Still don't own Mashima's Fairy Tail or Desna's Pradeshes. Or anything else for that matter. I rent.

Reviews are always welcome and make me feel pretty. Enjoy.

10 hours before the bomb

Kaleb leaned on the railing of the Boscan gunship and sighed. His mind was racing. The culmination of two years of dancing around war, being at war, and the acts of terror from Peregrande had built to this moment. They were deploying on Romell. Lost in his thoughts, silver hair blowing gently over his shoulders from the 'breeze' provided by air circulation behind a protective glass dome, he didn't notice the massive blond at his side until Laxus was standing right beside him, lowering himself onto his forearms.

"Everything we've been working for, it's all gonna come down to this," the lightning mage said gruffly. Kaleb's lavender eyes fell onto the monster of a man. His face stoic, he replied, "And they have given us every reason to end it all." Laxus reached over and put a hand on the man's shoulder, turning his head to a laugh like a tinkling bell that rolled from the stairwell that led below decks. His dragon purred recognizing the contagious laugh of his kin, his light, everyone's light. He watched as a blonde head bobbed into view, the golden-haired mage pulling a large raven man haired man up behind her.

"C'mon, Cristoff!" she whined playfully. The Lunar dragon slayer held on to her hand, taking the stairs two at a time to keep up. His long legs made the task simple, his eyes trained lovingly on the blonde in front of him. They had been mated for two and a half years. Their hands had brushed one another in Fairy Tail the first Christmas after the Alverez war and the rest was history. They spent five weeks holed up in Lucy's apartment finishing the process and had returned to the guild a mated pair. Two and a half years later, they still played, loved one another fiercely, and true to dragon form, couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Laxus took in the sight. They leaned on the rail together, he noticed how at ease they were despite the trip to hell they were taking. When they had each other, it seemed like nothing could touch them. His eyes slid over the pair, taking in their stark differences. Blonde, doe brown eyes, infectious smile and a body to die for with soft curves that always seemed to be on display no matter what the woman wore, made Lucy any man's dream. And if Cana was to be believed, Cristoff with this broad, muscular build he had heard the drunk compare more than once to his own, was not only a 'Mister Tie-Me-Up-Tie-Me-Down' (the drunk had such a way with words) but he was also the marrying type.

With raven hair that dropped just below his shoulders, as traditional Boscan clansman wore their hair, and midnight blue eyes that had flecks of silver in them to the firm build, clan tattoos and disposition of a teddy bear, Cristoff was all in all one man that most could not compete with. He was just a damn good guy.

And the pair together? Laxus couldn't help but find himself a little jealous. "You're a slayer too," a silken baritone slid into his mind, acknowledging his thoughts. "You'll find your mate. They are out there. And they are only yours." With a small smile, Kaleb placed a hand on the blond's shoulder, much how he had moments before, and nodded to him. "Fucking Mindbender," Laxus growled internally, knowing Kaleb could hear him. Shit, he'd heard everything else. "At least you can't hear the two of them. They're disgusting." he snickered aloud. "Patience, brother," he said with a smirk, watching Laxus pull a face, and knowing that while Laxus Dreyar was a lot of things, patient was not high on the list, if there at all. "Get some rest. We're going to need it." Patting his fingers on the big man's shoulder, Kaleb walked away, sparing his brother and his bride a smile and headed below decks for a soak, some time with an attendant, and some sleep. They were going to need it.

The ship was one in a fleet carrying 200 mages across Bosco and into the borders of their enemy. Lucy leaned into the hard chest of the man behind her, her eyes looking out over the rest of the airships and turning her eyes to the heavens above. The stars would be out soon, the moon had risen already. The couple was in their element and enjoying the views immensely. The fact that they were a mile off the ground and that much closer to the heavens? Well, there was a reason Lucy adored traveling by airship. With a soft hum of contentment, Lucy turned her head and looked into her mate's face.

Times like these, she could still barely believe that he was hers. All hers. She smiled softly as he looked down into her face. "You said you wanted to take in the view," he said, furrowing his brow lightly. "I am," she purred back as he pressed his lips softly against hers and nuzzled into her neck, just above her mating mark. With another contented hum, Lucy turned her eyes back over the late afternoon sigh and tried to cling to the moment.

In a matter of hours, they would be in hell.

Ambassador Arman Pradesh lay in his bunk above his lightly snoring son wide awake. "He's alive," he thought. Bickslow was below him, Farron and Kaleb were taking up in the rack across the narrow aisle and Vander… Well, Vander was wherever he landed for the night. And there had been no shortage of places for him to lay his head. The bunk that was meant to be his had been empty the entire trip, the one below it occupied by his brother and his wife. But Cristoff and Lucy weren't complaining. They were alone on the opposite end of the narrow room. And had the only bunk with drawn curtains. Emzadi and Xally had the last racks in the room. His whole family (well, except for Vander) had been sleeping in one room, just like when they were children. Not that they hadn't had their own spaces. They just seemed to prefer sleeping in one bed in a pile of limbs and little snores. And while he could have had one of the officer's rooms, Arman had chosen to stay with his children. Flying into battle, there was nowhere that he would have rather been than right where he was.

The soft creak of the metal door pulled him from his tumultuous thoughts or rather thought. Leaning up on his elbows to look at who had entered, he saw his oldest sons, Kaleb and Farron coming back into the room seemingly relaxed. "Had a good bath I take it?" he asked with a small smirk, laying back down again, tucking his hands behind his head. For a man with seven grown children, Arman was in great shape, if he did say so himself. He looked over his bicep and watched the pair ready themselves for bed. "The attendants here are just as skilled as the ones at the guildhall," Farron commented, pulling the fitted gray shirt from over his head. Kaleb hummed in agreement as he too removed his shirt, sliding down into the bottom bunk. "Don't worry, Dad," he heard his son's voice say in his mind. "We'll get him back and make every last one of those bastards pay for what they've done." Arman sighed. "Count on it."

"Skyreach teams A, B, C, and D. Are you clear on what you're doing?" Kaleb ran his lavender eyes over the small teams. Lucy, Cristoff, and Freed made up Team A. Their goal was simple. Get into the colosseum and get their target out. Any other slaves they could free and send out before team D started their part would make teams B and C's jobs that much easier. But the Dark Eagle was their singular goal.

Team B consisted of Laxus, Xally, and Bix. Their goal was simple. Follow Team A in and free everyone they could. The body count of the guards and Peregrandians was at their discretion, but they needed to get the pits and slave quarters clear. Team C, consisting of Evergreen, Wendy, Gray, and Natsu had the same mission. They would be splitting up at the door.

The last, and probably most fearsome team would hold the door until the other teams arrived safely outside. Team D was on protection from the outside and once their people and the slaves of Skyreach were clear, leave nothing but rubble where the colosseum stood. Emzadi, the powerhouse Solar dragon slayer, Erick, the poison dragon slayer, Natsu, Erza and Laxus once they were clear of their initial goals. Kaleb did not doubt that along with the front line team he had formed, Emi and Erick would be able to keep everyone they didn't want in the building out.

Each team had been assigned five White Sea mages for support, except for Team A.

Everyone nodded and grunted approval to the silver-haired man. He looked fierce in his White Sea armor and demanded perfect execution from the teams in his charge. They had a solid plan. There was no reason that they wouldn't be able to return to the rendezvous point without incident. "Keep to the plan. Get home safely," he nodded back to them as he turned his gaze to his youngest brother.

"Palace team. I assume you know what you're doing," he said, his face stern, looking for acknowledgment. Vander leaned on the door frame of the room and smirked. "Like you have to ask?" The younger man cocked an eyebrow beneath his black and red-streaked hair, exchanging a wicked, knowing smile with his partner with a slight tilt of his head. "Presca." Kaleb looked to the man smirking back at his brother. "Keep him in line. Get it done."

"Don't I always?" Presca replied lazily, rolling his eyes slightly and placing his hand on Vander's shoulder, who in turn, took Presca's. "Come home safe, brother," Kaleb thought before they had vanished. "You're not getting rid of me that easy," he cackled. They were gone in a second as Vander slipped them into the shadows.

"We arrive in Romell airspace in two hours. Get rested, relaxed and ready to go," he commanded through the mental channel that linked him and all of the 200 mages he had brought to complete this mission. "Father. Farron. Let's get setup here," he said aloud to his father and older brother, who both swept out of the room as he turned on his heel.

Cristoff watched his brothers and father leave and looked around to the mages left in the room. Everyone seemed ready. But none were more ready than the Pradeshes. It made his blood boil to think that they had one of their own. That they had abused him and mistreated him like Peregrande trash were prone to do. He had been made to fight for his life. Now he was going to come home. His big brother. Their family would be complete. And the empty place setting at holidays would finally have someone to fill the seat behind them.

It had been a long six weeks, planning this strike. The plan was threefold. First, attacks would be launched simultaneously all around Romell, throwing off the guards and military in the city. None of the attack teams other than Skyreach and the Palace were going to be staying in one place long. They were going to show up, raise hell and transport to another location, repeating the cycle.

If everything went according to plan, they would have their brother back, Peregrande would have taken a devastating blow, and they would be without a leader. Knowing his youngest brother, Cristoff would have been surprised if anything was left alive in the palace. Say what you wanted about the man, but he was deadly, especially with Presca by his side. The king was not going to live to see the next day.

Cristoff felt his mate lean into his side and their bond. The little minx pushed her desire for him through. "We have two hours before Romell airspace," she muttered, her brown eyes dancing with fire as she looked up into his midnight sky ones. "Oh the things we can do in a quarter of the time," he purred back at her, catching her lips with his. Twisting his fingers through hers, he pulled her gently out of the room toward the baths and a steam room for privacy, the blonde giggling all the way.

A half-hour later, covered in a sheen of sweat, Lucy lay on her mate's chest, her teeth worrying her lower lip. "That's my job," he smiled gently looking down into her eyes. "I'm just worried about this battle. I feel something big about to happen, but I don't know if it's the battle itself or something around it," she said, placing her chin on his firm pectoral and bringing her hand up his side gentle enough to make the man growl. "I just feel…" she cocked her head to one side, trying to find the words. "Ugh." she finished, her body shuddering as she made a sound of discomfort and slight disgust.

Cristoff hummed in agreement. He had been feeling the same. "Something is coming," he agreed. "I feel it too. But we are going into a major battle. One that will determine a war. I think that feeling is to be expected." He placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. "All that matters is right here," he said, looking into her eyes. "And we are going to be just fine. Just promise me one thing, Starlight."

His eyes poured into her own. She loved his eyes. They reminded her of the night sky. Dreamy and calm. Safe. She cocked her head to hear him out. "Remember not to touch Zen." Her eyes widened at the statement. "Of course not!" she exclaimed leaning up further on his chest. "I don't even think the pull would be there."

She knew what kind of magic Zen possessed. And she knew it would reach for hers if they ever touched. Archangel magic and Celestial magic were made for each other by the heavens, Archangel magic not able to exist without Celestial. Touching Zen would only create a strain between them. They could never meet each other's skin without setting the divine wheels into motion, compelling her to bond to him and him to her. It was just the way their magic worked.

"I promise you, Cristoff. I will not touch Zen. I don't think it would do anything, but I'm not willing to risk it with a strong, possessive mate." Her wicked grin appeared. "Though it would be nice to make you a little jealous every once in a while." With a growl, Cristoff rolled her off his chest and onto her back, locking his lips with hers. And while the nagging feeling of something big coming still hung between them, closing the space between their bodies made it dull and fade into unimportance.

All 200 mages stopped whatever they were doing, spread across the fleet in the sky. "It's time. Prepare yourselves." Kaleb broadcast firmly, his lavender eyes ablaze. The city of Romell came into view, a hush falling over the mages and military alike. "Vander," he called to his brother on a private link. "What? I'm a little busy setting up here," the younger man snipped, watching his prey from the shadows, his partner pulled to his side.

"Do it."

A smirk formed on Vander's face and his merlot eyes darkened as he stepped out of the shadows behind the King of Perengrande. Presca joined him at his side, his cold eyes fixed on the dead man. He looked down his narrow nose at the man's back, flicking his right hand from left to right. Vander watched his partner work, their target slumping to the floor and shadows forming a gag. His smirk faded from his face, ice water running through his veins. There wasn't a soul in the palace that would survive the night. He'd see to that. And it all started with this man. This monster that he would make sure felt everything.

Calling a shadow to enter the man, Vander watched his eyes widen and exhaled calmly as the man's muffled screams filled the spacious room. And with that, a cascade of explosions rippled through the palace, turning sections into rubble, and signaling the onslaught of the city.

A/N:

Longer chapter. Getting my groove back, but not quite there yet. Just as a heads up, no one reads these before they get posted. It's just me and Grammarly. If you see something, say something.

The amount of favorites and follows in 24 hours was extremely flattering. And I didn't want to hold this back from you despite it being so soon and this posting rate will not be the norm.

I have the main plot and characters involved with that all hammered out and set up. BUT I'd love to see what you guys would want to see in the side stories and surrounding plotlines. Review and let me know.

Guest: Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'll probably be posting erratically right now. I'm kind of wary of commiting to a schedule of any kind, but I'm going to be posting when I have them done and at a point that I'm happy with it.