Laxus scowled as he stomped up the pathway leading to my cottage, his hands shoved deep into his coat pockets. His expression screamed 'annoyed teenager being dragged into something against his will.'
"This better not be another one of your dumb chores," he grumbled, shooting me a glare.
I scoffed. "Excuse me? When have I ever—"
"You made me chop wood for an hour last time."
I waved a hand. "That was character building."
"You sat there drinking juice the entire time!"
"Supervising is a very important role."
Laxus groaned, leaning back in his chair. "Just get to the point."
I exhaled through my nose, sitting up properly. "Alright, fine. This is actually serious."
Laxus hesitated for a moment. His first instinct was to argue, but he must have caught the serious edge in my tone because, with a huff, he walked inside.
NIMO floated near the ceiling, casting a soft blue glow as it scanned Laxus. "Welcome, Laxus Dreyar."
Laxus rolled his eyes. "You sound like some fancy butler."
"I am far superior to a butler," NIMO replied smoothly.
I chuckled as I walked past them, heading toward the wooden table in the center of the room. "Alright, take a seat."
Laxus flopped into the chair, crossing his arms. "So? What's so important?"
I didn't answer right away. Instead, I reached into my Celestial Inventory, and with a quiet hum of energy, I summoned two items—one in each hand.
In my right, a deep blue crystalline object pulsed with a faint electric glow. The Lightning Dragon God Lacrima.
In my left, a devil fruit—a strange, swirled fruit with a crackling, storm-like pattern over its dark blue skin. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Laxus leaned forward, eyes widening. "What… the hell is that?"
I tapped the fruit. "This is the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. It'll give you the power of lightning itself—turn your whole body into it, move at lightning speed, dish out attacks that could level mountains."
Laxus's gaze flickered with interest. "And the other one?"
I motioned to the Lacrima. "This? Lightning Dragon God Lacrima. It's way beyond any regular Dragon Slayer Lacrima. With this, you'd become a force of nature."
He was staring now. His fingers twitched slightly, like he wanted to reach for them but was holding himself back.
"And you're just… giving these to me?" he asked, skeptical.
"Yeah," I said simply. "But only if you want them."
Laxus narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?"
I smirked. "No catch. I just want you to be strong."
He frowned, clearly still suspicious. "Why?"
I leaned back, stretching my arms behind my head. "Because you have potential, Laxus. You're already strong, but strength alone doesn't mean anything. I want you to choose what kind of person you want to be."
Laxus hesitated. "Tch. That sounds like some dumb moral speech Gramps would say."
I shrugged. "Maybe. But he's got a point. Strength for the sake of strength? That just makes you a weapon. Strength for something bigger? That makes you someone worth remembering."
He scowled, looking away. "I already know I want to be strong."
"Yeah? What for?"
He opened his mouth—then closed it. His jaw tightened.
I sighed. "Look, I'm not saying take them just because I'm offering. I'm saying if you take them, do it for yourself. Not because you think you need to. Not because of anyone else's expectations. And especially not because of your old man."
Laxus flinched slightly at that.
I knew about Ivan's plan, how he was going to implant a Dragon Slayer Lacrima into Laxus. But so far, he hadn't. Maybe it was because of me, maybe not. But I wasn't about to let that bastard decide Laxus's fate.
Laxus is like my little brother now. I've watched him grow, trained with him, laughed with him, and seen the fire in his eyes when he talks about becoming stronger. He still acts tough, still tries to prove himself, but I know he looks up to me, even if he won't say it. And I'll be damned if I let Ivan mold him into something twisted.
If Laxus is going to gain power, it'll be on his own terms—not because some coward of a father decided to experiment on his own son. I'll make sure of that.
Laxus's fists clenched. "And you think this will make me a good person?"
I chuckled. "Nah. That's still up to you. But power like this? It will shape you. I just want to make sure you're the one holding the reins, not someone else."
Silence stretched between us.
After a long pause, he muttered, "What would you do?"
I grinned. "Obviously, I'd take both. I'm me."
That earned a snort from him, but his expression remained conflicted.
"You don't have to decide now," I added. "Take your time."
Laxus was quiet for a moment before nodding. "...Alright."
"Good," I said, standing up. "Now, let's get something to eat. You look like you're about to explode from thinking too hard."
Laxus scowled. "Shut up."
I just laughed and ruffled his hair, much to his irritation.
—-
I sat on the porch of my cottage, gazing up at the stars. The night air was crisp, the faint chirping of insects the only sound accompanying the quiet hum of NIMO floating beside me.
Laxus had gone home, likely still turning things over in his head. Cana was with Alma for now, adjusting to her new reality. It had been a long day. A good one, but long.
"You made the right choice," NIMO said, breaking the silence.
I smirked. "Which part? Taking in Cana, giving Laxus those things, or not blowing something up today?"
"...The first two."
I let out a low chuckle. "We'll see. I can't force them to make the right choices. I can only give them the opportunity."
NIMO processed that for a moment before responding. "An admirable perspective. Unexpected, given your usual lack of caution."
I shot it a look. "Excuse me? I'm very cautious."
"Your definition of 'cautious' appears to involve engaging in high-risk combat, causing extensive property damage, and frequently requiring repairs."
I scoffed. "That's called being efficient."
"It is also called being reckless."
I rolled my eyes. "Details, details."
NIMO hummed in that way that somehow sounded judgmental. "This is a significant shift from your initial behavior upon arriving in Fairy Tail."
I frowned. "How so?"
"When you first arrived, you were notably polite, calm, and restrained in your actions. Now, you are reckless, destructive, and prone to excessive displays of power."
I raised an eyebrow. "Excessive? You wanna go tell that to the guys I've had to fight?"
"Statistically speaking, 47% of your fights were avoidable."
I gawked. "Bullshit."
"Would you like a full breakdown?"
"No."
NIMO continued anyway. "Incident one: The bar fight in Magnolia—"
"That guy insulted Fairy Tail."
"Incident two: The mountain raid—"
"They started it!"
"Incident three: The train station explosion—"
"Okay, to be fair, I didn't think it would explode that much."
NIMO hummed. "Incident four—"
"Alright, alright, I get it."
"You neglected to mention how you always fix what you destroy."
I waved a hand. "Well, yeah. It'd be rude to just leave it broken."
"Correction: you either rebuild things yourself using the Traveler's Clock or cover the costs, as you are now banned from at least three construction companies for 'causing too much repeat business.'"
I huffed. "That's not my fault! If they build things better, I wouldn't have to keep fixing them!"
NIMO was silent for a beat. "That is not how structural integrity works."
I groaned, leaning back again. "Look, I tried the whole 'calm and collected' thing. But Fairy Tail's different. Holding back felt pointless. I've never been able to cut loose like this before."
"And you enjoy it."
I shrugged. "Wouldn't you?"
There was a pause before NIMO responded. "If I had emotions, I imagine I would find it... entertaining."
I grinned. "See? You get it."
"I do not."
I sighed, shaking my head. "You'll learn."
Another beat of silence stretched between us, the sound of the waves in the distance filling the air.
"You care about them," NIMO observed.
I let out a breath. "Yeah. I do."
It was strange. Before, I never let myself get attached. It was easier that way. But Fairy Tail... they made it impossible not to care.
"I just want them to have a choice," I continued. "Laxus, Cana, everyone. No one ever gave me one when I was younger. The least I can do is make sure they get one."
NIMO hummed again, this time softer. "You are more sentimental than you appear."
I smirked. "Don't tell anyone."
"My programming dictates strict confidentiality."
I chuckled, shaking my head before looking back at the stars.
No matter what happened next, I had a feeling things were about to get very interesting.
The Next Morning
The sun had barely risen when I heard a knock at my door.
Well, more like an aggressive thud-thud-thud, as if someone was trying to punch their way inside.
I didn't even bother getting up from my spot on the couch. "It's open," I called, stretching out with a yawn.
The door slammed open, and in stomped Laxus, looking as if he'd spent the whole night deep in thought. His usual cocky scowl was replaced by something more intense—focused.
He marched straight up to me, arms crossed, and declared, "I'm doing it."
I blinked, still groggy. "Doing what exactly? You gotta be more specific, kid."
Laxus scowled. "The fruit. The lacrima. I'll take 'em both."
I sat up properly, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "Oh?"
He nodded sharply. "I thought about it. A lot. And I decided—I want to be stronger. I don't wanna just sit around and wait for power; I wanna take it. I want to get stronger—not just for myself, but to protect what matters. Like you do."
I studied him for a moment. He was serious. No hesitation, no doubt.
I smirked. "Well, look at you, making big-boy decisions."
Laxus rolled his eyes. "You gonna give 'em to me or what?"
I leaned back with a thoughtful hum. "Hmm. I don't know. Are you sure you're ready for this? This isn't some cheap power-up you can take lightly. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit alone will change your body permanently. And the Lightning Dragon God Lacrima? That's no joke either. You really wanna do both at once?"
Laxus didn't even flinch. "Yeah. I can handle it."
I grinned. "That's the confidence I like to see."
NIMO, floating beside me, finally chimed in. "His conviction is strong. However, I recommend a full breakdown of the risks before proceeding."
Laxus frowned. "You think I can't handle it?"
"I think you should understand what you're getting into," NIMO corrected smoothly.
I nodded. "NIMO's right. Even with your dragon slayer lineage, your body's about to go through some serious changes. Logia fruits like this one make you intangible to physical attacks, but if you don't train it properly, you'll end up just getting overconfident and sloppy. And the lacrima? It'll fuse with your magic, making you a true Lightning Dragon Slayer, but the process hurts like hell."
Laxus scoffed. "Pain's not a problem."
I chuckled. "That's the spirit. Alright, then. We do this my way."
Laxus raised an eyebrow. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
I stood up, cracking my knuckles. "It means we're not just shoving all this power into you and calling it a day. First, I make sure your body's tough enough to handle it. Then we do controlled integration—one step at a time. No shortcuts."
Laxus gave me a skeptical look. "So basically, you're making me work for it."
I grinned. "Damn right I am."
Laxus groaned. "I knew there was a catch."
I clapped him on the shoulder. "Relax, it'll be fun."
"For you, maybe," he grumbled.
I just laughed. "Oh, definitely for me."
NIMO hummed. "Preparing optimized training regimen… This will be most entertaining."
Laxus shot the AI a glare. "You're enjoying this too much."
"I have no emotions," NIMO said smugly. "But if I did, I suspect amusement would be high on the list."
Laxus groaned, rubbing his temples. "Great. Two sadists."
I grinned, summoning the Rumble-Rumble Fruit into my hand, the strange-looking blue fruit crackling with tiny sparks of lightning.
I held it out to him. "Alright, Laxus. Let's get started."
Laxus looked at the Rumble-Rumble Fruit in my hand, his expression hard to read. For a moment, he just stood there, staring at it.
Then, without his usual bravado, he muttered, "I wanna be strong like you."
I blinked. That… was new. "Come again?"
Laxus scowled. "Tch—don't make me say it again." He crossed his arms, looking to the side. "I've been thinking about it for a while. Watching you, seeing how you fight, how you don't back down… how you win." He clenched his fists. "I used to think being strong just meant having more power than everyone else. That if I was strong enough, nobody could mess with me, and that was all that mattered."
I stayed quiet, letting him talk.
"But you're not just strong 'cause you hit harder than everyone else," he continued. "You fight for something. You protect the guild, the people you care about, even random strangers if you have to." He looked at me then, his eyes full of determination. "I want to be strong like that. Strong enough to protect what matters."
A slow smirk tugged at my lips. "Well, well. Someone's growing up."
Laxus scowled. "Don't get all sentimental on me."
I laughed. "Too late."
NIMO hummed. "Laxus' emotional and mental growth has been significant over the past two years. Your influence is evident."
Laxus rolled his eyes. "Great. Now the floating nerd is analyzing me."
I grinned. "Nah, NIMO's just stating the obvious. You have changed, kid." I leaned against the porch railing, looking at him seriously. "Two years ago, you were just some cocky brat with a chip on his shoulder. Strong? Sure. But not this strong. Not just in power, but in mindset." I tapped my temple. "You finally get it, don't you? Strength isn't just about you."
Laxus was quiet for a moment, then he nodded. "Yeah. I get it."
I held up the fruit again. "Then you're ready."
Laxus took a deep breath, then reached out and grabbed it.
"Hope you're ready for the worst-tasting thing you'll ever eat," I warned.
Laxus gave me a flat look. "It's a fruit. How bad can it be?"
He took a huge bite.
And immediately gagged.
"Gah—what the hell is this?!" he coughed, nearly dropping the rest.
I cackled. "Welcome to Devil Fruits, kid."
Laxus grimaced, forcing himself to swallow. "That was awful!"
NIMO, ever helpful, added, "It is commonly described as 'rotting garbage mixed with despair.'"
Laxus glared at me. "You could have warned me."
"I did!" I laughed.
Laxus grumbled under his breath, but I could already see it working. Tiny sparks of electricity flickered across his skin, his magic reacting to the new power surging through him.
I clapped my hands. "Alright, that's phase one. Now for the painful part."
Laxus tensed. "Wait. That wasn't the painful part?"
I smirked, summoning the Lightning Dragon God Lacrima into my palm, the crystal glowing with a deep, pulsing energy. "Nope. This is where it really starts."
Laxus looked at it, then at me. He took a deep breath. "Do it."
I grinned. "Atta boy."
NIMO hummed. "Initiating controlled fusion process. This will be painful."
Laxus sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Just—"
The moment I pressed the lacrima to his chest, it flared to life, sending a powerful surge of energy straight into his body.
Laxus barely had time to yell before the pain hit.
Laxus' body convulsed the moment the Lightning Dragon God Lacrima fused with him. Sparks danced wildly across his skin, surging into violent arcs of golden lightning. His eyes snapped wide, glowing with raw energy as veins of power pulsed through him.
"Grr—AARGH!" Laxus gritted his teeth, trying to stay upright, but his knees buckled. His muscles strained, his whole body rejecting and accepting the power at the same time.
NIMO hovered beside me, its voice eerily calm. "Energy levels spiking. Neural pathways overloaded. Pain tolerance test: extreme."
"Yeah, no kidding," I muttered.
Laxus' hands dug into the dirt, crackling with electricity. His breathing was ragged, his jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth might crack. But he didn't scream.
He endured.
Good.
I crouched down beside him. "Breathe through it, kid."
His fingers twitched, and suddenly—BOOM!
A wild discharge of lightning exploded from his body, shaking the ground beneath us. My porch lights shattered, the trees around the cottage were scorched, and the air smelled like ozone and burning wood.
I raised an eyebrow. "Well, there goes my security deposit."
Laxus shot me a glare, though it was hard to take him seriously when he looked like a human thunderstorm. "Screw you," he muttered, voice hoarse.
I smirked. "That's the spirit."
His breathing evened out, and slowly, he pushed himself up, lightning still flickering along his skin. His body was adapting, but I could tell—he felt different.
Laxus flexed his fingers, watching as arcs of electricity danced between them. "This… this is insane," he muttered. "It's like my magic's gone supercharged."
I nodded. "That's because it has. You're not just a Lightning Mage anymore. You've got Logia abilities now, meaning you are lightning."
Laxus looked at me, eyes wide. "Wait… I am lightning?"
"Yup. Meaning normal attacks can't hit you unless they use Haki—er, I mean, magic or something strong enough to bypass it."
Laxus blinked. "What the hell is a Haki?"
I coughed. "Don't worry about it."
NIMO hummed. "Laxus' biological structure is currently adapting to both the Devil Fruit and the Dragon Lacrima. Complete synchronization will require additional training."
Laxus took a shaky breath, his face set with determination. "Then I'll train. I'm not gonna waste this."
I grinned, clapping him on the shoulder. "That's the right mindset. But first, let's test out your powers. Try to—"
BOOM!
A lightning bolt shot straight from Laxus' hand, completely obliterating a tree in the distance. The sheer force left a smoldering crater where it once stood.
"…Control it," I finished flatly.
Laxus just stared at his own hand. "Holy crap."
I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Great. I just gave a natural disaster legs."
NIMO beeped. "Current collateral damage: three trees, your porch lights, and the local bird population."
I sighed. "You're replacing the porch lights, by the way."
Laxus smirked. "With what money?"
I grinned, summoning a broom and tossing it to him. "With good old-fashioned labor."
His smirk vanished. "...You suck."
"And yet, here you are."
Laxus groaned but grabbed the broom anyway, swearing under his breath.
As he begrudgingly started cleaning, I leaned back against the railing, watching the sky.
Laxus was on his way to becoming something incredible.
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