Hey guy! Here's a whole new chapter for you all. Enjoy!
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At a small café somewhere in Magnolia, two men who were sitting at a table were discussing what was going on at Fairy Tail. They mentioned that the members of the guild were fighting one another, but one of the men thought it wasn't serious. A woman who was standing by them with a child stated that it wasn't just a normal Fairy Tail quarrel; she tells them that they have been seriously going at each other.
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Back in the guild, Roxas, Natsu, Happy and Makarov were standing in front of the invisible wall that showed Freed's runes on it. Happy was reading the results of the battles that were going on all over the city. "Max vs. Warren. Winner: Warren. Vijeeter vs. Nab. Winner: Nab. Laki took out four, Macao vs. Wakaba's battle is in progress." Happy read.
"Enough Stop this, you foolish children!" Makarov said in rising anger.
"Damn it." Roxas said.
"Rune traps have been set up throughout the city." Happy began to explain. "And the ones who are trapped inside are forced to fight." Makarov and Natsu were getting mad while Roxas looked to be thinking. "This is the Battle of Fairy Tail Laxus was talking about."
"But why! I don't get it!" Natsu said looking angry.
"Natsu..."
He slammed the side of his face against the wall and it showed red runes where his body was touching it. "I wanna join, too!"
Roxas, Makarov and Happy were surprised that all Natsu wanted to do was fight. "That's what he's upset about!"
"What's with this invisible wall?!" Natsu was panting after putting all his energy into going through the wall.
Makarov stretched his hand and smacked Natsu on the back of his head. "And what do you plan to do by joining in?"
"It's a tournament to see who's the strongest!"
"How is this a tournament!?"
Makarov folded his arms. "This is all just Laxus' plan to get us to wipe each other out!" Roxas questionably looked at Makarov. "Unless we can defeat the Thunder God Tribe within the time limit, Erza and the other girls will turn to dust. Everyone is doing what they can to prevent that. It'll need something more than our usual way of thinking to take control of the situation!" Makarov knew for sure that Laxus was going to follow through on his threat. "At this rate everyone who was turned to stone will crumble to dust. There won't be an easy way to restore them."
Natsu didn't believe what Makarov said about Laxus. "Laxus acts bad, but he ain't gonna go that far." Makarov and Happy looked at Natsu. "Yeah, he gets on my nerves, but he's a fellow guild member. It's a bluff, honestly."
"Natsu..." Makarov said.
"No. I believe him." Roxas said. "Maybe there is something we are missing, maybe he knew that we would all fall for this, I mean he even had me going for a second there. Deep down I'm sure he wouldn't want anything to happen to his guildmates."
Natsu sped to the wall to try and go through it again. "This is just a Fighting Festival, but why can't I get out!?"
"I can go through it normally!" Happy said mocking Natsu.
"People over 80 years old can't pass through... Does that mean I'm over 80!? Aah!"
Happy flew next to Natsu. "I don't think you are, but..."
Makarov looked at Roxas and Natsu. "You both don't believe Laxus will go that far?"
More runes appeared on the wall. "There's 2 hours and 18 minutes left." Happy read. "And there are 42 people and 3 outsiders left."
Makarov had a shocked look on his face. "42 people? More than half are gone after the in-fighting!?"
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Soon, they were still looking at the runes that were constantly changing. "Evergreen vs. Elfman. Winner: Evergreen." Makarov read. "Elfman: Out of action."
Natsu and Makarov looked mad while Happy was now getting more and more concerned. "I can't believe Elfman got beat." Happy said. Of course Natsu was mad for a more different reason.
"Gray is fighting Bickslow! I want in!" he said.
"Reedus is fighting Freed, too! The Thunder Legion has started to make their move!" Happy stated.
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Later, Happy was reading the results of the matchups, but one caught his eye the most. "Reedus was beaten!"
Natsu laughed and was getting excited. "I figure Freed could do it! Look at him go!"
"Is this really the time to be impressed!?" Happy complained. "Now we can't get any help from Porlyusica!"
"We don't need her help! The whole turning to dust thing is a bluff."
"I gotta agree." Roxas said in a laid back tone. "I know he's all kinds of arrogant, but I'm sure this really is just a bluff. I mean there is no way he would really resort to killing his comrades."
"I'm just bluffing, am I? You sure about that?" Roxas, Makarov, Natsu and Happy turned around to see a thought projection of Laxus.
"Laxus!" Roxas and Natsu exclaimed.
"It's a thought projection!" Happy quickly said.
He walked to the four near the entrance. "So? Why are the two of you still here?" he asked referring to Natsu and Roxas.
"As if you wouldn't know! You trapped us here." Roxas replied.
Makarov growled Laxus' name while glaring at the thought projection. "Your members... Well, I guess you call them your children. I bet you can't stand watching your own children destroy each other, can you." He looked to the stone figure of Erza. "Natsu, Roxas and Erza can't join in... There is no one left who could defeat my Thunder Legion, is there?"
Laxus looked to Makarov. "Gonna give in?"
"Gray is still here!" Happy yelled. "He's about as strong as Natsu! He ain't gonna lost to no Thunder Legion!"
Natsu had a comically angry expression and looked at his feline companion. "THE SAME AS ME!? HIM!"
"Well it's true."
"Gray!?" Laxus now had a confident tone to his voice. "I wouldn't put much faith in that brat!"
"Don't underestimate Gray, Laxus!" Makarov said.
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Later...
Roxas, Natsu, Makarov and Happy saw that the runes had changed again. Laxus' projection was still there. "Gray is out of commission. 32 people left." Laxus read. Roxas, Happy and Natsu were shocked that Gray lost. Laxus now laughed. "See didn't I tell you?" Natsu's anger was beginning to grow.
"Liar! I'm sure that he used some dirty trick!"
Laxus walked up to Makarov. "So who will beat the Thunder Legion now?" he asked with a confident smile.
"Gajeel will!" Happy said.
"Too bad. Doesn't seem like he's participatin'." Laxus said. "He doesn't give a damn about the guild, I'm sure."
"I could say the same thing about you Laxus." Roxas said.
"Well, I'm still here!" Natsu exclaimed.
"If you can't get out, it won't do you any good." Laxus reminded.
Makarov had enough of seeing this carnage within his guild. "Fine, enough! I surrender!"
"But Gramps!" Natsu yelled.
"Now, stop this Laxus."
"Can't do that..." Laxus replied. He now had an evil smile plastered to his face. "The high and mighty Master of Fairy Tail can't go surrendering at a time like this! But if you insist, then how about you give up your position as Master to me?"
Makarov couldn't believe the request Laxus was making.
"That's playing dirty, Laxus! You scared of me, huh!?" Natsu said.
"So that was your game?" Roxas asked. "You hoped that enough blood would be spilled just to get the Master to give up his position to you? You're a real bastard, Laxus!"
Makarov glared at Laxus. "You fiend!"
"It's only one and a half hour until the statues crumble. If you want to retire, use the guild's loudspeakers and announce it so the whole town can hear. Say: 'I'm giving up my position as Master of Fairy Tail to Laxus!'" his thought projection began to disappear. "Think it through carefully. Which is more important, your position or your children?"
"Laxus! Hold it, Damn it!" Natsu yelled. He ran to the projection and passed through it as he threw a punch to Laxus, he flew into a pillar. "If you won't fight me, how are you the strongest?" he weakly said. "How are you the master?!"
"Wait! You're going to just give the guild to him!?" Roxas exclaimed.
"No, I cannot entrust Fairy Tail to Laxus. He doesn't understand the weight of the position. He lacks conviction and heart!"
"But at this rate, Lucy and the others will turn to dust." Happy worriedly said. "Someone has to defeat Laxus and his gang, or..."
Suddenly from behind the bar, the sound of clanking metal was heard. Gajeel climbed up from behind the bar with a piece of metal in his mouth.
Roxas, Natsu, Makarov and Happy were looking at him. "Gajeel! That's where you were!?" Natsu said.
"Don't eat the dishware!" Happy said waving his paws.
"Are you going to go?" Makarov asked.
The Iron Dragon slayer landed on his feet after jumping from the bar table. "Might as well. I've got a bone to pick with him." He said with a smirk. "Just leave him to me." Gajeel got to the entrance but he walked into the invisible wall and red runes prevented him from leaving. This forced comical screams from Natsu, Makarov, Roxas and Happy.
Gajeel's face was plastered on the wall.
Roxas pointed at Gajeel. "Don't tell YOU'RE over 80 too!?" he yelled.
"DO I LOOK OVER 80 TO YOU!?" Gajeel yelled
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Soon that there were now only 3 members of the guild left. Makarov was stunned by this after he read it. As the results just showed. 'Freed vs. Alzack. Winner: Freed.'
Meanwhile Natsu began arguing with Gajeel. "Why can't you get out either?! Stop copying me!"
"I'm not!" Gajeel yelled.
"Now I'm hungry, you bastard!"
"I really don't know!" Both Dragon slayers were in each other's faces.
"Three?" Makarov began knowing it was Natsu, Gajeel and Roxas. "Its just the three of you left?!" he said as his whole body turned white.
"And I wasn't even counted." Happy cried.
Makarov was now looking hopeless. "I have no more wizards left to fight. I guess that's it."
"No its not!" Roxas said. He got up and began walking to the stage. "There is something I can try... I'm gonna try and bring Erza back." He said looking at her stone statue.
Makarov, Happy and Natsu all had surprised looks on their faces. "SAY WHAT!?"
"Aw come on Roxas, don't have her steal my thunder! I wanted to show her up." Natsu said.
"Wait, Roxas what are you planning?" Makarov asked.
Roxas sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I uh... I'm going to use my Fox-fire. You know, to break off the stone shell."
Makarov face was now in a state of surprise. "WHAT!?"
Happy flew to Roxas. "She is not covered in stone, she is stone, it's not gonna break off!"
Erza's stone statue was on the floor as they all got on the stage. "We won't know unless we try."
"This is madness, you could accidentally roast her!" Makarov said.
"I'll be careful, I promise."
"Watch it." Natsu warned. "You hurt Erza, it's not gonna end well for you."
"You better know what you are doing." Gajeel said.
Roxas knelt down to the redhead, he out stretched his right arm slowly, but a crack forms on Erza's head.
Everyone started screaming. Roxas was holding Erza by her shoulders. "THIS ISN'T WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!"
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Natsu screamed.
Roxas quickly began to panic. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO BREAK HER! QUICK SOMEBODY GET ME SOME GLUE! HAPPY! GAJEEL! NATSU! GLUE!"
"WILL THAT EVEN WORK!?" Natsu screamed.
"AYE SIR!" Happy yelled with endless tears coming from his eyes as he tried to find some glue.
"THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK, IDIOT!" Gajeel exclaimed in a panic as well. He arm was now an iron pillar. "WE GOTTA USE YOUR AND SALAMANDER'S FIRE WITH MY IRON TO WELD HER BACK TOGETHER!"
Soon a second crack forms. "ERZA NO!"Makarov cried.
"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" Roxas constantly apologized soon the cracks spread and they all looked to see Erza lying on the floor back to normal.
Everyone looked at her with surprise. "Warm... Why do I feel...warm?" Erza gave a violent death glare to Roxas and Natsu. "It was you two, wasn't it?" she growled. "WERE YOU TRYING TO ROAST ME!?" she punched the duo clear across the room.
"I didn't do anything!" Natsu shouted.
"Erza's back." Happy elatedly said.
"Thank goodness, but how?" Makarov said.
"I don't know." Erza said. "Perhaps it was because of my right eye."
Makarov quickly knew what happened. 'I see, her artificial eye must have lessened the effect of the magic.'
Happy flew to Erza. "Erza, do you know what's going on?"
"Yes, even though I was turned to stone. I could hear you."
Makarov clenched his fist. "GO! It's time for a counter attack!"
Everyone looked to the runes and the number of combatants remaining changed. "Four remaining." Happy read.
"With me restored, the number remaining changed appropriately. How elaborate." Erza said
"Okay and the four right now are Natsu, Roxas, Gajeel and Erza, right?" Happy asked.
Soon the number changed from 4 to 5. "Huh? Five remaining?" Roxas questioned, they all looked back to see the girls still turned to stone.
"But all of the girls are still stone statues." Makarov said
Erza smirked. "There's one more out there remember? Outside of the city." Erza said.
"Wait you don't mean him." Natsu said.
Roxas thought for a second before his eyes lit up in realization. "Oh! It's been a while since I last seen him!"
"No way!" Happy cried.
"Really, does this mean he's back?" Makarov asked.
"Looks like the real war is about to begin. This is getting interesting." Erza continued, retaining her smirk
"Can someone fill me in?" Gajeel asked.
"Another possible candidate for the strongest in Fairy Tail...Mystogan."
Mystogan was walking through the streets of Magnolia.
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Meanwhile inside the Kardia Cathedral. Laxus was looking at runes in front of him. "Erza's restored and Mystogan joins the fray..." he said to himself. "Including me, that's the top three in Fairy Tail. Can't be a festival without the best right?" Laxus said to himself, smirking.
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Some time later....
Inside the guild all of the girls were now broken free from their stone statues.
"What the?" Lucy said after she was freed.
"W-what happened to Juvia?" the water wizard asked.
"Man, why does my neck feel so stiff?" Ariel said, rolling her neck around.
Natsu, Roxas, Makarov and Happy quickly approached the stage.
"They're back to normal!" Natsu yelled.
Lucy blinked. "Roxas? What's going on-" Before she could ask, Roxas wrapped his arms around the blonde and hugged her. Lucy's eyes widened in shock, as her heart beat sped up and a blush spread across her face. "R-Roxas?"
"Glad to see you're okay, Lu." Roxas said, as he pulled back and gave her a grin.
"Erza vs. Evergreen. Winner: Erza." Makarov read.
"So that means that they beat Evergreen which restored them from their stone statues." Happy said.
Makarov now looked more confident. "The hostages have been freed! Now what will you do, Laxus!"
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Inside the Kardia Cathedral, Laxus was furious. "WORTHLESS TRASH!" he yelled and punched on of the pillars inside. "How could Evergreen lose to the likes of Erza? Since when did you get so weak, Eve?"
"Erza is too strong." Freed had said this as he walked into the building. "This was a job for Bickslow or myself."
Laxus didn't even turn around to look at Freed. "Why are you here Freed?"
"Because the game is over. With the hostages freed, the master will no longer budge." Laxus furiously turns around to look at Freed and a thunderbolt rages past him. "Laxus?"
"It's not over." He said now looking calm. "If you won't follow me, then get lost. You aren't needed in my Fairy Tail."
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In the Guild hall, after all the girls were freed from their stone statues, Makarov and the others were telling them what had happened.
"Battle of Fairy Tail?" Lucy asked.
"Laxus really did all that?" Cana said.
"Yeah, but Erza took care of Evergreen." Roxas said.
"So, it's over. With all of you returned to normal, there's no way I'm going to play Laxus' silly game anymore." Makarov said.
"That's too bad." Ariel said, with a finger on her chin. "A 'Battle of Fairy Tail' sounds like an awesome idea."
Mira had a concerned thought. "But, what about everyone that was injured from Freed's traps?"
"Yeah, we can't leave things as they are. Laxus need to learn that his actions have consequences." Bisca said.
"And you think I don't know that!" Makarov said. "I'll make sure to give him a punishment he'll never forget. Damn you Laxus... You're not going to get away with it this time."
"Wait a second!" Natsu said throwing 'the hand' to Makarov from behind. "I have to agree with Laxus about the whole 'deciding who is the strongest in Fairy Tail' thing."
All the girls who were freed from their stone statues gasped except for one.
"Don't be so hard on the guy, gramps."
"Natsu's right." Roxas said. "I agree, he needs to get some sens knock into him, but he's still a member of Fairy Tail right. We can't just give up on him."
'Natsu... Roxas...' Makarov thought '...both of you are...'
"So anyway... The second battle of Fairy Tail starts right now!" Natsu declared. "Bring it on everyone!"
"AYE!" Ariel yelled.
"WHAT!?" Lucy, Levy, and Bisca screamed.
"STOP!" Makarov yelled.
" 'Cause we haven't done anything, lets give it a go!" Natsu excitedly said while punching the air while standing close to Lucy.
"Calm down, will you?" Lucy said folding her arms. "You're saying it like you're serious or something."
"If you insist, I'll fight you." Cana said.
"Cana, don't encourage him."
"Natsu..." Happy began lifting up his paw. "I don't think fighting women really counts as a battle."
"Man. Woman... I don't care..." Natsu said shrugging his shoulders and making an annoying face.
"Hey! That face is pissing me off!" Happy yelled.
"Here I come, Lucy!" Natsu yelled as he was chasing Lucy.
"Get away from me!" the blonde mage yelled as she ran behind Roxas.
"I'll fight you Natsu!" Ariel punched right fist into her left palm. "I'm up for this tournament. First I want to teach that angry Lighting Rod a lesson." She looked to Gajeel. "Then you're next, Metalhead!"
"Tch!" Gajeel responded.
Juvia saw Gajeel looked off for some reason. "What's the matter, Gajeel?" she asked.
"It's nothin'."
"This guild sure is fun."
"It's got a screw loose."
Soon red runes appeared all over the entrance to the Fairy Tail guild. Once they filled the archway they began to move inside the guild.
"What?" Levy gasped.
"Is something happening?" Roxas asked.
"It doesn't matter!" Cana yelled. "We'll be your opponents!"
The red runes formed a huge third dimensional skull in the guild hall. "Can you hear me old man?" the skull asked in Laxus's voice. "Same goes for the rest of you."
"Laxus!" Roxas growled.
"Seems one of the rules is gone. So I'll make a new rule." Laxus said as his voice was being projected through the skull.
Natsu pointed at the skull. "It's over Laxus! The girls are free; you have no leverage on us!" he yelled.
"Is that so? In order for the Battle of Fairy Tail to continue, I have activated the Thunder Palace."
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Next Time: Thunder Palace
After Evergreen's defeat and the release of the girls from their stone statues, Laxus activates the Thunder Palace that threatens to destroy Magnolia. Will Roxas and the others be able to stop it?