Chapter 3: A Song of Sky and Ice
"Amazing, Skye!" Reve said, pushing down on her head and ruffling through the brunette's crown. At the same time, Kairi hugged her with her own praise. "I'm so proud of you! You're so strong and independent now that it's amazing." Laughing, soaking in the praise, Skye then stopped as her two "older siblings" did as they exchanged glances. It's been a long time since they acted like the family Skye forced them to be, but with an awkward silence, they both respectively backed away from each other quietly. Skye sighed, absorbing the moment while it lasted, yet still smiling a bit even as it ended. "Thank you both, for helping me grow into what I am now. I needed both of you my entire life, and you never failed me in being there."
The two exchanging sentimental looks once more, Reve finally broke the silence...but changed the topic as he directed attention back to the upcoming fight. "Hey, its Waiston's turn. Let's root for him just the same." Skye huffed, but turned to the soon to begin battle, watching intently whilst sitting upon the ground to rest her legs. "Let's go Waiston! Two and oh baby!"
"Just like Freed and Skye, I can't think of any real reason to pummel you besides the fact that you're a Fairy Tail Mage." Waiston said. "But...that's all the reason I need!"
Wendy immediately shook her head. "That's not true! I have more reason than that to win here today!" Her exclamation caught Waiston off guard. "Oh? And what's that?" He asked, grinning maliciously. Wendy then clenched both of her fists, showing irritation. "You haven't forgotten the Grand Magic Games, have you? When you ate my magic for your own gain? Ever since then, you've been flaunting your dual mode every chance you got! I know it's not much.." She said, fists shaking by her sides as she lowered her head. Her eyes then shot back up to Waiston's gaze. "But if you add that on top of your unnecessary insults if Fairy Tail, then it's true that I can't allow you to walk freely thinking that you're better than us!"
Waiston cocked a brow, head tilted to the side. "Eh!? That's your resolve huh!? Well, it's not what you believe in, it's how much you believe in it, right?" He began laughing.
"However!" He said, demeanor quickly shifting as he raised a right leg, shoving his foot towards Wendy's sternum. With a quick reaction, the little DragonSlayer placed her arms over her chest, blocking the powerful shoving kick though she still went sliding backwards for a couple of meters. As she looked back up with grimace from the surprise attack, her eyes widened a bit as she was now staring into the yellow eyes of Waiston, who towered over her with malicious intent, bloodlust in his eyes as an icy blue aura began surrounding him. Only his bright eyes were visible through his dangling hair, adding the fear effect if there was any. "Your resolve doesn't mean shit to me, little girl. I'm going to crush you here! Prepare to be frozen solid!"
"Come!" Wendy shouted as she jumped into a readied stance, and Waiston was well on the way, pushing off the ground with immense force — force that left footprint sized craters where he last stood. His icy blue aura began to wrap around his right fist as he reared it back behind his ear. "Frozen Dragon's..Iron Fist!"
Wendy held her ground, and with precise timing she ducked at the very last second. Not only did she evade, but the second she did, the Sky Dragon Slayer's hands became her feet as she planted them to the ground, bringing her knees to her chest. "Sky Dragon's Claw!" She shouted, propelling her feet upward and slamming them into Waiston's chin; just underneath as the male left his feet unwillingly, yet finding himself hovering just over Wendy once he recovered from the kick.
"And...!" She exclaimed as Waiston finally regained some balance. It was too late for the Frozen Dragon Slayer at that moment however, as Wendy appeared just above him, swinging a Wind enhanced right claw for the top of his head. "...Claw!"
Both attacks landing in succession, Waiston hit the dirt, hard. Wendy landed right behind him, on her feet as she remained cautious and ready, sure that the White Eclipse representer was no where near done after such attacks.
"Two sky attacks, but both melee. She's scared." Sidney said, unmoving. "I was going with cautious, but scared seems more appropriate when you think about it." Cygnus added. Reve simply nodded in agreement to the other two as Kairi turned to the three. "Uh, are we watching the same fight? She's going in on Waiston right now."
Cygnus then darted his eyes towards Kairi. "So it seems, right? Waiston's fine. Those attacks did nothing, especially without her Dragon Force or enhancement spells. What he was trying to bait her into, was a strong Sky Dragon attack..."
"Oh yeah." Kairi added, pressing a fist into her open hand as it just came to her. "Mr. Frozen Sky Dragon over there is looking for a power boost. Huh, this early though?"
Sidney shook his head. "I don't think he's just looking for a power boost. He's looking to deliver despair. Wendy took this matchup, knowing she would be at a complete disadvantage once he turns to his dual mode. That means either she has a plan, or she's too determined to show that she can beat him despite the disadvantage. If it's the latter... well, Waiston just won't stand for that."
Kairi then blinked once, asking a simple question that no one had the answer to. "...What if it's both?"
Waiston made his way back to his feet, brushing off the two successful attacks he just endured as simple love taps. Rotating his neck, cracking it to loosen up, Waiston went back to to his predatory look towards Wendy Marvell. "You're quick, but you lack aggression."
"This isn't a training session!" Wendy shouted, soaring towards Waiston with her arms out like wings. Once close enough, she retracted those arms over her head only to shoot them forward once again. "Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!" From her war cry, an expulsion of whirlwinds spun towards the Frozen Dragon Slayer rapidly. Yet, before they could reach their intended target, Waiston simply raised his right leg and slammed it against the ground once more. Upon impact with said ground, a large iceberg shot up from the soil, blocking not only Wendy's view of Waiston, but the path of her Wing Attack as well — the whirlwinds slamming into the giant iceberg and then harmlessly dispersing.
"You won't escape!" Wendy shouted as she quickly made her way around the iceberg with a single, quickened leap. When she arrived however, Waiston was no longer there. Confusion struck her, but not as hard as..
"Once more! Iron Fist...!" He yelled, appearing behind Wendy with his left fist cocked and covered in ice. "...Of the Frozen Dragon!" He swung, slamming a clean hit; a powerful ice enhanced haymaker to the jawline of one Wendy Marvell. Plummeting and crash landing went Wendy, skidding harshly across the ground as she released a cry of pain.
"Wendy!" Charla shouted in concern, watching on with the rest of the guild.
"She's okay." Natsu reassured, but as he said so, Waiston was already blitzing towards her with his follow up attack. Landing harshly on the ground, on his feet, he landed in a crouch before inhaling the air around him.
"A roar!" Gray shouted.
"No..." Erza corrected.
"Blinding Song...of the Frozen Dragon!"
Tilting his head backwards and releasing all of the air he inhaled, Waiston created a thick, icy mist that covered nearly half of the area. Soon, everyone became blind to what was taking place inside the now misty battlefield. That included Wendy, who was now trapped inside.
"I can't see a thing!" She shouted, looking around for either an exit or for an incoming Waiston. She received the latter, as glowing yellow eyes appeared behind her, Wendy turned right into a powerful kick to her abdomen, sending the girl tumbling across the ground again as she skidded to a painful stop.
"Kch!" She groaned as those yellow eyes disappeared. Wendy struggled up to her feet, holding her stomach as she tried to calm herself. "Come on Wendy..! You might not be able to see him, but you're a Dragon Slayer! Listen! Sniff him out!" She pep talked herself, trying her best to bring words to fruition as she closed her eyes. Sniffing at first, ears perking second, Wendy's eyes shot open as yellow hues appeared right beside her for another powerful kick. This time however, Wendy ducked under the incoming blow.
"Roar of the..."
"Sly girl...!" Waiston complimented as he missed the kick.
"Sky Dragon!" From a point blank range, Wendy fired a powerful Sky Dragon's Roar directly into Waiston's chest, sending him high into the air as he yelled out in immense pain. Though he was thrown upward, the mist didn't move, still hindering Wendy's eye sight. "Huh...I need more strength then!" She said, spreading her arms as she began to glow. "O strengthen of arm to cleave the Heavens! Arms!"
Glowing a bright blue, Wendy's attack power greatly rose. With her newfound strength, the little Dragon Slayer took in a deep breath once more, trying her technique yet again.
"Roar..."
"Roar..."
It seems like a recovering Waiston had the same idea, chest inflating like a balloon as he prepared to fire his own oral blast.
"Of the Sky/Frozen Dragon!" Simultaneously they fired, Wendy's roar sweeping the the icy mist up along with it as it rushed towards Waiston in a cyclonic fashion. The two roars collided, and not even seconds later, the mixture of frozen mist and Sky magic proved to be the stronger of the two, easily pushing past Waiston's Roar.
"She's got him!" Levy shouted.
"Go, Wendy!" Natsu added on. "This is your CHANCE!"
Grin inducing were their chants, as Waiston began letting off an Icy blue...and then a Sky blue aura. It caught a few of the mages' eyes, but as Waiston seemingly became consumed by Wendy's powerful roar, some still cried out.
"Waiston!" Kuro shouted. "She used his own mist against him!" He added, biting on his own lip in worry.
"Come on now Kuro." Reve added with a smirk. Kuro turned to him confused. "I can't believe someone as talented as you missed it. Look again."
"A direct hit!" Lucy shouted, throwing arms into the air.
"Not quite." Gildarts replied, bursting the blonde's bubble. "Huh?" She looked up, eyes widening in disbelief as the mass amount of Sky and Ice magic began swirling into one giant orb. A second later, that giant orb of the combined magic began to raise even higher, slowly revealing an unscathed Waiston Tunundra as two different shades of blue radiated from his body.
"Ya forced it outta me faster than I wanted, but this is where it falls for ya, Wendy!" He boasted as Lucy covered her mouth, turning back to Wendy with concern. "Frozen Sky Mode."
Gray huffed in annoyance. "Wendy doesn't have a dual mode, and Sky is her element, so that's all she can throw at him. This wasn't the smartest idea."
"She'll be fine!" Charla yelled, not taking her eyes off Wendy. The distaste in her tone from Gray's words were highly evident however and Gray turned his sights to Charla, feeling bad for what he just said seconds after. He then nodded. "Yeah, my bad. She'll definitely be okay."
Glaring towards Waiston, Wendy watched carefully as he continued to hold that giant ball of magic over his head. As she held her ground, a pinkish aura overcame her. Her hair began to waver upwards, flashing a pinkish color as well.
"Say goodnight!" Waiston yelled, tossing the giant ball of Sky and Ice magic Wendy's way.
"This is what you wanted." She said to herself. "He skipped right past his Ice Drive and into the Frozen Sky Mode. If I can take him out here... but it's going to take everything I have. Everything... I have!"
At the end of her statement, Wendy yelled at the top of her lungs as an influx of magic shot everywhere, rattling the Earth she stood upon. The winds around herself and Waiston began to pick up drastically as the Sky Dragon entered her Dragon Force. In an instant, Wendy was gone from sight, completely avoiding the incoming ball of Sky and Ice that slammed into the ground — violently exploding into bits and pieces upon impact.
"Kehe! That's what I want!" Waiston shouted, never taking his eyes off the last place Wendy was seen; the ground. "Show me..." He began, gradually shifting his descending frame around. As he picked up speed in his turn, Waiston led now with his right foot. Swinging it, his foot then became coated in ice, visible wind wrapping around the icy coating as well. "...The full extent of your Dragon Force!" Completing is one-eighty, Waiston's kick which at first seemed like was aimed for nothing but air, collided with an appearing Wendy, fist to foot. The power of Sky and Ice against Sky alone, only enhanced by Dragon Force — a harsh stalemate seemed to be the result of this collision. But, the longer Wendy held on to this struggle, the more she felt her right arm shiver in coldness. With a flurry of icy wind flowing every which way, Wendy could now feel her entire body becoming numb. Even on the sidelines, the Icy Wind's visibility impressed onlookers.
"Whoa whoa there." Bacchus commented with a laugh. "I'm getting chills from here just looking at that blizzard! Wendy doesn't stand a chance!"
"She can still do it!" Chelia yelled out, causing him to leer her way. "Believe in Wendy! She'll win it!"
"That's the thing here kid." He said, slowly placing his gourd down whilst never taking his eyes off the fight.
"I ain't believing in anything here. I'm neutral. Didn't ya hear Hibiki? It wouldn't be wild for us to root for Fairy Tail like White Eclipse are the bad guys. They're just as much allies as Erza and the others, and you know it too. So to pick a favorite, a man like me can't do it. I understand since you and Wendy are the Sky Sisters or whatever, but the rest of us, well, most or some of us, are just here for the throw down! So believe in who ya want, but Wendy ain't getting any supporting strength from us! She's on her own now, not including her own guild, of course."
"..." Chelia looked around, seeing nothing but agreeing faces as she slowly slumped into a saddened expression, turning back to the fight at hand.
"I...it's too cold!" She stammered, her arm showing signs of actual ice growing upon her limbs.
"Waiston's in full control." Adamantine said with full confidence. "If she has a trick up her sleeve, she's going to use it soon. If he survives that, then he wins, absolute."
Now, overpowering the little Dragon Slayer, Waiston pushed through with his kick, slamming it against Wendy's now frozen right limb, sending her flying towards the ground. She hit the ground hard, immediately attempting to push herself off the ground once she slammed into the earth. Pain coursing through her frame, Wendy coughed vigorously as she remained on her hands and knees. With her entire right arm still frozen, it just made it much harder for her to push herself off the ground.
"I cant... I'm not going to die fighting him...so I can't just quit and look for Natsu-San or Erza-San to come save me. I have to..—"
"WENDY LOOK OUT!" Erza shouted at the top of her lungs, but just before Wendy could even look up to see what the warning was about, Waiston appeared in the most brutal way possible, landing directly on top of the Sky Dragon Slayer with his right foot covered in Ice once more. His plummet was filled with so much velocity, that when he landed directly on Wendy's spine, she could only let out a silent cry as her frame pressed into the ground, creating a small yet deep crater from impact. Literally right after, flames covered The Salamander's body as he tried his hardest to remain still, arms folded as he glared a hole through Waiston. "Natsu..." Lucy whimpered, watching on as Waiston turned to his direction with a grin — enjoying riling up the opposing team.
"You sleep?" He asked her, turning back to Wendy who laid under his shoe. He raised his leg, only to notice a squirming Dragon Slayer underneath. Waiston then sighed. "I don't enjoy beating up on girls ya know, but you don't wanna stay down, and the rules say you gotta quit or I gotta knock ya out so..." Waiston raised his leg higher, and then threw it down with velocity once more. The Icy stomp was powerful enough to send his leg through the earth itself in small hole. That's mostly because he missed his point blank target. "Huh!?" Bewildered, he looked around for the missing Wendy Marvell, unable to find her until it was too late. She appeared right above him, hovering as she then began wafting for the winds of change.
"Secret Dragon Slayer Art!"
"Here comes that trick up her sleeve." Adam reiterated as the others became worrisome. "Shattering Light: Sky Drill!" As she called forth her attack, Wendy flipped upside down with her arms spread. Following right after, Wendy swung her arms in a counter clockwise manner, creating a spiraling wind wall around Waiston as her winds also easily shattered the ice that encased her right arm.
"Heh! I'll just eat this! It's no use for you!" He boasted, but before he could begin inhaling, Wendy appeared in a flash before the cocky Slayer, slamming a hard, brunt uppercut to his abdomen. Wide eyed, Waiston folded over, holding his stomach with his left hand and the ground to keep himself up with his right.
With the White Eclipse Mage temporarily subdued, Wendy then extended her arms to her sides once again. This time, she spun them clockwise, and the winds that trapped Waiston shot downward, pressuring down on his back with an amazing force.
"What...what the fuck...!? I can't move!" Waiston groaned out, struggling to even stay on his hands and knees, let alone push up. Strong enough to keep Waiston immobilized, Wendy nodded once before crouching and then leaping high into the air with the help of her Wind Magic.
"Her Sky Drill, but upside down!" Lucy exclaimed in awe. "Instead of using her winds to throw her opponent in the air.."
"She using her Wind Magic to hold him down!" Carla shouted, adding on. "Go Wendy! Finish him right here!"
As she ascended into the clouds, Chelia watched on with a huge smile as she understood what was coming. "She's going to do it!" The God Slayer spoke, clenching both of her first in excitement. "GO! WENDY!"
Finally, at the peak of her ascension, just past the clouds, Wendy took a deep breath before descending once more; right foot leading the way, wrapped with a large amount of Sky Dragon Slaying Magic, Wendy was locked on to her target, plummeting towards him through her own drill like an ice seeking missile.
"This is it! This is for Fairy Tail! First Sky Arrow!"
"GOOOO!" - Chelia
"Waiston you dolt! Get up!" Kairi shouted. "This is it..." Cygnus assessed. "Mhm." Adam nodded in agreement.
"Come on..." Jaxon whispered, tapping his foot as he crossed his arms, watching Wendy quickly descend. "Come on.." He said a bit louder as the rest of Fairy Tail continued cheering for the incoming Wendy.
"Come on!" He this time yelled. "If you're gonna lose to some wind then take off that Dragon Scale Coat your Dragon made you! You're the one who controls the ice and sky right?! That's all I hear from you now! So where's it at, Waiston!"
Grimacing, Waiston then chuckled as he continued to try and push up to no avail.
"...Sorry for lying...Jaxon. It seems I don't control the sky after all...
But..."
Waiston removed his hand from his stomach, pressing it against the ground with his other. Once both hands were pressed against the ground, and icy blue suddenly shot out from his being, freezing a large radius of the ground around him as it then...
"...I do indeed, control the Ice. Frozen Dragon's Clear Domain..!"
...At that point of his exclamation, Waiston yelled at the top his lungs, and suddenly, the Sky Drill Wendy created...froze. Intangible air, freezing, becoming a beautiful tower of solid ice — crystallizing as it sparkled in the morning sun.
Chelia stood quietly, speechless. She hadn't moved an inch as she looked on in utter disbelief. Bacchus then slowly turned his eyes to her, raising a brow in a condescending manner, not that she was paying attention.
"He froze...air." Natsu said, observing the unbelievable.
"Wendy's inside there..." Erza murmured, staring at the icy structure that soon began to crack. As it finally broke apart, it wasn't for the structure to fall, no, but to reveal Wendy Marvell herself, frozen solid and unconscious.
"WENDY!" - Natsu
"Wendy Marvell is unable to compete any longer! The winner is Waiston Tunundra!"
Suddenly, an uproar was heard from the White Eclipse roster. Reve grinning as the others celebrated Waiston's victory, Waiston began walking away from his creation, snapping his fingers and causing it to crumble as Wendy fell from the height.
"Wendy!" Natsu and Charla yelled as The Salamander darted towards her to catch her. Someone had beat him to the punch however, and as Wendy laid in his arms, he merely glared Waiston's way as the Dragon Slayer kept walking away to his celebrating teammates.
"Natsu..." He said, turning to him with his arms extended for him to take Wendy. "Please, keep her warm until she wakes up. And also..."
Jellal then turned back to the battlefield where Arcturus's person perked up once he realized who was on his way to the meeting spot. Arc took to the air with a single leap, landing in the midst of the battlefield as Jellal angrily coated himself in Heavenly Body Magic that shook the arena to its core.
"...Leave Fairy Tail's first win to me."
Right there, the third match had been decided. It was the Outcast versus the only remaining Demon.
"Mages ready!?"
"Begin!"