Here is the next chapter!
Sorry for the wait!
And thankfully this chapter is on the longer side.
It's mainly a filler in my opinion.
But I hope you enjoy it!
"Someone who is trying to destroy the world..." Lucy stated before continuing to where Laxus sat.
Makarov watched from on top of the bar as the blonde walked away from the newcomer. The words that were spoken surprised him but not enough to panic. It seemed Lucy had it under control. Or at least she looked like she did on the outside. He noticed that she tended to hide behind Laxus or Jellal when things were getting overwhelming. And from the looks of it, that's what she was doing now.
Lucy walked back over to Laxus and sat down next to him. She crossed her arms on the table and rest her chin on them. Laxus watched her movements and sat up straighter trying to cover the girl with his size. He knew Lucy wanted to hide so she could think. He could practically see the gears in her head moving over time. He knew the only thing that could get her to calm down was a distraction.
Laxus sighed. "So, what's tomorrow about?" Laxus asked.
"It's called Pandemonium..." Lucy said still in thought.
"Pandemonium? What's that about?" Laxus asked.
"Short answer, it's a tower that's filled with a hundred monsters... Each team picks someone for it, you pick how many monsters, and if you defeat that many you get a point for each one, the team with the most points obviously wins, and so on..." Lucy explained.
"Who was originally in it?" Laxus asked as Mira and Gajeel approached.
"Erza and Cana..." Lucy said absentmindedly.
Mira and Gajeel stopped with wide eyes. Mira mouthed 'Erza?' with a raised eyebrow and tilt of her head. Laxus shook his head warning her to stay quiet.
"How did it go with them?" Laxus asked.
"Erza took on all one hundred monsters... And of course, she won... Cana destroyed the MPF with Fairy Glitter..." Lucy explained.
"MPF?" Laxus asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Magic Power finder..." Lucy answered.
Laxus nodded and shrugged. "Okay, since neither one of them is in it, who would you say should go in?" Laxus asked.
Lucy looked in a daze as she stared at the wall. "Mira... She's on the same level as Erza... She could take them all out easily... I mean if Erza can, Mira definitely could..." Lucy said as she tapped her fingers on the table in thought.
Laxus smirked. "You're saying I couldn't?" Laxus asked.
Lucy shook her head. "Like Erza, Mira can use different types of Magic... You have one element and one magic, it won't hurt or damage every creature... Mira on the other hand can... Her different Demon forms are like Erza's different armors..." Lucy said with a shrug.
Laxus nodded. "Makes sense, I can see how I and Gajeel wouldn't be best for it... What about Mystogan?" Laxus asked with a smirk as Jellal glared at him.
"I admit he could use the different magics... But we can't risk him using his own magic... If possible I would like to avoid using him in any of the games..." Lucy said still staring at the wall.
"What about you?" Laxus asked.
Lucy snorted and turned her head to look at him. "You're delusional if you think I could..." Lucy stated.
"Okay, then when are you going in for a game?" Laxus asked.
Lucy gulped before letting out a breath. "Day four... I'll be in the game..." Lucy said looking back to the wall.
"Did you win?" Laxus asked.
Lucy shook her head. "No... I came in second... But Sabertooth claimed that if it wasn't for them I wouldn't have even gotten that..." Lucy said through grit teeth as she clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.
"Do you think you can change the outcome?" Laxus asked.
Lucy looked deep in thought for a while until she sighed. "I don't know..." Lucy finally said as she hid her face in her arms.
"Wow, never thought I'd hear you say that... You're normally so sure of the outcome..." Laxus commented.
Lucy snapped her head to look at him. "I'm never sure... I just go with what is the obvious choice..." Lucy said before standing up. "Let's go back to the hotel... I'm pretty tired..." Lucy said tiredly.
Laxus nodded before standing up. "All right, let's get going..." Laxus said watching as Lucy walked ahead.
The others followed behind. But halfway to the door, Yukino stood in their way. Lucy's tired eyes landed on her barely registering that she was there.
Yukino gulped. "M-M-May I ask if you'll treat them all right?" Yukino asked nervously.
Lucy sighed as she pulled out a gold key. "Open! Gate of the Lion! Loke!" Lucy said holding the key out to the side.
Loke appeared looking at Lucy with concern. "Lucy..." Loke started.
"Loke, I'm sorry to bother you, but could do you me a favor? Could you explain to Yukino the kind of wizard I am?" Lucy asked with a yawn.
Loke smiled sadly. "Sure Lucy, go get some rest..." Loke said with a nod. Lucy nodded and walked around Yukino. Laxus and the others followed after her. Loke watched their backs disappear through the bar door before he sighed. "Your spirits are in the hands of one of the best Celestial Wizards there ever was..." Loke said still staring at the door.
"I-I-I'm sorry for doubting her... It's just..." Yukino started before she trailed off.
"Look... I understand your concern but let me tell you something about Lucy... Lucy saved me and almost lost her life doing so... If it wasn't for her I wouldn't even exist anymore... I owe her my life... I made a promise to always protect her and I will always be by her side to do so... " Loke said.
Yukino looked down. "I'm sorry... I wasn't aware..." Yukino said.
"Of course, you weren't... Not even everyone in Fairy Tail knew... They knew she saved me but not at what cost... She stood up against the spirit king himself and challenged one of his rulings... She tried to force my gate open to send me back since I was starting to fade from this world... Needless to say, she won... Not only that, but she got the king to change one of his own laws... So, as I have said, your spirits are in good hands... Trust Lucy, she knows what she's doing..." Loke said looking at Makarov with the last sentence before he disappeared.
Yukino sighed sadly before she turned to leave the bar but was stopped by the Thunder Legion. Yukino took a step back with wide eyes.
"What Loke said is true... We may not know Miss. Lucy as well as everyone else, but we've witnessed for ourselves the type of person she is... Though we may be Laxus' personal bodyguards we would still put our lives on the line for anyone in Fairy Tail... Especially Miss. Lucy..." Freed said.
Evergreen nodded. "Lucy has one of the purest hearts I've ever seen... She accepted us back without an issue... And let me tell you after what we and Laxus did she has no reason to forgive us... But she did and even made us feel welcomed again..." Evergreen said.
Bickslow chuckled. "Yeah, let me tell you, she's strong and kind... Kicked my ass twice... She can be a crybaby sometimes too but she would give you the shirt off her back easily if you needed it..." Bickslow said.
Bickslow's totems flew around voicing their agreement.
Freed nodded. "So, trust us when we say that if she asked for your keys for whatever reason, there's a good reason for it..." Freed said.
"It must be nice to have such blind faith... I don't think I could do that..." Yukino said with a sad smile.
"It's not blind faith, child..." Master Makarov said from on top of the bar.
"It's not?" Yukino asked turning to face him.
Makarov shook his head. "No, it's not... Lucy has proven herself time and time again and has earned our trust and faith..." Makarov said.
"You got that right!" Natsu shouted as he stood up throwing his fist in the air. "Luce is one of us... She's our guild mate and family... She has our backs and we have hers..." Natsu continued as he walked toward the group that was gathering.
Yukino looked around at all of them with surprise. The entire time she was with Sabertooth they never treated each other like that. She was amazed. She wished that she could be part of a guild like this.
"Why did you come here anyway, child?" Makarov asked.
Yukino sighed. "Lucy made me a bet for my keys..." Yukino said looking down at her feet.
"What did she bet you?" Evergreen asked curiously.
Yukino gulped before letting out a shuttering breath. "I didn't believe her when she told me if I lost my match that my guild master would have me remove my guild mark and kick me out of Sabertooth... She said that if I didn't believe her that she would bet me my keys that she was right..." Yukino explained refusing to meet anyone's eyes.
Makarov's eyebrows raised in surprise. "And the reason you gave her the keys is she was right..." Makarov stated with a frown.
Yukino nodded. "Yes... I didn't think he would do that but I was wrong... And it cost me three of my keys..." Yukino said with a small shrug as if it didn't bother her.
Makarov nodded slowly. "I see..." He said.
"That doesn't sound like our Lucy..." Erza stated as she stepped forward crossing her arms over her chest.
"She's right, the Lucy we know would never make a bet like that... She would never take another celestial wizard's keys without reason... Like going to prison for example..." Levy said.
Natsu nodded. "She got three of her keys that way... But those spirits chose to be in a contract with Luce..." Natsu explained.
"They chose her?" Yukino asked with wide eyes.
Natsu nodded. "Yeah, their master was locked up by the council meaning their contracts were voided... Whatever that means..." Natsu said with a shrug.
Gray facepalmed. "It means their contracts were canceled it's the only other way to break a contract without dying or willingly breaking it, Flamebrain..." Gray scolded.
"What was that, Ice Princess?!" Natsu yelled getting ready to throw a punch.
"You heard me! Ash for Brains!" Gray yelled back.
"Enough both of you!" Erza snapped.
"Yes ma'am!" Natsu and Gray said at the same time.
"I'm surprised..." Yukino said suddenly. "I've never known spirits to choose who they make a contract with... Normally whoever gets their key they're stuck with them..." Yukino said with a sad smile.
"They asked to be with her... She questioned them if they were sure which of course, baffled them but they were insistent on being contracted to her..." Erza explained.
Yukino's eyes were wide as she listened to everyone as they praise Lucy. She had no idea what to think. After her encounter with her, she was wary of her. But hearing what everyone was saying was making her second guess her first opinion of the blonde. At first, Yukino thought of her as cold but hearing everything now made her rethink everything.
It wasn't long before they reached the hotel. Mira and Gajeel went to check the perimeter while Jellal and Laxus escorted Lucy to the room. Lucy was lost in her thoughts that she didn't even realize she was in the room.
Laxus sighed. "Lucy..." Laxus called out causing her to jump. "You need to be more aware of your surroundings... What's going on in that head of yours that you're so distracted?" Laxus asked.
"Oh! It's nothing..." Lucy said her hand automatically going to her keys on her hip.
Laxus narrowed his eyes. "Bullshit... Spill, what's going on?" Laxus questioned.
Lucy sighed as she looked around the room. The only other person in the room besides herself and Laxus was Jellal. She pulled out a gold key and looked at it.
"Was this the right thing to do?" Lucy asked looking at the gold key sadly.
Laxus nodded in understanding. "Do you think it was? Not to mention, you did say you were going to give them back when this was all over..." Laxus asked. Lucy nodded. "Then why are you worrying about it?" Laxus asked.
"I just don't know if I'm doing the right thing..." Lucy said pulling the key to her chest and holding it tight. Laxus watched as she closed her eyes and her hands shook. Lucy took a deep breath before letting it out. She snapped her eyes open with a determined look on her face. She held the key out in front of her. "I Am Linked To The Path Of The World Of Celestial Spirits! Now! Oh Spirit, Answer My Call And Pass Through The Gate! Open! Gate Of The Balance! Libra!" Lucy chanted watching the key glow and the magic circle appear in front of her.
A woman with dark hair tied in an ox horn style. Her attire resembles a belly dancer's, consisting of a frilled and striped bikini top along with a patterned loincloth sporting pom-poms at the waist. She wears numerous bangles on her arms and legs, and her neck is also concealed by a thick necklace. On her feet are a simple pair of sandals, and her head is dressed with a zigzagged headband. Concealing her lower face is another cloth that bears her sign, tied around her head. Dangling from her hands, she carried a pair of scales, with thin cords running from her fingertips to the sides of the scales, so that she holds them in an almost puppeteer-like fashion.
"How may serve you, master?" Libra asked with narrowed eyes and a hardened tone.
"First, please don't call me master..." Lucy said sadly as she looked at her feet. She clenched her fists at her side before taking a deep breath and letting it out. She lifted her head and smiled sadly at the spirit. "Second, I'm sorry about this... I promise once this is all over, I'll return the three of you back to Yukino... All I ask is for your help till then... Please, I need the help of all the Zodiac to stop this..." Lucy pleaded as she clenched her fists shaking at her sides.
Laxus watched from the side with his arms crossed over his chest. He was on alert but his eyes never left Lucy. She was his main concern right now. His magic felt restless. He couldn't explain it but his magic was roaring through his veins. It felt threatened somehow. And he couldn't figure out why.
Libra blinked as she stared at the blonde in front of her. She wasn't sure what she was getting at or why she needed all the Zodiac keys. She had no problems being contracted to Yukino neither did the other two. So, why? She wasn't sure but it gained her curiosity.
"If I may, what do you mean?" Libra asked.
Lucy swallowed. "Something is threatening to destroy the world... I need all of you to help stop it... You can ask my other spirits if you need more information... Loke knows more than the others..." Lucy explained.
"Loke?" Libra asked as she tilted her head.
"Oh! Sorry, I mean Leo..." Lucy said as she scratched the back of her head. "I forgot most of you know him as Leo the lion..." Lucy said.
Libra nodded. "I see... Yukino talked to us and told us to treat you like we did her that you weren't like other Celestial wizards..." Libra explained.
"She doesn't know anything about what's going on... I didn't mean to gain you three as I did but I didn't know of any other way... Plus, I tried to warn her she didn't heed my warning... So, I knew she wouldn't believe me even if I did tell her and ask for her help..." Lucy said sadly.
Libra nodded. "How do you know how everything is going to play out?" Libra asked.
Lucy sighed. She knew this was going to come up sooner or later. She didn't want anyone to think she was crazy. Jellal and Laxus already thought that not that they would tell her that to her face. What Lucy didn't notice was at that time Mira and Gajeel had returned and were standing by the door.
"It started about a week or so ago... I had this strange dream... The person in it was me but she claimed she was from the future and needed my help to change her future... Ten thousand dragons invade Earthland and destroy it... Only a few survive... Me being one of them... She gave me instructions on how to change her future and I've had several dreams since then after every change I made... As of right now, she claims she's stuck inside something called Eclipse... It's a gateway that connects two points in time as far as I understand... And that's how the dragons appear..." Lucy explained.
Libra stared at her for a long silent moment. She didn't know what to think. It sounded crazy even to her. And she was a being from another world herself. She saw the pleading yet determined eyes waiting for her to answer them.
Libra sighed. "All right... We'll agree... As of this day forward, we belong to you Lucy Heartfilia..." Libra said with a slight bow.
"Are you sure the others will agree? I still have to summon them to create the contracts..." Lucy stated.
Libra shook her head. "They chose me to be their representative... If I say we agree then we all agree..." Libra said.
Lucy nodded. "Thank you... And I will return you three to Yukino when this is over..." Lucy said.
Libra nodded. "If I'm being honest, I will say this, we have no issue staying with you even after this is over... In our eyes, you did win us fair and square... Whether it was due to a fight, a bet, or a void contract due to death or imprisonment..." Libra explained.
Lucy shook her head. "I would never want to take someone's keys this way... It would have to be fair to me... Death or Imprisonment would be the only way I would accept getting them... Or well, buying them from a shop of course..." Lucy explained.
Libra nodded. "That is very noble..." Libra said with a smile in her voice. "Nevertheless, we would stay with you... If you wanted us..." Libra said.
"I think it's dangerous to have all twelve Zodiac keys but right now it's necessary..." Lucy admitted.
Libra nodded. "I don't disagree but it is easier for all of us to have one owner so we don't have to fight each other..." Libra explained.
"I know... Loke... I mean Leo and Aries were in that situation once... I would never want that to happen again..." Lucy said hanging her head.
Libra tilted her head slightly but shrugged it off. "I will be taking my leave for now..." Libra said with a bow.
Lucy nodded as Libra disappeared. Lucy sighed in relief. It felt good to explain the situation. It felt like a huge load came off her shoulders that someone else knew what was going on. She added Libra's key back to her key ring before she turned to look at Laxus but noticed Gajeel and Mira standing by the door staring at her. Gajeel had his eyes narrowed and Mira's eyes were wide with shock.
Lucy gulped. "W-W-When did you guys get here?!" Lucy asked her eyes widening in fear.
Gajeel sighed. "We heard everything... So, that's what was going on this whole time... And you thought you couldn't tell us? Why?" Gajeel asked.
Lucy stepped back as she wrapped her arms around herself. This is what she didn't want. She didn't want them to judge her and think ill of her.
"I didn't want you all to think I was crazy... I already think I'm crazy myself for believing all of this... But I can't take the risk of it being true and not doing anything to stop it..." Lucy explained as she fought back tears.
She bit her lip to stop herself from whimpering. This was the last thing she needed. She was known to be a crybaby at times but this time she couldn't be. She needed to stay strong to make sure everything went the way it needed to.
Laxus stepped in front of Lucy protectively. He could sense and feel the fear rolling off of her and it made him tense and his magic felt uneasy. It really didn't like Lucy feeling anything other than feeling happy. He thought that was strange for a second but pushed it to the back of his mind for the time being.
Mira sighed with a smile. "We don't think you're crazy... I think if it was one of us we'd do the same thing... But we'd trust our guildmates and tell them so we weren't alone in this... Obviously, you told Laxus and Mystogan..." Mira said walking closer to her.
"I didn't have much choice... She wanted me to learn Grand Chariot instead of relying on Urano Metria... Which she was right..." Lucy said.
Gajeel sighed as he pushed off the wall. "Well, now we know... It's time to let us help..." Gajeel said with a smirk.
Lucy looked at them all. Her eyes filled with tears as her lip quivered. They just erased her worries with a few words.
Laxus groaned. "No! No more crying!" Laxus whined as he watched her eyes go watery. He had enough of her tears to last him a lifetime. Not to mention his chest hurt anything he saw them. "Please no more!" Laxus continued.
"Sorry..." Lucy mumbled as she hung her head.
Laxus groaned again as he shot a glare at Gajeel and Mira. This was their fault in his eyes. Laxus turned and put his hand on her head as he ruffled her hair. Lucy swatted at his hand as she huffed.
Laxus chuckled as he removed his hand. "Now that they all know, it'll be easier for us to keep an eye on you... Now, can we get something to eat I'm starving?" Laxus whined.
"Yeah, I second that!" Gajeel said as he raised his hand.
"You both are worse than Natsu when it comes to food..." Lucy remarked with a shake of her head.
"Hey! Don't compare me to that Flame for brains!" Gajeel and Laxus growled at the same time.
Lucy and Mira giggled and shook their heads as they smiled at each other.
It wasn't long after they ate that the group went to bed. Lucy lay awake as Laxus snored softly beside her. She looked over her shoulder making sure he was truly asleep. Once she was sure, she slowly and carefully got out of bed. She only had one day before she was going to be up. She had to come up with a plan to try and win. She doubted she could, especially against Sabertooth. But she didn't have a choice. She was determined.
Lucy grabbed her brown pouch that held her keys off the nightstand before quietly walking to the door. She didn't get far though. The voice behind her made her halt.
"Lucy..." Jellal called out softly. "Where are you going?" He asked as he sat on the edge of the bed.
Lucy sighed. "I need to practice for day four... I still don't know how I'm going to win that one..." Lucy admitted.
Jellal nodded before he got up and walked over to her. "I'll come with you... You're not supposed to go anywhere alone anyway..." Jellal reminded her.
Lucy sighed but nodded. "All right..." Lucy said as they both headed out of the hotel room.
Unknown to both of them the two dragon slayers in the room heard them. Laxus sat up as did Gajeel. They looked at each other before they sighed and shook their heads.
"Let her be... I doubt Jellal would let anything happen to her..." Gajeel said as he saw Laxus glaring at the door.
Laxus growled. "I can't help it, I feel uneasy when she's not in my sight... Especially with Raven Tail still out there..." Laxus grumbled.
Gajeel nodded. "I get that but she's not alone... And no offense but since when have you been protective of her? I mean you almost tore the demon's head off for just coming near her..." Gajeel asked with a smirk.
Laxus sighed. He couldn't exactly answer that question without making himself look like a lovesick puppy. He groaned and fell back on the bed with his arms out at his sides.
"I don't know to be honest... I guess since I came back, maybe even back on the island... I'm not completely sure but it's been getting worse the more I'm around her..." Laxus explained as he laid his arm over his eyes.
Gajeel chuckled. "You sound like a-" Gajeel started until Laxus' growl cut him off.
"If you say what I think you're going to say I'll send you into the river and rain lightning down on you..." Laxus growled out.
Gajeel just chuckled but dropped it. He thought it was funny watching the big strong Dragon slayer look like he was a lost puppy. Gajeel sighed as he looked at the door.
"You know..." Gajeel started. "There might be a way you could help her..." Gajeel mentioned. Laxus sat up fast looking at him waiting for him to continue. Gajeel chuckled at the eagerness on his face. "It's a one-time deal and it's temporary..." Gajeel warned. Laxus nodded for him to continue. Gajeel sighed. "It's not ideal but you could share your magic with her..." Gajeel said.
"How?" Laxus asked confused.
"Pour some of your magic into her, she can only use it once... So explain that to her..." Gajeel explained.
Laxus looked in thought. "Okay... How would I pour magic into her?" Laxus asked looking at his hand and picturing it touching her chest.
Gajeel raised an eyebrow before he let out another sigh. "With a bite..." Gajeel said making Laxus snap his wide eyes to him.
"You're kidding?!" Laxus asked in disbelief.
Gajeel shook his head. "Nope... As I said it's a one-time deal... You bite her anywhere you want to... The magic will settle and grow like a flower in a pot... Maybe at a quicker pace though... A mark will appear where you put the bite and she'll need to concentrate on it to access it... The longer the magic sits the stronger it will be and more powerful the attack will be..." Gajeel explained.
Laxus gulped. "You think she'll go for it? I mean it'll be only sitting for twenty-four hours so how strong can it really be in the end..." Laxus asked before he started to ramble.
Even the idea of biting her in any way made Laxus nervous. What if something went wrong? He didn't want to be responsible for hurting her in the end when all he wanted to do was help her.
Gajeel sighed. He had a feeling this was going to be a long night. He sat cross-legged as he propped his chin on his hand that rested on his knee.
Jellal and Lucy walked down the empty street. Where they were headed only Lucy knew. Jellal followed her lead as Lucy looked deep in thought. By the time they stopped and Jellal looked around he noticed something strange.
"Lucy... Why are we in a water park?" Jellal asked with a tilt of his head.
Lucy looked over her shoulder with a smile. "Day four's game is called Navel Battle... It's underwater..." Lucy explained like it was obvious.
"Right... So, have an idea of how you're going to do this?" Jellal asked.
"Part of it..." Lucy said.
"What part?" Jellal asked.
Lucy sighed before she turned to face him with a determined look on her face. Jellal unconsciously took a step back.
"Teach me Meteor..." Lucy said.
The sun rose casting a bright light through the room. Three of the sleeping occupants were just starting to stir awake. The first to fully wake was Mira, who stretched her arms up over her head. The second was Gajeel who sat up and rubbed his eye as he yawned. The third was Laxus who sleepily patted the other side of the bed. But what he felt was nothing.
Laxus jolted looking around in panic. He couldn't see her. He could smell her but it was faint like she hadn't been there in a while. He saw Gajeel and Mira. He turned his head and saw Jellal standing at the balcony doors. His anger was rising as feral sounding growl left his throat.
Jellal's eyes widened as he turned his head to face the man. Jellal pointed to the bathroom with panic radiating in his eyes. He didn't want the man to think that he left Lucy on her own.
"She's in the bathroom... She wanted a shower..." Jellal explained.
"When did you get back?" Laxus growled through grit teeth.
Jellal swallowed thickly. "An hour and a half ago..." Jellal answered.
"WHAT?! So, she hasn't gotten any sleep yet?!" Laxus growled as he stood from the bed ready to go for his throat.
Just then the bathroom door opened as Lucy stepped out towel drying her hair. She wore a tan cargo skirt with a pink and yellow layered tank top. The yellow tank with thick straps rested under the pink tank that has thin straps. Her belt rested around her hips as it held her whip. She stopped and blinked at the scene she had just walked in on.
She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you doing, Laxus?" Lucy asked.
Laxus' gaze snapped to hers. Relief seemed to wash through him as he laid his eyes on the blonde that exited the bathroom.
Laxus coughed and cleared his throat. "Oh! Uh... Nothing..." Laxus said turning away and getting his own clothes for the day.
Lucy tilted her head in confusion but shrugged. "We have an hour before the games starts..." Lucy announced as she walked over to the nightstand that held her pouch.
She attached the pouch to her belt. She sat on the bed and grabbed her knee-high brown boots before pulling them on. She was tired and exhausted but she couldn't let that stop her.
Jellal sat on the bed across from her. "You only have today and you still haven't gotten it down... Are you sure you want to rely on that?" Jellal asked quietly.
Gajeel's ears twitched as he narrowed his eyes on the two across the room. He thought it was weird enough that they both left without telling anyone last night but they didn't get back until an hour and a half ago. They had to be tired. But here they were talking about continuing training.
"Yes, I'm sure... I have to get it down before tomorrow..." Lucy said yanking on her boot aggressively.
Jellal sighed. "All right, after today's games are over we'll continue..." Jellal said leaning back into a sitting position.
"Stay away from Lahar..." Lucy said suddenly.
Jellal's eyes widened. "What?" He asked confused.
"He's today's guest judge... Also, Doranbolt is here too... Stay clear of them..." Lucy said standing up. "Stay with us and don't stray... I don't have near enough magic to even think of being able to copy you for Gemini to distract them..." Lucy said before turning and walking toward the door. "Are we ready?" Lucy asked stopping at the door.
Mira looked at her with concern before she turned her gaze to the others. The three men shook their heads silently telling her to leave it alone.
Mira sighed before she nodded. "Yup! We're all ready!" Mira said cheerfully.
"Good, let's go..." Lucy said opening the door.
All the teams gathered in the middle of the arena waiting for the announcements to begin. Just like the other all the other days, Team Fairy Tail stood in a square formation around Lucy. Lucy stood on guard looking around the surrounding area. Her eyes narrowed on Sabertooth. She grits her teeth when she met the green eyes of the lone female on the team.
Laxus looked at Lucy with a raised eyebrow. He followed her line of sight only to meet the same green eyes. A shiver went up his spine as the hair on the back of his neck stood up on end. He fought back the urge to growl. He stepped up behind Lucy ready to grab her and teleport them out of there. Something about the female's eyes had him on edge.
Lucy looked over her shoulder when she felt the looming presence behind her. She stepped back pressing her back against his chest. Automatically Laxus' arm wrapped around her waist protectively. She pressed a hand to his arm.
"Calm down Laxus..." Lucy warned.
Laxus took a deep breath before letting it out and nodding. "Sorry... Something about her has me on edge..." Laxus said.
"I know... We won't have to worry about her until tomorrow... And she'll be my problem..." Lucy said turning around to face him. She pressed her hand against his chest. "Leave it be for now..." Lucy urged.
Laxus growled out a huff. "Fine..." Laxus said before relaxing. That's when something struck him. "I have to talk to you after the tournament starts..." Laxus said.
Lucy looked up at him with a tilt of her head. "What about?" Lucy asked.
"Not here..." Laxus said just as the sound of the announcer's voice echoed around the arena.
"The Grand Magic Games have finally entered the middle portion of the competition, here on the third day..." Chapati announced.
"What kind of fierce dramas will we be able to see today?" Mr. Yajima mused.
"Today's guest is Lahar from the magic council..." Chapati said.
"It's been a while..." Lahar said.
Lucy narrowed her eyes at Jellal. "Remember what I said..." Lucy hissed.
Jellal nodded. "I know..." Jellal said.
"Lahar, your position is, captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit squad, right?" Chapati asked.
"Indeed... So, impropriety in the games will not be allowed..." Lahar announced.
Lucy snorted annoyed. "Right, that's why you failed to capture Raven Tail..." Lucy muttered under her breath.
Laxus raised an eyebrow. "You're blaming him?" Laxus asked amused.
"It's his job, isn't it?" Lucy asked crossing her arms over her chest.
Laxus chuckled. "It is..." Laxus agreed.
"Well, it's his fault..." Lucy said not leaving room for arguments.
Laxus sighed. "If you say so..." Laxus said.
"The third day's competition is Pandemonium! There will be one participant from each guild!" Chapati announced.
"Mira, you're up..." Lucy said.
Mira nodded and continued to where the rest of the participants were standing.
Makarov watched the participants walk to the center of the arena as the rest of the teams exited the arena. His eyes narrowed on Mira.
"What?! Is she lost her damn mind?!" Makarov shouted as his jaw dropped.
"What's wrong, sixth master?" Mavis asked with a tilt of her head.
"She's sending Mira in... Of all people, Mira!" Makarov groaned. He sighed. "At least I know we'll win this round..." Makarov grumbled as he narrowed his eyes at Lucy who he noticed had dark circles under her eyes.
"Go, Mira!" Lisanna shouted cupping her hand around her mouth.
"Why is Luce covered in scratches and bruises?" Natsu asked as he tilted his head looking at his friend. "Did Laxus hurt her?!" Natsu growled as he gripped the railing. "Ow!" Natsu said rubbing his head where Lisanna smacked him.
"Knock it off, Natsu! Laxus wouldn't do such a thing to her!" Lisanna huffed.
"Then why is she all banged up?" Natsu grumbled still rubbing his head.
Erza narrowed her eyes at her blonde teammate. "Maybe she was getting more training in? She normally looks like that after training a bit..." Erza suggested.
Gray shrugged. "She's got a point... You've seen Lucy after training... She tends to overdo it till she passes out..." Gray said with a sigh.
"She does look tired..." Mavis commented.
"I could go over and heal her if you want?" Wendy asked looking up at the two masters sitting on the railing.
"Later child, wait for her to ask..." Makarov said with a sigh.
"Lucy never asks though..." Wendy sighed as she hugged Carla.
The participants all gathered in the center of the arena. Other than Mira there was also, Jura of Lamia Scale, Millianna from Mermaid Hell, Hibiki from Blue Pegasus, Orga from Sabertooth, and Novally from Quatro Cerberus.
Mato the small pumpkin man entered the arena and waddled over to the group of participants. He looked happy as he seemed to giggle.
"Yesterday was my day off, my apologies... Now, I'll explain the rules of Pandemonium!" Mato said holding his hands out to his sides.
Above him, a giant dark magic circle appeared above the entire arena. A giant tower descended from the magic circle. Everyone was staring up at it with wide eyes. Well, everyone but Mira. Lucy has explained it to them last night. She remembered her words.
'Erza took on all one hundred monsters and beat them all, I know you can do the same... If you don't think you can tell me now and I'll adjust my plan...'
She wouldn't let Lucy or the others down. She glanced at a tired-looking Lucy. She smiled before turning her head toward the giant tower that was in full view. One hundred monsters. If Erza could do it so could she.
"The Tower where evil monsters nest! Pandemonium!" Mato exclaimed.
"Where monsters next, you say?" Jura asked.
"That's the setting... Yup..." Mato said with a nod. "Within the tower, there are one hundred monsters... Well, they're called that, but they're magical tools that we've created... They won't attack any of you in the audience or anything like that, so relax! The monsters are divided into five levels of battle power... D, C, B, A, and S... The specifics are like this..." Mato explained as letters above the arena appeared.
S X 1
A X 4
B X 15
C X 30
D X 50
"Incidentally, in regards to the kind of strength that D-Class monsters have..." Mato explained as a screen appeared showing a monster destroying an angel statue. "Ones like that, and even stronger ones than that... The place where one hundred of them are lurking around, that is Pandemonium! Pumpkin!" Mato explained as shocked gasps rang out over the audience. "As the class goes up, please note that the battle power goes up exponentially... The S-Class monster has strength such that even one of the ten wizard saints can't be guaranteed to defeat it..." Mato continued.
"Hmm... Interesting..." Jura muttered.
"In order, each of you will take turns selecting a number of monsters to fight with... This is called your 'challenge right'... For example, if one chooses 'three', then three monsters will appear within the tower... If one succeeds in defeating the three, that competitor gets three points... Then, the next competitor may exercise their 'challenge right' among the ninety-seven monsters remaining... This will continue until Zero monsters are remaining or everyone's magical power reaches Zero, at which point the competition will end..." Mato explained.
"It's like a counting game, huh?" Millianna asked.
"Exactly... Situational judgment is quite important... However, as I said before, the monsters have ranks... So, be it one monster or five monsters that you choose, with your challenge right, it's a system where the monsters appear randomly..." Mato explained.
Mira stood there with her hands cupped behind her back. She knew all this thanks to Lucy. She pivoted back and forth on her heels seeming to be bored. She had her eyes closed as the others asked questions. She was just waiting for them to continue with the game.
Lucy looked over at Jellal. She was getting nervous because of the council being here. She knew he, later on, gets caught by Doranbolt and Lahar. She was still thinking about how to get around it. If she could get around it. After all, that's when Kagura and Millianna find, later on, him. She couldn't let that happen. Not this time. She looked at her key pouch. She did have one spirit that could help. But her magic power was nowhere near Jellal's to even think of copying him.
She looked over at the stands where the rest of Fairy Tail sat. Two things she needed to take care of. She did not doubt that Mira would win. Before she could think Jellal gasped and was looking around.
"You sense a dark magical presence..." Lucy stated more so than asked.
"Yes... How'd you..." Jellal started but trailed off. He sighed. "You know because it happened before..." Jellal said softly.
Lucy nodded. "Go ahead... We'll get someone to cover for you and I know the perfect person..." Lucy said with a smile. Jellal turned to walk out but stopped when Lucy called out to him again. "Try and avoid the council... So, stay out of sight..." Lucy warned.
Jellal nodded and continued out the door.
Laxus looked at Lucy. "Who are we replacing him with?" Laxus asked.
"For today only, but we're going to get Wendy..." Lucy said pushing off the railing.
She knew this was her chance to also talk to Warren. She needed to contact Meredy for a just-in-case situation. And she had a feeling it was more than a just-in-case thing. Some things she couldn't change had to happen.
"Wendy? Why her?" Laxus asked.
"We go against Lamia Scale and the only one left to fight is Sherria..." Lucy explained.
"Okay?" Laxus said confused with a raised eyebrow.
He didn't understand what that had to do with anything. But he also knew never to question her on her choices.
"Sherria is a Sky God Slayer..." Lucy said moving toward the door.
Laxus eyes widened as he blinked. "Seriously? Her?" Laxus asked pointing his thumb in the direction of Lamia Scales' booth.
Lucy nodded. "Yup, now let's go get Wendy..." Lucy said.
Laxus sighed. "Fine, I'm coming..." Laxus grumbled as he followed behind her. They were walking when the conversation between him and Gajeel came to his mind. He sighed before he couldn't believe he was going to say this. "Lucy..." Laxus said stopping in the middle of the hallway.
Lucy looked over her shoulder before stopping and turning to face him. "What is it, Laxus?" Lucy asked tilting her head in confusion.
Laxus took a deep breath before letting it out. "I may know of a way to help you with tomorrow's game..." Laxus said.
"Oh? How?" Lucy asked suddenly interested.
Laxus stepped up to her and grabbed her wrist. "Sharing my magic with you..." Laxus said pulling her wrist closer to his face.
Lucy blinked. "What?!" Lucy said trying to pull her wrist away.
"Gajeel explained it... I just give you some of my magic it can help you tomorrow..." Laxus said.
"H-H-How?!" Lucy asked still unsure.
"He said I have to bite you and pour my magic into you that way... It's temporary, once you use it, it's gone..." Laxus said.
"You want to bite me?" Lucy asked while blinking rapidly.
Laxus scratched the back of his head. "It's not that I want to but..." Laxus started but trailed off.
Lucy sighed. "Is it safe to do?" Lucy asked. Laxus nodded. Lucy groaned. "Fine... We can try it..." Lucy said relaxing her arm in his grip.
Laxus sighed in relief before bringing her wrist to his mouth. "This might hurt... You sure about this?" Laxus asked. Lucy closed her eyes and turned her head as she nodded. Laxus sighed. "All right..." Laxus said before he bit down on the skin of her wrist.
Lucy gasped as his teeth pierced her skin. The sting she felt slowly turned into tingles as lightning danced along her arm being pulled to where Laxus' teeth were attached like a vacuum. After a few seconds, Laxus detached his teeth from her wrist before sliding his tongue over the wound. Lucy watched as the wound closed on its own and in its place was a mark of a yellow dragon that circled a lightning bolt. The dragon looked jagged like it was made of lightning. The mark itself took up most of her wrist.
"It's kind of pretty..." Lucy commented as she held it up and tilted her head slightly as if she was studying it.
Laxus ran his tongue over his canines. "I wonder if my gums are supposed to be tingling?" Laxus muttered to himself.
Lucy shook her head to clear her mind. "Let's go..." Lucy said turning back around trying to hide the blush that coated her cheeks.
Laxus chuckled as he watched her power walk down the hallway. He found it amusing. He followed her to where the rest of Fairy Tail sat.
"Gramps..." Laxus called out startling Makarov as he fell off the railing. "Nice..." Laxus said shaking his head.
"Laxus! Oh? Lucy? What can I do for you?" Makarov asked raising an eyebrow at the red-faced blonde.
Lucy cleared her throat. "I need to borrow Warren for a minute..." Lucy said turning her gaze to Warren who looked confused but shrugged it off and nodded.
"What can I do for you, Lucy?" Warren asked.
Lucy took a deep breath before letting it out. "I need to contact Meredy... She's somewhere outside the arena..." Lucy said earning gasps from the others around her.
"B-B-But she's-" Warren started before Lucy cut him off.
"So is Jellal!" Lucy hissed lowly. "I'm going to need her help so please just do it..." Lucy said with a sigh.
Warren sighed and nodded. "All right... Let me see if I can connect to her..." Warren said as Lucy approached him putting her hand on his shoulder. Warren put his two fingers to his head as he closed his eyes. Lucy closed her eyes and led him to the area where she knew they were. "Got it!" Warren suddenly said.
'Meredy!' Lucy called out earning a gasp from the girl she was trying to reach.
'Lucy?!' Meredy answered.
'Thank goodness! I'm going to need you to try and keep a link with me at all times today... The council is everywhere and he's going to get caught by them!' Lucy explained her hand squeezing Warren's shoulder tighter making him wince.
'What do you mean he gets caught?!' Meredy asked.
'Please! When I say I'll need you to link me to Jellal so I can draw magic power from him! I'll need it to use Gemini to get them off his trail... Please Meredy!' Lucy pleaded.
She heard Meredy sigh. 'All right! I and Ultear will keep an eye out and we'll keep a link open for you...' Meredy agreed.
'Thank you Meredy! I have to get back... I'll keep in touch!' Lucy said with a smile forming on her face.
'Just keep him safe!' Meredy said before the link was cut.
Lucy sighed before removing her hand from Warren's shoulder. She looked at Makarov remembering the other reason she came over here.
"Also Master, due to complications, Mystogan can't be in today's game..." Lucy said.
"Oh? Who would you consider replacing him for today?" Makarov asked.
"Wendy..." Lucy said making gasps ring out among the other members.
"Why me?!" Wendy asked in shock.
Lucy smiled. "Because we need someone who can go against Sherria of Lamia Scale and you're the perfect person for the job..." Lucy said.
The participants all drew their straws. Mira picked the one with the number one on it. It seemed she was up first. Just like Lucy said.
Mira smiled. "Number one, oh my!" Mira said with a giggle as she rest her other hand against her cheek.
Orga snorted. "A girl? How unfortunate..." Orga said boredly.
Mato eyed Mira with a raised eyebrow. He was confused about the girl's behavior. He scratched the back of his head in confusion.
"Well, let's get started then! Fairy Tail you're up first... How many monsters would you like?" Mato said.
"Oh!" Mira giggled. "I'll take all one hundred!" Mira said with a bright smile.
Gasps echoed around the arena as everyone stared wide-eyed at the smiling girl. They couldn't have heard right could they?
"B-B-But that's impossible! It's not set up so that one person could possibly defeat them all!" Mato said in a panic.
"Oh? Well, that's my 'challenge right' isn't it?" Mira asked a smirk slowly gracing her face. "Or are you going back on the rules you laid out?" Mira continued.
"N-N-No! Nothing like that! It's just..." Mato said waving his arms at his sides.
"Then what's the problem?" Mira asked her demon voice slipping through.
Mato's eyes widened. "N-N-No problem! Go ahead!" Mato said backing away from her.
Mira smiled brightly again. "Good! Glad we have an understanding!" Mira said sweetly before she walked up the stairs of the tower.
"The match is starting..." Laxus pointed out.
"I'm not worried... Mira will win, I have no doubts..." Lucy said as she, Laxus, and Wendy all walked back to their booth.
"Lucy... Are you sure I'm the one you want in the match?" Wendy asked worriedly.
Lucy nodded. "Positive..." Lucy said with a smile as they continued to walk. Lucy stopped suddenly causing the others to stop. Lucy grit her teeth as she clenched her fists. "Come out now!" Lucy shouted.
Laxus looked around before sniffing the air. There was someone there. His body just reacted on its own. He was at Lucy's side quickly in a protective stance. He wasn't going to let anyone get her now. He saw something move in the shadows.
"I'd do as she says if I were you... Come out, now..." Laxus growled.
Slowly a figure walked out of the shadows. Red heels and the end of a long red dress were the first things that could be seen.
"Flare..." Lucy said coldly. "What are you doing here?" Lucy asked.
Flare shrank back as her eyes darted around. "I'm here to warn you... I-I-Ivan he's..." Flare started when the sound of footsteps started to get closer. "I've got to go! Just be careful!" Flare said before she took off into the shadows.
"What was that all about?" Laxus asked.
Lucy sighed. "Ivan's planning to attack again I bet..." Lucy said looking up and coming face-to-face with Gajeel.
Gajeel raised an eyebrow before he sniffed the air. "What was Raven Tail doing here?" Gajeel growled.
"Flare came to warn us about Ivan planning an attack again..." Lucy said like it was no big deal. "What are you doing here?" Lucy asked.
"Got bored and you guys were taking forever..." Gajeel answered before his eyes went to Wendy. "You want Wendy for our replacement?" Gajeel asked as he scratched the back of his head.
"Yup..." Lucy said popping the 'p' at the end.
Gajeel shrugged. "All right... Let's get back..." Gajeel said turning back around and heading back to their booth.
The rest followed behind. Lucy was lost in her thoughts as Wendy looked at her. She wasn't sure if she would be a good choice for the replacement for today's battle. But she remembered that Master Makarov said that Lucy was in charge of all the choices concerning the games.
"Lucy..." Wendy called out startling Lucy out of her thoughts.
Lucy looked at her. "What is it?" Lucy asked softly.
"You really think I'm the best choice? Wouldn't one of the others be better?" Wendy asked.
Lucy shook her head. "No, you're the best one for this... Sky magic against Sky magic... Be careful though, she can heal herself to where you can't..." Lucy said returning her gaze to look ahead of them.
"How do you know?" Wendy asked.
"Leave it alone... Just trust her..." Gajeel suddenly cut in.
Wendy sighed. "All right..." Wendy said as she followed the others.
"How's Mira doing?" Lucy asked.
"How do you think?" Gajeel said amusement clear in his tone.
"So, she's winning..." Lucy commented.
"Just like you said she would..." Gajeel said.
"Good..." Lucy said with a sigh.
She was worried that she did make the wrong choice but turns out she didn't. She was relieved to hear that. Now all she had to do was prepare for Wendy's battle and tomorrow's game. Piece of cake right? Lucy sighed she knew it wasn't that easy.
They entered the booth just as Mira was on the last monster. Lucy walked to the railing and crossed her arms over it. She leaned forward as she tapped the tip of her boot against the ground. She looked on at the battle that was displayed on the screen in front of them as if she was bored.
Mira stood in front of the S-Class monster in her Satan Soul: Halphas form. Makarov across the arena in the stands had wide eyes as he grew pale.
"What form is that?" Wendy asked.
"That's Mira's Satan Soul: Halphas form... I'm surprised actually since Master Makarov forbid her from ever using that form again..." Lucy said as she propped her chin up on her hand as her elbow rested on the railing.
"Why is that form forbidden?" Wendy asked with wide eyes.
"Just watch and see..." Lucy said never taking her eyes off the battle.
"I thought her Sitri form was her strongest form..." Wendy muttered as she continued to watch the screen.
"Every one of her forms are strong... Just in different ways... But Each form is a bit stronger than the last..." Lucy said.
Wendy's mouth formed an 'O' as she nodded slowly. She returned her gaze to the screen to see Mira now in her Sitri form. She wondered when she changed forms.
"She looks tired..." Wendy commented.
"Even the strongest wizards would be tired after fighting that many monsters at once..." Gajeel remarked.
"I guess you're right..." Wendy mumbled.
Gajeel chuckled as he returned to watching the screen. Laxus leaned up against the wall next to Lucy with his arms crossed over his chest. A smirk spread across Lucy's face as cheers filled the arena.
"UNBELIEVABLE! Somehow by a single person... All One Hundred monsters have been defeated! Is this the true strength of the guild said to be the strongest, seven years ago?!" Chapati announced in disbelief. It seemed that the crowd was shocked and in awe. "Fairy Tail's MiraJane Strauss dominates Pandemonium!" Chapati continued.
The crowd roared in applause as the tower disappeared. Mira stood there with a sweet smile as she walked back toward the other participants.
"Sorry about that! It took a bit longer than I thought..." Mira said sweetly.
Mato's jaw dropped. 'Did she just apologize for taking too long?! Unbelievable!' Mato sighed internally.
"This huge applause has yet to stop!" Chapati announced with a chuckle.
"I give up!" Mr. Yajima chuckled as he covered his forehead with his arm.
"I don't have any words..." Lahar said with a sigh.
"How do we top that?" Hibiki asked with a sigh.
"I don't like this..." Orga growled lowly.
Lucy narrowed her eyes as she looked over the arena. Something didn't feel right to her. Lucy stood up straight and backed away from the railing her eyes never leaving the group on the field.
"Lucy?" Laxus asked he watched her back into the shadows of the hallway out of sight. "Lucy!" Laxus panicked as he was ready to run after her.
"Open! Gate Of The Twins! Gemini!" Lucy whispered as she hid in the shadows.
Gemi and Mini both appeared as they blinked and looked around. "Lucy?" Gemi asked in a confused tone.
"Copy and Transform into me..." Lucy whispered as she flattened her back against the wall.
Both Gemi and Mini nodded before they copied her form. They transformed with a puff of smoke. They looked around knowing their master plan. They nodded just as Laxus came running out.
"Lucy!" Laxus shouted and he skidded to a stop in front of Gemini-Lucy. He narrowed his eyes. "Where is she?" Laxus growled.
Gemini-Lucy smiled. "Come on! Let's go congratulate Mira!" Gemini-Lucy said grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the arena entrance.
Laxus sighed but let himself get pulled. He had no idea what she was thinking but he'd better play along and not give her away.
Gajeel and Wendy quickly ran out and saw Laxus being pulled by the small blonde. They thought it was a funny sight but didn't think of it and just followed behind them. They all ran out into the arena.
"MIRA!" They all shouted happily.
Mira turned around in surprise. "Um... Hi guys!" Mira said with a giggle.
Gemini-Lucy jumped on her and wrapped her in a hug. "Mira you were amazing!" Gemini-Lucy praised.
Lucy ran along the hallway all the way to where the announcers were. She burst through the doorway her hands landing on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.
Mr. Yajima turned in surprise and was about to say something before he saw her shake her head and put her index finger to her mouth then pointed to the microphones. Mr. Yajima nodded before he pushed the button to turn his off.
"Miss. Lucy, what is it?" Mr. Yajima whispered gaining the other announcer's attention.
The others looked at her as she shook her head and repeated her motion again. They nodded as Chapati went back to talking to cover up the conversation.
"What is the meaning of this? Aren't you in the arena?" Lahar asked lowly.
Lucy nodded. "Lahar get the council soldiers ready... Raven Tail is about to attack..."
And That is that chapter!
I hope you enjoyed it!
^.^
As Always thank you for the support!