Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides a few OCs.

Warnings: same as in previous chapters.

Enjoy!


"So you're sure Natsu will be okay?" Meredy triple checked.

"Why wouldn't he, it's just motion sickness?" Porlyusica asked, irritated. "Stop worrying and let him get some rest."

The pinkette flushed slightly.

"What about Wendy and Romeo?" Lucy asked, biting her lip.

"They're coming along nicely." Porlyusica assured the group.

"At least you're up now Carla." Lucy said with a smile, noticing the white Exceed staring at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Carla murmured quietly.

A few moments later, the two girls went back to the arena, where the others were waiting, with promises that they would check back later.

Porlyusica hummed, glancing at Carla. "You're not going to say anything to her?"

"I just don't think it would do any good." Carla admitted. "They'd never believe me. Not about a future like that anyway."

"I suppose it's just as well that you don't, then." Porlyusica said dismissively, turning back around to the medicine cabinets. "Besides, you don't seem to believe it yourself."

Carla perked up. "You're right! II don't believe it! How can I? It's too bizarre to be true."

The white Exceed smiled. "It wasn't a premonition. Just a silly dream."

If only she could make herself truly believe that that was all it was.


"And the part you've all been waiting for—the battle portion!" Chapati called. "Today's first match is Black Snake, the dark python of Raven Tail, against Lamia Scale's own Toby Horhorta! It's serpent versus hound! Which one of them will end up top dog?"

"I expect to see a clean fight out there, you understand?" Yajima said warily, knowing from Maki what Ivan's guild was like.

"Toby is so ferocious!" Jason cheered.


"Hey guys, did we miss anything?" Lucy asked cheerfully as her and Meredy got back to the others.

"They've been taking their sweet time." Elfman said with a huff from his seat a few meters away with the other non-participating Fairy Tail mages.

"It's just about to start." Gray said from where Team B was hanging out. "That dog dude's going to be going in for Lyon's guild."

"It's the Raven Tail mage you should watch." Erza said with a frown.

"You know he won't play fair." Lucy agreed with a sigh, remembering that Erik had heard their plans to sabotage her fight with Flare, even if she had won too quickly for them to get the chance.

She glanced over at where the Raven Tail guild was standing, only to see Flare herself staring at her, fresh bruises and scrapes on her face.

"Yeah, I see you too, blondie." The redhead girl said, eyes slightly more wild than before.

Lucy's heart clenched painfully as she realized what had happened to the other woman, and Erik did the same thing as he heard the two girls' thoughts, nodding stiffly in Lucy's direction to confirm her suspicions.

'We need to get her away from them!' the blonde thought viciously.

Erik smirked in agreement.

"Flare…" a large figure said from in front of her. "I won't tolerate any more embarrassment."

"Y-yes sir!" she said, before pointing at Lucy. "But that blonde bimbo won't stop staring at me!"

The hulking man grabbed her face, squeezing her cheeks together painfully. "Are you asking for another beating?"

"N-no! I won't argue again!" Flare promised. "Please have mercy on me!"

Hearing this, Erik's mind became occupied as he thought of ways to inject the redhead's guildmates with his most agonizing (and lethal, if he could get away with it) poisons.


"ULTRA POISON NAILS!" Toby shouted. "MEGA MEGA JELLYFISH!"

He swiped at the Raven Tail mage with his elongated green claws, and Black Snake dodged nimbly before disappearing in a whirl of sand.

"He just vanished!" Toby cried.

Jura's eyes widened and he stood up. "YOU FOOL! He's using Mimic Magic!"

A cloud of dirt and dust surged towards Toby, hitting him multiple times before the sand came back together and formed Black Snake.


"That freak stole my spell!" Max said with gritted teeth.

"He must be able to mimic other types of magic or something." Laki realized.

Mavis smiled. "Mimic Magic? I haven't seen that in a long time!"

"Come on doggie, kick his butt!" Yui cheered happily.

"OBLITERATE THAT RAVEN TAIL SCUMBAG, AND I'LL PAY YOUR WEIGHT IN GOLD!" Makarov shouted at Toby.


Toby howled. "You're stronger than I thought you were."

"You're not so bad yourself." Black Snake replied with a creepy smile.

"I wish I had a cool name like Black Snake!" Toby continued.

Black Snake slumped in disbelief. "It's just my alias."

"YOU MEAN YOU LIED TO ME?!" Toby demanded angrily.

"What are you talking about?" his opponent asked.

"Alright!" Toby launched another attack, Black Snake once again dodging. "If I beat you you've gotta tell me what your real name is, deal?!"

Black Snake gave an eerie chuckle. "I'm fine with that. But what if I win?"

"Then I'll tell you my Super Special Secret That Nobody Knows™!" Toby cried.

"That's intriguing, it's a deal!" Black Snake agreed, pupils widening greedily.


"Our competitors seem to have struck a friendly wager." Chapati said with a smile.

"I wouldn't consider their secrets a surprise." Yajima said. (AN: or at least that's what I think he said.)

"COOOOOOL!" Jason screamed.


From the Quatro Cerberus section, Bacchus smirked.

"A little gambling? This could make things interesting."


In quick succession, Toby lost the match.

"The dust has settled, and we can clearly see Toby on the ground!" Chapati said as Black Snake chuckled darkly. "That's it, folks! Black Snake slides away with a win for Raven Tail!"

The crowd cheered.


"Very impressive." Erza muttered.

"No doubt." Gray agreed. "I get the feeling he was holding back."

Erza grimaced in agreement.

"Not only will those guys cheat to win but they've got real power on their team." Lucy said with a sigh.

"We're stronger." Ultear said calmly.

The rest of Fairy Tail nodded firmly in agreement.


"Look at the scoreboard and you'll see Raven Tail climb towards the top of the rankings!" Chapati said.


Toby whimpered, tears pouring down his face.

"Now, you owe me a secret." Black Snake said silkily.

"It's my sock! It just disappeared, man!" Toby cried. "It's been driving me crazy because I feel like it's right under my nose! But I can't seem to find it anywhere!"

The ENTIRE audience stared at him in disbelief, glancing at the sock in question, which was hanging on a necklace.

Right under his nose, indeed.

"I'm so ashamed!" Toby cried, not noticing his own guildmates looking at him, horrified at his stupidity. "I've been keeping it to myself for months now!"

The man paused as Black Snake tapped his own chest, and he gasped as he looked down at his own, only to see the very sock he'd been looking for. "Has it really been right here all along?! I-I don't know how to thank you! I'm just so happy to see it again!"


"Have you ever seen anything like this?" Chapati wondered.

"Thankfully not." Yajima said dryly.

"Such EMOTION!" Jason cried. "WHAT AN ENDING!"


"What a good boy." Erza said, wiping at her tears. "I'm so happy for him…"

"This is way too stupid to cry about!" Gray said in disbelief as he looked at the redhead.

Even Jellal was looking at her oddly, though he didn't say anything.


Lamia Scale's guild master grunted angrily. "I'll spin you."


Black Snake walked up to Toby, offering him a hand.

Toby looked up, tears still in his eyes.

"What is this?" Chapati asked. "After fighting fang and claw, are these two going to shake hands?"

As Toby reached up, Black Snake snuck, tanking the 'necklace' off of his neck before shredding the sock.

"Guest not!" Chapati said unnecessarily.

"NOOOOO!" Toby cried even louder, shaking his head rapidly.


Lamia Scale's team glared at the Raven Tail mage angrily, and both Gray and Jellal had to hold Erza back from attacking the black-haired asshole.


"And to add insult to injury, Black Snake rips up the prized possession!"

"You should never have told me how much that stupid rag meant to you." The Raven Tail mage said as he walked away. "Dumb move."


"What is his problem?!" Evergreen demanded with a huff. "That was completely uncalled for!"

"Once again Raven Tail is showing their true colors." Wakaba muttered around his cigar.

"Well, what do you expect?" Macao asked. "These are the kind of people that would work for a creep like Ivan."

"The poor dog guy was already beat, that was just mean." Happy said.


From the shadows, Arcadios watched, nodding to a soldier when he was approached.

He turned back as the second battle round was announced.


"Let's head on to round two of today's battles." Chapati said. "First, from Quatro Cerberus, it's the aptly-named god of wine, Bacchus! Fighting a member of Team Fairy Tail B!"

Team B paid even more attention at that.

"So it's one of us." Erza said with a sigh.

"What if they call out Natsu's name?" Mirajane asked.

"Then we wake him up." Gray said bluntly.

"OY!" Cana shouted angrily, Gajeel grabbing her wrist so she didn't try to go down there to try and fight him herself. "SOMEONE AVENGE ME! I DON'T CARE WHO IT IS!"

"Oh my." Mirajane said with a smile. "Relax, Cana!"

"I'm sure Gray could get the job done." Juvia mused.


"JUVIA LOCKSER!" Chapati called.

The blunette pouted, since she wouldn't get to see Gray in action, but lifted her chin proudly as she went down to the arena floor.


Please review! :)

I know, this chapter is very close to the original. Neither of the Fairy Tail teams are battling in this round and no changes because of that, so I figured I'd leave their reactions to Toby and Black Snake's fight the same.

Remember, Hisui interrupted when her father was about to request Erza to fight Bacchus, so Bacchus' opponent was chosen normally. And Fairy Tail Team B is having two battles today to make up for the lack of one on day one, so it's still one of them. Not that Elfman (who Arcadios thought the king meant) would battle anyway, since he's not even a reserve member in this.