Here's the latest chapter! I might be slowing down over the next few months due to finishing college and job searching. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

The entire Fairy Tail guild was invited to the capital of Fiore, Crocus, as participants in the Grand Magic Games. Zale arrived with Callista, Flynn and Amber and the latter three were looking around in awe.

"Mommy, is this where the King and Princess live?" Amber asked.

"It is, sweetie." Callista knelt down to her daughter. "And we get to stay here all week."

"It was nice of your Guild Master to let us come with you, Zale." Flynn said.

Flynn looked over to Zale, who was still quiet and somber for not being able to participate in the games.

"Stop being so pouty!" Callista said. "So you didn't get picked, big frickin' deal! There are plenty of wizards in your guild who're probably thinking the same and you don't see them moody!"

"… You don't understand…" Zale muttered inaudibly.

Zale walked off further into the capitol alone.

"Jeesh, what a brat." Callista said.

"Either way, we should head to the Honey Bone Lodge." Flynn said. "I'm sure Zale will come back there eventually."

A little while later, Zale was sitting on a bench in the park and looking down at the ground as children were playing.

"Zale, my love."

Zale looked up to see Juvia standing in front of him, though her hair was now let down, long and flowing, the top covered in a cute snowcap with a butterfly pin, and she was wearing a long white skirt with a black shirt that showed off her cleavage.

"Hi, Juvia." Zale smiled.

"Zale, Callista and Flynn said you were feeling down because you weren't picked to participate in the games." Juvia said.

"So they sent you to talk to me." Zale surmised.

Juvia was a bit reluctant to answer, but she nodded anyway.

Zale sighed. "Don't be scared, Juvia, I'm not mad at you."

Juvia took a seat next to Zale. "If you're worried about proving yourself to Juvia-"

"It's not you I want to prove myself to, Juvia. I already know you'd never leave me for not being strong enough."

"Then why are you-"

"It's everyone. I've never been considered that strong in our guild, even compared to our weaker members. But after I met you, I feel like I've become significantly stronger. Hell, I beat Gray during the S-Class trials. The Grand Magic Games was my perfect opportunity to show people that I'm no longer that scared boy who could barely put up a fight all those years ago… but now I can't."

"If you want to be in the games that badly, Juvia can ask Master Makarov if you can trade places with her."

"It wouldn't be fair to you, though."

"That doesn't matter to Juvia. What does matter is your happiness, my love."

Zale sighed. "You're willing to give up anything to make me happy, aren't you? You really spoil me. Then again, I'd do the same for you. Let's go talk to the Master."

"Oh, Zale!" Juvia pulled Zale into a firm bear hug.

"So it's YOU!" Another person's voice shouted.

Zale and Juvia looked over to see Gray's childhood friend-slash-rival and a member of Lamia Scale, Lyon.

"Not him again…" Zale groaned to himself.

Zale remembered Lyon all too well. Back when Fairy Tail was celebrating the return of the Tenrou Island team, various members of Lamia Scale had dropped by to see their old friends. At one point when Zale was briefly staring at the lone female member who showed up, Sherry Blendy, mostly due to her revealing outfit, he overheard Lyon trying to hit on Juvia and assuming that she was Gray's girlfriend. All three of them tried to tell Lyon that she was unavailable, but it was as if he didn't even hear them at the time.

"So you finally got the hint, Lyon." Zale said.

"When I ran into Gray earlier, he told me that Juvia was already with another man." Lyon said. "How could you, Juvia?!"

"You didn't even know she existed until a few day-I mean, months ago." Zale stated. "We've been dating for six and a half years… even though it feels like a month."

"Then a wager it shall be!" Lyon proclaimed as he pointed his finger at Zale.

"I never said anything about a-"

"If Lamia Scale defeats Fairy Tail in the games, Juvia shall become a member of our guild!" Lyon continued. "And if you win, you'll get her."

"You know, it's not an enticing offer when the reward is something we already have." Zale pointed out.

"Doesn't Juvia get a say in this?" Juvia asked.

"Of course." Zale answered. "Unlike Lyon, I wouldn't treat you like a trophy."

"That was hurtful…" Lyon muttered.

"Yes, Zale, that was kind of hurtful…" Juvia said.

Even though Zale felt like he was correct, he just sighed and turned to Lyon.

"I'm sorry for hurting your feelings." Zale apologized generically. "But seriously, I don't like it that you're making her a prize." He walked up to Lyon with a twinge of anger in his brow. "I know that men can't help but stare at feminine beauty, but if they only see women as objects to be won instead of human beings, it really pisses me off. In this case, more so since Juvia's my girlfriend. Crush on her all you want for all I care, but make her into a prize again and I'll smack you with this book." Zale pulled out a very thick book.

Both Lyon and Juvia stared blankly at Zale.

"… Are you serious?" Lyon questioned.

Zale and Juvia entered the Honey Bone Lodge and were suddenly met with a short young woman with short white hair except for the stubby pigtails, pink eyes and wearing what looked like a toga that covered everything aside from her arms and legs; she was even barefoot. Her face made her look like she had a perpetual feeling of indifference.

"You are Zale Aeon." She said in a voice that was devoid of any emotion.

"…Yes, can I help you?" Zale asked.

"You are a God Slayer, just like me." She said. "Come with me."

*She must be plotting to take Zale's innocence!* Juvia thought with a distraught expression.

While she walked away, Zale grabbed her shoulder to stop her.

"Wait, wait…" Zale turned the girl around to face him. "You just come in here, walk up to me, tell me you're a God Slayer and ask me to follow you, all without any introductions, like it's a normal occurrence… Perhaps you could explain? At maybe another time? Because I need to talk to our Guild Master about something urgent."

"I assure you that this is far more important." She said plainly. "Besides, I already informed your Master on my coming here."

"Can you wait a few minutes, at least?" Zale asked. "The games start tomorrow and I need to talk to the Master about me being on it."

"Zale, you should follow her." Makarov's voice spoke when he appeared behind Zale and Juvia.

"Master, you can't really believe this takes priority over the games, do you?" Zale asked.

"Juvia is willing to switch places with Zale in the games and this task." Juvia pleaded.

"I'm afraid she has requested for Zale specifically, and is even willing to pay you for your time." Makarov said.

"I don't care about money right now, Master." Zale got down on his knees and bowed to Makarov. "I just want to prove everyone, not just our guildmates, how much farther I've come since our war with Phantom Lord."

Makarov looked at Zale with a hint of sorrow. "I know, Zale… I know… But what this girl has told me is of far more import to you than these games."

"I-I don't understand how-" Zale was about to say.

"It's not something that can just be said around normal people." Makarov interrupted. "The only reason she told me was because I am your Guild Master and you'd sooner take my word to go with her than her own."

Zale seemed somewhat disappointed.

"Don't look so glum, Zale." Makarov placed his hand on Zale's shoulder. "I promise I'll make it up to you once we've won this thing. If you go with her, you will have a greater understanding of your powers than you've had before."

"What?" Zale asked.

"She will help you become stronger."

Zale looked up at Makarov's face to see a reassuring smile made obvious by the way his moustache curled. Though he was reluctant, Zale eventually stood up and turned to the girl.

"So, before you take me to God knows where, would you mind telling me your name?" Zale asked.

"My name is Bellona Wight (Age 16)." The girl answered with the expressionless look still on her face. "The Shadow God Slayer."

Bellona guided Zale out of the city of Crocus and to a cliff overlooking the royal capital.

"Okay, so what's so secretive that you had to bring me all the way out here to tell me?" Zale questioned.

"Zale… do you believe in gods?" Bellona inquired.

"Why do you ask?"

"Answer the question."

Zale groaned. "I don't think we should rely on gods, but I'm not going to deny their existence. The most obvious reason being I'M A GOD SLAYER… But I also think they exist because something had to create, well, everything."

"There are numerous tales of gods from days long before the founding of Ishgal. One such tale told of six deities personifying the elements of fire, earth, wind, water, light and darkness. They were all benevolent, their only desire to guide their followers on the proper path. Their control over nature was unparalleled. However, that power eventually led to them being feared. A divide was made between those who opposed the gods and those who supported them. The resulting war ravaged both sides without mercy until six remained. Bearing witness to the destruction caused by the divide, the gods came down in mortal forms to the survivors. To end the war once and for all, the gods killed themselves. It finally brought an end to the fighting. Once the survivors realized the errors of their ways, they were endowed with the powers of the gods. And the powers were passed down from generation to generation. That is one such story of how God Slayer Magic came to be."

"This story sounds awfully vague."

"Stories can be warped or eroded over time, much like nature itself. And it's a story only people in my family know."

"So what you're saying is that all God Slayers are descendants of those people?"

Bellona shook her head. "No. There are two God Slayers aside from us in Crocus as we speak, but only the two of us come from that lineage."

"'The two of us'? What makes you think I'm one of these descendants?"

"Centuries ago, the six lineages went their separate paths, but continued to pass their names down to their children. He who held the powers of the water god was named… Aeon."

Zale just stood where he was in shock. "But I learned this magic from a book. How-?"

"It's not necessarily the elemental abilities they inherited from the gods. Any human can use God Slayer Magic, but we specifically have access to more powerful God Slayer spells. This enhancement is what we refer to as God's Wrath. Think of it as the God Slayer equivalent of a Dragon Slayer's Dragon Force."

*Is that what helped me defeat Zancrow back on Tenrou Island?* Zale thought before speaking. "Could you teach me how to control it?"

"Of course, but I must warn you it can be very time-consuming. It will take a few days for you to master it."

"Hold on, before we start anything, does having the powers of these gods have any side effects? Like, maybe a split personality or something?"

"I have never heard of such a thing. If that's all you have to ask, then let's begin."

With that question answered, Zale still wasn't entirely sure what that dark side of him was.

A/N: This took WAY too long, but I got stumped on what to do. Zale still feels like a bit of a letdown compared to the other guild members and it will play into something later on. This also sets up an exclusive arc for this story that I'll touch upon either after the Grand Magic Games or the disbanding of Fairy Tail. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!