Two years ago.
One day, Asuka Connell caught a sickness while out with her parents. Because of this, her parents had to go out on a trip to receive the medicine for her. The only issue was…they usually left babysitting to Natsu or Lucy, but Natsu and his team were currently out on another mission. "We can't take her with us…" Alzack said with a heavy sigh.
"I wonder if anyone else will be willing to take some time to help…" Bisca was concerned. "I'll stay if I have to."
That's when Mii walked up, arms crossed as she overheard the two talking. "Hey you two, what's going on? Where's Asuka?"
"She's asleep right now in the infirmary." Bisca said. "She got sick the other day…we have a way to help make her feel better, but it's a trip and a bit out of the way. We don't exactly feel right leaving our daughter alone. So I was telling Alzack that I would stay behind."
"We'd usually leave it to Natsu to look after her…" Alzack began.
"Natsu the babysitter? Really?" Mii raised a brow. She could not imagine Natsu taking care of a kid even for a few hours.
"I know it's hard to believe," Alzack said with a laugh. "But you should know by now how he is when he wants to take care of something. He hatched Happy from an egg and always makes sure Asuka is safe when they're together."
"I know Natsu is…well, Natsu." Bisca started. "But he always takes good care of her. It's the one responsibility he can undertake we don't have to worry about."
"Well, he and the others aren't here right now." Mii looked around. "So I'll do it."
Mii's offer surprised the two of them. "Are you sure? We wouldn't want to trouble you." Bisca gave a slight smile.
"Trouble Mii? Pssh, I'm not doing anything." Mii waved a hand. Granted, at this time, she was supposed to be watching over Lucy but…this seemed more important. "I like the kid. Go on and enjoy that 'adult' time~"
"Ahaha…thanks Mii…" Alzack sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "We owe you one."
"Not a problem." Mii waved a hand and walked to the infirmary, where Asuka slept. Mii sat down next to her, gently placing a hand on her forehead. "Wow, that is one nasty fever…"
"Mmm…" Asuka opened her eyes, looking up at Mii. "Mii….?"
"Hey there, kiddo. Hanging in there?" Mii said with a gentle smile.
"Where are Mama and Papa…?" The young Connell asked wearily.
"They went to go get medicine for you. They'll be back soon. So I hope you don't mind having Mii keep you company." Mii kept her smile. She was always most honest around kids and Asuka was no exception. If she thought herself to have any redeeming qualities, surely it had to be this.
Asuka shook her head, managing a smile. "No no…! I like you…you give me candy when Mama and Papa say no."
"You gotta give the kids a nice sweet treat every now and then." Mii winked.
"Why do you treat me so special?" The young girl questioned. It was something she was always curious about. Not that she was complaining, she enjoyed Mii's company a lot, just as much as Natsu's.
"Well…when I was a kid, I honestly didn't have many people around…my mom…got sick after giving birth to me. My dad didn't want me, my home turned me away, and my tutor left me…" Mii gave a slight smile, but it was a sad one.
"That's so sad…those people sound like bullies." Asuka huffed. As far as she was concerned, Mii was great.
"I only had one person growing up…that was my friend Em…she took care of me, taught me…whatever you can imagine. She told me that kids need to get the best treatment they can. They're the future of the world, or something like that…it kinda stuck with me. So since then, I decided to be the best Mii I could be…to kids." Before Mii could say anything else, Asuka jumped up from the bed and hugged her. "Ah…"
"Asuka thinks you need a hug…" She said, hugging Mii tightly.
"…." Mii sighed, gently returning the hug to the sick child.
Present Day.
Fairy Tail was keeping an eye on the progress of Earthland's Strongest. The way the week had gone was extremely tense for them as well. "Man…they've really been cutting it close all week." Max said while rubbing the back of his head. "We're just the spectators and I feel just as involved as they are."
"You're telling me…" Wakaba took a big huff of his cigar. "Seeing all those strong mages out there makes me realize how far we've fallen behind…but there's not much we can do about it now."
"All we can do is leave it up to them." Macao crossed his arms. The thought of falling so far behind…well, it didn't sit right with him. But considering the competition Natsu and the others were facing, they'd only be a hindrance.
"They'll be just fine." Mira was cleaning the bar counter with Kinana. "They've made it this far. But I am a little worried about Erza…" The events of the first day burned strongly in everyone's mind. If they were present, they probably would have joined Natsu in attacking Lucia for what she did.
"The cocky bastards really think she'll stay down after that? Not a chance!" Bickslow laughed. His babies chanting 'not a chance! Not a chance!' after him.
"They're doing whatever they can to ensure that Fiore doesn't get far. But even if they've been watching us for the past few years, they should already know that we don't back down." Laxus said while crossing his arms. "If they think they can outmuscle Natsu, Lucy, and Erza when it counts, they're in for a rude awakening."
"I couldn't have said it better myself." Freed nodded several times at Laxus' words.
"You didn't say anything at all." Evergreen just stared at Freed. "But naturally, Laxus is right. Give them an opening and they'll knock the house down."
"Yeah! Did you see the way they beat one of Emeraude's Spriggan?" Cana was of course drunk, hugging a barrel of beer tightly. "The look on her face was great! If they can do that, then they've got nothing to worry about!" A drunken giggle followed.
"I think you've had enough for the day…" Levy groaned a bit. Just watching Cana drink so much made her feel uneasy. She placed a hand on her stomach, turning away from the sight of her friend chugging away the alcohol.
"And it'll be Manly!" Elfman flexed his muscles. "They're up against seriously tough foes, but they've overcome worse. I'm more worried about Mii…"
"You too, huh?" Lisanna said with a slight frown. "I can't even begin to imagine what she's been going through over the last year. I really want to help her, but I can't do anything for her from here."
"I wonder when she'll come home…" Asuka frowned. That caused Alzack and Bisca to look over at their daughter.
"Mii is…going through a lot of complicated things right now, sweetie." Bisca picked her daughter up and gave a smile. "It's something she has to figure out on her own. I know how much you liked her and I'm sure a part of her wants to see you again too."
"Really?" Asuka's eyes lit up.
"I'm sure of it." Alzack nodded.
"…." Gajeel didn't have much to say. He was still thinking about Zelos and how suspicious it was they knew nothing about him.
"Natsu-nii and the others will do great!" Romeo was confident about this.
Reedus was off in the corner, making several paintings of Fiore's efforts in Earthland's Strongest. It was his personal record of their brave efforts; his favorite one being Natsu standing up to King Ashnard. "I hope they'll appreciate these paintings when they return."
"They're looking good, Reedus!" Laki shouted from the other side of the guild hall.
"Keep it up!" Warren added.
"What about Prometheus and Pandora? I am getting a bit worried about them." Levy said. "Prometheus nearly attacked Wendy! If that happens again…"
"They got kicked out of the tournament for it. So as sketchy as Count Waltz seems, he's at least serious about making sure people don't die." Laxus did appreciate that part. "But I've been working on a way to fix the problem he started. I just need a bit more time."
"We'll settle this soon enough, I'm sure." Mirajane gave her trademark smile. That alone helped ease the tension in the guild. All they could do was wait for Fiore to hopefully win in the tournament and put the Wizard Hunters in their place.
White Eclipse didn't slow down for even a moment. Even with Reve and Luke gone, the others were taking the chance to train and improve while they weren't watching the tournament. Cygnus was taking on both Kanade and El Rayo in a sparring session outside. While the two of them were putting in work, Cygnus still ultimately came out on top against the rookies. "Not bad you two. But it'll take more than that to take me down. Rayo's wrestling moves are gonna make me a bit sore later, though."
"Lucha!" Rayo exclaimed, only to wince from his injuries. Though he was glad to hear that he was making progress against one of White Eclipse's strongest.
"I'll get you one of these days, you know…" Kanade said while standing up. Aira was working on healing duty, making sure nobody stayed too dinged up after a spar.
"Hope you're not too exhausted, I'm next." Reiss walked out from the front doors, cracking his knuckles as he got ready to take a swing at Cygnus.
"I'm hungry." Cygnus shook his head. "After I eat, I'll gladly put you in the dirt too! I'm feeling pretty good today! If I was part of the tournament team, Fiore wouldn't have a thing to worry about."
"So you're saying that they settled with Luke and Reve?" Micaiah asked with a slight snicker.
"Oh, they'll be just fine in this final stretch." Cygnus said while waving a hand. "Reve knows that if he doesn't even contribute a little bit or land the winning blow, I'm never going to let him live it down."
"Oh, don't worry. We won't either." Waiston remarked with a cheesy grin. "But we know Reve. He'll make sure he's the loudest one there no matter what happens. Which is why I'm not worried that he'll do more than pull his weight, he's been doing pretty well already. Luke too. If it weren't for those two, Fiore would've fallen way behind."
"I definitely won't let him go without hearing anything about it for a single day in the rare occurrence than it does happen." Taya remarked.
"Just another way of White Eclipse proving it's the best." Reiss nodded.
"I hope they're careful, though." Aira said while frowning. "The foes they're facing are very strong. I don't like the vibe Pergrande has been giving off the whole time…I feel like some of them would take the chance to kill if it weren't for the rule."
"You're worrying too much." Selene gave a slight smile. "They'll be fine. What does our Master think, huh?" The Diamond dragon looked up to the second floor balcony, where Jaxon was taking a break from all the duties of being a guild master.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I can sense a storm coming…" Jaxon said.
"Should we stay inside?" Ilaria questioned, curious by his meaning.
"I had the same foreboding feeling." Aira admitted. "I can't tell what it is, but something hasn't felt right the past few days…"
"I hope it's nothing too terrible…" Vanya placed a hand on her cheek.
"To tell the truth, there's not a lot that worries me." Cygnus scoffed. "After taking out Acnologia, I don't think there's a lot in the world that can even come close to scaring me."
Kuro had to nod in agreement with Cygnus. "This world is a big place. But it's hard to imagine a stronger force than Acnologia…I'm not saying it isn't out there, but we've encountered a lot over the years and Dragons have been at the top of the list for a while."
"See, Kuro gets it! The only Dragon I'm worried about is probably Adam." As much as Cygnus was feeling himself, he had to respect his fellow guild mate.
"That's pretty bold of you to state, Cyg." Taya snickered from afar. :I hope that red carpet you're walking on doesn't get pulled out from under you…but it would be humorous to see it happen."
As the bickering ensued down below, Jaxon just kept his gaze up on the sky; something didn't feel right in the air and it bothered him. "…."
Jin stood behind his brother, keeping his arms crossed. "The stars are aligning…"
Yukino was pacing back and forth in the Sabertooth guild hall, fiddling with her hands. "I'm so nervous…"
"Relaaaaax." Sorano was crashed on a nearby couch, waving her hand as her younger sister nervously paced about. "They had a bit of a rough start, but they're fine. Sting and Minerva have been doing well enough."
"You're pretty lax about this. I imagine the situation would be reversed if you or your sister were in the midst of the battlefield." Rufus pointed out.
"…I don't know what you are referring you." Sorano coughed and looked away, opting not to answer that question. "Point is, they're gonna bring it home! I haven't been around the block enough to know how hard those guys fight when they mean it."
"Perhaps so…when the Lady gets angry, her enemies will regret crossing paths with her." Rufus stated confidently. "I recall it all in my memory."
"Indeed…they will regret making the Lady angry. Dobengal said firmly.
"Fro think so too!" Frosch held his hands up in the air excitedly.
Rogue had his arms crossed, staring out a window. "I can't forgive them…Prometheus and Pandora…"
"Rogue-sama?" Yukino carefully approached Rogue.
"They were using Orga's body like some sort of puppet, after already killing him…" Rogue's hand tightened around his arm. There was a black aura wavering around him as the mere thought of watching Orga under orders angered him to no end. There was no risk of his shadow taking him over…but even still…
"I know…" Yukino frowned, placing a hand on Rogue's shoulder. Sabertooth was lacking that boisterous volume Orga always provided. Ever since the war ended, they felt his absence strongly. "If I was strong enough, maybe I could have…"
"Don't start thinking like that, either of you. None of you." Sorano sat up from the couch, her lax expression turning serious. "I didn't know the guy myself, but I'm sure he wouldn't want you to beat yourself up over it. War is hell, that's all I can say…er…man, I'm sorry. I'm not really good at speeches like this. But I can't stand seeing you guys get down on yourselves…"
"It was appreciated, Sister." Yukino managed a soft smile.
"Yeah, thanks…." Rogue gave a slight nod. Sorano was right; it wouldn't do much good beating themselves up. "Sting would toss us in the pool if he saw us being so moody."
"And then fall in himself after slipping." Rufus quipped. That did make the others laugh a bit. That helped ease the air in the guild somewhat. It was a much needed laugh.
"The final day is so soon!" Milliana bounced around. "I really hope Kagura-chan and Er-chan beat the snot out of that blue haired girl!" This kitty was hissing in anger after the first day. Lucia was already on her bad list after what she had done to Erza.
"I agree!" Risley puffed her chest out. "That woman is lucky we weren't there. We would've shown her we don't take that sort of attitude lying down!"
"I wonder if it's against the rules for spectators to attack contestants…" Melody hummed. "But thinking that way won't do us any good. For the time being, we just have to keep cheering Kagura and the others on."
"Melody's right. They're right behind the front runners. If I know our mages well enough, they'll be able to pull off the upset." Arana said with a smile. "I don't think there's anything to worry about. Their foes will be ensnared within their web before long enough." To illustrate her point, she created a spider's web with her hands.
"Maybe I should've packed Kagura some vegetables before she left…" Beth said.
"I think she's got a few other things on her mind so far." Melody said with a snicker. The girls were definitely going to question their Ace about a certain dragon slayer later. They had a fun surprise set up for Kagura when she came home.
The boys at Quatro Ceberus were drinking away as always. They were hyping up Fiore in their own way, or taking a drink every time something cool or stupid happened. "Boys will be boys…" Goldmine pinched the bridge of his nose, but he was also smiling too.
"Yeah, they can get hammered all they want…I'm good." Blues waved his hand. As always, he stuck to water. "I kinda wish I was the one out there, though. But considering Bacchus was going toe to toe with Titania, I see why he was chosen."
"Oi, don't talk like that!" Rocker said, hooking his arm around Blues' neck. "Ya did really well out there! Everyone did! But even I have to admit that the squad they sent out there is way more wild than anything I could be a part of!"
"Four!" The rest of the boys exclaimed in unison.
"They're entering the final day now…it makes me want to cry…" Warcry was shedding some tears at the thought of the tournament being over so soon.
"Will they be tears of happiness or sadness?" Jeager questioned, preparing to slide his seat away just in case the river of tears began.
"BOTH!?" Warcry began to cry. His tears were strong as ever, sweeping away a few other members. Blues, Goldmine, and Yeager just stepped to the side to avoid the flood of tears.
"Point is…" Goldman said with a slight laugh. "You boys are as tough as they come. Anyone of you would have been a good pick. But I am glad that drunkard has been putting his best out there. Makes this old man proud to see how far his rowdy boys have come. That's why I'm hoping to see something big on that final day tomorrow. Wild….?"
"FOUR!"
"They're doing pretty well…" Lyon remarked, looking over the scores of Earthland's Strongest. It was a bit closer than eh would've liked. "I would've had us in the lead, but third place isn't so bad either."
"YEAH, YOU WOULD'VE KICKED BUTT, ON!" Toby shouted.
Yuka, however, was forever annoyed by the shouting. "You don't need to yell, man…"
Chelia had been keeping an eye on the tournament as well. "I was worried when Wendy was attacked…"
"Yes, Prometheus is growing more and more dangerous by the day…but there's nothing that can be done at the current moment." Jura folded his arms in front of him. "All we can do is provide support…"
"Ren and his guild went to support them. I would have gone with them, but it was best I stay here." Sherri glanced to Chelia. The girl was still deeply affected by Blair's attack and she had to be there for her cousin.
"I saw that woman…" Chelia stared at the floor. Watching Dimaria compete in an event made her mad. But it was an empty anger, because there wasn't anything she could do about it. Defeating Dimaria in the war didn't really make it feel like she avenged Raven. She was sitting with emotions she didn't even know what to do. It was hard…and the others knew that. That's why they were there for her as much as they could be. It was all they could do.
"Chelia…" Sherri mumbled.
"I'm okay…" Chelia flashed a smile. It was her burden to bear…which is why she completely understood why Blair attacked her. "More importantly, I hope Natsu and the others can pull out a victory."
"Have you met them? They're insane enough to make us think they're going to lose until the last second." Lyon said while shaking his head. "I'll be more surprised if they don't pull something crazy."
"Their foes are mountains…" Jura said. "Those mages would even give someone like myself trouble. But that is the challenge of being a mage. Foes like those are mountains to overcome. Fiore as a country has overcome mountain after mountain over the years. That is why I am certain they will emerge victorious." Jura's inspiring words made everyone smile. The competition was tough, but Fiore was tougher. The world would come to see that soon enough.
The sun was setting in Crown City. The day was busy with pedestrians roaming about, doing whatever shopping they could to prepare for the final day of Earthland's Strongest. As for the competitors, they were doing whatever they could to prepare. Jellal found himself walking into the bakery…not because he wanted to on his own, but because he was invited. By who? Oddly enough…
"Over here." Zelos was waving his hand. He was sitting at the far back.
Jellal stared curiously. Zelos called him out here…but why? He'd have to find out soon enough. Jellal took a seat across from Zelos, raising a brow at the magic swordsman. "I wasn't expecting you of all people to ask to speak to me. We've never held a conversation before…"
"But Erza-chan likes you well enough, so I know you're the one I can ask." Zelos had a bit of a disgusted look at himself. "But man…asking a man for a favor? Didn't think it'd come to this…"
"A…favor?" Jellal tilted his head a bit. "What are you trying to ask?"
"Simple." Zelos leaned back in his seat, hands resting behind his head. "I want you to take my spot on the team."
.
.
Next Time: The Final Night.
