The day continued on like any other, except it wasn't. Natsu was stood up by Lucy - something that almost never happens. Natsu looked for his friend the entire day, and after an hour of foolishly calling her name, he found her. At first, everything seemed normal, but Natsu noticed she was upset about something.

"Lucy, you're crying," Natsu said, mere inches from her.

"I will be leaving for a while," she said, holding nothing back. For all the goodness in him he wanted to know why his friend was leaving.

"I did it," Sora said with a half-smile. Supposedly this was Natsu Dragneel, esteemed Dragon Slayer of the Fairy Tail guild. Sora thought aback to when he met Gray Fullbuster, equally esteemed ice mage.

He was told about Natsu and the clan and wanted Sora to join them, but Sora rejected him.

"You're pissing me off," Natsu said, attempting to hold back his anger. He didn't like seeing his friends cry, and knowing he could do something about it, he planned to.

"Then how about this: let's play a game. How about a race?" Sora offered, yet Natsu still seemed angry. Pulling his fist back, he then proceeded to punch Sora, but the second he swung, his entire body went numb, and became paralyzed. Somewhere in the distance of another world, a child floats in the sky. Sora chuckled, "How about that race, then." Sora pushed the idea harder.

"Fine."

"If I win, Lucy goes on an adventure with us. If you win, Lucy stays here."

At this point, Natsu was beyond angry and wanted to help his friend.

"Do you accept these terms?"

"Yes."

"At the beginning, we both say 'ascente'. Then we'll make it back to this chess board. Is that alright?"

Natsu nodded in agreement, and Sora devilishly smirked. Facing away from the chess board, Sora and Natsu lined up, and in unison shouted "Ascente!" At that moment, Natsu took off ahead of Sora, but Sora put up no fight. He quickly turned around, taking a seat at the chess board across from Lucy. Natsu ran back immediately, acknowledging the crafty logic used by his opponent.

"Wait, what? That's cheating!" Natsu claimed.

"No, it's not," Shiro interrupted.

"Big brother said 'first one back to the chess board', so you lost by running forward."

Suddenly, a figure stepped out from the shadows of a nearby alley. Natsu, Lucym and the small crowd still remaining was spooked until they realized it was Gray Fullbuster wearing a dog suit. "What happened to you?" Lucy asked.

"He fell victim to my brother," Shiro stated nonchalantly.

"He lost a dice roll," Sora said, ashamed.