Chapter 10: Words from the Purest Hearts

"You guys suck," a very drunk Cana sat legs crossed on top of a table inside of Corcus Bar. "We placed our best mages to the front and you still lost!"

"This is coming from someone who didn't even bother to show up at the arena to support us," Elfman retorted.

"I was watching! The bar has Lacrima-Vision installed you know!"

"Well then, why don't we have a toast to commemorate our crushing defeat," Makarov announced from another table. Every image lifted their beer mugs in unsion.

"Will, that was quite the first day, wasn't it?" Erza turned to her former platinum-haired rival.

"Yes, but we'll get back into it starting tomorrow," Mira replied.

"Tommorow, we'll definitely turn things around," Lisanna fist pounded.

"Aye!"

"You know, I haven't seen Gray of Lucy for a while. Anybody knows where they are?" Lisanaa said to no one in particluar.

"I think they're still inside Honybone," Maeco stated.

"I can't blame them. Not after the embarressing defeat they went through."

"I think they did great," At the sound of Gray's voice, Juvia automatically grew a worried face. For some reason, she began to think of her "love rival" and love interest at the Honey one Lodge; no one else but them. As Gray sat up to leave for the bar, Lucy tightly gripped his sleeve of his jacket. She then slowly walked up the said ice mage. She could tinued to press forward, forcing Gray to back up; he ended up tripping on the nearby bed with Lucy landng on top of him, giving him all the love she could give him. The water image.

"What if something like that is happening right now?!" Juvia began to comically panic. Little did she know that both Gray and Lucy had already arrived at the bar.

"The hell is wrong with her," Gray gave a confused look.

"Probably some scenario where I end up stealing you from her," Lucy had no idea how accurate she was.

"Ugh...this chick..."

"Lu-chan," Lucy turned her attention towards Levy. "How are you feeling?"

"Good! I'm totally fine. I'm ready to give it my all tomorrow!" The celestial mage gave a thumbs up.

"Hey, where's Wendy and Carla?"

"Probably still in the hospital bed at the arena."

"Hmm. Now that everyone's here, it's time for an announcement," Makarov hopped onto a table. "Alright Brats, Listen up!" The guild turn their attention towards their master. "Today serves as tomorrow's victory! Tomorrow we will right rise to the top and show them we mean business!" They began to cheer. "We don't know the meaning of surrender. We will once again be the no. 1 guild in Fiore!" Shortly after, Fairy Tail was up to their usual tactics. Lucy, Lisanna, and Happy hitting it off with come food, Gray stripped down to fourth base and got into a comical tussle with Gajeel, Lax us and the Thunder God Tribe hanging out, and whatever other kinds of trouble the guild got themselves into. Causing so much noise, some of the bar costumers started to clear out.

King's Castle

"Day one has goes by smoothly, hasn't Arcadios?" A lone figure sitting on the throne said.

"Yes, your majesty," the cavalier captain, Arcadios responded while was currently down on one knee in respect to the king of Fiore. "For tomorrow's matches, is there anyone in particular you would like to see compete?"

"Hmm...Bacchus from Quarto Cerberus," the king declared.

"Anyone else?"

"Pit him against the one from Fairy Tail that transforms. El...Er...oh, you know what I'm talking about."

"Understood." The knight was about to rise until the king spoke once more.

"Oh, one more thing..."

"Yes?"

"Those two new guilds; Crimson Claw and Phoneix Wing? You wouldn't have happened to find anything about the two, did you?"

"No sire. Is there something about them that troubles you?" Arcadios felt as if something was off.

"Not entirely. This Crimson Claw looks powerful, but at the same time, this...aura they give off makes me believe they are willing to do something against the other guilds. Something unsettling."

"What about Phoenix Wing?"

"While Phoenix Wing doesn't give me a problem essentially, that display the blue-haired woman gave, I began to wonder how is it she contains so much power, should I let them continue on; they could prove a challenge, even for the Ten Wizard Saints."

"Are you saying they could be prove to be a threat against the government?"

"As of right now, no at all. But if worse comes to worse, and they so become a threat, I highly doubt any image; even the Ten Wizard Saints would stand a chance against them," the king stated his opinion.

"Forgive me, your majesty, but I do believe you are over looking this whole thing over. I am sure our magic squads should be able to take them down."

"Do you not remember, Arcadios?" The king spoke once more. "That woman alone nearly destroyed the arena floor, obliterated a magical made city, and destroyed a numerous amount of mountains in wake. I can also she that she was holding back as well. She alone could erradicate an entire continent, imagine all of them becoming enemies of the kingdom. The one in red...it's clear he's the ace of the guild and therefore the strongest out of all his team, maybe even the strongest in the games. Take his magic, and multiply his power by ten times more than what that woman used. We'd all be in grave danger."

Arcadios showed no emotion, but inside, he knew the king was right. He saw the destruction Icis caused. N may not have battled yet, but he too could tell he was no pushover. The knight snapped out of thought when he heard the king clap his hand together. "Well, no need to get all worked up about it right. For now, they're just here for some friendly competition."

"Yes, mil'lord."

"And speaking of the mysterious red one, I want you to set him up with the big, hunky one with the axe from Crimson Claw."

"Of course, your majesty." Arcadios answered with no objections.

"Thank you, Arcadios. You are dismissed. Go get some rest. You deserve it," the knight rose from the ground and made his way to the giant doors. His shiny, silver armor made klanking sounds with every step he took. The throne room doors closed behind him.

"I'm sorry, your majesty. But I cannot rest, not while the fate of the world is in jepordy." He dooms to himself in a stern voice as he walked down the stretched out hall.

Back at the bar, Gray was currently beating g his guildmates, knocking them left and right. "Alright! Who's next?!" He exclaimed while standing on top of a table, cracking his knuckles after just knocking out Max.

"You're amazing, Gray-sama!" Gray's stalker squealed with heart shaped eyes.

"He got this strong within three months?" Nab started to shake I fear.

"So where does that leave us?" Warren thought as well.

"Gee hee! Looks like fun. I'll take you on, snowflake!" Gajeel announced as he made his way towards the third-based ice image.

"Don't do it, Gajeel," Laxus called from another table. "You two get into a fight, and we're going to be charged for property damage."

"Aww, Laxus. Since when did you get this soft," said iron dragon slayer started to pat the blond male on his head.

"..."

"Gajeel! Stop that!" Levy grabbed Gajeel from behind by his waist and tried to pull him back.

"How dare you disrespect Laxus in such a manner!" A very drunk Freed shouted from across the table. "We will (hic) not stay silent as you drag out pride into the dirt! Thunder God Tribe...assemble...!"

"No thanks. I'm so (hic) wasted," a nearly unconscious and drunk Evergreen muttered while slouching on a chair. Bickslow was already asleep next to his wooden puppets.

"Ha! Weak!"

Over at Lisanna's table, she was currently rubbing her table in frustration. "Geez. As much as I love these guys, they're giving a major headache," the platinum-haired image rose from her seat and walked over to the entrance to the bar.

"Lisanna, where are you going?" Mira asked.

"I'm just going for a walk. I need to clear my head."

"Alright. We'll be heading to Honeybone in a while. So just meet us there, got it?"

"Sure thing!" She shouted to be heard over the noise her guild was making. With a now less noiser environment, Lisanna's maigraine subsided. She took a deep sigh of comfort as the wind blew through her silky white hair. She decided to walk towards the open park area of the city. Itay not have been busting with business, but there was still plenty to do. It was perfect with only an average amount of people. Not too loud and not too quiet. Lisanna came across a small wooden bridge which stood over a small pond. She stopped to look over the edge and saw little fish swimming about merrily. By looking at the cool water, she came up with an idea. "Hmm. Maybe I should turn into a fish and go for a swim." Said take-over put a finger to her chin as she thought out loud. Her mind was instantly filled with images of N and was started to realize, it filled her with so many emotions. "Why, why is it I keep thinking about him?"

"Come on, come on! Give me some!" A voice of a small girl said in a cute manner.

"Okay, Okay. Goodness, you're eating like a little piggy today," a familiar voice caught the you guest Strauss siblings's attention. She looked over her shoulder to see the red clothed N walking by with a six year old with long black hair with pink highlights; wearing a small black dress with some white dress shoes. N was currently holding the girl's hand as he handed her a small cone of strawberry ice cream. She saw the little girl finish the cone in four short bites, sort of surprise to see a little girl eat so fast.

With the red-hooded mage constantly on her mind, Lisanna decided to call his attention. "N! Over here!" The man instantly looked in the woman's direction. He gave a small smile anchor's wave as Lisanna started to jog towards him and the little girl accompanying him.

"Evening, Lisanna. What brings you out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Well, I was actually taking this one out for some ice cream," N motioned his head to the little girl holding his hand. Lisanna bent down to get a closer look

"Aww. You're such a little cutie," Lisanna commented.

"Eep!" The toddler sqeualed in embarrassment and hid behind N. She then stuck a quarter of her head out from behind the red-hooded mage's coat, which made her look all the more cuter.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Don't worry. She's easily scared of people she doesn't know," the man turned his head down to the little girl. "Come on out. She won't hurt you. She's a friend of mine." The girl slowly come out of hiding. "Akiza, this is Lisanna Strauss." The white-haired mage gave a small wave. "Lisanna, this Akiza. My daughter."

Lisanna was comically wide eyed and froze in a unusual position. "D-d-d-d-d-d-d-daughter?!" She stuttered.

"Yep. Come on, honey. Introduce yourself," N told his child. Akiza stayed silent with nervousness for a moment.

"H-h-h-hi, Miss Lisanna. I-it's nice to meet you," Akiza looked at lisanna with the most adorable embaressed look that would melt anyone's heart to nothing. Finally giving in to peer pressure, said take-over mage scooped the little girl into her arms and began to smother her.

"You are so damn adorable!" She rubbed her cheek against the girl's. N couldn't help but laugh at his daughter's dismay. Then he look to see Akiza was giving him the save me! You're my father, aren't you!' Look. The man was really trying his hardest not to laugh more, but sort of failed.

"Alright, Lisanna. Put her down." Giving no form of problems, the take-over mage put Akiza down and she immediately ran behind her father.

"Sorry, N. I couldn't resist." Lisanna laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of her head.

"Heh, don't worry about it. So anyway, sorry about your placing today. The guild must be livid right now," N said.

"Don't worry. A couple of beers and a few fights and their all ready pumped for tommorrow."

"Yeah, I can see that. Any idea on who is participating?" The red hooded man brought up A random question.

Lisanna put a finger to her chin. "Not really, but I am going on a hunch that it's Erza."

"To be honest, I thought the same thing," both invinsioned the destruction Titainia can cause. Both shivered at the thought and shared a look. A second later by both laughed lightly. N suddenly felt Akiza tug on his jacket, gaining his attention. "Yes, honey?"

"Daddy I'm tired," Akiza rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Can we go back to the lodge thingy?" She spoke so innocently.

"Sure." N picked his daughter up and carried her. Akiza put her head on his shoulders and her eyes slowly became heavy. He turned his head to Lisanna. "Say, you're out on a little stroll. Right?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't I drop her off at the lodge my guild's staying at and we can go for a walk together?" Lisanna was taken back a little, but quickly smiled.

"Sure. I'd love too." Both mages headed in the direction of the Sleep n' Dream Lodge, where Phoenix Wing guild was currently residing. N told Lisanna was wait outside while he took Akiza inside; also to prevent any confrontation between the two guilds. After a two good minutes, he finally made it outside and the two began their evening stroll. By Lisanna's suggestion, they walked back along the park path; walking by patches of flowers, the little pond rest under the wooden bridge, and even passed by an elderly couple feed a flock of birds. The duo were thoroughly enjoying their time and talk, they hadn't realize how late it had gotten...well, it wasn't that late. Both images took a seat at a nearby bench. "You're kidding?" Lisanna was laughing at a story N was telling to her.

"Yep. Just because she so cute and adorable, Akiza gets away with a lot of things." Mostly because the entire guild is a sucker for those puppy dog eyes she gives.

"I don't blame them. Getting back on the games today, I got to admit, you guild definitely had some powerhouses. That Icis girl is very powerful. I doubt any normal mage would be able to take her.

N scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah...if only she knew how to hold back. Between her and her brother, our guild is constantly being bombarded with property damage," they shared another laugh. Lisanna however felt a little nervous about the question she was going to ask.

"Hey, quick question."

"Yes?"

"Is Icis...by any chance your wife...?" For some odd reason, the thought of N being married to another woman really bothered her. Then again, with Akiza already in the picture, he was probably committed to a woman already.

"Hmm. Oh. No. She just play like she and I have something together. Even though it's clearly out of play, I can clearly tell that she has feelings for me. Guess I'm a little nervous on how to tell her off gently. Why do you ask?"

"Oh...well because of Akiza, I simply thought..."

"She's adopted." N said. Lisanna made a noise in surprise. "I found her stranded on a mission to the snowy mountains bleeding to death. From what it looked like, her parents were trying to protect her from wild animals but died in the process. Those same animals attacked her and probably would'very finished her if I didn't step in. So, I took her down to my guild and had Conner give her a blood transfusion. Luckily her blood type matched mine so I volunteered. Ever since then, she's been following me around and began calling me daddy; so I decided to adopt her and take her in as my own.

"That's so heartwarming. Well Akiza is very lucky to have you as a father," Lisanna complimented.

"Thanks. How about you? Got a man in your life?"

"Nope. After Natsu's death, I vowed never to fall in love again. For me, Natsu is first love; and will automatically be my last." Said take-over mage spoke softly.

"Really loved him. Didn't you?" N spoke with a hurt and disappointed tone.

"That I did."

"What was so special about him anyways? If I may ask?"

Lisanna grew a bliss smile. "Well, he was brash, arrogant, completely immature, disruptive, always itching for a fight, completely dense, and most of all a complete dummy."

"Ouch. Put a man's self esteem why don't you," N muttered.

Lisanna let out a giggle. "But at the same, she so strong and brave, handsome, always willing to sacrifice himself in order to protect those he cared for; and on top of that, that big goofy smile of his always made my heart flutter and feel as of it would explode at any moment. All those years ago, when I laid my eyes on him, I knew I made the right choice for falling for him. He may not be here physically, but just looking up into the sky and picturing him staring down at me, watching me helps me get through the day." N stayed silent the entire time, somewhat discouraged at the the woman's words for some unusual reason. "Oh, sorry, N. I must be boring you."

"Not at all. I'll be honest. You choice of words and tone really proves yourself truthful. Any man would kill to have you."

"That's very sweet of you, N. Thank you," Lisanna gave the hooded man an angelic smile that made N's heart ache. He turned away slowly so hid the blush on his face.

"C-come on. It's getting late. I'll walk you back to your lodge." Lisanna accepted his offer. She rose from the bench and followed right next to N towards Honeybone. The air between the two was awkward for them. Neither one dared to speak; it would only make things a little more weird. In less than two minutes, they arrived at Honeybone. "Hold on. I almost forgot something."

"Huh?"

"Stick out your hand." Said take-over mage was confused, but still did as she was told and stuck her right hand out.

"Like this?"

"Yep," N proceeded to stick his right hand out to and without warning, his fingers intertwined with her. Lisanna began to blush severely. She was trying to pry her hands away, but that warm gentle touch from the red clothed man told her otherwise.

"W-w-w-w-w-w-what are you doing?!" She stuttered in embaressment.

"Shh. Just relax," in that moment, both images were envoked in a small white aura. Seconds later, gust of wind began to blow in a circle around the two. Whatever N was doing sent a strong, but warm and soothing feeling that coursed throughout Lisanna's body. She was forced to bite her bottom lip to contain the soft moan that so desperately wanted to escape her mouth. Something about N's touch on her skin filled her with so many emotions; as if couldn't live without it, yet at the same it it felt familiar...too familiar. The white aura finally faded and the gusts of wind ceased. Both images slowly unlocked hands.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing much. All I did was fuse a very little portion of my magical energy with yours."

"Uhh...that's just weird," Lisanna said bluntly.

"It's not like that. What it was is simply a power boost."

Oh what, think I can't defend myself because I'm a girl?" she playfully teased.

N chuckled lightly. "Of course not. I'm just looking out for a friend. I'm worried about you and just want to be sure you're safe and capable of protecting yourself." For once today, Lisanna had no words to responsed with. In fact, she was a little stunned. Despite only knowing each other a day and a half, N was already worried for her safety. She felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

"Wow...thank you, N." Lisanna looked at the male in silence. She had nothing to say, but N did and he knew what her was going to say next he'll probably regret in the next two minutes.

"Lisanna. I have to ask you something. Something very important." He said without looking at her. His back was faced towards her. "Love comes in many forms and can happen at anytime. Some love each other no matter what, but then; there are those who turn their backs on the ones they love because they're...different."

"I don't understand," Lisanna said softly and confused.

"I understand and respect your love for Natsu...but what if...he did something; something very inhumane and horrible. Would you still love him. Would you still look at him with the same eyes as you do now?" The man continued without looking at the platinum-haired woman.

"...I guess it would all depend of the situation." Lisanna responded hesitantly.

"I ask you this because your words and your heart sounded very sincere and pure. I've seen and even experienced situations where people were turned on by others they trust just because they are different; even when they had no control over the thing that made them different from others. It pisses me off when I see that. I'm not calling you out, but asking for you're belief."

"...I..."

N sighed. "You know what. Never mind. Just pretend I didn't ask you that question," the silence grew between them once more.

"Answer me this then, N. Why is it you conceal you face in that hood? Surely you have nothing to hode, do you?" N stayed silent. Thinking of so many ways this question could be misinterpreted.

"Lisanna. Listen carefully."

"I'm listening."

"...I don't like talking about this, but...I hide my face because...I want to stay hidden." N put his hand over his right eye. "I have a scar that I'm not very proud of. Seeing it always reminded me of my past failures."

"Past failures?" Lisanna thought out loud.

"I failed to protect the person I loved." Lisanna gasped. She heard the pain in N's voice as he finished that single sentence. Hesitating she walked up to N and turned to see his face and slowly went for his hood.

"N...let me see..." she whispered, but was able to be heard. Nearly two centimeters away, N lightly grabbed her hand, making her make a noise in surprise.

"No, Lisanna." The red hooded man said.

"N..."

"I don't want you to see it." That one sentence was that Lisanna need to understand that even a man like him, N can still feel pain. Without notice the woman embraced N in a warm and comforting hug. N was stunned for a second but quickly returning the hug with one of his own. They stayed together for a unestimated time. Both felt so right in each other's arms, not want to let go. Lisanna looked up at the man. Staring at the small portion of his face sticking out of the hood, she slowly rose onto her tippy toes, moving N's hood out of the way just so his cheek was show. She respected his privacy and chose not to move it. She then closed her eyes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. N blushed severely and back away a few inches, holding his kissed cheek.

"W-w-w-w-w-what the hell was that for?!"

"N. I don't know what happened in the past, but I know enough to see it was hard on you. I want you to know that I'm here for you. If you ever meed a shoulder to lean on. I'll be there; and don't hesitant to ask, okay?" Lisanna gave a sincere smile. N's face heated up even more.

"...Thank you, Lisanna. That really means a lot." N gave a small smile. "So, see you tomorrow?"

"Yep. Maybe even on the battlefield."

"Right. I'll hold you to that," both mages gave each other a confident smirk as they fist pounded each other. They both went their respected ways. Just a Lisanna was about to head inside, N stopped her. "Oh yeah. I forgot to mention, because my magic energy is fusing with yours, you may experience side effects."

"Thanks for the reminder!" Lisanna shouted from the doorway. She shortly disappeared into it. N began his slow and quiet walk back to Sleep N' Dream. As much as he wanted to have a clear mind while walking, he couldn't get that kiss put of his mind. Another hard blush grew on his face once again as she cupped and held his cheek. For once in a very, VERY long time, she enjoyed a woman's touch; a feeling he hasn't enjoyed since that day...

Day two of the Grand Magic Games had begun. Currently a preliminary event was take. Place.

"What an event we have here, right Yajima-san?"

"Hmm. Yes indeed."

"COOL!" The day two special guest, Jason of Weekly Soceror magazine shouted in excitement.

"Now, just as a reminder to some, the point of "Chariot" is to start from the center of the city and race all the way down to the coliseum, without falling of of the connected moving transportation."

"No fun if it was a regular race, would it?" Yajima thought out loud.

"And with each chariot in motion, the slightest mistake could prove fatal. Mages have been advised to think before reacting." Through lacrima vision, the audience were able to see the contestants make their way to the finish, with Mizuki currently in first place. Fairy Tail on the other hand, every member hand a comical face of blankness and confusion. The sight before them was too much to comprehend.

"Umm...did Lisanna ever has a vulnerability to this," Gray muttered

"No she didn't. Probably ate something funny," Elfman answered.

"If we'd knew, we wouldn't have sent her out there to begin with," Erza said.

"Somehow...in very last place, is Fairy Tail A's Lisanna in a very groggy state." Chapati updated.

"Ugh...I'm... gonna hurl..." Far in the back, Lisanna on the verge of regurgitating. why do I feel like this?' She couldn't remember anything until what N said the day before finally jogged her memory.

"Because my magic energy is fusing with yours, you may experience side effects."

"Oh...that's what he (hup)...meant," she was sweating violently.

"Unfortunately she's not the only one." The announcer declared. "Faory Tail B's Gajeel and even Sabertooth's Sting are both suffering the same way!"

"Why...why did I..." Gajeel covered his mouth so nothing could escape. Sting groaned while walking sluggishly anb holding his sides.

"I...wasn't expecting this..."

"Neither was I. Sting and Gajeel maybe, but I don't remember Ms. Lisanna having motion sickness like the rest," The ex-council member thought out loud.

"I thought...only Salamander was the only on with motion sickness," Black Steel managed to get out.

"Poor Gajeel," Levy said up in the stands with Pantherlily in her arms.

"As of right now, each mage is doing great, but no other contestant has put on a spectualr performance other then Phoenix Wing's Mizuki, who currently holds first place!" The crowd erupted into cheer at the update. On the projection screen, Mizuki could be seen jumping and back fliping gracefully and flawlessly, not missing a single step as she made her way to the goal. She was so focused on the event, she completely missed the male portion of the audience screaming her name.

"Mizuki-chan! Marry me!"

"I've had enough. Wave Boost!" In fifth place, Yuka of Lamia Scale shouted as spiral shaped magic formed over his hands. Pushing his arms behind, he gained speed as bursted foward. " Good luck dodging this!" Mermaid Heel's Risley activated her gravity magic to dodge the incoming assult and began running fast on the side of the chariots.

"Nullifying waves, huh? In that case, Fleet-Foot Perfume: Zero Distance Inhalation!" Ichiya proceeded to stick two tubes of liquid magic in his nostrils. He took a deep breath and in a split second, zoomed off at superspeed, passing the previous two. "MENNNNNNNN!"

"Well, they certainly are trying, aren't they," Quatro Cerberus' Bacchus spoke slurly due to the massive hangover from the night before. "Well then, it seems I have to step it up to." Bacchus slowly lifted his right leg up and in a split second brought down swiftly. In an instant the chariot under him began to shatter and break. Couple other behind it began to break as well. The mages ahead were caught off guard and began to lose their balance.

"Bacchus broke the chariots?!" Chapati updated.

" His power was no where near that strong seven years ago!" Erza exclaimed. She had gone toe to toe with the Cerberus image before and was unable to beat him resulting in a tie.

"Jackpot!" Said Cerberus mage ran with lighting speed, leaving the other images in the dust. In a matter of seconds, he zoomed by Kurohebi of Raven Tail. Up in the lead, Mizuki sensed a magic energy sourced coming her way. She halted her steady movement and saw Bacchus headed her way.

"Oh no you don't," the redhead has a fist as it became envoked with a black and white magic. "Fallen Angel's Might!" She shouted and she brought her fist down fast and hard on the chariots. The remaining chariots were instantly destroyed. A large crater formed in the process. Because of the violent impact, the remaining chariots were destroyed in a chain-like pattern. A fierce wind current erupted from the hit and it began to shatter buildings, more portions of the city grounds, windows, and even the mages began to lose their balance and the force of the current knocked them back. Bacchus was the only one who was able to withstand the harsh current a little longer before being blown away. Spectators and mages were shocked and wide eyed and at display before them. The dust settled and Mizuki wasted no time completing the event. "Angel Burst!" She was cover with white magic this time and created a sonic boom and she zoomed off and crossed the finish line within a 38 meter gap, ending in a landing position.

"Mizuki finishes first. Phoenix Wing received ten points!" Her guild cheered for her victory.

"That's my girl!" Conner shouted. The other mages on standby grew beads of sweat on their cheeks.

"Heaven related magic?!" Lucy gasped.

"This guild is just full of surprises, aren't they?" Erza spoke.

"First that blue-haired chick and now this one. Just how strong is the Phoenix Wing?" Gray added in.

"Next is Bacchus for second, third is Kurohebi, Luna of Crimson Claw is coming in for fourth. Fifth is a tie between Risley and Yuka, and sixth goes to Ichiya. In the last three places...are the three slowly dying of sickness way in the back.

Way in The back were Lisanna, Gajeel and Sting moving forward very slow and sluggishly.

"Oh...god...why?"

"Not gonna...make it..."

"W-well...I see your accustomed to it now," Tandem turned his head slowly towards Sting. "Congrats on Becomeing a real dragon slayer, Black Steel..." the saber mage tuanted.

"Shut up, blonde..." All three contestants began pushing against each other. Laughter could be heard throughout the stadium and city.

"I can't comprehend any of this..."Orga said.

"Could that mean you're affected to, Laxus?" Mira spoke from the Fairy Tail B viewing quarters.

"Not a word to anyone," Laxus said.

"Juvia thinks the word is already out." Juvia corrected.

Lisanna grunted as she got to her feet and and slowly walked. "I'm...I'm going forward!" Gajeel followed in suite as he got to his feet as well.

"You look pathetic...you can't even muster the strength to walk properly and you're still taking this seriously," Sting got his sickness under a little control to speak properly. The audience and Fairy Tail themselves were shocked at the mages' dedication. "Fine. Keep the points. We'll still win the other events no matter what."

"Just don't go complaining for a point or two later, punk," Gajeel smirked at the foe dragon slayer.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Lisanna roared as she still walked forward.

"Answers this at least." Both fairy mages slowed their pace. "Why dis you enter the games, of all times?"

"Because...it's who we are..." Fairy Tail's and Sting's attention was taken. "All of us...we're stubborn mules... there's no denying that. For a moment in time...we were greeted by sadness, we grieved...we cried...and we eventually sucummed to that sadness. You know what we got for trying to cope...absolutely nothing!" Lisanna yelled, startling the crowd. "You ask why I'm doing this. I'll tell you why. For seven years...I pushed them away...for seven years...I shunned them, but for seven years...they still cared, even when they had every right to give up on me; and no matter how sad or how tough it got...they still endured and pushed through...and protected to the guild with what ever little willpower they had left." The fairy mages were entranced by the take-over mage's words. Some even started to shed tears. "For my friends...I'll show you...NO MATTER WHAT YOU THROW AT US, FAIRY TAIL WILL ALWAYS PRESS FORWARD AND CONQUER! NO MATTER WHAT!"

'Lisanna...' by now, Fairy Tail was crying their eyes out. Lisanna words hot a soft spot in their hearts. They never knew that as the many of times Lisanna rejected them for just about anything, she was still very grateful for them still loving her to the very end.

At that moment, Lisanna actually began to sprint viciously, despite suffering from the motion sickness. She grew a confident smirk as she quicken her pace. Gajeel felt the same way, Lisanna felt; smirked and gathered up the strength to break into a run. Through the projection screens, the audience were touched and stunned at the dedication these two had for their guild. Some of them even felt guilty for insulting them the way we did. Both images, on the verge of regurgitating their breakfast and passing out, never lost sight of their objective and finished with an acceptable place.

"Finish! Fairy Tail A comes in seventh for two points!"

"Finally...our first points..."

"Followed by Fairy Tail B in eighth for one!"

"Gii hii!"

"That girl's got some real spunk," Mizuki thought out loud from the sideline. "I can see a why N has a thing for you," up in the Phoenix Wing standby quarters, N could be seen giving a small smirk. The crowd began to cheer for Fairy Tail for once.

Still on the ground across the finish line, both images were laying back first on the floor and breathed heavily. "Hey (pant) (pant)nice speech back there, short stack," Gajeel complimented in his usual form of making up a nickname for anyone.

"Thanks (pant). You weren't so bad yourself. Even an idiot like you was able to take in what is said." Lisanna spoke back.

"Nah...I didn't need your speech. I simply gave you those two points," the dragon slayer playfully taunted.

"Heh...shut up, metalhead."

"~Oh~ Salamander finally rubbed off on you, did he?"

"Comes with the territory," the exhausted duo fist pounded each other and spoke no more. Over to sting, he had finally gotten over his motion sickness. Stepping off of the remains of the chariot, he walked into a nearby entrance and disappeared. Something about Lisanna's words really infuriated him.

"Friends huh...what a bunch of bull crap you just spat out..." Sting spoke with a dead, uninterested face.

(To Be Continued...)

What's up everyone! Nice to see you all again. First in formal, I apologize for my long absence. Once again, I was drowning in college work and school, but most of that is over because I have officially graduated from high school AND with a regents diploma, so congrats to me. Now I have some spare time to keep writing, just as long as my job doesn't keep me busy. Second, I am really sorry that I wasn't able to put N's fight into this chapter. I actually has miscalculated on how much I needed to cover in this chapter and didn't want to overwhelm you with a 20+ page read (that's how long the chapter would've been if I didn't end it here). Don't fret however, as a little present from me, I have posted two full, seperate chapters so N will still be able to fight as I promised. As a little reminder, for those of you interested, I am currently in the process of writing a Legend of Zelda fanfic and a Freezing fanfic. This story however, will still be my main priority so they won't affect me writing this one. Also, in chapter five, I actually mentioned Akiza, but misspelled it as "Ikiza". Its actually spelled with an "A" and I can't change it now. Just keep people from being confused between the two. Well, that's all for now. Turn to the next chapter to see the red clad mage unleash his might. I hope you enjoy it.

-HeartlessAngel96