Lucy - POV
You know that feeling when you think the universe is conspiring to give you a peaceful day, and then you remember you're a member of Fairy Tail and "peaceful" is a word that simply doesn't exist in this guild's vocabulary?
Yeah.
"NATSU, GIVE ME BACK MY TROUSERS!"
"WHAT TROUSERS?! YOU WEREN'T EVEN WEARING ANY!"
"THAT'S THE PROBLEM!"
I hadn't even finished stepping onto the construction site and Gray was already running naked after Natsu, who was holding a pair of trousers like a war trophy. NAKED. AT TEN IN THE MORNING.
Why am I still surprised? Honestly, why?
I dodged a flying plank (the second this week, I'm counting), jumped over a pile of bricks, and finally managed to reach the bar tent without being hit by any object or a combusting guild member.
Small victories.
"Good morning, Lucy!"
And there she was.
Mirajane Strauss, in all her morning glory, smiling at me as if the chaos around us didn't exist. Her white hair was in a loose bun today, a few strands escaping and framing her face in a way that ought to be illegal.
"G-good morning, Mira!"
I stammered. Again. Marvellous.
"Coffee?" She was already getting a cup before I could answer. "You look like you need it."
"Do I look that bad?"
"You look like you've dodged at least three flying objects on your way here."
"…It was two. And a naked Gray."
She laughed, and my stomach did that annoying thing it always does when she laughs. Like butterflies, but butterflies that are having a panic attack.
"Here." She placed the cup in front of me, and her fingers brushed against mine again for a second.
One second.
ONE SECOND and my face was already on fire.
"Th-thank you!"
I need to learn how to talk like a normal person around her. This is getting ridiculous.
I sat on the stool at the makeshift counter, trying not to stare too much at Mira as she organised glasses. I failed. Obviously I failed. But at least I was discreet about it.
...I think.
On the other side of the site, Erza was coordinating a group of members with her usual intensity. Elfman was carrying beams shouting about manliness. Cana was drinking at ten in the morning (consistency, I suppose). And Master Makarov was sitting on a pile of bricks, staring into space with a… thoughtful expression?
"Is the Master alright?" I asked Mira, pointing discreetly.
She followed my gaze and sighed softly. "He's been like that lately. Thoughtful. I think this whole situation with Phantom Lord and the Council has weighed on him more than he lets on."
"Makes sense. He almost died."
"Yes." Mira was silent for a moment, something sad passing over her face. "And he's not getting any younger."
Before I could reply, I saw something out of the corner of my eye that made me frown.
Loke.
He was on the other side of the site, chatting with some of the girls from the guild, smiling in that charming way of his. But when our eyes met by accident, his smile faltered. He looked away too quickly and walked off in the opposite direction.
Again.
This was happening too often lately. Every time I tried to talk to him, he made an excuse to leave. Every time I got close, he moved away. And that sad look he tried to hide…
What was going on with him?
"Lucy? Are you alright?"
Mira's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Oh, yes! Just… thinking."
She tilted her head in that adorable way that made my brain short-circuit. "About?"
"Nothing important. Just—"
"WELL, WELL, WELL."
The voice cut through the air like thunder, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. An arrogant, irritating voice that I unfortunately knew all too well.
Oh no.
Not him.
I turned to confirm my worst fears, and there he was.
Laxus Dreyar.
Standing at the entrance of the site as if he owned the place, a fur coat over his shoulders, that smug smile on his face. Headphones hanging around his neck, his eyes scanning the construction with ill-disguised contempt.
"So this is what's left of the 'great' Fairy Tail?" He laughed, an unpleasant sound. "Pathetic."
Everyone stopped what they were doing. The construction noise died down. Even Natsu and Gray stopped fighting to look.
"Laxus," Erza said, her voice heavy with tension. "What are you doing here?"
"What, I can't visit my own guild?" He took a few steps forward, kicking a piece of wood out of the way. "Or what's left of it, at least."
My blood began to boil. Every time I thought this bloke couldn't be more annoying, he proved me wrong.
"We were attacked by Phantom Lord," Gray said, already stepping forward. "In case you hadn't noticed."
"Oh, I noticed." Laxus smiled even wider. "I noticed you got your arses handed to you. That the guild was destroyed. That the old man almost died." He shrugged. "And all because you're too weak to defend yourselves."
"And where were YOU?!" Natsu advanced, fists clenched, flames already dancing on his fingers. "We were fighting for our lives and you didn't show up!"
"Why would I?" Laxus raised an eyebrow. "To save a bunch of failures? It's not my job to clean up your mess."
The tension in the air was almost palpable. I could see Erza clenching her fist, the muscles in her jaw tight. Gray was practically vibrating with anger. And Natsu…
Natsu looked like he was about to explode.
"You know," Laxus continued, walking around the site as if he were inspecting his own property, "when the old man finally retires, or dies, whichever comes first, I'm taking over this guild."
My stomach went cold.
"And when I take over, things are going to change." He stopped, looking around with disdain. "I'm going to purge Fairy Tail of all this dross. All the weak, useless members who only serve to bring shame to the guild's name…"
His eyes passed over me, over Levy, and over several other members.
"…will be expelled. And Fairy Tail will finally be a guild worthy of the name."
"You can't do that!" I heard myself say before I could stop myself.
Laxus turned to me, that disgusting smile on his face. "Ah, the little Heartfilia princess. Or should I say, the girl who caused this whole mess in the first place?"
I swallowed hard, but I didn't back down. "Phantom Lord attacked us. It's not my—"
"It's your fault for being too weak to defend yourselves." He cut me off. "But don't worry, when I'm Master, you'll be one of the first to go. We don't need dead weight."
Okay. NOW I was angry.
But before I could reply, or do something stupid like try to punch a bloke who could fry me with a lightning bolt, Natsu acted.
"SHUT UP!"
He flew towards Laxus, fist aflame, ready to wipe that arrogant smile off his face—
And hit thin air.
A flash of light, a crackle of electricity, and Laxus was on the other side of the site, still smiling.
"You can't even hit me, Natsu." He laughed. "How do you expect to protect anyone?"
Natsu growled, already preparing to attack again, but Erza grabbed his arm.
"He's not worth it," she said through gritted teeth, clearly restraining herself from attacking as well.
"Listen to Titania's advice." Laxus started to walk away, his hands in his pockets. "And start looking for another guild. When I take over, there'll be no place for failures."
He stopped at the exit, looking over his shoulder with that smile I wanted so badly to wipe off his face.
"See you later, losers."
And then, in a flash of lightning, he was gone.
The silence that remained was heavy. Laden with anger, frustration, humiliation.
"That…" Natsu was trembling with rage. "That… IDIOT!"
"Natsu, calm down," Gray said, though he didn't look very calm himself.
"CALM DOWN?! DID YOU HEAR WHAT HE SAID?!"
Erza let go of his arm, her expression hard. "Yes. We heard."
I looked around. The guild members had various expressions, anger, hurt, worry. Master Makarov was still sitting on that pile of bricks, but now his expression was… sad. Very sad.
I went back to the bar, slumping onto the stool with all the grace of a sack of potatoes.
"I already knew he was a prat," I said to Mira, who had watched everything in silence. "But THAT was a new level."
"Laxus is… complicated." Mira sighed, going back to organising glasses that didn't need organising. "He wasn't always like this."
"Hard to believe."
I was silent for a moment, processing everything he'd said. And then one specific thing hit me.
"Mira… he said he's taking over the guild when the Master retires. Can he do that? Like, for real?"
Mira hesitated before answering. "As the Master's grandson, Laxus is technically first in the line of succession. Unless the Master names another successor, he…"
"Wait, wait." I held up a hand. "I knew he was the Master's grandson, but I didn't know that meant he could INHERIT the guild. Like it's… a family business or something?"
"Guilds work in different ways," Mira explained. "Some have elections, others pass on leadership through merit. Fairy Tail traditionally…" she paused, "…well, traditionally the leadership passes to someone in the current Master's family, or to whoever he chooses."
"And if the Master doesn't choose anyone?"
"Then it goes to the closest relative. Which would be…"
"Laxus."
"Yes."
I let my head fall onto the counter with a thud.
Laxus Dreyar. Master of Fairy Tail. Kicking out all the "weak ones." Turning the guild into… I don't know, an exclusive club for people with egos the size of a mountain.
"This is a nightmare," I groaned.
"Not necessarily." A drawling, familiar voice sounded beside me. "There are solutions."
I lifted my head to find Azra'il materialising on the stool next to me like a ghost, a teacup already in hand. How did she appear out of nowhere like that?! Did she have lessons in stealth or something?!
"Solutions?" I asked, slightly wary.
"Of course." She drank her tea calmly. "If Laxus becomes Master and starts doing idiotic things, we do what many kingdoms have done throughout history."
"…What's that?"
"A coup d'état." She said it with the same naturalness as someone commenting on the weather. "Preferably with a lot of blood. I have experience."
"AZRA'IL!"
"What? It's a valid solution." She shrugged. "Historically proven, in fact."
Mira covered her mouth to hide a laugh. Which was NOT helping AT ALL.
"But seriously," Azra'il continued, lowering her cup, "the old man is getting old. It's a fact. Sooner or later he'll have to pass the guild on to someone."
"But that someone doesn't have to be Laxus, right?" I was almost begging.
"Not necessarily. If the Master chooses a successor, the bloodline doesn't matter." She was thoughtful for a moment. "The question is: who?"
"There are the other S-Class Mages," Mira offered.
"Let's analyse, then." Azra'il raised a finger. "Laxus: we've just established that he's an arrogant idiot with a superiority complex. No."
She raised another finger.
"Mystogan: powerful, mysterious, and basically a ghost. He shows up at the guild like… what? Once every six months? And even when he does, he doesn't talk to anyone. How do you lead a guild if no one even knows what your face looks like?"
Another finger.
"Gildarts: incredibly strong. Also incredibly absent. The man disappears for months, sometimes YEARS. You can't lead a guild by post."
She paused dramatically.
"That leaves Mirajane and Erza."
"What about you?" I asked without thinking.
Azra'il nearly spat out her tea.
"Me?!" She looked at me as if I'd suggested she take up belly dancing as a hobby. "Blondie, I am the LEAST responsible person in this entire guild."
"But you're S-Class. And strong. And you're not absent like the others."
"And I'm also pathologically averse to work." She gestured with her cup. "I would probably delegate EVERYTHING to someone else to do…" her eyes went to Mira, "…and spend my days sleeping and drinking tea. The guild would be bankrupt in a week."
"That's—"
"Besides," she cut me off, "the Council hates me. They put me under 'observation' for tearing off ONE head. One! Single! In self-defence!" She rolled her eyes. "Imagine if I were the Master of an entire guild. It would be a declaration of political war."
She took another sip of tea.
"As tempting as the idea of annoying those bureaucrats is… it's a massive no. That leaves Mirajane and Erza."
"That leaves Mirajane and Erza for what?"
Erza appeared behind us, clearly having overheard at least part of the conversation. She still looked tense from the confrontation with Laxus.
"To possibly take over the guild one day," Azra'il answered bluntly. "If the old man has any sense and doesn't leave it in the hands of the electric boy."
Erza was silent for a moment, considering.
"I agree with your analysis," she said finally. "Laxus would be a disaster. Mystogan and Gildarts are strong, but too absent."
"And you?" I asked. "Wouldn't you want to…?"
"Me?" Erza crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. "I try to keep the guild in line, it's true. But… I still have a lot to learn."
That surprised me. Erza admitting a limitation?
"I'm impulsive at times," she continued. "Too rigid at others. I tend to solve problems with force when diplomacy would be more suitable." She looked at Mira. "If I had to choose someone to take over the guild, it would be Mirajane."
"M-me?!" Mira looked genuinely surprised.
"You're the one the Master puts in charge when he's away," Erza pointed out. "You know all the members. You know how to handle conflicts. You have patience." A half-smile. "Something I admit I don't always have."
"Erza is right," Azra'il agreed. "Of the available options, you are the most qualified."
"But I'm not as strong as you, Azra'il."
"Strength isn't everything," Azra'il cut in. "Leading is about more than power. It's about knowing when to use that power. And when not to. You understand that better than most."
Mira looked speechless. A faint blush covered her cheeks.
She looked even prettier when she blushed.
…Focus, Lucy. FOCUS.
"Mira-nee is amazing!"
Lisanna appeared from somewhere, joining the conversation with a proud smile.
"She's managing the entire reconstruction of the guild," Lisanna continued. "The budget, the materials, the contracts with suppliers, the bureaucracy with the Magnolia town hall…" She counted on her fingers. "She's barely been sleeping these past few weeks. Every time I wake up in the middle of the night, she's still awake doing calculations."
We all looked at Mira, who was now definitely red.
"I just do what needs to be done…" she murmured.
"That is literally the definition of leadership," Azra'il said drily.
I looked at Mira with a new appreciation. I mean, I already admired her before (for reasons I refused to examine too closely), but now…
She wasn't just beautiful, cool, and kind. She was literally holding the guild on her back while the rest of us were busy fighting, rebuilding, and causing general chaos.
"Mira…" I began, not knowing exactly what I was going to say.
She looked at me, those blue eyes meeting mine, and my brain did that annoying thing where all the words just evaporate.
"…you're amazing," I finished, because apparently that was the only thing my brain could produce.
She smiled, that smile that did illegal things to my cardiovascular system, and I swear I saw her cheeks get a little bit rosier.
"Thank you, Lucy."
Okay. I needed to change the subject before I did something embarrassing like confessing inappropriate feelings in front of everyone.
The rest of the day passed relatively peacefully, or as peacefully as Fairy Tail allowed. Natsu was still furious with Laxus and had to be stopped from going to "hunt down that idiot" at least three times. Gray had finally found his clothes (temporarily). And the construction continued to progress, despite everything.
But I noticed that Master Makarov spent the whole day watching the guild from a distance. That thoughtful expression still on his face. Sad, almost.
He was thinking about the future, I realised. About what would happen to Fairy Tail after him. About Laxus. About all of us.
It must be heavy, carrying that responsibility.
When the sun began to set and the members started to leave one by one, I dragged myself to the bar and let my head fall onto it with a dramatic thud.
"Mira," I groaned. "I need a job."
"A job?" She stopped cleaning the counter to look at me.
"A NORMAL job." I lifted my head just enough to make eye contact. "No monsters. No dark guilds. No kidnappings. No destruction of public property."
"Do those exist here?"
"I HOPE so!" I let my head fall again. "I can't stand explaining to the authorities why half a city is on fire. Or why there's a Natsu-shaped hole in someone's wall. Or why Erza destroyed a historic building trying to cut a cake."
"Did that happen?"
"It NEARLY happened. I stopped it. Just barely."
Mira laughed, and even exhausted I felt those annoying butterflies in my stomach.
"Let me see if there's anything…" She went to the mission board, which was temporarily set up in a corner of the tent.
I watched her search, trying not to be too obvious about watching. The way she bit her lip as she read the papers. The way a strand of hair escaped from her bun and fell onto her face. The way—
"Found it!"
She came back with a paper in her hand, smiling.
"A play. A theatre group needs mages to do special effects during the performance."
I took the paper with trembling hands of hope.
"Special effects? Like… controlled fire? Snow? Magical lighting?"
"Exactly." Mira confirmed. "No fighting. No dangerous missions. Just using magic to make the play look prettier."
I read the paper once. Twice. Three times, to make sure there wasn't a hidden catch.
It seemed… legitimate. A normal mission. A mission where we just needed to stay backstage making pretty visual effects while professional actors did the real work.
"THIS!" I hugged the paper against my chest as if it were a precious treasure. "THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEED!"
"I'm glad you like it." Mira smiled.
"I'm going to convince my team. We're doing this mission. It will be PERFECT." I was already planning everything in my head. "Natsu can do the fire effects. Gray can do snow and ice. It's literally just staying backstage and making pretty magic!"
I stopped.
"Natsu can do CONTROLLED fire, right?" I looked at Mira. "…Right?!"
She smiled. A strange smile. A smile that seemed to know something I didn't.
"I'm sure everything will be fine, Lucy."
Why did that sound like a trap?
I ignored the bad feeling. I was too exhausted to worry about it now.
"What could go wrong?" I said aloud, carefully putting the mission paper away.
Mira didn't answer.
She just kept smiling.
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✨ Author's Note ✨
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🚨 GUILD ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
If you read this entire chapter and leave without commenting, please be aware this is a minor crime in Magnolia. Punishable by:
one Erza lecture
two Natsu explosions
and Lucy forcing you to write a comment with the power of protagonist rights
You don't need to write anything fancy, this is Fairy Tail, we thrive on chaos:
"LOL" is valid
"these idiots, I love them" is encouraged
"author this was very Fairy Tail" is premium currency
even a simple "I'm back for the chaos" works
Comments are basically Friendship Magic ✨
More comments = more chapters.
This has been scientifically proven by the guild (source: trust me).
So come say hi, drop a comment, metaphorically break a table in the comment section, and let's pretend this guild is functional (it's not).
Guild hugs 💥✨
the author, proud honorary member of Fairy Tail and professional chaos enjoyer