Author's Note: It is important to note that I do not own Fairy Tail. It, its story, characters, settings and all other aspects are the property of Hiro Mashima. The only aspects of this story I can claim are the plot and alternate universe.

It is also important to note that this story is actually a sequel to my first installment "Fairy Tail: Hardwood Heroes." The name of that story used to be "Hardcourt Heroes" but corrections for accuracy saw the need for a change.

Enjoy!

Fairy Tail: Hardwood Heroes 2

Going for Gold!

-Prologue-

"Would you slow down?! You're going to get us in a wreck if you keep going this fast!"

"AHAHAHA!"

A sharp white convertible sports car zoomed down the busy streets of Crocus on a lively Saturday night in the middle of March. Other drivers honked and stopped as the busy driver blitzed down the urban downtown center of Fiore's capital city, and it appeared to on lookers like the driver and his passenger had somewhere important to be.

"Sorry, but if I slow down I may be late for the big event! Now I'm starting ta' think we should have left a little earlier."

"Mmmgh…" The nervous passenger narrowed her vision at the crazed driver, and slightly agreed with his logic. Despite her comedic way of handling this catastrophe, the speed at which the car was driving did start to have a negative effect on her experience.

The driver folded for a little bit. "I know, I shoulda listened to ya. We needed to leave earlier...I was just really enjoying our dinner date before the big night!" His words seemed to be calmer, but his driving actions did not slow down in the slightest.

His passenger followed as her hand still clutched the handle bar hanging above her head. "That's not the point. I don't care about being right. What a care about is getting to the game with my car IN ONE PIECE!"

She ducked her head under the dash board to avoid witnessing the obvious collision, but the cocky driver cackled some more as he veered right into a passing lane and avoided all damages. He then kept his eyes on the clock.

"It doesn't matter anyway. It's not like they'd let the thing go on without me!"

"Really?" His blonde counterpart replied with a raised eyebrow. "Thinkin' that high and mighty about yourself?"

"Duh!" The driver passed a hand through his spiky pink head of hair. "The league MVP obviously makes the other guys wait on him!"

"Yea? Well as long as they're not waiting for you in a hospital room…" The girl widened her brown eyes as she started to look at the clock, herself. "You do know there are only five minutes until…?"

"ON IT!" He slammed his foot on the gas and powered by every car in front of him as the girl next to him shrieked with fear and grabbed him in a hug. Fans on the sidewalks looked like they were on their way to a busy event down town, but all stopped to take pictures and gawk at the flying white lightning bolt zooming down the streets of the City of Flowers.

"You're not even going to have time to use the team entrance! Just pull up to the front and let me park the car!"

"Are you sure? But if I just zoom around the stadium, the turn is only a few lights away from…"

"NATSU!"

Lucy yelled with her eyes closed and anger in her words. Natsu was fortunate not to have any direct traffic riding his bumper, because the sound of his girlfriend's terrified voice yelling over his ear caused his foot to switch to the break. He halted the sports car right at the front block of the stadium's entrance and garden.

Natsu's eyes looked both frightened and sad as he looked over to see Lucy panting with an extreme breath. Her left hand was resting on the car's emergency break, while her right still feverishly held the passenger handle up above. She had eyes that appeared to be slightly moist, but no tears ran down her face as she recited her argument.

"Natsu…how many times have I told you…I don't like to ride that fast in a car."

Natsu's heart broke for a moment. As if he forgot what Lucy's ex-boyfriend did to her years ago. The last time she was forced to race through a downtown street section like that ended with her resting inside a hospital bed.

He looked even sadder that before. "I'm…I'm so sorry Lucy. I just got excited, and I…"

Lucy stopped breathing so heavily and took her grip off the break to grab his hand. She felt more comfortable doing that anyway. "It's okay…I know you get excited on nights like this…and I know you're never going to get in a wreck even if you go that fast. But…it's just a lot to handle sometimes."

"That's not a good enough excuse for me." Natsu argued. "I'm an idiot sometimes. Plain and simple. I need to be thinking more when I'm around you."

"You're not that much of an idiot...but thank you, Natsu." Lucy looked up, and that warm moment was the first that she let a small tear form under her eye. She then wiped it away. "Besides…if we're ever going to get in a car wreck…then I'd at least like it to be in YOUR CAR, NOT MINE!"

"Hehe!" Natsu patted Lucy on her angry little head. "Now there's the Lucy I know and love! I just like driving yours so much with the convertible top, ya know? Plus, if I let you drive, I'll get all car sick!"

He popped the hood and threw it behind their heads as the oddly warm spring night of downtown Crocus loomed all around them. Lights, noises, and busy movements all enveloped their senses as Lucy slightly smiled and raised her hands out to stretch above her head. "I suppose you're right, my car is nice for nights like this."

Natsu let her enjoy the moment while he followed a small, but exclusive line of traffic up to the main entrance of the stadium. Although fans from around the country crowded the entrance to the looming Domus Flou stadium, a small horseshoe driving lane extended to the main entrance of the stadium, which left a short walking distance for very important guests to enter the stadium.

One of such men happened to be the starting point guard, and MVP caliber player for the Magnolia Fairies—Natsu Dragneel. Despite his on-time arrival, however, this was not the best place for a starting FBA player to be entering the arena.

The doors opened, and Natsu and Lucy both got out of their respected sides. Natsu had a slick black suit on with a dark red tie, as if he were expecting heavy press or a news conference. Lucy walked around the car to meet him with a white formal jacket and matching short skirt, and a fancy black blouse on underneath. Her white heals clicked on the pavement and alerted several passing basketball fans as the two young lovers opened arms for one another.

"Oh my god! IT'S NATSU DRAGNEEL!"

Cell phones and cameras all opened up, and people turned their flashes way on to capture a very romantic moment between Natsu and Lucy. She usually hated flaunting their relationship under the limelight, and for that reason Natsu loved it even more.

"Natsu…" Lucy leaned back in his arms. "You know I hate it when you try to kiss me with an audience around!"

"Hehe!" Natsu tightened his grip on her waist. "I doubt you'll be saying that on the court once I win this game for ya."

"Idiot…" Lucy's face turned red as she sighed. "Just go…you're going to be late."

"Oh right!" Natsu chucked and reached back into the back of the car for his gear. He ran past several fans toward the open glass doorway while also delivering handshakes and high-fives to all that he could.

"Natsu Dragneel…the only player who would ever arrive late to his own FBA Finals game." Lucy was right. The dense point guard was only driving so fast because this was the night of the FBA championship game. The Magnolia Fairies were the previous and current league champions after their miraculous victory over the Tartaros Devils last season, and were once again center stage for the main basketball event in Fiore as they prepped to fight the Saber City Tigers for defense of their title.

"Man…" Lucy sighed to herself as she got back in her car to park. "I hope no one blames me for making him late…"

"Yo, Lucy! Glad I could see ya! Make sure you get inside for tip-off. It's gonna be super cooool!"

"Ahaha…" Lucy buckled her seatbelt and waved casually to the Sports Report Weekly editor, and her current employer for a new collegiate internship—Jason. "Thanks, boss man! It's good to see you too!"

Lucy was only a freshman at Magnolia University, but she was having such a remarkable first year experience in her current major of journalism that her academic advisor suggested that she take her close ties with the FBA to the next level. She partnered herself with the number one news outlet for Fiore sports, and now saw more value in her time spent watching FBA games for Natsu and her father.

Jude Heartfilia was still the owner of the Magnolia Fairies, and for the most part the championship organization ran the same as it did only one year ago. Makarov Dreyar reached retirement after the big win and left the head coach's spot open for a more-than capable assistant. Levy McGarden was still the overly popular GM of Fiore, and all the starting players found themselves with similar spots from last year.

Lucy managed to pull into an employee exclusive parking lot, but she knew the game had already started as her head lights shifted from on to off. She did not want to run the risk of being late, so she managed to gather her things as quickly as possible and made her way to the side entrance for exclusive VIPs.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but I'm actually going to need some real ID."

"Oh come on! They were right here a minute ago!" Lucy was trying to find two sperate passes that both seemed to allude her eyes. One was for the VIP booth to sit with her father, Jude, while the other gave her game entry and court-side entry for press reasons.

"One of them has to be in here…" She continued digging through her matte black purse tripped all over with posh gold buckles. "I don't suppose you read the news, do you? Hehe…" Surely, her writing, or even her famous last name had to give the security guy a clue as to who she really was. After all, her father was this man's boss.

"Ma'am, if this were a regular season game, I might have waved you on it, but this is a big-time event. President Fiore is in here with the owner of the Fairies, and I can't have random people saying…"

"WAIT!" Lucy yelled with anger. "You do know that's my dad, right? Just call the booth and let him speak for himself!"

"I'm not doing that!" He raised his hands in fear. "That man is terrifying! Plus, they have the secret service guys in there too…if you have a cell phone maybe you could…"

"Damn it…damn it damn it damn it…" Lucy's yells quickly turned into comedic sobs as her knees hit the floor, and her cellphone holding a 0% battery charge slid out of her hands and onto the pavement.

"Just once…" She pouted. "I just want a normal experience in my life for just one time."

"Excuse me? You're a Heartfilia, are you not?"

Lucy and the security clerk both looked at a new face waiting in the small line of 2. He was alone, but his outfit spoke volumes about his status and worth. The black-haired boy only looked to be a few years older than she was, but his black racing jacket and slick white capri pants looked like they cost as much as her own luxurious outfit. He also had a white drivers scarf tied around his neck, but in a loose manor that left more to accent his smiling, handsome young face.

"I'm sorry to butt in," His messy black hair did not fit the smooth tone of his voice. "I'm heading into the game as well. I figured I could vouge for you."

"Uhhh…" Lucy liked receiving help, but this strange man sent chills down her skin for real reason. She slowly stood up and grabbed her phone as the odd boy flashed the guard his pass and opened the door. The young man held the door open for her, and gave her a soft, innocent smile.

"Sorry for being so forward too! I'm only trying to be nice."

"Awe, well thank you very much." Lucy accepted all he had to offer and followed him into the Domus Flou executive entrance. They walked through a small, but luxurious hallway that led to the stadium's club seat level, but the length of the corridor left them with a small moment alone.

"So, you're here to see the game?" Lucy realized that was an idiotic question, since this was the only event going on in the stadium that night.

The young man laughed either way. "Yes, I suppose I am! Although I'm not here to see every athlete or either team, just a certain player."

"Right." Lucy replied awkwardly. "I-Is it like a family member, o-or something?" Her new acquaintance was so calm, but he still left her with shivers underneath her skin.

The man nodded. "Yes, a close one to be exact. I haven't seen him play in…oh it's been far too long. I also suppose I'm happy to see professional Fiore basketball either way."

"Right." Lucy agreed. "So, are you a big fan of the sport too? Or is this person just dragging you out to watch him for no reason?"

"The former." He quickly replied. "I've always loved the sport, but I know it's hit or miss in Fiore. The rest of the world is far crazier about this silly athletic spectacle, which makes the land of Flowers and Fairies that much more…entertaining."

"Uh-huh…" Lucy hated how poetic he made things sound. She always fancied herself a smart person, but this stranger was starting to make her feel insecure with her own limited intelligence.

He noticed a slick camera hanging around her shoulder. "I take it you're with the press? I've heard good things from the reports of Jude Heartfilia's daughter."

"Yea, that's me!" Lucy hated it when she had to talk with strangers who knew her, more so when she failed to recognize them back. "This is my first big event for a college internship…I'm a little excited, but way more nervous!"

The man nodded and took the door handle at the end of the hall. He pushed it open, letting Lucy pass into the club hallway first. Fans were scurrying about the red velvet-lined floor of the Domus as popcorn and other refreshments scrapped across the ground in an unkempt frenzy.

"I'm sorry, I guess I was walking too slow." The boy put a hand behind his head. "We must have missed the tip-off."

"Oh no, it's not your fault!" Lucy laughed with a polite attitude. "I-I'm the one who forgot my passes…ugh, my dad is going to kill me. Not to mention my boss!"

"Yes well, I hope you get your reporting in. If you happen to end up with your father in the President's suite, then I suppose we'll meet again. Until then."

He turned, but Lucy was still stuck on his last comment to think straight. "Hold on…does he know my dad?" She yelled out in an anxious blurt. "Um Thank again! My name's Lucy. It was nice meeting you! I-I didn't catch your name?"

The black-haired boy stopped walking and turned with soft eyes and an even more comforting smile as he gave her a reply.

"Zeref. It was nice meeting you too, Lucy."

Well this is just a short little prologue...but hey, we're back! :D

Oh dear lord it has been far too long since I've entered this universe. So MUCH has happened over the past three years, but I am REALLY EXCITED to be back with the Fairy Tail Hardwood Series characters! Please let me remind readers that yes, I did change the name to "Hardwood Heroes." The athlete in me was starting to get a little testy every time I read my inaccurate first title "Hardcourt"...I'll digress.

If you can't tell, I haven't gotten any less crazy from the last story, but that also means I have a lot of fun in store! Chapters will be a lot more random as compared to the last story, but I will try to be timely as my creative side lets me. Please use this prologue chapter as a small teaser for what is to come, and let me use this time to welcome back all readers from the first story, and new readers who are just discovering the series now!

Until then!