Disclaimer: Fairy Tail does not belong to me.
Chapter 11: Reviving a Nightmare.
Arriving at the Stadium Lucy and Natsu were intercepted by a group of reporters.
"Luuuucy, you owe me this interview in name of old times." Jason said as he pushed the other reporters and put an arm around her shoulders.
Lucy sighed. "I promise that I do it when the Games finish. Natsu and I'll tell you what you want, okay?"
"Cooool... You're the best!" He screamed.
Natsu pulled Lucy and they ran away, running toward the bleachers.
"Someone turned magazine's first page" Cana said as soon they entered the space reserved for the guild, while she taking a sip of wine.
"You look so beautiful in this picture." Mira praised.
"I thank you for not having photographed me like END." Natsu lamented high enough just for Lucy to hear.
Lucy took his hand in hers and made him look into her eyes. "What did we talk about the last nigth, Natsu?"
He sighed in defeat. "Yes..."
"Let's decide who will take part in today's test." Erza said in a serious tone.
"I'll go." Lucy said.
"Me too. I haven't been involved yet this year." Gajeel said taking off the arms that were around Levy.
"Come on, Bunny girl, they'll announce the participants." He pulled Lucy into the arena.
When they arrived in the arena the presenter explained the rules of the test. "You'll receive this crystal." He handed a white crystal that fit in the palm of hand to each participan. "The goal is to reach the top of that tower and place the crystal in the center of the pedestal that is in the last room, you'll have to walk through the city that appeared in the middle of the arena. The obstacles will be the smaller towers, the buildings that will appear middle of the city and the other competitors, of course." He smiled at them. "Good luck!"
He turned to the audience and announced:
Fairy Tail - Team A: Lucy Heartfillia
Fairy Tail - Team B: Gajeel Redfox
Sabertooth: Sting Euclife
Blue Pegasus: Hibiki Lates
Lamia Scale: Lyon Vastia
Mairmaid Heel: Kagura Mikazuchi
Twilight Ogre: Sony Toshiro.
The game began with Sting launching a White Dragon Roar, causing everyone to disperse, fleeing the attack.
Lucy ran through the cities having the Central Tower as her goal. She stumbled over Hibiki who smiled gently at her. "Hi Lucy, it's been a while ..."
"Hibiki." She smiled back. "Loke." She summoned her spirit while Hibiki prepared a attack subtly.
When a wave of magic appeared in front of her, Loke intercepted it by throwing it back at the attacker, causing him to fly toward a building.
"On time, Loke." Lucy thanked him as she walked toward Hibiki picking his crystal. "Did you really think I didn't see it coming, Hibi?"
He groaned in pain. "I tried to be subtle, my dear."
She laughed and ran toward the Tower without looking back.
Meanwhile on the other side of the arena Sting and Kagura were in a not so friendly fight. Kagura threw his sword in small cuts on Sting who retaliated by launching attacks of dragon wings. Unfortunately for Kagura, it is not so easy to defeat a dragonslayer. Sting took her crystal and smiled at her. "Thank you for that, girl with the sword." He thanked her and ran toward the Tower.
Gajeel raced toward the tower after defeating the Twilight Ogre guy. He passed a corner and slammed into someone's face, knocking him to the floor.
"Damn it, Gajeel, look where you're going." Lucy screamed angrily as she rose from the floor.
He gave her a feral smile. "I won't take it lightly on you, Bunny."
Lucy snorted. "When did you take easy on me, dragon boy?!"
His smile fell in a scowl as he remembered the day he'd tortured her in his Phantom Lord days. He stood up and wrapped a metal arm.
She smiled at him. "Don't need to hold on. I know how to deal with dragons, I have one of you in home." She winked at him and ran down the street toward the tower.
Gajeel ran forward, throwing them both to the ground. Lucy tried to reach for her keys, but he held her hands close to the body.
"Damn it, Gajeel!" She grumbled between clenched teeth.
"It's a game, Bunny. Now give me that crystal and I'll let you go... maybe." He scoffed.
"If you catch it I bet you'll have trouble with Levy." Lucy replied with a laugh.
He blinked confused. "Where did you put that crystal?"
She looked down at her neckline making him grunt with rage.
She laughed out loud. Taking advantage of his distraction she managed to escape his grip and pushed him away, running toward the fountain that was next to them. Lucy took out two keys and put them in the water, before Gajeel could react.
"Aquarius, Cetus." She called the spirits.
Gajeel gazed in astonishment as a mermaid and a merman appeared in front of Lucy. "You're a conductor of electricity, Gaj." Lucy smirked. "Guys, Combat Attack: Celestial Tornado."
Gajeel's eyes widened when Aquarius pointed a jug of water at him and Cetus pointed his trident. Aquarius launched a water funnel that was wrapped by lightning that came out of the trident reaching Gajeel who fell electrocuted.
Lucy ran to him, avoiding stepping in the puddles, took his crystal that was in the pocket in the vest. She turned to her spirits. "Thank you guys, you're awesome!"
"Anything for you, my queen." Cetus said with a smile before disappearing.
"Tsk." Aquarius growled. "Don't call me for a week, brat. I'm going on holiday with Scorpion."
Lucy laughed. "How could I miss that."
Aquarius smiled slightly and disappeared.
Suddenly a loud bang was heard throughout the arena making the hologram of the city disappear, revealing someone behind a cloud of smoke.
"What the hell." Natsu shouted from the stands.
"Who is he?" Erza questioned.
"I think it was asking a lot an event without some crazy trying to destroy everything or kidnap someone from our guild." Gray grunted angrily.
Lucy stood in front of Gajeel to protect him, since he was unconscious. Sting ran and stood beside her.
When the smoke began to fade, they heard a sinister laugh. Lucy recognized this laugh, the same one that haunted her nightmares for nearly one year. "Impossible! I killed you." She said in a desperate tone.
The monster that terrorized her nightmares stepped out of the smoke and smiled devilishly. "When you destroy a demon, make sure you destroy his book, Blondie." He gave a manic laugh. "You never know when a black guild can find the book and do a macabre ritual to resurrect the demon you thought you killed."
Tears streamed into her eyes. "Jackal."
Natsu ran to the middle of the arena toward Lucy. "Luceee, get away from him."
"Oh, I'm going to enjoy having my revenge." Jackal said angrily. "I've been looking for both of you since they brought me back. That photo in the magazine was quite revealing, by the way."
Sting narrowed the eyes at him. "Go back to hell. ROAR OF THE WHITE DRAGON."
Jackal flew across the arena, hitting the wall of the bleachers, making everyone panic and ran for the exits.
Lucy came out of her trance, turning into Aquarius Star Dress. "Natsu, we have to find his book and the other demons. Before this can become a bloody mess again."
"I thought Zeref had destroyed them along with the Mard Geer." Natsu lamented.
Gray jumped on their side in the Demon Form. "Let's destroy this idiot."
Erza turned to Freed and Levy. "You need to find a way to track down those books and destroy them."
"The Magic Council has the books." Mest said as he approached the conversation. "It was the first thing they did after retirement."
"Yes, but they were missing two, probably Jackal and Mard Geer." Levy confirmed.
Natsu ignored the whole conversation. The only thing he could think of was this insane demon made Lucy cry. He threw himself at Jackal with fists wrapped in fire and the two exchanged blows.
Jackal laughed maniacally completely amused by the fight, while Natsu was obviously furious. Jackal threw an explosion at Natsu who fell almost unconscious, as he lifted off the ground, shaking the head to escape the shock he was due to the blow, he was carried away by the excitement of the fight, Natsu looked up and his eyes turned into cracks like a dragon, his right hand gained claws and horns appeared on the head as dark scales formed over his face.
Sting and Gray strode backward, letting the demon fight happen.
Natsu crushed Jackal to the ground and he trapped him on the floor of the arena using the claws, he caught hold of his throat making him gasp. "Which black guild have your damn book?"
Jackal coughed and tried to smile but found it difficult with all the blood coming out of his mouth. "You'll have to kill me."
"You don't die, you damn liar." Natsu smiled at him. "I'll take you to the Council and they'll take the information from you, how does that sound?"
Jackal screamed when Natsu's claws entered his neck and he fell into unconsciousness.
Everyone was staring at the scene with different faces.
Lucy walked toward Natsu who still had claws attached to Jackal. Erza took her hand. "Lucy, stay away."
Lucy let go of her grip. "Is Natsu, Erza!" She walked toward him ignoring the looks she was receiving.
She put the hand in his claws, taking the grip from the unconscious demon's neck. "Natsu."
He looked at her with a cold face, full of dragon scales. "Lucy?"
"Hey, it's over, now we'll find the book and destroy it, right?" She said in a calm tone pulling him out of Jackal.
He kept giving her a strange look that made the others who were close to them shudder.
Lucy put a hand on his face. "Hey..." She leaned closer, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Lushy..." Happy called, flying toward them. But he stopped at a distance he considered safe.
"It's okay, Happy. Is just Natsu." She said with a shiny smile.
Lucy closed the distance between them and kissed him. Natsu put the bloody hand in her hair and growled. "Lucy." He said in a desperate tone, deepening the kiss.
Lucy stepped back and looked into his eyes. He looked lost. "Natsu."
He blinked a few times and his eyes returned to normal. "Luce." He whispered and returned to normal slowly, making Happy sigh in relief.
He looked at Jackal unconscious on the floor, then looked around at the stunned faces. "Let's go home." He begged for Lucy and Happy. "Please."
The two nodded and left, avoiding the people of the participating guilds and the soldiers of the palace.