Chapter 113: Luke and Lucy

Earlier that day: Morning

He yawned loudly as he walked into the main room of the inn where his guild mates were waiting. A small round of applause was let out for Cygnus as he waved off the sarcastic gesture. "Why're we up so early?" He asked, plopping down next to Kuro and Jaxon. Everyone was here, from rookie to veteran mage of White Eclipse, and that caused the awakening God Slayer to raise a brow in slight concern.

"I've decided to call a meeting, and yes, we'll still be having one before the finale too." Said Reve, walking in last now that everyone had arrived. He took a seat in the lone chair before everyone, arms folded as he took in a deep breath and exhaled. Head leaning back against the head rest, he then leaned forward before returning to a normal seated position. "I just want to reiterate something as well as tackle another subject. First, the reiteration. We all remember why we're here, right?"

Solemn faces all around, and though no one spoke up, it was all Reve needed for him to move on. "Exactly. That's why it's important we keep this lead." At that moment, Reve pointed up to the lone screen in the room, showcasing the scores of the Grand Magic Games:

1White Eclipse: 50

2Empyrean Dawn: 41

3Fairy Tail/Twilight Zone: 38

4The Council: 32

5Mermaid Heel/White Eclipse B: 26

6Quatro Cerberus: 23

7Sabertooth: 21

8Black Phoenix: 14

"Right now, we're indeed in first at fifty points exactly. Between the three events and three fights, fifty is a decent spot for us. Sixty would have been the maximum we could have earned in these past three days so it's acceptable."

"Acceptable?" Reiss thought to himself in disbelief. "That's amazing...how does he believe we could do better than that? Wait..who is we? I'm on the lesser team and we're nowhere near close. We're in fifth!"

"Now.." Reve continued. "The absolute one thing we can't do here...is collapse. We have to finish the week strong, okay? We have to. No screw ups, no disappointments, and that goes for both teams." He gave a side glare to the rookies before continuing. "We don't need any momentum shifted away from the White Eclipse name from here on. Right?"

A unanimous agreement. "So, with that being said, we're making a few changes based on this gamble. We've heard that this event is going to be a lot different than what we're used to. So, the best person to handle the unknown...Luke. You're up."

He perked up, an inquisitive look on his features. "Oh? I thought I was in the battle portion, but this will do just fine." He grinned. That's when Reve's eyes turned to their trump card. "Adam. You're the exclamation point. Just don't kill them, and you have my blessing."

With Reve's acceptance, Adamantine grinned those dragon fangs from ear to ear. "So seventh points to end our four day week? Sounds fantastic."

"Now, with that out of the way, let's talk about something else." Reve said ominously, making his way to give the rookies eye contact. Immediately they all froze in fear, unsure of what to say or which direction to even look as they prepared for the inevitable tongue lashing. Reve turned their way... then back to the main area as he spoke. "...Everyone. Keep up the good work."

"HUH!?" Reiss said aloud, catching everyone's attention as he embarrassingly sat back down. Reve let out a relieved exhale of his own. "Though I'm still highly annoyed that our rookies went behind our backs and formed a team, you're actually doing better than I expected, despite yesterday's loss. Just a bad matchup really, but the fact remains that you're all giving your best efforts and your training is paying off. Don't forget, with an asterisk by your name of course, you are one of the top guilds in Fiore. And whats even more surprising is that you've been doing it without our open support, which you still won't receive of course. As long as you kids don't piss yourselves, I don't think there'll be a problem here."

Ilaria and the others were all smiles from the praise Reve gave them as Reiss still sat there in disbelief. From there, Reve stood up to remove himself from the room. "Y'all are free to go from here. Get some breakfast, go back to sleep, whatever you want to do."

"Breakfast?" Keye asked Kuro, to which he replied happily with a head nod before the two left together. Riley watched them walk away before smirking to herself, unfolding her legs to stand up as well. "Reiss, Tyson? Lets eat!"

An odd request the two saw it. "Uh...sure?" Reiss accepted, as strange as it was with everyone else departing their separate ways. That's when Reiss turned back to the others. "Anyone else?" His question caused Riley to pout behind his and Tyson's back. That's when Evelyn hopped up. "Me! I need to take my nerves off of today. I'm up, right?"

"We both are!" Reiss smiled, saluting her. "M-Me too, Reiss-kun!" Ilaria shouted, both hands in the air. "Can we go to Al Dente!? They serve breakfast too!" Lance announced, salivating at the mouth. "Well then, I guess everyone is coming along." Tyson noted. Riley then rolled her eyes as she sauntered off. "Yeah, sure. Just hurry up. I'm starved."

"Man, Crocus never sleeps, does it?" Luke asked himself, stretching and yawning as he walked alone against the pedestrian traffic of the Crocus streets. It was the crack of Dawn still, and as the Copy Cat made his way through town to find a nice place to eat, he saw a familiar face that caused him to light up with a smile. "Ha! Lucy Heartfilia! Up early, aren't we?" He said, jogging over to meet her. She turned to her name inquisitively, but then smiled when she placed a face to the voice. "Luke!" She waved him down. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep at all! I'm anxious, I'm sure!"

"Oh? What's that? Are you competing today?"

"Mhm!" She nodded, clenching her petite fists together. "I'm in today's event!"

"Well what a surprise!" Luke grinned, wiping his nose. "It looks like we'll be competing against each other then!"

"Really!? Then you better give it your all, Luke Cloud, because I'm not going to hold back!"

"Heh, of course. In the mean time, I'm about to find something to eat. Want to join?"

"Sure!" She agreed, now walking along with him. "How about Al Dente!? They've been making quite a fuss with their food."

Luke groaned, catching Lucy's attention. "Sorry, but I don't have very fond memories of that place."

"You know. I'm not surprised." She admitted, shaking her head. "Well, we'll find something else then!"

Moments later, the two found themselves at an outside diner, sitting beneath an umbrella as a waiter walks away from them after taking their orders. "I can't believe it's been a whole year." Lucy admitted, placing her lips to the straw of her drink. "Tell me about it! That day was insane, but it opened up a lot of doors you know? A lot of sacrifices were made that day, but it's almost like equivalent exchange... as bad as that sounds."

"No, you're exactly right, Luke. I think everyone grew from that day. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Mhm. You too, Lucy. And I'm glad we made that agreement to each other."

"More like a vow!" She laughed, causing Luke to widen his eyes before laughing as well.

{Flashback}

Two months after Tartaros.

Lucy walked alone down Crocus, twirling her new apartment key as she sighed. "I still haven't gotten used to the loneliness." She admitted to herself. Her gaze turned to the sky, letting the wind blow through her as she sighed again. "I wonder how everyone's doing."

"Well I'm fine if you're asking."

He scared her, causing Lucy to shriek as she jumped back. "A rude greeting as always, Lucy." Luke spat.

"What are you doing here?" She askedc glaring his way as she kept her distance. "Training and traveling, but I'm glad I ran into you."

"Huh?" She blinked.

"I never got to say something to you, Lucy. I just wanted you to know that when we were were in that fight with Tartaros, there was a time where I didn't think we would come out victories. I'm sure you could feel that point too in there. That entire place and atmosphere felt so...bleak."

She lowered her head. "Yeah...I have to admit that I remember that feeling fighting them."

"Right... and because of that. At that moment, I could only think of the people I didn't want to lose. That was White Eclipse of course. And..."

Lucy raised a brow.

"And...though it's been unconventional, we've really bonded too. Even though we're in rival guilds, we've had moments that have stuck with me, Lucy. They stuck heavily. From our guilds clashing countless times, to the joint mission in Solent Sanctum, all the way up to this moment right here..."

Now the tone of this was becoming embarrassing for her as she watched Luke's features change. Her face became reddened as she backed away. "Wh...wh-what are you getting at, Luke!?" She stammered, afraid of the answer to her own question.

Luke was slightly embarrassed himself, sliding his hands into the pockets of his jacket he became so accustomed to wearing thanks to the freezing cold of the mountains around White Eclipse. "What I'm saying is, that I've realized that you're someone special to me, Lucy, and instead of fighting and arguing all the time, I was hoping we can change the dynamic of our relationship into something positive. More importantly, I want you to know that it's you... I indeed like you, Lucy Heartfilia. And if you give me a chance to prove —"

"LUKE!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, causing others to look their way as they walked by. Panting heavily from the sudden confession, she tried to find the words to combat it. "Wheres this coming from all of a sudden! Why me!? Wha— I mean..! We are closer than normal people but..!"

Positive words, though they came from a frantic girl, Luke stood with confidence as he waited for Lucy to form a coherent sentence. He helped by placing both hands on her shoulders to stiffen her, calm her down. Finally, she took a deep breath and a sigh. Her eyes were closed shut, but she soon opened them to a brunette standing before her, waiting for a clear answer. And...she gave one.

"I've been so used to traveling with Natsu...and the others and going on jobs and adventures that..I haven't even created the thought that someone would ever have time to look at me in a way. Luke this is a big confession... but it's also so sudden."

"I understand..." He gave a weakened smile.

"But!" She exclaimed, placing a hand on his head. "Everything else you've said...it makes me very happy! So let's start there, okay? Lets actually be friends first! I don't need a romance blooming from rivalry. I'm not a cliche story. So how about it? Friends?"

"..." This time he gave a genuine smile, nodding once. "As long as we can revisit this when the time is right, then I have no problem being friends, Lucy!"

{End Flashback}

"Almost a whole year since then. So, speaking of that..." Luke hinted, turning eyes to her. Lucy simply smiled. "Lets enjoy the day."

"Yeah but it's been a yea—"

"Here's your order." The waiter said, placing down their meals as he cut Luke off. Perfect timing for the blonde as she immediately changed the subject with the topic at hand. "Yum! It looks so good! Dig in, Luke, because it's on you!"

At that point, he had no choice but to drop the topic, eating his food as she requested.

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"Welcome to Al Dente!" She said in a monotone, holding a tray of drinks in one hand, and using the bandaged one to pass them around. "Our special today is the custom ramen, or the seafood party board. I'll be your waitress, Blair. What do you want?"

She had long black hair, palish white skin and grey eyes. Tyson looked her up and down before coming back to eye contact with her. He gulped at the menacing aura the stoic woman held before placing his order. "It's too early for that, so I'll take a bacon panini. Eggs on the side."

"Ok! I'll take a giant waffle! With syrup and raspberries on top! Oh! And some whip cream!" Ilaria smiled brightly.

"Calm down before I throw you out." Blair replied, writing down the orders. That's when Lance slid in, draping an arm around Blair's shoulder. Immediately she went cold with blue on her face. "She the waitress here. Blair, always taking orders that my heart requested. Isn't she great."

Blair was two seconds from killing the kid himself, but someone beat her to the punch as Lance became woozy. "Ah yes, and she is..." He couldn't even finish his sentence as he draped back into his chair. Behind him, pushing him in, was the woman who sat them. A small, pink haired girl named Yuki Moreau. She simply smiled, retaining ominous innocence as she spoke. "Please don't touch the staff or security will have to kick you out." As she smiled, she pointed back to the man lying on the empty bar counter, facing away from them. He had spiky, unruly brown hair and a slim physique, but the rookies, who didn't understand what Yuki just did to Lance, understood that he was definitely not the type to be messed with. Blair sighed, then walked off, kicking the aforementioned security in the ass as she did.

"HEY BITCH!" He shouted, rubbing his backside as he sat up.

"I was touched again Keele. Do your damn job!" Blair exclaimed, walking off. "And I'm telling Rowan!"

"Shut up! No one touched you! Who would want to!" Keele grumbled, turning back around to lie back down.

"Sailor mouths." Evelyn said behind her hand. Riley then spoke. "How did you even find this place?"

Lance popped back up as if nothing was wrong with him. "They have a good stand outside the arena! It's what I ate right before running into Tyson! So, I decided to bring the whole gang here! It has the best food! Pretty women, nice atmosphere and even a screen to watch yesterday's fights!"

And just like that, there it was. Tyson vs. Melody played, and Tyson sighed, turning away from it.

"Hey you gave a great fight. And Reve even said we've been doing great. So let's not get down!" Said Ilaria, patting Tyson on the back a couple of times. "A draw is worse than a loss." Lluvi spoke, sipping her tea. "At least you don't have to worry for a period of time who was stronger between you two."

"Ah yeah, your draw with whats her face from Empyrean whatever." Riley added on, so uninterested. "Meanwhile, Reiss. You nervous for today? Your big bro gave such a powerful speech back there. Imagine falling on your face after such a pep talk. He even said that we can't have any screw ups!"

"Well whats with this tone shifting?" Tyson asked, pointing out the suddenly thick tension Riley was attempting to create. Lifting her drink, she crossed one leg over the other. "The reason I asked you two to breakfast of course. I wanted to talk about this without an audience to save you both face, but I guess this is how you wanted it. Tyson lost yesterday, and Reiss is up today. Our two leaders. The two who put this team together, are letting us down. Don't forget the promises made to everyone here now. Saraya and her tribe, Lance and that one smelly guild... Oh! And Evelyn and Ramman! Well you got your fight but you dropped that ball."

"Riley..." Ilaria started, but Reiss just laughed. "Don't worry. I got this, and so does Evelyn. Tyson's loss wasn't a momentum breaker for us, and he'll bounce back too. Thanks for the hard hitting questions though. A leader needs them. I haven't forgotten anything we've said to you guys, and we're going to get through it, one way or another. Even if we have to support the vets as they win the entire thing, White Eclipse will win!"

That put everyone in high spirits, even Riley who just shrugged it off as the food served by Blair hit the table. "Until then! Lets eat everyone! It's on Lance!"

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"Ah! That was amazing! I shouldn't expect less from a five star restaurant!" Lucy boasted, patting her stomach once as she leaned back in her seat. Luke took a look at the bill, whistling once he saw the price. "Even with the competitor discount, its steep! But I got it."

With that out the way, they both sighed in relief, Luke looking on with a smile on his face as he admired Lucy while she stretched her arms over her head.

{Flashback}

Six months ago.

A knocking on her door happened. Lucy immediately stood up with a smile, fully dressed in her own apartment for once as she hopped over to the door. As she opened it, Luke was there with a smile and an abundance of snacks. After inviting him in, the two shared a plethora of laughs, conversation and the sorts until finally Lucy fell asleep with her head rested upon his shoulder. The look of content resided on Luke face, not moving for a while to enjoy the moment. It wasn't until he finally decided it was time for him to leave, allowing Lucy to rest on the couch alone as he slid out.

{End Flashback}

Lucy finished stretching, coming down to notice Luke staring her way. She blinked a few times in confusion. "What? Is it something on my face?" She asked. Luke shook his head. "No, I was just thinking. That's all. But back to what I was saying earlier. Lucy..."

"Luke. Come on. We're both competing today. Against each other. Lets not make anything complicated right now, right?" She said, standing from her seat and pushing her chair in. That's the second time she deflected, and Luke wasn't the type to wait on a third. He stood up as well. "Why? Why are you dodging me?" He asked in a bit of a stern tone. "Lucy, it's been a year since I told you how I felt, and I've been here for you almost everyday."

"I'm not a charity." She hissed.

"That's not what I meant. Don't do that! Don't deflect!"

Luke was garnering attention now, bystanders looking to watch the drama unfold.

"I've shown you how much I care about you, Lucy. And I know...I know you do to me as well. So.. What are you waiting for? Or should I ask... who...are you waiting for?"

She knew what that meant, and coming from him, it only made her upset. As she stood there, quietly brooding and raging at his words, Lucy could only think back to the giant board she had in her apartment. The board she used to keep up with everyone from Fairy Tail's whereabouts. The board that Luke once saw when he was over, and instead of ridiculing her, he helped her with. That same board that even with Luke's help, she still had no clue where "he" was. Her fists became tightly clenched to the point of shaking until Lucy raised her head to scream out as if Luke was one hundred yards away.

"Every time you seem like a decent guy...you ruin it by opening that stupid mouth of yours...! I don't like jerks like you, Cloud! So stop asking!"

She stormed away, leaving Luke alone, standing there as murmurs around him continued.

"I said the wrong thing..." He began, slowly clenching his own fists tightly. "But... that doesn't give you the right to step on my feelings, Lucy! You hear me!?" He yelled back towards the escaping Lucy Heartfilia. She heard him loud and clear, but at this moment, she wanted no part of it... so she left. The last words she heard from him, were the icing on the cake. "You're a coward, Lucy! A coward!"

{Flashback}

Four months ago.

There they both were, in Lucy's apartment, looking over the board she created to keep track of all of her guild mates and friends. Pictures of everyone was scattered across the board, lines drawn in each direction. Everyone was accounted for except for two very important members of Lucy's life, and as she became depressed by simply looking at the board too long, Luke remained standing there as Lucy went to sleep, turned away from it all. Luke stared for a bit longer, then back at Lucy who surprisingly fell asleep on top of her bed so fast. Something then caught his eye.

After he tucked her in, as he walked out, he noticed a letter that he hadn't seen before sitting on her desk. Not usually the type to go through another's things, Luke picked it up as if it was calling to him. The first face he made was of comical disgust thanks to how bad the writing was, but as he read Natsu's letter to Lucy, he could only gain a face of disappointment, shaking his head as he placed the letter back down. "You're an idiot.. Natsu. I'll take it from here."

{End Flashback}

Time was flying through the day, and as it drew near to the fourth day event, Lucy found herself within her bath tub, sitting with her face halfway submerged within. The look on her face expressed how she felt about the events that took place earlier this morning, and as she sighed underwater, her mind became clouded with those events, along with everything else that was on her mind. That's when she finally shook her head vigorously. "No! I have to focus! Everyone is counting on me today, so I have to concentrate on what's important! Screw Luke! I'm winning today's event!"

With newfound vigor she hopped out the shower, got dressed and pumped a fist into the air while looking in the mirror. "Lets do this!"

"Ladies and Gentlemen! It is time for the fourth day! As you were told before the Games started, the format was changed. Four days, and then the fifth day free for all! That's right everyone! We are coming down to the wire, and as the final event of the week, we have a special event for you!"

As the audience cheered from Chapati's words, Lucy and the other competitors stood at the ready within the arena, unsure of what was to come, but anxious to start. Lucy looked down the row of competitors, naming them all in her head. There were only a few familiar faces, but as she got to the end, her brows furrowed and her face turned to a angry visage when she spotted Luke at the end of the line. In fact, they made eye contact, and mirrored each other's expressions.

"This special event and format was brought to you by our very own Council Chairman, Kemuri!"

Lucy looked up to see the Chairman wave. Her eyes were then directed to the ground as she attempted to keep her balance from the sudden quaking. From beneath, tall buildings began to rise — high into the air like skyscrapers — separating the competitors from each other. As this happened, Chapati's voice was heard once more.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to Pandemonium: Bounty Hunters!"

"Bounty Hunters?" Lucy questioned, looking around at the flashing lights away from her. From those lights, animal and human shaped lacrima dolls of every color began to form, now walking around as if they've always existed. "The rules are as follows! This event, there is no cap on the points! That's right! You can earn as many points as you want in this event! As you can see from the lacrima dolls around you, they are different colors. Red, blue and yellow! The yellows are worth one point. The blues are worth three, and the reds? They're worth five points. And don't worry! Every time one is destroyed, another of that color will spawn in a different area! But that's not all!"

As he shouted that, Lucy's wrist began glowing. From there, a bracelet like insignia appeared. She raised to eye level and examined it. You yourself are also targets for each other. Worth ten points!"

"Well that makes things interesting." Said Luke, still looking around at the new scenery. "It also makes things..."

"Of course, the person with the highest score will grab an additional ten points, and so on until you reach the bottom of the ladder! That's right! This event is a huge momentum make or breaker! Now, lets meet our competitors for today! First up... it's White Eclipse's Luke Cloud! Empyrean Dawn's Hubert Ozwell! Sabertooth's Yukino Arguria! Quatro Cerberus's Blues! Black Phoenix's Diamond Ice! White Eclipse B's Evelyn Harber! The Council's Vivi! Mermaid Heel's Kagura Mikazuchi! Twilight Zone's Caesar Romales and Fairy Tail's Lucy Heartfilia!"

"This is huge." Reve said, looking on intently. "And Luke was the perfect pick for this. God I amaze even myself sometimes."

Skye almost fell over. "How did he get to that conclusion!?"

"Also, someone hidden within the city creation, is a white lacrima doll, worth a whopping thirty points! Good luck finding that one, bounty hunters! Competitors are you ready!?"

Everyone took their marks...

"Get set..."

When Chapati said those words, the eyes of the lacrima dolls turned red, and the dolls themselves turned hostile and vigilant. Everyone realized, gaining mixed reactions. Lucy held a single key by her side as she waited for the words everyone else anxiously wanted to hear. And then, it happened.

"And...GO!"

"Open! Gate of the Bull! Taurus!"

"MOOOOOO!" Out from his gate as the bell tolls, Taurus the axe wielding Bull appeared without hesitation, leaping towards his first target. "Go Taurus!" Lucy shouted, but as Taurus swung his axe downward, he came up empty save for the rubble he created from the street. Lucy's eyes widened but she quickly regained herself to follow the yellow four legged lacrima doll with her eyes. It bounced from building to building, until finally it lunged right for Lucy, believing it had a clear path until Taurus slid in with a home run swing that went it flying into the closest building.

"Alright!" She pumped a fist. "They're pretty fast and vigilante it seems, but it's nothing we can't handle— WHAT!?"

Lucy's sudden surprise came to the leaderboard and how it changed so suddenly. What started as everyone at zero points now held Lucy with one only ten seconds in...and in last place. "No way! Is everyone moving like that!?" She asked herself. As she looked up to see who leads at the top, it only made her both angry and determined — Luke Cloud already in the lead with six points. "Don't look at the board, Lucy! Just gather as many points as you can! Taurus!"

"Ice Make: Black Arrow!" Luke shouted from the opposite side of the city. Four arrows of Black God Slaying and Ice mixture fired forward, taking out three more yellow lacrima dolls while one managed to dodge. That was now nine points for the Copy Cat. Things were running smoothly for him until a small shadow appeared above him. "What the!?" He leapt back, just barely avoiding the surprise attack from Kagura who appeared above him, but the second he landed, he found himself stuck within her range of gravity. It was nearly impossible to move, and it looked like Kagura was about to take advantage of the golden rule — taking out the competition for more points. She lunged without a word, holding Archenemy forward for a powerful joust that seemed to be endgame until Luke created a bubble around him made of Black God Slaying Magic. They clashed, causing a stalemate, so Kagura quickly withdrew by leaping away and turning her attention to a lacrima doll down the street. "Next time." Was all she said as she left, causing Luke to raise a brow in confusion. "She gave up on that quickly." He said, only to turn to the leaderboard and see that it was no longer him in first. "No way!? In that span? That was like a ten second exchange!"

The new leader, Vivi from the Council Team, found the jackpot. Inside one of the sky scrapers, a room filled with red lacrima dolls —

Two and four legged — surrounded her. With ten points in her pocket, all eyes were on Vivi as she showcased her skills and magic. "Lets go, Vivi." Crisdelin's whisper was a coincidental marker for Vivi's performance, for the gorgeous brunette began her fight against the room filled with reds. "Light construct..." She murmured as two of them rushed her. Vivi then slammed a right hand over her left fist and from there, the two rushing stumbled over their own feet. Upon a closer look, everyone could see that they were now constricted by golden handcuffs. They were made completely out of that golden light, causing them immobility. Leaving them be, Vivi leapt to the ceiling, only to form another tool to use as she leapt towards her next prey. A large sword, curved at the blade sat in her right hand. She swung it, missing her target but never giving up pursuit. Her exceptional speed allowed her to catch up to the lacrima doll in the midst of its jump away, slicing it in half for five more points.

She didn't have time to rest nor did she look for any as she spun, slicing but not killing her latest hostile. It teetered away, allowing her to slash at the next one, and the next one, destroying those two for ten more points. With that, Vivi was able to turn back to the red she damaged, launching her blade its way and stabbing it right through the chest. With the room cleared, Vivi turned back to the two she handcuffed and finished them off as well with the same sword she created. She started in this room with ten points, and walked out with thirty five.

Marshall watched Vivi from the sidelines with a crooked grin, more quiet than he usually is as Mizaki noticed. "Oh yeah. That's the one, right? That tortured my poor brother in prison?" She halfway mocked. Marshall never turned away though, simply smiling as Vivi walked on. "Yeah. I can't wait to talk to her again.."

Vivi still led all scores with thirty five. That lead was a decent margin, but second place was closing the gap and it was no longer Luke Cloud either. Over in the North, Diamond Ice was turning the area into her own domain. It was collateral to her attacks and techniques as her name held true — the Black Phoenix S-class mage freezing everything that came close to her or hardening her limbs to dismantle her prey with powerful blows. It was freezing in the North, almost impossible to withstand. As Diamond cleared out two more blues for six more points to climb to twenty seven, she heard powerful footsteps. She looked through her blizzard-like terrain as only she could, just to find a towering monster stand before her. "Are you the white lacrima?" She asked. The monster before her was definitely white, but it was too organic to be part of the event, and that clicked for Diamond a second too late as she took a powerful punch to the abdomen. She went flying back, tumbling into the snowy ground.

"I was having a good time until you made it snow." The beast spoke, fully showing itself. White fur, a light blue skin tone on its stomach, hands and feet. A snow ape, but it didn't look like any regular one. It was one of legend. It was abominable. And with his appearance, even Evanee grinned as Twilight Zone all cheered for their teammate, Caesar Romales. "Legend Takeover." Rylo announced like his guild didn't know. "It always fascinates me each time I see it. And it also fits his frame pretty well. I couldn't imagine these legends coming to fruition in a small body, you know?"

Thirty five was still the goal post for now, and Luke with his little pick offs still remained in second, now with twenty five. Despite attacking him and wasting time in that failure, Kagura remained in third right behind him with twenty three, but right behind her was Blues with twenty two, looking to take the lead as he gave chase to a very quick red lacrima doll. "Water Dragon's Wing Slash!" He shouted, raising his arms over his head before slinging them forward to create a plethora of water crescents that rushed towards their prey. Another miss. "Tch!" He sucked his teeth before giving chase once more. "These things are tough! I'd have like fifty points by now if they weren't so slippery! Even the one pointers are annoying! Get back here!"

Everyone was in heated combat with the lacrima dolls, chasing the points to add to their team. Everyone... except Hubert Ozwell of Empyrean Dawn. The light blue haired mage sat upon the roof of one of the many skyscrapers, watching everyone struggle. Besides a few encounters of his own, Hubert had yet to put forth any energy. With just ten points and at the bottom of the barrel, the Empyrean pushed up his glasses as he continued to look around with intent. "They're wasting their time with the small fry." He said, still scanning. "The premier strategy here is to find the white lacrima. That's first priority. Then, as everyone tires out, take out the competition. Once I find the white, and then take out two competitors, that should be enough for Empyrean Dawn to take a commanding lead."

"His thought process is so methodical, it's frightening to regular people." Said Kaiser as he watched Hubert scan the area. "People often play down to him because of his appearance, but one thing you should know about Hubert, dare I risk my position as a Wizard Saint by saying so... he's a war criminal. Hubert was behind a lot of strategic moments in Ishgar's history of war, and not for good reason. Everything Hubert does is carefully planned by himself so he knows exactly what is happening. He's his own pawn, and his own general."

"...There it is..." He said, fixing his glasses as he stood up. With a leap, Hubert left the building he stood upon, crashing through the window of another. He rolled through, a two sided lance in his right hand as he came eye to eye with the white lacrima doll. "Alright. Lets start the mission."

"Wow. I feel amazing." Said Evelyn, amazed at herself as she stood in the middle of the street. The White Eclipse B member currently had fifteen points, in the middle of the pact as she examined her hands. "Was it the food from Al Dente!? Has to be...I feel so different. Almost...out of body. Well then.. let's keep it going!"

With a confident drawl, she sprung into action by showcasing her alchemist-like magic to take down a number of lacrima dolls of different colors.

"Lucy-San!"

"Yukino!"

The two slid back to back, keys out as they used their spirits Taurus and Libra to take on the blue lacrima dolls. They competed while covering each other's backs, giving their respective guilds something to smile about. The two celestial Mages nodded to each other, and as their scores continued to climb, so did their confidence. Until...

"Ladies and Gentlemen! It's happened! Someone has found and taken down the white lacrima! And without even breaking a sweat! It's Hubert Ozwell of Empyrean Dawn!"

Everything froze for a minute as the combatants turned to the screen to see the successful Hubert with a fallen white lacrima doll. "That's thirty points, putting Hubert in the lead with an unprecedented forty five!"

"WOOOOO LETS GO HUBEY!" Nina shouted for her teammate. Hubert raised his glasses, causing a glare to appear as he spoke. "We're not done here. With five minutes remaining, I can now take out a few of the stragglers here for an absolute victory. We won't even need the free for all. First...the alchemist."

He leapt away. In fact it only took him a ten second run until he arrived behind Evelyn who just finished off her lasted prey. "Huh?" She could sense him, most likely another effect of the food she ate from Al Dente! As she turned around, she now stood face to face with the Empyrean with a vigor as red as her hair.

"My calculations tell me you're the weakest link here." Said Hubert, extending his mechanical blade. Evelyn smirked, keeping a cautious stance as she did. "That's funny. My math says that it's you that doesn't belong here. You're just lucky to find the white lacrima before anyone else."

Hubert wasn't here for chatter. He was completely serious in his speech. "Hmph. It'll be close, but after you, I can take on the next one and end these games by default."

"Bring it then, four eyes!"

Five minutes remained, and as Lucy and Yukino cleared out their area, the inevitable happened as the two turned their attention to each other. Fairy Tail held twenty four points while Sabertooth twenty three. "I've always wanted us to face off like this, Lucy-Sama." Yukino admitted. Lucy nodded in agreement. "Well then. Lets do this, Yukino!"

But of course it couldn't take place. Instead, a powerful rumbling took place, catching the two off guard. Unfortunately for her, it was Yukino who fell victim to what happened next, for Lucy instinctively rolled out the way while the other Celestial Mage found herself in then confines of a large chunk of black ice.

"Luke..." Lucy spotted the patented ice and placed the correct name to it instantly. That's when he appeared from a sky scraper above, landing as the ice that capture Yukino painfully shattered. That's when the bracelet around her wrist shattered and she fell limp to the ground.

"And Yukino is out thanks to Luke Cloud! Sabertooth finishes with twenty three points while Luke just gained ten more for White Eclipse! That's forty four points for Sabertooth!"

"Big move." Said Reve, grinning as he could only see Lucy as another easy pick up.

"Tch!" Hubert sucked his teeth as he stood across from a bruised, panting Evelyn. "That was the next prey, but the alternate option shouldn't be too hard either."

"H-hey!" Evelyn shouted. "Don't count me out yet!"

Hubert turned back to her, unamused, stoic. "Your best ability is changing elements. You don't even conjure your own. It was irresponsible for you and your captain to allow you to participate so late in these games. And now, you'll shamefully pay for it."

"Flame—

"Scarlet Salvo!" Hubert beat her to the point. Now, he held up to his reputation as a criminal as he fired a piercing bullet that shot right through Evelyn's left shoulder.

"Ev!" Tyson shouted horrifically as the rest of White Eclipse looked on in shock. She fell to the ground as Hubert began walking off. "Don't worry. I'm no fool to kill her here. I'm inclined to winning, so to be disqualified would squander that stance, wouldn't it?"

"And...Evelyn is eliminated in the blink of an eye! That's ten points for Hubert which puts Empyrean Dawn at forty five! White Eclipse B finishes with twenty two points! They'll be standing at forty eight!"

"SHIT!" Reiss shouted, pounding his fist into the concrete barrier. "That's such bad luck, running into that guy!"

"That wasn't misfortune." Said Riley, nonchalantly chewing on gum. "She was targeted. That Hubert guy gunned for her, as if she was the weakest link. Seems like the nerd's hypothesis reigned true."

"Chill." Ramman said. Riley leaned back to smile his way. "Did Ramman gain a heart all of a sudden? Anyways, my guess in these next two and a half minutes is that he'll be gunning for Lucy next since Yukino is also gone."

And though Riley was correct, Hubert wouldn't make it that far. As he leapt from building to building, he was finally cut off by a leaping body aiming a powerful punch of his own. Upon impact with the roof and fist, water poured like a fountain as Hubert landed just yards away. He adjusted his glasses and looked up to see Blues before him.

"Hm. This doesn't make sense at all." Said Hubert, glaring the Dragon Slayer's way. "You're sitting in the middle of the standings, and your guild needs the points more than anyone. Why would you waste your remaining time to fight me, a person you cannot defeat, rather than fighting the lacrima dolls? It's simply the smarter choice. Common sense even.."

Blues then smiled. "Because. Sniffing you out and defeating you just felt more WILD!"

"FOUR!" Bacchus and the others shouted as Blues lunged forward, meeting Hubert's blade with a powerful water infused fist.

"Hmph! So be it. Two minutes. I'll be sure to collect the points necessary, and you'll just have to suffice as the subject."

"Lucy..." He said, standing before her in the deserted street.

"Luke." She gave a more stern response, preparing herself for what was to come. "I don't have any plans in holding back. My guild needs me."

Luke fired back. "Trust me. Holding back isnt your strong suit. You've been trying to do that for a while. Your best attack takes a whole year it seems though..."

Lucy decoded that cryptic message instantly, not that it was hard to. She immediately growled as her fists tightened. "So go ahead." Luke antagonized. "Show everyone that technique you've been hiding up until now. That which I helped you train! That technique I wasted so much time bonding with you for!"

"Oh shut up already! Star Dress: Taurus!"

In the midst of her shouting, Lucy's body would glow a bright golden light. Her attire left her, only to be replaced with a bikini like top of Taurus's cow pattern, and a pair of black pants — one pant leg long while the other non existent — and brown boots. Her hair was now tied back into two buns — one on each side. In her hands she held a standard whip.

"Oh!" Wendy looked on in awe. "I didn't know Lucy-San could do that!"

"What is that?" Gray asked.

"It looks like...Taurus. Or at least, clothes that resemble him." Levy deduced. "Did Lucy gain a new ability with her spirits?"

"It's just like Aquarius back on Tartarus then." Erza added. "She did the same thing with her, so maybe she's mastered it with her other spirits?"

{Flashback}

"A job?" Lucy asked. Luke held up a flyer, showing the picture of a really tall woman, or what resembled that of a woman. "Yeah." Luke responded. "It seemed very important, and I've committed to it. Her name is Desdemona, and apparently rumors are saying that she's not even human."

Lucy chuckled. "That sounds like folklore."

"Anyways. I was hoping you'd come along with me."

Lucy's eyes widened. "You want me to come on a job with you?"

Luke nodded with a smile. "Yeah! I thought it would be fun! We could leave this weekend and be back before you miss any work with Jason! Shouldn't take more than a day or two with the both of us, and I just think that it's a good chance to stay fresh and—"

"I can't." It hit too close to home. A flood of memories of her and team Natsu, a team that no longer exists for the foreseeable future. Her hair shadowed over her eyes as she stood up. "I can't go. I'm sorry."

As she walked off, it was Luke's turn to stand. "You're not tied to them like that you know! It won't hurt you to let the past go! It's just a job together!"

As Lucy left out the picture, Luke went on his own, traveling, infiltrating the lair of that he sought, but as he confronted the tall woman who sat upon a throne, the look on her face said that she knew he was coming, and instead of death, she told Luke that she had something else planned for him..

{End Flashback}

"Luke Cloud. The role you play in this world is magnificent. It is true that I'm no human, and my creator will soon return to this world, but I'm no servant. I refuse to return to that which is not salvation. My name is Desdemona, and I'm a Wraith. I planted that poster for you, Luke Cloud. I drew you here, because I knew you were the one I could count on. Come closer, and let me draw forth your locked potential. Humans are their strongest when their normalcy can unionize with chaos. I will unlock that chaos within you, and from there, Luke Cloud, you will flourish into my savior! Prepare yourself!"

The words of Desdemona rung in his mind as the winds around him picked up. "As Sidney says, it's only right to hit someone who's giving their all, with your all as well! So here's my Trump card! Chaos...Unison Mode!"

A wicked grin upon dark red painted lips appeared on the pale features of a green haired, monstrous woman draped in a purple, torn gown. It was as if she could feel the transformation from her seat, but back at Crocus, the entire city quaked as even Reve looked on in astonishment as Luke Cloud's hair also gained a greenish hue. His physique became slightly bigger yet noticeable. He was fluctuating with magic, and the excess of it was causing even Taurus and Lucy to fight to hold their ground. "What is this!?" She shouted in demand.

"This is Chaos!" He shouted back with a cocky grin. "I tried to get you to join me! To be next to me! I liked you Lucy! I was in love with you! We could have both been this strong, but you and your memories of Natsu and Fairy Tail turned your heart cold. Now let me show you just how far behind you are because of it!"

"Cold?! Luke just because I didn't feel the same—"

"It's not about that! It's about your inability to be true to yourself, and how you take people down with you because of it! You can't even walk on your own without Natsu! That's why you lost Aquarius! That's why you lost your guild. And now...consider this losing me!"

His words...they caused her to turn to him with a stare, still holding on to Taurus as the magic influx continued. Lucy looked him dead in the eyes, saying the words that marked her proverbial grave.

"So you gained strength from some random entity? It sounds like you're the weak one, Cloud."

It clicked, and Luke immediately dashed forward. Lucy's eyes widened, and instinctively she covered herself, sheltering and cushioning the blow that was Luke's right fist. The impact sent her flying, yelling in pain as she tumbled across the ground. "LUCY!" Taurus shouted. He then turned angry eyes back to Luke, raising his axe as he did. "You'll pay for touching her nice body!"

Luke simply side-eyed him, and as Taurus swung his axe, a simply swing of his own arm sent Taurus flying painfully from an uprising of every elemental magic Luke copied. Instantly, Taurus was gone. He turned back to see Lucy rising to her feet. As she did, she waved him over despite already wavering.

"As long as he doesn't kill her.." Said Reve, watching on with an anticipated look on his face. He leered over to the Fairy Tail side of things, and the looks on their faces caused him to smirk. "I didn't know little Luke would grow up so fast right before our eyes. I'll have to ask him about this Chaos Unison later."

"Last chance, Lucy. Just forfeit. Admit to your problem, and forfeit."

She teetered, catching herself with a hand to her knees before she fired back. "I don't have a problem! You're just a jealous person! Your plastering this belief on me to cover up your problem! I'm sorry I can't return your stupid feelings, but you're not about to bully me into feeling like the villain! The Luke I know wouldn't have succumb to whatever this is, or whoever you go that power from! It was such a cop out thing to do! You're not anyone I would want to be around! Luke...you're not even a friend...!"

That was all the clearance he needed. Luke took in a deep breath, then walked forward directly to his target. With thirty seconds remaining, the Copy Cat created a magic seal directly behind Lucy that took the form of a mirror. In retaliation, Lucy fired in her whip, directly aimed for Luke himself! Unfortunately for her, she missed, for all Luke had to do was shift to the side to avoid the incoming strike. As the whip hit the ground, Taurus's power was on display as the ground fissured into different paths before finally quelling. But all of that meant nothing to Luke as he continued forth, creating a second mirror that appeared before the blonde. He slowly raised his hand, and Lucy frantically looked around for a way out. She knew she wasn't going to make it in time, and as Luke closed that raised hand, the mirrors would glow before firing off an endless loop of Eclipse Magic. "I learned this one from a dying man, you heartless woman. Am I still weak?"

Of course she couldn't answer. All that was heard were the shrieking coming from the Celestial Wizard in pain, caught within the loop of a magic strong enough to transcend both light and darkness. Everyone was watching — literally everyone. Even the other competitors stopped what they were doing as they could see the shining light as it overlook the entire city the longer it went on. And when it all finally settled, and when Luke finally called of the attack. There was Lucy...

Still standing.

"What!?" Luke shouted as he noticed the figure through the smoke, standing on wobbly knees. As the smoke cleared, it was indeed Lucy, standing in a familiar Star dress. That of Aquarius's attire as well as a now broken Aqua bubble hung around her, but it wasn't nearly enough to protect her completely. No, Lucy's body was a complete mess — bruised from every inch down to her feet, but that wasn't good enough for Luke. He wanted a clear victory, and it annoyed him to know that she withstood one of his strongest attacks after everything left a sour taste in his mouth. Even still, Lucy fell over, but again the Copy Cat wasn't satisfied.

So as an accumulation of his magic formed around his right fist, Luke grit his teeth and reared back, his sights set on Lucy was still in the midst of falling before him. A moment of hesitation came upon him until he heard the words in his head from a familiar Wraith saying "Do it!"

So, he swung.

Impact was heard and felt, everyone looked on with widened eyes, especially those from Fairy Tail. Wendy held her hands over her eyes as Cynthia watched with disdain, but as something floated down next to her without her knowing, Cynthia focused in on what just happened.

Luke blinked a few times, realizing who now stood in front of him. A cloaked man, revealing his long pink locks as he pushed the hood back, but it was anything but a joyful reunion. The look on Natsu's face said anything but hello, and as his body began to heat up, Luke instantly began to feel it, wanting to pull away, but Natsu wouldn't let him.

"Natsu!?" Gray shouted. Wendy quickly pulled her hands away from her eyes. "Natsu-San!" She shouted to the savior of the day, excited to see him and at a perfect timing too. "Shit, Lucy's probably disqualified then." Laxus said with a grin. Erza nodded. "Yeah, but it's not like he didn't do something we all wanted to do."

Instead of releasing the Copy Cat, Natsu reared back with a copious amount of flame around his own band of knuckles, and swung for Luke's skull. The Copy Cat was defenseless, but as connection was made, it wasn't Luke's head, but another hand that Natsu slammed against.

"No..." Reve murmured, now looking around to make sure his eyes didn't deceive him. They didn't. Takeru was gone from the stands, and now within the battlefield, holding onto Natsu's fist and saving Luke from eating a flaming haymaker to the jaw.

"Nat...su..." a tears eyed, exhausted Lucy whimpered out. "Don't worry about it, Lucy! I'm here.."

"It's been a while, Salamander." Takeru stated as the two remained in a stalemate. "A year to be exact. This spot feels familiar too."

"Me and Lucy vs. you and Luke, Tak!" He barked back. "Oi, I'll get to you soon, but right now, I gotta beat Luke's ass for what he did to Lucy."

"You know I can't allow that." Takeru replied. The two stared each other down, but that silence was broken by Chapati's voice.

"Times up! And surely it goes without saying that Fairy Tail and White Eclipse are both disqualified!"

All eyes on the White Eclipse side were on Reve, who was quietly, yet visibly shaking. "No...No...our lead...we get zero points for this event... no..."

"Tak. I didn't need saving..."

"This wasn't about you, Luke. I've been waiting for this man to arrive before me...

Ever since we left Tartaros."