"Victory is only the calm before the storm"

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

In. Out.

Pump your arms.

Move your legs.

Faster. Run as fast as you can.

It was my job to locate Rufus. I had to get there first.

I'd already taken down my first target—Hibiki. He'd strayed across my path on accident. That took at least a minute, maybe longer.

I couldn't let anything else delay me.

I had to follow the plan. We had to win.

I was coiled up like a spring—raw energy—pure tension.

The cloak billowed around me as I turned a sharp corner.

Rufus had already tried to strike. I'd avoided the lightning attack with practiced ease. Mavis had gotten everything right so far. To say she was intelligent would be a gross understatement.

My boots slapped against the ground, and as I turned another corner I came to an abrupt halt.

There it was. The Royal Library.

I slowed my pace. I walked in.

Click. Clack. Click. Clack. Rustle. Slap. Shuffle. Clack.

The building itself was exquisite, both on the inside and the out. Sheer marble faces loomed over me, cliff-like columns of towering stories hung suspended in the air. Bookshelves everywhere stretched their arms to the ceiling. Everything lay in perfect condition—not a book, not a page out of place.

I strode down a colossal hallway and arrived at what must've been the center of the building. A mural spread itself across the balconied ceiling. Stone statues stood around me, their eyes watching me and their expressions transfixed. They looked like something Evergreen would've created with her stone eyes.

I greeted the elephant in the room, a placating smile spread broad across my features.

"Hello, Rufus."

He glanced up in mild amusement and raised his brows at my appearance. "I'm afraid I was expecting someone different. Where's the beloved ice mage? Surely he wanted revenge?"

"Have you considered the possibility of this just being chance?"

"Come now," Rufus retorted, flashing me an indulgent smile. "I found it most obvious that you were searching for me explicitly. You've been heading in my direction on a very direct course for quite some time now. Unless, of course, you were simply looking for a bit of reading material."

I released a light laugh. "Looks like you've caught me red handed. You're correct; I was seeking you out. What can I say? You're quite the intriguing opponent."

"Indeed I am," He agreed. "However I'm afraid I'm at a bit of a loss. You see, I don't recall meeting you beforehand."

"That's understandable, considering that we've yet to meet."

"Obviously you're unimportant. I don't even remember your name from the battle." He teased, and I showed my teeth in something of a smile.

"If you think me weak, then you should have no qualms with fighting me."

"To be completely honest, I don't even know if you're worth the effort," He remarked. I released a bark of laughter.

"It must be hard to carry yourself around with a head that big."

"Alright then, since it seems like you're going to need to be put in your place, please allow me to do so." Rufus snapped. "Enough chatter now. Let's begin." He snapped his book shut and rose.

I glanced at my nails.

"Show me what you've got," I said, scoffing.

Rufus tightened his jaw and took a measured step in my direction.

"Bolt of Blazing Black Lightning," He snapped. A dart of his magic sped in my direction. I sidestepped.

"Is that really all you've got?" I said with a laugh. He frowned.

"Fang of the Black Lightning Dragon!"

This spell was stronger. I could feel it clip me, even though I jumped out of its way.

I chuckled. "The lightning I'm used to is far more powerful than that. Surely you've got something a bit stronger, dear Rufus?"

He ignored me and bent down, scooping up a few books that had fallen nearby.

"Well look at this! The book of Heaven's Magic Compendium! And these look to be the Tome of the Abyss and Advanced Dark Sorcery. Ancient witchcraft—these are most excellent discoveries!" He looked up, shutting the volumes and tossing them aside. "All memorized."

"Hit me with your best shot."

"Black cry of the damned!"

I was thrown backwards by a rather shocking blast of black magic, and my hip collided with a nearby desk. I hissed in pain, quickly getting to my feet to glower at the man. He was ready, though. The moment I was upright he was blasting me with yet another jet of magic.

"Blistering demonic strike!"

I rolled to the side, but not before I felt a searing pain through my side. I let out a gasp, and Rufus released a low chuckle from a few yards away.

"I'm surprised you haven't wilted yet. It's thrilling. All these songs of magic passed down for eons—forming a symphony inside my mind. But, its melody will be of my own composing. Memories juxtaposed in ways never before dreamed of. Taking fragments from here and there to create something new. The spells I can now create are new versions of ancient magic."

"Oh please shut up, you're making me sick," I grumbled, rising from my position on the marble floor. I examined my side. The top I'd been wear had been slashed to the left of my belly button. Blood oozed from a few inches of exposed skin. My flesh was torn. Rufus cackled.

"What? Too afraid to accept defeat?"

"I knew you were proud, but I didn't think you were stupid. You do realize that I haven't even used a spell yet? Right? I mean seriously you would at least—"

He cut me off with a spell. "Blaze of the heavenly stars!"

A wicked grin flickered across my features as I was shrouded in a blast of brilliant white light.

I could feel the magic surging through my veins. It was urgent and overpowering. Brilliant and addictive. It became a part of me—a greater extension of myself. A fire was in my belly, a drug was in my veins.

Rufus took a step backwards in surprise. I smirked at him.

"What? Surprised that I can suck up that magic?"

"That was an ancient spell! You had no—there's no way that you could've been able to-"

"Caelesti flamma de divum," I exclaimed with a wave of my arm, and the black spell hit Rufus with such a force that he was flung backwards into a nearby shelf. I watched in disinterest as the books spilled out around him. He was panting heavy, labored breaths. I scoffed. "I'm getting bored, you know? I thought that you'd at least be a bit entertaining. You're turning out to be quite a disappointment."

"How—how dare you speak to me like that!" He blurted. "Shining lightning blade!"

I blocked the spell with ease.

"Do you really expect that to work on me? I'm friends with Laxus fucking Dreyar for crying out loud! You should know that I'm far too accustomed to lightning for a little shock like that to have any effect on me."

"Colorful Slashing Attack Flames!"

I was flung backwards into a marble column, my spine colliding with the cold stone. I let out a shout of pain.

"Poor girl, you didn't even see it coming."

I keeled over and coughed. Rufus continued on.

"It's almost embarrassing."

I grasped my lungs, my chest screaming at me.

"Looks like I wasn't the one who was proud."

I couldn't take his belittling. "Do you hear yourself?"

"I see you losing," He snapped.

"I'm not the one who's-"

"Downpour of ancient wisdom!"

I let out a strangled cry as I felt the weight of the whole world literally collapse in on my body. My lungs flattened, my heart stopped. I could barely breathe.

I became Atlas, and here I was facing Zeus.

Rufus cackled in the background, and I tried to focus on the small task at hand.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

In. Out.

Inhale.

Exhale.

It's not there. It's not real. There's nothing there. There's not even magic, it's just Rufus masquerading his memory make as an ancient spell. You can move. You have to move.

Move.

I pushed myself upwards and stood from the ground. The earth rolled off my shoulders. Rufus swore.

"But how did you-"

"Altairis!"

Somehow, someway he managed to block it. The man absorbed the hit, and he looked at me with a strained smile and said, "Memorized."

"That's not possible!" I shouted, because I knew it wasn't.

"Oh but it is! Now behold as I use my memory make magic to combine your spell with one of my own! Starry arc of-"

But before he could finish his spell, something went wrong. His words gurgled and died in his throat, and I watched in horror as he threw his hands round his middle, grasping at his heart. Rufus fell slow—first his knees, then his hands, hips, arms, shoulders, head. He melted into the cracks of the marble floor. I watched him.

And I knew what was happening.

Rufus was dying.

I ran forward towards him.

I should've realized it beforehand. I was stupid.

There was a reason I had a lacrima imbedded in my chest. There was a reason I had to learn my magic so slowly. There was a reason I had to take extra caution—a reason I had started with simple, simple spells.

My magic was ridiculously unstable, even now. But in a mage not accustomed to or built for Astral Magic…

I grabbed his wrists. No pulse. Shit.

I fell to my knees beside him and the heels of my hands went directly on his breastbone. Press down. Release. Press down. Release. Thirty times.

Open his airway. Close his nose.

I pressed my mouth firmly onto Rufus', giving two rescue breathes and pumping my air and my magic energy into him with each.

Repeat chest compressions.

Repeat breaths.

I pulled away; Rufus took in a breath of his own. Another one. And I rose to my feet, shaky from donating my magic power, but satisfied. Rufus gaped at me, obvious shock covering his features.

It took him a moment to gather himself, but he finally said, "Did I just…?"

"Yeah," I helped him up. "It happens."

"So does that mean that you won?"

"Yeah."

"But-"

"Try not to die again. The next time I won't be around to save your ass."

I left him there. I had better things to do.

I was supposed to be fighting Kagura now. Looks like I had a date.

I was surprised to discover that Mavis had been wrong. There was no Kagura to battle me. Nor was there any Sting. I wandered around. I searched. I tried. Nothing. Obviously I did the most logical thing and sought out the person I was supposed to encounter next—Gray.

I was surprised once more when I found out that Gray had been unable to take on Chelia.

I was even more surprised to find out that Chelia and her teammate were completely incapable of working together with one another.

Maybe Gray and I didn't get along with or particularly like one another, but when the push came to shove we could still work together as a team. Teamwork is a vital life skill, and even though you might hate working in teams at times, you still have to know how to do it.

Chelia and Lyon obviously hadn't realized this yet.

That's why it was no surprise when we beat them.

By this point in the games, I already knew that Kagura had encountered Erza and a climactic three way battle had taken place between the two of them and Minerva. The overhead screens told me that. I also knew that Sting had not made a move. Gajeel had defeated Rogue, Erza had defeated Minerva, and by some miracle of every deathless god, Laxus had managed to demolish both Orga and Jura (I can't wait to hear him gloat about the whole ordeal).

It left Sting.

In the end Mavis was right, I guess. There was Sting and we had to defeat him.

I looked skyward. The Sabertooth emblem blazed in the sky.

"Guess that means our time is up, huh?"

I glanced at Gray and nodded. He marched forward and I followed without a word.

Within minutes we were at the sight of the flare, our three other teammates standing side by side as they faced Sting. I took my place between Erza and Laxus. The night screamed.

Sting let out a low chuckle and said, "Now there's a sight. It's weird, you know? Being surrounded by heroes from my childhood really isn't all that grand."

"Don't underestimate us," Gray snapped. "Just ask your comrades."

"Wouldn't dream of it. I'm trying to treat you with the respect you deserve. That's why I'll destroy you altogether. I've been waiting for this moment I'll show you how strong I've become. I'll do it for Lector."

Laxus actually laughed. "You wanna fight us by yourself? Are you serious?"

"Of course I am!" Sting blurted "I'm more than a match for you. Losing Lector brought me pain, but it also granted me new power. For Lector, for my best friend, I'm going to beat you and win it all!"

"Okay, but who the hell is Lector?" I asked, and Sting turned on me. His expression was sour and malignant. Disgusting.

"Are you stupid? Lector is my best friend. I thought I made that perfectly clear."

I frowned in confusion.

"Lector is his exceed," Gajeel offered, and I raised my brows in surprise.

"Alright Sting, if you're so determined to see this to the very end we'll give you the fight you want." Erza cut in.

The young man stepped away from us and began to activate his magic. He smirked and called out, "Prepare to witness the awakened power of a dragon slayer!" A rune of white magic encircled him, and great, billowing waves of the light rolled off of the dragon slayer.

I folded my arms and watched on.

And in a shocking turn of events, nothing actually happened.

Sting released the spell and crumbled.

It's a funny thing to watch a person fall apart, because you hear about it all the time—you read about it all the time. But you never realize exactly how true it is. I personally believe that books tend to dramatize things, especially when it comes to something like an emotional breakdown.

But seeing Sting, raw and real and right here before me, I knew that saying someone 'falls apart' is not a dramatization of any sort.

I watched a human being called Sting literally fall apart in front of my very eyes.

Pieces of him went everywhere.

Some flew towards me, smacking me in the face

Some hit my comrades.

Some decorated the ground, trying hard to find a place.

Some of him was liquid.

It dripped out and spilled.

Some hit the cobbles.

Fell in cracks till they were filled.

It was pitiful to watch him crumble.

Sting melted. I knew the feeling. Knees first. Then hands. Hips. Arms. Shoulders. Head.

"I can't do it," He muttered. His voice was a ghost, a hollow shell. "I can't beat you. I surrender."

The pop pop of fireworks echoed in the background.

Erza stepped forward and tilted Sting's face upward. Her eyes displayed a surprising amount of concern. "Why did you back down from the fight?"

Sting bit back tears. I couldn't help but feel like I was intruding on something. "I was so sure I'd win. That's all I had to do. And I'd see him again. But all of a sudden it's like I just lost hope. I don't know why exactly, but I know I don't have your strength. And I guess I felt like I don't deserve to see him. Not yet."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Erza said with a smile.

An enthusiastic cry came from our right. "Erzy!"

The small feline woman from Mermaid Heel stood nearby, a small cat in her arms and an ecstatic expression across her face. I glanced from her to Sting. From Sting to her. The woman picked up the pieces of the dragon-slayer and put them back together. She gathered up every part of him that had spilled and poured it back in. She cured him.

Sting flipped. "Lector!"

Lector flipped too. "Sting! It's you!"

You can imagine the reunion. Tears of joy streaming from both talking cat and owner. Beautiful if you're into things with a grotesquely happy ending. It was touching.

Even more touching were the fireworkds going off in our honor.

Laxus seemed to find it remarkable as well. "Man that sound is incredible! We can hear it all the way from here."

"Geez," Gajeel retorted. "This noise is making my wounds itch."

"Now don't be like that, they're cheers of celebration!" Erza pointed out.

"I bet the master's beside himself with excitement…" Gray mused.

"Hey Erza how's that leg?"

"It should be good in a few days."

Laxus folded his arms. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but it's strange not having you know who around hollering and making noise."

"Yeah, I don't mind it." Gray retorted.

"Natsu would be extra annoying after all that," Gajeel pointed out.

"Speaking of which, has anyone actually seen their signal flare?" I inquired. "Shouldn't it have been set off by now?"

"I haven't seen it," Laxus said, "and I've been keeping an eye out for it this entire time. Except for when Jura knocked me flat." I flashed him a cocky smirk, and he rolled his eyes. "Don't rub it in," he whispered.

"I didn't see one either."

"I ain't worried," Gajeel said with a wave of his hand. "Knowing our Salamander he probably just forgot to shoot the thing."

We all laughed.

This was nice.

I could get used to this.

Little did I know such peace wouldn't last for long.