Chapter 36
Favor
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's, Energy Magic and my Ideas
.:+:.
Frea smiled as she saw the grin spread across Chase's face as the two of them made their way in to town. She had decided to go on a job on with the young man, taking a break from trying to read the 'Energy Magic' book Jynx had given her. The mission had been rather simple, all they had been needed to do was take down a large group of bandits that had been raiding a town up in the mountains. She had decided after the Brawl-Fest that she needed a break from everything, and she knew that even if Chase was curious as to why she had been gone for a week, he had enough sense not to ask her, he would wait until she was ready to talk.
That attitude was opposite of everyone else in the Guild, Natsu especially. If she hadn't gone on this job, Natsu could very well have been seriously hurt by her, she could only handle his pestering so long. She had however, knocked him clean through a few trees before she left because he had been in her face constantly.
The sun was setting behind them, they had arrived late after the three days they had been gone and she let out a silent sigh.
Back to reading I suppose...
"I'm heading home Teach, this was fun." Chase told her and cast her a wide smile as they came to a stop. "We should do job's together more often, see ya!" He called as he headed away and she watched him go with her own smile.
"See ya, kid!" She called after him and she chuckled a little when she heard him sigh in frustration.
"I'm not a kid..." Chase mumbled as he disappeared around a corner and she turned her back in the direction he had gone. She hooked her arms behind her back as she started to walk forward, but instead of heading toward her home, she veered off to the side to walk around town first. She didn't feel like heading home yet, and the part of town where the houses were more spread out a and a small river canal ran through the neighborhoods, seemed like a nice place to take a short walk.
She continued to make her way down the sidewalks as the building spread out and grass started to pop up here and there. The canal running through this part of the city flowed by slowly and more birds flew in the sky above her. Not many people were seen in the streets now that the sun was continuing to go down, and she paused in her walking to see Gildarts standing alone on one of the small bridges crossing over the canal, staring into the water passing by under him.
She blinked in surprise to see him looking to be deep in thought, and even from here she could tell his demeanor was off. He seemed oddly thoughtful and silent today, and she couldn't help but wonder why.
She turned off her current path to head his way, and she slowly stepped up on to the small bridge to get closer.
"What's up with you?" She asked and flinched when he jumped in surprise at the sound of her voice.
"Oh.. It's you, you startled me." He sighed and she tilted her head a little.
"Sorry, but what's got you looking so serious? I can tell something's bothering you." She told him and Gildarts looked her over for a minute before smiling a little and letting out a sigh.
"Makarov's going to be announcing me as the new Guild Master tomorrow." He told her and Frea blinked in surprise, before giving her own smile.
"Your not going to do it, are you?" She asked and smiled a little more at his sheepish grin.
"How'd you know?"
She shrugged, "I know you enough, your not somebody who'd be a Master, you'd go insane." She chuckled a little. "You like to travel, not sit around." She explained and he sighed again.
"I suppose your right." He replied and Frea looked away for a minute.
"Who are you appointing as Guild Master once you resign?" She asked him as her eyes followed the small ripples in the water below them.
"Makarov of course." He answered and she nodded, that's what she figured his answer would be. She closed her eyes for a minute, she had something she wanted to ask him.
"Hey Gildarts." She murmured.
"Hmm?" He mumbled and she let out a low sigh before turning her silver gaze in him, expression neutral and eyes calm and steady.
"I want to ask you a favor for someone, before you give the Guild back up to Master Makarov."
.:+:.
Frea headed away through the trees, the leaves and blades of grass sparkling from the dew as the sun began to settle over Magnolia at the start of the day.
She walked calmly with her eyes half-way open, and ears and nose on alert for who she was looking for.
He needed to be at the Guild today.
She took a deep breath and he eyes closed as she concentrated on all the scents around her. He had to he around today, and finding him shouldn't be too hard, not with a scent as recognizable as his.
Her eyes opened all the way when she caught on to the lightning scent with the sweet tinged added to it, and she veered off he path away down another path through the woods. Her eyes were fixed on what lay ahead of her as she followed her nose.
She hadn't been walking long before she caught sight of his back, as he walked away from her with his hands in his pockets and Magic Headphones on. She could hear the music from here, and she sped up a little to get closer.
"Laxus!" She called out and he came to a slow stop, before taking the headphones off to hang around his neck, and slowly turning to face her. His eyes widened a little in surprise at seeing her, and for a minute he simply stared at her as she approached, before smirking and turning all the way around to face her.
"Frea, ready for that fight?" He asked and she shook her head, coming to a stop in front of him. She glanced at him for a minute, she still felt a little odd when he used her name instead of a nickname.
"Sorry, I'm not here to fight today." She replied and he blinked in surprise. There wouldn't be any fighting between the two of them today, that's not why she was here.
"Then what do you want?" He grumbled.
Without a word she reached forward and grabbed on tightly to his wrist as she turned around and began to drag him behind her. At first he stumbled by the sudden action, before steadying himself as he walked just fast enough to match her pace without being pulled too much.
"What the hell are you doing?" He asked but she didn't look back at him.
"Your coming with me." She replied simply.
"Why should I?" He huffed. "And where the hell are you taking me anyway?"
She didn't answer right away, she was sure if she said she was taking him to the Guild Hall he would refuse to move any further.
"Because I said so." She replied curtly, but didn't bother to answer his second question. "Stop asking so many questions, you'll find out soon enough."
He fell silent, and she could feel his reluctance growing once he started to suspect where she was taking him. Her grip around his wrist tightened as the Guild Hall came into sight, and he started to purposely slow down and pull against her, he was coming in no matter what!
"There is no way in hell-" he growled.
"Shut up, you have to be here today. Your not in Fairy Tail anymore, and I know you and your Grandfather aren't getting along, but even a new Guild master concerns you." She cut him off, and he let out a grumble, but didn't pull against her so much as she pushed him inside.
No one even noticed the two of them arrive besides the Thunder God Tribe who surrounded Laxus as soon as he came in. Everyone was talking as they waited for Master Makarov to come out, they could all tell he had something important to tell them.
She broke away from the Lightning Dragon to stand beside Chase on the opposite side of the building from Laxus.
"Why the hell is he here?" Chase growled and Frea glanced sideways to see him casting a very annoyed look at Laxus, vein ticked on his forehead and eyes narrowed.
"He used to he part of this Guild, this pertains to him too." She replied calmly. She would never understand why Chase seemed to dislike Laxus so much, when the young Energy Mage got along very well with everyone else.
The two of them fell silent as Makarov walked up to stand atop the bar, looking very serious.
"Today I will be announcing the Guild's 5th Guild Master." Makarov announced and everyone fell silent as Makarov swept his arm out to the side. "Gildarts Clive!"
But instead of Gildarts, a very nervous looking Lira stood there with a sheepish smile and two letters clasped in her hands.
Frea smiled a little and shook her head, Gildarts didn't even come to the hall to tell everyone he wouldn't be Guild Master.
"Where the hell is he?!" Makarov exclaimed and Mira smiled.
"He left a letter." She explained and handed him one of the two letters. Makarov glanced over it, before opening the letter and clearing his throat to read it.
" 'Sorry Guys, but I'm not cut out to be a Guild Master. But while I am I'm going to do two things. First; accept Laxus back into the Guild!' " Makarov stared in shock at the paper as he read it, and Laxus visibly stiffened, while Freed, Evergreen and Bickslow looked extremely happy. " 'Somebody managed to convince me he learned his lesson, and I agree with their judgement.' " Makarov continued reading and everyone started murmuring, wondering who could have talked to Gildarts and convinced him to let Laxus back in the Guild.
.:+:.
"A favor for someone?" Gildarts asked and she nodded.
"I want you to let Laxus back in the Guild." Frea explained and she didn't miss the surprised light that came into Gildarts' eyes.
"What? Are you feeling ok, you hate him remember?" Gildarts asked and she sighed.
"I don't hate him, I just don't get along with him." She explained. "But he's changed since he got kicked out, I think he's learned his lesson. Laxus belongs in Fairy Tail, and Makarov is just to stubborn to remove Laxus' expulsion." She explained.
"The last thing that needs to happen is Laxus becoming lost so much that he turns down the wrong path. Fairy Tail has always been, and forever be where he belongs. I'm willing to put up with his damn attitude if it keeps him from going down the wrong path." She told him.
"Learned his lesson, huh?" Gildarts murmured, before smirking at her. "There's another reason you want him back in the Guild, isn't there?" He asked and Frea smirked back.
"I need a better brawling partner than Natsu and Gajeel." She replied and Gildarts laughed a little.
"Alright, you've made your point, and I trust that your judgment about how he's changed for the better. So I'll let him back in the Guild." Gildarts stepped past her and glanced over his shoulder at her. "Try not to destroy the Guild Hall, alright?"
.:+:.
Laxus' POV
Laxus felt himself stiffen when it was announced he was going to be let back in the Guild. He could hardly believe it, why would Gildarts suddenly decide to let him back in?
" 'Somebody managed to convince me he learned his lesson, and I agree with their judgement.' " Gramps continued and the hall filled with murmurs. Everyone was wondering who on earth could have convinced Gildarts to let him back in.
Laxus blinked in surprise when a thought struck him, why had Frea dragged him here in the first place? It was like she knew he needed to be here today...
He glanced her way and their eyes met, he was silently asking if it had been...?
He blinked in pure shock when she gave him a small smile, and a very, very small nod.
He couldn't believe that, she hated him! Why in the hell would she even bother trying to convince Gildarts to let him back in?!
Frea's POV
"Damn it... He's back in the Guild?!" Chase grumbled and Frea hooked an arm around his neck, glancing away from a very shocked looking Laxus.
"Cheer up, if I can stand him, so can you." She chuckled and he shook his head at her, sighing heavily.
" 'Second; I am appointing Makarov Dreyer as the 6th Guild Master.' " Master Makarov read aloud and his eyes widened in surprise, "Me again?!" He exclaimed and everyone in the hall laughed. " 'I will be traveling around for a while, and don't expect me to come back anytime soon. But I do know that you'll have managed to make Fairy Tail the strongest Guild in Fiore by the time I return. Good luck guys!' " master finished the letter off and he set it down on the bar.
"That idiot... I'm never letting anybody take over as Master as long as I'm here! I'll be Master of this Guild till the day I die!" He growled and everyone smiled, as they started laughing and drinking.
Mira walked over to Cana and handed her a letter from Gildarts as well. Frea smiled a little when Cana read the letter, and tore the Gildarts Calling Card in half. "I said I didn't want anything to change between us, Old man." Cana murmured with a smile and Frea turned away.
"How are we going to rise up to the top again?" Master murmured from his seat on the bar counter.
"There's only one way to rise to the top fast!" Romeo announced.
"Not that! I said we would never do it again!" Macao snapped at his son.
"Your not Guild Master anymore!" Romeo argued.
"I'm not speaking as Master, I'm speaking as a member of this guild!" Macao growled. "Everybody who doesn't want to do it, raise their hands!" He called out.
Everyone who had been around when most of the members went missing for seven years, all raised their hands besides Romeo. Frea blinked in confusion,
What the hell are they talking about?
"That's something I never want to do again." Alzack murmured and Bisca nodded while their daughter Asuka had her hand raised too.
"But we have everybody back now! We could win!" Romeo hissed at Macao.
"Everybody who went missing haven't gotten stronger over those seen years, we wouldn't stand a chance." Max told him.
"Excuse me." Master murmured.
"That doesn't matter, we were the strongest before they went missing, we could be the strongest again!" Romeo yelled, seeming not to have heard Master.
"It won't work!" Macao retorted.
"BRATS!" Master yelled and they all fell silent. "What is it that your arguing about?" He asked.
"They started a new thing while you guys were gone." Macao explained. "It's a competition held every year that decides who the strongest Guild in Fiore is."
"We've been in the bottom every year, and been ridiculed for it." Max muttered.
"It's called the Grand Magic Games, and with everyone back we could win and become the strongest Guild again!" Romeo exclaimed.
Master swept his gaze over everyone of the members who hadn't come to Tenrou, even he could see how much they seemed to dislike these games.
"How long before they start?" Erza asked.
"Three months." Warren replied.
"That's plenty of time to train and get stronger!" Natsu yelled. "We should totally do it Gramps!" Natsu grinned.
"I don't know..." Master murmured.
"The winning guild gets a pot of Thirty Million Jewel." Romeo put in and Master jumped up, grin spreading across his face.
"We're doing the Games!" He announced. Half the Guild sweatdropped while the rest smiled, looking determined. Frea cast a glance back and forth between Master and Macao, she could feel the apprehension coming from the members who had remained over the seven years. Beside her Chase was sweatdropping, he was aware of how much the others didn't want to do it too.
"You gonna try to do it, kid?" She asked Chase and he shook his head.
"Nah, I don't like to fight if I don't have too. I think I'll sit this one out." He replied an she smiled a little, nodding at him. "What about you?"
Frea looked away and sighed, "I don't know, maybe." She replied. Her eyes swept over the hall many people looked excited.
Now the new question, do I want to participate in the games?