Hi readers! So right now I have this idea to do a drabble/one-shot series, because I feel that those are easier to write. (Fun Fact: this story came from a one-shot that I made in my head and wrote down) anyway, give me feedback/requests about that. (Should I? Should I not?) Anyways, while I ponder this question: here is my next chapter!

DISCLAIMER: this is annoying...but I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL

Alexei gasped in awe as she looked around the room. "This place is amazing!" Indeed, the average mage wouldn't know how to take in the grand room. A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, with thousands of tiny crystals adorning it. Crystal swords, representing the royal insignia adorned the pillars. Each sword had a rose tied to its hilt, representing the celebration of magic. Gold and silver ribbons adorned the walls and pillars.

Gray chuckled at Alexei's expression. She's really adorable—wait what am I thinking? "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said. Smiling he offered her his hand. "So, may I have the honor of this dance?"

Smiling back, she said, "Yes, you may." Grasping her hand, he led her onto the dance floor. Gray firmly grasped her waist, and began slowly twirling around with her. Twirling her around, they both laughed.

"This is fun," Alexei said. Looking around the room, she saw Lucy and Natsu dancing together. The poor celestial mage was trying to teach her boyfriend how to dance. It was quite adorable, considering Natsu was still stepping on Lucy's feet. Nevertheless, the couple seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"Hey! Alexei! Gray!" shouted a cheerful voice.

"Mira-Jane! Freed! I didn't know you were here!" Alexei exclaimed, surprised to see the oldest take-over sibling. Mira was hanging onto Freed's elbow.

"Aw, you and Gray are so adorable together! So Gray are you going to—" Mira asked, cheekily giggling.

She was abruptly cut off when Alexei yelled, "It's not like that Mira-san!" The element mage blushed a deep red. Looking at Gray, she saw that he was blushing too. "Mira. I didn't know you were with Freed!" Alexei said.

The bright-eyed mage blushed pink and smiled. "Oh, we've been together for a while now. We were hoping that no one would find out. Well…could you keep it a secret?" Smiling sweetly at Alexei, the white-haired mage pleaded with her eyes.

"Fine, now go and enjoy your night," sighed Alexei.

"Thank you Alexei!" Mira shouted as she and Freed began to walk away.

"We probably should've mentioned that Erza and the others are here…" Gray commented as they watched the happy couple. Suddenly Gray cocked his head to the side. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" closing her eyes, Alexei listened closely.

"It's like someone is playing the chimes somewhere."

Alexei listened more closely. She heard a faint melody somewhere. "Do-so-fa-do-re-mi-mi-re-do," she murmured. "Oh no…" she gasped, and started running towards the princess.

"Alexei! Wait!" Gray shouted, chasing after her, just as all the crystal decorations broke free and arced towards the princess. Springing ahead of Alexei, Gray skidded to a halt in front of the princess. "Ice Make, Shield!" He yelled. From his outstretched palms a shield of ice materialized, preventing the deadly attack from hitting its mark.

"Extra security? Mages. I didn't expect that. Pity," came a high-pitched voice. A blond-haired woman stepped forward. She wore a one-piece suit with a deep V-neck and a short skirt. She had armored boots that ended mid-thigh. Silver patterns decorated her bare skin.

Her cold blue eyes wandered across the room as she asked, "But how would you have known? No one has ever heard my crystals and lived to tell the tale." She lifted her necklace. It was a collection of tiny crystal bells.

"No one, Selene Crystallis?" asked Alexei, walking forward to face the mysterious mage. "No one that is, except for me," the elemental mage declared.

"What are you doing?" hissed Gray, grabbing Alexei's wrist.

"She's a member of Thorn's Dagger. I can deal with her on my own," Alexei countered, pushing the ice mage behind her.

"I don't ever remember leaving one of my…targets alive," the dark mage sneered.

"Oh really? Perhaps you didn't recognize me," Alexei said. Smirking, she re-quipped into her traditional clothing.

Selene's eyes widened as she realized who her opponent was. "Alexei Navy," she said bleakly. "Come to be defeated?"

"I do remember defeating you sometime…say about a year ago? Perhaps when I escaped? You make a poor guard, Selene," Alexei replied.

"That was a year ago. I promise, I've become stronger. You will not escape this time," leered Selene.

"Take the princess and find the rest of the team. Make sure she gets to a secure place and stay with her. I don't know if my father sent any other agents," Alexei said to Gray.

"Alexei, I want to know why…" Gray protested.

"Go! I'll explain later," she hissed at him. Turning around, she faced her enemy. Gray grasped the princess by the elbow. Gesturing for the rest of the team they began to run out of the vast ballroom. Alexei felt a twinge of jealousy as she looked back at the ice mage's firm grip on the princess' elbow.

"What? Is he you boyfriend?" Selene sneered. "I'll have to kill him later too, I guess."

"You won't touch any of them!" seethed Alexei, glaring at her opponent.

"I will after I've defeated you!" Selene exclaimed. "Crystal Blades! Fly, my stars!" Crystal knives appeared around the crystal mage, and flew towards Alexei.

"Air Wave!" Alexei shouted, sweeping her hand at the flurry of blades. A gust of air propelled them backwards, and the following wave of sound shattered them, the resulting shards falling towards the floor.

"Crystal Storm!" A whirlwind of crystal shards surrounded Selene. Screaming in anger, she charged at the elemental mage.

"Iron Twister!" Instantly a vortex of gray enveloped Alexei. Running at the crystal mage, the two clashed in the middle of the ball room, causing waves of energy to radiate all over the palace. The building began to shake, causing the rest of the ballroom guests to flee the battleground. Slowly, some of the pillars began to crumble.

Leaping away from each other, the crystal and elemental mages both glared at their opponent. "You've gotten stronger, Selene. But so have I," stated Alexei. "I have a guild to protect now. And in that I find more strength and resolve!" Yelling out a battle cry, Alexei charged at her adversary. "Ice Kick!" she yelled, creating a sharp piece of ice on her foot.

"Crystal Shield!" cried out Selene. A small, rose shaped shield materialized on her arm, blocking Alexei's attack. "Crystal Sword!" A large broad sword appeared in Selene's other hand. Slashing across Alexei's body, the elemental mage was thrown against the wall by the powerful attack.

Clenching her teeth, she shakily stood up. "And I'm still not going all out," said Selene, mocking Alexei. "Oh, how disappointed your father would be. You were to be the spearhead, the pride of Thorn's Dagger. And now look at you, defeated by me. How sad your father would be, that you were defeated by a mere member of the Angels of Doom."

Flashback…

"Leave me alone!" Alexei screamed, as her father dragged her across the room. "Please! No more! Let me go! Let me go!"

"Weakling! You are not fit to be my daughter!" yelled her father, as he raised his whip.

"Father! Please!" she begged, shielding her self. Cowering in fear all that could be heard in that one moment was the crack of the whip.

"Mama…" the girl silently cried. "Mom! Come back," she whispered as her father dragged her towards her torture. All that was left were the smeared tears and blood on the floor.

"Be quiet you fool. One day you will thank me, when you become the leader of the Angels of Doom," her father yelled, kicking her.

Angels of doom, she thought, I want to bring light to the world…why can't I do that instead…

Present…

"Tell me, Selene, would my father welcome me back?" asked Alexei, looking down.

"Never. You are dead in his eyes," crowed the crystal mage. Saying this, she charged at the elemental mage.

Taking off her necklace, she bleakly replied, "Exactly what I thought. Well, Selene, if you survive this, make sure to tell my father to got to Hell." Raising her pendant above her head Alexei shouted, "I call upon the Devil's Torch! Rise, the Flames of Hell! I summon, Inferno!" A dark black magic circle appeared around Alexei's feet. Her pendant began to omit a dark magic, sending out powerful wind, causing Selene to stop in her tracks and shield herself. "What is this?" she screamed.

"It's my Lucifer Drive," replied Alexei. She ex-quipped into her traditional armor. When she opened her eyes, they were filled with malevolence. Throwing her hand back she summoned the dark flames. "Devil's Scythe! Hell's Arrow!" A wave of dark magic hit Selene, followed by a flurry of dark orbs of fire.

The crystal mage screamed, "You cannot defeat the Apocalypse, Alexei Navy!"

"Yes I can. And I will, Selene Crystallis." Came the monotone voice of the elemental mage. Engulfed in dark magic, her eyes had turned red, and her footsteps singed the ballroom floor. "Lucifer's Wrath!" A massive globe of hellfire appeared over her head. She pointed at Selene, and the mass of hellfire flew at the crystal mage. After the explosion cleared Selene's collapsed form lay in front of Alexei.

"Lucifer's Sword." A blade of fire appeared in Alexei's right hand. "A death so painful, that even the greatest healer cannot decrease the pain by a fraction. A death so evil, that the person's soul will wander forever alone in this world, doomed to an eternity of suffering and loneliness," she said, monotone. "Are you prepared for death, Selene Crystallis?" Raising the blade up, she prepared to deliver the fatal blow.

"Alexei! Stop!" shouted a person. Turning around, she pointed her flaming sword at Gray.

A look of confusion twisted over her features. "Gray?" she whispered. Suddenly the sword dissolved into the air, and her eyes turned back into their normal shade of bluish-gray. Backing away from the destruction that she caused, Alexei suddenly collapsed.

"Alexei!" He shouted as her rushed to catch her limp form. Gathering her in his arms, he shook her. "Alexei! Wake up!" he yelled as he shook her. Looking around, he saw the dark flames creeping around the room, eating away at the pillars and decorations. "A flame that burns everything…" he murmured. Suddenly a pillar crumbled to dust. "Oh, crap," he swore, "If I can't control this…" He didn't even bother to think of what would happen to his guild-mate and himself. "Ice Make, Net!" he yelled, launching a wave of ice at the flames. The flames simply consumed his magic and continued to consume all that was in their path.

"It won't work," came a weak voice.

"You," he said, glaring at the crystal mage's weak form lying on the ground.

"It's Inferno. Hellfire. It has a mind of it's own, and consumes all in it's path." Selene shakily sat up, supporting herself with her arm. Laughing eerily she continued, "Your precious little guild-mate has just sealed this kingdom's doom! Only the mage who summoned the flames can actually expel them from the world!" Cackling madly, she gasped, "You will die here with me, encased in the tomb of the devil!" Gasping a couple more desperate breaths, she finally collapsed.

"Why Alexei? You can't just give up like this! You're Fairy Tail! Live for us." Shedding tears, Gray yelled, "Ice Make, Pillar!" Pillars erupted from the ground, supporting the fragile ballroom. One by one, they began to be consumed by the flames of hell.

Looking down at his fallen guild-mate, comrade, and friend, Gray gritted his teeth. "It's not fair." He said. "It's not fair!" he shouted, "You deserve more time in this world! You deserve more time to be with the guild, to find your path! Hell, you need to be here for us! Even though we just met, we all care for you! Wake up!" Gathering her up in his embrace, he turned so his back was facing the fire. "Don't give up." He whispered. Closing his eyes tightly he hugged his guild-mate tightly. "Come back for us. Come back for me…Alexei please. Come back because I need…you." Sobbing even more, his entire body shook from his sobs.

"Gray."

"Alexei," he said hesitantly. Opening his eyes, he saw his guild-mate staring up at him.

"I do too."

"You…what?" he asked.

"I need you too," She replied sincerely, looking him straight in the eye. "Let me save you, since you saved me."

Standing up shakily, she walked towards the flames. Raising her palms she yelled, "Extinguish, Lucifer's torch. Return to the pits of Hell, Flames of the Abyss. Leave the people safely. Be gone, Inferno!" A magic circle appeared above her hands, and all the flames leapt from the ballroom floor, flowing into Alexei's magic circle.

"Thank you, Hell's flame, for your service." She said, bowing. Closing her fists, the magic circle disappeared, leaving nothing but smoking rubble and smoke in the ballroom.

Slowly walking back to the shocked ice mage, she grinned. "That was a bit too close, wasn't it, partner?"

Laughing, he answered, "Definitely." Bending down, he seemed to be picking something up from the floor.

"Although…about the ballroom. I think I totally trashed it…" she muttered, worrying about the reward.

"Ah, don't worry, you fit right in with Fairy Tail. Our…destructive way of handling things is…well known."

Holding hands, the two walked out of the ballroom.