One: You must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live.

Two: You must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain.

Three: Though our paths may have diverged, you must continue to live out your life with all your might, you must never consider your own life to be something insignificant, and you must never forget about your friends who loved you

Freed awoke to the sound of Chelia running through their small accommodations. Her light voice humming a cheery toon.

"Chelia, what in the world are you doing?" Freed scolded lightly. His head rising from his pillow. Green strands standing in all different directions.

A soft chuckle was heard from behind him, and a strong hand cradled through his messy hair.

"She's excited for today. Do you really blame her?" Lyon leaned down so that he could speak gently in to Freed's ear. He knew how much sudden loud noises startled Freed, so him and others always made sure to reframe from loud activity when around the still half asleep Rune Mage.

For a moment Freed thought that it was like any other morning for them. Jura and Yuka must have been sneaking about the lobby to try and bring up breakfast while him and the others prepared for the day. Freed gave himself the chance to lean against Lyon. His body shifting on the mattress so that he could rest against Lyon's standing figure.

Chelia gave them a side glace and giggled at the display. "It's the second day of the Grand Magic Games! Who knows what is going to be in store for us!" The little girl exclaimed. She gathered her things and rushed to the bathroom to freshen up for the day.

It took a few seconds for Freed's brain to process what Chelia had just said, but when he did memories of the day before came rushing to the forefronts of his mind.

He pushed off Lyon roughly, his lungs trying desperately to get enough oxygen.

They were back, all of Fairy Tail. Freed was there, he saw them, he talked to them.

There was a dip in the mattress behind him and then cool hands made their way around his waist. A pair of cold lips pressed against his shoulder trying their best to sooth him.

"Lyon, stop it…" Freed said breathless. His eyes burning with a force of a thousand suns. The guilt that he was feeling was almost too much to bear. "I can't do this right now." He spoke again. His words cracking a small amount. If anyone else would have been around they wouldn't have caught that moment of weakness, but Lyon did.

He felt the way that Freed's body began to cave in on itself. The way that his shoulders tensed almost painfully. Something in his magical energy began to shift. It became smaller, sadder, far more dangerous. Not dangerous to the people around him, but to the caster of said magic. Lyon wished he could take back what had happed the day before. He wished that he didn't react the way he did and push Freed away.

"Freed, I'm here for you." Lyon whispered against Freed's shoulder. With that he pulled away from the Rune Mage and respected his wishes.

Before Freed could say anything, there was a loud bang on the door. Making both men break apart. Lyon jumped up to his feet and rushed to cover Freed so that the man could put himself back together.

Jura came in with a triumphant smile on his face and arms carrying a plate filled with food.

Lyon was in the way so Jura couldn't see Freed quickly wipe at his damp eyes.

They ate breakfast like nothing had just happened.

And hour later they were back in the arena in the middle of the Royal City listening as the announcer began to speak to the cheering crowds and awaiting competitors.

"And now, what you've all been waiting for, the second day of the Grand Magic Games has begun!" The crowd went wild hearing as they were going to have a second day of amazing magic and nail biting fights. "Our guest on the second day is renowned reporter for the Weekly Sorcerer, Jason-san!"

Lamia Scale had to make sure that they kept their eyes in their heads when they heard the overly flamboyant man scream out cool.

"Does he not know any other words?" Freed asked.

That had earned a giggled from Chelia and Jura almost choking on his drink.

When the announcer began to speak of the tournament that was going to be played that day all the guilds went quiet to see what they were going to be given as a challenge. Yuka had already volunteered so his team only hoped for his victory.

"Okay, the competition part has already begun! And it is named… Chariot! The competition takes place on top of a line of vehicles, with the idea being to reach the goal without falling off! As the vehicles are always moving, just one moment of carelessness could lead to a misstep! The vehicles will whine their way around the sightseeing spots of Crocus, but which team will arrive here at Domus Flau? Everyone in the stadium, you can watch the race here on Lacrima Vision!"

Freed looked up at the sky to see all the mages participating.

His eyes fell on poor Natsu who was falling behind the rest of the group. His face clearly showing his discomfort.

"Now why would he decided to compete in a competition like this?" Freed asked out loud, the fondness in his words clear as day.

Jura chuckled slightly as he too watched the Fire mage struggle to keep his breakfast where it belongs. "Natsu is a very head strong young man. I'm sure he was tired of not being able to par take in the Game's activities."

"He hasn't changed in the slightest…" Freed wondered. His eyes moved from the Lacrima Vision to stare out into the arena. His eyes finding Fairy Tail in only seconds. He then realized that none of the returning Fairies had really changed. They all looked like they had seven years ago.

It made Freed feel like what he had gone through was almost a dream. As if he had walked into a different reality.

To keep himself from diving deeper into such deep thoughts he went to look back up at the game of Chariots that was unfolding before him.

Yuka was in third place so that was able to lighten Freed's mood a bit. His pride in Lamia Scale a sense of strength from his conflicting thoughts. That changed however when things went south for Yuka.

The girl from Mermaid Heel was able to counter his anti-magic wave. From there Ichia was also able to get through it. That only served to fuel Bacchus who then destroyed the vehicles.

Lyon threw his hands up in exasperation. "You have to joking me! That's can't be right!" He said.

Freed bit back the stream of curses that were sure to have fallen from his lips if he hadn't been in front of Chelia. "Sadly, there is nothing in the rule book that states that a mage cannot use his or her magic in a competition if not clearly stated that they can't." Freed said with clear annoyance directed at the Lacrima Vision."

Chelia watched as Bacchas won first place. "He's really strong for a drunk…" She said idly. Her elbows resting on the ledge of the balcony. Her hand propping up her chin.

"We must make sure that we keep an eye on him for the rest of the games." Jura ordered.

His team hummed their agreement and watched as Yuka came in forth.

Lyon moved back to sit down. "Why is four our number this year?" The ice mage pouted.

Freed threw a glance at Lyon and smiled at the man's childlike behavior. "I am sure that our time will come."

At this point in the game the only competitors that were left were Gajeel, Natsu, and Sting. As expected by all their close friends their motion sickness was making it very hard for the three men to move forward without having the threat of vomit and unconsciousness looming over them.

Freed moved forwards to get a better view of his two former comrades. Their resilience something to marvel at. "They are not going to give up, regardless of what it put before them." Freed said fondly. There was a weight that was forming over his shoulders, one that he hadn't felt in a very long time. It was frightening to say the least.

The Rune Mage remembered clearly the moment that that feeling had consumed him almost entirely.

He tried to distract himself by keeping his eyes trained on Natsu and Gajeel.

Their power and determination making old memories resurface.

He watched as Sting forfeit the game to the other two dragon slayers.

Gajeel smirked back at him and said, "Don't be crying about that one point later, kid." From there both Fairies pushed even further. The look of confusion was clear on Stings face.

"Would you answer me on thing? Why did you decided to participate in this tournament? I wouldn't believe you were the same Fairy Tail from back in the day. Are you worried about the strength of your guild? About your public image? The Fairy Tail that I know were more like… they did everything at their own pace. They didn't give a damn about what people thought of them." He asked.

Freed couldn't breathe for a long moment. The weight of those words hitting him far more then he could ever expect. The pressure over his shoulders grew with every passing moment but he couldn't move away. He couldn't tear his eyes from his team fighting against all odds.

Fairy Tail, I am truly sorry! Freed's mind screamed.

Natsu growled back to Sting with power in every word, "For…their friends, seven years. All that time, they were waitin' for us. No matter how painful it was. No matter how sad. Even if people made fun of 'em. they held on. They held on and protected the guild. This is for their friends that got lost along the way that we're fighting to get back. Now we're gonna show everyone the proof that Fairy Tail's been walking on all this time! So keep on goin'!"

Freed felt his heart lurch in his chest. The tears that were spilling forth from his eyes a mixture of so many emotions. All he could do was utter that mage's name. "Natsu…"

The feelings in his chest were too strong from him to hold back. His tears kept coming spilling over his long lashes.

When finally Natsu crossed the finish line, Freed smiled so wide that his cheeks began to hurt.

As the game began to rap itself up Freed let his shoulders fall along with his head. The weight over his shoulders turned into something different, something like a soothing blanket that smothered him in the best way. The bright and positive emotions that he was feeling at that very moment gave him hope that he had lost so long ago.

"…for their friends that got lost along the way that we're fighting to get back."

Five and a half years ago

Feed knew that it was a nightmare, there was a small voice in the back of his mind that griped his sanity with all the strength that it could muster. That wasn't enough though, he was still standing in a dark place where the light never shined. His eyes blinded to the pain and suffering that the voices around him were enduring.

Screams of agony, pain, and suffering were ringing through the black void that he found himself in. All yelling out to him for something or another.

"Freed, please!" Evergreen cried.

"The dragon's here! You have to do something Freed!" Bixslow begged.

"Freed you promised that you would always be by our side!" Laxus screamed.

Then when everything became too much, when everything was crashing all around Freed and all he could focus on was his family begging for his help and the unbearable pain of not being able to give that help. There was a crescendo of voices finally coming to their grand finally.

"WHY DID YOU LEAVE US!"

Freed's body jerked violently, his covers being pushed off his body. His eyes burned with tears and his throat raw from screaming in his sleep. Every time that he awoke from a nightmare he gave one last shout for the dead that still haunted him.

"No!" He would beg.

From there he would not speak for the rest of the night, his throat tight and his eyes burning from tears that he would not let himself to shed. His body was aching by the time he was able to regain his breathing to something normal.

When his feet touched the cold wooden floors, he would shiver. The weight of his nightly nightmare something that he had grown familiar with.

Slowly he would push himself up so that he would be able to stretch out his sore limbs. His eyes would trace over his still unfamiliar room given to him by Lamia Scale. Something about it was strange and almost frightening. The pain in his heart that had made itself a home within his very soul just growing in intensity.

Rag and a deep self-hatred would soon fuel his next acts.

With trembling hands, he would begin to write ruins all over his body. Ruins that would cause such great pain that he would always have to bite his tongue in hopes of keeping his screams at bay. His self-harm would help as his punishment for what he had done to his guild. For all the sins that he had committed for not being strong enough to stand by his guild and keep them from suffering after what happened to Fairy Tail's strongest. Those long moments of pain for Freed helped him clear his mind of the crippling depression that he faced during the day. It help keep his dark thoughts at bay for only a few hours until they began to crawl their way back up his spine and wrap their claws around his soul; whispering all the things that he knew that he was.

Coward, weak, spineless, useless, better off gone.

Those words that he would hear in his head during the day were the same words that he would whimper to himself when on the cold hard ground covered in violently bright runes of pain. On more than one occasion the rune of death had almost fallen from his lips.

The last night that he had ever casted his pain runes was on the very anniversary of his family's death.

There he was, on the floor with tears, snot, and spit covering his face contorted in ugly expressions of pain, disgust, fear, and something else that was far deeper in his soul. Like he was losing something in him that night that had the chance of never coming back to him.

The one who had found him and put an end to Freed's self-torture was Jura. He had woken up late into the night feeling something dark fall over the entire guild dorms. The strong energy tugging him out of the comfort of his warm bed and leading him down the hall to Freed's room.

The dark energy was strongest there, making Jura panic and not give a damn about dorm rules and what they said about knocking first. He waved his hand over the door casting an enchantment given to him by the old hag to open any door that bore the Lamia Scale sign.

The moment that the click of the lock was heard he rushed in as quickly as he could. Looking around franticly, the moonlight filtering through the curtains on the far wall did nothing to help. That was until he caught the sound of something soft, like the sound of a dying animal.

"Freed?" Jura asked with worry laced through his every word. He walked further into the room searching as he went, until he reached the foot of Freed's bed that had been obscured from view by the couch placed right in front of it.

A dull purple glow came from that general direction. The same glow that Jura had come to associate with Freed's magic. Panic began to rise in Jura's chest at the thought of what that meant. He was so confused and lost for what to do that his steps became slower. His breathing catching in his throat when he finally was able to see what had cause that night's uneasiness.

There on the floor was Freed. His body covered in glowing runes that seemed to burn themselves into his skin. His body trembled violently and his cried were muffled by his bottom lip being caught between his teeth; a bead of blood leaving a trail on his chin as his eyes wept.

"By the skies! Freed undo these this instance!" Jura demanded. He threw himself on the hard-wooden floor ignoring the protest that his old knees gave him. His strong arms came to wrap around the smaller man and tug him to his chest. "Freed, whatever is the matter you can speak to me. Just please end this hurt, you do not deserve this."

Freed gasped out in pain, his hands flying out and gripping on to Jura's arm painfully. His body began to shake even more as the runes began to slowly fade away. One by one they left Freed's body. The only evidence they left behind was a burn like mark that within hours Freed knew would fade.

"I left them…" Freed whimpered into Jura's chest. His lean frame shaking with so many emotions that it was impossible for him to think straight. The memory of his many nightmares still bounding around in his fragile mind. For a short moment, the pain that was left behind by his magic was able to clear his thoughts.

Jura pressed him closer to his chest and said softly, "You do not deserve this punishment for leaving them. They would have understood why and would have supported you in the end. Freed, please stop this and let Lamia Scale help you. We are your family now and we will never let you bare this pain on your own. Let yourself break and when you are done I will be there to put the pieces back together. You just need to trust me."

Freed took comfort in Jura's voice, his eyes burning with the force of the tears that he finally let spill free.

His body shook as he began to let himself fall apart. "They're gone, my family they are all dead!" He sobbed "Evergreen, Bickslow, and Laxus. They were my team, my friends and I did nothing to prevent their deaths. I promised them as their Captain that I would have died for them. Now I am forced to live a life without them." Freed wept for the first time in over a year and a half. The weight of the situation finally settled over his soul like a smothering blanket.

"I'm all alone…" Freed said lastly before the fight in his body began to give out.

Jura can see as a spark of life began to flicker out in Freed's eyes. Something desperate took over him and he held Freed that much tighter.

"You are not alone; Lamia Scale will be your family until the very end."

"What an amazing turn of events!" The announcer of the games proclaimed. "Now it is time for the first battle of the day!"

Freed pulled himself slowly from his dark past. For a moment to just collect himself as not to fall into a depression; he thought of how far he had come when it came to Lamia Scale and his magical ability. He was proud of what he had accomplished and slowly he could feel something change within him. Something familiar that hadn't been there in a while.

When he was able to regain his footing in reality he began to head the words of the announcer.

"Our first competitor today is known for his tragic past, his dark magic, and for the fear that he strikes in the hearts of many. From Lamia Scale, Freed Justine!"

Chelia cheered happily to his right. Her eyes shining with clear pride. "Whoever you are going to face will not have a chance against you! You're S-Class!"

Before anyone else could voice their thoughts to a stunned Freed the announcer spoke again.

"From the guild that had everyone scratching their heads. We have the mysterious, the dangerous, Blacksnake from Raven Tale!"

Freed stiffened at the name, his eyes shooting out to glance across the arena to catch Blacksnake's eye.

In that moment, as both competitors sized the other up, they both knew that this was going to end with blood.

Ep 162
Min 14:46