White Eclipse
Chapter 29

11:55 pm. The night of registration, one hundred and thirty guilds entered. And just like last year, an elimination round was "secretly" in the mix. Everyone from every guild was out on their inn's balcony, waiting patiently for midnight, just like last year. Everyone except...
"We're so lost!" Aira cried out as she slumped over upset. "We've been walking for the entire day, how do we not know where the inn is!"
Luke stayed quiet. He knew what was at stake if they didn't get to their inn in time before midnight. They would fall behind on whatever the elimination round would be.
"Leave it to Cygnus to go hunting for meatball subs." Selene huffed.
"Hey! It's not my fault no one here knows how to make them right!" Cygnus yelled back.
Luke looked up at a random street clock as they continued walking. "11:58..." He began to prepare himself for the panic he's about to cause. "It's important that we find the inn in the next two minutes." "Why's that?" Kairi asked.
"If it's anything like last year's, which I'm sure it is because of all the guild's that entered...then the elimination round will start at midnight."
"WHAT!?" Aira yelled out. "What, why didn't you say anything!?"
"Because we don't need a panic like you're doing now!" Luke replied.
"Okay, lets relax it's only...11:59!"
Cygnus exclaimed. "Master and Sidney are gonna kill us!"
"No they're not, because we're gonna make it. Even if we come in eighth. We'll make it. No matter what it takes. We'll take out anyone in our way. Last year, Fairy Tail attacked everyone in their way. Well that's our strategy this year. It's not about speed this time. It's about bullying." A smirk and look of determination comes over everyone's face as Luke finishes his pep talk. They all stand in the middle of the street as the clock was seconds away from striking midnight.

"Reve!" Kuro Bursts in the room to see Reve and the others on the balcony. Reve turns to Kuro with a raised brow. "What's wrong Kuro? Don't tell me your nervous."
"The others! They aren't in their room! Or the inn!"
Reve and the others's eyes widen.
"What!? Where's Selene and the others?" Takeru asked.
"I don't know! They're supposed to be next door!"
"Tch, dammit!" Adamantine scoffed. "I can go sniff them out."
"No time!" Reve growled as he requipped a flare gun into his hand. The moment he does this, the clock strikes midnight.
"Too late." Jack stated.
In the air with spotlights pointing at him, was the host. The pumpkin headed man shuffled his feet as he laughed.
"It's that time again! With one hundred and thirty guilds registered, it's time to start the elimination round."
"Shit!" Cygnus and the others look up, as they were directly under the image of the host.
"Now, last year we created the labyrinth. Every guild went in, and only eight advanced. This year, it's a straight race to the arena."
"That's it!?" Reve exclaimed. "Sabertooth is the closest that's not fair!"
"Yes a straight shot." The host continued. "Except there's one catch!" As he finishes that sentence, a green floating light appears on the balcony of each participating guild. "You have to follow the lead of the lacrima sprite, as a team. You have to follow it's exact path. Don't worry about speed, the sprite will always move just a bit faster than you are. Though you will run into other guilds, no sprite will float in the exact same direction, but the distance covered will be the exact same. Five miles on foot."
"Five miles?" Natsu questioned. His team stood in front of the lacrima sprite, waiting for the signal to go.
Lucy hunched over and sighed. "A five mile run..Whyy?"
"Everyone get ready." Erza stated. She looked over to see Laxus and the others on their balcony as well.
"Here we go again." Lyon said, standing next to Jura and the others.
"You ladies ready?" Kagura asked.
"Ready!" They all shouted.
"Rogue." Sting called out. Rogue nods as they stood in front of Orga Yukino and Rufus.
"Good luck you guys! Though with my teachings you won't need it!" A blue haired mage waved. Sting chuckles. "Thanks, /master/."
"The parfum of competition is now at it's strongest! Men!" Ichiya spins into a pose as the team stands behind him in a pose as well.
"Lets get Wild!"
"Four!"

The host looks around. "This will be an interesting race. Now that we have everyone who isn't participating ushered off the streets...GO!"
The host disappears as everyone but White Eclipse B's sprite takes off.
Reve aims his flare gun in the air and fires, hoping that team B would see the flare. "We can only pray for those idiots now." Reve and the rest of Team A jump down as the y sprint off with the sprite. Takeru looks up at the B team's sprite as they run off. "Come on Selene."
"The elimination round has started!" Aira yelled in a frenzy.
"Crap!" Cygnus looked around for any incoming opposing guilds.
"Remember don't panic!" Luke exclaimed. "Just remember the plan and-"
"Look!" Selene yelled as she pointed to the sky. They all look as a flare goes off in the distance.
"That's Reve's!" Kairi shouted.
"It is! That must be where the inns are! Lets go!" Luke immediately takes off running as the others follow close behind.

Erza lead the sprint as the rest of Fairy Tail A followed right beside her. Their sprite lead them through every turn and even a few back alleys.
"How many turns is this thing gonna take!?" Gray yelled out.
"The host stated that it'll accumulate five miles before making it to the stadium."
"I hope we're making good time." Lucy said as she and Wendy held back in the rear.
They all turn another corner as the sprite leads the way, but the second Natsu, who was the third one in the group, was to turn the corner.. "Roar, of the Aquatic Dragon!" Blues fires a funnel of raging water that slams right into Natsu. The roar throws him back, away from the group as he slams into a building a good ways away from the team.
"Natsu!" Lucy calls out. At this time, Quatro Cerberus goes running past Fairy Tail as their own sprite led then around the city. "Nice shot Blues!" Yaegar yelled out. Bacchus smiles at Fairy Tail as the two run by each other. Erza and the others were still running, yet they were looking back at Natsu the whole time.
"Keep going, Flame brain will catch up!" Gray shouted. But as he turned back around, he saw that the sprite had disappeared. "Guys!"
"What! Where'd the sprite go!?" Lucy began to look around frantically.
"Look!" Wendy pointed to Natsu as he made his way out of the rubble. The sprite was hovering over Natsu.
"I get it." Erza came to a stop as everyone else did the same. "We became separated. So the sprite went to the one whose off track. Natsu! Get over here!"
"Ugh! I'm gonna kick that guys ass!" Natsu gets up and rubs his head, actually contemplating chasing after Blues and Quatro Cerberus, but instead he and the sprite make it back towards the group. "It's understood we have to stay close to each other now." Erza stated. "If we get too far away from each other, the sprite stops as well."
"Well lets use that to our advantage!" Natsu grins as he lights both of his fists on fire. "Lets send some mages flying!"

"Heh, that'll hold them off for a bit!" Bacchus laughs as Quatro Cerberus keeps running down the street. They take a left a run down a straightaway. As they get to the middle of the street, a snowstorm appears, blinding them from their sprite. Bacchus and the others immediately stop. "What!?" Bacchus looks around as he looks for the sprite they were following. "Can anyone see!?"
"Good job Eve! Excellent parfum!" Ichiya and Blue Pegasus run past Quatro Cerberus as they smirked.
"Not a problem!" Eve yelled as they kept running, following their sprite.
"Shit! Hey do something about this blizzard!" Bacchus yelled at the white haired mage.
"I'm on it." The white haired Mage took a few steps back as he inhaled. He then turns in the direction that Blue Pegasus was running. "Water God's bellow!" He then blows out a giant ball of black water that consumes the snow storm, and heads for Blue Pegasus. It comes roaring in and the second Eve turns around, the bellow slams into Blue Pegasus, causing them to go tumbling into the ground.
"Wh-what was that?!" Jenny cried out as she struggled to her feet.
"Wild! Good shot Kuro!" Bacchus yelled.
"Kuro the water god slayer alright." Blues said. "Lets keep moving!" Rocker yelled out. Quatro Cerberus takes off again, following their sprite.

"Keep up!" Kagura yells back at the girls as she was leading the pack at a fast pace.
"Don't underestimate a chubby girl!" Risley called out as she brought up the rear.
"I'm feeling Spiffy!" Millianna yelled as she was right behind Kagura.
"Good! Keep it moving, and watch out for other guilds!" Kagura continued to lead the charge.

"Ice make: Eagle!" Lyon launches four ice eagles ahead as Lamia scale, prepares to run right into Sabertooth.
"I remember perfectly. Memory make!" Rufus fires off the exact same eagles, causing them to collide. Orga then fires off a stream of black lightning at Lamia Scale. Jura flips up two fingers, causing a wall of earth to catch the lightning. The rock wall doesn't go down though.
"Jura, move the wall so we can keep going!" Lyon called out.
"I'm trying Lyon-Dono!"
"What's going on Jura-San?" Chelia asked. Just then, another sprite passes by Lamia scale, then a rock wall sprouts up behind then, closing up all around them. "Don't worry! I left you air!" Jack yells out as White Eclipse A runs on top of the rock wall, keeping their eyes on their sprite.
"Tch. It's them." Sting said as they began taking a right.
"Is that him?" Rogue asked Sting while exchanging looks with Takeru.
"That's him Rogue. The other shadow dragon slayer."
"Heh." Takeru gives the smallest of smirks as he and Rogue watch each other until they were both out of sight of each other.
"Raging bolt!"
"Roar of the Iron Dragon!"
"Water Slicer!"
The three attacks slam into random mages and buildings as Fairy Tail's B team continued running through the streets. Laxus follows closely behind the sprite as he comes to slide and takes a right. They continue running until the sprite stops on the dot.
"What happened!?" Mirajane asked as she stopped running.
"I don't know... Is everyone here?" Laxus called out as he looked back.
"Yeah." Cana says. "Everyone's here!" Just then, their sprite quickly shoots into the air and heads towards the stadium.
"Does this mean we can go there now!?" Gajeel asked.
"Juvia thinks so!"
"Only one way to find out!" Laxus yelled as he took off. "Lets go!"
"Right!" The others yelled out as they followed behind.
Reve and the others sprint ahead as the sprite leads the way. Just like Fairy Tail team B, the sprite stops, and then takes off towards the stadium.
"Yeah that felt like five miles!" Kuro yelled. "To the stadium!" Reve shouted.
"Hey Reve! Bye Reve!" Luke and Team B come running by at this time as Team A take off toward the stadium.
"Hurry up!" Reve yelled. "I have a plan but y'all have to hurry!"
"We're on it, we're on it!" Selene yelled back as they make their way to the inn.
Sabertooth's sprite stops, and then takes off towards the stadium. The same for Quatro Cerberus, Mermaid Heel, and Fairy Tail A. They all look up and yell out "lets go," as they take off towards the stadium.
"What's the plan Reve!?" Jack asked.
"We have to get there first. But we may not finish first. I'm going to snipe everyone down from the stadium. We have to stall until Luke and the others catch up."
"That's risky." Takeru replied.
"It's all of us or none of us!" Kuro yelled.
"Heh, exciting. I'll use my ice to help." Adamantine states.
"Alright, lets go!"

"We made it!" Luke and the others jump to the balcony. Kairi brings up the rear and as soon as she reaches the balcony, the sprite takes off. They quickly follow. "We've wasted so much time." Kairi cries out.
"We got this!" Cygnus replies. "Just don't look up at the stadium, it'll be discouraging!"
They take off in full sprint, following the sprite closely as it turned every which way.

"We're almost there!" Mirajane yelled as Team B made their way up the stairs to the stadium.
"We have to be first!" Cana exclaimed.
"Hell yeah we are!" Gajeel smirked as he continued climbing the stairs.
"...now Adam."
"Ice Roar!" Whole running, the giant Adamantine fires off a funnel of ice directly at Fairy Tail's B team. The funnel goes rushing towards them. Laxus spots the roar at the last second.
"Watch out!" They all dive out the way as the Ice roar slams into their staircase. Cana dives too far and at first she catches the ledge of the stairs, but then as the ice roar hits, the now frozen remains of the stairs become to slippery for her to hold on. With a loose grip she lets out a scream as she begins to plummet back to the ground.
"Cana!"