#Clockwork-baroness

[haleyusesherwords]

I keep picturing Princess trying to explain to Gorgug, orc to orc, why she immediately shot down the clockwork gnome baroness, and all Gorgug is hearing is that his perfect woman exists and is out there right now looking for a suitor

Princess: She’s 3 feet tall

Gorgug, whose type is tiny women: …and that’s a deal breaker?

Princess: She also lives in a working life sized cuckoo clock

Gorgug, the greatest Barbaficer of his age: She lives in a working cuckoo- and you didn’t propose immediately???

[cauliflowercounty]

Mornings in the Mirror

Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen x fem!Reader

Summary: a little vignette about getting dressed in the morning with Feyd. Established relationship.

Same universe as Knives Dance based on some of the exposition from part 3 because I’m having trouble saying goodbye to Knives Dance. You don’t have to have already read the series to understand, but there are some spoilers to the series. Set between parts 2 and 3.

Warnings: some suggestive content

Word Count: 2.1k

Written on mobile cause I’m on a bus

You step out of the bathroom attached to the bedroom you share with Feyd, using a towel to gently blot the last of the water off your hair to finish drying it. As you do so, you look outside the window to observe Giedi Prime’s cityscape with its dark, expansive architecture filled with imposing, black structures.

The city is already humming with morning activity. Ships fly through the air, taking people where they need to be like clockwork. You hear the beat of the Harkonnen armies marching on the ground far below your quarters. The sound has become a comfort to you since coming to Giedi Prime. Without fail, the marching would start at the same time each day, ringing in a new day as the black sun shone on the city. Just like all those times before, you feel the aura of Giedi Prime wash over you. Everything is in perfect order, which puts your mind at ease.

Looking over to the large bed behind you, you see Feyd has gotten up since you’ve been in the shower, leaving the sheets untidy over the mattress. You smile. You’ve come to learn his habits over the weeks, and he always does this, knowing the servants will come and replace them with fresh sheets later once you’ve both left. He’s always said that he has more important duties than making his own bed. Now that you’re living together, you know he’s right, especially since he’s Baron Harkonnen now. His daily meetings with advisors in the Harkonnen War Room or diplomats on his throne with you by his side often keep him occupied. His time is precious, as is yours.

Making your way over to the closet, you see your husband through the crack in the doorway. His back is to you, allowing you to see his muscled shoulder blades and admire his slim waist. He’s standing in front of his side of the closet, running his fingers along the series of clothes on hangers. You slip into the closet and approach him from behind. You know he’s already heard you approach when you see his shoulders relax. He turns to you, his Baroness. When he does so, you can see how his eyes soften, a small smile on his lips as he looks at you. He extends his palm outward to you and you gladly walk over and slide your hand into his.

“Good morning, my love,” he says to you before pulling you closer by your hand and wrapping his other hand around your waist before dragging it up your body and cupping your cheek. He brushes his thumb across your skin, sending shivers down your spine

As you look at him, your heart fills with pride, knowing you’re the only one who gets to be with him in this way. You get to see him for more than his reputation. Anyone would scorn the idea that Feyd-Rautha, the psychotic nephew of Vladimir Harkonnen, may he rest in peace, who slays countless slaves in a gladiatorial arena and kills servants at will, would be able to do something so tender. However, here you are, the only one to behold his love and affection.

“Good morning, Feyd,” you whisper back to him against his lips, and he gives your hand another firm squeeze. “I hope you slept well.” You both break reluctantly, knowing you both have to get ready now. “What are we doing today?” you ask him, turning to his closet and thumbing through his clothes yourself.

“We have another meeting with our generals today in the War Room,” he says as he stands back to watch you at work. He was surprised the first time you went to pick out what he wore for the day, but he quickly grew to appreciate the ritual because of how much thought you invested in it every day. “We also have to meet with our Directors of Commerce concerning spice on Arrakis. We should also be receiving news about the status of spice production.”

“I hope Rabban has gotten his act together,” you say, pulling one of his outfits from the hanger and taking an undershirt of his out of a drawer beside you. It’s a deep blue almost black pair of pants with a matching jacket with a high neckline. You hand it to him, and he immediately puts each item on.

You bring your arms to his shoulders to smooth the fabric of the jacket over his body. You grab the seams at the shoulders, lining them up with the edges of his body so that it hangs perfectly on him. The clean lines accentuate the broadness of his torso and bolster his imposing stature. He really looks like a Baron now. You make a mental note to have the seamstresses make more outfits like this for him.

“...And I hope Rabban has figured out how to acquire a brain,” Feyd mumbles, savoring your touch on him.

“Whatever will we do with him…” you sigh in return as you kneel down to smooth out his pant legs.

“Thank you,” Feyd says as you rise to your feet again when you finish.

“Of course,” you reply, starting to make your way over to your side of the closet. He follows you and brings a hand to your shoulder from behind. You twist around to look at him with your brows knit. Why did he stop you?

“May I… return the favor today, my darling?” He asks, his voice wavering for a moment. Your lips part in surprise. He’s never asked to do this before, but his nervousness that he’s trying to conceal makes your heart swell. From that small moment of hesitation, you can tell he’s been wanting to ask this of you for some time.

You step back to allow him access, and Feyd raises his gaze up to the exposed rack of clothes. He starts at one end, pushing the outfits on the rod one by one to take a close look at each one. As he moves down the line, you can tell he’s deep in concentration. Should he pick a Harkonnen gown, or one you’ve brought from Youra? He’s taking great care in this task, which makes you sigh in appreciation.

He finally decides after many moments of consideration. He pulls down a floor length Harkonnen gown with a Queen Anne neckline and cap sleeves. It’s made of layers of fabric that seem to swallow all light that touches it, creating a rich obsidian black. The bodice is an intricately detailed corset adorned with elegant lace and prominent ribbing atop fine mesh. As he turns it around, he drags his gaze up and down the dress. The back is also beautiful, the design stretching all the way around.

“I haven’t seen you wear this one before,” he says, as he admires the open upper back, the edges of which are lined with the same lace as the bodice.

“It has a lace-up corset. It takes longer and requires another person to get into,” you explain, which makes Feyd’s eyes glimmer with excitement.

“What am I here for then?” he asks with a grin.

“Ruling Giedi Prime perhaps?” you jest. He scoffs and brings the dress over.

“Other than that,” he says, taking it off the hanger.

“I wouldn’t want to trouble you, Feyd.”

“It really isn’t any trouble, my love. Please? May I help you?” You see a hint of longing in his eyes and you nod at him, abandoning your towel as Feyd loosens the laces of the corset. He helps you by gathering the dress, giving you the ability to dive head first into the gown. As you pull down the dress over your body and put your arms through the armholes, you immediately notice how luxurious the fabric is against your skin. Even though the corset has not been tightened, you know that it will be a perfect fit by just feeling it on yourself. Turning your back to Feyd and holding yourself straight, you silently signal to Feyd that you’re ready.

“Let me know if it’s too tight,” he whispers in your ear from behind. His breath on your neck makes your skin tingle, and you try to resist turning around, grabbing his head and kissing him. At your motion he begins to tug on the laces little by little, causing the corset to perfectly conform to your figure. His touch is precise and the way he pulls at the strands is decisive and firm. To your surprise, he’s rather good at this and seems to know exactly what to do. Once he is done tightening it, he uses his fingers to gently tie a knot then a bow at the back of your dress with the excess ribbon. As you move around a little to settle into the dress, you feel how the corset isn’t too loose on you, and you don’t feel like you’re being suffocated either.

Before you can thank him for a job well done, he’s already at your feet, placing a pair of strapless patent leather shoes in front of you. He takes your hand in his. You use your free hand to grab your skirt as you slip the shoes on one by one. Feyd beckons you to follow him and takes you both over to the mirror in the closet. He positions you in front of him in the center of the mirror.

“Look at you, darling,” he whispers to you, his eyes wandering up and down the portrait of you in front of him. Feyd could look at this image all day. The bodice fits your body perfectly and the dress flares out from your waist beautifully, making you look like a goddess descended from above. He brings his arms around you and smooths his hands over your front, feeling the lace pass under his fingertips. The look of you together is truly gratifying for Feyd with him in his clean cut ensemble and you in your gown. You both look powerful next to each other. Together you are Baron and Baroness of House Harkonnen and you look the part. “You’re exquisite, my love.”

He dips his head down and brings his lips to your neck, pressing small kisses over the area. Feeling the heat within you rising, you turn around in his embrace and bring your arms up around his neck. Capturing his lips in yours, you kiss him fervently. He brings one hand up and combs his fingers through your hair, which makes you feel like a surge of electricity has shot through your veins. As you kiss him back, all of your surroundings seem to melt away into nothingness. All of it is insignificant compared to your husband. You can tell he’s also lost in the sensation of you against his body and in his hands as he rakes his hands through your hair. His grip on your waist tightens as his kiss becomes hungrier, and you feel him tug at your bottom lip with his teeth.

Breaking away from him, you see how heavy his lids are now, his firm grip on you not letting up. You smile at him and give him another quick kiss, this one much lighter. You didn’t want to stop, but you must attend to your duties. “Later, darling,” you sigh into his ear. “I just got dressed, after all. I wouldn’t want to undo your expert work.”

He lets out an amused huff and nods in agreement. You go over to the mirror and realize your hair is completely disheveled. Your dress is still beautiful, but you can’t say the same thing about your hair now that Feyd’s had his hands on it.

“I bet none of the Harkonnen women you’ve had in the past had to deal with this issue when leaving your quarters,” you joke as you open a different drawer near you, which contains all of your hair care tools that you’d brought with you to Giedi Prime. You take a moment to make the necessary adjustments to your hair, trying to salvage it.

“You need not mention them,” Feyd says, his jaw tightening. “They are of no concern to you or me anymore.”

“I know,” you smile, turning back to him and extending your arm. “I’m only teasing. Let’s go.”

He relaxes and gladly takes your hand, allowing you to lead him out of your quarters. With that, you begin your day side by side as Baron and Baroness of House Harkonnen.

—

Thanks for reading! 💛

Let me know if you’d like to be part of my Feyd taglist

[smiscee]

[General info about my stories/other blogs for the newcomers]

The Osix Family (@asktheosixfamily):

A Liminal Fantasy of slice of life and action. Its about a family who died around the late 1930s and was given a chance to live in an afterlife and a living world: Vestia. However, dangerous entities lurk around the corners bringing despair and fear. To keep that peaceful living life, with the use of their given magic, they fight to keep the world safe while also learning how to grow and work on themselves.

"What We Lost" (Lil Lucifer StoryTale AU):

Based on the world of @lilluciferau, the daughter of the Archangel Raphael and Primrose is just another regular soldier who fights demons. However, her mom's absence is unknown to her. Longing for her, she goes out on a secret quest to find the truth about her mother. While she does so she starts to see the cruelty of the world and tries to restore what they lost.

Little Clockworks (@littleclockworks):

A side blog to The Osix Family, we see what goes up above in the world of Vivlìo Istorion and how the world works. Once again, a slice of life story. We see this through mostly the P. O. V. of Charlotte and Coraline Akilah as they interact with their friends/coworkers and their mentors Mask Maker and Paperbag.

[COLLAB] Pasta4U (@creepy-pasta4u):

Based on the world of Creepypasta, this is just ironically another slice of life ask blog featuring four crew members: Mollie, France, J, and Frieda. We see how these four try to survive the Operator, their boss, while dealing or forming connections with the rest of the crew.

Casino Cups: Wilted Ivory (mostly featured in this blog):

Christine White and Teacup are a couple of fucked up Orphans who went to start a new life in Inkwell City. They happen to be apartment neighbors next door to the Cup brothers, who also help them get a job. Christine as an assassin at the Devil's Casino and Teacup as an assistant at a news printing work shop. There's no lore to hide in here so, another slice of life, these two learn how to trust and love again as they finally find peace in their life. Teacup having an older brother figure (Mugman) while also getting adopted by her best friend (later mom) Christine, and Christine bonding with Cuphead who's also as fucked up as her and finds love again. Also Christine and Baroness are exes so-

[COLLAB] The Better Casino (@cupheadocscasino):

An alternate reality where Christine and a bunch of other people (other cuphead ocs from wonderful creators) quit and went to start their own Casino. Another slice of life but a wholesome and funny one as they compete against the Devil and form connections with each other.

[Will add more soon if new stories come around]

(Also I'd like to point out that I don't want The Osix Family to be associated with Babtqftim so its not a Babtqftim au anymore it's its own thing)

[rhetoricandlogic]

THE LOST FUTURE OF PEPPERHARROW by Natasha Pulley

RELEASE DATE: Feb. 18, 2020

M ore steampunk adventures of a samurai prognosticator, his clockwork octopus, and his human lovers.

Five years after her charming debut novel, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street (2015), Pulley brings back the main characters for another scramble through the dangers and consequences of clairvoyance. Readers of the first book already know the big reveal: that Keita Mori—the eponymous London watchmaker—has an unusual memory that works both backward and forward. (Readers new to the series should put this book down and start with Watchmaker.) This time Pulley sets the action principally in Japan, where Mori; Thaniel Steepleton, a British translator and diplomat; Grace Carrow Matsumoto, a physicist; and Takiko Pepperharrow, a Kabuki actress and baroness, are working together to foil a samurai’s power grab and turn away a Russian invasion. At least, that’s what Mori’s doing; the others are rushing blindly down paths he’s laid out for them, which may or may not get them where he wants them to go. But if Mori knows what’s coming and what steps they can take to change the future, why doesn’t he just tell them what to do? The answer is half satisfying (because, as in any complicated relationship, communication isn’t always easy; because the characters have wills of their own and might not obey) and half irritating (because if he did, there wouldn’t be much of a story). Pulley’s witty writing and enthusiastically deployed steampunk motifs—clockwork, owls, a mechanical pet, Tesla-inspired electrical drama—enliven a plot that drags in the middle before rushing toward its explosive end. Perhaps more interesting than the plot are the relationships. The characters revolve through a complex pattern of marriages of passion and convenience, sometimes across and sometimes within genders and cultures, punctuated by jealousy and interesting questions about trust.

Although this sequel doesn’t break new ground, it will appeal strongly to fans of the first book.

[underwentrpg]

DEMONS

They came, they said, just from next door. They say they come for the bright lights of the fairegrounds, the thrill of winning big at the casinos, the chance of seducing some fair person — but deep in your heart, you know it's not true. Their big smiles only ever serve to show the sharpness of their fangs, a fair warning to any and all who would deal with these amber-eyed denizens of that most infernal realm. Still, if you want something so much you're willing to sell most anything and everything, then it's well known throughout the city that the one you go to when all else fails is a demon.

DOPPELGÄNGERS

They say another you walks under this earth, taking your place in the affections of your kith and kin. They talk of memories you do not share, activities you do not recall doing. When have you been so forgetful? they ask. Curiosity turns to worry turns to suspicion. Are you sure you're you? Rumours swirl in conversations held during the break of twilight, when polite conversation becomes most decidedly impolite: your own image walks, unbound, free to do whatever they wish with the mirror of your body — yet, they say, always inexplicably leaving behind drippings of black tar.

DROWNED FOLK

This deep beneath the earth, what once had been desert broke past aquifers and groundwater. Here, under the careful attentions of the Haunted Ones, the waters of the earth become the waters of the world — and whatever lost souls that once found themselves submerged in that profound abyss inevitably come washing up on the Oasis. They are strangers to the direct flow of time: their yesterdays, far different from the yesterday of Gulch City. What purpose might the Haunted Ones have in mind for the bringing back of these drowned folk? Like all other questions asked in the City, the answer yet remains to be seen.

HUMANS

Humans stand as ordinary mortals, without the strengths, traits, and abilities possessed by other supernatural entities. Devoid of special powers, they once navigated their daily lives, often unaware of the mystical entities that reside in their midst, concealing their true nature within the shadows. Avatars & Nullifiers Humans are susceptible to the sinister sway of strange entities that hide in the shadows. These entities possess extraordinary powers and incomprehensible motives. Their aim is to corrupt the souls of mortals, transforming them into horrifying distortions of their former selves. Clockwork Automata In order to stop the biological clock from running down their limited lives, humans opted to become clocks themselves: flesh and bone replaced with whirring gears and metal encasing, the miracles of science trumping the fragile biology of yesteryears. Perhaps there had been a time, early on in its flourishing, where people who opted for this procedure had been scorned and vilified by society at large, considered as affronts against the delicate ordering of society. Yet what order remains, when the City finds itself lodged under earth and mud? Now, clockwork automata wine and dine with the very best of them — and sometimes, as is the case with the Rubber Baroness, have found themselves to be one of them.

[photogirl894]

"IronStar"

Chapter 18

"One Hell of a Wizard"

A "Fairy Tail" fanfic!

Pairing: Gajeel x fem OC

Taglist: @l-lend , @rosechi , @the-bad-batch-baroness , @angrypaperearthquake-tbbb-main

《 Chapter 17

》 Chapter 19

All chapters

Explanation: Genna must prove her inner strength as her power threatens to consume her and Fairy Tail battles unknown forces to save both the Clockwork Bloom and even time itself.

Erza and Gajeel had just stepped into a small clearing when suddenly, they both felt what seemed to be an eruption of magic energy. The air became pressurized more than usual and the ground rumbled slightly.

“What is that?” Erza asked.

Gajeel recognized the energy and knew exactly what it was.

His head snapped in the direction of the surge. “That’s her,” he stated.

She turned to him. “Genna?”

His voice was tense as he told her, “That’s her magic. I’d know it anywhere…and it’s not just flarin’ up. She’s startin’ to go supernova.” He was already moving before he’d finished speaking.

Erza grabbed his arm to stop him. “Gajeel, wait,” she ordered him. Her voice didn’t rise, but her tone still carried weight behind it. 

He stopped, only barely, his fists clenched at his sides with urgency. “She needs me,” he said. “If Gray can’t get through to her--”

“Then she’ll find her way back on her own,” she interrupted, stepping up to him. “Gray will help her. Remember what I told you: Genna must learn how to do this without you there.”

Gajeel turned to face her fully, his eyes sharp and anxious. “You don’t know what it’s like for her…what her power does when she loses control.”

Erza met his gaze unflinchingly. “You’re right, I do not…but I do know what it’s like to watch someone you care about finally learn they don’t have to rely on you to survive. Figuring this out on her own doesn’t mean she won’t ever need you anymore. It just means she’s growing.”

He looked away, his jaw locked tight. He could still feel her magic in the distance getting stronger. His nerves wouldn’t settle and everything inside him was screaming at him to start running.

“She’s strong,” she added quietly. “You helped her become that. Now, let her prove it to herself.”

He then exhaled sharply, doing his best to listen to her. “I’m givin’ it one more minute and if nothin’ changes, I’m runnin’,” he declared.

With a small grin, she replied, “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Panicking slightly, but still trying to keep calm, Gray moved around so he was in front of Genna and dropped to his knees so he could see her face. Her eyes, huge with terror, were glowing…too much for his liking. The light behind them trembled violently, being barely held in check. He could feel in the air how unstable her magic was becoming. Something bad was happening to her, that much he could tell. He had no idea what this was, but he had to do something to help her. For a second, he thought about using his ice magic, but then thought that mixing his magic with hers in the moment would not be a good idea. 

She flared even brighter and he shielded his face with his arm. “Genna, listen to me! You’re not there anymore! It’s just an illusion!”

Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to hear him.

She was breathing too fast, nearly in hysterics. “I can’t stop it! He knew what to do!” she gasped. “Gajeel always--he always knew what to say! Where is he?!” Her voice cracked. She could feel every ounce of power within her gradually building more and more with each passing second. It was becoming too much. What was she going to do?

Gray gritted his teeth, unsure of what to do. He didn’t know how to stop her power…but maybe she could. “I don’t know what Gajeel does,” he growled, “but he’s not here! You are, Genna! You don’t need anyone else to pull you out! You can do this!”

She clutched her head. “I can’t!”

“Yes, you can!” he shouted over the growing roar of magic. 

Shaking her head in both doubt and fear, she cried out, “You need to get out of here, Gray! You’ll die!”

He replied right away, “That’s not happening! I’m not gonna leave you!” His voice then grew calm yet still carried a lot of strength in the hopes to reach her, “You’re stronger than this, Genna. I know you are. You’re stronger than this memory. You are the master of your power and it’s yours to control! You gotta fight it! If you don’t, you, me and all our friends are gonna die! Gajeel will die!”

Her eyes snapped to his, radiating shakily like a star on the verge of collapse. Tears fell from her eyes and evaporated quickly.

For one terrible second, Gray thought she’d explode.

Then…Genna closed her eyes. She forced a breath in slowly, flashes of her friends’ faces coming to her mind. Gray was right: they would all die because of her if she didn���t pull herself together. She tried to reach inside herself and quench the starfire within her, but it was like trying to push something that could float down in water. It resisted her push, but she couldn’t stop.

“I can’t give up!” she thought desperately. 

She pushed harder, picturing Gajeel from the first time he helped calm her supernova down. His protective arms around her, his consoling voice in her ear: 

“You’re Genna Whitesun…you’re stronger than this power and you’re not gonna burn out here…I need you, Genna…please…come back to me.”

Then she heard Erza’s words to her from back on the train: 

“What will you do if you’re ever with someone else and your power were to lose control? Or worse, what if you were alone? What would you do then? Gajeel cannot always be your anchor…you have the strength to ground yourself…you just need to find the will to reach that point on your own….”

In that moment, her motivation to see this through doubled as she determined in her mind, “I have to do this so I can show both of them that their faith in me wasn’t misplaced...and so I can get back to Gajeel!” 

With a yell, she suddenly jumped up to her feet, threw out a hand in front of her and released some of her starlight energy in a concentrated burst towards where the illusion of her father stood. The blast made contact with some invisible force that erupted apart like glass, shattering the illusion and returning them to the forest.

Now that the vision was gone and the reminders of her past had disappeared, she lowered her hand and her breathing grew steadier, calming her emotions. “Draw back the nova…” she said quietly aloud, “…and let the stars sleep.”

Gray stood back up and watched, stunned and in awe, as the air shimmered and the light emanating from Genna’s body dimmed slowly like a dying flame. The heat faded and the tension died away. When she opened her eyes, they glowed faintly for a brief second before the light disappeared and her blue starlit eyes returned. An impressed gasp of relief escaped him.

She’d actually done it. 

Genna exhaled a long, shaking breath before whatever strength remained in her left her body and she fell forward, collapsing against Gray’s chest. 

“Hey, easy, I got you,” he soothed her, putting his arms around her to catch her. 

Breathily, she said to him, “I’m sorry, Gray. I should’ve…warned you…about that.”

“Yeah, what was that?” he asked, concerned. 

“My supernova,” she answered, pulling back to look at him. “When triggered by any extreme emotions, my magic spikes and spirals out of control…which you just saw. If I don’t get it reigned in, I could explode like a dying star.”

“Man, that’s intense,” he remarked. 

“Most times, I get lost in my own mind and I can’t focus enough to find my way back to reality.” She heaved a heavy sigh, coming into the reality of what had just happened. “I’ve never pulled myself back on my own before.”

“Yet you just did…I knew you could do it.”

“I couldn’t have done it without your help.”

Gray scoffed. “Genna, I didn’t do a thing. I didn’t have a clue of what to do. All I did was remind you of who you are and what was at stake.”

Genna gave him a small, tired smile. “That was still just what I needed. Thank you.”

He just grinned encouragingly back.

“I’m sure the others all felt that, wherever they are.” She released a light, breathless laugh. “Gajeel’s gonna kill me.”

Smirking, he said in return, “Nah. He might act annoyed at first, but I’m sure he’ll still be proud of you.”

Elsewhere in the woods, Gajeel and Erza were on alert as they could still feel Genna’s rising energy…until the trembling in the ground ceased and the pressure in the air began to lessen. The distant surge grew faint, pulsed one more time and then quickly died out. They stood still for a moment, waiting. Somehow, Gajeel knew deep inside that everything was okay. He had no idea how, but there was a warmth in his heart that just told him Genna was all right.

“She did it,” he said, his shoulders relaxing. 

“I knew she could,” said Erza, “...and to think you were worried about her.”

He turned to look at her. “Can ya blame me? You felt how strong that was, too.”

In turn, she scoffed in amusement. “Don’t lie, Gajeel. Not to me. I know full well you weren’t worried because of how strong her power is. You were scared of losing her.”

“Am I not supposed to look out for my teammate?” he asked casually. 

Erza sighed. This man was more stubborn than an ox. Surely, he had to know that she was aware of his feelings for Genna, so why did he continue trying to hide it? Despite that, she knew better than to push things with him if he wasn’t wanting to talk, so she moved past it and just said, “Come on, let’s keep going.”

They continued onward for a few more minutes until they noticed the cluster of trees ahead of them were thinning out. Soon, they stepped out to see an enormous basin of twisted roots and fractured ground in the middle of the vast forest. Standing tall at its center was a massive, ancient tree woven with gleaming, brass-like veins and glowing time runes that ticked in fractured rhythms. There were pockets in the air around the tree that trembled as time was moving forward or back in those specific spots. The sunlight shone through on one side while on the other side, they could only see darkness. On the tree’s branches hung withered, brown leaves and dying buds that never fully bloomed. 

“That must be it…the Clockwork Bloom,” Erza stated. 

“Whatever gave that away?” Gajeel asked sarcastically. “You got any clue about how to fix that thing?”

She shook her head. “Not yet, but let’s take a closer look.”

The two of them slid down the hill and into the basin, still keeping alert for any other time loops they could get caught in or any signs of potential danger. As they drew closer to the tree, carefully maneuvering the roots, they noticed there was a decent-sized fracture in the trunk where magic was sparking at the tips of the break 

“Yep, someone broke it, all right,” Gajeel commented. 

“That’s not going to be easy to fix on our own,” said Erza. “Let’s signal the others and we can--”

A strong, unseen force suddenly yanked them both backwards and they grunted in surprise as they both found themselves on their backs. 

“What the hell?” Gajeel asked through a groan.

As they sat up, wondering what had just happened, three hooded and cloaked figures suddenly emerged from behind the tree. 

“Do you think we should hit them again?” one of them asked.

“By all means,” said another. 

He summoned some green runes above his hand and Gajeel and Erza’s bodies both curled up from their backs and up to their feet against their will. Then the first mage who had spoken curled his hand into a fist and pulled in towards him, making Erza and Gajeel get wrenched back to the ground a second time, this time almost harder.

“I could do that all day,” the man who had just pulled them said. 

“Time and gravity mages,” Erza observed through gritted teeth. 

“Great…just what we need,” Gajeel snarkily remarked. 

The third mage who had yet to speak, informed them, “We can’t allow you to interfere here. Turn back at once and leave.”

Gajeel scoffed as he moved to sit up. “Fat chance,” he said. Though, the gravity mage forced him onto his back again. 

“Release us immediately!” Erza demanded sharply. 

“If we do, you must leave,” said the time mage. 

“We can’t. We were sent here to put a stop to everything that’s been happening in this forest,” she said back. 

The third mage stepped up and declared, “We’re giving you one last chance. Vacate this forest or we will have no choice but to use force against you.”

With a cocky snicker, Gajeel replied, “Let me save ya the trouble, pal.” Then he took a loud, deep inhale before crying out, “Iron Dragon Roar!” He threw his head forward as best he could and released a wave of iron magic at the three mages from his mouth, sending them all colliding into the trunk of the tree or flying past it. Both he and Erza felt the weight of the gravity spell dissipate immediately and they jumped up to their feet once they could move again.

“Nicely done,” Erza complimented him as she picked up and brandished her sword. 

“I ain’t in the mood to negotiate. I wanna punch some guys,” he told her. 

The third mage then waved his hands in a circle and suddenly, multiple copies of himself appeared, flickering for a second, and then the duplicates formed a wide circle around Gajeel and Erza. 

“Crap, he’s got illusion magic,” Gajeel pointed out. 

“How can you punch me if you don’t know which one’s the real me?” the illusion mage taunted them.

However, Erza simply smirked with confidence. “Easily,” she said. Then she cried out, “Requip: Heaven’s Wheel!” 

Her whole body shifted with golden light and her regular armor transformed before everyone’s very eyes. It turned into a silver set of armor that exposed her neck and stomach with a billowing skirt with metal plating and large wings made of blades on her back. A silver winged headpiece now adorned her head, as well.  She raised her sword above her head and in the air between them and the illusions, several swords materialized in the air, the blades pointed outward. They all then started to spin in a circle around her and Gajeel.

“Circle Swords! Dance, my blades!” Erza shouted, bringing her sword down.

In an instant, the swords shot outward towards the mage duplicates that surrounded them and made contact with each one. All of them cried out and disappeared upon impact, except for one; the original illusion mage, who staggered backward in his new spot a few feet behind Gajeel.

“There you are,” Gajeel said to himself, readying himself to lunge after him. As he leapt through the air towards him, he shouted, “Iron Dragon’s Club!” His arm changed into a club of iron that he sent zooming towards the illusion mage.

Unfortunately, the mage dodged his attack and rolled off to the side. 

Once Erza saw Gajeel was handling the illusionist, she went for the other two mages. The gravity mage was quick to evade and the time mage was able to phase in and out of reality to avoid her attacks, which were swinging hard and fast. 

The gravity mage then grew frustrated with their resistance and, with a loud growl, he raised both his hands over his head and then threw them out in front of him. The ground directly beneath Gajeel and Erza went concave as gravity shifted and grew heavier over them, forcing them both flat on the ground. 

“Why must you guild brats stick your noses where they don’t belong?” he called out, irritated. 

Gajeel tried his best to push himself back up, but the gravity was so heavy, he could barely get up. “I…can’t…move…!” he grunted out, his face pressing uncomfortably against the ground.

Erza couldn’t get up either and all she did was grunt in response, her Heaven’s Wheel armor fading away and back to her normal armor. 

“Crush them and get this over with,” the time mage ordered. 

This wasn’t looking good, Gajeel thought. He normally was pretty strong, but the gravity mage’s spell was far more powerful. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get himself to move. Whatever was about to hit him and Erza next was probably going to hurt quite a bit and he braced himself for impact. 

Suddenly, a familiar rush swept through him as his senses registered something: a familiar presence close by that gave him just a split second of hope. 

Genna.

Then he heard Gray’s voice shout, “Ice Make: Blades!” 

Gajeel heard and felt crashing all around him, assuming it was from Gray’s spell, and once again, the heavy pressure from the gravity suddenly stopped, allowing him to breathe. When he flipped over, he immediately looked up and spotted Genna with her starry wings up in the sky carrying Gray and the two of them were speeding towards the ground. 

Up in the air, Genna let go of Gray as they got closer and he created a slide of ice that he slid down all the way to the ground as she flew beside him. In seconds, the two of them hit the dirt in front of where Erza and Gajeel laid. 

“Looks like you guys could use some help,” Gray commented over his shoulder with a grin.

Genna turned back and looked mainly at Gajeel with a grin of her own. “Why’d you start the fun without us?” she asked. 

There was no denying how pleased he was to see her right then. Wiping some dirt off his face with the back of his hand, he smirked back at her and replied, “Well, I know how much you like to make an entrance.” 

She snickered and then gave him a wink. 

“There are more of you?” the gravity mage asked angrily.

“Yeah and, unfortunately for you, there’s even more on the way right now,” Gray answered him. “One of them’s gonna fry your sorry asses for hurting our friends.”

Hearing that made both Erza and Gajeel realize that they must’ve called in Natsu to come help and probably Wendy, too. 

Then from the other side of the basin, they heard another voice: Lucy’s voice. “He’s not the only one! Go Lily!”

There was the sound of slashing metal and Lily in his large panther form came hurtling through the air, slicing his sword down on the other mages and knocking them back. Then Lucy came running up, flourishing one of her Celestial Keys.

“Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!” she cried out. 

At her side then appeared a giant bull cow that stood on two legs wielding a greataxe. “Moooo, Miss Lucy!” he exclaimed in a deep voice that cracked when he moo’d. He saw one of the mages raising their arms and he took a hard swing at them, hitting them with his greataxe to join the other two mages on the ground. 

As Genna and Gray helped Gajeel and Erza up to their feet to join their comrades, the illusion mage exclaimed in frustration as he also stood up, “Why must you all interfere? These aren’t your affairs to meddle in!!”

“You’ve disrupted the flow of time in this forest. Did you really think that wasn’t gonna go unnoticed by anyone else?” commented Genna. 

The gravity mage then spoke up, “You don’t understand. We had to silence the Clockwork Bloom!”

Everyone paused for a second.

“Why?” Erza growled. “What reason could you possibly have to damage the ancient tree that maintains the balance of time?”

The illusionist replied, sounding nearly half-mad. “Because the Bloom was never meant to stay awake this long! Its magic power was warping and degrading.”

The time mage then added. “That tree wasn’t just regulating time. It was feeding on it; on moments, on memories.”

Gray narrowed his eyes at them. “You mean it takes your memories?”

“Worse…it traps them,” the gravity mage said. “It repeats your worst moments, loops your pain.”

Unbeknownst to their companions as well as each other, both Genna and Gajeel recalled for a brief second the awful memories they both had been forced to relive in the forest.  

The illusionist then continued, “We broke the core of the Bloom so it would stop pulling people under its awful enchantments and time could move freely again.”

“You all really are a bunch ‘o idiots, aren’t ya?” Gajeel asked aloud. 

The rogue mages all flinched.

“Ya don’t fix somethin’ by tryin’ to break it,” he spat at them. “That only makes it worse, which is exactly what you did. The whole forest now reacts that way.”

“That’s why you don’t mess with time magic,” stated Lucy. 

“You’re all fools!” the time mage yelled, raising his arms to cast another spell.

Gray, however, was faster and threw an arm up in front of him, conjuring a slab of ice up from the ground that stopped the time mage from completing his spell, freezing his arms in place. 

The illusion mage began preparing a new illusion, but then they all of a sudden heard the voice of Natsu yell, “Heads up, ya time freaks!” 

To everyone’s surprise, a body with pink hair surrounded by fire came crashing into the illusionist, sending him sprawling to the ground. 

Happy, Wendy and Carla also landed beside their friends, having finally arrived. “Sorry, we’re late,” said Wendy as they landed.

Natsu, now standing over the illusion mage, raised a hand wrapped in flame and said fiercely, “I heard you guys are messing with time and hurting my friends. I’m gonna take you down for that.”

Directly after that, the gravity mage sent a pulse through the air that sent Natsu flying back. Then he declared, “If you wish to bring us down, then you’ll all go down with us!” He dropped to the ground and slammed the palms of his hand on the earth.

The ground beneath the teams shook violently, a circular tremor rippling outward like water…and then it collapsed. A wide pit tore open in the earth, swallowing roots, stone and dirt and, if they didn’t move, was going to swallow all of them, as well.

“Everyone, move!” Erza shouted. 

Happy flew over and picked up Natsu, who was struggling to get back up to his feet just before the ground fell below him. Carla, naturally, grabbed Wendy and flew her back while Lily grabbed Lucy, taking to the air with her.

Erza and Gray took off running along with Genna and Gajeel, but Genna noticed that the ground was falling away at a quick rate and would soon catch up to them. She couldn’t let anything happen to her friends nor Gajeel, so she did the only thing that she could think to do. 

“Stellar Wind!” she shouted.

With a wave of her arms, a gust of wind laced with light and stars blew out from her hands and pushed Erza, Gray and Gajeel forward. They all lost their footing and rolled forward, feeling a sudden force shove them from behind. They looked back to see what had happened and watched in dismay as Genna suddenly dropped into the pit, disappearing from view. 

Gajeel’s heart nearly stopped. “Genna!” he yelled frightfully, hearing the others do the same behind him.

Taurus suddenly appeared beside the gravity mage and hit him with the greataxe, which broke the mage’s concentration and the ground stopped falling just inches from where the others stood.

Then, without any doubts, hesitation or thought of fear, Gajeel dove.

“Gajeel!” Erza called after him.

Her voice was distant and he didn't care. He had to save Genna, no matter the cost. It was his job to keep her safe and there was no way he was going to lose her like this. With his arms directly at his sides, he cruised downward through the air, watching for any signs of her, especially since it was getting darker the further he went. Then he could see her ahead of him, her hair flying wildly, and they locked eyes as he flew closer. He called her name and reached out for her, catching her around the waist. Once he knew she was secure and she wrapped her arms around his neck, he held onto her with one arm and then transformed his other one into an iron pickaxe, driving it into the wall. Their descent began to slow as sparks from the iron against stone flew out of the wall until finally, they stopped and Gajeel braced himself against the wall with his feet.

Looking down into her nearly petrified face as he supported her body against his with his arm, he demanded angrily, “What the hell were you thinking, Genna?!” 

“What was I thinking? I was saving you, metal head!” she said back in a firm tone, offended at how mad he sounded. “What the hell were you doing, jumping down here?”

“Saving you. It’s my job to protect you,” he told her. 

She clutched at his scarf and the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer, their faces merely inches apart now. “And who protects you, Gajeel?”

A startled gasp caught in his throat as her words triggered a memory in the back of his mind. She had asked that same question to him in the dream he’d had about her over a month ago. 

“We’re partners and we're friends. We protect each other, which I’ve told you before. Now, we need to hurry back up to help our friends,” she stated sternly. She let go of his clothes, extended her hand down and said, “Moon and Stars.” 

A silver disc of light surrounded by smaller motes of light appeared just underneath them both and they each stepped down onto it. Once they were ready, Genna used her magic to lift the disc up through the tunnel, both of them watching the sky above get closer. 

Up on the surface, the fighting had resumed, but it wasn’t going quite as well for Fairy Tail against the rogue mages, being crushed by gravity spells or evaded by time phases or illusions. However, they were all refusing to give up. 

Just then, they heard a rush of wind and looked to see Genna and Gajeel rising up from the pit on a flat disc of light. 

“Yeah, they made it!” Natsu cried out. 

“I never doubted they would,” Lily commented proudly about his teammates. 

Gajeel leapt off the disc, but Genna flew forward towards the mages. The time mage attempted to use his time magic on her, but she threw up her Starburst Shield, dropping her disc as she did so and landing in a tuck and roll. Astonishingly, the shield seemed to negate the effects of his spell.

“What? She blocked my time magic?” he questioned aloud.

“Starlight Magic Art! Andromeda’s Chains!” she then cried, drawing forth her gold star chains and throwing it out in front of her. It shot out and wrapped itself around the three mages, pulling them all tightly together and binding them.

With a cheer, Wendy exclaimed, “Way to go, Genna!” 

The three mages tried their best to still use their magic, but it seemed their powers were all of a sudden rendered useless. 

“Why can’t I use my magic?” the illusionist questioned.

The time mage spoke up, “She wields Starlight Magic.”

That sparked Genna’s curiosity along with everyone else’s. “What does that have to do with it?” she asked him. 

However, right in that moment, the Clockwork Bloom shuddered before them. The time magic in its broken core was sputtering even faster and more out of control. The runes along its bark sparked out of sync, ticking fragments of past and future in chaotic stutters.

“The Bloom is waking up. It’s reacting to the overwhelming amount of magic here,” the gravity mage stated in alarm. “Any moment now, it’s going to break the very fabric of reality as we know it.”

“How do we stop it?” asked Lucy. 

The time mage answered, his hooded face looking up at Genna. “Your Starlight Magic may be able to realign the time fractures.”

“What? How?” Genna questioned. 

“Stars have always been closely associated with time, as ancient civilizations once used them to tell time and predict the seasons,” explained the time mage. “Your magic may be able to connect to the Bloom and act as a buffer to repair it. It's the only way.”

Genna looked down at her hand, now glowing faintly with starlight. Would it really be possible for her to pull that off? “I’ve never done anything like this before…but I’ll do what I can,” she said, still unsure if she could do it. 

“Hurry, Genna. We’re running out of time,” Erza told her.

“Literally,” Carla added.

With that, Genna jogged over to the broken trunk of the ancient tree. As she placed her hand on the smooth bark and channeled her magic into it as best she could, she was surprised that she could then feel the tree’s distress; its pain and how fragmented everything was within it. It felt as though it was in several periods of time all at once, which she never imagined was possible. A fast-moving starry sky going from night to dawn flashed through her mind. The bright red and pink blossoms of the tree’s branches blooming and then decaying. Winter turned to spring, then to summer, autumn and then winter again. There was a wave of fire followed by rebirth of plant life through the ashes. More stars swirling by as if she were flying through the cosmos itself, cracks forming in the sky like breaking glass. 

“The tree is still breaking,” she said aloud, her brow furrowed. “It doesn’t know what moment in time it belongs to anymore.”

Lucy’s eyes widened behind her. “We need to anchor it to the present somehow in order to heal it.”

Genna felt a strain on her power only a few seconds later. “I don’t have much magic energy left. I don't know if I can do this,” she whispered, hanging her head in shame. If she hadn’t nearly gone supernova earlier, then maybe she’d be able to accomplish this. Everything she could feel in the tree felt too splintered for her to put back together on her own, not with what little magic she had left. 

She looked back at her friends, knowing they were counting on her and ashamed that she was more than likely about to let them down. If only she could ask them to help her, then maybe she could--

“Wait…that’s it!” she realized as something clicked in her mind. 

Turning back to her friends, Genna told them, “What if it doesn’t need just one kind of magic? What if it needs all of our power to anchor it here and now and stabilize it?”

The others all looked at each other, taking in Genna's suggestion. Would they be able to do such a thing? 

“It's too fractured for me to heal it on my own,” she went on. “I need your guys’ help. If we combine our powers in some way, then I really think we can accomplish this. We're Fairy Tail, we're always stronger together. Please, will you help me?”

To her surprise, Gray stepped up right away. “We've got your back, Genna.”

“How can all of you possibly help heal the tree?” Carla asked skeptically.

“We'll find a way. We always do,” said Natsu. 

Erza nodded. “We'll give it everything we have. Not as warriors, but as Wizards of Fairy Tail.”

Lucy stepped up beside Genna and summoned Crux, the Celestial Spirit of Time: a spirit that was a giant, sentient grandfather clock.

“Allow me to help,” Lucy said, her hand glowing as she and Crux both touched the trunk.

Gajeel’s chest swelled with pride in his partner. Even if it seemed impossible, she seemed confident in this idea, so therefore, he believed in it, too. 

He stepped to the other side of the tree, pressing his own hand to the bark. Channeling his iron magic, he produced multiple iron rods in the ground that surrounded the whole tree, fusing with its roots. “I’ll keep it grounded,” he said. 

Gray knelt to the ground, spreading a layer of ice over the fractured time runes, cooling the surges that were making them stutter inconsistently. “This should slow down the instability,” he stated.

Natsu moved over to Genna’s other side and placed his palm on the trunk. “I’m not gonna use my fire to burn this time,” he said. “I’m gonna keep the heart of the tree warm until it’s back to life.”

After going to the side of the tree opposite Gajeel, Erza Requipped into another form: her Clear Heart clothing, consisting of simple red pants, a bandaged top over her chest and her hair done up in a ponytail. She withdrew her Clear Heart katana blade and drove it into the earth, channeling her strength into the ground. 

“Let my strength be enough for the tree to bloom once again,” she said.  

Wendy followed, casting a mass enchantment over everyone. “I'll enhance everyone's magic and use my healing power as best I can.”

Then, all eyes turned to Genna.

“On your signal, Genna!” cried out Erza.

Gathering all the magic she could muster, praying as hard as she could that this would work, Genna cried out, “Fairy Tail, as one! Now!”

Her magic pulsed outward, soft yet powerful. Each member of Fairy Tail's separate magics responded in turn: fire and ice entwined, iron infused with the roots with a light hum, healing and strength swept through the cracks of the tree and then celestial magic and starlight formed a shimmering lattice, resembling lace made from constellations, that settled across the bark like a galaxy reborn. 

Genna could palpably feel time streaming through her, broken fragments slowly fusing together. Her starlight steadied the flow of time, buffering it just as the time mage said. She could feel Gajeel's iron, Gray's ice, Natsu's fire, Lucy's spirits, Erza’s strength and Wendy's healing all channeling through her into the Clockwork Bloom. Their magic helped lend aid to her own power. She could see the tree slowly begin to tilt back up, the crack in its trunk coming together. When the crack sealed itself, there was a vibration as everything, both in reality and all aspects of time, snapped into place. The Bloom pulsed once, then twice and radiated with brilliant golden light, rising through the canopy like a flare into the sky, as a gust of air swept outward.

The glow died away and the whole forest hushed…before the sound of rustling leaves and birds chirping returned. The Bloom’s runes glowed steadily now, ticking in harmony. For the first time in a long time, time was now moving forward once again.

Wendy was the first to speak. “The Bloom’s healed,” she said softly 

As everyone came back together, they all watched in awe as the branches above them all slowly began to bloom with red and pink blossoms. In mere seconds, a canopy of pink and red expanded over their heads, giving the tree more beauty and majesty than it already had.

With the wind wisping through her hair, Lucy commented, “Not just healed...it’s alive again.”

Genna stood still, hands at her sides, as she marveled at the now healed Clockwork Bloom. She couldn't believe everything had gone right, exactly how she had hoped!

“We did it! Your idea worked, Genna!” Natsu praised her, draping his arm over her shoulders.

“Nice goin’, sweetheart,” said Gajeel, grinning. 

“That was amazing!” Lucy added.

“You actually did it,” remarked the time mage behind them.

Everyone turned around to look at the mages, who were no longer bound by Genna's chains, but were being guarded by Lily, Happy and Carla. 

“That was quite a sight to behold,” the time mage added 

“What makes you think we want your praise after you three caused all this?” Genna questioned. 

“Your friend was right:” said the illusion mage, gesturing with his head to Gajeel, “we were wrong to think we could fix the Bloom by trying to destroy it.”

Then the gravity mage added, “We were caught up in our own hubris to realize what our actions would cause.”

The time mage bowed his hooded head. “We offer our sincerest apologies for what we've done.”

The two mages bowed their heads, as well.

Genna felt a little sorry for them. Despite everything that had happened, their intentions were never malicious. Misguided, perhaps, but they never intentionally meant to hurt anyone. Even so, it had been the time mage’s suggestion for her to help fix the tree, so in a way, they had helped the wrongs they had caused. Maybe that was enough. 

Then she said, “If you promise to never disrupt the way things work here again…then I'm willing to look the other way.”

All the mages’ heads snapped up, startled.

“Wait a minute, after what they did to mess this place up, you're just gonna let ‘em go?” Gajeel questioned her.

Looking at him, she told him, “Everything’s been made right and time in this forest is no longer broken. Were it not for the time mage’s suggestion that I help fix the tree, we wouldn't have known what to do in the first place. They helped us, which, to me, makes up for what they did. I don't see the need for them to be punished.”

“You're very wise, Genna,” said Erza, coming up beside her, “and I agree with you.” She turned to face the mages. “Because of your aid in bringing the Clockwork Bloom to normal, we will let you go free. Be sure that our paths don't cross in this way again or we won't be so lenient next time.”

The time mage responded, “Your mercy won't be forgotten. You can count on that.” He turned around, flourished his arm and the time surrounding the pit that had been formed reversed, bringing the ground back up and repairing the hole. Then, with a wave of his hand, he and his two comrades flickered and then vanished into thin air.

Now that everything was officially over, Genna was feeling especially exhausted. As a heavy sigh left her, she said, “I don't know about you guys…but I need a rest.”

“You've earned it,” said Erza, laying a hand on Genna's shoulder. “We can take a quick rest in the forest before we head back home.”

The rest of the group agreed and started walking away from the tree. Genna had only gotten two steps away when she felt a pull of magic behind her, prompting her to turn around. She gazed at the tree and saw a shape forming on the trunk, almost like a constellation made of white light. As the light grew brighter, she smiled widely at the shape it had formed for a few seconds before it faded away.

It had showed her the symbol of Fairy Tail...and deep in her heart, she knew the tree was eternally grateful to them for setting everything right again.

While everyone had scattered to either patrol the forest or rest on their own, Gajeel sat up against a tree in the middle of the forest beside Genna, who laid on the ground fast sleep. She had crashed nearly the moment her head touched the grass, she was that exhausted. For the past hour, he refused to leave her side while she slept, not after everything that had happened. Especially after almost losing her twice that day. He remembered the fear that had overcome him when he felt her magic energy spike and even more so when he'd watched her fall into the pit after saving his life…something he realized he didn't actually thank her for. Instead, he'd berated her for it, letting his emotions go to his head. For that, he felt guilty. She'd saved him; she'd saved all of them and she deserved better than what he'd given her.

He gazed down at her, her expression relaxed and content in her sleep. Instinctively, he reached over and brushed back a stray lock of hair from her face. In his mind, he wondered how he'd gotten so lucky to have someone like Genna at his side. Someone who possessed both incredible power and seemingly endless compassion. Someone who was as intelligent and strong as she was beautiful and kind. This woman who seemed to occupy his thoughts more and more, both day and night, in ways he never expected. He found himself leaning down, his face drawing nearer to hers, as the thought of his lips meeting hers started to overcome him….

Just then, Genna stirred, waking up, and Gajeel broke out of his trance, immediately pulling back and sitting up so as to not arouse suspicion. Inwardly, he kicked himself for nearly messing up again.

Genna opened her eyes, noticing Gajeel next to her, gave him a tired smile and said, “Hey, Ironheart.”

“Hey, Princess,” he said back. 

“How long have I been asleep?” she asked.

“About an hour,” he answered.

She sat up and stretched. “I really needed that.”

He let out a light grunt. “After one hell of a day, ya sure did.” Then he let his head fall back against the tree and he looked up to the treetops. “Never thought I’d see something like that,” he muttered.

Genna glanced at him. “You mean the tree?”

He nodded and then added, “All of us, using our magic like that.” He turned to look back at her. “That was all your idea. Real smart move.”

She smiled softly. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure if it would work. It was just a feeling I had...and I knew my power alone wasn't going to be enough to do it. Not after….” Then she let her sentence falter as she thought about how she almost went supernova yet again, wondering what he was going to say about it.

“Your supernova flared up again,” he finished the thought for her.

Guiltily, she nodded.

“The forest showed you a bad memory, didn't it? Of your old man?”

Her eyes widened slightly. “How did you know?”

With a shrug, he stated back, “Just a gut feelin’. That's what made ya act up last time.”

She exhaled slowly, keeping herself calm even though the memory of the vision lingered in her mind. “Yes…I saw him torturing me…then what set me off even more was…I realized I didn't tell Gray what to do if my supernova acted up.” A nervous look took over her expression as she looked back at him. 

Gajeel's head snapped up, taken aback. “You didn't tell him? Then what did you--” He stopped as the answer to his own question hit him, which was confirmed by the telling look in her eyes. “You stopped it yourself.”

She nodded. “I did. Gray did help me a little bit, but ultimately…I managed to do it on my own.”

A pleased grin slowly spread on his face. Erza had been right all along. Genna sure was growing stronger and better. “Look at ya: pullin’ yourself back from a supernova, bringin’ the guild all together and fixin’ the tree’s time magic…you’re growin’ up.”

Genna scoffed, but still couldn’t suppress a grin. “Not sure if you’re being condescending or serious,” she commented.

“I’m dead serious. I’m proud of ya, Genny,” he said back. 

Her breath caught a little. “You are?”

“Yeah, ‘course I am,” he replied like it was obvious. “After all the crap that was thrown at ya, you really proved yourself today. I always knew you had it in ya. Even Erza looked to you when it came down to it and she’s usually the one in charge. That’s really sayin’ somethin’. You’re one hell of a Wizard, sweetheart, and I don’t say that lightly.”

Listening to him, her heart swelled with joy. If Erza had said such things to her, they would’ve meant a lot, but coming from Gajeel, they meant everything. “Thank you, Gajeel,” she said in a soft voice, trying not to get emotional. 

Then his expression fell a bit, enough for her to wonder what was wrong. Though, before she could ask, he then said to her, looking away and rubbing his neck, “Listen…about earlier…when you shoved me out of the way so I wouldn’t fall in that pit…I lost it on you after and that wasn’t fair. You saved my life and I…I didn’t say thanks. I just snapped at you.”

She just smiled and looked out, both amused and touched at how bad he felt. “You were worried. It’s okay.”

He exhaled loudly. “Yeah, well…didn’t mean I had to act like a jackass.”

“Yeah, you kinda did,” she teased, nudging him gently.

He gave her a small, sideways grin, knowing he deserved that.

“I forgive you,” she then said. “Besides, you jumped in after me and saved me.”

Then he replied, his tone softer than usual, “It’s my job to keep you safe and I thought...I had failed this time.” He paused for half a second. “So I just jumped in without thinkin’ about it so I could get you back.”

“And you did.”

Their eyes met, starlight and crimson connecting as Gajeel’s lips curled up into a rare, genuine smile. “Damn right, I did,” he said gladly as he then reached over and took her hand in his, surprising her in the nicest way. Grasping her hand tightly, he added, “And nothin’; no crackpot mages or supernovas or even time itself, is gonna keep us apart.”

Genna blinked at him, caught off guard by how steady and certain his voice was. A slow smile then curved up on her mouth. “Wow,” she murmured, raising her eyebrows a little, “that almost sounded romantic. Are you feeling okay, Gajeel?”

He huffed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t push your luck, Genny.”

Though, he still didn’t let go of her hand.

Genna chuckled, but then her teasing smile softened. She looked down at their joined hands, savoring the warmth she felt from his touch, and then back up at him. “I was only able to do the things I did today because of you, you know,” she said, her voice soft and sincere. “You’ve seen me at my best and, dare I say, even at my worst, yet you’ve been beside me the whole time. You’re the one who’s helped me get to where I am now. You make me want to be not just stronger, but better…and if time itself wants to try and separate us…” She squeezed his hand firmly. “It’s gonna have to fight me for you.”

He didn’t quite show it on his face, but her words meant a great deal to Gajeel. Then he scoffed in amusement and stated, “That’s a fight I’d pay to see.”

“You’d get your money’s worth then because I know I’d win,” she stated with certainty.

“I like your confidence, sweetheart,” he remarked.

She smirked back at him. “Well, it’s just like you said…I’m one hell of a Wizard.”

After that, she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, cuddling up closer to him. He didn’t resist or tense up at her proximity. If anything, she thought she felt his muscles ease up a little more. Genna closed her eyes and relished in the moment, hoping that time would be kind to her in return for what she’d done that day and grant her just a few moments longer alone with Gajeel before the others came back so they could all return home.

That would be enough.

[stainlesssteellocust]

God, how do I do this.

British people, once endangered, have been removed from the protected species list

Let’s see if we can make phrenology even worse

sorry about your husband, we sent him to The Continent That Makes You Scared

Local Eunuch Bane to Pick-Up Artists and Baronesses Everywhere

that brainwashing scene from A Clockwork Orange except it’s to try and make a guy break up with his girlfriend

What Does It Take To Make H.P Lovecraft Less Racist (The Answer May Surprise You!)?

Describe your WIP as badly as possible

[youve-cath-to-be-kitten-me]

🍁 (i have no idea if i sent this before; if i have i'm sorry if i haven't here you go!)

You did! But let me tell ya, im THRILLED to get a second ask from you, Val! This one’s from a Wesper one shot, set post-Crooked-Kingdom!

———

Wylan throws himself against the crates, pressing himself as flat as he can, but he can’t fully protect himself from the bullets. There’s limited ways to aim down the small space, so none of them hit him directly, but what feels like dozens of shots skim his body and face, leaving burning hot pain and bloodstains in their wake. And he can’t staunch the bleeding of any of them without putting himself directly in the line of fire. Wylan closes his eyes and thinks that this is perhaps the most shameful way to die. Hiding like a sewer rat. Kaz would read a lecture instead of a eulogy.

Just when he’s about to cry out for this to be over, a single gunshot comes from the other side of his hiding place.

And when Wylan turns his head towards the noise, he catches a glimpse of the silver barrel of one of Jesper Fahey’s pistols, residual gunpowder still smoking. A split second later, a dull thud sounds as the soldier collapses, a perfectly round bullet hole in the center of his forehead.

“As ravishing as the color is on you, I don’t particularly like it when it’s one of those filthy Dime Lions painting your clothing red,” Jesper says, offering a hand to pull Wylan out from behind the shipping crates.

Wylan flushes bright pink all the way to his ears and grips Jesper’s fingers as leverage to tug himself out of the space.

“It’s high time you arrived.”

Jesper’s answering grin is blinding, with a hint of something that makes something in Wylan’s chest pull taut.

[llilychen]

Gaby...how many sideblogs did you make?! My notifications! What did you do?! *raises eyebrow ridiculous high like in a movie*

i have several and i post something on them every once in a while because i really really don’t wanna get sacked again 👀

[imissthefire]

A potato? Explain, please?

Buddy, I don't know what to explain. It's a simple vegetable to carve words into with a knife or key and easy to roll toward the one of my affection (or leave on her doorstep) and it won't leave a mess. Try that with a pepper or a lettuce or a celery stick. It won't work as well. Simple.

[blackthornkisses]

Is a Sorcery of Thorns good? I have had it in my TBR for weeks now but I don't know anyone who has read it.

i’m on chapter three and so far it has been great! it’s very bookish (?) and there is a kingdom and loooots of magic. it basically consists of all of my favorite elements so i might be a bit biased. oh well. you should really give it a try :)

[dru-and-ash]

💖,💝,💟,💞making morgenthorn theories and headcanons.

💖 - I admire you

I have no idea why but I am grateful for your love and friendship Val 😊

💝 - Love seeing you on my dash

🙈🤗 Thank you for my mess off a blog

💟 - How are you so cute

👀 I can ask the same thing to you too

In fact I did 😉

💞 - You’re amazing at ______

Morgenthorn deserves so much more love and appreciation than I could ever make posts about

I believe you would agree on that too

They're such babies 😍

A little Morgenthorn for you

His peaceful forest green eyes turns into war bringing storms every time he looks at her this way. These were the moments that reminded her how powerful he really was but that never intimidated Dru she was used to being around powerful people. And she understood the song of Ash's storm wasn't that storm what called her to him in the first place? Matching with her own loneliness in the crowds,calling herself lonely didn't meant like betraying her friends and amazing family at this point. Something about her didn't matched with any of the people around her sometimes. Those times when she was in the middle of crowds were the times she felt most lonely then Ash came to her world to her life and that feeling was gone.

[maxidentally]

The salt shaker for The Lunar Chronicles.

Favourite characters: Cinder (she’s a badass how can you not) and Kai

Least favourite characters: Levana and Aimery

OTP: It’s close but I think I have to go with Winter/Jacin because Winter deserves all the love in the world

NOTP: Apparently people ship Kai/Levana??? I aw a post about it or something a long time ago

BrOTP: Thorne and Cinder. Their sass is incredible

My favourite book: Winter definitely. I managed to get through it in 3 days!

A ship I don’t understand: Obviously the Kai/Levana thing, but to throw in some tea I used to not understand Scarlet/Wolf. That’s over luckily, but if I had to pick a current ship it would be Evret/Levana. I know some people think of it as a loving marriage, but I think that Evret deserved better than her. He and Winter seemed so close knit from the flashbacks in the final book.

[hearrtrender]

Don't worry, you're not alone. The first thing that happen to mr when i got Tumblr was being spoiled of the end of the Wicked King so guess which series I'm not reading in a very long time.

oh nooo hmph....its sooo annoying (but ig it was sorta my mistake too since I didn’t block the tag) but yea.....i loved the cruel prince however and whenever you read it I think you’ll enjoy it (also saw you were reading or were gonna read soc?....ifvjsdh EXCITEEDDD for your reaction and what you thinkkk..please do come and scream about anything if you wanna loll)

[ad15124]

Congratulations!!! A hundred followers is amazing and i'm so happy for you! 🎆🎇🎊🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎊🎆🎇🎆🎇 Can I have *mind exploding emoji* for Kierarktina with a baby girl (my phone can't see them, ahhhhhh!), 🔫 and emoji that looks like this one 💁? Thanks!

Thank you!!

Kierarktina with a BABY GIRL

• Mark is constantly cooing. He loves his daughter. He adores and pampers her. Guess who got the most colourful onesies for her?? He did. He's also convinced that her gibberish is actually a baby language and has set his mind to deciphering it. He's constantly getting her gifts, but sometimes they don't really make sense for a baby. He got her a mini tux. He got her a super pink small kiddy car (which Cristina pointed out is for 4 years and above) so he rides with her around the house on his lap. He's also the most eager to change her diaper.

• Kieran is extremely conscious around his baby. He's a little nervous, scared he'll drop her when he carries her. He makes sure he cradles her head because he's terrified of the ‘soft tissue, fragile neck, the neck will snap off’ concept. But despite all his hesitation, she still seems to adore him. She'll make the excited eeeheeheh-eh sounds babies make when they're happy when he changes his hair colour for her. She'll reach out and grab onto his fingers and latch onto them with all her might. Sometimes Kieran softly sings her lullabies, songs from faerie. Mark and Cristina are overpowered by their love and affection for Kieran in these moments.

• Cristina has been in love with her daughter from the millisecond she layed eyes on her. She carries her around with one arm against her side. She shows her flowers in gardens. She gently rubs her nose against hers. She stitched her the cutest blanket and she swaddles her up in it when she goes to sleep. She sings her Spanish lullabies. Sometimes Kieran joins in with a faerie song and it's a duo.

Your blog is awesome. I keep seeing song lyrics on there and it's fantastic! Sometimes I even discover new songs that way. You're also incredibly sweet. You reblog and like freely and when you like and reblog my stuff?? My happiness goes all the way to the moon and back.

Since I've been given no post of something random, I'll find something and make it TSC related.

This here is a plant. The plant that symbolizes Jace's first tolerance and then friendship with Simon and Alec's first tolerance and then friendship with Clary.

[photogirl894]

"IronStar"

Chapter 17

"Time Magic"

A "Fairy Tail" fanfic!

Pairing: Gajeel x fem OC

A/N: This one's gonna be an interesting one! Though, with such a bigger group involved in this chapter, I'm just gonna focus on a couple characters and not show off what happens with everyone since I'm not writing a full-fledged anime episode 😜 Enjoy!

Taglist: @l-lend , @rosechi , @the-bad-batch-baroness , @angrypaperearthquake-tbbb-main

《 Chapter 16

》 Chapter 18

All chapters

Explanation: Both teams prepare for their joint mission to the Verdant Wood to find the Clockwork Bloom, where time will mess with their very minds and test their bonds.

“Man, I love when I don’t wanna spew my insides out on a train!” cried Natsu, nearly plastering his face to the window of the train car to watch the landscapes rolling by outside.

“Quite a visual you just painted for all of us, Natsu,” Lucy responded flatly.

Team Natsu and Team IronStar were now aboard the train to Oshibana for their joint mission. Before they’d left, Wendy had used her troia healing magic on herself, Natsu and Gajeel to help keep them from getting motion-sick on the train. Needless to say, Natsu was enjoying it.

Wendy spoke up sheepishly, “I did warn you, Natsu, that there’s a chance the spell might wear off before the train ride’s done. So don’t get too excited.”

He happily ignored her as he continued watching out the window in awe.

“Focus, Natsu,” Erza stated firmly. “We need to discuss strategies.”

“First thing’s first:” Gajeel then spoke up, “we can’t hang out in the city for too long. There might be shady folks there from Genny’s old guild that she doesn’t wanna risk runnin’ into. I’m down to fight if we have to, but I’d rather not chance it if we can.”

Stunned, Genna’s eyes widened as she looked at him across the car from her. She wasn’t expecting him to bring that up to everyone nor to be so openly watchful like that. 

Erza bowed her head. “Understood. Once we reach Oshibana, we’ll make our way through as quickly as possible to the forest to avoid any unwanted run-ins.”

Slightly embarrassed, Genna replied, “I appreciate that. I apologize if that’s any inconvenience.”

“Hey, your safety is more important, so don’t even think about apologizing,” said Lucy, nudging her arm.

Finally turning from the window, Natsu added, “I’m with Gajeel. We’ll take down those creeps easy for you if we have to.”

“We’d rather not have it come to that,” Lily interjected. Then he returned to the original topic by saying, “I suggest we split into small units once we’re inside the forest so we can try to locate the Clockwork Bloom.”

“Huh, divide and conquer strategy. I like it,” commented Carla. 

Erza nodded. “Agreed. No one wanders alone. We don’t know what the Verdant Wood will be capable of, but we do know the magic warps time, alters memory and it reacts to emotion.” Her tone dropped to a more serious one, just enough to get everyone’s full attention. “So we’ll pair off with that in mind. Not based on raw power or strength, but based on balance, complementary skill sets and trust.”

Erza’s eyes landed on Gray first. “Gray, you’ll go with Genna.”

Both of them blinked, puzzled. Had they heard her right?

“Me?” Gray asked, his brows furrowing. “Not Gajeel?”

“If any areas in the wood have any enchantments or anomalies that respond to elemental shifts, your ice magic and her starlight might reveal weak spots you might not see otherwise,” Erza explained to him. Then she directed her attention to Genna. “Genna, I know you work closely with Gajeel,” she said assuringly, “but this will also be a good opportunity to test how you adapt with other partners in the field. Gray’s one of our most experienced members; I think you might learn from each other.”

Genna swallowed, but gave Gray a nod nonetheless. “Sounds good to me,” she said.

“I can work with that,” Gray agreed.

In the back of Erza’s mind, there were two other cardinal reasons as to why she was pairing Genna with someone else; ones she didn’t quite want to say out loud. While she gladly supported the relationship that was growing between Genna and Gajeel as well Genna’s feelings for him, she felt it prudent to challenge them further by testing some healthy distance between them. The two of them did indeed work well together, that much was true, but Erza didn’t want them to hyperfixate on one another or rely too much on just each other. Especially Genna. She had attached herself to Gajeel almost from the beginning and Erza feared that Genna would become too dependent on him. She needed to learn how to adapt on her own as well as with other guild members, as well. This job was something that Erza believed would help Genna grow as a Wizard and as a member of Fairy Tail while also strengthening the bond between her and Gajeel. They did well together, but how would they be when they were apart? That was the ultimate question.

The second reason being Genna’s situational instability with her power; the “supernova” that she had mentioned during the girls’ night. If anything were to happen in the Verdant Wood that could potentially set off that power without Gajeel at her side, she would need someone who could help properly ground her. Gray was someone who knew how to keep a cool, level head and Erza knew, out of everyone in their party, he would be the best fit to help stabilize her power should the need arise. She didn’t want to bring the supernova up in front of the whole group in case Genna wasn’t comfortable with that, though she figured Gray, Natsu and Happy were the only ones who didn’t know about it yet. She prayed none of it would come to that during this mission, but it was better to be prepared than not. 

Erza turned to the next person. “Gajeel, you’re with me.”

Gajeel blinked in surprise. “You sure, Scarlet? I might just end up punchin’ my way through the forest.”

Erza smirked. “That’s precisely why I selected you. If anything tries to divide or isolate us, I’ll need someone who hits back harder than it expects.”

“Fair enough,” he said back, cracking his knuckles.

“Lily,” Erza continued, “you’ll go with Lucy.”

Lucy looked up in surprise. “Oh. That’s new,” she said.

Lily gave her a thoughtful nod, understanding Erza’s reasoning rather quickly. “You have good instincts and summon support. I can scout small passages and cover angles you can’t see,” he stated.

“Well, when you put it that way, it makes perfect sense. I’m looking forward to it,” Lucy optimistically replied. 

“Wendy and Carla will stay paired, naturally, and will remain on standby,” Erza said. “Carla’s foresight may be unreliable here and we need Wendy protected and grounded so her healing or stabilizing magic can be available when needed.”

Wendy nodded, determination in her eyes. “You got it.”

Erza then came to the last two in the group. “Natsu and Happy,” she said, her arms crossed. “While the rest of us go in, I want you patrolling the outer perimeter of the woods and reporting back if anything changes. If someone gets lost or caught in a time rift they can’t escape, we’ll need your speed and your power to break them out.”

Happy saluted her. “Aye, sir!”

“Eh, not as much action as I would’ve liked, but you make a good point,” Natsu reluctantly agreed.

“Good. Now that that’s settled, we’ll reach Oshibana in a few hours,” Erza stated. “Let’s all relax and rest up before we get there. The next car over is also empty, if anyone needs to go over there for some peace and quiet.”

As everyone settled in for the rest of the ride, Genna picked up her bag and, as casually as she could, exited the car to go over to the next one. She wanted a quiet place to write in her journal and also to process everything. For whatever reason, she was thrown more than she thought by not being paired up with Gajeel for the job. 

Naturally, Gajeel noticed her leave and suspected it was because of what Erza had said. Admittedly, he too was a little disappointed that the two of them weren’t going to be paired together, but he knew Erza’s tactical reasoning was sound. 

“It might suck not havin’ her around, but it is what it is,” he thought to himself.

There was that inkling of concern inside him regarding if Genna’s power were to flare up again without him there. Would she warn Gray on what to do beforehand if that were to happen? He couldn’t help but wonder how things would go without him there, but he knew he couldn’t dwell on that. It would only make things worse.

He moved to follow Genna, but Erza also stood up and held up a hand in front of him. She bowed her head with a gentle, benign smile, telling him without words that she had it handled and didn’t need to worry. Silently, he nodded back and settled back into his seat, knowing Erza had it in hand. 

Back in the other car, Genna sat near one of the windows, writing in her journal. She didn’t notice Erza approach until the redhead sat down across from her and she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.

“You all right?” Erza asked her.

Genna smiled faintly. “I’m fine. Just jotting some quick thoughts down in my journal and wanted a quiet place to write.”

Erza had a keen eye and could tell Genna wasn’t being entirely honest with her. “You’re not pleased with the decision I made to pair you with Gray, are you?” she asked.

For a second, Genna hesitated. “It’s not that I mind working with Gray. I’m fine with that, really. I guess I just thought I’d be paired with Gajeel and I was caught off guard, is all,” she answered.

The train rocked gently as Erza glanced out the window. “I considered it,” she said, “but I do also have my reasons. There is more behind my decision that I didn’t want to say in front of the others.”

Genna just looked at her intently, waiting for her to go on.

Leaning forward slightly, Erza explained, “Understand first that I do support the bond between you two and I acknowledge that you work well together. Being on a team with him does mean you’ll primarily work together on most jobs, but your team is still part of a guild and being in a guild means you’ll end up working with other members, as well. I don’t want you to become too dependent on Gajeel; I want you to learn to rely on others as well as yourself.”

“Myself?” Genna questioned.

“You have great potential, Genna, and I want you to grow into that potential,” said Erza. “You told us about your supernova during our girls’ night and how Gajeel pulled you back from it. What will you do if you’re ever with someone else and your power were to lose control? Or worse, what if you were alone? What would you do then?”

That question left Genna briefly speechless. That wasn’t something she had fully considered and Erza could see in her face that that was the case. 

Erza continued, her tone steadfast yet gentle, “Gajeel cannot always be your anchor. There are others that you can trust to help you, but you must also learn to trust yourself to keep your power in check when necessary. You have the strength to ground yourself…you just need to find the will to reach that point on your own or with the help of someone else. While I pray it won’t come to that once we reach the woods, I’m only addressing it as a precaution. We don’t know for sure what we’ll be walking into. Gray knows how to keep a level head in high-stress situations and I trust him to help center you, should things escalate. Do you trust my judgement on this, Genna?”

At first, Genna almost answered “of course” as if it were obvious that she trusted her, but then supposed, given how she’d reacted, maybe it didn’t appear as obvious as she thought. She had carefully listened to Erza’s reasoning and realized that Erza was right. If ever Gajeel wasn’t around when her power flared up, she would be in big trouble. She had to learn to manage it on her own as well as trust in others to help her with it when necessary. 

“I do trust you, Erza, and I do see your point,” Genna acknowledged. “You’re right…my feelings for Gajeel have made me so hyperfocused on him that I neglect my other friends around me.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” said Erza. 

“Even so, I still hadn’t considered working on a job with someone other than him,” Genna said back. “I spend plenty of time with others in the guild, but when it comes to jobs, I only think of working with him. He even got after me for not giving a chance to doing jobs with other guild members first when I first suggested we team up, but I ignored it.”

Erza leaned a little more forward. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t continue being on a team with Gajeel or you need to keep him at a distance. You two complement each other well in battle; you fall into rhythm easily as if you’ve been fighting together for years. That’s something special, Genna, and rare to achieve in the short amount of time you’ve been in Fairy Tail. I commend you for the progress you’ve made and believe me, I want nothing but the best for the two of you in the long run.”

Coming from Erza Scarlet; one of the highest-ranking Wizards in all of Fairy Tail and basically one of its leaders, those words were worth a tremendous amount to Genna. To know that her growth in the guild was being seen and regarded made her more glad than she could put into words. 

“Thank you, Erza,” she said with a full heart.

Erza smiled warmly. “I’m simply reminding you to just broaden your horizons a little,” she stated. 

In reply, Genna said, “I appreciate you looking out for me.”

“Also, look at it this way: the two of you excel together, but how will you fare when you’re apart? That’s the greatest test of any relationship,” said Erza. “As strange as it may sound, learning how to be apart from each other is an important aspect in a healthy relationship. It helps you to not become solely dependent on each other for everything.”

Genna scoffed lightly. “I’m sure Gajeel will have no problem on that front. Outside of jobs or combat, he doesn’t need to rely on me for anything. He’s already so much stronger and more independent.”

With a soft chuckle, Erza responded, “I wouldn’t be too sure. He may not show it, but he depends on you for more than you realize.”

Genna’s eyes softened. 

Erza left it at that, offered one more reassuring smile and got up to leave. As she opened the door to the car, Gray suddenly came up on the other side. He moved against the wall as Erza slid out of the car and then came into the doorway.

“Hey…mind if I come in?” he asked.

“Sure,” Genna answered.

Gray gradually sauntered into the car and sat down with a sigh into the seat across from her, the sword necklace around his neck swaying back and forth for a second.

“Listen, I know you’re not happy about being paired up with me,” he started.

She stopped him, saying, “No, Gray, that’s not true.” When he looked at her, she went on, “I’m more than happy to work with you and I’m sorry if my reaction made it seem like I wasn’t happy about it. I’ve just gotten so used to working with Gajeel that I was caught off guard, but not in a bad way, I promise.” 

He got a small grin on his face. “Well, that’s a relief then. I wondered if I’d done something to put you off and was gonna apologize.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, feeling guilty. 

“Don’t sweat it,” he said casually. “I know I’m not really the bad boy type like your boyfriend and that’s clearly more your speed.”

Genna’s face went deep red at his comment. “He’s not my boyfriend,” she murmured, looking out the window.

“Mmm-hmm, sure…,” Gray remarked, clearly unconvinced as he put his hands back behind his head. “If that’s not true, then what’s going on between you guys anyway?”

“It’s…complicated,” she said. 

“Ha, figured that’d be your answer.”

“Oh right, like whatever’s between you and Juvia is so straightforward either.” 

A grunt caught in his throat at that response, knowing she made a good point. “All right, fine, you got me there,” he relented. 

She chuckled triumphantly. 

Lowering his hands back down, he stated, “Listen, I’m gonna tell you right now: I’m not like Gajeel. I’m not the first to throw a punch or charge headfirst into any sort of problem.”

Genna couldn’t help but let out an amused laugh. “That’ll be quite a change of pace for me. I’m used to Gajeel going in first and I just support in whatever ways I can.”

“Yeah, I don’t do that,” he said. “I’m fine if that’s how you two do things, but with me, I act carefully and precisely. I gauge the situation first as best I can before acting.”

She snickered again. “Yeah, you were right: you’re definitely not like Gajeel.”

He grinned back. “He’s wild chaos while I’m more controlled chaos. Think you can handle that?”

To her, that seemed like somewhat of a ridiculous question, but amusing nonetheless. With a devious smirk, she replied, “Gray, if I can handle Gajeel’s ‘wild chaos’, as you put it, then I can without a doubt handle you.”

Before they knew it, they reached the city of Oshibana. Genna felt her nerves rising as the town came into sight, hoping desperately that no one would recognize her here. As she picked up her bag and was getting ready to exit the car, Gajeel came in. She was about to question what was going on, but then he held up a large, rolled up cloth in his hand.

“I snatched a cloak for ya. Should help hide ya as we move through the city,” he simply said, handing the cloak to her. 

All the tension within her faded away almost instantly with this thoughtful gesture. “You really are the best, Gajeel,” she said, taking it and putting it on. 

He just shrugged. “I thought it’d be better than you walkin’ through the streets like a jumpy cat.”

“It definitely will. Thank you,” she replied. 

The two Fairy Tail teams disembarked the train and proceeded through the streets of Oshibana. All the while, Genna kept the hood of her cloak pulled over her face and her hair was pulled up into a ponytail so it would be better hidden under the hood. The streets were bustling with people all around, but Genna’s eyes kept darting back and forth, looking out for any familiar faces.

Gajeel, who was walking near the back with her, caught sight of her doing that and commented, “You gotta calm down, Genny. You’re gonna draw more attention to yourself if you’re lookin’ every which way.” He inched a little closer and then said in a quieter voice, “Just keep your head down and stay by my side until we reach the woods.”

Wordlessly, she nodded. 

She stayed close to him the whole rest of the way and he kept his eye on her in case she started to freak out again. For a second, Genna nearly reached out to take his hand for comfort, but reluctantly refrained as she recalled Erza telling her that she shouldn’t solely rely on Gajeel’s strength to keep her grounded, but more so on her own strength. If she were to make that change, it had to start now, even with the little things. 

They all continued through the streets of the city until they could see the forest in sight. They continued on until they reached the treeline, where they all stopped and took in what they saw.

Before them stood the Verdant Wood, once a thriving expanse of magic-rich forest, now fallen into unsettling silence. The birds weren’t singing and the leaves weren’t stirring at all. Not even the wind whispered through the branches.

The entire forest seemed frozen in time.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this place,” Happy muttered.

“Me too. Gramps was right: something doesn’t feel right about this at all,” added Natsu. 

Genna spoke up, “That’s time magic for you. Nothing’s gonna feel right because none of it is right.”

Then Erza, moving to the front, faced the others and stated, “All right, everyone, remember: at this time, nothing in this forest is natural. There are numerous time spells at work and none of us know what we will face, so tread carefully.” Then she reached into a pouch on her belt and pulled out a handful of ear cuff crystals; their communication lacrimas, and held out her hand. “We’ll use these to stay in contact if any of us need help.” While everyone took one and put them on their ears, she went on, “When any of you find the Clockwork Bloom, let us know over the lacrima and send a signal up into the sky for us to find your location. Or if you come across the people who are responsible for what’s happening here and we’ll come to your aid, if necessary.”

Gajeel held up a fist and snickered. “If I find ‘em, I ain’t callin’ nobody. They’re just gonna get taken out with a fistful of iron right off the bat.”

Looking at Erza and motioning to Gajeel with her thumb, Lucy remarked, “You’re gonna have your hands full with this one, Erza.”

“I’m well aware,” Erza replied. Then she continued saying to the group, “Fan out in different directions so we can cover more ground. You all have your pairs. It’s imperative you stay together.” She looked at each pair in turn. “You’re each other’s anchor. This wood wants to disorient us; twist what we see and what we remember. You’re not just guarding each other’s backs…you’re guarding each other’s truth. Stay sharp and if something feels wrong…trust the person beside you.”

“Well spoken, Erza,” Carla said.

Erza then drew her sword, her eyes flashing with determination. “Let’s move.”

Lucy and Lily ran in first, heading towards the far left of the treeline.

Genna cast one last glance at Gajeel, nervous about splitting apart from him, but doing her best to appear okay so he wouldn’t worry. He gave her a short yet meaningful nod, which gave her a semblance of comfort.

Gray stepped up beside her, offering a small and steadying smile. “You ready?”

Genna inhaled slowly, then nodded. “Let’s go.”

Together, they darted into the forest towards the far right.

Before they left, Erza turned to Natsu, Happy, Wendy and Carla. “Watch the perimeter and remember to be on alert in case any of us need you…and please, Natsu, don’t burn down the forest.”

Smiling widely and innocently, Natsu replied, “You worry too much, Erza. We’ll be fine.”

"We've got this!" Wendy added confidently.

Figuring that response was about as satisfactory as she was going to get, Erza gave them a nod, looked back at Gajeel and said, “All right, let’s move out.”

“Right behind ya, Scarlet,” he said back.

They ran in to the center of the trees, ready to face whatever trials awaited them.

Even just a few yards in, the forest was silent in a way that was unsettling. No birds. No wind. The crunch of the leaves beneath their boots even felt muted. Erza and Gajeel moved together cautiously, their eyes scanning their surroundings carefully. The sounds of the rest of the group were already growing distant, their voices soft like echoes from another time. They walked for a while without speaking. Gajeel’s gaze kept flicking to the right…toward the direction Genna had gone.

Naturally, Erza noticed. “You needn’t worry about her, Gajeel,” she said. “She’s in good hands with Gray.”

Realizing he’d been figured out, he tried backtracking, saying, “I ain’t worried…just not so sure I trust what this place’ll do to her.”

“Do you trust her?” she asked, her tone light, but precise.

Gajeel grunted, his eyes still on the trees. “Yeah, ‘course I trust her.”

“Come on, surely your answer can’t be that straightforward,” she said back.

He paused for a beat, then exhaled through his nose. “I trust her more than I trust most people.”

Erza nodded slowly. “Then trust that she can handle whatever comes her way. She’s got a strong fire and a bright light in her.”

That earned a brief smirk from him. “Tch. Tell me about it.”

“She’s grown since she joined Fairy Tail. She’s much stronger now, not just in magic, and she's acclimating well. It reminds me of you, in a way when you first came.”

That made him look at her with a curious sideways glance. “That so?” he asked, wondering where she was going with this.

“When you first joined Fairy Tail, you acted like you didn’t care about anyone…but then you started protecting them before you even realized why,” she then said.

“What’re ya tryin’ to get at, Scarlet?” he asked, frowning at the ground. 

“You don’t have to be the only one protecting her.”

Taken aback slightly, he didn’t answer right away and his jaw tightened a little. “I’ve been the one who pulls her back when her magic goes crazy or when she spirals in self-doubt. She listens to me. It’s like…if I’m not there, she forgets how strong she really is.”

Erza stopped walking, which caused Gajeel to halt, too.

She looked him straight in the eye. “That is exactly why she needs this; why I didn’t pair you with her for this mission. She has to learn and remember that she can stand on her own without you being there. It’s important that she knows that.”

“You did it to test her?” he questioned.

“Both of you,” she said. “You have helped her get strong enough to reach this high peak of her journey. Now, it’s up to her if she wishes to stay there and I have faith she’ll be able to do so. If you trust her as you say, then you must also have faith that she’ll get through this without you at her side.”

Gajeel looked down, his teeth clenched together as his mind fought between concern and faith in Genna. He wanted to trust that she’d be okay, but all he could think of were the moments when she was at her weakest when she needed him most; when she was lost in her mind and about to go supernova as well as when she was having her nightmares. Picturing her in that way made him worried that she wouldn’t be okay, but he had to keep in mind that was only a part of her. He’d watched her get stronger, physically and mentally, for a while now and he knew deep down that she could handle anything. She was already on par with some of the strongest wizards in Fairy Tail. That’s what he had to remember.

Erza’s gaze softened just a bit. “You care about her,” she said. Not as a question, but a declaration.

He glanced back at her, his troubled expression lessening just a little.

Suddenly, without warning, the air shimmered and bent like heatwaves on metal. A pulse swept through the ground and then the world around them changed. 

“Ah crap, here we go,” said Gajeel.

The two of them stood side by side in defensive positions. Erza held her sword at the ready and Gajeel raised his fists, both of them ready for a fight. The trees of the forest then fell away, replaced by stone walls and fractured beams…a ruined guild hall, scorched and broken.

Gajeel recognized this place immediately and his eyes widened in terror. “No…not this,” he gasped.

Erza knew it, too, but remained solemnly silent.

The forest was showing the past…his past.

Then they heard a manic laugh ring through the hall, one they both knew. A younger Gajeel, his eyes cold and vicious, drove iron through the walls of Fairy Tail’s original guild hall with unrelenting force. The illusion shifted again and they heard Levy scream, followed by the awful scene of her, Jett and Droy being crucified on the tree in the center of Magnolia. After that, they saw him beating Lucy violently, her screams ringing in their ears.

Gajeel staggered back at the sight. “Damn it! Stop it!” he yelled, closing his eyes and turning away.

Erza tensed beside him. “Stay strong, Gajeel,” she encouraged him. 

He didn’t look at her. His fists were clenched, trembling. He hated this; every single thing about it. This wasn’t him anymore. Why did the forest have to remind him of who he used to be? This was what he was afraid to tell Genna about eventually and--

Genna.

The realization that she could possibly see this froze him with dread. “She doesn’t know. Genna…she doesn’t know what I did back then,” he said to Erza, his voice low with shame. “What if she sees this? What if this place shows this to her?”

Erza stepped forward, her tone calm but firm as she told him, “Then she’ll see a part of you that you no longer accept. She’ll see that you’re a changed man.”

“She always looks at me with light in her eyes,” he said, “but if she sees this…what I was….” He shut his eyes again, pain he couldn’t describe rising in his chest. “That light will go away. She’ll hate me and she’ll leave…as she should.”

“Gajeel, stop!” she ordered loudly.

His eyes flashed wide open, startled. 

“We don’t know if the forest will show this memory to her,” she told him. “Even if it does, Genna knows who you really are. We all do. That’s what Fairy Tail does: we help each other become better than whoever we used to be. The man I see attacking our guild is not the man I see before me now.”

The vision around them flickered again. This time not with screams or destruction, but with the memory of a quiet guild hall. They both saw Gajeel seated at a table with Lily at his side. Levy came up to them and greeted them with a happy wave. Then Genna smiled at him from the other side of the table, golden sunlight catching the soft adoration in her expression and reflecting the shimmering starlight in her eyes. Seeing her like this, even in just a vision, brought about a soothing warmth in Gajeel’s body that seemingly relieved his fears.

Erza reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “This is who I see: the Gajeel that’s a part of Fairy Tail. We have all accepted you and I am certain Genna would still accept you, too. You have to accept yourself; who you have become, not who you once were.”

That was something even to this day, Gajeel still greatly struggled with. Though he knew the rest of the guild had forgiven him for his past actions, they still haunted him enough that he couldn’t fully move past them. It would always be an unseen scar that he’d bear more than likely for the rest of his life. Would he be able to find the strength to let Genna know of the existence of this scar one day? Even though he still wasn’t sure if he was ready for a more serious relationship yet, it was still something he knew he wanted with her eventually. If that were to happen, then she would need to see and know all of him, including this. She knew the man he was now and who we wanted to be. That had already been good enough for her…so maybe it would be enough for him, too.

The illusions suddenly cracked, breaking apart like shattered glass, and they were once again surrounded by the forest. Things were back to normal for the time being.

Gajeel exhaled slowly with relief, rubbing a hand down his face. “I really hope I don’t gotta see that again,” he said. 

Erza squeezed his shoulder, prompting him to look at her. “If it happens again, then we’ll conquer it the same way we did just now: together,” she vowed. 

He didn’t say "thank you", nor did she need him to, but the look of gratitude he gave Erza said it all.

She simply gave him a small nod. “Come on. Let’s keep going.”

After giving him a pat on the shoulder, she continued on. He took a second to get his bearings and regain his calm and then proceeded after her.

“Genny,” he thought to himself, “I hope you’re havin’ an easier time than I am.”

The deeper Genna and Gray traveled into the forest, the quieter the world became, which was highly disturbing given how silent everything had been before they’d even set foot in the trees. It seemed to set their teeth on edge. 

“This place is messed up,” Gray muttered, brushing a low-hanging branch aside.

“You’re telling me,” Genna agreed. She glanced up at the strange way the sunlight filtered through the canopy. One beam of light flickered like a strobe. Another was frozen in midair, catching pollen in mid-float. For some reason, she felt she’d seen that before and was getting a sense of deja vu. “I keep getting the feeling like…I’ve already seen this before.”

“You have,” he said flatly. “Twice. We’re caught in a time loop…again.”

Frustrated, she groaned. This was the second time loop they’d been caught in already. “I’ve got an idea,” she said. “You’ll want to close your eyes.”

He gave her a confused look, but closed his eyes anyway.

She put her hands out in front of her and started building up her magic power. “Starlight Magic Art! Solar Flare!” she cried out. Then she threw her hands out to her sides, sending out a wave of blinding light in all directions. That suddenly revealed some magic circles that were invisible only a second ago. 

“Gray, we’ve got some magic circles,” she told him.

He opened his eyes, spotted the circles and reacted immediately. He brought his fist down to his open palm at his side, ice forming over his hands. “Ice Make: Arrows!” he called, a large bow of ice taking shape with the ice and two arrows shot out at the magic circles, destroying them on impact. 

As the bow disappeared, he stated aloud, “Those couldn’t have been created by the Clockwork Bloom.”

Genna commented, “Those looked Wizard-made, which means whoever messed with things here must’ve set their own traps on top of everything else that’s warping the space.”

“Those people must still be here because magic circles eventually degrade if not activated,” he added.

“It's possible. Though, they were time loop circles, so they were probably keeping any degradation from happening with time continuously repeating,” she said. 

Gray hadn’t considered that and he pointed at her, impressed. “You have a point. Good thinking,” he complimented her. 

She thanked him and they continued on, the forest growing seemingly denser.

“Can I ask you something?” Gray then said a minute or two later.

“Sure,” Genna replied. 

There was a short pause before he inquired, “What is it you see in Gajeel that made you wanna stick with him? No shade, I’m just genuinely curious.”

Hearing him bring up Gajeel made her cheeks blush a light shade of pink and she smiled. “I don’t know. He was the first person I met in Fairy Tail and I just felt…drawn to him,” she told him. “I kept having this feeling inside that we were meant to meet and grow closer. It was almost magical, like my starlight magic was reacting to even being near him. I don’t know exactly how to explain it. He was pretty resistant to us being friends at first, but I could see there was a softer side to him underneath his iron walls. I found myself even more determined to get to know him.”

Amused, he snickered. “Judging by how you’re smiling, I’d say you’re now pretty head over heels for the guy, huh?”

She blushed even redder.

“Yep, your face is pretty red now,” he pointed out, “so that answers my question. You definitely don’t wanna be ‘just friends’ anymore, which is what you told me on the wagon to Akane Beach.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” she said, still grinning. 

“Well, what’s stopping you two? Does he not want the same thing?” 

“To be honest…I don’t know what he wants. At one point, it felt like we were both right there, just on the edge of becoming something more and then…he took a step back.”

“He’s scared he can’t give you what you want or be the kind of man he thinks you deserve.”

Genna looked over at him in slight astonishment. “That’s almost exactly what he said to me,” she replied, wondering how he knew.

Gray let his head fall forward as he said, “Yeah, I figured…that’s exactly what I’m going through with Juvia, too.”

“Ohh…I see,” she said, now understanding. 

Rubbing the back of his head, he remarked in a light tone, “Man, never thought I’d ever have something in common with Gajeel, of all people.”

With a chuckle, she said back, “He’s not that bad, you know.”

“I know. I just like to give him crap,” he said. “Well, as long as he’s treating you right, that’s all I care about. Hopefully, he’ll figure himself out soon and take his shot because he’d be an idiot not to.”

She scoffed, amused. “I think you need to say that yourself in a mirror, Gray.”

He shyly turned away in response.

“I know how crazy Juvia is about you. She deserves a chance, too, don’t you think?” she asked him. 

Gray turned back to answer, but as he was about to, they stepped into a narrow glade where the air shimmered all around them and everything shifted.

“Uh-oh, this is different,” Genna observed.

“What now?” Gray asked, irritated. 

The area pulsed sharply with magic and suddenly, they weren’t in the forest anymore.

They were in a solitary room. It was small and cold, the walls made of stone with large lacrima crystals embedded into them. In the center of the room was a stone slab with someone lying on top of it, their wrists and ankles chained to the slab with magical bindings.

Gray’s breath caught in shock. “What is this--?” He turned toward Genna and froze at the look on her face.

Her entire body had gone stiff, her jaw tight and her hands clenched at her sides. Her eyes were wide and unblinking. 

“No…!” she gasped out.

From the far end of the illusion, a memory walked into the room: a man whose face was obscured by the shadows. His voice was low and clinical as he spoke one word.

“Again.”

At that moment, the lacrimas in the wall lit up, throbbing with power, and lines of light connected from the lacrimas to the bonds on the slab grew brighter. 

Genna’s legs buckled and she dropped to her knees, shaking. “No…not this,” she whispered. 

“Genna?” Gray asked aloud.

The crackling of electricity grew louder by the second followed by a girl’s piercing scream as lightning emanated from the lacrimas and up the magic lines, giving the girl on the slab a painful electric shock. Her body convulsed and writhed in agony as her screams echoed in the room. 

“No, no, no! Please, no! Don’t make me see it again!” Genna yelled, pressing her palms to her ears as if that would stop the sound. It had already been bad enough remembering this back at the forge when she’d been hit by lightning, but now she was seeing it again with her own eyes; reliving it in a much more painful way. Why did it have to be this again? Though, there was one thing she dreaded even more: her father stepping out of the shadows.

If he revealed his face, then Gray would surely recognize him and figure out who she really was. 

Everything would fall apart.

Her breathing came quick and shallow and her father’s dark voice speaking again didn’t help at all as he said, “You will unleash your power, my daughter. You were born to let your light burn brighter than even that of the sun. Show me your power.”

Gray reached for her instinctively. Whatever he was seeing made his stomach lurch with immense discomfort and he wanted to get them both out immediately. “Genna, it’s not real!” he cried out. “He’s not really there. You’re not--”

Then he felt it.

The air shifted, thickening with magic pressure. The cloak Genna wore flew off of her and light began leaking from her skin like starfire cracking through her seams. Her breathing grew heavier and she groaned in pain, her whole body pulsating with incredible bursts of starlight energy. 

“Genna!” Gray shouted, shocked, stumbling back from the heat rising off her body.

“Oh no! No, stop! I ca--I can’t--!” Genna cried out, on the verge of hyperventilating as she realized she was going supernova…and even worse, she hadn’t told Gray anything about it. On the train, they’d gotten so caught up in just chatting that she’d completely forgotten to warn him about it. He didn’t know what to do in order to calm her down and she was already losing control, there wouldn’t be a chance to tell him. 

This was not good!