomly, "Well, she's something. Our little duckling grew up into a swan!"
Bickslow laughed, "How to offense her in less of 4 words." he sang. Freed scowled, a bit jealous of the special treatment she received. However, he couldn't deny the state of sheepishness Laxus found himself in. A frozen heart had crossed the path of the warm sun.
"What do you mean?" wondered Natsu and Wendy, their enhanced hearing allowing them to catch on that remark. Ever smirked, not answering.
Erza frowned, reflecting on who could be the person dancing with the proud Laxus Dreyar. She conserved one name in her mind. No that couldn't be. Kaya?
She looked towards the master with a questioning gaze, "Master could that be...?"
Gramps nodded, shining eyes rose up to Erza, he displayed the joy of one parent finding his child. "There's our little troublemaker!" he exclaimed, happy tears escaping his eyes, he ensured to hide them.
Makarof came to the same conclusion, that the woman resembled Kaya a lot, though she held more manners than the troublemaker girl he reckoned. But the guild-master swore to go ask her directly later in the ball.
Yet if Fairy Tail's members were charmed by the female holding Laxus in awe. She quickly disappeared when the trumpets started to announce the appearance of Fiore's King.
Laxus was spotted at the stairs of the exit doors, holding a slipper in his hand, smirking amused before the situation.
"She left as Cinderella, that must mean I should find her back as her Prince." he wondered with a smirk.
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So? what is your thought on this chapter? Be honest, I think I rushed it out a bit. But that was one intricate scene to elaborate. don't worry this second isn't called Hide and Seek for nothing, Laxus and Kaya will each other again.