SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 81 out, this is Chapter 82 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OCs.

Chapter 82: On A Night of Falling Stars

"Participants of 'Hidden', come forward." Mato instructed.

"You better not lose." Natsu warned, Gray stepping up. "Especially to Gajeel's team. And Sabertooth and Raven Tail and…"

"If you are a Man, win, Gray." Elfman shouted.

"Talk about pressure, huh?" Ulyo joked. "I apologize to the both of you beforehand, but I have no intention on losing."

"Course not." Gray assured. "Hit me with everything you've got."

"Sorry, but I'll give you everything I've got as well." Lyon added. "For Juvia's sake."

"Lyon-aniki, you do realize Juvia is the spectators stands, right?" Ulyo muttered.

"Don't pay him any attention." Gray chided. "His stupidity may be catching. Actually, I've been wondering since the elimination round, but what are you?" he looked at Mato.

"As you can see, I'm a pumpkin." Mato replied.

"Should I not have asked that?" Gray wondered.

"Come to think of it," Ulyo peered closely at Mato. "You do look like a pumpkin."

"Yeah, you look like a pumpkin, but what's inside?" Gray mused.

"This happens every year." Eve stated. "I didn't pay much attention, though."

"I think he's a staff member." Beth suggested.

"Good job creating a character." The pair bowed.

"Don't go overboard on the character thing." Gray muttered.

"Hold on a sec here." Nalpudding voiced. "This competition that's gonna start any second, 'Hidden', I don't know what it entails and that goes for all the competitions ahead, but it's pretty obvious that the two fairies have an advantage."

"It can't be helped." Mato protested. "It's amazing that two teams from the same Guild made it this far."

"It's fine with me." Rufus stated. "My memory is singing. It's not necessarily the case that two of them confer an advantage."

"I'm impressed." Gray remarked. "Is that what they call the 'confidence of a king'?"

"It's possible your fellow Guild member will become your weakness." Rufus shrugged. "She could be held hostage, threatened, leak information, and many more unfavourable circumstances could be created. Keep that in mind."

"If I don't' forget it…" Gray looked away.

"Field open!" Mato announced.

"What the…?" Gray gaped as an entire village manifested in the centre of the arena.

"Déjà vu…" Ulyo muttered. "But it makes me wonder just how much magic is being used to pull it off. See you two later." She smiled, the buildings suddenly engulfed them.

"Ulyo, Lyon!" Gray shouted, finding himself in the middle of a street. "What happened to everyone?"

"Everyone disappeared?" Ulyo mused. "It's just as I thought."

"I see." Lyon realized the same thing. "So that's the idea."

"Hide and seek here?" Eve grinned.

"The rules of 'Hidden' are simple." Chapati went into lecture mode. "Each person is the hider and seeker. Find each other in this town. You can use any kind of magic. Then deliver one blow. It doesn't matter if you do any damage. The person who attacks gets one point. These are copies of everyone." He added, as the floor was flooded with the participants' clones. If you accidentally hit a copy, you lose one point. Now, disappear into the silence. Like a black cat lurking in the dark night." At the sound of the gong, the game started. "Let 'Hidden' begin!"

"Now, how about I get a better look around?" Ulyo smiled and activated her 'Crystal Boots'.

"Once you attack a clone, the player restarts ten seconds later in a different area" Chapati explained. "Likewise if the player is attacked by another mage, a point is subtracted from them, too and the player restarts in a different area ten seconds later. As long as it is within the time limit, it's possible for the players to restart any number of times. The time limit is 30 minutes and the team that has the most points at the end will be in first place."

"You should try to grasp the rules faster." Nalpudding chided, appearing behind the running Gray.

"I didn't figure you'd be the first one to come at me." Gray turned to his opponent. "But now, I don't have to look for you. Ice Hammer! And now I'm getting a point." He grinned, dispelling his attack. "What?" he exclaimed, realizing he had hit a clone. "That attack should've nailed him head on. I don't believe it…" he was stunned when the real Nalpudding approached him.

"Too bad, that was a copy." Nalpudding taunted, the ice mage was then teleported outside. "Gray…" he voiced, reappearing behind his target. "I found you!" and slammed a punch at his opponent. "You're an easy mark."

"Carrot Missiles!" Beth attacked from underground. "I missed." Only to be hit back Yeager's underground assault.

"I saw you use your magic." Yeager grinned.

"I saw it, too." Lyon remarked, swiping Yeager aside with his ice magic. "I found you, Gray."

"River Whip!" Ulyo slapped her big brother figure aside with her water whip.

"Hey, I don't need you to give me a hand." Gray chided.

"Not from what I just saw." Ulyo retorted. "I'm just going to defeat you, like I promised Master."

"You promised Gramps?" Gray echoed.

"Well, it started like this…" Ulyo recalled, Makarov having laid down the 'punishment game for the loser team' rule. "That's how it happened." She chuckled. "Just so you know," she winked. "I have quite a number of fantasies I haven't acted out."

"Quit it!" Gray flushed, getting her not-so-subtle innuendo. "Hey, Gramps!" he roared at the screen. "I didn't hear anything about this! That local rule applies to us, too, doesn't it?"

"Of course…" Makarov stammered.

"I'm gonna get two fairies together." Nalpudding grinned.

"Too slow." Ulyo replaced herself with a 'Mist Clone'.

"What the hell's with this bastard?" Gray hissed when snow started falling.

"I miscalculated by not realizing that are some mages here who can't withstand the cold." Eve remarked. "I see you. Over there!" he sent his snowstorm at Beth, Yeager and Nalpudding, gaining three points in unison, only to be assaulted by Lyon's 'Ice Make: Eagle'.

"Sorry, but cold doesn't work against me." Lyon remarked.

"Damn you, Jawface." Gray growled, Nalpudding having renewed his attack on him. "Just targeting me this whole time."

"Anyway, Sabertooth's Rufus isn't moving at all, is he?" Chapati wondered. "He hasn't attacked anyone or been attacked yet. Come to think of it, Fairy Tail's Ulyo hasn't made another move after that brief assault."

"This competition is too simple." Rufus remarked, standing on a pole.

"What's this?" Chapati gaped.

"I remember it." Rufus added. "Everyone's heartbeat, footsteps, the quality of their magic. I remember, I remember it. Memory Make: Night of Falling Stars…" he cast his lightning beams. "What is this…" he was stunned when his lightning rods started to freeze, before dispelling.

"Memory Magic may be an Ancient Magic," Ulyo declared, twirling her Caduceus Rod like a baton. "But you're no match for me."

"You two stick out like a sore thumb!" Nalpudding leapt at the two.

"Be quiet." Ulyo retorted. "The adults are talking." Forming two 'Great Liquid Needles', she tossed the two water spikes at Nalpudding's chest. "I suppose it's almost time." She smiled.

"The sky…" Rufus looked at the large magic circle at appeared in the sky.

"The ground too…" Lyon took a look at his feet. "Since when did she…"

"What are you?" Rufus demanded.

"I've said it before." Ulyo smirked. "Your Memory Magic may be an Ancient Magic, but there's always someone better."

"She didn't…" Ditea breathed.

"It can't be…" Litana realized.

"I'm a Recorder." Ulyo's smirk widened.

"Impossible…" Rufus was taken aback. "Immortal Magic?"

"Aurora Curtain!" Ulyo summoned her area spell. At her command, numerous icicles rained down on the entire arena, taking out everybody else.

"Everyone is wiped out!" Chapati exclaimed. "In an instant, she rocketed to first place. Is this the real Fairy Tail?"

"Spectators," Ulyo declared. "This competition isn't interesting. After all, since not even Rufus could pinpoint my magic, all I have to do is prepare a wide area spell to take everyone out in one shot."

"Moulding Magic." Gray realized what sort of magic Rufus had.

"I've heard rumours of him." Lyon admitted. "He really is someone to be reckoned with. But for Ulyo to prepare such a large scale area spell in such a short time, she's exceeded even my expectations."

"Think this is one big joke?" Gray roared. "Obey the rules of 'Hidden'! Again?" he glared, Nalpudding having kicked him back to the ground.

"Time's up!" Chapati declared, the magic fading. "Here are the rankings. Unexpectedly, Fairy Tail B Team took first place. Fairy Tail A Team put up a good fight, but results are unfortunate."

"Ulyo, what did we say about revealing your trump card so soon?" Gajeel chided, the Immortal Magic mage returning to her team.

Ulyo shrugged, "Since they're so darn proud of their prowess, it'll be daunting for them to see someone else up them in their own game."

"So, it's basically a psychological attack on morale." Mirajane whistled. "Harsh."

"By the way, what did you do to that idiot?" Laxus thought to ask.

"You mean Nalpudding?" Ulyo echoed. "I just shot out his 'Chain Link' and 'Soul Sleep'. He won't be able to use magic anymore after this."

"Ulyo, you do realize you gave him a sentence worse than death, right?" even Gajeel was stunned at her ruthlessness.

"And now, we continue to the battle part." Chapati declared. "A member from each team will fight in a single match. This isn't a tournament. I've just received the list of matches. The first match of day one: from Fairy Tail A, Lucy Heartfilla versus Flare Corona from Raven Tail!"

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.