#slow-burn

The festival buzzed around you, vibrant and loud with laughter, smells of grilled food, and music spilling from stages and booths. You stood just outside the main pathway, fingers twisting in front of you, a slow ribbon of light floating above your knuckles -- your quirk leaking out in a small spiral of magic.

"I'll be right back!" Yaoyorozu smiled as she turned away from your side. "Oh—and do wait here! I just remembered something I have to go grab."

"Momo—wait, what—" you started, but she was already lost in the crowd.

A beat of silence.

And then —"Tch, you gotta be kidding me."

Your head snapped toward the voice. Bakugo Katsuki stood a few feet away, hands shoved deep in his pockets, eyes narrowing in recognition. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.

You felt your quirk twitch at your fingertips again — small particles of light forming as you looked up at him. "...hi."

He grunted, barely nodding. "Figures, those damn extras set this up, didn't they?"

You blinked, "Wait... they set this up?"

Bakugo rolled his eyes. "Dumbasses probably think it's funny. Dunce face said I 'should mope through the whole festival,' and next thing I know, Tape elbow's dragging me over here. Should've known they were pulling some bullshit."

You opened your mouth to respond but found nothing immediately worth saying. Another spiral of pale streaks of your quirk unfurled lazily from your fingers, flickering like soft neon smoke. It hovered briefly between you two before vanishing.

Bakugo eyed the drifting light, "That your quirk?"

You nodded, "It kind of... reacts when I get nervous."

He scoffed, "So, all the time?"

You stiffened lightly.

He raised a brow, "Not a dig, just sayin', you're always real twitchy."

You looked away, feeling heat creep up your neck. Another flicker trailed from your palm, this time turing into a geometric pattern in the air before you dismissed it with a flick.

"Thanks," you said, not quite sarcastic, not quite sincere.

Silence.

You stood beside a food stall, awkwardly shifting your weight from one foot to another. Bakugo glanced at you, then back at the crowd. His expression remained tight — not irritated exactly, but far from relaxed.

"Why'd you even come?" he asked finally.

You turned toward him, surpirsed he spoke. "The girls dragged me out, said I stay in my dorm too much."

"Huh," he muttered. "..same."

You blinked. "Really?"

"Tch, you think I wanna spend all day at this stupid festival?"

You snorted before you could stop yourself.

His eyes darted to you, but you weren't mocking him — you just smiled, small and genuine. "No, I guess not."

Another moment of silence. This time, it felt a little less suffocating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakugo crossed his arms and looked at the night sky. "That quirk you got—what is it exactly?"

You titled your head. "It's...kind of like telekinesis? But also object conjuration, elemental manipulation, enchantments.."

"You've got too many damn options."

"Yeah," you laughed quietly. "It gets overwhelming. I focus better when I have specific tasks though. Otherwise, it...leaks in a way."

You raised a hand and, almost subconsciously, made a floating cube of soft light hover above your palm. It rotated slowly, pulsing faintly.

Bakugo squinted at it. "That all for show, or can it do something?"

You flicked your wrist and the cube zoomed into the air and exploded into dozens of harmless little stars. One landed in his hair before fading.

"Mostly for show," you admitted. "Unless I mean it."

He huffed. "Kinda flashy."

You shrugged, "I don't blow things up."

He snorted—sort of. "You'd probably be better at it than half the class."

You glanced at him, surprised again. "Was...that a compliment?"

"No," he said immediately.

But you noticed the faint twitch of his lips — just barely a smirk.

The crowd moved around you both, but you and Bakugo stayed stil. Occasionally you'd summon a small flicker of light or a shifting shimmer when the silence returned, and to your surprise, Bakugo didn't seem annoyed by it. He just watched, sometimes seeming a little curious.

You conjured a glowing orb and let it spin gently above your hand, watching the light reflect in his eyes.

He caught you staring and raised a brow, "What?"

"...you're being nicer than I thought."

"Don't get used to it."

You bit your lip to hide your grin, "Sure."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, the others started circling back. You could hear Mina's laughter bouncing over the crowd and Kaminari's voice shouting something about fried squid.

"Oh—hey!" Mina called as she jogged over. "Sorry! I hope we didn't leave you two alone for too long."

Bakugo shot her a glare. "You did this on purpose."

Sero slid in beside her, grinning like a devil, "Us? Nahhh."

You folded your arms but didn't look annoyed, "Wasn't so bad."

Mina leaned closer, glancing between the two of you. "Wait, did you guys actually talk?"

"Not really," Bakugo said at the same time you said "A little."

You blinked at each other.

Kirishima laughed, "Well, we got some progress!"

later

As the group moved to another section of the festival you lingered at the back. Bakugo fell in step beside you, hands still in his pockets, still scowling at anything and everything.

But as the crowd passed under a string of floating lanterns, you reached up and conjured a little orb of light — one that hovered above you both like a quiet star.

"...Don't tell anyone I didn't hate it," he muttered.

You smiled "Don't worry, I'll keep your reputation intact."

And for the first time, he didn't bark a retort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

monday - between heroics and homeroom

The bell rang, ending Hero Basic Training. Students funneled back into the 1-A classroom, drenched in sweat and still laughing over sparring matches.

You slipped in behind the crowd, towel draped over your shoulders, a subtle shimmer weaving around your fingers, small specks of your quirk hovering like soap bubbles with a faint glow. A nervous habit. You were still thinking about how badly you botched your redirect maneuver against Iida.

"Your momentum control sucks," came Bakugo's voice behind you.

You flinched.

He passed you, not even looking your way as he dropped into his seat in front of you.

"...thanks," you respond dryly, settling in your seat behind his.

He leaned back, and turned his head slightly as to see you in the corner of his eye, grabbing his water bottle. "Didn't say it to be nice. You're twitchy mid-air. Overthinking."

You raised a brow, "And you're suddenly a coach?"

"Figure if I have to watch you flail around, I might as well say something useful."

You blinked—then smiled a little. A small orb of light shimmering above your palm and pulsed gently before you popped it like a bubble.

Bakugo watched it but said nothing more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

tuesday

During the ten-minute break between classes, most of the class was buzzing about something Mina and Kaminari were showing on their phones. You weren't paying attention—you were focused on a delicate construct you were conjuring just above your desk; a star-shaped lattice of magic that rotated gently mid-air.

It helped you think.

Bakugo walked by, carrying a notebook. He slowed as he passed your desk.

"That supposed to do something?" he muttered.

"It's just...for focus," you replied, eyes still on the structure.

He paused, then suddenly reached out and poked it.

The structure destabilized instantly. The whole thing fizzled with a pop and left a sprinkle of harmless sparkles in the air.

You stared at him, "Seriously?"

He raised a brow, unimpressed. "If it pops that easily, it wasn't worth much."

You tried to look annoyed, but he caught the faint upward twitch at the corner of your mouth.

He huffed and continued to his desk.

You conjured a new one—twice as stable—and this time, it hovered just ouf of his reach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

wednesday

It rained that day. The lunch bell had rung, and most of the class had scattered. You stayed behind to clean your desk after a minor ink explosion courtesy of a floating pen you accidentally launched mid-fidget.

Bakugo hadn't gone to the cafeteria either. He was sitting at his desk, reading through his notes with the usual intensity like he wanted to incinerate the page with sheer willpower. The silence was oddly comfortable. You weren't talking, but you weren't alone.

Your quirk flared lightly as you conjured a tea cup out of thin air—not real porcelain, just magical glass made from focused light. It spun slowly, then faded before it touched the desk.

Bakugo didn't look up.

But after a while, he said, "You always do that when you're alone?"

You hesitated, "...not always. Just when it's quiet. Helps me not think so loud."

He didn't answer, but after a few minutes, he pulled out a protein bar and tossed it onto your desk.

"Eat. You missed lunch."

You stared at it, unsure how to respond. "You...didn't even ask if I wanted it."

"Didn't have to," he muttered, not looking at you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

thursday

Class was noisy. Too noisy. The AC had gone out, and everyone was cranky. You were sitting with your sleeves rolled up, forehead resting against your arm as you twirled a small silver thread of magic between your fingers—cooling spell, minor, but enough to give you some relief.

"Quit doing that. It's distracting."

You glanced over. Bakugo was beside you—his desk had been reassigned for the day thanks to some seating chart switch. He was frowning at your floating thread.

You sighed. "It helps. The heat is awful."

"Tch," he leaned back in his chair, reached into his bag, and tossed you a spare sports cooling towel. "You'll drain yourself over dumb shit."

You stared, "You carry two cooling towels?"

He looked away, "I sweat more than most of you extras. Obviously."

You blinked, then took it.

"Thanks," you said softly.

He clicked his tongue, "Just don't pass out. We've got training later."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

friday

Last class of the week. Everyone was drained. Even Bakugo looked tired, one leg bouncing under the desk as Present Mic rambled about communication tactics.

You sat quietly, sketching small spell diagrams in the corner of your notes, letting a trail of glittery sigils hover like lazy fireflies over the page. One floated toward Bakugo's desk. You moved to dispel it—but he didn't swat it away.

Instead, he watched it.

Let it hover.

Then finally looked at you.

You expected a glare, a snarl, maybe some snarky comment.

Instead, "You've got good control," he said.

You blinked, "I...thanks."

"You keep doing that and you'll be better than half these idiots before graduation."

You didn't know what to say.

So you just gave a small smile. A real one this time.

The 21st Precinct was buzzing as normal. And upstairs in Intelligence, the team was going back and forth on case theories, typing reports, and tossing the occasional teasing remark - the latter of which was about to increase tenfold.

Sergeant Platt came around the corner, stopping in her usual commanding way. “Halstead!”

Jay raised his brow, spinning in his chair to face her. “Yeah, Sergeant?”

“You have a visitor downstairs,” she said flatly. But to anyone who knew her enough, there was just a hint of curiosity and teasing in her tone.

And the sharks began to circle.

“Oooo, visitor?” Adam beamed, leaning forward in his chair.

Jay scoffed and rolled his eyes at him before turning back to Platt. “Who is it?”

She shrugged. “Don’t know. Sweet girl. Brought a dog with her,” she clipped, turning around and heading back towards the stairs. “Don’t make her wait!”

Erin gasped. “I bet it’s the shelter girl!”

“The one he saved last week?” Kevin questioned, his own brow raised now.

Jay shook his head and headed down the stairs, ignoring them all.

He reached the lobby and couldn’t stop the small smile that tugged at his lips at the sight - Y/n stood there holding a bag and coffee cup in one hand, and Atlas’s leash in the other, the dog standing against Y/n’s leg as he looked around at everyone that passed them by. Y/n looked up at seeing his movement and a shy smile made its way to her face.

“Hey,” she said as he stepped up to meet Jay halfway. “I uh, I hope this isn’t weird…me showing up here.”

Jay gave her a small, reassuring smile. “No, not weird,” he assured her. “Just…unexpected.”

Y/n smiled, glancing at the ground before back up at him. “Yeah, I figured…but anyway, I wanted to bring you lunch…as a thank-you for bringing Atlas back to me. Plus coffee that doesn’t taste like battery acid if your machine here is anything like the one at the shelter.”

Jay chuckled and gave a charming, full grin. “Well, you definitely get brownie points for that one,” he said, taking the cup from her hand. “But…you really didn’t have to.”

Y/n’s smile softened. “I know…but I wanted to. Plus, Atlas wanted to see his favorite detective again.”

Jay let out an actual laugh at that, sending warmth flooding Y/n’s chest. He knelt down to pet the dog at her side. “Well, how can I say ‘no’ to that?” Y/n smiled wider as she watched the interaction. Simple to anyone walking by, but to Y/n - it was special. “You taking care of her, bud?”

Y/n chuckled softly. “Trying his best. Figured bringing him here to see someone familiar would be a good step to getting him out into the world again.”

Jay nodded as he stood. “Makes sense.”

A small, comfortable silence passed between them before Y/n looked at the ground again. Meeting Jay’s eyes once more, she handed him the bag of food, trying to hide a blush when their hands brushed. “Well…I’ll let you get back to work.”

Jay couldn’t comprehend the spark of disappointment in his chest. He covered it with a small smile. “Thanks again, Y/n.”

She smiled back. “You’re welcome.” Y/n whistled to Atlas and walked him back outside into the midday Chicago air, Jay watching her the whole way.

Jay jogged back up the steps to Intelligence, coffee and food in his hands. The whole team watched with curious gazes as he went straight to his desk without acknowledging them.

Adam rested his elbows on his desk and head in his hands, grinning. “Wellllll?”

Jay didn’t even glance up. “Well what?”

“What is the shelter girl?” Erin almost squealed.

“Whoever it was got him coffee and lunch,” Kevin noted with a grin.

“Movin’ fast, man,” Antonio jumped in with a smirk.

Now Jay looked up, clocking each of his teammates then shook his head and went into the bag to pull food out. “You guys need better ways to pass your time,” he mumbled. He pulled out a wrapped sandwich and paused for a moment when he saw a piece of paper slipped into the wrap. He took it out and unfolded it. ‘My number’ was written neatly in the first line, a phone number under it, and the last line read, ‘So you don’t have to do a background check to find it ;)’

“LOOK AT THAT SMILE!”

Jay flinched at Adam’s shout across the bullpen, dropping the note to glare at him.

“Oh my g-d, Jay - your face is red!” Erin gasped.

Jay ran a hand over his face and moved his chair to hide his face behind his computer monitor so he didn’t have to suppress the full grin that came across his face.

The next day, Y/n was cleaning up the shelter before they had to lock up when her phone started buzzing in her pocket. She bit back a grin when she saw the name.

“Detective Halstead,” she answered, openly grinning. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

On the other end of the line, Jay allowed himself a smooth, reserved smile. “I was just calling to check and see how Atlas was doing,” he said casually, a smirk apparent in his voice.

Y/n grinned wider, playing along. “Atlas, huh? Well, Atlas is doing fine…he was actually just asking me if I knew how you were doing.”

A chuckle met her ears. “How kind of him…I’m good…Just thinking about how I want to see him actually.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I think he would like that, Detective,” Y/n said coyly.

“Are you free tomorrow? The two of you I mean,” Jay quickly ‘corrected’ himself.

Y/n giggled a bit. “Right, right. Well, lucky for you, we’re indeed both free tomorrow.”

Jay grinned. “Great. Does Atlas like the coffee shop down the road from the precinct?”

“He does, actually,” Y/n answered, her smile softening.

“Perfect. I’ll see you then.”

“See you.”

As Y/n hung up, she kept her phone in her hand with a faint smile still on her face. Her thoughts were interrupted by someone loudly clearing their throat. She jumped a bit and looked up to see her friend, F/n, arms crossed, eyebrows raised, and a smirk on her face.

“Nothing,” Y/n cleared her throat, getting back to sweeping.

“Uh-huh…sure,” F/n said, thoroughly unconvinced.

Chapter 5 ->

Hello! You have stumbled about a story with an overarching plot following one of the 100 that was sent to the ground. It will start in season one of the 100 and likely continue until I decide it's enough. It is a Bellamy Blake/Reader fanfic. The reader is female, sorry. I am basically just inserting myself into the fandom. Comments and constructive criticism are very much welcome! I don't proof-read.

the characters and the plotline of the show are not mine and belong to their respective owners. the story is mine, however, as is the character of 'the reader'. please do not publish this story elsewhere without asking for my permission.

you'll find the story on my AO3, linked above :)

Aella had just returned from her most recent solo job, whilst the rowdiest members were still out working. The newest member of the guild, Lucy Heartfelia, had quickly fallen in with some of the guild’s prominent members, forming a new team in the process. Aella had overheard Lucy gushing about the festival a few days prior, getting particularly flustered about the pageant as the winner would be featured in Sorcerer Weekly. 

Life in the guild continued to roll on by as Aella kept to herself in the corner of the hall, accompanied by just a book. The guild hall had been both destroyed and rebuilt in the time that Aella was away on her most recent job, so she was yet to locate a new favourite spot. Other members clumped together in groups, discussing the parade at the end of the week, or excitedly talking about other aspects of the parade. 

Someone loudly cleared their throat beside her as a signal to get her attention. “Aella,” a deep voice rumbled. She slipped her bookmark between the pages and looked up to see the master of the guild. Makarov was not dressed his age at all, renouncing any desire to be labeled as an old man or ‘Gramps’ as he was affectionately known within the guild, but instead dressed in bright orange festival attire. His facial expression, however, was flat and stern. Behind him stood a woman, tall and slender. Dressed entirely in dark blue, the shade matching her hair colour, she silently glanced around the room, her eyes filled with an uncertain excitement and a regretful silence. “This is Juvia Locksar,” Makarov continued, gesturing up at the woman behind him. “I want you to be her guide, just until she finds her feet.”

It was almost as if Aella was watching her own first day at the guild playing out in front of her. She had joined so shy, so timid, so unsure of herself, but she was met with a warm and welcoming smile from him. He had given her a tour of the guild, showed her all of his favourite places to train, and had stayed with her until she found her place within the guild. Slowly, Aella closed her book around the marker and stood up from her seat. 

The woman, Juvia, extended her hand to shake Aella’s. In turn, Aella only eyed her hand suspiciously, she had made it a rule to limit all physical contact with other people. 

Makarov also noticed the stilted interaction. “It’s fine,” he reassured Aella. “She won’t feel it.”

In a slow and tentative movement, Aella raised her own hand to grasp Juvia’s. She half expected Juvia to start convulsing at the electrical current, as most people do, but for some reason she just didn’t. 

“My body is water,” Juvia explained. That didn’t help Aella’s understanding; she had been banned from all forms of public water. It was an exceptional conductor, just not with Juvia. “It’s pure water. It works differently.”  

Aella didn’t react much but nodded in response. “Aella Rematos,” she introduced herself. Their hands pulled away and Aella put on a warm smile, trying to mimic the one that he had shown her years ago. “I’ll give you a tour of the guild hall.” 

Juvia’s mood shifted slightly and she became a bit lighter. She linked her arm around Aella’s, taking the older mage by surprise. The sudden physical contact made Aella feel a little uneasy, but also weirdly comforted. As always, she ignored the strange and new emotions and continued with the tour of the guild, showing Juvia around the new and improved building. 

The clamor from the guild hall was deafening as Aella headed for the front doors the next morning. It could only mean one thing, that the guild’s newest team had returned from their job. Their distinctive voices drifted through the air, mixed with laughter, Aella pushed the doors open, her eyes settling on the much livelier guild setting than the day prior. The team’s return coincided with the arrival of Jason, an interviewer for Sorcerer Weekly. Over the years he had integrated himself within the guild itself, becoming comfortable with everyone around him. 

Kiizura Miyasaki, a younger mage, posed for Jason. Angling her body in a slightly different position, chin pointed upwards slightly, she looked over at him trying to gauge his reaction. The gold of her chestplate caught the natural light that poured in from the windows, causing the chestplate to shimmer as if it was on fire. Black silken material ran under the gold, wrapping around her figure and cascading down to the floor. She narrowed her sea-blue eyes at him. “This good enough?”

“The Mercury design is so cool!” Jason grinned, eyes bulging from his head. “When can I book you into a shoot?” He pulled out a notebook and poised a pen above the page ready to start writing. Aella swerved past their interaction, moving to slide into somewhere inconspicuous. 

“I’m free next week,” Kiizura responded casually. Her body shimmered with magic as she transformed into her usual attire. “Tuesday. That good for you?”

“Great!” Jason exclaimed, scribbling away on his page. “We can get shots for Mercury and Pluto, that would be so cool!” 

Most members of the guild were used to Jason by now. He would do his rounds, ask his questions, and would freak out over magic and mages. Lucy, however, sat at the bar, brooding over a soft drink. Slowly sipping through the straw, she kept glancing over at Jason, just wishing for him to notice her. In time he would, as Mira attempted to reassure her. 

Kiizura pulled away from Jason, moving to rejoin the rest of her team. Jason flipped through his notebook, trying to find a fresh page, and slid into the chair opposite Aella. Ah. To Jason, Aella was a mystery he longed to understand. S-Class, but barely aiming for the limelight, and when she did appear in issues of Sorcerer Weekly, she rarely bragged or gave answers longer than two words. Always dressed in layers, body below her neck wrapped in bandages with only her fingertips exposed. There were so many unanswered questions he hungered for, as did other members of Fairy Tail, and only one person knew all of the answers. 

“Whirlwind!” He exclaimed, greeting her by her alias. Slamming his notebook down on the table, he leaned in closer. “Can I book you in for a photoshoot this time?’

“No,” Aella responded quickly.

He cleared his throat. “Right.” He should have seen that coming. “Any cool new jobs at the moment?” His pen hovered above the page. 

“The usual,” Aella stated. “Dark guilds and monster hunting.”

Jason scribbled a few things down, “and did you go solo or with your team?”  

Aella narrowed her grey eyes at him ever so slightly. “I don’t have a team.”

“Thunderlegion?” He questioned, voice raised slightly. “Are you no longer with them?”

She repeated her statement, more forcefully this time. “I don’t have a team.” 

A smile danced on his lips, a sign he had just uncovered something juicy. He made a few notes on his page. “Let’s move on with some other questions then.”

In another part of Magnolia, the Thunderlegion crowded around a small glass table outside a cafe. “Why do you waste money on that?” Laxus asked, his voice dripping with disgust. He cast his eyes down to one of his subordinates, Evergreen, as she sat with a copy of Sorcerer Weekly, the special edition of Fairy Tail’s Fantasia Parade. 

“I have to keep up with the trends,” she casually responded with a very matter-of-fact tone of voice. “He really went overboard with the interviews this time.” She added with a sigh. He watched her flick through countless pages until a certain one caught their attention. Evergreen cocked her head slightly at the candid photo included in the interview. “I don’t know why she doesn’t use something for her hair. I tried countless times.”

“Nothing works,” Laxus mumbled in a semi response. His eyes cast over the same photo of Aella published next to her very short, and very blunt, interview. Her hair was in its natural state of constant frizz, pulled up into a ponytail. Laxus grabbed the issue from Evergreen to read through the limited interview. She began to protest, but gave up once she saw Bickslow attempting to steal her coffee. Laxus’ eyes scanned over the words on the page; a lot of it was theories and speculation from Jason, but the quotes were all real, and all from Aella. He zoned in on a particular set of words - I don’t have a team. 

Aella had distanced herself from her old team a few months prior when Laxus started getting vocal about his ideals on strength, power, and being worthy. He had been on a downwards trend ever since Ivan was expelled from the guild but it had reached a point where Aella could no longer stand it. She wasn’t going to let herself be associated with them, even after she had tried to discuss the topic with him before splitting entirely. 

Laxus dropped the magazine back into Evergreen’s hands and leaned back in his chair. She had insisted on making them stop at a cafe as they made their way back to Magnolia in time for the Fantasia Parade. Evergreen flicked through the pages some more, finding interviews with some other members. A snicker caught Laxus’ attention, causing him to turn his head to find its origin. A group of lesser mages had the same magazine spread open in front of them, laughing at the interviews and photos of the Fairy Tail members who were dragged into interviews. Hearing others openly mock his guild made his blood boil. There was barely a reputation to uphold; mages causing destruction, posing for trivial photoshoots and allowing their hall to be destroyed. Laxus knew he had to do something to strengthen their reputation and erase the anger that bubbled within him whenever he saw others openly mock Fairy Tail.

Meeting Laxus under a tree on the morning of Miss Fairy Tail wasn't what Aella anticipated, nor planned, for the day. Yet, here she was anyway, waiting under the branches of the tree, tucked away in the shade provided by the leaves overhead. She detested the fact that it was so easy for him to summon her, but truly how could she resist when he suggested the location? She found herself spending less and less time at the tree, much in contrast to when they were both teenagers where they would spend all of their free time and training time under it. They watched the tree grow and change with the seasons as the tree watched them both grow and flourish. 

He arrived alone, but Aella knew that the other three members would be somewhere closeby. They stood in silence for a moment, a strange stilted and charged connection between them. Their stances mirrored each other; arms folded, legs slightly parted. 

“You interviewed with Jason.” He stated. 

“I did.” She responded. “You read it?”

“It was strange, Aella.”

“Why?”

“You seem to be fine with drowning on a sinking ship. You know the guild’s reputation is tanking and it’s taking you down with it.”

“And?”

He sighed and tilted his head slightly. Laxus towered over her. “You know your talent and you’re content with not seizing any power.”

“Who says I want power?” Aella questioned. 

“You’re fine with being the best of the worst?” There was a brief wash of silence, but their intense eye contact prevailed. “I have a plan-”

“And if your plan revolves around your desire to prove yourself then I want no part in it,” she quickly cut him off. “You have already proven yourself alongside everyone else in the guild.”

His eyes narrowed into a glare. “Fine.” His voice deepened with a seething resentment. “Pity. You’ll just be annihilated along with everyone else.” He turned on his heels, coattails sweeping with the motion, and strode towards the heart of Magnolia.

Aella called out to him, taking a step forward to try and stop whatever idiot plan he had formed, but found herself trapped by an invisible wall. It reflected her own forcefield spell, but was crafted with intricate enchantments. She instantly knew the spellcaster, and cursed herself for not anticipating this would happen. 

“It’s a pity you declined the offer,” his velveteen voice sighed. 

“You’re just going along with what he says?” She asked him as he stepped into view. Out of everyone, Freed was the most reasonable. For him to agree to something so stupidly reckless…Aella had no idea how Laxus managed it. 

“He knows what is best for the guild,” Freed justified. His expression was hard to read. Hints of anger, but also remorse and sorrow. The two had once been quite close, finding solace in each other’s comforting silence, and now reduced to this. 

“And destroying everyone will help it?”

He faltered slightly, looking away from her. There was an internal struggle going on, and Aella knew the signs of one all too well. “The guild will grow stronger from this.” It didn’t sound like a statement; more like affirmation, like he was telling himself these things. 

“How can the guild grow stronger if you destroy everyone that makes it strong?”

Freed spun on his heels to turn away from her, completely ignoring her question. “The walls will dissolve when the tournament begins. I should go.”

Time passed relatively quickly as she remained trapped in the enchantment. She cursed herself for not predicting what would eventually happen. From the moment the signs crept up, talking about power, reputation, weakness. It was worrying. But perhaps she just didn’t want to admit it. Sounds of fighting started to drift towards her as the seconds ticked on. By that point, she had already guessed that the main plan would be to force people to fight. A sick tournament. A civil war. Of course, people would refuse, but she had no idea what the punishment was for that. 

The walls dissolved around her, seeping into the ground and freeing her from her entrapment. Aella was quick to spring to her feet and race towards the city. 

It wasn’t long until she found herself encased between even more enchanted walls, forced in close captivity with another of her old teammates. Bickslow was always the most relaxed in the team, always willing to go with the flow. He had grinned at her at first, cracking some jokes like he usually did. During their time together, he had made it his personal mission to get her to laugh, or at least smile. In all this time he had succeeded only twice and he cherished those memories. 

“Come on,” the words dragged from his lips. His aloof and outwards nature carefully disguised how cunning and sharp he could be. Aella knew better and wasn’t fooled by how he was acting. “Old buddies shouldn’t be fighting. We’re comrades.”

“You fight with Ever all the time,” she retorted. The pair always acted like severely dysfunctional siblings, never able to speak more than three words without a swat and a duck. 

He clenched a fist over his heart, putting on a performance, “you still use our nicknames. You do still care about us.” He dropped the act soon after, adopting his serious side. Until this point he had seemed genuinely reluctant to fight her. “But you know what we have to do, Remy.”

“I have to get through to Laxus.”

“And I can’t let you do that, comrade.”

The walls of their enclosure slowly throbbed with the purple woven words that kept them trapped in the small alley. It was about to get ugly. Six wooden contraptions whizzed towards her, seemingly giggling to themselves as they advanced. Aella dragged two fingers across the air in front of her, conjuring up a crackling whip. It hummed with a vibrant energy that exploded and constricted around the wooden puppets. She flicked her wrist gracefully, and the violent whip followed her movements, arcing the puppet ball high into the air and releasing at the crux, sending them all tumbling back to the spellcaster. 

His eyes widened behind the mask as they collided with him one by one. It wasn’t a move he was expecting from his ex-teammate. Bickslow regained his composure quickly, running through his next move in his head but as he looked back to his target, she was no longer there. The hairs on his neck rose as he felt the urge to turn his back, finding Aella swinging her dominant leg towards him, whip still in hand but arms raised up high to protect her face. Reflexes taking over, Aella’s swing was cut short as Bickslow blocked the strike with his forearm. He slipped his arm down, grip tightening around her ankle and yanked her leg down.

“Woah!” He exclaimed, signature smirk creeping onto his face. Aella’s guard dropped slightly, an eyebrow raised. “I’m surprised I caught that!”

Aella bit her lip. Pooling all her strength, she drove her leg down, breaking free from the grip. As soon as both feet were back on the ground, she drove her shoulder forward. Bickslow stumbled but he was much bigger than her. He quickly regained his footing but Aella was readying another spell, pulling her hand back, feeling the electricity crackle around her fingertips. It grew quickly and was shot straight into Bickslow. Her magical power was a lot stronger than her physical strength. This time he was sent flying. His imminent collision with the cobblestone was interrupted, and he was slowly raised back up. Aella noticed the wooden dolls straining under his entire weight. She narrowed her eyes. 

Pin-point striking…

Three successful hits. Three crumpled to the ground, Bickslow soon followed with a cry of surprise. The remainder flew out from under him, buzzing with vibrant green energy. The bolts flew towards her, staggered for effect. She dipped and spun to avoid them. One struck her thigh, forcing her down on one knee. Smirk still on Bickslow’s face as he pulled himself to his feet, he quite enjoyed the sight of her on her knees. 

She used her position to her advantage, pooling power in her legs to spring-load her strike. The smirk dropped as he saw the blur that was Aella dart towards him. Quick thinking, he slid out of the way, escaping her charge by the skin of his teeth. 

He let out a breathless laugh. “Twice now! Either I’m getting good… or you’re getting sloppy, Remy.” 

The taunt inadvertently made her blood boil. A small twinge in her shoulder. Flurry of electricity. She felt it spark between her fingertips as it ran through her arm. She spun a kick into him again. This time it landed. It created an opening to unleash a tirade of attacks on him, each time sacrificing power for speed. It worked until she had to eventually breathe. He worked in a punch, forcing Aella to collide with the ground. A groan escaped her lips as the wind was knocked out of her.

“Why are you in such a hurry to end things?” 

“I have to reach him.” 

“I miss our quality time,” he sighed. His hand rose up to his metal mask, daring to unleash the secret magical ability within his eyes. “Don’t you miss it too?”

As Bickslow flipped up his mask, Aella instinctively snapped her eyes shut. He should have known better. Every member of their team possessed a unique eye-based magic, a silent gesture of support for Laxus' childhood lacrima implantation. Freed wielded Dark Écriture, Evergreen turned foes to stone with a glance, and Bickslow’s Figure Eyes allowed him control over souls. But Aella’s ability was different—an unfair advantage over their’s. Even with her eyes closed, she could still see. The world around her was painted in currents of electricity, each pulse and spark mapping out the figures before her. Nothing could hide from her sight, and she remained safe from his incoming attack. 

Aella lay on her back, eyes shut, as she awaited for his figure to draw closer. His groans and mumbles reached her ears, stirring old and bittersweet memories of days spent with her old team. All the times when Evergreen would turn Bickslow into stone when he annoyed her, all the times he would complain that it was cheating. The memories threatened to drag her down, but she forced herself to focus. His electrical figure loomed overhead, vibrantly crackling in the darkness. She drove both of her legs upwards, slamming into his stomach to drive him backwards. It wouldn’t take much more to finish him off. 

Elsewhere in Magnolia, Kiizura objected to the trivial competition in her own unique way. Sitting on the cobbled ground, picking at the grass that desperately reached for sunlight. All of the civilians of the city had been ushered inside earlier by various members of the guild, leaving the streets completely empty - except for those forced to fight their fellow guildmates. 

It wasn’t in Kiizura’s nature to blindly accept and follow pointless rules set by others. If she couldn’t find reason in them, she was going to protest - and everyone was going to hear about it. In hidden honesty, it wasn’t a bad day to lazily lounge on the uneven roads of the city. The enchanted walls made it impossible to leave, and since she was trapped with someone just as stubborn as she was, it looked as if they weren’t going to leave any time soon. 

She tossed a loose pebble at Gray. 

A grimace crossed his face as he remained leaning against the wall. That was the third pebble. All three had hit the same spot on his chest. He unfurled his crossed arms (for the third time) and bent down to pick up the pebble. For the third time, he flung it right back, and this time, it hit her knee. 

She rubbed the impact zone on her knee, trying to coax away that silly lingering pain that somehow was on par with a papercut, and a lot worse than being mortally wounded by any sword. “That one hurt, you prick.”

“As if the last three didn’t hurt me,” he quipped right back, arms folded back over his chest as he re-claimed his spot against the wall.

“This is so dumb.” Kiizura groaned and stretched outwards on the cobble-stone road. Tapping her boots together absentmindedly she raised her gaze up to Gray, squinting in the sun. “What should we do?”

“We could fight,” he suggested. However, they both knew that they wouldn’t take up that offer. 

She rolled her eyes at him. Grabbing at that same pebble, she threw it up in the air a few times. “We are fighting,” she responded, flinging the pebble back towards him. This time, his arms flew up to protect his chest. “Just not how they want us to.”

“Stop throwing so hard! I’ll ice you if I need to.”

“Stop denying your feelings for Juvia,” she quickly retorted, a sickly smug smirk creeping up onto her features. 

Gray sighed. Kiizura had quickly latched onto the unstoppable force that was Juvia; the two seemed to have similar ideas. “As soon as you stop denying your feelings for that Pyro.”

The smirk dropped faster than it appeared, being replaced with a scowl that burned through him. “I do not like him!”

“Sure,” he finished with a roll of his eyes. He paused, peering down the street that was just out of Kiizura’s view. Pushing himself from the wall, he took a few steps forward, pushing his limit against the enchanted walls. 

Kiizura’s interest piqued. She wiggled her eyebrows slightly, trying to tease him; “Juvia, is it?” 

“No.” His tone was flat. Quick words. It made Kiizura itch. “It’s Aella.”

Before the name left his lips, Kiizura had jumped to her feet, assembling herself to Gray’s side. The pair peered at her as she walked down the street, head-strong and determined. Despite the coat that swallowed her figure, the white flashes of bandages that covered her hands were still visible, but the edges frayed and dirtied with blood and dirt. A strong static charge clung to her, haunting her like a ghost. She paid no attention to the two mages like she usually would’ve done. 

“Shit,” Gray commented. Implications were clear - she was heading straight to him.

“Yeah…” Kiizura mused. “You look it.”

He pushed at her shoulder, sending her stumbling, but still grinning. “You are such an idiot.”

____________________________________________________________

Eyes locked in a stalemate. He towered over her. His ego had grown so large it seemed to be dripping from him and suffocating her. She was the first to get to him; he was completely unscathed, fresh, clean and ready to fight. She was tired, bruised, and just wanted to stop this madness. 

“I didn’t expect you so soon.”

“I had to fight Bick to get here,” Aella responded. A moment of stilted silence passed. Laxus dragged his eyes over her frame, taking in every little cut and bruise inflicted on her body. “What does this achieve?” She asked quietly.

“A stronger guild,” he responded curtly. “We’ll be respected and feared; people will stop laughing.”

“Who cares if they laugh?”

“Don’t delude yourself, Aella. I’ve seen the look on your face when the old man is handed more financial paperwork. They’re kids who can’t control themselves. Why defend them?”

“Why defend them?” She repeated his question back to him in disbelief. “You defended me when I was weak, would you toss me aside easily if I joined later?”

Her question fell into silence. He responded solemnly, “those worthy to stay in the guild will show themselves today.” He began to turn away.

“Laxus!” Her yell halted his movements. “What does this achieve?” She repeated her question with intensity, her eyes fixated on his. 

“I can’t stay in his shadow anymore.”

“You never were.” She spoke softly. “You’ve always been your own person.”

“Aella…” His voice trailed off into a whisper. Fist clenched. “Showing that kind of weakness won’t get you far in my new guild.”

A jolt of electricity sparked in her shoulder, shooting another down her thigh. They buzzed under her skin, arching and surging to her fingertips before sparking. Her muscles clenched and then unraveled. A figure dropped in front of her.

“Fire Dragon: Roar!”

Aella stumbled back slightly, removing herself from the area of intense heat radiating from Natsu. A dark shadow darted past her, catching her attention. It slipped up the side of the spacious room before angling towards Laxus, barking the words of a spell to transform his arm into a metal bar. The solid metal crushed into  Laxus. The impact took him by surprise but fuelled his anger.

The dragon slayers clashed ferociously - magic cracking and arching throughout the air. Natsu and Gajeel unleashed everything utterly possible until Laxus caught Natsu’s strike mid-swing. Aella had seen it coming; the set-up orchestrated by Laxus, taking his time to find the perfect moment. In one fluid motion, Laxus hurled Natsu into Gajeel. They dropped into a heap, folded over each other.

His gaze quickly snapped to Aella who had been rooted to the ground. Eyes sharp, hateful. This wasn’t him. She wasn’t rooted to the ground in fear, but reluctance. How many hours had they spent together as teenagers under the tree on the hill? How many times had they spoken about things no other ears had any right to listen to? Her heart twisted something ugly in her chest. Painful. Aching. The first job they went on as a full team - just a bunch of teenagers who barely knew anything of the world. 

“Time to come at me, Whirlwind.” His voice stung, seeping deep into the cracks of her skin that she only ever allowed him to see. “Let’s see if you still live up to your name.”

Her speed still took him by surprise. It had been too long since either of them sparred with one another - it had grown stale and boring, each move could be predicted and no one ever won. This wasn’t just some simple test of strength, nor was it anything fun. In truth, she was still fighting for him, even if his ego clouded any notion of sense or ability to see it. Laxus readied himself as she was no doubt running up the stone wall behind him to get an aerial drop. His firm grip clamped around her calf as she tried to drive it into his shoulder. One hand moving up, curling just above her knee, whilst the other settled at her ankle. In one swift tug and jolt, he forced her down. His grip quickly relocated on her body, one arm crossing her shoulders, whilst his free hand wrapped around her throat. She was pinned to his chest. She couldn’t contest his raw strength.

“Aella,” her name felt sour on his tongue. His voice was low, hushed, and just for her. It sent shivers up her spine. “I know all your moves.”

She’d just have to fight dirty. Raising a leg, she drove the heel of her boot into his shin. His grip faltered as the full weight of one of her heavily buckled boots drove into his bone. It was only a slight falter, but it was enough for Aella to shimmy free from his grip. He immediately lunged at her, but with speed still to her advantage she side-stepped and drove a kick directly into his chest. Pulling back and planting both boots firmly on the ground, she made a motion with her arms, sending a spell of weaponized wind spiralling towards him. The sharp gusts cut through his silk shirt, displacing the torn material to the air. Shreds slowly fluttered down to the ground - losing a good shirt pissed him off more than any part of his body being exposed. 

Aella threw up her arm, using the material of her thick, distressed leather coat to shield her eyes from the intense glow that came from Laxus. His whole body cracked with lighting, sending a flurry of energy cascading into her, sending her crashing into the wooden pews. Momentum showing no signs of showing down, Aella quickly forced herself back to standing, drawing an electric whip from the energy around her. As he prepared another attack, she flung the whip towards the ceiling. It curled around a beam and with a quick tug to test it, she pulled herself upwards into the air as he zoned in. Once high enough, she dismissed the spell, aiming to get a successful aerial drop on him.

“It’s the same technique,” he taunted. “You’re predictable. Boring.” His eyes bore into hers, betrayal searing itself deep within her memory. His head tilted upwards, jaw clenched tight. Teeth ground together - halted. His mouth parted, and then he roared. 

The lightning that burst from him arched and crackled, moving as one foreboding mass. The stream engulfed her, reacting with her own electricity already dangerously simmering underneath her skin. His power was nothing new to her, countless sessions of friendly training had her used to it but this was raw and unbridled. The spell caused alarm for both Natsu and Gajeel at the discovery of yet another dragon slayer, but Aella knew. Aella was the first to know, almost a secret of shame at first, intrinsically linked to his father and what he did. He was using the magic now, embracing it instead of chaining it away, but all of the strength, power, and anguish he held was channelled straight to her. Why on earth didn’t she just follow him?

She collided with another wooden pew. The impact this time caused it to break, sending splinters of wood flying. Aella pressed her hands to the stone floor, forcing herself to stand, despite the surging current racing through her, begging to be unleashed. Splinters of wood pierced through her skin. She was too angry, too hurt to care about trivial injuries. Gathering electricity into her hands, she tossed the bolts towards him, the new and unwelcome emotions clouding her judgement for any sense of strategy.

Her attacks were caught easily, and consumed. His dark laugh reverberated around the cathedral. Taunting. “You’re meant to be smarter than that.” 

He advanced towards her. Eyes sharp and piercing, zoning in on her like some sort of stalking predator. Darting in with a strong, wide swing, Aella remained just a fraction of a second faster. She bounced out of his trajectory, but he was quick to change his aim, learning from her past evasions. Arm snapping out, his grip wrapped around her arm - tight enough to leave marks. Before Aella could comprehend the movement, she was flying through the air, promptly colliding with the thick stone wall. The wind escaped her lungs, leaving her gasping as sparks of pain raced up her arm. Taking small, sharp, shallow breaths, she rounded herself to her knees, trying to push herself upwards. As much as she didn’t intend to, a cry of pain escaped her lips. 

Turning her head to the side, she could see Laxus continue his advance. No remorse existed in his eyes, no shame, no hesitation. Movement just past him - Natsu and Gajeel hauling themselves back up. Aella’s eyes dropped back to the ground before her, the cracked stone tile broken from impact, the chips and fragments of the stone wall scattering out in front of her. Such a beautiful building reduced to rubble around her. With whatever physical strength she had left, Aella barked a spell, whipping up wind around her to shoot the fragments of stone towards Laxus. It paused him just enough to allow an opening for the other two. 

With the attention no longer on her, Aella hauled herself upright, stumbling on her legs slightly. She grimaced at the pain coursing through her body - her arm was certainly broken. Summoning a quick spell, she channelled some of the electrical charge in her body to the arm, forcing the cells around the fracture to spark to life. The area burned, causing her jaw to clench. It wouldn’t fully heal, but it would be manageable. A sudden crash caused her head to whip around; there was a gaping hole in the ceiling. The fight had clearly moved upwards. 

By the time that Aella had stumbled herself to the roof, both Natsu and Gajeel were beaten and bruised, finding it impossible to gain the edge on Laxus. His eyes found her, almost pinning her in place. “Good,” he growled. “I didn’t want you to miss this.” His words landed heavily. Final. There was no restrained goodbye that she usually drew from him. His palms connected, eyes dragging away from her to the ground. He muttered two final words - “Fairy Law.”

Bright, white light engulfed them. Just as quickly as it went bright, it went dark. 

Laxus stared at his own hands in disbelief. The spell had failed, dissipating into the air around them all. Aella’s eyes cracked open. Gaze caught. Unspoken words passed between them, the widening of her eyes, the furrow of her brow. Fairy Law had failed - despite not viewing them as enemies, the intent was deathly clear - he intended to kill them. 

A single solitary tear slipped from her eye before she had any chance to catch it. He saw it, clear as day - the fracture in her demeanour. Her whole body buzzed and thrummed, thick with electricity. Every nerve pinched and burned by the current clawing to escape through her skin like an unrestrained beast.

She let it go. 

Her body arched as the surge tore through her. Lacerations carved deep into her, burning at the edges as it forced its way out. Warm blood, her own this time, seeped deep into her already dirtied and frayed bandages, dripping slowly from her burnt fingertips. The expelled energy clung to her, crackling violently as she dragged it back under her control. A carefully honed technique combining her magic - deadly, self-inflicting pain, but her last resort. The Running Bomb. 

She trapped the volatile charge close to her, manipulating the air pressure around her. The gathered energy only magnified her own strength - what little of it she had left. She became a self-forged lacrima. Primed to detonate. 

She launched towards him, forcing her legs forward. The moment they collided, she dropped the pressure, expelling the energy outwards. The blast consumed them both. 

The Fantasia Parade continued as usual. Endless floats rolled through the streets of Magnolia, proudly displaying the wizards of Fairy Tail. Master Makarov remained hell-bent on the parade continuing, he didn’t want to disappoint the civilians and the tourists that travelled so far to see it. For most, it was easy to settle back into the spirit that the parade produced. For others, and most likely the Master too, their enthusiasm was a false facade designed to hide the deep wounds they still carried. 

Aella reserved herself to the sidelines year after year, preferring to watch and observe then get involved and this year was no different. Laxus was similar. Despite being promptly stripped from his status and membership of the guild, he still lingered and lurked in the crowd. He just wanted to watch the parade, not cause any more damage than he already had. It was a miracle that the others remained in the guild, he had expected them to also get expelled.

Laxus caught Aella’s eye. Of course she would spot him. He stiffened under the intense stare of her storm-grey eyes. Left arm in a sling from where he had broken it. Right arm raised, fingers forming the signature L-shape - even if I can’t see you… no matter how far away you’ll be… I will always be watching you.

Laxus didn’t remain any longer. Fuelled by a bruised ego and broken pride, he turned, leaving the city of Magnolia.