Hot and Cold

Ice Vs. Lightning

~*****~

The smoke cleared after what felt like an eternity of listening to him gloat. "What the-- No way, impossible!" Laxus snaps. "How in the hell are you all still alive?!"

"Levy, are you all right?" Gajeel asks as I peer at Laxus.

"Yes, but what about Natsu and Aria? Are they okay?" Levy asks softly.

"They look fine to me," Gajeel laughs.

"I hit them with so much magic energy..." Laxus stammers as he gazes at his hands.

"The other guild members and the citizens of Magnolia remain unharmed." I hear Freed comment.

"Freed," Laxus scoffs.

"Looks like your spell didn't' work." Freed continued. "Not a single person was killed."

"But that's impossible!" Laxus snaps. "I cast the Fairy Law spell perfectly!"

"Maybe so, but your true feelings have betrayed you. You've inherited more than strength from your grandfather. Deep down, you also have the master's heart." Freed stated. "Whether you'd admit it or not, it's evident that you care for your comrades. The Fairy Law spell only affects those the caster sees as their enemy. Since no one was hurt, we know how you truly feel."

"His magic could see into his heart," Levy murmurs. "And that's why we're still here."

"You can try to hide your feelings, Laxus, but your magic will always reveal the truth within your heart." Freed says softly.

"No, that's ridiculous! The truth is anyone who would dare stand in my way is my enemy!" Laxus bellows.

"This has gone on long enough," Freed snaps. "You need to go see the master before he's gone."

"LET THE OLD MAN DIE FOR ALL I CARE! HE'S NOTHING TO ME! HE MAY BE FAMILY, BUT I'M STRONGER!" Laxus' magic destroys the ground we're standing on.

"Who do you think you are?!" I shout angrily. "You're not stronger than Makarov! You couldn't even pull off Fairy Law! You can call yourself whatever you want! But you're no better than the rest of us! Who gives a shit who you're related to! Everyone in this guild is considered family!" I bellow as I tug off my overcoat. Ballad remains tucked within as I toss the bundle towards Natsu.

"That's just a lie. Blood ties do matter." Laxus snaps back.

"Oh yeah? Then why does a newbie like me understand it better than you, someone who's been in the guild for a very long time?!" I ask. "If you think that makes you above everyone else in the guild, you're wrong!" I slam my fist against his, my ice magic swirling around my body, coating my skin. Each blow we exchange sends us higher and higher into the air. But I'm matching him blow for blow.

Laxus slams me into one of the buildings. "Face it! It's over!" Laxus bellows at me.

I brace my feet against the roof of the building, staring him head on, my breathing even and calm. "Give it up. The guild does not belong to you. And with how you're behaving, it never will."

"Oh yeah?!" Laxus shouts. "LIGHTNING DRAGON! DEMOLITION FIST!" I blow out a soft breath and remain calm as it hits. I can feel the lightning magic swirl around inside of me, bouncing harmlessly off of my frozen internals before it expels out. The roof under my feet shatters, blowing up a cloud of smoke. "You should learn to respect your elders, girl." The smoke clears and I simply stare at him. "THAT WAS YOUR LAST MISTAKE, KID! NOW I'M GONNA OBLITERATE YOU!"

"Don't do it! That much magic energy could kill her!" I hear Freed down below as I lower my arms to rest near my hips, my legs shifting to move into a more defensive position.