"Magic is what happens when nature's energy and your own energy are perfectly in synch. With magic, anything is possible," Precht reminded me.

"But I don't get it! Why do I only seem to destroy things with my magic?" I questioned.

"Because that's what your magic was made to do. It can be morphed to do other things, but not until you learn to control its destructive aspects," I looked down, now sullen. "Listen well, boy. You'll get this. I know you will. I've never seen anyone pick just this up as fast as you have, especially given how versatile Slayer-type magic is."

"Versatile?"

"Yes, you see, Slayer-type magic was meant to combat a certain enemy and that enemy comes in all different shapes and sizes and abilities; in your case demons, and evil in general. There are certain magical boundaries that don't confine Slayer magic. This particular type of magic can be used for a great deal many things, perhaps even using existing spells of other types to morph into a kind you can use. I know I've dabbled in a lot of that myself, let me tell you. Trust me; this is a magic that will make you strong; make you able to do things you've only dreamed of! That's what magic is meant to do! Now, are you ready to give it another try?"

"Yes sir!"

"Now then, let's look at the grimoire one last time on how to perform the technique, alright?"

I woke slowly this time, just lazily opening my eyes. "Another dream…" I muttered. I sat up and walked out of the tent I had rested in. We had arrived at the encampment first, allowing us time to rest while waiting for the others. I chose to sleep.

Now it seemed that four other teams have passed the trial; Gray's, Natsu's, Elfman's, and Levy's. The other three were either not here or talking amongst themselves. Makarov called the passing team to him. "Alright, now onto the second phase of this exam. Each of you will be tasked with finding…the First Master's Grave, hidden somewhere on this island. It's location is one only reachable through a search of utmost intuitiveness. You must use your mind as well as your deductive reasoning to find it in six hours or less, understood. I will be waiting there. Good luck! You'll be off then!"

I soon found Cana in the group and we started our trek. "Alright, so if I were Fairy Tail's founding members, where would I bury the First Master?" Cana wonder aloud.

"How about underneath the Tenrou Tree?" I asked.

"…Wouldn't that be too obvious?" she questioned.

"It's worth checking out. Even if it's not there, that'll give us even ground to go wherever we want to next."

She nodded. "Alright, smarty-pants; you lead the way then."

I nodded and flew up above the immediate trees, located the Tenrou Tree, and then started heading in that direction, Cana following close behind. Little did I know that she wasn't the only one following me.

About halfway to the tree, I stopped, getting an uneasy feeling. "What's wrong?" Cana asked. I looked to my right, where I sensed something strange happening.

"There's…something wrong. I'm not sure what, but I feel a…demon."

"Where? On the island? That's impossible," she argued.

"I kind of have a knack for this stuff. I don't think that it would lead me wrong."

"Well, you're a Devil-Slayer. How can you tell?"

"I know a bit more magic than Devil-Slayer magic, namely tracking so I can actually find the devils I slay. That's what's picking this feeling up…I think…Why didn't I notice it before though…" Suddenly, a loud pop was heard from the opposite direction, and a large red flare appeared in the sky above the island. "What's that?"

"It's a signal. The island's under attack!" Gray's voice came out of nowhere as he and Loke appeared from the trees behind us.

"You two were following us?" Cana accused.

"You two seemed like you had a good head on your shoulders," he shrugged.

"Since when was that a phrase that went around? I asked, though I then shook my head. "Alright, we should put the trial on hold to take care of this. Cana and I can go to that strange feeling that's coming from the opposite side of the island. Gray, you and Loke can go see what he signal flare was about. Alright?"

"Got it," Gray agreed.

"Wait…" Cana stopped us. "I mean…with everyone distracted, this would be the perfect time to find the First Master's Grave, right?"

I turned to her. "Cana, our guild could be in trouble. I'd rather them be safe than you win the trial, I'm sorry."

"B-But-"

"Look, we don't have time to argue," I said. "If you feel like the trial is more important, than you can go on without me. I'm going to go check out that disturbance."

She hesitated and then grabbed my hand, placing a single card in it. "In case you need me," she said before running off toward the Tenrou Tree. I looked at the card which said "Help Guild" on it. I put the card in my back pocket before nodding to the other two. I then I jumped onto a thundercloud and headed off toward the disturbance.

Honestly it wasn't that hard to find because of the dark light that was released around it, with Natsu of all people being caught in the blast. I landed and blasted the man who attacked Natsu to the ground, though he got up without a scratch. "So you're the demon I sensed," I commented.

"Who're you? I don't care," he said rhetorically.

"Um…alright," I said as I walked over to Natsu. The attack didn't seem to hurt him as he struggled up, but it did change his scarf from a white to a sleek black color. "Hey, you alright?"

'Hey, but this guy is weird. He didn't even flinch when I socked him, and he…" he looked at his scarf. "And the bastard messed up Igneel's scarf!" he yelled as he burst up, ready to attack the man.

"Whoa there," I said as I held him back. "This guy is giving me some bad feelings; we should be careful!" I yelled at him, finally forcing him to relent a little.

"Gah! Fine, but only this once, alright?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I said, both of us readying our magic.

"You shouldn't do that," the man warned. "You'll die."

"We'll see. Can I ask the name of my next prey?"

"My name is…" he trailed off, looking past us. When we both looked, we saw Makarov, using what looked like Titan magic on steroids, facing an airship just off the coast of the island. I knew somehow that that airship was the cause of the trial being put on hold.

I grabbed Natsu's hand and put him on the thundercloud. "Whoa, what are you doing?" he demanded, already getting motion sick.

"Sorry Natsu, but this guy can wait; we have to help Makarov!" I yelled as I sped away and toward the giant Makarov, who was casting one of Fairy Tail's signature spells.

"Fairy Law!" he yelled, his voice booming as I stopped.

On the airship, a lone man stood waiting for the attack, or rather, waiting to counter it. He replicated Makarov's hand motions. "Grimoire Law!" he yelled back. "If two deterrent magics of this caliber met, we wouldn't be the only casualties, Makarov!" the man yelled at the Fairy Tail Master.

I was tempted to swoop down and knock the guy out of his stance, but before I could, Makarov ceased the Fairy Law. "It can't be…only one person could replicate such a powerful spell…you're Precht Gaebolg, the second Fairy Tail Master!" Makarov exclaimed. I cool breeze rolled in on me as I tried to comprehend that. After all of these years, my teacher shows up as a villain.

"No way! Master, you must be mistaken!" I yelled, distracting him long enough for "Precht" to attack him, sending him flying and disabling his Titan magic, with the man following close behind. As I watched, several groups of people ejected themselves form the airship, landing on the island. "Crap! We've got to stop them!" I yelled, throwing Natsu off and shocking him back to consciousness.

"Eh? What do you want?!" he yelled as he fell.

I pointed to the groups of people heading toward the island. "They're here to ruin your chances at S-class, and their master hurt Makarov!" I called back. "Take care of them while I help him!"

"Aye!" Natsu yelled back as Happy came and got him, and he dove into their ranks.

I raced toward where Makarov fell and that man followed, but I was knocked off of my thundercloud by a massive purple explosion in their area. I shot back up and ran toward them, finding myself in a clearing where the two men were once flinging magic spells, but now all was calm. Makarov stood as I approached. "Inigo, get out of here! Hades is too much for you!" he yelled at me as the man saw me.

"Ah, I remember you. You were my first Lost magic student," he said. "I came back to look for you, but you weren't there."

"You…who are you?" I demanded.

"My boy, don't you recognize me?" he said as he spread his arm to his sides.

"I said what is your name?!" I snapped as I lit up my magic around me.

The man cracked a devilish smile. "My name is Precht Gaebolg, or rather, Hades, master of the Grimoire Heart Guild."

"Precht…" I muttered, a flood of memories entered my mind, good memories of a better time. "You can't be…"

He held his hand out to me. "Come, Inigo. You are to be my chosen eighth kin. Leave these people and come to where you belong, among fellow wandering souls. I've heard that that's what you've been doing for the past five years anyway."

"I-I…" I hesitated, my heart starting to race.

Makarov jumped in between us. "I won't let you touch him!" he yelled before he was tossed out of the way using so kind of levitation magic and then pierced through with a beam of light. "Gah…Inigo…run…" he choked out as he landed.

I stepped back, my arms starting to shake. I looked back to Hades. "Buzz off, old man. Inigo, do not heed his words; make your decision yourself."

I lit up my magic again. "Shut up!" I yelled, holding my hand out to threaten him.

"You're going to try and fight me?" he mocked. "Your Master couldn't even defeat me, and yet you will try?"

My heart continued pounding. "…No," I answered as I put my hand down, shaking my head. "I can't fight you; not after all that you let me do…"

"Good, then you'll-"

"But…if you hurt my guild master, then I'm never going to join you!" I yelled as I made a mad dash for Makarov, narrowly avoiding his Piercing Bullet spell, and grabbed Makarov, trying to run away, though I didn't make it as Hades blasted me away, far away.

I held onto Makarov like my life depended on it, making sure that I took the brunt of the impact from the fall. "Inigo…" Makarov choked out.

"Don't say anything; conserve your energy," I said to him, laying him onto the ground. Shaking was beginning to be heard around the island, from everyone on it. "Next time, if it's to protect my guild, I'm going to attack him with everything I've got, but…maybe I can talk to him," I said with a smile, optimistic.

Makarov shook his head. "Darkness…overtook him. He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants…"

I stood. "I have to go help. If he wanted me in his 'kin' then they must be pretty powerful, and he also said that he taught Lost magic to other people, so they must be the kin, the other people that he taught," I said, hopping on a thundercloud. "Don't worry, Master, I'll come back for you."

Author's Note:

So the consensus is in and with my personal vote included, I will not be doing the Key of the Starry Sky arc. I have a few reasons for this; one there aren't any good match-ups that I could use that wouldn't just have repeat victory speeches/reasons from this arc or earlier, and also the fact that that arc is almost entirely focused on Lucy who has little to no connection with my OC Inigo here, so...yeah...anyway, I will make up for this by including my very own arc...at some point or another. I don't know, we'll see.

Alright, sorry for any who are disappointed, but I promise I'll make up for it somehow, and I hope you're all looking forward to the next chapter!