Kayla looked up at him, a hint of red on her cheeks, "Laxus. I wanted to say I lov-"

And then everything went black.
_—_—_—_—_

"Kayla?" Laxus asked as he looked down at the mage laid on the ground, unconscious.

"Well well, looks like the Master was right." A voice said, and Laxus turned around towards the source of the voice. "Our little Storm Bringer would be running away. How pathetic."

A wizard was walking up to the two, hair combed to fall over his right eye, his left eye was beady, almost rat-like. In Laxus's eyes, the man had a very punchable looking face.

"Whoever you are, don't you dare get any closer." Laxus growled, standing over Kayla protectively. "A sneak attack like that is only for cowards!"

"Cowards? No no no, I can assure you that I am no coward. I just simply used a spell that would make taking the dear girl back to the guild. Back to where she belongs."

"Where she belongs? She belongs in Fairy Tail!"

"She belongs where her purpose is." The wizard said, his eyes narrowing, "And her one and only purpose is to assist us in resurrecting Amol."

Laxus gritted his teeth and lifted his hand threateningly as it got surrounded in lightning, "She's the one who will choose her own purpose in life. Now leave before I made you wish you've never been born."

"A threat? Oh, I'm so scared of the Fairy. What're you going to do? Zap me?"

"I'm going to do much more than zap you." Laxus said, punching his hand. And turning into lightning. He zoomed toward the wizard. And mad contact, reforming and punching his gut. "I don't know who you are, but if you think you're getting to my guildmate, you're dead wrong!" The wizard flung back, slamming into the wall of a building, Laxus didn't hesitate before lunging at him once more, reeling his fist back and getting ready to punch the man in the face, until his fist hit a wall.

Jumping back, Laxus shook his hand. In front of the wizard's face there was a translucent barrier. "How rude of me! I never introduced myself! My name is Cole, the Shadow of Death's Storm." He introduced, "You've had your turn, though, so now it's mine." Adjusting the collar of his shirt, he started sinking into to ground. Laxus watched as the man turned into a mere shadow on the ground. In a blur of movement, he was behind Laxus, and landed a hit on the back of the Dragon Slayer's head.

Laxus stumbled forwards, holding his head and turning around, only to see that Cole had already disappeared. Laxus gritted his teeth and turned into lightning, shooting up into the air and landing on top of a building, looking down into the alleyway the wizard was.

It didn't take long for him to spot a blurred shadow making it's way towards Kayla's unconscious body.

"I don't think so." Laxus said, he reeled his fist back, lighting engulfing it. "Lightning Dragon: Breakdown Fist!" He cast, punching his fist forwards. A giant lightning fist zoomed towards the shadow, hitting it head on.

The shadow stopped and Cole rose back up a look of pain crossing his face., turning and looking towards Laxus his eyes glinting dangerously. "You Faries just don't give up, how annoying." His form wavered and he went back into the shadow, speeding towards Laxus. It wasn't long before he had reached the top of the roof and two giant hands reached up on either side of Laxus. "So, so annoying!"

"You know, you're starting to get annoying. What are you, a man-child?" Laxus asked as he turned into lightning and zoomed away, landing back on the ground, close to Kayla.

"A man-child?i'm no older than 19. Do I look more mature?" Cole asked. "How kind of you to assume! Say, do you have some sort of connection with Storm Bringer? You two seem quite close~"

Laxus glared at him, "You're really starting to annoy me." He said, "I think I'll just shut you up! Lightning Dragon: Roar!" He bellowed, a beam of lightning shooting out of his mouth straight toward Cole.

Cole ducked into a shadow, "Woah, that was close!" He said, his voice echoing slightly as he zoomed back down to the ground, trendles of shadows extending from him rising up and surrounding Laxus. "I think I'm going to end this now, the Master is probably getting impatient with me, and I don't want to make him angry with me if I don't bring back the precious Storm Bringer~"

"Like hell you'll get your hands on her!"

"How can you say that when I've already gotten her?"

Laxus turned around, his eyes widening as he saw that one of the trendles had wrapped itself around Kayla and had lifted her up in the air, he turned and glared at Cole, overhead trundle rumbled despite the sky being cloudless. "You let her go right now." He seethed.

The shadow on the ground grinned, "Shock me, and your lightning will hit Storm Bringer. Do you really want to risk that?"

"She wouldn't be affected." Laxus said.

Laughter surrounded Laxus, "Look again~" He said. Once again Laxus looked at Kayla, tensing as he saw a trendle hovering over her chest. "Make one more move, and you'll have to say goodbye to her! See, we only need her magic to resurrect Amiol, and Master taught me this handy spell that allows me to take the magic of a dying soul and store it for later use."

"You're a monster." Laxus said.

"Hm? I guess." Cole rose up from the ground, looking at Laxus with a wide eyes, "But compared to Master, I'm nothing, so you understand why I can't return empty handed."

"I don't care what your master is like or how you'll be treated," Laxus took a step forwards, lighting hopping around him as his face contorted to rage. "You'll have to kill me before I let you take her away," he took another step forwards.

"Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't get any closer. Storm Bringer's life depends on it~"

From behind Laxus, there was a quiet whimper and he turned around, the trendle that was above Kayla now pressing into her skin, and the scent of blood hit his nose.

Cole grinned, "Well, I guess this is goodbye-" He cut off in a scream, lightning traveling from the ground and hitting him. Kneeling on the ground, he looked up at Laxus with anger in his eyes, "You asked for it!" He shouted.

"That wasn't him." A voice said.

"Kayla?" Laxus breathed out, turning around and seeing her get up from the ground.

***

Waking up from getting dropped to the ground was not the best way to break out of unconsciousness, but Kayla was glad for it. She looked at Laxus and gave him a small nod before looking over at Cole.

"I'm not going without a fight." She said, storm cloud gathering above her head. "And I promise you, you're not going to like the storm coming for you." Magic rushed though her and the seal on her arm pulsed. A small smile made it's way to her face. Sorry Melody. She thought. Taking a deep breath, a golden magic circle appeared at her mouth. The seal on her arm pulsed stronger and faster, until it broke, and magic power rushed over her.

"Storm Dragon: Roar!" She casted, a silver beam hopping with lightning heading straight towards Cole. The recoil from the blast sending her back a foot or two. She might not of been using her Dragon Slayer magic for a while, but her magic had for sure gotten stronger.

The spell hit Cole head on and he flew back, crashing through a wall. It was a minute or two before he got up, his hair a mess and blood trailing down from his forehead. "Now you've made me angry." He seethed. "I'm going to make you regret doing that."

"I'd like to see you try." Kayla said, reeling her fist back as a magic circle appeared in front of it. "Storm Dragon: Tempest Rush!" Her hand was engulfed in Storm clouds and she thrust it forwards, lightning, hail, and razor-sharp rain getting sent straight towards Cole, who disappeared into the shadow just before the attack hit him.

In the blink of an eye, the entire ground was covered in shadow. Trendles rose up from the ground, wrapping around Laxus and causing him to struggle. More trendles came up as well, this time pointing straight towards Kayla, the sharp points threatening to impale her at any moment.

"I wouldn't move too much if I were you. One wrong twitch and she's a goner. Same goes for you, Storm Bringer~"

Kayla gritted her teeth, glaring at Cole who was halfway out of the ground. She was about to send a current of lightning towards him when he perked up, pulling a lacrima out of his pocket.

"Oh, master! What a pleasure!"

"You'd better be wrapping things up where you are. I'm starting to get impatient." A voice said, upon hearing it, chills ran down Kayla's spine.

"Of course Master! Things got a little rocky, but I think everything's under control. Not that I'm doubting you, how are you doing?"

"Those Faries have all been subdued."

Kayla froze. She's known the master long enough to know that Subdued means incapacitated and there's a risk that might kill if in a bad mood— which is the mood he's almost always in.

"You'd better come quick. Or else they'll meet the same fate you will."

"Yes sir!" Cole said, and he looked up to Kayla, "You heard the man. We'd better go before you end up the reason your guild mates are dead!"

"Kayla, don't do it! There's no way that bastard is telling the truth!" Laxus shouted.

Kayla shook her head, a shadow casting over her eyes as she started to tremble. "N-no. He's not lying about that. He's wiped out entire guilds before. Laxus... I'm sorry, but, I don't want Fairy Tail to meet the same fate as them."

"Are you an idiot?" Laxus called.

Kayla looked up at him, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "I guess I am. I'm sorry, Laxus." She said before looking at Cole. "I'll go with you. Just, leave Fairy Tail alone."

Cole grinned, "Of course. Right this way." He said, stepping out of the shadow and the trendles retracting, except for one small one that wrapped around Kayla's wrists. She waked up to Cole, who started walking away.

Pausing in her steps, she turned and looked over her shoulder, a few tears falling down her cheeks. "I guess this is goodbye. I trust... that when the time comes, you and Fairy Tail will be able to defeat Aimol." Her voice cracked and tuned back around, this was it, she was never going to see him again. "I love you, Laxus."