We regret to announce that this account is being declared "dead."

Although many of our stories are left unfinished, sadly so, we have agreed to end our account. Neither of us are much into fan-fiction anymore and we are quite removed from the series we used to write. Neither of us has ANY time anymore for such activities; our professional careers are taking over our lives at the pivot of our youth. So we won't let fanfiction or fandom hinder it.

We realize many of you disappointed but this is in our best interests. We are considering deleting all the fanfiction on this account by the end of the year as well. We'll see. We're sorry but this needs to be done.

- Kitty & Foxy

TIPS TO WRITING INTRIGUING FAIRY TAIL FANFICTION

We've noticed some things about the Fairy Tail fandom that tends to turn off ... well, the older readers such as ourselves. We see a lot of excruciatingly short chapters, nothing but romance and not even the good kind of romance. It's great for inexperienced writers to start with, but the Fairy Tail fandom is flooded with it and we'd like to change that, even just a little.

1) On Romance. Romance is a genre that is best when it comes secondary to another genre. When romance is forced to stand alone, we see a lot of cliches, we see a lot of painfully typical dreamy-like scenarios that make us want to gag. Romance is better seen as a topping to your ice cream: it makes it prettier, it makes it taste better, but if you ate it all alone without that ice cream (another genre) it's pretty boring. Avoid making the romance the main subject. Rather, first devise a plot or a setting, then apply romance if need be.

2) On Pairings. We have quite a few notes on this.

A) If you can avoid going typical, do so! Nothing more boring than copying what canon is up to. If you sit there and think about it you can make anyone a pairing, and you can make it good. Take a moment to think about how the characters behave around one another and take it from there.

B) Avoid the sex-leading-to-forced-relationship, drunkeness and dragon-heat stories. We've all seen them, we all know them, we have it play in our imaginations but otherwise it is a frivolous idea that is pretty much ... well, porn. We see some fanfiction writers focus too much on sex (meaning they're horny) and some writers focus too much on romance (meaning they're hopeful). We've all been there, we all want the same things but to read it again and again can be dull. The point of a romance is NOT to write YOUR ideal romance. It is to write an ideal romance for the characters involved.

C) For the love of god, do NOT pair EVERYONE up. It's far too unrealistic for that to happen. Did everyone you knew in middle school pair up by the end of eighth grade? Naaah. Some did. Some broke up. More will pair up in their later years, and years after that, and years after that -- and we highly doubt anyone's writing stories that go that far ahead. We have devised a formula to determine just how many pairings you should have in a fanction, if any at all:

Ages 1 - 11: 10% of your main characters should be able to pair up cutely.
*Ages 12 - 14: 15% of your main characters should be able to pair up and stick. An additional 15% can claim to be boyfriend / girlfriend status but it is often flirtacious or to look good in the eyes of peers.
* Ages 15 - 19: 35% of your main characters are allowed to pair up or have romances. You may have more additional characters considering it, but seriously ... when you were in high school, was EVERYONE really paired up? Everyone thought about it yes but it most certainly did not always happen. The paired main characters each have a 5% chance of getting married, and another 5% chance of pregnancy. Roll some DnD dice to determine if it really will happen.
* Ages 20 - 27: 40% of your main characters are allowed to pair up or have romances. This is the age range in which family is considered, but usually people are more concerned with careers or job opportunities or finding stability in their lives. 20% chance of marriage, 15% chance of pregnancy (break out the DnD dice!).
Ages 28: This is the age range in which yes, characters will consider family, dating, and all that jazz. But your pairings should never carry beyond 80%. We're expecting you to be wise about these pairings. There will always be singles that are quite happy being single.

3) On Plot. This is a tough one. Kitty and Foxy have a coexisting relationship because we're drawn to opposites. Kitty enjoys the shorter surface plots, Foxy enjoys the longer brain-grinding plots -- we combine these powers to make something awesome. Plot is best left to judgment but we always recommend that you take the time to sit there, open a document and type one page of notes on how your thing will progress. If you don't know, then write as far as you can. Currently our Under the Flames plot notes is seventy pages long; about six bullet points make a chapter in our story. We recommend a similar system, though obviously you do not need to go as far as we did.

4) On Chapter Length. This is dependent on two things: your plot and your audience. Your plot ... well, that's up to your judgment. But to audience: first, take an age range of your target audience. Then consider a popular book in that audience. Younger kids (ex: Diaries of a Wimpy Kid) actually like those short chapters. They're easy to follow. Young teens (ex: Harry Potter) like things within 2,000 - 4,000 word ranges. Older teens (ex: ... whatever the heck is popular right now, in our day it was "Twilight" *shudders*) like 3,000 - 5,000 word ranges. Young adults, older adults, middle-aged, elderly, etc. all like different lengths and depths of a story. Figure out your targets and aim at them.

TIPS FOR ASPIRING WRITERS

Because a few of you really need help.

- Always check your grammar, then check again. Everyone misses an occasional apostrophe, quotation mark, punctuation or capitalizes the wrong letter at some point or another, but there's a difference between missing one and missing a lot. The best way to think about it is this: "Does this look like something I would find in an actual novel?" If you say yes, you're probably good. If you say "Mmmm" or "No," then you've got some work to do.

- Learn the differences between different contractions and abbreviations, and don't write in text lingo unless your character is actually texting. For example: "It's" does not equal "Its," and don't you dare write "2" to substitute "too," "to," or "two" each and every time. Numbers should only be written as numbers when they go above 100.

- Never never never say "It's my first story" or "better summary inside." It's a turn off and says you're not adaptable. We understand hype, but even then it can be a pain in the neck. A good writer knows how to beat down something large into something small. It's a good skill to have in the workplace to be able to write a lot into a small space: what do you think memos and documents and company emails are? There's a reason why they're short!

- Know your weaknesses and your strengths. Knowing this will help you in the long run. We write as a duo because we build up each others' weaknesses. You may want to consider finding a beta reader.

- Before you start a story, write about a page or twos' worth of bullet points of what will be in the story, and how you intend to go about it. This is your first draft. It will help you keep your thoughts organized. Also helpful is to create a list of hints or a timeline. The second draft is the breakdown of said bullet points into more bullet points that will comprise a chapter.

- If you're doing a fanfiction from a show, keep chapters at what we call an "episodes' length." This means imagine the chapter as a fifteen or twenty-four minute show in your mind. It will tell you if too much or too little is happening in the contents of one chapter. If you're doing a oneshot, think of it as a movie format.

"UNDER THE FLAMES" OC RUNDOWN & ARC SUMMARIES

Foxy is kind enough to keep updating this. These will contain spoilers: if you have not read up to the most current chapter, you may want to reconsider reading this. We're only going to help you keep track of the characters; it's up to you to remember objects and places and facts for already-established characters, such as Natsu (we tried writing him up and it got too long - plus we don't want to place importance on any facts over the other just yet - so you're on your own!). If you have questions about the characters, be they main or OC, or about objects / settings, do not be afraid to ask in a review or PM. We WILL answer the best we can! The parenthesis at the end is the arc they last appeared or were mentioned in.

Achin - a golden haired man that works with Kalusa and the red haired man during the time that the Dragon Queen supposedly went mad. He along with the red haired man intend to bring down the mad beast with ambushes and fighting, and it is hinted that they were successful (ARC V).

"Birther" - Current Status: Alive. A mysterious humanoid figure who associates with the four-eyed beast of the caves. Appears to be searching for an "it." There are others who wish for the Birther to find them as well, as hinted by the mystery men in Chapter 28 (ARC V).

'Four-Eyed Beast' - Current Status: Alive. A fearsome creature that inhabits the deeper caves. Is known to have eaten humans and animals. Wants the "Birther" to find an "it," believing "it" has a human's lifespan. Natsu has hinted that it is a grandchild of the beast, and it is revealed in a flashback that it is the grandchild of the Queen of the Dragons. Natsu has summoned it to Nirvana after a dragon roar, and Natsu expects that it will bring down Nirvana though it might take the Alliance out as well (ARC V).

Gladyss Tezz - Current Status: Dead. Presumably an enemy, she trekked the same forest as Oracion Seis and the others are with a companion, Néall O'Brien. She was in her mid-forties and was the second-in-command from where she hails from. She seems to have had extraordinary sense capabilities but it is not clear if she and her companion share the same abilities. She and Néall were on their way to a meeting with their 'Lords', but Néall decided to wander off. She was KIA when someone interrupted her attack on Wendy Marvell (ARC V).

Julianna Faragó - Current Status: Alive. A middle-aged earth-elemented female Dragon Slayer who lives in a southern town of Ivrubon. She is nicknamed the 'Earth Witch' and is known for her barbaric methods. Mystogan encountered her first. She appears to know Wendy, believes there are people out to kill her, and claims not to know what happened to the Dragons but knows who likely does know about the Dragons (ARC V).

Kalusa - Current Status: Unknown. A ten year old boy sent with a red haired man to the Nirvit to confront them about what happened to the Queen of the Dragons. He doesn't like the Nirvit much, and he sees the red haired man as his teacher. He also makes a lot of reference to Kyronite. He is later shown to be an old man who maintains contact with the Nrivit and knows a younger Robaul. An interesting conversation of theirs revealed that Kalusa insists that he himself is not a Dragon, and that the bond between Dragon Slayers (or as the Nirvit call them, 'Dragon Hides') and Dragons is stronger than any known bond between humans (ARC V).

Kenslein – Current Status: Unknown. Someone who apparently helped Natsu in the past, declared he would not let others hunt “them anymore” (ARC IV).

Kyronite - Current Status: Unknown. Someone who Kalusa greatly honors. Species yet unknown (ARC V).

Mystery Men (V.28) - Current Status: Unknown. Two men who appeared at the end of Chapter 28; one wants the other to seek out the Birther to find himself, while the other doesn't believe the other man exists (ARC V).

Mystery People (V.29) - Current Status: Unknown. Two people ... once again, we're throwing semi-random people at you. They are discussing something the injured one did (ARC V).

Néall O'Brien - Current Status: Alive. A Celestial Mage of sorts in his late twenties, hailing from the House of Octantis. His known current contracts are Wèi Xiù and Scorpio (taken from Angel), but he has hinted that he has more. He is a lot more playful than his companion Gladyss. He warned Gladyss to "watch the stepping stones," a saying from where he comes from. It is also hinted at that he's bad at directions. He was with Ichiya until he discovered his dead comrade, taking off into the forest fearful of something that is there (ARC V).

Old Man Oz - Current Status: Unknown. Someone Néall believes is uglier than Ichiya (ARC V).

Red Haired Man - Current Status: Unknown. Someone four thousand-ish years ago who worked with Achin and Kalusa during the time in which the Dragon Queen went mad. He has white eyes, is hinted to be Kalusa's superior and like Achin is known for his immense battle power. He headed the negotiations with the Nirvit (ARC V).

Tenkgite – Current Status: Unknown. Someone Natsu compared Gajeel to (ARC II).

Terra – Current Status: Unknown. Someone Natsu believed would be able to contain the power of Etherion’s lacrima (ARC IV).

'The Three Hooligans' - Current Status: Alive. Three early teenagers who Natsu met with between Arcs IV & V; he describes them as aggressive and demanding. There is one that challenges him, one that admires him, and one that curses him out. They practice a type of magic familiar to him and Natsu apparently did something illegal to help them face "unfriendlies" (ARC V).

Queen of the Dragons - Current Status: Dead. The grandmother of the Four-Eyed Beast and the Queen of the Dragons during the time of the Nirvit. It is hinted that the Nirvit are the responsible ones for accidentally turning her to true darkness and in turn leading to her being killed by her own kind. It is met with shock that she killed "Gunya" and that she likely has a nest laid somewhere (ARC IV).

Wèi Xiù - Current Status: Alive. A Celestial Spirit who is a "Mansion Spirit," according to Néall. His key is shaped similar to a jade disc. He is beastly and has been referred to as the "belly of the beast." He took on and technically defeated Gemini and Scorpio during a scuffle with Angel (ARC V).

Note about the arc summaries: We do NOT list all the major hints in these summaries. That's what reading the story is for. This is basically the summary of our summaries and notes of arcs. Plus, Foxy is writing this. Do you REALLY trust her to lead you in the right direction? Of course she isn't going to give you the entire picture.

ARC I: Introduction. Introduction of Natsu a.k.a. "Salamander," who is voiceless, green-eyed and missing his right arm, and is a wandering Dragon Slayer mage of fire magic who does not belong to Fairy Tail. Also introducing Lucy Heartfilia, a mage who wants to join the guild Fairy Tail. The two take down Bora and Natsu departs on his self-prescribed journey.

ARC II: Phantom Lord. Phantom Lord attacks Fairy Tail, just like they did in canon story. When they invade Phantom Lords' base, Happy discovers Natsu stealing from the archives - the two team up to rescue Lucy. When Natsu returns Lucy to the guild, Loke firmly believes they can't trust Natsu. Natsu decides not to leave, and helps them take down Phantom Lord. There are hints that a "secret" previous war took place. He hides out at Lucy's, waiting for the soldiers to depart so he can sneak out.

ARC III: Woes of a Lion Spirit. A short arc that is probably the closest to canon events. Loke reveals he is Leo and becomes Lucys' spirit. Natsu, still hiding out Lucy's, feels happy for Leo (even if Leo is unappreciative) and leaves a painting for Lucy.

ARC IV: Tower of Heaven. Natsu attempted to leave, again, but Lucy's teammates discovered and coerced him into joining them on their vacation. Gray and Happy are kidnapped by old friends of Erza's and Lucy's ear is blown off. Natsu reveals he can change his magical power, and restores most of Lucy's ear before they, as well as Erza and Juvia, head off to to the Tower of Heaven to face Jellal and Erza's past. Natsu reveals he has at least three "types" of magic, and he is highly knowledgeable about others. A mysterious communication takes place, and during the final battle, Erza chances to see part of Natsu's "past" and learns how he received the scars and deformities around his torso (it's shocking!). Slight Natsu & Erza development, Shou joins Fairy Tail. Natsu departs.

ARC V: Oracion Seis. In progress. Summary will come when Foxy has enough brainpower left to write it.

ARC VI: TBA! (Probably the only "real" fluff arc in this series. We don't want to give the title just yet 'cause then you'll kinda know what we're planning ...)

ARC VII: Edolas. Summary will be posted when it ends.

ARC VIII - ARC XX: TBA when they come near. A drastic change in canon plot occurs at the beginning of ARC X, but ARCs VI & VIII will also deviate.