A/N: Here it is, a fight that I know several of you have been looking forward to since the last chapter's end! How well will the kind-hearted fairy do against the S-class mage? Let's find out!

Also, per the results of a poll I recently put up, I will be turning my old story Fire Sword into an audio series on my YouTube channel. Hope to see some of you there in the comment's section!

OP Song: This Will Be The Day by Jeff Williams (feat. Casey Lee Williams)

Magic Battle Nexus Arc: Chapter 5

Kinana Rises

"Arcadios, you dunderhead!" the king shouted angrily as he turned to his top colonel. "I wanted a match between Bacchus and Erza! This is going to be a slaughter! He's going to murder that poor girl!"

"M-My apologies, sire," Arcadios said, sweating lightly as he watched the two competitors take the field. "But to be fair, you did say you wanted 'Queen Anna'. I thought you had simply mispronounced the lady Kinana's name."

"I was trying to say 'Titania!" the king bellowed. "As in Titania Erza!" It was all that Arcadios could do to apologize again for his lapse while the king ranted angrily.

"Have the judges lost their minds?!" Gorun shouted at no one in particular. It was taking Mirajane and Laxus both to restrain him from flying up to the judges' box and demanding that they recall the competitors. "Kinana's not a fighter, and she certainly isn't ready to fight somebody on Erza's level!"

"Gorun, there's nothing we can do!" Mira grunted as she strained to hold the boy in place. "She knew she might have to fight when she joined the team!"

"She's one of us, so she has to take the same risks as us!" Laxus growled. "Now stop acting like a child before I have to zap you!"

"Part of me wants to see you try," Gorun smiled wolfishly back at him. Nonetheless, he ceased his struggles against them and allowed himself to be seated by force. "The other part knows you're right about this," he sighed, fists clenched. Shooting a glare at her competitor, he added, "Contest or no, though- if he hurts her excessively like Flare did with Lucy, I will get her out of harm's way."

"Fairy Tail girls are tougher than we look," Mira said consolingly. "She'll be okay, I'm sure of it."

"Well, I didn't expect this," Bacchus said lazily as he looked his opponent up and down. "I thought I'd be fightin' Erza, but I gotta say… you're just as fine as she is, hehe."

Kinana met his wandering eyes with a look of steel as her fists clenched. Times were past when she'd take comments like that lying down. Her relationship with Gorun meant a great deal to her, and it would be a cold day in hell before she let someone make light of it. "I'd be careful about what you say, mister," she said as she struggled to keep her voice neutral. "The guy that went up against Jura yesterday is my boyfriend- and he's the jealous type."

"That right?" Bacchus laughed. "Oh well- free world. I can say what I like, about who I like. And there is no denying how fine you look in that dress, little missy."

Kinana's face flared red, but she held her ground. The battle hadn't started yet, so no one could hear what they were saying- a good thing, because if Gorun had heard that last comment, he'd be going out of his way to vaporize the arrogant man in front of her. "That's not for you to say," she finally responded.

"Like hell it ain't," Bacchus laughed again. "Tell you what- I gots me an idea to make this tournament a little more interesting." The gong signaling that the match was to begin had gone off, but they both ignored it. Kinana shuddered as Bacchus licked his lips hungrily and said, "Let's make a little bet, just like those other guys, huh? If I win this competition, you'll keep me company tonight- where I can pay you all the compliments I want."

Kinana blanched and had to struggle not to be sick. She was only partially able to refrain from doing so because both of them were drawn to the sight of Gorun's Super Saiyan aura blazing from the stands as he roared, "Touch her and you die!"

"Gorun, no!" Kinana begged him. She realized that since the match had begun, the sound lachrymas were active, and spoken words could be heard by the entire audience. "I can handle him!"

"Haha!" Bacchus laughed derisively. "I'd love to see you try, little missy!" Still, he made no hostile moves toward her- yet.

"Kill him!" Gorun demanded.

"Outside interference is not permitted in the games," Chapati reminded them, and Kinana thought for a moment that he was about get a Big Bang Attack to his face, but through an enormous show of self-control, Gorun switched back to his base form before a penalty could be called against him. Still, the purple-haired girl could practically feel his anger from where she stood.

I won't lose, she promised him silently. Not to this guy. She firmed up her chin and prepared to cast her magic. "People like you make me sick," she said as she settled into the fighting stance Gorun had trained her to use. "Honestly, I prefer to leave the fighting to my friends most of the time, but for you I'll make an exception."

"Hey, I'm not such a bad guy," Bacchus smirked as he settled in an eagle-like fighting stance. "You'll find you just how nice I am tonight." Again, Kinana shuddered as he stared her up and down.

"You're gonna find out right now that Fairy Tail girls are all out of your league, you sick bastard!" she shouted, a red circle forming over her head. "Kaioken!"

"Kaio-wha-? Augh!" Bacchus cried as he received a surprise kick to the face that sent him backpedaling a few feet. He shook his head as if to clear it, then barely dodged a punch to his midsection as Kinana flew at him, wreathed in a red aura. "What in the hell?!" he gaped. "I only ever saw Erza move that fast!"

"You picked a fight with the wrong girl!" his opponent shouted as she brought her hands back behind her left shoulder. "Gallick Gun!" Pale purple energy shot at Bacchus as she outstretched her arms, who nimbly dodged it, working his way back to the jug he'd left in the sand. Still, he could feel the force behind the blast, and he was glad he had moved when he did.

Kinana didn't let up for second, pointing two fingers at him and shouting, "Dodon Ray!" A yellow laser flew out from her fingertips and struck Bacchus in the arm, though it only grazed him. Still, it was enough to make him wince, and she knew the attack was good.

"What's the matter?" she taunted him as she raised her hands above her head. "I thought you were supposed to the best Quatro Kerberos had to offer? Masenko!" A stronger blast flew from her palms, narrowly missing the nimble fighter again.

"You ain't half bad!" he cackled. "I can feel my soul shakin' and stirring!"

"I think that's your body shaking, knowing that I'm about to blast you into the dirt!" Kinana called confidently, raising a hand to her eye level in a claw-like grip. "Anything left to say before I stomp you?"

"I can think of two words," Bacchus laughed as he held up his gourd containing an unknown liquid. "Bottoms up!" To the shock of almost everyone around them, he began to down the confection, throwing his head back and drinking rapidly.

"Wha-?" she said blankly.

"Kinana!" she head Erza shouting. "Don't let him finish that! He'll only get more dangerous if he's drunk!"

What? She thought, confused. She looked back at Bacchus, who had tossed the gourd over his shoulder, his face now flushed with the effect of the alcohol. "He has the same shtick as Cana?"

"C'mon, little girlie," he slurred with a wicked grin as he assumed a sloppy eagle stance. "Hit me with your best shot. Should be easy enough to knock down a wobbly old drunk like me, right?" Something about the change in his demeanor and body language only served to set the girl on edge. Still…

If he thinks I won't fight him because he's drunk, he's in for a world of disappointment, she thought determinedly. "Kikoho!" she shouted, sending forth the crushing energy blast at her call. To her shock, Bacchus ducked and weaved underneath the blast with inhuman speed before palming her in the gut with enough force to send her reeling and gasping for breath.

"Hahahaha!" Bacchus laughed with a hiccup as he stared at her through lidded eyes. "Feel that?"

The problem was, she had felt the devastating power behind that strike- and she was quick to realize it wasn't the only hit he had landed. She counted at least seven bruises in various places, which disturbed her for more than one reason, the chief one being the realization that Bacchus had hit her so fast that she had only seen the last blow strike her.

Ignoring the pain the injuries caused her, she turned to fix a glare on her opponent again. "You're a real piece of work, Bacchus," she muttered.

"Hahaha!" the man cackled. "You ready to give up yet?"

"Weren't you listening to Natsu earlier?" she replied, composing new magic circles in her head. "The Fairy Tail guild hasn't given up yet- so there's no way I'm giving up either." Bacchus was crouching, preparing to use his blistering speed to get in close again, but Kinana had other ideas. Levitating up into the air so that she was in between the sun and her opponent, she placed her hands on either side of her head before shouting, "Solar Flare!"

There was a blinding flash of light that deprived anyone that looked directly at the girl of their ocular senses for several moments. Only Gorun, who had recognized the stance for what it was, managed to shield his eyes in time to avoid missing what was happening. Even the judges were shouting in confusion, unable to determine what had just happened.

"Kaioken times three!" Kinana shouted, her aura intensifying as she shot towards Bacchus, a large grin on her face.

"Times wha- OW!" he yelped as she blindsided him, kicking his backbone, followed by a series of kidney shots that penetrated even his drunken stupor. "I can't see! This ain't right!"

"What isn't right is your attitude towards women," Kinana told him, ducking a right hook that the disoriented man attempted to throw. Blinded he might be, but his reflexes were still incredibly sharp, especially given how hammered he was. "Let's see if you can't learn a little respect!"

"Hey now!" he chuckled as he nearly caught her off-guard with another sloppy-yet-powerful strike. "I gots plenty of respect for fine women- none of y'all seem to appreciate it, though."

"I think I know a lost cause when I see it," the girl sighed as she flew above him again and blasted him with another Dodon Ray, this one striking him squarely in the back, just below his shoulder armor. "Time to wrap this up." So saying, she rose up into the air, and continued to do so until she was level with the heads of the massive statues lining the stadium.

It was at this point in time that people's eyesight were returning, and Bacchus was one of the first to recover. Looking up at her with something like disappointment, he shouted belligerently, "Hey! Tha's no fair! You can't fight me from way up there, an' I can't fight you!"

"Oh, I can do plenty from up here," she called back with a sweet smile.

It was this smile in particular that made Gorun turn to his comrades on the sidelines and say, "I suggest we all hang on to something."

"Wait, is she about to-"

"Yeah, I think so," he nodded with a huge grin as he interrupted Jellal. "And it's gonna be awesome."

"Mister Yajima, what's happening?" Chapati asked as they watched the girl's aura flaring up even brighter.

"That girl is giving off a magic pressure I certainly wouldn't expect from someone so young and delicate-looking," the old man said gravely. "She's looking to end this quickly, I wager."

"Second origin; release!" Kinana cried, willing her hidden reservoir of magic energy to open and flood her with new strength. With the fresh, previously untapped reserves surging through her body, she harnessed the Kaioken once again, conjuring five ruby-colored magic circles above her head, and a shining crystal blue one in front of her hands, which formed a triangle shape.

The last time she had used this spell, it had been at three layers of the kai's technique, and the effort had nearly wiped her. This time was going to draw on even more strength- she could feel her heart hammering against her ribcage violently- but this was the reason she had accessed her second origin. With the added strength it contained in addition to her already-above-average energy reserves, she was confident that she could take out Bacchus in one swift blow.

"Get down here an' fight me!" Bacchus demanded.

"I'll stay up here and fight you just fine," the girl replied. "Ready to lose, Bacchus?"

Expecting more loudmouthed comments, she was surprised when all he did was give her a befuddled look, hiccup, and ask, "You really care about that weirdo, don'tcha?"

Kinana did not answer with words, instead choosing to look over at the boy who had come to mean so much to her. He met her gaze from where he was and smiled at her, nodding once. She smiled back, her mind flashing back to one of her favorite memories with the young man…

Magnolia, Year X790

"Wait, really?" she asked in surprise. "I have magic?"

"Yep," her companion nodded as he stared intently at the water flowing around his calves. He was standing in one of the rivers that flowed through the forest by the guild hall, apparently searching for something, but as to what he was seeking, he had yet to comment on. "Admittedly, it's not a huge amount, but it's definitely present."

"I thought that people with magic manifested their abilities at a way younger age than me," she told him. "I mean, I guess it's possible I knew magic before I lost my memory, but…" She paused, uncertain on what else to say.

The boy glanced at her, then refocused back on his unnamed task. "Possible," he nodded. "I could teach you how to use my magic, if you'd like." He peered intently at the water, leaning closer to its running surface.

"R-Really?" she asked, surprised by his offer. He seemed to be a busy person these days, she thought. Ever since he had become a fully qualified wizard, he had gone on job after job, seemingly intent on repaying his debt to the guild and making a new life for himself in the town. "Won't you be too busy?" she finally inquired.

"Nah," he grinned as he placed his right hand just above the water's surface. "Truth be known, I feel like I've been neglecting you as a friend lately. I'd like to make it up to you." His hand shot into the water and returned in less than an instant with a large, wriggling blue fish. A moment's further notice from the boy saw its head crushed with his bare hand, rendering it limp.

Kinana eyed the dead animal with a wince, and Gorun had the grace to look embarrassed. "Uh, sorry about that," he grinned sheepishly. "I was getting kinda hungry, and fresh fish sounded good, so…" Now he trailed off uncertainly, but he was quick to come back to the original topic. "So anyway, would you like to learn some of my techniques? I'd like the thought of us teaming up someday on a job."

"Y-You want me t-to go on j-jobs with you?" she stammered bashfully.

"Well, yeah," he nodded emphatically. "You're the first friend I made in this place, and you're still my closest comrade. I wouldn't want anyone else watching my back out there in the future."

"Why me, though?" she asked in a small voice. "Even Romeo could be a better sidekick for you- he's got lots of natural talent, and I didn't even know that I had magic at all…"

"Hey," he said firmly, and she was slightly startled to notice that he was now only a foot away from her, his friendly gray eyes rather close to her own verdant ones. "I don't want a sidekick. No offense to the kid, but I'd much rather have you by my side. I want a partner- an equal."

"An e-equal?" she repeated hesitantly. "B-But you're so strong and experienced… I don't ever see myself becoming that strong like you are. It seems to be in your blood."

He had winced and turned away at that. Her comment seemed to touch a nerve, but he said over his shoulder, "Our blood does not define what we can do, Kinana. Sure, it can point us toward certain paths, but in the end, our choices are our own." Turning back to her, he grinned slightly as he displayed his green Fairy Tail emblem with confidence. "Starting strong or not, we all need to learn our limits if we want to surpass them." Lowering his hand to extend out to her, he added, "So what do you say? Wanna learn what you can do- then push past it?"

Kinana hesitated here. She was not a fighter by nature. She much preferred the relative quiet of her simple life, opposed to the dangers of being out on a wizard's job, where any number of disasters could befall her. It all seemed so… uncertain.

Yet, in spite of all her doubts, the face that owned the offered hand was confident, kind, and most importantly, her friend. She knew she could trust him. "I do," she nodded as she reached out to take his hand- only realizing the moment she grabbed it that it was the hand he had used to catch and kill the fish.

"Oops," the boy said dumbly.

They had spent the rest of the day laughing about it.

Crocus, Year X791

This is for you, Gorun… she thought silently. She fixed her gaze on Bacchus once more and said, "I care about Gorun beyond your ability to comprehend, just as I know he cares about me. Not that it's any of your business." She took a deep breath, poured her energy into the magic circle, and shouted from the depths of her heart, "Shin… Kikoho!"

Just like that, the floor of the stadium shattered beneath the ferocious attack. The air was filled with sand, stones, and the sound of crashing thunder. Both fighters were hidden from view for several moments while some of the wind mages in the arena did their best to clear away the dust without interfering in the match- though judging from the lack of sound coming from the sandy pit, it seemed as though the fight might have already been over.

When the dust settled, a majority of the crowd went wild with shock, though most of it seemed to be laced with uplifting excitement. Kinana was kneeling by a gaping hole in the ground, one that went down for a couple of layers of what looked like some kind of labyrinth. She was heaving deep lungful's of air, and her clothing was partially torn up from the backlash of the powerful enhancement magic, but she was still conscious.

The same could not be said for Bacchus, who was on his back, eyes wide, mouth open in what appeared to be a silent scream as he lay twitching in the middle of the pit created by Kinana's blast. He was covered in cuts and bruises, and his armor had been all but demolished. Most important of all, he was unarguably, down and out.

The bell sounded, and the judges declared Kinana the winner, congratulating her on being the first Fairy Tail member to gain an outright victory in any of the competitions so far. Her guild mates all roared their approval as she gave them a tired smile, one which grew brighter when Gorun appeared next to her in order to help her to her feet.

"That was pretty incredible," he admitted as he smiled fondly at her. "I was wrong to worry, I see. I hope you'll forgive me?"

"Of course," she said, the smile staying on her face, despite her bone-numbing exhaustion. "Forgive me for a going a little overboard?"

His smile widened as he held her close, chuckling as he replied, "You wouldn't be Fairy Tail if you hadn't." His response brought another tired grin to her lips.

The combination of the two spells, even with her second origin aiding her, had pushed her to her limit. It was well that she hadn't pushed the Kaioken any further, she decided as she sagged, nearly hitting the ground in her drained state, despite Gorun's help. "Sorry," she gasped as he lifted her back up. "I'm just… really tired."

"Well that's no good," he smiled easily as he shifted his grip. The girl let out only a small gasp of surprise as she found herself being carried off the field in the bridal position. Her face went red as they heard the commentators- Jason and Chapati in particular- excitedly discuss the open display of affection between the two teenagers. Unless her ears deceived her, they could be expecting an interview from Sorcerer Weekly's top writer that would include questions about their developing relationship. It was hard to tell when everything seemed to be fading into darkness.

"Don't worry," Gorun whispered to her as he transferred some of his energy to her. "You're tired from pushing the Kikoho spell, so some proper rest is going to be in order. As far as I can tell, the Kaioken hasn't permanently harmed your body in any way, so that's a relief."

"Don't wanna interview…" she said in a small, fading voice, much like a child when protesting that they didn't need to sleep.

"If nothing else, I can tell that Jason guy there's more of a story to Gray and Juvia than us. He'll have his hands full just trying to get them to sit in a room together- forget interviewing us," he grinned, glad to see that she seemed to be relaxed, despite her fierce battle only minutes prior.

"That's not fair to Gray," she mumbled, though the thought of a reporter trying to ask the ice wizard about his 'relationship' with Juvia did hold enough humor to make her smile as she nuzzled her face against her boyfriend's chest. "Thank you, Gorun," she sighed before falling asleep in his arms.

Gorun gazed at the sleeping woman in his arms and couldn't suppress another huge smile. I am the luckiest guy in the multiverse, he decided. She's the sweetest, her cooking skills put Grandma Chichi's to shame, and she kicks butt against bad guys.

He found himself facing Lucy, Gray, and Erza as he made it to the exit tunnel. "Hey guys," he said as he paused inside the tunnel mouth.

"Hey' yourself, thanks for bringing her off," Erza said with a smile aimed at him. "She's a lucky girl."

"How do you feel about your girl racking up more points than you for her team?" Gray smirked at his friend.

Gorun's own smile widened in genuine happiness. "Pretty good, actually," he admitted. "More than anything, I was worried about her fighting someone who could hold his own against Erza, but it turns out she's a lot stronger than even I thought."

"That might've had something to do with the fact that she was fighting for you, now that I think about it," Lucy chimed in. "I mean, Natsu always gets way more fired up when he's got his friends close by. I imagine that effect is even stronger for her, given how close you two are."

"Heh, I guess so," Gorun nodded, looking down again at the beautiful wizard in his arms. "Mind accompanying me to the infirmary? I imagine it's gonna be a little while before they get the arena fixed up enough for the next match."

"Of course," Erza nodded quickly. "We'd be glad to- just remember not to neglect your own team, got it?"

"Yeah, Gajeel might have a fit if you keep helping our team out like this," Lucy teased him.

"More like Juvia will get mad that I don't bring her along to see her 'beloved Gray," Gorun snickered, causing Gray to nearly trip over.

"That's not funny, man!" he protested as he kicked off his pants.

"Gray, clothes."

"Dammit!"

They made it to the infirmary to see a scowling Porlyusica send Wendy, Carla, and Natsu on their way out to meet the rest of their team. "Oh, hey guys!" Wendy said in a chipper tone as she saw everyone gathered in the doorway. "I'm all good to join the team now!"

"Just as well, cos it's Kinana's time to step down," Gorun said as he stepped into the room so he could lay the girl on one of the cots. Turning swiftly to bow to the pink-haired woman, he added, "I do apologize for the extra patient, ma'am. I know you just finished taking care of-"

"Shut up and get away from the girl," the elderly woman snapped, rising from her stool. "The apologies of a human mean nothing, and I'm already planning to stay through the tournament- Makarov called in a favor."

Gorun bit back a retort, instead choosing to offer another small bow and say, "My apologies may be inconsequential, but I offer my thanks, regardless. Kinana is precious to me, so I am glad to leave her in your capable hands."

"Flattery won't help her heal any faster," the healer muttered as she looked the girl up and down.

"Come on, let's go watch the next match," Natsu said eagerly. "We saw the end of Kinana's fight, she was awesome! I'm all fired up again!" Gorun nodded once and leaned over his girlfriend's head to plant a kiss on her cheek before leaving her side with a light grin.

"Simmer it down, because I'm pretty sure our team is done for the day," Erza reprimanded the recovered fire mage.

"Wait, how did you guys see the match if you were in here?" Gorun inquired as they left the infirmary. "There's no lachryma-vision in the room."

"Well, actually…" Wendy began hesitantly.

"Raven Tail did what?!" Gorun bellowed, just barely managing to refrain from transforming on reflex shock and rage.

"They apparently hired four miscreants to kidnap Lucy, but they wound up targeting Wendy by accident," Carla scowled.

"These are blatant violations of the rules!" Gorun snarled. "The judges can't penalize us if we retaliate now, right?! I say we smash their faces into putty for all they've done!"

"Yeah!" Natsu agreed, flames igniting where his fist met his hand. "Time for them to pay!"

"Actually, I'm not so convinced that it was, in fact, Raven Tail," Carla objected.

"Are you kidding me?!" Gorun yelped. "You honestly think that Raven Tail wasn't behind this? It wouldn't be the first time that they go after Lucy- or Wendy. Or you!"

"Exactly, which would serve the purpose of concealing the movements of another force at work here," the white cat chided him. "We know that they have a wizard in their team that can instantly drain a person's magic power- the first example of this was when Wendy and I were attacked. Master Makarov also believes the same man to be responsible for causing Lucy to lose during her fight against Flare."

"…Okay, what's your point?" Gorun asked, trying to keep his anger in check.

"The method they used raises a red flag," Carla said obstinately. "If they have a wizard like that, why bother to hire some second-rate thugs for the job?"

"Maybe they thought it'd be too risky, having one of their people directly involved this time," Gray suggested.

"The judges do prefer to have us all close at hand since the matchups aren't announced very far in advance," Erza mused out loud. "Still, this seems like exactly what we can expect of them."

"One more dirty trick…" the saiyan hybrid seethed. "One hint of a dirty trick, and I'm blowing up Raven Tail's box."

"No arguments from this end," Gray agreed coldly. "I've been wanting a rematch with that cactus-faced freak since yesterday."

"In the meantime, why don't we go and watch the next match?" Lucy suggested. "It's Mirajane's turn, right?"

"Yes, she's up against Jenny from Blue Pegasus," Erza nodded.

Gorun stopped where he was while the others went ahead, paling slightly. Oh right… he thought. That's happening.

"Hey Gorun, you all right?" Gray asked as he noticed his friend lagging behind.

"Huh?" the boy asked. "Oh, yeah. I'm actually not feeling this match, so… Yeah, bye." With that, he turned around and started walking back the way they had come.

Everyone watched him leaving, confused. "What was that all about?" Natsu wondered out loud.

"No idea, he's been very supportive of both our teams so far," Lucy said with a frown. "Then again, Kinana is in the infirmary, so maybe he's gone back to check on her."

"I imagine Miss Porlyusica would send him away again so she can work, and he knows that," Carla added thoughtfully. "So why is he heading away from us- and the match?"

To their surprise, his voice floated from behind them as he shouted, "Not a fan of Sorcerer Weekly!"

"…What?" the group asked collectively.

"Oh," Lucy said dumbly as she watched the scene unfold. "Now I see why Gorun went for a hasty retreat." Instead of going the combat route like everyone else, apparently both Mirajane and Jenny had agreed to do a beauty contest to determine the winner. Since both were former Sorcerer Weekly models, it was a no-brainer that the judges were going to push the limits of what could be considered socially acceptable public attire.

"He's totally whipped," Natsu snickered.

"Now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever seen him look at any girl besides Kinana in 'that' way," Gray muttered. "Even when I went with them on one of their dates, he was pretty reserved in how he treated her."

"It's called having manners," Lucy snorted. "Believe it or not, most girls find that attractive."

"I have manners!" Gray protested.

"Yeah, bad ones," Lucy shot back.

"Natsu, back me up!" Gray demanded of his comrade.

"I would, but when you're just in your underwear, it makes it pretty hard to argue your case," the pinkette replied dryly.

"Dammit!"

Gorun appeared back in his team's box shortly after the match was over to congratulate Mirajane on her win against the other model. "Heard you decided to finish things up the proper way," he smirked as they started walking back up to their box seats.

"How?" Gajeel asked with a frown. "You weren't here to see, and you literally teleported up here as soon as it was over!"

"I can sense energy levels a lot better than you can, remember?" the boy grinned at his comrade. "Also, I have really good hearing. I could hear the judges' announcements in the infirmary."

"Wait, so how come you didn't come up for the wedding part?" Mirajane asked. "Both the boys and girls did it, and it seemed like most of us had fun with it."

"Why would I come up for that when Kinana was- you know what, never mind," Gorun said quickly, his face doing an excellent impression of a ripe tomato.

"Do I hear wedding bells…?" Mirajane teased him.

"Shaddup!"

"I'm certain that the bells you're hearing are for my darling Gray, who was so quick to sweep me off my feet as soon as he saw my wedding dress!" Juvia said dreamily.

Gorun saw an opportunity to burst her bubble and couldn't resist it. "Wait, you do know you're gonna have to get another dress now, right?" he told her, feigning concern.

"Why on earth would I do that?" the rain woman asked, looking askance at him. "I already had it custom-made for our union, why would I change it?"

"Wait, you just had that getup on you?!" Gajeel asked, eyes wide. "Where?!"

The others ignored him, although truth be known, Gorun was just as curious as he was about that- it just wasn't important at the moment. "I mean, isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the bride's wedding dress before the wedding? You don't want bad luck, do you?"

"Oh no!" Juvia exclaimed, paling rapidly, as if that were possible. "Now my perfect dress is ruined! What'll I do?!"

"Don't worry, I have a solution," Gorun grinned quickly as they reached their seats. "It's pretty simple, actually."

"Tell me what I can do to fix this disaster, please!" Juvia practically begged him, shaking him by the collar. "I need to know how to make this right!"

"Anyone else get the feeling that the rain chick's walking into a trap?" Laxus muttered to the others.

"You ain't the only one," Gajeel nodded. "Kid looks funky, but he's sharper than most of the chumps in our guild."

Gorun did not fail to deliver. "The solution is quite simple, see…" he began. "Get married to a guy that gives a damn about you! For crying out loud, there's even an ice-make wizard that would have you if you'd drop the whole 'Gray' thing for two minutes!"

"Never!" Juvia said hotly. "You're just jealous of our love!"

"Jealous?!" Gorun sputtered, half-laughing, half-shouting. "What do I have to be jealous of?! In case you hadn't noticed, I have a relationship going on that goes both ways, which is more than I can say for you!"

"He really isn't going to drop this, is he?" Mira wondered aloud.

"Doubtful," Jellal said in a quiet voice as they watched the argument escalate again. "He's quite tenacious."

"So is Juvia," Gajeel sighed heavily.

"Just because he is shy about displaying his affections does not mean-"

"Gray has no affections for you! Zero!"

"Spoken like a man whose been scorned!"

"Where do you even get that?!" the saiyan boy all but shouted.

"I have my ways," Juvia sniffed enigmatically.

"For the love of Shenron!" Gorun seethed. "You may be made of water, but you're thicker than Natsu! Any 'affection' that Gray has shown you is no more or less than he's shown anyone else in the guild! He doesn't care about you more than any other member of Fairy Tail!"

Juvia blinked rapidly a few times, then said, "But I'm not interested in polygamy!"

Gorun's left eye twitched once. "That's it, I can't take anymore of this!" he screamed, his energy instantly going to its maximum level in his base form. "Double-!"

"Enough, Gorun!" Jellal said sharply. When the others turned to look at him in surprise, he shifted uncomfortably before saying, "Your zeal to protect your friends is admirable, but you cannot fight all of their battles for them. Clearly this is something that needs to be done between Gray and Juvia, not you. Now please restrain yourself, or else I might have to cast Mystogan's sleep spell on you."

"Just trying to help…" Gorun muttered as he slumped in his seat.

"By zapping her with a miniature etherion blast?" Gajeel asked as he sat beside his teammate.

"…Fair point, that would have been harsh," Gorun sighed.

Off to the side, Mira said aside to Laxus, "My goodness, I didn't know Gorun could get so worked up. Not to mention that takeover transformation of his seems to really bring out an aggressive side."

"It's not all that unlike your takeover soul," Laxus shrugged. "Your entire personality changes when you transform now, though you used to just act like a little devil all the time."

"Is the kettle calling the pot black?" Mira grinned mischievously. "I never got kicked out of the guild for bad behavior."

"Urk!" Laxus flinched. "Okay, I get it," he muttered a trifle sourly. "I was just making conversation, sheesh. No need to get all personal."

"You brought it up first," the white-haired wizard replied, still smiling cheerily.

"I was just drawing parallels!" the lightning mage protested.

The match between Kagura of Mermaid Heel and Yukino of Sabertooth started soon after. Gorun quickly noted that Kagura's power level was close to Erza's, while Yukino seemed to be a Celestial Wizard whose own abilities outclassed Lucy, even if just by a shade.

"So who's got the advantage?" Gajeel asked Gorun as he leaned forward in his seat with his chin resting in his fists.

"Definitely the Mermaid Heel wizard," Gorun answered, surprising the others. They had all expected him to say that the Sabertooth girl was going to win the competition as easily as her other comrade the day before. Seeing the looks on their faces, he explained, "It's not just the difference in power levels- which is no small gap- but more in the way that they're carrying themselves. Look at them both, tell me what you see."

The others did so, except for Juvia, who was drooling over Gray as he sat in his own team's stands, shirtless. Interestingly enough to Gorun, it was Gajeel who spoke up first, without hesitation or doubt. "The chick with the sword is way more prepared than her opponent," he said. "She's completely on edge, ready for anything this other kid can throw at her. Snow White there is too relaxed for how strong her opponent is- she's overconfident."

"Yup," Gorun nodded in agreement. "Both are skilled, no doubt about that. However, Kagura is simply in another league altogether. I don't see this match lasting more than five minutes or so."

Gorun was right- the match lasted roughly four and a half minutes, but there were certain things that even he did not see coming. First off, the competitors bet their lives against each other in the battle, drawing many disapproving reactions from the audience. However, since the rules clearly stated that the wizards participating were responsible for their own lives during any and all the activities, the judges were powerless to stop the fight.

Kagura turned out to use gravity magic to aid her fighting style that utilized a sheathed sword- Gorun had thought that perhaps she would be a requip wizard like Erza. Yukino was a Celestial Wizard like Lucy- and in possession of the remaining golden zodiac keys to boot. Not only that, but she also maintained control of a thirteenth zodiac called 'Ophiuchus', and its power rivaled that of Leo's from what Gorun could glean.

Still, despite her impressive entourage of spirits, Yukino fell to Kagura's sheathed blade. In a show of mercy- or perhaps in a way to humiliate her opponent for being so arrogant, the sword maiden let the white-haired wizard live, and walked off the field, leaving her in the dirt, shaking and crying- broken.

Final Score of the Grand Magic Games Day 2

Raven Tail: 36 pts.

Sabertooth: 20 pts.

Mermaid Heel: 19 pts.

Blue Pegasus: 17 pts.

Fairy Tail Team B: 17 pts.

Lamia Scale: 15 pts.

Quatro Kerberos: 12 pts.

Fairy Tail Team A: 12 pts.

"Now here's a night I can celebrate!" Gorun laughed as he slammed a mug of cider- alcohol-free of course- against Natsu and Gray's own drinks. Turning to the others in the bar, he shouted, "Whose proud to be Fairy Tail, now and always?!"

"We are!" the others cheered back, raising their own glasses and drinking deeply.

"Haha!" Natsu laughed as the three of them grinned at one another, remembering the day's events. "Man, I thought those chariots were gonna be the end of me!"

"You pulled through though, and made us all proud," Gorun said as he clapped his friend on the shoulder. "You inspired me, too. The Fairy Tail that you talked about- I wanna see it. Not just for me, but for everyone else that waited for you guys the whole time."

"Thanks to your girlfriend, we just might see that happen," Gray smirked. "She kicked butt out there today. Taking down someone that can match Erza- Natsu and I'd better watch out around her!"

"Hah, with my second origin, I could take on Erza in my sleep!" Natsu boasted.

"Hello gentlemen, having a good evening?" a familiar voice asked.

"Gah!" Natsu yelped as the redhead requip wizard approached their table. "I didn't say it, Gray made me!"

"I didn't do nothing!" Gray snapped, throwing off his shirt. Before either of the S-class wizards could say anything to either of them, they were on the floor, trading fists and smacking one another's heads into the floorboards at every opportunity.

The saiyan and the girl looked at each other before shrugging simultaneously. "I suppose we can let it slide for now," Erza said as she took Natsu's seat.

"So long as we don't end up with frostbite or set the bar on fire," Gorun agreed. He paused, seemingly frozen in thought. "Okay, never mind. This is Natsu and Gray we're talking about." Reaching over, he grabbed Natsu by the scruff of the neck, vanishing the second after along with both of the rambunctious wizards. Then he reappeared, dusting off his hands as he asked, "How are you doing, Erza?"

"Quite well, thanks," she smiled, though the expression was a little strained. "I met up with Mystogan about an hour ago to see how he was doing. As luck would have it, I ran into another old friend of mine shortly afterward."

"Oh yeah?"

"Name's Millianna, and she's actually with Mermaid Heel in the games," Erza nodded. "She's doing very well, which makes me glad."

"Then why the long face?" Gorun inquired. "Worried you'll have to compete against her in the games?"

"No, that's not it," Erza said with a shake of her head in the negative, followed by another wry smile. "Don't worry about it. There's nothing you can do."

"If you say so," Gorun replied with a lowered brow as he finished his drink.

Seeking to change the subject, Erza asked, "How is Kinana? I haven't seen her since this afternoon."

"She's resting with Wendy and Carla looking after her in the Honey Bone Inn," he replied as he glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the hotel. "Miss Porlyusica said that she just needs proper rest and some medicinal teas that she gave to Wendy. She should be up and about by tomorrow."

"I'm glad to hear it," Erza said with a warm smile, this time genuine.

"On an unrelated note, have you seen Cana anywhere?" Gorun asked with a tinge of concern as he shifted uncomfortably on his seat. "I uh… didn't see her in the stands today."

"No, and I'm a bit concerned about it as well," Erza frowned. "She seems to be taking her loss to you pretty hard."

"Well, maybe I did go a little overboard," the saiyan boy admitted.

"It's a Fairy Tail specialty," Erza said with a light chuckle. "I'll go to her room, see if she's there. I'll let you know with Warren's telepathy if anything comes up."

"Thanks," Gorun said appreciatively. "I just want to make sure she's gonna be okay."

"You could come with me," Erza offered, but he immediately shook his head in the negative.

"No," he said, "I'll see her when I'm sure that the first thing she won't do is zap me with a magic card."

"Fair enough," Erza laughed as she stood to leave. "Good night, Gorun."

"Wait, Erza!" Gorun said before she could get away. When the woman turned back to face him, he added, "I, uh… I know I was pretty harsh with her. Could you tell her that I'm sorry I embarrassed her?"

"You're really worried that Gildarts is going to find out about all this, aren't you?" she teased him with a grin.

"Terrified," Gorun admitted. Then he slumped his shoulders and added, "And… I realize that I have a habit of projecting myself onto other people sometimes. Just because I'm stronger doesn't mean I'm right, you know? I love this guild, and I want to get along with the people in it, Cana included."

A soft smile touched Erza's lips as she nodded approvingly at him. "I'll pass on your message," she said as she turned away. "Whether or not she'll accept your apology may be a different matter."

"Thanks anyway," the saiyan boy said ruefully as she walked away.

He was on his way to say goodnight to Kinana when he bumped into a white-haired girl that looked vaguely familiar. "Sorry, miss," he said with an apologetic grin, before stopping in place as they made eye contact. There was a moment of non-recognition since both of them were in casual clothing, but Gorun quickly realized who she was. "Wait a sec, you're the girl from Sabertooth, yeah?" he asked. "Yukine, right?"

"Yukino," she corrected him, nodding once. Her voice was very soft, even softer than Kinana's. If he didn't have Saiyan ears, Gorun imagined that he would have to struggle to hear her speak. "You're with Fairy Tail, yes?"

"That's right," he grinned. "I could start an argument about which guild is better, but I don't think that's why you're here. Not unless you have those dragon slayers with you somewhere?" He'd heard about the obnoxious wizards from Sabertooth from Happy and Natsu both. He quickly scanned the area for high power levels, but only Yukino stood out to him.

Her next words confirmed it. "No, I'm here on my own," she told him. Gesturing to suitcase she was holding by the handle, she added, "I was going to find a place for the night, but first I needed to see your Celestial Wizard."

"Lucy?" Gorun asked, cocking his head. "Why d'ya wanna see her?"

"It's a matter for Celestial Wizardry," Yukino answered politely. "Please, could you take me to her? I'm having trouble finding her whereabouts."

"Sure thing," he nodded as he spoke. "I doubt you'll try anything funny, and I was heading there anyway to say goodnight to my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend…" Yukino repeated. "The girl that defeated Bacchus?"

"That's right," Gorun said proudly. "Don't get too close to me, or she might Kikoho you, too."

"Oh no, I wasn't-!"

"Kidding," Gorun laughed, gesturing for her to follow him. "C'mon, we're not too far from them." As an afterthought, he asked, "By the way, why do you need a place to stay tonight? Won't you be staying with your guild?"

"No, I'm… heading out of town tomorrow, as I said before," she replied as she trudged along behind him. There was just the slightest quaver in her voice, one small break in her normal speech pattern, but Gorun noticed. He didn't comment on it, though. I'll probably just stick my foot in my mouth again if I ask what's going on, he decided as he led the way back to the inn.

Gorun: You really hate Bacchus, don't you?

Mataras: With an undying passion. I honestly think he got off way too lightly with how he treated Cana and the Strauss sisters in the original canon. So, here I decided to have him utterly crushed.

Victoria: Don't you think you kind of nerfed him a little bit?

Mataras: Honestly, no. He may be S-class, but he lost to Elfman, and later on, Ichiya, neither of which are very high up on the strength scale in comparison to some of the other characters in the story. Not that they aren't strong, but let's not forget that Quatro Kerberos placed last in the Games, which speaks pretty lowly of their abilities as a guild.

Victoria: Sorry, but didn't he hold his own against Erza multiple times?

Mataras: In the past, sure. But now? She'd honestly squash him.

Gorun: So how strong is Kinana, exactly?

Mataras: I'd put her power level on par with Tienshinhan's when he went up against Semi-Perfect Cell. While she is by no means the strongest person on the team, you shouldn't mess with her, either.

Gorun: No kidding.

Victoria: So how's the meeting with Yukino gonna pan out? Same as in the original story?

Mataras: Why do you keep trying to get me to spill stuff in advance? You know I'm not gonna talk.

Victoria: Meh, worth a shot anyway.

Mataras: No, it's really not.

Gorun: Break it up, you guys!

Victoria: Fine... Next month- Primal Fury!

Next time on Saiyan Tail...

"Master, I'll handle them," Sting volunteered, about to step forward, but he was stopped by Jiema's massive hand and forearm.

"You'll stay put," Jiema growled. These two fairies were annoying, he thought. However, he could admit that their resolve was… intriguing. Perhaps he could learn something from these strange wizards that had defeated so many of his foot soldiers and one of his elites without so much as a single scratch being put on them.

"Hraaaah!" Natsu screamed out his fury and launched a full-scaled magical assault on Jiema, at first without much success. Every single one of his blows seemed to be met by some kind of force field that made the air shimmer like the ripples a stone causes when thrown into a still pond. Jiema simply kept one fist in front of his body, content to let Natsu wear himself out.

"You have spirit, boy," he mused aloud, as if talking about nothing more interesting than the passing weather. "Unlike those in my guild… It's interesting." He let Natsu get in another couple of punches before moving to make a counterstrike. "However, spirit is not enough!" He moved to crush the little pink-haired wizard so that he could get back to his night of leisure.

That changed when one of his blows got inside of Jiema's defenses and caused the man to double over as Natsu's flaming fist slammed into his gut. Then it was a slugfest as Natsu rained blow after blow on Jiema, all of them connecting with his body with such intensity that lesser men would have been killed fifty times over.

"Ready, Gorun?!" Natsu snarled.

"Waiting on you!" the golden-haired wizard shouted, having been almost forgotten by the Sabertooth guild master.

"Hmm?" He muttered as he looked over at the other intruder, before his eyes widened slightly.

"Magic Fusion!" they cried in unison.