#jellal's finally gotten his act together

[natsubeatsrock]

Lower Your Expectations for Nalu

I'm going to start this post off more generously than I normally would. I don't have any real reason to. I just kind of want to reach some of the Nalu fans with this section. (Nalu fans probably shouldn’t want to read the rest.)

Generally speaking, it's better to lower your expectations for a ship becoming canon. That way, you are pleasantly surprised to see how it will happen. Sometimes a relationship should have more subtle canonization than a bombastic showing. If Mashima plans to make Nalu canon, we should be patient to see how it happens. It’s not impossible for Nalu to have some impressive showy way it becomes canon. However, it’s worth letting Mashima do his thing and let the chips fall as they may.

Alright, the kids are gone. Let's do this for real.

I've been running this blog for just over six years. You'd think that, at this point, it would be hard for me to be surprised by this fandom. I've seen all kinds of things happen, and that should be the case. I joined during a rather tenuous time where fandoms were more willing to go at it.

As it stands, the Nalu fandom is the gift that keeps on giving. Whenever I feel as though I can't think of anything else to say about this ship, something happens, and I'm brought back to writing about it. You'd think it would be me talking about how the ship functions in canon. However, fans seem willing to bend over backward to sing Nalu's praises.

I'd respect it if it weren't Nalu we're talking about. This might be one of the most overrated ships in anime. I'll never understand how most people who watch this series even passively wanted these two to become a couple. All the couples Mashima's written over the years, and this is the one he'll be judged for? (Also, maybe Gruvia, but we talked about that already.)

Still, I do have to give this some fandom credit. Mashima has taken nearly every possible opportunity to feasibly advance this ship since the Grand Magic Games ended (arguably even before that) and passed on doing much with it. On some occasions, it feels as though Mashima is directly mocking the idea that Nalu could possibly become canon. And yet, fans believe that Nalu will become canon at any moment because he draws a Twitter pic of them once every three months or so. (Yes, I did edit this sentence since Nalu Day. What of it?) 

Recently, I got an ask comparing the Nalu fandom to the MAGA crowd. I'm not personally vindictive enough against Trump or his supporters to affirm that comparison. Though, I can't act as if I haven't been thinking of an analogy to describe Nalu fans. I think a better comparison might be fans of the Dallas Cowboys. 

Cowboys fans seem to believe that their team can win the Super Bowl any season. That's not an inherently problematic perspective to take. You should hope that your team will do well. However, this often manifests itself in confidence that ignores the faults within individual Cowboys teams and the strength of their opponents. Not to mention, this ignores the objective fact that the Cowboys haven't done well in the playoffs for 25 years.

I don't think it's wrong for fans to believe that their ship will become canon. I don't know too many fans who wish their ship doesn't become canon. However, I always worry about the fans who believe their ship happening is an inevitability. Especially when things seem to be pointing away from the possibility of it happening. This is usually a recipe for toxic fandoms.

But, let me humor the idea for a moment.

What if Mashima really plans to make Nalu happen in the end?

As I'm writing this post,  we're currently in the middle of the fight between the third Dragon God. We're getting close to the real conclusion of that battle. But after that, there are two big arcs until the series truly ends. Three if they decide to have one last battle against the quest-giving dragon.

If Mashima's going to make Nalu canon, how would that work now?

There's the "realization" route. This is the one I probably see the most. Natsu and Lucy could come to the clear realization that they have come to love each other throughout the series. Of course, you'd have to imagine that whatever would bring this on is more powerful than thinking the other has died. 

Twice, throughout the series. 

Each.

On top of several other crazy things to happen to them over 600 chapters of material spanning a decade and a half. Yet, I'm supposed to believe that some random new moment will change the tide for Nalu.

The other way to do it is to have a confession. Either Natsu or Lucy decides to share with the other the fact that they are in love. Their feelings are reciprocated, and you can figure out the rest.

Depending on who you ask, we've almost gotten this a few times. Lucy's had a few opportunities to talk about her relationship with Natsu and has been fairly nice about it. A few times it's hinted that there might be more to their friendship but nothing concrete. I've even seen it hinted that Natsu was going to confess in chapter 545.

But, that's just it. We've only gotten hints at the possibility that there's more. If Natsu and Lucy actually like each other romantically, why not make it clearer earlier?

"It's because he's being subtle about their shared romantic feelings."

Yeah, I have reason to doubt that.

Jellal and Erza have feelings for each other implied throughout Fairy Tail. Sure there's explicit stuff like their meeting before the Grand Magic Games started. But there's been plenty of subtle stuff surrounding their relationship. People make hints at their potential romantic relationship all the time in canon, even as recent as the last arc.

I feel like I say this a lot when talking about Jerza. But really think about the arcs they're together in. There's Tower of Heaven, Nirvana, the Grand Magic Games, Tartarus, Alvarez Empire, and Aldoron. Their relationship is brought up or hinted at in Fantasia, Tenrou Island, Avatar, and Mercuphobia. While that looks like a large amount of material, Jerza doesn't take up much space in any of these arcs. Outside of the Grand Magic Games, Nirvana, and Alvarez, these are small moments between the two of them at best. Sometimes it's even less than that. And yet, the ship makes sense to the vast majority of the fandom.

But that might be an unfair comparison. Jellal and Erza have a history dating before the series started. 

Let's use a ship that involves characters that met after Natsu and Lucy. Gray and Juvia. (Wait, these guys again?)

The big thing with this ship has been how Gray feels about Juvia. We've known how Juvia feels about Gray literally since they met. However, we've seen Gray slowly change his views on Juvia. We didn't just jump from enemies to lovers. There was a subtle shift as the series went on.

Do you really think that Mashima couldn't do better with Natsu and Lucy? His main duo? The series is only possible because the two meet each other. But I'm supposed to believe that Mashima didn't want to make a Nalu romance seem more explicit?

If you were to ask me, the most likely route for Nalu now is a much less sexy option. If Nalu were to happen, it won't happen in a grand showing of affection. It will just... happen. We'll likely skip to some random point in time after they beat all the dragons and see them as a couple. Maybe we'll se an Earthland Nasha.

This isn't something anime/manga fans aren't used to. I know everyone likely thinks of a different series that has done this over the years. People will rag on series like Naruto and Bleach for doing this. For what it's worth, I do like both of those series and their endgame ships. 

That said, I have two problems with this option. 

First, Nalu doesn't have the kind of setup that those other ships have. You're not getting characters openly confessing before a fight. You're not getting two characters flustered over the prospect of feelings suggested to each other. Heck, you're not getting a "Silver Ray" situation.

"What about those times when Lucy was asked if she likes Natsu?"

Again, Lucy's not openly agonizing over that as part of their relationship. If this was something we were supposed to seriously consider as an option for her, we'd know.

Even then, this would only show that it's one-sided. Natsu hasn't had any similar moments where he considers liking Lucy. Anyone bringing up the waterfall scene is speculating at best. Do you really expect me to believe that Mashima will change that this far into the series?

But this doesn't even get into the second problem. Is this how you'd want Nalu to become canon? 

I've said this before, but Nalu has been expected to become canon for close to a decade. That almost feels like an exaggeration. But one of the big chapters I usually point to for Mashima potentially making Nalu more overt is Lucy Fire. That chapter turned ten years old this past March.

Nalu fans have been inventing all kinds of scenarios and situations about how Mashima will make their favorite ship happen. Wouldn't it be disappointing for fans to see that this ship would happen without any of the pomp and circumstance you'd expect a ship like this to get?

I know plenty of people who were disappointed when their favorite ship just became canon without a lot of lead-up. I didn't love getting to the end of Bleach without knowing more about how Ichigo and Orihime got together. Yes, I know the novels exist, but I (literally) paid to read the manga. I'd like to have seen it happen in the manga. (This could be about Naruto, but I only own The Last.)

This is why I believe Nalu fans should lower their expectations. Do you know the fantasy fans have for Nalu happening? Natsu and Lucy finally being hit with the overwhelming realization they love each other? A tearful confession of their feelings for each other capped with a kiss? All of their friends cheering them on, knowing they should have been a couple a long time ago? Maybe even a glimpse at their wedding and their future kid?

Congratulations, that was Rave Master's main couple. Don't expect the same thing for Nalu. If Nalu will happen, it will look much more disappointing than what fans believe it will look like.

At this point, I'm even not sure that Nalu will happen. Mashima has made every version of Nalu look more romantic except the original. I can't apologize for my skepticism on its prospects. Even actual Nalu fans are worried about if it will happen. I will enjoy seeing more of this salt in the future.

Now, there's one question you might be asking of me. How will I react to Nalu happening?

I don't have some back-pocket post prepared in case Nalu does happen. Heck, I thought of making one but ended up writing this post instead. 

However, I have been wrong about future events of Fairy Tail in the past. If I'm wrong and Mashima does make Nalu canon, then I'll talk about it. I highly doubt it will make me like the series less. It certainly won't affect anything I'm doing with the rewrite, given my rules for changes. Consider that I've been able to talk about Gruvia negatively at this point in the series. I'll absolutely continue to talk smack about Nalu if it ends up canon. 

That said, I have reason to believe that I'm right about the direction Nalu will take. And if I'm right, don't expect my tone on Nalu to stay the same. At the very least, I can promise a third Nalu edition of "My Incredibly Unpopular Thoughts" if Nalu doesn’t happen. I haven't done one in years and I can't think of a better way to celebrate the ship dying once and for all.

#fairy tail #anti nalu #fairy tail month: seven of these? #to be clear #nothing specifically has prompted this #i just have bad timing #i've wanted to do a post like this for months #this is another situation #where one post became two #you'll see the second one some other time

[fairiesnova]

Unforgettable

This is written for @ft-wwtdp LGBTQA month for the prompt: tease

Read on Ao3

Rated M

It was going to be a long semester. Juvia had spent almost the eternity of her freshman year of college trying to kick Gajeel out her all-girls dorm room to little success. He had a thing for one of Juvia’s roommates and would routinely crash their girl’s nights to rudely flirt with her. Finally, they had worked out an agreement that they would rent a one-bedroom apartment together for their next year. The thought of sharing a bed with Gajeel didn’t bother Juvia seeing as they’ve been friends since childhood. Besides, neither had the money for anything with more space. However, Juvia’s plan to share the room with Gajeel for the year crumbled when Gajeel’s annoying younger sibling Rouge decided to attend the same college as them. He’s tried to deny it, but Gajeel was truly an overprotective big brother. She knew there was no way he was going to leave Rogue and Rogue’s partner Sting in a dorm by themselves. After a lot of yelling, he promised to find her a roommate to split the cost for the apartment with.

Enter Cana.

The brown-haired girl with big eyes and an even bigger smile who wrapped Juvia up in a hug the second they laid eyes on each other. From what Juvia understands, she’s a childhood friend of Gajeel’s smoking buddy Laxus. Juvia doesn’t even care how they know each other, she’s just happy to see her. She, Juvia, and Gajeel were seated at a nearby café were they just chatting for hours until Gajeel got up for a smoke break. That’s when the air in the room changed and Cana’s smile when from sweet to coy. She placed one hand on her chin and scooted closer to Juvia’s side of the table.

“Say Juvia?” Her voice drawls as she moves closer. “You and Gajeel are friends right?”

“Of course! Best friends” Her voice came out more nervous than she would have liked but she couldn’t help it. Since starting college Juvia had learned quite a few things about herself. One being that perhaps that feeling she gets in her chest whenever she sees a pretty girl was a sign of something. And having this girl pressed tightly up against her side reconfirmed that.

“But you were going to live with him right? Why not move in with your girlfriend?”

Juvia chuckles nervously. Cana was entirely in her space now. The smell of lavender floating through the air as Cana’s nearly bare thigh brushed up against her’s. Juvia looks away, “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Oh?” A hand lays itself onto Juvia’s thigh. It moves slowly, maddening up until it reaches the edge of her shorts. Her breath hitches and Cana’s smile delves into a smirk. “Do you want one?”

She couldn’t answer. She could fell her cheeks heating up as Cana waits for an answer. The fingers rub back and forth over the top of her blue jean shorts before one dives under and meets skin. Juvia lets out the gasp she was holding in and Cana’s lips brush against her cheek. It was a soft touch, a whisper of the possibility to be something more, but it sent shockwaves down Juvia frame.

“Cana!” She gasped again. The thumb is replaced with a finger. “Cana.” She says because it’s all she can think.

Cana places her lips against Juvia’s ear, “Juvia, do you remember me?”

Images of that night a couple months ago flash through Juvia’s brain. The party, the lights and laughter, of Cana sliding up to her and asking why she’s been acting like a wallflower all night. The two of them drinking and laughing then Juvia trying to kiss the smile of Cana’s obnoxiously pretty face. They were going to do more, so close to doing more, but Gajeel had gotten into another argument with Laxus’s friend Natsu and Juvia had to drag him home. She hadn’t even thought about getting Cana’s number until she was dumping Gajeel onto her bed.

“How could I forget?” Juvia breathed. Cana pulled back at that and smiled, really smiled. Juvia’s cheeks heated up again. She smiles back.

Gajeel walks back into the café pocketing the pack of cigarettes he swiped off of Laxus whom he’s sure stole them off of Jellal. He scans the café looking for that familiar sight of blue hair. To his surprise, Cana had moved from her place across the table to sit directly beside Juvia. As he got even closer, he was even more surprised to find Juvia with a flush on her face. He stops by the table glancing between Cana’s smirking face and Juvia’s deepening blush and asks, “so…are we good?”

The two girls exchange a knowing smile. “Yeah, were good. You found the perfect roommate Gajeel.”

#ftlgbtpride2020 #juvana #juvia x cana #femslash fairies #ftlgbtales #my writing

[superfreakerz]

Magic Potion

This was a request from @lucy-h-lover​ :)

"Magic Potion"

Rated T.

Summary: Lucy and Natsu have been dancing around their feelings for each other and Mira is fed up. With a plan up her sleeves, it's time to set things into motion.

Magic Potion

To the eyes of everyone else at Fairy Tail, it was just any other typical day. Gray was stripping while Juvia fawned over him from afar. Gajeel, Levy, and Pantherlily were chatting it up at their usual table. Cana was cradling a whole barrel of booze to herself, refusing to share with anyone. Natsu and Lucy were staring at each other with longing in their eyes only when the other one wasn't looking, dancing around their feelings for each other and not making any progress. Again, typical.

But to the eyes of Mirajane, it was soon going to be an interesting day.

After the battle with Zeref and Acnologia, many of Mira's ships had gotten together, or at least made tremendous progress. Gajeel and Levy were a known item around the guild, and there were even rumors of a baby in the oven. Gray and Juvia, while their relationship didn't hold a title, made it very clear that they were together. Even her little brother, Elfman, was making strides in his relationship with Evergreen.

All that left was her biggest ship of all, the one that she had been rooting for since day one.

Natsu and Lucy.

It had been over a year since the battle, and the guild was in a long, surprising status of peace. Lucy had won an award for her novel and everything was going fine. So why were they not acting on their feelings yet?

Hell, the two had been closer than any of the other ships that Mira had, and had known each other longer. Well, besides Erza and Jellal, but that one was complicated. There was no reason that Natsu and Lucy couldn't have at least confessed. There was nothing holding them back anymore!

And Mira was fed up.

The take-over mage watched from her place at the bar, absentmindedly drying a glass. If everything went according to plan, then the two should be confessing their love for each other any second now.

It was the day before that Mira had finally lost her patience and visited a small shop on the outskirts of Magnolia. It was a shop that specialized in magic potions, some of them unapproved by the council. Which explained why the shop was empty and rundown looking. And why the owner looked pretty sketchy…

But none of that stopped Mira from buying a particular potion.

"What did you do?" someone asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Mira glanced at Cana, who was the only one sitting at the bar. She was staring at her with narrowed eyes, knowing that she was up to something.

"Oh, nothing!" Mira hummed.

"Don't 'oh nothing' me. I know that look. You did something. Which couple are you messing with today?"

"I'm not messing with them! I'm helping them!"

"Your idea of helping them always backfires on you, you do realize that don't you?"

"Well this plan is foolproof!" Mira exclaimed with a huff, crossing her arms.

Cana rolled her eyes. "Sure it is. So, what did you do this time?"

"I bought a potion."

"A potion?"

"Yep! One that'll make Natsu and Lucy be more open with each other and confess their love!"

Cana's eyes widened, her jaw dropping to the floor. "Mira! Don't you remember what happened when Juvia tried to give Gray a love potion? She ended up affecting everyone and it was a total disaster!"

"This potion is different, though!" Mira replied with a pout. "I made sure to take caution against that sort of thing. The owner said that it only affects those with preexisting feelings towards each other!"

Cana sighed, shaking her head. Judging from the way Mira kept her eyes glued on Natsu and Lucy, it was no doubt that she had somehow slipped them the potion already. Knowing the devilish girl, she probably slipped it in their drinks. At this point, there was really no other option than to watch what happened.

Meanwhile on the other side of the guildhall, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy were talking about the exceed's most recent attempt to win Charle's heart when Natsu and Lucy's eyes went wide. Their eyes flashed a purplish hue before returning to normal. They shook their heads, a wave of dizziness washing over them for a brief second.

"Natsu? Lucy?" Happy called out. "Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're good, buddy," Natsu answered, feeling fine again. "That was weird, though. I just got dizzy out of nowhere."

"Me too," Lucy added, cupping her chin in thought. "Oh well. I feel better now, so I guess it doesn't matter."

Lucy went to take a bite of her food when she heard Natsu scarfing down his own. Bits and pieces of the food flew around, landing on her clothes and in her hair. A vein ticked in the girl's forehead, watching in disgust as the boy across from her ate. She had seen him eat like this a million times since she'd met him and had somewhat gotten used to it. She usually ignored it, knowing that he wasn't going to change how he ate. But this time, for some reason, she chose to comment on it.

"You eat like a wild animal," Lucy said, glaring at him. "It's disgusting."

"It makes the food taste better this way," Natsu replied, his words distorted as his mouth was full. He glared right back at the girl. "At least I don't eat like a pigeon like somebody."

"Huh? I do not eat like a pigeon!"

"Yeah you do! It takes us forever to do anything because it'll take you years just to eat an apple! In fact, it takes you forever to do anything!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe your hour long showers! Hate to break it to ya, Luce, but the reason you have to bust your ass on jobs all the time is because your rent is so high because of how much water you use! You could build your own aquarium with how much water you use!"

Lucy crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Well I can say the same for you and food! Guess what, Natsu! You eat enough to feed an entire army!"

And right before everyone's eyes, the two began to bicker. It wasn't their normal kind of bickering, though. It was on the verge of an actual argument.

Mira watched, confused. This wasn't supposed to happen. This was the complete opposite of what was supposed to happen.

"Hey, Mira," Cana started, never taking her eyes off of the arguing couple. "What exactly did the guy say the potion was supposed to do?"

"He said that it'll make people with preexisting feelings towards each other be open with each other and confess their feelings."

"Did he say that they would confess their feelings, or is that what you assumed would happen?"

"Well…"

"Because they're definitely being open with each other, but not about the good things."

"…I may have assumed that it would make them confess."

Cana sighed. "Remember what I told you, Mira? These plans always tend to backfire on you."

Lucy slammed her hands on the table, rising from her seat. Their fight had grown in volume and had gained the attention of everyone in the guild. It had also went from being about petty things to much deeper issues that neither of the two never really talked about before.

"You have no right to say any of this to me!" she shouted, glaring at her partner. "Not when you up and left me for a whole year!"

Everyone in the guild winced, knowing that it was going to be hard for Natsu to crawl his way out of that one.

The boy stood up, too, knocking his chair back on the floor.

"I left so I could go train! I needed to get stronger so I could protect you and everyone else!" he shot back.

"I didn't ask for you to protect me!"

"No, but I'm your partner! That's my job!"

"No, your job is to be by my side and help me through my dark times! Which is what I wanted to do for you too, but you didn't even give me the chance! You just left! And all you left behind was some crappy note!"

Lucy was panting after finishing her rant, tears welled in her eyes. It had been over a year since that incident had happened. After they gathered everyone up and picked up where they left off, she thought that she had gotten over it. Turns out she didn't.

"Why're you even bringing this up now?" Natsu asked. "I thought we were past this."

"Past this? How could we be past something you didn't even apologize for?"

"I don't need to apologize! You should understand why I left!"

"I understand why you left! What I don't understand is why you had to go without me! Or why you didn't at least say goodbye in person!"

Losing her patience, Lucy turned on her heel and headed out of the guild. She didn't know where all of this was coming from. They were doing just fine, and all of the sudden she was spilling her feelings about everything. She needed to get away and calm down.

Natsu picked up his chair and sat back down, a frown spreading over his face. He was confused. Ten minutes ago, they were laughing and having a good time like always. Now, they were fighting. What the hell happened?

Cana turned to Mira. "Well, you better hope that this turns around soon. Otherwise, you may've just destroyed your favorite ship."

An hour passed by slowly as Lucy laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had calmed down a bit since then, but now she missed Natsu. It'd been a while since they had gotten into any arguments. She always hated fighting with him. He was her best friend, and so much more.

Before she could dwell on her thoughts any longer, the girl heard her window crack open. In seconds, a flash of pink went past her eyes as Natsu jumped through the window.

"N-Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, jolting up into a sitting position. Her lips curled downwards into a frown, unsure of what was going to happen. Were they going to fight again?

Natsu didn't turn to look at her. His hands were balled into tight fists, his body rigid.

"You're right," he said quietly. "I never apologized."

"Huh?"

Natsu turned around to look at her, a frown resting on his face. "I never apologized for leaving without saying a real goodbye. I'm sorry, Lucy."

Tears crept its way back into Lucy's eyes as she shook her head. "I'm the one that's sorry. I understand why you left. Everyone copes differently. Yeah, it hurt, but we decided to move past that. I shouldn't be bringing it up out of nowhere."

Natsu's lips curled up into a small smile. "How about we both just accept each other's apologies?"

Lucy mirrored his expression. "That sounds good to me."

The boy sat on the bed next to her, their thighs flushed against each other. Their hearts were thumping wildly in their chests, threatening to break free. Things were right between them again.

"You really scared me back there, you know that?" Natsu asked, nudging the girl beside him.

"What do you mean?" Lucy questioned with an arched brow.

"I really thought you were gonna be mad at me forever and not be my partner anymore."

Lucy nudged him back. "You should know by now that's never going to happen. You're stuck with me as your partner, whether you like it or not."

Natsu grinned at her. "Oh, I like it. I like it a lot, actually."

The girl's cheeks turned pink as she turned her head away from them. She always became a blushing mess during times like these in which Natsu would suddenly say something flirty. She always wondered if he meant to come off that way or if he was just dense.

Her mouth seemed to move on its own.

"Do you mean you like me?" Lucy, unaware of the potion that was slipped in her drink earlier, slapped her hands over her mouth immediately, her eyes the size of golf balls. "What was that? I didn't even mean to say that! It just came out!"

Natsu, having drank the same potion, shook his head. "Not like. It's more than that, you weirdo."

The two looked away from each other, their cheeks set ablaze. Lucy fumbled with her fingers while Natsu tugged on his scarf. Finally, after years of dancing around each other's feelings, they were out in the open.

Now what?

"Umm…" Lucy started, not knowing how to continue. "Do you want to go back to the guild?" She needed something to distract herself from her racing heart.

"Sounds good," Natsu replied.

So, together they walked back to the guild. Only this time, Natsu mustered up the courage to try something new. With a shaky hand, he intertwined his fingers with Lucy's. Both of their palms were sweaty, and with the potion circulating through their body, they both commented on it. Luckily, that lightened up the mood and made things less awkward for them.

Whatever happened next was going to be new, and perhaps a little awkward for them. But it was a new adventure they were both excited on taking.

"That shirt makes your boobs look good."

"Natsu! Why would you even say that!"

"I honestly have no idea! Things just keep comin' outta my mouth without me wanting them to!"

Mira and Cana watched as Natsu and Lucy entered the guild again. This time, things were noticeably different. Instead of pining over the other when they weren't looking, they were actually looking at each other, smiling and blushing. Something happened while they were gone. Something good.

Mira grinned cheek-to-cheek.

"Looks like I won't have to kill the guy that sold me that potion after all!"

#fairy tail #nalu #lucy heartfilia #natsu dragneel #ftfanfiction #requests #mp #magic potion

[ratretro]

NaLu AU - Calm Before The Storm

Title: Calm Before The Storm

Pairing: NaLu

Prompt: AU Mashup – Bodyguard/Locked In A Room/School

Rating: T; but like they get kidnapped so I guess a warning on that

None of these characters are owned by me, they are all owned by the wonderful Hiro Mashima!

A/N:

I was inspired by an au mashup post that I threw out into the world where I received the bodyguard/locked in a room combo so here I am this took 12 years because of the unruly amount of writers block I suffered

Special thanks to @petri808 and @random-rave for helping me through this batch of writers block

FF.net

           There she stood in the president of Dragneel Corporations office with the man himself in front of her staring her down through what seemed to be intimidation. Dragneel Corporations was a massive conglomerate which outsourced many private services. One of those included transportation. The head of the corporation and her father were currently in negotiation for a partnership, and it seemed as though there was a small situation they needed her involved in to finalize the deal.

           Her father – being the adoring man that he was (sarcasm intended) – had informed her that whatever the stipulation may be she had to accept it. Under no circumstances should she decline the offer she was to receive. Lucy had no intention of doing so considering if she did it would cause her more harm than good.

           So, she stood there on a thin line between panic and outrage. First, putting her in this situation was already upsetting, second? She wasn’t even sure what she would need to do. Surely, arranged marriages were things of another time so that wouldn’t be the offer. Right?

           “We have a situation with my son.” Oh, here we go, “You see he’s a hothead. Literally.”

           “Okay?” Lucy was waiting for her orders. What were they wanting her to do about his son’s behavioural issues? Get the kid a guidance counsellor, not a fiancé.

           “His magic has always been on the stronger side of the spectrum, and of course he has a temper to match. I just need a bit of help reeling him in.” Lucy had to give the man credit. He was positioning this the best he could, but she still wasn’t sure where this was going, and how it would impact her personally.

           “What I’m getting at is that your magic wavelength is calm and steady, where his is erratic and passionate. We think you might have the ability to steady his own magic to the point where if he does get mad you can keep him at bay so he doesn’t blow anything up.” His voice seemed stressed near the end, and she got a distinct feeling there had been a lot of bills paid to clean up more than a few messes.

           “And this will complete your partnership with my father?” the question floated in the air for a moment, and it seemed as though the director himself was shocked that she didn’t seem to care one way or the other.

           “Yes.” A simple answer, and straight to the point. She appreciated that.

           “Then it’s a done deal, isn’t it?” she didn’t think her magic was special, and nor did she believe it would help, but if it could complete this deal then it wouldn’t matter anyway. It didn’t matter what she thought. The only thing that mattered was completing the tasks necessary to satisfy her father.

           “I’m glad to see you’re so enthusiastic.” The comment was as dry as the martini on his desk. Why was he drinking in the middle of the day anyway?

           “Forgive me. I’d normally be a bit more excited about opportunities like these, but it’s a very odd scenario for me.” Play the role, she thought to herself. She was ‘Lucky’ Lucy Heartfilia, and she was banking on that to get through the next months she’d be spending with his ‘hot head’ son.

           “I can believe that. It’s not every day someone just says ‘hey my son is a pain in the ass, can you make him less of a pain in the ass?’” Lucy almost choked as she sputtered a laugh.

           “You laughed! Great. It was getting a little tense in here.” He figured that her father had probably forced her into agreeing with anything he asked of her. Not that Igneel was complaining – much – since it made his bargain easier, but the girl must be under a lot of pressure. He was 100% sure that if this had been an arranged marriage to his son that she’d still have agreed. He didn’t much care for a father like that, but business is business. Maybe if his son liked her enough he could just adopt her.

           “Sorry! I didn’t mean to make this awkward. My father is really… excited about this business venture so I want it to go well.” She was hoping for a simple task, and she’d gotten it so she needed to get the details hashed out to have her father could finalize the rest.

           “No problem! So, we’re going to list your official title as Bodyguard. Now, by no means are you guarding him. You’ll just be keeping the peace.” He nodded to her and then stood to cross the room to her. She hadn’t really focused on it before now, but his hair was deep red and slicked back.

           His skin was sun-kissed, and the shade of the mocha iced coffee she’d gotten last week. It contrasted well to match his dark grey eyes, but that’s what had made him entrancing to the public. His kind nature and his good looks had gotten him quite far in his business. Though, it also takes cold calculation to further a business. She knew that better than anyone. Yet, she wondered how much of him she’d see in his son.

           “We’ll be seeing more from each other from here on so let me do a proper introduction. I’m Igneel Dragneel, and I look forward to working with you.” He held out a hand, and she readily grasped it firmly to complete the shake.

           “My name is Lucy Heartfilia, and it’s a pleasure to work with you, Mr. Dragneel.”

------------------

           “Natsu!” she was screaming at the top of her lungs as she ran down the long hallway. Her transfer from Magnolia Girls’ High to Fairy Tail High School had been a complete turnaround to her previously simple life. Fairy Tail was… active to say the least. Pretty much everyone in this school had a behavioural problem, and it was no damn wonder to her why his son ended up the same.

           Still, the blonde found herself living the life of excitement she’d always dreamed of. She felt like she’d found a new home for herself. Before, her days consisted of trips to and from her home. Home. School. Home. School. A never-ending cycle. Until she met him. When Igneel had offered her this job she never thought it would allow her a life outside of her cage. She thought it would be one more thing to tie her to her father. Just one more string she’d have to cut for her own freedom. Instead, it had been the key to her rusted cage.

           “Listen here you ice freak! Keep ya clothes on. Stop. Just. Stripping. Everywhere!” that was surely Natsu’s voice she’d just heard. Cana had already called for Erza to stop them, but apparently, the redhead was fighting with the Principal regarding a matter with Jet from the Track team. She was the Student Council President so it wasn’t surprising that it would be a task for her to take care of, but without her, it was up to Lucy or Mirajane to stop them. Apparently, Mirajane had a case of the ‘sniffles’ so she was out of school today. Which meant it was up to Lucy to halt the madness.

           “No, you listen, flame brain! Not everyone can deal with living in a sauna wearing clothes!” and there was Gray. She wasn’t sure she wanted to get in the way of this fight. The pair used minimal magic when they bickered, and it was mostly a tame throwing of fists anyway.

           She also agreed with Gray on this one. It was in the triple digits today, and if it weren’t unseemly she might’ve stripped herself. Cana nearly had her school top unbuttoned all the way, and was likely to end up in a bikini top by the end of the day. The only difference between her and the stripper was she kept her pants on. Lucy herself was about to lose a layer if it got any more than two degrees hotter.

           “Yer an ice mage! Ice. Mage. Ya can live with yer clothes on!” Natsu’s voice had gotten an octave higher, and if she didn’t hurry they’d be fighting with more than just words.

           Natsu was becoming angrier by the second. It’d be one thing to lose a shirt, but the man had lost his underwear not even five minutes ago. Pants! All he was asking from the idiot was to keep his pants on.

           “Why don’t we test how cold my ice is.” And then a fist was flying at his face. He dodged in the nick of time just to see a boot aiming straight for his jaw. He launched into the air and skidded to a halt as he landed a few feet away from the outstretched leg that had attempted its assault.

           “Oh yeah? I’ll show you what it’s really like to be in a sauna!” not his best comeback, but also not his worst. His hands lit with the flames in hues of oranges, and dark reds. It took no time for the pinkette to fly forward with the intent of clocking Gray right in his stupid, smirking face.

           Their balled up fists slammed together with a loud pop! as fire met ice. Steam rolled up in waves from the constant battle of hot and cold, but neither let up. Natsu slammed his forehead into Gray’s which only furthered his rage.

           “You—” this is where she should step in. Except, she really, really didn’t want to.

           “What are you two thinking!?” Erza’s voice cut through the growing crowd, and the pair froze in their place. Natsu looked straight into the ground not even bothering to look up and make eye contact with their Student Council President. Gray was acting like an ashamed puppy. His head was turned fully away from the redhead, and his hands were shoved deep into his pockets. He’d found his pants, Lucy mused.

           “He started—” their voices mashed together as they finally looked at Erza if only to try and blame the other for the fight.

           “I don’t care! You two are friends! So. Cut. It. Out.” If she was a fire mage the redhead would literally be ablaze.

           Lucy scrambled out of the way as the student council president elbowed her way through the dissipating crowd and made her way to her office.

           She must be fighting with Jellal again. They had some minor differences in opinion about how certain things should be done in the school which occasionally caused discourse between the two.

           “Come on, Natsu! You promised we’d go get ice cream after school.” She glided over to the pinkette without her steps making a single sound. It was like she’d floated on air to arrive in the space next to him. Natsu hated when she did that. She was able to sneak up on him without effort, and each time he’d nearly clocked her in the face. He made a clicking noise with his teeth before shoving his hands into his pockets and taking his first steps forward.

           Lucy waited for a long moment to see what he would do, or say so that she would know what they were doing. She had to follow him everywhere – even his home. She was truly like a bodyguard in the sense that the only time she wasn’t by his side was when they parted ways, and she went home.

           Even then, she still missed him. Strange to think that she’d actually want to hang out with him of her own volition. She’d thought he was going to be unruly, and an all-around jerk. In actuality, he was a lot like Igneel. His charisma, honesty, and most of all his loyalty were all things she never expected him to be. The only that didn’t match…

           Natsu was truly a master at getting himself into any sticky situation possible.

           “What are you waiting for? Hurry up, Luigi.” He rubbed the back of his head as he faced her. She was mystifying to him. He knew the deal she’d stricken up with his father. At first, he’d been against her even coming near him. He didn’t want some false friend who was only there because his dad told her to be. Then, he’d actually met her. Electricity had pulsed through his veins just at the sight of her. He knew right then and there that she was a good person, and even if the pair started off odd they’d be great friends in the long run.

           Those days were long gone. Lucy was his closest friend now, and they did everything together. He even intended to invite her over for a movie night with the gang later. He had time to work out that invite for now he had to worry about ice cream. They’d been to nearly every ice cream shop in the city, and still nothing. They could never agree on a shop they both liked. He watched as a smile lit her face like fireworks in the sky.

           That was his favourite look on Lucy.

           “My name’s Lucy NOT Luigi!” she jogged to him quickly and laced her arm through his to hold onto his elbow, “Let’s try a new shop today.”

           The blonde hummed offbeat to a song Natsu couldn’t place. It might’ve been one of the ones on that pop station she liked, but he couldn’t be certain. He wasn’t really into the current music scene; he was more of a rock and roll type. Still, he liked the beat and if he remembered he’d ask her what the song was later.

           “Why don’t we try what’s-his-face’s shop.” Natsu was forever forgetting the name of Jellal’s twin brother, Siegrain. As much as Lucy was becoming aggravated by the surprising lack of ice cream shops they had left to choose from – she was also shocked that they hadn’t started there in the first place.

           “We definitely could. It’s nearly the only one left anyway.” It was a quaint little shop in Northern Magnolia run by the Fernandes’, and the twins worked there in alternating shifts after school, and over the weekend. Today, it was Friday so the one manning the shop should be Siegrain. Hopefully, it wasn’t. Lucy wasn’t a big fan of Jellal’s twin brother, but it had taken longer than it should have for them to go to their shop. Especially since Jellal was Erza’s boyfriend, and they were the red head’s dedicated friends.

           “Let’s go then. It’s not far from here, right?” it was maybe a five-minute walk if they moved quickly, and when she was with Natsu they never took their time to get anywhere. She really needed to drag him to the mountains and let him free like a wild animal. Maybe if he wasted all of his energy she’d be able to shop in peace.

           True to her word it didn’t take long to reach their destination, and once they had Lucy was mentally kicking herself. The shop was standard in size for a small business, and it definitely looked like a family owned and operated the establishment. The paint was done fresh three days ago which changed the dreary grey to a soft yellow. They had revamped for a more friendly appearance, and because Jellal’s mom finally broke her husband down to an agreement. Jellal --  even Siegrain -- had been giving the entire student council a play-by-play of the bickering that had been ensuing in the Fernandes homestead and honestly it wasn’t pretty.

           As a result, the disagreement ended with a subtle yellow that felt like walking into a true home. It was a warmth she hadn’t experienced in a family setting in a long time. It was similar to her favourite flower: Narcissus Bergerac. It was a type of daffodil, and her mother used to have them all over the home when she was alive.

           At the very least it looked like Jellal’s father managed to keep some of his dark colour schemes; in the form of dark grey window frames. Now, she’d never seen the original paint job, but she found that she quite liked the new one. Once more, she mentally kicked herself. It was so cute, and she’d spent so much time putting off coming to this shop.

           “Are you gonna move those legs or not?” Natsu’s voice came from the coral pink doorway. He had been holding it open while waiting for her, but she knew that he wouldn’t wait much longer.

           “Coming!” the bell above the door made a ‘ding!’ As it shut behind them, and it was Lucy who made a small gasp at the sight before her.

           “Jellal?” it was questioning since she still had a hard time telling the twins apart.

           “Hey Lucy!” he gave a small wave, “Natsu.” A two finger salute was exchanged between the two boys.

           “Is this why Erza was mad?” The blonde was pretty sure she already knew the answer, but a little confirmation never hurt.

           Natsu himself decided to ignore the conversation and began to check the ice cream selection. He didn’t much care to watch Lucy talk to other guys, not because of some misguided jealousy, but because she always seemed formal unlike when she was with him. It did take them a while to get to that point, but watching her seem so tense just made him uncomfortable.

           Pistachio. His mind mulled over the ice cream flavour but he opted to continue his search.

           “-pposed to go on a date today.” He caught the butt end of the statement and whirled around to see where the conversation was going.

           “And that’s exactly what pissed her off, huh?” Lucy finished with a sigh. She was bent over and leaning on the counter. Suddenly Natsu glad she wasn’t constantly wearing revealing clothing.

           “Yeah. If Siegrain could stop just running off all the time it wouldn’t be an issue.” Jellal shrugged with an attached exasperated sigh. Lucy, however, knew that he had either pushed council work onto Erza, or he’d have to do double his work on Monday just to be here to cover his brother’s shift. It was likely the latter.

           “I’ll help you with your paperwork. I’ve already completed most of mine so it’s not a big deal.” She was the student council secretary, which meant that she just kept extremely detailed notes and attendance on the members. Plus, she aided other members in their duties. Which wasn’t technically part of her own job, but she wasn’t going to leave her fellow council members stranded. Her hand touched Jellal’s shoulder and gave it a quick double pat.

           Natsu wasn’t mad, but the sight caused a slight twist in his gut, and a squeeze in his chest. He focused back on the ice cream without a second thought to the flash of emotion, but he knew he’d come back to it later. His eyes once again landed on Pistachio.

           “Did you pick one?” he flinched and jumped a step to the side when Lucy’s voice rang in his ear; startling him. When did she get there?

           “I was thinkin’ pistachio, but I’m also eyeing birthday cake.” This was part of the problem, Lucy mused. The pinkette wasn’t one to stick to a flavour, and much like his magic, he didn’t stick to one set regiment. Lucy, however, was cut and dry. She’d be getting mint chocolate chip just like she did every time.

           “This is why we can’t decide on a shop. You never like the selection.”

           “Listen, Luce. It’s boring to have only 12 flavours every time.” He was right it could be boring to have limited options, but she was fine with it which is why they argued often about going for ice cream.

           “We alternate. If that helps. We cycle out our flavours every few weeks to keep it fresh.” Jellal shot them a pair of finger guns, and Natsu’s eyes lit up at the prospect of the many flavour options that would be available to him over time.

           The bell dinged signalling the entrance of a new customer, and immediately Jellal was on standby for prompt customer service. While Siegrain was a great leader, and the accuracy of his work only rivalled by his own brother – he was also lazy. Which was why he often took impromptu days off, and left his brother always handling the mess. It’s why Jellal was the student council vice president and he wasn’t.

           Lucy was second to face the door and stare at the shadowed figure wearing a hoodie. That already had her on edge, and yet her body wouldn’t move even as her heart pounded in her chest so hard that it felt like her body was vibrating. The sound of a clatter had her looking to the floor. What caught her eye was more then she bargained for.

           Grenade.

           “Natsu, look out!” she screamed as Jellal hit the ground, and Natsu just barely started turning to face the door. This was bad. Very, very bad. She didn’t have time to discern what type of grenade, but she hoped to all hell that it wasn’t the lethal kind.

           Natsu stared first at the figure, and then immediately looked towards the item on the ground. He’d recognize that anywhere. He’d seen it multiple times – mostly during a kidnapping. A hand gripped his elbow, and pulled, effectively throwing him back onto the hard linoleum floor. It was hard for him to focus, but the last thing he saw was Lucy jumping in front of him to shield him from the blast. He attempted to reach out to her, but an earth-shattering bang filled the room, and he slid into darkness with ease.

           Lucy felt a cold surface beneath her cheek, but everything was blurry and it was hard to focus. Instead, as the light faded while her eyes slowly slid shut, she flowed right into unconsciousness. The rumbling growl of an engine growing louder was the last sound she heard.

------------------ 

           Natsu was the first to awaken. His head felt like it was splitting open, but that was normal for someone hit by a stun grenade. His hands gripped his skull while he made a low moaning noise. It was then that his memory hit him like a ton of bricks, and he shot up quickly. Lucy. He had to find Lucy.

           His body was wracked by nausea from moving too quickly, but he persevered until his back slammed against the wall which gave himself a chance to breathe. Plus, his vision was still swimming. Eyes closed, he finally had the opportunity to rest his sore body. His hands were tied behind his back from what he could tell. From the feel it was also easy to confirm it was regular rope; a poor choice on their part.

           That wasn’t the problem. The imminent issue was his body NOT LISTENING TO HIM. He needed to get up, or really move in any way so he could find Lucy. Hopefully, they’d just left her in the shop with Jellal. He trusted Jellal, to a point, would take care of her and get her to safety.

           It wasn’t until he heard a small whimper that he realized they were in the worst case scenario.

           “Ohhhuch.” Her mumble sounded like a mix between a groan and an ‘ouch’, but it all seemed to cross together so he really couldn’t tell.

           “Luce…” his voice echoed through the room to see if he could garner an answer. He was met with silence. Natsu Dragneel was about ten seconds from screaming when her voice cut him off.

           “Shut up.” It was an irritated mutter, but he was just happy she responded.

           “I haven’t even said anything yet.” More like he hadn’t screamed yet. He wasn’t surprised at her response, but he assumed she was going through her own brain pain.

           And she was. Lucy was being blinded by flashing colourful spots, and what would certainly be a concussion. She couldn’t move, but she was certain she had hit her head when the stun grenade went off and shattered her 5 senses. She opted not to move. Instead, she hoped Natsu would talk again to help ground her to her own body.

           “Luce. You okay?” finally he spoke.

           “I’m just peachy.” Her throat felt dry, and the words came out as a croak.

           “I’ll take it.” Natsu grunted, and his eyes once again closed since he still couldn’t get rid of the blurred vision.

           “My head feels like it’s splitting open.” It was also wet, which meant to Lucy that she had more than a minor head injury. Which was probably why her head felt like garbage

           “Sounds about right. Ya got vision back yet?” simple question. Not an ideal answer, though. He finished his sentence with a grunt as he shifted his position to remove the pressure from his hands.

           “Don’t I wish.” She muttered in return. She still refused to even try to move. Her entire body didn’t seem like it was going to respond anyway.

           Natsu let out a deep sigh and finally opened his eyes. It was by no means clear, but he had vision. That was certainly an improvement. He looked around the room they were in. It was basic, and it could’ve been a study room at some point. Once he got out of the ropes it would be no issue to blow the building to smithereens and get them out of here. His eyes flicked to Lucy, and that’s when he snapped. She was facing him, her breathing heavy, and blood seeping from a wound on her head. It was staining her beautiful blonde hair, red.

           “We’ve gotta go. Now.” His tone sounded harsh and held barely controlled rage. This was… bad. To say the least. Lucy couldn’t breathe with the impending doom hanging over her head. Natsu was about to destroy everything in his path. Still, the blonde couldn’t move a muscle. It clicked, she could still talk. If she got him close enough. Yeah. She could try that.

           The smell of burnt rope filled the air meaning she had a very small window to catch him.

           “Natsu.” Her voice was hoarse, but this time she opened her eyes. It was blurry, but she was beginning to regain her sight which was a plus in this situation.

           “Don’t worry, I’m gonna get us out of here.” No room for argument. It was at that moment that Lucy Heartfilia wished she could be the Fernandes’ mother. Maybe then she could convince Natsu to have yellow walls instead of dark grey. Or in this instance, have him not blow up an entire building. She didn’t even know where they were. Was it a school, or someone’s home. Either way, it was her job to keep Natsu from making a mess. Also, she didn’t want to see him get in trouble if she could help it.

           “Natsu. Get over here, you idiot.” Her voice was raspy, and she was going to need more than a glass of water later.

           Natsu was seething with rage. The starting of flames wrapped around his body, and delicately licked his skin. It was like the calm before the storm. Luckily, the pinkette obeyed. His movements were slow, and steady as though he knew that fast movement might cause her to throw up.

           “Don’t be dramatic.” She muttered softly.

           “Don- Dramatic. I’m dramatic!? Do ya know what ya look like right now? Ya look like a scene straight from a murder film right before ya get killed off.” Trust Natsu to go with a horror movie reference.

           “Yeah. You’re being dramatic, and dumb.” She didn’t believe what she was saying. He wasn’t being dramatic, or dumb, he was just worried about his friends. Her hand obeyed her command and moved to him. She needed skin contact for more reasons than one.

           First, she had to touch him with bare skin to use her magic as a calming agent. Igneel had shown her how to do it only once. She still wasn’t sure of how the calming process worked. Second? She was scared. This was an unfamiliar location, and she was relatively injured. She was fairly certain she wasn’t bleeding anymore, but that didn’t mean much if she didn’t get first aid soon. How long had they been gone? Jellal would have notified Igneel the moment he could and the Dragneel corp. would send out their team. Who knows how long they had before his father found them.

           “No, you’re the idiot! Ya think I’m gonna stand by when you’re hurt like this. No way, we need to get you home.” He wasn’t sure of her plan, but his was simple. Destroy everything and make them feel the wrath of a Dragneel. You didn’t harm a member of Fairy Tail or the Dragneel family without consequences. At this point, Lucy was both.

           His father would not take kindly to this, but like hell, Natsu wouldn’t take the glory for himself. They hurt Lucy, and he’d be damned if he didn’t avenge her himself.

           “Please don’t do anything rash.” She breathed heavily, “And please don’t go.” The last part was a whisper, but Natsu heard it. His rage quelled, barely, and he moved closer to her.

           “I’m right here.” She sighed with relief as she reached out and grabbed his hand. What had Igneel said? Picture a flowing river? His instructions always had a lot of imagery. Still, she tried. She imagined the ebb and flow of a beautiful river shimmering in the glare of the sun. She could almost feel the heat of summer on her skin. Beside her, Natsu’s hand tightened around her own.

           “You tricked me.” An exasperated sigh left his lips. The feel of her energy began to pull him back down from his adrenaline.

           “Don’t be so easily fooled.” He gave a small chuckle in response, but even as the pulse of magic stopped he still didn’t let go of her hand.

           “Hey, if you get out of the hospital tonight do ya wanna see a movie?” This was not the right time, obviously, but he swore to himself he’d get to it. So, he got to it.

           “Natsu Dragneel, are you asking me out on a date?” she sounded incredulous as if she thought he had never looked at her that way.

           “Is the answer a yes?” he was tentative, as though her answer would determine his own.

           “Yes?” quizzical, but also hopeful.

           “Then, yes I did.” This time he sounded sure of his intentions, and she was happy to hear the change in ambition, “Ah, but the gang’ll be there.”

           And the moment was over.

           “You’re… an experience.” She mumbled.

           “I’m adorable.” He stated it as though it were an absolute fact.

           “And, I’m going to hit you.” There was a bout of laughter between the two before it was replaced with a serious tone.

           “Well, it’s time to blast our way out of here.” Natsu stood, and then made a show of stretching out his muscles and joints.

           “What!? No, I put a stop to tha—”

           “I’m not destroying the whole building, Lucy. I’m just gonna blast a hole in this wall here, and then we’re gonna run.” He stated it as though it were some wonderfully simple task that couldn’t possibly have a single consequence. She sent a silent apology to Igneel about the paperwork he was about to be drowned in.

           It was quick and precise as Natsu obliterated a piece of the wall leading to the outside. His task with Lucy was not quick but was precise. Her injuries required delicacy. He shifted her position on his back while she gripped tightly to his school-issued blazer. Then, he jumped. They landed roughly in the grass below, and Natsu was quick to blast full speed ahead. No doubt his father and Fairy Tail would be looking for them by now.

           “Do you think we’ll make it in time for movie night?” Lucy asked as the fire mage pulled them through the forest with expertise.

           “Damn straight.” His laugh was resounding while also being a comfort to her in the current predicament. But she trusted him.

           She’d trusted him since the day she’d met him

#nalu ff #nalu #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #natsu x lucy #fairy tail #ft #fairy tail ff #bae #dorkneel #otp: welcome home #my writing

[scarletfokx]

HI GUYS! I WOULD LIKE TO ADVERTISE A FEW STORIES I WROTE ON FANFICTION THAT HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN OUT THERE BECAUSE I WROTE THEM SO LONG AFTER FAIRY TAIL ENDED. THE SHIPS I FOCUS ON ARE PRIMARILY JERZA, WITH TOUCHES OR GRAYZA, MYSTOZA, GRAYTEAR, AND NALU.

Fairy Tail Academy is based on The Vampire Academy novels by Richelle Mead, I couldn't get it out of my head how alike Romitri and Jerza were, right down to character and plot, so I decided to try and write my own Fairy Tail version of it. M-rated and major character deaths, be warned. There are nalu mentions, slight Grayza, Mystoza, Ermon and primary Jerza.

Flower Circle is a (Jerza story) story about how Erza reflects on what her mother went through and how she secretly kept her body so she could give her a proper burial. M-rated, hints of Grayza, anti Gruvia, tearjerker.

Goodbye's no good, is a story based on the episode of Lost Girl where Bo has to do the joining but she can't take a weapon in to the challenge to defend herself and because there was a strong possibility she might die Dyson offered himself as hand(mortal weapon) to go with her and protect her, only there was a terrible price he had to pay. M-rated, Jerza-centric, unrequited Grayza, tearjerker, wolf-fic.

Kissing Cousin's, was thought up one day when I remembered something's from my early childhood. Many parts of the story are based on those memories but this is a young love Jerza fanfic, where they grow up and decide to be together even if the world is against them. M-rated, Jerza, Graytear, Nalu, somewhat incest.

My dearest friend, is a story about how things could have been if Erza and Mystogan had become friends. K+ rated, tearjerker, Mystoza, Jerza.

Space Wolf is a sci-fi/fantasy story about a group of children sent up into space to be experimented on and taught magic among other things. They find out they are going to be killed because the experiment failed and the researchers don't want their despicable act reaching the public. This story is Jellal centric, about how he saves his friends and becomes a hero only to slowly lose everything he cares about and sink further and further into despair. T-rated, rating might go up once the time skip happened and they reach adulthood, Jerza, Graytear and others, futuristic world with magic and politics.

This story is about Jellal and Erza living their own separate lives and how those lives slowly collide together. When they first meet Jellal is in love with her but he is too young for her. Something happens and Erza and a few other people are trapped in a time warp for seven years, when it finally releases them they are exactly how they were when they were taken, but the rest of the world has changed dramatically. They try to adapt in a new strange world where everything is different. Almost everything. Jellal has changed a lot from the innocent boy who had puppy love for Erza, he still wants her and now he won't give up until she gives in. The only problem for them is that he is mortal and she isn't, anyone touched by time will live forever. M-rated, fantasy world, muilti shippings, Rave Master characters included.

#anime #manga #fairy tail #fairy tail erza #fairy tail jellal #edens zero #fairy tail jerza #jellal x erza #otp #vampire academy #Jerza #grayza #greyza #nalu #graytear #mystoza #fanfiction #fanfic

[pyropsychiccollector]

Natza/Jeredy Drabble - Kinda Had To

Meredy: How come you didn't get together with Erza? There's nothing holding you back now.

Jellal: Well, you see... it was... necessary. *looks about warily*

Meredy: *tilts head* How so? From what I saw, it was in the bag - you both liked each other a lot. *pause* Don't tell me you still can't forgive yourself.

Jellal: I've gotten over that... for the most part... No, I chose not to act on my feelings out of survival instinct.

Meredy: Instinct...?

Jellal: *coughs awkwardly* I can still feel the phantom pains of when Natsu put me through the Tower of Heaven. If I got together with Erza... *shudder*

Meredy: Pfft. You're scared of Natsu? He wouldn't hate you too much if you treated Erza right~. ^___^

Jellal: *deadpan* Yes he would. Because I would have taken Erza from him. And it's not even him I'm *scared* of. It's... Erza. She'll be far, FAR too rough in the bedroom. It will bring back bad memories...

Meredy: Mmm... Well, you're not WRONG about how rough she is~. Those poor beds... walls... rooms... ^_____^

Jellal: *suspiciously* And how do you know this...?

Meredy: Natsu popped her cherry last week, and they've been going at it every night since. I even feel sore when I turn off the sensory link~.

Jellal: *wipes sweat from his brow* Thank Kami... Dragneel's finally taken her. Now I don't have to worry about her jumping my bones...

Meredy: She put that much fear into you? o.o

Jellal: The looks she was giving me after we were pardoned were going well beyond 'stripping me with her eyes'... I feel I had good reason to be *scared*. >__

#Fairy Tail #Jellal Fernandes #Meredy #Natsu x Erza #Natza #Meredy x Jellal #Jeredy

[mags-duranb]

My Universe One

aka if Mags gets to put her paws on Jellal (metaphorically).

I know some of you know, Jellal’s characterization has been a big issue, not only for me but for other ppl in the fandom. I know there is hate towards him and let’s be honest, is not entirely unjustified.

If you gonna bring back a character from the dead, make sure that character makes its prolongued stay count for something. If not, save yourself the grief. And as much as it pains me to say this (like ohmygod, I... urgh!) Jellal was better off dead than getting the shitty treatment his character got. Paraphrasing a friend, he got the potential to have a poweful story on redemption, a journey worthy to be told but instead we got the most pandering, bland one. Waste!

It hurts one as a fan but at the same, the posibilities makes you salivate (or at least me)

So I started writing a list of things I so would love to fix about him, which I divided by arcs, parting from the famous Seven Years that the Fairy Tail core guild members disappeared. 

Let’s keep in mind this is my humble POV, if you want to add something, feel free.

SEVEN YEARS ARC

To being with, those seven years will count, not only in terms of character development but maturity too. A 26 years old Jellal living as a fugitive will leave its mark. From a 19 year old teenager who got to be at the peak of the magic world to an adult who hit rock botton and had to claw his way back. However, this gonna be bordering seinen and shonen kids, so not too much darkness, kay?. 

Will keep the bit about Jellal recovering his memory in jail and him using that time to piece together the person he once was, realizing sadly that he would never be the same.

He will learn about Erza and Fairy Tail most likely died in Tenrou, falling  into despair and closing into himself. Is at that time that Ultear appears to free him and most likely saving him in the moment he needed it most.

Jellal and Ultear gonna have a hard time to fix all the shit in between the two. Trust has to be gained and she will have to work hard for it. 

Jellal will be free from jail by Ultear but as I said, things don't go smoothly. Jellal at first goes with what she tells him because he is emotionally and physically too weak. Erza's and Fairy tail "death" is still fresh and he is trying to adapt to the sudden vortex of changes he has been thrown into; learning how to think by himself and have true freedom or as much as you can have when you are still under the care of the person that manipulated you for 8 years, because Ultear may have changed her views but some habits are hard to kill. So at some point Jellal decides to take his own path and figures out things for himself because even if he owes her his freedom and his life there is a lot of hurt, deceit and mistrust between them to go on together peacefully.

Of course Ultear feels like a big failure but can't help to get where he is coming from and to let him go. She will realize she still can’t get rid of her need to control him (in the form of overprotectiveness, and the insidious conviction of believing she knows what's good for him) which will send her into further depression and almost made her give up if it wasn't for Meredy and the fact that the girl needs her. So she forces herself to keep going for her and seek her own answers like Jellal has done for himself (his first act of independence which later on will become a source of pride instead of a source of sadness).

Erza and Fairy tail's dissappearance is the big elephant in the room they avoid to address till the year before Fairy tail came back.

Jellal goes through trial and error to learn how to finally live by himself after 8 years of manipulation. Despite the overhelming feelings, his personality remains in the way he is determined to find his own answers as how to live after everything that has happened.

He will meet people in the way, and this people will help him to shape who he is, the people of his present but also the people of his past.

He is gonna travel all the continent and at some point he will cross to Arakitashia continent, to Alvarez kingdom in his path to find himself.

Since he is a highly intelligent man, he also would want to learn more about magic. So that won’t be forgotten, he will put those brains of his to work. It will be key in the arcs to come.

Do you remember that Kid Jellal was a leader and someone brave who wanted to help people gain freedom?. Welp, that won’t be thrown under the bus. He was kind and determined, so those traits will show through his need to help those in need.

Since he is a wizard saint level mage, he is wanted all across the Ishgar continent. His status as one makes him very dangerous at the eyes of the Magic Council and they fear him as much considering he became a Wizard Saint with just a though projection. His reward is the highest one in all history of Fiore.

At some point he crossed paths with Wally and Sho. It's a rollecoaster, it took time but Jellal apologized properly and they started their first steps to health. Still a long way to go.

He finds out where Kagura is. He keeps his distance because he is not ready yet (he knows it because his first though is to offer his life to her and he is hanging to his life for his promise to Erza and Ultear) So, is not the moment but he knows he has to confront her some day.

He starts communication with Ultear after three years since he was freed by her (the 4th of the seven years). Since then they keep their communications in code. 

He will join Meredy and Ultear at the 5th year of the 7, he had been communicating with Ultear for a whole year now. 

Is at this point that Jellal has gotten his own answer. Which does not means everything is resolved, but that he now can give his first steps to the right direction and can look at Ultear in the eyes. 

Is at the six year they stablish Crime Sorciere.Their goal is to "destroy" dark guilds and give a chance to start anew to those who want to be free from the darkness within their hearts (this is a shonen xD).

Later on Jellal and co infiltrated Era's dungeons and stablished contact with Oracion Seis, making use of his hability as a politician during his years at the council along Ultear, they convice them to join their cause. They accept almost peacefuly (we'll get some minor fight over it but nothing serious). - I have to thank @sassyhazelowl for this one.

Crime Sorciere name and reputation will spread across Fiore for the amount of dark guilds being destroyed by them. Crime Sorciere offers the fallen guilds these options: they can join them, seek a better honest life or go to jail.

Minor Notes about Ultear (She is fascinating, period)

Ultear is second after Jellal with a high reward on her head. 

Jella’s departure hurt her a lot and almost gave up but Meredy’s constant presence helped her to hang to her sanity and will to live on.

She comes with the idea to create Crime Sorciere to seek redemption in her many talks with Jellal through lacrima. Throught those talks they shape their future guild.

She also moved through all the Ishgar continent but never left it. Thanks to her habilities of transformation (which she thaught  to Meredy) she managed to keep a step ahead from their pursuers.

She was thorough training Meredy, so no weak pink girl here. She travels with two powerhouses, so she can kick ass... hard.

Meredy is her ray of light, period.

It’s Jellal who tatooed her back with the new guild mark.

Both don’t talk about how the Grimoire Heart guild mark was erased. Not even Meredy knows, just Jellal and Ultear.

DONE! Next arc later!

cc

@sassyhazelowl

@ajerzaaddict

@bellagill92

#Jellal Fernandes #Ultear Milkovich #Meredy #crime sorciere #fairy tail #headcanons #ft fics

[the-windchild]

Bad Trips Gone Right

She didn’t want this trip.

He sure as hell didn’t want this trip.

But alas, they had no choice in the matter. One was a mandatory, boring school field trip. The other was a more than forced, family vacation for ‘bonding time’.

Like she wanted to be stuck in the same bus with her long-time rival, not to mention it’d be a long ride until arriving at their destination.

Like he wanted to go on a trip with his terrible dad and be stuck in the same car as him for hours.

“Nope. I don’t wanna go,” Mika whined, crossing her arms and leaning back on the couch.

“Mika, come on. We can’t just leave you all alone,” her best friend said, tilting his head. “Everyone in our class is going and—”

“I am not sitting in the same bus for hours on end with that stupid bastard Sting. I’m not doing it!” Mika argued, glaring off to the side. “Besides, we’d also have to be together touring the city or whatever we’re doing. Like I wanna spend all day with him!”

“Well then just stay away from him…?”

“I’m not going!!”

“You can’t make me go,” Glasses repeated for the third time.

“Spending time with your parents for a few days won’t kill you, Glasses~” His mother also repeated for the third time.

“If dad’s driving there’s a good chance of it,” he responded. “I don’t want to sit in the same car as him for hours on end.”

“It won’t be too bad~”

“I’m not going.”

It was hot and stuffy inside the bus, even with some of the windows open. The breeze that wafted in was warm, which truly didn’t help with anything. It was simply too packed and too noisy. Mika had hoped to nap a little bit during the trip, but with how loud everything was and how hot everything was, that wasn’t happening. She couldn’t even do some reading with her precious Teacher in peace. It took all her mental strength to stop herself from going to the front of the bus and begging Jellal to stop to let her out.

“Can’t we stop for gas or something? I just want off of this bus!” Mika shouted, leaning against Levy. “It feels like it’s been hours! How long does it take for gas to run low?!”

“You need to calm down…” Natsu sighed, reaching over and flicking her forehead.

“Yeah, please do. I’m sick of your whining, Kiddo.”

There it was. There it was—that damn nickname she hated. The bastard knew just when to bother her. “This is the first time I’ve verbally complained. So SHUT UP.”

“Do ya wanna hop over here and make me?

“You wanna play that game on the bus? Fine. Bring it on.”

This was the third time they had been pulled over for going passed the speed limit. Not that it mattered, seeing as Satanick passed it off like nothing. He’d wait for the police to head off and then he’d start driving in his ‘casual way’ again. Glasses thought of attempting to tell his dad to slow down a bit, but with how loud the music was being blasted there was no way that he’d hear him. Thus, he was stuck in a speeding car with painfully loud music and having the worry of being pulled over again.

At least he had some cigarettes on him to somewhat calm his nerves. Perhaps his mother tried talking to him, too, but he couldn’t hear anything she could have said. If only sleeping was an option. Or at least pull over for a couple minutes and get some additional gas or something. Though, his dad probably loaded up pretty heavy so they could get to their destination in one, terribly long, sitting.

“THANK GOD!”

Mika hopped off the bus and near stumbled because of the careless act. It grabbed the attention from fellow classmates and other people at the gas station. Like hell that she cared. It was just a great feeling to be off the bus and get some proper fresh air. It was at least two hours of a drive thus far. Who knows how much longer this would last? Might as well enjoy the short time off the bus as much as possible.

Mika ignored Jellal’s announcement to all of them to not walk too far and headed straight into the market. She strutted through the store and headed straight for any medication bottles were at. She made sure to have at least twenty dollars on her, just in case. Hopefully that would be enough for a bottle of aspirin.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips when her eyes caught onto the last bottle on the shelf. Humming, she reached over and went to grab it. Thankfully, she managed to swipe it before another hand tried to take it from her. She held the bottle close and looked up to see a man standing next to her. It was kind of strange that he was wearing apparent sunglasses inside, and wearing a suit. Maybe he was a business man of some kind, not that it mattered in the end.

“’Scuse me. Mind if I have those?” He asked, pulling his hand back.

“Sorry, Mister, but I had them first,” Mika countered, holding the bottle closer to her and near pouting.

“But I’m an adult. I’ve got special privileges.”

“…I’ve been on the same bus with my rival for hours, bothering me and calling me ‘Kiddo’. I have a huge headache.”

“I’ve been sittin’ in the same car as my dad for hours, been pulled over three times for goin’ past the speed limit and having loud music blarin’ in my ears. My headache is ten times worse.”

“…Wow. That sounds…Ugh. Alright, you win,” Mika handed over the bottle and held her hands behind her back.

“Jus’ so you know, you’d need an adult with you to buy these anyway,” He said, rattling the bottle. “We can share ‘em.”

Once they were outside, Mika held out her hand and let the stranger dump, unfortunately only two, pills into her hand. Perhaps that was reasonable. She was younger and having too much probably wouldn’t be good. It would probably be suspicious if she ended up falling asleep on the bus all of a sudden as well. Which was what she had been kind of going for, but after thinking it through it was best this way.

“Thanks, Mister…” Mika popped the pills into her mouth casually. “I really needed that.”

“Mhmm. Good luck with the rest of your drive,” he said, stuffing the pill bottle into his suit pocket.

“You too. I hope you don’t get pulled over anymore.”

With that, the two of them parted ways.

Who knows how late it was by the time they finally arrived at their hotel. It was rather nice. Was this family vacation truly that important that they needed a large luxury hotel? At least like this, though, they wouldn’t have to share rooms. Glasses would be free of his parents. Since it had been so late, there wouldn’t be any ‘special bonding time’ until the morning. Or hopefully Glasses could work his way out of it.

Once he made sure his parents were asleep, he exited the rather large hotel room and left straight out of the lobby. Like hell some place like this would allow smoking on the balconies. It gave him extra excuse to get away from his parents, though, so it wasn’t so bad.

Glasses was unfamiliar with this city he was dragged to. All he could tell was that it was a large city. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too hard to navigate or take too long. All he needed was to get lost with his dad. That would be more than disastrous, no doubt.

The moment he got outside, Glasses whipped out a cigarette and lit it, walking further away from the hotel to avoid any possible complaints. There was a cool breeze and his ears picked up the sound of waves. Perhaps they were somewhere on the coast. He’d have to find out in the morning when he had more energy to bother looking for anything special.

He did walk a fair way from the luxury hotel, though. It was because of that that he came by another hotel with a certain bus parked in the lot. He glanced up when he saw a figure looking down at him from above one of the balconies. When he got a wave, he barely tilted his head and gave a quick wave back.

Mika headed outside the lobby and casually moved her way over to the certain someone she met earlier that day. She paid no mind to the fact that she wasn’t wearing any shoes and only her nightgown, but she at least had a blanket wrapped around her small frame. She stopped in front of the man and smiled.

“Well if it isn’t my pill saviour, Mister Glasses!” Mika chimed.

“…I don’t recall givin’ you my name…” He said slowly, blowing smoke away from her.

“Huh? No, I mean…That’s…” Mika stuttered and tilted her head. “But I only called you that because…I mean? Uuh?!”

“Yes, Glasses is my real name.”

Mika blushed furiously now and hid her face in her small hands. What part she was embarrassed about, she wasn’t quite sure herself. It was just a nickname she thought up because it was still odd to her that ‘Glasses’ wore sunglasses inside. To think that was his name, and casually say it as if it was nothing…Hell, did it make her feel strange.

“I-I’m sorry…” She apologized, though there was uncertainty in her voice at the same time. She lowered her hands and looked back up at Glasses. Her blush wasn’t as heavy, but there was still pink evident on her face. “I didn’t…I mean? Uhh…”

“It ain’t a big deal. I’ve gotten worse,” Glasses said and shook his head. “What’s your name?”

“Mika! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mister Glasses!” Mika enthusiastically said, reaching over and lightly shaking Glasses’ free hand. “What are you doing out here?” She asked and pulled back.

“Family vacation. And if I remember right, you’re here for school,” he answered, taking a quick drag. “Speaking of which, you should probably be sleeping right now. Not talkin’ t’me.”

“I’m…Not really looking forward to tomorrow…I told you about my rival. We’ll have to be in the same group all day. I’d rather not do that…”

“That’s still no excuse for ya to be up this late,” Glasses shook his head in an almost disapproving way. He dropped his cigarette to the ground and rubbed his foot against it a couple times. “But I guess I see what you’re goin’ for. Tryin’ to say you didn’t get a lot of sleep as an excuse to not go out, yeah?”

“Th-that’s to say…” Mika rubbed the back of her head and looked away. She sighed deeply. It took only a few seconds for Mika to brighten back up again. She looked back at Glasses and smiled. “Mister Glasses, can I go out with you tomorrow?”

“’Scuse me?”

“Please, Mister Glasses! I don’t wanna spend all day with Sting and…Well…”

“I’ll be busy all day tomorrow, too, y’know…” Glasses said. “Can’t do that.”

“Then how about we meet at 7:30? You can come pick me up here and we can go do something!”

“Mika, it really ain’t that easy…”

Mika casually reached over and took hold of both of Glasses’ hands. She then looked back up at him, giving him the best puppy dog eyes she could manage. “Mister Glasses…”

“…You ain’t gonna give up, are ya?” He asked, in which Mika responded by shaking her head. It felt like forever but then Glasses let out a sigh of forfeit. “Fine, fine. I’ll pick ya up here at 7:30 tomorrow.”

Mika’s smile grew and she basically jumped on Glasses, wrapping her small arms around him. “Thanks, Mister Glasses! Maybe this trip won’t be so bad after all!”

“…Maybe not.”

#Welcome to AU drabble hell Glasses #once you're in you can't get out #ahem-- #I had fun writing this #I hope I managed to keep Glasses IC #I think I did pretty well tbh?? #but I mean this /is/ my first time writing him solo so... #but mhmm! I think I did alright c: #a part of me almost wants to make more to this but #I don't even know what to label this AU tho #it's just the way Glasska interacts man #ah whatever. we'll see what happens #Enjoy! #Grangel writes #Mika's AU Adventures

[riverofmemoriesft]

. Between the Lines . 198

Lucy found herself dancing with everyone during the party - almost everyone, anyways. Loke didn't show up despite having promised he would.

Gray cut in despite Natsu's protests. Jellal offered a dance when Erza demanded one with Natsu and he'd been surprisingly good at it, keeping up with her brisk pace. Sting and Rogue had each taken a turn, Rogue surprisingly playful despite his usual serious attitude. It had been awkward at first, remembering just who had caused their destruction. But she'd gotten over it.

She danced with Cana at Cana's insistence, and playfully whisked Asuka around. Happy had shyly asked much to her excitement.

She'd danced with Elfman and a reluctant Cobra, who Kinana had insisted dance with Lucy on the grounds that he owed her a dance for getting his name cleared.

Lyon had interrupted when Gray had danced with Meredy, and even a surprisingly willing Laxus had shown up at one point. Mirajane had been delighted and endlessly praised him when he'd returned to her and Lucy silently watched with amusement as Natsu placed a hand irritably on her waist, not pleased that everyone else had gotten more time dancing with her than him.

I bet Laxus did that on purpose to get Mirajane's favor, she accused silently.

Natsu puffed out a cloud of smoke into her face to get her attention and Lucy waved it away, giving him a sharp look before frowning. She suddenly smacked her hands over Natsu's cheeks, gently wiping with her thumbs beneath his eyes. "Is this...makeup?"

"Lucy-"

"Natsu," she said softly, her eyes widening at the black shadows she saw. Now that she looked closer, she saw his eyes drooping, his entire body ready to crash. He was exhausted - more than exhausted. He could have slept for days.

Yet he was here, trying to make her happy and swing around with as much as energy as he could exert.

"Natsu," she repeated, her voice surprisingly sad. His gaze flashed with panic and then settled on anxious. "You haven't been sleeping?"

"Couldn't," he rasped. "Nightmares."

She smiled sadly and glanced over her shoulder at the party that was taking place. No one else seemed to notice them except for Mavis, who wore a look of understanding - and longing. Lucy frowned a little. Did Mavis want to speak with them? She'd find out later.

"Why don't we head out?" Lucy suggested. "My feet hurt from these heels."

He hesitated. "Okay," Natsu agreed. He let her tug him by his hand out of the party and back into the fresh air. He made a face when they passed a couple that had hidden in a corner to make out. Ugh.

He'd never dream of doing that with Lucy in public.

...well, he'd never act on those dreams.

They entered the gardens after a few minutes of walking. Lucy was quiet, her fingers tangled in his, and he looked at their clasped hands with a thoughtful look. He could see the choker she'd chosen from his hoard wrapped around her wrist. His eyes lit up a little at the sight of it.

She never took it off, and it made him happy to know that there were fragments of his father's magic hidden within it alongside his own. She was protected mentally by it at least.

Suddenly, Natsu tugged Lucy to a stop. She glanced back at him and his heart swelled once more at the sight of her. He'd never thought of how pretty a girl could be. Not until Lucy had shown up and completely uprooted everything in his life. "Want to look at the gardens since they weren't wrecked?"

She frowned. He worried that she'd disagree, that they'd seen them before, but she shrugged instead. "Sure," she agreed, arching a brow.

He beamed, giving her his brightest grin.

After a while of wandering through the gardens, they headed back to where they were camping out. Jura had kindly created shelters for everyone to change in the night before, for after the party, and Lucy took advantage of one now.

Natsu pouted when she came out in some comfortable shorts and a tank top. While he thought Lucy to look nice in everything, he'd liked the colors on her.

"Alright," she said sharply when he'd changed too. "Talk. I want to hear why you aren't sleeping."

So much for avoiding the subject.

Natsu grimaced. He scrubbed at an eye with a yawn as he thought of what to say and Lucy waited patiently after settling beside him. Happy had agreed to stay with Wendy for the party, and she had no doubt that Wendy would bring him with her and Charle later.

Suddenly, he shook his head, his breath catching. "Luce, I can't. Please. I'll...I'll talk about it later. I don't...Luce, I don't want to…" Just the sudden idea of all of this, of explaining that when he was sleeping he saw things that tore him to pieces-

Frowning when she heard him begin to breathe harshly, his heartbeat picking up, the way his face was suddenly stricken with panic, Lucy nudged him lightly. "It's fine. I don't have to hear them now. But I want you to get some sleep. You'll crash and hurt yourself if you don't sleep soon."

He hesitantly nodded and relaxed after a few moments.

He took a deep breath and then glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. Lucy had her head tilted back, her eyes scanning the stars above their head. She was mouthing words - Zodiacs and her other keys, as she looked for their constellations. She'd worked hard with Loke and Aquarius to study them.

"Are you okay?" he finally mumbled. She glanced at him. "You didn't...say everything. About what happened when you were with…"

Lucy pressed her lips together. She thought over this, remembering the dark look in the future Natsu's eyes, the way he'd smiled so lovingly.

Zeref.

He was the one that haunted her dreams, he and the demon. She remembered the shocked look on the future Natsu's face when the demon had ripped its clawed and taloned hand through his chest and crushed his heart. She remembered how Zeref's fingers had gripped her chin painfully-

"Luce?"

"I watched him die," she said finally. "Your future self. Not like...when the Gate was destroyed, he disappeared and he told me goodbye. It was just...he had your face. And I knew you were okay, but…" She took a deep breath. "And we fought...we fought…" She couldn't bring herself to say. She didn't dare tell him that Zeref had come back.

That Zeref wanted something she knew nothing about yet seemed to have.

"You fought…?"

"Nothing. It's just I've been thinking of the future people a lot." Lucy changed the subject quickly. "Do you think they're happy? That they found one another in wherever they went to?"

Natsu leaned into her shoulder and buried his face in her hair, taking comfort in her warm presence.

"I think they're happy," he told her, closing his eyes with an exhausted sigh. "I think they found one another, Luce."

Without further ado, he pulled her down to sleep and curled himself happily around her. She squawked in protest - "It's too hot!" - but he ignored her.

And he slept.

His eyes fluttered open to blue skies and gently swaying golden wheat over his head. He blinked blearily, watching a beautiful white fluffy cloud roll across the sky. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

Where am I?

With care, he sat up. He was confused, he realized. Exceptionally confused. Really, really confused. The last thing he remembered was her, the girl he'd loved so fiercely yet couldn't touch. He remembered tackling her out of the way of Rogue's attack, of watching her future self die in front of him, and a lump rose in his throat.

Lucy.

He wanted her. He remembered her from before he'd lost everything, before he'd learned the truth of himself. Her warm smile and her loving touch. He knew he'd been older, that magic hadn't been revealed like it had in the next few experiences. She'd been older. He'd loved her fiercely.

He gave a ragged gasp as tears gathered.

He remembered being anxious that day, snappy because he'd been terrified. He'd been intending to demand she marry him. Because why not? Why wait?

He'd never gotten the chance to.

Magic had been revealed that day. Acnologia had come and broken everything. He'd come and ripped everything he'd known and loved to shreds. Lucy had survived the initial attack, but when Rogue had lost Frosch and killed Sting and Yukino - because he'd taken both of their lives that first time - he'd lost his mind. He'd killed her, too.

It was when Igneel escaped his confines that he'd learned the truth.

He'd used that information to break through, to slip into the past.

Where he'd screwed it up.

Lost her again.

And again.

And then again.

Thousands upon thousands of attempts ended with her and eventually himself dead, but he kept trying, because she was worth it.

Finally, he had won.

But he was without her.

"Natsu!"

His head snapped up, heart skipping a beat. He shot to his feet, staggering. And then he turned and he saw her.

She was just as beautiful as she'd been the day he'd lost her. She was smiling warmly with those big brown eyes glittering with unshed tears. Wordlessly, Lucy Heartfilia threw her arms out and he gave a sob, barreling into them. He wrapped his arms around her and they tumbled to the ground. Laughter from his nakama rang out around them, but he didn't care.

For the first time in thousands of years, he kissed Lucy.

And he was at peace.

#fairy tail #fanfiction #au #between the lines #riverofmemoriesft #nalu #natsu x lucy #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia

[arkus-rhapsode]

Fairy Tail Chapter 530 Review

It’s a chapter all about Anna… joy let’s dive into, Neo Eclipse

Okay I have an issue with this cover and mainly it’s lucy. Why is she in a sexualized pose? The Phantom Lord arc was actually an arc where she was beaten and tormented and it wasn’t BDSM fanservice. It was actual torture. Easy way to fix this would be to have Natsu and Gajeel in the foreground staring down, then have the robotic castle in the mid ground, and then Makarov and Jose Staring Down in the Background. But on to the Chapter.

We open on Crocus years ago during an eclipse. That was when the eclipse gate opened and Anna appeared in this time line. But she seems to missing some kids.

Okay that’s pretty funny.

Actually here’s a question Toma sees all this but in the GMG arc he never noticed that Lucy looked like Laya and Anna. You think he’s remember seeing as they did something unbelievable and crossed over time. Oh wait, I’m trying to use logic but this poorly timed retcon doesn’t allow for that.

So Anna and Layla catch up and explain the situation. Layla explains how she didn’t want Lucy to bare this burden. Y’know hearing this talk about Lucy and it coming from 2 characters that look like her, makes really angry at the fact Lucy has gotten almost NOTHING to do this arc. I mean christ, it’s not like Lucy’s a main character and these 2 have been flash back only characters who served their purpose in the narrative.

This is weird… Like time travel itself is already tricky and now your trying to see to make a contradiction as if all this is pointless but not pointless. Or is this following the multiverse theory that altering tie makes another universe- And I’m going to stop asking questions.

Oh now you go searching for the flying children, great care taker.

Also again with the king, why did you include this, seriously retcon you’re a pain in the ass already, just please stop making more holes.

So cutting back to the present, Anna explains how in this era there is an anomaly that she discovered…

That was caused by her travel? I guess it makes sense as the plan was to use the dragon slayers to beat Acnologia and this rift in time was a product of crossing time.

Okay Jellal is right how did anyone not notice. Oh wait Anna hid it.

So this rift in time is apparently so strong nothing can exist near in it and in this era of stronger magic nothing can compare to this abnormal magic. Hey Anna, here’s an idea, why didn’t you ask the king for help? Yeah they fear Acnologia too and they know that you’d be on the up and up. Why didn’t you ask for their help with this, it’s essentially a hole in time I don’t know how bright you are Anna but with a whole kingdom working together could probably figure out what this thing is faster and kill Acnologia faster.

The Hole is also apparently very small so you can’t find it easy.

So that’s the plan. Totally not the ending goal of Rave Master.

Or the other option is the dragon slayers, the ones were brought here to beat Acnologia in the first place.

Okay this is where I make a few people scratch their heads on what I say next, this makes sense but I don’t like it. You’re probably curious why I’m so down on a flash back chapter even though having flashbacks are a great way to develop characters. Hell, if you all remember my big break out in the reviewing world was the Irene flashback chapter which I praised the fuck out of. Well, lets compare Irene and Anna. Anna is a character that had no build up that it was possible to be here, only appeared in flash back, and we knew nothing of her character. Irene was a spriggan who were the big villains of the arc, had a presence, and build up before her flash back. Irene’s flash back added to the world and made her as a main villain have more depth to her, Anna being retconned into the present was something that was so easy to explain that the text explanation she gave of how she got here was honestly enough, we didn’t need to see more of it because essentially it would be padding. Another thing that bothers me is with this time spent on something so simple we didn’t need to see it, we’re taking away time that could be spent on characters that do need it, like Lucy. I mean Anna and Lalya are characters who’s stories have been put to rest, we don’t need to know more about them when all it’s doing is reiterating what we already know and won’t impact us anymore in this point in the narrative, whereas characters like Lucy who have gotten almost nothing this arc are still left with nothing. So this whole sequence and back story make sense, but it still is pointless.

Speaking of Lucy, we cut to Magnolia

Oh look Gray is coming to terms to not wanting to endanger Natsu’s life. I’m gonna silently cry for this scene and all the greatness it could’ve had if the whole END and Gray relationship wasn’t botched.

WHAT THE HELL! YOU CAN JUST OPEN IT?! WHAT WAS THE POINT OF TARTAROS?! I mean the whole point of END not being revived sooner is because the magic in the world is so great that END can’t exist but apparently you can open it. I wouldn’t be as mad if not this chapter actually unintentionally made a reason why this is stupid and that’s how we spent so much time talking about this Era having a lot of more magic than in the past. We know in the past END was around, he knew Igneel, meaning he can live in a world with magic just not in an abundance like now.

Okay I complain about Lucy doing nothing, but Gray’s sin this arc is he’s an idiot. He’s not telling his friends about something potentially dangerous. Look Gray has kept to himself before he’s left some characters out of the loop like with Ultear but this isn’t something personal he doesn’t want to drag his friends into but this is the fate of the world he’s not telling them.

We return to the only good thing in this climax, Natsu vs Zeref

The fight continues but Zeref has come to realize that, hey he can’t die.

Yep you heard right people due to all the shit that’s happen to him he’s going to use the power of time to re make the world where he was never turned immortal. Y’know I sound like a broken record but RAVE MASTER! Seriously this is just Lucia’s goals and motivation from Rave, getting screwed over in this world so he considers it a wrong one and wants to go to a world where none of this happened and will use the power of time to make it happen. You can’t get anymore like Lucia at this point Zeref.

Oh god just dye your hair blond and call yourself Lucia at this point.

Again Natsu is sounding like the smart one here, good on ya! Also he seems to be turning into END, well I guess that choice was really pointless as the ones who decide who natsu is are his friends. Also Mavis was a key to neo eclipse. SO Mavis was a way of accessing a power that’ll open the way to using a magic that manipulates time? Well guess we should call her SInclaire now (take a shot if your playing the Rave Master Drinking game). Now Zeref’s master Plan actually does make sense. Unlike Anna’s flashback this actually makes sense of another way to get rid of his curse, as we know, Zeref only hedged his bets on END killing him, still doesn’t mean he can. SO having this back up plan is rather interesting.

As for the next chapter being called “Pegasus vs Black Dragon”, I had a rant for that but I think it best be saved for next time.

Post Chapter follow up: This chapter was weird for me. I can’t really put the Anna stuff as good or bad. It’s doing development but it only treading over already know ground. While it makes sense, we really didn’t need this and just kinda wastes time. Another thing I can’t judge is Zeref’s master plan. It makes sense for his character but it also seems so hollow. Like this is the weakness of having a villain group that’s under developed, we don’t know if he’s been lying to everyone, saying that he needed Fairy Heart to destroy Acnologia or he told them all and they were on board with this. Actually that would be interesting like maybe Irene wanted this new world so she could never become a dragonor maybe August wanted a world where he could be raised by Zeref and Mavis or Brandish who might want in this new world her mother alive.

On the negative side Anna is still negative. I went on a long rant about how she shouldn’t be this teacher because it is ruining the bond of Slayer and dragon, which is sill true but I was still open that from chapters on I wouldn’t be as down on her as I was then. But now, her problem seems to be how her existence is literally causing more holes.

Another thing on the negative is the main characters. Gray you’ve become a fucking idiot. I mean wow. Some people say this is to make Natsu look better but it really doesn’t. While Natsu is still the best thing just for verbally slapping around zeref, my attention is more drawn that Gray is acting very dumb. Lucy as well with this is still doing nothing. This is the final arc, have her do something, now some say Lucy is doing something, she’s the emotional support for the team. I hate that excuse. While Lucy has been the emotional support at times she wasn’t soley just that, she was the heart of Fairy tail. While, she cared for everyone she was still active in fights, coming up with plans, discovering things on her own etc. But now all she’s doing is sitting on her ass either crying or waxing friendship which isn’t Lucy. Lucy doesn’t have to just fight someone to be considered, “something” she could be the one who figures out how to save natsu when he was dying or she could make a way to use the book of END, that would be doing something. But all she’s doing is “emotional support” which is something all characters in this team should have but nope lets just diminish Lucy to just that.

Final negative point is that opening of the book. It doesn’t make sense and what hurts it even more is it makes a way that explains why END can’t be summoned. If he is, you are again lessening Tartaros’s story and it’s END plot.

Good points, Natsu is again the best things this chapter for pointing out this bullshit and trust me that’s a breath of fresh air. Also Yes I’m glad END is still around as a lot of people speculated END was no more thanks to the seed crap.

Another good thing is what Fairy Heart is. Most expected it to be some world ending nuke but actually it’s a way to access time. That is really interesting.

Final Verdict: 4/10

There are some things that aren’t bad but just padding

More misuse of characters

A legit interesting turn

Not bad but not good

#fairy tail #fairy tail 530 #ft 530 #natsu dragneel #anna heartfilia #gray fullbuster #lucy heartfilia #anti anna heartfilia #end #tartaros #alvarez arc #jellal fernandes #erza scarlet #wendy marvell #Nalu #graylu #acnologia #blue pegasus #ichiya vandalay kotobuki #mavis vermillion #spriggan 12 #august #irene belserion #gruvia #gajeel redfox #layla heartfilia #juvia lockser #rhapsode reviews

[illusions-of-synchronicity-blog]

Mages of Alaris

   A gentle melody played on a flute wafted through the air. The men that were loading the stolen cargo onto their own ship jumped at the sudden interruption. They were greatly confused. Hadn't they thrown every one of the ship's men overboard? Where was the melody coming from?

   "You morons! I told you to kill everyone!" the captain barked. They understood the silent message. Silence the survivor. Drawing their blades, the pirates crept around. Searching for the source of the sound, but when they thought they found it, it shifted elsewhere. Even after prowling every nook and cranny, they came up empty.

   Their captain growled at them, insisting that they were just morons. It was then that the light of the moon shifted and a shadow cast itself around the pirates. Looking up, they found the source of the mysterious music.

   Dressed in a green tunic, cream-colored pants, and dark boots, sat a man playing his tune without a care in the world. His eyes were closed as he paid no attention to the men below. After a moment of disbelieving stares, the man with the wooden flute suddenly stopped. His eyes opened, the mirth in them matching the smile on his face.

   "Hello," he greeted.

   Still perplexed, the pirates could only stare at him in awe. Had he been there the whole time? How had he escaped their initial search? Their captain was the first to snap out of the trance.

   "Quit acting like complete buffoons! Kill him!" his shouts snapped the others out of their daze. They raised their weapons, ready to strike, but only seconds later an ear piercing shriek echoed in the night, bringing the men to their knees.

   They screamed in pain while they used their arms to try and block out the sound. They withered in pain, feeling like their ears were bleeding. They tried to wait it out, but the mysterious man continued the unbroken sound. Was he even breathing? The sound became too much for them to bare. Some of the men forced themselves on their feet and ran as fast as they could to the edge of the ship, promptly throwing themselves off and into the ice cold waters below. Many others passed out while the rest teetered between the realms of consciousness.

The man dropped down from the crows nest, finally stopping the insufferable noise as his feet touched down on the wooden floor of the ship.

The captain raised his head, shaking, ears ringing and his vision blurred. His eyes widened a fraction as he watched the air shift into a mist-like state, disappearing to reveal the ship's crew members. All unharmed and thoroughly confused. Behind them, the captain spotted a dark haired man with mist curled around the tips of his fingers before he drifted off into the darkness of his mind.

~

Jellal was quick to wrap himself and Senan in a cloak of mist. He willed their presence to disappear, allowing Senan time to change form into a giant bird. His claws grasped the other's arms, lifting them into the sky.

Jellal dispersed the mist and watched for a second as the half the crew rounded up the unconscious pirates while the other loaded their cargo back to its original place.

The two landed on the docks of a nearby port town. Senan only shifted the size of bird he was, preferring to fly rather than walk. Jellal followed closely behind him.

Following the long since memorized path to the safe house, otherwise known as the Lamb Wrought Tavern and Inn. Entering the pub, one would immediately smell the foul mixed scent of alcohol and debauchery. It made Jellal wrinkle his nose in disgust as he walked in, Senan perched on his shoulder. He weaved his way through the throng of drunkards and harlots alike, all the while scanning the crowd for the rest of their group. Or rather the ones that actually entered the bar instead of staying in their room up above the actual bar.

They found Jacian, Lysandre, Caith, and surprisingly Alarik at the far end of the bar. Jacian and Lysandre were flirting with a couple of barmaids with Caith in between them looking thoroughly annoyed and Alarik tense and uncomfortable. Expected from someone of the Northern Tribe, they were so innocent until they weren't. Jellal could never see the bar scene ever fitting the boy.

Poor Alarik kept his head down avoiding the lustful gazes of multiple women in the bar. Senan flew off Jellal's shoulder, surprising Alarik as he landed on the boy's head. Jacian and Lysandre said their goodbyes to the barmaids as they all stood up to follow Jellal upstairs.

The wooden stairs were very old, creaking under their weight. Alarik pulled out the copper key and pushed it into the keyhole, opening the door to his and Alize's room.

Normally, Jellal would protest to how highly inappropriate it was for an unmarried man to share a bed with an unwed woman, but this was Alarik! The Northern Tribe was very honorable and Alarik treated Alize like a sister. Sometimes mistakingly calling her names of endearment used by brothers to their sisters. To which he would blush and apologize the minute he realized. Honestly, the boy was far too sweet for his own good. Jacian often expressed his worry of the younger getting taken advantage of.

Senan morphed into an alarmingly large kangaroo rat and roughly jumped onto the bed waking the princess from her slumber.

She rubbed her eyes sleepily and muttered to herself. Jellal and Caith snorted at her laziness, while the other three (that weren't giant rats) smiled at her antics.

She yawned, finally focusing her attention on the men in front of her, waiting for the report.

Jellal was the first to speak. "We were able to stop all three heists with little complications but were unable to figure out who's been planning all these heists."

"I talked to a lot of thieves, but wasn't able to get anything we didn't already know," Jacian added.

"For people who thrive on the shipments coming in and out of these ports, they sure as hell don't care about their source of income disappearing," Caith grumbled under his breath.

Lysandre smiled and batted his lashes,"Perhaps they have a death wish."

The boys shivered at the dark undertone. Sometimes Lysandre was just terrifying.

Alize shook her head,"We're not killing or torturing anyone." It was unsettling how Lysandre pouted at the statement.

"How will we get the information we need, then?"Senan had shifted back into his original form and sat at the edge of the bed. "You can't believe they're not involved or don't know anything."

"Of course we don't believe them!"Caith exclaimed. "They spent the whole conversation trying to change the subject and any fool with eyes could see how tense they got when we brought it up! Hell, even Alarik could tell!"

"Hey!"Alarik was offended. Alize gave Caith a half-hearted glare, but it was Jacian that spoke. "Come on Caith. You don't think she would hire someone simply because they were good-looking do you." he reasoned.

"I didn't specifically hire him. I simply asked the Northern Tribe leader to send someone trustworthy without really specifying much else," she shrugged. Alarik visibly deflated.

"Regardless, we need a plan of action. Can't be away from Alaris for long," Lysandre reminded.

Caith and Jellal shared a look, which was then passed to Lysandre. They were going to confront the thieves, no matter what Alize said.

~

Lysandre tightened the bonds on the badly bruised thieves, greatly annoyed with their stubbornness that made the mission that much more difficult.

That morning had been filled with useless tips and leads. Lysandre didn't even want to think about how hard it had been to give Jacian the slip. Thank the gods a group of flirty girls had distracted the single-minded brunette.

He had raced as fast as he could to the previously agreed upon location, not wanting to be any later than he already was, only to find the two imbeciles chasing headless chickens. Not literally, of course. But that was the honest impression he'd gotten from the panicked youths running around like crazy. He'd been quick to pounce, knocking them out with poison-tipped daggers. Jellal then lead them to a more secluded area where the interrogation had begun.

They were now leaving in order to avoid suspicion from the others on their whereabouts. Luckily, Caith and Jellal had been grouped together that morning and with Jacian's personality, Alize would believe him if he said he ditched Jacian for being slow.

In front of him, Jellal and Caith better hid their irritation. That had only two days before they absolutely had to leave. Without anything new, they'd just be proving to Devora Llewellyn that they didn't have the ability to obtain information like she and the other nobles had. They refused to fail their princess.

~

They heard the screams before they smelled the pungency of smoke and burning flesh.

Their safehouse was bathed in flames. The worn wood easily collapsing under the weight, sending the entire building spiraling down and spreading the fire to the tight-knit buildings surrounding it.

Terror filled the air as people screamed in horror at the burning bodies running around in their attempt to douse the flames that engulfed them. Caith could only hope the others hadn't made it back.

A group of young men and women ran by with buckets overflowing with water to help the burn victims. There was nothing they could do about the actual fire itself.

Caith was about to take off to search the city when he felt a stinging on his cheek. Blood dripped down the side of his face but he didn't care. He quickly found the source of the warning attack.

"Escaped so quickly?"Lysandre asked," Oh, but I thought I good at tying knots." He knocked a fist gently on his forehead, jokingly reprimanding himself.

The thieves, or rather the assassins, they'd captured glared back at them.

"You were slow on the uptake," said the Kosali girl. "Surely you boys aren't the famed Jellal Hadrian, Lysandre Cesare, and Caith Azuolas?"

"From what our boss, I expected....much more? An actual challenge, maybe?" said the boy next to her.

In total, there were six opponents for them to face. Three to six. Easy enough, right? No, absolutely not. They were unarmed, against some of Kosale's most ruthless assassins. It was not going to be an easy fight.

Lysandre took off in a run, back whence they came. Two of the assassins easily blocked his path with their dual wielded swords. He didn't worry, though. He snapped his fingers, shadows of black whirling around the tips. He let it go, summoning a beast of black, its eyes glowing a ghostly blue. It roared letting everyone know.

He had just summoned a demon.

#Acantha #Something I started one day and never continued #Mages #War

[purplestarkatz93]

Could It Be Chapter 3

Summary: When a new guy transfers to Fairy Tail High, he spends a lot of time with Lucy. This upsets Natsu but he doesn’t know why. Could he have fallen for his best friend?

Rated: T for language, drama, and fluff. LOTS OF FLUFF.

Pairings: Nalu, Slight Gajevy, Gruvia, Jerza, a mention of Elfgreen, and other pairings I just made up.

High School AU

Okay so a lot happens in this chapter and many things need to be explained to help you understand it better.

 I should say that this is taking place in the same universe as this OVA http://fairytail.wikia.com/wiki/Fairy_Academy_-_Yankee-kun_and_Yankee-chan!_(Episode)  just a few months later. Obviously because Gajeel and Juvia are now students there. Though I have my own little twists here and there.

Regarding Capricorn and Virgo. You see the convo that Capricorn and Lucy have is the one Kim had with her dad in the movie. Since Lucy doesn't have any parents, I gave that dialogue to Capricorn. Who btw is human in this. All the Celestial Spirits are. Also him being the school's guidance counselor is based how in the OVA the Spirits were members of the faculty. I just made Virgo be a secretary because I thought it would fit her better.  

 As such Aries is given Kim's mom's dialogue from the movie.

 Zombie Werewolves vs Zombie Vampires. I just combined the 3 paranormal creatures that everyone has been obsessing over the past couple of years and combined them all together.

 The exceeds will act like normal everyday cats. No talking. Also now you know the full story of why Happy is blue in this universe.

 So the part where Natsu is walking backwards, you see Ron in the series rides a scooter, and I wanted to keep Natsu's motion sickness in. (though really it will never come up in this story, but still) so I just made this up. Though to be fair Natsu would probably do something stupid like that.

 "The Language of Levy" is supposed to be a pun of "Monique Speak" from the movie.

 The love rival appears. Yes I kept his name as Eric. Probably because it's so generic. Just keep in mind that he's not a Synthodrone. And that's all your getting. In the words of River Song… "Spoilers."

~Lucy’s POV~        Soon the end of the school day had arrived. Students were bustling in and out of the hallways, getting stuff out of their lockers, and meeting up with friends to hang out with after school. As for Lucy, she was at her own locker taking out her books and putting them in her schoolbag. Packing up, she overheard Erza talking on her cellphone.    “Jellal, you are going to look so handsome in your tux,” she said. So she’s talking to her boyfriend, then. Lucy thought to herself. She closed the door to her locker and leaned against the cold metal. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Gray and Juvia walking and holding hands. Lucy sighed, and feeling discouraged hung her head. As she was walking away she heard a voice called out to her. “Hey! Lucy!” Natsu shouted as he ran up to her. “Natsu, what’s up?” Lucy said trying to sound upbeat. “So, are you ready for our movie night tonight? I got Zombie Werewolves vs. Zombie Vampires on DVD.” he said with a huge grin on his face. “Um, actually Natsu, I’m-“ “What?” “I’m just going to head home.” “Oh, okay, cool.” Lucy started to walk away when all of a sudden Natsu said, “Hey, Luce. I think I know why you’re so upset.” Lucy turned around with bright eyes and exclaimed, “You do?” “Yeah, it’s because I almost got you in trouble with Mr. C, this morning,” he said sheepishly. “Oh, no it’s okay.” Lucy said waving her hands in front of her. “I’m used to that.” Natsu smiled at her. “Well, I’ll see you on Monday then?” he asked. “Yeah, see you then.”    On Monday Lucy went to see the school’s guidance counselor, Mr. Capricorn. He was an older man around 50 years of age with a small white beard who always wore sunglasses. Lucy sat in the waiting room, swinging her legs back and forth while she sat in a chair. Ms. Virgo, the secretary, tapped her on the shoulder and she stopped swinging her legs. “He’s ready to see you now,” she said. “Thanks.” Lucy said as she got up and headed for the office. She opened the door and as she did, Mr. Capricorn exclaimed, “Ah! Miss Heartfillia! Please have a seat.” “Thank you.” Lucy said. Lucy took a seat and Mr. Capricorn started asking her questions. “So, how is everything? Any troubles with your school work?” “No, everything is fine.” “Is there anything you want to talk about?” “Well, there is one thing that’s been bugging me lately.” “I’m all ears.” “It’s about boys.” Mr. Capricorn stared at her nervously. “Oh, um…” “Boys and dating?” “Well, er…” Mr. Capricorn cleared his throat. “Ms. Virgo would you please come here?” Ms. Virgo came into the office. “Yes, sir?” “Please take Miss Heartfillia to the nurse’s office. She doesn’t feel well.” “I feel fine.” Lucy insisted. “Miss Heartfillia, please just go.” “Alright, then.” Lucy said knowing it was no use arguing.    When Lucy had gotten to the Nurse’s office she was so confused. “Hi Lucy!” the nurse greeted her. “Hi, Aries.” Lucy greeted her back. Ms. Aries was the school’s nurse. She was a young woman with bubble-gum pink hair that curled at the bottom and she had big brown eyes. She and Lucy were really close, so they called each other by their first names. “What brings you to my office?” she asked. “I’m not sure. I was in Mr. Capricorn’s office and I brought up the subject of boys and dating, then he told me to come here.” Aries giggled. “Oh, I think he did that because he’s really not comfortable talking about stuff like that.” “Oh.” Lucy said finally understanding. “Would you like to talk to me about it?” Soon all the frustrations that she had bottled up inside came pouring out. “Okay, so the Spring Formal is coming up but I didn’t know about it. So all my friends have dates and I don’t. And there’s nobody else in the entire school that I can go with. And…and I’m gonna end up with Natsu!” she said all in one breath. Aries blinked a couple of times. “Just calm down, Lucy,” she assured her. “I don’t see what the crisis is. He’s a very nice guy.” Lucy put her face in her hands. “Aries, he’s not a guy. He’s Natsu.” “So, as a friend he’s okay?” Aries asked. “Well, yeah. He’s my best friend.” “But he’s not boyfriend material.” “Obviously.” “And that’s because?” “You see the person you go with, it makes a statement.”    Suddenly a voice said, “I don’t have a date yet.” Lucy jumped up in a surprise. “Really, Loke you don’t have a date?” Aries asked. Lucy turned around and saw Loke, the school’s resident playboy. He was always trying to get Lucy to go on a date with him. “So, what do you say Lucy? Wanna be my date?” he asked her. “I already told you Loke, I don’t like you that way, but thanks for offering.” “Oh, okay then.” “Why are you in the nurse’s office in the first place?” “Stomachache, but I’m feeling better now.” “I’ll write both of you passes back to class.” “Thanks Aries.” “Yeah, thanks.”    Lucy was walking in the hallway, when the bell rang for lunch. She saw Levy at her locker and ran up to her. “Hi, Levy-chan,” she said. “What’s up girl?” Levy asked. “I just wanted to say you were right.” “I know. What was I right about?” “About the dance. Why should I skip a night of having fun with my friends? Besides, Natsu and I are cool.” “Stand by your Natsu.” “And he’s…” she was cut off when she saw Natsu walking backwards towards them. “Filled with child-like wonder,” she said despondently. “You know, this is really fun.” Natsu said. Soon a blue cat popped out of Natsu’s backpack. “Natsu, why did you bring Happy to school?” Lucy asked him. “I didn’t. He must have crawled into my backpack when I wasn’t looking.” Lucy shook her head. “We’ll see you at lunch.” “Later, Natsu.” “Keep it real, ladies.” ~Natsu’s POV~        As Lucy and Levy headed for the Cafeteria, Natsu walked backwards all the way to his locker. He just arrived when he bumped into someone and fell to the ground. “Ah! What the hell?!” he shouted. When he got up and dusted himself off, he saw a random guy standing there. He had medium length straight brown hair, green eyes, tan skin, and was tall. “Uh, dude? You’re standing in front of my locker.” Natsu said angrily. The guy said “Oh, I’m sorry man. I didn’t know. I’m new here and I…” Natsu instantly changed his attitude. “Why didn’t you say so? Welcome to Fairy Tail High! I’m Natsu, Natsu Dragneel,” he said while putting his hand to shake. The guy grabbed his hand and gave it a healthy pump. “Hey, I’m Eric,” he introduced himself. All of sudden Happy started sniffing Eric’s sneakers. “Is that cat, blue?” he asked. “Yeah, he fell into a bucket of paint when he was a kitten while we’re painting my sister’s room and we could never wash it out of him.” “That is so cool.” Eric said excitedly. “Really? You think so?” “Totally.” “I think we’re going to get along just fine. “ Natsu said.    Later Natsu and Eric arrived at lunch. “So this is the Cafeteria.” Natsu said showing Eric the ropes. As they were getting their food from the lunch line, Eric spotted someone. “Who’s that?” he asked Natsu. Natsu saw whom he was pointing to and said, “Oh that’s Lucy.” As they dragged their trays along, Eric asked, “So, you know her?” "Yeah, we’re tight!” “Hooked up?” “Ew! Lucy and me? No, no, no! We’ve just been friends since we were 10, but not like that. Besides she's….” “A major hottie.” Natsu slammed his tray down and looked Eric straight in the eye and said, “Okay! Let’s never talk about her that way ever again!” Eric was taken aback, but said “Whatever you say.”    As Natsu walked up to sit with Lucy and Levy, Eric was right behind him. “Hey, Natsu.” Lucy said. She all of sudden got dreamy eyed when she saw Eric. “H-hi,” she said nervously. “Eric, my good man. Pull up a chair and-“Natsu stopped as Eric took the seat right next to Lucy. “Heh isn’t that funny?” he said. “Actually that’s my chair. Not that my name’s on it.” Eric looked at Lucy and said, “Hey, I’m Eric. How you doin?” Levy suddenly said. “Girl, I just went from “So” to “Whoa!” “Huh?” Eric looked confused. “It takes a while to learn the Language of Levy” Lucy explained. “Well, what about you?” Eric asked while smiling at her. “W-what about me?” Lucy asked shyly while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.    Natsu was still standing with a frown on his face when he pulled a chair from underneath another student who fell to the ground. “Hey!” he yelled. Natsu ignored him as he pulled his chair right between Eric and Lucy. “Oh, that Luce! She’s such a kidder! Did I mention we’ve been friends since middle school? Good times. Good times!” he exclaimed as he knocked his drink over spilling it everywhere. The others just stared at him with blank expressions on their faces. Natsu’s face began to fall as he said to himself, “I feel as though a loop has just been formed and I’m not in it.”

Characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Story and Eric belong to @purplestarkatz93

#fairy tail #fairy tail nalu #nalu #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #my writing

[d-dumais-blog]

Top 10 Tournaments in Anime

My Hero Academia is easily the hottest show right now.  It dominates my twitter timeline, cosplayers are showing up in force for it at conventions, and it’s popular with critics and a mainstream audience.  Its popularity far exceeds that of the first season, and there are a few reasons why.  First off, the production of this season was handled much better, giving the entire staff more time per episode.  The show is also better paced this season, progressing at a steady clip and not falling into shounen trappings of too much recap to waste time; something memorable happens in every episode.  Third and most importantly season two kicked off with a tournament! TOURNAMENT ARC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It feels like tournaments are built for anime, and anime is built for tournaments.  The structure of a tournament allows several characters to be highlighted, provides an established reason for conflict, and almost guarantees that our two strongest fighters are going to face off against one another at some point because they will both progress further into the tournament. It’s perfect and really every show should have one.  Tournament arcs are often the best arc of whichever show they appear in, and some series have built their entire show around tournaments.  I’m going to talking about and ranking my favorite tournaments in anime of all time.

Judging Criteria

·         Tournament structure

·         Quality of participants, how many do I know and care about, and how                   much do I care about them

·         Quality of the fights, both for the main character, and side characters

·         Resolution to the tournament: how different is the world for our main                     characters after the tournament

·         I will be ranking based solely on anime and not on manga

.         I will be judging animation quality, direction, music, and all parts that make          an anime unique from other media.  

·        Only one tournament per franchise.  It doesn’t matter how the franchise is            split up in anime form, there can be only one. I don’t want this whole list to           be two shows.

·        This should be obvious but I have to have seen the tournament in anime              form, sorry Dressrosa arc

With that out of the way let’s take a look at the list!

#10: Mobile Fighter G Gundam

The heart wants what the heart wants, and despite its numerous problems I still love G Gundam. It was one of my first giant robot shows growing up, and I became immediately hooked.  I thought Shining Finger was the coolest attack ever, and really twenty years later it’s still pretty damn cool.  The premise in G Gundam is that there’s a tournament held between Neo Japan, Neo American and all the other neo countries that now exist as space colonies.  Basically they send Gundam pilots down to earth to fight robot battles and the winning country gets controlling interest in space government.  The show is exactly as absurd as it sounds, and it’s filled with even more terrible stereotypes than you could possibly imagine.  This tournament gets points for its absurd premise and great characters, no matter how terribly offensive they are.  There are also a number of great fights in the series, such as the fight between current and previous King of Hearts, Domon in the Shining Gundam and Master Asia in his Master Gundam.  The show lasts far too long and the stereotypes are HIGHLY offensive, but it’s still a fun romp through 90s mecha that all revolves around an absurdly beautiful tournament.  

#9: Kill La Kill: Naturals Election Tournament

Kill La Kill is bad ass, every aspect of it is awesome.  The series breaks into a tournament starting in episode eight and lasting through twelve and it is every bit as awesome as the rest of the series.  The tournament format is simple, free for all with five ascending platforms; those that reach the top of these platforms compete in a king of the hill tournament.   Basically Ryuko has to work her way through all four members of the elite four with the promise of information on her father’s death if she wins.  As she progresses through the gauntlet we bear witness to some of the best fights the series has to offer, and a surprise fifth opponent shows her face at the end which acts as the catalyst into the show switching focus to events and characters outside the school.  The four major fights in this tournament are excellent.  Each is beautifully animated, and the accompanying music elevates the fights to unforgettable status, especially in the fight with Nonon. All of the fights with the elite four also provide a setting for a more in depth character introduction through well executed flashbacks and great character moments taking place both in and out of the ring.  I’m a sucker for a good gauntlet, and it’s a tournament thrown in the middle of one of my favorite modern anime; it scores major marks there.  It however loses points for the lack of motivation and overall impact on story.  This tournament acts primarily as a transition between arcs more than its own individual story.  

#8: Fairy Tail: Grand Magic Games

Do you guys remember when Fairy Tail was good? I sure do, this arc was great, you know until it was interrupted by another far worse arc…. Regardless I really enjoyed the Grand Magic Games.  It’s split into various stages, multiple of which have their highlights, but the tournament is best when the ensemble cast is given ample opportunity to fight amongst each other.  Stand outs include: Jellal vs. Jura, Natsu & Gajil vs. twin dragons Sting & Rogue, and my personal favorite, Laxus vs. the entirety of Raven Tail.  The arc introduces us to the Sabertooth guild, and reunites our main characters with returning supporting cast from Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and others.  If this arc hadn’t ended in the extremely disappointing Dragon Festival arc it probably would have ranked higher.  This arc distills the Fairy Tail experience; extremely large ensemble cast with some fun ideas and good fights, but given enough time it will disappoint you.  

#7: Hunter X Hunter (2011): Heaven’s Arena

The first series where choosing a single tournament is a little tough, and that’s no surprise since it comes from famed mangaka Yoshihiro Togashi.  I’m a big fan of the Hunter Exam arc, but this arc dwarfs it entirely.  This tournament is the first example on this list of powering up during the tournament. This arc introduces nen, the primary power system in Hunter X Hunter.  Gon and Killua increase in strength exponentially during this arc and it acts as a baseline for their growth and abilities for the remainder of the show.  This tournament loses some points on tournament structure in that it’s not really a tournament.  The Heaven’s Arena is a tower of 250 floors where contestants compete for money until reaching floor 200; at which points all battles are fought strictly for glory. The highlight of this arc comes when Gon and Hisoka fight in an epic fist fight almost entirely void of super natural nonsense.  Nen is only used to bring the two fighters closer together so that there are only ever fists flying.  There’s even the much awaited first hit to Hisoka’s face at which point Gon returns his badge from the Hunter Exam, an excellent callback.  This series just barely misses out on the top five because of technicality.  While I love it, there’s no denying this isn’t a real tournament, and Gon and Killua only enter to earn money and train, but still earns its spot for phenomenal fights and great character growth.  

#6: Fate Zero

Let’s round out the bottom half with the best thing to ever come out of the highly popular Type Moon franchise.  The Fourth Holy Grail War takes place before any of the games and is written by Gen Urobuchi, setting it apart from the rest of the franchise’s many adaptations.  The story revolves around teams of two in an all out free for all using any means at their disposal to take out their opponents as they fight across 1990’s Japan.  The teams are comprised of a magic user and a summoned heroic spirit who is a reincarnation of legends of history and myth.  Gilgamesh, Alexander the Great, the knight king Arthur Pendragon all gather to fight one another.  This tournament is full of collusion, underhanded tricks, and betrayals. This is easily the darkest entry on the list, and that’s no surprise considering its author’s famed nickname, Gen the butcher.  It’s also the establishing anime for studio Ufotable who is now largely considered one of the best in 3D animation.  Gorgeous visuals, excellent music, expert fight choreography, phenomenal writing both in storytelling and conversational dialogue all add up to an unforgettable tournament.  The battle between Kiritsugu Emiya and Kirei Kotomine ranks among the best fights in anime of all time.  The end of the tournament asks more questions than it answers, but it still works as a standalone experience and sets the stage for the rest of the Fate series to take place.  

#5: Naruto: Chunin Exam

We head into the top five with the shounen big three.  Despite the original manga ending back in 2014, the series has lived on in new manga, anime and even light novels.  It’s been nearly eighteen years since the manga’s launch and it’s still, in my opinion, never gotten better than this gym from the original Naruto anime.  This tournament takes place before power levels get silly, and the cast is at a reasonable enough size where you can be invested in all of the major characters.  It’s also our introduction to so many of the most important characters in the franchise such as Negi, Kabuto, Orochimaru, and Gaara.  It’s also the first introduction of another jinchuriki. The test has three stages: a written exam, a survival game, and then finally an all out one on one tournament. The three on three nature of the first two phases are fun and all three of our main protagonists at this point in the story are given a chance to shine, but the tournament at the end is the icing on the cake.  Naruto has some good fights, especially his match against Neji, but Sasuke steals the show. Sasuke finally starts learning to use his sharingan and learns his signature chidori attack, and he also gets the final match against Gaara.  The arc ends in catastrophe and the first major battle to take place in the Leaf since before the events of the show.  Both arenas the tournament takes place in are awesome, with the second providing a large crowd for the entire village to watch.  This tournament gets points all around, great fights, great contestants, simple and yet elegant structure.  It only misses out on a higher position because of the strength of our next four entries.

#4: Dragon Ball: 23 World Martial Arts Tournament

Would it really be a list of the best tournaments without a Dragon Ball tournament on here? Talk about a tough choice, Dragon Ball is probably more famous for its tournaments than any other anime.  Just missing out on the top three spots, we’ve got my favorite tournament in all of Dragon Ball.  The 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, or as it’s known in English, the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament is the final arc in Dragon Ball prior to the release of Dragon Ball Z, and what a fitting end it is.  Throughout this arc Goku defeats the previous champion who defeated him in the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, Tien, defeats the demon king Piccolo, and marries his childhood sweetheart Chi-chi. It’s also notable for being the only world martial arts tournament that Goku ever wins.  This tournament puts the emphasis on hand to hand combat over the bombastic energy attacks that dominate later Dragon Ball Z and Super tournaments, but it’s not devoid of power levels or threat.  Piccolo plans on destroying the whole world and even Earth’s guardian Kami comes to compete in this tournament.  This tournament is the good stuff, like eating your favorite home cooked meal; it’s nostalgic and pure in its goodness.  It’s hard to think of a better classic tournament in anime.  Hard however is not impossible.

#3: My Hero Academia: Sports Festival

We start the top three with the inspiration for the list in the first place.  The newest release on this list is phenomenal.  The festival starts with a few extra events, before finally breaking into a series of one on one fights.  The bangers in this tournament start in the first round and last through the finals.  The tournament is filled with incredible character building for characters that are all so strong they could play lead in their own show.  I could write lengthy character studies on everyone from minor opponents like Shinzo to heavy hitters like best boy Shoto Todoroki.  I could give an entire lecture on animation techniques in these fights and how lighting, line work, and color dynamic all help build a scene and depict power.  I could talk at length about how interesting the various motivations of each competitor are and why these varying ideals shape a more complete understanding of heroism and justice.  The point is I can sit here and talk all day about this tournament and what it does right, but honestly it’s deserving of its own blog post entirely if not several of its own posts.  I’ll certainly be revisiting this tournament and discussing it further, but I’ll state the simple, the obvious.  This tournament is incredible and should be watched by all.  The results of each fight make sense and nothing happens because of mere plot convenience.  Prior preparations, well defined powers, and clear consequences for every action help make this tournament extremely compelling.  I spent every week anxiously waiting for the next episode and I was far from alone.  The entire anime community seemed to band together to watch this because it was obvious something special was unfolding before our eyes.  Because of its recency I’ll avoid in major spoilers; I’ll simply say every fight in this arc is worth watching especially those with Bakugo and Todoroki in them, it’s really something special.  

#2: Ping Pong the Animation: Prefectural Qualifier

Would it really be a list of anime tournaments without some sports anime goodness? Our second place entry epitomizes what makes sports anime so good, and also goes on to achieve so much more.  This series is a coming of age story for five different incredibly compelling characters that all just happen to play a lot of ping pong.  It is significantly shorter than most entries on the list, the entire series clocks in at eleven episodes and the tournament takes place during the last five.  With that in mind it’s a feat of pure genius that it accomplishes so much.  This series tackles motivation, suicide, friendship, acceptance, burden of success, the difficulties of high expectations, the importance of friendship, and even what it means to be a hero.  In the last entry I stated that each character feels like they could be the main character of their own show; this series is similar except in that they are all each the star and main character of this show. The show does a phenomenal job of splitting time between each character so that the viewer fully understands their reasons for play, their life philosophies, and their personal relationships both with those they compete against and those that helped them prepare for competition.  The show shines because of its deep characters, but they aren’t the only part of the show that’s incredible.  The show’s music by Kensuke Ushio, who recently scored the excellent A Silent Voice film, matches the story perfectly with its odd blend of sounds and styles, mixing heavy base with upbeat pop, and calming guitar riffs with heavy synth and soft foreign language vocals.  The animation is distinct and gorgeous.  Strong character designs help clearly definite each character by how they walk, their simple body language.  The way and reason each individual smiles tells you more about their character than most shows tell you about their main character through their entire run. Visual metaphors litter the screen during matches, from Kong sighing out an airplane to Kazama literally embodying a dragon as he returns Peco’s balls from the other side of the net.  From impressive wipes, to gorgeous scene composition through splitting the characters with various panels and real world objects like the net, there’s a lot in this tournament for sakuga fans to love.

This tournament is also by far the most realistic of any entry on this list, and not only because it doesn’t have any super powers, but because of its attention to detail in preparation, and its love of its own structure.  We’ll start with the focus on preparation.  We get to watch each player extensively as they train for this tournament and we’re allowed to view the results of this training through the subsequent matches in the tournament.  Peco trains rigorously to change his style, and learn new moves, which ultimately results in his unique style of pips in or pips out depending on side of paddle that he uses to overthrow the unbeatable Kazama.  This training also however causes his knee injury that almost ends his tournament and his career before it even begins.  Kong and Kazama both train rigorously against robots, both with date from perspective opponents.  Unfortunately they are underprepared for Peco who inevitably defeats them.  Though Kazama’s rigorous strength and body training do allow him dominant games before the match finally goes the way of Peco. Meanwhile on the opposite end of the bracket Smile’s training has taught him more about life than about ping pong and this is good because his side of the bracket is remarkably easier.  His only “challenge” comes by way of Sanada until his finals match vs. Peco arrives.  His training however prepares him for this matchup against Peco as he has already been forced to ask himself what he’ll do in the event that playing at his best might ruin his best friend’s career as a table tennis player before it has a chance to truly begin.  The arc also pays special attention to the structure of a tournament, acknowledging that it’s not entirely fair.  Take for example Kong; Kong is an extremely talented player who should have travelled far, but he is eliminated in the second round.  We know Kong has the potential for greatness, he is shown to be a pro player in the series’ ending scenes, but his failure to properly prepare for his tough bracket ultimately led to a disappointing and premature end to the tournament for him.  Matches occur simultaneously and this limits who can watch which matches.  The bracket layout is used to tell the story to both the audience and the viewers of the tournament in anime such as Manabu. There’s an attention to detail and respect for the structure of a tournament that this show possesses that is so often overlooked when the magic of TV allows you to skip over so many of these details in favor of plot convenience. This anime is a personal favorite, and this tournament arc is exemplary.  I could go on gushing, but this section is already far too long and it’s time to talk about the grand daddy of all tournaments. 

 #1: Yu Yu Hakusho: Dark Tournament

Could there be any doubt? This list wouldn’t be complete without the quintessential anime tournament. Yoshihiro Togashi makes his second appearance on this list with his predecessor to the highly acclaimed Hunter X Hunter series, Yu Yu Hakusho.  Yu Yu Hakusho seems to solve all its problems with a tournament.  Genkai needs to pass on her super powers? Tournament. Some evil dude wants to have demons invade the world and bring chaos? Tournament. Political unrest in the world of demons? Let’s throw a mother fucking TOURNAMENT!!!! It’s no surprise with this much practice in the art of shounen battle tournaments that the best would come from this storied franchise that helped define the genre.  The structure is simple and yet brilliant, teams of five compete against one another in front of a grand audience of demons and unsavory humans till they are either forced out of the ring, give up or are unable to fight.  Killing your opponent is not required, but it is encouraged. Other rules are left to the discretion of team captains.  This freedom in rules allows for the series to take some liberties with its fights and mix things up when appropriate.  Most of the fights are one on one fights between combatants, but a strong one vs. five performance from younger Toguro does a good job of building up hype and establishing threat levels.  This tournament really has it all, gorgeous visuals, excellent character growth, powering up, death, and the most epic fights in tournament anime history.  Each team has a cast of memorable characters, there’s a reason I’ll never forget Dr. Ichigaki Team, Team Masho, Team Uraotogi, and of course Team Rokuyukai.  

The series also has some of the earliest directorial work of famed Director, and my personal favorite, Akiyuki Shinbo who clearly establishes his style with strong colors and trippy visuals with scenes like the first use of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, and Yusuke inheriting Genkai’s spirit wave.  While we’re here let’s just take a brief moment to appreciate the fact that the Dragon of the Darkness Flame is probably the coolest attack in any anime with the best name and the greatest visuals! Okay I’m going to stop fanboying about how bad ass and awesome Hiei is, sorry about that.  The Dragon of the Darkness Flame attack however does highlight what’s so great about this tournament; so much of this arc would be an amazing finale to any other series.  Yusuke vs. Jin the wind god could have capped any tournament, Genkai vs. the younger Toguro brother has more raw emotion and power in it than nearly in other fight and takes place entirely separate from tournament audiences, and of course who could forget the epic knife edge death match between Yusuke and Chu.  These fights would all work as finales to most tournaments because they last the entire length of the episode.  While other tournament anime rarely gives this much time to earlier bouts, nearly all of the battles with our protagonists last the full length of an episode.  Fights are only cut short in order to emphasize the overwhelming power of a single fighter over his or her opponent.  

If all of these fights could so perfectly conclude any tournament, how do you satisfying end that feels even greater than all of the previous match ups? The final fight between Yusuke and Toguro is a four episode brawl that goes beyond the constraints of tournament rules to a one on one fight to the death with nothing left on the table.  Both competitors initially hold back and continue to power up as the fight progresses until finally we’ve reached peek battle shounen.  Between Toguro’s percentage based power levels and Yusuke’s spiritual training weights, there’s a lot of hyping up to be sure, but there’s also a lot of payoff.  These two trade fists with impact.  This fight isn’t devoid of large energy attacks such as Yusuke’s signature spirit gun, but it honestly feels like a strong right hook from Toguro causes more damage so the fight sticks to its roots and continues to be about a punk kid fist fighting the biggest baddest thug to ever walk the earth.  This fight isn’t all muscle and no heart though; both fighters have their own convictions they’re fighting for, and the recent death of Genkai still weighs heavy on Yusuke’s heart.  Though emotions run rampant and we reach our climax when Kuwabara nobly sacrifices himself so that Yusuke can break down his emotional walls and finally fully give himself to something.  Yusuke has always done everything half assed, and that won’t cut it here, so he needs a reminder of why he’s fighting, and who he’s fighting for. In true shounen glory Yusuke understands the importance of his friends and the fact that his friends are the only thing he has ever been willing to give himself to entirely, he just believes this to be a discovery made too late because of his own failings and immaturity. He’s angry; angry with Toguro, angry at the world, but more than any of that he’s angry with himself.  

“A mulberry is a tree and Kuwabara is a man,” what excellent final words as Kuwabara marches forward to face his final moments in order to help his friend progress and grow.  As we all know these are not Kuwabara’s final moments and he does make a triumphant return, but the words are powerful and are not the only quote I remember distinctly from this tournament.  One of the most important quotes comes when Kuwabara is talking to Keiko about why they are at the tournament; he explains that while yes they do have to fight in order to save the world, that doesn’t mean they don’t’ want to fight.  Yusuke wants to fight Toguro, and Toguro wants to fight Yusuke, separate from the ramifications of what this final battle means for the rest of the world and demon society, the two simply want to beat each other up.  Yusuke looks up to Toguro, he knows he shouldn’t and he knows he’s evil, but really he can’t help himself.  Toguro has power, more power than any human Yusuke has ever seen. Yusuke lacks a father figure, or any semblance of an older male role model, and it’s easy to understand why Toguro so easily slots into that role.  Toguro on the other hand has spent his entire life questioning his decision. It’s a decision he made long ago, and he’s had to live with the consequences.  He’s not necessarily unhappy with his current state, but he’ll always wonder if his life would have been better had he chosen to remain human and pursue power without demonic influence.  The only way for him to know if his decision was a mistake is to fight a human with the power and training of his old team mate and friend Genkai. Yusuke was perfect for Toguro, the thing he had waited his entire life for, the answer to his questions and doubts about himself.  And Toguro is perfect for Yusuke, a glimpse into the abyss; a depiction of what’s possible if Yusuke truly stopped caring about everything besides his power and his fighting prowess.  Yusuke gets to look over the edge of the cliff and see clearly before deciding whether or not to dive in completely.  

In this way, both Yusuke and Toguro accomplish their goals in this tournament.  Yusuke saves the world and protects his friends and girlfriend he cares deeply for; he also learns about himself and what he values most. He even overcomes the overwhelming obstacle that had seemed an impossible hurdle to him back at the end of the spirit detective saga.  Toguro on the other hand can finally accept responsibility for his mistake and answer the doubts that had plagued him over the years.  He willingly partakes in his own form of reconciliation for his acts through eternal damnation.  The two battle loving fighters are also rewarded with the most legendary fight to ever grace any tournament.  

The tournament through its run accomplishes so much I haven’t even talked about.  Sakyo manages to be a threatening villain in a shounen battle series without ever having thrown a single punch, and even gets a short lived but touching romance with Kuwabara’s sister.  Koto is a walking talking rule book and shoutcast extraordinaire in the form of a battle loving fox girl announcer, putting all other tournament announcers to shame.  The very brief training sequence for our four protagonists sufficiently powers them up during the arc without wasting anytime.  Even Yusuke’s extended training in the cave with Genkai as he inherits or energy is perfectly paced, and contains some of the strongest visuals in the tournament (compliments of strong direction by Shinbo) despite the lack of any combat.  The whole damn tournament is a master class in how to properly execute every aspect of a tournament.  It doesn’t succeed at one thing, it succeeds at all things: gorgeous fights, strong thematic overtones, a wide array of memorable characters, deep introspective on our main cast both hero and villain, properly building and managing hype all while maintaining an enjoyable pace, strict rule structure and formatting of the tournament that allows for variance when necessary but never strays to far venturing into side game territory, underdogs becoming heroes.  There’s literally no part of this tournament I dislike and it’s hard to imagine a series will ever do a better tournament, but you know I’ll be there with deep in depth analysis when time comes.

Recap

Well we finally made it to the end of this list.  Thanks a ton if you stuck around to the end, it ended up being way longer than I had originally anticipated.  I’m encroaching on five thousand words before editing, and to be honest I won’t have much time to edit this because it was supposed to be up days ago.  I will definitely be revisiting this list at a later date to make edits and elaborate where necessary.  When I started working on this I thought to myself oh this will be fun, I love hate top tens and I know tournaments in anime better than I know myself so should be easy.  Well that was extremely dumb of me clearly, I had even planned a dishonorable mentions and honorable mentions for shows like Tenjou Tenge and Flame of Recca respectively but I really don’t have time to get into how disappointing Tenjou Tenge is, just know it’s very disappointing.  I said a post a week and this one unfortunately took too long, which means I’m going to push out a second blog post this week to make up for the lack of one last week.  Again thank you for making it this far and I’ll see you again on Friday! Hopefully this time with something much much shorter.