Volume was something not so easily controlled, especially when said volume is by the likes of those who have so much energy. The noise pollution was even more explosive when people open the wooden door to a wooden tavern just around the corner. Once inside, many were rendered astonished, if not paralyzed by fear, as furniture and people went flying.

With one mighty swing from the Iron Dragon Slayer himself, Gajeel downed another thug in the bar, as well as serving some dental repairs. "Oh yeah? Well that's for butting into business that wasn't yours, pal!" he retorted.

"And that makes fifteen!" Happy exclaimed.

Pantherlily stood on a table, smiling at Gajeel. "Well Gajeel sure looks well again."

"If by him pummeling up the locals means he's well, then I guess we're safe that he isn't 'super'." Jet sweat dropped. He immediately regretted mumbling that when Gajeel got into his face.

"The hell about me not being super?!" he snapped.

"N-nothing! You were awesome! I swear!" Jet panicked. He was super lucky that Gajeel snorted and backed off rather than beat the snot out of him. It was like a massive weight lifted from his chest.

"Well, guess we're paying the bill again." Laxus sighed.

Makarov joined in on the grimacing. "Damn kids can't settle for peace of mind." With one tip of his mug, the alcohol inside went pouring down his throat. It hoped to clear his head of the party's noise pollution. It didn't.

Day 2 of the Grand Magic Games wrapped up, and as every guild went and did their own thing, everyone else was off doing their usual gimmicks as well. That included Fairy Tail's consistent celebrations. It sure helped burned off steam, especially after the fire that's been blazing in the colosseum.

"This was even more interesting than yesterday." Wendy chirped.

"Well, 'interesting' would best surmise it at least." Carla added, sipping from her small teacup.

"I didn't expect Blue Pegasus to get ahead of us so quickly." Lucy admitted.

"I'll say, they really turned it around today." Gray added. "I didn't think they had someone like her. That field was made for her."

Mirajane, who was walking by the table, turned with a charismatic smile. "Who, Jenny? Yeah, guess you can say she looked pleasantly well out there." She chimed.

"I was shocked at how she got the whole thing and not us." Gray snorted. "If you ask me, after what we saw today, we need to get some strategy talking."

Lucy smirked at him. "Oh? Is that so? Well then, care to elaborate your big comeback of the century?" The blonde of course spoke in a teasing voice and smirk, one that didn't go unnoticed by Juvia, who was behind a pillar and breaking some of the wood. Lucy could've sworn she felt a chill run up her spine.

"Hey, don't look at me! I'm just the understudy!" Gray snapped. "I'm just encouraging you guys to think first is all."

"Well thinking doesn't necessarily describe us." Carla pointed out. "Can you think where your clothes ended up?"

"Huh?" He looked down, realizing he was, once again, without any shirt or coat. "Wha-?!"

"But I think Gray has a point." Wendy said. She ignored Nab flying randomly through the background and into some stools with a thud. "I really think we need to rethink what we know."

Carla folded her arms and looked down at the table, her expression turning to a morbid one. "From what we know, the competition has mages who has a wide range of magics that can be either versatile or something to obstruct the opponent. That said, we're now aware that Raven Tail holds possession of someone who is able to deplete other mages' magic reserves. If they tried to pull any fast moves when outside the arena, then we should in fact stay in groups of a few as we said."

Catching wind of the serious note, Lucy nodded. "Yeah, you're right. We can't risk anyone else suffering a setback like we did."

"That's totally unfair!" Happy exclaimed.

"Fair or not, it happened. But now we know to be better equipped for next time." Gray spoke.

Elfman punched another random guy who was having a beef match with him. He clearly won by the looks of it. "Huh?" he looked around, noticing something felt off. "That's weird?"

"What's wrong, bog brother Elf?" Lisanna asked.

"Nothing. It's just…has anybody seen or heard Natsu even?"

Mirajane put her index finger to her chin as she looked up. "Hmm, good question."

Happy looked around the table, noticing something else was missing, too. "And has anybody seen Erza?"

"Erza, too?" Lucy gasped.

"I hope they're okay." Wendy worried.

Warren shrugged. "I'm sure they're fine. Natsu's not dumb enough to go off alone when there's danger outside the arena. I bet they're together somewhere, so no worries."

"Well okay, that answers that question." Levy said. "Is Gildarts still out?"

"I'm afraid so." Makarov grunted. "If I were him, I'd just stay put for two bleeding minutes and pay attention what I'm doing." He sniped.

"Alright, don't go throwing another fit, old man." Laxus warned. "But you know, there is something else that's missing here."

"Huh?" Some looked at him dumbfounded, including Gajeel, who was holding up another thug and glanced over. They could all feel the atmosphere getting a little damp for some reason.

Laxus hinted as he held up his mug. "Take a shot."

Makarov's brow raised, getting the insinuation. "You mean Cana?" He just now realized that she was perhaps vacant. "I guess that would explain the sudden amount of booze still stinking up the place."

"Cana's gone, too?" Max groaned, having recovered from his recent knockout by Gajeel. "Okay, now I'm getting a little worried. Just where is everyone running off to now?"

One sip down the throat was followed by another. Then another. Then what was the fourth large gulp, a pair of lips departed from the cap of a fine bottle of cold beer. A sigh went through the streets of Crocus, one loud enough to get attention.

Many men – and some women – turned to notice a girl wiping her mouth with her white blouse sleeve. She had brown hair and a nice pair of valleys to accommodate her looks. She strolled through Crocus without care, ignoring the sights and looks as she frowned in a daze.

Cana Alberona; she was the type of person who was sitting at stool and downing alcohol. She would be yelling like anybody else and challenging guys to drinking contests. As much as she loved to do those activities, she was lost in her own world, and has been for quite some time after a certain someone's match. 'Seriously, that nitwit.' She mentally cursed herself after what happened. 'Why would he do that? He isn't the kind to just go and bite into flesh unless there was a good reason. So why did he…?'

She was on a mission, she was on the hunt for a very elusive and reserved person. It was the hunter and the prey, and the prey could very well be her if she wasn't careful how to approach him. The only problem was that she had to find him first. He wasn't at the bar with the others, and as much as she wanted to hand around with booze, there was something she thought, nee needed, to consider. As she walked through the streets, she ignored the bountiful stares she received and thought back to when she learned of Craig's defense. It was shocking how he defended her, but against Bacchus of all people, coupled by his sheer brutality in the arena, it was clear something was up. Him not returning after his match was also another.

With her mind set, she knew where she had to go. She hurried her pace towards the inn where she bunked with Craig. She made way to her room floor and went inside her room. She looked around, but alas was out of luck. Craig was nowhere. To be sure, she even got down to where she investigated the covers and closets. She knew someone as paranoid as him would double check.

"Not here?" she figured. "Great, how hard is it supposed to be to find a guy who has three blades and sharp teeth that can bite through…" Her voice began to trail off as her inquiries became theories. "Hold on." She made way for the nearest window. The lush peeked out far, squinting to get a view of the small woods. She had an idea where the angered monster would be.

It was just a small stretch of woods, so naturally one wouldn't see any bog animals like deer. It was primarily birds, but on the occasion a couple of small woodland animals like a few passing deer and squirrel could be spotted. Of course it was nighttime, and the only things out at this point of the trees and underbrushes were rabbits and bats.

Bats hissed and fluttered in the nighttime air, snacking on tiny insects that would otherwise be unlucky. The giant moths were like jelly-filled buffet to the creatures, and as the bats lowered to give chase to some more, the rabbits sniffed and hopped along.

A pair of feet so silent, that not even rabbit could detect, came to a halt. A figure was taking in the forest at night. The wind hollered soundly, but he was anything but. He was one with nature, and nature understood him. This was him; this was the man who could understand nature, and make it do as he beckons…when he feels like it.

Right now, he was hungry.

Staying silent, he suddenly pounced. A low hanging, but reasonably good bat, had a loud roar and harsh snap of jaws crush its center. It was pulled down as its colony flapped skywards, away from the devouring creature.

The creature revealed to be Craig shook his head violently, being quick to put the bat to rest. With privacy, he growled low as he snapped even harder, his incisors breaking bone and flesh.

Not far away, Cana approached the forest. From the small distance, she heard something about a hundred feet in, and it sounded like munching. She had a good idea who it was, but she had to be sure. She hurried along, making headway slowly to the sight. Slowly, step by step, she stayed silent as she saw with a rather uncomfortable feeling in her gut Craig.

As he snapped his jaws again, all that hung out of the mouth was a bat's wing. When he heard Cana's footsteps, he instantly turned. His turn and glare was so sharp he looked like a vicious animal.

Cana stopped in her tracks once Craig looked at her. The two were interlocked in a cold and very uncomfortable silence. They gave a look of desolation and a bold face that showed shock from inside. They didn't look away, nor did they even try to.

Cana's brows remained furrowed as she watched the small drops of blood seep from Craig's mouth. He may not have eaten at all today, and she didn't want to find out what he's been munching on. Instead, she watched in a sudden move, Craig was the one who acted. He turned away, jerking his head up to devour the rest of the wing. With a swallow, he lowered his head, breathing casually as he took a nearby leaf and used it to wipe the blood off his chin. He looked down, staring at the cold, grassy land that was littered in dirt and blades of grass.

"…if you're going to say something, say it." He exasperated. His tone was heavy in the dislike, that was a given.

The brunette gave him a worried stare. "Craig-!"

"Don't say it!" he rejected.

The sudden burst made Cana raise a brow. "Uh, but you said…" Knowing it's by his own contradiction, she shrugged it off. "You know what, scratch that. What the heck are you doing out here?"

Craig rolled his eyes. "You know why."

Cana sighed. She knew what Craig meant, and she couldn't blame him…no matter how much she wanted to. "You still mulling over that? I'm sure you didn't maim him that bad. All things considered, he may have gotten off easy in your books."

"Pffft. Maybe…" he murmured. "Still…I went to see what the doctors said. They said I did a number n him, and he'll most likely be back up to performance speed the day after tomorrow."

"So Bacchus is out tomorrow, huh?" Cana questioned.

"Yeah."

The lush gave him a rather quizzical brow. "Checking up on your enemies' conditions? Not sure if that's naïve or strategic of you."

"Oh shut up already, would you?" he snapped.

"Hey, just speaking my mind here, you big softie." She huffed.

There was another passive silence that fell between the two members. They had nothing to say, nor what to put out in front of them. Craig's back faced away from Cana, slouching down on the log. He exasperated excessively, more so than usual perhaps. A weird but somewhat fragile vibe was veiling Craig, and Cana could see that Craig would rather not talk about it. However, she came here for a reason, and by god nothing was keeping her down.

"I know what you did last night."

That one sentence was enough to make Craig's eyes widen just a little. He continued to look away, his fixation still outwards. Moments passed before he returned to looking as "casual" as could be. "Took long enough." He said.

"They told me while your match was going on. After that pig put me down, you stepped in and snapped him away. You were basically hovering over me like a wild animal protecting his territory, at least what Mira said."

Again, he rolled his eyes. "I don't care what others have to say about me."

"Maybe, but you do care what others say about other people, right?"

Once again, a nerve was struck inside of Craig. He had nothing to say, for it was but bitter silence that filled his throat. His teeth were bared at the dark woods, looking ferocious enough to challenge the small rabbits that burrowed away.

The busty brunette slowly started walking around the stump. "I may drink a lot, but that doesn't mean I don't pay attention to the things around me. You may be more reserved, and you may have a poker face, but even with something like that, you never snap at others unless they provoke you. When they usually speak of a belief you're affiliated with or about someone you know…or knew." She finally managed to make it in front of him, standing with weight on one hip and glaring down. "So, what did Bacchus say to push you over the edge?"

Craig was hesitant to answer. He lowered his head to his hands, which held the other as the grip tightened. His breathing began to grow deep, his back arch enhancing and shrinking with every exhale and inhale. He looked to have had deep scorning memories of what Bacchus said he'd do if he won.

"Craig?" Cana questioned. "You there?"

He would very much like to say something like "It's none of your business", if possible, but the reality was that it was her business. The moment Bacchus spoke about Cana in his own way was the instant it became a matter to her. He would've liked to just stay quiet, but that would be running from the truth; that's what cowards do; it's what delusional retroverts do to better accept their own ideas are better. He'd rather not have Cana understand, but keeping it to himself would only strain everything.

In his mental frustration, Cana realized something about Craig. His hands were holding onto each other so tight that it was like he was crushing his own bones. She could see he wasn't going to bottle it up anymore. "Craig-!"

He shot up, startling Cana. The brunette took a step back as Craig was eye-level, and boy did he look angry.

"You really wanna know?" he growled at her. "Fine, be my guest…"

In a begrudging tone, Craig laid it out for her. In detail, he explained everything that went down in the arena, with what Bacchus said about her and what he'd do if he won. Suffice to say by the way Cana's looked at him that she was shocked. She was completely lost as Craig hissed every word, but behind each syllable was a mix of regret and bitter frustration. Not just to Bacchus, but to himself.

By the time he finished, Craig slumped back down on the same log. "Yeah, I fucked up. I know. I lost it out of my 'instinct' to defend you and all, and that guy had to go and pay the price." He glowered down at the grassy blades that sat beneath his wake. "But really, I just brought this onto myself. Maybe you guys have your way of dealing with these things, but I didn't. There's no such thing as an easy way, even when it comes to the defense of others." The subject really hit him hard in the heart. He knew all too well of those ranging from the standard household folk who sought to change their outlook to mere dim-witted chickens and pineapples and coconuts. He sighed. "I really dislike that guy, but I loathe people and animals being sought as mere trophies and pets you can just toy with for your own ambition. That's just sick. Why I keep my space is clear, and why I act as I do is another thing. It doesn't matter what you think of me, okay? You can say I may as well be a drama king, but I don't need your pity. I have enough of that from everyone. Just…just…" He brashly turned on his bottom to look away from Cana. He put his hood up in the process. "Just, don't look at me. I'm just worse than that guy I had to apologize to in the infirmary."

Cana was completely speechless. She knew that even now Craig was…something else. If she knew just about everything about him at this point, well she was wrong. She knew taking anger out on others or out of spite would be something Craig looked like he could do, but really, Craig was a very wise and emotional sentient. He had morals, and he knew what he did was for her, not for himself. Maybe he shouldn't have been so hard on Bacchus, but in a way, it proved how important Cana was to him. He'd sooner take stabs to the heart than see her get wasted with some lowlife yahoo.

Craig grimaced at himself. He did apologize when he visited Bacchus before, but that was it. Bacchus commented that he was straight up wild with a half-grin; surely that was forgiveness, right? If he wanted forgiveness from others, he had to forgive himself. That was a moral he had. If he didn't forgive himself, he never would've asked Bacchus for his. But that still doesn't mean that it still doesn't make him feel good.

It wasn't about revenge or anger. It was about caring and protecting the ones he treasured.

A pair of slender arms draped around his neck from behind. He said nothing as he remained stiff as a statue as he also felt humungous mounds press against his jacket he wore to conceal himself. Even with the hood, Cana's cheek and hair was so warm. She smiled warmly as she held Craig.

"You can be a little rough around the edges, but you're no jerk, Craig." She squeezed tighter. "You're a really good guy, you're just more of a rebel when it comes to how ways are done. But you have it where it counts, and that's something worth more than all the hangovers I could get in the morning."

Craig's gaze softened as he looked down at the ground. "Thanks."

Cana smirked. "Thank you, for both those times you stood up for me. I'm not sure any other guy would've done all that just so I can get some sleep. Plus, if I'm being honest here…" She leaned in, whispering into Craig's hear with an alluring smirk. "You're just the cutest thing to snuggle up to when you're sleeping."

Craig's glared daggers at Cana, but there was a small tint of red on his cheeks as he felt embarrassed. No words came to mind as his partner just teased his state when she sleeps beside him.

Cana laughed at his expression and pulled herself away. "I swear, you're too gullible to teasing. Almost like Natsu." She looked away, raising a brow. "Though that's not a bad thing at all. I like to see sensitive softies here and there. But you, you're just a big, fluffy pillow."

"Alight, I get it!" he snapped. "Just…whatever." He stood up and kicked the air a few good times, getting some popping in his knees. With the stretch, he was set to get back to business.

Cana crept beside him to where she snapped her arm around his shoulder. "So, my little cranky guard dog, wanna piggyback your master all the way home?"

"Don't push it." He snarled.

While things on one end of Crocus was looking good for a guild that was turning to underdogs, another guild didn't appeal to such leniency. Especially when it was the top – or rather former top – guild o Fiore was in a very tight pinch.

Gathered about, all of Sabertooth was accounted for. The whole floor was gathered in what looked like a massive room with a red carpet going down towards a throne, where Sabertooth's Jiemma sat lazily with eyes white as devoid life. The way he stared at everyone was guarantee that he was looking for certain individuals.

Nobody said anything before his eminence. Jiemma was scary enough when he didn't look so serious. But today, especially after the match, he had a very grotesque aura flaring. Clearly he did not appreciate the word "underdogs". Some bodies were so stiff that they couldn't even breathe from the pressure in the stale air.

"You're all just pathetic." Jiemma reached over to the stand beside him, grabbing hold of the wine bottle that was present, holding it out for them to see. "You're but broken glass." He deliberately dropped it, shattering like glass on the floor. The contents inside made the carpet turn purple. "You all were just too fragile to even be considered the strongest. Remember well who we are. We are Sabertooth. We don't take time in acknowledging those beneath you. All those other guilds, they have worms that need to be squashed! They are not worth time to even expel your breath over, remember that."

Rufus, Team Sabertooth, even the Exceeds were in close attention. They dared not speak.

"We aim to stun the heavens, make the earth tremble…silence the seas…that is the Sabertooth way." He reiterated. "Rogue!"

Stepping up from the crowd, the frowning Dragon Slayer looked at his master. "Master." He spoke.

"Your performance today was nothing short of sloppy. It was garbage, like the kind you had to walk through. You're not a rat, you're a Sabertooth. I expected more of that from you. However, I will allow this act to be considered to be looked down on. This shall be the only time I will ever be giving you a second chance. Do you understand?" he threatened.

"Yes, Master." He bowed. "I'll do everything in my power to meet your expectations."

He walked back behind, standing at attention besides a frowning Sting. The Exceeds behind were paralyzed, especially Frosch.

Jiemma's white eyes scanned the room, his fists clutching on his throne. "Minerva." He growled.

A pair of heels were heard from within the crowd. A hair of wide hips shifted and swayed as the top Sabertooth woman stepped up, her blue lips forming a frown. Her eyes were shut, and absolutely no words of confidence could be spoken. It was clear she was at the mercy of Jiemma.

He leaned over his seat, giving his daughter a deep glare. "Well, Minerva? What do you have to say about yourself?"

The Sabertooth woman spoke of no such words.

"No answer, huh? I expected more from you. What you did today was a deep show of weakness in the Sabertooth way. So tell me ere and now, why did you go and fail me before that cloaked worm?!" He banged his fist against the armrest, managing to dent it completely. Some flinched in fear. "Well?!"

All of Sabertooth looked at Minerva, if not Jiemma. Some didn't even look away from the ground. Eventually, though, the female spoke up.

"You felt it too, didn't you, father?" she responded.

"What?" he snorted.

"You say that this cloaked guild is but worms to us, but tell me what kind of worms take down a Sabertooth? These aren't at all insects, and you may deny it as much as you please to do so, but I know what I felt." Her defense was making her own heart race. The sheer memory of facing Shinigami was petrifying at best. She could still recount all that Magic Power she felt, and it was what made her fists clutch. "You heard well of what he said about his strength, it's what put Jura Neekis in deep shock."

"We are not weak!" he snapped. "That is quitter's talk right there! Sabertooth values the strength to be far above a Wizard Saint! That display of power was nothing to me!"

Minerva shot a glare at her father. "And can you prove it?"

The master stomped on the ground, rising up on his feet to meet Minerva's own defiant glare. "I said this before." His voice, it was so deep, and it's what made the toughest nerves crawl. "We aim…to stun the heavens…and silence the raging seas…the earth trembles beneath us and our strength…that is SABERTOOTH!"

Sting looked down nervously. He was frightened by his master, and what's worse, perhaps more so of a certain someone. When he thought of Craig in the arena today being an animal, when he heard his extremely potent roar, it still kept crawling up and down his spine. It was a feral beast that he saw.

There was a moment's hesitation before Minerva spoke up again. "Well then, perhaps your best shot at beating Fallen Prometheus shall bear fruit then."

Jiemma gave her a dark look. "What of that?"

"Sabertooth preys on the weak, but is it also true that we must fight the strong to be the strongest?" she questioned in deep logic. "If we are to value ourselves, we must not waver from the strength we may already have. There shall be more chances to come to beat Fallen Prometheus, and stay as the apex predators to all. All we need to do, is simply lie and wait; wait for the chance to pounce and sink our claws and fangs into those gods. Then when we have fallen, we shall roar back at the heavens for thinking they could silence us. You wouldn't want to risk your most superiors players to just be thrown away, when we were just measuring up the competition now, are we?"

"Milady…?" Sting questioned.

"It's only the second day. By the time we reach the 5th day, all the guilds will realize they had nothing to fear. After all, we have a plethora of opportunities to strike back." She finished.

Jiemma gave her a very grim stare. He hated – nee loathed – the idea of being second best. It did not exist with him. He refused to accept this fallback. He'd much show true power and rid of Fallen Prometheus himself with his show of power. However, it wasn't a battle of his own, so he had to make do.

Begrudgingly, he relented. "…very well. You have your pardon, Minerva." He scowled. "From now on, we, of Sabertooth, must use every bit of our power, and crush the predators who dare challenge our throne! There will be no room for errors here on." He sat back down, sitting up straight to give all his attention. "Now…begone. All of you. I expect no more follies. Is that clear?"

With that, Sabertooth's audience was dismissed. They all exited the room, no more than a few pairs at a time as they filed along. No one spoke until they exited. Once they were all filed out, the doors shut, and Sting walked beside Rogue, their Exceeds following.

"That was scary." Lector murmured.

"Y-yeah." Frosch stammered.

"Master Jiemma clearly was challenged by that power we sensed from that other guild." Rogue explained. "I've never seen him so anxious before. It's clear that he wants to destroy them." He turned towards the other half of the Twin Dragon combo. "Sting?"

Sting was silent the whole way. His lack of voice in the matter was most unsettling. He frowned heavily as he thought of more than just Fallen Prometheus. He thought of his idol, Natsu. And even more concerning, Craig. The latter gave off no magic, but he had this very bizarre but potent abnormality around him. It was a three-way tie of who he was supposed to be focusing on.

"Sting, ya feeling alright?" Lector asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm good." He responded.

"He looked very spacious there. Will he be okay?" Frosch asked Rogue.

"We'll find out. Come on, we best get ready for the next battle."

"I hear that." Lector said. "C'mon, Sting! Can't fall behind!"

The group hurried along, with Sting rushing to get up to speed with them. "Alright, alright! Let's get going then."

"Hey, Erza. Where are we going exactly?" Natsu asked.

The redhead shrugged. "Nowhere. I was just walking with you. Is that a problem?"

"Uh, n-no! I was just wondering if we had a direction in mind?" he stammered.

Erza looked ahead at the street, seeing the many people still out at night. "Not that I had in particular. Did you want to go anywhere?"

"Er…no." He didn't have a response per se. He was still confused, more or less to that point.

Natsu didn't know where they were going. They've been walking for a short while now, and they've been all by themselves. The bustling city was still lively, even in the night, though not as many people active. The two were hand in hand, walking beside the other as they made use of the time that they had together. They were alone. All alone. Just the two of themselves to keep company.

The Dragon Slayer stopped in his tracks when they came across a balcony. Erza followed.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just thought we should stop here. That's cool, right?"

Erza smiled. "Sure."

The two went over and overlooked the balcony. To their immeasurable surprise, they didn't realize on how big of a balcony it was, or how they could see all of Crocus for that matter. They could see building top after building top, to no end. It was row after row, it almost seemed like an illusion. And what's more, the half-moon above was surrounded by stars. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold.

"It's a beautiful night." Erza said.

"Yeah, it sure is." Natsu grinned. "I never thought I'd see stars this bright before. They're almost like shinning…uh…things."

Erza chuckled. "Suppose so."

He tilted his head in his wonder. "Wonder what would happen if I ate one of those?"

"You can't eat a star, Natsu." Erza deadpanned.

"I know. But if I could, I bet I'd get some hidden power or something to make me all mighty, right?"

Yet again, her winders were piqued by his foolish inquiries. In a way, it would be nice to know there was otherworldly power she could use to benefit her own magic and requips. It was entertaining to say the very least.

She turned towards Natsu, giving him a smirk. "You can be so foolish."

Natsu looked away sheepishly, cheeks red. It only served to make Erza smile at his innocence.

Another short while went by, and the two kept gazing at the night sky. Who knows how long? It was hard to tell, but the rising moon must've meant something. As stars twinkled, they relished in the other's company for as long as possible. Once each had what was a decent fill of the time spent, Natsu broke the silence they had bottled up.

"Hey, Erza?"

She looked over towards him. "Yes, Natsu?"

"I…uh…" he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I…was wondering something."

"What might that be?" Her question was by all means genuine, but from the look on his face, he looked unsettled to speak his mind.

"Well…just…is there a reason why we need to be alone like this?"

"Is it a bad thing?"

"What? N-no, not at all! It's just still weird for me."

She tilted her head as she smirked. "Still nervous I see."

His cheeks began to blush. "Well, I don't know! This is just still new to me, with what we're doing and all…" If he was frank with himself, he was still grasping with how he and Erza viewed within each other. For Natsu, he saw Erza very beautiful, not to mention fearless and devoting. She symbolized the meaning of strength, and that's saying something. However, whenever they were alone, when Erza was being affectionate, it was still something to get accustomed to, and Erza couldn't blame him. She was new to this whole "relationship" thing.

The two knew they had some form of mutual attraction towards one another, but what was it exactly? They could deny it or be as dense as rocks, but they've been feeling rather…funny, for a lack of better word. For Erza, it was as new as her partner's feelings. New, no doubt, but still something she handled better.

"Natsu."

"Yeah?"

"Be honest, where do you see us?" she asked.

He looked at her like she grew a second head. "See us what? Doing?" He looked out, peering at the city. "Well, I see the moon, and-"

Erza sighed. "No, I mean 'us'." She exasperated.

"'Us'?" Natsu was generally confused with what she mean by that. It wasn't definite with what he felt or saw themselves as. It was only recently that they went out to eat, and it was because of Craig's experience that he was able to get a kiss on the cheek from the Requip Mage. He understood then that there was definite interest.

"What do you see in our relationship? Let's put it at that." Erza said.

Natsu again was at a loss for words. After thinking about it, he just looked up at the sky, giving it a meek smile. "Aw well, guess maybe…we're good?"

"Define good." She clarified.

"I-I don't know!" he stammered. "I guess I mean, I'm… kinda okay with this, but, it's just something I gotta get used to. Just seeing you like this is still weird."

"You said that a lot."

"I know, but it's all I can think of right now. I don't really know how else to put it." He struggled a lot at when it came to thinking, especially with girls. He hasn't had a girlfriend before, and he's usually expected as the last guy to ever consider dating. He's oblivious, and a bit of a nutcase at times, but he also wasn't stupid. After gathering some more thoughts, he thought deeply, and tried to portray it the best he could.

"Hmmm…I guess…"

"Hm?" Erza looked at him with deep curiosity.

"I mean it's still weird and all, but whenever it's just us, it's like something bubbly goes on inside me. It's like my dragon fire, but it doesn't burn or anything. But it's warm and ticklish. I like it, but it's something I'm not normal with…not yet at least." He looked towards Erza, giving her a smile. "I wanna keep that warm, fuzzy fire, or thing that I feel. And usually, I feel that around you. Is that bad? Erza?"

When Erza looked at him, she was smiling. It was truly sincere, and from Natsu's words, she knew how he felt…sort of.

"Erza?"

She shook her head. "No, Natsu. That isn't bad in the slightest." She grabbed his hand, pulling him along. "Come on, if we won't get moving, we won't be rested for tomorrow."

Natsu followed along, smiling. "Yeah! Day 3, here we come!"

As they went along, something beneath the balcony seemed wrong. Below the balcony, where the building was located, it was down its sidewalk, towards the alleyway. The alleyway subsequently led to a chain reaction of alleys, where there, lying in a few corners, the foul odor of blood was clear. The few thugs that were foolish enough to go and pick fights with a certain someone had cost them dearly. Their bodies littered the alley, where they had slash marks.

Not far, just walking away from them, Scythe was cloaked in his hood, his whole body unseen as his 8-shaped axe was hanging over his shoulder. He walked away, a frown on his face.

"What weaklings." He huffed. "Killing the weak when they should know better. What nonsense is all these humans feeling?" he looked over his shoulder, his dark eyes apparent within the deep, dark hood. He vanished into the darkness, leaving only the arrogant defeated to muddle in their blood.

The boulevard was surprisingly empty at this time. It was more or less one of the more common commodity types of streets where one buys clothing and tapestry. However, given the time, most of the stores were closed for the night, and the only two walking were Craig and Cana. The two walked beside the other; one taking his sweet time in slowing down the other.

"Could you be any slower? I wanna have at least some form of drink when we get back." Cana told.

Craig had hands in his pockets, looking nonchalant as he strolled rather casually. "Be careful what you wish for. You just might choke on what you want down your throat."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she questioned.

Craig shrugged. "Nothing. So, what's the plan for tomorrow?"

Cana's brow furrowed. "Heh? What's that mean? You not up for it?"

Craig shrugged once again. "Nah, besides. I just need some time to…think, for tomorrow." It wasn't a lie. He'd never lie. He wanted to spend tomorrow away for a bit, but it wasn't because the fact he frightened everyone. The reason was behind his chi. He wanted to get to it more. And, in the back of his mind, that hooded group still lingered.

"Aw, well I'm not gonna let the big boy stay alone in his room all day." Cana cooed.

And just like Craig, Craig sulked. "There's no getting rid of you, is there?"

Cana smirked as she pulled him into a headlock. She even felt more prideful since his head was on the underside of her buxom. "Oh come on, party pooper. Admit it, you want me around."

Craig felt Cana's body as even her milk-giving area was warm and bountiful. However, that didn't cease his embarrassment. He just growled, while Cana pulled him along with pride.

As the two kept their trail and sight for the street. The atmosphere was calm…or at least it was. Minute after minute, and the calm turned to what felt like an eerie silence. The silence was one thing, but what was sense here and now, was dead silence.

Craig and Cana frowned. They both felt it, and Craig's headlock was undone as he and Cana slowly came to a stop. Their feet were spread, and both looked around.

"You feel that?" Cana asked.

Craig was back-to-back with her, his attention adverted to behind. "Look alive."

The fresh sensation of danger lurked in the air. Craig knew this feeling all too well, and it was heavy in density. The Magic Power they were feeling, it was substantial, if not a little more than that. The energy was very much taken from them being playful and bashful to weary and deadly.

They held their positions, glaring in all directions for any signs of the enemy. Craig, however, sensed what could've been just one potent force. His head raised, catching the glimmer of something in the sky. And it was coming down in a steep arch.

The projectile was coming for Craig, but he remained completely calm and still as the 8-shaped axe came crashing down, impaling the earth in front of Craig. The enemy's advance made Cana turn and round and gasp in shock.

"What the-?!"

Craig remained stiff as he looked at the blade. It was connected to a chain that went far away, into the darkness of a nearby rooftop it seemed. He followed the chain, seeing something dark lurking in the nighttime air above. His eyes narrowed as the figure's silhouette could've been seen rising.

"Looks like we have some company." He remarked.

The silhouette on the rooftop pulled on his chain, yanking himself down towards the ground. With a large jump, he landed on a knee, a ripple of dust dissipating around him as he slowly arose. Once standing, he remained just as stiff as Craig. He made no movements as the blade was still impaled in the earth. He and Craig could be seen glaring at one another, while the brunette behind was staring uneasily at the enemy.

The air in the atmosphere continued to thicken with a chocking sensation as the two stared down with the other. They said no words, but instead, they just glared daggers.

Finally having enough tolerance, Scythe was the one to back off. "Pffft. Pushover." He yanked on his chain, prying the blade out of the ground and withdrawing back into his grip. The staff it connected to held its form as it went back over his shoulder, resting casually.

Once again, a silence filled the air between the two. The tension was deep, and exhilarating. Craig's feet weren't at all spread out, but from his sharp stare, he looked ready to get defensive if necessary.

"I think you missed." Craig bluntly scorned.

"Tch, please. As much as I would love to not miss you, I'd prefer to not hit a weakling from behind. Would you?"

Crag's eyes narrowed at the inquiry that his opponent was setting up for him. "…only if I really have to." He answered.

Scythe was seen smirking beneath his hood. "Heh, only if it's that big of a deal? Well I'll give you props on taking that shock with gusto, pal, but that still doesn't give you any special treatment…not yet at least."

"What is this guy's deal?" Cana questioned.

Craig continued to snipe at Scythe, still showing some serious demeanor. "I remember you."

Scythe raised a brow. "Is that so?"

"You're part of that guild that's in 1st place. Fallen Prometheus, right?"

The smirk on Scythe receded into a deep frown. Suffice to say he looked disappointed. "Tch."

"Hm?"

"How disappointing." He snarled. "I thought you'd be smarter than that to know."

The suspense crept up Craig's spine. The Magic Power he was giving off was easy to tell that he was familiar with it. He was familiar with what he saw regarding bizarre armor he saw beneath Gates. He knew something was up, but at the same time, he couldn't recall at all what he was supposed to be feeling. If it was an enemy, it would've been a long time ago. But even so, the fact that he felt something familiar about Scythe meant there was some form of affiliation he shared with him.

Seeing the contorted look on Craig's face, Scythe began to grow weary. "Well?" he groaned. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Your power certainly rings a bell in my head, that's all I can say." He answered.

Scythe sighed and just gave up. "Okay, fine. Have it your way. I'm not obligated to make you suffer just because you're a dense fossil."

"Well I feel obligated to ask my own question." Craig countered. "Why are you here?"

"Why?" Scythe replied. "It's simple…" In a flash, faster than the speed of Erza's Flight Armor, Scythe appeared in front, having a loop of the top 8 around Craig's neck. Cana again gasped in deep shock at the speed. Craig, however, just glared on without budging.

"Craig!" Cana worried.

Scythe was a foot in front of Craig's face. The two shared a deep glare in the other's eyes. The way Craig's neck was mere inches away from one end of the bladed ring didn't leave him to panic. In fact, this reaction he was giving was what enticed Scythe.

A smirk appeared of the cloaked man's face. "Heh, well what do you know. Guess you have grown up." Hs eyes narrowed. "How very interesting."

Craig said nothing as he stayed calm.

"Oh, sorry, where are my manners? I didn't answer your question yet, did I?" Scythe was so facetious in his tone, but he didn't care. In fact, he drew the very edge of the sharp, round blade as close as possible to Craig's neck. It was just barely grazing the hairs on the back of his neck. "I just wanted to give you a little personal message from all of us."

Cana stayed as stiff as possible, not wanting to set off alarms. 'A message?'

Craig continued to just follow along, but to Scythe and Cana's surprise, Craig was starting to smirk. "Well I would've accepted carrier pigeon, you know."

Once more, a smirk appeared on Scythe. "Well pal, I ain't no bird, but I can sure swoop like one."

"Are you talking about you or your little friend who made an impression yesterday?" he retorted.

"Your tongue's definitely gotten sharper." Scythe snarled. "Alright, I'll let you off this one time, but only because I came here to deliver this singular message. Fallen Prometheus will have your head by the time these silly games are over. Consider that your little piece of advice."

Cana gasped in shock. "Wait, you can't be-!"

"Quiet!" Scythe held the blade's very grizzly tip to Craig's neck. "Unless you wanna blab and have me deal with this guy now?"

Backing down from the fight, Cana's fists clutched.

"It's fine." Craig intercepted. "Besides, we both know well enough that if we really want to kill each other, we know there's a time and place for all that." His glare sharpened. "Am I right?"

Scythe remained quiet for a brief time. After what felt like an eternity, his teeth showed once more. "Heh. Damn straight. Guess you're not as dumb as I thought then." He withdrew the blade from Craig's neck, bringing it overhead and back over his shoulder.

The two stood at equal height, showing a deep, deep pressure emanating from the other. Cana was feeing her heart race as the two monsters were looking like they were about to rip the other's head off. It was taking all of their willpower to keep themselves from doing such a thing.

"We'll settle this in the games." Scythe finished. "Sounds fair, right?"

Craig's lips formed a vile smirk of his own. "You read my mind."

With a snort, Scythe turned away in his hood and dark cloak. The guy slowly walked off, cursing just low enough for Craig to hear. As Cana approached Craig from behind, Scythe disappeared, vanishing without much of a trace.

At long last, the stale air finally lifted. Cana could breathe again.

The startled brunette turned towards the stiff comrade, seeing his deep frown. "Cranky…a friend of yours?"

Craig's eyes narrowed as he continued to glare down the boulevard. "…looks like it."

"And, you're seriously thinking he'll kill you?"

Craig looked back, giving a sharp glare at Cana. The way he stared at her was a sign of deep dominance. "Don't be stupid. If they really wanted me dead by now, they would've done it sooner." He looked back ahead. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Cana was more or less unsound by Craig. She knew that he knew they meant it. They were going to try and take his life; they were just trying to scare him, but it didn't work. She only stared out alongside him as the anticipation was only going to get worse from here on…in a way.

A pair of hands suddenly grabbed their shoulders. "Hey, you two! What's up?"

Both Craig and Cana lurched as they were caught completely by surprise of the arrival of someone who just happened to had perfect timing. At the same time, they snapped around and saw who appeared.

"Gildarts?!" Cana snapped.

"The hell?" Craig snarled.

"Whoops, guess I alarmed ya, sorry." He sheepishly rubbed his head and laughed. Even though he looked rather jovial, the other two were far from it. "So, what brought you two here? Wanting to get some late night shopping or something?"

The two shot looks at one another, both generally confused by Gildarts' claim. Although there was merit, they didn't seem to comply.

"More like passing through." Craig said. "We could be asking you the same thing."

"Who, me?" He huffed with a smirk. "Well, didn't mean to brag or anything, but after last night, I thought I'd stop by the party before everyone went back. Can't be a complete part pooper now."

"That's funny considering you were found drunk last night in front of a women's club." Cana exasperated.

"Hey, come on. Don't be like that." He feigned innocence.

Cana rolled her eyes away. "Oh brother.

Craig looked at Cana, then back to Gildarts. 'Hard to believe that this guy's her old man.' Although Craig held some degree of respect for Gildarts, he still disliked how he let Cornelia down and how she left him. He can see why. Craig highly valued loyalty, even with the ladies. Wanting to change the subject, he folded his arms and shot his own look at him. "So then you're going to be watching the games tomorrow then?" he asked.

"Yeah, might as well." He responded. "Still, I watched from the lacrima-vision in the inn. Man did you really wreck that guy." He said it so nonchalantly like it wasn't a big deal, but in the underlying tone, Craig could tell that he was also finding his attack a little extreme.

The mutation only shook his head and sighed. "Give me a break."

Gildarts laughed aloud once more. "Well you certainly showed me not t piss you off again, that's for sure!"

"I don't think anyone would want to anyway." Cana pointed out.

"Shut up." Craig huffed. "At any rate, I guess we should head back to the inn. Gotta tell your head honcho I need tomorrow off."

Gildarts raised a brow. "Huh? You skipping tomorrow?"

"Yup, sorry. Just need some time to think some things over. After what happened, you can't necessarily blame the folk for wanting a breather from yours truly." He smirked. "I mean, Brownie over here just can't get enough of me." When he looked over at Cana, his playful attitude just made her sigh.

"Oh sure, I'm so wanting to have him all to me." She sarcastically groaned.

Gildarts coquettishly smirked. "Well aren't you the ladies man, Craig. Guess you could use some time to yourself then. Gray's going to feel pretty good tomorrow I bet."

"Alright, don't go and jinx it for us." Craig started walking. "Now come on, I wanna get some sleep. Brownie, hurry up back there."

"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Crankypants." She waves at him dismissively as she followed behind. She grinned as she followed behind with a bottle in hand. Having another sip, she took in the substance.

With Cana following behind, Gildarts walked nearby. As he stayed close to the group, mainly Craig, he shot Craig what could've been mistaken for a frown. He knew what that meant. Craig returned the frown, looking rather unsound as well. Both looked forward as Cana sipped from behind.

Gildarts stayed quiet enough only for Craig to hear. "Watch your back."

Craig only soldiered on. "Tell me something I don't know."