Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

Silver's Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12

A few hours later, Sasuke still wasn't sure what to do or not do about Erza, but he was back with his guild at their inn, and something was off. "Something wrong, Hibiki?" There was definitely something wrong with his normally bubbly guild mate.

Hibiki grimaces, the same memories flashing through his mind for the millionth time. "It's that last fight…the way it went down, it just…really seemed wrong."

"That seems to be a running theme in this year's games." Sasuke sighs and shakes his head. "It was vicious though. I hope she's alright." Gods and Goddesses only knew what Sabertooth would do to her. They'd probably kick her out, but for some reason Sasuke doubted they'd stop there.

"Well, logically, she shouldn't have been." Hibiki's brow furrows. "Lucky for her that Kagura didn't collect on that bet." At least, not the way she was meant to.

Another bet?! What was with these people?! "What was it this time? Not another naked photo-shoot, right?" What was with everyone in these games either being sadistic or sex crazed?

Hibiki shakes his head, leaning back on the couch he'd claimed in the private lounge. "I wish…that ind of bet, no one would have minded but…" His nose crinkles with distaste. "The girl from Sabertooth, Yukino, she pushed forward that the two of them bet their lives on the match. Kagura accepted the bet."

"Is that even legal?!" Sasuke's eyes widen in horror. "They're going too far!"

"It was a private wager between two legal adults who are capable of consenting to and making decisions for themselves, and no one was coerced." Hibiki grits his teeth. He didn't like it either. "That means that it's not…illegal, per say, but it's not the first option someone's mind jumps to when they're suggesting a bet, that's for sure."

"Well at least Kagura didn't actually collect." Sasuke sighs in relief and shakes his head. "Any idea what happened to her afterward? Yukino, I mean?"

"No, I don't." And that bothered Hibiki as well, along with Kagura's words at the end of the match. "Kagura said that Yukino's life now belongs to her. So…I guess she's planning on collecting, but not by killing her, as originally agreed." Though what exactly the swordswoman planned to do…Hibiki couldn't even begin to fathom.

That was disturbing on so many levels. "I should probably go check on Fairy Tail." Sasuke was certain that at least one, or maybe more of their wizards were definitely going to have something to say about all of that!

"Alright…" Hibiki's Archive monitor glows in the air as he types. "One of their teams is staying at the Honeybone Inn. That's Team A." Not for the first time, he connects Archive to Sasuke's mind, downloading the map of the city directly into his head, complete with directions to the inn. "Just don't stay out too late. It's dangerous with Sabertooth and Raven Tail lurking around." Sabertooth got no points during the second day's events, so they would likely be on the warpath. And Raven Tail…well, Hibiki didn't truth them as far as he could throw them.

"Got it." Sasuke nods as he swiftly departs. "Better to find them now before there is blood in the streets." Which might actually happen.

He was trying to hurry to the Honeybone Inn, but there were just so many damn people. "Excuse me, sorry." And more than one of them tried to brush up against him 'accidentally' and there were plenty that did actually bump into him. "There are too many people in this city." He mutters under his breath as he finally makes his way to the Inn and slinks inside, suddenly feeling like that was actually worse than the Chariot Event.

Wearing a forest-green turtleneck, and a black skirt, Erza walks along the upstairs walkway, blinking at the sight of the wizard near the door. "Sasuke? What are you doing here this late?" He should have been at his guild's inn, resting up for tomorrow. There was a chance that he might be picked for the battle portion.

"I heard about Yukino." This was probably going to sound foolish, but Itachi did call him his foolish little brother for a reason he supposed. "Everything alright here? I figured Fairy Tail would be itching for a fight after that." Most likely Natsu, but really any of them might have a go at Sabertooth.

Erza nods. "In Fairy Tail, there are always a few itching for a fight. However, as for Yukino…" Well, that was another story. "She left a little while ago, but she came here to meet with Lucy concerning her gate keys, before leaving."

That didn't sound good. "She alright?" Leaving. The woman must have been kicked out of her guild. "Please tell me that Natsu isn't on his way to confront Sabertooth now."

"He went after Yukino to apologize." He'd been very rude, and Erza had glared at him a bit before he took off running. Then again…that had been a while ago… "I would hope that he wouldn't be so foolish as to attack another guild in the middle of the games." And outside of the arena, no less.

"This is Natsu." If Sasuke was foolish, that Dragon Slayer could be downright insane sometimes. "Though if you don't think there's anything to worry about, maybe I'm overreacting."

No, if Sasuke's instincts were to assume such an outcome, then than made Erza nervous. Still, Natsu was highly unpredictable, and there's no telling where he might have gone. He might have just gone after Yukino, and decided that her being kicked out was none of his business, before wandering into the city with Happy, or he might have gone off looking for a fight. Then again, that was quite a while ago, and nothing had happened just yet, so maybe he really was just blowing off a little steam at the bar.

Either way, no good would come of dwelling on what if's, if Erza didn't know where to look for answers. "Well, I'm sure that Natsu wouldn't do anything too foolish. And he has Happy with him, so I wouldn't worry about it too much." She makes her way down the stairs, stopping a few feet, a comfortable distance from their visitor. "Natsu can be impulsive, but his heart is always in the right place."

"I know that." It was strange that he had such a personality clash with someone who shared his primary chakra nature, but Natsu was just so different than him that Sasuke found it hard to relate. "Sorry for rushing in like this. It's just...he has a habit of going overboard." And so did the rest of Fairy Tail. Though Sasuke knew he was cocky and stubborn like Natsu, he usually planned things out more. Unless they involved Itachi or taunting older, equally cocky wizards. Like Gray and Sting. "I guess if he hasn't blown up something by now though, it was a false alarm."

Yes, Erza had to admit that certainly was Natsu's style. "It's quite alright. We were entertaining a former member of Sabertooth not long ago, so a friend from an allied guild is more than welcome to come and visit."

He should probably say something. "Yeah I guess so and obviously you're welcome around our place." Speaking of that, well it was a risk. Though if there was a chance Itachi was right, maybe he should say something.

Erza smiles, nodding. "Yes, I gathered that from the way that Hibiki, Ren, Eve, and Ichiya came storming into the inn to see Lucy and I earlier."

"Did...Ichiya conduct himself properly?" Hibiki was a flirt, but he was in love with Jenny. "He wasn't trying to bask in your imaginary perfume again, was he?" Ren was engaged and wouldn't stray, charming smiles aside. "Because if you need me to, I can tell him to back off." And Eve, well Eve was Eve. He was too sweet for Sasuke to get jealous of him, even if the man was his senior by a few years.

The redhead shakes her head, smiling wryly. "Sasuke, be good. After all, Ichiya may be…strange, but he is harmless." At least to her. To the enemies of Blue Pegasus, on the other hand, well, that was an entirely different story. Best to change the subject though, and there was something that rather intrigued her. So, she motions towards the couches in the small lounge. "Come, why don't you tell me about the things that I've missed in the last few years…?" She eyes the swirling flames circling his left bicep, ink disappearing under the long wrist-guards and the collar of his shirt. "Such as that work of art."

"I know, but he always chases after you. It's like he thinks you're one of those cakes that you like so much." He probably shouldn't have said that. That implied eating, which somehow conjured up some rather forbidden images of a naked Erza jumping out of a cake or licking frosting off her and damn it! "Oh the tattoo? Well that was partially Shisui's idea really." He could feel it. His Sharingan had already activated again. "Itachi wasn't too happy about it to say the least." He sits down with her.

Chuckling at the thought of Itachi's reaction, Erza examines the tattoo's waving, swirling colors against the normally pale skin. "Yes, I can see how that might have been Shisui's idea. Itachi has always struck me more as the kind of man to consider his body to be a temple." Not that there was anything at all wrong with body art, Erza quite liked it, though hadn't indulged in it, herself.

"He thought it would be a good idea to get symbols to go along with our names." Sasuke tries to explain. "Like you have Queen of the Fairies, eventually the public just gave us some as well." He shakes his head. "I think that Sorcerer Weekly had a hand in it really, but I don't really mind." He holds out his arm to let her examine as much as she wanted.

"Ah, of course." It was one of those things that came with being a wizard. Eventually, if you were famous enough, you ended up with a nickname. Though Erza had never found out just who gave her the one she carried, but she digressed. "Then I suppose that is a testament to your skills as a wizard." And someone's skills as an artist. "When you are deemed to be very powerful, you inevitably end up with a nickname. I presume that yours has to do with fire, then?"

"Yeah." Sasuke nods. Some of the nicknames he didn't understand where they came from, but his was pretty obvious. "Since we're all related and foreign, it was natural they'd try to tie our names together." He hoped that she liked it. It was probably silly, but Sasuke felt such things were important to a degree. "Shisui got Hurricane. Itachi's is Tsunami and I got Inferno. They call us Nature's Fury." And some other things, but that was the most appropriate name for their 'group', that they had been given.

Erza raises an eyebrow, resisting the urge to laugh at Sasuke's ability to strut, even when sitting. "An odd name, for wizards of Blue Pegasus. The three of you must have made quite the impression to earn a name with such…force." And it made no secret of how they got their other monikers. "Inferno, huh? Well, I think that it suits you. You always did have such a fiery temper."

Did he? Alright, maybe when you compared him to the rest of his guild, he did. "It's all relative. Maybe, for Blue Pegasus, but I'd one of the calmer members in Fairy Tail." Granted Fairy Tail was a guild that went to extremes, but still.

"True, but I do seem to recall one visit involving you producing a fireball, and subsequently chasing Natsu about for fifteen minutes for eating it, before being carried back inside when you ran out of energy for chasing him." Erza smirks at the memory of a tiny Sasuke racing around after Natsu. "You may be calm for the most part, but you're quite a terror when provoked."

He blushed at that. "Well...he deserved it and I was twelve." People should learn not to put out his fires! First Ren and then Natsu?!

"Yes, and at twelve, you seemed to believe that producing fire in front of Natsu wouldn't end with him eating it." Erza shakes her head, leaning back into the couch. "I understood then why Itachi called you his foolish little brother." Although… "Perhaps not so little anymore." Her gaze softens. "You really have grown…" He had a nickname, a tattoo, and he was taller than her, not to mention competing in the Grand Magic Games. He was still younger than her, but not by nearly as much now.

"Well how was I supposed to know that he was the only person in the world who eats fire?" Sasuke was about ready to protest the foolish and little label more, but then he hears the rest of that. "And thank you. It must be...disorienting. To see everyone else besides you and those that were frozen having aged, but to be exactly the same."

"Yes…it is…" More than he could imagine. "The children have grown, and now I feel like a child, myself." Disorienting was putting it mildly, and Erza was still struggling with bouts of surprise at seeing how things had changed while they were away. "Many things are very different now. We have many new opportunities, but have lost many old ones as well. Situations have…changed, people have changed…" Like Jellal, fighting for peace in the kingdom, while largely withdrawing himself from the world. He was…nearly unreachable now.

"And some things have stayed exactly the same." He nods at her. "Like your love of cake and Gray's stripping habit." Perhaps not the most...elegant method of comforting her, but it seemed to be something that would be said in Fairy Tail. "Shisui got his tattoos of wings on his arms by the way, if you were wondering."

Erza chuckles at the thought of Gray and cake. "Did he now? I'm sure that they look marvelous." Her eyes trail back to the art adorning Sasuke's skin. "I can understand why you took advantage of having such pale skin, the artwork truly is lovely. Very fierce, but graceful too." It suited him well.

"They do, but I thought we were talking about my tattoo, not you." He smiles at her with ruby red eyes. "Fierce and graceful seems like a more apt description of you than something as commonplace as a tattoo, no matter how well done it might be." Wait. He shouldn't have said that. Damn it. Sometimes there were drawbacks to living with Pegasus. He loved his guild, but their flirtatious habits could rub off on you before you even realized it.

The smile never leaves Erza's face as she takes the compliment in stride. "Perhaps that is so, though you should never shortchange yourself, Sasuke. Even something commonplace can be beautiful in the right place, in the right light."

"Maybe." Well she was smiling. Maybe now was a good time. "That's...kinda what I wanted to talk to you about." They were alone and she was in a good mood and she seemed to find him attractive on some level. Maybe Itachi had a point. "About earlier...back during Jenny and Mira's fight."

"Yes?" That battle had been a little chaotic, to put it mildly. Though Erza had to admit that it was rather fun. "What is it Sas-"

A deafening blast rocks the city, too far away to possibly be close to the inn. But it was more that a little alarming. Especially since after years of exposure to the perpetrator, Erza recognized that magical power quite well. She was on her feet in an instant, looking towards the windows, trying to locate the source of Natsu's fury.

"God damn it Natsu!" Forget about Salamander, his new name was Cockblocker! Sasuke knew that there was only one possible person in the city who could make THAT much noise at the drop of a hat! That damn IDIOT!

Erza bites back a few curses of her own. "It would seem that your initial instincts were right." Just what had set Natsu off THAT much!? There's another blast, followed by several small ones. Clearly, he was in battle.

So, she races outside, leaping onto the rooftop to get a good look at the city. And for a couple of minutes…all is quiet again. "I don't like this…"

Neither did Sasuke. For two reasons. "Watch out. I doubt it really ended that quickly." Natsu was still a damn blocker and secondly, a quiet Natsu was a dangerous Natsu.

As the seconds tick by, Erza's nerves begin to fray, and her eyes stay watching the entire city before her. Tick…tick…tick…she could almost feel her heart counting the second double time. And then, her eyes fall onto Crocus Gardens, the hotel housing the Sabertooth guild. He wouldn't…

A roar echoes across the city, almost blocked out completely by the sound of the blast of fire and lightning that erupts from the hotel, blasting off a good chunk of the roof. "Natsu…" Erza recognized that attack. "The Lightning Flame Dragon's Firing Hammer." It was part of the extra power given to him by Laxus in their duel with the master of Grimoire Heart.

"Should we do damage control?" Though there was a good chance Natsu might fire off another one.

"I…am not sure…" Erza was quite used to Natsu's antics, but this was on an entirely different level. "Resorting to something like that…often means that the battle is over." And she wasn't sure that there was much they could do. Still, it would probably be best to collect Natsu. "You should return to your inn."

Sasuke looks at her with concern. "You sure?" He knew that Erza could take care of herself, but he didn't feel right leaving her behind in such an uncertain situation.

She sighs, nodding at him. "Yes, this is a Fairy Tail matter. It would be wrong to drag you into our problems." And problems they would have, if Sabertooth was involved. She jumps from the roof, landing in the middle of the deserted cobblestone street.

He sighs and nods. "Alright. Be careful." So much for telling her tonight, Sasuke thinks to himself as he decides to return to Blue Pegasus's inn. Luckily, the streets weren't as crowded now. He made it back in one piece relatively easily.


Itachi was waiting up for him when his little brother arrived back rather late. And judging by the look on his face, Itachi could easily guess what had happened. "Natsu's grudge match interrupted your confession?" At least, he assumed it was a grudge match, otherwise there was hardly a need for Natsu to loose such incredible power.

"..." Sasuke just nods. "That mindreading thing you do, it's getting disturbing."

The elder brother chuckles. "What kind of brother would I be if I did not traumatize you regularly? You still have an immunity to build up."

Yeah. He didn't know how to process that. "Well at least she liked my tattoo." That had to be something, right?

A slight crinkling of the nose accompanies Itachi's disapproving expression. "Yes, well, I suppose there is at least that. It would be unfortunate if the woman you desired found your appearance unappealing. Even if you insist on drawing all over your skin."

"It's only one arm and a little on my chest." He shrugs. Sasuke honestly didn't think he'd gone that overboard with it. "Besides, Shisui did both of his arms."

"For now." Itachi rolls his eyes. "And just how long will it be before her name graces your skin, along with little pictures of fluttering fairies?" He was quite aware that tattooing could be an addictive process, he'd seen it more than once over the years, people building up a vast collection of the artwork. But Sasuke's skin had been so pristine…

Oh boy. Itachi really hated his tattoos. "These are all the tattoos that I'm getting." He shrugs. "Besides, if Natsu could actually stop destroying the city for five minutes and I could talk to her, getting more tattoos would be the last thing on my mind." Assuming she saw him as anything other than a kid and returned his feelings, of course.

Itachi's expression softens a little, well, softens into exasperation, anyway. "Yes, I'm sure that you would have much more on your mind. However…if ever you do plan to get another…please wait until you're a little older." He wasn't entirely sure that eighteen was a good age to be making those sorts of decisions at, but Shisui had indulged Sasuke's birthday request last year, so… "And if you do want any fairies, for the love of all that is sacred, do NOT put them on your ass." Now that is where Itachi would draw the line and resort to genjutsu to have his way.

"It disturbs me that you're imagining tattoos on my ass." Sasuke rolls his eyes. "I deliberately chose spots that wouldn't be awkward later on. I'm not that foolish, Itachi."

"Well, I wouldn't put it past Shisui…" Itachi had been slowly becoming concerned in the last few years that Shisui had far fewer limits than were advisable. "In any case, what's important is that you escaped from THAT mess unscathed." He looks out the window towards where the Crocus Gardens are smoking. "Do you have any idea what set him off?"

"Considering it's coming from Sabertooth, I imagine he's upset about them kicking out Yukino out." Sasuke sighs at the depressing thought. "Not that I can blame him. If anyone deserves to be smacked around besides Raven Tail, it's Sabertooth."

"While I agree with the sentiment, fighting with another guild outside of Domus Flau could be grounds for disqualification." Itachi eyes Sasuke cautiously. "It's best that you refrain from taking measures into your own hands until the games are over."

"I know. I know." Sasuke glances in the direction of Sabertooth's inn. "Though I don't think Natsu cares."

"No, that he does not." Itachi was plenty familiar with the sense of justice that Natsu possessed, and if something had been done to wrong Yukino, in addition to simply expelling her from the guild, well…then is was obvious as to why Natsu would be sticking up for someone who, only hours ago, was his competition. "It is, after all, Fairy Tail's belief that if someone is in your guild, then they are family. And nothing is a worse insult to them than not taking care of your family."

He sighs, knowing that was the truth. "I hope they don't get disqualified." It was out of their hands though.

"I hope so as well." And Itachi had a feeling that Sabertooth as going to be even more motivated now to win this competition. "Perhaps it is only me, but I feel as though tomorrow, we will face Sabertooth." They hadn't fought in the combat portion yet, and Blue Pegasus was a crowd favorite, so it wouldn't be unexpected for the two guilds to finally have their showdown.

"I call Sting." That idiot had it coming. "You should probably handle Rufus though." He tilts his head thoughtfully at the musing.

Maybe, but Itachi had a feeling that Sting and Sasuke would have to wait to have their match. "You may have to fight Natsu for the chance to fight Sting. Or perhaps even fight Sting in order to keep him from fighting Natsu." After all, those two had been gunning for each other since before the games even began.

Sasuke shrugs at that. "Fine by me. As long as he gets knocked on his ass, that's good enough." He didn't understand why Itachi had to be so pessimistic sometimes.

The elder chuckles at his brother's attitude. "I'm certain that by the end of this week, Sting will have been sufficiently knocked on his ass." One way or another, Fairy Tail would certainly see to that.