Black Destiny Part 1

by Fantasyficcer

We're Months away from the Grand Magic Games, for now, it is time for the annual Fairy Tail S-class trials. However, not all is well. Dark events are merging insidiously. A large, familiar, and sinister power is raising it's ugly head yet again. For the final time. Old friends come together, and apocalyptic level evil stirs restlessly within Fiore..

Black Destiny:

Disclaimer:

I own my underpants, and Hiro Mashima owns this anime. Kinda jealous, just saying.

I want to give F.T podcast, and P.T.C a shout out. Since some of your material will be a bit scattered in here. Thanks!

Note from Author:

This story will be broken into two parts. This story will have seven chapters. It was becoming too long here. Please stick with me. Part 2 coming soon! Thanks!

Chapter 1: One Condition:

A light breeze made his cloak swirl slightly as he strolled toward the new guild hall. It had been quite a while since he'd been near this place. He looked up, his eyes glittering from underneath his deep dark blue cowl. He smiled slightly at all the old memories as his eyes fell upon the old familiar emblem. And from sorrow too, despite the even deeper ache in his heart. For, twisted though it was, his heart still reflected the affection he held for his favorite color, favorite person. He sighed, striding forward. It was odd, this fluttering feeling in his belly. Was this...nervousness? He had never been nervous before. Not for this reason. He shrugged to himself. It was twilight and he could see that the guild hall was alight with life. He could see the silhouettes of people through the windows. Of Wizards, that was. He was not certain that he would have been able to do this in the first place if it had not been for his ever present partner. He gathered himself, and knocked on the door.

"Hey, Happy?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah?" Happy asked.

"What kinda job should I choose?" He was looking at the board. "How bout this one?" He pointed to a job.

"Solve the mystery behind bandits vanishing?" that's an S class quest, Natsu." Happy said, shaking his head. "This looks fun. Help get rid of a river monster. Maybe fish will be the reward? Or, at least part of it." Happy floated in the air by Natsu's head. Natsu looked excited for a second at the thought of food. But he frowned, scowling.

"Boring. I wanna work out." He kicked the wall then. Seemingly more upset.

"What's wrong?" Happy asked.

"I should be an S class Wizard by now. I was so close last time. Stupid Jigsaw fart. Stupid black dragon."

"Grimior Heart, flame brain!" Gray shouted over, loosing his clothes in the process. Juvia went all a whirl with hearts, and waterworks at this.

"That's what I said!" Natsu shouted back, scowling.

"Well, we don't have to worry about him anymore." Happy said brightly. "He won't bother anybody ever again." Smoke and, sparks flowed out of Natsu's nose. "Natsu? Are you okay?" Happy asked, then he realized. How dumb. He remember, too late, the battle against Acnologia. That had been fight in which, Igneel had died.

"Shut up, Happy. Right now." Natsu's voice was so intense that Happy flew a little backwards, away from Natsu.

"Natsu." Happy said, frightened so much that his voice shook. But then Natu's ears perked up. This happened just as Gajeel called out to the room at large.

"Hey, who's coming up to the door?"

"Gah! Who knows, or cares? Maybe it's my Father coming back from his mission. Erza did say she wanted him back here. Something about another job, or something." Cana said, sipping on a large tankard of spirits. She was wearing her blue bikini top, with black long pants, and her well tooled valkin hide boots. Her Dad had gotten them for her, and she didn't want to wear then, but her old boots had worn out like the next day. So...whatever. She'd put up with all the stupid gushing. She knew that there would be plenty of it too. Despite her telling him she wanted nothing to do with him, he insisted. She sighed, annoyed, and just kept drinking.

"Yeah, but Gildarts wouldn't knock." Gray said, frowning at the door. It was true. Gildarts just seemed to walk where ever it is he needed, or wanted to go.

"My grey's so smart!" Juvia gushed.

"No. It's common sense." Gray said, moving slightly away from Juvia.

"Lets put an end to this mystery." Erza declared, entering the room suddenly, and walking toward the door. "I will answer it. Keep your guards up." Erza grasped the handle. She jumped as the hinges protest via a loud squeak. She jumped slightly. They really needed to fix that. She stood stunned as the door revealed... him.

"Hello, Erza."

"Alright, everybody! Quiet down!" Sting called to the guild in general. Well, all but a quiet Rouge sitting in the corner. He had just gotten home from a job, and called a meeting. "I am going to announce the participants for this years Grand Magic Games. Now that money is no longer a factor." For they had refused to partake in the games since that rich, but no talent, guild had taken over. Now that they were gone, Sabertooth could once again compete with proper dignity. Several of the guilds had felt like this. Since Natsu set the place on fire, they games had been cancled for the past two years. This year though, they were back on.

"I don't know if I have any interest in playing their little game this year." Rouge muttered.

"That was about to be my point." Sting said, shortly. "Now, I have assembled an unbeatable team for this year. On my travels, I have come across a new member of not only this guild, but also...our ringer for this year in the Games." Sting gestured toward a doorway at the side of the main room. "His name is, Golla." He wore a long dark grey robe, with a deep cowl over his head. "He has been disfigured by a devastating fire when he was younger. He specializes in earth magic. He is the earth god slayer. With our earth god slayer, our lightning god slayer, a dragon slayer on our team, we can't loose. You three, and I have more news. I am temporarily stepping down as guild master, so I can fight too. Now we have two dragon slayers, and Minerva will be our team. Now we are victorious."

"Let us not count our chickens before they hatch, Sting. I agree that we have an increased chance of winning, however, Gildarts may be entering the games also."

"Quit being a stick in the mud, Minerva."

"I understand that you are the lightning God slayer, however, you...rap...ballads will not comfort you if you take this man lightly, and loose. Because I'll be, waiting."

"No! If Fairy Tail has taught us anything, it's that we don't harm our guild mates. We protect them from being hurt. They are supposed to be our family." Sting snapped.

"So we're supposed to be...what? Copies of the people you let win?" Rouge sneered.

"I told you I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't feel right about it." Sting said, scowling. "They were all out of power, I wasn't. Not fair."

"Well, I won't hold back." Rouge said, standing up and striding out of the room.

"I can't wait to battle Erza Scarlet again." Minerva mumbled to herself.

"Frosh will be the acting guild master, for one week. Seven days. Until the Games are over." It took Sting a bit to calm the uproar. "That's my final word. Get ready."

"Frosh doesn't know if he wants to be guild Master."

"Awww...you'll be great. Don't worry about it." Lector assured him.

His head came up. He thought he could sense something. What was it? No, no. Wrong question. Who was it? Ah...obviously. So, the time was near. He would have to go to the Grand Magic Games this year It was past time the clash occurred. He could sense her presence as well. He set out from, walking, the cave's mouth. Years of hiding was over. The war was over, it was time. Time for the world to sleep at long last. He was dormant no longer. The sleeper had awoken. "Natsu."

A breeze rolled over the land of Magnolia. It was the same breeze that had fluttered the cloak of the guld hall's visitor. This wind also lifted Gildarts large dark brown cloak. He was striding back to the guild, due to the summons of Cana, his Daughter. He smiled at the thought of Cana. She was the last member of his living family. He was bringing back some fish for Cana. He had been fishing. He had eaten more than he could eat. Why not share with his only living blood relative? He knew that she didn't want anything to do with him, but damn it. He had to try to connect with her. He had known her since she was little girl, but not that she was his. Trying to slam the door on all the painful memories of Cornelia, Cana's Mother, and his Wife, now past on...he made a bee line for the guild hall entrance.

"Stop right there...you!" A skinny assailant yelled.

"You!" One thug shouted, a fat one.

"You!" The other thug shouted.

"Yeah! Whoever you are!" A skinny man, who seemed to be the leader demanded.

"Stop!" The other skinny one shouted, index finger outstretched in a commanding manner.

Three individuals in blue Unaiards ran out from behind a lamp post right in front of Gildarts. He stopped. Not because he was scared, granted their sudden appearance did give him a bit of a flip in his belly. He stopped because he was more bemused at their ridiculous ensembles more than anything. "Uh...who are you three?" He asked. He didn't have time for this. He promised Erza, and Cana that he would be back at the guild by sund down. The sun was nearly gone right now.

The taller skinny one, the one who had told Gildarts to stop in the first place, struck a pose. "Why, we're the world famous scoundrels...the jiggle butt gang!"

"Not that famous, I've never heard of you. Seems like I'm more famous than you three are. Wait...you do know who I am don't you?" Gildarts held up his metal hand in negation. "Wait, obviously not if you're picking on me of all people. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Gildarts Clive. Fairy Tail's crash magic specialist."

"We are the jiggle butt gang! And, we didn't know that. But you seem to have some money, and food. Since we have nothing, we will take what you have!"

"It's what a true scoundrel would do." The fat member grinned.

"Right! Not even the great Gildarts can stand against what we can squeeze out!" The third member shouted.

"Ready, men?!" The leader shouted. They all bent over as one.

"Ready!" The fat one, and the third member shotued in ardent expectation.

"Then let her rip!" The leader shouted. "Extra toxic...triple gas butt ecstasy!" Out of nothing, the giggle jugs gang ran out onto the street from a nearby ally way.

"Get em, Jiggle butt gang!" They shouted in unison.

"Erg!" Gildarts grunted as the putrid spell hit him full force. It knocked him down. But not out. He could not let it knock him out. He had a reputation to live up to. When the gang tried to grab all of his belongings, he sat up, battering back the members with his fists. The blows should have knocked them all out, but he had been weakened by the spell. "Come on, Gildarts. You fought Acnologia twice. Well, ran away once, but still. You can do this." He mumbled to himself. He glowered.

"How are you still standing?!" The leader shrieked. "Stinkers, unite!" He shouted over his shoulder. They brought their spell to bare again. "Again!"

Gildarts acted on pure instinct. He lifted his right hand up, casting his power. The two spells met in mid air with a ground shaking bang. All six people, the giggle butt gang, and the jiggle jugs gang were blasted into somebody's apartment half way across the city. The two gangs would come to, and leave the city all together. Gildarts kept walking up the street, after picking up his things off of the ground. "They made my fish dirty. Should have thrown those six farther." He muttered. Walking up toward the guild hall, he saw going into the place, a darkly cloaked figure. Who could that be? The walls came up, and he walked inside the hall.

"Gildarts!" Natsu said, running straight for the older Wizard.

"He forgot he was angry...didn't he?" Carla asked rhetorically.

"That's Natsu for ya."

"He does seem to have some sort of emotional complex of some sort." Panther Lilly mused, paw on chin.

"Both Tom can, and Natsu have been that way since day. From what I recall." Carla said.

Gildarts lifted his right boot, smashing a sprinting Natsu straight in the face. Natsu flew behind the bar, crashing into the wall of bottles behind the bar. "Good to see ya." Natsu grunted before slumping to the floor. Mirajane giggled down at Natsu as she polished a glass. Natsu bounded to his feet. "This is far from over, Godarts!"

"But it's over for now, Natsu." Gildarts responded. "I got my Daughter some fresh fishies for dinner! All for my pretty, pretty Princess!" Gildarts gushed.

"I am going no where those dirty things. I'd rather have booze, and maybe a baked potato." Cana said as she glared at Gildarts. The latter pouted like a scolded child.

"He's acting just like you, Tom cat." Carla sounded amused as she turned to a gnawing on a fish Happy.

"Hey! Don't eat those! They're supposed to be for Cana!" Gildarts shouted indignantly.

"But she said she didn't want em, and I not gonna let perfectly good trout go without." Happy protested stoutly, mouth full of fish.

"I think you meant that you are not going without that trout." Panther Lilly grunted. Happy only shrugged.

"Erza, what are you going to do?! Happy just stole my fish!" Gildarts shouted at Erza's back.

"Cana didn't want em. Why not let Happy eat em?" Natsu demanded.

"All this bickering reminds me of our passionate love life, Gray!" Juvia trilled.

"Stop it!" Gray yelled, flinching off of his chair. He hit the floor with a crash. "Ow!"

"Hah! Gray, you're such a klutz!"Natsu managed to choke out through his howling laughter.

"Ice make...floor!" Natsu slipped, along with several other guild members, and came back up wavering, and name calling. "Now who's clumsy!?" Gray snarled, naked.

"Hey! A real man wouldn't make an ice rink out of the guild hall floor!" Elfman protested. He punched Natsu, Natsu punched Gray, Gray punched Natsu, Evergreen punched Elfman, Jet punched Gildarts, and ran away, slipping and sliding all over himself. Soon yet another brawl had begun in the mostly volatile Fairy Tail guild hall.

"Hey! I'm gettin it from both ends!" Natsu protested as Elfman, and Gray punched him again, this time, at the same time. Gray to the gut, and Elfman to the face.

"A real man takes it from both ends, and likes it!" Elfman yelled, his basso bellow shaking the whole hall. "Most especially when they deserve it!"

"Deserve it? What in the hell did I do?! Gray's the one who made a skating pond out of the damn floor!"

"Because of you, jackass!" Gray shouted, punching Natsu in the face this time.

"I don't- just steal it back, Gildarts." Erza suggested, as the fight ranged behind her.

"I don't want them back anymore. Gotta catch some more." Gildarts pouted.

"Then do that." Erza said, turning back to the visitor, Gildarts had walked right past without registering.

"Awwwwwww!" Gildarts whined.

"What are you doing here...Jellal?" Erza asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously, secretly holding back tears of painful memories, and of regret. They could never be.

"A reason." Jellal replied.

"If I didn't ask you a rhetorical question, don't give me a flippant answer. Why?"

"I wasn't. I was trying to reassure you that I am not here for no reason. You have made it perfectly clear that I am supposed to stay far away from you, Erza."

Erza longed to tell Jellal that he was wrong. That she wanted to be more than close with him. To feel their lush naked bodies mixing, nad chruning beneath the blankets, until that sweet moment of release. She could hear the creek of the bed springs, could smell the scent of their joined lust, the feel of their hard, and softness respectively, the pure joy of being together, as one. Of getting married, having a family, being a normal...unit. She longed to be as lucky as Bisca had become. But that was not to be. Not with Jellal, not with the one she loved. Obligations. At the end of the day, that is what it all came down to. "Then why?" She asked.

jellal saw the longing withing the gaze of his love. Could smell the lust emanating from her. Her pheromones. She was warm, soft, most, and mired within desire, for always made him feel like a kid again. Scared, excited, and inexperienced at life in general. He wanted everything where she was conserned. He knew she wanted the same. They both loved each other. Long for one another. Amid all of the things they had in common, being child slaves, and coming back from the darkness, they had one thing more in common. The fact that they knew that they could not be together. Legalities. He reigned in his smile. "I have something to ask you. No it's not personal. I know better than that. But it does have something to do with Fairy Tail, and the Grand Magic Games. May Melody, and I enter, Erza?"

"Of course." Erza said, standing away from the door to let the two blue cloaked figures into the guild hall. They strode in, Erza closed the door. Erza meant that of course she knew, understood, why she, and Jellal could never be together. She did also mean those two words as acquiescence, but only a small part of it. "A moment."

"Fine." Jellal said. he knew what she was about to do. He'd seen Makarov do it enough times. She was about to break up a fight. He told Melody this, when she asked.

"Why do they always have to fight?" Cana inquired, irritated.

"Oh come on, Cana." Gildarts grinned. "It's fun. Nothing like getting you knuckles bloody sometimes."

"Then why aren't you fighting?" Cana asked.

"Wouldn't be fair." He said this as he threw a screaming Natsu through a nearby table. He didn't take his eyes off Laki, standing with Mira trying to keep out of the way of the fight. "Of course, I can't get the set of my left knuckles bloody. Metal and all. Hey, I wonder what it would be like, mixing it up with Gajeel." He laughed.

"Are they ever going to stop?" Laki asked.

"Oh, eventually they will wear themselves out." Mira smiled.

"Good grief." Cana muttered.

"I forgot how much just watching a fight could be." Gildarts grinned, scratching his head of red hair. "Here he comes again." Natsu flew the other direction this time.

"And there he goes." Cana muttered in a bored monotone into her third flagon of booze by now.

Natsu was up again. He side stepped a flying Elfman, thrown by Gildarts. "Why don't you fight, you jerk!"

"Don't have to." Gildarts shrugged in the face of Natsu's frustration. Natsu was equal to Gildarts in magic power now, but not in hand to hand combat. As an Elfman thrown Gray crashed through a table, where Wakaba, and Macow were playing a card game, and they stood up ready to fight, the doors of the guild opened once again. Jet, and Max were into the brawl full forcer by now. This meant that most of the guys, and one girl, were fighting. Through the door came Laxus, Gajeel, Bixlo, Freed, and Lucy. They each had a small bag of money. So, the job must have gone well. Erza stood in the middle of the hall. She meant business.

"Stop fighting right now." Erza said. Said. She did have to yell. Sometimes, when she was deadly serious, she didn't yell. However, even in the middle of a brawl, she caught everybody's attention. Everybody's accept Natsu's. The sudden pin drop silence didn't register. Natsu was still yelling a challenge to a frozen Gray.

"Natsu!" Grey shouted, while Erza looked murderous as she stood right behind Natsu.

"Why ya stop, Gray? Chicken out?"

"Look behind you, idiot." Too late. Erza smacked Natsu on the back of his head with a metal gauntlet. It raised a lump the size of a bread stick in that spot. "Told you."

"Ow! Whatchya ya do that for?!" Natsu snapped.

"So sorry. I meant, I tried to tell you." Gray said, smirking until he got hit too. "Ow! Why?"

"I am tired of you tow fighting like wet cats in a sack." Erza growled. "Jellal, Melody come in. What you have to discuss with me, especially since it is about the Games this year, can also be conversed through in front the rest of Fairy Tail. I too have an announcement about the games." Behind Erza, Gajeel hugged Levi tightly.

Gajeel stepped forward, as if he wanted to say something, but wanted to hold it in for now. "Me too." Was all he said. Panther Lilly came to stand beside Gajeel.

"Since we have guests, and they are here for this very purpose, I will allow you to speak first." Erza said, holding out a gracious hand as if to say, you have the floor.

"Thank you, Erza." Jallal said, stepping forward. "I have an announcement. We are going to be fighting in the games this year." Gasps all around. "Our new guild. Crime Sorcerer." Protests rained down upon Jellal. Everything from he was not a guild member anymore, if he ever was, and he was evil. Jellal waited penitently. Nobody seemed please with this, other than Natsu. Gildarts didn't seem to care either way. Erza just hoisted a neutral look on her face. "The magic council recognizes us now. There has also been a clause passed also. As long as both parties respects the guild to guild treaty, then a war never needs to be fought. The Games are a perfect opportunity to both see where we stand in the ranks, and to integrate into the larger community of Fiore. We want to represent with distinction, and pride. I went to the council to speak to Gajeel about this, after Melody was arrested. Lahar some how knoew her for who she way, a former member of Grimior Heart. A part of our, community service, is also to become a formal guild. With all that privilege entails. I knew it was only a matter of time before we were caught. At least we won't be harassed by the council any longer. Here is my issue though. Melody is posing as guild master, so that means I need-"

"You need four members to fill your ranks." Erza frowned.

"Yes."

"No way, pal! We are Fairy Tail! Nothing changes that!" Natsu screamed emphatically.

"Please, hear me out?" Jellal asked.

"No way-"

"Shut up Natsu." Erza said, stiff arming Natsu in the chest, and sending him staggering.

"We're not asking for a full membership forever. It's just going to be temporary. After the games, we can go our separate ways. We are just asking a favor." Melody said.

"Is it not our hearts that measure us all as friends?" Jellal asked. "Wasn't it you that told me that, Erza? We will owe you. Why let guild lines get in the way of being friends? Besides, Mystigan may have been dismissed from this guild by Natsu, but I wasn't. Look. I still have my mark. I never rid myself of it." Jellal showed the mark. There it was. The Fairy Tail guild mark. Everybody stared open mouthed. "I'm still loyal. And when I do rid myself of this mark, I will still be. Forever."

"Wait a moment. You added it when Mystogan did." Erza said. She knew that it was because of her. That he loved her so much that he was willing to expose himself, and risk his life, for her. Tears stung her eyes. She angrily banished them. Her suspicions were confirmed. Understanding passed in an intimate look between them. He knew she knew. He covered himself again. She cleared her throat. "I shall join the games as well. I abdicate my position to Macao during the games."

"There is...something else." Jellal said, hesitantly, yet sternly.

"What is it, Jellal?" Erza asked, seeming to be a little annoyed now, but also, not unkind.

"I won't take anybody on my team, unless they fulfill one condition." Jellal said, determinedly.

"What condition?" Erza asked, aiming a confused, slitted eyed glare right into Jellal's unwavering gaze.

"Second origin." Jellal replied meaningfully. "Everybody who does not have it, must take it before the games. I feel Zeref again. And, another massive power as well."

Chapter 2: S-Class Missions:

"Hey, Jellal, why not seventh origin?" Natsu asked sardonically. "I mean, if you're going to be changing dragon slayers, you might as well. Since it seem to be their favorite number and all. And I don't wanna be on you team. You are a dark guild. I don't wanna be a member of a dark guild. I mean, who would. I'll tell ya. Losers!"

"Wait, a member of the ten Wizard Saints was a member of a dark guild? Boy they'll make anybody a Wizard Saint these days." Gildarts said, looking at Jellal with doubt in his black eyes. He frowned. "Wait, you're Mystogan. So you betrayed out guild? Well, that's rude. Don't count on me signing up either." He glowered.

Erza barely managed to not smack herself in the forehead out pure frustration, but it was close. "I'll make this short. Mystogan was edolas. Jellal was my childhood, tower of heaven,Earthland friend. But he must have managed to get Mystogan to get him the Fairy Tail brand tool. He now has both guild marks, Crime sorcerer, and Fairy Tail. This is because he loyal to both, Wendy has done the same thing. Though Wendy is now a card carrying member of Lamia Scale. She is loyal to both guilds also. This is because we are all friends. Competitively speaking, none of us are friends this time of year. Jellal is asking us to help him join the rest of the Firoe guilds in this years Grand Magic Games. You will owe us, Jellal. And I mean big. Understand?" She turned to look into Jellal's eyes. They nodded together. "My last act as Master, for the time being, is this. This years S-Class tests have not yet been given. Instead of some crazy test, we are going to do something different. We are going to break into teams of two. This year one girl, and one boy will become our one woman, and one man. Two additions to our S-Class ranks. The candidates will be revealed now, as I reveal the pairs. Gajeel, and I will be one team. Laxus, and Natsu will be the second team. Mirajane, and Lucy will the third, And Gildarts, and Cana will be the fourth. We will all go on an S.S Class job. The S-Class Wizard assigned to you will report to me on your progress."

"Oh. So that's why you wanted me back here. I'm posing as Teacher again." Gildarts muttered.

"partly, yes." Erza responded, a lop sided battle grin curing her lips. "For everybody who is not chosen, remember that being an S-Classer is a hard road. You think the road getting to be an S-Class is tough, try going on S-class jobs, and S.S-Class jobs all the time. People look up to you, and you might be call upon by the council from time to time. There is a new rule that I am imparting. People who are S-Class Wizards no longer will take less than an S-Class job, not as long as there are S-Class jobs, and above out there. That means people need help. I won't let you sit around here drinking spirits not making a difference. We have a reputation to uphold. We are Fairy Tail, the best guild in Fiore. Lets try to live up to that, in every aspect of the word, best. Do you understand me?" She shouted the last words. She raised her fist into the air, and extended her index finger. The whole hall responded in doing the same. Erza smiled as the walls shook with the cry...

"We are fairy tail!"

"Damn right we are." Erza beamed.

Deeply moved, Jellal waited for the cheers to abate. "Erza, since I am here now, what if I took on one last candidate? Mystogan's last act in Fairy Tail."

"I don't know if I should be Farly Tail's S-Calss Wizard. I am a member of the new magic council after all."

"That should give you a boost in the ranks. Unless you want to quit Fairy Tail, just say so." Erza said, looking from Jellal to Gajeel, who had walked up to Erza. Erza turned back to Jellal. Gajeel walked away, toward Levi. "It might be perplexing for people, if they saw and recognized you, I guess that would be alright."

"You choose." Jellal said, Melody rubbed her arms behind Jellal nervously. She didn't like it. Jellal frowned at her for a moment. Then turned back to Erza.

"Gray." Erza said.

"Fine." Jell nodded.

Gray walked over. "I'm in the running to be S-Class?"

"Yes." Erza said, "Good hearing."

"I was edging away from Juvia. I overheard you. I'm with Jellal?"

"You are to call him Mystogan in public." Erza said, her tone broking no argument.

"Fine."

"It's Daddy, and Daddy's little girl!" Gildarts gushed all over Cana. The latter looking less than impressed with the matching arrangements.

"I'm glad to be working with you." Mirajane told Lucy.

"Me too, Mira." Lucy smiled. "I can't wait to become an S-Class Wizard."

"Are you sure?" Mira giggled slightly.

"Lucky, Lucy." Lisanna smiled. "I'm jealous."

"Me too, Lu." Levi said, pointing a finger at Lucy's chest, and winking.

"Yeah, I know it's going to tough, but I can handle it." Lucy said, clenching a fist.

"Alright, everybody! Listen to me!" Erza yelled over the general hubbub. Silence fell almost at once. The paris will leave an hour apart. I have in my hand your missions."

"I can't wait. I'm fired up now!" Natsu said, fist aflame.

"Natsu, you must unfreeze the sun village. We have done research, it is possible. Figure it out, no arguments." Erza shifted her gaze to Lucy. "Lucy, you will need to track down an air devil, or watch a remote mountain settlement full of innocent people die." Lucy looked shocked. "Gray, please relocate a horde of forest vulcan back the forest. Or a portion of Magnolia will be lost forever. Gajeel, you will go to the desert and investigate a dragon sighting. The earth dragon needs help." Gajeel nodded. "Cana you will stop a rouge dark sorcerers from killing an entire city of people. Remember to assess your charges fairly S-Classers. That is all."

"What if we don't?" Laxus asked.

"Do you feel like being exiled again, Laxus?" Erza asked, feigning innocent curiosity. She opened her mouth again, and took a breath. Laxus got the message.

"I was just curious. Sheesh." He muttered.

"We have four months until the Games. We move out tomorrow. I will see you here in one month. That is your time limit. For now, get some sleep."

"But Erza, sorry, but who will be the team fighting in the games this year?" Lucy asked.

"I will tell you when we all return."

"That's not telling us much."

"Exactly my point, Natsu. Now get some rest for tomorrow...it begins." Erza said, a frighting glint in her eyes. The anticipatory fervor which accompanied the lust for training. She raised the pile of thin pages, the small stack of jobs. Erza grinned knowingly. "Now, don't misplace these pages. There are secrets involved on these jobs. You will each bring back a half dozen items upon your return. A scavenger hunt, if you will. These items may help you when we hit the Tenrou island maze."

"A maze?" Gray asked.

"Yes. I have set up a maze on Tenrou island. The first one to reach Mavis's grave, will win. Fairy glitter is already Cana's spell. So, you have to summon Mavis via a ritual summoning." There was silence at the news that there would be yet another race for the grave of the first Master, Mavis Vermillion. "We begin tomorrow morning."

"I don't think I like that." Levi said nervously. "I'm thinking of that vile black dragon coming to finished the job he started." She shivered. Gajeel put an arm around her. She smiled up at him. He scowled. She beamed, and snuggled up at him. How she loved Gajeel. She couldn't fully suppress her worry. Gajeel helped though.

"What are you smiling at?" He demanded gruffly.

"Just my favorite big lug is all." Levi smiled, giggles bubbling under her tone. She loved how his sheer presence made her feel. Comfortable. How she loved him.

"I don't know if Juvia can stand a whole month without her Gray." Juvia gushed.

"Give it up already." Gray muttered as Jet, and Droy were moaning over the loss of their group leader, as did the thunder legion over the loss of Laxus.

Lucy was already fretting over what this S-Class trial could mean. She remembered the day of Acnologia's first attack. She shivered. His second attack was no better. Eventually she came to herself as Cana came over, Mira was going about her bar maid duties. "Oh hey, Cana." Lucy said, smiling. Cana was a really good friend.

"Hey, Lucy. Can I spend the night with you? I don't want to go back to my Dad's. He's expecting me to."

"Oh, okay."

Cana smiled, taking a final sip of her fifth tankard of spirits. "We can go now, if you'd like. We should probably get plenty of rest. I mean, it's already nearly elven."

"Sure. Lets go." They made their goodbyes, and left the guild hall together. After they took a bath, Lucy shared her bed with Cana.

"Last call, everybody!" Erza shouted. "Lets go!" Everybody drank, and reveled in their final drinks for the night, then they all trickled out. Everybody was gone by one.

"Erza, may I speak with you for a moment?" Jellal asked, waling up to Erza with Melody in toe.

"Certainly, Jellal." Erza professionally.

They both waited for everybody to leave the guild hall, including Mirajane, before Jellal spoke again. "There is a larger reason for my being here. Beside the others."

"If I were to guess, I would say that you are here because there is a trace of dark power wandering around again, is that it?" Erza tried not to sound short.

"Yes. But this time, it is even darker. I think you aught to be safe on the island. But around here, there is something...sinster. Not involving dragons. Maybe one however."

Erza gasped. "You don't mean..."

"Yes. Acnologia. He is not coming to the Games."

"No." Erza said, her mouth going dry. "He's here."

"yes but I don't know where. I fear that somebody might be a spy in Fairy Tail. A minion of Zeref. For you know that wherever Acnogogia goes-"

":Zeref is not far behind. If our past experience is any indication." Erza finished, cold fear seeping into her bones. The night Igneel died, Acnologia had lost his right a pang in her heart, the same sort of pang that went through her when she remembered that she, and Jellal could never together, she recalled Igneel's death. "Jellal."

Jellal took Erza's steel clad hand gently. "Erza." He said, a deep cord of longing and comfort coursing through the tone of his voice. Melody averted her eyes politely.

Erza felt her nipples stiffen inside of her armor, and felt herself moisten. She wanted this man in every way. Their eyes met. "Jellal." She murmured. They fell, stripping.

Melody left the guild hall unnoticed. She felt bad for Erza. First all the new responsibilities of being a Guild Master, and now this next crisis. All that stress. "Stay strong, Erza." She murmured as she left the hall. She went back to the hotel, where she, and Jellal were staying. They had rented two rooms. He wouldn't return tonight. Melody saw to her nightly routine, and settled into bed. She was worried about Jellal, and all the other dark business she, they, had been sensing. She slept.

The spy of Fairy Tail turned to the cup of water, which wasn't. "Lord, I am fully in. Have been for a long time now. I can sense your prescience. It is time to act?"

"During the Games, yes." A guttural voice responded. "You will stand by."

"Yes, Lord." The spy complied, bowing.

Zeref strode calmly through Midnight Magnolia. Where should he go? How should he...handle this? He could feel both his Brother, and the black bane in this city. A few people were out on the streets but he was not worried. Not only was he a myth, according to most people, but he made certain to isolate himslef for most of the past four centuries. The only ones who knew definitively that he was alive, and active, were Fairy Tail. Grimiore Heart also. But the later were all but wiped from this world. These people on the street would not know the caped, cowled black clad figure. They would just think him a dark guild member, and or, a Zeref follower. His mind landed upon a notion. It had been seven years since they had been expelled. Zeref turned toward Raven Tail. In order to keep an eye on him, he would enter the Grand Magic Games this year. He would have to hone his control over his powers. But he would join Raven Tail, and track Acnologia. "Natsu. I'm Here." He whispered to himself. "The day of our faithful meeting has finally arrived. I can sense your immense power. Once that spell is released from the book. We duel." Peole looked at him oddly. There were only a few on the streets this late at night. But those who past him looked at him as if he were the weirdo. He sensed the power coming from Raven Tail's guild hall. He approached it. He knocked on the double doors of the building. A skinny Wizard answered. "Salutations."

"Who are you?" The skinny Wizard demanded.

Zeref peered from underneath the deep cowl, exposing his face partly. "One whom calls upon you for a great purpose. May I please speak to the Mast of this guild?"

"He is asleep. Who are you to ask for the Master this late?"

Zeref conjured a black ball of power in each hand. "Zeref."

The skinny Wizard eventually did what Zeref asked. Squeaking like a frightened puppy. He, and Ivan Dryer returned to the open door. "Enter Zeref. Ivan said.

"I thank you." Zeref bowed as he stepped into the hall.

"Zeref blosed the door behind him, without having to turn. He'd used his power. "I have come to make a strange request." Ivan looked puzzled.

"What can I do for the Lord of the black arts.?"

"You can make me a member of your team for the Games. And don't pretend to not be going back to them. I know better. I can read the contrary in your mind."

Ivan hesitated for a few moments. He didn't dare refuse Zeref. "Accepted." He nodded.

As the first bird song sounded, Erza, and Jellal fell asleep. A few hours later, they were awoken via Mirajane's entrance into the guild. She always came in early. She always did this because she had decided that it was her responsibility to get the guild hall ready for the day ahead. She began to put on her apron, and saw them. Elfman would be in, along with Lisanna, to help her shortly. As she found Erza, and Jellal behind the bar, she smiled. It was a smile of understanding. "Good morning."

"Mira, may I ask-"

"Say no more. The amount of times I have caught Gildarts with one of his conquests, or Cana, or Loki...well, oopse."

Erza grinned. "For as much as you have just told me, I will bet you have tons more secrets you have heard. I trust you, thank you. Jellal, I-" Erza was re-clothed, and standing. Jellal also stood, shimmying back into his clothes. There were many awkward stares. Mira vanished into the kitchen. Jellal held up a hand.

"Impossible. I know." He nodded. "I must go wash, you should too. And we both need to prepare for our journeies for the S-Class competition." He left the guild hall.

"Right." Erza muttered. Hurting, but grateful in an odd way. She was glad that Jellal didn't want to live a lie, to pretend. They could never be together. "I, I understand."

The others all came into the guild hall by degrees. "I love these gatherings, but it kind of does feel like we are getting ready for a war again. Makes a man jumpy." Wakaba muttered. Macco nodded as he came into the main room of the hall. Cana, and Lucy were a bit late. They all had a big breakfast, which Mirajane and Elfman prepared. Mirajane smiling, Elfman yelling about how much of a man he was for being a man, he'd burned his hand on a hot pan but didn't cry out. "Oh crap, Elfman." Wakaba muttered. Macco chuckled as Lisanna began bandaging Elfman's red, angry palm. This earned them both a glare by Lisanna, and an angry Evergreen.

"Would you two calm down?!" Erza demanded as Natsu, and Romeo played fire tag, careering around the guild hall, and setting various items of furniture on fire. "Now!"

"Geeze, sorry." Natsu pouted, going suddenly still.

Erza turned to the rest of the guild hall as the flames from the game went out. "Now listen." Everybody went still. "The first train leaves in a half an hour. Lucy, Mira, ready?" Mira, and Lucy stepped forward, luggage in hand. Lucy nodded when Erza asked, "Make sure not to loose your slip of paper. You have it? Then, I say...good luck to you." The entire guild hall exchanged goodbyes with the two girls. Raising glasses, shouting, and clapping. Lucy, nervously, waved, and smiled brightly.

"We'll be back soon!" Mirajane waved.

"Goodbye, everybody!" Lucy shouted when they were outside. Mira turned with her as they made their way toward the train station. "I'm going to miss them all."

"Me too." Mirajane agreed. After dealing with the grumpy train station Staff, they finally were seated, and on their way towards their mission. Mirajane hoped Lucy was ready. They talked a lot on the way there. "Let me make things clear though, Lucy. We are friends, but we also Apprentice, and pupil on during this trip. Alright?"

"Oh I understand, Mira. I just wonder what we're in for. Since this is an S-Class exam, I know it will be really tough." Mirajane smiled at Lucy.

"It'll be fine. You have your second origin, and you are smart. I have no reason to say that you might not make it. But it will be hard work."

The second most powerful, or maybe even the first, female mage of Fairy tail winked at Lucy, who swallowed nervously. "Thanks...I, think."

"No problem." Mirajane smiled, giggling lightly. After a while longer, the train stopped, for the third time. This meant that there trip had also. They'd arrived.

Natsu, and Laxus were already at loggerheads. That was until Erza all but dragged them both to the train station, and threw them onto it. They became motion sick.

"Have fun!" Erza waved sardonically as the train pulled away from the station.

"It's you fault!" Natsu yelled.

"Not it's not!" Laxus practally screamed back. The two mages were less than an inch apart.

"We were on that damn train ten times and you never told me?! Your fault, Laxus!"

"hey! I got sick too!"

"That's no excuse!"

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not, Laxus!" People were gathering around them. They had been tossed off the train by angry train guards. They had kept throwing up on the train.

"Is so!"

"Not!"

"So!"

"Not!"

"Not then. Fine."

"Damn it! Yes it is! Now stop arguing with me!" Natsu screamed, stomping off a few paces in a huff.

"Okay fine." Laxus shrugged, inwardly laughing at his victory. It took a few moments for it to sink in. Natsu jumped up and down in rage, flames shooting everywhere.

"Laxus!"

"I am you examiner during the mission, Natsu. You better make me happy. OW!" Pain runes appeared on Laxus's chest. It was Freed's enchantment. An Erza warning. Erza had had Freed set a small pain rune on all the examiner's chests before they left. Only a twinging pain. But it was a warning that they had better not break the rules set up during this year's S-Class examinations. The S-Class lightning mage scowled. "Lets just get this over with." He muttered. He turned smartly.

Happy flew over. "Guys, I found where we are. A village called Lavender. The sun village isn't far by train. But-"

"It'll be a pretty decent hike." Laxus grunted. We walk. We have a month. It's day one. I'm not going back on that train. Screw that. Lets set up camp, in that forest."

"Why should you be in charge?" Natsu demanded, turning to walk in the other direction, toward a large pond not that far away.

"Because, it makes sense. Sleep at the bottom of that pond for all I give a damn."

"Fine!"

"Natsu, you can't possibly sleep under water." Happy said, exasperatedly holding out his front paws as he flew after Natsu.

"No way. Fire doesn't get wet."

"Flawless logic, Natsu." Happy said sardonically.

"he's right you know." Laxus called, still walking away, into the treeline by now.

"Natsu!" Happy shouted. "Lets just put with Laxus. When we get back to guild, we'll eat fish, and forget about him." He whisperer into Natsu's ear, coming to his level.

"Fine. But if he bosses me around..." Muttering, Natsu stomped after Laxus, who was chuckling. The second round of shouting began. And the third at meal time.

"Good grief." Happy sighed to himself forlornly.

"Ready to wrestle your way into the elite ranks of Fairy Tail's S-Class?" Erza asked Gajeel.

"yeah." Gajeel grunted. Panther Lilly glided beside the two mages as they walked toward the train station. Cana, and Gildarts would go last. "Damn trains. Hate them."

"Yes well, just consider it part of you exam. Vomit on this train, and I will deduct a point." Erza shrugged.

"Don't you think that's a tad unfair?" Panther Lilly asked disapprovingly.

"No. I'll do it. You're on, Erza." Gajeel said, glaring hard at the red headed mage. She grinned back.

"It's a wager then." She said.

After an hour past, jellal, who would playing the part of somebody who looked like Mystogan, signaled to Grey. "It is time to go, Grey." he said, standing to leave.

"Finally. S-Class is mine." He said, fending off Juvia's attentions. The two of the most notorious mages in all of Fiore left the guild hall. Grey being notorious for his past.

Cana muttered as a practally prancing Gildarts lead her to the train an hour after Gray, and Jellal- Mystogan, left. Funny how the ace of Fairy Tail, and the card magic expert were off to tackle this job together. "Lets go and get this over with, Gildarts." Cana sighed, walking ahead of Gildarts. It was funny because an ace was a card, in some games, and decks. It took them nearly the rest of the day to get to where they were going. She had to listen to her own baby stories. "Here!"

"All ready?" Gildarts asked disappointed, turning his head all about. "Oh, I guess so."

"Why I said it."

"Here we go." Gildarts said. They found the inn and got two rooms, Cana's insistence.

"We can start tomorrow." Cana said, shutting the door on Gildarts. She needed a long bath.

"Ice make...cage!" Gray cried. His power floed out from him in a massive cold wave. The forest vulcan he'd targeted grunted in rage as he was encased.

"Very good." Jellal nodded. "But there are about two hundred and forty eight more of them. You have only captured two. How will you get them back to the forest?"

"One problem at a time, Jella." Gray called back, frustratedly. Jellal only shrugged his cloaked shoulders, his hooded eyes gazing around at the vulcans, now angry.

"As long as you know that I can't help you." Gray ignored Jellal. He was doing well. Jellal had spotted an easy way to defeat this challenge. He waited, and watched.

"That's the sixth time you have reminded me of that fact, Jellal. If you don't let me do this, I'll put you in a cage." Gray grunted as he fended off a vulcan claw attack. What should he do? How was he going to beat all these vulcans? They roared, and bellowed. He was trapped in a circle of them. Unless they were threatened, they almost never worked together. He wondered if somebody put them here with a spell. If that was true, then there had to be a way. He could do the same thing. Right? But how? Out of nowhere, they charged him again. They were leary of his magic, but they overcame that fear a couple times so far, in favor of fresh meat. Gray gritted his teeth. "Ice make...floor!" They all fell down on their backs again. Now they would be more fearful, but also more angry. he had to think fast. After all, he couldn't keep this up forever. He was running out magic power, becoming tired. He struggled to think as the vulcans rumbled in rage around him, his mind raced. He looked back at jellal, who shrugged. He tensed his shoulders, his eyes narrowed to determined slits. There had to be a way. What was it?

"You have everything to complete this challenge successfully. I shall give one hint, since it seems as though are are at a loss. Think...larger." He stated simply.

Think larger? What did that mean? "Think larger?" Gray asked, aiming a bewildered, angry glare over his bare shoulder toward jellal. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I am only going to say this. Think of a building with lots of cages." Jellal hinted. He folded his arms, and waited for Gray to figure it out. The vulcans ignore jellal completely. They had other prey in their primitive sights. Jellal stood there, utterly relaxed, awaiting Gray's comprehension to take hold. "Think. Don't feel." Jellal whispered.

"Great! Jeeze! Thanks for all the hel-" Then Gray stopped. he had to batter some of the monsters back with an ice make hammer. Then it dawned on him. "Holy crap!" He gasped to himself. They had reached the deserted part of the city at nearly dusk. Jellal had said that he would deduct a point every time he killed a vulcan. So, that meant that, if he wanted to become S-Class, he needed to put together a two pronged plan. First he had to capture all of the se vulcans, and then he had to transport them back to their home. Gray groaned to himself. It was obvious now. Did he have enough magic power left? He took a deep breath, going for broke. "Ice make...prison!" The ground shook as much as Gray's naked body as a massive wave of magical force slammed into the immediate surrounding area. He fell to his knees as the last of his power left him in a cold rush. He shook as he got to his feel again. So, this is what Erza felt like when she used her two hundred sword attack. This was not a good feeling. The monsters were caught, rampaging or not, up inside of Gray's huge spell. "Now, how do I move them all?" He asked himself. Then, it came to him. "Ice make...floor!" He slid the whole prison into the forest, and let the vulcans all go. They ran like mad. "Goodbye!"

"Very clever, Gray. Sliding the whle prison on a sheet of ice was ingenious. However, because you destroyed several houses on the way, I will deduct a point."

"Hey!" Gray yelped. "That was your idea, though I know you can't say it was, or it would be cheating. But you all but incouraged me to slid the thing."

"I can't deduct half a point. Lets strike out for a spot to camp for the night. Well done." Jellal replied calmly. "Tomorrow we will set course for Tenrou Island." He said.

After finding a place to camp, they ate a dinner of bread, and meat. Then they bedded down for the night. Gray said, "Sounds fine. I just wonder what those twigs were." For after Gray defeated the vulcans, he found six white twigs laying on the ground. They must have come from one of the culcans. At jellal's beckoning, he picked them up. There seemed to be an enchantment on them. Freed's power maybe? He a sense that these twigs would be important in some way.

"I know, but I am not saying anything." Jellal said, rolling over in his bed roll. "Goodnight.

"Somehow, I can tell that you're enjoying this." Gray muttered darkly. "Goodnight."

"Well, we're here." Mirajane announced to a sleeping Lucy. The train stopped. Eventually the two female mages departed the train. They found a room in a small inn.

"For a small place, this is nice." Lucy said. They went to bed, it was a two bed suit. The next day, they were on the hunt for this air devil. "What is an air devil, Mira?"

"I don't know exactally. Devils are demonic. I know a great deal about demons, being one myself. But I am afraid that I can't help you. I'm sorry. Mira said, eating some of her oat meal. If she was being honest with herself, Mirajane wasn't sure that Lucy was the best fit for this S-Class job. Her power might not be enough.

"That's okay. I'm sure I'll figure it out." Lucy smiled. She wondered if she could. "Hmmm...what is an air devil. And, how do I fight one?" She mumbled to herself. She didn't even know what one looked like. How would she find it, fight it, and achieve what she needed to, in order to become an S-Class mage? "This won't be easy."

Mirajane smiled encouragingly. "So, what celestial spirit do you think you'll use?" She asked, her tone curious. Mirajane smiled even more widly when Lucy stopped, and considered her answer more carefully. She had cottoned onto the fact that she was being tested in this question. A thoughtful silence fell for a few moments.

"Well, I know how strong Silver way, he was the ice devil slayer, so I would probably use Torus. If that didn't work, I would have ask Leo. Maybe I'll do that right now."

"I don't think you should do it in here. Lets go to that field just outside the villiage first." Mirajane said, holding her hands up in front of her in hopeful negation.

Since Lucy got her second origin, a powerful wind accompanied the more prominent members of her celestial spirit ranks. Capricorn, and Leo. Aquarius was no longer an issue. Battering back her tears at the memory of the loss of first best watery friend, Lucy nodded. They ate, and walked out into the empty fried. "Gate of the golden lion...Leo!" After Leo appeared, and flirted with Lucy, she asked the leader of her spirits. "Leo, stop flirting, you pervert." He stared agog at Lucy for a few moments. Lucy hoped that this worked. She knew that air mages were powerful. Just look at Wendy, and Sherria. The air dragon, and god slayer mages respectively. A dark thought crept into her mind, unbidden. Just much more strong was the source of such power? It was one thing to go up against a mage, but a god, dragon, or devil. She had fought a dragon, and was nearly killed. If gods were stronger than dragons, and devils were some place in the middle, she might be outclassed. She swallowed nervously. He gave thought to quitting. But then, she thought about how far she had come. She would do this. Would become... S-Class.

"Lucy?" Leo asked, looking at her intently through the blue lenses of his lasses. Out of nothing, a massive force of air drove downward. "Woah!" Leo cried. "What-"

"Leo!" Lucy cried desperately as Leo was flung upwards into the air, and slammed back down into the ground over, and over again. He vanished in a wave of golden light. He had been taken completely by surprise. Had been beaten back into the celestial realm. Lucy gasped as an incorporeal seeming form strode forth, out of the dust. It was a horned creature, it had a tail too. It didn't need them but it had horn tipped wings. The whole body of the creature was wavy, yet also transparent.

"Lucy!" Mirajane gasped. She had to remind herself that, even though she was a friend of Lucy's, she was also her Instructor in this instance. But her dark power roiled.

"So, what are we supposed to do here anyway? Fight a dragon?" Gajeel asked over lunch on the second day of his, and Erza's stay in the desert.

"Erza kicked the camp fire out briskly. Gajeel stood. "Actually...no. We are here to investigate an earth dragon slayer rumor. I want to see if he, or she is still around."

"What? You should have told me, or at least added the slayer part." Gajeel muttered in hot surprise.

"I agree. That was a little deceptive of you, Erza." Panther Lilly said disapprovingly.

"I know. But, I needed to see if this person is here. Because if they are, they have been trapped here for quite some time." Erza responded.

"How were they trapped?" Panther Lilly asked.

"A bird flew into the hall with a message. Apparently, they are trapped in a burried building. A sand storm submurged it in sand, and he, or she, can't shift sand as easily."

"So I'm guess that his job will be to extricate them, if they are trapped?" Panther Lilly asked.

"Uh...what?" Gajeel asked, baffled at his cat's word usage. Council or not, he wasn't used to gibberish. He told Panther Lilly as much. "I get enough of that with Levi."

"Yes." Erza shrugged simply. "You must figure out a way to get them out of the ground. You will obviously, have no help from me."

"May I help?" Panther Lilly asked, looking up at Erza. They were all standing in a semi circle around the dead frie. It was nearly noon. It was blazing hot.

"Yes. but you may lend him only limited assistance. No using Panther Lilly's sword was a shovel, or his strength. Only as a sounding board. Got it?" Erza said.

"I got it." Gajeel didn't sound happy. "Where do I start?"

"At the site of the burial, obviously." Erza shrugged, striding forward.

"How do I find that?" Gajeel demanded.

"If I may suggest, perhaps the bird will return to the site, or we may want to look scavengers." Panter Lilly said, when Erza didn't say anything.

"Fine." Gajeel grunted. It would be a while before they reached the site, three days. Approaching day six of the competition, out of thirty.

"Get up already!" Laxus shotued at a snoring Natsu. He finally had to splash an angry, and fire breathing, natsu with cold water from the nearby pond. "Awake now?"

"Whatchya do that for, ya jerk?!" Natsu bellowed, a title wave of fury powering his voice.

"You wouldn't wake up." Laxus shrugged.

Natsu had leaped to his feet, putting his face in Laxus's. "Well ya didn't have to do that!" Natsu shouted so loudly that his voice sent birds soaring in panic.

"Whatever. We don't have time for this. We gotta get going." Laxus turned and began gathering up his things. "

"Stupid Laxus." Natsu muttered, drying his face with a puff of flame.

"My belly's full of fish. I'm ready for the day. What were you yelling about, Natsu?" Happy asked, flying in from the pond. He landed on the ground in front of Natsu.

"Oh, and don't bother asking me how to do the mission. I have no idea. Plus I would tell you anyway."

"That's a big help." Natsu snapped.

"Can't anyway, you idiot. It's the rule. You wanna piss off Erza? Fine. Do it on your own time."

"Damn jackass." Natsu muttered hotly to mostly himself.

"I have enhanced hearing, and smell too, flame brain. Just like you." Laxus said, sitting down to the fire he'd started, and eating his breakfast. He ignored Natu's challenge.

"I hope we can help the villiage. Natsu deserves to be an S-Calss Wizard." Happy declared.

"Well, if he want to be one, he'll have to impress me, by finishing the job." Laxus said, finishing his breakfast at the same time as Natsu, and standing, ready to go.

"Yeah, I can't wait to be an S-Class Wizard." Natsu said, anticipatory relish in his tone. It took them most of the day to find the villiage again, due to everything being frozen they couldn't smell it very well at all. Once they arrived, they all walked around the villiage. Natsu was puzzled. How did you reverse such a big ice cures? He hit upon the reverse method in the fourth hour of his pondering, with the help of Happy. Apparently, using Happy's smarts wasn't against the rule. He thought hard about the problem. This was the second time this villiage had been frozen. How to unfreeze it though? That was the question. Gray might know. "Damn."

"What?" Laxus asked.

"I don't know how to do this. This should be Gray's job. I'm a fire dragon slayer. Not an ice one. I don't even think there is such a thing. How should I know how to do this?" Natsu demanded. The sky grew dark as he sat on a rock at the side of a road, and thought. The rock had been frozen too, and his butt was cold. Damn!"

"Shouting might not help." Laxus sniped.

"I know that!" Natsu snapped.

"We could camp here for tonight. You can think about this tomorrow." Laxus yawned.

"You sleep. I don't wanna. Not until I figure this out. There has to be a way." Natsu replied. Laxus went to bed as Natsu still ponder the problem. Fire roar didn't work. After trying this, he tried something else. It was morning by now, and Laxus sat on the same rock Natsu sat on all night long. Natsu hand an idea. Would it work?

"You are not my pupil. You are a celestial Wizard." The wavering form said in an airy voice.

Lucy gulped, petrified. This creature was really strong. "Yes I am. My name is Lucy Heartfilia. I'm a Fairy Tail Wizard. I'm here to stop you from terrorizing this "village."

"You are? That is an impossible task." The form said, sounding slightly amused.

"I'll find a way...somehow." At those words, Lucy entered a long duel with the creature. Spirit after spirit fell to the creature. She stopped, not wanting to hurt her spirits anymore. What was she going to do? "Lucy kick!" She ended on her but, in the middle of the field. She looked around until she was thrown into the air vilently.

"Lucy!" Mirajane screamed concernedly. She could not hold back her power anymore. She changed into Satan's Soul. The desire for defending a friend irresistible.

"No...I can do it." Lucy grunted. "I still have the thirteenth key." Before she could used the black key, the creature spoke again.

"The only thing that can defeat me, is either a fire devil, god,or dragon slayer. Or, an air God slayer. Possibly the Celestial King. But I am not here to menace anybody. Before you began trying to defeat me in battle, I was about to tell you that I am bound by a spell. The local elder of the villiage here trapped me. He wants the knowledge, and power I possess to keep the villagers in line. He is the Son of the Elder actually. But he is looking undermine his Father's athority, his goal is to take his Father's authority by force. So I believe, though I have no proof. I know those demons personally, She Devil. Sitri is one I fear. He can destroy me."

"This Son seems like the type to kill his Father to take his rule over the village." Mirajane said, mostly to herself. Lucy heard her.

"So, that means that we're in the middle of an investigation instead of a fighting mission? If there is anybody who deserves some time in a cell, it seems to be him."

"Well, I don't think it's up to us to hand out a punishment. We just to find out how to end the binding spell the Son hold over this devil." Mirajane replied.

"Oh, okay." Lucy said, finger on chin. How to do that? Could hse ask the devil for help. She knew she couldn't ask Mirajane. She went for broke.

Gajeel, and Erza had walked all day, night, and into the next day all over the desert, trying to find this earth dragon slayer. They were now camping. It had been a fruitless search. "I don't know. If it was up to me, I'd just go to the island. I mean, we can't find this guy. I'm giving up. He probably left the damn dester." Gajeel grouched.

"We have coverd a lot of ground, on the ground." Panther Lilly mused. "But, how about if I try one last coming of this desert tomorrow morning? If he's gone, we leave." The fire crackled loudly in the silence that followed this proposal. Erza simply ate, and looked at Gajeel ate dinner before Gajeel replied, shrugging.

"Fine by me. He might be gone. Who the hell would stick around in this dump for longer than they had to? Nobody. That's who." They bedded down for the night.

"Gajeel." Erza said, her voice sounding calm, yet tight. For there was a man sitting by the dead fire.

After relocating the forest vulcan back to their home, Gray, and Jellal were done with the S-Class mission. "So, I guess we should make out way to the island." Gray said.

"I don't know if I am able to step onto the island, because I do have the mark. But, being a member of another guild now, I'm not sure." Jellal said. "I agree though."

"I think that's ultimately up to the first Master, Mavis." Gray replied as they made their way back into the city. "I think we might be the first ones there you know."

"Why do you say that?"

"Just a train, and ship ride away. But then, we have to do something with these sticks. I don't what it is, but I'll bet it won't be easy. The trials never are."

"No. There not." Jellal agreed, walking side by side with Gray toward the Magnolia train station.

Natsu had decided to try to ramp up his power while standing in the middle of the village. "Fire dragon...roar!" He blasted the whole village with heat.

"You're doing it, Natsu!" Happy cheered. In an hour, or three, the entire village was unfrozen. Much celebration was had.

"Godd job, Natsu. You didn't even destroy the village in the process." Laxus said wryly.

"Shut up, jerk." Natsu muttered hotly. He felt tired. "What are these?" He asked as an older man passed him some thin twigs.

"To help you. That's what the note said." The older man said, then he vanished into the happy milling crowd.

"Oh. Well, after some rest, we gotta get going." Natsu smiled. "I don't know what these twigs are, but I can't wait to be an S-Class Wizard. Maybe they'll help me."

"Aye!" Happy cheered.

"Is that her? Shes's kinda hot." Gildarts whispered in Cana's ear.

Cana batted Gildarts away. "Would you stop that? Just sit down. I'll approach her. Because, I'm the one I can trust." She added this last over Gildarts protests.

"Hey! What's that mean? You're the only one you can trust?" Gildarts protested indignantly.

"You are going to go over there, and try to hit on her. I won't. I might think about, but I won't. One of us has to be a professional." Cana took a swig of her spirits.

"No I won't. I can be professional."

"This is my mission remember?"Cana glared fuzzily. "This is my job. I wanna become an S-Class Wizard. I got jipped last time." The man was pouting. Actually pouting.

"Well, I can agree with that." Gildarts said, relaxed.

As Gildarts sat, arms crossed behind his head, and a closed eyed blissful closed lipped grin on his face, Cana stod up from the table. She strode resolutely toward the dark feminine figure in one corner of the small tavern. After walking past the table several times, it dawned upon Cana that she was being controlled mentally. She frowned then, glared. She slipped out one of her annul cards, she only had two. She didn't want to waste any. Then again, she needed to use one. "Card magic...annul power." She muttered under her breath. Glowing red eyes narrowed dangerously in angry shock as Cana stopped at the black clad figured's table again.

"Who are you?" The red eyed woman asked, attempting to used her shove power on this new comer. She looked like a bimbo. She could not be allowed to interrupt her mission. She had to kill her best friend's murderers. If she was going to be a slave to dark magic, giving up her soul, she would not do so for nothing.

"My name is Cana Albarone, and I am a Fairy Tail Wizard. You are my S-Class job. I have to stop you from what you are doing." Cana declared, her eyes narrowing.

"I don't know what an S-Class anything is, but I can't allow you to, stop, me. I have my own mission. Besides, what am I doing?" The red eyed woman shrugged.

"How bout putting people under compulsion? Seems like a good start to me?" Cana snarled, her hands clenching into hard fists.

The black clad figure waved a black leather gloved hand almost laxly. "Enough. Leave."

Cana would have been flung out of the tavern, if it weren't for her snatching at nearby table. "That was bracing." She muttered. "No." She said, planting her feet solidly.

Gildarts half rose to his feet, concernedly. "Cana? Are you okay?"

"Stay out of this, Gildarts. It's my fight, and now...I'm pissed." Cana gritted her teeth, and took out her deck of cards. "Now, there's gonna be a fight." She growled.

Chapter 3: Dueling The Dark Arts:

"We are going to the island." Erza declared, marching toward the small train station just outside the small desert village. She rode over Panther Lilly's, and Gajeel's protests. "There is no dragon here, nore is there an earth dragon slayer here. I just learned that there are no slayers on this continent who are earth anything."

"That mean that we have another train, and now a ship, ride to look forward to? Great." Gajeel snipped grumpily as he slogged through the deep sand in Erza's wake.

"If I were you, I would be leaping about in a celebratory manner, judging by the current climate of Erza's mood." Panther Lilly cautioned.

"Huh? Oh, right. I meant...yay. More public transportation. Humiliating myself is a hobby of mine." Gajeel said dully. Panther Lilly hid a smile behind one small black paw.

All four of the dark guild gang stepped into the tavern as she watched. She had already killed two of the bastards. They had used her best friend as a human sacrifice. How to get rid of the other issue? This Fairy Tail mage, so she could take care of her business? She scowled more severly as two off duty magical apprehsion officers from the magic coucil strode into the tavern. She was willing to kill a few innocent people, bystanders, if she had to...but, the situation was becoming too volatile. She might be able to kill the gang with her new knowledge, but perhaps not the four other powerful mages. Even iff she could, it was too much scrutiny. She didn't want to have to bring that down on her distant family. She had compelled them to live in Ishgal but, they still may be found by the Knights. What to do? She could use the small magical scuffle between herself, and this Cana Albarona as a cat's paw. Turn her in. Play the victim. But she might loose her quarry. The Cana woman was turning, the rune knights of the magical enforcement squad of the magic council coming into her line of sight. Now she knew what to do. She would reach into Cana Albarona's mind, and use her as a cat's paw. She began making her throw things, mugs chairs, in the like, wildly everywhere.

"Woah! Cana! What?! Ow! Stop!" Gildarts yelped as Cana began attacking the whole tavern with everything handy, and as things pinged off of his skull. "Why are you-"

"Hey! You will have to pay for all of this mess you know!" The head Waiter yelled as he dove for cover behind a nearby table. Cana threw it too. People scattered.

As Cana continued to bounce around the place like an out of control top, she saw that the red headed man in the brown cloak slowly understood what was happening. She gritted her teeth and took over his mind also, making sit there, and remain silent. Or, tried to. To her shock, his mind was guarded by magic that was designed to nullify most magical power. He was a crash Mage. Her control slipped slightly on Cana. She began trying to yell what going on to the red headed man.

Gildarts felt something brush against his mind. It felt like a soggy snake crawling across his bare skin, but within his mind. He shuddered. "What the-" Cana yelled urgently.

"Mind...controlled...help...me...help!" She screamed. The two rune knights, began to turn, to take notice. Cana began running out of things to throw. "Please...help!" She screamed again. She yelled this as she desperately clung to her deck of cards. She managed to slip one out. "C-card magic...mind shield! Gah!"

"What is that? Torn asked, concerned.

"I don't know. It seems like mind possession." Mest replied. He'd been stationed here by the new rune knights, for he still worked for them, while at the same time working for Fairy Tail. Gajeel was also heavily supporting Fairy Tail from within the magic council. Gajeel had told Mest that Cana may need a bit of a nudge in the proof department. So, he went to watch. This dark Mage seemed to have the red glowing eyes, and people were going insane against their characters. Not normal.

"You sure?" Torn asked, drawing his staff forth making ready to fight.

"Red eyes, people, namely Cana, and Gildarts, not acting as they should. I would be the next drink on it." Mest said hurriedly. He held Torn back. "Lets wait for a moment."

"Why?" Torn asked, letting his staff settle back down on the floor. He had nearly completed an apprehension spell.

The gang, spotting the rune knights, and were running for it with everybody else. Damn. She scowled. But if she stopped controlling Cana, it would be obvious now.

"This is the S-Class tests. This is Cana's mission. Just trust me. If it looks like she is in trouble, then we will help. Not before...okay?" Torn nodded. "Come on, Cana."

Too late for keeping the cowl up. The saucy lass has shown her ass. It was time to act fully now. Time to fulfill her goal. Even it it meant her life. She stood, throwing back her night cape. She thrust her hands, palms up, into the air, and screamed. "Dark Willow...tree of the dark arts! Sing the black song of death to me!"

Cana, slowly regaining her mental faculties, and thus her barrings, slowly reeled her right hand back, her throwing hand. She was ready to toss her power via her cards.

Levi was worried for Gajeel, and all the others. The whle hall waited with baited breath for the others to come back. The seven year time skip still salked all ther thoughts. At the moment Levi sat at the center table in the guild hall, a Seer's orb on the table in front of her. Juvia, Bisca, along with her family, the rest of Shadow gear, Wakaba, Romeo, Makao, and the rest, all crowed around the table. Suddenly, the orb vibrated and glowed slightly. Mirajane's face appeard on it's surface.

"Can't talk long. Only to say that it seems like the race for the island is on. Cana is having a bit of a late start. I'll keep you guys posted." She vanished, smiling.

Everybody looked tensely relieved. "That's it then. The rest of the S-Class games are on. Oh I can't stand the anticipation." Levi said, fists clutched to her chest tightly.

"That's it?" Romeo demanded, shaking the glass orb.

"Take it easy, kid! that orb isn't ours." Bisca scolded, taking the orb back from Romeo, and replacing back onto the tabletop carefully.

"Levi's right, indirectly. All we can do...wait." Wakaba shrugged, lounging back in his latter backed chair.

"True." Levi sighed, as Juvia went into another of her lovey dovey Gray rants. Out of nothing, she fell off of her chair. At first, Levi thought that Juvia was simply prostrating herself upon the floor, she did that from time to time, but no. Mest suddenly stood beside Evergreen. Levia smiled. Mest went by his Fairy Tail name here. "Hey, Dorenbolt. What's up?" Everybody else calmed down by degrees. Dorenbolt obviously had been some place owrking with the new rune Knights. "You alright?"

"This disgruntled look on my face would tell you no so, no. Well, I am but Cana and Gildarts might be in trouble." There were snorts. "I know he's considered a God here, but he isn't. That black arts user is more powerful than we first thought. She's using mind control. I'm trying to decide if I should stop the fight." He panted.

"As long as you wanna deal with Erza. This entire S-Class gig is hers this time around. You really wanna step on her toes, I won't get in the way." Wakaba grinned.

"Uh...on second thought, I guess I'll keep my mouth shut. I'd rather take on a dragon than Erza." He made ready to teleport back then, stopped. "But get heeling spells ready." He vanished. Instantly, there was an uproar to get medical supplies ready for when the others returned. Mest landed back in the tavern. "Back."

"That is worrying news. I hope everything turns out okay." Redus mused then. "I wonder who will the S-Class trial." Nobody answered this, as they were too busy.

"Well, all we can do is wait, and see." Levi said, gazing from the area which Mest had vanished from, back to the center of the seer's orb. "Gajeel." She frowned despondently.

The small gang of dark Wizards decided that discretion was the better of valor, as the rune knights, the friend of the person who they sacrificed, and two powerful Fairy Tail Wizards had shown up. "We still have what we need. The calling spell did work after all. Midnight must be out of prison by now. All we have to do is wait for the Grand Magic Games, and Zeref's return." The others nodded as they hurried toward their hide away. When they got to the ramshackle shack, the spy of Fairy Tail began sending a message to Ivan Dryer, the Master of Raven Tail. The spy grinned. This year would see the end of the aged, and the beginning of the age of everlasting darkness. The spy opened the communication lacrama. In the distance, they could all hear the duel between the dark Witch, and Cana. "Master Dryer, the duel has begun. The evidence will be lost. Plans are proceeding smoothly. We will prepare the way for the next phase of the operation."

"Very good. Keep me posted." Ivan Dryer replied, nodding as he sneered smugly. "Soon Fairy Tail will be defeated. We will not make another error." Well Done. Heeehe-mmm-hehehe!"

"Card magic!" Cana screamed as she threw her hand forward. She had cast shrunken card volley, an attack that, she was confident, would pierce the hide of this attacker.

"In the name of the dark willow, tree of woe. Blood, and lightning...phlebotomist's shock wave!" The ceiling blew apart as a red lightning bolt streaked toward Cana.

It was lucky that Cana had thrown her shrunken cards, in volley form. For some odd reason Cana could not move. It was as if she were paralyzed. The two spells collided with such a blast that the concussion split the wooden floor into two equal pieces.. The two spells had bounced off of each other, calcining each other out. Determined, the black figure threw out her hands again. Cana desperately gathered her cards, and summoned another spell. "Card magic! Summon lightning!"

"Death sphere! A black ball constructed from the dark energy of the underworld, of death, form and pistoned forward. It went right through the lightning without slowing.

"Meep!" Cana shrieked, diving for her half of floor. She bounced back up to her feet after the ball of black energy whistled over head, smashing through the wall behind her. She whipped out her deck once again, and yelled, "Card magic...Prayer fountain!" Jest of water bounced toward the black figure with red glowing eyes.

The black figure teleported out of the way of the spell, and reappeared just behind Cana. "I don't want to have to kill you. Just remove you as an obstacle. Leave!"

Cana staggered backwards She wrapped herself around a table, and ignored a sudden urge to make her way to an appoint. "I will stop you. I have to! Card magic...sleep!"

The black figure teleported again, reappearing back across the room, Cana's spell missing her by a narrow margin. "I employ a form of psychomancy. "Take a nap."

Cana began to become sleep almost at once. This was a lot like Mystogan's sleep spell. It was mind manipulation. "What the hell are you?!"Cana demanded, panting. sleepily. Out of nothing, something wet, and freezing cold, slapped her across her face. Ice water. "What?" She spluttered, surprised and angry. "What the-"

"Looked like you could've used some help." A young man shrugged, he stood next to a tap. He sheepishly replaced the tankard he held back onto the bar. "I'm sorry."

"Tom, you dick, we aren't supposed to help." Mest said, disapprovingly yet he was amused, privately, in equal measure. "Don't do it again, or I'll telelport you back."

"Okay." Tom shrugged.

"You should never have done that!" The figure yelled, trembling in fury. "Death sphere!"

"No! Stop it!" Cana cried, thrusting her arm toward the beleaguered Tom. "Card magic...capture!" Tom was sucked into a card, as the ball of death smashed through a window.

"You just gotta catch em all, don't you, Cana?" Gildarts murmured half to himself. He still sat gazing out of the smashed window, a slightly dazed look on his face.

Grrr! Shut up, Gidarts." Cana snarled as she ducked several more lightning waves, shooting her own lightning back at the figure, who teleported clear of them. Cana growled in frustration. Card magic..Thunderbolts Fate! Lightning white, and hot seared the very air all around. The stench of ozone was gagging. Card magic...summon lightning! yellow and green lightning bolts clashed with purple, and black adnoseium for a solid five minutes, as people outside ran for their lives, and those inside curled up into the fetal position, cowering away from the layers of lightning now running wild all throughout the small, crumbling tavern. "Are you done?"

"Far, far from it." The figure growled, heatedly. The lightning had left smokey tendrils in the air, the powerful blasts of magical lightning had all but tor the entire tavern asunder. "Self induced consolidation of power!" Seeing the perplexed look on Cana's face, the figure's became a menacing rictis of lethal intent. "Cana, it...is done." She had increased her physical power, not just her magic power. All of it came from the dark willow. The dark willow was a magical construct designed to assist the Mages who wanted revenge on those whom wronged a magical being, as in a Wizard, or Sorcerers. this Cana could not be beaten magically, then she would do so bodily, along with the filthy slim trails masquerading as humans. Mages. They were a dark guild, they would not be missed. The figure charged via teleportation. "You kind never leaves people alone, do you? Well, I am giving you no choice. The man in the graveyard told me that it would never end. But it will, I will make it end. Now!" The black clad form reappeared right behind Cana, who ducked and dodged the first flew blows. "I will have my vengeance!"

"What vengeance? You are a murderer. You don't deserve any, vengeance. If anything, the people who you killed in cold blood, their families, they are the ones who earned vengeance." Cana said this as she danced around her assailant. She was more determined now, to end this. It was obvious to Cana that this creature of black magic held no remorse for what it had done. That made this creature extremely dangerous. S-Class indeed. Card magic...Icicle!" Ice bullets peppered the figure in mid kick. It looked some what comic to see somebody in mid side kick, and teleport. If the situation hadn't been so dire, she would have laughed.

The black clad figure reappeared to a spot three yards away from Cana. "Black lightning wave!" It teleported again to a point right behind Cana. "Death sphere!"

"Cana!" Gildarts yelled in shock, and concern.

"Damn, you're stong." Cana muttered as she threw herslef to the floor for the second time in six minutes, and shouted out again, "Card magic...explosion barrage!"

Dodging most of this attack, aside from loosing part of it's elbow, the figure threw a knee up towards the others jaw. She connected. Cana was knocked loopy. "Done!"

"I can't loose." Cana snarled through gritted teeth. She leg swept the black raith's legs from under it. It teleported in mid fall. She happened upon an idea then.

"Death pillar!" A massive black column formed in the middle of the tavern. Everybody else dove for cover.

Gildarts shouted, "Don't touch that thing!"

Cana's lip was split via a savage kick to the face. It was a glancing blow, but it still rung her bell. Blood dripped down her chin. "Card magic...sun strength! Capture!"

The figure had to do an awkward dance, much like one called the makanoli from it's homeland, in order to dodge these two teleported up into the air. "Death wave!"

Cana only just managed to avoid the pillar, diving to the floor for the third time.

A black shadowy substance began to ooze throughout the whole of the broken building. "I think I know this magic. It's the dark power Zeref himself uses. Gildarts mused to himself, and to Mest, who was so close he might as well be on Gildarts lap under a booth table. Tom was dead, laying lifeless nearby. Under a bench.

"Damn. He's been with the pillar, or the wave." Mest winced, looking towards the corpse. The wave was still growing. The two men looked fearfully at it's implacable approach.

Cana was up. She screamed for all she was worth, the scream building from a growl, alive with menace. She charged towards the dark figure. She locked up with hter, an elbow lock. They were now hooked jaw to jaw in a battle of strength. Finally she felt the burning on her right arm. She bared her teeth in a grimace of grim determination. "O river of light that's guided by the fairies! Shine! In order to perish the fangs of wickedness! Fairy Glitter!" A merciless halo of bright golden light surrounded the black clad form. "Card magic...explosion! Card magic...shrunken barrage! Card magic...capture!" Trying to teleport out of the spells proved unassailable.

The dark figure found herself surrounded by spells, which proceeded to menace and stalk the figure around, and around via teleportation.

Cana staggered toward Gildarts, and Mest. "Take this card. It's locked with an unbreakable spell. Only I can unlock it again. Though I suggest strongly that it be done outside." She looked around the demolished business establishment around her. "Oops. Sorry." Cana said to the tavern owner."I know a wood make Wizard, Lok-." That is when Cana blacked out, remembering nothing from that time onward, until she awoke in a warm, comfortable hospital bed. She wore only bandages.

Chapter 4: Grand Magic Games Opening Ceremony:

"Where am I?"

"Magnolia hospital." A nurse said as Gildarts danced around the room in wild jubilation that she was alright. Levi walked in, gave Gildarts a frown, and sat beside Cana's hospital bed. Gildarts stopped dancing around the room, and sat down in another chair on the other side of Cana's bed. "A few days of potions, and you'll be fine."

"How are you feeling?" Levi asked, considerably.

"Thirsty." Cana croaked.

The nurse came over. "Here." She said softly, putting a cool cup of clear blue watery goodness into Cana's hand.

"Thanks. I prefer booze, but thanks." Cana said, passing the cup back to the nurse.

"Not until you get a couple days of rest." She said with distaste. "Black magic is nasty business." She added with even more distaste. She walked off to the next bed.

"A message arrived not to long ago from Erza. She told you to get to the island." She said, all but glairing at Gildarts.

"Why?!" He demanded. "I wanna stay with Cana."

"Something about the set up from last time. Oh, and Erza doesn't care. She wants you to be at Tenrou, asap. Go now." Gildats went reluctantly, muttering darkly to himself. "I hope Gajeel gets him this time." Levi muttered as she flopped backwards, lounging in her over stuffed arm chair. "From what I heard, you fought an S-class level battle." Silence fell between the two female mages of Fairy tail. "You know...I think you should become the female S-class female Wizard., Cana."

"Why?" I won't be able to go to the island. I won't finish the trial. What a Wizard. Not even being able to finish a trial. I don't I deserve to to be called a member of Fairy Tail." Cana could feel that she could not even sit up, much less career off to Tenrou. She huffed out an angry breath. "First I get the spell. This time, I can't even finish." She growled. "I'm as much of a mage as that chair you're sitting on." Cana sighed heavily. She hurt everywhere. That had been a hell of a fight.

"Oh stop. You know as well as I do that you are S-class level. You are able to use fairy glitter. You saved the entire guild when Tartarus used Elfmean to blow up the guild hall. You have beaten S-class level beasts, and mages before. You stood toe to toe against Bluenot, a master of gravity magic. You are S-class level. I promos."

"Always there for people huh?" Cana smiled, in spite of the pain in her midriff, thanks to her broken ribs, she laughed a little too. "Thanks. But I feel like S-class level crap."

"You'll feel better soon." Levi laughed. "But not if you don't get rest. I'll stay here for now, in case you need something, and read." Cana nodded once, and fell asleep.

"Hey, Erza! Freed sent the message. Gildarts should be here by tomorrow."

Erza turned to Gajeel. "I hope he gets here soon. We have to start the exam. Then, we must prepare ourselves for the games." She said, her armor clinking as she shrugged.

The spy of Fairy Tail walked into the ally. It was time to meet with the Master. He was standing there in a black cloak. He would be posing as a Raven Tail mage, for the Grand Magic Games. When they were four feet apart, he spoke. "I gather that you did what I asked of you, and that the black magic construct has self destructed."

"Yes master. The girl is awaiting your capture at the hospital as we speak."

"You send in the squad. It is but for capture. No killing...yet." He warned.

"No, Master."

"Than I take my leave. Raven Tail will be pleased, though I lead them, and Ivan's satisfaction in this indeavor matters not me. It is just a mean to the ultimate end."

"Yes, Master."

"You know where to meet." The two hooded, and cloaked figures stepped out of the ally at opposite ends. The spy of Fairy Tail simply walking out, and the other, flying.

The time past pleasantly enough for Gildarts as he rowed his way toward Tenrou island, though he worried about his Daughter the whole way there. He told himself that she was in the best hands that she could be in, and that he wasn't a heeling type at all. This did little to ease the ache of worry in his heart for Cana however.

"It's about time." Gjeel muttered as he saw Gildarts finally making his way toward the island. "Hurry up will you, Gildarts. Geeze! You're slower than Levi in the shower."

"I will tell her you said that, Gajeel." Erza mischievously, a tight lipped grin ghosting across her visage for a brief moment.

"I'm comin, I'm comin." Gildarts muttered as Gajeel had a mini stroke, seeming, at Erza's last statement. "There. I'm here. What's up?" Gildarts asked, disembarking from his row boat. He pulled the small boat onto the shore, so it would not float away this time, and stowed the oars inside of the boat. "Hey, Erza."

"We have been waiting all night for you to get here, Gildarts, most of it anyway. Did you forget about the second part of the exam? Where is Cana? We are using the cave system again. Each cave has a letter, and each of the candidates must face the obstacle within that same cave, based upon whatever number they've drawn. Remember?"

"Uh...I think so...but Cana's in the hospital. I forgot." Gildarts said, scratching his left ear nervously.

"I am sorry to hear that however, it sounds like she is going to be fine, yes?" Erza said, considerably, yet sternly.

"Well, obviously. She is my Daughter." Gildarts now sounded a bit indignant, and prideful.

Erza grinned. "Well then, let us resume our contest." She turned to the forest. "Come on!" The others gathered around Erza. Lucy, Natsu, Mirajane, Laxus. jellal, and Greay. "Requip!" Erza transformed into her chef outfit. She then took a stick with each of the names of the S-class level Wizards name on them, plus a letter, which was representative of a cave. As she chose the sticks, out of her chef's hat, she made sure to shield the names and letters with her broad back. "Now!" Erza shouted this as she turned back to the candidates. "As the S-class Wizards take their respective places, including myself in a few moments, I will explain this to you one more time, and only once. So listen closely." She swiftly changed the names of the S-class Wizards names to those of the candidates. "You will face an -Sclass mage in a cave. You will pass, or fail. you either move onto the final stage, or not. You will have to battle the Wizard in your respective cave."

"Oh! So it will be like the last time, only without Grimiore Heart, and Acnologia trying to kill us." Lucy said, only with semi good cheer.

"Yes. Now, come and get your letters." After the chaos of picking was done, Erza spoke again. "Now prepare youselves. It is time to proov yourselves. You may begin!"

All at once, the sleep spell hit everybody in the hospital. The Fairy Tail spy directed traffic as the demons took Cana. She would be useful.

The line snagged sharply on something. The former Master of Fairy Tail was enjoying his retirement. Makarov reeled in his fish. he thought Erza was doing a passable job as the ninth Master of Fairy Tail. He could sense it. It was that time of the year. The Grand magic Games wound start soon. soon. He had decided to be there. After all, why not? Mavis would be there, and she had no vested interest in the game anymore. So, why couldn't he enjoy them also? A lot of tight competition.

Gray had the letter -G-. He felt that this was a bit on the nose, but he went into the cave on his far right. Then he stopped. Why G? It was the seventh leter of the alphabet. He read his card, there was a note below his letter. It said, there are eight caves. two are filled with S-class level beasts, six in all, and one is a rival. Five are you S-class mages. Defeat your barrier, gain your goal, move onto the final stage. Gray strode into the cave, trepidation was his only companion. "Hello?!" He called into the empty, dimly lit cave. It more seemed like a cavern. A light lacrima, hung far above the very center of the cave. A silhouette presented itself.

Lucy's letter was -A-. Clutching her row of celestial keys to her ample chest, she cautiously stepped into her cave. A voice made her jump. It wasn't one she knew. "Who's there?" She asked the blackness. A glow began to fill the cave. It was an ominous purple glow. Lucy's eyebrows rose in shock. "Oh no! I'm in huge trouble!"

Gajeel hoped that he would not get an empty cave this time. That was hard to forget. panther Lilly strode beside him. He stopped in the center of his cave, cave -C-, and glared around the chamber. "Alright, who the hell ever you are, get out here already. No more of this skulkin around!" Somebody waked into the cave chamber.

-D- was the letter Natsu drew. "I'm ready!" He proclaimed. Somebody stepped into the chamber. "Oh it's you. Fine. Lets do this!"

"I think you should know, obviously, Natsu...I'm not Gildarts."

"I know what you are thinking. I have no business here. I could never be trusted. I am a no good murderer. You are right. I am acting as Mystogyn would, in his capacity of an S-class Fairy Tail mage, for the final time. This day, you must reach your goal, by defeating me." Jellal stepped forward, disrobing to his sleeveless shirt.

"Fine. But after this, I want You. to leave Fairy Tail, and Erza alone. And yeah. After dealing with Juvia for the past eleven years, I know the look." Gray disrobed completely.

jellal let out a chesty sigh, one born of Melancholy,. Of censure. "Agreed." Jellal took up his usual fighting posture. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah." Gray said, placing his hands up, palms to his sides, and his bare feet spread to shoulder width. "Lets go." As one they nodded to each other then...they moved.

"Lucy!" Mira smiled. It's good that I get to examine you. But I won't take it easy on you. This is an S-class trial. Can you succeed? Are you capable? Lets answer those questions. Here, now. I am sure that you at least give me a good test of strength. You have your spirits after all. however...I have my demons." Mira transformed.

"Requip! Erza screamed. Her black wing armor enveloped her curvaceous form. "Prepare yourself for a brutal, savage test in every way you could possibly imagine."

"Don't worry, I'm ready, Erza." Gajeel snarled.

"I'm going to pay you back for that entire trip, Natsu."

"I'm ready Laxus! Bring it on!" Natsu shouted with his normal fiery bravado.

"Alright, fine!"

"I've got a fire in my belly!" Natsu said, flames curling, and churning all around him. The same could be said with Laxus, and his lightning.

"Good because I'm getting a real charge out of this situation!" Laxus rejoined. Natsu looked confused.

"That makes no sense." He muttered.

Laxus growled in frustration. "Lightning dragon roar!"

Cana slowly awoke to strange surroundings. What was this? not...the hospital. It was a damp, moldy smelling, cool plain room with a few crates, boxes, and barrels. Also, a narrow staircase, leading upward stood to the right side of her field of view. Narrow windows she would never be able to slip out of, no matter how much weight she lost and was able to survive the experience, lined one side of the long room. She realized that she was chained to an iron peg in the wall. A basement. Cana looked up to see a guard standing to each side of the door at the top of the staircase. They glared emptily at her. Cana scoured. "Where am i?" No answer. "Who are you?" She tried again. No answer. They just glowered down at her. "If you wanted to kill me, or worse, you could have before." Still, no answer

"Your jailer is coming." One of the guards said finally

"It can speak. What a shock." Cana snipped.

The spy of Fairy Tail walked down the stairs which lead to the basement. "Hello, Cana."

A new, hooded, figure came down into the room. The guards stood to attention. and they spoke in a voice she thought she knew. "How do you know my name!" She demanded. Her mind was spinning with schemes to escape, as it had been doing for the past few hours. The others would catch on, would rescue her.

"I know more than that. I know a great deal. I am a card carrying member Fairy Tail." The spy of Farly Tail replied.

"They will come for me. All of them." Cana snarled, trying to tug herself free, in vein. It was useless. There was some sort of strengthening spell tethered to the chain.

"I look forward to the challenge, well, more like my Master does. The reason you are here is to give me the secret to the great Fairy spells. Fairy glitter, for a start."

"Never. Even if I had it, I would never surrender it to the turncoat of Fairy Tail!" Cana cried, spitting at the hooded figures feet. "That will change, once we manage to abduct your Father, and torture him. You will tell us the secret. You will give us the spell. For now, I have other things I must see to. We will talk again, Cana."

"Us? We? Who are you?!" Cana demanded as the door closed behind the black robed figure. She flopped back onto the floor, huffing out a frustrated breath. "Damn" She had to work out how to get out of here. The others might be hurt if they came after her. No. There was no if about it. As for them torturing Gildarts? that was laughable. Hours went bye as Cana tried to work out a covert way to get herself out of this mess, without dragging in anybody else. This was tricky. She could sense that these abductors of hers were strong. How strong, she couldn't tell. But if the others came charging here, things would ugly...fast. "Oh, Damn it." She swore to herself. She had some of her cards left. Did she dare use them to either call for help, or smash her way out with lightning? Maybe not yet. After all, perhaps she could catch these people, for lack of a better term, were doing. She might even ba able to gather evidence, if she was extremely cautious.

"Ice make...cannon!" Gray shouted at the top of his lungs. An ice cannon formed, and began to fire large ice balls at Gray's intended target, Jellal. If he had to get past jellal, then so be it. He was not going to take it easy on him. If he wanted to become an S-class mage, he couldn't let up. He had to win. "Ice make...floor! He hollered. Jellal ended up sliding into the opposite wall. "Ice make...machine gun!" Slivers of ice went careerin all throughout the chamber. Jellal was frantically backpedaling.

"You have a go big or go home attitude. I respect that. You want to do your best so that you can represent your guild properly. Ver admirable. However, I will test you! Jellal said, becoming grimmer by the word. As he dodged, with only minimal effort, around all of the ice flying around, he gathered his power. "Heavenly body magic...meteor! A massive meteor streaked through the chamber roof, and hurtled toward Gray, who threw up an ice shield, while diving to one side. Jelal tried again. "This time, it is over. Abyss break!" Earth, water, fire, and air came together in a vast unified blast of magical power, and violence. The chamber quaked.

One could freeze water, and fire, but not air nor earth. The blast caught one of his shoulders, spinning him to one side. Trhough gritted teeth he grunted. Gray didn't know if this would work but, he had to try harder. He had to put his all into this fight, or be seriously injured. "Ice make...eruption!" Jellal dodged this attack.

Ice flung itself at him, he dodged to one side, and grabbed his cloak of deflection. Jellal took to the air, and placed his on top of one another. He extended his index, and middle fingers. He cried, "Grand Chariot!" s The seven seals jutted forth, and the thunderous beams of light streaked towards Gray as one so fast they whistled through the air. Gray went to block this spell also with an ice shield however, the violence of the impact drove Gray into the chamber wall an entire yard.

"Gzzie, jellal. Gray muttered. He stiffly shuffled out of the wall, and shouted, "Ice make...flash bang Grenade!" He threw a grenade charged with ice make power. He missed, due to jellal diving out of the way, via the activation of his meteor spell. Damn but he was fast. Damn near as fast as Jet. Probably as fast. "Ice make...anti personal mine!" Jellal was propelled into a wall, as Gray had been only moments before. He too climbed back to his feet, teeth greeted. Gray snarled, "Ice impact!"

Jellal was hit by a powerful concussive force, which slammed him into the floor. When he attempted to climb into the air to avoid an ice hammer, a second icy impact espaliered him against the rocky ceiling. Cajoling forth a black hole, he awaited to see what would happen. Gray began throwing dozens of ice spells at Jellal.

"Ice make...hammer! Ice make...sword! Ice make...lance! Ice make sparkling lance! Ice make block! Ice make...wall! Ice make...stairs! Ice make... battering ram!"

Jellal stayed behind his black hole, which absorbed everything Gray was throwing at him. The vortex would be too strong. He would not get anything through.

Gray didn't want to do it but he would have to use his Father's ice devil magic."Ice make...blizzard! Ice storm! Ice make...war axe!" The entire room froze, there was no other word for it. He then used ice storm to attempt to distract Jellal, which it did. He then threw his ice make war axe at Jellal's head. He missed, narrowly.

The only thing that saved him from being frozen was the flame of rebuke. That warmed him enough to remain unfrozen. "Dark grab!" A shadow grabbed Gray forcibly.

"Hey!" Gray yelled as he was being hoisted into the air. "Fine!" Gray snarled, gathering his power. "Ice make...throwing star!" A stream of small, sharp projectiles hurled themselves at jellal. One cut his cheek. Out of nothing, jellal was suddenly right in front of Gray, hammering his fist into Gray's face. Gray responded with a headbutt.

jellal could feel his power draining. It was time to end this. He used a sleep spell on Gray, which knocked Gray out. "I am sorry, Gray. You didn't pass. Good effort however."

When Gray awoke, hours later, he was naked, and alone in the chamber. "Wah-thah" He muttered in confusion, rubbing the aching left side of his head.

Mira, and Lucy stood three yards apart. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I am going to have go all out in this fight. Rules. Please walk away. There is no way you will be able to get past me, and I don't want to hurt you." The was standing in the midst of her most powerful form. She didn't know if reverse physiology would work, but she had to try to get Lucy to use everything she had. Everything she knew. "This is the S-class trials. Do you think you really have what it takes?" Lucy slumped a bit. "Lucy?"

Head down, eyes closed, Lucy stood with her hands clenched in fists at her sides. Maybe she should just give up. How was she going to defeat Mira? There was no way. Was there? Finally lifted her head, and opened her eyes. She locked her graze with Mira's. "No. I can't give up. I have to become an S-class Wizard of Fairy tail!. I'm sorry, Mira, but we have to fight. I have to give it my all! If I don't, can I really be called a Fairy Tail Wizard. No. Gate of the golden bull...Torus!" Lucy shouted. Gate of the ram...Capricorn! Gate of the lion...Loki! Gate of the archer...Sagittarius! Gate of the virgin...virgo! And gate of the giant crab...Cancer! Please help me!" Lucy knew that she had to go all out. This was Mirajane, the she devil. She couldn't hold back. Mira nodded as the celestial spirits attacked as one.

"Dark deflect!" Mira shouted as arrows, an axe, and several energy blasts went for her from every direction. She spread her wings and took to the air. All of the attacks flew back toward their owners, several piercing both cancer, and Sagittarius. Morphing into her demon Heche form, Mira cried, "demonic blast!" Half of the chamber crumbled with a din that hurt her ears, and the rest of the spirits were sent back through their respective gates. That was, aside from Leo. "Evil spark!"

A hand to hand battle ensued between Leo, and Mira. Eventually, Mira used evil explosion to defeat Leo. "Leo!" Lucy cried out. Lucy went for her lucy kick. It was blocked.

"Sleep." Mira cooed. Lucy slumped to the rocky floor. Mira left the chamber, after re-assuming her normal form.

Lucy would awake minutes later, frowning confusedly, and bemusedly. "Mira?" She asked, her voice thick with the lingering sleep spell.

To Laxus's shcok, Natsu swallowed the lightning dragon roar, becoming the light flame dragon. "What the?! Not again!" Laxus exclaimed.

"I'm fired up now! Flame lightning dragon...roar!" Such power struck Laxus, that him going into his lightning form was the only thing which saved his life.

"Damn it, Natsu!" Laxus complained.

"What?!" Natsu demanded, turning towards Laxus who had gone back to his human form right behind Natsu.

"What are ya? Trying to kill me?!"

"No! But you wanted me to fight right? I don't hold back for anybody. I fight with everything I have. This is S-class." Natsu replied, shrugging.

"Great point. Now...let me show you what I can do."

"Hold on, Laxus." A third voice said calmly as it's owner walked out of the shadows. Both mages looked into the new comer's eyes as one.

"Gildarts? Good to see ya." Laxus said, dropping his upraised fist.

"he blasted you hard. It is done. If you're up for it, I will take you on here. Be a bigger challenge to battle two S-class mages." Gildarts said, raising his hand.

"A chance to duel you again? Hell yeah!" Natsu grinned excitedly. "Now let do it, Gildarts."

"Do you have anymore of that lightning left? Or, is it a one use only kinda thing?"

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked, looking utterly confused.

"Natsu, he's talking about the lightning...my lightning...that you are, and attacked me with. The answer is no. It can be used at least once more." Laxus smiled.

"Blast me." Gildarts said, bringing out that old, familiar grin of challenge.

"What?" Natsu asked still confused.

"Blast me with that lightning power of yours. I wanna see it. Come on...do it, Natsu."

Finally Natsu got it, and nodded. "You asked for it. Lightning dragon...roar!" The gout of flame lightning Natsu released was so overwhelming, Laxus staggered backwards.

"Holy crap, Natsu!" He screamed over the sound of the roar of Natsu's roar.

Surprised, Gildarts blasted Natsu's power with his own, and was still shoved backwards several yards. About half the chamber length. Finally it disapated. "Good, Natsu!"

"How's that?" Natsu beamed.

"You singed my boots, Natsu." Gildarts muttered. "I think it's safe to say, you passed again. Pretty much for the thrid time." Gildarts siad, stomping in place. "Nice."

"Oh. I get it. The first time he fought you, the second when he fought me, then you again, just now." Laxus nodded, counting on his fingers. "We should move onto the meeting place by now. Come on. The three of them filed out into the claring. The others were all here accept for..."Where are Gajeel, and Erza?" He asked.

"Still fighting, I think." Mira replied. "Lucy is still loopy, so is Gray. They were hit with sleep spells.

"Jellal, and you?" Gildarts asked, glowering down at a burn hole in his cloak.

"Yes, but it's best if you don't call him Jellal." Mira replied. "Though now I think about it, I guess it doesn't matter too much by now. Not with Gajeel knowing who he really is." She put a hand to her mouth. "Oh! Not that I think that Gajeel would tell them who he really is. I mean he is Fairy Tail, partially. I just meant it's old news."

"Oh." Gildarts said, dropping his cloak. "I know what you mean. He has been missing for so long, that some else had to have outted him by now. Don't worry, Mira."

"Thanks, Gildarts. That's really sweet." Mira smiled. Gildarts grined back in roguish way he had.

After blocking his dragon roar with her shield, she then had to avoid many more attacks, again with the shield. Soon they were locked within a sword duel. Gajeel with his iron dragon sword, and her with her single sword. It was much like a chess game. She would use heavens wheel to counter Gajeel's multiple iron arm punches. He would counter her with his roar when she tried her lightning lance. She went to titan armor to enhance her strength but missed her lance strike. She was now in her chest wrap, using her double swords, only to be caught in an iron sword verses double sword duel with Gajeel. He was using both arms. At long last she gritted her teeth. She went to black wing armor, and landed a strike with her sword. This armor increased one's magical, and physical power. It was a chest shot. But Gajeel's rion skin prevented him from being mortally wounded. That was good. She wasn't aiming to kill him. However, they were loosing magic energy.

"I wonder how the fight is going between those two." Mira mused, referring to the Erza verses Gajeel battle.

"Gajeel, you pass!" Erza finally called.

"What?" Gajeel asked, as he crossed swords with Erza once again.

"Listen to me."

"I'm listening."

"We are not aiming to kill each other, as this is an examination duel, and we are beginning to tire. Don't give me that look. If I can admit it, you can as well."

"Fine. We stop on three?"

"Yes. One, two...three! Stop!" They both stopped fighting at the same time. erza changed back into her usual armor, and skirt. "You pass. Now,let us join the others."

"They have been fighting for a long time." Mira comented.

"Huh," Gildarts mused, "Maybe we should go in there and check on them?"

"No need." A voice called. It was Erza.

"I feel wiped." Gajeel said, following Erza out of the back exit of the combat chamber he, and Erza fought in.

"Looks like we all made it out. Now, let me see who's the worse for ware here." Erza said, walking around the S-class candidates.

"Ow. My head." Lucy muttered, putting a hand to her temple. "Those sleeping spells are pretty nasty. Ow."

"We will get you, and Gray a heeling potion, or spell, when we get back to the guild," Erza said firmly, "which won't be until somebody finds Mavis's grave." She ordered.

Lucy's mind began to clear a bit more and a memory crossed it. She decided to voice this aloud. "Erza?"

"Yes?" Erza asked, turning to Lucy to face her directly.

"If Cana has Fairy Glitter, what will happen once we find the first master's grave?"

"Yeah!" Natsu trumpeted indignantly. "If we go though all that to find the first master's grave, we aughta get something for all that trouble. I mean, come on! Hey!"

Erza sheltered her sword, having thumped Natsu on the head with the flat of the blade, and glared at Natsu. "First of all, you should be trying to accomplish this goal, not for a reward, but for the ability to better the lives of the people of Fiore. We are Fairy Tail. We are selfless. We are never selfish. We comport ourselves with honor." She sighed as Natsu began a long line of protests. "To answer the other half of you question, the first master is the keeper of the spell, and she can give it our if the mood strikes her. If she deems it appropriate, she will loan it to you. The spell is not Cana's. It is hers. Now lets go. Your sticks are vital clues."Erza would conduct a wide search of the small island for the first master's grave. Eventually, Natsu caught onto his clue, and made it to the grave thrid. Lucy made it second, and gajeel made first. "You all did well." Erza smiled.

Mavis slowly appeared before the small party, and smiled brightly at them all. "You all did well. The winner is Gajeel. However, Erza, and I have spoken, and we have decided that one trial more will befall you Ifyou can defeat the team of S-class Fairy Tail A at the Grand Magic Games, that team leader will become the S-class level mage this year. I bid you good luck." After Mavis vanished, there was much grumbling, and bickering among the guild member of Fairy Tail. Eventually, Erza was able to restore calm. Via shouting.

"Have you learned nothing?!" She demanded. "This is not how Fairy Tail guild members behave. How the winners of the Grand Magic Games act. Come the games, you will learn."

"Sorry!" Gray, and Natsu squeaked hastily.

"Come! Let us go. We must be back in time to train a bit before the games." Erza made her way towards the beach, where their ship awaited.

Makarov finally made it to the guild hall. An odd sight met his eyes. The guild hall seemed to be empty. Why would that be?

Cana was trying to figure out what her situation was, then how to escape it. Her cell door wopened again. She gazed in shock at who entered her cell. She put two, and two toe get."You're my prisoner?"

"Yes."

"But...You're-" The last thing Cana saw was her attacker, the spy of Fairy Tail...blackness.

PART 2 UPCOMING: