Chapter 44

The first black rose

The morning of the fourth day of the games began as usually for athos and the rest of his male team mates. Thrown out the room so the women of the team could get washed and dressed. The three men sat down stairs in the bar with Mr. Bone talking to them all about their matches in the games.

He praised them for all their handwork so far in the game and even told athos that he was impressed with his battle against Jura.

"Oh yes your acrobatics caused my poor wife to nearly have a heart attack. She couldn't believe a man could do such things."

Athos didn't know whether to take this as a compliment or a issue. But with everyone laughing around him, the bard simply went along with it. Team fairy tail B certainly had done well for themselves recently and athos was feeling happier generally thanks to it. The bard had also not wasted his time with not being in any matches. He trained in the evening when he wasn't drinking with his guild mates or dealing with other matters. So could say even now the bard was improving and yet today the bard would have to prove it. Not in an official match but in a fight outside of arena.

It all began at Lucy's terrible and unmercifully battering from minerva in the first match today between all seven guild in a water bubble arena. Everyone in the arena watched the utter cruelness of Minerva as she beat the fairy tail celestial mage to an inch within her life. It was only with the game being called to an end by Mato that the sabertooth princess let Lucy's limp fall out the water arena.

Natsu and Gray rushed to Lucy aid, catching her in their arms as she fell. The officials medical staff then came running onto the field and took to her fairy tail's infirmary. Every fairy tail mage wanted then and there to do the same back to Minerva. However as natsu and gray made a move on minerva, the rest of team sabertooth came dashing to Minerva side like a bunch of bullies ganging up. It looked to be an all out fight between team fairy tail a and team sabertooth. However ezra finally calmed the situation down by telling her team to stand down. however she did leave sabertooth a warning just so they didn't think they got away with this.

"You may be the strongest or Fiore's best. I nether know or care." Erza said staring deadly at the team. "However I will say this, you have taken the single guild you mustn't anger...and made it your enemy."

After this warning, the two teams withdrew from the arena leaving the crowd stunned at what was said. The rest of fairy tail then went to check on Lucy in the infirmary. The poor girl had never look so bad. Her, arms,legs and chest wrapped in bandages and her voice weak as she apologies for losing to minerva. She had taken quite a beating and yet all she cared about was her keys were safe which happy gave to her as the mage held her keys close to her. Fairy tail would not forgive sabertooth for this and yet as if fate had turned against them,more bad news came from the entrance of master makarov.

His news was a demand from the officials of the game demanding the two fairy tail teams would have to become one due to raven tail being disqualified. The next question on everyone mind became who? Who would be in the new team? There were reason for every combination they could come up with and even makarov was struggling with an ideal team.

It was then the ghost of first master Mavis stepped up to have her say. She had a plan of attack as well as a team idea for the next two days of the games. Yet there was one thing she had to make clear to everyone.

"This team I will form is from my insight into the guild and the strength you all have shown. If your are not picked then understand this is from what I have seen of your skill I have witnessed and nothing else. So let us begin."

The first master made was very clear-cut, she choose the new members of team fairy tail to be Laxus,Ezra,Nastu,Gajeel,Grey and Juvia as a reserve. There were questions about why athos hadn't been picked? After all he is an s-class mage of the guild. However the first master had a simple answer to this question saying.

"He isn't here. So can I pick him?"

To everyone surprise the bard had gone. What was he thinking going away at a time like this? And where had he gone? The answer was Athos already knew he won't be picked due to his performance against Jura. The new team of fairy tail needed to be made of mages that had fighting spirit and the unbending will to fight to the bitter end.

The bard didn't have these qualities and he knew it. As such he left the arena to to ponder about the subject. However it was as he made his way down the path leading to the city that he was stopped by the one sabertooth mage that today had hurt one of his friends.

"Well what a surprise. I never expected to run into you out here bard." Minerva said in her usual evil tone. Athos had a feeling this meeting was no accident. He watched saying nothing as the sabertooth princess began to walk around him. What was she doing?

"You know I think you could service me well." Minerva said seductively leaning on athos. She then began to run his left hand up shirt commenting how could image him bowing before her like a dog to it mistress. It was that this athos knocked her left hand away forcibly with his own left hand and glared at her commenting angrily.

"Amusing. Me your dog. I must say even if I where such a creƤture, I wouldn't even bother peeing on you, you witch. It would be a waste."

The sabertooth princess couldn't believe what he had just said. Did he not see this was the perfect offer for him? She tried to explain this too him making athos more and more angry at her before finally he pushed her back saying sharply to her.

"You do make me laugh princess ha, more like troll who forces other to see her as something she is not. Your offer you make is nothing more then insulting to me. Do you really think I would accept such an offer? Go have one of you other minions do your wishes you..."

Athos never got to finish his speech as within seconds the bard found himself being strangled, he looked forward to see minerva now with an angry look her face. She made it clear to him this was it She had tried to be nice, appeal to his male senses and yet he dared to call her names. Now she would force him to come with her, she would strip him of his guild mark and force him to become her play thing.

She laughed as athos tried to fight back, her magic allowed her to manipulate space. She had somehow managed to control the space in athos throat to begin to close up, the bard could do nothing only try to attack back. But moving made him lose more oxygen and in end he was forced to his knees as minerva stood before him.

She was ready to finally bring her toy in when suddenly a shower of roses caught the princess by surprise. Causing her to dodge and release her spell over athos. The bard and his foe looked further up the path and there standing with her right hand above her head was Beth Vanderwood.

"Fear not bard." She began striking a heroic pose were she stood. For it is I, the songstress of mermaid heel come to your aid to help you defeat this evil witch who dares lay a hand on you."

Athos made to admit, he thought Beth had overdone it with the intro. But he was happy to have some help. However for minerva, this little girl had ruined her plan and she was not happy.

"You carrot top! How dare you interfere in a battle between adults. I guess the only way to deal you is to show you why you shouldn't mess in adult affairs."

It was with that, the princess of began to choke Beth with her magic. Poor Beth had no way to stop this as her breathing space got smaller and smaller. Yet it was then a wall of vine burst out before Beth blocking minerva's view. The princess of sabertooth knew there was only one other person here who could use such a spell and turning around, she saw athos now on his feet and his left hand glowing with green aura.

He had blocked her view meaning she couldn't see her target had actually been knocked back by the vine's freeing Beth from the spell. Minerva was not happy with athos and with that she began to choke him again only this time athos had a plan.

As he was choked, the bard focused all his magical energy into his spell of a thousand roses and before long minerva could see above athos that the rose didn't stop appearing. First a hundred, then two hundred, three hundred,four hundred until finally with over five hundred roses above him, the bard managed to say.

"Walk away...ah or be sliced into a million piece witch."

The sabertooth princess laughed at such a threat. She knew she could switch places with Beth or could she? It suddenly hit minerva that athos vine wall blocked her sight. She couldn't switch with someone she couldn't see and even swapping with athos would leave her open to the roses as they rained down. The fairy tail bard plan had worked. With no other option, the princess of sabertooth released athos before telling him he shouldn't think he is clever for his action.

Athos was glad to reply he didn't but he did have something for her and with that he threw the princess his gift. She saw it as it came down toward her and at once allowed it to fall to the ground in horror. Athos gift to her was a black rose, the sign of death. This rose made it clear to her athos planned on killing her and this feeling was back up when athos grinned at her before making a cut throat sigh across his neck.

Minerva laughed back trying to hide her fear before warning him he could not touch her during the game, athos answered her.

"As enemy of fairy tail I can wait for my time to strike. After all a bard must follow his roses path."

It was with this minerva vanished. She had switched places with him and looking back, athos saw her flee into the city. He knew she would be back. For with still another day to go, a witch could never truly be defeat. His concern however turned to Beth who now jumped over the shrinking vine wall.

She was worried about him and wanted to thank him for saving her. Athos however thanked her for saying him causing Beth to blush. It was then the mermaid heel asked him if something he never expect to hear from such a girl?

Beth wanted to know if him and mirajane were a thing? The bard didn't understand until Beth basically shouted at him asking if he was dating her? Athos had to admit he wasn't but this didn't seem to make Beth happy in fact she continued to shout at him.

"What? How can you not be! I saw you when she fought. You make such a cute couple plus imagine the babies?"

Athos laughed as finally he had worked it out. This was Beth trying to hide her feelings but with a pat on her head. Athos told her he loved mirajane. He could see her smile dip a bit hearing this but with a smile back and putting his bard hat on her head. He told her..

"But if I have to admit who I admire more as my hero. It would be you miss Beth. For the songstress of mermaid heel is a true hero and will one day surpass even this bard."

Beth could help but cry tears of mixed feeling. She was upset athos loved someone else but to have her hero admit that she was his hero. She couldn't help weep as he hugged her. Today athos had left a message to sabertooth he knew they won't ignore. Yet they weren't the only one to see this message for that night as athos trained outside the city walls, the first guild master marvis appeared before him.

She had seen what athos done to minerva and asking the bard why he left when they were deciding on team members. Athos made it clear to the master that he knew he wasn't ready to fight, he still needed to be strong for the guild it was at this marvis smiled saying.

"Indeed, your strength comes from your emotions. A trait of many mage I used to work with. Tell me that rose you threw your foe. I understand it means your foe is dead not that the bard will kill that foe. Are you saying the princess of sabertooth is dead?"

Athos laughed at how cutely the master asked this. He explained to her that the rose indeed meant she was dead. However not on the outside but on the inside. The princess had forgotten all about her feeling making her nothing more than a shell filled with death and evil.

Mavis nodded at this. It made sense to her after what she had seen today. However there was one thing she wanted to know?

"Tell me athos, I have a plan to make sure you to battle against your rival, the minstal who sings to the red moon but only if you agree to something."

Athos knew he would do anything to finally face off against Rufus and at once answered the first master anything to which she replied.

"Come with me to the cake store and buy me all the cake I can eat!"

Poor athos thought this was such an easy agreement that he accepted without worry. He thought as a ghost the first guild master couldn't eat that many cakes. Oh but was he wrong.

After nearly a hundred cakes along with fifty cups of tea and three bathroom breaks. By the end of their cake shop night out, athos had to pay over thirty thousand jewels for the first master feast. But he knew it would be worth it. For now he was guaranteed a chance to fight his rival and prove once and for all that he is the greatest musician in the land.