Phoenix Storm || Fairy Tail [2]

➝ 𝐢𝐢. 𝐚𝐛𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝙫𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙩 𝙛𝙩. 𝙛𝙟ø𝙧𝙖
❛ 𝘪'𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 ❜

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"I can't believe this!"

Rose's nose scrunched up in distaste as she attempted to stifle the need to cough. The stench of the mayor's smoke-permeated breath had her wanting to purge her stomach of its contents.

"That's nasty..." Rose muttered grumpily, keeping her head angled away from him so she wouldn't have to undergo torture any further. Gray heard the snarky comment and had to hide his laughter by coughing, though it sounded more like he was choking on his own saliva.

The mayor continued to rant, gesturing wildly with one hand as the other held his cigarette. "You not only wrecked the town but let Geese get away as well?"

"Yes..." Lucy held a hand up, her expression one of shame. "... It's my fault, sir."

Rose's gaze flickered to Lucy, frowning a bit at the forlorn expression on the blonde's face, before shifting to Erza. The requip mage stood at the front as their leader, her eyes lowered respectfully. Rose found herself wondering how she endured direct exposure to the mayor's disgusting breath without wearing a gas mask.

"We're deeply sorry, sir," Erza apologized. Her tone changed subtly, indicating that she was trying to reason with him. "But, the bandits have been routed..."

The short, gaudily dressed male interrupted her. "Don't give me your excuses! How can you call yourselves 'Fairy Tail'? Do some actual work instead of calling yourselves some self-important name!"

Turning an entire one-hundred and eighty degrees, he stormed off, a trail of smoke following him out the double doors. "You get no reward!"

The doors slammed shut after his dramatic exit, leaving the rest of the team excluding Erza, Wendy and Lucy to poke their tongues out mockingly. Rose shook her legs out and stretched, feeling a yawn coming on.

"I'm sorry, everyone... it's my fault." Lucy apologized, bowing her head to them all.

"Don't worry." Natsu placed his hand on the blonde's shoulder reassuringly, and Rose swore she saw a little pink on his cheeks. "We're all in this together."

"Oh!" Happy exclaimed, "that's a cool thing to say, Natsu!"

Carla, always the voice of reason, closed her eyes as she contemplated what would happen next. "The point is, the master is going to be mad at all of us."

"Carla..." Wendy mumbled warningly, shooting a glance at the depressed-looking blonde who was only slightly better after Natsu's reassurances.

Erza spoke softly, a warm smile lingering on her lips. "Shall we head back?"

◊

"Abnormal magic was detected in the mountains north of Fiore. The cause is still under investigation, but we've also received reports that it has obliterated two whole mountains."

The mages who sat around the table were conversing with each other formally, glancing down at sheets of notes occasionally. Another one piped in.

"Moreover, we have reason to believe that this was only a small fraction of its full power..." the man leaned forward over the table, adding in a lower tone, "In other words, its power rivals even that of Zeref."