Chapter Seven: Day Two

Sol had a pretty uneventful evening. He had gotten more than a few glances as he walked past the locals toward the inn, but he paid them no attention. He had only one person on his mind.

Mirajane. What am I going to do with her? Just looking at her seems to scare her, how am I supposed to start a conversation?

It was now morning, and the second day of the Grand Magic Games was underway. Chapati Lola's voice could be heard throughout the city, echoing through the streets. "It's Day Two of the Grand Magic Games and the stands are exploding with excitement!" Sol could hear the roar of the crowd like he was right in front of them, and he was busy running across a moving platform, part of the day's event: Chariots.

"Let's get back to the action already in progress as our wizards take on the Chariots! The point of this game is to reach the final goal without falling off. Simple, right? Wrong! The Chariots are constantly in motion, and though it's at a snail's pace, one false move could cost you! Which team will survive this rough and tumble sight-seeing tour of Crocus and be the first to cross the finish line?"

Sol had passed the other contestant a while ago and decided to slow down to a light jog. He needed to conserve whatever energy he had for the fights later in the day. Not that it mattered much to him.

None of them could beat me. Even now, I'm not using my Thu'um or Skooma to finish. Seems all those treks up and down the mountains paid off. Amateurs.

Sol saw the finish line and easily passed through. First place, and another seven points. He looked up at the crowd, which seemed be more open to him now than from yesterday. Some had even made banners with his name on it.

Yeah, you better root for me. Not like you'll have much of a choice if you're rooting for the favorite.

Sol looked up at a nearby scoreboard showing everyone the point totals so far. Only yesterday's scores had been tallied so far, but he felt comfortable knowing his standing would rise. As it currently stood, the following scores were:

First – Sabertooth, 20

Second – Raven Tail, 18

Third – Lamia Scale, 16

Fourth – Blue Pegasus, 14

Fifth – Sol, 7

Sixth – Mermaid Heel, 3

Seventh – Quatro Cerberus, 2

Eighth – Fairy Tail B, 1

Ninth – Fairy Tail A, 0

Sol walked back up to his viewing box and sat, waiting for his next fight.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the daily drawing of who Sol will represent in today's battle portion!" Chapati Lola motioned to Mato, who held out the device once more, the same guild marks flashed through, minus the one from Fairy Tail B. After a brief wait, a blue horse with wings on both sides popped up. "Well, it looks like Sol is fighting for Blue Pegasus this round!"

Sol looked over at the Blue Pegasus viewing box. From what he had read and heard about them from around town, they were a guild that focused on its looks more than anything else. With that in mind, he summoned forth a pair of ragged trousers. Sol decided that he'd play the part of the guild he'd represent, and so he worked on fixing the tattered clothing during the a upcoming matches.

Sol didn't think much of the first two fights. The only part of either match he found notable was the end of the second fight. Both Elfman and Bacchus had fought to their limit, and Elfman somehow managed to pull off the upset. The side bet was what particularly intrigued him.

Perhaps I'll make a small wager of my own during the next fight.

He soon got his wish. Lola announced the next match. "And now it's time for our third match of the day. From Blue Pegasus, it's Sol!" A large cheer from the crowd. It seemed that he had grown on the crowd.

"And from Fairy Tail Team B, it's Mirajane Strauss!"

…you have got to be kidding me…

Sol looked over at Mirajane, who seemed to have zoned out completely. The rest of the Fairy Tail guild members looked upon him with silent anger.

Seems the rest of them haven't forgotten yesterday that easily. Damn.

Sol quickly shrouded himself from view and undressed, putting on his new outfit. It still bore the orange that seemed to be his theme, but it was much less prevalent in comparison to the silver and black. His new robes flowing, he jumped down, one knee and fist shattering the ground beneath him. Rising, he looked in front of him. Mirajane was already at the center of the arena, fists clenched but slightly trembling.

"I don't think we've formally met. My name is Sol." He tilted his head slightly to the left, a smile creeping across his face.

"I know who you are. I don't care." Mirajane moved in a fighting stance, knees and elbows bent, teeth clenched with a face of determination and anger. "We're here to fight, not chat."

"To each their own, I suppose. Before we start, I figured I'd try to strike a wager, like the previous competitors." Sol walked forward slowly, approaching Mira. "If I win, I want you to sit with me up in my box tomorrow during the battle round."

"Alright, fine." Mira took a slight step back, never letting her guard down. "If you lose, you have to tell everyone why you're really here."

Sol's smile widened. "Deal."

During this exchange of words, Mato had appeared on the field, though his height made him go unnoticed by Sol or Mira. "Alright, you've got thirty minutes. Good luck!"

A gong rang out, and it was time to fight. Mira wasted no time transforming into her Satan Soul form, lashing out at Sol with profound rage. Her power was not lost on him, as he barely dodged the blow. In an instant, his body turned to light and he disappeared into the wind.

Mira looked around, searching for her opponent. It didn't take her long. Seeing a shimmer of light to her left, she charged up a purple colored orb, throwing it at the light. "Evil Explosion!" the orb zipped past the light and hit the arena wall.

"Man, that was really something." Sol reappeared next the hole in the arena wall. "You almost hit me." His smile hadn't left.

Infuriated, Mira switched into her newest Satan Soul form, Sitri, and dashed toward Sol, fist ready to punch a hole through the man. The attack didn't faze him. As she approached, Sol simply shifted out of the way, faster than it took Mira to readjust. Her fist slammed into the stone next to him, cratering under the pressure.

Sol looked Mirajane in the eyes, taunting her with amusement. "Did you really think I was going to let you hit me?" He grabbed Mirajane by the back of the neck and forced her to her knees. "I hope you realize there's no way your winning this fight."

But Sol hadn't been paying close enough attention. Mirajane had expected him to grab her, countering with a kick as she rolled backward from her knees. Sol staggered back, hitting the wall with a soft thud.

You're gonna make me do this the hard way, huh? I was considering forfeiting the match again.

Sol crouched and jumped at blinding speed towards Mira. As he reached her, he halfway reformed into his original body, passing his right arm through Mira's torso while still doing damage. Clutching her stomach, she fell to her knees, wincing in tremendous pain.

"See? It's over." Sol walked back over to her, hands in his pockets, looking upon her with contempt. "Give up." Mira looked up at him, fear showing through the masquerade that was her Sitri form. Without thinking, she blindly struck out at his chest, yet again hitting him with his guard down.

Big mistake.

Sol staggered backward more profoundly now, the front of his robes ripped away. He looked down and froze. Confused, the audience was in silence. Had Mira found his weakness? Upon closer inspection, the spectators saw a blue light emitting from Sol's chest, rising into the air and dissipating with the wind.

Sol shed a single tear, which caught up and hit a broken shard of the soul gem that had just lost power. The thin gold chain he had it on slid around the back of his neck to the left, falling in a straight line, forming a small pile as it hit the ground with an inaudible bounce.

Big. Mistake.

Sol went to his knees, tears now streaming down his face. He covered his face in his hands as he cried out in anguish. Looking up, he saw Mira standing there confused. His sadness quickly turned to unbridled anger. Glaring lividly upon her, Sol got up to a crouch and jumped through the air like a missile, now hovering above the coliseum.

Breathing in, Sol crossed his arms into an x and prepared to shout. "You're gonna regret that, Mirajane." Sol's words travelled through clenched teeth to her ears, causing her to tremble in fear. She braced herself for whatever attack was coming.

"FUS RO DAH!" Sol released the Thu'um upon Earthland for the first time, and the results were tremendous. Few would know it, but he had focused his Voice to only project towards Mira, ensuring only she would receive any of the attack's effects. The pillar of pure force cut through the air so quickly the atmosphere caught fire around it, killing any unfortunate bird in its path. Luckily for the city, the temperature didn't change enough to create the tornado Sol had been able to create only twice before. Mira could only put up her hands in self-defense.

The blast hit all around Mira, creating a crater in the ground twenty feet wide and three feet deep. The ground inside the crater crumbled to sand, some of it turning to glass under the pressure and temperature. Dust kicked up from the impact and spread around the arena, blocking everyone's vision.

Sol calmed down slightly, lowering his shoulders and exhaling slightly. Through the dust, a light blue haze caught his eye, and it left him confused.

Could she really have blocked the Thu'um? That's crazy.

Sol floated down to the ground and into the cloud of dust, which had yet to settle. Sol walked towards the haze, and as he got closer, his uneasiness increased.

There's no way…

On closer inspection, Sol saw that the blue light was a circle, which very closely resembled a ward. As the dust settled, he saw a hand in the middle of the ward, and his heartbeat stopped.

It can't be…

When the dust finally cleared, it in fact was. The hand was hers. The arm was hers. The clothing, the face, the eyes, everything was hers. She was standing where Mira had been standing, her eyes staring into his was longing. His pupils shrank as the realization hit him.

Serana.