Ultimate Fairy: Volume II

by pyrohelixdrago

Ben Tennyson has found himself in another universe, one filled with magic he never imagined. He comes across a few wizards who invite him to their guild, Fairy Tail. With no immediate ways to return home Ben must adapt to this new world, form new bonds, and grow stronger with his teammates to overcome many obstacles. Adopted from Ultimate10

42. Chapter 42

...

Ultimate Fairy

Chapter 42: Oracion Seis

Part I

...

Last time on Ultimate Fairy...

"Which raises the main question," the Omnitrix bearer frowned at Black Steel, "why are you in my house?" He walked over to kick Gajeel's legs off of his table. "Feet off the table!"

"Whoa! Is that any way to treat your new roommate?" Gajeel snarled.

Ben froze and looked at Gajeel in shocked confusion. "Come again? I think I may have heard something crazy in my ear."

"What? Didn't Mira tell yah?" Gajeel smirked as he leaned back with his arms behind his head, placing his feet back on the coffee table. "I'm your new roommate, bro."

Ben was speechless. His right eye twitched as he stared at the Iron Dragon Slayer.

...

Nearly twenty miles outside of Magnolia was a tall, snowy mountain called Mount Hakobe. Regardless of the season, the mountain was covered in snow and experienced a constant influx of snowstorms. Additionally, it was home to several forms of dangerous wildlife, such as Vulcans. Hence why many people rarely trekked to the snowy mountain.

To the west of Mt. Hakobe was a valley filled with spruce and pines; the type of trees one would expect to find in an alpine climate. In the center of the valley was a small grassy clearing that provided enough for a Take-Over wizard and an otherworldly hero to work on the former's training regimen. The latter had chosen this remote spot to avoid collateral damage and endangering bystanders in Magnolia.

"Okay, Elfman," Bloxx called out. "Let's try this again. Just tell me when you're ready."

"You kidding?" Elfman panted, sweat dripping down his face. "A real man... is always ready!"

Currently, the white-haired man was standing on the edge of a platform comprised of Bloxx's colorful building blocks. The platform itself nearly spanned over the entire clearing.

Bloxx nodded. "Alright then. Training exercise number eleven starting..."

He placed his hands against the platform and melded his hands with the blocks. The Segmentasapien concentrated on his abilities and blocky extensions suddenly appeared across the platform and assumed various shapes.

Elfman narrowed his eyes in determination at the shifting-platform, clenching his left fist while limiting his right hand's grip. The tops of the trees surrounding the clearing swayed back-and-forth as a cold wind blew down from Mt. Hakobe. Although Elfman was grateful for the refreshing breeze helping him cool down, he was completely focused on the task in front of him. This time he would succeed!

A short moment later, the blocks formed a course consisting of walls and hurdles, block-cannons, and swinging arms. These different obstacles were spaced out in random locations across the platform. The goal, like any drill course, was to successfully get through the various obstacles; however, there was an added condition in Elfman's case.

"NOW!" Bloxx shouted.

"Beast Arm: Iron Bull!" Elfman shouted.

In a white flash, his left arm transformed into a beast-like arm composed of gun-grey metal that was akin to a gauntlet.

After finishing his Take-Over, the buff man rushed forward into the course. The first obstacle he encountered was a hurdle, which he easily jumped over. The second obstacle was a four-foot-tall bar that was too low for him to simply duck under. He dropped to his knees and arched back, smoothly sliding underneath the bar before quickly springing up to his feet.

The next obstruction was a large wall with blocky extensions positioned across it, which were meant to be footholds to help Elfman climb over. However, the white-haired brute smirked as another idea entered his head. Increasing his speed, he reared back his Iron Bull arm and punched straight through the wall – scattering blocks across the nearby area.

If Bloxx were capable of sweat-dropping, he would be. 'Not exactly what I had in mind...'

"Don't just try and muscle it, Elfman," Bloxx recalled his grandfather's advice from eight years ago. "Might isn't always right!"

"A real man always finds a way to break through obstacles!" Elfman shouted enthusiastically.

"Well… I can't necessarily disagree," Bloxx commented, mentally activating the next obstacle.

Four cannons positioned on towers at the platform's corners turned and aimed themselves at Elfman, firing a salvo of blocky projectiles. Elfman reacted quickly by jumping behind a nearby block-wall, shielding him from rounds on one side while still leaving himself open to the other two cannons' rounds. This is what the Take-Over mage wanted as he swiped his iron-arm forward and smashed the incoming blocks in one swing.

'Not bad taking cover behind the wall so he can handle the projectiles coming from in front of him.' Bloxx evaluated. 'Still though...'

Elfman punched the floor to break up the block pieces. With his left hand, he quickly picked some up and tossed them to his left, shattering one of the cannons. He turned to his right and tossed more blocks, breaking the second cannon. He repeated this process and destroyed the remaining two cannons on the other side of the wall.

The white-haired man couldn't help but grin due to his accomplishment.

Unfortunately, the Take-Over wizard's momentary distraction cost him as a column of rotating arms suddenly appeared in his blind spot and landed a direct blow on his side. The block-arm broke apart on impact, but the force behind it was enough to send Elfman careening across the course. In the process, Elfman instinctively tightened his right fist.

The Segmentasapien shook his head, completing his earlier thought, '... he needs to concentrate on his surroundings more.'

"Focus, Elfman!" Bloxx yelled.

Elfman grunted as he pushed himself up and sprinted forward to finish the remaining obstacles. He maneuvered his way through a pattern of blocks (reminiscent of ladder-exercises) and finished with jumping through a gate that was continuously opening and closing – having to wait for the right moment. He rolled on the dirt a couple of times before rising back to his feet.

"Finished." He stood up and opened his right hand; his expression immediately showing frustration. "Ah, man! Not again!"

In Elfman's hand were the crushed remains of a small turquoise crystal. He had failed the exercise for the eleventh straight time.

"I saw you tightened your grip when you got hit." Bloxx stepped up to the albino-haired wizard. "You gotta stop trying to muscle your way through the course and pay attention to your surroundings."

"Yeah, I get it... but c'mon! I got hit on my blindside. That's not only unfair, it's unmanly too!" Elfman argued.

"Bad guys don't fight fair... or manly," the Segmentasapien countered. "That's why they're bad guys. You gotta be ready for anything."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Elfman rubbed his neck.

He paused to stare at the intricate block course behind him. "I get why you set up this course. You want to keep me on my toes and not memorize a set of drills." He then held out his palm with the crystal fragments. "But why do I have to hold this crystal? This thing's as fragile as an egg. Makes it really hard to concentrate on the course."

"That's the point," Bloxx stated.

"Huh?" Elfman tilted his head, confused.

Bloxx tapped the Omnitrix dial and, in a green flash, transformed back to human. He was wearing his usual attire without his green hero jacket.

"Holding that crystal without breaking it while doing the training drills is designed to teach you focus and control." Ben clarified. "I want you to be able to fully control your strength."

"I guess that makes sense," Elfman scratched his head. "Still, I thought the whole point of our training was to make me strong enough to use my Take-Over Magic on your aliens?"

"You're already physically strong, Elfman. Heck, you could take down half the trees in this forest bare-handed if you wanted to. But my aliens are more than just brute strength." He explained. "Most of them have abilities that could seriously hurt or even kill people if they're not controlled properly. If you want to use my transformations' powers, we need to change your line of thinking."

"What do you mean?" Elfman cocked a brow in bewilderment.

"How do I put this..." Ben stopped as he momentarily gathered his thoughts. "I respect Master Makarov a lot, but… I have to say he's a bit too soft on you guys."

"How so?"

"Well, he talks a good game on punishment but doesn't seem to know the meaning of discipline; at least during my time here," Ben claimed in a matter-of-fact tone. "In my early hero days, I acted in a similar way to you guys and it nearly cost me at times. You're seeking power that isn't of this world, Elfman, and to wield it correctly requires three things many people in Fairy Tail lack: restraint, focus, and a greater sense of responsibility."

Elfman was silent as he listened to Ben intently. He did have a good point. The majority of Fairy Tail's members, including him, more often than not acted impulsively while at the guild or on missions. Hence, why the guild was infamous for causing property damage.

"If you truly want to get stronger, Elfman, you're going to have to change your way of thinking. Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not saying you need to stop being yourself at your core." He reassured his friend. "But I am saying you must be ready to switch to a different mindset when the situation calls for it. If you're going to wield my powers, you have to stay focused and in control at all times."

Elfman reflected hard on Ben's words and understood where he was coming from. Ben wanted to make sure he could control his own magical and physical abilities before letting him use Take-Over magic on his forms. It made complete sense; after all, if he couldn't fully control his own power then he had no business attempting to copy Ben's aliens.

The robust man was then reminded of Lisanna's death and inwardly grimaced. The whole reason she had died was because he had acted irresponsibly and used his magic on a monster he couldn't fully control at the time. Now, he was seeking to copy the powers of beings far stronger than The Beast. He didn't want to repeat history, so he needed to make sure he was fully ready before attempting to use Take-Over on Ben's forms.

Elfman nodded, resuming a determined expression. "I understand. Don't worry! I'll learn to fully control my strength. I am a man, after all!"

Ben smirked. "That's what I like to hear."

"Boys!" a sweet feminine voice called out.

The duo turned around to see Mirajane standing on the edge of the clearing. She was wearing a baby-blue casual dress that hugged her voluptuous body nicely with her long hair tied back into a ponytail.

"Lunch is ready! How about taking a break and come eat?"

As the enticing smell from the campsite filled Ben's nose, he immediately felt his stomach rumble. He looked up to Elfman and smiled. "I can't say no to your sister's cooking. Let's take a break and start back up after lunch?"

"Sounds good to me!" Elfman grinned. "Real men can't fight on empty stomachs."

With that, the duo ambled toward their campsite. Meanwhile, hiding in the trees a fair distance away, a certain Stone Eye beauty was observing the Take-Over trio keenly.

Evergreen hummed in contemplation. "I fail to grasp why Ben would waste his time training that brute, Elfman." She remarked crassly. "It seems like a lost cause to me..."

She trailed off as she eyed Elfman's large biceps. Even from this distance, she could see the sunlight glistening off his sweaty skin.

Evergreen shook her head and looked away upon realizing what she was doing; a tint of pink on her cheeks. 'What was I doing just then?!'

The trio's campsite was a simple setup consisting of two tents and a fire-pit in the center. Since Elfman and Mirajane shared a tent, their's was slightly bigger than Ben's. Ben had insisted on the simplistic camp so they could focus solely on training. Elfman and Mira didn't mind, however, as they were used to this type of camping from their experience doing missions.

Ben and Elfman sat down on a couple of logs positioned around the fire-pit. Mira happily served each of the two a bowl of wildmeat stew from a black kettle hanging over the fire. The name 'wildmeat stew' was accurate considering all the stew's ingredients had been gathered from the forest.

A regular person would be hesitant to try the all-natural dish, however, years of eating Grandpa Max's strange cooking had conditioned Ben to such an endeavor. He had to admit, the stew's smell was very enticing – unlike most of his grandpa's meals. He sipped a spoonful and was impressed by how delicious it was.

Too bad Grandpa Max didn't have Mira's cooking talent. Had he been here, Ben could see the old Plumber Agent whipping up some unusual meal involving earthworms or tree grubs.

"This is really good, Mira." Ben complimented.

"Yeah!" Elfman talked while swiftly consuming his bowl's contents. "Great job, sis!"

"Why, thank you," Mira smiled brightly. "I'm glad you're enjoying it. The stew should give you guys plenty of energy to continue your training today."

"More, please!" Elfman held out his empty bowl.

"Although I was surprised you decided to tag along with us, Mira, I'm actually pretty grateful you did," Ben admitted.

"It was my pleasure," Mira replied, serving her older brother another bowl. "With just you both out here, I questioned what you would've done for food, otherwise."

"Yeah...heh-heh," Ben chuckled sheepishly. "That certainly would've been interesting to find out."

'I don't know what's edible or not in this forest, so finding good food would've been a challenge,' Ben mused.

"Plus, this trip gave me the opportunity to help you train your demon form."

A couple of days ago when Ben and Elfman started leaving for Mt. Hakobe, Mira had requested at the last minute to join the duo. In addition to wanting to help prepare meals for them, she also wanted to see Beelzebash for herself.

So far, in the early morning and late evening when Ben and Elfman weren't training, Mira trained Ben while he was Beelzebash to help him understand his demon form better. This training included magical-control exercises, meditation, and sparring. Ben inwardly sweat-dropped from the latter.

Mira's Satan Soul form was certainly formidable. His sparring matches with her ended in either defeat or a draw. He understood why she had earned the title of She-Devil in the past.

Even though their training had been limited, Ben could tell that he was steadily improving with Beelzebash. In fact, Mira had mentioned that since Beelzebash was based off of the Galuna Island demons, he most likely possessed Transformation Magic as well.

At the time, the Omnitrix bearer had slapped his forehead – berating himself for not considering that possibility sooner. Sure enough, after a few attempts, Beelzebash had managed to use Transformation Magic to assume his human form. Although, the Omnitrix dial was still present on his chest, so that was something Ben would need to address if he were to use this ability in the field.

Mirajane was certainly surprised by Ben's progress with Beelzebash. He was an excellent learner and skilled combatant. Despite her Satan Soul possessing more physical and magical strength than Beelzebash, he had compensated with his exceptional fighting skills and quick strategizing. His years of hero work had certainly trained him well.

"Yeah," Ben spoke up, "I do appreciate that. It's really been helpful. In fact, I can already think of a few scenarios where Beelzebash's transformation magic would come in handy."

"You're welcome! Also..." she turned away as guilt appeared on her visage, "I wanted to make up for failing to mention that Gajeel would be your roommate. I hope you can forgive me."

"I'm not mad at you." Ben said sincerely. "I'm the one who didn't ask."

"Oh yeah… how's it going so far having that metal-head staying at your place?" Elfman asked.

"Well, we had a rocky start, but..." Ben reflected on the events when he walked in to find Gajeel making himself at home in his house.

...

A Week Earlier...

...

Ben could've sworn he felt his eye twitch as he stared at Gajeel with an incredulous look.

"Hold up!" Ben exclaimed. "You're my roommate?!"

"That's what I just said," Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Geez... get the wax out of your ears. Or I guess it'd be sand in your case considering where you've just been..."

"Watch it," Ben warned. "This is my house!"

"Yeah, yeah," Gajeel pulled out a handful of screws from his pocket, proceeding to eat them like chips.

Ben narrowed his eyes. "I can see why you were kicked out."

"Huh... not enough iron in these for my taste," Gajeel commented on the screws while ignoring the Omnitrix bearer.

"Stop ignoring me!" Ben exclaimed angrily. "When did you even get here!?"

"I made my way over after that fancy broad left. Your door was locked though, so I decided to let myself in. Didn't feel like waiting on yah."

"Oh, brother..." Ben face-palmed in exasperation. "I should've seen this coming."

'Should've known the universe would get back at me somehow after completing that request,' Ben inwardly groaned.

"Of course, it had to be you I agreed to let stay over," Ben grumbled.

"Hmm," Gajeel quirked a brow, "What? Mira didn't tell you it was me who needed a place to crash?"

"She said someone in the guild needed a place to stay. I had an extra room, so I obliged. Didn't know it was going to be you. Though I guess to be fair, I never got the chance to ask her." Ben sheepishly admitted.

"Huh... so what? You're saying I can't stay here then?" Gajeel asked.

"Well..."

Ben didn't know how to respond. He did agree to give Gajeel a place to stay despite not knowing it was him. On the other hand, this was the same guy who had brutally abused Team Shadow Gear and Lucy during the Phantom Lord war. In addition, he really didn't appreciate the scrapheap he left on the floor and his poor attitude. Could he really let someone like him stay at his house?

However, this was the same guy who had allowed Jet and Droy to attack him and vent their frustrations as well as protect Levy from Laxus's lightning. Plus, the iron wizard did save him from getting struck by lightning too. Despite giving Gajeel a taste of his world's music, Ben hardly felt like he had repaid him yet.

Gajeel took note of the contemplation reflected on Ben's expression and sighed. "Fine. I'll make the decision easier." The black-haired wizard stood up from the couch. "I'll just let myself out."

"Huh?! You're seriously gonna leave just like that?" Ben asked, mildly surprised. He honestly expected more resistance, considering he already had his junk here.

"Don't see the point. I know when I'm not wanted." He said while grabbing his vest hanging off the back of a nearby chair.

"Okay... do you have any idea where you'd go?"

"Not a clue." Gajeel shrugged as he slipped his vest on. "Probably crash in some bushes, but I've stayed in worse. Anyways, see ya."

"Wait..." Ben held out his hand.

"What is it?" Gajeel snapped, looking back at him irritably.

Ben furrowed his brows and keenly stared at the Iron Dragon Slayer. After a short moment, he closed his eyes and exhaled. "Okay..."

"Okay, what?" Gajeel said, confused.

He reopened his eyes. "I'll let you stay."

"Huh?" Gajeel's eyes widened in surprise. "What did you say?"

When Mirajane had told him that Ben would allow him to stay, he was initially taken aback. Even though out of all the guild members (minus Juvia), Ben seemed to be one of the few who tried interacting with him via sharing music from his world. Despite that, Gajeel could tell the otherworldly man didn't fully trust him and rightfully so. After all, the Phantom Lord battle wasn't too long ago.

At the time, the Dragon Slayer briefly pondered why Ben would even allow him to crash at his home to begin with. The moment when Ben revealed that he didn't know it was Gajeel that Mira was referring to, it immediately made sense.

But, right now, Black Steel was completely stunned by Ben's response.

"I said," Ben repeated, "I'll let you stay here."

"Why?" Gajeel questioned. "You just admitted you didn't know it was me when agreeing to take a roommate. You've got no obligation."

"True. But that doesn't matter. Wouldn't be right if I just kicked you out on the spot... even though your first impression was less than to be desired." He glanced at the metal pieces scattered around the living room. "Besides, you did save me and Levy from Laxus's lightning... as well as defended Magnolia and the guild from him. So, I know you're not too bad of a guy."

Gajeel blinked, surprised. "You're... serious?"

"Yep. But..."

"So, there is a 'but', huh?" Gajeel groaned.

"There's gonna need to be some ground rules. I'll let you stay on three conditions. One, no cluttering my house with scrap. If you're gonna have it, keep it in your room. Non-negotiable. Two, this is my home and you do what I say. Again, non-negotiable. Three, I want you to work on improving your behavior while you're here." He extended three fingers to emphasize his conditions.

"Huh? What'd yah mean 'improve my behavior'?"

"Well, for starters, I don't like it; especially in my house." Ben firmly stated. "Secondly, the whole reason you're even here is because your landlord kicked you out on account of your poor behavior."

"Not true. I'll have you know that old-fart kicked me out because he and those other squares living in that complex didn't appreciate good ole music that's soothing for the soul." Gajeel played an air-guitar for dramatic effect.

"Right. For the record, disrupting your neighbors with loud music definitely falls under the 'poor behavior' category." Ben deadpanned.

"Whatever," Gajeel leaned up against the wall. "You seriously expect me to just suddenly become some choir boy or somethin'?"

"No. Not really. But I would like you to start acting like a decent human being, at least." Ben calmly retorted.

"I AM DECENT!" Gajeel shouted angrily.

"Sure...and Natsu's got the IQ of Albert Einstein," Ben rolled his eyes.

"Who?" Gajeel cocked a brow.

"Forget it. Look, think this through for a moment. Even if you manage to find another place, you'll just wind up getting thrown out of there if you don't improve your attitude. I'm trying to help yah out here."

"Can't get kicked out if I get a place I own." The iron mage refuted.

"True. Though you won't exactly be making a lot of friends if you keep this act up." Ben pointed out.

"Tsk," Gajeel turned away, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ben looked at the Dragon Slayer indifferently. "That's the deal, dude. You can either take it or leave it."

Gajeel grumbled and glanced up at ceiling, carefully weighing his options. A short moment later, he deeply sighed and looked back to Ben.

"Alright, fine. You're a tough negotiator, but I'll agree to those terms." Gajeel proclaimed. "Beats crashing in the East Forest, I guess..."

"Cool. Glad you understand," Ben smiled.

"Here's the big question though, how much is rent gonna be a month?" He asked in a serious tone.

"Rent? Oh, right," Ben looked away and rubbed his neck. "Huh... I haven't thought about that..."

"What? You were just gonna let someone stay here for free?" the black-haired wizard questioned dubiously.

"I wasn't really concerned with rent money at the time when I told Mira I'd let someone stay. I was trying to help out a guildmate." Ben shrugged nonchalantly. "If yah want... we can just figure that part out later."

Gajeel blinked as his jaw dropped. He stared at the brunet with a dumbfounded look. Was he seriously that nice? He didn't care about money, only helping someone who was down on their luck.

An idea suddenly entered Black Steel's head, which made him smirk.

"Well, if that's the case, how about instead of money I earn my keep an alternative way?" Gajeel offered.

"Like what?" Ben asked curiously.

"You said you were interested in playing guitar, right? Well," Gajeel grinned, "you and I are gonna be around one another more than we would be at the guildhall. In exchange for monthly rent, I can offer yah guitar lessons. How does that sound?"

"Guitar lessons?" he repeated, sounding surprised.

'Gajeel... teach me guitar?'

Ben was ready to shoot down that suggestion immediately, believing it was a horrible idea - considering his first time witnessing Gajeel play. However, after witnessing Gajeel perform Johnny B. Goode on stage after listening to the song barely an hour prior, the teen hero stopped to reconsider. Despite his questionable songwriting skills, Ben could admit that the former Phantom Lord member was certainly a skilled guitar player.

Perhaps the otherworldly man could learn a thing or two from him. One thing that remained unclear, though, was Gajeel's teaching skills. With his abrasive attitude, how would he even go about instructing Ben to play guitar?

"So... what do you say, Tennyson? Ready to learn how to rock?" Gajeel offered his hand.

He returned his gaze to Gajeel, who was looking back at him. Gauging his expression, Ben could tell that the iron wizard wasn't joking about this deal. After a moment of contemplation, Ben decided to take the risk and shook Gajeel's hand in agreement.

"Alright. You got yourself a deal, Gajeel Redfox," the teen hero smirked.

The otherworldly hero and Iron Dragon Slayer squeezed one another's hand firmly, the former slightly wincing from the strength of the latter. There was no way he would show it, however.

"Okay, first order of action, clean up this mess," Ben ordered, pointing at the floor.

"Ugh. Fine..." Gajeel groaned. He walked around and proceeded to pick up scrap, eating some in the process.

'I'll never get over how he and Natsu can eat iron and fire like it's candy...' He mused while ambling toward the kitchen. After spending nearly two days in a scorching desert, he was assuredly ready for a smoothie. 'Let's see, should I go with the coconut-pineapple? Or maybe try that chili fries-smoothie I've wanted to make...'

Ben then stopped and gasped, horror plastering his expression. "What the hell?!"

The smoothie-maker was in shambles! The glass-tank was shattered, and the pieces were scattered across the counter and floor. The blending blades were bent out of shape and were practically useless. Additionally, random pieces of metal and nails were littered amongst the carnage. How the hell had this happened?!

"Oh yeah... sorry about your blender thing," Gajeel said offhandedly. "Everyone kept saying how good those smoothie-things were. I got to thinking and I wondered what an iron-smoothie would taste like. But it looks like your little machine couldn't handle it."

Ben's breathing increased as he clenched his fists tightly. A raging fury began to burn within the Omnitrix hero like a forest fire. He turned around and quietly strolled back into the living room, stopping in a few feet away from the black-haired man.

"Hm?" Gajeel looked up from his crouching position and paused at Ben's dark visage.

"You... you messed up..." Ben growled.

"Uh... T-Tennyson? Ben? You alright, bro...?" Gajeel stood back up, starting to feel a bit nervous from Ben's expression.

He quickly took a cautious step back. The last time he had seen Ben get this angry was when... oh no. Before Gajeel could inwardly berate himself for his foolishness, Ben swiftly activated the Omnitrix. In an emerald flash, his human form was replaced with the tall, hulking form of Rath.

The Appoplexian didn't bother shouting his name and glared down at the iron-wizard. "Now... I'm mad." He audibly popped his right knuckles.

"Oh shit..." Gajeel cursed, sweat trailing down his face.

...

Present Day...

...

Ben smirked from the memory of Rath going ballistic on Gajeel that night. The Appoplexian had roughed him up even worse than during their brawl when the reporter was interviewing the guild. He was confident the iron mage had fully learned his lesson now: never mess with the smoothie-maker.

"... I think he understands who wears the pants in my house now." Ben proudly stated.

"So, you put him in his place, eh? Manly!" Elfman lifted a fist in the air.

"That's a relief." Mira sighed in relief. "I was worried he'd be giving you trouble the whole time."

"Not my first rodeo dealing with people like Gajeel." Ben immediately recalled his experience with Kevin during the Highbreed Invasion.

Ben paused as another thought arose in his head. "By the way, Mira, it is okay for you to miss time at the guildhall? Wouldn't want you to get in trouble with Makarov or anything."

"Of course it's alright! I asked Master before he left for his emergency conference and got his approval." Mira reassured him as she sat down with her own bowl of stew and gracefully sipped from her spoon. "He said it'd be good for me to get out every once in a while."

"I see." After finishing his bowl, Ben scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder what that conference is about though?"

"I suspect it may have to do with the recent rise in activity from the Dark Guilds," Mira replied.

"That would make sense," the brunet frowned. "From all accounts, it sounds like the bad guys are gearing up for something. But what?"

...

A week had passed since Vanessa Masters had selected Ben, Natsu, and Happy for an exclusive mission to the Devils Frontier. Since then, things had mostly returned to normal for the Fairy Tail guild.

Natsu had kept his word and paid Lucy's rent by seeking out her landlord, who had gladly accepted the money. Lucy was peeved at the pyromaniac as she believed it was her responsibility to pay her own rent. Nevertheless, she was inwardly grateful and touched by the Dragon Slayer's selflessness.

As Lucy had predicted, Natsu and Happy had blown all their reward money within the week. In addition to paying Lucy's rent, Natsu was forced to pay overdue food bills from the guild and property damage from prior missions. Happy had unsurprisingly spent his money on a wide selection of exotic fish.

In addition, Ben had finally addressed the guild's confusion over Laserscale – explaining that he was part of an alien race of draconic reptiles. He clarified that even though Laserscale may resemble Dragons from Earthland, he was not of the same species. Most of the guild wizards understood Ben's explanation to a degree; however, they all seemed to have similar reasoning to Natsu.

If it looks like a Dragon, then it must be a Dragon; therefore, Laserscale was a Dragon. Ben couldn't necessarily argue with their logic, so he decided to roll with it.

After Ben had informed his team that he would be absent for a few days training Elfman, the Ultimate Team had their own reaction. Erza and Lucy were understanding; although the latter was disappointed that she wasn't invited along. Natsu and Gray were frustrated as they wanted to train with Ben as well. What really surprised the group was when Mirajane had tagged along with Ben and Elfman at the last second.

Several members believed Erza would be suspicious over Mirajane's actions; however, the scarlet knight wasn't worried or threatened in the slightest. She trusted Mira and understood her reasons for joining the duo. The former She-Devil wanted to ensure that Ben and Elfman didn't starve, witness her older brother's training, and help Ben understand Beelzebash more. Those were understandable reasons in Erza's eyes.

To get her mind off Ben's absence, Erza had suggested the Ultimate Team take a request together. The team agreed but before anyone could deliberate about what mission to take, Erza had already accepted one. The job entailed filling in as a temporary waiting staff for a new restaurant in Hargeon called 8-Island – which was owned by former Council member, Yajima. He also happened to be an old friend of Makarov's and an avid supporter of Fairy Tail.

The job seemed simple enough; On the other hand, Natsu and Gray were a bit bummed that the request didn't involve slaying monsters or fighting bandits. Thankfully, the team had managed to accomplish the request without any incident. The only hiccup was Natsu gorging himself on most of Yajima's cooking; however, the old man didn't seem to mind.

Lucy was personally relieved that Ben wasn't around for the mission as she can imagine he wouldn't appreciate Erza using her feminine wiles to charm customers into buying everything on the 8-Island menu.

Before the group had left, Yajima had sternly warned them (primarily Natsu and Gray) that the newly established Magic Council would be different and firmly advised the group not to test their patience with careless destruction. Natsu and Gray had nodded in understanding, fearful of inciting the new Council's ire.

Now, a day had passed since the conclusion of the 8-Island request. At the moment in the Fairy Tail guildhall, Levy and Reedus were standing by a large diagram that was written with a Light Pen – a magical item that allowed the user to write in thin air.

The diagram consisted of a large circle containing three rectangles with names inside them. From the three rectangles extended multiple lines which connected to smaller rectangles outside the circle.

Lucy approached the duo, curious about the peculiar diagram Reedus had drawn.

"What's all this?" Lucy asked.

Levy looked back at her friend. "It's a chart listing out the Dark Guilds."

"Oui," Reedus added, "She had me draw it up for her."

"It's a troubling sight." Erza stepped in, eyeing the diagram pensively. "There are far more than I'd realized."

"What brought this on?" Lucy inquired.

"Unfortunately, Lu," Levy replied, "the Dark Guilds have been noticeably more active lately. Vanessa even mentioned it during her visit last week."

Lucy turned to Levy with a confused expression.

"That means," Erza clarified, "that we need to strengthen relationships with our fellow guilds."

"Oh," Lucy understood.

"What's the big circle in the middle supposed to be?" Gray asked.

"I know exactly what that is," Juvia spoke up, "the Balam Alliance of Dark Guilds."

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise.

"The three major players in that alliance are Oracion Seis, Tartaros, and Grimoire Heart," Juvia explained. "Each is powerful in their own right, but together they're the strongest combined force in the shadowy guild underworld."

Natsu and Happy, who were munching away at a nearby table, turned to the gathered group of wizards with curiosity.

"Each control lesser guilds that carry out the dirty work they don't wish to do themselves." Juvia continued. "However, there is one on this chart that remains independent... Raven Tail."

On the edge of the diagram was a rectangle with the mentioned guild's name inside and was not connected to any of the other guilds. Next to Raven Tail was another rectangle, but had a red X crossed through it; signifying the guild had been defeated.

"Oh man..." Lucy spotted a familiar name on the diagram (which was also crossed out) and expressed exasperation. "I recognize Eisenwald..."

Erza turned to her and nodded. "I'm sure. Eisenwald is the guild Erigor belonged to."

"What about the other rectangle that's crossed out?" Gray pointed out. "The Rabid Weasels?"

"The Rabid Weasels were the group that attacked the guild after the war with Phantom." Erza answered.

"Oh yeah," Gray recalled, "that's when Ben's watch got broken and changed us into aliens."

"Ugh, don't remind me of that," Lucy hung her head, trying to suppress her memories as a Gourmand.

"The group was formed by Joe Magtartus solely to find the Empowerment Charm, thus why they had no connection to the other Dark Guilds," Erza elaborated further.

"I see." Gray returned his attention back to the display. "Whereas Eisenwald was just a sub-guild that worked under the Oracion Seis."

"I've seen a lot of these names before," Wakaba noted.

"I think some of them even used to be legit," Macao pointed out.

"There's also Ghoul Spirit, which the Thunder Legion took out," Levy stated, pointing to the crossed-out rectangle with the mentioned guild's name in it.

"Most of the guilds Gajeel and I destroyed when the two of us were members of Phantom Lord worked under the Oracion Seis." Juvia smiled brightly. "Except for Fairy Tail, of course. But we're all great friends now, right?"

"I wouldn't remind them of that if I were you," Gray deadpanned.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about them," Wakaba smiled confidently. "From what I hear, they've only got six members in their guild anyway."

"Yeah, they sound like small potatoes if you ask me," Macao agreed.

Lucy, however, didn't agree with their assessment. "I dunno, guys. I mean, even if they're only six, they're one of the strongest Dark Guilds for a reason. Besides, when we were fighting all those bad guys in Ben's mind, there were times we were outnumbered yet managed to win anyway."

"And on the flip side," Gray added, "there was times we were nearly beaten by just one opponent."

The blonde and onyx-haired teen simultaneously shuddered as they recalled their fights with the Vilgax and Aggregor avatars.

Erza nodded in agreement. "Yes. Quality, in most cases, always trumps quantity." She turned her gaze to the group, her expression growing more serious. "We shouldn't underestimate them. Those six make up one of the most powerful Dark Guilds out there."

"Speaking of the Oracion Seis," a familiar voice suddenly came from the guildhall's main entrance. They turned to see Makarov wearing a serious expression on his wrinkled face. "Word has come down... We must destroy them."

Natsu turned his attention away from his food to face Makarov.

"WHAT?!" Everyone shouted.

A moment of tense silence passed as the wizards processed what their master had just told them.

"But master," Erza spoke up, "what do you mean by that?"

"Oracion Seis's recent activity was the focus of much discussion at the conference. They pose an urgent threat that can no longer be ignored. Therefore, they must be dealt with immediately." Makarov declared. "We will take them down before they can harm any of our fellow guilds that we have sworn to protect."

"And we gotta do all the heavy lifting, right? Typical..." Gray remarked, annoyed.

"Fairy Tail will be taking them on by ourselves?" Juvia sounded surprised.

Makarov walked down a set of steps. "This enemy is far more powerful than any other we have faced before. To fight them alone would be too dangerous. Our attack would surely incur the wrath of the entire Balam Alliance in no time." He explained. "Which is why Fairy Tail will join a coalition of magical guilds."

"A coalition?!" the group repeated.

"Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and Cait Shelter... these four guilds will select members to represent them in the Allied Force. Together, we will seek to bring down the enemy!" the old man affirmed determinedly.

Natsu got up from his table and walked over to the group with a roguish smile plastered on his face. "But we can handle it ourselves, Gramps! In fact," he pointed to himself, "I could probably even do it alone!"

Erza's armored palm harshly slapped the back of Natsu's skull, causing him much discomfort.

"Don't be a fool!" She exclaimed. "The Master is wise to consider the long-term consequences."

"Who are we sending to represent us?" Lucy asked, feeling slightly apprehensive.

"Naturally," Makarov looked to the present Ultimate Team members, "I've elected to send our guild's strongest team. Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lucy, and Happy."

"Wait? Us!?" Lucy cried, taken aback.

"Alright!" Natsu pumped a fist in enthusiasm.

"This oughta be interesting," Gray smirked.

"Aye…" Happy sound a bit nervous.

"Why me...?" Lucy murmured sullenly.

"You five will be our guild's representatives. I have faith that you will do Fairy Tail proud." Makarov stated.

"Just a second, gramps, what about Ben?" Gray inquired. "Shouldn't we wait on him to get back from his training trip with Elfman and Mira?"

Makarov shook his head. "No. We have no idea how long they'll be gone, and this mission is urgent." He walked up to Erza and handed her a slip of paper. "Here is the rendezvous point for the Allied Forces, Erza. All of you will need to get ready and head out as soon as possible."

"Master, I understand that time is of the essence, but I still believe Ben should be present on this mission." Erza urged.

"Yeah… I mean, he is part of our team." Gray insisted. "We could really use him for a dangerous mission like this."

"I don't disagree. Unfortunately, Ben's not here and we can't afford to wait for his return. This mission takes priority, and I must send suitable members who are currently here." Makarov disputed.

Erza lowered her head in dejection. She didn't disagree with Makarov's decision, however, the thought of taking a high-caliber mission without Ben didn't feel right. Despite only joining a few months ago, he had already become an important member of their team. His powers, crime-fighting experience, and leadership were invaluable. Nevertheless, it appeared the Ultimate Team would be left with no choice but to proceed without their main member.

"If I recall," Levy walked to the scarlet knight with a crystal orb in her hand, "Mirajane did take one of the communication-lacrimas Vanessa donated to us recently. Maybe you can try contacting them?"

"You're free to do so," Makarov replied. "However, you must prepare to leave immediately with or without Ben. You can try contacting him en route to the rendezvous point."

Erza nodded in understanding as she took the lacrima Levy offered her. "Understood, master."

"Man, this is gonna be so much fun!" Natsu shouted enthusiastically.

"A guild of only six people? Just how scary are these guys?" Lucy wondered nervously.

...

On a plateau overlooking a massive forest stood six unique individuals. They were staring at an ominous black haze that shrouded a section of the forest.

One of the individuals was a man of average height with tanned skin and spiky maroon hair. The second was a tall man with a long-pointed nose, a blonde mohawk, and sported racing clothes. The third was a young woman with short white hair in a revealing swan-like outfit. The fourth was a large man with long orange hair with an angular and seemingly unnatural block-like face, wearing a priest's outfit while carrying a book. The fifth was a mysterious man with messy black hair sitting on a floating carpet and was currently asleep. The final individual was a tall, dark-skinned man with white hair and dark tattoos emblazoned across his body and adorned a decorated robe while carrying a magical stave with a skull on the end.

The maroon-haired man petted a large purple-scaled snake that rested over his shoulders. "I can hear it... That sweet sound of light crashing to the ground."

"Don't jump to conclusions so quickly, Cobra," the long-nosed man advised.

The man, now identified as Cobra, turned to his left to face the blonde mohawk man.

"Huh?" he smiled wickedly.

"Though... speed can be a wonderful thing." He added.

"Racer," Cobra replied, "the magic we seek is right under our noses. I'm sure of it."

"That ancient and hidden magic," the large man spoke, "with the power to turn light into complete and total darkness! Oh yeah!"

"Nirvana," the white-haired woman spoke; anticipation present in her voice.

The man on the floating carpet continued to snooze while his comrades continued to converse amongst each other.

"Are you sure we should put all our bets on Nirvana?" Racer asked dubiously. "It sounds too good to be true..."

The tattooed man pointed his stave out toward the black haze. "Look there. The darkness that spreads through the trees means Nirvana is close at hand. The forest is beginning to die..."

He smirked in malicious anticipation. 'Soon... it will begin, master.'

...

Meanwhile, down a dirt road going through a forest, a carriage with a wagon full of suitcases behind it was being drawn by a bizarre purple hog-like creature. Inside the carriage were Erza, Gray, Lucy, and Natsu while Happy sat in the front to hold the reins. The group was currently en route to the rendezvous point for the Allied Forces.

Erza was currently holding a turquoise crystal-ball close to her mouth.

"Ben? Mirajane? Elfman? This is Erza again." She talked into the orb. "If you can hear me, please respond."

The crystal blinked a few times before turning completely red, signaling that the call had not been answered.

Erza closed her eyes and sighed in aggravation.

"Still no luck getting through, huh?" Lucy asked. Her attire had changed to a spaghetti-strapped green shirt with pink accents, a tanned jean short-skirt, and knee-length boots.

"I'm afraid not," Erza replied, looking at the blonde across from her. "This is the tenth time and neither of them have answered yet."

"I sure hope they're okay. I mean, the last time I went to Mt. Hakobe was with Natsu to help rescue Macao – who turned out to have been possessed by a Vulcan." Lucy reminisced about her first time working with Natsu after joining the guild and smiled a little.

She shook her head and looked to Erza with a worried expression. "You don't think a Vulcan or some monster could've got them, do you?"

"Pft," Gray, who was sitting close to her, scoffed, "I doubt it."

The Ice-Make wizard was wearing a white shirt with an orange hoodie, dark blue pants, and brown boots.

"As do I." Erza nodded in agreement. "Ben, Mira, and Elfman are too powerful to be bested by a mere Vulcan... even by a group. The most likely scenario is that they left their lacrima at their campsite while they're out training somewhere else."

"That makes sense, I guess." She relented. "Still, it's disappointing that Ben couldn't be here. I mean, I know I've said this before, but I've got a really bad feeling about this mission."

She then frantically placed her hands on her cheeks. "And why am I even here? I'm not very strong, and it's not like I'm gonna be able to help you guys anyway!"

"Look, this ain't no picnic for me either." Gray countered, sounding exasperated. "So quit poutin', would ya?"

Lucy turned away from the ice mage with a pout. "Hmph!"

Erza sighed heavily. "I hate that Ben isn't here either, but that doesn't matter right now. We're here for one reason... because Master Makarov put his faith in us. So, let's not disappoint him. We've completed missions together and on our own before Ben even joined, after all."

"I know... you're right. But still… Gajeel and Juvia are better fighters than me." Lucy pointed out.

"They can't go because the master sent those two on another mission." Happy murmured, his mouth full of fish.

Natsu, who had been lying against the carriage walls with motion-sickness, slid down to lie flat on the ground. "I don't care... I just... wanna... get there..."

"It just seems like we're always picked for this stuff," Lucy commented.

"You should consider it an honor. Today will be our first joint operation involving the other allied guilds." Erza explained. "It's important that we all focus our efforts on starting to build a positive rapport."

"There it is!" Happy announced. "The rendezvous spot!"

Lucy, Gray, and Erza looked out to see a large, two-story pink mansion decorated with hearts all around it; specifically, in the window frames.

Moments later, after exiting the wagon, the group stepped up to a set of large doors and pushed them open. They were slightly surprised to see that everything was dark.

"Great..." Lucy bemoaned. "Another creepy old mansion..."

As they stepped inside the mansion, small lacrima-lights (which were designed like candles with hearts) running along the walls lit up and made everything visible.

"It's the second home of Blue Pegasus's master, Bob." Erza elaborated.

"Oh... him..." Gray felt shivers traverse down his spine upon remembering the creepy, bald, and cross-dressing guild master from the Lullaby incident. An uncomfortable expression plastered itself over his face. "He... makes me feel funny."

Erza turned to the ice-mage with an amused, yet exasperated look. "Gray, be nice. Master Bob may be... eccentric... but he does deserve our utmost respect."

"Yeah... 'eccentric'," Lucy sweat-dropped.

Natsu, meanwhile, took a seat on the pink carpet to calm himself from the lingering effects of his motion sickness. "Just tell me when we're there, guys," He sickly moaned.

"Okay, we're there!" Happy replied.

"Yes! They're here at last!" a male voice exclaimed.

"At last!" Two different male voices yelled.

The wizards turned to find the source of the three voices, which were followed by the sound of maracas.

"~Hey, hey, hey, hey! Hello~" The first voice sang.

"~Hello~" the other two followed up.

"~Fairy~"

"~Fairy~"

"~Tail~"

"~Tail~"

"~Wizards~" all three voices exclaimed.

The Fairy Tail wizards were left thoroughly confused as a spotlight shone down from the ceiling on three male figures that were each wearing suits. On the left was a short young man with a blonde bowl-cut. In the middle was a man of average height with spiky, blonde hair. On the right was a tall, dark-skinned man with short spiky dark hair.

"We're so glad you came!" The trio announced.

"We are..." the middle figure started.

"...the Blue Pegasus..." The left figure said.

"...elite crew..." the right figure said.

"The Trimens!" the three men concluded.

The trio posed as they began their charismatic introductions. If Ben were currently present, he'd probably be commenting on the sudden pink background and sparkles shimmering around the young men; whereas the Fairy Tail group didn't think much of it.

"Hundred Nights, Hibiki..." the middle figure, Hibiki, said.

"Holy Night, Eve..." the left figure, Eve, said.

"Still Night, Ren..." the right figure, Ren, finished.

"The Trimens from Blue Pegasus?" Lucy blushed as her eyes sparkled. "Wow... that is so cool! Those guys are like the hottest wizards around now. Hibiki Lates is always near the top of Sorcerer Weekly's 'Most Eligible Wizard Bachelor's' List!"

Upon hearing Lucy's recount of his achievements, Hibiki simply smiled and fiddled with his hair. He chuckled to himself and winked at the blonde girl.

"He's been in the Top Three for the last few months!" Lucy stopped gushing and turned to Natsu and Gray; the former was leaning against a pillar still recovering from his motion sickness while the latter was panicking without a shirt on.

"Would you look at those guys?! I feel totally underdressed!" Gray shouted comically.

Lucy sighed in disappointment. "And they are not on the list..."

Within the blink of an eye, Erza found herself surrounded by the Trimens.

"I've heard tales of your beauty... and they're true," Hibiki stated, snapping his fingers and shooting her a wink.

Eve kneeled in front of the scarlet knight with a smile. "It's a pleasure to me you, Miss Titania."

Ren suddenly appeared behind Erza and placed his left arm around her shoulder. "Please, come this way..."

Lucy watched the scene unfold with a blank expression.

Out of nowhere, Ren and Eve brought out a rather heavy-looking couch with a lit-up heart attached to the back and sat it against the wall. Hibiki took Erza's armored hand and guided her over to the couch.

She took a seat while he kneeled and held up a large powder puff.

"Would you like to freshen up?" Hibiki asked.

Eve then slid in a coffee table which a had a bottle of champagne resting in a bucket of ice. "Or something to eat?"

Hibiki and Eve then took a seat on Erza's left and right respectively.

"No," Erza simply replied.

"Ah, but there's cake. Want some?" Hibiki offered.

"No, thank you," Normally the Fairy Queen would never turn down cake, but the sudden pampering she was receiving from these men was making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Lucy looked on in exasperation. "Geez, what's the deal with these guys?"

Ren suddenly appeared behind Lucy. "Please... have a seat." He placed his hands on her hips, taking her off guard. "Wow... you're almost too cute."

"I... am?!" She cried out.

"No joke. What is the deal with these cornballs?" Gray wondered.

"Ugh..." Natsu slid his face up the pillar, "I missed something... who are they?"

Erza shook off her discomfort and turned to the man on her right, Eve, with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet a future ally. I look forward to working together-"

"You're so beautiful..." Eve suddenly proclaimed. "It's almost unreal. Is this a dream? I hope not... because I've always admired you..."

"Uh..." Erza was speechless. Where did this come from?

Ren dragged Lucy to the couch and sat her down next to Erza. He took a seat to her left and pulled out a glass of orange liquid with ice in it. He slid the glass on the table over to Lucy, never looking at her while doing so.

A moment of silence followed before Lucy shot him an annoyed look.

"Here," Ren said brashly, "You can have it if you want... but it's not like I made it for you."

'Now he's being coy!?' Lucy shouted inwardly, her jaw dropping slightly.

The Trimens backed away from the table and couch and posed dramatically with Hibiki in the center, Eve on the left, and Ren on the right.

"You ladies must be exhausted. Feel free to stay the night..." Hibiki proposed.

The trio bowed in unison. "We don't mind."

Sweat-drops raced down Erza and Lucy's faces as they looked on with flabbergasted countenances.

"Calm down, men..." a deep masculine voice said.

Everyone turned to the stairway in the center of the mansion lobby, searching for the source of the voice.

"Give these ladies," the mysterious individual took a few steps down the stairs and flipped his hair, "some breathing room."

Lucy and Erza both stood up from the couch.

"Wow... that voice... it's silky smooth!" Lucy commented in amazement.

"Yes, Ichiya, sir!" Ren shouted.

"Him? Oh, dear..." An apprehensive look started to form on Erza's face.

"It's been far too long, Miss Scarlet." The man, Ichiya, noted.

Erza trembled nervously. "A long time... Yes... I never expected to see you here."

Standing in the middle of the stairway was an extremely short-statured man with spiky orange hair, a small blockish face, and a large cleft chin. His attire consisted of a white suit with an orange Blue Pegasus emblem emblazoned on the left shoulder, a button-up undershirt with a red bowtie, and a blue lapel attached to his suit's left pectoral.

Needless to say, the Fairy Tail group was dumbfounded by Ichiya's appearance.

"Oh, how I've missed you, my sweet honey. But don't cry..." He posed animatedly, "I am here... Ooh..."

"MY SWEET HONEY!?" Lucy and Happy shouted in shock.

The look on Erza's face could be described in only two words: absolute trepidation. Her eyes were wide with apprehension as her jaw hung low and her body trembled more intensely, sweat dripping from every pore in the process.

"Whoa!" Happy yelled.

"She's shaking!" Lucy stated.

Ichiya jumped onto the stairs' railing and started to slide down on one foot with his arms extended out.

"A surprise..." He said.

"~A surprise~" the Trimens boisterously repeated.

"A reunion..."

"~A reunion~"

Ichiya barrel-rolled in midair and gracefully landed on the column at the end of the railing, posing theatrically.

"Oh yes! Oh yes! Oh yes!" Ichiya and the Trimens chanted together.

The Trimens then kneeled before the troll-like man while clapping their hands. "We didn't know she was your girlfriend, Mr. Ichiya!"

Erza's eyes widened greatly upon hearing that statement. 'WHAT?!'

The Trimens then stood up and faced Lucy and Erza before bowing. "Please forgive us for our rudeness!"

Erza instantly felt something snap inside her from being referred to as Ichiya's girlfriend. She pointed at the short-man, and angrily shouted, "You know that is NOT true!"

A moment of silence passed as the four Blue Pegasus members seemingly ignored Erza's outburst. Ichiya then turned to the Trimens indignantly.

"You idiots!" He jumped down in front of him. "WE HAVE WORK TO DO!"

"Right, boss! Right, boss!" The Trimens jumped in surprise from Ichiya's outburst and rushed over to the couch and table setup. They promptly picked up the two items and ran to throw them into another room.

"'Boss', huh? I think that's like the third thing they've called him..." Lucy noted.

"They're a bunch of mixed nuts," Happy remarked.

Ichiya turned back to the Fairy Tail group (specifically, Erza and Lucy) with a beaming smile. "It seems that destiny has brought us together... Miss Erza... Miss Lucy..." He pointed at the two girls respectively. As his finger fell on Natsu and Gray, his smile immediately dropped to a disappointed frown. "You two, not so much."

Gray's jaw dropped while Natsu remained oblivious to the exchange.

Lucy then noticed something odd. Ichiya was beginning to sniff the air.

"Sniff, sniff... sniff, sniff..." The troll-like wizard leaped toward the group and posed dramatically upon landing. He pointed at Lucy and Erza, shouting, "Sweet parfum!"

Lucy wrapped her arms around herself and shivered in discomfort. "He's creeping me out."

"Yeah, me too," Erza backed away a couple of steps. "I'd never choose to be in his company; however, he is a gifted wizard."

"Listen up, you Blue Pegasus playboy wannabes!" Gray shouted. "You'd be wise to keep your hands off these ladies. We clear?"

Ichiya and the Trimens frowned, unintimidated by the ice-wizard's threat.

"Clear as crystal," the short-man flatly replied, "Now take your leave."

Gray gritted his teeth while tick-marks pulsated on his forehead. He was growing extremely agitated with these prissy Blue Pegasus wizards.

The Trimens lined up near the two male Fairy Tail wizards and bowed.

"Thanks for dropping by," Hibiki dryly said.

"Thanks for dropping by," Ren and Eve repeated with zero enthusiasm as well.

"We're here on some serious business, yah know?!" Gray yelled. "Can you pretty boys even fight?!"

"You wanna find out?" Ren asked, a smirk growing across his face.

"Yeah, we're really tough, pal," Eve grinned.

After hearing the word 'fight', Natsu miraculously recovered from the aftereffects of his motion sickness and barged into the conversation. "Fight?! Well, count me in!"

"Everybody needs to calm down this instant!" Erza shouted.

Suddenly, Ichiya approached the scarlet knight from behind, causing shivers to travel up her spine as her eyes widened fearfully. The creepy troll proceeded to sniff Erza, much to her discomfort.

"My honey... your sweet parfum... it still drives me crazy!"

An armored fist swiftly collided with Ichiya's face, sending him flying across the room. "You stay far away from me DAMMIT!"

"Nice right hook!" Lucy praised.

"Dammit, Ben!" Erza cursed. "Why couldn't you be here? I could really use you right now..."

Meanwhile, as Ichiya tumbled towards the open mansion doors, a new figure now stood there much to everyone's surprise.

"Maaaaaannn!"

The figure outstretched their right arm and caught Ichiya by his head. A second later, his head was suddenly encased in ice.

"You dare to greet us with this flying buffoon?!" The figure said angrily.

The individual was a pale-skinned, young man of average height with spiky white hair. He wore a maroon sweater, white ski-pants with blue patterning, and a thick white jacket with blue fur trimming.

As he moved Ichiya's ice-covered head away from his face, the Fairy Tail group were taken aback as they recognized the man. He was none other than Lyon Vastia, the man who had tried to revive Deliora on Galuna Island several months ago.

"Lamia Scale deserves more respect. We insist on it." Lyon declared.

"It's you!" Gray shouted in shock.

Lyon turned to Gray and his eyes widened in surprise. "It's you...?"

"Hey! So, you went and joined a guild after all." Natsu said excitedly.

Lyon glanced to his right and tossed Ichiya aside with ice still covering his head.

Lucy and Erza jumped back a little to avoid being hit by the incoming Ichiya. As he crashed into the floor, the ice on his head promptly shattered. He rebounded off the floor and into the air, forcing Gray to dodge the troll.

"No!" He landed in front of the Trimens. The trio was quite upset about their leader being thrown aside like trash. "Don't hurt the face!"

Gray turned to Lyon angrily. "What is wrong with you?!"

"He was the one who attacked me, Gray..." Lyon frowned indifferently.

"Watch it. That's our leader you're messing with, pal." Ren warned.

"How dare you!" Eve yelled.

"You and your men should just turn around and go home," Hibiki demanded.

A female voice spoke up from outside the mansion – clearly audible to everyone within. "I suppose that means women can stay and fight? Marionette Attack: Carpet Doll!"

Without warning, the carpet lying in the center of the room started to move. A black sinister face appeared stitched into the fabric along with pink bows on its corners. The enchanted carpet flipped Lucy over; much to her shocked confusion.

"What'd I do?!" As she landed on the floor, her eyes slightly widened upon recognizing the brand of magic used just then. "Wait... I recognize that magic."

As the carpet returned to normal and settled back on the floor, the female voice continued to chuckle.

Standing at the doorway to Lyon's right was a young, beautiful woman with long flowing pink hair tied into a ponytail. She wore a long, lavish pink dress that hugged her voluptuous body very nicely. This was Sherry Blendy, who also happened to be involved with the Galuna Island incident.

"Sherry!?" Lucy returned to her feet. "You joined the guild too?"

Sherry chortled. "I was hoping you Fairies hadn't forgotten who I am. But please, do try to forget who I was, okay?"

"Still crazy..." Lucy sweat-dropped.

"I have been born anew... by the power of love!" Sherry animatedly declared.

Recovering quickly from having his head frozen, Ichiya skipped over towards Erza. "More! I must breathe in more of you parfum!"

"NO!" In a yellow flash, Erza summoned a large spear and brandished it angrily. "Stay back! I'M ALREADY TAKEN!"

"Yes... you are... by me, my sweet honey..." Ichiya closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose.

"NO, YOU DAMN TROLL!" Erza shrieked furiously. "I have a boyfriend now, Ichiya! SO, STAY AWAY IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!"

"Let's go, Lyon!" Gray challenged, gritting his teeth.

Lyon smirked haughtily. "My pleasure."

Natsu grinned excitedly. "I'm ready to party!"

The Trimens simply glared at Lyon for how he treated their leader.

Meanwhile, Sherry shot Lucy a smug smirk of superiority. "I could never love you..."

"Well, the feeling's mutual!" Lucy spat.

Within no time, the guild wizards were at each other's throats and prepared to battle. But before any confrontation could begin, the sound of a stave slamming on the floor caused everyone to pause. A deep, commanding voice immediately followed.

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone immediately swiveled their heads toward the main doors to see the source of the deep voice.

"We're here to work together as a group to destroy the Oracion Seis!"

Standing at the entrance was a tall and heavily muscled man distinguished by his bald head and oval-shaped eyebrows. His chest was bare and only covered by a series of dark belts crossing diagonally across it. Around his neck, he had donned a short mantle covered in horizontal blue-and-white stripes and yellow strings decorating the edges. On his arms were tight-fitting, dark green armbands seemingly made of reptile skin that stretched up to his shoulders. Wrapped around his waist was a long, fur-lined loincloth held up by a belt and sported a motif composed of several arcs and decorations reminiscent of a Fleur-de-lis. In his left hand was a seven-foot-long stave with a blue crystal orb on top.

"Yes, Jura," Lyon calmly said.

"That's Jura?" Erza sounded surprised.

The Trimens eyed the large man with serious expressions.

"So, that's really him?" Ren asked evenly.

"Lamia Scale's top man... Iron Rock Jura," Hibiki stated.

"Wait, who?" Natsu turned to Happy, confused.

"That guy is one of the Ten Wizard Saints." Happy replied.

"Yeah," Lucy said, "which means he's kind of a big deal."

Sherry suddenly approached Lucy. "So, four from Fairy Tail and four from Blue Pegasus? Ha! Funny. Our guild only needed to send three members."

Lucy grew even more annoyed with the pink-haired wizard's boasting.

"Aw, man!" Happy whined. "Why do they always forget about me?!"

Jura glanced around the lobby to take note of the present wizards. "It seems we have representatives from three guilds. The members from Cait Shelter have yet to arrive."

"Yes," Ichiya spoke, dangling from the end of Erza's spear, "and about that guild... I hear they're only sending one."

"Just one member?" Erza's eyes widened slightly.

Save for Jura, everyone's jaws dropped significantly from that revelation. How could that be right?

"That's insane!" Gray exclaimed in shock. "We're supposed to be up against a powerful group here!"

"One? If that's true," Lucy placed her hands on her cheeks in nervousness, "how crazy intense is this guy gonna be?"

While everyone was distracted, a small girl suddenly ran in through the mansion's front doors. In her haste, however, she somehow tripped and landed face-first on the carpet; her arms outstretched.

"NYAGH!"

With their attention caught by the cry, the group turned around to face her as she picked herself off the floor.

The young girl had porcelain skin and long blue hair that stretched down to her lower back. She wore a blue-and-yellow zigzag dress with white trim and bow on the front. On her upper arms and ankles were white feather-like bands and sticking out from her back was a small pair of fake angelic wings.

"Ow..." the azure-haired girl uttered, picking herself up.

As she dusted herself off, the group's eyes widened slightly in surprised confusion. Who was this girl?

"Hi... I, uh... I'm sorry I got here so late," She opened her eyes and smiled, a small blush on her face, "I've come from the Cait Shelter guild. My name's Wendy Marvell. It's nice to meet all of you."

"Huh...?" Gray lightly gapped.

"Wendy, huh?" Natsu said wistfully.

Why did that name sound so vaguely familiar? The Fire Dragon Slayer wracked his head for a moment as he searched for any possible answers but ultimately drew up a blank. He groaned inaudibly in frustration.

"A girl...?" Lyon said, sounding taken aback.

"She's a kid!?" Sherry cried in disbelief.

"She's... not handsome?" Ichiya said in bemusement.

"Nor is she a man. Why should it matter?" Erza said, with Ichiya still dangling from her spear.

Ren folded his arms over his chest. "Wendy..."

"Marvell-ous," Eve commented.

"Cute," Hibiki smiled.

Jura stared at Wendy for a moment before turning away, seemingly undeterred by the fact that she was only a child.

"Now then," he calmly said, "since all guilds are present, we can begin."

"You're not even the slightest bit fazed by this, Jura?" Lyon glanced over to Gray and was surprised to find that neither he or the other Fairy Tail wizards were unfazed as well. "You too, Gray?!"

Gray simply shrugged. "I was surprised for a second there... but I know someone who started their hero – uh, their wizarding career when they were around her age too. So, no big deal."

"Seriously? And who may that be?" Lyon asked, cocking a brow in curiosity.

Gray smirked and turned away. "You remember the guy who melted your ice like it was nothing on Galuna, right?"

"Hold on..." Lyon's eyes widened slightly, "you mean that Take-Over wizard?"

"Yeah. His name's Ben in case you forgot," the onyx-haired wizard replied.

"Oh… I remember now. I've been hearing many rumors about him lately. Why isn't he here?"

"He was kinda busy…"

"Just what in the world is Cait Shelter thinking?" Sherry said in disbelief. "Sending a little girl on this mission?"

Wendy was starting to become increasingly anxious over the group's reactions to her as she glanced back-and-forth.

"They must really be hurting for members if they sent her here on her own," Sherry remarked haughtily.

"She isn't alone." A female voice, which sounded very pristine and a tad snooty, said.

The Allied Forces looked behind Wendy to see a small white cat walking on two legs with her arms crossed. She was clad in a yellow-and-pink top with a big pink bowtie, a dark pink skirt, and a pink bow on the end of her tail.

"You shouldn't jump to conclusions, gaudy trollop!" The white cat remarked. "Hmph..."

Upon seeing this female talking cat, Happy's eyes widened as he unintentionally gasped.

"What is this?" Gray blinked.

"A cat..." Lyon trailed off, equally confused.

"Woah," Natsu breathed, "She's just like Happy..."

"She can talk too?" Lucy was mildly surprised.

Sherry averted her eyes while covering her mouth with her hand. "What a stupid cat. I'm not gaudy..."

"That's your beef?!" Lucy yelled incredulously.

Wendy turned to the female cat. "Oh, Carla, you followed me here?"

The cat, now identified as Carla, responded, "Of course I did. You're far too young to be traveling unaccompanied, child."

Without warning, the Trimens begin to pose dramatically for the umpteenth time. "Pretty kitty..."

"Seriously!? You flirt with cats too!?" Lucy shouted, dumbfounded.

"That's just messed up," Gray shook his head.

Carla turned to her left and spotted Happy, who had been staring at her from the moment she had walked in. A short moment passed, and hearts filled Happy's eyes as his heart rate increased.

"Thumpity thump, thumpity thump, thumpity thump!" He murmured to himself.

Carla simply huffed and turned away from Happy in total indifference. In response, Happy felt shivers travel across his body as his fur stood on-end for a second.

'Oh wow... I wonder if I can get Lucy to tell that pretty kitty I haven't been neutered...' Happy thought offhandedly.

"Sorry... I'm probably not what you expected." Wendy placed her hand near her face while averting her eyes, "I know I'm much smaller and younger than most of you... and I may not be much of a fighter, but I can use all kinds of support magic. So, please... Let me join the group! I'd be so embarrassed if you sent me home!"

Everyone continued to stare at the Cait Shelter representative with wide eyes of shock and intrigue.

"You'll never gain their respect if you can't show confidence, child." Carla reprimanded with her paws resting on her hips.

Wendy glanced down at Carla while holding her hands near her face. "I'm sorry, Carla..."

"I swear, you'll drive me to catnip." The white cat folded her arms.

"I can't help it!"

Carla merely sighed in mild vexation from Wendy's lack of self-confidence.

Erza promptly tossed Ichiya to the side before sending her spear back to her pocket dimension. She stepped toward Wendy with a reassuring smile. "Forgive me. I was simply caught off guard for a second there, but rest assured no offense was meant. We're glad to have you aboard, Wendy."

"Oh wow!" Wendy placed her hands on her cheeks and looked up with starry eyes. "You're Erza, right? I can't believe it's really you!"

"You're not quite the monster I had imagined," Carla remarked.

Ignoring the cat's comment, Erza took a knee in front of the girl. "I want to reassure you, Wendy, you needn't worry about your age or size." Her smile brightened. "We have a member of our own team who started fighting and protecting others when he was even younger than you are. So, don't fret about us judging you on your inexperience or youth."

"R-really?" Wendy momentarily glanced back at the other wizards before returning his gaze to Erza. "Which one is he?"

Erza's smile faltered slightly. "I'm afraid he's not here on this mission. His name is Ben, in case you were wondering."

"Hm... that name sounds familiar," Carla chimed in. "This Ben character... he wouldn't happen to be the same wizard from Fairy Tail rumored to have changed into a titan and destroyed a volcano, would he?"

Erza nodded. "That would be him, yes."

"Wow! I sure hope I get to meet him someday." Wendy smiled in wonder. "He sounds really cool."

"I do question your guild's decision in not sending someone like him on a mission this important," Carla criticized.

"He had prior engagements when our master selected us for this mission." Erza stood up. "I'm sure you'll get to meet him someday. In any case, just know we're grateful to have you here, Wendy."

Wendy smiled widely in appreciation, feeling her spirits immediately uplifted.

Happy suddenly approached Carla and raised his paw. "If you've heard of Ben, surely then you've heard of Happy the Catmander? Or perhaps even the Happy Attack? Well, brace yourself... 'cause he's right here."

Carla turned away, unimpressed. "Hmph!"

Happy backpedaled over to Lucy, placing his paws over his mouth to try and contain his excitement. "She loves me! This must be destiny!"

"Destined to be rejected." Lucy countered. "She's totally ignoring you."

"Naïve comments like that show you know nothing about women and their wild ways." Happy stated matter-of-factly.

Lucy hunched over in exasperation from the blue cat's idiocy. "I really hate to break this to yah, but I'M a woman!"

Ren focused on Wendy. "That girl's gonna be gorgeous when she grows up."

"Doesn't look like Hibiki wants to wait," Eve chimed.

Much to everyone's surprise, Hibiki had made his way over to Wendy and placed his hand on her shoulder while using his other to direct her to the couch – which had been set up against the wall again somehow.

"Would you please come with me, lovely lady?" Hibiki smiled.

"Um...okay," Wendy stammered.

"BAD TOUCH!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Seriously. That's just messed up." Gray groaned.

"Gray... your clothes," Lucy slumped her shoulders, exasperated.

Right on cue, Gray was revealed to be in his boxers with his clothes scattered across the floor; much to his chagrin. "DAMMIT!"

Meanwhile, Jura and Ichiya eyed Wendy keenly. There was something peculiar about her that caught their attention.

"Hmm..." Jura hummed thoughtfully.

"You sensed it too. That girl's parfum is quite unique. She is no ordinary child..." Ichiya noted.

"Yes, I sensed that about her right away. The magic she possesses is somehow different from our own." Jura turned to Erza. "It seems Lady Erza has noticed her power as well."

Ichiya directed his gaze to Erza and noticed her eyeing Wendy carefully. "Impressive..."

Over at the Trimens' couch and table setup, Wendy sat with absolute nervousness with Eve and Ren sitting down on both sides of her. Eve placed an orange drink on the table. Carla was also standing on the table and clearly annoyed by the scene.

"What's happening...?" Wendy said nervously.

"We're pampering a princess," Eve simply replied.

"You're the cutest girl I've seen all day." Ren smoothly complimented.

Hibiki stepped up and kneeled in front of Wendy, offering her the same power puff he had offered Erza earlier. Did they perform this show with every female they saw?

"Would you like to freshen up?" Hibiki asked.

Wendy trembled in anxiety. "Carla, please help me!"

"Just what do you expect me to do?" Carla sardonically asked.

Gray walked over to Natsu and noticed how he was looking at Wendy intently. It was as if he were trying hard to figure out something.

"Wow. Thinking must be painful," Gray jeered.

"It's so weird." Natsu narrowed his eyes. "I feel like I've heard that little girl's name before... but I don't know where."

"Yeah?" Gray cocked a brow in curiosity.

Natsu's visage scrunched up as he tried harder to remember her name but with zero results.

"Give it a rest. It hurts just watching you," Gray remarked.

The pyromaniac ignored Gray's insults and turned to him while pointing at Wendy. "Hey, can you remember her for me?"

"SAY WHAT?!" Gray shouted, taken aback by the sheer absurdity of his request.

His expression shifted to exasperation as Natsu continued to stare at Wendy thoughtfully. Wendy, who was still being pampered by the Trimens, took notice of Natsu and smiled back at him.

Natsu blinked a couple of times and turned back to Gray. "So, you got anything yet?"

"Working on it..." he deadpanned.

"It's unladylike to smile at strange men, Wendy." Carla chastised.

"But... I was just being friendly..."

Hibiki suddenly leaned in closer to the blue-haired girl. "Do you like your men brash or proper?"

"Brash, right?" Eve asked expectantly.

"You are just the cutest..." Ren leaned closer.

Wendy trembled while sweat drops of nervousness raced down her face.

Ichiya stepped forward and addressed his three colleagues while posing dramatically. "I told you three, they're here on business. Now, clean this place up!"

The Trimens instantly lifted Wendy and Carla off the couch and table respectively before rushing out of the room with the two items. "Yes, master, right away!"

"Maaaan..." Ichiya changed to another pose.

Lucy leaned in toward Gray. "Those pretty boys keep calling him different things."

"They may not be the brightest, but at least they're consistently inconsistent," Gray smirked.

A moment later, the Trimens brought out a small decorated stand for Ichiya to stand on with four spotlights shining on him, providing dramatic lighting.

"Okay," Ichiya switched poses as he spoke, "now that all the involved parties are present, I think it's about time to get the mission briefing underway."

"You gonna brief us through interpretive dance?" Lucy sweat-dropped.

Ichiya ignored her comment and continued.

"Our first order of business is determining the location of the Oracion Seis!" A moment of silence passed before Ichiya waddled sideways toward another room while maintaining his pose. "Right after I make a letter of the alphabet..."

The Trimens clapped in response while everyone else expressed exasperation.

"Great... if he's making a letter 'poop', I'm outta here," Gray remarked.

"We're rooting for you, teacher!" The Trimens cheered.

"Would you pick a title already?" Lucy snapped.

A few minutes later, Ichiya returned and resumed his posing in the spotlight with the Trimen gathered behind him.

"Much better. Now, please pay close attention... To the north lives the Worth Woodsea, where the ancients once sealed a powerful force, a magic called Nirvaaana!"

"Those poses are getting really old," Gray groaned.

"Nirvaaana?" Natsu and Lucy repeated, confused.

"Never heard of it before," Lyon commented.

Sherry turned to Jura. "Do you know what it is?"

"No... I do not..."

"We don't know much about this magic," Ren explained, "other than its name and that it is destructive in nature."

"And that the Oracion Seis wants it badly," Eve added.

"Destruction magic?" Natsu tilted his head slightly.

"Okay... bad feeling confirmed," Lucy sounded mildly nervous.

Wendy gulped in apprehension at this information. It was troubling news, to say the least.

"We assume that's why they traveled to the Worth Woodsea." Hibiki said. "They're desperate to get their hands on such powerful magic."

"To prevent that from happening..." Ichiya paused.

"... We must destroy the Oracion Seis!" Ichiya and the Trimens posed.

"I'm so over the posing," Lucy moaned.

"Really? I think they're starting to grow on me," Gray snarked.

"We may have the advantage in numbers, but remember..." Ren said.

"... we cannot underestimate them." Eve followed up.

"They're incredibly strong. We may well be in over our heads." Hibiki lifted his right hand and snapped his fingers.

As a result, a yellow holographic screen and keyboard shaped like ovals appeared; much to everyone's surprise, save for the Blue Pegasus members. Hibiki proceeded to type away on the magical keyboard.

"That's Archive..." Jura stated.

"Don't believe I've seen it in use before," Lyon noted.

"And it does what exactly?" Sherry asked.

Lucy narrowed her eyes as her expression shifted to contemplation. She had seen something reminiscent of Hibiki's magic before, but where?

Six images in yellow hexagonal screens appeared in front of the Allied Forces; each of them containing a photo of peculiar-looking people.

"Storing information," Hibiki answered. "Such as these photographs of our enemy. Don't ask how we got 'em..."

Lucy's eyes widened in recollection. She remembered a particular scene in Ben's memories where his cousin, Gwen, had a device that looked and operated in a similar manner to Hibiki's Archive.

"Oh, I see. It's like a computer."

Hibiki glanced at the blonde in bewilderment. "A what?"

"Oh! Uh... forget it," Lucy turned away, slightly embarrassed. Obviously, they wouldn't know what she was talking about.

Hibiki blinked twice before shaking his head and moved on. "Well, anyways…"

He then directed the group's attention to a photo of a devious man with maroon hair and wearing a white coat with blue trim, purple inner lining, and purple cuffs. In addition, he had dark red pants with black straps wrapped around his upper legs and attached to his black belt. Behind him was a large, purple snake with a white underbelly.

"First up is the snake wizard, Cobra..."

"Beady eyes and mischievous smirk. He looks like trouble to me." Natsu stated.

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black." Gray and Lyon remarked.

Hibiki pointed to the second screen of a tall man with a blonde mohawk and black shaven hair around it. His attire consisted of a red-and-white jacket, white baggy racing pants, and similarly colored racing gloves. The man had an exceptionally long and pointy nose, pointed chin guards, long blonde eyebrows, and white sunglasses.

"Next is a wizard who, judging from his name, likely uses Speed Magic. Meet Racer," Hibiki said.

"I don't like the looks of this guy," Gray folded his arms over his chest.

"Neither do I," Lyon agreed.

The next image displayed a large, tall man with long orange hair and a blocky face. He wore a black priest's outfit with wine-red pants and held a book in his right hand. His left arm was outstretched, and multiple dead Royal Army soldiers surrounded him.

"Then there's a wizard who's willing to wipe out an entire military unit if the price is right. Divine Eyes, Hoteye..."

"The guy kills for money?" Sherry's voice expressed revulsion.

"Turns my stomach," Jura growled.

Hibiki directed their attention to another image of a voluptuous woman in a revealing white swan-like outfit. She had short and glossy albino hair that created a swirl atop her head. She wore dark blue gloves, leggings, and ribbon tied around her head. Small wing-like tattoos were visible on her collarbone.

"She's gorgeous but just as vicious," Hibiki warned. "This is Angel..."

"So, she's the 'beautiful but deadly' type, huh? Is this chick for real?" Lucy sweat-dropped.

The next image displayed a man with spiky black-and-white hair and black glossed lips, sleeping on a floating carpet. He adorned a similarly colored fur-trimmed, sleeveless jacket with yellow-and-black striped pants.

"The next member is a complete mystery. All we know is his name, Midnight..."

"That's an odd name. I wonder if it correlates to his power?" Erza pondered.

The sixth and final photo showed a tall, dark-skinned man with shoulder-length white hair and black angular tattoos all over his face and body. He wore a purple coat with black fur trim, a white cape, and baggy blue pants held up by a belt. In his right hand was an eerie-looking wooden stave with a skull on the end. The skull had a crystal ball in its mouth while a headband with green feathers was on its head, reminiscent of Native American headwear.

"Finally, the commander of the Oracion Seis... Brain. There you have it. Alone, they could wipe out entire guilds, and together they're unstoppable." Hibiki pressed a button, causing the images to disappear with a 'ping'. "We have twelve to their six, but that's our only advantage."

Lucy trembled and hesitantly raised her hand. "Question... can I volunteer to stay behind and not die today?"

Wendy, who was also trembling, placed her hands near her mouth. "I don't wanna die either, so can I please go home?"

"You may not!" Carla rebuked. "We have a job to do, child."

Happy walked up to Carla holding up a fish. "Since they didn't count us, you wanna get out of here and find some trash cans to raid?"

"Heavens no!" Carla sharply replied, turning away.

"Curb your fear, my friends!" Ichiya posed. "There is more to our operation than mortal combat. With your help, perhaps we can find the enemy's stronghold!"

"Stronghold?" Natsu repeated.

"Yeah, you heard the man. We've looked everywhere but have had no luck." Ren clarified.

"Here's the deal," Eve extended his right hand and Hibiki summoned another magical screen above it. "They've gotta have a temporary base in the Worth Woodsea."

"And once we've located it, our plan is to gather the Oracion Seis inside."

"How do we do that?" Gray asked.

Natsu grinned eagerly. "WE BEAT 'EM UP AND DRAG THEIR BUTTS THERE!"

"He's a little too excited about this," Lucy dryly noted.

Erza placed her hand on her chin in thought. "What's the next phase of our plan?"

Ichiya pointed up and continued to explain. "Then, we'll give them a one-way ticket to oblivion, courtesy of Christina, the majestic pride of the Blue Pegasus guild!"

The Allied Force's eyes widened in shock.

"I've heard about the Magic Bomber, but I thought it was just a myth," Sherry said, surprised.

"Whoa... is that really necessary?" Lucy questioned.

"That's the type of enemy we face." Jura pointed out; his expression growing darker and more serious. "Remember, under no circumstances should you ever engage the enemy in solo combat. Our best bet is to separate them and devote two wizards to each fight."

Everyone nodded in understanding while Lucy and Wendy stood by madly shivering in fear.

"Aww man..." Lucy murmured. "This is a nightmare..."

"I can't take the pressure!" Wendy cried.

Carla glanced at Wendy and Lucy in vexation. "Would you stop acting like children?"

"Uh... you know one of them is a child, right?" Gray retorted.

"Hmph," Carla huffed and looked away.

Natsu ignited his right fist in flames and punched his open left palm. A determined grin was plastered on his face.

"Let's go! I'm all fired up!"

Without hesitation, he rushed to the entrance and burst through the front doors. A mild explosion was created as he continued running down the dirt path.

"Time to hunt me some demons! READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!" the pyromaniac roared.

The Allied Forces stepped outside and watched as Natsu exited the building and the dust trail he left in his wake.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Always acting without a thought in his head," Erza commented; frustration present in her voice.

"What do you guys wanna bet he didn't even hear the plan?" Gray smirked.

Happy held up his paw. "I'll bet five fish he didn't."

Ren rubbed the back of his head. "Overkill much?"

"Yeah, no kidding..." Eve added.

"Just great. We're gonna have to fix it..." Hibiki said, referring to the busted front door.

A brief moment passed before Erza turned to the group with a serious visage. "Enough gawking. Move."

"Guess we're playing catch-up with that dork," Gray said.

"Do we have to?" Lucy teared up.

"Quit cryin'!" Gray snapped.

Erza immediately took off in a sprint to catch up with the Fire Dragon Slayer, Gray and Lucy following behind.

Lyon and Sherry, meanwhile, watched as the Fairy Tail wizards ran off into the forest.

"Their energy is just as infectious as I remember. Ready, Sherry?" Lyon took off running as well, and Sherry followed closely behind him.

"Yeah!"

"Wait! Stay together!" Jura yelled.

It was futile, though, as the Trimens ran after the group too.

"So, we're hunting demons?" Ren said.

"M-hmm!" Eve hummed in response.

Hibiki smirked. "And an Angel too..."

Wendy, who was still quivering in fear, watched as the group (save for Jura and Ichiya) took off into the forest.

"Pull yourself together, child!" Carla yelled.

"Have no fear!" Happy raised his paw. "'Cause the Catmander's here!"

Carla swiftly grabbed Wendy's hand and started running after the others, dragging her blue-haired companion with her. "You'll be the death of me!"

"I'm sorry, Carla!" Wendy cried.

Happy stood motionless for a moment, dumbfounded. He then sprouted his wings and flew off after them. "Wait for me! YOU NEED A MAN TO PROTECT YOU!"

Jura sighed in mild frustration. "I'm too old for this..."

"Man..." Ichiya stepped up behind him.

The Wizard Saint turned back to the orange-haired midget. "In any case, the operation is underway. We should join the others quickly."

Ichiya posed and pointed at Jura. "Slow your roll, shiny-dome. I've heard through the grapevine that you're one of the Ten Wizard Saints. Would this statement be true?"

Jura nodded. "Indeed I am."

He took on another dramatic pose. "It's quite a privilege to fight alongside someone as skilled as Master Makarov."

Jura held up his hand and refuted Ichiya's comment by saying, "I wouldn't go that far. Though I am honored to bear the title, it is given to whomever the Council deems worthy. Equating myself with Makarov is tantamount to comparing the heavens to the earth. I'm sure you can guess which applies to me."

"I see," Ichiya turned away and pulled out a vial. "That might be the best news I've heard all day."

He popped the cork off the vial, releasing a small plum of green smoke. Unbeknownst to Jura, a bizarre gas was quickly making its way over to Jura.

"If you were as powerful as that fossil, it would make my job far more difficult..." A dark and uncharacteristic expression formed on Ichiya's face.

After catching a whiff of the gas Ichiya unleashed, Jura's veins begin to throb madly in his temples.

"What is THAT smell?!" He shouted in pain.

His eyes widened as he clutched his face, dropping his stave to the ground.

"This particular parfum causes an opponent to lose their will to fight..."

Jura collapsed to his hands and knees in a coughing fit.

"Ichiya..." Jura strained, "What have you done?"

Ichiya pulled out another vial and spoke with two young, high-pitched undertones. "Biri... Biri..."

Ichiya popped open the second vial, letting Jura get another whiff. The Lamia Scale wizard screamed in agony as red sparks of magical energy unexpectedly emanated from his body.

"That's more like it. Drown in relentless pain and torment. Are you enjoying the potent effects of my little fragrance?"

Jura collapsed onto his back motionless; his eyes wide open.

Ichiya spoke once more, only the two undertones were much more prominent and overshadowed Ichiya's voice. "Oops... that's not right. I meant 'parfum'!"

In a puff of white smoke, Ichiya disappeared and was replaced with two small, light-blue-skinned humanoid creatures with tiny hairs on their heads. The left creature had a perpetual smile plastered on its face and wore orange pants with a belt strapped around its right shoulder. Whereas the right creature had a perpetual frown and wore black pants with a belt strapped around its left shoulder.

The creatures continuously danced while floating in midair. Their mouths didn't move as they spoke.

"We're back to normal!" the smiley-female creature cheered.

"Yuck! That midget's head was filled with perverted stuff." The frowny-male creature said.

"Don't remind me, brother! Grown-ups can be so gross..." the sister responded in disgust.

A female in a white swan-like outfit stepped out from behind the trees. "No complaining. You're not done yet..."

The creatures turned to Jura, continuing to dance. "Biri, Biri!"

Jura struggled to roll himself onto his stomach and looked up to see an unexpected sight. The woman described in the briefing, Angel, was standing in front of him.

"No... not you. Why are you here?"

"Aw, isn't it obvious? You've been duped, darling! We copied your comrade." Angel winked slyly. "From his dumpy body to every thought in his perverted mind."

"Now, we know your plan!" the male creature added.

"You can't hide anything from us!" the female creature taunted.

Jura's eyes widened in horror. "No..."

Angel winked. "Yes. Two down, and only ten to go..."

Jura promptly collapsed and succumbed to unconsciousness; the potion taking full effect on his body.

"Biri, Biri!" the twins celebrated.

Angel giggled sinisterly. "Let this be a lesson to you, children of light... There's no stopping the Oracion Seis."

...

Meanwhile, in a valley near Mount Hakobe, Elfman was currently running through Bloxx's obstacle course while in his Beast Soul form. It was certainly challenging considering his larger size; especially for the drills that required him to bend low. Nevertheless, he managed to push through and overcame all the obstacles thrown at him; thanks in part to his Beast Soul's unexpected speed. He finally leaped off the platform and landed on his right knee.

"Good work there, Elfman," Bloxx complimented. "You completed all the drills despite your size. How's the crystal though?"

Elfman sighed uneasily before holding up his right hand and opened it. Much to his elated shock, the crystal was still intact.

"HA! It didn't break!" Elfman exclaimed excitedly. "I did it!"

Bloxx smiled proudly from his comrade's achievement. He tapped the Omnitrix dial and, in a green flash, transformed back to human.

"Nice job, Elfman!" Ben clapped and walked up to him. "I gotta say, you've made some good progress with just one day of training. I'm proud of yah."

Elfman smiled brightly, displaying his sharp teeth. "Thanks, Ben. But you're the one who deserves the credit. I can't thank you enough for this. You're a real man!"

The white-haired beast outstretched his right hand to presumably slap Ben on the back. The teen hero flinched, knowing that if Elfman wasn't careful he could seriously hurt him with his strength; especially in his current form. However, much to his surprise, Elfman softly patted Ben on the shoulder with his enlarged digits.

Ben looked up to see Elfman shooting him a confident smirk. "A real man knows how to control his strength."

The brunet blinked twice before expressing his trademark smirk. "There may just be hope for you after all, Elfman."

Before the Take-Over mage could respond, he took a couple of whiffs from the air and looked around curiously.

"What's wrong?"

"I dunno... I got this feeling that someone's watching us," Elfman said dubiously.

"Yeah?"

Ben directed his gaze to a specific part of the forest. The Omnitrix bearer already knew that Evergreen had been spying on them for several hours from a distant tree. He had no idea why nor did he care, at the moment anyway. He kept it to himself, though, hoping that Elfman would eventually notice her presence as well.

Elfman shrugged his shoulders before letting out a grunt. "Eh... I guess it's just my imagination."

Ben lowered his head and sighed, slightly disappointed. 'He's still gotta ways to go. Needs to trust his instincts more...'

In a yellow magical flash, Elfman resumed his human form.

"BEN!"

The shape-shifters turned to see Mirajane rushing toward them with a panicked expression. In her hands was the turquoise communication-lacrima.

"Mira, what's wrong?"

Mirajane held up the lacrima, displaying a live-feed of Gray inside its center. "It's your team. They're in trouble."

"Mira, is Ben there?!" Gray's panicked voice emitted from the lacrima.

"I'm here, Gray. What's going on?" Ben leaned in closer.

"About freaking time we gotta hold of you! Look, we have a major situation here. We're surrounded by these rock-monsters and Dark Guild wizards."

"Rock-monsters? Dark Guild wizards?" Elfman folded his arms over his chest. "What the heck's happening?"

"From what Gray told me," Mira quickly answered, "Master selected Ben's team to join a coalition of three other guilds to defeat the Oracion Seis."

"Oracion Seis?" Ben repeated, confused.

"They're part of the Balam Alliance. One of the three most powerful Dark Guilds in the kingdom," Mira elaborated.

Ben's eyes slightly widened. 'Seriously? We've only been gone for two days and this happens?!'

"The Oracion Seis figured out our plan and we got our asses kicked! What's worse... Erza's been poisoned!" Gray directed the lacrima on his end to show Erza leaning up against a tree clutching her right arm in agony; her upper arm was glowing a sickly-looking purple.

Ben gasped in shocked horror. "ERZA!"

"She won't hold out for much longer, and neither will we! We need your help NOW!" Gray hollered frantically.

"Where are you guys located!?" Ben demanded.

"We're in the Worth Woodsea," Gray replied.

"That's a forest in the northeastern part of Fiore," Elfman noted. "That's more than a hundred miles away..."

"Where in the Worth Woodsea?" Ben questioned.

"Hold on..." Mira interjected, pressing certain spots on the lacrima. "Vanessa said this lacrima comes with a mapping feature. It should show us their exact location."

A sky-blue holographic map of Fiore suddenly appeared above the orb. A blue dot represented the trio's current location while a corresponding red dot positioned in northeast Fiore represented Gray's.

"There!"

'So, it's like GPS, huh? That's convenient...'

Ben took the lacrima from Mira's hands. "Just hold on, Gray. I'll be there soon!"

"HURRY!" The live-feed was promptly shut off, but the mapping feature still displayed his team's current position.

"I'm sorry, guys," Ben turned to the Strauss siblings, "but we're gonna have to cut this training trip short."

"Don't be!" Mira replied curtly. "Go help your team!"

"Yeah!" Elfman added. "All of you better come back victorious like real men, ya hear?"

Ben nodded before quickly activating the Omnitrix. After finding the head-icon he desired, he swiftly slapped down the core and, in a flash of brilliant emerald, he was replaced with...

"Jetray!"

Jetray immediately soared high into the air; several hundred feet above the ground. He altered his flight path to northeast, keeping the lacrima firmly in his right claw's grip.

With his girlfriend and comrades' lives in danger, the Aerophibian didn't waste a second to rapidly increase his speed. With a thundering boom in his wake, he easily broke through the sound barrier.

Fairy Tail's otherworldly hero would soon be entering the fray against the Oracion Seis.

…

A/N: Here we are, my friends. We've finally reached the Oracion Seis arc in Ultimate Fairy! Hurray! Better late than never, I suppose.

Credit to Jumpin' Jack Flash 7 for his helpful input in this chapter!

Wendy and Carla finally made their grand debuts! As well as the Blue Pegasus men... yay?

ANNOUNCEMENT: the wiki page for Ultimate Fairy is up! I have story arc pages, bios for Ben, Vanessa Masters, and Brennen, as well as the original aliens, introduced so far. Feel free to check it out! It is currently a Work-In-Progress, though, but more content will be added in time. You can find the link on my profile.

I'm sure this chapter wasn't what the majority of you were expecting. Keep in mind, that I did say I was going to take more creative liberties with the story going forward – and not just copy-and-paste from the anime. Granted, there wasn't a ton of changes in the Coalition scene, but there weren't really any big changes needed either.

The poll results from the last chapter are in. Unsurprisingly, many of you fine readers voted that you don't care whether I implement a word-limit on chapters or not. That's good to know. Going forward, I will be mindful of my chapter length, but if I believe a few scenes are needed to make it better I will write them regardless of how long the chapter turns out to be.

On an unrelated note, I'd like to give a shout-out to three good Ben 10 x Avengers crossover stories I've been reading for a while.

"Ben 10: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" by Firestorm808

"Avengers: Agent 10" by Masamune X23

"Avenging 10" by CaptainRex75

Some of you may already be reading at least one of these or all of them, but I thought I'd point them out for readers who haven't heard of them before. Each of them is good in their own ways, and I would highly recommend them if you're interested.

Next Chapter: Oracion Seis, Part II – Ben arrives in time to join the battle against the Oracion Seis. Things are about to get really serious. It's Hero Time!

Please leave any critique, comments, or suggestions in the review box below. Until next time, Ultimate out...